Whan that we come agayn fro Caunterbury.
     And for to make yow the moore mury
     I wol my-selven goodly with yow ryde
     Right at myn owene cost, and be youre gyde.
     And who so wole my juggement withseye
     
     Shal paye al that we spenden by the weye.
     And if ye vouchesauf that it be so,
     Tel me anon, withouten wordes mo,
     And I wol erly shape me therfore."
     This thyng was graunted, and oure othes swore
     
     With ful gald herte, and preyden hym also
     That he wolde vouchesauf for to do so,
     And that he wolde been oure governour,
     And of our tales juge and reportour,
     And sette a soper at a certeyn pris,
     
     And we wol reuled been at his devys
     In heigh and lough; and thus by oon assent
     We been acorded to his juggement;
     And therupon the wyn was fet anon,
     We dronken, and to reste wente echon
     
     Withouten any lenger taryynge.
        Amorwe, whan that day bigan to sprynge,
     Up roos oure Hoost, and was oure aller cok,
     And gadrede us to gidre, alle in a flok,
     And forth we riden, a litel moore than paas,
     
     Unto the wateryng of Seint Thomas. 
     And there oure Hoost bigan his hors areste,
     And seyde, "Lordynges, herkneth if yow leste,
     Ye woot youre foreward, and I it yow recorde;
     If even-song and morwe-song accorde,
      
     Lat se now who shal telle the firste tale.
     As evere mote I drynke wyn or ale,
     Whoso be rebel to my juggement
     Shal paye for al that by the wey is spent.
     Now draweth cut, er that we ferrer twynne,
     
     He which that hath the shorteste shal bigynne.
     Sire knyght," quod he, "my mayster and my lord,
     Now draweth cut, for that is myn accord,
     Cometh neer," quod he, "my lady Prioresse,
     And ye, Sir Clerk, lat be your shamefastnesse,
     
     Ne studieth noght; ley hond to, every man."
     Anon to drawen every wight bigan,
     And shortly for to tellen as it was,
     Were it by aventure, or sort, or cas,
     The sothe is this, the cut fil to the knyght,
     
     Of which ful blithe and glad was every wyght.
     And telle he moste his tale, as was resoun,
     By foreward and by composicioun,-
     As ye han herd, what nedeth wordes mo?
     And whan this goode man saugh that it was so,
     
     As he that wys was and obedient
     To kepe his foreward by his free assent,
     He seyde, "Syn I shal bigynne the game,
     What, welcome be the cut, a Goddes name!
     Now lat us ryde, and herkneth what I seye."
     
        And with that word we ryden forth oure weye,
     And he bigan with right a myrie cheere
     His tale anon, and seyde in this manere.
     Part 2
     
     THE KNYGHTES TALE.
     
        Iamque domos patrias Scithice post aspera gentis prelia
     laurigero &c. Thebaid, xii, 519.
     
     Heere bigynneth the knyghtes tale.
     
        Whilom, as olde stories tellen us,
     Ther was a duc that highte Theseus;
     Of Atthenes he was lord and governour,
     That gretter was ther noon under the sonne.
     Ful many a riche contree hadde he wonne,
     What with his wysdom and his chivalrie;
     
     He conquered al the regne of Femenye,
     That whilom was ycleped Scithia,
     And weddede the queene Ypolita,
     And broghte hir hoom with hym in his contree,
     With muchel glorie and greet solempnytee,
     
     And eek hir yonge suster Emelye.
     And thus with victorie and with melodye
     Lete I this noble duk to Atthenes ryde,
     And al his hoost, in armes hym bisyde.
     And certes, if it nere to long to heere,
     
     I wolde have toold yow fully the manere
     How wonnen was the regne of Femenye
     By Theseus, and by his chivalrye,