¶ Sequitur pars secunda.
Whan that Arcite / to Thebes comen was
fful ofte a day / he swelte and seyde allas
Line 1356
ffor seen his lady / shal he neuere mo
And shortly / to concluden al his wo
So muche sorwe / hadde neuere creature
That is / or shal / whil þat the world may dure
Line 1360
His slepe / his mete / his drynke / is hym biraft
That lene he wexeth / and drye as is a shaft
Hise eyen holwe / and grisly to biholde
His hewe falow / and pale as Asshen colde
Line 1364
And solitarie he was / and euere allone
And waillynge al the nyght makynge his mone
And if he herde / song or Instrument
Thanne wolde he wepe / he myghte nat be stent
Line 1368
So feble eek were hise spiritz and so lowe
And chaunged so / that no man koude knowe
His speche nor his voys / though men it herde
And in his geere / for al the world he ferde
Line 1372
Nat oonly / lik the loueris maladye [folio 19b]
Of Hereos / but rather lyk Manye [¶ Mania]
Engendred / of humour malencolik
Biforn his owene Celle fantastik
Line 1376
And shortly / turned was al vp so doun
Bothe habit / and eek disposicioun
Of hym this woful louere daun Arcite
¶ What sholde I / al day of his wo endite
Line 1380
Whan he endured hadde / a yeer or two
This crueel torment and this peyne and woo
At Thebes in his contree / as I seyde
Vp on a nyght / in sleepe as he hym leyde
Line 1384
Hym thoughte / how that the wynged god Mercurie
Biforn hym stood / and bad hym to be murie
His slepy yerde / in hond he bar vprighte
An hat he werede / vp hise heris brighte
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