Troilus and Criseyde

Were fals and foul, and wikked corsednesse.

  995 `Eek this is an opinioun of somme

  That han hir top ful heighe and smothe y-shore;

  They seyn right thus, that thing is not to come

  For that the prescience hath seyn bifore

  That it shal come; but they seyn that therfore

  1000 That it shal come, therfore the purveyaunce

  Wot it biforn with-outen ignoraunce;

  `And in this manere this necessitee

  Retorneth in his part contrarie agayn.

  For needfully bihoveth it not to be

  1005 That thilke thinges fallen in certayn

  That ben purveyed; but nedely, as they seyn,

  Bihoveth it that thinges, whiche that falle,

  That they in certayn ben purveyed alle.

  `I mene as though I laboured me in this,

  1010 To enqueren which thing cause of which thing be;

  As whether that the prescience of god is

  The certayn cause of the necessitee

  Of thinges that to comen been, pardee;

  Or if necessitee of thing cominge

  1015 Be cause certeyn of the purveyinge.

  `But now ne enforce I me nat in shewinge

  How the ordre of causes stant; but wel wot I,

  That it bihoveth that the bifallinge

  Of thinges wist biforen certeynly

  1020 Be necessarie, al seme it not ther-by

  That prescience put falling necessaire

  To thing to come, al falle it foule or faire.

  `For if ther sit a man yond on a see,

  Than by necessitee bihoveth it

  1025 That, certes, thyn opinioun soth be,

  That wenest or coniectest that he sit;

  And ferther-over now ayenward yit,

  Lo, right so it is of the part contrarie,

  As thus; (now herkne, for I wol not tarie):

  1030 `I seye, that if the opinioun of thee

  Be sooth, for that he sit, than seye I this,

  That he mot sitten by necessitee;

  And thus necessitee in either is.

  For in him nede of sittinge is, y-wis,

  1035 And in thee nede of sooth; and thus, forsothe,

  Ther moot necessitee ben in yow bothe.

  `But thou mayst seyn, the man sit not therfore,

  That thyn opinioun of sitting soth is;

  But rather, for the man sit ther bifore,

  1040 Therfore is thyn opinioun sooth, y-wis.

  And I seye, though the cause of sooth of this

  Comth of his sitting, yet necessitee

  Is entrechaunged, bothe in him and thee.

  `Thus on this same wyse, out of doutaunce,

  1045 I may wel maken, as it semeth me,

  My resoninge of goddes purveyaunce,

  And of the thinges that to comen be;

  By whiche reson men may wel y-see,

  That thilke thinges that in erthe falle,

  1050 That by necessitee they comen alle.

  `For al-though that, for thing shal come, y-wis,

  Therfore is it purveyed, certaynly,

  Nat that it comth for it purveyed is:

  Yet nathelees, bihoveth it nedfully,

  1055 That thing to come be purveyed, trewely;

  Or elles, thinges that purveyed be,

  That they bityden by necessitee.

  `And this suffyseth right y-now, certeyn,

  For to destroye our free chois every del. --

  1060 But now is this abusion, to seyn,

  That fallinge of the thinges temporel

  Is cause of goddes prescience eternel.

  Now trewely, that is a fals sentence,

  That thing to come sholde cause his prescience.

  1065 `What mighte I wene, and I hadde swich a thought,

  But that god purveyth thing that is to come

  For that it is to come, and elles nought?

  So mighte I wene that thinges alle and some,

  That whylom been bifalle and over-come,

  1070 Ben cause of thilke sovereyn purveyaunce,

  That for-wot al with-outen ignoraunce.

  `And over al this, yet seye I more herto,

  That right as whan I woot ther is a thing,

  Y-wis, that thing mot nedefully be so;

  1075 Eek right so, whan I woot a thing coming,

  So mot it come; and thus the bifalling

  Of thinges that ben wist bifore the tyde,

  They mowe not been eschewed on no syde.'

  Than seyde he thus, `Almighty Iove in trone,

  1080 That wost of al this thing the soothfastnesse,

  Rewe on my sorwe, or do me deye sone,

  Or bring Criseyde and me fro this distresse.'

  And whyl he was in al this hevinesse,

  Disputinge with him-self in this matere,

  1085 Com Pandare in, and seyde as ye may here.

  `O mighty god,' quod Pandarus, `in trone,

  Ey! Who seigh ever a wys man faren so?

  Why, Troilus, what thenkestow to done?

  Hastow swich lust to been thyn owene fo?

  1090 What, parde, yet is not Criseyde a-go!

  Why list thee so thy-self for-doon for drede,

  That in thyn heed thyn eyen semen dede?

  `Hastow not lived many a yeer biforn

  With-outen hir, and ferd ful wel at ese?

  1095 Artow for hir and for non other born?

  Hath kinde thee wroughte al-only hir to plese?

  Lat be, and thenk right thus in thy disese.

  That, in the dees right as ther fallen chaunces,

  Right so in love, ther come and goon plesaunces.

  1100 `And yet this is a wonder most of alle,

  Why thou thus sorwest, sin thou nost not yit,

  Touching hir goinge, how that it shal falle,

  Ne if she can hir-self distorben it.

  Thou hast not yet assayed al hir wit.

  1105 A man may al by tyme his nekke bede

  Whan it shal of, and sorwen at the nede.

  `For-thy take hede of that that I shal seye;

  I have with hir y-spoke and longe y-be,

  So as accorded was bitwixe us tweye.

  1110 And ever-mor me thinketh thus, that she

  Hath som-what in hir hertes prevetee,

  Wher-with she can, if I shal right arede,

  Distorbe al this, of which thou art in drede.

  `For which my counseil is, whan it is night,

  1115 Thou to hir go, and make of this an ende;

  And blisful Iuno, thourgh hir grete mighte,

  Shal, as I hope, hir grace un-to us sende.

  Myn herte seyth, "Certeyn, she shal not wende;"

  And for-thy put thyn herte a whyle in reste;

  1120 And hold this purpos, for it is the beste.'

  This Troilus answerde, and sighte sore,

  `Thou seyst right wel, and I wil do right so;'

  And what him liste, he seyde un-to it more.

  And whan that it was tyme for to go,

  1125 Ful prevely him-self, with-outen mo,

  Un-to hir com, as he was wont to done;

  And how they wroughte, I shal yow telle sone.

  Soth is, that whan they gonne
first to mete,

  So gan the peyne hir hertes for to twiste,

  1130 That neither of hem other mighte grete,

  But hem in armes toke and after kiste.

  The lasse wofulle of hem bothe niste

  Wher that he was, ne mighte o word out-bringe,

  As I seyde erst, for wo and for sobbinge.

  1135 Tho woful teres that they leten falle

  As bittre weren, out of teres kinde,

  For peyne, as is ligne aloes or galle.

  So bittre teres weep nought, as I finde,

  The woful Myrra through the bark and rinde.

  1140 That in this world ther nis so hard an herte,

  That nolde han rewed on hir peynes smerte.

  But whan hir woful wery gostes tweyne

  Retorned been ther-as hem oughte dwelle,

  And that som-what to wayken gan the peyne

  1145 By lengthe of pleynte, and ebben gan the welle

  Of hire teres, and the herte unswelle,

  With broken voys, al hoors for-shright, Criseyde

  To Troilus thise ilke wordes seyde:

  `O Iove, I deye, and mercy I beseche!

  1150 Help, Troilus!' And ther-with-al hir face

  Upon his brest she leyde, and loste speche;

  Hir woful spirit from his propre place,

  Right with the word, alwey up poynt to pace.

  And thus she lyth with hewes pale and grene,

  1155 That whylom fresh and fairest was to sene.

  This Troilus, that on hir gan biholde,

  Clepinge hir name, (and she lay as for deed,

  With-oute answere, and felte hir limes colde,

  Hir eyen throwen upward to hir heed),

  1160 This sorwful man can now noon other reed,

  But ofte tyme hir colde mouth he kiste;

  Wher him was wo, god and him-self it wiste!

  He rist him up, and long streight he hir leyde;

  For signe of lyf, for ought he can or may,

  1165 Can he noon finde in no-thing on Criseyde,

  For which his song ful ofte is `weylaway!'

  But whan he saugh that specheles she lay,

  With sorwful voys and herte of blisse al bare,

  He seyde how she was fro this world y-fare!

  1170 So after that he longe hadde hir compleyned,

  His hondes wrong, and seyde that was to seye,

  And with his teres salte hir brest bireyned,

  He gan tho teris wypen of ful dreye,

  And pitously gan for the soule preye,

  1175 And seyde, `O lord, that set art in thy trone,

  Rewe eek on me, for I shal folwe hir sone!'

  She cold was and with-outen sentement,

  For aught he woot, for breeth ne felte he noon;

  And this was him a preignant argument

  1180 That she was forth out of this world agoon;

  And whan he seigh ther was non other woon,

  He gan hir limes dresse in swich manere

  As men don hem that shul be leyd on bere.

  And after this, with sterne and cruel herte,

  1185 His swerd a-noon out of his shethe he twighte,

  Him-self to sleen, how sore that him smerte,

  So that his sowle hir sowle folwen mighte,

  Ther-as the doom of Mynos wolde it dighte;

  Sin love and cruel Fortune it ne wolde,

  1190 That in this world he lenger liven sholde.

  Thanne seyde he thus, fulfild of heigh desdayn,

  `O cruel Iove, and thou, Fortune adverse,

  This al and som, that falsly have ye slayn

  Criseyde, and sin ye may do me no werse,

  1195 Fy on your might and werkes so diverse!

  Thus cowardly ye shul me never winne;

  Ther shal no deeth me fro my lady twinne.

  `For I this world, sin ye han slayn hir thus,

  Wol lete, and folowe hir spirit lowe or hye;

  1200 Shal never lover seyn that Troilus

  Dar not, for fere, with his lady dye;

  For certeyn, I wol bere hir companye.

  But sin ye wol not suffre us liven here,

  Yet suffreth that our soules ben y-fere.

  1205 `And thou, citee, whiche that I leve in wo,

  And thou, Pryam, and bretheren al y-fere,

  And thou, my moder, farwel! For I go;

  And Attropos, make redy thou my bere!

  And thou, Criseyde, o swete herte dere,

  1210 Receyve now my spirit!' wolde he seye,

  With swerd at herte, al redy for to deye

  But as god wolde, of swough ther-with she abreyde,

  And gan to syke, and `Troilus' she cryde;

  And he answerde, `Lady myn Criseyde,

  1215 Live ye yet?' and leet his swerd doun glyde.

  `Ye, herte myn, that thanked be Cupyde!'

  Quod she, and ther-with-al she sore sighte;

  And he bigan to glade hir as he mighte;

  Took hir in armes two, and kiste hir ofte,

  1220 And hir to glade he dide al his entente;

  For which hir goost, that flikered ay on-lofte,

  In-to hir woful herte ayein it wente.

  But at the laste, as that hir eyen glente

  A-syde, anoon she gan his swerd aspye,

  1225 As it lay bare, and gan for fere crye,

  And asked him, why he it hadde out-drawe?

  And Troilus anoon the cause hir tolde,

  And how himself ther-with he wolde have slawe.

  For which Criseyde up-on him gan biholde,

  1230 And gan him in hir armes faste folde,

  And seyde, `O mercy, god, lo, which a dede!

  Allas! How neigh we were bothe dede!

  `Thanne if I ne hadde spoken, as grace was,

  Ye wolde han slayn your-self anoon?' quod she.

  1235 `Ye, douteless;' and she answerde, `Allas!

  For, by that ilke lord that made me,

  I nolde a forlong wey on-lyve han be,

  After your deeth, to han been crouned quene

  Of al the lond the sonne on shyneth shene.

  1240 `But with this selve swerd, which that here is,

  My-selve I wolde han slayn!' -- quod she tho;

  `But ho, for we han right y-now of this,

  And late us ryse and streight to bedde go

  And there lat ys speken of oure wo.

  1245 For, by the morter which that I see brenne,

  Knowe I ful wel that day is not fer henne.'

  Whan they were in hir bedde, in armes folde,

  Nought was it lyk tho nightes here-biforn;

  For pitously ech other gan biholde,

  1250 As they that hadden al hir blisse y-lorn,

  Biwaylinge ay the day that they were born.

  Til at the last this sorwful wight Criseyde

  To Troilus these ilke wordes seyde: --

  `Lo, herte myn, wel wot ye this,' quod she,

  1255 `That if a wight alwey his wo compleyne,

  And seketh nought how holpen for to be,

  It nis but folye and encrees of peyne;

  And sin that here assembled be we tweyne

  To finde bote of wo that we ben inne,

  1260 It were al tyme sone to biginne.

 
`I am a womman, as ful wel ye woot,

  And as I am avysed sodeynly,

  So wol I telle yow, whyl it is hoot.

  Me thinketh thus, that nouther ye nor I

  1265 Oughte half this wo to make skilfully.

  For there is art y-now for to redresse

  That yet is mis, and sleen this hevinesse.

  `Sooth is, the wo, the whiche that we ben inne,

  For ought I woot, for no-thing elles is

  1270 But for the cause that we sholden twinne.

  Considered al, ther nis no-more amis.

  But what is thanne a remede un-to this,

  But that we shape us sone for to mete?

  This al and som, my dere herte swete.

  1275 `Now that I shal wel bringen it aboute

  To come ayein, sone after that I go,

  Ther-of am I no maner thing in doute.

  For dredeles, with-inne a wouke or two,

  I shal ben here; and, that it may be so

  1280 By alle right, and in a wordes fewe,

  I shal yow wel an heep of weyes shewe.

  `For which I wol not make long sermoun,

  For tyme y-lost may not recovered be;

  But I wol gon to my conclusioun,

  1285 And to the beste, in ought that I can see.

  And, for the love of god, for-yeve it me

  If I speke ought ayein your hertes reste;

  For trewely, I speke it for the beste;

  `Makinge alwey a protestacioun,

  1290 That now these wordes, whiche that I shal seye,

  Nis but to shewe yow my mocioun,

  To finde un-to our helpe the beste weye;

  And taketh it non other wyse, I preye.

  For in effect what-so ye me comaunde,

  1295 That wol I doon, for that is no demaunde.

  `Now herkneth this, ye han wel understonde,

  My goinge graunted is by parlement

  So ferforth, that it may not be with-stonde

  For al this world, as by my Iugement.

  1300 And sin ther helpeth noon avysement

  To letten it, lat it passe out of minde;

  And lat us shape a bettre wey to finde.

  `The sothe is, that the twinninge of us tweyne

  Wol us disese and cruelliche anoye.

  1305 But him bihoveth som-tyme han a peyne,

  That serveth love, if that he wol have Ioye.

  And sin I shal no ferthere out of Troye

  Than I may ryde ayein on half a morwe,

  It oughte lesse causen us to sorwe.

  1310 `So as I shal not so ben hid in muwe,

  That day by day, myn owene herte dere,

  Sin wel ye woot that it is now a trewe,

  Ye shal ful wel al myn estat y-here.

  And er that truwe is doon, I shal ben here,

  1315 And thanne have ye bothe Antenor y-wonne

  And me also; beth glad now, if ye conne;

  `And thenk right thus, "Criseyde is now agoon,

  But what! She shal come hastely ayeyn;"

  And whanne, allas? By god, lo, right anoon,

  1320 Er dayes ten, this dar I saufly seyn.

  And thanne at erste shul we been so fayn,

  So as we shulle to-gederes ever dwelle,

  That al this world ne mighte our blisse telle.

  `I see that ofte, ther-as we ben now,

  1325 That for the beste, our counseil for to hyde,

  Ye speke not with me, nor I with yow

  In fourtenight; ne see yow go ne ryde.

  May ye not ten dayes thanne abyde,

  For myn honour, in swich an aventure?

  1330 Y-wis, ye mowen elles lite endure!

  `Ye knowe eek how that al my kin is here,

  But-if that onliche it my fader be;

  And eek myn othere thinges alle y-fere,

  And nameliche, my dere herte, ye,

  1335 Whom that I nolde leven for to see

  For al this world, as wyd as it hath space;

  Or elles, see ich never Ioves face!

  `Why trowe ye my fader in this wyse

  Coveiteth so to see me, but for drede

  1340 Lest in this toun that folkes me dispyse

  By-cause of him, for his unhappy dede?

  What woot my fader what lyf that I lede?

  For if he wiste in Troye how wel I fare,

  Us neded for my wending nought to care.

  1345 `Ye seen that every day eek, more and more,

  Men trete of pees; and it supposed is,

  That men the quene Eleyne shal restore,

  And Grekes us restore that is mis.

  So though ther nere comfort noon but this,

  1350 That men purposen pees on every syde,