| 1625 | Greet was the feeste in Atthenes that day, |
| And eek the lusty seson of that May |
| Made every wight to been in such plesaunce |
| That al that Monday justen they and daunce, |
| And spenten it in Venus heigh servyse. |
| 1630 | But by the cause that they sholde ryse |
| Eerly, for to seen the grete fight, |
| Unto hir rest wenten they at nyght. |
| And on the morwe, whan that day gan sprynge, |
| Of hors and harneys noyse and claterynge |
| 1635 | 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 |
| So unkouth and so riche, and wroght so weel |
| 1640 | Of goldsmythrye, of browdynge, and of steel; |
| The sheeldes brighte, testeres, and trappures, |
| Gold-hewen helmes, hauberkes, cote-armures; |
| Lordes in parementz on hir courseres, |
| Knyghtes of retenue and eek squieres, |
| 1645 | Nailynge the speres, and helmes bokelynge, |
| Giggynge of sheeldes, with layneres lacynge. |
| There as nede is, they weren nothyng ydel. |
| The fomy steedes on the golden brydel |
| Gnawynge, and faste the armurers also |
| 1650 | 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, |
| That in the bataille blowen blody sounes; |
| 1655 | The paleys ful of peples 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"; |
| Somme helden with hym with the blake berd, |
| 1660 | 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, |
| Longe after that the sonne gan to sprynge. |
| 1665 |
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 |
| Honured, were into the paleys fet. |
| 1670 | Duc Theseus was at a wyndow set, |
| Arrayed, right as he were a god in trone. |
| The peple preesseth thiderward ful soone, |
| Hym for to seen and doon heigh reverence. |
| And eek to herkne his heste and his sentence. |
| 1675 | 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. |
|
"The lord hath of his heigh discrecioun |
| 1680 | Considered that it were destruccioun |
| To gentil blood, to fighten in the gyse |
| Of mortal bataille, now in this emprise; |
| Wherfore, to shapen that they shal nat dye, |
| He wolde his firste purpos modifye. |
| 1685 | No man therfore, up peyne of los of lyf, |
| No maner shot, ne polax, ne short knyf |
| Into the lystes sende, ne thider brynge. |
| Ne short swerd for to stoke, with poynt bitynge, |
| No man ne drawe, ne bere by his syde; |
| 1690 | Ne no man shal unto his felawe ryde |
| 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, |
| And noght slayn, but be broght unto the stake |
| 1695 | That shal ben ordeyned on either syde, |
| But thider he shal by force, and there abyde. |
| And if so be the chevetayn be take |
| On outher syde, or elles sleen his make, |
| No lenger shal the turneiynge laste. |
| 1700 | God spede you! Gooth forth, and ley on faste! |
| With long swerd and with maces fight youre fille. |
| Gooth now youre wey, this is the lordes wille." |
|
Ful lik a lord this noble duc gan ryde, |
| Thise two Thebanes upon either syde, |
| And after rood the queene and Emelye, |
| And after that another compaignye, |
| 1715 | 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 |
| Whan set was Theseus ful riche and hye, |
| 1720 | Ypolita the queene, and Emelye, |
| And othere ladys in degrees aboute. |
| Unto the seettes preesseth al the route, |
| And westward thurgh the gates under Marte, |
| Arcite, and eek the hondred of his parte, |
| 1725 | 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. |
| In al the world, to seken up and doun |
| 1730 | So evene, withouten variacioun |
| Ther nere swiche compaignyes tweye; |
| For ther was noon so wys, that koude seye |
| That any hadde of oother avauntage, |
| Of worthynesse ne of estaat ne age, |
| 1735 | So evene were they chosen, for to gesse. |
| And in two renges faire they hem dresse, |
| Whan that hir names rad were everichon, |
| That in hir nombre gyle were ther noon. |
| Tho were the gates shet and cried was loude, |
| 1740 | "Do now youre devoir, yonge knyghtes proude!" |
|
The heraudes lefte hir prikyng up and doun; |
| Now ryngen trompes loude and clarioun. |
| Ther is namoore to seyn, but west and est |
| In goon the speres ful sadly in arrest, |
| 1745 | In gooth the sharpe spore into the syde. |
| Ther seen men who kan juste, and who kan ryde, |
| Ther shyveren shaftes upon sheeldes thikke; |
| He feeleth thurgh the herte-spoon the prikke. |
| Up spryngen speres twenty foot on highte; |
| 1750 | 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. |
| He thurgh the thikkeste of the throng gan threste; |
| 1755 | Ther stomblen steedes stronge, and doun gooth al; |
| He rolleth under foot as dooth a bal, |
| He foyneth on his feet with his tronchoun, |
| And he hym hurtleth with his hors adoun. |
| He thurgh the body is hurt and sithen ytake, |
| 1760 | Maugree his heed, and broght unto the stake, |
| As forward was, right there he moste abyde; |
| Another lad is on that oother syde. |
| And som tyme dooth hem Theseus to reste, |
| Hem to refresshe, and drynken if hem leste. |
| 1765 | Ful ofte a day han thise Thebanes two |
| Togydre ymet, and wroght his felawe wo. |
| Unhorsed hath ech oother of hem tweye, |
| Ther nas no tygre in the vale of Galgopheye |
| Whan that hir whelp is stole, whan it is lite, |
| 1770 | 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, |
| Ne of his praye desireth so the blood, |
| 1775 | As Palamon to sleen his foo Arcite. |
| The jelous strokes on hir helmes byte, |
| Out renneth blood on bothe hir sydes rede. |
|
Som tyme an ende ther is of every dede. |
| For er the sonne unto the reste wente, |
| 1780 | The stronge kyng Emetreus gan hente |
| This Palamon, as he faught with Arcite, |
| And made his swerd depe in his flessh to byte. |
| And by the force of twenty is he take |
| Unyolden, and ydrawen unto the stake. |
| 1785 | 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, |
| So hitte him Palamoun er he were take; |
| 1790 | 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. |
| 1810 |
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 trompes with the loude mynstralcie, |
| The heraudes that ful loude yolle and crie, |
| 1815 | Been in hir wele for joye of daun Arcite. |
| But herkneth me, and stynteth noyse a lite, |
| Which a myracle ther bifel anon. |
| This fierse Arcite hath of his helm ydon, |
| And on a courser for to shewe his face |
| 1820 | He priketh endelong the large place, |
| Lokynge upward upon this Emelye, |
| And she agayn hym caste a freendlich eye, |
| (For wommen, as to speken in comune, |
| Thei folwen alle the favour of Fortune) |
| 1825 | And she was al his chiere, as in his herte. |
|
Out of the ground a furie infernal sterte, |
| From Pluto sent, at requeste of Saturne, |
| For which his hors for fere gan to turne, |
| And leep aside and foundred as he leep. |
| 1830 | And er that Arcite may taken keep, |
| 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. |
| As blak he lay as any cole or crowe, |
| 1835 | 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, |
| And in a bed ybrought ful faire and blyve, |
| 1840 | 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, |
| With alle blisse and greet solempnitee; |
| 1845 | 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. |
| And of another thyng they weren as fayn, |
| 1850 | 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, |
| Somme hadden salves, and somme hadden charmes, |
| 1855 | Fermacies of herbes and eek save |
| They dronken, for they wolde hir lymes have. |
| For which this noble duc as he wel kan, |
| Conforteth and honoureth every man, |
| And made revel al the longe nyght |
| 1860 | Unto the straunge lordes, as was right. |
| Ne ther was holden no disconfitynge |
| But as a justes or a tourneiynge, |
| For soothly ther was no disconfiture. |
| For fallyng nys nat but an aventure- |
| 1865 | Ne to be lad by force unto the stake |
| Unyolden, and with twenty knyghtes take, |
| O persone allone, withouten mo, |
| And haryed forth by arme, foot, and too, |
| And eke his steede dryven forth with staves, |
| 1870 | With footmen, bothe yemen and eek knaves, |
| It nas aretted hym no vileynye, |
| Ther may no man clepen it cowardye. |
| For which anon duc Theseus leet crye, |
| To stynten alle rancour and envye, |
| 1875 | The gree, as wel of o syde as of oother, |
| And eyther syde ylik as ootheres brother, |
| And yaf hem yiftes after hir degree, |
| And fully heeld a feeste dayes three, |
| And conveyed the kynges worthily |
| 1880 | 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, |
| But speke of Palamoun and of Arcite. |
| 1885 |
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, |
| That neither veyne-blood, ne ventusynge, |
| 1890 | Ne drynke of herbes may ben his helpynge. |
| The vertu expulsif, or animal, |
| Fro thilke vertu cleped natural |
| Ne may the venym voyden, ne expelle. |
| The pipes of his longes gonne to swelle, |
| 1895 | 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; |
| Al is tobrosten thilke regioun, |
| 1900 | 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; |
| For which he sendeth after Emelye |
| 1905 | 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 |
| To yow, my lady, that I love moost. |
| 1910 | 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, |
| That I for yow have suffred, and so longe! |
| 1915 | Allas, the deeth! Allas, myn Emelye! |
| Allas, departynge of our compaignye! |
| Allas, myn hertes queene! allas, my wyf! |
| Myn hertes lady, endere of my lyf! |
| What is this world? What asketh men to have? |
| 1920 | Now with his love, now in his colde grave, |
| Allone, withouten any compaignye. |
| Fare-wel, my swete foo, myn Emelye! |
| And softe taak me in youre armes tweye, |
| For love of God, and herkneth what I seye. |
| 1925 |
"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, |
| To speken of a servaunt proprely, |
| 1930 | With alle circumstances trewely, |
| That is to seyen, trouthe, honour, and knyghthede, |
| Wysdom, humblesse, estaat, and heigh kynrede, |
| Fredom, and al that longeth to that art - |
| So Juppiter have of my soule part |
| 1935 | 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, |
| Foryet nat Palamon, the gentil man." |
| 1940 | And with that word his speche faille gan, |
| And from his herte up to his brest was come |
| The coold of deeth, that hadde hym overcome. |
| And yet moreover in hise armes two |
| The vital strengthe is lost and al ago. |
| 1945 | Oonly the intellect, withouten moore, |
| That dwelled in his herte syk and soore |
| Gan faillen, when the herte felte deeth. |
| Dusked hise eyen two, and failled breeth, |
| But on his lady yet caste he his eye. |
| 1950 | 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; |
| Of soules fynde I nat in this registre, |
| 1955 | Ne me ne list thilke opinions to telle |
| Of hem, though that they writen wher they dwelle. |
| Arcite is coold, ther Mars his soule gye! |
| Now wol I speken forthe of Emelye. |
|
No man myghte gladen Theseus, |
| 1980 | 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, |
| And shewed hem ensamples and liknesse. |
| 1985 | "Right as ther dyed nevere man," quod he, |
| "That he ne lyvede in erthe in som degree, |
| Right so ther lyvede never man," he seyde, |
| "In al this world that somtyme he ne deyde. |
| This world nys but a thurghfare ful of wo, |
| 1990 | And we been pilgrymes passynge to and fro. |
| Deeth is an ende of every worldes soore." |
| And over al this yet seyde he muchel moore, |
| To this effect ful wisely to enhorte |
| The peple, that they sholde hem reconforte. |
| 1995 |
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. |
| And at the laste he took conclusioun |
| 2000 | 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 hise amorouse desires, |
| His compleynte, and for love hise hoote fires, |
| 2005 | 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 |
| In colpons, wel arrayed for to brenne. |
| 2010 | His officers with swifte feet they renne |
| And ryden anon at his comandement; |
| And after this, Theseus hath ysent |
| After a beere, and it al over-spradde |
| With clooth of gold, the richeste that he hadde. |
| 2015 | 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. |
| He leyde hym bare the visage on the beere, |
| 2020 | 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. |
|
Tho cam this woful Theban, Palamoun, |
| 2025 | With flotery berd and ruggy asshy heeres, |
| In clothes blake, ydropped al with teeres, |
| And, passynge othere of wepynge, Emelye, |
| The rewefulleste of al the compaignye. |
| In as muche as the servyce sholde be |
| 2030 | The moore noble and riche in his degree, |
| Duc Theseus leet forth thre steedes brynge |
| That trapped were in steel al gliterynge, |
| And covered with the armes of daun Arcite. |
| Upon thise steedes that weren grete and white |
| 2035 | Ther sitten folk, of whiche oon baar his sheeld, |
| Another his spere up in his hondes heeld, |
| The thridde baar with hym his bowe Turkeys, |
| (Of brend gold was the caas, and eek the harneys;) |
| And riden forth a paas, with sorweful cheere, |
| 2040 | Toward the grove, as ye shul after heere. |
| The nobleste of the Grekes that ther were |
| Upon hir shuldres caryeden the beere, |
| With slakke paas, and eyen rede and wete, |
| Thurghout the citee by the maister strete, |
| 2045 | That sprad was al with blak, and wonder hye |
| Right of the same is the strete ywrye. |
| Upon the right hond wente olde Egeus, |
| And on that oother syde duc Theseus, |
| With vessel in hir hand of gold ful fyn, |
| 2050 | 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, |
| To do the office of funeral servyse. |
| 2055 |
Heigh labour, and ful greet apparaillynge, |
| Was at the service and the fyr-makynge, |
| That with his grene top the heven raughte, |
| And twenty fadme of brede the armes straughte; |
| This is to seyn, the bowes weren so brode. |
| 2060 | 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, |
| As, ook, firre, birch, aspe, alder, holm, popeler, |
| Wylugh, elm, plane, assh, box, chasteyn, lynde, laurer, |
| 2065 | Mapul, thorn, bech, hasel, ew, whippeltree - |
| How they weren fild shal nat be toold for me, |
| Ne how the goddes ronnen up and doun |
| Disherited of hir habitacioun, |
| In whiche they woneden in reste and pees, |
| 2070 | Nymphes, Fawnes, and Amadrides; |
| Ne how the beestes and the briddes alle |
| Fledden for fere, whan the wode was falle; |
| Ne how the ground agast was of the light, |
| That was nat wont to seen the sonne bright; |
| 2075 | Ne how the fyr was couched first with stree, |
| And thanne with drye stokkes cloven a thre, |
| And thanne with grene wode and spicerye, |
| And thanne with clooth of gold and with perrye, |
| And gerlandes hangynge with ful many a flour, |
| 2080 | 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, |
| Putte in the fyr of funeral servyse; |
| 2085 | 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; |
| Ne how somme caste hir sheeld, and somme hir spere, |
| 2090 | 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, |
| Thries riden al the fyr aboute, |
| 2095 | 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; |
| Ne how Arcite is brent to asshen colde, |
| 2100 | 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, |
| Ne who that baar hym best in no disjoynt; |
| 2105 | 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. |
|
By processe, and by lengthe of certeyn yeres, |
| 2110 | 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, |
| Among the whiche pointz yspoken was |
| 2115 | To have with certein contrees alliaunce, |
| And have fully of Thebans obeisaunce, |
| For which this noble Theseus anon |
| Leet senden after gentil Palamon, |
| Unwist of hym what was the cause and why. |
| 2120 | But in hise 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, |
| And Theseus abiden hadde a space |
| 2125 | Er any word cam fram his wise brest, |
| Hise 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: |
|
"The Firste Moevere of the cause above |
| 2130 | Whan he first made the faire cheyne of love, |
| Greet was th'effect, and heigh was his entente; |
| Wel wiste he why, and what therof he mente, |
| For with that faire cheyne of love he bond |
| The fyr, the eyr, the water, and the lond, |
| 2135 | In certeyn boundes that they may nat flee. |
| That same prince and that same moevere," quod he, |
| "Hath stablissed in this wrecched world adoun |
| Certeyne dayes and duracioun |
| To al that is engendred in this place, |
| 2140 | 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, |
| But that me list declaren my sentence. |
| 2145 | 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 deryveth from his hool; |
| For nature hath nat taken his bigynnyng |
| 2150 | Of no partie nor 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, |
| He hath so wel biset his ordinaunce, |
| 2155 | That speces of thynges and progressiouns |
| Shullen enduren by successiouns, |
| And nat eterne, withouten any lye. |
| This maystow understonde and seen at ye. |
| "Loo the ook, that hath so long a norisshynge |
| 2160 | From tyme that it first bigynneth 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 |
| Under oure feet, on which we trede and goon, |
| 2165 | Yet wasteth it, as it lyth by the weye. |
| The brode ryver somtyme wexeth dreye, |
| The grete toures se we wane and wende, |
| Thanne may ye se that al this thyng hath ende. |
| "Of man and womman seen we wel also, |
| 2170 | That nedeth, 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, |
| Som in the large feeld, as men may se; |
| 2175 | Ther helpeth noght, al goth that ilke weye, |
| Thanne may I seyn that al this thyng moot deye. |
|
"Thanne is it wysdom, as it thynketh me, |
| To maken vertu of necessitee, |
| 2185 | And take it weel, that we may nat eschue; |
| And namely, that to us alle is due. |
| And who so gruccheth ought, he dooth folye, |
| And rebel is to hym that al may gye. |
| And certeinly, a man hath moost honour |
| 2190 | 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, |
| Whan with honour up yolden in his breeth, |
| 2195 | 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. |
| "The contrarie of al this is wilfulnesse: |
| 2200 | 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? |
| Why grucchen heere his cosyn and his wyf |
| 2205 | Of his welfare, that loved hem so weel? |
| Kan he hem thank? Nay, God woot never a deel, |
| That bothe his soule and eek hemself offende, |
| And yet they mowe hir lustes nat amende. |
|
"Suster," quod he, "this is my fulle assent, |
| With all th'avys heere of my parlement, |
| That gentil Palamon thyn owene knyght, |
| 2220 | That serveth yow with wille, herte, and myght, |
| And evere hath doon, syn that ye first hym knewe, |
| That ye shul of your grace upon hym rewe, |
| And taken hym for housbonde and for lord. |
| Lene me youre hond, for this is oure accord. |
| 2225 | Lat se now of youre wommanly pitee; |
| He is a kynges brother sone, pardee, |
| And though he were a povre bacheler, |
| Syn he hath served yow so many a yeer, |
| And had for yow so greet adversitee, |
| 2230 | It moste been considered, leeveth me, |
| For gentil mercy oghte to passen right." |
|
Thanne seyde he thus to Palamon the knyght: |
| "I trowe ther nedeth litel sermonyng |
| To make yow assente to this thyng. |
| 2235 | Com neer, and taak youre lady by the hond." |
| Bitwixen hem was maad anon the bond |
| That highte matrimoigne or mariage, |
| By al the conseil and the baronage. |
| And thus with alle blisse and melodye |
| 2240 | 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, |
| Lyvynge in blisse, in richesse, and in heele, |
| 2245 | And Emelye hym loveth so tendrely, |
| And he hir serveth al so gentilly, |
| That nevere was ther no word hem bitwene, |
| Of jalousie, or any oother teene. |
| Thus endeth Palamon and Emelye, |
| 2250 | And God save al this faire compaignye! Amen. |
