Troilus and Criseyde

by Geoffrey Chaucer

  `Paraunter thenkestow: though it be so

  That kinde wolde doon hir to biginne

  1375 To han a maner routhe up-on my wo,

  Seyth Daunger, "Nay, thou shalt me never winne;

  So reuleth hir hir hertes goost with-inne,

  That, though she bende, yet she stant on rote;

  What in effect is this un-to my bote?"

  1380 `Thenk here-ayeins, whan that the sturdy ook,

  On which men hakketh ofte, for the nones,

  Receyved hath the happy falling strook,

  The grete sweigh doth it come al at ones,

  As doon these rokkes or these milne-stones.

  1385 For swifter cours cometh thing that is of wighte,

  Whan it descendeth, than don thinges lighte.

  `And reed that boweth doun for every blast,

  Ful lightly, cesse wind, it wol aryse;

  But so nil not an ook whan it is cast;

  1390 It nedeth me nought thee longe to forbyse.

  Men shal reioysen of a greet empryse

  Acheved wel, and stant with-outen doute,

  Al han men been the lenger ther-aboute.

  `But, Troilus, yet tel me, if thee lest,

  1395 A thing now which that I shal axen thee;

  Which is thy brother that thou lovest best

  As in thy verray hertes privetee?'

  `Y-wis, my brother Deiphebus,' quod he.

  `Now,' quod Pandare, `er houres twyes twelve,

  1400 He shal thee ese, unwist of it him-selve.

  `Now lat me allone, and werken as I may,'

  Quod he; and to Deiphebus wente he tho

  Which hadde his lord and grete freend ben ay;

  Save Troilus, no man he lovede so.

  1405 To telle in short, with-outen wordes mo,

  Quod Pandarus, `I pray yow that ye be

  Freend to a cause which that toucheth me.'

  `Yis, pardee,' quod Deiphebus, `wel thow wost,

  In al that ever I may, and god to-fore,

  1410 Al nere it but for man I love most,

  My brother Troilus; but sey wherfore

  It is; for sith that day that I was bore,

  I nas, ne never-mo to been I thinke,

  Ayeins a thing that mighte thee for-thinke.'

  1415 Pandare gan him thonke, and to him seyde,

  `Lo, sire, I have a lady in this toun,

  That is my nece, and called is Criseyde,

  Which some men wolden doon oppressioun,

  And wrongfully have hir possessioun:

  1420 Wherfor I of your lordship yow biseche

  To been our freend, with-oute more speche.'

  Deiphebus him answerde, `O, is not this,

  That thow spekest of to me thus straungely,

  Criseyda, my freend?' He seyde, `Yis.'

  1425 `Than nedeth,' quod Deiphebus, `hardely,

  Na-more to speke, for trusteth wel, that I

  Wol be hir champioun with spore and yerde;

  I roughte nought though alle hir foos it herde.

  `But tel me how, thou that woost al this matere,

  1430 How I might best avaylen? Now lat see.'

  Quod Pandarus; `If ye, my lord so dere,

  Wolden as now don this honour to me,

  To preyen hir to-morwe, lo, that she

  Come un-to yow hir pleyntes to devyse,

  1435 Hir adversaries wolde of it agryse.

  `And if I more dorste preye as now,

  And chargen yow to have so greet travayle,

  To han som of your bretheren here with yow,

  That mighten to hir cause bet avayle,

  1440 Than, woot I wel, she mighte never fayle

  For to be holpen, what at your instaunce,

  What with hir othere freendes governaunce.'

  Deiphebus, which that comen was, of kinde,

  To al honour and bountee to consente,

  1445 Answerde, `It shal be doon; and I can finde

  Yet gretter help to this in myn entente.

  What wolt thow seyn, if I for Eleyne sente

  To speke of this? I trowe it be the beste;

  For she may leden Paris as hir leste.

  1450 `Of Ector, which that is my lord, my brother,

  It nedeth nought to preye him freend to be;

  For I have herd him, o tyme and eek other,

  Speke of Criseyde swich honour, that he

  May seyn no bet, swich hap to him hath she.

  1455 It nedeth nought his helpes for to crave;

  He shal be swich, right as we wole him have.

  `Spek thou thy-self also to Troilus

  On my bihalve, and pray him with us dyne.'

  `Sire, al this shal be doon,' quod Pandarus;

  1460 And took his leve, and never gan to fyne,

  But to his neces hous, as streyt as lyne,

  He com; and fond hir fro the mete aryse;

  And sette him doun, and spak right in this wyse.

  He seyde, `O veray god, so have I ronne!

  1465 Lo, nece myn, see ye nought how I swete?

  I noot whether ye the more thank me conne.

  Be ye nought war how that fals Poliphete

  Is now aboute eft-sones for to plete,

  And bringe on yow advocacyes newe?'

  1470 `I? No,' quod she, and chaunged al hir hewe.

  `What is he more aboute, me to drecche

  And doon me wrong? What shal I do, allas?

  Yet of him-self no-thing ne wolde I recche,

  Nere it for Antenor and Eneas,

  1475 That been his freendes in swich maner cas;

  But, for the love of god, myn uncle dere,

  No fors of that; lat him have al y-fere;

  `With-outen that I have ynough for us.'

  `Nay,' quod Pandare, `it shal no-thing be so.

  1480 For I have been right now at Deiphebus,

  And Ector, and myne othere lordes mo,

  And shortly maked eche of hem his fo;

  That, by my thrift, he shal it never winne

  For ought he can, whan that so he biginne.'

  1485 And as they casten what was best to done,

  Deiphebus, of his owene curtasye,

  Com hir to preye, in his propre persone,

  To holde him on the morwe companye

  At diner, which she nolde not denye,

  1490 But goodly gan to his preyere obeye.

  He thonked hir, and wente up-on his weye.

  Whanne this was doon, this Pandare up a-noon,

  To telle in short, and forth gan for to wende

  To Troilus, as stille as any stoon;

  1495 And al this thing he tolde him, word and ende;

  And how that he Deiphebus gan to blende;

  And seyde him, `Now is tyme, if that thou conne,

  To bere thee wel to-morwe, and al is wonne.

  `Now spek, now prey, now pitously compleyne;

  1500 Lat not for nyce shame, or drede, or slouthe;

  Som-tyme a man mot telle his owene peyne;

  Bileve it, and she shal han on thee routhe;

  Thou shalt be saved by thy feyth, in trouthe.

  But wel wot I, thou art now in a drede;

  1505 And what it is, I leye, I can arede.

  `Thow t
hinkest now, "How sholde I doon al this?

  For by my cheres mosten folk aspye,

  That for hir love is that I fare a-mis;

  Yet hadde I lever unwist for sorwe dye."

  1510 Now thenk not so, for thou dost greet folye.

  For I right now have founden o manere

  Of sleighte, for to coveren al thy chere.

  `Thow shalt gon over night, and that as blyve,

  Un-to Deiphebus hous, as thee to pleye,

  1515 Thy maladye a-wey the bet to dryve,

  For-why thou semest syk, soth for to seye.

  Sone after that, doun in thy bed thee leye,

  And sey, thow mayst no lenger up endure,

  And ly right there, and byde thyn aventure.

  1520 `Sey that thy fever is wont thee for to take

  The same tyme, and lasten til a-morwe;

  And lat see now how wel thou canst it make,

  For, par-dee, syk is he that is in sorwe.

  Go now, farwel! And, Venus here to borwe,

  1525 I hope, and thou this purpos holde ferme,

  Thy grace she shal fully ther conferme.'

  Quod Troilus, `Y-wis, thou nedelees

  Conseylest me, that sykliche I me feyne,

  For I am syk in ernest, doutelees,

  1530 So that wel neigh I sterve for the peyne.'

  Quod Pandarus, `Thou shalt the bettre pleyne,

  And hast the lasse need to countrefete;

  For him men demen hoot that men seen swete.

  `Lo, holde thee at thy triste cloos, and I

  1535 Shal wel the deer un-to thy bowe dryve.'

  Therwith he took his leve al softely,

  And Troilus to paleys wente blyve.

  So glad ne was he never in al his lyve;

  And to Pandarus reed gan al assente,

  1540 And to Deiphebus hous at night he wente.

  What nedeth yow to tellen al the chere

  That Deiphebus un-to his brother made,

  Or his accesse, or his siklych manere,

  How men gan him with clothes for to lade,

  1545 Whan he was leyd, and how men wolde him glade?

  But al for nought; he held forth ay the wyse

  That ye han herd Pandare er this devyse.

  But certeyn is, er Troilus him leyde,

  Deiphebus had him prayed, over night,

  1550 To been a freend and helping to Criseyde.

  God woot, that he it grauntede anon-right,

  To been hir fulle freend with al his might.

  But swich a nede was to preye him thenne,

  As for to bidde a wood man for to renne.

  1555 The morwen com, and neighen gan the tyme

  Of meel-tyd, that the faire quene Eleyne

  Shoop hir to been, an houre after the pryme,

  With Deiphebus, to whom she nolde feyne;

  But as his suster, hoomly, sooth to seyne,

  1560 She com to diner in hir playn entente.

  But god and Pandare wiste al what this mente.

  Com eek Criseyde, al innocent of this,

  Antigone, hir sister Tarbe also;

  But flee we now prolixitee best is,

  1565 For love of god, and lat us faste go

  Right to the effect, with-oute tales mo,

  Why al this folk assembled in this place;

  And lat us of hir saluinges pace.

  Gret honour dide hem Deiphebus, certeyn,

  1570 And fedde hem wel with al that mighte lyke.

  But ever-more, `Allas!' was his refreyn,

  `My goode brother Troilus, the syke,

  Lyth yet"--and therwith-al he gan to syke;

  And after that, he peyned him to glade

  1575 Hem as he mighte, and chere good he made.

  Compleyned eek Eleyne of his syknesse

  So feithfully, that pitee was to here,

  And every wight gan waxen for accesse

  A leche anoon, and seyde, `In this manere

  1580 Men curen folk; this charme I wol yow lere.'

  But ther sat oon, al list hir nought to teche,

  That thoughte, best coude I yet been his leche.

  After compleynt, him gonnen they to preyse,

  As folk don yet, whan som wight hath bigonne

  1585 To preyse a man, and up with prys him reyse

  A thousand fold yet hyer than the sonne: --

  `He is, he can, that fewe lordes conne.'

  And Pandarus, of that they wolde afferme,

  He not for-gat hir preysing to conferme.

  1590 Herde al this thing Criseyde wel y-nough,

  And every word gan for to notifye;

  For which with sobre chere hir herte lough;

  For who is that ne wolde hir glorifye,

  To mowen swich a knight don live or dye?

  1595 But al passe I, lest ye to longe dwelle;

  For for o fyn is al that ever I telle.

  The tyme com, fro diner for to ryse,

  And, as hem oughte, arisen everychoon,

  And gonne a while of this and that devyse.

  1600 But Pandarus brak al this speche anoon,

  And seyde to Deiphebus, `Wole ye goon,

  If youre wille be, as I yow preyde,

  To speke here of the nedes of Criseyde?'

  Eleyne, which that by the hond hir held,

  1605 Took first the tale, and seyde, `Go we blyve;'

  And goodly on Criseyde she biheld,

  And seyde, `Ioves lat him never thryve,

  That dooth yow harm, and bringe him sone of lyve!

  And yeve me sorwe, but he shal it rewe,

  1610 If that I may, and alle folk be trewe.'

  `Tel thou thy neces cas,' quod Deiphebus

  To Pandarus, `for thou canst best it telle.' --

  `My lordes and my ladyes, it stant thus;

  What sholde I lenger,' quod he, `do yow dwelle?'

  1615 He rong hem out a proces lyk a belle,

  Up-on hir fo, that highte Poliphete,

  So heynous, that men mighte on it spete.

  Answerde of this ech worse of hem than other,

  And Poliphete they gonnen thus to warien,

  1620 `An-honged be swich oon, were he my brother;

  And so he shal, for it ne may not varien.'

  What sholde I lenger in this tale tarien?

  Pleynly, alle at ones, they hir highten

  To been hir helpe in al that ever they mighten.

  1625 Spak than Eleyne, and seyde, `Pandarus,

  Woot ought my lord, my brother, this matere,

  I mene, Ector? Or woot it Troilus?'

  He seyde, `Ye, but wole ye now me here?

  Me thinketh this, sith Troilus is here,

  1630 It were good, if that ye wolde assente,

  She tolde hir-self him al this, er she wente.

  `For he wole have the more hir grief at herte,

  By cause, lo, that she a lady is;

  And, by your leve, I wol but right in sterte,

  1635 And do yow wite, and that anoon, y-wis,

  If that he slepe, or wole ought here of this.'

  And in he lepte, and seyde him in his ere,

  `God have thy soule, y-brought have I thy bere!'

  To smylen of this gan tho Troilus,
/>   1640 And Pandarus, with-oute rekeninge,

  Out wente anoon to Eleyne and Deiphebus,

  And seyde hem, `So there be no taryinge,

  Ne more pres, he wol wel that ye bringe

  Criseyda, my lady, that is here;

  1645 And as he may enduren, he wole here.

  `But wel ye woot, the chaumbre is but lyte,

  And fewe folk may lightly make it warm;

  Now loketh ye, (for I wol have no wyte,

  To bringe in prees that mighte doon him harm

  1650 Or him disesen, for my bettre arm),

  Wher it be bet she byde til eft-sones;

  Now loketh ye, that knowen what to doon is.

  `I sey for me, best is, as I can knowe,

  That no wight in ne wente but ye tweye,

  1655 But it were I, for I can, in a throwe,

  Reherce hir cas unlyk that she can seye;

  And after this, she may him ones preye

  To ben good lord, in short, and take hir leve;

  This may not muchel of his ese him reve.

  1660 `And eek, for she is straunge, he wol forbere

  His ese, which that him thar nought for yow;

  Eek other thing that toucheth not to here,

  He wol me telle, I woot it wel right now,

  That secret is, and for the tounes prow.'

  1665 And they, that no-thing knewe of his entente,

  With-oute more, to Troilus in they wente.

  Eleyne, in al hir goodly softe wyse,

  Gan him saluwe, and womanly to pleye,

  And seyde, `Ywis, ye moste alweyes aryse!

  1670 Now fayre brother, beth al hool, I preye!'

  And gan hir arm right over his sholder leye,

  And him with al hir wit to recomforte;

  As she best coude, she gan him to disporte.

  So after this quod she, `We yow biseke,

  1675 My dere brother, Deiphebus and I,

  For love of god, and so doth Pandare eke,

  To been good lord and freend, right hertely,

  Un-to Criseyde, which that certeinly

  Receyveth wrong, as woot wel here Pandare,

  1680 That can hir cas wel bet than I declare.'

  This Pandarus gan newe his tunge affyle,

  And al hir cas reherce, and that anoon;

  Whan it was seyd, sone after, in a whyle,

  Quod Troilus, `As sone as I may goon,

  1685 I wol right fayn with al my might ben oon,

  Have god my trouthe, hir cause to sustene.'

  `Good thrift have ye,' quod Eleyne the quene.

  Quod Pandarus, `And it your wille be

  That she may take hir leve, er that she go?'

  1690 `O, elles god for-bede,' tho quod he,

  `If that she vouche sauf for to do so.'

  And with that word quod Troilus, `Ye two,

  Deiphebus, and my suster leef and dere,

  To yow have I to speke of o matere,

  1695 `To been avysed by your reed the bettre': --

  And fond, as hap was, at his beddes heed,

  The copie of a tretis and a lettre,

  That Ector hadde him sent to axen reed,

  If swich a man was worthy to ben deed,

  1700 Woot I nought who; but in a grisly wyse

  He preyede hem anoon on it avyse.

  Deiphebus gan this lettre to unfolde

  In ernest greet; so did Eleyne the quene;

  And rominge outward, fast it gan biholde,

  1705 Downward a steyre, in-to an herber grene.

  This ilke thing they redden hem bi-twene;

  And largely, the mountaunce of an houre,

  Thei gonne on it to reden and to poure.

  Now lat hem rede, and turne we anoon

  1710 To Pandarus, that gan ful faste prye

  That al was wel, and out he gan to goon

  In-to the grete chambre, and that in hye,

  And seyde, `God save al this companye!

  Com, nece myn; my lady quene Eleyne

  1715 Abydeth yow, and eek my lordes tweyne.

  `Rys, take with yow your nece Antigone,

  Or whom yow list, or no fors, hardily;

  The lesse prees, the bet; com forth with me,

  And loke that ye thonke humblely

  1720 Hem alle three, and, whan ye may goodly

  Your tyme y-see, taketh of hem your leve,

  Lest we to longe his restes him bireve.'

  Al innocent of Pandarus entente,

  Quod tho Criseyde, `Go we, uncle dere';

  1725 And arm in arm inward with him she wente,

  Avysed wel hir wordes and hir chere;

  And Pandarus, in ernestful manere,