As evere mote I drynke wyn or ale,
Whoso be rebel to my juggement

Shal paye for all that by the wey is spent!
Now draweth cut, er that we ferrer twynne.2 835
He which that hath the shorteste shal bigynne.
Sire Knyght," quod he, “my mayster and my lord,
Now draweth cut, for that is myn accord.
Cometh neer,'
,"3 quod he, "my lady Prioresse,
And ye, sire Clerk, lat be your shamefastnesse,
Ne studieth noght; ley hond to, every man."
Anon to drawen every wight bigan,

And, shortly for to tellen as it was, Were it by aventure, or sort, or cas,3

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845

5

As of the secte1 of which that he was born
He kepte his lay, to which that he was sworn;
And ther-to he was hardy, wys, and riche,
Pitous and just, and evermore yliche; 3
Sooth of his word, benigne and honurable,
Of his corage as any centre stable; "
Yong, fresh, and strong, in armes desirous
As any bacheler of al his hous.
A fair persone he was and fortunat,
And kepte alwey so wel roial estat,
That ther was no-wher swich another man.
This noble king, this Tartre Cambyuskan
Hadde two sones on Elpheta his wyf,
Of whiche the eldeste highte' Algarsyf,
That other sone was cleped Cambalo.
A doughter hadde this worthy king also,
That yongest was, and highte Canacee.
But for to telle yow al hir beautee
It lyth nat in my tonge, nin' my conning;

20

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30

851

The sothe is this, the cut fil to the knyght,
Of which ful blithe and glad was every wyght:
And telle he moste his tale as was resoun
By forward and by composicioun,
As ye han herd; what nedeth wordes mo?
And whan this goode man saugh that it was so,
As he that wys was and obedient
To kepe his forward by his free assent,
He seyde, "Syn I shal bigynne the game,
What, welcome be the cut a Goddes name!
Now lat us ryde, and herkneth what I seye."
And with that word, we ryden forth oure weye;
And he bigan with right a myrie cheere
His tale anon, and seyde in this manere.

857

It moste ben a rethor 10 excellent,

35

I dar nat undertake so hy a thing.

Myn English eek is insufficient;

That coude his colours " longing for that art, If he sholde hir discryven every part.

40

In Aries, the colerik hote signe.

Ful lusty was the weder and benigne,

For which the foules, agayn the sonne shene, What for the seson and the yonge grene,

5

Ful loude songen hir affeccions;
Hem semed han geten hem proteccions
Agayn the swerd of winter kene and cold.
This Cambyuskan, of which I have yow told,
In roial vestiment sit 13 on his deys,14
With diademe, ful hy in his paleys,
And halt 15 his feste, so solempne and so riche
That in this world ne was ther noon it liche.16
Of which if I shal tellen al tharray,

55

14

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65

At every cours the ordre of her servyse.
I wol nat tellen of her strange sewes,'
Ne of her swannes, ne of her heronsewes."
Eek in that lond, as tellen knyghtes olde,
Ther is som mete that is ful deyntee holde,
That in this lond men recche of 3 it but smal;
Ther nis no man that may reporten al.
I wol nat tarien yow, for it is pryme,*
And for it is no fruyt but los of tyme;
Un-to my firste I wol have my recours.

8

And so bifel that, after the thridde cours,
Whyl that this king sit thus in his nobleye,'
Herkning his minstralles her thinges pleye
Biforn him at the bord deliciously,
In at the halle dore al sodeynly

Ther cam a knyght upon a stede of bras,
And in his hond a brood mirour of glas;
Upon his thombe he hadde of gold a ring,
And by his syde a naked swerd hanging;
And up he rydeth to the hye bord.'

In al the halle ne was ther spoke a word
For merveille of this knyght; him to biholde
Ful bisily ther wayten yonge and olde.
This strange knyght, that cam thus sodeynly,
Al armed save his heed ful richely,
Salueth king and queen, and lordes alle,
By ordre as they seten 10 in the halle,
With so hy reverence and obeisance
As wel in spechë as in contenance,11
That Gawayn with his olde curteisye,
Though he were come ageyn out of Fairye,
Ne coude him nat amende with a word.
And after this, biforn the hye bord,
He with a manly voys seith his message,
After the forme used in his langage,
With-outen vice 12 of sillable or of lettre.
And, for his tale sholde seme the bettre,
Accordant to his wordes was his chere,
As techeth art of speche hem that it lere.13
Al-be-it that I can nat soune
14 his style,

Ne can nat clymben over so hy a style,
Yet seye I this, as to commune entente,
Thus much amounteth al that ever he mente,
If it so be that I have it in mynde.

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This is to seyn, in foure and twenty houres,
Wher-so yow list, in droughte or elles shoures,
Beren your body in-to every place

To which your herte wilneth for to pace
With-outen wem 2 of yow, thurgh foul or fair;
Or, if yow list to fleen as hy in the air
As doth an egle, whan him list to sore,
This same stede shal bere yow ever-more
With-outen harm, til ye be ther yow leste,*
Though that ye slepen on his bak or reste;
And turne ageyn, with wrything of a pin.
He that it wroughte coude ful many a gin;7
He wayted many a constellacion

8

Er he had don this operacion;

120

And knew ful many a seel and many a bond."
"This mirour eek, that I have in myn hond,
Hath swich a myght, that men may in it see
Whan ther shal fallen any adversitee
Un-to your regne or to your-self also;

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And openly who is your frend or foo.
And over 10 al this, if any lady bryght
Hath set hir herte on any maner wyght,"
If he be fals, she shal his treson see,
His newe love, and al his subtiltee,
So openly that ther shal no thing hyde.
Wherfor, ageyn 12 this lusty someres tyde,
This mirour and this ring, that ye may see,
He hath sent to my lady Canacee,
Your excellente doughter that is here.
"The vertu of the ring, if ye wol here,
Is this; that, if hir lust 13 it for to were
Up-on hir thombe, or in hir purs it bere,
Ther is no foul that fleeth 14 under the hevene
That she ne shal wel understonde his stevene,15
And knowe his mening openly and pleyn,
And answere him in his langage ageyn.
And every gras 16 that groweth up-on rote
She shal eek knowe, and whom it wol do bote,17
Al 18 be his woundes never so depe and wyde.

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159

'This naked swerd, that hangeth by my syde, 156 Swich vertu hath, that what man so ye smyte, Thurgh-out his armure it wol kerve and byte, Were it as thikke as is a branched ook; And what man that is wounded with the strook Shal never be hool til that yow list,19 of grace, To stroke him with the platte in thilke 20 place Ther 21 he is hurt: this is as muche to seyn, Ye mote with the platte swerd ageyn Stroken him in the wounde, and it wol close; This is a verray sooth, 22 with-outen glose, 23 166 1 where-ever 2 spot, soilure 3 fly 4 where you 5 twisting 6 knew 7 device 8 observed

please

9 magical seals and bonds 10 besides 11 kind of per12 toward 13 she pleases

son

16 plant

same

14 flies

15 speech 17 help 18 although 19 you please 22 truth 23 deceit

21 where

20 the

It failleth nat whyl it is in your hold."

And whan this knyght had thus his tale told,
He rydeth out of halle, and doun he lyghte.
His stede, which that shoon as sonne bryghte,
Stant in the courte, stille as any stoon.
This knyght is to his chambre lad2 anon,
And is unarmed and to mete yset.3

The presentes ben ful roially yfet,'
This is to seyn, the swerd and the mirour,
And born anon in-to the hye tour
With certeine officers ordeyned therfore;
And un-to Canacee this ring was bore
Solempnely, ther" she sit at the table.
But sikerly, with-outen any fable,

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8

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The hors of bras, that may nat be remewed,
It stant as it were to the ground yglewed.
Ther may no man out of the place it dryve
For noon engyn of wyndas or polyve;
And cause why, for they can nat the craft.13
And therefor in the place they han it laft 14 186
Til that the knyght hath taught hem the manere
To voyden him,15 as ye shal after here.

17

18

12

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Greet was the pres,16 that swarmeth to and fro, To gauren on this hors that standeth so; For it so hy was, and so brood and long, So wel proporcioned for to ben strong, Ryght as it were a stede of Lumbardye; Ther-with so horsly, and so quik of yë As it a gentil Poileys courser were; For certes, fro his tayl un-to his ere, Nature ne art ne coude him nat amende In no degree, as al the peple wende.19 But evermore her moste 20 wonder was, How that it coude gon, and was of bras; It was of Fairye, as the peple semed.21 Diverse folk diversely they demed; As many heedes, as many wittes ther been. They murmurede as doth a swarm of been,22 And maden skiles 23 after her fantasyes, Rehersinge of thise olde poetryes, And seyden, it was lyk the Pegasee, The hors that hadde winges for to flee; Or elles it was the Grekes hors Synon,24 That broughte Troye to destruccion, As men may in thise olde gestes rede. "Myn herte," quod oon, “is evermore in drede; I trowe som men of armes ben ther-inne, That shapen hem this citee for to winne.

25

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And othere folk han wondred on the swerd That wolde percen thurgh-out every-thing; And fille in speche of Thelophus the king, And of Achilles with his queynte spere, For he coude with it bothe hele and dere,' Ryght in swich wyse as men may with the swerd Of which ryght now ye han your-selven herd. They speke of sondry harding of metal, And speke of medicynes ther-with-al, And how, and whan, it sholde yharded be; Which is unknowe, algates unto me.

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Tho speke they of Canaceës ring, And seyden alle, that swich a wonder thing Of craft of ringes herde they never non, Save that he Moyses and king Salomon Hadden a name of cunning in swich art. Thus seyn the peple, and drawen hem apart. But natheles somme seyden that it was Wonder to maken of fern-asshen 10 glas, And yet nis glas nat lyk asshen of fern; But for they han yknowen it so fern,11 Therfor cesseth her jangling and her wonder. As sore wondren somme on cause of thonder, On ebbe, on flood, on gossomer,12 and on mist, And on al thing, til that the cause is wist.13 Thus jangle they and demen and devyse, Til that the king gan fro the bord aryse.

Phebus hath laft the angle meridional,1 And yet ascending was the beste roial, The gentil Leon, with his Aldiran,15 Whan that this Tartre king, this Cambyuskan, Ros fro his bord, ther 10 that he sat ful hye.

1 whispered 2 discuss ignorant ignorance 5 prospective glasses fell 7 injure 8 at all events 9 then 11 long 12 fog 13 known 14 The thirty degrees just preceding the zenith. 15 a star 16 where

10 fern ashes

To-forn him goth the loude minstralcye,
Til he cam to his chambre of parementz,'
Ther-as they sownen 2 diverse instrumentz,
That it is lyk an heven for to here.
Now dauncen lusty Venus children dere,
For in the Fish her lady sat ful hye,3
And loketh on hem with a frendly yë.

This noble king is set up in his trone.
This strange knyght is fet to him ful sone,
And on the daunce he goth with Canacee.
Heer is the revel and the jolitee

That is nat able a dul man to devyse.5

6

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275

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285

He moste han knowen love and his servyse,
And ben a festlich man as fresh as May,
That sholde yow devysen swich array.
Who coude telle yow the forme of daunces,
So uncouthe and so fresshe contenaunces,
Swich subtil loking and dissimulinges
For drede of jalous mennes aperceyvinges?
No man but Launcelot, and he is deed.
Therefor I passe of al this lustiheed;
I seye namore, but in this jolynesse
I lete hem, til men to the soper dresse.
The styward bit the spyces for to hye,10
And eek the wyn, in al this melodye.
The usshers and the squyers ben ygon;
The spyces and the wyn is come anon.
They ete and drinke; and whan this hadde an
ende,

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Un-to the temple, as reson was, they wende.
The service don, they soupen al by day.
What nedeth yow rehercen her array?
Ech man wot wel that at a kinges feste
Hath plentee, to the moste and to the leste,
And deyntees mo than ben in my knowing.
At after-soper goth this noble king
To sen this hors of bras, with al the route 11
Of lordes and of ladyes him aboute.
Swich wondring was ther on this hors of bras
That, sin 12 the grete sege of Troye was,
Ther-as 13 men wondreden on an hors also,
Ne was ther swich a wondring as was tho.14
But fynally the king axeth this knyght
The vertu 15 of this courser and the myght,
And preyede him to telle his governaunce.
This hors anon bigan to trippe and daunce,
Whan that this knyght leyde hond up-on his
reyne,

17

14

And seyde, "Sir, ther is namore to seyne,18 But, whan yow list to ryden any-where, Ye moten trille a pin, stant 1 in his ere,

18

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310

315

4I

Which I shall telle yow bitwixe us two.
Ye mote nempne1 him to what place also
Or to what contree that yow list to ryde.
And whan ye come ther-as 3 yow list abyde, 320
Bidde him descende, and trille another pin,-
For ther-in lyth the effect of al the gin,*
And he wol doun descende and don your wille;
And in that place he wol abyde stille;
Though al the world the contrarie hadde yswore,
He shal nat thennes ben ydrawe ne ybore.
Or, if yow liste 2 bidde him thennes gon,
Trille this pin, and he wol vanishe anon
Out of the syghte of every maner wyght,"
And come agayn, be it by day or nyght,
When that yow list to clepen him ageyn
In swich a gyse 8
as I shal to yow seyn
Bitwixe yow and me, and that ful sone.

Ryd whan yow list, ther is namore to done."
Enformed whan the king was of 10 that knyght,
And hath conceyved in his wit aryght

The maner and the forme of al this thing,
Thus glad and blythe this noble doughty king
Repeireth to his revel as biforn.

The brydel is un-to the tour yborn,
And kept among his jewels leve" and dere.
The hors vanisshed, I noot 12 in what manere,
Out of her syghte; ye gete namore of me.
But thus I lete 13 in lust 14 and jolitee
This Cambyuskan his lordes festeyinge,
Til wel ny the day bigan to springe.

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351

Explicit prima pars. Sequitur pars secunda The norice 15 of digestioun, the Slepe, Gan on hem winke, and bad hem taken kepe That muchel drink and labour wolde han reste; And with a galping 17 mouth hem all he keste, And seyde, it was tyme to lye adoun, For blood was in his dominacioun; "Cherissheth blood, natures frend," quod he. They thanken him galpinge," by two, by thre, And every wyght gan drawe him to his reste, 355 As Slepe hem bad; 18 they toke it for the beste. Her dremes shul nat ben ytold for me; Ful were her heedes of fumositee, That causeth dreem of which ther nis no charge.19 They slepen til that it was pryme large,20 The moste part, but it were Canacee; She was ful mesurable, as wommen be. For of hir fader hadde she take leve To gon to reste, sone after it was eve;

360

1

9 bids

14 then

10 hasten 15 excellence

11

16

10 by 15 nurse

2 you please 3 where 4 device 7 call 6 kind of person 8 wise, 13 leave 11 precious 12 know not 16 heed 17 gaping

18 bade

19 which stands

19 importance, significance 20 fully nine o'clock

Hir liste nat appalled' for to be,
Nor on the morwe 2 unfestlich 3 for to se;
And slepte hir firste slepe, and thanne awook.
For swich a joye she in hir herte took
Bothe of hir queynte ring and hir mirour,
That twenty tyme she changed hir colour;
And in hir slepe, ryght for impression
Of hir mirour, she hadde a vision.

5

Wherfor, er that the sonne gan up glyde, She cleped on hir maistresse hir bisyde, And seyde that hir liste for to ryse. Thise olde wommen that been gladly wyse, As is hir maistresse, answerde hir anon, And seyde, “Madame, whider wole" ye gon' Thus erly, for the folk ben alle on reste?" "I wol," quod she, "aryse, for me leste No lenger for to slepe; and walke aboute."

8

12

13

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390

Hir maistresse clepeth wommen a gret route, And up they rysen, wel a ten or twelve; Up ryseth fresshe Canacce hir-selve, As rody 10 and bryght as doth the yonge sonne, That in the Ram " is four degrees up-ronne; 386 Noon hyer was he, whan she redy was; And forth she walketh esily a pas, Arrayed after the lusty seson sote Lyghtly, for to pleye and walke on fote; Nat but with fyve or six of hir meynee; And in a trench," forth in the park, goth she. The vapour, which that fro the erthe glood,15 Made the sonne to seme rody 10 and brood; But natheles, it was so fair a syghte That it made alle her hertes for to lyghte, What for the seson and the morweninge, And for the foules that she herde singe; For ryght anon she wiste what they mente Ryght by her song, and knew al her entente.16

18

The knotte why that every tale is told, If it be taried til that lust 17 be cold Of hem that han it after herkned yore,is The savour passeth ever lenger the more, For fulsomnesse of his prolixitee. And by the same reson, thinketh me,19 I sholde to the knotte condescende, And maken of hir walking sone an ende. Amidde a tree fordrye, 20 as whyt as chalk, As Canacee was pleying in hir walk, Ther sat a faucon over hir heed ful hye, That with a pitous voys so gan to crye That all the wode resouned of hir cry. Ybeten hath she hir-self so pitously With bothe hir winges til the rede blood

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401

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Ran endelong1 the tree ther-as she stood.
And ever-in-oon 3 she cryde alwey and shryghte,*
And with hir beek hir-selven so she pryghte,
That ther nis tygre, ne non so cruel beste,
That dwelleth either in wode or in foreste,
That nolde han wept, if that he wepe coude,
For sorwe of hir, she shryghte1 alwey so loude.
For ther nas never yet no man on lyve
If that I coude a faucon wel discryve -
That herde of swich another of fairnesse
As wel of plumage as of gentillesse

This faire kinges doughter, Canacee, That on hir finger bar the queynte ring, Thurgh which she understood wel every thing That any foul may in his ledene seyn, And coude answere him in his ledene 10 ageyn, Hath understonde what this faucon seyde, And wel ny for the rewthe " almost she deyde. And to the tree she goth ful hastily, And on this faucon loketh pitously, And held hir lappe abrood, for wel she wiste 12 The faucon moste fallen fro the twiste, 13 When that it swowned next, for lakke of blood. A longe while to wayten" hir she stood, Til atte laste she spak in this manere Un-to the hauk,15 as ye shul 16 after here. "What is the cause, if it be for to telle, That ye be in this furial pyne 17 of helle?" Quod Canacee un-to this hauk above. "Is this for sorwe of deth or los of love? For, as I trowe, thise ben causes two That causen most a gentil herte wo. Of other harm it nedeth nat to speke, For ye your-self upon your-self yow wreke; Which proveth wel that either love or drede Mot ben encheson 18 of your cruel dede, Sin 19 that I see non other wyght yow chace. For love of God, as doth your-selven grace! Or what may ben your help? for West nor Est Ne sey 20 I never er now no brid ne best That ferde " with him-self so pitously. Ye sle 22 me with your sorwe, verraily; I have of yow so gret compassioun.

1 along 2 where 3 continually shrieked tore 6 would not 7 alive 8 reckoned foreign 10 language 12 knew 13 bough 14 watch 15 hawk, falcon 18 occasion 19 since

11 pity 16 shall

20

saw

17 grievous torture

21 acted

22 slay