For rather than men mighte him ther aspye,
Me were lever a thousand-fold to dye.’
What that she thoughte whan he seyde so,
That Troilus was out of town y-fare,
As if he seyde ther-of sooth or no;
But that, with-oute awayt, with him to go,
She graunted him, sith he hir that bisoughte, 580
And, as his nece, obeyed as hir oughte
Al-though with him to goon it was no fere,
For to be war of goosish peples speche
That dremen things whiche that never were, 585
And wel avyse him whom he broughte there;
And seyde him, ‘eem, sin I mot on yow triste,
Loke al be wel, and do now as yow liste.’
And by the goddes that in hevene dwelle,
Or elles were him lever, soule and bones,
With Pluto king as depe been in helle 592
As Tantalus!’ What sholde I more telle?
Whan al was wel, he roos and took his leve,
And she to souper com, whan it was eve,
And with hir faire nece Antigone,
And othere of hir wommen nyne or ten;
But who was glad now, who, as trowe ye,
But Troilus, that stood and mighte it see 600
Thurgh- out a litel windowe in a stewe,
Ther he bishet, sin midnight, was in mewe,
But to the poynt; now whan she was y-come
With alle joye, and alle frendes fare, 605
Hir eem anoon in armes hath hir nome,
And after to the souper, alle and some,
Whan tyme was, ful softe they hem sette,
God wot, ther was no deyntee for to fette.
At ese wel, with hertes fresshe and glade,
And wel was him that coude best devyse
To lyken hir, or that hir laughen made.
He song, she pleyde; he tolde take of Wade.
But at the laste, as every thing hath ende, 615
She took hir leve, and nedes wolde wende.
O influences of thise hevenes hye!
Soth is, that under god, ye ben our hierdes,
Though to us bestes been the causes wrye. 620
This mene I now, for she gan hoomward hye,
But execut was al bisyde hir leve,
At the goddes wil; for which she moste bleve.
Saturne, and Jove, in Cancro joyned were, 625
That swich a rayn from hevene gan avale,
That every maner womman that was there
Hadde of that smoky reyn a verray fere;
At which Pandare tho lough, and seyde thenne,
‘Now were it tyme a lady to go henne! 630
Yow any-thing, than prey I yow,’ quod he,
‘To doon myn herte as now so greet an ese
As for to dwelle here al this night with me,
For-why this is your owene hous, pardee.
For, by my trouthe, I sey it nought agame, 636
To wende as now, it were to me a shame.’
As half a world, tok hede of his preyere;
And sin it ron, and al was on a flood, 640
She thoughte, as good chep may I dwellen here,
And graunte it gladly with a freendes chere,
And have a thank, as grucche and thanne abyde;
For hoom to goon it may nought wel bityde.
Sin that yow list, it skile is to be so;
I am right glad with yow to dwellen here;
I seyde but a-game I wolde go.’
‘Y-wis, graunt mercy, nece!’ quod he tho; 649
‘Were it a game or no, soth for to telle,
Now am I glad, sin that yow list to dwelle.’
The newe joye, and al the feste agayn;
But Pandarus, if goodly hadde he might,
He wolde han hyed hir to bedde fayn, 655
And seyde, ‘lord, this is an huge rayn!
This were a weder for to slepen inne;
And that I rede us sone to biginne.
For that we shul not liggen fer asonder,
And for ye neither shullen, dar I seye,
Heren noise of reynes nor of thonder?
By god, right in my lyte closet yonder.
And I wol in that outer hous allone
Be wardeyn of your wommen everichone.
Shul youre wommen slepen wel and softe;
And ther I
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