Tr 5 1 Aprochen gan the fatal destyne
Tr 5 2 That Joves hath in disposicioun,
Tr 5 3 And to yow, angry Parcas, sustren thre,
Tr 5 4 Committeth to don execucioun;
Tr 5 5 For which Criseyde moste out of the town,
Tr 5 6 And Troilus shal dwellen forth in pyne
Tr 5 7 Til Lachesis his thred no lenger twyne.
Tr 5 8 The gold-tressed Phebus heighe on-lofte
Tr 5 9 Thries hadde alle with his bemes cleene
Tr 5 10 The snowes molte, and Zepherus as ofte
Tr 5 11 Ibrought ayeyn the tendre leves grene,
Tr 5 12 Syn that the sone of Ecuba the queene
Tr 5 13 Bigan to love hire first for whom his sorwe
Tr 5 14 Was al, that she departe sholde a-morwe.
Tr 5 15 Ful redy was at prime Diomede
Tr 5 16 Criseyde unto the Grekis oost to lede,
Tr 5 17 For sorwe of which she felt hire herte blede,
Tr 5 18 As she that nyste what was best to rede.
Tr 5 19 And trewely, as men in bokes rede,
Tr 5 20 Men wiste nevere womman han the care,
Tr 5 21 Ne was so loth out of a town to fare.
Tr 5 22 This Troilus, withouten reed or loore,
Tr 5 23 As man that hath his joies ek forlore,
Tr 5 24 Was waytyng on his lady evere more
Tr 5 25 As she that was the sothfast crop and more
Tr 5 26 Of al his lust or joies heretofore.
Tr 5 27 But Troilus, now far-wel al thi joie,
Tr 5 28 For shaltow nevere sen hire eft in Troie!
Tr 5 29 Soth is that while he bood in this manere,
Tr 5 30 He gan his wo ful manly for to hide,
Tr 5 31 That wel unnethe it sene was in his chere;
Tr 5 32 But at the yate ther she sholde out ride,
Tr 5 33 With certeyn folk he hoved hire t' abide,
Tr 5 34 So wo-bigon, al wolde he naught hym pleyne,
Tr 5 35 That on his hors unnethe he sat for peyne.
Tr 5 36 For ire he quook, so gan his herte gnawe,
Tr 5 37 Whan Diomede on horse gan hym dresse,
Tr 5 38 And seyde to hymself this ilke sawe:
Tr 5 39 "Allas," quod he, "thus foul a wrecchednesse,
Tr 5 40 Whi suffre ich it? Whi nyl ich it redresse?
Tr 5 41 Were it nat bet atones for to dye
Tr 5 42 Than evere more in langour thus to drye?
Tr 5 43 "Whi nyl I make atones riche and pore
Tr 5 44 To have inough to doone er that she go?
Tr 5 45 Why nyl I brynge al Troie upon a roore?
Tr 5 46 Whi nyl I slen this Diomede also?
Tr 5 47 Why nyl I rather with a man or two
Tr 5 48 Stele hire away? Whi wol I this endure?
Tr 5 49 Whi nyl I helpen to myn owen cure?"
Tr 5 50 But why he nolde don so fel a dede,
Tr 5 51 That shal I seyn, and whi hym liste it spare:
Tr 5 52 He hadde in herte alweyes a manere drede
Tr 5 53 Lest that Criseyde, in rumour of this fare,
Tr 5 54 Sholde han ben slayn; lo, this was al his care.
Tr 5 55 And ellis, certeyn, as I seyde yore,
Tr 5 56 He hadde it don, withouten wordes more.
Tr 5 57 Criseyde, whan she redy was to ride,
Tr 5 58 Ful sorwfully she sighte, and seyde "Allas!"
Tr 5 59 But forth she moot, for aught that may bitide;
Tr 5 60 Ther is non other remedie in this cas.
Tr 5 61 And forth she rit ful sorwfully a pas.
Tr 5 62 What wonder is, though that hire sore smerte,
Tr 5 63 Whan she forgoth hire owen swete herte?
Tr 5 64 This Troilus, in wise of curteysie,
Tr 5 65 With hauk on honde and with an huge route
Tr 5 66 Of knyghtes, rood and did hire companye,
Tr 5 67 Passyng al the valeye fer withoute,
Tr 5 68 And ferther wolde han riden, out of doute,
Tr 5 69 Ful fayn, and wo was hym to gon so sone;
Tr 5 70 But torne he moste, and it was ek to done.
Tr 5 71 And right with that was Antenor ycome
Tr 5 72 Out of the Grekis oost, and every wight
Tr 5 73 Was of it glad, and seyde he was welcome.
Tr 5 74 And Troilus, al nere his herte light,
Tr 5 75 He peyned hym with al his fulle myght
Tr 5 76 Hym to withholde of wepyng atte leeste,
Tr 5 77 And Antenor he kiste and made feste.
Tr 5 78 And therwithal he moste his leve take,
Tr 5 79 And caste his eye upon hire pitously,
Tr 5 80 And neer he rood, his cause for to make,
Tr 5 81 To take hire by the honde al sobrely.
Tr 5 82 And Lord, so she gan wepen tendrely!
Tr 5 83 And he ful softe and sleighly gan hire seye,
Tr 5 84 "Now holde youre day, and do me nat to deye."
Tr 5 85 With that his courser torned he aboute
Tr 5 86 With face pale, and unto Diomede
Tr 5 87 No word he spak, ne non of al his route;
Tr 5 88 Of which the sone of Tideus took hede,
Tr 5 89 As he that koude more than the crede
Tr 5 90 In swich a craft, and by the reyne hire hente;
Tr 5 91 And Troilus to Troie homward he wente.
Tr 5 92 This Diomede, that ledde hire by the bridel,
Tr 5 93 Whan that he saugh the folk of Troie aweye,
Tr 5 94 Thoughte, "Al my labour shal nat ben on ydel,
Tr 5 95 If that I may, for somwhat shal I seye,
Tr 5 96 For at the werste it may yet shorte oure weye.
Tr 5 97 I have herd seyd ek tymes twyes twelve,
Tr 5 98 `He is a fool that wol foryete hymselve.'"
Tr 5 99 But natheles, this thoughte he wel ynough,
Tr 5 100 That "Certeynlich I am aboute nought,
Tr 5 101 If that I speke of love or make it tough;
Tr 5 102 For douteles, if she have in hire thought
Tr 5 103 Hym that I gesse, he may nat ben ybrought
Tr 5 104 So soon awey; but I shal fynde a meene
Tr 5 105 That she naught wite as yet shal what I mene."
Tr 5 106 This Diomede, as he that koude his good,
Tr 5 107 Whan tyme was, gan fallen forth in speche
Tr 5 108 Of this and that, and axed whi she stood
Tr 5 109 In swich disese, and gan hire ek biseche
Tr 5 110 That if that he encresse myghte or eche
Tr 5 111 With any thyng hire ese, that she sholde
Tr 5 112 Comaunde it hym, and seyde he don it wolde.
Tr 5 113 For treweliche he swor hire as a knyght
Tr 5 114 That ther nas thyng with which he myghte hire plese,
Tr 5 115 That he nolde don his peyne and al his myght
Tr 5 116 To don it, for to don hire herte an ese;
Tr 5 117 And preyede hire she wolde hire sorwe apese,
Tr 5 118 And seyde, "Iwis, we Grekis kan have joie
Tr 5 119 To honouren yow as wel as folk of Troie."
Tr 5 120 He seyde ek thus: "I woot yow thynketh straunge --
Tr 5 121 Ne wonder is, for it is to yow newe --
Tr 5 122 Th' aquayntaunce of thise Troianis to chaunge
Tr 5 123 For folk of Grece, that ye nevere knewe.
Tr 5 124 But wolde nevere God but if as trewe
Tr 5 125 A Grek ye sholde among us alle fynde
Tr 5 126 As any Troian is, and ek as kynde.
Tr 5 127 "And by the cause I swor yow right, lo, now,
Tr 5 128 To ben youre frend, and helply, to my myght,
Tr 5 129 And for that more aquayntaunce ek of yow
Tr 5 130 Have ich had than another straunger wight,
Tr 5 131 So fro this forth, I pray yow, day and nyght
Tr 5 132 Comaundeth me, how soore that me smerte,
Tr 5 133 To don al that may like unto youre herte;
Tr 5 134 "And that ye me wolde as youre brother trete,
Tr 5 135 And taketh naught my frendshipe in despit;
Tr 5 136 And though youre sorwes be for thynges grete --
Tr 5 137 Not I nat whi -- but out of more respit
Tr 5 138 Myn herte hath for t' amende it gret delit;
Tr 5 139 And if I may youre harmes nat redresse,
Tr 5 140 I am right sory for youre hevynesse,
Tr 5 141 "For though ye Troians with us Grekes wrothe
Tr 5 142 Han many a day ben, alwey yet, parde,
Tr 5 143 O god of Love in soth we serven bothe.
Tr 5 144 And for the love of God, my lady fre,
Tr 5 145 Whomso ye hate, as beth nat wroth with me,
Tr 5 146 For trewely, ther kan no wyght yow serve
Tr 5 147 That half so loth youre wratthe wold disserve.
Tr 5 148 "And nere it that we ben so neigh the tente
Tr 5 149 Of Calcas, which that sen us bothe may,
Tr 5 150 I wolde of this yow telle al myn entente --
Tr 5 151 But this enseled til anothir day.
Tr 5 152 Yeve me youre hond; I am, and shal ben ay,
Tr 5 153 God helpe me so, while that my lyf may dure,
Tr 5 154 Youre owene aboven every creature.
Tr 5 155 "Thus seyde I nevere er now to womman born,
Tr 5 156 For God myn herte as wisly glade so,
Tr 5 157 I loved never womman here-biforn
Tr 5 158 As paramours, ne nevere shal no mo.
Tr 5 159 And for the love of God, beth nat my fo,
Tr 5 160 Al kan I naught to yow, my lady deere,
Tr 5 161 Compleyne aright, for I am yet to leere.
Tr 5 162 "And wondreth nought, myn owen lady bright,
Tr 5 163 Though that I speke of love to yow thus blyve;
Tr 5 164 For I have herd er this of many a wight,
Tr 5 165 Hath loved thyng he nevere saigh his lyve.
Tr 5 166 Ek I am nat of power for to stryve
Tr 5 167 Ayeyns the god of Love, but hym obeye
Tr 5 168 I wole alwey; and mercy I yow preye.
Tr 5 169 "Ther ben so worthi knyghtes in this place,
Tr 5 170 And ye so fayr, that everich of hem alle
Tr 5 171 Wol peynen hym to stonden in youre grace.
Tr 5 172 But myghte me so faire a grace falle,
Tr 5 173 That ye me for youre servant wolde calle,
Tr 5 174 So lowely ne so trewely yow serve
Tr 5 175 Nil non of hem as I shal til I sterve."
Tr 5 176 Criseyde unto that purpos lite answerde,
Tr 5 177 As she that was with sorwe oppressed so
Tr 5 178 That, in effect, she naught his tales herde
Tr 5 179 But here and ther, now here a word or two.
Tr 5 180 Hire thoughte hire sorwful herte brast a-two,
Tr 5 181 For whan she gan hire fader fer espie
Tr 5 182 Wel neigh down of hire hors she gan to sye.
Tr 5 183 But natheles she thonketh Diomede
Tr 5 184 Of al his travaile and his goode cheere,
Tr 5 185 And that hym list his frendshipe hire to bede;
Tr 5 186 And she accepteth it in good manere,
Tr 5 187 And wol do fayn that is hym lief and dere,
Tr 5 188 And tristen hym she wolde, and wel she myghte,
Tr 5 189 As seyde she; and from hire hors sh' alighte.
Tr 5 190 Hire fader hath hire in his armes nome,
Tr 5 191 And twenty tyme he kiste his doughter sweete,
Tr 5 192 And seyde, "O deere doughter myn, welcome!"
Tr 5 193 She seyde ek she was fayn with hym to mete,
Tr 5 194 And stood forth muwet, milde, and mansuete.
Tr 5 195 But here I leve hire with hire fader dwelle,
Tr 5 196 And forth I wol of Troilus yow telle.
Tr 5 197 To Troie is come this woful Troilus,
Tr 5 198 In sorwe aboven alle sorwes smerte,
Tr 5 199 With feloun look and face dispitous.
Tr 5 200 Tho sodeynly doun from his hors he sterte,
Tr 5 201 And thorugh his paleis, with a swollen herte,
Tr 5 202 To chaumbre he wente; of nothyng took he hede,
Tr 5 203 Ne non to hym dar speke a word for drede.
Tr 5 204 And ther his sorwes that he spared hadde
Tr 5 205 He yaf an issue large, and "Deth!" he criede;
Tr 5 206 And in his throwes frenetik and madde
Tr 5 207 He corseth Jove, Appollo, and ek Cupide;
Tr 5 208 He corseth Ceres, Bacus, and Cipride,
Tr 5 209 His burthe, hymself, his fate, and ek nature,
Tr 5 210 And, save his lady, every creature.
Tr 5 211 To bedde he goth, and walwith ther and torneth
Tr 5 212 In furie, as doth he Ixion in helle,
Tr 5 213 And in this wise he neigh til day sojorneth.
Tr 5 214 But tho bigan his herte a lite unswelle
Tr 5 215 Thorugh teris, which that gonnen up to welle,
Tr 5 216 And pitously he cryde upon Criseyde,
Tr 5 217 And to hymself right thus he spak, and seyde,
Tr 5 218 "Wher is myn owene lady, lief and deere?
Tr 5 219 Wher is hire white brest? Wher is it, where?
Tr 5 220 Wher ben hire armes and hire eyen cleere
Tr 5 221 That yesternyght this tyme with me were?
Tr 5 222 Now may I wepe allone many a teere,
Tr 5 223 And graspe aboute I may, but in this place,
Tr 5 224 Save a pilowe, I fynde naught t' enbrace.
Tr 5 225 "How shal I do? Whan shal she come ayeyn?
Tr 5 226 I not, allas, whi lete ich hire to go;
Tr 5 227 As wolde God ich hadde as tho ben sleyn!
Tr 5 228 O herte myn, Criseyde, O swete fo!
Tr 5 229 O lady myn, that I love and na mo,
Tr 5 230 To whom for evermo myn herte I dowe,
Tr 5 231 Se how I dey, ye nyl me nat rescowe!
Tr 5 232 "Who seth yow now, my righte lode-sterre?
Tr 5 233 Who sit right now or stant in youre presence?
Tr 5 234 Who kan conforten now youre hertes werre?
Tr 5 235 Now I am gon, whom yeve ye audience?
Tr 5 236 Who speketh for me right now in myn absence?
Tr 5 237 Allas, no wight; and that is al my care,
Tr 5 238 For wel woot I, as yvele as I ye fare.
Tr 5 239 "How sholde I thus ten dayes ful endure,
Tr 5 240 Whan I the firste nyght have al this tene?
Tr 5 241 How shal she don ek, sorwful creature?
Tr 5 242 For tendernesse, how shal she sustene
Tr 5 243 Swich wo for me? O pitous, pale, grene
Tr 5 244 Shal ben youre fresshe, wommanliche face
Tr 5 245 For langour, er ye torne unto this place."
Tr 5 246 And whan he fil in any slomberynges,
Tr 5 247 Anon bygynne he sholde for to grone
Tr 5 248 And dremen of the dredefulleste thynges
Tr 5 249 That myghte ben; as mete he were allone
Tr 5 250 In place horrible makyng ay his mone,
Tr 5 251 Or meten that he was amonges alle
Tr 5 252 His enemys, and in hire hondes falle.
Tr 5 253 And therwithal his body sholde sterte,
Tr 5 254 And with the stert al sodeynliche awake,
Tr 5 255 And swich a tremour fele aboute his herte
Tr 5 256 That of the fere his body sholde quake;
Tr 5 257 And therwithal he sholde a noyse make,
Tr 5 258 And seme as though he sholde falle depe
Tr 5 259 From heighe o-lofte; and thanne he wolde wepe,
Tr 5 260 And rewen on hymself so pitously
Tr 5 261 That wonder was to here his fantasie.
Tr 5 262 Another tyme he sholde myghtyly
Tr 5 263 Conforte hymself, and sein it was folie
Tr 5 264 So causeles swich drede for to drye;
Tr 5 265 And eft bygynne his aspre sorwes newe,
Tr 5 266 That every man myght on his sorwes rewe.
Tr 5 267 Who koude telle aright or ful discryve
Tr 5 268 His wo, his pleynt, his langour, and his pyne?
Tr 5 269 Naught alle the men that han or ben on lyve.
Tr 5 270 Thow, redere, maist thiself ful wel devyne
Tr 5 271 That swich a wo my wit kan nat diffyne;
Tr 5 272 On ydel for to write it sholde I swynke,
Tr 5 273 Whan that my wit is wery it to thynke.
Tr 5 274 On hevene yet the sterres weren seene,
Tr 5 275 Although ful pale ywoxen was the moone,
Tr 5 276 And whiten gan the orisonte shene
Tr 5 277 Al estward, as it wont is for to doone;
Tr 5 278 And Phebus with his rosy carte soone
Tr 5 279 Gan after that to dresse hym up to fare
Tr 5 280 Whan Troilus hath sent after Pandare.
Tr 5 281 This Pandare, that of al the day biforn
Tr 5 282 Ne myghte han comen Troilus to se,
Tr 5 283 Although he on his hed it hadde sworn --
Tr 5 284 For with the kyng Priam al day was he,
Tr 5 285 So that it lay nought in his libertee
Tr 5 286 Nowher to gon -- but on the morwe he wente
Tr 5 287 To Troilus, whan that he for hym sente.
Tr 5 288 For in his herte he koude wel devyne
Tr 5 289 That Troilus al nyght for sorwe wook;
Tr 5 290 And that he wolde telle hym of his pyne,
Tr 5 291 This knew he wel ynough, withoute book.
Tr 5 292 For which to chaumbre streght the wey he took,
Tr 5 293 And Troilus tho sobrelich he grette,
Tr 5 294 And on the bed ful sone he gan hym sette.
Tr 5 295 "My Pandarus," quod Troilus, "the sorwe
Tr 5 296 Which that I drye I may nat longe endure.
Tr 5 297 I trowe I shal nat lyven til to-morwe.
Tr 5 298 For which I wolde alweys, on aventure,
Tr 5 299 To the devysen of my sepulture
Tr 5 300 The forme; and of my moeble thow dispone
Tr 5 301 Right as the semeth best is for to done.
Tr 5 302 "But of the fir and flaumbe funeral
Tr 5 303 In which my body brennen shal to glede,
Tr 5 304 And of the feste and pleyes palestral
Tr 5 305 At my vigile, I prey the, tak good hede
Tr 5 306 That that be wel; and offre Mars my steede,
Tr 5 307 My swerd, myn helm; and, leve brother deere,
Tr 5 308 My sheld to Pallas yef, that shyneth cleere.
Tr 5 309 "The poudre in which myn herte ybrend shal torne,
Tr 5 310 That preye I the thow take and it conserve
Tr 5 311 In a vessell that men clepeth an urne,
Tr 5 312 Of gold, and to my lady that I serve,
Tr 5 313 For love of whom thus pitouslich I sterve,
Tr 5 314 So yeve it hire, and do me this plesaunce,
Tr 5 315 To preyen hire kepe it for a remembraunce.
Tr 5 316 "For wele I fele, by my maladie
Tr 5 317 And by my dremes now and yore ago,
Tr 5 318 Al certeynly that I mot nedes dye.
Tr 5 319 The owle ek, which that hette Escaphilo,
Tr 5 320 Hath after me shright al thise nyghtes two.
Tr 5 321 And god Mercurye, of me now, woful wrecche,
Tr 5 322 The soule gyde, and whan the liste, it fecche!"
Tr 5 323 Pandare answerde and seyde, "Troilus,
Tr 5 324 My deere frend, as I have told the yore,
Tr 5 325 That it is folye for to sorwen thus,
Tr 5 326 And causeles, for which I kan namore.
Tr 5 327 But whoso wil nought trowen reed ne loore,
Tr 5 328 I kan nat sen in hym no remedie,
Tr 5 329 But lat hym worthen with his fantasie.
Tr 5 330 "But, Troilus, I prey the, tel me now
Tr 5 331 If that thow trowe er this that any wight
Tr 5 332 Hath loved paramours as wel as thow?
Tr 5 333 Ye, God woot, and fro many a worthi knyght
Tr 5 334 Hath his lady gon a fourtenyght,
Tr 5 335 And he nat yet made halvendel the fare.
Tr 5 336 What nede is the to maken al this care?
Tr 5 337 "Syn day by day thow maist thiselven se
Tr 5 338 That from his love, or ellis from his wif,
Tr 5 339 A man mot twynnen of necessite --
Tr 5 340 Ye, though he love hire as his owene lif --
Tr 5 341 Yet nyl he with hymself thus maken strif.
Tr 5 342 For wel thou woost, my leve brother deere,
Tr 5 343 That alwey frendes may nat ben yfeere.
Tr 5 344 "How don this folk that seen hire loves wedded
Tr 5 345 By frendes myght, as it bitit ful ofte,
Tr 5 346 And sen hem in hire spouses bed ybedded?
Tr 5 347 God woot, they take it wisly, faire, and softe,
Tr 5 348 Forwhi good hope halt up hire herte o-lofte.
Tr 5 349 And for they kan a tyme of sorwe endure,
Tr 5 350 As tyme hem hurt, a tyme doth hem cure.
Tr 5 351 "So shuldestow endure, and laten slide
Tr 5 352 The tyme, and fonde to ben glad and light.
Tr 5 353 Ten dayes nys so longe nought t' abide.
Tr 5 354 And syn she the to comen hath bihyght,
Tr 5 355 She nyl hire heste breken for no wight.
Tr 5 356 For dred the nat that she nyl fynden weye
Tr 5 357 To come ayein; my lif that dorste I leye.
Tr 5 358 "Thi swevnes ek and al swich fantasie
Tr 5 359 Drif out and lat hem faren to meschaunce,
Tr 5 360 For they procede of thi malencolie
Tr 5 361 That doth the fele in slep al this penaunce.
Tr 5 362 A straw for alle swevenes signifiaunce!
Tr 5 363 God helpe me so, I counte hem nought a bene!
Tr 5 364 Ther woot no man aright what dremes mene.
Tr 5 365 "For prestes of the temple tellen this,
Tr 5 366 That dremes ben the revelaciouns
Tr 5 367 Of goddes, and as wel they telle, ywis,
Tr 5 368 That they ben infernals illusiouns;
Tr 5 369 And leches seyn that of complexiouns
Tr 5 370 Proceden they, or fast, or glotonye.
Tr 5 371 Who woot in soth thus what thei signifie?
Tr 5 372 "Ek oother seyn that thorugh impressiouns,
Tr 5 373 As if a wight hath faste a thyng in mynde,
Tr 5 374 That therof cometh swiche avysiouns;
Tr 5 375 And other seyn, as they in bokes fynde,
Tr 5 376 That after tymes of the yer, by kynde,
Tr 5 377 Men dreme, and that th' effect goth by the moone.
Tr 5 378 But leve no drem, for it is nought to doone.
Tr 5 379 "Wel worth. of dremes ay thise olde wives,
Tr 5 380 And treweliche ek augurye of thise fowles,
Tr 5 381 For fere of which men wenen lese here lyves,
Tr 5 382 As revenes qualm, or shrichyng of thise owles.
Tr 5 383 To trowen on it bothe fals and foul is.
Tr 5 384 Allas, allas, so noble a creature
Tr 5 385 As is a man shal dreden swich ordure!
Tr 5 386 "For which with al myn herte I the biseche,
Tr 5 387 Unto thiself that al this thow foryyve;
Tr 5 388 And ris now up withowten more speche,
Tr 5 389 And lat us caste how forth may best be dryve
Tr 5 390 This tyme, and ek how fresshly we may lyve
Tr 5 391 Whan that she comth, the which shal be right soone.
Tr 5 392 God helpe me so, the beste is thus to doone.
Tr 5 393 "Ris, lat us speke of lusty lif in Troie
Tr 5 394 That we han led, and forth the tyme dryve;
Tr 5 395 And ek of tyme comyng us rejoie,
Tr 5 396 That bryngen shal oure blisse now so blyve;
Tr 5 397 And langour of thise twyes dayes fyve
Tr 5 398 We shal therwith so foryete or oppresse
Tr 5 399 That wel unneth it don shal us duresse.
Tr 5 400 "This town is ful of lordes al aboute,
Tr 5 401 And trewes lasten al this mene while.
Tr 5 402 Go we pleye us in som lusty route
Tr 5 403 To Sarpedoun, nat hennes but a myle;
Tr 5 404 And thus thow shalt the tyme wel bygile,
Tr 5 405 And dryve it forth unto that blisful morwe
Tr 5 406 That thow hire se, that cause is of thi sorwe.
Tr 5 407 "Now ris, my deere brother Troilus,
Tr 5 408 For certes it non honour is to the
Tr 5 409 To wepe and in thi bedde to jouken thus;
Tr 5 410 For trewelich, of o thyng trust to me:
Tr 5 411 If thow thus ligge a day, or two, or thre,
Tr 5 412 The folk wol seyn that thow for cowardise
Tr 5 413 The feynest sik, and that thow darst nat rise!"
Tr 5 414 This Troilus answerde, "O brother deere,
Tr 5 415 This knowen folk that han ysuffred peyne,
Tr 5 416 That though he wepe and make sorwful cheere
Tr 5 417 That feleth harm and smert in every veyne,
Tr 5 418 No wonder is. and though ich evere pleyne,
Tr 5 419 Or alwey wepe, I am no thyng to blame,
Tr 5 420 Syn I have lost the cause of al my game.
Tr 5 421 "But syn of fyne force I mot arise,
Tr 5 422 I shal arise as soone as evere I may;
Tr 5 423 And God, to whom myn herte I sacrifice,
Tr 5 424 So sende us hastely the tenthe day!
Tr 5 425 For was ther nevere fowel so fayn of May
Tr 5 426 As I shal ben whan that she comth in Troie
Tr 5 427 That cause is of my torment and my joie.
Tr 5 428 "But whider is thi reed," quod Troilus,
Tr 5 429 "That we may pleye us best in al this town?"
Tr 5 430 "By God, my conseil is," quod Pandarus,
Tr 5 431 "To ride and pleye us with kyng Sarpedoun."
Tr 5 432 So longe of this they speken up and down
Tr 5 433 Til Troilus gan at the laste assente
Tr 5 434 To rise, and forth to Sarpedoun they wente.
Tr 5 435 This Sarpedoun, as he that honourable
Tr 5 436 Was evere his lyve, and ful of heigh largesse,
Tr 5 437 With al that myghte yserved ben on table
Tr 5 438 That deynte was, al coste it gret richesse,
Tr 5 439 He fedde hem day by day, that swich noblesse,
Tr 5 440 As seyden bothe the mooste and ek the leeste,
Tr 5 441 Was nevere er that day wist at any feste.
Tr 5 442 Nor in this world ther is non instrument
Tr 5 443 Delicious, thorugh wynd or touche of corde,
Tr 5 444 As fer as any wight hath evere ywent,
Tr 5 445 That tonge telle or herte may recorde,
Tr 5 446 That at that feste it nas wel herd acorde;
Tr 5 447 Ne of ladys ek so fair a compaignie
Tr 5 448 On daunce, er tho, was nevere iseye with ie.
Tr 5 449 But what availeth this to Troilus,
Tr 5 450 That for his sorwe nothyng of it roughte?
Tr 5 451 For evere in oon his herte pietous
Tr 5 452 Ful bisyly Criseyde, his lady, soughte.
Tr 5 453 On hire was evere al that his herte thoughte,
Tr 5 454 Now this, now that, so faste ymagenynge
Tr 5 455 That glade, iwis, kan hym no festeyinge.
Tr 5 456 Thise ladies ek that at this feste ben,
Tr 5 457 Syn that he saugh his lady was aweye,
Tr 5 458 It was his sorwe upon hem for to sen,
Tr 5 459 Or for to here on instrumentes pleye.
Tr 5 460 For she that of his herte berth the keye
Tr 5 461 Was absent, lo, this was his fantasie --
Tr 5 462 That no wight sholde maken melodie.
Tr 5 463 Nor ther nas houre in al the day or nyght,
Tr 5 464 Whan he was there as no wight myghte hym heere,
Tr 5 465 That he ne seyde, "O lufsom lady bryght,
Tr 5 466 How have ye faren syn that ye were here?
Tr 5 467 Welcome, ywis, myn owne lady deere!"
Tr 5 468 But weylaway, al this nat but a maze.
Tr 5 469 Fortune his howve entended bet to glaze!
Tr 5 470 The lettres ek that she of olde tyme
Tr 5 471 Hadde hym ysent, he wolde allone rede
Tr 5 472 An hondred sithe atwixen noon and prime,
Tr 5 473 Refiguryng hire shap, hire wommanhede,
Tr 5 474 Withinne his herte, and every word or dede
Tr 5 475 That passed was; and thus he drof t' an ende
Tr 5 476 The ferthe day, and seyde he wolde wende.
Tr 5 477 And seyde, "Leve brother Pandarus,
Tr 5 478 Intendestow that we shal here bleve
Tr 5 479 Til Sarpedoun wol forth congeyen us?
Tr 5 480 Yet were it fairer that we toke oure leve.
Tr 5 481 For Goddes love, lat us now soone at eve
Tr 5 482 Oure leve take, and homward lat us torne,
Tr 5 483 For treweliche, I nyl nat thus sojourne."
Tr 5 484 Pandare answerde, "Be we comen hider
Tr 5 485 To fecchen fir and rennen hom ayein?
Tr 5 486 God help me so, I kan nat tellen whider
Tr 5 487 We myghte gon, if I shal sothly seyn,
Tr 5 488 Ther any wight is of us more feyn
Tr 5 489 Than Sarpedoun; and if we hennes hye
Tr 5 490 Thus sodeynly, I holde it vilanye.
Tr 5 491 "Syn that we seyden that we wolde bleve
Tr 5 492 With hym a wowke, and now, thus sodeynly,
Tr 5 493 The ferthe day to take of hym owre leve --
Tr 5 494 He wolde wondren on it, trewely!
Tr 5 495 Lat us holden forth oure purpos fermely;
Tr 5 496 And syn that ye bihighten hym to bide,
Tr 5 497 Holde forward now, and after lat us ride."
Tr 5 498 Thus Pandarus, with alle peyne and wo,
Tr 5 499 Made hym to dwelle; and at the wikes ende
Tr 5 500 Of Sarpedoun they toke hire leve tho,
Tr 5 501 And on hire wey they spedden hem to wende.
Tr 5 502 Quod Troilus, "Now Lord me grace sende,
Tr 5 503 That I may fynden at myn hom-comynge
Tr 5 504 Criseyde comen!" And therwith gan he synge.
Tr 5 505 "Ye, haselwode!" thoughte this Pandare,
Tr 5 506 And to hymself ful softeliche he seyde,
Tr 5 507 "God woot, refreyden may this hote fare,
Tr 5 508 Er Calkas sende Troilus Criseyde!"
Tr 5 509 But natheles, he japed thus, and pleyde,
Tr 5 510 And swor, ywys, his herte hym wel bihighte
Tr 5 511 She wolde come as soone as evere she myghte.
Tr 5 512 Whan they unto the paleys were ycomen
Tr 5 513 Of Troilus, they doun of hors alighte,
Tr 5 514 And to the chambre hire wey than han they nomen;
Tr 5 515 And into tyme that it gan to nyghte
Tr 5 516 They spaken of Criseyde the brighte;
Tr 5 517 And after this, whan that hem bothe leste,
Tr 5 518 They spedde hem fro the soper unto reste.
Tr 5 519 On morwe, as soone as day bygan to clere,
Tr 5 520 This Troilus gan of his slep t' abrayde,
Tr 5 521 And to Pandare, his owen brother deere,
Tr 5 522 "For love of God," ful pitously he sayde,
Tr 5 523 "As go we sen the palais of Criseyde;
Tr 5 524 For syn we yet may have namore feste,
Tr 5 525 So lat us sen hire paleys atte leeste."
Tr 5 526 And therwithal, his meyne for to blende,
Tr 5 527 A cause he fond in towne for to go,
Tr 5 528 And to Criseydes hous they gonnen wende.
Tr 5 529 But Lord, this sely Troilus was wo!
Tr 5 530 Hym thoughte his sorwful herte braste a-two.
Tr 5 531 For whan he saugh hire dores spered alle,
Tr 5 532 Wel neigh for sorwe adoun he gan to falle.
Tr 5 533 Therwith, whan he was war and gan biholde
Tr 5 534 How shet was every wyndow of the place,
Tr 5 535 As frost, hym thoughte, his herte gan to colde;
Tr 5 536 For which with chaunged dedlich pale face,
Tr 5 537 Withouten word, he forthby gan to pace,
Tr 5 538 And as God wolde, he gan so faste ride
Tr 5 539 That no wight of his contenance espide.
Tr 5 540 Than seide he thus: "O paleys desolat,
Tr 5 541 O hous of houses whilom best ihight,
Tr 5 542 O paleys empty and disconsolat,
Tr 5 543 O thow lanterne of which queynt is the light,
Tr 5 544 O paleys, whilom day, that now art nyght,
Tr 5 545 Wel oughtestow to falle, and I to dye,
Tr 5 546 Syn she is went that wont was us to gye!
Tr 5 547 "O paleis, whilom crowne of houses alle,
Tr 5 548 Enlumyned with sonne of alle blisse!
Tr 5 549 O ryng, fro which the ruby is out falle,
Tr 5 550 O cause of wo, that cause hast ben of lisse!
Tr 5 551 Yet, syn I may no bet, fayn wolde I kisse
Tr 5 552 Thy colde dores, dorste I for this route;
Tr 5 553 And farwel shryne, of which the seynt is oute!"
Tr 5 554 Therwith he caste on Pandarus his ye,
Tr 5 555 With chaunged face, and pitous to biholde;
Tr 5 556 And whan he myghte his tyme aright aspie,
Tr 5 557 Ay as he rood to Pandarus he tolde
Tr 5 558 His newe sorwe and ek his joies olde,
Tr 5 559 So pitously and with so ded an hewe
Tr 5 560 That every wight myghte on his sorwe rewe.
Tr 5 561 Fro thennesforth he rideth up and down,
Tr 5 562 And every thyng com hym to remembraunce
Tr 5 563 As he rood forby places of the town
Tr 5 564 In which he whilom hadde al his plesaunce.
Tr 5 565 "Lo, yonder saugh ich last my lady daunce;
Tr 5 566 And in that temple, with hire eyen cleere,
Tr 5 567 Me kaughte first my righte lady dere.
Tr 5 568 "And yonder have I herd ful lustyly
Tr 5 569 My dere herte laugh; and yonder pleye
Tr 5 570 Saugh ich hire ones ek ful blisfully;
Tr 5 571 And yonder ones to me gan she seye,
Tr 5 572 `Now goode swete, love me wel, I preye';
Tr 5 573 And yond so goodly gan she me biholde
Tr 5 574 That to the deth myn herte is to hire holde.
Tr 5 575 "And at that corner, in the yonder hous,
Tr 5 576 Herde I myn alderlevest lady deere
Tr 5 577 So wommanly, with vois melodious,
Tr 5 578 Syngen so wel, so goodly, and so cleere
Tr 5 579 That in my soule yet me thynketh ich here
Tr 5 580 The blisful sown; and in that yonder place
Tr 5 581 My lady first me took unto hire grace."
Tr 5 582 Thanne thoughte he thus: "O blisful lord Cupide,
Tr 5 583 Whan I the proces have in my memorie
Tr 5 584 How thow me hast wereyed on every syde,
Tr 5 585 Men myght a book make of it, lik a storie.
Tr 5 586 What nede is the to seke on me victorie,
Tr 5 587 Syn I am thyn and holly at thi wille?
Tr 5 588 What joie hastow thyn owen folk to spille?
Tr 5 589 "Wel hastow, lord, ywroke on me thyn ire,
Tr 5 590 Thow myghty god, and dredefull for to greve!
Tr 5 591 Now mercy, lord! Thow woost wel I desire
Tr 5 592 Thi grace moost of alle lustes leeve,
Tr 5 593 And lyve and dye I wol in thy byleve;
Tr 5 594 For which I n' axe in guerdoun but o bone --
Tr 5 595 That thow Criseyde ayein me sende sone.
Tr 5 596 "Destreyne hire herte as faste to retorne
Tr 5 597 As thow doost myn to longen hire to see;
Tr 5 598 Than woot I wel that she nyl naught sojorne.
Tr 5 599 Now blisful lord, so cruel thow ne be
Tr 5 600 Unto the blood of Troie, I preye the,
Tr 5 601 As Juno was unto the blood Thebane,
Tr 5 602 For which the folk of Thebes caughte hire bane."
Tr 5 603 And after this he to the yates wente
Tr 5 604 Ther as Criseyde out rood a ful good paas,
Tr 5 605 And up and down ther made he many a wente,
Tr 5 606 And to hymself ful ofte he seyde, "Allas,
Tr 5 607 Fro hennes rood my blisse and my solas!
Tr 5 608 As wolde blisful God now, for his joie,
Tr 5 609 I myghte hire sen ayein come into Troie!
Tr 5 610 "And to the yonder hille I gan hire gyde,
Tr 5 611 Allas, and ther I took of hire my leve!
Tr 5 612 And yond I saugh hire to hire fader ride,
Tr 5 613 For sorwe of which myn herte shal tocleve;
Tr 5 614 And hider hom I com whan it was eve,
Tr 5 615 And here I dwelle out cast from alle joie,
Tr 5 616 And shal, til I may sen hire eft in Troie."
Tr 5 617 And of hymself ymagened he ofte
Tr 5 618 To ben defet, and pale, and waxen lesse
Tr 5 619 Than he was wont, and that men seyden softe,
Tr 5 620 "What may it be? Who kan the sothe gesse
Tr 5 621 Whi Troilus hath al this hevynesse?"
Tr 5 622 And al this nas but his malencolie,
Tr 5 623 That he hadde of hymself swich fantasie.
Tr 5 624 Another tyme ymaginen he wolde
Tr 5 625 That every wight that wente by the weye
Tr 5 626 Hadde of hym routhe, and that they seyen sholde,
Tr 5 627 "I am right sory Troilus wol deye."
Tr 5 628 And thus he drof a day yet forth or tweye,
Tr 5 629 As ye have herd; swich lif right gan he lede
Tr 5 630 As he that stood bitwixen hope and drede.
Tr 5 631 For which hym likede in his songes shewe
Tr 5 632 Th' enchesoun of his wo, as he best myghte;
Tr 5 633 And made a song of wordes but a fewe,
Tr 5 634 Somwhat his woful herte for to lighte;
Tr 5 635 And whan he was from every mannes syghte,
Tr 5 636 With softe vois he of his lady deere,
Tr 5 637 That absent was, gan synge as ye may heere:
Tr 5 638 "O sterre, of which I lost have al the light,
Tr 5 639 With herte soor wel oughte I to biwaille
Tr 5 640 That evere derk in torment, nyght by nyght,
Tr 5 641 Toward my deth with wynd in steere I saille;
Tr 5 642 For which the tenthe nyght, if that I faille
Tr 5 643 The gydyng of thi bemes bright an houre,
Tr 5 644 My ship and me Caribdis wol devoure."
Tr 5 645 This song whan he thus songen hadde, soone
Tr 5 646 He fil ayeyn into his sikes olde;
Tr 5 647 And every nyght, as was his wone to doone,
Tr 5 648 He stood the brighte moone to byholde,
Tr 5 649 And al his sorwe he to the moone tolde,
Tr 5 650 And seyde, "Ywis, whan thow art horned newe,
Tr 5 651 I shal be glad, if al the world be trewe!
Tr 5 652 "I saugh thyn hornes olde ek by the morwe
Tr 5 653 Whan hennes rood my righte lady dere
Tr 5 654 That cause is of my torment and my sorwe;
Tr 5 655 For which, O brighte Latona the clere,
Tr 5 656 For love of God, ren faste aboute thy spere!
Tr 5 657 For whan thyne hornes newe gynnen sprynge,
Tr 5 658 Than shal she come that may my blisse brynge."
Tr 5 659 The dayes moore and lenger every nyght
Tr 5 660 Than they ben wont to be, hym thoughte tho,
Tr 5 661 And that the sonne went his cours unright
Tr 5 662 By lenger weye than it was wont to do;
Tr 5 663 And seyde, "Ywis, me dredeth evere mo
Tr 5 664 The sonnes sone, Pheton, be on lyve,
Tr 5 665 And that his fader carte amys he dryve."
Tr 5 666 Upon the walles faste ek wolde he walke,
Tr 5 667 And on the Grekis oost he wolde se;
Tr 5 668 And to hymself right thus he wolde talke:
Tr 5 669 "Lo, yonder is myn owene lady free,
Tr 5 670 Or ellis yonder, ther tho tentes be;
Tr 5 671 And thennes comth this eyr, that is so soote
Tr 5 672 That in my soule I fele it doth me boote.
Tr 5 673 "And hardily, this wynd that more and moore
Tr 5 674 Thus stoundemele encresseth in my face
Tr 5 675 Is of my ladys depe sikes soore.
Tr 5 676 I preve it thus: for in noon other place
Tr 5 677 Of al this town, save onliche in this space,
Tr 5 678 Fele I no wynd that sowneth so lik peyne;
Tr 5 679 It seyth, `Allas! Whi twynned be we tweyne?'"
Tr 5 680 This longe tyme he dryveth forth right thus
Tr 5 681 Til fully passed was the nynthe nyght;
Tr 5 682 And ay bisyde hym was this Pandarus,
Tr 5 683 That bisily did al his fulle myght
Tr 5 684 Hym to conforte and make his herte light,
Tr 5 685 Yevyng hym hope alwey the tenthe morwe
Tr 5 686 That she shal come and stynten al his sorwe.
Tr 5 687 Upon that other syde ek was Criseyde,
Tr 5 688 With wommen fewe, among the Grekis stronge,
Tr 5 689 For which ful ofte a day "Allas," she seyde,
Tr 5 690 "That I was born! Wel may myn herte longe
Tr 5 691 After my deth, for now lyve I to longe.
Tr 5 692 Allas, and I ne may it nat amende,
Tr 5 693 For now is wors than evere yet I wende!
Tr 5 694 "My fader nyl for nothyng do me grace
Tr 5 695 To gon ayeyn, for naught I kan hym queme;
Tr 5 696 And if so be that I my terme pace,
Tr 5 697 My Troilus shal in his herte deme
Tr 5 698 That I am fals, and so it may wel seme:
Tr 5 699 Thus shal ich have unthonk on every side --
Tr 5 700 That I was born so weilaway the tide!
Tr 5 701 "And if that I me putte in jupartie
Tr 5 702 To stele awey by nyght, and it bifalle
Tr 5 703 That I be kaught, I shal be holde a spie;
Tr 5 704 Or elles -- lo, this drede I moost of alle --
Tr 5 705 If in the hondes of som wrecche I falle,
Tr 5 706 I nam but lost, al be myn herte trewe.
Tr 5 707 Now, myghty God, thow on my sorwe rewe!"
Tr 5 708 Ful pale ywoxen was hire brighte face,
Tr 5 709 Hire lymes lene, as she that al the day
Tr 5 710 Stood, whan she dorste, and loked on the place
Tr 5 711 Ther she was born, and ther she dwelt hadde ay;
Tr 5 712 And al the nyght wepyng, allas, she lay.
Tr 5 713 And thus despeired, out of alle cure,
Tr 5 714 She ladde hire lif, this woful creature.
Tr 5 715 Ful ofte a day she sighte ek for destresse,
Tr 5 716 And in hireself she wente ay purtraynge
Tr 5 717 Of Troilus the grete worthynesse,
Tr 5 718 And al his goodly wordes recordynge
Tr 5 719 Syn first that day hire love bigan to springe.
Tr 5 720 And thus she sette hire woful herte afire
Tr 5 721 Thorugh remembraunce of that she gan desire.
Tr 5 722 In al this world ther nys so cruel herte
Tr 5 723 That hire hadde herd compleynen in hire sorwe
Tr 5 724 That nolde han wepen for hire peynes smerte,
Tr 5 725 So tendrely she weep, bothe eve and morwe.
Tr 5 726 Hire nedede no teris for to borwe!
Tr 5 727 And this was yet the werste of al hire peyne:
Tr 5 728 Ther was no wight to whom she dorste hire pleyne.
Tr 5 729 Ful rewfully she loked upon Troie,
Tr 5 730 Biheld the toures heigh and ek the halles;
Tr 5 731 "Allas," quod she, "the plesance and the joie,
Tr 5 732 The which that now al torned into galle is,
Tr 5 733 Have ich had ofte withinne yonder walles!
Tr 5 734 O Troilus, what dostow now?" she seyde.
Tr 5 735 "Lord, wheyther thow yet thenke upon Criseyde?
Tr 5 736 "Allas, I ne hadde trowed on youre loore
Tr 5 737 And went with yow, as ye me redde er this!
Tr 5 738 Than hadde I now nat siked half so soore.
Tr 5 739 Who myghte han seyd that I hadde don amys
Tr 5 740 To stele awey with swich oon as he ys.
Tr 5 741 But al to late comth the letuarie
Tr 5 742 Whan men the cors unto the grave carie.
Tr 5 743 "To late is now to speke of that matere.
Tr 5 744 Prudence, allas, oon of thyne eyen thre
Tr 5 745 Me lakked alwey, er that I come here!
Tr 5 746 On tyme ypassed wel remembred me,
Tr 5 747 And present tyme ek koud ich wel ise,
Tr 5 748 But future tyme, er I was in the snare,
Tr 5 749 Koude I nat sen; that causeth now my care.
Tr 5 750 "But natheles, bityde what bityde,
Tr 5 751 I shal to-morwe at nyght, by est or west,
Tr 5 752 Out of this oost stele in som manere syde,
Tr 5 753 And gon with Troilus where as hym lest.
Tr 5 754 This purpos wol ich holde, and this is best.
Tr 5 755 No fors of wikked tonges janglerie,
Tr 5 756 For evere on love han wrecches had envye.
Tr 5 757 "For whoso wol of every word take hede,
Tr 5 758 Or reulen hym by every wightes wit,
Tr 5 759 Ne shal he nevere thryven, out of drede;
Tr 5 760 For that that som men blamen evere yit,
Tr 5 761 Lo, other manere folk comenden it.
Tr 5 762 And as for me, for al swich variaunce,
Tr 5 763 Felicite clepe I my suffisaunce.
Tr 5 764 "For which, withouten any wordes mo,
Tr 5 765 To Troie I wole, as for conclusioun."
Tr 5 766 But God it wot, er fully monthes two,
Tr 5 767 She was ful fer fro that entencioun!
Tr 5 768 For bothe Troilus and Troie town
Tr 5 769 Shal knotteles thorughout hire herte slide;
Tr 5 770 For she wol take a purpos for t' abide.
Tr 5 771 This Diomede, of whom yow telle I gan,
Tr 5 772 Goth now withinne hymself ay arguynge,
Tr 5 773 With al the sleghte and al that evere he kan,
Tr 5 774 How he may best, with shortest taryinge,
Tr 5 775 Into his net Criseydes herte brynge.
Tr 5 776 To this entent he koude nevere fyne;
Tr 5 777 To fisshen hire he leyde out hook and lyne.
Tr 5 778 But natheles, wel in his herte he thoughte
Tr 5 779 That she nas nat withoute a love in Troie,
Tr 5 780 For nevere sythen he hire thennes broughte
Tr 5 781 Ne koude he sen hire laughe or maken joie.
Tr 5 782 He nyst how best hire herte for t' acoye;
Tr 5 783 "But for t' asay," he seyde, "it naught n' agreveth,
Tr 5 784 For he that naught n' asaieth naught n' acheveth."
Tr 5 785 Yet seyde he to hymself upon a nyght,
Tr 5 786 "Now am I nat a fool, that woot wel how
Tr 5 787 Hire wo for love is of another wight,
Tr 5 788 And hereupon to gon assaye hire now?
Tr 5 789 I may wel wite it nyl nat ben my prow,
Tr 5 790 For wise folk in bookes it expresse,
Tr 5 791 `Men shal nat wowe a wight in hevynesse.'
Tr 5 792 "But whoso myghte wynnen swich a flour
Tr 5 793 From hym for whom she morneth nyght and day,
Tr 5 794 He myghte seyn he were a conquerour."
Tr 5 795 And right anon, as he that bold was ay,
Tr 5 796 Thoughte in his herte, "Happe how happe may,
Tr 5 797 Al sholde I dye, I wol hire herte seche!
Tr 5 798 I shal namore lesen but my speche."
Tr 5 799 This Diomede, as bokes us declare,
Tr 5 800 Was in his nedes prest and corageous,
Tr 5 801 With sterne vois and myghty lymes square,
Tr 5 802 Hardy, testif, strong, and chivalrous
Tr 5 803 Of dedes, lik his fader Tideus.
Tr 5 804 And som men seyn he was of tonge large;
Tr 5 805 And heir he was of Calydoigne and Arge.
Tr 5 806 Criseyde mene was of hire stature;
Tr 5 807 Therto of shap, of face, and ek of cheere,
Tr 5 808 Ther myghte ben no fairer creature.
Tr 5 809 And ofte tymes this was hire manere:
Tr 5 810 To gon ytressed with hire heres clere
Tr 5 811 Doun by hire coler at hire bak byhynde,
Tr 5 812 Which with a thred of gold she wolde bynde;
Tr 5 813 And, save hire browes joyneden yfeere,
Tr 5 814 Ther nas no lak, in aught I kan espien.
Tr 5 815 But for to speken of hire eyen cleere,
Tr 5 816 Lo, trewely, they writen that hire syen
Tr 5 817 That Paradis stood formed in hire yen.
Tr 5 818 And with hire riche beaute evere more
Tr 5 819 Strof love in hire ay, which of hem was more.
Tr 5 820 She sobre was, ek symple, and wys withal,
Tr 5 821 The best ynorisshed ek that myghte be,
Tr 5 822 And goodly of hire speche in general,
Tr 5 823 Charitable, estatlich, lusty, fre;
Tr 5 824 Ne nevere mo ne lakked hire pite;
Tr 5 825 Tendre-herted, slydynge of corage;
Tr 5 826 But trewely, I kan nat telle hire age.
Tr 5 827 And Troilus wel woxen was in highte,
Tr 5 828 And complet formed by proporcioun
Tr 5 829 So wel that kynde it nought amenden myghte;
Tr 5 830 Yong, fressh, strong, and hardy as lyoun;
Tr 5 831 Trewe as stiel in ech condicioun;
Tr 5 832 Oon of the beste entecched creature
Tr 5 833 That is or shal whil that the world may dure.
Tr 5 834 And certeynly in storye it is yfounde
Tr 5 835 That Troilus was nevere unto no wight,
Tr 5 836 As in his tyme, in no degree secounde
Tr 5 837 In durryng don that longeth to a knyght.
Tr 5 838 Al myghte a geant passen hym of myght,
Tr 5 839 His herte ay with the first and with the beste
Tr 5 840 Stood paregal, to durre don that hym leste.
Tr 5 841 But for to tellen forth of Diomede:
Tr 5 842 It fel that after, on the tenthe day
Tr 5 843 Syn that Criseyde out of the citee yede,
Tr 5 844 This Diomede, as fressh as braunche in May,
Tr 5 845 Com to the tente ther as Calkas lay,
Tr 5 846 And feyned hym with Calkas han to doone;
Tr 5 847 But what he mente, I shal yow tellen soone.
Tr 5 848 Criseyde, at shorte wordes for to telle,
Tr 5 849 Welcomed hym and down hym by hire sette --
Tr 5 850 And he was ethe ynough to maken dwelle!
Tr 5 851 And after this, withouten longe lette,
Tr 5 852 The spices and the wyn men forth hem fette;
Tr 5 853 And forth they speke of this and that yfeere,
Tr 5 854 As frendes don, of which som shal ye heere.
Tr 5 855 He gan first fallen of the werre in speche
Tr 5 856 Bitwixe hem and the folk of Troie town;
Tr 5 857 And of th' assege he gan hire ek biseche
Tr 5 858 To telle hym what was hire opynyoun;
Tr 5 859 Fro that demaunde he so descendeth down
Tr 5 860 To axen hire if that hire straunge thoughte
Tr 5 861 The Grekis gise and werkes that they wroughte;
Tr 5 862 And whi hire fader tarieth so longe
Tr 5 863 To wedden hire unto som worthy wight.
Tr 5 864 Criseyde, that was in hire peynes stronge
Tr 5 865 For love of Troilus, hire owen knyght,
Tr 5 866 As ferforth as she konnyng hadde or myght
Tr 5 867 Answerde hym tho; but as of his entente,
Tr 5 868 It semed nat she wiste what he mente.
Tr 5 869 But natheles, this ilke Diomede
Tr 5 870 Gan in hymself assure, and thus he seyde:
Tr 5 871 "If ich aright have taken of yow hede,
Tr 5 872 Me thynketh thus, O lady myn, Criseyde,
Tr 5 873 That syn I first hond on youre bridel leyde,
Tr 5 874 Whan ye out come of Troie by the morwe,
Tr 5 875 Ne koude I nevere sen yow but in sorwe.
Tr 5 876 "Kan I nat seyn what may the cause be,
Tr 5 877 But if for love of som Troian it were,
Tr 5 878 The which right sore wolde athynken me
Tr 5 879 That ye for any wight that dwelleth there
Tr 5 880 Sholden spille a quarter of a tere
Tr 5 881 Or pitously youreselven so bigile --
Tr 5 882 For dredeles, it is nought worth the while.
Tr 5 883 "The folk of Troie, as who seyth, alle and some
Tr 5 884 In prisoun ben, as ye youreselven se;
Tr 5 885 Nor thennes shal nat oon on-lyve come
Tr 5 886 For al the gold atwixen sonne and se.
Tr 5 887 Trusteth wel, and understondeth me,
Tr 5 888 Ther shal nat oon to mercy gon on-lyve,
Tr 5 889 Al were he lord of worldes twies fyve!
Tr 5 890 "Swich wreche on hem for fecchynge of Eleyne
Tr 5 891 Ther shal ben take, er that we hennes wende,
Tr 5 892 That Manes, which that goddes ben of peyne,
Tr 5 893 Shal ben agast that Grekes wol hem shende,
Tr 5 894 And men shul drede, unto the worldes ende,
Tr 5 895 From hennesforth to ravysshen any queene,
Tr 5 896 So cruel shal oure wreche on hem be seene.
Tr 5 897 "And but if Calkas lede us with ambages --
Tr 5 898 That is to seyn, with double wordes slye,
Tr 5 899 Swiche as men clepen a word with two visages --
Tr 5 900 Ye shal wel knowen that I naught ne lie,
Tr 5 901 And al this thyng right sen it with youre ye,
Tr 5 902 And that anon, ye nyl nat trowe how sone;
Tr 5 903 Now taketh hede, for it is for to doone.
Tr 5 904 "What! Wene ye youre wise fader wolde
Tr 5 905 Han yeven Antenor for yow anon,
Tr 5 906 If he ne wiste that the cite sholde
Tr 5 907 Destroied ben? Whi, nay, so mote I gon!
Tr 5 908 He knew ful wel ther shal nat scapen oon
Tr 5 909 That Troian is. and for the grete feere
Tr 5 910 He dorste nat ye dwelte lenger there.
Tr 5 911 "What wol ye more, lufsom lady deere?
Tr 5 912 Lat Troie and Troian fro youre herte pace!
Tr 5 913 Drif out that bittre hope, and make good cheere,
Tr 5 914 And clepe ayeyn the beaute of youre face
Tr 5 915 That ye with salte teris so deface,
Tr 5 916 For Troie is brought in swich a jupartie
Tr 5 917 That it to save is now no remedie.
Tr 5 918 "And thenketh wel, ye shal in Grekis fynde
Tr 5 919 A moore parfit love, er it be nyght,
Tr 5 920 Than any Troian is, and more kynde,
Tr 5 921 And bet to serven yow wol don his myght.
Tr 5 922 And if ye vouchesauf, my lady bright,
Tr 5 923 I wol ben he to serven yow myselve,
Tr 5 924 Yee, levere than be kyng of Greces twelve!"
Tr 5 925 And with that word he gan to waxen red,
Tr 5 926 And in his speche a litel wight he quok,
Tr 5 927 And caste asyde a litel wight his hed,
Tr 5 928 And stynte a while; and afterward he wok,
Tr 5 929 And sobreliche on hire he threw his lok,
Tr 5 930 And seyde, "I am, al be it yow no joie,
Tr 5 931 As gentil man as any wight in Troie.
Tr 5 932 "For if my fader Tideus," he seyde,
Tr 5 933 "Ilyved hadde, ich hadde ben er this
Tr 5 934 Of Calydoyne and Arge a kyng, Criseyde!
Tr 5 935 And so hope I that I shal yet, iwis.
Tr 5 936 But he was slayn -- allas, the more harm is. --
Tr 5 937 Unhappily at Thebes al to rathe,
Tr 5 938 Polymyte and many a man to scathe.
Tr 5 939 "But herte myn, syn that I am youre man --
Tr 5 940 And ben the first of whom I seche grace --
Tr 5 941 To serve yow as hertely as I kan,
Tr 5 942 And evere shal whil I to lyve have space,
Tr 5 943 So, er that I departe out of this place,
Tr 5 944 Ye wol me graunte that I may to-morwe,
Tr 5 945 At bettre leyser, telle yow my sorwe."
Tr 5 946 What sholde I telle his wordes that he seyde?
Tr 5 947 He spak inough for o day at the meeste.
Tr 5 948 It preveth wel; he spak so that Criseyde
Tr 5 949 Graunted on the morwe, at his requeste,
Tr 5 950 For to speken with hym at the leeste --
Tr 5 951 So that he nolde speke of swich matere.
Tr 5 952 And thus to hym she seyde, as ye may here,
Tr 5 953 As she that hadde hire herte on Troilus
Tr 5 954 So faste that ther may it non arace;
Tr 5 955 And strangely she spak, and seyde thus:
Tr 5 956 "O Diomede, I love that ilke place
Tr 5 957 Ther I was born; and Joves, for his grace,
Tr 5 958 Delyvere it soone of al that doth it care!
Tr 5 959 God, for thy myght, so leve it wel to fare!
Tr 5 960 "That Grekis wolde hire wrath on Troie wreke,
Tr 5 961 If that they myght, I knowe it wel, iwis;
Tr 5 962 But it shal naught byfallen as ye speke,
Tr 5 963 And God toforn! And forther over this,
Tr 5 964 I woot my fader wys and redy is,
Tr 5 965 And that he me hath bought, as ye me tolde,
Tr 5 966 So deere, I am the more unto hym holde.
Tr 5 967 "That Grekis ben of heigh condicioun
Tr 5 968 I woot ek wel; but certeyn, men shal fynde
Tr 5 969 As worthi folk withinne Troie town,
Tr 5 970 As konnyng, and as parfit, and as kynde,
Tr 5 971 As ben bitwixen Orkades and Inde;
Tr 5 972 And that ye koude wel yowre lady serve,
Tr 5 973 I trowe ek wel, hire thank for to deserve.
Tr 5 974 "But as to speke of love, ywis," she seyde,
Tr 5 975 "I hadde a lord, to whom I wedded was,
Tr 5 976 The whos myn herte al was, til that he deyde;
Tr 5 977 And other love, as help me now Pallas,
Tr 5 978 Ther in myn herte nys, ne nevere was.
Tr 5 979 And that ye ben of noble and heigh kynrede,
Tr 5 980 I have wel herd it tellen, out of drede.
Tr 5 981 "And that doth me to han so gret a wonder
Tr 5 982 That ye wol scornen any womman so.
Tr 5 983 Ek, God woot, love and I ben fer ysonder!
Tr 5 984 I am disposed bet, so mot I go,
Tr 5 985 Unto my deth, to pleyne and maken wo.
Tr 5 986 What I shal after don I kan nat seye;
Tr 5 987 But trewelich, as yet me list nat pleye.
Tr 5 988 "Myn herte is now in tribulacioun,
Tr 5 989 And ye in armes bisy day by day.
Tr 5 990 Herafter, whan ye wonnen han the town,
Tr 5 991 Peraventure so it happen may
Tr 5 992 That whan I se that nevere yit I say
Tr 5 993 Than wol I werke that I nevere wroughte!
Tr 5 994 This word to yow ynough suffisen oughte.
Tr 5 995 "To-morwe ek wol I speken with yow fayn,
Tr 5 996 So that ye touchen naught of this matere.
Tr 5 997 And whan yow list, ye may come here ayayn;
Tr 5 998 And er ye gon, thus muche I sey yow here:
Tr 5 999 As help me Pallas with hire heres clere,
Tr 5 1000 If that I sholde of any Grek han routhe,
Tr 5 1001 It sholde be youreselven, by my trouthe!
Tr 5 1002 "I say nat therfore that I wol yow love,
Tr 5 1003 N' y say nat nay; but in conclusioun,
Tr 5 1004 I mene wel, by God that sit above!"
Tr 5 1005 And therwithal she caste hire eyen down,
Tr 5 1006 And gan to sike, and seyde, "O Troie town,
Tr 5 1007 Yet bidde I God in quiete and in reste
Tr 5 1008 I may yow sen, or do myn herte breste."
Tr 5 1009 But in effect, and shortly for to seye,
Tr 5 1010 This Diomede al fresshly newe ayeyn
Tr 5 1011 Gan pressen on, and faste hire mercy preye;
Tr 5 1012 And after this, the sothe for to seyn,
Tr 5 1013 Hire glove he took, of which he was ful feyn;
Tr 5 1014 And finaly, whan it was woxen eve
Tr 5 1015 And al was wel, he roos and tok his leve.
Tr 5 1016 The brighte Venus folwede and ay taughte
Tr 5 1017 The wey ther brode Phebus down alighte;
Tr 5 1018 And Cynthea hire char-hors overraughte
Tr 5 1019 To whirle out of the Leoun, if she myghte;
Tr 5 1020 And Signifer his candels sheweth brighte
Tr 5 1021 Whan that Criseyde unto hire bedde wente
Tr 5 1022 Inwith hire fadres faire brighte tente,
Tr 5 1023 Retornyng in hire soule ay up and down
Tr 5 1024 The wordes of this sodeyn Diomede,
Tr 5 1025 His grete estat, and perel of the town,
Tr 5 1026 And that she was allone and hadde nede
Tr 5 1027 Of frendes help; and thus bygan to brede
Tr 5 1028 The cause whi, the sothe for to telle,
Tr 5 1029 That she took fully purpos for to dwelle.
Tr 5 1030 The morwen com, and gostly for to speke,
Tr 5 1031 This Diomede is come unto Criseyde;
Tr 5 1032 And shortly, lest that ye my tale breke,
Tr 5 1033 So wel he for hymselven spak and seyde
Tr 5 1034 That alle hire sikes soore adown he leyde;
Tr 5 1035 And finaly, the sothe for to seyne,
Tr 5 1036 He refte hire of the grete of al hire peyne.
Tr 5 1037 And after this the storie telleth us
Tr 5 1038 That she hym yaf the faire baye stede
Tr 5 1039 The which he ones wan of Troilus;
Tr 5 1040 And ek a broche -- and that was litel nede --
Tr 5 1041 That Troilus was, she yaf this Diomede.
Tr 5 1042 And ek, the bet from sorwe hym to releve,
Tr 5 1043 She made hym were a pencel of hire sleve.
Tr 5 1044 I fynde ek in stories elleswhere,
Tr 5 1045 Whan thorugh the body hurt was Diomede
Tr 5 1046 Of Troilus, tho wep she many a teere
Tr 5 1047 Whan that she saugh his wyde wowndes blede,
Tr 5 1048 And that she took, to kepen hym, good hede;
Tr 5 1049 And for to helen hym of his sorwes smerte,
Tr 5 1050 Men seyn -- I not -- that she yaf hym hire herte.
Tr 5 1051 But trewely, the storie telleth us,
Tr 5 1052 Ther made nevere womman moore wo
Tr 5 1053 Than she, whan that she falsed Troilus.
Tr 5 1054 She seyde, "Allas, for now is clene ago
Tr 5 1055 My name of trouthe in love, for everemo!
Tr 5 1056 For I have falsed oon the gentileste
Tr 5 1057 That evere was, and oon the worthieste!
Tr 5 1058 "Allas, of me, unto the worldes ende,
Tr 5 1059 Shal neyther ben ywriten nor ysonge
Tr 5 1060 No good word, for thise bokes wol me shende.
Tr 5 1061 O, rolled shal I ben on many a tonge!
Tr 5 1062 Thorughout the world my belle shal be ronge!
Tr 5 1063 And wommen moost wol haten me of alle.
Tr 5 1064 Allas, that swich a cas me sholde falle!
Tr 5 1065 "Thei wol seyn, in as muche as in me is,
Tr 5 1066 I have hem don dishonour, weylaway!
Tr 5 1067 Al be I nat the first that dide amys,
Tr 5 1068 What helpeth that to don my blame awey?
Tr 5 1069 But syn I se ther is no bettre way,
Tr 5 1070 And that to late is now for me to rewe,
Tr 5 1071 To Diomede algate I wol be trewe.
Tr 5 1072 "But, Troilus, syn I no bettre may,
Tr 5 1073 And syn that thus departen ye and I,
Tr 5 1074 Yet prey I God, so yeve yow right good day,
Tr 5 1075 As for the gentileste, trewely,
Tr 5 1076 That evere I say, to serven feythfully,
Tr 5 1077 And best kan ay his lady honour kepe."
Tr 5 1078 And with that word she brast anon to wepe.
Tr 5 1079 "And certes yow ne haten shal I nevere;
Tr 5 1080 And frendes love, that shal ye han of me,
Tr 5 1081 And my good word, al sholde I lyven evere.
Tr 5 1082 And trewely I wolde sory be
Tr 5 1083 For to seen yow in adversitee;
Tr 5 1084 And gilteles, I woot wel, I yow leve.
Tr 5 1085 But al shal passe; and thus take I my leve."
Tr 5 1086 But trewely, how longe it was bytwene
Tr 5 1087 That she forsok hym for this Diomede,
Tr 5 1088 Ther is non auctour telleth it, I wene.
Tr 5 1089 Take every man now to his bokes heede,
Tr 5 1090 He shal no terme fynden, out of drede.
Tr 5 1091 For though that he bigan to wowe hire soone,
Tr 5 1092 Er he hire wan, yet was ther more to doone.
Tr 5 1093 Ne me ne list this sely womman chyde
Tr 5 1094 Forther than the storye wol devyse.
Tr 5 1095 Hire name, allas, is publysshed so wide
Tr 5 1096 That for hire gilt it oughte ynough suffise.
Tr 5 1097 And if I myghte excuse hire any wise,
Tr 5 1098 For she so sory was for hire untrouthe,
Tr 5 1099 Iwis, I wolde excuse hire yet for routhe.
Tr 5 1100 This Troilus, as I byfore have told,
Tr 5 1101 Thus driveth forth, as wel as he hath myght;
Tr 5 1102 But often was his herte hoot and cold,
Tr 5 1103 And namely that ilke nynthe nyght,
Tr 5 1104 Which on the morwe she hadde hym bihight
Tr 5 1105 To com ayeyn. God woot, ful litel reste
Tr 5 1106 Hadde he that nyght -- nothyng to slepe hym leste.
Tr 5 1107 The laurer-crowned Phebus with his heete
Tr 5 1108 Gan, in his cours ay upward as he wente,
Tr 5 1109 To warmen of the est se the wawes weete,
Tr 5 1110 And Nysus doughter song with fressh entente,
Tr 5 1111 Whan Troilus his Pandare after sente;
Tr 5 1112 And on the walles of the town they pleyde,
Tr 5 1113 To loke if they kan sen aught of Criseyde.
Tr 5 1114 Tyl it was noon they stoden for to se
Tr 5 1115 Who that ther come, and every maner wight
Tr 5 1116 That com fro fer, they seyden it was she --
Tr 5 1117 Til that thei koude knowen hym aright.
Tr 5 1118 Now was his herte dul, now was it light.
Tr 5 1119 And thus byjaped stonden for to stare
Tr 5 1120 Aboute naught this Troilus and Pandare.
Tr 5 1121 To Pandarus this Troilus tho seyde,
Tr 5 1122 "For aught I woot, byfor noon, sikirly,
Tr 5 1123 Into this town ne comth nat here Criseyde.
Tr 5 1124 She hath ynough to doone, hardyly,
Tr 5 1125 To wynnen from hire fader, so trowe I.
Tr 5 1126 Hire olde fader wol yet make hire dyne
Tr 5 1127 Er that she go -- God yeve hys herte pyne!"
Tr 5 1128 Pandare answerede, "It may wel be, certeyn.
Tr 5 1129 And forthi lat us dyne, I the byseche,
Tr 5 1130 And after noon than maystow come ayeyn."
Tr 5 1131 And hom they go, withoute more speche,
Tr 5 1132 And comen ayeyn -- but longe may they seche
Tr 5 1133 Er that they fynde that they after cape.
Tr 5 1134 Fortune hem bothe thenketh for to jape!
Tr 5 1135 Quod Troilus, "I se wel now that she
Tr 5 1136 Is taried with hire olde fader so,
Tr 5 1137 That er she come, it wol neigh even be.
Tr 5 1138 Com forth; I wol unto the yate go.
Tr 5 1139 Thise porters ben unkonnyng evere mo,
Tr 5 1140 And I wol don hem holden up the yate
Tr 5 1141 As naught ne were, although she come late."
Tr 5 1142 The day goth faste, and after that com eve,
Tr 5 1143 And yet com nought to Troilus Criseyde.
Tr 5 1144 He loketh forth by hegge, by tre, by greve,
Tr 5 1145 And fer his hed over the wal he leyde;
Tr 5 1146 And at the laste he torned hym and seyde,
Tr 5 1147 "By God, I woot hire menyng now, Pandare!
Tr 5 1148 Almoost, ywys, al newe was my care.
Tr 5 1149 "Now douteles, this lady kan hire good;
Tr 5 1150 I woot she meneth riden pryvely.
Tr 5 1151 I comende hire wisdom, by myn hood!
Tr 5 1152 She wol nat maken peple nycely
Tr 5 1153 Gaure on hire whan she comth, but softely
Tr 5 1154 By nyghte into the town she thenketh ride.
Tr 5 1155 And, deere brother, thynk nat longe t' abide.
Tr 5 1156 "We han naught elles for to don, ywis.
Tr 5 1157 And Pandarus, now woltow trowen me?
Tr 5 1158 Have here my trouthe, I se hire! Yond she is.
Tr 5 1159 Heve up thyn eyen, man! Maistow nat se?"
Tr 5 1160 Pandare answerede, "Nay, so mote I the!
Tr 5 1161 Al wrong, by God! What saistow, man? Where arte?
Tr 5 1162 That I se yond nys but a fare-carte."
Tr 5 1163 "Allas, thow seyst right soth," quod Troilus.
Tr 5 1164 "But, hardily, it is naught al for nought
Tr 5 1165 That in myn herte I now rejoysse thus;
Tr 5 1166 It is ayeyns som good I have a thought.
Tr 5 1167 Not I nat how, but syn that I was wrought
Tr 5 1168 Ne felte I swich a comfort, dar I seye;
Tr 5 1169 She comth to-nyght, my lif that dorste I leye!"
Tr 5 1170 Pandare answerde, "It may be, wel ynough,"
Tr 5 1171 And held with hym of al that evere he seyde.
Tr 5 1172 But in his herte he thoughte, and softe lough,
Tr 5 1173 And to hymself ful sobreliche he seyde,
Tr 5 1174 "From haselwode, there joly Robyn pleyde,
Tr 5 1175 Shal come al that that thow abidest heere.
Tr 5 1176 Ye, fare wel al the snow of ferne yere!"
Tr 5 1177 The warden of the yates gan to calle
Tr 5 1178 The folk which that withoute the yates were,
Tr 5 1179 And bad hem dryven in hire bestes alle,
Tr 5 1180 Or all the nyght they moste bleven there.
Tr 5 1181 And fer withinne the nyght, with many a teere,
Tr 5 1182 This Troilus gan homward for to ride,
Tr 5 1183 For wel he seth it helpeth naught t' abide.
Tr 5 1184 But natheles, he gladed hym in this:
Tr 5 1185 He thought he misacounted hadde his day,
Tr 5 1186 And seyde, "I understonde have al amys.
Tr 5 1187 For thilke nyght I last Criseyde say,
Tr 5 1188 She seyde, `I shal ben here, if that I may,
Tr 5 1189 Er that the moone, O deere herte swete,
Tr 5 1190 The Leoun passe, out of this Ariete.'
Tr 5 1191 "For which she may yet holde al hire byheste."
Tr 5 1192 And on the morwe unto the yate he wente,
Tr 5 1193 And up and down, by west and ek by este,
Tr 5 1194 Upon the walles made he many a wente.
Tr 5 1195 But al for nought; his hope alwey hym blente.
Tr 5 1196 For which at nyght, in sorwe and sikes sore,
Tr 5 1197 He wente hym hom, withouten any more.
Tr 5 1198 His hope al clene out of his herte fledde;
Tr 5 1199 He nath wheron now lenger for to honge;
Tr 5 1200 But for the peyne hym thoughte his herte bledde,
Tr 5 1201 So were his throwes sharpe and wonder stronge;
Tr 5 1202 For whan he saugh that she abood so longe,
Tr 5 1203 He nyste what he juggen of it myghte,
Tr 5 1204 Syn she hath broken that she hym bihighte.
Tr 5 1205 The thridde, ferthe, fifte, sexte day
Tr 5 1206 After tho dayes ten of which I tolde,
Tr 5 1207 Bitwixen hope and drede his herte lay,
Tr 5 1208 Yet somwhat trustyng on hire hestes olde.
Tr 5 1209 But whan he saugh she nolde hire terme holde,
Tr 5 1210 He kan now sen non other remedie
Tr 5 1211 But for to shape hym soone for to dye.
Tr 5 1212 Therwith the wikked spirit, God us blesse,
Tr 5 1213 Which that men clepeth woode jalousie,
Tr 5 1214 Gan in hym crepe, in al this hevynesse;
Tr 5 1215 For which, by cause he wolde soone dye,
Tr 5 1216 He ne et ne drank, for his malencolye,
Tr 5 1217 And ek from every compaignye he fledde:
Tr 5 1218 This was the lif that al the tyme he ledde.
Tr 5 1219 He so defet was, that no manere man
Tr 5 1220 Unneth hym myghte knowen ther he wente;
Tr 5 1221 So was he lene, and therto pale and wan,
Tr 5 1222 And feble, that he walketh by potente;
Tr 5 1223 And with his ire he thus hymselve shente.
Tr 5 1224 But whoso axed hym wherof hym smerte,
Tr 5 1225 He seyde his harm was al aboute his herte.
Tr 5 1226 Priam ful ofte, and ek his moder deere,
Tr 5 1227 His bretheren and his sustren gonne hym freyne
Tr 5 1228 Whi he so sorwful was in al his cheere,
Tr 5 1229 And what thyng was the cause of al his peyne;
Tr 5 1230 But al for naught. He nolde his cause pleyne,
Tr 5 1231 But seyde he felte a grevous maladie
Tr 5 1232 Aboute his herte, and fayn he wolde dye.
Tr 5 1233 So on a day he leyde hym doun to slepe,
Tr 5 1234 And so byfel that yn his slep hym thoughte
Tr 5 1235 That in a forest faste he welk to wepe
Tr 5 1236 For love of here that hym these peynes wroughte;
Tr 5 1237 And up and doun as he the forest soughte,
Tr 5 1238 He mette he saugh a bor with tuskes grete,
Tr 5 1239 That slepte ayeyn the bryghte sonnes hete.
Tr 5 1240 And by this bor, faste in his armes folde,
Tr 5 1241 Lay, kyssyng ay, his lady bryght, Criseyde.
Tr 5 1242 For sorwe of which, whan he it gan byholde,
Tr 5 1243 And for despit, out of his slep he breyde,
Tr 5 1244 And loude he cride on Pandarus, and seyde:
Tr 5 1245 "O Pandarus, now know I crop and roote.
Tr 5 1246 I n' am but ded; ther nys noon other bote.
Tr 5 1247 "My lady bryght, Criseyde, hath me bytrayed,
Tr 5 1248 In whom I trusted most of ony wight.
Tr 5 1249 She elliswhere hath now here herte apayed.
Tr 5 1250 The blysful goddes thorugh here grete myght
Tr 5 1251 Han in my drem yshewed it ful right.
Tr 5 1252 Thus yn my drem Criseyde have I byholde" --
Tr 5 1253 And al this thing to Pandarus he tolde.
Tr 5 1254 "O my Criseyde, allas, what subtilte,
Tr 5 1255 What newe lust, what beaute, what science,
Tr 5 1256 What wratthe of juste cause have ye to me?
Tr 5 1257 What gilt of me, what fel experience
Tr 5 1258 Hath fro me raft, allas, thyn advertence?
Tr 5 1259 O trust, O feyth, O depe asseuraunce!
Tr 5 1260 Who hath me reft Criseyde, al my plesaunce?
Tr 5 1261 "Allas, whi leet I you from hennes go,
Tr 5 1262 For which wel neigh out of my wit I breyde?
Tr 5 1263 Who shal now trowe on any othes mo?
Tr 5 1264 God wot, I wende, O lady bright, Criseyde,
Tr 5 1265 That every word was gospel that ye seyde!
Tr 5 1266 But who may bet bigile, yf hym lyste,
Tr 5 1267 Than he on whom men weneth best to triste?
Tr 5 1268 "What shal I don, my Pandarus, allas?
Tr 5 1269 I fele now so sharp a newe peyne,
Tr 5 1270 Syn that ther lith no remedye in this cas,
Tr 5 1271 That bet were it I with myn hondes tweyne
Tr 5 1272 Myselven slowh alwey than thus to pleyne;
Tr 5 1273 For thorugh the deth my wo sholde han an ende,
Tr 5 1274 Ther every day with lyf myself I shende."
Tr 5 1275 Pandare answerde and seyde, "Allas the while
Tr 5 1276 That I was born! Have I nat seyd er this,
Tr 5 1277 That dremes many a maner man bigile?
Tr 5 1278 And whi? For folk expounden hem amys.
Tr 5 1279 How darstow seyn that fals thy lady ys
Tr 5 1280 For any drem, right for thyn owene drede?
Tr 5 1281 Lat be this thought; thow kanst no dremes rede.
Tr 5 1282 "Peraunter, ther thow dremest of this boor,
Tr 5 1283 It may so be that it may signifie
Tr 5 1284 Hire fader, which that old is and ek hoor,
Tr 5 1285 Ayeyn the sonne lith o poynt to dye,
Tr 5 1286 And she for sorwe gynneth wepe and crie,
Tr 5 1287 And kisseth hym, ther he lith on the grounde:
Tr 5 1288 Thus sholdestow thi drem aright expounde!"
Tr 5 1289 "How myghte I than don," quod Troilus,
Tr 5 1290 "To knowe of this, yee, were it nevere so lite?"
Tr 5 1291 "Now seystow wisly," quod this Pandarus;
Tr 5 1292 "My red is this: syn thow kanst wel endite,
Tr 5 1293 That hastily a lettre thow hire write,
Tr 5 1294 Thorugh which thow shalt wel bryngyn it aboute
Tr 5 1295 To know a soth of that thow art in doute.
Tr 5 1296 "And se now whi: for this I dar wel seyn,
Tr 5 1297 That if so is that she untrewe be,
Tr 5 1298 I kan nat trowen that she wol write ayeyn.
Tr 5 1299 And if she write, thow shalt ful sone yse
Tr 5 1300 As wheither she hath any liberte
Tr 5 1301 To come ayeyn; or ellis in som clause,
Tr 5 1302 If she be let, she wol assigne a cause.
Tr 5 1303 "Thow hast nat writen hire syn that she wente,
Tr 5 1304 Nor she to the; and this I dorste laye,
Tr 5 1305 Ther may swich cause ben in hire entente
Tr 5 1306 That hardily thow wolt thiselven saye
Tr 5 1307 That hire abod the best is for yow twaye.
Tr 5 1308 Now writ hire thanne, and thow shalt feele sone
Tr 5 1309 A soth of al. Ther is namore to done."
Tr 5 1310 Acorded ben to this conclusioun,
Tr 5 1311 And that anon, thise ilke lordes two;
Tr 5 1312 And hastily sit Troilus adown,
Tr 5 1313 And rolleth in his herte to and fro
Tr 5 1314 How he may best discryven hire his wo.
Tr 5 1315 And to Criseyde, his owen lady deere,
Tr 5 1316 He wrot right thus, and seyde as ye may here:
Tr 5 1317 "Right fresshe flour, whos I ben have and shal,
Tr 5 1318 Withouten part of elleswhere servyse,
Tr 5 1319 With herte, body, lif, lust, thought, and al,
Tr 5 1320 I, woful wyght, in everich humble wise
Tr 5 1321 That tonge telle or herte may devyse,
Tr 5 1322 As ofte as matere occupieth place,
Tr 5 1323 Me recomaunde unto youre noble grace.
Tr 5 1324 "Liketh yow to witen, swete herte,
Tr 5 1325 As ye wel knowe, how longe tyme agon
Tr 5 1326 That ye me lefte in aspre peynes smerte,
Tr 5 1327 Whan that ye wente, of which yet boote non
Tr 5 1328 Have I non had, but evere wors bigon
Tr 5 1329 Fro day to day am I, and so mot dwelle,
Tr 5 1330 While it yow list, of wele and wo my welle.
Tr 5 1331 "For which to yow, with dredful herte trewe,
Tr 5 1332 I write, as he that sorwe drifth to write,
Tr 5 1333 My wo, that everich houre encresseth newe,
Tr 5 1334 Compleynyng, as I dar or kan endite.
Tr 5 1335 And that defaced is, that may ye wite
Tr 5 1336 The teris which that fro myn eyen reyne,
Tr 5 1337 That wolden speke, if that they koude, and pleyne.
Tr 5 1338 "Yow first biseche I, that youre eyen clere
Tr 5 1339 To loke on this defouled ye nat holde;
Tr 5 1340 And over al this, that ye, my lady deere,
Tr 5 1341 Wol vouchesauf this lettre to byholde;
Tr 5 1342 And by the cause ek of my cares colde
Tr 5 1343 That sleth my wit, if aught amys m' asterte,
Tr 5 1344 Foryeve it me, myn owen swete herte!
Tr 5 1345 "If any servant dorste or oughte of right
Tr 5 1346 Upon his lady pitously compleyne,
Tr 5 1347 Thanne wene I that ich oughte be that wight,
Tr 5 1348 Considered this, that ye thise monthes tweyne
Tr 5 1349 Han taried, ther ye seyden, soth to seyne,
Tr 5 1350 But dayes ten ye nolde in oost sojourne --
Tr 5 1351 But in two monthes yet ye nat retourne.
Tr 5 1352 "But for as muche as me moot nedes like
Tr 5 1353 Al that yow liste, I dar nat pleyne moore,
Tr 5 1354 But humblely, with sorwful sikes sike,
Tr 5 1355 Yow write ich myn unresty sorwes soore,
Tr 5 1356 Fro day to day desiryng evere moore
Tr 5 1357 To knowen fully, if youre wille it weere,
Tr 5 1358 How ye han ferd and don whil ye be theere;
Tr 5 1359 "The whos welfare and hele ek God encresse
Tr 5 1360 In honour swich that upward in degree
Tr 5 1361 It growe alwey, so that it nevere cesse.
Tr 5 1362 Right as youre herte ay kan, my lady free,
Tr 5 1363 Devyse, I prey to God so moot it be,
Tr 5 1364 And graunte it that ye soone upon me rewe,
Tr 5 1365 As wisly as in al I am yow trewe.
Tr 5 1366 "And if yow liketh knowen of the fare
Tr 5 1367 Of me, whos wo ther may no wit discryve,
Tr 5 1368 I kan namore but, chiste of every care,
Tr 5 1369 At wrytyng of this lettre I was on-lyve,
Tr 5 1370 Al redy out my woful gost to dryve,
Tr 5 1371 Which I delaye, and holde hym yet in honde,
Tr 5 1372 Upon the sighte of matere of youre sonde.
Tr 5 1373 "Myn eyen two, in veyn with which I se,
Tr 5 1374 Of sorwful teris salte arn waxen welles;
Tr 5 1375 My song, in pleynte of myn adversitee;
Tr 5 1376 My good, in harm; myn ese ek woxen helle is.
Tr 5 1377 My joie, in wo; I kan sey yow naught ellis,
Tr 5 1378 But torned is -- for which my lif I warie --
Tr 5 1379 Everich joie or ese in his contrarie;
Tr 5 1380 "Which with youre comyng hom ayeyn to Troie
Tr 5 1381 Ye may redresse, and more a thousand sithe
Tr 5 1382 Than evere ich hadde encressen in me joie.
Tr 5 1383 For was ther nevere herte yet so blithe
Tr 5 1384 To han his lif as I shal ben as swithe
Tr 5 1385 As I yow se; and though no manere routhe
Tr 5 1386 Commeve yow, yet thynketh on youre trouthe.
Tr 5 1387 "And if so be my gilt hath deth deserved,
Tr 5 1388 Or if yow list namore upon me se,
Tr 5 1389 In guerdoun yet of that I have yow served,
Tr 5 1390 Byseche I yow, myn owen lady free,
Tr 5 1391 That hereupon ye wolden write me,
Tr 5 1392 For love of God, my righte lode-sterre,
Tr 5 1393 That deth may make an ende of al my werre;
Tr 5 1394 "If other cause aught doth yow for to dwelle,
Tr 5 1395 That with youre lettre ye me recomforte;
Tr 5 1396 For though to me youre absence is an helle,
Tr 5 1397 With pacience I wol my wo comporte,
Tr 5 1398 And with youre lettre of hope I wol desporte.
Tr 5 1399 Now writeth, swete, and lat me thus nat pleyne;
Tr 5 1400 With hope, or deth, delivereth me fro peyne.
Tr 5 1401 "Iwis, myne owene deere herte trewe,
Tr 5 1402 I woot that whan ye next upon me se,
Tr 5 1403 So lost have I myn hele and ek myn hewe,
Tr 5 1404 Criseyde shal nought konne knowen me.
Tr 5 1405 Iwys, myn hertes day, my lady free,
Tr 5 1406 So thursteth ay myn herte to byholde
Tr 5 1407 Youre beute, that my lif unnethe I holde.
Tr 5 1408 "I say namore, al have I for to seye
Tr 5 1409 To yow wel more than I telle may;
Tr 5 1410 But wheither that ye do me lyve or deye,
Tr 5 1411 Yet praye I God, so yeve yow right good day!
Tr 5 1412 And fareth wel, goodly, faire, fresshe may,
Tr 5 1413 As she that lif or deth may me comande!
Tr 5 1414 And to youre trouthe ay I me recomande,
Tr 5 1415 "With hele swich that, but ye yeven me
Tr 5 1416 The same hele, I shal non hele have.
Tr 5 1417 In yow lith, whan yow liste that it so be,
Tr 5 1418 The day in which me clothen shal my grave;
Tr 5 1419 In yow my lif, in yow myght for to save
Tr 5 1420 Me fro disese of alle peynes smerte;
Tr 5 1421 And far now wel, myn owen swete herte! Le vostre T."
Tr 5 1422 This lettre forth was sent unto Criseyde,
Tr 5 1423 Of which hire answere in effect was this:
Tr 5 1424 Ful pitously she wroot ayeyn, and seyde,
Tr 5 1425 That also sone as that she myghte, ywys,
Tr 5 1426 She wolde come, and mende al that was mys.
Tr 5 1427 And fynaly she wroot and seyde hym thenne,
Tr 5 1428 She wolde come, ye, but she nyste whenne.
Tr 5 1429 But in hire lettre made she swich festes
Tr 5 1430 That wonder was, and swerth she loveth hym best,
Tr 5 1431 Of which he fond but botmeles bihestes.
Tr 5 1432 But Troilus, thow maist now, est or west,
Tr 5 1433 Pipe in an ivy lef, if that the lest!
Tr 5 1434 Thus goth the world. God shilde us fro meschaunce,
Tr 5 1435 And every wight that meneth trouthe avaunce!
Tr 5 1436 Encressen gan the wo fro day to nyght
Tr 5 1437 Of Troilus, for tarying of Criseyde;
Tr 5 1438 And lessen gan his hope and ek his myght,
Tr 5 1439 For which al down he in his bed hym leyde.
Tr 5 1440 He ne eet, ne dronk, ne slep, ne word seyde,
Tr 5 1441 Ymagynyng ay that she was unkynde,
Tr 5 1442 For which wel neigh he wex out of his mynde.
Tr 5 1443 This drem, of which I told have ek byforn,
Tr 5 1444 May nevere outen of his remembraunce.
Tr 5 1445 He thought ay wel he hadde his lady lorn,
Tr 5 1446 And that Joves of his purveyaunce
Tr 5 1447 Hym shewed hadde in slep the signifiaunce
Tr 5 1448 Of hire untrouthe and his disaventure,
Tr 5 1449 And that the boor was shewed hym in figure.
Tr 5 1450 For which he for Sibille his suster sente,
Tr 5 1451 That called was Cassandre ek al aboute,
Tr 5 1452 And al his drem he tolde hire er he stente,
Tr 5 1453 And hire bisoughte assoilen hym the doute
Tr 5 1454 Of the stronge boor with tuskes stoute;
Tr 5 1455 And fynaly, withinne a litel stounde,
Tr 5 1456 Cassandre hym gan right thus his drem expounde:
Tr 5 1457 She gan first smyle, and seyde, "O brother deere,
Tr 5 1458 If thow a soth of this desirest knowe,
Tr 5 1459 Thow most a fewe of olde stories heere,
Tr 5 1460 To purpos how that Fortune overthrowe
Tr 5 1461 Hath lordes olde, thorugh which, withinne a throwe,
Tr 5 1462 Thow wel this boor shalt knowe, and of what kynde
Tr 5 1463 He comen is, as men in bokes fynde.
Tr 5 1464 "Diane, which that wroth was and in ire
Tr 5 1465 For Grekis nolde don hire sacrifice,
Tr 5 1466 Ne encens upon hire auter sette afire,
Tr 5 1467 She, for that Grekis gonne hire so despise,
Tr 5 1468 Wrak hire in a wonder cruel wise;
Tr 5 1469 For with a boor as gret as ox in stalle
Tr 5 1470 She made up frete hire corn and vynes alle.
Tr 5 1471 "To sle this boor was al the contre raysed,
Tr 5 1472 Amonges which ther com, this boor to se,
Tr 5 1473 A mayde, oon of this world the beste ypreysed;
Tr 5 1474 And Meleagre, lord of that contree,
Tr 5 1475 He loved so this fresshe mayden free
Tr 5 1476 That with his manhod, er he wolde stente,
Tr 5 1477 This boor he slough, and hire the hed he sente;
Tr 5 1478 "Of which, as olde bokes tellen us,
Tr 5 1479 Ther ros a contek and a gret envye;
Tr 5 1480 And of this lord descended Tideus
Tr 5 1481 By ligne, or ellis olde bookes lye.
Tr 5 1482 But how this Meleagre gan to dye
Tr 5 1483 Thorugh his moder, wol I yow naught telle,
Tr 5 1484 For al to longe it were for to dwelle."
Tr 5 1485 She tolde ek how Tideus, er she stente,
Tr 5 1486 Unto the stronge citee of Thebes,
Tr 5 1487 To cleymen kyngdom of the citee, wente,
Tr 5 1488 For his felawe, daun Polymytes,
Tr 5 1489 Of which the brother, daun Ethiocles,
Tr 5 1490 Ful wrongfully of Thebes held the strengthe;
Tr 5 1491 This tolde she by proces, al by lengthe.
Tr 5 1492 She tolde ek how Hemonydes asterte,
Tr 5 1493 Whan Tideus slough fifty knyghtes stoute.
Tr 5 1494 She tolde ek alle the prophecyes by herte,
Tr 5 1495 And how that seven kynges with hire route
Tr 5 1496 Bysegeden the citee al aboute;
Tr 5 1497 And of the holy serpent, and the welle,
Tr 5 1498 And of the furies, al she gan hym telle;
Tr 5 1499 Of Archymoris brennynge and the pleyes,
Tr 5 1500 And how Amphiorax fil thorugh the grounde,
Tr 5 1501 How Tideus was sleyn, lord of Argeyes,
Tr 5 1502 And how Ypomedoun in litel stounde
Tr 5 1503 Was dreynt, and ded Parthonope of wownde;
Tr 5 1504 And also how Capaneus the proude
Tr 5 1505 With thonder-dynt was slayn, that cride loude.
Tr 5 1506 She gan ek telle hym how that eyther brother,
Tr 5 1507 Ethiocles and Polymyte also,
Tr 5 1508 At a scarmuche ech of hem slough other,
Tr 5 1509 And of Argyves wepynge and hire wo;
Tr 5 1510 And how the town was brent, she tolde ek tho;
Tr 5 1511 And so descendeth down from gestes olde
Tr 5 1512 To Diomede, and thus she spak and tolde:
Tr 5 1513 "This ilke boor bitokneth Diomede,
Tr 5 1514 Tideus sone, that down descended is
Tr 5 1515 Fro Meleagre, that made the boor to blede;
Tr 5 1516 And thy lady, wherso she be, ywis,
Tr 5 1517 This Diomede hire herte hath, and she his.
Tr 5 1518 Wep if thow wolt, or lef, for out of doute,
Tr 5 1519 This Diomede is inne, and thow art oute."
Tr 5 1520 "Thow seyst nat soth," quod he, "thow sorceresse,
Tr 5 1521 With al thy false goost of prophecye!
Tr 5 1522 Thow wenest ben a gret devyneresse!
Tr 5 1523 Now sestow nat this fool of fantasie
Tr 5 1524 Peyneth hire on ladys for to lye?
Tr 5 1525 Awey!" quod he. "Ther Joves yeve the sorwe!
Tr 5 1526 Thow shalt be fals, peraunter, yet tomorwe!
Tr 5 1527 "As wel thow myghtest lien on Alceste,
Tr 5 1528 That was of creatures, but men lye,
Tr 5 1529 That evere weren, kyndest and the beste!
Tr 5 1530 For whan hire housbonde was in jupertye
Tr 5 1531 To dye hymself but if she wolde dye,
Tr 5 1532 She ches for hym to dye and gon to helle,
Tr 5 1533 And starf anon, as us the bokes telle."
Tr 5 1534 Cassandre goth, and he with cruel herte
Tr 5 1535 Foryat his wo, for angre of hire speche;
Tr 5 1536 And from his bed al sodeynly he sterte,
Tr 5 1537 As though al hool hym hadde ymad a leche.
Tr 5 1538 And day by day he gan enquere and seche
Tr 5 1539 A sooth of this with al his fulle cure;
Tr 5 1540 And thus he drieth forth his aventure.
Tr 5 1541 Fortune, which that permutacioun
Tr 5 1542 Of thynges hath, as it is hire comitted
Tr 5 1543 Thorugh purveyaunce and disposicioun
Tr 5 1544 Of heighe Jove, as regnes shal be flitted
Tr 5 1545 Fro folk in folk, or when they shal be smytted,
Tr 5 1546 Gan pulle awey the fetheres brighte of Troie
Tr 5 1547 Fro day to day, til they ben bare of joie.
Tr 5 1548 Among al this, the fyn of the parodie
Tr 5 1549 Of Ector gan aprochen wonder blyve.
Tr 5 1550 The fate wolde his soule sholde unbodye,
Tr 5 1551 And shapen hadde a mene it out to dryve,
Tr 5 1552 Ayeyns which fate hym helpeth nat to stryve;
Tr 5 1553 But on a day to fighten gan he wende,
Tr 5 1554 At which -- allas! -- he caughte his lyves ende.
Tr 5 1555 For which me thynketh every manere wight
Tr 5 1556 That haunteth armes oughte to biwaille
Tr 5 1557 The deth of hym that was so noble a knyght;
Tr 5 1558 For as he drough a kyng by th' aventaille,
Tr 5 1559 Unwar of this, Achilles thorugh the maille
Tr 5 1560 And thorugh the body gan hym for to ryve;
Tr 5 1561 And thus this worthi knyght was brought of lyve.
Tr 5 1562 For whom, as olde bokes tellen us,
Tr 5 1563 Was mad swich wo that tonge it may nat telle,
Tr 5 1564 And namely, the sorwe of Troilus,
Tr 5 1565 That next hym was of worthynesse welle;
Tr 5 1566 And in this wo gan Troilus to dwelle
Tr 5 1567 That, what for sorwe, and love, and for unreste,
Tr 5 1568 Ful ofte a day he bad his herte breste.
Tr 5 1569 But natheles, though he gan hym dispaire,
Tr 5 1570 And dradde ay that his lady was untrewe,
Tr 5 1571 Yet ay on hire his herte gan repaire.
Tr 5 1572 And as thise lovers don, he soughte ay newe
Tr 5 1573 To gete ayeyn Criseyde, brighte of hewe;
Tr 5 1574 And in his herte he wente hire excusynge,
Tr 5 1575 That Calkas caused al hire tariynge.
Tr 5 1576 And ofte tyme he was in purpos grete
Tr 5 1577 Hymselven lik a pilgrym to desgise
Tr 5 1578 To seen hire; but he may nat contrefete
Tr 5 1579 To ben unknowen of folk that weren wise,
Tr 5 1580 Ne fynde excuse aright that may suffise
Tr 5 1581 If he among the Grekis knowen were;
Tr 5 1582 For which he wep ful ofte and many a tere.
Tr 5 1583 To hire he wroot yet ofte tyme al newe
Tr 5 1584 Ful pitously -- he lefte it nought for slouthe --
Tr 5 1585 Bisechyng hire that sithen he was trewe,
Tr 5 1586 That she wol come ayeyn and holde hire trouthe.
Tr 5 1587 For which Criseyde upon a day, for routhe --
Tr 5 1588 I take it so -- touchyng al this matere,
Tr 5 1589 Wrot hym ayeyn, and seyde as ye may here:
Tr 5 1590 "Cupides sone, ensample of goodlyheede,
Tr 5 1591 O swerd of knyghthod, sours of gentilesse,
Tr 5 1592 How myght a wight in torment and in drede
Tr 5 1593 And heleles, yow sende as yet gladnesse?
Tr 5 1594 I herteles, I sik, I in destresse!
Tr 5 1595 Syn ye with me, nor I with yow, may dele,
Tr 5 1596 Yow neyther sende ich herte may nor hele.
Tr 5 1597 "Youre lettres ful, the papir al ypleynted,
Tr 5 1598 Conceyved hath myn hertes pietee.
Tr 5 1599 I have ek seyn with teris al depeynted
Tr 5 1600 Youre lettre, and how that ye requeren me
Tr 5 1601 To come ayeyn, which yet ne may nat be;
Tr 5 1602 But whi, lest that this lettre founden were,
Tr 5 1603 No mencioun ne make I now, for feere.
Tr 5 1604 "Grevous to me, God woot, is youre unreste,
Tr 5 1605 Youre haste, and that the goddes ordinaunce
Tr 5 1606 It semeth nat ye take it for the beste.
Tr 5 1607 Nor other thyng nys in youre remembraunce,
Tr 5 1608 As thynketh me, but only youre plesaunce.
Tr 5 1609 But beth nat wroth, and that I yow biseche;
Tr 5 1610 For that I tarie is al for wikked speche.
Tr 5 1611 "For I have herd wel moore than I wende,
Tr 5 1612 Touchyng us two, how thynges han ystonde,
Tr 5 1613 Which I shal with dissymelyng amende.
Tr 5 1614 And beth nat wroth, I have ek understonde
Tr 5 1615 How ye ne do but holden me in honde.
Tr 5 1616 But now no force. I kan nat in yow gesse
Tr 5 1617 But alle trouthe and alle gentilesse.
Tr 5 1618 "Come I wole; but yet in swich disjoynte
Tr 5 1619 I stonde as now that what yer or what day
Tr 5 1620 That this shal be, that kan I naught apoynte.
Tr 5 1621 But in effect I pray yow, as I may,
Tr 5 1622 Of youre good word and of youre frendship ay;
Tr 5 1623 For trewely, while that my lif may dure,
Tr 5 1624 As for a frend ye may in me assure.
Tr 5 1625 "Yet preye ich yow, on yvel ye ne take
Tr 5 1626 That it is short which that I to yow write;
Tr 5 1627 I dar nat, ther I am, wel lettres make,
Tr 5 1628 Ne nevere yet ne koude I wel endite.
Tr 5 1629 Ek gret effect men write in place lite;
Tr 5 1630 Th' entente is al, and nat the lettres space.
Tr 5 1631 And fareth now wel. God have yow in his grace! La vostre Tr 5 C."
Tr 5 1632 This Troilus this lettre thoughte al straunge
Tr 5 1633 Whan he it saugh, and sorwfullich he sighte;
Tr 5 1634 Hym thoughte it lik a kalendes of chaunge.
Tr 5 1635 But fynaly, he ful ne trowen myghte
Tr 5 1636 That she ne wolde hym holden that she hyghte;
Tr 5 1637 For with ful yvel wille list hym to leve
Tr 5 1638 That loveth wel, in swich cas, though hym greve.
Tr 5 1639 But natheles men seyen that at the laste,
Tr 5 1640 For any thyng, men shal the soothe se;
Tr 5 1641 And swich a cas bitidde, and that as faste,
Tr 5 1642 That Troilus wel understod that she
Tr 5 1643 Nas nought so kynde as that hire oughte be.
Tr 5 1644 And fynaly, he woot now out of doute
Tr 5 1645 That al is lost that he hath ben aboute.
Tr 5 1646 Stood on a day in his malencolie
Tr 5 1647 This Troilus, and in suspecioun
Tr 5 1648 Of hire for whom he wende for to dye.
Tr 5 1649 And so bifel that thorughout Troye town,
Tr 5 1650 As was the gise, iborn was up and down
Tr 5 1651 A manere cote-armure, as seith the storie,
Tr 5 1652 Byforn Deiphebe, in signe of his victorie;
Tr 5 1653 The whiche cote, as telleth Lollius,
Tr 5 1654 Deiphebe it hadde rent fro Diomede
Tr 5 1655 The same day. And whan this Troilus
Tr 5 1656 It saugh, he gan to taken of it hede,
Tr 5 1657 Avysyng of the lengthe and of the brede,
Tr 5 1658 And al the werk; but as he gan byholde,
Tr 5 1659 Ful sodeynly his herte gan to colde,
Tr 5 1660 As he that on the coler fond withinne
Tr 5 1661 A broch that he Criseyde yaf that morwe
Tr 5 1662 That she from Troie moste nedes twynne,
Tr 5 1663 In remembraunce of hym and of his sorwe.
Tr 5 1664 And she hym leyde ayeyn hire feith to borwe
Tr 5 1665 To kepe it ay! But now ful wel he wiste,
Tr 5 1666 His lady nas no lenger on to triste.
Tr 5 1667 He goth hym hom and gan ful soone sende
Tr 5 1668 For Pandarus, and al this newe chaunce,
Tr 5 1669 And of this broche, he tolde hym word and ende,
Tr 5 1670 Compleynyng of hire hertes variaunce,
Tr 5 1671 His longe love, his trouthe, and his penaunce.
Tr 5 1672 And after deth, withouten wordes moore,
Tr 5 1673 Ful faste he cride, his reste hym to restore.
Tr 5 1674 Than spak he thus, "O lady myn, Criseyde,
Tr 5 1675 Where is youre feith, and where is youre biheste?
Tr 5 1676 Where is youre love? Where is youre trouthe?" he seyde.
Tr 5 1677 "Of Diomede have ye now al this feeste!
Tr 5 1678 Allas, I wolde han trowed atte leeste
Tr 5 1679 That syn ye nolde in trouthe to me stonde,
Tr 5 1680 That ye thus nolde han holden me in honde!
Tr 5 1681 "Who shal now trowe on any othes mo?
Tr 5 1682 Allas, I nevere wolde han wend, er this,
Tr 5 1683 That ye, Criseyde, koude han chaunged so;
Tr 5 1684 Ne, but I hadde agilt and don amys,
Tr 5 1685 So cruel wende I nought youre herte, ywis,
Tr 5 1686 To sle me thus! Allas, youre name of trouthe
Tr 5 1687 Is now fordon, and that is al my routhe.
Tr 5 1688 "Was ther non other broch yow liste lete
Tr 5 1689 To feffe with youre newe love," quod he,
Tr 5 1690 "But thilke broch that I, with teris wete,
Tr 5 1691 Yow yaf as for a remembraunce of me?
Tr 5 1692 Non other cause, allas, ne hadde ye
Tr 5 1693 But for despit, and ek for that ye mente
Tr 5 1694 Al outrely to shewen youre entente.
Tr 5 1695 "Thorugh which I se that clene out of youre mynde
Tr 5 1696 Ye han me cast -- and I ne kan nor may,
Tr 5 1697 For al this world, withinne myn herte fynde
Tr 5 1698 To unloven yow a quarter of a day!
Tr 5 1699 In corsed tyme I born was, weilaway,
Tr 5 1700 That yow, that doon me al this wo endure,
Tr 5 1701 Yet love I best of any creature!
Tr 5 1702 "Now God," quod he, "me sende yet the grace
Tr 5 1703 That I may meten with this Diomede!
Tr 5 1704 And trewely, if I have myght and space,
Tr 5 1705 Yet shal I make, I hope, his sydes blede.
Tr 5 1706 O God," quod he, "that oughtest taken heede
Tr 5 1707 To fortheren trouthe, and wronges to punyce,
Tr 5 1708 Whi nyltow don a vengeaunce of this vice?
Tr 5 1709 "O Pandarus, that in dremes for to triste
Tr 5 1710 Me blamed hast, and wont art oft upbreyde,
Tr 5 1711 Now maistow sen thiself, if that the liste,
Tr 5 1712 How trewe is now thi nece, bright Criseyde!
Tr 5 1713 In sondry formes, God it woot," he seyde,
Tr 5 1714 "The goddes shewen bothe joie and tene
Tr 5 1715 In slep, and by my drem it is now sene.
Tr 5 1716 "And certeynly, withouten moore speche,
Tr 5 1717 From hennesforth, as ferforth as I may,
Tr 5 1718 Myn owen deth in armes wol I seche;
Tr 5 1719 I recche nat how soone be the day!
Tr 5 1720 But trewely, Criseyde, swete may,
Tr 5 1721 Whom I have ay with al my myght yserved,
Tr 5 1722 That ye thus doon, I have it nat deserved."
Tr 5 1723 This Pandarus, that al thise thynges herde,
Tr 5 1724 And wiste wel he seyde a soth of this,
Tr 5 1725 He nought a word ayeyn to hym answerde;
Tr 5 1726 For sory of his frendes sorwe he is,
Tr 5 1727 And shamed for his nece hath don amys,
Tr 5 1728 And stant, astoned of thise causes tweye,
Tr 5 1729 As stille as ston; a word ne kowde he seye.
Tr 5 1730 But at the laste thus he spak, and seyde:
Tr 5 1731 "My brother deer, I may do the namore.
Tr 5 1732 What sholde I seyen? I hate, ywys, Cryseyde;
Tr 5 1733 And, God woot, I wol hate hire evermore!
Tr 5 1734 And that thow me bisoughtest don of yoore,
Tr 5 1735 Havyng unto myn honour ne my reste
Tr 5 1736 Right no reward, I dide al that the leste.
Tr 5 1737 "If I dide aught that myghte liken the,
Tr 5 1738 It is me lief; and of this tresoun now,
Tr 5 1739 God woot that it a sorwe is unto me!
Tr 5 1740 And dredeles, for hertes ese of yow,
Tr 5 1741 Right fayn I wolde amende it, wiste I how.
Tr 5 1742 And fro this world, almyghty God I preye
Tr 5 1743 Delivere hire soon! I kan namore seye."
Tr 5 1744 Gret was the sorwe and pleynte of Troilus,
Tr 5 1745 But forth hire cours Fortune ay gan to holde.
Tr 5 1746 Criseyde loveth the sone of Tideus,
Tr 5 1747 And Troilus moot wepe in cares colde.
Tr 5 1748 Swich is this world, whoso it kan byholde;
Tr 5 1749 In ech estat is litel hertes reste.
Tr 5 1750 God leve us for to take it for the beste!
Tr 5 1751 In many cruel bataille, out of drede,
Tr 5 1752 Of Troilus, this ilke noble knyght,
Tr 5 1753 As men may in thise olde bokes rede,
Tr 5 1754 Was seen his knyghthod and his grete myght;
Tr 5 1755 And dredeles, his ire, day and nyght,
Tr 5 1756 Ful cruwely the Grekis ay aboughte;
Tr 5 1757 And alwey moost this Diomede he soughte.
Tr 5 1758 And ofte tyme, I fynde that they mette
Tr 5 1759 With blody strokes and with wordes grete,
Tr 5 1760 Assayinge how hire speres weren whette;
Tr 5 1761 And, God it woot, with many a cruel hete
Tr 5 1762 Gan Troilus upon his helm to bete!
Tr 5 1763 But natheles, Fortune it naught ne wolde
Tr 5 1764 Of oothers hond that eyther deyen sholde.
Tr 5 1765 And if I hadde ytaken for to write
Tr 5 1766 The armes of this ilke worthi man,
Tr 5 1767 Than wolde ich of his batailles endite;
Tr 5 1768 But for that I to writen first bigan
Tr 5 1769 Of his love, I have seyd as I kan --
Tr 5 1770 His worthi dedes, whoso list hem heere,
Tr 5 1771 Rede Dares, he kan telle hem alle ifeere --
Tr 5 1772 Bysechyng every lady bright of hewe,
Tr 5 1773 And every gentil womman, what she be,
Tr 5 1774 That al be that Criseyde was untrewe,
Tr 5 1775 That for that gilt she be nat wroth with me.
Tr 5 1776 Ye may hire gilt in other bokes se;
Tr 5 1777 And gladlier I wol write, yif yow leste,
Tr 5 1778 Penolopees trouthe and good Alceste.
Tr 5 1779 N' y sey nat this al oonly for thise men,
Tr 5 1780 But moost for wommen that bitraised be
Tr 5 1781 Thorugh false folk -- God yeve hem sorwe, amen! --
Tr 5 1782 That with hire grete wit and subtilte
Tr 5 1783 Bytraise yow. And this commeveth me
Tr 5 1784 To speke, and in effect yow alle I preye,
Tr 5 1785 Beth war of men, and herkneth what I seye!
Tr 5 1786 Go, litel bok, go, litel myn tragedye,
Tr 5 1787 Ther God thi makere yet, er that he dye,
Tr 5 1788 So sende myght to make in som comedye!
Tr 5 1789 But litel book, no makyng thow n' envie,
Tr 5 1790 But subgit be to alle poesye;
Tr 5 1791 And kis the steppes where as thow seest pace
Tr 5 1792 Virgile, Ovide, Omer, Lucan, and Stace.
Tr 5 1793 And for ther is so gret diversite
Tr 5 1794 In Englissh and in writyng of oure tonge,
Tr 5 1795 So prey I God that non myswrite the,
Tr 5 1796 Ne the mysmetre for defaute of tonge;
Tr 5 1797 And red wherso thow be, or elles songe,
Tr 5 1798 That thow be understonde, God I biseche!
Tr 5 1799 But yet to purpos of my rather speche:
Tr 5 1800 The wrath, as I bigan yow for to seye,
Tr 5 1801 Of Troilus the Grekis boughten deere,
Tr 5 1802 For thousandes his hondes maden deye,
Tr 5 1803 As he that was withouten any peere,
Tr 5 1804 Save Ector, in his tyme, as I kan heere.
Tr 5 1805 But -- weilawey, save only Goddes wille,
Tr 5 1806 Despitously hym slough the fierse Achille.
Tr 5 1807 And whan that he was slayn in this manere,
Tr 5 1808 His lighte goost ful blisfully is went
Tr 5 1809 Up to the holughnesse of the eighthe spere,
Tr 5 1810 In convers letyng everich element;
Tr 5 1811 And ther he saugh with ful avysement
Tr 5 1812 The erratik sterres, herkenyng armonye
Tr 5 1813 With sownes ful of hevenyssh melodie.
Tr 5 1814 And down from thennes faste he gan avyse
Tr 5 1815 This litel spot of erthe that with the se
Tr 5 1816 Embraced is, and fully gan despise
Tr 5 1817 This wrecched world, and held al vanite
Tr 5 1818 To respect of the pleyn felicite
Tr 5 1819 That is in hevene above; and at the laste,
Tr 5 1820 Ther he was slayn his lokyng down he caste,
Tr 5 1821 And in hymself he lough right at the wo
Tr 5 1822 Of hem that wepten for his deth so faste,
Tr 5 1823 And dampned al oure werk that foloweth so
Tr 5 1824 The blynde lust, the which that may nat laste,
Tr 5 1825 And sholden al oure herte on heven caste;
Tr 5 1826 And forth he wente, shortly for to telle,
Tr 5 97-ch 1827 Ther as Mercurye sorted hym to dwelle.
Tr 5 1828 Swich fyn hath, lo, this Troilus for love!
Tr 5 1829 Swich fyn hath al his grete worthynesse!
Tr 5 1830 Swich fyn hath his estat real above!
Tr 5 1831 Swich fyn his lust, swich fyn hath his noblesse!
Tr 5 1832 Swych fyn hath false worldes brotelnesse!
Tr 5 1833 And thus bigan his lovyng of Criseyde,
Tr 5 1834 As I have told, and in this wise he deyde.
Tr 5 1835 O yonge, fresshe folkes, he or she,
Tr 5 1836 In which that love up groweth with youre age,
Tr 5 1837 Repeyreth hom fro worldly vanyte,
Tr 5 1838 And of youre herte up casteth the visage
Tr 5 1839 To thilke God that after his ymage
Tr 5 1840 Yow made, and thynketh al nys but a faire,
Tr 5 1841 This world that passeth soone as floures faire.
Tr 5 1842 And loveth hym the which that right for love
Tr 5 1843 Upon a crois, oure soules for to beye,
Tr 5 97-ch 1844 First starf, and roos, and sit in hevene above;
Tr 5 1845 For he nyl falsen no wight, dar I seye,
Tr 5 1846 That wol his herte al holly on hym leye.
Tr 5 1847 And syn he best to love is, and most meke,
Tr 5 1848 What nedeth feynede loves for to seke?
Tr 5 1849 Lo here, of payens corsed olde rites!
Tr 5 1850 Lo here, what alle hire goddes may availle!
Tr 5 1851 Lo here, thise wrecched worldes appetites!
Tr 5 1852 Lo here, the fyn and guerdoun for travaille
Tr 5 1853 Of Jove, Appollo, of Mars, of swich rascaille!
Tr 5 1854 Lo here, the forme of olde clerkis speche
Tr 5 1855 In poetrie, if ye hire bokes seche.
Tr 5 1856 O moral Gower, this book I directe
Tr 5 1857 To the and to the, philosophical Strode,
Tr 5 1858 To vouchen sauf, ther nede is, to correcte,
Tr 5 1859 Of youre benignites and zeles goode.
Tr 5 1860 And to that sothfast Crist, that starf on rode,
Tr 5 1861 With al myn herte of mercy evere I preye,
Tr 5 1862 And to the Lord right thus I speke and seye:
Tr 5 1863 Thow oon, and two, and thre, eterne on lyve,
Tr 5 1864 That regnest ay in thre, and two, and oon,
Tr 5 1865 Uncircumscript, and al maist circumscrive,
Tr 5 1866 Us from visible and invisible foon
Tr 5 1867 Defende, and to thy mercy, everichon,
Tr 5 1868 So make us, Jesus, for thi mercy, digne,
Tr 5 1869 For love of mayde and moder thyn benigne.
Tr 5 1870 Amen.