The Squire's Tale
Folio 150r
4 of 17 folios
And vp he rideth to þe heyȝe bord
In al þe halle ne was þer spoke a word
For meruayyl of þis knight him to byholde
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Ful besily þey wayten ȝong and olde /
This straunge knigħt þat cam þus sodeynly
Al armed sauf his heed ful richely ;
Salued the kyng and queen and lordes alle
By ordre as þey seten in to halle /
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With so heigħ reuerens and obseruaunce
As wel in speche as in contynaunce
That Ewen with his olde curtesye
They he come aȝein out of fayrye
Ne couþe him nouȝt amende wiþ no word
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And after þis biforn þe highe bord
He with a manly vois sayd his message
After þe forme vsed in his langage
Wiþouten vice of sillabil or letter
And for his tale schulde seme þe better
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Acordaūt to his wordes was his cheere
As techeth art of speche hem þat it leere
Al be it þat I can nat sowne his style
Ne can nat clymben ouer so heigħ a style /
Ȝit say I þis as to comun entent
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Thus moche amounteth al þat euer he ment
If it so be þat I haue it in mynde
He sayd þe kyng of Arraby and ynde
My liege lord on þis solempne day
Saluteth ȝou as he best can or may
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He sendeth ȝou in honour of ȝour feste
By me þat am redy at al his heste
This steede of bras þat esily and wel
That can in space of o day naturel
This is to say in four an twenty houres
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Wher so ȝou lust / in droughþe or in schoures
Beren ȝour body in to euery place
To which ȝour herte wilneþ for to pace
Wiþouten wem of ȝou þurgh foul and fair
Or if ȝou lust to flee as heiȝ in þair