Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Knight's Tale - Part Two
=Explicit prima Pars.
Sequitur pars secunda.
= Whan that Arcite to Thebes comen was, 1355 Ful ofte a day he swelte and seyde ‘allas,’ For seen his lady shal he never-mo.
And shortly to concluden al his wo, (500) So muche sorwe had never creature That is, or shal, whyl that the world may dure.
1360 His sleep, his mete, his drink is him biraft, That lene he wex, and drye as is a shaft.
His eyen holwe, and grisly to biholde;
His hewe falwe, and pale as asshen colde, And solitarie he was, and ever allone, 1365 And wailling al the night, making his mone.
And if he herde song or instrument, Then wolde he wepe, he mighte nat be stent; (510) So feble eek were his spirits, and so lowe, And chaunged so, that no man coude knowe 1370 His speche nor his vois, though men it herde.
And in his gere, for al the world he ferde Nat oonly lyk the loveres maladye Of Hereos, but rather lyk manye Engendred of humour malencolyk, 1375 Biforen, in his celle fantastyk.
And shortly, turned was al up-so-doun Bothe habit and eek disposicioun (520) Of him, this woful lovere daun Arcite.
1359. Hl.
Pt.
Ln.
had; _rest_ hadde.
1362. E.
Pt.
wexeth.
1364. Hi.
Cm.
Cp.
falwe; E. Hn.
falow.
1369. E.
spiritz.
1376. E.
Biforn his owene; Cm.
Be-forn hese owene; Hn.
Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
Biforn his; Hl.
Beforne in his.
What sholde I al-day of his wo endyte?
1380 Whan he endured hadde a yeer or two This cruel torment, and this peyne and wo, At Thebes, in his contree, as I seyde, Up-on a night, in sleep as he him leyde, [41: T.
1387-1424. ] Him thoughte how that the winged god Mercurie 1385 Biforn him stood, and bad him to be murye.
His slepy yerde in hond he bar uprighte;
An hat he werede up-on his heres brighte.
(530) Arrayed was this god (as he took keep) As he was whan that Argus took his sleep; 1390 And seyde him thus: ‘To Athenes shaltou wende;
Ther is thee shapen of thy wo an ende.
’ And with that word Arcite wook and sterte.
‘Now trewely, how sore that me smerte,’ Quod he, ‘to Athenes right now wol I fare; 1395 Ne for the drede of deeth shal I nat spare To see my lady, that I love and serve;
In hir presence I recche nat to sterve.
’ (540) 1382. E.
crueel.
1388. E.
vp (_perhaps rightly_); _rest_ vp-on.
1389. E.
I; _rest_ he.
And with that word he caughte a greet mirour, And saugh that chaunged was al his colour, 1400 And saugh his visage al in another kinde.
And right anoon it ran him in his minde, That, sith his face was so disfigured Of maladye, the which he hadde endured, He mighte wel, if that he bar him lowe, 1405 Live in Athenes ever-more unknowe, And seen his lady wel ny day by day.
And right anon he chaunged his array, (550) And cladde him as a povre laborer, And al allone, save oonly a squyer, 1410 That knew his privetee and al his cas, Which was disgysed povrely, as he was, To Athenes is he goon the nexte way.
And to the court he wente up-on a day, And at the gate he profreth his servyse, 1415 To drugge and drawe, what so men wol devyse.
And shortly of this matere for to seyn, He fil in office with a chamberleyn, (560) The which that dwelling was with Emelye.
For he was wys, and coude soon aspye 1420 Of every servaunt, which that serveth here.
Wel coude he hewen wode, and water bere, [42: T.
1425-1461. ] For he was yong and mighty for the nones, And ther-to be was strong and big of bones To doon that any wight can him devyse.
1425 A yeer or two he was in this servyse, Page of the chambre of Emelye the brighte;
And ‘Philostrate’ he seide that he highte.
(570) But half so wel biloved a man as he Ne was ther never in court, of his degree; 1430 He was so gentil of condicioun, That thurghout al the court was his renoun.
They seyden, that it were a charitee That Theseus wolde enhauncen his degree, And putten him in worshipful servyse, 1435 Ther as he mighte his vertu excercyse.
And thus, with-inne a whyle, his name is spronge Bothe of his dedes, and his goode tonge, (580) That Theseus hath taken him so neer That of his chambre he made him a squyer, 1440 And yaf him gold to mayntene his degree;
And eek men broghte him out of his contree From yeer to yeer, ful prively, his rente;
But honestly and slyly he it spente, That no man wondred how that he it hadde.
1445 And three yeer in this wyse his lyf he ladde, And bar him so in pees and eek in werre, Ther nas no man that Theseus hath derre.
(590) And in this blisse lete I now Arcite, And speke I wol of Palamon a lyte.
1450 1424. E.
Cm.
long; _rest_ strong.
1431. E.
Hl.
_ins.
_ his _after_ of.
1441. E.
Hn.
Cp.
gaf.
In derknesse and horrible and strong prisoun This seven yeer hath seten Palamoun, Forpyned, what for wo and for distresse;
Who feleth double soor and hevinesse But Palamon?
that love destreyneth so, 1455 That wood out of his wit he gooth for wo;
And eek therto he is a prisoner Perpetuelly, noght oonly for a yeer.
(600) Who coude ryme in English proprely [43: T.
1462-1497. ] His martirdom?
for sothe, it am nat I; 1460 Therefore I passe as lightly as I may.
1454. E.
Hn.
Pt.
soor; Cp.
Ln.
sore; Cm.
Hl.
sorwe.
E.
_om.
_ and.
It fel that in the seventhe yeer, in May, The thridde night, (as olde bokes seyn, That al this storie tellen more pleyn,) Were it by aventure or destinee, 1465 (As, whan a thing is shapen, it shal be,) That, sone after the midnight, Palamoun, By helping of a freend, brak his prisoun, (610) And fleeth the citee, faste as he may go;
For he had yive his gayler drinke so 1470 Of a clarree, maad of a certeyn wyn, With nercotikes and opie of Thebes fyn, That al that night, thogh that men wolde him shake, The gayler sleep, he mighte nat awake;
And thus he fleeth as faste as ever he may.
1475 The night was short, and faste by the day, That nedes-cost he moste him-selven hyde, And til a grove, faste ther besyde, (620) With dredful foot than stalketh Palamoun.
For shortly, this was his opinioun, 1480 That in that grove he wolde him hyde al day, And in the night than wolde he take his way To Thebes-ward, his freendes for to preye On Theseus to helpe him to werreye;
And shortly, outher he wolde lese his lyf, 1485 Or winnen Emelye un-to his wyf;
This is theffect and his entente pleyn.
1470. Hl.
ȝiue; E. yeue.
1472. E.
Of; _rest_ With.
1477. E.
moot; _rest_ moste, most, muste.
1479. E.
Hn.
Cm.
thanne; _rest_ than.
Now wol I torne un-to Arcite ageyn, (630) That litel wiste how ny that was his care, Til that fortune had broght him in the snare.
1490 1488. E.
Hn.
Ln.
to; _rest_ vn-to.
The bisy larke, messager of day, Saluëth in hir song the morwe gray;
And fyry Phebus ryseth up so brighte, That al the orient laugheth of the lighte, And with his stremes dryeth in the greves 1495 [44: T.
1498-1532. ] The silver dropes, hanging on the leves.
And Arcite, that is in the court royal With Theseus, his squyer principal, (640) Is risen, and loketh on the myrie day.
And, for to doon his observaunce to May, 1500 Remembring on the poynt of his desyr, He on a courser, sterting as the fyr, Is riden in-to the feeldes, him to pleye, Out of the court, were it a myle or tweye;
And to the grove, of which that I yow tolde, 1505 By aventure, his wey he gan to holde, To maken him a gerland of the greves, Were it of wodebinde or hawethorn-leves, (650) And loude he song ageyn the sonne shene: ‘May, with alle thy floures and thy grene, 1510 Wel-come be thou, faire fresshe May, I hope that I som grene gete may.
’ And from his courser, with a lusty herte, In-to the grove ful hastily he sterte, And in a path he rometh up and doun, 1515 Ther-as, by aventure, this Palamoun Was in a bush, that no man mighte him see, For sore afered of his deeth was he.
(660) No-thing ne knew he that it was Arcite: God wot he wolde have trowed it ful lyte.
1520 But sooth is seyd, gon sithen many yeres, That ‘feeld hath eyen, and the wode hath eres.
’ It is ful fair a man to bere him evene, For al-day meteth men at unset stevene.
Ful litel woot Arcite of his felawe, 1525 That was so ny to herknen al his sawe, For in the bush he sitteth now ful stille.
1491. day] Hl.
May.
1495. E.
hise.
1497. Hl.
Arcite; _rest_ Arcita.
1502. E.
Hn.
Cm.
a; _rest_ his.
Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
Hl.
stertyng;
E.
Hn.
startlynge; Cm.
stertelynge.
1511. Hl.
wel faire; _rest om.
_ wel.
1512. E.
Hn.
Cm.
Hl.
In; _rest_ I. 1514. E.
a; _rest_ the.
1518. Hn.
Hl.
afered; Cm.
ofered; _rest_ aferd.
E.
(_alone_) _ins.
_ thanne _bef.
_ was.
1521. Hl.
Pt.
goon; Cm.
Ln.
gon; E. Hn.
Cp.
go.
1526. E.
Hn.
al; _rest_ of.
Whan that Arcite had romed al his fille, (670) And songen al the roundel lustily, In-to a studie he fil sodeynly, 1530 [45: T.
1533-1567. ] As doon thise loveres in hir queynte geres, Now in the croppe, now doun in the breres, Now up, now doun, as boket in a welle.
Right as the Friday, soothly for to telle, Now it shyneth, now it reyneth faste, 1535 Right so can gery Venus overcaste The hertes of hir folk; right as hir day Is gerful, right so chaungeth she array.
(680) Selde is the Friday al the wyke y-lyke.
1530. E.
fil al: _rest om.
_ al. 1532. E.
Hn.
Cm.
crop; Cp.
Hl.
Pt.
croppe.
1536. E.
Hn.
Cm.
kan; _rest_ gan.
1538. E.
gereful; Cp.
geerful; Hl.
grisful; _rest_ gerful.
1539. Hl.
wyke; Hn.
Cp.
wike;
Pt.
Ln.
weke; Cm.
wouke; E. wowke.
Whan that Arcite had songe, he gan to syke, 1540 And sette him doun with-outen any more: ‘Alas!
’ quod he, ‘that day that I was bore!
How longe, Iuno, thurgh thy crueltee, Woltow werreyen Thebes the citee?
Allas!
y-broght is to confusioun 1545 The blood royal of Cadme and Amphioun;
Of Cadmus, which that was the firste man That Thebes bulte, or first the toun bigan, 690 And of the citee first was crouned king, Of his linage am I, and his of-spring 1550 By verray ligne, as of the stok royal: And now I am so caitif and so thral, That he, that is my mortal enemy, I serve him as his squyer povrely.
And yet doth Iuno me wel more shame, 1555 For I dar noght biknowe myn owne name;
But ther-as I was wont to highte Arcite, Now highte I Philostrate, noght worth a myte.
700 Allas!
thou felle Mars, allas!
Iuno, Thus hath your ire our kinrede al fordo, 1560 Save only me, and wrecched Palamoun, That Theseus martyreth in prisoun.
And over al this, to sleen me utterly, Love hath his fyry dart so brenningly Y-stiked thurgh my trewe careful herte, 1565 [46: T.
1568-1602. ] That shapen was my deeth erst than my sherte.
Ye sleen me with your eyen, Emelye;
Ye been the cause wherfor that I dye.
(710) Of al the remenant of myn other care Ne sette I nat the mountaunce of a tare, 1570 So that I coude don aught to your plesaunce!
’ And with that word he fil doun in a traunce A longe tyme; and after he up-sterte.
1551. Cm.
Pt.
Hl.
lyne.
1556. Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
Hl.
owne; E. owene.
1557. highte] Hl.
hote.
1560. E.
kynrede; _rest_ lynage (lignage).
1563. Hl.
vtterly; E. outrely.
1573. _So_ E. ; _rest_ afterward (_for_ after).
Hl.
_om_ he.
This Palamoun, that thoughte that thurgh his herte He felte a cold swerd sodeynliche glyde, 1575 For ire he quook, no lenger wolde he byde.
And whan that he had herd Arcites tale, As he were wood, with face deed and pale, (720) He sterte him up out of the buskes thikke, And seyde: ‘Arcite, false traitour wikke, 1580 Now artow hent, that lovest my lady so, For whom that I have al this peyne and wo, And art my blood, and to my counseil sworn, As I ful ofte have told thee heer-biforn, And hast by-iaped here duk Theseus, 1585 And falsly chaunged hast thy name thus;
I wol be deed, or elles thou shalt dye.
Thou shalt nat love my lady Emelye, (730) But I wol love hir only, and namo;
For I am Palamoun, thy mortal fo.
1590 And though that I no wepne have in this place, But out of prison am astert by grace, I drede noght that outher thou shalt dye, Or thou ne shalt nat loven Emelye.
Chees which thou wilt, for thou shalt nat asterte.
’ 1595 1579. Hl.
bussches; Cm.
boschis; Ln.
boskes.
1581. E.
Hn.
artow;
_rest_ art thou.
1584. told] E. Cm.
seyd.
1589. E.
Hn.
namo; Hl.
Cm.
no mo.
1595. E.
Hn.
wolt.
Hl.
for; _rest_ or.
This Arcitë, with ful despitous herte, Whan he him knew, and hadde his tale herd, As fiers as leoun, pulled out a swerd, (740) And seyde thus: ‘by God that sit above, Nere it that thou art sik, and wood for love, 1600 [47: T.
1603-1639. ] And eek that thou no wepne hast in this place, Thou sholdest never out of this grove pace, That thou ne sholdest dyen of myn hond.
For I defye the seurtee and the bond Which that thou seyst that I have maad to thee.
1605 What, verray fool, think wel that love is free, And I wol love hir, maugre al thy might!
But, for as muche thou art a worthy knight, (750) And wilnest to darreyne hir by batayle, Have heer my trouthe, to-morwe I wol nat fayle, 1610 With-outen witing of any other wight, That here I wol be founden as a knight, And bringen harneys right y-nough for thee;
And chees the beste, and leve the worste for me.
And mete and drinke this night wol I bringe 1615 Y-nough for thee, and clothes for thy beddinge.
And, if so be that thou my lady winne, And slee me in this wode ther I am inne, (760) Thou mayst wel have thy lady, as for me.
’ This Palamon answerde: ‘I graunte it thee.
’ 1620 And thus they been departed til a-morwe, When ech of hem had leyd his feith to borwe.
1598. E.
Hn.
his; _rest_ a. 1599. E.
sit; Cm.
set; _rest_ sitteth.
1604. Hl.
seurte; Cp.
sewrte; E. seurete; Hn.
seuretee.
1609. Cp.
derreyne; Hl.
dereyne.
1614. Hn.
chees; Cm.
Hl.
ches; _rest_ chese.
O Cupide, out of alle charitee!
O regne, that wolt no felawe have with thee!
Ful sooth is seyd, that love ne lordshipe 1625 Wol noght, his thankes, have no felaweshipe;
Wel finden that Arcite and Palamoun.
Arcite is riden anon un-to the toun, (770) And on the morwe, er it were dayes light, Ful prively two harneys hath he dight, 1630 Bothe suffisaunt and mete to darreyne The bataille in the feeld bitwix hem tweyne.
And on his hors, allone as he was born, He carieth al this harneys him biforn;
And in the grove, at tyme and place y-set, 1635 This Arcite and this Palamon ben met.
Tho chaungen gan the colour in hir face;
[48: T.
1640-1675. ] Right as the hunter in the regne of Trace, (780) That stondeth at the gappe with a spere, Whan hunted is the leoun or the bere, 1640 And hereth him come russhing in the greves, And breketh bothe bowes and the leves, And thinketh, ‘heer cometh my mortel enemy, With-oute faile, he moot be deed, or I;
