The Canterbury Tales - Original and Modernised Text by Geoffrey Chaucer - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)

Geoffrey Chaucer, Delphi Classics

• Publisher: Delphi Classics (Parts Edition)
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781788774796
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Classics
• Index: Literature

This eBook features the unabridged text Chaucer's 'The Canterbury Tales' in the Original medieval text and a Modernised Text, from the bestselling edition of 'The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer'.

Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Chaucer includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily.

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* The complete unabridged text of 'The Canterbury Tales - Original and Modernised Text by Geoffrey Chaucer - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)'
* Beautifully illustrated with images related to Chaucer's works
* Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook
* Excellent formatting of the textPlease visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

THE KNIGHT’S TALE

WHILOM1, as olde stories tellen us, 1formerly
There was a duke that highte1 Theseus. 1was called
Of Athens he was lord and governor,
And in his time such a conqueror
That greater was there none under the sun.
Full many a riche country had he won.
What with his wisdom and his chivalry,
He conquer’d all the regne of Feminie,
That whilom was y-cleped Scythia;
And weddede the Queen Hippolyta
And brought her home with him to his country
With muchel1 glory and great solemnity, 1great
And eke her younge sister Emily,
And thus with vict’ry and with melody
Let I this worthy Duke to Athens ride,
And all his host, in armes him beside.

And certes, if it n’ere1 too long to hear, 1were not
I would have told you fully the mannere,
How wonnen1 was the regne of Feminie, 1won
By Theseus, and by his chivalry;
And of the greate battle for the nonce
Betwixt Athenes and the Amazons;
And how assieged was Hippolyta,
The faire hardy queen of Scythia;
And of the feast that was at her wedding
And of the tempest at her homecoming.
But all these things I must as now forbear.
I have, God wot, a large field to ear1 1plough;
And weake be the oxen in my plough;
The remnant of my tale is long enow.
I will not 1letten eke none of this rout1. 1hinder any of
Let every fellow tell his tale about, this company1
And let see now who shall the supper win.
There 1as I left1, I will again begin. 1where I left off1

This Duke, of whom I make mentioun,
When he was come almost unto the town,
In all his weal, and in his moste pride,
He was ware, as he cast his eye aside,
Where that there kneeled in the highe way
A company of ladies, tway and tway,
Each after other, clad in clothes black:
But such a cry and such a woe they make,
That in this world n’is creature living,
That hearde such another waimenting1 1lamenting
And of this crying would they never stenten1, 1desist
Till they the reines of his bridle henten1. 1seize
“What folk be ye that at mine homecoming
Perturben so my feaste with crying?”
Quoth Theseus; “Have ye so great envy
Of mine honour, that thus complain and cry?
Or who hath you misboden1, or offended? 1wronged
Do telle me, if it may be amended;
And why that ye be clad thus all in black?”

The oldest lady of them all then spake,
When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer1, 1countenance
That it was ruthe1 for to see or hear. 1pity
She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given
Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven,
Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour;
But we beseechen mercy and succour.
Have mercy on our woe and our distress;
Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness,
Upon us wretched women let now fall.
For certes, lord, there is none of us all
That hath not been a duchess or a queen;
Now be we caitives1, as it is well seen: 1captives
Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel,
That 1none estate ensureth to be wele1. 1assures no continuance of
And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate1
Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence
We have been waiting all this fortenight:
Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

“I, wretched wight, that weep and waile thus,
Was whilom wife to king Capaneus,
That starf1 at Thebes, cursed be that day: 1died
And alle we that be in this array,
And maken all this lamentatioun,
We losten all our husbands at that town,
While that the siege thereabouten lay.
And yet the olde Creon, wellaway!
That lord is now of Thebes the city,
Fulfilled of ire and of iniquity,
He for despite, and for his tyranny,
To do the deade bodies villainy1, 1insult
Of all our lorde’s, which that been y-slaw, 1slain
Hath all the bodies on an heap y-draw,
And will not suffer them by none assent
Neither to be y-buried, nor y-brent1, 1burnt
But maketh houndes eat them in despite.”
And with that word, withoute more respite
They fallen groff,1 and cryden piteously; 1grovelling
“Have on us wretched women some mercy,
And let our sorrow sinken in thine heart.”

This gentle Duke down from his courser start
With hearte piteous, when he heard them speak.
Him thoughte that his heart would all to-break,
When he saw them so piteous and so mate1 1abased
That whilom weren of so great estate.
And in his armes he them all up hent1, 1raised, took
And them comforted in full good intent,
And swore his oath, as he was true knight,
He woulde do 1so farforthly his might1 1as far as his power went1
Upon the tyrant Creon them to wreak1, 1avenge
That all the people of Greece shoulde speak,
How Creon was of Theseus y-served,
As he that had his death full well deserved.
And right anon withoute more abode1 1delay
His banner he display’d, and forth he rode
To Thebes-ward, and all his, host beside:
No ner1 Athenes would he go nor ride, 1nearer
Nor take his ease fully half a day,
But onward on his way that night he lay:
And sent anon Hippolyta the queen,
And Emily her younge sister sheen1 1bright, lovely
Unto the town of Athens for to dwell:
And forth he rit1; there is no more to tell. 1rode

The red statue of Mars with spear and targe1 1shield
So shineth in his white banner large
That all the fieldes glitter up and down:
And by his banner borne is his pennon
Of gold full rich, in which there was y-beat1 1stamped
The Minotaur which that he slew in Crete
Thus rit this Duke, thus rit this conqueror
And in his host of chivalry the flower,
Till that he came to Thebes, and alight
Fair in a field, there as he thought to fight.
But shortly for to speaken of this thing,
With Creon, which that was of Thebes king,
He fought, and slew him manly as a knight
In plain bataille, and put his folk to flight:
And by assault he won the city after,
And rent adown both wall, and spar, and rafter;
And to the ladies he restored again
The bodies of their husbands that were slain,
To do obsequies, as was then the guise1. 1custom

But it were all too long for to de...