Geoffrey Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde
Geoffrey Chaucer
B.A. Windeatt
Stanzas 231 through 240
Answerde of this eche werse of hem than other,
1618
And Poliphete they gonnen thus to warien:
1619
"Anhonged be swich oon, were he my brother,
1620
And so he shal, for it ne may nought varien."
1621
What shold I lenger in this tale tarien?
1622
Pleynliche alle at ones they hire highten
1623
To ben hire help in al that euere they myghten.
1624
Page 238
Spak than Eleyne and seyde, "Pandarus,
1625
Woot ought my lord my brother this matere,
1626
I meene Ector? or woot it Troilus?"
1627
He seyde, "ȝe, but wole ȝe now me here?
1628
Me thynketh this, sith that Troilus is here,
1629
It were good, if that ȝe wolde assente,
1630
She tolde hire self hym al this er she wente.
1631
"ffor he wol haue the more hir grief at herte,
1632
By-cause, lo, that she a lady is,
1633
And, by ȝoure leue, I wol but in right sterte
1634
And do ȝow wyte, and that anon, i-wys,
1635
If that he slepe, or wol ought here of this."
1636
And in he lepte, and seyde hym in his ere,
1637
"God haue thi soule, i-brought haue I thi beere!"
1638
To smylen of this gan tho Troilus,
1639
And Pandarus, withouten rekenyng,
1640
Out wente anon to Eleyne and Deiphebus,
1641
And seyde hem, "so ther be no tarying,
1642
Ne moore prees, he wol wel that ȝe bryng
1643
Criseyda, my lady, that is here,
1644
And as he may enduren, he wol here.
1645
"But wel ȝe woot, the chaumbre is but lite,
1646
And fewe folk may lightly make it warme;
1647
Now loketh ȝe -- for I wol haue no wite,
1648
To brynge in prees that myghte don hym harme,
1649
Or hym disesen, for my bettre arme --
1650
Wher it be bet she bide til eft-sonys?
1651
Now loketh ȝe, that knowen what to doon is.
1652
"I sey for me, best is, as I kan knowe,
1653
That no wight in ne wente but ȝe tweye,
1654
But it were I, for I kan in a throwe
1655
Reherce hire cas vnlik that she kan seye;
1656
And after this she may hym ones preye
1657
To ben good lord, in short, and take hire leue;
1658
This may nought muchel of his ese hym reue-
1659
"And ek for she is straunge, he wol forbere
1660
His ese which that hym thar nought for ȝow;
1661
Ek oother thing that toucheth nought to here
1662
He wol ȝow telle--I woot it wel, right now --
1663
That secret is, and for the townes prow."
1664
And they that nothyng knewe of his entente,
1665
With-outen more, to Troilus in they wente.
1666
Page 240
Eleyne in al hire goodly, softe wyse
1667
Gan hym salue, wommanly to pleye,
1668
And seyde, "I-wys, ȝe moste algate arise;
1669
Now, faire brother, beth al hool, I preye."
1670
And gan hire arm right ouer his shulder leye,
1671
And hym with al hire wit to reconforte;
1672
As she best koude, she gan hym to disporte.
1673
So after this quod she, "we ȝow biseke,
1674
My deere brother, Deiphebus and I,
1675
ffor loue of god, and so doth Pandare eke,
1676
To ben good lord and frend right hertely
1677
Unto Criseyde, which that certeynly
1678
Receyueth wrong, as woot weel here Pandare,
1679
That kan hire cas wel bet than I declare."
1680
This Pandarus gan newe his tong affile,
1681
And al hire cas reherce and that anon.
1682
Whan it was seyd, soone after in a while,
1683
Quod Troilus. "as sone as I may gon,
1684
I wol right fayn with al my myght ben oon,
1685
Haue god my trouthe, hire cause to sustene."
1686
"Good thrift haue ȝe," quod Eleyne the queene."
1687
