by Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400)
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The physician’s tale tells the
story of Virginius and his daughter Virginia. It’s a tragedy.
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Virginia
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She was wise, modest, chaste,
virtuous, prudent, and kind.
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One day she went to church and
Appius saw her. He was a powerful judge, and a bad man. He wanted her, but he
knew it would be difficult. He could never marry her or simply take her, and
she’d never accept a bribe, no matter how big.
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Appius found a churl to help
him – a low life, criminal named Claudius. Claudius made a false claim in court
soon after, that Virginia
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Appius agreed and told
Virginius to give over his daughter to Claudius. Virginius decided to kill his
own daughter instead, cutting off her head with his sword. It was better to die
honorably than to live in sin.
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Virginius took his daughter’s
head to the court, angering Appius. An angry mob entered after and threw
Appius into jail, where he killed himself. Claudius was exiled from town.
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There are two lessons to the
story. One is for parents to be very careful and protect their children from
danger. The other is, “forsake sin before sin forsakes you.” This basically
means “what goes around comes around.” If you do bad things, then bad things
will happen to you.
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In the story, the physician
says something very insulting to the nuns. He says a young woman becomes a nun
for one of two reasons. Either she’s such a good person she wants to, or she’s
such a bad person that her family is embarrassed, and forces her to be a nun,
and pray for forgiveness.
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He then compares nuns to
poachers, saying a poacher knows best how to guard a forest, because he can
think like a poacher. Likewise, a nun who was bad in youth can best look after
a young woman, because she knows how young women think.
Canterbury Tales – The Physician’s Tale
by Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400)
Here follows the Physician's Tale.
There was a knight named Virginius,
full of honour and nobility, who was rich and well loved. He and his wife had
only one daughter, named Virginia. The maiden was the fairest and most
beautiful girl who ever lived; it was as if Nature herself had said, "Look
what I can do! Who can imitate me? Not even the greatest artists of ancient
Greece, like Pygmalion, Apelles, or Zeuxis could make such a perfect, beautiful
girl. For God himself trusts me to create all living things; and all that lives
under the waxing and waning moon is in my care. And in honour of Him I made
her, as I make all my other creatures, whatever their colour or form."
Thus, it seems to me, Nature would say.
This maiden was fourteen years old.
Her skin was fair, and her lips were red. And her hair was a shiny, golden
yellow, like the sun. And, if her beauty was excellent, a thousand times more
was she virtuous, in every possible way.
She was chaste, in spirit and in
body, with a sense of humility, abstinence, temperance, patience, and with
modesty in her clothing and jewellery. She was always polite when spoken to.
Although she was wise, she spoke modestly. She never tried to impress anyone
with big words. She spoke according to her place, and you could easily see she
had good parents.
She was always hard working. She
didn't like to drink, knowing that young people and alcohol are a dangerous
combination. So, she often pretended to be sick, to flee company where folly
was likely to happen, as at feasts, revels and dances, that might be occasions
for drunkenness. Such parties make children mature too soon, and bold, which is
always dangerous, and can lead to a rude and vulgar wife.
And, you elderly nuns, who have the
job of governing peoples' daughters, do not ignore my words, but remember that
you have come to your position in life for one of two reasons; either because
you were so good you belonged in a convent, or because you were so terrible you
embarrassed your family, and they put you in a convent as a punishment.
Therefore, for Christ's sake, do
your jobs well in teaching girls virtue. Be like a poacher who has sworn to
stop hunting, and can protect a forest the best of any, because he knows all
the tricks. Watch over them well, and don't allow them to have any faults, for
whoever does so is surely a traitor.
And remember this: of all sins, the
worst is when someone betrays an innocent. You fathers and mothers, who have
one or two children, the responsibility of protecting them is all yours, while
they are under your care. Beware that, by the example of your life, or by your
negligence, they die not, because if they do, you will be sorry. Under a soft
and negligent shepherd, the wolf has torn to pieces many sheep and lambs. Let
this one example be enough, for I must return to my tale.
This maiden of whom I tell was so
good that she needed no governess. In every direction the fame of her beauty
and goodness spread, so that, throughout the land, all who loved virtue praised
her; all except those who were envious, who are always sorry for other people's
happiness and glad for their sorrow and sickness.
One day, and this is a true story,
this maiden went to the church in town with her dear mother, as usual. Now in
this town there was a justice, named Appius, who was the governor of this
region, and he saw her, looking her up and down. Immediately he decided, saying
to himself, "This girl will be mine, no matter what it takes."
Then the Devil slipped into his
heart and showed him how, by cunning, he might win the maiden. He couldn't just
take her, and he knew she wouldn't accept any amount of money. So, after
thinking for awhile, he summoned a churl named Claudius whom he knew to be both
bold and cunning. To him this judge told his plan and swore him to secrecy;
saying if Claudius told anyone, he would lose his head. When this terrible plan
was agreed, the judge was glad, and thanked Claudius, and paid him well.
When this conspiracy was planned from
point to point, the churl went home. And so it happened soon after, that Appius
was sitting in his court, and giving out judgments on various cases. This churl
came rushing in and said,
"So please you, lord, give me
justice on this piteous petition of complaint against the knight Virginius. And
if he shall say it is not true, I will prove it and find good witnesses who
will prove that my petition tells the truth!"
The judge answered, "Unless
Virginius is here I cannot give a final sentence. Let him be summoned, and then
I will listen gladly. You shall have full justice here, and no wrong."
Virginius came, and the horrible
petition was read without delay, which was, "To you my dear lord,
Honourable Appius, show your poor servant Claudius how a knight, called
Virginius, against the law and all fairness, and expressly against my will,
holds my servant, who one night was stolen from my house while she was very
young. This I will prove by witness, lord, as will please you. She was never
his daughter, whatever he may say. For this reason I petition you, my lord the
judge, give me back my servant."
Virginius stared at the churl. But
,before he could tell his side of the story (where he would have proven, with
many witnesses, that this churl was false), this cursed judge would not wait at
all nor hear a word more from him, but gave his judgement: "I decree that
this churl shall have his servant immediately; you shall keep her in your house
no longer. This is my ruling. Go bring her here and put her in our keeping. This
churl shall have his servant."
When the knight saw that he must
give his daughter to the judge, to live in sin, he went home and sat down in
his hall. He summoned his dear daughter, and with a face deathlike, he looked
at her with a father's pity striking his heart.
"Daughter," he said,
"there are two ways, death or shame, that you may choose, alas that I was
born! For never have you deserved to die by blade or sword. O daughter dear,
whom I raised with such joy that you were never out of my mind! O daughter who
are my last woe and last joy of my life, take your death with honour, for this
is my judgment. For love and not for hate, you must die. My merciful hand must
strike off your head. Alas that Appius ever saw you! He has given you this
false judgment today." And he told her the entire case as you have heard;
there is no need to tell it again.
"Mercy, dear father," said
the maiden, and laid her arms around his neck, and the tears burst from her two
eyes as she said, "Good father, must I die? Is there no other way?"
"No, dear daughter mine,"
he said.
"Then give me a moment,"
she said, "to mourn my death a little; for Jephthah surely gave his
daughter a moment before he killed her, alas! And God knows that she had no
guilt except that she ran to meet her father first to welcome him with great
honour." And with that word she fainted. When she awoke, she rose up and
said to her father, "Blessed be God, I die a maiden. Give me my death
before I have dishonour. Do what you must, in the name of God!"
And then she asked him to strike
gently with his sword, and then she fainted again. Her father, with sorrowful
heart, struck off her head, and holding it by the hair, went to show it to the
judge where he still sat in court. When the judge saw it, he ordered that Virginius
be taken and hanged immediately. But, then a thousand people burst in to save
the knight, by their pity and compassion. For this story had spread, and the
people immediately had suspicion, by reason that it was by Appius's consent,
whom they well knew to be lecherous. So they came immediately to Appius and
threw him into prison, where he killed himself. And Claudius was condemned to
be hanged upon a tree, but Virginius, by his clemency, so prayed for the churl
that he was exiled, or else surely he would have been killed too.
Here all may see how sin has its
costs. Beware, for no man knows whom God will strike, nor how one's conscience
may tremble at a wicked life, though it be so privy that none knows of it but
the sinner and God. For whether one may be educated or not, he knows not how
soon he will face his final judgement. Therefore I counsel you, listen to this
warning: forsake sin before sin forsakes you.
Here ends the Physician's Tale.
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