The Knight's Tale
Folio 156r
23 of 60 folios
Haue mersi lord \v/p on vs wemen alle
900
And on here bare kneis adoun þey falle
And wilde a kissede hese fet þere as he stod
Til at the laste a slakede was hese mod
For pete rennyt sone in gentil herte
And though he ferst for yre quok & sterte
905
He hath consideryd schortely in a clause
The trespase of hem bothe & ek the chause
And al thow that hese yre hese gilt acused
Ȝit in hese resoū he hē bothe excused
As thus he thouthe wel that euery man
910
Wele helpe hȳ selve in loue ȝif that he can
And delyuere hȳ self ȝif that he moun
And ek hese herte hade cōpassioū
Of wemen for þey wepyn euere in on
And in hese gentil herte he thouȝte a non
915
And softe to hȳ self he seyde fy
Vp on a lord that wele haue no mercy
But bȳ a lyoū bothe in word & dede
To hem that ben in repentaunt & drede
As wel as to a proud dispitoë man
920
That wele meyntene that he ferst began
That lord hath lityl discrecioū
That in swich cas hath no dyuysioū
But weyeth pride & hūblesse aftyr on
And schortly whan hese yre is þë agon
925
He gan to lokyn vp wt eyȝyn lyȝte
And spak these same wordis alle on hyȝte
The god of loue a benedicite
How myghti & how gret a lord is he
A ȝens hese myȝt þere geynyth none obstakeƚƚ
930
He may be clepid a god for hese myrakeƚƚ
For he can makyn at hese owene gyse
Of eueryche herte as he leste deuyse
Lo here þis arcite & þis Palamoū
That quytely weryn out of presoū