The Knight's Tale
Folio 33r
47 of 48 folios
¶ And take it weel / that we may nat eschue
2180
And namely / that to vs alle is due
And who so gruccheth ought he dooth folye
And rebel is / to hym that al may gye
And certeinly / a man hath moost honour
To dyen / in his excellence and flour
2185
Whan he is siker / of his goode name
Thanne hath he doon / his freend ne hym no shame
And gladder oghte his freend been of his deeth
Whan with honour / vp yolden is his breeth
Than whan his name / apalled is for age
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For al forgeten / is his vassellage
Thanne is it best as for a worthy fame
To dyen / whan þt he is best of name
¶ The contrarie of al this / is wilfulnesse
Why grucchen we / why haue we heuynesse
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That goode Arcite / of Chiualrie flour
Departed is / with duetee and honour
Out of this foule prisoū of this lyf
Why grucchen heere / his cosyn and his wyf
Of his welfare / that loued hem so weel
2200
Kan he hem thank ; nay god woot neuer a deel
That bothe his soule / and eek hem self offende
And yet they mowe / hir lustes nat amende
What may I concluden / of this longe serye
But after wo / I rede vs to be merye
2205
And thanken Iuppiter / of al his grace
And er that we / departen from this place
I rede we make / of sorwes two
O parfit ioye / lastynge eueremo
And looketh now / wher moost sorwe is her Inne
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Ther wol we first amenden and bigynne
Suster quod he / this is my fulle assent
With al thavys / heere of my parlement
That gentil Palamon / thyn owene knygħt
That serueth yow / wt wille / herte / and mygħt
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And euere hath doon / syn þt ye first hym knewe
That ye shul of youre grace / vp on hym rewe
And taken hym / for housbonde and for lord
Lene me youre hond / for this is oure accord
Lat se now / of youre wōmanly pitee
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He is a kynges brother sone pardee
And though he were / a poure bacheler
Syn he hath serued yow / so many a yeer
And had for yow / so greet Aduersitee
It moste been considered / leeueth me
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For gentil mercy / oghte to passen rigħt
¶ Thanne seyde he thus / to Palamon ful rigħt