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And if I mighte excuse hir any wyse,

For she so sory was for hir untrouthe,

Y-wis, I wolde excuse hir yet for routhe.

This Troilus, as I biforn have told, 1100

Thus dryveth forth, as wel as he hath might.

But often was his herte hoot and cold,

And namely, that ilke nynthe night,

Which on the morwe she hadde him byhight

To come ayein: god wot, ful litel reste 1105

Hadde he that night; no-thing to slepe him leste.

The laurer-crouned Phebus, with his hete,

Gan, in his course ay upward as he wente,

To warmen of the est see the wawes wete,

And Nisus doughter song with fresh entente, 1110

Whan Troilus his Pandare after sente;

And on the walles of the toun they pleyde,

To loke if they can seen ought of Criseyde.

Til it was noon, they stoden for to see

Who that ther come; and every maner wight, 1115

That cam fro fer, they seyden it was she,

Til that they coude knowen him a-right.

Now was his herte dul, now was it light;

And thus by-iaped stonden for to stare

Aboute nought, this Troilus and Pandare. 1120

To Pandarus this Troilus tho seyde,

`For ought I wot, bi-for noon, sikerly,

In-to this toun ne comth nought here Criseyde.

She hath y-now to done, hardily,

To winnen from hir fader, so trowe I; 1125

Hir olde fader wol yet make hir dyne

Er that she go; god yeve his herte pyne!'

Pandare answerde, `It may wel be, certeyn;

And for-thy lat us dyne, I thee biseche;

And after noon than maystw thou come ayeyn.' 1130

And hoom they go, with-oute more speche;

And comen ayein, but longe may they seche

Er that they finde that they after cape;

Fortune hem bothe thenketh for to Iape.

Quod Troilus, `I see wel now, that she 1135

Is taried with hir olde fader so,

That er she come, it wole neigh even be.

Com forth, I wol un-to the yate go.

Thise portours been unkonninge ever-mo;

And I wol doon hem holden up the yate 1140

As nought ne were, al-though she come late.'

The day goth faste, and after that comth eve,

And yet com nought to Troilus Criseyde.

He loketh forth by hegge, by tree, by greve,

And fer his heed over the wal he leyde. 1145

And at the laste he torned him, and seyde.

`By god, I woot hir mening now, Pandare!

Al-most, y-wis, al newe was my care.

`Now douteles, this lady can hir good;

I woot, she meneth ryden prively. 1150

I comende hir wysdom, by myn hood!

She wol not maken peple nycely

Gaure on hir, whan she comth; but softely

By nighte in-to the toun she thenketh ryde.

And, dere brother, thenk not longe to abyde. 1155

`We han nought elles for to don, y-wis.

And Pandarus, now woltow trowen me?

Have here my trouthe, I see hir! Yond she is.

Heve up thyn eyen, man! Maystow not see?'

Pandare answerde, `Nay, so mote I thee! 1160

Al wrong, by god; what seystow, man, wher art?

That I see yond nis but a fare-cart.'

`Allas, thou seist right sooth,' quod Troilus;

`But, hardely, it is not al for nought

That in myn herte I now reioyse thus. 1165

It is ayein som good I have a thought.

Noot I not how, but sin that I was wrought,

Ne felte I swich a confort, dar I seye;

She comth to-night, my lyf, that dorste I leye!'

Pandare answerde, `It may be wel, y-nough'; 1170

And held with him of al that ever he seyde;

But in his herte he thoughte, and softe lough,

And to him-self ful sobrely he seyde:

`From hasel-wode, ther Ioly Robin pleyde,

Shal come al that thou abydest here; 1175

Ye, fare-wel al the snow of ferne yere!'

The wardein of the yates gan to calle

The folk which that with-oute the yates were,

And bad hem dryven in hir bestes alle,

Or al the night they moste bleven there. 1180

And fer with-in the night, with many a tere,

This Troilus gan hoomward for to ryde;

For wel he seeth it helpeth nought tabyde.

But natheles, he gladded him in this;

He thoughte he misacounted hadde his day, 1185

And seyde, `I understonde have al a-mis.

For thilke night I last Criseyde say,

She seyde, "I shal ben here, if that I may,

Er that the mone, O dere herte swete!

The Lyon passe, out of this Ariete." 1190

`For which