174 THE KNIGHTES TALE.
Into the fyr, that brente as it were wood; Ne how the Grekes with an huge route Thre tymes ryden al the fyr aboute Upon the lefte hond, with an heigh schoutyng, And thries with here speres clateryng; And thries how the ladyes gonne crye; Ne how that lad was horn-ward Emelye ; Ne how Arcyte is brent to aschen colde ; Ne how that liche-wake was y-holde Al thilke night, ne how the Grekes pleye The wake-pleyes, ne kepe I nat to seye; Who wrastleth best naked, with oylle enoynt, Ne who that bar him best in no disjoynt. I wol not tellen eek how that they goon Horn til Athenes whan the pley is doon. But schortly to the poynt than wol I wende, And maken of my longe tale an ende.
By processe and by lengthe of certeyn yeres Al stynted is the rnoornyng and the teeres Of Grekes, by oon general assent Than semede me ther was a parlement At Athenes, upon certeyn poyntz and cas ; Among the whiche poyntes yspoken was To han with certeyn contrees alliaunce, And han fully of Thebans obeissaunce. For which this noble Theseus anon Let senden after gentil Palamon, Unwist of him what was the cause and why; But in his blake clothes sorwefully He cam at his comaundement in hye. Tho sente Theseus for Emelye. Whan they were set, and hust was al the place, And Theseus abyden hadde a space Or eny word cam fro his wyse brest, His eyen sette he ther as was his lest, And with a sad visage he sykede stille, And after that right thus he seide his wille.