This Pandare； that of al the day biforn
Ne mighte han comen Troilus to see；
Al…though he on his heed it hadde y…sworn；
For with the king Pryam alday was he；
So that it lay not in his libertee 285
No…wher to gon； but on the morwe he wente
To Troilus； whan that he for him sente。
For in his herte he coude wel devyne；
That Troilus al night for sorwe wook；
And that he wolde telle him of his pyne； 290
This knew he wel y…nough； with…oute book。
For which to chaumbre streight the wey he took；
And Troilus tho sobreliche he grette；
And on the bed ful sone he gan him sette。
‘My Pandarus；' quod Troilus； ‘the sorwe 295
Which that I drye； I may not longe endure。
I trowe I shal not liven til to…morwe；
For whiche I wolde alwey； on aventure；
To thee devysen of my sepulture
The forme； and of my moeble thou dispone 300
Right as thee semeth best is for to done。
‘But of the fyr and flaumbe funeral
In whiche my body brenne shal to glede；
And of the feste and pleyes palestral
At my vigile； I prey thee tak good hede 305
That be wel； and offre Mars my stede；
My swerd； myn helm； and； leve brother dere；
My sheld to Pallas yef； that shyneth clere。
‘The poudre in which myn herte y…brend shal torne；
That preye I thee thou take and it conserve 310
In a vessel； that men clepeth an urne；
Of gold； and to my lady that I serve；
For love of whom thus pitously I sterve；
So yeve it hir； and do me this plesaunce；
To preye hir kepe it for a remembraunce。 315
‘For wel I fele； by my maladye；
And by my dremes now and yore ago；
Al certeinly； that I mot nedes dye。
The owle eek； which that hight Ascaphilo；
Hath after me shright alle thise nightes two。 320
And； god Mercurie！ Of me now； woful wrecche；
The soule gyde； and； whan thee list； it fecche！'
Pandare answerde； and seyde； ‘Troilus；
My dere freend； as I have told thee yore；
That it is folye for to sorwen thus； 325
And causeles； for whiche I can no…more。
But who…so wol not trowen reed ne lore；
I can not seen in him no remedye；
But lete him worthen with his fantasye。
‘But Troilus； I pray thee tel me now； 330
If that thou trowe； er this； that any wight
Hath loved paramours as wel as thou？
Ye； god wot； and fro many a worthy knight
Hath his lady goon a fourtenight；
And he not yet made halvendel the fare。 335
What nede is thee to maken al this care？
‘Sin day by day thou mayst thy…selven see
That from his love； or elles from his wyf；
A man mot twinnen of necessitee；
Ye； though he love hir as his owene lyf； 340
Yet nil he with him…self thus maken stryf。
For wel thow wost； my leve brother dere；
That alwey freendes may nought been y…fere。
‘How doon this folk that seen hir loves wedded
By freendes might； as it bi…tit ful ofte； 345
And seen hem in hir spouses bed y…bedded？
God woot； they take it wysly； faire and softe。
For…why good hope halt up hir herte on…lofte；
And for they can a tyme of sorwe endure；
As tyme hem hurt； a tyme doth hem cure。 350
‘So sholdestow endure； and late slyde
The tyme； and fonde to ben glad and light。
Ten dayes nis so longe not tabyde。
And sin she thee to comen hath bihight；
She nil hir hestes breken for no wight。 355
For dred thee not that she nil finden weye
To come ayein； my lyf that dorste I leye。
‘Thy swevenes eek and al swich fantasye
Dryf out； and lat hem faren to mischaunce；
For they procede of thy malencolye； 360
That doth thee fele in sleep al this penaunce。
A straw for alle swevenes signifiaunce！
God helpe me so； I counte hem not a bene；
Ther woot no man aright what dremes mene。
‘For prestes of the temple tellen this； 365
That dremes been the revelaciouns
Of goddes； and as wel they telle； y…wis；
That they ben infernals illusiouns；
And leches seyn； that of complexiouns
Proceden they； or fast； or glotonye。 370
Who woot in sooth thus what they signifye？
‘Eek othere seyn that thorugh impressiouns；
As if a wight hath faste a thing in minde；
That ther…of cometh swiche avisiouns；
And othere seyn； as they in bokes finde； 375
That； after tymes of the yeer by kinde；
Men dreme； and that theffect goth by the mone；
But leve no dreem； for it is nought to done。
‘Wel worth of dremes ay thise olde wyves；
And treweliche eek augurie of thise foules； 380
For fere of which men wenen lese her lyves；
As ravenes qualm； or shryking of thise oules。
To trowen on it bothe fals and foul is。
Allas； allas； so noble a creature
As is a man； shal drede swich ordure！ 385
‘For which with al myn herte I thee beseche；
Un…to thy…self that al this thou foryive；
And rys up now with…oute more speche；
And lat us caste how forth may best be drive
This tyme； and eek how freshly we may live 390
Whan that she cometh； the which shal be right sone；
God help me so； the beste is thus to done。
‘Rys； lat us speke of lusty lyf in Troye
That we han lad； and forth the tyme dryve；
And eek of tyme cominge us reioye； 395
That bringen shal our blisse now so blyve；
And langour of these twyes dayes fyve
We shal ther…with so foryete or oppresse；
That wel unnethe it doon shal us duresse。
‘This toun is ful of lordes al aboute； 400
And trewes lasten al this mene whyle。
Go we pleye us in som lusty route
To Sarpedon； not hennes but a myle。
And thus thou shalt the tyme wel bigyle；
And dryve it forth un…to that blisful morwe； 405
That thou hir see； that cause is of thy sorwe。
‘Now rys； my dere brother Troilus；
For certes； it noon honour is to thee
To wepe； and in thy bedde to iouken thus。
For trewely； of o thing trust to me； 410
If thou thus ligge a day； or two； or three；
The folk wol wene that thou； for cowardyse；
Thee feynest syk； and that thou darst not ryse。'
This Troilus answerde； ‘O brother dere；
This knowen folk that han y…suffred peyne； 415
That though he wepe and make sorwful chere；
That feleth harm and smert in every veyne；
No wonder is； and though I ever pleyne；
Or alwey wepe； I am no…thing to blame；
Sin I have lost the cause of al my game。 420
‘But sin of fyne force I moot aryse；
I shal aryse as sone as ever I may；
And god； to whom myn herte I sacrifyse；
So sende us hastely the tenthe day！
For was ther never fowl so fayn of May； 425
As I shal been； whan that she cometh in Troye；
That cause is of my torment and my Ioye。
‘But whider is thy reed；' quod Troilus；
‘That we may pleye us best in al this toun？'
‘Bi god； my conseil is；' quod Pandarus； 430
‘To ryde and pleye us with king Sarpedoun。'
So longe of this they speken up and doun；
Til Troilus gan at the laste assente
To ryse； and forth to Sarpedoun they wente。
This Sarpedoun； as he that honourable 435
Was ever his lyve； and ful of heigh prowesse；
With al that mighte y…served been on table；
That deyntee was； al coste it greet richesse；
He fedde hem day by day； that swich noblesse；
As seyden bothe the moste and eek the leste； 440
Was never er that day wist at any feste。
Nor in this world ther is non instrument
Delicious； through wind； or touche； of corde；
As fer as any wight hath ever y…went；
That tonge telle or herte may recorde； 445
That at that feste it nas wel herd acorde；
Ne of ladies eek so fayr a companye
On daunce； er tho； was never y…seyn with ye。
But what avayleth this to Troilus；
That for his sorwe no…thing of it roughte？ 450
For ever in oon his herte pietous
Ful bisily Criseyde his lady soughte。
On hir was ever al that his herte thoughte；
Now this； now that； so faste imagininge；
That glade； y…wis； can him no festeyinge。 455
These ladies eek that at this feste been；
Sin that he saw his lady was a…weye；
It was his sorwe upon hem for to seen；
Or for to here on instrumentz so pleye。
For she； that of his herte berth the keye； 460
Was absent； lo； this was his fantasye；
That no wight sholde make melodye。
Nor ther nas houre in al the day or night；
Whan he was ther…as no wight mighte him here；
That he ne seyde； ‘O lufsom lady bright； 465
How have ye faren； sin that ye were here？
Wel…come； y…wis； myn owene lady dere。'
But welaway； al this nas but a mase；
Fortune his howve entended bet to glase。
The lettres eek； that she of olde tyme 470
Hadde him y…sent； he wolde allone rede；
An hundred sythe； a…twixen noon and pryme；
Refiguringe hir shap； hir womanhede；
With…inne his herte； and every word and dede
That passed was； and thus he droof to an ende 475
The ferthe day； and seyde； he wolde wende。
And seyde； ‘Leve brother Pandarus；
Intendestow that we shal here bleve
Til Sarpedoun wol forth congeyen us？
Yet were it fairer that we toke our leve。 480
For goddes love； lat us now sone at eve
Our leve take； and homward lat us torne；
For trewely； I nil not thus soiourne。'
Pandare answerde； ‘Be we comen hider
To fecchen fyr； and rennen hoom ayeyn？ 485
God helpe me so； I can