That I shal nedes have on of hem two, As sende me him that most desireth me. Beholde, goddesse of clene chastite, The bitter teres that on my chekes fall, Sin thou art a mayde, and keper of us all, My maydenhede thou kepe, and well conserve, And while I live a mayde I wol thee serve. The fires brenne upon the auter clere, While Emelie was thus in hire praiere, But sodenly she saw a sighte queinte; For right anon on of the fires queinte And quiked again, and after that, anon That other fire was queinte, and all agon; And as it queinte, it made a whisteling, As don these brondes wet in hir brenning; And at the brondes ende outran anon, As it were blody dropes many on; For which, so sore agast was Emelie, That she was well neigh mad, and gan to crie; For she ne wiste what it signified, But only for the fere thus she cried, And wept, that it was pitee for to here. And therewithall Diane gan appere With bow in hond, right as an hunteresse, And sayde, Doughter, stint thin hevinesse. Among the goddes highe it is affermed, And by eterne word written and confermed, Thou shalt be wedded unto on of tho That han for thee so mochel care and wo, But unto which of hem I may not tell. Farewel! for here I may no longer dwell: The fires, which that on min auter brenne, Shal thee declaren, er that thou go henne, Thin aventure of love as in this case. And, with that word, the arwes in the case Of the goddesse clatteren fast and ring, And forth she went, and made a vanishing; For which this Emelie astonied was, And sayde, What amounteth this, alas! I put me in thy protection, Diane, and under thy disposition. And home she goth anon the nexte way. This is the effecte; there n'is no more to say. The next houre of Mars folwing this, Arcite unto the temple walked is Of fierce Mars to don his sacrifise, With all the rites of his payen wise: With pitous herte and high devotion, Right thus to Mars he sayde his orison: O stronge God, that in the regnes cold Of Trace honoured art, and lord yhold, And hast in every regne, and every lond Of armes, all the bridel in thin hond, And hem fortunest as thee list devise, Accept of me my pitous sacrifise! It so be that my youthe may deserve, And that my might be worthy for to serve Thy godhed, that I may ben on of thine; Than praie I thee to rewe upon my pine; For thilke peine, and thilke hot fire, In which thou whilom brendest for desire, Whanne that thou usedest the beautee Of fayre yonge Venus fresshe and free, And haddest hire in armes at thy wille; Although thee ones on a time misfille, Whan Vulcanus had caught thee in his las, And fond thee ligging by his wif, alas! For thilke sorwe that was tho in thin herte,