Troilus and Criseyde

Seyde, `Alle folk, for goddes love, I preye,

  Stinteth right here, and softely yow pleye.

  1730 `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 conjure and heighly yow defende,

  On his half, which that sowle us alle sende,

  1735 And in the vertue of corounes tweyne,

  Slee nought this man, that hath for yow this peyne!

  `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!

  1740 That wol ye bothe seyn, whan ye ben oon.

  Secoundelich, ther yet devyneth noon

  Up-on yow two; come of now, if ye conne;

  Whyl folk is blent, lo, al the tyme is wonne!

  `In titering, and pursuite, and delayes,

  1745 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;

  1750 Com of therfore, and bringeth him to hele.'

  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

  1755 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.

  BOOK III

  Incipit prohemium tercii libri.

  1 O blisful light of whiche the bemes clere

  Adorneth al the thridde hevene faire!

  O sonnes lief, O Ioves doughter dere,

  Plesaunce of love, O goodly debonaire,

  5 In gentil hertes ay redy to repaire!

  O verray cause of hele and of gladnesse,

  Y-heried be thy might and thy goodnesse!

  In hevene and helle, in erthe and salte see

  Is felt thy might, if that I wel descerne;

  10 As man, brid, best, fish, herbe and grene tree

  Thee fele in tymes with vapour eterne.

  God loveth, and to love wol nought werne;

  And in this world no lyves creature,

  With-outen love, is worth, or may endure.

  15 Ye Ioves first to thilke effectes glade,

  Thorugh which that thinges liven alle and be,

  Comeveden, and amorous him made

  On mortal thing, and as yow list, ay ye

  Yeve him in love ese or adversitee;

  20 And in a thousand formes doun him sente

  For love in erthe, and whom yow liste, he hente.

  Ye fierse Mars apeysen of his ire,

  And, as yow list, ye maken hertes digne;

  Algates, hem that ye wol sette a-fyre,

  25 They dreden shame, and vices they resigne;

  Ye do hem corteys be, fresshe and benigne,

  And hye or lowe, after a wight entendeth;

  The Ioyes that he hath, your might him sendeth.

  Ye holden regne and hous in unitee;

  30 Ye soothfast cause of frendship been also;

  Ye knowe al thilke covered qualitee

  Of thinges which that folk on wondren so,

  Whan they can not construe how it may io,

  She loveth him, or why he loveth here;

  35 As why this fish, and nought that, comth to were.

  Ye folk a lawe han set in universe,

  And this knowe I by hem that loveres be,

  That who-so stryveth with yow hath the werse:

  Now, lady bright, for thy benignitee,

  40 At reverence of hem that serven thee,

  Whos clerk I am, so techeth me devyse

  Som Ioye of that is felt in thy servyse.

  Ye in my naked herte sentement

  Inhelde, and do me shewe of thy swetnesse. --

  45 Caliope, thy vois be now present,

  For now is nede; sestow not my destresse,

  How I mot telle anon-right the gladnesse

  Of Troilus, to Venus heryinge?

  To which gladnes, who nede hath, god him bringe!

  Explicit prohemium Tercii Libri.

  Incipit Liber Tercius.

  50 Lay al this mene whyle Troilus,

  Recordinge his lessoun in this manere,

  `Ma fey!' thought he, `Thus wole I seye and thus;

  Thus wole I pleyne unto my lady dere;

  That word is good, and this shal be my chere;

  55 This nil I not foryeten in no wyse.'

  God leve him werken as he can devyse!

  And, lord, so that his herte gan to quappe,

  Heringe hir come, and shorte for to syke!

  And Pandarus, that ledde hir by the lappe,

  60 Com ner, and gan in at the curtin pyke,

  And seyde, `God do bote on alle syke!

  See, who is here yow comen to visyte;

  Lo, here is she that is your deeth to wyte.'

  Ther-with it semed as he wepte almost;

  65 `A ha,' quod Troilus so rewfully,

  `Wher me be wo, O mighty god, thow wost!

  Who is al there? I se nought trewely.'

  `Sire,' quod Criseyde, `it is Pandare and I.'

  `Ye, swete herte? Allas, I may nought ryse

  70 To knele, and do yow honour in som wyse.'

  And dressede him upward, and she right tho

  Gan bothe here hondes softe upon him leye,

  `O, for the love of god, do ye not so

  To me,' quod she, `Ey! What is this to seye?

  75 Sire, come am I to yow for causes tweye;

  First, yow to thonke, and of your lordshipe eke

  Continuance I wolde yow biseke.'

  This Troilus, that herde his lady preye

  Of lordship him, wex neither quik ne deed,

  80 Ne mighte a word for shame to it seye,

  Al-though men sholde smyten of his heed.

  But lord, so he wex sodeinliche reed,

  And sire, his lesson, that he wende conne,

  To preyen hir, is thurgh his wit y-ronne.

  85 Cryseyde al this aspyede wel y-nough,

  For she was wys, and lovede him never-the-lasse,

  Al nere he malapert, or made it tough,

  Or was to bold, to singe a fool a masse.

  But whan his shame gan somwhat to passe,

  90 His resons, as I may my rymes holde,

  I yow wole telle, as techen bokes olde.

  In chaunged vois, right for his verray drede,

  Which vois eek quook, and ther-to his manere

  Goodly abayst, and now his hewes rede,

  95 Now pale, un-to Criseyde, his lady dere,

  With look doun cast and humble yolden chere,

  Lo, the alderfirste word that him asterte

  Was, twyes, `Mercy, mercy, swete herte!'

  And stinte a whyl, and whan he mighte out-bringe,

  100 The nexte word was, `God wot, for I have,

  As feyfully as I have had konninge,


  Ben youres, also god so my sowle save;

  And shal til that I, woful wight, be grave.

  And though I dar ne can un-to yow pleyne,

  105 Y-wis, I suffre nought the lasse peyne.

  `Thus muche as now, O wommanliche wyf,

  I may out-bringe, and if this yow displese,

  That shal I wreke upon myn owne lyf

  Right sone, I trowe, and doon your herte an ese,

  110 If with my deeth your herte I may apese.

  But sin that ye han herd me som-what seye,

  Now recche I never how sone that I deye.'

  Ther-with his manly sorwe to biholde,

  It mighte han maad an herte of stoon to rewe;

  115 And Pandare weep as he to watre wolde,

  And poked ever his nece newe and newe,

  And seyde, `Wo bigon ben hertes trewe!

  For love of god, make of this thing an ende,

  Or slee us bothe at ones, er that ye wende.'

  120 `I? What?' quod she, `By god and by my trouthe,

  I noot nought what ye wilne that I seye.'

  `I? What?' quod he, `That ye han on him routhe,

  For goddes love, and doth him nought to deye.'

  `Now thanne thus,' quod she, `I wolde him preye

  125 To telle me the fyn of his entente;

  Yet wist I never wel what that he mente.'

  `What that I mene, O swete herte dere?'

  Quod Troilus, `O goodly, fresshe free!

  That, with the stremes of your eyen clere,

  130 Ye wolde som-tyme freendly on me see,

  And thanne agreen that I may ben he,

  With-oute braunche of vyce on any wyse,

  In trouthe alwey to doon yow my servyse,

  `As to my lady right and chief resort,

  135 With al my wit and al my diligence,

  And I to han, right as yow list, comfort,

  Under your yerde, egal to myn offence,

  As deeth, if that I breke your defence;

  And that ye deigne me so muche honoure,

  140 Me to comaunden ought in any houre.

  `And I to ben your verray humble trewe,

  Secret, and in my paynes pacient,

  And ever-mo desire freshly newe,

  To serven, and been y-lyke ay diligent,

  145 And, with good herte, al holly your talent

  Receyven wel, how sore that me smerte,

  Lo, this mene I, myn owene swete herte.'

  Quod Pandarus, `Lo, here an hard request,

  And resonable, a lady for to werne!

  150 Now, nece myn, by natal Ioves fest,

  Were I a god, ye sholde sterve as yerne,

  That heren wel, this man wol no-thing yerne

  But your honour, and seen him almost sterve,

  And been so looth to suffren him yow serve.'

  155 With that she gan hir eyen on him caste

  Ful esily, and ful debonairly,

  Avysing hir, and hyed not to faste

  With never a word, but seyde him softely,

  `Myn honour sauf, I wol wel trewely,

  160 And in swich forme as he can now devyse,

  Receyven him fully to my servyse,

  `Biseching him, for goddes love, that he

  Wolde, in honour of trouthe and gentilesse,

  As I wel mene, eek mene wel to me,

  165 And myn honour, with wit and besinesse

  Ay kepe; and if I may don him gladnesse,

  From hennes-forth, y-wis, I nil not feyne:

  Now beeth al hool; no lenger ye ne pleyne.

  `But nathelees, this warne I yow,' quod she,

  170 `A kinges sone al-though ye be, y-wis,

  Ye shal na-more have soverainetee

  Of me in love, than right in that cas is;

  Ne I nil forbere, if that ye doon a-mis,

  To wrathen yow; and whyl that ye me serve,

  175 Cherycen yow right after ye deserve.

  `And shortly, dere herte and al my knight,

  Beth glad, and draweth yow to lustinesse,

  And I shal trewely, with al my might,

  Your bittre tornen al in-to swetenesse.

  180 If I be she that may yow do gladnesse,

  For every wo ye shal recovere a blisse';

  And him in armes took, and gan him kisse.

  Fil Pandarus on knees, and up his eyen

  To hevene threw, and held his hondes hye,

  185 `Immortal god!' quod he, `That mayst nought dyen,

  Cupide I mene, of this mayst glorifye;

  And Venus, thou mayst maken melodye;

  With-outen hond, me semeth that in the towne,

  For this merveyle, I here ech belle sowne.

  190 `But ho! No more as now of this matere,

  For-why this folk wol comen up anoon,

  That han the lettre red; lo, I hem here.

  But I coniure thee, Criseyde, and oon,

  And two, thou Troilus, whan thow mayst goon,

  195 That at myn hous ye been at my warninge,

  For I ful wel shal shape youre cominge;

  `And eseth ther your hertes right y-nough;

  And lat see which of yow shal bere the belle

  To speke of love a-right!' ther-with he lough,

  200 `For ther have ye a layser for to telle.'

  Quod Troilus, `How longe shal I dwelle

  Er this be doon?' Quod he, `Whan thou mayst ryse,

  This thing shal be right as I yow devyse.'

  With that Eleyne and also Deiphebus

  205 Tho comen upward, right at the steyres ende;

  And Lord, so than gan grone Troilus,

  His brother and his suster for to blende.

  Quod Pandarus, `It tyme is that we wende;

  Tak, nece myn, your leve at alle three,

  210 And lat hem speke, and cometh forth with me.'

  She took hir leve at hem ful thriftily,

  As she wel coude, and they hir reverence

  Un-to the fulle diden hardely,

  And speken wonder wel, in hir absence,

  215 Of hir, in preysing of hir excellence,

  Hir governaunce, hir wit; and hir manere

  Commendeden, it Ioye was to here.

  Now lat hir wende un-to hir owne place,

  And torne we to Troilus a-yein,

  220 That gan ful lightly of the lettre passe

  That Deiphebus hadde in the gardin seyn.

  And of Eleyne and him he wolde fayn

  Delivered been, and seyde that him leste

  To slepe, and after tales have reste.

  225 Eleyne him kiste, and took hir leve blyve,

  Deiphebus eek, and hoom wente every wight;

  And Pandarus, as faste as he may dryve,

  To Troilus tho com, as lyne right;

  And on a paillet, al that glade night,

  230 By Troilus he lay, with mery chere,

  To tale; and wel was hem they were y-fere.

  Whan every wight was voided but they two,

  And alle the dores were faste y-shette,

  To telle in short, with-oute wordes mo,

  235 This Pandarus, with-outen any lette,

  Up roos, and on his beddes syde him sette,

&nb
sp; And gan to speken in a sobre wyse

  To Troilus, as I shal yow devyse:

  `Myn alderlevest lord, and brother dere,

  240 God woot, and thou, that it sat me so sore,

  When I thee saw so languisshing to-yere,

  For love, of which thy wo wex alwey more;

  That I, with al my might and al my lore,

  Have ever sithen doon my bisinesse

  245 To bringe thee to Ioye out of distresse,

  `And have it brought to swich plyt as thou wost,

  So that, thorugh me, thow stondest now in weye

  To fare wel, I seye it for no bost,

  And wostow which? For shame it is to seye,

  250 For thee have I bigonne a gamen pleye

  Which that I never doon shal eft for other,

  Al-though he were a thousand fold my brother.

  `That is to seye, for thee am I bicomen,

  Bitwixen game and ernest, swich a mene

  255 As maken wommen un-to men to comen;

  Al sey I nought, thou wost wel what I mene.

  For thee have I my nece, of vyces clene,

  So fully maad thy gentilesse triste,

  That al shal been right as thy-selve liste.

  260 `But god, that al wot, take I to witnesse,

  That never I this for coveityse wroughte,

  But only for to abregge that distresse,

  For which wel nygh thou deydest, as me thoughte.

  But, gode brother, do now as thee oughte,

  265 For goddes love, and kep hir out of blame,

  Sin thou art wys, and save alwey hir name.

  `For wel thou wost, the name as yet of here

  Among the peple, as who seyth, halwed is;

  For that man is unbore, I dar wel swere,

  270 That ever wiste that she dide amis.

  But wo is me, that I, that cause al this,

  May thenken that she is my nece dere,

  And I hir eem, and trattor eek y-fere!

  `And were it wist that I, through myn engyn,

  275 Hadde in my nece y-put this fantasye,

  To do thy lust, and hoolly to be thyn,

  Why, al the world up-on it wolde crye,

  And seye, that I the worste trecherye

  Dide in this cas, that ever was bigonne,

  280 And she for-lost, and thou right nought y-wonne.

  `Wher-fore, er I wol ferther goon a pas,

  Yet eft I thee biseche and fully seye,

  That privetee go with us in this cas;

  That is to seye, that thou us never wreye;

  285 And be nought wrooth, though I thee ofte preye

  To holden secree swich an heigh matere;

  For skilful is, thow wost wel, my preyere.

  `And thenk what wo ther hath bitid er this,

  For makinge of avantes, as men rede;

  290 And what mischaunce in this world yet ther is,

  Fro day to day, right for that wikked dede;

  For which these wyse clerkes that ben dede

  Han ever yet proverbed to us yonge,

  That "Firste vertu is to kepe tonge."

  295 `And, nere it that I wilne as now tabregge

  Diffusioun of speche, I coude almost

  A thousand olde stories thee alegge

  Of wommen lost, thorugh fals and foles bost;

  Proverbes canst thy-self y-nowe, and wost,

  300 Ayeins that vyce, for to been a labbe,

  Al seyde men sooth as often as they gabbe.

  `O tonge, allas! So often here-biforn

  Hastow made many a lady bright of hewe

  Seyd, "Welawey! The day that I was born!"

  305 And many a maydes sorwes for to newe;

  And, for the more part, al is untrewe

  That men of yelpe, and it were brought to preve;

  Of kinde non avauntour is to leve.

  `Avauntour and a lyere, al is on;

  310 As thus: I pose, a womman graunte me

  Hir love, and seyth that other wol she non,

  And I am sworn to holden it secree,

  And after I go telle it two or three;

  Y-wis, I am avauntour at the leste,

  315 And lyere, for I breke my biheste.

  `Now loke thanne, if they be nought to blame,

  Swich maner folk; what shal I clepe hem, what,

  That hem avaunte of wommen, and by name,

  That never yet bihighte hem this ne that,

  320 Ne knewe hem more than myn olde hat?

  No wonder is, so god me sende hele,

  Though wommen drede with us men to dele.

  `I sey not this for no mistrust of yow,