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Love him made al prest to doon hir byde；
And rather dye than she sholde go；
But resoun seyde him； on that other syde；
‘With…oute assent of hir ne do not so； 165
Lest for thy werk she wolde be thy fo；
And seyn； that thorugh thy medling is y…blowe
Your bother love； there it was erst unknowe。'
For which he gan deliberen； for the beste；
That though the lordes wolde that she wente； 170
He wolde lat hem graunte what hem leste；
And telle his lady first what that they mente。
And whan that she had seyd him hir entente；
Ther…after wolde he werken also blyve；
Though al the world ayein it wolde stryve。 175
Ector； which that wel the Grekes herde；
For Antenor how they wolde han Criseyde；
Gan it withstonde； and sobrely answerde：
‘Sires； she nis no prisoner；' he seyde；
‘I noot on yow who that this charge leyde； 180
But； on my part； ye may eft…sone hem telle；
We usen here no wommen for to selle。'
The noyse of peple up…stirte thanne at ones；
As breme as blase of straw y…set on fyre；
For infortune it wolde； for the nones； 185
They sholden hir confusioun desyre。
‘Ector；' quod they； ‘what goost may yow enspyre
This womman thus to shilde and doon us lese
Daun Antenor？ a wrong wey now ye chese
‘That is so wys； and eek so bold baroun； 190
And we han nede to folk； as men may see；
He is eek oon； the grettest of this toun；
O Ector； lat tho fantasyes be！
O king Priam；' quod they； ‘thus seggen we；
That al our voys is to for…gon Criseyde；' 195
And to deliveren Antenor they preyde。
O Iuvenal； lord！ Trewe is thy sentence；
That litel witen folk what is to yerne
That they ne finde in hir desyr offence；
For cloud of errour let hem not descerne 200
What best is； and lo； here ensample as yerne。
This folk desiren now deliveraunce
Of Antenor； that broughte hem to mischaunce！
For he was after traytour to the toun
Of Troye； allas！ They quitte him out to rathe； 205
O nyce world； lo； thy discrecioun！
Criseyde； which that never dide hem skathe；
Shal now no lenger in hir blisse bathe；
But Antenor； he shal com hoom to toune；
And she shal out； thus seyden here and howne。 210
For which delibered was by parlement
For Antenor to yelden out Criseyde；
And it pronounced by the president；
Al…theigh that Ector ‘nay' ful ofte preyde。
And fynaly； what wight that it with…seyde； 215
It was for nought； it moste been； and sholde；
For substaunce of the parlement it wolde。
Departed out of parlement echone；
This Troilus； with…oute wordes mo；
Un…to his chaumbre spedde him faste allone； 220
But…if it were a man of his or two；
The whiche he bad out faste for to go；
By…cause he wolde slepen； as he seyde；
And hastely up…on his bed him leyde。
And as in winter leves been biraft； 225
Eche after other； til the tree be bare；
So that ther nis but bark and braunche y…laft；
Lyth Troilus； biraft of ech wel…fare；
Y…bounden in the blake bark of care；
Disposed wood out of his wit to breyde； 230
So sore him sat the chaunginge of Criseyde。
He rist him up； and every dore he shette
And windowe eek； and tho this sorweful man
Up…on his beddes syde a…doun him sette；
Ful lyk a deed image pale and wan； 235
And in his brest the heped wo bigan
Out…breste； and he to werken in this wyse
In his woodnesse； as I shal yow devyse。
Right as the wilde bole biginneth springe
Now here； now there； y…darted to the herte； 240
And of his deeth roreth in compleyninge；
Right so gan he aboute the chaumbre sterte；
Smyting his brest ay with his festes smerte；
His heed to the wal； his body to the grounde
Ful ofte he swapte； him…selven to confounde。 245
His eyen two； for pitee of his herte；
Out stremeden as swifte welles tweye；
The heighe sobbes of his sorwes smerte
His speche him refte； unnethes mighte he seye；
‘O deeth； allas！ Why niltow do me deye？ 250
A…cursed be the day which that nature
Shoop me to ben a lyves creature！'
But after； whan the furie and the rage
Which that his herte twiste and faste threste；
By lengthe of tyme somwhat gan asswage； 255
Up…on his bed he leyde him doun to reste；
But tho bigonne his teres more out…breste；
That wonder is； the body may suffyse
To half this wo； which that I yow devyse。
Than seyde he thus； ‘Fortune！ Allas the whyle！ 260
What have I doon； what have I thus a…gilt？
How mightestow for reuthe me bigyle？
Is ther no grace； and shal I thus be spilt？
Shal thus Criseyde awey； for that thou wilt？
Allas！ How maystow in thyn herte finde 265
To been to me thus cruel and unkinde？
‘Have I thee nought honoured al my lyve；
As thou wel wost； above the goddes alle？
Why wiltow me fro Ioye thus depryve？
O Troilus； what may men now thee calle 270
But wrecche of wrecches； out of honour falle
In…to miserie； in which I wol biwayle
Criseyde； allas！ Til that the breeth me fayle？
‘Allas； Fortune！ If that my lyf in Ioye
Displesed hadde un…to thy foule envye； 275
Why ne haddestow my fader； king of Troye；
By…raft the lyf； or doon my bretheren dye；
Or slayn my…self； that thus compleyne and crye；
I； combre…world； that may of no…thing serve；
But ever dye； and never fully sterve？ 280
‘If that Criseyde allone were me laft；
Nought roughte I whider thou woldest me stere；
And hir； allas！ Than hastow me biraft。
But ever…more； lo！ This is thy manere；
To reve a wight that most is to him dere； 285
To preve in that thy gerful violence。
Thus am I lost； ther helpeth no defence！
‘O verray lord of love； O god； allas！
That knowest best myn herte and al my thought；
What shal my sorwful lyf don in this cas 290
If I for…go that I so dere have bought？
Sin ye Cryseyde and me han fully brought
In…to your grace； and bothe our hertes seled；
How may ye suffre； allas！ It be repeled？
‘What I may doon； I shal； whyl I may dure 295
On lyve in torment and in cruel peyne；
This infortune or this disaventure；
Allone as I was born； y…wis； compleyne；
Ne never wil I seen it shyne or reyne；
But ende I wil； as Edippe； in derknesse 300
My sorwful lyf； and dyen in distresse。
‘O wery goost； that errest to and fro；
Why niltow fleen out of the wofulleste
Body； that ever mighte on grounde go？
O soule； lurkinge in this wo； unneste； 305
Flee forth out of myn herte； and lat it breste；
And folwe alwey Criseyde； thy lady dere；
Thy righte place is now no lenger here！
‘O wofulle eyen two； sin your disport
Was al to seen Criseydes eyen brighte； 310
What shal ye doon but； for my discomfort；
Stonden for nought； and wepen out your sighte？
Sin she is queynt； that wont was yow to lighte；
In veyn fro…this…forth have I eyen tweye
Y…formed； sin your vertue is a…weye。 315
‘O my Criseyde； O lady sovereyne
Of thilke woful soule that thus cryeth；
Who shal now yeven comfort to the peyne？
Allas； no wight； but when myn herte dyeth；
My spirit； which that so un…to yow hyeth； 320
Receyve in gree； for that shal ay yow serve；
For…thy no fors is； though the body sterve。
‘O ye loveres； that heighe upon the wheel
Ben set of Fortune； in good aventure；
God leve that ye finde ay love of steel； 325
And longe mot your lyf in Ioye endure！
But whan ye comen by my sepulture；
Remembreth that your felawe resteth there；
For I lovede eek； though I unworthy were。
‘O olde； unholsom； and mislyved man； 330
Calkas I mene； allas！ What eyleth thee
To been a Greek； sin thou art born Troian？
O Calkas； which that wilt my bane be；
In cursed tyme was thou born for me！
As wolde blisful Iove； for his Ioye； 335
That I thee hadde； where I wolde； in Troye！'
A thousand sykes； hottere than the glede；
Out of his brest ech after other wente；
Medled with pleyntes newe； his wo to fede；
For which his woful teres never stente； 340
And shortly； so his peynes him to…rente；
And wex so mat； that Ioye nor penaunce
He feleth noon； but lyth forth in a traunce。
Pandare； which that in the parlement
Hadde herd what every lord and burgeys seyde； 345
And how ful graunted was； by oon assent；
For Antenor to yelden so Criseyde；
Gan wel neigh wood out of his wit to breyde；
So that； for wo； he niste what he mente；
But in a rees to Troilus he wente。 350
A certeyn knight； that for the tyme kepte
The chaumbre…dore； un…dide it him anoon；
And Pandare； that ful tendreliche wepte；
In…to the derke chaumbre； as stille as stoon；
Toward the bed gan softely to goon； 355
So confus； that he niste what to seye；
For verray wo his wit was neigh aweye。
And with his chere and loking al to…torn；
For sorwe of this； and with his armes folden；
He stood this woful Troilus biforn； 360
And on his pitous face he gan biholden；
But lord； so often gan his herte colden；
Seing his freend in wo； whos hevinesse
His herte slow； as thoughte him； for distresse。
This woful wight； this Troilus； that felte 365
His freend Pandare y…comen him t