The Knight's Tale
Folio 38r
27 of 35 folios
¶ Lo the Oke / that hatħ / so longe a norisshyng
Fro the tyme / þat it first / bygynneth to spryng
2155
And hath so longe a lyf / as ȝe may se
Ȝet at the last / wasted is the tree
Considereth eke / how that the harde stoñ
Vnder oure fote / on whicħ we ride and gon
It wasteth / as it lith / by the weye
2160
The brode ryuer / somtyme waxeth drye
The grete townes / se we wane and wend
Than se ȝe / þt al this thyng / hath an end
Of man and wōman / se we wel also
That nedes in on / of þeise t ermes two
2165
This is to seyn / in ȝouthe or ellis in age
He mot be ded / the kyng / as shal a page
Som in his bed / som in the depe see
Som in the large feld / as ȝe moun se
There helpeth nouȝt / alle gon þt ilke wey
2170
Than may I seyn / that al this thyng mot dey
¶ What makith this / but Iubiter the kyng
That is prince and cause / of alle thyng
Conuertyng alle / vn to his propre wylle
From whicħ it is derreyned / soth to telle
2175
And here a geyns / no creature on lyue
Of no degree / auayleth nat for to stryue
¶ Than is it wysdom / as it thynketħ me
To maken vertue / of necessite
And take it wele / þt we may nat escheue
2180
And namelicħ / þat to vs alle / is due
And who so gruccheth ouȝt / he doth folie
That rebel is to hym / þat al may gye
And certeynly / a man hath most honour
To dyen / in his excellence and flour
2185
Whan he is syker / of his good name
Than hath he dou / his frend ne hī no shame
And gladdere ougħt his frend / ben of his detħ
Whan þat with honor / ȝolden is his bretħ
Than whan his name / appalled is for age
2190
For al forgetyn / is his vassillage
Than is it best / as for a worthy fame
To dyen / whan he is best of name
The contrary of al this / is wylfulnesse
Why grucchen we / why haue we heuynesse
2195
That godgoodgood Arcite / of Chyualrie the flour
Departed ys / with duete and honour
Ouȝt of this foul prisou / of this lyf