Well pleased, and to their several homes retired. Meanwhile the health of Arcite still impairs; From bad proceeds to worse, and mocks the leeches' cares: Swollen is his breast, his inward pains increase, All means are used, and all without success. The clotted blood lies heavy on his heart, Corrupts, and there remains in spite of art; Nor breathing veins, nor cupping, will prevail; All outward remedies and inward fail: The mould of nature's fabric is destroyed, Her vessels discomposed, her virtue void: The bellows of his lungs begins to swell; } All out of frame is every secret cell, } Nor can the good receive, nor bad expel. } Those breathing organs, thus within opprest, With venom soon distend the sinews of his breast. Nought profits him to save abandoned life, Nor vomits upward aid, nor downward laxative. The midmost region battered and destroyed, When nature cannot work, the effect of art is void; For physic can but mend our crazy state, Patch an old building, not a new create. Arcite is doomed to die in all his pride, } Must leave his youth, and yield his beauteous bride, } Gained hardly, against right, and unenjoyed. } When 'twas declared all hope of life was past, } Conscience (that of all physic works the last) } Caused him to send for Emily in haste. } With her, at his desire, came Palamon; Then, on his pillow raised, he thus began:-- "No language can express the smallest part Of what I feel, and suffer in my heart, For you, whom best I love and value most: But to your service I bequeath my ghost; Which, from this mortal body when untied, Unseen, unheard, shall hover at your side; Nor fright you waking, nor your sleep offend, But wait officious, and your steps attend. How I have loved, excuse my faultering tongue, My spirits feeble, and my pains are strong: This I may say, I only grieve to die, Because I lose my charming Emily. To die, when heaven had put you in my power! Fate could not chuse a more malicious hour. What greater curse could envious fortune give, Than just to die, when I began to live! Vain men! how vanishing a bliss we crave, Now warm in love, now withering in the grave! Never, O never more to see the sun! Still dark, in a damp vault, and still alone! This fate is common; but I lose my breath Near bliss, and yet not blessed, before my death. Farewell! but take me, dying, in your arms, 'Tis all I can enjoy of all your charms: This hand I cannot but in death resign; Ah, could I live! but while I live 'tis mine. I feel my end approach, and, thus embraced, Am pleased to die; but hear me speak my last: Ah, my sweet foe! for you, and you alone, I broke my faith with injured Palamon. But love the sense of right and wrong confounds; Strong love and proud ambition have no bounds. And much, I doubt, should heaven my life prolong, I should return to justify my wrong;