The Knight's Tale
Folio 29r
4 of 54 folios
The maidens þat þedere wiþ hire ladde
Ful redely wiþ hem þe fire þei hadde
The encens þe cloþes & þe remenant aƚƚ
1420
That to þe sacrifice longen schaƚƚ
The hornes ful of meþe as was þe gise
There lakked nouht to done hir sacrifise
Smokeinge þe temple ful of cloþes faire
This Emely wiþ hert debonaire
1425
Hir body wiþe water of a weƚƚ
Bot how sche did hir riht .I. dar not teƚƚ
Bot it be any þinge in generaƚƚ
And ȝit it were a game to here it aƚƚ
Til him þat meneþe wele it ner no charge
1430
Bot it is goode a man be att his large
Her brihte here vnkembed vntrussed al
A coron of a grene oke serial
Vpon hire hed sett ful feire & mete
Two fires on þe auter gan sche bete
1435
And dide hir þinges as men mai be holde
In Stace of Thebes as þes bokes olde
Whan kindeled was þe fire wiþ pitous chere
Vn to Diane sche spak as ȝe maye here
¶ O chaste goddes of þe wodes grene
1440
To whom boþe heuen & erþe & see is sene
Queene of þe regne of Pluto derke & lawe
Goddes of maydenes þat myn hert haste knowe
Ful mony a ȝere & woste what .I. desire
As kepe me fro þi veniance & þine ire
1445
Þat Attheon abouht cruely
Chaste goddes wel woste þou þat .I.
Desire to be a maiden al my lif ;
Ne neuer wil .I. be no loue ne wif ;
.I. am þou woste ȝit of þi compaignie
1450
A mayden & loue huntynge & venerye
And for to walken in the wodes wilde
And nouht to bene a wif & be wiþ childe
Note wil .I. knowe company of man
Now he me ladi seþþe ȝe maie & can
1455
For þree formes þat þu haste in þe
And Palamon þat haþ suche a loue to me
And eke Arcite þat loueþ me so sore
Þis grace .I. pay . ȝowe wiþ owten more
And sende loue & pees be twene hem two
1460
And fro me torne a waie her hertes soo