First own’d my passion, and to thee commend
  The important secret, as my chosen friend. 
  Suppose (which yet I grant not) thy desire
  A moment elder than my rival fire;
  Can chance of seeing first thy title prove? 
  And know’st thou not, no law is made for love? 
  Law is to things which to free choice relate;
  Love is not in our choice, but in our fate;
  Laws are but positive; love’s power, we see,
  Is Nature’s sanction, and her first decree. 330
  Each day we break the bond of human laws
  For love, and vindicate the common cause. 
  Laws for defence of civil rights are placed,
  Love throws the fences down, and makes a general waste;
  Maids, widows, wives, without distinction fall;
  The sweeping deluge, love, comes on, and covers all. 
  If, then, the laws of friendship I transgress,
  I keep the greater, while I break the less;
  And both are mad alike, since neither can possess. 
  Both hopeless to be ransom’d, never more 340
  To see the sun, but as he passes o’er.

    Like AEsop’s hounds contending for the bone,
  Each pleaded right, and would be lord alone: 
  The fruitless fight continued all the day;
  A cur came by, and snatch’d the prize away. 
  As courtiers, therefore, jostle for a grant,
  And when they break their friendship, plead their want;
  So thou, if fortune will thy suit advance,
  Love on, nor envy me my equal chance;
  For I must love, and am resolved to try 350
  My fate, or, failing in the adventure, die.

    Great was their strife, which hourly was renew’d,
  Till each with mortal hate his rival view’d;
  Now friends no more, nor walking hand in hand;
  But when they met, they made a surly stand;
  And glared like angry lions as they pass’d,
  And wish’d that every look might be their last.

    It chanced at length, Pirithous came to attend
  This worthy Theseus, his familiar friend: 
  Their love in early infancy began, 360
  And rose as childhood ripen’d into man. 
  Companions of the war; and loved so well,
  That when one died, as ancient stories tell,
  His fellow to redeem him went to Hell.

    But to pursue my tale; to welcome home
  His warlike brother is Pirithous come: 
  Arcite of Thebes was known in arms long since,
  And honour’d by this young Thessalian prince. 
  Theseus, to gratify his friend and guest,
  Who made our Arcite’s freedom his request, 370
  Restored to liberty the captive knight,
  But on these hard conditions I recite: 
  That if hereafter Arcite should be found
  Within the compass of Athenian ground,
  By day or night, or on whate’er pretence,
  His head should pay the forfeit of the offence. 
  To this Pirithous for his friend agreed,
  And on his promise was the prisoner freed.