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At a posterne forth they gan to ryde By a geyn path, that ley oute a-side, Secrely, that no man hem espie, Only of 5 tresoun and of felonye. They haste hem forth al the longe day, Of cruel malys, forto stoppe his way, Thorgh a forest, alle of oon assent, Ful covartly to leyn a busshement Under an hille, at a streite passage, To falle on hym at mor avantage, The same way that Tydeus gan drawe At thylke mount wher that Spynx was slawe. He, nothing war in his opynyoun Of this compassed 10 conspiracioun, But innocent and lich "a gentyl knyght, Rood ay forth to 12 that it drowe 13 to nyght, Sool by hym-silf, with-oute companye, Havyng no man to wisse 14 hym or to gye.15 But at the last, lifting up his hede, Toward eve, he gan taken hede; Mid of his waye, right as eny lyne, Thoght he saugh, ageyn the mone shyne, Sheldes fresshe and plates borned 16 bright, The which environ 17 casten a gret lyght; Ymagynyng in his fantasye

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Ther was treson and conspiracye
Wrought by the kyng, his journe 18 forto lette.19
And of al that he no-thyng ne sette,20

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But wel assured in his manly herte, Listnat onys a-syde to dyverte, But kepte his way, his sheld upon his brest, And cast his spere manly in the rest, And the first platly 2 that he mette Thorgh the body proudely he hym smette, That he fille ded, chief mayster of hem alle; And than at onys they upon hym falle On every part, be 3 compas envyroun. But Tydeus, thorgh his hegh renoun, His blody swerde lete about hym glyde, Sleth and kylleth upon every side In his ire and his mortal tene; + That mervaile was he myght so sustene Ageyn hem alle, in every half besette; 5 But his swerde was so sharpe whette That his foomen founde ful unsoote. But he, allas! was mad light a foote,7 Be force grounded, in ful gret distresse; But of knyghthod and of gret prouesse Up he roos, maugre 10 alle his foon,11 And as they cam, he slogh 12 hem oon be oon, Lik a lyoun rampaunt in his rage, And on this hille he fond a narow passage, Which that he took of ful high prudence; And liche 13 a boor, stondyng at his diffence, As his foomen proudly hym assaylle, Upon the pleyn he made her blode to raylle Al enviroun, that the soyl wex rede, Now her, now ther, as they fille dede, That her lay on, and ther lay two or thre, So mercyles, in his cruelte,

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Thilke day he was upon hem founde;
And, attonys 15 his enemyes to confounde,
Wher-as he stood, this myghty champioun,
Be-side he saugh, with water turned doun,
An huge stoon large, rounde, and squar;
And sodeynly, er that thei wer war,
As 16 it hadde leyn ther for the nonys,17
Upon his foon he rolled it at onys,
That ten of hem 18 wenten unto wrak,
And the remnaunt amased drogh 19 a-bak;
For on by on they wente to meschaunce.20
And fynaly he broght to outraunce 1172
Hem everychoon, Tydeus, as blyve,22
That non but on left 23 of ham 18 alyve:
Hym-silf yhurt, and ywounded kene,24
Thurgh his harneys bledyng on the grene;

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1 wished 2 absolutely by pain 5 beset on every side unsweet, bitter 7 made to alight on

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1 quenched 2 had made 3 ambush 4 convenient purely because of greater advantage 7 the same 8 slain 10 not at all aware in his thought ranged, formed 11 like 12 till 13 drew 14 direct guide 16 burnished 17 around 18 journey 19 hinder 20 he cared nothing for all that

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prowess in spite of 16 at once as if 17 for the purpose them drew 20 defeat 21 destruction

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remained 24 sorely

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