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The destinee, ministre general, That executeth in the world over-al The purveyaunce, that God hath seyn biforn, So strong it is, that, though the world had sworn The contrarie of a thing, by ye or nay, Yet somtyme it shal fallen on a day That falleth nat eft with-inne a thousand yere. For certeinly, our appetytes here, Be it of werre, or pees, or hate, or love, Al is this reuled by the sighte above. This mene I now by mighty Theseus, That for to honten is so desirous, And namely at the grete hert in May, That in his bed ther daweth him no day, That he nis clad, and redy for to ryde With hunte and horn, and houndes him bisyde. For in his hunting hath he swich delyt, That it is al his Ioye and appetyt To been him-self the grete hertes bane; For after Mars he serveth now Diane. The destinee, ministre general, That executeth in the world over-al The purveyaunce, that God hath seyn biforn, So strong it is, that, though the world had sworn The contrarie of a thing, by ye or nay, Yet somtyme it shal fallen on a day That falleth nat eft with-inne a thousand yere. For certeinly, our appetytes here, Be it of werre, or pees, or hate, or love, Al is this reuled by the sighte above. This mene I now by mighty Theseus, That for to honten is so desirous, And namely at the grete hert in May, That in his bed ther daweth him no day, That he nis clad, and redy for to ryde With hunte and horn, and houndes him bisyde. For in his hunting hath he swich delyt, That it is al his Ioye and appetyt To been him-self the grete hertes bane; For after Mars he serveth now Diane.
Cleer was the day, as I have told er this, And Theseus, with alle Ioye and blis, With his Ipolita, the fayre quene, And Emelye, clothed al in grene, On hunting be they riden royally. And to the grove, that stood ful faste by, In which ther was an hert, as men him tolde, Duk Theseus the streighte wey hath holde. And to the launde he rydeth him ful right, For thider was the hert wont have his flight, And over a brook, and so forth on his weye. This duk wol han a cours at him, or tweye, With houndes, swiche as that him list comaunde. Cleer was the day, as I have told er this, And Theseus, with alle Ioye and blis, With his Ipolita, the fayre quene, And Emelye, clothed al in grene, On hunting be they riden royally. And to the grove, that stood ful faste by, In which ther was an hert, as men him tolde, Duk Theseus the streighte wey hath holde. And to the launde he rydeth him ful right, For thider was the hert wont have his flight, And over a brook, and so forth on his weye. This duk wol han a cours at him, or tweye, With houndes, swiche as that him list comaunde.

Original Text

Modern Text

The destinee, ministre general, That executeth in the world over-al The purveyaunce, that God hath seyn biforn, So strong it is, that, though the world had sworn The contrarie of a thing, by ye or nay, Yet somtyme it shal fallen on a day That falleth nat eft with-inne a thousand yere. For certeinly, our appetytes here, Be it of werre, or pees, or hate, or love, Al is this reuled by the sighte above. This mene I now by mighty Theseus, That for to honten is so desirous, And namely at the grete hert in May, That in his bed ther daweth him no day, That he nis clad, and redy for to ryde With hunte and horn, and houndes him bisyde. For in his hunting hath he swich delyt, That it is al his Ioye and appetyt To been him-self the grete hertes bane; For after Mars he serveth now Diane. The destinee, ministre general, That executeth in the world over-al The purveyaunce, that God hath seyn biforn, So strong it is, that, though the world had sworn The contrarie of a thing, by ye or nay, Yet somtyme it shal fallen on a day That falleth nat eft with-inne a thousand yere. For certeinly, our appetytes here, Be it of werre, or pees, or hate, or love, Al is this reuled by the sighte above. This mene I now by mighty Theseus, That for to honten is so desirous, And namely at the grete hert in May, That in his bed ther daweth him no day, That he nis clad, and redy for to ryde With hunte and horn, and houndes him bisyde. For in his hunting hath he swich delyt, That it is al his Ioye and appetyt To been him-self the grete hertes bane; For after Mars he serveth now Diane.
Cleer was the day, as I have told er this, And Theseus, with alle Ioye and blis, With his Ipolita, the fayre quene, And Emelye, clothed al in grene, On hunting be they riden royally. And to the grove, that stood ful faste by, In which ther was an hert, as men him tolde, Duk Theseus the streighte wey hath holde. And to the launde he rydeth him ful right, For thider was the hert wont have his flight, And over a brook, and so forth on his weye. This duk wol han a cours at him, or tweye, With houndes, swiche as that him list comaunde. Cleer was the day, as I have told er this, And Theseus, with alle Ioye and blis, With his Ipolita, the fayre quene, And Emelye, clothed al in grene, On hunting be they riden royally. And to the grove, that stood ful faste by, In which ther was an hert, as men him tolde, Duk Theseus the streighte wey hath holde. And to the launde he rydeth him ful right, For thider was the hert wont have his flight, And over a brook, and so forth on his weye. This duk wol han a cours at him, or tweye, With houndes, swiche as that him list comaunde.