Geoffrey Chaucer - The Canterbury Tales

Find thou the maner how, and in what wyse.

2245

I recche nat, but it may bettre be,

To have victorie of hem, or they of me,

So that I have my lady in myne armes.

(1390)

For though so be that Mars is god of armes,

Your vertu is so greet in hevene above,

[65: T. 2252-2287.]

2250

That, if yow list, I shal wel have my love,

Thy temple wol I worshipe evermo,

And on thyn auter, wher I ryde or go,

I wol don sacrifice, and fyres bete.

And if ye wol nat so, my lady swete,

2255

Than preye I thee, to-morwe with a spere

That Arcita me thurgh the herte bere.

Thanne rekke I noght, whan I have lost my lyf,

(1400)

Though that Arcita winne hir to his wyf.

This is theffect and ende of my preyere,

2260

Yif me my love, thou blisful lady dere.'

2222. to] Hn. Hl. of. of] all but E. Cm. to. 2226. E. Cm. preyere; Hn. prayere. at] Hl. to. 2227. to] Hl. for to. 2231, 2. Cm. Hl. wel, fel; rest wele, fele. 2239. Hl. aske. Hl. Ln. to morn.

Whan thorisoun was doon of Palamon,

His sacrifice he dide, and that anon

Ful pitously, with alle circumstaunces,

Al telle I noght as now his observaunces.

2265

But atte laste the statue of Venus shook,

And made a signe, wher-by that he took

That his preyere accepted was that day.

(1410)

For thogh the signe shewed a delay,

Yet wiste he wel that graunted was his bone;

2270

And with glad herte he wente him hoom ful sone.

2261. Hl. thorisoun; rest the orison (orisoun). 2263. E. Cm. circumstaunce. 2264. E. Cm. obseruaunce.

The thridde houre inequal that Palamon

Bigan to Venus temple for to goon,

Up roos the sonne, and up roos Emelye,

And to the temple of Diane gan hye.

2275

Hir maydens, that she thider with hir ladde,

Ful redily with hem the fyr they hadde,

Thencens, the clothes, and the remenant al

(1420)

That to the sacrifyce longen shal;

The hornes fulle of meth, as was the gyse;

2280

Ther lakked noght to doon hir sacrifyse.

Smoking the temple, ful of clothes faire,

This Emelye, with herte debonaire,

Hir body wessh with water of a welle;

But how she dide hir ryte I dar nat telle,

2285

But it be any thing in general;

[66: T. 2288-2324.]

And yet it were a game to heren al;

To him that meneth wel, it were no charge:

(1430)

But it is good a man ben at his large.

Hir brighte heer was kempt, untressed al;

2290

A coroune of a grene ook cerial

Up-on hir heed was set ful fair and mete.

Two fyres on the auter gan she bete,

And dide hir thinges, as men may biholde

In Stace of Thebes, and thise bokes olde.

2295

Whan kindled was the fyr, with pitous chere

Un-to Diane she spak, as ye may here.

2274. Pt. Hl. ins. she after gan. 2276. E. ladde; rest hadde. 2279. Cp. Pt. Ln. methe; Hl. meth; E. meeth; Hn. mede. 2287. were] Hn. Cp. Ln. nere. 2289. E. kempd.

'O chaste goddesse of the wodes grene,

(1440)

To whom bothe hevene and erthe and see is sene,

Quene of the regne of Pluto derk and lowe,

2300

Goddesse of maydens, that myn herte hast knowe

Ful many a yeer, and woost what I desire,

As keep me fro thy vengeaunce and thyn ire,

That Attheon aboughte cruelly.

Chaste goddesse, wel wostow that I

2305

Desire to been a mayden al my lyf,

Ne never wol I be no love ne wyf.

I am, thou woost, yet of thy companye,

(1450)

A mayde, and love hunting and venerye,

And for to walken in the wodes wilde,

2310

And noght to been a wyf, and be with childe.

Noght wol I knowe companye of man.

Now help me, lady, sith ye may and can,

For tho thre formes that thou hast in thee.

And Palamon, that hath swich love to me,

2315

And eek Arcite, that loveth me so sore,

This grace I preye thee with-oute more,

As sende love and pees bitwixe hem two;

(1460)

And fro me turne awey hir hertes so,

That al hir hote love, and hir desyr,

2320

And al hir bisy torment, and hir fyr

Be queynt, or turned in another place;

And if so be thou wolt not do me grace,

[67: T. 2325-2360.]

Or if my destinee be shapen so,

That I shal nedes have oon of hem two,

2325

As sende me him that most desireth me.

Bihold, goddesse of clene chastitee,

The bittre teres that on my chekes falle.

(1470)

Sin thou are mayde, and keper of us alle,

My maydenhede thou kepe and wel conserve,

2330

And whyl I live a mayde, I wol thee serve.'

2303. Hl. Atheon. cruelly] Hl. trewely. 2311. E. Hl. ins. the after knowe. 2317. Hn. As; rest And; see l. 2325. 2322. not do me] E. Hl. Pt. do me no. 2323. E. And; rest Or. 2328. E. Cm. Cp. kepere.

The fyres brenne up-on the auter clere,

Whyl Emelye was thus in hir preyere;

But sodeinly she saugh a sighte queynte,

For right anon oon of the fyres queynte,

2335

And quiked agayn, and after that anon

That other fyr was queynt, and al agon;

And as it queynte, it made a whistelinge,

(1480)

As doon thise wete brondes in hir brenninge,

And at the brondes ende out-ran anoon

2340

As it were blody dropes many oon;

For which so sore agast was Emelye,

That she was wel ny mad, and gan to crye,

For she ne wiste what it signifyed;

But only for the fere thus hath she cryed,

2345

And weep, that it was pitee for to here.

And ther-with-al Diane gan appere,

With bowe in hond, right as an hunteresse,

(1490)

And seyde: 'Doghter, stint thyn hevinesse.

Among the goddes hye it is affermed,

2350

And by eterne word write and confermed,

Thou shalt ben wedded un-to oon of tho

That han for thee so muchel care and wo;

But un-to which of hem I may nat telle.

Farwel, for I ne may no lenger dwelle.

2355

The fyres which that on myn auter brenne

Shul thee declaren, er that thou go henne,

Thyn aventure of love, as in this cas.'

(1500)

And with that word, the arwes in the cas

[68: T. 2361-2398.]

Of the goddesse clateren faste and ringe,

2360

And forth she wente, and made a vanisshinge;

For which this Emelye astoned was,

And seyde, 'What amounteth this, allas!

I putte me in thy proteccioun,

Diane, and in thy disposicioun.'

2365

And hoom she gooth anon the nexte weye.

This is theffect, ther is namore to seye.

2337. E. Hn. Cp. whistlynge. 2338. Hl. ( only ) As doth a wete brond in his. 2344. Pt Hl. om. hath. 2350. Hl. write; Pt. writt; rest writen. 2356. E. Cp. Hl. declare. 2358. E. caas.

The nexte houre of Mars folwinge this,

(1510)

Arcite un-to the temple walked is

Of fierse Mars, to doon his sacrifyse,

2370

With alle the rytes of his payen wyse.

With pitous herte and heigh devocioun,

Right thus to Mars he seyde his orisoun:

2369. E. Hn. fierse; Cm. ferse; Hl. fyry.

'O stronge god, that in the regnes colde

Of Trace honoured art, and lord y-holde,

2375

And hast in every regne and every lond

Of armes al the brydel in thyn hond,

And hem fortunest as thee list devyse,

(1520)

Accept of me my pitous sacrifyse.

If so be that my youthe may deserve,

2380

And that my might be worthy for to serve

Thy godhede, that I may been oon of thyne,

Than preye I thee to rewe up-on my pyne.

For thilke peyne, and thilke hote fyr,