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From The Squire's Tale, lines 393-408:
The scenery and subject of this tale
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From The Canterbury Tales:
The Squire's Tale
lines 409-446: Canace meets a wounded female falcon


      Amydde a tree fordryed, as whit as chalk,
410As Canacee was pleyyng in hir walk,
Ther sat a faucon over hir heed ful hye,
That with a pitous voys so gan to crye
That all the wode resouned of hir cry.
Ybeten hath she hirself so pitously
415With bothe hir wynges, til the rede blood
Ran endelong the tree ther-as she stood,
And evere in oon she cryde alwey and shrighte,
And with hir beek hirselven so she prighte,
That ther nys tygre, ne noon so crueel beest
420That dwelleth outher in wode or in forest
That nolde han wept, if that he wepe koude
For sorwe of hire, she shrighte alwey so loude.
For ther nas nevere yet no man on lyve
If that I koude a faucon wel discryve,
425That herde of swich another of fairnesse,
As wel of plumage as of gentillesse
Of shape and al that myghte yrekened be.
A faucon peregryn thanne semed she
Of fremde land, and everemoore as she stood
430She swowneth now and now for lakke of blood,
Til wel neigh is she fallen fro the tree.
      Amidst a dry, dead tree, as white as chalk,
410As Canace was playing in her walk,
There sat a falcon overhead full high,
That in a pitiful voice began to cry,
That all the wood resounded mournfully.
For she had beaten herself so pitiably
415With both her wings that the red glistening blood
Ran down the tree trunk whereupon she stood.
And ever in one same way she cried and shrieked,
And with her beak her body she so pricked
That there's no tiger, nor a cruel beast
420That dwells in open wood or deep forest,
Would not have wept, if ever weep he could,
For pity of her, she shrieked alway so loud.
For never yet has been a man alive -
If but description I could well contrive -
425That heard of such a falcon for fairness,
As well of plumage as of nobleness
Of shape, and all that reckoned up might be.
A falcon peregrine she was, and she
Seemed from a foreign land; and as she stood
430She fainted now and then for loss of blood,
Till almost she had fallen from the tree.
      This faire kynges doghter, Canacee,
That on hir fynger baar the queynte ryng,
Thurgh which she understood wel every thyng
435That any fowel may in his leden seyn,
And koude answeren hym in his ledene ageyn,
Hath understonde what this faucoun seyde,
And wel neigh for the routhe almoost she deyde.
And to the tree she gooth ful hastily,
440And on this faucoun looketh pitously,
And heeld hir lappe abrood, for wel she wiste
The faucoun moste fallen fro the twiste,
Whan that it swowned next, for lakke of blood.
A longe while to wayten hir she stood,
445Til atte laste she spak in this manere
Unto the hauk, as ye shal after heere.
      This king's fair daughter, Princess Canace,
Who on her finger bore the magic ring
Whereby she understood well everything
435That any bird might in his language say,
And in such language could reply straightway,
She understood well what this falcon said,
And of her pity well-nigh was she dead.
So to the tree she went right hastily,
440And on this falcon looked she pitifully,
And held her lap up wide, for she knew now
The falcon must come falling from the bough
When next it swooned away from loss of blood.
A long while waiting there the princess stood,
445Till at the last she spoke, in her voice clear,
Unto the hawk, as you'll hereafter hear.




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From The Squire's Tale, lines 447-471:
Canace, who bears the magical ring, asks the falcon what is wrong
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