Here bigynneth the knyghtes tale.
¶ Iamque domos patria Scithice post aspera gentis prelia laurigero.
Whilom / as olde stories tellen vs
Ther was a duc þat highte Theseus
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Of Atthenes / he was lord and gouernour
And in his tyme / swich a conquerour
That gretter was ther noon vnder the sonne
fful many a riche contree / hadde he wonne
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What with his wysdom / and his chiualrye
He conquered / al the regne of femenye
That whilom / was ycleped Scithia [folio 13a]
And wedded / the queene ypolita
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And broghte hire hom with hym / in his contree
With muchel glorie / and greet solempnitee
And eek / hir yonge suster Emelye
And thus with victorie / and with melodye
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Lete I this noble duc to Atthenes ryde
And al his hoost. in armes hym bisyde
¶ And certes / if it nere to long to heere
I wolde haue toold / fully the manere
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How / wonnen was the regne of ffemenye
By Theseus / and by his Chiualrye
And of the grete bataille / for the nones
Bitwixen Atthenes / and Amazones
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And how assegeged was ypolita
The faire hardy queene of Scithia
And of the feste / þat was at hir weddynge
And of the tempest at hir hom comynge
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But al that thyng / I moot as now forbere
I haue god woot / a large feeld to ere
And wayke / been the oxen in my plogh
The remenant of the tale / is long ynogh
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I wol nat letten eek / noon of this route
