The greedy Sight might there devour the Gold Of glittring Arms, too dazling to behold: 450 And polish'd Steel that cast the View aside, And Crested Morions, with their Plumy Pride. Knights, with a long Retinue of their Squires, In gawdy Liv'ries march, and quaint Attires. One lac'd the Helm, another held the Lance: A third the shining Buckler did advance. The Courser paw'd the Ground with restless Feet, And snorting foam'd, and champ'd the Golden Bit. The Smiths and Armourers on Palfreys ride. Files in their Hands, and Hammers at their Side, 460 And nails for loosen'd Spears, and Thongs for Shields provide. The Yeomen guard the Streets, in seemly Bands; And Clowns come crowding on, with Cudgels in their Hands. The Trumpets, next the Gate, in order plac'd, Attend the Sign to sound the Martial Blast: The Palace-yard is fill'd with floating Tides, And the last Comers bear the former to the Sides. The Throng is in the midst: The common Crew Shut out, the Hall admits the better Few. In Knots they stand, or in a Rank they walk, 470 Serious in Aspect, earnest in their Talk: Factious, and fav'ring this or t'other Side, As their strong Fancies, and weak Reason guide; Their Wagers back their Wishes: Numbers hold With the fair freckl'd King, and Beard of Gold: So vig'rous are his Eyes, such Rays they cast, So prominent his Eagles Beak is plac'd. His rising Muscles, and his Brawn commend ; And safe themselves, at others Cost divin'd. Wak'd by the Cries, th' Athenian Chief arose, The Knightly Forms of Combate to dispose; And passing through th' obsequious Guards, he sate Conspicuous on a Throne, sublime in State; There, for the two contending Knights he sent: Arm'd Cap-a-pe, with Rev'rence low they bent; He smil❜d on both, and with superiour Look Then signing to their Heralds with his They gave his Orders from their lofty Stand. Our Sovereign Lord has ponder'd in his The Means to spare the Blood of gentle And of his Grace and in-born Clemency 500 He wills, not Death shou'd terminate their And Wounds, if Wounds ensue, be short of Life; But issues, e'er the Fight, his dread Command, That Slings afar, and Ponyards Hand to Hand, Be banish'd from the Field; that none shall dare With shortned Sword to stab in closer War; But in fair Combate fight with manly Strength 510 Nor push with biting Point, but strike at length. The Turney is allow'd but one Career, But Knights unhors'd may rise from off the And fight on Foot, their Honour to regain. The great Earl-Marshal orders their Array. The Fair from high the passing Pomp behold; A Rain of Flow'rs is from the Windows roll'd. The Casements are with Golden Tissue spread, And Horses Hoofs, for Earth, on silken Tap'stry tread. The King goes midmost, and the Rivals ride In equal Rank, and close his either Side. Next after these, there rode the Royal Wife, With Emily, the Cause, and the Reward of Strife. The following Cavalcade, by Three and Three, 540 Proceed by Titles marshall'd in Degree. Thus through the Southern Gate they take their Way, And at the Lists arriv'd e'er Prime of Day. There, parting from the King, the Chiefs divide, And wheeling East and West, before their Many ride. Th' Athenian Monarch mounts his Throne on high, And after him the Queen, and Emily: Next these, the Kindred of the Crown are grac'd With nearer Seats, and Lords by Ladies plac'd. Scarce were they seated, when with Clamours loud 550 In rush'd at once a rude promiscuous Crowd, The Guards, and then each other overbare, And in a Moment throng the spacious Theatre. Now chang'd the jarring Noise to Whispers low, As Winds forsaking Seas more softly blow; Is plac'd aloft, that bears the God of War, All maiden White, and shares the peoples From East to West, look all the World around, Two Troops so match'd were never to be found: Such Bodies built for Strength, of equal Age, In Stature siz'd; so proud an Equipage: The nicest Eye cou'd no Distinction make, Where lay th' Advantage, or what Side to take. 571 Thus rang'd, the Herald for the last proclaims A Silence, while they answer'd to their Names: For so the King decreed, to shun with Care The Fraud of Musters false, the common Bane of War. The Tale was just, and then the Gates were clos'd; And Chief to Chief, and Troop to Troop oppos'd. The Heralds last retir'd, and loudly cry'd, The Fortune of the Field be fairly try'd. At this the Challenger, with fierce Defie) His Trumpet sounds; the Challeng'd makes Reply: 581 With Clangour rings the Field, resounds the vaulted Sky. Their Vizors closed, their Lances in the Rest, Or at the Helmet pointed, or the Crest; They vanish from the Barrier, speed the Race, And spurring see decrease the middle Space. A Cloud of Smoke envellops either Host, And all at once the Combatants are lost: Darkling they join adverse, and shock unseen, Coursers with Coursers justling, Men with Men : 590 As lab'ring in Eclipse, a while they stay, Till the next Blast of Wind restores the Day. They look anew: The beauteous Form of Fight Is chang'd, and War appears a grizly Sight. Two Troops in fair Array one moment show'd, The next, a Field with fallen Bodies strow'd: Not half the Number in their Seats are found, But Men and Steeds lie grov'ling on the Ground. The points of Spears are stuck within the Shield, The Steeds without their Riders scour the Field. 600 The Knights unhors'd, on Foot renew the Fight; The glitt'ring Fauchions cast a gleaming Light; Hauberks and Helms are hew'd with many a Wound; Out spins the streaming Blood, and dies the Ground. The mighty Maces with such Haste descend, They break the Bones, and make the solid Armour bend. This thrusts amid the Throng with furious Force; Down goes, at once, the Horseman and the Horse: That Courser stumbles on the fallen Steed, And floundring, throws the Rider o'er his Head. 610 One rolls along, a Foot-ball to his Foes; One with a broken Truncheon deals his Blows. This halting, this disabl'd with his Wound, In Triumph led, is to the Pillar bound, Where by the King's Award he must abide : There goes a Captive led on t'other Side. By Fits they cease; and leaning on the Lance, Take Breath a while, and to new Fight advance. Full oft the Rivals met, and neither spar'd His utmost Force, and each forgot to ward. The Head of this was to the Saddle bent, 621 That other backward to the Crupper sent : Both were by Turns unhors'd; the jealous Blows Fall thick and heavy, when on Foot they close. So deep their Fauchions bite, that ev'ry Stroke Pierc'd to the Quick; and equal Wounds they gave and took. Born far asunder by the Tides of men, Like Adamant and Steel they met agen. So when a Tyger sucks the Bullock's) Blood, A famish'd Lion issuing from the Wood 630 Roars Lordly fierce, and challenges the Food. Each claims Possession, neither will obey, But both their Paws are fasten'd on the Prey; They bite, they tear; and while in vain they strive, The Swains come arm'd between, and both to Distance drive. At length, as Fate foredoom'd, and all things tend By Course of Time to their appointed End; So when the Sun to West was far declin'd, And both afresh in mortal Battel join'd, The strong Emetrius came in Arcite's Aid, And Palamon with Odds was overlaid: 641 For turning short, he struck with all his Might Full on the Helmet of th' unwary Knight. Deep was the Wound; he stagger'd with the Blow, And turn'd him to his unexpected Foe; Whom with such Force he struck, he fell'd him down, And cleft the Circle of his Golden Crown. But Arcite's Men, who now prevail'd in Fight, Twice Ten at once surround the single Knight: O'erpower'd at length, they force him to the Ground, 650 Unyielded as he was, and to the Pillar bound; And king Lycurgus, while he fought in Vain His Friend to free, was tumbl'd on the Plain. 622 That Derrick, Christie, and others wrongly give The Who now laments but Palamon, compell'd No more to try the Fortune of the Field! And worse than Death, to view with hateful Eyes His Rival's Conquest, and renounce the Prize! The Royal Judge on his Tribunal plac'd, Who had beheld the Fight from first to last, Bad cease the War; pronouncing from on high 660 Arcite of Thebes had won the beauteous Emily. The Sound of Trumpets to the Voice reply'd,) And round the Royal Lists the Heralds cry'd, Arcite of Thebes has won the beauteous The People rend the Skies with vast All own the Chief, when Fortune owns the Arcite is own'd ev'n by the Gods above, And conqu'ring Mars insults the Queen of Love. So laugh'd he when the rightful Titan fail'd, And Jove's usurping Arms in Heav'n prevail'd. 670 Laugh'd all the Pow'rs who favour Tyranny; And all the Standing Army of the Sky. But Venus with dejected Eyes appears, And weeping, on the Lists, distill'd her Tears; Her Will refus'd, which grieves a Woman most, And, in her Champion foil'd, the Cause of Love is lost. Till Saturn said, Fair Daughter, now be still, The blustring Fool has satisfi'd his Will; His Boon is given; his Knight has gain'd the Day, But lost the Prize, th' Arrears are yet to pay. 680 Thy Hour is come, and mine the Care shall be To please thy Knight, and set thy Promise free. Now while the Heralds run the Lists around, And Arcite, Arcite, Heav'n and Earth resound, A Miracle (nor less it could be call'd) Their Joy with unexpected Sorrow pall'd. The Victor Knight had laid his Helm aside, Where next the Queen was plac'd his Then passing, to the Saddle-bow he bent, Just then, from Earth sprung out a flashing By Pluto sent, at Saturn's bad Desire: 700 The startling Steed was seiz'd with sudden Fright, And, bounding, o'er the Pummel cast the Knight: Forward he flew, and pitching on his Head, He quiver'd with his Feet, and lay for Dead. Black was his Count'nance in a little Space, For all the Blood was gather'd in his Face. Help was at Hand; they rear'd him from the Ground, And from his cumbrous Arms his Limbs unbound ; Then lanc'd a Vein, and watch'd returning Breath; It came, but clogg'd with Symptoms of his Death. 710 The Saddle-bow the Noble Parts had prest, All bruis'd and mortifi'd his Manly Breast. Him still entrancd, and in a Litter laid, They bore from Field, and to his Bed convey'd. At length he wak'd; and, with a feeble Cry, The Word he first pronounc'd was Emily. Mean time the King, though inwardly he mourn'd, In Pomp triumphant to the Town return'd, Attended by the Chiefs who fought the Field, (Now friendly mix'd, and in one Troop compell'd ;) 720 Compos'd his Looks to counterfeited Cheer, And bade them not for Arcite's Life to fear. But that which gladded all the Warriour Train, Though most were sorely wounded, none were slain. The Surgeons soon despoil'd'em of their Arms, And some with Salves they cure, and some with Charms; Foment the Bruises, and the Pains asswage And heal their inward Hurts with Sov'reign Draughts of Sage. 729 The King in Person visits all around, None was disgrac'd; for Falling is no Shame; But 'tis the Fault of Fortune, not his own. If Crowds and Palms the conqu'ring Side adorn, The Victor under better Stars was born: The brave Man seeks not popular Applause, Nor overpower'd with Arms, deserts his Cause; 740 Unsham'd, though foil'd, he does the best he can; Force is of Brutes, but Honour is of Man. Thus Theseus smil'd on all with equal And each was set according to his Place. Well pleas'd; and to their sev'ral Homes retir'd. Mean while, the Health of Arcite still impairs ; From Bad proceeds to Worse, and mocks the Leeches Cares : 750 Swoln is his Breast, his inward Pains in |