Thus pale they meet; their eyes with fury burn; None greets, for none the greeting will return; But in dumb surliness, each armed, with care, His foe profest, as brother of the war: Then both, no moment lost, at once advance Against each other, armed with sword and lance. They lash, they foin, they pass, they strive to bore Their corslets, and the thinnest parts explore. Thus two long hours, in equal arms, they stood, And, wounded, wound, till both were bathed in blood; And not a foot of ground had either got, As if the world depended on the spot. Fell Arcite like an angry tyger fared, And like a lion Palamon appeared: Or, as two boars, whom love to battle draws, With rising bristles, and with frothy jaws, Their adverse breasts with tusks oblique they wound; With grunts and groans the forest rings around. So fought the knights, and fighting must abide, Till fate an umpire sends their difference to decide. The power that ministers to God's decrees, And executes on earth what heaven foresees, Called Providence, or Chance, or Fatal Sway, Comes with resistless force, and finds, or makes, her way; Nor kings, nor nations, nor united power, One moment can retard the appointed hour; And some one day, some wondrous chance appears, Which happened not in centuries of years: For sure, whate'er we mortals hate, or love, Or hope, or fear, depends on powers above; They move our appetites to good or ill, And, by foresight, necessitate the will. In Theseus this appears, whose youthful joy Was beasts of chace in forests to destroy; This gentle knight, inspired by jolly May, } Forsook his easy couch at early day, } And to the wood and wilds pursued his way. } Beside him rode Hippolita the queen, And Emily, attired in lively green, With horns, and hounds, and all the tuneful cry, To hunt a royal hart, within the covert nigh: And, as he followed Mars before, so now He serves the goddess of the silver bow. The way, that Theseus took, was to the wood, Where the two knights in cruel battle stood: The lawn, in which they fought, the appointed place, In which the uncoupled hounds began the chace. Thither, forth-right, he rode to rouze the prey, That, shaded by the fern, in harbour lay; And, thence dislodged, was wont to leave the wood, For open fields, and cross the crystal flood. Approached, and looking underneath the sun, He saw proud Arcite, and fierce Palamon, In mortal battle doubling blow on blow, Like lightning flamed their faulchions to and fro, And shot a dreadful gleam; so strong they struck. There seemed less force required to fell an oak. He gazed with wonder on their equal might, Looked eager on, but knew not either knight. Resolved to learn, he spurred his fiery steed With goring rowels to provoke his speed. The minute ended that began the race, So soon he was betwixt them on the place;