From Geoffrey Chaucer's "Troilus and Criseyde", Book IV, lines 1-28

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From Troilus and Criseyde, Book III, lines 1772-1820:
About Troilus and Ector

Geoffrey Chaucer (1342 - 1400):
Troilus and Criseyde
Book IV, lines 1-28: Prologue

Prohemium.

	But al to litel, weylaway the whyle,
	Lasteth swich joye, y-thonked be Fortune!
	That semeth trewest, whan she wol bygyle,
	And can to foles so hir song entune,
5	That she hem hent and blent, traytour comune;
	And whan a wight is from hir wheel y-throwe,
	Than laugheth she, and maketh him the mowe.

From Troilus she gan hir brighte face

Awey to wrythe, and took of him non hede,

10 But caste him clene out of his lady grace,

And on hir wheel she sette up Diomede;

For which right now myn herte ginneth blede,

And now my penne, allas! With which I write,

Quaketh for drede of that I moot endite.

15 For how Criseyde Troilus forsook,

Or at the leste, how that she was unkinde,

Moot hennes-forth ben matere of my book,

As wryten folk through which it is in minde.

Allas! That they sholde ever cause finde

20 To speke hir harm; and if they on hir lye,

Ywis, hemself sholde han the vilanye.

O ye Herines, Nightes doughtren three,

That endelees compleynen ever in pyne,

Megera, Alete, and eek Thesiphone;

25 Thou cruel Mars eek, fader to Quiryne,

This ilke ferthe book me helpeth fyne,

So that the los of lyf and love yfere

Of Troilus be fully shewed here.

Explicit prohemium.

Next:
From Troilus and Criseyde, Book IV, lines 29-146:
Trojans and Greeks fight fiercely and Antenor is captured by the Greeks

	From Troilus she gan hir brighte face
	Awey to wrythe, and took of him non hede,
10	But caste him clene out of his lady grace,
	And on hir wheel she sette up Diomede;
	For which right now myn herte ginneth blede,
	And now my penne, allas! With which I write,
	Quaketh for drede of that I moot endite.

15	For how Criseyde Troilus forsook,
	Or at the leste, how that she was unkinde,
	Moot hennes-forth ben matere of my book,
	As wryten folk through which it is in minde.
	Allas! That they sholde ever cause finde
20	To speke hir harm; and if they on hir lye,
	Ywis, hemself sholde han the vilanye.

	O ye Herines, Nightes doughtren three,
	That endelees compleynen ever in pyne,
	Megera, Alete, and eek Thesiphone;
25	Thou cruel Mars eek, fader to Quiryne,
	This ilke ferthe book me helpeth fyne,
	So that the los of lyf and love yfere
	Of Troilus be fully shewed here.