136 THE KNIGHTES TALE.
That Thebes bulde, or first the toun bgban,
And of that cite first was crowned kyng,
Of his lynage am I, and his ofspring
By verray lyne, as of the stok ryal:
And now I am so caytyf and so thral,
That he that is my mortal enemy,
I serve him as my squyer povrely.
And yet doth Juno me wel more schame,
For I dar nought byknowe myn owne name,
But ther as I was wont to hote Arcite,
Now highte I Philostrate, nou^t worth a myte.
Alias ! thou felle Mars, alias ! Juno,
Thus hath j'oure ire owre kynrede al fordo,
Save oonly me, and wrecched Palamoun,
That Theseus martyreth in prisoun.
And over al this, to sleen me utterly,
Love hath his fyry dart so brennyngly
I-styked thurgh my trewe careful herte,
That schapen was my deth erst than my scherte.
ye slen me with jyoure eyen, Emelye;
Fe ben the cause wherfore that I dye. Of al the remenant of myn other care Ne sette I nou^/zt the mountaunce of a tare, So that I couthe don aught to jyoure plesaunce.' And with that word he fel doun in a traunce A long tyme; and afterward he upsterte This Palamon, that thou^te that thurgh his herte He felte a cold swerd sodeynliche glyde; If or ire he quook, no lenger nolde he byde. And whan that he had herd Arcites tale, As he were wood, with face deed and pale, He sterte him up out of the bussches thikke, And seyde : * Arcyte, false traitour wikke, Now art thou henr, that lovest my lady so, For whom that I have al this peyne and wo, And art my blood, and to my counseil sworn, As I ful ofte have told the heere byforn,