| 
 |  © Librarius All rights reserved. | 
| Whan they unto the paleys were ycomen | |
| Of Troilus, they doun of hors alighte, | |
| And to the chambre hir wey than han they nomen. | |
| 515 | And into tyme that it gan to nighte, | 
| They spaken of Criseyde the brighte. | |
| And after this, whan that hem bothe leste, | |
| They spedde hem fro the soper un-to reste. | 
| On morwe, as sone as day bigan to clere, | |
| 520 | This Troilus gan of his sleep tabrayde, | 
| And to Pandare, his owene brother dere, | |
| `For love of God,' ful pitously he seyde, | |
| `As go we seen the paleys of Criseyde; | |
| For syn we yet may have namore feste, | |
| 525 | So lat us seen hir paleys at the leste.' | 
| And therwithal, his meyne for to blende, | |
| A cause he fond in toune for to go, | |
| And to Criseydes hous they gonnen wende. | |
| But lord! This sely Troilus was wo! | |
| 530 | Him thoughte his sorweful herte braste atwo. | 
| For whan he saugh hir dores sperred alle, | |
| Wel neigh for sorwe a-doun he gan to falle. | 
| Therwith, whan he was war and gan biholde | |
| How shet was every windowe of the place, | |
| 535 | As frost, him thoughte, his herte gan to colde; | 
| For which with chaunged deedlich pale face, | |
| Withouten word, he forth bigan to pace; | |
| And, as God wolde, he gan so faste ryde, | |
| That no wight of his contenance aspyde. | 
| 540 | Than seyde he thus; `O paleys desolat, | 
| O hous, of houses whylom best y-hight, | |
| O paleys empty and disconsolat, | |
| O thou lanterne, of which queynt is the light, | |
| O paleys, whylom day, that now art night, | |
| 545 | Wel oughtestow to falle, and I to dye, | 
| Syn she is went that wont was us to gye! | 
| `O paleys, whylom croune of houses alle, | |
| Enlumined with sonne of alle blisse! | |
| O ring, fro which the ruby is out falle, | |
| 550 | O cause of wo, that cause hast been of lisse! | 
| Yet, syn I may no bet, fayn wolde I kisse | |
| Thy colde dores, dorste I for this route; | |
| And fare-wel shryne, of which the seynt is oute!' | 
| Ther-with he caste on Pandarus his ye | |
| 555 | With chaunged face, and pitous to biholde; | 
| And whan he mighte his tyme aright aspye, | |
| Ay as he rood, to Pandarus he tolde | |
| His newe sorwe, and eek his joyes olde, | |
| So pitously and with so dede an hewe, | |
| 560 | That every wight mighte on his sorwe rewe. | 
| Fro thennesforth he rydeth up and doun, | |
| And every thing com him to remembraunce | |
| As he rood forbi places of the toun | |
| In whiche he whylom hadde al his plesaunce. | |
| 565 | `Lo, yond saugh I myn owene lady daunce; | 
| And in that temple, with hir eyen clere, | |
| Me coughte first my righte lady dere. | 
| `And yonder have I herd ful lustily | |
| My dere herte laugh, and yonder pleye | |
| 570 | Saugh I hir ones eek ful blisfully. | 
| And yonder ones to me gan she seye, | |
| "Now goode swete, love me wel, I preye." | |
| And yond so goodly gan she me biholde, | |
| That to the deeth myn herte is to hir holde. | 
| 575 | `And at that corner, in the yonder hous, | 
| Herde I myn alderlevest lady dere | |
| So wommanly, with voys melodious, | |
| Singen so wel, so goodly, and so clere, | |
| That in my soule yet me thinketh I here | |
| 580 | The blisful soun; and, in that yonder place, | 
| My lady first me took unto hir grace.' | 
| Thanne thoughte he thus, `O blisful lord Cupyde, | |
| Whanne I the proces have in my memorie, | |
| How thou me hast werreyed on every syde, | |
| 585 | Men might a book make of it, lyk a storie. | 
| What nede is thee to seke on me victorie, | |
| Syn I am thyn, and hoolly at thy wille? | |
| What joye hastow thyn owene folk to spille? | 
| `Wel hastow, lord, y-wroke on me thyn ire, | |
| 590 | Thou mighty God, and dredful for to greve! | 
| Now mercy, lord, thou wost wel I desire | |
| Thy grace most, of alle lustes leve, | |
| And live and deye I wol in thy bileve, | |
| For which I naxe in guerdon but a bone, | |
| 595 | That thou Criseyde ayein me sende sone. | 
| `Distreyne hir herte as faste to retorne | |
| As thou dost myn to longen hir to see; | |
| Than woot I wel, that she nil nought sojourne. | |
| Now, blisful lord, so cruel thou ne be | |
| 600 | Unto the blood of Troye, I preye thee, | 
| As Juno was unto the blood Thebane, | |
| For which the folk of Thebes caughte hir bane.' | 
|  | Next: From Troilus and Criseyde, Book V, lines 603-686: Troilus continues his mourning |  |