And thus they passed thorough that city,
And to the listës camë they by time:
It was not of the day yet fully prime.750
When set was Theseus full rich and high,
Hippolyta the queen, and Emily,
And other ladies in their degrees about,
Unto the seatës presseth all the rout.
And westward, through the gatës under Mart,
Arcite, and eke the hundred of his part,
With banner red, is enter’d right anon;
And in the selvë751 moment Palamon
Is, under Venus, eastward in the place,
With banner white, and hardy cheer752 and face.
In all the world, to seeken up and down
So even753 without variatioún
There were such companiës never tway.
For there was none so wise that couldë say
That any had of other ávantáge
Of worthiness, nor of estate, nor age,
So even were they chosen for to guess.
And in two ranges fairë they them dress.754
When that their namës read were every one,
That in their number guilë755 were there none,
Then were the gatës shut, and cried was loud;
“Do now your dévoir, youngë knights proud!”
The heralds left their pricking756 up and down.
Now ring the trumpet loud and clarioun.
There is no more to say, but east and west
In go the spearës sadly757 in the rest;
In go the sharpë spurs into the side.
There see me who can joust, and who can ride.
There shiver shaftës upon shieldës thick;
He feeleth through the heartë-spoon758 the prick.
Up spring the spearës twenty foot on height;
Out go the swordës as the silver bright.
The helmës they to-hewen, and to-shred;759
Out burst the blood, with sternë streamës red.
With mighty maces the bones they to-brest.760
He through the thickest of the throng gan threst.761
There stumble steedës strong, and down go all.
He rolleth under foot as doth a ball.
He foineth762 on his foe with a trunchoun,
And he him hurtleth with his horse adown.
He through the body hurt is, and sith take,763
Maugré his head, and brought unto the stake,
As forword764 was, right there he must abide.
Another led is on that other side.
And sometime doth765 them Theseus to rest,
Them to refresh, and drinken if them lest.766
Full oft a day have thilkë767 Thebans two
Together met, and wrought each other woe:
Unhorsed hath each other of them tway.768
There is no tiger in the vale of Galaphay,769
When that her whelp is stole, when it is lite,770
So cruel on the hunter, as Arcite
For jealous heart upon this Palamon:
Nor in Belmarie771 there is no fell lión,
That hunted is, or for his hunger wood,772
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 sidës red,
Sometime an end there is of every deed.
For ere the sun unto the restë went,
The strongë king Emetrius gan hent773
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 strongë 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 heartë might him helpë naught,
He must abidë, when that he was caught,
By force, and eke by compositión.774
Who sorroweth now but woful Palamon
That must no morë go again to fight?
And when that Theseus had seen that sight,
Unto the folk that foughtë thus each one,
He cried, “Ho! no more, for it is done!
I will be truë 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 listës shouldë fall.
What can now fairë Venus do above?
What saith she now? what doth this queen of love?
But weepeth so, for wanting of her will,
Till that her tearës in the listës fill:775
She said: “I am ashamed doubtëless.”
Saturnus saidë: “Daughter, hold thy peace.
Mars hath his will, his knight hath all his boon,
And by mine head thou shalt be eased776 soon.”
The trumpeters with the loud minstrelsy,
The heralds, that full loudë yell and cry,
Be in their joy for weal of Dan777 Arcite.
But hearken me, and stintë noise a lite,778
What a mirácle there befell anon.
This fierce Arcite hath off his helm y-done,
And on a courser for to shew his face
He pricketh endëlong779 the largë place,
Looking upward upon this Emily;
And she again him cast a friendly eye
(For women, as to speaken in commúne,780
They follow all the favour of fortúne),
And was all his in cheer,781 as his in heart.
Out of the ground a fire infernal start,
From Pluto sent, at réquest of Saturn,
For which his horse for fear began to turn,
And leap aside, and founder782 as he leap:
And ere that Arcite may take any keep,783
He pight him on the pummel784 of his head,
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 heartë sore, to Theseus’ palace.
Then was he carven785 out of his harnéss.
And in a bed y-brought full fair and blive,786
For he was yet in mem’ry and alive,
And always crying after Emily.
Duke Theseus, with all his company,
Is comë home to Athens his city,
With allë bliss and great solemnity.
Albeit that this áventure was fall,787
He wouldë not discómfortë788 them all.
Men said eke, that Arcite should not die,
He should be healed
