The Squire's Tale
Folio 91v
17 of 19 folios
Ther com a knigħt vpon a steede of bras
And in his hond a brood Mirour of glas
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Vpon his thombe he hadde of gold a ryng
And by his syde a naked swerd hangyng
And vp he rydeþ to þe heihe bord
In aƚƚ þe haƚƚ ne was þer spoke a word
For merueille of þis knight him to biholde
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Ful bysyly þey wayten ȝonge and olde /
This strange knigħt þat com þus sodeynly
Al armed saue his heed ful richely
Salued þe king and queen and lordes aƚƚ
By ordre as þey seten in þe halle
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With so heigh reuerence and obeissances
As wel in speche as in contenances
That Gawayn with his olde curtesye /
Though he com agayn out of fayrie
Ne couþe him nougħt amende wiþ no word
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And after þis bifore þe heihe bord
He with a manly vois sayde his message
After þe forme vsed in his langage
Wiþoute vice of sillable or of lr~e
And for his tale scholde seme þe bettre
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Acordant to his wordes was his chere /
As techeþ art of speche hem þat it lere /
Al be it þat I can not sowne his stile
Ne can not clymben ouer so heigh a style
Yet seye I þis þat as to cōmune entente
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Thus moche amounteþ al þat euer he mente
If it so be þat I haue it in my mynde
He seyde þe king of Arabie and of Inde
My liege lord on þis solempne day
Salueþ ȝou as he best can and may
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And sendeþ yow in honor of your feste
By me þat am redy at al your heste /
This steede of Bras þat esily and wel
Kan in þe space of a day naturel