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That, wiste he wel, an inpossible were. 525

Dredelees, it cleer was in the wind

Of every pye and every lette-game;

Now al is wel, for al the world is blind

In this matere, bothe fremed and tame.

This timbur is al redy up to frame; 530

Us lakketh nought but that we witen wolde

A certein houre, in which she comen sholde.

And Troilus, that al this purveyaunce

Knew at the fulle, and waytede on it ay,

Hadde here-up-on eek made gret ordenaunce, 535

And founde his cause, and ther-to his aray,

If that he were missed, night or day,

Ther-whyle he was aboute this servyse,

That he was goon to doon his sacrifyse,

And moste at swich a temple alone wake, 540

Answered of Appollo for to be;

And first to seen the holy laurer quake,

Er that Apollo spak out of the tree,

To telle him next whan Grekes sholden flee,

And forthy lette him no man, god forbede, 545

But preye Apollo helpen in this nede.

Now is ther litel more for to doone,

But Pandare up, and shortly for to seyne,

Right sone upon the chaunging of the mone,

Whan lightles is the world a night or tweyne, 550

And that the welken shoop him for to reyne,

He streight a-morwe un-to his nece wente;

Ye han wel herd the fyn of his entente.

Whan he was come, he gan anoon to pleye

As he was wont, and of him-self to Iape; 555

And fynally, he swor and gan hir seye,

By this and that, she sholde him not escape,

Ne lengere doon him after hir to gape;

But certeynly she moste, by hir leve,

Come soupen in his hous with him at eve. 560

At whiche she lough, and gan hir faste excuse,

And seyde, `It rayneth; lo, how sholde I goon?'

`Lat be,' quod he, `ne stond not thus to muse;

This moot be doon, ye shal be ther anoon.'

So at the laste her-of they felle at oon, 565

Or elles, softe he swor hir in hir ere,

He nolde never come ther she were.

Sone after this, to him she gan to rowne,

And asked him if Troilus were there?

He swor hir, `Nay, for he was out of towne,' 570

And seyde, `Nece, I pose that he were,

Yow thurfte never have the more fere.

For rather than men mighte him ther aspye,

Me were lever a thousand-fold to dye.'

Nought list myn auctor fully to declare 575

What that she thoughte whan he seyde so,

That Troilus was out of town y-fare,

As if he seyde ther-of sooth or no;

But that, with-outen awayt, with him to go,

She graunted him, sith he hir that bisoughte 580

And, as his nece, obeyed as hir oughte.

But nathelees, yet gan she him biseche,

Al-though with him to goon it was no fere,

For to be war of goosish peples speche,

That dremen thinges whiche that never were, 585

And wel avyse him whom he broughte there;

And seyde him, `Eem, sin I mot on yow triste,

Loke al be wel, and do now as yow liste.'

He swor hire, `Yis, by stokkes and by stones,

And by the goddes that in hevene dwelle, 590

Or elles were him levere, soule and bones,

With Pluto king as depe been in helle

As Tantalus!' What sholde I more telle?

Whan al was wel, he roos and took his leve,

And she to souper com, whan it was eve, 595

With a certayn of hir owene men,

And with hir faire nece Antigone,

And othere of hir wommen nyne or ten;

But who was glad now, who, as trowe ye,

But Troilus, that stood and mighte it see 600

Thurgh-out a litel windowe in a stewe,

Ther he bishet, sin midnight, was in mewe,

Unwist of every wight but of Pandare?

But to the poynt; now whan that she was y-come

With alle Ioye, and alle frendes fare, 605

Hir em anoon in armes hath hir nome,

And after to the souper, alle and some,

Whan tyme was, ful softe they hem sette;

God wot, ther was no deyntee for to fette.

And after souper gonnen they to ryse, 610

At ese wel, with hertes fresshe and glade,

And wel was him that coude best devyse

To lyken hir, or that hir laughen made.

He song; she pleyde; he tolde tale of Wade.

But at the laste, as every thing hath ende, 615

She took hir leve, and nedes wolde wende.

But O, Fortune, executrice of wierdes,

O influences of thise hevenes hye!

Soth is, that, under god, ye ben our hierdes,

Though