The complete works of Geoffrey Chaucer Edited, from numerous manuscripts by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat |
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 | The complete works of Geoffrey Chaucer |  |
Incipit Liber Secundus.
8
In May, that moder is of monthes glade,That fresshe floures, blewe, and whyte, and rede,
Ben quike agayn, that winter dede made,
And ful of bawme is fletinge every mede;
Whan Phebus doth his brighte bemes sprede
Right in the whyte Bole, it so bitidde
As I shal singe, on Mayes day the thridde,
191
9
That Pandarus, for al his wyse speche,Felte eek his part of loves shottes kene,
That, coude he never so wel of loving preche,
It made his hewe a-day ful ofte grene;
So shoop it, that him fil that day a tene
In love, for which in wo to bedde he wente,
And made, er it was day, ful many a wente.
10
The swalwe Proignè, with a sorwful lay,Whan morwe com, gan make hir weymentinge,
Why she forshapen was; and ever lay
Pandare a-bedde, half in a slomeringe,
Til she so neigh him made hir chiteringe
How Tereus gan forth hir suster take,
That with the noyse of hir he gan a-wake;
11
And gan to calle, and dresse him up to ryse,Remembringe him his erand was to done
From Troilus, and eek his greet empryse;
And caste and knew in good plyt was the mone
To doon viage, and took his wey ful sone
Un-to his neces paleys ther bi-syde;
Now Ianus, god of entree, thou him gyde!
12
Whan he was come un-to his neces place,‘Wher is my lady?’ to hir folk seyde he;
And they him tolde; and he forth in gan pace,
And fond, two othere ladyes sete and she
With-inne a paved parlour; and they three
Herden a mayden reden hem the geste
Of the Sege of Thebes, whyl hem leste.
13
Quod Pandarus, ‘ma dame, god yow see,With al your book and al the companye!’
‘Ey, uncle myn, welcome y-wis,’ quod she,
And up she roos, and by the hond in hye
She took him faste, and seyde, ‘this night thrye,
192
And with that word she doun on bench him sette.
14
‘Ye, nece, ye shal fare wel the bet,If god wole, al this yeer,’ quod Pandarus;
‘But I am sory that I have yow let
To herknen of your book ye preysen thus;
For goddes love, what seith it? tel it us.
Is it of love? O, som good ye me lere!’
‘Uncle,’ quod she, ‘your maistresse is not here!’
15
With that they gonnen laughe, and tho she seyde,‘This romaunce is of Thebes, that we rede;
And we han herd how that king Laius deyde
Thurgh Edippus his sone, and al that dede;
And here we stenten at these lettres rede,
How the bisshop, as the book can telle,
Amphiorax, fil thurgh the ground to helle.’
16
Quod Pandarus, ‘al this knowe I my-selve,And al the assege of Thebes and the care;
For her-of been ther maked bokes twelve:—
But lat be this, and tel me how ye fare;
Do wey your barbe, and shew your face bare;
Do wey your book, rys up, and lat us daunce,
And lat us don to May som observaunce.’
17
‘A! god forbede!’ quod she, ‘be ye mad?’Is that a widewes lyf, so god you save?
By god, ye maken me right sore a-drad,
Ye ben so wilde, it semeth as ye rave!
It sete me wel bet ay in a cave
To bidde, and rede on holy seyntes lyves:
Lat maydens gon to daunce, and yonge wyves.’
193
18
‘As ever thryve I,’ quod this Pandarus,‘Yet coude I telle a thing to doon you pleye.’
‘Now uncle dere,’ quod she, ‘tel it us
For goddes love; is than the assege aweye?
I am of Grekes so ferd that I deye.’
‘Nay, nay,’ quod he, ‘as ever mote I thryve!
It is a thing wel bet than swiche fyve.’
19
‘Ye, holy god!’ quod she, ‘what thing is that?What? bet than swiche fyve? ey, nay, y-wis!
For al this world ne can I reden what
It sholde been; som Iape, I trowe, is this;
And but your-selven telle us what it is,
My wit is for to arede it al to lene;
As help me god, I noot nat what ye mene.’
20
‘And I your borow, ne never shal, for me,This thing be told to yow, as mote I thryve!’
‘And why so, uncle myn? why so?’ quod she.
‘By god,’ quod he, ‘that wole I telle as blyve;
For prouder womman were ther noon on-lyve,
And ye it wiste, in al the toun of Troye;
I iape nought, as ever have I Ioye!’
21
Tho gan she wondren more than bifornA thousand fold, and doun hir eyen caste;
For never, sith the tyme that she was born,
To knowe thing desired she so faste;
And with a syk she seyde him at the laste,
‘Now, uncle myn, I nil yow nought displese,
Nor axen more, that may do yow disese.’
22
So after this, with many wordes glade,And freendly tales, and with mery chere,
Of this and that they pleyde, and gunnen wade
In many an unkouth glad and deep matere,
194
Til she gan axen him how Ector ferde,
That was the tounes wal and Grekes yerde.
23
‘Ful wel, I thanke it god,’ quod Pandarus,‘Save in his arm he hath a litel wounde;
And eek his fresshe brother Troilus,
The wyse worthy Ector the secounde,
In whom that every vertu list abounde,
As alle trouthe and alle gentillesse,
Wysdom, honour, fredom, and worthinesse.’
24
‘In good feith, eem,’ quod she, ‘that lyketh me;They faren wel, god save hem bothe two!
For trewely I holde it greet deyntee
A kinges sone in armes wel to do,
And been of good condiciouns ther-to;
For greet power and moral vertu here
Is selde y-seye in o persone y-fere.’
25
‘In good feith, that is sooth,’ quod Pandarus;But, by my trouthe, the king hath sones tweye,
That is to mene, Ector and Troilus,
That certainly, though that I sholde deye,
They been as voyde of vyces, dar I seye,
As any men that liveth under the sonne,
Hir might is wyde y-knowe, and what they conne.
26
Of Ector nedeth it nought for to telle;In al this world ther nis a bettre knight
Than he, that is of worthinesse welle;
And he wel more vertu hath than might.
This knoweth many a wys and worthy wight.
The same prys of Troilus I seye,
God help me so, I knowe not swiche tweye.’
27
‘By god,’ quod she, ‘of Ector that is sooth;Of Troilus the same thing trowe I;
For dredelees, men tellen that he dooth
195
And bereth him here at hoom so gentilly
To every wight, that al the prys hath he
Of hem that me were levest preysed be.’
28
‘Ye sey right sooth, y-wis,’ quod Pandarus;‘For yesterday, who-so hadde with him been,
He might have wondred up-on Troilus;
For never yet so thikke a swarm of been
Ne fleigh, as Grekes fro him gonne fleen;
And thorugh the feld, in every wightes ere,
Ther nas no cry but “Troilus is there!”
29
Now here, now there, he hunted hem so faste,Ther nas but Grekes blood; and Troilus,
Now hem he hurte, and hem alle doun he caste;
Ay where he wente it was arayed thus:
He was hir deeth, and sheld and lyf for us;
That as that day ther dorste noon with-stonde,
Whyl that he held his blody swerd in honde.
30
Therto he is the freendlieste manOf grete estat, that ever I saw my lyve;
And wher him list, best felawshipe can
To suche as him thinketh able for to thryve.’
And with that word tho Pandarus, as blyve,
He took his leve, and seyde, ‘I wol go henne:’
‘Nay, blame have I, myn uncle,’ quod she thenne.
31
‘What eyleth yow to be thus wery sone,And namelich of wommen? wol ye so?
Nay, sitteth down; by god, I have to done
With yow, to speke of wisdom er ye go.’
And every wight that was a-boute hem tho,
That herde that, gan fer a-wey to stonde,
Whyl they two hadde al that hem liste in honde.
196
32
Whan that hir tale al brought was to an endeOf hire estat and of hir governaunce,
Quod Pandarus, ‘now is it tyme I wende;
But yet, I seye, aryseth, lat us daunce,
And cast your widwes habit to mischaunce:
What list yow thus your-self to disfigure,
Sith yow is tid thus fair an aventure?’
33
‘A! wel bithought! for love of god,’ quod she,‘Shal I not witen what ye mene of this?’
‘No, this thing axeth layser,’ tho quod he,
‘And eek me wolde muche greve, y-wis,
If I it tolde, and ye it toke amis.
Yet were it bet my tonge for to stille
Than seye a sooth that were ayeins your wille.
34
For, nece, by the goddesse Minerve,And Iuppiter, that maketh the thonder ringe,
And by the blisful Venus that I serve,
Ye been the womman in this world livinge,
With-oute paramours, to my witinge,
That I best love, and lothest am to greve,
And that ye witen wel your-self, I leve.’
35
‘Y-wis, myn uncle,’ quod she, ‘grant mercy;Your freendship have I founden ever yit;
I am to no man holden trewely
So muche as yow, and have so litel quit;
And, with the grace of god, emforth my wit,
As in my gilt I shal you never offende;
And if I have er this, I wol amende.
36
But, for the love of god, I yow beseche,As ye ben he that I most love and triste,
Lat be to me your fremde maner speche,
197
And with that word hir uncle anoon hir kiste,
And seyde, ‘gladly, leve nece dere,
Tak it for good that I shal seye yow here.’
37
With that she gan hir eyen doun to caste,And Pandarus to coghe gan a lyte,
And seyde, ‘nece, alwey, lo! to the laste,
How-so it be that som men hem delyte
With subtil art hir tales for to endyte,
Yet for al that, in hir entencioun,
Hir tale is al for som conclusioun.
38
And sithen thende is every tales strengthe,And this matere is so bihovely,
What sholde I peynte or drawen it on lengthe
To yow, that been my freend so feithfully?’
And with that word he gan right inwardly
Biholden hir, and loken on hir face,
And seyde, ‘on suche a mirour goode grace!’
39
Than thoughte he thus, ‘if I my tale endyteOught hard, or make a proces any whyle,
She shal no savour han ther-in but lyte,
And trowe I wolde hir in my wil bigyle.
For tendre wittes wenen al be wyle
Ther-as they can nat pleynly understonde;
For-thy hir wit to serven wol I fonde’—
40
And loked on hir in a besy wyse,And she was war that he byheld hir so,
And seyde, ‘lord! so faste ye me avyse!
Sey ye me never er now? what sey ye, no?’
‘Yes, yes,’ quod he, ‘and bet wole er I go;
But, by my trouthe, I thoughte now if ye
Be fortunat, for now men shal it see.
41
For to every wight som goodly aventureSom tyme is shape, if he it can receyven;
198
Whan that it cometh, but wilfully it weyven,
Lo, neither cas nor fortune him deceyven,
But right his verray slouthe and wrecchednesse;
And swich a wight is for to blame, I gesse.
42
Good aventure, O bele nece, have yeFul lightly founden, and ye conne it take;
And, for the love of god, and eek of me,
Cacche it anoon, lest aventure slake.
What sholde I lenger proces of it make?
Yif me your hond, for in this world is noon,
If that you list, a wight so wel begoon.
43
And sith I speke of good entencioun,As I to yow have told wel here-biforn,
And love as wel your honour and renoun
As creature in al this world y-born;
By alle the othes that I have yow sworn,
And ye be wrooth therfore, or wene I lye,
Ne shal I never seen yow eft with yë.
44
Beth nought agast, ne quaketh nat; wher-to?Ne chaungeth nat for fere so your hewe;
For hardely, the werste of this is do;
And though my tale as now be to yow newe,
Yet trist alwey, ye shal me finde trewe;
And were it thing that me thoughte unsittinge,
To yow nolde I no swiche tales bringe.’
45
‘Now, my good eem, for goddes love, I preye,’Quod she, ‘com of, and tel me what it is;
For bothe I am agast what ye wol seye,
And eek me longeth it to wite, y-wis.
For whether it be wel or be amis,
Sey on, lat me not in this fere dwelle:’
‘So wol I doon, now herkneth, I shal telle:
199
46
Now, nece myn, the kinges dere sone,The goode, wyse, worthy, fresshe, and free,
Which alwey for to do wel is his wone,
The noble Troilus, so loveth thee,
That, bot ye helpe, it wol his bane be.
Lo, here is al, what sholde I more seye?
Doth what yow list, to make him live or deye.
47
But if ye lete him deye, I wol sterve;Have her my trouthe, nece, I nil not lyen;
Al sholde I with this knyf my throte kerve’—
With that the teres braste out of his yën,
And seyde, ‘if that ye doon us bothe dyen,
Thus giltelees, than have ye fisshed faire;
What mende ye, though that we bothe apeyre?
48
Allas! he which that is my lord so dere,That trewe man, that noble gentil knight,
That nought desireth but your freendly chere,
I see him deye, ther he goth up-right,
And hasteth him, with al his fulle might,
For to be slayn, if fortune wol assente;
Allas! that god yow swich a beautee sente!
49
If it be so that ye so cruel be,That of his deeth yow liste nought to recche,
That is so trewe and worthy, as ye see,
No more than of a Iapere or a wrecche,
If ye be swich, your beautee may not strecche
To make amendes of so cruel a dede;
Avysement is good bifore the nede.
50
Wo worth the faire gemme vertulees!Wo worth that herbe also that dooth no bote!
Wo worth that beautee that is routhelees!
Wo worth that wight that tret ech under fote!
And ye, that been of beautee crop and rote,
200
Than is it harm ye liven, by my trouthe!
51
And also thenk wel, that this is no gaude;For me were lever, thou and I and he
Were hanged, than I sholde been his baude,
As heyghe, as men mighte on us alle y-see:
I am thyn eem, the shame were to me,
As wel as thee, if that I sholde assente,
Thorugh myn abet, that he thyn honour shente.
52
Now understond, for I yow nought requere,To binde yow to him thorugh no beheste,
But only that ye make him bettre chere
Than ye han doon er this, and more feste,
So that his lyf be saved, at the leste:
This al and som, and playnly our entente;
God helpe me so, I never other mente.
53
Lo, this request is not but skile, y-wis,Ne doute of reson, pardee, is ther noon.
I sette the worste that ye dredden this,
Men wolden wondren seen him come or goon:
Ther-ayeins answere I thus a-noon,
That every wight, but he be fool of kinde,
Wol deme it love of freendship in his minde.
54
What? who wol deme, though he see a manTo temple go, that he the images eteth?
Thenk eek how wel and wysly that he can
Governe him-self, that he no-thing foryeteth,
That, wher he cometh, he prys and thank him geteth;
And eek ther-to, he shal come here so selde,
What fors were it though al the toun behelde?
55
Swich love of freendes regneth al this toun;And wrye yow in that mantel ever-mo;
201
As I have seyd, your beste is to do so.
But alwey, goode nece, to stinte his wo,
So lat your daunger sucred ben a lyte,
That of his deeth ye be nought for to wyte.’
56
Criseyde, which that herde him in this wyse,Thoughte, ‘I shal fele what he meneth, y-wis.’
‘Now, eem,’ quod she, ‘what wolde ye devyse,
What is your reed I sholde doon of this?’
‘That is wel seyd,’ quod he, ‘certayn, best is
That ye him love ayein for his lovinge,
As love for love is skilful guerdoninge.
57
Thenk eek, how elde wasteth every houreIn eche of yow a party of beautee;
And therfore, er that age thee devoure,
Go love, for, olde, ther wol no wight of thee.
Lat this proverbe a lore un-to yow be;
“To late y-war, quod Beautee, whan it paste;”
And elde daunteth daunger at the laste.
58
The kinges fool is woned to cryen loude,Whan that him thinketh a womman bereth hir hyë,
“So longe mote ye live, and alle proude,
Til crowes feet be growe under your yë,
And sende yow thanne a mirour in to pryë
In whiche ye may see your face a-morwe!”
Nece, I bidde wisshe yow no more sorwe.’
59
With this he stente, and caste adoun the heed,And she bigan to breste a-wepe anoon.
And seyde, ‘allas, for wo! why nere I deed?
202
Allas! what sholden straunge to me doon,
When he, that for my beste freend I wende,
Ret me to love, and sholde it me defende?
60
Allas! I wolde han trusted, doutelees,That if that I, thurgh my disaventure,
Had loved other him or Achilles,
Ector, or any mannes creature,
Ye nolde han had no mercy ne mesure
On me, but alwey had me in repreve;
This false world, allas! who may it leve?
61
What? is this al the Ioye and al the feste?Is this your reed, is this my blisful cas?
Is this the verray mede of your beheste?
Is al this peynted proces seyd, allas!
Right for this fyn? O lady myn, Pallas!
Thou in this dredful cas for me purveye;
For so astonied am I that I deye!’
62
With that she gan ful sorwfully to syke;‘A! may it be no bet?’ quod Pandarus;
‘By god, I shal no-more com here this wyke,
And god to-forn, that am mistrusted thus;
I see ful wel that ye sette lyte of us,
Or of our deeth! Allas! I woful wrecche!
Mighte he yet live, of me is nought to recche.
63
O cruel god, O dispitouse Marte,O Furies three of helle, on yow I crye!
So lat me never out of this hous departe,
If that I mente harm or vilanye!
But sith I see my lord mot nedes dye,
And I with him, here I me shryve, and seye
That wikkedly ye doon us bothe deye.
203
64
But sith it lyketh yow that I be deed,By Neptunus, that god is of the see,
Fro this forth shal I never eten breed
Til I myn owene herte blood may see;
For certayn, I wole deye as sone as he’—
And up he sterte, and on his wey he raughte,
Til she agayn him by the lappe caughte.
65
Criseyde, which that wel neigh starf for fere,So as she was the ferfulleste wight
That mighte be, and herde eek with hir ere,
And saw the sorwful ernest of the knight,
And in his preyere eek saw noon unright,
And for the harm that mighte eek fallen more,
She gan to rewe, and dradde hir wonder sore;
66
And thoughte thus, ‘unhappes fallen thikkeAlday for love, and in swich maner cas,
As men ben cruel in hem-self and wikke;
And if this man slee here him-self, allas!
In my presence, it wol be no solas.
What men wolde of hit deme I can nat seye;
It nedeth me ful sleyly for to pleye.’
67
And with a sorwful syk she seyde thrye,‘A! lord! what me is tid a sory chaunce!
For myn estat now lyth in Iupartye,
And eek myn emes lyf lyth in balaunce;
But nathelees, with goddes governaunce,
I shal so doon, myn honour shal I kepe,
And eek his lyf;’ and stinte for to wepe.
68
‘Of harmes two, the lesse is for to chese;Yet have I lever maken him good chere
In honour, than myn emes lyf to lese;
Ye seyn, ye no-thing elles me requere?’
‘No, wis,’ quod he, ‘myn owene nece dere.’
204
I shal myn herte ayeins my lust constreyne,
69
But that I nil not holden him in honde,Ne love a man, ne can I not, ne may
Ayeins my wil; but elles wol I fonde,
Myn honour sauf, plese him fro day to day;
Ther-to nolde I nought ones have seyd nay,
But that I dredde, as in my fantasye;
But cesse cause, ay cesseth maladye.
70
And here I make a protestacioun,That in this proces if ye depper go,
That certaynly, for no savacioun
Of yow, though that ye sterve bothe two,
Though al the world on o day be my fo,
Ne shal I never on him han other routhe.’—
‘I graunte wel,’ quod Pandare, ‘by my trouthe.
71
But may I truste wel ther-to,’ quod he,That, of this thing that ye han hight me here,
Ye wol it holden trewly un-to me?’
‘Ye, doutelees,’ quod she, ‘myn uncle dere.’
‘Ne that I shal han cause in this matere,’
Quod he, ‘to pleyne, or after yow to preche?’
‘Why, no, pardee; what nedeth more speche?’
72
Tho fillen they in othere tales glade,Til at the laste, ‘O good eem,’ quod she tho,
‘For love of god, which that us bothe made,
Tel me how first ye wisten of his wo:
Wot noon of hit but ye?’ He seyde, ‘no.’
‘Can he wel speke of love?’ quod she, ‘I preye,
Tel me, for I the bet me shal purveye.’
73
Tho Pandarus a litel gan to smyle,And seyde, ‘by my trouthe, I shal yow telle.
205
In-with the paleys-gardyn, by a welle,
Gan he and I wel half a day to dwelle,
Right for to speken of an ordenaunce,
How we the Grekes mighte disavaunce.
74
Sone after that bigonne we to lepe,And casten with our dartes to and fro,
Til at the laste he seyde, he wolde slepe,
And on the gres a-doun he leyde him tho;
And I after gan rome to and fro
Til that I herde, as that I welk allone,
How he bigan ful wofully to grone.
75
Tho gan I stalke him softely bihinde,And sikerly, the sothe for to seyne,
As I can clepe ayein now to my minde,
Right thus to Love he gan him for to pleyne;
He seyde, “lord! have routhe up-on my peyne,
Al have I been rebel in myn entente;
Now, mea culpa, lord! I me repente.
76
O god, that at thy disposiciounLedest the fyn, by Iuste purveyaunce,
Of every wight, my lowe confessioun
Accepte in gree, and send me swich penaunc
As lyketh thee, but from desesperaunce,
That may my goost departe awey fro thee,
Thou be my sheld, for thy benignitee.
77
For certes, lord, so sore hath she me woundedThat stod in blak, with loking of hir yën,
That to myn hertes botme it is y-sounded,
Thorugh which I woot that I mot nedes dyen;
This is the worste, I dar me not bi-wryen;
And wel the hotter been the gledes rede,
That men hem wryen with asshen pale and dede.”
206
78
With that he smoot his heed adoun anoon,And gan to motre, I noot what, trewely.
And I with that gan stille awey to goon,
And leet ther-of as no-thing wist hadde I,
And come ayein anoon and stood him by,
And seyde, “a-wake, ye slepen al to longe;
It semeth nat that love dooth yow longe,
79
That slepen so that no man may yow wake.Who sey ever or this so dul a man?”
“Ye, freend,” quod he, “do ye your hedes ake
For love, and lat me liven as I can.”
But though that he for wo was pale and wan,
Yet made he tho as fresh a contenaunce,
As though he shulde have led the newe daunce.
80
This passed forth, til now, this other day,It fel that I com roming al allone
Into his chaumbre, and fond how that he lay
Up-on his bed; but man so sore grone
Ne herde I never, and what that was his mone,
Ne wiste I nought; for, as I was cominge,
Al sodeynly he lefte his compleyninge.
81
Of which I took somwhat suspecioun,And neer I com, and fond he wepte sore;
And god so wis be my savacioun,
As never of thing hadde I no routhe more.
For neither with engyn, ne with no lore,
Unethes mighte I fro the deeth him kepe;
That yet fele I myn herte for him wepe.
82
And god wot, never, sith that I was born,Was I so bisy no man for to preche,
Ne never was to wight so depe y-sworn,
Or he me tolde who mighte been his leche.
But now to yow rehersen al his speche,
207
Ne bid me not, but ye wol see me swowne.
83
But for to save his lyf, and elles nought,And to non harm of yow, thus am I driven;
And for the love of god that us hath wrought,
Swich chere him dooth, that he and I may liven.
Now have I plat to yow myn herte schriven;
And sin ye woot that myn entente is clene,
Tak hede ther-of, for I non yvel mene.
84
And right good thrift, I pray to god, have ye,That han swich oon y-caught with-oute net;
And be ye wys, as ye ben fair to see,
Wel in the ring than is the ruby set.
Ther were never two so wel y-met,
Whan ye ben his al hool, as he is youre:
Ther mighty god yet graunte us see that houre!’
85
‘Nay, therof spak I not, a, ha!’ quod she,‘As helpe me god, ye shenden every deel!’
‘O mercy, dere nece,’ anoon quod he,
‘What-so I spak, I mente nought but weel,
By Mars the god, that helmed is of steel;
Now beth nought wrooth, my blood, my nece dere.’
‘Now wel,’ quod she, ‘foryeven be it here!’
86
With this he took his leve, and hoom he wente;And lord, how he was glad and wel bigoon!
Criseyde aroos, no lenger she ne stente,
But straught in-to hir closet wente anoon,
And sette here doun as stille as any stoon,
And every word gan up and doun to winde,
That he hadde seyd, as it com hir to minde;
87
And wex somdel astonied in hir thought,Right for the newe cas; but whan that she
208
Of peril, why she oughte afered be.
For man may love, of possibilitee,
A womman so, his herte may to-breste,
And she nought love ayein, but-if hir leste.
88
But as she sat allone and thoughte thus,Thascry aroos at skarmish al with-oute,
And men cryde in the strete, ‘see, Troilus
Hath right now put to flight the Grekes route!’
With that gan al hir meynee for to shoute,
‘A! go we see, caste up the latis wyde;
For thurgh this strete he moot to palays ryde;
89
For other wey is fro the yate noonOf Dardanus, ther open is the cheyne.’
With that com he and al his folk anoon
An esy pas rydinge, in routes tweyne,
Right as his happy day was, sooth to seyne,
For which, men say, may nought disturbed be
That shal bityden of necessitee.
90
This Troilus sat on his baye stede,Al armed, save his heed, ful richely,
And wounded was his hors, and gan to blede,
On whiche he rood a pas, ful softely;
But swych a knightly sighte, trewely,
As was on him, was nought, with-outen faile,
To loke on Mars, that god is of batayle.
91
So lyk a man of armes and a knightHe was to seen, fulfild of heigh prowesse;
For bothe he hadde a body and a might
To doon that thing, as wel as hardinesse;
And eek to seen him in his gere him dresse,
So fresh, so yong, so weldy semed he,
It was an heven up-on him for to see.
209
92
His helm to-hewen was in twenty places,That by a tissew heng, his bak bihinde,
His sheld to-dasshed was with swerdes and maces,
In which men mighte many an arwe finde
That thirled hadde horn and nerf and rinde;
And ay the peple cryde, ‘here cometh our Ioye,
And, next his brother, holdere up of Troye!’
93
For which he wex a litel reed for shame,Whan he the peple up-on him herde cryen,
That to biholde it was a noble game,
How sobreliche he caste doun his yën.
Cryseyda gan al his chere aspyen,
And leet so softe it in hir herte sinke,
That to hir-self she seyde, ‘who yaf me drinke?’
94
For of hir owene thought she wex al reed,Remembringe hir right thus, ‘lo, this is he
Which that myn uncle swereth he moot be deed,
But I on him have mercy and pitee;’
And with that thought, for pure a-shamed, she
Gan in hir heed to pulle, and that as faste,
Whyl he and al the peple for-by paste,
95
And gan to caste and rollen up and dounWith-inne hir thought his excellent prowesse,
And his estat, and also his renoun,
His wit, his shap, and eek his gentillesse;
But most hir favour was, for his distresse
Was al for hir, and thoughte it was a routhe
To sleen swich oon, if that he mente trouthe.
96
Now mighte som envyous Iangle thus,‘This was a sodeyn love, how mighte it be
That she so lightly lovede Troilus
Right for the firste sighte; ye, pardee?’
Now who-so seyth so, mote he never thee!
210
Er al be wrought, with-outen any drede.
97
For I sey nought that she so sodeynlyYaf him hir love, but that she gan enclyne
To lyke him first, and I have told yow why;
And after that, his manhod and his pyne
Made love with-inne hir for to myne,
For which, by proces and by good servyse,
He gat hir love, and in no sodeyn wyse.
98
And also blisful Venus, wel arayed,Sat in hir seventhe hous of hevene tho,
Disposed wel, and with aspectes payed,
To helpen sely Troilus of his wo.
And, sooth to seyn, she nas nat al a fo
To Troilus in his nativitee;
God woot that wel the soner spedde he.
99
Now lat us stinte of Troilus a throwe,That rydeth forth, and lat us tourne faste
Un-to Criseyde, that heng hir heed ful lowe,
Ther-as she sat allone, and gan to caste
Wher-on she wolde apoynte hir at the laste,
If it so were hir eem ne wolde cesse,
For Troilus, up-on hir for to presse.
100
And, lord! so she gan in hir thought argueIn this matere of which I have yow told,
And what to doon best were, and what eschue,
That plyted she ful ofte in many fold.
Now was hir herte warm, now was it cold,
And what she thoughte somwhat shal I wryte,
As to myn auctor listeth for to endyte.
101
She thoughte wel, that Troilus personeShe knew by sighte and eek his gentillesse,
211
To graunte him love, yet, for his worthinesse,
It were honour, with pley and with gladnesse,
In honestee, with swich a lord to dele,
For myn estat, and also for his hele.
102
Eek, wel wot I my kinges sone is he;And sith he hath to see me swich delyt,
If I wolde utterly his sighte flee,
Paraunter he mighte have me in dispyt,
Thurgh which I mighte stonde in worse plyt;
Now were I wys, me hate to purchace,
With-outen nede, ther I may stonde in grace?
103
In every thing, I woot, ther lyth mesure.For though a man forbede dronkenesse,
He nought for-bet that every creature
Be drinkelees for alwey, as I gesse;
Eek sith I woot for me is his distresse,
I ne oughte not for that thing him despyse,
Sith it is so, he meneth in good wyse.
104
And eek I knowe, of longe tyme agoon,His thewes goode, and that he is not nyce.
Ne avauntour, seyth men, certein, is he noon;
To wys is he to do so gret a vyce;
Ne als I nel him never so cheryce,
That he may make avaunt, by Iuste cause;
He shal me never binde in swiche a clause.
105
Now set a cas, the hardest is, y-wis,Men mighten deme that he loveth me:
What dishonour were it un-to me, this?
May I him lette of that? why nay, pardee!
I knowe also, and alday here and see,
212
Be they the wers? why, nay, with-outen doute.
106
I thenk eek how he able is for to haveOf al this noble toun the thriftieste,
To been his love, so she hir honour save;
For out and out he is the worthieste,
Save only Ector, which that is the beste.
And yet his lyf al lyth now in my cure,
But swich is love, and eek myn aventure.
107
Ne me to love, a wonder is it nought;For wel wot I my-self, so god me spede,
Al wolde I that noon wistë of this thought,
I am oon the fayreste, out of drede,
And goodlieste, who-so taketh hede;
And so men seyn in al the toun of Troye.
What wonder is it though he of me have Ioye?
108
I am myn owene woman, wel at ese,I thank it god, as after myn estat;
Right yong, and stonde unteyd in lusty lese,
With-outen Ialousye or swich debat;
Shal noon housbonde seyn to me “chekmat!”
For either they ben ful of Ialousye,
Or maisterful, or loven novelrye.
109
What shal I doon? to what fyn live I thus?Shal I nat loven, in cas if that me leste?
What, par dieux! I am nought religious!
And though that I myn herte sette at reste
Upon this knight, that is the worthieste,
213
By alle right, it may do me no shame.’
110
But right as whan the sonne shyneth brighte,In March, that chaungeth ofte tyme his face,
And that a cloud is put with wind to flighte
Which over-sprat the sonne as for a space,
A cloudy thought gan thorugh hir soule pace,
That over-spradde hir brighte thoughtes alle,
So that for fere almost she gan to falle.
111
That thought was this, ‘allas! sin I am free,Sholde I now love, and putte in Iupartye
My sikernesse, and thrallen libertee?
Allas! how dorste I thenken that folye?
May I nought wel in other folk aspye
Hir dredful Ioye, hir constreynt, and hir peyne?
Ther loveth noon, that she nath why to pleyne.
112
For love is yet the moste stormy lyf,Right of him-self, that ever was bigonne;
For ever som mistrust, or nyce stryf,
Ther is in love, som cloud is over the sonne:
Ther-to we wrecched wommen no-thing conne,
Whan us is wo, but wepe and sitte and thinke;
Our wreche is this, our owene wo to drinke.
113
Also these wikked tonges been so prestTo speke us harm, eek men be so untrewe,
That, right anoon as cessed is hir lest,
So cesseth love, and forth to love a newe:
But harm y-doon, is doon, who-so it rewe.
For though these men for love hem first to-rende,
Ful sharp biginning breketh ofte at ende.
114
How ofte tyme hath it y-knowen be,The treson, that to womman hath be do?
214
Or wher bicomth it, whan it is ago;
Ther is no wight that woot, I trowe so,
Wher it bycomth; lo, no wight on it sporneth;
That erst was no-thing, in-to nought it torneth.
115
How bisy, if I love, eek moste I beTo plesen hem that Iangle of love, and demen,
And coye hem, that they sey non harm of me?
For though ther be no cause, yet hem semen
Al be for harm that folk hir freendes quemen;
And who may stoppen every wikked tonge,
Or soun of belles whyl that they be ronge?’
116
And after that, hir thought bigan to clere,And seyde, ‘he which that no-thing under-taketh,
No-thing ne acheveth, be him looth or dere.’
And with an other thought hir herte quaketh;
Than slepeth hope, and after dreed awaketh;
Now hoot, now cold; but thus, bi-twixen tweye,
She rist hir up, and went hir for to pleye.
117
Adoun the steyre anoon-right tho she wenteIn-to the gardin, with hir neces three,
And up and doun ther made many a wente,
Flexippe, she, Tharbe, and Antigone,
To pleyen, that it Ioye was to see;
And othere of hir wommen, a gret route,
Hir folwede in the gardin al aboute.
118
This yerd was large, and rayled alle the aleyes,And shadwed wel with blosmy bowes grene,
And benched newe, and sonded alle the weyes,
In which she walketh arm in arm bi-twene;
Til at the laste Antigone the shene
Gan on a Troian song to singe clere,
That it an heven was hir voys to here.—
215
119
She seyde, ‘O love, to whom I have and shalBen humble subgit, trewe in myn entente,
As I best can, to yow, lord, yeve ich al
For ever-more, myn hertes lust to rente.
For never yet thy grace no wight sente
So blisful cause as me, my lyf to lede
In alle Ioye and seurtee, out of drede.
120
Ye, blisful god, han me so wel besetIn love, y-wis, that al that bereth lyf
Imaginen ne cowde how to ben bet;
For, lord, with-outen Ialousye or stryf,
I love oon which that is most ententyf
To serven wel, unwery or unfeyned,
That ever was, and leest with harm distreyned.
121
As he that is the welle of worthinesse,Of trouthe ground, mirour of goodliheed,
Of wit Appollo, stoon of sikernesse,
Of vertu rote, of lust findere and heed,
Thurgh which is alle sorwe fro me deed,
Y-wis, I love him best, so doth he me;
Now good thrift have he, wher-so that he be!
122
Whom sholde I thanke but yow, god of love,Of al this blisse, in which to bathe I ginne?
And thanked be ye, lord, for that I love!
This is the righte lyf that I am inne,
To flemen alle manere vyce and sinne:
This doth me so to vertu for to entende,
That day by day I in my wil amende.
123
And who-so seyth that for to love is vyce,Or thraldom, though he fele in it distressse,
He outher is envyous, or right nyce,
Or is unmighty, for his shrewednesse,
To loven; for swich maner folk, I gesse,
216
They speken, but they bente never his bowe.
124
What is the sonne wers, of kinde righte,Though that a man, for feblesse of his yën,
May nought endure on it to see for brighte?
Or love the wers, though wrecches on it cryen?
No wele is worth, that may no sorwe dryen.
And for-thy, who that hath an heed of verre,
Fro cast of stones war him in the werre!
125
But I with al myn herte and al my might,As I have seyd, wol love, un-to my laste,
My dere herte, and al myn owene knight,
In which myn herte growen is so faste,
And his in me, that it shal ever laste.
Al dredde I first to love him to biginne,
Now woot I wel, ther is no peril inne.’
126
And of hir song right with that word she stente,And therwith-al, ‘now, nece,’ quod Criseyde,
‘Who made this song with so good entente?’
Antigone answerde anoon, and seyde,
‘Ma dame, y-wis, the goodlieste mayde
Of greet estat in al the toun of Troye;
And let hir lyf in most honour and Ioye.’
127
‘Forsothe, so it semeth by hir song,’Quod tho Criseyde, and gan ther-with to syke,
And seyde, ‘lord, is there swich blisse among
These lovers, as they conne faire endyte?’
‘Ye, wis,’ quod fresh Antigone the whyte,
‘For alle the folk that han or been on lyve
Ne conne wel the blisse of love discryve.
128
But wene ye that every wrecche wootThe parfit blisse of love? why, nay, y-wis;
217
Do wey, do wey, they woot no-thing of this!
Men mosten axe at seyntes if it is
Aught fair in hevene; why? for they conne telle;
And axen fendes, is it foul in helle.’
129
Criseyde un-to that purpos nought answerde,But seyde, ‘y-wis, it wol be night as faste.’
But every word which that she of hir herde,
She gan to prenten in hir herte faste;
And ay gan love hir lasse for to agaste
Than it dide erst, and sinken in hir herte,
That she wex somwhat able to converte.
130
The dayes honour, and the hevenes yë,The nightes fo, al this clepe I the sonne,
Gan westren faste, and dounward for to wrye,
As he that hadde his dayes cours y-ronne;
And whyte thinges wexen dimme and donne
For lak of light, and sterres for to appere,
That she and al hir folk in wente y-fere.
131
So whan it lyked hir to goon to reste,And voyded weren they that voyden oughte,
She seyde, that to slepe wel hir leste.
Hir wommen sone til hir bed hir broughte.
Whan al was hust, than lay she stille, and thoughte
Of al this thing the manere and the wyse.
Reherce it nedeth nought, for ye ben wyse.
132
A nightingale, upon a cedre grene,Under the chambre-wal ther as she lay,
Ful loude sang ayein the mone shene,
Paraunter, in his briddes wyse, a lay
Of love, that made hir herte fresh and gay.
That herkned she so longe in good entente,
Til at the laste the dede sleep hir hente.
218
133
And, as she sleep, anoon-right tho hir mette,How that an egle, fethered whyt as boon,
Under hir brest his longe clawes sette,
And out hir herte he rente, and that a-noon,
And dide his herte in-to hir brest to goon,
Of which she nought agroos ne no-thing smerte,
And forth he fleigh, with herte left for herte.
134
Now lat hir slepe, and we our tales holdeOf Troilus, that is to paleys riden,
Fro the scarmuch, of the whiche I tolde,
And in his chambre sit, and hath abiden
Til two or three of his messages yeden
For Pandarus, and soughten him ful faste,
Til they him founde, and broughte him at the laste.
135
This Pandarus com leping in at onesAnd seide thus, ‘who hath ben wel y-bete
To-day with swerdes, and with slinge-stones,
But Troilus, that hath caught him an hete?’
And gan to Iape, and seyde, ‘lord, so ye swete!
But rys, and lat us soupe and go to reste;’
And he answerde him, ‘do we as thee leste.’
136
With al the haste goodly that they mighte,They spedde hem fro the souper un-to bedde;
And every wight out at the dore him dighte,
And wher him list upon his wey he spedde;
But Troilus, that thoughte his herte bledde
For wo, til that he herde som tydinge,
He seyde, ‘freend, shal I now wepe or singe?’
137
Quod Pandarus, ‘ly stille, and lat me slepe,And don thyn hood, thy nedes spedde be;
219
At shorte wordes, thow shalt trowe me.—
Sire, my nece wol do wel by thee,
And love thee best, by god and by my trouthe,
But lak of pursuit make it in thy slouthe.
138
For thus ferforth I have thy work bigonne,Fro day to day, til this day, by the morwe,
Hir love of freendship have I to thee wonne,
And also hath she leyd hir feyth to borwe.
Algate a foot is hameled of thy sorwe.’
What sholde I lenger sermon of it holde?
As ye han herd bifore, al he him tolde.
139
But right as floures, thorugh the colde of nightY-closed, stoupen on hir stalkes lowe,
Redressen hem a-yein the sonne bright,
And spreden on hir kinde cours by rowe;
Right so gan tho his eyen up to throwe
This Troilus, and seyde, ‘O Venus dere,
Thy might, thy grace, y-heried be it here!’
140
And to Pandare he held up bothe his hondes,And seyde, ‘lord, al thyn be that I have;
For I am hool, al brosten been my bondes;
A thousand Troians who so that me yave,
Eche after other, god so wis me save,
Ne mighte me so gladen; lo, myn herte,
It spredeth so for Ioye, it wol to-sterte!
141
But lord, how shal I doon, how shal I liven?Whan shal I next my dere herte see?
How shal this longe tyme a-wey be driven,
Til that thou be ayein at hir fro me?
Thou mayst answere, “a-byd, a-byd,” but he
That hangeth by the nekke, sooth to seyne,
In grete disese abydeth for the peyne.’
220
142
‘Al esily, now, for the love of Marte,’Quod Pandarus, ‘for every thing hath tyme;
So longe abyd til that the night departe;
For al so siker as thow lyst here by me,
And god toforn, I wol be there at pryme,
And for thy werk somwhat as I shal seye,
Or on som other wight this charge leye.
143
For pardee, god wot, I have ever yitBen redy thee to serve, and to this night
Have I nought fayned, but emforth my wit
Don al thy lust, and shal with al my might.
Do now as I shal seye, and fare a-right;
And if thou nilt, wyte al thy-self thy care,
On me is nought along thyn yvel fare.
144
I woot wel that thow wyser art than IA thousand fold, but if I were as thou,
God helpe me so, as I wolde outrely,
Right of myn owene hond, wryte hir right now
A lettre, in which I wolde hir tellen how
I ferde amis, and hir beseche of routhe;
Now help thy-self, and leve it not for slouthe.
145
And I my-self shal ther-with to hir goon;And whan thou wost that I am with hir there,
Worth thou up-on a courser right anoon,
Ye, hardily, right in thy beste gere,
And ryd forth by the place, as nought ne were,
And thou shalt finde us, if I may, sittinge
At som windowe, in-to the strete lokinge.
146
And if thee list, than maystow us saluwe,And up-on me makë thy contenaunce;
But, by thy lyf, be war and faste eschuwe
To tarien ought, god shilde us fro mischaunce!
221
And we shal speke of thee som-what, I trowe,
Whan thou art goon, to do thyne eres glowe!
147
Touching thy lettre, thou art wys y-nough,I woot thow nilt it digneliche endyte;
As make it with thise argumentes tough;
Ne scrivenish or craftily thou it wryte;
Beblotte it with thy teres eek a lyte;
And if thou wryte a goodly word al softe,
Though it be good, reherce it not to ofte.
148
For though the beste harpour upon lyveWolde on the beste souned Ioly harpe
That ever was, with alle his fingres fyve,
Touche ay o streng, or ay o werbul harpe,
Were his nayles poynted never so sharpe,
It shulde maken every wight to dulle,
To here his glee, and of his strokes fulle.
149
Ne Iompre eek no discordaunt thing y-fere,As thus, to usen termes of phisyk;
In loves termes, hold of thy matere
The forme alwey, and do that it be lyk;
For if a peyntour wolde peynte a pyk
With asses feet, and hede it as an ape,
It cordeth nought; so nere it but a Iape.’
150
This counseyl lyked wel to Troilus;But, as a dreedful lover, he seyde this:—
‘Allas, my dere brother Pandarus,
I am ashamed for to wryte, y-wis,
Lest of myn innocence I seyde a-mis,
Or that she nolde it for despyt receyve;
Thanne were I deed, ther mighte it no-thing weyve.’
222
151
To that Pandare answerde, ‘if thee lest,Do that I seye, and lat me therwith goon;
For by that lord that formed est and west,
I hope of it to bringe answere anoon
Right of hir hond, and if that thou nilt noon,
Lat be; and sory mote he been his lyve,
Ayeins thy lust that helpeth thee to thryve.’
152
Quod Troilus, ‘Depardieux, I assente;Sin that thee list, I will aryse and wryte;
And blisful god preye ich, with good entente,
The vyage, and the lettre I shal endyte,
So spede it; and thou, Minerva, the whyte,
Yif thou me wit my lettre to devyse:’
And sette him doun, and wroot right in this wyse.
153
First he gan hir his righte lady calle,His hertes lyf, his lust, his sorwes leche,
His blisse, and eek this othere termes alle,
That in swich cas these loveres alle seche;
And in ful humble wyse, as in his speche,
He gan him recomaunde un-to hir grace;
To telle al how, it axeth muchel space.
154
And after this, ful lowly he hir praydeTo be nought wrooth, though he, of his folye,
So hardy was to hir to wryte, and seyde,
That love it made, or elles moste he dye,
And pitiously gan mercy for to crye;
And after that he seyde, and ley ful loude,
Him-self was litel worth, and lesse he coude;
155
And that she sholde han his conning excused,That litel was, and eek he dredde hir so,
And his unworthinesse he ay acused;
223
But that was endeles, with-outen ho;
And seyde, he wolde in trouthe alwey him holde,—
And radde it over, and gan the lettre folde.
156
And with his salte teres gan he batheThe ruby in his signet, and it sette
Upon the wex deliverliche and rathe;
Ther-with a thousand tymes, er he lette,
He kiste tho the lettre that he shette,
And seyde, ‘lettre, a blisful destenee
Thee shapen is, my lady shal thee see.’
157
This Pandare took the lettre, and that by tymeA-morwe, and to his neces paleys sterte,
And faste he swoor, that it was passed pryme,
And gan to Iape, and seyde, ‘y-wis, myn herte,
So fresh it is, al-though it sore smerte,
I may not slepe never a Mayes morwe;
I have a Ioly wo, a lusty sorwe.’
158
Criseyde, whan that she hir uncle herde,With dreedful herte, and desirous to here
The cause of his cominge, thus answerde,
‘Now by your feyth, myn uncle,’ quod she, ‘dere,
What maner windes gydeth yow now here?
Tel us your Ioly wo and your penaunce,
How ferforth be ye put in loves daunce.’
159
‘By god,’ quod he, ‘I hoppe alwey bihinde!’And she to-laugh, it thoughte hir herte breste.
Quod Pandarus, ‘loke alwey that ye finde
Game in myn hood, but herkneth, if yow leste;
Ther is right now come in-to toune a geste,
A Greek espye, and telleth newe thinges,
For which come I to telle yow tydinges.
224
160
Into the gardin go we, and we shal here,Al prevely, of this a long sermoun.’
With that they wenten arm in arm y-fere
In-to the gardin from the chaumbre doun.
And whan that he so fer was that the soun
Of that he speke, no man here mighte,
He seyde hir thus, and out the lettre plighte,
161
‘Lo, he that is al hoolly youres freeHim recomaundeth lowly to your grace,
And sent to you this lettre here by me;
Avyseth you on it, whan ye han space,
And of som goodly answere yow purchace;
Or, helpe me god, so pleynly for to seyne,
He may not longe liven for his peyne.’
162
Ful dredfully tho gan she stonde stille,And took it nought, but al hir humble chere
Gan for to chaunge, and seyde, ‘scrit ne bille,
For love of god, that toucheth swich matere,
Ne bring me noon; and also, uncle dere,
To myn estat have more reward, I preye,
Than to his lust; what sholde I more seye?
163
And loketh now if this be resonable,And letteth nought, for favour ne for slouthe,
To seyn a sooth; now were it covenable
To myn estat, by god, and by your trouthe,
To taken it, or to han of him routhe,
In harming of my-self or in repreve?
Ber it a-yein, for him that ye on leve!’
164
This Pandarus gan on hir for to stare,And seyde, ‘now is this the grettest wonder
That ever I sey! lat be this nyce fare!
To deethe mote I smiten be with thonder,
If, for the citee which that stondeth yonder,
225
To harm of yow; what list yow thus it make?
165
But thus ye faren, wel neigh alle and some,That he that most desireth yow to serve,
Of him ye recche leest wher he bicome,
And whether that he live or elles sterve.
But for al that that ever I may deserve,
Refuse it nought,’ quod he, and hente hir faste,
And in hir bosom the lettre doun he thraste,
166
And seyde hir, ‘now cast it away anoon,That folk may seen and gauren on us tweye.’
Quod she, ‘I can abyde til they be goon,’
And gan to smyle, and seyde him, ‘eem, I preye,
Swich answere as yow list your-self purveye,
For trewely I nil no lettre wryte.’
‘No? than wol I,’ quod he, ‘so ye endyte.’
167
Therwith she lough, and seyde, ‘go we dyne.’And he gan at him-self to iape faste,
And seyde, ‘nece, I have so greet a pyne
For love, that every other day I faste’—
And gan his beste Iapes forth to caste;
And made hir so to laughe at his folye,
That she for laughter wende for to dye.
168
And whan that she was comen in-to halle,‘Now, eem,’ quod she, ‘we wol go dyne anoon;’
And gan some of hir women to hir calle,
And streyght in-to hir chaumbre gan she goon;
But of hir besinesses, this was oon
A-monges othere thinges, out of drede,
Ful prively this lettre for to rede;
169
Avysed word by word in every lyne,And fond no lak, she thoughte he coude good;
226
And Pandarus, that in a study stood,
Er he was war, she took him by the hood,
And seyde, ‘ye were caught er that ye wiste;’
‘I vouche sauf,’ quod he, ‘do what yow liste.’
170
Tho wesshen they, and sette hem doun and ete;And after noon ful sleyly Pandarus
Gan drawe him to the window next the strete,
And seyde, ‘nece, who hath arayed thus
The yonder hous, that stant afor-yeyn us?’
‘Which hous?’ quod she, and gan for to biholde,
And knew it wel, and whos it was him tolde,
171
And fillen forth in speche of thinges smale,And seten in the window bothe tweye.
Whan Pandarus saw tyme un-to his tale,
And saw wel that hir folk were alle aweye,
‘Now, nece myn, tel on,’ quod he, ‘I seye,
How lyketh yow the lettre that ye woot?
Can he ther-on? for, by my trouthe, I noot.’
172
Therwith al rosy hewed tho wex she,And gan to humme, and seyde, ‘so I trowe.’
‘Aquyte him wel, for goddes love,’ quod he;
‘My-self to medes wol the lettre sowe,’
And held his hondes up, and sat on knowe,
‘Now, goode nece, be it never so lyte,
Yif me the labour, it to sowe and plyte.’
173
‘Ye, for I can so wryte,’ quod she tho;‘And eek I noot what I sholde to him seye.’
‘Nay, nece,’ quod Pandare, ‘sey not so;
Yet at the leste thanketh him, I preye,
Of his good wil, and doth him not to deye.
Now for the love of me, my nece dere,
Refuseth not at this tyme my preyere.’
227
174
‘Depar-dieux,’ quod she, ‘god leve al be wel!God helpe me so, this is the firste lettre
That ever I wroot, ye, al or any del.’
And in-to a closet, for to avyse hir bettre,
She wente allone, and gan hir herte unfettre
Out of disdaynes prison but a lyte;
And sette hir doun, and gan a lettre wryte,
175
Of which to telle in short is myn ententeTheffect, as fer as I can understonde:—
She thonked him of al that he wel mente
Towardes hir, but holden him in honde
She nolde nought, ne make hir-selven bonde
In love, but as his suster, him to plese,
She wolde fayn, to doon his herte an ese.
176
She shette it, and to Pandarus gan goon,There as he sat and loked in-to strete,
And doun she sette hir by him on a stoon
Of Iaspre, up-on a quisshin gold y-bete,
And seyde, ‘as wisly helpe me god the grete,
I never dide a thing with more peyne
Than wryte this, to which ye me constreyne;’
177
And took it him: he thonked hir and seyde,‘God woot, of thing ful ofte looth bigonne
Cometh ende good; and nece myn, Criseyde,
That ye to him of hard now ben y-wonne
Oughte he be glad, by god and yonder sonne!
For-why men seyth, “impressiounes lighte
Ful lightly been ay redy to the flighte.”
178
But ye han pleyed tyraunt neigh to longe,And hard was it your herte for to grave;
Now stint, that ye no longer on it honge,
Al wolde ye the forme of daunger save.
228
For trusteth wel, to longe y-doon hardnesse
Causeth despyt ful often, for distresse.’
179
And right as they declamed this matere,Lo, Troilus, right at the stretes ende,
Com ryding with his tenthe some y-fere,
Al softely, and thiderward gan bende
Ther-as they sete, as was his wey to wende
To paleys-ward; and Pandare him aspyde,
And seyde, ‘nece, y-see who cometh here ryde!
180
O flee not in, he seeth us, I suppose;Lest he may thinke that ye him eschuwe.’
‘Nay, nay,’ quod she, and wex as reed as rose.
With that he gan hir humbly to saluwe,
With dreedful chere, and ofte his hewes muwe;
And up his look debonairly he caste,
And bekked on Pandare, and forth he paste.
181
God woot if he sat on his hors a-right,Or goodly was beseyn, that ilke day!
God woot wher he was lyk a manly knight!
What sholde I drecche, or telle of his aray?
Criseyde, which that alle these thinges say,
To telle in short, hir lyked al y-fere,
His persone, his aray, his look, his chere,
182
His goodly manere and his gentillesse,So wel, that never, sith that she was born,
Ne hadde she swich routhe of his distresse;
And how-so she hath hard ben her-biforn,
To god hope I, she hath now caught a thorn.
She shal not pulle it out this nexte wyke;
God sende mo swich thornes on to pyke!
229
183
Pandare, which that stood hir faste by,Felte iren hoot, and he bigan to smyte,
And seyde, ‘nece, I pray yow hertely,
Tel me that I shal axen yow a lyte.
A womman, that were of his deeth to wyte,
With-outen his gilt, but for hir lakked routhe,
Were it wel doon?’ Quod she, ‘nay, by my trouthe!’
184
‘God helpe me so,’ quod he, ‘ye sey me sooth.Ye felen wel your-self that I not lye;
Lo, yond he rit!’ Quod she, ‘ye, so he dooth.’
‘Wel,’ quod Pandare, ‘as I have told yow thrye,
Lat be your nyce shame and your folye,
And spek with him in esing of his herte;
Lat nycetee not do yow bothe smerte.’
185
But ther-on was to heven and to done;Considered al thing, it may not be;
And why, for shame; and it were eek to sone
To graunten him so greet a libertee.
‘For playnly hir entente,’ as seyde she,
Was for to love him unwist, if she mighte,
And guerdon him with no-thing but with sighte.’
186
But Pandarus thoughte, ‘it shal not be so,If that I may; this nyce opinioun
Shal not be holden fully yeres two.’
What sholde I make of this a long sermoun?
He moste assente on that conclusioun
As for the tyme; and whan that it was eve,
And al was wel, he roos and took his leve.
187
And on his wey ful faste homward he spedde,And right for Ioye he felte his herte daunce;
And Troilus he fond alone a-bedde,
That lay as dooth these loveres, in a traunce,
Bitwixen hope and derk desesperaunce.
230
He song, as who seyth, ‘lo! sumwhat I bringe.’
188
And seyde, ‘who is in his bed so soneY-buried thus?’ ‘It am I, freend,’ quod he.
‘Who, Troilus? nay helpe me so the mone,’
Quod Pandarus, ‘thou shalt aryse and see
A charme that was sent right now to thee,
The which can helen thee of thyn accesse,
If thou do forth-with al thy besinesse.’
189
‘Ye, through the might of god!’ quod Troilus.And Pandarus gan him the lettre take,
And seyde, ‘pardee, god hath holpen us;
Have here a light, and loke on al this blake.’
But ofte gan the herte glade and quake
Of Troilus, whyl that he gan it rede,
So as the wordes yave him hope or drede.
190
But fynally, he took al for the besteThat she him wroot, for sumwhat he biheld
On which, him thoughte, he mighte his herte reste,
Al covered she the wordes under sheld.
Thus to the more worthy part he held,
That, what for hope and Pandarus biheste,
His grete wo for-yede he at the leste.
191
But as we may alday our-selven see,Through more wode or col, the more fyr;
Right so encrees of hope, of what it be,
Therwith ful ofte encreseth eek desyr;
Or, as an ook cometh of a litel spyr,
So through this lettre, which that she him sente,
Encresen gan desyr, of which he brente.
192
Wherfore I seye alwey, that day and nightThis Troilus gan to desiren more
231
To pressen on, as by Pandarus lore,
And wryten to hir of his sorwes sore
Fro day to day; he leet it not refreyde,
That by Pandare he wroot somwhat or seyde;
193
And dide also his othere observauncesThat to a lovere longeth in this cas;
And, after that these dees turnede on chaunces,
So was he outher glad or seyde ‘allas!’
And held after his gestes ay his pas;
And aftir swiche answeres as he hadde,
So were his dayes sory outher gladde.
194
But to Pandare alwey was his recours,And pitously gan ay til him to pleyne,
And him bisoughte of rede and som socours;
And Pandarus, that sey his wode peyne,
Wex wel neigh deed for routhe, sooth to seyne,
And bisily with al his herte caste
Som of his wo to sleen, and that as faste;
195
And seyde, ‘lord, and freend, and brother dere,God woot that thy disese dooth me wo.
But woltow stinten al this woful chere,
And, by my trouthe, or it be dayes two,
And god to-forn, yet shal I shape it so,
That thou shalt come in-to a certayn place,
Ther-as thou mayst thy-self hir preye of grace.
196
And certainly, I noot if thou it wost,But tho that been expert in love it seye,
It is oon of the thinges that furthereth most,
A man to have a leyser for to preye,
And siker place his wo for to biwreye;
For in good herte it moot som routhe impresse,
To here and see the giltles in distresse.
232
197
Paraunter thenkestow: though it be soThat kinde wolde doon hir to biginne
To han a maner routhe up-on my wo,
Seyth Daunger, “Nay, thou shalt me never winne;
So reuleth hir hir hertes goost with-inne,
That, though she bende, yet she stant on rote;
What in effect is this un-to my bote?”
198
Thenk here-ayeins, whan that the sturdy ook,On which men hakketh ofte, for the nones,
Receyved hath the happy falling strook,
The grete sweigh doth it come al at ones,
As doon these rokkes or these milne-stones.
For swifter cours cometh thing that is of wighte,
Whan it descendeth, than don thinges lighte.
199
And reed that boweth doun for every blast,Ful lightly, cesse wind, it wol aryse;
But so nil not an ook whan it is cast;
It nedeth me nought thee longe to forbyse.
Men shal reioysen of a greet empryse
Acheved wel, and stant with-outen doute,
Al han men been the lenger ther-aboute.
200
But, Troilus, yet tel me, if thee lest,A thing now which that I shal axen thee;
Which is thy brother that thou lovest best
As in thy verray hertes privetee?’
‘Y-wis, my brother Deiphebus,’ quod he.
‘Now,’ quod Pandare, ‘er houres twyes twelve,
He shal thee ese, unwist of it him-selve.
201
Now lat me allone, and werken as I may,’Quod he; and to Deiphebus wente he tho
Which hadde his lord and grete freend ben ay;
Save Troilus, no man he lovede so.
To telle in short, with-outen wordes mo,
233
Freend to a cause which that toucheth me.’
202
‘Yis, pardee,’ quod Deiphebus, ‘wel thow wost,In al that ever I may, and god to-fore,
Al nere it but for man I love most,
My brother Troilus; but sey wherfore
It is; for sith that day that I was bore,
I nas, ne never-mo to been I thinke,
Ayeins a thing that mighte thee for-thinke.’
203
Pandare gan him thonke, and to him seyde,‘Lo, sire, I have a lady in this toun,
That is my nece, and called is Criseyde,
Which som men wolden doon oppressioun,
And wrongfully have hir possessioun:
Wherfor I of your lordship yow biseche
To been our freend, with-oute more speche.’
204
Deiphebus him answerde, ‘O, is not this,That thow spekest of to me thus straungely,
Crisëyda, my freend?’ He seyde, ‘Yis.’
‘Than nedeth,’ quod Deiphebus hardely,
Na-more to speke, for trusteth wel, that I
Wol be hir champioun with spore and yerde;
I roughte nought though alle hir foos it herde.
205
But tel me, thou that woost al this matere,How I might best avaylen? now lat see.’
Quod Pandarus, ‘if ye, my lord so dere,
Wolden as now don this honour to me,
To prayen hir to-morwe, lo, that she
Com un-to yow hir pleyntes to devyse,
Hir adversaries wolde of hit agryse.
206
And if I more dorste preye as now,And chargen yow to have so greet travayle,
To han som of your bretheren here with yow,
That mighten to hir cause bet avayle,
234
For to be holpen, what at your instaunce,
What with hir othere freendes governaunce.’
207
Deiphebus, which that comen was, of kinde,To al honour and bountee to consente,
Answerde, ‘it shal be doon; and I can finde
Yet gretter help to this in myn entente.
What wolt thow seyn, if I for Eleyne sente
To speke of this? I trowe it be the beste;
For she may leden Paris as hir leste.
208
Of Ector, which that is my lord, my brother,It nedeth nought to preye him freend to be;
For I have herd him, o tyme and eek other,
Speke of Criseyde swich honour, that he
May seyn no bet, swich hap to him hath she.
It nedeth nought his helpes for to crave;
He shal be swich, right as we wole him have.
209
Spek thou thy-self also to TroilusOn my bihalve, and pray him with us dyne.’
‘Sire, al this shal be doon,’ quod Pandarus;
And took his leve, and never gan to fyne,
But to his neces hous, as streyt as lyne,
He com; and fond hir fro the mete aryse;
And sette him doun, and spak right in this wyse.
210
He seyde, ‘O veray god, so have I ronne!Lo, nece myn, see ye nought how I swete?
I noot whether ye the more thank me conne.
Be ye nought war how that fals Poliphete
Is now aboute eft-sones for to plete,
And bringe on yow advocacyës newe?’
‘I? no,’ quod she, and chaunged al hir hewe.
211
‘What is he more aboute, me to dreccheAnd doon me wrong? what shal I do, allas?
Yet of him-self no-thing ne wolde I recche,
Nere it for Antenor and Eneas,
235
But, for the love of god, myn uncle dere,
No fors of that, lat him have al y-fere;
212
With-outen that, I have ynough for us.’‘Nay,’ quod Pandare, ‘it shal no-thing be so.
For I have been right now at Deiphebus,
And Ector, and myne othere lordes mo,
And shortly maked eche of hem his fo;
That, by my thrift, he shal it never winne
For ought he can, whan that so he biginne.’
213
And as they casten what was best to done,Deiphebus, of his owene curtasye,
Com hir to preye, in his propre persone,
To holde him on the morwe companye
At diner, which she nolde not denye,
But goodly gan to his preyere obeye.
He thonked hir, and wente up-on his weye.
214
Whanne this was doon, this Pandare up a-noon,To telle in short, and forth gan for to wende
To Troilus, as stille as any stoon,
And al this thing he tolde him, word and ende;
And how that he Deiphebus gan to blende;
And seyde him, ‘now is tyme, if that thou conne,
To bere thee wel to-morwe, and al is wonne.
215
Now spek, now prey, now pitously compleyne;Lat not for nyce shame, or drede, or slouthe;
Som-tyme a man mot telle his owene peyne;
Bileve it, and she shal han on thee routhe;
Thou shalt be saved by thy feyth, in trouthe.
But wel wot I, thou art now in a drede;
And what it is, I leye, I can arede.
216
Thow thinkest now, “how sholde I doon al this?For by my cheres mosten folk aspye,
236
Yet hadde I lever unwist for sorwe dye.”
Now thenk not so, for thou dost greet folye.
For right now have I founden o manere
Of sleighte, for to coveren al thy chere.
217
Thow shalt gon over night, and that as blyve,Un-to Deiphebus hous, as thee to pleye,
Thy maladye a-wey the bet to dryve,
For-why thou semest syk, soth for to seye.
Sone after that, doun in thy bed thee leye,
And sey, thow mayst no lenger up endure,
And lye right there, and byde thyn aventure.
218
Sey that thy fever is wont thee for to takeThe same tyme, and lasten til a-morwe;
And lat see now how wel thou canst it make,
For, par-dee, syk is he that is in sorwe.
Go now, farewel! and, Venus here to borwe,
I hope, and thou this purpos holde ferme,
Thy grace she shal fully ther conferme.’
219
Quod Troilus, ‘y-wis, thou nedeleesCounseylest me, that sykliche I me feyne!
For I am syk in ernest, doutelees,
So that wel neigh I sterve for the peyne.’
Quod Pandarus, ‘thou shalt the bettre pleyne,
And hast the lasse nede to countrefete;
For him men demen hoot that men seen swete.
220
Lo, holde thee at thy triste cloos, and IShal wel the deer un-to thy bowe dryve.’
Therwith he took his leve al softely,
And Troilus to paleys wente blyve.
So glad ne was he never in al his lyve;
And to Pandarus reed gan al assente,
And to Deiphebus hous at night he wente.
237
221
What nedeth yow to tellen al the chereThat Deiphebus un-to his brother made,
Or his accesse, or his syklych manere,
How men gan him with clothes for to lade,
Whan he was leyd, and how men wolde him glade?
But al for nought, he held forth ay the wyse
That ye han herd Pandare er this devyse.
222
But certeyn is, er Troilus him leyde,Deiphebus had him prayed, over night,
To been a freend and helping to Criseyde.
God woot, that he it grauntede anon-right,
To been hir fulle freend with al his might.
But swich a nede was to preye him thenne,
As for to bidde a wood man for to renne.
223
The morwen com, and neighen gan the tymeOf meel-tyd, that the faire quene Eleyne
Shoop hir to been, an houre after the pryme,
With Deiphebus, to whom she nolde feyne;
But as his suster, hoomly, sooth to seyne,
She com to diner in hir playn entente.
But god and Pandare wiste al what this mente.
224
Come eek Criseyde, al innocent of this,Antigone, hir sister Tarbe also;
But flee we now prolixitee best is,
For love of god, and lat us faste go
Right to the effect, with-oute tales mo,
Why al this folk assembled in this place;
And lat us of hir saluinges pace.
225
Gret honour dide hem Deiphebus, certeyn,And fedde hem wel with al that mighte lyke.
But ever-more, ‘allas!’ was his refreyn,
‘My goode brother Troilus, the syke,
Lyth yet’—and therwith-al he gan to syke;
238
Hem as he mighte, and chere good he made.
226
Compleyned eek Eleyne of his syknesseSo feithfully, that pitee was to here,
And every wight gan waxen for accesse
A leche anoon, and seyde, ‘in this manere
Men curen folk; this charme I wol yow lere.’
But there sat oon, al list hir nought to teche,
That thoughte, best coude I yet been his leche.
227
After compleynt, him gonnen they to preyse,As folk don yet, whan som wight hath bigonne
To preyse a man, and up with prys him reyse
A thousand fold yet hyer than the sonne:—
‘He is, he can, that fewe lordes conne.’
And Pandarus, of that they wolde afferme,
He not for-gat hir preysing to conferme.
228
Herde al this thing Criseyde wel y-nough,And every word gan for to notifye;
For which with sobre chere hir herte lough;
For who is that ne wolde hir glorifye,
To mowen swich a knight don live or dye?
But al passe I, lest ye to longe dwelle;
For for o fyn is al that ever I telle.
229
The tyme com, fro diner for to ryse,And, as hem oughte, arisen everychoon,
And gonne a while of this and that devyse.
But Pandarus brak al this speche anoon,
And seyde to Deiphebus, ‘wole ye goon,
If yourë wille be, as I yow preyde,
To speke here of the nedes of Criseyde?’
230
Eleyne, which that by the hond hir held,Took first the tale, and seyde, ‘go we blyve;’
239
And seyde, ‘Ioves lat him never thryve,
That dooth yow harm, and bringe him sone of lyve
And yeve me sorwe, but he shal it rewe,
If that I may, and alle folk be trewe.’
231
‘Tel thou thy neces cas,’ quod DeiphebusTo Pandarus, ‘for thou canst best it telle.’—
‘My lordes and my ladyes, it stant thus;
What sholde I lenger,’ quod he, ‘do yow dwelle?’
He rong hem out a proces lyk a belle,
Up-on hir fo, that highte Poliphete,
So hëynous, that men mighte on it spete.
232
Answerde of this ech worse of hem than other,And Poliphete they gonnen thus to warien,
‘An-honged be swich oon, were he my brother;
And so he shal, for it ne may not varien.’
What sholde I lenger in this tale tarien?
Pleynly, alle at ones, they hir highten,
To been hir helpe in al that ever they mighten.
233
Spak than Eleyne, and seyde, ‘Pandarus,Woot ought my lord, my brother, this matere,
I mene, Ector? or woot it Troilus?’
He seyde, ‘ye, but wole ye now me here?
Me thinketh this, sith Troilus is here,
It were good, if that ye wolde assente,
She tolde hir-self him al this, er she wente.
234
For he wole have the more hir grief at herte,By cause, lo, that she a lady is;
And, by your leve, I wol but right in sterte,
And do yow wite, and that anoon, y-wis,
If that he slepe, or wole ought here of this.’
And in he lepte, and seyde him in his ere,
‘God have thy soule, y-brought have I thy bere!’
240
235
To smylen of this gan tho Troilus,And Pandarus, with-oute rekeninge,
Out wente anoon to Eleyne and Deiphebus,
And seyde hem, ‘so there be no taryinge,
Ne more pres, he wol wel that ye bringe
Crisëyda, my lady, that is here;
And as he may enduren, he wole here.
236
But wel ye woot, the chaumbre is but lyte,And fewe folk may lightly make it warm;
Now loketh ye, (for I wol have no wyte,
To bringe in prees that mighte doon him harm
Or him disesen, for my bettre arm),
Wher it be bet she byde til eft-sones;
Now loketh ye, that knowen what to doon is.
237
I sey for me, best is, as I can knowe,That no wight in ne wente but ye tweye,
But it were I, for I can, in a throwe,
Reherce hir cas, unlyk that she can seye;
And after this, she may him ones preye
To ben good lord, in short, and take hir leve;
This may not muchel of his ese him reve.
238
And eek, for she is straunge, he wol forbereHis ese, which that him thar nought for yow;
Eek other thing, that toucheth not to here,
He wol me telle, I woot it wel right now,
That secret is, and for the tounes prow.’
And they, that no-thing knewe of this entente,
With-oute more, to Troilus in they wente.
239
Eleyne in al hir goodly softe wyse,Gan him saluwe, and womanly to pleye,
And seyde, ‘ywis, ye moste alweyes aryse!
Now fayre brother, beth al hool, I preye!’
And gan hir arm right over his sholder leye,
241
As she best coude, she gan him to disporte.
240
So after this quod she, ‘we yow biseke,My dere brother, Deiphebus, and I,
For love of god, and so doth Pandare eke,
To been good lord and freend, right hertely,
Un-to Criseyde, which that certeinly
Receyveth wrong, as woot wel here Pandare,
That can hir cas wel bet than I declare.’
241
This Pandarus gan newe his tunge affyle,And al hir cas reherce, and that anoon;
Whan it was seyd, sone after, in a whyle,
Quod Troilus, ‘as sone as I may goon,
I wol right fayn with al my might ben oon,
Have god my trouthe, hir cause to sustene.’
‘Good thrift have ye,’ quod Eleyne the quene.
242
Quod Pandarus, ‘and it your wille be,That she may take hir leve, er that she go?’
‘Or elles god for-bede,’ tho quod he,
‘If that she vouche sauf for to do so.’
And with that word quod Troilus, ‘ye two,
Deiphebus, and my suster leef and dere,
To yow have I to speke of o matere,
243
To been avysed by your reed the bettre’:—And fond, as hap was, at his beddes heed,
The copie of a tretis and a lettre,
That Ector hadde him sent to axen reed,
If swich a man was worthy to ben deed,
Woot I nought who; but in a grisly wyse
He preyede hem anoon on it avyse.
244
Deiphebus gan this lettre to unfoldeIn ernest greet; so dide Eleyne the quene;
242
Downward a steyre, in-to an herber grene.
This ilke thing they redden hem bi-twene;
And largely, the mountaunce of an houre,
They gonne on it to reden and to poure.
245
Now lat hem rede, and turne we anoonTo Pandarus, that gan ful faste prye
That al was wel, and out he gan to goon
In-to the grete chambre, and that in hye,
And seyde, ‘god save al this companye!
Com, nece myn; my lady quene Eleyne
Abydeth yow, and eek my lordes tweyne.
246
Rys, take with yow your nece Antigone,Or whom yow list, or no fors, hardily;
The lasse prees, the bet; com forth with me,
And loke that ye thonke humblely
Hem alle three, and, whan ye may goodly
Your tyme y-see, taketh of hem your leve,
Lest we to longe his restes him bireve.’
247
Al innocent of Pandarus entente,Quod tho Criseyde, ‘go we, uncle dere’;
And arm in arm inward with him she wente,
Avysed wel hir wordes and hir chere;
And Pandarus, in ernestful manere,
Seyde, ‘alle folk, for goddes love, I preye,
Stinteth right here, and softely yow pleye.
248
Aviseth yow what folk ben here with-inne,And in what plyt oon is, god him amende!
And inward thus ful softely biginne;
Nece, I coniure and heighly yow defende,
On his half, which that sowle us alle sende,
And in the vertue of corounes tweyne,
Slee nought this man, that hath for yow this peyne!
243
249
Fy on the devel! thenk which oon he is,And in what plyt he lyth; com of anoon;
Thenk al swich taried tyd, but lost it nis!
That wol ye bothe seyn, whan ye ben oon.
Secoundelich, ther yet devyneth noon
Up-on yow two; com of now, if ye conne;
Whyl folk is blent, lo, al the tyme is wonne!
250
In titering, and pursuite, and delayes,The folk devyne at wagginge of a stree;
And though ye wolde han after merye dayes,
Than dar ye nought, and why? for she, and she
Spak swich a word; thus loked he, and he;
Lest tyme I loste, I dar not with yow dele;
Com of therfore, and bringeth him to hele.’
251
But now to yow, ye lovers that ben here,Was Troilus nought in a cankedort,
That lay, and mighte whispringe of hem here,
And thoughte, ‘O lord, right now renneth my sort
Fully to dye, or han anoon comfort’;
And was the firste tyme he shulde hir preye
Of love; O mighty god, what shal he seye?
Explicit Secundus Liber.
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