Collected Works of Giovanni Boccaccio

by Giovanni Boccaccio

  Be queint1, or turn’d into another place. 1quenched

  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, goddess of cleane chastity,

  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 quaint1. 1strange

  For right anon one of the fire’s 1queint

  And quick’d1 again, and after that anon 1went out and revived1

  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 bloody 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, stint1 thine heaviness. 1cease

  Among the goddes high it is affirm’d,

  And by eternal word writ and confirm’d,

  Thou shalt be wedded unto one of tho1 1those

  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 brenn1, 1burn

  Shall thee declaren, ere that thou go henne1, 1hence

  Thine aventure of love, as in this case.”

  And with that word, the arrows in the case1 1quiver

  Of the goddess did clatter fast and ring,

  And forth she went, and made a vanishing,

  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 nexte1 way. 1nearest

  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 piteous1 heart and high devotion 1pious

  Right thus to Mars he said his orison

  “O stronge god, that in the regnes1 old 1realms

  Of Thrace honoured art, and lord y-hold1 1held

  And hast in every regne, and every land

  Of armes all the bridle in thine hand,

  And 1them fortunest as thee list devise1, 1send them fortune

  Accept of me my piteous sacrifice. as you please1

  If so be that my youthe may deserve,

  And that my might be worthy for to serve

  Thy godhead, that I may be one of thine,

  Then pray I thee to 1rue upon my pine1, 1pity my anguish1

  For thilke1 pain, and thilke hote fire, 1that

  In which thou whilom burned’st for desire

  Whenne that thou usedest1 the beauty 1enjoyed

  Of faire young Venus, fresh and free,

  And haddest her in armes at thy will:

  And though thee ones on a time misfill1, 1were unlucky

  When Vulcanus had caught thee in his las1, 1net

  And found thee ligging1 by his wife, alas! 1lying

  For thilke sorrow that was in thine heart,

  Have ruth1 as well upon my paine’s smart. 1pity

  I am young and unconning1, as thou know’st, 1ignorant, simple

  And, as I trow1, with love offended most 1believe

  That e’er was any living creature:

  For she, that doth1 me all this woe endure, 1causes

  Ne recketh ne’er whether I sink or fleet1 1swim

  And well I wot, ere she me mercy hete1, 1promise, 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 do1 that I to-morr’w may have victory. 1cause

  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 hong1, 1hang

  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 offension1 1indignity

  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 stint1 of Arcita the strong, 1ended

  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 gaf1, 1gave

  And Arcita anon his hand up haf1, 1lifted

  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 fain1 as fowl is of the brighte sun. 1glad

  And right anon such strife there is begun

  For thilke1 granting, in the heav’n above, 1that

  Betwixte Venus the goddess of love,

  And Mars the sterne god armipotent,

  That Jupiter was busy it to stent1: 1stop

  Till that the pale Saturnus the cold,

  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, eld1 hath great advantage, 1age

  In eld is bothe wisdom and usage1: 1experience

  Men may the old out-run, but not out-rede1. 1outwit

  Saturn anon, to stint the strife and drede,

  Albeit that it is against his kind,1 1nature

  Of all this strife gan a remedy find.

  “My deare daughter Venus,” quoth Saturn,

  “My course1, that hath so wide for to turn, 1orbit

  Hath more power than wot any man.

  Mine is the drowning in the sea so wan;

  Mine is the prison in the darke cote1, 1cell

  Mine the strangling and hanging by the throat,

  The murmur, and the churlish rebelling,

  The groyning1, and the privy poisoning. 1discontent

  I do vengeance and plein1 correction, 1full

  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 shakin
g the pillar:

  Mine also be the maladies cold,

  The darke treasons, and the castes1 old: 1plots

  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 hight1. 1promised

  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 ayel1, ready at thy will; 1grandfather

  Weep now no more, I shall thy lust1 fulfil.” 1pleasure

  Now will I stenten1 of the gods above, 1cease speaking

  Of Mars, and of Venus, goddess of love,

  And telle you as plainly as I can

  The great effect, for which that I began.

  Great was the feast in Athens thilke1 day; 1that

  And eke the lusty 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 harness1 noise and clattering 1armour

  There was in the hostelries all about:

  And to the palace rode there many a rout1 1train, retinue

  Of lordes, upon steedes and palfreys.

  There mayst thou see devising1 of harness 1decoration

  So uncouth1 and so rich, and wrought so weel 1unkown, rare

  Of goldsmithry, of brouding1, and of steel; 1embroidery

  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.”