Theseus a lite, And speak of Palamon and of Arcite.
The day approacheth of their returning, That evereach an hundred knights should bring, The battle to darraine as I you told; And to Athens, their covenant to hold, Hath ev’reach of them brought an hundred knights, Well armed for the war at allë rights. And sickerly there trowed many a man, That never, sithen that the world began, For to speaken of knighthood of their hand, As far as God hath maked sea and land, Was, of so few, so noble a company. For every wight that loved chivalry, And would, his thankës, have a passant name, Had prayed, that he might be of that game, And well was him, that thereto chosen was. For if there fell to-morrow such a case, Ye knowë well, that every lusty knight, That loveth par amour, and hath his might, Were it in Engleland, or ellëswhere, They would, their thankës, willen to be there, T’ fight for a lady; benedicite , It were a lusty sightë for to see. And right so fared they with Palamon; With him there wentë knightës many one. Some will be armed in an habergeon, And in a breastplate, and in a gipon; And some will have a pair of platës large; And some will have a Prussë shield, or targe; Some will be armed on their leggës weel; Some have an axe, and some a mace of steel. There is no newë guise, but it was old. Armed they weren, as I have you told, Evereach after his opinión.