The Knight's Tale
Folio 30v
1 of 54 folios
1545
For þilke fire þat whilom brente þe
As wele as þilke fire nowe brenneþ me
Ando þat .I. to morue haue þe victorie
Myne be þe trauayle & þine be þe glorie
Thi souereyne temple wele most .I. honouren
1550
Of any place & alwey moste labouren .
In þi pesanntez & in þi craftes stronge
And in þi temple .I. wiƚƚ mi baner honge
And al þe armes of my compaignye
And euer more vntil þat .I. dye
1555
Eterne fire .I. wiƚƚ be for þe finde
And eke to þis a vowe .I. wil me binde
Mine mine here þat hongeþ longe a doune
That neuer ȝite ne felte offensione
Of Rasoure ne of schere .I. wil þe ȝeue
1560
And bene þi treu seruant while .I. leue .
Now lorde haue reuþe vpon my sorous sore
Ȝif me þe victorie .I. ax þe no more
¶ The preier stinte of Arcita þe stronge
The ringe on þe temple dore þat honge .
1565
And eke þe dores claterden fulfast
Of whiche arcita sum what him a gaste
The fires brenten vpon þe auteres brihte
That it gan al þe temple for to lihte
And swete smelle þe gronde anone vp ȝafe
1570
And Arcita a none his hand vp hafe
And more encence in to þe fire he caste
Wiþ oþere rihtes moo and at þe laste .
The Statue of Marcz began his hauberk ringe
And wiþ þe soūde he herde a memorynge
1575
Ful lowe & dimme þat seide þus victorie
For whiche he ȝafe to mars honor & glorie
And þus wiþ Ioy & hope wele to fare
Arcite a none vn to his Inne he is fare
As feine as fowle is of þe briht sōne
1580
And riht anone Frissche strife is be gūne
For þilke gauntynge in þe heuen a boue
Be twix venus þe goddes of loue
And marce þe steren god Armipotentent
That Iubiter was besie it to stent
1585
Til þat þe pale Saturnus þe colde
Þat knewe so mony of aventures olde