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`For in this world ther liveth lady noon,

If that ye were untrewe, as god defende!

That so bitraysed were or wo bigoon

As I, that alle trouthe in yow entende.

And douteles, if that ich other wende, 1650

I nere but deed; and er ye cause finde,

For goddes love, so beth me not unkinde.'

To this answerde Troilus and seyde,

`Now god, to whom ther nis no cause y-wrye,

Me glade, as wis I never un-to Criseyde, 1655

Sin thilke day I saw hir first with ye,

Was fals, ne never shal til that I dye.

At shorte wordes, wel ye may me leve;

I can no more, it shal be founde at preve.'

`Graunt mercy, goode myn, y-wis,' quod she, 1660

`And blisful Venus lat me never sterve

Er I may stonde of plesaunce in degree

To quyte him wel, that so wel can deserve;

And whyl that god my wit wol me conserve,

I shal so doon, so trewe I have yow founde, 1665

That ay honour to me-ward shal rebounde.

`For trusteth wel, that your estat royal

Ne veyn delyt, nor only worthinesse

Of yow in werre, or torney marcial,

Ne pompe, array, nobley, or eek richesse, 1670

Ne made me to rewe on your distresse;

But moral vertue, grounded upon trouthe,

That was the cause I first hadde on yow routhe!

`Eek gentil herte and manhod that ye hadde,

And that ye hadde, as me thoughte, in despyt 1675

Every thing that souned in-to badde,

As rudenesse and poeplish appetyt;

And that your reson brydled your delyt,

This made, aboven every creature,

That I was your, and shal, whyl I may dure. 1680

`And this may lengthe of yeres not for-do,

Ne remuable fortune deface;

But Iuppiter, that of his might may do

The sorwful to be glad, so yeve us grace,

Er nightes ten, to meten in this place, 1685

So that it may your herte and myn suffyse;

And fareth now wel, for tyme is that ye ryse.'

And after that they longe y-pleyned hadde,

And ofte y-kist, and streite in armes folde,

The day gan ryse, and Troilus him cladde, 1690

And rewfulliche his lady gan biholde,

As he that felte dethes cares colde,

And to hir grace he gan him recomaunde;

Wher him was wo, this holde I no demaunde.

For mannes heed imaginen ne can, 1695

Ne entendement considere, ne tonge telle

The cruel peynes of this sorwful man,

That passen every torment doun in helle.

For whan he saugh that she ne mighte dwelle,

Which that his soule out of his herte rente, 1700

With-outen more, out of the chaumbre he wente.

Explicit Liber Quartus.

BOOK V. Incipit Liber Quintus.

Aprochen gan the fatal destinee

That Ioves hath in disposicioun,

And to yow, angry Parcas, sustren three,

Committeth, to don execucioun;

For which Criseyde moste out of the toun, 5

And Troilus shal dwelle forth in pyne

Til Lachesis his threed no lenger twyne. —

The golden-tressed Phebus heighe on-lofte

Thryes hadde alle with his bemes shene

The snowes molte, and Zephirus as ofte 10

Y-brought ayein the tendre leves grene,

Sin that the sone of Ecuba the quene

Bigan to love hir first, for whom his sorwe

Was al, that she departe sholde a-morwe.

Ful redy was at pryme Dyomede, 15

Criseyde un-to the Grekes ost to lede,

For sorwe of which she felt hir herte blede,

As she that niste what was best to rede.

And trewely, as men in bokes rede,

Men wiste never womman han the care, 20

Ne was so looth out of a toun to fare.

This Troilus, with-outen reed or lore,

As man that hath his Ioyes eek forlore,

Was waytinge on his lady ever-more

As she that was the soothfast crop and more 25

Of al his lust, or Ioyes here-tofore.

But Troilus, now farewel al thy Ioye,

For shaltow never seen hir eft in Troye!

Soth is, that whyl he bood in this manere,

He gan his wo ful manly for to hyde. 30

That wel unnethe it seen was in his chere;

But at the yate ther she sholde oute ryde

With certeyn folk, he hoved hir tabyde,

So wo bigoon, al wolde he nought him pleyne,

That on his hors unnethe he sat for peyne. 35

For ire he quook, so gan his herte gnawe,

Whan Diomede on horse gan him dresse,

And seyde un-to him-self this ilke sawe,

`Allas,' quod he,