Geoffrey Chaucer

“ Criseyde, which that wel neigh starf for fere, 450 So as she was the ferfulleste wight That mighte be, and herde eek with hir ere, And saw the sorwful ernest of the knight, And in his preyere eek saw noon unright, And for the harm that mighte eek fallen more, 455 She gan to rewe and dredde hir wonder sore; And thoughte thus, `Unhappes fallen thikke Alday for love, and in swich maner cas, As men ben cruel in hem-self and wikke; And if this man slee here him-self, allas! 460 In my presence, it wol be no solas. What men wolde of hit deme I can nat seye ”

“ For him men demen hoot that men seen swete. `Lo, holde thee at thy triste cloos, and I 1535 Shal wel the deer un-to thy bowe dryve.' Therwith he took his leve al softely, And Troilus to paleys wente blyve. So glad ne was he never in al his lyve; And to Pandarus reed gan al assente, 1540 And to Deiphebus hous at night he wente. What nedeth yow to tellen al the chere That Deiphebus un-to his brother made, Or his accesse, or his siklych manere, How men gan him with clothes for to lade, 1545 Whan he was leyd, and how men wolde him glade? ”

“ For-why to every lovere I me excuse, That of no sentement I this endyte, But out of Latin in my tonge it wryte. 15 Wherfore I nil have neither thank ne blame Of al this werk, but prey yow mekely, Disblameth me if any word be lame, For as myn auctor seyde, so seye I. Eek though I speke of love unfelingly, 20 No wondre is, for it no-thing of newe is; A blind man can nat Iuggen wel in hewis. Ye knowe eek, that in forme of speche is chaunge With-inne a thousand yeer, and wordes tho That hadden prys, now wonder nyce and straunge 25 Us thinketh hem ”

“ And we han herd how that king Laius deyde Thurgh Edippus his sone, and al that dede; And here we stenten at these lettres rede, How the bisshop, as the book can telle, 105 Amphiorax, fil thurgh the ground to helle.' Quod Pandarus, `Al this knowe I my-selve, And al the assege of Thebes and the care; For her-of been ther maked bokes twelve: -- But lat be this, and tel me how ye fare; 110 Do wey your barbe, and shew your face bare; Do wey your book, rys up, and lat us daunce, And lat us don to May som observaunce.' `A! God forbede!' quod she. `Be ye mad? Is that a widewes lyf, so god you save? ”

“ But certeyn is, er Troilus him leyde, Deiphebus had him prayed, over night, 1550 To been a freend and helping to Criseyde. God woot, that he it grauntede anon-right, To been hir fulle freend with al his might. But swich a nede was to preye him thenne, As for to bidde a wood man for to renne. 1555 The morwen com, and neighen gan the tyme Of meel-tyd, that the faire quene Eleyne Shoop hir to been, an houre after the pryme, With Deiphebus, to whom she nolde feyne; But as his suster, hoomly, sooth to seyne, 1560 She com to diner in hir playn entente. But god and Pandare wiste al what this mente. ”

“ In al this world ther nis a bettre knight Than he, that is of worthinesse welle; And he wel more vertu hath than might. 180 This knoweth many a wys and worthy wight. The same prys of Troilus I seye, God help me so, I knowe not swiche tweye.' `By god,' quod she, `of Ector that is sooth; Of Troilus the same thing trowe I; 185 For, dredelees, men tellen that he dooth In armes day by day so worthily, And bereth him here at hoom so gentilly To every wight, that al the prys hath he Of hem that me were levest preysed be.' 190 `Ye sey right sooth, y-wis,' quod Pandarus ”

“ Eek for to winne love in sondry ages, In sondry londes, sondry ben usages. And for-thy if it happe in any wyse, 30 That here be any lovere in this place That herkneth, as the storie wol devyse, How Troilus com to his lady grace, And thenketh, so nolde I nat love purchace, Or wondreth on his speche or his doinge, 35 I noot; but it is me no wonderinge; For every wight which that to Rome went, Halt nat o path, or alwey o manere; Eek in som lond were al the gamen shent, If that they ferde in love as men don here, 40 As thus, in open doing or in chere, In visitinge, in forme, or seyde hire sawes ”

“ Criseyde aroos, no lenger she ne stente, But straught in-to hir closet wente anoon, 600 And sette here doun as stille as any stoon, And every word gan up and doun to winde, That he hadde seyd, as it com hir to minde; And wex somdel astonied in hir thought, Right for the newe cas; but whan that she 605 Was ful avysed, tho fond she right nought Of peril, why she oughte afered be. For man may love, of possibilitee, A womman so, his herte may to-breste, And she nought love ayein, but-if hir leste. ”

“ For-why men seyth, "Impressiounes lighte Ful lightly been ay redy to the flighte.' 1240 `But ye han pleyed tyraunt neigh to longe, And hard was it your herte for to grave; Now stint, that ye no longer on it honge, Al wolde ye the forme of daunger save. ”

“ For I have herd him, o tyme and eek other, Speke of Criseyde swich honour, that he May seyn no bet, swich hap to him hath she. 1455 It nedeth nought his helpes for to crave; He shal be swich, right as we wole him have. `Spek thou thy-self also to Troilus On my bihalve, and pray him with us dyne.' `Sire, al this shal be doon,' quod Pandarus; 1460 And took his leve, and never gan to fyne, But to his neces hous, as streyt as lyne, He com; and fond hir fro the mete aryse; And sette him doun, and spak right in this wyse. ”

“ And let hir lyf in most honour and Ioye.' `Forsothe, so it semeth by hir song,' Quod tho Criseyde, and gan ther-with to syke, 885 And seyde, `Lord, is there swich blisse among These lovers, as they conne faire endyte?' `Ye, wis,' quod freshe Antigone the whyte, `For alle the folk that han or been on lyve Ne conne wel the blisse of love discryve. 890 `But wene ye that every wrecche woot The parfit blisse of love? Why, nay, y-wis; They wenen al be love, if oon be hoot; Do wey, do wey, they woot no-thing of this! Men mosten axe at seyntes if it is 895 Aught fair in hevene ”

“ And wel the hotter been the gledes rede, That men hem wryen with asshen pale and dede." 540 `With that he smoot his heed adoun anoon, And gan to motre, I noot what, trewely. And I with that gan stille awey to goon, And leet ther-of as no-thing wist hadde I, And come ayein anoon and stood him by, 545 And seyde, "A-wake, ye slepen al to longe; It semeth nat that love dooth yow longe, `"That slepen so that no man may yow wake. ”

“ Sin that thee list, I will aryse and wryte; 1060 And blisful god preye ich, with good entente, The vyage, and the lettre I shal endyte, So spede it; and thou, Minerva, the whyte, Yif thou me wit my lettre to devyse:' And sette him doun, and wroot right in this wyse. -- 1065 First he gan hir his righte lady calle, His hertes lyf, his lust, his sorwes leche, His blisse, and eek these othere termes alle, That in swich cas these loveres alle seche; And in ful humble wyse, as in his speche, 1070 He gan him recomaunde un-to hir grace; To telle al how, it axeth muchel space. ”

“ Al dredde I first to love him to biginne, 875 Now woot I wel, ther is no peril inne.' And of hir song right with that word she stente, And therwith-al, `Now, nece,' quod Criseyde, `Who made this song with so good entente?' Antigone answerde anoon, and seyde, 880 `Ma dame, y-wis, the goodlieste mayde Of greet estat in al the toun of Troye ”

“ This al and som, and playnly our entente; God help me so, I never other mente. 365 `Lo, this request is not but skile, y-wis, Ne doute of reson, pardee, is ther noon. I sette the worste that ye dredden this, Men wolden wondren seen him come or goon: Ther-ayeins answere I thus a-noon, 370 That every wight, but he be fool of kinde, Wol deme it love of freendship in his minde. `What? Who wol deme, though he see a man To temple go, that he the images eteth? Thenk eek how wel and wysly that he can 375 Governe him-self, that he no-thing foryeteth, That, wher he cometh, he prys and thank him geteth ”

“ As she best coude, she gan him to disporte. So after this quod she, `We yow biseke, 1675 My dere brother, Deiphebus and I, For love of god, and so doth Pandare eke, To been good lord and freend, right hertely, Un-to Criseyde, which that certeinly Receyveth wrong, as woot wel here Pandare, 1680 That can hir cas wel bet than I declare.' This Pandarus gan newe his tunge affyle, And al hir cas reherce, and that anoon ”

“ Now lat us stinte of Troilus a throwe, That rydeth forth, and lat us tourne faste Un-to Criseyde, that heng hir heed ful lowe, 690 Ther-as she sat allone, and gan to caste Wher-on she wolde apoynte hir at the laste, If it so were hir eem ne wolde cesse, For Troilus, up-on hir for to presse. And, lord! So she gan in hir thought argue 695 In this matere of which I have yow told, And what to doon best were, and what eschue, That plyted she ful ofte in many fold. ”

“ Now were I wys, me hate to purchace, With-outen nede, ther I may stonde in grace? 715 `In every thing, I woot, ther lyth mesure. For though a man forbede dronkenesse, He nought for-bet that every creature Be drinkelees for alwey, as I gesse; Eek sith I woot for me is his distresse, 720 I ne oughte not for that thing him despyse, Sith it is so, he meneth in good wyse. `And eek I knowe, of longe tyme agoon, His thewes goode, and that he is not nyce. ”

“ But for al that that ever I may deserve, Refuse it nought,' quod he, and hente hir faste, 1155 And in hir bosom the lettre doun he thraste, And seyde hire, `Now cast it awey anoon, That folk may seen and gauren on us tweye.' Quod she, `I can abyde til they be goon,' And gan to smyle, and seyde hym, `Eem, I preye, 1160 Swich answere as yow list, your-self purveye, For trewely I nil no lettre wryte.' `No? ”

“ And inward thus ful softely biginne; Nece, I conjure and heighly yow defende, On his half, which that sowle us alle sende, 1735 And in the vertue of corounes tweyne, Slee nought this man, that hath for yow this peyne! `Fy on the devel! Thenk which oon he is, And in what plyt he lyth; com of anoon; Thenk al swich taried tyd, but lost it nis! 1740 That wol ye bothe seyn, whan ye ben oon. Secoundelich, ther yet devyneth noon Up-on yow two; come of now, if ye conne; Whyl folk is blent, lo, al the tyme is wonne! `In titering, and pursuite, and delayes, 1745 The folk devyne at wagginge of a stree ”