Troilus, Book III, lines 1555-82
Context: Troilus, a Trojan knight and son of King Priam, loves Criseyde, a lovely and independent-minded young widow. Her uncle, Pandarus (also "Pandare" in Middle English) has helped his young friend, Troilus, to win the heart of his neice, Criseyde. In Book I, Troilus falls in love and begins to court Criseyde. In Book II, Criseyde accepts his love, first as a brother and friend. After Pandarus tricks her into meeting Troilus in private, when Troilus was supposedly sick, she agrees to love him on the condition that her honor will be preserved. In Book III, Criseyde agrees to a dinner party at Pandarus' home believing that Troilus will not be there. When a sudden rainstorm forces her to sleep in a guest chamber, Pandarus produces Troilus and winds up hurling the unconscious knight into her bed when Troilus faints. Pandarus retires to the chimney-side to read an old romance while Troilus and Criseyde speak intimately and (the text is fairly explicit) make love. In the morning, Troilus and Criseyde sing a dawn-song lamenting that he must leave, and he goes. Then . .
[The letter "yough," which looks like 3, is pronounced like a "y" at the start of words and like "gh" in the middle.]
1555: Pandare, o-morwe which that comen was
1556: Unto his Nece and gan hire faire grete,
1557: Seyde, "al this nyght so reyned it, allas,
1558: That al my drede is that 3e, Nece swete,
1559: Han litel laiser had to slepe and mete;
1560: Al nyght," quod he, "hath reyn so do me wake,
1561: That som of vs, I trowe, hire hedes ake."
1562: And ner he com and seyde, "how stant it now
1563: This mury morwe, Nece, how kan 3e fare?"
1564: Criseyde answerde, "neuere the bet for 3ow,
1565: ffox that 3e ben, god 3eue 3oure herte kare!
1566: God help me so, 3e caused al this fare,
1567: Trowe I," quod she; "for al 3oure wordes white,
1568: O, who-so seeth 3ow, knoweth 3ow ful lite."
1569: With that she gan hire face forto wrye
1570: With the shete, and wax for shame al reede;
1571: And Pandarus gan vnder forto prie,
1572: And seyde, "Nece, if that I shal be dede,
1573: Haue here a swerd and smyteth of myn hede."
1574: With that his arm al sodeynly he thriste
1575: Under hire nekke and at the laste hire kyste.
1576: [I passe al that which chargeth nought to seye --
1577: What! god for-yaf his deth, and she al-so
1578: ffor-yaf, and with here vncle gan to pleye,
1579: ffor other cause was ther noon than so.
1580: But of this thing right to the effect to go,
1581: Whan tyme was, hom to here hous she wente,
1582: And Pandarus hath fully his entente.]