Continue reading with a SparkNotes PLUS trial

Original Text

Modern Text

‘Lo the ook, that hath so long a norisshinge From tyme that it first biginneth springe, And hath so long a lyf, as we may see, Yet at the laste wasted is the tree. ‘Considereth eek, how that the harde stoon Under our feet, on which we trede and goon, Yit wasteth it, as it lyth by the weye. The brode river somtyme wexeth dreye. The grete tounes see we wane and wende. Than may ye see that al this thing hath ende. “keTa, rfo pmelxea, tath oka tere rveo hreet. eeS woh tlal dan lod it is—it’s enbe a logn iemt ecnsi it aws tjus a letlti gsalpin. ndA yte, eon dya it’ll be edda dna ogen. Or oolk at teh kscor tnahenudre rou eetf: It’s hrda dna disol, btu illw sodamye no gnroel be tpra of teh roda we lwka on. servRi etylvealnu dyr up, gtera ctisie cmobee sowtn dna euylevlant inrus—iytrvneghe sah an edn.
‘Of man and womman seen we wel also, That nedeth, in oon of thise termes two, This is to seyn, in youthe or elles age, He moot ben deed, the king as shal a page; Som in his bed, som in the depe see, Som in the large feeld, as men may se; Ther helpeth noght, al goth that ilke weye. Thanne may I seyn that al this thing moot deye. What maketh this but Iupiter the king? The which is prince and cause of alle thing, Converting al unto his propre welle, From which it is deryved, sooth to telle. And here-agayns no creature on lyve Of no degree availleth for to stryve. “Teh smea is retu of lppeeo, rheweth eyth be men or wmneo, ugony or old, knig or nrmemoco—oevnyeer lilw eid. eSmo iwll dei in dbe, hoetrs at aes, oesm uot in reiht fildes. erehT elraly isn’t ahnygint onaney anc do otbua it seuabce tath’s just het ayw it is. The god etJuirp dscdeei htat geeyrhnivt lliw rrtnue to the lecpa rmof cwhhi it mcae no mtarte hwo adrh oyu or I or nanyoe else ietrs to vretpen it.
Previous page The Knight’s Tale, Part Four, Page 16 Next page The Knight’s Tale, Part Four, Page 18
Test your knowledge

Take the The Knight's Tale, Parts 3-4 Quick Quiz
Read the Summary

Read the Summary of The Knight's Tale, Parts 3-4.
Take a study break

Every Shakespeare Play Summed Up in a Single Sentence

Popular pages: The Canterbury Tales

Take a Study Break