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The rede statue of Mars, with spere and targe, So shyneth in his whyte baner large, That alle the feeldes gliteren up and doun; And by his baner born is his penoun Of gold ful riche, in which ther was y-bete The Minotaur, which that he slough in Crete. Thus rit this duk, thus rit this conquerour, And in his host of chivalrye the flour, Til that he cam to Thebes, and alighte Faire in a feeld, ther as he thoghte fighte. But shortly for to speken of this thing, With Creon, which that was of Thebes king, He faught, and slough him manly as a knight In pleyn bataille, and putte the folk to flight; And by assaut he wan the citee after, And rente adoun bothe wal, and sparre, and rafter; And to the ladyes he restored agayn The bones of hir housbondes that were slayn, To doon obsequies, as was tho the gyse. But it were al to long for to devyse The grete clamour and the waymentinge That the ladyes made at the brenninge Of the bodyes, and the grete honour That Theseus, the noble conquerour, Doth to the ladyes, whan they from him wente; But shortly for to telle is myn entente. The rede statue of Mars, with spere and targe, So shyneth in his whyte baner large, That alle the feeldes gliteren up and doun; And by his baner born is his penoun Of gold ful riche, in which ther was y-bete The Minotaur, which that he slough in Crete. Thus rit this duk, thus rit this conquerour, And in his host of chivalrye the flour, Til that he cam to Thebes, and alighte Faire in a feeld, ther as he thoghte fighte. But shortly for to speken of this thing, With Creon, which that was of Thebes king, He faught, and slough him manly as a knight In pleyn bataille, and putte the folk to flight; And by assaut he wan the citee after, And rente adoun bothe wal, and sparre, and rafter; And to the ladyes he restored agayn The bones of hir housbondes that were slayn, To doon obsequies, as was tho the gyse. But it were al to long for to devyse The grete clamour and the waymentinge That the ladyes made at the brenninge Of the bodyes, and the grete honour That Theseus, the noble conquerour, Doth to the ladyes, whan they from him wente; But shortly for to telle is myn entente.

Original Text

Modern Text

The rede statue of Mars, with spere and targe, So shyneth in his whyte baner large, That alle the feeldes gliteren up and doun; And by his baner born is his penoun Of gold ful riche, in which ther was y-bete The Minotaur, which that he slough in Crete. Thus rit this duk, thus rit this conquerour, And in his host of chivalrye the flour, Til that he cam to Thebes, and alighte Faire in a feeld, ther as he thoghte fighte. But shortly for to speken of this thing, With Creon, which that was of Thebes king, He faught, and slough him manly as a knight In pleyn bataille, and putte the folk to flight; And by assaut he wan the citee after, And rente adoun bothe wal, and sparre, and rafter; And to the ladyes he restored agayn The bones of hir housbondes that were slayn, To doon obsequies, as was tho the gyse. But it were al to long for to devyse The grete clamour and the waymentinge That the ladyes made at the brenninge Of the bodyes, and the grete honour That Theseus, the noble conquerour, Doth to the ladyes, whan they from him wente; But shortly for to telle is myn entente. The rede statue of Mars, with spere and targe, So shyneth in his whyte baner large, That alle the feeldes gliteren up and doun; And by his baner born is his penoun Of gold ful riche, in which ther was y-bete The Minotaur, which that he slough in Crete. Thus rit this duk, thus rit this conquerour, And in his host of chivalrye the flour, Til that he cam to Thebes, and alighte Faire in a feeld, ther as he thoghte fighte. But shortly for to speken of this thing, With Creon, which that was of Thebes king, He faught, and slough him manly as a knight In pleyn bataille, and putte the folk to flight; And by assaut he wan the citee after, And rente adoun bothe wal, and sparre, and rafter; And to the ladyes he restored agayn The bones of hir housbondes that were slayn, To doon obsequies, as was tho the gyse. But it were al to long for to devyse The grete clamour and the waymentinge That the ladyes made at the brenninge Of the bodyes, and the grete honour That Theseus, the noble conquerour, Doth to the ladyes, whan they from him wente; But shortly for to telle is myn entente.
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