Geoffrey Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde

Stanzas 81 through 91

ffro thennes forth he rideth vp and down, Line 561 And euery thyng com hym to remembraunce Line 562 As he rood forby places of the town Line 563 In which he whilom hadde al his plesaunce. Line 564 "Lo, ȝonder saugh ich last my lady daunce, Line 565 And in that temple with hire eyen clere Line 566 Me kaughte first my righte lady dere. Line 567

"And ȝonder haue I herd ful lustyly Line 568 My dere herte laugh and ȝonder pleye Line 569 Saugh ich hire ones ek ful blisfully; Line 570 And ȝonder ones to me gan she seye, Line 571 "Now goode swete, loue me wel, I preye'; Line 572 And ȝond so goodly gan she me biholde, Line 573 That to the deth myn herte is to hire holde. Line 574

"And at that corner in the ȝonder hous Line 575 Herde I myn alder-leuest lady deere, Line 576 So wommanly with vois melodious, Line 577 Syngen so wel, so goodly and so cleere, Line 578 That in my soule ȝet me thynketh ich here Line 579 The blisful sown; and in that ȝonder place Line 580 My lady first me took vnto hire grace." Line 581

Thanne thoughte he thus, "O blisful lord Cupide, Line 582 Whan I the processe haue in my memorie Line 583 How thow me hast wereyed on euery syde, Line 584 Men myght a book make of it lik a storie. Line 585 What nede is the to seke on me victorie, Line 586 Syn I am thyn and holly at thi wille? Line 587 What ioie hast thow thyn owen folk to spille? Line 588

"Wel hastow, lord, y-wroke on me thyn ire, Line 589 Thow myghty god and dredefull for to greue. Line 590 Now mercy, lord, thow woost wel I desire Line 591 Thi grace moost of alle lustes leeue, Line 592 And lyue and dye I wol in thy byleue; Line 593 ffor which I naxe in guerdoun but a bone -- Line 594 That thow Criseyde aȝein me sende sone. Line 595

"Destreyne hire herte as faste to retorne, Line 596 As thow doost myn to longen hire to see, Line 597 Than woot I wel that she nyl naught soiorne. Line 598 Now blisful lord, so cruel thow ne be Line 599 Unto the blood of Troie, I preye the, Line 600 As Iuno was vnto the blood Thebane, Line 601 ffor which the folk of Thebes caughte hire bane." Line 602

And after this he to the ȝates wente, Line 603 Ther as Criseyde out rood a ful good paas, Line 604 And vp and down ther made he many a wente, Line 605 And to hym self ful ofte he seyde, "allas, Line 606 ffro hennes rood my blisse and my solas; Line 607 As wolde blisful god now, for his ioie, Line 608 I myghte hire sen aȝeyn come in-to Troie. Line 609

"And to the ȝonder hille I gan hire gyde, Line 610 Allas, and ther I took of hire my leue; Line 611 And ȝond I saugh hire to hire fader ride, Line 612 ffor sorwe of which myn herte shal to-cleue; Line 613 And hider home I com whan it was eue, Line 614 And here I dwelle out cast from alle ioie, Line 615 And shal til I may sen hire eft in Troie." Line 616

And of hym self ymagened he ofte Line 617 To ben defet, and pale, and waxen lesse Line 618 Than he was wont, and that men seyden softe, Line 619 "What may it be? who kan the sothe gesse Line 620 Whi Troilus hath al this heuynesse?" Line 621 And al this nas but his malencolie, Line 622 That he hadde of hym self swich fantasie. Line 623

Another tyme ymaginen he wolde Line 624 That euery wight that wente by the weye Line 625 Hadde of hym routhe and that thay seyn sholde, Line 626 "I am right sory Troilus wol deye." Line 627 And thus he drof a day ȝet forth or tweye Line 628 As ȝe haue herd; swich lif right gan he lede, Line 629 As he that stood bitwixen hope and drede. Line 630

ffor which hym likede in his songes shewe Line 631 Thenchesoun of his wo, as he best myghte, Line 632 And made a song of wordes but a fewe, Line 633 Somwhat his woful herte for to lighte; Line 634 And whan he was from euery mannes syghte, Line 635 With softe vois he of his lady deere, Line 636 That absent was, gan synge as ȝe may heere. Line 637