The Knight's Tale
Folio 27r
34 of 63 folios
Who lokeþ lighty now but Palamoū
Who springeþ vp for ioye but arcite
Who couþe telle or who couþe it endite
1015
The ioye þat is maked in þe place
Whan Theseus haþ don so fair a grace
But doun on knees went euery maner wight
And þonked him wiþ aƚƚ here hert and might
And namely þe Tebanes ofte siþe
1020
And þus wiþ good hope and wiþ herte bliþe
They take þeir leue and homward gon þei ride
To Thebes with olde walles wyde
I trowe men wold it deme necligence
Yf I forȝete te tellen þe dispense
1025
Of Theseus þat goþ so busily
To maken vp þe lystes ryally
That such a noble theatre as it was
I dar wel seyn in þe world þer nas
The circuite a mile was aboute
1030
Walled of stoon and diched al wiþoute
Round was þe schap in maner of compas
Ful of degrees þe heighte of sixty paas
Than whan a man was sette on oo degre
He lettede nought his felawe for to see
1035
Estward þer stood a gate of marbel white
Westward right south anoþer in þe opposite
And schortly to conclude such a place
Was non in erþe as in so litel a space
For in þe lond þer nas no crafty man
1040
That Geometrie or ars metrike can
Ne purtreiour ne keruer of ymages
That Theseus ne gain him mete & wages
The Teatre for to make and deuyse
And for to don his rite and sacrifise
1045
He estward haþ vpon þe gate aboue
In worschip of venus þe goddesse of loue
Don make an auter and an oratorie