The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

256 POEMS.OF GEOFFREY C.Ii UCER.
and-asks proetection-for her. Deiphobus gladly And in this world'no living creatire
complies, promises the protection of Hector and Aithoute love is worth, or may endure.l1
Helen, and goes' to invite Cressida to dinner Ye Jove first to those effectes glad,
on the morrow. Meantime' Pandarus instructs Through which that thinges alle live and be,
Troilus to go to the' house of Deiphbbus, plead Commended; and him amorous y-made
an access of his fever for remaining all night, Of mortal thing; and as ye list, ay ye
and keep his chamber next day. "Lo," says Gave him, in love, ease 1 or adversity,
the crafty promoter of love, borrowing a phrase And in a thousand formns down him sent
from the hunting-field; "Lo, hold thee at thy For love in earth; and whom ye list ye hent.l2
tristrel close, and I shall well the deer unto thy
bowe drive." UnsuspicioUs of stratagem, Cres- Ye fierce Mars appeasen of his ire,
sida comes to dinner; and at table, Helen, Pan- And as you list ye make heartes dign; 3
darus, and others, praise the absent Troilus, Algatesl4 them that ye will set afire,:until "her heart laughs" for very pride that They dreade shame, and vices they resign;
she has the love of such a knight. After dinner e do 1 him courteous to be, and benign;
they speak of Cressida's business; all confirm And high or low, after 1 a wight intendeth,
Deiphobus' assurances of protection and aid; The joy6s that he hath your might him sendeth.
and Pandarus suggests that, since Troilus is Ye holde realm and house in unity;
there, Cressida shall herself tell him her case. Ye soothfast 17 cause of friendship be als6;
Helen and Deiphobus alone accompany Pan- Ye know all thilke cover'd quality18
darus to Troilus' chamber; there Troilus pro- Of thinges which that folk on wonder so,
duces some documents relating to the public When they may not construe how it may go
weal, which Hector has sent for his opinion; She loveth him, or why he loveth her,
Helen and Deiphobus, engrossed in perusal and As why this fish, not that, comes to the weir.19
discussion, roam out of the chamber, by a stair,
into the garden; while Pandarus goes down to Knowing thatVenushas set a lawin the
verse, that whoso strives with her shall have
the hall, and, pretending that his brother and th
Helen are still with Troilus, brings Cressida to he worse, thepoet prays to be taught to
her lover. The Second Book leaves Pandarus describe some of the joy that is felt in her service;and the Third Book opens with an acwhispering in his niece's ear counsel to be mer- and the Third Book open s with an acciful and kind to her lover, that hath for her count of the scene between Troilus and res
such pain; while Troilus lies "in akankerdort, 2 sida:
hearing the whispering without, and wondering Lay all this meane while Troilus
what he shall say —for this "was the first Recording20 his less6n in this mannere;
time that he should her pray of love- 0! mighty " My fay! "21 thought he, " thus will I say, and
God! what shall he say?" thus;
Thus will I plain 22 unto my lady dear;
THE THIRD BOOK. That word is good; and this shall be my cheer;
To the Third Book is prefixed a beautiful in- This will I not forgetten in no wise;"
vocation of Venus, under the character of light: od let him wken as he can devise.'0 BLISSFUL light, of which the beames clear And, Lord! so as his heart began to quap,2
Adornen all the thirde heaven fair! Hearing her coming, and short for to sike; 24
O Sunne's love, O Jov6's daughter dear! And Pandarus, that led her by the lap,2
lPleasance of love, O goodly debonair,3 Came near, and gan in at the curtain pick,26
In gentle hearts ay ready to repair! S And.said6: " od do boot on 27 all sick!
O very 5 cause of heal and of gladn6ss See who is here you coming to visite;
Y-heried 7 be thy might and thy goodn6ss! Lo! here is she that is your death to wite! "28
In heav'n and hell, in earth and salt6 sea, Therewith it seemed as he wept almost.
Is felt thy might, if that I well discern; "Ah! ah! God help! " quoth Troilus ruefully;
As man, bird, beast, fish, herb, and greene tree, "Whe'er2 me be woe, O mighty God, thou
They feel in times, with vapour etern,8 know'st!
God loveth, and to love he will not w Whois thern; e? for I see not truly.
1 Tryst; a preconcerted spot to which the beaters 13 Worthy. In this and the following lines reappears
-drove the game, and at which the sportsmen waited the noble doctrine of the exalting and purifying inwith their bows. fluence of true love, advanced in "The Court of Love,"
2 A condition or fit of perplexed anxiety; probably "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale," &c.
connected with the word "kink," meaning in sea 14 At all events. 15 Make, cause.
phrase a twist in an.rope-and, as a verb, to twist or 16 According as. 17 True.
] entangle.4 3 Lovely and gracious. 18 That secret power or quality.
4-iEver ready to enter and abide in gentle'hearts. 19 A trap or enclosed place in a stream, for Catching
5 True. 6 Welfare. 7 Praised. -fish. See note 1, page 218.
8 They feel in their seasons, by the emission of an 20 Conning, committing to memory.
eternal breath or inspiration (that God loves, &c.) 21 By my faith! 22 Make my plaint.
9 Forbid.. 3 Quake, pant.
10 The idea of this stanza is the same with that 24 To heave short,-interrupted sighs.
developed in the speech of Theseus at the close of The 25 Skirt of the garment. 26 Or "pike;" peep.
Knight's Tale; and it is probably derived from the 27 Afford a remedy to.
lines of Boethius, quoted in note 3, page 46. 28 That is to blame for your death.'11 Pleasure.'12 Seize. 29 Whether.