Troilus and Criseyde

by Geoffrey Chaucer

Love, that knetteth lawe of companye,

  And couples doth in vertu for to dwelle,

  1750 Bind this acord, that I have told and telle;

  `That that the world with feyth, which that is stable,

  Dyverseth so his stoundes concordinge,

  That elements that been so discordable

  Holden a bond perpetuely duringe,

  1755 That Phebus mote his rosy day forth bringe,

  And that the mone hath lordship over the nightes,

  Al this doth Love; ay heried be his mightes!

  `That, that the see, that gredy is to flowen,

  Constreyneth to a certeyn ende so

  1760 His flodes, that so fersly they ne growen

  To drenchen erthe and al for ever-mo;

  And if that Love ought lete his brydel go,

  Al that now loveth a-sonder sholde lepe,

  And lost were al, that Love halt now to-hepe.

  1765 `So wolde god, that auctor is of kinde,

  That, with his bond, Love of his vertu liste

  To cerclen hertes alle, and faste binde,

  That from his bond no wight the wey out wiste.

  And hertes colde, hem wolde I that he twiste

  1770 To make hem love, and that hem leste ay rewe

  On hertes sore, and kepe hem that ben trewe.'

  In alle nedes, for the tounes werre,

  He was, and ay the firste in armes dight;

  And certeynly, but-if that bokes erre,

  1775 Save Ector, most y-drad of any wight;

  And this encrees of hardinesse and might

  Cam him of love, his ladies thank to winne,

  That altered his spirit so with-inne.

  In tyme of trewe, on haukinge wolde he ryde,

  1780 Or elles hunten boor, bere, or lyoun;

  The smale bestes leet he gon bi-syde.

  And whan that he com rydinge in-to toun,

  Ful ofte his lady, from hir window doun,

  As fresh as faucon comen out of muwe,

  1785 Ful redy was, him goodly to saluwe.

  And most of love and vertu was his speche,

  And in despyt hadde alle wrecchednesse;

  And doutelees, no nede was him biseche

  To honouren hem that hadde worthinesse,

  1790 And esen hem that weren in distresse.

  And glad was he if any wight wel ferde,

  That lover was, whan he it wiste or herde.

  For sooth to seyn, he lost held every wight

  But-if he were in loves heigh servyse,

  1795 I mene folk that oughte it been of right.

  And over al this, so wel coude he devyse

  Of sentement, and in so unkouth wyse

  Al his array, that every lover thoughte,

  That al was wel, what-so he seyde or wroughte.

  1800 And though that he be come of blood royal,

  Him liste of pryde at no wight for to chase;

  Benigne he was to ech in general,

  For which he gat him thank in every place.

  Thus wolde love, y-heried be his grace,

  1805 That Pryde, Envye, Ire, and Avaryce

  He gan to flee, and every other vyce.

  Thou lady bright, the doughter to Dione,

  Thy blinde and winged sone eek, daun Cupyde;

  Ye sustren nyne eek, that by Elicone

  1810 In hil Parnaso listen for to abyde,

  That ye thus fer han deyned me to gyde,

  I can no more, but sin that ye wol wende,

  Ye heried been for ay, with-outen ende!

  Thourgh yow have I seyd fully in my song

  1815 Theffect and Ioye of Troilus servyse,

  Al be that ther was som disese among,

  As to myn auctor listeth to devyse.

  My thridde book now ende ich in this wyse;

  And Troilus in luste and in quiete

  1820 Is with Criseyde, his owne herte swete.

  Explicit Liber Tercius.

  BOOK IV

  Prohemium.

  But al to litel, weylaway the whyle,

  Lasteth swich Ioye, y-thonked be Fortune!

  That semeth trewest, whan she wol bygyle,

  And can to foles so hir song entune,

  5 That she hem hent and blent, traytour comune;

  And whan a wight is from hir wheel y-throwe,

  Than laugheth she, and maketh him the mowe.

  From Troilus she gan hir brighte face

  Awey to wrythe, and took of him non hede,

  10 But caste him clene out of his lady grace,

  And on hir wheel she sette up Diomede;

  For which right now myn herte ginneth blede,

  And now my penne, allas! With which I wryte,

  Quaketh for drede of that I moot endyte.

  15 For how Criseyde Troilus forsook,

  Or at the leste, how that she was unkinde,

  Mot hennes-forth ben matere of my book,

  As wryten folk through which it is in minde.

  Allas! That they sholde ever cause finde

  20 To speke hir harm; and if they on hir lye,

  Y-wis, hem-self sholde han the vilanye.

  O ye Herines, Nightes doughtren three,

  That endelees compleynen ever in pyne,

  Megera, Alete, and eek Thesiphone;

  25 Thou cruel Mars eek, fader to Quiryne,

  This ilke ferthe book me helpeth fyne,

  So that the los of lyf and love y-fere

  Of Troilus be fully shewed here.

  Explicit prohemium.

  Incipit Quartus Liber.

  Ligginge in ost, as I have seyd er this,

  30 The Grekes stronge, aboute Troye toun,

  Bifel that, whan that Phebus shyning is

  Up-on the brest of Hercules Lyoun,

  That Ector, with ful many a bold baroun,

  Caste on a day with Grekes for to fighte,

  35 As he was wont to greve hem what he mighte.

  Not I how longe or short it was bitwene

  This purpos and that day they fighte mente;

  But on a day wel armed, bright and shene,

  Ector, and many a worthy wight out wente,

  40 With spere in hond and bigge bowes bente;

  And in the herd, with-oute lenger lette,

  Hir fomen in the feld anoon hem mette.

  The longe day, with speres sharpe y-grounde,

  With arwes, dartes, swerdes, maces felle,

  45 They fighte and bringen hors and man to grounde,

  And with hir axes out the braynes quelle.

  But in the laste shour, sooth for to telle,

  The folk of Troye hem-selven so misledden,

  That with the worse at night homward they fledden.

  50 At whiche day was taken Antenor,

  Maugre Polydamas or Monesteo,

  Santippe, Sarpedon, Polynestor,

  Polyte, or eek the Troian daun Ripheo,

  And othere lasse folk, as Phebuseo.

  55 So that, for harm, that day the folk of Troye

  Dredden to lese a greet part of hir Ioye.

  Of Pryamus was yeve, at Greek requeste,

  A tyme of trewe, and tho they gonnen trete,

  Hir prisoneres to chaungen, moste and leste,
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  60 And for the surplus yeven sommes grete.

  This thing anoon was couth in every strete,

  Bothe in thassege, in toune, and every-where,

  And with the firste it cam to Calkas ere.

  Whan Calkas knew this tretis sholde holde,

  65 In consistorie, among the Grekes, sone

  He gan in thringe forth, with lordes olde,

  And sette him there-as he was wont to done;

  And with a chaunged face hem bad a bone,

  For love of god, to don that reverence,

  70 To stinte noyse, and yeve him audience.

  Thanne seyde he thus, `Lo! Lordes myne, I was

  Troian, as it is knowen out of drede;

  And, if that yow remembre, I am Calkas,

  That alderfirst yaf comfort to your nede,

  75 And tolde wel how that ye sholden spede.

  For dredelees, thorugh yow, shal, in a stounde,

  Ben Troye y-brend, and beten doun to grounde.

  `And in what forme, or in what maner wyse

  This town to shende, and al your lust to acheve,

  80 Ye han er this wel herd it me devyse;

  This knowe ye, my lordes, as I leve.

  And for the Grekes weren me so leve,

  I com my-self in my propre persone,

  To teche in this how yow was best to done;

  85 `Havinge un-to my tresour ne my rente

  Right no resport, to respect of your ese.

  Thus al my good I loste and to yow wente,

  Wening in this you, lordes, for to plese.

  But al that los ne doth me no disese.

  90 I vouche-sauf, as wisly have I Ioye,

  For you to lese al that I have in Troye,

  `Save of a doughter, that I lafte, allas!

  Slepinge at hoom, whanne out of Troye I sterte.

  O sterne, O cruel fader that I was!

  95 How mighte I have in that so hard an herte?

  Allas! I ne hadde y-brought hir in hir sherte!

  For sorwe of which I wol not live to morwe,

  But-if ye lordes rewe up-on my sorwe.

  `For, by that cause I say no tyme er now

  100 Hir to delivere, I holden have my pees;

  But now or never, if that it lyke yow,

  I may hir have right sone, doutelees.

  O help and grace! Amonges al this prees,

  Rewe on this olde caitif in destresse,

  105 Sin I through yow have al this hevinesse!

  `Ye have now caught and fetered in prisoun

  Troians y-nowe; and if your willes be,

  My child with oon may have redempcioun.

  Now for the love of god and of bountee,

  110 Oon of so fele, allas! So yeve him me.

  What nede were it this preyere for to werne,

  Sin ye shul bothe han folk and toun as yerne?

  `On peril of my lyf, I shal nat lye,

  Appollo hath me told it feithfully;

  115 I have eek founde it be astronomye,

  By sort, and by augurie eek trewely,

  And dar wel seye, the tyme is faste by,

  That fyr and flaumbe on al the toun shal sprede;

  And thus shal Troye turne to asshen dede.

  120 `For certeyn, Phebus and Neptunus bothe,

  That makeden the walles of the toun,

  Ben with the folk of Troye alwey so wrothe,

  That thei wol bringe it to confusioun,

  Right in despyt of king Lameadoun.

  125 By-cause he nolde payen hem hir hyre,

  The toun of Troye shal ben set on-fyre.'

  Telling his tale alwey, this olde greye,

  Humble in speche, and in his lokinge eke,

  The salte teres from his eyen tweye

  130 Ful faste ronnen doun by eyther cheke.

  So longe he gan of socour hem by-seke

  That, for to hele him of his sorwes sore,

  They yave him Antenor, with-oute more.

  But who was glad y-nough but Calkas tho?

  135 And of this thing ful sone his nedes leyde

  On hem that sholden for the tretis go,

  And hem for Antenor ful ofte preyde

  To bringen hoom king Toas and Criseyde;

  And whan Pryam his save-garde sente,

  140 Thembassadours to Troye streyght they wente.

  The cause y-told of hir cominge, the olde

  Pryam the king ful sone in general

  Let here-upon his parlement to holde,

  Of which the effect rehersen yow I shal.

  145 Thembassadours ben answered for fynal,

  Theschaunge of prisoners and al this nede

  Hem lyketh wel, and forth in they procede.

  This Troilus was present in the place,

  Whan axed was for Antenor Criseyde,

  150 For which ful sone chaungen gan his face,

  As he that with tho wordes wel neigh deyde.

  But nathelees, he no word to it seyde,

  Lest men sholde his affeccioun espye;

  With mannes herte he gan his sorwes drye.

  155 And ful of anguissh and of grisly drede

  Abood what lordes wolde un-to it seye;

  And if they wolde graunte, as god forbede,

  Theschaunge of hir, than thoughte he thinges tweye,

  First, how to save hir honour, and what weye

  160 He mighte best theschaunge of hir withstonde;

  Ful faste he caste how al this mighte stonde.

  Love him made al prest to doon hir byde,

  And rather dye than she sholde go;

  But resoun seyde him, on that other syde,

  165 `With-oute assent of hir ne do not so,

  Lest for thy werk she wolde be thy fo,

  And seyn, that thorugh thy medling is y-blowe

  Your bother love, there it was erst unknowe.'

  For which he gan deliberen, for the beste,

  170 That though the lordes wolde that she wente,

  He wolde lat hem graunte what hem leste,

  And telle his lady first what that they mente.

  And whan that she had seyd him hir entente,

  Ther-after wolde he werken also blyve,

  175 Though al the world ayein it wolde stryve.

  Ector, which that wel the Grekes herde,

  For Antenor how they wolde han Criseyde,

  Gan it withstonde, and sobrely answerde: --

  `Sires, she nis no prisoner,' he seyde;

  180 `I noot on yow who that this charge leyde,

  But, on my part, ye may eft-sone hem telle,

  We usen here no wommen for to selle.'

  The noyse of peple up-stirte thanne at ones,

  As breme as blase of straw y-set on fyre;

  185 For infortune it wolde, for the nones,

  They sholden hir confusioun desyre.

  `Ector,' quod they, `what goost may yow enspyre

  This womman thus to shilde and doon us lese

  Daun Antenor? -- a wrong wey now ye chese --

  190 `That is so wys, and eek so bold baroun,

  And we han nede to folk, as men may see;

  He is eek oon, the grettest of this toun;

  O Ector, lat tho fantasyes be!

/>   O king Priam,' quod they, `thus seggen we,

  195 That al our voys is to for-gon Criseyde;'

  And to deliveren Antenor they preyde.

  O Iuvenal, lord! Trewe is thy sentence,

  That litel witen folk what is to yerne

  That they ne finde in hir desyr offence;

  200 For cloud of errour let hem not descerne

  What best is; and lo, here ensample as yerne.

  This folk desiren now deliveraunce

  Of Antenor, that broughte hem to mischaunce!

  For he was after traytour to the toun

  205 Of Troye; allas! They quitte him out to rathe;

  O nyce world, lo, thy discrecioun!

  Criseyde, which that never dide hem skathe,

  Shal now no lenger in hir blisse bathe;

  But Antenor, he shal com hoom to toune,

  210 And she shal out; thus seyden here and howne.

  For which delibered was by parlement

  For Antenor to yelden out Criseyde,

  And it pronounced by the president,

  Al-theigh that Ector `nay' ful ofte preyde.

  215 And fynaly, what wight that it with-seyde,

  It was for nought, it moste been, and sholde;

  For substaunce of the parlement it wolde.

  Departed out of parlement echone,

  This Troilus, with-oute wordes mo,

  220 Un-to his chaumbre spedde him faste allone,

  But-if it were a man of his or two,

  The whiche he bad out faste for to go,

  By-cause he wolde slepen, as he seyde,

  And hastely up-on his bed him leyde.

  225 And as in winter leves been biraft,

  Eche after other, til the tree be bare,

  So that ther nis but bark and braunche y-laft,

  Lyth Troilus, biraft of ech wel-fare,

  Y-bounden in the blake bark of care,

  230 Disposed wood out of his wit to breyde,

  So sore him sat the chaunginge of Criseyde.

  He rist him up, and every dore he shette

  And windowe eek, and tho this sorweful man

  Up-on his beddes syde a-doun him sette,

  235 Ful lyk a deed image pale and wan;

  And in his brest the heped wo bigan

  Out-breste, and he to werken in this wyse

  In his woodnesse, as I shal yow devyse.

  Right as the wilde bole biginneth springe

  240 Now here, now there, y-darted to the herte,

  And of his deeth roreth in compleyninge,

  Right so gan he aboute the chaumbre sterte,

  Smyting his brest ay with his festes smerte;

  His heed to the wal, his body to the grounde

  245 Ful ofte he swapte, him-selven to confounde.

  His eyen two, for pitee of his herte,

  Out stremeden as swifte welles tweye;

  The heighe sobbes of his sorwes smerte

  His speche him refte, unnethes mighte he seye,

  250 `O deeth, allas! Why niltow do me deye?

  A-cursed be the day which that nature

  Shoop me to ben a lyves creature!'

  But after, whan the furie and the rage

  Which that his herte twiste and faste threste,

  255 By lengthe of tyme somwhat gan asswage,

  Up-on his bed he leyde him doun to reste;

  But tho bigonne his teres more out-breste,

  That wonder is, the body may suffyse

  To half this wo, which that I yow devyse.

  260 Than seyde he thus, `Fortune! Allas the whyle!

  What have I doon, what have I thus a-gilt?

  How mightestow for reuthe me bigyle?

  Is ther no grace, and shal I thus be spilt?

  Shal thus Criseyde awey, for that thou wilt?

  265 Allas! How maystow in thyn herte finde

  To been to me thus cruel and unkinde?

  `Have I thee nought honoured al my lyve,

  As thou wel wost, above the goddes alle?

  Why wiltow me fro Ioye thus depryve?

  270 O Troilus, what may men now thee calle

  But wrecche of wrecches, out of honour falle

  In-to miserie, in which I wol biwayle

  Criseyde, allas! Til that the breeth me fayle?

  `Allas, Fortune! If that my lyf in Ioye

  275 Displesed hadde un-to thy foule envye,

  Why ne haddestow my fader, king of Troye,

  By-raft the lyf, or doon my bretheren dye,

  Or slayn my-self, that thus compleyne and crye,

  I, combre-world, that may of no-thing serve,

  280 But ever dye, and never fully sterve?

  `If that Criseyde allone were me laft,