Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 16

Now to the temple of Diane the chaste As shortly as I can I wol me haste, To telle yow al the descripcioun.

Depeynted been the walles up and doun Of hunting and of shamfast chast.i.tee. 2055 Ther saugh I how woful Calistopee, Whan that Diane agreved was with here, Was turned from a womman til a bere, (1200) And after was she maad the lode-sterre; Thus was it peynt, I can say yow no ferre; 2060 Hir sone is eek a sterre, as men may see.

Ther saugh I Dane, y-turned til a tree, I mene nat the G.o.ddesse Diane, But Penneus doughter, which that highte Dane.

Ther saugh I Attheon an hert y-maked, 2065 For vengeaunce that he saugh Diane al naked; I saugh how that his houndes have him caught, [60: T. 2070-2106.]

And freten him, for that they knewe him naught. (1210) Yet peynted was a litel forther-moor, How Atthalante hunted the wilde boor, 2070 And Meleagre, and many another mo, For which Diane wroghte him care and wo.

Ther saugh I many another wonder storie, The whiche me list nat drawen to memorie.

This G.o.ddesse on an hert ful hye seet, 2075 With smale houndes al aboute hir feet; And undernethe hir feet she hadde a mone, Wexing it was, and sholde wanie sone. (1220) In gaude grene hir statue clothed was, With bowe in honde, and arwes in a cas. 2080 Hir eyen caste she ful lowe adoun, Ther Pluto hath his derke regioun.

A womman travailinge was hir biforn, But, for hir child so longe was unborn, Ful pitously Lucyna gan she calle, 2085 And seyde, 'help, for thou mayst best of alle.'

Wel couthe he peynten lyfly that it wroghte, With many a florin he the hewes boghte. (1230)

2058. E. Pt. Ln. Hl. to; _rest_ til; _see_ l. 2062. 2060. _All_ peynted; _see_ l. 2049. Hl. _om._ yow. 2062. Hl. Cp. Pt. Ln.

turned. 2067. E. Hn. hise; Cm. hese. 2069. E. _om._ was. 2071. E.

Hn. Meleagree. 2075. E. Cp. Pt. _ins._ wel _after_ ful.

Now been thise listes maad, and Theseus, That at his grete cost arrayed thus 2090 The temples and the theatre every del, Whan it was doon, him lyked wonder wel.

But stinte I wol of Theseus a lyte, And speke of Palamon and of Arcite.

2089. thise] E. the.

The day approcheth of hir retourninge, 2095 That everich sholde an hundred knightes bringe, The bataille to darreyne, as I yow tolde; And til Athenes, hir covenant for to holde, (1240) Hath everich of hem broght an hundred knightes Wel armed for the werre at alle rightes. 2100 And sikerly, ther trowed many a man That never, sithen that the world bigan, As for to speke of knighthod of hir hond, As fer as G.o.d hath maked see or lond, [61: T. 2107-2143.]

Nas, of so fewe, so n.o.ble a companye. 2105 For every wight that lovede chivalrye, And wolde, his thankes, han a pa.s.sant name, Hath preyed that he mighte ben of that game; (1250) And wel was him, that ther-to chosen was.

For if ther fille to-morwe swich a cas, 2110 Ye knowen wel, that every l.u.s.ty knight, That loveth paramours, and hath his might, Were it in Engelond, or elles-where, They wolde, hir thankes, wilnen to be there.

To fighte for a lady, _benedicite!_ 2115 It were a l.u.s.ty sighte for to see.

2098. E. couenantz. Hl. _om._ for. 2108. E. preyd; Hn. prayd; Hl. Cm.

preyed. 2110. E. Cp. Pt. Hl. caas.

And right so ferden they with Palamon.

With him ther wenten knightes many oon; (1260) Som wol ben armed in an habergeoun, In a brest-plat and in a light gipoun; 2120 And somme woln have a peyre plates large; And somme woln have a Pruce sheld, or a targe; Somme woln ben armed on hir legges weel, And have an ax, and somme a mace of steel.

Ther nis no newe gyse, that it nas old. 2125 Armed were they, as I have you told, Everich after his opinioun.

2120. Hl. In a; E. And in; Hn. Cm. Cp. Ln. And in a; Pt. And a.

Ther maistow seen coming with Palamoun (1270) Ligurge him-self, the grete king of Trace; Blak was his berd, and manly was his face. 2130 The cercles of his eyen in his heed, They gloweden bitwixe yelow and reed; And lyk a griffon loked he aboute, With kempe heres on his browes stoute; His limes grete, his braunes harde and stronge, 2135 His shuldres brode, his armes rounde and longe.

And as the gyse was in his contree, Ful hye up-on a char of gold stood he, (1280) With foure whyte boles in the trays.

In-stede of cote-armure over his harnays, 2140 With nayles yelwe and brighte as any gold, [62: T. 2144-2179.]

He hadde a beres skin, col-blak, for-old.

His longe heer was kembd bihinde his bak, As any ravenes fether it shoon for-blak: A wrethe of gold arm-greet, of huge wighte, 2145 Upon his heed, set ful of stones brighte, Of fyne rubies and of dyamaunts.

Aboute his char ther wenten whyte alaunts, (1290) Twenty and mo, as grete as any steer, To hunten at the leoun or the deer, 2150 And folwed him, with mosel faste y-bounde, Colers of gold, and torets fyled rounde.

An hundred lordes hadde he in his route Armed ful wel, with hertes sterne and stoute.

2132. E. Hn. bitwyxen. 2134, 5, 6. E. hise. 2141. Hn. Cm. yelwe; E.

yelewe; Hl. yolwe. 2148. E. chaar. 2152. Pt. Ln. Colers; Cp.

Coleres; Hl. Colerd; E. Hn. Colered; Cm. Colerid. E. to_u_rettes; Cp.

Pt. torettes; Hl. torettz (_better_ torets); Ln. turettes. 2154. E.

Hn. stierne.

With Arcita, in stories as men finde, 2155 The grete Emetreus, the king of Inde, Up-on a stede bay, trapped in steel, Covered in cloth of gold diapred weel, (1300) Cam ryding lyk the G.o.d of armes, Mars.

His cote-armure was of cloth of Tars, 2160 Couched with perles whyte and rounde and grete.

His sadel was of brend gold newe y-bete; A mantelet upon his shuldre hanginge Bret-ful of rubies rede, as fyr sparklinge.

His crispe heer lyk ringes was y-ronne, 2165 And that was yelow, and glitered as the sonne.

His nose was heigh, his eyen bright citryn, His lippes rounde, his colour was sangwyn, (1310) A fewe fraknes in his face y-spreynd, Betwixen yelow and somdel blak y-meynd, 2170 And as a leoun he his loking caste.

Of fyve and twenty yeer his age I caste.

His berd was wel bigonne for to springe; His voys was as a trompe thunderinge.

Up-on his heed he wered of laurer grene 2175 A gerland fresh and l.u.s.ty for to sene.

Up-on his hand he bar, for his deduyt, [63: T. 2180-2215.]

An egle tame, as eny lilie whyt. (1320) An hundred lordes hadde he with him there, Al armed, sauf hir heddes, in al hir gere, 2180 Ful richely in alle maner thinges.

For trusteth wel, that dukes, erles, kinges, Were gadered in this n.o.ble companye, For love and for encrees of chivalrye.

Aboute this king ther ran on every part 2185 Ful many a tame leoun and lepart.

And in this wyse thise lordes, alle and some, Ben on the Sonday to the citee come (1330) Aboute pryme, and in the toun alight.

2155. E. Pt. Arcite; _rest_ Arcita. 2163. E. Cm. Pt. mantel. 2164.

E. Brat-ful. 2180. Hl. _om._ al. 2186. Hl. Cp. Ln. lepart; E.

leopard.

This Theseus, this duk, this worthy knight, 2190 Whan he had broght hem in-to his citee, And inned hem, everich in his degree, He festeth hem, and dooth so greet labour To esen hem, and doon hem al honour, That yet men weneth that no mannes wit 2195 Of noon estat ne coude amenden it.

The minstralcye, the service at the feste, The grete yiftes to the moste and leste, (1340) The riche array of Theseus paleys, Ne who sat first ne last up-on the deys, 2200 What ladies fairest been or best daunsinge, Or which of hem can dauncen best and singe, Ne who most felingly speketh of love: What haukes sitten on the perche above, What houndes liggen on the floor adoun: 2205 Of al this make I now no mencioun; But al theffect, that thinketh me the beste; Now comth the poynt, and herkneth if yow leste. (1350)

2192. E. in; Pt. after; _rest_ at. 2195. E. maner. 2198. E. Hn.

meeste; Cm. Cp. meste; _rest_ most. 2205. E. Cm. Hl. in; _rest_ on.

2207. al] Hl. of. 2208. Hn. Hl. comth; _rest_ cometh.

The Sonday night, er day bigan to springe, When Palamon the larke herde singe, 2210 Although it nere nat day by houres two, Yet song the larke, and Palamon also.

With holy herte, and with an heigh corage [64: T. 2216-2251.]

He roos, to wenden on his pilgrimage Un-to the blisful Citherea benigne, 2215 I mene Venus, honurable and digne.

And in hir houre he walketh forth a pas Un-to the listes, ther hir temple was, (1360) And doun he kneleth, and with humble chere And herte soor, he seyde as ye shul here. 2220

2212. also] Hn. Cp. Pt. Ln. right tho. 2217. E. paas. 2219. E. with ful; _rest_ and with. 2220. E. and seyde in this manere.

'Faireste of faire, o lady myn, Venus, Doughter to Iove and spouse of Vulca.n.u.s, Thou glader of the mount of Citheroun, For thilke love thou haddest to Adoun, Have pitee of my bittre teres smerte, 2225 And tak myn humble preyer at thyn herte.

Allas! I ne have no langage to telle Theffectes ne the torments of myn h.e.l.le; (1370) Myn herte may myne harmes nat biwreye; I am so confus, that I can noght seye. 2230 But mercy, lady bright, that knowest weel My thought, and seest what harmes that I feel, Considere al this, and rewe up-on my sore, As wisly as I shal for evermore, Emforth my might, thy trewe servant be, 2235 And holden werre alwey with chast.i.tee; That make I myn avow, so ye me helpe.

I kepe noght of armes for to yelpe, (1380) Ne I ne axe nat to-morwe to have victorie, Ne renoun in this cas, ne veyne glorie 2240 Of pris of armes blowen up and doun, But I wolde have fully possessioun Of Emelye, and dye in thy servyse; Find thou the maner how, and in what wyse.

I recche nat, but it may bettre be, 2245 To have victorie of hem, or they of me, So that I have my lady in myne armes.

For though so be that Mars is G.o.d of armes, (1390) Your vertu is so greet in hevene above, [65: T. 2252-2287.]

That, if yow list, I shal wel have my love, 2250 Thy temple wol I wors.h.i.+pe 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, Than preye I thee, to-morwe with a spere 2255 That Arcita me thurgh the herte bere.

Thanne rekke I noght, whan I have lost my lyf, Though that Arcita winne hir to his wyf. (1400) This is theffect and ende of my preyere, Yif me my love, thou blisful lady dere.' 2260

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 circ.u.mstaunces, Al telle I noght as now his observaunces.

But atte laste the statue of Venus shook, 2265 And made a signe, wher-by that he took That his preyere accepted was that day.

For thogh the signe shewed a delay, (1410) Yet wiste he wel that graunted was his bone; And with glad herte he wente him hoom ful sone. 2270

2261. Hl. thorisoun; _rest_ the orison (orisoun). 2263. E. Cm.

circ.u.mstaunce. 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.