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    Troilus and Criseyde - Original and Modernised Text by Geoffrey Chaucer - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)
    Troilus and Criseyde - Original and Modernised Text by Geoffrey Chaucer - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)
    Troilus and Criseyde - Original and Modernised Text by Geoffrey Chaucer - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)
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    Troilus and Criseyde - Original and Modernised Text by Geoffrey Chaucer - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)

    By Geoffrey Chaucer

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    This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘Troilus and Criseyde' in the Original medieval text and a Modernised Text, from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer’.



    Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Chaucer includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily.

    eBook features:
    * The complete unabridged text of ‘Troilus and Criseyde - Original and Modernised Text by Geoffrey Chaucer - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’
    * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Chaucer’s works
    * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook
    * Excellent formatting of the textPlease visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPublishdrive
    Release dateJul 17, 2017
    ISBN9781788774772
    Troilus and Criseyde - Original and Modernised Text by Geoffrey Chaucer - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)
    Author

    Geoffrey Chaucer

    Geoffrey Chaucer (1340s-1400) was an English poet and civil servant. Born in London to a family of wealthy vintners, Chaucer became a page to a noblewoman as a teenager, gaining access to the court of King Edward III. He served in the English army at the beginning of the Hundred Years’ War, was captured during the siege of Rheims, and returned to England after a sizeable ransom was paid by the king. Afterward, he travelled throughout Europe, married Philippa de Roet—with whom he had four children—and eventually settled in London to study law. In 1367, Chaucer joined the royal court of Edward III, serving in a variety of roles while also writing his earliest known poem, The Book of the Duchess. In 1373, following a military expedition in Picardy, he visited Genoa and Florence where he is believed to have met both Petrarch and Boccaccio, who introduced him to the Italian poetry that would heavily influence the form and content of his own work. Chaucer was appointed to the role of comptroller of customs for the port of London in 1374, a position he would hold for the next twelve years. He is believed to have written The Canterbury Tales—his most important work and an early masterpiece of English literature—in the early 1380s, was appointed clerk of the king’s works in 1389, and, in the last decade of his life, lived on an annual pension granted him by King Richard II. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, and is recognized today as the father of English literature.

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      Book preview

      Troilus and Criseyde - Original and Modernised Text by Geoffrey Chaucer - Delphi Classics (Illustrated) - Geoffrey Chaucer

      The Complete Works of

      GEOFFREY CHAUCER

      VOLUME 6 OF 16

      Troilus and Criseyde - Original and Modernised Text

      Parts Edition

      By Delphi Classics, 2012

      Version 1

      COPYRIGHT

      ‘Troilus and Criseyde - Original and Modernised Text’

      Geoffrey Chaucer: Parts Edition (in 16 parts)

      First published in the United Kingdom in 2017 by Delphi Classics.

      © Delphi Classics, 2017.

      All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other than that in which it is published.

      ISBN: 978 1 78877 477 2

      Delphi Classics

      is an imprint of

      Delphi Publishing Ltd

      Hastings, East Sussex

      United Kingdom

      Contact: sales@delphiclassics.com

      www.delphiclassics.com

      Geoffrey Chaucer: Parts Edition

      This eBook is Part 6 of the Delphi Classics edition of Geoffrey Chaucer in 16 Parts. It features the unabridged text of Troilus and Criseyde - Original and Modernised Text from the bestselling edition of the author’s Complete Works. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. Our Parts Editions feature original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of Geoffrey Chaucer, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily.

      Visit here to buy the entire Parts Edition of Geoffrey Chaucer or the Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer in a single eBook.

      Learn more about our Parts Edition, with free downloads, via this link or browse our most popular Parts here.

      GEOFFREY CHAUCER

      IN 16 VOLUMES

      Parts Edition Contents

      The Poetry

      1, The Romaunt of the Rose

      2, The Book of the Duchess

      3, The House of Fame

      4, Anelida and Arcite

      5, Parlement of Foules

      6, Troilus and Criseyde - Original and Modernised Text

      7, The Legend of Good Women

      8, The Canterbury Tales - Original and Modernised Text

      9, Minor Poems

      The Non-Fiction

      10, Boece

      11, Treatise on the Astrolabe

      The Criticism

      12, The Criticism

      The Biographies

      13, Chaucer and His England by G. G. Coulton

      14, Chaucer by Sir Adolphus William Ward

      15, Chaucer’s Official Life by James Root Hulbert

      16, Brief Life of Geoffrey Chaucer by D. Laing Purves

      www.delphiclassics.com

      Troilus and Criseyde - Original and Modernised Text

      TROILUS AND CRISEYDE (ORIGINAL)

      Regarded by many scholars as Chaucer’s finest work, Troilus and Criseyde is an epic poem that tells the story of the eponymous tragic lovers during the mythical Siege of Troy. The poem was composed using rime royale and most likely written during the mid 1380s. Unlike the more famous The Canterbury Tales, this poem is a completed work and offers a unified and perfected structure.

      The poem introduces the character Criseyde, who lives alone in Troy after her father abandons the Trojans to help the Greeks. Eventually she catches the attention of Troilus, who had previously scoffed at love.  With the help of Criseyde’s uncle Pandarus, Troilus tries to win her affections, though ultimately it is a tragic tale, with an unfortunate end in store for the lovers.

      Although Troilus is originally a character from Ancient Greek literature, the expanded story of him as a lover was first introduced in Benoît de Sainte-Maure’s medieval poem Roman de Troie.  However, Chaucer’s principal source appears to have been Boccaccio, who retold the story in Il Filostrato. Chaucer’s version of the tale is less misogynistic than Boccaccio’s, with Criseyde portrayed as a fearful and timid character, rather than simply as a fickle betrayer.  Chaucer’s tale also blends the theme of sorrow with humour, creating a more rounded and complex work.

      A medieval depiction of Chaucer recounting ‘Troilus and Criseyde’

      CONTENTS

      Book I

      Book II

      Book III

      Book IV

      Book V

      An early woodcut of the tragic lovers

      Book I

      Link for the modernised and annotated text

      1.  THE DOUBLE sorwe of Troilus to tellen,

      That was the king Priamus sone of Troye,

      In lovinge, how his aventures fellen

      Fro wo to wele, and after out of Ioye,

      My purpos is, er that I parte fro ye.   5

      Thesiphone, thou help me for tendyte

      Thise woful vers, that wepen as I wryte!

      2.  To thee clepe I, thou goddesse of torment,

      Thou cruel Furie, sorwing ever in peyne;

      Help me, that am the sorwful instrument   10

      That helpeth lovers, as I can, to pleyne!

      For wel sit it, the sothe for to seyne,

      A woful wight to han a drery fere,

      And, to a sorwful tale, a sory chere.

      3.  For I, that god of Loves servaunts serve,   15

      Ne dar to Love, for myn unlyklinesse,

      Preyen for speed, al sholde I therfor sterve,

      So fer am I fro his help in derknesse;

      But nathelees, if this may doon gladnesse

      To any lover, and his cause avayle,   20

      Have he my thank, and myn be this travayle!

      4.  But ye loveres, that bathen in gladnesse,

      If any drope of pitee in yow be,

      Remembreth yow on passed hevinesse

      That ye han felt, and on the adversitee   25

      Of othere folk, and thenketh how that ye

      Han felt that Love dorste yow displese;

      Or ye han wonne him with to greet an ese.

      5.  And preyeth for hem that ben in the cas

      Of Troilus, as ye may after here,   30

      That love hem bringe in hevene to solas,

      And eek for me preyeth to god so dere,

      That I have might to shewe, in som manere,

      Swich peyne and wo as Loves folk endure,

      In Troilus unsely aventure.   35

      6.  And biddeth eek for hem that been despeyred

      In love, that never nil recovered be,

      And eek for hem that falsly been apeyred

      Thorugh wikked tonges, be it he or she;

      Thus biddeth god, for his benignitee,   40

      To graunte hem sone out of this world to pace,

      That been despeyred out of Loves grace.

      7.  And biddeth eek for hem that been at ese,

      That god hem graunte ay good perseveraunce,

      And sende hem might hir ladies so to plese,   45

      That it to Love be worship and plesaunce.

      For so hope I my soule best avaunce,

      To preye for hem that Loves servaunts be,

      And wryte hir wo, and live in charitee.

      8.  And for to have of hem compassioun   50

      As though I were hir owene brother dere.

      Now herkeneth with a gode entencioun,

      For now wol I gon streight to my matere,

      In whiche ye may the double sorwes here

      Of Troilus, in loving of Criseyde,   55

      And how that she forsook him er she deyde.

      9.  IT is wel wist, how that the Grekes stronge

      In armes with a thousand shippes wente

      To Troyewardes, and the citee longe

      Assegeden neigh ten yeer er they stente,   60

      And, in diverse wyse and oon entente,

      The ravisshing to wreken of Eleyne,

      By Paris doon, they wroughten al hir peyne.

      10.  Now fil it so, that in the toun ther was

      Dwellinge a lord of greet auctoritee,   65

      A gret devyn that cleped was Calkas,

      That in science so expert was, that he

      Knew wel that Troye sholde destroyed be,

      By answere of his god, that highte thus,

      Daun Phebus or Apollo Delphicus.   70

      11.  So whan this Calkas knew by calculinge,

      And eek by answere of this Appollo,

      That Grekes sholden swich a peple bringe,

      Thorugh which that Troye moste been for-do,

      He caste anoon out of the toun to go;   75

      For wel wiste he, by sort, that Troye sholde

      Destroyed been, ye, wolde who-so nolde.

      12.  For which, for to departen softely

      Took purpos ful this forknowinge wyse,

      And to the Grekes ost ful prively   80

      He stal anoon; and they, in curteys wyse,

      Him deden bothe worship and servyse,

      In trust that he hath conning hem to rede

      In every peril which that is to drede.

      13.  The noyse up roos, whan it was first aspyed,   85

      Thorugh al the toun, and generally was spoken,

      That Calkas traytor fled was, and allyed

      With hem of Grece; and casten to ben wroken

      On him that falsly hadde his feith so broken;

      And seyden, he and al his kin at ones   90

      Ben worthy for to brennen, fel and bones.

      14.  Now hadde Calkas left, in this meschaunce,

      Al unwist of this false and wikked dede,

      His doughter, which that was in gret penaunce,

      For of hir lyf she was ful sore in drede,   95

      As she that niste what was best to rede;

      For bothe a widowe was she, and allone

      Of any freend, to whom she dorste hir mone.

      15.  Criseyde was this lady name a-right;

      As to my dome, in al Troyes citee   100

      Nas noon so fair, for passing every wight

      So aungellyk was hir natyf beautee,

      That lyk a thing inmortal semed she,

      As doth an hevenish parfit creature,

      That doun were sent in scorning of nature.   105

      16.  This lady, which that al-day herde at ere

      Hir fadres shame, his falsnesse and tresoun,

      Wel nigh out of hir wit for sorwe and fere,

      In widewes habit large of samit broun,

      On knees she fil biforn Ector a-doun;   110

      With pitous voys, and tendrely wepinge,

      His mercy bad, hir-selven excusinge.

      17.  Now was this Ector pitous of nature,

      And saw that she was sorwfully bigoon,

      And that she was so fair a creature;   115

      Of his goodnesse he gladed hir anoon,

      And seyde, ‘lat your fadres treson goon

      Forth with mischaunce, and ye your-self, in Ioye,

      Dwelleth with us, whyl you good list, in Troye.

      18.  And al thonour that men may doon yow have,   120

      As ferforth as your fader dwelled here,

      Ye shul han, and your body shal men save,

      As fer as I may ought enquere or here.’

      And she him thonked with ful humble chere,

      And ofter wolde, and it hadde ben his wille,   125

      And took hir leve, and hoom, and held hir stille.

      19.  And in hir hous she abood with swich meynee

      As to hir honour nede was to holde;

      And whyl she was dwellinge in that citee,

      Kepte hir estat, and bothe of yonge and olde   130

      Ful wel beloved, and wel men of hir tolde.

      But whether that she children hadde or noon,

      I rede it nought; therfore I lete it goon.

      20.  The thinges fellen, as they doon of werre,

      Bitwixen hem of Troye and Grekes ofte;   135

      For som day boughten they of Troye it derre,

      And eft the Grekes founden no thing softe

      The folk of Troye; and thus fortune on-lofte,

      And under eft, gan hem to wheelen bothe

      After hir cours, ay whyl they were wrothe.   140

      21.  But how this toun com to destruccioun

      Ne falleth nought to purpos me to telle;

      For it were here a long disgressioun

      Fro my matere, and yow to longe dwelle.

      But the Troyane gestes, as they felle,   145

      In Omer, or in Dares, or in Dyte,

      Who-so that can, may rede hem as they wryte.

      22.  But though that Grekes hem of Troye shetten,

      And hir citee bisegede al a-boute,

      Hir olde usage wolde they not letten,   150

      As for to honoure hir goddes ful devoute;

      But aldermost in honour, out of doute,

      They hadde a relik hight Palladion,

      That was hir trist a-boven everichon.

      23.  And so bifel, whan comen was the tyme   155

      Of Aperil, whan clothed is the mede

      With newe grene, of lusty Ver the pryme,

      And swote smellen floures whyte and rede,

      In sondry wyses shewed, as I rede,

      The folk of Troye hir observaunces olde,   160

      Palladiones feste for to holde.

      24.  And to the temple, in al hir beste wyse,

      In general, ther wente many a wight,

      To herknen of Palladion the servyse;

      And namely, so many a lusty knight,   165

      So many a lady fresh and mayden bright,

      Ful wel arayed, bothe moste and leste,

      Ye, bothe for the seson and the feste.

      25.  Among thise othere folk was Criseyda,

      In widewes habite blak; but nathelees,   170

      Right as our firste lettre is now an A,

      In beautee first so stood she, makelees;

      Hir godly looking gladede al the prees.

      Nas never seyn thing to ben preysed derre,

      Nor under cloude blak so bright a sterre   175

      26.  As was Criseyde, as folk seyde everichoon

      That hir bihelden in hir blake wede;

      And yet she stood ful lowe and stille alloon,

      Bihinden othere folk, in litel brede,

      And neigh the dore, ay under shames drede,   180

      Simple of a-tyr, and debonaire of chere,

      With ful assured loking and manere.

      27.  This Troilus, as he was wont to gyde

      His yonge knightes, ladde hem up and doun

      In thilke large temple on every syde,   185

      Biholding ay the ladyes of the toun,

      Now here, now there, for no devocioun

      Hadde he to noon, to reven him his reste,

      But gan to preyse and lakken whom him leste.

      28.  And in his walk ful fast he gan to wayten   190

      If knight or squyer of his companye

      Gan for to syke, or lete his eyen bayten

      On any woman that he coude aspye;

      He wolde smyle, and holden it folye,

      And seye him thus, ‘god wot, she slepeth softe   195

      For love of thee, whan thou tornest ful ofte!

      29.  ‘I have herd told, pardieux, of your livinge,

      Ye lovers, and your lewede observaunces,

      And which a labour folk han in winninge

      Of love, and, in the keping, which doutaunces;   200

      And whan your preye is lost, wo and penaunces;

      O verrey foles! nyce and blinde be ye;

      Ther nis not oon can war by other be.’

      30.  And with that word he gan cast up the browe,

      Ascaunces, ‘lo! is this nought wysly spoken?’   205

      At which the god of love gan loken rowe

      Right for despyt, and shoop for to ben wroken;

      He kidde anoon his bowe nas not broken;

      For sodeynly he hit him at the fulle;

      And yet as proud a pekok can he pulle.   210

      31.  O blinde world, O blinde entencioun!

      How ofte falleth al theffect contraire

      Of surquidrye and foul presumpcioun;

      For caught is proud, and caught is debonaire.

      This Troilus is clomben on the staire,   215

      And litel weneth that he moot descenden.

      But al-day falleth thing that foles ne wenden.

      32.  As proude Bayard ginneth for to skippe

      Out of the wey, so priketh him his corn,

      Til he a lash have of the longe whippe,   220

      Than thenketh he, ‘though I praunce al biforn

      First in the trays, ful fat and newe shorn,

      Yet am I but an hors, and horses lawe

      I moot endure, and with my feres drawe.’

      33.  So ferde it by this fers and proude knight;   225

      Though he a worthy kinges sone were,

      And wende no-thing hadde had swiche might

      Ayens his wil that sholde his herte stere,

      Yet with a look his herte wex a-fere,

      That he, that now was most in pryde above,   230

      Wex sodeynly most subget un-to love.

      34.  For-thy ensample taketh of this man,

      Ye wyse, proude, and worthy folkes alle,

      To scornen Love, which that so sone can

      The freedom of your hertes to him thralle;   235

      For ever it was, and ever it shal bifalle,

      That Love is he that alle thing may binde;

      For may no man for-do the lawe of kinde.

      35.  That this be sooth, hath preved and doth yet;

      For this trowe I ye knowen, alle or some,   240

      Men reden not that folk han gretter wit

      Than they that han be most with love y-nome;

      And strengest folk ben therwith overcome,

      The worthiest and grettest of degree;

      This was, and is, and yet men shal it see.   245

      36.  And trewelich it sit wel to be so;

      For alderwysest han ther-with ben plesed;

      And they that han ben aldermost in wo,

      With love han ben conforted most and esed;

      And ofte it hath the cruel herte apesed,   250

      And worthy folk maad worthier of name,

      And causeth most to dreden vyce and shame.

      37.  Now sith it may not goodly be withstonde,

      And is a thing so vertuous in kinde,

      Refuseth not to Love for to be bonde,   255

      Sin, as him-selven list, he may yow binde.

      The yerde is bet that bowen wole and winde

      Than that that brest; and therfor I yow rede

      To folwen him that so wel can yow lede.

      38.  But for to tellen forth in special   260

      As of this kinges sone of which I tolde,

      And leten other thing collateral,

      Of him thenke I my tale for to holde,

      Bothe of his Ioye, and of his cares colde;

      And al his werk, as touching this matere,   265

      For I it gan, I wil ther-to refere.

      39.  With-inne the temple he wente him forth pleyinge,

      This Troilus, of every wight aboute,

      On this lady and now on that lokinge,

      Wher-so she were of toune, or of with-oute:   270

      And up-on cas bifel, that thorugh a route

      His eye perced, and so depe it wente,

      Til on Criseyde it smoot, and ther it stente.

      40.  And sodeynly he wex ther-with astoned,

      And gan hire bet biholde in thrifty wyse:   275

      ‘O mercy, god!’ thoughte he, ‘wher hastow woned,

      That art so fair and goodly to devyse?’

      Ther-with his herte gan to sprede and ryse,

      And softe sighed, lest men mighte him here,

      And caughte a-yein his firste pleyinge chere.   280

      41.  She nas not with the leste of hir stature,

      But alle hir limes so wel answeringe

      Weren to womanhode, that creature

      Was neuer lasse mannish in seminge.

      And eek the pure wyse of here meninge   285

      Shewede wel, that men might in hir gesse

      Honour, estat, and wommanly noblesse.

      42.  To Troilus right wonder wel with-alle

      Gan for to lyke hir mening and hir chere,

      Which somdel deynous was, for she leet falle   290

      Hir look a lite a-side, in swich manere,

      Ascaunces, ‘what! may I not stonden here?’

      And after that hir loking gan she lighte,

      That never thoughte him seen so good a sighte.

      43.  And of hir look in him ther gan to quiken   295

      So greet desir, and swich affeccioun,

      That in his hertes botme gan to stiken

      Of hir his fixe and depe impressioun:

      And though he erst hadde poured up and doun,

      He was tho glad his hornes in to shrinke;   300

      Unnethes wiste he how to loke or winke.

      44.  Lo, he that leet him-selven so konninge,

      And scorned hem that loves peynes dryen,

      Was ful unwar that love hadde his dwellinge

      With-inne the subtile stremes of hir yën;   305

      That sodeynly him thoughte he felte dyen,

      Right with hir look, the spirit in his herte;

      Blessed be love, that thus can folk converte!

      45.  She, this in blak, lykinge to Troylus,

      Over alle thyng he stood for to biholde;   310

      Ne his desir, ne wherfor he stood thus,

      He neither chere made, ne worde tolde;

      But from a-fer, his maner for to holde,

      On other thing his look som-tyme he caste,

      And eft on hir, whyl that servyse laste.   315

      46.  And after this, not fulliche al awhaped,

      Out of the temple al esiliche he wente,

      Repentinge him that he hadde ever y-iaped

      Of loves folk, lest fully the descente

      Of scorn fille on him-self; but, what he mente,   320

      Lest it were wist on any maner syde,

      His wo he gan dissimulen and hyde.

      47.  Whan he was fro the temple thus departed,

      He streyght anoon un-to his paleys torneth,

      Right with hir look thurgh-shoten and thurgh-darted,   325

      Al feyneth he in lust that he soiorneth;

      And al his chere and speche also he borneth;

      And ay, of loves servants every whyle,

      Him-self to wrye, at hem he gan to smyle.

      48.  And seyde, ‘lord, so ye live al in lest,   330

      Ye loveres! for the conningest of yow,

      That serveth most ententiflich and best,

      Him tit as often harm ther-of as prow;

      Your hyre is quit ayein, ye, god wot how!

      Nought wel for wel, but scorn for good servyse;   335

      In feith, your ordre is ruled in good wyse!

      49.  In noun-certeyn ben alle your observaunces,

      But it a sely fewe poyntes be;

      Ne no-thing asketh so grete attendaunces

      As doth your lay, and that knowe alle ye;   340

      But that is not the worste, as mote I thee;

      But, tolde I yow the worste poynt, I leve,

      Al seyde I sooth, ye wolden at me greve!

      50.  But tak this, that ye loveres ofte eschuwe,

      Or elles doon of good entencioun,   345

      Ful ofte thy lady wole it misconstrue,

      And deme it harm in hir opinioun;

      And yet if she, for other enchesoun,

      Be wrooth, than shalt thou han a groyn anoon:

      Lord! wel is him that may be of yow oon!’   350

      51.  But for al this, whan that he say his tyme,

      He held his pees, non other bote him gayned;

      For love bigan his fetheres so to lyme,

      That wel unnethe un-to his folk he feyned

      That othere besye nedes him destrayned;   355

      For wo was him, that what to doon he niste,

      But bad his folk to goon wher that hem liste.

      52.  And whan that he in chaumbre was allone,

      He doun up-on his beddes feet him sette,

      And first he gan to syke, and eft to grone,   360

      And thoughte ay on hir so, with-outen lette,

      That, as he sat and wook, his spirit mette

      That he hir saw a temple, and al the wyse

      Right of hir loke, and gan it newe avyse.

      53.  Thus gan he make a mirour of his minde,   365

      In which he saugh al hoolly hir figure;

      And that he wel coude in his herte finde,

      It was to him a right good aventure

      To love swich oon, and if he dide his cure

      To serven hir, yet mighte he falle in grace,   370

      Or elles, for oon of hir servaunts pace.

      54.  Imagininge that travaille nor grame

      Ne mighte, for so goodly oon, be lorn

      As she, ne him for his desir ne shame,

      Al were it wist, but in prys and up-born   375

      Of alle lovers wel more than biforn;

      Thus argumented he in his ginninge,

      Ful unavysed of his wo cominge.

      55.  Thus took he purpos loves craft to suwe,

      And thoughte he wolde werken prively,   380

      First, to hyden his desir in muwe

      From every wight y-born, al-outrely,

      But he mighte ought recovered be therby;

      Remembring him, that love to wyde y-blowe

      Yelt bittre fruyt, though swete seed be sowe.   385

      56.  And over al this, yet muchel more he thoughte

      What for to speke, and what to holden inne,

      And what to arten hir to love he soughte,

      And on a song anoon-right to biginne,

      And gan loude on his sorwe for to winne;   390

      For with good hope he gan fully assente

      Criseyde for to love, and nought repente.

      57.  And of his song nought only the sentence,

      As writ myn autour called Lollius,

      But pleynly, save our tonges difference,   395

      I dar wel sayn, in al that Troilus

      Seyde in his song; lo! every word right thus

      As I shal seyn; and who-so list it here,

      Lo! next this vers, he may it finden here.

      Cantus Troili.

      58.  ‘If no love is, O god, what fele I so?   400

      And if love is, what thing and whiche is he!

      If love be good, from whennes comth my wo?

      If it be wikke, a wonder thinketh me,

      Whenne every torment and adversitee

      That cometh of him, may to me savory thinke;   405

      For ay thurst I, the more that I it drinke.

      59.  And if that at myn owene lust I brenne,

      Fro whennes cometh my wailing and my pleynte?

      If harme agree me, wher-to pleyne I thenne?

      I noot, ne why unwery that I feynte.   410

      O quike deeth, o swete harm so queynte,

      How may of thee in me swich quantitee,

      But-if that I consente that it be?

      60.  And if that I consente, I wrongfully

      Compleyne, y-wis; thus possed to and fro,   415

      Al sterelees with-inne a boot am I

      A-mid the see, by-twixen windes two,

      That in contrarie stonden ever-mo.

      Allas! what is this wonder maladye?

      For hete of cold, for cold of hete, I deye.’   420

      61.  And to the god of love thus seyde he

      With pitous voys, ‘O lord, now youres is

      My spirit, which that oughte youres be.

      Yow thanke I, lord, that han me brought to this;

      But whether goddesse or womman, y-wis,   425

      She be, I noot, which that ye do me serve;

      But as hir man I wole ay live and sterve.

      62.  Ye stonden in hire eyen mightily,

      As in a place un-to your vertu digne;

      Wherfore, lord, if my servyse or I   430

      May lyke yow, so beth to me benigne;

      For myn estat royal here I resigne

      In-to hir hond, and with ful humble chere

      Bicome hir man, as to my lady dere.’

      63.  In him ne deyned sparen blood royal   435

      The fyr of love, wher-fro god me blesse,

      Ne him forbar in no degree, for al

      His vertu or his excellent prowesse;

      But held him as his thral lowe in distresse,

      And brende him so in sondry wyse ay newe,   440

      That sixty tyme a day he loste his hewe.

      64.  So muche, day by day, his owene thought,

      For lust to hir, gan quiken and encrese,

      That every other charge he sette at nought;

      For-thy ful ofte, his hote fyr to cese,   445

      To seen hir goodly look he gan to prese;

      For ther-by to ben esed wel he wende,

      And ay the ner he was, the more he brende.

      65.  For ay the ner the fyr, the hotter is,

      This, trowe I, knoweth al this companye.   450

      But were he fer or neer, I dar seye this,

      By night or day, for wysdom or folye,

      His herte, which that is his brestes yë,

      Was ay on hir, that fairer was to sene

      Than ever was Eleyne or Polixene.   455

      66.  Eek of the day ther passed nought an houre

      That to him-self a thousand tyme he seyde,

      ‘Good goodly, to whom serve I and laboure,

      As I best can, now wolde god, Criseyde,

      Ye wolden on me rewe er that I deyde!   460

      My dere herte, allas! myn hele and hewe

      And lyf is lost, but ye wole on me rewe.’

      67.  Alle othere dredes weren from him fledde,

      Bothe of the assege and his savacioun;

      Ne in him desyr noon othere fownes bredde   465

      But arguments to this conclusioun,

      That she on him wolde han compassioun,

      And he to be hir man, whyl he may dure;

      Lo, here his lyf, and from the deeth his cure!

      68.  The sharpe shoures felle of armes preve,   470

      That Ector or his othere bretheren diden,

      Ne made him only ther-fore ones meve;

      And yet was he, wher-so men wente or riden,

      Founde oon the best, and lengest tyme abiden

      Ther peril was, and dide eek such travayle   475

      In armes, that to thenke it was mervayle.

      69.  But for non hate he to

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