Troilus and Crisyde | Page 5

he, that now was most in pryde above, 230?Wex sodeynly most subget un-to love.
For-thy ensample taketh of this man,?Ye wyse, proude, and worthy folkes alle,?To scornen Love, which that so sone can?The freedom of your hertes to him thralle; 235?For ever it was, and ever it shal bifalle,?That Love is he that alle thing may binde;?For may no man for-do the lawe of kinde.
That this be sooth, hath preved and doth yet;?For this trowe I ye knowen, alle or some, 240?Men reden not that folk han gretter wit?Than they that han be most with love y-nome;?And strengest folk ben therwith overcome,?The worthiest and grettest of degree:?This was, and is, and yet men shal it see. 245
And trewelich it sit wel to be so;?For alderwysest han ther-with ben plesed;?And they that han ben aldermost in wo,?With love han ben conforted most and esed;?And ofte it hath the cruel herte apesed, 250?And worthy folk maad worthier of name,?And causeth most to dreden vyce and shame.
Now sith it may not goodly be withstonde,?And is a thing so vertuous in kinde,?Refuseth not to Love for to be bonde, 255?Sin, as him-selven list, he may yow binde.?The yerde is bet that bowen wole and winde?Than that that brest; and therfor I yow rede?To folwen him that so wel can yow lede.
But for to tellen forth in special 260?As of this kinges sone of which I tolde,?And leten other thing collateral,?Of him thenke I my tale for to holde,?Both of his Ioye, and of his cares colde;?And al his werk, as touching this matere, 265?For I it gan, I wol ther-to refere.
With-inne the temple he wente him forth pleyinge,?This Troilus, of every wight aboute,?On this lady and now on that lokinge,?Wher-so she were of toune, or of with-oute: 270?And up-on cas bifel, that thorugh a route?His eye perced, and so depe it wente,?Til on Criseyde it smoot, and ther it stente.
And sodeynly he wax ther-with astoned,?And gan hire bet biholde in thrifty wyse: 275?`O mercy, god!' thoughte he, `wher hastow woned,?That art so fair and goodly to devyse?'?Ther-with his herte gan to sprede and ryse,?And softe sighed, lest men mighte him here,?And caughte a-yein his firste pleyinge chere. 280
She nas nat with the leste of hir stature,?But alle hir limes so wel answeringe?Weren to womanhode, that creature?Was neuer lasse mannish in seminge.?And eek the pure wyse of here meninge 285?Shewede wel, that men might in hir gesse?Honour, estat, and wommanly noblesse.
To Troilus right wonder wel with-alle?Gan for to lyke hir meninge and hir chere,?Which somdel deynous was, for she leet falle 290?Hir look a lite a-side, in swich manere,?Ascaunces, `What! May I not stonden here?'?And after that hir loking gan she lighte,?That never thoughte him seen so good a sighte.
And of hir look in him ther gan to quiken 295?So greet desir, and swich affeccioun,?That in his herte botme gan to stiken?Of hir his fixe and depe impressioun:?And though he erst hadde poured up and doun,?He was tho glad his hornes in to shrinke; 300?Unnethes wiste he how to loke or winke.
Lo, he that leet him-selven so konninge,?And scorned hem that loves peynes dryen,?Was ful unwar that love hadde his dwellinge?With-inne the subtile stremes of hir yen; 305?That sodeynly him thoughte he felte dyen,?Right with hir look, the spirit in his herte;?Blissed be love, that thus can folk converte!
She, this in blak, likinge to Troylus,?Over alle thyng, he stood for to biholde; 310?Ne his desir, ne wherfor he stood thus,?He neither chere made, ne worde tolde;?But from a-fer, his maner for to holde,?On other thing his look som-tyme he caste,?And eft on hir, whyl that servyse laste. 315
And after this, not fulliche al awhaped,?Out of the temple al esiliche he wente,?Repentinge him that he hadde ever y-iaped?Of loves folk, lest fully the descente?Of scorn fille on him-self; but, what he mente, 320?Lest it were wist on any maner syde,?His wo he gan dissimulen and hyde.
Whan he was fro the temple thus departed,?He streyght anoon un-to his paleys torneth,?Right with hir look thurgh-shoten and thurgh-darted, 325?Al feyneth he in lust that he soiorneth;?And al his chere and speche also he borneth;?And ay, of loves servants every whyle,?Him-self to wrye, at hem he gan to smyle.
And seyde, `Lord, so ye live al in lest, 330?Ye loveres! For the conningest of yow,?That serveth most ententiflich and best,?Him tit as often harm ther-of as prow;?Your hyre is quit ayein, ye, god wot how!?Nought wel for wel, but scorn for good servyse; 335?In feith, your ordre is ruled in good wyse!
`In noun-certeyn ben alle your observaunces,?But it a sely fewe poyntes be;?Ne no-thing asketh so grete attendaunces?As doth youre lay, and that knowe alle ye; 340?But that is not the worste, as mote I thee;?But, tolde I yow the worste poynt, I leve,?Al seyde I sooth, ye wolden at me greve!
`But