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That with his deeth he wol his sorwes wreke; 905

For trusteth wel, how sore that him smerte,

He wol to yow no Ialouse wordes speke.

And for-thy, nece, er that his herte breke,

So spek your-self to him of this matere;

For with o word ye may his herte stere. 910

`Now have I told what peril he is inne,

And his coming unwist is to every wight;

Ne, pardee, harm may ther be noon, ne sinne;

I wol my-self be with yow al this night.

Ye knowe eek how it is your owne knight, 915

And that, by right, ye moste upon him triste,

And I al prest to fecche him whan yow liste.'

This accident so pitous was to here,

And eek so lyk a sooth, at pryme face,

And Troilus hir knight to hir so dere, 920

His prive coming, and the siker place,

That, though that she dide him as thanne a grace,

Considered alle thinges as they stode,

No wonder is, sin she dide al for gode.

Cryseyde answerde, `As wisly god at reste 925

My sowle bringe, as me is for him wo!

And eem, y-wis, fayn wolde I doon the beste,

If that I hadde grace to do so.

But whether that ye dwelle or for him go,

I am, til god me bettre minde sende, 930

At dulcarnon, right at my wittes ende.'

Quod Pandarus, `Ye, nece, wol ye here?

Dulcarnon called is "fleminge of wrecches";

It semeth hard, for wrecches wol not lere

For verray slouthe or othere wilful tecches; 935

This seyd by hem that be not worth two fecches.

But ye ben wys, and that we han on honde

Nis neither hard, ne skilful to withstonde.'

`Thanne, eem,' quod she, `doth her-of as yow list;

But er he come, I wil up first aryse; 940

And, for the love of god, sin al my trist

Is on yow two, and ye ben bothe wyse,

So wircheth now in so discreet a wyse,

That I honour may have, and he plesaunce;

For I am here al in your governaunce.' 945

`That is wel seyd,' quod he, `my nece dere'

Ther good thrift on that wyse gentil herte!

But liggeth stille, and taketh him right here,

It nedeth not no ferther for him sterte;

And ech of yow ese otheres sorwes smerte, 950

For love of god; and, Venus, I the herie;

For sone hope I we shulle ben alle merie.'

This Troilus ful sone on knees him sette

Ful sobrely, right be hir beddes heed,

And in his beste wyse his lady grette; 955

But lord, so she wex sodeynliche reed!

Ne, though men sholden smyten of hir heed,

She coude nought a word a-right out-bringe

So sodeynly, for his sodeyn cominge.

But Pandarus, that so wel coude fele 960

In every thing, to pleye anoon bigan,

And seyde, `Nece, see how this lord can knele!

Now, for your trouthe, seeth this gentil man!'

And with that word he for a quisshen ran,

And seyde, `Kneleth now, whyl that yow leste, 965

Ther god your hertes bringe sone at reste!'

Can I not seyn, for she bad him not ryse,

If sorwe it putte out of hir remembraunce,

Or elles that she toke it in the wyse

Of duetee, as for his observaunce; 970

But wel finde I she dide him this plesaunce,

That she him kiste, al-though she syked sore;

And bad him sitte a-doun with-outen more.

Quod Pandarus, `Now wol ye wel biginne;

Now doth him sitte, gode nece dere, 975

Upon your beddes syde al there with-inne,

That ech of yow the bet may other here.'

And with that word he drow him to the fere,

And took a light, and fond his contenaunce,

As for to loke up-on an old romaunce. 980

Criseyde, that was Troilus lady right,

And cleer stood on a ground of sikernesse,

Al thoughte she, hir servaunt and hir knight

Ne sholde of right non untrouthe in hir gesse,

Yet nathelees, considered his distresse, 985

And that love is in cause of swich folye,

Thus to him spak she of his Ialousye:

`Lo, herte myn, as wolde the excellence

Of love, ayeins the which that no man may,

Ne oughte eek goodly maken resistence 990

And eek bycause I felte wel and say

Youre grete trouthe, and servyse every day;

And that your herte al myn was, sooth to seyne,

This droof me for to rewe up-on your peyne.

`And your goodnesse have I founde alwey yit, 995

Of whiche, my dere herte and al my knight,

I thonke it yow, as fer as I have wit,

Al can I