| | That is or shal be while the world may dure | |
| | His sleep his mete his drynk is hym beraft | |
| | That lene he wax and drye as is a shaft | |
| 505 | His yen holow and grisly to be holde | |
| | His hewe falow and pale as asshyn colde | |
| | And solitary he was and euer a lone | |
| | And waylinge as he mighte makyng his mone | |
| | And yf he herde song or instrument | |
| 510 | Than wolde he wepe he might not stent | |
| | So febyl were his spiritis and so lowe | |
| | And chaunged so that no mā coude hym knowe | |
| | His speche ne his vois though men it herde | |
| | As in his gire for al the worlde it ferde | |
| 515 | Nought lik the louers maladye | |
| | Of heris but rathir I lik to many | |
| | Engendrid of humour malencolyk | |
| | Beforn in his cell fantastyk | |
| | And shortly turned was al vp so doun | |
| 520 | Bothe habit and disposicion | |
| | Of hym this woful louer dan arcite | |
| | What sholde I of his wo alday endite | |
| | Whan he endured hadde a yeer or two | |
| | This cruel turment this peyne and woo | |
| 525 | At Thebes in his contre as I sayde | |
| | Vpon a nyght in slepe as he hym layde | |
| | Hym thoughte how that the wynged Mercury | |
| | Beforn hym stood and bad hym be mery | |
| | His slepy ʒerd he baar in hond vp right | |
| 530 | An hat he baar vpon his heris bright | |
