On which he rode apace full softely.
But such a knightly sightè, truely,
As was on him it was withouten fail
To look on Mars that god is of batail.

So like a man of armes and a knight
He was to seen; fulfilled of high prowess;
For both he had a body and a might
To done that thing, as well as hardiness.
And eke to seen him in his geare1 dress,
So fresh, so young, so wieldy seemèd he,
It was an heaven upon him for to see.2

His helm to-hewen3 was in twenty places,
That by a tissue hong his back behind ;

His shield to-dashed with swordès and with maces,
In which men mighte many an arrow find

That thirled had both horn, and nerf,5 and rind.
And aye the people cried, "Here cometh our joy,
And, next his brother, holder up of Troy !"

For which he waxt a little red for shame
When he so heard the people upon him crien ;
That to behold it was a noble game
How soberly he cast adown his eyen.
Creseid anon gan all his chere espien,
And let it so soft in her heartè sink

That to herself she said, “Who gave me drink?"

For all her ownè thought she wox all red,
Remembering her right thus, "Lo! this is he
Which that mine uncle sweareth he mote dead?
But I on him have mercy and pity."
And with that thought for purè shame she
Gan in her head to pull, and that as fast,
While he and all the people forth-by passed.

1 War.

5 Sinew.

9 Began.

THE PARTING OF TROILUS AND CRESEIDE.

Approachen gan9 the fatal destiny
That Jove hath in disposition,

And to you, angry Parcas,10 sistren11 three,
Committeth to done12 execution:

For which1 Creseidè must out of the town,
And Troilus shall dwell henceforth in pine,2
Till Lachesis his thread no longer twine.

The golden-tressèd Phoebus high on loft
Thrice haddè allè with his beamès clear
The snowès molt,3 and Zephyrus as oft
Y-brought again the tender leavès green,
Since that the son of Hecuba the queen
Began to love her first, for whom his sorrow
Was all that she departè should a-morrow.

Full ready was at primè Diomede

Creseid unto the Greekès' host to lead;

For sorrow of which she felt her heartè bleed,
As she that wist ne what was best to rede.1

And truely, as men in bookès read,
Men wistè never woman had the care,5
Ne was so loth out of a town to fare.6

This Troilus withouten rede or lore,7
As man that hath his joyes eke forlore,8
Was waiting on his lady evermore,

As she that was soothfast, and crop10 and more
Of all his lust or joyès heretofore.

But, Troilus, now farewell all thy joy;

For thou shalt never see her eft in Troy! . .

Creseidè, when she ready was to ride,
Full sorrowfully she sighed, and said "Alas!"
But forth she mote for aught that may betide;
And forth she rode full sorrowfully apace.
There is no other remedy in this case.
What wonder is though that her sorè smart
When one forgoeth her own sweetè heart!

This Troilus, in guise of courtesy,
With hawk on hand, and with an huge rout
Of knightès, rode and did her company ;12
Passing all the valley far without;
And farther would have ridden, out of doubt,
Full fain;13 and wo was him to gone so soon;
But turn he must, and it was eke to done.14

1 In accordance with which destiny.

4 Advise.

8 Lost utterly.

5 So much care.
9 Truthful.

2 In woe. 3 Melted.

6 To. go.

10 Root.

...

7 Quite beside himself, 11 After this day.

And therewithal he must his leavè take;
And cast his eye upon her pitously,
And near he rode, his causè1 for to make,
To take her by the hand all soberly;
And, Lord, so gan she weepen2 tenderly!
And he full soft and slyly gan her sey3

"Now, hold your day, and do me not to die." . . .

With that his courser turnèd he about,
With face all pale; and unto Diomede
No word he spake, ne none of all his rout:
Of which the son of Tydeus took heed,—
As he that couthè® more than the creed
In such a craft,—and by the rein her hent ;8
And Troilus to Troyè homewards went.

A NEW SORROW.

On morrow, as soon as day began to clear,
This Troilus gan of his sleep abraid,
And to Pandarus, his own brother dear,
"For love of God," full pitously he said,
"As9 go we seen the palace of Creseid;
For, since we yet may have no morè feast,
So let us seen her palace at the least!"

And therewithal, his meinie for to blend,10
A cause he found in townè for to go,
And to Creseidè's housè they gan wend;
But, Lord, this sely11 Troilus was wo!
Him thought his sorrowful heartè brast atwo;12
For, when he saw her doorès sparrèd13 all,
Well nigh for sorrow adown he gan to fall.

Therewith, when he was ware, and gan behold
How shut was every window of the place,
As frost him thought his heartè gan to cold;
For which, with changed deadly palè face,
Withouten word he forth-by gan to pace,
And, as God would, he gan so faste ride
That no wight of his countenance espied.

4 Day of return agreed upon 7 A business. 10 To blind his attendants.

6 Knew.

2 To weep.

9 Quickly.

1 Formerly. 5 Guide.

Then said he thus: "O palace desolate,
O house of houses, whilom1 best y-hight,2
O palace, empty and disconsolate,

O thou lantern of which queint3 is the light,
O palace, whilom day that now art night,
Well oughtest thou to fall, and I to die,
Since she is went that wont was us to gie !5

“O palace, whilom crown of houses all,
Enluminèd with sun of allè bliss!

O ring of which the ruby is out-fall!

6

O cause of wo that cause hast been of bliss!
Yet, since I may no bet, fain would I kiss
Thy coldè doorès,-durst I for this rout ;7
And farewell shrine of which the saint is out!"

Therewith he cast on Pandarus his eye,
With changed face and pitous to behold;
And, when he might his time aright aspie,
Aye as he rode to Pandarus he told
His newè sorrow, and eke his joyès old,
So pitously and with so dead an hue
That every wight might on his sorrow rue.

Fro thennesforth he rideth up and down,
And everything came him to remembrance
As he rode forth by places of the town
In which he whilom had all his pleasance.
"Lo, yonder saw I mine own lady dance;
And in that temple with her eyen clear
Me caughtè first mine own right lady dear.

"And yonder have I heard full lustily
My dearè heartè laugh; and yonder play
Saw I her onès eke full blissfully;
And yonder onès to me gan she say:
'Now, good sweet, loveth me well, I pray !'
And yond so goodly gan she me behold
That to the death mine heart is to her hold.10

And at the corner, in the yonder house,
Heard I mine alderlevesti1 lady dear,
So womanly, with voice melodious,

2 Called.

6 Better.

3 Extinguished.

7 Rabble.

4 Gone.

8 Once.

1 Sound.

5 Ready.

Singen so well, so goodly, and so clear,
That in my soul yet me thinketh I hear
The blissful soun;1 and in that yonder place
My lady first me took unto her grace."

FROM THE ASSEMBLY OF FOWLS.

ST. VALENTINE'S DAY.

When I was come again into the place
That I of spake, that was so sweet and green,
Forth walked I then myselven to solace.
Then was I ware where that there sate a queen
That, as of light the summer sonnè sheen
Passeth the star, right so over measure
She fairer was than any creature.

And in a land,3 upon an hill of flowers,
Was set this noble goddess of Nature;
Of branches were her hallès and her bowers
Y-wrought, after her craft and her measure.
Never was fowl that cometh of engendure1
That they ne were all prest in her presence,
To take their doom and give her audience.

For this was on Saint Valentinès day,
When every bird cometh to choose his make,
Of every kindè that men thinkè may,
And that so huge a noisè gan they make
That earth, and tree, and sea, and every lake,
So full was that unnethè? there was space
For me to stand: so full was all the place.

And right as Aleyn, in the Plaint of Kind,
Deviseth Nature in array and face,
In such array men mightè her there find.
This noble emperessè full of grace
Bade every fowl to take his owen place,
As they were wont alway from year to year,
Saint Valentinès day, to standè there.

That is to say, the fowlès of ravine9

Were highest set; and then the fowlès small,
That eaten as that nature wold encline

6 Mate.

4 Generation.

7 Scarcely.

8 Aleyn, a twelfth-century writer, author of a Latin poem, the title of which is