Now let us stint of Troilus a stound,
That fareth like a man that hurt is sore,
And is somedele of aking of his wound
Ylessed well, but healed no dele more:
And as an easie patient the lore
Abite of him that goeth about his cure,
And thus he driveth forth his aventure.

EXPLICIT LIBER PRIMUS.

PROEME.

B. II. V. 1-109.

OUT of these black wawes let us for to saile,
O winde, now the weather ginneth clere :
For in the sea the boate hath such travaile
Of my conning, that unneth I it stere :
This sea clepe I the tempestous matere
Of deepe dispaire, that Troilus was in:
But now of hope the kalendes begin.

O lady mine, that called art Cleo,

Thou be my spede fro this forth, and my Muse,
To rime well this booke till I have do,
Me needeth here none other art to use:
For why, to every lover I me excuse,
That of no sentement I this endite,
But out of Latine in my tongue it write.

Wherefore I n'il have neither thank ne blame
Of all this worke: but pray you mekely,
Disblameth me, if any word be lame,
For as mine authour said, so say I:
Eke though I speake of love unfeelingly,
No wonder is, for it nothing of new is,
A blind man cannot judgen well in hewis.

I know, that in forme of speech is change
Within a thousand yere, and wordes tho
That hadden prise, now wonder nice and strange
Thinketh hem, and yet they spake hem so,
And spedde as well in love, as men now do:
Eke for to winnen love, in sundry ages,
In sondry londes sundry ben usages.

And forthy, if it happe in any wise,
That here be any lover in this place,
That herkeneth, as the story woll devise,
How Troilus came to his ladies grace,
And thinketh, so nolde I not love purchase,
Or wondreth on his speech or his doing,
I not, but it is to me no wondring :

For every wight, which that to Rome went,
Halt nat o pathe, ne alway o manere :
Eke in some lond were all the gamen shent,
If that men farde in love, as men done here,
As thus, in open doing or in chere,
In visiting, in forme, or said our saws,
Forthy men sain, ech country hath his laws.

Eke scarsely ben there in this place three,
That have in love said like, and done in all:
For to this purpose this may liken thee,
And thee right nought, yet all is done or shall:
Eke some men grave in tre, som in stone wall,
As it betide, but sith I have begonne,
Mine authour shall I follow, as I konne.

INCIPIT LIBER SECUNDUS.

IN May, that mother is of moneths glade,
That the fresh floures, both blew, white, and rede,
Ben quick ayen, that winter dead made,
And full of baume is fleting every mede,
Whan Phebus doth his brighte beames spred,
Right in the white Bole, it so betidde,

As I shall sing, on Mayes day the thridde,

That Pandarus, for all his wise speach,
Felt eke his part of Loves shottes kene,
That coud he never so well of loving preach,
It made his hew a day full ofte grene:
So shope it, that him fill that day a tene
In love, for which in wo to bed he went,
And made ere it were day full many a went.

The swallow Progne, with a sorrowfull lay,
Whan morrow come, gan make her waimenting
Why she forshapen was: and ever lay
Pandare a bed, halfe in a slombring,
Till she so nigh him made her waimenting,
How Tereus gan forth her suster take,
That with the noise of her he gan awake,

And to call, and dresse him up to rise,
Remembring him his arrand was to done
From Troilus, and eke his great emprise,
And cast, and knew in good plite was the Moone
To done voiage, and tooke his way full soone
Unto his neces paleis there beside:
Now Janus god of entre, thou him guide.

When he was come unto his neces place,
"Where is my lady," to her folke (quod he)
And they him told, and he forth in gan pace,
And found two other ladies sit and shee,
Within a paved parlour, and they three
Herden a maiden hem reden the geste
Of the siege of Thebes, while hem leste:

(Quod Pandarus) " Madame, God you see,
With your booke, and all the companie :"
"Eigh, uncle mine, welcome ywis," (quod shee)
And up she rose, and by the hond in hie
She tooke him fast, and said, "This night thrie,
To good mote it turne, of you I met :"
And with that word, she downe on bench him set.

"Yea, nece, ye shull faren well the bet,
If God woll, all this yeare," (quod Pandarus)
"But I am sorry that I have you let
To hearken of your booke, ye praisen thus:
For Godes love what saith it, tell it us,
Is it of love, or some good ye me lere!"
"Uncle" (quod she) " your maistresse is nat here."

With that they gonnen laugh, and tho she seide,
"This romaunce is of Thebes, that we rede,
And we have heard how that king Laius deide
Through Edippus his sonne, and al the dede:
And here we stinten, at these letters rede,
How the bishop, as the booke can tell,
Amphiorax, fell through the ground to Hell."
(Quod Pandarus) "All this know I my selve,
And all th'assiege of Thebes, and the care,
For hereof ben there maked bookes twelve:
But let be this, and tell me how ye fare,

Do way your barbe, and shew your face bare,
Do way your book, rise up and let us daunce,
And let us done to May some observaunce."

"Eigh, God forbid :" (quod she) "be ye mad?
Is that a widdowes life, so God you save?
By God ye maken me right sore adrad,
Ye ben so wild, it seemeth as ye rave,
It sat me well bet aye in a cave

To bide, and rede on holy saintes lives :

Let maidens gon to daunce, and yonge wives."

"As ever thrive I," (quod this Pandarus) "Yet could I tell o thing, to done you play :" "Now uncle dere," (quod she) " tell it us For Godes love, is than th'assiege awey? I am of Greekes ferde, so that I dey :"

Nay, nay," (quod he)" as ever mote I thrive, It is a thing well bet than suche five."

"Ye holy God," (quod she)" what thing is that,
What, bet than suche five eigh nay ywis,
For all this world ne can I reden what
It shoulde ben; some jape I trow it is,
And but your selven tell us what it is,
My wit is for to arede it all to leane:

As helpe me God, I n'ot what that ye meane."

"And I your borow, ne never shall," (quod he)
"This thing be told to you, as mote I thrive :""
"And why, uncle mine, why so?" (quod she)
"By God," (quod he)" that woll I tell as blive,
For prouder woman is there none on live,
And ye it wist, in all the toune of Troy:
I jape nat, so ever have I joy."

Tho gan she wondren more than before,
A thousand fold, and downe her eyen cast:
For never sith the time that she was bore,
To knowen thing desired she so fast,
And with a sike, she said him at the last,
"Now uncle mine, I n'ill you not displease,
Nor asken more, that may do you disease."

So after this, with many wordes glade,
And friendly tales, and with merry chere,
Of this and that they speake, and gonnen wade
In many an unkouth glad and deepe matere,
As friendes done, whan they bethe yfere,
Till she gan asken him how Hector ferde,
That was the tounes wall, and Greekes yerde.

"Full wel I thanke it God," said Pandarus,
"Save in his arme he hath a little wound,
And eke his fresh brother Troilus,
The wise worthy Hector the secound,
In whom that every vertue list habound,
And first all trouthe, and all gentlenesse,
Wisedom, honour, freedom, and worthinesse."

"In good faith, eme," (quod she) "that liketh me,
They faren well, God save hem both two:
For trewliche, I hold it great deintie,
A kinges sonne in armes well to do,
And be of good conditions thereto :
For great power, and morall vertue here
Is selde iseene in one persone ifere."

"In good faith, that is sooth" (quod Pandarus)
"But by my trouth the king hath sonnes twey,
That is to meane, Hector and Troilus,
That certainly though that I should dey,

They ben as void of vices, dare I sey,
As any men that liven under Sunne,
Hir might is wide yknow, and what they conne.
"Of Hector needeth it no more for to tell,
In all this world there n'is a better knight
Than he, that is of worthinesse the well,
And he well more vertue hath than might,
This knoweth many a wise and worthy knight:
And the same prise of Troilus I sey,
God helpe me so, I know not suche twey."

"By God," (quod she) " of Hector that is sooth,
And of Troilus the same thing trow I
For dredelesse, men telleth that he dooth
In armes day by day so worthely,
And beareth him here at home so gently
To every wight, that all prise hath he
Of hem that me were levest praised be."
"Ye say right sooth ywis," (quod Pandarus)
"For yesterday, who so had with him been,
Mighten have wondred upon Troilus,
For never yet so thicke a swarme of been
Ne flew, as Greekes from him gan fleen,
And through the field in every wightes eare,
There was no crie, but Troilus is there.

"Now here, now there, he hunted hem so fast,
There nas but Greekes blood, and Troilus,
Now him he hurt, and him all doun he cast,
Aye where he went it was arraied thus:
He was hir death, and shield and life for us,
That as the day ther durst him none withstond,
While that he held his bloody swerd in hond.

"Thereto he is the friendliest man

Of great estate, that ever I saw my live :
And where him list, best fellowship can
To such as him thinketh able for to thrive."
And with that word, tho Pandarus as blive
He tooke his leave, and said, "I woll gon hen:"
"Nay, blame have I, uncle," (quod she then.)

"What eileth you to be weary thus soone,
And nameliche of women, woll ye so?
Nay sitteth doune, by God I have to done
With you, to speake of wisedome er ye go :"
And every wight that was about hem tho,
That heard that, gan ferre away to stond,
While they two had all that hem list in hond.

Whan that her tale all brought was to an end
Of her estate, and of her governaunce,
(Quod Pandarus) "Now time is that I wend,
But yet I say, ariseth, let us daunce,
And cast your widdows habit to mischaunce:
What list you thus your selfe to disfigure,
Sith you is tidde so glad an aventure?"

"But well bethought: for love of God," (quod she) Shall I not weten what ye meane of this?"

No, this thing asketh leaser tho," (quod he)
"And eke me would full much greve ywis.
If I it told, and ye it tooke amis :
Yet were it bette my tongue to hold still,
Than say a sooth, that were ayenst your will.

"For nece mine, by the goddesse Minerve,
And Jupiter, that maketh the thunderring,
And the blisfull Venus, that I serve,
Ye ben the woman in this world living

Withouten paramours, to my weting,
That I best love, and lothest am to greve,
And that ye weten well your selfe, I leve."

"Y wis mine uncle," (quod she)" graunt mercy,
Your friendship have I founden ever yet,
I am to no man beholden truely
So much as you, and have so little quit :
And with the grace of God, emforth my wit
As in my guilt, I shall you never offend,
And if I have ere this, I woll amend.

"But for the love of God I you beseech
As ye be he that I love most and trist,
Let be to me your fremed manner speech,
And say to me your nece what you list :"
And with that word her uncle anon her kist,
And said, "Gladly my leve nece so dere,
Take it for good that I shall say you here."

With that she gan her eien doune to cast,
And Pandarus to coughe gan a lite,
And said: "Nece, alway lo, to the last,
How so it be, that some men hem delite
With subtle art hir tales for tendite,
Yet for all that in hir entention,
Hir tale is all for some conclusion.

"And sith the end is every tales strength,
And this matter is so behovedly,
What should I paint it or drawen it on length
To you, that ben my friend so faithfully?"
And with that word he gan right inwardly
Beholden her, and looken in her face,

And said, "On such a mirrour much good grace."

Than thought he thus, "If I my tale endite
Ought hard, or make a processe any while,
She shall no savour have therein but lite,
And trow I would her in my will beguile :
For tender wittes wenen all be wile,
Whereas they con nat plainlich understond:
Forthy her wit to serven woll I fond."

And looked on her in a busie wise,
And she was ware that he beheld her so:
"Ah lord," (quod she) "so fast ye me avise,
Saw ye me never ere now, what say ye no?"
"Yes, yes," (quod he) "and bet woll ere I go :
But by my trouth I thought nowe, if ye
Be fortunate: for now men shall it see.

"For every wight some goodly aventure, Sometime is shape, if he it can receiven: But if he n'ill take of it no cure

Whan that it cometh, but wilfully it weiven:
Lo, neither case nor fortune him deceiven,
But right his own slouth and wretchednesse :
And such a wight is for to blame, I gesse.

"Good aventure, O belle nece, have ye
Full lightly founden, and ye conne it take:
And for the love of God, and eke of me,
Catch it anone, least aventure slake:
What should I lenger processe of it make,
Yeve me your hond, for in this world is non,
If that you list, a wight so well begon.

"And sith I speake of good ententioun,
As I to you have told well here beforne,
And love as well your honour and renoun,
As any creature in all the world yborne:

By all the othes that I have you sworne,
And ye be wroth therefore or wene I lie,
Ne shall I never seene you eft with eie.

"Beth nat agast, ne quaketh nat, whereto ?
Ne chaunge nat for fere so your hew,
For hardely the worst of this is do:
And though my tale as now be to you new,
Yet trust alway: ye shall me finde true,
And were it thing that me thought unfitting,
To you ne would I no such tales bring."
“Now, my good eme, for Godes love I prey,"
(Quod she)" come off tell me what it is:
For both I am agast what ye woll say,
And eke me longeth it to wit ywis:
For whether it be well, or be amis,
Say on, let me not in this feare dwell."
"So woll I done, now hearkeneth I shall tell :

"Now, nece mine, the kinges own dere sonne,
The good, wise, worthy, fresh, and free,
Which alway for to done well is his wonne,
The noble Troilus so loveth thee,
That but ye helpe, it woll his bane be,
Lo here is all, what should I more sey?
Doth what you list, to make him live or dey.

"But if ye let him die, I woll sterven,
Have here my trouthe, nece, I nill not lien,
All should I with this knife my throte kerven:"
With that the teares burst out of his eien,
And said, "If that ye done us both dien
Thus guiltlesse, than have ye fished faire :
What mend ye, though that we both apaire?
"Alas, he which that is my lord so dere,
That trewe man, that noble gentle knight,
That nought desireth but your friendly chere,
I see him dien, there he goeth upright:
And hasteth him with all his fulle might
For to ben slaine, if his fortune assent,
Alas that God you such a beautie sent.

"If it be so that ye so cruell be,

That of his death you listeth nought to retch,
That is so trew and worthy as we see,
No more than of a japer or a wretch,

If ye be such, your beaute may nat stretch,
To make amendes of so cruell a dede:
Avisement is good before the nede.

"Wo worth the faire gemme vertulesse,
Wo worth that hearbe also that doth no bote,
Wo worth the beauty that is routhlesse,
Wo worth that wight that trede ech under fote:
And ye that ben of beautie croppe and rote,
If therewithall in you ne be no routh,
Than is it harme ye liven by my trouth.

"And also thinke well, that this is no gaud,
For me were lever, thou, I, and he
Were honged, than I should ben his baud,
As high as men might on us all ysee:
I am thine eme, the shame were to mee,
As well as thee, if that I should assent
Through mine abet, that he thine honour shent

"Now understond, for I you nought requere
To bind you to him, through no behest,
Save onely that ye make him better cheere
Than ye han don or this, and more feste,

So that his life be saved at the leste:
This al and some, and plainly our entente,
God helpe me so, I never other mente.

"Lo, this request is nought but skill ywis,
Ne doubt of reason parde is there none:
I set the worst, that ye dreden this,

Men would wonder to seen him come and gone :
There ayenst answere I thus anone,
That every wight, but he be foole of kind,
Woll deeme it love of frendship in his mind.

"What, who woll demen tho he see a man
To temple gone, that he the images eateth?
Thinke eke, how well and wisely that he can
Govern himselfe, that he nothing foryetteth,
That wher he cometh, he pris and thonk him getteth;
And eke thereto he shal come here so seld,
What force were it, thogh all the toun beheld.

"Such love of friends reigneth thorow al this toun:
And wrie you in that mantle evermo,
And God so wis be my salvatioun
As I have sayd, your best is to do so :
But, good nece, alway to stint his wo,
So let your daunger sugred ben alite,
That of his death ye be not all to wite."

Creseide, which that herd him in this wise,
Thought, I shall felen what he meaneth ywis :'
"Now eme," (quod she)" what would ye devise?
What is your rede, I should done of this?"
"That is well said," (quod he)" certaine best is,
That ye him love ayen for his loving,
And love for love is skilfull guerdoning.

"Thinke eke how elde wasteth every hour
In each of you a part of beaute,
And therefore, ere that age the devour,
Go love, for old there woll no wight of thee:
Let this proverbe, a lore unto you bee,
'Too late yware' (quod beaute) whan it past,
And elde daunteth daunger, at the last.'

"The kinges foole is wont to crie aloud,
Whan that he thinketh a woman bereth her hie,
So longe mote ye liven, and all proud,
Till crowes feet growen under your eie,
And send you than a mirrour in to prie,
In which that ye may see your face a morow,'
Nece, I bid him wish you no more sorow."
With this he stint, and caste down the head,
And she began to brest and wepe anone,
And said, "Alas for wo, why nere I dead,
For of this world the faith is all agone:
Alas, what shoulden straunge unto me done,
Whan he that for my best frende I wend,
Rate me to love, and should it me defend.

"Alas, I would have trusted doubteles,
That if that I, through my disaventure,
Had loved either him or Achilles,
Hector, any other creature,

Ye nolde have had mercy ne measure
On me, but alway had me in repreve:
This false world alas, who may it leve?

"What is this all the joy and all the feast?
Is this your rede? is this my blisfull caas?
Is this the very mede of your beliest?
Is all this painted processe said (alas)

Right for this fine? O lady mine Pallas, Thou in this dredefull case for me purvey, For so astonied am I, that I dey."

With that she gan full sorrowfully to sike, "Ne may it be no bet," (quod Pandarus) "By God I shall no more come here this weke, And God toforne, that am mistrusted thus:

I see well now ye setten light of us,

Or of our death, alas, I wofull wretch,
Might he yet live, of me were nought to retch.

"O cruell god, O dispitous Marte,
O furies three of Hell, on you I crie,
So let me never out of this house depart,
If that I meant harme or villanie:
But sith I see my lord mote needes die,
And I with him, here I me shrive and sey,
That wickedly ye done us both to dey.
"But sith it liketh you, that I be dead,
By Neptunus, that god is of the see,
Fro this forth shall I never eaten bread,
Till that I mine owne herte blood may see:
For certaine I woll die as soone as hee."
And up he stert, and on his way he raught,
Till she againe him by the lappe caught.

Creseide, which that well nigh starf for feare,
So as she was the fearfullest wight
That might be, and heard eke with her eare,
And saw the sorrowful! earnest of the knight,
And in his praier saw eke none unright,
And for the harme eke that might fall more,
She gan to rew and dread her wonder sore.

And thought thus, "Unhapes do fallen thicke
Alday for love, and in such manner caas,
As men ben cruell in hemselfe and wicke:
And if this man slee here himselfe, alas,
In my presence, it n'ill be no solas,
What men would of it deme I can nat say,
It needeth me full slighly for to play."

And with a sorowfull sigh, she said thrie,
"Ah, Lord, what me is tidde a sorry chaunce,
For mine estate lieth in jeopardie,

And eke mine emes life lieth in ballaunce :
But nathelesse, with Godes governaunce

I shall so done, mine honour shall I keepe,
And eke his life, and stinte for to weepe.

"Of harmes two, the lesse is for to chese,
Yet had I lever maken him good chere
In honour, than my emes life to lese,
Ye sain, ye nothing eles me requere.'
"No wis," (quod he) "mine owne nece so dere."
"Now well" (quod she) "and I woll done my paine,
I shall mine herte ayen my lust constraine.

"But that I nill nat holden him in hond,
Ne love a man, that can I naught ne may,
Ayenst my will, but eles woll I fonde,
Mine honour save, plesen him fro day to day,
Thereto nolde I not ones have said nay,
But that I dredde, as in my fantasie:
But cesse cause, aie cesseth maladie.

"But here I make a protestacion,
That in this processe if ye deper go,
That certainly, for no salvation
Of you, though that ye sterven bothe two,

Though all the world on o day be my fo, Ne shall I never on him have other routhe:" "I graunt wel," (quod Pandare) by my trouthe. "But maie I trust well to you," (quod he) "That of this thing that ye han hight me here Ye woll it holde truely unto me?" "Yea doubtlesse,” (quod she) “mine uncle dere." "Ne that I shall have cause in this matere (Quod he) "to plain, or ofter you to preach ?" "Why no parde, what nedeth more speach.”

Tho fell they in other tales glade

Till at the last, "O good Eme," (quod she tho)
"For love of God which that us bothe made,
Tell me how first ye wisten of his wo:
Wot none of it but ye?" he said "No:"
"Can he well speake of love," (quod she) "I preie?
Tell me, for I the bet shall me purveie."

Tho Pandarus a litel gan to smile,
And saied: "By my trouth I shall now tell,
This other daie, nat gon full long while,
Within the paleis gardin by a well
Gan he and I, well halfe a day to dwell,
Right for to speaken of an ordinaunce,
How we the Grekes mighten disa vaunce.
"Sone after that we gone for to lepe,
And casten with our dartes to and fro :
Till at the last, he saied, he would slepe,
And on the grasse adoune he laied him tho,
And I after gan to romen to and fro,
Till that I heard, as I walked alone,
How he began full wofully to grone.

"Tho gan I stalke him softly behind,
And sikerly the sothe for to saine,
As I can clepe ayen now to my mind,
Right thus to love he gan him for to plain,
He saied: Lorde, have routh upon my pain,
All have I been rebell in mine entent,
Now (mea culpa) lord I me repent.

"O God, that at thy disposicion
Ledest the fine, by just purveiaunce
Of every wight, my lowe confession

Accept in gree, and sende me soche penaunce
As liketh thee, but from me disesperaunce,
That may my ghost departe alway fro the,
Thou be my shilde, for thy benignite.

"For certes, lorde, so sore hath she me wounded
That stode in blacke, with loking of hir iyen,
That to mine hertes botome it is yfounded
Through which I wot, that I must nedes dien;
This is the worst, I dare me nought bewrien,
And well the hoter been the gledes rede
That men hem wren with ashen pale and dede.'
"With that he smote his hedde adoune anone
And gan to muttre, I na't what truely,
And I with that gan still awaie to gone
And lete thereof, as nothing wist had I,
And come again anon and stode him by
And saied, Awake, ye slepen all to long:
It semeth nought that love doth you wrong.

"That slepen so that no man maie you wake; Who seie ever er this so dull a man?' 'Ye, frende,' (quod he) doe ye your heddes ake For love, and let me liven as I can.'

But lorde though he for wo was pale and wan;
Yet made he tho as fresh a countenaunce,
As though he should have led the newe daunce.
"This passed forth, till now this other daie
It fell that I come roming all alone
Into his chambre, and founde how that he laie
Upon his bedde: but man so sore grone
Ne heard I never, and what was his mone
Ne wist I nought, for as I was comming
All sodainly he left his complaining.
"Of whiche I toke somwhat suspection,
And nere I come, and found him wepe sore;
And God so wise be my salvacion,

As never of thing had I no routh more :
For neither with engine, ne with no lore,
Unnethes might I fro the death him kepe,
That yet fele I mine herte for him wepe.
"And God wot never sith that I was borne
Was I so busie no man for to preache,
Ne never was to wight so depe sworne,
Er he me told, who might been his leache;
But not to you rehearsen all his speach,
Or all his wofull wordes for to sowne,
Ne bid me nought, but ye woll se me swone.
"But for to save his life, and eles nought,
And to none harme of you, thus am I driven,
And for the love of God that us hath wrought
Soche chere him doth, that he and I maie liven;
Now have I plat to you mine herte shriven,
And sith ye wote that mine entent is cleane
Take hede thereof, for none evill I meane.

"And right good thrift, I pray to God have ye, That han soche one ycaught withouten net,

And be ye wise, as ye be faire to se,

Well in the ring, than is the rubie set;
There were never two so well ymet
Whan ye been his all hole, as he is your :

There mightie God yet graunt us to se the hour."

"Naie thereof spake I nat: A ha!" (quod she)
"As helpe me God, ye shenden every dele :"
"A mercie, dere nece, anon" (quod he)
"What so I spake, I ment nought but wele,
By Mars the god, that helmed is of stele:
Now beth not wroth, my blood, my nece dere."
"Now well," (quod she) "foryeven be it here.'
With this he toke his leave, and home he went,
Ye, Lord, how he was glad, and well bigon:
Creseide arose, no lenger she ne shent,
But streight into her closet went anon,
And set her doune, as still as any stone,
And every word gan up and doune to wind,
That he had said as it came her to mind.
And woxe somdele astonied in her thought,
Right for the newe case, but whan that she
Was full avised, tho found she right nought,
Of perill, why that she ought aferde be:
For man may love of possibilite
A woman so, his herte may to brest,
And she nat love ayen, but if her lest.

But as she sat alone, and thought thus,
Th'ascrie arose at skarmoch all without,
And men cried in the strete, "Se Troilus
Hath right now put to flight the Grekes rout."