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And lat see now how wel thou canst it make,

For, par-dee, syk is he that is in sorwe.

Go now, farwel! And, Venus here to borwe,

I hope, and thou this purpos holde ferme, 1525

Thy grace she shal fully ther conferme.'

Quod Troilus, `Y-wis, thou nedelees

Conseylest me, that sykliche I me feyne,

For I am syk in ernest, doutelees,

So that wel neigh I sterve for the peyne.' 1530

Quod Pandarus, `Thou shalt the bettre pleyne,

And hast the lasse need to countrefete;

For him men demen hoot that men seen swete.

`Lo, holde thee at thy triste cloos, and I

Shal wel the deer un-to thy bowe dryve.' 1535

Therwith he took his leve al softely,

And Troilus to paleys wente blyve.

So glad ne was he never in al his lyve;

And to Pandarus reed gan al assente,

And to Deiphebus hous at night he wente. 1540

What nedeth yow to tellen al the chere

That Deiphebus un-to his brother made,

Or his accesse, or his siklych manere,

How men gan him with clothes for to lade,

Whan he was leyd, and how men wolde him glade? 1545

But al for nought; he held forth ay the wyse

That ye han herd Pandare er this devyse.

But certeyn is, er Troilus him leyde,

Deiphebus had him prayed, over night,

To been a freend and helping to Criseyde. 1550

God woot, that he it grauntede anon-right,

To been hir fulle freend with al his might.

But swich a nede was to preye him thenne,

As for to bidde a wood man for to renne.

The morwen com, and neighen gan the tyme 1555

Of meel-tyd, that the faire quene Eleyne

Shoop hir to been, an houre after the pryme,

With Deiphebus, to whom she nolde feyne;

But as his suster, hoomly, sooth to seyne,

She com to diner in hir playn entente. 1560

But god and Pandare wiste al what this mente.

Com eek Criseyde, al innocent of this,

Antigone, hir sister Tarbe also;

But flee we now prolixitee best is,

For love of god, and lat us faste go 1565

Right to the effect, with-oute tales mo,

Why al this folk assembled in this place;

And lat us of hir saluinges pace.

Gret honour dide hem Deiphebus, certeyn,

And fedde hem wel with al that mighte lyke. 1570

But ever-more, `Allas!' was his refreyn,

`My goode brother Troilus, the syke,

Lyth yet"—and therwith-al he gan to syke;

And after that, he peyned him to glade

Hem as he mighte, and chere good he made. 1575

Compleyned eek Eleyne of his syknesse

So feithfully, that pitee was to here,

And every wight gan waxen for accesse

A leche anoon, and seyde, `In this manere

Men curen folk; this charme I wol yow lere.' 1580

But ther sat oon, al list hir nought to teche,

That thoughte, best coude I yet been his leche.

After compleynt, him gonnen they to preyse,

As folk don yet, whan som wight hath bigonne

To preyse a man, and up with prys him reyse 1585

A thousand fold yet hyer than the sonne: —

`He is, he can, that fewe lordes conne.'

And Pandarus, of that they wolde afferme,

He not for-gat hir preysing to conferme.

Herde al this thing Criseyde wel y-nough, 1590

And every word gan for to notifye;

For which with sobre chere hir herte lough;

For who is that ne wolde hir glorifye,

To mowen swich a knight don live or dye?

But al passe I, lest ye to longe dwelle; 1595

For for o fyn is al that ever I telle.

The tyme com, fro diner for to ryse,

And, as hem oughte, arisen everychoon,

And gonne a while of this and that devyse.

But Pandarus brak al this speche anoon, 1600

And seyde to Deiphebus, `Wole ye goon,

If youre wille be, as I yow preyde,

To speke here of the nedes of Criseyde?'

Eleyne, which that by the hond hir held,

Took first the tale, and seyde, `Go we blyve;' 1605

And goodly on Criseyde she biheld,

And seyde, `Ioves lat him never thryve,

That dooth yow harm, and bringe him sone of lyve!

And yeve me sorwe, but he shal it rewe,

If that I may, and alle folk be trewe.' 1610

`Tel thou thy neces cas,' quod Deiphebus

To Pandarus, `for thou canst best it telle.' —

`My lordes and my ladyes, it stant thus;

What sholde I lenger,' quod he, `do yow dwelle?'

He rong hem out a proces lyk a belle, 1615