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Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Table of Contents Book I

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Troilus & Criseyde by GEOFFREY CHAUCER c 1385 (a 1400) DjVu Editions E-books © 2001, Global Language Resources, Inc. Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Table of Contents Book I . 1 Book II . 29 Book III . 74 Book IV . 121 Book V . 165 - i - Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Book I Book I The double sorwe of Troilus to tellen, That was the kyng Priamus sone of Troye, In louynge how his auentures fellen ffro wo to wele, and after out of ioie, My purpos is, er that I parte fro ye. 5 Thesiphone, thow help me for tendite Thise woful vers that wepen as I write. To the clepe I, thow goddesse of torment, Thow cruwel furie, sorwynge euere in peyne, Help me that am the sorwful instrument 10 That helpeth loueres, as I kan, to pleyne; ffor wel sit it, the sothe for to seyne, A woful wight to han a drery feere, And to a sorwful tale a sory chere. ffor I, that god of loues seruantz serue, 15 Ne dar to loue, for myn vnliklynesse, Preyen for speed, al sholde I ther-fore sterue, So fer am I from his help in derknesse; But natheles, if this may don gladnesse To any louere and his cause auaille, 20 Haue he my thonk, and myn be this trauaille. But ye loueres that bathen in gladnesse, If any drope of pyte in yow be, Remembreth yow on passed heuynesse That ye han felt, and on the aduersite 25 Of othere folk, and thynketh how that ye Han felt that loue dorste yow displese, Or ye han wonne hym with to grete an ese. And preieth for hem that ben in the cas Of Troilus, as ye may after here, 30 That loue hem brynge in heuene to solas; And ek for me preieth to god so dere That I haue myght to shewe in som manere Swich peyne and wo as loues folk endure, In Troilus vnsely auenture. 35 And biddeth ek for hem that ben despeired - 1 - Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Book I In loue that neuere nyl recouered be, And ek for hem that falsly ben apeired Thorugh wikked tonges, be it he or she; Thus biddeth god, for his benignite, 40 So graunte hem soone owt of this world to pace, That ben despeired out of loues grace. And biddeth ek for hem that ben at ese. That god hem graunte ay good perseueraunce, And send hem myght hire ladies so to plese 45 That it to loue be worship and plesaunce; ffor so hope I my sowle best auaunce, To prey for hem that loues seruauntz be, And write hire wo, and lyue in charite, And for to haue of hem compassioun, 50 As though I were hire owne brother dere. Now herkneth with a good entencioun, ffor now wil I gon streght to my matere, In which ye may the double sorwes here Of Troilus in louynge of Criseyde, 55 And how that she forsook hym er she deyde. Yt is wel wist how that the Grekes stronge In armes with a thousand shippes wente To Troiewardes, and the cite longe Assegeden, neigh ten yer er they stente, 60 And in diuerse wise and oon entente, The rauysshyng to wreken of Eleyne, By Paris don, they wroughten al hir peyne. Now fel it so that in the town ther was Dwellynge a lord of gret auctorite. 65 A gret deuyn that clepid was Calkas, That in science so expert was that he Knew wel that Troie sholde destroied be, By answere of his god that highte thus: Daun Phebus or Appollo Delphicus. 70 So whan this Calkas knew by calkulynge, And ek by answer of this Appollo. That Grekes sholden swich a peple brynge Thorugh which that Troie moste ben for-do, He caste anon out of the town to go; 75 ffor wel wiste he by sort that Troye sholde - 2 - Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Book I Destroyed ben — ye, wolde who-so nolde. ffor which forto departen softely Took purpos ful this for-knowynge wise, And to the Grekes oost ful pryuely 80 He stal anon; and they in curteys wise Hym diden bothe worship and seruyce, In trust that he hath konnynge hem to rede In euery peril which that is to drede. The noise vp ros whan it was first aspied 85 Thorugh al the town and generaly was spoken That Calkas traitour fled was and allied With hem of Grece, and casten to be wroken On hym that falsly hadde his feith so broken, And seyden he and al his kyn atones 90 Ben worthi for to brennen, felle and bones Now hadde Calkas left in this meschaunce, Al vnwist of this false and wikked dede, His doughter, which that was in gret penaunce, ffor of hire lif she was ful sore in drede, 95 As she that nyste what was best to rede; ffor bothe a widewe was she and allone Of any frend to whom she dorste hir mone. Criseyde was this lady name al right — As to my doom in al Troies cite 100 Nas non so fair, for passynge euery wight So aungelik was hir natif beaute That lik a thing in-mortal semed she, As doth an heuenyssh perfit creature That down were sent in scornynge of nature. 105 This lady which that alday herd at ere Hire fadres shame, his falsnesse and tresoun, Wel neigh out of hir wit for sorwe and fere, In widewes habet large of samyt broun, On knees she fil biforn Ector adown 110 With pitous vois, and tendrely wepynge, His mercy bad, hir seluen excusynge. Now was this Ector pitous of nature, And saugh that she was sorwfully bigon, And that she was so faire a creature; 115 - 3 - Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Book I Of his goodnesse he gladede hire anon, And seyde, "lat youre fadres treson gon fforth with meschaunce, and ye youre self in ioie Dwelleth with vs, whil yow good list, in Troie. "And al thonour that men may don yow haue, 120 As ferforth as youre fader dwelled here, Ye shul haue, and youre body shal men saue, As fer as I may ought enquere or here." And she hym thonked with ful humble chere, And ofter wolde, and it hadde ben his wille. 125 And took hire leue, and hom, and held hir stille. And in hire hous she abood with swich meyne As til hire honour nede was to holde; And whil she was dwellynge in that cite Kepte hir estat, and both of yonge and olde 130 fful wel biloued, and wel men of hir tolde — But wheither that she children hadde or noon, I rede it naught, ther-fore I late it goon. The thynges fellen as they don of werre Bitwixen hem of Troie and Grekes ofte; 135 ffor som day boughten they of Troie it derre, And eft the Grekes founden no thing softe The folk of Troie; and thus fortune on lofte And vnder eft gan hem to whielen bothe Aftir hir cours, ay whil that thei were wrothe. 140 But how this town com to destruccion Ne falleth naught to purpos me to telle; ffor it were here a long digression ffro my matere and yow to long to dwelle; But the Troian gestes as they felle, 145 In Omer or in Dares or in Dite, Who-so that kan may rede hem as they write. But though that Grekes hem of Troie shetten And hir cite biseged al aboute, Hire olde vsage nolde they nat letten, 150 As for to honour hir goddes ful deuoute; But aldirmost in honour, out of doute, Thei hadde a relik heet Palladion That was hire trist abouen euerichon. - 4 - Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Book I And so bifel whan comen was the tyme 155 Of Aperil, whan clothed is the mede With newe grene, of lusty Veer the pryme, And swote smellen floures white and rede, In sondry wises shewed, as I rede, The folk of Troie hire obseruaunces olde, 160 Palladiones feste forto holde. And to the temple in al hir beste wise In general ther wente many a wight To herknen of Palladion the seruyce; And namely, so many a lusty knyght, 165 So many a lady fressh and mayden bright, fful wel arayed, both moeste, mene, and leste, Ye, bothe for the seson and the feste. Among thise othere folk was Criseyda, In widewes habit blak, but natheles, 170 Right as oure firste lettre is now an A, In beaute first so stood she makeles; Hire goodly lokyng gladed al the prees. Nas neuere yet seyn thyng to ben preysed derre, Nor vnder cloude blak so bright a sterre, 175 As was Criseyde, as folk seyde euerichone, That hir behelden in hir blake wede; And yet she stood ful lowe and stille allone, Byhynden other folk in litel brede, And nei y the dore, ay vndre shames drede, 180 Simple of atire and debonaire of chere, With ful assured lokyng and manere. This Troilus, as he was wont to gide His yonge knyghtes, lad hem vp and down In thilke large temple on euery side, 185 Byholding ay the ladies of the town, Now here, now there, for no deuocioun Hadde he to non to reuen hym his reste, But gan to preise and lakken whom hym leste. And in his walk ful faste he gan to wayten 190 If knyght or squyer of his compaignie Gan forto syke or lete his eighen baiten On any womman that he koude espye; He wolde smyle and holden it folye, - 5 - Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Book I And seye hym thus, "god woot, she slepeth softe 195 ffor loue of the, whan thow turnest ful ofte.
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