'Sire, al this shal be doon,' quod Pandarus; And took his leve, and never gan to fyne, 1460 But to his neces hous, as streyt as lyne, He com; and fond hir fro the mete aryse; And sette him doun, and spak right in this wyse.

He seyde, 'O veray G.o.d, so have I ronne!

Lo, nece myn, see ye nought how I swete? 1465 I noot whether ye the more thank me conne.

Be ye nought war how that fals Poliphete Is now aboute eft-sones for to plete, And bringe on yow advocacyes newe?'

'I? No,' quod she, and chaunged al hir hewe. 1470

'What is he more aboute, me to drecche And doon me wrong? What shal I do, allas?

Yet of him-self no-thing ne wolde I recche, Nere it for Antenor and Eneas, That been his freendes in swich maner cas; 1475 But, for the love of G.o.d, myn uncle dere, No fors of that; lat him have al y-fere;

'With-outen that I have ynough for us.'

'Nay,' quod Pandare, 'it shal no-thing be so.

For I have been right now at Deiphebus, 1480 And Ector, and myne othere lordes mo, And shortly maked eche of hem his fo; That, by my thrift, he shal it never winne For ought he can, whan that so he biginne.'

And as they casten what was best to done, 1485 Deiphebus, of his owene curtasye, Com hir to preye, in his propre persone, To holde him on the morwe companye At diner, which she nolde not denye, But goodly gan to his preyere obeye. 1490 He thonked hir, and wente up-on his weye.

Whanne this was doon, this Pandare up a-noon, To telle in short, and forth gan for to wende To Troilus, as stille as any stoon; And al this thing he tolde him, word and ende; 1495 And how that he Deiphebus gan to blende; And seyde him, 'Now is tyme, if that thou conne, To bere thee wel to-morwe, and al is wonne.

'Now spek, now prey, now pitously compleyne; Lat not for nyce shame, or drede, or slouthe; 1500 Som-tyme a man mot telle his owene peyne; Bileve it, and she shal han on thee routhe; Thou shalt be saved by thy feyth, in trouthe.

But wel wot I, thou art now in a drede; And what it is, I leye, I can arede. 1505

'Thow thinkest now, "How sholde I doon al this?

For by my cheres mosten folk aspye, That for hir love is that I fare a-mis; Yet hadde I lever unwist for sorwe dye."

Now thenk not so, for thou dost greet folye. 1510 For I right now have founden o manere Of sleighte, for to coveren al thy chere.

'Thow shalt gon over night, and that as blyve, Un-to Deiphebus hous, as thee to pleye, Thy maladye a-wey the bet to dryve, 1515 For-why thou semest syk, soth for to seye.

Sone after that, doun in thy bed thee leye, And sey, thow mayst no lenger up endure, And ly right there, and byde thyn aventure.

'Sey that thy fever is wont thee for to take 1520 The same tyme, and lasten til a-morwe; And lat see now how wel thou canst it make, For, par-dee, syk is he that is in sorwe.

Go now, farwel! And, Venus here to borwe, I hope, and thou this purpos holde ferme, 1525 Thy grace she shal fully ther conferme.'

Quod Troilus, 'Y-wis, thou nedelees Conseylest me, that sykliche I me feyne, For I am syk in ernest, doutelees, So that wel neigh I sterve for the peyne.' 1530 Quod Pandarus, 'Thou shalt the bettre pleyne, And hast the la.s.se need to countrefete; For him men demen hoot that men seen swete.

'Lo, holde thee at thy triste cloos, and I Shal wel the deer un-to thy bowe dryve.' 1535 Therwith he took his leve al softely, And Troilus to paleys wente blyve.

So glad ne was he never in al his lyve; And to Pandarus reed gan al a.s.sente, And to Deiphebus hous at night he wente. 1540

What nedeth yow to tellen al the chere That Deiphebus un-to his brother made, Or his accesse, or his siklych manere, How men gan him with clothes for to lade, Whan he was leyd, and how men wolde him glade? 1545 But al for nought; he held forth ay the wyse That ye han herd Pandare er this devyse.

But certeyn is, er Troilus him leyde, Deiphebus had him prayed, over night, To been a freend and helping to Criseyde. 1550 G.o.d woot, that he it grauntede anon-right, To been hir fulle freend with al his might.

But swich a nede was to preye him thenne, As for to bidde a wood man for to renne.

The morwen com, and neighen gan the tyme 1555 Of meel-tyd, that the faire quene Eleyne Shoop hir to been, an houre after the pryme, With Deiphebus, to whom she nolde feyne; But as his suster, hoomly, sooth to seyne, She com to diner in hir playn entente. 1560 But G.o.d and Pandare wiste al what this mente.

Com eek Criseyde, al innocent of this, Antigone, hir sister Tarbe also; But flee we now prolixitee best is, For love of G.o.d, and lat us faste go 1565 Right to the effect, with-oute tales mo, Why al this folk a.s.sembled in this place; And lat us of hir saluinges pace.

Gret honour dide hem Deiphebus, certeyn, And fedde hem wel with al that mighte lyke. 1570 But ever-more, 'Allas!' was his refreyn, 'My goode brother Troilus, the syke, Lyth yet"--and therwith-al he gan to syke; And after that, he peyned him to glade Hem as he mighte, and chere good he made. 1575

Compleyned eek Eleyne of his syknesse So feithfully, that pitee was to here, And every wight gan waxen for accesse A leche anoon, and seyde, 'In this manere Men curen folk; this charme I wol yow lere.' 1580 But ther sat oon, al list hir nought to teche, That thoughte, best coude I yet been his leche.

After compleynt, him gonnen they to preyse, As folk don yet, whan som wight hath bigonne To preyse a man, and up with prys him reyse 1585 A thousand fold yet hyer than the sonne: -- 'He is, he can, that fewe lordes conne.'

And Pandarus, of that they wolde afferme, He not for-gat hir preysing to conferme.

Herde al this thing Criseyde wel y-nough, 1590 And every word gan for to notifye; For which with sobre chere hir herte lough; For who is that ne wolde hir glorifye, To mowen swich a knight don live or dye?

But al pa.s.se I, lest ye to longe dwelle; 1595 For for o fyn is al that ever I telle.

The tyme com, fro diner for to ryse, And, as hem oughte, arisen everychoon, And gonne a while of this and that devyse.

But Pandarus brak al this speche anoon, 1600 And seyde to Deiphebus, 'Wole ye goon, If youre wille be, as I yow preyde, To speke here of the nedes of Criseyde?'

Eleyne, which that by the hond hir held, Took first the tale, and seyde, 'Go we blyve;' 1605 And goodly on Criseyde she biheld, And seyde, 'Ioves lat him never thryve, That dooth yow harm, and bringe him sone of lyve!

And yeve me sorwe, but he shal it rewe, If that I may, and alle folk be trewe.' 1610

'Tel thou thy neces cas,' quod Deiphebus To Pandarus, 'for thou canst best it telle.' -- 'My lordes and my ladyes, it stant thus; What sholde I lenger,' quod he, 'do yow dwelle?'

He rong hem out a proces lyk a belle, 1615 Up-on hir fo, that highte Poliphete, So heynous, that men mighte on it spete.

Answerde of this ech worse of hem than other, And Poliphete they gonnen thus to warien, 'An-honged be swich oon, were he my brother; 1620 And so he shal, for it ne may not varien.'

What sholde I lenger in this tale tarien?

Pleynly, alle at ones, they hir highten To been hir helpe in al that ever they mighten.

Spak than Eleyne, and seyde, 'Pandarus, 1625 Woot ought my lord, my brother, this matere, I mene, Ector? Or woot it Troilus?'

He seyde, 'Ye, but wole ye now me here?

Me thinketh this, sith Troilus is here, It were good, if that ye wolde a.s.sente, 1630 She tolde hir-self him al this, er she wente.

'For he wole have the more hir grief at herte, By cause, lo, that she a lady is; And, by your leve, I wol but right in sterte, And do yow wite, and that anoon, y-wis, 1635 If that he slepe, or wole ought here of this.'

And in he lepte, and seyde him in his ere, 'G.o.d have thy soule, y-brought have I thy bere!'

To smylen of this gan tho Troilus, And Pandarus, with-oute rekeninge, 1640 Out wente anoon to Eleyne and Deiphebus, And seyde hem, 'So there be no taryinge, Ne more pres, he wol wel that ye bringe Criseyda, my lady, that is here; And as he may enduren, he wole here. 1645

'But wel ye woot, the chaumbre is but lyte, And fewe folk may lightly make it warm; Now loketh ye, (for I wol have no wyte, To bringe in prees that mighte doon him harm Or him disesen, for my bettre arm), 1650 Wher it be bet she byde til eft-sones; Now loketh ye, that knowen what to doon is.

'I sey for me, best is, as I can knowe, That no wight in ne wente but ye tweye, But it were I, for I can, in a throwe, 1655 Reherce hir cas unlyk that she can seye; And after this, she may him ones preye To ben good lord, in short, and take hir leve; This may not muchel of his ese him reve.

'And eek, for she is straunge, he wol forbere 1660 His ese, which that him thar nought for yow; Eek other thing that toucheth not to here, He wol me telle, I woot it wel right now, That secret is, and for the tounes prow.'

And they, that no-thing knewe of his entente, 1665 With-oute more, to Troilus in they wente.

Eleyne, in al hir goodly softe wyse, Gan him saluwe, and womanly to pleye, And seyde, 'Ywis, ye moste alweyes aryse!

Now fayre brother, beth al hool, I preye!' 1670 And gan hir arm right over his sholder leye, And him with al hir wit to recomforte; As she best coude, she gan him to disporte.

So after this quod she, 'We yow biseke, My dere brother, Deiphebus and I, 1675 For love of G.o.d, and so doth Pandare eke, To been good lord and freend, right hertely, Un-to Criseyde, which that certeinly Receyveth wrong, as woot wel here Pandare, That can hir cas wel bet than I declare.' 1680

This Pandarus gan newe his tunge affyle, And al hir cas reherce, and that anoon; Whan it was seyd, sone after, in a whyle, Quod Troilus, 'As sone as I may goon, I wol right fayn with al my might ben oon, 1685 Have G.o.d my trouthe, hir cause to sustene.'

'Good thrift have ye,' quod Eleyne the quene.

Quod Pandarus, 'And it your wille be That she may take hir leve, er that she go?'

'O, elles G.o.d for-bede,' tho quod he, 1690 'If that she vouche sauf for to do so.'

And with that word quod Troilus, 'Ye two, Deiphebus, and my suster leef and dere, To yow have I to speke of o matere,

'To been avysed by your reed the bettre': -- 1695 And fond, as hap was, at his beddes heed, The copie of a tretis and a lettre, That Ector hadde him sent to axen reed, If swich a man was worthy to ben deed, Woot I nought who; but in a grisly wyse 1700 He preyede hem anoon on it avyse.

Deiphebus gan this lettre to unfolde In ernest greet; so did Eleyne the quene; And rominge outward, fast it gan biholde, Downward a steyre, in-to an herber grene. 1705 This ilke thing they redden hem bi-twene; And largely, the mountaunce of an houre, Thei gonne on it to reden and to poure.