The Squire's Tale
Folio 125v
7 of 19 folios
As men in this olde gestes rede
¶ Myn hert quod oon / is euer more in drede
205
I trowe some men of armes ben ther ynne
That shapen hem this Citee for to wynne
It were ryght good that al swich thing were knowe
¶ Another rowned to his felaw lowe
And seide he lieth for it is rather like
210
An apparence y made bi some Magike /
As iogelours pleyen at this festes grete
Of sondry doughtes thus thei Iangle and trete
As lewde peple demeth comunly
Of thinges that ben made more subtilly
215
Than thei can in hir lewdenesse comperhende
Thei demen gladly to the badder ende
¶ And some of hem wondren of the mirrour
That born was vnto the Maister tour
How men myght in it swich thinges se
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¶ A nother answerd and seide it myght wel be
Naturelly bi composiciouns
Of anglis and of sley reflexions
And seiden that in Rome was swich on
The speken of allocen and vitulon
225
Of aristote that writen in hir lyues
Of queynte myrours and of perspectyues
As knowen thei that han hir bokes herd
¶ And other folk han wondred on the swerd
That wolde percen thurgh euery thing
230
And fele in speche of Theolophus the kyng
And of Achilles for his queynte spere
For he koud wyth it bothe hele and dere
Ryght in swich wise as men may wyth the swerde
Of which ryght now ye han your seluen herde
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Thei speke of sondry hardyng of metal
And also of Medicynes therwyth al
And how and whan it sholde y harded be
Which is vnknowen algate vnto me
¶ Tho speke thei of Canacees ryng
240
And seyden alle that swich a wonder thing .