The Knight's Tale
Folio 173r
57 of 60 folios
Whan þey were set & hust was al the place
And thesyus abedyn hadde a space
Er ony word cā frō hese wyse brest
2120
Hese eyuyn sette he þere as was hese lest
And with a sad visage he sikede stille
And aftyr þt ryght þë he seyde hese wille
The ferste moruere of the cause aboue
Whan he ferst made þõ cheyne of loue
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Gret was theffect & hy was hese entent
Wel wiste he why & what þerof hement
For wt that fayre cheyne of loue he bond
The fuyr the eyre the watyr & the lond
In certeyn boundys þt þey may not fle
2130
That same pince & þt same Moeuere quod he
Hath stablychid in this wrechede world adoū
To alle þt is engenderid in þis place
Ouer the whiche day þey may not pace
2135
Alle mowe þey ȝit þõ dayis wel a bregge
Þ ere nedyth non autorite to legge
For it is preuyd be experyence
But þt me lyste to clare myn sentence
Thāne may men by þis ordere wel disxerne
2140
That tylke moeuere stylle & sterne
Wel may men knowe but it be a fol
That euery part dryuyth frō hese hol
For nature hath takyn hese begynnȳg
Of no party or of a cantel of a þyng
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But of a þyng þt parfyt is & stable
Dessendynge so til it be corūpable
And þerfore for hese wise puruyaūce
He hath so wel be set hese ordenaūce
That specyfie of þyngis & progressioūnys
2150
Shul endure be succescioūnys
And not eterne wt outȳ ony lye
This mayst þu vndyrstōdȳ & sen at eye