Part 6 (2/2)

This Palamon answer'd, and said again: ”Cousin, forsooth of this opinion Thou hast a vain imagination.

This prison caused me not for to cry; But I was hurt right now thorough mine eye Into mine heart; that will my bane* be. *destruction The fairness of the lady that I see Yond in the garden roaming to and fro, Is cause of all my crying and my woe.

I *n'ot wher* she be woman or G.o.ddess, *know not whether*

But Venus is it, soothly* as I guess, *truly And therewithal on knees adown he fill, And saide: ”Venus, if it be your will You in this garden thus to transfigure Before me sorrowful wretched creature, Out of this prison help that we may scape.

And if so be our destiny be shape By etern word to dien in prison, Of our lineage have some compa.s.sion, That is so low y-brought by tyranny.”

And with that word Arcita *gan espy* *began to look forth*

Where as this lady roamed to and fro And with that sight her beauty hurt him so, That if that Palamon was wounded sore, Arcite is hurt as much as he, or more.

And with a sigh he saide piteously: ”The freshe beauty slay'th me suddenly Of her that roameth yonder in the place.

And but* I have her mercy and her grace, *unless That I may see her at the leaste way, I am but dead; there is no more to say.”

This Palamon, when he these wordes heard, Dispiteously* he looked, and answer'd: *angrily ”Whether say'st thou this in earnest or in play?”

”Nay,” quoth Arcite, ”in earnest, by my fay*. *faith G.o.d help me so, *me l.u.s.t full ill to play*.” *I am in no humour This Palamon gan knit his browes tway. for jesting*

”It were,” quoth he, ”to thee no great honour For to be false, nor for to be traitour To me, that am thy cousin and thy brother Y-sworn full deep, and each of us to other, That never for to dien in the pain <12>, Till that the death departen shall us twain, Neither of us in love to hinder other, Nor in none other case, my leve* brother; *dear But that thou shouldest truly farther me In every case, as I should farther thee.

This was thine oath, and mine also certain; I wot it well, thou dar'st it not withsayn*, *deny Thus art thou of my counsel out of doubt, And now thou wouldest falsely be about To love my lady, whom I love and serve, And ever shall, until mine hearte sterve* *die Now certes, false Arcite, thou shalt not so I lov'd her first, and tolde thee my woe As to my counsel, and my brother sworn To farther me, as I have told beforn.

For which thou art y-bounden as a knight To helpe me, if it lie in thy might, Or elles art thou false, I dare well sayn,”

This Arcita full proudly spake again: ”Thou shalt,” quoth he, ”be rather* false than I, *sooner And thou art false, I tell thee utterly; For par amour I lov'd her first ere thou.

What wilt thou say? *thou wist it not right now* *even now thou Whether she be a woman or G.o.ddess. knowest not*

Thine is affection of holiness, And mine is love, as to a creature: For which I tolde thee mine aventure As to my cousin, and my brother sworn I pose*, that thou loved'st her beforn: *suppose Wost* thou not well the olde clerke's saw<13>, *know'st That who shall give a lover any law?

Love is a greater lawe, by my pan, Than may be giv'n to any earthly man: Therefore positive law, and such decree, Is broke alway for love in each degree A man must needes love, maugre his head.

He may not flee it, though he should be dead, *All be she* maid, or widow, or else wife. *whether she be*

And eke it is not likely all thy life To standen in her grace, no more than I For well thou wost thyselfe verily, That thou and I be d.a.m.ned to prison Perpetual, us gaineth no ranson.

We strive, as did the houndes for the bone; They fought all day, and yet their part was none.

There came a kite, while that they were so wroth, And bare away the bone betwixt them both.

And therefore at the kinge's court, my brother, Each man for himselfe, there is no other.

Love if thee list; for I love and aye shall And soothly, leve brother, this is all.

Here in this prison musten we endure, And each of us take his Aventure.”

Great was the strife and long between these tway, If that I hadde leisure for to say; But to the effect: it happen'd on a day (To tell it you as shortly as I may), A worthy duke that hight Perithous<14> That fellow was to the Duke Theseus Since thilke* day that they were children lite** *that **little Was come to Athens, his fellow to visite, And for to play, as he was wont to do; For in this world he loved no man so; And he lov'd him as tenderly again.

So well they lov'd, as olde bookes sayn, That when that one was dead, soothly to sayn, His fellow went and sought him down in h.e.l.l: But of that story list me not to write.

Duke Perithous loved well Arcite, And had him known at Thebes year by year: And finally at request and prayere Of Perithous, withoute ranson Duke Theseus him let out of prison, Freely to go, where him list over all, In such a guise, as I you tellen shall This was the forword*, plainly to indite, *promise Betwixte Theseus and him Arcite: That if so were, that Arcite were y-found Ever in his life, by day or night, one stound* *moment<15> In any country of this Theseus, And he were caught, it was accorded thus, That with a sword he shoulde lose his head; There was none other remedy nor rede*. *counsel But took his leave, and homeward he him sped; Let him beware, his necke lieth *to wed*. *in pledge*

How great a sorrow suff'reth now Arcite!

The death he feeleth through his hearte smite; He weepeth, waileth, crieth piteously; To slay himself he waiteth privily.

He said; ”Alas the day that I was born!

Now is my prison worse than beforn: *Now is me shape* eternally to dwell *it is fixed for me*

Not in purgatory, but right in h.e.l.l.

Alas! that ever I knew Perithous.

For elles had I dwelt with Theseus Y-fettered in his prison evermo'.

Then had I been in bliss, and not in woe.

Only the sight of her, whom that I serve, Though that I never may her grace deserve, Would have sufficed right enough for me.

O deare cousin Palamon,” quoth he, ”Thine is the vict'ry of this aventure, Full blissfully in prison to endure: In prison? nay certes, in paradise.

Well hath fortune y-turned thee the dice, That hast the sight of her, and I th' absence.

For possible is, since thou hast her presence, And art a knight, a worthy and an able, That by some cas*, since fortune is changeable, *chance Thou may'st to thy desire sometime attain.

But I that am exiled, and barren Of alle grace, and in so great despair, That there n'is earthe, water, fire, nor air, Nor creature, that of them maked is, That may me helpe nor comfort in this, Well ought I *sterve in wanhope* and distress. *die in despair*

Farewell my life, my l.u.s.t*, and my gladness. *pleasure Alas, *why plainen men so in commune *why do men so often complain Of purveyance of G.o.d*, or of Fortune, of G.o.d's providence?*

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