The Knight's Tale
Folio 13v
13 of 42 folios
Wyth al the gardeyn and the lustynesse
Nat was for yeten the porter ydelnesse
Ne narcisus the faire of yore agon
Ne yet the foly of kyng Salamon
1085
¶ Ne yet the gret streyngh of ercules
Thenchantementz of medya and Sortes .
Ne of turnes wyth the hardy fiers corage
The riche cresus caitif in seruage
Thus may ye seen that wisdom ne riches
1090
Beaute ne sleigth strengthe hardines
Ne may wyth venus holden champartye
For as hir lust the world than may she gye .
Lo al this folk so caught were in hir las
Til thei for wo ful ofte seide allas .
1095
Suffiseth here ensamples oon or two
And though I koude reken a thousand mo
¶ The statue of venus glorious for to see
Was naked fletyng ī þõ large see
And fro the nauel doun al couered was
1100
Wyth wawes grene and bryght as any glas
A citole in hir ryght hond had she
And on hir hed ful semely for to see
A rose garlond fressh and wel smellyng
Aboue hir heed hir dounes flikeryng
1105
By forn hir stood hir son Cupido
Vpon his shuldres wynges had he two
And blind he was as it is ofte sene
A bow he bar and arwes brygh and kene
¶ Whi sholde I not as wel eke telle yow al
1110
The purtreyture that was vpon the wal
Wyth ynne the temple of myghty mars the rede
And peynted was the wal in leyngth and brede
Lyk to the Estres of the grysly place
That hight the temple of Mars in trace
1115
In thilk colde forsty regioun
Ther as mars hath his souereigne mansion
¶ First on the wal was peynted a forest
In which ther dwelleth neither man ne best .