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Therwith ful ofte encreseth eek desyr;

Or, as an ook cometh of a litel spyr, 1335

So through this lettre, which that she him sente,

Encresen gan desyr, of which he brente.

Wherfore I seye alwey, that day and night

This Troilus gan to desiren more

Than he dide erst, thurgh hope, and dide his might 1340

To pressen on, as by Pandarus lore,

And wryten to hir of his sorwes sore

Fro day to day; he leet it not refreyde,

That by Pandare he wroot somwhat or seyde;

And dide also his othere observaunces 1345

That to a lovere longeth in this cas;

And, after that these dees turnede on chaunces,

So was he outher glad or seyde `Allas!'

And held after his gestes ay his pas;

And aftir swiche answeres as he hadde, 1350

So were his dayes sory outher gladde.

But to Pandare alwey was his recours,

And pitously gan ay til him to pleyne,

And him bisoughte of rede and som socours;

And Pandarus, that sey his wode peyne, 1355

Wex wel neigh deed for routhe, sooth to seyne,

And bisily with al his herte caste

Som of his wo to sleen, and that as faste;

And seyde, `Lord, and freend, and brother dere,

God woot that thy disese dooth me wo. 1360

But woltow stinten al this woful chere,

And, by my trouthe, or it be dayes two,

And god to-forn, yet shal I shape it so,

That thou shalt come in-to a certayn place,

Ther-as thou mayst thy-self hir preye of grace. 1365

`And certainly, I noot if thou it wost,

But tho that been expert in love it seye,

It is oon of the thinges that furthereth most,

A man to have a leyser for to preye,

And siker place his wo for to biwreye; 1370

For in good herte it moot som routhe impresse,

To here and see the giltles in distresse.

`Paraunter thenkestow: though it be so

That kinde wolde doon hir to biginne

To han a maner routhe up-on my wo, 1375

Seyth Daunger, "Nay, thou shalt me never winne;

So reuleth hir hir hertes goost with-inne,

That, though she bende, yet she stant on rote;

What in effect is this un-to my bote?"

`Thenk here-ayeins, whan that the sturdy ook, 1380

On which men hakketh ofte, for the nones,

Receyved hath the happy falling strook,

The grete sweigh doth it come al at ones,

As doon these rokkes or these milne-stones.

For swifter cours cometh thing that is of wighte, 1385

Whan it descendeth, than don thinges lighte.

`And reed that boweth doun for every blast,

Ful lightly, cesse wind, it wol aryse;

But so nil not an ook whan it is cast;

It nedeth me nought thee longe to forbyse. 1390

Men shal reioysen of a greet empryse

Acheved wel, and stant with-outen doute,

Al han men been the lenger ther-aboute.

`But, Troilus, yet tel me, if thee lest,

A thing now which that I shal axen thee; 1395

Which is thy brother that thou lovest best

As in thy verray hertes privetee?'

`Y-wis, my brother Deiphebus,' quod he.

`Now,' quod Pandare, `er houres twyes twelve,

He shal thee ese, unwist of it him-selve. 1400

`Now lat me allone, and werken as I may,'

Quod he; and to Deiphebus wente he tho

Which hadde his lord and grete freend ben ay;

Save Troilus, no man he lovede so.

To telle in short, with-outen wordes mo, 1405

Quod Pandarus, `I pray yow that ye be

Freend to a cause which that toucheth me.'

`Yis, pardee,' quod Deiphebus, `wel thow wost,

In al that ever I may, and god to-fore,

Al nere it but for man I love most, 1410

My brother Troilus; but sey wherfore

It is; for sith that day that I was bore,

I nas, ne never-mo to been I thinke,

Ayeins a thing that mighte thee for-thinke.'

Pandare gan him thonke, and to him seyde, 1415

`Lo, sire, I have a lady in this toun,

That is my nece, and called is Criseyde,

Which some men wolden doon oppressioun,

And wrongfully have hir possessioun:

Wherfor I of your lordship yow biseche 1420

To been our freend, with-oute more speche.'

Deiphebus him answerde, `O, is not this,

That thow spekest of to me thus straungely,

Criseyda, my freend?' He seyde, `Yis.'

`Than nedeth,' quod Deiphebus, `hardely, 1425

Na-more to speke, for trusteth wel, that I

Wol be hir champioun with spore and yerde;