by Homer
The shieldes bright, the testers1, and trappures2 1helmets
Gold-hewen helmets, hauberks, coat-armures; 2trappings
Lordes in parements1 on their coursers, 1ornamental garb ;
Knightes of retinue, and eke squiers,
Nailing the spears, and helmes buckeling,
Gniding1 of shieldes, with lainers2 lacing; 1polishing
There as need is, they were nothing idle: 2lanyards
The foamy steeds upon the golden bridle
Gnawing, and fast the armourers also
With file and hammer pricking to and fro;
Yeomen on foot, and knaves1 many one 1servants
With shorte staves, thick1 as they may gon2; 1close 2walk
Pipes, trumpets, nakeres1, and clariouns, 1drums
That in the battle blowe bloody souns;
The palace full of people up and down,
There three, there ten, holding their questioun1, 1conversation
Divining1 of these Theban knightes two. 1conjecturing
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 sparth1 of twenty pound of weight. 1double-headed axe
Thus was the halle full of divining1 1conjecturing
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-lich1 1alike
Honoured were, and to the palace fet1. 1fetched
Duke Theseus is at a window set,
Array’d right as he were a god in throne:
The people presseth thitherward full soon
Him for to see, and do him reverence,
And eke to hearken his hest1 and his sentence2. 1command 2speech
An herald on a scaffold made an O,
Till the noise of the people was y-do1: 1done
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 shape1 that they shall not die, 1arrange, contrive
He will his firste purpose modify.
No man therefore, on pain of loss of life,
No manner1 shot, nor poleaxe, nor short knife 1kind 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:
1Foin if him list on foot, himself to wear. 1He who wishes can
And he that is at mischief shall be take1, 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 taken1
Thither he shall by force, and there abide.
And if 1so fall1 the chiefetain be take 1should happen1
On either side, or elles slay his make1, 1equal, match
No longer then the tourneying shall last.
God 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 steven1: 1sound
God 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
1By ordinance1, throughout the city large, 1in orderly array1
Hanged with cloth of gold, and not with sarge1. 1serge
Full like a lord this noble 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 passed thorough that city
And to the listes came they by time:
It was not of the day yet fully prime1. 1between 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 selve1 moment Palamon 1self-same
Is, under Venus, eastward in the place,
With banner white, and hardy cheer1 and face 1expression
In all the world, to seeken up and down
So even1 without variatioun 1equal
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 1in two ranges faire they them dress1. 1they arranged themselves
When that their names read were every one, in two rows1
That in their number guile1 were there none, 1fraud
Then were the gates shut, and cried was loud;
“Do now your devoir, younge knights proud
The heralds left their pricking1 up and down 1spurring their horses
Now ring the trumpet loud and clarioun.
There is no more to say, but east and west
In go the speares sadly1 in the rest; 1steadily
In go the sharpe spurs into the side.
There see me who can joust, and who can ride.
There shiver shaftes upon shieldes thick;
He feeleth through the hearte-spoon the prick.
Up spring the speares twenty foot on height;
Out go the swordes as the silver bright.
The helmes they to-hewen, and to-shred1; 1strike in pieces
Out burst the blood, with sterne streames red.
With mighty maces the bones they to-brest1. 1burst
He through the thickest of the throng gan threst1. 1thrust
There stumble steedes strong, and down go all.
He rolleth under foot as doth a ball.
He foineth1 on his foe with a trunchoun, 1forces himself
And he him hurtleth with his horse adown.
He through the body hurt is, and 1sith take1, 1afterwards captured1
Maugre his head, and brought unto the stake,
As forword1 was, right there he must abide. 1covenant
Another led is on that other side.
And sometime doth1 them Theseus to rest, 1caused
Them to refresh, and drinken if them lest1. 1pleased
Full oft a day have thilke Thebans two 1these
Together met and wrought each other woe:
Unhorsed hath each other of them tway1 1twice
There is no tiger in the vale of Galaphay,
When that her whelp is stole, when it is lite1 1little
So cruel on the hunter, as Arcite
For jealous heart upon this Palamon:
Nor in Belmarie there is no fell lion,
That hunted is, or for his hunger wood1 1mad
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 hent1 1sieze, assail
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 composition1. 1the 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 fill1 1fall
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 Dan1 Arcite. 1Lord
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 1pricketh endelong1 the large place, 1rides from end to end1
Looking upward upon this Emily;
And she again him cast a friendly eye
(For women, as to speaken 1in commune1, 1generally1
They follow all the favour of fortune),
And was all his in cheer1, as his in heart. 1countenance
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 founder1 as he leap 1stumble
And ere that Arcite may take any keep1, 1care
He pight1 him on the pummel2 of his head. 1pitched 2top
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 carven1 out of his harness. 1cut
And in a bed y-brought full fair and blive1 1quickly
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 fall1, 1befallen
He woulde not discomforte1 them all 1discourage
Then said eke, that Arcite should not die,
He should be healed of his malady.
And of another thing they were as fain1. 1glad
That of them alle was there no one slain,
All1 were they sorely hurt, and namely2 one, 1although 2especially
That with a spear was thirled1 his breast-bone. 1pierced
To other woundes, and to broken arms,
Some hadden salves, and some hadden charms:
And pharmacies of herbs, and eke save1 1sage, Salvia officinalis
They dranken, for they would their lives have.
For which this noble 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 aventure1. 1chance, accident
Nor to be led by force unto a stake
Unyielding, and with twenty knights y-take
One person all alone, withouten mo’,
And harried1 forth by armes, foot, and toe, 1dragged, hurried
And eke his steede driven forth with staves,
With footmen, bothe yeomen and eke knaves1, 1servants
It was 1aretted him no villainy:1 1counted no disgrace to him1
There may no man 1clepen it cowardy1. 1call it cowardice1
For which anon Duke Theseus 1let cry1, — 1caused to be proclaimed1
To stenten1 alle rancour and envy, — 1stop
The gree1 as well on one side as the other, 1prize, merit
And either side alike as other’s brother:
And gave them giftes after their degree,
And held a feaste fully dayes three:
And conveyed the kinges worthily
Out of his town a journee1 largely 1day’s journey
And home went every man the righte way,
There was no more but “Farewell, Have good day.”
Of this bataille I will no more indite
But speak of Palamon and of Arcite.
Swelleth the breast of Arcite and the sore
Increaseth at his hearte more and more.
The clotted blood, for any leache-craft1 1surgical skill
Corrupteth and is 1in his bouk y-laft1 1left in his body1
That neither 1veine blood nor ventousing1, 1blood-letting or cupping1
Nor drink of herbes may be his helping.
The virtue expulsive or animal,
From thilke virtue called natural,
Nor may the venom voide, nor expel
The pipes of his lungs began to swell
And every lacert1 in his breast adown 1sinew, muscle
Is shent1 with venom and corruption. 1destroyed
Him gaineth1 neither, for to get his life, 1availeth
Vomit upward, nor downward laxative;
All is to-bursten thilke region;
Nature hath now no domination.
And certainly where nature will not wirch,1 1work
Farewell physic: go bear the man to chirch.1 1church
This all and some is, Arcite must die.
For which he sendeth after Emily,
And Palamon, that was his cousin dear,
Then said he thus, as ye shall after hear.
“Nought may the woful spirit in mine heart
Declare one point of all my sorrows’ smart
To you, my lady, that I love the most:
But I bequeath the service of my ghost
To you aboven every creature,
Since that my life ne may no longer dure.
Alas the woe! alas, the paines strong
That I for you have suffered and so long!
Alas the death, alas, mine Emily!
Alas departing1 of our company! 1the severance
Alas, mine hearte’s queen! alas, my wife!
Mine hearte’s lady, ender of my life!
What is this world? what aske men to have?
Now with his love, now in his colde grave
Al one, withouten any company.
Farewell, my sweet, farewell, mine Emily,
And softly take me in your armes tway,
For love o
f God, and hearken what I say.
I have here with my cousin Palamon
Had strife and rancour many a day agone,
For love of you, and for my jealousy.
And Jupiter so 1wis my soule gie1, 1surely guides my soul1
To speaken of a servant properly,
With alle circumstances truely,
That is to say, truth, honour, and knighthead,
Wisdom, humbless1, estate, and high kindred, 1humility
Freedom, and all that longeth to that art,
So Jupiter have of my soul part,
As in this world right now I know not one,
So worthy to be lov’d as Palamon,
That serveth you, and will do all his life.
And if that you shall ever be a wife,
Forget not Palamon, the gentle man.”
And with that word his speech to fail began.
For from his feet up to his breast was come
The cold of death, that had him overnome1. 1overcome
And yet moreover in his armes two
The vital strength is lost, and all ago1. 1gone
Only the intellect, withoute more,
That dwelled in his hearte sick and sore,
Gan faile, when the hearte felte death;
Dusked1 his eyen two, and fail’d his breath. 1grew dim
But on his lady yet he cast his eye;
His laste word was; “Mercy, Emily!”
His spirit changed house, and wente there,
As I came never I cannot telle where.
Therefore I stent1, I am no divinister2; 1refrain 2diviner
Of soules find I nought in this register.
Ne me list not th’ opinions to tell
Of them, though that they writen where they dwell;
Arcite is cold, there Mars his soule gie.1 1guide
Now will I speake forth of Emily.
Shriek’d Emily, and howled Palamon,
And Theseus his sister took anon
Swooning, and bare her from the corpse away.
What helpeth it to tarry forth the day,
To telle how she wept both eve and morrow?
For in such cases women have such sorrow,
When that their husbands be from them y-go1, 1gone
That for the more part they sorrow so,
Or elles fall into such malady,
That at the laste certainly they die.
Infinite be the sorrows and the tears
Of olde folk, and folk of tender years,
In all the town, for death of this Theban:
For him there weepeth bothe child and man.
So great a weeping was there none certain,
When Hector was y-brought, all fresh y-slain,
To Troy: alas! the pity that was there,
Scratching of cheeks, and rending eke of hair.
