The Knight’s Tale, Part 3 | The Canterbury Tales

	I trowe men wolde deme it necligence
	If I foryete to tellen the dispence
	Of Theseus, that gooth so bisily
	To maken up the lystes roially,
5	That swich a noble theatre as it was
	I dar wel seyen in this world ther nas.
	The circuit a myle was aboute,
	Walled of stoon, and dyched al withoute.
	Round was the shap, in manere of compas,
10	Ful of degrees, the heighte of sixty pas,
	That whan a man was set on o degree,
	He letted nat his felawe for to see.
	Estward ther stood a gate of marbul whit,
	Westward right swich another in the opposit.
15	And shortly to concluden, swich a place
	Was noon in erthe, as in so litel space;
	For in the lond ther was no crafty man
	That geometrie or ars-metrike kan,
	Ne portreyour, ne kervere of ymages,
20	That Theseus ne yaf him mete and wages	give
	The theatre for to maken and devyse.
	And for to doon his ryte and sacrifise,
	He estward hath, upon the gate above,
	In worshipe of Venus, goddesse of love,
25	Doon make an auter and an oratorie;
	And on the gate westward, in memorie
	Of Mars, he maked hath right swich another,
	That coste largely of gold a fother.
	And northward, in a touret on the wal,
30	Of alabastre whit and reed coral,
	An oratorie, riche for to see,
	In worshipe of Dyane of chastitee,
	Hath Theseus doon wroght in noble wyse.
	But yet hadde I foryeten to devyse
35	The noble kervyng and the portreitures,
	The shap, the contenaunce, and the figures
	That weren in thise oratories thre.
	First in the temple of Venus maystow se
	Wroght on the wal, ful pitous to biholde,
40	The broken slepes, and the sikes colde,	streams
	The sacred teeris, and the waymentynge,
	The firy strokes of the desirynge
	That loves servantz in this lyf enduren;
	The othes that hir covenantz assuren;	their
45	Pleasance and Hope, Desir, Foolhardynesse,
	Beautee and Youthe, Bauderie, Richesse,
	Charmes and Force, Lesynges, Flaterye,
	Despense, Bisynesse, and Jalousye,
	That wered of yelewe gooldes a gerland,
50	And a cokkow sittynge on hir hand;	her
	Festes, instrumentz, caroles, daunces,
	Lust and array, and alle the circumstaunces
	Of love, which that I rekned and rekne shal,
	By ordre weren peynted on the wal,
55	And mo than I kan make of mencioun.
	For soothly al the mount of Citheroun,
	Ther Venus hath hir principal dwellynge,
	Was shewed on the wal in portreyynge,
	With al the gardyn and the lustynesse.
60	Nat was foryeten the porter, Ydelnesse,
	Ne Narcisus the faire of yore agon,
	Ne yet the folye of kyng Salomon,
	Ne yet the grete strengthe of Ercules --
	Th'enchauntementz of Medea and Circes --
65	Ne of Turnus, with the hardy fiers corage,
	The riche Cresus, kaytyf in servage.
	Thus may ye seen that wysdom ne richesse,
	Beautee ne sleighte, strengthe ne hardynesse,
	Ne may with Venus holde champartie,
70	For as hir list the world than may she gye.	her
	Lo, alle thise folk so caught were in hir las,
	Til they for wo ful ofte seyde "allas!"
	Suffiseth heere ensamples oon or two,
	And though I koude rekene a thousand mo.
75	The statue of Venus, glorious for to se,
	Was naked, fletynge in the large see,
	And fro the navele doun al covered was
	With wawes grene, and brighte as any glas.
	A citole in hir right hand hadde she,	her
80	And on hir heed, ful semely for to se,	her
	A rose gerland, fressh and wel smellynge;
	Above hir heed hir dowves flikerynge.	her her
	Biforn hire stood hir sone Cupido;	her her
	Upon his shuldres wynges hadde he two,	his
85	And blynd he was, as it is often seene;
	A bowe he bar and arwes brighte and kene.
	Why sholde I noght as wel eek telle yow al
	The portreiture that was upon the wal
	Withinne the temple of myghty Mars the rede?
90	Al peynted was the wal, in lengthe and brede,
	Lyk to the estres of the grisly place	apartments
	That highte the grete temple of Mars in Trace,
	In thilke colde, frosty regioun
	Ther as Mars hath his sovereyn mansioun.
95	First on the wal was peynted a forest,
	In which ther dwelleth neither man ne best,
	With knotty, knarry, bareyne trees olde,
	Of stubbes sharpe and hidouse to biholde,
	In which ther ran a rumbel in a swough,
100	As though a storm sholde bresten every bough.
	And dounward from an hille, under a bente,
	Ther stood the temple of Mars armypotente,
	Wroght al of burned steel, of which the entree
	Was long and streit, and gastly for to se.
105	And therout came a rage and swich a veze
	That it made al the gate for to rese.
	The northren lyght in at the dores shoon,
	For wyndowe on the wal ne was ther noon,
	Thurgh which men myghten any light discerne.
110	The dore was al of adamant eterne,
	Yclenched overthwart and endelong
	With iren tough; and for to make it strong,
	Every pyler, the temple to sustene,
	Was tonne-greet, of iren bright and shene.	c=unsure
115	Ther saugh I first the derke ymaginyng
	Of Felonye, and al the compassyng;
	The crueel Ire, reed as any gleede;
	The pykepurs, and eek the pale Drede;	also
	The smylere with the knyf under the cloke;
120	The shepne brennynge with the blake smoke;	c=unsure
	The tresoun of the mordrynge in the bedde;
	The open werre, with woundes al bibledde;
	Contek, with blody knyf and sharp manace.
	Al ful of chirkyng was that sory place.
125	The sleere of hymself yet saugh I ther --
	His herte-blood hath bathed al his heer --
	The nayl ydryven in the shode anyght;
	The colde deeth, with mouth gapyng upright.
	Amyddes of the temple sat Meschaunce,
130	With disconfort and sory contenaunce.
	Yet saugh I Woodnesse, laughynge in his rage,
	Armed Compleint, Outhees, and fiers Outrage;
	The careyne in the busk, with throte ycorve;
	A thousand slayn, and nat of qualm ystorve;
135	The tiraunt, with the pray by force yraft;	c=unsure
	The toun destroyed, ther was no thyng laft.
	Yet saugh I brent the shippes hoppesteres;
	The hunte strangled with the wilde beres;
	The sowe freten the child right in the cradel;
140	The cook yscalded, for al his longe ladel.
	Noght was foryeten by the infortune of Marte.
	The cartere overryden with his carte --
	Under the wheel ful lowe he lay adoun.
	Ther were also, of Martes divisioun,
145	The barbour, and the bocher, and the smyth,
	That forgeth sharpe swerdes on his styth.	c=unsure
	And al above, depeynted in a tour,
	Saugh I Conquest, sittynge in greet honour,
	With the sharpe swerd over his heed
150	Hangynge by a soutil twynes threed.
	Depeynted was the slaughtre of Julius,
	Of grete Nero, and of Antonius;
	Al be that thilke tyme they were unborn,
	Yet was hir deth depeynted ther-biforn	their
155	By manasynge of Mars, right by figure;
	So was it shewed in that portreiture,
	As is depeynted in the sterres above
	Who shal be slayn or elles deed for love.
	Suffiseth oon ensample in stories olde;
160	I may nat rekene hem alle though I wolde.	c=unsure
	The statue of Mars upon a carte stood
	Armed, and looked grym as he were wood;
	And over his heed ther shynen two figures
	Of sterres, that been cleped in scriptures,
165	That oon Puella, that oother Rubeus --
	This god of armes was arrayed thus.
	A wolf ther stood biforn hym at his feet
	With eyen rede, and of a man he eet;
	With soutil pencel was depeynted this storie	c=unsure
170	In redoutynge of Mars and of his glorie.
	Now to the temple of Dyane the chaste,
	As shortly as I kan, I wol me haste,
	To telle yow al the descripsioun.
	Depeynted been the walles up and doun
175	Of huntyng and of shamefast chastitee.
	Ther saugh I how woful Calistopee,
	Whan that Diane agreved was with here,
	Was turned from a womman til a bere,
	And after was she maad the loode-sterre.	c=unsure
180	Thus was it peynted; I kan sey yow no ferre.
	Hir sone is eek a sterre, as men may see.	also
	Ther saugh I Dane, yturned til a tree --
	I mene nat the goddesse Diane,
	But Penneus doghter, which that highte Dane.
185	Ther saugh I Attheon an hert ymaked,
	For vengeaunce that he saugh Diane al naked;
	I saugh how that his houndes have hym caught
	And freeten hym, for that they knewe hym naught.
	Yet peynted was a litel forther moor
190	How Atthalante hunted the wilde boor,
	And Meleagre, and many another mo,
	For which Dyane wroghte hym care and wo.
	Ther saugh I many another wonder storie,
	The which me list nat drawen to memorie.
195	This goddesse on an hert ful hye seet,
	With smale houndes al aboute hir feet,
	And undernethe hir feet she hadde a moone --
	Wexynge it was and sholde wanye soone.
	In gaude grene hir statue clothed was,
200	With bowe in honde and arwes in a cas.
	Hir eyen caste she ful lowe adoun
	Ther Pluto hath his derke regioun.
	A womman travaillynge was hire biforn;
	But for hir child so longe was unborn,
205	Ful pitously Lucyna gan she calle
	And seyde, "Help, for thou mayst best of alle!"
	Wel koude he peynten lifly that it wroghte;
	With many a floryn he the hewes boghte.
	Now been thise lystes maad, and Theseus,
210	That at his grete cost arrayed thus
	The temples and the theatre every deel,
	Whan it was doon, hym lyked wonder weel.
	But stynte I wole of Theseus a lite,
	And speke of Palamon and of Arcite.
215	The day approcheth of hir retournynge,	their
	That everich sholde an hundred knyghtes brynge
	The bataille to darreyne, as I yow tolde.
	And til Atthenes, hir covenant for to holde,	her
	Hath everich of hem broght an hundred knyghtes,
220	Wel armed for the werre at alle rightes.
	And sikerly ther trowed many a man	believed
	That nevere, sithen that the world bigan,
	As for to speke of knyghthod of hir hond,	their
	As fer as God hath maked see or lond,
225	Nas of so fewe so noble a compaignye.
	For every wight that lovede chivalrye	one
	And wolde, his thankes, han a passant name,
	Hath preyed that he myghte been of that game;
	And wel was hym that therto chosen was,
230	For if ther fille tomorwe swich a cas,
	Ye knowen wel that every lusty knyght
	That loveth paramours and hath his myght,
	Were it in Engelond or elleswhere,
	They wolde, hir thankes, wilnen to be there --	their
235	To fighte for a lady, benedicitee!
	It were a lusty sighte for to see.
	And right so ferden they with Palamon.
	With hym ther wenten knyghtes many on;
	Som wol ben armed in an haubergeoun,
240	And in a brestplate and a light gypoun;
	And som wol have a paire plates large;
	And som wol have a Pruce sheeld or a targe;
	Som wol ben armed on his legges weel,
	And have an ax, and som a mace of steel --
245	Ther is no newe gyse that it nas old.
	Armed were they, as I have yow told,
	Everych after his opinioun.
	Ther maistow seen, comynge with Palamoun,
	Lygurge hymself, the grete kyng of Trace.
250	Blak was his berd, and manly was his face;
	The cercles of his eyen in his heed,
	They gloweden bitwixen yelow and reed,
	And lik a grifphon looked he aboute,
	With kempe heeris on his browes stoute;
255	His lymes grete, his brawnes harde and stronge,
	His shuldres brode, his armes rounde and longe;
	And as the gyse was in his contree,
	Ful hye upon a chaar of gold stood he,
	With foure white boles in the trays.
260	In stede of cote-armure over his harnays,
	With nayles yelewe and brighte as any gold,
	He hadde a beres skyn, col-blak for old.
	His longe heer was kembd bihynde his bak;
	As any ravenes fethere it shoon for blak;
265	A wrethe of gold, arm-greet, of huge wighte,	thick as an arm
	Upon his heed, set ful of stones brighte,
	Of fyne rubyes and of dyamauntz.
	Aboute his chaar ther wenten white alauntz,
	Twenty and mo, as grete as any steer,
270	To hunten at the leoun or the deer,
	And folwed hym with mosel faste ybounde,
	Colered of gold, and tourettes fyled rounde.
	An hundred lordes hadde he in his route,
	Armed ful wel, with hertes stierne and stoute.
275	With Arcita, in stories as men fynde,
	The grete Emetreus, the kyng of Inde,
	Upon a steede bay trapped in steel,
	Covered in clooth of gold, dyapred weel,
	Cam ridynge lyk the god of armes, Mars.
280	His cote-armure was of clooth of Tars
	Couched with perles white and rounde and grete;
	His sadel was of brend gold newe ybete;
	A mantelet upon his shulder hangynge,
	Bret-ful of rubyes rede as fyr sparklynge;
285	His crispe heer lyk rynges was yronne,
	And that was yelow, and glytered as the sonne.
	His nose was heigh, his eyen bright citryn,
	His lippes rounde, his colour was sangwyn;
	A fewe frakenes in his face yspreynd,
290	Bitwixen yelow and somdel blak ymeynd;
	And as a leon he his lookyng caste.
	Of fyve and twenty yeer his age I caste.
	His berd was wel bigonne for to sprynge;
	His voys was as a trompe thonderynge.
295	Upon his heed he wered of laurer grene
	A gerland, fressh and lusty for to sene.
	Upon his hand he bar for his deduyt
	An egle tame, as any lilye whyt.
	An hundred lordes hadde he with hym there,
300	Al armed, save hir heddes, in al hir gere,
	Ful richely in alle maner thynges.
	For trusteth wel that dukes, erles, kynges
	Were gadered in this noble compaignye,
	For love and for encrees of chivalrye.
305	Aboute this kyng ther ran on every part
	Ful many a tame leon and leopart.
	And in this wise thise lordes, alle and some,
	Been on the Sonday to the citee come
	Aboute pryme, and in the toun alight.
310	This Theseus, this duc, this worthy knyght,
	Whan he had broght hem into his citee,
	And inned hem, everich at his degree,
	He festeth hem, and dooth so greet labour
	To esen hem and doon hem al honour
315	That yet men wenen that no mannes wit
	Of noon estaat ne koude amenden it.
	The mynstralcye, the service at the feeste,
	The grete yiftes to the meeste and leeste,
	The riche array of Theseus paleys,
320	Ne who sat first ne last upon the deys,
	What ladyes fairest been or best daunsynge,
	Or which of hem kan dauncen best and synge,
	Ne who moost felyngly speketh of love;
	What haukes sitten on the perche above,
325	What houndes liggen on the floor adoun --
	Of al this make I now no mencioun,
	But al th' effect; that thynketh me the beste.
	Now cometh the point, and herkneth if yow leste.
	The Sonday nyght, er day bigan to sprynge,
330	Whan Palamon the larke herde synge
	(Although it nere nat day by houres two,
	Yet the larke sang) and Palamon right then
	With hooly herte and with an heigh corage,
	He roos to wenden on his pilgrymage
335	Unto the blissful Citherea benign --
	I mene Venus, honurable and digne.
	And in hir houre he walketh forth a pas
	Unto the lystes ther hire temple was,
	And doun he kneleth, and with humble cheere
340	And herte soor he seyde as ye shal heere:
	"Faireste of faire, O lady myn, Venus,
	Doughter to Jove and spouse of Vulcanus,
	Thow gladere of the mount of Citheron,
	For thilke love thow haddest to Adoon,
345	Have pitee of my bittre teeris smerte,
	And taak myn humble preyere at thyn herte.
	Allas! I ne have no langage to telle
	Th'effectes ne the tormentz of myn helle;
	Myn herte may myne harmes nat biwreye;
350	I am so confus that I kan noght seye
	But 'Mercy, lady bright, that knowest weele
	My thought and seest what harmes that I feele!'
	Considere al this and rewe upon my soore,
	As wisly as I shal for everemoore,
355	Emforth my myght, thy trewe servant be,
	And holden werre alwey with chastitee.
	That make I myn avow, so ye me helpe!
	I kepe noght of armes for to yelpe,
	Ne I ne axe nat tomorwe to have victorie,	ask
360	Ne renoun in this cas, ne veyne glorie	situation
	Of pris of armes blowen up and doun;
	But I wolde have fully possessioun
	Of Emelye, and dye in thy servyse.	die
	Fynd thow the manere hou and in what wyse:
365	I recche nat but it may bettre be
	To have victorie of hem, or they of me,	them
	So that I have my lady in myne armes.
	For though so be that Mars is god of armes,
	Youre vertu is so greet in hevene above
370	That if yow list, I shal wel have my love.
	Thy temple wol I worshipe everemo,	evermore
	And on thyn auter, where I ride or go,
	I wol doon sacrifice and fires beete.
	And if ye wol nat so, my lady sweete,
375	Thanne preye I thee, tomorwe with a spere
	That Arcita me thurgh the herte bere.
	Thanne rekke I noght, whan I have lost my lyf,	care
	Though that Arcita wynne hire to his wyf.
	This is th'effect and ende of my preyere:
380	Yif me my love, thow blisful lady deere."	give
	Whan the orison was doon of Palamon,
	His sacrifice he dide, and that anon,
	Ful pitously, with alle circumstaunces,
	Al telle I noght as now his observaunces;
385	But atte laste the statue of Venus shook,
	And made a signe, wherby that he took
	That his preyere accepted was that day.
	For thogh the signe shewed a delay,
	Yet wiste he wel that graunted was his boone,
390	And with glad herte he wente hym hoom ful soone.
	The thridde houre inequal that Palamon
	Bigan to Venus temple for to gon,
	Up roos the sonne, and up roos Emelye
	And to the temple of Dyane gan hye.
395	Hir maydens, that she thider with hire ladde,
	Ful redily with hem the fyr they hadde,
	Th'encens, the clothes, and the remenant al	the
	That to the sacrifice longen shal;
	The hornes fulle of meeth, as was the gyse --
400	Ther lakked noght to doon hir sacrifise.
	Smokynge the temple, ful of clothes faire,
	This Emelye, with herte debonaire,
	Hir body wessh with water of a welle.
	But hou she dide hir ryte I dar nat telle,
405	But it be any thing in general;
	And yet it were a game to heeren al.
	To hym that meneth wel it were no charge;
	But it is good a man been at his large.
	Hir brighte heer was kembd, untressed al;
410	A coroune of a grene ook cerial	oak
	Upon hir heed was set ful fair and meete.
	Two fyres on the auter gan she beete,
	And dide hir thynges, as men may biholde
	In Stace of Thebes and thise bookes olde.
415	Whan kyndled was the fyr, with pitous cheere
	Unto Dyane she spak as ye may heere:
	"O chaste goddesse of the wodes grene,
	To whom bothe hevene and erthe and see is sene,	sea
	Queene of the regne of Pluto derk and lowe,
420	Goddesse of maydens, that myn herte hast knowe
	Ful many a yeer, and woost what I desire,
	As keepe me fro thy vengeaunce and thyn ire,
	That Attheon aboughte cruelly.
	Chaste goddesse, wel wostow that I	you know
425	Desire to ben a mayden al my lyf,
	Ne nevere wol I be no love ne wyf.
	I am, thow woost, yet of thy compaignye,
	A mayde, and love huntynge and venerye,
	And for to walken in the wodes wilde,
430	And noght to ben a wyf and be with childe.
	Noght wol I knowe compaignye of man.
	Now help me, lady, sith ye may and kan,
	For tho thre formes that thou hast in thee.
	And Palamon, that hath swich love to me,
435	And eek Arcite, that loveth me so soore,	also
	This grace I preye thee withoute moore,	more
	As sende love and pees bitwixe hem two,	them
	And fro me turne awey hir hertes so	their
	That al hire hoote love and hir desir,	their their
440	And al hir bisy torment, and hir fir	their their
	Be queynt, or turned in another place.
	And if so be thou wolt nat do me grace,
	Or if my destynee be shapen so
	That I shal nedes have oon of hem two,	them
445	As sende me hym that moost desireth me.
	Bihoold, goddesse of clene chastitee,
	The bittre teeris that on my chekes falle.
	Syn thou art mayde and kepere of us alle,
	My maydenhede thou kepe and wel conserve,
450	And whil I lyve, a mayde I wol thee serve."
	The fires brenne upon the auter cleere,
	Whil Emelye was thus in hir preyere.
	But sodeynly she saugh a sighte queynte,
	For right anon oon of the fyres queynte
455	And quyked agayn, and after that anon
	That oother fyr was queynt and al agon;
	And as it queynte it made a whistelynge,
	As doon thise wete brondes in hir brennynge,	their
	And at the brondes ende out ran anon
460	As it were blody dropes many oon;
	For which so soore agast was Emelye
	That she was wel ny mad and gan to crye,
	For she ne wiste what it signyfied,	know
	But oonly for the feere thus hath she cried,
465	And weep that it was pitee for to heere.
	And therwithal Dyane gan appeere,
	With bowe in honde, right as an hunteresse,
	And seyde, "Doghter, stynt thyn hevynesse.
	Among the goddes hye it is affermed,
470	And by eterne word writen and confermed,
	Thou shalt ben wedded unto oon of tho
	That han for thee so muchel care and wo,
	But unto which of hem I may nat telle.	them
	Farwel, for I ne may no lenger dwelle.
475	The fires which that on myn auter brenne
	Shulle thee declaren, er that thou go henne,
	Thyn aventure of love, as in this cas."
	And with that word, the arwes in the caas
	Of the goddesse clateren faste and rynge,
480	And forth she wente and made a vanysshynge;
	For which this Emelye astoned was,
	And seyde, "What amounteth this, allas?
	I putte me in thy proteccioun,
	Dyane, and in thy disposicioun."	and in
485	And hoom she goth anon the nexte weye.
	This is th'effect; ther is namoore to seye.
	The nexte houre of Mars folwynge this,
	Arcite unto the temple walked is
	Of fierse Mars to doon his sacrifise,
490	With alle the rytes of his payen wyse.
	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 yholde,
495	And hast in every regne and every lond
	Of armes al the brydel in thyn hond,
	And hem fortunest as thee lyst devyse,	them
	Accepte of me my pitous sacrifise.
	If so be that my youthe may deserve,
500	And that my myght be worthy for to serve
	Thy godhede, that I may been oon of thyne,
	Thanne preye I thee to rewe upon my pyne.
	For thilke peyne and thilke hoote fir
	In which thow whilom brendest for desir,
505	Whan that thow usedest the beautee
	Of faire, yonge, fresshe Venus free,
	And haddest hire in armes at thy wille --
	Although thee ones on a tyme mysfille,
	Whan Vulcanus hadde caught thee in his las
510	And foond thee liggynge by his wyf, allas! --
	For thilke sorwe that was in thyn herte,
	Have routhe as wel upon my peynes smerte.
	I am yong and unkonnynge, as thow woost,
	And, as I trowe, with love offended moost
515	That evere was any lyves creature,
	For she that dooth me al this wo endure
	Ne reccheth nevere wher I synke or fleete.	Will not
	And wel I woot, er she me mercy heete,	promise
	I moot with strengthe wynne hire in the place,
520	And wel I woot, withouten help or grace
	Of thee ne may my strengthe noght availle.
	Thanne help me, lord, tomorwe in my bataille,
	For thilke fyr that whilom brente thee,
	As wel as thilke fyr now brenneth me,
525	And do that I tomorwe have victorie.
	Myn be the travaille, and thyn be the glorie!
	Thy sovereyn temple wol I moost honouren
	Of any place, and alwey moost labouren
	In thy plesaunce and in thy craftes stronge,
530	And in thy temple I wol my baner honge
	And alle the armes of my compaignye,
	And everemo, unto that day I dye,
	Eterne fir I wol bifore thee fynde.	you
	And eek to this avow I wol me bynde:	also
535	My beerd, myn heer, that hongeth long adoun,
	That nevere yet ne felte offensioun
	Of rasour nor of shere, I wol thee yive,	you
	And ben thy trewe servant whil I lyve.
	Now, lord, have routhe upon my sorwes soore;
540	Yif me [victorie]; I aske thee namoore."	you
	The preyere stynt of Arcita the stronge,
	The rynges on the temple dore that honge,
	And eek the dores, clatereden ful faste,	also
	Of which Arcita somwhat hym agaste.	was
545	The fyres brenden upon the auter brighte
	That it gan al the temple for to lighte;
	A sweete smel the ground anon up yaf,
	And Arcita anon his hand up haf,	raised
	And moore encens into the fyr he caste,
550	With othere rytes mo; and atte laste
	The statue of Mars bigan his hauberk rynge,
	And with that soun he herde a murmurynge
	Ful lowe and dym, and seyde thus, "Victorie!"
	For which he yaf to Mars honour and glorie.
555	And thus with joye and hope wel to fare
	Arcite anon unto his in is fare,
	As fayn as fowel is of the brighte sonne.
	And right anon swich strif ther is bigonne,
	For thilke grauntyng, in the hevene above,
560	Bitwixe Venus, the goddesse of love,
	And Mars, the stierne god armypotente,
	That Juppiter was bisy it to stente,
	Til that the pale Saturnus the colde,
	That knew so manye of aventures olde,
565	Foond in his olde experience an art
	That he ful soone hath plesed every part.
	As sooth is seyd, elde hath greet avantage;
	In elde is bothe wysdom and usage;
	Men may the olde atrenne and noght atrede.	out wit
570	Saturne anon, to stynten strif and drede,
	Al be it that it is agayn his kynde,
	Of al this strif he gan remedie fynde.
	"My deere doghter Venus," quod Saturne,
	"My cours, that hath so wyde for to turne,
575	Hath moore power than woot any man.
	Myn is the drenchyng in the see so wan;
	Myn is the prison in the derke cote;	cell
	Myn is the stranglyng and hangyng by the throte,
	The murmure and the cherles rebellyng,
580	The groynynge, and the pryvee empoysonyng;	secret
	I do vengeance and pleyn correccioun,
	Whil I dwelle in the signe of the leoun.
	Myn is the ruyne of the hye halles,
	The fallynge of the toures and of the walles
585	Upon the mynour or the carpenter.
	I slow Sampsoun, shakynge the piler;
	And myne be the maladyes colde,
	The derke tresons, and the castes olde;
	My lookyng is the fader of pestilence.	cause
590	Now weep namoore; I shal doon diligence
	That Palamon, that is thyn owene knyght,
	Shal have his lady, as thou hast him hight.	promise
	Though Mars shal helpe his knyght, yet nathelees
	Bitwixe yow ther moot be som tyme pees,
595	Al be ye noght of o compleccioun,	the same
	That causeth al day swich divisioun.
	I am thyn aiel, redy at thy wille;
	Weep now namoore; I wol thy lust fulfille."
	Now wol I stynten of the goddes above,
600	Of Mars, and of Venus, goddesse of love,
	And telle yow as pleynly as I kan
	The grete effect, for which that I bygan.

The Canterbury Tales

A dynamic edition

The Knight's Tale, part 3

This tale is an uncorrected draft. See the development notes for details about the current state of the text.

The Knight's Tale, part 3

This tale is an uncorrected draft. See the development notes for details about the current state of the text.

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