Chaucer for Children: A Golden KeyChaucer, Geoffrey
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Chaucer for Children: A Golden Key
Chaucer, Geoffrey
Chaucer, Geoffrey, -1400 -- Adaptations
He caught up a looking-glass, and saw how altered his face was, so that no
one would know him. And lie suddenly bethought him that now he was so
disfigured with his grief, he might go and dwell in Athens without being
recognized, and see his lady nearly every day.
He dressed himself as a poor labourer, and accompanied only by a humble
squire, who knew all he had suffered, he hastened to Athens.
He went to the court of Theseus, and offered his services at the gate to
drudge and draw, or do any menial work that could be given him. Well could
he hew wood and carry water, for he was young and very strong. Now, it
happened that the chamberlain of fair Emelye’s house took Arcite into his
service.
Thus Arcite became page of the chamber of Emelye the bright, and he called
himself Philostrate.
Never was man so well thought of!--he was so gentle of condition that he
became known throughout the court. People said it would be but right if
Theseus promoted this Philostrate, and placed him in a rank which would
better display his talents and virtues.
At last Theseus raised him to be squire of his chamber, and gave him
plenty of gold to keep up his degree. Moreover, his own private rent was
secretly brought to him from Thebes year by year. But he spent it so
cunningly that no one suspected him. In this crafty way Arcite lived a
long time very happily, and bore himself so nobly both in peace and war
that there was no man in the land dearer to Theseus.
Now we will go back to Palamon.
Poor Palamon had been for seven years in his terrible prison, and was
quite wasted away with misery. There was not the slightest chance of
getting out; and his great love made him frantic. At last, however, one
May night some pitying friend helped him to give his jailor a drink which
sent him into a deep sleep: so that Palamon made his escape from the
tower. He fled from the city as fast as ever he could go, and hid himself
in a grove; meaning afterwards to go by night secretly to Thebes, and beg
all his friends to aid him to make war on Theseus. And then he would soon
either die or get Emelye to wife.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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