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From Troilus and Criseyde, Book I, lines 1009-1092:
Pandarus offers Troilus his help
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Geoffrey Chaucer (1342 - 1400):
Troilus and Criseyde
Book II, lines 1-49: Prologue

Incipit Prohemium Secundi Libri.

Out of these blake wawes for to sayle,
O wind, O wind, the weder ginneth clere;
For in this see the boot hath swich travayle,
Of my conning, that unnethe I it stere:
5This see clepe I the tempestous matere
Of desespeir that Troilus was inne:
But now of hope the calendes biginne.

O lady myn, that called art Cleo,
Thou be my speed fro this forth, and my muse,
10To ryme wel this book, til I have do;
Me nedeth here noon other art to use.
Forwhy to every lovere I me excuse,
That of no sentement I this endite,
But out of Latin in my tonge it write.

15Wherfore I nil have neither thank ne blame
Of al this werk, but prey yow mekely,
Disblameth me if any word be lame,
For as myn auctor seyde, so seye I.
Eek though I speke of love unfelingly,
20No wondre is, for it nothing of newe is;
A blind man can nat juggen wel in hewis.

Ye knowe eek, that in forme of speche is chaunge
With-inne a thousand yeer, and wordes tho
That hadden prys, now wonder nyce and straunge
25Us thinketh hem; and yet they spake hem so,
And spedde as wel in love as men now do;
Eek for to winne love in sondry ages,
In sondry londes, sondry ben usages.

And forthy if it happe in any wyse,
30That here be any lovere in this place
That herkneth, as the storie wol devyse,
How Troilus com to his lady grace,
And thenketh, so nolde I nat love purchace,
Or wondreth on his speche or his doinge,
35I noot; but it is me no wonderinge;

For every wight which that to Rome went,
Halt nat o path, or alwey o manere;
Eek in som lond were al the gamen shent,
If that they ferde in love as men don here,
40As thus, in open doing or in chere,
In visitinge, in forme, or seyde hire sawes;
Forthy men seyn, ech contree hath his lawes.

Eek scarsly been ther in this place three
That han in love seid lyk and doon in al;
45For to thy purpos this may lyken thee,
And thee right nought, yet al is seyd or shal;
Eek som men grave in tree, som in stoon wal,
As it bitit; but syn I have begonne,
Myn auctor shal I folwen, if I conne.



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From Troilus and Criseyde, Book II, lines 50-77:
Pandarus goes to his niece Criseyde
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