"Thou thinkest now,' How should I don al this,
For by my cheres mosten folke espie,
That for her love is that I fare amis,
Yet had I lever unwist for sorrow die:'
Now thinke nat so, for thou hast great follie,
For I right now have founden a manere
Of sleight, for to coveren all thy chere.

Thou shalt gone overnight, and that blive,
Unto Deiphebus house, as thee to play,
Thy maladie away the bet to drive,
For which thou seemeth sicke, sooth to say,
Soone after that, in thy bed thee lay,
And say thou maist no lenger up endure,
And lie right there, and bide thine aventure.

"Say that thy fever is wont thee for to take
The same time, and last till a morow,
And let see now how well thou canst it make:
For parde sicke is he that is in sorrow.
Go now farwell, and Venus here to borow,
I hope and thou this purpose hold ferme,
Thy grace she shall fully there conferme."

(Quod Troilus)" Iwis thou all needlesse
Counsailest me, that sickeliche I me faine,
For I am sicke in earnest doubtlesse,

So that well nigh I sterve for the paine:" (Quod Pandarus) "Thou shalt the better plaine, And hast the lesse need to counterfete,

For him demeth men hot, that seeth him swete.

"Lo, hold thee at thy triste close, and I
Shall well the deere vnto the bow drive:"
Therewith he tooke his leave all softly,
And Troilus to his paleis went blive,
So glad ne was he never in all his live,
And to Pandarus rede gan all assent,
And to Deiphebus hous at night he went,
What nedeth it you to tellen all the chere
That Deiphebus vnto his brother made,
Or his axis, or his sickeliche manere,
How men gone him with clothes for to lade,
Whan be was laid, and how men would him glade:
But all for nought, he held forth aye the wise,
That ye han heard Pandare ere this devise.

But certaine is, ere Troilus him leide,
Deiphebus had praied him over night
To ben a friend, and helping to Creseide:
God wot that he graunted anon right

To ben her full friend with all his might:
But such a need was it to praien him thenne,
As for to bidden a wood man to renne.

The morow came, and nighen gan the time
Of mealtide, that the faire queene Heleine
Shope her to ben an houre after the prime
With Deiphebus, to whom she nolde faine,
But as his suster, homely sooth to saine
She came to dinner in her plaine entent,
But God and Pandare wist all what this ment.

Came eke Creseide all innocent of this,
Antigone her nece, and Tarbe also,
But flie we now prolixitie best is,
For love of God, and let vs fast go
Right to theffect, withouten tales mo,

Why all this folke assembled in this place,
And let vs of all hir salvinges pace.

Great honour did hem Deiphebus certaine,
And fedde hem well, with all that might like,
But evermo alas, was his refraine:
"My good brother Troilus the sike
Lithe yet," and therewithall he gan to sike,
And after that he pained him to glade
Hem as he might, and chere good he made.

Complained eke Heleine of his sicknesse
So faithfully, that it pitie was to here,
And every wight gan wexen for axes
A leche anon, and said, " In this manere
Men curen folke, this charme I wol thee lere,"
But there sate one, all list her nat to teche,
That thought, yet best could I ben his leche.

After complaint him gonnen they to preise,
As folk don yet whan some wight hath begon
To preise a man, and with preise him reise
A thousand fold yet higher than the Sonne,
He is, he can, that few other lordes conne,
And Pandarus of that they would afferme,
He nought forgate hir praising to conferme.
Herd all this thing fair Creseide well inough,
And every word gan for to notifie,
For which with sober chere her herte lough,
For who is that ne would her glorifie,
To mowen such a knight done live or die?
But all passe I, least ye too long idwell,
But for o fine is all that ever I tell.

The time came, fro dinner for to rise,
And as hem ought, arisen everychone,
And gane a while of this and that devise,
But Pandarus brake all this speech anone,
And said to Deiphebus," Woll ye gone,
If your will be, as erst I you preide,
To speaken of the nedes of Creseide ?"

Heleine, which that by the hond her held,
Tooke first the tale, and said, "Go we blive,"
And goodly on Creseide she beheld,
And said, "Joves let him never thrive
That doth you harm, and reve him sone of live,
And yeve me sorrow, but he shall it rue,
If that I may, and all folke be true."

"Tell thou thy nices case" (quod Deiphebus
To Pandarus) "for thou canst best it tell."
"My lordes and my ladies, it stant thus,
What should I lenger" (quod he) “do you dwell }*
He rong hem out a proces like a bell
Upon her foe, that hight Poliphete,
So hainous, that men might on it spete.
Answerd of this ech worse of hem than other,
And Poliphete they gonnen thus to warien,
And honged be such one, were he my brother,
And so he shall, for it ne may nought varien,
What should I lenger in this tale tarien,
Plaineliche all at ones they her highten
To ben her friend in all that ever they mighten

Spake then Heleine, and said, "Pandarus,
Wot aught my lord my brother of this mater,
I meane Hector, or wote it Troilus ?"
He said, "Ye, but woll ye me now here,
Me thinketh thus, sith that Troilus is here,
It were good, if that ye would assent,
She told him her selfe all this ere she went.

"For he wol have the more hir grefe at herte, Because lo, that she a lady is,

And by your will, I woll but in right start,

And do you wete, and that anone iwis,

If that he sleepe, or woll aught here of this:"

And in he lept, and said him in his ere,

To smilen of this gan tho Troilus,

And Pandarus without reckoning,

Out went anon to Heleine and Deiphebus,
And said hem, "So there be no tarying
Ne more prease, he woll well that ye bring
Creseide my lady, that is now here,
And as he may enduren, he woll her here.

"But well ye wote, the chamber is but lite,
And few folke may lightly make it warme,
Now looketh ye, for I woll have no wite
To bring in prease, that might done him harme,
Or him diseasen, for my better arme :
Yet were it bette she bid till oft soonis,
Now looke ye that knowen what to donis.

"I say for me best is, as I can know,
That no wight in ne wende, but ye twey,
But it were I, for I cannot in a throw
Rehearse her case, vnlike that she can sey,
And after this she may him ones prey
To ben good lord in short, and take her leve,
This may not mokell of his ease him reve.

"And eke for she is straunge, he woll forbere
His ease, which that him dare nat for you,
Eke other thing, that toucheth nat to her,
He woll it tell, I wote it well right now,
That secret is, and for the townes prow :"
And they that knew nothing of his entent,
Without more, to Troilus in they went.

Heleine in all her goodly softe wise
Gan him salue, and womanly to play,
And saied," Iwis, ye mote algate arise:
Now faire brother be all hole I pray,"
And gan her arme right over his shoulder lay,
And him with all her wit to recomfort,
As she best could, she gan him to disport.

So after this (quod she)" We you beseke
My dere brother Deiphebus and I,
For love of God, and so doeth Pandare eke,
To been good lord and friend right hertely
Unto Creseide, which that certainly
Received wrong, as wot well here Pandare,
That can her case well bet than I declare."

This Pandarus gan new his tong affile,
And all her case rehearse, and that anone,
Whan it was saied, soone after in a while,
(Quod Troilus)" As soone as I was gone,
I wol right faine with all my might ben one,
Have God my trouth, her cause to susteine."
"Now good thrift have ye" (quod Helein the queen.)

(Quod Pandarus) " And it your will be,
That she may take her leave ere that she go."
"O eles God forbid it tho" (quod he)
"If that she vouchsafe for to do so:"
And with that word (quod Troilus) "ye two
Deiphebus, and my suster lefe and dere,
To you have I to speake of a matere,

Deiphebus gan this letter for to vnfold

In earnest great, so did Heleine the queene, And roming outward, fast it gonne behold Dounward a steire, into an herbor greene: This ilke thing they redden hem betwene, And largely the mountenaunce of an houre They gonne on it to reden and to poure.

Now let hem rede, and tourne we anone
To Pandarus, that gan full soft prie
That all was well, and out he gan to gone
Into the great chamber, and that in hie,
And saied, "God save all this companie:
Come nece mine, my lady queene Heleine
Abideth you, and eke my lordes tweine.

"Rise, take with you your nece Antigone,
Or whom you list, or no force bardely.
The lasse prease the bet, come forth with me,
And looke that ye thonked humbly
Hem all three, and whan ye may goodly
Your time isee, taketh of hem your leave,
Least we too long his restes him bireave."

All innocent of Pandarus entent

(Quod tho Creseide) "Go we vncle dere,"
And arme in arme, inward with him she went,
Avising well her wordes and her chere,
And Pandarus in earnestfull manere,
Saied, "All folke for Godes love I pray,
Stinteth right here, and softely you play.

"Aviseth you what folke ben here within,
And in what plite one is, God him amend,
And inward thus full softely begin,
Nece I coniure, and highly you defend
On his halfe, which that soule vs all send,
And in the vertue of corounes twaine

Slea nat this man, that hath for you this paine.

"Fie on the deuill, thinke which on he is,
And in what plite he lieth, come off anone,
Think all such taried tide but lost it nis,
That woll ye both saine, whan ye been one:
Secondly, there yet diuineth none
Upon you two, come off now if ye conne,
While folke is blent, lo, all the time is wonne.

In titering and pursuite, and delaies
The folke divine, at wegging of a stre,
And though ye would han after merry daies,
Than dare ye nat, and why? For she and she
Spake such a word, thus looked he and he:
Least time be lost, I dare not with you deale,
Come off therfore, and bringeth him to heale."
But now to you, ye lovers that ben here,
Was Troilus nat in a cankedort,
That lay, and might the wispring of hem here,
And thoght "O lord, right now renneth my sort
Fully to die, or have anone comforte,"
And was the first time he should her pray
Of love, O mightie God, what shall he say!

EXPLICIT LIBER TERTIUS.

O BLISFULL light, of which the bemes clere
Adorneth all the third heaven faire,
O sonnes lefe, O Joues doughter dere,
Pleasaunce of love, O goodly debonaire,
In gentle hertes aye ready to repaire,
O very cause of heale and of gladnesse,
I heried be thy might and thy goodnesse.

In Heaven and Hell, in yearth, and salt see,
Is felt thy might, if that I well discerne,
As man, and beast, fish, herbe, and grene tree,
They fele in times with vapour eterne,
God loveth, and to love woll naught werne,
And in this world no lives creature,
Withouten love is worth, or may endure.

Ye Joues first, to thilke affectes glade
Through which that thinges liven all and be,
Commenden, and amorous hem made
On mortall thing, and as you list aye ye
Yeve hem in love, ease, or aduersite :
And in a thousand formes doune hem sent
For love in yearth, and whom you list he hent.

Ye fiers Mars appeasen of his ire,
And as you list, ye maken hertes digne :
Algates hem that ye woll set a fire,
They dreden shame, and vices they resigne,
Ye doen him curteis be, fresh, and benigne,
And high or low, after a wight entendeth
The ioies that he hath, your might it sendeth.

Ye holden reigne and house in vnitie,
Ye soothfast cause of friendship ben also,
Ye knowen all thilke couered qualitie
Of thinges, which that folke wondren at so,
Whan they can nat construe how it may go,
She loveth him, or why he loveth here,

As why this fish, and nat that commeth to werc.

Ye folke a law have set in vniuerse,
And this know I by hem that lovers be,
That who so striveth with you hath the werse:
Now ladie bright, for thy benignite,
At reuerence of hem that serven thee,
Whose clerke I am, so teacheth me devise,
Some joy of that is felt in thy servise.

Yea, in my naked herte sentement
Inhilde, and do me shew of thy sweetnesse
Caliope, thy voice be now present,

For now is need, seest thou nat my distresse,
How I mote tell anon right the gladnesse
Of Troilus, to Venus herying,

To the which who nede hath, God him bring.

INCIPIT LIBER TERTIUS.

LAY all this meane while this Troilus Recording his lesson in this manere,

This nill I nat foryetten in no wise," God leve him werken as he can devise.

And lord so that his herte gan to quappe,
Hearing her come, and short for to sike,
And Pandarus that ledde her by the lappe,
Came nere, and gan in at the curtein pike,
And saied, "God doe bote on all that are sike,
See who is here you comen to visite,

Lo, here is she that is your death to wite."

Therewith it seemed as he wept almost, "A, a" (quod Troilus so routhfully) Whether me be wo, O mighty god thou wost, Who is all there, I see nat truely:" "Sir" (quod Creseide) "it is Pandare and I," "Ye sweet herte alas, I may nat rise

To kneele, and do you honour in some wise.”

And dressed him vpward, and she right tho
Gan both her hondes soft vpon him ley,
"O for the love of God doe ye not so
To me," (quod she) "eye what is this to sey?
Sir comen am I to you for causes twey,
First you to thonke, and of your lordship eke
Continuaunce I would you beseke."

This Troilus that heard his ladie pray
Of lordship, him wox neither quick ne dedde,
Ne might o word for shame to it say,
Although men shoulden smiten off his hedde,
But Lord so he wox sodaineliche redde:
And sir, his lesson that he wende conne
To praien her, is through his wit ironne.

Creseide all this aspied well ynough,

For she was wise, and loved him never the lasse,
All nere he in all apert, or made it tough,
Or was too bold to sing a foole a masse,
But whan his shame gan somwhat to passe
His reasons, as I may my rimes hold,
I woll you tell, as teachen bookes old.

In chaunged voice, right for his very drede,
Which voice eke quoke, and thereto his manere
Goodly abasht, and now his hewes rede,
Now pale, vnto Creseide his ladie dere,
With looke doun cast, and humble iyolden chere,
Lo, the alderfirst word that him astart,
Was twice,

Mercy, mercy, O my sweet herte."

And stint a while, and whan he might out bring,
The next word was, "God wote for I have
As faithfully as I have had konning,
Ben yours all, God so my soule do save,
And shall, till that I wofull might be grave,
And though I dare ne can vnto you plaine,
Iwis I suffer not the lasse paine.

"Thus much as now, ah, womanliche wife,
I may out bring, and if this you displease,
That shall I wreke vpon mine owne life
Right soone I trow, and do your herte an ease,

Thus woll I plaine vnto my lady dere,

That word is good, and this shall be my chere

But sens that ye han heard me somewhat sey, Now retch I never how soone that I dey,"

Therewith his manly sorrow to behold,
It might have made an herte of stone to rew,
And Pandare wept as he to water would,
And poked ever his nece new and new,
And saied," Wo begon been hertes true,
For love of God, make of this thing an end,
Or slea us both at ones, ere that ye wend."

"I, what" (quod she)" by God and by my trouth I not nat what ye wilne that I sey: " "Eye, what" (quod he)" that ye have on him routh For Godes love, and doeth him nat to dey:" "Now than thus" (quod she) " I woll him prey, To tell me the fine of his entent,

Yet wist I never well what that he ment."

"What that I mean, O my sweet herte dere"
(Quod Troilus) "O goodly fresh and free,
That with the streames of your eyen so clere
Ye shoulden sometime friendly on me see,
And than agreen that I may ben hee
Withouten braunch of vice, on any wise,
In trouth alway to do you my servise,

"As to my lady right, and cheefe resort,
With all my witte and all my diligence,
And to have right as you list comfort,
Under your yerde egall to mine offence,
As death, if that I breake your defence,
And that ye digne me so much honour,
Me to commaunden aught in any hour.
"And I to ben your very humble, true,
Secret, and in my paines patient,
And ever to desiren freshly new
To serven, and to ben aye like diligent,
And with good herte all holly your talent
Receiven well, how sore that me smart,
Lo this meane I, O mine owne sweet herte."

(Quod Pandarus) "Lo here an hard request,
And reasonable, a lady for to werne:
Now nece mine, by Natall Joves feest,
Were I a God, ye should sterve as yerne,
That heren wel this man wol nothing yerne,
But your honour, and seene him almost sterve,
And ben so loth to suffer him you to serve."

With that she gan her eyen on him cast
'Full easily, and full debonairely
Avising her, and hied not too fast,
With never a word, but saied him softely,
"Mine honour safe, I woll well truely,
And in such forme, as I can now devise,
Receiven him fully to my servise.

"Beseeching him for Godes love, that he
Would in honour of trouth and gentillesse,
As I well meane, eke meanen well to me:
And mine honour with wit and businesse
Aye kepe, and if I may doen him gladnesse
From henceforth iwis I nill not faine:
Now beth all hole, no lenger ye ne plaine.
"But nathelesse, this warne I you" (quod she)
"A kinges sonne although ye be iwis,
Ye shall no more have soverainte

Of me in love, than right in that case is,
Ne nill forbeare, if that ye doen amis
To wrath you, and while that ye me serve,
Cherishen you, right after that ye deserve.

And shortly, dere herte and all my knight,
Beth glad, and draweth you to lustinesse,
And I shall truely, withall my full might
Your bitter tournen all to sweetnesse,
If I be she that may doe you gladnesse,
For every wo ye shall recover a blisse,"
And him in armes tooke, and gan him kissc.

Fell Pandarus on knees, and up his eyen
To Heaven threw, and held his hondes hie:
"Immortall God" (quod he) "that maiest not dien,
Cupide I meane, of this maiest glorifie,
And Venus, thou maiest maken melodie
Withouten hond, me seemeth that in toune,
For this miracle iche here eche bell soune.

"But ho, no more now of this mattere,
For why? This folke woll comen up anone,
That have the letter redde, lo I hem here,
But I conjure thee Creseide, and one
And two, thou Troilus whan thou maist gone
That at mine house ye hen at my warning,
For I full well shall shapen your comming.

"And easeth there your hertes right ynough,
And let see which of you shall beare the bell
To speak of love aright," and therwith he lough,
"For there have I a leiser for to tell:"
(Quod Troilus) "How long shall I here dwell
Ere this be doen?"(quod he) "Whan thou maiest rise
This thing shall be right as you list devise."

With that Heleine and also Deiphebus
Tho comen upward right at the staires end,
And lord so tho gan gronen Troilus,
His mother and his suster for to blend:
(Quod Pandarus) "It time is that we wend,
Take nece mine your leave at hem all three,
And let hem speak, and commeth forth with me.”
She tooke her leave at hem full thriftely,
As she well could, and they her reverence
Unto the full didden hartely,

And wonder well speaken in her absence
Of her, in praising of her excellence,
Her governaunce, her wit, and her manere
Commendeden, that it joy was to here.

Now let her wend unto her owne place,
And tourne we unto Troilus againe,
That gan full lightly of the letter pace,
That Deiphebus had in the garden seine,
And of Heleine and him he would feine
Delivered ben, and saied, that him lest
To slepe, and after tales have a rest.

Heleine him kist, and tooke her leave blive,
Deiphebus eke, and home went every wight,
And Pandarus as fast as he may drive
To Troilus tho came, as line right,
And on a paillet, all that glad night
By Troilus he lay, with merry chere
To tale, and well was hem they were ifere.

Whan every wight was voided but they twe,
And all the dores weren fast ishet,
To tell in short, withouten words mo,
This Pandarus, without any let
Up rose, and on his beddes side bim set,
And gan to speaken in a sober wise
To Troilus, as I shall you devise,

"Mine alderlevest lord, and brother dere,
God wot, and thou, that it sate me so sore,
Whan I thee saw`so languishing to here,
For love of which thy wo woxe alway more,
That I with all my might, and all my lore,
Have ever sithen doen my businesse
To bring thee to joye out of distresse.

"And have it brought to such plite as thou wost
So that through me thou stondest now in way
To faren well, I say it for no bost,

And wost thou why, but shame it is to say,
For thee have I begon a gamen play,
Which that I never doen shall eft for other,
All tho he were a thousand fold my brother.

"That is to say, for thee am I becomen,
Betwixen game and earnest such a meane,
As maken women unto men to comen,
All say I nat, thou wost well what I meane,
For thee have I my nece, of vices cleane,
So fully made thy gentillesse trist,
That all shall ben right as thy selfe list.

"But God, that all woteth, take I to witnesse,
That never I this for covetise wrought,
But only for to abredge that distresse,
For which welnie thou didest, as me thought:
But good brother do now as thee ought,
For Godes love, and kepe her out of blame,
Sins thou art wise, and save alway her name.

"For well thou wost, the name as yet of her
Emongs the people as (who saith) halowed is,
For that man is unbore I dare well swere,
That ever wist that she did anis,
But wo is me, that I that cause all this,
May thinken that she is my nece dere,
And I hir eme, and traitour eke ifere.

"And wer it wist, that I through mine engine
Had in mine nece iput this fantasie
To doen thy lust, and holly to be thine :
Why all the world would upon it crie,
And say, that I the worste trecherie
Did in this case, that ever was begon,
And she fordone, and thou right nought iwon.
"Wherfore ere I woll further gone or paas,
Yet eft I thee beseech, and fully say,
That privete go with us in this caas,
That is to saine, that thou us never wray,
And be not wroth, though I thee ofte pray,
To holden secre such an high mattere,
For skilfull is, thou wost well, my praiere.
"And thinke what wo there hath betid ere this
For making of avauntes, as men rede,
And what mischaunce in this world yet is
Fro day to day, right for that wicked dede,
For which these wise clerkes that ben dede
Have ever this proverbed to us young,
That the first vertue is to kepe the toung.

"And nere it that I wilne as now abredge
Diffusion of speech, I could almost
A thousand old stories thee alledge
Of women lost, through false and fooles bost,
Proverbes canst thy selfe inow, and wost
Ayenst that vice for to been a blabbe,

All saied men sooth, as often as they gabbe.

"But now to purpose, leve brother dere,
Have all this thing that I have saied in mind,
And keep thee close, and be now of good chere
For all thy daies thou shalt me true find,
I shall thy processe set in such a kind,
And God toforne, that it shall thee suffise,
For it shall be right as thou wolt devise.
"For well I wote, thou meanest well parde,
Therefore I dare this fully undertake,
Thou wost eke what thy lady graunted thee,
And day is set the charters to make,
Have now good night, I may no lenger wake,
And bid for me, sith thou art now in blisse,
That God me sende death, or some lisse."

Who might tellen halfe the joy or feste
Which that the soule of Triolus tho felt,
Hearing theffect of Pandarus beheste:
His old wo, that made his herte to swelt,
Gan tho for joy wasten, and to melt,
And all the richesse of his sighes sore
At ones fled, he felt of hem no more.
But right so as these holtes and these hayis
That han in winter dead ben and dry,
Revesten hem in grene, whan that May is,
Whan every lusty beste listeth to pley,
Right in that selfe wise, sooth for to sey,
Woxe suddainly his herte full of joy,
That gladder was there never man in Troy.

And gan his looke on Pandarus up cast
Full soberly, and friendly on to see,
And saied, "Friend, in Aprill the last,
As well thou wost, if it remember thee,
How nigh the death for wo thou founde me,
And how thou diddest all thy businesse
To know of me the cause of my distresse.