The Knight's Tale
Folio 18r
22 of 42 folios
In stace of Thebes and thise bookes oolde
Whan kyndeled was the fire wyth pitous chere
Vn to dyane she spak as ye may here .
¶ O chaste goddesse of the wodes grene
1440
To whom bothe heuene and erthe and see ys seene
Quene of the regne of pluto derke and low
Goddesse of maydens that myn hert hast know
Ful many a yere and wost what I desire
Thow keep me from thi vengeaunce and thyn ire
1445
That attheon a boght cruwelly
Chast goddesse wel wost thow that .I.
Desire to ben a mayden al my lyf
Ne neuer wol I be no loue ne wyf
I am thow woost yit of thi compaygnye
1450
A mayde and loue huntyng and venerye
And for to walken in the wodes wilde
And noght to ben a wyf and be wyth childe
Nat wol I know compaignye of man
Now helpe me lady sith ye may and kan
1455
For tho thre formes that thow hast in the
And palamon that hath swich loue to me
And eke arcite that loueth me so Soore
This gace I prey the wyth oute moore
And sende loue and pees bitwix hem two
1460
And fro me turne awey hir hertes so
That al hir hoote loue and hir desyre
And al hir bisy torment and hir fyre
Be queynt or turned in a nother place
And yif so be thow wolt nat do me gace
1465
Or yif my destyne be shapen so
That I shal nedys haue oon of hem two
As sende me him that moost desireth me
Biholde goddesse of clene chastitee
The bitter teers that on my chekes falle
1470
Syn thow art mayde and keper of vs alle
My maydenhode thow kepe and wel conserue
And while I leue a mayde I wol the serue
¶ The fires brenne apon the auter cleer
While Emely was thus in hir preyere
1475
But sodeynly she sigh a sight queynt .