| | Greet was the feeste in Atthenes that day, | |
| | And eek the lusty seson of that May | also |
| | Made every wight to been in swich plesaunce | |
| | That al that Monday justen they and daunce, | |
| 5 | And spenden it in Venus heigh servyse. | |
| | But by the cause that they sholde ryse | |
| | Eerly, for to seen the grete fight, | |
| | Unto hir reste wenten they at nyght. | |
| | And on the morwe, whan that day gan sprynge, | |
| 10 | Of hors and harneys noyse and claterynge | |
| | Ther was in hostelryes al aboute, | |
| | And to the paleys rood ther many a route | |
| | Of lordes upon steedes and palfreys. | |
| | Ther maystow seen devisynge of harneys | may |
| 15 | So unkouth and so riche, and wroght so weel | |
| | Of goldsmythrye, of browdynge, and of steel; | |
| | The sheeldes brighte, testeres, and trappures, | |
| | Gold-hewen helmes, coats of mail, cote-armures; | |
| | Lordes in parementz on hir courseres, | warhorse, charger |
| 20 | Knyghtes of retenue, and eek squieres | |
| | Nailynge the speres, and helmes bokelynge; | |
| | Giggynge of sheeldes, with layneres lacynge -- | |
| | There as nede is they weren no thyng ydel; | |
| | The fomy steedes on the golden brydel | |
| 25 | Gnawynge, and faste the armurers also | |
| | With fyle and hamer prikynge to and fro; | |
| | Yemen on foote, and communes many oon | |
| | With shorte staves, thikke as they may goon; | |
| | Pypes, trompes, nakers, clariounes, | |
| 30 | That in the bataille blowen blody sounes; | |
| | The paleys ful of peple up and doun, | |
| | Heere thre, ther ten, holdynge hir questioun, | |
| | Dyvynynge of thise Thebane knyghtes two. | |
| | Somme seyden thus, somme seyde "it shal be so"; | |
| 35 | Somme helden with hym with the blake berd, | |
| | Somme with the balled, somme with the thikke herd; | |
| | Somme seyde he looked grymme, and he wolde fighte: | |
| | "He hath a sparth of twenty pound of wighte." | |
| | Thus was the halle ful of divynynge, | |
| 40 | Longe after that the sonne gan to sprynge. | |
| | The grete Theseus, that of his sleep awaked | |
| | With mynstralcie and noyse that was maked, | |
| | Heeld yet the chambre of his paleys riche | |
| | Til that the Thebane knyghtes, bothe yliche | |
| 45 | Honured, were into the paleys fet. | |
| | Duc Theseus was at a wyndow set, | |
| | Arrayed right as he were a god in trone. | |
| | The peple preesseth thiderward ful soone | push thither; toward there |
| | Hym for to seen, and doon heigh reverence, | |
| 50 | And eek to herkne his heste and his sentence. | |
| | An heraud on a scaffold made an "Oo!" | |
| | Til al the noyse of peple was ydo, | |
| | And whan he saugh the peple of noyse al stille, | |
| | Tho shewed he the myghty dukes wille: | |
| 55 | "The lord hath of his heigh discrecioun | |
| | Considered that it were destruccioun | |
| | To gentil blood to fighten in the gyse | guise |
| | Of mortal bataille now in this emprise. | |
| | Wherfore, to shapen that they shal nat dye, | |
| 60 | He wol his firste purpos modifye. | |
| | No man therfore, up peyne of los of lyf, | life |
| | No maner shot, ne polax, ne short knyf | |
| | Into the lystes sende or thider brynge; | |
| | Ne short swerd, for to stoke with poynt bitynge, | |
| 65 | No man ne drawe, ne bere it by his syde. | nor nor |
| | Ne no man shal unto his felawe ryde | nor |
| | But o cours with a sharpe ygrounde spere; | |
| | Foyne, if hym list, on foote, hymself to were. | |
| | And he that is at meschief shal be take | |
| 70 | And noght slayn, but be broght unto the stake | |
| | That shal ben ordeyned on either syde; | |
| | But thider he shal by force, and there abyde. | |
| | And if so falle the chieftayn be take | |
| | On outher syde, or elles sleen his make, | |
| 75 | No lenger shal the turneiynge laste. | |
| | God spede you! Gooth forth and ley on faste! | go |
| | With long swerd and with mace fighteth youre fille. | fight |
| | Gooth now youre wey; this is the lordes wille." | go |
| | The voys of peple touchede the hevene, | voice |
| 80 | So loude cride they with murie stevene, | |
| | "God save swich a lord, that is so good | |
| | He wilneth no destruccion of blood!" | |
| | Up goon the trompes and the melodye, | |
| | And to the lystes rit the compaignye, | |
| 85 | By ordinance, thurghout the citee large, | |
| | Hanged with clooth of gold, and nat with sarge. | |
| | Ful lik a lord this noble duc gan ryde, | |
| | Thise two Thebans upon either syde, | |
| | And after rood the queene and Emelye, | |
| 90 | And after that another compaignye | |
| | Of oon and oother, after hir degree. | |
| | And thus they passen thurghout the citee, | |
| | And to the lystes come they by tyme. | |
| | It nas nat of the day yet fully pryme | |
| 95 | Whan set was Theseus ful riche and hye, | |
| | Ypolita the queene, and Emelye, | |
| | And othere ladys in degrees aboute. | |
| | Unto the seetes preesseth al the route. | |
| | And westward, thurgh the gates under Marte, | |
| 100 | Arcite, and eek the hondred of his parte, | also |
| | With baner reed is entred right anon; | |
| | And in that selve moment Palamon | |
| | Is under Venus, estward in the place, | |
| | With baner whyt and hardy chiere and face. | manner |
| 105 | In al the world, to seken up and doun, | |
| | So evene, withouten variacioun, | |
| | Ther nere swiche compaignyes tweye, | two |
| | For ther was noon so wys that koude seye | |
| | That any hadde of oother avauntage | |
| 110 | Of worthynesse, ne of estaat, ne age, | |
| | So evene were they chosen, for to gesse. | |
| | And in two renges faire they hem dresse. | them |
| | Whan that hir names rad were everichon, | |
| | That in hir nombre gyle were ther noon, | |
| 115 | Tho were the gates shet, and cried was loude: | then |
| | "Do now youre devoir, yonge knyghtes proude!" | |
| | The heraudes lefte hir prikyng up and doun; | their |
| | Now ryngen trompes loude and clarioun. | |
| | Ther is namoore to seyn, but west and est | |
| 120 | In goon the speres ful sadly in arrest; | |
| | In gooth the sharpe spore into the syde. | goes |
| | Ther seen men who kan juste and who kan ryde; | |
| | Ther shyveren shaftes upon sheeldes thikke; | |
| | He feeleth thurgh the herte-spoon the prikke. | |
| 125 | Up spryngen speres twenty foot on highte; | |
| | Out goon the swerdes as the silver brighte; | |
| | The helmes they tohewen and toshrede; | |
| | Out brest the blood with stierne stremes rede; | |
| | With myghty maces the bones they tobreste. | break to pieces |
| 130 | He thurgh the thikkeste of the throng gan threste; | |
| | Ther stomblen steedes stronge, and doun gooth al, | goes |
| | He rolleth under foot as dooth a bal; | does |
| | He foyneth on his feet with his tronchoun, | |
| | And he hym hurtleth with his hors adoun; | |
| 135 | He thurgh the body is hurt and sithen ytake, | he takes |
| | Maugree his heed, and broght unto the stake; | |
| | As forward was, right there he moste abyde. | |
| | Another lad is on that oother syde. | |
| | And some tyme dooth hem Theseus to reste, | does |
| 140 | Hem to refresshe and drynken, if hem leste. | |
| | Ful ofte a day han thise Thebanes two | |
| | Togydre ymet, and wroght his felawe wo; | together meet work |
| | Unhorsed hath ech oother of hem tweye. | has two |
| | Ther nas no tygre in the vale of Galgopheye, | |
| 145 | Whan that hir whelp is stole whan it is lite, | |
| | So crueel on the hunte as is Arcite | |
| | For jelous herte upon this Palamon. | |
| | Ne in Belmarye ther nys so fel leon, | |
| | That hunted is, or for his hunger wood, | foolish |
| 150 | Ne of his praye desireth so the blood, | |
| | As Palamon to sleen his foo Arcite. | |
| | The jelous strokes on hir helmes byte; | their pierce |
| | Out renneth blood on bothe hir sydes rede. | |
| | Som tyme an ende ther is of every dede. | |
| 155 | For er the sonne unto the reste wente, | before |
| | The stronge kyng Emetreus gan hente | |
| | This Palamon, as he faught with Arcite, | |
| | And made his swerd depe in his flessh to byte, | pierce |
| | And by the force of twenty is he take | |
| 160 | Unyolden, and ydrawen to the stake. | |
| | And in the rescus of this Palamoun | |
| | The stronge kyng Lygurge is born adoun, | |
| | And kyng Emetreus, for al his strengthe, | |
| | Is born out of his sadel a swerdes lengthe, | |
| 165 | So hitte him Palamoun er he were take. | before |
| | But al for noght; he was broght to the stake. | |
| | His hardy herte myghte hym helpe naught: | |
| | He moste abyde, whan that he was caught, | |
| | By force and eek by composicioun. | also |
| 170 | Who sorweth now but woful Palamoun, | grieves |
| | That moot namoore goon agayn to fighte? | must |
| | And whan that Theseus hadde seyn this sighte, | |
| | Unto the folk that foghten thus echon | |
| | He cryde, "Hoo! namoore, for it is doon! | |
| 175 | I wol be trewe juge, and no partie. | partisan |
| | Arcite of Thebes shal have Emelie, | |
| | That by his fortune hath hire faire ywonne." | has |
| | Anon ther is a noyse of peple bigonne | |
| | For joye of this, so loude and heighe withalle | |
| 180 | It semed that the lystes sholde falle. | |
| | What kan now faire Venus doon above? | |
| | What seith she now? What dooth this queene of love, | says does |
| | But wepeth so, for wantynge of hir wille, | |
| | Til that hir teeres in the lystes fille? | her |
| 185 | She seyde, "I am ashamed, doutelees." | |
| | Saturnus seyde, "Doghter, hoold thy pees! | |
| | Mars hath his wille, his knyght hath al his boone, | |
| | And, by myn heed, thow shalt been esed soone." | |
| | The trompours, with the loude mynstralcie, | |
| 190 | The heraudes, that ful loude yelle and crie, | |
| | Been in hire wele for joye of daun Arcite. | arcite |
| | But herkneth me, and stynteth noyse a lite, | stop |
| | Which a myracle ther bifel anon. | |
| | This fierse Arcite hath of his helm ydon, | had |
| 195 | And on a courser, for to shewe his face, | |
| | He priketh endelong the large place | |
| | Lokynge upward upon this Emelye; | |
| | And she agayn hym caste a freendlich ye | |
| | (For wommen, as to speken in comune, | |
| 200 | Thei folwen alle the favour of Fortune) | |
| | And was al his chiere, as in his herte. | |
| | Out of the ground a furie infernal sterte, | tremble |
| | From Pluto sent at requeste of Saturne, | |
| | For which his hors for fere gan to turne, | |
| 205 | And leep aside, and foundred as he leep; | |
| | And er that Arcite may taken keep, | before |
| | He pighte hym on the pomel of his heed, | |
| | That in the place he lay as he were deed, | |
| | His brest tobrosten with his sadel-bowe. | saddle |
| 210 | As blak he lay as any cole or crowe, | |
| | So was the blood yronnen in his face. | |
| | Anon he was yborn out of the place, | |
| | With herte soor, to Theseus paleys. | |
| | Tho was he korven out of his harneys | |
| 215 | And in a bed ybrought ful faire and blyve, | nobly |
| | For he was yet in memorie and alyve, | |
| | And alwey criynge after Emelye. | |
| | Duc Theseus, with al his compaignye, | |
| | Is comen hoom to Atthenes his citee, | |
| 220 | 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; | |
| | He shal been heeled of his maladye. | |
| 225 | And of another thyng they weren as fayn, | |
| | That of hem alle was ther noon yslayn, | |
| | Al were they soore yhurt, and namely oon, | |
| | That with a spere was thirled his brest boon. | |
| | To othere woundes and to broken armes | |
| 230 | Somme hadden salves, and somme hadden charmes; | |
| | Fermacies of herbes, and eek save | also |
| | They dronken, for they wolde hir lymes have. | |
| | For which this noble duc, as he wel kan, | |
| | Conforteth and honoureth every man, | |
| 235 | And made revel al the longe nyght | |
| | Unto the straunge lordes, as was right. | |
| | Ne ther was holden no disconfitynge | neither dishonor |
| | But as a justes or a tourneiynge; | |
| | For soothly ther was no disconfiture. | |
| 240 | For fallyng nys nat but an aventure, | is not |
| | Ne to be lad by force unto the stake | neither |
| | Unyolden, and with twenty knyghtes take, | surrendered |
| | O persone allone, withouten mo, | |
| | And haryed forth by arme, foot, and too, | |
| 245 | And eke his steede dryven forth with staves | |
| | With footmen, bothe yemen and eek knaves -- | |
| | It nas arretted hym no vileynye; | wasn’t |
| | Ther may no man clepen it cowardye. | |
| | For which anon duc Theseus leet crye, | |
| 250 | To stynten alle rancour and envye, | |
| | The gree as wel of o syde as of oother, | victory the |
| | And eyther syde ylik as ootheres brother; | |
| | And yaf hem yiftes after hir degree, | |
| | And fully heeld a feeste dayes three, | |
| 255 | And conveyed the kynges worthily | |
| | Out of his toun a journee largely. | |
| | And hoom wente every man the righte way. | |
| | Ther was namoore but "Fare wel, have good day!" | |
| | Of this bataille I wol namoore endite, | |
| 260 | But speke of Palamon and of Arcite. | |
| | Swelleth the brest of Arcite, and the soore | |
| | Encreesseth at his herte moore and moore. | |
| | The clothered blood, for any lechecraft, | |
| | Corrupteth, and is in his bouk ylaft, | |
| 265 | That neither veyne-blood, ne ventusynge, | |
| | Ne drynke of herbes may ben his helpynge. | |
| | The vertu expulsif, or animal, | power |
| | Fro thilke vertu cleped natural | that power call |
| | Ne may the venym voyden ne expelle. | |
| 270 | The pipes of his longes gonne to swelle, | |
| | And every lacerte in his brest adoun | |
| | Is shent with venym and corrupcioun. | |
| | Hym gayneth neither, for to gete his lif, | |
| | Vomyt upward, ne dounward laxatif. | |
| 275 | Al is tobrosten thilke regioun; | shatter that |
| | Nature hath now no dominacioun. | |
| | And certeinly, ther Nature wol nat wirche, | |
| | Fare wel phisik! Go ber the man to chirche! | |
| | This al and som, that Arcita moot dye; | one may |
| 280 | For which he sendeth after Emelye, | |
| | And Palamon, that was his cosyn deere. | |
| | Thanne seyde he thus, as ye shal after heere: | |
| | "Naught may the woful spirit in myn herte | |
| | Declare o point of alle my sorwes smerte | |
| 285 | To yow, my lady, that I love moost, | |
| | But I biquethe the servyce of my goost | |
| | To yow aboven every creature, | |
| | Syn that my lyf may no lenger dure. | |
| | Allas, the wo! Allas, the peynes stronge, | |
| 290 | That I for yow have suffred, and so longe! | |
| | Allas, the deeth! Allas, myn Emelye! | |
| | Allas, departynge of oure compaignye! | |
| | Allas, myn hertes queene! Allas, my wyf, | |
| | Myn hertes lady, endere of my lyf! | |
| 295 | What is this world? What asketh men to have? | |
| | Now with his love, now in his colde grave | |
| | Allone, withouten any compaignye. | |
| | Fare wel, my sweete foo, myn Emelye! | |
| | And softe taak me in youre armes tweye, | |
| 300 | For love of God, and herkneth what I seye. | |
| | "I have heer with my cosyn Palamon | |
| | Had strif and rancour many a day agon | |
| | For love of yow, and for my jalousye. | |
| | And Juppiter so wys my soule gye, | |
| 305 | To speken of a servaunt proprely, | |
| | With alle circumstances trewely -- | |
| | That is to seyen, trouthe, honour, knyghthede, | |
| | Wysdom, humblesse, estaat, and heigh kynrede, | |
| | Fredom, and al that longeth to that art -- | |
| 310 | So Juppiter 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 doon al his lyf. | |
| | And if that evere ye shul ben a wyf, | |
| 315 | Foryet nat Palamon, the gentil man." | |
| | And with that word his speche faille gan, | |
| | For from his feet up to his brest was come | |
| | The coold of deeth, that hadde hym overcome, | |
| | And yet mooreover, for in his armes two | |
| 320 | The vital strengthe is lost and al ago. | |
| | Oonly the intellect, withouten moore, | |
| | That dwelled in his herte syk and soore, | |
| | Gan faillen whan the herte felte deeth. | |
| | Dusked his eyen two, and failled breeth, | |
| 325 | But on his lady yet caste he his ye; | |
| | His laste word was, "Mercy, Emelye!" | |
| | His spirit chaunged hous and wente ther, | |
| | As I cam nevere, I kan nat tellen wher. | |
| | Therfore I stynte; I nam no divinistre; | |
| 330 | Of soules fynde I nat in this registre, | |
| | Ne me ne list thilke opinions to telle | |
| | Of hem, though that they writen wher they dwelle. | them |
| | Arcite is coold, ther Mars his soule gye! | |
| | Now wol I speken forth of Emelye. | |
| 335 | Shrighte Emelye, and howleth Palamon, | shrieked |
| | And Theseus his suster took anon | |
| | Swownynge, and baar hire fro the corps away. | |
| | What helpeth it to tarien forth the day | |
| | To tellen how she weep bothe eve and morwe? | |
| 340 | For in swich cas wommen have swich sorwe, | |
| | Whan that hir housbondes ben from hem ago, | their them |
| | That for the moore part they sorwen so, | |
| | Or ellis fallen in swich maladye | |
| | That at the laste certeinly they dye. | |
| 345 | Infinite been the sorwes and the teeres | |
| | Of olde folk and folk of tendre yeeres | |
| | In al the toun for deeth of this Theban. | |
| | For hym ther wepeth bothe child and man; | |
| | So greet wepyng was ther noon, certayn, | |
| 350 | Whan Ector was ybroght, al fressh yslayn, | |
| | To Troye. Allas, the pitee that was ther, | |
| | Cracchynge of chekes, rentynge eek of heer. | |
| | "Why woldestow be deed," thise wommen crye, | |
| | "And haddest gold ynough, and Emelye?" | |
| 355 | No man myghte gladen Theseus, | |
| | Savynge his olde fader Egeus, | |
| | That knew this worldes transmutacioun, | |
| | As he hadde seyn it chaunge bothe up and doun, | |
| | Joye after wo, and wo after gladnesse, | |
| 360 | And shewed hem ensamples and liknesse. | them |
| | "Right as ther dyed nevere man," quod he, | |
| | "That he ne lyvede in erthe in some degree, | |
| | Right so ther lyvede never man," he seyde, | |
| | "In al this world, that som tyme he ne deyde. | |
| 365 | This world nys but a thurghfare ful of wo, | |
| | And we been pilgrymes, passynge to and fro. | |
| | Deeth is an ende of every worldly soore." | |
| | And over al this yet seyde he muchel moore | |
| | To this effect, ful wisely to enhorte | |
| 370 | The peple that they sholde hem reconforte. | themselves |
| | Duc Theseus, with al his bisy cure, | |
| | Caste now wher that the sepulture | |
| | Of goode Arcite may best ymaked be, | |
| | And eek moost honurable in his degree. | |
| 375 | And at the laste he took conclusioun | |
| | That ther as first Arcite and Palamoun | |
| | Hadden for love the bataille hem bitwene, | |
| | That in that selve grove, swoote and grene, | |
| | Ther as he hadde his amorouse desires, | |
| 380 | His compleynte, and for love his hoote fires, | |
| | He wolde make a fyr in which the office | |
| | Funeral he myghte al accomplice. | |
| | And leet comande anon to hakke and hewe | |
| | The okes olde, and leye hem on a rewe | them |
| 385 | In colpons wel arrayed for to brenne. | |
| | His officers with swifte feet they renne | |
| | And ryde anon at his comandement. | |
| | And after this, Theseus hath ysent | |
| | After a beere, and it al overspradde | |
| 390 | With clooth of gold, the richeste that he hadde. | |
| | And of the same suyte he cladde Arcite; | |
| | Upon his hondes hadde he gloves white, | |
| | Eek on his heed a coroune of laurer grene, | |
| | And in his hond a swerd ful bright and kene. | |
| 395 | He leyde hym, bare the visage, on the beere; | |
| | Therwith he weep that pitee was to heere. | |
| | And for the peple sholde seen hym alle, | |
| | Whan it was day, he broghte hym to the halle, | |
| | That roreth of the criyng and the soun. | |
| 400 | Tho cam this woful Theban Palamoun, | |
| | With flotery berd and ruggy, asshy heeres, | torn |
| | In clothes blake, ydropped al with teeres; | |
| | And, passynge othere of wepynge, Emelye, | |
| | The rewefulleste of al the compaignye. | |
| 405 | In as muche as the servyce sholde be | |
| | The moore noble and riche in his degree, | |
| | Duc Theseus leet forth thre steedes brynge, | |
| | That trapped were in steel al gliterynge, | equipped with trappings |
| | And covered with the armes of daun Arcite. | |
| 410 | Upon thise steedes, that weren grete and white, | |
| | Ther seten folk, of whiche oon baar his sheeld, | |
| | Another his spere up on his hondes heeld, | |
| | The thridde baar with hym his bowe Turkeys | |
| | (Of brend gold was the caas and eek the harneys); | |
| 415 | And riden forth a paas with sorweful cheere | |
| | Toward the grove, as ye shul after heere. | |
| | The nobleste of the Grekes that ther were | |
| | Upon hir shuldres caryeden the beere, | their |
| | With slakke paas and eyen rede and wete, | |
| 420 | Thurghout the citee by the maister strete, | |
| | That sprad was al with blak, and wonder hye | |
| | Right of the same is the strete ywrye. | covered |
| | Upon the right hond wente olde Egeus, | |
| | And on that oother syde duc Theseus, | |
| 425 | With vessels in hir hand of gold ful fyn, | their |
| | Al ful of hony, milk, and blood, and wyn; | |
| | Eek Palamon, with ful greet compaignye; | |
| | And after that cam woful Emelye, | |
| | With fyr in honde, as was that tyme the gyse, | |
| 430 | To do the ritual of funeral service. | |
| | Heigh labour and ful greet apparaillynge | |
| | Was at the service and the fyr-makynge, | |
| | That with his grene top the hevene raughte; | |
| | And twenty fadme of brede the armes straughte -- | |
| 435 | This is to seyn, the bowes weren so brode. | |
| | Of stree first ther was leyd ful many a lode. | |
| | But how the fyr was maked upon highte, | |
| | Ne eek the names that the trees highte, | called |
| | As ook, firre, birch, aspe, alder, holm, popler, | |
| 440 | Wylugh, elm, plane, assh, box, chasteyn, lynde, laurer, | |
| | Mapul, thorn, bech, hasel, ew, whippeltree -- | |
| | How they weren feld shal nat be toold for me; | |
| | Ne hou the goddes ronnen up and doun, | |
| | Disherited of hire habitacioun, | their |
| 445 | In which they woneden in reste and pees, | |
| | Nymphes, fawnes and amadrides; | |
| | Ne hou the beestes and the briddes alle | |
| | Fledden for fere, whan the wode was falle; | |
| | Ne how the ground agast was of the light, | |
| 450 | That was nat wont to seen the sonne bright; | |
| | Ne how the fyr was couched first with stree, | |
| | And thanne with drye stikkes cloven a thre, | |
| | And thanne with grene wode and spicerye, | |
| | And thanne with clooth of gold and with perrye, | |
| 455 | And gerlandes, hangynge with ful many a flour; | |
| | The mirre, th'encens, with al so greet odour; | |
| | Ne how Arcite lay among al this, | |
| | Ne what richesse aboute his body is; | |
| | Ne how that Emelye, as was the gyse, | |
| 460 | Putte in the fyr of funeral servyse; | |
| | Ne how she swowned whan men made the fyr, | |
| | Ne what she spak, ne what was hir desir; | |
| | Ne what jeweles men in the fyre caste, | |
| | Whan that the fyr was greet and brente faste; | |
| 465 | Ne how somme caste hir sheeld, and somme hir spere, | |
| | And of hire vestimentz, whiche that they were, | |
| | And coppes fulle of wyn, and milk, and blood, | |
| | Into the fyr, that brente as it were wood; | |
| | Ne how the Grekes, with an huge route, | |
| 470 | Thries riden al the fyr aboute | |
| | Upon the left hand, with a loud shoutynge, | |
| | And thries with hir speres claterynge; | |
| | And thries how the ladyes gonne crye; | |
| | And how that lad was homward Emelye; | |
| 475 | Ne how Arcite is brent to asshen colde; | |
| | Ne how that lyche-wake was yholde | |
| | Al thilke nyght; ne how the Grekes pleye | |
| | The wake-pleyes; ne kepe I nat to seye | |
| | Who wrastleth best naked with oille enoynt, | |
| 480 | Ne who that baar hym best, in no disjoynt. | |
| | I wol nat tellen eek how that they goon | |
| | Hoom til Atthenes, whan the pley is doon; | |
| | But shortly to the point thanne wol I wende | |
| | And maken of my longe tale an ende. | |
| 485 | By processe and by lengthe of certeyn yeres, | |
| | Al stynted is the moornynge and the teres | |
| | Of Grekes, by oon general assent. | |
| | Thanne semed me ther was a parlement | |
| | At Atthenes, upon certein pointz and caas; | |
| 490 | Among the whiche pointz yspoken was, | |
| | To have with certein contrees alliaunce, | |
| | And have fully of Thebans obeisaunce. | |
| | For which this noble Theseus anon | |
| | Leet senden after gentil Palamon, | |
| 495 | Unwist of hym what was the cause and why, | |
| | But in his blake clothes sorwefully | |
| | He cam at his comandement in hye. | |
| | Tho sente Theseus for Emelye. | |
| | Whan they were set, and hust was al the place, | |
| 500 | And Theseus abiden hadde a space | |
| | Er any word cam fram his wise brest, | |
| | His eyen sette he ther as was his lest. | |
| | And with a sad visage he siked stille, | |
| | And after that right thus he seyde his wille: | |
| 505 | "The Firste Moevere of the cause above, | |
| | Whan he first made the faire cheyne of love, | |
| | Greet was th'effect, and heigh was his entente. | |
| | Wel wiste he why, and what thereof he mente, | |
| | For with that faire cheyne of love he bond | |
| 510 | 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 | |
| | Certeyne dayes and duracioun | |
| 515 | To al that is engendred in this place, | |
| | Over the whiche day they may nat pace, | |
| | Al mowe they yet tho dayes wel abregge. | |
| | Ther nedeth noght noon auctoritee t'allegge, | |
| | For it is preeved by experience, | |
| 520 | But that me list declaren my sentence. | |
| | Thanne may men by this ordre wel discerne | |
| | That thilke Moevere stable is and eterne. | |
| | Wel may men knowe, but it be a fool, | |
| | That every part dirryveth from his hool, | |
| 525 | For nature hath nat taken his bigynnyng | |
| | Of no partie or cantel of a thyng, | |
| | But of a thyng that parfit is and stable, | |
| | Descendynge so til it be corrumpable. | |
| | And therfore, of his wise purveiaunce, | |
| 530 | He hath so wel biset his ordinaunce | |
| | That speces of thynges and progressiouns | |
| | Shullen enduren by successiouns, | |
| | And nat eterne, withouten any lye. | |
| | This maystow understonde and seen at ye. | |
| 535 | "Loo the ook, that hath so long a norisshynge | |
| | From tyme that it first bigynneth to sprynge, | |
| | And hath so long a lif, as we may see, | |
| | Yet at the laste wasted is the tree. | |
| | "Considereth eek how that the harde stoon | also |
| 540 | Under oure feet, on which we trede and goon, | |
| | Yet wasteth it as it lyth by the weye. | |
| | The brode ryver somtyme wexeth dreye; | |
| | The grete tounes se we wane and wende. | |
| | Thanne may ye se that al this thyng hath ende. | |
| 545 | "Of man and womman seen we wel also | |
| | That nedes, in oon of thise termes two -- | |
| | This is to seyn, in youthe or elles age -- | |
| | He moot be deed, the kyng as shal a page; | |
| | Som in his bed, som in the depe see, | |
| 550 | Som in the large feeld, as men may see; | |
| | Ther helpeth noght; al goth that ilke weye. | |
| | Thanne may I seyn that al this thyng moot deye. | |
| | "What maketh this but Juppiter, the kyng, | |
| | That is prince and cause of alle thyng, | |
| 555 | Convertynge al unto his propre welle | |
| | From which it is dirryved, sooth to telle? | |
| | And heer-agayns no creature on lyve, | |
| | Of no degree, availleth for to stryve. | |
| | "Thanne is it wysdom, as it thynketh me, | |
| 560 | To maken vertu of necessitee, | |
| | And take it weel that we may nat eschue, | |
| | And namely that to us alle is due. | |
| | And whoso gruccheth ought, he dooth folye, | |
| | And rebel is to hym that al may gye. | |
| 565 | And certeinly a man hath moost honour | |
| | To dyen in his excellence and flour, | |
| | Whan he is siker of his goode name; | |
| | Thanne hath he doon his freend, ne hym, no shame. | |
| | And gladder oghte his freend been of his deeth, | |
| 570 | Whan with honour up yolden is his breeth, | |
| | Than whan his name apalled is for age, | |
| | For al forgeten is his vassellage. | |
| | Thanne is it best, as for a worthy fame, | |
| | To dyen whan that he is best of name. | |
| 575 | "The contrarie of al this is wilfulnesse. | |
| | Why grucchen we, why have we hevynesse, | |
| | That goode Arcite, of chivalrie flour, | |
| | Departed is with duetee and honour | |
| | Out of this foule prisoun of this lyf? | |
| 580 | Why grucchen heere his cosyn and his wyf | |
| | Of his welfare, that loved hem so weel? | |
| | Kan he hem thank? Nay, God woot, never a deel, | |
| | That both his soule and eek hemself offende, | also |
| | And yet they mowe hir lustes nat amende. | |
| 585 | "What may I conclude of this longe serye, | process of thought, argument |
| | But after wo I rede us to be merye | |
| | And thanken Juppiter of al his grace? | |
| | And er that we departen from this place | |
| | I rede that we make of sorwes two | |
| 590 | O parfit joye, lastynge everemo. | |
| | And looketh now, wher moost sorwe is herinne, | |
| | Ther wol we first amenden and bigynne. | |
| | "Suster," quod he, "this is my fulle assent, | |
| | With al th'avys heere of my parlement, | |
| 595 | That gentil Palamon, youre owene knyght, | |
| | That serveth yow with wille, herte, and myght, | |
| | And ever hath doon syn ye first hym knewe, | |
| | That ye shul of youre grace upon hym rewe, | |
| | And taken hym for housbonde and for lord. | |
| 600 | Lene me youre hond, for this is oure accord. | |
| | Lat se now of youre wommanly pitee. | |
| | He is a kynges brother sone, pardee; | indeed |
| | And though he were a povre bacheler, | |
| | Syn he hath served yow so many a yeer, | |
| 605 | And had for yow so greet adversitee, | |
| | It moste been considered, leeveth me, | |
| | For gentil mercy oghte to passen right." | |
| | Thanne seyde he thus to Palamon the knight: | |
| | "I trowe ther nedeth litel sermonyng | warrant |
| 610 | To make yow assente to this thyng. | |
| | Com neer, and taak youre lady by the hond." | |
| | Bitwixen hem was maad anon the bond | |
| | That highte matrimoigne or mariage, | is called |
| | By al the conseil and the baronage. | |
| 615 | And thus with alle blisse and melodye | |
| | Hath Palamon ywedded Emelye. | |
| | And God, that al this wyde world hath wroght, | |
| | Sende hym his love that hath it deere aboght; | |
| | For now is Palamon in alle wele, | |
| 620 | Lyvynge in blisse, in richesse, and in heele, | |
| | And Emelye hym loveth so tendrely, | |
| | And he hire serveth so gentilly, | |
| | That nevere was ther no word hem bitwene | |
| | Of jalousie or any oother teene. | |
| 625 | Thus endeth Palamon and Emelye; | |
| | And God save al this faire compaignye! Amen. | |