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From Troilus and Criseyde, Book II, lines 218-322:
Pandarus reveals Troilus' crush on Criseyde
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Geoffrey Chaucer (1342 - 1400):
Troilus and Criseyde
Book II, lines 323-385: Pandarus says that he and Troilus will kill themself if Criseyde does not answer Troilus' love


`But if ye lete him deye, I wol sterve;
Have her my trouthe, nece, I nil not lyen;
325Al sholde I with this knyf my throte kerve --'
With that the teeres braste out of his yen,
And seyde, `If that ye doon us bothe dyen,
Thus giltelees, than have ye fisshed faire;
What mende ye, though that we bothe apeyre?

330`Allas! He which that is my lord so dere,
That trewe man, that noble gentil knight,
That nought desireth but your freendly chere,
I see him deye, ther he goth up-right,
And hasteth him, with al his fulle might,
335For to be slayn, if fortune wol assente;
Allas! That God yow swich a beautee sente!

`If it be so that ye so cruel be,
That of his deeth yow liste nought to recche,
That is so trewe and worthy, as ye see,
340No more than of a japere or a wrecche,
If ye be swich, your beautee may not strecche
To make amendes of so cruel a dede;
Avysement is good bifore the nede.

`Wo worth the faire gemme vertulees!
345Wo worth that herbe also that dooth no bote!
Wo worth that beautee that is routhelees!
Wo worth that wight that tret ech under fote!
And ye, that been of beautee crop and rote,
If therwith-al in you ther be no routhe,
350Than is it harm ye liven, by my trouthe!

`And also thenk wel that this is no gaude;
For me were levere, thou and I and he
Were hanged, than I sholde been his baude,
As heyghe, as men mighte on us alle y-see:
355I am thyn em, the shame were to me,
As wel as thee, if that I sholde assente,
Thorugh myn abet, that he thyn honour shente.

`Now understond, for I yow nought requere,
To binde yow to him thorugh no biheste,
360But only that ye make him bettre chere
Than ye han doon er this, and more feste,
So that his lyf be saved, at the leste;
This al and som, and playnly our entente;
God help me so, I never other mente.

365`Lo, this request is not but skile, y-wis,
Ne doute of reson, pardee, is ther noon.
I sette the worste that ye dredden this,
Men wolden wondren seen him come or goon:
Ther-ayeins answere I thus a-noon,
370That every wight, but he be fool of kinde,
Wol deme it love of freendship in his minde.

`What? Who wol deme, though he see a man
To temple go, that he the images eteth?
Thenk eek how wel and wysly that he can
375Governe him-self, that he no-thing foryeteth,
That, wher he cometh, he prys and thank him geteth;
And eek ther-to, he shal come here so selde,
What fors were it though al the toun behelde?

`Swich love of freendes regneth al this toun;
380And wrye yow in that mantel ever-mo;
And God so wis be my savacioun,
As I have seyd, your beste is to do so.
But alwey, goode nece, to stinte his wo,
So lat your daunger sucred ben a lyte,
385That of his deeth ye be nought for to wyte.'



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From Troilus and Criseyde, Book II, lines 386-504:
Criseyde says she rather loves Troilus than have Troilus and her uncle Pandarus kill themselves
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