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Fro cast of stones war him in the werre!

`But I with al myn herte and al my might,

As I have seyd, wol love, un-to my laste, 870

My dere herte, and al myn owene knight,

In which myn herte growen is so faste,

And his in me, that it shal ever laste.

Al dredde I first to love him to biginne,

Now woot I wel, ther is no peril inne.' 875

And of hir song right with that word she stente,

And therwith-al, `Now, nece,' quod Criseyde,

`Who made this song with so good entente?'

Antigone answerde anoon, and seyde,

`Ma dame, y-wis, the goodlieste mayde 880

Of greet estat in al the toun of Troye;

And let hir lyf in most honour and Ioye.'

`Forsothe, so it semeth by hir song,'

Quod tho Criseyde, and gan ther-with to syke,

And seyde, `Lord, is there swich blisse among 885

These lovers, as they conne faire endyte?'

`Ye, wis,' quod freshe Antigone the whyte,

`For alle the folk that han or been on lyve

Ne conne wel the blisse of love discryve.

`But wene ye that every wrecche woot 890

The parfit blisse of love? Why, nay, y-wis;

They wenen al be love, if oon be hoot;

Do wey, do wey, they woot no-thing of this!

Men mosten axe at seyntes if it is

Aught fair in hevene; Why? For they conne telle; 895

And axen fendes, is it foul in helle.'

Criseyde un-to that purpos nought answerde,

But seyde, `Y-wis, it wol be night as faste.'

But every word which that she of hir herde,

She gan to prenten in hir herte faste; 900

And ay gan love hir lasse for to agaste

Than it dide erst, and sinken in hir herte,

That she wex somwhat able to converte.

The dayes honour, and the hevenes ye,

The nightes fo, al this clepe I the sonne, 905

Gan westren faste, and dounward for to wrye,

As he that hadde his dayes cours y-ronne;

And whyte thinges wexen dimme and donne

For lak of light, and sterres for to appere,

That she and al hir folk in wente y-fere. 910

So whan it lyked hir to goon to reste,

And voyded weren they that voyden oughte,

She seyde, that to slepe wel hir leste.

Hir wommen sone til hir bed hir broughte.

Whan al was hust, than lay she stille, and thoughte 915

Of al this thing the manere and the wyse.

Reherce it nedeth nought, for ye ben wyse.

A nightingale, upon a cedre grene,

Under the chambre-wal ther as she lay,

Ful loude sang ayein the mone shene, 920

Paraunter, in his briddes wyse, a lay

Of love, that made hir herte fresh and gay.

That herkned she so longe in good entente,

Til at the laste the dede sleep hir hente.

And as she sleep, anoon-right tho hir mette, 925

How that an egle, fethered whyt as boon,

Under hir brest his longe clawes sette,

And out hir herte he rente, and that a-noon,

And dide his herte in-to hir brest to goon,

Of which she nought agroos, ne no-thing smerte, 930

And forth he fleigh, with herte left for herte.

Now lat hir slepe, and we our tales holde

Of Troilus, that is to paleys riden,

Fro the scarmuch, of the whiche I tolde,

And in his chaumbre sit, and hath abiden 935

Til two or three of his messages yeden

For Pandarus, and soughten him ful faste,

Til they him founde and broughte him at the laste.

This Pandarus com leping in at ones,

And seiyde thus: `Who hath ben wel y-bete 940

To-day with swerdes, and with slinge-stones,

But Troilus, that hath caught him an hete?'

And gan to Iape, and seyde, `Lord, so ye swete!

But rys, and lat us soupe and go to reste;' 944

And he answerde him, `Do we as thee leste.'

With al the haste goodly that they mighte,

They spedde hem fro the souper un-to bedde;

And every wight out at the dore him dighte,

And wher him liste upon his wey him spedde;

But Troilus, that thoughte his herte bledde 950

For wo, til that he herde som tydinge,

He seyde, `Freend, shal I now wepe or singe?'

Quod Pandarus, `Ly stille and lat me slepe,

And don thyn hood, thy nedes spedde be;

And chese, if thou wolt singe or daunce or lepe; 955

At shorte wordes, thow shal trowe me. —

Sire, my nece wol do wel by thee,

And love thee best, by god and by my trouthe,

But lak of pursuit make it in thy