The Squire's Tale
Folio 278r
3 of 16 folios
And vp he ridyth to the heye bord
In al the halle ne was there spokȳ a word
For merueyle of this knyght to be holde
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Ful besily they wayte ȝȳnge & olde
This straūge knyȝt that cam thus sodeynly
Al armede saue his hed richely
Saluyth kyng & queen & lordis alle
By ordere as the setȳ in the halle
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With so heigh reuerence & obeysaūces
As weel in his speche as in hise cuntenaūces
That Gaweyn wt his olde curteysye
Thow he weere comȳ a ȝen out of fayrye
Ne coude hȳ not amendȳ / with a word
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And aftyr this by fore the heye bord
He wyth a māly voys seyth his message
Aftyr the forme vsed in hise age
With outyn vice of sillable or of lettere
And for his tale schulde seme the bettre
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Acordant to hise wordis was hise chere
As techith the art of speche hē that it lere
Al be that I can not soune his style
Ne can not clymbȳ ouyr so hegh a style
Ȝit seye i this as to comune entent
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Thus meche a moūtyth al that euere he ment
Ȝif it so be þt I haue it in mȳde
He seyde þõ kyng of arabye & of ynde
Myn lige lord on this solēpne day
Salueth ȝow as he best can or may
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And sendyth ȝow in honour of ȝore feste
By me þt am al redy to ȝouere heste
This steede of bras that esyly & wel
Can in the space of a day naturel
This is to seyne in foure & twēty ourys
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Where so ȝow liste in drouȝte or ellis shoris
Beryn ȝoure body in to euery place
To whiche ȝoure herte willyth for to pace
With outȳ wē of ȝow thor foul or fayr
Or ȝif ȝow leste to flien as hyghe in þõ ayr