The Knight's Tale
Folio 26v
4 of 35 folios
There as Mars / hath his souereigne mansioū
First on the wal / was peynted a forest
In whicħ there dwelleth / neiþer man ne best
With knotty knarry / barreyne trees olde
1120
Of stubbes sharpe / and hedous to byholde
In whicħ there ran / a rombel in a swougħ
As though a storme / shulde bresten euery bougħ
And dounward from an hille / vnder a bent
There stode a temple / of Mars Armypotent
1125
Wrought al of borned stele / of which þe entree
Was long and streyt / and gastly for to se
And
þere ou
ȝt cam a rage
/ and swic
ħ a
Corrected from: voisveȝevois veȝe ¶ id est impetus
That it mad al the gate
/ for to
Corrected from: reysresereys rese
The northern ligħt / in at the dores shone
1130
For wyndowe on the wal / ne was þere none
Thorugħ whicħ men mygħten / eny ligħt discerne
The dore was al / of Athamant et erne
I clenched Corrected from: ouertwertouerthwertouerthwert/ and endlong
With Iren tougħ / and for to make it strong
1135
Euery piller / the temple to sustene
Was tōne gret of Iren / brigħt & shene
¶ There saw I first / the derk ymagenynge
Of felonye / and al the compassynge
The cruel Ire / red as eny glede
1140
The pyke purs / and eke the pale drede
The smylere wt þe knyf / vnder the cloke
The shippen brennyng / wt the blak smoke
The tresoū of the morderyng / in the bedde
The open werre / wt woundes al be bledde
1145
Conteke with blody knyf / and sharpe manace
Al ful of chidyng / was this sory place
The sleere of hī self / ȝet saugħ I there
His hert blode / hath bathed al his heere
The nail I dreuen / in the shode a nygħt
1150
The colde detħ / wt mouth gapyng vp rigħt
¶ A myddes of the temple / sat myschaunce
With discomfort / & sory countenaunce
Ȝet saugh I woodnes / laughyng in his rage
Armed
/ compleynt
/ ou
ȝt hees
/ & Corrected from: fixxxfiersfioutrage
fiers is written over an erasure.ODR
1155
The careyne in þe bussħ / wt throte koruen
A / Mƚ / sleyn / and nouȝt of qualme storuen
The teraunt with the pray / by force I raft
The Toun destroied / þere was no þing I laft
Ȝet saugh I brent / the shippes hoppesteres
1160
The honte strangelid / with the wylde beres