Book Four

But al to° litel, weylaway the whyle,*
too
 
Lasteth swich joye, ythankëd be fortune,
 
 
That semëth trewest when she wol bygyle,
 
 
And kan to foolës so hir songe entune
 
 
That she hem hent and blent,° traitoure comune,
caught and blinded them
 
And when a wight is from hir whiel ythrowe,
 
 
Thenne laugheth she and maketh him the mowe.°
mocking expression
7
From Troilus she gan hir brightë face
 
 
Away to writhe,° and tooke of hym non heede,
turn away
 
But caste hym cleene oute of his lady grace,
 
 
And on hir whiel she sette up Diomede,
 
 
For which myn hertë right now gynneth bleede,
 
 
And now my penne, alas, with which I write,
 
 
Quaketh for drede of that I muste endite.°
compose
14
For how Criseydë Troilus forsook,
 
 
Or at the leeste, how that she was unkynde,
 
 
Moot hennësforth ben matere of my book,
 
 
As writen folk thorugh which it is in mynde.°
i.e., folk who wrote it down
 
Alas that they sholde evere causë fynde
 
 
To speek hir harm, and if they on hir lye,
 
 
Iwys hem self sholde han the vilanye.
 
21
O ye Herynes,° nyghtës doughtren thre,°
Erinyes (furies); daughters three
 
That endëles compleignen evere in pyne,°
pain
 
Megera, Alete, and ek Thesiphone;*
 
 
Thou cruel Mars, ek, fader to Quyryne,°
Romulus
 
This ilkë ferthë° book me helpeth fyne°
fourth; help me finish
 
So that the losse of lyve and love yfeere°
together
 
Of Troilus be fully shewëd here.
 
28
Incipit Liber Quartus°
begins book four
 
Liggyng in oost,° as I have seyde er this,*
amassed (in host)
 
The grekys stronge aboutë Troyë town,
 
 
Befell that when that Phebus shynyng is
 
 
Upon the breste of Erculus lyoun,°
with the sun in Leo
 
That Ector, with ful many a bolde baroun,
 
 
Caste on a day with grekës for to fighte,
 
 
As he was wont to greve° hem what he myghte.
injure (grieve)
35
Not I how longe or short it was bitwene
 
 
This purpos and that day they fighten mente,°
meant to fight
 
But on a day, wel armëd brighte and shene,
 
 
Ector and many a worthy wight out wente
 
 
With spere in honde and biggë bowës bente,
 
 
And in the berde,° withouten lenger lette,
face to face (beard to beard)
 
Hire fomen° in the felde anon hem mette.
foe-men
42
The longë day, with sperës sharpe igrounde,
 
 
With arwes, dartës, swerdës, macës, felle.
 
 
They fighten and bringen hors and man to grounde,
 
 
And with hire axës out the braynës quelle.
 
 
But in the lastë shoure,° soth for to telle,*
shower of arrows
 
The folk of Troie hemselven so mysledden,
 
 
That with the wors,° at night homward they fledden.
i.e., they had the worst of it
49
At which day was taken° Antenore,*
captured
 
Maugre° Polydamas or Monesteo,
in spite of
 
Stantippë, Sarpedon, Polynestore,
 
 
Polite, or ek the Troian daun Rupheo,
 
 
And other lessë folk as Phebuseo,
 
 
So that for harm that day the folk of Troie
 
 
Dredden to lese° a gret part of hire° joie.
lose; their joy
4.56
Of Priamus was geve a greke requeste,
given
 
A tyme of trewe,° and tho° they gonnen trete,°
truce; then; arrange
 
Hire prisoners to chaungen, meste and leste,
 
 
And for the surplus given sommës grete.°
great sums
 
This thing anon was couth° in every strete
known
 
Bothe in thassege,° in town and every where,
the siege
 
And with the firste it com to Calkas ere.°
ear
63
Whan Calkas knew this tretis° sholdë holde,
treaty
 
In consistorie° amonge the grekës, soone
council
 
He gan in thringë forth° with lordës olde,
press his case
 
And sette hym there as he was wonte to doone,
 
 
And with a chaungëd face hem bad a boone,°
asked a favor
 
For love of god, to doon that reverence,°
i.e., give him that respect
 
To styntë noyse and give hym audience.
 
70
Thenne seyde he thus, "Lo lordës myn, I was
 
 
Troian, and it is knowen out of drede;
 
 
And if that you remembre, I am Calkas,
 
 
That alderfirst gaf comfort to youre neede,
 
 
And toldë wel how that ye shulden speede;
 
 
For dredëles, thorugh you, shal in a stounde°
in a moment. . .
 
Ben Troie ybrend,° and beten down to grounde.
. . .Troy will be burned
77
"And in what fourme, or in what manere wise,
 
 
This towne to shende° and al youre lust tacheve,°
destroy; to achieve your desires
 
Ye han er this wel herde it me devise.°
heard me describe it
 
This knowë ye my lordës, as I leve;°
believe
 
And for the grekis werën me so leve,°
so dear to me
 
I come my self in my propre persone,
 
 
To teche in this how you was best to doone.°
how best to act
84
"Havyng unto my tresore ne my rente°
my wealth or income
 
Right no resport° to respect of° youre ese,
regard; compared to
 
Thus al my good I lefte, and to you wente,
 
 
Wenyng in this you lordës for to plese.
 
 
But al that los ne doth me no disese,
 
 
I vouchësauf,° as wisly have I joie,
offer
 
For you to lese° al that I have in Troie.
lose
91
"Save of a doughter that I lefte, allas,
 
 
Slepyng at home whenne out of Troie I sterte.°
left (started)
 
O sterne, o cruel fader that I was,
 
 
How myghte I have in that so harde an herte?
 
 
Allas, I ne hadde ibroughte hir in hir sherte,°
nightshirt
 
For sorwe of whiche I wol nought lyve to morwe
 
 
But if ye lordës rewe upon my sorwe.
 
98
"For by that cause I sawe no tyme er now
 
 
Hir to deliveren, ich holden have my pees.°
I have held my peace
 
But now or nevere, if that it likë you,°
if you like
 
I may hir have right soonë, doutëles.
 
 
O help and grace amongës al this prees,°
turmoil (press of circumstance)
 
Rewe on this oldë caytyf° in destresse,
wretch (captive)
 
Syn I thorugh you have al this hevynesse.
 
4.105
"Ye have now caught and fetered in prisoune
 
 
Troians ynowe,° and if youre willës be,
enough
 
My childe with one may han redempcioun.°
i.e., be traded for another
 
Now for the love of god and of bountee,
generosity
 
One of so fele,° allas, so give him me.
so many
 
What neede were it this prayere for to werne,°
deny
 
Syn ye shul bothe han folk and town as yerne?°
as soon
112
"On peril of my lif, I shal nat lye,
 
 
Appollo hath me tolde it feithfullye.
 
 
I have ek founde it by astronomye,
 
 
By sort and by augurye° ek trewelye,
by divination
 
And dar wel say the tyme is fastë by
 
 
That fire and flaumbe° on alle the town shal sprede,
flame
 
And thus shal Troië turne to asshen dede.°
dead ashes
119
"For certein, Phebus and Neptimus° bothe,
Apollo and Neptune
 
That makëden the wallës of the town,
 
 
Ben with the folk of Troie alwey so wrothe
 
 
That they wol brynge it to confusioun,
 
 
Right in despit of kyng Lameadoun.°
Priam's father
 
Bycause he noldë payen hem hire hire,°
wouldn't pay (for their work)
 
The town of Troië shal ben sette on fire."
 
126
Tellyng his tale alwey, this oldë greye,*
 
 
Humble in his speche and in his lookyng eke,
 
 
The saltë teeris from his eyen tweye
 
 
Ful fast ronnen down by either cheeke.
 
 
So longe he gan of socour° hem biseke
remedy (succour)
 
That for to heele hym of his sorwes sore,
 
 
They gave hym Antenor withouten more.°
without more ado
133
But who was glad ynough but Calkas tho,
 
 
And of this thyng ful soone his needës leyde°
pressed his needs
 
On hem that sholden for the tretis go,°
go to negotiate
 
And hem for Antenor ful oftë preyde
 
 
To bryngen home king Toas and Criseyde;*
 
 
And whan Priame his savë gardë° sente,
safeguard (assurance)
 
Thembassadours to Troië streight they wente.
 
140
The cause itolde of hire comyng, the olde
 
 
Priam the kyng ful soone in generale
 
 
Let hereupon his perlëment° to holde,
parliament
 
Of which theffect rehercen you I shal.
 
 
Thembassadours ben answerd for fynal.°
finally
 
Theschaunge of Prisoners and al this neede
 
 
Hem likethe wel, and forth in they procede.
 
147
This Troilus was present in the place
 
 
Whan axëd was for Antenor Criseyde,
 
 
For which ful soonë chaungen gan his face,
 
 
As he that with tho wordës wel neigh deyde.
 
 
But nathëles, he no worde to it seyde,
 
 
Lest men sholde his affeccioun espye.
 
 
With mannës herte he gan his sorwes drye.°
endure
4.154
And ful of angwyssh and of grysly drede,
 
 
Abode° what lordës wolde unto it saye,
awaited (abided)
 
And if they woldë graunte, as god forbede,
 
 
Theschaunge of hir, thenne thoughte he thyngës tweye:
 
 
First how to save hir honour and what weye
 
 
He myghtë best theschaunge of hir withstonde.
 
 
Ful faste he caste how al this myghtë stonde.
 
161
Love hym made al prest° to don hir byde,°
ready; her bidding
 
And rather dyen than she sholdë go;
 
 
But resoun seyde hym on that other syde,
 
 
Withouten assent of hir ne do nat so,
 
 
Lest for thy work she woldë be thy fo,
 
 
And saye that thorugh thy medlynge is iblowe°
blown
 
Youre bother° love, there° it was erst unknowe.
both; where
168
For which he gan deliberen for the beste,
 
 
That though the lordës woldë that she wente,
 
 
He woldë let hem grauntë what hem leste,
 
 
And telle his lady first what that they mente;
 
 
And when that she hadde seyde hym hir entente,
 
 
Therafter wolde he werken also blyve,°
swiftly
 
Though al the world ageyn it° woldë stryve.
against it
175
Ector, which that wel the Grekis herde,*
 
 
For Antenor how they wolde han Criseyde,
 
 
Gan it withstonde,° and sobrely answerde,
oppose
 
"Sires, she nys no prisonere," he seyde.
 
 
I not on you who that this chargë leyde,°
don't know who laid this (on you)
 
But on my part ye may eftsones hem telle,°
immediately tell them
 
We usen here no wommen for to selle."
182
The noise of peple up stirtë thenne at ones,
 
 
As breme° as blase of straw isette on fire,
fierce
 
For infortune it woldë,° for the nones,
would be bad fortune
 
They sholden hir confusioun desire.°
desire their destruction
 
"Ector," quod they, "what gost may you enspyre
 
 
This womman thus to shilde and don us leese°
shield; make us lose
 
Daun Antenor? A wronge way now ye chese°
choose
189
"That is so wise and ek so bold baroun,
 
 
And we han neede to° folk, as men may see.
need of
 
He is ek oon the gretteste of this town.
 
 
O Ector, let tho fantasiës be.
 
 
O kyng Priam," quod they, "thus saye we,
 
 
That al oure vois is to forgon Criseyde."
 
 
And to deliveren Antenor they preyde.
 
196
O Juvenal, lord, trewe is thy sentence°
lesson
 
That litel wyten folk what is to yerne,°
to yearn for
 
That they ne fynde in hire desire offence,
 
 
For cloude of errour let hem nat discerne°
won't let them discern
 
What best is, and lo, hire ensample as yerne:°
right now
 
This folk desiren now deliverance
 
 
Of Antenor, that brought hem to meschaunce.*
 
4.203
For he was after traitour to the town
 
 
Of Troye, allas, they quyte hym out to rathe.°
ransomed him rashly
 
O nicë° world, lo thy discrecioun.
foolish
 
Criseydë, which that nevere dide hem scathe,°
harmed them
 
Shal now no lenger in hir blissë bathe;
 
 
But Antenor, he shal com home to towne,
 
 
And she shal out. Thus seydë here and howne.°
hare and hound (everyone)
210
For which delibered was by perlëment*
 
 
For Antenor to yelden out Criseyde,
 
 
And it pronouncëd by the president,
 
 
Although that Ector nay ful oftë preyde.°
often said nay
 
And fynaly, what wight that it withseyde,°
whoever spoke against it
 
It was for nought; it mustë ben and sholde,
 
 
For substaunce° of the perlëment it wolde.
majority
217
Departed out of Parlement echone,°
each one
 
This Troilus, withouten wordës mo.
 
 
Unto his chambre spedde hym faste alone,
 
 
But if it were° a man of his or two,
except for
 
The which he bad oute fastë for to go,
 
 
Bycause he woldë slepen, as he seyde,
 
 
And hastily upon his bedde hym leyde.
 
224
And as in wynter levës ben birafte°
lost
 
Ech after other, til the tree be bare,
 
 
So that ther nys but bark and braunche ilafte,°
left
 
Lith Troilus byraft of eche welfare,
 
 
Ibounded in the blakë bark of care,
 
 
Disposëd wood° out of his wit to breyde,°
mad; to start
 
So sore hym sat the chaungynge of Criseyde.
 
231
He rist hym up and every doore he shette,
 
 
And wyndow ek, and tho° this sorwful man
then
 
Upon his beddës side adown hym sette,
 
 
Ful lik a dede ymagë, pale and wan,°
i.e., like a statue
 
And in his brest the hepëd° wo began
heaped
 
Out breste,° and he to werken in this wise
to burst out
 
In his woodnesse,° as I shal you devyse.
madness
238
Right as the wyldë bole° bygynneth sprynge
bull
 
Now here, now there, idarted° to the herte,
speared, pierced
 
And of his dethe roreth in compleynynge,
 
 
Right so gan he aboute the chaumbre sterte,
 
 
Smytyng his brest ay with his fistës smerte.
 
 
His hed to the walle, his body to the grounde,
 
 
Ful ofte he swapte,° hymselven to confounde.
struck, or threw
245
His eyen two, for piete° of herte,*
piety, pity 
 
Out stremëden as swiftë wellës tweye
 
 
The heighë sobbës of his sorwes smerte.
 
 
His speche hym refte;° unnethës myghte he saye,
he was bereft of speech
 
"O deth, allas, why nyltow do me deye?
 
 
Acorsëd be that day which that nature
 
 
Shope me° to ben a lyvës° creature."
shaped me; living
4.252
But after, when the furie and alle the rage,
 
 
Whiche that his hertë twiste and fastë threste,°
pierced
 
By lengthe of tymë somwhat gan aswage,
 
 
Upon his bedde he leyde hym down to reste,
 
 
But tho bygonne his teeris more out breste,
 
 
That wonder is° the body may suffise
that it's a wonder
 
To half this wo, which that I you devise.
 
259
Thanº seyde he thus: "Fortune, allas the while,
then
 
What have I don? What have I thus agylte?°
offended
 
How myghtëstow° for rowthë me bygile?
how could you
 
Is there no grace, and shal I thus be spilte?°
killed
 
Shal thus Criseyde awey for that° thou wilte?
because
 
Allas, how maistow in thyn hertë fynde
 
 
To ben to me thus cruwel and unkynde?
 
266
"Have I thee not honourëd al my lyve,
 
 
As thou wel wost, above the goddës alle?
 
 
Why wiltow me fro joyë thus deprive?
 
 
O Troilus, what may men now thee calle
 
 
But wrecche of wrecchës, out of honour falle
 
 
Into miserie, in which I wol bewaille
 
 
Criseyde, allas, til that the brethe me faille.
 
273
"Allas fortune, if that my lif in joie
 
 
Displesëd hadde unto thy foule envye,
 
 
Why ne haddëstow° my fader, kyng of Troie,
why hadn't you
 
Byraft the lif, or don my bretheren dye,
 
 
Or slayn myself, that thus compleyne and crye?
 
 
I, combre world,° that may of no thyng serve,
encumbrance
 
But evere dye and nevere fully sterve.
 
280
"If that Criseyde allonë were me laft,
 
 
Nought roughte I° whider thou woldëst me steere;
I wouldn't care
 
And here, allas, thenne hastow me biraft.
 
 
But evere more, lo, this is thy manere:
 
 
To reve a wight that° most is to hym deere,
deprive someone of what
 
To preve in that thy gerful° violence.
changeable
 
Thus am I lost; there helpeth no defence.
 
287
"O verray lord of love, o god, allas
 
 
That knowest best myn herte and alle my thoughte,
 
 
What shal my sorwful lif don in this cas
 
 
If I forgo that I so deere have boughte?
 
 
Syn ye Criseyde and me han fully broughte
 
 
Into youre grace, and bothe oure hertës seled,°
sealed
 
How may ye suffre, allas, it be repeled?°
repealed
294
"What may I don? I shal, while I may dure,
 
 
On lyve in torment; and in cruwel peyne
 
 
This infortun, or this disaventure,
 
 
Allone as I was born, iwys, compleyne.
 
 
Ne nevere wol I seen it shyne or reyne,
 
 
But ende I wol, as Edippe in derkenesse,°
Oedipus in darkness (blinded)
 
My sorwful lif, and dyen in distresse.
 
4.301
"O wery gost, that errest to and fro,
 
 
Why nyltow fleen out of the wofulleste
 
 
Body that evere myghte on groundë go?
 
 
O soulë, lurkynge in this wo unneste,°
un-nested
 
Flee forth out of myn herte and let it breste,
 
 
And folowe alwey Criseyde, thy lady deere.
 
 
Thy rightë place is now no lenger here.
 
308
"O woful eyen two, syn youre disport
 
 
Was all to seen Criseydës eyen brighte;
 
 
What shal ye don, but for my discomfort
 
 
Stonden for naught,° and weepen out youre sighte,
i.e., be useless
 
Syn she is queynt° that wont was you to lighte.
quenched
 
In vayn fro this forth have ich eyen tweye
 
 
Ifourmëd, syn youre vertue is aweye.°
i.e., your power is gone
315
"O my Criseyde, o lady sovereigne,
 
 
Of this woful soulë that thus crieth,
 
 
Who shal now givë comfort to the peyne?
 
 
Allas, no wight, but when myn hertë dieth
 
 
My spirit, which that so unto yow hieth,°
hastens
 
Receyve in gree,° for that shal ay° yow serve,
favor; always
 
Forthy no forse is° though the body sterve.
no matter
322
"O ye loveris, that high upon the whiel
 
 
Ben set of fortune in good aventure,°
in good luck
 
God levë that ye fynde ay love of stiel;°
of steel (i.e., durable)
 
And longë mote youre lif in joye endure.
 
 
But when ye comen by my sepulture,
 
 
Remembreth that youre felawe resteth there,
 
 
For I loved ek though ich unworthy were.
 
329
"O old, unholsom, and myslevëd° man,*
evil (mis-lived)
 
Calkas I meene, allas, what eylëd° thee
ailed
 
To ben a greke, syn thow art born Troian?
 
 
O Calkas, which that wolt my banë be,
 
 
In corsëd tymë was thou born for me,
 
 
As woldë blisful Jovë for his joie,
by Jove, I wish. . .
 
That I thee haddë° where I wolde in Troie."
. . .that I had you
336
A thousand sikës, hotter than the gleede,°
glowing coal
 
Out of his brest ech after other wente,
 
 
Medled° with pleyntës new his wo to feede,
mixed
 
For which his woful teeris nevere stente,°
never stopped
 
And shortly so his peynës hym torente,°
tore him up
 
And wex so matë° that joye or penaunce
became so dejected
 
He feelethe non, but lith forth in a traunce.
 
343
Pandarë, whiche that in the parlëment
 
 
Hadde herde what every lord and burgeys seyde,
 
 
And how ful graunted was, by one assent,
 
 
For Antenor to yelden so Criseyde,
 
 
Gan wel neigh wood out of his witte to breyde,°
to go mad
 
So that for wo he nystë° what he mente,
didn't know
 
But in a rees° to Troilus he wente.
rush
4.350
A certeyn knyght, that for the tymë kepte
 
 
The chambre door, undid it him anon,
 
 
And Pandare, that ful tendrelichë wepte,
 
 
Into the derkë chambre as stille as ston
 
 
Toward the bedde gan softëly to gon,
 
 
So confus that he nystë what to saye.
 
 
For verray wo his wit was neigh awaye.°
almost gone
357
And with his chiere and lookyng al totorne°
torn
 
For sorwe of this, and with his armës folden,
 
 
He stood this woful Troilus byforne,°
stood before Troilus
 
And on his pitous face he gan byholden.
 
 
But lord, so oftë gan his hertë colden°
chill, grow cold
 
Seyng° his frend in wo, whos hevynesse
seeing
 
His hertë slough,° as thoughte hym, for distresse.
slew
364
This woful wight, this Troilus, that felte
 
 
His frend Pandarus ycomen hym to see,
 
 
Gan as the snowe ageyn the sunnë melte,
 
 
For which this sorwful Pandare of pitee
 
 
Gan for to weepe as tendreliche as he,
 
 
And spechëles thus ben these ilkë tweye,°
these same two
 
That neither myghte o word for sorwe seye.
 
371
But at the laste, this woful Troilus
 
 
Neigh ded for smerte, gan bresten out to rore,
 
 
And with a sorwful noise, he seydë thus,
 
 
Among his sobbës and his sikës sore:
 
 
"Lo, Pandare, I am ded withouten more.
 
 
Hastow nat herde at parlëment," he seyde,
 
 
For Antenore how lost is my Criseyde?"
 
378
This Pandarus, ful ded and pale of hewe,
 
 
Ful pitously answerde, and seydë, "Yis,°
yes
 
As wisly were it false as it is trewe
 
 
That I have herd, and wot al how it is.
 
 
O mercy god, who wolde have trowëd this?
 
 
Who wolde have wende that in so litel a throwe,°
so short a time
 
Fortune oure joyë wold han overthrowe?
 
385
"For in this worlde there is no creature,
 
 
As to my dome,° that evere saw ruyne°
as I judge; ruin
 
Straunger than this thorugh cas or aventure.°
by any chance
 
But who may all eschue° or al devyne?°
avoid (eschew); foreknow (divine)
 
Swich is this world; forthy I thus diffyne,°
therefore I conclude (define)
 
Ne trust no wight to fynden in fortune
 
 
Ay propretee;° hir giftës ben commune.°
gain (property); common to all
392
"But telle me this, why thou art now so mad
 
 
To sorwen thus? Why listow in this wise,
 
 
Syn thy desire al holly° hastow had,
wholly
 
So that by right it oughte ynough suffise?
 
 
But I that never felte in my servise
 
 
A frendly cheere or lookyng of an eye,
 
 
Let me thus weepe and wailen til I deye.
 
399
"And overe al this, as thou wel wost thy selve,
 
 
This town is ful of ladys al aboute.
 
 
And, to my doom, fairer than swichë twelve
twelve fairer. . .
 
As evere she was° shal I fynde in som route.°
. . .than she; in some crowd
 
Yee, one or two, withouten any doute.
 
 
Forthy be glad, myn owen deerë brother;
 
 
If she be lost, we shal recovere an other.
 
4.406
"What? God forbede alwey that eche plesaunce
 
 
In o thing were and in non other wight.
 
 
If one kan synge, an other kan wel daunce;
 
 
If this be goodly, she is glad and light;
 
 
And this is faire, and that kan good aright.
 
 
Eche for his vertue holden is for deere,
 
 
Both herouner and faucoun for ryvere.°?
large and small falcons
413
"And ek, as writ Zanzis that was ful wise,
 
 
The newë love out chaceth ofte the olde,
 
 
And upon newë cas° lith newe avise.°
new case; new advice
 
Think ek thy lif to saven artow hold.°
obliged (held)
 
Swich fire by processe shal of kyndë colde,°
will naturally cool
 
For syn it is but casuel plesaunce,
 
 
Som cas° shal putte it oute of remembraunce.
event
420
"For also seure as day comth after nyght,
 
 
The newë love, labour, or other wo,
 
 
Or ellës seldë seynge° of a wight,
absence (seldom seeing)
 
Don olde affecciouns all overe go;°
overcomes old affections
 
And for thy part, thou shalt have one of tho°
one of those encounters
 
Tabreggë with thy bittre peynës smerte.
 
 
Absence of hir shal dryve hir oute of herte."*
 
427
These wordës seyde he for the nonës alle,
 
 
To help his frend, lest he for sorwe deyde;
 
 
For doutëles, to don his wo to falle,
 
 
He roughtë° nought what unthrift° that he seyde.
cared (reckoned); nonsense
 
But Troilus, that neigh for sorwe deyde,
 
 
Took litel heede of al that evere he mente.
 
 
One ere it herde, at other out it wente.
 
434
But at the laste, he answerde and seyde, "Frende,
 
 
This lechëcraft,° or heelëd° thus to be,
medicine; healed
 
Were wel sittyng if that I were a fende°
fiend
 
To traysen° a wight that trewe is unto me.
betray
 
I pray god, let this conseil nevere ythee,°
thrive
 
But do me rather sterve anon right here,
 
 
Er I thus do as thou me woldest leere.°
instruct (l'arn me)
441
"She that I serve, iwys, what so thou seye,
 
 
To whom myn herte enhabit° is by right,
inhabited
 
Shal han me holy° hirs til that I deye.
wholly
 
For Pandarus, syn I have trouthe hir hight°
pledged to her
 
I wol nat ben untrewë for no wight.
 
 
But as hir man I wol ay lyve and sterve,
 
 
And nevere other creaturë serve.
 
448
"And ther thou seyst° thou shalt as fairë fynde
where you say
 
As she, let be make no comparisoun
 
 
To creature yformëd here by kynde.
 
 
O levë,° Pandare, in conclusioun.*
leave off
 
I wol nat be of thyn opynyoun
 
 
Touchyng al this, for which I thee biseche,
 
 
So holde thy pees; thow sleest me with thy speche.
 
4.455
"Thow biddest me I shuldë love an other
 
 
Al fresshly newe, and let Criseydë go.
 
 
It lith nat in my power, levë brother,
 
 
And though I myghtë, I wol nat do so.
 
 
But kanstow playen raket° to and fro,
ancestor of tennis
 
Nittle° in, dok° out,* now this now that, Pandare,
nettle; dock weed
 
Now foul falle hir that for thy wo hath care.
 
462
"Thou farest ek by me, thou Pandarus,
 
 
As he that when a wight is wo bygon,
 
 
He cometh to hym a paas° and seyth right thus:
quickly (apace)
 
'Thynk nat on smerte and thow shalt feelë non.'
 
 
Thow muste me first transmewen in a ston,°
turn me to stone
 
And revë me° my passionës alle,
bereave me of
 
Er thou wol lightly do my wo to falle.
 
469
The deth may wel out of my brest deperte
 
 
The lif, so longë may this sorwe myne;°
undermine
 
But fro my soulë shal Criseydës darte
 
 
Out nevere mo, but down with Proserpyne,°
wife of Pluto, queen of Hades
 
Whan I am ded, I wol go wonne in pyne,°
dwell in pain
 
And ther I wol eternaly compleyne
 
 
My wo, and how that twynnëd° be we tweyne.
separated (twinned)
476
"Thou hast here made an argument for fyne°
to this end
 
How that it sholdë lassë peynë be
 
 
Criseydë to forgon, for she was myne,
 
 
And lyved in ese and in felicitee.
 
 
Why gabëstow° that seydest unto me
gabble
 
That him is wors that is fro wel ythrowe°
thrown from well-being
 
Than he hadde erst noon of that wel yknowe.
 
483
"But telle me now, syn that thee thynketh so light
 
 
To changen so in love ay to and fro.
 
 
Why hastow not don bisily thy myght
 
 
To chaungen hir that doth thee al thy wo?
 
 
Why nyltow let hir fro thyn hertë go?
 
 
Whi nyltow love an other lady sweete
 
 
That may thyn hertë settë in quiete?
 
490
"If thou hast had in love ay yet meschaunce,*
 
 
And canst it not out of thyn hertë dryve,
 
 
I, that levede in lust and in plesaunce
 
 
With hir as muche as creature on lyve,
 
 
How sholde I that forgete, and that so blyve?°
quickly
 
O where hastow ben hid so longe in muwe°
cage
 
Than kanst so wel and formaly arguwe?
 
497
"Nay, god wot, nought worth is al thy rede,°
advice
 
For which, for what that evere may befalle,
 
 
Withouten wordës mo I wol be dede.
 
 
O deth, that endere art of sorwes alle,
 
 
Come now, syn I so ofte after thee calle,
 
 
For sely° is that deth, soth for to seyne,
happy
 
That ofte yclepëd° cometh and endeth peyne.
called
4.504
"Wel wot I, whil my lyf was in quyete,
 
 
Er thou me slowe I wolde have given hire;°
paid ransom
 
But now thy comynge is to me so sweete
 
 
That in this world I no thing so desire.
 
 
O deth, syn with this sorwe I am afyre,
 
 
Thou other° do me anon in these teeris drenche,°
either; drown (drench)
 
Or with the coldë strok° myn heetë quenche.
stroke
511
"Syn that thow sleest so fele° in sondry wise,
so many
 
Ageyns hir wil unpreyëd,° day and nyght,
unasked
 
Do me at my requestë this service:
 
 
Delyvere now the world°--so dostow right--
rid the world
 
Of me that am the wofullestë wight
 
 
That evere was, for tyme is that I sterve,
 
 
Syn in this world of right nought may I serve."
 
518
This Troylus in teeris gan distille
 
 
As licour of a lambyc° fullë faste,
alembic (vessel)
 
And Pandarus gan holde his tungë stille,
 
 
And to the ground his eyen down he caste,
 
 
But nathëles, thus thought he at the laste,
 
 
"What, pardee, rather than my felawe deye,
 
 
Yet shal I somwhat more unto it seye."
 
525
And seydë, "Frend, syn thou hast swich distresse,
 
 
And syn thou list myn argumentës blame,
 
 
Why nylt thyself helpen don redresse,
 
 
And with thy manhod letten° al this grame?°
leave off; grief
 
To ravysshe hir ne canstow not for shame?
 
 
And other° let hir out of townë fare,
either
 
Or hold hir stille, and leve thy nicë fare.°
foolish business
532
"Artow in Troye and hast non hardymente°
strength
 
To take a womman which that loveth thee
 
 
And wolde hir selven ben of thyn assente?
 
 
Now is nat this a nicë vanitee?
 
 
Ris up anon, and let this weepyng be,
 
 
And kith° thou art a man, for in this houre
show
 
I wol ben dede, or she shal bleven oure."°
stay ours
539
To this answerde hym Troilus ful softe,
 
 
And seydë, "Perdee, levë brother deere,
 
 
Al this have I my self yet thought ful ofte,
 
 
And morë thing than thou devysest here.
 
 
But why this thing is left thou shalt wel heere,
 
 
And when thow me hast give an audience,
 
 
Therafter maystow telle al thy sentence.°
meaning
546
"First, syn thow wost this town hath al this werre°
war
 
For ravysshyng of wommen so by mighte,*
 
 
It sholdë not be suffred me to erre,
 
 
As it stant° now, ne don so grete unrighte.°
stands; wrong
 
I sholde han also blame of every wight,
 
 
My fadres graunt if that I so withstoode,°
if I resisted my father's decree
 
Syn she is chaungëd for the townës goode.
 
4.553
"I have ek thought, so it were hir assent
 
 
To axe hir at my fader° of his grace,
ask my father for her
 
Thenne thinke I this were hir accusëment,°
an accusation of her
 
Syn wel I woot I may hir nought purchase.*
 
 
For syn my fader, in so high a place
 
 
As parlëment, hath hir eschaunge enseled,
 
 
He nyl for me his lettre be repeled.
 
560
"Yet drede I moste hir hertë to pertorbe°
perturb
 
With violence if I do swich a game,
 
 
For if I wolde it openly disturbe,
 
 
It mustë be disclaunder° to hir name,
slander
 
And me were levere ded than hir diffame,°
defame
 
As noldë god, but if I sholdë have
 
 
Hir honour levere than my lif to save.
 
567
"Thus am I lost, for aught that I kan see,
 
 
For certeyn is, syn that I am hir knyght,
 
 
I muste hir honour levere° han than me,
rather
 
In every cas, as lovere ought of right.°
ought to by right
 
Thus am I with desir and resoun twight;°
divided
 
Desire for to destourben hir me redeth,°
advises me
 
And resoun nyl nat, so myn hertë dredeth."
 
574
Thus weepyng that he koudë nevere cesse,
 
 
He seyde, "Allas, how shal I, wrecchë, fare?
 
 
For wel feele I alwey my love encresse,
 
 
And hope is lesse and lesse alway, Pandare.
 
 
Encressen ek the causes of my care.
 
 
So weylaway, why nyl° myn hertë breste?
why won't
 
For as in love there is but litel reste."
 
581
Pandarë answerde, "Frend, thou mayst for me
 
 
Don as thee liste, but hadde ich it so hote,°
if I felt it so hot
 
And thyn estat, she sholdë go with me.
 
 
Though al this town cride on this thyng by note,
 
 
I noldë sette at al that noise a grote,°
groat (small coin)
 
For when men han wel cryde, than wol they rowne;°
whisper
 
Ek wonder last but nyne nyght nevere in towne.
 
588
"Devynë° not in resoun ay so depe°
inquire; deep
 
Ne corteisly,° but help thy selve anon.
formally (courteously)
 
Bet is that othere than thy selven weepe,
 
 
And namëly syn ye two ben al oon.°
all one
 
Ris up, for by myn hed, she shal not gon;
 
 
And rather be in blame a lite ifounde°
be found a little in blame
 
Than sterve here as a gnat withouten wounde.
 
595
"It is no shame unto you, ne no vice,
 
 
Hir to witholden that ye lovë most.
 
 
Peraunter she myghte holdë thee for nice°
think you a fool
 
To leten hir go thus unto the grekis oost.°
host.
 
Think ek fortune, as wel thy selven wost,
 
 
Helpeth hardy man unto his emprise,°
enterprise
 
And weyveth° wrecches for hire cowardise.
abandons
4.602
"And though thy lady wolde a lite hir greve,
 
 
Thow shalt thy self thy pees° hereafter make;
peace
 
But as for me, certeyn I kan not leve°
believe
 
That she wolde it as now for yvel take.
 
 
Why sholdë thenne of fered° thyn hertë quake?
for fear
 
Think ek how Paris hath, that is thy brother,
 
 
A love, and why shaltow not have another?
 
609
"And Troilus, o thyng I dar thee swere,
 
 
That if Criseydë, which that is thy lief,°
dear
 
Now loveth thee as wel as thow dost hir,
 
 
God help me so she nyl not take agrief°
be injured
 
Though thou do boote° anon in this meschief;
provide a remedy
 
And if she wilneth fro thee for to passe,
 
 
Thenne is she fals, so love hir wel the lasse.°
the less
616
"Forthy tak herte, and think right as a knyght,
 
 
Thorugh love is broken al day every lawe.
 
 
Kith° now somwhat thy corage and thy might.
show
 
Have mercy on thy self for any awe.°
despite any fear
 
Let nat this wrecchede wo thyn hertë gnaw,
 
 
But manly sette the wold on sex and sevene,°
at sixes and sevens
 
And if thou deye a martyr, go to hevene.
 
623
"I wol myself ben with thee at this dede,
 
 
Though ich and al my kyn upon a stounde°
at the same time
 
Shulle in a strete as doggës liggen dede,
 
 
Thorugh-girt with many a wide and blody wownde.
 
 
In every cas I wol a frende be founde,
 
 
And if thee list here sterven as a wrecche,
 
 
A dieu, the devel speedë hym that recche."°
that cares
630
This Troilus gan with tho wordës quyken,°
come to life
 
And seydë, "Frend, graunt mercy; ich assente.
 
 
But certeynly, thow maist nat so me priken,°
jab (prick) me
 
Ne peynë non ne may me so tormente,
 
 
That for no cas° it is nat myn entente,
in no way
 
At shortë wordës, though I deyen sholde,
 
 
To ravysshen hir but if hireself it wolde."
 
637
"Why so meene I, quod Pandarus, "al this day.
 
 
But telle me thenne, hastow hir wil assayed
 
 
That sorwest thus?" And he answerde hym, "Nay."
 
 
"Wherof artow," quod Pandare thenne, "amayed?°
why are you bothered
 
That nost nat° that she wol ben yvele appayed°
knows not; displeased
 
To ravysshen hir, syn thow has nought ben there,
 
 
But if that Jovë told it in thyn ere.
 
644
"Forthy rise up, as nought ne were anon,°*
as if nothing were wrong
 
And wasshe thy face, and to the kyng thow wende,
 
 
Or he may wondren whider thow art gon.
 
 
Thow muste with wisdom hym and othere blende,°
deceive (blind)
 
Or upon cas he may after thee sende
 
 
Er thow be war, and shortly, brother deere,
 
 
Be glad and let me werke in this matere.
 
4.651
"For I shal shape it so that sikerly°
safely
 
Thow shalt this nyght some tyme, in som manere,
 
 
Com speken with thy lady pryvëly,
 
 
And by hir wordës ek, as by hir cheere,
 
 
Thow shalt ful soone aperceyve and wel heere
 
 
All hir entente, and in this cas the beste.°
the best course
 
And fare now wel, for in this point I reste."
 
658
The swiftë famë,° which that falsë thynges
rumor
 
Egal reporteth lik the thyngës trewe
 
 
Was thorughout Troie yfled with prestë° wynges
eager
 
Fro man to man, and made this tale al newe,
 
 
How Calkas doughter, with hir brightë hewe,
 
 
At parlëment, withouten wordës more,
 
 
Ygraunted was in chaunge of Antenore.
 
665
The which tale anon right, as Criseyde
 
 
Hadde herde, she which that of hir fader roughte
who cared nothing . . .
 
As in this cas right nought,° ne when he deyde,
. . . for her father
 
Ful bisily to Jupiter bisoughte,
 
 
Give hem meschauncë that this tretis° broughte.
treaty (i.e., the exchange)
 
But shortly, lest thise talës sothë were,°
for fear the tales were true
 
She durst at no wight asken it for fere,
 
672
As she that hadde hir herte and al hir mynde
 
 
On Troilus iset so wonder faste,
 
 
That al this world ne myghte hir love unbynde,
 
 
Ne Troilus out of hir hertë caste.
 
 
She wol ben his while that hir lif may laste,
 
 
And thus she brynneth both in love and drede,
 
 
So that she nystë what beste was to rede.°
advise
679
But as men seen in towne and al about
 
 
That wommen usen frendës to visite,
 
 
So to Criseyde of wommen com a route
 
 
For pitous joie, and wenden hir delite,
 
 
And with hire talës deere ynough a myte,
 
 
These wommen which that in the citee dwelle,
 
 
They sette hem down and seyde as I shall telle.
 
686
Quod first that one, "I am glad, trewëly,
 
 
Bycause of you that shal youre fader see."
 
 
Another seyde, "Iwys, so nam nat I,
 
 
For al to litel° hath she with us be."
all too little
 
Quod tho° the thridde, "I hope, iwys, that she
then
 
Shal bryngen us the pees on every syde,
 
 
That when she goth, almyghty god hir gide."
 
693
Tho wordës and tho wommanysshë thynges
 
 
She herde hem, right as though she thennës were,
 
 
For god it wot, hir herte on other thing is.
 
 
Although the body satte amonge hem there,
 
 
Hir advertence° is alwey ellëswhere,
attention
 
For Troilus ful faste hir soulë soughte;
 
 
Withouten worde on hym alwey she thoughte.
 
4.700
These wommen, that thus wenden hir to plese,°
thought to please her
 
Aboutë naught gonne alle hire talës spende.°
uselessly told their tales
 
Swich vanytee ne kan do hir non ese,
 
 
As she that al this meenë whilë brende°
burned
 
Of other passioun than that they wende,°
than they thought
 
So that she felte almost hir hertë deye
 
 
For wo, and wery of that compaignie.
 
707
For which no longer myghtë she restreyne°*
restrain
 
Hir teeris, so they gonnen up to welle
 
 
That gaven signës of the bittre peyne
 
 
In which hir spirit was and mustë dwelle,
 
 
Remembryng hir fro heven into whiche helle
 
 
She fallen was, syn she forgothe° the sighte
forgoes
 
Of Troilus, and sorwfully she sighte.°
sighed
714
And thilkë foolës, sittynge hir aboute,
 
 
Wenden that she wepte and sikëd sore
 
 
Bycausë that she sholde out of that route
 
 
Departen and nevere pleyë with hem more;
 
 
And they that hadde yknowen hir of yore
 
 
Sawe hir so weepe and thoughte it kyndënesse,
 
 
And eche of hem wepte eke for hir distresse.
 
721
And bisyly they gonnen hir comfort
 
 
Of thyng, god wot, on which she litel thoughte,
 
 
And with hire tales wenden hir disporte,°
thought to amuse her
 
And to be glad they oftë hir bysoughte.
 
 
But swiche an esë therwith they hir wroughte,
 
 
Right as a man is esëd for to feele
eased from headache . . .
 
For ache of hed to clawen hym on his heele.°
. . . by a cut on his heel
728
But after al this nicë vanytee,
 
 
They tooke hire leve, and home they wenten alle.
 
 
Criseyde, ful of sorweful pitee,
 
 
Into hir chambre up went out of the halle,
 
 
And on hir bed she gan for ded to falle,
 
 
In purpos nevere thennës for to rise,
 
 
And thus she wroughte as I shal yow devyse.
 
735
Hire ownded heer,° that sunnysshe was of hewe,
wavy hair
 
She rente, and ek hir fyngeres longe and smale
 
 
She wrong ful ofte, and bad god on hir rewe,
 
 
And with the deth to doon boote on hire bale.°
relieve her suffering
 
Hir hewë whilom bright, that tho was pale,
 
 
Bar witnesse of hir wo and hir constreynte,
 
 
And thus she spak, sobbyng in hir compleynte.
 
742
"Allas," quod she, "out of this regioun
 
 
I, woful wrecche and infortunëd° wight,
unfortunate
 
And born in corsëd constellacioun,
 
 
Moot goon and thus departen from my knyght.
 
 
Wo worth,° allas, that ilkë dayës light,
woe be to
 
On which I sawe hym first with eyen tweyne,
 
 
That causeth me and ich hym al this peyne."
 
749
Therwith the teeris from hir eyen two
 
 
Down falle as shoure in april swithe.°*
fast
 
Hir whitë brest she bette,° and for the wo
beat
 
After the deth she cryed a thousand sithe,°
a thousand times
 
Syn he that wont hir wo was for to lithe°
who would lighten her woe
 
She moot forgon, for which disaventure
 
 
She held hireself a forlost creature.
 
4.756
She seyde, "How shal he don, and ich also?
 
 
How sholde I lyve if that I from hym twynne?
 
 
O deerë herte eke that I lovë so,
 
 
Who shal that sorwe slen° that ye ben inne?
slay
 
O Calkas, fader, thyn be al this synne;
 
 
O moder myn, that clepëd were Argyve,
 
 
Wo worth that day that thow me bere on lyve.°
gave birth to me
763
"To what fyn sholde I lyve and sorwen thus?
 
 
How sholde a fisshe withouten water dure?°
endure
 
What is Criseydë worth from° Troilus?
apart from
 
How shold a plaunte or lyvës creature°
plant or living creature
 
Lyve withouten his kyndë noriture?°
natural nourishment
 
For which ful ofte a byword here I seye,
 
 
That rootëles, moot greenë° soonë deye.
green thing
770
"I shal doon thus, syn neither swerde ne darte
 
 
Dar I noon handle for the crueltee,
 
 
That ilkë day that I from yow departe,
 
 
If sorwe of that nyl nat my banë° be,
my death (bane)
 
Thenne shal no mete or drynkë come in me
 
 
Til I my soule out of my breste unshethe,°
unsheathe
 
And thus myselven wol I don to dethe.
 
777
"And Troilus, my clothës everychon
 
 
Shal blakë ben in tokenyng, hertë sweete,
 
 
That I am as out of this world agon,
 
 
That wont was you to setten in quiete.°
to quiet you
 
And of myn ordre° ay, til deth me meete,
religious order (figuratively)
 
The observaunce evere, in youre absence,
 
 
Shal sorwe ben, compleynt, and abstinence.
 
784
"Myn herte and ek the woful goost therinne
 
 
Byquethe I, with youre spirit, to compleyne
 
 
Eternaly, for they shal nevere twynne,
 
 
For though in erthe ytwynnëd be we tweyne,
 
 
Yet, in the feld of pitee out of peyne
 
 
That highte Elisos,° shal we ben yfeere°
named Elysium; together
 
As Orpheus and Erudice his feere.°
mate
791
"Thus, hertë myn, for Antenor, allas,
 
 
I soonë shal be chaungëd as I wene.
 
 
But how shul ye don in this sorwful cas?
 
 
How shal youre tendre hertë this sustene?
 
 
But hertë myn, forgete this sorwe and tene,°
trouble
 
And me also, for sothely for to seye,
 
 
So ye wel fare, I recchë not to deye."°*
if you're well, I don't mind dying
798
How myghte it evere yred ben or ysonge, °*
be read or sung
 
The pleyntë that she made in hir distresse?
 
 
I not, but as for me, my litel tonge,
 
 
If I discryven wolde hir hevynesse,
 
 
It sholdë make hir sorwe semë lesse
 
 
Than that it was, and childisshly deface
 
 
Hir high compleynte, and therfore ich it pace.°
I pass over it
4.805
Pandarë, which that sent from Troilus
 
 
Was unto Criseyde, as ye han herde devise,
 
 
That for the beste it was acorded thus,
 
 
And he ful glad to doon him that servise,
 
 
Unto Criseyde in a ful secree wise,
 
 
Ther as she lay in torment and in rage,
 
 
Come hir to telle alle hooly° his message.
wholly
812
And found that she hirselven gan to trete
 
 
Ful pitously, for with hir saltë teeris,
 
 
Hir brest, hire face, ybathëd was ful wete;
 
 
The myghty tresses of hir sunnysshe heeris°
hair
 
Unbroiden° hangen al aboute hir eeris,
unbraided
 
Which gaf hym verray signal of matire°
sign of the martyr
 
Of deth, which that hir hertë gan desire.
 
819
Whan she hym sawe, she gan for sorwe anon
 
 
Hir teery face atwixe° hir armës hide,
between
 
For which this Pandare is so wobygon,
 
 
That in the hous he myghte unnethe abide,
 
 
As he that pitee felt on every side,
 
 
For if Criseyde hadde erst° compleynëd sore
before
 
Tho gan she pleyne a thousand tymës more.
 
826
And in hir asprë° pleyntë thus she seyde,
bitter
 
"Pandarë first of joyës mo than two
 
 
Was causë causyng° unto me Criseyde,
was the primary cause
 
That now transmewëd ben in° cruel wo.
have been transmuted to
 
Where shal I saye° to you, welcom or no,
what shall I say
 
That alderfirst me broughte unto servise
 
 
Of love, allas, that endeth in swich wise?
 
833
"Endeth thenne love in wo, ye, or men lieth,
 
 
And al worldly blisse, as thinketh me.
 
 
The ende of blisse ay sorwe it occupieth,
 
 
And who so troweth nat that it so be,
 
 
Let hym upon me, woful wrecche, ysee,
 
 
That my self hate, and ay my burthe acorse°,
curse my birth
 
Feelyng alwey fro wykº I go to worse.°
from weak
840
"Whoso me seeth, he seeth sorwe al atonyns,°
at once
 
Peynë, torment, pleyntë, wo, distresse.
 
 
Out of my woful body harm there none is
 
 
As angwissh, langour, cruel bitternesse,
 
 
Anoy, smerte, drede, fury, and ek siknesse.
 
 
I trowe iwys from hevene teeris reyne
 
 
For pitee of myn aspre° and cruel peyne.
rough, harsh (asperity)
847
"And thow my suster, ful of discomfort,"
 
 
Quod Pandarus, "what thynkestow to do?
 
 
Why ne hastow to thyselven som resport?°
regard
 
Why wiltow thus thyself, allas, fordo?°
do in
 
Leef° al this werke, and take now heedë to
leave
 
That I shal seyne, and herkne of good entente
 
 
This message, which by me thy Troilus thee sente."*
 
4.854
Turnede hir thoº Criseyde a wo makynge,
then
 
So grete that it a deth was for to see.
 
 
"Allas," quod she, "what wordës may ye brynge?
 
 
What wol my deerë hertë saye to me
 
 
Which that I dredë nevere mo to see?
 
 
Wol he han pleynte or teeris er I wende?
 
 
I have ynough if he there after sende."
 
861
She was right swiche to seen in hir visage
 
 
As is that wight that men on beerë° bynde,
bier
 
Hir facë, lik of Paradys the ymage,
 
 
Was al ychaungëd in another kynde.
 
 
The pleye, the laughter men was wont to fynde
 
 
In hir, and ek hir joyës everichone
 
 
Ben fled, and thus lith now Criseyde allone.
 
868
Aboute hir eyen two a purpre rynge,
 
 
Bytrent° in sothfast tokenyng of hir peyne,
encircled
 
That to biholde it was a dedely thyng;
 
 
For which Pandarë myghtë nat restreyne
 
 
The teeris from his eyen for to reyne.
 
 
But nathëles, as he best myghte, he seyde
 
 
From Troilus these wordës to Criseyde:
 
875
"Lo nece, I trowë ye han herd al how
 
 
The kyng, with othere lordës for the beste,
 
 
Hath made eschaunge of Antenor and yow,
 
 
That cause is of this sorwe and this unreste.
 
 
But how this cas doth Troilus moleste,
 
 
That may non erthely mannës tongë saye.
 
 
For verray wo his wit is al awaye.
 
882
"For which we han so sorwed, he and I,
 
 
That into litel bothe it hadde us slawe,°
almost had slain us both
 
But thorugh my conseyl this day finaly,
 
 
He somwhat is fro wepynge now withdrawe,
 
 
And semeth me that he desireth fawe°
willingly (fain)
 
With yow to ben al night for to devise
 
 
Remedie in this, if there were any wise.
 
889
"This shorte and pleyn, theffect of my message,
 
 
As ferforth° as my wit kan comprehende,
as far
 
For ye that ben of torment in swich rage,
 
 
May to no longe prologe as now entende;°
listen
 
And hereupon ye may answere hym sende,
 
 
And for the love of god, my necë deere,
 
 
So leve this wo er Troilus be here."
 
896
"Grete is my wo," quod she, and sightë sore,
 
 
As she that feeleth dedly sharp distresse.
 
 
"But yet to me his sorwe is muchel more,
 
 
That love hym bette than he him self, I gesse.
 
 
Allas, for me hath he swich hevynesse.
 
 
Kan he for me so pitously compleyne?
 
 
Iwys this sorwe doubleth al my peyne.
 
4.903
"Grevouse to me, god wot, is for to twynne,"
 
 
Quod she, "but yet it harder is to me
 
 
To seen that sorwe which that he is inne,
 
 
For wel woot I, it wol my banë be,
 
 
And deye I wolde in certeyn," tho quod she,
 
 
"But bid hym come er deth, that thus me threteth,
 
 
Dryve out that goost which in myn herte he beteth."
 
910
Thise wordës seyde, she on hir armës two
 
 
Fil gruf,° and gan to weepen pitously.
prone
 
Quod Pandarus, "Allas, why do ye so,
 
 
Syn wel ye woot the tyme is fastë by
 
 
That he shal come? Aris up hastily,
 
 
That he yow nat bywopen° thus ne fynde,
weeping
 
But ye wol have hym wood° out of his mynde.
mad
917
"For wiste he that ye ferde in this manere,
 
 
He wolde hymselven sle,° and if I wende
slay; if I thought . . .
 
To han this fare,° he sholdë not come here,
. . . this would happen
 
For alle the good that Priam may dispende.°
dispense
 
For to what fyn° he wolde anon pretende,°
end; aim at
 
That knowe ich wel, and forthy yet I seye,
 
 
So leve this sorwe, or platly° he wol deye.
plainly
924
"And shapeth you his sorwe for tabregge,°
abridge
 
And nought encressë, leevë necë sweete.
 
 
Beth rather to hym cause of flat then egge,°
sword's edge
 
And with som wisdom ye his sorwes bete.°
drive away
 
What helpeth it to weepen ful a strete,°
a streetful
 
Or though ye bothe in saltë teeris dreynte?°
drowned
 
Bet is a tyme of cure ay than of pleynte.
 
931
"I menë thus: when ich hym hider brynge,
 
 
Syn ye be wise and bothe of oon assente,
 
 
So shapeth° how destourbë° youre goynge;
arrange; delay (disturb)
 
Or come agayn soon after ye be wente.
 
 
Women ben wise in short avysëmente.°
quick thinking
 
And let seen how youre wit shal now availle,
 
 
And what that I may helpe,° it shal nat faille."
I'll do what I can
938
"Go," quod Criseyde, "and uncle, trewëly,
 
 
I shal don al my might me to restreyne
 
 
From wepyng in his sighte; and bisily,
 
 
Him for to glade I shal don al my peyne,
 
 
And in myn hertë seken every veyne.°
i.e., plumb my heart's depths
 
If to this sore ther may be founden salve,
 
 
It shal nat lakkë, certeyn, on my halve."°
because of me (on my behalf)
945
Goth Pandarus, and Troilus he soughte,
 
 
Til in a temple he founde hym al alone,
 
 
As he that of his lif no lenger roughte.°
cared
 
But to the pitouse goddës everichone,
 
 
Ful tendrely he preyed and made his mone,
 
 
To doon hym soone out of this worlde to pace,
 
 
For wel he thoughte ther was non other grace.
 
4.952
And shortly, al the sothë for to seye,*
 
 
He was so fallen in despeir that day
 
 
That outrely he shope hym for to deye.
 
 
For right thus was his argument alway:
 
 
He seyde he nas but lorn,° weylaway,
lost
 
"For al that comth comth by necessitee.
 
 
Thus to ben lorn it is my destinee.
 
959
"For certeynly, this wot I wel," he seyde,
 
 
"That for-sight of divinë purveyaunce
 
 
Hath seyn alway me to forgone Criseyde,°
seen that Criseyde will leave me
 
Syn god seeth every thing out of doutaunce,
 
 
And hem disponyth,° thorugh his ordinaunce,°
disposes; command
 
In hire merites° sothely for to be
as they deserve
 
As they shul comen by predestynee.
 
966
"But natheles, allas, whom shal I leeve?°
believe
 
For ther ben gretë clerkës many one
 
 
That destynee thorugh argumentës preve;
 
 
And som men seyn that needely ther is none,
 
 
But that free chois is given us everychon.
 
 
O welaway, so sleighe° arn clerkës olde
sly
 
That I not whos opynyoun I may holde.
 
973
"For som men seyn if god seth al biforn,°
sees all before
 
Ne god may nat deceyvëd ben, pardee,
 
 
Thenne moot it fallen, though men hadde it sworn,
 
 
That purveiaunce° hath seen before to be.
foreknowing
 
Wherfore I say that from eterne if he
 
 
Hath wist byforn oure thought ek as oure dede,
 
 
We han no free chois as these clerkës rede.
 
980
"For other thought nor other dede also
 
 
Myghte nevere ben, but swich as purveyaunce,
 
 
Which may nat ben deceyvëd nevere mo,
 
 
Hath feeled byforn, withouten ignoraunce.
 
 
For if ther myghtë ben a variauance°
alternative
 
To writhen out° fro goddës purveyinge,
wriggle out
 
There nere° no prescience of thing commyng,
were not
987
"But it were rather an opynyoun
 
 
Uncerteyn, and no stedfaste forseyinge;
 
 
And certës that were an abusioun,°
blasphemy (abuse)
 
That god sholde han no parfit cleere wytynge,
 
 
More than we men that han dotous wenynge.°
doubtful understanding
 
But swich an errour upon god to gesse
suppose (guess)
 
Were false and foule and wikked corsednesse.
 
994
"Ek this is an opynyoun of some
 
 
That han hire top ful highe and smothe yshore.°
smooth shorn (like a cleric)
 
They seyn right thus: that thyng is nat to come
a thing doesn't happen . . .
 
For that the prescience hath seyn before
. . . because it's foreseen
 
That it shal come, but they seyen that therfore
. . . but . . .
 
That it shal come; therfore the purveyaunce
. . . because it is to happen . . .
 
Woot it byforn withouten ignoraunce.°
. . . it is foreseen
4.1001
"And in this manere, this necessitee
 
 
Retorneth in his parte° contrarie agayne,
returns upon itself
 
For nedfully byhoveth it nat to bee
it isn't necessary . . .
 
That thilkë thyngës fallen in certayne,
. . . that things must happen . . .
 
That be purveyed; but needly, as they sayne,
. . . that are foreseen, but . . .
 
Byhoveth it that thyngës which that falle,
. . . that things that happen . . .
 
That they in certayn be purveyëd alle.°
. . . must be foreseen
1008
"I meene, as though I laboured me in this,
 
 
To enqueren which thyng cause of which thyng be,
 
 
As wheither that the prescience of god is
whether god's prescience is . . .
 
The certeyn cause of the necessitee
. . . cause of the necessity . . .
 
Of thyngës that to comen ben, pardee,
. . . of things to come . . .
 
Or if necessitee of thyng comynge
. . . or if necessity . . .
 
Be causë certeyn of the purveyinge.°
. . . causes the foreseeing
1015
"But now nenforce I me nat in shewynge°
I won't labor to show
 
How the ordre of causes stant,° but wel woot I
stands
 
That it byhoveth that the byfallyng
 
 
Of thyngës wiste beforë, certeynly
 
 
Be necessarie, al° seme it nat therby
although
 
That prescience putte fallynge necessaire
 
 
To thyng to come, al falle it foule or faire.
 
1022
”For if ther sitte a man yond on a see,
 
 
Thenne by necessitee bihoveth it
 
 
That certës thyn opynyoun sooth be
 
 
That wenest or conjectest that he sit.
 
 
And further overe now ageinward yet,
 
 
Lo right so is it of the parte contrarie,°
contrary view
 
As thus; now herkne for I wol nat tarie.
 
1029
"I sey that if the opynyoun of thee
 
 
Be soth for that° he sitte, thenne say I this:
is true because
 
That he mote siten by necessitee;
 
 
And thus necessitee in eyther° is,
either (of sitting or knowing)
 
For in hym neede of sittynge is, iwys,
 
 
And in the neede of soth; and thus, forsoth,
 
 
There mote necessitee ben in you bothe.
 
1036
"But thow mayst seyn the man sit nat therfore
you may say he sits not because . . .
 
That thyn opynyoun of his sittynge soth is,
. . . your opinion is true . . .
 
But rather for the man sit ther byfore.
. . . but because he sits . . .
 
Therfore is thyn opynyoun sothe, iwys;°
. . . your opinion is true
 
And I seye though the cause of sothe of this
 
 
Comth of his sittyng, yet necessitee
 
 
Is entrechaungëd° both in hym and thee.
reciprocal
1043
"Thus in the samë wise, out of doutaunce,°
doubtless
 
I may wel maken, as it semeth me,
 
 
My resonyng of goddës purveyaunce,
 
 
And of the thyngës that to comen be.
 
 
By which resoun men may wel ysee
 
 
That thilkë thyngës that in erthë falle,
 
 
That by necessitee they comen alle.
 
4.1050
"For although that for thynge shal come, iwys,
 
 
Therfore is it purveyëd certeynly,
 
 
Nat that it comth for it purveyëd is,
 
 
Yet natheles bihoveth it needfully
 
 
That thing to come be purveyed trewëly,
 
 
Or ellës thyngës that purveyëd be
 
 
That they bitiden by necessitee.
 
1057
"And this suffiseth right ynough, certeyn,
 
 
For to destruye oure free chois every deel.
 
 
But now is this abusioun° to seyn
false proposition
 
That fallyng of the thyngës temporel
 
 
Is cause of goddës prescience eternel.
 
 
Now trewëly, that is a false sentence,°
conclusion
 
That thyng to come sholde cause his prescience.
 
1064
What myght I wene, and I hadde° swiche a thought,
if I had
 
But that god purveyeth thyng that is to come
 
 
For that it is to come, and ellis nought,°
and for no other reason
 
So myghte I wene° that thyngës alle and some,
judge
 
That whilom ben befalle and overcome,
 
 
Ben cause of thilkë sovereyne purveyaunce
 
 
That for woot° alle withouten ignoraunce.
foreknows
1071
"And overe al this yet saye I more herto,
 
 
That right as when I woot there is a thyng,
 
 
Iwys, that thyng mote nedfully be so.
 
 
Ek right so when I woot a thyng comyng,
 
 
So mote it come, and thus the bifallyng
 
 
Of thyngës that ben wist before the tyde;°
time
 
They mowe° nat ben eschuëd on no syde."
may
1078
Than seyde he thus, "Almyghty Jove in trone,°
throne
 
That wost of al this thyng the sothefastnesse,
 
 
Rewe on my sorwe or do me deyen soone,
 
 
Or bryng Criseyde and me fro this distresse."
 
 
And whil he was in al this hevynesse,*
 
 
Disputyng with hym self in this matere,
 
 
Com Pandare in and seyde as ye may here.
 
1085
"O myghty god," quod Pandarus, "in trone,
 
 
I, who sawe evere a wise man faren so?
 
 
Why, Troilus, what thinkestow to doone?
 
 
Hastow swich lust to ben thyn owën fo?
 
 
What, perdee, yet is nat Criseyde ago.
 
 
Why luste thee so thy self fordon for drede°
do yourself in for fear
 
That in thyn hed thyne eyen semen dede?°
seem dead
1092
"Hastow nat lyvëd many a yer byforn
 
 
Withouten hir, and ferde ful wel at ese?
 
 
Artow for hir and for non other born?
 
 
Hath kynde° thee wroughte al only hir to plese?
nature
 
Let be, and think right thus in thy disese,
 
 
That in the dees° right as there fallen chaunces,
dice
 
Right so in love there come and gon plesaunces.
 
1099
"And yet this is a wonder moste of alle,
 
 
Why thow thus sorwest, syn thow nost nat yit,°
don't know yet
 
Touchyng hir goyng, how that it shal falle,
 
 
Ne if she kan hirself destourben it.
 
 
Thow has nat yet assayëd° al hir wit.
gauged
 
A man may al betyme his nekkë bede°
offer his neck
 
Whan it shal of,° and sorwen at the neede.°
off; when it happens
4.1106
"Forthy tak heede of that that I shal seye.
 
 
I have with hir yspoke and longe ybe,°*
been
 
So as acorded was bitwixe us tweye;
 
 
And evere more me thinketh thus, that she
 
 
Hath somwhat in hir hertës privetee,
 
 
Wherwith she kan, if I shal right arede,°
if I judge rightly
 
Destourben al this of which thow art in drede.
 
1113
"For which my counseil is, whan it is nyght,
 
 
Thow to hir go, and make of this an ende;
 
 
And blisful Juno, thorugh hir gretë myght,
 
 
Shal, as I hope, hir grace unto us sende.
 
 
Myn hertë seyth, certeyn, she shal nat wende.
 
 
And forthy put thyn herte a while in reste,
 
 
And holde this purpos, for it is the beste."
 
1120
This Troilus answerd and sightë sore,
 
 
"Thow seyst right wel, and I wol don right so."
 
 
And what hym liste he seyde unto it more,
 
 
And whan that it was tymë for to go,
 
 
Ful pryvëly hymself, withouten mo,
 
 
Unto hir com, as he was wont to doone,
 
 
And how they wroughte I shal you tellen soone.
 
1127
Soth is that whan they gonnen first to meete,
 
 
So gan the peyne hire hertës for to twiste,
 
 
That neyther of hem other myghtë grete,
 
 
But hem in armës tooke and after kiste.
 
 
The lessë woful of hem bothë nyste°
knew not
 
Wher that he was, ne myghte o word out bryng,
 
 
As I seyde erst, for wo and for sobbyng.
 
1134
Tho woful teeris that they leten falle
 
 
As bittre weren, out of teeris kynde,°
beyond the nature of tears
 
For peyne, as is in ligne aloes or galle--°
bitter gall
 
So bittre teeris weep nought as I fynde
 
 
The woful Mirra, thorugh the bark and rynde--*
 
 
That in this world ther nys so harde an herte
 
 
That nolde han rewëd on hire peynës smerte.
 
1141
But when hire wofulle, wery gostës tweyne
 
 
Retournëd ben, there as hem owe to dwelle,°
ought to dwell
 
And that somwhat to wayken° gan the peyne
weaken
 
By lengthe of pleynte, and ebben gan the welle
 
 
Of hire teeris, and the herte unswelle,
 
 
With broken vois al hoors forshright,° Criseyde
hoarse from shrieking
 
To Troilus these ilkë wordës seyde:
 
1148
"O Jove, I deye, and mercy I beseche.
 
 
Help Troilus," and therwithal hir face
 
 
Upon his brest she leyde and lostë speche.
 
 
Hir woful spirit from his propre place,
 
 
Right with the word, alwey o poynt to pace.°
at the point of passing away
 
And thus she lith, with hewës pale and greene,
 
 
That whilom fresshe and fairest was to seene.
 
4.1155
This Troilus, that on hir gan beholde,
 
 
Clepyng° hir name, and she lay as for dede,
calling
 
Withouten answere, and felte hir lymës colde,
 
 
Hir eyen throwen upward to hir hede.
 
 
This sorwful man kan now noon other rede,°
i.e., knows not what else to do
 
But oftë tyme hir coldë mowthe he kiste.
 
 
Wher° hym was wo, god and hymself it wiste.
whether
1162
He rist hym up, and long streght he hir leyde,
 
 
For signe of lif, for aught he kan or may,
 
 
Kan he non fyndë nothyng in Criseyde,
 
 
For which his song ful ofte is weylaway.
 
 
But when he sawe that spechëles she lay,
 
 
With sorwful vois and herte of blisse al bare,
 
 
He seyde how she was fro this world yfare.°
gone
1169
So after that, he longe hadde hir compleyned,
 
 
His hondës wrong, and seyde that was to seye,°
what was to say
 
And with his teeris salte hir brest byreyned.°
rained on
 
He gan tho teeris wypen of° ful dreye,
wipe off
 
And pitously gan for the soulë preye,
 
 
And seyde, "O lord, that set art in thy trone,
 
 
Rewe ek on me, for I shal folwe hir soone."
 
1176
She colde was and withouten sentement°
feeling
 
For aught he woot, for breth ne felte he non,
 
 
And this was hym a pregnant argument
 
 
That she was forth out of this world agon.
 
 
And when he sawe there was non other woon,°
hope
 
He gan hir lymës dresse in swiche manere
 
 
As men don hem that shal ben layde on beere.
 
1183
And after this, with sterne and cruel herte,
 
 
His swerde anon out of his shethe he twighte,°
plucked
 
Hymself to slen.° How sorë that hym smerte,
slay
 
So that his soule hir soulë folwen myghte,
 
 
There° as the doom° of Mynos wolde it dighte,°
where; judgment; direct it
 
Syn love and cruel fortune it no wolde°
wouldn't allow
 
That in this world he longer lyven sholde.°
should live any longer
1190
Than° seyde he thus: "Fulfillid of heigh desdayn,
then
 
O cruel Jove, and thow fortune adverse,
 
 
This alle and some that falsly have ye slayn
 
 
Criseyde, and syn ye may do me no werse,
 
 
Fy on youre myghte and werkës so dyverse.
 
 
Thus cowardly ye shul me nevere wynne;
 
 
Ther shal no deth me fro my lady twynne.
 
1197
"For I this world, syn ye have slayn hir thus,°
because you've slain her so . . .
 
Wol lete,° and folwe hir spirit low or hye.
. . . I'll leave this world . . .
 
Shal nevere lovere seyn that Troilus
 
 
Dare nat for feerë with his lady dye,
 
 
For certeyn I wol bere hir compaignie.
 
 
But syn ye wol nat suffre us lyven here,
 
 
Yet suffreth that oure soulës ben yfere.°
together
4.1204
"And thow citee, which that I leve° in wo,
leave
 
And thow Priam and bretheren alle yfeere,
 
 
And thow my moder, farwel, for I go,
 
 
And Atropes, make redy thow my beere,°
bier
 
And thow Criseyde, o sweetë hertë deere,
 
 
Receyvë now my spirit," wolde he seye,
 
 
With swerde at herte al redy for to deye.
 
1211
But as god wolde, of swough therwith shabreyde,°
she awoke from her swoon
 
And gan to sike, and "Troilus," she cride.
 
 
And he answerdë, "Lady myn, Criseyde,
 
 
Lyve ye yet?" and let his swerde down glide.
 
 
Ye, hertë myn, that thankëd be Cupíde,"
 
 
Quod she, and therwith al she sorë sighte,°
sighed
 
And he began to glad hir as he myghte.
 
1218
Took hir in armes two and kiste hir ofte,
 
 
And hir to glade he did al his entente,
 
 
For which hir goost, that flikered ay o lofte,
 
 
Into hir woful herte ageyn it wente.
 
 
But at the lastë as hir eyë glente°
glanced
 
Asyde anon, she gan his swerde espie
 
 
As it lay bare, and gan for feerë crye.
 
1225
And askëd hym why he it hadde out drawe,
 
 
And Troilus anon the cause hir tolde,
 
 
And how hymself therwith he wolde han slawe,
 
 
For which Criseyde upon hym gan beholde,
 
 
And gan hym in hir armës fastë folde
 
 
And seyde, "O mercy god, to which a dede,
 
 
Allas, how neigh we werën bothë dede.
 
1232
"Than° if I naddë° spoken as gracë was,
then; hadn't
 
Ye wolde han slayn youre self anon," quod she.
 
 
"Yee, doutëles." And she answerde, "Allas,
 
 
For by that ilkë lord that madë me,
 
 
I nolde a forlonge way on lyve have be°
wouldn't have been alive long
 
After youre deth to han ben crownëd Queene
 
 
Of al that londe the sunne on shyneth sheene.°
bright
1239
"But with this selvë swerdë that here is,
 
 
My selve I wolde han slayn," quod she tho.
 
 
But hoo,° for we han right ynough of this,
hold, stop
 
And let us rise and streight to beddë go,
 
 
And there let us speken of oure wo,
 
 
For by the morter° which that I see brenne°
bowl with wax and wick; burn
 
Knowe I ful wel that day is nat far henne."°
far hence
1246
Whan they were in hire bed in armës folde,
 
 
Naught was it lik tho° nyghtës here byforn,
those
 
For pitously ech other gan beholde,
 
 
As they that hadden alle hire blisse ylorn,°
lost
 
Bywaylinge ay° the day that they were born,
always
 
Til at the laste this sorwful wight Criseyde
 
 
To Troilus these ilkë wordës seyde:
 
4.1253
"Lo hertë myn, wel woot ye this," quod she,
 
 
"That if a wight alwey his wo compleyne,
 
 
And seketh nought how holpen for to be,°
how to be helped
 
It nys but folie and encresse of peyne.
 
 
And syn that here assembled be we tweyne,
 
 
To fyndë bote° of wo that we ben inne,
relief
 
It were al tymë soonë to begynne.
 
1260
"I am a womman, as ful wel ye wot,
 
 
And as I am avisëd sodeynly,°
as it occurs to me
 
So wol I tellë yow whil it is hot.
 
 
My thynketh thus, that nouther ye nor I
 
 
Ought half this wo to maken skilfully,°
reasonably
 
For there is art ynough for to redresse
 
 
That yet is mys,° and slen° this hevynesse.
what is amiss; slay
1267
"Swich is the wo the which that we ben in,
 
 
For aught I wot, for nothyng ellis is
 
 
But for the causë that we sholden twynne.°
separate (twin)
 
Considered al, there nys namore amys.
 
 
But what is thenne a remede unto this
 
 
But that we shape us soonë for to meete?
 
 
This alle and some, my deerë hertë sweete.
 
1274
"Now that I shal wel bryngen it aboute
 
 
To come agein, soone after that I go,
 
 
Therof am I no manere thyng in doute,
 
 
For dredëles, withinne a wowke° or two,
week
 
I shal ben here, and that it may be so,
 
 
By allë right and in a wordës fewe,
 
 
I shal you wel an heepe of weyës shewe.°
show you a heap of ways
1281
"For which I wol nat makë longe sermoun,
 
 
For tyme ylost may nought recovered be;
 
 
But I wol gon to my conclusioun,
 
 
And to the beste, in aught that I can see.
 
 
And for the love of god, forgeve it me
 
 
If I speke aught ageyns youre hertës reste,
 
 
For trewëly, I speke it for the beste,
 
1288
"Makyng alwey a protestacioun
 
 
That now these wordës which that I shal saye,
 
 
Nis but to shewen you my mocioun,°
emotion
 
To fynde unto oure helpe the bestë weye,
 
 
And taketh it non other wise, I preye.
 
 
For in effect, what so ye me comaunde,
 
 
That wol I don, for that is no demaunde.°
not in question
1295
"Now herkneth this: ye han wel understonde,
 
 
My goyng graunted is by parlëment,
 
 
So ferforth° that it may nat be withstonde
so firmly
 
For al this world, as by my juggëment.
 
 
And syn there helpeth non avisëment
 
 
To letten it,° let it passe out of mynde,
to stop it
 
And let us shape a bettre way to fynde.
 
4.1302
"The soth is, the twynnyng of us tweyne*
 
 
Wol us disese and cruelich anoye,
 
 
But him byhoveth some tyme han a peyne
 
 
That serveth love, if that he wol have joye.
 
 
And syn I shal no ferther out of Troie
 
 
Than I may ride ageyn on half a morwe,
 
 
It oughtë lessë causen us to sorwe.
 
1309
"So as I shal not so ben hid in muwe°
cage
 
That day by day, myn ownë hertë deere,
 
 
Syn wel ye woot that it is now a trewe,°
truce
 
Ye shal ful wel al myn estat yheere.°
hear of all my condition
 
And er that trewe is doon, I shal ben here;
 
 
And thenne have ye both Antenore ywonne
 
 
And me also. Beth glad now if ye konne.
 
1316
"And think right thus: Criseyde is now agon,
 
 
But what she shal come hastiliche ageyn.
 
 
And whenne allas? By god, lo, right anon,
 
 
Er dayës ten, this dare I saufly seyn.
 
 
And than at erstë° shal we be so feyn,°
then soon; glad
 
So as we shal to gideres° evere dwelle,
together
 
That al this world ne myghte oure blissë telle.
 
1323
"I see that ofte tyme, there as we ben now,
 
 
That for the beste, oure counseyl for to hide,
 
 
Ye spekë nat with me nor I with yow,
 
 
In fourtënyght, ne see yow go ne ride.
 
 
May ye not ten dayës thenne abide
 
 
For myn honour in swich an aventure?
 
 
Iwys ye mowen ellis lite endure.°
otherwise endure little
1330
"Ye knowe ek how that al my kynne is here,*
 
 
But if that only it my fader be,
 
 
And ek myn othere thyngës alle yfeere;°
all together
 
And namëliche, my deerë hertë, ye
 
 
Whom that I noldë leven for to see°
I wouldn't leave off seeing
 
For al this world, as wide as it hath space,
 
 
Or ellis see ich never Jovës face.
 
1337
"Why trowë ye my fader in this wise
 
 
Coveyteth so to see me, but for drede
 
 
Lest in this town that folkës me despise,
 
 
Bycause of hym for his unhappy dede.°
deed
 
What woot my fader what lif that I lede?°
lead
 
For if he wiste in Troye how wel I fare,
 
 
Us needeth for my wendyng nought to care.
 
1344
"Ye seen that every day ek, more and more,
 
 
Men trete of pees, and it supposid is
 
 
That men the queene Eleynë shal restore,
 
 
And grekis us restoren that is mys.
 
 
So though ther nerë° comforte none but this,
though there weren't
 
That men purposen pees° on every side,
peace
 
Ye may the bettre at ese of herte abide.
 
4.1351
"For if that it be pees, myn hertë deere,
 
 
The nature of the pees moot needës dryve
 
 
That men muste entrecomunen yfeere,°
communicate together
 
And to and fro ek ride and gon as blyve,°
as easily
 
Alday as thikke as been° fleen from an hyve,
bees
 
And every wight han libertee to bleve°
settle
 
Where as hym liste, the bet withouten leve.°
without permission
1358
"And though so be that pees ther may be non,
 
 
Yet hider, though there pees nevere ne were,
 
 
I mustë come, for whider sholde I gon,
 
 
Or how, meschauncë, sholde I dwellë there
 
 
Among tho men of armës evere in feere,°
fear
 
For which, as wisly god my soulë rede,
 
 
I kan nat seen wherof ye sholden drede.
 
1365
"Have here another way, if it so be
 
 
That al this thyng ne may you nat suffise.
 
 
My fader, as ye knowen wel, pardee,
 
 
Is olde, and elde is ful of coveytise.°
old age is greedy
 
And I right now have founded al the gise,°
trick (guise)
 
Withouten nette, wherwith I shal hym hente.°
catch
 
And herkeneth now, if that ye wol assente.
 
1372
"Lo Troilus, men seyn that ful harde it is
 
 
The wolf ful and the whether° hool° to have.
sheep; whole
 
This is to seyn that men ful ofte, iwys,
 
 
Mote spenden parte the remnaunt for to save.
 
 
For ay with gold men may the hertë grave°
affect (engrave)
 
Of hym that set is upon coveytise.
 
 
And how I meene I shal it yow devise.
 
1379
"The moeble° which that I have in this town,
possessions
 
Unto my fader shal I take, and sey
 
 
That right for trust and for savacioun,
 
 
It sent is from a frende of his or tweye,
 
 
The which frendës ferventliche hym preye
 
 
To senden after more, and that in hie,°
haste
 
Whil that this town stant thus in jupartie.
 
1386
"And that shal ben an hugë quantitee.
 
 
Thus shal I seyn, but lest it folk espide,°*
lest folk notice it
 
This may be sent by no wight but by me.
 
 
I shal ek shewen hym, if pees betide,
 
 
What frendës that I have on every side,
 
 
Toward the court to don the wrathë pace°
make Priam's wrath pass
 
Of Priamus, and don hym stonde in grace.°
and restore him to favor
1393
"So what for o thing and for other, sweete,
 
 
I shal hym so enchaunten with my sawes,°
sayings
 
That right in hevene his soulë shal he meete,
 
 
For alle Appollo and his clerkës lawes
 
 
Or calkulyng availeth not thre hawes.°
isn't worth three haw-berries
 
Desire of gold shal so his soulë blende
 
 
That as me list I shal wele make an ende.
 
4.1400
"And if he wolde aught by his sort° it preve°
divination; prove
 
If that I lye, in certein I shal fonde
find a way . . .
 
Destourben hym,° and plukke hym by the sleve,
. . . to break in on him (disturb)
 
Makynge his sort, or beryn hym on honde°
make him think that
 
He hath not wel the goddës undirstonde,
 
 
For goddës speken in amphibologies,°
ambiguities
 
And for o sothe they tellen twenty lyes.
 
1407
"Ek dredë fond first goddës I suppose.
 
 
Thus shal I seyn, and ek his coward herte
 
 
Made hym amys the goddës text to glose,°
made him gloss wrong (amiss)
 
Whan he for feerëd° out of Delphos sterte.°
for fear; started
 
And but I make hym soonë to converte,
 
 
And doon my redeº withinne a day or tweye,
and do as I advise
 
I wol to yow obligë me° to deye."
pledge myself
1414
And trewëliche, as writen wel, I fynde
 
 
That al this thyng was seyde of good entente,
 
 
And that hir hertë trewë was and kynde
 
 
Towardës hym and spak right as she mente,
 
 
And that she starf for wo neigh when she wente,
 
 
And was in purpos evere to be trewe.
 
 
Thus writen they that of hir werkës knewe.
 
1421
This Troilus, with herte and erys spradde,°*
ears open (spread)
 
Herde al this thing devysen to and fro,
 
 
And verrayliche it semëd that he hadde
 
 
The selvë wit,° but yet, to let hir go,
the same understanding
 
His hertë mysforgaf hym° evere mo.
gave him misgivings
 
But fynally, he gan his hertë wreste
 
 
To trusten hir, and took it for the beste.
 
1428
For which the gretë furie of his penaunce
 
 
Was queynt with hope, and therwith hem bitwene
 
 
Began for joye the amorousë daunce,
 
 
And as the briddës, whenne the sunne is shene,°
shining
 
Deliten in hire songe in levës greene,
 
 
Right so the wordës that they spake yfeere°
together
 
Delited hem and made hire hertës cleere.
 
1435
But natheles, the wendyng of Criseyde,
 
 
For al this world may nat out of his mynde,
 
 
For which ful ofte he pitously hir preyde
 
 
That of hir heste° he myghte hir trewë fynde,
promise
 
And seyde hir, "Certës, if ye be unkynde,
 
 
And, but ye come at day sette° into Troye,
on the scheduled (set) day
 
Ne shal I nevere have heele, honour, ne joye.
 
1442
"For also soth as sunne uprist o morwe,°
rises in the morning
 
And, god so wisly, thow me, woful wrecche,
 
 
To restë brynge out° of this cruel sorwe.
bring me out
 
I wol my selven sle if that ye drecche.°
delay
 
But of my deth, though litel be to recche,°
to care about (reckon)
 
Yet er that ye me causen° so to smerte,
before you cause me
 
Dwelle rather here, myn owën sweetë herte.
 
1449
"For trewëly, myn ownë lady deere,
 
 
Tho sleghtës° yet that I have herde yow steere°
those tricks; plan
 
Ful shaply° ben to faylen alle yfeere,°
likely; together
 
For thus men seyth that oon thinketh the beere,°
the bear thinks one thing
 
But al another thinketh his ledere.°
trainer (leader)
 
Youre syre is wise, and seyde is, oute of drede,
 
 
Men may the wise atrenne° and not atrede.°
outrun; outthink
4.1456
"It is ful hard to halten unespied°
pretend to limp
 
Byfore a crepel,° for he kan° the crafte.
cripple; knows
 
Youre fader is in sleight as Argus eyed;
 
 
For al be that his moeble° is him birafte,°
possessions; lost to him
 
His oldë sleighte° is yet so with hym lafte.°
trickery; left
 
Ye shal nat blende° hym for youre wommanhede,
fool (blind)
 
Ne feyne aright, and that is al my drede.
 
1463
"I not if pees shal evere mo betide;
 
 
But pees or no, for ernest ne for game,
 
 
I woot, syn Calkas on the grekis syde
 
 
Hath onës ben, and lost so foule his name,
 
 
He dar no more come here ageyn for shame,
 
 
For which that way, for aught I kan espie,
 
 
To trusten on° nys but a fantasie.
to trust in that plan
1470
"Ye shal ek seen, youre fader shal you glose°*
flatter
 
To ben a wif, and as he kan wel preche,
 
 
He shal some greke so preyse and wel allose°
recommend
 
That ravysshen he shal you with his speche,
 
 
Or do you don° by force as he shal teche.
have you taken
 
And Troilus, of whom ye nyl han routhe,
 
 
Shal causëles so sterven in his trouthe.
 
1477
"And overe al this, youre fader shal despise
 
 
Us alle and seyn this citee nys but lorne,
 
 
And that thassegë nevere shal arise,
 
 
For why the grekis han it allë sworne
 
 
Til we be slayn, and down oure wallës torne.
 
 
And thus he shal yow with his wordës feere,°
frighten
 
That ay drede I that ye wol bleven° there.
remain
1484
"Ye shal ek seen so many a lusty knyghte
 
 
Amonge the grekis, ful of worthynesse,
 
 
And ech of hem with hertë, wit, and myghte,
 
 
To plesen yow don al his bisynesse,
 
 
That ye shul dullen° of the rudënesse°
tire of; coarseness
 
Of us sely Troyans, but if routhe
 
 
Remordë° yow, or vertue° of youre trouthe.°
give remorse; power; integrity
1491
"And this to me so grevouse is to thinke
 
 
That fro my breste it wol my soulë rende,
 
 
Ne, dredëles, in me ther may nat synke°
won't sink in (to me)
 
A good opynyoun if that ye wende,
 
 
For why youre fadres sleightë° wel us shende.°
trickery; destroy
 
And if ye gon, as I have told you yore,°
before
 
So think I nam but dede withoutë more.
 
1498
"For which, with humble trewe and pitous herte,
 
 
A thousand tymës mercy I you preye.
 
 
So rueth on myn aspre peynës smerte,
 
 
And doth somwhat as that I shal you seye,
 
 
And let us stele awey bitwixe us tweye,
 
 
And think that folie is when man may chese,
that it's folly to choose the. . .
 
For accident his substaunce ay to lese.°
. . .superficial over the essential
4.1505
"I meenë thus: that syn we mowe° er day
may
 
Wel stele awey, and ben togidere so,
 
 
What wit were it to putten in assay,°
put to the test. . .
 
In cas ye sholden to youre fader go,
 
 
If that ye myghten come ageyn or no?°
. . .whether you might come
 
Thus meene I, that it were a grete folie
 
 
To putte that sikernesse° in jupertie.
security
1512
"And vulgarly to speken of substaunce
 
 
Of tresour, may we bothë with us leede°
carry away
 
Inough to lyve in honour and plesaunce,
 
 
Til into tymë that we shal ben dede.
 
 
And thus we maye eschuen° al this drede,
avoid (eschew)
 
For every other way ye kan recorde,°
think of
 
Myn herte, iwys, may therwith naught acorde.
 
1519
"And hardily, ne dredeth no poverte,
 
 
For I have kyn and frendës ellëswhere,
 
 
That though we comen in oure barë sherte,
 
 
Us sholdë neyther lakken gold ne gere,°
goods (gear)
 
But ben honurëd while we dwelten there.
 
 
And go we anon for as, in myn entente,
 
 
This is the beste, if that ye wolle assente."
 
1526
Criseydë with a sike,° right in this wise
sigh
 
Answerde, "Iwys. my deerë hertë trewe,
 
 
We may wele stele awey as ye devyse,
 
 
And fynden swich unthrifty weyës newe.°
impractical new ways
 
But afterward, ful sore it wol us rewe.°
make us regret
 
And helpe me god so, at my mostë neede,
 
 
As causëles ye suffren al this drede.
 
1533
"For thilkë day that I, for cherising,*
 
 
Or drede of fader or of other wight,
 
 
Or for estate, delite, or for weddyng,
 
 
Be false to yow, my Troilus, my knyght,
 
 
Saturnës doughter Juno, thorugh hir might,
 
 
As wood° as Athamantë* do me dwelle
mad
 
Eternalich in Stix the put° of helle.
pit
1540
"And thus on every god celestial
 
 
I swere it yow, and ek on eche goddesse;
 
 
On every Nymphe and deitee infernal,
 
 
On satiry and fawny more and lesse,°
major and minor
 
That halvë goddës° ben of wildrenesse.
demigods
 
And Attrepos my thred of lif tobreste°
may Atropos break
 
If I be false. Now trowe me° if yow leste.
believe me
1547
"And thow Symois, that as an arwe cleere,*
 
 
Thorugh Troyë rennest° ay downward to the see,
runs
 
Ber witnesse of this word that seyde is here,
 
 
That thilkë day that ich untrewë be
 
 
To Troilus, myn owëne hertë free,
 
 
That thow retournë bakward to thy welle,°
source (well)
 
And I with body and soulë synke in helle.
 
4.1554
"But that ye speke, awey thus for to go,*
 
 
And leten° alle youre frendës, god forbede
leave
 
For any womman that ye sholden so,
 
 
And namëly syn Troie hath now swich neede
 
 
Of help, and ek of o thyng taketh heede:
 
 
If this were wist, my lif lay in balaunce
 
 
And youre honour, god shilde° us fro meschaunce.
shield
1561
"And if so be that pees here after take,
 
 
As alday happeth after anger game,°
as play follows battle
 
Why lord, the sorwe and wo ye wolden make,
 
 
That ye ne dorstë come ageyn for shame.
 
 
And er that ye juperten° so youre name,
jeopardize
 
Beth not to hastif° in this hotë fare,°
hasty; heated business
 
For hastif man ne wanteth nevere care.°
is never carefree
1568
"What trowë ye the peple ek al aboute
 
 
Wolde of it saye? It is ful light tarede.°
easy to tell
 
They wolden saye, and swere it out of doute,
 
 
That love ne drof yow naught to don this dede,
 
 
But lust volumptuous and coward drede.
 
 
Thus were al lost, iwys, myn hertë deere,
 
 
Youre honour, which that now shyneth so cleere.
 
1575
"And also thinketh on myn honestee,
 
 
That floureth yet; how foule I sholde it shende,°
ruin
 
And with what felthe° it spotted sholdë be,
filth
 
If in this forme I sholdë with you wende.
 
 
Ne though I lyved unto the worldës ende,
 
 
My namë sholde I nevere ageynward wynne.
 
 
Thus were I loste, and that were routhe and synne.
 
1582
"And forthi sle with resoun al this heete.
 
 
Men seyn the suffraunt° overcomith, pardee.
sufferer
 
Ek whoso wol han lief° he lief moot lete.°
something dear; must give up
 
Thus maketh vertue of necessitee,
 
 
By pacience, and think that lord is he
 
 
Of fortune ay, that naught wol of hir recche,°
care (about fortune)
 
And she ne daunteth no wight but a wrecche.
 
1589
"And trusteth this, that certës, hertë sweete,
 
 
Er Phebus suster, Lucina the sheene,
before the moon. . .
 
The leoun passe out of this Ariete,°
. . .passes from Aries to Leo
 
I wol ben here withouten any wene.°
without a doubt
 
I meene, as helpe me Juno, hevenes quene,
 
 
The tenthë day; but if that deth massaille,
 
 
I wol you seen withouten any faille."
 
1596
"And now so this be soth," quod Troilus,
 
 
"I shal wel suffre unto the tenthë day,
 
 
Syn that I see that neede it mot be thus.
 
 
But for the love of god, if it be may,
 
 
So let us stelen privëly away;
 
 
For evere in one,° as for to lyve in reste.
always
 
Myn hertë seyth that it wol be the beste."
 
4.1603
"O mercy god, what lif is this?" quod she.
 
 
"Allas, ye sle me thus for verray tene.°
grief
 
I see wel now that ye mystrusten me,
 
 
For by youre wordës it is wel yseene.
 
 
Now, for the love of Cinthia the sheene,°
the shining moon
 
Mistrusteth me not thus causëles for routhe,
 
 
Syn to be trewe I have yow plight° my trouthe.
pledged (plighted troth)
1610
"And thinketh wel that som tyme it is wit°
it makes sense
 
To spende a tyme, a tymë for to wynne.
 
 
Ne pardee, lorn am I naught fro yow yit,
 
 
Though that we ben a day or two atwynne.
 
 
Drif° out tho fantasiës yow withinne,
drive
 
And trusteth me and leveth ek youre sorwe,
 
 
Or heere my trouthe, I wol naught lyve tyl morwe.
 
1617
"For if ye wiste how sore it doth me smerte,
 
 
Ye woldë cesse° of this, for god thow woste,
cease
 
The purë spirit weepeth in myn herte
 
 
To see yow weepen that I lovë moste.
 
 
And that I mot gon unto the grekis ooste,°
host
 
Ye, nere it that I wistë° remedie
were it not that I knew
 
To come ageyn right here, I woldë dye.
 
1624
"But certës, I am naught so nice a wight
 
 
That I ne kan ymaginen a way
 
 
To come ageyn, that day that I have hight;°
named
 
For who may holde a thing that wole away?
 
 
My fader naught, for al his queyntë pley.°
subtle games
 
And by my thrift,° my wendyng out of Troie
ingenuity
 
Another day shal turne us alle to joie.
 
1631
"Forthy with al myn herte I you biseke,
 
 
If that yow list don aughte for my prayere,
 
 
And for that love which that I love you eke,
 
 
That er that I departë fro you here,
 
 
That of so good a confort and a cheere
 
 
I may you seen, that ye may brynge at reste
 
 
Myn hertë, which that is o poynt to breste.°
at the point of breaking
1638
"And overe al this, I prey yow,” quod she tho,
 
 
"Myn owëne hertës sothfast suffisaunce,
 
 
Syn I am thyn al hole° withouten mo,
whole
 
That whil that I am absent, no plesaunce
 
 
Of other do me fro° youre remembraunce,
replace me in
 
For I am evere agast forwhy men rede°
teach
 
That love is thing ay ful of bisy drede.°
anxiety
1645
"For in this world there lyveth lady non,
 
 
If that ye were untrewe, as god defende,°
god forbid
 
That so bitraisëd° were or wo bigone
betrayed
 
As I that allë trouthe in yow entende.
 
 
And doutëles, if that ich other wende,°
if I thought otherwise
 
I ner but dede, and er ye causë fynde,°
before you have reason to
 
For goddës love, so beth me naught° unkynde."
be to me not
4.1652
To this answerdë Troilus and seyde,*
 
 
"Now god, to whom ther nys no cause iwrye,°
hidden
 
Me glad, as, wis,° I never unto Criseyde,
indeed (iwys); I never. . .
 
Syn thilkë day I sawe hir first with eye,
 . . .
 
Was false,° ne nevere shal til that I deye.
. . .was false to Criseyde
 
At shortë wordës, wel ye may me leve.°
believe
 
I kan na more; it shal be founde at preve."°
proved by events
1659
"Grant mercy, goodë myn, iwys," quod she,
 
 
"And blisful Venus, let me nevere sterve,
 
 
Er I may stonde of plesaunce in degree°
in such happiness
 
To quyte° hym wel, that so wel kan deserve.
reward
 
And while that god my wit wol me conserve,
 
 
I shal so doon, so trewe I have yow founde,
 
 
That ay honour to meward shal rebounde.
 
1666
"For trusteth wel that youre estate roiale,
 
 
Ne veyn delite, nor only worthinesse
 
 
Of yow in werre or torney marciale,°
in war or tournament
 
Ne pompe, array,° nobleye,° or ek richesse,
dress; noble birth
 
Ne madë me to rewe on youre distresse,
 
 
But moral vertue grounded upon trouthe.°
integrity
 
That was the cause I first hadde on yow routhe.
 
1673
"Eke gentil herte and manhode that ye hadde,
 
 
And that ye hadde, as me thoughte, in despite
 
 
Every thing that sounëd into badde,°
tended toward evil
 
As rudëness and poeplissh appetít.
 
 
And that youre resoun bridlede youre delite,
 
 
This made aboven every creature
 
 
That I was youre and shal while I may dure.
 
1680
"And this may lengthe of yerës° naught fordo,°
years; do away with
 
Ne remuable° fortune deface,
mutable
 
But Juppiter, that of his might may do°
may make
 
The sorwful to be glad, so give us grace,
 
 
Er nyghtës ten,° to meeten in this place,
before ten nights
 
So that it may youre herte and myn suffise.
 
 
And fareth now wel, for tyme is that ye rise."
 
1687
And after that, they longe ypleynëd° hadde
lamented
 
And ofte ykist, and streite in armës folde.
 
 
The day gan rise, and Troilus hym cladde,
 
 
And rewfullich his lady gan beholde,
 
 
As he that feltë dethës carës colde.
 
 
And to hir grace he gan hym recomaunde.
 
 
Wher hym was wo,° this holde I no demaunde.°
if he was woeful; not in question
1694
For mannës hed ymagynen ne kan,
 
 
Nentendëment° consider, ne tonge telle,
understanding
 
The cruele peynës of this sorwful man,
 
 
That passen every torment down in helle.
 
 
For whan he sawe that she ne myghtë dwelle,°
mightn't stay
 
Which that his soule out of his hertë rente,°
which tore out his soul
 
Withouten more, out of the chaumbre he wente.
 
4.1701
Explicit Liber Quartus°
ends book four
 

Notes

  • 4.1-7 The sentiments are from Boethius' Consolation, Book Two (prose 1, meter 1). The passage loosely corresponds to Filo. 3.94, but Boccaccio says only that fortune is unstable.

  • 4.24 Recall the invocation of the fury Tisiphone in the proem to Book One.

  • 4.29-35 The stanza parallels Filo., 4.1. Chaucer's poem follows Boccaccio's most closely in Book Four, although there are still some significant departures.

  • 4.47-112 The passage closely follows Filo., 4.2-11.

  • 4.50-54 In Filo. 4.3, all these men (except Phebuseo, whose source is unknown) have been captured. Here Chaucer follows Benoit's Roman de Troie, as he does in several places at the beginning of Book Four.

  • 4.127-68 The passage follows Filo. 4.12-16.

  • 4.138 The eventual exchange omits Toas, and he is unmentioned in Boccaccio. Here as in 4.50-54, Chaucer follows Benoit.

  • 4.176-82 The stanza corresponds to Filo. 4.17, but Boccaccio says only that Criseida had never been kept prisoner in Troy. Chaucer adds Hector's moral stance and advocacy.

  • 4.203 Here again (see 4.50-54 note), Chaucer follows Benoit rather than Boccaccio.

  • 4.211-332 This long passage follows fairly closely Filo. 4.17, 22, 26-36; Chaucer adds the note on the workings of Fortune's wheel in 4.323-24.

  • 4.246 This is the J reading, which most other editors follow. Cp has "His eyen two for pite of herte." Fisher follow Cl: " . . . for pite of his herte." Conceptually, piete (piety) and pite (pity) overlap considerably; MED senses of piete current in the late fourteenth century are "mercy, tenderness, pity."

  • 4.330-415 The passage follows Filo. 4.38, 41, 43-49. Pandarus' advice in 4.400-06 (we'll find you another) closely follows Filo. 4.48.

  • 4.427 Pandarus disregards the romance convention of amor lonh (true love survives and even thrives on separation); the line follows Filo. 4.49. Boccaccio's Pandaro most closely resembles Chaucer's Pandarus in this section of the poem.

  • 4.452-628 This long passage follows, often closely, Filo. 4.52, 54-58, 60-75.

  • 4.461 A charm: dock weed is used to take away the sting of nettles (like jewel weed in North America); the formula is glossed by the next phrase in the line.

  • 4.491-532 The next six stanzas are missing from Cp. I follow Cl, as do other modern editors except Root, who follows the closely similar text of J.

  • 4.547-48 Once again (see 4.176-82 and note), the warning against the commodification of women is Chaucer's addition.

  • 4.557-60 In other words, it is politically impossible for Troilus to ransom Criseyde.

  • 4.645-795 Here again, a long passage in Book Four follows the Filostrato (4.77-92).

  • 4.708-14 The stanza is missing from Cp, Cl, and H1. I follow J, as do other editors.

  • 4.751 This is the Cp reading, short by two syllables. The other principal manuscripts are similarly short. Except for Root, who accepts the short line and the garbled manuscript testimony, modern editors mix and match, taking Aperill from Cl and H1 and ful from A-type manuscripts to make up ten syllables: "Doun fille as shour in Aperill ful swythe" (Fisher; the others give identical readings except for minor differences in spelling).

  • 4.798 In the Filostrato (4.91), Criseida's soliloquy adds a plea: will Troilo thus allow her to be taken away and not attempt to keep her by love or by force?

  • 4.799-948 Another long passage follows the Filostrato (4.95-109).

  • 4.854 The line has twelve syllables. The word message appears in Cp, H1, and several secondary manuscripts. Cl, J, and all other modern editors omit the word.

  • 4.953-1078 This long meditation has no parallel in the Filostrato; it comes from Book Five of Boethius' Consolation (especially prose 3-4). In Chaucer, however, the passage is more dramatic than philosophical. Troilus not so much thinks through as acts out the perplexities of Boethius' account, and there is no resolution; the guidance and comfort offered Boethius by Lady Philosophy is missing.

  • 4.1083-95 The passage follows Filo. 4.109-10.

  • 4.1108-1253 The passage follows Filo. 4.112-27, mostly stanza for stanza.

  • 4.1139 In the tenth book of Ovid's Metamorphoses, Myrrha is transformed into a myrrh tree; her tears become its fragrant resin.

  • 4.1303-06 The lines follow Filo. 4.133.

  • 4.1331-44 The two stanzas follow Filo. 4.131, 134.

  • 4.1388 This line follows Cp. The following passage is garbled in Cp. Lines 4.1389-94 in the manuscript appear in this and other editions as lines 1409-14 (note that both passages begin, "Thus shal I seyn"), as they do in other principal manuscripts. The intervening three stanzas are missing from Cp and supplied here mainly from Cl and J.

  • 4.1422-46 The passage closely follows Filo. 4.137-40.

  • 4.1471-1512 The passage closely follows Filo. 4.142-45.

  • 4.1534-40 The stanza follows Filo. 4.146, but Criseyde's vow is more emphatic in Chaucer's poem. In the Filostrato, Criseida swears that commands or flattery will never turn her desire from Troilo.

  • 4.1539 In Book Four of Ovid's Metamorphoses, the fury Tisiphone (invoked in the proem to Chaucer's Book One), at Juno's urging, punishes Athamas for his wife's pride by driving him mad by mental torture.

  • 4.1548 In Book Fifteen of Ovid's Amores, old Homer will live as long as Simois runs to the sea (but not through Troy).

  • 4.1555-1645 The passage follows Filo. 4.147-62.

  • 4.1653-59 At this point in the Filostrato, at the end of Part Four, Troilo speaks to Criseida of her virtues, and Part Four ends with their parting at dawn.

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Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde