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From Troilus and Criseyde, Book V, lines 435-511:
Troilus and Pandarus feast at Sarpendoun's and return to Troy
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Geoffrey Chaucer (1342 - 1400):
Troilus and Criseyde
Book V, lines 512-602: Troilus and Pandarus go to Criseyde's empty house


Whan they unto the paleys were ycomen
Of Troilus, they doun of hors alighte,
And to the chambre hir wey than han they nomen.
515And into tyme that it gan to nighte,
They spaken of Criseyde the brighte.
And after this, whan that hem bothe leste,
They spedde hem fro the soper un-to reste.

On morwe, as sone as day bigan to clere,
520This Troilus gan of his sleep tabrayde,
And to Pandare, his owene brother dere,
`For love of God,' ful pitously he seyde,
`As go we seen the paleys of Criseyde;
For syn we yet may have namore feste,
525So lat us seen hir paleys at the leste.'

And therwithal, his meyne for to blende,
A cause he fond in toune for to go,
And to Criseydes hous they gonnen wende.
But lord! This sely Troilus was wo!
530Him thoughte his sorweful herte braste atwo.
For whan he saugh hir dores sperred alle,
Wel neigh for sorwe a-doun he gan to falle.

Therwith, whan he was war and gan biholde
How shet was every windowe of the place,
535As frost, him thoughte, his herte gan to colde;
For which with chaunged deedlich pale face,
Withouten word, he forth bigan to pace;
And, as God wolde, he gan so faste ryde,
That no wight of his contenance aspyde.

540Than seyde he thus; `O paleys desolat,
O hous, of houses whylom best y-hight,
O paleys empty and disconsolat,
O thou lanterne, of which queynt is the light,
O paleys, whylom day, that now art night,
545Wel oughtestow to falle, and I to dye,
Syn she is went that wont was us to gye!

`O paleys, whylom croune of houses alle,
Enlumined with sonne of alle blisse!
O ring, fro which the ruby is out falle,
550O cause of wo, that cause hast been of lisse!
Yet, syn I may no bet, fayn wolde I kisse
Thy colde dores, dorste I for this route;
And fare-wel shryne, of which the seynt is oute!'

Ther-with he caste on Pandarus his ye
555With chaunged face, and pitous to biholde;
And whan he mighte his tyme aright aspye,
Ay as he rood, to Pandarus he tolde
His newe sorwe, and eek his joyes olde,
So pitously and with so dede an hewe,
560That every wight mighte on his sorwe rewe.

Fro thennesforth he rydeth up and doun,
And every thing com him to remembraunce
As he rood forbi places of the toun
In whiche he whylom hadde al his plesaunce.
565`Lo, yond saugh I myn owene lady daunce;
And in that temple, with hir eyen clere,
Me coughte first my righte lady dere.

`And yonder have I herd ful lustily
My dere herte laugh, and yonder pleye
570Saugh I hir ones eek ful blisfully.
And yonder ones to me gan she seye,
"Now goode swete, love me wel, I preye."
And yond so goodly gan she me biholde,
That to the deeth myn herte is to hir holde.

575`And at that corner, in the yonder hous,
Herde I myn alderlevest lady dere
So wommanly, with voys melodious,
Singen so wel, so goodly, and so clere,
That in my soule yet me thinketh I here
580The blisful soun; and, in that yonder place,
My lady first me took unto hir grace.'

Thanne thoughte he thus, `O blisful lord Cupyde,
Whanne I the proces have in my memorie,
How thou me hast werreyed on every syde,
585Men might a book make of it, lyk a storie.
What nede is thee to seke on me victorie,
Syn I am thyn, and hoolly at thy wille?
What joye hastow thyn owene folk to spille?

`Wel hastow, lord, y-wroke on me thyn ire,
590Thou mighty God, and dredful for to greve!
Now mercy, lord, thou wost wel I desire
Thy grace most, of alle lustes leve,
And live and deye I wol in thy bileve,
For which I naxe in guerdon but a bone,
595That thou Criseyde ayein me sende sone.

`Distreyne hir herte as faste to retorne
As thou dost myn to longen hir to see;
Than woot I wel, that she nil nought sojourne.
Now, blisful lord, so cruel thou ne be
600Unto the blood of Troye, I preye thee,
As Juno was unto the blood Thebane,
For which the folk of Thebes caughte hir bane.'



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From Troilus and Criseyde, Book V, lines 603-686:
Troilus continues his mourning
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