The Knight's Tale
Folio 158r
27 of 60 folios
The theatre for to makyn & deuyse
And for to don his ryte & sacryfise
1045
He eststward hath vp on the gate a boue
In worschepe of venë goddesse of loue
Don make an auter & an oratorye
And on the westward in memorye
Of mars he makyd hat ryȝt swich a noþer
1050
That coste of gold largely a fother
And norward in a toret of the wal
Of alabastre whit & red coral
An oratorye ryche for to se
In worschepe of Diane of chastite
1055
Hath Thesi ë don wrouȝt in noble wise
But ȝit hadde I forȝetȳ to deuyse
The noble keruyng & the portreyture
The schap the cōtenaūce & the fygure
That weryn in these oratoryis thre
1060
Fyrst in the tēple of venë mayst þu se
Wrouȝt on the wal ful pitous to be holde
The brokene slepis & the x xx sikys colde
The secret terys & þe waymentyng
The fery strokys of the desyryng
1065
That louys seruaūtys of this lyf enduren
The Cothis that here couenaūtys assuryn
Plesaūce hope desyr folhardynesse
Beute & ȝouthe baudrie richesse
Charmys & force lesynge & flaterye
1070
Dispence besynesse & Ielousye
That werede of ȝelwe flourys a garlond
And a cokkow sittynge on hese hand
Festis instrumentis karolys daūsis
Lust & aray & alle þe cercūstancis
1075
Of loue whiche that I reken & re\k/ne schal
Be ordere were peyntid on the wal
And mo þan I can make of mencyoū
For sothly al the mount of Cytheroū