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For which anon duk Theseus leet crye, To stinten alle rancour and envye, The gree as wel of o syde as of other, And either syde y-lyk, as otheres brother; And yaf hem yiftes after hir degree, And fully heeld a feste dayes three; And conveyed the kinges worthily Out of his toun a Iournee largely. And hoom wente every man the righte way. Ther was namore, but ‘far wel, have good day!’ Of this bataille I wol namore endyte, But speke of Palamon and of Arcite. For which anon duk Theseus leet crye, To stinten alle rancour and envye, The gree as wel of o syde as of other, And either syde y-lyk, as otheres brother; And yaf hem yiftes after hir degree, And fully heeld a feste dayes three; And conveyed the kinges worthily Out of his toun a Iournee largely. And hoom wente every man the righte way. Ther was namore, but ‘far wel, have good day!’ Of this bataille I wol namore endyte, But speke of Palamon and of Arcite.
Swelleth the brest of Arcite, and the sore Encreesseth at his herte more and more. The clothered blood, for any lechecraft, Corrupteth, and is in his bouk y-laft, That neither veyne-blood, ne ventusinge, Ne drinke of herbes may ben his helpinge. The vertu expulsif, or animal, Fro thilke vertu cleped natural Ne may the venim voyden, ne expelle. The pypes of his longes gonne to swelle, And every lacerte in his brest adoun Is shent with venim and corrupcioun. Him gayneth neither, for to gete his lyf, Vomyt upward, ne dounward laxatif; Al is to-brosten thilke regioun, Nature hath now no dominacioun. And certeinly, ther nature wol nat wirche, Far-wel, phisyk! go ber the man to chirche! This al and som, that Arcita mot dye, For which he sendeth after Emelye, And Palamon, that was his cosin dere; Than seyde he thus, as ye shul after here. Swelleth the brest of Arcite, and the sore Encreesseth at his herte more and more. The clothered blood, for any lechecraft, Corrupteth, and is in his bouk y-laft, That neither veyne-blood, ne ventusinge, Ne drinke of herbes may ben his helpinge. The vertu expulsif, or animal, Fro thilke vertu cleped natural Ne may the venim voyden, ne expelle. The pypes of his longes gonne to swelle, And every lacerte in his brest adoun Is shent with venim and corrupcioun. Him gayneth neither, for to gete his lyf, Vomyt upward, ne dounward laxatif; Al is to-brosten thilke regioun, Nature hath now no dominacioun. And certeinly, ther nature wol nat wirche, Far-wel, phisyk! go ber the man to chirche! This al and som, that Arcita mot dye, For which he sendeth after Emelye, And Palamon, that was his cosin dere; Than seyde he thus, as ye shul after here.

Original Text

Modern Text

For which anon duk Theseus leet crye, To stinten alle rancour and envye, The gree as wel of o syde as of other, And either syde y-lyk, as otheres brother; And yaf hem yiftes after hir degree, And fully heeld a feste dayes three; And conveyed the kinges worthily Out of his toun a Iournee largely. And hoom wente every man the righte way. Ther was namore, but ‘far wel, have good day!’ Of this bataille I wol namore endyte, But speke of Palamon and of Arcite. For which anon duk Theseus leet crye, To stinten alle rancour and envye, The gree as wel of o syde as of other, And either syde y-lyk, as otheres brother; And yaf hem yiftes after hir degree, And fully heeld a feste dayes three; And conveyed the kinges worthily Out of his toun a Iournee largely. And hoom wente every man the righte way. Ther was namore, but ‘far wel, have good day!’ Of this bataille I wol namore endyte, But speke of Palamon and of Arcite.
Swelleth the brest of Arcite, and the sore Encreesseth at his herte more and more. The clothered blood, for any lechecraft, Corrupteth, and is in his bouk y-laft, That neither veyne-blood, ne ventusinge, Ne drinke of herbes may ben his helpinge. The vertu expulsif, or animal, Fro thilke vertu cleped natural Ne may the venim voyden, ne expelle. The pypes of his longes gonne to swelle, And every lacerte in his brest adoun Is shent with venim and corrupcioun. Him gayneth neither, for to gete his lyf, Vomyt upward, ne dounward laxatif; Al is to-brosten thilke regioun, Nature hath now no dominacioun. And certeinly, ther nature wol nat wirche, Far-wel, phisyk! go ber the man to chirche! This al and som, that Arcita mot dye, For which he sendeth after Emelye, And Palamon, that was his cosin dere; Than seyde he thus, as ye shul after here. Swelleth the brest of Arcite, and the sore Encreesseth at his herte more and more. The clothered blood, for any lechecraft, Corrupteth, and is in his bouk y-laft, That neither veyne-blood, ne ventusinge, Ne drinke of herbes may ben his helpinge. The vertu expulsif, or animal, Fro thilke vertu cleped natural Ne may the venim voyden, ne expelle. The pypes of his longes gonne to swelle, And every lacerte in his brest adoun Is shent with venim and corrupcioun. Him gayneth neither, for to gete his lyf, Vomyt upward, ne dounward laxatif; Al is to-brosten thilke regioun, Nature hath now no dominacioun. And certeinly, ther nature wol nat wirche, Far-wel, phisyk! go ber the man to chirche! This al and som, that Arcita mot dye, For which he sendeth after Emelye, And Palamon, that was his cosin dere; Than seyde he thus, as ye shul after here.