Part 7 (1/2)

That giveth them full oft in many a guise Well better than they can themselves devise?

Some man desireth for to have richess, That cause is of his murder or great sickness.

And some man would out of his prison fain, That in his house is of his meinie* slain. *servants <16> Infinite harmes be in this mattere.

We wot never what thing we pray for here.

We fare as he that drunk is as a mouse.

A drunken man wot well he hath an house, But he wot not which is the right way thither, And to a drunken man the way is slither*. *slippery And certes in this world so fare we.

We seeke fast after felicity, But we go wrong full often truely.

Thus we may sayen all, and namely* I, *especially That ween'd*, and had a great opinion, *thought That if I might escape from prison Then had I been in joy and perfect heal, Where now I am exiled from my weal.

Since that I may not see you, Emily, I am but dead; there is no remedy.”

Upon that other side, Palamon, When that he wist Arcita was agone, Much sorrow maketh, that the greate tower Resounded of his yelling and clamour The pure* fetters on his s.h.i.+nnes great *very <17> Were of his bitter salte teares wet.

”Alas!” quoth he, ”Arcita, cousin mine, Of all our strife, G.o.d wot, the fruit is thine.

Thou walkest now in Thebes at thy large, And of my woe thou *givest little charge*. *takest little heed*

Thou mayst, since thou hast wisdom and manhead*, *manhood, courage a.s.semble all the folk of our kindred, And make a war so sharp on this country That by some aventure, or some treaty, Thou mayst have her to lady and to wife, For whom that I must needes lose my life.

For as by way of possibility, Since thou art at thy large, of prison free, And art a lord, great is thine avantage, More than is mine, that sterve here in a cage.

For I must weep and wail, while that I live, With all the woe that prison may me give, And eke with pain that love me gives also, That doubles all my torment and my woe.”

Therewith the fire of jealousy upstart Within his breast, and hent* him by the heart *seized So woodly*, that he like was to behold *madly The box-tree, or the ashes dead and cold.

Then said; ”O cruel G.o.ddess, that govern This world with binding of your word etern* *eternal And writen in the table of adamant Your parlement* and your eternal grant, *consultation What is mankind more *unto you y-hold* *by you esteemed Than is the sheep, that rouketh* in the fold! *lie huddled together For slain is man, right as another beast; And dwelleth eke in prison and arrest, And hath sickness, and great adversity, And oftentimes guilteless, pardie* *by G.o.d What governance is in your prescience, That guilteless tormenteth innocence?

And yet increaseth this all my penance, That man is bounden to his observance For G.o.dde's sake to *letten of his will*, *restrain his desire*

Whereas a beast may all his l.u.s.t fulfil.

And when a beast is dead, he hath no pain; But man after his death must weep and plain, Though in this worlde he have care and woe: Withoute doubt it maye standen so.

”The answer of this leave I to divines, But well I wot, that in this world great pine* is; *pain, trouble Alas! I see a serpent or a thief That many a true man hath done mischief, Go at his large, and where him list may turn.

But I must be in prison through Saturn, And eke through Juno, jealous and eke wood*, *mad That hath well nigh destroyed all the blood Of Thebes, with his waste walles wide.

And Venus slay'th me on that other side For jealousy, and fear of him, Arcite.”

Now will I stent* of Palamon a lite**, *pause **little And let him in his prison stille dwell, And of Arcita forth I will you tell.

The summer pa.s.seth, and the nightes long Increase double-wise the paines strong Both of the lover and the prisonere.

I n'ot* which hath the wofuller mistere**. *know not **condition For, shortly for to say, this Palamon Perpetually is d.a.m.ned to prison, In chaines and in fetters to be dead; And Arcite is exiled *on his head* *on peril of his head*

For evermore as out of that country, Nor never more he shall his lady see.

You lovers ask I now this question,<18> Who lieth the worse, Arcite or Palamon?

The one may see his lady day by day, But in prison he dwelle must alway.

The other where him list may ride or go, But see his lady shall he never mo'.

Now deem all as you liste, ye that can, For I will tell you forth as I began.

When that Arcite to Thebes comen was, Full oft a day he swelt*, and said, ”Alas!” *fainted For see this lady he shall never mo'.

And shortly to concluden all his woe, So much sorrow had never creature That is or shall be while the world may dure.

His sleep, his meat, his drink is *him byraft*, *taken away from him*

That lean he wex*, and dry as any shaft. *became His eyen hollow, grisly to behold, His hue sallow, and pale as ashes cold, And solitary he was, ever alone, And wailing all the night, making his moan.

And if he hearde song or instrument, Then would he weepen, he might not be stent*. *stopped So feeble were his spirits, and so low, And changed so, that no man coulde know His speech, neither his voice, though men it heard.

And in his gear* for all the world he far'd *behaviour <19> Not only like the lovers' malady Of Eros, but rather y-like manie* *madness Engender'd of humours melancholic, Before his head in his cell fantastic.<20> And shortly turned was all upside down, Both habit and eke dispositioun, Of him, this woful lover Dan* Arcite. *Lord <21> Why should I all day of his woe indite?

When he endured had a year or two This cruel torment, and this pain and woe, At Thebes, in his country, as I said, Upon a night in sleep as he him laid, Him thought how that the winged G.o.d Mercury Before him stood, and bade him to be merry.

His sleepy yard* in hand he bare upright; *rod <22> A hat he wore upon his haires bright.

Arrayed was this G.o.d (as he took keep*) *notice As he was when that Argus<23> took his sleep; And said him thus: ”To Athens shalt thou wend*; *go There is thee shapen* of thy woe an end.” *fixed, prepared And with that word Arcite woke and start.

”Now truely how sore that e'er me smart,”

Quoth he, ”to Athens right now will I fare.

Nor for no dread of death shall I not spare To see my lady that I love and serve; In her presence *I recke not to sterve.*” *do not care if I die*

And with that word he caught a great mirror, And saw that changed was all his colour, And saw his visage all in other kind.

And right anon it ran him ill his mind, That since his face was so disfigur'd Of malady the which he had endur'd, He mighte well, if that he *bare him low,* *lived in lowly fas.h.i.+on*

Live in Athenes evermore unknow, And see his lady wellnigh day by day.