Troilus and Criseyde

  In al this world ther nis so cruel herte

  That hir hadde herd compleynen in hir sorwe,

  That nolde han wopen for hir peynes smerte,

  725 So tendrely she weep, bothe eve and morwe.

  Hir nedede no teres for to borwe.

  And this was yet the worste of al hir peyne,

  Ther was no wight to whom she dorste hir pleyne.

  Ful rewfully she loked up-on Troye,

  730 Biheld the toures heighe and eek the halles;

  `Allas!' quod she, `The plesaunce and the Ioye

  The whiche that now al torned in-to galle is,

  Have I had ofte with-inne yonder walles!

  O Troilus, what dostow now,' she seyde;

  735 `Lord! Whether yet thou thenke up-on Criseyde?

  `Allas! I ne hadde trowed on your lore,

  And went with yow, as ye me radde er this!

  Thanne hadde I now not syked half so sore.

  Who mighte han seyd, that I had doon a-mis

  740 To stele awey with swich on as he is?

  But al to late cometh the letuarie,

  Whan men the cors un-to the grave carie.

  `To late is now to speke of this matere;

  Prudence, allas! Oon of thyn eyen three

  745 Me lakked alwey, er that I come here;

  On tyme y-passed, wel remembred me;

  And present tyme eek coude I wel y-see.

  But futur tyme, er I was in the snare,

  Coude I not seen; that causeth now my care.

  750 `But natheles, bityde what bityde,

  I shal to-morwe at night, by est or weste,

  Out of this ost stele on som maner syde,

  And go with Troilus wher-as him leste.

  This purpos wol I holde, and this is beste.

  755 No fors of wikked tonges Ianglerye,

  For ever on love han wrecches had envye.

  `For who-so wole of every word take hede,

  Or rewlen him by every wightes wit,

  Ne shal he never thryven, out of drede.

  760 For that that som men blamen ever yit,

  Lo, other maner folk commenden it.

  And as for me, for al swich variaunce,

  Felicitee clepe I my suffisaunce.

  `For which, with-outen any wordes mo,

  765 To Troye I wol, as for conclusioun.'

  But god it wot, er fully monthes two,

  She was ful fer fro that entencioun.

  For bothe Troilus and Troye toun

  Shal knotteles through-out hir herte slyde;

  770 For she wol take a purpos for tabyde.

  This Diomede, of whom yow telle I gan,

  Goth now, with-inne him-self ay arguinge

  With al the sleighte and al that ever he can,

  How he may best, with shortest taryinge,

  775 In-to his net Criseydes herte bringe.

  To this entente he coude never fyne;

  To fisshen hir, he leyde out hook and lyne.

  But natheles, wel in his herte he thoughte,

  That she nas nat with-oute a love in Troye,

  780 For never, sithen he hir thennes broughte,

  Ne coude he seen her laughe or make Ioye.

  He nist how best hir herte for tacoye.

  `But for to assaye,' he seyde, `it nought ne greveth;

  For he that nought nassayeth, nought nacheveth.'

  785 Yet seide he to him-self upon a night,

  `Now am I not a fool, that woot wel how

  Hir wo for love is of another wight,

  And here-up-on to goon assaye hir now?

  I may wel wite, it nil not been my prow.

  790 For wyse folk in bokes it expresse,

  "Men shal not wowe a wight in hevinesse."

  `But who-so mighte winnen swich a flour

  From him, for whom she morneth night and day,

  He mighte seyn, he were a conquerour.'

  795 And right anoon, as he that bold was ay,

  Thoughte in his herte, `Happe how happe may,

  Al sholde I deye, I wole hir herte seche;

  I shal no more lesen but my speche.'

  This Diomede, as bokes us declare,

  800 Was in his nedes prest and corageous;

  With sterne voys and mighty limes square,

  Hardy, testif, strong, and chevalrous

  Of dedes, lyk his fader Tideus.

  And som men seyn, he was of tunge large;

  805 And heir he was of Calidoine and Arge.

  Criseyde mene was of hir stature,

  Ther-to of shap, of face, and eek of chere,

  Ther mighte been no fairer creature.

  And ofte tyme this was hir manere,

  810 To gon y-tressed with hir heres clere

  Doun by hir coler at hir bak bihinde,

  Which with a threde of gold she wolde binde.

  And, save hir browes ioyneden y-fere,

  Ther nas no lak, in ought I can espyen;

  815 But for to speken of hir eyen clere,

  Lo, trewely, they writen that hir syen,

  That Paradys stood formed in hir yen.

  And with hir riche beautee ever-more

  Strof love in hir, ay which of hem was more.

  820 She sobre was, eek simple, and wys with-al,

  The beste y-norisshed eek that mighte be,

  And goodly of hir speche in general,

  Charitable, estatliche, lusty, and free;

  Ne never-mo ne lakkede hir pitee;

  825 Tendre-herted, slydinge of corage;

  But trewely, I can not telle hir age.

  And Troilus wel waxen was in highte,

  And complet formed by proporcioun

  So wel, that kinde it not amenden mighte;

  830 Yong, fresshe, strong, and hardy as lyoun;

  Trewe as steel in ech condicioun;

  On of the beste enteched creature,

  That is, or shal, whyl that the world may dure.

  And certainly in storie it is y-founde,

  835 That Troilus was never un-to no wight,

  As in his tyme, in no degree secounde

  In durring don that longeth to a knight.

  Al mighte a geaunt passen him of might,

  His herte ay with the firste and with the beste

  840 Stood paregal, to durre don that him leste.

  But for to tellen forth of Diomede: --

  It fil that after, on the tenthe day,

  Sin that Criseyde out of the citee yede,

  This Diomede, as fresshe as braunche in May,

  845 Com to the tente ther-as Calkas lay,

  And feyned him with Calkas han to done;

  But what he mente, I shal yow telle sone.

  Criseyde, at shorte wordes for to telle,

  Welcomed him, and doun by hir him sette;

  850 And he was ethe y-nough to maken dwelle.

  And after this, with-outen longe lette,

  The spyces and the wyn men forth hem fette;

  And forth they speke of this and that y-fere,

  As freendes doon, of which som shal ye here.

  855 He gan first fallen of the werre in speche

  Bitwixe hem and the folk of Troye toun;

  And of thassege
he gan hir eek byseche,

  To telle him what was hir opinioun.

  Fro that demaunde he so descendeth doun

  860 To asken hir, if that hir straunge thoughte

  The Grekes gyse, and werkes that they wroughte?

  And why hir fader tarieth so longe

  To wedden hir un-to som worthy wight?

  Criseyde, that was in hir peynes stronge

  865 For love of Troilus, hir owene knight,

  As fer-forth as she conning hadde or might,

  Answerde him tho; but, as of his entente,

  It semed not she wiste what he mente.

  But natheles, this ilke Diomede

  870 Gan in him-self assure, and thus he seyde,

  `If ich aright have taken of yow hede,

  Me thinketh thus, O lady myn, Criseyde,

  That sin I first hond on your brydel leyde,

  Whan ye out come of Troye by the morwe,

  875 Ne coude I never seen yow but in sorwe.

  `Can I not seyn what may the cause be

  But-if for love of som Troyan it were,

  The which right sore wolde athinken me

  That ye, for any wight that dwelleth there,

  880 Sholden spille a quarter of a tere,

  Or pitously your-selven so bigyle;

  For dredelees, it is nought worth the whyle.

  `The folk of Troye, as who seyth, alle and some

  In preson been, as ye your-selven see;

  885 Nor thennes shal not oon on-lyve come

  For al the gold bitwixen sonne and see.

  Trusteth wel, and understondeth me.

  Ther shal not oon to mercy goon on-lyve,

  Al were he lord of worldes twyes fyve!

  890 `Swich wreche on hem, for fecching of Eleyne,

  Ther shal be take, er that we hennes wende,

  That Manes, which that goddes ben of peyne,

  Shal been agast that Grekes wol hem shende.

  And men shul drede, un-to the worldes ende,

  895 From hennes-forth to ravisshe any quene,

  So cruel shal our wreche on hem be sene.

  `And but-if Calkas lede us with ambages,

  That is to seyn, with double wordes slye,

  Swich as men clepe a "word with two visages,"

  900 Ye shal wel knowen that I nought ne lye,

  And al this thing right seen it with your ye,

  And that anoon; ye nil not trowe how sone;

  Now taketh heed, for it is for to done.

  `What wene ye your wyse fader wolde

  905 Han yeven Antenor for yow anoon,

  If he ne wiste that the citee sholde

  Destroyed been? Why, nay, so mote I goon!

  He knew ful wel ther shal not scapen oon

  That Troyan is; and for the grete fere,

  910 He dorste not, ye dwelte lenger there.

  `What wole ye more, lufsom lady dere?

  Lat Troye and Troyan fro your herte pace!

  Dryf out that bittre hope, and make good chere,

  And clepe ayein the beautee of your face,

  915 That ye with salte teres so deface.

  For Troye is brought in swich a Iupartye,

  That, it to save, is now no remedye.

  `And thenketh wel, ye shal in Grekes finde,

  A more parfit love, er it be night,

  920 Than any Troian is, and more kinde,

  And bet to serven yow wol doon his might.

  And if ye vouche sauf, my lady bright,

  I wol ben he to serven yow my-selve,

  Yee, lever than he lord of Greces twelve!'

  925 And with that word he gan to waxen reed,

  And in his speche a litel wight he quook,

  And caste a-syde a litel wight his heed,

  And stinte a whyle; and afterward awook,

  And sobreliche on hir he threw his look,

  930 And seyde, `I am, al be it yow no Ioye,

  As gentil man as any wight in Troye.

  `For if my fader Tydeus,' he seyde,

  `Y-lived hadde, I hadde been, er this,

  Of Calidoine and Arge a king, Criseyde!

  935 And so hope I that I shal yet, y-wis.

  But he was slayn, allas! The more harm is,

  Unhappily at Thebes al to rathe,

  Polymites and many a man to scathe.

  `But herte myn, sin that I am your man,

  940 And been the ferste of whom I seche grace,

  To serven you as hertely as I can,

  And ever shal, whyl I to live have space,

  So, er that I departe out of this place,

  Ye wol me graunte, that I may to-morwe,

  945 At bettre leyser, telle yow my sorwe.'

  What shold I telle his wordes that he seyde?

  He spak y-now, for o day at the meste;

  It preveth wel, he spak so that Criseyde

  Graunted, on the morwe, at his requeste,

  950 For to speken with him at the leste,

  So that he nolde speke of swich matere;

  And thus to him she seyde, as ye may here:

  As she that hadde hir herte on Troilus

  So faste, that ther may it noon arace;

  955 And straungely she spak, and seyde thus;

  `O Diomede, I love that ilke place

  Ther I was born; and Ioves, for his grace,

  Delivere it sone of al that doth it care!

  God, for thy might, so leve it wel to fare!

  960 `That Grekes wolde hir wraththe on Troye wreke,

  If that they mighte, I knowe it wel, y-wis.

  But it shal not bifallen as ye speke;

  And god to-forn, and ferther over this,

  I wot my fader wys and redy is;

  965 And that he me hath bought, as ye me tolde,

  So dere, I am the more un-to him holde.

  `That Grekes been of heigh condicioun,

  I woot eek wel; but certein, men shal finde

  As worthy folk with-inne Troye toun,

  970 As conning, and as parfit and as kinde,

  As been bitwixen Orcades and Inde.

  And that ye coude wel your lady serve,

  I trowe eek wel, hir thank for to deserve.

  `But as to speke of love, y-wis,' she seyde,

  975 `I hadde a lord, to whom I wedded was,

  The whos myn herte al was, til that he deyde;

  And other love, as helpe me now Pallas,

  Ther in myn herte nis, ne nevere was.

  And that ye been of noble and heigh kinrede,

  980 I have wel herd it tellen, out of drede.

  `And that doth me to han so gret a wonder,

  That ye wol scornen any womman so.

  Eek, god wot, love and I be fer a-sonder!

  I am disposed bet, so mote I go,

  985 Un-to my deeth, to pleyne and maken wo.

  What I shal after doon, I can not seye;

  But trewely, as yet me list not pleye.

  `Myn herte is now in tribulacioun,

  And ye in armes bisy, day by day.

  990 Here-after, whan ye wonnen han the toun,

  Paraunter, thanne so it happen may,

  That whan I see that I never er say,

  Than wole I werke
that I never wroughte!

  This word to yow y-nough suffysen oughte.

  995 `To-morwe eek wol I speken with yow fayn,

  So that ye touchen nought of this matere.

  And whan yow list, ye may come here ayeyn;

  And, er ye gon, thus muche I seye yow here;

  As help me Pallas with hir heres clere,

  1000 If that I sholde of any Greek han routhe,

  It sholde be your-selven, by my trouthe!

  `I sey not therfore that I wol yow love,

  Ne I sey not nay, but in conclusioun,

  I mene wel, by god that sit above:' --

  1005 And ther-with-al she caste hir eyen doun,

  And gan to syke, and seyde, `O Troye toun,

  Yet bidde I god, in quiete and in reste

  I may yow seen, or do myn herte breste.'

  But in effect, and shortly for to seye,

  1010 This Diomede al freshly newe ayeyn

  Gan pressen on, and faste hir mercy preye;

  And after this, the sothe for to seyn,

  Hir glove he took, of which he was ful fayn.

  And fynally, whan it was waxen eve,

  1015 And al was wel, he roos and took his leve.

  The brighte Venus folwede and ay taughte

  The wey, ther brode Phebus doun alighte;

  And Cynthea hir char-hors over-raughte

  To whirle out of the Lyon, if she mighte;

  1020 And Signifer his candelse shewed brighte,

  Whan that Criseyde un-to hir bedde wente

  In-with hir fadres faire brighte tente.

  Retorning in hir soule ay up and doun

  The wordes of this sodein Diomede,

  1025 His greet estat, and peril of the toun,

  And that she was allone and hadde nede

  Of freendes help; and thus bigan to brede

  The cause why, the sothe for to telle,

  That she tok fully purpos for to dwelle.

  1030 The morwe com, and goostly for to speke,

  This Diomede is come un-to Criseyde,

  And shortly, lest that ye my tale breke,

  So wel he for him-selve spak and seyde,

  That alle hir sykes sore adoun he leyde.

  1035 And fynally, the sothe for to seyne,

  He refte hir of the grete of al hir peyne.

  And after this the story telleth us,

  That she him yaf the faire baye stede,

  The which he ones wan of Troilus;

  1040 And eek a broche (and that was litel nede)

  That Troilus was, she yaf this Diomede.

  And eek, the bet from sorwe him to releve,

  She made him were a pencel of hir sleve.

  I finde eek in stories elles-where,

  1045 Whan through the body hurt was Diomede

  Of Troilus, tho weep she many a tere,

  Whan that she saugh his wyde woundes blede;

  And that she took to kepen him good hede,

  And for to hele him of his sorwes smerte.

  1050 Men seyn, I not, that she yaf him hir herte.

  But trewely, the story telleth us,

  Ther made never womman more wo

  Than she, whan that she falsed Troilus.

  She seyde, `Allas! For now is clene a-go

  1055 My name of trouthe in love, for ever-mo!

  For I have falsed oon, the gentileste

  That ever was, and oon the worthieste!

  `Allas, of me, un-to the worldes ende,

  Shal neither been y-writen nor y-songe

  1060 No good word, for thise bokes wol me shende.

  O, rolled shal I been on many a tonge;

  Through-out the world my belle shal be ronge;

  And wommen most wol hate me of alle.

  Allas, that swich a cas me sholde falle!

  1065 `They wol seyn, in as muche as in me is,

  I have hem don dishonour, weylawey!

  Al be I not the first that dide amis,

  What helpeth that to do my blame awey?

  But sin I see there is no bettre way,

  1070 And that to late is now for me to rewe,

  To Diomede algate I wol be trewe.

  `But Troilus, sin I no better may,

  And sin that thus departen ye and I,

  Yet preye I god, so yeve yow right good day

  1075 As for the gentileste, trewely,

  That ever I say, to serven feithfully,

  And best can ay his lady honour kepe:' --

  And with that word she brast anon to wepe.

  `And certes yow ne haten shal I never,

  1080 And freendes love, that shal ye han of me,

  And my good word, al mighte I liven ever.

  And, trewely, I wolde sory be