The Knight's Tale
Folio 35v
47 of 58 folios
I wol be trewe Iuge / and nat partye
1800
Arcite of Thebes / shal haue Emelye
That by his fortune / hath hire faire ywonne
Anon ther is a noyse of peple bigonne
For ioye of this / so loude and heigh with alle
It semed / þt the lystes sholde falle
1805
¶ What kan now faire Venus / doon aboue
What seith she now / what dooth this queene of loue
But wepeth so / for wantyng of hir wille
Til þt hir teerys / in the lystes fille
She seyde / I am ashamed doutelees
1810
¶ Saturnus seyde / doghter hoold thy pees
Mars hath his wyl / his knyght hath al his boone
And by myn heed / thow shalt been esed soone
¶ The trompours / wt the loude Mynstralcye
The heraudes / þt ful loude yelle and crye
1815
Been in hir wele / for ioye of daun Arcite
But herkneth me / and stynteth noyse alite
Which a myracle / ther bifel anon
¶ This fierse Arcite / hath of his helm ydon
And on a Courser / for to shewe his face
1820
He priketh / endelong the large place
Lookyng vpward / vp on this Emelye
And she agayn / hym caste a freendly eye
And she was al his cheere / as in his herte
Out of the ground / a furye Infernal sterte
1825
From Pluto sent / at requeste of Saturne
For which his hors / for feere gan to turne
And leep asyde / and foundred as he leepe
And er þt Arcite / may taken keepe
He pighte hym / on the pomel of his heed
1830
That in the place / he lay as he were deed
His brest to brosten / with his Sadel bowe
As blak he lay / as any col / or crowe
So was the blood / yronnen in his face
Anon he was yborn out of the place
1835
With herte soor / to Theseus Paleys
Tho was he coruen / out of his harneys
And in a bed ybroght ful faire and blyue
For he was yet in memorie and alyue