Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 18

The voys of peple touchede the hevene, So loude cryden they with mery stevene: 'G.o.d save swich a lord, that is so good, He wilneth no destruccioun of blood!'

Up goon the trompes and the melodye. 2565 And to the listes rit the companye By ordinaunce, thurgh-out the citee large, Hanged with cloth of gold, and nat with sarge. (1710) Ful lyk a lord this n.o.ble duk gan ryde, Thise two Thebanes up-on either syde; 2570 And after rood the quene, and Emelye, And after that another companye Of oon and other, after hir degree.

And thus they pa.s.sen thurgh-out the citee, And to the listes come they by tyme. 2575 It nas not of the day yet fully pryme, Whan set was Theseus ful riche and hye, [74: T. 2580-2617.]

Ipolita the quene and Emelye, (1720) And other ladies in degrees aboute.

Un-to the seetes preesseth al the route. 2580 And west-ward, thurgh the gates under Marte, Arcite, and eek the hundred of his parte, With baner reed is entred right anon; And in that selve moment Palamon Is under Venus, est-ward in the place, 2585 With baner whyt, and hardy chere and face.

In al the world, to seken up and doun, So even with-outen variacioun, (1730) Ther nere swiche companyes tweye.

For ther nas noon so wys that coude seye, 2590 That any hadde of other avauntage Of worthinesse, ne of estaat, ne age, So even were they chosen, for to gesse.

And in two renges faire they hem dresse.

Whan that hir names rad were everichoon, 2595 That in hir nombre gyle were ther noon, Tho were the gates shet, and cryed was loude: 'Do now your devoir, yonge knightes proude!' (1740)

2561. Cm. Cp. touchede; Hl. touchith; _rest_ touched. 2562. Cm.

cryedyn; E. cride. E. murie. 2570. E. Hn. Hl. Thebans; _see_ l.

2623. 2593. E. _om._ they. 2598. Hl. Dooth.

The heraudes lefte hir priking up and doun; Now ringen trompes loude and clarioun; 2600 Ther is namore to seyn, but west and est In goon the speres ful sadly in arest; In goth the sharpe spore in-to the syde.

Ther seen men who can Iuste, and who can ryde; Ther s.h.i.+veren shaftes up-on sheeldes thikke; 2605 He feleth thurgh the herte-spoon the prikke.

Up springen speres twenty foot on highte; Out goon the swerdes as the silver brighte. (1750) The helmes they to-hewen and to-shrede; Out brest the blood, with sterne stremes rede. 2610 With mighty maces the bones they to-breste.

He thurgh the thikkeste of the throng gan threste.

Ther s...o...b..en stedes stronge, and doun goth al.

He rolleth under foot as dooth a bal.

He foyneth on his feet with his tronchoun, 2615 [75: T. 2618-2655.]

And he him hurtleth with his hors adoun.

He thurgh the body is hurt, and sithen y-take, Maugree his heed, and broght un-to the stake, (1760) As forward was, right ther he moste abyde; Another lad is on that other syde. 2620 And som tyme dooth hem Theseus to reste, Hem to refresshe, and drinken if hem leste.

Ful ofte a-day han thise Thebanes two Togidre y-met, and wroght his felawe wo; Unhorsed hath ech other of hem tweye. 2625 Ther nas no tygre in the vale of Galgopheye, Whan that hir whelp is stole, whan it is lyte, So cruel on the hunte, as is Arcite (1770) For Ielous herte upon this Palamoun: Ne in Belmarye ther nis so fel leoun, 2630 That hunted is, or for his hunger wood, Ne of his praye desireth so the blood, As Palamon to sleen his fo Arcite.

The Ielous strokes on hir helmes byte; Out renneth blood on bothe hir sydes rede. 2635

2608. E. gooth; _rest_ goon. 2613. s...o...b..en] E. Cm. semblen. 2622.

E. fresshen.

Som tyme an ende ther is of every dede; For er the sonne un-to the reste wente, The stronge king Emetreus gan hente (1780) This Palamon, as he faught with Arcite, And made his swerd depe in his flesh to byte; 2640 And by the force of twenty is he take Unyolden, and y-drawe unto the stake.

And in the rescous of this Palamoun The stronge king Ligurge is born adoun; And king Emetreus, for al his strengthe, 2645 Is born out of his sadel a swerdes lengthe, So hitte him Palamon er he were take; But al for noght, he was broght to the stake. (1790) His hardy herte mighte him helpe naught; He moste abyde, whan that he was caught 2650 By force, and eek by composicioun.

2643. E. rescus; Pt. rescowe; _rest_ rescous.

Who sorweth now but woful Palamoun, That moot namore goon agayn to fighte?

[76: T. 2656-2691.]

And whan that Theseus had seyn this sighte, Un-to the folk that foghten thus echoon 2655 He cryde, 'Ho! namore, for it is doon!

I wol be trewe Iuge, and no partye.

Arcite of Thebes shal have Emelye, (1800) That by his fortune hath hir faire y-wonne.'

Anon ther is a noyse of peple bigonne 2660 For Ioye of this, so loude and heigh with-alle, It semed that the listes sholde falle.

What can now faire Venus doon above?

What seith she now? what dooth this quene of love?

But wepeth so, for wanting of hir wille, 2665 Til that hir teres in the listes fille; She seyde: 'I am ashamed, doutelees.'

Saturnus seyde: 'Doghter, hold thy pees. (1810) Mars hath his wille, his knight hath al his bone, And, by myn heed, thou shalt ben esed sone.' 2670

The trompes, with the loude minstralcye, The heraudes, that ful loude yolle and crye, Been in hir wele for Ioye of daun Arcite.

But herkneth me, and stinteth now a lyte, Which a miracle ther bifel anon. 2675

2671. Hn. Cp. Pt. Ln. trompours.

This fierse Arcite hath of his helm y-don, And on a courser, for to shewe his face, He priketh endelong the large place, (1820) Loking upward up-on this Emelye; And she agayn him caste a freendlich ye, 2680 (For wommen, as to speken in comune, They folwen al the favour of fortune), And she was al his chere, as in his herte.

Out of the ground a furie infernal sterte, From Pluto sent, at requeste of Saturne, 2685 For which his hors for fere gan to turne, And leep asyde, and foundred as he leep; And, er that Arcite may taken keep, (1830) He pighte him on the pomel of his heed, [77: T. 2692-2729.]

That in the place he lay as he were deed, 2690 His brest to-brosten with his sadel-bowe.

As blak he lay as any cole or crowe, So was the blood y-ronnen in his face.

Anon he was y-born out of the place With herte soor, to Theseus paleys. 2695 Tho was he corven out of his harneys, And in a bed y-brought ful faire and blyve, For he was yet in memorie and alyve, (1840) And alway crying after Emelye.

2676. Cm. ferse; E. Hn. fierse. 2679. E. Pt. _om._ this. 2681. E.

Hn. Cm. _omit_ ll. 2681, 2682. 2683. Hn. she; _rest om._ 2684. E.

furie; Hn. Cm. furye; _rest_ fyr, fir, fire, fyre; _see note_. 2698.

Hl. Pt. on lyue.

Duk Theseus, with al his companye, 2700 Is comen hoom to Athenes his citee, With alle blisse and greet solempnitee.

Al be it that this aventure was falle, He nolde noght disconforten hem alle.

Men seyde eek, that Arcite shal nat dye; 2705 He shal ben heled of his maladye.

And of another thing they were as fayn, That of hem alle was ther noon y-slayn, (1850) Al were they sore y-hurt, and namely oon, That with a spere was thirled his brest-boon. 2710 To othere woundes, and to broken armes, Some hadden salves, and some hadden charmes; Fermacies of herbes, and eek save They dronken, for they wolde hir limes have.

For which this n.o.ble duk, as he wel can, 2715 Conforteth and honoureth every man, And made revel al the longe night, Un-to the straunge lordes, as was right. (1860) Ne ther was holden no disconfitinge, But as a Iustes or a tourneyinge; 2720 For soothly ther was no disconfiture, For falling nis nat but an aventure; Ne to be lad with fors un-to the stake Unyolden, and with twenty knightes take, O persone allone, with-outen mo, 2725 And haried forth by arme, foot, and to, And eek his stede driven forth with staves, [78: T. 2730-2767.]

With footmen, bothe yemen and eek knaves, (1870) It nas aretted him no vileinye, Ther may no man clepen it cowardye. 2730

2714. limes] Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. lyues. 2726. E. Hn. Cm. arm.

For which anon duk Theseus leet crye, To stinten alle rancour and envye, The gree as wel of o syde as of other, And either syde y-lyk, as otheres brother; And yaf hem yiftes after hir degree, 2735 And fully heeld a feste dayes three; And conveyed the kinges worthily Out of his toun a Iournee largely. (1880) And hoom wente every man the righte way.

Ther was namore, but 'far wel, have good day!' 2740 Of this bataille I wol namore endyte, But speke of Palamon and of Arcite.

2737. E. conuoyed. 2740. E. fare; Cm. Hl. far.

Swelleth the brest of Arcite, and the sore Encreesseth at his herte more and more.

The clothered blood, for any lechecraft, 2745 Corrupteth, and is in his bouk y-laft, That neither veyne-blood, ne ventusinge, Ne drinke of herbes may ben his helpinge. (1890) The vertu expulsif, or animal, Fro thilke vertu cleped natural 2750 Ne may the venim voyden, ne expelle.

The pypes of his longes gonne to swelle, And every lacerte in his brest adoun Is shent with venim and corrupcioun.

Him gayneth neither, for to gete his lyf, 2755 Vomyt upward, ne dounward laxatif; Al is to-brosten thilke regioun, Nature hath now no dominacioun. (1900) And certeinly, ther nature wol nat wirche, Far-wel, phisyk! go ber the man to chirche! 2760 This al and som, that Arcita mot dye, For which he sendeth after Emelye, And Palamon, that was his cosin dere; Than seyde he thus, as ye shul after here.

2746. Hl. Pt. Corrumpith. 2760. E. fare; Cm. Hl. far.

'Naught may the woful spirit in myn herte 2765 [79: T. 2768-2803.]

Declare o poynt of alle my sorwes smerte To yow, my lady, that I love most; But I biquethe the service of my gost (1910) To yow aboven every creature, Sin that my lyf may no lenger dure. 2770 Allas, the wo! allas, the peynes stronge, That I for yow have suffred, and so longe!

Allas, the deeth! allas, myn Emelye!

Allas, departing of our companye!

Allas, myn hertes quene! allas, my wyf! 2775 Myn hertes lady, endere of my lyf!

What is this world? what asketh men to have?

Now with his love, now in his colde grave (1920) Allone, with-outen any companye.

Far-wel, my swete fo! myn Emelye! 2780 And softe tak me in your armes tweye, For love of G.o.d, and herkneth what I seye.

2770. Tyrwhitt _has_ ne may; ne _is not in the_ MSS. 2781. E. taak.

I have heer with my cosin Palamon Had stryf and rancour, many a day a-gon, For love of yow, and for my Ielousye. 2785 And Iupiter so wis my soule gye, To speken of a servant proprely, With alle circ.u.mstaunces trewely, (1930) That is to seyn, trouthe, honour, and knighthede, Wisdom, humblesse, estaat, and heigh kinrede, 2790 Fredom, and al that longeth to that art, So Iupiter have of my soule part, As in this world right now ne knowe I non So worthy to ben loved as Palamon, That serveth yow, and wol don al his lyf. 2795 And if that ever ye shul been a wyf, Foryet nat Palamon, the gentil man.'

And with that word his speche faille gan, (1940) For from his feet up to his brest was come The cold of deeth, that hadde him overcome. 2800 And yet more-over, in his armes two [80: T. 2804-2840.]

The vital strengthe is lost, and al ago.

Only the intellect, with-outen more, That dwelled in his herte syk and sore, Gan faillen, when the herte felte deeth, 2805 Dusked his eyen two, and failled breeth.

But on his lady yet caste he his ye; His laste word was, 'mercy, Emelye!' (1950) His spirit chaunged hous, and wente ther, As I cam never, I can nat tellen wher. 2810 Therfor I stinte, I nam no divinistre; Of soules finde I nat in this registre, Ne me ne list thilke opiniouns to telle Of hem, though that they wryten wher they dwelle.