188. And seyde, 'who is in his bed so sone

Y-buried thus?' 'It am I, freend,' quod he.

'Who, Troilus? nay helpe me so the mone,'

Quod Pandarus, 'thou shalt aryse and see

A charme that was sent right now to thee,

The which can helen thee of thyn accesse,

If thou do forth-with al thy besinesse.'

189. 'Ye, through the might of god!' quod Troilus.

And Pandarus gan him the lettre take,

And seyde, 'pardee, god hath holpen us;

Have here a light, and loke on al this blake.'

But ofte gan the herte glade and quake

Of Troilus, whyl that he gan it rede,

So as the wordes yave him hope or drede.

190. But fynally, he took al for the beste

That she him wroot, for sumwhat he biheld

On which, him thoughte, he mighte his herte reste,

Al covered she the wordes under sheld.

Thus to the more worthy part he held,

That, what for hope and Pandarus biheste,

His grete wo for-yede he at the leste.

191. But as we may alday our-selven see,

Through more wode or col, the more fyr;

Right so encrees of hope, of what it be,

Therwith ful ofte encreseth eek desyr;

Or, as an ook cometh of a litel spyr,

So through this lettre, which that she him sente,

Encresen gan desyr, of which he brente.

192. Wherfore I seye alwey, that day and night

This Troilus gan to desiren more

Than he dide erst, thurgh hope, and dide his might

To pressen on, as by Pandarus lore,

And wryten to hir of his sorwes sore

Fro day to day; he leet it not refreyde,

That by Pandare he wroot somwhat or seyde;

193. And dide also his othere observaunces

That to a lovere longeth in this cas;

And, after that these dees turnede on chaunces,

So was he outher glad or seyde 'allas!'

And held after his gestes ay his pas;

And aftir swiche answeres as he hadde,

So were his dayes sory outher gladde.

194. But to Pandare alwey was his recours,

And pitously gan ay til him to pleyne,

And him bisoughte of rede and som socours;

And Pandarus, that sey his wode peyne,

Wex wel neigh deed for routhe, sooth to seyne,

And bisily with al his herte caste

Som of his wo to sleen, and that as faste;

195. And seyde, 'lord, and freend, and brother dere,

God woot that thy disese dooth me wo.

But woltow stinten al this woful chere,

And, by my trouthe, or it be dayes two,

And god to-forn, yet shal I shape it so,

That thou shalt come in-to a certayn place,

Ther-as thou mayst thy-self hir preye of grace.

196. And certainly, I noot if thou it wost,

But tho that been expert in love it seye,

It is oon of the thinges that furthereth most,

A man to have a leyser for to preye,

And siker place his wo for to biwreye;

For in good herte it moot som routhe impresse,

To here and see the giltles in distresse.

197. Paraunter thenkestow: though it be so

That kinde wolde doon hir to biginne

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?"

198. 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.

For swifter cours cometh thing that is of wighte,

Whan it descendeth, than don thinges lighte.

199. 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;

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.

200. But, Troilus, yet tel me, if thee lest,

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,

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

201. 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.

To telle in short, with-outen wordes mo,

Quod Pandarus, 'I pray yow that ye be

Freend to a cause which that toucheth me.'

202. 'Yis, pardee,' quod Deiphebus, 'wel thow wost,

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

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.'

203. 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 som men wolden doon oppressioun,

And wrongfully have hir possessioun:

Wherfor I of your lordship yow biseche

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

204. Deiphebus him answerde, 'O, is not this,

That thow spekest of to me thus straungely,

Crisëyda, my freend?' He seyde, 'Yis.'

'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.

205. But tel me, thou that woost al this matere,

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 prayen hir to-morwe, lo, that she

Com un-to yow hir pleyntes to devyse,

Hir adversaries wolde of hit agryse.

206. 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,

Than, woot I wel, she mighte never fayle

For to be holpen, what at your instaunce,

What with hir othere freendes governaunce.'

207. Deiphebus, which that comen was, of kinde,

To al honour and bountee to consente,

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.

208. 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.

It nedeth nought his helpes for to crave;

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

209. Spek thou thy-self also to Troilus

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

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

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.

210. He seyde, 'O veray god, so have I ronne!

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 advocacyës newe?'

'I? no,' quod she, and chaunged al hir hewe.

211. '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,

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;

212. With-outen that, I have ynough for us.'

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

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.'

213. 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,

But goodly gan to his preyere obeye.

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

214. 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,

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.

215. Now spek, now prey, now pitously compleyne;

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;

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

216. Thow thinkest 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."

Now thenk not so, for thou dost greet folye.

For right now have I founden o manere

Of sleighte, for to coveren al thy chere.

217. Thow shall gon over night, and that as blyve,

Un-to Deiphebus hous, as thee to pleye,

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 lye right there, and byde thyn aventure.

218. 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, farewel! and, Venus here to borwe,

I hope, and thou this purpos holde ferme,

Thy grace she shal fully ther conferme.'

219. Quod Troilus, 'y-wis, thou nedelees

Counseylest me, that sykliche I me feyne!

For I am syk in ernest, doutelees,

So that wel neigh I sterve for the peyne.'

Quod Pandarus, 'thou shalt the bettre pleyne,

And hast the lasse nede to countrefete;

For him men demen hoot that men seen swete.

220. Lo, holde thee at thy triste cloos, and I

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,

And to Deiphebus hous at night he wente.

221. What nedeth yow to tellen al the chere

That Deiphebus un-to his brother made,

Or his accesse, or his syklych manere,

How men gan him with clothes for to lade,

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.

222. But certeyn is, er Troilus him leyde,

Deiphebus had him prayed, over night,

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.

223. 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,

She com to diner in hir playn entente.

But god and Pandare wiste al what this mente.

224. Come eek Criseyde, al innocent of this,

Antigone, hir sister Tarbe also;

But flee we now prolixitee best is,

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.

225. Gret honour dide hem Deiphebus, certeyn,

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

Hem as he mighte, and chere good he made.

226. 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

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

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

That thoughte, best coude I yet been his leche.

227. After compleynt, him gonnen they to preyse,

As folk don yet, whan som wight hath bigonne

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.

228. 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?

But al passe I, lest ye to longe dwelle;

For for o fyn is al that ever I telle.

229. The tyme com, fro diner for to ryse,

And, as hem oughte, arisen everychoon,

And gonne a while of this and that devyse.

But Pandarus brak al this speche anoon,

And seyde to Deiphebus, 'wole ye goon,

If yourë wille be, as I yow preyde,

To speke here of the nedes of Criseyde?'

230. Eleyne, which that by the hond hir held,

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,

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

231. '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?'

He rong hem out a proces lyk a belle,

Up-on hir fo, that highte Poliphete,

So hëynous, that men mighte on it spete.

232. Answerde of this ech worse of hem than other,

And Poliphete they gonnen thus to warien,

'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.

233. 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,

It were good, if that ye wolde assente,

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

234. 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,

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!'

235. To smylen of this gan tho Troilus,

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

Crisëyda, my lady, that is here;

And as he may enduren, he wole here.

236. 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

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.

237. I sey for me, best is, as I can knowe,

That no wight in ne wente but ye tweye,

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.

238. 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.'

And they, that no-thing knewe of this entente,

With-oute more, to Troilus in they wente.

239. Eleyne in al hir goodly softe wyse,

Gan him saluwe, and womanly to pleye,

And seyde, 'ywis, ye moste alweyes aryse!

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.

240. So after this quod she, 'we yow biseke,

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,

That can hir cas wel bet than I declare.'

241. 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,

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.

242. Quod Pandarus, 'and it your wille be,

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

'Or 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,

243. 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,

Woot I nought who; but in a grisly wyse

He preyede hem anoon on it avyse.

244. Deiphebus gan this lettre to unfolde

In ernest greet; so dide Eleyne the quene;

And rominge outward, fast it gan biholde,

Downward a steyre, in-to an herber grene.

This ilke thing they redden hem bi-twene;

And largely, the mountaunce of an houre,

They gonne on it to reden and to poure.

245. Now lat hem rede, and turne we anoon

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

Abydeth yow, and eek my lordes tweyne.

246. Rys, take with yow your nece Antigone,

Or whom yow list, or no fors, hardily;

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

And loke that ye thonke humblely

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.'

247. Al innocent of Pandarus entente,

Quod tho Criseyde, 'go we, uncle dere';

And arm in arm inward with him she wente,

Avysed wel hir wordes and hir chere;

And Pandarus, in ernestful manere,

Seyde, 'alle folk, for goddes love, I preye,

Stinteth right here, and softely yow pleye.

248. Aviseth yow what folk ben here with-inne,

And in what plyt oon is, god him amende!

And inward thus ful softely biginne;

Nece, I coniure and heighly yow defende,

On his half, which that sowle us alle sende,

And in the vertue of corounes tweyne,

Slee nought this man, that hath for yow this peyne!

249. Fy on the devel! thenk which oon he is,

And in what plyt he lyth; com of anoon;

Thenk al swich taried tyd, but lost it nis!

That wol ye bothe seyn, whan ye ben oon.

Secoundelich, ther yet devyneth noon

Up-on yow two; com of now, if ye conne;

Whyl folk is blent, lo, al the tyme is wonne!

250. In titering, and pursuite, and delayes,

The folk devyne at wagginge of a stree;

And though ye wolde han after merye dayes,

Than dar ye nought, and why? for she, and she

Spak swich a word; thus loked he, and he;

Lest tyme I loste, I dar not with yow dele;