THE KNIGHT'S TALE
perish here in a cage, with all the woes of prison and eke with the pain of love, that doubleth all my torment." Therewith the fire of jealousy flared up and kindled upon his heart so madly that he turned pale as the box-tree or the ashes dead and cold. "O cruel gods," he cried, "that govern this world with the binding of your everlasting decree, and write on tables of adamant your eternal word, why is mankind more bound in duty to you than the sheep that cowereth in the fold? For man is slain like another beast, and dwelleth in prison and hath sickness and adversity, and ofttimes guiltless. What justice is in the Providence that thus tormenteth the innocent? And yet this increaseth my suffering, that man is bound for God's sake to give up his will, where a beast may perform all his desire. And when a beast is dead his trouble is past, but man after his death must weep, though in this world he have care and woe. Well I wot that in this world is misery; let divines explain it if they may. Alas! I see a serpent, or thief, go at large and turn where he list, that hath done mischief to many a true man. But Saturn holdeth me in prison, and eke Juno jealous and furious, that hath destroyed well nigh all the blood of Thebes, and laid its broad walls all waste; and from the other side Venus slayeth me with jealousy and fear of Arcite."
The summer passeth, and the long nights increase in double wise the pains both of the free lover and the prisoner. I wot not which hath the woefuller calling. I ask you lovers now, who hath the worse, Arcite or Palamon? The one may see his lady day after day, but perpetually is doomed to prison, to die in chains and fetters; the other may go where he will, but from that country he is exiled upon pain of death, and his lady he may
see no more. Judge as ye will, ye that can, for now I will
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