Death is an end of every worldly sore.”
And over all this said he yet much more
To this effect, full wisely to exhort
The people, that they should them recomfórt.
Duke Theseus, with all his busy cure,824
Casteth about,825 where that the sepulture
Of good Arcite may best y-maked be,
And eke most honourable in his degree.
And at the last he took conclusión,
That there as first Arcite and Palamon
Haddë for love the battle them between,
That in that selvë826 grovë, sweet and green,
There as he had his amorous desires,
His cómplaint, and for love his hotë fires,
He wouldë make a fire,827 in which th’ offíce
Of funeral he might all áccomplice;
And let anon command828 to hack and hew
The oakës old, and lay them on a rew829
In culpons,830 well arrayed for to brenne.831
His officers with swiftë feet they renne832
And ride anon at his commandëment.
And after this, Duke Theseus hath sent
After a bier, and it all oversprad
With cloth of gold, the richest that he had;
And of the samë suit he clad Arcite.
Upon his handës were his glovës white,
Eke on his head a crown of laurel green,
And in his hand a sword full bright and keen.
He laid him bare the visage833 on the bier,
Therewith he wept, that pity was to hear.
And, for the people shouldë see him all,
When it was day he brought them to the hall,
That roareth of the crying and the soun’.834
Then came this woful Theban, Palamon,
With sluttery beard, and ruggy ashy hairs,835
In clothës black, y-dropped all with tears,
And (passing over weeping Emily)
The ruefullest of all the company.
And inasmuch as836 the servíce should be
The more noble and rich in its degree,
Duke Theseus let forth three steedës bring,
That trapped were in steel all glittering.
And covered with the arms of Dan Arcite.
Upon these steedës, that were great and white,
There sattë folk, of whom one bare his shield,
Another his spear in his handës held;
The thirdë bare with him his bow Turkeis,837
Of brent838 gold was the case839 and the harness:
And ridë forth a pace with sorrowful cheer840
Toward the grove, as ye shall after hear.
The noblest of the Greekës that there were
Upon their shoulders carried the bier,
With slackë pace, and eyen red and wet,
Throughout the city, by the master street,841
That spread was all with black, and wondrous high
Right of the same is all the street y-wrie.842
Upon the right hand went old Egeus,
And on the other side Duke Theseus,
With vessels in their hand of gold full fine,
All full of honey, milk, and blood, and wine;
Eke Palamon, with a great company;
And after that came woful Emily,
With fire in hand, as was that time the guise,843
To do th’ office of funeral servíce.
High labour, and full great appareling844
Was at the service, and the pyre-making,
That with its greenë top the heaven raught,845
And twenty fathom broad its armës straught:846
This is to say, the boughës were so broad.
Of straw first there was laid many a load.
But how the pyre was maked up on height,
And eke the namës how the treës hight,847
As oak, fir, birch, asp,848 alder, holm, poplére,
Will’w, elm, plane, ash, box, chestnut, lind,849 laurére,
Maple, thorn, beech, hazel, yew, whipul tree,
How they were fell’d, shall not be told for me;
Nor how the goddës850 rannen up and down
Disinherited of their habitatioún,
In which they wonned851 had in rest and peace,
Nymphës, Faunës, and Hamadryadës;
Nor how the beastës and the birdës all
Fledden for fearë, when the wood gan fall;
Nor how the ground aghast852 was of the light,
That was not wont to see the sunnë bright;
Nor how the fire was couched853 first with stre,854
And then with dry stickës cloven in three,
And then with greenë wood and spicery,855
And then with cloth of gold and with pierrie,856
And garlands hanging with full many a flower,
The myrrh, the incense with so sweet odoúr;
Nor how Arcita lay among all this,
Nor what richéss about his body is;
Nor how that Emily, as was the guise,
Put in857 the fire of funeral servíce;
Nor how she swooned when she made the fire,
Nor what she spake, nor what was her desire;
Nor what jewels men in the fire then cast
When that the fire was great and burned fast;
Nor how some cast their shield, and some their spear,
And of their vestiments, which that they wear,
And cuppës full of wine, and milk, and blood,
Into the fire, that burnt as it were wood;858
Nor how the Greekës with a hugë rout859
Three timës riden all the fire about
Upon the left hand, with a loud shouting,
And thriës with their spearës clattering;
And thriës how the ladies gan to cry;
Nor how that led was homeward Emily;
Nor how Arcite is burnt to ashes cold;
Nor how the lykë-wakë860 was y-hold
All thilkë861 night, nor how the Greekës play
The wakë-plays,862 ne keep863 I not to say:
Who wrestled best naked, with oil anoint,
Nor who that bare him best in no disjoint.864
I will not tell eke how they all are gone
Home to Athenës when the play is done;
But shortly to the point now will I wend,865
And maken of my longë tale an end.
By process and by length of certain years
All stinted866 is the mourning and the tears
Of Greekës, by one general assent.
Then seemed me there was a parlement867
At Athens, upon certain points and cas:868
Amongës the which points y-spoken was
To have with certain countries álliánce,
And have of Thebans full obeisánce.
For which this noble Theseus anon
Let869 send after the gentle Palamon,
Unwist870
