I slough Sampson schakynge þe piler
And myne ben þe maladies colde
þe derke tresons, and þe castes olde
Line 2468
my lokyng is þe fader of pestilence
Now weep namore I schal don diligence
That Palamon þat is þin owne knight
Schal haue his lady as þou him bihight
Line 2472
Though mars schal helpe his knight ȝet naþeles
Betwixe ȝow þer moot be som tyme pees
All be ȝe nought boþe of oo complexion
That causeþ alday swich diuision
Line 2476
I am þin ayell redy at þi wille
Weepe now namore I wil þi lust fulfille
¶ Now wol I stente of þe goddes aboue
Of mars and of venus goddesses of loue
Line 2480
And telle yow as pleinly as I can
The grete effect for which þat I bygan [folio 35b]
[PART IV. No gap in the MS.]
Gret was þe feste in Athenes þat day
And eek þat lusty sesoun of þat may
Line 2484
Made euery knight to ben in such plesance
That al þat monday ioustne þei and daunce
And spend in heigh venus seruise
But by þe cause þat þai scholde rise
Line 2488
Erly for to seen þe grete fight
vnto here reste wente þei at night
And on the morwe whan þat day gan springe,
Of hors and harneys noyse and clateringe
Line 2492
Ther was in hostelleries al aboute
And to þe paleys rood þer many a route
Of lordes vpon steedes and palfreys
Ther maystow seen diuisyng of harneys
Line 2496
So vncouth and so riche wrought so wel
Of goldsmythrie of broudyng and of steel
