“The god of love, ah! benedicite , How mighty and how great a lord is he! Against his might there gainë none obstácles, He may be call’d a god for his mirácles. For he can maken at his owen guise Of every heart, as that him list devise. Lo here this Arcite, and this Palamon, That quietly were out of my prisón, And might have lived in Thebes royally, And weet I am their mortal enemy, And that their death li’th in my might also, And yet hath love, maugré their eyen two, Y-brought them hither bothë for to die. Now look ye, is not this an high folly? Who may not be a fool, if but he love? Behold, for Goddë’s sake that sits above, See how they bleed! be they not well array’d? Thus hath their lord, the god of love, them paid Their wages and their fees for their servíce; And yet they weenë for to be full wise, That servë love, for aught that may befall. But this is yet the bestë game of all, That she, for whom they have this jealousy, Can them therefor as muchel thank as me. She wot no more of all this hotë fare, By God, than wot a cuckoo or an hare. But all must be assayed hot or cold; A man must be a fool, or young or old; I wot it by myself full yore agone: For in my time a servant was I one. And therefore since I know of lovë’s pain, And wot how sore it can a man distrain, As he that oft hath been caught in his las, I you forgivë wholly this trespáss, At réquest of the queen that kneeleth here, And eke of Emily, my sister dear. And ye shall both anon unto me swear, That never more ye shall my country dere, Nor makë war upon me night nor day, But be my friends in allë that ye may. I you forgive this trespass every deal.” And they him sware his asking fair and well, And him of lordship and of mercy pray’d, And he them granted grace, and thus he said:
“To speak of royal lineage and richéss, Though that she were a queen or a princess, Each of you both is worthy doubtëless To weddë when time is; but natheless I speak as for my sister Emily, For whom ye have this strife and jealousy, Ye wot yourselves, she may not wed the two At once,