the fresh sweet air of the May morning, and dismounted from his horse
near the very bush where Palamon lay hid. There he paced up and down,
restless, and spoke aloud to himself of all his sorrows. "I am
royally born," he said, "yet I must pretend to serve Theseus, my
mortal enemy. Palamon my brother is a captive. Unhappy are we
both--better to die of love for my lady than live this miserable
life." At this mention of his love, Palamon's heart was stirred to
wrath, and forth he rushed from his hiding-place. "Traitor Arcite,"
he cried, "do you still dare to love my lady? Will you still break
our vow of fealty, one to the other? Now you have deceived Theseus!
But beware! I am Palamon! You must give up your love or die!" Saying
this he rushed at Arcite. As it happened Arcite was armed, and drew
his sword, but seeing that Palamon had no weapon, he stayed his hand
and said, "If you will do combat for your love, wait here till
tomorrow. I cannot fight you unarmed as you are. At dawn I will
bring you armour, and a sword, and food. Then let the best warrior
have the fair lady of the garden!" And so they parted.

Arcite kept his word and brought the armour at daybreak. As soon as
it was light those two armed themselves in the wood, and fell on each
other like a lion and a tiger when they wage mortal combat in the
thick forest. Neither shrank himself nor spared his adversary. Their
shields were dinted, sparks flew from their helmets, and down their
breastplates many a stream of blood flowed.

Amid the din of their blows on the armour and the fury of combat,
they did not hear the hunting horn nor the baying of the hounds, and
so, before they knew it, Theseus and all his court were around them,
and had called on them to cease their clamour and explain why they
strove so fiercely together. They dropped their weapons in amazement,