Page:The Canterbury tales of Geoffrey Chaucer.djvu/68

 time, yet was their death by menacing of Mars painted before in plain image) ; so was it showed in that portraiture as it is depicted in the stars on high, who shall be slain or else who shall die for love. Let one ensample suffice here from old stories, I may not reckon them all, though I would.

The statue of Mars stood upon a car all armed and looked grim as in a fury, and over his head there shone two figures of stars that be called, in writings, the one Rubeus, the other Puella ; thus the god of arms was presented. Before him at his feet stood a wolf with red eyes, and ate of a man. Subtly all this was wrought in reverence of Mars and of his glory.

Now to the temple of Diane the virgin will I haste me as shortly as I can, to tell you all the description thereof. High and low on the walls hunting was depicted and shamefast chastity. There saw I how woeful Callisto, when that she aggrieved Diane, was turned from a woman to a bear, and afterward she was made the lodestar; thus was it painted, I can tell you no further. Her son is a star eke, as men may behold. There saw I Danë turned to a tree—I mean not the goddess Diane, but the daughter of Penneus that was called Daphne. There saw I Actæon turned to an hart for vengeance that he saw Diane all naked; I saw how that his hounds have caught him and devoured him, for that they knew him not. A little further on was painted how the wild boar was hunted by Atalanta, and Meleager and many another, for which Diane wrought him care and woe. There saw I many another story even as wondrous, which I list not draw to mind. This goddess sat full high on an hart, with small hounds all about her feet, and under her feet was the moon, that was waxing and anon would wane. In yellow-green her statue was clothed with bow in hand and arrows in