The godelihede or beaute whiche that Kinde
In any othir lady had isette
Can not the mountenaunce of a gnat unbinde
About his hert of al Crefeid'is nette;
He was fo narowe' imafkid and iknette
That is undon in any manir side
That n'il nat ben for aught that maie betide.
And by the honde ful oftin he would take
This Pandarus, and into gardin lede,
And fuche a feft and fuche a processe make
Him of Crefeide, and of her womanhede,
And of her beaute, that withoutin drede
It was an heven his wordis for to here,
And than he wouldè fing in this manere:
Love, that of erthe and se hath govirnaunce,
Love, that his heftis hath in hevin hie,
Love, that with a right wholfome aliaunce
Halte peple joynid as him liste 'hem gie,
Love, that yknittith lawe and companie,
And couplis doth in vertue for to dwel,
Binde this accorde that I have tolde and tel.
That that the world with faith, whiche that is stable,
Diverfith fo his ftoundis according,
That elementis that bethe discordable
Holdin a bonde perpetually during,
That Phoebus mote his rofy day forth bring,
And that the mone hath lordship ore the nightes,
Al this doeth Love; aie heried be his mightes! 1757
That that the fe, that gredy is to flowen,
Conftrainith to a certaine endè fo
His flodis, that fo fierfly thei ne growen
To drenchin erthe and al for evirmo,
And if that Love aught let his bridil
Al that now lovith afondir should lepè,
And loft were al that Love halt nowe to hepe. 1764
So would to God, that authour is of kinde,
That with his bonde Love of his vertue lift
To ferchin hertis al, and fast to binde,
That from his bonde no wight the wey out wift,
And hertis colde them wold I that he twift
To make 'hem love, and that lift him aie rewe
On hertis fore, and kepe 'hem that ben trewe. 1771
In alle nedis for the toun'is werre
He was, and aie the first in armis dight,
And certainly, but if that bokis erre,
Save Hector moft idradde of any wight;
And this encrefe of hardineffe and might
Come him of love, his ladies thanke to win,
That altirid his fpirite so within.
In time of truce on hauking would he ride,
Or ellis hunt the bore, beare, or liqun,
The fmalè beftis let he gon befide;
And whan that he come riding into' the toun
Ful oft his lady from her window doun,
As fresh as faucon comin out of mue,
Ful redy was him godely to falue,
And most of love and vertue was his speche,
And in difpite had he al wretchidnesse;
And doutleffe no nede was him to befeche
To honourin them that had worthineffe,
And efin 'hem that werin in diftreffe;
And glad was he if any wight wel ferde
That lovir was whan he it wift or herde.
For, fothe to faine, he lost helde every wight
But if he were in Lov'is high service,
I menè folke that aught it ben of right;
And ore al this fo wel coulde he devife
Of fentiment, and in so uncouthe wife
Al his array, that every lovir thought
That al was well what fo he faid or wrought. 1799
And though that he be come of blode royal
Him lift of pride at no wight for to chace;
Benigne he was to eche in general,
For which he gate him thanke in every place;
Thus wouldè Love, iheried be his grace!
That pride and ire, envie and avarice,
He gan to flie, and every othir vice.
Thou lady bright, the doughtir of Dione!
Thy blinde and wingid fonne eke, Dan Cupide!
Ye Suftrin Nine eke! that by Helicone
In hil Parnaffo liftin for to' abide,
That ye thus ferre han deinid me to gide
I can no more, but fens that ye wol wende
Ye heried ben for aie withoutin ende!
Through you have I faid fully in my song
Th' effecte and joie of Troilus fervice,
Al be that there was fome difefe among,
As mine auctour to liftith to devise:
My Thirdè Boke now ende I in this wise,
And Troilus in lufte and in quiete
Is with Crefeide, his owne ladie fwete.
Bur all to litill, welaway the while!
Laftith fuche joie, ithonkid be Fortune,
That femith trewist whan she wol begile,
And can to folis fo her fonge entune
That the 'hem hent and blent, traitour commune,
And whan a wight is from her whele ithrowe
Than laughith the, and makith him' the mowe.
From Troilus fhe gan her brightè face
Away to writhe, and toke of him non hede,
And cafte him clene out of his ladie's grace,
And on her whele fhe fet up Diomede,
For which min hert right now ginnith to blede;
And now my pen, alas! with which I write,
Quakith for drede of that I muft endite:
For how Crefeidè Troilus forsoke,
Or at the left how that she was unkinde,
Mote hennisforthe ben matir of my Boke,
As writin folke through which it is in minde:
Alas! that thei should evir caufè finde
To fpeke her harme! and if thei on her lie
Iwis them felfe fhould have the vilanie.
O ye Erinnyes! Night'is doughtirs thre,
That endeleffe complaine evir in paine,
Megæra, Alecto, and Tyfiphone,
Thou cruil Marseke! fathir of Quirine,
This ilke Fourth Boke helpith me for to fine,
So that the loos of love and life ifere
Of Troilus be fully shewid here.
INCIPIT LIBER QUARTUS.
LYGGING in host, as I have saide er this,
The Grekis strong aboutin Troiè toune,
Bifell that whan that Phoebus fhining is
Upon the brefte of Hercules Lioun
That Hector with many a bold boroun
Caft on a daie with Grekis for to fight,
As he was wont, to greve 'hem what he might. 35
N'ot I how long or fhort it was bitwene
This purpofe and that day thei fightin mente;
But on a daie wel armid bright and shene..
Hector and many' a worthy knight out wente
With fpere in honde, and with bigge bowis bente,
And in the berde, withoutin lengir lette,
Ther fomen in the felde anon 'hem mette.
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