The Knight's Tale
Folio 26v
39 of 42 folios
2110
And haue fully of thebans obeisaunce
For which this noble theseus anon
Let sende aftyr gentil palamon
Vn wist of him what was the cause and whi
But in his blake clothis sorowfully
2115
He came at his commaundement in hye
Tho sent theseus for Emelye
Whan thei were set and husht was al the place
And theseus abiden hath a space
Er any word came from his wyse breest
2120
His eyen set he ther as was his lest
And wyth a sad vysage he siked stille
And aftyr that ryght thus he seide his wille .
¶ The first meeuer of the cause a boue
Whan he first made the fair cheyne of loue
2125
Gret was theffect and high was the entente
Wel wist he whi and what ther of he mente
For which that fair cheyne of loue he bonde
The fir the eyr the water and the londe
In certeyn boundes that thei may not flee
2130
That same prince and that moeuer quod he
Hath stabiliced in this wrecched world a doun
Certeyn dayes and duracyoun
To al that is engendrid in this place
Ouer the which day thei may not pace
2135
Al mow thei yit the dayes abregge
Ther nedyth non auctorite to allegge
For it is proued by experience
But that me lust declaren my sentence .
That may men wel by this ordre discerne
2140
That ilke moeuer stable is and eterne
Wel may men know but it be a foole
That euery part is deryued from his hool
For nature hath not taken his bigynnyng
Of no partye or of cantel of a thing
2145
But of a thing that parfyt is and stable
Descendynge so til it be corumpable
And therfore his wis purueyaunce
Hath so wel by set his ordinaunce