The Tale of Sir Thopas
Folio 214v
3 of 4 folios
For in that contree / was ther noon
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¶ Til þt ther cam / a greet geaunt
His name was / sire Olifaunt
He seyde child / by Termagaunt
But if thow pryke / out of myn haunt
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Anon I sle thy Steede
¶ Heere is this queene / of Fairye
With harpe & pipe / & Symphonye
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¶ The child seyde / als mote I thee
Tomorwe / wol I meete thee
¶ And yet I hope / par ma fay
That thow shalt wt this launcegay
Er it be fully pryme of day
For here shaltow ben slawe
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¶ Sire Thopas / drow abak ful faste
This geant at hym stones caste
¶ But faire escapeth / child Thopas
And al it was / thurgh goddes graas
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And thurgh his fair berynge
3et lesteth lordes / to my tale
Murier than the nyghtyngale
How sire Thopas / with sydes smale
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Prikyng ouer hyƚƚ and dale
¶ Hys murye men / comanded he
To make hym / bothe game and glee
For nedes moste he fighte
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With a geant with heuedes thre
For paramour / and Iolitee
Of oon / that shoon ful brighte
¶ Do come he seyde / my Mynstrales
And Gestours / for to tellen tales
Of romances / that been reales
Of Popes / and of Cardynales
¶ They fette hym first swete wyn
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And Mede eek in a Maselyn
Of gyngebred / that was ful fyn
And lycorys / and eek Comyn
With Sugre / that is trye
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¶ He dide next his white leer
Of clooth of Lake / fyn & cleer
A breech / and eek a Sherte
And next his Sherte / an Aketoū
And ouer that an haubergeoū
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For percyng of his herte
¶ And ouer that a fyn hauberk
Was al ywroght of Iewes werk
Ful strong it was of plate