The Knight's Tale
Folio 158v
28 of 60 folios
There venë hath hese pryncipal dwellyng
1080
Was schewid in the wal in portreying
With al the gardyn & the besynesse
Not was forȝetyn the portyr ydilnesse
Ne narcyus the fayre of ȝore a gon
And ȝit the folye of kyng salamon
1085
And ek the grete strenthe of ercules
Thenchaūtementz of Media / & Circes
Ne of Turnes / wt the hardy ferce corage
The ryche Cresus caytyf in seruage
Thus may ȝe sen that wisdam ne rychesse
1090
Beute ne sleythe strenthe ne hardynesse
Ne may wt wenë holde champardye
For as here lust the world þāne may sche gye
Lo alle these folk so cauȝt were in here lase
Til they for wo ful ofte seyde allas
1095
Suffyseth here ensaūplys on or to
And þow I couthe rekene a thousent mo
The statue of venus gloryoë for to se
Was makyd fletynge in the large se
And frō the nauelle doun al couered was
1100
Which was grene & bryȝt as ony glas
A Cythole in here ryȝt hand hadde sche
And on here hed so semely for to se
A rose garlond frosch & wel smellynge
A boue here hed here dounys flekerynge
1105
By forn here stod here sone cupidoo
Vp on hese schulderys wyngis hadde he too
And blynd he was as it is ofte sene
A bowe he bar & arwys bryȝte & kene
Whi schulde I not as wel telle ȝow al
1110
The portreyture that was vp on þõ wal
With inne the wal of myȝty mars the rede
Al peyntid was the wal in lenthe & brede
Lyk to the Estrys of the gresely place
That hyȝte the grete tēple of mars in Trace