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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Fyrst he wat3 funden fautle3 in his fyue wytte3,
And efte fayled neuer þe freke in his fyue fyngres;
And alle his afyaunce vpon folde wat3 in þe fyue wounde3
þat Cryst ka3t on þe croys, as þe crede telle3;
And quere-so-euer þys mon in melly wat3 stad,
His þro þo3t wat3 in þat, þur3 alle oþer þynge3,
þat alle his fersnes he feng at þe fyue joye3
þat þe hende heuen quene had of hir chylde. [...]
þe fyft fyue þat I finde þat þe frek vsed
Wat3 fraunchyse and fela3schyp forbe al þyng,
His clannes and his cortaysye croked were neuer,
And pité, þat passe3 alle poynte3 - þyse pure fyue
Were harder happed on þat haþel þen on any oþer.
Now alle þese fyue syþes, for soþe, were fetled on þis kny3t,
And vchone halched in oþer, þat non ende hade,
And fyched vpon fyve poynte3, þat fayld neuer,
Ne sammned neuer in no syde, ne sundred nouþer,
Withouten ende at any noke aiquere, I fynde,
Whereeuer þe gomen bygan or glod to an ende.
þerfore on his schene schelde schapen wat3 þe knot
Ryally wyth red golde vpon rede gowle3,
þat is þe pure pentaungel wyth þe peple called
with lore. (Vv. 640-65)
Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales,
General Prologue (A, 43-46; 67-72)
A Knyght ther was, and that a worthy man,
That fro the tyme that he first began
To riden out, he loved chivalrie,
Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.
[...]
And everemoore he hadde a sovereyn prys;
And though that he were worthy, he was wys,
And of his port as meeke as is a mayde.
He neuere yet no vileynye ne sayde
In al his lyf unto no maner wight.
He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght.
The Pentagram on Gawain's shield as a symbol of chivalric perfection