The Canterbury Tales [354]
*memorizing *"My fay!"* thought he, "thus will I say, and thus; *by my faith!* Thus will I plain* unto my lady dear; *make my plaint That word is good; and this shall be my cheer This will I not forgetten in no wise;" God let him worken as he can devise.
And, Lord! so as his heart began to quap,* *quake, pant Hearing her coming, and *short for to sike;* *make short sighs* And Pandarus, that led her by the lap,* *skirt Came near, and gan in at the curtain pick,* *peep And saide: "God do boot* alle sick! *afford a remedy to See who is here you coming to visite; Lo! here is she that is *your death to wite!"* *to blame for your death*
Therewith it seemed as he wept almost. "Ah! ah! God help!" quoth Troilus ruefully; "Whe'er* me be woe, O mighty God, thou know'st! *whether Who is there? for I see not truely." "Sir," quoth Cresside, "it is Pandare and I; "Yea, sweete heart? alas, I may not rise To kneel and do you honour in some wise."
And dressed him upward, and she right tho* *then Gan both her handes soft upon him lay. "O! for the love of God, do ye not so To me," quoth she; "ey! what is this to say? For come I am to you for causes tway;* *two First you to thank, and of your lordship eke Continuance* I woulde you beseek."** *protection **beseech
This Troilus, that heard his lady pray Him of lordship, wax'd neither quick nor dead; Nor might one word for shame to it say, <39> Although men shoulde smiten off his head. But, Lord! how he wax'd suddenly all red! And, Sir, his lesson, that he *ween'd have con,* *thought he knew To praye her, was through his wit y-run. by heart*
Cresside all this espied well enow, -- For she was wise, -- and lov'd him ne'er the less, All n'ere he malapert, nor made avow, Nor was so bold to sing a foole's mass;<40> But, when his shame began somewhat to pass, His wordes, as I may my rhymes hold, I will you tell, as teache bookes old.
In changed voice, right for his very dread, Which voice eke quak'd, and also his mannere Goodly* abash'd, and now his hue is red, *becomingly Now pale, unto Cresside, his lady dear, With look downcast, and humble *yielden cheer,* *submissive face* Lo! *altherfirste word that him astert,* *the first word he said* Was twice: "Mercy, mercy, my dear heart!"
And stent* a while; and when he might *out bring,* *stopped *speak* The nexte was: "God wote, for I have, *As farforthly as I have conning,* *as far as I am able* Been youres all, God so my soule save, And shall, till that I, woeful wight, *be grave;* *die* And though I dare not, cannot, to you plain, Y-wis, I suffer not the lesse pain.
"This much as now, O womanlike wife! I may *out bring,* and if it you displease, *speak out* That shall I wreak* upon mine owne life, *avenge Right soon, I trow, and do your heart an ease, If with my death your heart I may appease: But, since that ye have heard somewhat say, Now reck I never how soon that I dey." *die
Therewith his manly sorrow to behold It might have made a heart of stone to rue; And Pandare wept as he to water wo'ld, <41> And saide, "Woe-begone* be heartes true," *in woeful plight And procur'd* his niece ever new and new, *urged "For love of Godde, make *of him an end,* *put him out of pain* Or slay us both at ones, ere we wend."* *go
"Ey! what?" quoth she; "by God and by my truth, I know not what ye woulde that I say;" "Ey! what?" quoth he; "that ye have on him ruth,* *pity For Godde's love, and do him not to dey." *die "Now thenne thus," quoth she, "I would him pray To telle me the *fine of his intent;* *end of his desire*
And, Lord! so as his heart began to quap,* *quake, pant Hearing her coming, and *short for to sike;* *make short sighs* And Pandarus, that led her by the lap,* *skirt Came near, and gan in at the curtain pick,* *peep And saide: "God do boot* alle sick! *afford a remedy to See who is here you coming to visite; Lo! here is she that is *your death to wite!"* *to blame for your death*
Therewith it seemed as he wept almost. "Ah! ah! God help!" quoth Troilus ruefully; "Whe'er* me be woe, O mighty God, thou know'st! *whether Who is there? for I see not truely." "Sir," quoth Cresside, "it is Pandare and I; "Yea, sweete heart? alas, I may not rise To kneel and do you honour in some wise."
And dressed him upward, and she right tho* *then Gan both her handes soft upon him lay. "O! for the love of God, do ye not so To me," quoth she; "ey! what is this to say? For come I am to you for causes tway;* *two First you to thank, and of your lordship eke Continuance* I woulde you beseek."** *protection **beseech
This Troilus, that heard his lady pray Him of lordship, wax'd neither quick nor dead; Nor might one word for shame to it say, <39> Although men shoulde smiten off his head. But, Lord! how he wax'd suddenly all red! And, Sir, his lesson, that he *ween'd have con,* *thought he knew To praye her, was through his wit y-run. by heart*
Cresside all this espied well enow, -- For she was wise, -- and lov'd him ne'er the less, All n'ere he malapert, nor made avow, Nor was so bold to sing a foole's mass;<40> But, when his shame began somewhat to pass, His wordes, as I may my rhymes hold, I will you tell, as teache bookes old.
In changed voice, right for his very dread, Which voice eke quak'd, and also his mannere Goodly* abash'd, and now his hue is red, *becomingly Now pale, unto Cresside, his lady dear, With look downcast, and humble *yielden cheer,* *submissive face* Lo! *altherfirste word that him astert,* *the first word he said* Was twice: "Mercy, mercy, my dear heart!"
And stent* a while; and when he might *out bring,* *stopped *speak* The nexte was: "God wote, for I have, *As farforthly as I have conning,* *as far as I am able* Been youres all, God so my soule save, And shall, till that I, woeful wight, *be grave;* *die* And though I dare not, cannot, to you plain, Y-wis, I suffer not the lesse pain.
"This much as now, O womanlike wife! I may *out bring,* and if it you displease, *speak out* That shall I wreak* upon mine owne life, *avenge Right soon, I trow, and do your heart an ease, If with my death your heart I may appease: But, since that ye have heard somewhat say, Now reck I never how soon that I dey." *die
Therewith his manly sorrow to behold It might have made a heart of stone to rue; And Pandare wept as he to water wo'ld, <41> And saide, "Woe-begone* be heartes true," *in woeful plight And procur'd* his niece ever new and new, *urged "For love of Godde, make *of him an end,* *put him out of pain* Or slay us both at ones, ere we wend."* *go
"Ey! what?" quoth she; "by God and by my truth, I know not what ye woulde that I say;" "Ey! what?" quoth he; "that ye have on him ruth,* *pity For Godde's love, and do him not to dey." *die "Now thenne thus," quoth she, "I would him pray To telle me the *fine of his intent;* *end of his desire*