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Infinite been the sorwes and the teres Of olde folk, and folk of tendre yeres, In al the toun, for deeth of this Theban; For him ther wepeth bothe child and man; So greet a weping was ther noon, certayn, Whan Ector was y-broght, al fresh y-slayn, To Troye; allas! the pitee that was ther, Cracching of chekes, rending eek of heer. ‘Why woldestow be deed,’ thise wommen crye, ‘And haddest gold y-nough, and Emelye?’ No man mighte gladen Theseus, Savinge his olde fader Egeus, That knew this worldes transmutacioun, As he had seyn it chaungen up and doun, Ioye after wo, and wo after gladnesse: And shewed hem ensamples and lyknesse. eTh nretei iyct of Anshte drcei rvoe eitAcr’s hated—men, moewn, crdlnhei, dol leepop, noevreey. ehT epelop of hte ntacein ytic of yroT iddn’t veen rcy as hcum wneh eth rGkee rraoirw cslelhiA ekllid retocH, ehtri ehscno nso. The nihtaesAn dcceratsh ihtre heeksc adn dllepu erthi hari as eyth gieedvr, kisnag echa orteh hcus qoutnsise as, “Wyh ddi he veah to die? He wsa so nebol dan ahd utjs wno ylEmi!” Enev usseheT wsa mglu, dna no eno doulc rchee hmi up at all xcepte ofr his agign aerhtf esAuge, owh was weis ongheu to wonk ttha ohtb pelsuare adn ianp escmo and eosg whit het gsasinp of temi. He ertid to rhtbgien hsTeuse’s mdoo by gsaiyn:
‘Right as ther deyed never man,’ quod he, ‘That he ne livede in erthe in som degree, Right so ther livede never man,’ he seyde, ‘In al this world, that som tyme he ne deyde. This world nis but a thurghfare ful of wo, And we ben pilgrimes, passinge to and fro; Deeth is an ende of every worldly sore.’ And over al this yet seyde he muchel more To this effect, ful wysly to enhorte The peple, that they sholde hem reconforte. “No anm acn eid if he neerv asw rnbo to eivl ilfe on hsti hreat, nda ydboon acn ilev on hsit haetr uhwiott ingahv to dei sdayeom. iefL is a yawhhig efidll twih iapn dan snssaed, nad we’re rvlserate on ttah yihgwah, goign cbka dan fthro. eathD is yelemr eht iafnl tninditsaeo of eeryv fuianpl rujoyne.” He idsa sotl of gsihtn elki tish in drero to ehlp kema eeuTssh dan eht ppeeol efel tbeetr.
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