The Knight's Tale
Folio 19r
33 of 58 folios
485
In cheynes / and in fettres / to been deed
And Arcite / is exiled / vp on his heed
For eueremo / as out of that contree
Ne neueremo / ne shal his lady see
¶ Yow loueris / axe I now / this questiou
490
Who hath the worse / Arcite / or Palamou
That oon may seen his lady / day by day
But in pisou / moot he dwelle alway
That oother / where hym list may ride or go
But seen his lady / shal he neuere mo
495
Now demeth as yow list ye þt kan
For I wol telle forth / as .I. bigan
¶ Whan þt Arcite / to Thebes comen was
Ful ofte a day / he swelte / and seyde allas
For seen his lady / shal he neuere mo
500
And shortly / to concluden al his wo
So muchel sorwe / hadde neuere creature
That is or shal / whil þt the world may dure
¶ His sleepe / his mete / his drynke / is hym biraft
That leene he weex / and drye as is a shaft
505
Hise eyen holwe / and grisly to biholde
His hewe falow / and pale as asshen colde
And solitarie he was / and euere alloone
And waillynge al the nyght. makynge his moone
And if he herde / soong or Instrument
510
Thanne wolde he wepe / he myghte nat be stent
So feble eek were his spiritz / and so lowe
And chaunged so / þt no man koude knowe
His speche / nor his voys / thogh men it herde
And in his gere / for al the world he ferde
515
Nat oonly / lyk the loueris maladye
Of Hereos / but rather lyk Manye
Engendred / of humour malencolyk
Biforn his Celle fantastyk
And shortly / turned was / al vp so down
520
Bothe habit and eek disposicioun
Of hym / this woful louere daun Arcite
¶ What sholde I al day / of his wo endite
Whanne he endured hadde / a yeer / or two
This cruel torment and this peyne and wo