The Knight's Tale
Folio 32v
46 of 48 folios
Hath stablissed / in this wrecched world adoun
Certeyne dayes / and duracioun
To al / that is engendred in this place
Ouer the which day / they may nat pace
2135
Al mowe they yet tho dayes wel abregge
Ther nedeth nogħt noon Auctoritee allegge
For it is preeued / by experience
But that me list declaren my sentence
Thanne may men / by this ordre wel discerne
2140
That thilke moeuere / stable is and eterne
Wel may men knowe / but it be a fool
That euery part is dirryueth from his hool
For nature / hath taken his bigynnyng
Of no partie / or of cantel of a thyng
2145
But of a thyng that parfit is and stable
Descendynge so / til it be corrumpable
And therfore / of his wise purueiaunce
He hath / so wel biset his ordinaunce
That speces of thynges / and progressioūs
2150
Shullen enduren / by successioūs
And nat eterne / with outen any lye
This maystow vnderstonde / and seen it eye
Loo the ook / þt hath so long a norisshynge
From tyme / þt it first bigynneth sprynge
2155
And hath so long a lif / as we may see
Yet at the laste / wasted is the tree
¶ Considereth eek how that the harde stoon
Vnder oure feet on which we trede and goon
Yet wasteth it as it lyth by the weye
2160
The brode Ryuer / somtyme wexeth dreye
The grete toures / se we wane and wende
Thanne may ye se / þt al this thyng hath ende
¶ Of man and wōman / seen we wel also
That nedeth / in oon of thise termes two
2165
This is to seyn / in youthe / or elles age
He moot be deed / the kyng as shal a page
Som in his bed / som in the depe see
Som in the large feeld / as men may see
Ther helpeth nogħt al goth that ilke weye
2170
Thanne may I seyn / al this thyng moot deye
¶ What maketh this / but Iuppiter the kyng
That is prince / and cause of alle thyng
Conuertynge al / vn to his propre welle
From which it is dirryued / sooth to telle
2175
And heer agayns / no creature on lyue
Of no degree / auailleth for to stryue
¶ Thanne is it wysdom / as it thynketh me
To maken vertu of necessitee