The Cambridge ms (University library, Gg. 4.27) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[Fyt I.]

^lT^l [[The illuminator has put T, instead of L as directed.]] Estyth lordyngis in good entent And I wele telle verrayment Of myrthe & solas Line 1904 And of a knyght was fayr & gent In batayle & in turnement His name was sere Thopas Line 1907

I-born he was in fer cuntre In flaunderis al be-ȝounde þ^e see At poperyng in the place Line 1910 His fadir was a man ful fre And lord he was of that cuntre As it was godis grace Line 1913

Syre Thopas wex a doghty sweyn Whit was hise face as payn demayn Hise lippis rede as rose Line 1916 His rode is lyk skarlet engrayn As I ȝow telle in good certayn He hade a semely nose Line 1919

His heer his berd was lik saferon [folio 323b] That to his gerdil raughte a-doun Hise schon of cordewayne Line 1922 Of brugis were hire hosyn broun His robe was of siklatoun That coste manye a Iayne Line 1925

[6-text p 192] Line 1925

He coude hunte at wilde deer And ryde on hauking for ryueer With grey goshauk & hunde Line 1928 Therto he was a good archier Of wrastelyng was theere non his pir Theere ony ram schal stonde Line 1931

fful manye a maydyn brygh in bour They mornede for hym paramour whan hem were bet to slepe Line 1934 But he was chast and no lechour And sweete as is the brymbil flour that beryth the rede hepe Line 1937

And so it fil vp-on a day ffor-sothe as I ȝow telle may Sire Thopas wolde out ryde Line 1940 He worthith vp-on hise stede bay And in his hand a launcegay A long swerd by his syde Line 1943

He prykyth thorw a fayr forest Therein is manye a wylde best ye bothe bukkys & hare Line 1946 And as he prykyth north & est I telle it ȝow hym hadde al-mest Bytid a sory care Line 1949

Theere spryngyn erbis grete & smale The lycorys & the Cetewale And manye a clowe Ielofere Line 1952 And notemuge to putte in ale Whethir it be moyst or stale Or for to leye in cofere Line 1955

[6-text p 193] Line 1955

The bryddys synge it is non nay The sperhauk & the popyniay That Ioye it was to heere Line 1958 The thrustilcok made ek his lay The wode douwe vp-on the spray sche song ful loude & cleere Line 1961

Sire Thopas fil in loue longynge Al whan he herde the thrustil synge And prikede as he were wod Line 1964 Hise fayre stede in hise prykynge So swatte that men myȝte hym wrynge Hise sydys were al blod Line 1967

Sere topas ek so wery was ffor prykynge on the softe gras So fiers was hise corage Line 1970 That doun he leyde hym in the plas To makyn his stede sum solas And ȝaf hym good forage Line 1973

O seynte marye benedicite What eylyth this loue at me To bynde me so soore Line 1976 Me dremede al this nyght parde [folio 324a] An Elf queene schal myn leman be And slepe vndyr myn goore Line 1979

An Elf queene wele I haue I-wis ffor in this world no woman is Worthi to ben myn make Line 1982 In tounne Alle othere women I forsake And to an elf queene I me be-take by dale & ek by doūne Line 1986

[6-text p 194] Line 1986

In-to his sadyl he clomb a-non And prykyth ouyr style & ton An elf queen for tespye Line 1989 Til he so longe hath rydyn & goon That he fond in a pryue woon The cūntre of fayrye Line 1992 So wilde for in that cuntree was there non . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Neythir wif ne childe Line 1996

Til that theere cam a greet geaunt His name was sire olyfaunt A parlious man of dede Line 1999 He seyde child by termagaunt But ȝif thow pryke out of myn haunt Anon I sle thyn steede Line 2002 With Mace Here is this queen of fayrye With harpe & pype & Symphonye Dwellynge in this place Line 2006

The child seyde also mote I the To morwe wele I meete the Whan I haue myn armoure Line 2009 And ȝit I hope parmafay That thow schat with thyn launcegay Abyen it ful soure Line 2012 Thy mawe Thyn hauberk schal I persen if I may Er it be fully pryme of the day ffor heere schalt thow [[altered]] been slawe Line 2016

[6-text p 195] Line 2016

Syre Thopas drow a-bok ful faste This Ieaunt at hym stonys caste Out of a fel staf slynge Line 2019 But fayre eschapith sire thopas And al was thour godys gras And thour his fayre berynge Line 2022

Yit lestyth lordyngis to myn tale Muryere than the nyghtyngale I wele ȝow roune Line 2025 How sire Thopas with sydis smale Prykynge ouyr hil & dale Is comyn a-geyn to toūne Line 2028

Hise merye men comaundede hee To make hym bothe gamyn & glee for nedys muste he fyghte Line 2031 With a geaunt with hedis thre ffor paramour & Iolyte Of oon that schon ful bryȝt Line 2034

Do come he seyde myne mynstralis And Gestourys for to tellyn talys A-non in myn armyng Line 2037 Of romauncis that been royalis [folio 324b] Of popis & of Cardenalys And ek of loue lykynge Line 2040

They fette hym fyrst swete wyn And mede ek in a Mahelyn And royal spicerye Line 2043 Of gynge breed that was ful fyn And lychorys & ek comyn With sugere that is trye Line 2046

[6-text p 196] Line 2046

He dede next his white lere Of cloth of lake fyn & cleere A brech & ek a scherte Line 2049 And next his schirte an aketoun And ouyr that an habyrioun [[altered]] for persynge of his herte Line 2052

And ouyr that a fyn hauberk Was al I-wrouȝt of Iewys werk ful stronge it was of plate Line 2055 And ouyr that his coote armour As whit as is a lylye flour In whiche he wolde debate Line 2058

Hese shild was al of gold so red [[These lines are written in an other hand over an erasure.]] And there in was a borys hed [[These lines are written in an other hand over an erasure.]] A Charbokele by his syde Line 2061 And there he swor on ale & breed How that the Ieaunt schulde be deed By-tyde what betyde Line 2064

Hise Iambieux were of quyrboyly His swerdys schede of yuory Hise helm of latoun bryȝt Line 2067 His sadil was of rewel boon His brydyl as the sunne It schon Or as the moone lyght Line 2070

Hise spere was of fyn cipres That biddyth werre and no thyng pees The hed ful scharpe Igrounde Line 2073 Hise steede was of dapil gray It goth an ambil in the way ful softeli & rounde Line 2076

[6-text p 197] Line 2076 In londe Lo lordyngis [[altered]] myne here is a fyt If ȝe wele ony moore of it To telle it wele I fonde Line 2080