The Knight’s Tale

their covenants assure. Pleasance and Hope, Desire, Foolhardiness, Beauty and Youth, and Bawdry and Richéss, Charms and Sorc’ry, Leasings and Flattery, Dispencë, Business, and Jealousy, That wore of yellow goldës a garland, And had a cuckoo sitting on her hand, Feasts, instruments, and carolës and dances, Lust and array, and all the circumstánces Of Love, which I reckon’d and reckon shall In order, werë painted on the wall, And more than I can make of mentión. For soothly all the mount of Citheron, Where Venus hath her principal dwelling, Was showed on the wall in pourtraying, With all the garden, and the lustiness. Nor was forgot the porter Idleness, Nor Narcissus the fair of yore agone, Nor yet the folly of King Solomon, Nor yet the greatë strength of Hercules, Th’ enchantments of Medea and Circés, Nor of Turnus the hardy fierce couráge, The richë Croesus caitif in serváge. Thus may ye see, that wisdom nor richéss, Beauty, nor sleight, nor strength, nor hardiness, Ne may with Venus holdë champartie, For as her listë the world may she gie. Lo, all these folk so caught were in her las Till they for woe full often said, Alas! Sufficë these ensamples one or two, Although I could reckon a thousand mo’.