An hundred lordës had he with him there,
All armed, save their heads, in all their gear,
Full richëly in allë manner things.
For trust ye well, that earlës, dukes, and kings
Were gather’d in this noble company,
For love, and for increase of chivalry.
About this king there ran on every part
Full many a tame lión and leopart.
And in this wise these lordës all and some627
Be on the Sunday to the city come
Aboutë prime,628 and in the town alight.
This Theseus, this Duke, this worthy knight,
When he had brought them into his citý,
And inned629 them, ev’reach at his degree,
He feasteth them, and doth so great laboúr
To easen them,630 and do them all honoúr,
That yet men weenë631 that no mannë’s wit
Of none estatë could amenden632 it.
The minstrelsy, the service at the feast,
The greatë giftës to the most and least,
The rich array of Theseus’ paláce,
Nor who sate first or last upon the dais,633
What ladies fairest be, or best dancing,
Or which of them can carol best or sing,
Or who most feelingly speaketh of love;
What hawkës sitten on the perch above,
What houndës liggen634 on the floor adown,
Of all this now make I no mentioun;
But of th’ effect; that thinketh me the best;
Now comes the point, and hearken if you lest.635
The Sunday night, ere day began to spring,
When Palamon the larkë heardë sing,
Although it were not day by hourës two,
Yet sang the lark, and Palamon right tho636
With holy heart, and with an high couráge,
Arose, to wenden637 on his pilgrimage
Unto the blissful Cithera benign,
I meanë Venus, honourable and digne.638
And in her hour639 he walketh forth a pace
Unto the listës, where her temple was,
And down he kneeleth, and with humble cheer640
And heartë sore, he said as ye shall hear.
“Fairest of fair, O lady mine Venus,
Daughter to Jove, and spouse of Vulcanus,
Thou gladder of the mount of Citheron!641
For thilkë642 love thou haddest to Adon643
Have pity on my bitter tearës’ smart,
And take mine humble prayer to thine heart.
Alas! I havë no languáge to tell
Th’ effectë, nor the torment of mine hell;
Mine heartë may mine harmës not betray;
I am so cónfused, that I cannot say.
But mercy, lady bright, that knowest well
My thought, and seest what harm that I feel.
Consider all this, and rue upon644 my sore,
As wisly645 as I shall for evermore
Enforce my might, thy true servant to be,
And holdë war alway with chastity:
That make I mine avow,646 so ye me help.
I keepë not of armës for to yelp,647
Nor ask I not to-morrow to have victóry,
Nor rénown in this case, nor vainë glory
Of prize of armës,648 blowing up and down,
But I would have fully possessioun
Of Emily, and die in her service;
Find thou the manner how, and in what wise.
I reckë not but649 it may better be
To have vict’ry of them, or they of me,
So that I have my lady in mine arms.
For though so be that Mars is god of arms,
Your virtue is so great in heaven above,
That, if you list, I shall well have my love.
Thy temple will I worship evermo’,
And on thine altar, where I ride or go,
I will do sacrifice, and firës bete.650
And if ye will not so, my lady sweet,
Then pray I you, to-morrow with a spear
That Arcita me through the heartë bear.
Then reck I not, when I have lost my life,
Though that Arcita win her to his wife.
This is th’ effect and end of my prayére—
Give me my love, thou blissful lady dear.”
When th’ orison was done of Palamon,
His sacrifice he did, and that anon,
Full piteously, with allë circumstances,
All tell I not as now651 his observánces.
But at the last the statue of Venus shook,
And made a signë, whereby that he took652
That his prayér accepted was that day.
For though the signë shewed a delay,653
Yet wist he well that granted was his boon;
And with glad heart he went him home full soon.
The third hour unequál654 that Palamon
Began to Venus’ temple for to gon,
Up rose the sun, and up rose Emily,
And to the temple of Dian gan hie.
Her maidens, that she thither with her lad,655
Full readily with them the fire they had,
Th’ incense, the clothës, and the remnant all
That to the sacrifice belongë shall,
The hornës full of mead, as was the guise;
There lacked nought to do her sacrifice.
Smoking656 the temple full of clothës fair,
This Emily with heartë debonnair657
Her body wash’d with water of a well.
But how she did her rite I dare not tell;
But658 it be any thing in general;
And yet it were a game659 to hearen all;
To him that meaneth well it were no charge:
But it is good a man to be at large.660
Her bright hair combed was, untressed all.
A coronet of green oak cerrial661
Upon her head was set full fair and meet.
Two firës on the altar gan she bete,
And did her thingës, as men may behold
In Stace662 of Thebes, and these bookës old.
When kindled was the fire, with piteous cheer
Unto Dian she spake as ye may hear.
“O chastë goddess of the woodës green,
To whom both heav’n and earth and sea is seen,
Queen of the realm of Pluto dark and low,
Goddess of maidens, that mine heart hast know
Full many a year, and wost663 what I desire,
To keep me from the vengeance of thine ire,
That Actaeon aboughtë664 cruelly:
Chastë goddéss, well wottest thou that I
Desire to be a maiden all my life,
Nor never will I be no love nor wife.
I am, thou wost,665 yet of thy company,
A maid, and love hunting and venery,666
And for
