The Knight's Tale
Folio 9r
4 of 42 folios
¶ This gentyl duke doun from his couser stert.
95
Wyth hert pitous when he hard hem speke
Him thought that his hert wolde breke
Whan he say hem so pitous and so maat
That whilom weren of so gret a staat
And in his armes he hem alle vp hent
100
And hem comforteth in ful good entent
And swoor his othe as he was trew knyght
He wolde doon so ferforthly his myght
Vpon the tiraunt Creon hem to wreke
That al the peple of Grece shold speke.
105
How Creon was of Theseus y serued
And he that hath his deth ful wel deserued
And ryght a noon wt outen more abood
His baner he desplayeth and forth he rood
To Thebesward and al his hoost biside
110
No ner Athenes wolde he go ne ryde.
Ne take his ese fully half a day
But onward on his way. that nygħt he lay
And sent anon ypolita the quene
And Emely hir yonge suster shene.
115
Vn to the toun of Athenes to dwelle
And forth he ryt ther ys namoor to telle.
¶ The rede statute of Mars wyth spere and targe
So shyneth in his white baner large
That al the feldes gliteren vp and doun
120
And bi his baner~ born is his penoun.
Of gold ful ryche in which ther was ybete
The Mynataur the which he wan in crete.
¶ Thus ryt this duke. thus ryt this conquerour
Al in his hoost of chiualrye the flour
125
Til that he cam at Thebes and alight
Faire in a felde ther as he thought to fight
But shortly for to speken of this thyng
Wyth Creon which that was of Thebes kyng
He faught and slowe him manly as a knyght
130
In pleyn bataille and put the folk to flight
And by assaut he wan the citee after
And rente a doun both wal and sparre and rafter
And to the ladyes he restored agayn