The Knight's Tale
Folio 18r
35 of 58 folios
405
But he noot which the righte wey is thider
And to a dronke man /. the wey is slider
And certes / in this world / so faren we
We seken faste / after felicitee
But we goon wrong ful ofte trewely
410
Thus may we seyn alle / and nameliche .I.
That wende / and hadde a greet opiniou
That if I myghte / scapen fro prisou
Thanne hadde I been in ioye / and parfit heele
Ther now / I am exiled fro my wele
415
Syn þt / I may nat seen yow Emelie
I nam but deed / ther nys no remedie
¶ Vp on that oother syde Palamon
Whan þt he wiste / Arcite was agon
Swich sorwe he maketh / þt the grete tour
420
Resowneth / of his yowlyng and clamour
The pure fettres / of his shynes grete
Were / of his bittre salte teeris wete
Allas quod he / Arcita cosyn myn
Of al oure stryf / god woot the fruyt is thyn
425
Thow walkest now / in Thebes at thy large
And of my wo / thow yeuest litel charge
Thow mayst syn thou hast wisdom / and manhede
Assemblen / al the folk of oure kynrede
And make a werre / so sharp / on this Citee
430
That by som auenture / or som tretee
Thow mayst haue hire / to lady and to wyf
For whom / þt I moste nedes lese my lyf
For as by wey / of possibilitee
Sith thow art at thy large / of prisou free
435
And art a lord / greet is thyn auantage
Moore than is myn / that sterue her in a cage
For I moot wepe / and waille whil I lyue
With al the wo / þt prison may me yeue
And eek wt peyne / þt loue me yeueth also
440
That doubleth / al my torment and my wo
Ther with / the fyr of Ialousie vp sterte
With Inne his brest and hente hym by the herte
So woodly / þt he lyk was to byholde
The Boxtree / or the Asshen dede / and colde