The Knight's Tale
Folio 31r
14 of 35 folios
And hast in euery regne / and euery lond
Of armes / alle the brydeles in þin hond
And hem fortunest / as the list deuyse
1520
Accepte of me / my pitous sacrifise
If so be / that my ȝouthe / may deserue
And þt my mygħt / be worthy for to serue
Thyn godhed / that I may be on of thyne
Than preye I the / to rewe vp on my pyne
1525
For thilk pyne / and thilk hote fyre
In whicħ / þu whilom / brendest for desire
Whan that þu vsedest / the beaute
Of fair ȝong and fressħ / venus fre
And haddest hire in armes / at thy wylle
1530
Al thougħ the ones / on a tyme mys felle
Whan vulcanus / had caugħt the in his laas
And fond the liggynge / by his wyf / Allas
For thilk sorwe / that was tho in thyn hert
Haue reuthe as wel / vp on my peynes smert
1535
I am ȝong / and vnkonyng / as þu wost
And as I trowe / with loue offendestoffendedoffendestd most
That euere was ony / lyues creature
For she þat doth me / al this woo endure
Ne reccheth neuere / wheiþer I synke or flete
1540
And wel I wot / or she me mercy hete
I mot wt strengthe / wynne hire in the place
And wel I wot / with outen help & grace
Of the / ne may my strengthe / nat a vaille
Than help me lord / to morwe in my bataille
1545
For thilk fire / that whilom brent the
As wele as thilk fire / now brenneth me
And do þt I to morwe / may han victorie
Myn be the trauaylle / & thyn be the glorie
Thy souereygne temple / wyl I most honore
1550
Of ony place / and alwey most labore
In thy plesaunce / and in thy craftes strong
And in thy temple / I wol my baner hong
And alle the armes / of my companye
And euere mo / vn to that day I dye
1555
Eterne fire / I wyl byfore the fynde
And eke to this a vow / I wyl me bynde
My berd myn her / þt hangeth long a doun
That neuere ȝet felte / non offensioū
Of Rasour ne of Shere / I wyl the ȝeue
1560
And ben thyn trewe seruant / whyl I lyue