The Knight's Tale
Folio 14v
15 of 42 folios
The tyraunt wyth the prey biforce y rafte
The toun destruyed ther nas no thyng lafte
¶ Yit saugh y brent the shippes hoppesters
1160
The hunt stranglid wyth the wylde beres
The sow freten the child right in the cradel
The cook I scalled for al his longe ladel
¶ Not was forgeten by the Infortune of Mart
The carter ouer ryden wyth his carte
1165
Vnder the whele ful low he lay a doun
¶ Ther was also of martes diuisioun
The barbour and the bochier and the smyth
That forgeth sharpe swerdes on his styth
And al aboue depeynted in a tour
1170
¶ Saugh I conquest sittyng in gret honour
Wyth the sharpe swerde ouer his heed
Hangyng by a subtil twyned thred
¶ Depeynted was the slaughther of Iulius
Of gret nero and of Anthounis
1175
Al be that thilke tyme thei were vnborñ
Yet was hir deth depeynted there biforn
By manassyng of Mars ryght by figure
So was it shewed in that purtreyture
As is depeynted in the sterres a boue
1180
Who shal be slayn or elles ded for loue
Suffiseth oon ensample in stories olde
I may nat reken hem alle thogh I wolde
¶ The statue of Mars vpon a cart stood
Armed and loked grym as he were wood
1185
And ouer his heed ther shynen two figures
Of sterres that ben cleped in sciptures
That oon puella that oother rubeus
This god of armes was arrayde thus
A wolf ther stod by forn him at his feet
1190
Wyth eyen rede and of a man he eet
Wyth subtil pencel was depeynted this storye
In redoutyng of Mars and his glorie
¶ Now to the temple of Dyan the chaste
As shortly as I kan I wol me hast
1195
To telle yow al the descipcioun
Depeynted ben the walles vp and doun
Of huntyng and of shamefast chastytee