“Virginia by name, There be two wayës, either death or shame, That thou must suffer—alas that I was bore! For never thou deservedest wherefore To dien with a sword or with a knife, O dearë daughter, ender of my life, Whom I have foster’d up with such pleasánce That thou were ne’er out of my remembrance; O daughter, which that art my lastë woe, And in this life my lastë joy also, O gem of chastity, in patiénce Take thou thy death, for this is my senténce: For love and not for hate thou must be dead; My piteous hand must smiten off thine head. Alas, that ever Appius thee say! Thus hath he falsely judged thee to-day.” And told her all the case, as ye before Have heard; it needeth not to tell it more.
“O mercy, dearë father,” quoth the maid. And with that word she both her armës laid About his neck, as she was wont to do, (The tearës burst out of her eyen two), And said, “O goodë father, shall I die? Is there no grace? is there no remedý?” “No, certes, dearë daughter mine,” quoth he. “Then give me leisure, father mine,” quoth she, “My death for to complain a little space: For, pardie, Jephthah gave his daughter grace For to complain, ere he her slew, alas! And, God it wot, nothing was her trespáss, But for she ran her father first to see, To welcome him with great solemnity.” And with that word she fell aswoon anon; And after, when her swooning was y-gone, She rose up, and unto her father said: “Blessed be God, that I shall die a maid. Give me my death, ere that I havë shame; Do with your child your will, in Goddë’s name.” And with that word she prayed him full oft That with his sword he wouldë smite her soft; And with that word, aswoon again she fell. Her father, with full sorrowful heart and fell, Her head off smote, and by the top it hent, And to the judge he went it to present, As he sat yet in doom in consistóry.
And when the judge it saw, as saith the story, He bade to take him, and to hang him fast. But right anon a thousand people in thrast To save the knight, for ruth and for pitý, For knowen was the false iniquity. The people anon had súspect in this thing, By manner of the clerkë’s challengíng, That it was by th’ assent of Appius; They wistë well that he