Knight

THE KNIGHTES TALE.

Iamque domos patrias, Scithice post aspera gentisPrelia, laurigero, &c.

Whylom, as olde stories tellen us,Ther was a duk that highte Theseus; 860Of Athenes he was lord and governour,And in his tyme swich a conquerour,That gretter was ther noon under the sonne.Ful many a riche contree hadde he wonne;What with his wisdom and his chivalrye, 865He conquered al the regne of Femenye,That whylom was y-cleped Scithia;And weddede the quene Ipolita, (10)And broghte hir hoom with him in his contreeWith muchel glorie and greet solempnitee, 870And eek hir yonge suster Emelye.And thus with victorie and with melodyeLete I this noble duk to Athenes ryde,And al his hoost, in armes, him bisyde.

And certes, if it nere to long to here, 875I wolde han told yow fully the manere,How wonnen was the regne of FemenyeBy Theseus, and by his chivalrye; (20)And of the grete bataille for the nonesBitwixen Athenës and Amazones; 880And how asseged was Ipolita,The faire hardy quene of Scithia;And of the feste that was at hir weddinge,And of the tempest at hir hoom-cominge;But al that thing I moot as now forbere. 885I have, God woot, a large feeld to ere,And wayke been the oxen in my plough.The remenant of the tale is long y-nough. (30)I wol nat letten eek noon of this route;Lat every felawe telle his tale aboute, 890And lat see now who shal the soper winne;And ther I lefte, I wol ageyn biginne.

This duk, of whom I make mencioun,When he was come almost unto the toun,In al his wele and in his moste pryde, 895He was war, as he caste his eye asyde,Wher that ther kneled in the hye weyeA companye of ladies, tweye and tweye, (40)Ech after other, clad in clothes blake;But swich a cry and swich a wo they make, 900That in this world nis creature livinge,That herde swich another weymentinge;And of this cry they nolde never stenten,Til they the reynes of his brydel henten.

'What folk ben ye, that at myn hoom-cominge 905Perturben so my feste with cryinge?'Quod Theseus, 'have ye so greet envyeOf myn honour, that thus compleyne and crye? (50)Or who hath yow misboden, or offended?And telleth me if it may been amended; 910And why that ye ben clothed thus in blak?'

The eldest lady of hem alle spak,When she hadde swowned with a deedly chere,That it was routhe for to seen and here,And seyde: 'Lord, to whom Fortune hath yiven 915Victorie, and as a conquerour to liven,Noght greveth us your glorie and your honour;But we biseken mercy and socour. (60)Have mercy on our wo and our distresse.Som drope of pitee, thurgh thy gentillesse, 920Up-on us wrecched wommen lat thou falle.For certes, lord, ther nis noon of us alle,That she nath been a duchesse or a quene;Now be we caitifs, as it is wel sene:Thanked be Fortune, and hir false wheel, 925That noon estat assureth to be weel.And certes, lord, to abyden your presence,Here in the temple of the goddesse Clemence (70)We han ben waytinge al this fourtenight;Now help us, lord, sith it is in thy might. 930

I wrecche, which that wepe and waille thus,Was whylom wyf to king Capaneus,That starf at Thebes, cursed be that day!And alle we, that been in this array,And maken al this lamentacioun, 935We losten alle our housbondes at that toun,Whyl that the sege ther-aboute lay.And yet now the olde Creon, weylaway! (80)That lord is now of Thebes the citee,Fulfild of ire and of iniquitee, 940He, for despyt, and for his tirannye,To do the dede bodyes vileinye,Of alle our lordes, whiche that ben slawe,Hath alle the bodyes on an heep y-drawe,And wol nat suffren hem, by noon assent, 945Neither to been y-buried nor y-brent,But maketh houndes ete hem in despyt.'And with that word, with-outen more respyt, (90)They fillen gruf, and cryden pitously,'Have on us wrecched wommen som mercy, 950And lat our sorwe sinken in thyn herte.'

This gentil duk doun from his courser sterteWith herte pitous, whan he herde hem speke.Him thoughte that his herte wolde breke,Whan he saugh hem so pitous and so mat, 955That whylom weren of so greet estat.And in his armes he hem alle up hente,And hem conforteth in ful good entente; (100)And swoor his ooth, as he was trewe knight,He wolde doon so ferforthly his might 960Up-on the tyraunt Creon hem to wreke,That al the peple of Grece sholde spekeHow Creon was of Theseus y-served,As he that hadde his deeth ful wel deserved.And right anoon, with-outen more abood, 965His baner he desplayeth, and forth roodTo Thebes-ward, and al his host bisyde;No neer Athenës wolde he go ne ryde, (110)Ne take his ese fully half a day,But onward on his wey that night he lay; 970And sente anoon Ipolita the quene,And Emelye hir yonge suster shene,Un-to the toun of Athenës to dwelle;And forth he rit; ther nis namore to telle.

The rede statue of Mars, with spere and targe, 975So shyneth in his whyte baner large,That alle the feeldes gliteren up and doun;And by his baner born is his penoun (120)Of gold ful riche, in which ther was y-beteThe Minotaur, which that he slough in Crete. 980Thus rit this duk, thus rit this conquerour,And in his host of chivalrye the flour,Til that he cam to Thebes, and alighteFaire in a feeld, ther as he thoghte fighte.But shortly for to speken of this thing, 985With Creon, which that was of Thebes king,He faught, and slough him manly as a knightIn pleyn bataille, and putte the folk to flight; (130)And by assaut he wan the citee after,And rente adoun bothe wal, and sparre, and rafter; 990And to the ladyes he restored agaynThe bones of hir housbondes that were slayn,To doon obsequies, as was tho the gyse.But it were al to long for to devyseThe grete clamour and the waymentinge 995That the ladyes made at the brenningeOf the bodyes, and the grete honourThat Theseus, the noble conquerour, (140)Doth to the ladyes, whan they from him wente;But shortly for to telle is myn entente. 1000Whan that this worthy duk, this Theseus,Hath Creon slayn, and wonne Thebes thus,Stille in that feeld he took al night his reste,And dide with al the contree as him leste.

To ransake in the tas of bodyes dede, 1005Hem for to strepe of harneys and of wede,The pilours diden bisinesse and cure,After the bataille and disconfiture. (150)And so bifel, that in the tas they founde,Thurgh-girt with many a grevous blody wounde, 1010Two yonge knightes ligging by and by,Bothe in oon armes, wroght ful richely,Of whiche two, Arcita hight that oon,And that other knight hight Palamon.Nat fully quike, ne fully dede they were, 1015But by hir cote-armures, and by hir gere,The heraudes knewe hem best in special,As they that weren of the blood royal (160)Of Thebes, and of sustren two y-born.Out of the tas the pilours han hem torn, 1020And han hem caried softe un-to the tenteOf Theseus, and he ful sone hem senteTo Athenës, to dwellen in prisounPerpetuelly, he nolde no raunsoun.And whan this worthy duk hath thus y-don, 1025He took his host, and hoom he rood anonWith laurer crowned as a conquerour;And there he liveth, in Ioye and in honour, (170)Terme of his lyf; what nedeth wordes mo?And in a tour, in angwish and in wo, 1030Dwellen this Palamoun and eek Arcite,For evermore, ther may no gold hem quyte.

This passeth yeer by yeer, and day by day,Til it fil ones, in a morwe of May,That Emelye, that fairer was to sene 1035Than is the lilie upon his stalke grene,And fressher than the May with floures newe—For with the rose colour stroof hir hewe, (180)I noot which was the fairer of hem two—Er it were day, as was hir wone to do, 1040She was arisen, and al redy dight;For May wol have no slogardye a-night.The sesoun priketh every gentil herte,And maketh him out of his sleep to sterte,And seith, 'Arys, and do thyn observaunce.' 1045This maked Emelye have remembraunceTo doon honour to May, and for to ryse.Y-clothed was she fresh, for to devyse; (190)Hir yelow heer was broyded in a tresse,Bihinde hir bak, a yerde long, I gesse. 1050And in the gardin, at the sonne up-riste,She walketh up and doun, and as hir listeShe gadereth floures, party whyte and rede,To make a sotil gerland for hir hede,And as an aungel hevenly she song. 1055The grete tour, that was so thikke and strong,Which of the castel was the chief dongeoun,(Ther-as the knightes weren in prisoun, (200)Of whiche I tolde yow, and tellen shal)Was evene Ioynant to the gardin-wal, 1060Ther as this Emelye hadde hir pleyinge.Bright was the sonne, and cleer that morweninge,And Palamon, this woful prisoner,As was his wone, by leve of his gayler,Was risen, and romed in a chambre on heigh, 1065In which he al the noble citee seigh,And eek the gardin, ful of braunches grene,Ther-as this fresshe Emelye the shene (210)Was in hir walk, and romed up and doun.This sorweful prisoner, this Palamoun, 1070Goth in the chambre, roming to and fro,And to him-self compleyning of his wo;That he was born, ful ofte he seyde, 'alas!'And so bifel, by aventure or cas,That thurgh a window, thikke of many a barre 1075Of yren greet, and square as any sparre,He caste his eye upon Emelya,And ther-with-al he bleynte, and cryde 'a!' (220)As though he stongen were un-to the herte.And with that cry Arcite anon up-sterte, 1080And seyde, 'Cosin myn, what eyleth thee,That art so pale and deedly on to see?Why crydestow? who hath thee doon offence?For Goddes love, tak al in pacienceOur prisoun, for it may non other be; 1085Fortune hath yeven us this adversitee.Som wikke aspect or disposiciounOf Saturne, by sum constellacioun, (230)Hath yeven us this, al-though we hadde it sworn;So stood the heven whan that we were born; 1090We moste endure it: this is the short and pleyn.'

This Palamon answerde, and seyde ageyn,'Cosyn, for sothe, of this opiniounThou hast a veyn imaginacioun.This prison caused me nat for to crye. 1095But I was hurt right now thurgh-out myn yëIn-to myn herte, that wol my bane be.The fairnesse of that lady that I see (240)Yond in the gardin romen to and fro,Is cause of al my crying and my wo. 1100I noot wher she be womman or goddesse;But Venus is it, soothly, as I gesse.'And ther-with-al on kneës doun he fil,And seyde: 'Venus, if it be thy wilYow in this gardin thus to transfigure 1105Bifore me, sorweful wrecche creature,Out of this prisoun help that we may scapen.And if so be my destinee be shapen (250)By eterne word to dyen in prisoun,Of our linage have som compassioun, 1110That is so lowe y-broght by tirannye.'And with that word Arcite gan espyeWher-as this lady romed to and fro.And with that sighte hir beautee hurte him so,That, if that Palamon was wounded sore, 1115Arcite is hurt as muche as he, or more.And with a sigh he seyde pitously:'The fresshe beautee sleeth me sodeynly (260)Of hir that rometh in the yonder place;And, but I have hir mercy and hir grace, 1120That I may seen hir atte leeste weye,I nam but deed; ther nis namore to seye.'

This Palamon, whan he tho wordes herde,Dispitously he loked, and answerde:'Whether seistow this in ernest or in pley?' 1125

'Nay,' quod Arcite, 'in ernest, by my fey!God help me so, me list ful yvele pleye.'

This Palamon gan knitte his browes tweye: (270)'It nere,' quod he, 'to thee no greet honourFor to be fals, ne for to be traytour 1130To me, that am thy cosin and thy brotherY-sworn ful depe, and ech of us til other,That never, for to dyen in the peyne,Til that the deeth departe shal us tweyne,Neither of us in love to hindren other, 1135Ne in non other cas, my leve brother;But that thou sholdest trewely forthren meIn every cas, and I shal forthren thee. (280)This was thyn ooth, and myn also, certeyn;I wot right wel, thou darst it nat withseyn. 1140Thus artow of my counseil, out of doute.And now thou woldest falsly been abouteTo love my lady, whom I love and serve,And ever shal, til that myn herte sterve.Now certes, fals Arcite, thou shalt nat so. 1145I loved hir first, and tolde thee my woAs to my counseil, and my brother swornTo forthre me, as I have told biforn. (290)For which thou art y-bounden as a knightTo helpen me, if it lay in thy might, 1150Or elles artow fals, I dar wel seyn.'

This Arcitë ful proudly spak ageyn,'Thou shalt,' quod he, 'be rather fals than I;But thou art fals, I telle thee utterly;For par amour I loved hir first er thow. 1155What wiltow seyn? thou wistest nat yet nowWhether she be a womman or goddesse!Thyn is affeccioun of holinesse, (300)And myn is love, as to a creature;For which I tolde thee myn aventure 1160As to my cosin, and my brother sworn.I pose, that thou lovedest hir biforn;Wostow nat wel the olde clerkes sawe,That 'who shal yeve a lover any lawe?'Love is a gretter lawe, by my pan, 1165Than may be yeve to any erthly man.And therefore positif lawe and swich decreeIs broke al-day for love, in ech degree. (310)A man moot nedes love, maugree his heed.He may nat fleen it, thogh he sholde be deed, 1170Al be she mayde, or widwe, or elles wyf.And eek it is nat lykly, al thy lyf,To stonden in hir grace; namore shal I;For wel thou woost thy-selven, verraily,That thou and I be dampned to prisoun 1175Perpetuelly; us gayneth no raunsoun.We stryve as dide the houndes for the boon,They foughte al day, and yet hir part was noon; (320)Ther cam a kyte, whyl that they were wrothe,And bar awey the boon bitwixe hem bothe. 1180And therfore, at the kinges court, my brother,Ech man for him-self, ther is non other.Love if thee list; for I love and ay shal;And soothly, leve brother, this is al.Here in this prisoun mote we endure, 1185And everich of us take his aventure.'

Greet was the stryf and long bitwixe hem tweye,If that I hadde leyser for to seye; (330)But to theffect. It happed on a day,(To telle it yow as shortly as I may) 1190A worthy duk that highte Perotheus,That felawe was un-to duk TheseusSin thilke day that they were children lyte,Was come to Athenes, his felawe to visyte,And for to pleye, as he was wont to do, 1195For in this world he loved no man so:And he loved him as tendrely ageyn.So wel they loved, as olde bokes seyn, (340)That whan that oon was deed, sothly to telle,His felawe wente and soghte him doun in helle; 1200But of that story list me nat to wryte.Duk Perotheus loved wel Arcite,And hadde him knowe at Thebes yeer by yere;And fynally, at requeste and preyereOf Perotheus, with-oute any raunsoun, 1205Duk Theseus him leet out of prisoun,Freely to goon, wher that him liste over-al,In swich a gyse, as I you tellen shal. (350)This was the forward, pleynly for tendyte,Bitwixen Theseus and him Arcite: 1210That if so were, that Arcite were y-foundeEver in his lyf, by day or night or stoundeIn any contree of this Theseus,And he were caught, it was acorded thus,That with a swerd he sholde lese his heed; 1215Ther nas non other remedye ne reed,But taketh his leve, and homward he him spedde;Let him be war, his nekke lyth to wedde! (360)

How greet a sorwe suffreth now Arcite!The deeth he feleth thurgh his herte smyte; 1220He wepeth, wayleth, cryeth pitously;To sleen him-self he wayteth prively.He seyde, 'Allas that day that I was born!Now is my prison worse than biforn;Now is me shape eternally to dwelle 1225Noght in purgatorie, but in helle.Allas! that ever knew I Perotheus!For elles hadde I dwelled with Theseus (370)Y-fetered in his prisoun ever-mo.Than hadde I been in blisse, and nat in wo. 1230Only the sighte of hir, whom that I serve,Though that I never hir grace may deserve,Wolde han suffised right y-nough for me.O dere cosin Palamon,' quod he,'Thyn is the victorie of this aventure, 1235Ful blisfully in prison maistow dure;In prison? certes nay, but in paradys!Wel hath fortune y-turned thee the dys, (380)That hast the sighte of hir, and I thabsence.For possible is, sin thou hast hir presence, 1240And art a knight, a worthy and an able,That by som cas, sin fortune is chaungeable,Thou mayst to thy desyr som-tyme atteyne.But I, that am exyled, and bareyneOf alle grace, and in so greet despeir, 1245That ther nis erthe, water, fyr, ne eir,Ne creature, that of hem maked is,That may me helpe or doon confort in this. (390)Wel oughte I sterve in wanhope and distresse;Farwel my lyf, my lust, and my gladnesse! 1250

Allas, why pleynen folk so in communeOf purveyaunce of God, or of fortune,That yeveth hem ful ofte in many a gyseWel bettre than they can hem-self devyse?Som man desyreth for to han richesse, 1255That cause is of his mordre or greet siknesse.And som man wolde out of his prison fayn,That in his hous is of his meynee slayn. (400)Infinite harmes been in this matere;We witen nat what thing we preyen here. 1260We faren as he that dronke is as a mous;A dronke man wot wel he hath an hous,But he noot which the righte wey is thider;And to a dronke man the wey is slider.And certes, in this world so faren we; 1265We seken faste after felicitee,But we goon wrong ful often, trewely.Thus may we seyen alle, and namely I, (410)That wende and hadde a greet opinioun,That, if I mighte escapen from prisoun, 1270Than hadde I been in Ioye and perfit hele,Ther now I am exyled fro my wele.Sin that I may nat seen yow, Emelye,I nam but deed; ther nis no remedye.'

Up-on that other syde Palamon, 1275Whan that he wiste Arcite was agon,Swich sorwe he maketh, that the grete tourResouneth of his youling and clamour. (420)The pure fettres on his shines greteWeren of his bittre salte teres wete. 1280'Allas!' quod he, 'Arcita, cosin myn,Of al our stryf, God woot, the fruyt is thyn.Thow walkest now in Thebes at thy large,And of my wo thou yevest litel charge.Thou mayst, sin thou hast wisdom and manhede, 1285Assemblen alle the folk of our kinrede,And make a werre so sharp on this citee,That by som aventure, or som tretee, (430)Thou mayst have hir to lady and to wyf,For whom that I mot nedes lese my lyf. 1290For, as by wey of possibilitee,Sith thou art at thy large, of prison free,And art a lord, greet is thyn avauntage,More than is myn, that sterve here in a cage.For I mot wepe and wayle, whyl I live, 1295With al the wo that prison may me yive,And eek with peyne that love me yiveth also,That doubleth al my torment and my wo.' (440)Ther-with the fyr of Ielousye up-sterteWith-inne his brest, and hente him by the herte 1300So woodly, that he lyk was to biholdeThe box-tree, or the asshen dede and colde.Tho seyde he; 'O cruel goddes, that governeThis world with binding of your word eterne,And wryten in the table of athamaunt 1305Your parlement, and your eterne graunt,What is mankinde more un-to yow holdeThan is the sheep, that rouketh in the folde? (450)For slayn is man right as another beste,And dwelleth eek in prison and areste, 1310And hath siknesse, and greet adversitee,And ofte tymes giltelees, pardee!

What governaunce is in this prescience,That giltelees tormenteth innocence?And yet encreseth this al my penaunce, 1315That man is bounden to his observaunce,For Goddes sake, to letten of his wille,Ther as a beest may al his lust fulfille. (460)And whan a beest is deed, he hath no peyne;But man after his deeth moot wepe and pleyne, 1320Though in this world he have care and wo:With-outen doute it may stonden so.The answere of this I lete to divynis,But wel I woot, that in this world gret pyne is.Allas! I see a serpent or a theef, 1325That many a trewe man hath doon mescheef,Goon at his large, and wher him list may turne.But I mot been in prison thurgh Saturne, (470)And eek thurgh Iuno, Ialous and eek wood,That hath destroyed wel ny al the blood 1330Of Thebes, with his waste walles wyde.And Venus sleeth me on that other sydeFor Ielousye, and fere of him Arcite.'

Now wol I stinte of Palamon a lyte,And lete him in his prison stille dwelle, 1335And of Arcita forth I wol yow telle.

The somer passeth, and the nightes longeEncresen double wyse the peynes stronge (480)Bothe of the lovere and the prisoner.I noot which hath the wofullere mester. 1340For shortly for to seyn, this PalamounPerpetuelly is dampned to prisoun,In cheynes and in fettres to ben deed;And Arcite is exyled upon his heedFor ever-mo as out of that contree, 1345Ne never-mo he shal his lady see.

Yow loveres axe I now this questioun,Who hath the worse, Arcite or Palamoun? (490)That oon may seen his lady day by day,But in prison he moot dwelle alway. 1350That other wher him list may ryde or go,But seen his lady shal he never-mo.Now demeth as yow liste, ye that can,For I wol telle forth as I bigan.

Explicit prima Pars. Sequitur pars secunda.

Whan that Arcite to Thebes comen was, 1355Ful ofte a day he swelte and seyde 'allas,'For seen his lady shal he never-mo.And shortly to concluden al his wo, (500)So muche sorwe had never creatureThat is, or shal, whyl that the world may dure. 1360His sleep, his mete, his drink is him biraft,That lene he wex, and drye as is a shaft.His eyen holwe, and grisly to biholde;His hewe falwe, and pale as asshen colde,And solitarie he was, and ever allone, 1365And wailling al the night, making his mone.And if he herde song or instrument,Then wolde he wepe, he mighte nat be stent; (510)So feble eek were his spirits, and so lowe,And chaunged so, that no man coude knowe 1370His speche nor his vois, though men it herde.And in his gere, for al the world he ferdeNat oonly lyk the loveres maladyeOf Hereos, but rather lyk manyeEngendred of humour malencolyk, 1375Biforen, in his celle fantastyk.And shortly, turned was al up-so-dounBothe habit and eek disposicioun (520)Of him, this woful lovere daun Arcite.

What sholde I al-day of his wo endyte? 1380Whan he endured hadde a yeer or twoThis cruel torment, and this peyne and wo,At Thebes, in his contree, as I seyde,Up-on a night, in sleep as he him leyde,Him thoughte how that the winged god Mercurie 1385Biforn him stood, and bad him to be murye.His slepy yerde in hond he bar uprighte;An hat he werede up-on his heres brighte. (530)Arrayed was this god (as he took keep)As he was whan that Argus took his sleep; 1390And seyde him thus: 'To Athenes shaltou wende;Ther is thee shapen of thy wo an ende.'And with that word Arcite wook and sterte.'Now trewely, how sore that me smerte,'Quod he, 'to Athenes right now wol I fare; 1395Ne for the drede of deeth shal I nat spareTo see my lady, that I love and serve;In hir presence I recche nat to sterve.' (540)

And with that word he caughte a greet mirour,And saugh that chaunged was al his colour, 1400And saugh his visage al in another kinde.And right anoon it ran him in his minde,That, sith his face was so disfiguredOf maladye, the which he hadde endured,He mighte wel, if that he bar him lowe, 1405Live in Athenes ever-more unknowe,And seen his lady wel ny day by day.And right anon he chaunged his array, (550)And cladde him as a povre laborer,And al allone, save oonly a squyer, 1410That knew his privetee and al his cas,Which was disgysed povrely, as he was,To Athenes is he goon the nexte way.And to the court he wente up-on a day,And at the gate he profreth his servyse, 1415To drugge and drawe, what so men wol devyse.And shortly of this matere for to seyn,He fil in office with a chamberleyn, (560)The which that dwelling was with Emelye.For he was wys, and coude soon aspye 1420Of every servaunt, which that serveth here.Wel coude he hewen wode, and water bere,For he was yong and mighty for the nones,And ther-to be was strong and big of bonesTo doon that any wight can him devyse. 1425A yeer or two he was in this servyse,Page of the chambre of Emelye the brighte;And 'Philostrate' he seide that he highte. (570)But half so wel biloved a man as heNe was ther never in court, of his degree; 1430He was so gentil of condicioun,That thurghout al the court was his renoun.They seyden, that it were a chariteeThat Theseus wolde enhauncen his degree,And putten him in worshipful servyse, 1435Ther as he mighte his vertu excercyse.And thus, with-inne a whyle, his name is sprongeBothe of his dedes, and his goode tonge, (580)That Theseus hath taken him so neerThat of his chambre he made him a squyer, 1440And yaf him gold to mayntene his degree;And eek men broghte him out of his contreeFrom yeer to yeer, ful prively, his rente;But honestly and slyly he it spente,That no man wondred how that he it hadde. 1445And three yeer in this wyse his lyf he ladde,And bar him so in pees and eek in werre,Ther nas no man that Theseus hath derre. (590)And in this blisse lete I now Arcite,And speke I wol of Palamon a lyte. 1450

In derknesse and horrible and strong prisounThis seven yeer hath seten Palamoun,Forpyned, what for wo and for distresse;Who feleth double soor and hevinesseBut Palamon? that love destreyneth so, 1455That wood out of his wit he gooth for wo;And eek therto he is a prisonerPerpetuelly, noght oonly for a yeer. (600)Who coude ryme in English proprelyHis martirdom? for sothe, it am nat I; 1460Therefore I passe as lightly as I may.

It fel that in the seventhe yeer, in May,The thridde night, (as olde bokes seyn,That al this storie tellen more pleyn,)Were it by aventure or destinee, 1465(As, whan a thing is shapen, it shal be,)That, sone after the midnight, Palamoun,By helping of a freend, brak his prisoun, (610)And fleeth the citee, faste as he may go;For he had yive his gayler drinke so 1470Of a clarree, maad of a certeyn wyn,With nercotikes and opie of Thebes fyn,That al that night, thogh that men wolde him shake,The gayler sleep, he mighte nat awake;And thus he fleeth as faste as ever he may. 1475The night was short, and faste by the day,That nedes-cost he moste him-selven hyde,And til a grove, faste ther besyde, (620)With dredful foot than stalketh Palamoun.For shortly, this was his opinioun, 1480That in that grove he wolde him hyde al day,And in the night than wolde he take his wayTo Thebes-ward, his freendes for to preyeOn Theseus to helpe him to werreye;And shortly, outher he wolde lese his lyf, 1485Or winnen Emelye un-to his wyf;This is theffect and his entente pleyn.

Now wol I torne un-to Arcite ageyn, (630)That litel wiste how ny that was his care,Til that fortune had broght him in the snare. 1490

The bisy larke, messager of day,Saluëth in hir song the morwe gray;And fyry Phebus ryseth up so brighte,That al the orient laugheth of the lighte,And with his stremes dryeth in the greves 1495The silver dropes, hanging on the leves.And Arcite, that is in the court royalWith Theseus, his squyer principal, (640)Is risen, and loketh on the myrie day.And, for to doon his observaunce to May, 1500Remembring on the poynt of his desyr,He on a courser, sterting as the fyr,Is riden in-to the feeldes, him to pleye,Out of the court, were it a myle or tweye;And to the grove, of which that I yow tolde, 1505By aventure, his wey he gan to holde,To maken him a gerland of the greves,Were it of wodebinde or hawethorn-leves, (650)And loude he song ageyn the sonne shene:'May, with alle thy floures and thy grene, 1510Wel-come be thou, faire fresshe May,I hope that I som grene gete may.'And from his courser, with a lusty herte,In-to the grove ful hastily he sterte,And in a path he rometh up and doun, 1515Ther-as, by aventure, this PalamounWas in a bush, that no man mighte him see,For sore afered of his deeth was he. (660)No-thing ne knew he that it was Arcite:God wot he wolde have trowed it ful lyte. 1520But sooth is seyd, gon sithen many yeres,That 'feeld hath eyen, and the wode hath eres.'It is ful fair a man to bere him evene,For al-day meteth men at unset stevene.Ful litel woot Arcite of his felawe, 1525That was so ny to herknen al his sawe,For in the bush he sitteth now ful stille.

Whan that Arcite had romed al his fille, (670)And songen al the roundel lustily,In-to a studie he fil sodeynly, 1530As doon thise loveres in hir queynte geres,Now in the croppe, now doun in the breres,Now up, now doun, as boket in a welle.Right as the Friday, soothly for to telle,Now it shyneth, now it reyneth faste, 1535Right so can gery Venus overcasteThe hertes of hir folk; right as hir dayIs gerful, right so chaungeth she array. (680)Selde is the Friday al the wyke y-lyke.

Whan that Arcite had songe, he gan to syke, 1540And sette him doun with-outen any more:'Alas!' quod he, 'that day that I was bore!How longe, Iuno, thurgh thy crueltee,Woltow werreyen Thebes the citee?Allas! y-broght is to confusioun 1545The blood royal of Cadme and Amphioun;Of Cadmus, which that was the firste manThat Thebes bulte, or first the toun bigan, 690And of the citee first was crouned king,Of his linage am I, and his of-spring 1550By verray ligne, as of the stok royal:And now I am so caitif and so thral,That he, that is my mortal enemy,I serve him as his squyer povrely.And yet doth Iuno me wel more shame, 1555For I dar noght biknowe myn owne name;But ther-as I was wont to highte Arcite,Now highte I Philostrate, noght worth a myte. 700Allas! thou felle Mars, allas! Iuno,Thus hath your ire our kinrede al fordo, 1560Save only me, and wrecched Palamoun,That Theseus martyreth in prisoun.And over al this, to sleen me utterly,Love hath his fyry dart so brenninglyY-stiked thurgh my trewe careful herte, 1565That shapen was my deeth erst than my sherte.Ye sleen me with your eyen, Emelye;Ye been the cause wherfor that I dye. (710)Of al the remenant of myn other careNe sette I nat the mountaunce of a tare, 1570So that I coude don aught to your plesaunce!'And with that word he fil doun in a traunceA longe tyme; and after he up-sterte.

This Palamoun, that thoughte that thurgh his herteHe felte a cold swerd sodeynliche glyde, 1575For ire he quook, no lenger wolde he byde.And whan that he had herd Arcites tale,As he were wood, with face deed and pale, (720)He sterte him up out of the buskes thikke,And seyde: 'Arcite, false traitour wikke, 1580Now artow hent, that lovest my lady so,For whom that I have al this peyne and wo,And art my blood, and to my counseil sworn,As I ful ofte have told thee heer-biforn,And hast by-iaped here duk Theseus, 1585And falsly chaunged hast thy name thus;I wol be deed, or elles thou shalt dye.Thou shalt nat love my lady Emelye, (730)But I wol love hir only, and namo;For I am Palamoun, thy mortal fo. 1590And though that I no wepne have in this place,But out of prison am astert by grace,I drede noght that outher thou shalt dye,Or thou ne shalt nat loven Emelye.Chees which thou wilt, for thou shalt nat asterte.' 1595

This Arcitë, with ful despitous herte,Whan he him knew, and hadde his tale herd,As fiers as leoun, pulled out a swerd, (740)And seyde thus: 'by God that sit above,Nere it that thou art sik, and wood for love, 1600And eek that thou no wepne hast in this place,Thou sholdest never out of this grove pace,That thou ne sholdest dyen of myn hond.For I defye the seurtee and the bondWhich that thou seyst that I have maad to thee. 1605What, verray fool, think wel that love is free,And I wol love hir, maugre al thy might!But, for as muche thou art a worthy knight, (750)And wilnest to darreyne hir by batayle,Have heer my trouthe, to-morwe I wol nat fayle, 1610With-outen witing of any other wight,That here I wol be founden as a knight,And bringen harneys right y-nough for thee;And chees the beste, and leve the worste for me.And mete and drinke this night wol I bringe 1615Y-nough for thee, and clothes for thy beddinge.And, if so be that thou my lady winne,And slee me in this wode ther I am inne, (760)Thou mayst wel have thy lady, as for me.'This Palamon answerde: 'I graunte it thee.' 1620And thus they been departed til a-morwe,When ech of hem had leyd his feith to borwe.

O Cupide, out of alle charitee!O regne, that wolt no felawe have with thee!Ful sooth is seyd, that love ne lordshipe 1625Wol noght, his thankes, have no felaweshipe;Wel finden that Arcite and Palamoun.Arcite is riden anon un-to the toun, (770)And on the morwe, er it were dayes light,Ful prively two harneys hath he dight, 1630Bothe suffisaunt and mete to darreyneThe bataille in the feeld bitwix hem tweyne.And on his hors, allone as he was born,He carieth al this harneys him biforn;And in the grove, at tyme and place y-set, 1635This Arcite and this Palamon ben met.Tho chaungen gan the colour in hir face;Right as the hunter in the regne of Trace, (780)That stondeth at the gappe with a spere,Whan hunted is the leoun or the bere, 1640And hereth him come russhing in the greves,And breketh bothe bowes and the leves,And thinketh, 'heer cometh my mortel enemy,With-oute faile, he moot be deed, or I;For outher I mot sleen him at the gappe, 1645Or he mot sleen me, if that me mishappe:'So ferden they, in chaunging of hir hewe,As fer as everich of hem other knewe. (790)Ther nas no good day, ne no saluing;But streight, with-outen word or rehersing, 1650Everich of hem halp for to armen other,As freendly as he were his owne brother;And after that, with sharpe speres strongeThey foynen ech at other wonder longe.Thou mightest wene that this Palamoun 1655In his fighting were a wood leoun,And as a cruel tygre was Arcite:As wilde bores gonne they to smyte, (800)That frothen whyte as foom for ire wood.Up to the ancle foghte they in hir blood. 1660And in this wyse I lete hem fighting dwelle;And forth I wol of Theseus yow telle.

The destinee, ministre general,That executeth in the world over-alThe purveyaunce, that God hath seyn biforn, 1665So strong it is, that, though the world had swornThe contrarie of a thing, by ye or nay,Yet somtyme it shal fallen on a day (810)That falleth nat eft with-inne a thousand yere.For certeinly, our appetytes here, 1670Be it of werre, or pees, or hate, or love,Al is this reuled by the sighte above.This mene I now by mighty Theseus,That for to honten is so desirous,And namely at the grete hert in May, 1675That in his bed ther daweth him no day,That he nis clad, and redy for to rydeWith hunte and horn, and houndes him bisyde. (820)For in his hunting hath he swich delyt,That it is al his Ioye and appetyt 1680To been him-self the grete hertes bane;For after Mars he serveth now Diane.

Cleer was the day, as I have told er this,And Theseus, with alle Ioye and blis,With his Ipolita, the fayre quene, 1685And Emelye, clothed al in grene,On hunting be they riden royally.And to the grove, that stood ful faste by, (830)In which ther was an hert, as men him tolde,Duk Theseus the streighte wey hath holde. 1690And to the launde he rydeth him ful right,For thider was the hert wont have his flight,And over a brook, and so forth on his weye.This duk wol han a cours at him, or tweye,With houndes, swiche as that him list comaunde. 1695

And whan this duk was come un-to the launde,Under the sonne he loketh, and anonHe was war of Arcite and Palamon, (840)That foughten breme, as it were bores two;The brighte swerdes wenten to and fro 1700So hidously, that with the leeste strookIt seemed as it wolde felle an ook;But what they were, no-thing he ne woot.This duk his courser with his spores smoot,And at a stert he was bitwix hem two, 1705And pulled out a swerd and cryed, 'ho!Namore, up peyne of lesing of your heed.By mighty Mars, he shal anon be deed, (850)That smyteth any strook, that I may seen!But telleth me what mister men ye been, 1710That been so hardy for to fighten hereWith-outen Iuge or other officere,As it were in a listes royally?'

This Palamon answerde hastily,And seyde: 'sire, what nedeth wordes mo? 1715We have the deeth deserved bothe two.Two woful wrecches been we, two caytyves,That been encombred of our owne lyves; (860)And as thou art a rightful lord and Iuge,Ne yeve us neither mercy ne refuge, 1720But slee me first, for seynte charitee;But slee my felawe eek as wel as me.Or slee him first; for, though thou knowe it lyte,This is thy mortal fo, this is Arcite,That fro thy lond is banished on his heed, 1725For which he hath deserved to be deed.For this is he that cam un-to thy gate,And seyde, that he highte Philostrate. (870)Thus hath he Iaped thee ful many a yeer,And thou has maked him thy chief squyer; 1730And this is he that loveth Emelye.For sith the day is come that I shal dye,I make pleynly my confessioun,That I am thilke woful Palamoun,That hath thy prison broken wikkedly. 1735I am thy mortal fo, and it am IThat loveth so hote Emelye the brighte,That I wol dye present in hir sighte. (880)Therfore I axe deeth and my Iuwyse;But slee my felawe in the same wyse, 1740For bothe han we deserved to be slayn.'

This worthy duk answerde anon agayn,And seyde, 'This is a short conclusioun:Youre owne mouth, by your confessioun,Hath dampned you, and I wol it recorde, 1745It nedeth noght to pyne yow with the corde.Ye shul be deed, by mighty Mars the rede!'The quene anon, for verray wommanhede, (890)Gan for to wepe, and so dide Emelye,And alle the ladies in the companye. 1750Gret pitee was it, as it thoughte hem alle,That ever swich a chaunce sholde falle;For gentil men they were, of greet estat,And no-thing but for love was this debat;And sawe hir blody woundes wyde and sore; 1755And alle cryden, bothe lasse and more,'Have mercy, lord, up-on us wommen alle!'And on hir bare knees adoun they falle, (900)And wolde have kist his feet ther-as he stood,Til at the laste aslaked was his mood; 1760For pitee renneth sone in gentil herte.And though he first for ire quook and sterte,He hath considered shortly, in a clause,The trespas of hem bothe, and eek the cause:And al-though that his ire hir gilt accused, 1765Yet in his reson he hem bothe excused;As thus: he thoghte wel, that every manWol helpe him-self in love, if that he can, (910)And eek delivere him-self out of prisoun;And eek his herte had compassioun 1770Of wommen, for they wepen ever in oon;And in his gentil herte he thoghte anoon,And softe un-to himself he seyde: 'fyUp-on a lord that wol have no mercy,But been a leoun, bothe in word and dede, 1775To hem that been in repentaunce and dredeAs wel as to a proud despitous manThat wol maynteyne that he first bigan! (920)That lord hath litel of discrecioun,That in swich cas can no divisioun, 1780But weyeth pryde and humblesse after oon.'And shortly, whan his ire is thus agoon,He gan to loken up with eyen lighte,And spak thise same wordes al on highte:—The god of love, a! benedicite, 1785How mighty and how greet a lord is he!Ayeins his might ther gayneth none obstacles,He may be cleped a god for his miracles; (930)For he can maken at his owne gyseOf everich herte, as that him list devyse. 1790Lo heer, this Arcite and this Palamoun,That quitly weren out of my prisoun,And mighte han lived in Thebes royally,And witen I am hir mortal enemy,And that hir deeth lyth in my might also, 1795And yet hath love, maugree hir eyen two,Y-broght hem hider bothe for to dye!Now loketh, is nat that an heigh folye? (940)Who may been a fool, but-if he love?Bihold, for Goddes sake that sit above, 1800Se how they blede! be they noght wel arrayed?Thus hath hir lord, the god of love, y-payedHir wages and hir fees for hir servyse!And yet they wenen for to been ful wyseThat serven love, for aught that may bifalle! 1805But this is yet the beste game of alle,That she, for whom they han this Iolitee,Can hem ther-for as muche thank as me; (950)She woot namore of al this hote fare,By God, than woot a cokkow or an hare! 1810But al mot been assayed, hoot and cold;A man mot been a fool, or yong or old;I woot it by my-self ful yore agoon:For in my tyme a servant was I oon.And therfore, sin I knowe of loves peyne, 1815And woot how sore it can a man distreyne,As he that hath ben caught ofte in his las,I yow foryeve al hoolly this trespas, (960)At requeste of the quene that kneleth here,And eek of Emelye, my suster dere. 1820And ye shul bothe anon un-to me swere,That never-mo ye shul my contree dere,Ne make werre up-on me night ne day,But been my freendes in al that ye may;I yow foryeve this trespas every del.' 1825And they him swore his axing fayre and wel,And him of lordshipe and of mercy preyde,And he hem graunteth grace, and thus he seyde: (970)

'To speke of royal linage and richesse,Though that she were a quene or a princesse, 1830Ech of yow bothe is worthy, doutelees,To wedden whan tyme is, but natheleesI speke as for my suster Emelye,For whom ye have this stryf and Ielousye;Ye woot your-self, she may not wedden two 1835At ones, though ye fighten ever-mo:That oon of yow, al be him looth or leef,He moot go pypen in an ivy-leef; (980)This is to seyn, she may nat now han bothe,Al be ye never so Ielous, ne so wrothe. 1840And for-thy I yow putte in this degree,That ech of yow shal have his destineeAs him is shape; and herkneth in what wyse;Lo, heer your ende of that I shal devyse.

My wil is this, for plat conclusioun, 1845With-outen any replicacioun,If that yow lyketh, tak it for the beste,That everich of yow shal gon wher him leste (990)Frely, with-outen raunson or daunger;And this day fifty wykes, fer ne ner, 1850Everich of yow shal bringe an hundred knightes,Armed for listes up at alle rightes,Al redy to darreyne hir by bataille.And this bihote I yow, with-outen faille,Up-on my trouthe, and as I am a knight, 1855That whether of yow bothe that hath might,This is to seyn, that whether he or thouMay with his hundred, as I spak of now, (1000)Sleen his contrarie, or out of listes dryve,Him shal I yeve Emelya to wyve, 1860To whom that fortune yeveth so fair a grace.The listes shal I maken in this place,And God so wisly on my soule rewe,As I shal even Iuge been and trewe.Ye shul non other ende with me maken, 1865That oon of yow ne shal be deed or taken.And if yow thinketh this is wel y-sayd,Seyeth your avys, and holdeth yow apayd. (1010)This is your ende and your conclusioun.'

Who loketh lightly now but Palamoun? 1870Who springeth up for Ioye but Arcite?Who couthe telle, or who couthe it endyte,The Ioye that is maked in the placeWhan Theseus hath doon so fair a grace?But doun on knees wente every maner wight, 1875And thanked him with al her herte and might,And namely the Thebans ofte sythe.And thus with good hope and with herte blythe (1020)They take hir leve, and hom-ward gonne they rydeTo Thebes, with his olde walles wyde. 1880

Explicit secunda pars. Sequitur pars tercia.

I trowe men wolde deme it necligence,If I foryete to tellen the dispenceOf Theseus, that goth so bisilyTo maken up the listes royally;That swich a noble theatre as it was, 1885I dar wel seyn that in this world ther nas.The circuit a myle was aboute,Walled of stoon, and diched al with-oute. (1030)Round was the shap, in maner of compas,Ful of degrees, the heighte of sixty pas, 1890That, whan a man was set on o degree,He letted nat his felawe for to see.

Est-ward ther stood a gate of marbel whyt,West-ward, right swich another in the opposit.And shortly to concluden, swich a place 1895Was noon in erthe, as in so litel space;For in the lond ther nas no crafty man,That geometrie or ars-metrik can, (1040)Ne purtreyour, ne kerver of images,That Theseus ne yaf him mete and wages 1900The theatre for to maken and devyse.And for to doon his ryte and sacrifyse,He est-ward hath, up-on the gate above,In worship of Venus, goddesse of love,Don make an auter and an oratorie; 1905And west-ward, in the minde and in memorieOf Mars, he maked hath right swich another,That coste largely of gold a fother. (1050)And north-ward, in a touret on the wal,Of alabastre whyt and reed coral 1910An oratorie riche for to see,In worship of Dyane of chastitee,Hath Theseus don wroght in noble wyse.

But yet hadde I foryeten to devyseThe noble kerving, and the portreitures, 1915The shap, the countenaunce, and the figures,That weren in thise oratories three.

First in the temple of Venus maystow see (1060)Wroght on the wal, ful pitous to biholde,The broken slepes, and the sykes colde; 1920The sacred teres, and the waymenting;The fyry strokes of the desiring,That loves servaunts in this lyf enduren;The othes, that hir covenants assuren;Plesaunce and hope, desyr, fool-hardinesse, 1925Beautee and youthe, bauderie, richesse,Charmes and force, lesinges, flaterye,Dispense, bisynesse, and Ielousye, (1070)That wered of yelwe goldes a gerland,And a cokkow sitting on hir hand; 1930Festes, instruments, caroles, daunces,Lust and array, and alle the circumstauncesOf love, whiche that I rekne and rekne shal,By ordre weren peynted on the wal,And mo than I can make of mencioun. 1935For soothly, al the mount of Citheroun,Ther Venus hath hir principal dwelling,Was shewed on the wal in portreying, (1080)With al the gardin, and the lustinesse.Nat was foryeten the porter Ydelnesse, 1940Ne Narcisus the faire of yore agon,Ne yet the folye of king Salamon,Ne yet the grete strengthe of Hercules—Thenchauntements of Medea and Circes—Ne of Turnus, with the hardy fiers corage, 1945The riche Cresus, caytif in servage.Thus may ye seen that wisdom ne richesse,Beautee ne sleighte, strengthe, ne hardinesse, (1090)Ne may with Venus holde champartye;For as hir list the world than may she gye. 1950Lo, alle thise folk so caught were in hir las,Til they for wo ful ofte seyde 'allas!'Suffyceth heer ensamples oon or two,And though I coude rekne a thousand mo.

The statue of Venus, glorious for to see, 1955Was naked fleting in the large see,And fro the navele doun all covered wasWith wawes grene, and brighte as any glas. (1100)A citole in hir right hand hadde she,And on hir heed, ful semely for to see, 1960A rose gerland, fresh and wel smellinge;Above hir heed hir dowves flikeringe.Biforn hir stood hir sone Cupido,Up-on his shuldres winges hadde he two;And blind he was, as it is ofte sene; 1965A bowe he bar and arwes brighte and kene.

Why sholde I noght as wel eek telle yow alThe portreiture, that was up-on the wal (1110)With-inne the temple of mighty Mars the rede?Al peynted was the wal, in lengthe and brede, 1970Lyk to the estres of the grisly place,That highte the grete temple of Mars in Trace,In thilke colde frosty regioun,Ther-as Mars hath his sovereyn mansioun.

First on the wal was peynted a foreste, 1975In which ther dwelleth neither man ne beste,With knotty knarry bareyn treës oldeOf stubbes sharpe and hidous to biholde; (1120)In which ther ran a rumbel and a swough,As though a storm sholde bresten every bough: 1980And downward from an hille, under a bente,Ther stood the temple of Mars armipotente,Wroght al of burned steel, of which thentreeWas long and streit, and gastly for to see.And ther-out cam a rage and such a vese, 1985That it made al the gates for to rese.The northren light in at the dores shoon,For windowe on the wal ne was ther noon, (1130)Thurgh which men mighten any light discerne.The dores were alle of adamant eterne, 1990Y-clenched overthwart and endelongWith iren tough; and, for to make it strong,Every piler, the temple to sustene,Was tonne-greet, of iren bright and shene.

Ther saugh I first the derke imagining 1995Of felonye, and al the compassing;The cruel ire, reed as any glede;The pykepurs, and eek the pale drede; (1140)The smyler with the knyf under the cloke;The shepne brenning with the blake smoke; 2000The treson of the mordring in the bedde;The open werre, with woundes al bi-bledde;Contek, with blody knyf and sharp manace;Al ful of chirking was that sory place.The sleere of him-self yet saugh I ther, 2005His herte-blood hath bathed al his heer;The nayl y-driven in the shode a-night;The colde deeth, with mouth gaping up-right. (1150)Amiddes of the temple sat meschaunce,With disconfort and sory contenaunce. 2010Yet saugh I woodnesse laughing in his rage;Armed compleint, out-hees, and fiers outrage.The careyne in the bush, with throte y-corve:A thousand slayn, and nat of qualm y-storve;The tiraunt, with the prey by force y-raft; 2015The toun destroyed, ther was no-thing laft.Yet saugh I brent the shippes hoppesteres;The hunte strangled with the wilde beres: (1160)The sowe freten the child right in the cradel;The cook y-scalded, for al his longe ladel. 2020Noght was foryeten by the infortune of Marte;The carter over-riden with his carte,Under the wheel ful lowe he lay adoun.Ther were also, of Martes divisioun,The barbour, and the bocher, and the smith 2025That forgeth sharpe swerdes on his stith.And al above, depeynted in a tour,Saw I conquest sittinge in greet honour, (1170)With the sharpe swerde over his heedHanginge by a sotil twynes threed. 2030Depeynted was the slaughtre of Iulius,Of grete Nero, and of Antonius;Al be that thilke tyme they were unborn,Yet was hir deeth depeynted ther-biforn,By manasinge of Mars, right by figure; 2035So was it shewed in that portreitureAs is depeynted in the sterres above,Who shal be slayn or elles deed for love. (1180)Suffyceth oon ensample in stories olde,I may not rekne hem alle, thogh I wolde. 2040

The statue of Mars up-on a carte stood,Armed, and loked grim as he were wood;And over his he'ed ther shynen two figuresOf sterres, that been cleped in scriptures,That oon Puella, that other Rubeus. 2045This god of armes was arrayed thus:—A wolf ther stood biforn him at his feetWith eyen rede, and of a man he eet; (1190)With sotil pencel was depeynt this storie,In redoutinge of Mars and of his glorie. 2050

Now to the temple of Diane the chasteAs shortly as I can I wol me haste,To telle yow al the descripcioun.Depeynted been the walles up and dounOf hunting and of shamfast chastitee. 2055Ther saugh I how woful Calistopee,Whan that Diane agreved was with here,Was turned from a womman til a bere, (1200)And after was she maad the lode-sterre;Thus was it peynt, I can say yow no ferre; 2060Hir sone is eek a sterre, as men may see.Ther saugh I Dane, y-turned til a tree,I mene nat the goddesse Diane,But Penneus doughter, which that highte Dane.Ther saugh I Attheon an hert y-maked, 2065For vengeaunce that he saugh Diane al naked;I saugh how that his houndes have him caught,And freten him, for that they knewe him naught. (1210)Yet peynted was a litel forther-moor,How Atthalante hunted the wilde boor, 2070And Meleagre, and many another mo,For which Diane wroghte him care and wo.Ther saugh I many another wonder storie,The whiche me list nat drawen to memorie.This goddesse on an hert ful hye seet, 2075With smale houndes al aboute hir feet;And undernethe hir feet she hadde a mone,Wexing it was, and sholde wanie sone. (1220)In gaude grene hir statue clothed was,With bowe in honde, and arwes in a cas. 2080Hir eyen caste she ful lowe adoun,Ther Pluto hath his derke regioun.A womman travailinge was hir biforn,But, for hir child so longe was unborn,Ful pitously Lucyna gan she calle, 2085And seyde, 'help, for thou mayst best of alle.'Wel couthe he peynten lyfly that it wroghte,With many a florin he the hewes boghte. (1230)

Now been thise listes maad, and Theseus,That at his grete cost arrayed thus 2090The temples and the theatre every del,Whan it was doon, him lyked wonder wel.But stinte I wol of Theseus a lyte,And speke of Palamon and of Arcite.

The day approcheth of hir retourninge, 2095That everich sholde an hundred knightes bringe,The bataille to darreyne, as I yow tolde;And til Athenes, hir covenant for to holde, (1240)Hath everich of hem broght an hundred knightesWel armed for the werre at alle rightes. 2100And sikerly, ther trowed many a manThat never, sithen that the world bigan,As for to speke of knighthod of hir hond,As fer as God hath maked see or lond,Nas, of so fewe, so noble a companye. 2105For every wight that lovede chivalrye,And wolde, his thankes, han a passant name,Hath preyed that he mighte ben of that game; (1250)And wel was him, that ther-to chosen was.For if ther fille to-morwe swich a cas, 2110Ye knowen wel, that every lusty knight,That loveth paramours, and hath his might,Were it in Engelond, or elles-where,They wolde, hir thankes, wilnen to be there.To fighte for a lady, benedicite! 2115It were a lusty sighte for to see.

And right so ferden they with Palamon.With him ther wenten knightes many oon; (1260)Som wol ben armed in an habergeoun,In a brest-plat and in a light gipoun; 2120And somme woln have a peyre plates large;And somme woln have a Pruce sheld, or a targe;Somme woln ben armed on hir legges weel,And have an ax, and somme a mace of steel.Ther nis no newe gyse, that it nas old. 2125Armed were they, as I have you told,Everich after his opinioun.

Ther maistow seen coming with Palamoun (1270)Ligurge him-self, the grete king of Trace;Blak was his berd, and manly was his face. 2130The cercles of his eyen in his heed,They gloweden bitwixe yelow and reed;And lyk a griffon loked he aboute,With kempe heres on his browes stoute;His limes grete, his braunes harde and stronge, 2135His shuldres brode, his armes rounde and longe.And as the gyse was in his contree,Ful hye up-on a char of gold stood he, (1280)With foure whyte boles in the trays.In-stede of cote-armure over his harnays, 2140With nayles yelwe and brighte as any gold,He hadde a beres skin, col-blak, for-old.His longe heer was kembd bihinde his bak,As any ravenes fether it shoon for-blak:A wrethe of gold arm-greet, of huge wighte, 2145Upon his heed, set ful of stones brighte,Of fyne rubies and of dyamaunts.Aboute his char ther wenten whyte alaunts, (1290)Twenty and mo, as grete as any steer,To hunten at the leoun or the deer, 2150And folwed him, with mosel faste y-bounde,Colers of gold, and torets fyled rounde.An hundred lordes hadde he in his routeArmed ful wel, with hertes sterne and stoute.

With Arcita, in stories as men finde, 2155The grete Emetreus, the king of Inde,Up-on a stede bay, trapped in steel,Covered in cloth of gold diapred weel, (1300)Cam ryding lyk the god of armes, Mars.His cote-armure was of cloth of Tars, 2160Couched with perles whyte and rounde and grete.His sadel was of brend gold newe y-bete;A mantelet upon his shuldre hangingeBret-ful of rubies rede, as fyr sparklinge.His crispe heer lyk ringes was y-ronne, 2165And that was yelow, and glitered as the sonne.His nose was heigh, his eyen bright citryn,His lippes rounde, his colour was sangwyn, (1310)A fewe fraknes in his face y-spreynd,Betwixen yelow and somdel blak y-meynd, 2170And as a leoun he his loking caste.Of fyve and twenty yeer his age I caste.His berd was wel bigonne for to springe;His voys was as a trompe thunderinge.Up-on his heed he wered of laurer grene 2175A gerland fresh and lusty for to sene.Up-on his hand he bar, for his deduyt,An egle tame, as eny lilie whyt. (1320)An hundred lordes hadde he with him there,Al armed, sauf hir heddes, in al hir gere, 2180Ful richely in alle maner thinges.For trusteth wel, that dukes, erles, kinges,Were gadered in this noble companye,For love and for encrees of chivalrye.Aboute this king ther ran on every part 2185Ful many a tame leoun and lepart.And in this wyse thise lordes, alle and some,Ben on the Sonday to the citee come (1330)Aboute pryme, and in the toun alight.

This Theseus, this duk, this worthy knight, 2190Whan he had broght hem in-to his citee,And inned hem, everich in his degree,He festeth hem, and dooth so greet labourTo esen hem, and doon hem al honour,That yet men weneth that no mannes wit 2195Of noon estat ne coude amenden it.The minstralcye, the service at the feste,The grete yiftes to the moste and leste, (1340)The riche array of Theseus paleys,Ne who sat first ne last up-on the deys, 2200What ladies fairest been or best daunsinge,Or which of hem can dauncen best and singe,Ne who most felingly speketh of love:What haukes sitten on the perche above,What houndes liggen on the floor adoun: 2205Of al this make I now no mencioun;But al theffect, that thinketh me the beste;Now comth the poynt, and herkneth if yow leste. (1350)

The Sonday night, er day bigan to springe,When Palamon the larke herde singe, 2210Although it nere nat day by houres two,Yet song the larke, and Palamon also.With holy herte, and with an heigh corageHe roos, to wenden on his pilgrimageUn-to the blisful Citherea benigne, 2215I mene Venus, honurable and digne.And in hir houre he walketh forth a pasUn-to the listes, ther hir temple was, (1360)And doun he kneleth, and with humble chereAnd herte soor, he seyde as ye shul here. 2220

'Faireste of faire, o lady myn, Venus,Doughter to Iove and spouse of Vulcanus,Thou glader of the mount of Citheroun,For thilke love thou haddest to Adoun,Have pitee of my bittre teres smerte, 2225And tak myn humble preyer at thyn herte.Allas! I ne have no langage to telleTheffectes ne the torments of myn helle; (1370)Myn herte may myne harmes nat biwreye;I am so confus, that I can noght seye. 2230But mercy, lady bright, that knowest weelMy thought, and seest what harmes that I feel,Considere al this, and rewe up-on my sore,As wisly as I shal for evermore,Emforth my might, thy trewe servant be, 2235And holden werre alwey with chastitee;That make I myn avow, so ye me helpe.I kepe noght of armes for to yelpe, (1380)Ne I ne axe nat to-morwe to have victorie,Ne renoun in this cas, ne veyne glorie 2240Of pris of armes blowen up and doun,But I wolde have fully possessiounOf Emelye, and dye in thy servyse;Find thou the maner how, and in what wyse.I recche nat, but it may bettre be, 2245To have victorie of hem, or they of me,So that I have my lady in myne armes.For though so be that Mars is god of armes, (1390)Your vertu is so greet in hevene above,That, if yow list, I shal wel have my love, 2250Thy temple wol I worshipe evermo,And on thyn auter, wher I ryde or go,I wol don sacrifice, and fyres bete.And if ye wol nat so, my lady swete,Than preye I thee, to-morwe with a spere 2255That Arcita me thurgh the herte bere.Thanne rekke I noght, whan I have lost my lyf,Though that Arcita winne hir to his wyf. (1400)This is theffect and ende of my preyere,Yif me my love, thou blisful lady dere.' 2260

Whan thorisoun was doon of Palamon,His sacrifice he dide, and that anonFul pitously, with alle circumstaunces,Al telle I noght as now his observaunces.But atte laste the statue of Venus shook, 2265And made a signe, wher-by that he tookThat his preyere accepted was that day.For thogh the signe shewed a delay, (1410)Yet wiste he wel that graunted was his bone;And with glad herte he wente him hoom ful sone. 2270

The thridde houre inequal that PalamonBigan to Venus temple for to goon,Up roos the sonne, and up roos Emelye,And to the temple of Diane gan hye.Hir maydens, that she thider with hir ladde, 2275Ful redily with hem the fyr they hadde,Thencens, the clothes, and the remenant alThat to the sacrifyce longen shal; (1420)The hornes fulle of meth, as was the gyse;Ther lakked noght to doon hir sacrifyse. 2280Smoking the temple, ful of clothes faire,This Emelye, with herte debonaire,Hir body wessh with water of a welle;But how she dide hir ryte I dar nat telle,But it be any thing in general; 2285And yet it were a game to heren al;To him that meneth wel, it were no charge:But it is good a man ben at his large. (1430)Hir brighte heer was kempt, untressed al;A coroune of a grene ook cerial 2290Up-on hir heed was set ful fair and mete.Two fyres on the auter gan she bete,And dide hir thinges, as men may biholdeIn Stace of Thebes, and thise bokes olde.Whan kindled was the fyr, with pitous chere 2295Un-to Diane she spak, as ye may here.

'O chaste goddesse of the wodes grene,To whom bothe hevene and erthe and see is sene, (1440)Quene of the regne of Pluto derk and lowe,Goddesse of maydens, that myn herte hast knowe 2300Ful many a yeer, and woost what I desire,As keep me fro thy vengeaunce and thyn ire,That Attheon aboughte cruelly.Chaste goddesse, wel wostow that IDesire to been a mayden al my lyf, 2305Ne never wol I be no love ne wyf.I am, thou woost, yet of thy companye,A mayde, and love hunting and venerye, (1450)And for to walken in the wodes wilde,And noght to been a wyf, and be with childe. 2310Noght wol I knowe companye of man.Now help me, lady, sith ye may and can,For tho thre formes that thou hast in thee.And Palamon, that hath swich love to me,And eek Arcite, that loveth me so sore, 2315This grace I preye thee with-oute more,As sende love and pees bitwixe hem two;And fro me turne awey hir hertes so, (1460)That al hir hote love, and hir desyr,And al hir bisy torment, and hir fyr 2320Be queynt, or turned in another place;And if so be thou wolt not do me grace,Or if my destinee be shapen so,That I shal nedes have oon of hem two,As sende me him that most desireth me. 2325Bihold, goddesse of clene chastitee,The bittre teres that on my chekes falle.Sin thou are mayde, and keper of us alle, (1470)My maydenhede thou kepe and wel conserve,And whyl I live a mayde, I wol thee serve.' 2330

The fyres brenne up-on the auter clere,Whyl Emelye was thus in hir preyere;But sodeinly she saugh a sighte queynte,For right anon oon of the fyres queynte,And quiked agayn, and after that anon 2335That other fyr was queynt, and al agon;And as it queynte, it made a whistelinge,As doon thise wete brondes in hir brenninge, (1480)And at the brondes ende out-ran anoonAs it were blody dropes many oon; 2340For which so sore agast was Emelye,That she was wel ny mad, and gan to crye,For she ne wiste what it signifyed;But only for the fere thus hath she cryed,And weep, that it was pitee for to here. 2345And ther-with-al Diane gan appere,With bowe in hond, right as an hunteresse,And seyde: 'Doghter, stint thyn hevinesse. (1490)Among the goddes hye it is affermed,And by eterne word write and confermed, 2350Thou shalt ben wedded un-to oon of thoThat han for thee so muchel care and wo;But un-to which of hem I may nat telle.Farwel, for I ne may no lenger dwelle.The fyres which that on myn auter brenne 2355Shul thee declaren, er that thou go henne,Thyn aventure of love, as in this cas.'And with that word, the arwes in the cas (1500)Of the goddesse clateren faste and ringe,And forth she wente, and made a vanisshinge; 2360For which this Emelye astoned was,And seyde, 'What amounteth this, allas!I putte me in thy proteccioun,Diane, and in thy disposicioun.'And hoom she gooth anon the nexte weye. 2365This is theffect, ther is namore to seye.

The nexte houre of Mars folwinge this,Arcite un-to the temple walked is (1510)Of fierse Mars, to doon his sacrifyse,With alle the rytes of his payen wyse. 2370With pitous herte and heigh devocioun,Right thus to Mars he seyde his orisoun:

'O stronge god, that in the regnes coldeOf Trace honoured art, and lord y-holde,And hast in every regne and every lond 2375Of armes al the brydel in thyn hond,And hem fortunest as thee list devyse,Accept of me my pitous sacrifyse. (1520)If so be that my youthe may deserve,And that my might be worthy for to serve 2380Thy godhede, that I may been oon of thyne,Than preye I thee to rewe up-on my pyne.For thilke peyne, and thilke hote fyr,In which thou whylom brendest for desyr,Whan that thou usedest the grete beautee 2385Of fayre yonge fresshe Venus free,And haddest hir in armes at thy wille,Al-though thee ones on a tyme misfille (1530)Whan Vulcanus had caught thee in his las,And fond thee ligging by his wyf, allas! 2390For thilke sorwe that was in thyn herte,Have routhe as wel up-on my peynes smerte.I am yong and unkonning, as thou wost,And, as I trowe, with love offended most,That ever was any lyves creature; 2395For she, that dooth me al this wo endure,Ne reccheth never wher I sinke or flete.And wel I woot, er she me mercy hete, (1540)I moot with strengthe winne hir in the place;And wel I woot, withouten help or grace 2400Of thee, ne may my strengthe noght availle.Than help me, lord, to-morwe in my bataille,For thilke fyr that whylom brente thee,As wel as thilke fyr now brenneth me;And do that I to-morwe have victorie. 2405Myn be the travaille, and thyn be the glorie!Thy soverein temple wol I most honourenOf any place, and alwey most labouren (1550)In thy plesaunce and in thy craftes stronge,And in thy temple I wol my baner honge, 2410And alle the armes of my companye;And evere-mo, un-to that day I dye,Eterne fyr I wol biforn thee finde.And eek to this avow I wol me binde:My berd, myn heer that hongeth long adoun, 2415That never yet ne felte offensiounOf rasour nor of shere, I wol thee yive,And ben thy trewe servant whyl I live. (1560)Now lord, have routhe up-on my sorwes sore,Yif me victorie, I aske thee namore.' 2420

The preyere stinte of Arcita the stronge,The ringes on the temple-dore that honge,And eek the dores, clatereden ful faste,Of which Arcita som-what him agaste.The fyres brende up-on the auter brighte, 2425That it gan al the temple for to lighte;And swete smel the ground anon up-yaf,And Arcita anon his hand up-haf, (1570)And more encens in-to the fyr he caste,With othere rytes mo; and atte laste 2430The statue of Mars bigan his hauberk ringe.And with that soun he herde a murmuringeFul lowe and dim, that sayde thus, 'Victorie:'For which he yaf to Mars honour and glorie.And thus with Ioye, and hope wel to fare, 2435Arcite anon un-to his inne is fare,As fayn as fowel is of the brighte sonne.

And right anon swich stryf ther is bigonne (1580)For thilke graunting, in the hevene above,Bitwixe Venus, the goddesse of love, 2440And Mars, the sterne god armipotente,That Iupiter was bisy it to stente;Til that the pale Saturnus the colde,That knew so manye of aventures olde,Fond in his olde experience an art, 2445That he ful sone hath plesed every part.As sooth is sayd, elde hath greet avantage;In elde is bothe wisdom and usage; (1590)Men may the olde at-renne, and noght at-rede.Saturne anon, to stinten stryf and drede, 2450Al be it that it is agayn his kynde,Of al this stryf he gan remedie fynde.

'My dere doghter Venus,' quod Saturne,'My cours, that hath so wyde for to turne,Hath more power than wot any man. 2455Myn is the drenching in the see so wan;Myn is the prison in the derke cote;Myn is the strangling and hanging by the throte; (1600)The murmure, and the cherles rebelling,The groyning, and the pryvee empoysoning: 2460I do vengeance and pleyn correcciounWhyl I dwelle in the signe of the leoun.Myn is the ruine of the hye halles,The falling of the toures and of the wallesUp-on the mynour or the carpenter. 2465I slow Sampsoun in shaking the piler;And myne be the maladyes colde,The derke tresons, and the castes olde; (1610)My loking is the fader of pestilence.Now weep namore, I shal doon diligence 2470That Palamon, that is thyn owne knight,Shal have his lady, as thou hast him hight.Though Mars shal helpe his knight, yet natheleesBitwixe yow ther moot be som tyme pees,Al be ye noght of o complexioun, 2475That causeth al day swich divisioun.I am thin ayel, redy at thy wille;Weep thou namore, I wol thy lust fulfille.' (1620)

Now wol I stinten of the goddes above,Of Mars, and of Venus, goddesse of love, 2480And telle yow, as pleynly as I can,The grete effect, for which that I bigan.

Explicit tercia pars. Sequitur pars quarta.

Greet was the feste in Athenes that day,And eek the lusty seson of that MayMade every wight to been in swich plesaunce, 2485That al that Monday Iusten they and daunce,And spenden it in Venus heigh servyse.But by the cause that they sholde ryse (1630)Erly, for to seen the grete fight,Unto hir reste wente they at night. 2490And on the morwe, whan that day gan springe,Of hors and harneys, noyse and clateringeTher was in hostelryes al aboute;And to the paleys rood ther many a routeOf lordes, up-on stedes and palfreys. 2495Ther maystow seen devysing of herneysSo uncouth and so riche, and wroght so weelOf goldsmithrie, of browding, and of steel; (1640)The sheeldes brighte, testers, and trappures;Gold-hewen helmes, hauberks, cote-armures; 2500Lordes in paraments on hir courseres,Knightes of retenue, and eek squyeresNailinge the speres, and helmes bokelinge,Gigginge of sheeldes, with layneres lacinge;Ther as need is, they weren no-thing ydel; 2505The fomy stedes on the golden brydelGnawinge, and faste the armurers alsoWith fyle and hamer prikinge to and fro; (1650)Yemen on fote, and communes many oonWith shorte staves, thikke as they may goon; 2510Pypes, trompes, nakers, clariounes,That in the bataille blowen blody sounes;The paleys ful of peples up and doun,Heer three, ther ten, holding hir questioun,Divyninge of thise Thebane knightes two. 2515Somme seyden thus, somme seyde it shal be so;Somme helden with him with the blake berd,Somme with the balled, somme with the thikke-herd; (1660)Somme sayde, he loked grim and he wolde fighte;He hath a sparth of twenty pound of wighte. 2520Thus was the halle ful of divyninge,Longe after that the sonne gan to springe.

The grete Theseus, that of his sleep awakedWith minstralcye and noyse that was maked,Held yet the chambre of his paleys riche, 2525Til that the Thebane knightes, bothe y-licheHonoured, were into the paleys fet.Duk Theseus was at a window set, (1670)Arrayed right as he were a god in trone.The peple preesseth thider-ward ful sone 2530Him for to seen, and doon heigh reverence,And eek to herkne his hest and his sentence.

An heraud on a scaffold made an ho,Til al the noyse of the peple was y-do;And whan he saugh the peple of noyse al stille, 2535Tho showed he the mighty dukes wille.

'The lord hath of his heigh discreciounConsidered, that it were destruccioun (1680)To gentil blood, to fighten in the gyseOf mortal bataille now in this empryse; 2540Wherfore, to shapen that they shul not dye,He wol his firste purpos modifye.No man therfor, up peyne of los of lyf,No maner shot, ne pollax, ne short knyfInto the listes sende, or thider bringe; 2545Ne short swerd for to stoke, with poynt bytinge,No man ne drawe, ne bere it by his syde.Ne no man shal un-to his felawe ryde (1690)But o cours, with a sharp y-grounde spere;Foyne, if him list, on fote, him-self to were. 2550And he that is at meschief, shal be take,And noght slayn, but be broght un-to the stakeThat shal ben ordeyned on either syde;But thider he shal by force, and ther abyde.And if so falle, the chieftayn be take 2555On either syde, or elles slee his make,No lenger shal the turneyinge laste.God spede yow; goth forth, and ley on faste. (1700)With long swerd and with maces fight your fille.Goth now your wey; this is the lordes wille.' 2560

The voys of peple touchede the hevene,So loude cryden they with mery stevene:'God save swich a lord, that is so good,He wilneth no destruccioun of blood!'Up goon the trompes and the melodye. 2565And to the listes rit the companyeBy ordinaunce, thurgh-out the citee large,Hanged with cloth of gold, and nat with sarge. (1710)Ful lyk a lord this noble duk gan ryde,Thise two Thebanes up-on either syde; 2570And after rood the quene, and Emelye,And after that another companyeOf oon and other, after hir degree.And thus they passen thurgh-out the citee,And to the listes come they by tyme. 2575It nas not of the day yet fully pryme,Whan set was Theseus ful riche and hye,Ipolita the quene and Emelye, (1720)And other ladies in degrees aboute.Un-to the seetes preesseth al the route. 2580And west-ward, thurgh the gates under Marte,Arcite, and eek the hundred of his parte,With baner reed is entred right anon;And in that selve moment PalamonIs under Venus, est-ward in the place, 2585With baner whyt, and hardy chere and face.In al the world, to seken up and doun,So even with-outen variacioun, (1730)Ther nere swiche companyes tweye.For ther nas noon so wys that coude seye, 2590That any hadde of other avauntageOf worthinesse, ne of estaat, ne age,So even were they chosen, for to gesse.And in two renges faire they hem dresse.Whan that hir names rad were everichoon, 2595That in hir nombre gyle were ther noon,Tho were the gates shet, and cryed was loude:'Do now your devoir, yonge knightes proude!' (1740)

The heraudes lefte hir priking up and doun;Now ringen trompes loude and clarioun; 2600Ther is namore to seyn, but west and estIn goon the speres ful sadly in arest;In goth the sharpe spore in-to the syde.Ther seen men who can Iuste, and who can ryde;Ther shiveren shaftes up-on sheeldes thikke; 2605He feleth thurgh the herte-spoon the prikke.Up springen speres twenty foot on highte;Out goon the swerdes as the silver brighte. (1750)The helmes they to-hewen and to-shrede;Out brest the blood, with sterne stremes rede. 2610With mighty maces the bones they to-breste.He thurgh the thikkeste of the throng gan threste.Ther stomblen stedes stronge, and doun goth al.He rolleth under foot as dooth a bal.He foyneth on his feet with his tronchoun, 2615And he him hurtleth with his hors adoun.He thurgh the body is hurt, and sithen y-take,Maugree his heed, and broght un-to the stake, (1760)As forward was, right ther he moste abyde;Another lad is on that other syde. 2620And som tyme dooth hem Theseus to reste,Hem to refresshe, and drinken if hem leste.Ful ofte a-day han thise Thebanes twoTogidre y-met, and wroght his felawe wo;Unhorsed hath ech other of hem tweye. 2625Ther nas no tygre in the vale of Galgopheye,Whan that hir whelp is stole, whan it is lyte,So cruel on the hunte, as is Arcite (1770)For Ielous herte upon this Palamoun:Ne in Belmarye ther nis so fel leoun, 2630That hunted is, or for his hunger wood,Ne of his praye desireth so the blood,As Palamon to sleen his fo Arcite.The Ielous strokes on hir helmes byte;Out renneth blood on bothe hir sydes rede. 2635

Som tyme an ende ther is of every dede;For er the sonne un-to the reste wente,The stronge king Emetreus gan hente (1780)This Palamon, as he faught with Arcite,And made his swerd depe in his flesh to byte; 2640And by the force of twenty is he takeUnyolden, and y-drawe unto the stake.And in the rescous of this PalamounThe stronge king Ligurge is born adoun;And king Emetreus, for al his strengthe, 2645Is born out of his sadel a swerdes lengthe,So hitte him Palamon er he were take;But al for noght, he was broght to the stake. (1790)His hardy herte mighte him helpe naught;He moste abyde, whan that he was caught 2650By force, and eek by composicioun.

Who sorweth now but woful Palamoun,That moot namore goon agayn to fighte?And whan that Theseus had seyn this sighte,Un-to the folk that foghten thus echoon 2655He cryde, 'Ho! namore, for it is doon!I wol be trewe Iuge, and no partye.Arcite of Thebes shal have Emelye, (1800)That by his fortune hath hir faire y-wonne.'Anon ther is a noyse of peple bigonne 2660For Ioye of this, so loude and heigh with-alle,It semed that the listes sholde falle.

What can now faire Venus doon above?What seith she now? what dooth this quene of love?But wepeth so, for wanting of hir wille, 2665Til that hir teres in the listes fille;She seyde: 'I am ashamed, doutelees.'Saturnus seyde: 'Doghter, hold thy pees. (1810)Mars hath his wille, his knight hath al his bone,And, by myn heed, thou shalt ben esed sone.' 2670

The trompes, with the loude minstralcye,The heraudes, that ful loude yolle and crye,Been in hir wele for Ioye of daun Arcite.But herkneth me, and stinteth now a lyte,Which a miracle ther bifel anon. 2675

This fierse Arcite hath of his helm y-don,And on a courser, for to shewe his face,He priketh endelong the large place, (1820)Loking upward up-on this Emelye;And she agayn him caste a freendlich yë, 2680(For wommen, as to speken in comune,They folwen al the favour of fortune),And she was al his chere, as in his herte.Out of the ground a furie infernal sterte,From Pluto sent, at requeste of Saturne, 2685For which his hors for fere gan to turne,And leep asyde, and foundred as he leep;And, er that Arcite may taken keep, (1830)He pighte him on the pomel of his heed,That in the place he lay as he were deed, 2690His brest to-brosten with his sadel-bowe.As blak he lay as any cole or crowe,So was the blood y-ronnen in his face.Anon he was y-born out of the placeWith herte soor, to Theseus paleys. 2695Tho was he corven out of his harneys,And in a bed y-brought ful faire and blyve,For he was yet in memorie and alyve, (1840)And alway crying after Emelye.

Duk Theseus, with al his companye, 2700Is comen hoom to Athenes his citee,With alle blisse and greet solempnitee.Al be it that this aventure was falle,He nolde noght disconforten hem alle.Men seyde eek, that Arcite shal nat dye; 2705He shal ben heled of his maladye.And of another thing they were as fayn,That of hem alle was ther noon y-slayn, (1850)Al were they sore y-hurt, and namely oon,That with a spere was thirled his brest-boon. 2710To othere woundes, and to broken armes,Some hadden salves, and some hadden charmes;Fermacies of herbes, and eek saveThey dronken, for they wolde hir limes have.For which this noble duk, as he wel can, 2715Conforteth and honoureth every man,And made revel al the longe night,Un-to the straunge lordes, as was right. (1860)Ne ther was holden no disconfitinge,But as a Iustes or a tourneyinge; 2720For soothly ther was no disconfiture,For falling nis nat but an aventure;Ne to be lad with fors un-to the stakeUnyolden, and with twenty knightes take,O persone allone, with-outen mo, 2725And haried forth by arme, foot, and to,And eek his stede driven forth with staves,With footmen, bothe yemen and eek knaves, (1870)It nas aretted him no vileinye,Ther may no man clepen it cowardye. 2730

For which anon duk Theseus leet crye,To stinten alle rancour and envye,The gree as wel of o syde as of other,And either syde y-lyk, as otheres brother;And yaf hem yiftes after hir degree, 2735And fully heeld a feste dayes three;And conveyed the kinges worthilyOut of his toun a Iournee largely. (1880)And hoom wente every man the righte way.Ther was namore, but 'far wel, have good day!' 2740Of this bataille I wol namore endyte,But speke of Palamon and of Arcite.

Swelleth the brest of Arcite, and the soreEncreesseth at his herte more and more.The clothered blood, for any lechecraft, 2745Corrupteth, and is in his bouk y-laft,That neither veyne-blood, ne ventusinge,Ne drinke of herbes may ben his helpinge. (1890)The vertu expulsif, or animal,Fro thilke vertu cleped natural 2750Ne may the venim voyden, ne expelle.The pypes of his longes gonne to swelle,And every lacerte in his brest adounIs shent with venim and corrupcioun.Him gayneth neither, for to gete his lyf, 2755Vomyt upward, ne dounward laxatif;Al is to-brosten thilke regioun,Nature hath now no dominacioun. (1900)And certeinly, ther nature wol nat wirche,Far-wel, phisyk! go ber the man to chirche! 2760This al and som, that Arcita mot dye,For which he sendeth after Emelye,And Palamon, that was his cosin dere;Than seyde he thus, as ye shul after here.

'Naught may the woful spirit in myn herte 2765Declare o poynt of alle my sorwes smerteTo yow, my lady, that I love most;But I biquethe the service of my gost (1910)To yow aboven every creature,Sin that my lyf may no lenger dure. 2770Allas, the wo! allas, the peynes stronge,That I for yow have suffred, and so longe!Allas, the deeth! allas, myn Emelye!Allas, departing of our companye!Allas, myn hertes quene! allas, my wyf! 2775Myn hertes lady, endere of my lyf!What is this world? what asketh men to have?Now with his love, now in his colde grave (1920)Allone, with-outen any companye.Far-wel, my swete fo! myn Emelye! 2780And softe tak me in your armes tweye,For love of God, and herkneth what I seye.

I have heer with my cosin PalamonHad stryf and rancour, many a day a-gon,For love of yow, and for my Ielousye. 2785And Iupiter so wis my soule gye,To speken of a servant proprely,With alle circumstaunces trewely, (1930)That is to seyn, trouthe, honour, and knighthede,Wisdom, humblesse, estaat, and heigh kinrede, 2790Fredom, and al that longeth to that art,So Iupiter have of my soule part,As in this world right now ne knowe I nonSo worthy to ben loved as Palamon,That serveth yow, and wol don al his lyf. 2795And if that ever ye shul been a wyf,Foryet nat Palamon, the gentil man.'And with that word his speche faille gan, (1940)For from his feet up to his brest was comeThe cold of deeth, that hadde him overcome. 2800And yet more-over, in his armes twoThe vital strengthe is lost, and al ago.Only the intellect, with-outen more,That dwelled in his herte syk and sore,Gan faillen, when the herte felte deeth, 2805Dusked his eyen two, and failled breeth.But on his lady yet caste he his yë;His laste word was, 'mercy, Emelye!' (1950)His spirit chaunged hous, and wente ther,As I cam never, I can nat tellen wher. 2810Therfor I stinte, I nam no divinistre;Of soules finde I nat in this registre,Ne me ne list thilke opiniouns to telleOf hem, though that they wryten wher they dwelle.Arcite is cold, ther Mars his soule gye; 2815Now wol I speken forth of Emelye.

Shrighte Emelye, and howleth Palamon,And Theseus his suster took anon (1960)Swowninge, and bar hir fro the corps away.What helpeth it to tarien forth the day, 2820To tellen how she weep, bothe eve and morwe?For in swich cas wommen have swich sorwe,Whan that hir housbonds been from hem ago,That for the more part they sorwen so,Or elles fallen in swich maladye, 2825That at the laste certeinly they dye.

Infinite been the sorwes and the teresOf olde folk, and folk of tendre yeres, (1970)In al the toun, for deeth of this Theban;For him ther wepeth bothe child and man; 2830So greet a weping was ther noon, certayn,Whan Ector was y-broght, al fresh y-slayn,To Troye; allas! the pitee that was ther,Cracching of chekes, rending eek of heer.'Why woldestow be deed,' thise wommen crye, 2835'And haddest gold y-nough, and Emelye?'No man mighte gladen Theseus,Savinge his olde fader Egeus, (1980)That knew this worldes transmutacioun,As he had seyn it chaungen up and doun, 2840Ioye after wo, and wo after gladnesse:And shewed hem ensamples and lyknesse.

'Right as ther deyed never man,' quod he,'That he ne livede in erthe in som degree,Right so ther livede never man,' he seyde, 2845'In al this world, that som tyme he ne deyde.This world nis but a thurghfare ful of wo,And we ben pilgrimes, passinge to and fro; (1990)Deeth is an ende of every worldly sore.'And over al this yet seyde he muchel more 2850To this effect, ful wysly to enhorteThe peple, that they sholde hem reconforte.

Duk Theseus, with al his bisy cure,Caste now wher that the sepultureOf good Arcite may best y-maked be, 2855And eek most honurable in his degree.And at the laste he took conclusioun,That ther as first Arcite and Palamoun (2000)Hadden for love the bataille hem bitwene,That in that selve grove, swote and grene, 2860Ther as he hadde his amorous desires,His compleynt, and for love his hote fires,He wolde make a fyr, in which thofficeFuneral he mighte al accomplice;And leet comaunde anon to hakke and hewe 2865The okes olde, and leye hem on a reweIn colpons wel arrayed for to brenne;His officers with swifte feet they renne (2010)And ryde anon at his comaundement.And after this, Theseus hath y-sent 2870After a bere, and it al over-spraddeWith cloth of gold, the richest that he hadde.And of the same suyte he cladde Arcite;Upon his hondes hadde he gloves whyte;Eek on his heed a croune of laurer grene, 2875And in his hond a swerd ful bright and kene.He leyde him bare the visage on the bere,Therwith he weep that pitee was to here. (2020)And for the peple sholde seen him alle,Whan it was day, he broghte him to the halle, 2880That roreth of the crying and the soun.

Tho cam this woful Theban Palamoun,With flotery berd, and ruggy asshy heres,In clothes blake, y-dropped al with teres;And, passing othere of weping, Emelye, 2885The rewfulleste of al the companye.In as muche as the service sholde beThe more noble and riche in his degree, (2030)Duk Theseus leet forth three stedes bringe,That trapped were in steel al gliteringe, 2890And covered with the armes of daun Arcite.Up-on thise stedes, that weren grete and whyte,Ther seten folk, of which oon bar his sheeld,Another his spere up in his hondes heeld;The thridde bar with him his bowe Turkeys, 2895Of brend gold was the cas, and eek the harneys;And riden forth a pas with sorweful chereToward the grove, as ye shul after here. (2040)The nobleste of the Grekes that ther wereUpon hir shuldres carieden the bere, 2900With slakke pas, and eyen rede and wete,Thurgh-out the citee, by the maister-strete,That sprad was al with blak, and wonder hyeRight of the same is al the strete y-wrye.Up-on the right hond wente old Egeus, 2905And on that other syde duk Theseus,With vessels in hir hand of gold ful fyn,Al ful of hony, milk, and blood, and wyn; (2050)Eek Palamon, with ful greet companye;And after that cam woful Emelye, 2910With fyr in honde, as was that tyme the gyse,To do thoffice of funeral servyse.

Heigh labour, and ful greet apparaillingeWas at the service and the fyr-makinge,That with his grene top the heven raughte, 2915And twenty fadme of brede the armes straughte;This is to seyn, the bowes were so brode.Of stree first ther was leyd ful many a lode. (2060)But how the fyr was maked up on highte,And eek the names how the treës highte, 2920As ook, firre, birch, asp, alder, holm, popler,Wilow, elm, plane, ash, box, chasteyn, lind, laurer,Mapul, thorn, beech, hasel, ew, whippeltree,How they weren feld, shal nat be told for me;Ne how the goddes ronnen up and doun, 2925Disherited of hir habitacioun,In which they woneden in reste and pees,Nymphes, Faunes, and Amadrides; (2070)Ne how the bestes and the briddes alleFledden for fere, whan the wode was falle; 2930Ne how the ground agast was of the light,That was nat wont to seen the sonne bright;Ne how the fyr was couched first with stree,And than with drye stokkes cloven a three,And than with grene wode and spycerye, 2935And than with cloth of gold and with perrye,And gerlandes hanging with ful many a flour,The mirre, thencens, with al so greet odour; (2080)Ne how Arcite lay among al this,Ne what richesse aboute his body is; 2940Ne how that Emelye, as was the gyse,Putte in the fyr of funeral servyse;Ne how she swowned whan men made the fyr,Ne what she spak, ne what was hir desyr;Ne what Ieweles men in the fyr tho caste, 2945Whan that the fyr was greet and brente faste;Ne how som caste hir sheeld, and som hir spere,And of hir vestiments, whiche that they were, (2090)And cuppes ful of wyn, and milk, and blood,Into the fyr, that brente as it were wood; 2950Ne how the Grekes with an huge routeThryës riden al the fyr abouteUp-on the left hand, with a loud shoutinge,And thryës with hir speres clateringe;And thryës how the ladies gonne crye; 2955Ne how that lad was hom-ward Emelye;Ne how Arcite is brent to asshen colde;Ne how that liche-wake was y-holde (2100)Al thilke night, ne how the Grekes pleyeThe wake-pleyes, ne kepe I nat to seye; 2960Who wrastleth best naked, with oille enoynt,Ne who that bar him best, in no disioynt.I wol nat tellen eek how that they goonHoom til Athenes, whan the pley is doon;But shortly to the poynt than wol I wende, 2965And maken of my longe tale an ende.

By processe and by lengthe of certeyn yeresAl stinted is the moorning and the teres (2110)Of Grekes, by oon general assent.Than semed me ther was a parlement 2970At Athenes, up-on certeyn poynts and cas;Among the whiche poynts y-spoken wasTo have with certeyn contrees alliaunce,And have fully of Thebans obeisaunce.For which this noble Theseus anon 2975Leet senden after gentil Palamon,Unwist of him what was the cause and why;But in his blake clothes sorwefully (2120)He cam at his comaundement in hye.Tho sente Theseus for Emelye. 2980Whan they were set, and hust was al the place,And Theseus abiden hadde a spaceEr any word cam from his wyse brest,His eyen sette he ther as was his lest,And with a sad visage he syked stille, 2985And after that right thus he seyde his wille.

'The firste moevere of the cause above,Whan he first made the faire cheyne of love, (2130)Greet was theffect, and heigh was his entente;Wel wiste he why, and what ther-of he mente; 2990For with that faire cheyne of love he bondThe fyr, the eyr, the water, and the londIn certeyn boundes, that they may nat flee;That same prince and that moevere,' quod he,'Hath stablissed, in this wrecched world adoun, 2995Certeyne dayes and duraciounTo al that is engendred in this place,Over the whiche day they may nat pace, (2140)Al mowe they yet tho dayes wel abregge;Ther needeth non auctoritee allegge, 3000For it is preved by experience,But that me list declaren my sentence.Than may men by this ordre wel discerne,That thilke moevere stable is and eterne.Wel may men knowe, but it be a fool, 3005That every part deryveth from his hool.For nature hath nat take his beginningOf no partye ne cantel of a thing, (2150)But of a thing that parfit is and stable,Descending so, til it be corrumpable. 3010And therfore, of his wyse purveyaunce,He hath so wel biset his ordinaunce,That speces of thinges and progressiounsShullen enduren by successiouns,And nat eterne be, with-oute lye: 3015This maistow understonde and seen at yë.

'Lo the ook, that hath so long a norisshingeFrom tyme that it first biginneth springe, (2160)And hath so long a lyf, as we may see,Yet at the laste wasted is the tree. 3020

'Considereth eek, how that the harde stoonUnder our feet, on which we trede and goon,Yit wasteth it, as it lyth by the weye.The brode river somtyme wexeth dreye.The grete tounes see we wane and wende. 3025Than may ye see that al this thing hath ende.

'Of man and womman seen we wel also,That nedeth, in oon of thise termes two, (2170)This is to seyn, in youthe or elles age,He moot ben deed, the king as shal a page; 3030Som in his bed, som in the depe see,Som in the large feeld, as men may se;Ther helpeth noght, al goth that ilke weye.Thanne may I seyn that al this thing moot deye.What maketh this but Iupiter the king? 3035The which is prince and cause of alle thing,Converting al un-to his propre welle,From which it is deryved, sooth to telle. (2180)And here-agayns no creature on lyveOf no degree availleth for to stryve. 3040

'Thanne is it wisdom, as it thinketh me,To maken vertu of necessitee,And take it wel, that we may nat eschue,And namely that to us alle is due.And who-so gruccheth ought, he dooth folye, 3045And rebel is to him that al may gye.And certeinly a man hath most honourTo dyen in his excellence and flour, (2190)Whan he is siker of his gode name;Than hath he doon his freend, ne him, no shame. 3050And gladder oghte his freend ben of his deeth,Whan with honour up-yolden is his breeth,Than whan his name apalled is for age;For al forgeten is his vasselage.Than is it best, as for a worthy fame, 3055To dyen whan that he is best of name.The contrarie of al this is wilfulnesse.Why grucchen we? why have we hevinesse, (2200)That good Arcite, of chivalrye flourDeparted is, with duetee and honour, 3060Out of this foule prison of this lyf?Why grucchen heer his cosin and his wyfOf his wel-fare that loved hem so weel?Can he hem thank? nay, God wot, never a deel,That bothe his soule and eek hem-self offende, 3065And yet they mowe hir lustes nat amende.

'What may I conclude of this longe serie,But, after wo, I rede us to be merie, (2210)And thanken Iupiter of al his grace?And, er that we departen from this place, 3070I rede that we make, of sorwes two,O parfyt Ioye, lasting ever-mo;And loketh now, wher most sorwe is her-inne,Ther wol we first amenden and biginne.

'Suster,' quod he, 'this is my fulle assent, 3075With al thavys heer of my parlement,That gentil Palamon, your owne knight,That serveth yow with wille, herte, and might, (2220)And ever hath doon, sin that ye first him knewe,That ye shul, of your grace, up-on him rewe, 3080And taken him for housbonde and for lord:Leen me your hond, for this is our acord.Lat see now of your wommanly pitee.He is a kinges brother sone, pardee;And, though he were a povre bacheler, 3085Sin he hath served yow so many a yeer,And had for yow so greet adversitee,It moste been considered, leveth me; (2230)For gentil mercy oghte to passen right.'

Than seyde he thus to Palamon ful right; 3090'I trowe ther nedeth litel sermoningTo make yow assente to this thing.Com neer, and tak your lady by the hond.'Bitwixen hem was maad anon the bond,That highte matrimoine or mariage, 3095By al the counseil and the baronage.And thus with alle blisse and melodyeHath Palamon y-wedded Emelye. (2240)And God, that al this wyde world hath wroght,Sende him his love, that hath it dere a-boght. 3100For now is Palamon in alle wele,Living in blisse, in richesse, and in hele;And Emelye him loveth so tendrely,And he hir serveth al-so gentilly,That never was ther no word hem bitwene 3105Of Ielousye, or any other tene.Thus endeth Palamon and Emelye;And God save al this faire companye!—Amen. (2250)

Here is ended the Knightes Tale.