| | Yef me my deth or that I haue a shame | |
| 250 | Doth with your child your wil a goddis name | |
| | And with that worde she praieth ful ofte | |
| | That with his swerd he sholde smyte softe | |
| | And with that word a swonne doun she fyl | |
| | Her fadir with sorouful herte and fel | |
| 255 | Here hed of smoot and by the top it hent | |
| | And to the Iuge he yaf it in present | |
| | As he sat in his dome in consistory | |
| | When that the Iuge it saw as saith the story | |
| | He bad take hym and hange hym al so faste | |
| 260 | But right anone al the pepil in thraste | |
| | To saue the knyght for rowthe and for pite | |
| | For knowen was the fals iniquyte | |
| | The pepyl anon had suspect in this thing | |
| | By maner of this chorlis iangeling | |
| 265 | That it was by assent of appius | |
| | They wiste wel that he was lecherous | |
| | Forth with vnto this appius they gon | |
| | And cast hym in prison and that anon | |
| | Where as he slow hym self and Claudius | |
| 270 | That seruaunt was vnto appius | |
| | Was demyd forto be hongid vp on a tre | |
| | But virginius of his grete pyte | |
| | Prayde for hym that he was exilid | |
| | And ellis certis had he be begilid | |
| 275 | The remenaunt were hongid bothe more & lesse | |
| | That consentid were to this cursidnes | |
| | Here may men se how synne hath his merite | |
