The Knight's Tale
Folio 14r
43 of 58 folios
85
Of alle oure lordes / whiche þt been slawe
Hath alle the bodyes / on an heepe ydrawe
And wol nat suffren hem / by noon assent
Neyther to been yburyed / nor ybrent
But maketh houndes / ete hem in despit
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And with that word / with outen moore respit
They fillen gruf and cryden pitously
Haue / on vs wrecched wommen / som mercy
And lat oure sorwe / synken in thyn herte
¶ This gentil duc doun from his courser sterte
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With herte pitous / whan he herde hem speke
Hym thoughte / þt his herte wolde breke
Whan he saugh hem / so pitous / and so maat
That whilom weren / of so greet estaat
And in hise armes / he hem alle vp hente
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And hem conforteth / in ful good entente
And swoor his ooth / as he was trewe knygħt
He wolde doon / so ferforthly his mygħt
Vp on the tiraunt Creon / hem to wreke
That al the peple of Grece / ~ xxx sholde speke
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How Creou was / of Theseus xxx yserued
As he þt hadde his deeth / ful wel disserued
And right anoon / with outen moore abood
His baner he desplayeth / and forth rood
To Thebesward / and al his oost bisyde
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No neer Atthenes / wolde he go ne ryde
Ne take his ese / fully half a day
But onward in his wey / that nyght he lay
And sente anoon / ypolita the queene
And Emelye / hir yonge suster sheene
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Vn to the town of Atthenes / to dwelle
And forth he ryt ther nys namoore to telle
¶ The rede statue of Mars / with spere and targe
So shyneth / in his white Baner large
That alle the feeldes / glitren vp and doun
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And by his Baner / born was his penoun
Of gold ful ryche / in which ther was ybete
The Mynotaur / which þt he wan in Crete
¶ Thus ryt this duc. thus ryt this conquerour
And in his oost of Chiualrye the flour