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That al was wel, and out he gan to goon

In-to the grete chambre, and that in hye,

And seyde, `God save al this companye!

Com, nece myn; my lady quene Eleyne

Abydeth yow, and eek my lordes tweyne. 1715

`Rys, take with yow your nece Antigone,

Or whom yow list, or no fors, hardily;

The lesse prees, the bet; com forth with me,

And loke that ye thonke humblely

Hem alle three, and, whan ye may goodly 1720

Your tyme y-see, taketh of hem your leve,

Lest we to longe his restes him bireve.'

Al innocent of Pandarus entente,

Quod tho Criseyde, `Go we, uncle dere';

And arm in arm inward with him she wente, 1725

Avysed wel hir wordes and hir chere;

And Pandarus, in ernestful manere,

Seyde, `Alle folk, for goddes love, I preye,

Stinteth right here, and softely yow pleye.

`Aviseth yow what folk ben here with-inne, 1730

And in what plyt oon is, god him amende!

And inward thus ful softely biginne;

Nece, I conjure and heighly yow defende,

On his half, which that sowle us alle sende,

And in the vertue of corounes tweyne, 1735

Slee nought this man, that hath for yow this peyne!

`Fy on the devel! Thenk which oon he is,

And in what plyt he lyth; com of anoon;

Thenk al swich taried tyd, but lost it nis!

That wol ye bothe seyn, whan ye ben oon. 1740

Secoundelich, ther yet devyneth noon

Up-on yow two; come of now, if ye conne;

Whyl folk is blent, lo, al the tyme is wonne!

`In titering, and pursuite, and delayes,

The folk devyne at wagginge of a stree; 1745

And though ye wolde han after merye dayes,

Than dar ye nought, and why? For she, and she

Spak swich a word; thus loked he, and he;

Lest tyme I loste, I dar not with yow dele;

Com of therfore, and bringeth him to hele.' 1750

But now to yow, ye lovers that ben here,

Was Troilus nought in a cankedort,

That lay, and mighte whispringe of hem here,

And thoughte, `O lord, right now renneth my sort

Fully to dye, or han anoon comfort'; 1755

And was the firste tyme he shulde hir preye

Of love; O mighty god, what shal he seye?

Explicit Secundus Liber.

BOOK III. Incipit prohemium tercii libri.

O blisful light of whiche the bemes clere 1

Adorneth al the thridde hevene faire!

O sonnes lief, O Ioves doughter dere,

Plesaunce of love, O goodly debonaire,

In gentil hertes ay redy to repaire! 5

O verray cause of hele and of gladnesse,

Y-heried be thy might and thy goodnesse!

In hevene and helle, in erthe and salte see

Is felt thy might, if that I wel descerne;

As man, brid, best, fish, herbe and grene tree 10

Thee fele in tymes with vapour eterne.

God loveth, and to love wol nought werne;

And in this world no lyves creature,

With-outen love, is worth, or may endure.

Ye Ioves first to thilke effectes glade, 15

Thorugh which that thinges liven alle and be,

Comeveden, and amorous him made

On mortal thing, and as yow list, ay ye

Yeve him in love ese or adversitee;

And in a thousand formes doun him sente 20

For love in erthe, and whom yow liste, he hente.

Ye fierse Mars apeysen of his ire,

And, as yow list, ye maken hertes digne;

Algates, hem that ye wol sette a-fyre,

They dreden shame, and vices they resigne; 25

Ye do hem corteys be, fresshe and benigne,

And hye or lowe, after a wight entendeth;

The Ioyes that he hath, your might him sendeth.

Ye holden regne and hous in unitee;

Ye soothfast cause of frendship been also; 30

Ye knowe al thilke covered qualitee

Of thinges which that folk on wondren so,

Whan they can not construe how it may io,

She loveth him, or why he loveth here;

As why this fish, and nought that, comth to were. 35

Ye folk a lawe han set in universe,

And this knowe I by hem that loveres be,

That who-so stryveth with yow hath the werse:

Now, lady bright, for thy benignitee,

At reverence of hem that serven thee, 40

Whos clerk I am, so techeth me devyse

Som Ioye of that is felt in thy servyse.

Ye in my naked herte sentement

Inhelde, and do me shewe of thy swetnesse. —

Caliope, thy vois be now present, 45

For now is nede; sestow not my destresse,

How I mot telle