The Knight's Tale
Folio 14r
14 of 42 folios
Wyth knotty knarry bareyn trees olde
1120
Of stubbes sharpe and hidous to be holde
In which ther ran a rumbel in a swogh
As though a storme sholde barsten euery bogħ
And dounward from an hul vnder a bent
Ther stood the temple of mars armipotent
1125
Wroght al of burned steel of which the entree
Was longe and streyte and gastly for to see
And ther out came a rage and swich aveze
That it made al the gate for to rese .
The northren light in atte dores shon
1130
For wyndow on the wall was ther noon
Thurgh which men myghten eny light discerne
The dore was of adamand eterne
I clenched ouerthwart and endelong
Wyth Iren togh and for to make it strong
1135
Euery piler the temple to sustene
Was tonne gret of iren bryght and shene
¶ There say I first the derke ymagynyng
Of felony and al the compassing
The cruwel ire reed as any glede
1140
The pikpurs and eke the pale drede
The smyler wyth the knyf vnder the cloke
The shepne brennyng wyth the blak smoke .
The treson of the mordryng in the bed
The open werre wyth woundes al bibled
1145
Contek wyth blody knyf and sharpe manace
And ful of chirkyng was that sory place .
¶ The sleer of him self yit saw I there
His hert blod hath bathed al his heere
The nayl ydryuen in th shode a nyght
1150
The colde deth wyth mowthe gapyng vp ryght
A myddes of the temple sat meschaunce
Wyth disconfort and sori contenaunce
¶ Yet sawgh I woodnes laghyng in his rage
Armed compleynt out hees and fiers outrage
1155
The careyn in the bussh wyth throte I corue
A thousand slayn and noght of qualme y storue .