The Squire's Tale
Folio 90v
19 of 19 folios
AT Sarray in þe land of Tartarye
Ther dwelt a king þat werreyed Russye
Thurgħ which þer deyed many a doughty man
This noble king was cleped kambynskan
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Which in his tyme was of so gret renoū
That þer nas nowher in no regioū
So excellent a lord in alle þing
Him lacked nought þat longed to a kyng
As of þe secte of which þat he was born
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He kepte his lay to which þat he was sworn
And þerto he was hardy wys and riche
And pitous and Iust alwey y liche
Soþ of his word benigne and honorable
Of his corage as eny centre stable
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Yong freissh and strong in armes desirous
As eny bacheler of aƚƚ his hous
A fair persone he was and fortunat
And kepte alway so wel real astat
That þer nas no wher swich anoþer man
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This noble king þis Tartre kambyuskan
Hadde tuo sones in Eltheta his wyf
Of which þe eldest higħte Algarsyf
That oþer was y cleped Camballo
A doughter hadde þis worþy king also
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That yongest was and highte Canace
But for to telle you al hire beaute
It lyþ nougħt in my tonge ne in my konnyng
I dar not vndertake so heigh a þing
Myn englisscħ eek is insufficient
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It moste ben a Rethor excellent
That couþe his colours longyng for þat art
If he schulde hir discryue in any part
I am non swich I moot speke as I can
And so bifeƚƚ that whan þis Cambynskan
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Haþ twenty wynter born his Diademe
As he was wonte fro yeer to yeer I deeme