HKB
hir kinde cours by rowe, 970 Right so gan tho his eyen up to throwe This Troilus, and seyde, `O Venus dere, Thy might, thy grace, y-heried be it here!'
And to Pandare he held up bothe his hondes, And seyde, `Lord, al thyn be that I have; 975 For I am hool, al brosten been my bondes; A thousand Troians who so that me yave, Eche after other, god so wis me save, Ne mighte me so gladen; lo, myn herte, It spredeth so for Ioye, it wol to-sterte! 980
`But Lord, how shal I doon, how shal I liven? Whan shal I next my dere herte see? How shal this longe tyme a-wey be driven, Til that thou be ayein at hir fro me? Thou mayst answere, "A-byd, a-byd," but he 985 That hangeth by the nekke, sooth to seyne, In grete disese abydeth for the peyne.'
Al esily, now, for the love of Marte,' Quod Pandarus, for every thing hath tyme;
So longe abyd til that the night departe; 990
For al so siker as thow lyst here by me,
And god toforn, I wol be there at pryme,
And for thy werk somwhat as I shal seye,
Or on som other wight this charge leye.
`For pardee, god wot, I have ever yit 995 Ben redy thee to serve, and to this night Have I nought fayned, but emforth my wit Don al thy lust, and shal with al my might. Do now as I shal seye, and fare a-right; And if thou nilt, wyte al thy-self thy care, 1000 On me is nought along thyn yvel fare.
`I woot wel that thow wyser art than I A thousand fold, but if I were as thou, God help me so, as I wolde outrely, Right of myn owene hond, wryte hir right now 1005 A lettre, in which I wolde hir tellen how I ferde amis, and hir beseche of routhe; Now help thy-self, and leve it not for slouthe.
`And I my-self shal ther-with to hir goon; And whan thou wost that I am with hir there, 1010 Worth thou up-on a courser right anoon, Ye, hardily, right in thy beste gere, And ryd forth by the place, as nought ne were, And thou shalt finde us, if I may, sittinge At som windowe, in-to the strete lokinge. 1015
`And if thee list, than maystow us saluwe, And up-on me make thy contenaunce; But, by thy lyf, be war and faste eschuwe To tarien ought, god shilde us fro mischaunce! Ryd forth thy wey, and hold thy governaunce; 1020 And we shal speke of thee som-what, I trowe, Whan Thou art goon, to do thyne eres glowe!
`Touching thy lettre, thou art wys y-nough, I woot thow nilt it digneliche endyte; As make it with thise argumentes tough; 1025 Ne scrivenish or craftily thou it wryte; Beblotte it with thy teres eek a lyte; And if thou wryte a goodly word al softe, Though it be good, reherce it not to ofte.
`For though the beste harpour upon lyve 1030 Wolde on the beste souned Ioly harpe That ever was, with alle his fingres fyve, Touche ay o streng, or ay o werbul harpe, Were his nayles poynted never so sharpe, It shulde maken every wight to dulle, 1035 To here his glee, and of his strokes fulle.
`Ne Iompre eek no discordaunt thing y-fere, As thus, to usen termes of phisyk; In loves termes, hold of thy matere The forme alwey, and do that it be lyk; 1040 For if a peyntour wolde peynte a pyk With asses feet, and hede it as an ape, It cordeth nought; so nere it but a Iape.'
This counseyl lyked wel to Troilus; But, as a dreedful lover, he seyde this: -- 1045 `Allas, my dere brother Pandarus, I am ashamed for to wryte, y-wis, Lest of myn innocence I seyde a-mis, Or that she nolde it for despyt receyve; Thanne were I deed, ther mighte it no-thing weyve.' 1050