The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems Part 7

That giveth them full oft in many a guise Well better than they can themselves devise?

Some man desireth for to have richess, That cause is of his murder or great sickness.

And some man would out of his prison fain, That in his house is of his meinie* slain. *servants <16> Infinite harmes be in this mattere.

We wot never what thing we pray for here.

We fare as he that drunk is as a mouse.

A drunken man wot well he hath an house, But he wot not which is the right way thither, And to a drunken man the way is slither*. *slippery And certes in this world so fare we.

We seeke fast after felicity, But we go wrong full often truely.

Thus we may sayen all, and namely* I, *especially That ween'd*, and had a great opinion, *thought That if I might escape from prison Then had I been in joy and perfect heal, Where now I am exiled from my weal.

Since that I may not see you, Emily, I am but dead; there is no remedy."

Upon that other side, Palamon, When that he wist Arcita was agone, Much sorrow maketh, that the greate tower Resounded of his yelling and clamour The pure* fetters on his shinnes great *very <17> Were of his bitter salte teares wet.

"Alas!" quoth he, "Arcita, cousin mine, Of all our strife, G.o.d wot, the fruit is thine.

Thou walkest now in Thebes at thy large, And of my woe thou *givest little charge*. *takest little heed*

Thou mayst, since thou hast wisdom and manhead*, *manhood, courage a.s.semble all the folk of our kindred, And make a war so sharp on this country That by some aventure, or some treaty, Thou mayst have her to lady and to wife, For whom that I must needes lose my life.

For as by way of possibility, Since thou art at thy large, of prison free, And art a lord, great is thine avantage, More than is mine, that sterve here in a cage.

For I must weep and wail, while that I live, With all the woe that prison may me give, And eke with pain that love me gives also, That doubles all my torment and my woe."

Therewith the fire of jealousy upstart Within his breast, and hent* him by the heart *seized So woodly*, that he like was to behold *madly The box-tree, or the ashes dead and cold.

Then said; "O cruel G.o.ddess, that govern This world with binding of your word etern* *eternal And writen in the table of adamant Your parlement* and your eternal grant, *consultation What is mankind more *unto you y-hold* *by you esteemed Than is the sheep, that rouketh* in the fold! *lie huddled together For slain is man, right as another beast; And dwelleth eke in prison and arrest, And hath sickness, and great adversity, And oftentimes guilteless, pardie* *by G.o.d What governance is in your prescience, That guilteless tormenteth innocence?

And yet increaseth this all my penance, That man is bounden to his observance For G.o.dde's sake to *letten of his will*, *restrain his desire*

Whereas a beast may all his l.u.s.t fulfil.

And when a beast is dead, he hath no pain; But man after his death must weep and plain, Though in this worlde he have care and woe: Withoute doubt it maye standen so.

"The answer of this leave I to divines, But well I wot, that in this world great pine* is; *pain, trouble Alas! I see a serpent or a thief That many a true man hath done mischief, Go at his large, and where him list may turn.

But I must be in prison through Saturn, And eke through Juno, jealous and eke wood*, *mad That hath well nigh destroyed all the blood Of Thebes, with his waste walles wide.

And Venus slay'th me on that other side For jealousy, and fear of him, Arcite."

Now will I stent* of Palamon a lite**, *pause **little And let him in his prison stille dwell, And of Arcita forth I will you tell.

The summer pa.s.seth, and the nightes long Increase double-wise the paines strong Both of the lover and the prisonere.

I n'ot* which hath the wofuller mistere**. *know not **condition For, shortly for to say, this Palamon Perpetually is d.a.m.ned to prison, In chaines and in fetters to be dead; And Arcite is exiled *on his head* *on peril of his head*

For evermore as out of that country, Nor never more he shall his lady see.

You lovers ask I now this question,<18> Who lieth the worse, Arcite or Palamon?

The one may see his lady day by day, But in prison he dwelle must alway.

The other where him list may ride or go, But see his lady shall he never mo'.

Now deem all as you liste, ye that can, For I will tell you forth as I began.

When that Arcite to Thebes comen was, Full oft a day he swelt*, and said, "Alas!" *fainted For see this lady he shall never mo'.

And shortly to concluden all his woe, So much sorrow had never creature That is or shall be while the world may dure.

His sleep, his meat, his drink is *him byraft*, *taken away from him*

That lean he wex*, and dry as any shaft. *became His eyen hollow, grisly to behold, His hue sallow, and pale as ashes cold, And solitary he was, ever alone, And wailing all the night, making his moan.

And if he hearde song or instrument, Then would he weepen, he might not be stent*. *stopped So feeble were his spirits, and so low, And changed so, that no man coulde know His speech, neither his voice, though men it heard.

And in his gear* for all the world he far'd *behaviour <19> Not only like the lovers' malady Of Eros, but rather y-like manie* *madness Engender'd of humours melancholic, Before his head in his cell fantastic.<20> And shortly turned was all upside down, Both habit and eke dispositioun, Of him, this woful lover Dan* Arcite. *Lord <21> Why should I all day of his woe indite?

When he endured had a year or two This cruel torment, and this pain and woe, At Thebes, in his country, as I said, Upon a night in sleep as he him laid, Him thought how that the winged G.o.d Mercury Before him stood, and bade him to be merry.

His sleepy yard* in hand he bare upright; *rod <22> A hat he wore upon his haires bright.

Arrayed was this G.o.d (as he took keep*) *notice As he was when that Argus<23> took his sleep; And said him thus: "To Athens shalt thou wend*; *go There is thee shapen* of thy woe an end." *fixed, prepared And with that word Arcite woke and start.

"Now truely how sore that e'er me smart,"

Quoth he, "to Athens right now will I fare.

Nor for no dread of death shall I not spare To see my lady that I love and serve; In her presence *I recke not to sterve.*" *do not care if I die*

And with that word he caught a great mirror, And saw that changed was all his colour, And saw his visage all in other kind.

And right anon it ran him ill his mind, That since his face was so disfigur'd Of malady the which he had endur'd, He mighte well, if that he *bare him low,* *lived in lowly fashion*

Live in Athenes evermore unknow, And see his lady wellnigh day by day.

And right anon he changed his array, And clad him as a poore labourer.

And all alone, save only a squier, That knew his privity* and all his cas**, *secrets **fortune Which was disguised poorly as he was, To Athens is he gone the nexte* way. *nearest <24> And to the court he went upon a day, And at the gate he proffer'd his service, To drudge and draw, what so men would devise*. *order And, shortly of this matter for to sayn, He fell in office with a chamberlain, The which that dwelling was with Emily.

For he was wise, and coulde soon espy Of every servant which that served her.

Well could he hewe wood, and water bear, For he was young and mighty for the nones*, *occasion And thereto he was strong and big of bones To do that any wight can him devise.

A year or two he was in this service, Page of the chamber of Emily the bright; And Philostrate he saide that he hight.

But half so well belov'd a man as he Ne was there never in court of his degree.

He was so gentle of conditioun, That throughout all the court was his renown.

They saide that it were a charity That Theseus would *enhance his degree*, *elevate him in rank*

And put him in some worshipful service, There as he might his virtue exercise.

And thus within a while his name sprung Both of his deedes, and of his good tongue, That Theseus hath taken him so near, That of his chamber he hath made him squire, And gave him gold to maintain his degree; And eke men brought him out of his country From year to year full privily his rent.

But honestly and slyly* he it spent, *discreetly, prudently That no man wonder'd how that he it had.

And three year in this wise his life be lad*, *led And bare him so in peace and eke in werre*, *war There was no man that Theseus had so derre*. *dear And in this blisse leave I now Arcite, And speak I will of Palamon a lite*. *little

In darkness horrible, and strong prison, This seven year hath sitten Palamon, Forpined*, what for love, and for distress. *pined, wasted away Who feeleth double sorrow and heaviness But Palamon? that love distraineth* so, *afflicts That wood* out of his wits he went for woe, *mad And eke thereto he is a prisonere Perpetual, not only for a year.

Who coulde rhyme in English properly His martyrdom? forsooth*, it is not I; *truly Therefore I pa.s.s as lightly as I may.

It fell that in the seventh year, in May The thirde night (as olde bookes sayn, That all this story tellen more plain), Were it by a venture or destiny (As when a thing is shapen* it shall be), *settled, decreed That soon after the midnight, Palamon By helping of a friend brake his prison, And fled the city fast as he might go, For he had given drink his gaoler so Of a clary <25>, made of a certain wine, With *narcotise and opie* of Thebes fine, *narcotics and opium*

That all the night, though that men would him shake, The gaoler slept, he mighte not awake: And thus he fled as fast as ever he may.

The night was short, and *faste by the day *close at hand was That needes cast he must himself to hide*. the day during which And to a grove faste there beside he must cast about, or contrive, With dreadful foot then stalked Palamon. to conceal himself.*

For shortly this was his opinion, That in the grove he would him hide all day, And in the night then would he take his way To Thebes-ward, his friendes for to pray On Theseus to help him to warray*. *make war <26> And shortly either he would lose his life, Or winnen Emily unto his wife.

This is th' effect, and his intention plain.

Now will I turn to Arcita again, That little wist how nighe was his care, Till that Fortune had brought him in the snare.

The busy lark, the messenger of day, Saluteth in her song the morning gray; And fiery Phoebus riseth up so bright, That all the orient laugheth at the sight, And with his streames* drieth in the greves** *rays **groves The silver droppes, hanging on the leaves; And Arcite, that is in the court royal With Theseus, his squier princ.i.p.al, Is ris'n, and looketh on the merry day.

And for to do his observance to May, Remembering the point* of his desire, *object He on his courser, starting as the fire, Is ridden to the fieldes him to play, Out of the court, were it a mile or tway.

And to the grove, of which I have you told, By a venture his way began to hold, To make him a garland of the greves*, *groves Were it of woodbine, or of hawthorn leaves, And loud he sang against the sun so sheen*. *shining bright "O May, with all thy flowers and thy green, Right welcome be thou, faire freshe May, I hope that I some green here getten may."

And from his courser*, with a l.u.s.ty heart, *horse Into the grove full hastily he start, And in a path he roamed up and down, There as by aventure this Palamon Was in a bush, that no man might him see, For sore afeard of his death was he.

Nothing ne knew he that it was Arcite; G.o.d wot he would have *trowed it full lite*. *full little believed it*

But sooth is said, gone since full many years, The field hath eyen*, and the wood hath ears, *eyes It is full fair a man *to bear him even*, *to be on his guard*

For all day meeten men at *unset steven*. *unexpected time <27> Full little wot Arcite of his fellaw, That was so nigh to hearken of his saw*, *saying, speech For in the bush he sitteth now full still.

When that Arcite had roamed all his fill, And *sungen all the roundel* l.u.s.tily, *sang the roundelay*<28> Into a study he fell suddenly, As do those lovers in their *quainte gears*, *odd fashions*

Now in the crop*, and now down in the breres**, <29> *tree-top Now up, now down, as bucket in a well. **briars Right as the Friday, soothly for to tell, Now shineth it, and now it raineth fast, Right so can geary* Venus overcast *changeful The heartes of her folk, right as her day Is gearful*, right so changeth she array. *changeful Seldom is Friday all the weeke like.

When Arcite had y-sung, he gan to sike*, *sigh And sat him down withouten any more: "Alas!" quoth he, "the day that I was bore!

How longe, Juno, through thy cruelty Wilt thou warrayen* Thebes the city? *torment Alas! y-brought is to confusion The blood royal of Cadm' and Amphion: Of Cadmus, which that was the firste man, That Thebes built, or first the town began, And of the city first was crowned king.

Of his lineage am I, and his offspring By very line, as of the stock royal; And now I am *so caitiff and so thrall*, *wretched and enslaved*

That he that is my mortal enemy, I serve him as his squier poorely.

And yet doth Juno me well more shame, For I dare not beknow* mine owen name, *acknowledge <30> But there as I was wont to hight Arcite, Now hight I Philostrate, not worth a mite.

Alas! thou fell Mars, and alas! Juno, Thus hath your ire our lineage all fordo* *undone, ruined Save only me, and wretched Palamon, That Theseus martyreth in prison.

And over all this, to slay me utterly, Love hath his fiery dart so brenningly* *burningly Y-sticked through my true careful heart, That shapen was my death erst than my shert. <31> Ye slay me with your eyen, Emily; Ye be the cause wherefore that I die.

Of all the remnant of mine other care Ne set I not the *mountance of a tare*, *value of a straw*

So that I could do aught to your pleasance."

And with that word he fell down in a trance A longe time; and afterward upstart This Palamon, that thought thorough his heart He felt a cold sword suddenly to glide: For ire he quoke*, no longer would he hide. *quaked And when that he had heard Arcite's tale, As he were wood*, with face dead and pale, *mad He start him up out of the bushes thick, And said: "False Arcita, false traitor wick'*, *wicked Now art thou hent*, that lov'st my lady so, *caught For whom that I have all this pain and woe, And art my blood, and to my counsel sworn, As I full oft have told thee herebeforn, And hast bej.a.ped* here Duke Theseus, *deceived, imposed upon And falsely changed hast thy name thus; I will be dead, or elles thou shalt die.

Thou shalt not love my lady Emily, But I will love her only and no mo'; For I am Palamon thy mortal foe.

And though I have no weapon in this place, But out of prison am astart* by grace, *escaped I dreade* not that either thou shalt die, *doubt Or else thou shalt not loven Emily.

Choose which thou wilt, for thou shalt not astart."

This Arcite then, with full dispiteous* heart, *wrathful When he him knew, and had his tale heard, As fierce as lion pulled out a swerd, And saide thus; "By G.o.d that sitt'th above, *N'ere it* that thou art sick, and wood for love, *were it not*

And eke that thou no weap'n hast in this place, Thou should'st never out of this grove pace, That thou ne shouldest dien of mine hand.