| | Anon to withdrawe euery wight began | |
| | And shortly to telle as it was | |
| | Were it be auenture fortune or caas | |
| 845 | The soth is this the cut fil on the knyght | |
| | Of whiche ful blithe & glad is euery wight | |
| | And telle he moste as it was reson | |
| | Be forward and be composicion | |
| | As ye haue herd what nedith wordis moo | |
| 850 | And whan this good man saw that it was soo | |
| | As he that was wyse and obedient | |
| | To kepe his forward be his fre assent | |
| | He sayde sithnes I shal begynne the game | |
| | What welcom be cut a goddis name | |
| 855 | Now lat vs ryde & herkyn what I say | |
| | And with that word we riden forth on the way | |
| | And he began with right a mery chere | |
| | And sayde anone his tale as ye shul here | |
| | ¶ Here begynneth the knyghtis tale . | |
| | WHilom as olde story telleth vs | |
| | Ther was a duke that highte Theseus | |
| | Of thebes he was lord and gouernour | |
| | And in his tyme suche a conquerour | |
| 5 | That gretter was ther none vnder sonne | |
| | Ful many a riche contre had he wonne | |
| | That with his wisedom and chiualrye | |
| | He conquered al the regne of femenye | |
| | That whilom was cleped Cithea | |
| 10 | And wedded the quene Ipolita | |
| | And broughte hir home in to his contre | |
