| And baar hym in pees and eke in warre | |
590 | Ther was noman that Theseus hadde derre | |
| A | Nd in this blisse lete I now arcite | |
| And speke I wil of Palamon alite | |
| In derknesse horrible and in strong prison | |
| This seuen yeer hath sete this Palamon | |
595 | For pyned what for woo and distresse | |
| Who felith dowbyl woo and heuynesse | |
| But Palamon that loue distreyueth soo | |
| That wood out of his wit he ny goth for woo | |
| And eke therto he is a prisoner | |
600 | Perpetuel and not only for a yeer | |
| Who cowde ryme in englissh propirly | |
| His matirdom forsothe it am not I | |
| Therfore I passe as lightly as I may | |
| I wylle not taire yow alle the day | |
605 | The thirde nyght as olde bokis sayn | |
| That all this story tellith more and playn | |
| Were it be auenture or destyne | |
| Alas that whan a thing is shapyn it shal be | |
| That sone aftir the mydnyght Palamon | |
610 | Be help of a frend broke hath his prison | |
| And fleeth fro the prison as sone as he may goo | |
| For he hadde yeue his gailer drynke soo | |
| Of clarrey made of a certeyn wyne | |
| With nercotises and Epye of Thebes fyne | |
615 | That half þe night though men wolde hym shake | |
| The gayler so slepte he mighte not a wake | |
| And thus he fleyhe as faste as he may | |