s: Touching hir love, were at the fulle up-bounde,


s: And neither laft, for cost ne for travayle;


s: Come if hem list, hem sholde no-thing fayle;


s: Now al is wel, for al the world is blind


s: Us lakketh nought but that we witen wolde


s: A certein houre, in which she comen sholde.


s: Knew at the fulle, and waytede on it ay,


s: And founde his cause, and ther-to his aray,


s: And first to seen the holy laurer quake,


s: To telle him next whan Grekes sholden flee,


s: But Pandare up, and shortly for to seyne,


s: Right sone upon the chaunging of the mone,


s: And that the welken shoop him for to reyne,


s: He streight a-morwe un-to his nece wente;


s: By this and that, she sholde him not escape,


s: At whiche she lough, and gan hir faste excuse,


s: And seyde, `It rayneth; lo, how sholde I goon?'


s: `Lat be,' quod he, `ne stond not thus to muse;


s: This moot be doon, ye shal be ther anoon.'


s: Sone after this, to him she gan to rowne,


s: For rather than men mighte him ther aspye,


s: What that she thoughte whan he seyde so,


s: But that, with-outen awayt, with him to go,


s: Al-though with him to goon it was no fere,


s: And wel avyse him whom he broughte there;


s: And seyde him, `Eem, sin I mot on yow triste,


s: Loke al be wel, and do now as yow liste.'


s: He swor hire, `Yis, by stokkes and by stones,


s: Or elles were him levere, soule and bones,


s: Whan al was wel, he roos and took his leve,


s: Ther he bishet, sin midnight, was in mewe,


s: But to the poynt; now whan that she was y-come


s: Whan tyme was, ful softe they hem sette;


s: God wot, ther was no deyntee for to fette.


s: At ese wel, with hertes fresshe and glade,


s: He song; she pleyde; he tolde tale of Wade.


s: She took hir leve, and nedes wolde wende.


s: Soth is, that, under god, ye ben our hierdes,


s: This mene I now, for she gan hoomward hye,


s: At the goddes wil, for which she moste bleve.


s: At which Pandare tho lough, and seyde thenne,


s: Yow any-thing, than prey I yow,' quod he,


s: `To doon myn herte as now so greet an ese


s: As for to dwelle here al this night with me,


s: For, by my trouthe, I sey it nought a-game,


s: To wende as now, it were to me a shame.'


s: Criseyde, which that coude as muche good


s: As half a world, tok hede of his preyere;


s: She thoughte, as good chep may I dwellen here,


s: And graunte it gladly with a freendes chere,


s: And have a thank, as grucche and thanne abyde;


s: For hoom to goon, it may nought wel bityde.'


s: Sin that yow list, it skile is to be so;


s: I am right glad with yow to dwellen here;


s: `Y-wis, graunt mercy, nece!' quod he tho;


s: Now am I glad, sin that yow list to dwelle.'


s: `And in this middel chaumbre that ye see


s: And if ye liggen wel to-night, com ofte,


s: The wyn anon, and whan so that yow leste,


s: So go we slepe, I trowe it be the beste.'


s: The voyde dronke, and travers drawe anon,


s: More in the place, out of the chaumber gon.


s: And blew ther-with so wonderliche loude,


s: That wel neigh no man heren other coude.


s: With women swiche as were hir most aboute,


s: Ful glad un-to hir beddes syde hir broughte,


s: And toke his leve, and gan ful lowe loute,


s: And seyde, `Here at this closet-dore with-oute,


s: That, whom yow list of hem, ye may here calle.'


s: So whan that she was in the closet leyd,


s: Whan that he sey that alle thing was wel,


s: He thoughte he wolde up-on his werk biginne,


s: And gan the stewe-dore al softe un-pinne;


s: And stille as stoon, with-outen lenger lette,


s: And, shortly to the poynt right for to gon,


s: Of al this werk he tolde him word and ende,


s: For thou shalt in-to hevene blisse wende.'


s: Hadde I er now, ne halvendel the drede.'


s: Quod Pandarus, `Ne drede thee never a del,


s: For it shal been right as thou wilt desyre;


s: `Yit blisful Venus, this night thou me enspyre,'


s: And ever bet and bet shal, til I sterve.


s: Or thou combust or let were in my birthe,


s: Of grace, and that I glad ayein may turne,


s: I mene Adoon, that with the boor was slawe.


s: `O Iove eek, for the love of faire Europe,


s: The whiche in forme of bole awey thou fette;


s: Now help, O Mars, thou with thy blody cope,


s: O Phebus, thenk whan Dane hir-selven shette


s: Under the bark, and laurer wex for drede,


s: Yet for hir love, O help now at this nede!


s: Quod Pandarus, `Thou wrecched mouses herte,


s: Art thou agast so that she wol thee byte?


s: Why, don this furred cloke up-on thy sherte,


s: And with that word he gan un-do a trappe,


s: And Troilus he broughte in by the lappe.


s: Ther-as they laye, and softely it shette.


s: His nece awook, and asked, `Who goth there?'


s: Ne wondreth not, ne have of it no fere;'


s: And ner he com, and seyde hir in hir ere,


s: Lat no wight ryse and heren of oure speche.'


s: `What! Which wey be ye comen, benedicite?'


s: Quod she; `And how thus unwist of hem alle?'


s: `Here at this secre trappe-dore,' quod he.


s: Quod Pandarus, `that ye swich foly wroughte!


s: They mighte deme thing they never er thoughte!


s: `It is nought good a sleping hound to wake,


s: So that, for hem, the hous men mighte myne;


s: And whan my tale al brought is to an ende,


s: `Now, nece myn, ye shul wel understonde,'


s: That for to holde in love a man in honde,


s: And him hir "leef" and "dere herte" calle,


s: She doth hir-self a shame, and him a gyle.


s: Oon of this world, and ther-to trouthe plyght,


s: That, but it were on him along, ye nolde


s: Him never falsen, whyle ye liven sholde.


s: And by that feith I shal Pryam of Troye!


s: `And he is come in swich peyne and distresse


s: He seyth him told is, of a freend of his,


s: How that ye sholde love oon that hatte Horaste,


s: For sorwe of which this night shalt been his laste.'


s: Criseyde, which that al this wonder herde,


s: So lightly fals! Allas! Conceytes wronge,


s: I knowe him not, god helpe me so,' quod she;


s: `Allas! What wikked spirit tolde him thus?


s: Now certes, eem, to-morwe, and I him see,


s: And with that word she gan ful sore syke.


s: `O god!' quod she, `So worldly selinesse,


s: Ful anguisshous than is, god woot,' quod she,


s: With what wight so thou be, or how thou pleye,


s: Either he woot that thou, Ioye, art muable,


s: Or woot it not, it moot ben oon of tweye;


s: `Now if he woot that Ioye is transitorie,


s: As every Ioye of worldly thing mot flee,


s: Than every tyme he that hath in memorie,


s: Than semeth it that Ioye is worth ful lyte.


s: Ther is no verray wele in this world here.


s: Quod Pandarus, `Thus fallen is this cas.'


s: `Why, uncle myn,' quod she, `who tolde him this?


s: `Ye woot, ye nece myn,' quod he, `what is;


s: For ye may quenche al this, if that yow leste,


s: And doth right so, for I holde it the beste.'


s: `So shal I do to-morwe, y-wis,' quod she,


s: `And god to-forn, so that it shal suffyse.'


s: `Nay, nay, it may not stonden in this wyse;


s: For, nece myn, thus wryten clerkes wyse,


s: That peril is with drecching in y-drawe;


s: Nay, swich abodes been nought worth an hawe.


s: For whan a chaumber a-fyr is, or an halle,


s: How is this candele in the straw y-falle?


s: The harm is doon, and fare-wel feldefare!


s: If that ye suffre him al night in this wo,


s: God help me so, ye hadde him never leef,


s: `Now by my thrift,' quod he, `that shal be sene;


s: For al the tresour in the toun of Troye,


s: `Now loke thanne, if ye, that been his love,


s: For thing of nought! Now, by that god above,


s: What, platly, and ye suffre him in distresse,


s: Quod tho Criseyde, `Wole ye doon o thing,


s: And ye therwith shal stinte al his disese?


s: For ther is no-thing mighte him bettre plese,


s: Save I my-self, ne more his herte apese;


s: Is causeles, that shal be seen to-morwe.'


s: Ye nece myn, that ring moste han a stoon


s: And swich a ring trowe I that ye have noon.


s: O tyme y-lost, wel maystow cursen slouthe!


s: `Wot ye not wel that noble and heigh corage


s: Ne sorweth not, ne stinteth eek for lyte?


s: Another day, whan that I mighte him finde;


s: But this thing stant al in another kinde.


s: `This is so gentil and so tendre of herte,


s: For trusteth wel, how sore that him smerte,


s: And for-thy, nece, er that his herte breke,


s: So spek your-self to him of this matere;


s: And his coming unwist is to every wight;


s: Ne, pardee, harm may ther be noon, ne sinne;


s: I wol my-self be with yow al this night.


s: And that, by right, ye moste upon him triste,


s: And I al prest to fecche him whan yow liste.'


s: That, though that she dide him as thanne a grace,


s: And eem, y-wis, fayn wolde I doon the beste,


s: But whether that ye dwelle or for him go,


s: Dulcarnon called is "fleminge of wrecches";


s: It semeth hard, for wrecches wol not lere


s: This seyd by hem that be not worth two fecches.


s: But ye ben wys, and that we han on honde


s: Nis neither hard, ne skilful to withstonde.'


s: `Thanne, eem,' quod she, `doth her-of as yow list;


s: And, for the love of god, sin al my trist


s: That I honour may have, and he plesaunce;


s: `That is wel seyd,' quod he, `my nece dere'


s: Ther good thrift on that wyse gentil herte!


s: But liggeth stille, and taketh him right here,


s: It nedeth not no ferther for him sterte;


s: For love of god; and, Venus, I the herie;


s: For sone hope I we shulle ben alle merie.'


s: This Troilus ful sone on knees him sette


s: Ne, though men sholden smyten of hir heed,


s: She coude nought a word a-right out-bringe


s: And seyde, `Nece, see how this lord can knele!


s: Now, for your trouthe, seeth this gentil man!'


s: And with that word he for a quisshen ran,


s: Ther god your hertes bringe sone at reste!'


s: Can I not seyn, for she bad him not ryse,


s: If sorwe it putte out of hir remembraunce,


s: But wel finde I she dide him this plesaunce,


s: That she him kiste, al-though she syked sore;


s: And bad him sitte a-doun with-outen more.


s: Upon your beddes syde al there with-inne,


s: That ech of yow the bet may other here.'


s: And with that word he drow him to the fere,


s: And took a light, and fond his contenaunce,


s: And cleer stood on a ground of sikernesse,


s: Al thoughte she, hir servaunt and hir knight


s: Ne sholde of right non untrouthe in hir gesse,


s: And that love is in cause of swich folye,


s: Of love, ayeins the which that no man may,


s: Youre grete trouthe, and servyse every day;


s: And that your herte al myn was, sooth to seyne,


s: This droof me for to rewe up-on your peyne.


s: Of whiche, my dere herte and al my knight,


s: Al can I nought as muche as it were right;


s: And I, emforth my conninge and my might,


s: Ben to yow trewe and hool, with a myn herte;


s: `And dredelees, that shal be founde at preve. --


s: But, herte myn, what al this is to seyne


s: Shal wel be told, so that ye noght yow greve,


s: That halt your herte and myn in hevinesse,


s: Fully to sleen, and every wrong redresse.


s: The harm of which I wolde fayn delivere!


s: Allas! That he, al hool, or of him slivere,


s: Shuld have his refut in so digne a place,


s: And who that giltif is, al quit goth he?


s: Of that I wolde up-on thee pleyne and crye!


s: `Eek al my wo is this, that folk now usen


s: To seyn right thus, "Ye, Ialousye is love!"


s: For that o greyn of love is on it shove!


s: And after that, it oughte bere his name.


s: As whan cause is, and som swich fantasye


s: That dooth your herte this disese endure.


s: `Of which I am right sory but not wrooth;


s: For love of god, lat preve it for the beste!


s: Owt of hir eyen fille, and thus she seyde,


s: `Now god, thou wost, in thought ne dede untrewe


s: And with the shete it wreigh, and syghed sore,


s: And held hir pees; not o word spak she more.


s: But now help god to quenchen al this sorwe,


s: So hope I that he shal, for he best may;


s: Men seen alday, and reden eek in stories,


s: That after sharpe shoures been victories.


s: Have ye no care, him liste not to slepe;


s: For it thoughte him no strokes of a yerde


s: To here or seen Criseyde, his lady wepe;


s: But wel he felte aboute his herte crepe,


s: The crampe of deeth, to streyne him by the herte.


s: That he cam there, and that that he was born;


s: He wende it lost, he thoughte he nas but lorn.


s: `O Pandarus,' thoughte he, `allas! Thy wyle


s: Serveth of nought, so weylaway the whyle!'


s: What mighte he seyn? He felte he nas but deed,


s: For wrooth was she that shulde his sorwes lighte.


s: But nathelees, whan that he speken mighte,


s: Than seyde he thus, `God woot, that of this game,


s: Ther-with the sorwe so his herte shette,


s: That from his eyen fil there not a tere,


s: Or of ought elles, fled was out of towne;


s: But al was hust, and Pandare up as faste,


s: `Beth nought agast;' But certeyn, at the laste,


s: For this or that, he in-to bedde him caste,


s: And seyde, `O theef, is this a mannes herte?'


s: Ful fayn,' quod she; `Allas! That I was born!'


s: `Sey "Al foryeve," and stint is al this fare!'


s: `Ye, that to me,' quod she, `ful lever were


s: Than al the good the sonne aboute gooth';


s: And therwith-al she swoor him in his ere,


s: Have here my trouthe and many another ooth;


s: Now speek to me, for it am I, Cryseyde!'


s: But al for nought; yet mighte he not a-breyde.


s: Therwith his pous and pawmes of his hondes


s: And, to deliveren him from bittre bondes,


s: She ofte him kiste; and, shortly for to seyne,


s: And at the laste, he gan his breeth to drawe,


s: And gan bet minde and reson to him take,


s: He seyde, `O mercy, god, what thing is this?'


s: Quod tho Criseyde, `Is this a mannes game?


s: What, Troilus! Wol ye do thus, for shame?'


s: And therwith-al hir arm over him she leyde,


s: And she to that answerde him as hir leste;


s: She gan, and ofte his sorwes to comforte.


s: This light, nor I ne serven here of nought;


s: But for the love of god, sin ye be brought


s: In thus good plyt, lat now non hevy thought


s: Sone after this, though it no nede were,


s: Hadde of him take, hir thoughte tho no fere,


s: In many a cas; for every wight, I gesse,


s: Or elles, certeyn, she bar him on honde,


s: He seyde hir, whan she was at swiche a feste,


s: Not I not what, al dere y-nough a risshe,


s: And she answerde, `Swete, al were it so,


s: What harm was that, sin I non yvel mene?


s: Swich arguments ne been not worth a bene;


s: Now were it worthy that ye were y-bete.'


s: Lest she be wrooth, him thoughte his herte deyde;


s: And if that, in tho wordes that I seyde,


s: Do what yow list, I am al in your grace.'


s: That is to seyn, that I foryeve al this;


s: And ever-more on this night yow recorde,


s: `Nay, dere herte myn,' quod he, `y-wis.'


s: `And now,' quod she, `that I have do yow smerte,


s: This Troilus, with blisse of that supprysed,


s: Leyde him to slepe, and seyde, `If ye ben wyse,


s: Whan that the sperhauk hath it in his foot?


s: Criseyde, which that felte hir thus y-take,


s: Whan she him felte hir in his armes folde.


s: Gan thanken tho the blisful goddes sevene;


s: Thus sondry peynes bringen folk in hevene.


s: And seyde, `O swete, as ever mote I goon,


s: Now be ye caught, now is ther but we tweyne;


s: Now yeldeth yow, for other boot is noon.'


s: Men drinken often peyne and greet distresse;


s: That thourgh a peyne hath founden al his cure.


s: Non swich they felten, sith they were born;


s: Now is this bet, than bothe two be lorn!


s: Criseyde, al quit from every drede and tene,


s: As she that iuste cause hadde him to triste,


s: Made him swich feste, it Ioye was to sene,


s: Whan she his trouthe and clene entente wiste.


s: That stinteth first whan she biginneth to singe,


s: And after siker dooth hir voys out-ringe;


s: Right so Criseyde, whan hir drede stente,


s: Opned hir herte and tolde him hir entente.


s: And deye moot, in ought that he may gesse,


s: And from his deeth is brought in sikernesse,


s: For al this world, in swich present gladnesse


s: Hir armes smale, hir streyghte bak and softe,


s: Hir sydes longe, fleshly, smothe, and whyte


s: He gan to stroke, and good thrift bad ful ofte


s: Thus in this hevene he gan him to delyte,


s: And ther-with-al a thousand tyme hir kiste;


s: That, what to done, for Ioye unnethe he wiste.


s: Than seyde he thus, `O, Love, O, Charitee,


s: `Benigne Love, thou holy bond of thinges,


s: Who-so wol grace, and list thee nought honouren,


s: Lo, his desyr wol flee with-outen winges.


s: Yet were al lost, that dar I wel seyn, certes,


s: `And for thou me, that coude leest deserve


s: Of hem that nombred been un-to thy grace,


s: And thus seyde he, `Now wolde god I wiste,


s: Myn herte swete, how I yow mighte plese!


s: What man,' quod he, `was ever thus at ese


s: That ever I say, deyneth hir herte reste.


s: `Here may men seen that mercy passeth right;


s: Right thourgh the vertu of your heyghe servyse.


s: As thus I mene, that ye wol be my stere,


s: To do me live, if that yow liste, or sterve,


s: Your thank, so that I, thurgh myn ignoraunce,


s: This dar I seye, that trouthe and diligence,


s: Ne wol not, certeyn, breken your defence;


s: For love of god, lat slee me with the dede,


s: `Y-wis,' quod she, `myn owne hertes list,


s: My ground of ese, and al myn herte dere,


s: For it suffyseth, this that seyd is here.


s: Wel-come, my knight, my pees, my suffisaunce!'


s: But iuggeth, ye that han ben at the feste,


s: Of swich gladnesse, if that hem liste pleye!


s: I can no more, but thus thise ilke tweye


s: O blisful night, of hem so longe y-sought,


s: How blithe un-to hem bothe two thou were!


s: Why ne hadde I swich on with my soule y-bought,


s: A-wey, thou foule daunger and thou fere,


s: And lat hem in this hevene blisse dwelle,


s: That is so heygh, that al ne can I telle!


s: But sooth is, though I can not tellen al,


s: Yet have I seyd, and, god to-forn, I shal


s: That al this thing but nyce dremes were;


s: For which ful ofte ech of hem seyde, `O swete,


s: Clippe ich yow thus, or elles I it mete?'


s: That never his look ne bleynte from hir face,


s: That it be sooth, that ye ben in this place?'


s: `Ye, herte myn, god thank I of his grace!'


s: That where his spirit was, for Ioye he niste.


s: Gan for to kisse, and seyde, `O eyen clere,


s: Though ther be mercy writen in your chere,


s: God wot, the text ful hard is, sooth, to finde,


s: Therwith he gan hir faste in armes take,


s: Nought swiche sorwfull sykes as men make


s: For wo, or elles whan that folk ben syke,


s: Sone after this they speke of sondry thinges,


s: And pleyinge entrechaungeden hir ringes,


s: Of which I can nought tellen no scripture;


s: Criseyde him yaf, and stak it on his sherte.


s: That blameth love and holt of it despyt,


s: As is in love, in oo poynt, in som plyt?


s: But it shal falle hem as I shal yow rede;


s: They shul forgo the whyte and eke the rede,


s: As wolde god, tho wrecches, that dispyse


s: As Crassus dide for his affectis wronge,


s: To techen hem that they ben in the vyce,


s: And loveres nought, al-though they holde hem nyce!


s: Thise ilke two, of whom that I yow seye,


s: And eek rehercen how, and whanne, and where,


s: They knewe hem first, and every wo and fere


s: That passed was; but al swich hevinesse,


s: For to recoveren blisse and been at ese,


s: But lest this night, that was to hem so dere,


s: Gan on his brest to bete, and after crowe,


s: Gan for to ryse, and out hir bemes throwe;


s: And estward roos, to him that coude it knowe,


s: With herte sore, to Troilus thus seyde: --


s: `Myn hertes lyf, my trist and my plesaunce,


s: O night, allas! Why niltow over us hove,


s: That under that men mighte in reste abyde,


s: Wel oughte bestes pleyne, and folk thee chyde,


s: That there-as day with labour wolde us breste,


s: `Thou dost, allas! To shortly thyn offyce,


s: Thou rakel night, ther god, makere of kinde,


s: Thee, for thyn hast and thyn unkinde vyce,


s: For now, for thou so hyest out of Troye,


s: This Troilus, that with tho wordes felte,


s: As thoughte him tho, for pietous distresse,


s: Assayed hadde, out of so greet gladnesse,


s: In armes streyne, and seyde in this manere: --


s: That night and love han stole and faste y-wryen,


s: For every bore hath oon of thy bright yen!


s: Envyous day, what list thee so to spyen?


s: Ther god thy lyght so quenche, for his grace?


s: `Allas! What han thise loveres thee agilt,


s: Dispitous day? Thyn be the pyne of helle!


s: For many a lovere hastow shent, and wilt;


s: What proferestow thy light here for to selle?


s: Go selle it hem that smale seles graven,


s: We wol thee nought, us nedeth no day haven.'


s: That hast the Dawing al night by thy syde,


s: And suffrest hir so sone up fro thee ryse,


s: What! Holde your bed ther, thou, and eek thy Morwe!


s: Therwith ful sore he sighte, and thus he seyde,


s: The welle and rote, O goodly myn, Criseyde,


s: `What shal I doon, for certes, I not how,


s: And of my lyf, god woot, how that shal be,


s: How sholde I longe, allas! Fro yow soiourne?


s: That I, your humble servaunt and your knight,


s: And with a syk she seyde, `O herte dere,


s: The game, y-wis, so ferforth now is goon,


s: And every roche out of his place sterte,


s: And, for the love of god that us bath wrought,


s: `And that ye me wolde han as faste in minde


s: As I have yow, that wolde I yow bi-seche;


s: Beth to me trewe, or elles were it routhe;


s: For I am thyn, by god and by my trouthe!


s: `Beth glad for-thy, and live in sikernesse;


s: Thus seyde I never er this, ne shal to mo;


s: As wisly god myn herte bringe at reste!'


s: This Troilus up roos, and faste him cledde,


s: An hundred tyme, and on his wey him spedde,


s: And with swich wordes as his herte bledde,


s: Ther god us graunte sounde and sone to mete!'


s: To which no word for sorwe she answerde,


s: So hard him wrong of sharp desyr the peyne


s: For to ben eft there he was in plesaunce,


s: That it may never out of his remembraunce.


s: But al for nought; he may wel ligge and winke,


s: But sleep ne may ther in his herte sinke;


s: Thenkinge how she, for whom desyr him brende,


s: And in his thought gan up and doun to winde


s: Hir wordes alle, and every countenaunce,


s: The leste poynt that to him was plesaunce;


s: Desyr al newe him brende, and lust to brede


s: Gan more than erst, and yet took he non hede.


s: His gentilesse, and how she with him mette,


s: In swich a plyt, she dorste make him chere.


s: Un-to his nece, and gan hir fayre grete,


s: Seyde, `Al this night so reyned it, allas!


s: That al my drede is that ye, nece swete,


s: That som of us, I trowe, hir hedes ake.'


s: And ner he com, and seyde, `How stont it now


s: This mery morwe, nece, how can ye fare?'


s: Criseyde answerde, `Never the bet for yow,


s: Trow I,' quod she, `for alle your wordes whyte;


s: O! Who-so seeth yow knoweth yow ful lyte!'


s: And seyde, `Nece, if that I shal be deed,


s: Have here a swerd, and smyteth of myn heed.'


s: With that his arm al sodeynly he thriste


s: I passe al that which chargeth nought to seye,


s: What! God foryaf his deeth, and she al-so


s: Foryaf, and with hir uncle gan to pleye,


s: Whan tyme was, hom til hir hous she wente,


s: He com anoon, nought ones seyde he `nay,'


s: And doun upon his beddes syde him sette.


s: And er that he wolde of the place aryse,


s: That he was born, to bringe him fro distresse.


s: He seyde, `O frend of frendes the alderbeste


s: Thou hast in hevene y-brought my soule at reste


s: That, though I mighte a thousand tymes selle,


s: It mighte nought a mote in that suffyse.


s: `The sonne, which that al the world may see,


s: Whos I am al, and shal, til that I deye;


s: My lyf, and why? For thorugh thyn help I live;


s: Til al was seyd, and than he thus answerde:


s: That I shal seyn, be war of this myscheef,


s: That, there-as thou now brought art in-to blisse,


s: That thou thy-self ne cause it nought to misse.


s: Thou art wys y-nough, for-thy do nought amis;


s: Be not to rakel, though thou sitte warme,


s: `Thou art at ese, and holde the wel ther-inne.


s: That preveth wel, it brest alday so ofte;


s: For-thy nede is to werke with it softe.'


s: That in my gilt ther shal no thing be lorn,


s: Ne I nil not rakle as for to greven here;


s: Tho gan he telle him of his glade night,


s: And wher-of first his herte dredde, and how,


s: And seyde, `Freend, as I am trewe knight,


s: And by that feyth I shal to god and yow,


s: To love hir best, the more it me delyteth.


s: Pandare answerde, and seyde thus, that he


s: Than thilke tyme he first herde of it seye.


s: Til that the night departed hem a-twinne.


s: Sone after this, for that fortune it wolde,


s: For which he felte his herte in Ioye flete;


s: And feythfully gan alle the goddes herie;


s: And lat see now if that he can be merie.


s: And holden was the forme and al the wyse,


s: As it was erst, which nedeth nought devyse.


s: But playnly to the effect right for to go,


s: A-bedde broughte, whan that hem bothe leste,


s: Nought nedeth it to yow, sin they ben met,


s: A thousand-fold, this nedeth not enquere.


s: And bothe, y-wis, they hadde, and so they wende,


s: Felicitee, which that thise clerkes wyse


s: This Ioye may not writen been with inke,


s: This passeth al that herte may bithinke.


s: Gan for to aproche, as they by signes knewe,


s: For whiche hem thoughte felen dethes wounde;


s: So wo was hem, that changen gan hir hewe,


s: And day they goonnen to dispyse al newe,


s: And bitterly the dayes light they curse.


s: That Pirous and tho swifte stedes three,


s: Whiche that drawen forth the sonnes char,


s: And, for the sonne him hasteth thus to ryse,


s: They twinne anoon as they were wont to done,


s: And many a night they wroughte in this manere.


s: In suffisaunce, in blisse, and in singinges,


s: He spendeth, Iusteth, maketh festeynges;


s: He yeveth frely ofte, and chaungeth wede,


s: A world of folk, as cam him wel of kinde,


s: The fressheste and the beste he coude fynde;


s: That swich a voys was of hym and a stevene


s: Thorugh-out the world, of honour and largesse,


s: And, as in love, he was in swich gladnesse,


s: That in his herte he demede, as I gesse,


s: That there nis lovere in this world at ese


s: So wel as he, and thus gan love him plese.


s: Can not the mountaunce of a knot unbinde,


s: That nil not been, for ought that may betyde.


s: And swich a feste and swich a proces make


s: And of hir beautee, that, with-outen drede,


s: It was an hevene his wordes for to here;


s: And thanne he wolde singe in this manere.


s: `Love, that of erthe and see hath governaunce,


s: Halt peples ioyned, as him list hem gye,


s: And couples doth in vertu for to dwelle,


s: `That that the world with feyth, which that is stable,


s: And that the mone hath lordship over the nightes,


s: Al this doth Love; ay heried be his mightes!


s: `That, that the see, that gredy is to flowen,


s: And if that Love ought lete his brydel go,


s: Al that now loveth a-sonder sholde lepe,


s: And lost were al, that Love halt now to-hepe.


s: That, with his bond, Love of his vertu liste


s: To cerclen hertes alle, and faste binde,


s: That from his bond no wight the wey out wiste.


s: And hertes colde, hem wolde I that he twiste


s: On hertes sore, and kepe hem that ben trewe.'


s: He was, and ay the firste in armes dight;


s: And this encrees of hardinesse and might


s: Cam him of love, his ladies thank to winne,


s: In tyme of trewe, on haukinge wolde he ryde,


s: And whan that he com rydinge in-to toun,


s: Ful ofte his lady, from hir window doun,


s: And most of love and vertu was his speche,


s: That lover was, whan he it wiste or herde.


s: For sooth to seyn, he lost held every wight


s: And over al this, so wel coude he devyse


s: Al his array, that every lover thoughte,


s: That al was wel, what-so he seyde or wroughte.


s: Him liste of pryde at no wight for to chase;


s: For which he gat him thank in every place.


s: Thou lady bright, the doughter to Dione,


s: Thy blinde and winged sone eek, daun Cupyde;


s: I can no more, but sin that ye wol wende,


s: Thourgh yow have I seyd fully in my song


s: My thridde book now ende ich in this wyse;


s: BOOK IV. Incipit Prohemium Liber Quartus.


s: Lasteth swich Ioye, y-thonked be Fortune!


s: That semeth trewest, whan she wol bygyle,


s: And whan a wight is from hir wheel y-throwe,


s: Than laugheth she, and maketh him the mowe.


s: Awey to wrythe, and took of him non hede,


s: For which right now myn herte ginneth blede,


s: And now my penne, allas! With which I wryte,


s: Quaketh for drede of that I moot endyte.


s: Or at the leste, how that she was unkinde,


s: As wryten folk through which it is in minde.


s: Allas! That they sholde ever cause finde


s: Ligginge in ost, as I have seyd er this,


s: That Ector, with ful many a bold baroun,


s: Caste on a day with Grekes for to fighte,


s: This purpos and that day they fighte mente;


s: But on a day wel armed, bright and shene,


s: Ector, and many a worthy wight out wente,


s: And in the herd, with-oute lenger lette,


s: The longe day, with speres sharpe y-grounde,


s: With arwes, dartes, swerdes, maces felle,


s: And with hir axes out the braynes quelle.


s: But in the laste shour, sooth for to telle,


s: The folk of Troye hem-selven so misledden,


s: That with the worse at night homward they fledden.


s: Dredden to lese a greet part of hir Ioye.


s: A tyme of trewe, and tho they gonnen trete,


s: Hir prisoneres to chaungen, moste and leste,


s: This thing anoon was couth in every strete,


s: Bothe in thassege, in toune, and every-where,


s: And with the firste it cam to Calkas ere.


s: Whan Calkas knew this tretis sholde holde,


s: He gan in thringe forth, with lordes olde,


s: And sette him there-as he was wont to done;


s: And with a chaunged face hem bad a bone,


s: Thanne seyde he thus, `Lo! Lordes myne, I was


s: That alderfirst yaf comfort to your nede,


s: For dredelees, thorugh yow, shal, in a stounde,


s: Ben Troye y-brend, and beten doun to grounde.


s: `And in what forme, or in what maner wyse


s: This town to shende, and al your lust to acheve,


s: To teche in this how yow was best to done;


s: Right no resport, to respect of your ese.


s: Thus al my good I loste and to yow wente,


s: Wening in this you, lordes, for to plese.


s: For you to lese al that I have in Troye,


s: `Save of a doughter, that I lafte, allas!


s: Slepinge at hoom, whanne out of Troye I sterte.


s: Allas! I ne hadde y-brought hir in hir sherte!


s: For sorwe of which I wol not live to morwe,


s: `For, by that cause I say no tyme er now


s: O help and grace! Amonges al this prees,


s: `Ye have now caught and fetered in prisoun


s: What nede were it this preyere for to werne,


s: Sin ye shul bothe han folk and toun as yerne?


s: That fyr and flaumbe on al the toun shal sprede;


s: And thus shal Troye turne to asshen dede.


s: Ben with the folk of Troye alwey so wrothe,


s: The toun of Troye shal ben set on-fyre.'


s: Telling his tale alwey, this olde greye,


s: Humble in speche, and in his lokinge eke,


s: That, for to hele him of his sorwes sore,


s: But who was glad y-nough but Calkas tho?


s: The cause y-told of hir cominge, the olde


s: Of which the effect rehersen yow I shal.


s: Theschaunge of prisoners and al this nede


s: Hem lyketh wel, and forth in they procede.


s: As he that with tho wordes wel neigh deyde.


s: With mannes herte he gan his sorwes drye.


s: And if they wolde graunte, as god forbede,


s: Theschaunge of hir, than thoughte he thinges tweye,


s: First, how to save hir honour, and what weye


s: Ful faste he caste how al this mighte stonde.


s: Love him made al prest to doon hir byde,


s: But resoun seyde him, on that other syde,


s: And seyn, that thorugh thy medling is y-blowe


s: Your bother love, there it was erst unknowe.'


s: For which he gan deliberen, for the beste,


s: He wolde lat hem graunte what hem leste,


s: And telle his lady first what that they mente.


s: And whan that she had seyd him hir entente,


s: For Antenor how they wolde han Criseyde,


s: Gan it withstonde, and sobrely answerde: --


s: But, on my part, ye may eft-sone hem telle,


s: The noyse of peple up-stirte thanne at ones,


s: As breme as blase of straw y-set on fyre;


s: `Ector,' quod they, `what goost may yow enspyre


s: This womman thus to shilde and doon us lese


s: Daun Antenor? -- a wrong wey now ye chese --


s: And we han nede to folk, as men may see;


s: He is eek oon, the grettest of this toun;


s: O king Priam,' quod they, `thus seggen we,


s: That they ne finde in hir desyr offence;


s: What best is; and lo, here ensample as yerne.


s: Of Antenor, that broughte hem to mischaunce!


s: Criseyde, which that never dide hem skathe,


s: Al-theigh that Ector `nay' ful ofte preyde.


s: It was for nought, it moste been, and sholde;


s: For substaunce of the parlement it wolde.


s: So that ther nis but bark and braunche y-laft,


s: So sore him sat the chaunginge of Criseyde.


s: He rist him up, and every dore he shette


s: And windowe eek, and tho this sorweful man


s: Out-breste, and he to werken in this wyse


s: Right as the wilde bole biginneth springe


s: And of his deeth roreth in compleyninge,


s: Right so gan he aboute the chaumbre sterte,


s: Smyting his brest ay with his festes smerte;


s: His heed to the wal, his body to the grounde


s: His speche him refte, unnethes mighte he seye,


s: Which that his herte twiste and faste threste,


s: Up-on his bed he leyde him doun to reste;


s: But tho bigonne his teres more out-breste,


s: To half this wo, which that I yow devyse.


s: What have I doon, what have I thus a-gilt?


s: Is ther no grace, and shal I thus be spilt?


s: Shal thus Criseyde awey, for that thou wilt?


s: `Have I thee nought honoured al my lyve,


s: As thou wel wost, above the goddes alle?


s: But wrecche of wrecches, out of honour falle


s: Criseyde, allas! Til that the breeth me fayle?


s: Why ne haddestow my fader, king of Troye,


s: By-raft the lyf, or doon my bretheren dye,


s: Or slayn my-self, that thus compleyne and crye,


s: I, combre-world, that may of no-thing serve,


s: Nought roughte I whider thou woldest me stere;


s: Thus am I lost, ther helpeth no defence!


s: That knowest best myn herte and al my thought,


s: Sin ye Cryseyde and me han fully brought


s: In-to your grace, and bothe our hertes seled,


s: How may ye suffre, allas! It be repeled?


s: Flee forth out of myn herte, and lat it breste,


s: And folwe alwey Criseyde, thy lady dere;


s: What shal ye doon but, for my discomfort,


s: Stonden for nought, and wepen out your sighte?


s: Sin she is queynt, that wont was yow to lighte,


s: In veyn fro-this-forth have I eyen tweye


s: Who shal now yeven comfort to the peyne?


s: Allas, no wight; but when myn herte dyeth,


s: Receyve in gree, for that shal ay yow serve;


s: For-thy no fors is, though the body sterve.


s: `O ye loveres, that heighe upon the wheel


s: Remembreth that your felawe resteth there;


s: For I lovede eek, though I unworthy were.


s: To been a Greek, sin thou art born Troian?


s: That I thee hadde, where I wolde, in Troye!'


s: A thousand sykes, hottere than the glede,


s: Medled with pleyntes newe, his wo to fede,


s: And shortly, so his peynes him to-rente,


s: He feleth noon, but lyth forth in a traunce.


s: And how ful graunted was, by oon assent,


s: Gan wel neigh wood out of his wit to breyde,


s: So that, for wo, he niste what he mente;


s: A certeyn knight, that for the tyme kepte


s: The chaumbre-dore, un-dide it him anoon;


s: And Pandare, that ful tendreliche wepte,


s: In-to the derke chaumbre, as stille as stoon,


s: And with his chere and loking al to-torn,


s: For sorwe of this, and with his armes folden,


s: But lord, so often gan his herte colden,


s: His herte slow, as thoughte him, for distresse.


s: For which this sorwful Pandare, of pitee,


s: That neyther mighte o word for sorwe seye.


s: Ney deed for smert, gan bresten out to rore,


s: `Lo! Pandare, I am deed, with-outen more.


s: Hastow nought herd at parlement,' he seyde,


s: This Pandarus, ful deed and pale of hewe,


s: O mercy, god, who wolde have trowed this?


s: Who wolde have wend that, in so litel a throwe,


s: Straungere than this, thorugh cas or aventure.


s: `But tel me this, why thou art now so mad


s: To sorwen thus? Why lystow in this wyse,


s: So that, by right, it oughte y-now suffyse?


s: And, to my doom, fairer than swiche twelve


s: As ever she was, shal I finde, in som route,


s: If she be lost, we shal recovere another.


s: `What, god for-bede alwey that ech plesaunce


s: In o thing were, and in non other wight!


s: If oon can singe, another can wel daunce;


s: And this is fayr, and that can good a-right.


s: `And eek, as writ Zanzis, that was ful wys,


s: Thenk eek, thy-self to saven artow holde;


s: Swich fyr, by proces, shal of kinde colde.


s: `For al-so seur as day cometh after night,


s: To abrigge with thy bittre peynes smerte;


s: Absence of hir shal dryve hir out of herte.'


s: Thise wordes seyde he for the nones alle,


s: To helpe his freend, lest he for sorwe deyde.


s: He roughte not what unthrift that he seyde.


s: But Troilus, that neigh for sorwe deyde,


s: Tok litel hede of al that ever he mente;


s: Oon ere it herde, at the other out it wente:


s: Were wel sitting, if that I were a feend,


s: I pray god, lat this consayl never y-thee;


s: `She that I serve, y-wis, what so thou seye,


s: Shal han me holly hires til that I deye.


s: But as hir man I wol ay live and sterve,


s: `And ther thou seyst, thou shalt as faire finde


s: Touching al this; for whiche I thee biseche,


s: Netle in, dokke out, now this, now that, Pandare?


s: Now foule falle hir, for thy wo that care!


s: "Thenk not on smert, and thou shalt fele noon."


s: Thou most me first transmuwen in a stoon,


s: My wo, and how that twinned be we tweyne.


s: `Thow hast here maad an argument, for fyn,


s: That "him is wors that is fro wele y-throwe,


s: Than he hadde erst non of that wele y-knowe?"


s: `But tel me now, sin that thee thinketh so light


s: To chaungen hir that doth thee al thy wo?


s: `If thou hast had in love ay yet mischaunce,


s: And canst it not out of thyn herte dryve,


s: O where hastow ben hid so longe in muwe,


s: `Nay, nay, god wot, nought worth is al thy reed,


s: For which, for what that ever may bifalle,


s: O deeth, that endere art of sorwes alle,


s: Com now, sin I so ofte after thee calle,


s: For sely is that deeth, soth for to seyne,


s: That, ofte y-cleped, cometh and endeth peyne.


s: Er thou me slowe, I wolde have yeven hyre;


s: That in this world I no-thing so desyre.


s: O deeth, sin with this sorwe I am a-fyre,


s: Or with thy colde strook myn hete quenche!


s: `Sin that thou sleest so fele in sondry wyse


s: That ever was; for tyme is that I sterve,


s: Sin in this world of right nought may I serve.'


s: And Pandarus gan holde his tunge stille,


s: And to the ground his eyen doun he caste.


s: But nathelees, thus thoughte he at the laste,


s: `What, parde, rather than my felawe deye,


s: And seyde, `Freend, sin thou hast swich distresse,


s: And sin thee list myn arguments to blame,


s: Why nilt thy-selven helpen doon redresse,


s: And with thy manhod letten al this grame?


s: Or hold hir stille, and leve thy nyce fare.


s: To take a womman which that loveth thee,


s: And kyth thou art a man, for in this houre


s: I wil be deed, or she shal bleven oure.'


s: Al this have I my-self yet thought ful ofte,


s: But why this thing is laft, thou shalt wel here;


s: Ther-after mayst thou telle al thy sentence.


s: `First, sin thou wost this toun hath al this werre


s: My fadres graunt if that I so withstode,


s: Sin she is chaunged for the tounes goode.


s: `I have eek thought, so it were hir assent,


s: Than thenke I, this were hir accusement,


s: As parlement, hath hir eschaunge enseled,


s: `Yet drede I most hir herte to pertourbe


s: `Thus am I lost, for ought that I can see;


s: For certeyn is, sin that I am hir knight,


s: In every cas, as lovere oughte of right.


s: And reson nil not, so myn herte dredeth.'


s: He seyde, `Allas! How shal I, wrecche, fare?


s: And hope is lasse and lasse alwey, Pandare!


s: For, as in love, ther is but litel reste.'


s: Pandare answerde, `Freend, thou mayst, for me,


s: Don as thee list; but hadde ich it so hote,


s: For when men han wel cryed, than wol they roune;


s: A wonder last but nyne night never in toune.


s: Bet is that othere than thy-selven wepe,


s: Rys up, for by myn heed, she shal not goon;


s: Hir to with-holden, that ye loveth most.


s: Paraunter, she mighte holden thee for nyce


s: And weyveth wrecches, for hir cowardyse.


s: `And though thy lady wolde a litel hir greve,


s: Thou shalt thy pees ful wel here-after make,


s: Why sholde than for ferd thyn herte quake?


s: Thenk eek how Paris hath, that is thy brother,


s: A love; and why shaltow not have another?


s: That if Criseyde, whiche that is thy leef,


s: Now loveth thee as wel as thou dost here,


s: God helpe me so, she nil nat take a-greef,


s: Though thou do bote a-noon in this mischeef.


s: Thanne is she fals; so love hir wel the lasse.


s: `For-thy tak herte, and thenk, right as a knight,


s: Thourgh love is broken alday every lawe.


s: Kyth now sumwhat thy corage and thy might,


s: Lat not this wrecched wo thin herte gnawe,


s: But manly set the world on sixe and sevene;


s: And, if thou deye a martir, go to hevene.


s: `I wol my-self be with thee at this dede,


s: Shulle in a strete as dogges liggen dede,


s: Thourgh-girt with many a wyd and blody wounde.


s: And if thee list here sterven as a wrecche,


s: This Troilus gan with tho wordes quiken,


s: And seyde, `Freend, graunt mercy, ich assente;


s: But certaynly thou mayst not me so priken,


s: To ravisshe hir, but-if hir-self it wolde.'


s: `Why, so mene I,' quod Pandarus, `al this day.


s: But tel me than, hastow hir wil assayed,


s: That sorwest thus?' And he answerde, `Nay.'


s: That nost not that she wol ben y-vel apayed


s: To ravisshe hir, sin thou hast not ben there,


s: And wash thy face, and to the king thou wende,


s: Thou most with wisdom him and othere blende;


s: Be glad, and lat me werke in this matere.


s: Thou shalt this night som tyme, in som manere,


s: Thou shalt ful sone aperceyve and wel here


s: Al hir entente, and in this cas the beste;


s: And fare now wel, for in this point I reste.'


s: The swifte Fame, whiche that false thinges


s: Was thorugh-out Troye y-fled with preste winges


s: Fro man to man, and made this tale al newe,


s: How Calkas doughter, with hir brighte hewe,


s: Had herd, she, which that of hir fader roughte,


s: As in this cas, right nought, ne whanne he deyde,


s: But shortly, lest thise tales sothe were,


s: She dorste at no wight asken it, for fere.


s: As she that hadde hir herte and al hir minde


s: She wol ben his, whyl that hir lyf may laste.


s: And thus she brenneth bothe in love and drede,


s: So that she niste what was best to rede.


s: And with hir tales, dere y-nough a myte,


s: They sette hem doun, and seyde as I shal telle.


s: Quod first that oon, `I am glad, trewely,


s: By-cause of yow, that shal your fader see.'


s: Quod tho the thridde, `I hope, y-wis, that she


s: That, whan she gooth, almighty god hir gyde!'


s: For, god it wot, hir herte on other thing is,


s: For Troilus ful faste hir soule soughte;


s: Thise wommen, that thus wenden hir to plese,


s: Aboute nought gonne alle hir tales spende;


s: For which no lenger mighte she restreyne


s: In whiche hir spirit was, and moste dwelle;


s: Remembring hir, fro heven unto which helle


s: She fallen was, sith she forgoth the sighte


s: By-cause that she sholde out of that route


s: And they that hadde y-knowen hir of yore


s: And eche of hem wepte eek for hir destresse;


s: Of thing, god wot, on which she litel thoughte;


s: And with hir tales wenden hir disporten,


s: But swich an ese ther-with they hir wroughte


s: For ache of heed, to clawen him on his hele!


s: In-to hir chaumbre up wente out of the halle,


s: And on hir bed she gan for deed to falle,


s: Hir ounded heer, that sonnish was of hewe,


s: She rente, and eek hir fingres longe and smale


s: She wrong ful ofte, and bad god on hir rewe,


s: And with the deeth to doon bote on hir bale.


s: Bar witnes of hir wo and hir constreynte;


s: And thus she spak, sobbinge, in hir compleynte:


s: Mot goon, and thus departen fro my knight;


s: On which I saw him first with eyen tweyne,


s: That causeth me, and I him, al this peyne!'


s: Doun fille, as shour in Aperill ful swythe;


s: After the deeth she cryed a thousand sythe,


s: Sin he that wont hir wo was for to lythe,


s: She seyde, `How shal he doon, and I also?


s: How sholde I live, if that I from him twinne?


s: Wo worth that day that thou me bere on lyve!


s: `To what fyn sholde I live and sorwen thus?


s: For which ful oft a by-word here I seye,


s: `I shal don thus, sin neither swerd ne darte


s: Til I my soule out of my breste unshethe;


s: Shul blake been, in tokeninge, herte swete,


s: Shal sorwe been, compleynte, and abstinence.


s: Biquethe I, with your spirit to compleyne


s: For though in erthe y-twinned be we tweyne,


s: But how shul ye don in this sorwful cas,


s: But herte myn, for-yet this sorwe and tene,


s: How mighte it ever y-red ben or y-songe,


s: That for the beste it was accorded thus,


s: And he ful glad to doon him that servyse,


s: And fond that she hir-selven gan to trete


s: The mighty tresses of hir sonnish heres,


s: Of deeth, which that hir herte gan desyre.


s: For which this Pandare is so wo bi-goon,


s: That in the hous he mighte unnethe abyde,


s: Tho gan she pleyne a thousand tymes more.


s: And in hir aspre pleynte than she seyde,


s: Wher shal I seye to yow "wel come" or no,


s: That alderfirst me broughte in-to servyse


s: Of love, allas! That endeth in swich wyse?


s: `Endeth than love in wo? Ye, or men lyeth!


s: The ende of blisse ay sorwe it occupyeth;


s: That my-self hate, and ay my birthe acorse,


s: `Who-so me seeth, he seeth sorwe al at ones,


s: I trowe, y-wis, from hevene teres reyne,


s: For pitee of myn aspre and cruel peyne!    '


s: `And thou, my suster, ful of discomfort,'


s: Why woltow thus thy-selve, allas, for-do?


s: That I shal seyn, and herkne, of good entente,


s: This, which by me thy Troilus thee sente.'


s: So greet that it a deeth was for to see: --


s: `Allas!' quod she, `what wordes may ye bringe?


s: She was right swich to seen in hir visage


s: As is that wight that men on bere binde;


s: The pleye, the laughtre men was wont to finde


s: Ben fled, and thus lyth now Criseyde allone.


s: But nathelees, as he best mighte, he seyde


s: The king, with othere lordes, for the beste,


s: That cause is of this sorwe and this unreste.


s: That in-to litel bothe it hadde us slawe;


s: He somwhat is fro weping now with-drawe.


s: With yow to been al night, for to devyse


s: For ye, that been of torment in swich rage,


s: `Gret is my wo,' quod she, and sighte sore,


s: As she that feleth dedly sharp distresse;


s: `But yet to me his sorwe is muchel more,


s: `Grevous to me, god wot, is for to twinne,'


s: To seen that sorwe which that he is inne;


s: And deye I wol in certayn,' tho quod she;


s: `But bidde him come, er deeth, that thus me threteth,


s: But ye wol have him wood out of his minde!


s: `For wiste he that ye ferde in this manere,


s: For al the good that Pryam may despende.


s: For to what fyn he wolde anoon pretende,


s: That knowe I wel; and for-thy yet I seye,


s: So leef this sorwe, or platly he wol deye.


s: Beth rather to him cause of flat than egge,


s: Bet is a tyme of cure ay than of pleynte.


s: Sin ye ben wyse, and bothe of oon assent,


s: And lat sen how your wit shal now avayle;


s: And what that I may helpe, it shal not fayle.'


s: `Go,' quod Criseyde, `and uncle, trewely,


s: Him for to glade, I shal don al my peyne,


s: If to this soor ther may be founden salve,


s: As he that of his lyf no lenger roughte;


s: To doon him sone out of this world to pace;


s: For wel he thoughte ther was non other grace.


s: `For al that comth, comth by necessitee;


s: Sin god seeth every thing, out of doutaunce,


s: And hem disponeth, thourgh his ordenaunce,


s: `But nathelees, allas! Whom shal I leve?


s: But that free chois is yeven us everichoon.


s: `For som men seyn, if god seth al biforn,


s: Than moot it fallen, though men hadde it sworn,


s: That purveyaunce hath seyn bifore to be.


s: Hath wist biforn our thought eek as our dede,


s: Might never be, but swich as purveyaunce,


s: Hath feled biforn, with-outen ignoraunce.


s: Ther nere no prescience of thing cominge;


s: That god shuld han no parfit cleer witinge


s: More than we men that han doutous weninge.


s: Were fals and foul, and wikked corsednesse.


s: That han hir top ful heighe and smothe y-shore;


s: They seyn right thus, that thing is not to come


s: For that the prescience hath seyn bifore


s: That it shal come; but they seyn that therfore


s: That ben purveyed; but nedely, as they seyn,


s: Bihoveth it that thinges, whiche that falle,


s: `I mene as though I laboured me in this,


s: As whether that the prescience of god is


s: `But now ne enforce I me nat in shewinge


s: How the ordre of causes stant; but wel wot I,


s: To thing to come, al falle it foule or faire.


s: Lo, right so it is of the part contrarie,


s: As thus; (now herkne, for I wol not tarie):


s: Be sooth, for that he sit, than seye I this,


s: `But thou mayst seyn, the man sit not therfore,


s: But rather, for the man sit ther bifore,


s: And I seye, though the cause of sooth of this


s: Is entrechaunged, bothe in him and thee.


s: `Thus on this same wyse, out of doutaunce,


s: That thilke thinges that in erthe falle,


s: `For al-though that, for thing shal come, y-wis,


s: `And this suffyseth right y-now, certeyn,


s: For to destroye our free chois every del. --


s: That thing to come sholde cause his prescience.


s: But that god purveyth thing that is to come


s: For that it is to come, and elles nought?


s: So mighte I wene that thinges alle and some,


s: `And over al this, yet seye I more herto,


s: That right as whan I woot ther is a thing,


s: Of thinges that ben wist bifore the tyde,


s: They mowe not been eschewed on no syde.'


s: Than seyde he thus, `Almighty Iove in trone,


s: Or bring Criseyde and me fro this distresse.'


s: Disputinge with him-self in this matere,


s: `O mighty god,' quod Pandarus, `in trone,


s: Hastow swich lust to been thyn owene fo?


s: Why list thee so thy-self for-doon for drede,


s: With-outen hir, and ferd ful wel at ese?


s: Hath kinde thee wroughte al-only hir to plese?


s: Lat be, and thenk right thus in thy disese.


s: That, in the dees right as ther fallen chaunces,


s: Right so in love, ther come and goon plesaunces.


s: Why thou thus sorwest, sin thou nost not yit,


s: Touching hir goinge, how that it shal falle,


s: Whan it shal of, and sorwen at the nede.


s: `For-thy take hede of that that I shal seye;


s: Wher-with she can, if I shal right arede,


s: Distorbe al this, of which thou art in drede.


s: `For which my counseil is, whan it is night,


s: And blisful Iuno, thourgh hir grete mighte,


s: Shal, as I hope, hir grace un-to us sende.


s: Myn herte seyth, "Certeyn, she shal not wende;"


s: And for-thy put thyn herte a whyle in reste;


s: `Thou seyst right wel, and I wil do right so;'


s: And what him liste, he seyde un-to it more.


s: And how they wroughte, I shal yow telle sone.


s: Soth is, that whan they gonne first to mete,


s: So gan the peyne hir hertes for to twiste,


s: Wher that he was, ne mighte o word out-bringe,


s: As I seyde erst, for wo and for sobbinge.


s: So bittre teres weep nought, as I finde,


s: The woful Myrra through the bark and rinde.


s: That nolde han rewed on hir peynes smerte.


s: Retorned been ther-as hem oughte dwelle,


s: And that som-what to wayken gan the peyne


s: With broken voys, al hoors for-shright, Criseyde


s: Upon his brest she leyde, and loste speche;


s: Right with the word, alwey up poynt to pace.


s: And thus she lyth with hewes pale and grene,


s: Clepinge hir name, (and she lay as for deed,


s: With-oute answere, and felte hir limes colde,


s: Wher him was wo, god and him-self it wiste!


s: He rist him up, and long streight he hir leyde;


s: For signe of lyf, for ought he can or may,


s: For which his song ful ofte is `weylaway!'


s: But whan he saugh that specheles she lay,


s: With sorwful voys and herte of blisse al bare,


s: He seyde how she was fro this world y-fare!


s: His hondes wrong, and seyde that was to seye,


s: And with his teres salte hir brest bireyned,


s: Rewe eek on me, for I shal folwe hir sone!'


s: For aught he woot, for breeth ne felte he noon;


s: And whan he seigh ther was non other woon,


s: As men don hem that shul be leyd on bere.


s: And after this, with sterne and cruel herte,


s: Him-self to sleen, how sore that him smerte,


s: So that his sowle hir sowle folwen mighte,


s: Ther-as the doom of Mynos wolde it dighte;


s: Thanne seyde he thus, fulfild of heigh desdayn,


s: `O cruel Iove, and thou, Fortune adverse,


s: This al and som, that falsly have ye slayn


s: Criseyde, and sin ye may do me no werse,


s: Ther shal no deeth me fro my lady twinne.


s: `For I this world, sin ye han slayn hir thus,


s: Wol lete, and folowe hir spirit lowe or hye;


s: But sin ye wol not suffre us liven here,


s: Yet suffreth that our soules ben y-fere.


s: And thou, Pryam, and bretheren al y-fere,


s: With swerd at herte, al redy for to deye


s: But as god wolde, of swough ther-with she abreyde,


s: And gan to syke, and `Troilus' she cryde;


s: `Ye, herte myn, that thanked be Cupyde!'


s: Quod she, and ther-with-al she sore sighte;


s: Took hir in armes two, and kiste hir ofte,


s: For which hir goost, that flikered ay on-lofte,


s: But at the laste, as that hir eyen glente


s: And asked him, why he it hadde out-drawe?


s: And how himself ther-with he wolde have slawe.


s: For which Criseyde up-on him gan biholde,


s: And seyde, `O mercy, god, lo, which a dede!


s: `Thanne if I ne hadde spoken, as grace was,


s: Ye wolde han slayn your-self anoon?' quod she.


s: After your deeth, to han been crouned quene


s: Of al the lond the sonne on shyneth shene.


s: My-selve I wolde han slayn!' -- quod she tho;


s: `But ho, for we han right y-now of this,


s: And late us ryse and streight to bedde go


s: Knowe I ful wel that day is not fer henne.'


s: Whan they were in hir bedde, in armes folde,


s: Nought was it lyk tho nightes here-biforn;


s: Biwaylinge ay the day that they were born.


s: Til at the last this sorwful wight Criseyde


s: `Lo, herte myn, wel wot ye this,' quod she,


s: And sin that here assembled be we tweyne


s: That yet is mis, and sleen this hevinesse.


s: `Sooth is, the wo, the whiche that we ben inne,


s: And, for the love of god, for-yeve it me


s: If I speke ought ayein your hertes reste;


s: To finde un-to our helpe the beste weye;


s: `Now herkneth this, ye han wel understonde,


s: So ferforth, that it may not be with-stonde


s: To letten it, lat it passe out of minde;


s: `The sothe is, that the twinninge of us tweyne


s: That serveth love, if that he wol have Ioye.


s: And er that truwe is doon, I shal ben here,


s: And me also; beth glad now, if ye conne;


s: `And thenk right thus, "Criseyde is now agoon,


s: And whanne, allas? By god, lo, right anoon,


s: And thanne at erste shul we been so fayn,


s: That al this world ne mighte our blisse telle.


s: `Ye knowe eek how that al my kin is here,


s: For al this world, as wyd as it hath space;


s: What woot my fader what lyf that I lede?


s: For if he wiste in Troye how wel I fare,


s: So though ther nere comfort noon but this,


s: Ye may the bettre at ese of herte abyde.


s: `For if that it be pees, myn herte dere,


s: Alday as thikke as been flen from an hyve;


s: Where-as him list the bet, with-outen leve.


s: `And though so be that pees ther may be noon,


s: That al this thing ne may yow not suffyse.


s: With-oute net, wher-with I shal him hente;


s: And herkeneth how, if that ye wole assente.


s: The wolf ful, and the wether hool to have;


s: Mot spenden part, the remenant for to save.


s: For ay with gold men may the herte grave


s: It sent is from a freend of his or tweye,


s: The whiche freendes ferventliche him preye


s: Whyl that this toun stant thus in Iupartye.


s: Thus shal I seyn, but, lest it folk aspyde,


s: What frendes that ich have on every syde


s: Toward the court, to doon the wrathe pace


s: Of Priamus, and doon him stonde in grace.


s: `So what for o thing and for other, swete,


s: That right in hevene his sowle is, shal he mete!


s: Or calculinge avayleth nought three hawes;


s: `And if he wolde ought by his sort it preve


s: Distorben him, and plukke him by the sleve,


s: Makinge his sort, and beren him on honde,


s: And, for o sooth they tellen twenty lyes.


s: `Eek drede fond first goddes, I suppose,


s: Thus shal I seyn, and that his cowarde herte


s: Whan he for ferde out of his Delphos sterte.


s: And doon my reed with-inne a day or tweye,


s: That al this thing was seyd of good entente;


s: Towardes him, and spak right as she mente,


s: And that she starf for wo neigh, whan she wente,


s: Thus writen they that of hir werkes knewe.


s: This Troilus, with herte and eres spradde,


s: To trusten hir, and took it for the beste.


s: For which the grete furie of his penaunce


s: And as the briddes, whan the sonne is shene,


s: Right so the wordes that they spake y-fere


s: For al this world, may nought out of his minde;


s: For which ful ofte he pitously hir preyde,


s: That of hir heste he might hir trewe finde,


s: Ne shal I never have hele, honour, ne Ioye.


s: `For al-so sooth as sonne up-rist on morwe,


s: And, god! So wisly thou me, woful wrecche,


s: I wol my-selven slee if that ye drecche.


s: But of my deeth though litel be to recche,


s: Dwel rather here, myn owene swete herte!


s: Tho sleightes yet that I have herd yow stere


s: For thus men seyn, "That oon thenketh the bere,


s: "Men may the wyse at-renne, and not at-rede."


s: His olde sleighte is yet so with him laft,


s: Ye shal not blende him for your womanhede,


s: Ne feyne a-right, and that is al my drede.


s: Hath ones been, and lost so foule his name,


s: He dar no more come here ayein for shame;


s: For which that weye, for ought I can espye,


s: `Ye shal eek seen, your fader shal yow glose


s: To been a wyf, and as he can wel preche,


s: He shal som Grek so preyse and wel alose,


s: That ravisshen he shal yow with his speche,


s: Shal causeles so sterven in his trouthe!


s: `And over al this, your fader shal despyse


s: Us alle, and seyn this citee nis but lorn;


s: Til we be slayn, and doun our walles torn.


s: And thus he shal yow with his wordes fere,


s: That ay drede I, that ye wol bleve there.


s: And eche of hem with herte, wit, and might


s: `And this to me so grevous is to thinke,


s: That fro my brest it wol my soule rende;


s: For-why your faderes sleighte wol us shende.


s: And if ye goon, as I have told yow yore,


s: So thenk I nam but deed, with-oute more.


s: `For which, with humble, trewe, and pitous herte,


s: And doth somwhat, as that I shal yow seye,


s: And thenk that folye is, whan man may chese,


s: Myn herte, y-wis, may not ther-with acorde.


s: That, though we comen in oure bare sherte,


s: This is the beste, if that ye wole assente.'


s: Criseyde, with a syk, right in this wyse


s: Saturnes doughter, Iuno, thorugh hir might,


s: I swere it yow; and eek on eche goddesse,


s: If I be fals; now trowe me if thow leste!


s: `And thou, Simoys, that as an arwe clere


s: Thorugh Troye rennest ay downward to the see,


s: That thou retorne bakwarde to thy welle,


s: And I with body and soule sinke in helle!


s: And leten alle your freendes, god for-bede,


s: And namely, sin Troye hath now swich nede


s: Of help; and eek of o thing taketh hede,


s: And your honour; god shilde us fro mischaunce!


s: Why, lord! The sorwe and wo ye wolden make,


s: They wolden seye, and swere it, out of doute,


s: That love ne droof yow nought to doon this dede,


s: Thus were al lost, y-wis, myn herte dere,


s: That floureth yet, how foule I sholde it shende,


s: And with what filthe it spotted sholde be,


s: If in this forme I sholde with yow wende.


s: Thus were I lost, and that were routhe and sinne.


s: `And for-thy slee with reson al this hete;


s: Men seyn, "The suffraunt overcometh," pardee;


s: Of fortune ay, that nought wol of hir recche;


s: And she ne daunteth no wight but a wrecche.


s: I mene, as helpe me Iuno, hevenes quene,


s: `And now, so this be sooth,' quod Troilus,


s: `I shal wel suffre un-to the tenthe day,


s: Sin that I see that nede it moot be thus.


s: For ever in oon, as for to live in reste,


s: Myn herte seyth that it wol been the beste.'


s: `O mercy, god, what lyf is this?' quod she;


s: Mistrust me not thus causeles, for routhe;


s: `And thenketh wel, that som tyme it is wit


s: Ne, pardee, lorn am I nought fro yow yit,


s: Though that we been a day or two a-twinne.


s: And trusteth me, and leveth eek your sorwe,


s: Or here my trouthe, I wol not live til morwe.


s: `For if ye wiste how sore it doth me smerte,


s: Ye wolde cesse of this; for god, thou wost,


s: To come ayein that day that I have hight.


s: My fader nought, for al his queynte pley.


s: `For-thy, with al myn herte I yow beseke,


s: If that yow list don ought for my preyere,


s: And for the love which that I love yow eke,


s: I may you seen, that ye may bringe at reste


s: Myn herte, which that is at point to breste.


s: `And over al this I pray yow,' quod she tho,


s: That whyl that I am absent, no plesaunce


s: `For in this world ther liveth lady noon,


s: If that ye were untrewe, as god defende!


s: For goddes love, so beth me not unkinde.'


s: `Now god, to whom ther nis no cause y-wrye,


s: I can no more, it shal be founde at preve.'


s: To quyte him wel, that so wel can deserve;


s: And whyl that god my wit wol me conserve,


s: That ay honour to me-ward shal rebounde.


s: `For trusteth wel, that your estat royal


s: But moral vertue, grounded upon trouthe,


s: That was the cause I first hadde on yow routhe!


s: `Eek gentil herte and manhod that ye hadde,


s: `And this may lengthe of yeres not for-do,


s: The sorwful to be glad, so yeve us grace,


s: So that it may your herte and myn suffyse;


s: And fareth now wel, for tyme is that ye ryse.'


s: And after that they longe y-pleyned hadde,


s: And ofte y-kist, and streite in armes folde,


s: Wher him was wo, this holde I no demaunde.


s: Ne entendement considere, ne tonge telle


s: That passen every torment doun in helle.


s: For whan he saugh that she ne mighte dwelle,


s: With-outen more, out of the chaumbre he wente.


s: And to yow, angry Parcas, sustren three,


s: Til Lachesis his threed no lenger twyne. --


s: The golden-tressed Phebus heighe on-lofte


s: Bigan to love hir first, for whom his sorwe


s: Was al, that she departe sholde a-morwe.


s: For sorwe of which she felt hir herte blede,


s: As she that niste what was best to rede.


s: For shaltow never seen hir eft in Troye!


s: Soth is, that whyl he bood in this manere,


s: That wel unnethe it seen was in his chere;


s: But at the yate ther she sholde oute ryde


s: So wo bigoon, al wolde he nought him pleyne,


s: For ire he quook, so gan his herte gnawe,


s: And seyde un-to him-self this ilke sawe,


s: `Allas,' quod he, `thus foul a wrecchednesse


s: To have y-nough to done, er that she go?


s: That shal I seyn, and why him liste it spare;


s: He hadde in herte alweyes a maner drede,


s: Lest that Criseyde, in rumour of this fare,


s: Sholde han ben slayn; lo, this was al his care.


s: He hadde it doon, with-outen wordes more.


s: Ful sorwfully she sighte, and seyde `Allas!'


s: But forth she moot, for ought that may bityde,


s: What wonder is though that hir sore smerte,


s: Of knightes, rood and dide hir companye,


s: And ferther wolde han riden, out of doute,


s: Ful fayn, and wo was him to goon so sone;


s: Was of it glad, and seyde he was wel-come.


s: Him to with-holde of wepinge at the leste,


s: And ther-with-al he moste his leve take,


s: And he ful softe and sleighly gan hir seye,


s: `Now hold your day, and dooth me not to deye.'


s: No word he spak, ne noon of al his route;


s: This Diomede, that ladde hir by the brydel,


s: Whan that he saw the folk of Troye aweye,


s: Thoughte, `Al my labour shal not been on ydel,


s: For at the worste it may yet shorte our weye.


s: I have herd seyd, eek tymes twyes twelve,


s: "He is a fool that wol for-yete him-selve."'


s: But natheles this thoughte he wel ynough,


s: If that I speke of love, or make it tough;


s: For douteles, if she have in hir thought


s: Him that I gesse, he may not been y-brought


s: This Diomede, as he that coude his good,


s: Whan this was doon, gan fallen forth in speche


s: Of this and that, and asked why she stood


s: In swich disese, and gan hir eek biseche,


s: Comaunde it him, and seyde he doon it wolde.


s: That ther nas thing with whiche he mighte hir plese,


s: To doon it, for to doon hir herte an ese.


s: And preyede hir, she wolde hir sorwe apese,


s: And seyde, `Y-wis, we Grekes con have Ioye


s: To honouren yow, as wel as folk of Troye.'


s: Thaqueintaunce of these Troianis to chaunge,


s: `And by the cause I swoor yow right, lo, now,


s: To been your freend, and helply, to my might,


s: And for that more aqueintaunce eek of yow


s: So fro this forth, I pray yow, day and night,


s: To doon al that may lyke un-to your herte;


s: `And that ye me wolde as your brother trete,


s: And though your sorwes be for thinges grete,


s: Myn herte hath for to amende it greet delyt.


s: `And though ye Troians with us Grekes wrothe


s: For trewely, ther can no wight yow serve,


s: That half so looth your wraththe wolde deserve.


s: `And nere it that we been so neigh the tente


s: Of Calkas, which that seen us bothe may,


s: Yeve me your hond, I am, and shal ben ay,


s: God help me so, whyl that my lyf may dure,


s: And, for the love of god, beth not my fo;


s: `And wondreth not, myn owene lady bright,


s: Though that I speke of love to you thus blyve;


s: For I have herd or this of many a wight,


s: `Ther been so worthy knightes in this place,


s: Wol peynen him to stonden in your grace.


s: That ye me for your servaunt wolde calle,


s: Criseide un-to that purpos lyte answerde,


s: That, in effect, she nought his tales herde,


s: But here and there, now here a word or two.


s: Wel neigh doun of hir hors she gan to sye.


s: Of al his travaile, and his goode chere,


s: And wolde do fayn that is him leef and dere;


s: And trusten him she wolde, and wel she mighte,


s: As seyde she, and from hir hors she alighte.


s: And tweynty tyme he kiste his doughter swete,


s: And seyde, `O dere doughter myn, wel-come!'


s: She seyde eek, she was fayn with him to mete,


s: And stood forth mewet, milde, and mansuete.


s: And thorugh his paleys, with a swollen herte,


s: To chambre he wente; of no-thing took he hede,


s: Ne noon to him dar speke a word for drede.


s: And there his sorwes that he spared hadde


s: He cursed Iove, Appollo, and eek Cupyde,


s: His burthe, him-self, his fate, and eek nature,


s: To bedde he goth, and weyleth there and torneth


s: And in this wyse he neigh til day soiorneth.


s: And to him-self right thus he spak, and seyde: --


s: Wher is hir whyte brest, wher is it, where?


s: That yesternight this tyme with me were?


s: And graspe aboute I may, but in this place,


s: As wolde god, ich hadde as tho be sleyn!


s: `Who seeth yow now, my righte lode-sterre?


s: Who sit right now or stant in your presence?


s: Who can conforten now your hertes werre?


s: Who speketh for me right now in myn absence?


s: Allas, no wight; and that is al my care;


s: `How sholde I thus ten dayes ful endure,


s: How shal she doon eek, sorwful creature?


s: For tendernesse, how shal she this sustene,


s: Swich wo for me? O pitous, pale, and grene


s: That mighte been; as, mete he were allone


s: And ther-with-al his body sholde sterte,


s: And with the stert al sodeinliche awake,


s: And there-with-al he sholde a noyse make,


s: From heighe a-lofte; and than he wolde wepe,


s: Conforte him-self, and seyn it was folye,


s: That every man mighte on his sorwes rewe.


s: His wo, his pleynt, his langour, and his pyne?


s: Nought al the men that han or been on-lyve.


s: On ydel for to wryte it sholde I swinke,


s: Gan after that to dresse him up to fare,


s: Al-though he on his heed it hadde y-sworn,


s: No-wher to gon, but on the morwe he wente


s: This knew he wel y-nough, with-oute book.


s: For which to chaumbre streight the wey he took,


s: And on the bed ful sone he gan him sette.


s: Which that I drye, I may not longe endure.


s: Right as thee semeth best is for to done.


s: My swerd, myn helm, and, leve brother dere,


s: My sheld to Pallas yef, that shyneth clere.


s: `The poudre in which myn herte y-brend shal torne,


s: For love of whom thus pitously I sterve,


s: So yeve it hir, and do me this plesaunce,


s: The owle eek, which that hight Ascaphilo,


s: And, god Mercurie! Of me now, woful wrecche,


s: The soule gyde, and, whan thee list, it fecche!'


s: My dere freend, as I have told thee yore,


s: If that thou trowe, er this, that any wight


s: Ye, god wot, and fro many a worthy knight


s: What nede is thee to maken al this care?


s: `Sin day by day thou mayst thy-selven see


s: That from his love, or elles from his wyf,


s: Yet nil he with him-self thus maken stryf.


s: For wel thow wost, my leve brother dere,


s: That alwey freendes may nought been y-fere.


s: `How doon this folk that seen hir loves wedded


s: And seen hem in hir spouses bed y-bedded?


s: God woot, they take it wysly, faire and softe.


s: For-why good hope halt up hir herte on-lofte,


s: And for they can a tyme of sorwe endure;


s: The tyme, and fonde to ben glad and light.


s: For dred thee not that she nil finden weye


s: To come ayein, my lyf that dorste I leye.


s: Dryf out, and lat hem faren to mischaunce;


s: That doth thee fele in sleep al this penaunce.


s: God helpe me so, I counte hem not a bene,


s: Ther woot no man aright what dremes mene.


s: Of goddes, and as wel they telle, y-wis,


s: Who woot in sooth thus what they signifye?


s: `Eek othere seyn that thorugh impressiouns,


s: As if a wight hath faste a thing in minde,


s: Men dreme, and that theffect goth by the mone;


s: But leve no dreem, for it is nought to done.


s: `Wel worth of dremes ay thise olde wyves,


s: For fere of which men wenen lese her lyves,


s: As ravenes qualm, or shryking of thise oules.


s: `For which with al myn herte I thee beseche,


s: Un-to thy-self that al this thou foryive;


s: And lat us caste how forth may best be drive


s: Whan that she cometh, the which shal be right sone;


s: God help me so, the beste is thus to done.


s: `Rys, lat us speke of lusty lyf in Troye


s: That we han lad, and forth the tyme dryve;


s: That bringen shal our blisse now so blyve;


s: We shal ther-with so foryete or oppresse,


s: That wel unnethe it doon shal us duresse.


s: And thus thou shalt the tyme wel bigyle,


s: That thou hir see, that cause is of thy sorwe.


s: To wepe, and in thy bedde to iouken thus.


s: If thou thus ligge a day, or two, or three,


s: The folk wol wene that thou, for cowardyse,


s: Thee feynest syk, and that thou darst not ryse.'


s: That though he wepe and make sorwful chere,


s: That feleth harm and smert in every veyne,


s: As I shal been, whan that she cometh in Troye,


s: That cause is of my torment and my Ioye.


s: `That we may pleye us best in al this toun?'


s: `To ryde and pleye us with king Sarpedoun.'


s: So longe of this they speken up and doun,


s: To ryse, and forth to Sarpedoun they wente.


s: Was ever his lyve, and ful of heigh prowesse,


s: With al that mighte y-served been on table,


s: That deyntee was, al coste it greet richesse,


s: He fedde hem day by day, that swich noblesse,


s: Was never er that day wist at any feste.


s: Nor in this world ther is non instrument


s: Delicious, through wind, or touche, of corde,


s: That at that feste it nas wel herd acorde;


s: On daunce, er tho, was never y-seyn with ye.


s: On hir was ever al that his herte thoughte,


s: Now this, now that, so faste imagininge,


s: These ladies eek that at this feste been,


s: Nor ther nas houre in al the day or night,


s: Whan he was ther-as no wight mighte him here,


s: How have ye faren, sin that ye were here?


s: Fortune his howve entended bet to glase.


s: An hundred sythe, a-twixen noon and pryme;


s: With-inne his herte, and every word and dede


s: The ferthe day, and seyde, he wolde wende.


s: Our leve take, and homward lat us torne;


s: God helpe me so, I can not tellen whider


s: We mighten goon, if I shal soothly seyn,


s: With him a wouke; and now, thus sodeinly,


s: The ferthe day to take of him oure leve,


s: Hold forward now, and after lat us ryde.'


s: Made him to dwelle; and at the woukes ende,


s: And on hir wey they spedden hem to wende.


s: Criseyde comen!' And ther-with gan he singe.


s: `God woot, refreyden may this hote fare,


s: She wolde come as sone as ever she mighte.


s: And to the chambre hir wey than han they nomen.


s: And after this, whan that hem bothe leste,


s: They spedde hem fro the soper un-to reste.


s: On morwe, as sone as day bigan to clere,


s: `For love of god,' ful pitously he seyde,


s: And ther-with-al, his meyne for to blende,


s: And to Criseydes hous they gonnen wende.


s: For whan he saugh hir dores sperred alle,


s: Wel neigh for sorwe a-doun he gan to falle.


s: Therwith, whan he was war and gan biholde


s: How shet was every windowe of the place,


s: For which with chaunged deedlich pale face,


s: With-outen word, he forth bigan to pace;


s: And, as god wolde, he gan so faste ryde,


s: O thou lanterne, of which queynt is the light,


s: O paleys, whylom day, that now art night,


s: Sin she is went that wont was us to gye!


s: `O paleys, whylom croune of houses alle,


s: O ring, fro which the ruby is out-falle,


s: Yet, sin I may no bet, fayn wolde I kisse


s: Thy colde dores, dorste I for this route;


s: And fare-wel shryne, of which the seynt is oute!'


s: And whan he mighte his tyme aright aspye,


s: In whiche he whylom hadde al his plesaunce.


s: And in that temple, with hir eyen clere,


s: "Now goode swete, love me wel, I preye."


s: That to the deeth myn herte is to hir holde.


s: Thanne thoughte he thus, `O blisful lord Cupyde,


s: What nede is thee to seke on me victorie,


s: What Ioye hastow thyn owene folk to spille?


s: `Wel hastow, lord, y-wroke on me thyn ire,


s: `Distreyne hir herte as faste to retorne


s: Than woot I wel, that she nil nought soiorne.


s: For which the folk of Thebes caughte hir bane.'


s: Ther-as Criseyde out-rood a ful good paas,


s: And to him-self ful ofte he seyde `Allas!


s: From hennes rood my blisse and my solas!


s: I mighte hir seen ayein come in-to Troye!


s: For sorwe of which myn herte shal to-cleve.


s: And shal, til I may seen hir eft in Troye.'


s: Than he was wont, and that men seyden softe,


s: That he hadde of him-self swich fantasye.


s: Had of him routhe, and that they seyen sholde,


s: And thus he droof a day yet forth or tweye.


s: As ye have herd, swich lyf right gan he lede,


s: Thencheson of his wo, as he best mighte,


s: That was absent, gan singe as ye may here.


s: `O sterre, of which I lost have al the light,


s: With herte soor wel oughte I to bewayle,


s: Toward my deeth with wind in stere I sayle;


s: For which the tenthe night if that I fayle


s: The gyding of thy bemes brighte an houre,


s: And every night, as was his wone to done,


s: I shal be glad, if al the world be trewe!


s: `I saugh thyn hornes olde eek by the morwe,


s: That cause is of my torment and my sorwe;


s: For love of god, ren faste aboute thy spere!


s: For whan thyn hornes newe ginne springe,


s: Than shal she come, that may my blisse bringe!'


s: The day is more, and lenger every night,


s: And that the sonne wente his course unright


s: Upon the walles faste eek wolde he walke,


s: And to him-self right thus he wolde talke,


s: And thennes comth this eyr, that is so sote,


s: That in my soule I fele it doth me bote.


s: `And hardely this wind, that more and more


s: I preve it thus, for in non othere place


s: Of al this toun, save onliche in this space,


s: Fele I no wind that souneth so lyk peyne;


s: It seyth, "Allas! Why twinned be we tweyne?"'


s: Him to comforte, and make his herte light;


s: That she shal come, and stinten al his sorwe.


s: With wommen fewe, among the Grekes stronge;


s: For which ful ofte a day `Allas,' she seyde,


s: After my deeth; for now live I to longe!


s: That I be caught, I shal be holde a spye;


s: Or elles, lo, this drede I most of alle,


s: Ther she was born, and ther she dwelt hadde ay.


s: And al the night wepinge, allas! she lay.


s: And in hir-self she wente ay portrayinge


s: Sin first that day hir love bigan to springe.


s: Through remembraunce of that she gan desyre.


s: In al this world ther nis so cruel herte


s: That hir hadde herd compleynen in hir sorwe,


s: And this was yet the worste of al hir peyne,


s: Ther was no wight to whom she dorste hir pleyne.


s: `Allas!' quod she, `The plesaunce and the Ioye


s: The whiche that now al torned in-to galle is,


s: Have I had ofte with-inne yonder walles!


s: And went with yow, as ye me radde er this!


s: Thanne hadde I now not syked half so sore.


s: Who mighte han seyd, that I had doon a-mis


s: Whan men the cors un-to the grave carie.


s: `To late is now to speke of this matere;


s: Coude I not seen; that causeth now my care.


s: I shal to-morwe at night, by est or weste,


s: Out of this ost stele on som maner syde,


s: This purpos wol I holde, and this is beste.


s: For ever on love han wrecches had envye.


s: `For who-so wole of every word take hede,


s: Shal knotteles through-out hir herte slyde;


s: Goth now, with-inne him-self ay arguinge


s: With al the sleighte and al that ever he can,


s: How he may best, with shortest taryinge,


s: To fisshen hir, he leyde out hook and lyne.


s: But natheles, wel in his herte he thoughte,


s: That she nas nat with-oute a love in Troye,


s: Ne coude he seen her laughe or make Ioye.


s: `But for to assaye,' he seyde, `it nought ne greveth;


s: For he that nought nassayeth, nought nacheveth.'


s: I may wel wite, it nil not been my prow.


s: "Men shal not wowe a wight in hevinesse."


s: From him, for whom she morneth night and day,


s: Thoughte in his herte, `Happe how happe may,


s: Al sholde I deye, I wole hir herte seche;


s: With sterne voys and mighty limes square,


s: And som men seyn, he was of tunge large;


s: Ther-to of shap, of face, and eek of chere,


s: Which with a threde of gold she wolde binde.


s: Strof love in hir, ay which of hem was more.


s: The beste y-norisshed eek that mighte be,


s: Charitable, estatliche, lusty, and free;


s: So wel, that kinde it not amenden mighte;


s: That is, or shal, whyl that the world may dure.


s: In durring don that longeth to a knight.


s: His herte ay with the firste and with the beste


s: Sin that Criseyde out of the citee yede,


s: This Diomede, as fresshe as braunche in May,


s: But what he mente, I shal yow telle sone.


s: Criseyde, at shorte wordes for to telle,


s: Welcomed him, and doun by hir him sette;


s: The spyces and the wyn men forth hem fette;


s: And forth they speke of this and that y-fere,


s: As freendes doon, of which som shal ye here.


s: The Grekes gyse, and werkes that they wroughte?


s: Criseyde, that was in hir peynes stronge


s: As fer-forth as she conning hadde or might,


s: Answerde him tho; but, as of his entente,


s: That sin I first hond on your brydel leyde,


s: That ye, for any wight that dwelleth there,


s: For dredelees, it is nought worth the whyle.


s: `The folk of Troye, as who seyth, alle and some


s: Ther shal not oon to mercy goon on-lyve,


s: Ther shal be take, er that we hennes wende,


s: That Manes, which that goddes ben of peyne,


s: Shal been agast that Grekes wol hem shende.


s: And men shul drede, un-to the worldes ende,


s: So cruel shal our wreche on hem be sene.


s: `And but-if Calkas lede us with ambages,


s: That is to seyn, with double wordes slye,


s: Swich as men clepe a "word with two visages,"


s: And al this thing right seen it with your ye,


s: And that anoon; ye nil not trowe how sone;


s: Destroyed been? Why, nay, so mote I goon!


s: He knew ful wel ther shal not scapen oon


s: Lat Troye and Troyan fro your herte pace!


s: Dryf out that bittre hope, and make good chere,


s: And clepe ayein the beautee of your face,


s: For Troye is brought in swich a Iupartye,


s: `And thenketh wel, ye shal in Grekes finde,


s: And bet to serven yow wol doon his might.


s: Yee, lever than he lord of Greces twelve!'


s: And in his speche a litel wight he quook,


s: And caste a-syde a litel wight his heed,


s: And stinte a whyle; and afterward awook,


s: And sobreliche on hir he threw his look,


s: But he was slayn, allas! The more harm is,


s: And ever shal, whyl I to live have space,


s: So, er that I departe out of this place,


s: What shold I telle his wordes that he seyde?


s: It preveth wel, he spak so that Criseyde


s: Graunted, on the morwe, at his requeste,


s: And thus to him she seyde, as ye may here:


s: Ther I was born; and Ioves, for his grace,


s: Delivere it sone of al that doth it care!


s: God, for thy might, so leve it wel to fare!


s: If that they mighte, I knowe it wel, y-wis.


s: I woot eek wel; but certein, men shal finde


s: I trowe eek wel, hir thank for to deserve.


s: `But as to speke of love, y-wis,' she seyde,


s: The whos myn herte al was, til that he deyde;


s: And that ye been of noble and heigh kinrede,


s: `And that doth me to han so gret a wonder,


s: Eek, god wot, love and I be fer a-sonder!


s: Than wole I werke that I never wroughte!


s: This word to yow y-nough suffysen oughte.


s: So that ye touchen nought of this matere.


s: And whan yow list, ye may come here ayeyn;


s: And, er ye gon, thus muche I seye yow here;


s: It sholde be your-selven, by my trouthe!


s: `I sey not therfore that I wol yow love,


s: And gan to syke, and seyde, `O Troye toun,


s: I may yow seen, or do myn herte breste.'


s: Gan pressen on, and faste hir mercy preye;


s: Hir glove he took, of which he was ful fayn.


s: The brighte Venus folwede and ay taughte


s: The wey, ther brode Phebus doun alighte;


s: To whirle out of the Lyon, if she mighte;


s: Whan that Criseyde un-to hir bedde wente


s: Of freendes help; and thus bigan to brede


s: That she tok fully purpos for to dwelle.


s: And shortly, lest that ye my tale breke,


s: That alle hir sykes sore adoun he leyde.


s: He refte hir of the grete of al hir peyne.


s: And eek, the bet from sorwe him to releve,


s: She made him were a pencel of hir sleve.


s: Whan that she saugh his wyde woundes blede;


s: And that she took to kepen him good hede,


s: And for to hele him of his sorwes smerte.


s: She seyde, `Allas! For now is clene a-go


s: Through-out the world my belle shal be ronge;


s: Allas, that swich a cas me sholde falle!


s: Yet preye I god, so yeve yow right good day


s: And best can ay his lady honour kepe:' --


s: And with that word she brast anon to wepe.


s: And my good word, al mighte I liven ever.


s: For though that he bigan to wowe hir sone,


s: Er he hir wan, yet was ther more to done.


s: That for hir gilt it oughte y-noe suffyse.


s: Y-wis, I wolde excuse hir yet for routhe.


s: Thus dryveth forth, as wel as he hath might.


s: Which on the morwe she hadde him byhight


s: Hadde he that night; no-thing to slepe him leste.


s: The laurer-crouned Phebus, with his hete,


s: Gan, in his course ay upward as he wente,


s: To warmen of the est see the wawes wete,


s: And on the walles of the toun they pleyde,


s: To loke if they can seen ought of Criseyde.


s: That cam fro fer, they seyden it was she,


s: Now was his herte dul, now was it light;


s: In-to this toun ne comth nought here Criseyde.


s: Er that she go; god yeve his herte pyne!'


s: Pandare answerde, `It may wel be, certeyn;


s: And for-thy lat us dyne, I thee biseche;


s: And hoom they go, with-oute more speche;


s: And comen ayein, but longe may they seche


s: Er that they finde that they after cape;


s: That er she come, it wole neigh even be.


s: As nought ne were, al-though she come late.'


s: The day goth faste, and after that comth eve,


s: He loketh forth by hegge, by tree, by greve,


s: And at the laste he torned him, and seyde.


s: `By god, I woot hir mening now, Pandare!


s: Gaure on hir, whan she comth; but softely


s: By nighte in-to the toun she thenketh ryde.


s: Have here my trouthe, I see hir! Yond she is.


s: Heve up thyn eyen, man! Maystow not see?'


s: Al wrong, by god; what seystow, man, wher art?


s: `Allas, thou seist right sooth,' quod Troilus;


s: Noot I not how, but sin that I was wrought,


s: She comth to-night, my lyf, that dorste I leye!'


s: And held with him of al that ever he seyde;


s: But in his herte he thoughte, and softe lough,


s: `From hasel-wode, ther Ioly Robin pleyde,


s: Ye, fare-wel al the snow of ferne yere!'


s: The folk which that with-oute the yates were,


s: And fer with-in the night, with many a tere,


s: For wel he seeth it helpeth nought tabyde.


s: And seyde, `I understonde have al a-mis.


s: She seyde, "I shal ben here, if that I may,


s: `For which she may yet holde al hir biheste.'


s: And on the morwe un-to the yate he wente,


s: And up and down, by west and eek by este,


s: For which at night, in sorwe and sykes sore,


s: This hope al clene out of his herte fledde,


s: He nath wher-on now lenger for to honge;


s: So were his throwes sharpe and wonder stronge.


s: For when he saugh that she abood so longe,


s: Sin she hath broken that she him bihighte.


s: Yet som-what trustinge on hir hestes olde.


s: But whan he saugh she nolde hir terme holde,


s: Ther-with the wikked spirit, god us blesse,


s: This was the lyf that al the tyme he ledde.


s: So was he lene, and ther-to pale and wan,


s: And with his ire he thus himselven shente.


s: His bretheren and his sustren gonne him freyne


s: And what thing was the cause of al his peyne?


s: A-boute his herte, and fayn he wolde dye.


s: And so bifel that in his sleep him thoughte,


s: For love of hir that him these peynes wroughte;


s: And up and doun as he the forest soughte,


s: He mette he saugh a boor with tuskes grete,


s: That sleep ayein the brighte sonnes hete.


s: Lay kissing ay his lady bright Criseyde:


s: For sorwe of which, whan he it gan biholde,


s: And for despyt, out of his slepe he breyde,


s: And loude he cryde on Pandarus, and seyde,


s: I nam but deed; ther nis non other bote!


s: `My lady bright Criseyde hath me bitrayed,


s: She elles-where hath now hir herte apayed;


s: Thus in my dreem Criseyde I have biholde' --


s: What wratthe of iuste cause have ye to me?


s: Hath fro me raft, allas! Thyn advertence?


s: For which wel neigh out of my wit I breyde?


s: God wot I wende, O lady bright, Criseyde,


s: Than he on whom men weneth best to triste?


s: That bet were it I with myn hondes tweyne


s: My-selven slow, than alwey thus to pleyne.


s: For through my deeth my wo sholde han an ende,


s: Ther every day with lyf my-self I shende.'


s: That I was born; have I not seyd er this,


s: Lat be this thought, thou canst no dremes rede.


s: `Paraunter, ther thou dremest of this boor,


s: Hir fader, which that old is and eek hoor,


s: And she for sorwe ginneth wepe and crye,


s: And kisseth him, ther he lyth on the grounde;


s: Thus shuldestow thy dreem a-right expounde.'


s: `Now seystow wysly,' quod this Pandarus,


s: `My reed is this, sin thou canst wel endyte,


s: Thorugh which thou shalt wel bringen it aboute,


s: `And see now why; for this I dar wel seyn,


s: I can not trowe that she wol wryte ayeyn.


s: And if she wryte, thou shalt ful sone see,


s: `Thou hast not writen hir sin that she wente,


s: Nor she to thee, and this I dorste leye,


s: That hir a-bood the beste is for yow tweye.


s: Now wryte hir thanne, and thou shalt fele sone


s: A sothe of al; ther is no more to done.'


s: He wroot right thus, and seyde as ye may here.


s: `Right fresshe flour, whos I have been and shal,


s: With herte, body, lyf, lust, thought, and al;


s: That ye me lefte in aspre peynes smerte,


s: Whan that ye wente, of which yet bote noon


s: `For which to yow, with dredful herte trewe,


s: I wryte, as he that sorwe dryfth to wryte,


s: The teres, which that fro myn eyen reyne,


s: That wolde speke, if that they coude, and pleyne.


s: `Yow first biseche I, that your eyen clere


s: That sleeth my wit, if ought amis me asterte,


s: Than wene I, that ich oughte be that wight,


s: Considered this, that ye these monthes tweyne


s: Han taried, ther ye seyden, sooth to seyne,


s: Al that yow list, I dar not pleyne more,


s: How ye han ferd and doon, whyl ye be there.


s: `The whos wel-fare and hele eek god encresse


s: Right as your herte ay can, my lady free,


s: And graunte it that ye sone up-on me rewe


s: Of me, whos wo ther may no wight discryve,


s: I can no more but, cheste of every care,


s: At wrytinge of this lettre I was on-lyve,


s: Which I delaye, and holde him yet in honde,


s: `Myn eyen two, in veyn with which I see,


s: Of sorweful teres salte arn waxen welles;


s: My good, in harm; myn ese eek waxen helle is.


s: My Ioye, in wo; I can sey yow nought elles,


s: But turned is, for which my lyf I warie,


s: Ye may redresse, and, more a thousand sythe


s: Than ever ich hadde, encressen in me Ioye.


s: To han his lyf, as I shal been as swythe


s: Commeve yow, yet thinketh on your trouthe.


s: `And if so be my gilt hath deeth deserved,


s: In guerdon yet of that I have you served,


s: Ther deeth may make an ende of al my werre.


s: `If other cause aught doth yow for to dwelle,


s: For though to me your absence is an helle,


s: And with your lettre of hope I wol desporte.


s: Now wryteth, swete, and lat me thus not pleyne;


s: So lost have I myn hele and eek myn hewe,


s: Your beautee, that my lyf unnethe I holde.


s: Yet pray I god, so yeve yow right good day.


s: And fareth wel, goodly fayre fresshe may,


s: As ye that lyf or deeth me may comaunde;


s: In you lyth, whan yow liste that it so be,


s: The day in which me clothen shal my grave.


s: And fare now wel, myn owene swete herte!


s: This lettre forth was sent un-to Criseyde,


s: Of which hir answere in effect was this;


s: Ful pitously she wroot ayein, and seyde,


s: She wolde come, and mende al that was mis.


s: And fynally she wroot and seyde him thanne,


s: She wolde come, ye, but she niste whenne.


s: But in hir lettre made she swich festes,


s: Of which he fond but botmelees bihestes.


s: But Troilus, thou mayst now, est or west,


s: Thus gooth the world; god shilde us fro mischaunce,


s: And lessen gan his hope and eek his might,


s: For which al doun he in his bed him leyde;


s: For which wel neigh he wex out of his minde.


s: This dreem, of which I told have eek biforn,


s: Him shewed hadde in sleep the signifiaunce


s: And that the boor was shewed him in figure.


s: That called was Cassandre eek al aboute;


s: And al his dreem he tolde hir er he stente,


s: And hir bisoughte assoilen him the doute


s: Of the stronge boor, with tuskes stoute;


s: Cassandre him gan right thus his dreem expounde.


s: She gan first smyle, and seyde, `O brother dere,


s: Hath lordes olde; through which, with-inne a throwe,


s: Thou wel this boor shalt knowe, and of what kinde


s: `Diane, which that wrooth was and in ire


s: She, for that Grekes gonne hir so dispyse,


s: For with a boor as greet as oxe in stalle


s: `To slee this boor was al the contree reysed,


s: A-monges which ther com, this boor to see,


s: A mayde, oon of this world the best y-preysed;


s: That with his manhod, er he wolde stente,


s: This boor he slow, and hir the heed he sente;


s: Associat profugum Tideo primus Polimitem;


s: Tidea legatum docet insidiasque secundus;


s: Tercius Hemoniden canit et vates latitantes;


s: Quartus habet reges ineuntes prelia septem;


s: Mox furie Lenne quinto narratur et anguis;


s: Archimori bustum sexto ludique leguntur;


s: Dat Graios Thebes et vatem septimus vmbria;


s: Octauo cecidit Tideus, spes, vita Pelasgia;


s: Fulmine percussus, decimo Capaneus superatur;


s: Vndecimo sese perimunt per vulnera fratres;


s: Argiuam flentem narrat duodenus et igneum.


s: This tolde she by proces, al by lengthe.


s: Whan Tydeus slough fifty knightes stoute.


s: She tolde eek al the prophesyes by herte,


s: And of the furies, al she gan him telle.


s: Was dreynt, and deed Parthonope of wounde;


s: She gan eek telle him how that either brother,


s: At a scarmyche, eche of hem slough other,


s: To Diomede, and thus she spak and tolde.


s: This Diomede hir herte hath, and she his.


s: Weep if thou wolt, or leef; for, out of doute,


s: This Diomede is inne, and thou art oute.'


s: Thou shalt be fals, paraunter, yet to-morwe!


s: She chees for him to dye and go to helle,


s: And starf anoon, as us the bokes telle.'


s: As though al hool him hadde y-mad a leche.


s: A sooth of this, with al his fulle cure;


s: Of heighe Iove, as regnes shal ben flitted


s: Gan pulle awey the fetheres brighte of Troye


s: Fro day to day, til they ben bare of Ioye.


s: And shapen hadde a mene it out to dryve;


s: Ayeins which fate him helpeth not to stryve;


s: At which, allas! He coughte his lyves ende.


s: The deeth of him that was so noble a knight;


s: Unwar of this, Achilles through the mayle


s: And thus this worthy knight was brought of lyve.


s: Was mad swich wo, that tonge it may not telle;


s: That, what for sorwe, and love, and for unreste,


s: But natheles, though he gan him dispeyre,


s: And as these loveres doon, he soughte ay newe


s: And in his herte he wente hir excusinge,


s: To been unknowen of folk that weren wyse,


s: Ful pitously, he lefte it nought for slouthe,


s: She wolde come ayein and holde hir trouthe.


s: For which Criseyde up-on a day, for routhe,


s: Wrot him ayein, and seyde as ye may here.


s: O swerd of knighthod, sours of gentilesse!


s: How might a wight in torment and in drede


s: And helelees, yow sende as yet gladnesse?


s: Yow neither sende ich herte may nor hele.


s: `Your lettres ful, the papir al y-pleynted,


s: But why, lest that this lettre founden were,


s: `Grevous to me, god woot, is your unreste,


s: Nor other thing nis in your remembraunce,


s: As thinketh me, but only your plesaunce.


s: But beth not wrooth, and that I yow biseche;


s: Touchinge us two, how thinges han y-stonde;


s: And beth nought wrooth, I have eek understonde,


s: `Comen I wol, but yet in swich disioynte


s: I stonde as now, that what yeer or what day


s: Of your good word and of your frendship ay.


s: That it is short which that I to yow wryte;


s: Eek greet effect men wryte in place lite.


s: And fareth now wel, god have you in his grace!


s: This Troilus this lettre thoughte al straunge,


s: Whan he it saugh, and sorwefully he sighte;


s: Him thoughte it lyk a kalendes of chaunge;


s: That she ne wolde him holden that she highte;


s: That loveth wel, in swich cas, though him greve.


s: But natheles, men seyn that, at the laste,


s: And swich a cas bitidde, and that as faste,


s: And so bifel, that through-out Troye toun,


s: A maner cote-armure, as seyth the storie,


s: Biforn Deiphebe, in signe of his victorie,


s: Avysing of the lengthe and of the brede,


s: A broche, that he Criseyde yaf that morwe


s: In remembraunce of him and of his sorwe;


s: And she him leyde ayein hir feyth to borwe


s: He gooth him hoom, and gan ful sone sende


s: And of this broche, he tolde him word and ende,


s: His longe love, his trouthe, and his penaunce;


s: And after deeth, with-outen wordes more,


s: Ful faste he cryde, his reste him to restore.


s: Than spak he thus, `O lady myn Criseyde,


s: Wher is your love, wher is your trouthe,' he seyde;


s: Allas, I wolde have trowed at the leste.


s: That, sin ye nolde in trouthe to me stonde,


s: That ye, Criseyde, coude han chaunged so;


s: To slee me thus; allas, your name of trouthe


s: Is now for-doon, and that is al my routhe.


s: `Was ther non other broche yow liste lete


s: But for despyt, and eek for that ye mente


s: For al this world, with-in myn herte finde


s: `Now god,' quod he, `me sende yet the grace


s: O god,' quod he, `that oughtest taken hede


s: To fortheren trouthe, and wronges to punyce,


s: Why niltow doon a vengeaunce of this vyce?


s: `O Pandare, that in dremes for to triste


s: Now maystow see thy-selve, if that thee liste,


s: How trewe is now thy nece, bright Criseyde!


s: In sondry formes, god it woot,' he seyde,


s: From hennes-forth, as ferforth as I may,


s: Whom I have ay with al my might y-served,


s: That ye thus doon, I have it nought deserved.'


s: This Pandarus, that alle these thinges herde,


s: And shamed, for his nece hath doon a-mis;


s: And stant, astoned of these causes tweye,


s: As stille as stoon; a word ne coude he seye.


s: `My brother dere, I may thee do no-more.


s: What shulde I seyn? I hate, y-wis, Criseyde!


s: And that thou me bisoughtest doon of yore,


s: Right no reward, I dide al that thee leste.


s: `If I dide ought that mighte lyken thee,


s: Right fayn wolde I amende it, wiste I how.


s: And fro this world, almighty god I preye,


s: Gret was the sorwe and pleynt of Troilus;


s: Swich is this world; who-so it can biholde,


s: Was sene his knighthod and his grete might.


s: With blody strokes and with wordes grete,


s: But natheles, fortune it nought ne wolde,


s: Of others hond that either deyen sholde. --


s: Reed Dares, he can telle hem alle y-fere.


s: And gladlier I wole wryten, if yow leste,