The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems Part 10

And Palamon, that hath such love to me, And eke Arcite, that loveth me so sore, This grace I pray thee withoute more, As sende love and peace betwixt them two: And from me turn away their heartes so, That all their hote love, and their desire, And all their busy torment, and their fire, Be queint*, or turn'd into another place. *quenched And if so be thou wilt do me no grace, Or if my destiny be shapen so That I shall needes have one of them two, So send me him that most desireth me.

Behold, G.o.ddess of cleane chast.i.ty, The bitter tears that on my cheekes fall.

Since thou art maid, and keeper of us all, My maidenhead thou keep and well conserve, And, while I live, a maid I will thee serve.

The fires burn upon the altar clear, While Emily was thus in her prayere: But suddenly she saw a sighte quaint*. *strange For right anon one of the fire's *queint And quick'd* again, and after that anon *went out and revived*

That other fire was queint, and all agone: And as it queint, it made a whisteling, As doth a brande wet in its burning.

And at the brandes end outran anon As it were b.l.o.o.d.y droppes many one: For which so sore aghast was Emily, That she was well-nigh mad, and gan to cry, For she ne wiste what it signified; But onely for feare thus she cried, And wept, that it was pity for to hear.

And therewithal Diana gan appear With bow in hand, right as an hunteress, And saide; "Daughter, stint* thine heaviness. *cease Among the G.o.ddes high it is affirm'd, And by eternal word writ and confirm'd, Thou shalt be wedded unto one of tho* *those That have for thee so muche care and woe: But unto which of them I may not tell.

Farewell, for here I may no longer dwell.

The fires which that on mine altar brenn*, *burn Shall thee declaren, ere that thou go henne*, *hence Thine aventure of love, as in this case."

And with that word, the arrows in the case* *quiver Of the G.o.ddess did clatter fast and ring, And forth she went, and made a vanis.h.i.+ng, For which this Emily astonied was, And saide; "What amounteth this, alas!

I put me under thy protection, Diane, and in thy disposition."

And home she went anon the nexte* way. *nearest This is th' effect, there is no more to say.

The nexte hour of Mars following this Arcite to the temple walked is Of fierce Mars, to do his sacrifice With all the rites of his pagan guise.

With piteous* heart and high devotion *pious Right thus to Mars he said his orison "O stronge G.o.d, that in the regnes* old *realms Of Thrace honoured art, and lord y-hold* *held And hast in every regne, and every land Of armes all the bridle in thine hand, And *them fortunest as thee list devise*, *send them fortune Accept of me my piteous sacrifice. as you please*

If so be that my youthe may deserve, And that my might be worthy for to serve Thy G.o.dhead, that I may be one of thine, Then pray I thee to *rue upon my pine*, *pity my anguish*

For thilke* pain, and thilke hote fire, *that In which thou whilom burned'st for desire Whenne that thou usedest* the beauty *enjoyed Of faire young Venus, fresh and free, And haddest her in armes at thy will: And though thee ones on a time misfill*, *were unlucky When Vulca.n.u.s had caught thee in his las*, *net <69> And found thee ligging* by his wife, alas! *lying For thilke sorrow that was in thine heart, Have ruth* as well upon my paine's smart. *pity I am young and unconning*, as thou know'st, *ignorant, simple And, as I trow*, with love offended most *believe That e'er was any living creature: For she, that doth* me all this woe endure, *causes Ne recketh ne'er whether I sink or fleet* *swim And well I wot, ere she me mercy hete*, *promise, vouchsafe I must with strengthe win her in the place: And well I wot, withoute help or grace Of thee, ne may my strengthe not avail: Then help me, lord, to-morr'w in my bataille, For thilke fire that whilom burned thee, As well as this fire that now burneth me; And do* that I to-morr'w may have victory. *cause Mine be the travail, all thine be the glory.

Thy sovereign temple will I most honour Of any place, and alway most labour In thy pleasance and in thy craftes strong.

And in thy temple I will my banner hong*, *hang And all the armes of my company, And evermore, until that day I die, Eternal fire I will before thee find And eke to this my vow I will me bind: My beard, my hair that hangeth long adown, That never yet hath felt offension* *indignity Of razor nor of shears, I will thee give, And be thy true servant while I live.

Now, lord, have ruth upon my sorrows sore, Give me the victory, I ask no more."

The prayer stint* of Arcita the strong, *ended The ringes on the temple door that hong, And eke the doores, clattered full fast, Of which Arcita somewhat was aghast.

The fires burn'd upon the altar bright, That it gan all the temple for to light; A sweete smell anon the ground up gaf*, *gave And Arcita anon his hand up haf*, *lifted And more incense into the fire he cast, With other rites more and at the last The statue of Mars began his hauberk ring; And with that sound he heard a murmuring Full low and dim, that saide thus, "Victory."

For which he gave to Mars honour and glory.

And thus with joy, and hope well to fare, Arcite anon unto his inn doth fare.

As fain* as fowl is of the brighte sun. *glad

And right anon such strife there is begun For thilke* granting, in the heav'n above, *that Betwixte Venus the G.o.ddess of love, And Mars the sterne G.o.d armipotent, That Jupiter was busy it to stent*: *stop Till that the pale Saturnus the cold,<70> That knew so many of adventures old, Found in his old experience such an art, That he full soon hath pleased every part.

As sooth is said, eld* hath great advantage, *age In eld is bothe wisdom and usage*: *experience Men may the old out-run, but not out-rede*. *outwit Saturn anon, to stint the strife and drede, Albeit that it is against his kind,* *nature Of all this strife gan a remedy find.

"My deare daughter Venus," quoth Saturn, "My course*, that hath so wide for to turn, *orbit <71> Hath more power than wot any man.

Mine is the drowning in the sea so wan; Mine is the prison in the darke cote*, *cell Mine the strangling and hanging by the throat, The murmur, and the churlish rebelling, The groyning*, and the privy poisoning. *discontent I do vengeance and plein* correction, *full I dwell in the sign of the lion.

Mine is the ruin of the highe halls, The falling of the towers and the walls Upon the miner or the carpenter: I slew Samson in shaking the pillar: Mine also be the maladies cold, The darke treasons, and the castes* old: *plots My looking is the father of pestilence.

Now weep no more, I shall do diligence That Palamon, that is thine owen knight, Shall have his lady, as thou hast him hight*. *promised Though Mars shall help his knight, yet natheless Betwixte you there must sometime be peace: All be ye not of one complexion, That each day causeth such division, I am thine ayel*, ready at thy will; *grandfather <72> Weep now no more, I shall thy l.u.s.t* fulfil." *pleasure Now will I stenten* of the G.o.ds above, *cease speaking Of Mars, and of Venus, G.o.ddess of love, And telle you as plainly as I can The great effect, for which that I began.

Great was the feast in Athens thilke* day; *that And eke the l.u.s.ty season of that May Made every wight to be in such pleasance, That all that Monday jousten they and dance, And spenden it in Venus' high service.

But by the cause that they shoulde rise Early a-morrow for to see that fight, Unto their reste wente they at night.

And on the morrow, when the day gan spring, Of horse and harness* noise and clattering *armour There was in the hostelries all about: And to the palace rode there many a rout* *train, retinue Of lordes, upon steedes and palfreys.

There mayst thou see devising* of harness *decoration So uncouth* and so rich, and wrought so weel *unkown, rare Of goldsmithry, of brouding*, and of steel; *embroidery The s.h.i.+eldes bright, the testers*, and trappures** *helmets<73> Gold-hewen helmets, hauberks, coat-armures; **trappings Lordes in parements* on their coursers, *ornamental garb <74>; Knightes of retinue, and eke squiers, Nailing the spears, and helmes buckeling, Gniding* of s.h.i.+eldes, with lainers** lacing; *polis.h.i.+ng <75> There as need is, they were nothing idle: **lanyards The foamy steeds upon the golden bridle Gnawing, and fast the armourers also With file and hammer p.r.i.c.king to and fro; Yeomen on foot, and knaves* many one *servants With shorte staves, thick* as they may gon**; *close **walk Pipes, trumpets, nakeres*, and clariouns, *drums <76> That in the battle blowe b.l.o.o.d.y souns; The palace full of people up and down, There three, there ten, holding their questioun*, *conversation Divining* of these Theban knightes two. *conjecturing Some saiden thus, some said it shall he so; Some helden with him with the blacke beard, Some with the bald, some with the thick-hair'd; Some said he looked grim, and woulde fight: He had a sparth* of twenty pound of weight. *double-headed axe Thus was the halle full of divining* *conjecturing Long after that the sunne gan up spring.

The great Theseus that of his sleep is waked With minstrelsy, and noise that was maked, Held yet the chamber of his palace rich, Till that the Theban knightes both y-lich* *alike Honoured were, and to the palace fet*. *fetched Duke Theseus is at a window set, Array'd right as he were a G.o.d in throne: The people presseth thitherward full soon Him for to see, and do him reverence, And eke to hearken his hest* and his sentence**. *command **speech An herald on a scaffold made an O, <77> Till the noise of the people was y-do*: *done And when he saw the people of noise all still, Thus shewed he the mighty Duke's will.

"The lord hath of his high discretion Considered that it were destruction To gentle blood, to fighten in the guise Of mortal battle now in this emprise: Wherefore to shape* that they shall not die, *arrange, contrive He will his firste purpose modify.

No man therefore, on pain of loss of life, No manner* shot, nor poleaxe, nor short knife *kind of Into the lists shall send, or thither bring.

Nor short sword for to stick with point biting No man shall draw, nor bear it by his side.

And no man shall unto his fellow ride But one course, with a sharp y-grounden spear: *Foin if him list on foot, himself to wear. *He who wishes can And he that is at mischief shall be take*, fence on foot to defend And not slain, but be brought unto the stake, himself, and he that That shall be ordained on either side; is in peril shall be taken*

Thither he shall by force, and there abide.

And if *so fall* the chiefetain be take *should happen*

On either side, or elles slay his make*, *equal, match No longer then the tourneying shall last.

G.o.d speede you; go forth and lay on fast.

With long sword and with mace fight your fill.

Go now your way; this is the lordes will.

The voice of the people touched the heaven, So loude cried they with merry steven*: *sound G.o.d save such a lord that is so good, He willeth no destruction of blood.

Up go the trumpets and the melody, And to the listes rode the company *By ordinance*, throughout the city large, *in orderly array*

Hanged with cloth of gold, and not with sarge*. *serge <78> Full like a lord this n.o.ble Duke gan ride, And these two Thebans upon either side:

And after rode the queen and Emily, And after them another company Of one and other, after their degree.

And thus they pa.s.sed thorough that city And to the listes came they by time: It was not of the day yet fully prime*. *between 6 & 9 a.m.

When set was Theseus full rich and high, Hippolyta the queen and Emily, And other ladies in their degrees about, Unto the seates presseth all the rout.

And westward, through the gates under Mart, Arcite, and eke the hundred of his part, With banner red, is enter'd right anon; And in the selve* moment Palamon *self-same Is, under Venus, eastward in the place, With banner white, and hardy cheer* and face *expression In all the world, to seeken up and down So even* without variatioun *equal There were such companies never tway.

For there was none so wise that coulde say That any had of other avantage Of worthiness, nor of estate, nor age, So even were they chosen for to guess.

And *in two ranges faire they them dress*. *they arranged themselves When that their names read were every one, in two rows*

That in their number guile* were there none, *fraud Then were the gates shut, and cried was loud; "Do now your devoir, younge knights proud The heralds left their p.r.i.c.king* up and down *spurring their horses Now ring the trumpet loud and clarioun.

There is no more to say, but east and west In go the speares sadly* in the rest; *steadily In go the sharpe spurs into the side.

There see me who can joust, and who can ride.

There s.h.i.+ver shaftes upon s.h.i.+eldes thick; He feeleth through the hearte-spoon<79> the p.r.i.c.k.

Up spring the speares twenty foot on height; Out go the swordes as the silver bright.

The helmes they to-hewen, and to-shred*; *strike in pieces <80> Out burst the blood, with sterne streames red.

With mighty maces the bones they to-brest*. *burst He <81> through the thickest of the throng gan threst*. *thrust There stumble steedes strong, and down go all.

He rolleth under foot as doth a ball.

He foineth* on his foe with a trunchoun, *forces himself And he him hurtleth with his horse adown.

He through the body hurt is, and *sith take*, *afterwards captured*

Maugre his head, and brought unto the stake, As forword* was, right there he must abide. *covenant Another led is on that other side.

And sometime doth* them Theseus to rest, *caused Them to refresh, and drinken if them lest*. *pleased Full oft a day have thilke Thebans two *these Together met and wrought each other woe: Unhorsed hath each other of them tway* *twice There is no tiger in the vale of Galaphay, <82> When that her whelp is stole, when it is lite* *little So cruel on the hunter, as Arcite For jealous heart upon this Palamon: Nor in Belmarie <83> there is no fell lion, That hunted is, or for his hunger wood* *mad Or for his prey desireth so the blood, As Palamon to slay his foe Arcite.

The jealous strokes upon their helmets bite; Out runneth blood on both their sides red, Sometime an end there is of every deed For ere the sun unto the reste went, The stronge king Emetrius gan hent* *sieze, a.s.sail This Palamon, as he fought with Arcite, And made his sword deep in his flesh to bite, And by the force of twenty is he take, Unyielding, and is drawn unto the stake.

And in the rescue of this Palamon The stronge king Licurgus is borne down: And king Emetrius, for all his strength Is borne out of his saddle a sword's length, So hit him Palamon ere he were take: But all for nought; he was brought to the stake: His hardy hearte might him helpe naught, He must abide when that he was caught, By force, and eke by composition*. *the bargain Who sorroweth now but woful Palamon That must no more go again to fight?

And when that Theseus had seen that sight Unto the folk that foughte thus each one, He cried, Ho! no more, for it is done!

I will be true judge, and not party.

Arcite of Thebes shall have Emily, That by his fortune hath her fairly won."

Anon there is a noise of people gone, For joy of this, so loud and high withal, It seemed that the listes shoulde fall.

What can now faire Venus do above?

What saith she now? what doth this queen of love?

But weepeth so, for wanting of her will, Till that her teares in the listes fill* *fall She said: "I am ashamed doubteless."

Saturnus saide: "Daughter, hold thy peace.

Mars hath his will, his knight hath all his boon, And by mine head thou shalt be eased soon."

The trumpeters with the loud minstrelsy, The heralds, that full loude yell and cry, Be in their joy for weal of Dan* Arcite. *Lord But hearken me, and stinte noise a lite, What a miracle there befell anon This fierce Arcite hath off his helm y-done, And on a courser for to shew his face He *p.r.i.c.keth endelong* the large place, *rides from end to end*

Looking upward upon this Emily; And she again him cast a friendly eye (For women, as to speaken *in commune*, *generally*

They follow all the favour of fortune), And was all his in cheer*, as his in heart. *countenance Out of the ground a fire infernal start, From Pluto sent, at request of Saturn For which his horse for fear began to turn, And leap aside, and founder* as he leap *stumble And ere that Arcite may take any keep*, *care He pight* him on the pummel** of his head. *pitched **top That in the place he lay as he were dead.

His breast to-bursten with his saddle-bow.

As black he lay as any coal or crow, So was the blood y-run into his face.

Anon he was y-borne out of the place With hearte sore, to Theseus' palace.

Then was he carven* out of his harness. *cut And in a bed y-brought full fair and blive* *quickly For he was yet in mem'ry and alive, And always crying after Emily.

Duke Theseus, with all his company, Is come home to Athens his city, With alle bliss and great solemnity.

Albeit that this aventure was fall*, *befallen He woulde not discomforte* them all *discourage Then said eke, that Arcite should not die, He should be healed of his malady.

And of another thing they were as fain*. *glad That of them alle was there no one slain, All* were they sorely hurt, and namely** one, *although **especially That with a spear was thirled* his breast-bone. *pierced To other woundes, and to broken arms, Some hadden salves, and some hadden charms: And pharmacies of herbs, and eke save* *sage, Salvia officinalis They dranken, for they would their lives have.

For which this n.o.ble Duke, as he well can, Comforteth and honoureth every man, And made revel all the longe night, Unto the strange lordes, as was right.

Nor there was holden no discomforting, But as at jousts or at a tourneying; For soothly there was no discomfiture, For falling is not but an aventure*. *chance, accident Nor to be led by force unto a stake Unyielding, and with twenty knights y-take One person all alone, withouten mo', And harried* forth by armes, foot, and toe, *dragged, hurried And eke his steede driven forth with staves, With footmen, bothe yeomen and eke knaves*, *servants It was *aretted him no villainy:* *counted no disgrace to him*

There may no man *clepen it cowardy*. *call it cowardice*

For which anon Duke Theseus *let cry*, -- *caused to be proclaimed*