The Knight's Tale
Folio 13r
12 of 42 folios
Ne purtreyour ne keruer of ymages
That theseus ne yaf mete and wages
The theatre for to maken and dyuyse
And for to doon his rite and sacryfice
1045
He Estward hath vpon the gate aboue
In worship of Venus goddes of loue .
Doon make an auter and an oratorie
And on the gate westward in memorie
Of Mars he maked hath ryght swych a nother
1050
That cost largely of gold a fother
And northward in a touret on the wal
Of Alabastre whyt and red coral .
An oratorie ryche for to see
In worship of dyane goddes of chastytee
1055
Hath theseus doon wrought in noble wyse
¶ But yet had I forgeten vnto deuyse
The noble keruyng and the purtreytures
The shap the countenaunce and the figures
That weren in thise orotories thre
1060
¶ First in the temple of venus maistow see
Wroght on the wal ful pitous to beholde
The broken slepes and the sykes colde
The sacred teers and the waymentyng
The firy strokes of the desiryng
1065
That loues saruantz in this lyf enduren
The othes that hir couenantz assuren
Plesaunce and hope desire fool hardines
Beaute and youthe baudrie riches
Charmes and force lesinges flaterye
1070
Dispence bisynes and Ialousye
That wered of yelewe gooldes a gerlond
And a cokkow sittyng on hir hond
Feestes Instrumentz caroles and daunces
Lust and array and al the circumstaunces
1075
Of loue which that I reken an rekene shal
By ordre were peynted on the wal
And mo than I can make of mencyoun
For soothly al the mount of Citheroun
Ther venus hath hir pincipal dwellyng
1080
Was shewed on the wal in purtreying .