From Geoffrey Chaucer's "Troilus and Criseyde", Book II, lines 78-147

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

Geoffrey Chaucer (1342 - 1400):
Troilus and Criseyde
Book II, lines 78-147: Pandarus meets Criseyde

	Whan he was come un-to his neces place,
	`Wher is my lady?' to hir folk seyde he;
80	And they him tolde; and he forth in gan pace,
	And fond, two othere ladyes sete and she,
	With-inne a paved parlour; and they three
	Herden a mayden reden hem the geste
	Of the Sege of Thebes, whyl hem leste.

85 Quod Pandarus, `Madame, God yow see,

With al your book and al the companye!'

`Ey, uncle myn, welcome ywis,' quod she,

And up she roos, and by the hond in hye

She took him faste, and seyde, `This night thrye,

90 To goode mote it turne, of yow I mette!'

And with that word she doun on bench him sette.

`Ye, nece, ye shal fare wel the bet,

If God wole, al this yeer,' quod Pandarus;

`But I am sory that I have yow let

95 To herknen of your book ye preysen thus;

For Goddes love, what seith it? tel it us.

Is it of love? O, som good ye me lere!'

`Uncle,' quod she, `your maistresse is not here!'

With that they gonnen laughe, and tho she seyde,

100 `This romaunce is of Thebes, that we rede;

And we han herd how that king Laius deyde

Thurgh Edippus his sone, and al that dede;

And here we stenten at these lettres rede,

How the bisshop, as the book can telle,

105 Amphiorax, fil thurgh the ground to helle.'

Quod Pandarus, `Al this knowe I my-selve,

And al the assege of Thebes and the care;

For her-of been ther maked bokes twelve: --

But lat be this, and tel me how ye fare;

110 Do wey your barbe, and shew your face bare;

Do wey your book, rys up, and lat us daunce,

And lat us don to May som observaunce.'

`A! God forbede!' quod she. `Be ye mad?

Is that a widewes lyf, so God you save?

115 By God, ye maken me right sore a-drad,

Ye ben so wilde, it semeth as ye rave!

It sete me wel bet ay in a cave

To bidde, and rede on holy seyntes lyves;

Lat maydens gon to daunce, and yonge wyves.'

120 `As ever thryve I,' quod this Pandarus,

`Yet koude I telle a thing to doon you pleye.'

`Now, uncle dere,' quod she, `tel it us

For Goddes love; is than the assege aweye?

I am of Grekes so ferd that I deye.'

125 `Nay, nay,' quod he, `as ever mote I thryve!

It is a thing wel bet than swiche fyve.'

`Ye, holy God,' quod she, `what thing is that?

What! Bet than swiche fyve? Ey, nay, y-wis!

For al this world ne can I reden what

130 It sholde been; som jape, I trowe, is this;

And but your-selven telle us what it is,

My wit is for to arede it al to lene;

As help me God, I noot nat what ye meene.'

`And I your borow, ne never shal, for me,

135 This thing be told to yow, as mote I thryve!'

`And why so, uncle myn? Why so?' quod she.

`By God,' quod he, `that wole I telle as blyve;

For prouder womman were ther noon on-lyve,

And ye it wiste, in al the toun of Troye;

140 I jape nought, as ever have I joye!'

Tho gan she wondren more than biforn

A thousand fold, and doun hir eyen caste;

For never, sith the tyme that she was born,

To knowe thing desired she so faste;

145 And with a syk she seyde him at the laste,

`Now, uncle myn, I nil yow nought displese,

Nor axen more, that may do yow disese.'

Next:
From Troilus and Criseyde, Book II, lines 148-217:
Pandarus tells about Ector and Troilus

85	Quod Pandarus, `Madame, God yow see,
	With al your book and al the companye!'
	`Ey, uncle myn, welcome ywis,' quod she,
	And up she roos, and by the hond in hye
	She took him faste, and seyde, `This night thrye,
90	To goode mote it turne, of yow I mette!'
	And with that word she doun on bench him sette.

	`Ye, nece, ye shal fare wel the bet,
	If God wole, al this yeer,' quod Pandarus;
	`But I am sory that I have yow let
95	To herknen of your book ye preysen thus;
	For Goddes love, what seith it? tel it us.
	Is it of love? O, som good ye me lere!'
	`Uncle,' quod she, `your maistresse is not here!'

	With that they gonnen laughe, and tho she seyde,
100	`This romaunce is of Thebes, that we rede;
	And we han herd how that king Laius deyde
	Thurgh Edippus his sone, and al that dede;
	And here we stenten at these lettres rede,
	How the bisshop, as the book can telle,
105	Amphiorax, fil thurgh the ground to helle.'

	Quod Pandarus, `Al this knowe I my-selve,
	And al the assege of Thebes and the care;
	For her-of been ther maked bokes twelve: --
	But lat be this, and tel me how ye fare;
110	Do wey your barbe, and shew your face bare;
	Do wey your book, rys up, and lat us daunce,
	And lat us don to May som observaunce.'

	`A! God forbede!' quod she. `Be ye mad?
	Is that a widewes lyf, so God you save?
115	By God, ye maken me right sore a-drad,
	Ye ben so wilde, it semeth as ye rave!
	It sete me wel bet ay in a cave
	To bidde, and rede on holy seyntes lyves;
	Lat maydens gon to daunce, and yonge wyves.'

120	`As ever thryve I,' quod this Pandarus,
	`Yet koude I telle a thing to doon you pleye.'
	`Now, uncle dere,' quod she, `tel it us
	For Goddes love; is than the assege aweye?
	I am of Grekes so ferd that I deye.'
125	`Nay, nay,' quod he, `as ever mote I thryve!
	It is a thing wel bet than swiche fyve.'

	`Ye, holy God,' quod she, `what thing is that?
	What! Bet than swiche fyve? Ey, nay, y-wis!
	For al this world ne can I reden what
130	It sholde been; som jape, I trowe, is this;
	And but your-selven telle us what it is,
	My wit is for to arede it al to lene;
	As help me God, I noot nat what ye meene.'

	`And I your borow, ne never shal, for me,
135	This thing be told to yow, as mote I thryve!'
	`And why so, uncle myn? Why so?' quod she.
	`By God,' quod he, `that wole I telle as blyve;
	For prouder womman were ther noon on-lyve,
	And ye it wiste, in al the toun of Troye;
140	I jape nought, as ever have I joye!'

	Tho gan she wondren more than biforn
	A thousand fold, and doun hir eyen caste;
	For never, sith the tyme that she was born,
	To knowe thing desired she so faste;
145	And with a syk she seyde him at the laste,
	`Now, uncle myn, I nil yow nought displese,
	Nor axen more, that may do yow disese.'