The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer

Explicit Secundus Liber.

BOOK III.

Rubric; from Cp.

1-56. Lost in Cm.

Incipit Prohemium Tercii Libri.

- 1. O BLISFUL light, of whiche the bemes clere [ ] Skeat1900: 1
- Adorneth al the thridde hevene faire! [ ]
- O sonnes leef , O Ioves doughter dere, [ ]
- Plesaunce of love, O goodly debonaire,
- In gentil hertes ay redy to repaire! Skeat1900: 5
- O verray cause of hele and of gladnesse,
- Y-heried be thy might and thy goodnesse!
- 2. In hevene and helle, in erthe and salte see
- Is felt thy might, if that I wel descerne;
- As man, brid, best , fish, herbe and grene tree Skeat1900: 10
- Thee fele in tymes with vapour eterne. [ ]
- God loveth, and to love wol nought werne;
- And in this world no lyves creature,
- With-outen love, is worth, or may endure.
- 3. Ye Ioves first to thilke effectes glade, [ ] Skeat1900: 15
- Thorugh which that thinges liven alle and be,
- Comeveden , and amorous him made
- On mortal thing, and as yow list, ay ye
- Yeve him in love ese or adversitee;
- And in a thousand formes doun him sente Skeat1900: 20
- For love in erthe, and whom yow liste, he hente.
- 4. Ye fierse Mars apeysen of his ire , [ ]
- And, as yow list , ye maken hertes digne;
- Algates, hem that ye wol sette a-fyre,
- They dreden shame, and vices they resigne; Skeat1900: 25
- Ye do hem corteys be, fresshe and benigne,
- And hye or lowe, after a wight entendeth; [ ]
- The Ioyes that he hath, your might him sendeth.
- 5. Ye holden regne and hous in unitee; [ ]
- Ye soothfast cause of frendship been also; Skeat1900: 30
- Ye knowe al thilke covered qualitee [ ]
- Of thinges which that folk on wondren so,
- Whan they can not construe how it may io ,
- She loveth him, or why he loveth here;
- As why this fish, and nought that, cometh to were. [ ] Skeat1900: 35
- 6. Ye folk a lawe han set in universe , [ ]
- And this knowe I by hem that loveres be,
- That who-so stryveth with yow hath the werse :
- Now, lady bright, for thy benignitee,
- At reverence of hem that serven thee, Skeat1900: 40
- Whos clerk I am, so techeth me devyse
- Som Ioye of that is felt in thy servyse .
- 7. Ye in my naked herte sentement
- Inhelde , and do me shewe of thy swetnesse.— [ ]
- Caliope, thy vois be now present, Skeat1900: 45
- For now is nede; sestow not my destresse,
- How I mot telle anon-right the gladnesse
- Of Troilus, to Venus heryinge?
- To which gladnes , who nede hath, god him bringe!

Explicit prohemium Tercii Libri.

Incipit Liber Tercius.

- 8. LAY al this mene whyle Troilus, Skeat1900: 50
- Recordinge his lessoun in this manere,
- ‘Ma fey!’ thought he, ‘thus wole I seye and thus;
- Thus wole I pleyne un-to my lady dere;
- That word is good, and this shal be my chere;
- This nil I not foryeten in no wyse.’ Skeat1900: 55
- God leve him werken as he gan devyse.
- 9. And lord, so that his herte gan to quappe,
- Heringe hir come, and shorte for to syke!
- And Pandarus, that ladde hir by the lappe,
- Com ner, and gan in at the curtin pyke, Skeat1900: 60
- And seyde, ‘god do bote on alle syke!
- See, who is here yow comen to visyte;
- Lo, here is she that is your deeth to wyte.’
- 10. Ther-with it semed as he wepte almost;
- ‘A ha,’ quod Troilus so rewfully , Skeat1900: 65
- ‘Wher me be wo, O mighty god, thou wost!
- Who is al there? I see nought trewely.’
- ‘Sire,’ quod Criseyde, ‘it is Pandare and I.’
- ‘Ye, swete herte? allas, I may nought ryse
- To knele, and do yow honour in som wyse.’ Skeat1900: 70
- 11. And dressede him upward, and she right tho
- Gan bothe here hondes softe upon him leye,
- ‘O, for the love of god, do ye not so
- To me,’ quod she, ‘ ey ! what is this to seye?
- Sire, come am I to yow for causes tweye; Skeat1900: 75
- First, yow to thonke, and of your lordshipe eke
- Continuaunce I wolde yow biseke .’
- 12 This Troilus, that herde his lady preye
- Of lordship him, wex neither quik ne deed,
- Ne mighte a word for shame to it seye, Skeat1900: 80
- Al-though men sholde smyten of his heed.
- But lord, so he wex sodeinliche reed,
- And sire, his lesson, that he wende conne,
- To preyen hir, is thurgh his wit y-ronne.
- 13. Cryseyde al this aspyede wel y-nough, Skeat1900: 85
- For she was wys, and lovede him never-the-lasse,
- Al nere he malapert, or made it tough, [ ]
- Or was to bold, to singe a fool a masse.
- But whan his shame gan somwhat to passe,
- His resons , as I may my rymes holde, Skeat1900: 90
- I yow wol telle, as techen bokes olde.
- 14. In chaunged vois, right for his verrey drede,
- Which vois eek quook , and ther-to his manere
- Goodly abayst, and now his hewes rede,
- Now pale, un-to Criseyde, his lady dere, Skeat1900: 95
- With look doun cast and humble yolden chere,
- Lo, the alderfirste word that him asterte
- Was, twyes, ‘mercy, mercy, swete herte!’
- 15. And stinte a whyl , and whan he mighte out-bringe,
- The nexte word was, ‘god wot, for I have, Skeat1900: 100
- As feythfully as I have had konninge,
- Ben youres, also god my sowle save;
- And shal, til that I, woful wight, be grave.
- And though I dar ne can un-to yow pleyne,
- Y-wis, I suffre nought the lasse peyne. Skeat1900: 105
- 16. Thus muche as now, O wommanliche wyf,
- I may out-bringe, and if this yow displese,
- That shal I wreke upon myn owne lyf
- Right sone, I trowe, and doon your herte an ese,
- If with my deeth your herte I may apese. Skeat1900: 110
- But sin that ye han herd me som-what seye,
- Now recche I never how sone that I deye.’
- 17. Ther-with his manly sorwe to biholde,
- It mighte han maad an herte of stoon to rewe;
- And Pandare weep as he to watre wolde, [ ] Skeat1900: 115
- And poked ever his nece newe and newe,
- And seyde, ‘wo bigon ben hertes trewe!
- For love of god, make of this thing an ende,
- Or slee us bothe at ones, er that ye wende.’
- 18. ‘I? what?’ quod she, ‘by god and by my trouthe, [ ] Skeat1900: 120
- I noot nought what ye wilne that I seye .’
- ‘I? what?’ quod he, ‘that ye han on him routhe,
- For goddes love, and doth him nought to deye.’
- ‘Now thanne thus,’ quod she, ‘I wolde him preye
- To telle me the fyn of his entente; Skeat1900: 125
- Yet wiste I never wel what that he mente.’
- 19. ‘What that I mene, O swete herte dere?’
- Quod Troilus, ‘O goodly fresshe free!
- That, with the stremes of your eyen clere,
- Ye wolde som-tyme freendly on me see, Skeat1900: 130
- And thanne agreën that I may ben he,
- With-oute braunche of vyce in any wyse,
- In trouthe alwey to doon yow my servyse
- 20. As to my lady right and chief resort,
- With al my wit and al my diligence , Skeat1900: 135
- And I to han, right as yow list, comfort, [ ]
- Under your yerde, egal to myn offence,
- As deeth, if that I breke your defence ;
- And that ye deigne me so muche honoure,
- Me to comaunden ought in any houre. Skeat1900: 140
- 21. And I to ben your verray humble trewe,
- Secret, and in my paynes pacient,
- And ever-mo desire freshly newe,
- To serven , and been y-lyke ay diligent,
- And, with good herte, al holly your talent Skeat1900: 145
- Receyven wel, how sore that me smerte,
- Lo, this mene I, myn owene swete herte.’
- 22. Quod Pandarus, ‘lo, here an hard request,
- And resonable, a lady for to werne!
- Now, nece myn, by natal Ioves fest , [ ] Skeat1900: 150
- Were I a god, ye sholde sterve as yerne,
- That heren wel, this man wol no-thing yerne
- But your honour, and seen him almost sterve,
- And been so looth to suffren him yow serve.’
- 23. With that she gan hir eyen on him caste Skeat1900: 155
- Ful esily, and ful debonairly,
- Avysing hir, and hyed not to faste
- With never a word, but seyde him softely,
- ‘Myn honour sauf, I wol wel trewely,
- And in swich forme as he can now devyse, Skeat1900: 160
- Receyven him fully to my servyse,
- 24. Biseching him, for goddes love, that he
- Wolde, in honour of trouthe and gentilesse,
- As I wel mene, eek mene wel to me,
- And myn honour, with wit and besinesse, Skeat1900: 165
- Ay kepe; and if I may don him gladnesse,
- From hennes-forth , y-wis, I nil not feyne:
- Now beeth al hool, no lenger ye ne pleyne.
- 25. But nathelees, this warne I yow,’ quod she,
- ‘A kinges sone al-though ye be, y-wis, Skeat1900: 170
- Ye shul na-more have soverainetee
- Of me in love, than right in that cas is;
- Ne I nil forbere, if that ye doon a-mis,
- To wrathen yow; and whyl that ye me serve,
- Cherycen yow right after ye deserve. Skeat1900: 175
- 26. And shortly, derë herte and al my knight,
- Beth glad, and draweth yow to lustinesse,
- And I shal trewely, with al my might,
- Your bittre tornen al in-to swetnesse;
- If I be she that may yow do gladnesse, Skeat1900: 180
- For every wo ye shal recovere a blisse’;
- And him in armes took, and gan him kisse.
- 27. Fil Pandarus on knees, and up his yën
- To hevene threw, and held his hondes hye,
- ‘Immortal god!’ quod he, ‘that mayst nought dyen, Skeat1900: 185
- Cupide I mene, of this mayst glorifye;
- And Venus, thou mayst make melodye;
- With-outen hond, me semeth that in towne, [ ]
- For this merveyle, I here ech belle sowne.
- 28. But ho! no more as now of this matere, Skeat1900: 190
- For-why this folk wol comen up anoon,
- That han the lettre red; lo, I hem here.
- But I coniure thee, Criseyde, and oon , [ ]
- And two , thou Troilus, whan thow mayst goon,
- That at myn hous ye been at my warninge, Skeat1900: 195
- For I ful wel shal shape your cominge;
- 29. And eseth ther your hertes right y-nough;
- And lat see which of yow shal bere the belle [ ]
- To speke of love a-right!’ ther-with he lough,
- ‘For ther have ye a layser for to telle.’ Skeat1900: 200
- Quod Troilus, ‘how longe shal I dwelle
- Er this be doon?’ Quod he, ‘whan thou mayst ryse,
- This thing shal be right as I yow devyse.’
- 30. With that Eleyne and also Deiphebus
- Tho comen upward, right at the steyres ende; Skeat1900: 205
- And lord, so than gan grone Troilus,
- His brother and his suster for to blende .
- Quod Pandarus, ‘ it tyme is that we wende;
- Tak, nece myn, your leve at alle three,
- And lat hem speke, and cometh forth with me.’ Skeat1900: 210
- 31. She took hir leve at hem ful thriftily,
- As she wel coude, and they hir reverence
- Un-to the fulle diden hardely,
- And speken wonder wel , in hir absence,
- Of hir, in preysing of hir excellence, Skeat1900: 215
- Hir governaunce, hir wit; and hir manere
- Commendeden, it Ioye was to here.
- 32. Now lat hir wende un-to hir owne place,
- And torne we to Troilus a-yein,
- That gan ful lightly of the lettre passe, Skeat1900: 220
- That Deiphebus hadde in the gardin seyn.
- And of Eleyne and him he wolde fayn
- Delivered been, and seyde, that him leste
- To slepe, and after tales have reste.
- 33. Eleyne him kiste, and took hir leve blyve, Skeat1900: 225
- Deiphebus eek, and hoom wente every wight;
- And Pandarus, as faste as he may dryve,
- To Troilus tho com, as lyne right; [ ]
- And on a paillet , al that glade night,
- By Troilus he lay, with mery chere, Skeat1900: 230
- To tale; and wel was hem they were y-fere.
- 34. Whan every wight was voided but they two,
- And alle the dores were faste y-shette,
- To telle in short, with-oute wordes mo,
- This Pandarus, with-outen any lette, Skeat1900: 235
- Up roos, and on his beddes syde him sette,
- And gan to speken in a sobre wyse
- To Troilus, as I shal yow devyse.
- 35. ‘Myn alderlevest lord, and brother dere,
- God woot, and thou, that it sat me so sore, Skeat1900: 240
- When I thee saw so languisshing to-yere,
- For love, of which thy wo wex alwey more;
- That I, with al my might and al my lore,
- Have ever sithen doon my bisinesse
- To bringe thee to Ioye out of distresse; Skeat1900: 245
- 36. And have it brought to swich plyt as thou wost,
- So that, thorugh me, thow stondest now in weye
- To fare wel, I seye it for no bost,
- And wostow why? for shame it is to seye,
- For thee have I bigonne a gamen pleye Skeat1900: 250
- Which that I never doon shal eft for other,
- Al-though he were a thousand fold my brother.
- 37. That is to seye, for thee am I bicomen,
- Bitwixen game and ernest, swich a mene
- As maken wommen un-to men to comen; Skeat1900: 255
- Al sey I nought, thou wost wel what I mene.
- For thee have I my nece, of vyces clene,
- So fully maad thy gentilesse triste,
- That al shal been right as thy-selve liste.
- 38. But god, that al wot, take I to witnesse, Skeat1900: 260
- That never I this for coveityse wroughte,
- But only for to abregge that distresse ,
- For which wel nygh thou deydest, as me thoughte.
- But gode brother, do now as thee oughte,
- For goddes love, and keep hir out of blame, Skeat1900: 265
- Sin thou art wys, and save alwey hir name.
- 39. For wel thou wost, the name as yet of here
- Among the peple, as who seyth, halwed is;
- For that man is unbore, I dar wel swere,
- That ever wiste that she dide amis. Skeat1900: 270
- But wo is me, that I, that cause al this,
- May thenken that she is my nece dere,
- And I hir eem, and traytor eek y-fere!
- 40. And were it wist that I, through myn engyn,
- Hadde in my nece y-put this fantasye, Skeat1900: 275
- To do thy lust, and hoolly to be thyn,
- Why, al the world up-on it wolde crye,
- And seye, that I the worste trecherye
- Dide in this cas, that ever was bigonne ,
- And she for-lost, and thou right nought y-wonne . Skeat1900: 280
- 41. Wher-fore, er I wol ferther goon a pas,
- Yet eft I thee biseche and fully seye,
- That privetee go with us in this cas,
- That is to seye, that thou us never wreye;
- And be nought wrooth, though I thee ofte preye Skeat1900: 285
- To holden secree swich an heigh matere;
- For skilful is, thow wost wel, my preyere.
- 42. And thenk what wo ther hath bitid er this,
- For makinge of avauntes, as men rede;
- And what mischaunce in this world yet ther is, Skeat1900: 290
- Fro day to day, right for that wikked dede;
- For which these wyse clerkes that ben dede
- Han ever yet proverbed to us yonge,
- That “firste vertu is to kepe tonge.” [ ]
- 43. And, nere it that I wilne as now tabregge Skeat1900: 295
- Diffusioun of speche, I coude almost
- A thousand olde stories thee alegge
- Of wommen lost, thorugh fals and foles bost;
- Proverbes canst thy-self y-nowe, and wost, [ ]
- Ayeins that vyce, for to been a labbe , Skeat1900: 300
- Al seyde men sooth as often as they gabbe.
- 44. O tonge, allas! so often here-biforn
- Hastow made many a lady bright of hewe
- Seyd, “welawey! the day that I was born!”
- And many a maydes sorwes for to newe; Skeat1900: 305
- And, for the more part, al is untrewe
- That men of yelpe, and it were brought to preve;
- Of kinde non avauntour is to leve. [ ]
- 45. Avauntour and a lyere, al is on;
- As thus: I pose, a womman graunte me Skeat1900: 310
- Hir love, and seyth that other wol she non,
- And I am sworn to holden it secree,
- And after I go telle it two or three;
- Y-wis, I am avauntour at the leste,
- And lyere, for I breke my biheste . Skeat1900: 315
- 46. Now loke thanne, if they be nought to blame,
- Swich maner folk; what shal I clepe hem, what,
- That hem avaunte of wommen, and by name,
- That never yet bihighte hem this ne that,
- Ne knewe hem more than myn olde hat? Skeat1900: 320
- No wonder is, so god me sende hele,
- Though wommen drede with us men to dele.
- 47. I sey not this for no mistrust of yow,
- Ne for no wys man , but for foles nyce,
- And for the harm that in the world is now, Skeat1900: 325
- As wel for foly ofte as for malyce;
- For wel wot I, in wyse folk, that vyce
- No womman drat, if she be wel avysed; [ ]
- For wyse ben by foles harm chastysed.
- 48. But now to purpos; leve brother dere, Skeat1900: 330
- Have al this thing that I have seyd in minde,
- And keep thee clos, and be now of good chere,
- For at thy day thou shalt me trewe finde.
- I shal thy proces sette in swich a kinde,
- And god to-forn, that it shall thee suffyse , Skeat1900: 335
- For it shal been right as thou wolt devyse.
- 49. For wel I woot, thou menest wel , parde;
- Therfore I dar this fully undertake.
- Thou wost eek what thy lady graunted thee,
- And day is set, the chartres up to make. [ ] Skeat1900: 340
- Have now good night, I may no lenger wake;
- And bid for me, sin thou art now in blisse,
- That god me sende deeth or sone lisse.’
- 50. Who mighte telle half the Ioye or feste
- Which that the sowle of Troilus tho felte, Skeat1900: 345
- Heringe theffect of Pandarus biheste?
- His olde wo, that made his herte swelte,
- Gan tho for Ioye wasten and to-melte,
- And al the richesse of his sykes sore [ ]
- At ones fledde, he felte of hem no more. Skeat1900: 350
- 51. But right so as these holtes and these hayes,
- That han in winter dede been and dreye,
- Revesten hem in grene, whan that May is,
- Whan every lusty lyketh best to pleye: [ ]
- Right in that selve wyse, sooth to seye, Skeat1900: 355
- Wex sodeynliche his herte ful of Ioye,
- That gladder was ther never man in Troye.
- 52. And gan his look on Pandarus up caste
- Ful sobrely, and frendly for to see,
- And seyde, ‘freend, in Aprille the laste, Skeat1900: 360
- As wel thou wost, if it remembre thee,
- How neigh the deeth for wo thou founde me;
- And how thou didest al thy bisinesse
- To knowe of me the cause of my distresse.
- 53. Thou wost how longe I it for-bar to seye Skeat1900: 365
- To thee, that art the man that I best triste;
- And peril was it noon to thee by-wreye,
- That wiste I wel; but tel me, if thee liste,
- Sith I so looth was that thy-self it wiste,
- How dorste I mo tellen of this matere, Skeat1900: 370
- That quake now, and no wight may us here?
- 54. But natheles, by that god I thee swere,
- That, as him list, may al this world governe,
- And, if I lye, Achilles with his spere
- Myn herte cleve, al were my lyf eterne, Skeat1900: 375
- As I am mortal, if I late or yerne
- Wolde it biwreye, or dorste, or sholde conne, [ ]
- For al the good that god made under sonne;
- 55. That rather deye I wolde, and determyne,
- As thinketh me, now stokked in presoun, [ ] Skeat1900: 380
- In wrecchednesse, in filthe, and in vermyne,
- Caytif to cruel king Agamenoun ;
- And this, in alle the temples of this toun,
- Upon the goddes alle, I wol thee swere,
- To-morwe day, if that thee lyketh here. Skeat1900: 385
- 56. And that thou hast so muche y-doon for me,
- That I ne may it never-more deserve,
- This knowe I wel, al mighte I now for thee
- A thousand tymes on a morwen sterve,
- I can no more, but that I wol thee serve Skeat1900: 390
- Right as thy sclave , whider-so thou wende,
- For ever-more, un-to my lyves ende!
- 57. But here, with al myn herte, I thee biseche,
- That never in me thou deme swich folye
- As I shal seyn; me thoughte, by thy speche, Skeat1900: 395
- That this, which thou me dost for companye,
- I sholde wene it were a bauderye ;
- I am nought wood , al-if I lewed be;
- It is not so, that woot I wel, pardee.
- 58. But he that goth, for gold or for richesse, Skeat1900: 400
- On swich message, calle him what thee list;
- And this that thou dost, calle it gentilesse,
- Compassioun, and felawship, and trist;
- Departe it so, for wyde-where is wist [ ]
- How that there is dyversitee requered Skeat1900: 405
- Bitwixen thinges lyke, as I have lered.
- 59. And, that thou knowe I thenke nought ne wene
- That this servyse a shame be or Iape,
- I have my faire suster Polixene,
- Cassandre, Eleyne, or any of the frape; [ ] Skeat1900: 410
- Be she never so faire or wel y-shape,
- Tel me , which thou wilt of everichone,
- To han for thyn, and lat me thanne allone.
- 60. But sin that thou hast don me this servyse ,
- My lyf to save, and for noon hope of mede, Skeat1900: 415
- So, for the love of god, this grete empryse
- Parforme it out; for now is moste nede.
- For high and low, with-outen any drede,
- I wol alwey thyne hestes alle kepe;
- Have now good night, and lat us bothe slepe.’ Skeat1900: 420
- 61. Thus held him ech with other wel apayed,
- That al the world ne mighte it bet amende;
- And, on the morwe, whan they were arayed,
- Ech to his owene nedes gan entende.
- But Troilus, though as the fyr he brende Skeat1900: 425
- For sharp desyr of hope and of plesaunce,
- He not for-gat his gode governaunce.
- 62. But in him-self with manhod gan restreyne
- Ech rakel dede and ech unbrydled chere,
- That alle tho that liven, sooth to seyne, Skeat1900: 430
- Ne sholde han wist, by word or by manere,
- What that he mente, as touching this matere.
- From every wight as fer as is the cloude
- He was, so wel dissimulen he coude.
- 63. And al the whyl which that I yow devyse, Skeat1900: 435
- This was his lyf; with al his fulle might,
- By day he was in Martes high servyse,
- This is to seyn, in armes as a knight;
- And for the more part, the longe night
- He lay, and thoughte how that he mighte serve Skeat1900: 440
- His lady best, hir thank for to deserve.
- 64. Nil I nought swerë, al-though he lay softe,
- That in his thought he nas sumwhat disesed ,
- Ne that he tornede on his pilwes ofte,
- And wolde of that him missed han ben sesed; [ ] Skeat1900: 445
- But in swich cas man is nought alwey plesed ,
- For ought I wot, no more than was he;
- That can I deme of possibilitee.
- 65. But certeyn is, to purpos for to go,
- That in this whyle, as writen is in geste, Skeat1900: 450
- He say his lady som-tyme; and also
- She with him spak, whan that she dorste or leste,
- And by hir bothe avys, as was the beste,
- Apoynteden ful warly in this nede,
- So as they dorste, how they wolde procede. Skeat1900: 455
- 66. But it was spoken in so short a wyse,
- In swich awayt alwey, and in swich fere,
- Lest any wyght divynen or devyse
- Wolde of hem two, or to it leye an ere,
- That al this world so leef to hem ne were Skeat1900: 460
- As that Cupido wolde hem grace sende
- To maken of hir speche aright an ende.
- 67. But thilke litel that they speke or wroughte,
- His wyse goost took ay of al swich hede,
- It semed hir, he wiste what she thoughte Skeat1900: 465
- With-outen word, so that it was no nede
- To bidde him ought to done, or ought for-bede;
- For which she thoughte that love, al come it late,
- Of alle Ioye hadde opned hir the yate.
- 68. And shortly of this proces for to pace, Skeat1900: 470
- So wel his werk and wordes he bisette,
- That he so ful stood in his lady grace,
- That twenty thousand tymes, or she lette,
- She thonked god she ever with him mette;
- So coude he him governe in swich servyse , Skeat1900: 475
- That al the world ne mighte it bet devyse .
- 69. For-why she fond him so discreet in al,
- So secret, and of swich obëisaunce,
- That wel she felte he was to hir a wal
- Of steel, and sheld from every displesaunce; Skeat1900: 480
- That, to ben in his gode governaunce,
- So wys he was, she was no more afered,
- I mene, as fer as oughte ben requered.
- 70. And Pandarus, to quike alwey the fyr,
- Was ever y-lyke prest and diligent; Skeat1900: 485
- To ese his frend was set al his desyr.
- He shof ay on, he to and fro was sent;
- He lettres bar whan Troilus was absent.
- That never man, as in his freendes nede,
- Ne bar him bet than he, with-outen drede. Skeat1900: 490
- 71. But now, paraunter, som man wayten wolde
- That every word, or sonde, or look, or chere
- Of Troilus that I rehersen sholde,
- In al this whyle, un-to his lady dere;
- I trowe it were a long thing for to here; Skeat1900: 495
- Or of what wight that stant in swich disioynte,
- His wordes alle, or every look, to poynte. [ ]
- 72. For sothe, I have not herd it doon er this,
- In storye noon, ne no man here, I wene;
- And though I wolde I coude not, y-wis; Skeat1900: 500
- For ther was som epistel hem bitwene,
- That wolde, as seyth myn auctor, wel contene [ ]
- Neigh half this book, of which him list not wryte;
- How sholde I thanne a lyne of it endyte?
- 73. But to the grete effect: than sey I thus, Skeat1900: 505
- That stonding in concord and in quiete
- Thise ilke two, Criseyde and Troilus,
- As I have told, and in this tyme swete,
- Save only often mighte they not mete,
- Ne layser have hir speches to fulfelle , [ ] Skeat1900: 510
- That it befel right as I shal yow telle,
- 74. That Pandarus, that ever dide his might
- Right for the fyn that I shal speke of here,
- As for to bringe to his hous som night
- His faire nece, and Troilus y-fere, Skeat1900: 515
- Wher-as at leyser al this heigh matere,
- Touching hir love, were at the fulle up-bounde,
- Hadde out of doute a tyme to it founde.
- 75. For he with greet deliberacioun
- Hadde every thing that her-to mighte avayle Skeat1900: 520
- Forn-cast, and put in execucioun,
- And neither laft, for cost ne for travayle; [ ]
- Come if hem lest, hem sholde no-thing fayle;
- And for to been in ought espyed there,
- That, wiste he wel, an inpossible were. Skeat1900: 525
- 76. Dredelees , it cleer was in the wind [ ]
- Of every pye and every lette-game;
- Now al is wel, for al the world is blind
- In this matere, bothe fremed and tame. [ ]
- This timber is al redy up to frame; Skeat1900: 530
- Us lakketh nought but that we witen wolde
- A certein houre, in whiche she comen sholde.
- 77. And Troilus, that al this purveyaunce
- Knew at the fulle, and waytede on it ay,
- Hadde here-up-on eek made gret ordenaunce, [ ] Skeat1900: 535
- And founde his cause, and ther-to his aray,
- If that he were missed, night or day,
- Ther-whyle he was aboute this servyse,
- That he was goon to doon his sacrifyse,
- 78. And moste at swich a temple alone wake, Skeat1900: 540
- Answered of Appollo for to be;
- And first, to seen the holy laurer quake, [ ]
- Er that Apollo spak out of the tree,
- To telle him next whan Grekes sholden flee,
- And forthy lette him no man, god forbede, [ ] Skeat1900: 545
- But preye Apollo helpen in this nede.
- 79. Now is ther litel more for to done,
- But Pandare up, and shortly for to seyne,
- Right sone upon the chaunging of the mone,
- Whan lightles is the world a night or tweyne, Skeat1900: 550
- And that the welken shoop him for to reyne,
- He streight a-morwe un-to his nece wente;
- Ye han wel herd the fyn of his entente.
- 80. Whan he was come, he gan anoon to pleye
- As he was wont , and of him-self to Iape; Skeat1900: 555
- And fynally, he swor and gan hir seye,
- By this and that, she sholde him not escape,
- Ne lengere doon him after hir to gape ; [ ]
- But certeynly she moste, by hir leve,
- Come soupen in his hous with him at eve. Skeat1900: 560
- 81. At whiche she lough, and gan hir faste excuse,
- And seyde, ‘it rayneth; lo, how sholde I goon?’
- ‘Lat be,’ quod he, ‘ ne stond not thus to muse;
- This moot be doon, ye shal be ther anoon.’
- So at the laste her-of they felle at oon, Skeat1900: 565
- Or elles, softe he swor hir in hir ere,
- He nolde never come ther she were.
- 82. Sone after this, to him she gan to rowne,
- And asked him if Troilus were there?
- He swor hir, ‘nay, for he was out of towne,’ Skeat1900: 570
- And seyde, ‘nece, I pose that he were,
- Yow thurfte never have the more fere. [ ]
- For rather than men mighte him ther aspye,
- Me were lever a thousand-fold to dye.’
- 83. Nought list myn auctor fully to declare Skeat1900: 575
- What that she thoughte whan he seyde so,
- That Troilus was out of town y-fare,
- As if he seyde ther-of sooth or no;
- But that, with-oute awayt, with him to go,
- She graunted him, sith he hir that bisoughte, Skeat1900: 580
- And, as his nece, obeyed as hir oughte.
- 84. But nathelees, yet gan she him biseche,
- Al-though with him to goon it was no fere,
- For to be war of goosish peples speche, [ ]
- That dremen thinges whiche that never were, Skeat1900: 585
- And wel avyse him whom he broughte there;
- And seyde him, ‘eem, sin I mot on yow triste,
- Loke al be wel, and do now as yow liste.’
- 85. He swor hir , ‘yis, by stokkes and by stones,
- And by the goddes that in hevene dwelle, Skeat1900: 590
- Or elles were him lever, soule and bones,
- With Pluto king as depe been in helle
- As Tantalus!’ What sholde I more telle?
- Whan al was wel, he roos and took his leve,
- And she to souper com, whan it was eve, Skeat1900: 595
- 86. With a certayn of hir owene men,
- And with hir faire nece Antigone,
- And othere of hir wommen nyne or ten;
- But who was glad now, who, as trowe ye,
- But Troilus, that stood and mighte it see Skeat1900: 600
- Thurgh-out a litel windowe in a stewe , [ ]
- Ther he bishet, sin midnight, was in mewe, [ ]
- 87. Unwist of every wight but of Pandare?
- But to the poynt; now whan she was y-come
- With alle Ioye, and alle frendes fare, Skeat1900: 605
- Hir eem anoon in armes hath hir nome,
- And after to the souper, alle and some,
- Whan tyme was, ful softe they hem sette;
- God wot, ther was no deyntee for to fette. [ ]
- 88. And after souper gonnen they to ryse, Skeat1900: 610
- At ese wel, with hertes fresshe and glade,
- And wel was him that coude best devyse
- To lyken hir, or that hir laughen made.
- He song; she pleyde; he tolde tale of Wade. [ ]
- But at the laste, as every thing hath ende, Skeat1900: 615
- She took hir leve, and nedes wolde wende.
- 89. But O, Fortune, executrice of wierdes , [ ]
- O influences of thise hevenes hye!
- Soth is, that, under god, ye ben our hierdes ,
- Though to us bestes been the causes wrye. Skeat1900: 620
- This mene I now , for she gan hoomward hye,
- But execut was al bisyde hir leve, [ ]
- At the goddes wil; for which she moste bleve.
- 90. The bente mone with hir hornes pale, [ ]
- Saturne, and Iove, in Cancro ioyned were, [ ] Skeat1900: 625
- That swich a rayn from hevene gan avale,
- That every maner womman that was there
- Hadde of that smoky reyn a verray fere;
- At which Pandare tho lough, and seyde thenne,
- ‘Now were it tyme a lady to go henne! Skeat1900: 630
- 91. But goode nece, if I mighte ever plese
- Yow any-thing, than prey I yow,’ quod he,
- ‘To doon myn herte as now so greet an ese
- As for to dwelle here al this night with me,
- For-why this is your owene hous, pardee. Skeat1900: 635
- For , by my trouthe, I sey it nought a-game ,
- To wende as now, it were to me a shame.’
- 92. Criseyde, whiche that coude as muche good
- As half a world, tok hede of his preyere;
- And sin it ron , and al was on a flood , [ ] Skeat1900: 640
- She thoughte, as good chep may I dwellen here,
- And graunte it gladly with a freendes chere,
- And have a thank, as grucche and thanne abyde;
- For hoom to goon it may nought wel bityde.
- 93. ‘I wol,’ quod she, ‘myn uncle leef and dere , Skeat1900: 645
- Sin that yow list, it skile is to be so;
- I am right glad with yow to dwellen here;
- I seyde but a-game , I wolde go.’ [ ]
- ‘Y-wis, graunt mercy, nece!’ quod he tho;
- ‘Were it a game or no, soth for to telle, Skeat1900: 650
- Now am I glad, sin that yow list to dwelle.’
- 94. Thus al is wel; but tho bigan aright
- The newe Ioye, and al the feste agayn;
- But Pandarus, if goodly hadde he might,
- He wolde han hyed hir to bedde fayn, Skeat1900: 655
- And seyde, ‘lord, this is an huge rayn!
- This were a weder for to slepen inne;
- And that I rede us sone to biginne.
- 95. And nece, woot ye wher I wol yow leye,
- For that we shul not liggen fer asonder, Skeat1900: 660
- And for ye neither shullen, dar I seye,
- Heren noise of reynes nor of thondre? [ ]
- By god, right in my lyte closet yonder.
- And I wol in that outer hous allone
- Be wardeyn of your wommen everichone. Skeat1900: 665
- 96. And in this middel chaumbre that ye see
- Shul youre wommen slepen wel and softe;
- And ther I seyde shal your-selve be;
- And if ye liggen wel to-night, com ofte,
- And careth not what weder is on-lofte. Skeat1900: 670
- The wyn anon, and whan so that yow leste, [ ]
- So go we slepe, I trowe it be the beste.’
- 97. Ther nis no more, but here-after sone,
- The voydè dronke, and travers drawe anon, [ ]
- Gan every wight, that hadde nought to done Skeat1900: 675
- More in that place, out of the chaumber gon.
- And ever-mo so sternelich it ron,
- And blew ther-with so wonderliche loude,
- That wel neigh no man heren other coude.
- 98. Tho Pandarus, hir eem, right as him oughte, Skeat1900: 680
- With women swiche as were hir most aboute,
- Ful glad un-to hir beddes syde hir broughte,
- And toke his leve, and gan ful lowe loute,
- And seyde, ‘here at this closet-dore with-oute,
- Right over-thwart, your wommen liggen alle, Skeat1900: 685
- That, whom yow liste of hem, ye may here calle.’
- 99. So whan that she was in the closet leyd,
- And alle hir wommen forth by ordenaunce
- A-bedde weren, ther as I have seyd,
- There was no more to skippen nor to traunce , [ ] Skeat1900: 690
- But boden go to bedde, with mischaunce,
- If any wight was steringe any-where,
- And late hem slepe that a-bedde were.
- 100. But Pandarus, that wel coude eche a del
- The olde daunce, and every poynt ther-inne, [ ] Skeat1900: 695
- Whan that he sey that alle thing was wel, [ ]
- He thoughte he wolde up-on his werk biginne,
- And gan the stewe-dore al softe un-pinne,
- And stille as stoon, with-outen lenger lette,
- By Troilus a-doun right he him sette. Skeat1900: 700
- 101. And, shortly to the poynt right for to gon,
- Of al this werk he tolde him word and ende, [ ]
- And seyde, ‘make thee redy right anon,
- For thou shalt in-to hevene blisse wende.’
- ‘Now blisful Venus, thou me grace sende,’ Skeat1900: 705
- Quod Troilus, ‘for never yet no nede
- Hadde I er now, ne halvendel the drede.’
- 102. Quod Pandarus, ‘ne drede thee never a del,
- For it shal been right as thou wilt desyre;
- So thryve I, this night shal I make it wel, Skeat1900: 710
- Or casten al the gruwel in the fyre.’ [ ]
- ‘Yit blisful Venus, this night thou me enspyre,’
- Quod Troilus, ‘as wis as I thee serve,
- And ever bet and bet shal, til I sterve.
- 103. And if I hadde, O Venus ful of murthe, Skeat1900: 715
- Aspectes badde of Mars or of Saturne, [ ]
- Or thou combust or let were in my birthe, [ ]
- Thy fader prey al thilke harm disturne
- Of grace, and that I glad ayein may turne,
- For love of him thou lovedest in the shawe, Skeat1900: 720
- I mene Adoon, that with the boor was slawe. [ ]
- 104. O Iove eek, for the love of faire Europe, [ ]
- The whiche in forme of bole away thou fette;
- Now help, O Mars, thou with thy blody cope,
- For love of Cipris , thou me nought ne lette; [ ] Skeat1900: 725
- O Phebus, thenk whan Dane hir-selven shette [ ]
- Under the bark, and laurer wex for drede,
- Yet for hir love, O help now at this nede!
- 105. Mercurie, for the love of Hiersè eke , [ ]
- For which Pallas was with Aglauros wrooth, Skeat1900: 730
- Now help, and eek Diane, I thee biseke ,
- That this viage be not to thee looth.
- O fatal sustren, which, er any clooth [ ]
- Me shapen was, my destenè me sponne,
- So helpeth to this werk that is bi-gonne!’ Skeat1900: 735
- 106. Quod Pandarus, ‘thou wrecched mouses herte,
- Art thou agast so that she wol thee byte?
- Why, don this furred cloke up-on thy sherte,
- And folowe me, for I wol han the wyte;
- But byd, and lat me go bifore a lyte.’ Skeat1900: 740
- And with that word he gan un-do a trappe,
- And Troilus he broughte in by the lappe.
- 107. The sterne wind so loude gan to route
- That no wight other noyse mighte here;
- And they that layen at the dore with-oute, Skeat1900: 745
- Ful sykerly they slepten alle y-fere;
- And Pandarus, with a ful sobre chere,
- Goth to the dore anon with-outen lette,
- Ther-as they laye, and softely it shette.
- 108. And as he com ayeinward prively, Skeat1900: 750
- His nece awook, and asked ‘who goth there?’
- ‘My dere nece,’ quod he, ‘it am I;
- Ne wondreth not, ne have of it no fere;’
- And ner he com, and seyde hir in hir ere,
- ‘No word, for love of god I yow biseche; Skeat1900: 755
- Lat no wight ryse and heren of our speche.’
- 109. ‘What! which wey be ye comen, benedicite? ’
- Quod she, ‘and how thus unwist of hem alle?’
- ‘Here at this secre trappe-dore,’ quod he.
- Quod tho Criseyde, ‘lat me som wight calle.’ Skeat1900: 760
- ‘ Ey ! god forbede that it sholde falle,’
- Quod Pandarus, ‘that ye swich foly wroughte!
- They mighte deme thing they never er thoughte!
- 110. It is nought good a sleping hound to wake, [ ]
- Ne yeve a wight a cause to devyne; Skeat1900: 765
- Your wommen slepen alle, I under-take,
- So that, for hem, the hous men mighte myne;
- And slepen wolen til the sonne shyne.
- And whan my tale al brought is to an ende,
- Unwist, right as I com , so wol I wende. Skeat1900: 770
- 111. Now nece myn, ye shul wel understonde,’
- Quod he, ‘so as ye wommen demen alle,
- That for to holde in love a man in honde, [ ]
- And him hir “leef” and “dere herte” calle,
- And maken him an howve above a calle, [ ] Skeat1900: 775
- I mene , as love an other in this whyle ,
- She doth hir-self a shame, and him a gyle.
- 112. Now wherby that I telle yow al this?
- Ye woot your-self, as wel as any wight,
- How that your love al fully graunted is Skeat1900: 780
- To Troilus, the worthieste knight,
- Oon of this world, and ther-to trouthe plyght,
- That, but it were on him along, ye nolde
- Him never falsen, whyl ye liven sholde.
- 113. Now stant it thus, that sith I fro yow wente, Skeat1900: 785
- This Troilus, right platly for to seyn,
- Is thurgh a goter, by a privè wente,
- In-to my chaumbre come in al this reyn,
- Unwist of every maner wight, certeyn,
- Save of my-self, as wisly have I Ioye, Skeat1900: 790
- And by that feith I shal Pryam of Troye! [ ]
- 114. And he is come in swich peyne and distresse
- That, but he be al fully wood by this,
- He sodeynly mot falle in-to wodnesse,
- But-if god helpe; and cause why this is , Skeat1900: 795
- He seyth him told is, of a freend of his,
- How that ye sholde love oon that hatte Horaste,
- For sorwe of which this night shalt been his laste.’
- 115. Criseyde, which that al this wonder herde ,
- Gan sodeynly aboute hir herte colde, Skeat1900: 800
- And with a syk she sorwfully answerde ,
- ‘Allas! I wende, who-so tales tolde ,
- My dere herte wolde me not holde
- So lightly fals! allas! conceytes wronge,
- What harm they doon, for now live I to longe! Skeat1900: 805
- 116. Horaste! allas! and falsen Troilus?
- I knowe him not, god helpe me so,’ quod she;
- ‘Allas! what wikked spirit tolde him thus?
- Now certes, eem, to-morwe , and I him see,
- I shal ther-of as ful excusen me Skeat1900: 810
- As ever dide womman, if him lyke’;
- And with that word she gan ful sore syke.
- 117. ‘O god !’ quod she, ‘so worldly selinesse, [ ]
- Which clerkes callen fals felicitee,
- Y-medled is with many a bitternesse! Skeat1900: 815
- Ful anguisshous than is, god woot,’ quod she,
- ‘Condicioun of veyn prosperitee;
- For either Ioyes comen nought y-fere,
- Or elles no wight hath hem alwey here.
- 118. O brotel wele of mannes Ioye unstable! Skeat1900: 820
- With what wight so thou be, or how thou pleye,
- Either he woot that thou, Ioye, art muable,
- Or woot it not, it moot ben oon of tweye;
- Now if he woot it not, how may he seye
- That he hath verray Ioye and selinesse, Skeat1900: 825
- That is of ignoraunce ay in derknesse ?
- 119. Now if he woot that Ioye is transitorie,
- As every Ioye of worldly thing mot flee,
- Than every tyme he that hath in memorie,
- The drede of lesing maketh him that he Skeat1900: 830
- May in no parfit selinesse be.
- And if to lese his Ioye he set a myte,
- Than semeth it that Ioye is worth ful lyte.
- 120. Wherfore I wol deffyne in this matere ,
- That trewely, for ought I can espye, Skeat1900: 835
- Ther is no verray wele in this world here.
- But O, thou wikked serpent Ialousye,
- Thou misbeleved and envious folye,
- Why hastow Troilus me mad untriste, [ ]
- That never yet agilte him, that I wiste?’ Skeat1900: 840
- 121. Quod Pandarus, ‘thus fallen is this cas.’
- ‘Why, uncle myn,’ quod she, ‘who tolde him this?
- Why doth my dere herte thus, allas?’
- ‘Ye woot, ye nece myn,’ quod he, ‘what is;
- I hope al shal be wel that is amis. Skeat1900: 845
- For ye may quenche al this, if that yow leste,
- And doth right so, for I holde it the beste .’
- 122. ‘So shal I do to-morwe, y-wis,’ quod she,
- ‘And god to-forn, so that it shal suffyse.’
- ‘To-morwe? allas, that were a fayr,’ quod he, Skeat1900: 850
- ‘Nay, nay, it may not stonden in this wyse;
- For, nece myn, thus wryten clerkes wyse,
- That peril is with drecching in y-drawe; [ ]
- Nay, swich abodes been nought worth an hawe.
- 123. Nece, al thing hath tyme, I dar avowe; [ ] Skeat1900: 855
- For whan a chaumber a-fyr is, or an halle,
- Wel more nede is, it sodeynly rescowe
- Than to dispute, and axe amonges alle
- How is this candele in the straw y-falle ?
- A! benedicite! for al among that fare Skeat1900: 860
- The harm is doon, and fare-wel feldefare ! [ ]
- 124. And, nece myn, ne take it not a-greef ,
- If that ye suffre him al night in this wo,
- God help me so, ye hadde him never leef,
- That dar I seyn, now there is but we two; Skeat1900: 865
- But wel I woot, that ye wol not do so;
- Ye been to wys to do so gret folye,
- To putte his lyf al night in Iupartye.’
- 125. ‘Hadde I him never leef? By god, I wene
- Ye hadde never thing so leef,’ quod she. Skeat1900: 870
- ‘Now by my thrift,’ quod he, ‘that shal be sene;
- For, sin ye make this ensample of me,
- If I al night wolde him in sorwe see
- For al the tresour in the toun of Troye,
- I bidde god, I never mote have Ioye! Skeat1900: 875
- 126. Now loke thanne, if ye, that been his love,
- Shul putte al night his lyf in Iupartye
- For thing of nought! Now, by that god above,
- Nought only this delay comth of folye,
- But of malyce , if that I shal nought lye. Skeat1900: 880
- What, platly, and ye suffre him in distresse,
- Ye neither bountee doon ne gentilesse!’
- 127. Quod tho Criseyde, ‘wole ye doon o thing,
- And ye therwith shal stinte al his disese;
- Have here, and bereth him this blewe ringe, [ ] [ ] Skeat1900: 885
- For ther is no-thing mighte him bettre plese,
- Save I my-self, ne more his herte apese;
- And sey my dere herte, that his sorwe
- Is causeles, that shal be seen to-morwe.’
- 128. ‘A ring?’ quod he, ‘ye, hasel-wodes shaken! [ ] Skeat1900: 890
- Ye, nece myn, that ring moste han a stoon
- That mighte dede men alyve maken;
- And swich a ring, trowe I that ye have noon.
- Discrecioun out of your heed is goon;
- That fele I now,’ quod he, ‘and that is routhe; Skeat1900: 895
- O tyme y-lost, wel maystow cursen slouthe!
- 129. Wot ye not wel that noble and heigh corage
- Ne sorweth not, ne stinteth eek for lyte?
- But if a fool were in a Ialous rage,
- I nolde setten at his sorwe a myte, Skeat1900: 900
- But feffe him with a fewe wordes whyte [ ]
- Another day, whan that I mighte him finde;
- But this thing stont al in another kinde.
- 130. This is so gentil and so tendre of herte,
- That with his deeth he wol his sorwes wreke; Skeat1900: 905
- For trusteth wel, how sore that him smerte,
- He wol to yow no Ialouse wordes speke.
- And for-thy, nece, er that his herte breke,
- So spek your-self to him of this matere;
- For with o word ye may his herte stere. Skeat1900: 910
- 131. Now have I told what peril he is inne,
- And his coming unwist is to every wight;
- Ne, pardee, harm may ther be noon ne sinne;
- I wol my-self be with yow al this night.
- Ye knowe eek how it is your owne knight, Skeat1900: 915
- And that, by right, ye moste upon him triste,
- And I al prest to fecche him whan yow liste.’
- 132. This accident so pitous was to here,
- And eek so lyk a sooth, at pryme face, [ ]
- And Troilus hir knight to hir so dere, Skeat1900: 920
- His privè coming, and the siker place,
- That, though that she dide him as thanne a grace,
- Considered alle thinges as they stode,
- No wonder is, sin she dide al for gode.
- 133. Cryseyde answerde, ‘as wisly god at reste Skeat1900: 925
- My sowle bringe, as me is for him wo!
- And eem, y-wis, fayn wolde I doon the beste,
- If that I hadde grace to do so.
- But whether that ye dwelle or for him go,
- I am, til god me bettre minde sende, Skeat1900: 930
- At dulcarnon, right at my wittes ende.’ [ ]
- 134. Quod Pandarus, ‘ye, nece, wol ye here?
- Dulcarnon called is “fleminge of wrecches”;
- It semeth hard, for wrecches wol not lere [ ]
- For verray slouthe or othere wilful tecches ; Skeat1900: 935
- This seyd by hem that be not worth two fecches. [ ]
- But ye ben wys, and that we han on honde
- Nis neither hard, ne skilful to withstonde.’
- 135. ‘Thanne, eem,’ quod she, ‘doth her-of as yow list;
- But er he come I wil up first aryse; Skeat1900: 940
- And, for the love of god, sin al my trist
- Is on yow two, and ye ben bothe wyse,
- So wircheth now in so discreet a wyse,
- That I honour may have, and he plesaunce;
- For I am here al in your governaunce.’ Skeat1900: 945
- 136. ‘That is wel seyd,’ quod he, ‘my nece dere,
- Ther good thrift on that wyse gentil herte! [ ]
- But liggeth stille, and taketh him right here,
- It nedeth not no ferther for him sterte;
- And ech of yow ese otheres sorwes smerte, Skeat1900: 950
- For love of god; and, Venus, I thee herie;
- For sone hope I we shulle ben alle merie.’
- 137. This Troilus ful sone on knees him sette
- Ful sobrely, right by hir beddes heed ,
- And in his beste wyse his lady grette; Skeat1900: 955
- But lord, so she wex sodeynliche reed!
- Ne, though men sholden smyten of hir heed,
- She coude nought a word a-right out-bringe
- So sodeynly, for his sodeyn cominge.
- 138. But Pandarus, that so wel coude fele Skeat1900: 960
- In every thing, to pleye anoon bigan,
- And seyde, ‘nece, see how this lord can knele!
- Now, for your trouthe, seeth this gentil man!’
- And with that word he for a quisshen ran,
- And seyde, ‘kneleth now, whyl that yow leste , Skeat1900: 965
- Ther god your hertes bringe sone at reste!’
- 139. Can I not seyn, for she bad him not ryse,
- If sorwe it putte out of hir remembraunce,
- Or elles if she toke it in the wyse
- Of duëtee , as for his observaunce; Skeat1900: 970
- But wel finde I she dide him this plesaunce,
- That she him kiste, al-though she syked sore;
- And bad him sitte a-doun with-outen more.
- 140. Quod Pandarus, ‘now wol ye wel biginne;
- Now doth him sitte, gode nece dere, Skeat1900: 975
- Upon your beddes syde al there with-inne,
- That ech of yow the bet may other here.’
- And with that word he drow him to the fere , [ ]
- And took a light, and fond his contenaunce [ ]
- As for to loke up-on an old romaunce. Skeat1900: 980
- 141. Criseyde, that was Troilus lady right,
- And cleer stood on a ground of sikernesse,
- Al thoughte she, hir servaunt and hir knight
- Ne sholde of right non untrouthe in hir gesse,
- Yet nathelees, considered his distresse, Skeat1900: 985
- And that love is in cause of swich folye,
- Thus to him spak she of his Ielousye:
- 142. ‘Lo, herte myn, as wolde the excellence
- Of love, ayeins the which that no man may,
- Ne oughte eek goodly maken resistence Skeat1900: 990
- And eek bycause I felte wel and say
- Your grete trouthe, and servyse every day;
- And that your herte al myn was, sooth to seyne,
- This droof me for to rewe up-on your peyne.
- 143. And your goodnesse have I founde alwey yit , Skeat1900: 995
- Of whiche, my dere herte and al my knight,
- I thonke it yow, as fer as I have wit,
- Al can I nought as muche as it were right;
- And I, emforth my conninge and my might,
- Have and ay shal, how sore that me smerte, Skeat1900: 1000
- Ben to yow trewe and hool, with al myn herte;
- 144. And dredelees , that shal be founde at preve.—
- But, herte myn, what al this is to seyne
- Shal wel be told, so that ye noght yow greve,
- Though I to yow right on your-self compleyne. Skeat1900: 1005
- For ther-with mene I fynally the peyne,
- That halt your herte and myn in hevinesse,
- Fully to sleen, and every wrong redresse.
- 145. My goode, myn , not I for-why ne how
- That Ialousye, allas! that wikked wivere, [ ] Skeat1900: 1010
- Thus causelees is cropen in-to yow;
- The harm of which I wolde fayn delivere!
- Allas! that he, al hool, or of him slivere, [ ]
- Shuld have his refut in so digne a place,
- Ther Iove him sone out of your herte arace ! Skeat1900: 1015
- 146. But O, thou Iove, O auctor of nature,
- Is this an honour to thy deitee ,
- That folk ungiltif suffren here iniure,
- And who that giltif is, al quit goth he?
- O were it leful for to pleyne on thee, Skeat1900: 1020
- That undeserved suffrest Ialousye, [ ]
- And that I wolde up-on thee pleyne and crye!
- 147. Eek al my wo is this, that folk now usen
- To seyn right thus, “ye, Ialousye is love!”
- And wolde a busshel venim al excusen, Skeat1900: 1025
- For that o greyn of love is on it shove!
- But that wot heighe god that sit above,
- If it be lyker love, or hate, or grame;
- And after that, it oughte bere his name. [ ]
- 148. But certeyn is, som maner Ialousye Skeat1900: 1030
- Is excusable more than som, y-wis.
- As whan cause is, and som swich fantasye
- With pietee so wel repressed is,
- That it unnethe dooth or seyth amis,
- But goodly drinketh up al his distresse; [ ] Skeat1900: 1035
- And that excuse I, for the gentilesse.
- 149. And som so ful of furie is and despyt,
- That it sourmounteth his repressioun;
- But herte myn, ye be not in that plyt,
- That thanke I god, for whiche your passioun Skeat1900: 1040
- I wol not calle it but illusioun,
- Of habundaunce of love and bisy cure,
- That dooth your herte this disese endure.
- 150. Of which I am right sory, but not wrooth;
- But, for my devoir and your hertes reste, Skeat1900: 1045
- Wher-so yow list , by ordal or by ooth, [ ]
- By sort, or in what wyse so yow leste ,
- For love of god, lat preve it for the beste!
- And if that I be giltif, do me deye,
- Allas! what mighte I more doon or seye?’ Skeat1900: 1050
- 151. With that a fewe brighte teres newe
- Out of hir eyen fille, and thus she seyde,
- ‘Now god, thou wost, in thought ne dede untrewe
- To Troilus was never yet Criseyde.’
- With that hir heed doun in the bed she leyde, Skeat1900: 1055
- And with the shete it wreigh , and syghed sore, [ ]
- And held hir pees; not o word spak she more.
- 152. But now help god to quenchen al this sorwe,
- So hope I that he shal, for he best may;
- For I have seyn, of a ful misty morwe Skeat1900: 1060
- Folwen ful ofte a mery someres day;
- And after winter folweth grene May.
- Men seen alday, and reden eek in stories,
- That after sharpe shoures been victories. [ ]
- 153. This Troilus, whan he hir wordes herde, Skeat1900: 1065
- Have ye no care, him liste not to slepe;
- For it thoughte him no strokes of a yerde [ ]
- To here or seen Criseyde his lady wepe;
- But wel he felte aboute his herte crepe,
- For every teer which that Criseyde asterte, Skeat1900: 1070
- The crampe of deeth, to streyne him by the herte.
- 154. And in his minde he gan the tyme acurse
- That he cam therë, and that he was born;
- For now is wikke y-turned in-to worse,
- And al that labour he hath doon biforn, Skeat1900: 1075
- He wende it lost, he thoughte he nas but lorn.
- ‘O Pandarus,’ thoughte he, ‘allas! thy wyle
- Serveth of nought, so weylawey the whyle!’
- 155. And therwithal he heng a-doun the heed,
- And fil on knees, and sorwfully he sighte; Skeat1900: 1080
- What mighte he seyn? he felte he nas but deed,
- For wrooth was she that shulde his sorwes lighte.
- But nathelees, whan that he speken mighte,
- Than seyde he thus, ‘god woot, that of this game,
- Whan al is wist, than am I not to blame!’ Skeat1900: 1085
- 156. Ther-with the sorwe so his herte shette,
- That from his eyen fil ther not a tere,
- And every spirit his vigour in-knette,
- So they astoned and oppressed were.
- The feling of his sorwe, or of his fere, Skeat1900: 1090
- Or of ought elles, fled was out of towne;
- And doun he fel al sodeynly a-swowne.
- 157. This was no litel sorwe for to see;
- But al was hust , and Pandare up as faste,
- ‘O nece, pees, or we be lost,’ quod he, Skeat1900: 1095
- Beth nought agast;’ but certeyn, at the laste,
- For this or that, he in-to bedde him caste,
- And seyde, ‘O theef, is this a mannes herte?’
- And of he rente al to his bare sherte;
- 158. And seyde, ‘nece, but ye helpe us now, Skeat1900: 1100
- Allas, your owne Troilus is lorn!’
- ‘Y-wis, so wolde I, and I wiste how,
- Ful fayn,’ quod she; ‘allas! that I was born!’
- ‘Ye, nece, wol ye pullen out the thorn
- That stiketh in his herte?’ quod Pandare; Skeat1900: 1105
- ‘Sey “al foryeve,” and stint is al this fare!’ [ ]
- 159. ‘Ye, that to me,’ quod she, ‘ful lever were
- Than al the good the sonne aboute gooth’;
- And therwith-al she swoor him in his ere,
- ‘Y-wis, my dere herte, I am nought wrooth, Skeat1900: 1110
- Have here my trouthe and many another ooth;
- Now speek to me, for it am I, Cryseyde!’
- But al for nought ; yet mighte he not a-breyde.
- 160. Therwith his pous and pawmes of his hondes
- They gan to frote, and wete his temples tweyne, Skeat1900: 1115
- And, to deliveren him from bittre bondes,
- She ofte him kiste; and, shortly for to seyne,
- Him to revoken she dide al hir peyne.
- And at the laste, he gan his breeth to drawe,
- And of his swough sone after that adawe, Skeat1900: 1120
- 161. And gan bet minde and reson to him take,
- But wonder sore he was abayst, y-wis.
- And with a syk, whan he gan bet a-wake,
- He seyde, ‘O mercy, god, what thing is this?’
- ‘Why do ye with your-selven thus amis?’ Skeat1900: 1125
- Quod tho Criseyde, ‘is this a mannes game?
- What, Troilus! wol ye do thus, for shame?’
- 162. And therwith-al hir arm over him she leyde,
- And al foryaf, and ofte tyme him keste .
- He thonked hir, and to hir spak, and seyde Skeat1900: 1130
- As fil to purpos for his herte reste.
- And she to that answerde him as hir leste ;
- And with hir goodly wordes him disporte
- She gan, and ofte his sorwes to comforte.
- 163. Quod Pandarus, ‘for ought I can espyen, Skeat1900: 1135
- This light nor I ne serven here of nought;
- Light is not good for syke folkes yën .
- But for the love of god, sin ye be brought
- In thus good plyt, lat now non hevy thought
- Ben hanginge in the hertes of yow tweye:’ Skeat1900: 1140
- And bar the candele to the chimeneye .
- 164. Sone after this, though it no nede were,
- Whan she swich othes as hir list devyse
- Hadde of him take, hir thoughte tho no fere,
- Ne cause eek non, to bidde him thennes ryse. Skeat1900: 1145
- Yet lesse thing than othes may suffyse
- In many a cas; for every wight, I gesse,
- That loveth wel meneth but gentilesse.
- 165. But in effect she wolde wite anoon
- Of what man, and eek where, and also why Skeat1900: 1150
- He Ielous was, sin ther was cause noon;
- And eek the signe, that he took it by,
- She bad him that to telle hir bisily,
- Or elles, certeyn, she bar him on honde, [ ]
- That this was doon of malis, hir to fonde. Skeat1900: 1155
- 166. With-outen more, shortly for to seyne,
- He moste obeye un-to his lady heste;
- And for the lasse harm, he moste feyne.
- He seyde hir, whan she was at swiche a feste
- She mighte on him han loked at the leste; Skeat1900: 1160
- Not I not what, al dere y-nough a risshe,
- As he that nedes moste a cause fisshe.
- 167. And she answerde , ‘swete, al were it so,
- What harm was that, sin I non yvel mene?
- For, by that god that boughte us bothe two, Skeat1900: 1165
- In alle thinge is myn entente clene.
- Swich arguments ne been not worth a bene;
- Wol ye the childish Ialous contrefete?
- Now were it worthy that ye were y-bete.’
- 168. Tho Troilus gan sorwfully to syke, Skeat1900: 1170
- Lest she be wrooth, him thoughte his herte deyde;
- And seyde, ‘allas! upon my sorwes syke
- Have mercy, swete herte myn, Cryseyde!
- And if that, in tho wordes that I seyde,
- Be any wrong, I wol no more trespace; Skeat1900: 1175
- Do what yow list, I am al in your grace.’
- 169. And she answerde , ‘of gilt misericorde! [ ]
- That is to seyn, that I foryeve al this;
- And ever-more on this night yow recorde,
- And beth wel war ye do no more amis.’ Skeat1900: 1180
- ‘Nay, dere herte myn,’ quod he, ‘y-wis.’
- ‘And now,’ quod she, ‘that I have do yow smerte,
- Foryeve it me, myn owene swete herte.’
- 170. This Troilus, with blisse of that supprysed,
- Put al in goddes hond, as he that mente Skeat1900: 1185
- No-thing but wel; and, sodeynly avysed,
- He hir in armes faste to him hente.
- And Pandarus, with a ful good entente,
- Leyde him to slepe, and seyde, ‘if ye ben wyse,
- Swowneth not now, lest more folk aryse.’ Skeat1900: 1190
- 171. What mighte or may the sely larke seye,
- Whan that the sparhauk hath it in his foot ?
- I can no more, but of thise ilke tweye,
- To whom this tale sucre be or soot , [ ]
- Though that I tarie a yeer, som-tyme I moot , Skeat1900: 1195
- After myn auctor, tellen hir gladnesse,
- As wel as I have told hir hevinesse.
- 172. Criseyde, which that felte hir thus y-take,
- As writen clerkes in hir bokes olde,
- Right as an aspes leef she gan to quake, Skeat1900: 1200
- Whan she him felte hir in his armes folde.
- But Troilus, al hool of cares colde,
- Gan thanken tho the blisful goddes sevene;
- Thus sondry peynes bringen folk to hevene.
- 173. This Troilus in armes gan hir streyne, Skeat1900: 1205
- And seyde, ‘O swete, as ever mote I goon,
- Now be ye caught, now is ther but we tweyne;
- Now yeldeth yow, for other boot is noon.’
- To that Criseyde answerde thus anoon,
- ‘Ne hadde I er now, my swete herte dere, Skeat1900: 1210
- Ben yolde , y-wis, I were now not here!’
- 174. O! sooth is seyd, that heled for to be
- As of a fevre or othere greet syknesse,
- Men moste drinke, as men may often see,
- Ful bittre drink; and for to han gladnesse, [ ] Skeat1900: 1215
- Men drinken often peyne and greet distresse;
- I mene it here, as for this aventure,
- That thourgh a peyne hath founden al his cure.
- 175. And now swetnesse semeth more sweet, [ ]
- That bitternesse assayed was biforn; Skeat1900: 1220
- For out of wo in blisse now they flete.
- Non swich they felten, sith they were born;
- Now is this bet, than bothe two be lorn!
- For love of god, take every womman hede
- To werken thus, if it comth to the nede. Skeat1900: 1225
- 176. Criseyde, al quit from every drede and tene,
- As she that iuste cause hadde him to triste,
- Made him swich feste, it Ioye was to sene,
- Whan she his trouthe and clene entente wiste.
- And as aboute a tree, with many a twiste, Skeat1900: 1230
- Bitrent and wryth the sote wode-binde, [ ]
- Gan eche of hem in armes other winde.
- 177. And as the newe abaysshed nightingale,
- That stinteth first whan she biginneth singe,
- Whan that she hereth any herde tale, [ ] Skeat1900: 1235
- Or in the hegges any wight steringe,
- And after siker dooth hir voys out-ringe;
- Right so Criseyde , whan hir drede stente ,
- Opned hir herte, and tolde him hir entente.
- 178. And right as he that seeth his deeth y-shapen , Skeat1900: 1240
- And deye moot, in ought that he may gesse ,
- And sodeynly rescous doth him escapen,
- And from his deeth is brought in sikernesse,
- For al this world , in swich present gladnesse
- Was Troilus, and hath his lady swete; Skeat1900: 1245
- With worse hap god lat us never mete!
- 179. Hir armes smale, hir streyghte bak and softe,
- Hir sydes longe, fleshly , smothe, and whyte
- He gan to stroke, and good thrift bad ful ofte [ ]
- Hir snowish throte, hir brestes rounde and lyte; Skeat1900: 1250
- Thus in this hevene he gan him to delyte,
- And ther-with-al a thousand tyme hir kiste;
- That, what to done, for Ioye unnethe he wiste.
- 180. Than seyde he thus, ‘O, Love, O, Charitee,
- Thy moder eek, Citherea the swete, Skeat1900: 1255
- After thy-self next heried be she,
- Venus mene I, the wel-willy planete; [ ]
- And next that , Imenëus, I thee grete; [ ]
- For never man was to yow goddes holde
- As I, which ye han brought fro cares colde. Skeat1900: 1260
- 181. Benigne Love, thou holy bond of thinges, [ ]
- Who-so wol grace, and list thee nought honouren,
- Lo, his desyr wol flee with-outen winges.
- For, noldestow of bountee hem socouren
- That serven best and most alwey labouren, Skeat1900: 1265
- Yet were al lost, that dar I wel seyn , certes,
- But-if thy grace passed our desertes.
- 182. And for thou me, that coude leest deserve
- Of hem that nombred been un-to thy grace,
- Hast holpen, ther I lykly was to sterve, Skeat1900: 1270
- And me bistowed in so heygh a place
- That thilke boundes may no blisse pace ,
- I can no more, but laude and reverence
- Be to thy bounte and thyn excellence!’
- 183. And therwith-al Criseyde anoon he kiste, Skeat1900: 1275
- Of which, certeyn, she felte no disese .
- And thus seyde he, ‘now wolde god I wiste,
- Myn herte swete, how I yow mighte plese!
- What man,’ quod he, ‘was ever thus at ese
- As I, on whiche the faireste and the beste Skeat1900: 1280
- That ever I say, deyneth hir herte reste.
- 184. Here may men seen that mercy passeth right; [ ]
- The experience of that is felt in me,
- That am unworthy to so swete a wight.
- But herte myn, of your benignitee , Skeat1900: 1285
- So thenketh , though that I unworthy be,
- Yet mot I nede amenden in som wyse,
- Right thourgh the vertu of your heyghe servyse .
- 185. And for the love of god, my lady dere,
- Sin god hath wrought me for I shal yow serve, Skeat1900: 1290
- As thus I mene, that ye wol be my stere ,
- To do me live, if that yow liste, or sterve,
- So techeth me how that I may deserve
- Your thank, so that I , thurgh myn ignoraunce,
- Ne do no-thing that yow be displesaunce. Skeat1900: 1295
- 186. For certes, fresshe wommanliche wyf,
- This dar I seye, that trouthe and diligence,
- That shal ye finden in me al my lyf ,
- Ne I wol not, certeyn, breken your defence;
- And if I do, present or in absence, Skeat1900: 1300
- For love of god, lat slee me with the dede,
- If that it lyke un-to your womanhede.’
- 187. ‘Y-wis,’ quod she, ‘myn owne hertes list,
- My ground of ese, and al myn herte dere,
- Graunt mercy, for on that is al my trist; Skeat1900: 1305
- But late us falle awey fro this matere;
- For it suffyseth, this that seyd is here.
- And at o word, with-outen repentaunce,
- Wel-come, my knight, my pees, my suffisaunce!’
- 188. Of hir delyt, or Ioyes oon the leste Skeat1900: 1310
- Were impossible to my wit to seye;
- But iuggeth, ye that han ben at the feste,
- Of swich gladnesse, if that hem liste pleye!
- I can no more, but thus thise ilke tweye
- That night, be-twixen dreed and sikernesse, Skeat1900: 1315
- Felten in love the grete worthinesse.
- 189. O blisful night, of hem so longe y-sought,
- How blithe un-to hem bothe two thou were!
- Why ne hadde I swich on with my soule y-bought,
- Ye, or the leeste Ioye that was there? Skeat1900: 1320
- A-wey, thou foule daunger and thou fere,
- And lat hem in this hevene blisse dwelle,
- That is so heygh, that al ne can I telle!
- 190. But sooth is, though I can not tellen al,
- As can myn auctor, of his excellence, Skeat1900: 1325
- Yet have I seyd, and , god to-forn, I shal
- In every thing al hoolly his sentence.
- And if that I, at loves reverence,
- Have any word in eched for the beste,
- Doth therwith-al right as your-selven leste. Skeat1900: 1330
- 191. For myne wordes, here and every part,
- I speke hem alle under correccioun
- Of yow, that feling han in loves art,
- And putte it al in your discrecioun
- To encrese or maken diminucioun Skeat1900: 1335
- Of my langage, and that I yow bi-seche;
- But now to purpos of my rather speche.
- 192. Thise ilke two, that ben in armes laft,
- So looth to hem a-sonder goon it were,
- That ech from other wende been biraft, Skeat1900: 1340
- Or elles, lo, this was hir moste fere,
- That al this thing but nyce dremes were ;
- For which ful ofte ech of hem seyde, ‘O swete,
- Clippe ich yow thus, or elles I it mete?’ [ ]
- 193. And , lord! so he gan goodly on hir see, Skeat1900: 1345
- That never his look ne bleynte from hir face,
- And seyde, ‘O dere herte, may it be
- That it be sooth, that ye ben in this place?’
- ‘Ye, herte myn, god thank I of his grace!’
- Quod tho Criseyde, and therwith-al him kiste, Skeat1900: 1350
- That where his spirit was, for Ioye he niste.
- 194. This Troilus ful ofte hir eyen two
- Gan for to kisse, and seyde, ‘O eyen clere,
- It were ye that wroughte me swich wo,
- Ye humble nettes of my lady dere! Skeat1900: 1355
- Though ther be mercy writen in your chere,
- God wot, the text ful hard is, sooth, to finde, [ ]
- How coude ye with-outen bond me binde?’
- 195. Therwith he gan hir faste in armes take,
- And wel an hundred tymes gan he syke, Skeat1900: 1360
- Nought swiche sorwful sykes as men make
- For wo, or elles whan that folk ben syke,
- But esy sykes, swiche as been to lyke,
- That shewed his affeccioun with-inne;
- Of swiche sykes coude he nought bilinne . Skeat1900: 1365
- 196. Sone after this they speke of sondry thinges,
- As fil to purpos of this aventure,
- And pleyinge entrechaungeden hir ringes,
- Of which I can nought tellen no scripture; [ ]
- But wel I woot a broche, gold and asure, Skeat1900: 1370
- In whiche a ruby set was lyk an herte,
- Criseyde him yaf, and stak it on his sherte.
- 197. Lord! trowe ye, a coveitous, a wrecche,
- That blameth love and holt of it despyt, [ ]
- That, of tho pens that he can mokre and kecche , [ ] Skeat1900: 1375
- Was ever yet y-yeve him swich delyt,
- As is in love, in oo poynt, in som plyt?
- Nay, doutelees, for also god me save,
- So parfit Ioye may no nigard have!
- 198. They wol sey ‘yis,’ but lord! so that they lye, Skeat1900: 1380
- Tho bisy wrecches, ful of wo and drede!
- They callen love a woodnesse or folye,
- But it shal falle hem as I shal yow rede;
- They shul forgo the whyte and eke the rede, [ ]
- And live in wo, ther god yeve hem mischaunce, Skeat1900: 1385
- And every lover in his trouthe avaunce!
- 199. As wolde god, tho wrecches, that dispyse
- Servyse of love, hadde eres al-so longe
- As hadde Myda, ful of coveityse; [ ]
- And ther-to dronken hadde as hoot and stronge Skeat1900: 1390
- As Crassus dide for his affectis wronge, [ ]
- To techen hem that they ben in the vyce,
- And loveres nought, al-though they holde hem nyce!
- 200. Thise ilke two, of whom that I yow seye,
- Whan that hir hertes wel assured were, Skeat1900: 1395
- Tho gonne they to speken and to pleye,
- And eek rehercen how, and whanne, and where,
- They knewe hem first, and every wo and fere
- That passed was; but al swich hevinesse,
- I thanke it god, was tourned to gladnesse. Skeat1900: 1400
- 201. And ever-mo , whan that hem fel to speke
- Of any thing of swich a tyme agoon,
- With kissing al that tale sholde breke,
- And fallen in a newe Ioye anoon,
- And diden al hir might, sin they were oon, Skeat1900: 1405
- For to recoveren blisse and been at ese,
- And passed wo with Ioye countrepeyse . [ ]
- 202. Reson wil not that I speke of sleep ,
- For it accordeth nought to my matere;
- God woot, they toke of that ful litel keep , Skeat1900: 1410
- But lest this night, that was to hem so dere,
- Ne sholde in veyn escape in no manere,
- It was biset in Ioye and bisinesse
- Of al that souneth in-to gentilnesse .
- 203. But whan the cok, comune astrologer, [ ] Skeat1900: 1415
- Gan on his brest to bete, and after crowe ,
- And Lucifer, the dayes messager, [ ]
- Gan for to ryse, and out hir bemes throwe ;
- And estward roos, to him that coude it knowe,
- Fortuna maior, [than] anoon Criseyde, Skeat1900: 1420
- With herte sore, to Troilus thus seyde:—
- 204. ‘Myn hertes lyf, my trist and my plesaunce,
- That I was born, allas! what me is wo,
- That day of us mot make desseveraunce !
- For tyme it is to ryse, and hennes go, Skeat1900: 1425
- Or elles I am lost for evermo!
- O night, allas! why niltow over us hove,
- As longe as whanne Almena lay by Iove? [ ]
- 205. O blake night, as folk in bokes rede,
- That shapen art by god this world to hyde Skeat1900: 1430
- At certeyn tymes with thy derke wede,
- That under that men mighte in reste abyde,
- Wel oughte bestes pleyne, and folk thee chyde,
- That there-as day with labour wolde us breste,
- That thou thus fleest , and deynest us nought reste! Skeat1900: 1435
- 206. Thou dost, allas! to shortly thyn offyce,
- Thou rakel night, ther god, makere of kinde, [ ]
- Thee, for thyn hast and thyn unkinde vyce,
- So faste ay to our hemi-spere binde,
- That never-more under the ground thou winde! Skeat1900: 1440
- For now, for thou so hyest out of Troye,
- Have I forgon thus hastily my Ioye!’
- 207. This Troilus, that with tho wordes felte,
- As thoughte him tho, for pietous distresse,
- The blody teres from his herte melte, Skeat1900: 1445
- As he that never yet swich hevinesse
- Assayed hadde, out of so greet gladnesse,
- Gan therwith-al Criseyde his lady dere
- In armes streyne, and seyde in this manere:—
- 208. ‘O cruel day, accusour of the Ioye Skeat1900: 1450
- That night and love han stole and faste y-wryen,
- A-cursed be thy coming in-to Troye,
- For every bore hath oon of thy bright yën ! [ ]
- Envyous day, what list thee so to spyen ?
- What hastow lost, why sekestow this place, Skeat1900: 1455
- Ther god thy lyght so quenche, for his grace?
- 209. Allas! what han thise loveres thee agilt,
- Dispitous day? thyn be the pyne of helle!
- For many a lovere hastow shent , and wilt;
- Thy pouring in wol no-wher lete hem dwelle. Skeat1900: 1460
- What proferestow thy light here for to selle?
- Go selle it hem that smale seles graven, [ ]
- We wol thee nought, us nedeth no day haven.’
- 210. And eek the sonne Tytan gan he chyde, [ ]
- And seyde, ‘O fool , wel may men thee dispyse, Skeat1900: 1465
- That hast the Dawing al night by thy syde,
- And suffrest hir so sone up fro thee ryse,
- For to disesen loveres in this wyse.
- What! hold your bed ther, thou, and eek thy Morwe!
- I bidde god, so yeve yow bothe sorwe!’ Skeat1900: 1470
- 211. Therwith ful sore he sighte , and thus he seyde ,
- ‘My lady right, and of my wele or wo
- The welle and rote, O goodly myn, Criseyde,
- And shal I ryse, allas! and shal I go?
- Now fele I that myn herte moot a-two! Skeat1900: 1475
- For how sholde I my lyf an houre save,
- Sin that with yow is al the lyf I have?
- 212. What shal I doon, for certes, I not how,
- Ne whanne, allas! I shal the tyme see,
- That in this plyt I may be eft with yow; Skeat1900: 1480
- And of my lyf, god woot, how that shal be,
- Sin that desyr right now so byteth me,
- That I am deed anoon, but I retourne.
- How sholde I longe, allas! fro yow soiourne?
- 213. But nathelees, myn owene lady bright, Skeat1900: 1485
- Yit were it so that I wiste outrely,
- That I, your humble servaunt and your knight,
- Were in your herte set so fermely
- As ye in myn, the which thing, trewely,
- Me lever were than thise worldes tweyne, [ ] Skeat1900: 1490
- Yet sholde I bet enduren al my peyne.’
- 214. To that Cryseyde answerde right anoon,
- And with a syk she seyde, ‘O herte dere,
- The game, y-wis, so ferforth now is goon,
- That first shal Phebus falle fro his spere, [ ] Skeat1900: 1495
- And every egle been the dowves fere,
- And every roche out of his place sterte,
- Er Troilus out of Criseydes herte!
- 215. Ye be so depe in-with myn herte grave,
- That, though I wolde it turne out of my thought, Skeat1900: 1500
- As wisly verray god my soule save,
- To dyen in the peyne, I coude nought! [ ]
- And, for the love of god that us hath wrought,
- Lat in your brayn non other fantasye
- So crepe, that it cause me to dye! Skeat1900: 1505
- 216. And that ye me wolde han as faste in minde
- As I have yow, that wolde I yow bi-seche;
- And, if I wiste soothly that to finde,
- God mighte not a poynt my Ioyes eche!
- But, herte myn, with-oute more speche, Skeat1900: 1510
- Beth to me trewe, or elles were it routhe;
- For I am thyn, by god and by my trouthe!
- 217. Beth glad for-thy, and live in sikernesse;
- Thus seyde I never er this, ne shal to mo; [ ]
- And if to yow it were a gret gladnesse Skeat1900: 1515
- To turne ayein , soone after that ye go,
- As fayn wolde I as ye, it were so,
- As wisly god myn herte bringe at reste!’
- And him in armes took, and ofte keste.
- 218. Agayns his wil, sin it mot nedes be, Skeat1900: 1520
- This Troilus up roos, and faste him cledde,
- And in his armes took his lady free
- An hundred tyme, and on his wey him spedde,
- And with swich wordes as his herte bledde,
- He seyde, ‘farewel, my dere herte swete , Skeat1900: 1525
- Ther god us graunte sounde and sone to mete!’
- 219. To which no word for sorwe she answerde ,
- So sore gan his parting hir destreyne;
- And Troilus un-to his palays ferde,
- As woo bigon as she was, sooth to seyne; Skeat1900: 1530
- So hard him wrong of sharp desyr the peyne
- For to ben eft there he was in plesaunce,
- That it may never out of his remembraunce.
- 220. Retorned to his real palais, sone
- He softe in-to his bed gan for to slinke, Skeat1900: 1535
- To slepe longe, as he was wont to done,
- But al for nought; he may wel ligge and winke,
- But sleep ne may ther in his herte sinke;
- Thenkinge how she, for whom desyr him brende,
- A thousand-fold was worth more than he wende. Skeat1900: 1540
- 221. And in his thought gan up and doun to winde
- Hir wordes alle, and every contenaunce,
- And fermely impressen in his minde
- The leste poynt that to him was plesaunce;
- And verrayliche, of thilke remembraunce, Skeat1900: 1545
- Desyr al newe him brende, and lust to brede [ ]
- Gan more than erst, and yet took he non hede.
- 222. Criseyde also, right in the same wyse,
- Of Troilus gan in hir herte shette
- His worthinesse, his lust, his dedes wyse, Skeat1900: 1550
- His gentilesse, and how she with him mette,
- Thonkinge love he so wel hir bisette;
- Desyring eft to have hir herte dere
- In swich a plyt, she dorste make him chere.
- 223. Pandare, a-morwe which that comen was Skeat1900: 1555
- Un-to his nece, and gan hir fayre grete,
- Seyde, ‘al this night so reyned it, allas!
- That al my drede is that ye, nece swete,
- Han litel layser had to slepe and mete;
- Al night,’ quod he, ‘hath reyn so do me wake, Skeat1900: 1560
- That som of us, I trowe, hir hedes ake.’
- 224. And ner he com , and seyde, ‘how stont it now
- This mery morwe, nece, how can ye fare?’
- Criseyde answerde , ‘never the bet for yow,
- Fox that ye been, god yeve your herte care! Skeat1900: 1565
- God helpe me so, ye caused al this fare,
- Trow I,’ quod she, ‘for alle your wordes whyte;
- O ! who-so seeth yow knoweth yow ful lyte!’
- 225. With that she gan hir face for to wrye
- With the shete, and wex for shame al reed; Skeat1900: 1570
- And Pandarus gan under for to prye,
- And seyde, ‘nece, if that I shal ben deed,
- Have here a swerd, and smyteth of myn heed.’
- With that his arm al sodeynly he thriste
- Under hir nekke, and at the laste hir kiste . Skeat1900: 1575
1576-82. Cp. om.
- 226. I passe al that which chargeth nought to seye,
- What! God foryaf his deeth, and she al-so [ ]
- Foryaf, and with hir uncle gan to pleye,
- For other cause was ther noon than so.
- But of this thing right to the effect to go, Skeat1900: 1580
- Whan tyme was, hom til hir hous she wente,
- And Pandarus hath fully his entente.
- 227. Now torne we ayein to Troilus,
- That resteles ful longe a-bedde lay,
- And prevely sente after Pandarus, Skeat1900: 1585
- To him to come in al the haste he may.
- He com anoon, nought ones seyde he ‘nay,’
- And Troilus ful sobrely he grette,
- And doun upon his beddes syde him sette.
- 228. This Troilus, with al the affeccioun Skeat1900: 1590
- Of frendes love that herte may devyse,
- To Pandarus on kneës fil adoun,
- And er that he wolde of the place aryse,
- He gan him thonken in his beste wyse;
- A hondred sythe he gan the tyme blesse , Skeat1900: 1595
- That he was born to bringe him fro distresse.
- 229. He seyde, ‘O frend, of frendes the alderbeste
- That ever was, the sothe for to telle,
- Thou hast in hevene y-brought my soule at reste
- Fro Flegiton , the fery flood of helle; [ ] Skeat1900: 1600
- That, though I mighte a thousand tymes selle,
- Upon a day, my lyf in thy servyse,
- It mighte nought a mote in that suffyse.
- 230. The sonne, which that al the world may see,
- Saw never yet, my lyf, that dar I leye, Skeat1900: 1605
- So inly fair and goodly as is she,
- Whos I am al, and shal, til that I deye;
- And, that I thus am hires , dar I seye,
- That thanked be the heighe worthinesse
- Of love, and eek thy kinde bisinesse. Skeat1900: 1610
- 231. Thus hastow me no litel thing y-yive ,
- Fo which to thee obliged be for ay
- My lyf, and why? for thorugh thyn help I live ;
- For elles deed hadde I be many a day.’
- And with that word doun in his bed he lay, Skeat1900: 1615
- And Pandarus ful sobrely him herde
- Til al was seyd, and thanne he him answerde:
- 232. ‘My dere frend, if I have doon for thee
- In any cas, god wot, it is me leef ;
- And am as glad as man may of it be, Skeat1900: 1620
- God help me so; but tak now not a-greef
- That I shal seyn, be war of this myscheef ,
- That, there-as thou now brought art in-to blisse,
- That thou thy-self ne cause it nought to misse.
- 233. For of fortunes sharp adversitee [ ] Skeat1900: 1625
- The worst kinde of infortune is this,
- A man to have ben in prosperitee,
- And it remembren, whan it passed is.
- Thou art wys y-nough , for-thy do nought amis;
- Be not to rakel, though thou sitte warme, Skeat1900: 1630
- For if thou be, certeyn, it wol thee harme.
- 234. Thou art at ese, and holde thee wel ther-inne.
- For also seur as reed is every fyr,
- As greet a craft is kepe wel as winne; [ ]
- Brydle alwey wel thy speche and thy desyr. Skeat1900: 1635
- For worldly Ioye halt not but by a wyr;
- That preveth wel, it brest alday so ofte;
- For-thy nede is to werke with it softe.’
- 235. Quod Troilus, ‘I hope, and god to-forn,
- My dere frend, that I shal so me bere, Skeat1900: 1640
- That in my gilt ther shal no thing be lorn,
- Ne I nil not rakle as for to greven here; [ ]
- It nedeth not this matere ofte tere;
- For wistestow myn herte wel, Pandare,
- God woot, of this thou woldest litel care.’ Skeat1900: 1645
- 236. Tho gan he telle him of his glade night.
- And wher-of first his herte dredde, and how,
- And seyde, ‘freend, as I am trewe knight,
- And by that feyth I shal to god and yow, [ ]
- I hadde it never half so hote as now; Skeat1900: 1650
- And ay the more that desyr me byteth
- To love hir best, the more it me delyteth.
- 237. I noot my-self not wisly what it is;
- But now I fele a newe qualitee,
- Ye, al another than I dide er this.’ Skeat1900: 1655
- Pandare answerde , and seyde thus, that he
- That ones may in hevene blisse be,
- He feleth other weyes, dar I leye,
- Than thilke tyme he first herde of it seye.
- 238. This is o word for al; this Troilus Skeat1900: 1660
- Was never ful, to speke of this matere,
- And for to preysen un-to Pandarus
- The bountee of his righte lady dere,
- And Pandarus to thanke and maken chere .
- This tale ay was span-newe to biginne Skeat1900: 1665
- Til that the night departed hem a-twinne.
- 239. Sone after this, for that fortune it wolde,
- I-comen was the blisful tyme swete,
- That Troilus was warned that he sholde,
- Ther he was erst, Criseyde his lady mete; Skeat1900: 1670
- For which he felte his herte in Ioye flete;
- And feythfully gan alle the goddes herie;
- And lat see now if that he can be merie.
- 240. And holden was the forme and al the wyse,
- Of hir cominge, and eek of his also, Skeat1900: 1675
- As it was erst, which nedeth nought devyse.
- But playnly to the effect right for to go,
- In Ioye and seurte Pandarus hem two
- A-bedde broughte , whan hem bothe leste,
- And thus they ben in quiete and in reste. Skeat1900: 1680
- 241. Nought nedeth it to yow, sin they ben met,
- To aske at me if that they blythe were;
- For if it erst was wel, tho was it bet
- A thousand-fold, this nedeth not enquere.
- A-gon was every sorwe and every fere; Skeat1900: 1685
- And bothe, y-wis, they hadde, and so they wende,
- As muche Ioye as herte may comprende . [ ]
- 242. This is no litel thing of for to seye,
- This passeth every wit for to devyse;
- For eche of hem gan otheres lust obeye; Skeat1900: 1690
- Felicitee, which that thise clerkes wyse
- Commenden so, ne may not here suffyse.
- This Ioye may not writen been with inke,
- This passeth al that herte may bithinke .
- 243. But cruel day, so wel-awey the stounde! Skeat1900: 1695
- Gan for to aproche, as they by signes knewe,
- For whiche hem thoughte felen dethes wounde;
- So wo was hem, that changen gan hir hewe,
- And day they gonnen to dispyse al newe,
- Calling it traytour , envyous, and worse, Skeat1900: 1700
- And bitterly the dayes light they curse.
- 244. Quod Troilus, ‘ allas ! now am I war
- That Pirous and tho swifte stedes three, [ ]
- Whiche that drawen forth the sonnes char,
- Han goon som by-path in despyt of me; [ ] Skeat1900: 1705
- That maketh it so sone day to be;
- And, for the sonne him hasteth thus to ryse,
- Ne shal I never doon him sacrifyse !’
- 245. But nedes day departe moste hem sone,
- And whanne hir speche doon was and hir chere, Skeat1900: 1710
- They twinne anoon as they were wont to done,
- And setten tyme of meting eft y-fere;
- And many a night they wroughte in this manere.
- And thus Fortune a tyme ladde in Ioye
- Criseyde, and eek this kinges sone of Troye. Skeat1900: 1715
- 246. In suffisaunce, in blisse, and in singinges,
- This Troilus gan al his lyf to lede;
- He spendeth, Iusteth, maketh festeyinges ;
- He yeveth frely ofte, and chaungeth wede,
- And held aboute him alwey, out of drede, Skeat1900: 1720
- A world of folk, as cam him wel of kinde,
- The fressheste and the beste he coude fynde;
- 247. That swich a voys was of hym and a stevene
- Thorugh-out the world, of honour and largesse,
- That it up rong un-to the yate of hevene. Skeat1900: 1725
- And, as in love, he was in swich gladnesse,
- That in his herte he demede, as I gesse,
- That there nis lovere in this world at ese
- So wel as he, and thus gan love him plese.
- 248. The godlihede or beautee which that kinde Skeat1900: 1730
- In any other lady hadde y-set
- Can not the mountaunce of a knot unbinde, [ ]
- A-boute his herte, of al Criseydes net.
- He was so narwe y-masked and y-knet, [ ]
- That it undon on any manere syde, Skeat1900: 1735
- That nil not been, for ought that may betyde.
- 249. And by the hond ful ofte he wolde take
- This Pandarus, and in-to gardin lede,
- And swich a feste and swich a proces make
- Him of Criseyde, and of hir womanhede, Skeat1900: 1740
- And of hir beautee, that, with-outen drede,
- It was an hevene his wordes for to here;
- And thanne he wolde singe in this manere.
- 250. ‘Love, that of erthe and see hath governaunce, [ ]
- Love, that his hestes hath in hevene hye, Skeat1900: 1745
- Love, that with an holsom alliaunce
- Halt peples ioyned, as him list hem gye,
- Love, that knetteth lawe of companye,
- And couples doth in vertu for to dwelle,
- Bind this acord, that I have told and telle; Skeat1900: 1750
- 251. That that the world with feyth, which that is stable,
- Dyverseth so his stoundes concordinge,
- That elements that been so discordable
- Holden a bond perpetuely duringe,
- That Phebus mote his rosy day forth bringe, Skeat1900: 1755
- And that the mone hath lordship over the nightes,
- Al this doth Love; ay heried be his mightes!
- 252. That that the see, that gredy is to flowen,
- Constreyneth to a certeyn ende so
- His flodes, that so fersly they ne growen Skeat1900: 1760
- To drenchen erthe and al for ever-mo;
- And if that Love ought lete his brydel go,
- Al that now loveth a-sonder sholde lepe,
- And lost were al, that Love halt now to-hepe. [ ]
- 253. So wolde god, that auctor is of kinde, Skeat1900: 1765
- That, with his bond, Love of his vertu liste [ ]
- To cerclen hertes alle, and faste binde,
- That from his bond no wight the wey out wiste.
- And hertes colde, hem wolde I that he twiste
- To make hem love, and that hem leste ay rewe Skeat1900: 1770
- On hertes sore, and kepe hem that ben trewe.’
- 254. In alle nedes, for the tounes werre,
- He was, and ay the firste in armes dight;
- And certeynly , but-if that bokes erre,
- Save Ector, most y-drad of any wight; Skeat1900: 1775
- And this encrees of hardinesse and might
- Cam him of love, his ladies thank to winne,
- That altered his spirit so with-inne.
- 255. In tyme of trewe, on haukinge wolde he ryde, [ ]
- Or elles hunten boor , bere, or lyoun; Skeat1900: 1780
- The smale bestes leet he gon bi-syde.
- And whan that he com rydinge in-to toun,
- Ful ofte his lady, from hir window doun,
- As fresh as faucon comen out of muwe,
- Ful redy was, him goodly to saluwe. Skeat1900: 1785
- 256. And most of love and vertu was his speche,
- And in despyt hadde alle wrecchednesse;
- And doutelees, no nede was him biseche
- To honouren hem that hadde worthinesse,
- And esen hem that weren in distresse. Skeat1900: 1790
- And glad was he if any wight wel ferde,
- That lover was, whan he it wiste or herde.
- 257. For sooth to seyn, he lost held every wight
- But-if he were in loves heigh servyse,
- I mene folk that oughte it been of right. Skeat1900: 1795
- And over al this, so wel coude he devyse
- Of sentement, and in so unkouth wyse
- Al his array, that every lover thoughte,
- That al was wel, what-so he seyde or wroughte.
- 258. And though that he be come of blood royal , Skeat1900: 1800
- Him liste of pryde at no wight for to chase;
- Benigne he was to ech in general,
- For which he gat him thank in every place.
- Thus wolde Love, y-heried be his grace,
- That Pryde, Envye, Ire , and Avaryce [ ] Skeat1900: 1805
- He gan to flee, and every other vyce.
1807-1820. Lost in Cm.
- 259. Thou lady bright, the doughter to Dione, [ ]
- Thy blinde and winged sone eek, daun Cupyde;
- Ye sustren nyne eek, that by Elicone [ ]
- In hil Parnaso listen for to abyde, Skeat1900: 1810
- That ye thus fer han deyned me to gyde,
- I can no more, but sin that ye wol wende,
- Ye heried been for ay, with-outen ende!
- 260. Thourgh yow have I seyd fully in my song
- Theffect and Ioye of Troilus servyse , Skeat1900: 1815
- Al be that ther was som disese among,
- As to myn auctor listeth to devyse. [ ]
- My thridde book now ende ich in this wyse ;
- And Troilus in luste and in quiete
- Is with Criseyde, his owne herte swete. Skeat1900: 1820