No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: The Knight’s Tale, Part Four Page 8

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Duk Theseus, with al his companye, Is comen hoom to Athenes his citee, With alle blisse and greet solempnitee. Al be it that this aventure was falle, He nolde noght disconforten hem alle. Men seyde eek, that Arcite shal nat dye; He shal ben heled of his maladye. And of another thing they were as fayn, That of hem alle was ther noon y-slayn, Al were they sore y-hurt, and namely oon, That with a spere was thirled his brest-boon. To othere woundes, and to broken armes, Some hadden salves, and some hadden charmes; Fermacies of herbes, and eek save They dronken, for they wolde hir limes have. For which this noble duk, as he wel can, Conforteth and honoureth every man, And made revel al the longe night, Unto the straunge lordes, as was right. Ne ther was holden no disconfitinge, But as a Iustes or a tourneyinge; For soothly ther was no disconfiture, For falling nis nat but an aventure; Ne to be lad with fors unto the stake Unyolden, and with twenty knightes take, O persone allone, with-outen mo, And haried forth by arme, foot, and to, And eek his stede driven forth with staves, With footmen, bothe yemen and eek knaves, It nas aretted him no vileinye, Ther may no man clepen it cowardye.

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