Is now for…doon； and that is al my routhe。
‘Was ther non other broche yow liste lete
To feffe with your newe love；' quod he；
‘But thilke broche that I； with teres wete； 1690
Yow yaf； as for a remembraunce of me？
Non other cause； allas； ne hadde ye
But for despyt； and eek for that ye mente
Al…outrely to shewen your entente！
‘Through which I see that clene out of your minde 1695
Ye han me cast； and I ne can nor may；
For al this world； with…in myn herte finde
To unloven yow a quarter of a day！
In cursed tyme I born was； weylaway！
That ye； that doon me al this wo endure； 1700
Yet love I best of any creature。
‘Now god；' quod he； ‘me sende yet the grace
That I may meten with this Diomede！
And trewely； if I have might and space；
Yet shal I make； I hope； his sydes blede。 1705
O god；' quod he； ‘that oughtest taken hede
To fortheren trouthe； and wronges to punyce；
Why niltow doon a vengeaunce of this vyce？
‘O Pandare； that in dremes for to triste
Me blamed hast； and wont art oft up…breyde； 1710
Now maystow see thy…selve； if that thee liste；
How trewe is now thy nece； bright Criseyde！
In sondry formes； god it woot；' he seyde；
‘The goddes shewen bothe Ioye and tene
In slepe； and by my dreme it is now sene。 1715
‘And certaynly； with…oute more speche；
From hennes…forth； as ferforth as I may；
Myn owene deeth in armes wol I seche；
I recche not how sone be the day！
But trewely； Criseyde； swete may； 1720
Whom I have ay with al my might y…served；
That ye thus doon； I have it nought deserved。'
This Pandarus； that alle these thinges herde；
And wiste wel he seyde a sooth of this；
He nought a word ayein to him answerde； 1725
For sory of his frendes sorwe he is；
And shamed； for his nece hath doon a…mis；
And stant； astoned of these causes tweye；
As stille as stoon； a word ne coude he seye。
But at the laste thus he spak； and seyde； 1730
‘My brother dere； I may thee do no…more。
What shulde I seyn？ I hate； y…wis； Criseyde！
And； god wot； I wol hate hir evermore！
And that thou me bisoughtest doon of yore；
Havinge un…to myn honour ne my reste 1735
Right no reward； I dide al that thee leste。
‘If I dide ought that mighte lyken thee；
It is me leef； and of this treson now；
God woot； that it a sorwe is un…to me！
And dredelees； for hertes ese of yow； 1740
Right fayn wolde I amende it； wiste I how。
And fro this world； almighty god I preye；
Delivere hir sone； I can no…more seye。'
Gret was the sorwe and pleynt of Troilus；
But forth hir cours fortune ay gan to holde。 1745
Criseyde loveth the sone of Tydeus；
And Troilus mot wepe in cares colde。
Swich is this world； who…so it can biholde；
In eche estat is litel hertes reste；
God leve us for to take it for the beste！ 1750
In many cruel batayle； out of drede；
Of Troilus； this ilke noble knight；
As men may in these olde bokes rede；
Was sene his knighthod and his grete might。
And dredelees； his ire； day and night； 1755
Ful cruelly the Grekes ay aboughte；
And alwey most this Diomede he soughte。
And ofte tyme； I finde that they mette
With blody strokes and with wordes grete；
Assayinge how hir speres weren whette； 1760
And god it woot； with many a cruel hete
Gan Troilus upon his helm to bete。
But natheles； fortune it nought ne wolde；
Of others hond that either deyen sholde。
And if I hadde y…taken for to wryte 1765
The armes of this ilke worthy man；
Than wolde I of his batailles endyte。
But for that I to wryte first bigan
Of his love； I have seyd as that I can。
His worthy dedes； who…so list hem here； 1770
Reed Dares； he can telle hem alle y…fere。
Bisechinge every lady bright of hewe；
And every gentil womman； what she be；
That al be that Criseyde was untrewe；
That for that gilt she be not wrooth with me。 1775
Ye may hir gilt in othere bokes see；
And gladlier I wole wryten； if yow leste；
Penolopees trouthe and good Alceste。
Ne I sey not this al…only for these men；
But most for wommen that bitraysed be 1780
Through false folk； god yeve hem sorwe； amen！
That with hir grete wit and subtiltee
Bitrayse yow！ And this commeveth me
To speke； and in effect yow alle I preye；
Beth war of men； and herkeneth what I seye！ 1785
Go； litel book； go litel myn tragedie；
Ther god thy maker yet； er that he dye；
So sende might to make in som comedie！
But litel book； no making thou nenvye；
But subgit be to alle poesye； 1790
And kis the steppes； wher…as thou seest pace
Virgile； Ovyde； Omer； Lucan； and Stace。
And for ther is so greet diversitee
In English and in wryting of our tonge；
So preye I god that noon miswryte thee； 1795
Ne thee mismetre for defaute of tonge。
And red wher…so thou be； or elles songe；
That thou be understonde I god beseche！
But yet to purpos of my rather speche。
The wraththe； as I began yow for to seye； 1800
Of Troilus； the Grekes boughten dere；
For thousandes his hondes maden deye；
As he that was with…outen any pere；
Save Ector； in his tyme； as I can here。
But weylawey； save only goddes wille； 1805
Dispitously him slough the fiers Achille。
And whan that he was slayn in this manere；
His lighte goost ful blisfully is went
Up to the holownesse of the seventh spere；
In convers letinge every element； 1810
And ther he saugh； with ful avysement；
The erratik sterres； herkeninge armonye
With sownes fulle of hevenish melodye。
And doun from thennes faste he gan avyse
This litel spot of erthe； that with the see 1815
Embraced is； and fully gan despyse
This wrecched world； and held al vanitee
To respect of the pleyn felicitee
That is in hevene above； and at the laste；
Ther he was slayn； his loking doun he caste； 1820
And in him…self he lough right at the wo
Of hem that wepten for his deeth so faste；
And dampned al our werk that folweth so
The blinde lust； the which that may not laste；
And sholden al our herte on hevene caste。 1825
And forth he wente； shortly for to telle；
Ther as Mercurie sorted him to dwelle。
Swich fyn hath； lo； this Troilus for love；
Swich fyn hath al his grete worthinesse；
Swich fyn hath his estat real above； 1830
Swich fyn his lust； swich fyn hath his noblesse；
Swich fyn hath false worldes brotelnesse。
And thus bigan his lovinge of Criseyde；
As I have told； and in this wyse he deyde。
O yonge fresshe folkes； he or she； 1835
In which that love up groweth with your age；
Repeyreth hoom from worldly vanitee；
And of your herte up…casteth the visage
To thilke god that after his image
Yow made； and thinketh al nis but a fayre 1840
This world； that passeth sone as floures fayre。
And loveth him； the which that right for love
Upon a cros； our soules for to beye；
First starf； and roos； and sit in hevene a…bove；
For he nil falsen no wight； dar I seye； 1845
That wol his herte al hoolly on him leye。
And sin he best to love is； and most meke；
What nedeth feyned loves for to seke？
Lo here； of Payens corsed olde rytes；
Lo here； what alle hir goddes may availle； 1850
Lo here； these wrecched worldes appetytes；
Lo here； the fyn and guerdon for travaille
Of Iove； Appollo； of Mars； of swich rascaille！
Lo here； the forme of olde clerkes speche
In poetrye； if ye hir bokes seche。 1855
O moral Gower； this book I directe
To thee； and to the philosophical Strode；
To vouchen sauf； ther nede is； to corecte；
Of your benignitees and zeles gode。
And to that sothfast Crist； that starf on rode； 1860
With al myn herte of mercy ever I preye；
And to the lord right thus I speke and seye：
Thou oon； and two； and three； eterne on…lyve；
That regnest ay in three and two and oon；
Uncircumscript； and al mayst circumscryve； 1865
Us from visible and invisible foon
Defende； and to thy mercy； everichoon；
So make us； Iesus； for thy grace digne；
For love of mayde and moder thyn benigne！ Amen。
Explicit Liber Troili et Criseydis。
End