The Squire's Tale
Folio 91r
18 of 19 folios
He leet þe feste of his natiuite
Don cryen þurgħ Sarray his Cite
The laste Idus of Marcħ after þe ȝeer
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Phebus þe sonne Iolif was and cleer
For he was neigħ his exaltacioū
In martes face and his mansioū
In aries þe Colerik þe hote signe
Ful lusty was þe weder and benigne
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For which þe foules aȝein þe sonne schene
What for þe sesoū and þe yonge grene
Ful loude songe hire affeccions
Hem semed han geten hem proteccions
Aȝein þe swerd of wynt er keene and cold
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This kambȳskan of which I haue ȝou told
In Real vestiment sit on his deys
With dyademe ful heigh in his paleys
And halt his feste solempne and so riche
That in þis world ne was þer non it liche
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Of which if I schāl telle al þe array
Than wold it occupye a someres day
And eek it needeþ nat to deuyse
At euery cours þe ordre of here seruise
I wol not tellen of here staunge sewes
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Ne of here swannes ne of here heroū sewes
Ek in þat lond as tellen knightes olde
Ther is som mete þat is ful deynte holde
That in þis lond men recche but smal
Ther nys no mā þat may reporten al
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I wol not tarien yow for it is prime
And for it is no fruyt but los of tyme
Vnto my first purpos I wole haue my recours /
And so bifelle þat after þe þridde cours
Whil þat þis king sit þus in his nobleye
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Herknyng his menstreles here þinges pleye
Biforn him atte bord deliciously
In atte halle dore al sodeinly