Geoffrey Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde

About this Item

Title
Geoffrey Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde
Author
Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400
Publication
London ; New York: Longman
1984
Rights/Permissions

Oxford Text Archive number: U-1689-A

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Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/Troilus
Cite this Item
"Geoffrey Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/Troilus. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 25, 2025.

Pages

Stanzas 191 through 200
Wherfore I seye alwey that day and nyght Line 1338 This Troilus gan to desiren moore Line 1339 Thanne he did erst, thorugh hope, and did his myght Line 1340 To preessen on as by Pandarus loore, Line 1341 And writen to hire of his sorwes soore; Line 1342 ffro day to day he leet it nought refreyde, Line 1343 That by Pandare he wroot somwhat or seyde; Line 1344
And dide also his other obseruaunces, Line 1345 That til a louere longeth in this cas; Line 1346 And after that his dees torned on chaunces, Line 1347 So was he outher glad or seyde "allas." Line 1348 And held after his gistes ay hid pas; Line 1349 And after swiche answeres as he hadde, Line 1350 So were his dayes sory outher gladde. Line 1351
But to Pandare alwey was his recours, Line 1352 And pitously gan ay to hym to pleyne, Line 1353 And hym bisoughte of reed and som socours; Line 1354 And Pandarus, that sey his woode peyne, Line 1355 Wex wel neigh ded for routhe, sooth to seyne, Line 1356 And bisily with al his herte cast Line 1357 Som of his wo to slen, and that as faste; Line 1358
And seyde, "lord and frend and brother dere, Line 1359 God woot that thi disese doth me wo. Line 1360 But wiltow stynten al this woful cheere, Line 1361 And by my trouthe, er it be dayes two, Line 1362 And god to-forn, ȝet shal I shape it so, Line 1363 That thow shalt come in-to a certeyn place, Line 1364 There as thow mayst thi self hire preye of grace. Line 1365
"And certeynly -- I noot if thow it woost, Line 1366 But tho that ben expert in loue it seye -- Line 1367 It is oon of the thynges forthereth most Line 1368 A man to han a layser forto preye, Line 1369 And siker place his wo forto bywreye; Line 1370 ffor in good herte it mot som routhe impresse Line 1371 To here and see the giltlees in distresse. Line 1372

Page 226

"Peraunter thynkestow: though it be so, Line 1373 That kynde wolde don hire to bygynne Line 1374 To haue a manere routhe vpon my woo, Line 1375 Seyth daunger, "nay, thow shalt me neuere wynne." Line 1376 So reulith hire hir hertes gost with-inne, Line 1377 That though she bende, ȝeet she stant on roote; Line 1378 What in effect is this vnto my boote? Line 1379
"Thenk here aȝeins: whan that the stordy ook, Line 1380 On which men hakketh ofte for the nones, Line 1381 Receyued hath the happy fallyng strook, Line 1382 The greete sweigh doth it come al at ones, Line 1383 As don thise rokkes or thise milnestones; Line 1384 ffor swifter cours comth thyng that is of wighte, Line 1385 Whan it descendeth, than don thynges lighte. Line 1386
"And reed that boweth down for euery blaste, Line 1387 fful lightly, cesse wynd, it wol aryse; Line 1388 But so nyl nought an ook whan it is caste; Line 1389 It nedeth me nought the longe to forbise. Line 1390 Men shal reioissen of a grete empryse Line 1391 Acheued wel, and stant with-outen doute, Line 1392 Al han men ben the lenger ther-aboute. Line 1393
"But Troilus, ȝet telle me if the lest Line 1394 A thing now which that I shal axen the: Line 1395 Which is thi brother that thow louest best, Line 1396 As in thi verray hertes priuetee?" Line 1397 "I-wis, my brother Deiphebus," quod he. Line 1398 "Now," quod Pandare, "er houres twyes twelue, Line 1399 He shal the ese, vnwist of it hym selue. Line 1400
"Now lat malone and werken as I may," Line 1401 Quod he; and to Deiphebus wente he tho, Line 1402 Which hadde his lord and grete frend ben ay; Line 1403 Saue Troilus, no man he loued so. Line 1404 To telle in short, withouten wordes mo, Line 1405 Quod Pandarus, "I pray ȝow that ȝe be Line 1406 ffrend to a cause which that toucheth me." Line 1407
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