battle they were discovered wounded, and taken back to Athens as
Theseus' prisoners.

For many a day they were shut up in a room in a high tower
overlooking Theseus' garden. Very woeful were they, until one May
morning Palamon looked through his barred window and saw a lovely
maid walking in the garden below. It was early morning, with the dew
still on the flowers and the first beams of the sun glistening on all
things. The maid was as fair as the flowers that she gathered to make
her garland. Her hair was golden and hung in a long plait, and the
blossoms she gathered for her garland were red and white. For very
joy she sang so sweet a song that Palamon beholding her loved her
with all his heart, yet thought she was too beautiful to be a maid of
earth. He looked long, and sighed, "O goddess, if thou wilt but help
me to be free, I will be always thy trusty servant." Hearing him thus
speak, Arcite also looked out, and he too at once loved the wondrous
beauty of the maid. "May I die unless I have her," he said, and
sighed too. At this Palamon was angry. "Traitor," he said, "do you
now break the vow we made each other long ago--never to betray each
other, and never to cross each other in love? I saw and loved the
maid first. She must be _mine_."

"No," answered Arcite. "You thought she was a goddess; I loved her
first as a woman. She must be _mine._" So they fell to quarrelling
loudly and cruelly. At last Arcite said, "We waste our time to
quarrel thus. Neither of us can ever win her. Poor prisoners we are,
and doomed to die here without a thought from happier men. Some rich
lord will carry her away. Ours she cannot be." And they were very
sad.