The Monk's Tale
Folio 92v
8 of 20 folios
CEnobia / of Palymerie queene
250
As writen Persiens / of hir noblesse
So worthy was in Armes / and so keene
That no wight passed hir in hardynesse
Ne in lynage / ne oother gentilesse
Of kynges blood of Perce / is she descended
255
I sey nat þt she hadde moost fairnesse
But of hir shape / she myghte nat been amended
¶ From hir childhede / I fynde þt she fledde
Office of wommen / and to wode she wente
And many / a wilde hertes blood she shedde
260
With Arwes brode / that she to hem sente
She was so swift þt she anoon hem hente
And whan þt she was elder / she wolde kille
Leons / Leopardes / and Beres al torente
And in hir Armes / welde hem at hir wille
265
¶ She dorste / wilde beestes dennes seke
And rennen in the montaynes / al the nyght
And slepen vnder the bussħ / and she koude eke
Wrastlen / by verray force / and verray myght
With any yong man / were he neuer so wight
270
Ther myghte no thyng in hir armes stonde
She kepte hir maydenhede / from euery wight.
To no man / deigned hir for to be bonde
¶ But atte laste / hir freendes han hir maryed
To Onedake / a prynce of that contree
275
Al were it so / that she hem longe taryed
And ye shal vnderstande / how þt he
Hadde swiche fantasies / as hadde she
But nathelees / whan they weere knyt in feere simul
They lyued / in ioye / and in felicitee
280
For ech of hem / hadde oother lief and deere
¶ Saue o thyng that she wolde neuere assente
By no wey / that he sholde by hir lye
But ones / for it was hir pleyn entente
To haue a child / the world to multiplye
285
And also soone / as that she myghte espye
That she was nat with childe / with that dede
Thanne wolde she suffren hym doon his fantasye
Eft soone / and noght but ones / out of drede