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Ayein the sonne lyth, on poynt to dye, 1285

And she for sorwe ginneth wepe and crye,

And kisseth him, ther he lyth on the grounde;

Thus shuldestow thy dreem a-right expounde.'

`How mighte I thanne do?' quod Troilus,

`To knowe of this, ye, were it never so lyte?' 1290

`Now seystow wysly,' quod this Pandarus,

`My reed is this, sin thou canst wel endyte,

That hastely a lettre thou hir wryte,

Thorugh which thou shalt wel bringen it aboute,

To knowe a sooth of that thou art in doute. 1295

`And see now why; for this I dar wel seyn,

That if so is that she untrewe be,

I can not trowe that she wol wryte ayeyn.

And if she wryte, thou shalt ful sone see,

As whether she hath any libertee 1300

To come ayein, or ellis in som clause,

If she be let, she wol assigne a cause.

`Thou hast not writen hir sin that she wente,

Nor she to thee, and this I dorste leye,

Ther may swich cause been in hir entente, 1305

That hardely thou wolt thy-selven seye,

That hir a-bood the beste is for yow tweye.

Now wryte hir thanne, and thou shalt fele sone

A sothe of al; ther is no more to done.'

Acorded been to this conclusioun, 1310

And that anoon, these ilke lordes two;

And hastely sit Troilus adoun,

And rolleth in his herte to and fro,

How he may best discryven hir his wo.

And to Criseyde, his owene lady dere, 1315

He wroot right thus, and seyde as ye may here.

`Right fresshe flour, whos I have been and shal,

With-outen part of elles-where servyse,

With herte, body, lyf, lust, thought, and al;

I, woful wight, in every humble wyse 1320

That tonge telle or herte may devyse,

As ofte as matere occupyeth place,

Me recomaunde un-to your noble grace.

`Lyketh it yow to witen, swete herte,

As ye wel knowe how longe tyme agoon 1325

That ye me lefte in aspre peynes smerte,

Whan that ye wente, of which yet bote noon

Have I non had, but ever wers bigoon

Fro day to day am I, and so mot dwelle,

While it yow list, of wele and wo my welle. 1330

`For which to yow, with dredful herte trewe,

I wryte, as he that sorwe dryfth to wryte,

My wo, that every houre encreseth newe,

Compleyninge as I dar or can endyte.

And that defaced is, that may ye wyte 1335

The teres, which that fro myn eyen reyne,

That wolde speke, if that they coude, and pleyne.

`Yow first biseche I, that your eyen clere

To look on this defouled ye not holde;

And over al this, that ye, my lady dere, 1340

Wol vouche-sauf this lettre to biholde.

And by the cause eek of my cares colde,

That sleeth my wit, if ought amis me asterte,

For-yeve it me, myn owene swete herte.

`If any servant dorste or oughte of right 1345

Up-on his lady pitously compleyne,

Than wene I, that ich oughte be that wight,

Considered this, that ye these monthes tweyne

Han taried, ther ye seyden, sooth to seyne,

But dayes ten ye nolde in ost soiourne, 1350

But in two monthes yet ye not retourne.

`But for-as-muche as me mot nedes lyke

Al that yow list, I dar not pleyne more,

But humbely with sorwful sykes syke;

Yow wryte ich myn unresty sorwes sore, 1355

Fro day to day desyring ever-more

To knowen fully, if your wil it were,

How ye han ferd and doon, whyl ye be there.

`The whos wel-fare and hele eek god encresse

In honour swich, that upward in degree 1360

It growe alwey, so that it never cesse;

Right as your herte ay can, my lady free,

Devyse, I prey to god so mote it be.

And graunte it that ye sone up-on me rewe

As wisly as in al I am yow trewe. 1365

`And if yow lyketh knowen of the fare

Of me, whos wo ther may no wight discryve,

I can no more but, cheste of every care,

At wrytinge of this lettre I was on-lyve,

Al redy out my woful gost to dryve; 1370

Which I delaye, and holde him yet in honde,

Upon the sight of matere of your sonde.

`Myn eyen two, in veyn with which I see,

Of sorweful teres salte arn waxen welles;

My song, in pleynte of myn adversitee; 1375

My good, in harm; myn ese eek waxen helle is.

My Ioye, in wo; I can sey yow nought elles,

But turned is, for which my lyf I warie,

Everich Ioye or ese in his contrarie.