¶ Here bigynneth Chaucers tale of Thopas
[Fit I.]
[Each third line is on the right of its couple, in the MS, and there are no breaks between the stanzas.]
Listeth lordes / in good entent
And I wil telle verrayment
Of myrthe / and of solas
Line 1904
Al of a knyght was fair and gent
In bataille / and in tornament
His name / was sir Thopas
Line 1907
¶ Yborn he was / in fer contree
In fflaundres / al biyonde the see
At Poperyng in the place
Line 1910
His fader was / a man ful free
And lord he was / of that contree
As it was / goddes grace
Line 1913
¶ Sir Thopas wax / a doghty swayn
Whit was his face / as Payndemayn
His lippes reed as Rose
Line 1916
His rode is lyk / scarlet in grayn
As I yow telle / in good certayn
He hadde a semely nose
Line 1919
¶ His heer / his berd / was lyk Safrown
That to his girdel / raughte adown
Hise shoon / of Cordewane
Line 1922
Of Brugges / were his hosen brown
His Robe was / of syklatown
That coste many a Iane
Line 1925
