Of hem that me were levest preysed be.’
‘For yesterday, who-so hadde with him been,
He might have wondered up-on Troilus;
For never yet so thikke a swarm of been
Ne fleigh, as Grekes fro him gonne fleen;
And thorugh the feld, in every wightes ere, 195
Ther nas no cry but “Troilus is there!”
Ther nas but Grekes blood; and Troilus,
Now hem he hurte, and hem alle doun he caste;
Ay where he wente it was arayed thus: 200
He was hir deeth, and sheld and lyf for us;
That as that day ther dorste noon withstonde,
Whyl that he held his blody swerd in honde.
Of grete estat, that ever I saw my lyve;
And wher him list, best felawshipe can 206
To suche as him thinketh able for to thryve.’
And with that word tho Pandarus, as blyve,
He took his leve, and seyde, ‘I wol go henne:’
‘Nay, blame have I, myn uncle,’ quod she thenne.210
And namelich of wommen? wol ye so?
Nay, sitteth down; by god, I have to done
With yow, to speke of wisdom er ye go.’
And every wight that was a-boute hem tho, 215
That herde that, gan fer a-wey to stonde,
Whyl they two hadde al that hem liste in honde.
Of hire estat and of hir governanunce, 219
Quod Pandarus, ‘now is it tyme I wende;
But yet, I seye, aryseth, lat us daunce,
And cast your widwes habit to mischaunce:
What list yow thus your-self to disfigure,
Sith yow is tid thus fair an aventure?’
‘Shal I not witen what ye mene of this?’
‘No, this thing axeth layser,’ tho quod he,
‘And eek me wolde muche greve, y-wis,
If I it tolde, and ye it toke amis.
Yet were it bet my tonge for to stille 230
Than seye a sooth that were ayeins your wille.
And Juppiter, that maketh the thonder ringe,
And by the blisful Venus that I serve,
Ye been the womman in this world livinge, 235
With-oute paramours, to my witinge,
That I best love, and lothest am to greve,
And that ye witen wel your-self, I leve.’
Your freendship have I founden ever yit;
I am to no man holden trewely 241
So muche as yow, and have so litel quit;
And, with the grace of god, emforth my wit,
As in my gilt I shal you never offende;
And if I have er this, I wol amende. 245
As ye ben he that I most love and triste,
Lat be to me your fremde maner speche
And sey to me, your nece, what yow liste:’
And with that word hir uncle anoon hir kiste, 250
And seyde, ‘gladly, leve nece dere,
Tak it for good that I shal seye yow here.’
And Pandarus to coghe gan a lyte, 254
And seyde, ‘nece, alwey, lo! to the laste,
How-so it be that som men hem delyte
With subtil art hir tales for to endyte,
Yet for al that, in hir entencioun,
Hir tale is al for som conclusioun.
And this matere is so bihovely,
What sholde I peynte or drawen it on lengthe
To yow, that been my freend so feithfully?’
And with that word he gan right inwardly
Biholden hir, and loken on hir face, 265
And seyde, ‘on suche a mirour goode grace!’
Ought hard, or make a proces any whyle,
She shal no savour han ther-in but lyte,
And trowe I wolde hir in my wil bigyle.
For tendre wittes wenen al be wyle 271
Ther-as they can nat pleynly understonde;
For-thy hir wit to serven wol I fonde’—
And she was war that he byheld hir so,
And seyde, ‘lord! so faste ye me avyse!
Sey ye me never er now? what sey ye, no?’
‘Yes, yes,’ quod he, ‘and bet wole er I go;
But, by my trouthe, I thoughte now if ye
Be fortunant, for now men shal it see. 280
Som tyme is shape, if he it can receyven;
And if that he wol
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