| Tho wesshen they, and sette hem doun and ete; |
| 1185 | And after noon ful sleyly Pandarus |
| Gan drawe him to the window next the strete, |
| And seyde, `Nece, who hath arayed thus |
| The yonder hous, that stant afor-yeyn us?' |
| `Which hous?' quod she, and gan for to biholde, |
| 1190 | And knew it wel, and whos it was him tolde, |
| And fillen forth in speche of thinges smale, |
| And seten in the window bothe tweye. |
| Whan Pandarus saw tyme unto his tale, |
| And saw wel that hir folk were alle aweye, |
| 1195 | `Now, nece myn, tel on,' quod he; `I seye, |
| How liketh yow the lettre that ye woot? |
| Can he theron? For, by my trouthe, I noot.' |
| Therwith al rosy hewed tho wex she, |
| And gan to humme, and seyde, `So I trowe.' |
| 1200 | `Aquyte him wel, for goddes love,' quod he; |
| `Myself to medes wol the lettre sowe.' |
| And held his hondes up, and sat on knowe, |
| `Now, goode nece, be it never so lyte, |
| Yif me the labour, it to sowe and plyte.' |
| 1205 | `Ye, for I can so wryte,' quod she tho; |
| `And eek I noot what I sholde to him seye.' |
| `Nay, nece,' quod Pandare, `sey nat so; |
| Yet at the leste thanketh him, I preye, |
| Of his good wil, and doth him not to deye. |
| 1210 | Now for the love of me, my nece dere, |
| Refuseth not at this tyme my preyere.' |
| `Depardieux,' quod she, `God leve al be wel! |
| God help me so, this is the firste lettre |
| That ever I wroot, ye, al or any del.' |
| 1215 | And in-to a closet, for to avyse hir bettre, |
| She wente allone, and gan hir herte unfettre |
| Out of disdaynes prison but a lyte; |
| And sette hir doun, and gan a lettre wryte, |
| Of which to telle in short is myn entente |
| 1220 | The effect, as fer as I can understonde. |
| She thonked him of al that he wel mente |
| Towardes hir, but holden him in honde |
| She nolde nought, ne make hirselven bonde |
| In love, but as his suster, him to plese, |
| 1225 | She wolde fayn to doon his herte an ese. |
| She shette it, and to Pandarus in gan goon, |
| There as he sat and loked into the strete, |
| And doun she sette hir by him on a stoon |
| Of jaspre, upon a quisshin gold ybete, |
| 1230 | And seyde, `As wisly helpe me God the grete, |
| I never dide a thing with more peyne |
| Than write this, to which ye me constreyne;' |
| And took it him: He thonked hir and seyde, |
| `God woot, of thing ful ofte looth bigonne |
| 1235 | Cometh ende good; and nece myn, Criseyde, |
| That ye to him of hard now ben y-wonne |
| Oughte he be glad, by God and yonder sonne! |
| For-why men seyth, "Impressiounes lighte |
| Ful lightly been ay redy to the flighte.' |
| 1240 | `But ye han pleyed tyraunt neigh to longe, |
| And hard was it your herte for to grave; |
| Now stint, that ye no longer on it honge, |
| Al wolde ye the forme of daunger save. |
| But hasteth yow to doon him joye have; |
| 1245 | For trusteth wel, to longe ydoon hardnesse |
| Causeth despyt ful ofte, for destresse.' |
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