No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: The Knight’s Tale, Part Three Page 1

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Original Text	Modern Text
EQUITUR PARS TERCIA.	EQUITUR PARS TERCIA.
I trowe men wolde deme it necligence, If I foryete to tellen the dispence Of Theseus, that goth so bisily To maken up the listes royally; That swich a noble theatre as it was, I dar wel seyn that in this world ther nas. The circuit a myle was aboute, Walled of stoon, and diched al with-oute. Round was the shap, in maner of compas, Ful of degrees, the heighte of sixty pas, That, whan a man was set on o degree, He letted nat his felawe for to see.	I trowe men wolde deme it necligence, If I foryete to tellen the dispence Of Theseus, that goth so bisily To maken up the listes royally; That swich a noble theatre as it was, I dar wel seyn that in this world ther nas. The circuit a myle was aboute, Walled of stoon, and diched al with-oute. Round was the shap, in maner of compas, Ful of degrees, the heighte of sixty pas, That, whan a man was set on o degree, He letted nat his felawe for to see.
Est-ward ther stood a gate of marbel whyt, West-ward, right swich another in the opposit. And shortly to concluden, swich a place Was noon in erthe, as in so litel space; For in the lond ther nas no crafty man, That geometrie or ars-metrik can, Ne purtreyour, ne kerver of images, That Theseus ne yaf him mete and wages The theatre for to maken and devyse. And for to doon his ryte and sacrifyse, He est-ward hath, upon the gate above, In worship of Venus, goddesse of love, Don make an auter and an oratorie; And west-ward, in the minde and in memorie Of Mars, he maked hath right swich another, That coste largely of gold a fother. And north-ward, in a touret on the wal, Of alabastre whyt and reed coral An oratorie riche for to see, In worship of Dyane of chastitee, Hath Theseus don wroght in noble wyse.	Est-ward ther stood a gate of marbel whyt, West-ward, right swich another in the opposit. And shortly to concluden, swich a place Was noon in erthe, as in so litel space; For in the lond ther nas no crafty man, That geometrie or ars-metrik can, Ne purtreyour, ne kerver of images, That Theseus ne yaf him mete and wages The theatre for to maken and devyse. And for to doon his ryte and sacrifyse, He est-ward hath, upon the gate above, In worship of Venus, goddesse of love, Don make an auter and an oratorie; And west-ward, in the minde and in memorie Of Mars, he maked hath right swich another, That coste largely of gold a fother. And north-ward, in a touret on the wal, Of alabastre whyt and reed coral An oratorie riche for to see, In worship of Dyane of chastitee, Hath Theseus don wroght in noble wyse.

Original Text	Modern Text
EQUITUR PARS TERCIA.	EQUITUR PARS TERCIA.
I trowe men wolde deme it necligence, If I foryete to tellen the dispence Of Theseus, that goth so bisily To maken up the listes royally; That swich a noble theatre as it was, I dar wel seyn that in this world ther nas. The circuit a myle was aboute, Walled of stoon, and diched al with-oute. Round was the shap, in maner of compas, Ful of degrees, the heighte of sixty pas, That, whan a man was set on o degree, He letted nat his felawe for to see.	I trowe men wolde deme it necligence, If I foryete to tellen the dispence Of Theseus, that goth so bisily To maken up the listes royally; That swich a noble theatre as it was, I dar wel seyn that in this world ther nas. The circuit a myle was aboute, Walled of stoon, and diched al with-oute. Round was the shap, in maner of compas, Ful of degrees, the heighte of sixty pas, That, whan a man was set on o degree, He letted nat his felawe for to see.
Est-ward ther stood a gate of marbel whyt, West-ward, right swich another in the opposit. And shortly to concluden, swich a place Was noon in erthe, as in so litel space; For in the lond ther nas no crafty man, That geometrie or ars-metrik can, Ne purtreyour, ne kerver of images, That Theseus ne yaf him mete and wages The theatre for to maken and devyse. And for to doon his ryte and sacrifyse, He est-ward hath, upon the gate above, In worship of Venus, goddesse of love, Don make an auter and an oratorie; And west-ward, in the minde and in memorie Of Mars, he maked hath right swich another, That coste largely of gold a fother. And north-ward, in a touret on the wal, Of alabastre whyt and reed coral An oratorie riche for to see, In worship of Dyane of chastitee, Hath Theseus don wroght in noble wyse.	Est-ward ther stood a gate of marbel whyt, West-ward, right swich another in the opposit. And shortly to concluden, swich a place Was noon in erthe, as in so litel space; For in the lond ther nas no crafty man, That geometrie or ars-metrik can, Ne purtreyour, ne kerver of images, That Theseus ne yaf him mete and wages The theatre for to maken and devyse. And for to doon his ryte and sacrifyse, He est-ward hath, upon the gate above, In worship of Venus, goddesse of love, Don make an auter and an oratorie; And west-ward, in the minde and in memorie Of Mars, he maked hath right swich another, That coste largely of gold a fother. And north-ward, in a touret on the wal, Of alabastre whyt and reed coral An oratorie riche for to see, In worship of Dyane of chastitee, Hath Theseus don wroght in noble wyse.