And think wel, she of whom rist al thy wo
Here-after may thy comfort been al-so. 945
Bereth eek thise holsom herbes, as ful ofte
Next the foule netle, rough and thikke,
The rose waxeth swote and smothe and softe;
And next the valey is the hill a-lofte; 950
And next the derke night the glade morwe;
And also joye is next the fyn of sorwe.
And for the beste, ay suffre to the tyde,
Or elles al our labour is on ydel; 955
He hasteth wel that wysly can abyde;
Be diligent, and trewe, and ay wel hyde.
Be lusty free, persevere in thy servyse,
And al is wel, if thou werke in this wyse.
Is no-wher hool, as writen clerkes wyse;
What wonder is, though swich oon have no grace?
Eek wostow how it fareth of som servyse?
As plaunte a tre or herbe, in sondry wyse,
And on the morwe pulle it up as blyve, 965
No wonder is, though it may never thryve.
In place digne un-to thy worthinesse,
Stond faste, for to good port hastow rowed;
And of thy-self, for any hevinesse, 970
Hope alwey wel; for but-if drerinesse
Or over-haste our bothe labour shende,
I hope of this to maken a good ende.
Of this matere with my nece trete? 975
For this have I herd seyd of wyse y-lered,
“Was never man ne woman yet bigete
That was unapt to suffren loves hete
Celestial, or elles love of kinde;” 979
For-thy som grace I hope in hir to finde.
Hir beautee to bithinken and hir youthe,
It sir hir nought to be celestial
As yet, though that hir liste bothe and couthe; 984
But trewely, it sete hir wel right nouthe
A worthy knight to loven and cheryce,
And but she do, I holde it for a vyce.
To peyne me to do yow this servyse;
For bothe yow to plese thus hope I 990
Her-afterward; for ye beth bothe wyse,
And conne it counseyl kepe in swich a wyse,
That no man shal the wyser of it be;
And so we may be gladed alle three.
A good conceyt in my wit, as I gesse,
And what it is, I wol now that thou see.
I thenke, sith that love, of his goodnesse,
Hath thee converted out of wikkednesse,
That thou shalt be the beste post I leve, 1000
Of al his lay, and most his foos to-greve.
That erren aldermost a-yein a lawe,
And ben converted from hir wikked werkes
Thorugh grace of god, that list hem to him drawe, 1005
Than arn they folk that han most god in awe,
And strengest-feythed been, I understonde,
And conne an errour alder-best withstonde.’
To been his help in loving of Criseyde, 1010
Wex of his wo, as who seyth, untormented,
But hotter wex his love, and thus he seyde,
With sobre chere, al-though his herte pleyde,
‘Now blisful Venus helpe, er that I sterve,
Of thee, Pandare, I may som thank deserve. 1015
Till this be doon? and goode, eek tel me this,
How wiltow seyn of me and my destresse?
Lest she be wrooth, this drede I most, y-wis,
Or nil not here or trowen how it is. 1020
Al this drede I, and eek for the manere
Of thee, hir eem, she nil no swich thing here.’
Lest that the cherl may falle out of the mone! 1024
Why, lord! I hate of thee thy nyce fare!
Why, entremete of that thou hast to done!
For goddes love, I bidde thee a bone,
So lat me alone, and it shal be thy beste.’—
‘Why freend,’ quod he, ‘now do right as thee leste.
That thou in me wendest so greet folye,
That to my lady I desiren sholde
That toucheth harm or any vilenye;
For dredelees, me were lever dye 1034
Than
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