The Ellesmere ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[Zenobia.]

CEnobia / of Palymerie Queene [¶ Cenobia] As writen Persiens / of hir noblesse So worthy was in Armes / and so keene That no wight passed hire in hardynesse Line 3440 Ne in lynage / nor in oother gentillesse Of kynges blood of Perce / is she descended I seye nat that she hadde moost fairnesse But of hire shape / she myghte nat been amended Line 3444

ffrom hire childhede / I fynde that she fledde Office of wommen / and to wode she went And many a wilde hertes blood she shedde With arwes brode / that she to hem sente Line 3448 She was so swift / þat she anon hem hente And whan þat she was elder / she wolde kille Leons / leopardes / and Beres al to-rente And in hir Armes / weelde hem at hir wille Line 3452

She dorste / wilde beestes dennes seke And rennen in the montaignes al the nyght And slepen vnder the bussh / and she koude eke Wrastlen / by verray force / and verray myght/ Line 3456 With any yong man / were he neuer so wight Ther myghte no thyng in hir Armes stonde She kepte hir maydenhod / from euery wight To no man / deigned hire for to be bonde Line 3460

[6-text p 265] Line 3460

But atte laste / hir freendes han hire maried To Onedake / a Prynce of that contree Al were it so / that she hem longe taried And ye shul vnderstonde / how that he? Line 3464 Hadde swiche fantasies / as hadde she [simul] But nathelees / whan they were knyt infeere They lyued / in ioye / and in felicitee ffor ech of hem / hadde oother lief and deere Line 3468

Saue o thyng that she wolde neuere assente [folio 176b] By no wey / that he sholde by hire lye But ones / for it was hir pleyn entente To haue a child / the world to multiplye Line 3472 And also soone / as þat she myghte espye That she was nat with childe / with that dede Thanne wolde she suffre hym / doon his fantasye Eft soone / and nat but oones out of drede Line 3476

And if she were with childe / at thilke cast Na moore / sholde he pleyen thilke game Til fully / fourty dayes / weren past Thanne wolde she ones / suffre hym do the same Line 3480 Al were this Onedake / wilde or tame He gat na moore of hire / for thus she seyde It was to wyues / lecherie and shame In oother caas / if þat men with hem pleyde Line 3484

Two sones / by Onedake hadde she The whiche she kepte / in vertu and lettrure But now / vn-to oure tale / turne we I seye / so worshipful a creature Line 3488 And wys ther-with / and large with mesure So penyble in the werre / and curteis eke Ne moore labour / myghte in werre endure Was noon / though al this world men wolde seke Line 3492

[6-text p 266] Line 3492

Hir riche array / ne myghte nat be told As wel in vessel / as in hire clothyng She was al clad / in perree and in gold And eek / she lafte noght / for noon huntyng Line 3496 To haue of sondry tonges / ful knowyng Whan þat she leyser hadde / and for to entende To lerne bookes / was al hire likyng How she in vertu / myghte hir lyf dispende Line 3500

And shortly / of this proces for to trete So doghty was hir housbonde and eek she That they conquered / manye regnes grete In the Orient with many a faire Citee Line 3504 Apertenaunt vn-to the magestee Of Rome / and with strong hond held hem ful faste Ne neuere myghte / hir foo men doon hem flee Ay / whil that Onedakes dayes laste Line 3508

Hir batailles / who so list hem for to rede Agayn Sapor the kyng and othere mo And how al this proces / fil in dede Why she conquered / and what title therto [folio 177a] Line 3512 And after/ of hir meschief and hire wo How þat she was / biseged and ytake Lat hym / vn-to my maister Petrak go That writ ynough of this .I vndertake Line 3516

Whan Onedake was deed / she myghtily The regnes heeld / and with hire propre hond Agayn hir foos / she faught so cruelly That ther nas kyng ne prynce in al that lond Line 3520 That he nas glad / if he that grace fond That she ne wolde / vp-on his lond werreye With hire / they made alliance by bond To been in pees / and lete hire ride and pleye Line 3524

[6-text p 267] Line 3524

The Emperour of Rome Claudius Ne hym bifore / the Romayn Galien Ne dorste neuere / been so corageus Ne noon Ermyn / ne noon Egipcien Line 3528 Ne Surrien / ne noon Arabyen With-Inne the feeldes / that dorste with hire fighte Lest that she wolde / hem with hir handes slen Or with hir meignee / putten hem to flighte Line 3532

In kynges habit / wente hir sones two As heires / of hir fadres regnes alle And hermanno / and Thymalao Hir names were / as Persiens hem calle Line 3536 But ay ffortune / hath in hire hony galle This myghty queene / may no while endure ffortune / out of hir regne made hire falle To wrecchednesse / and to mysauenture Line 3540

Aurelian / whan that the gouernaunce Of Rome / cam in-to hise handes tweye He shoope / vp-on this queene to doon vengeaunce And with hise legions / he took his weye Line 3544 Toward Cenobie / and shortly for to seye He made hire flee / and atte last hire hente And fettred hire / and eek hire children tweye And wan the land / and hoom to Rome he wente Line 3548

Amonges othere thynges / that he wan Hir Chaar/ þat was with gold wroght and perree This grete Romayn / this Aurelian Hath with hym lad / for that men sholde it see Line 3552 Biforn his triumphe / walketh shee With gilte cheynes / on hire nekke hangynge Coroned was she / after hir degree [folio 177b] And ful of perree / charged hire clothynge Line 3556

[6-text p 268] , [6-text p 271] Line 3556

Allas ffortune / she that whilom was Dredeful / to kynges and to Emperoures Now gaureth al the peple / on hire allas And she / that helmed was in starke shoures Line 3560 And wan by force / townes stronge and toures Shal on hir heed / now were a vitremyte And she that bar/ the ceptre ful of floures Shal bere a distaf / hire costes for to quyte [[The modern instances which should come here, are at the end of the Tale in this MS.]] Line 3564