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To harm of yow; what list yow thus it make?

`But thus ye faren, wel neigh alle and some,

That he that most desireth yow to serve, 1150

Of him ye recche leest wher he bicome,

And whether that he live or elles sterve.

But for al that that ever I may deserve,

Refuse it nought,' quod he, and hente hir faste,

And in hir bosom the lettre doun he thraste, 1155

And seyde hire, `Now cast it awey anoon,

That folk may seen and gauren on us tweye.'

Quod she, `I can abyde til they be goon,'

And gan to smyle, and seyde hym, `Eem, I preye,

Swich answere as yow list, your-self purveye, 1160

For trewely I nil no lettre wryte.'

`No? than wol I,' quod he, `so ye endyte.'

Therwith she lough, and seyde, `Go we dyne.'

And he gan at him-self to iape faste,

And seyde, `Nece, I have so greet a pyne 1165

For love, that every other day I faste' —

And gan his beste Iapes forth to caste;

And made hir so to laughe at his folye,

That she for laughter wende for to dye.

And whan that she was comen in-to halle, 1170

`Now, eem,' quod she, `we wol go dine anoon;'

And gan some of hir women to hir calle,

And streyght in-to hir chaumbre gan she goon;

But of hir besinesses, this was oon

A-monges othere thinges, out of drede, 1175

Ful prively this lettre for to rede;

Avysed word by word in every lyne,

And fond no lak, she thoughte he coude good;

And up it putte, and went hir in to dyne.

But Pandarus, that in a study stood, 1180

Er he was war, she took him by the hood,

And seyde, `Ye were caught er that ye wiste;'

`I vouche sauf,' quod he. `do what yow liste.'

Tho wesshen they, and sette hem doun and ete;

And after noon ful sleyly Pandarus 1185

Gan drawe him to the window next the strete,

And seyde, `Nece, who hath arayed thus

The yonder hous, that stant afor-yeyn us?'

`Which hous?' quod she, and gan for to biholde,

And knew it wel, and whos it was him tolde, 1190

And fillen forth in speche of thinges smale,

And seten in the window bothe tweye.

Whan Pandarus saw tyme un-to his tale,

And saw wel that hir folk were alle aweye,

`Now, nece myn, tel on,' quod he; `I seye, 1195

How liketh yow the lettre that ye woot?

Can he ther-on? For, by my trouthe, I noot.'

Therwith al rosy hewed tho wex she,

And gan to humme, and seyde, `So I trowe.'

`Aquyte him wel, for goddes love,' quod he; 1200

`My-self to medes wol the lettre sowe.'

And held his hondes up, and sat on knowe,

`Now, goode nece, be it never so lyte,

Yif me the labour, it to sowe and plyte.'

`Ye, for I can so wryte,' quod she tho; 1205

`And eek I noot what I sholde to him seye.'

`Nay, nece,' quod Pandare, `sey nat so;

Yet at the leste thanketh him, I preye,

Of his good wil, and doth him not to deye.

Now for the love of me, my nece dere, 1210

Refuseth not at this tyme my preyere.'

`Depar-dieux,' quod she, `God leve al be wel!

God help me so, this is the firste lettre

That ever I wroot, ye, al or any del.'

And in-to a closet, for to avyse hir bettre, 1215

She wente allone, and gan hir herte unfettre

Out of disdaynes prison but a lyte;

And sette hir doun, and gan a lettre wryte,

Of which to telle in short is myn entente

Theffect, as fer as I can understonde: — 1220

She thonked him of al that he wel mente

Towardes hir, but holden him in honde

She nolde nought, ne make hir-selven bonde

In love, but as his suster, him to plese,

She wolde fayn to doon his herte an ese. 1225

She shette it, and to Pandarus in gan goon,

There as he sat and loked in-to the strete,

And doun she sette hir by him on a stoon

Of Iaspre, up-on a quisshin gold y-bete,

And seyde, `As wisly helpe me god the grete, 1230

I never dide a thing with more peyne

Than wryte this, to which ye me constreyne;'

And took it him: He thonked hir and seyde,

`God woot, of thing ful ofte looth bigonne

Cometh ende good; and nece myn, Criseyde, 1235

That ye to him of hard now ben y-wonne

Oughte he be glad, by god and yonder sonne!

For-why men seyth, "Impressiounes lighte

Ful lightly been ay redy to the flighte.'

`But