INCIPIT LIBER TERTIUS.
LAIE all this mene while this fad Troilus
Recording his leffon in this manere,

Mafeie, thought he, thus woll I faie and thus,
Thus woll I plain unto my ladie dere,

That worde is gode, and this fhall be my chere,
This n'ill I nat foryetin in no wife:

God leve him werkin as he can devife.

And, Lorde! fo that his herte began to quappe
Hering her come, and short gan for to fike;
And Pandarus, that ledde her by the lappe,
Came nere, and gan in at the curtein pike,
And faied, God doe bote on all that are fike!
Se who is here you comin to visite;

Lo! here is the that is your deth to wite.
Therwith it femid as he wept almoste.

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A a! quod Troilus, so routhfully,

Where me be wo o mightie God! thou wofte:
Who is all there I fe nat truíly.

Sir, (quod Crefcide) it is Pandare and I.
Ye, fwetè herte, alas! I maie nat rise

To knele, and doe you honour in fome wife.

And dreffid him upward; and she right tho
Gan both her hondis foft upon him leie.
O, for the love of God doe ye not so
To me! (quod fhe.) Ey, what is this to fei!
Sir, comen' am I to you for caufis tweie,
First you to thonke, and of your lordshipe eke
Continuaunce I wouldè you befekę.

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This Troilus, that herd his ladie praie

Of lordship, him woxe neithir quick ne dedde,
Ne might o worde for shame unto it faie,
Although, men shouldin smitin of his hedde,
But, Lorde! fo he woxe fodainliche alle redde;
And, Sir, his leffon that he wendè conne
To prayin her is through his wit ironne.
Crefeide all this espyid well inough,

For she was wife, and loved him ner the laffe,
All n'ere he' in all aperte, or made it tough,
Or was to bolde to fing a fol'is maffe;
But whan his fhame began fomwhat to passe
His refons, as I maie my rimis holde,

I woll you tell as techin bokis olde.

In chaungid voice, right for his very drede,
Whiche voice eke quoke, and therto his manere
Godelie abafh't, and now his hewis rede

Now pale, unto Creseide his ladie dere,
With loke doune caft and humble yoldin chere,
Lo the aldirfirft worde that him afterte
Was twyis, Mercie, mercie, my dere herte!

And stint a while, and whan he might out bring
The nextè word, was, God wote for I have
As faithfully as I have had konning

Ben your'is all, God fo my foulè fave,
And fhall, till that I wofull wight be grave,
And though I dare ne can unto you plain

I was I fuffir not the laffè pain.

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Thus meche as now, ah womanlichè wife!
I maie out bring, and if this you displese
That shall I wreke upon mine ownè life ...don
Right fone I trowe, and doe your herte an ese,
If with my deth your hert I maie apese;"
But fens that ye han herd me fomwhat fey
Now retche I nevir how fone that I deies
Therwith his manly forowe to beholde onu fara
It might have made an herte of stone to rew,
And Pandare wept as he to watir would,
And pokid evir his nece newé and newe,
And fayid, Wo begon ben hertis true;
For love of God make of this thing an ende,
Or flea us both at ones er that ye wende.

1, what? (quod she.) By God and by my trouth

I n'ot nevir what ye wilne that I fele.
Eie! what? (quod he) that ye have on him routh
For Godd'is love, and doeth him nat to deie.
Now than thus, (quod she) I wollin him preie
'To tellin me the fine of his entente;

Yet wift I nevir well what that he mente.

What that I mene, o my fwete hertè dere!-
(Quod Troilus) o godely freshe and fre!
That with the ftremis of your eyin clere.
Ye wouldin fomtime frendly on me se,
And than agrein that I maie ben he

Withoutin braunche of vice on any wife Mari
In trouthe alwaie to do you my fervise,

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As to my ladie right, and chefe resort,
With all my witte and all my diligence,

And I to have right as you lift comfort,
Under your yerde egall to mine offence,
As deth, if that I brekin your defence,
And that ye digne me fo mochil honour
Me to commaundin aught in any hour,

And I to ben your very humble, true,
Secrete, and in my painis pacient,
And evir to defirin freshly newe

To fervin, and ben aie like diligent,
And with gode herte all wholly your talent
Recevin in gre, how fore that me fmerte:
Lo, this mene I, o mine owne fwetè herte!

(Quod Pandarus) Lo! here an hard request,

And refo'nable a ladie for to werne;
Now necè mine, by Natall Jov'is feft,
Were I a god ye fhouldin terve as yerné,
That herin well this man wol nothing yerne
But your honor, and fene him almoste fterve,
And ben fo tothe to fuffre' him you to serve.
With that she gan her eyin on him caft
Full efily and full debonairly,

Avifing her, and hied her not to faft

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With ner a worde, but faïed him foftily,..

Mine honour fafe I woll well truily,

And in foche forme as ye can now devife,
Retevin him fully to my fervise;

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Befeching him, for Godd'is love, that he
Would in honour of trouth and gentillneffe,
As I well mene, eke menin well to me,
And mine honour with wit and businesse
Aie kepe; and if I maie doen him gladneffe
From hennisforthe iwis I n'ill not faine :
Now bethe all whole, no lengir ye ne plain.

But nathèleffe this warne I you, (quod she ;
A king'is fonne although ye be iwis,
Yet ye shall no more have fovèrainte
Of me in love than right in that case is,
Ne n'ill I forbere if ye doen amis

To wrathin you, and while that ye me ferve
Cherishe you right aftir that ye deferve.

And shortily, dere herte, and all my knight!
Beth glad, and drawith you to luftineffe,
And I fhall truely, with all my full might,
Your bittir tourin all to fwetineffe,
If I be she that maie do you gladnesse;
For every wo ye shall recovir bliffe,
And him in armis toke, and gan him kiffe.
Fill Pandarus on knees, and up his eyen
To hevin threwe, and helde his hondis hie;
Immortall god! (quod he) that maieft not dien,
Cupide, of this thoú maist the glorifie,
And Venus, thou maist makin melodie:
Withoutin honde me femith that in toune
For this miracle I here eche bell founc.

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