No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: The Knight’s Tale The Knight’s Tale, Part Three Page 6

Continue reading with a SparkNotes PLUS trial

Already have an account? Log in

Original Text	Modern Text
Now been thise listes maad, and Theseus, That at his grete cost arrayed thus The temples and the theatre every del, Whan it was doon, him lyked wonder wel. But stinte I wol of Theseus a lyte, And speke of Palamon and of Arcite.	Now been thise listes maad, and Theseus, That at his grete cost arrayed thus The temples and the theatre every del, Whan it was doon, him lyked wonder wel. But stinte I wol of Theseus a lyte, And speke of Palamon and of Arcite.
The day approcheth of hir retourninge, That everich sholde an hundred knightes bringe, The bataille to darreyne, as I yow tolde; And til Athenes, hir covenant for to holde, Hath everich of hem broght an hundred knightes Wel armed for the werre at alle rightes. And sikerly, ther trowed many a man That never, sithen that the world bigan, As for to speke of knighthod of hir hond, As fer as God hath maked see or lond, Nas, of so fewe, so noble a companye. For every wight that lovede chivalrye, And wolde, his thankes, han a passant name, Hath preyed that he mighte ben of that game; And wel was him, that ther-to chosen was. For if ther fille to-morwe swich a cas, Ye knowen wel, that every lusty knight, That loveth paramours, and hath his might, Were it in Engelond, or elles-where, They wolde, hir thankes, wilnen to be there. To fighte for a lady, benedicite! It were a lusty sighte for to see.	The day approcheth of hir retourninge, That everich sholde an hundred knightes bringe, The bataille to darreyne, as I yow tolde; And til Athenes, hir covenant for to holde, Hath everich of hem broght an hundred knightes Wel armed for the werre at alle rightes. And sikerly, ther trowed many a man That never, sithen that the world bigan, As for to speke of knighthod of hir hond, As fer as God hath maked see or lond, Nas, of so fewe, so noble a companye. For every wight that lovede chivalrye, And wolde, his thankes, han a passant name, Hath preyed that he mighte ben of that game; And wel was him, that ther-to chosen was. For if ther fille to-morwe swich a cas, Ye knowen wel, that every lusty knight, That loveth paramours, and hath his might, Were it in Engelond, or elles-where, They wolde, hir thankes, wilnen to be there. To fighte for a lady, benedicite! It were a lusty sighte for to see.

Original Text	Modern Text
Now been thise listes maad, and Theseus, That at his grete cost arrayed thus The temples and the theatre every del, Whan it was doon, him lyked wonder wel. But stinte I wol of Theseus a lyte, And speke of Palamon and of Arcite.	Now been thise listes maad, and Theseus, That at his grete cost arrayed thus The temples and the theatre every del, Whan it was doon, him lyked wonder wel. But stinte I wol of Theseus a lyte, And speke of Palamon and of Arcite.
The day approcheth of hir retourninge, That everich sholde an hundred knightes bringe, The bataille to darreyne, as I yow tolde; And til Athenes, hir covenant for to holde, Hath everich of hem broght an hundred knightes Wel armed for the werre at alle rightes. And sikerly, ther trowed many a man That never, sithen that the world bigan, As for to speke of knighthod of hir hond, As fer as God hath maked see or lond, Nas, of so fewe, so noble a companye. For every wight that lovede chivalrye, And wolde, his thankes, han a passant name, Hath preyed that he mighte ben of that game; And wel was him, that ther-to chosen was. For if ther fille to-morwe swich a cas, Ye knowen wel, that every lusty knight, That loveth paramours, and hath his might, Were it in Engelond, or elles-where, They wolde, hir thankes, wilnen to be there. To fighte for a lady, benedicite! It were a lusty sighte for to see.	The day approcheth of hir retourninge, That everich sholde an hundred knightes bringe, The bataille to darreyne, as I yow tolde; And til Athenes, hir covenant for to holde, Hath everich of hem broght an hundred knightes Wel armed for the werre at alle rightes. And sikerly, ther trowed many a man That never, sithen that the world bigan, As for to speke of knighthod of hir hond, As fer as God hath maked see or lond, Nas, of so fewe, so noble a companye. For every wight that lovede chivalrye, And wolde, his thankes, han a passant name, Hath preyed that he mighte ben of that game; And wel was him, that ther-to chosen was. For if ther fille to-morwe swich a cas, Ye knowen wel, that every lusty knight, That loveth paramours, and hath his might, Were it in Engelond, or elles-where, They wolde, hir thankes, wilnen to be there. To fighte for a lady, benedicite! It were a lusty sighte for to see.