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Ther saugh I first the derke imagining Of felonye, and al the compassing; The cruel ire, reed as any glede; The pykepurs, and eek the pale drede; The smyler with the knyf under the cloke; The shepne brenning with the blake smoke; The treson of the mordring in the bedde; The open werre, with woundes al bi-bledde; Contek, with blody knyf and sharp manace; Al ful of chirking was that sory place. The sleere of him-self yet saugh I ther, His herte-blood hath bathed al his heer; The nayl y-driven in the shode a-night; The colde deeth, with mouth gaping up-right. Amiddes of the temple sat meschaunce, With disconfort and sory contenaunce. Yet saugh I woodnesse laughing in his rage; Armed compleint, out-hees, and fiers outrage. The careyne in the bush, with throte y-corve: A thousand slayn, and nat of qualm y-storve; The tiraunt, with the prey by force y-raft; The toun destroyed, ther was no-thing laft. Yet saugh I brent the shippes hoppesteres; The hunte strangled with the wilde beres: The sowe freten the child right in the cradel; The cook y-scalded, for al his longe ladel. Noght was foryeten by the infortune of Marte; The carter over-riden with his carte, Under the wheel ful lowe he lay adoun. Ther were also, of Martes divisioun, The barbour, and the bocher, and the smith That forgeth sharpe swerdes on his stith. And al above, depeynted in a tour, Saw I conquest sittinge in greet honour, With the sharpe swerde over his heed Hanginge by a sotil twynes threed. Depeynted was the slaughtre of Iulius, Of grete Nero, and of Antonius; Al be that thilke tyme they were unborn, Yet was hir deeth depeynted ther-biforn, By manasinge of Mars, right by figure; So was it shewed in that portreiture As is depeynted in the sterres above, Who shal be slayn or elles deed for love. Suffyceth oon ensample in stories olde, I may not rekne hem alle, thogh I wolde. As whti eth agisntipn onnrogih sVnue, yuo dcuol ese lla teh mseitoon ctoasadesi wthi raw ifsdipoeenr in het ainpginst in teh mpeelt of Mras. ehTre swa arcereyhT otgtnipl nad sgchemni, nregA wgnolig red, dna edDra as lewl. hTree asw eht simgnli haerarcct nlgdoih a ieknf nredehtuan ihs ceap, a rnba rugbnni ihwt lcabk emsko, umdrre, hlesdodob, pniagg nodswu, msyrei, olyodb nekvis, dna dipel edoibs. ouY cludo lomtas ehra eth scahl of leets nda het ecmassr of tatble. rehTe saw a nigntpai of a anm hwo’d klilde fihmesl, shi ehda nlyig in a olop of sih wno bldoo. hteDa slefhmi tsldkae naeothr mna woh ahd an iron eatks gikpon hurghot ihs dhea. rtehO sfrgiue eegrstpniner nfipdrsieeo ntmisoeo erew ryanbe oot. rsfMuotnei, rfo epmalxe, ast in eht mldied of eht lpemet gnioolk rrolnof, lhwie sInatniy aeluhdg yelrysalciht. sSdnsae nda graOetu ewer treeh oot, nda nesouCtq sat ighh up in a wreto lronvioeokg het reinet cnees beolw. ouY cloud ees a ddea ybod yngli in eth ebussh iwth tsi attroh uct, dna a sodnhtua eadd deosib lla lidpe up, aded mrof rwa etharr anht lod eag or eevn aeseisd. rheTe ewre anikdspepr dna ubirnng siecit dna ainlgsi ihssp, euhnsrt ergod to ahdte by tihre now pery, sipg gnoirgg vlemtseesh on ltielt sebaib inygl in irhet irscb. rMsa’s nsvrtaes wree rehte oto, cnniugidl hte itebadllfte onrusge, eht uerhbct, dna het ashliktcbm who kmsae nsoapwe for arw. uYo dlouc see het esesnc of the mesdurr of usJliu asaerC adn the Ronma srepoerm oeNr and aaCcralla, ohw’d all neeb rreedmdu. ntiohNg was tfle tuo. All the ohrsorr of awr were ereht to see in the ptinasgni desini the empetl of aMrs.

Original Text

Modern Text

Ther saugh I first the derke imagining Of felonye, and al the compassing; The cruel ire, reed as any glede; The pykepurs, and eek the pale drede; The smyler with the knyf under the cloke; The shepne brenning with the blake smoke; The treson of the mordring in the bedde; The open werre, with woundes al bi-bledde; Contek, with blody knyf and sharp manace; Al ful of chirking was that sory place. The sleere of him-self yet saugh I ther, His herte-blood hath bathed al his heer; The nayl y-driven in the shode a-night; The colde deeth, with mouth gaping up-right. Amiddes of the temple sat meschaunce, With disconfort and sory contenaunce. Yet saugh I woodnesse laughing in his rage; Armed compleint, out-hees, and fiers outrage. The careyne in the bush, with throte y-corve: A thousand slayn, and nat of qualm y-storve; The tiraunt, with the prey by force y-raft; The toun destroyed, ther was no-thing laft. Yet saugh I brent the shippes hoppesteres; The hunte strangled with the wilde beres: The sowe freten the child right in the cradel; The cook y-scalded, for al his longe ladel. Noght was foryeten by the infortune of Marte; The carter over-riden with his carte, Under the wheel ful lowe he lay adoun. Ther were also, of Martes divisioun, The barbour, and the bocher, and the smith That forgeth sharpe swerdes on his stith. And al above, depeynted in a tour, Saw I conquest sittinge in greet honour, With the sharpe swerde over his heed Hanginge by a sotil twynes threed. Depeynted was the slaughtre of Iulius, Of grete Nero, and of Antonius; Al be that thilke tyme they were unborn, Yet was hir deeth depeynted ther-biforn, By manasinge of Mars, right by figure; So was it shewed in that portreiture As is depeynted in the sterres above, Who shal be slayn or elles deed for love. Suffyceth oon ensample in stories olde, I may not rekne hem alle, thogh I wolde. As whti eth agisntipn onnrogih sVnue, yuo dcuol ese lla teh mseitoon ctoasadesi wthi raw ifsdipoeenr in het ainpginst in teh mpeelt of Mras. ehTre swa arcereyhT otgtnipl nad sgchemni, nregA wgnolig red, dna edDra as lewl. hTree asw eht simgnli haerarcct nlgdoih a ieknf nredehtuan ihs ceap, a rnba rugbnni ihwt lcabk emsko, umdrre, hlesdodob, pniagg nodswu, msyrei, olyodb nekvis, dna dipel edoibs. ouY cludo lomtas ehra eth scahl of leets nda het ecmassr of tatble. rehTe saw a nigntpai of a anm hwo’d klilde fihmesl, shi ehda nlyig in a olop of sih wno bldoo. hteDa slefhmi tsldkae naeothr mna woh ahd an iron eatks gikpon hurghot ihs dhea. rtehO sfrgiue eegrstpniner nfipdrsieeo ntmisoeo erew ryanbe oot. rsfMuotnei, rfo epmalxe, ast in eht mldied of eht lpemet gnioolk rrolnof, lhwie sInatniy aeluhdg yelrysalciht. sSdnsae nda graOetu ewer treeh oot, nda nesouCtq sat ighh up in a wreto lronvioeokg het reinet cnees beolw. ouY cloud ees a ddea ybod yngli in eth ebussh iwth tsi attroh uct, dna a sodnhtua eadd deosib lla lidpe up, aded mrof rwa etharr anht lod eag or eevn aeseisd. rheTe ewre anikdspepr dna ubirnng siecit dna ainlgsi ihssp, euhnsrt ergod to ahdte by tihre now pery, sipg gnoirgg vlemtseesh on ltielt sebaib inygl in irhet irscb. rMsa’s nsvrtaes wree rehte oto, cnniugidl hte itebadllfte onrusge, eht uerhbct, dna het ashliktcbm who kmsae nsoapwe for arw. uYo dlouc see het esesnc of the mesdurr of usJliu asaerC adn the Ronma srepoerm oeNr and aaCcralla, ohw’d all neeb rreedmdu. ntiohNg was tfle tuo. All the ohrsorr of awr were ereht to see in the ptinasgni desini the empetl of aMrs.
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