And maade forward / erly for to ryseTo take oure wey / ther as .I. yow deuyse¶ But nathelees / while .I. haue tyme and spaceEr that .I ferther / in this tale pace Me thynketh it / acordant to resouıı̄unTo telle yow / al the condicioıı̄unOf eech of hem / so as it seemed meAnd whiche they weere / and of what degreeAnd eek in what array / þᵗat they weere InneAnd at a knyght thanne wol I first bigynne¶ A knyght ther was / and that a worthy manKnyght/That fro the tyme / þᵗat he first biganTo ryden out he loued chiualryeTrouthe and honoᵘur / fredom and curteisyeFul worthy was he / in his lordes werreAnd ther to hadde he ryden / no man ferreAs wel in cristendom / as hethenesseAnd euere honured / for his worthynesse¶ At Alisaundre he was / whan it was wonneFul ofte tyme / he hadde the bord bigonneAbouen alle nacions / in PruceIn lectow / hadde he reysed / and in RuceNo cristen man so ofte / of his degreeIn Gernade at the seege eek hadde he beAt Algizir / and ryden in BelmaryeAt lyeys was he / and at SatalyeWhan they weere wonne / and in the grete seeAt many a noble armee / hadde he bee¶ At mortal batailles / hadde he been fifteneAnd foghten for oure feyth / at TramysseneIn lystes thryes / and ay slayn his foo ¶ This ilke worthy knyght / hadde been alsoSomtyme / with the lord of PalatyeAgayn another hethen in TurkyeAnd eủere moore / he hadde a souereyn prysAnd thogh þᵗat he weere worthy / he was wysAnd of his poort as meke / as is a maydeNe neuere yet no vileynye he saydeIn al his lyf vn to no manere wightHe was a verray ꝑperfit gentil knyght