More than to save my heartë’s life right now;
I have done so as ye commanded me,
And if ye vouchësafe, ye may go see.
Do as you list, have your behest in mind,
For, quick or dead, right there ye shall me find;
In you lies all to do3354 me live or dey;3355
But well I wot the rockës be away.”
He took his leave, and she astonish’d stood;
In all her face was not one drop of blood:
She never ween’d t’ have come in such a trap.
“Alas!” quoth she, “that ever this should hap!
For ween’d I ne’er, by possibility,
That such a monster or marváil might be;
It is against the process of natúre.”
And home she went a sorrowful creatúre;
For very fear unnethës3356 may she go.
She weeped, wailed, all a day or two,
And swooned, that it ruthë was to see:
But why it was, to no wight toldë she,
For out of town was gone Arviragus.
But to herself she spake, and saidë thus,
With facë pale, and full sorrowful cheer,
In her complaint, as ye shall after hear.
“Alas!” quoth she, “on thee, Fortúne, I plain,3357
That unware hast me wrapped in thy chain,
From which to scapë, wot I no succoúr,
Save only death, or ellës dishonoúr;
One of these two behoveth me to choose.
But natheless, yet had I lever3358 lose
My life, than of my body havë shame,
Or know myselfë false, or lose my name;
And with my death I may be quit y-wis.3359
Hath there not many a noble wife, ere this,
And many a maiden, slain herself, alas!
Rather than with her body do trespass?
Yes, certes; lo, these stories bear witnéss.3360
When thirty tyrants full of cursedness3361
Had slain Phidon in Athens at the feast,
They cómmanded his daughters to arrest,
And bringë them before them, in despite,
All naked, to fulfil their foul delight;
And in their father’s blood they made them dance
Upon the pavement—God give them mischance.
For which these woeful maidens, full of dread,
Rather than they would lose their maidenhead,
They privily be start3362 into a well,
And drowned themselves, as the bookës tell.
They of Messenë let inquire and seek
Of Lacedaemon fifty maidens eke,
On which they wouldë do their lechery:
But there was none of all that company
That was not slain, and with a glad intent
Chose rather for to die, than to assent
To be oppressed3363 of her maidenhead.
Why should I then to dien be in dread?
Lo, eke the tyrant Aristoclides,
That lov’d a maiden hight Stimphalides,
When that her father slain was on a night,
Unto Diana’s temple went she right,
And hent3364 the image in her handës two,
From which imáge she wouldë never go;
No wight her handës might off it arace,3365
Till she was slain right in the selfë3366 place.
Now since that maidens haddë such despite
To be defouled with man’s foul delight,
Well ought a wife rather herself to slé,3367
Than be defouled, as it thinketh me.
What shall I say of Hasdrubalë’s wife,
That at Carthage bereft herself of life?
For, when she saw the Romans win the town,
She took her children all, and skipt adown
Into the fire, and rather chose to die,
Than any Roman did her villainý.
Hath not Lucretia slain herself, alas!
At Romë, when that she oppressed3368 was
Of Tarquin? for her thought it was a shame
To livë, when she haddë lost her name.
The seven maidens of Milesie also
Have slain themselves for very dread and woe,
Rather than folk of Gaul them should oppress.
More than a thousand stories, as I guess,
Could I now tell as touching this mattére.
When Abradate was slain, his wife so dear3369
Herselfë slew, and let her blood to glide
In Abradatë’s woundës, deep and wide,
And said, ‘My body at the leastë way
There shall no wight defoul, if that I may.’
Why should I more examples hereof sayn?
Since that so many have themselvës slain,
Well rather than they would defouled be,
I will conclude that it is bet3370 for me
To slay myself, than be defouled thus.
I will be true unto Arviragus,
Or ellës slay myself in some mannére,
As did Demotionë’s daughter dear,
Because she wouldë not defouled be.
O Sedasus, it is full great pitý
To readë how thy daughters died, alas!
That slew themselves for suchë manner cas.3371
As great a pity was it, or well more,
The Theban maiden, that for Nicanór
Herselfë slew, right for such manner woe.
Another Theban maiden did right so;
For one of Macedon had her oppress’d,
She with her death her maidenhead redress’d.3372
What shall I say of Niceratus’ wife,
That for such case bereft herself her life?
How true was eke to Alcibiades
His love, that for to dien rather chese,3373
Than for to suffer his body unburied be?
Lo, what a wife was Alcesté?” quoth she.
“What saith Homér of good Penelope?
All Greecë knoweth of her chastity.
Pardie, of Laodamía is written thus,
That when at Troy was slain Protesilaus,3374
No longer would she live after his day.
The same of noble Porcia tell I may;
Withoutë Brutus couldë she not live,
To whom she did all whole her heartë give.3375
The perfect wifehood of Artemisie3376
Honoúred is throughout all Barbarie.
O Teuta3377 queen, thy wifely chastitý
To allë wivës may a mirror be.”3378
Thus plained Dorigen a day or tway,
Purposing ever that she wouldë dey;3379
But natheless upon the thirdë night
Home came Arviragus, the worthy knight,
And asked her why that she wept so sore.
And she gan weepen ever longer more.
“Alas,” quoth she, “that ever I was born!
Thus have I said,” quoth she; “thus have I sworn.”
And told him all, as ye have heard before:
It needeth not rehearse it you no more.
This husband with glad cheer,3380 in friendly wise,
Answér’d and said, as I shall you devise.3381
“Is there aught ellës, Dorigen, but this?”
“Nay, nay,” quoth she, “God help me so, as wis3382
This is too much, an’3383 it were Goddë’s will.”
“Yea, wife,” quoth he, “let sleepë what is still,
It may be well par’venture yet to-day.
Ye
