Explicit prima Pars. Sequitur pars secunda.
-
Whan that Arcite to Thebes comen was,
Skeat1900: 1355
- Ful ofte a day he swelte and seyde ‘allas,’
- For seen his lady shal he never-mo.
-
And shortly to concluden al his wo,
Skeat1900: (500)
-
So muche sorwe had never creature
-
That is, or shal, whyl that the world may dure.
Skeat1900: 1360
- His 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,
Skeat1900: 1365
- And wailling al the night, making his mone.
- And if he herde song or instrument,
-
Then wolde he wepe, he mighte nat be stent;
Skeat1900: (510)
-
So feble eek were his spirits
, and so lowe,
-
And chaunged so, that no man coude knowe
Skeat1900: 1370
- His speche nor his vois, though men it herde.
- And in his gere, for al the world he ferde
- Nat oonly lyk the loveres maladye
- Of Hereos, but rather lyk manye
-
Engendred of humour malencolyk,
Skeat1900: 1375
-
Biforen, in his celle fantastyk.
- And shortly, turned was al up-so-doun
-
Bothe habit and eek disposicioun
Skeat1900: (520)
- Of him, this woful lovere daun Arcite.
-
What sholde I al-day of his wo endyte?
Skeat1900: 1380
- Whan he endured hadde a yeer or two
-
This 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
Skeat1900: 1385
- Biforn 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.
Skeat1900: (530)
-
Arrayed was this god (as he took keep)
-
As he was whan that Argus took his sleep;
Skeat1900: 1390
- And 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;
Skeat1900: 1395
- Ne for the drede of deeth shal I nat spare
- To see my lady, that I love and serve;
-
In hir presence I recche nat to sterve.’
Skeat1900: (540)
- And with that word he caughte a greet mirour,
-
And saugh that chaunged was al his colour,
Skeat1900: 1400
- And saugh his visage al in another kinde.
- And right anoon it ran him in his minde,
- That, sith his face was so disfigured
- Of maladye, the which he hadde endured,
-
He mighte wel, if that he bar him lowe,
Skeat1900: 1405
- Live in Athenes ever-more unknowe,
- And seen his lady wel ny day by day.
-
And right anon he chaunged his array,
Skeat1900: (550)
- And cladde him as a povre laborer,
-
And al allone, save oonly a squyer,
Skeat1900: 1410
- That 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,
Skeat1900: 1415
- To drugge and drawe, what so men wol devyse.
- And shortly of this matere for to seyn,
-
He fil in office with a chamberleyn,
Skeat1900: (560)
- The which that dwelling was with Emelye.
-
For he was wys, and coude soon aspye
Skeat1900: 1420
- Of 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 he was strong and big of bones
-
To doon that any wight can him devyse.
Skeat1900: 1425
- A yeer or two he was in this servyse,
- Page of the chambre of Emelye the brighte;
-
And ‘Philostrate’ he seide that he highte.
Skeat1900: (570)
- But half so wel biloved a man as he
-
Ne was ther never in court, of his degree;
Skeat1900: 1430
-
He was so gentil of condicioun,
- That thurghout al the court was his renoun.
- They seyden, that it were a charitee
- That Theseus wolde enhauncen his degree,
-
And putten him in worshipful servyse,
Skeat1900: 1435
- Ther as he mighte his vertu excercyse.
- And thus, with-inne a whyle, his name is spronge
-
Bothe of his dedes, and his goode tonge,
Skeat1900: (580)
- That Theseus hath taken him so neer
-
That of his chambre he made him a squyer,
Skeat1900: 1440
-
And yaf him gold to mayntene his degree;
- And eek men broghte him out of his contree
- From yeer to yeer, ful prively, his rente;
- But honestly and slyly he it spente,
-
That no man wondred how that he it hadde.
Skeat1900: 1445
- And 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.
Skeat1900: (590)
- And in this blisse lete I now Arcite,
-
And speke I wol of Palamon a lyte.
Skeat1900: 1450
- In derknesse and horrible and strong prisoun
- This seven yeer hath seten Palamoun,
- Forpyned, what for wo and for distresse;
-
Who feleth double soor and hevinesse
-
But Palamon? that love destreyneth so,
Skeat1900: 1455
- That wood out of his wit he gooth for wo;
- And eek therto he is a prisoner
-
Perpetuelly, noght oonly for a yeer.
Skeat1900: (600)
- Who coude ryme in English proprely
-
His martirdom? for sothe, it am nat I;
Skeat1900: 1460
- Therefore 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,
Skeat1900: 1465
- (As, whan a thing is shapen, it shal be,)
- That, sone after the midnight, Palamoun,
-
By helping of a freend, brak his prisoun,
Skeat1900: (610)
- And fleeth the citee, faste as he may go;
-
For he had yive
his gayler drinke so
Skeat1900: 1470
- Of 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.
Skeat1900: 1475
- The night was short, and faste by the day,
-
That nedes-cost he moste him-selven hyde,
-
And til a grove, faste ther besyde,
Skeat1900: (620)
-
With dredful foot than stalketh Palamoun.
-
For shortly, this was his opinioun,
Skeat1900: 1480
- That in that grove he wolde him hyde al day,
- And in the night than wolde he take his way
- To Thebes-ward, his freendes for to preye
- On Theseus to helpe him to werreye;
-
And shortly, outher he wolde lese his lyf,
Skeat1900: 1485
- Or winnen Emelye un-to his wyf;
- This is theffect and his entente pleyn.
-
Now wol I torne un-to Arcite ageyn,
Skeat1900: (630)
- That litel wiste how ny that was his care,
-
Til that fortune had broght him in the snare.
Skeat1900: 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
Skeat1900: 1495
- The silver dropes, hanging on the leves.
-
And Arcite, that is in the court royal
-
With Theseus, his squyer principal,
Skeat1900: (640)
- Is risen, and loketh on the myrie day.
-
And, for to doon his observaunce to May,
Skeat1900: 1500
- Remembering 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,
Skeat1900: 1505
- By aventure, his wey he gan to holde,
- To maken him a gerland of the greves,
-
Were it of wodebinde or hawethorn-leves,
Skeat1900: (650)
- And loude he song ageyn the sonne shene:
-
‘May, with alle thy floures and thy grene,
Skeat1900: 1510
-
Wel-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,
Skeat1900: 1515
- Ther-as, by aventure, this Palamoun
- Was in a bush, that no man mighte him see,
-
For sore afered of his deeth was he.
Skeat1900: (660)
- No-thing ne knew he that it was Arcite:
-
God wot he wolde have trowed it ful lyte.
Skeat1900: 1520
-
But 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,
Skeat1900: 1525
-
That 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,
Skeat1900: (670)
- And songen al the roundel lustily,
-
In-to a studie he fil sodeynly,
Skeat1900: 1530
- As 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,
Skeat1900: 1535
-
Right so can gery Venus overcaste
- The hertes of hir folk; right as hir day
-
Is gerful, right so chaungeth she array.
Skeat1900: (680)
-
Selde is the Friday al the wyke y-lyke.
-
Whan that Arcite had songe, he gan to syke,
Skeat1900: 1540
- And 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
Skeat1900: 1545
- The blood royal of Cadme and Amphioun;
- Of Cadmus, which that was the firste man
-
That Thebes bulte, or first the toun bigan,
Skeat1900: (690)
- And of the citee first was crouned king,
-
Of his linage am I, and his of-spring
Skeat1900: 1550
-
By 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,
Skeat1900: 1555
-
For I dar noght biknowe myn owne name;
-
But ther-as I was wont to highte
Arcite,
-
Now highte I Philostrate, noght worth a myte.
Skeat1900: (700)
- Allas! thou felle Mars, allas! Iuno,
-
Thus hath your ire our kinrede al fordo,
Skeat1900: 1560
- Save only me, and wrecched Palamoun,
- That Theseus martyreth in prisoun.
-
And over al this, to sleen me utterly,
- Love hath his fyry dart so brenningly
-
Y-stiked thurgh my trewe careful herte,
Skeat1900: 1565
- That shapen was my deeth erst than my sherte.
- Ye sleen me with your eyen, Emelye;
-
Ye been the cause wherfor that I dye.
Skeat1900: (710)
- Of al the remenant of myn other care
-
Ne sette I nat the mountaunce of a tare,
Skeat1900: 1570
- So that I coude don aught to your plesaunce!’
- And with that word he fil doun in a traunce
-
A longe tyme; and after he up-sterte.
- This Palamoun, that thoughte that thurgh his herte
-
He felte a cold swerd sodeynliche glyde,
Skeat1900: 1575
- For 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,
Skeat1900: (720)
-
He sterte him up out of the buskes thikke,
-
And seyde: ‘Arcite, false traitour wikke,
Skeat1900: 1580
-
Now 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,
Skeat1900: 1585
- And falsly chaunged hast thy name thus;
- I wol be deed, or elles thou shalt dye.
-
Thou shalt nat love my lady Emelye,
Skeat1900: (730)
-
But I wol love hir only, and namo;
-
For I am Palamoun, thy mortal fo.
Skeat1900: 1590
- And 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.’
Skeat1900: 1595
- This Arcite, with ful despitous herte,
- Whan he him knew, and hadde his tale herd,
-
As fiers as leoun, pulled out a swerd,
Skeat1900: (740)
-
And seyde thus: ‘by God that sit above,
-
Nere it that thou art sik, and wood for love,
Skeat1900: 1600
- And 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 bond
-
Which that thou seyst that I have maad to thee.
Skeat1900: 1605
- What, 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,
Skeat1900: (750)
-
And wilnest to darreyne hir by batayle,
-
Have heer my trouthe, to-morwe I wol nat fayle,
Skeat1900: 1610
- With-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
Skeat1900: 1615
- Y-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,
Skeat1900: (760)
- Thou mayst wel have thy lady, as for me.’
-
This Palamon answerde: ‘I graunte it thee.’
Skeat1900: 1620
- And 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
Skeat1900: 1625
-
Wol noght, his thankes, have no felaweshipe;
- Wel finden that Arcite and Palamoun.
-
Arcite is riden anon un-to the toun,
Skeat1900: (770)
- And on the morwe, er it were dayes light,
-
Ful prively two harneys hath he dight,
Skeat1900: 1630
- Bothe suffisaunt and mete to darreyne
- The 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,
Skeat1900: 1635
- This Arcite and this Palamon ben met.
-
Tho chaungen gan the colour in hir face;
-
Right as the hunter in the regne of Trace,
Skeat1900: (780)
- That stondeth at the gappe with a spere,
-
Whan hunted is the leoun or the bere,
Skeat1900: 1640
- And 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,
Skeat1900: 1645
- Or he mot sleen me, if that me mishappe:’
- So ferden they, in chaunging of hir hewe,
-
As fer as everich of hem other knewe.
Skeat1900: (790)
- Ther nas no good day, ne no saluing;
-
But streight, with-outen word or rehersing,
Skeat1900: 1650
-
Everich of hem halp for to armen other,
-
As freendly as he were his owne
brother;
- And after that, with sharpe speres stronge
- They foynen ech at other wonder longe.
-
Thou mightest wene that this Palamoun
Skeat1900: 1655
-
In his fighting were a wood leoun,
- And as a cruel tygre was Arcite:
-
As wilde bores gonne they to smyte,
Skeat1900: (800)
-
That frothen whyte
as foom for ire wood.
-
Up to the ancle
foghte they in hir blood.
Skeat1900: 1660
- And 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-al
-
The purveyaunce, that God hath seyn biforn,
Skeat1900: 1665
- So strong it is, that, though the world had sworn
- The contrarie of a thing, by ye or nay,
-
Yet somtyme it shal fallen on a day
Skeat1900: (810)
- That falleth nat eft with-inne a thousand yere.
-
For certeinly, our appetytes here,
Skeat1900: 1670
- Be 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,
Skeat1900: 1675
- That in his bed ther daweth him no day,
- That he nis clad, and redy for to ryde
-
With hunte and horn, and houndes him bisyde.
Skeat1900: (820)
- For in his hunting hath he swich delyt,
-
That it is al his Ioye and appetyt
Skeat1900: 1680
- To 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,
Skeat1900: 1685
- And Emelye, clothed al in grene,
- On hunting be they riden royally.
-
And to the grove, that stood ful faste by,
Skeat1900: (830)
- In which ther was an hert, as men him tolde,
-
Duk Theseus the streighte wey hath holde.
Skeat1900: 1690
- And 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.
Skeat1900: 1695
- And whan this duk was come un-to the launde,
- Under the sonne he loketh, and anon
-
He was war of Arcite and Palamon,
Skeat1900: (840)
-
That foughten breme, as it were bores two;
-
The brighte swerdes wenten to and fro
Skeat1900: 1700
- So hidously, that with the leeste strook
-
It 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,
Skeat1900: 1705
-
And pulled out a swerd and cryed, ‘ho!
-
Namore, up peyne of lesing of your heed.
-
By mighty Mars, he shal anon be deed,
Skeat1900: (850)
- That smyteth any strook, that I may seen!
-
But telleth me what mister men ye been,
Skeat1900: 1710
- That been so hardy for to fighten here
- With-outen Iuge or other officere,
- As it were in a listes royally?’
- This Palamon answerde hastily,
-
And seyde: ‘sire, what nedeth wordes mo?
Skeat1900: 1715
-
We have the deeth deserved
bothe two.
- Two woful wrecches been we, two caytyves,
-
That been encombred of our owne
lyves;
Skeat1900: (860)
- And as thou art a rightful lord and Iuge,
-
Ne yeve us neither mercy ne refuge,
Skeat1900: 1720
- But 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,
Skeat1900: 1725
- For which he hath deserved to be deed.
- For this is he that cam un-to thy gate,
-
And seyde, that he highte Philostrate.
Skeat1900: (870)
- Thus hath he Iaped thee ful many a yeer,
-
And thou has maked him thy chief squyer;
Skeat1900: 1730
- And 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.
Skeat1900: 1735
- I am thy mortal fo, and it am I
- That loveth so hote Emelye the brighte,
-
That I wol dye present in hir sighte.
Skeat1900: (880)
- Therfore I axe deeth and my Iuwyse;
-
But slee my felawe in the same wyse,
Skeat1900: 1740
-
For 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,
Skeat1900: 1745
- It nedeth noght to pyne yow with the corde.
-
Ye shul be deed, by mighty Mars the rede!’
-
The quene anon, for verray wommanhede,
Skeat1900: (890)
- Gan for to wepe, and so dide Emelye,
-
And alle the ladies in the companye.
Skeat1900: 1750
- Gret 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;
Skeat1900: 1755
- And alle cryden, bothe lasse and more,
- ‘Have mercy, lord, up-on us wommen alle!’
-
And on hir bare knees adoun they falle,
Skeat1900: (900)
- And wolde have kist his feet ther-as he stood,
-
Til at the laste aslaked was his mood;
Skeat1900: 1760
- For 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,
Skeat1900: 1765
- Yet in his reson he hem bothe excused;
-
As thus: he thoghte wel, that every man
-
Wol helpe him-self in love, if that he can,
Skeat1900: (910)
- And eek delivere him-self out of prisoun;
-
And eek his herte had compassioun
Skeat1900: 1770
-
Of wommen, for they wepen ever in oon;
- And in his gentil herte he thoghte anoon,
- And softe un-to himself he seyde: ‘fy
- Up-on a lord that wol have no mercy,
-
But been a leoun, bothe in word and dede,
Skeat1900: 1775
- To hem that been in repentaunce and drede
- As wel as to a proud despitous man
-
That wol maynteyne that he first bigan!
Skeat1900: (920)
- That lord hath litel of discrecioun,
-
That in swich cas can no divisioun,
Skeat1900: 1780
- But 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,
Skeat1900: 1785
- How mighty and how greet a lord is he!
- Ayeins his might ther gayneth none obstacles,
-
He may be cleped a god for his
miracles;
Skeat1900: (930)
-
For he can maken at his owne gyse
-
Of everich herte, as that him list devyse.
Skeat1900: 1790
- Lo 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,
Skeat1900: 1795
- And yet hath love, maugree hir eyen two,
-
Y-broght hem hider bothe for to dye!
-
Now loketh, is nat that an heigh folye?
Skeat1900: (940)
-
Who may been a fool, but-if he love?
-
Bihold, for Goddes sake that sit above,
Skeat1900: 1800
- Se how they blede! be they noght wel arrayed?
- Thus hath hir lord, the god of love, y-payed
- Hir wages and hir fees for hir servyse!
- And yet they wenen for to been ful wyse
-
That serven love, for aught that may bifalle!
Skeat1900: 1805
- But 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;
Skeat1900: (950)
- She woot namore of al this hote fare,
-
By God, than woot a cokkow or an hare!
Skeat1900: 1810
-
But 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,
Skeat1900: 1815
- And 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,
Skeat1900: (960)
- At requeste of the quene that kneleth here,
-
And eek of Emelye, my suster dere.
Skeat1900: 1820
- And 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.’
Skeat1900: 1825
-
And they him swore his axing fayre and wel,
Skeat1900: 1825
- And him of lordshipe and of mercy preyde,
-
And he hem graunteth
grace, and thus he seyde:
Skeat1900: (970)
- ‘To speke of royal linage and richesse,
-
Though that she were a quene or a princesse,
Skeat1900: 1830
- Ech of yow bothe is worthy, doutelees,
-
To wedden whan tyme is, but nathelees
- I speke as for my suster Emelye,
-
For whom ye have this stryf and Ielousye;
-
Ye woot your-self, she may not wedden two
Skeat1900: 1835
- At ones, though ye fighten ever-mo:
-
That oon of yow, al be him looth or leef,
-
He moot go
pypen in an ivy-leef;
Skeat1900: (980)
- This is to seyn, she may nat now han bothe,
-
Al be ye never so Ielous
, ne so wrothe.
Skeat1900: 1840
- And for-thy I yow putte in this degree,
- That ech of yow shal have his destinee
- As him is shape; and herkneth in what wyse;
- Lo, heer your ende of that I shal devyse.
-
My wil is this, for plat conclusioun,
Skeat1900: 1845
- With-outen any replicacioun,
- If that yow lyketh, tak it for the beste,
-
That everich of yow shal gon wher him leste
Skeat1900: (990)
- Frely, with-outen raunson or daunger;
-
And this day fifty wykes, fer ne ner,
Skeat1900: 1850
- Everich 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,
Skeat1900: 1855
-
That whether
of yow bothe that hath might,
-
This is to seyn, that whether
he or thou
-
May with his hundred, as I spak of now,
Skeat1900: (1000)
- Sleen his contrarie, or out of listes dryve,
-
Him shal I yeve Emelya to wyve,
Skeat1900: 1860
- To 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,
Skeat1900: 1865
- That 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.
Skeat1900: (1010)
- This is your ende and your conclusioun.’
-
Who loketh lightly now but Palamoun?
Skeat1900: 1870
- Who springeth up for Ioye but Arcite?
-
Who couthe telle, or who couthe it endyte,
- The Ioye that is maked in the place
- Whan Theseus hath doon so fair a grace?
-
But doun on knees wente every maner wight,
Skeat1900: 1875
-
And thanked him with al her herte and might,
-
And namely the Thebans ofte sythe.
-
And thus with good hope and with herte blythe
Skeat1900: (1020)
- They take hir leve, and hom-ward gonne they ryde
-
To Thebes, with his olde walles wyde.
Skeat1900: 1880
Explicit secunda pars. Sequitur pars tercia.
- I trowe men wolde deme it necligence,
- If I foryete to tellen the dispence
- Of Theseus, that goth so bisily
- To maken up the listes royally;
-
That swich a noble theatre as it was,
Skeat1900: 1885
-
I dar wel seyn that in this world ther nas.
- The circuit a myle was aboute,
-
Walled of stoon, and diched al with-oute.
Skeat1900: (1030)
-
Round was the shap, in maner of compas,
-
Ful of degrees, the heighte of sixty pas,
Skeat1900: 1890
- That, 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
Skeat1900: 1895
- Was noon in erthe, as in so litel space;
- For in the lond ther nas no crafty man,
-
That geometrie or ars-metrik can,
Skeat1900: (1040)
-
Ne purtreyour, ne kerver of images,
-
That Theseus ne yaf him mete and wages
Skeat1900: 1900
- The 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;
Skeat1900: 1905
-
And west-ward, in the minde and in memorie
- Of Mars, he maked hath right swich another,
-
That coste largely of gold a fother.
Skeat1900: (1050)
- And north-ward, in a touret on the wal,
-
Of alabastre whyt and reed coral
Skeat1900: 1910
- An oratorie riche for to see,
- In worship of Dyane of chastitee,
- Hath Theseus don wroght in noble wyse.
- But yet hadde I foryeten to devyse
-
The noble kerving, and the portreitures,
Skeat1900: 1915
- The shap, the countenaunce, and the figures,
- That weren in thise oratories three.
-
First in the temple of Venus maystow see
Skeat1900: (1060)
- Wroght on the wal, ful pitous to biholde,
-
The broken slepes, and the sykes colde;
Skeat1900: 1920
- The 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,
Skeat1900: 1925
- Beautee and youthe, bauderie, richesse,
- Charmes and force, lesinges, flaterye,
-
Dispense, bisynesse, and Ielousye,
Skeat1900: (1070)
-
That wered of yelwe goldes
a gerland,
-
And a cokkow sitting on hir hand;
Skeat1900: 1930
- Festes, instruments, caroles, daunces,
- Lust and array, and alle the circumstaunces
-
Of love, whiche that I rekne and rekne shal,
- By ordre weren peynted on the wal,
-
And mo than I can make of mencioun.
Skeat1900: 1935
- For soothly, al the mount of Citheroun,
- Ther Venus hath hir principal dwelling,
-
Was shewed on the wal in portreying,
Skeat1900: (1080)
- With al the gardin, and the lustinesse.
-
Nat was foryeten the porter Ydelnesse,
Skeat1900: 1940
- Ne 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,
Skeat1900: 1945
- The riche Cresus, caytif in servage.
- Thus may ye seen that wisdom ne richesse,
-
Beautee ne sleighte, strengthe, ne
hardinesse,
Skeat1900: (1090)
- Ne may with Venus holde champartye;
-
For as hir list the world than may she gye.
Skeat1900: 1950
- Lo, 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,
Skeat1900: 1955
- Was naked fleting in the large see,
- And fro the navele doun all covered was
-
With wawes grene, and brighte as any glas.
Skeat1900: (1100)
- A citole in hir right hand hadde she,
-
And on hir heed, ful semely for to see,
Skeat1900: 1960
- A 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;
Skeat1900: 1965
- A bowe he bar and arwes brighte and kene.
- Why sholde I noght as wel eek telle yow al
-
The portreiture, that was up-on the wal
Skeat1900: (1110)
- With-inne the temple of mighty Mars the rede?
-
Al peynted was the wal, in lengthe and brede,
Skeat1900: 1970
- Lyk 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,
Skeat1900: 1975
-
In which ther dwelleth neither man ne beste,
-
With knotty knarry bareyn
treës olde
-
Of stubbes sharpe and hidous to biholde;
Skeat1900: (1120)
-
In which ther ran a rumbel and a swough,
-
As though a storm sholde bresten every bough:
Skeat1900: 1980
-
And downward from
an hille, under a bente,
- Ther stood the temple of Mars armipotente,
-
Wroght al of burned steel, of which thentree
- Was long and streit, and gastly for to see.
-
And ther-out cam a rage and such a vese,
Skeat1900: 1985
-
That 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,
Skeat1900: (1130)
- Thurgh which men mighten any light discerne.
-
The dores
were alle of adamant eterne,
Skeat1900: 1990
- Y-clenched overthwart and endelong
- With 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
Skeat1900: 1995
- Of felonye, and al the compassing;
-
The cruel ire, reed as any glede;
-
The pykepurs, and eek the pale drede;
Skeat1900: (1140)
-
The smyler with the knyf under the cloke;
-
The shepne brenning with the blake smoke;
Skeat1900: 2000
- The 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,
Skeat1900: 2005
- His herte-blood hath bathed al his heer;
- The nayl y-driven in the shode a-night;
-
The colde deeth, with mouth gaping up-right.
Skeat1900: (1150)
- Amiddes of the temple sat meschaunce,
-
With disconfort and sory contenaunce.
Skeat1900: 2010
- Yet 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;
Skeat1900: 2015
- The toun destroyed, ther was no-thing laft.
- Yet saugh I brent the shippes hoppesteres;
-
The hunte strangled with the wilde beres:
Skeat1900: (1160)
- The sowe freten the child right in the cradel;
-
The cook y-scalded, for al his longe ladel.
Skeat1900: 2020
-
Noght 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
Skeat1900: 2025
- That forgeth sharpe swerdes on his stith.
- And al above, depeynted in a tour,
-
Saw I conquest sittinge in greet honour,
Skeat1900: (1170)
-
With the sharpe swerde over his heed
-
Hanginge by a sotil twynes threed.
Skeat1900: 2030
- Depeynted 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;
Skeat1900: 2035
- So was it shewed in that portreiture
-
As is depeynted in the sterres above,
-
Who shal be slayn or elles deed for love.
Skeat1900: (1180)
- Suffyceth oon ensample in stories olde,
-
I may not rekne hem alle, thogh I wolde.
Skeat1900: 2040
- The statue of Mars up-on a carte stood,
- Armed, and loked grim as he were wood;
- And over his heed ther shynen two figures
- Of sterres, that been cleped in scriptures,
-
That oon Puella, that other Rubeus.
Skeat1900: 2045
- This god of armes was arrayed thus:—
- A wolf ther stood biforn him at his feet
-
With eyen rede, and of a man he eet;
Skeat1900: (1190)
-
With sotil pencel was depeynt this storie,
-
In redoutinge of Mars and of his glorie.
Skeat1900: 2050
- Now to the temple of Diane the chaste
- As shortly as I can I wol me haste,
- To telle yow al the descripcioun.
- Depeynted been the walles up and doun
-
Of hunting and of shamfast chastitee.
Skeat1900: 2055
- Ther saugh I how woful Calistopee,
- Whan that Diane agreved was with here,
-
Was turned from a womman til a bere,
Skeat1900: (1200)
- And after was she maad the lode-sterre;
-
Thus was it peynt, I can say yow no ferre;
Skeat1900: 2060
- Hir 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,
Skeat1900: 2065
- For 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.
Skeat1900: (1210)
-
Yet peynted was
a litel forther-moor,
-
How Atthalante hunted the wilde boor,
Skeat1900: 2070
-
And 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,
Skeat1900: 2075
- With smale houndes al aboute hir feet;
- And undernethe hir feet she hadde a mone,
-
Wexing it was, and sholde wanie sone.
Skeat1900: (1220)
- In gaude grene hir statue clothed was,
-
With bowe in honde, and arwes in a cas.
Skeat1900: 2080
- Hir 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,
Skeat1900: 2085
- And seyde, ‘help, for thou mayst best of alle.’
- Wel couthe he peynten lyfly that it wroghte,
-
With many a florin he the hewes boghte.
Skeat1900: (1230)
- Now been thise listes maad, and Theseus,
-
That at his grete cost arrayed thus
Skeat1900: 2090
- The 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,
Skeat1900: 2095
- That everich sholde an hundred knightes bringe,
- The bataille to darreyne, as I yow tolde;
-
And til Athenes, hir covenant
for to holde,
Skeat1900: (1240)
- Hath everich of hem broght an hundred knightes
-
Wel armed for the werre at alle rightes.
Skeat1900: 2100
- And sikerly, ther trowed many a man
- That 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.
Skeat1900: 2105
- For every wight that lovede chivalrye,
- And wolde, his thankes, han a passant name,
-
Hath preyed that he mighte ben of that game;
Skeat1900: (1250)
- And wel was him, that ther-to chosen was.
-
For if ther fille to-morwe swich a cas,
Skeat1900: 2110
- Ye 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!
Skeat1900: 2115
- It were a lusty sighte for to see.
- And right so ferden they with Palamon.
-
With him ther wenten knightes many oon;
Skeat1900: (1260)
- Som wol ben armed in an habergeoun,
-
In a brest-plat and in a light gipoun;
Skeat1900: 2120
- And 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.
Skeat1900: 2125
- Armed were they, as I have you told,
- Everich after his opinioun.
-
Ther maistow seen coming with Palamoun
Skeat1900: (1270)
- Ligurge him-self, the grete king of Trace;
-
Blak was his berd, and manly was his face.
Skeat1900: 2130
- The 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,
Skeat1900: 2135
-
His 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,
Skeat1900: (1280)
- With foure whyte boles in the trays.
-
In-stede of cote-armure over his harnays,
Skeat1900: 2140
-
With nayles yelwe and brighte as any gold,
- He hadde a beres skin, col-blak, for-old.
- His long heer was kembd bihinde his bak,
- As any ravenes fether it shoon for-blak:
-
A wrethe of gold arm-greet, of huge wighte,
Skeat1900: 2145
- Upon his heed, set ful of stones brighte,
- Of fyne rubies and of dyamaunts.
-
Aboute his char
ther wenten whyte alaunts,
Skeat1900: (1290)
- Twenty and mo, as grete as any steer,
-
To hunten at the leoun or the deer,
Skeat1900: 2150
- And folwed him, with mosel faste y-bounde,
-
Colers of gold, and torets fyled rounde.
- An hundred lordes hadde he in his route
-
Armed ful wel, with hertes sterne
and stoute.
-
With Arcita, in stories as men finde,
Skeat1900: 2155
- The grete Emetreus, the king of Inde,
- Up-on a stede bay, trapped in steel,
-
Covered in cloth of gold diapred weel,
Skeat1900: (1300)
- Cam ryding lyk the god of armes, Mars.
-
His cote-armure was of cloth of Tars,
Skeat1900: 2160
- Couched with perles whyte and rounde and grete.
- His sadel was of brend gold newe y-bete;
-
A mantelet
upon his shuldre hanginge
-
Bret-ful
of rubies rede, as fyr sparklinge.
-
His crispe heer lyk ringes was y-ronne,
Skeat1900: 2165
- And that was yelow, and glitered as the sonne.
- His nose was heigh, his eyen bright citryn,
-
His lippes rounde, his colour was sangwyn,
Skeat1900: (1310)
- A fewe fraknes in his face y-spreynd,
-
Betwixen yelow and somdel blak y-meynd,
Skeat1900: 2170
- And 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
Skeat1900: 2175
- A gerland fresh and lusty for to sene.
- Up-on his hand he bar, for his deduyt,
-
An egle tame, as eny lilie whyt.
Skeat1900: (1320)
- An hundred lordes hadde he with him there,
-
Al armed, sauf hir heddes, in al
hir gere,
Skeat1900: 2180
- Ful 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
Skeat1900: 2185
-
Ful many a tame leoun and lepart.
- And in this wyse thise lordes, alle and some,
-
Ben on the Sonday to the citee come
Skeat1900: (1330)
- Aboute pryme, and in the toun alight.
-
This Theseus, this duk, this worthy knight,
Skeat1900: 2190
- Whan he had broght hem in-to his citee,
-
And inned hem, everich in his degree,
- He festeth hem, and dooth so greet labour
- To esen hem, and doon hem al honour,
-
That yet men weneth that no mannes
wit
Skeat1900: 2195
- Of noon estat ne coude amenden it.
- The minstralcye, the service at the feste,
-
The grete yiftes to the moste and leste,
Skeat1900: (1340)
- The riche array of Theseus paleys,
-
Ne who sat first ne last up-on the deys,
Skeat1900: 2200
- What 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:
Skeat1900: 2205
- Of al this make I now no mencioun;
-
But al
theffect, that thinketh me the beste;
-
Now comth the poynt, and herkneth if yow leste.
Skeat1900: (1350)
- The Sonday night, er day bigan to springe,
-
When Palamon the larke herde singe,
Skeat1900: 2210
- Although it nere nat day by houres two,
-
Yet song the larke, and Palamon also.
- With holy herte, and with an heigh corage
- He roos, to wenden on his pilgrimage
-
Un-to the blisful Citherea benigne,
Skeat1900: 2215
- I mene Venus, honurable and digne.
-
And in hir houre he walketh forth a pas
-
Un-to the listes, ther hir temple was,
Skeat1900: (1360)
-
And doun he kneleth, and with humble chere
-
And herte soor, he seyde as ye shul here.
Skeat1900: 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,
Skeat1900: 2225
-
And tak myn humble preyer at thyn herte.
-
Allas! I ne have no langage to
telle
-
Theffectes ne the torments of myn helle;
Skeat1900: (1370)
- Myn herte may myne harmes nat biwreye;
-
I am so confus, that I can noght seye.
Skeat1900: 2230
-
But mercy, lady bright, that knowest weel
-
My 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,
Skeat1900: 2235
- And holden werre alwey with chastitee;
- That make I myn avow, so ye me helpe.
-
I kepe noght of armes for to yelpe,
Skeat1900: (1380)
-
Ne I ne axe nat to-morwe to have victorie,
-
Ne renoun in this cas, ne veyne glorie
Skeat1900: 2240
- Of pris of armes blowen up and doun,
- But I wolde have fully possessioun
- Of Emelye, and dye in thy servyse;
- Find thou the maner how, and in what wyse.
-
I recche nat, but it may bettre be,
Skeat1900: 2245
- To 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,
Skeat1900: (1390)
- Your vertu is so greet in hevene above,
-
That, if yow list, I shal wel have my love.
Skeat1900: 2250
- Thy 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
Skeat1900: 2255
- That Arcita me thurgh the herte bere.
- Thanne rekke I noght, whan I have lost my lyf,
-
Though that Arcita winne hir to his wyf.
Skeat1900: (1400)
- This is theffect and ende of my preyere,
-
Yif me my love, thou blisful lady dere.’
Skeat1900: 2260
-
Whan thorisoun was doon of Palamon,
- His sacrifice he dide, and that anon
-
Ful pitously, with alle circumstaunces,
-
Al telle I noght as now his observaunces.
-
But atte laste the statue of Venus shook,
Skeat1900: 2265
- And made a signe, wher-by that he took
- That his preyere accepted was that day.
-
For thogh the signe shewed a delay,
Skeat1900: (1410)
- Yet wiste he wel that graunted was his bone;
-
And with glad herte he wente him hoom ful sone.
Skeat1900: 2270
- The thridde houre inequal that Palamon
- Bigan 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,
Skeat1900: 2275
-
Ful redily with hem the fyr they hadde,
- Thencens, the clothes, and the remenant al
-
That to the sacrifyce longen shal;
Skeat1900: (1420)
-
The hornes fulle of meth, as was the gyse;
-
Ther lakked noght to doon hir sacrifyse.
Skeat1900: 2280
- Smoking 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;
Skeat1900: 2285
- And 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.
Skeat1900: (1430)
-
Hir brighte heer was kempt
, untressed al;
-
A coroune of a grene ook cerial
Skeat1900: 2290
- Up-on hir heed was set ful fair and mete.
- Two fyres on the auter gan she bete,
- And dide hir thinges, as men may biholde
- In Stace of Thebes, and thise bokes olde.
-
Whan kindled was the fyr, with pitous chere
Skeat1900: 2295
- Un-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,
Skeat1900: (1440)
- Quene of the regne of Pluto derk and lowe,
-
Goddesse of maydens, that myn herte hast knowe
Skeat1900: 2300
- Ful 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 I
-
Desire to been a mayden al my lyf,
Skeat1900: 2305
- Ne never wol I be no love ne wyf.
- I am, thou woost, yet of thy companye,
-
A mayde, and love hunting and venerye,
Skeat1900: (1450)
- And for to walken in the wodes wilde,
-
And noght to been a wyf, and be with childe.
Skeat1900: 2310
-
Noght 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,
Skeat1900: 2315
- This grace I preye thee with-oute more,
-
As sende love and pees bitwixe hem two;
-
And fro me turne awey hir hertes so,
Skeat1900: (1460)
- That al hir hote love, and hir desyr,
-
And al hir bisy torment, and hir fyr
Skeat1900: 2320
- Be 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.
Skeat1900: 2325
- Bihold, goddesse of clene chastitee,
- The bittre teres that on my chekes falle.
-
Sin thou are mayde, and keper
of us alle,
Skeat1900: (1470)
- My maydenhede thou kepe and wel conserve,
-
And whyl I live a mayde, I wol thee serve.’
Skeat1900: 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
Skeat1900: 2335
- That other fyr was queynt, and al agon;
-
And as it queynte, it made a whistelinge,
-
As doon thise wete brondes in hir brenninge,
Skeat1900: (1480)
- And at the brondes ende out-ran anoon
-
As it were blody dropes many oon;
Skeat1900: 2340
- For 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.
Skeat1900: 2345
- And ther-with-al Diane gan appere,
- With bowe in hond, right as an hunteresse,
-
And seyde: ‘Doghter, stint thyn hevinesse.
Skeat1900: (1490)
- Among the goddes hye it is affermed,
-
And by eterne word write and confermed,
Skeat1900: 2350
- Thou shalt ben wedded un-to oon of tho
- That 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
Skeat1900: 2355
-
Shul thee declaren
, er that thou go henne,
- Thyn aventure of love, as in this cas.’
-
And with that word, the arwes in the cas
Skeat1900: (1500)
- Of the goddesse clateren faste and ringe,
-
And forth she wente, and made a vanisshinge;
Skeat1900: 2360
- For 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.
Skeat1900: 2365
- This is theffect, ther is namore to seye.
- The nexte houre of Mars folwinge this,
-
Arcite un-to the temple walked is
Skeat1900: (1510)
-
Of fierse Mars, to doon his sacrifyse,
-
With alle the rytes of his payen wyse.
Skeat1900: 2370
- With pitous herte and heigh devocioun,
- Right thus to Mars he seyde his orisoun:
- ‘O stronge god, that in the regnes colde
- Of Trace honoured art, and lord y-holde,
-
And hast in every regne and every lond
Skeat1900: 2375
- Of armes al the brydel in thyn hond,
- And hem fortunest as thee list devyse,
-
Accept of me my pitous sacrifyse.
Skeat1900: (1520)
- If so be that my youthe may deserve,
-
And that my might be worthy for to serve
Skeat1900: 2380
- Thy 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
Skeat1900: 2385
- Of fayre yonge fresshe Venus free,
- And haddest hir in armes at thy wille,
-
Al-though thee ones on a tyme misfille
Skeat1900: (1530)
- Whan Vulcanus had caught thee in his las,
-
And fond thee ligging by his wyf, allas!
Skeat1900: 2390
- For 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;
Skeat1900: 2395
- For 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,
Skeat1900: (1540)
- I moot with strengthe winne hir in the place;
-
And wel I woot, withouten help or grace
Skeat1900: 2400
- Of 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.
Skeat1900: 2405
- Myn be the travaille, and thyn be the glorie!
- Thy soverein temple wol I most honouren
-
Of any place, and alwey most labouren
Skeat1900: (1550)
- In thy plesaunce and in thy craftes stronge,
-
And in thy temple I wol my baner honge,
Skeat1900: 2410
- And 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,
Skeat1900: 2415
- That never yet ne felte offensioun
- Of rasour nor of shere, I wol thee yive,
-
And ben thy trewe servant whyl I live.
Skeat1900: (1560)
- Now lord, have routhe up-on my sorwes sore,
-
Yif me victorie, I aske thee namore.’
Skeat1900: 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,
Skeat1900: 2425
- That it gan al the temple for to lighte;
- And swete smel the ground anon up-yaf,
-
And Arcita anon his hand up-haf,
Skeat1900: (1570)
- And more encens in-to the fyr he caste,
-
With othere rytes mo; and atte laste
Skeat1900: 2430
- The statue of Mars bigan his hauberk ringe.
- And with that soun he herde a murmuringe
-
Ful 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,
Skeat1900: 2435
-
Arcite anon un-to his inne
is fare,
- As fayn as fowel is of the brighte sonne.
-
And right anon swich stryf ther is bigonne
Skeat1900: (1580)
- For thilke graunting, in the hevene above,
-
Bitwixe Venus, the goddesse of love,
Skeat1900: 2440
-
And 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,
Skeat1900: 2445
- That he ful sone hath plesed every part.
- As sooth is sayd, elde hath greet avantage;
-
In elde is bothe wisdom and usage;
Skeat1900: (1590)
-
Men may the olde at-renne, and noght at-rede.
-
Saturne anon, to stinten stryf and drede,
Skeat1900: 2450
- Al 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.
Skeat1900: 2455
- Myn 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;
Skeat1900: (1600)
- The murmure, and the cherles rebelling,
-
The groyning, and the pryvee empoysoning:
Skeat1900: 2460
- I do vengeance and pleyn correccioun
-
Whyl I dwelle in the signe of the
leoun.
- Myn is the ruine of the hye halles,
- The falling of the toures and of the walles
-
Up-on the mynour or the carpenter.
Skeat1900: 2465
-
I slow Sampsoun in shaking the piler;
- And myne be the maladyes colde,
-
The derke tresons
, and the castes olde;
Skeat1900: (1610)
- My loking is the fader of pestilence.
-
Now weep namore, I shal doon diligence
Skeat1900: 2470
- That Palamon, that is thyn owne knight,
- Shal have his lady, as thou hast him hight.
- Though Mars shal helpe his knight, yet nathelees
- Bitwixe yow ther moot be som tyme pees,
-
Al be ye noght of o complexioun,
Skeat1900: 2475
- That causeth al day swich divisioun.
- I am thin ayel, redy at thy wille;
-
Weep thou namore, I wol thy lust fulfille.’
Skeat1900: (1620)
- Now wol I stinten of the goddes above,
-
Of Mars, and of Venus, goddesse of love,
Skeat1900: 2480
- And 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 May
-
Made every wight to been in swich plesaunce,
Skeat1900: 2485
- That al that Monday Iusten they and daunce,
- And spenden it in Venus heigh servyse.
-
But by the cause that they sholde ryse
Skeat1900: (1630)
-
Erly, for to seen the grete fight,
-
Unto hir reste wente they at night.
Skeat1900: 2490
- And on the morwe, whan that day gan springe,
- Of hors and harneys, noyse and clateringe
-
Ther was in hostelryes al aboute;
- And to the paleys rood ther many a route
-
Of lordes, up-on stedes and palfreys.
Skeat1900: 2495
- Ther maystow seen devysing of herneys
- So uncouth and so riche, and wroght so weel
-
Of goldsmithrie, of browding, and of steel;
Skeat1900: (1640)
- The sheeldes brighte, testers, and trappures;
-
Gold-hewen
helmes, hauberks, cote-armures;
Skeat1900: 2500
- Lordes in paraments on hir courseres,
- Knightes of retenue, and eek squyeres
-
Nailinge
the speres, and helmes bokelinge,
-
Gigginge
of sheeldes, with layneres lacinge;
-
Ther as need is, they weren no-thing ydel;
Skeat1900: 2505
- The fomy stedes on the golden brydel
- Gnawinge, and faste the armurers also
-
With fyle and hamer prikinge to and fro;
Skeat1900: (1650)
- Yemen on fote, and communes many oon
-
With shorte staves, thikke as they may goon;
Skeat1900: 2510
-
Pypes, 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.
Skeat1900: 2515
- Somme 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;
Skeat1900: (1660)
- Somme sayde, he loked grim and he wolde fighte;
-
He hath a sparth of twenty pound of wighte.
Skeat1900: 2520
- Thus was the halle ful of divyninge,
- Longe after that the sonne gan to springe.
- The grete Theseus, that of his sleep awaked
- With minstralcye and noyse that was maked,
-
Held yet the chambre of his paleys riche,
Skeat1900: 2525
- Til that the Thebane knightes, bothe y-liche
- Honoured, were into the paleys fet.
-
Duk Theseus was at a window set,
Skeat1900: (1670)
- Arrayed right as he were a god in trone.
-
The peple preesseth thider-ward ful sone
Skeat1900: 2530
- Him 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,
Skeat1900: 2535
- Tho showed he the mighty dukes wille.
- ‘The lord hath of his heigh discrecioun
-
Considered, that it were destruccioun
Skeat1900: (1680)
- To gentil blood, to fighten in the gyse
-
Of mortal bataille now in this empryse;
Skeat1900: 2540
- Wherfore, 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 knyf
-
Into the listes sende, or thider bringe;
Skeat1900: 2545
- Ne 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
Skeat1900: (1690)
- But o cours, with a sharp y-grounde spere;
-
Foyne, if him list, on fote, him-self to were.
Skeat1900: 2550
- And he that is at meschief, shal be take,
- And noght slayn, but be brought un-to the stake
- That shal ben ordeyned on either syde;
- But thider he shal by force, and ther abyde.
-
And if so falle, the chieftayn be take
Skeat1900: 2555
-
On either syde, or elles slee his make,
- No lenger shal the turneyinge laste.
-
God spede yow; goth forth, and ley on faste.
Skeat1900: (1700)
-
With long swerd and with maces fight your fille.
-
Goth now your wey; this is the lordes wille.’
Skeat1900: 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.
Skeat1900: 2565
- And to the listes rit the companye
- By ordinaunce, thurgh-out the citee large,
-
Hanged with cloth of gold, and nat with sarge.
Skeat1900: (1710)
- Ful lyk a lord this noble duk gan ryde,
-
Thise two Thebanes up-on either syde;
Skeat1900: 2570
- And after rood the quene, and Emelye,
- And after that another companye
- Of oon and other, after hir degree.
- And thus they passen thurgh-out the citee,
-
And to the listes come they by tyme.
Skeat1900: 2575
- It nas not of the day yet fully pryme,
- Whan set was Theseus ful riche and hye,
-
Ipolita the quene and Emelye,
Skeat1900: (1720)
- And other ladies in degrees aboute.
-
Un-to the seetes preesseth al the route.
Skeat1900: 2580
- And 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 Palamon
-
Is under Venus, est-ward in the place,
Skeat1900: 2585
- With baner whyt, and hardy chere and face.
- In al the world, to seken up and doun,
-
So even with-outen variacioun,
Skeat1900: (1730)
- Ther nere swiche companyes tweye.
-
For ther nas noon so wys that coude seye,
Skeat1900: 2590
- That any hadde of other avauntage
- Of 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,
Skeat1900: 2595
- That in hir nombre gyle were ther noon,
- Tho were the gates shet, and cryed was loude:
-
‘Do now your devoir, yonge knightes proude!’
Skeat1900: (1740)
- The heraudes lefte hir priking up and doun;
-
Now ringen trompes loude and clarioun;
Skeat1900: 2600
- Ther is namore to seyn, but west and est
- In 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;
Skeat1900: 2605
- He feleth thurgh the herte-spoon the prikke.
- Up springen speres twenty foot on highte;
-
Out goon the swerdes as the silver brighte.
Skeat1900: (1750)
- The helmes they to-hewen and to-shrede;
-
Out brest the blood, with sterne stremes rede.
Skeat1900: 2610
- With 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,
Skeat1900: 2615
- And 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,
Skeat1900: (1760)
- As forward was, right ther he moste abyde;
-
Another lad is on that other syde.
Skeat1900: 2620
- And som tyme dooth hem Theseus to reste,
-
Hem to refresshe
, and drinken if hem leste.
- Ful ofte a-day han thise Thebanes two
- Togidre y-met, and wroght his felawe wo;
-
Unhorsed hath ech other of hem tweye.
Skeat1900: 2625
- Ther 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
Skeat1900: (1770)
- For Ielous herte upon this Palamoun:
-
Ne in Belmarye ther nis so fel leoun,
Skeat1900: 2630
- That 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.
Skeat1900: 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
Skeat1900: (1780)
- This Palamon, as he faught with Arcite,
-
And made his swerd depe in his flesh to byte;
Skeat1900: 2640
- And by the force of twenty is he take
- Unyolden, and y-drawe unto the stake.
-
And in the rescous of this Palamoun
- The stronge king Ligurge is born adoun;
-
And king Emetreus, for al his strengthe,
Skeat1900: 2645
- Is 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.
Skeat1900: (1790)
- His hardy herte mighte him helpe naught;
-
He moste abyde, whan that he was caught
Skeat1900: 2650
- By 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
Skeat1900: 2655
- He cryde, ‘Ho! namore, for it is doon!
- I wol be trewe Iuge, and no partye.
-
Arcite of Thebes shal have Emelye,
Skeat1900: (1800)
- That by his fortune hath hir faire y-wonne.’
-
Anon ther is a noyse of peple bigonne
Skeat1900: 2660
- For 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,
Skeat1900: 2665
- Til that hir teres in the listes fille;
- She seyde: ‘I am ashamed, doutelees.’
-
Saturnus seyde: ‘Doghter, hold thy pees.
Skeat1900: (1810)
- Mars hath his wille, his knight hath al his bone,
-
And, by myn heed, thou shalt ben esed sone.’
Skeat1900: 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.
Skeat1900: 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,
Skeat1900: (1820)
-
Loking upward up-on this
Emelye;
-
And she agayn him caste a freendlich ye,
Skeat1900: 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,
Skeat1900: 2685
- For which his hors for fere gan to turne,
- And leep asyde, and foundred as he leep;
-
And, er that Arcite may taken keep,
Skeat1900: (1830)
- He pighte him on the pomel of his heed,
-
That in the place he lay as he were deed,
Skeat1900: 2690
- His 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 place
-
With herte soor, to Theseus paleys.
Skeat1900: 2695
- Tho 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,
Skeat1900: (1840)
- And alway crying after Emelye.
-
Duk Theseus, with al his companye,
Skeat1900: 2700
- Is 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;
Skeat1900: 2705
- He shal ben heled of his maladye.
- And of another thing they were as fayn,
-
That of hem alle was ther noon y-slayn,
Skeat1900: (1850)
- Al were they sore y-hurt, and namely oon,
-
That with a spere was thirled his brest-boon.
Skeat1900: 2710
- To othere woundes, and to broken armes,
- Some hadden slaves, and some hadden charmes;
- Fermacies of herbes, and eek save
-
They dronken, for they wolde hir limes
have.
-
For which this noble duk, as he wel can,
Skeat1900: 2715
- Conforteth and honoureth every man,
- And made revel al the longe night,
-
Un-to the straunge lordes, as was right.
Skeat1900: (1860)
- Ne ther was holden no disconfitinge,
-
But as a Iustes or a tourneyinge;
Skeat1900: 2720
- For soothly ther was no disconfiture,
- For falling nis nat but an aventure;
- Ne to be lad with fors un-to the stake
- Unyolden, and with twenty knightes take,
-
O persone allone, with-outen mo,
Skeat1900: 2725
-
And haried forth by arme
, foot, and to,
- And eek his stede driven forth with staves,
-
With footmen, bothe yemen and eek knaves,
Skeat1900: (1870)
- It nas aretted him no vileinye,
-
Ther may no man clepen it cowardye.
Skeat1900: 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,
Skeat1900: 2735
- And fully heeld a feste dayes three;
-
And conveyed
the kinges worthily
-
Out of his toun a Iournee largely.
Skeat1900: (1880)
- And hoom wente every man the righte way.
-
Ther was namore, but ‘far wel, have good day!’
Skeat1900: 2740
- Of this bataille I wol namore endyte,
- But speke of Palamon and of Arcite.
- Swelleth the brest of Arcite, and the sore
- Encreesseth at his herte more and more.
-
The clothered blood, for any lechecraft,
Skeat1900: 2745
-
Corrupteth
, and is in his bouk y-laft,
- That neither veyne-blood, ne ventusinge,
-
Ne drinke of herbes may ben his helpinge.
Skeat1900: (1890)
- The vertu expulsif, or animal,
-
Fro thilke vertu cleped natural
Skeat1900: 2750
- Ne may the venim voyden, ne expelle.
- The pypes of his longes gonne to swelle,
- And every lacerte in his brest adoun
- Is shent with venim and corrupcioun.
-
Him gayneth neither, for to gete his lyf,
Skeat1900: 2755
- Vomyt upward, ne dounward laxatif;
- Al is to-brosten thilke regioun,
-
Nature hath now no dominacioun.
Skeat1900: (1900)
- And certeinly, ther nature wol nat wirche,
-
Far-wel, phisyk! go ber the man to chirche!
Skeat1900: 2760
- This 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
Skeat1900: 2765
- Declare o poynt of alle my sorwes smerte
- To yow, my lady, that I love most;
-
But I biquethe the service of my gost
Skeat1900: (1910)
- To yow aboven every creature,
-
Sin that my lyf may no lenger dure.
Skeat1900: 2770
- Allas, 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!
Skeat1900: 2775
- Myn hertes lady, endere of my lyf!
- What is this world? what asketh men to have?
-
Now with his love, now in his colde grave
Skeat1900: (1920)
- Allone, with-outen any companye.
-
Far-wel, my swete fo! myn Emelye!
Skeat1900: 2780
-
And softe tak
me in your armes tweye,
- For love of God, and herkneth what I seye.
- I have heer with my cosin Palamon
- Had stryf and rancour, many a day a-gon,
-
For love of yow, and for my Ielousye.
Skeat1900: 2785
- And Iupiter so wis my soule gye,
- To speken of a servant proprely,
-
With alle circumstaunces trewely,
Skeat1900: (1930)
-
That is to seyn, trouthe, honour, and knighthede,
-
Wisdom, humblesse, estaat, and heigh kinrede,
Skeat1900: 2790
- Fredom, and al that longeth to that art,
- So Iupiter have of my soule part,
- As in this world right now ne knowe I non
- So worthy to ben loved as Palamon,
-
That serveth yow, and wol don al his lyf.
Skeat1900: 2795
- And if that ever ye shul been a wyf,
-
Foryet nat Palamon, the gentil man.’
-
And with that word his speche faille gan,
Skeat1900: (1940)
- For from his feet up to his brest was come
-
The cold of deeth, that hadde him overcome.
Skeat1900: 2800
-
And yet more-over, in his armes two
- The 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,
Skeat1900: 2805
- Dusked his eyen two, and failled breeth.
- But on his lady yet caste he his ye;
-
His laste word was, ‘mercy, Emelye!’
Skeat1900: (1950)
- His spirit chaunged hous, and wente ther,
-
As I cam never, I can nat tellen wher.
Skeat1900: 2810
- Therfor I stinte, I nam no divinistre;
- Of soules finde I nat in this registre,
- Ne me ne list thilke opiniouns to telle
- Of hem, though that they wryten wher they dwelle.
-
Arcite is cold, ther Mars his soule gye;
Skeat1900: 2815
- Now wol I speken forth of Emelye.
- Shrighte Emelye, and howleth Palamon,
-
And Theseus his suster took anon
Skeat1900: (1960)
-
Swowninge, and bar
hir fro the corps away.
-
What helpeth it to tarien forth the day,
Skeat1900: 2820
- To 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,
Skeat1900: 2825
- That at the laste certeinly they dye.
- Infinite been the sorwes and the teres
-
Of olde folk, and folk of tendre yeres,
Skeat1900: (1970)
- In al the toun, for deeth of this Theban;
-
For him ther wepeth bothe child and man;
Skeat1900: 2830
- So 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,
Skeat1900: 2835
- ‘And haddest gold y-nough, and Emelye?’
- No man mighte gladen Theseus,
-
Savinge his olde fader Egeus,
Skeat1900: (1980)
- That knew this worldes transmutacioun,
-
As he had seyn it chaungen up and doun,
Skeat1900: 2840
- Ioye 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,
Skeat1900: 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;
Skeat1900: (1990)
-
Deeth is an ende of every worldly
sore.’
-
And over al this yet seyde he muchel more
Skeat1900: 2850
- To this effect, ful wysly to enhorte
- The peple, that they sholde hem reconforte.
- Duk Theseus, with al his bisy cure,
-
Caste now wher that the sepulture
-
Of good Arcite may best y-maked be,
Skeat1900: 2855
- And eek most honurable in his degree.
- And at the laste he took conclusioun,
-
That ther as first Arcite and Palamoun
Skeat1900: (2000)
- Hadden for love the bataille hem bitwene,
-
That in that selve grove, swote and grene,
Skeat1900: 2860
-
Ther as he hadde his amorous
desires,
- His compleynt, and for love his hote fires,
-
He wolde make a fyr, in which thoffice
- Funeral he mighte al accomplice;
-
And leet comaunde anon to hakke and hewe
Skeat1900: 2865
- The okes olde, and leye hem on a rewe
- In colpons wel arrayed for to brenne;
-
His officers with swifte feet they renne
Skeat1900: (2010)
-
And ryde
anon at his comaundement.
-
And after this, Theseus hath y-sent
Skeat1900: 2870
- After a bere, and it al over-spradde
- With 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,
Skeat1900: 2875
- And 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.
Skeat1900: (2020)
- And for the peple sholde seen him alle,
-
Whan it was day, he broghte him to the halle,
Skeat1900: 2880
- That 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,
Skeat1900: 2885
- The rewfulleste of al the companye.
- In as muche as the service sholde be
-
The more noble and riche in his degree,
Skeat1900: (2030)
- Duk Theseus leet forth three stedes bringe,
-
That trapped were in steel al gliteringe,
Skeat1900: 2890
- And 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,
Skeat1900: 2895
- Of brend gold was the cas, and eek the harneys;
- And riden forth a pas with sorweful chere
-
Toward the grove, as ye shul after here.
Skeat1900: (2040)
- The nobleste of the Grekes that ther were
-
Upon hir shuldres carieden the bere,
Skeat1900: 2900
-
With slakke pas, and eyen rede and wete,
- Thurgh-out the citee, by the maister-strete,
- That sprad was al with blak, and wonder hye
-
Right of the same is al the strete y-wrye.
-
Up-on the right hond wente old Egeus,
Skeat1900: 2905
- And on that other syde duk Theseus,
- With vessels in hir hand of gold ful fyn,
-
Al ful of hony, milk, and blood, and wyn;
Skeat1900: (2050)
- Eek Palamon, with ful greet companye;
-
And after that cam woful Emelye,
Skeat1900: 2910
- With fyr in honde, as was that tyme the gyse,
-
To do thoffice of funeral servyse.
- Heigh labour, and ful greet apparaillinge
- Was at the service and the fyr-makinge,
-
That with his grene top the heven raughte,
Skeat1900: 2915
-
And 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.
Skeat1900: (2060)
- But how the fyr was maked up on highte,
-
And eek the names how
the trees highte,
Skeat1900: 2920
-
As 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,
Skeat1900: 2925
-
Disherited
of hir habitacioun,
- In which they woneden in reste and pees,
-
Nymphes
, Faunes, and Amadrides;
Skeat1900: (2070)
- Ne how the bestes and the briddes alle
-
Fledden for fere, whan the wode was falle;
Skeat1900: 2930
-
Ne 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,
Skeat1900: 2935
- And than with cloth of gold and with perrye,
- And gerlandes hanging with ful many a flour,
-
The mirre, thencens, with al so greet odour;
Skeat1900: (2080)
- Ne how Arcite lay among al this,
-
Ne what richesse aboute his body is;
Skeat1900: 2940
- Ne 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,
Skeat1900: 2945
- Whan 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,
Skeat1900: (2090)
- And cuppes ful of wyn, and milk, and blood,
-
Into the fyr, that brente as it were wood;
Skeat1900: 2950
- Ne how the Grekes with an huge route
-
Thryes riden al the fyr aboute
- Up-on the left hand, with a loud shoutinge,
-
And thryes with hir speres clateringe;
-
And thryës how the ladies gonne crye;
Skeat1900: 2955
-
Ne how that lad was hom-ward Emelye;
- Ne how Arcite is brent to asshen colde;
-
Ne how that liche-wake was y-holde
Skeat1900: (2100)
- Al thilke night, ne how the Grekes pleye
-
The wake-pleyes, ne kepe I nat to seye;
Skeat1900: 2960
- Who wrastleth best naked, with oille enoynt,
- Ne who that bar him best, in no disioynt.
- I wol nat tellen eek how that they goon
- Hoom til Athenes, whan the pley is doon;
-
But shortly to the poynt than wol I wende,
Skeat1900: 2965
- And maken of my longe tale an ende.
- By processe and by lengthe of certeyn yeres
-
Al stinted is the moorning and the teres
Skeat1900: (2110)
- Of Grekes, by oon general assent.
-
Than semed me ther was a parlement
Skeat1900: 2970
- At Athenes, up-on certeyn poynts and cas;
- Among the whiche poynts y-spoken was
- To have with certeyn contrees alliaunce,
- And have fully of Thebans obeisaunce.
-
For which this noble Theseus anon
Skeat1900: 2975
- Leet senden after gentil Palamon,
- Unwist of him what was the cause and why;
-
But in his blake clothes sorwefully
Skeat1900: (2120)
- He cam at his comaundement in hye.
-
Tho sente Theseus for Emelye.
Skeat1900: 2980
- Whan they were set, and hust was al the place,
- And Theseus abiden hadde a space
- Er any word cam from his wyse brest,
- His eyen sette he ther as was his lest,
-
And with a sad visage he syked stille,
Skeat1900: 2985
- And after that right thus he seyde his wille.
- ‘The firste moevere of the cause above,
-
Whan he first made the faire cheyne of love,
Skeat1900: (2130)
- Greet was theffect, and heigh was his entente;
-
Wel wiste he why, and what ther-of he mente;
Skeat1900: 2990
- For with that faire cheyne of love he bond
- The fyr, the eyr, the water, and the lond
- In certeyn boundes, that they may nat flee;
-
That same prince and that moevere,’ quod he,
-
‘Hath stablissed
, in this wrecched world adoun,
Skeat1900: 2995
- Certeyne dayes and duracioun
-
To al that is engendred in this place,
-
Over the whiche day they may nat pace,
Skeat1900: (2140)
- Al mowe they yet tho dayes wel abregge;
-
Ther needeth non auctoritee allegge,
Skeat1900: 3000
- For 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,
Skeat1900: 3005
-
That every part deryveth
from his hool.
-
For nature hath nat take his beginning
-
Of no partye ne cantel of a thing,
Skeat1900: (2150)
- But of a thing that parfit is and stable,
-
Descending so, til it be corrumpable.
Skeat1900: 3010
- And therefore, of his wyse purveyaunce,
- He hath so wel biset his ordinaunce,
- That speces of thinges and progressiouns
- Shullen enduren by successiouns,
-
And nat eterne be, with-oute lye:
Skeat1900: 3015
-
This maistow understonde and seen at eye.
- ‘Lo the ook, that hath so long a norisshinge
-
From tyme that it first biginneth springe,
Skeat1900: (2160)
- And hath so long a lyf, as we may see,
-
Yet at the laste wasted is the tree.
Skeat1900: 3020
- ‘Considereth eek, how that the harde stoon
- Under 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.
Skeat1900: 3025
- Than 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,
Skeat1900: (2170)
- This is to seyn, in youthe or elles age,
-
He moot ben deed, the king as shal a page;
Skeat1900: 3030
- Som 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?
Skeat1900: 3035
-
The which is prince and cause of alle thing,
- Converting al un-to his propre welle,
-
From which it is deryved, sooth to telle.
Skeat1900: (2180)
- And here-agayns no creature on lyve
-
Of no degree availleth for to stryve.
Skeat1900: 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,
Skeat1900: 3045
- And rebel is to him that al may gye.
- And certeinly a man hath most honour
-
To dyen in his excellence and flour,
Skeat1900: (2190)
- Whan he is siker of his gode name;
-
Than hath he doon his freend, ne him, no shame.
Skeat1900: 3050
- And 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,
Skeat1900: 3055
-
To dyen whan
that he is best of name.
- The contrarie of al this is wilfulnesse.
-
Why grucchen we? why have we hevinesse,
Skeat1900: (2200)
-
That good Arcite, of chivalrye flour
-
Departed is, with duetee and honour,
Skeat1900: 3060
- Out of this foule prison of this lyf?
- Why grucchen heer his cosin and his wyf
- Of 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,
Skeat1900: 3065
- And yet they mowe hir lustes nat amende.
- ‘What may I conclude of this longe serie,
-
But, after wo, I rede us to be merie,
Skeat1900: (2210)
- And thanken Iupiter of al his grace?
-
And, er that we departen from this place,
Skeat1900: 3070
-
I 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,
Skeat1900: 3075
- With al thavys heer of my parlement,
-
That gentil Palamon, your owne knight,
-
That serveth yow with wille, herte, and might,
Skeat1900: (2220)
- And ever hath doon, sin that ye first him knewe,
-
That ye shul, of your grace, up-on him rewe,
Skeat1900: 3080
- And 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,
Skeat1900: 3085
- Sin he hath served yow so many a yeer,
- And had for yow so greet adversitee,
-
It moste been considered, leveth me;
Skeat1900: (2230)
- For gentil mercy oghte to passen right.’
-
Than seyde he thus to Palamon ful right;
Skeat1900: 3090
- ‘I trowe ther nedeth litel sermoning
- To 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,
Skeat1900: 3095
- By al the counseil and the baronage.
- And thus with alle blisse and melodye
-
Hath Palamon y-wedded Emelye.
Skeat1900: (2240)
- And God, that al this wyde world hath wroght,
-
Sende him his love, that hath
it dere a-boght.
Skeat1900: 3100
- For 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
Skeat1900: 3105
-
Of Ielousye, or any other tene.
- Thus endeth Palamon and Emelye;
-
And God save al this faire companye!—Amen.
Skeat1900: (2250)
Here is ended the Knightes Tale.