The Knight's Tale
Folio 12v
11 of 42 folios
Than had I ben in blisse ant nat in wo
Oonly the syght of heore whom that I. serue
Thogh that I neuer hir grace may deserue
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Wolde haue suffised ryght I nogh for me
O dere cosyn palamon quod he.
Thin is the victorie of this auentur
Ful blisfully in pisoun maistow dure
In pisoun certes nay but in paradyse
380
Wel hath fortune turned thee the dyse
That hast the sight of hir and I the absence
For possible is sin thow hast hir persence.
And art a knyght a worthi and an able
That by som cas syn fortune is chaungeable
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Thow maiste to thi desyre Somtyme atteyne
But I that am exiled and barayne
Of alle gace and in so gret despeire
That ther nys erthe water fyr ne eyre
Ne creature that of hem maked is
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That may me heele or doon comfort in this
Wel ought .I. sterue in wanhope and distresse
Farwel my lyfe my luste and my gladnes.
¶ Allas whi pleynen folk so incomune
Of purueyaunce of god or of fortune.
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That yeueth hem ful ofte in mony a gyse
Wel better than thei can hem self deuyse
Som man desyreth for to haue rychesse
That cause is of his moerdre or gret sykenesse
And Som man wolde out of his persoun fayne
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That in his hous is of his meyne slayne
Infinite harmes ben in this matere
We wot not what thing that we payen here
We faren here as he that dronke is as a mous
A dronke mon woot wel he hath an hous
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But he not which the ryght wey is thider
And to a dronke mon the wey is slider
And certes in this worlde so faren wee
We seken fast after felicitee
But we gon wrong ful ofte truly
410
Thus may we seyn alle and namelych .I.