But that, that mighte sounen in-to gode.’
‘And I thy borw? fy! no wight dooth but so;
I roughte nought though that she stode and herde 1039
How that thou seyst; but fare-wel, I wol go.
A-dieu! be glad! god spede us bothe two!
Yif me this labour and this besinesse,
And of my speed be thyn al that swetnesse.’
And Pandare in his armes hente faste,
And seyde, ‘now, fy on the Grekes alle!
Yet, pardee, god shal helpe us at the laste;
And dredelees, if that my lyf may laste,
And god to-forn, lo, som of hem shal smerte;
And yet me athinketh that this avaunt me asterte! 1050
But thou wys, thou wost, thou mayst thou art al!
My lyf, my deeth, hool in thyn honde I leye;
Help now,’ quod he. ‘Yis, by my trouthe, I shal.’
‘God yelde thee, freend, and this in special,’ 1055
Quod Troilus, ‘that thou me recomaunde
To hir that to the deeth me may comaunde.’
His fulle freend, than seyde in this manere,
‘Far-wel, and thenk I wol thy thank deserve; 1060
Have here my trouthe, and that thou shalt wel here.’—
And wente his wey, thenking on this matere,
And how he best mighte hir beseche of grace,
And finde a tyme ther-to, and a place.
Ne renneth nought the werk for to biginne
With rakel hond, but he wol byde a stounde,
And sende his hertes lyne out fro with-inne
Alderfirst his purpos for to winne. 1069
Al this Pandare in his herte thoughte,
And caste his werk ful wysly, or he wroughte.
But up anoon up-on his stede bay,
And in the feld he pleyde tho leoun;
Wo was that Greek that with him mette that day. 1075
And in the toun his maner tho forth ay
So goodly was, and gat him so in grace,
That ech him lovede that loked on his face.
The gentileste, and eek the moste free, 1080
The thriftieste and oon the beste knight,
That in his tyme was, or mighte be.
Dede were his japes and his crueltee,
His heighe port and his manere estraunge,
And ech of tho gan for a vertu chaunge.
That fareth lyk a man that hurt is sore,
And is somdel of akinge of his wounde
Y-lissed wel, but heled no del more:
And, as an esy pacient, the lore 1090
Abit of him that gooth aboute his cure;
And thus he dryveth forth his aventure.
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