The Knight's Tale
Folio 29r
31 of 63 folios
A þousand y slayn and nought of qualme y storue
The Tiraunt with his preye his force thraste
The toun destroied þer was noþing lafte /
Yet saugh I brent þe schippes hoppestereres
1160
The hunte strangled wiþ þe wilde breeres /
The sowe freten þe child right in þe cradel
The Cook I scalded for al his longe ladel
Nought was forgeten by þe infortune of marte /
The carter ouer Riden wiþ his carte
1165
Vnder þe wheel ful lowe he lay a doun
Ther were also of martis diuisioū
The barbour and þe bocher and þe smith
That forgeþ scharpe swerdes on his stith
And aƚƚ aboue depeynted in a toure
1170
Saugh I conqueste in gret honoure
With þe scharpe swerd ouer his heed
Hangynge by a subtyl twyned þreed
Depeynted was þe slaughtre of Iulius
Of grete Nero and of Anthonius
1175
Al be þat ilke time þei were vnborn
Ȝet was hire deth depeynted þer biforn
By manasyng of mars right by figure
So was it schewed in þat purtreiture
As is depeynted in þe sertres aboue
1180
Who schal be slain or elles deed for loue
Sufficeþ oon ensample in stories olde
I may not rekne hem aƚƚ þougħ I wolde
The statue of mars vpon a carte stood
Armed and loked grym as he were wood
1185
And ouer his heed þer schineþ tuo figures
Of sterres þat ben closed in scriptures
That oon Puella þat oþer Rubeus
This god of armes was arrayed þus
A wolf þer stood biforn him at his feete
1190
Wiþ eighen reede and of a man he eete
Wiþ subtiƚƚ penseƚƚ was depeynted þis storie /