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Now； MEA CULPA； lord！ I me repente。 525
‘〃O god； that at thy disposicioun
Ledest the fyn by Iuste purveyaunce；
Of every wight； my lowe confessioun
Accepte in gree； and send me swich penaunce
As lyketh thee； but from desesperaunce； 530
That may my goost departe awey fro thee；
Thou be my sheld； for thy benignitee。
‘〃For certes； lord； so soore hath she me wounded；
That stod in blak； with loking of hir yen；
That to myn hertes botme it is y…sounded； 535
Thorugh which I woot that I mot nedes dyen；
This is the worste； I dar me not bi…wryen；
And wel the hotter been the gledes rede；
That men hem wryen with asshen pale and dede。〃
‘With that he smoot his heed adoun anoon； 540
And gan to motre； I noot what； trewely。
And I with that gan stille awey to goon；
And leet ther…of as no…thing wist hadde I；
And come ayein anoon and stood him by；
And seyde； 〃A…wake； ye slepen al to longe； 545
It semeth nat that love dooth yow longe；
‘〃That slepen so that no man may yow wake。
Who sey ever or this so dul a man？〃
〃Ye； freend；〃 quod he； 〃do ye your hedes ake
For love； and lat me liven as I can。〃 550
But though that he for wo was pale and wan；
Yet made he tho as freshe a countenaunce
As though he shulde have led the newe daunce。
‘This passed forth； til now； this other day；
It fel that I com roming al allone 555
Into his chaumbre； and fond how that he lay
Up…on his bed； but man so sore grone
Ne herde I never； and what that was his mone；
Ne wist I nought； for； as I was cominge；
Al sodeynly he lefte his compleyninge。 560
‘Of which I took somwat suspecioun；
And neer I com； and fond he wepte sore；
And god so wis be my savacioun；
As never of thing hadde I no routhe more。
For neither with engyn； ne with no lore； 565
Unethes mighte I fro the deeth him kepe；
That yet fele I myn herte for him wepe。
‘And god wot； never； sith that I was born；
Was I so bisy no man for to preche；
Ne never was to wight so depe y…sworn； 570
Or he me tolde who mighte been his leche。
But now to yow rehersen al his speche；
Or alle his woful wordes for to soune；
Ne bid me not； but ye wol see me swowne。
‘But for to save his lyf； and elles nought； 575
And to non harm of yow； thus am I driven；
And for the love of god that us hath wrought；
Swich chere him dooth； that he and I may liven。
Now have I plat to yow myn herte shriven；
And sin ye woot that myn entente is clene； 580
Tak hede ther…of； for I non yvel mene。
‘And right good thrift； I prey to god； have ye；
That han swich oon y…caught with…oute net；
And be ye wys； as ye ben fair to see；
Wel in the ring than is the ruby set。 585
Ther were never two so wel y…met；
Whan ye ben his al hool； as he is youre：
Ther mighty god yet graunte us see that houre！'
‘Nay； therof spak I not； a； ha！' quod she；
‘As helpe me god； ye shenden every deel！' 590
‘O mercy； dere nece；' anoon quod he；
‘What…so I spak； I mente nought but weel；
By Mars the god； that helmed is of steel；
Now beth nought wrooth； my blood； my nece dere。'
‘Now wel；' quod she； ‘foryeven be it here！' 595
With this he took his leve； and hoom he wente；
And lord； he was glad and wel bigoon！
Criseyde aroos； no lenger she ne stente；
But straught in…to hir closet wente anoon；
And sette here doun as stille as any stoon； 600
And every word gan up and doun to winde；
That he hadde seyd； as it com hir to minde；
And wex somdel astonied in hir thought；
Right for the newe cas； but whan that she
Was ful avysed； tho fond she right nought 605
Of peril； why she oughte afered be。
For man may love； of possibilitee；
A womman so； his herte may to…breste；
And she nought love ayein； but…if hir leste。
But as she sat allone and thoughte thus； 610
Thascry aroos at skarmish al with…oute；
And men cryde in the strete； ‘See； Troilus
Hath right now put to flight the Grekes route！'
With that gan al hir meynee for to shoute；
‘A！ Go we see； caste up the latis wyde； 615
For thurgh this strete he moot to palays ryde；
‘For other wey is fro the yate noon
Of Dardanus； ther open is the cheyne。'
With that com he and al his folk anoon
An esy pas rydinge； in routes tweyne； 620
Right as his happy day was； sooth to seyne；
For which； men say； may nought disturbed be
That shal bityden of necessitee。
This Troilus sat on his baye stede；
Al armed； save his heed； ful richely； 625
And wounded was his hors； and gan to blede；
On whiche he rood a pas； ful softely；
But swych a knightly sighte； trewely；
As was on him； was nought； with…outen faile；
To loke on Mars； that god is of batayle。 630
So lyk a man of armes and a knight
He was to seen； fulfild of heigh prowesse；
For bothe he hadde a body and a might
To doon that thing； as wel as hardinesse；
And eek to seen him in his gere him dresse； 635
So fresh； so yong； so weldy semed he；
It was an heven up…on him for to see。
His helm to…hewen was in twenty places；
That by a tissew heng； his bak bihinde；
His sheld to…dasshed was with swerdes and maces； 640
In which men mighte many an arwe finde
That thirled hadde horn and nerf and rinde；
And ay the peple cryde； ‘Here cometh our Ioye；
And； next his brother； holdere up of Troye！'
For which he wex a litel reed for shame； 645
Whan he the peple up…on him herde cryen；
That to biholde it was a noble game；
How sobreliche he caste doun his yen。
Cryseyda gan al his chere aspyen；
And leet so softe it in hir herte sinke； 650
That to hir…self she seyde； ‘Who yaf me drinke？'
For of hir owene thought she wex al reed；
Remembringe hir right thus； ‘Lo； this is he
Which that myn uncle swereth he moot be deed；
But I on him have mercy and pitee；' 655
And with that thought； for pure a…shamed； she
Gan in hir heed to pulle； and that as faste；
Whyl he and al the peple for…by paste；
And gan to caste and rollen up and doun
With…inne hir thought his excellent prowesse； 660
And his estat； and also his renoun；
His wit； his shap； and eek his gentillesse；
But most hir favour was； for his distresse
Was al for hir； and thoughte it was a routhe
To sleen swich oon； if that he mente trouthe。 665
Now mighte som envyous Iangle thus；
‘This was a sodeyn love； how mighte it be
That she so lightly lovede Troilus
Right for the firste sighte； ye； pardee？'
Now who…so seyth so； mote he never thee！ 670
For every thing； a ginning hath it nede
Er al be wrought； with…outen any drede。
For I sey nought that she so sodeynly
Yaf him hir love； but that she gan enclyne
To lyke him first； and I have told yow why； 675
And after that； his manhod and his pyne
Made love with…inne hir for to myne；
For which； by proces and by good servyse；
He gat hir love； and in no sodeyn wyse。
And also blisful Venus； wel arayed； 680
Sat in hir seventhe hous of hevene tho；
Disposed wel； and with aspectes payed；
To helpen sely Troilus of his wo。
And； sooth to seyn； she nas not al a fo
To Troilus in his nativitee； 685
God woot that wel the soner spedde he。
Now lat us stinte of Troilus a throwe；
That rydeth forth； and lat us tourne faste
Un…to Criseyde； that heng hir heed ful lowe；
Ther…as she sat allone； and gan to caste 690
Wher…on she wolde apoynte hir at the laste；
If it so were hir eem ne wolde cesse；
For Troilus； up…on hir for to presse。
And； lord！ So she gan in hir thought argue
In this matere of which I have yow told； 695
And what to doon best were； and what eschue；
That plyted she ful ofte in many fold。
Now was hir herte warm； now was it cold；
And what she thoughte somwhat shal I wryte；
As to myn auctor listeth for to endyte。 700
She thoughte wel that Troilus persone
She knew by sighte and eek his gentillesse；
And thus she seyde； ‘Al were it nought to done；
To graunte him love； yet； for his worthinesse；
It were honour； with pley and with gladnesse； 705
In honestee； with swich a lord to dele；
For myn estat； and also for his hele。
‘Eek； wel wot I my kinges sone is he；
And sith he hath to see me swich delyt；
If I wolde utterly his sighte flee； 710
Peraunter he mighte have me in dispyt；
Thurgh which I mighte stonde in worse plyt；
Now were I wys； me hate to purchace；
With…outen nede； ther I may stonde in grace？
‘In every thing； I woot； ther lyth mesure。 715
For though a man forbede dronkenesse；
He nought for…bet that every creature
Be drinkelees for alwey； as I gesse；
Eek sith I woot for me is his distresse；
I ne oughte not for that thing him despyse； 720
Sith it is so； he meneth in good wyse。
‘And eek I knowe； of longe tyme agoon；
His thewes goode； and that he is not nyce。
Ne avauntour； seyth men； certein； he is noon；
To wys is he to do so gret a vyce； 725
Ne als I nel him never so cheryce；
That he may make avaunt； by Iuste cause；
He shal me never binde in swiche a clause。
‘Now set a cas；