The Tale of Sir Thopas
Folio 213v
1 of 4 folios
¶ Approche neer / and looke vp myrily
Now war yow sires / and lat this man haue place
10
He in the wast is shape as wel as I
This were a popet in an arm tenbrace
For any womman / smal and fair of face
He semeth eluyssħ / by his contenance
For vn to no wight dooth he no daliance
15
¶ Sey now som what syn oother folk han sayd
Telle vs a tale / of myrthe / and that anon
Hoost quod I / ne beth nat yuele ypayd
For oother tale / certes kan I noon
But of a rym / I lerned longe agoon
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Ye that is good quod he / now shul we heere
Som deyntee thyng me thynketh by his cheere
¶ Here bigynneth Chaucers tale of Thopas
LIsteth lordes / in good entent
And I wil telle verrayment
Al of a knyght was fair and gent
5
In bataille / and in tornament
His name / was sir Thopas
¶ Yborn he was / in fer contree
In Flaundres / al biyonde the see
10
His fader was / a man ful free
And lord he was / of that contree
¶ Sire Thopas wax / a doghty swayn
Whit was his face / as Payndemayn
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His lippes reed as Rose
His rode is lyk / Scarlet in grayn
As I yow telle / in good certayn
¶ His heer his berd / was lyk Safrown
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That to his girdel / raughte adown
Of Brugges / were his hosen brown
His Robe was / of Syklatown
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¶ He koude hunte / at wilde deer
And ride an hawkyng for Ryuer
With grey goshauk on honde
Ther to he was / a good Archier
Of wrastlyng was ther noon his pier
30
Ther any Ram shal stonde