The Knight's Tale
Folio 25v
11 of 54 folios
And dounewarde from an hiƚƚ vnder a bent
Ther stode þe temple of Mars armipotent
1125
Wrowht al of Burnede stele of wyche þentre
Was longe & streite & gastly for to see
And þere owte come a rage & suche a veze
That maade al þe gates for to rese
The Northern liht in att þat dore schone
1130
For windowe on þe was þere none .
Thoruhe whiche men myht any liht discerne
The dores waren aƚƚ of Attemant etene
Ychenchede ouereþwart & enlonge
Wiþ yren toughe & for to make it stronge
1135
Euery peler þe temple to susteine
Was tune grete of yren briht & schene
There sawe .I. first þe derke ymaginynge
Of felony an al þe compassinge
The Cruele Ire as rede as any glede
1140
The Pike purs & eke þe pale drede
The smyler wiþe þe knyf vnder þe cloke
The Shepen birneinge wt þe blake smoke
The Treson of þe morþeringe in þe bedde
The Open werre wiþ wondes aƚƚ be bledde
1145
Contek wiþ blody knyfe and scharpe manace
Aƚƚ Ful of schrikeinge was þat sor place
The sleere of himself ȝit sawe .I. þere
His herte haþ baþed al his here
The naile y dryue in þe schode on nyht
1150
The colde deþe wiþ mouþe gape and vpriht
Amides of þe temple satte mischaunce
W discomford & sori countenaūce
Ȝit sauhe .I. wodenes lawheynge in his rage
Armed compleinte outehees & fires outrage
1155
The karoigne in þe buske wiþ þrote . ycorue
A . þousand ysleine & not of qualme ystorue
The terant wiþe preie be for þraste
The towne destroiede . þer was noþinge laft
Ȝete sawe .I. bernte þe schippes hoppesters
1160
The hunte strangeld wiþ þe wilde beres
The sowe freteynge þe childe riht in þe Cradeƚƚ
The Coke .I Scalded for al his longe ladeƚƚ
Nought was forȝeten be þenfortune of Marte
The Carte ouer riden wiþ his Carte