The Squire's Tale
Folio 149v
3 of 17 folios
The last Idus of marcħ after þe ȝeer
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Phebus þe sonne was Ioly and cleer
For he was neigħ his exaltaciou~
In marcz face and in his mansiou~
In aries þe colerik þe hote signe
Ful lusty was the wedir and benigne
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For which þe foules aȝein þe sonne scheene
What for þe sesoun & for þe ȝonge greene
Ful lowde song in here affeccioūs
Hem semed haue geten hem proteccioūs
Aȝens þe swerd of wynter kene and cold
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This Cambynskan of which I haue told
In royal vesture sittyng on his deys
With dyadem ful heigh in his paleys
And held his fest . solempne and so riche
That in þis worlde was þer noon it liche
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Of which if I schal tellen al þarray
Than wold it occupie a someres day
And eek it needeþ nouȝt for to deuyse
At euery cours þe ordre and þe seruyse
I wol nat tellen of her straunge sewes
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Ne of her swannes ne her heroū sewes
Ek in þat lond as tellen knightes olde
Ther is som mete þat is ful deynte holde
That in þis lond men recch of it but smal
Ther is no man it may reporten al
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I wol not tarien ȝou for it is pryme
And for it is no fruyt but los of tyme
Vnto my purpos I wol haue my recours
That so bifeƚƚ after þe þridde cours
Whil þat þe kyng sit þus in his nobleye
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Herkyng his mynstrales her þinges pleye
Byforn him atte boord deliciously
In atte halle dore al sodeynly
Ther com a knight vpon a steed of bras
And in his hond a brod myrour of glas
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Vpon his thomb he had of gold a ryng
And by his side a naked swerd hangyng