The bedd mot thanne be forsake
And Schield and spere on honde take；
Which thing schal make hem after glade；
Whan thei ben worthi knihtes made。 1810
Wherof； so as it comth to honde；
A tale thou schalt understonde；
Hou that a kniht schal armes suie；
And for the while his ese eschuie。
Upon knyhthode I rede thus；
How whilom whan the king Nauplus；
The fader of Palamades；
Cam forto preien Ulixes
With othre Gregois ek also；
That he with hem to Troie go； 1820
Wher that the Siege scholde be；
Anon upon Penolope
His wif； whom that he loveth hote；
Thenkende； wolde hem noght behote。
Bot he schop thanne a wonder wyle；
How that he scholde hem best beguile；
So that he mihte duelle stille
At home and welde his love at wille：
Wherof erli the morwe day
Out of his bedd； wher that he lay； 1830
Whan he was uppe； he gan to fare
Into the field and loke and stare；
As he which feigneth to be wod：
He tok a plowh； wher that it stod；
Wherinne anon in stede of Oxes
He let do yoken grete foxes；
And with gret salt the lond he siew。
But Nauplus； which the cause kniew；
Ayein the sleihte which he feigneth
An other sleihte anon ordeigneth。 1840
And fell that time Ulixes hadde
A chyld to Sone； and Nauplus radde
How men that Sone taken scholde；
And setten him upon the Molde；
Wher that his fader hield the plowh；
In thilke furgh which he tho drowh。
For in such wise he thoghte assaie；
Hou it Ulixes scholde paie；
If that he were wod or non。
The knihtes for this child forthgon； 1850
Thelamacus anon was fett；
Tofore the plowh and evene sett；
Wher that his fader scholde dryve。
Bot whan he sih his child； als blyve
He drof the plowh out of the weie；
And Nauplus tho began to seie；
And hath half in a jape cryd：
〃O Ulixes； thou art aspyd：
What is al this thou woldest meene？
For openliche it is now seene 1860
That thou hast feigned al this thing；
Which is gret schame to a king；
Whan that for lust of eny slowthe
Thou wolt in a querele of trowthe
Of armes thilke honour forsake；
And duelle at hom for loves sake：
For betre it were honour to winne
Than love； which likinge is inne。
Forthi tak worschipe upon honde；
And elles thou schalt understonde 1870
These othre worthi kinges alle
Of Grece； which unto thee calle；
Towardes thee wol be riht wrothe；
And grieve thee per chance bothe：
Which schal be tothe double schame
Most for the hindrynge of thi name；
That thou for Slouthe of eny love
Schalt so thi lustes sette above
And leve of armes the knyhthode；
Which is the pris of thi manhode 1880
And oghte ferst to be desired。〃
Bot he； which hadde his herte fyred
Upon his wif； whan he this herde；
Noght o word therayein ansuerde；
Bot torneth hom halvinge aschamed；
And hath withinne himself so tamed
His herte； that al the sotie
Of love for chivalerie
He lefte； and be him lief or loth；
To Troie forth with hem he goth； 1890
That he him mihte noght excuse。
Thus stant it； if a knyht refuse
The lust of armes to travaile；
Ther mai no worldes ese availe；
Bot if worschipe be with al。
And that hath schewed overal；
For it sit wel in alle wise
A kniht to ben of hih emprise
And puten alle drede aweie；
For in this wise； I have herd seie； 1900
The worthi king Protheselai
On his passage wher he lai
Towardes Troie thilke Siege；
Sche which was al his oghne liege；
Laodomie his lusti wif；
Which for his love was pensif；
As he which al hire herte hadde；
Upon a thing wherof sche dradde
A lettre； forto make him duelle
Fro Troie； sende him； thus to telle； 1910
Hou sche hath axed of the wyse
Touchende of him in such a wise；
That thei have don hire understonde；
Towardes othre hou so it stonde；
The destine it hath so schape
That he schal noght the deth ascape
In cas that he arryve at Troie。
Forthi as to hir worldes joie
With al hire herte sche him preide；
And many an other cause alleide； 1920
That he with hire at home abide。
Bot he hath cast hir lettre aside；
As he which tho no maner hiede
Tok of hire wommannysshe drede；
And forth he goth； as noght ne were；
To Troie； and was the ferste there
Which londeth； and tok arryvaile：
For him was levere in the bataille；
He seith； to deien as a knyht；
Than forto lyve in al his myht 1930
And be reproeved of his name。
Lo； thus upon the worldes fame
Knyhthode hath evere yit be set；
Which with no couardie is let。
Of king Sal also I finde；
Whan Samuel out of his kinde；
Thurgh that the Phitonesse hath lered；
In Samarie was arered
Long time after that he was ded；
The king Sal him axeth red； 1940
If that he schal go fyhte or non。
And Samuel him seide anon；
〃The ferste day of the bataille
Thou schalt be slain withoute faile
And Jonathas thi Sone also。〃
Bot hou as evere it felle so；
This worthi kniht of his corage
Hath undertake the viage；
And wol noght his knyhthode lette
For no peril he couthe sette； 1950
Wherof that bothe his Sone and he
Upon the Montz of Gelboe5
Assemblen with here enemys：
For thei knyhthode of such a pris
Be olde daies thanne hielden；
That thei non other thing behielden。
And thus the fader for worschipe
Forth with his Sone of felaschipe
Thurgh lust of armes weren dede；
As men mai in the bible rede； 1960
The whos knyhthode is yit in mende；
And schal be to the worldes ende。
And forto loken overmore；
It hath and schal ben evermore
That of knihthode the prouesse
Is grounded upon hardinesse
Of him that dar wel undertake。
And who that wolde ensample take
Upon the forme of knyhtes lawe；
How that Achilles was forthdrawe 1970
With Chiro； which Centaurus hihte；
Of many a wondre hiere he mihte。
For it stod thilke time thus；
That this Chiro； this Centaurus；
Withinne a large wildernesse；
Wher was Leon and Leonesse；
The Lepard and the Tigre also；
With Hert and Hynde； and buck and doo；
Hadde his duellinge； as tho befell；
Of Pileon upon the hel； 1980
Wherof was thanne mochel speche。
Ther hath Chiro this Chyld to teche；
What time he was of tuelve yer age；
Wher forto maken his corage
The more hardi be other weie；
In the forest to hunte and pleie
Whan that Achilles walke wolde；
Centaurus bad that he ne scholde
After no beste make his chace；
Which wolde flen out of his place； 1990
As buck and doo and hert and hynde；
With whiche he mai no werre finde；
Bot tho that wolden him withstonde；
Ther scholde he with his Dart on honde
Upon the Tigre and the Leon
Pourchace and take his veneison；
As to a kniht is acordant。
And therupon a covenant
This Chiro with Achilles sette；
That every day withoute lette 2000
He scholde such a cruel beste
Or slen or wounden ate leste；
So that he mihte a tokne bringe
Of blod upon his hom cominge。
And thus of that Chiro him tawhte
Achilles such an herte cawhte；
That he nomore a Leon dradde；
Whan he his Dart on honde hadde；
Thanne if a Leon were an asse：
And that hath mad him forto passe 2010
Alle othre knihtes of his dede；
Whan it cam to the grete nede；
As it was afterward wel knowe。
Lo； thus； my Sone； thou miht knowe
That the corage of hardiesce
Is of knyhthode the prouesce；
Which is to love sufficant
Aboven al the remenant
That unto loves court poursuie。
Bot who that wol no Slowthe eschuie； 2020
Upon knihthode and noght travaile；
I not what love him scholde availe；
Bot every labour axeth why
Of som reward； wherof that I
Ensamples couthe telle ynowe
Of hem that toward love drowe
Be olde daies； as thei scholde。
Mi fader； therof hiere I wolde。
Mi Sone； it is wel resonable；
In place which is honorable 2030
If that a man his herte sette；
That thanne he for no Slowthe lette
To do what longeth to manhede。
For if thou wolt the bokes rede
Of Lancelot and othre mo；
Ther miht thou sen hou it was tho
Of armes； for thei wolde atteigne
To love； which withoute peine
Mai noght be gete of ydelnesse。
And that I take to witnesse 2040
An old Cronique in special；
The which into memorial
Is write； for his loves sake
Hou that a kniht schal undertake。
Ther was a king； which Oe5nes
Was hote； and he under his pes
Hield Calidoyne in his Empire；
And hadde a dowhter Deianire。
Men wiste in thilke time non
So fair a wiht as sche was on； 2050
And as sche was a lusti wiht；
Riht so was thanne a noble kniht；
To whom Mercurie fader was。
This kniht the tuo pilers of bras；
The whiche yit a man mai finde；
Sette up in the desert of Ynde；
That was the worthi Hercules；
Whos name schal ben endeles
For the merveilles whiche he wroghte。
This Hercules the love soghte 2060
Of Deianire； and of this thing
Unto hir fader； which was king；
He spak touchende of Mariage。
The king knowende his hih lignage；
And dradde also hise mihtes sterne；
To him ne dorste his dowhter werne；
And natheles this he him seide；
How Achelons er he ferst preide
To wedden hire； and in accord
Thei stode； as it was of record： 2070
Bot for al that this he him granteth；
That which of hem that other daunteth
In armes； him sche scholde take；
And that the king hath undertake。
This Achelons was a Geant；
A soubtil man； a deceivant；
Which thurgh magique and sorcerie
Couthe al the world of tricherie：
And whan that he this tale herde；
Hou upon that the king ansuerde 2080
With Hercules he moste feighte；
He tristeth noght upon his sleighte
Al only； whan it comth to nede；
Bot that which voydeth alle drede
And every noble herte stereth；
The love； that no lif forbereth；
For his ladi； whom he desireth；
With hardiesse his herte fyreth；
And sende him word withoute faile
That he wol take the bataille。 2090
Thei setten day； they chosen field；
The knihtes coevered under Schield
Togedre come at time set；
And echon is with other met。
It fell thei foghten bothe afote；
Ther was no ston； ther was no rote；
Which mihte letten hem the weie；
But al was voide and take aweie。
Thei smyten strokes bot a fewe；
For Hercules； which wolde schewe 2100
His grete strengthe as for the nones；
He sterte upon him al at ones
And cawhte him in hise armes stronge。
This Geant wot he mai noght longe
Endure under so harde bondes；
And thoghte he wolde out of hise hondes
Be sleyhte in som manere ascape。
And as he couthe himself forschape；
In liknesse of an Eddre he slipte
Out of his hond； and forth he skipte； 2110
And efte； as he that feighte wole；