Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Knight's Tale - Part Three
=Explicit secunda pars.
Sequitur pars tercia.
= I trowe men wolde deme it necligence, If I foryete to tellen the dispence Of Theseus, that goth so bisily To maken up the listes royally;
That swich a noble theatre as it was, 1885 I dar wel seyn that in this world ther nas.
The circuit a myle was aboute, Walled of stoon, and diched al with-oute.
(1030) Round was the shap, in maner of compas, Ful of degrees, the heighte of sixty pas, 1890 [55: T.
1893-1928. ] That, whan a man was set on o degree, He letted nat his felawe for to see.
1886. Hl.
that; _rest om.
_ 1889. E.
compaas.
1892. E.
lette; Cm.
lettyth; _rest_ letted.
Est-ward ther stood a gate of marbel whyt, West-ward, right swich another in the opposit.
And shortly to concluden, swich a place 1895 Was noon in erthe, as in so litel space;
For in the lond ther nas no crafty man, That geometrie or ars-metrik can, (1040) Ne purtreyour, ne kerver of images, That Theseus ne yaf him mete and wages 1900 The theatre for to maken and devyse.
And for to doon his ryte and sacrifyse, He est-ward hath, up-on the gate above, In worship of Venus, goddesse of love, Don make an auter and an oratorie; 1905 And west-ward, in the minde and in memorie Of Mars, he maked hath right swich another, That coste largely of gold a fother.
(1050) And north-ward, in a touret on the wal, Of alabastre whyt and reed coral 1910 An oratorie riche for to see, In worship of Dyane of chastitee, Hath Theseus don wroght in noble wyse.
1893. E.
Hn.
Hl.
marbul.
1899. Hl.
Hn.
Cp.
purtreyour; E. portreitour.
1900. Cp.
Pt.
Cm.
him; Hl.
hem; _rest om.
_ 1906. _So_ Hl.
; E.
Hn.
Cm.
(_wrongly_) And on the west-ward in memorie.
But yet hadde I foryeten to devyse The noble kerving, and the portreitures, 1915 The shap, the countenaunce, and the figures, That weren in thise oratories three.
First in the temple of Venus maystow see (1060) Wroght on the wal, ful pitous to biholde, The broken slepes, and the sykes colde; 1920 The sacred teres, and the waymenting;
The fyry strokes of the desiring, That loves servaunts in this lyf enduren;
The othes, that hir covenants assuren;
Plesaunce and hope, desyr, fool-hardinesse, 1925 Beautee and youthe, bauderie, richesse, [56: T.
1929-1963. ] Charmes and force, lesinges, flaterye, Dispense, bisynesse, and Ielousye, (1070) That wered of yelwe goldes a gerland, And a cokkow sitting on hir hand; 1930 Festes, instruments, caroles, daunces, Lust and array, and alle the circumstaunces Of love, whiche that I rekne and rekne shal, By ordre weren peynted on the wal, And mo than I can make of mencioun.
1935 For soothly, al the mount of Citheroun, Ther Venus hath hir principal dwelling, Was shewed on the wal in portreying, (1080) With al the gardin, and the lustinesse.
Nat was foryeten the porter Ydelnesse, 1940 Ne Narcisus the faire of yore agon, Ne yet the folye of king Salamon, Ne yet the grete strengthe of Hercules— Thenchauntements of Medea and Circes— Ne of Turnus, with the hardy fiers corage, 1945 The riche Cresus, caytif in servage.
Thus may ye seen that wisdom ne richesse, Beautee ne sleighte, strengthe, ne hardinesse, (1090) Ne may with Venus holde champartye;
For as hir list the world than may she gye.
1950 Lo, alle thise folk so caught were in hir las, Til they for wo ful ofte seyde ‘allas!
’ Suffyceth heer ensamples oon or two, And though I coude rekne a thousand mo.
1922. E.
Hl.
and; _rest_ of.
1928. E.
Hn.
Cp.
Ialousye.
1929. Hl.
guldes.
1930. Cp.
Ln.
Cm.
his.
1933. Cm.
I reken and rekne schal;
Hn.
Hl.
I rekned and rekne shal; E. I rekned haue and rekne shal (_too long_).
1942. E.
Cm.
And; _rest_ Ne.
1943. E.
Cm.
And eek; Hn.
Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
Ne yet; Hl.
Ne eek.
E.
Hn.
Cm.
Ercules.
1948. E.
Hn.
Pt.
_om.
_ ne.
The statue of Venus, glorious for to see, 1955 Was naked fleting in the large see, And fro the navele doun all covered was With wawes grene, and brighte as any glas.
(1100) A citole in hir right hand hadde she, And on hir heed, ful semely for to see, 1960 A rose gerland, fresh and wel smellinge;
[57: T.
1964-1997. ] Above hir heed hir dowves flikeringe.
Biforn hir stood hir sone Cupido, Up-on his shuldres winges hadde he two;
And blind he was, as it is ofte sene; 1965 A bowe he bar and arwes brighte and kene.
1965. E.
it was; _rest_ it is.
Why sholde I noght as wel eek telle yow al The portreiture, that was up-on the wal (1110) With-inne the temple of mighty Mars the rede?
Al peynted was the wal, in lengthe and brede, 1970 Lyk to the estres of the grisly place, That highte the grete temple of Mars in Trace, In thilke colde frosty regioun, Ther-as Mars hath his sovereyn mansioun.
First on the wal was peynted a foreste, 1975 In which ther dwelleth neither man ne beste, With knotty knarry bareyn treës olde Of stubbes sharpe and hidous to biholde; (1120) In which ther ran a rumbel and a swough, As though a storm sholde bresten every bough: 1980 And downward from an hille, under a bente, Ther stood the temple of Mars armipotente, Wroght al of burned steel, of which thentree Was long and streit, and gastly for to see.
And ther-out cam a rage and such a vese, 1985 That it made al the gates for to rese.
The northren light in at the dores shoon, For windowe on the wal ne was ther noon, (1130) Thurgh which men mighten any light discerne.
The dores were alle of adamant eterne, 1990 Y-clenched overthwart and endelong With iren tough; and, for to make it strong, Every piler, the temple to sustene, Was tonne-greet, of iren bright and shene.
1975. Hl.
foreste; E. forest.
1976. Hl.
beste; E. best.
1977. E.
Hn.
Cm.
Cp.
bareyne.
1979. E.
rumbel; Cm.
ru_m_bil; Hn.
rombul; Cp.
Ln.
rombel; Hl.
swymbul.
E.
Pt.
and; _rest_ in.
1980. Ln.
berste;
Hl.
berst.
1981. Hn.
Hl.
on (_for_ from).
1983. E.
Hn.
the entree.
1985. Cp.
vese; Cm.
wese; E. Hn.
Ln.
veze; Hl.
prise.
1986. E.
Hn.
Cm.
gate.
Hl.
rise.
1990. E.
Hn.
Pt.
dore was.
Ther saugh I first the derke imagining 1995 [58: T.
1998-2033. ] Of felonye, and al the compassing;
The cruel ire, reed as any glede;
The pykepurs, and eek the pale drede; (1140) The smyler with the knyf under the cloke;
The shepne brenning with the blake smoke; 2000 The treson of the mordring in the bedde;
The open werre, with woundes al bi-bledde;
Contek, with blody knyf and sharp manace;
Al ful of chirking was that sory place.
The sleere of him-self yet saugh I ther, 2005 His herte-blood hath bathed al his heer;
The nayl y-driven in the shode a-night;
The colde deeth, with mouth gaping up-right.
(1150) Amiddes of the temple sat meschaunce, With disconfort and sory contenaunce.
2010 Yet saugh I woodnesse laughing in his rage;
Armed compleint, out-hees, and fiers outrage.
The careyne in the bush, with throte y-corve: A thousand slayn, and nat of qualm y-storve;
The tiraunt, with the prey by force y-raft; 2015 The toun destroyed, ther was no-thing laft.
Yet saugh I brent the shippes hoppesteres;
The hunte strangled with the wilde beres: (1160) The sowe freten the child right in the cradel;
The cook y-scalded, for al his longe ladel.
2020 Noght was foryeten by the infortune of Marte;
The carter over-riden with his carte, Under the wheel ful lowe he lay adoun.
Ther were also, of Martes divisioun, The barbour, and the bocher, and the smith 2025 That forgeth sharpe swerdes on his stith.
And al above, depeynted in a tour, Saw I conquest sittinge in greet honour, (1170) With the sharpe swerde over his heed Hanginge by a sotil twynes threed.
2030 Depeynted was the slaughtre of Iulius, [59: T.
2034-2069. ] Of grete Nero, and of Antonius;
Al be that thilke tyme they were unborn, Yet was hir deeth depeynted ther-biforn, By manasinge of Mars, right by figure; 2035 So was it shewed in that portreiture As is depeynted in the sterres above, Who shal be slayn or elles deed for love.
(1180) Suffyceth oon ensample in stories olde, I may not rekne hem alle, thogh I wolde.
2040 1995. E.
Hn.
dirke.
1996. E.
Cm.
on.
al. 1998. E.
Cm.
_om.
_ eek.
2012. Cm.
outes.
2013. E.
Cp.
Ln.
busk; Cm.
bosch; Hn.
Pt.
bussh.
2014. E.
_ins.
_ oon _after_ nat.
2021. Hl.
_om.
_ by.
2025. E.
Cm.
laborer; _rest_ barbour.
2029. Pt.
Ln.
swerde; _rest_ swerd.
2030. E.
soutil; Hn.
Cp.
Ln.
subtil.
2037. Hl.
sterres; E. Pt.
certres;
_rest_ sertres.
The statue of Mars up-on a carte stood, Armed, and loked grim as he were wood;
And over his he’ed ther shynen two figures Of sterres, that been cleped in scriptures, That oon Puella, that other Rubeus.
2045 This god of armes was arrayed thus:— A wolf ther stood biforn him at his feet With eyen rede, and of a man he eet; (1190) With sotil pencel was depeynt this storie, In redoutinge of Mars and of his glorie.
2050 2049. Cm.
sotyl; E. soutil.
_All_ depeynted (_badly_); _see_ C. 950. 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 chastitee.
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 goddesse 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 goddesse 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 God hath maked see or lond, [61: T.
2107-2143. ] Nas, of so fewe, so noble a companye.
2105 For every wight that lovede chivalrye, And wolde, his thankes, han a passant 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 lusty 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 lusty 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;
