Theseus was at the height of his power and glory.
859 Whilom, as olde stories tellen us,
860 Ther was a duc that highte Theseus;
861 Of Atthenes he was lord and governour,
862 And in his tyme swich a conquerour
863 That gretter was ther noon under the sonne.
864 Ful many a riche contree hadde he wonne;
865 What with his wysdom and his chivalrie,
866 He conquered al the regne of Femenye,
867 That whilom was ycleped Scithia,
868 And weddede the queene Ypolita,
869 And broghte hire hoom with hym in his contree
870 With muchel glorie and greet solempnytee,
871 And eek hir yonge suster Emelye.
872 And thus with victorie and with melodye
873 Lete I this noble duc to Atthenes ryde,
874 And al his hoost in armes hym bisyde.The Knight tells us of all of the things he could describe, but will not, in the interest of brevity. Chaucer will use this device again, at much greater length, in his description of the funeral of Arcite.
875 And certes, if it nere to long to heere,
876 I wolde have toold yow fully the manere
877 How wonnen was the regne of Femenye
878 By Theseus and by his chivalrye;
879 And of the grete bataille for the nones
880 Bitwixen Atthenes and Amazones;
881 And how asseged was Ypolita,
882 The faire, hardy queene of Scithia;
883 And of the feste that was at hir weddynge,
884 And of the tempest at hir hoom-comynge;
885 But al that thyng I moot as now forbere.
886 I have, God woot, a large feeld to ere,
887 And wayke been the oxen in my plough.
888 The remenant of the tale is long ynough.
889 I wol nat letten eek noon of this route;
890 Lat every felawe telle his tale aboute,
891 And lat se now who shal the soper wynne;
892 And ther I lefte, I wol ayeyn bigynne.
893 This duc, of whom I make mencioun,
894 Whan he was come almoost unto the toun,It is again emphasized that Theseus is at the height of his power and glory. And so there is a great contrast with the misery of the supplicants.
895 In al his wele and in his mooste pride,
896 He was war, as he caste his eye aside,
897 Where that ther kneled in the heighe weye
898 A compaignye of ladyes, tweye and tweye,
899 Ech after oother clad in clothes blake;
900 But swich a cry and swich a wo they make
901 That in this world nys creature lyvynge
902 That herde swich another waymentynge;
903 And of this cry they nolde nevere stenten
904 Til they the reynes of his brydel henten.
905 "What folk been ye, that at myn hom-comynge
906 Perturben so my feste with criynge?"
907 Quod Theseus. "Have ye so greet envye
908 Of myn honour, that thus compleyne and crye?
909 Or who hath yow mysboden or offended?
910 And telleth me if it may been amended,
911 And why that ye been clothed thus in blak."
912 The eldeste lady of them alle spak,
913 Whan she hadde swowned with a deedly cheere,
914 That it was routhe for to seen and heere;First use of the word "Fortune."
915 She seyde, "Lord, to whom Fortune hath yiven
916 Victorie, and as a conqueror to lyven,
917 Nat greveth us youre glorie and youre honour,
918 But we biseken mercy and socour.
919 Have mercy on oure wo and oure distresse!
920 Som drope of pitee, thurgh thy gentillesse,
921 Upon us wrecched wommen lat thou falle,These women have all been queens, and so they are all -- by the medieval definition of tragedy -- tragic figures.
922 For, certes, lord, ther is noon of us alle
923 That she ne hath been a duchesse or a queene.
924 Now be we caytyves, as it is wel seene,
925 Thanked be Fortune and hire false wheel,
926 That noon estaat assureth to be weel.
927 And certes, lord, to abyden youre presence,
928 Heere in this temple of the goddesse Clemence
929 We han ben waitynge al this fourtenyght.
930 Now help us, lord, sith it is in thy myght.
931 "I, wrecche, which that wepe and wayle thus,
932 Was whilom wyf to kyng Cappaneus,
933 That starf at Thebes -- cursed be that day! --
934 And alle we that been in this array
935 And maken al this lamentacioun,
936 We losten alle oure housbondes at that toun,
937 Whil that the seege theraboute lay.
938 And yet now the olde Creon -- weylaway! --
939 That lord is now of Thebes the citee,
940 Fulfild of ire and of iniquitee,
941 He, for despit and for his tirannye,
942 To do the dede bodyes vileynye
943 Of alle oure lordes whiche that been yslawe,
944 Hath alle the bodyes on an heep ydrawe,
945 And wol nat suffren hem, by noon assent,
946 Neither to been yburyed nor ybrent,
947 But maketh houndes ete them in despit."
948 And with that word, withouten moore respit,
949 They fillen gruf and criden pitously,
950 "Have on us wrecched wommen som mercy,
951 And lat oure sorwe synken in thyn herte."
952 This gentil duc doun from his courser stertePity plays a key role in other parts of the story.
953 With herte pitous, whan he herde them speke.
954 Hym thoughte that his herte wolde breke,
955 Whan he saugh hem so pitous and so maat,
956 That whilom weren of so greet estaat;
957 And in his armes he hem alle up hente,
958 And hem conforteth in ful good entente,
959 And swoor his ooth, as he was trewe knyght,
960 He wolde doon so ferforthly his myght
961 Upon the tiraunt Creon hem to wreke
962 That al the peple of Grece sholde speke
963 How Creon was of Theseus yserved
964 As he that hadde his deeth ful wel deserved.
965 And right anoon, withouten moore abood,
966 His baner he desplayeth, and forth rood
967 To Thebes-ward, and al his hoost biside.
968 No neer Atthenes wolde he go ne ride,
969 Ne take his ese fully half a day,
970 But onward on his wey that nyght he lay,
971 And sente anon Ypolita the queene,
972 And Emelye, hir yonge suster sheene,
973 Unto the toun of Atthenes to dwelle,
974 And forth he rit; ther is namoore to telle.
975 The rede statue of Mars, with spere and targe,
976 So shyneth in his white baner large
977 That alle the feeldes glyteren up and doun;
978 And by his baner born is his penoun
979 Of gold ful riche, in which ther was ybete
980 The Mynotaur, which that he wan in Crete.
981 Thus rit this duc, thus rit this conquerour,
982 And in his hoost of chivalrie the flour,
983 Til that he cam to Thebes and alighte
984 Faire in a feeld, ther as he thoughte to fighte.
985 But shortly for to speken of this thyng,
986 With Creon, which that was of Thebes kyng,
987 He faught, and slough hym manly as a knyght
988 In pleyn bataille, and putte the folk to flyght;
989 And by assaut he wan the citee after,
990 And rente adoun bothe wall and sparre and rafter;
991 And to the ladyes he restored agayn
992 The bones of hir freendes that were slayn,
993 To doon obsequies, as was tho the gyse.
994 But it were al to longe for to devyse
995 The grete clamour and the waymentynge
996 That the ladyes made at the brennynge
997 Of the bodies, and the grete honour
998 That Theseus, the noble conquerour,
999 Dooth to the ladyes, whan they from hym wente;
1000 But shortly for to telle is myn entente.
1001 Whan that this worthy duc, this Theseus,
1002 Hath Creon slayn and wonne Thebes thus,
1003 Stille in that feeld he took al nyght his reste,
1004 And dide with al the contree as hym leste.
1005 To ransake in the taas of bodyes dede,
1006 Hem for to strepe of harneys and of wede,
1007 The pilours diden bisynesse and cure
1008 After the bataille and disconfiture.
1009 And so bifel that in the taas they founde,
1010 Thurgh-girt with many a grevous blody wounde,
1011 Two yonge knyghtes liggynge by and by,
1012 Bothe in oon armes, wroght ful richely,
1013 Of whiche two Arcita highte that oon,
1014 And that oother knyght highte Palamon.
1015 Nat fully quyke, ne fully dede they were,
1016 But by hir cote-armures and by hir gere
1017 The heraudes knewe hem best in special
1018 As they that weren of the blood roial
1019 Of Thebes, and of sustren two yborn.
1020 Out of the taas the pilours han hem torn,
1021 And han hem caried softe unto the tente
1022 Of Theseus; and he ful soone hem sente
1023 To Atthenes, to dwellen in prisoun
1024 Perpetuelly -- he nolde no raunsoun.
1025 And whan this worthy duc hath thus ydon,
1026 He took his hoost, and hoom he rit anon
1027 With laurer crowned as a conquerour;
1028 And ther he lyveth in joye and in honour
1029 Terme of his lyf; what nedeth wordes mo?
1030 And in a tour, in angwissh and in wo,
1031 This Palamon and his felawe Arcite
1032 For everemoore; ther may no gold hem quite.
1033 This passeth yeer by yeer and day by day,
1034 Till it fil ones, in a morwe of May,
1035 That Emelye, that fairer was to sene
1036 Than is the lylie upon his stalke grene,
1037 And fressher than the May with floures newe --
1038 For with the rose colour stroof hire hewe,
1039 I noot which was the fyner of hem two --
1040 Er it were day, as was hir wone to do,
1041 She was arisen and al redy dight,
1042 For May wole have no slogardie anyght.
1043 The sesoun priketh every gentil herte,
1044 And maketh it out of his slep to sterte,
1045 And seith "Arys, and do thyn observaunce."
1046 This maked Emelye have remembraunce
1047 To doon honour to May, and for to ryse.
1048 Yclothed was she fressh, for to devyse:
1049 Hir yelow heer was broyded in a tresse
1050 Bihynde hir bak, a yerde long, I gesse.
1051 And in the gardyn, at the sonne upriste,
1052 She walketh up and doun, and as hire liste
1053 She gadereth floures, party white and rede,
1054 To make a subtil gerland for hire hede;
1055 And as an aungel hevenysshly she soong.
1056 The grete tour, that was so thikke and stroong,
1057 Which of the castel was the chief dongeoun
1058 (Ther as the knyghtes weren in prisoun
1059 Of which I tolde yow and tellen shal),
1060 Was evene joynant to the gardyn wal
1061 Ther as this Emelye hadde hir pleyynge.
1062 Bright was the sonne and cleer that morwenynge,
1063 And Palamoun, this woful prisoner,
1064 As was his wone, by leve of his gayler,
1065 Was risen and romed in a chambre an heigh,
1066 In which he al the noble citee seigh,
1067 And eek the gardyn, ful of braunches grene,
1068 Ther as this fresshe Emelye the shene
1069 Was in hire walk, and romed up and doun.
1070 This sorweful prisoner, this Palamoun,
1071 Goth in the chambre romynge to and fro
1072 And to hymself compleynynge of his wo.
1073 That he was born, ful ofte he seyde, "allas!"
1074 And so bifel, by aventure or cas,
1075 That thurgh a wyndow, thikke of many a barre
1076 Of iren greet and square as any sparre,
1077 He cast his eye upon Emelya,
1078 And therwithal he bleynte and cride, "A!"
1079 As though he stongen were unto the herte.
1080 And with that cry Arcite anon up sterte
1081 And seyde, "Cosyn myn, what eyleth thee,
1082 That art so pale and deedly on to see?
1083 Why cridestow? Who hath thee doon offence?
1084 For Goddes love, taak al in pacience
1085 Oure prisoun, for it may noon oother be.
1086 Fortune hath yeven us this adversitee.
1087 Som wikke aspect or disposicioun
1088 Of Saturne, by som constellacioun,
1089 Hath yeven us this, although we hadde it sworn;
1090 So stood the hevene whan that we were born.
1091 We moste endure it; this is the short and playn."
1092 This Palamon answerde and seyde agayn,
1093 "Cosyn, for sothe, of this opinioun
1094 Thow hast a veyn ymaginacioun.
1095 This prison caused me nat for to crye,
1096 But I was hurt right now thurghout myn ye
1097 Into myn herte, that wol my bane be.
1098 The fairnesse of that lady that I see
1099 Yond in the gardyn romen to and fro
1100 Is cause of al my criyng and my wo.
1101 I noot wher she be womman or goddesse,
1102 But Venus is it soothly, as I gesse."
1103 And therwithal on knees doun he fil,
1104 And seyde, "Venus, if it be thy wil
1105 Yow in this gardyn thus to transfigure
1106 Bifore me, sorweful, wrecched creature,
1107 Out of this prisoun help that we may scapen.
1108 And if so be my destynee be shapen
1109 By eterne word to dyen in prisoun,
1110 Of oure lynage have som compassioun,
1111 That is so lowe ybroght by tirannye."
1112 And with that word Arcite gan espye
1113 Wher as this lady romed to and fro,
1114 And with that sighte hir beautee hurte hym so,
1115 That, if that Palamon was wounded sore,
1116 Arcite is hurt as muche as he, or moore.
1117 And with a sigh he seyde pitously,
1118 "The fresshe beautee sleeth me sodeynly
1119 Of hire that rometh in the yonder place;
1120 And but I have hir mercy and hir grace,
1121 That I may seen hire atte leeste weye,
1122 I nam but deed; ther nis namoore to seye."
1123 This Palamon, whan he tho wordes herde,
1124 Dispitously he looked and answerde,
1125 "Wheither seistow this in ernest or in pley?"
1126 "Nay," quod Arcite, "in ernest, by my fey!
1127 God helpe me so, me list ful yvele pleye."
1128 This Palamon gan knytte his browes tweye.
1129 "It nere," quod he, "to thee no greet honour
1130 For to be fals, ne for to be traitour
1131 To me, that am thy cosyn and thy brother
1132 Ysworn ful depe, and ech of us til oother,
1133 That nevere, for to dyen in the peyne,
1134 Til that the deeth departe shal us tweyne,
1135 Neither of us in love to hyndre oother,
1136 Ne in noon oother cas, my leeve brother,
1137 But that thou sholdest trewely forthren me
1138 In every cas, as I shal forthren thee --
1139 This was thyn ooth, and myn also, certeyn;
1140 I woot right wel, thou darst it nat withseyn.
1141 Thus artow of my conseil, out of doute,
1142 And now thow woldest falsly been aboute
1143 To love my lady, whom I love and serve,
1144 And evere shal til that myn herte sterve.
1145 Nay, certes, false Arcite, thow shalt nat so.
1146 I loved hire first, and tolde thee my wo
1147 As to my conseil and my brother sworn
1148 To forthre me, as I have toold biforn.
1149 For which thou art ybounden as a knyght
1150 To helpen me, if it lay in thy myght,
1151 Or elles artow fals, I dar wel seyn."
1152 This Arcite ful proudly spak ageyn:
1153 "Thow shalt," quod he, "be rather fals than I;
1154 And thou art fals, I telle thee outrely,
1155 For paramour I loved hire first er thow.
1156 What wiltow seyen? Thou woost nat yet now
1157 Wheither she be a womman or goddesse!
1158 Thyn is affeccioun of hoolynesse,
1159 And myn is love as to a creature;
1160 For which I tolde thee myn aventure
1161 As to my cosyn and my brother sworn.
1162 I pose that thow lovedest hire biforn;
1163 Wostow nat wel the olde clerkes sawe,
1164 That `who shal yeve a lovere any lawe?'
1165 Love is a gretter lawe, by my pan,
1166 Than may be yeve to any erthely man;
1167 And therfore positif lawe and swich decree
1168 Is broken al day for love in ech degree.
1169 A man moot nedes love, maugree his heed;
1170 He may nat fleen it, thogh he sholde be deed,
1171 Al be she mayde, or wydwe, or elles wyf.
1172 And eek it is nat likly al thy lyf
1173 To stonden in hir grace; namoore shal I;
1174 For wel thou woost thyselven, verraily,
1175 That thou and I be dampned to prisoun
1176 Perpetuelly; us gayneth no raunsoun.
1177 We stryve as dide the houndes for the boon;
1178 They foughte al day, and yet hir part was noon.
1179 Ther cam a kyte, whil that they were so wrothe,
1180 And baar awey the boon bitwixe hem bothe.
1181 And therfore, at the kynges court, my brother,
1182 Ech man for hymself, ther is noon oother.
1183 Love, if thee list, for I love and ay shal;
1184 And soothly, leeve brother, this is al.
1185 Heere in this prisoun moote we endure,
1186 And everich of us take his aventure."
1187 Greet was the strif and long bitwix hem tweye,
1188 If that I hadde leyser for to seye;
1189 But to th'effect. It happed on a day,
1190 To telle it yow as shortly as I may,
1191 A worthy duc that highte Perotheus,
1192 That felawe was unto duc Theseus
1193 Syn thilke day that they were children lite,
1194 Was come to Atthenes his felawe to visite,
1195 And for to pleye as he was wont to do;
1196 For in this world he loved no man so,
1197 And he loved hym als tendrely agayn.
1198 So wel they lovede, as olde bookes sayn,
1199 That whan that oon was deed, soothly to telle,
1200 His felawe wente and soughte hym doun in helle --
1201 But of that storie list me nat to write.
1202 Duc Perotheus loved wel Arcite,
1203 And hadde hym knowe at Thebes yeer by yere,
1204 And finally at requeste and preyere
1205 Of Perotheus, withouten any raunsoun,
1206 Duc Theseus hym leet out of prisoun
1207 Frely to goon wher that hym liste over al,
1208 In swich a gyse as I you tellen shal.
1209 This was the forward, pleynly for t'endite,
1210 Bitwixen Theseus and hym Arcite:
1211 That if so were that Arcite were yfounde
1212 Evere in his lif, by day or nyght, oo stounde
1213 In any contree of this Theseus,
1214 And he were caught, it was acorded thus,
1215 That with a swerd he sholde lese his heed.
1216 Ther nas noon oother remedie ne reed;
1217 But taketh his leve, and homward he him spedde.
1218 Lat hym be war! His nekke lith to wedde.
1219 How greet a sorwe suffreth now Arcite!
1220 The deeth he feeleth thurgh his herte smyte;
1221 He wepeth, wayleth, crieth pitously;
1222 To sleen hymself he waiteth prively.
1223 He seyde, "Allas that day that I was born!
1224 Now is my prisoun worse than biforn;
1225 Now is me shape eternally to dwelle
1226 Noght in purgatorie, but in helle.
1227 Allas, that evere knew I Perotheus!
1228 For elles hadde I dwelled with Theseus,
1229 Yfetered in his prisoun everemo.
1230 Thanne hadde I been in blisse and nat in wo.
1231 Oonly the sighte of hire whom that I serve,
1232 Though that I nevere hir grace may deserve,
1233 Wolde han suffised right ynough for me.
1234 O deere cosyn Palamon," quod he,
1235 "Thyn is the victorie of this aventure.
1236 Ful blisfully in prison maistow dure --
1237 In prison? Certes nay, but in paradys!
1238 Wel hath Fortune yturned thee the dys,
1239 That hast the sighte of hire, and I th'absence.
1240 For possible is, syn thou hast hire presence,
1241 And art a knyght, a worthy and an able,
1242 That by som cas, syn Fortune is chaungeable,
1243 Thow maist to thy desir somtyme atteyne.
1244 But I, that am exiled and bareyne
1245 Of alle grace, and in so greet dispeir
1246 That ther nys erthe, water, fir, ne eir,
1247 Ne creature that of hem maked is,
1248 That may me helpe or doon confort in this,
1249 Wel oughte I sterve in wanhope and distresse.
1250 Farwel my lif, my lust, and my gladnesse!
1251 "Allas, why pleynen folk so in commune
1252 On purveiaunce of God, or of Fortune,
1253 That yeveth hem ful ofte in many a gyse
1254 Wel bettre than they kan hemself devyse?
1255 Som man desireth for to han richesse,
1256 That cause is of his mordre or greet siknesse;
1257 And som man wolde out of his prisoun fayn,
1258 That in his hous is of his meynee slayn.
1259 Infinite harmes been in this mateere.
1260 We witen nat what thing we preyen heere;
1261 We faren as he that dronke is as a mous.
1262 A dronke man woot wel he hath an hous,
1263 But he noot which the righte wey is thider,
1264 And to a dronke man the wey is slider.
1265 And certes, in this world so faren we;
1266 We seken faste after felicitee,
1267 But we goon wrong ful often, trewely.
1268 Thus may we seyen alle, and namely I,
1269 That wende and hadde a greet opinioun
1270 That if I myghte escapen from prisoun,
1271 Thanne hadde I been in joye and parfit heele,
1272 Ther now I am exiled fro my wele.
1273 Syn that I may nat seen you, Emelye,
1274 I nam but deed; ther nys no remedye."
1275 Upon that oother syde Palamon,
1276 Whan that he wiste Arcite was agon,
1277 Swich sorwe he maketh that the grete tour
1278 Resouneth of his youlyng and clamour.
1279 The pure fettres on his shynes grete
1280 Weren of his bittre, salte teeres wete.
1281 "Allas," quod he, "Arcita, cosyn myn,
1282 Of al oure strif, God woot, the fruyt is thyn.
1283 Thow walkest now in Thebes at thy large,
1284 And of my wo thow yevest litel charge.
1285 Thou mayst, syn thou hast wisdom and manhede,
1286 Assemblen alle the folk of oure kynrede,
1287 And make a werre so sharp on this citee
1288 That by som aventure or some tretee
1289 Thow mayst have hire to lady and to wyf
1290 For whom that I moste nedes lese my lyf.
1291 For, as by wey of possibilitee,
1292 Sith thou art at thy large, of prisoun free,
1293 And art a lord, greet is thyn avauntage
1294 Moore than is myn, that sterve here in a cage.
1295 For I moot wepe and wayle, whil I lyve,
1296 With al the wo that prison may me yive,
1297 And eek with peyne that love me yeveth also,
1298 That doubleth al my torment and my wo."
1299 Therwith the fyr of jalousie up sterte
1300 Withinne his brest, and hente him by the herte
1301 So woodly that he lyk was to biholde
1302 The boxtree or the asshen dede and colde.
1303 Thanne seyde he, "O crueel goddes that governe
1304 This world with byndyng of youre word eterne,
1305 And writen in the table of atthamaunt
1306 Youre parlement and youre eterne graunt,
1307 What is mankynde moore unto you holde
1308 Than is the sheep that rouketh in the folde?
1309 For slayn is man right as another beest,
1310 And dwelleth eek in prison and arreest,
1311 And hath siknesse and greet adversitee,
1312 And ofte tymes giltelees, pardee.
1313 "What governance is in this prescience,
1314 That giltelees tormenteth innocence?
1315 And yet encresseth this al my penaunce,
1316 That man is bounden to his observaunce,
1317 For Goddes sake, to letten of his wille,
1318 Ther as a beest may al his lust fulfille.
1319 And whan a beest is deed he hath no peyne;
1320 But man after his deeth moot wepe and pleyne,
1321 Though in this world he have care and wo.
1322 Withouten doute it may stonden so.
1323 The answere of this lete I to dyvynys,
1324 But wel I woot that in this world greet pyne ys.
1325 Allas, I se a serpent or a theef,
1326 That many a trewe man hath doon mescheef,
1327 Goon at his large, and where hym list may turne.
1328 But I moot been in prisoun thurgh Saturne,
1329 And eek thurgh Juno, jalous and eek wood,
1330 That hath destroyed wel ny al the blood
1331 Of Thebes with his waste walles wyde;
1332 And Venus sleeth me on that oother syde
1333 For jalousie and fere of hym Arcite."
1334 Now wol I stynte of Palamon a lite,
1335 And lete hym in his prisoun stille dwelle,
1336 And of Arcita forth I wol yow telle.
1337 The somer passeth, and the nyghtes longe
1338 Encressen double wise the peynes stronge
1339 Bothe of the lovere and the prisoner.
1340 I noot which hath the wofuller mester.
1341 For, shortly for to seyn, this Palamoun
1342 Perpetuelly is dampned to prisoun,
1343 In cheynes and in fettres to been deed;
1344 And Arcite is exiled upon his heed
134e
For everemo, as out of that contree,
1346 Ne nevere mo ne shal his lady see.
1347 Yow loveres axe I now this questioun:
1348 Who hath the worse, Arcite or Palamoun?
1349 That oon may seen his lady day by day,
1350 But in prison he moot dwelle alway;
1351 That oother wher hym list may ride or go,
1352 But seen his lady shal he nevere mo.
1353 Now demeth as yow liste, ye that kan,
1354 For I wol telle forth as I bigan.