It was a bright clear day, and Theseus, hunting with his fair queen Ipolita, and Emelye, clothed all in green, came riding by after the hart, with all the dogs around them; and as they followed the hart, suddenly Theseus looked out of the dazzle of the sun, and saw Arcite and Palamon in sharp fight, like two bulls for fury. The bright swords flashed to and fro so hideously that it seemed as though their smallest blows would fell an oak. But the duke knew not who they were that fought.[92]
Theseus smote his spurs into his horse, and galloped in between the knights, and, drawing his sword, cried, “Ho![93] No more, on pain of death! By mighty Mars, he dies who strikes a blow in my presence!” Then Theseus asked them what manner of men they were, who dared to fight there, without judge or witness, as though it were in royal lists?[94]
You may imagine the two men turning on Theseus, breathless and bloody with fight, weary with anger, and their vengeance still unslaked.
This Palamon answerde hastily,
And seyde: Sire, what nedeth wordes mo?need
We han the deth deserved bothe tuo.two
Tuo woful wrecches ben we, tuo kaytyveswretches, captives
That ben encombred of oure owne lyves,encumbered by
And as thou art a rightful lord and juge
Ne yeve us neyther mercy ne refuge.give us not
And sle me first, for seynte charite;holy
But sle my felaw eek as wel as me.also
Or sle him first; for, though thou know him lyte,little
This is thy mortal fo, this is Arcite,
That fro thy lond is banyscht on his heed
For which he hath i-served to be deed.deserved
For this is he that come to thi gate
And seyde, that he highte Philostrate.was named
Thus hath he japed the ful many a yer,befooled
And thou hast maad of him thy cheef squyer.made
And this is he that loveth Emelye.
For sith the day is come that I schal dye,
I make pleynly my confessioun,
That I am thilke woful Palamoun,that
That hath thy prisoun broke wikkedly.wickedly
I am thy mortal foo, and it am I
That loveth so hoote Emelye the brighte,
That I wol dye present in hire sighte.
Therfore I aske deeth and my juwyse;sentence
But slee my felaw in the same wyse,slay
For bothe we have served to be slayn.
This worthy duk answerde anon agayn,
And seyde: This is a schort conclusioun:
Your owne mouth, by your confessioun,own
Hath dampned you bothe, and I wil it recorde.condemned
It needeth nought to pyne yow with the corde.[95]
Ye schul be deed by mighty Mars the reede!dead
And Palamon made answer hastily,
And said—“O Sire, why should we waste more breath?
For both of us deserve to die the death.
Two wretched creatures are we, glad to die
Tired of our lives, tired of our misery—
And as thou art a rightful lord and judge
So give us neither mercy nor refùge!
And slay me first, for holy charity—
But slay my fellow too as well as me!
—Or slay him first, for though thou little know,
This is Arcite—this is thy mortal foe,
Who from thy land was banished on his head,
For which he richly merits to be dead!
Yea, this is he who came unto thy gate,
And told thee that his name was Philostrate—
Thus year by year hath he defied thine ire—
And thou appointest him thy chiefest squire
—And this is he who loveth Emelye!
“For since the day is come when I shall die,
Thus plain I make confession, and I own
I am that miserable Palamon
Who have thy prison broken wilfully!
I am thy mortal foe,—and it is I
Who love so madly Emelye the bright,
That I would die this moment in her sight!
Therefore I ask death and my doom to-day—
But slay my fellow in the selfsame way:—
For we have both deservëd to be slain.”
And angrily the duke replied again,
“There is no need to judge you any more,
Your own mouth, by confession, o’er and o’er
Condemns you, and I will the words record.
There is no need to pain you with the cord.
Ye both shall die, by mighty Mars the red!”
Then the queen, ‘for verray wommanhede,’ began to weep, and so did Emelye, and all the ladies present. It seemed pitiful that two brave men, both of high lineage, should come to such an end, and only for loving a lady so faithfully. All the ladies prayed Theseus to have mercy on them, and pardon the knights for their sakes. They knelt at his feet, weeping and entreating him—
And wold have kist his feet ther as he stood,
Till atte laste aslaked was his mood;
For pite renneth sone in gentil herte,runneth
And though he first for ire quok and sterte,shook
He hath considerd shortly in a clause
The trespas of hem bothe, and eek the cause:
And although that his ire hire gylt accusede,their
Yet in his resoun he hem bothe excusede.them
And would have kissed his feet there as he stood,
Until at last appeasëd was his mood,
For pity springeth soon in gentle heart.
And though he first for rage did quake and start,
He hath considered briefly in the pause
The greatness of their crime, and, too, its cause;
And while his passion had their guilt accused,
Yet now his calmer reason both excused.
Everybody had sympathy for those who were in love;[96] and Theseus’ heart ‘had compassion of women, for they wept ever in on’ (continually).
So the kindly duke softened, and said to all the crowd good-humouredly, “What a mighty and great lord is the god of love!”
Lo, her this Arcite and this Palamoun,here
That quytely weren out of my prisoun,freely (quit)
And might have lyved in Thebes ryally,royally
And witen I am here mortal enemy,know, their
And that here deth lith in my might also,their, lieth
And yet hath love, maugré here eyghen tuo,
I-brought hem hider bothe for to dye.
Now loketh, is nat that an heih folye?look, high
Who may not ben a fole, if that he love?be
Byholde for Goddes sake that sitteth above,
Se how they blede! be they nought wel arrayed!
Thus hath here lord, the god of love, hem payedthem
Here wages and here fees for here servise.their
And yet they wenen for to ben ful wise,think
That serven love, for ought that may bifalle.serve
But this is yette the beste game of alle,
That sche, for whom they have this jolitee,fun
Can hem therfore as moche thank as me.can them, much
Sche woot no more of al this hoote fare,knows
By God, than wot a cuckow or an hare.knows
But al moot ben assayed, hoot or colde;must be tried
A man moot ben a fool other yong or olde;must be, either
I woot it by myself ful yore agon:
For in my tyme a servant was I on.one
“Here are this Arcite and this Palamon,
Safe out of prison both, who might have gone
And dwelt in Thebes city royally,
Knowing I am their mortal enemy,
And that their death within my power lies:
Yet hath blind Love, in spite of both their eyes,
Led them both hither only to be slain!
Behold the height of foolishness most plain!
Who is so great a fool as one in love?
For mercy’s sake—by all the gods above,
See how they bleed! a pretty pair are they!
Thus their liege lord, the god of love, doth pay
Their wages, and their fees for service done;
And yet each thinks himself a wise man’s son
Who serveth Love, whatever may befall.
But this is still the greatest joke of all,
That she, the cause of this rare jollity,
Owes them about as many thanks as I!
She knew no more of all this hot to-do,
By Mars! than doth a hare or a cuckoo!
But one must have one’s fling, be’t hot or cold;
A man will play the fool either young or old.
I know it by myself—for long ago
In my young days I bowed to Cupid’s bow.”
This is as if he should say, “These two foolish boys have got nothing from their liege lord, the god of love, but a very narrow escape with their heads. And Emelye herself knew no more of all this hot business than a cuckoo! But I, too, was young once, and in love, and so I won’t be hard upon them!” “I will pardon you,” he added, “for the queen’s sake and Emelye’s, but you must swear to me never to come and make war on me at any time, but be ever my friends in all that you may for the future.”