Geoffrey Chaucer - Geoffrey Chaucer - The Canterbury Tales (English Edition)

But mercy, lady bright, that knowest well

My thought, and seest what harm that I feel.

Consider all this, and *rue upon* my sore, *take pity on*

As wisly* as I shall for evermore *truly

Enforce my might, thy true servant to be,

And holde war alway with chastity:

That make I mine avow*, so ye me help. *vow, promise

I keepe not of armes for to yelp,* *boast

Nor ask I not to-morrow to have victory,

Nor renown in this case, nor vaine glory

Of *prize of armes*, blowing up and down, *praise for valour*

But I would have fully possessioun

Of Emily, and die in her service;

Find thou the manner how, and in what wise.

I *recke not but* it may better be *do not know whether*

To have vict'ry of them, or they of me,

So that I have my lady in mine arms.

For though so be that Mars is god of arms,

Your virtue is so great in heaven above,

That, if you list, I shall well have my love.

Thy temple will I worship evermo',

And on thine altar, where I ride or go,

I will do sacrifice, and fires bete*. *make, kindle

And if ye will not so, my lady sweet,

Then pray I you, to-morrow with a spear

That Arcita me through the hearte bear

Then reck I not, when I have lost my life,

Though that Arcita win her to his wife.

This is th' effect and end of my prayere, —

Give me my love, thou blissful lady dear."

When th' orison was done of Palamon,

His sacrifice he did, and that anon,

Full piteously, with alle circumstances,

*All tell I not as now* his observances. *although I tell not now*

But at the last the statue of Venus shook,

And made a signe, whereby that he took

That his prayer accepted was that day.

For though the signe shewed a delay,

Yet wist he well that granted was his boon;

And with glad heart he went him home full soon.

The third hour unequal <64> that Palamon

Began to Venus' temple for to gon,

Up rose the sun, and up rose Emily,

And to the temple of Dian gan hie.

Her maidens, that she thither with her lad*, *led

Th' incense, the clothes, and the remnant all

That to the sacrifice belonge shall,

The hornes full of mead, as was the guise;

There lacked nought to do her sacrifice.

Smoking* the temple full of clothes fair, *draping <65>

This Emily with hearte debonnair* *gentle

Her body wash'd with water of a well.

But how she did her rite I dare not tell;

But* it be any thing in general; *unless

And yet it were a game* to hearen all *pleasure

To him that meaneth well it were no charge:

But it is good a man to *be at large*. *do as he will*

Her bright hair combed was, untressed all.

A coronet of green oak cerriall <66>

Upon her head was set full fair and meet.

Two fires on the altar gan she bete,

And did her thinges, as men may behold

In Stace of Thebes <67>, and these bookes old.

When kindled was the fire, with piteous cheer

Unto Dian she spake as ye may hear.

"O chaste goddess of the woodes green,

To whom both heav'n and earth and sea is seen,

Queen of the realm of Pluto dark and low,

Goddess of maidens, that mine heart hast know

Full many a year, and wost* what I desire, *knowest

To keep me from the vengeance of thine ire,

That Actaeon aboughte* cruelly: *earned; suffered from

Chaste goddess, well wottest thou that I

Desire to be a maiden all my life,

Nor never will I be no love nor wife.

I am, thou wost*, yet of thy company, *knowest

A maid, and love hunting and venery*, *field sports

And for to walken in the woodes wild,

And not to be a wife, and be with child.

Nought will I know the company of man.

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

For those three formes <68> that thou hast in thee.

And Palamon, that hath such love to me,

And eke Arcite, that loveth me so sore,

This grace I pray thee withoute more,

As sende love and peace betwixt them two:

And from me turn away their heartes so,

That all their hote love, and their desire,

And all their busy torment, and their fire,

Be queint*, or turn'd into another place. *quenched

And if so be thou wilt do me no grace,

Or if my destiny be shapen so

That I shall needes have one of them two,

So send me him that most desireth me.

Behold, goddess of cleane chastity,

The bitter tears that on my cheekes fall.

Since thou art maid, and keeper of us all,

My maidenhead thou keep and well conserve,

And, while I live, a maid I will thee serve.

The fires burn upon the altar clear,

While Emily was thus in her prayere:

But suddenly she saw a sighte quaint*. *strange

For right anon one of the fire's *queint

And quick'd* again, and after that anon *went out and revived*

That other fire was queint, and all agone:

And as it queint, it made a whisteling,

As doth a brande wet in its burning.

And at the brandes end outran anon

As it were bloody droppes many one:

For which so sore aghast was Emily,

That she was well-nigh mad, and gan to cry,

For she ne wiste what it signified;

But onely for feare thus she cried,

And wept, that it was pity for to hear.

And therewithal Diana gan appear

With bow in hand, right as an hunteress,

And saide; "Daughter, stint* thine heaviness. *cease

Among the goddes high it is affirm'd,

And by eternal word writ and confirm'd,

Thou shalt be wedded unto one of tho* *those

That have for thee so muche care and woe:

But unto which of them I may not tell.

Farewell, for here I may no longer dwell.

The fires which that on mine altar brenn*, *burn

Shall thee declaren, ere that thou go henne*, *hence

Thine aventure of love, as in this case."

And with that word, the arrows in the case* *quiver

Of the goddess did clatter fast and ring,

And forth she went, and made a vanishing,

For which this Emily astonied was,

And saide; "What amounteth this, alas!

I put me under thy protection,

Diane, and in thy disposition."

And home she went anon the nexte* way. *nearest

This is th' effect, there is no more to say.

The nexte hour of Mars following this

Arcite to the temple walked is

Of fierce Mars, to do his sacrifice

With all the rites of his pagan guise.

With piteous* heart and high devotion *pious

Right thus to Mars he said his orison

"O stronge god, that in the regnes* old *realms

Of Thrace honoured art, and lord y-hold* *held

And hast in every regne, and every land

Of armes all the bridle in thine hand,

And *them fortunest as thee list devise*, *send them fortune

Accept of me my piteous sacrifice. as you please*

If so be that my youthe may deserve,

And that my might be worthy for to serve

Thy godhead, that I may be one of thine,

Then pray I thee to *rue upon my pine*, *pity my anguish*

For thilke* pain, and thilke hote fire, *that

In which thou whilom burned'st for desire

Whenne that thou usedest* the beauty *enjoyed

Of faire young Venus, fresh and free,

And haddest her in armes at thy will:

And though thee ones on a time misfill*, *were unlucky

When Vulcanus had caught thee in his las*, *net <69>

And found thee ligging* by his wife, alas! *lying

For thilke sorrow that was in thine heart,

Have ruth* as well upon my paine's smart. *pity

I am young and unconning*, as thou know'st, *ignorant, simple

And, as I trow*, with love offended most *believe

That e'er was any living creature: