The Petworth ms. of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

At Sarray in þe land of Tartarye [¶ ffabula Armigeri] þer dwelt a kyng þat werried Russye þorgh which þer deyed mony a dughty man þis noble king was cleped Cambynskan Line 12 Which in his tyme was of so grete renoun þat þer nas nowhere in no regioun So Excellent a lord in al þinge Hym lacked nouȝt þat longed to a kynge 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 wise and riche And pitous and Iust alway ylich Line 20 Sooþ of his worde benygne and honurable Of his corage as ony centre stable [¶ centrum circuli] ȝong fresshe and stronge in Armes desirous As eny bachilere in al his hous Line 24 A faire persone he was and fortunat And kept alway so wel rial astat þat þer nas nawhere such a noþer man This noble kinge þis tartre Cambynskan Line 28 had two sones on Eltheta his wiff Of which þe eldest hight Algarsiff þat oþer was cleped Camballo A doughtere had þis worþi kinge also Line 32 þat ȝongest was and hiȝt Canace But forto telle ȝou al her beute It liþe not in my tunge ne in my connynge I dar not vndertake so hye a þinge Line 36

[6-text p 480] Line 36 Myn engelissh eke is insufficient It most bene a ritther excellent þat kouþe his colours longyng for þat arte If he shuld here discryve eny part Line 40 I am noon suche I most speke as I can And so byfelle þat þis Cambynskan Hath xx^ti wyntere born his diademe [folio 104a] As he was wonte fro ȝere to ȝere I deme Line 44 He lete þe feest of his natiuite Done Crien þorgh Sarray his Cite þe last Idus of March after þe ȝere Phebus þe sonne ful Iolyf was and clere Line 48 ffor he was nye his exaltacion In Martes face and in his mancion In Aries þe Colerik þe hote signe fful lusty was þe weder and benigne Line 52 ffor which þe fowles aȝeinst þe sonne shene What for the seson and þe ȝonge grene fful loude songe hir affeccions Hem semed han geten hem proteccions Line 56 Aȝeinst þe swerd of wynter kene and cold This Cambynskan of which I haue ȝou told In Rial vestement sitte vpon his des Wiþ dia[de]me ful high in his paleys Line 60 And halt his feest so solempne and so riche Þat in þis world ne was þer non it liche Of which if I sal telle al þe araye Than wold it occupie a somers daye Line 64 And eke it nedeþ nat to devise And euery cours þe order of her seruise I wil not telle of her strange sewes Ne of her swannes ne her heron-sewes Line 68 Eke in þat londe as tellen knyȝtes olde There is som mete þat is for deynte holde That in þis londe men recche but small Þer nys no man þat may reporten all Line 72

[6-text p 481] Line 72 I wil not tary ȝou for it is pryme And for it is no frute but losse of tyme Vnto my furst I wil haue my recours And so byfell þat after þe þred recours Line 76 Whil þat þis kinge sitte þus in his nobleye Herkenyng his menstralles her þingges pleye Byforn him at þe boord deliciously [folio 104b] Inne atte halle door so sodeynly Line 80 Ther come a knyght vpon a stede of bras And in his honde a brood myrour of glas Vpon his þombe he had of gold a rynge And by his side a naked swerd hangynge Line 84 And vp he rideþ to þe heigh boord In al þe halle ne was þer spoke no word ffor merveile of þis knyght hym to biholde fful bisily þei wayten ȝonge and olde Line 88 This stronge knyght þat come þus sodeynly Al armed saue his hede ful richely Salued þe king þe quene and lordes alle By ordere as þei seten in þe halle Line 92 Wiþ so high reuerence and obeysance As wel in speche as in his countenance þat Gawayne wiþ his olde curtasie þouȝe he come ageyn out of ffarye Line 96 Ne coude him nouȝt amende with no word And after þis bifore þe highe bord He wiþ a manly vois saide his massage After þe forme vsed in his langage Line 100 With-out vice of sillable or of lettre And for his tale shulde seme þe bettere Accordant to his wordes was his chere As techeþ arte of speche hem þat it lere Line 104 Al be it þat I can not sowne his styele Ne can not clymben ouer so hiȝe a styele Ȝit say I þis þat as to comune entente Thus moche amounteþ al þat euere he ment Line 108

[6-text p 482] Line 108 If it so be þat I haue it in my mynde He seide þe kynge of Arabye and of ynde My liege lord on þis solempne day Salweþ ȝou as he best can and may Line 112 And seendeþ ȝowe in honur of ȝour feste By me þat am redy al at ȝoure heeste This stede of bras þat esily & well [folio 105a] Can in a space of a day naturel Line 116 This is to saye in four and twenti [[MS xxiiij.]] houres Wher so ȝou lust in drouȝt or in shoures Beren ȝoure body in to euery place To which ȝoure hertes wilneþ forto pace Line 120 Wiþ-oute wemme of ȝou þorow foule or fare Or if ȝow list to flee as hie in þe Eire As doþ an Egle whan him list to sore This same stede shal bere ȝou euermore Line 124 Wiþ-outen harme til ȝe be where ȝou list þow þat ȝe sclepen on his bak or rest And turne aȝein wiþ wriþing of a pynne He þat it wrouȝt cowde ful mony a gynne Line 128 He waited mony a constellacion Or he had doo þis operaciōn And knewe ful mony a seal and mony a bonde This myroure eke þat I haue in myn honde Line 132 Haþ suche a myȝt þat men may in it see whan þer shal fallen eny aduersite Vnto ȝour regne or vnto ȝour self also And openly who is ȝoure freend or ffoo / Line 136 And ouer al þis if eny lady briȝt Haþ sette her hert in eny maner wiȝt If he be fals she shal his treson see His newe loues and al his subtilite Line 140 So openly þat þer shal no þing hide wherfore ageyn þis lusty somers tyde This myrour and þis ryng þat ȝe may see He haþ sent to my lady Canacee Line 144

[6-text p 483] Line 144 ȝoure excellent douȝtere þat is here þe vertue of þis rynge if ȝe wil here Is þis; þat if her list it forto were Vpon her thombe or in her purs it bere Line 148 þer nys no fowle þat fleeþ vnder þ^e heuene þat he ne shal vnderstond his steuene And knowe his menyng openly and pleyne [folio 105b] And answere him in his langage ageyne Line 152 And euery gras þat groweþ vpon rote She shal wel knowe and whome it wil do bote And be his woundes neuere so depe and wide/ This naked swerd þat hongeþ by my side Line 156 Such vertue haþ þat what man so ȝe smyte þorowe-out his armure it wil kerue and bite were it as thikke as is a braunched oke And what man þat is wounded with þe stroke Line 160 Shal neuere be hool til þat ȝou list of grace To stroke him with þe plat in þilk place Ther he is hirt þis is as moche to seyn ȝe mote with þe plat swerde ageyn Line 164 Stroke hym in the wounde and it wil close This is a verrey soþe wiþ-outen glose It failleþ nouȝt þe whilis it is in ȝour holde And whan þis knyȝt haþ þus þis tale tolde Line 168 He rideþ out of þe halle and doun he liȝt His stede which þat shoon as sonne briȝt Stant in þe courte stille as eny stoon This knyght is to his chambre lad anōon Line 172 And is vnarmed and to þe mete I-sette þe presentes bene ful richely fette This is to seyn þe swerd and þe Mirrour And born anoon vnto þe hie toure Line 176 Wiþ certeyn officers yordeyned þerfore And vnto Canacee þe ryng is bore Solempnely þer she sitte atte þ^e table But sikerly wiþ-oute eny fable Line 180

[6-text p 484] Line 180 þe hors of bras þat may not be remewed It stant as it were to þe grounde yglwed / þer may no man out of þe place it drive ffor noon engyn of wyndas or polyve Line 184 And cause whi for þei can not þe craft And þerfore in þe place þei han it laft Tyl þat þe knyȝt haþ tauȝt hem þe manere [folio 106a] To voyden him as ȝe shal after here Line 188 Grete was þe prees þat swarmed to and froo To Gowren on þis hors þat stondeþ soo / ffor it so hegh was . and so brode and long So wel proporciond forto be stronge Line 192 Riȝt as it were a stede of lumbardye Ther-wiþ so horsly and so quyke of eye As it a ge[n]til poyleis coursere were ffor Certes from his tale vnto his ere Line 196 Nature ne art ne koude hym nouȝt mende In no degre as al þe puple wende But euer-more hir most wonder was / Howe þat it cowde gon and was of bras Line 200 It was of fayre as þe puple semed Dyuers folk dyuersly han demed As mony hedes as mony wittes þer bene þei Mormured as don a swarme of been Line 204 And mede skilles after her fantasies Rehersinge of þe olde poetries [¶ .i. equus pedasdus.] And seide it was lik þe Pegasee þe hors þat had wenges forto fle Line 208 Or ellis it was þe Gr[e]kes hors Synon That brouȝt Troy to destruction As men in þise olde Geestes rede Myne hert quod oon is euere more in drede Line 212 I trowe somme men of armes bene þer-Inne That shapen hem þis Cite forto wynne It were riȝt good þat al such þing were knowe Anoþer rowned to his felawe lowe Line 216

[6-text p 485] Line 216 And seide he lieþ for it is raþer like An apparence ymade by som magike As Iogelours pleyen at þise feestes grete Of sondry þouȝtes þus þei Iangle and trete Line 220 As lewde puple demen comonly Of þingges þat bene made subtily Than þei can in her lewdenesse comprehende [folio 106b] þei demen gladly to þe badder ende Line 224 An somme of hem wondren on þe myrour þat born was vp vnto þe maister tour How men myȝt in hit suche þingges see Anoþer answerd and seide it myȝt wel be Line 228 Naturelli by composiciōns Of Angeles and of scley reflexiōns And seide þat in rome was such oon þei speke of Alocen and Vitilion Line 232 And of Aristote þat writ in her lyues Of queynt Mirours and of prospectyues As knowen þei þat han her bokes herde And oþer folk han wondred on þe swerde Line 236 þat wold perce þourgh euery þinge And fille in speche of Thelophus þe kinge And of Achilles for his queinte spere ffor he kouþe wiþ it boþ hele and dere Line 240 Riȝt in such wise as men may with þe swerde Of which riȝt nowe ȝe han ȝoure seluen herde þe[i] speken of sondry hardyng of Metall And speken of medecynes þer-wiþ-all Line 244 And howe and whan it shuld harded be which is vnknowe algate vnto me ¶ Tho speke þei of Ganaces rynge And seiden all þat such a wondere þinge Line 248 Of craft of ryngges had þei neuere non Saue þat he Moyses and kyng Salomon Had a nane of Conyng in swich arte Thus seyn þe puple and drawen hem a parte Line 252

[6-text p 486] Line 252 But naþelees somme seide þat it was wonder to maken of feerne Asshen glas And ȝit is glas not like asshen of feerne But for þei han knowen it so ȝerne Line 256 Therfore Ceseþ her Iangelinge and her wonder As sore wondren some on cause of þondere On ebbe on flood on gossomer and on myst [folio 107a] And al þing to þe cause is wist Line 260 Thus Iangelen þei and demen and devise Til þat þe kinge can from his bord arise Phebus haþ laft þe angle Meredyonal And ȝit ascending was þe beest Royal Line 264 þe gentil leon wiþ his Aldrean Whan þat þis tartre kinge Cambynskan Roos from his boord þer as he satte ful hie Byforne him goþ þe lowde Mynstralcye Line 268 Til he come to his Chambre of paramentys Ther as þei sownen dyuers Instrumentys That is like an heuene forto here Now daunsen lusty venus children dere Line 272 ffor in þe ffissh hir lady satte ful hie And lokeþ on hem wiþ a frendly ye This noble kinge is sette vpon his trone þis straunge knyght is fette to hym ful sone Line 276 And on the Daunce he goþ wiþ Canace Here is þe reuel and þe Iolite þat is not able a dulle man to deuyse He most han knowe loue and his seruyse Line 280 And be a feestlich man as fressh as may That shulden ȝou deuysen swich array Who couþe tellen ȝou þe forme of daunces So vncouþe and such fressh countynaunces / Line 284 Such Subtile lokingges and dyssymulynges ffor drede of Ialowsie mennys apperceyuynges No man but launcelett and he is dede þerfor I passe ouer of al þis lustihede Line 288

[6-text p 487] Line 288 I say no more but in þis Iolynesse I lete hem to men to soper hem dresse þe Steward bit spices forto hie And eke the wyne in al þis melodye Line 292 þe vsshers and þe sqwiers ben ygon þe Spices and þe wyne is come anōn Thei ete and drinke and whan þis had an ende [folio 107b] Vnto þe temple as reson was þei wende Line 296 ¶ The servise done / þei soupen al by day whatt nedeþ ȝou rehersen her array Eche man wote wel þat at a kingges feest Haþ plente to þe mest and to þe leest Line 300 And deyntees moo þan be in my knowinge And aftere sopere goþ þis noble kynge To sene þis hors of bras with al a route Of lordes and ladys hym aboute Line 304 Such wondring was þer on þis hors of bras þat siþen þe grete sege of Troye was þer as men wondren on an hors also Ne was þer such a wondering as was þoo Line 308 By fynaly þe kinge axeþ þe knyȝt Þe vertue of þe Coursere and þe myȝt And preide hym to telle his gouernance þe hors anon gan forto trippe and dance Line 312 whan þat þis knyght leide hond vpon his reyne And seide Sir þer is to more to seyne but whan þe list to ride owhere ȝe moot trille a pynne stonde in his ere Line 316 which I shal telle ȝou bytwene vs twoo ȝe mote nempne hym to what place also Or to what cuntre þat ȝou list to ride ./ And whan ȝe come þere as ȝou list to abide Line 320 Bidde hym descende and trille anoþere pynne ffor þer-Inne lith þeffecte of al þat gynne And [he] wol doune descende and done ȝoure wille And in þat place he wille abide stille Line 324

[6-text p 488] Line 324 þough al the world had þe contrary swore He shal not þennys by throwe ne ybore Or if þou list bidde hym þennes gōōn Trille þis pynne and he wil vanyssh anōn Line 328 Out of þe siȝt of euery maner wiȝt And come aȝein be it day or nyght whan þat ȝou list to clepen hym ageyn [folio 108a] In swich a gise as I shal to ȝou seyn / Line 332 By-twixen ȝou and me and þat ful sone Ride whan ȝou list þer is no more to done ¶ Enformed whan þe kyng was of þe knyȝt And haþ conceyued in his witt ariȝt Line 336 The manere and þe forme of al þis þinge fful glad and bliþe þe noble douȝty kynge Repeyring to his reuel as byforn þe bridel is into þe toure born Line 340 And kepte amonge his Iwels leef and dere þe hors vanysshed I note in what manere Out of her siȝt ȝe gete no more of mee But þus I lete in lust and Iolite Line 344 This Cambynskan is lordes feestinge Til wel nygh þe day bygan to springe

¶ Explicit. prima pars./