Troilus and Criseyde

1020 Ryd forth thy wey, and hold thy governaunce;

  And we shal speke of thee som-what, I trowe,

  Whan Thou art goon, to do thyne eres glowe!

  `Touching thy lettre, thou art wys y-nough,

  I woot thow nilt it digneliche endyte;

  1025 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.

  1030 `For though the beste harpour upon lyve

  Wolde 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,

  1035 It shulde maken every wight to dulle,

  To here his glee, and of his strokes fulle.

  `Ne Iompre eek no discordaunt thing y-fere,

  As thus, to usen termes of phisyk;

  In loves termes, hold of thy matere

  1040 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.'

  This counseyl lyked wel to Troilus;

  1045 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;

  1050 Thanne were I deed, ther mighte it no-thing weyve.'

  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

  1055 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.'

  Quod Troilus, `Depardieux, I assente;

  Sin that thee list, I will aryse and wryte;

  1060 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. --

  1065 First he gan hir his righte lady calle,

  His hertes lyf, his lust, his sorwes leche,

  His blisse, and eek these othere termes alle,

  That in swich cas these loveres alle seche;

  And in ful humble wyse, as in his speche,

  1070 He gan him recomaunde un-to hir grace;

  To telle al how, it axeth muchel space.

  And after this, ful lowly he hir prayde

  To be nought wrooth, though he, of his folye,

  So hardy was to hir to wryte, and seyde,

  1075 That love it made, or elles moste he dye,

  And pitously gan mercy for to crye;

  And after that he seyde, and ley ful loude,

  Him-self was litel worth, and lesse he coude;

  And that she sholde han his conning excused,

  1080 That litel was, and eek he dredde hir so,

  And his unworthinesse he ay acused;

  And after that, than gan he telle his woo;

  But that was endeles, with-outen ho;

  And seyde, he wolde in trouthe alwey him holde; --

  1085 And radde it over, and gan the lettre folde.

  And with his salte teres gan he bathe

  The ruby in his signet, and it sette

  Upon the wex deliverliche and rathe;

  Ther-with a thousand tymes, er he lette,

  1090 He kiste tho the lettre that he shette,

  And seyde, `Lettre, a blisful destenee

  Thee shapen is, my lady shal thee see.'

  This Pandare took the lettre, and that by tyme

  A-morwe, and to his neces paleys sterte,

  1095 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.'

  1100 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?

  1105 Tel us your Ioly wo and your penaunce,

  How ferforth be ye put in loves daunce.'

  `By god,' quod he, `I hoppe alwey bihinde!'

  And she to-laugh, it thoughte hir herte breste.

  Quod Pandarus, `Loke alwey that ye finde

  1110 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 I come to telle yow tydinges.

  `Into the gardin go we, and we shal here,

  1115 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,

  1120 He seyde hir thus, and out the lettre plighte,

  `Lo, he that is al hoolly youres free

  Him recomaundeth lowly to your grace,

  And sent to you this lettre here by me;

  Avyseth you on it, whan ye han space,

  1125 And of som goodly answere yow purchace;

  Or, helpe me god, so pleynly for to seyne,

  He may not longe liven for his peyne.'

  Ful dredfully tho gan she stonde stille,

  And took it nought, but al hir humble chere

  1130 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?

  1135 `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,

  1140 In harming of my-self or in repreve?

  Ber it a-yein, for him that ye on leve!'

  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!

  1145 To deethe mote I smiten be with thonder,

  If, for the citee which that stondeth yonder,

  Wolde I a lettre un-to yow bringe or take

  To harm of yow; what list yow thus it make?

  `But thus ye faren, wel neigh alle and some,

  1150 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,

  1155 And in hir bosom the lettre doun he thraste,

  And seyde hire, `Now cast it awey 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 hym, `Eem, I preye,

  1160 Swich answere as yow list, your-self purveye,

  For trewely I nil no lettre wryte.'

  `No? than wol I,' quod he, `so ye endyte.'

  Therwith she lough, and seyde, `Go we dyne.'

  And he gan at him-self to iape faste,

  1165 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.

  1170 And whan that she was comen in-to halle,

  `Now, eem,' quod she, `we wol go dine 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

  1175 A-monges othere thinges, out of drede,

  Ful prively this lettre for to rede;

  Avysed word by word in every lyne,

  And fond no lak, she thoughte he coude good;

  And up it putte, and went hir in to dyne.

  1180 But 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.'

  Tho wesshen they, and sette hem doun and ete;

  1185 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,

  1190 And knew it wel, and whos it was him tolde,

  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,

  1195 `Now, nece myn, tel on,' quod he; `I seye,

  How liketh yow the lettre that ye woot?

  Can he ther-on? For, by my trouthe, I noot.'

  Therwith al rosy hewed tho wex she,

  And gan to humme, and seyde, `So I trowe.'

  1200 `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.'

  1205 `Ye, for I can so wryte,' quod she tho;

  `And eek I noot what I sholde to him seye.'

  `Nay, nece,' quod Pandare, `sey nat so;

  Yet at the leste thanketh him, I preye,

  Of his good wil, and doth him not to deye.

  1210 Now for the love of me, my nece dere,

  Refuseth not at this tyme my preyere.'

  `Depar-dieux,' quod she, `God leve al be wel!

  God help me so, this is the firste lettre

  That ever I wroot, ye, al or any del.'

  1215 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,

  Of which to telle in short is myn entente

  1220 Theffect, 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,

  1225 She wolde fayn to doon his herte an ese.

  She shette it, and to Pandarus in gan goon,

  There as he sat and loked in-to the strete,

  And doun she sette hir by him on a stoon

  Of Iaspre, up-on a quisshin gold y-bete,

  1230 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;'

  And took it him: He thonked hir and seyde,

  `God woot, of thing ful ofte looth bigonne

  1235 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.'

  1240 `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.

  But hasteth yow to doon him Ioye have;

  1245 For trusteth wel, to longe y-doon hardnesse

  Causeth despyt ful often, for destresse.'

  And right as they declamed this matere,

  Lo, Troilus, right at the stretes ende,

  Com ryding with his tenthe some y-fere,

  1250 Al softely, and thiderward gan bende

  Ther-as they sete, as was his way to wende

  To paleys-ward; and Pandare him aspyde,

  And seyde, `Nece, y-see who cometh here ryde!

  `O flee not in, he seeth us, I suppose;

  1255 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 oft his hewes muwe;

  And up his look debonairly he caste,

  1260 And bekked on Pandare, and forth he paste.

  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?

  1265 Criseyde, which that alle these thinges say,

  To telle in short, hir lyked al y-fere,

  His persone, his aray, his look, his chere,

  His goodly manere, and his gentillesse,

  So wel, that never, sith that she was born,

  1270 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!

  1275 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,

  1280 With-outen his gilt, but for hir lakked routhe,

  Were it wel doon?' Quod she, `Nay, by my trouthe!'

  `God help 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!'

  1285 `Wel,' quod Pandare, `as I have told yow thrye,

&nbsp
; Lat be youre nyce shame and youre folye,

  And spek with him in esing of his herte;

  Lat nycetee not do yow bothe smerte.'

  But ther-on was to heven and to done;

  1290 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,

  1295 And guerdon him with no-thing but with sighte.'

  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?

  1300 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.

  And on his wey ful faste homward he spedde,

  And right for Ioye he felte his herte daunce;

  1305 And Troilus he fond alone a-bedde,

  That lay as dooth these loveres, in a traunce,

  Bitwixen hope and derk desesperaunce.

  But Pandarus, right at his in-cominge,

  He song, as who seyth, `Lo! Sumwhat I bringe,'

  1310 And seyde, `Who is in his bed so sone

  Y-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,

  1315 The which can helen thee of thyn accesse,

  If thou do forth-with al thy besinesse.'

  `Ye, through the might of god!' quod Troilus.

  And Pandarus gan him the lettre take,

  And seyde, `Pardee, god hath holpen us;

  1320 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.

  But fynally, he took al for the beste

  1325 That she him wroot, for somwhat 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,

  1330 His grete wo for-yede he at the leste.

  But as we may alday our-selven see,

  Through more wode or col, the more fyr;

  Right so encrees hope, of what it be,

  Therwith ful ofte encreseth eek desyr;

  1335 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.

  Wherfore I seye alwey, that day and night

  This Troilus gan to desiren more

  1340 Than he dide erst, thurgh hope, and dide his might

  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;

  1345 And dide also his othere observaunces

  That 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;

  1350 And aftir swiche answeres as he hadde,

  So were his dayes sory outher gladde.

  But to Pandare alwey was his recours,

  And pitously gan ay til him to pleyne,

  And him bisoughte of rede and som socours;

  1355 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;

  And seyde, `Lord, and freend, and brother dere,

  1360 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,

  1365 Ther-as thou mayst thy-self hir preye of grace.

  `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,

  1370 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.