from Troilus and Criseyde: Book I
04/28/2026 14:58h
(excerpt)
From Book I
And so bifel, whan comen was the tym
e
Of Aperil, whan clothed is the med
e
With new
e
grene, of lusty Veer the prym
e
,
And swot
e
smellen flour
e
s white and red
e
,
In sondry wises shew
e
d, as I red
e
,
The folk of Troie hir observaunces old
e
,
Palladion
e
s fest
e
for to hold
e
.
And to the temple, in al hir best
e
wys
e
,
In general ther went
e
many a wight,
To herknen of Palladion the servys
e
;
And nam
e
ly, so many a lusty knyght,
So many a lady fressh and mayden bright,
Ful wel aray
e
d, both mest
e
, mene, and lest
e
,
Ye, both
e
for the seson and the fest
e
.
Among thise other
e
folk was Criseyda,
In widew
e
s habit blak; but nath
e
les,
Right as our first
e
lettre is now an A,
In beautee first so stood she, mak
e
les;
Hire goodly lokyng glad
e
d al the prees.
Nas nevere yet seyn thing to ben preys
e
d derr
e
,
Nor under cloud
e
blak so bright a sterr
e
As was Criseyde, as folk seyde everichon
e
That hir bihelden in hir blak
e
wed
e
;
And yet she stood ful lowe and stille allon
e
,
Byhynden other folk, in litel bred
e
,
And neigh the dore, ay under sham
e
s dred
e
,
Simple of atir and debonaire of cher
e
,
With ful assur
e
d lokyng and maner
e
.
This Troilus, as he was wont to gid
e
His yong
e
knyght
e
s, lad hem up and doun
In thilk
e
larg
e
temple on every sid
e
,
Byholding ay the ladies of the town,
Now here, now there; for no devoc{.i}oun
Hadde he to non, to reven hym his rest
e
,
But gan to preise and lakken whom hym lest
e
.
And in his walk ful faste he gan to wayten
If knyght or squyer of his compaigni
e
Gan for to syke, or lete his eighen baiten
On any womman that he koude espy
e
;
He wold
e
smyle, and holden it foly
e
,
And seye him thus, "God woot, she slepeth soft
e
For love of the, whan thou turnest ful oft
e
!
"I have herd told, pardieux, of your lyvyng
e
,
Ye loveres, and youre lew
e
d observaunces,
And which a labour folk han in wynnyng
e
Of love, and in the kepyng which doutaunces;
And whan your preye is lost, woo and penaunces.
O veray fool
e
s! nyce and blynde be ye!
Ther nys nat oon kan war by other be."
And with that word he gan cast up the brow
e
,
Ascaunc
e
s, "Loo! is this naught wisely spoken?"
At which the god of love gan loken row
e
Right for despit, and shop for to ben wroken.
He kidde anoon his bow
e
nas naught broken;
For sodeynly he hitte him att
e
full
e
;
And yet as proud a pekok kan he pull
e
!
O blynd
e
world, O blynde entenc{.i}oun!
How often falleth al the effect contrair
e
Of surquidrie and foul presumpc{.i}oun;
For kaught is proud, and kaught is debonair
e
.
This Troilus is clomben on the stair
e
,
And litel weneth that he moot descenden;
But al-day faileth thing that fool
e
s wenden.
As proud
e
Bayard gynneth for to skipp
e
Out of the wey, so pryketh hym his corn,
Til he a lasshe have of the long
e
whipp
e
;
Than thynketh he, "Though I praunce al byforn
First in the trays, ful fat and new
e
shorn,
Yet am I but an hors, and horses law
e
I moot endure, and with my fer
e
s draw
e
."