This freely sworn, the knights their grace obtain’d;
  Then thus the king his secret thoughts explain’d: 
  If wealth, or honour, or a royal race,
  Or each, or all, may win a lady’s grace,
  Then either of you knights may well deserve
  A princess born; and such is she you serve: 
  For Emily is sister to the crown,
  And but too well to both her beauty known: 
  But should you combat till you both were dead,
  Two lovers cannot share a single bed:  400
  As, therefore, both are equal in degree,
  The lot of both be left to destiny. 
  Now hear the award, and happy may it prove
  To her, and him who best deserves her love. 
  Depart from hence in peace, and, free as air,
  Search the wide world, and where you please repair;
  But on the day when this returning sun
  To the same point through every sign has run,
  Then each of you his hundred knights shall bring,
  In royal lists, to fight before the king; 410
  And then the knight, whom fate or happy chance
  Shall with his friends to victory advance,
  And grace his arms so far in equal fight,
  From out the bars to force his opposite,
  Or kill, or make him recreant on the plain,
  The prize of valour and of love shall gain;
  The vanquish’d party shall their claim release,
  And the long jars conclude in lasting peace. 
  The charge be mine to adorn the chosen ground,
  The theatre of war, for champions so renown’d; 420
  And take the patron’s place of either knight,
  With eyes impartial to behold the fight;
  And Heaven of me so judge as I shall judge aright. 
  If both are satisfied with this accord,
  Swear by the laws of knighthood on my sword.

    Who now but Palamon exults with joy? 
  And ravish’d Arcite seems to touch the sky: 
  The whole assembled troop was pleased as well,
  Extol the award, and on their knees they fell
  To bless the gracious king.  The knights, with leave, 430
  Departing from the place, his last commands receive;
  On Emily with equal ardour look,
  And from her eyes their inspiration took. 
  From thence to Thebes’ old walls pursue their way,
  Each to provide his champions for the day.

    It might be deem’d, on our historian’s part,
  Or too much negligence, or want of art,
  If he forgot the vast magnificence
  Of royal Theseus, and his large expense,
  He first enclosed for lists a level ground, 440
  The whole circumference a mile around;
  The form was circular; and all without
  A trench was sunk, to moat the place about. 
  Within an amphitheatre appear’d,
  Raised in degrees; to sixty paces rear’d: 
  That when a man was placed in one degree,
  Height was allow’d for him above to see.