The Knight's Tale
Folio 145v
2 of 60 folios
Whan that this worthi duk this thesius
Hath Creon slayn & wonne thebes thus
145
Stille in that feld he tok alnyȝt hese reste
And dede with al the cuntre as hym leste
To ransake in the taas of bodijs dede
Hem for to strepe of harneys & of wede
The piloris dydyn besynesse & cure
150
Aftyr the batayle & discūfiture
And so bi fel that in the taas was foūde
Thorgħ girt wt manye a blody woūde
Two ȝonge knyȝtys liggȳge by & by
Bothe in on armys wrouȝt ful richely
155
Of whiche too Arcita hyȝte þt on
And that oþer knyȝt hyȝte palamoū
Not fully queke ne fully dede þey were
But by here cote armore & by here gere
Theroudis knew hem best in special
160
As þey þt were of the blod ryal
Of Thebes & of systeryn to I born
Out of the taas the piloris han hē torn
And han hē caryed softe on to the tente
Of thesyus & ful sone hē sente
165
To Athenes to dwellȳ ī presoū
Perpetually he nolde no raūsom
And whan this worthi deuk haþ þus I don
He tok hese Ost & hom he rit a non
With laurer crouned as a cōquerour
170
And there he lyuyth in ioye & in honour
Terme of lyf what nediþ wordis mo
And in a tour in angwisch & in wo
This palamoū & hese felawe Arcite
175
This passeth ȝer be ȝer & day be day
Til it fel onys in a monyth of may
That emale that fayrere was to sene
Than is the lylie vp on hese stalke grene