The Knight's Tale
Folio 19v
32 of 58 folios
525
At Thebes in his contree / as I seyde
Vp on a nyght in sleep / as he hym leyde
Hym thoughte / how þt the wynged god Mercurye
Biforn hym stood / and bad hym to be murye
His slepy yerde / in honde he bar vprighte
530
An hat he wered / vp on his herys brighte
Arrayed was this god / as he took keepe
As he was / whan þt Argus took his sleepe
And seyde hym thus / to Atthenes shaltow wende
Ther is thee shapen / of thy wo an ende
535
¶ And with that word / Arcite wook and sterte
Now trewely / how sore þt me smerte
Quod he / to Atthenes right now wol I fare
Ne for the drede of deeth / shal I nat spare
To se my lady / þt I loue and serue
540
In hir presence / I recche nat to sterue
¶ And with that word / he caughte a greet Miror
And saugh / þt chaunged was al his colour
And saugh his visage / al in another kynde
And right anoon / it ran hym in his mynde
545
That sith his face / was so disfigured
Of maladie / the which he hadde endured
He myghte wel / if þt he bar hym lowe
Lyue in Atthenes / eueremoore vnknowe
And seen his lady / wel ny / day by day
550
And right anoon / he chaunged his array
And cladde hym / as a poure laborer
And al allone / saue oonly a Squyer
That knew his pryuetee / and al his cas
Which was disgised / pourely as he was
555
To Atthenes / is he goon / the nexte way
And to the Court he wente vp on a day
And at the gate / he profreth his seruyse
To drugge and drawe / what so men wol deuyse
¶ And shortly / of this matere / for to seyn
560
He fil in office / with a Chambreleyn
The which / þt dwellyng was wt Emelye
For he was wys / and koude soone espye
Of euery seruant which þt serueth here
Wel koude he / hewen wode / and water bere