248. The godlihede or beautee which that kinde

In any other lady hadde y-set

Can not the mountaunce of a knot unbinde,

A-boute his herte, of al Criseydes net.

He was so narwe y-masked and y-knet,

That it undon on any manere syde,

That nil not been, for ought that may betyde.

249. And by the hond ful ofte he wolde take

This Pandarus, and in-to gardin lede,

And swich a feste and swich a proces make

Him of Criseyde, and of hir womanhede,

And of hir beautee, that, with-outen drede,

It was an hevene his wordes for to here;

And thanne he wolde singe in this manere.

250. 'Love, that of erthe and see hath governaunce,

Love, that his hestes hath in hevene hye,

Love, that with an holsom alliaunce

Halt peples ioyned, as him list hem gye,

Love, that knetteth lawe of companye,

And couples doth in vertu for to dwelle,

Bind this acord, that I have told and telle;

251. 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,

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!

252. That that the see, that gredy is to flowen,

Constreyneth to a certeyn ende so

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.

253. 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

To make hem love, and that hem leste ay rewe

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

254. In alle nedes, for the tounes werre,

He was, and ay the firste in armes dight;

And certeynly, but-if that bokes erre,

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.

255. In tyme of trewe, on haukinge wolde he ryde,

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,

Ful redy was, him goodly to saluwe.

256. 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,

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.

257. For sooth to seyn, he lost held every wight

But-if he were in loves heigh servyse,

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.

258. 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,

That Pryde, Envye, Ire, and Avaryce

He gan to flee, and every other vyce.

259. Thou lady bright, the doughter to Dione,

Thy blinde and winged sone eek, daun Cupyde;

Ye sustren nyne eek, that by Elicone

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!

260. Thourgh yow have I seyd fully in my song

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

Is with Criseyde, his owne herte swete.