From Geoffrey Chaucer's "Troilus and Criseyde", Book IV, lines 148-217

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From Troilus and Criseyde, Book IV, lines 127-147:
The Greeks want to exchange Antenor for Criseyde

Geoffrey Chaucer (1342 - 1400):
Troilus and Criseyde
Book IV, lines 148-217: After deliberation, the Trojans decide to exchange Criseyde for Antenor

	This Troilus was present in the place,
	Whan axed was for Antenor Criseyde,
150	For which ful sone chaungen gan his face,
	As he that with tho wordes wel neigh deyde.
	But nathelees, he no word to it seyde,
	Lest men sholde his affeccioun espye;
	With mannes herte he gan his sorwes drye.

155 And ful of anguissh and of grisly drede

Abood what lordes wolde unto it seye;

And if they wolde graunte, as God forbede,

Th'eschaunge of hir, than thoughte he thinges tweye,

First, how to save hir honour, and what weye

160 He mighte best th'eschaunge of hir withstonde;

Ful faste he caste how al this mighte stonde.

Love him made al prest to doon hir byde,

And rather dye than she sholde go;

But resoun seyde him, on that other syde,

165 `Withoute assent of hir ne do not so,

Lest for thy werk she wolde be thy fo,

And seyn, that thurgh thy medling is yblowe

Your bother love, there it was erst unknowe.'

For which he gan deliberen, for the beste,

170 That though the lordes wolde that she wente,

He wolde lat hem graunte what hem leste,

And telle his lady first what that they mente.

And whan that she had seyd him hir entente,

Therafter wolde he werken also blyve,

175 Though al the world ayein it wolde stryve.

Ector, which that wel the Grekes herde,

For Antenor how they wolde han Criseyde,

Gan it withstonde, and sobrely answerde: --

`Sires, she nis no prisoner,' he seyde;

180 `I noot on yow who that this charge leyde,

But, on my part, ye may eftsoone hem telle,

We usen here no wommen for to selle.'

The noyse of peple up stirte thanne atones,

As breme as blase of straw yset on fyre;

185 For infortune it wolde, for the nones,

They sholden hir confusioun desyre.

`Ector,' quod they, `what goost may yow enspyre

This womman thus to shilde and doon us lese

Daun Antenor? -- a wrong wey now ye chese --

190 `That is so wys, and eek so bold baroun,

And we han nede to folk, as men may see;

He is eek oon, the grettest of this toun;

O Ector, lat tho fantasyes be!

O king Priam,' quod they, `thus seggen we,

195 That al our voys is to forgon Criseyde;'

And to deliveren Antenor they preyde.

O Juvenal, lord! Trewe is thy sentence,

That litel witen folk what is to yerne

That they ne finde in hir desyr offence;

200 For cloud of errour let hem not descerne

What best is; and lo, here ensample as yerne.

This folk desiren now deliveraunce

Of Antenor, that broughte hem to meschaunce!

For he was after traytour to the toun

205 Of Troye; allas! They quitte him out to rathe;

O nyce world, lo, thy discrecioun!

Criseyde, which that never dide hem scathe,

Shal now no lenger in hir blisse bathe;

But Antenor, he shal com hoom to toun,

210 And she shal out; thus seyden here and howne.

For which delibered was by parlement

For Antenor to yelden out Criseyde,

And it pronounced by the president,

Altheigh that Ector `nay' ful ofte preyde.

215 And fynaly, what wight that it withseyde,

It was for nought, it moste been, and sholde;

For substaunce of the parlement it wolde.

Next:
From Troilus and Criseyde, Book IV, lines 218-336:
Troilus pities himself for the decision of the Trojans

155	And ful of anguissh and of grisly drede
	Abood what lordes wolde unto it seye;
	And if they wolde graunte, as God forbede,
	Th'eschaunge of hir, than thoughte he thinges tweye,
	First, how to save hir honour, and what weye
160	He mighte best th'eschaunge of hir withstonde;
	Ful faste he caste how al this mighte stonde.

	Love him made al prest to doon hir byde,
	And rather dye than she sholde go;
	But resoun seyde him, on that other syde,
165	`Withoute assent of hir ne do not so,
	Lest for thy werk she wolde be thy fo,
	And seyn, that thurgh thy medling is yblowe
	Your bother love, there it was erst unknowe.'

	For which he gan deliberen, for the beste,
170	That though the lordes wolde that she wente,
	He wolde lat hem graunte what hem leste,
	And telle his lady first what that they mente.
	And whan that she had seyd him hir entente,
	Therafter wolde he werken also blyve,
175	Though al the world ayein it wolde stryve.

	Ector, which that wel the Grekes herde,
	For Antenor how they wolde han Criseyde,
	Gan it withstonde, and sobrely answerde: --
	`Sires, she nis no prisoner,' he seyde;
180	`I noot on yow who that this charge leyde,
	But, on my part, ye may eftsoone hem telle,
	We usen here no wommen for to selle.'

	The noyse of peple up stirte thanne atones,
	As breme as blase of straw yset on fyre;
185	For infortune it wolde, for the nones,
	They sholden hir confusioun desyre.
	`Ector,' quod they, `what goost may yow enspyre
	This womman thus to shilde and doon us lese
	Daun Antenor? -- a wrong wey now ye chese --

190	`That is so wys, and eek so bold baroun,
	And we han nede to folk, as men may see;
	He is eek oon, the grettest of this toun;
	O Ector, lat tho fantasyes be!
	O king Priam,' quod they, `thus seggen we,
195	That al our voys is to forgon Criseyde;'
	And to deliveren Antenor they preyde.

	O Juvenal, lord! Trewe is thy sentence,
	That litel witen folk what is to yerne
	That they ne finde in hir desyr offence;
200	For cloud of errour let hem not descerne
	What best is; and lo, here ensample as yerne.
	This folk desiren now deliveraunce
	Of Antenor, that broughte hem to meschaunce!

	For he was after traytour to the toun
205	Of Troye; allas! They quitte him out to rathe;
	O nyce world, lo, thy discrecioun!
	Criseyde, which that never dide hem scathe,
	Shal now no lenger in hir blisse bathe;
	But Antenor, he shal com hoom to toun,
210	And she shal out; thus seyden here and howne.

	For which delibered was by parlement
	For Antenor to yelden out Criseyde,
	And it pronounced by the president,
	Altheigh that Ector `nay' ful ofte preyde.
215	And fynaly, what wight that it withseyde,
	It was for nought, it moste been, and sholde;
	For substaunce of the parlement it wolde.