The Knight's Tale
Folio 13v
35 of 54 folios
To þebes warde & al his hoste be side
110
No nerre Athenes wolde he go ne ride
Ne take his ese fulli halfe a daie
Bot onward on his waie þat niht he laie
And sent a none ypolita þe queene
And Emely hir ȝonge suster schene .
115
Vn to þe toune of Athenes to dwelle
And forþ he rideþ þer is no more to telle
¶ The reede Statue of Marce wt spere & targe
So schineþ in his whigte baner large
That al þe felde gleteren vp onadoune
120
And by his baner borne is his Pynoune
Of gold ful riche whiche was ybete
The Mynataure whiche þat he wanne in Crete
Thus riht þis Duc þus ride þide þis conqueroure
And in his hoste of cheuallerie þe floure
125
Til þat he \cam/ to Thebes and a liht
Faire in a felde þer as he þouht to fiht
Bot schortely for to speken of þis þinge
Wiþ Creon whiche þat was of Thebes kinge
He fawht & slowhe him manly as a knyht
130
In pleine Bateile & put þe folke to flyht
And be assent he wan þe Cite after
And rent adowne boþe waƚƚ & sparre & rafter
And to þe ladies he restored a ȝeine
The bones of þeire frendes þat wer sleyne
135
To done þe obsequies as was þo þe gise
Bot it were al to longe for to do vise
The grete clamor & þe weymentynge
Þat þe ladies maade att þe berneynge
Of þe bodies & þe grete honoure
140
That Theus þe nobul conqueroure
Doþe to þe bodies whan þei from him went
Bot schortely to tellen is myne entente
Whan þat þis worþi Duc þis Theseus
Haþe Creon sleine & wonne Thebes þus
145
Stil in þat felde he toke al nyhte his rest
And dide wiþ al þe Countre riht as him lest
To ransake in þe caas of þe bodies dede
Hem for to strepe of herneis & of wede
The piloures deden þe besines & Cure
150
After þe bataile & þe discomfetoure