So coude he him governe in swich servyse, 475
That al the world ne mighte it bet devyse.
So secret, and of swich obëisaunce,
That wel she felte he was to hir a wal
Of steel, and sheld from every displesaunce; 480
That, to ben in his gode governaunce,
So wys he was, she was no more afered,
I mene, as fer as oughte ben requered.
Was ever y-lyke prest and diligent; 485
To ese his frend was set al his desyr.
He shoof ay on, he to and fro was sent;
He lettres bar whan Troilus was absent.
That never man, as in his freendes nede,
Ne bar him bet than he, with-outen drede. 490
That every word, or sonde, or look, or chere
Of Troilus that I rehersen sholde,
In al this whyle, un-to his lady dere;
I trowe it were a long thing for to here; 495
Or of what wight that stant in swich disjoynte,
His wordes alle, or every look, to poynte.
In storye noon, ne no man here, I wene;
And though I wolde I coude not, y-wis;
For ther was som epistel hem bitwene, 501
That wolde, as seyth myn auctor, wel contene
Neigh half this book, of which him list not wryte;
How sholde I thanne a lyne of it endyte?
That stonding in concord and in quiete
Thise ilke two, Criseyde and Troilus,
As I have told, and in this tyme swete,
Save only often mighte they not mete,
Ne layser have hir speches to fulfelle, 510
That it befel right as I shal yow telle,
Right for the fyn that I shal speke of here,
As for to bringe to his hous som night
His faire nece, and Troilus y-fere, 515
Wher-as at leyser al this heigh matere,
Touching hir love, were at the fulle upbounde,
Hadde out of doute a tyme to it founde.
Hadde every thing that her-to mighte avayle 520
Forn-cast, and put in execucioun,
And neither laft for cost ne for travayle;
Come if hem lest, hem sholde no-thing fayle;
And for to been in ought espyed there,
That, wiste he wel, an inpossible were.
Of every pye and every lette-game; 527
Now al is wel, for al the world is blind
In this matere, bothe fremed and tame.
This timber is al redy up to frame; 530
Us lakketh nought but that we witen wolde
A certein houre, in whiche she comen sholde.
Knew at the fulle, and waytede on it ay,
Hadde here-up-on eek made gret ordenaunce, 535
And founde his cause, and ther-to his aray,
If that he were missed, night or day,
Ther-whyle he was aboute this servyse,
That he was goon to doon his sacrifyse,
Answered of Appollo for to be;
And first, to seen the holy laurer quake,
Er that Apollo spak out of the tree,
To telle him next whan Grekes sholden flee;
And forthy lette him no man, god forbede, 545
But preye Apollo helpen in this nede.
But Pandare up, and shortly for to seyne,
Right sone upon the chaunging of the mone,
Whan lightles is the world a night or tweyne, 550
And that the welken shoop him for to reyne,
He streight a-morwe un-to his nece wente;
Ye han wel herd the fyn of his entente.
As he was wont, and of him-self to jape;
And fynally, he swor and gan hir seye, 556
By this and that, she sholde him not escape,
Ne lenger doon him after hir to gape:
But certeynly she moste, by hir leve,
Come soupen in his hous with him at eve. 560
And seyde, ‘it rayneth; lo, how sholde I goon?’
‘Lat be,’ quod he, ne stond not thus to muse;
This moot be doon, ye shal be ther anoon.’
So at the laste her-of they felle at oon, 565
Or elles, softe he swor hir in hir ere,
He nolde never come ther she were.
And asked him if Troilus were there?
He swor hir, ‘nay, for he was out of towne,’ 570
And seyde, ‘nece, I pose that he were,
Yow †thurfte never have the more
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