The General Prologue
Folio 132r
1 of 20 folios
Me thynketh it a cordaunt to resoun
To telle ȝow / al the conchusyoun \condition/
Of eche of hem as it semyth me
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And whiche þey were & of what degre
And ek in what aray þt they were inne
And at a knyȝt þāne wele I ferst begynne
¶ A knyght þere was & that a worthy man
That from the tyme that he ferst began
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To rydyn out he louede Chyualrye
Trouthe honour fredom & curteysie
Ful worthi was he in hese lordis werre
And therto hadde he / redyn noman ferre
As wel in cristyndō as in hethnesse
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And euere honured for hese worthynesse
¶ At Alisaudir he was whan it was wonne
And ofte tyme / he hadde þe bord begunne
A bouyn alle nacyoūnys in Pruce
In lectowe hadde he reysed & in reuce
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Nō cristene man so ofte / of his degre
In gernage at þe sege ek hadde he be
At Algazer / & redyn in balmarye
At leyeys was he & at satalye
Whan they were wonne & in þe grete see
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At manye anobil aryne hadde he be
At mortal bataylis hadde he be fiftene
And for oure feith at tramessene
In lystis thryis / & ay slayen his fo
This ilke worthi knyth hadde ben also
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Sūtyme with þe lord of Palatye
Ageyn anothir hethen / in Turkye
And eueremor he hadde a souereyn prys
And thow that he were worthy he was wys
And of hese port as meke as is a mayde
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He neuere ȝit nō velany ne sayde
In al his lyȝf vn to no maner wight
He was a weray parfit gentil knyȝt