The Squire's Tale
Folio 129v
2 of 18 folios
xx xxxx the feste / of his Natiuitee
xxx crien / thurgh out Sarray his Citee
The laste Idus of Marcħ / after the yeer
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Phebus the sonne / ful iolyf was and cleer
For he was ny his exaltaciou
In Martes face / and his mansiou
In Aries / the Coleryk hote signe
Ful lusty was the weder / and benygne
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For which the foweles / agayn the sonne shene
What for the sesoū / and the yonge grene
Ful loude songen / hir affeccions
Hem semed / han geten hem proteccions
Agayn the swerd of wynter / kene and cold
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¶ This Cambyuskan / of which I haue yow told
In Roial vestyment sit on his deys
With dyademe / ful hye in his paleys
And halt his feste / solempne and so riche
That in this world / ne was ther noon it liche
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Of which / if I shal tellen al tharray
Thanne wolde it ocupie / a Someres day
And eek it nedeth nat to deuyse
At euery cours / the ordre of hir seruyse
I wol nat tellen / of hir straunge sewes
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Ne of hir Swannes / ne of hir herou sewes
Eek in that land / as tellen knyghtes olde
Ther is som mete / þt is ful deyntee holde
That in this land / men recche of it but smal
Ther nys no man / þt may reporten al
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I wol nat tarien yow / for it is pryme
And for it is no fruyt but los of tyme
Vn to my firste / I wol haue my recours
¶ And so bifel / þt after the thridde Cours
Whil þt this kyng sit thus / in his nobleye
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Herknynge his Mynstrals / hir thynges pleye
Biforn hym at the bord / deliciously
In at the halle dore / al sodeynly
Ther cam a knyght vpon a steede of bras
And in his hand / a brood Mirour of glas
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Vp on his thombe / he hadde / of gold a ryng
And by his syde / a naked swerd hangyng