The wyde world in brede and lengthe. That thou hast do to me be strengthe, If I among the poeple duelle, Unto the poeple I schal it telle; And if I be withinne wall Of Stones closed, thanne I schal Unto the Stones clepe and crie,[409] And tellen hem thi felonie; And if I to the wodes wende, Ther schal I tellen tale and ende,[410] 5670 And crie it to the briddes oute,[411] That thei schul hiere it al aboute. For I so loude it schal reherce, That my vois schal the hevene perce, That it schal soune in goddes Ere. Ha, false man, where is thi fere? O mor cruel than eny beste, Hou hast thou holden thi beheste[412] Which thou unto my Soster madest? O thou, which alle love ungladest, 5680 And art ensample of alle untrewe, Nou wolde god mi Soster knewe, Of thin untrouthe, hou that it stod!’ And he than as a Lyon wod[413] With hise unhappi handes stronge Hire cauhte be the tresses longe, [Sidenote: =P. ii. 318=] With whiche he bond ther bothe hire armes, That was a fieble dede of armes, And to the grounde anon hire caste, And out he clippeth also faste 5690 Hire tunge with a peire scheres. So what with blod and what with teres Out of hire yhe and of hir mouth, He made hire faire face uncouth: Sche lay swounende unto the deth, Ther was unethes eny breth; Bot yit whan he hire tunge refte, A litel part therof belefte, Bot sche with al no word mai soune, Bot chitre and as a brid jargoune. 5700 And natheles that wode hound Hir bodi hent up fro the ground, And sente hir there as be his wille Sche scholde abyde in prison stille For everemo: bot nou tak hiede What after fell of this misdede. Whanne al this meschief was befalle, This Tereüs, that foule him falle, Unto his contre hom he tyh; And whan he com his paleis nyh, 5710 His wif al redi there him kepte. Whan he hir sih, anon he wepte, And that he dede for deceite, For sche began to axe him streite, ‘Wher is mi Soster?’ And he seide That sche was ded; and Progne abreide, [Sidenote: =P. ii. 319=] As sche that was a wofull wif, And stod betuen hire deth and lif, Of that sche herde such tidinge:[414] Bot for sche sih hire lord wepinge, 5720 She wende noght bot alle trouthe, And hadde wel the more routhe. The Perles weren tho forsake To hire, and blake clothes take; As sche that was gentil and kinde, In worschipe of hir Sostres mynde Sche made a riche enterement, For sche fond non amendement To syghen or to sobbe more: So was ther guile under the gore. 5730 Nou leve we this king and queene, And torne ayein to Philomene, As I began to tellen erst.