Or elles suffre deeth as wel as I, That ye unto your sone as trewely Doon her be wedded at your hoom-coming. 2100 This is the fynal ende of al this thing; Ye swere hit heer, on al that may be sworn.' 'Ye, lady myn,' quod he, 'or elles torn Mote I be with the Minotaur to-morwe! And haveth her-of my herte-blood to borwe, 2105 Yif that ye wile; if I had knyf or spere, (221) I wolde hit leten out, and ther-on swere, For than at erst I wot ye wil me leve. By Mars, that is the cheef of my bileve, So that I mighte liven and nat faile 2110 To-morwe for tacheve my bataile, I nolde never fro this place flee, Til that ye shuld the verray preve see. For now, if that the sooth I shal yow say, I have y-loved yow ful many a day, 2115 Thogh ye ne wiste hit nat, in my contree. (231) And aldermost desyred yow to see Of any erthly living creature; Upon my trouthe I swere, and yow assure, Thise seven yeer I have your servant be; 2120 Now have I yow, and also have ye me, My dere herte, of Athenes duchesse!' This lady smyleth at his stedfastnesse, And at his hertly wordes, and his chere, And to her suster seide in this manere, 2125 Al softely, 'now, suster myn,' quod she, (241) 'Now be we duchesses, bothe I and ye, And sikered to the regals of Athenes, And bothe her-after lykly to be quenes, And saved fro his deeth a kinges sone, 2130 As ever of gentil women is the wone To save a gentil man, emforth hir might, In honest cause, and namely in his right. Me thinketh no wight oghte her-of us blame, Ne beren us ther-for an evel name.' 2135 And shortly of this matere for to make, (251) This Theseus of her hath leve y-take, And every point performed was in dede As ye have in this covenant herd me rede. His wepen, his clew, his thing that I have said, 2140 Was by the gayler in the hous y-laid Ther as this Minotaur hath his dwelling, Right faste by the dore, at his entring. And Theseus is lad unto his deeth, And forth un-to this Minotaur he geeth, 2145 And by the teching of this Adriane (261) He overcom this beste, and was his bane; And out he cometh by the clewe again Ful prevely, whan he this beste hath slain; And by the gayler geten hath a barge, 2150 And of his wyves tresor gan hit charge, And took his wyf, and eek her suster free, And eek the gayler, and with hem alle three Is stole awey out of the lond by nighte, And to the contre of Ennopye him dighte 2155