| And Pandarus, to quike alwey the fyr, |
| 485 | Was evere ylyke prest and diligent; |
| To ese his frend was set al his desyr. |
| He shof ay on, he to and fro was sent; |
| He lettres bar whan Troilus was absent. |
| That never man, as in his freendes nede, |
| 490 | Ne bar him bet than he, withouten drede. |
| But now, paraunter, som man wayten wolde |
| That every word, or sonde, or look, or chere |
| Of Troilus that I rehercen sholde, |
| In al this whyle unto his lady dere; |
| 495 | I trowe it were a long thing for to here; |
| Or of what wight that stant in swich disjoynte, |
| His wordes alle, or every look, to poynte. |
| For sothe, I have not herd it doon er this, |
| In storye noon, ne no man here, I wene; |
| 500 | And though I wolde I koude not, y-wis; |
| For ther was som epistel hem bitwene, |
| 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 endite? |
| 505 | But to the grete effect: than sey I thus, |
| 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, |
| 510 | Ne layser have hir speches to fulfelle, |
| That it befel right as I shal yow telle. |
| That Pandarus, that ever dide his might |
| Right for the fyn that I shal speke of here, |
| As for to bringe to his hous som night |
| 515 | His faire nece, and Troilus yfeere, |
| 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. |
| For he with greet deliberacioun |
| 520 | Hadde every thing that herto mighte avayle |
| Forncast, and put in execucioun. |
| And neither laft, for cost ne for travayle; |
| Come if hem list, hem sholde no thing fayle; |
| And for to been in ought espyed there, |
| 525 | That, wiste he wel, an inpossible were. |
| Dredelees, it cleer was in the wind |
| Of every pye and every lette-game; |
| Now al is wel, for al the world is blind |
| In this matere, bothe fremed and tame. |
| 530 | This timbur is al redy up to frame; |
| Us lakketh nought but that we witen wolde |
| A certein houre, in which she comen sholde. |
| And Troilus, that al this purveyaunce |
| Knew at the fulle, and waytede on it ay, |
| 535 | Hadde hereupon eek made gret ordenaunce, |
| And founde his cause, and therto his array, |
| If that he were missed, night or day, |
| Ther-whyle he was aboute this servyse, |
| That he was goon to doon his sacrifyse, |
| 540 | And moste at swich a temple alone wake, |
| 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, |
| 545 | And forthy lette him no man, God forbede, |
| But preye Apollo helpen in this nede. |
|
