Geoffrey Chaucer

“ Of whiche her herte agroos, and seyde thus, "Wher is my suster, brother Tereus?" And therwith-al she wept tenderly, And quook for fere, pale and pitously, Right as the lamb that of the wolf is biten; Or as the colver, that of the egle is smiten, 2320And is out of his clawes forth escaped, Yet hit is afered and awhaped Lest hit be hent eft-sones, so sat she. But utterly hti may non other be. By force hath he, this traitour, doon that dede, That he hath reft her of her maydenhede, Maugree her heed, by strengthe and by his might. Lo! here a dede of men, and that a right! She cryeth "suster!" ”

“ And al the thing that Tereus hath wroght, She waf hit wel, and wroot the story above, How she was served for her suster love; And to a knave a ring she yaf anoon, And prayed him, by signes, for to goon Unto the quene, and beren her that clooth, And by signes swor him many an ooth, 2370She sholde him yeve what she geten mighte. This knave anoon unto the quene him dighte, And took hit her, and al the maner tolde. And, whan that Progne hath this thing beholde, No work she spak, for sorwe and eek for rage; But feyned her to goon on pilgrimage To Bachus temple ”

“ But to her husband gan she for to preye, For goddes love, that she moste ones goon Her suster for to seen, and come anoon, Or elles, but she moste to her wende, She preyde him, that he wolde after her sende; And this was, day by day, al her prayere With al humblesse of wyfhood, word, and chere. 2270This Theseus let make his shippes yare, And into Grece him-self is forth y-fare Unto his fader in lawe, and gan him preye To vouche-sauf that, for a month or tweye, That Philomene, his wyves suster, mighte On Progne his wyf but ones have a sighte -- "And she shal come to yow again anoon. ”