Disguised in habit, undisguised in shape),
  Oh, help us captives from our chains to ’scape! 
  But if our doom be past in bonds to lie
  For life, and in a loathsome dungeon die,
  Then be thy wrath appeased with our disgrace,
  And show compassion to the Theban race,
  Oppress’d by tyrant power!  While yet he spoke, 270
  Arcite on Emily had fix’d his look;
  The fatal dart a ready passage found,
  And deep within his heart infix’d the wound: 
  So that if Palamon were wounded sore,
  Arcite was hurt as much as he, or more: 
  Then from his inmost soul he sigh’d, and said,
  The beauty I behold has struck me dead: 
  Unknowingly she strikes; and kills by chance;
  Poison is in her eyes, and death in every glance. 
  Oh, I must ask; nor ask alone, but move 280
  Her mind to mercy, or must die for love! 
  Thus Arcite:  and thus Palamon replies,
  (Eager his tone and ardent were his eyes): 
  Speak’st thou in earnest, or in jesting vein? 
  Jesting, said Arcite, suits but ill with pain. 
  It suits far worse (said Palamon again,
  And bent his brows) with men who honour weigh,
  Their faith to break, their friendship to betray;
  But worst with thee, of noble lineage born,
  My kinsman, and in arms my brother sworn. 290
  Have we not plighted each our holy oath,
  That one should be the common good of both;
  One soul should both inspire, and neither prove
  His fellow’s hindrance in pursuit of love? 
  To this before the gods we gave our hands,
  And nothing but our death can break the bands. 
  This binds thee, then, to further my design,
  As I am bound by vow to further thine: 
  Nor canst, nor dar’st thou, traitor, on the plain
  Appeach my honour, or thine own maintain, 300
  Since thou art of my council, and the friend
  Whose faith I trust, and on whose care depend: 
  And would’st thou court my lady’s love, which I
  Much rather than release would choose to die? 
  But thou, false Arcite, never shall obtain
  Thy bad pretence; I told thee first my pain;
  For first my love began ere thine was born: 
  Thou as my council, and my brother sworn,
  Art bound to assist my eldership of right,
  Or justly to be deem’d a perjured knight. 310

    Thus Palamon:  but Arcite with disdain
  In haughty language thus replied again: 
  Forsworn thyself:  the traitor’s odious name
  I first return, and then disprove thy claim. 
  If love be passion, and that passion nursed
  With strong desires, I loved the lady first. 
  Canst thou pretend desire, whom zeal inflamed
  To worship, and a power celestial named? 
  Thine was devotion to the blest above,
  I saw the woman and desired her love; 320