Troilus and Criseyde

by Geoffrey Chaucer

For bothe I am agast what ye wol seye,

  And eek me longeth it to wite, y-wis.

  For whether it be wel or be amis,

  Say on, lat me not in this fere dwelle:'

  315 `So wol I doon; now herkneth, I shal telle:

  `Now, nece myn, the kinges dere sone,

  The goode, wyse, worthy, fresshe, and free,

  Which alwey for to do wel is his wone,

  The noble Troilus, so loveth thee,

  320 That, bot ye helpe, it wol his bane be.

  Lo, here is al, what sholde I more seye?

  Doth what yow list, to make him live or deye.

  `But if ye lete him deye, I wol sterve;

  Have her my trouthe, nece, I nil not lyen;

  325 Al sholde I with this knyf my throte kerve --'

  With that the teres braste out of his yen,

  And seyde, `If that ye doon us bothe dyen,

  Thus giltelees, than have ye fisshed faire;

  What mende ye, though that we bothe apeyre?

  330 `Allas! He which that is my lord so dere,

  That trewe man, that noble gentil knight,

  That nought desireth but your freendly chere,

  I see him deye, ther he goth up-right,

  And hasteth him, with al his fulle might,

  335 For to be slayn, if fortune wol assente;

  Allas! That god yow swich a beautee sente!

  `If it be so that ye so cruel be,

  That of his deeth yow liste nought to recche,

  That is so trewe and worthy, as ye see,

  340 No more than of a Iapere or a wrecche,

  If ye be swich, your beautee may not strecche

  To make amendes of so cruel a dede;

  Avysement is good bifore the nede.

  `Wo worth the faire gemme vertulees!

  345 Wo worth that herbe also that dooth no bote!

  Wo worth that beautee that is routhelees!

  Wo worth that wight that tret ech under fote!

  And ye, that been of beautee crop and rote,

  If therwith-al in you ther be no routhe,

  350 Than is it harm ye liven, by my trouthe!

  `And also thenk wel that this is no gaude;

  For me were lever, thou and I and he

  Were hanged, than I sholde been his baude,

  As heyghe, as men mighte on us alle y-see:

  355 I am thyn eem, the shame were to me,

  As wel as thee, if that I sholde assente,

  Thorugh myn abet, that he thyn honour shente.

  `Now understond, for I yow nought requere,

  To binde yow to him thorugh no beheste,

  360 But only that ye make him bettre chere

  Than ye han doon er this, and more feste,

  So that his lyf be saved, at the leste;

  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;

  And eek ther-to, he shal come here so selde,

  What fors were it though al the toun behelde?

  `Swich love of freendes regneth al this toun;

  380 And wrye yow in that mantel ever-mo;

  And god so wis be my savacioun,

  As I have seyd, your beste is to do so.

  But alwey, goode nece, to stinte his wo,

  So lat your daunger sucred ben a lyte,

  385 That of his deeth ye be nought for to wyte.'

  Criseyde, which that herde him in this wyse,

  Thoughte, `I shal fele what he meneth, y-wis.'

  `Now, eem,' quod she, `what wolde ye devyse?

  What is your reed I sholde doon of this?'

  390 `That is wel seyd,' quod be. `certayn, best is

  That ye him love ayein for his lovinge,

  As love for love is skilful guerdoninge.

  `Thenk eek, how elde wasteth every houre

  In eche of yow a party of beautee;

  395 And therfore, er that age thee devoure,

  Go love, for, olde, ther wol no wight of thee.

  Lat this proverbe a lore un-to yow be;

  "To late y-war, quod Beautee, whan it paste;"

  And elde daunteth daunger at the laste.

  400 `The kinges fool is woned to cryen loude,

  Whan that him thinketh a womman bereth hir hye,

  "So longe mote ye live, and alle proude,

  Til crowes feet be growe under your ye,

  And sende yow thanne a mirour in to prye

  405 In whiche that ye may see your face a-morwe!"

  Nece, I bidde wisshe yow no more sorwe.'

  With this he stente, and caste adoun the heed,

  And she bigan to breste a-wepe anoon,

  And seyde, `Allas, for wo! Why nere I deed?

  410 For of this world the feith is al agoon!

  Allas! What sholden straunge to me doon,

  Whan he, that for my beste freend I wende,

  Ret me to love, and sholde it me defende?

  `Allas! I wolde han trusted, doutelees,

  415 That if that I, thurgh my disaventure,

  Had loved other him or Achilles,

  Ector, or any mannes creature,

  Ye nolde han had no mercy ne mesure

  On me, but alwey had me in repreve;

  420 This false world, allas! Who may it leve?

  `What? Is this al the Ioye and al the feste?

  Is this your reed, is this my blisful cas?

  Is this the verray mede of your beheste?

  Is al this peynted proces seyd, allas!

  425 Right for this fyn? O lady myn, Pallas!

  Thou in this dredful cas for me purveye;

  For so astonied am I that I deye!'

  With that she gan ful sorwfully to syke;

  `A! May it be no bet?' quod Pandarus;

  430 `By god, I shal no-more come here this wyke,

  And god to-forn, that am mistrusted thus;

  I see ful wel that ye sette lyte of us,

  Or of our deeth! Allas! I woful wrecche!

  Mighte he yet live, of me is nought to recche.

  435 `O cruel god, O dispitouse Marte,

  O Furies three of helle, on yow I crye!

  So lat me never out of this hous departe,

  If that I mente harm or vilanye!

  But sith I see my lord mot nedes dye,

  440 And I with him, here I me shryve, and seye

  That wikkedly ye doon us bothe deye.

  `But sith it lyketh yow that I be deed,

  By Neptunus, that god is of the see,

  Fro this forth shal I never eten breed

  445
Til I myn owene herte blood may see;

  For certayn, I wole deye as sone as he --'

  And up he sterte, and on his wey he raughte,

  Til she agayn him by the lappe caughte.

  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;

  It nedeth me ful sleyly for to pleye.'

  And with a sorwful syk she seyde thrye,

  `A! Lord! What me is tid a sory chaunce!

  465 For myn estat lyth in Iupartye,

  And eek myn emes lyf lyth in balaunce;

  But nathelees, with goddes governaunce,

  I shal so doon, myn honour shal I kepe,

  And eek his lyf;' and stinte for to wepe.

  470 `Of harmes two, the lesse is for to chese;

  Yet have I lever maken him good chere

  In honour, than myn emes lyf to lese;

  Ye seyn, ye no-thing elles me requere?'

  `No, wis,' quod he, `myn owene nece dere.'

  475 `Now wel,' quod she, `and I wol doon my peyne;

  I shal myn herte ayeins my lust constreyne.

  `But that I nil not holden him in honde,

  Ne love a man, ne can I not, ne may

  Ayeins my wil; but elles wol I fonde,

  480 Myn honour sauf, plese him fro day to day;

  Ther-to nolde I nought ones have seyd nay,

  But that I dredde, as in my fantasye;

  But cesse cause, ay cesseth maladye.

  `And here I make a protestacioun,

  485 That in this proces if ye depper go,

  That certaynly, for no savacioun

  Of yow, though that ye sterve bothe two,

  Though al the world on o day be my fo,

  Ne shal I never on him han other routhe. --'

  490 `I graunte wel,' quod Pandare, `by my trouthe.

  `But may I truste wel ther-to,' quod he,

  `That of this thing that ye han hight me here,

  Ye wol it holden trewly un-to me?'

  `Ye, doutelees,' quod she, `myn uncle dere.'

  495 `Ne that I shal han cause in this matere,'

  Quod he, `to pleyne, or after yow to preche?'

  `Why, no, parde; what nedeth more speche?'

  Tho fillen they in othere tales glade,

  Til at the laste, `O good eem,' quod she tho,

  500 `For love of god, which that us bothe made,

  Tel me how first ye wisten of his wo:

  Wot noon of hit but ye?' He seyde, `No.'

  `Can he wel speke of love?' quod she, `I preye,

  Tel me, for I the bet me shal purveye.'

  505 Tho Pandarus a litel gan to smyle,

  And seyde, `By my trouthe, I shal yow telle.

  This other day, nought gon ful longe whyle,

  In-with the paleys-gardyn, by a welle,

  Gan he and I wel half a day to dwelle,

  510 Right for to speken of an ordenaunce,

  How we the Grekes myghte disavaunce.

  `Sone after that bigonne we to lepe,

  And casten with our dartes to and fro,

  Til at the laste he seyde he wolde slepe,

  515 And on the gres a-doun he leyde him tho;

  And I after gan rome to and fro

  Til that I herde, as that I welk allone,

  How he bigan ful wofully to grone.

  `Tho gan I stalke him softely bihinde,

  520 And sikerly, the sothe for to seyne,

  As I can clepe ayein now to my minde,

  Right thus to Love he gan him for to pleyne;

  He seyde, "Lord! Have routhe up-on my peyne,

  Al have I been rebel in myn entente;

  525 Now, MEA CULPA, lord! I me repente.

  `"O god, that at thy disposicioun

  Ledest the fyn by Iuste purveyaunce,

  Of every wight, my lowe confessioun

  Accepte in gree, and send me swich penaunce

  530 As lyketh thee, but from desesperaunce,

  That may my goost departe awey fro thee,

  Thou be my sheld, for thy benignitee.

  `"For certes, lord, so soore hath she me wounded,

  That stod in blak, with loking of hir yen,

  535 That to myn hertes botme it is y-sounded,

  Thorugh which I woot that I mot nedes dyen;

  This is the worste, I dar me not bi-wryen;

  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.

  Who sey ever or this so dul a man?"

  "Ye, freend," quod he, "do ye your hedes ake

  550 For love, and lat me liven as I can."

  But though that he for wo was pale and wan,

  Yet made he tho as freshe a countenaunce

  As though he shulde have led the newe daunce.

  `This passed forth, til now, this other day,

  555 It fel that I com roming al allone

  Into his chaumbre, and fond how that he lay

  Up-on his bed; but man so sore grone

  Ne herde I never, and what that was his mone,

  Ne wist I nought; for, as I was cominge,

  560 Al sodeynly he lefte his compleyninge.

  `Of which I took somwat suspecioun,

  And neer I com, and fond he wepte sore;

  And god so wis be my savacioun,

  As never of thing hadde I no routhe more.

  565 For neither with engyn, ne with no lore,

  Unethes mighte I fro the deeth him kepe;

  That yet fele I myn herte for him wepe.

  `And god wot, never, sith that I was born,

  Was I so bisy no man for to preche,

  570 Ne never was to wight so depe y-sworn,

  Or he me tolde who mighte been his leche.

  But now to yow rehersen al his speche,

  Or alle his woful wordes for to soune,

  Ne bid me not, but ye wol see me swowne.

  575 `But for to save his lyf, and elles nought,

  And to non harm of yow, thus am I driven;

  And for the love of god that us hath wrought,

  Swich chere him dooth, that he and I may liven.

  Now have I plat to yow myn herte shriven;
<
br />   580 And sin ye woot that myn entente is clene,

  Tak hede ther-of, for I non yvel mene.

  `And right good thrift, I prey to god, have ye,

  That han swich oon y-caught with-oute net;

  And be ye wys, as ye ben fair to see,

  585 Wel in the ring than is the ruby set.

  Ther were never two so wel y-met,

  Whan ye ben his al hool, as he is youre:

  Ther mighty god yet graunte us see that houre!'

  `Nay, therof spak I not, a, ha!' quod she,

  590 `As helpe me god, ye shenden every deel!'

  `O mercy, dere nece,' anoon quod he,

  `What-so I spak, I mente nought but weel,

  By Mars the god, that helmed is of steel;

  Now beth nought wrooth, my blood, my nece dere.'

  595 `Now wel,' quod she, `foryeven be it here!'

  With this he took his leve, and hoom he wente;

  And lord, he was glad and wel bigoon!

  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.

  610 But as she sat allone and thoughte thus,

  Thascry aroos at skarmish al with-oute,

  And men cryde in the strete, `See, Troilus

  Hath right now put to flight the Grekes route!'

  With that gan al hir meynee for to shoute,

  615 `A! Go we see, caste up the latis wyde;

  For thurgh this strete he moot to palays ryde;

  `For other wey is fro the yate noon

  Of Dardanus, ther open is the cheyne.'

  With that com he and al his folk anoon

  620 An esy pas rydinge, in routes tweyne,

  Right as his happy day was, sooth to seyne,

  For which, men say, may nought disturbed be

  That shal bityden of necessitee.

  This Troilus sat on his baye stede,

  625 Al armed, save his heed, ful richely,

  And wounded was his hors, and gan to blede,

  On whiche he rood a pas, ful softely;

  But swych a knightly sighte, trewely,

  As was on him, was nought, with-outen faile,

  630 To loke on Mars, that god is of batayle.

  So lyk a man of armes and a knight

  He was to seen, fulfild of heigh prowesse;

  For bothe he hadde a body and a might

  To doon that thing, as wel as hardinesse;

  635 And eek to seen him in his gere him dresse,

  So fresh, so yong, so weldy semed he,

  It was an heven up-on him for to see.

  His helm to-hewen was in twenty places,

  That by a tissew heng, his bak bihinde,

  640 His sheld to-dasshed was with swerdes and maces,

  In which men mighte many an arwe finde

  That thirled hadde horn and nerf and rinde;

  And ay the peple cryde, `Here cometh our Ioye,

  And, next his brother, holdere up of Troye!'

  645 For which he wex a litel reed for shame,

  Whan he the peple up-on him herde cryen,

  That to biholde it was a noble game,

  How sobreliche he caste doun his yen.

  Cryseyda gan al his chere aspyen,

  650 And leet so softe it in hir herte sinke,

  That to hir-self she seyde, `Who yaf me drinke?'

  For of hir owene thought she wex al reed,

  Remembringe hir right thus, `Lo, this is he

  Which that myn uncle swereth he moot be deed,

  655 But I on him have mercy and pitee;'

  And with that thought, for pure a-shamed, she

  Gan in hir heed to pulle, and that as faste,

  Whyl he and al the peple for-by paste,

  And gan to caste and rollen up and doun

  660 With-inne hir thought his excellent prowesse,

  And his estat, and also his renoun,

  His wit, his shap, and eek his gentillesse;

  But most hir favour was, for his distresse

  Was al for hir, and thoughte it was a routhe

  665 To sleen swich oon, if that he mente trouthe.

  Now mighte som envyous Iangle thus,