The Knight's Tale
Folio 17r
54 of 63 folios
To helpe me if it lay in thy might
Or elles art þou fals I dar wel sayn
This Arcite ful proudly spak agayn
295
Thou schalt quod he be raþer fals þan I
But þou art fals I telle þe witterly
¶ For paramour I loued hir first er þou
What wilt þou seyn þou wist it nought yit now
Wheþur sche be a wōman or goddesse
300
Thin is affeccioū of holynesse
And myn is loue as to a creature
For which I tolde þe myn auenture
As to my cosyn and to my broþer sworn
I pose þat þou louedest hire biforn
305
Wostow nought wel þe olde clerkes sawe
That who schal ȝiue a louer eny lawe
Loue is a gretter lawe by my pan
Than may be yeue to eny erthly man
And þerfore positif lawe and such decree
310
Is broke alday for loue in eche degree
A man moot needes loue maugre his hede
He may not fleen hit þough he scholde be dede
Al be sche mayde or wydow or elles wif
And eek it is not likly al þi lif
315
To stonden in hir grace namore schal I
For wel þou wost þi selue verreily
That þou and I ben dampned to prisoū
Perpetuelly vs gaigneth no Ramsoū
We stryuen now as houndes for þe bon
320
They fougħt alday and ȝet here part was non
Ther com a kyte whil þat þei were so wroþe
That bar a way þe bon bytwixe hem boþe
Ak þerfore atte kinges court my broþer
Ech man for him self þer is non oþer
325
Loue if þou list for I loue and ay schal
A soothly leue broþer þis is al
Her in þis prisoū mote we endure