Now by the Gods who govern heaven above,
Wert thou not weak with hunger, mad with love,
That word had been thy laft, or in this grove
This hand should force thee to renounce thy love.
The furety which I gave thee, I defy :
Fool, not to know that love endures no tie,
And Jove but laughs at lovers perjury.
Know I will ferve the fair in thy despight;
But fince thou art my kinsman, and a knight,
Here, have my faith, to-morrow in this grove
Our arms shall plead the titles of our love :
And Heaven fo help my right, as I alone

Will come, and keep the caufe and quarrel both

unknown;

With arms of proof both for myself and thee;
Chufe thou the best, and leave the worst to me.
And, that a better ease thou may'st abide,
Bedding and cloaths I will this night provide,
And needful fuftenance, that thou mayft be
A conqueft better won, and worthy me.
His promise Palamon accepts; but pray'd,
To keep it better than the first he made.
Thus fair they parted till the morrow's dawn,
For each had laid his plighted faith to pawn.
Oh Love! thou sternly doft thy power maintain,
And wilt not bear a rival in thy reign,
Tyrants and thou all fellowship disdain.
This was in Arcite prov'd, and Palamon ;
Both in despair, yet each would love alone.
Arcite return'd, and, as in honour ty`d,
His foe with bedding and with food supply'd;
VOL. III.

G

}

Then,

Then, ere the day, two fuits of armour sought,
Which borne before him on his fteed he brought :
Both were of fhining fteel, and wrought fo pure,
As might the ftrokes of two fuch arms endure.
Now, at the time, and in th' appointed place,
The challenger and challeng'd, face to face,
Approach; each other from afar they knew,
And from afar their hatred chang'd their hue.
So ftands the Thracian herdfman with his fpear,
Full in the gap, and hopes the hunted bear,
And hears him ruftling in the wood, and fees
His courfe at diftance by the bending trees;
And thinks, here comes my mortal enemy,
And either he must fall in fight, or I:

This while he thinks, he lifts aloft his dart;

A generous chines feizes every part: the heart. }

Thus pale they meet; their eyes with fury burn; None greets; for none the greeting will return: But in dumb furlinefs, each arm'd with care His foe profeft, as brother of the war : Then both, no moment loft, at once advance Against each other, arm'd with fword and lance: They lafh, they foin, they pafs, they strive to bore Their corflets, and the thinnest parts explore. Thus two long hours in equal arms they stood, And wounded, wound; till both were bath'd in blood;

And not a foot of ground had either got,

As if the world depended on the spot.

Fell

Fell Arcite like an angry tiger far'd,
And like a lion Palamon appear'd:

Or as two boars whom love to battle draws,
With rifing briftles, and with frothy jaws,

Their adverse breasts with tusks oblique they wound;
With grunts and groans the foreft rings around.
So fought the knights, and fighting must abide,
Till fate an umpire sends their difference to decide.
The power that minifters to God's decrees,
And executes on earth what heaven forefees,
Call'd providence, or chance, or fatal sway,
Comes with refiftlefs force, and finds or makes her way.
Nor kings, nor nations, nor united power,
One moment can retard th' appointed hour.
And fome one day, fome wondrous chance appears,
Which happen'd not in centuries of years:
For fure, whate'er we mortals hate, or love,
Or hope, or fear, depends on powers above;
They move our appetites to good or ill,
And by forefight neceffitate the will.
In Thefeus this appears; whofe youthful joy
Was beafts of chace in forefts to destroy,
This gentle knight, infpir'd by jolly May,
Forfook his easy couch at early day,
And to the wood and wilds pursued his way.
Befide him rode Hippolita the queen,
And Emily attir'd in lively green,

With horns, and hounds, and all the tuneful cry,
To hunt a royal hart within the covert nigh:

}

And as he follow'd Mars before, fo now
He ferves the goddess of the filver bow.
The way that Thefeus took was to the wood
Where the two knights in cruel battle stood :
The lawn on which they fought, th' appointed place
In which th' uncoupled hounds began the chace.
Thither forth-right he rode to rouse the prey,
That shaded by the fern in harbour lay;
And, thence diflodg'd, was wont to leave the wood,
For open fields, and cross the crystal flood.
Approach'd, and looking underneath the fun,
He faw proud Arcite, and fierce Palamon,
In mortal battle doubling blow on blow,
Like lightning flam'd their faulchions to and fro,
And shot a dreadful gleam; fo ftrong they ftrook,
There feem'd lefs force requir'd to fell an oak:
He gaz'd with wonder on their equal might,
Look'd eager on, but knew not either knight :
Refolv'd to learn, he spurr'd his fiery steed
With goring rowels to provoke his speed.
The minute ended that began the race,

So foon he was betwixt them on the place;
And with his fword unsheath'd, on pain of life
Commands both combatants to ceafe their ftrife:
Then with imperious tone pursues his threat;
What are you? why in arms together met?
How dares your pride prefume against my laws,
As in a lifted field to fight your caufe?

Unafk'd the royal grant; no marshal by,
As knightly rites require; nor judge to try?

Then Palamon, with fcarce recover'd breath,
Thus hafty spoke: We both deserve the death,
And both would die; for look the world around,
A pair fo wretched is not to be found,

Our life's a load; encumber'd with the charge,
We long to fet th' imprifon'd foul at large.
Now as thou art a fovereign judge, decree
The rightful doom of death to him and me,
Let neither find thy grace; for grace is cruelty.
Me firft, O kill me firft; and cure my woe;
Then fheath the sword of justice on my foe :
Or kill him first; for when his name is heard,
He foremost will receive his due reward.
Arcite of Thebes is he; thy mortal foe:
On whom thy grace did liberty bestow;
But first contracted, that if ever found
By day or night upon th' Athenian ground,
His head fhould pay the forfeit; fee return'd
The perjur'd knight, his oath and honour scorn'd.
For this is he, who, with a borrow'd name
And proffer'd fervice, to thy palace came,
Now call'd Philoftratus: retain'd by thee,
A traitor trufted, and in high degree,
Aspiring to the bed of beauteous Emily.
My part remains; from Thebes my birth I own,
And call myself th' unhappy Palamon.

Think me not like that man; fince no difgrace

Can force me to renounce the honour of my race.
Know me for what I am: I broke my chain,

Nor promis'd I thy prifoner to remain :

G 3

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The