The Knight's Tale
Folio 159r
29 of 60 folios
1115
In tylke colde frosty regyoun
There as Mars hath hese souereyne mancyoū
Fyrst on the wal was peynted a forest
In whiche þere dwellith neyþer man ne beste
With knotty knarry bareyne treis olde
1120
Of stubbis scharpe and hidous to beholde
In whiche þerein ran a rūbil in a swogħ
As þow a storm schulde brestyn euery bowgħ
And doun frō an hyl vndyr a bente
There stod the tēple of Mars armypotente
1125
Wrouȝt al of bornede stel of wheche thentre
Was long & stryt and gastely for to se
And ther out come a rage & swich a wese
That it made al the gate for to rese
The northren light In at the dorys shon
1130
For wyndow on the wal was there non
Thorw whiche men myghte ony lyth discerne
The doris were ale of athamanutz eterne
I clenchede ouerthwert & endelong
With yryn tougħ & for to make it strong
1135
Euery peler the temple to susteyne
Was tūne gret of yryn bryȝt & schene
There saugh I fyrst the derke ymagynyng
Of felonye and the compassyng
The crewel yre red as ony glede
1140
The pike purs & the pale drede
The smylere with the knyf vndyr the cloke
The shepne brennynge wt the blake smoke
The tresoū & the morderyng in the bed
The opene werre wt woūdis al be bled
1145
Contek with blody knyf & scharp manace
Al ful of chyrkyng was that sory place
The sloere of hȳself ȝit saw I þere
Hese herte blod hath bathed al hese here
The nayl I dreue in the schod a nyȝt
1150
The colde deth with \mouth/ gapynge vp ryght