Geoffrey Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde

Stanzas 91 through 100

"A wheston is no keruyng instrument, Line 631 But ȝet it maketh sharppe keruyng tolis; Line 632 And there thow woost that I haue au ȝt myswent, Line 633 Eschuwe thow that, for swich thing to =e scole is; Line 634 Thus often wise men ben war by foolys. Line 635 If thow do so, thi wit is wel bewared; Line 636 By his contrarie is euery thyng declared. Line 637

"ffor how myghte euere swetnesse han ben knowe Line 638 To him that neuere tasted bitternesse? Line 639 Ne no man may ben inly glad, I trowe, Line 640 That neuere was in sorwe or som destresse; Line 641 Eke whit by blak, by shame ek worthinesse, Line 642 Ech set by other, more for other semeth, Line 643 As men may se, and so the wyse it demeth. Line 644

"Sith thus of two contraries is o lore, Line 645 I, that haue in loue so ofte assayed Line 646 Greuances, oughte konne, and wel the more, Line 647 Counseillen the of that thow art amayed; Line 648 And ek the ne aughte nat ben yuel appayed, Line 649 Though I desyre with the forto bere Line 650 Thyn heuy charge; it shal the lasse dere. Line 651

"I woot wel that it fareth thus by me Line 652 As to thi brother, Paris, an herdesse, Line 653 Which that i-cleped was Oenone, Line 654 Wrote in a compleynte of hir heuynesse; Line 655 Ȝee say the lettre that she wrote, I gesse?" Line 656 "Nay, neuere ȝet, ywys," quod Troilus. Line 657 "Now," quod Pandare, "herkne, it was thus: Line 658

"'Phebus, that first fond art of medicyne,' Line 659 Quod she, 'and couthe in euery wightes care Line 660 Remedye and rede by herbes he knew fyne, Line 661 Ȝet to hym self his konnyng was ful bare; Line 662 ffor loue hadde hym so bounden in a snare, Line 663 Al for the doughter of the kyng Amete, Line 664 That al his craft ne koude his sorwes bete.' Line 665

"Right so fare I, vnhappyly for me; Line 666 I loue one best, and that me smerteth sore; Line 667 And ȝet, peraunter, kan I reden the, Line 668 And nat my self -- repreue me na more. Line 669 I haue no cause, I woot wel, forto sore Line 670 As doth an hauk that listeth forto pleye; Line 671 But to thin help ȝet somwhat kan I seye. Line 672

"And of o thing right siker maistow be, Line 673 That certein, forto dyen in the peyne, Line 674 That I shal neuere mo discoueren the; Line 675 Ne, by my trouthe, I kepe nat restreyne Line 676 The fro thi loue, theigh that it were Eleyne Line 677 That is thi brother wif, if ich it wiste; Line 678 Be what she be, and loue hire as the liste. Line 679

"Therfore, as frend fullich in me assure, Line 680 And telle me plat now what is thenchesoun Line 681 And final cause of wo that ȝe endure; Line 682 ffor douteth no thyng, myn entencioun Line 683 Nis nat to ȝow of reprehencioun Line 684 To speke as now, for no wight may byreue Line 685 A man to loue, tyl that hym list to leue. Line 686

"And witteth wel that bothe two ben vices: Line 687 Mistrusten alle, or elles alle leue. Line 688 But wel I woot, the mene of it no vice is: Line 689 ffor for to trusten som wight is a preue Line 690 Of trouth, and forthi wolde I fayn remeue Line 691 Thi wronge conseyte and do the som wyght triste Line 692 Thi wo to telle; and tel me if the liste. Line 693

"The wise seith, "wo hym that is allone, Line 694 ffor, and he falle, he hath non helpe to ryse'; Line 695 And sith thow hast a felawe, tel thi mone; Line 696 ffor this nys naught, certein, the nexte wyse Line 697 To wynnen loue, as techen vs the wyse, Line 698 To walwe and wepe as Nyobe the queene, Line 699 Whos teres ȝet in marble ben yseene. Line 700