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With Arcita, in stories as men finde, The grete Emetreus, the king of Inde, Upon a stede bay, trapped in steel, Covered in cloth of gold diapred weel, Cam ryding lyk the god of armes, Mars. His cote-armure was of cloth of Tars, Couched with perles whyte and rounde and grete. His sadel was of brend gold newe y-bete; A mantelet upon his shuldre hanginge Bret-ful of rubies rede, as fyr sparklinge. His crispe heer lyk ringes was y-ronne, And that was yelow, and glitered as the sonne. His nose was heigh, his eyen bright citryn, His lippes rounde, his colour was sangwyn, A fewe fraknes in his face y-spreynd, Betwixen yelow and somdel blak y-meynd, And as a leoun he his loking caste. Of fyve and twenty yeer his age I caste. His berd was wel bigonne for to springe; His voys was as a trompe thunderinge. Upon his heed he wered of laurer grene A gerland fresh and lusty for to sene. Upon his hand he bar, for his deduyt, An egle tame, as eny lilie whyt. An hundred lordes hadde he with him there, Al armed, sauf hir heddes, in al hir gere, Ful richely in alle maner thinges. For trusteth wel, that dukes, erles, kinges, Were gadered in this noble companye, For love and for encrees of chivalrye. Aboute this king ther ran on every part Ful many a tame leoun and lepart. And in this wyse thise lordes, alle and some, Ben on the Sonday to the citee come Aboute pryme, and in the toun alight. lenwMheia, rEmteuse, teh gikn of iIdan, ahd ecmo tiwh Artice. He adh a grlae osen, tghibr yees, a sroy nolimoepxc, dan a oicve ahtt uderthned iekl a ertuptm. isH yurlc denolb hria etdtlregi kile teh sun. He adh a ewf rceesklf too, nda eth nnbomtaioci of teh fkcrlees nda dlnoeg coslk aemd imh olok ilek a loni. He had hte sgnniibegn of a doog bdear, cwihh makse me tkinh he saw onurda ttenwy-vefi rayes dlo. He orew a crwon of enger lerula adn raecdir a awhk ttha asw as wtieh as owsn. He rode a ilgth-rloecdo srhoe dkdece out wtih a tlese rlbeid nda cvreeod in enlgod, weovn lhtco. sHi atoc of msra asw deteaordc hwit eth smot tferpce elrga salepr, dan ihs dlsade nohes leki odgl. Hsi pcae aws ndeil twih riuebs hatt sdepaklr kile fier. He too hugrbto a rnedduh of sih imesnkn wiht hmi, lal igwaren morar. noEvryee made suer to kool sih setb ebseuac ythe enkw atht mnay of the smot owefprul lppeeo in the lrwdo reew tegndiatn isht ntnmuotear. Mayn nsgki evne tbhguor tehri tema nosil nda olpedasr. dAn it wsa in hsit way ttha eeths nigsk and ksued and icsnepr and hskignt daegreth otgerhte toedsiu of hseAnt druano nine on a danySu gnmoirn.

Original Text

Modern Text

With Arcita, in stories as men finde, The grete Emetreus, the king of Inde, Upon a stede bay, trapped in steel, Covered in cloth of gold diapred weel, Cam ryding lyk the god of armes, Mars. His cote-armure was of cloth of Tars, Couched with perles whyte and rounde and grete. His sadel was of brend gold newe y-bete; A mantelet upon his shuldre hanginge Bret-ful of rubies rede, as fyr sparklinge. His crispe heer lyk ringes was y-ronne, And that was yelow, and glitered as the sonne. His nose was heigh, his eyen bright citryn, His lippes rounde, his colour was sangwyn, A fewe fraknes in his face y-spreynd, Betwixen yelow and somdel blak y-meynd, And as a leoun he his loking caste. Of fyve and twenty yeer his age I caste. His berd was wel bigonne for to springe; His voys was as a trompe thunderinge. Upon his heed he wered of laurer grene A gerland fresh and lusty for to sene. Upon his hand he bar, for his deduyt, An egle tame, as eny lilie whyt. An hundred lordes hadde he with him there, Al armed, sauf hir heddes, in al hir gere, Ful richely in alle maner thinges. For trusteth wel, that dukes, erles, kinges, Were gadered in this noble companye, For love and for encrees of chivalrye. Aboute this king ther ran on every part Ful many a tame leoun and lepart. And in this wyse thise lordes, alle and some, Ben on the Sonday to the citee come Aboute pryme, and in the toun alight. lenwMheia, rEmteuse, teh gikn of iIdan, ahd ecmo tiwh Artice. He adh a grlae osen, tghibr yees, a sroy nolimoepxc, dan a oicve ahtt uderthned iekl a ertuptm. isH yurlc denolb hria etdtlregi kile teh sun. He adh a ewf rceesklf too, nda eth nnbomtaioci of teh fkcrlees nda dlnoeg coslk aemd imh olok ilek a loni. He had hte sgnniibegn of a doog bdear, cwihh makse me tkinh he saw onurda ttenwy-vefi rayes dlo. He orew a crwon of enger lerula adn raecdir a awhk ttha asw as wtieh as owsn. He rode a ilgth-rloecdo srhoe dkdece out wtih a tlese rlbeid nda cvreeod in enlgod, weovn lhtco. sHi atoc of msra asw deteaordc hwit eth smot tferpce elrga salepr, dan ihs dlsade nohes leki odgl. Hsi pcae aws ndeil twih riuebs hatt sdepaklr kile fier. He too hugrbto a rnedduh of sih imesnkn wiht hmi, lal igwaren morar. noEvryee made suer to kool sih setb ebseuac ythe enkw atht mnay of the smot owefprul lppeeo in the lrwdo reew tegndiatn isht ntnmuotear. Mayn nsgki evne tbhguor tehri tema nosil nda olpedasr. dAn it wsa in hsit way ttha eeths nigsk and ksued and icsnepr and hskignt daegreth otgerhte toedsiu of hseAnt druano nine on a danySu gnmoirn.
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