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O deeth； that endere art of sorwes alle；
Com now； sin I so ofte after thee calle；
For sely is that deeth； soth for to seyne；
That； ofte y…cleped； cometh and endeth peyne。
‘Wel wot I； whyl my lyf was in quiete； 505
Er thou me slowe； I wolde have yeven hyre；
But now thy cominge is to me so swete；
That in this world I no…thing so desyre。
O deeth； sin with this sorwe I am a…fyre；
Thou outher do me anoon yn teres drenche； 510
Or with thy colde strook myn hete quenche！
‘Sin that thou sleest so fele in sondry wyse
Ayens hir wil； unpreyed； day and night；
Do me； at my requeste； this servyse；
Delivere now the world； so dostow right； 515
Of me； that am the wofulleste wight
That ever was； for tyme is that I sterve；
Sin in this world of right nought may I serve。'
This Troilus in teres gan distille；
As licour out of alambyk ful faste； 520
And Pandarus gan holde his tunge stille；
And to the ground his eyen doun he caste。
But nathelees； thus thoughte he at the laste；
‘What； parde； rather than my felawe deye；
Yet shal I som…what more un…to him seye：' 525
And seyde； ‘Freend； sin thou hast swich distresse；
And sin thee list myn arguments to blame；
Why nilt thy…selven helpen doon redresse；
And with thy manhod letten al this grame？
Go ravisshe hir ne canstow not for shame！ 530
And outher lat hir out of toune fare；
Or hold hir stille； and leve thy nyce fare。
‘Artow in Troye； and hast non hardiment
To take a womman which that loveth thee；
And wolde hir…selven been of thyn assent？ 535
Now is not this a nyce vanitee？
Rys up anoon； and lat this weping be；
And kyth thou art a man； for in this houre
I wil be deed； or she shal bleven oure。'
To this answerde him Troilus ful softe； 540
And seyde； ‘Parde； leve brother dere；
Al this have I my…self yet thought ful ofte；
And more thing than thou devysest here。
But why this thing is laft； thou shalt wel here；
And whan thou me hast yeve an audience； 545
Ther…after mayst thou telle al thy sentence。
‘First； sin thou wost this toun hath al this werre
For ravisshing of wommen so by might；
It sholde not be suffred me to erre；
As it stant now； ne doon so gret unright。 550
I sholde han also blame of every wight；
My fadres graunt if that I so withstode；
Sin she is chaunged for the tounes goode。
‘I have eek thought； so it were hir assent；
To aske hir at my fader； of his grace； 555
Than thenke I； this were hir accusement；
Sin wel I woot I may hir not purchace。
For sin my fader； in so heigh a place
As parlement； hath hir eschaunge enseled；
He nil for me his lettre be repeled。 560
‘Yet drede I most hir herte to pertourbe
With violence； if I do swich a game；
For if I wolde it openly distourbe；
It moste been disclaundre to hir name。
And me were lever deed than hir defame； 565
As nolde god but…if I sholde have
Hir honour lever than my lyf to save！
‘Thus am I lost； for ought that I can see；
For certeyn is； sin that I am hir knight；
I moste hir honour levere han than me 570
In every cas； as lovere oughte of right。
Thus am I with desyr and reson twight；
Desyr for to destourben hir me redeth；
And reson nil not； so myn herte dredeth。'
Thus wepinge that he coude never cesse； 575
He seyde； ‘Allas！ How shal I； wrecche； fare？
For wel fele I alwey my love encresse；
And hope is lasse and lasse alwey； Pandare！
Encressen eek the causes of my care；
So wel…a…wey； why nil myn herte breste？ 580
For； as in love； ther is but litel reste。'
Pandare answerde； ‘Freend； thou mayst； for me；
Don as thee list； but hadde ich it so hote；
And thyn estat； she sholde go with me；
Though al this toun cryede on this thing by note； 585
I nolde sette at al that noyse a grote。
For when men han wel cryed； than wol they roune；
A wonder last but nyne night never in toune。
‘Devyne not in reson ay so depe
Ne curteysly； but help thy…self anoon； 590
Bet is that othere than thy…selven wepe；
And namely； sin ye two been al oon。
Rys up； for by myn heed； she shal not goon；
And rather be in blame a lyte y…founde
Than sterve here as a gnat； with…oute wounde。 595
‘It is no shame un…to yow； ne no vyce
Hir to with…holden； that ye loveth most。
Paraunter； she mighte holden thee for nyce
To lete hir go thus to the Grekes ost。
Thenk eek Fortune； as wel thy…selven wost； 600
Helpeth hardy man to his enpryse；
And weyveth wrecches； for hir cowardyse。
‘And though thy lady wolde a litel hir greve；
Thou shalt thy pees ful wel here…after make；
But as for me； certayn； I can not leve 605
That she wolde it as now for yvel take。
Why sholde than for ferd thyn herte quake？
Thenk eek how Paris hath； that is thy brother；
A love； and why shaltow not have another？
‘And Troilus； o thing I dar thee swere； 610
That if Criseyde； whiche that is thy leef；
Now loveth thee as wel as thou dost here；
God helpe me so； she nil nat take a…greef；
Though thou do bote a…noon in this mischeef。
And if she wilneth fro thee for to passe； 615
Thanne is she fals； so love hir wel the lasse。
‘For…thy tak herte； and thenk； right as a knight；
Thourgh love is broken alday every lawe。
Kyth now sumwhat thy corage and thy might；
Have mercy on thy…self； for any awe。 620
Lat not this wrecched wo thin herte gnawe；
But manly set the world on sixe and sevene；
And； if thou deye a martir； go to hevene。
‘I wol my…self be with thee at this dede；
Though ich and al my kin； up…on a stounde； 625
Shulle in a strete as dogges liggen dede；
Thourgh…girt with many a wyd and blody wounde。
In every cas I wol a freend be founde。
And if thee list here sterven as a wrecche；
A…dieu； the devel spede him that it recche！' 630
This Troilus gan with tho wordes quiken；
And seyde； ‘Freend； graunt mercy； ich assente；
But certaynly thou mayst not me so priken；
Ne peyne noon ne may me so tormente；
That； for no cas； it is not myn entente； 635
At shorte wordes； though I dyen sholde；
To ravisshe hir； but…if hir…self it wolde。'
‘Why； so mene I；' quod Pandarus； ‘al this day。
But tel me than； hastow hir wil assayed；
That sorwest thus？' And he answerde； ‘Nay。'
‘Wher…of artow；' quod Pandare； ‘than a…mayed； 640
That nost not that she wol ben y…vel apayed
To ravisshe hir； sin thou hast not ben there；
But…if that Iove tolde it in thyn ere？
‘For…thy rys up； as nought ne were； anoon； 645
And wash thy face； and to the king thou wende；
Or he may wondren whider thou art goon。
Thou most with wisdom him and othere blende；
Or； up…on cas； he may after thee sende
Er thou be war； and shortly； brother dere； 650
Be glad； and lat me werke in this matere。
‘For I shal shape it so； that sikerly
Thou shalt this night som tyme； in som manere；
Com speke with thy lady prevely；
And by hir wordes eek； and by hir chere； 655
Thou shalt ful sone aperceyve and wel here
Al hir entente； and in this cas the beste；
And fare now we