The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

40 THE CANTERBURY TALES.
My maidenhead thou keep and well conserve, Of fairS younge Venus, fresh and free,
And, while I live, a maid I will thee serve." And haddest her in armis at thy will:
The fires burn upon the altar clear, And though thee ones on a time misfill,l7
While Emily was thus in her pray6re: When Vulcanus had caught thee in his las,18
But suddenly she saw a sighte quaint.1 And found thee ligging19 by his wife, alas!
For right anon one of the fires queint For thilke sorrow that was in thine heart,
And quick'd 2 again, and after that anon Have ruth 20 as well upon my paine's smart.
That other fire was queint, and all agone: I am young and unconning, 21 as thou know'st,
And as it queint, it made a whisteling, And, as I trow,22 with love offended most,
As doth a brande wet in its burning. That e'er was any living creature:
And at the brandEs end outran anon For she, that doth 23 me all this woe endure,
As it were bloody droppis many one: Ne recketh ne'er whether I sink or fleet.24
For which so sore aghast was Emily, And well I wot, ere she me mercy hete,25
That she was well-nigh mad, and gan to cry, I must with strengths win her in the place:
For she ne wist6 what it signified; And well I wot, withoutd help or grace
But onely for feare thus she cried, Of thee, ne may my strengths not avail:
And wept, that it was pity for to hear. Then help me, lord, to-morr'w in my bataille,
And therewithal Diana gan appear -For thilke fire that whilom burned thee,
With bow in hand, right as an hunteress, As well as this fire that now burneth me;
And saide; "Daughter, stint 3 thine heavi- And do 26 that I to-morr'w may have victory.
ness. Mine be the travail, all thine be the glory.
Among the goddis high it is affirm'd, Thy sovereign temple will I most honour
And by eternal word writ and confirm'd, Of any place, and alway most labotr
Thou shalt be wedded unto one of tho 4 In thy pleasance and in thy craftes strong.
That have for thee so muche care and woe: And in thy temple I will my banner hong,27
But unto which of them I may not tell. And all the arm6s of my company,
Farewell, for here I may no longer dwell. And evermore, until that day I die,
The fires which that on mine altar brenn,5 Eternal fire I will before thee find.
Shall thee declaren, ere that thou go henne,6 And eke to this my vow I will me bind:
Thine fiventure of love, as in this case." My beard, my hair that hangeth long adown,
And with that word, the arrows in the case 7 That never yet hath felt offensi6n 28
Of the goddess did clatter fast and ring, Of razor nor of shears, I will thee give,__
And forth she went, and made a vanishing, And be thy true servant while I live.
For which this Emily astonied was, Now, lord, have ruth upon my sorrows sore,
And saide; " What amounteth this,8 alas! Give me the victory, I ask no more."
I put me under thy protection, The prayer stint29 of Arcita the strong,
Diane, and in thy disposition." The ringes on the temple door that hong,
And home she went anon the next6 9 way. And eke the doores, clattered full fast,
This is th' effect, there is no more to say. Of which Arcita somewhat was aghast.
The next6 hour of Mars following this The fires burn'd upon the altar bright,
Arcite to the temple walked is That it gan all the temple for to light;
Of fierce Mars, to do his sacrifice A sweete smell anon the ground up gaf,30
With all the rites of his pagan guise. And Arcita anon his hand up haf,31
With piteous 0 heart and high devotion. And more incense into the fire he cast,
Right thus to Mars he said his orison. With other rites more, and at the last
" stronge god, that in the regnes 1 cold The statue of Mars began his hauberk ring;
Of Thrace honoured art, and lord y-hold,l2 And with that sound he heard a murmuring
And hast inevery regne, and every land Full low and dim, that saide thus, "VicOf armes all the bridle in thine hand, tory."
And them fortfinest as thee list devise,13 For which he gave to Mars honour and glory.
Accept of me my piteous sacrifice. And thus with joy, and hopd well to fare,
If so be that my youthe may deserve, Arcite anon unto his inn doth fare,
And that my might be worthy for to serve As fain32 as fowl is of the brightE sun.
Thy godhead, that I may be one of thine, And right anon such strife there is begun
Then pray I thee to rue upon my pine,14 For thilkd granting,33 in the heav'n above,
For thilke 1 pain, and thilke hote fire, Betwixti Venus the godd6ss of love,
In which thou whilom burned'st for desire And Mars the sternB god armipotent,
Whenni that thou usedest 16 the beauty That Jupiter was busy it to stent: 4
1 Strange.' 2 Went out and revived. 3 Cease. caught Ares and the faithless Aphrodite, and exposed
4 Those. 5 Burn. 6 Hence. 7 Quiver. them to the "inextinguishable laughter" of Olympus.
8 To what does this amount? 9 Nearest. 19 Lying. 20 Pity. 21 Ignorant, simple.
10 Imploring, pious. 11 Realms. 12 Held. 22 Believe. 23 Causeth. 24 Float, swim.
13 Sendest fortune at thy pleasure. 25 Promise, vouchsafe. 26 Cause.
14 Pity my anguish. 15 That. 27 Hang. 28 The offence, indignity.
16 Didst enjoy; Latin, "utor." 29 Ended. 30 Arose from the ground.
17 Thou wert unlucky. 31 Heaved, lifted. 82 Glad.
s1 Net, snare; the invisible toils in which Hephaestus 33 That concession of Arcite's prayer. 34 Stop.