might I ween that thinges, all and some, That whilom be befall and overcome, have happened Be cause of thilke sov’reign purveyance, in times past That foreknows all, withouten ignorance.
“And over all this, yet say I more thereto, — That right as when I wot there is a thing, Y-wis, that thing must needfully be so; Eke right so, when I wot a thing coming, So must it come; and thus the befalling Of thinges that be wist before the tide,* time They may not be eschew’d on any side.” *avoided
While Troilus was in all this heaviness, disputing with himself in this matter, Pandarus joined him, and told him the result of the interview with Cressida; and at night the lovers met, with what sighs and tears may be imagined. Cressida swooned away, so that Troilus took her for dead; and, having tenderly laid out her limbs, as one preparing a corpse for the bier, he drew his sword to slay himself upon her body. But, as God would, just at that moment she awoke out of her swoon; and by and by the pair began to talk of their prospects. Cressida declared the opinion, supporting it at great length and with many reasons, that there was no cause for half so much woe on either part. Her surrender, decreed by the parliament, could not be resisted; it was quite easy for them soon to meet again; she would bring things about that she should be back in Troy within a week or two; she would take advantage of the constant coming and going while the truce lasted; and the issue would be, that the Trojans would have both her and Antenor; while, to facilitate her return, she had devised a stratagem by which, working on her father’s avarice, she might tempt him to desert from the Greek camp back to the city. “And truly,” says the poet, having fully reported her plausible speech,
And truely, as written well I find, That all this thing was said of good intent, sincerely And that her hearte true was and kind Towardes him, and spake right as she meant, And that she starf* for woe nigh when she went, *died And was in purpose ever to be true; Thus write they that of her workes knew.
This Troilus, with heart and ears y-sprad,* all open Heard all this thing devised to and fro, And verily it seemed that he had The selfe wit; but yet to let her go the same opinion His hearte misforgave him evermo’; misgave But, finally, he gan his hearte wrest *compel To truste her, and took it for the best.
For which the great fury of his penance* *suffering Was quench’d with hope, and therewith them between Began for joy the amorouse dance; And as the birdes, when the sun is sheen, bright Delighten in their song, in leaves green, Right so the wordes that they spake y-fere together Delighten them, and make their heartes cheer. *glad
Yet Troilus was not so well at ease, that he did not earnestly entreat Cressida to observe her promise; for, if she came not into Troy at the set day, he should never have health, honour, or joy; and he feared that the stratagem by which she would try to lure her father back would fail, so that she might be compelled to remain among the Greeks. He would rather have them steal away together, with sufficient treasure to maintain them all their lives; and even if they went in their bare shirt, he had kin and friends elsewhere, who would welcome and honour them.
Cressida, with a sigh, right in this wise Answer’d; “Y-wis, my deare hearte true, We may well steal away, as ye devise, And finde such unthrifty wayes new; But afterward full sore it will us rue; we will regret it And help me God so at my moste need As causeless ye suffer all this dread!