The Knight's Tale
Folio 32r
41 of 54 folios
Arraide riht as he were a god in Throne
The peple persed þederwarde ful sone
Him for to seyn & done hihe reuerence
And eke to herken his heste & his sentence
1675
An heraude on a scafold maad an hoo
Til aƚƚ þe noys of þe peple was . y doo
And whan he sawe þe peple of noyse al stiƚƚ
Thus schewed he þe myhty dukes wiƚƚ
¶ The lorde haþ of his hihe discrecione
1680
Considered þat it were destructione
To gentil blode to fihten in þis gise
Of mortaile bataile nowe in þis emprise
Whare for to schapen þat þei schal not deye
He wiƚƚ his first purpos modefye
1685
No man þarfore vpon peine on his lif
No manere schotte ne polax ne schorte knyfe
In to þe listes sende ne þeder bringe
Ne schort swerde for to stoke wiþ pointe biteinge .
No man ne drauhe ne bere it be his side
1690
Noman schal vn to his felawe ride
Bot oo cours wiþ a scharpe y grounde spere
Foyne if him list on fote him self to were
And þat is att meschef schal be take
And nouht sleine bot be brouht vnto þe stake
1695
That schal bene ordeined on eyþer side
But þider he schal be force & þare abide
And if so fal þe Cheftaigne be take
On eyþer side or elles sleine his make
No longer schal þe tornynge last
1700
God sped ȝow go forþe & laie on fast
Wiþ longe swerdes & wiþ maces fihten ȝoure fiƚƚ
Go nowe ȝoure weie þis is þe lordes wiƚƚ
The voice of þe peple touched heuen
So loude cried þei wiþ mery steuene
1705
God saue suche a lorde þat is so go\o/de
He wilneþ no destruction of mannes blode
Vp goþe þe trompes & þe melodie
And to þe listes rydeþ þe compaignie
Be ordinance þoruhe oute þe Cite large
1710
Honged wiþ cloþe of golde . & nouht wiþ sarge
Ful like a lorde þis noble Duc gan ride
The tuo Thebanes vpon eyþer side .