His speche ne his vois, though men it herd. And in his gere, for all the world he ferd, Nought only like the lovers maladie, Of Ereos, but rather ylike manie, Engendred of humours melancolike, Beforne his hed in his celle fantastike. And shortly turned was all up so doun Both habit and eke dispositioun Of him, this woful lover Dan Arcite. What shuld I all day of his wo endite? Whan he endured had a yere or two This cruel torment, and this peine and wo, At Thebes, in his contree, as I said, Upon a night in slepe as he him laid, Him thought how that the winged god Mercury Beforne him stood, and bad him be mery. His slepy yerde in hond he bare upright; An hat he wered upon his heres bright: Arraied was this god, (as he toke kepe,) As he was whan that Argus toke his slepe, And said him thus: To Athenes shall thou wende, Ther is thee shapen of thy wo an ende. And with that word Arcite awoke and stert. Now trewely how sore that ever me smert, Quod he, to Athenes right now wol I fare; Ne for no drede of deth shall I not spare To se my lady, that I love and serve; In hire presence I rekke not to sterve. And with that word he caught a gret mirrour, And saw that changed was all his colour, And saw his visage all in another kind; And right anon it ran him in his mind, That sith his face was so disfigured Of maladie, the which he had endured, He might wel, if that he bare him lowe, Live in Athenes evermore unknowe, And sen his lady wel nigh day by day. And right anon he changed his aray, And clad him as a poure labourer; And all alone (save only a squier, That knew his privitie and all his cas, Which was disguised pourely as he was,) To Athenes is he gone the nexte way. And to the court he went upon a day, And at the gate he proffered his service, To drugge and draw what so men wold devise. And shortly of this matere for to sayn, He fell in office with a chamberlain, The which that dwelling was with Emelie; For he was wise, and coude sone espie Of every servent which that served hire: Wel coud he hewen wood, and water bere, For he was yonge and mighty for the nones, And thereto he was strong and big of bones To done that any wight can him devise. A yere or two he was in this service, Page of the chambre of Emelie the bright, And Philostrate he sayde that he hight. But half so wel beloved man as he Ne was ther never in court of his degre. He was so gentil of conditioun, That thurghout all the court was his renoun. They sayden that it were a charite That Theseus wold enhaunse his degre, And putten him in a worshipful service, Ther as he might his vertues exercise. And thus, within a while, his name is spronge, Both of his dedes, and of his good tonge,