In redouting of Mars and of his glorie. Now to the temple of Diane the chaste, As shortly as I can, I wol me haste, To tellen you of the descriptioun, Depeinted by the walles up and doun, Of hunting and of shamefast chastitee. Ther saw I how woful Calistope, Whan that Diane agreved was with here, Was turned from a woman til a bere, And after was she made the lodesterre. Thus was it peinted, I can say no ferre; Hire sone is eke a sterre, as men may see. There saw I Danè yturned til a tree; I mene not hire the goddesse Diane, But Peneus daughter, which that highte Danè. Ther saw I Atteon, an hart ymaked, For vengeance that he saw Diane all naked: I saw how that his houndes have him caught, And freten him, for that they knew him naught. Yet peinted was a litel forthermore, How Athalante hunted the wilde bore; And Meleagre, and many another mo, For which Diane wrought hem care and wo. Ther saw I many another wonder storie, The which me liste not drawen to memorie. This goddesse on an hart ful heye sete, With smale houndes all about hire fete, And undernethe hire fete she hadde a mone, Wexing it was, and shuld wanen sone. In gaudy grene hire statue clothed was, With bow in hond, and arwes in a cas; Hire eyen cast she ful low adoun, Ther Pluto hath his derke regioun. A woman travailling was hire beforne, But for hire child so longe was unborne, Full pitously Lucina gan she call, And sayed; Helpe, for thou mayest beste of all. Wel coude he peinten lifly that it wrought, With many a florein he the hewes bought. Now ben these listes made, and Theseus, That at his gret cost arraied thus The temples, and the theatre everidel, Whan it was don, him liked wonder wel. But stint I wol of Theseus a lite, And speke of Palamon and of Arcite. The day approcheth of hir returning, That everich shuld an hundred knightes bring The bataille to darreine, as I you told; And til Athenes hir covenant for to hold, Hath everich of hem brought an hundred knightes Wel armed for the werre at alle rightes; And sikerly ther trowed many a man That never sithen that the world began, As for to speke of knighthood of hir hond, As fer as God hath maked see and lond; N'as of so fewe so noble a compagnie. For every wight that loved chivalrie, And wold his thankes han a passant name, Hath praied that he might ben of that game, And wel was him that therto chosen was, For if ther fell to morwe such a cas, Ye knowen wel that every lusty knight That loveth _par amour_, and hath his might, Were it in Englelond or elleswher, They wold hir thankes willen to be ther. To fight for a lady, a _benedicite_, It were a lusty sight for to se. And right so ferden they with Palamon, With him there wenten knightes many on;