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`For thus ferforth I have thy work bigonne, 960

Fro day to day, til this day, by the morwe,

Hir love of freendship have I to thee wonne,

And also hath she leyd hir feyth to borwe.

Algate a foot is hameled of thy sorwe.'

What sholde I lenger sermon of it holde? 965

As ye han herd bifore, al he him tolde.

But right as floures, thorugh the colde of night

Y-closed, stoupen on hir stalke lowe,

Redressen hem a-yein the sonne bright,

And spreden on hir kinde cours by rowe, 970

Right so gan tho his eyen up to throwe

This Troilus, and seyde, `O Venus dere,

Thy might, thy grace, y-heried be it here!'

And to Pandare he held up bothe his hondes,

And seyde, `Lord, al thyn be that I have; 975

For I am hool, al brosten been my bondes;

A thousand Troians who so that me yave,

Eche after other, god so wis me save,

Ne mighte me so gladen; lo, myn herte,

It spredeth so for Ioye, it wol to-sterte! 980

`But Lord, how shal I doon, how shal I liven?

Whan shal I next my dere herte see?

How shal this longe tyme a-wey be driven,

Til that thou be ayein at hir fro me?

Thou mayst answere, "A-byd, a-byd," but he 985

That hangeth by the nekke, sooth to seyne,

In grete disese abydeth for the peyne.'

`Al esily, now, for the love of Marte,'

Quod Pandarus, `for every thing hath tyme;

So longe abyd til that the night departe; 990

For al so siker as thow lyst here by me,

And god toforn, I wol be there at pryme,

And for thy werk somwhat as I shal seye,

Or on som other wight this charge leye.

`For pardee, god wot, I have ever yit 995

Ben redy thee to serve, and to this night

Have I nought fayned, but emforth my wit

Don al thy lust, and shal with al my might.

Do now as I shal seye, and fare a-right;

And if thou nilt, wyte al thy-self thy care, 1000

On me is nought along thyn yvel fare.

`I woot wel that thow wyser art than I

A thousand fold, but if I were as thou,

God help me so, as I wolde outrely,

Right of myn owene hond, wryte hir right now 1005

A lettre, in which I wolde hir tellen how

I ferde amis, and hir beseche of routhe;

Now help thy-self, and leve it not for slouthe.

`And I my-self shal ther-with to hir goon;

And whan thou wost that I am with hir there, 1010

Worth thou up-on a courser right anoon,

Ye, hardily, right in thy beste gere,

And ryd forth by the place, as nought ne were,

And thou shalt finde us, if I may, sittinge

At som windowe, in-to the strete lokinge. 1015

`And if thee list, than maystow us saluwe,

And up-on me make thy contenaunce;

But, by thy lyf, be war and faste eschuwe

To tarien ought, god shilde us fro mischaunce!

Ryd forth thy wey, and hold thy governaunce; 1020

And we shal speke of thee som-what, I trowe,

Whan Thou art goon, to do thyne eres glowe!

`Touching thy lettre, thou art wys y-nough,

I woot thow nilt it digneliche endyte;

As make it with thise argumentes tough; 1025

Ne scrivenish or craftily thou it wryte;

Beblotte it with thy teres eek a lyte;

And if thou wryte a goodly word al softe,

Though it be good, reherce it not to ofte.

`For though the beste harpour upon lyve 1030

Wolde on the beste souned Ioly harpe

That ever was, with alle his fingres fyve,

Touche ay o streng, or ay o werbul harpe,

Were his nayles poynted never so sharpe,

It shulde maken every wight to dulle, 1035

To here his glee, and of his strokes fulle.

`Ne Iompre eek no discordaunt thing y-fere,

As thus, to usen termes of phisyk;

In loves termes, hold of thy matere

The forme alwey, and do that it be lyk; 1040

For if a peyntour wolde peynte a pyk

With asses feet, and hede it as an ape,

It cordeth nought; so nere it but a Iape.'

This counseyl lyked wel to Troilus;

But, as a dreedful lover, he seyde this: — 1045

`Allas, my dere brother Pandarus,

I am ashamed for to wryte, y-wis,

Lest of myn innocence I seyde a-mis,

Or that she nolde it for despyt receyve;

Thanne were I deed, ther mighte it no-thing weyve.' 1050

To that Pandare answerde, `If thee lest,

Do that I seye, and lat me therwith goon;

For by that lord that formed est and west,