THE TALE（第1页）

therewas，astellethtituslivius，

aknight，thatcalledwasvirginius，

fullfilledofhonourandworthiness

andstrongoffriendes，andofgreatrichess.

thisknightonedaughterhaddebyhiswife;

nochildrenhadhereinallhislife.

fairwasthismaidinexcellentbeauty

abovenevrywightthatmanmaysee:

fornaturehadwithsovreigndiligence

y-formedherinsogreatexcellence，

asthoughshewouldesay，"lo，i，nature，

thuscaniformandpaintacreature，

whenthatmelist;whocanmecounterfeit?

pygmalion?notthoughheayeforgeandbeat，

orgraveorpainte:foridarewellsayn，

apelles，zeuxis，shouldeworkinvain，

eithertograve，orpaint，orforge，orbeat，

iftheypresumedmetocounterfeit.

forhethatistheformerprincipal，

hathmademehisvicar-general

toformandpaintenearthlycreatures

rightasmelist，andallthinginmycure*is，*care

undertheone，thatmaywaneandwax.

andformyworkrightnothingwilliax**ask

ord.

imadehertotheworship*ofmylord;

sodoiallmineothercreatures，

whatcolourthattheyhave，orwhatfigures.

thusseemethmethatnaturewouldesay.

thismaidenwasofagetwelveyearandtway，**two

inwhichthatnaturehaddesuchdelight.