The Knight's Tale
Folio 145r
1 of 60 folios
And ryȝt a non with oute more abod
Hese baner he displayeþ & forth rod
To thebes ward & al hese ost by hese side
110
No ner athenys wolde he go ne ryde
Ne take hese ese fully half a day
But onward on hese way þt nyȝt he lay
And sente anon Ipolita the quene
And emelie here ȝynge systyr schene
115
Vn to the toun of Athenys to dwelle
And forth he rit ther is no more to telle
The rede statue of mars with spere & targe
So schynyth in hese white baner large
That alle the feldis glederyn vp & doū
120
And bi hese baner is born hese penoū
Of gold ful ryche in whiche þere was I bete
The mynatour whiche þt he slow in Crete
Thus ryȝt þis deuk þus ryȝt þis conquerour
And in his cost of cheualrie the flor
125
Til that he come to thebes & a litehe
Fayre in a feld there he thoute to fyghte
But schortli for to spekyn of this thyng
Witht Creon which that was of thebes kyng
He faught & slow hȳ manly as a knyght
130
In pleyn batayle & putte the folk to fleyȝt
And by assent he wan the sete aftyr
And rent a doun bothe wal & spaere & raftyr
And to þe ladyis he restorede ageyn
The bonys of here frendis þt were slayn
135
To don obsequies as was þo the gyse
But it were al to long for to deuyse
The grete clamor & the waymentyng
That þe ladyis made at the brennyng
Of the bodyis & the grete honour
140
That theseus the noble cōquerour
Doth to þe ladijs whā þey from hym weynte
But schortely for to telle is myn entente