Book Two

Incipit prohemmium secundi Libri°
begins the prologue of book two
 
Out of these blakë wawës° for to saylle,
waves
 
O wynde, o wynde, the weder gynneth clere,
 
 
For in this see° the bote° hath such travaylle
sea; boat
 
Of my cunnyng that unnethe° I it steere.
uneasily
 
This see clepe I° the tempestous matere
I call
 
Of disespeir that Troilus was inne.
 
 
But now of hope the kalendës° beginne.
new moon (calendar)
7
O lady myn that callëd art Cleo,°
Clio ( muse of history)
 
Thou be my speed fro this forth and my muse
 
 
To rymë wel this book til I have do.°
have done
 
Me needeth here none other art to use,
 
 
For why, to every lovere I me excuse
 
 
That of no sentëment I this endite,°
compose
 
But out of latyn in my tonge it write.*
 
14
Wherfore I nyl have neither thank ne blame
 
 
Of al this worke, but prey yow mekëly,°
meekly
 
Disblameth° me if any word be lame,
don't blame
 
For as myn autourº saydë, so say I.
i.e, the fictitious Lollius
 
Ek though I speeke of love unfelyngly,
 
 
No wondre is, for it no thing of new is.
 
 
A blynde man kan nat juggen wel in hewis.°
colors (hues)
21
Ye knowe ek that in fourme of speche is chaunge
 
 
Withinne a thousand yeer, and wordës tho°
then
 
That hadden pris,° now wonder nice and straunge
were valuable (had price)
 
Us thinketh hem, and yet they spake hem so,
 
 
And spedde as wel in love as men now do.
 
 
Ek for to wynnen love in sondry° ages,
different (sundry)
 
In sondry londës sondry ben usages.
 
28
And forthy° if it happe in any wise
therefore
 
That here be any lover in this place
 
 
That herkneth, as the storie wil devise,
 
 
How Troilus comme to his lady° grace,
lady's
 
And thinketh, "So nold I not love purchace,"°
I wouldn't purchase love so
 
Or wondreth on his speche or his doynge,
 
 
I noot,° but it is me no wonderyng.°
don't know; it's no wonder
35
For every wight which that to romë wente
 
 
Halt nat o path° or alwey o manere.
takes (holds) not one path
 
Ek° in som lond were al the gamë shente°
even; lost
 
If that they ferde in love as men don here,
 
 
As thus in open doyng or in cheere,°
behavior; expression (cheer)
 
In visityng, in forme,° or sayde hire sawes.°
manners; their speeches
 
Forthy men seyn° eche contree hath his lawes.
say
42
Ek scarsly ben there in this placë thre°
three
 
That have in love sayde like and don in al.
 
 
For to thy purpos this may liken thee,
 
 
And thee right nought, yet al is seyde or shal.°
it can all be said
 
Ek some men grave in tree, some in stone wal
carve
 
As it bitit,° but syn I have begunne,
as it happens
 
Myn autour shal I folwen if I konne.°
know how
49
Explicit prohemmium secundi libri°
ends the prologue of book two
 
Incipit Liber Secundus°
begins book two
 
In may that moder is of monthës glade,
 
 
That fresshë flourës blew and white and rede
 
 
Ben quike° agayn that wynter dedë made,°
alive; made dead (killed)
 
And ful of bawme° is fletyng° every mede,°
fragrance; flowing; meadow
 
Whan Phebus doth his brightë bemës° sprede
beams
 
Right in the whitë bole,° it so bitidde,
bull (Taurus)
 
As I shal synge, on Mayës day the thridde,
 
2.56
That Pandarus, for al his wisë speche,
 
 
Felt ek his parte of lovës shotës keene,
 
 
That koude he nevere so wel of lovyng preche,
 
 
It made his hewe a day ful oftë greene.
 
 
So shope° it that hym fil that day a teene°
happened (shaped); turmoil
 
In love, for which in wo to bedde he wente,
 
 
And made er it was day ful many a wente.°
turn
63
The swalowe proigne,* with a sorowful lay,°
song
 
Whan morwe come gan make hir waymentyng,°
lamenting
 
Why she forshapen° was; and ever lay
transformed
 
Pandare abedde, half in a slomberyng,
 
 
Til she so neigh° hym made hir cheteryng,
near (nigh)
 
How Tireux° gan forth hir suster take,
Tereus
 
That with the noise of hir he gan awake.
 
70
And gan to calle and dresse hym up to rise,
 
 
Remembryng hym his erand was to doone
 
 
From Troilus, and ek his grete emprise,°
enterprise
 
And caste,° and knewe in good plite° was the moone
did a horoscope; orientation
 
To doon viage,° and took his waye ful soone
to make a trip (voyage)
 
Unto his neces palays° ther biside.
niece's palace
 
Now Janus,* god of entree, thou hym gyde.°
guide
77
Whan he was come unto his neces place,
 
 
"Where is my lady?" to hir folk quod he.
 
 
And they hym tolde, and he forth in gan pace
 
 
And fonde° two othere ladys set,° and she
found; sitting
 
Within a pavëd parlour, and they thre
 
 
Herden a mayden reden° hem the geste°
read; story
 
Of the siege of Thebës* while hem leste.°
while it pleased them
84
Quod Pandarus, "Ma damë, god you see
watch over
 
With al youre faire book and al the faire compaignie."*
 
 
"Ey, uncle myn, welcome, iwys," quod she,
indeed
 
And up she roos,° and by the hond in hye°
rose; in haste
 
She took hym faste and seydë, "This night thrie°
three nights ago
 
To goodë mot it turne, of you I mette."°
dreamed
 
And with that word, she down on benche hym sette.
 
91
"Ye, necë, ye shal faren wel the bette,
 
 
If god wol, al this yeere," quod Pandarus.
 
 
"But I am sory that I have you lette°
stopped you
 
To herken of youre book ye preysen thus.
 
 
For goddës love, what seyth it? Telle it us.
 
 
Is it of love? O som good ye me leere."°
tell me
 
"Uncle," quod she, "youre maistresse is nat here."
 
98
With that they gonnen laughe,* and thoº she seyde,
then
 
"This romaunce is of Thebës that we rede,
 
 
And we han herde how that kynge Layus° deyde,
Laius (Oedipus' father)
 
Thorugh Edipuss his son, and al that dede.°
deed
 
And here we stynten° atte thise lettres red,*
stop
 
How the bisshop,° as the book kan telle,
 
 
Amphiorax fil thorugh the ground to helle."*
 
2.105
Quod Pandarus, "Al this knowe I my selve,
 
 
And alle thassege° of Thebës and the care;
the siege
 
For herof ben ther makëd bookës twelve.
 
 
But let be this, and telle me how ye fare.
 
 
Do way youre barbe* and shewe youre facë bare.
 
 
Do way youre book. Rise up and let us daunce,
 
 
And let us don to May som observaunce."
 
112
"I, god forbedë," quod she. "Be ye madde?
 
 
Is that a widewes lif, so god yow save?
 
 
By god, ye maken me ryght sore adradde.°
afraid (adread)
 
Ye ben so wylde it semeth as ye rave.
 
 
It satë me° wel bette ay in a cave
would suit me
 
To bidde and rede° on helyº seyntës lyves.
pray and read; holy
 
Lat maydens gon to daunce, and yongë wyves."
 
119
"As evere thryve I," quod this Pandarus.
 
 
"Yet koude I telle a thing to don yow pleye."°
make (do) you play
 
"Now uncle deerë," quod she, "Tell it us,
 
 
For goddës love, is thenne thassege awaye?
 
 
I am of Grekes so ferëd that I deye."
 
 
"Nay, nay," quod he, "as evere mote I thryve.
 
 
It is a thing wel bet than swychë fyve."°
five times better
126
"Ye, holy god," quod she, "What thyng is that?
 
 
What, bet than swychë fyve? I? Nay, iwys.*
 
 
For al this world ne can I reden° what 
I can't tell
 
It sholdë ben. Som jape I trowe° is this.
I swear
 
And, but youre selven telle us what it is,
 
 
My wit is for tarede it al to leene.°
too weak (lean) to read it
 
As help me god, I not nat° what ye meene.
don't know
133
"And I youre borugh?° Ne nevere shal, for me,
pledge
 
This thing be tolde to you, as mote° I thryve.
might
 
And why so, uncle myn, why so?" quod she.
 
 
"By god," quod he, "that wol I telle as blyve,°
quickly
 
For prouder womman is ther none on lyve,°
alive
 
And ye it wist,° in al the town of Troye.
you know it
 
I japë not, as evere have I joye."
 
140
Tho gan she wondren morë than biforne
 
 
A thousand fold, and down hir eyen caste,
 
 
For nevere, sith the tyme that she was borne,
 
 
To knowë thyng desirëd she so faste,
 
 
And with a sigh she seyde hym attë laste,
 
 
"Now, uncle myn, I nyl yow nought displese,
 
 
Nor axen more that may do yow disese."
 
147
So after this, with many wordës glade
 
 
And frendly talës, and with merie chiere,
 
 
Of this and that they pleyde and gonnen wade
began to wade . . .
 
In many an unkouthe gladde and depe matere,°
. . . in deep topics
 
As frendës doon when they ben mette yfere,°
when they're together
 
Tyl she gan axen him how Ector ferde
 
 
That was the townës wal and grekës yerde.°
scourge of the Greeks
2.154
"Ful wel, I thank it god," quod Pandarus,
 
 
"Save in his arme he hath a litel wounde,
 
 
And ek his fresshë brother Troilus,
 
 
The wisë worthy Ector the secounde,°
second
 
In whom that allë vertue list habounde,°
abounds
 
As allë trouth° and allë gentilesse,
integrity (truth)
 
Wisdom, honour, fredom, and worthinesse."
 
161
"In good faith, Em," quod she, "that liketh me.
 
 
They faren wel, god save hem bothë two,
 
 
For trewëlich° I holde it grete deyntee°
truly; very fine
 
A kyngës son in armës wel to do,
 
 
And ben of goode condiciouns° therto,
character
 
For gretë power and morale vertue here
 
 
Is selde yseyn° in o° persone, I feere."
seldom seen; one
168
"In good faith that is soth," quod Pandarus.
 
 
"But by my trouthe, the kyng hath sonës tweye,°
two
 
That is to mene Ector and Troilus,
 
 
That certeynly, though that I sholdë deye,
 
 
They ben as voide of vices, dare I seye,
 
 
As any men that lyven undre the sonne.
 
 
Hire° might is wide iknowe, and what they konne.°
their; what they know how to do
175
"Of Ector needeth it namore for to telle.
 
 
In al this world there nys a bettre knyght
 
 
Than he that is of worthynessë welle,°
wellspring
 
And he wel morë vertue hath than might;
 
 
This knoweth many a wise and worthy wight.
 
 
The samë pris of Troilus I saye.
 
 
God help me so I knowe nat swichë tweye."°
two such
182
"By god," quod she, "of Ector that is soth.
 
 
Of Troilus the samë thyng trowe I,
 
 
For dredëles,° men tellen that he doth
doubtless
 
In armës day by day so worthily,
 
 
And bereth hym here atte home so gentily
 
 
To every wight, that allë pris° hath he
worth
 
Of hem that me were levest preysëd be."°
I'd most love to be praised by
189
"Ye say right sooth, iwys," quod Pandarus,
 
 
"For yesterday who so hadde with hym ben,
 
 
He myghte han wondred upon Troilus,
 
 
For nevere yet so thikke a swarm of been°
bees
 
Ne fleigh° as Grekës for hym gonnë fleen,°
fled (flew); fled
 
And thorugh the feld in every wightës eere°
person's ear
 
Ther nas no cry but, 'Troilus is there.'
 
196
"Now here now there he hunted hem so faste,
 
 
Ther nas but Grekës blood and Troilus.
 
 
Now hem he hurte and hem alle down he caste.
 
 
Ay wher he wente it was arayëd thus.
 
 
He was hire deth, and sheld and lif for us,
 
 
That as that day ther durstë none withstonde,
 
 
Whil that he held his blody swerd° in honde.
sword
2.203
'Therto he is the frendliestë man
 
 
Of grete estate that evere I sawe my lyve,°
in my life
 
And wher him list, best felawshipë kan°
can show
 
To swich as hym thinketh° able for to thryve."
as he thinks
 
And with that word, thoº Pandarus as blyve°
then; soon
 
He took his leve and seyde, "I wol gon henne."°
hence
 
"Nay, blame have I, myn uncle," quod she thenne.
 
210
"What aileth you to be thus wery soone,
 
 
And namëlich of wommen wol ye so?
 
 
Nay, sitteth down, by god. I have to doone
 
 
With you to speke of wisdom er ye go."
 
 
And every wight that was aboute hem tho°
then
 
That herdë that, gan far awey to stonde,
 
 
Whil they two hadde al that hem liste in honde.°
kept it to themselves
217
When that hir tale alle brought was to an ende
 
 
Of hir estate and of hir governaunce,°
position and household
 
Quod Pandarus, "Now is tyme I wende,°
go
 
But yet I say, ariseth, let us daunce,
 
 
And caste youre widewes habit to mischaunce.°
i.e., put aside as bad fortune
 
What list you thus youre self to disfigure,
 
 
Sith thou is tid° thus faire an aventure?"
has happened to you (betided)
224
"A, wel bithought, for love of god," quod she.
 
 
"Shal I nat witen what ye meene of this?"
 
 
"No, this thing axeth leyser,"° tho quod he,
needs (asks) leisure
 
"And eke me woldë muchë greve, iwys,
 
 
If I it tolde and ye it tooke amys.°
took it amiss
 
Yet were it bet my tongë for to stille
 
 
Than seye a soth that were ageyns youre wille.
 
231
"For, necë, by the goddessë Mynerve*
 
 
And Jupiter that maketh the thondre rynge,
 
 
And by the blisful Venus that I serve,
 
 
Ye ben the womman in this world lyvynge,
 
 
Withouten paramours,° to my wittyng,
except for lovers
 
That I best love, and lothest am to greve.
 
 
And that ye witen° wel youre self I leve."°
know; believe
238
"Iwys, uncle," quod she, "grant mercy.
 
 
Youre frendshipe have I founden° evere yit.
found true
 
I am to no man holden trewëly
 
 
So muche as you, and have so litel quyt,°
repaid
 
And with the grace of god emforth my wit,°
to the best of my ability
 
As in my gylte I shal you nevere offende,
.
 
And if I have er this, I wol amende.
 
245
"But for the love of god, I you biseche,
 
 
As ye ben he that I love most and triste,°
trust
 
Let be to me youre fremdë° manere speche,
strange
 
And say to me your necë what you liste."
wish
 
And with that word, hir uncle anon hir kiste,
 
 
And seydë gladly, "Levë° necë dere,
beloved
 
Tak it for good that I shal say you here."
 
2.252
With that she gan hir eyen down to caste,
 
 
And Pandarus to coughë gan a lite,°
a little
 
And seydë, "Nece, alwey, lo, to the laste,
 
 
How so it be that some men hem delite°
delight
 
With subtyl art hire° tales for to endite.°
their; compose
 
Yet for al that, in hire entencioun
 
 
Hire tale is al for some conclusioun.
 
259
"And sith the ende is every talës strengthe,
 
 
And this matere is so bihovëly,°
helpful
 
What sholde I poynte or drawen it on lengthe
 
 
To you that ben my frend so feythfully?"
 
 
And with that word, he gan right inwardly
 
 
Byholden hir and looken on hir face,
 
 
And seyde, "On swich a mirour goodë grace."
 
266
Thanº thought he thus: "If I my tale endite
then
 
Aught harde, or make a processe any whyle,º
complicate the story
 
She shal no savour han therin but lite,°
i.e., she won't enjoy it much
 
And trowe I wolde hir in my wille bigyle,°
she'll believe I'd beguile her
 
For tendre wittës wenen al be wile,°
think it's all cleverness (wiles)
 
There as they kan not pleynly understonde.
 
 
Forthy hir wit to serven wol I fonde."°
try
273
And lookëd on hir in a bisy wise,*
 
 
And she was ware that he byhelde hir so,
 
 
And seydë, "Lord, so fastë ye mavise.°
scrutinize me
 
Sey° ye me nevere er now? What? Say ye no?"
saw
 
"Yes, yes," quod he, "and bet wil° er I go.
I'll say better
 
But by my trouthe, I thoughtë, now if ye
 
 
Be fortunat, for now men shal it see.
 
280
"For every wight, some goodly aventure
 
 
Som tyme is shape, if he it can receyven,°
receive
 
But if he wol take of it no cure°
take advantage
 
When that it commeth, but wilfully it weyven.°
pass it up (waive)
 
Lo neyther cas° ne fortune hym deceyven.
circumstance
 
But ryght his verray slothe and wrecchednesse,
 
 
And swiche a wight is for to blame, I gesse.
 
287
"Good aventure, o beelë° nece, have ye
pretty (belle)
 
Ful lightly founden,° and° ye konne it take,
easily begun, if
 
And for the love of god and ek of me,
 
 
Cache° it anon, lest aventurë slake.°
catch; go slack
 
What sholde I lenger processe of it make?
 
 
Give me youre honde, for in this world is noon,°
there is no one
 
If that thow list, a wight so wel bygon.°
with such good prospects
294
"And sith I speke of good entencioun,
 
 
As I to you have told wel here beforn,
 
 
And love as wel youre honour and renoun°
renown
 
As creature in al this world iborn,
 
 
By all tho othës° that I have you sworn,
oaths
 
And° ye be wroth therfore, or wene° I lye,
if; think
 
Ne shal I nevere seen yow eft° with eye.
again (after)
2.301
"Beth naught agast, ne quaketh not; wherto?
 
 
Ne chaungeth not for feerë so youre hewe,
 
 
For hardëly, the worste of this is do.°
done
 
And though my tale as now be to you newe,
 
 
Yet trust alway ye shal me fyndë trewe,
 
 
And were it thing that me thoughte unsittyng,°
unsuitable
 
To you wolde I no swichë talës brynge.
 
308
"And, good Em, for goddës love I preye,"
 
 
Quod she, "Come of,° and telle me what it is.
come off
 
For both I am agast what ye wol seye,
 
 
And ek me longeth it to wite,° iwys.
know
 
For whether it be wel or be amys,°
amiss
 
Say on; let me nat in this feerë dwelle."
 
 
"So wol I doon. Now herkeneth, I shal telle.
 
315
"Now, necë myn, the kyngës deerë son,*
 
 
The goodë, wisë, worthy, fresshe, and free,
 
 
Which alwey for to don wel is his wone,°
inclination (wont)
 
The noble Troilus so loveth thee
 
 
That but ye helpe, it wol his banë be.
 
 
Lo, here is alle; what sholde I morë seye?
 
 
Doth what yow list to make hym live or deye.
 
322
"But if ye let him deyë, I wol sterve.°
perish
 
Have here my trouthë, nece, I nyl nat lyen,°
I won't lie
 
Al sholde I with this knyf my throtë kerve."
 
 
With that the teeris breste° oute of his eyen,
burst
 
And seyde, "If that ye don us° bothë dyen
make us
 
Thus giltëles, thenne have ye fisshëd fayre.°
fished well
 
What mendë° ye though that we bothe appaire?°
gain; perish
329
"Allas, he which that is my lord so deere,
 
 
That trewë man, that noble gentil knyght,
 
 
That naught desireth but youre frendly cheere,°
countenance, manner
 
I see hym deyen, there he goth° upryght,
where he goes
 
And hasteth hym with alle his fullë myght
 
 
For to ben slayn, if his fortune assente.
 
 
Allas that god you swich a beautee sente.°
sent (gave) you such beauty
336
"If it be so that ye so cruel be
 
 
That of his deth yow listë nought to recche,°
you don't care
 
That is so trewe and worthy as ye see,
 
 
Namore than of a japer or a wrecche--
 
 
If ye be swich, youre beautee may nat strecche°
stretch
 
To make amendës of so cruel a dede.
 
 
Avysëment° is good before the neede.
consideration
343
"Wo worth° the fairë gemmë vertuelees;
woe to
 
Wo worth that herbe also that dooth no boote;°
gives no remedy
 
Wo worth that beautee that is routhëles;
 
 
Wo worth that wight that tret° ech undir foote.
tread
 
And ye that ben of beautee crop and roote,
 
 
If therwithal in you there be no routhe,
 
 
Thenne is it harme ye lyven, by my trouthe.
 
2.350
"And also think wel that this is no gaude,°
pretense
 
For me were levere thou and I and he
 
 
Were hangëd than I sholdë ben his baude.°
pimp
 
As high as men myghte on us alle ysee,
 
 
I am thyn em;° the shamë were to me
uncle
 
As wel as thee, if that I sholde assente
 
 
Thorugh myn abbet° that he thyn honour shente.°
help (abet); ruined
357
"Now understond, for I you nought requere°
require
 
To bynde you to him thorugh no byheste,°
promise
 
But only that ye make him bettre chiere
 
 
Than ye han doon er this, and morë feste,°
favor
 
So that his life be savëd attë leeste.
 
 
This alle and some, and pleynly our entente.
 
 
God helpe me so I nevere other mente.
 
364
"Lo, this requeste is naught but skylle,° iwys.
commonsensical (skill)
 
Ne doute of reson, pardee,° is ther noon.°
by god; none
 
I sette the worstë, that ye dredden this:
 
 
Men woldë wondren seen hym° come or gon.
wonder to see him
 
There ageins° answere I thus anon,
against that
 
That every wight, but he be fool of kynde,°
a natural fool
 
Wol deme it love of frendshipe in his mynde.
 
371
"What! Who wolde demen, though he see a man
 
 
To temple go, that he the ymages eteth?°
eats
 
Think ek how wel and wisely that he can
 
 
Governe hym self that he nothing forgeteth,
 
 
That where he commeth, he pris and thank hym geteth,°
gets praise and thanks
 
And ek therto he shal comme here so selde,°
seldom
 
What force were it° though al the town byhelde?
what would it matter
378
"Swych love of frendës regneth al this towne.
 
 
And wre you° in that mantel evere mo,
conceal yourself
 
And, god so wys be my savacioun,
 
 
As I have seyde, youre beste is to do so.
 
 
But alwey, goodë nece, to stynte his wo,
 
 
So let youre daunger° sucred° ben a lite
standoffishness; sugared
 
That of his deth ye be not for to wite."
 
385
Criseydë, which that herde hym in this wise,
 
 
Thought, "I shal felen what he meneth, ywis.
 
 
Now em," quod she, "what woldë ye devise?
 
 
What is youre rede° I sholdë don of this?"
advice
 
"That is wele seyde," quod he. "Certein best is
 
 
That ye him love ageyn° for his lovynge,
in return
 
As love for love is skilful guerdonynge.°
reasonable repayment
392
"Thenk ek how eldë° wasteth every houre*
age
 
In eche of you a partie° of beautee;
part
 
And therfore, er that agë thee devoure,°
before old age devours you
 
Go love, for old there wil no wight of thee.°
no one will want you
 
Lat this proverbe a lore unto you be:
 
 
To late ywar,° quod beautee when it paste,°
aware; passed
 
And eldë daunteth daunger° at the laste.
age conquers aloofness
399
"The kyngës fool is wont to crien loude
 
 
When that hym thinketh a womman berth hir highe.
 
 
So longë mote ye live and allë proude,°
be all prideful
 
Til crowës feet be growen under youre eye,
 
 
And sende yow thenne a myrour in to prye,°
peer into (pry)
 
In which that ye may see youre face a morwe.
 
 
Nece, I biddë, wisshe you° namore sorwe."
wish yourself
2.406
With this he stynte° and caste adown the hede,
stopped
 
And she began to breste a weepe° anon,
burst out weeping
 
And seyde, "Allas for wo, why nere I dede?°
why weren't I dead
 
For of this world the faith is al agon.
 
 
Allas, what sholden straungë° to me doon
strangers
 
When he, that for my bestë frende I wende,
 
 
Ret° me to love, and sholde it me defende?
tells
413
"Allas, I wolde han trusted doutëles
 
 
That if that I, thorugh my disaventure,°
misadventure
 
Hadde lovëd outher hym or Achilles,*
 
 
Ector or any mannës creature,°
or anyone else
 
Ye nolde han hadde no mercy ne mesure
 
 
On me, but alwey had me in repreve.°
reproof
 
This falsë worlde, allas, who may it leve?°
believe
420
"What, is this al the joye and alle the fest?
 
 
Is this youre reed?° Is this my blisful cas?°
advice; situation (case)
 
Is this the verray mede° of youre beheeste?
true reward
 
Is alle this paynted proces seyd, allas,
 
 
Right for this fyn?° O lady myn, Pallas,
for this end
 
Thou in this dredeful cas for me purveye,°
provide for, help
 
For so astonëd° am I that I deye."
astonished
427
With that she gan ful sorwfully to syke.°
sigh
 
"A, may it be no bet?" quod Pandarus.
 
 
'By god, I shal namore come here this wyke,°
week
 
And god aforn° that am mystrusted thus,
before god
 
I see ful wel that ye sette lite° of us
think little (make light)
 
Or of oure deth. Allas, I, woful wrecche;
 
 
Might he yet live, of me is nought to recche.°
I'm not important
434
"O cruel god, o dispitous Marte,º
spiteful Mars
 
O furies thre of helle, on you I crye.
 
 
So let me nevere out of this hous departe
 
 
If that I mente harm or any vilenye.
 
 
But sith I see my lord mote needës deye,°
must needs die
 
And I with him, here I me shryve and seye°
confess and say
 
That wikkedly ye don us bothë deye.
 
441
"But sith it liketh you that I be dede,
 
 
By Neptimus,º that god is of the see,
Neptune
 
Fro this forth shal I nevere eten brede
 
 
Til I myn owen hertë blood may see,
 
 
For certeyn I wol deye as soon as he."
 
 
And up he sterte,° and on his way he raughte,°
started; went (reached)
 
Til she agayn hym by the lappë caughte.°
caught him by his sleeve
448
Criseyde,° which that wel neigh starf for feere,
perished for fear
 
So as she was the ferfullestë wighte
 
 
That myghtë be, and herde ek with hir ere
 
 
And sawe the sorwful ernest° of the knyght,
earnestness
 
And in his prayere° ek sawe none unryght,°
entreaty (prayer); no wrong
 
And for the harm that myghte ek fallen more,
 
 
She gan to rewe, and dredde hir wonder sore.
 
2.455
And thoughtë thus, "Unhappës° fallen thikke*
misfortunes
 
Alday for love, and in swich manere cas
 
 
As men ben cruel in hemself, and wikke,
 
 
And if this man sle° here himself, allas,
slay
 
In my presence, it wol be no solace.
 
 
What men wolde of it deme° I can nat seye.
would think of it
 
It nedeth me ful sleighly° for to pleye."
slyly
462
And with a sorowful sigh she saydë thrie,°
three times
 
"A lord, what me is tid° a sory chaunce,
has befallen
 
For myn estate lith now in a jupartie,°
lies now in jeopardy
 
And ek myn Emës lif is in balaunce.
 
 
But nathëles, with goddës governaunce,
 
 
I shal so doon; myn honour shal I keepe,
 
 
And ek his lyf," and styntë° for to weepe.
stopped
469
"Of harmës two the lesse is for to chese,°
choose
 
Yet have I levere maken hym good chere
 
 
In honour than myn Emës° lyf to lese.°
uncle's; lose
 
Ye seyn ye nothyng ellës me requere?"
 
 
"No wise," quod he, "Myn owen necë deere."
 
 
"Now wel," quod she, "and I wol do my peyne,
 
 
I shal myn herte ageins my luste° constreyne.
against my wishes
476
"But that I nyl nat halden hym in honde,°
deceive him
 
Ne love a man, ne can I naught ne may
 
 
Ageyns my wille, but ellës wil I fonde,°
undertake
 
Myn honour sauf,° plesen° hym fro day to day.
saving my honor; please
 
Therto nolde I nat onës han sayde nay,
 
 
But that I dredde as in my fantasye.
 
 
But cessë° cause ay cesseth maladie.
cease
483
"And here I make a protestacioun
 
 
That in this proces if ye deeper go,
 
 
That certeynly for no salvacioun
 
 
Of you, though that ye sterven° bothë two,
die
 
Though al the world on a day be my fo,°
foe
 
Ne shal I nevere of him han other routhe."°
any other pity
 
"I grauntë wel," quod Pandare, "by my trouthe.
 
490
"But may I trustë wel therto," quod he,
 
 
"That of this thyng that ye han highte° me here,
commanded
 
Ye wol it holden trewely unto me?"
 
 
Ye, doutëles," quod she, "myn uncle deere."
 
 
"Ne that I shal han cause in this matere,"
cause . . .
 
Quod he, "to pleyn, or after yow to preche?"°
. . . to nag you
 
"Why no, perdee,° what needeth morë speche?"
by god
497
Tho° fellen they in other talës glade,
then
 
Tyl at the laste, "O good Em," quod she tho.
 
 
"For his love which that us bothë made,
 
 
Tel me how first ye wisten of his wo.°*
knew of his woe
 
Woot noon of it but ye?"° He seydë, "No."
does no one but you know?
 
"Kan he wel speke of love?" quod she. "I preye,
 
 
Tel me for I the bet me shal purveye."°
prepare myself
2.504
Tho Pandarus a litel gan to smyle,
 
 
And saydë, "By my trouthe, I shal you telle.
 
 
This other day, not gon ful longë while,
 
 
In with the paleys garden by a welle,
 
 
Gan he and I wel half a day to dwelle,
 
 
Right for to speken of an ordinaunce°
battle plan
 
How we the grekës myghten disavaunce.°
turn back
511
"Soon after that begunnë we to lepe,
 
 
And casten with oure dartës° to and fro,
spears
 
Tyl at the laste he seyde he woldë slepe,
 
 
And on the gresº adown he leyde hym tho;
grass
 
And I ther after gan romen° to and fro,
roam
 
Til that I herde, as that I welk° alone,
walked
 
How he began ful wofully to grone.
 
518
"Tho gan I stalke hym softëly byhynde,°
behind
 
And sikerly the sothë for to seyne,
 
 
As I can clepe° agayn now to my mynde,
call
 
Right thus to love he gan him for to pleyne.°
complain
 
He seydë, 'Lord, have routhe upon my peyne,
 
 
Al have I ben rebell in myn entente.
 
 
Now, mea culpa, lord, I me repente.
 
525
"'O god, that at thy disposicioun
 
 
Ledest° the fynº by justë purveiaunce°
determines; end; foreknowing
 
Of every wight, my lowe confessioun
 
 
Accepte in gree,° and sende me swich penaunce
with grace
 
As liketh thee, but from disesperaunce,°
hopelessness
 
That may my goost° departe awey fro thee.
soul (ghost)
 
Thow be my sheld° for thy benignitee.°
shield; goodness (benignity)
532
"'For certës, lord, so sore hath she me wounded
 
 
That stood in blak with lookyng of hir eyen,
 
 
That to myn hertës botme it is ysounded,
 
 
Thorugh which I woot that I must needës deyen.
 
 
This is the worste: I dare me nat bywreyen,°
reveal myself
 
And wel the hotter ben the gledës red°
red coals
 
That men hem wrien° with asshen pale and dede.'
that men cover 
539
"With that he smote his hede down anon,
 
 
And gan to motre° I noot what° trewëly,
mutter; don't know what
 
And I with that gan stille° away to goon,°
quietly; go
 
And let° therof as no thinge wist had I,
let on
 
And com agayn anon and stood hym by,
 
 
And sayde, "Awake, ye slepen al to° longe.
too
 
It semeth not that lovë doth you longe°
makes you yearn
546
"That slepen so that no man may you wake.
 
 
Who sawe evere er this so dul a man?
 
 
'Yea, frend,' quod he, 'Do ye youre hedës ake
 
 
For love, and let me lyven as I kanne.'
 
 
But though that he for wo was pale and wanne,
 
 
Yet made he tho° as fresshe a countenaunce
then
 
As though he sholde have led the newë daunce.
 
2.553
"This passëd forth til now this other day
 
 
It felle that I com romyng° al alone
came roaming
 
Into his chaumbre, and fonde how that he lay
 
 
Upon his bed, but man so sorë grone
 
 
Ne herde I nevere, and what that was his mone
 
 
Ne wist I nought, for as I was commyng,
 
 
Al sodeynly he left his complaynyng.
 
560
"Of which I took somwhat suspecioun,
 
 
And ner° I com, and fonde he weptë sore,
near
 
And, god so wise be my salvacioun,
 
 
As nevere of thing hadde I no routhë more;
 
 
For neither with engyne° ne with no lore,°
scheme; knowledge
 
Unnethës° myghte I fro the deth hym keepe
with difficulty (uneasily)
 
That yet feele I myn hertë for hym weepe.
 
567
"And god woot,° nevere sith that I was borne,
knows
 
Was I so bisy no man for to preche,
 
 
Ne nevere was to wight so depe isworn°
nor had I sworn so to anyone
 
Er he me told who myghtë ben his leche.°
doctor (leech)
 
But now to you rehercen° al his speche,
rehearse
 
Or all his woful wordës for to sowne,°
analyze (sound)
 
Ne bid me naught but° ye wol see me swowne.
don't ask me unless
574
"But for to save his lif and ellës nought,
 
 
And to none harm of you thus am I dryven,
 
 
And for the love of god that us hath wrought,
 
 
Swiche cheer hym doth° that he and I may lyven.
make him such cheer
 
Now have I plat° to yow myn hertë shryven.°
plainly; confessed
 
And sith ye wot that myn entent is cleen,
 
 
Take heede therof, for I non yvel meen.
 
581
"And right good thrifte,° I prey to god, have ye,
success
 
That han swich one ycaught withouten net.
 
 
And° be ye wise as ye be faire to see,
if
 
Wel in the rynge thenne is the rubie set.
 
 
There were nevere two so wel ymet
 
 
When ye ben his al hool° as he is youre.
wholly
 
There myghty god, graunte us see that houre."
 
588
"Nay, thereof spak I nought, ha ha," quod she.
 
 
"As helpe me god, ye shenden every deel."°
you ruin everything
 
"O mercy, deerë nece anon," quod he.
 
 
"What so I spak I mentë naught but wel.
 
 
By Mars, the god that helmëd is of steel,
 
 
Now beth naught wrothe, my blood, my necë dere."
 
 
"Now wel," quod she, "forgeven be it here."
 
595
With this he took his leve and home he wente,
 
 
And lord, he was glad and wel bygon.°
content
 
Criseyde aros; no longer she ne stente,°
stayed
 
But streght into hir closet wente anon,
 
 
And set hir down as stille as any ston,°
stone
 
And every word gan up and down to wynde
 
 
That he had seyde as it come hir to mynde.
 
2.602
And was somdelº astonëd in hir thoughte
somewhat
 
Right for the newë cas, but when that she
 
 
Was ful avised,° tho° fondë she right noughte
had considered fully; then
 
Of peril why she ought aferëd be.
 
 
For man may love of possibilitee
 
 
A womman so his hertë may to breste,
 
 
And she naught love ageyn° but if hir liste.°
in return; if it pleases her
609
But as she sat alone and thoughtë thus,
 
 
Ascry° aros at scarmuch° al withoute,
a cry; skirmish
 
And men criden in the strete, "See Troilus
 
 
Hath right now put to flighte the grekës route."°
horde
 
With that gan al hir meynee° for to shoute,
companions
 
"A, go we see, caste up the gatës wyde,
 
 
For thorugh this strete he moot° to paleys ride.
must
616
"For other way is to the gatë non°
there's no other way
 
Of Dardanus.* There open is the cheyne."°
chain (across the gateway)
 
With that come he and al his folk anon,
 
 
An esy pas° rydyng in routës tweyne,°
at an easy pace; two files
 
Right as his happy day was, sooth to seyne,
 
 
For which men seyn, may nought destroubëd be
what comes of necessity . . .
 
That shal bityden of necessitee.°
. . . may not be disturbed
623
This Troilus sat on his bayë steede
 
 
Al armëd save his hed ful richëly,
 
 
And wownded was his hors and gan to bleede,
 
 
On which he rood a pas ful softëly.
 
 
But swich a knyghtly sightë, trewëly,
 
 
As was on him was nought, withouten faille,
 
 
To looke on Mars that god is of bataille.°
battle
630
So lik a man of armës and a knyght
 
 
He was to seen, fulfilled of heigh prowesse,
 
 
For bothe he hadde a body and a myght
 
 
To don that thing, as wel as hardynesse.
 
 
And ek to seen him in his gere° hym dresse,
gear
 
So fresshe, so yong, so weldy semëd he,
 
 
It was an heven upon him for to see.
 
637
His helme to hewen was in twenty places
 
 
That by a tyssew heng his bak byhynde.°
hung down his back
 
His sheeld to dasshëd was with swerdes and maces
 
 
In which men myghtë many an arwe fynde
 
 
That thirlëd haddë horn and nerf and rynde.°
had pierced bone, nerve, and skin
 
And ay the peple cryde, "Here cometh oure joye,
 
 
And next his brother, holder up of Troye."
 
644
For which he wex a litel red for shame
 
 
Whan he the peple upon hym herdë cryen,
 
 
That to beholde it was a noble game,
 
 
How sobrelich he castë down his eyen.
 
 
Criseydë gan al his cheere° aspien,
appearance, manner
 
And let so softë in hir hertë synken
 
 
That to hir self she seyde, "Who gaf me drynken?"º
who gave me to drink
2.651
For of hir owën thought she wex al red,
 
 
Remembryng hir right thus: "Lo, this is he
 
 
Which that myn uncle swerith he moot be ded,
 
 
But I on him have mercy and pitee."
 
 
And with that thought, for pure ashamëd, she
 
 
Gan in hir hed to pulle, and that as faste,
 
 
Whil he and alle the peple forby paste.°
passed by
658
And gan to caste and rollen up and down
 
 
Withinne hir thought his excellent prowesse,
 
 
And his estate,° and also his renown,
rank
 
His wit, his shap, and ek his gentilesse.°
gentility
 
But most hir favour was for his distresse
 
 
Was al for hir, and thought it was a routhe
 
 
To sleyn° swich oon if that he mentë trouthe.°
slay; meant well
665
Now myghtë some envious jangle thus:
 
 
"This was a sodeyn love; how myght it be
 
 
That she so lightly lovëd Troilus
 
 
Right for the firstë sightë, ye, pardee."
 
 
Now who seyth so, mote he nevere ythee,°
may he never thrive
 
For every thing a gynnyng hath it neede
 
 
Er al be wrought, withowten any drede.°
without doubt
672
For I say nought that she so sodeynly*
 
 
Gaf° him hir love, but that she gan enclyne
gave
 
To like him first, and I have told you why;
 
 
And after that, his manhode and his peyne
 
 
Madë love withinne hir for to myne,
 
 
For which by processe and by good servise,
 
 
He gat hir love, and in no sodeyn wise.
 
679
And also blisful venus, wel arrayed,
 
 
Sat in hir seventhe hous of hevene tho,°*
then
 
Disposëd wel, and with aspectës payed°
favorable
 
To helpë sely° Troilus of his wo.
worthy (or naive)
 
And soth to seyne, she nas nat alle a fo
 
 
To Troilus in his nativitee.
 
 
God woot that wel the sooner speddë° he.
succeeded
686
Now let us stynte of Troilus a throwe°
a while
 
That rideth forth, and let us turnë faste
 
 
Unto Criseyde that heng hir hed ful lowe,
 
 
There as she sat alone, and gan to caste
 
 
Where on she wolde apoynte hir attë laste,
would decide what to do . . .
 
If it so were hir Em ne woldë cesse
. . . if her uncle wouldn't cease . . .
 
For Troilus upon hir for to presse.°
. . . to press Troilus on her
693
And lord, so she gan in hir thoughte argue
 
 
In this matere of which I have you tolde,
 
 
And what to doon best were and what eschuwe,
 
 
That plited° she ful ofte in many folde.
went back and forth (pleated)
 
Now was hir hertë warm, now was it colde;
 
 
And what she thoughtë somwhat shal I write,
 
 
As to myn autour listeth for tendite.°
compose
2.700
She thoughtë wel that Troilus persone*
 
 
She knew by syghte, and ek his gentilesse,
 
 
And thus she sayde, "Al were it not to doone
 
 
To graunte hym love, that for his worthynesse,
 
 
It were honour with pleye, and with gladnesse,
 
 
In honestee with swich a lord to deele,
 
 
For myn estate and also for his heele.°
health
707
"Ek wel woot I my kyngës son is he,
 
 
And sith he hath to see me swiche delite,
 
 
If I wolde outreliche° his sightë flee,
utterly
 
Peraunter° he myghte have me in dispite,
perhaps
 
Thorugh whicche I myghtë stonde in worsë plite.
 
 
Now were I wise me hatë to purchace
 
 
Withouten neede, ther° I may stonde in grace?
where
714
"In every thing, I woot, there lith mesure,°
lies moderation (measure)
 
For though a man forbedë dronkenesse,
 
 
He not forbet° that every creature
forbid
 
Be drynkëles for alway, as I gesse.
 
 
Ek sith I woot for me is his destresse,
 
 
I ne oughtë not for that thing him despise,
 
 
Sith it is so he meneth in good wise.
 
721
"And eke I knowe of longë tyme agon
 
 
His thewës° goode, and that he is nat nice,°
habits; foolish
 
Navantour,° seyth men, certeyn is he non.
boaster
 
To° wise is he to don so grete a vice;
too
 
Ne als° I nyl hym nevere so cherice,°
also; cherish
 
That he may make avaunt° by justë cause.
may boast
 
He shal me nevere bynde in swiche a clause.
 
728
"Now sette a caas: the hardest° is, iwys,
the worst case
 
Men myghten demen° that he loveth me.
think (deem)
 
What dishonour were it unto me this?
 
 
May ich hym lette° of that? Why nay, pardee.
may I stop him
 
I knowe also and alday heere and see
 
 
Men loven wommen al biside hire leve,°
whether or not they wish it
 
And when hem list namore, let hem byleve.°
leave them quickly
735
"I think ek how he able is for to have
 
 
Of al this ilk noble towne the thriftieste°
the most suitable
 
To ben his love, so she hir honour save,
 
 
For oute and oute he is the worthieste,
 
 
Save only Ector, which that is the beste.
 
 
And yet his lif al lith now in my cure.°
his life lies now in my hands
 
But swich is love, and ek myn aventure.°
my fortune
742
"Ne me to love a wonder is it not,
 
 
For wel woot I° my self, so god me speede,
well I know
 
Al wolde I that noon wiste° of this thought.
that no one knew
 
I am one the faireste, out of drede,°*
doubtless
 
And goodliestë, who that taketh hede,°
as anyone would notice (heed)
 
And so men seyn,° in al the town of Troie,
say
 
What wonder is though he of me have joye?
 
749
"I am myn owene womman, wel atte ese,
 
 
I thank it god, as after myn estate
 
 
Right yonge, and stonde unteyde in lusty leese,°
pasture
 
Withouten jalousie or swiche debate.
 
 
Shal noon housband seyn to me chek mate,
 
 
For either they ben ful of jalousie,
 
 
Or maisterfull,° or loven novellerie.°
bossy; novelty
2.756
"What shal I doon? To what fyn lyve I thus?
 
 
Shal I nat love in cas if that me leste?°
if it pleases me
 
What, perdeux,° I am naught religious,
by god
 
And though that I myn hertë sette at reste
 
 
Upon this knyght that is the worthieste,
 
 
And keepe alwey myn honour and my name,
 
 
By allë right it may do me no shame."
 
763
But right as when the sunnë shyneth bright
 
 
In marche that chaungeth oftë tyme his face,
 
 
And that a cloude is put with wynde to flight,
 
 
Which oversprat° the sunne as for a space,
covered (overspread)
 
A cloudy thought gan thorugh hir soulë pace
 
 
That overspradde hir brightë thoughtës alle,
 
 
So that for feere almoste she gan to falle.
 
770
That thought was this: "Allas, syn I am free,
 
 
Sholde I now love and put in jupartie
 
 
My sikernesse, and thrallen° libertee?
emprison (enthrall)
 
Allas, how durst I thinken that folie?
 
 
May I naught wel in other folk aspie
 
 
Hire° dredfull joye, hire constreinte, and hire peyne?
their
 
There loveth none that she nath way to pleyne.°
i.e., doesn't face grief
777
"For love is yet the mostë stormy lyf
 
 
Right of hym self that evere was begunne,
 
 
For evere some mystrust and nicë strif
 
 
There is in love; some cloude is overe the sunne.
 
 
Therto we wrecched wommen nothing konne°
know nothing to do
 
Whan us is wo but weepe and sitte and thinke.
 
 
Oure wrecche° is this: oure owen wo to drynke.
wretchedness
784
"Also thise wikked tongës ben so preste°
hasty
 
To speke us harme, ek men ben so untrewe,
 
 
That right anon as cessëd is hire leste,°
ceased is their desire
 
So cesseth love, and forth° to love anewe,
go forth
 
But harm ydoon is doon, whoso it rewe,
 
 
For though these men for love hem first torende,°
tear themselves up
 
Ful sharp bygynnyng breketh oft at ende.
 
791
"How oftë tyme hath it yknowen be
 
 
The tresoun that to wommen hath ben do.
 
 
To what fyn° is swich love I can nat see,
end (finish)
 
Or wher bycommeth it° when that it is ago.°
what comes of it; gone
 
Ther is no wight that woot, I trowë so,
 
 
Where it bycommeth; lo no wight on it sporneth.°
trips on it (finds out)
 
That erst was no thing, in to nought it torneth.°
nothing comes from nothing
798
"How bisy, if I love, ek must I be
 
 
To plesen hem that jangle of love and dremen,
 
 
And coye hem° that° they saye non harme of me;
quiet them; so that
 
For though there be no causë, yet hem semen,°
seems to them
 
Al be for harm, that folk hire frendës quemen.°
try to please their friends
 
And who may stoppen every wikked tonge
 
 
Or sown° of bellës whil that they ben ronge?"°
sound; rung
2.805
And after that, hir thought gan for to clere,
 
 
And sayde, "He which that nothing undertaketh,*
nothing ventured . . .
 
No thing nacheveth,° be him loth or dere."
. . . nothing gained)
 
And with an other thought hir hertë quaketh:
 
 
"Thenne slepeth hope, and after drede awaketh."
 
 
Now hot, now colde, but thus bitwixen tweye,
 
 
She rist hir up and wente hir for to pleye.
 
812
Adown the steyre° anonright tho° she wente
stair; then
 
Into the garden with hir neces thre,
 
 
And up and down there madë many a wente,°
turn
 
Flexippë she, Tharbe and Antigone,*
 
 
To pleyen that it joyë was to see,
 
 
And other of hir wommen a grete route°
 many
 
Hire folowede° in the garden al aboute.
followed her
819
This yerde was large and raylëd alle thaleyes°
bordered (railed); paths (alleys)
 
And shadewed wel with blosum bowës grene,°
green blossom boughs
 
And benchëd newe and sonded° all the wayes
sanded
 
In which she walketh arm in arm bitwene,
 
 
Til attë laste Antigone the shene°
fair (shiny)
 
Gan on a Troian songe to singen cleere,
 
 
That it an heven was hir vois to heere.
 
826
She seyde, "O love, to whom I have and shal*
 
 
Ben humble subgit, trewe in myn entente,
 
 
As I best can, to you, lord, give ich al,
 
 
For evere mo myn hertës luste to rente;
 
 
For nevere yet thy gracë no wight sente,
 
 
So blisful cause, as me my lif to lede
 
 
In allë joie and seurete° oute of drede.
security
833
"Ye, blisful god, han me so wel byset°
set me up
 
In love, iwys, that al that bereth lif
 
 
Ymagynen ne kouthen° how to be bet;
couldn't imagine
 
For lord, withouten jalousie or strif,
 
 
I love one which that most is ententif°
that most intends
 
To serven wel, unwery or unfeyned,
 
 
That evere was, and leest with harm destreyned.°
afflicted
840
"As he that is the welle of worthynesse,
 
 
Of trouthë grownde, mirour of goodlihede,
 
 
Of wit apollo, stoon° of sikernesse,
stone
 
Of vertue roote, of lust fynder and hede,°
desire; provider (head)
 
Thorugh which is allë sorwe fro me dede.
 
 
Iwys I love hym beste; so doth he me.
 
 
Now good thrifte° have he wherso that he be.
success
847
"Whom shulde I thanken but you, god of love,
 
 
Of alle this blisse in which to bathe I gynne,°
begin
 
And thanked be ye, lord, for that I lyve.
 
 
This is the right lif that I am inne,
 
 
To flemen° allë manere vice and synne.
banish
 
This dooth me so to vertue for tentende°
incline (intend)
 
That day by day I in my wille amende.°
improve
2.854
"And who seyth that for to love is vice
 
 
Or thraldom, though he feele in it destresse,
 
 
He outher° is envyous or right nyce,°
either; foolish
 
Or is unmyghty° for his shrewëdnesse°
weak; wickedness
 
To loven, for swiche manere folk I gesse
 
 
Defamen love, as nothing of it knewe.
 
 
They speken, but they benten nevere his bowe.°
i.e., love's bow
861
"What, is the sunnë wers of kyndë right,°
worse by nature
 
Though that a man, for feeblesse of his eyen,
 
 
May nought endure on it to see for bright,
 
 
Or love the worse, though wrecches on it crien?
 
 
No wel° is worth that may no sorwe dryen,°
happiness; endure
 
And forthy, who that hath an hed of verre°
head of glass
 
Fro caste of stonës war° hym in the werre.°
beware; war
868
"But I with al myn herte and al my mighte,
 
 
As I have seyde, wol love unto my laste
 
 
My deerë herte, and al myn owen knyghte,
 
 
In which myn hertë growen is so faste,
 
 
And his in me, that it shal evere laste,
 
 
Al dredde I° first to love him to beginne.
although I dreaded
 
Now woot I wel ther is no peril inne."
 
875
And of hir song right with that word she stente.
 
 
And therwithal, "Now necë," quod Criseyde,
 
 
"Who made this songe now with so good entente?"
 
 
Antygone answerde anon and seyde,
 
 
"Madame, iwys, the goodliestë mayde
 
 
Of gret estate in al the town of Troye,
 
 
And let° hir lif in moste honour and joye."
led
882
"For sothë, so it semeth by hir songe,"
 
 
Quod tho Criseyde, and gan therwith to sike,°
sigh
 
And seydë,"Lord, is ther swich blisse amonge
 
 
These loveres as they can faire endite?"
 
 
"Ywis," quod fresshe Antigone the white,
 
 
"For alle the folk that han or ben on lyve,°
alive
 
Ne konnë° wel the blisse of love discryve.°
can't; describe
889
"But wenë° ye that every wrecchë woot°
think
 
The perfit° blisse of love? Why nay, iwys.
perfect
 
They wenen all be love if one be hot.
 
 
Do way, do way; they woot no thyng of this.
 
 
Men muste axe at seyntës if it is
 
 
Aught faire in hevene. Why? For they kan telle;
 
 
And axen fendës is it foule in helle."
 
896
Criseyde unto that purpos naught answerde,
 
 
But seyde, "Iwys, it wille be night as faste."
 
 
But every word which that she of hir herde,
 
 
She gan to prenten° in hir hertë faste,
imprint
 
And ay gan lovë lesse hir for tagaste°
frighten (aghast)
 
Than it did erst, and synken in hir herte,
 
 
That she wex somwhat able to converte.
 
2.903
The dayës honour and the hevenes eye,
 
 
The nyghtës foo, alle this clepe° I the sunne,
call
 
Gan westren faste and downward for to wrye°
turn
 
As he that hadde his dayës cours yronne,
 
 
And whitë thyngës wexen dymme and donne°
dim and dun
 
For lakke of light, and sterrës for tapere,°
to appear
 
That she and alle hir folk in went yfeere.°
together
910
So whan it likëd hir to go to reste,
 
 
And voided° weren they that voiden ought,
gone out
 
She seydë that to slepen wel hir leste.
 
 
Hir wommen soonë til° hir bedde hir broughte.
to
 
Whan al was hust,° than lay she stille and thoughte
hushed
 
Of al this thing the manere and the wise.
 
 
Reherce it needeth nought, for ye ben wise.
 
917
A nyghtyngale upon a Cedir greene
 
 
Under the chambre walle there as she lay
 
 
Ful loudë songe, ageyn° the moonë shene,°
against; bright
 
Peraunter° in his briddës wise a lay
perhaps
 
Of love that made hir hertë fressh and gay.
 
 
That herkned she so longe in good entente
 
 
That at the laste, the dedë slepe hire hente.°
caught
924
And as she slep, anon right tho hir mette°*
then she dreamed
 
How that an egle, fethered whit as bon,°
white as bone
 
Under hir brest his longë clawës sette,
 
 
And oute hir herte he rente, and that anon,
 
 
And dide his herte into hir brest to gone,
 
 
Of which she nought agroos,° ne nothyng smerte,°
trembled; hurt
 
And forth he fleigh° with hertë lefte for herte.
flew
931
Now lat hir slepe, and we oure talës holde
 
 
Of Troilus, that is to paleys° riden
palace
 
Fro the scarmuch° of the which I tolde,
skirmish
 
And in his chaumbre sit and hath abiden°
stayed (abide)
 
Til two or thre of his messagës geden°
messengers went (goed)
 
For Pandarus, and soughten hym ful faste,
 
 
Til they hym founde and broughte hym at the laste.
 
938
This Pandarus come lepyng in attones,°
leaping in at once
 
And seydë thus, "Who hath ben wel ibete°
beaten
 
Today with swerdës and with slyng stones,
 
 
But Troilus, that hath caught hym an heete?”°
fever (heat)
 
And gan to jape, and seyde, "Lord, so ye swete.°
 sweat
 
But ris and lat us soupe° and go to reste."
sup
 
And he answerd hym, "Do we as thee leste."
 
945
With alle the hastë goodly that they myghte,
 
 
They spedde hem fro the soper unto bedde,
 
 
And every wight out at the doore hym dyght,°
took himself
 
And where hym liste upon his way he spedde.
 
 
But Troilus thoughte his hertë bledde
 
 
For wo, til that he herdë some tydyng.
 
 
He seydë, "Frend, shal I now wepe or syng?"
 
2.952
Quod Pandarus, "Ly stille and let me slepe,
 
 
And don thyn hood; thy needës speddë be.°
things are progressing
 
And chese° if thow wolt synge or daunce or lepe.
choose
 
At shortë wordës, thow shal trowen° me.
trust
 
Sire, my necë wol do wel by thee
 
 
And love thee best, by god and by my trouthe,
 
 
But lakke of pursuyt make it in thee slouthe.°
sloth
959
"For thus farford° I have thy worke begunne
thus far forth
 
Fro day to day, til this day by the morwe,
 
 
Hir love of frendshipe have I to thee wonne,
 
 
And also hath she leyde hire feyth° to borwe.
given her word
 
Algate a foot is hameled° of thy sorwe."
lamed (weakening his sorrow)
 
What sholde I lenger sermon of it holde?
 
 
As ye han herde before, al he him tolde.
 
966
But right as flourës, thorugh the colde of night
 
 
Iclosëd, stoupen° on hire stalkës lowe,
stoop
 
Redressen hem° ageyn the sunnë bright,
assert
 
And spreden on hire kyndë cours by rowe.°
naturally in rows
 
Right so gan tho his eyen up to throwe°
he raised his eyes then
 
This Troilus, and seyde, "O venus deere,
 
 
Thy might, thy grace, yheried° be it here."
praised
973
And to Pandare he held up bothe his hondes,
 
 
And seydë, "Lord, al thyn be that I have,°
all yours be what I have
 
For I am hool° and brosten° ben myn bondes,
whole; burst
 
A thousand Troyës whoso that me gave°
though I were given
 
Ech after other, god so wise me save.
 
 
Ne myghtë me so gladen, lo, myn herte,
 
 
It spredeth so for joye it wol tosterte.°
leap up
980
"But lord, how shal I doon, how shal I lyven?
 
 
Whan shal I next my deerë hertë see?
 
 
How shal this longë tyme awey be dryven
 
 
Til that thou be ageyn at hir° fro me?
until you go to her again
 
Thow maist answer, 'Abide, abide,' but he
 
 
That hangeth by the nekkë, soth to seyne,
 
 
In grete disese° abideth for the peyne."
uneasiness
987
"Al esily now, for the love of Marte,"°
Mars
 
Quod Pandarus, "for every thing hath tyme.
 
 
So longe abid til that the night departe,
 
 
For also siker as thou list° here by me,
as sure as you lie
 
And god to forn,° I wyl be there at pryme,°
before god; morning
 
And forthy werke som what,° as I shal seye,
do something
 
Or on some other wight, this chargë° leye.
duty
994
"For pardee, god woot, I have evere yit,°
yet
 
Ben redy thee to serve, and to this night
 
 
Have I naught fayned, but emforth° my wit,
to the limit of
 
Done al thy lust,° and shal with al my might.
all your wishes
 
Do now as I shal sayn, and fare aright.
 
 
And if thow nylt, wite al thyself thy care.°
blame your care on yourself
 
On me is nought alonge thyn yvel fare.°
your misfortune isn't on me
2.1001
"I wot wel that thow wiser art than I
 
 
A thousand fold, but if I were as thow,
 
 
God help me so as I wolde outrely°
utterly
 
Of myn owen honde write hir right now
 
 
A lettre in which I wolde hir tellen how
 
 
I ferde amys,° and hir biseche of routhe.°
fared amiss; beseech of pity
 
Now help thy self and leve it not° for slouthe.
don't neglect (leave) it
1008
"And I my self wol therwith to hir gon,
 
 
And when thou wost that I am with hir there,
 
 
Worth thow upon° a courser right anon,
get up on
 
Ye, hardily, right in thy bestë gere.
 
 
And ride forth by the place as nought it were,
 
 
And thou shal fynde us, if I may, sittyng
 
 
At some wyndow into the strete lookyng.
 
1015
"And if thee list, thenne may thow us salue,°
salute
 
And upon me make thou thy countenaunce,
look at me
 
But by thy lif be war and faste eschue
 
 
To tarien ought; god shilde us fro mischaunce.
 
 
Ride forth thy way, and holde thy governaunce,°
self-control
 
And we shal speek of thee somwhat, I trowe,
 
 
Whan thou art gon, to don thyn erës glowe.°
make your ears glow
1022
"Touchyng thy lettre, thou art wise ynough.
 
 
I wot thou nylt it dygneliche endite°
won't write it in high style
 
As make it with these argumentës tough,°
difficult
 
Ne scryvenyssh° or craftly° thou it write.
woodenly (scribelike); cleverly
 
Biblotte it with thy teeris ek a lite,
 
 
And if thou write a goodly word alle softe,°
tender
 
Though it be good, reherce it nought to° ofte.
too
1029
"For though the bestë harpour upon lyve°
alive
 
Wolde on the bestë sownëd° joly harpe
best-sounding
 
That evere was, with alle his fyngres fyve,
 
 
Touche ay o stryng or ay o werbul harpe,°
or harp one tune (warble)
 
Were his naylës poynted nevere so sharpe,
 
 
It sholdë maken every wight to dulle°
would stultify everyone
 
To heere his glee, and of his strokës fulle.°
fed up (filled)
1036
"Ne jompre,° ek no disoncordant thing yfeere,°
jumble; hodgepodge
 
As thus to usen termës of phisik,°
medicine
 
In lovës termës hold of thy matere
 
 
The forme alwey, and do that it be lik,°
stay on the subject
 
For if a peyntour woldë peynte a pyk°
pike (the fish)
 
With asses feet, and hedde it as an ape,°
give it an ape's head
 
It cordeth naught, so nere it but a jape."°
even if it were a joke
1043
This counseil likëd wel unto Troilus,*
 
 
But as a dredfulº lovere he seyde this:
fearful
 
"Allas, my deerë brother Pandarus,
 
 
I am ashamëd for to write, iwys,
 
 
Lest of myn innocence I seyde amys,°
misspoke (said amiss)
 
Or that she nolde it for despit° receyve.
spite
 
Thenne were I ded; there myght it nothyng weyve."°
avoid (waive)
2.1050
To that Pandarë answerd, "If thee leste,
 
 
Do that I seye, and let me therwith gon,
 
 
For by that lord that formëd est and weste,
 
 
I hope of it to brynge answere anon
 
 
Of hir honde,° and if that thou nylt non,
an answer in her hand
 
Let be, and sory mote he ben his lyve,°
may he be sorry all his life
 
Ageyns thy lust that helpeth thee to thryve."
 
1057
Quod Troilus, "Depardieux,° ich assente,
by god
 
Sith that thee liste, I wil arise and write,
 
 
And, blisful god, prey ich with good entente
 
 
The viage° and the lettre I shal endite.
venture (voyage)
 
So speede it, and thou, Minerva° the white,
Athena's Roman counterpart
 
Give thou me wit, my lettre to devyse,"
 
 
And sette hym down and wrote right in this wise:
 
1064
First he gan hir his right lady calle,
 
 
His hertës lif, his lust, his sorwes leche,°
physician (leech)
 
His blisse, and ek these other termës alle
 
 
That in swich cas these loveres allë seche.°
seek
 
And in ful humble wise as in his speche,
 
 
He gan him recomaunde unto hir grace
 
 
To telle alle how it axeth muchel space.
 
1071
And after this ful lowely he hir preyde
 
 
To be nought wroth, though he of his folie
 
 
So hardy° was to hir to write, and seyde
bold
 
That love it made, or ellës muste he die,
 
 
And pitously gan mercye for to crye,
 
 
And after that he seyde, and leigh ful loude,°
lied out loud
 
Hym self was litel worth, and lesse he koude.°
and was less capable
1078
And that she sholde han his konnyng excused
 
 
That litel was, and ek he dredde° hir so,
feared (dreaded)
 
And his unworthynesse aye he accused,
 
 
And after that thenne gan he telle his wo,
 
 
But that was endëles withouten ho,°
halt
 
And seyde he wolde in trouth° alway hym holde,
constancy, honesty
 
And raddeº it over and gan the lettre folde.
read
1085
And with his saltë teeris gan he bathe
 
 
The rubie in his signet, and it sette
 
 
Upon the wax deliverliche and rathe.°
precisely and quickly
 
Therwith a thousand tymës er he lette,°
before he left off
 
He kistë tho° the lettre that he shette,°
then; shut
 
And seydë, "Lettre, a blisful destinee
 
 
Thee shapyn is;° my lady shal thee see."
is shaped for you
1092
This Pandare tooke the lettre and that bytyme°
early (betimes)
 
A morwe,° and to his neces paleys stert,°
in the morning; started
 
And faste he swore that it was passëd prime,°*
late morning
 
And gan to jape, and seyde, "Iwys, myn herte,
 
 
So fresshe it is although it sorë smerte.°
hurt (smarted)
 
I may not slepë nevere a mayës morwe.
 
 
I have a joly wo and a lusty sorwe."
 
1099
Criseyde, when that she hir uncle herde,
 
 
With dredful herte and desirous to heere
 
 
The causë of his commyng, thus answerde:
 
 
"Now by youre fey,° myn uncle," quod she, "deere,
faith
 
What maner wyndës gydeth° you now here?
guides
 
Tel us youre joly wo and youre penaunce.
 
 
How ferforth be ye put in lovës daunce?"
 
2.1106
"By god," quod he, "I hop alwey behynde."
 
 
And she to laughe, it thoughte hir hertë brest.
 
 
Quod Pandarus, "Looke alwey ye fynde
 
 
Game in myn hood, but herkneth if you lest.
 
 
There is right now come into town a gest,°
guest
 
A greek espie, and telleth newë thinges,
 
 
For which I comë telle you new tydynges.
 
1113
"Into the garden go we, and ye shal heere
 
 
Al pryvëly of this a longe sermoun."
 
 
With that they wenten arm in arm yfeere°
together
 
Into the garden fro the chaumbre down.
 
 
And when that he so far was that the sown
 
 
Of that he spak no man heeren myghte,
 
 
He seyde hir thus, and out the lettre plighte:°
plucked
1120
"Lo, he that is alle holy° yourës free,
wholly
 
Hym recomaundeth lowely° to youre grace,
humbly
 
And sentë you this lettre here by me.
 
 
Avyseth you on it when ye han space,
 
 
And of som goodly answere you purchace,°
contrive
 
Or helpe me god, so pleynly for to seyn,
 
 
He may nat longë lyven for his peyne."
 
1127
Ful dredfully tho° gan she stonden stille
then
 
And took it naught, but al hir humble cheere
 
 
Gan for to chaunge, and seydë, "Scrit ne bille,°
i. e., anything in writing
 
For love of god, that toucheth swich matere,
 
 
Ne brynge me none, and also, uncle deere,
 
 
To myn estate have more rewarde, I preye,
think more of my position . . .
 
Than to his lust.° What sholde I morë seye?
. . . than of his desires
1134
"And looketh now if this be resonable,
 
 
And letteth not° for favour ne for slouthe
don't refuse
 
To seyn a sooth. Now were it convenable°
acceptable
 
To myn estate, by god and by youre trouthe,
 
 
To taken it, or to han of him routhe,
 
 
In harmyng of my self or in repreve?°
to my harm or reproof
 
Ber it ageyn° for him that ye on leve."°
take it away; believe in
1141
This Pandarus gan on hir for to stare,
 
 
And seydë, "Now is this the grettest wondre
 
 
That evere I sawe. Let be this nycë fare.°
foolishness
 
To dethë mote I smyten be with thondre
 
 
If, for the citee whiche that stondeth yondre,
 
 
Wold I a lettre unto you brynge or take
 
 
To harm of you. What list you thus it make?°
why do you think thus?
1148
"But thus ye° faren, wel neigh alle and some:
i.e., you women
 
That he that moste desireth you to serve,
 
 
Of him ye recchë leest wher he bycome,
 
 
And whethir that he lyve or ellës sterve.
 
 
But for al that that ever I may deserve,
 
 
Refusë naught," quod he, and hente hir° faste,*
grabbed her
 
And in hir bosom the letter down he thraste.°
thrusted
2.1155
And seyde hir, "Now cast it awey anon
 
 
That folk may seen, and gauren° on us tweye."
gape
 
Quod she, "I kan abide til they be gon,"
 
 
And gan to smyle, and seyde him, "Em, I preye
 
 
Swich answere as you list youre self purveye,°
provide
 
For trewëly, I nyl° no lettre write."
won't
 
"No? Than° wol I," quod he, "so ye endite."°
then; if you compose it
1162
Therwith she loughe° and seydë, "Go we dyne."
laughed
 
And he gan at hym self to japë faste,
 
 
And seydë, "Nece, I have so grete a pyne°
suffering (pining)
 
For love that every other day I faste."
 
 
And gan his bestë japës forth to caste,
 
 
And made hir so to laughe at his folie
 
 
That she for laughter wendë° for to die.
thought
1169
And when that she was comen into halle,
 
 
"Now Em," quod she, We wol go dyne anon";
 
 
And gan some of hir wommen to hir calle,
 
 
And streight into hir chambre gan she gon.
 
 
But of hir bisynesses this was one,
 
 
Amongës othere thyngës, out of drede,°
doubtless
 
Ful pryvëly this lettre for to rede.
 
1176
Avysëd word by word in every lyne,
 
 
And fonde no lakke; she thoughte he koudë good.°
i.e., could write well
 
And up it putte and wente hir in to dyne.
 
 
But Pandarus, that in a studye stood,
 
 
Er he was war she took him by the hood
 
 
And seydë, "Ye were caught er that ye wist."
 
 
"I vouchë sauf,"° quod he. "Do what you list."
agree
1183
Tho wesshen they° and sette hem down and ete,
then they washed
 
And after noon ful sleighly Pandarus
 
 
Gan drawe hym to the wyndow nexte the strete,
 
 
And seydë, "Nece, who hath arayëd° thus
designed
 
The yonder hous that stant aforgeyn us?"°
stands before us
 
"Which hous?" quod she, and gan for to beholde,
 
 
And knewe it wel, and whos it was hym tolde.
 
1190
And fillen forth in speche° of thyngës smale,
fell to talking
 
And setten in the windowe bothë tweye,
 
 
Whan Pandarus sawe tyme unto his tale
 
 
And sawe wel that hir folk weren alle aweye.
 
 
"Now, necë myn, tel on," quod he, "I seye.
 
 
How liketh you the lettre that ye wot?
 
 
Can he theron? For by my trouthe I not."°
I don't know
1197
Therwith al rosy hewëd tho° wex she,
then
 
And gan to homme,° and seydë, "So I trowe."
hum
 
"Aquite hym wel, for goddës love," quod he.
 
 
"My self to medës° wol the lettre sowe."°
as a reward; sew up
 
And held his hondës up and sat on knowe.°
knees
 
"Now, goodë necë, be it nevere so lite,°
so little
 
Give me the labour it to sowe and plite.°
fold (pleat)
2.1204
"Ye, for I kan so writen," quod she tho;
 
 
"And ek I not what I sholde to him seye."
 
 
"Nay, necë," quod Pandarë, "say nat so,
 
 
Yet at the leestë thanketh hym, I preye,
 
 
Of his good wille, and doth hym not to deye.
 
 
Now for the love of me, my necë deere,
 
 
Refuseth nat at this tyme my prayere."
 
1211
"Depardieux," quod she, "god leve al be wel.*
 
 
God help me so, this is the firstë lettre
 
 
That evere I wrote, ye, alle or any deel."
 
 
And into a closet for tavise hir° bettre
advise herself
 
She wente allone, and gan hir herte unfettre
 
 
Out of desdaynës prison but a lite,°
little
 
And sette hire down and gan a lettre write.
 
1218
Of which to telle in short is myn entent
 
 
Theffect, as far as I kan understonde.
 
 
She thankëd hym of alle that he wel mente
 
 
Towardës hir, but holden hym in honde°
lead him on
 
She noldë not, ne make hir selven bonde°
bind herself
 
In love, but as his suster him to plese
 
 
She woldë fayne, to doon his herte an ese.
 
1225
She shette it, and in to Pandare gan gon
 
 
Ther as he satte and lookëd into the strete,
 
 
And down she sette hir by him on a ston
 
 
Of jaspre upon a quysshyn gold ybete.°
cushion of beaten gold wire
 
And seyde, "As wisely help me, god the grete,
 
 
I nevere didë thing with morë peyne
 
 
Than writen this to which ye me constreyne,"
 
1232
And took it him. He thankëd hir and seyde,
 
 
"God wot of thing ful often loth begunne°
poorly begun
 
Comth endë good, and, necë myn Criseyde,
 
 
That ye to hym of harde° now ben ywonne.
with difficulty
 
Oughte he be glad, by god and yonder sunne,
 
 
For why men seyth impressiounës lighte
 
 
Ful lightly ben ay redy to the flighte.
 
1239
"But ye han playëd tirant nygh to° longe,
too
 
And harde was it youre hertë for to grave.°
engrave
 
Now stynte° that ye no lenger on it honge,°
stop; hang onto it
 
Al woldë ye the forme of daunger° save.
standoffishness
 
But hasteth you to doon hym joyë have,°
make him have joy
 
For trusteth wel to longe ydoon hardnesse
unkindness kept up too long . . .
 
Causeth despit ful often for destresse."
. . . causes distress and spite
1246
And right as they declamëd this matere,
 
 
Lo Troilus, right at the stretës ende,
 
 
Come ridyng with his tenthë somme yfere°
ten men together
 
Al softly,° and thiderward gan bende,°
slowly; make their way
 
Ther as they sette, as was his way to wende°
his normal way to go
 
To paleys ward, and Pandarus hym espied
 
 
And seydë, "Nece, I see who comth here ride.°
who comes riding
2.1253
"O flee not in; he seeth us, I suppose,
 
 
Lest he may thinken that ye him eschewe."°
avoid him
 
"Nay, nay," quod she, and wex as red as rose.
 
 
With that he gan hir humbly to salewe°
greet (salute)
 
With dredful cheere,° and oft his hewës muwe,°
fearfully; change color
 
And up his look debonairly he caste,
 
 
And bekkend on Pandare, and forth he paste.°
passed
1260
God woot if he sat on his hors aright,
 
 
Or goodly was biseyn° that ilkë day.
seen
 
God wot whether he was like a manly knyght.
 
 
What sholde I drecche° or telle of his aray?
draw out tiresomely
 
Criseydë, whiche that alle these thyngës say,
 
 
To telle in short, hir likëd al in feere°
all together
 
His person his aray, his look, his cheere,
 
1267
His goodly manere and his gentilesse,
 
 
So wel that nevere, sith that she was born;
 
 
Ne haddë she swich routh° of his destresse,
pity (ruth)
 
And how that she hathe harde ben here byforn.
 
 
To god hope I, she hath now caught a thorn.
 
 
She shal nat pulle it out this nextë wyke.°
week
 
God sendë mo swich thornës on to pike.°
to pick at
1274
Pandarë, which that stood hir fastë by,
 
 
Felt iren° hot, and he began to smyte,
iron
 
And seydë, "Nece, I pray you hertëly,
 
 
Telle me that I shal axen you a lite:°
i.e., I ask you to suppose
 
A womman that were of his deth to wite
 
 
Withouten his gilt, but for hir lakkëd routhe,°
because she lacked pity
 
Were it wel done?" Quod she, "Nay, by my trouthe."
 
1281
"God help me so," quod he, "Ye sey me soth.
 
 
Ye feelen wel youre self that I nought lye.
 
 
Lo, yonde he rit."° Quod she, "Ye, so he doth."
rides
 
"Wel," quod Pandare, "as I have tolde yow thrie,°
thrice
 
Let be youre nicë° shame and youre folie,
foolish, finicky
 
And spek with hym in esyng of his herte.
 
 
Lat nycetee nat do you bothë smerte."
 
1288
But theron was to hevenº and to doone,
heave (i.e., there was work to do)
 
Considered allë thing it may not be.
 
 
And why? For shame, and it were ek to° soone
too
 
To graunten him so grete a litertee.
 
 
For pleynly, hir entente, as seydë she,
 
 
Was for to love him unwist° if she myghte,
without his knowledge
 
And guerdon° him with nothing but with sighte.
reward
1295
But Pandarus thoughte, "It shal not be so.
 
 
If that I may, this nice opynyoun
 
 
Shal not be holden fully monthës two."
 
 
What sholde I make of this a longe sermoun?
 
 
He muste assente on that conclusioun
 
 
As for the tyme;° and when that it was eve,
for the time being
 
And al was wel, he roos and tooke his leve.
 
2.1302
And on his way ful faste homward he spedde,
 
 
And right for joye he felte his hertë daunce,
 
 
And Troilus he fonde alone abedde,
 
 
That lay as do these lovers in a traunce
 
 
Bitwixen hope and derk disesperaunce.°
despair (hopelessness)
 
But Pandarus, right at his in commynge,
 
 
He songë as who seyth, "Somwhat I brynge."
 
1309
And seydë, "Who is in his bedde so soone
 
 
Iburied thus?" "It am I, frende," quod he.
 
 
"Who, Troilus? Nay, helpe me so the moone,"
 
 
Quod Pandarus; "Thow shalt arise and see
 
 
A charmë° that was sent right now to thee,
i.e., her letter
 
The which kan heelen thee of thyn accesse,°
fever
 
If thou do forthwith al thy bisynesse."
 
1316
"Ye, thorugh the myght of god," quod Troilus.
 
 
And Pandarus gan hym the lettre take,
 
 
And seydë, "Pardee, god hathe holpen us.
 
 
Have here a light, and looke on alle this blake."°
black ink
 
But oftë gan the hertë glade and quake
 
 
Of Troilus while that he gan it rede,°
read
 
So as the wordës gave hym hope or drede.
 
1323
But finaly, he took al for the beste
 
 
That she hym wrote, for somwhat he bihelde
 
 
On which hym thoughte he myghte his hertë reste.
 
 
Al° covered she tho wordes under shelde.°
although; shield
 
Thus to the morë worthy part he helde
 
 
That, what for hope and Pandarus byheste,
 
 
His gretë wo forgede° he at the leste.
put aside (fore-goed)
1330
But as we may alday° oure selven see
always
 
Thorugh more wode or col° the morë fire,
wood or coal
 
Right so encrees of hope of what it be°
whatsoever
 
Therwith ful ofte encresseth ek desire.
 
 
Or as an ook° comth of a little spire,°
oak; shoot
 
So thorugh this lettre which that she him sente,*
 
 
Encressen gan desire of which he brente.°
burned
1337
Wherfore I say alwey that day and nyght
 
 
This Troilus gan to desiren more
 
 
Thanne he did arst° thorugh hope, and did his myght
earlier
 
To pressen on, as by Pandarus lore,°
instructions
 
And writen to hir of his sorwes sore.
 
 
Fro day to day he let it nought refreyde,°
cool off
 
That by Pandare he wrote somwhat or seyde.
 
1344
And dide also his other observaunces
 
 
That til a lovere longeth° in this cas,
belong to a lover
 
And after that these deës torned on chaunces,°
as the dice fell
 
So was he outher glad or seyde allas,
 
 
And held after his gestës ay his pas,°
paced himself by his deeds
 
And after swiche answers as he hadde,
 
 
So were his dayës sory outher° gladde.
or
2.1351
But to Pandare alwey was his recours,
 
 
And pitously gan ay tyl hym° to pleyne,
to him
 
And him bisoughte of reed and som socours.°
advice and some relief (succor)
 
And Pandare, that sey his woodë peyne,°
saw his mad suffering
 
Wex wel nygh ded for routhë, soth to seyne,
 
 
And bisily with al his hertë caste
 
 
Som of his wo to sleyn,° and that as faste.
slay
1358
And seydë, "Lord and frende and brother deere,
 
 
God wot that thy disesë doth me wo,
 
 
But wiltow stynten al this woful cheere,
 
 
And by my trouthe, er it be dayës two,
 
 
And god to forn, yet shal I shape it so
 
 
That thou shalt comme into a certeyn place
 
 
There as thou mayst thy self hir preye of grace.*
 
1365
"And certaynly, I not if thou it wost,
don't know
 
But tho° that ben expert in love it saye,
those
 
It is one of the thingës forthereth most
 
 
A man to han a leyser for to preye,
 
 
And siker° place his wo for to bywreye,°
secure; reveal
 
For in good herte it mote som routhe impresse°
impress on her some pity
 
To heere and see the giltlees in distresse.
 
1372
"Peraunter thynkëstow, though it be so
 
 
That kyndë° woldë don hir to begynne
natural feeling
 
To have a manere routhe upon my wo,
 
 
Seyth daunger,° 'Nay, thou shalt me nevere wynne.'
standoffishness
 
So reuleth hir hir hertës gost° withinne,
heart's ghost (emotions)
 
That though she bendë, yet she stant on roote.°
stands rooted
 
What in effect is this unto my boote?°
advantage
1379
"Think here ageins° when that the stordy ook,
against this
 
On which men hakketh oftë for the nones,°
on which men keep hacking
 
Receyvëd hath the happy fallyng strook,°
stroke
 
The gret sweigh° doth it to come° al at ones
swaying; makes it fall
 
As don thise rokkës or these milnëstones°
millstones
 
For swifter cours comth thyn that is of wighte°
weighty
 
Whan it descendeth than do thingës lighte.
 
1386
"And reed that boweth down for every blast,
 
 
Ful lightly cessë wynd,° it wol arise,
if the wind ceases
 
But so nyl nought an ook whan it is caste.°
felled (cast down)
 
It needeth me not thee longe to forbise.°
exemplify
 
Men shal rejoissen of a grete empryse°
enterprise
 
Achevëd wel, and stant° withouten doute,
and that stands
 
Al han men ben the longer ther aboute.
 
1393
"But Troilus, yet telle me if thee list,
 
 
A thing now which that I shal axen thee:
 
 
Which is thy brother that thow lovest best
 
 
As in thi verray hertës privetee?"
 
 
"Iwys, my brother Deiphebus," quod he.
 
 
"Now," quod Pandare, "ere hourës twyës° twelve,
twice
 
He shal thee ese unwist of it hymselve.
 
2.1400
"Now lat malone and werken as I may,"
 
 
Quod he, and to Deiphebus wente he tho,°
then
 
Which hadde his lord and gretë frend ben ay;
 
 
Save Troilus no man he lovëd so.
 
 
To telle in shorte, withouten wordës mo,
 
 
Quod Pandarus, "I pray you that ye be
 
 
Frend to a causë whiche that toucheth me."
 
1407
"Yes, perdee," quod Deiphebus, "wel thow wost
 
 
In al that evere I may, and god to fore,°
before god
 
Al nere it but for man I lovë moost,
 
 
My brother Troilus. But say wherfore
 
 
It is, for sith that day that I was bore,
 
 
I nas, ne nevere mo to ben,° I thinke,
I wasn't nor won't be
 
Ageyns° a thing that myghtë thee forthynke."°
against; might displease you
1414
Pandarë gan hym thanke and to him seyde,
 
 
"Lo, sire, I have a lady in this town
 
 
That is my nece, and callëd is Criseyde,
 
 
Which some men wolden don oppressioun,°
would oppress
 
And wrongfully han hir possessioun,°
take her possessions
 
Wherfore I of youre lordship yow biseche
 
 
To ben oure frend, withouten morë speche.”
 
1421
Deiphebus hym answerde, "O, is nat this
 
 
That thow spekest of to me thus straungëly
 
 
Criseyda, my frende?" He seydë, "Yis."
 
 
"Thenne needeth," quod Deiphebus hardyly,
 
 
"Namore to speke, for trusteth wel that I
 
 
Wol be hir champioun with spore and yerde.°
spur and whip
 
I roughtë nought° though alle hire foos° it herde.
wouldn't care; foes
1428
"But telle me, thow that woost al this matere,
 
 
How I myght best avaylen now." "Let see,"
 
 
Quod Pandarus, "If ye, my lord so deere,
 
 
Wolden as now do this honour to me,
 
 
To preyen hir to morwe, lo, that she
 
 
Come unto you, hir pleyntës to devise,°
describe
 
Hir adversaries wolde of it agrise.°
tremble
1435
"And yf I morë dorste prey you as now
 
 
And chargen you to han so grete travaille
 
 
To han som of youre bretheren here with you
 
 
That myghten to hir causë be availle,
 
 
Thenne wot I wel she myghtë nevere faille,
 
 
For to ben holpen,° what at youre instaunce,
helped
 
What with hir other frendës governaunce."
 
1442
Deiphebus, which that comen was of kynde°
by nature
 
To alle honour and bountee to consente,
 
 
Answerd, "It shal be don, and I kan fynde
 
 
Yet grettere help to this in myn entente.
 
 
What wiltow seyn if I for Eleyne° sente
Helen
 
To speke of this? I trowe it be the beste,
 
 
For she may leeden Paris as hir list.°
as it pleases her
1449
"Of Ector, which that is my lord, my brother,
 
 
It nedeth naught to preye hym frend to be,
 
 
For I have herd hym o tyme and ek other
 
 
Speke of Cryseydë swich honour that he
 
 
May seyn no bet, swich hap° to hym hath she.
appeal
 
It needeth naught his helpës for to crave;
 
 
He shal be swich, right as we wol hym have.°
i.e., we can count on him
2.1456
"Speke thou thyself also to Troilus
 
 
On my byhalve, and prey hym with us dyne."
 
 
"Syre, al this shal be done," quod Pandarus,
 
 
And took his leve, and nevere gan to fyne;°
leave off (finish)
 
But to his necës hous, as streight as lyne,
 
 
He come and fond hir fro the mete° arise,
from dinner (meat)
 
And sette hym down and spak right in this wise.
 
1463
He seide, "O verray god, so have I ronne.°
run
 
Lo, necë myn, see ye not how I swete?°
sweat
 
I not whether ye the morë thank me konne.°
can thank me more
 
Be ye naught war how falsë Poliphete*
 
 
Is now aboute eftsoonës for to plete,°
plead (legally)
 
And brynge on you advocaciës newe?"
 
 
"I no," quod she, and chaungëd al hir hewe.
 
 1470
"What, is he more aboutë me to drecche°
bother
 
And don me wrong? What shal I doon, allas?
 
 
Yet of him self, nothing ne wolde I recche,°
care (reckon)
 
Ner it° for Antenor and Eneas*
even were it
 
That ben his frendës in swiche manere cas.
 
 
But for the love of god, myn uncle deere,
 
 
No fors° of that. Let him han al yfeere,°
no matter; have everything . . .
 1477
"Withouten that I have ynough for us."°
. . . except what we need
 
"Nay," quod Pandare, "It shal nothing be so,
 
 
For I have ben right now at Deiphebus,
 
 
At Ector and myn other lordës mo,°
more
 
And shortly makëd eche of hem his fo,°
i.e., Poliphete's foe
 
That by my thrift, he shal it nevere wynne,
 
 
For aught he can, when that so he bygynne."°
whatever he does
1484
And as they casten° what was best to doone,
considered
 
Deiphebus, of his owën curteisie,°
courtliness
 
Come hir to preye in his propre persone
 
 
To holde him on the morwe compaignie
 
 
At dyner, which she noldë nought denye,
 
 
But goodly gan to his prayere obeye.
 
 
He thankëd hir and went upon his weye.
 
1491
When this was don, this Pandare up° anon,
got up
 
To telle in short, and forth gan for to wende
 
 
To Troilus as stille as any ston,
 
 
And al this thing he tolde hym worde and ende,
 
 
And how that he Deiphebus gan to blende,°
deceive (blind)
 
And seyde hym, "Now is tyme, if that thou konne,
 
 
To bere thee wel to morwe, and alle is wonne.
 
1498
"Now speek, now prey, now pitously compleigne.
 
 
Let nought° for nicë shame or drede or slouthe.
don't leave off
 
Som tyme a man mot telle his owen peyne.
 
 
Bileve it and she shal han on the routhe.
 
 
Thou shalt be savëd by thy faith in trouthe.
 
 
But wel wot I, thou art now in drede,
 
 
And what it is I leye° I can arede.°
wager (lay odds); judge
2.1505
"Thou thynkest now, 'How sholde I don al this?
 
 
For by my cheerës° musten folk espie
by my looks
 
That for hir love is that I fare amys.
 
 
Yet hadde I levere unwist for sorwe die.'
 
 
Now think nat so, for thou dost grete folie,
 
 
For I right now have founded o° manere
one
 
Of sleyghtë for to coveren al thy chere.°
conceal your state of mind        
1512
"Thou shalt gon over nyght, and that blyve,°*
soon
 
Unto Deiphebus hous as tho to pleye,
 
 
Thy maladie awey the bet to dryve,°
the better to drive away
 
For why thow semest sik, soth for to seye.
 
 
And after that, down in thy bed thee leye,°
lay you down
 
And say thou mayst no longer up endure,
 
 
And lie right there, and bide° thyn aventure.
await
1519
"Say that thy fevere is wont thee for to take
 
 
The samë tyme, and lasten til a morwe;
 
 
And let see now how wel thou kanst it make,
 
 
For perdee, sik is he that is in sorwe.
 
 
Go now, farwel, and Venus here to borwe°
as a guarantee
 
I hope, and thow this purpos haldë ferme,°
if you hold firm to this purpose
Thy gracë she shal fully there conferme."
 
1526
Quod Troilus, "Iwys thou needëles
 
 
Conseilest me that siklich I me feyne,
 
 
For I am sik in ernest doutëles,
 
 
So that wel nygh I stervë for the peyne."
 
 
Quod Pandarus, "Thow shalt the bettre pleyne,
 
 
And hast the lessë neede to countrefete,
 
 
For hym men demen hot that men seen swete.°
sweat
1533
"Lo, halde thee at thy tristë cloos,° and I
close at your post (hunt imagery)
 
Shal wel the deer unto thy bowë dryve."
 
 
Therwith he took his leve al softëly,
 
 
And Troilus to paleys wentë blyve,°
soon
 
So glad ne was he nevere in al his lyve,
 
 
And to Pandarus reed° gan al assente,
advice
 
And to Deiphebus hous at nighte he wente.
 
1540
What needeth you to tellen al the cheere
 
 
That Deiphebus unto his brother made,
 
 
Or his accesse° or his sikliche manere,
attack (of fever)
 
How men gan hym with clothës for to lade°
cover (load up)
 
Whan he was leyde, and how men wolde hym glade;°
cheer him up
 
But al for nought. He held forth ay the wise°
in the way
 
That ye han herd Pandare er this devise.
 
1547
But certayn is, er Troilus him leyde,
 
 
Deiphebus had hym preyëd over night
 
 
To ben a frend and helpyng to Criseyde.
 
 
God wot that he it graunted anon right
 
 
To ben hir fullë frend with al his might.
 
 
But swich a needë was to preye him thenne
 
 
As for to bidde a wood° man for to renne.°
crazy; run
2.1554
The morwe come and nyghen° gan the tyme*
approach (nigh)
 
Of meeltide, that the fairë queene Eleyne
 
 
Shapte hir to ben an houre after the prime°
i. e., in late morning
 
With Deiphebus, to whom she noldë feyne,°
wouldn't feign
 
But as his suster homly, soth to seyne,
 
 
She come to dyner in hir pleyne entente.
 
 
But god and Pandare wist al what this mente.
 
1561
Com ek° Criseyde, al innocent of this,
also
 
Antigone, hir suster Tarbe also.
 
 
But flee we now prolixitee° best is,
avoid wordiness
 
For love of god, and let us fastë go
 
 
Right to theffect,° withouten talës mo,
to the point
 
Why al this folk assembled in this place,
 
 
And let us of hire saluyngës pace.°
pass over their greetings
1568
Grete honour did hem Deiphebus certeyn,
 
 
And fedde hem wel with al that myghtë like.°
that might please them
 
But evere mo, allas, was his refreyn.
 
 
"My goodë brother Troilus the syke°
sick 
 
Lith° yet," and therwithal he gan to sike,°
lies; sigh
 
And after that he peynëd hym to glade
 
 
Hem as he myghte, and cheerë good he made.
good cheer
1575
Compleynëd ek Eleyne of his siknesse,
 
 
So feythfully that pitee was to heere,
 
 
And every wight gan waxen for accesse
became, for fever, . . .
 
A leche° anon and seyde, "In this manere
. . . a doctor (leech)
 
Men curen folk; this charme I wol yow leere."°
teach you (l'arn you)
 
But ther sat one, al list hir nought to teche,°
though she didn't wish to say so
 
That thoughtë, "Best koude I yet ben his leche."
 
1582
After compleynte hym gonnen they to preyse,°
began to praise him
 
As folk don yet whan some wight hath begunne
 
 
To preise a man, and with pris him reise:
 
 
"A thousand fold yet higher than the sunne
 
 
He is. He kan that fewë lordës konne."
 
 
And Pandarus, of that they wolde afferme,
 
 
He naughte forgate hire preisynge to conferme.
 
1589
Herde al this thing Criseydë wel inough,
 
 
And every word gan for to notifie,
 
 
For which, with sobre cheere, hir hertë lough,°
laughed
 
For who is that ne wolde hir glorifie°
be elated
 
To mowen swich a knyght don° lyve or dye.
to have the power to make
 
But al passe I, lest ye toº longë dwelle,*
too
 
For for o fyn° is al that ever I telle.
to one end
1596
The tymë come fro dyner for to rise,
 
 
And as hem oughte, arisen everichone
 
 
And gonne a while of this and that devise;°
discuss
 
But Pandarus brak° al that speche anon,
interrupted (broke)
 
And saydë to Deiphebus, "Wol ye gone,
 
 
If youre willë be as I you preyde,
 
 
To speke here of the needës of Criseyde?"
 
2.1603
Eleynë, which that by the hond hir helde,
 
 
Took first the tale and seydë, Go we blyve.
 
 
And goodly on Criseydë she bihelde,°
gazed
 
And seydë, "Jovës let hym nevere thryve
 
 
That doth you harm. and brynge hym soone of lyve.°
out of life
 
And give me sorwe but° he shal it rewe,
unless
 
If that I may, and allë folk, be trewe."
 
1610
"Telle thou thy necës cas," quod Deiphebus
 
 
To Pandarus, "for thow kanst best it telle.
 
 
My lordës and my ladys, it stant thus:
 
 
What sholde I longer," quod he, "do you dwelle?"
 
 
He ronge hem oute a processe° lik a belle
an indictment
 
Upon hir fo that hightë° Poliphete,
was named
 
So heynous that men myghte on it spete.°
spit
1617
Answerde of this eche worse of hem than other,
 
 
And Poliphete they gonnen thus to warien:°
curse
 
"Anhongëd be swich oon were he my brother,
 
 
And so he shal, for it ne may nought varien."°
be otherwise (vary)
 
What shold I longer in this talë tarien?
 
 
Pleynliche, alle at onës, they hir highten°
promised, swore
 
To ben hir helpe° in al that evere they myghten.
to help her
1624
Spak thenne Eleyne, and seydë, "Pandarus,
 
 
Woot ought° my lord, my brother, this matere?
does he know anything of
 
I meene Ector; or woot it Troilus?"
 
 
He seydë "Ye, but wolle ye now me heere?
 
 
Me thynketh this, sith that Troilus is here,
 
 
It were good, if that ye wolde assente,
 
 
She tolde hir self hym° al this er she wente.
told him herself
1631
"For he wol have the more hir grief at herte,
 
 
By causë lo that she a lady is.
 
 
And by youre leve I wol but in right sterte,°
I'll go check on him (start in)
 
And do yow wite, and that anon, iwys,
 
 
If that he slepe, or wil ought° heere of this."
anything (aught)
 
And in he lepte, and sayde hym in his ere,
 
 
"God have thy soule; ibrought have I thy beere."°
bier
1638
To smylen of this gan tho° Troilus.
then
 
And Pandarus, withouten rekenyng,
 
 
Out wente anon to Eleyne and Deiphebus,
 
 
And sayde hem, "So ther be no tarying,
 
 
Ne morë prees,° he wol wel that ye bryng
crowd
 
Criseyda, my lady that is here,
 
 
And as he may enduren, he wol heere.
 
1645
"But wel ye woot the chaumbre is but lite,°
little
 
And fewë folk may lightly make it warme.
 
 
Now looketh ye, for I wol have no wite°
responsibility
 
To brynge in prees that myghtë don him harme
 
 
Or hym disesen,° for my bettre arme,
discomfort (dis-ease)
 
Wher it be bet she bidë til eft sonys.°
until soon after (eftsoons)
 
Now looketh ye that knowen what to don is.
 
2.1652
"I say for me best is as I kan knowe
 
 
That no wight in ne wentë but ye tweye,
 
 
But it were I, for I kan in a throwe°
quickly
 
Reherce hir cas, unlik that° she kan seye.
different from what
 
And after this, she may hym onës preye
 
 
To ben good lord, in shorte, and take hir leve.
 
 
This may not michel° of his ese hym reve.°
much; deprive him
1659
"And ek for she is straunge,° he wol forbere
a stranger
 
His esë, which that him thar not° for you,
he needs not
 
Ek other thing that toucheth not to heere°
that isn't relevant to hear
 
He wol me telle, I woot it wel right now,
 
 
That secrete is, and for the townës prow."°
to the town's profit
 
And they that nothyng knewe of his entente,
 
 
Withouten more,° to Troilus in they wente.
with no further ado
1666
Eleyne, in al hir goodly softë wise,
 
 
Gan hym salue, and wommanly to pleye,
 
 
And seyde, "Iwys, ye muste alweyes arise.°
rise up (improve)
 
Now fairë brother, beth al hool,° I preye."
be whole
 
And gan hir arm right over his shulder leye,
 
 
And him with al hir wit to reconforte,°
comfort
 
As she best coude, she gan hym to disporte.°
cheer up (sport)
1673
"So after this," quod she, "we you biseke,°
beseech
 
My deerë brother Deiphebus and I,
 
 
For love of god, and so doth Pandare eke,
 
 
To ben good lord and frende right hertëly
 
 
Unto Criseydë, which that certeynly
 
 
Receyveth wronge, as wot wel here Pandare,
 
 
That can hir cas wel bet than I declare."
 
1680
This Pandarus gan newe his tonge affile,°
sharpen (file) his tongue
 
And al hir cas reherce,° and that anon.
rehearse her case
 
Whan it was sayde, soone after in a while,
 
 
Quod Troilus, "As soone as I may gon,
 
 
I wol right fayn with al my might ben one,
 
 
Have god my trouthe, hir causë to sustene."°
to champion (sustain)
 
"Good thrift have ye," quod Eleyne the queene.
 
1687
Quod Pandarus, "And° it youre willë be
if
 
That she may take hire leve er that she go."
 
 
"O, ellës god forbedë," tho quod he,
 
 
"If she voucheth sauf for to do so."
 
 
And with that word quod Troilus, "Ye two,
 
 
Deiphebus and my suster lief and deere,
 
 
To you have I to speke of o matere,
 
1694
"To ben avisëd by youre reed the bettre."
 
 
And fond,° as hap was, at his beddës hede°
found; head
 
The copie of a tretys° and a lettre
document (treatise)
 
That Ector hadde hym sente to axen rede°
ask advice
 
If swich a man was worthy to ben dede,
 
 
Wot I nought who, but in a grisely° wise,
grim (grisly)
 
He preyde hem anon on it avise.
 
2.1701
Deiphebus gan this lettre for tonfolde°
to unfold
 
In ernest gret;° so did Eleyne the queene.
great earnest
 
And romyng outward, faste it gonne byholde°
began to behold it
 
Downward a steire° into an herber° greene.
stair; garden (herb)
 
This ilkë thing they redden° hem bitwene
read
 
And largëly the mountance° of an houre
length
 
Thei gonne on it to reden and to poure.°
read and pore over
1708
Now let hem rede, and turnë we anon
 
 
To Pandarus, that gan ful fastë prye°
recognize (pry out)
 
That al was wel, and out he gan to gon
 
 
Into the gretë chaumbre, and that in hye,°
in haste
 
And seydë, "God save al this compaynye.
 
 
Come, necë myn, my lady queene Eleyne
 
 
Abideth you, and ek my lordës tweyne.°
two
1715
"Rys; take with you youre nece Antigone,
 
 
Or whom you list, or no fors,° hardyly.
no matter
 
The lessë prees° the bet. Com forth with me,
crowd
 
And lookë that ye thanken humblely
 
 
Hem allë thre, and when ye may goodly
 
 
Youre tymë see, taketh of hem youre leve,
 
 
Lest we to longe his restës hym byreve."°
deprive him of his rest
1722
Al innocent of Pandarus entente,
 
 
Quod tho Criseydë, "Go we, uncle deere."
then
 
And arm in arm, inward with hym she wente,
 
 
Avisëd wel° hir wordës and hir cheere.
having thought out
 
And Pandarus, in ernest ful manere,
 
 
Seyde, "Allë folk, for godës love I preye,
 
 
Stynteth right here and softëly you pleye.
 
1729
"Aviseth you what folk ben here withinne,
 
 
And in what plite one is, god hym amende,°
improve
 
And inward thus ful softëly beginne.
 
 
Nece, I conjure and heighly you defende,°
forbid
 
On his half° which that soule us allë sende,
his behalf
 
And in the vertue of coronës tweyne,°
twin crowns
 
Sle° not this man that hath for you this peyne.
slay
1736
"Fy on the devel, think which one he is,°
who he (Troilus) is
 
And in what plite he lith;° com of° anon.
lies; come off
 
Think al swich taried tyde but lost it nys.°
all delay is lost time
 
That wol ye bothë seyn when ye ben oon.°
when you're at one
 
Secoundëly ther yet devyneth noon°
no one suspects
 
Upon you two. Come of° now if ye konne;
come off
 
While folk is blent,° lo al the tyme is wonne.
blinded
1743
"In titeryng and pursuyte and delayes,
 
 
The folk devynen° at waggyng° of a stree.°
speculate; moving; straw
 
And though ye wolde han after mirye dayes,°
would want merry days after
 
Thenne dare ye not, and why? For she and she
 
 
Spak swich a word; thus lookëd he and he.
 
 
Las,º tyme iloste. I dar nought with you deele.
alas
 
Com of therfore, and bryngeth hym to heele."°
to health
2.1750
But now to you, ye loveres that ben here,
 
 
Was Troilus nought in a kankëdort,°
quandary
 
That lay and myghtë whisprynge of hem heere,
 
 
And thoughte, "O lord, right now rynneth my sorte°
my fate runs
 
Fully to deye or han anon comfort."
 
 
And was the firstë tyme he shulde hir preye
 
 
Of love; o myghty god, what shal he seye?
 
1757
Explicit Secundus liber°
ends the second book
 

Notes

      • 2.14 In other words, "I'm only the translator," maintaining the fiction of Lollius as Latin source when the real primary source is Boccaccio's Italian poem. Chaucer's failure to credit a contemporary source such as Boccaccio is not unusual for the time. Classical authors are generally acknowledged, contemporary authors often not. Chaucer elsewhere cites Dante, and his Clerk in the Canterbury Tales drops Petrarch's name, but Chaucer makes substantial use of contemporaries like Boccaccio, Machaut, and Froissart without attribution. It is reasonable to suppose that many in Chaucer's audience would have recognized these presences, and it is useful to look at Chaucer's poetry through the lens of modern parody theory. In other words, Troilus and Criseyde is not simply an imitation or a mockery of the Filostrato but exists in dialogue with Boccaccio's poem.

  • 2.64-69 In Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book VI, Tereus wed Procne under the ill omen of the Furies, who prepared their couch, and of the screech owl, sitting on the roof of the bridal chamber. Later, Tereus raped Procne's sister Philomela and cut out her tongue. In revenge, Procne kills her son Itys; she and Philomela cut up and cook the body and serve it to Tereus, and after he has eaten, Philomela throws Itys' head at him. Enraged, he chases them, and the three are changed into birds: Procne the swallow, Philomela the nightingale, and Tereus the crested hoopoe. Chaucer's reference to the episode in this passage is incidental, but the portentous presence of the Furies in Ovid's story recalls Chaucer's invocation of Tisiphone at the beginning of Book One of his poem.

  • 2.77 Janus: Roman god, guardian of entryways; his two faces looked before and behind.

  • 2.84 The story of the siege of Thebes is told in the 12th century Roman de Thèbes, drawn from Statius's 1st century Latin Thebaid. The fate of the besieged Thebans would be of obvious interest to the besieged Trojans.

  • 2.86 This is the Cp. reading, almost certainly different from Chaucer's line but adopted here for that very reason: one way to gain perspective on the poet's metrical system is to watch what happens when it breaks down. Throughout the poem, this edition now and then adopts similarly unlikely Cp readings for the same reason. (Line 2.86 is discussed in the introductory section on the text of the edition.)

  • 2.99 The unexplained shared laugh over Pandarus' love life is characteristic of Chaucer's handling of Pandarus, which remains ambiguous and coy throughout the poem. (See 1.672, note.)

  • 2.103 The red letters would mark a chapter heading in the manuscript.

  • 2.105 Amphiaraus, a seer in Statius but an archbishop in the Roman de Thèbes, was one of the seven against Thebes. He went to war at the insistence of his wife, reluctantly because he foresaw the outcome.

  • 2.110 A barbe (beard), typically worn by widows, is a cloth covering the mouth and chin and extending over the breast. Manuscripts J, H3, and G have wympel (a garment covering head, neck, and chin, typical of a nun's habit), and Root adopts this reading. Cp, Cl, H1 and the other modern editions have barbe.

  • 2.128 The Cp. manuscript reading is what bet than swych fyve I nay ywys (with no punctuation). Root renders the line, "What! bet than swiche fyve? I, nay, ywys."; other modern editors have similar readings but with the question and exclamation marks in different places. The poem contains scores of similar lines, of varying degrees of ambiguity, particularly in patches of dialogue.

  • 2.232 Roman goddess of wisdom and civilization, counterpart of the Greek Athena.

  • 2.274-87 These two stanzas closely follow Filo. 2.36 & 44.

  • 2.316-20 These lines follow Filo. 2.46. In place of Pandarus' long speech here, the Filostrato has an exchange between Pandaro and Criseida, in which she asks to be left alone (2.51).

  • 2.393-420 The passage follows Filo. 2.54, 47, & 48, but where Criseyde bursts into tears at Pandarus' diatribe on old age, Boccaccio's Criseida ponders the subject, telling Pandaro that he speaks the truth (2.55).

  • 2.416 Her mention of the Greek warrior Acchiles, who is not in the parallel passage in Part Two of the Filostrato, is curious, particularly in view of the manner of Troilus' death in Book Five.

  • 2.456-76 Chaucer's addition. Boccaccio's Criseida is sly in the sense that she seems to welcome the intrigue and her role in it. Chaucer's Criseyde seems mostly to use her wits to try to keep her head above water.

  • 2.501-67 The passage follows Filo. 2. 55-64, sometimes closely.

  • 2.618 The city gate is named for Dardanus, ancestor of King Priam.

  • 2.673-69 Boccaccio says otherwise: his Criseida has been debating whether to become involved, but when she sees Troilo from her window, her indifference vanishes and she is suddenly enthralled (2.83).

  • 2.681 The meaning of hous (house) is the same as in modern astrology; Venus's position, favorable to love, is the first arc segment above the western horizon.

  • 2.701-812 Criseyde's long monologue follows the general course of her thoughts in Filostrato 2.69-78, and in each poem, the monologue ends with a stanza describing her continued vacillation. At the beginning of the stanza, though, her inclinations is different. Boccaccio's Criseida tells herself to leave such loves to those who have the passion for them (2.78); Chaucer's Criseyde concludes, in effect, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" (2.806-08).

  • 2.746-63 In the Filostrato, Criseida's thought process is somewhat different. She reminds herself that she isn't getting any younger and that no one will want her if she grows old (Filo. 2.70-71); but she argues that now is not the time for a husband (2.73) and that Troilo, being of higher rank, will abuse her (2.76).

  • 2.807-08 Compare this with Diomede's later resolve (5.783-84).

  • 2.816 The three names are Chaucer's addition to the story. The name of Antigone would have evoked the story of Thebes; the other two names have no clear source or relevance.

  • 2.827-75 Antigone's song suggests the lyric forms of Chaucer's older French contemporary Machaut, and seems to tug at Criseyde's inclination at the end of her earlier monologue (2.806-08). There is no parallel passage in the Filostrato.

  • 2.925-31 Criseyde's dream is not in the Filostrato. The exchange of hearts between lovers would have been a familiar image from lyric and romance.

  • 2.1044-1155 The passage follows Filo. 2.93-113, sometimes closely.

  • 2.1095 Modern clock time (with the day divided into 24 equal hours) was beginning to reach Europe in the late fourteenth century, but time was still colloquially told by canonical hours, marking prayer intervals. Prime is roughly 9:00 a.m. (though originally it marked the prime meridian, noon). The day was divided into two twelve-hour halves by sunrise and sunset, so that in northern Europe, each hour of daylight was much longer in summer than in winter.

  • 2.1154-55 In the Filostrato, Criseida thrusts the letter into her own bosom (2.113).

  • 2.1212-39 The passage follows Filo. 2.120 and 2.128. Criseida's letter occupies stanzas 2.120-27; Chaucer leaves out the text of Criseyde's letter.

  • 2.1336-41 The lines closely follow Filo. 2.131.

  • 2.1365 Pandarus takes charge, arranging and stage managing a first meeting between Troilus and Criseyde at Deiphebus' house (the arrangements occupy the rest of Book Two) and a second meeting at his own house, leading to the consummation scene in Book Three. Boccaccio's Criseida plays an active part in arranging a first meeting (2.143) at her house, and the consummation scene takes place there (Filo., Part 3).

  • 2.1467 The account of Poliphete and his threatened suit provides a pretext for the meeting between Troilus and Criseyde--a pretext not needed in the Filostrato, where Poliphete does not appear.

  • 2.1474 To Chaucer's age, these were known as traitors whose actions led to the fall of Troy.

  • 2.1513-19 In the Filostrato, Criseida will wait in her house for Troilo while her women go to the festival (2.143); Part Two of the Filostrato ends here.

  • 2.1555-62 (And see 2.1724, "Al innocent of Pandarus entente . . .") In Boccaccio's poem, both Troilo and Criseida know what's happening. In Chaucer's poem, Troilus is vaguely aware of events and surroundings, but only Pandarus really knows anything.

  • 2.1595-96 The narrator's urgency is a recurring note in the poem. Here Chaucer has expanded an account that his narrator claims to shorten. For the last 400 lines of Book Two, there are no parallel passages in the Filostrato.

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Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde