was wont, sat in his consistóry, And gave his doomes upon sundry case’; This falsë clerk came forth a full great pace, And saidë; “Lord, if that it be your will, As do me right upon this piteous bill, In which I plain upon Virginius. And if that he will say it is not thus, I will it prove, and findë good witnéss, That sooth is what my billë will express.” The judge answér’d, “Of this, in his absénce, I may not give definitive senténce. Let do him call, and I will gladly hear; Thou shalt have allë right, and no wrong here.”
Virginius came to weet the judgë’s will, And right anon was read this cursed bill; The sentence of it was as ye shall hear: “To you, my lord, Sir Appius so clear, Sheweth your poorë servant Claudius, How that a knight callëd Virginius, Against the law, against all equity, Holdeth, express against the will of me, My servant, which that is my thrall by right, Which from my house was stolen on a night, While that she was full young; I will it preve By witness, lord, so that it you not grieve; She is his daughter not, what so he say. Wherefore to you, my lord the judge, I pray, Yield me my thrall, if that it be your will.” Lo, this was all the sentence of the bill. Virginius gan upon the clerk behold; But hastily, ere he his talë told, And would have proved it, as should a knight, And eke by witnessing of many a wight, That all was false that said his adversary, This cursed judgë would no longer tarry, Nor hear a word more of Virginius, But gave his judgëment, and saidë thus: “I deem anon this clerk his servant have; Thou shalt no longer in thy house her save. Go, bring her forth, and put her in our ward; The clerk shall have his thrall: thus I award.”
And when this worthy knight, Virginius, Through sentence of this justice Appius, Mustë by force his dearë daughter give Unto the judge, in lechery to live, He went him home, and sat him in his hall, And let anon his dearë daughter call; And with a facë dead as ashes cold Upon her humble face he gan behold, With father’s pity sticking through his heart, All would he from his purpose not convert. “Daughter,” quoth he,