Then, ere the day, two fuits of armour fought,
Which borne before him on his fteed he brought :
Both were of fhining fteel, and wrought so pure,
As might the ftrokes of two such 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 herdsman with his spear,
Full in the gap, and hopes the hunted bear,
And hears him ruftling in the wood, and fees
His course at diftance by the bending trees;
And thinks, here comes my mortal enemy,
And either he muft fall in fight, or I:
This while he thinks, he lifts aloft his dart;
A generous chilnefs feizes every part:

The veins pour back the blood, and fortify the heart.
Thus pale they meet; their eyes with fury burn;
None greets; for none the greeting will return:
But in dumb furliness, 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 breafts with tufks oblique they wound;
With grunts and groans the foreft rings around.
So fought the knights, and fighting muft abide,
Till fate an umpire fends 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 fway,
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 eafy couch at early day,

And to the wood and wilds purfued 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:

G 2

}

And

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 ftood:
The lawn on which they fought, th' appointed place
In which th' uncoupled hounds began the chace.
Thither forth-right he rode to roufe the prey,
That fhaded 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 unfheath'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 listed field to fight your cause ?

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

Then

Then Palamon, with scarce recover'd breath,
Thus hafty fpoke: We both deferve 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 sovereign judge, decree
The rightful doom of death to him and me,
Let neither find thy grace; for grace is cruelty.
Me first, O kill me firft; and cure my woe;
Then sheath the fword of juftice 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 should pay the forfeit; fee return'd
The perjur'd knight, his oath and honour fcorn'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,
Afpiring 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 :

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}

The

The love of liberty with life is given,

And life itself th' inferior gift of Heaven.
Thus without crime I fled; but farther know,
I with this Arcite am thy mortal foe :

Then give me death, fince I thy life pursue;
For fafeguard of thyfelf, death is my due.
More wouldst thou know? I love bright Emily,
And for her fake and in her fight will die:
But kill my rival too; for he no less
Deferves; and I thy righteous doom will bless,
Affur'd that what I lofe, he never fhall poffefs.
To this reply'd the stern Athenian prince,
And fourly fmil'd, In owning your offence,
You judge yourself; and I but keep record
In place of law, while you pronounce the word.
Take your defert, the death you have decreed;
I feal your doom, and ratify the deed :
By Mars, the patron of my arms, you die.
He faid; dumb forrow feiz'd the standers-by.
The queen above the reft, by nature good,
(The pattern form'd of perfect womanhood)
For tender pity wept: when he began,

Through the bright quire th' infectious virtue ran.
All dropt their tears, ev'n the contended maid:
And thus among themfelves they foftly faid:
What eyes can fuffer this unworthy fight!
Two youths of royal blood, renown'd in fight,
The maftership of heaven in face and mind,
And lovers, far beyond their faithless kind :