The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[Zenobia.]

¶ Cenobya of Palymere þe queene [¶ De Cenobia Paly|merie regina] As writen Persiens of hire noblesse So worþy was in armes and so keene That no wight passed hire in hardynesse / Line 3440 Ne in lynage ne in oþer gentillesse / Of kinges blood of Perce sche descended I saye þat sche nad nouȝt most fairnesse But of hire schap sche might nought ben amended Line 3444

¶ ffro hire childhode I fynde þat sche fledde Office of wommen and to woode sche wente And many a wilde hertes blood sche schedde [folio 240a] With arwes brode þat sche to hem sente / Line 3448 Sche was so swyfte þat sche anon hem hente And whan þat sche was elder sche wold kille Leouns luperdes and beres alto-rent And in hire armes welde hem at hire wille Line 3452

¶ Sche dorste wilde bestes dennes seeke And rennen in þe mounteinz al þe night And slepe vnder a bussche and sche couþe eeke Wrastlen by verray force and verray might Line 3456 Wiþ any ȝong man were he neuer so wight Ther mighte no þing in hir armes stonde Sche kepte hir maydenhed fro euery wight To no man deyned hire to be bonde / Line 3460

[6-text p 265] Line 3460

¶ But atte laste hir freendes han hire maryed To Odenake a Prince of þat Cite Al were it so þat sche hem longe taryed And ȝe schuln vnderstonde how þat he Line 3464 Hadde suche fantasies as hadde sche But naþeles whan þey were knette in feere They lyueden in ioye and in felicite ffor sche of hem hadde oþer leef and deere / Line 3468

[Saue oo thyng/ that/ sche wolde neuyr/ assente. [Harl. MS 1753 folio 187a] ] By no wey þat he schulde by hire lye But ones for it/ was hire pleyne entent To haue a childe þe world to multiplye Line 3472 And al so sone as sche might aspye That sche nas nouȝt wiþ childe wiþ þat dede Thanne wolde sche suffre him don his fantasye Eftsone and nouȝt but ones out of drede / Line 3476

¶ And if sche were wiþ childe at þilke caste No more schulde he pleye þilke game Til fully fourty dayes were paste Thenne wolde sche ones do suffre him þe same Line 3480 Al were þis Odenak wilde or tame he gat nomore of hire for þus sche sayde It was to wyfes lecchery and schame / In oþer caas if þat men with hem playde [folio 240b]

¶ Tuo sones by þis Odonak had sche The whiche sche kepte in vertu and lettrure But now vnto oure tale turne we / I saye þat worschipful creature Line 3488 And wys þerwith and large wiþ mesure So penyble in þe werre and curteys eeke No more laboure mighte in werre endure Was non þey alle þis world men schulde seke Line 3492

[6-text p 266] Line 3492

¶ Hire riche aray mighte nought be told As wel in vessel as in hir cloþinge Sche was al cladde in perrye and in goolde And eek sche lefte nought for non huntynge Line 3496 To haue of sondry tonges folk knowynge Whan þat sche leyser hadde and for to entende To lerne bookes was al hire likynge How sche in vertu might hir lyf dispende Line 3500

[And schortly of/ this/ storie for to entrete. [Harl. MS 1758 folio 187b] ] ¶ So doughty was hire housebande as sche That þey conquered many regnes grete In þe orient wiþ many a fair Cite Line 3504 Apportienant vnto þe mageste Of Rome and with strong hand heeld hem faste Ne neuer might here fomen don hem fle Ay whiles þat Oedenak dayes laste Line 3508

¶ Here batayles who so luste hem for to ride· Agayn Sapor þe king and oþer mo· And how þat al þis proces felle in ·dede· Why sche conquered and what title had þerto Line 3512 And after of hire meschief and hire woo how þat sche was beseged and y-take let him vnto my mayster Petrarke go That writ of þis ynough I vndertake Line 3516

¶ Whan Odenake was deed sche mightily The regnes huld and wiþ hir propre hand Agayn hire foos sche faught trewely That þer nas king ne Prince in al þat land Line 3520 That he nas gladde if þat he grace fand [folio 241a] That sche ne wolde vpon his land werrey With hire þey made alleyance by band To ben in pees and lete hir ryde and pley Line 3524

[6-text p 267] Line 3524

¶ The Emperour of Rome Claudius Ne him byforn þe Romain Galien Ne dorste neuer be so coragius Ne non Ermyne ne non Egipcien Line 3528 Ne Surrien ne non arabien Wiþinne þe feeld þat dorste with hire fight Lest þat sche wolde hem wiþ hir handes sleen Or with hire meyne putten hem to flight Line 3532

[IN kynges/ abite wente hir/ sones/ two . [Harl. MS 1758 folio 187b] ] As Eyres of here regnes alle And hermanno and Thymalao Here names were as Perciens hem calle Line 3536 But ay fortune haþ ay in hir hony galle This mighty queene may no while en-dure ffortune out of hire regne made hire falle To wrecchednes and to mysauenture Line 3540

¶ Aurelion whan þat þe gouernance Of Rome cam in-to his handes tweye he schoop vpon þis queen to do vengance And wiþ his legiouns he took his weye Line 3544 Toward Cenobye and schortly for to seye He made hir flee and at þe last hir bent And fetered hire and eek hir children tweye And wan þe lond and home to Rome þey went Line 3548

¶ Among þese oþer þinges þat he wan hire char þat was wiþ gold wrought and perre This grete Romayn þis aurelian Haþ wiþ him ladde for þat men schulde se Line 3552 Byforn his tryumphe walkeþ sche Wiþ gilte cheynes on hire necke hangyng Corouned sche was as after hire degre And ful of perre charged hire cloþing Line 3556

[6-text p 268] Line 3556

¶ Allas fortune sche þat whilom was Dredful to kynges and to emperoures· [folio 241b] Now gaureþ al þe poeple on hire allas· And sche þat helmed was in starke stoures· Line 3560 And wan by force townes strong and toures· Schal on hire heede were a vytremyte And sche þat bar þe septre ful of floures Schal bere a distaff hir costes for to quyte Line 3564