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So mot it come; and thus the bifalling

Of thinges that ben wist bifore the tyde,

They mowe not been eschewed on no syde.'

Than seyde he thus, `Almighty Iove in trone,

That wost of al this thing the soothfastnesse, 1080

Rewe on my sorwe, or do me deye sone,

Or bring Criseyde and me fro this distresse.'

And whyl he was in al this hevinesse,

Disputinge with him-self in this matere,

Com Pandare in, and seyde as ye may here. 1085

`O mighty god,' quod Pandarus, `in trone,

Ey! Who seigh ever a wys man faren so?

Why, Troilus, what thenkestow to done?

Hastow swich lust to been thyn owene fo?

What, parde, yet is not Criseyde a-go! 1090

Why list thee so thy-self for-doon for drede,

That in thyn heed thyn eyen semen dede?

`Hastow not lived many a yeer biforn

With-outen hir, and ferd ful wel at ese?

Artow for hir and for non other born? 1095

Hath kinde thee wroughte al-only hir to plese?

Lat be, and thenk right thus in thy disese.

That, in the dees right as ther fallen chaunces,

Right so in love, ther come and goon plesaunces.

`And yet this is a wonder most of alle, 1100

Why thou thus sorwest, sin thou nost not yit,

Touching hir goinge, how that it shal falle,

Ne if she can hir-self distorben it.

Thou hast not yet assayed al hir wit.

A man may al by tyme his nekke bede 1105

Whan it shal of, and sorwen at the nede.

`For-thy take hede of that that I shal seye;

I have with hir y-spoke and longe y-be,

So as accorded was bitwixe us tweye.

And ever-mor me thinketh thus, that she 1110

Hath som-what in hir hertes prevetee,

Wher-with she can, if I shal right arede,

Distorbe al this, of which thou art in drede.

`For which my counseil is, whan it is night,

Thou to hir go, and make of this an ende; 1115

And blisful Iuno, thourgh hir grete mighte,

Shal, as I hope, hir grace un-to us sende.

Myn herte seyth, "Certeyn, she shal not wende;"

And for-thy put thyn herte a whyle in reste;

And hold this purpos, for it is the beste.' 1120

This Troilus answerde, and sighte sore,

`Thou seyst right wel, and I wil do right so;'

And what him liste, he seyde un-to it more.

And whan that it was tyme for to go,

Ful prevely him-self, with-outen mo, 1125

Un-to hir com, as he was wont to done;

And how they wroughte, I shal yow telle sone.

Soth is, that whan they gonne first to mete,

So gan the peyne hir hertes for to twiste,

That neither of hem other mighte grete, 1130

But hem in armes toke and after kiste.

The lasse wofulle of hem bothe niste

Wher that he was, ne mighte o word out-bringe,

As I seyde erst, for wo and for sobbinge.

Tho woful teres that they leten falle 1135

As bittre weren, out of teres kinde,

For peyne, as is ligne aloes or galle.

So bittre teres weep nought, as I finde,

The woful Myrra through the bark and rinde.

That in this world ther nis so hard an herte, 1140

That nolde han rewed on hir peynes smerte.

But whan hir woful wery gostes tweyne

Retorned been ther-as hem oughte dwelle,

And that som-what to wayken gan the peyne

By lengthe of pleynte, and ebben gan the welle 1145

Of hire teres, and the herte unswelle,

With broken voys, al hoors for-shright, Criseyde

To Troilus thise ilke wordes seyde:

`O Iove, I deye, and mercy I beseche!

Help, Troilus!' And ther-with-al hir face 1150

Upon his brest she leyde, and loste speche;

Hir woful spirit from his propre place,

Right with the word, alwey up poynt to pace.

And thus she lyth with hewes pale and grene,

That whylom fresh and fairest was to sene. 1155

This Troilus, that on hir gan biholde,

Clepinge hir name, (and she lay as for deed,

With-oute answere, and felte hir limes colde,

Hir eyen throwen upward to hir heed),

This sorwful man can now noon other reed, 1160

But ofte tyme hir colde mouth he kiste;

Wher him was wo, god and him-self it wiste!

He rist him up, and long streight he hir leyde;

For signe of lyf, for ought he can or may,

Can he noon finde in no-thing on Criseyde, 1165

For which his song ful ofte is `weylaway!'

But whan he saugh that specheles she lay,

With sorwful voys and