The Knight's Tale
Folio 33v
4 of 58 folios
So vnkouth / and so ryche / and wroght so weel
1640
Of Goldsmythrye / of Broudyng and of steel
The sheldes brighte / testers / and trappures
Goldhewen helmes / hauberkes / cote armures
Lordes in parementz / on hir coursers
Knyghtes of retenue / and eek Squyers
1645
Nailynge the speres / and the helmes bokelynge
Gyggynge of sheeldes / with layners lasynge
Ther as nede is / they were no thyng ydel
The fomy steedes / on the golden brydel
Gnawynge / and faste the Armurers also
1650
With fyle and hamer / prykyng to and fro
Yemen on foote / and cōmunes many oon
With shorte staues / thikke as they may goon
Pipes / trompes / Nakers / Claryounes
That in the bataille / blowen blody sownes
1655
The paleys ful of peples / vp and down
Heer thre / ther ten / holdynge hir questioun
Deuynynge / of thise Thebans knyghtes two
Sōme seyde thus / sōme seyden it shal be so
Sōme helden with hym / with the blake berd
1660
Sōme wt the balled / sōme wt the thikke herd
Sōme seyde / he looked grym / and he wolde fighte
He hath a Sparth / of .xx. pound of wighte
Thus was the halle / ful of deuynynge
Longe after / þt the sonne gan to sprynge
1665
¶ The grete Theseus / þt of his sleepe awaked
With mynstralcye / and noyse þt was maked
Held yet the chambres / of his paleys ryche
Til þt the Theban knyghtes / bothe yliche
Honoured /. weren in to the Paleys fet
1670
¶ Duc Theseus / is at a wyndow set
Arrayed / right as he weere a god in Trone
The peple preeseth / thiderward ful soone
Hym for to seen / and doon heigh reuerence
And eek / to herkne his heste / and his sentence
1675
¶ An heraud on a Scaffold / made an .oo.
Til al the noyse / of the peple was ydo
And whan he say the peple / of noyse al stille
Thus shewed he / the myghty dukes wille