The Knight's Tale
Folio 159v
30 of 60 folios
In myddis of the temple there sat myschaūce
With disconfort & sory cuntenaūs
Ȝit saw I wodnesse laughȳge ī hese rage
Armyd compleynt / outes & fers corage
1155
The careyn in the bosch with throte I korwe
A thousent slayn & not of qualm I stowe
The tyraunt with the pray by forse I raft
The toun distroyed there was no þyng laft
Ȝit saw I brent the schepis hospesterys
1160
The hunte strangeled with the wilde berys
The sowe fretyn the child ryȝt in þõ cradil
The cook I skaldit for al hese longe ladil
Nouȝt was forȝetyn by the infortune of marahe
The cartere ouyr redyn with hese carte
1165
Vndir the whil ful lowe lay he a doun
There were also of martys dyuysioun
The labourer the bocher & the smyth
That forgith scharpe swerdis on the steyth
And al a boute depeyntid in a tour
1170
Saw I conquest sutynge in gret honor
With the scharpe swerd ouyr his hed
Hangyng by a sotyl twynede thred
Depeyntid was the slautre of Iulyus
Of grete nero & of antonyus
1175
Al be that ilke tyme they were onborn
Ȝit was here deth depeyntid þere be forn
By manasynge of mars ryȝt by fygure
So was it schewid in that portreture
As is depeyntid in the sertres above
1180
Who schal be slayn or eƚƚ ded for loue
Suffiseth on ensaūple in storyis olde
I may not rekene hē thow I wolde
The statue of mars vp on a carte stod
Armyd & lokede grym as he were wod
1185
And ouer hese hed þere schynyn two figurys
Of storyis þt ben clepid in scripturys