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Though never more thing ye me bi-hete!'

This wordes and ful manye an-other to 540

He spak, and called ever in his compleynte

Hir name, for to tellen hir his wo,

Til neigh that he in salte teres dreynte.

Al was for nought, she herde nought his pleynte;

And whan that he bithoughte on that folye, 545

A thousand fold his wo gan multiplye.

Bi-wayling in his chambre thus allone,

A freend of his, that called was Pandare,

Com ones in unwar, and herde him grone,

And say his freend in swich distresse and care:

`Allas!' quod he, `who causeth al this fare? 551

O mercy, god! What unhap may this mene?

Han now thus sone Grekes maad yow lene?

`Or hastow som remors of conscience,

And art now falle in som devocioun, 555

And waylest for thy sinne and thyn offence,

And hast for ferde caught attricioun?

God save hem that bi-seged han our toun,

And so can leye our Iolyte on presse,

And bring our lusty folk to holinesse!' 560

These wordes seyde he for the nones alle,

That with swich thing he mighte him angry maken,

And with an angre don his sorwe falle,

As for the tyme, and his corage awaken;

But wel he wist, as fer as tonges spaken, 565

Ther nas a man of gretter hardinesse

Than he, ne more desired worthinesse.

`What cas,' quod Troilus, `or what aventure

Hath gyded thee to see my languisshinge,

That am refus of euery creature? 570

But for the love of god, at my preyinge,

Go henne a-way, for certes, my deyinge

Wol thee disese, and I mot nedes deye;

Ther-for go wey, ther is no more to seye.

`But if thou wene I be thus sik for drede, 575

It is not so, and ther-for scorne nought;

Ther is a-nother thing I take of hede

Wel more than ought the Grekes han y-wrought,

Which cause is of my deeth, for sorwe and thought.

But though that I now telle thee it ne leste, 580

Be thou nought wrooth; I hyde it for the beste.'

This Pandare, that neigh malt for wo and routhe,

Ful often seyde, `Allas! what may this be?

Now freend,' quod he, `if ever love or trouthe

Hath been, or is, bi-twixen thee and me, 585

Ne do thou never swiche a crueltee

To hyde fro thy freend so greet a care;

Wostow nought wel that it am I, Pandare?

`I wole parten with thee al thy peyne,

If it be so I do thee no comfort, 590

As it is freendes right, sooth for to seyne,

To entreparten wo, as glad desport.

I have, and shal, for trewe or fals report,

In wrong and right y-loved thee al my lyve;

Hyd not thy wo fro me, but telle it blyve.' 595

Than gan this sorwful Troilus to syke,

And seyde him thus, "God leve it be my beste

To telle it thee; for sith it may thee lyke,

Yet wole I telle it, though myn herte breste;

And wel wot I thou mayst do me no reste. 600

But lest thow deme I truste not to thee,

Now herkne, freend, for thus it stant with me.

`Love, a-yeins the which who-so defendeth

Him-selven most, him alder-lest avayleth,

With disespeir so sorwfully me offendeth, 605

That streyght un-to the deeth myn herte sayleth.

Ther-to desyr so brenningly me assaylleth,

That to ben slayn it were a gretter Ioye

To me than king of Grece been and Troye!

`Suffiseth this, my fulle freend Pandare, 610

That I have seyd, for now wostow my wo;

And for the love of god, my colde care

So hyd it wel, I telle it never to mo;

For harmes mighte folwen, mo than two,

If it were wist; but be thou in gladnesse, 615

And lat me sterve, unknowe, of my distresse.'

`How hastow thus unkindely and longe

Hid this fro me, thou fool?' quod Pandarus;

`Paraunter thou might after swich oon longe,

That myn avys anoon may helpen us.' 620

`This were a wonder thing,' quod Troylus,

`Thou coudest never in love thy-selven wisse;

How devel maystow bringen me to blisse?'

`Ye, Troilus, now herke,' quod Pandare,

`Though I be nyce; it happeth ofte so, 625

That oon that exces doth ful yvele fare,

By good counseyl can kepe his freend ther-fro.

I have my-self eek seyn a blind man go

Ther-as he fel that coude loke wyde;

A fool may eek a wys man ofte gyde. 630

`A whetston is no kerving instrument,