But Arcite replied that love knows no law; decrees
of man are every day broken for love; moreover Palamon and he were
prisoners, and were like two dogs fighting for a bone which meantime a kite
bears away. Let each continue in his love, for in prison each must endure.
Now a duke name Pirithous came to visit his friend Theseus; who being also
a friend to Arcite begged Theseus to let him go free out of prison, which
Theseus did. And Arcite was set free without ransom, but on condition that
his life should be forfeit if he ever set foot again in any domain of Duke
Theseus.
Yet now Arcite found himself in no better stead, being banished from the
sight of his lady; and could even find it in his heart to envy Palamon, who
might still blissfully abide in prison--nay, not in prison, in Paradise,
where sometimes he might see her whom both loved. And on his part Palamon
was jealous of Arcite, who might even now be calling together his kin in
Thebes to make onslaught on Athens and win his lady Emilia.
"Yow loveres axe I now this questioun,
Who hath the worse, Arcite or Palamoun?"
Now when Arcite had for a year or two endured this torment, he dreamed one
night that the god Mercury appeared to him, and said to him, "To Athens
shalt thou wend." Whereupon Arcite started up, and saw in the mirror that
his sufferings had so changed him that he might live in Athens unknown.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25