120 TffJB KNIGHTES TALE.
And in his armes he hem alle up hente, And hem comforteth in ful good entente; And swor his oth, as he was trewe knight, He wolde don so ferforthly his might Upon the tyraunt Creon hem to wreke, That al the people of Grece scholde speke How Creon was of Theseus y-served, As he that hadde his deth ful wel deserved. And right anoon, withoute more abood His baner he desplayeth, and forth rood To Thebes-ward, and al his hoost bysyde ; No neere Athenes wolde he go ne ryde, Ne take his eese fully half a day, But onward on his way that nyght he lay; And sente anoon Ypolita the queene, And Emelye hire jyonge suster schene, Unto the toun of Athenes to dwelle ; And forth he ryt; ther is no more to telle.
The reede statue of Mars with spere and targe So schyneth in his white baner large, That alle the feeldes gliteren up and doun ; And by his baner born in his pynoun Of gold ful riche, in which ther was i-bete The Minatour which that he slough in Crete. Thus ryt this dtik, thus- ryt this conquerour, And in his hoost of chevairie the flour, Til that he cam to Thebes, and alighte Faire in a feeld ther as he thoughte fighte. But schortly for to speken of this thing, , With Creon, which that was of Thebes kyng, He faught, and slough him manly as a knight In pleyn bataille, and putte the folk to flight; And by assaut he wan the citie' after, And rente adoun bothe wal, and sparre, and rafter And to the ladies he restorede agayn The bones of here housbondes that were slayn, To don obsequies, as was tho the gyse.