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‘To speke of royal linage and richesse, Though that she were a quene or a princesse, Ech of yow bothe is worthy, doutelees, To wedden whan tyme is, but nathelees I speke as for my suster Emelye, For whom ye have this stryf and Ielousye; Ye woot yourself, she may not wedden two At ones, though ye fighten evermo: That oon of yow, al be him looth or leef, He moot go pypen in an ivy-leef; This is to seyn, she may nat now han bothe, Al be ye never so Ielous, ne so wrothe. And for-thy I yow putte in this degree, That ech of yow shal have his destinee As him is shape; and herkneth in what wyse; Lo, heer your ende of that I shal devyse. ‘To speke of royal linage and richesse, Though that she were a quene or a princesse, Ech of yow bothe is worthy, doutelees, To wedden whan tyme is, but nathelees I speke as for my suster Emelye, For whom ye have this stryf and Ielousye; Ye woot yourself, she may not wedden two At ones, though ye fighten evermo: That oon of yow, al be him looth or leef, He moot go pypen in an ivy-leef; This is to seyn, she may nat now han bothe, Al be ye never so Ielous, ne so wrothe. And for-thy I yow putte in this degree, That ech of yow shal have his destinee As him is shape; and herkneth in what wyse; Lo, heer your ende of that I shal devyse.
My wil is this, for plat conclusioun, With-outen any replicacioun, If that yow lyketh, tak it for the beste, That everich of yow shal gon wher him leste Frely, with-outen raunson or daunger; And this day fifty wykes, fer ne ner, Everich of yow shal bringe an hundred knightes, Armed for listes up at alle rightes, Al redy to darreyne hir by bataille. And this bihote I yow, with-outen faille, Upon my trouthe, and as I am a knight, That whether of yow bothe that hath might, This is to seyn, that whether he or thou May with his hundred, as I spak of now, Sleen his contrarie, or out of listes dryve, Him shal I yeve Emelya to wyve, To whom that Fortune yeveth so fair a grace. The listes shal I maken in this place, And God so wisly on my soule rewe, As I shal even Iuge been and trewe. Ye shul non other ende with me maken, That oon of yow ne shal be deed or taken. And if yow thinketh this is wel y-sayd, Seyeth your avys, and holdeth yow apayd. This is your ende and your conclusioun.’ My wil is this, for plat conclusioun, With-outen any replicacioun, If that yow lyketh, tak it for the beste, That everich of yow shal gon wher him leste Frely, with-outen raunson or daunger; And this day fifty wykes, fer ne ner, Everich of yow shal bringe an hundred knightes, Armed for listes up at alle rightes, Al redy to darreyne hir by bataille. And this bihote I yow, with-outen faille, Upon my trouthe, and as I am a knight, That whether of yow bothe that hath might, This is to seyn, that whether he or thou May with his hundred, as I spak of now, Sleen his contrarie, or out of listes dryve, Him shal I yeve Emelya to wyve, To whom that Fortune yeveth so fair a grace. The listes shal I maken in this place, And God so wisly on my soule rewe, As I shal even Iuge been and trewe. Ye shul non other ende with me maken, That oon of yow ne shal be deed or taken. And if yow thinketh this is wel y-sayd, Seyeth your avys, and holdeth yow apayd. This is your ende and your conclusioun.’

Original Text

Modern Text

‘To speke of royal linage and richesse, Though that she were a quene or a princesse, Ech of yow bothe is worthy, doutelees, To wedden whan tyme is, but nathelees I speke as for my suster Emelye, For whom ye have this stryf and Ielousye; Ye woot yourself, she may not wedden two At ones, though ye fighten evermo: That oon of yow, al be him looth or leef, He moot go pypen in an ivy-leef; This is to seyn, she may nat now han bothe, Al be ye never so Ielous, ne so wrothe. And for-thy I yow putte in this degree, That ech of yow shal have his destinee As him is shape; and herkneth in what wyse; Lo, heer your ende of that I shal devyse. ‘To speke of royal linage and richesse, Though that she were a quene or a princesse, Ech of yow bothe is worthy, doutelees, To wedden whan tyme is, but nathelees I speke as for my suster Emelye, For whom ye have this stryf and Ielousye; Ye woot yourself, she may not wedden two At ones, though ye fighten evermo: That oon of yow, al be him looth or leef, He moot go pypen in an ivy-leef; This is to seyn, she may nat now han bothe, Al be ye never so Ielous, ne so wrothe. And for-thy I yow putte in this degree, That ech of yow shal have his destinee As him is shape; and herkneth in what wyse; Lo, heer your ende of that I shal devyse.
My wil is this, for plat conclusioun, With-outen any replicacioun, If that yow lyketh, tak it for the beste, That everich of yow shal gon wher him leste Frely, with-outen raunson or daunger; And this day fifty wykes, fer ne ner, Everich of yow shal bringe an hundred knightes, Armed for listes up at alle rightes, Al redy to darreyne hir by bataille. And this bihote I yow, with-outen faille, Upon my trouthe, and as I am a knight, That whether of yow bothe that hath might, This is to seyn, that whether he or thou May with his hundred, as I spak of now, Sleen his contrarie, or out of listes dryve, Him shal I yeve Emelya to wyve, To whom that Fortune yeveth so fair a grace. The listes shal I maken in this place, And God so wisly on my soule rewe, As I shal even Iuge been and trewe. Ye shul non other ende with me maken, That oon of yow ne shal be deed or taken. And if yow thinketh this is wel y-sayd, Seyeth your avys, and holdeth yow apayd. This is your ende and your conclusioun.’ My wil is this, for plat conclusioun, With-outen any replicacioun, If that yow lyketh, tak it for the beste, That everich of yow shal gon wher him leste Frely, with-outen raunson or daunger; And this day fifty wykes, fer ne ner, Everich of yow shal bringe an hundred knightes, Armed for listes up at alle rightes, Al redy to darreyne hir by bataille. And this bihote I yow, with-outen faille, Upon my trouthe, and as I am a knight, That whether of yow bothe that hath might, This is to seyn, that whether he or thou May with his hundred, as I spak of now, Sleen his contrarie, or out of listes dryve, Him shal I yeve Emelya to wyve, To whom that Fortune yeveth so fair a grace. The listes shal I maken in this place, And God so wisly on my soule rewe, As I shal even Iuge been and trewe. Ye shul non other ende with me maken, That oon of yow ne shal be deed or taken. And if yow thinketh this is wel y-sayd, Seyeth your avys, and holdeth yow apayd. This is your ende and your conclusioun.’