The Knight's Tale
Folio 28r
33 of 63 folios
Ne yet þe folie of king Salomon
1085
Ne ȝit þe grete strengþe of hercules
Thenchauntementz of Medea and Circes
Ne of Turnus wiþ þe hardy fiers corage
The riche Crysus kaytif in seruage /
Thus may ȝe seen þat wisdom ne richesse
1090
Beaute ne sleighte strengþe ne hardynesse /
Ne may wiþ venus holde champartye
For as hire list þe world þanne may sche gye
Lo aƚƚ þise folk so kaught were in here lace
Til þei for woo ful ofte seyde allase
1095
Suffiseth here ensamples oon or tuo
And þough I couþe rekne a þousand mo
The statue of venus glorious for to see
Was maked fleetyng in þe large see
And fro þe nauel doun al couered was
1100
Wiþ wawes greene and bright as eny glas
O citole in hir right hond hadde sche /
And on hire heed ful semely for to see
A rose garlond freissch and wel smellynge
Aboue hir heed hir doufes flykerynge
1105
Biforn hire stood hir sone Cupido
Vpon his schuldernes wenges hadde he tuo
And blynd he was as it is ofte seene /
A bowe he bar and arwes bright and keene
Whi schulde I nought as wel eek telle þe halle
1110
The purtraiture þat was vpon þe walle /
Wiþinne þe temple of mighty mars þe reede
Al peynted was þe wal in lengþe and brede /
Lik to þe eestres of þe grisly place
That highte þe grete temple of Mars in trace
1115
In þilke colde frosty regioun
Ther as Mars haþ his soueraigne mansioū
First on þe wal was peynted a foreste
In which þer dwelled neyþer man ne beste
Wiþ knotty knarry bareyne trees olde