|
![]() © Librarius All rights reserved. |
| Out of these blake wawes for to sayle, | |
| O wind, O wind, the weder ginneth clere; | |
| For in this see the boot hath swich travayle, | |
| Of my conning, that unnethe I it stere: | |
| 5 | This see clepe I the tempestous matere |
| Of desespeir that Troilus was inne: | |
| But now of hope the calendes biginne. |
| O lady myn, that called art Cleo, | |
| Thou be my speed fro this forth, and my muse, | |
| 10 | To ryme wel this book, til I have do; |
| Me nedeth here noon other art to use. | |
| Forwhy to every lovere I me excuse, | |
| That of no sentement I this endite, | |
| But out of Latin in my tonge it write. |
| 15 | Wherfore I nil have neither thank ne blame |
| Of al this werk, but prey yow mekely, | |
| Disblameth me if any word be lame, | |
| For as myn auctor seyde, so seye I. | |
| Eek though I speke of love unfelingly, | |
| 20 | No wondre is, for it nothing of newe is; |
| A blind man can nat juggen wel in hewis. |
| Ye knowe eek, that in forme of speche is chaunge | |
| With-inne a thousand yeer, and wordes tho | |
| That hadden prys, now wonder nyce and straunge | |
| 25 | Us thinketh hem; and yet they spake hem so, |
| And spedde as wel in love as men now do; | |
| Eek for to winne love in sondry ages, | |
| In sondry londes, sondry ben usages. |
| And forthy if it happe in any wyse, | |
| 30 | That here be any lovere in this place |
| That herkneth, as the storie wol devyse, | |
| How Troilus com to his lady grace, | |
| And thenketh, so nolde I nat love purchace, | |
| Or wondreth on his speche or his doinge, | |
| 35 | I noot; but it is me no wonderinge; |
| For every wight which that to Rome went, | |
| Halt nat o path, or alwey o manere; | |
| Eek in som lond were al the gamen shent, | |
| If that they ferde in love as men don here, | |
| 40 | As thus, in open doing or in chere, |
| In visitinge, in forme, or seyde hire sawes; | |
| Forthy men seyn, ech contree hath his lawes. |
| Eek scarsly been ther in this place three | |
| That han in love seid lyk and doon in al; | |
| 45 | For to thy purpos this may lyken thee, |
| And thee right nought, yet al is seyd or shal; | |
| Eek som men grave in tree, som in stoon wal, | |
| As it bitit; but syn I have begonne, | |
| Myn auctor shal I folwen, if I conne. |
| Next: From Troilus and Criseyde, Book II, lines 50-77: Pandarus goes to his niece Criseyde |