The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[PART II. No gap in the MS.]

Whan þat arcite to Thebes comen was fful ofte a day he swelte and saide allas Line 1356 ffor seen his lady schal he neuere mo And schortly to concluden al his wo So mochel sorwe hadde neuer creature That is or schal whil þat þe world may dure Line 1360 His sleep . his mete . his drink is him by-raft That lene he wex and drye as is a schaft His yghen holwe grisly to biholde His hewe falwe and pale as ayssche colde Line 1364 And solitarie he was and euer allone And waylyng al þe night makyng his mone [folio 20a] And if he herde song or instrument Than wolde he weepe he mighte nought be stent Line 1368 So feble were his spiritz and he lowe And chaunged so þat no man couþe knowe His speche noþer his voys þough men it herde And in his gere for al þe world he ferde / Line 1372 Not comly lyk to louers maladye Of heres but raþer lik manye Engendred of humour malencolik Biforn his celle fantastik Line 1376 And schortly torned was al vp and doun Boþe habite and disposicioun Of him þis woful louere daun arcite What scholde I alday of his woo endite Line 1380 Whan he endured hadde a ȝeer or tuo This cruel torment and þis peyne and woo At Thebes in his contre as I seyde Vpon a night in sleep as he him leyde Line 1384 Him þoughte þat þe wengede god mercurie Biforn him stood and bad him to be merie His sleepy ȝerde in honde he bar vpright An hatte he wered vppon his heeres bright Line 1388

Line 1388 Arrayed was þis god as he took keepe As he was whan þat argus took his sleepe And seyde him þus to Athenes schalt þou wende Ther is þe schapen of þi wo an ende Line 1392 And with þat word arcite wook and sterte Now trewely how sore þat me smerte Quod he to Athenes right now wol I fare Ne for þe drede of deþ schal I nought spare Line 1396 To see my lady þat I loue and serue / In hire presence I ne recche nouȝt to sterue / And with þat word he caughte a gret mirour And saugh þat chaunged was al his colour Line 1400 And saugh his visage al in anoþer kinde And right anon it ran him in his mynde [folio 20b] Than siþen his face was so disfigured Of maladie þe which he hadde endured Line 1404 He mighte wel if þat he bar him lowe Lyue in Athenes eueremore vnknowe / And seen his lady wel neigh day by day And right anon he changed his array Line 1408 And cladde him as a poure laborer And al allone saf oonly a squier That knew his priuete and al þe caas Which was desgised pouerly as he was Line 1412 To Athenes is he gon þe nexte way And to þe courte he wente vpon a day And atte gate he profred his seruise To drugge and drawe what so men wol deuise Line 1416 And schortly of þis matier for to sein He fille in office with a chamburlein / The which þat was dwellyng with Emelye ffor he was wys and sone couþe aspye Line 1420 Of euery seruant which þat serueþ here Wel couþe he hewen woode and water bere ffor he was yong and mighty for þe nones And þerto he was strong and bigge of bones Line 1424

Line 1424 To doon þat eny wight him can deuyse A yeer or tuo he was in þis seruise Page of þe Chambre of Emelye þe brighte And Philostrat he seyde þat he highte Line 1428 ¶ But half so wel byloued aman as he Ne was þer neuer in court of his degre He was so gentil of condicioun That þurgh out al the court was his renoun Line 1432 Thei seide þat it were a charite That Theseus wolde enhaunce his degre And putten him in worschipful seruise Ther þat he might his vertu excercise Line 1436 And þus withinne a while his name is spronge Boþe of his deedes and of his goode tonge [folio 21a] That Theseus haþ taken him so neere That of his Chambre he made him a squiere Line 1440 And gaf him golde to mayntene his degre And eek men brought him out of his contre ffro ȝeer to ȝeer ful priuily his rente But honestly and sleighly he it spente Line 1444 That no man wondred how þat he it hadde And þre ȝeer in þis wise his lif he ladde And bar him so in pees and eek in werre Ther was no man þat Theseus haþ derre Line 1448 And in þis blisse lete I now arcite And speke I wol of Palamon alite ¶ In derknesse and horrible and strong prison This seuene ȝeer haþ seten Palamon Line 1452 fforpyned what for woo and for distresse Who feleth double sore and heuynesse But Palamon þat loue drencheþ so / That wood out of his wit he goþ for wo Line 1456 And eek þer to he is a prisoner Perpetuelly not oonly for a ȝeer Who couþe ryme in englissh propurly His martirdom for soþe it am not I Line 1460

Line 1460 Ther fore I passe als lightly as I may ¶ It felle þat in þe seuenþe ȝer of may The þridde night as olde bokes sein / That als þis storie telleþ more plein Line 1464 Were it by auenture or destinee As whan a þing is schape it schal be That sone after þe mydnyght Palamon By helpyng of a frende brak prison Line 1468 And fleþ þe cite faste as he may goo ffor hadde yeue his gailler drunke soo Of a clarre maad of a certeyn wyn With nercotiks and opie of Thebes fyn Line 1472 That al þat night þough þat men wolde him schake Tbe gailler sleep he mighte not awake [folio 21b] And þus he fleeth as fast as euer he may The night was schort and faste by þe day Line 1476 That needes cost he most himseluen hyde And til a groue faste þer bisyde With dredful foot þan stalkeþ Palamon ffor schortly þis was his opinion Line 1480 That in þat groue he wolde him hide alday And in þe night þan wolde he take his way To Thebes-ward his frendes for to pray On Theseus to helpe him to werray Line 1484 And schortly ouþer he wolde leese his lif Or wynnen Emely to his louely wif / This is þeffecte and his entente playn ¶ Now wol I torne vnto arcite agayn Line 1488 That litel wiste how neih þat was his care Til þat fortune hadde kaught him in his snare The besy larke messanger of day Salueth in hir song þe morwe gray Line 1492 And fyry phebus riseþ vp so bright That al þe orient laugheth of þe light And with his streemes drieth in þe greues The seluir dropes hangyng in þe leeues Line 1496

Line 1496 And Arcita in þe court roial Wiþ Theseus his squier principal Is rysen and lokeþ on þe mery day And for to doon his obseruance to may Line 1500 Remembryng on þe poynt of his desir He on his courser stertyng as þe fir Is riden in to þe feeldes him to pleye Out of þe court were it a myle or tweye Line 1504 And to þe groue of which þat I ȝou tolde By auenture his weye he gan to holde / To maken him a garland of þe greues Were it of woodebynde or hawethorne leeues Line 1508 And loude he song aȝein þe sonne scheene / May with all þi floures whit and grene [folio 22a] Welcome be þou faire freisshe may I hope þat I som grene gete may Line 1512 And from his courser with a lusty herte In to þe groue ful hastily he sterte And in a path he rometh vp and doun Ther as by auenture of þis Palamon Line 1516 Was in a busshe þat no man might him see fful sore aferd of his deth was he No þing ne knewe he þat it was arcite God wot he wolde haue trowed it ful lite Line 1520 But soþ is seide go siþþen many ȝeeres That feeld haþ yhen and þe woode haþ eeres It is ful fair a man to bere him euene / ffor alday meeteþ men at vnsett steuene Line 1524 fful litel woot arcite of his felawe That was so neigh to herken of his sawe ffor in þe busshe he sitteþ now ful stille Whan þat arcite hadde Romed all his fille Line 1528 And songen al þe Roundel lustily In to a studie he fel sodeinly As doon þese louers in here queynte geeres Now in þe croppe and now doun in þe breeres Line 1532

Line 1532 Now vp now doun as boket in a welle Right as þe friday soþly for to telle Now it schineþ and now it reyneþ faste Right so gan gery venus ouer caste Line 1536 The hertes of hir folk right as hire day Is geerful right so chaungeþ sche array Seelde is þe fryday al þe wike y-like ¶ Whan þat arcite hadde songe he gan to syke Line 1540 And sette him doun wiþouten eny more Allas quod he þat day þat I was bore How longe Iuno þurgh þi cruelte Wiltow werreien Thebes þe Cite Line 1544 Allas y-brought is to confusion The blood Roial of Cadme and Amphion [folio 22b] Of Cadmus which þat was þe ferste man That Thebes bult or ferst þe toun bigan Line 1548 And of þe cite first was crouned king Of his lynage am I and his ofspring By verray ligne as of þe stok roiall And now I am so caytif and so þrall Line 1552 That he þat is my mortel enemy I serue him as his squier pouerly And ȝit doþ me Iuno wel more schame ffor I dar nought biknowe myn owne name Line 1556 But þer as I was wont to hight arcite Now highte I Philostrate nought worþ a myte Allas þou felle mars allas þou Iuno Thus haþ your ire oure lignage al fordo Line 1560 Saf only me and wrecched Palamon That Theseus martireþ in prison And ouer al þis to slen me vtterly loue haþ his faire dart so brennyngly. Line 1564 y-stiked þurgh my trewe carful herte That schapen was my deþ arst þan my scherte ye sleen me with ȝour eyȝen emelye Ȝe ben þe cause wher fore þat I dye Line 1568

Line 1568 Of all þe remanant / of myn oþer care Ne sette I nought þe montance of a tare So þat I coude don aught to ȝoure plesance And with þat word he fel doun in a traunce Line 1572 A long tyme and aftirward he vpsterte This Palamon þat þought þat þorugh his herte he felte a cold swerd sodeinliche glyde ffor yre he quok no lenger wolde he byde Line 1576 And whan þat he had herd Arcites tale As he were wood with face deed and pale he sterte him vp out of þe buskes þikke And seide arcite false traytour wikke Line 1580 Now art þou hent þat louest my lady so ffor whom þat I haue al þis peyne and wo [folio 23a] And art my blood and to my counseil sworn As I ful ofte haue told þe heer biforn Line 1584 And hast be-iaped here duk Theseus / And falsly chaunged hast þi name þus I wol be ded or elles þou schalt dye Thou schalt not loue my lady Emelye Line 1588 But I wol loue hire oonly and nomo ffor I am Palamon þi mortel foo And þough þat I no wepene haue in þis place But out of prisoun am astert by grace Line 1592 I drede nought þat ouþer þou schalt die Or þou ne schalt not louen Emelye Chees which þou wilt or þou schalt not asterte This arcite with ful despitous herte Line 1596 When he him knew and hadde his tale herde As fers as a leon pulled out a swerde And seide þus by god þa[t] sitteþ aboue Nere it were þat þou art sike and wood for loue Line 1600 And eek þat þou no wepne hast in þis place / Thou schuldest neuer out of þis groue pace That þou ne schuldest deyen of myn honde ffor I diffie þe sewrte and þe bonde Line 1604

Line 1604 Which þat þou seist I haue maad to þe / What verray fool þink weel þat loue is fre And I wol loue hir maugre al þy might But for as moche þou art a worþy knight Line 1608 And willest to derreyne hir by batayle Haue her my trouþe to morwe I wol nought fayle Wiþouten wityng of eny oþer wight That heer I wol be founden as a knight Line 1612 And bringen herneys right ynough for þe And chese þe beste and lef þe worste for me And mete and drynk þis night wol y bringe ynough for þe and cloþes for þi beddynge Line 1616 And if so be þat þou my lady wynne And sle me in þis woode þer I am Inne [folio 23b] Thou mayst wel haue þy lady as for me This Palamon answerd I graunt it þe Line 1620 And þus þei ben departed til a morwe Whan ech of hem hadde leyd his feiþ to borwe Occupied out of alle charite O regne þat wolde no felawe haue with þe Line 1624 fful soþ is seid þat loue ne lorschipe Wol not his þankes haue no felaschipe We fynde þat of arcite and of Palamon Arcite is riden anon in to þe toun Line 1628 And on the morwe er it were dayes light fful priuely tuo herneys haþ he dight Boþe sufficant and meete to darreyne The batail in þe feld bitwix hem tweyne Line 1632 And on his hors allone as he was borne He carieth al his harneys him biforne And in þe groue at tyme and place y-set This arcite and þis Palamon ben mette Line 1636 To changen gan þe colour in hire face Right as þe hunters in þe Reigne of trace That stondeþ atte gappe with a spere Whan hunted is þe leoun or þe bere Line 1640

Line 1640 And heereþ him come russhyng in þe greeues And bereþ boþe bowes and þe leeues / And þinkeþ here comeþ my mortel enemy Wiþoute faile he moot be deed or I Line 1644 ffor eiþer I mot sleen him atte gappe Or he mot slee me if þat me mys happe So ferden þei in chaungyng of here hewe As fer as euerich of hem oþer knewe / Line 1648 Ther nas no good day ne no saluynge / But streit wiþouten word or rehersynge / Euerich of hem hilp for to arme oþer As freendly as he were his owne broþer Line 1652 And after þat wiþ scharpe speres stronge / They foynen ech at oþer wonder longe [folio 24a] Thou mightest wene þat þis Palamon In his fightinge were a wood leon Line 1656 And as a cruel tigre was arcite As wilde bores gonne þei to smyte / That frothen whit as foom for ire wood Vp to þe ancle foughte þey in here blood Line 1660 And in þis wise I lete hem fightyng dwelle And forþ I wole of Theseus you telle The destenye Ministre general That executeþ in þe world ouer al Line 1664 The purueance þat god haþ seie bifore So strong it is þat þei þe world hadde it swore The contraire of a þing by ȝe or nay Ȝet som tyme it schal falle on a day Line 1668 Þat falleþ nought eft wiþinne a þousend ȝere ffor certeinly oure appetites heere Be it of werre or pees or hate or loue Al is þis reuled by þe sight aboue Line 1672 This mene I now by mighty Theseus That for to hunte is so desirous And namly atte grete hert in may That in his bedde þer daweþ him no day Line 1676

Line 1676 That he nys cladde and redy for to ride Wiþ hunte and horn and houndes him besyde ffor in his huntyng haþ he such delit That it is all his ioye and appetyt Line 1680 To ben himself þe grete hertes bane ffor after mars he serueth now Diane Cler was þe day as I haue told er þis And Theseus with alle ioye and blys Line 1684 With his ypolita þe faire queene And Emelye cloþed al in greene On huntyng ben þei riden really And to þe groue þat stood ful faste by Line 1688 In which þer was an hert as men him tolde Duk Theseus þe streighte wey haþ holde / [folio 24b] And to þe lannde he rideþ him ful righte ffor þider was þe hert wont to haue his flighte Line 1692 And ouer a brook and so forþ on his wey This Duk wol haue a cours at him or twey Wiþ houndes swich as þat him list to comaunde / And whan þis Duk was come vnto þe launde Line 1696 vnder þe sonne he loked and anon He was war of arcite and Palamon That foughten breeme as it were boles tuo The brighte swerdes wenten to and fro Line 1700 So hidously þat with þe leste strook It semeþ þat it wolde felle an ook But what þei were noþing he ne woot This duk his courser with his spores smot Line 1704 And at a stert he was betwixe hem tuo And pulled out a swerd and cried ho No more vp peyne of lesyng of ȝour hed By mighty mars he schal anon be ded Line 1708 That smyteth eny strok þat I may seen But telleþ me what myster men ȝe ben That ben so hardy for to fighten heere Wiþoute Iuge or oþer officere Line 1712

Line 1712 As it were in a litell liste really ¶ This Palamon answerde hastily And seide sire what needeþ wordes mo We haue þe deþ deserued boþe tuo Line 1716 Tuo woful wrecches be we tuo caytyues That ben encombred of oure owne lyues And as þou art a rightful lord and Iuge Ne ȝiue us neyþer mercy ne refuge Line 1720 But slee me first for seinte charite But slee my felawe eek as wel as me Or slee him [first] for þough þou knowest it lite This is þi mortel fo þis is arcite Line 1724 That fro þi lond is banyssched on his heede ffor which he haþ deserued to be ded [folio 25a] ffor þis is he þat com vnto þi gate And seyde þat he highte Philostrate Line 1728 Thus haþ he Iaped þe ful many a ȝeere / And þou hast maked him þi cheef squiere And þis is he þat loueþ Emelye ffor siþ þat day is come þat I schal dye Line 1732 I make pleynly my confession That I am þilke woful Palamon That haþ þi prison broke wikkedely I am þi mortel foo and it am I Line 1736 That loueþ so hote Emelya þe bright[e] That I wol dye present in hir sighte Wher fore I axe deþ and my Iuwise But sle my felawe in þe same wise Line 1740 ffor boþe haue we deserued to be slayn ¶ This worþi duk answerde anon agayn And seide þis is a schort conclusioun your owne mouþ be ȝoure confessioun Line 1744 Haþ dampned ȝou and I wol it recorde It needeþ nought to pyne ȝou with þe corde ye schal be ded by mighty mars þe reede The queen anon for verrey wommanhede Line 1748

Line 1748 Com for to wepe and so dide Emelye And all þe ladies of þe compaignye Gret pite was it as it þought hem alle That euer such a chaunce schulde falle Line 1752 ffor gentil men þei were of gret estat And noþing but for loue was þis debat And saugh hire bloody woundes wide and sore And alle cryeden boþe lasse and more Line 1756 Haue mercy lord vpon vs wommen alle And on here bare knees doun þei falle And wolde haue kist his feet þer as he stood Til atte last aslaked was his mood Line 1760 ffor pite renneþ sone in gentil herte / And þough he ferst for Ire quook and sterte [folio 25b] he haþ considered schortly in a clause The trespas of hem bothe and eek þe cause Line 1764 And al þough þat his Ire hire gilt accused Ȝit in his reson he hem boþe excused As þus he þoughte wel þat euery man Wil helpe himself in loue if þat he can Line 1768 And eek deliuere himself out of prison And eek his herte hadde compassion Of wommen for þey wepen euer in oon And in his gentil herte he þought anon Line 1772 And softe vnto himself he seide fy vpon a lord þat wol haue no mercy But be a leon boþe in word and dede / To hem þat ben in repentance and drede Line 1776 As wel as to a proud dispitous man That wol maintene þat he first bigan That lord haþ litel of discrecion That in such cas can no diuision Line 1780 But weyeth pride and humblesse after oon And schortly whan his Ire is þus goon he gan to loken vp with eyghen light And spak þis same wordes al on hight Line 1784

Line 1784 ¶ The god of loue a benedicite How mighty and how gret a lord is he Aȝeins his might þer gayneþ non obstacles He may be cleped a god of his miracles Line 1788 ffor he can maken at his owne gise Of euerich herte as þat him list deuise lo her þis arcite and þis Palamon That quytly were out of my prisoun Line 1792 And might haue lyued in Thebes rially And witen I am here mortel enemy And þat here deþ lith in my might also / And ȝit haþ loue maugre here yghen tuo Line 1796 Brought hem hider boþe for to deye Now lokeþ is not þat an heih folye [folio 26a] ¶ Who may ben a fool but if he loue Byhold for goddes sake þat sitteþ aboue Line 1800 See how þai bleede be þai not wel arrayed Thus haþ hire lord þe god of loue y-paiȝed Hire wages and hire fees for hire seruise And ȝit þei wenen for to ben ful wise Line 1804 That seruen loue for aught þat may bifall But þis is ȝet þe beste game of all That sche for wham þei haue þis iolyte Can hem þerfore as moche thank as me Line 1808 Sche woot na more of all þis hoote fare By god þan woot a Cockow of an hare But al moot ben assayed hoot and colde A man moot ben a fool or ȝong or olde Line 1812 I wot it by my self ful yore agon ffor in my tyme a seruant was I on And þerfore syn I knowe of loues peyne And woot how sore it can a man distreyne Line 1816 As he þat hath ben caught often in his laas I you forȝiue al holly þis trespas At þe requeste of þe queen þat kneeleþ heere And eek of Emelye my soster deere Line 1820

Line 1820 And ȝe schal boþe anon vnto me swere That neuere ȝe schal my coroune dere Ne make werre vpon me night ne day But ben my frendes in alle þat ȝe may Line 1824 I ȝou forȝiue þis trespas euery del And þey him sworen his axing fair and wel And him of lordschipe and of mercy preide And he hem graunteþ grace and þus he seide Line 1828 To speke of riall lynage and richesse þough þat sche were a queen or a princesse Ech of ȝou boþe is worþy douteles To wedde whan tyme is but naþeles Line 1832 I speke as for my suster Emelye / ffor whom ȝe haue þis strif and Ialousie [folio 26b] Ȝe wite ȝoure self sche may not wedde tuo At oones þough ȝe fighten eueremo Line 1836 That oon of ȝou al be him loþ or leef He moot go pypen in an yuy leef This is to sey sche may not haue boþe Al be ȝe neuer so Ialouse ne so wroþe Line 1840 And for-þi I ȝou putte in þis degre That ech of ȝou schal haue his destine As him is schape and kerkneþ in what wise Lo heer ȝour ende of þat I schal deuyse / Line 1844 ¶ My wil is þis for plat conclusion Wiþouten eny replicacion If þat ȝow likeþ takeþ it for þe beste / That euerych of ȝou schal gon wher him leste Line 1848 ffrely wiþouten Raunceon or daunger And þis day fifty wykes fer ne neer Euerich of ȝou schal bringe an hundred knightes Armed for þe lystes vp al rightes Line 1852 Al redy to darreyne hir by bataile And þis biheete I ȝou wiþoute faile vpon my trouþe and as I am a knight That wheþer of ȝou boþe þat haþ might Line 1856

Line 1856 This is to sein þat wheþer he or þou May with his hundred as I spak of now Sle his contrarie or out of lystes dryue That schal I ȝiue Emelya to wyue Line 1860 To whom þat fortune ȝeueþ so fair a grace The lystes schal I maken in þis place And god so wisly on my soule rewe As I schal euen Iugge ben and trewe Line 1864 ȝe schal non oþer eende wiþ me maken þat on of ȝou schal ben deed or taken And if ȝou þinkeþ þis is wel y-sayed Sey ȝour avys and holdeþ ȝou appaied Line 1868 This is ȝour ende and ȝour conclusion Who lokeþ lighty now but Palamon [folio 27a] Who springeþ vp for ioye but arcite Who couþe telle or who couþe it endite Line 1872 The ioye þat is maked in þe place Whan Theseus haþ don so fair a grace But doun on knees went euery maner wight And þonked him wiþ all here hert and might Line 1876 And namely þe Thebanes ofte siþe And þus wiþ good hope and wiþ herte bliþe They take þeir leue and homward gon þei ride To Thebes with olde walles wyde Line 1880