queint, and all agone: And as it queint, it made a whisteling, As doth a brandë wet in its burning. And at the brandës end outran anon As it were bloody droppës many one: For which so sore aghast was Emily, That she was well-nigh mad, and gan to cry, For she ne wistë what it signified; But onëly for fearë thus she cried, And wept, that it was pity for to hear. And therewithal Diana gan appear With bow in hand, right as an hunteress, And saidë; “Daughter, stint thine heaviness. Among the goddës high it is affirm’d, And by eternal word writ and confirm’d, Thou shalt be wedded unto one of tho That have for thee so muchë care and woe: But unto which of them I may not tell. Farewell, for here I may no longer dwell. The firës which that on mine altar brenn, Shall thee declaren, ere that thou go henne, Thine áventure of love, as in this case.” And with that word, the arrows in the case Of the goddess did clatter fast and ring, And forth she went, and made a vanishing, For which this Emily astonied was, And saidë; “What amounteth this, alas! I put me under thy protectión, Diane, and in thy dispositión.” And home she went anon the nextë way. This is th’ effect, there is no more to say.
The nextë hour of Mars follówing this Arcite to the temple walked is Of fiercë Mars, to do his sacrifice With all the ritës of his pagan guise. With piteous heart and high devotión. Right thus to Mars he said his orison. “O strongë god, that in the regnës cold Of Thracë honoured art, and lord y-hold, And hast in every regne, and every land Of armës all the bridle in thine hand, And them fortúnest as thee list devise, Accept of me my piteous sacrifice. If so be that my youthë may deserve, And that my might be worthy for to serve Thy godhead, that I may be one of thine, Then pray I thee to rue upon my pine, For thilkë pain, and thilkë hotë fire, In which thou whilom burned’st for desire Whennë that thou usedest the beauty Of fairë youngë Venus, fresh and free, And haddest her in armës at thy will: And though thee onës on a time misfill, When Vulcanus had caught thee in his las, And found thee ligging by his wife, alas! For thilkë sorrow that was in thine heart, Have ruth as well upon my painë’s smart. I am young and unconning, as thou know’st, And, as I