John Lydgate: The Complaint of the Black Knight with When by Divine Deliberation (Page 7 of 28)
(p.115) In blak and quhite cauloure pale and wan
And wonder dedely was he alsso of hew
Off hurtes grene and fresche woundes new
And euer more distreyned with siknese
Beside al this he was ful greuousely
For vppon hym he hadde a grete accese
That day by day hym shoke ful pitousely
So that sore constreynt of his malady
And hertly wo thus lyand allone
It was a deth for to here him grone
Quhereof astonaid my fote I gan withdraw
Gretely woundryng quhat it myght be
That he so lay and had no felaw
Ne that I kouth no wight with him se
Quhereof I had reuth and eke pite
And can anone so softly as I koud
Among the buskes me priuely to schroud
If that I myght In ony vvise aspy
Quhat vvas the cause of his dedely vvo
Or quhy that he so pitousely gan cry
On his fortone and his vre alsso
With al my myght I leyd myne ere to
Euiry vvourd to merk quhat he seid
Out of his suouche among as he abreid
Bot first if I schuld mak mention
Of his persoun and plenely him discryue
He vvas in sooth vvith out exception
To speke of manhede one the best on lyue
Thore may no man ayene treuth strywe
