The Knight's Tale
Folio 11v
4 of 48 folios
The grete clamour / and the waymentynge
That the ladyes made / at the brennynge
Of the bodies / and the grete honour
140
That Theseus / the noble Conquerour
Dooth to the ladyes / whan they from hym wente
But shortly for to telle / is myn entente
¶ Whan þt this worthy duc this Theseus
Hath Creon slayn / and wonne Thebes thus
145
Stille in that feeld / he took al nygħt his reste
And dide wt al the contree / as hym leste
¶ To ransake in the taas / of the bodyes dede
Hem for to strepe / of harneys and of wede
The pilours / diden bisynesse and cure
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After the bataille and disconfiture
And so bifel / þt in the taas they founde
Thurgħ girt with many a greuous blody wounde
Two yonge knygħtes / liggynge by and by
Bothe in oon Armes / wrogħt ful richely
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Of whiche two / Arcita higħte that oon
And that oother knygħt / highte Palamon
Nat fully quyke / ne fully dede they were
But by hir Cote Armures / and by hir gere
The heraudes / knewe hem best in special
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As they þt weren / of the blood roial
Of Thebes / and of sustren two yborn
Out of the taas / the pilours han hem torn
And han hem caried / softe vn to the tente
Of Theseus / and ful soone he hem sente
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To Atthenes / to dwellen in prisoū
Perpetuelly / he nolde no raunsoū
And whan this worthy duc hath thus ydon
He took his hoost and hoom he rood anon
With laurer crowned / as a Conquerour
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And ther he lyueth / in ioye and in honour
Terme of lyue / what nedeth wordes mo
And in a tour in angwissħ and in wo
This Palamon / and his felawe Arcite
For eueremoore / ther may no gold hem quite
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¶ This passeth / yeer by yeer / and day by day
Til it fil ones / in a morwe of May
That Emelye / þt fairer was to sene
Than is the lylie / vpon his stalke grene
And fressħer than the May / wt floures newe
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For wt the Rose colour stroof hir hewe
I noot which was the fyner of hem two
Er it were day / as was hir wone to do
She was arisen / and al redy digħt
For May wol haue / no slogardrie a nygħt