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

                                
                                  That non estat ensureth for to ben wel
                                
                                  Now certes lord to abyde ȝoure presence /
                                
                                  Here in þis temple of the goddesse Clemence
                                  Line 928 
                                
                                  We haue be waytinge al þis fourte night
                                
                                  Helpe vs lord siþ it is in þy might
                                
                                  ¶ I wrecche which þat weepe and weile þus
                                
                                  Was whilom wyf of king Cappaneus
                                  Line 932 
                                
                                  That starf at Thebes cursed be þat day
                                
                                  And alle we þat ben in þis array [folio 14a] 
                                
                                  And maken al þis lamentacioun
                                
                                  We losten all our housbondes at þat toun
                                  Line 936 
                                
                                  Whil þat þassege þer aboute lay
                                
                                  And yet now þe olde Creon weiloway
                                
                                  That lord is now of Thebes þe Cite
                                
                                  ffulfild of Ire and of Iniquite
                                  Line 940 
                                
                                  He for despite and for his Tyrannie
                                
                                  To don þe deede bodies vilenye
                                
                                  Of all oure lordes whiche þat ben slawe
                                
                                  Haþ all þe bodies on an heep y-drawe
                                  Line 944 
                                
                                  And wol nought suffre hem by non assent
                                
                                  Neither to ben y-buried noþer y-brent
                                
                                  But makeþ houndes ete hem in despyt
                                
                                  And with þat word wiþoute more respit
                                  Line 948 
                                
                                  Thei fellen gruf and cryden pitously
                                
                                  Haue on vs wrecchede wommen som mercy
                                
                                  And lat our sorwe synken in þin herte
                                
                                  This gentil duk doun from his courser sterte
                                  Line 952 
                                
                                  With herte pitous whan he herde hem speke
                                
                                  Him þoughte þat his herte wolde breke
                                
                                  Whan he saugh hem so pite and so mate
                                
                                  That whilom were of so gret astate
                                  Line 956 
                                
                                  And in his armes he hem all vp hente
                                
                                  And hem conforteþ in ful good entente
                                
                                  And swor his oth as he was trewe knight
                                
                                  He wolde don so ferforþly his might
                                  Line 960 
                                
                                  Vpon þe tyrant hem to wreke

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Title: The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.
Author: Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.
Canvas: Page 28
Publication: London,: Pub. for the Chaucer society by N. Trübner & co.,; 1868-[1869]

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8235.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/agz8235.0001.001/56:3

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Full citation: "The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8235.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 16, 2025.

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

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