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

AT Sarray in þe land of Tartarye [folio 90b] Ther dwelt a king þat werreyed Russye Thurgh which þer deyed many a doughty man This noble king was cleped kambynskan Line 12 Which in his tyme was of so gret renon That þer nas nowher in no region So excellent a lord in alle þing him lacked nought þat longed to a kyng Line 16 As of þe secte of which þat he was born he kepte his lay to which þat he was sworn And þerto he was hardy wys and riche And pitous and Iust alwey y-liche Line 20 Soþ of his word benigne and honorable Of his corage as eny centre stable [centrum circuli] yong freissh and strong in armes desirous As eny bacheler of alle his hous Line 24 A fair persone he was and fortunat And kepte alway so wel real astat That þer nas no wher swich anoþer man This noble king this Tartre Kambynskan Line 28 hadde tuo sones in Eltheta his wyf Of which þe eldest highte Algarsyf That oþer was y-cleped Camballo A doughter hadde þis worþy king also Line 32 That yongest was and highte Canace But for to telle you al hire beaute It lyþ nought in my tonge ne in my konnyng I dar not vndertake so heigh a þing Line 36

[6-text p 480] Line 36 Myn englissch eek is insufficient It moste ben a Rethor excellent That couþe his colours longyng for þat art If he schulde hir discryue in any part Line 40 I am non swich I moot speke as I can And so bifelle that whan þis Cambynskan haþ twenty wynter born his Diademe As he was wonte fro yeer to yeer I deeme Line 44 he leet þe feste of his natiuite [folio 91a] Don cryen þurgh Sarray his Cite The laste Idus of March after þe ȝeer Phebus þe sonne Iolif was and cleer Line 48 ffor he was neigh his exaltacion In martes face and his mansion In aries þe Colerik þe hote signe fful lusty was þe weder and benigne Line 52 ffor which þe foules aȝein þe sonne sshene What for þe seson and þe yonge grene fful loude songe hire affections hem semed han geten hem protections Line 56 Aȝėin þe swerd of wynter keene and cold This Kambynskan of which I haue ȝou told In Real vestiment sit on his deys With dyademe ful heigh in his paleys Line 60 And halt his feste solempne and so riche That in þis world ne was þer non it liche Of which if I schal telle al þe array Than wold it occupye a someres day Line 64 And eek it needeþ nat to deuyse At euery cours þe ordre of here seruise I wol not tellen of here straunge sewes Ne of here swannes ne of here heron-sewes Line 68 Ek in þat lond as tellen knightes olde Ther is som mete þat is ful deynte holde That in þis lond men recche but smal Ther nys no man þat may reporten al Line 72

[6-text p 481] Line 72 I wol not tarien yow for it is prime And for it is no fruyt but los of tyme vnto my first purpos I wole haue my recours / And so bifelle þat after þe þridde cours Line 76 Whil þat þis king sit þus in his nobleye herknyng his menstreles here þinges pleye Biforn him atte bord deliciously In atte halle dore al sodeinly Line 80 Ther com a knight vpon a steede of bras [folio 91b] And in his hond a brood Mirour of glas vpon his thombe he hadde of gold a ryng And by his syde a naked swerd hangyng Line 84 And vp he rydeþ to þe heihe bord In alle þe halle ne was þer spoke a word ffor merueille of þis knight him to biholde fful bysyly þey wayten ȝonge and olde / Line 88 This strange knight þat com þus sodeynly Al armed saue his heed ful richely Salued þe king and queen and lordes alle By ordre as þey seten in þe halle Line 92 with so heigh reuerence and obeissances As wel in speche as in contenances That Gawayn with his olde curtesye / Though he com agayn out of fayrie / Line 96 Ne couþe him nought amende wiþ no word And after þis bifore þe heihe bord he with a manly vois sayde his message After þe forme vsed in his langage Line 100 wiþoute vice of Sillable or of lettre And for his tale scholde seme þe bettre Acordant to his wordes was his chere / As techeþ art of speche hem þat it lere / Line 104 Al be it þat I can nat sowne his stile Ne can not clymben ouer so heigh a style yet/ seye I þis þat as to commune entente Thus moche amounteþ al þat euer he mente Line 108

[6-text p 482] Line 108 If it so be þat I haue it in my mynde he seyde þe king of Arabie and of Inde My liege lord on þis solempne day Salueþ ȝou as he best can and may Line 112 And sendeþ yow in honour of your feste By me þat am redy at al your heste / This steede of Bras þat esily and wel kan in þe space of a day naturel Line 116 This is to seie in .xxiiij^ti. houres [folio 92a] Wher so yow list in droughte or in schoures Beren youre body in to euery place / To which youre herte wilneth for to pace Line 120 wiþoute wem of ȝou þorugh foul or fair Or if ȝou list to flee as hye in þair As doþ an Egle whan him list to sore This same steede schal bere ȝou eueremore Line 124 wiþouten harm til ye be þer you leste Though þat ȝe slepen on his bak or reste And torne aȝayn wiþ wryþing of a pyn he þat it wroughte couþe ful many a gyn Line 128 he waitede many a constellacōn Or he hadde do þis operaciōn And knew ful many a seal and many a bond This Mirour eek þat I haue in myn hond Line 132 haþ such a might that men may in it see whan þer schal fallen any aduersite Vnto youre regne or to your self also And openly who is ȝour frend or foo Line 136 And ouer al þis if ony lady bright haþ set hire herte on any maner wight If he be fals sche schal his trayson se his newe loue and al his subtilite Line 140 So openly þat þer schal no þing hyde wherfore ageyn þis lusty somer tyde This mirour and þis ryng as ye may see / he haþ sent to my lady Canacee Line 144

[6-text p 483] Line 144 youre excellent doughter þat is heere The vertu of þis ring if ȝe wol heere Is þis. þat if hir list it for to were / vpon hir þombe or in hir purs it bere Line 148 Ther is no foule þat fleigh vnder þe heuene þat she ne schal vnderstonde his steuene And knowe his menyng openly and pleyn And answere him in his langage ageyn Line 152 And euery gras þat groweþ vpon a roote / [folio 92b] Sche schal wel knowe and whom it wol do boote Al be his woundes neuer so deepe and wyde This naked swerd þat hongeth by my syde Line 156 Swich vertu haþ þat what man so ye smyte Thurghout his armour it wole kerue and byte Were it as þikke as is a braunched oke And what man þat is wounded wiþ þe stroke Line 160 Schal neuer be hol til þat yow list of grace To stroke him wiþ þe plat in þilke place Ther he is hurt þis is as moche to sayn ye moote with þe platte swerd agayn Line 164 Stroke him on þe wounde and it wil close This is a verray soth wiþouten glose It failleþ nought whiles it is in youre hold And whan þis knight haþ þus his tale told Line 168 he rydeth out of þe halle and doun he light his steede which þat schon as sonne bright Stant in þe court stille as ony stoon This knight in to his chambre is lad anoon Line 172 And is vnarmed and to þe mete y-set The presentes ben ful richely y-fet This is to sein þe swerd and þe mirour And born anon vnto þe hihe tour Line 176 Wiþ certein officers ordeyned þerfore And vnto Canacee þe ryng is bore Solempnely þer sche sitt atte table But sikerly wiþouten eny fable / Line 180

[6-text p 484] Line 180 The hors of bras þat may nat be remewed It stant as it were to þe ground y-glewed Ther may noman out of þe place it dryue ffor non engyn of wyndas or polyue / Line 184 And cause why for þey can nouȝt þe craft And þerfore in the place þei han it laft Til þat þe knight haþ taught hem þe maneere To voyden him as ȝe schal after heere Line 188 Gret was þe prees þat swarmed to and fro [folio 93a] To gauren on þis hors þat stondeþ so ffor it so heih was and so brood and long So wel proporciouned for to be strong Line 192 Right as it were a steede of lumbardye Ther with so horsly and so quyk of ye As it a gentil poyleys courser were ffor certes fro his tail vnto his eere Line 196 Nature ne art ne couþe him nought amende In no degre as al þe poeple wende But euermore here mooste wonder it was how þat it cowde gon and was of Bras Line 200 It was of ffaierye as þe peple semede diuerse folk diuersely han demede As many heedes as many wittes þer been They murmerede as don a swarm of been Line 204 And maden skyles after here fantasyes Rehersyng of þe olde poetries [.i. equs pedasdus] And seyden it was lik þe Pagasee The hors þat hadde wynges for to flee Line 208 Or elles it was þe Grekes hors Synon That broughte troye to destruction As men in þise olde gestes reede Myn herte quod oon is eueremore in drede Line 212 I trowe som men of armes ben þer Inne That schapen hem þis cite for to wynne It were right good þat alle swich þing were knowe Anoþer rowned to his felawe lowe Line 216

[6-text p 485] Line 216 And seyde he lyeth for it is raþere lik An apparence y-maad by som magyk As Iogelours pleyen at þese festes grete / Of sondry þoughtes þus þey Iangle and trete Line 220 As lewed peple demeþ communly Of þinges þat been more maad subtily Than þey can in here lewednesse comprehende / They demen gladly to þe baddere ende Line 224 And some of hem wondren on þe mirour [folio 93b] That born was vp vnto þe maistre tour how men might in it suche þinges se Anoþer answerde and seyde it might wel be Line 228 Naturelly by composicions Of aungels and of sleygh reflexions And seyde þat in Rome was such oon They speke of alocen and vitilion Line 232 And of aristotle þat writen in here lyues Of queinte mirours and of perspectyues As knowen þey þat han here bookes herde And oþer folk han wondred on þe swerde Line 236 That wolde perce þurgh euery þing And fille in speche of Thelophus þe king And of achilles for his queinte spere / ffor he couþe with it boþe hele and dere / Line 240 Right in swich wise as men may wiþ þe swerd Of which right now ye haue youre seluen herd They speken of sondry hardyng of metalle And speke of medicynes þer wiþalle Line 244 And how and whanne it scholde harded be Which is vnknowe algate vnto me / Tho speeke þey of Canaces ryng And seyden alle þat swich a wonder þing Line 248 Of craft of rynges herde þey neuere non Saue þat he moyses and king Salomon hadde a name of konnyng in swich art Thus seyen þe peple and drawen hem a part Line 252

[6-text p 486] Line 252 But naþeles somme seyde þat it was Wonder to maken of fern aisshen glas And ȝit is glas not lik aisshen of fern But for þey han knowen it so fern Line 256 Therfore ceseþ here Ianglyng and here wonder As sore wondren some on cause of þonder On ebbe and flood on gossomer and on myst / And alle þing til þe cause is wist [folio 94a] Line 260 Thus Ianglen þei and demen and deuyse Til þat þe king gan fro his bord arise ¶ Phebus haþ laft þe angle meridional And ȝit ascendyng was þe best roial Line 264 The gentil leon wiþ his Aldrian Whan þat þis Tartre kyng Kambynskan Ros from his bord ther as he sat ful hye Biforn him goþ þe lowde menstralcie / Line 268 Til he com to his chambre of paramentz Ther as þey sownen diuerse instrumentz That is lik an heuene for to heere / Now dauncen lusty venus children deere Line 272 ffor in þe fisshe hir lady sat ful hye [Piscis] And lokeþ on hem with a freendy yhe This noble king is set vp on his troone This straunge knight is fet to him ful sone / Line 276 And on þe daunce he goþ with Canacee here is þe reuel and þe Iolite That is nat able a dul man to deuyse / he moste han knowe loue and his seruise / Line 280 And ben a festlich man as freisch as may That scholde ȝow deuisen such array who couþe telle yow þe forme of daunces So vncouthe and such freissche continaunces Line 284 Swich subtile lokynges and dissimulynges ffor drede of Ialouseye mennes aperceyuynges Noman but lancelet and he is deed Therfore I passe ouer al þis lustyhed Line 288

[6-text p 487] Line 288 I say nomore but in þis Iolynesse I lete hem til men to soper hem dresse The stiward bit spices for to hye And eek þe wyn in al þis melodye Line 292 The vssheres and þe squyers ben y-gon The spices and þe wyn is come anon They eete and dronke and whan þis hadde an ende vnto þe temple as resoun was þey wende [folio 94b] ¶ The seruise doon. þey soupen al by day What needeþ you rehersen here aray Ech man woot wel þat at/ a kinges feste haþ plente to þe meste and to þe leste Line 300 And deyntees mo þan ben in my knowyng And after souper goþ þis noble king To seen þis hors of bras wiþ al a route Of lordes and of ladyes him aboute Line 304 Swich wondryng was þer on þis hors of bras That siþþen þe grete seege of Troye was Ther as men wondren on an hors also Ne was þer swich a wondryng as was þo / Line 308 But finally þe king askeþ þe knight The vertue of þis courser and þe might And preyde him to telle his gouernance The hors anon bigan to trippe and daunce Line 312 Whan þat þis knight layde hond vpon his reyne / And seyde sire þer is namore to seyne But whan þou list to ryden eny where ye moote trille a pyn stant in his eere Line 316 which I schal telle you bitwen vs tuo / ye moot nempne him to what place also Or to what Contre þat yow list to ryde And whan ye come þer as yow list tabyde Line 320 Bid him descende and trille anoþer pyn ffor þer-in liþ þeffect of al þat gyn And wole doun descende and don your wille And in þat place he wol abyde stille Line 324

[6-text p 488] Line 324 þeigh alle þe world hadde þe contrarie swore he schal not þennes be þrowe ne y-bore Of if yow liste bidde him þennes gon Trille þis pynne and he wil vanyssche anon Line 328 Out of þe sight of euery maner wight And come ayein be it day or night whan þat yow list to clepen him agayn In swich a gyse as I schal to yow sayn [folio 95a] Line 332 Bitwixen yow and me and þat ful soone Ryd whan yow list þer is no more to doone Enformed whan þe kyng was of þe knight And haþ conceyued in his witt aright Line 336 The maner and þe forme of alle þis þing fful glad and bliþe þe noble doughty kyng Repeyryng to his reuel as biforn The brydel is in to þe tour y-born Line 340 And kept among his Ieweles lief and diere The hors vanyssht y not in what manere Out of here sight ye gete namore of me But þus I lete in lust and Iolite Line 344 This Kambynskan his lordes festeynge Til wel neigh þe day bigan to springe

¶ Explicit prima pars