| | 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 | |