| | But venus it is sothly as I gesse | |
| 245 | And therwith al on knees doun he fil | |
| | And sayde venus yf it be thy wil | |
| | Yow in this gardyn thus to transfygure | |
| | Before me sorowful wrecche thy creature | |
| | Out of this prison help that we may scape | |
| 250 | And if it be my destenye so to hape | |
| | Be etern worlde to dye in prison | |
| | Of our lynage haue som compassion | |
| | That is so lowe I brought be tyrannye | |
| | And with that word arcyte gan espye | |
| 255 | Where as the lady wente to and fro | |
| | And with that sighte her beaute hurte hym so | |
| | That yf Palamon were wounded sore | |
| | Arcite is hurt as moche as he or more | |
| | And with a sigh he sighed pitously | |
| 260 | The fressh beaute shal sle me sodenly | |
| | Of hire that rometh in the yonder place | |
| | And but I haue hir mercy and hir grace | |
| | That I may se her at the leste wey | |
| | I am but ded ther is no more to sey | |
| | T | His Palamon when he thise wordis herd | |
| | Dispitously he loketh and ansuerd | |
| | Whethir saist thow this in ernest or in play | |
| | Nay quod arcite in ernest be my fay | |
| | God helpe so me lust ful lityl to play | |
| 270 | This Palamon gan knytte his browis tway | |
| | Hit were quod he to the no gret honour | |
| | Forto be fals ne to be a traitour | |
