The Squire's Tale
Folio 117v
5 of 14 folios
As it a gentil Poilleys Courser were
For certes / fro his tayl / vn to his ere
Nature ne Art ne koude hym nat amende
190
In no degree / as al the peple wende
But eueremoore / hir mooste wonder was
How þt it koude go / and was of bras
It was a Fairye / as al the peple semed
Diuerse folk / diuersely they demed
195
As many heddes / as manye wittes ther been
They murmreden / as dooth a swarm of Been
And maden skiles / after hir fantasies
Rehersynge / of thise olde poetries
And seyde / that it was lyk the Pegasee
200
The hors / þt hadde wynges for to flee
Or elles / it was the Grekes hors Synou
That brogħte Troie to destrucciou
As men / in thise olde geestes rede
¶ Myn herte quod oon / is eueremoore in drede
205
I trowe / som men of Armes been therInne
That shapen hem / this Citee for to wynne
It were rigħt good / þt al swich thyng were knowe
¶ Another rowned / to his felawe lowe
And seyde he lyeth / it is rather lyk
210
An apparence / ymaad by som Magyk
As Iogelours pleyen / at thise feestes grete
Of sondry doutes / thus they Iangle & trete
As lewed peple / demeth comunly
Of thynges / þt been maad / moore subtilly
215
Than they kan / in hir lewednesse cōperhende
They demen gladly / to the badder ende
¶ And sōme of hem wondred on the Mirour
That born was vp / in to the hye tour
Hou men myghte in it / swiche thynges se
220
¶ Another answerde / and seyde it mygħte wel be
Naturelly / by composicioūs
Of Anglis / and of slye reflexioūs
And seyden / þt in Rome was swich oon
They speken / of Alocen and Vitulou
225
And Aristotle / that writen in hir lyues
Of queynte Mirours / and of perspectiues
As knowen they / that han hir bookes herd
¶ And oother folk han wondred on the swerd
That wolde percen / thurgħ out euery thyng
230
And fille in specħe / of Thelophus the kyng
And of Achilles / with his queynte spere
For he koude with it bothe heele and dere
Rigħt in swich wise / as men may wt the swerd
Of which rigħt now / ye han your seluen herd