By proces and by lengþe of certeyn ȝeres
Al styntyd is þe mornyng and þe teeres
Line 2968
Of alle grekys by oon general assent
Than semed me ther was a parlement [folio 40a]
At athenes on a certeyn poynt / and cas
Among þe whiche poyntes spoken was
Line 2972
To han wiþ certeyn contrees alliaunce /
And haue fully of Thebans obeissance
For which þis noble Theseus anon
let senden after gentil Palomon
Line 2976
Vnwist of him what was þe cause and why
But in his blake cloþes sorwfully
he cam at his comaundement in hye
Tho sente Theseus for Emelye
Line 2980
whan þey were sette and hussht was al þe place
And Theseus abyden hadde a space
Or eny word cam fro his wyse brest
His eyen set he þer as was his lest
Line 2984
And wiþ a sad visage he syked stille
And after þat right þus he seide his wille
The firste moeuere of þe cause aboue
whan he first made þe fayre cheyne of loue
Line 2988
Gret was theffect / and heigh was his entente /
wel wist he why and what þerof he mente
For which þat faire cheyne of loue he bond
The fyr þe watir eyr and eek þe lond
Line 2992
In certeyn boundes þat þey may not flee
That same prynce and moeuere eek quod he /
haþ stabled in þis wrecched world a doun
Certeyn dayes and duracioun
Line 2996
To alle þat er engendrid in þis place
Ouer þe day þey may nat pace
Al mowe they ȝit wel here dayes abregge
Ther needeþ non auctorite tallegge
Line 3000
For it is preued by experience
But þat me lust declare my sentence
