The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems Part 100

whence through a hole he joyously watched the arrival of his mistress and her fair niece Antigone, with half a score of her women. After supper Pandaras did everything to amuse his niece; "he sung, he play'd, he told a tale of Wade;" <52> at last she would take her leave; but

The bente Moone with her hornes pale, Saturn, and Jove, in Cancer joined were, <53> That made such a rain from heav'n avail,* *descend That ev'ry manner woman that was there Had of this smoky rain <54> a very fear; At which Pandarus laugh'd, and saide then "Now were it time a lady to go hen!"* *hence

He therefore presses Cressida to remain all night; she complies with a good grace; and after the sleeping cup has gone round, all retire to their chambers -- Cressida, that she may not be disturbed by the rain and thunder, being lodged in the "inner closet" of Pandarus, who, to lull suspicion, occupies the outer chamber, his niece's women sleeping in the intermediate apartment. When all is quiet, Pandarus liberates Troilus, and by a secret pa.s.sage brings him to the chamber of Cressida; then, going forward alone to his niece, after calming her fears of discovery, he tells her that her lover has "through a gutter, by a privy went," [a secret pa.s.sage] come to his house in all this rain, mad with grief because a friend has told him that she loves Horastes. Suddenly cold about her heart, Cressida promises that on the morrow she will rea.s.sure her lover; but Pandarus scouts the notion of delay, laughs to scorn her proposal to send her ring in pledge of her truth, and finally, by pitiable accounts of Troilus' grief, induces her to receive him and rea.s.sure him at once with her own lips.

This Troilus full soon on knees him set, Full soberly, right by her bedde's head, And in his beste wise his lady gret* *greeted But Lord! how she wax'd suddenly all red, And thought anon how that she would be dead; She coulde not one word aright out bring, So suddenly for his sudden coming.

Cressida, though thinking that her servant and her knight should not have doubted her truth, yet sought to remove his jealousy, and offered to submit to any ordeal or oath he might impose; then, weeping, she covered her face, and lay silent. "But now,"

exclaims the poet --

But now help, G.o.d, to quenchen all this sorrow!

So hope I that he shall, for he best may; For I have seen, of a full misty morrow,* *morn Followen oft a merry summer's day, And after winter cometh greene May; Folk see all day, and eke men read in stories, That after sharpe stoures* be victories. *conflicts, struggles

Believing his mistress to be angry, Troilus felt the cramp of death seize on his heart, "and down he fell all suddenly in swoon." Pandarus "into bed him cast," and called on his niece to pull out the thorn that stuck in his heart, by promising that she would "all forgive." She whispered in his ear the a.s.surance that she was not wroth; and at last, under her caresses, he recovered consciousness, to find her arm laid over him, to hear the a.s.surance of her forgiveness, and receive her frequent kisses.

Fresh vows and explanations pa.s.sed; and Cressida implored forgiveness of "her own sweet heart," for the pain she had caused him. Surprised with sudden bliss, Troilus put all in G.o.d's hand, and strained his lady fast in his arms. "What might or may the seely [innocent] larke say, when that the sperhawk [sparrowhawk] hath him in his foot?"

Cressida, which that felt her thus y-take, As write clerkes in their bookes old, Right as an aspen leaf began to quake, When she him felt her in his armes fold; But Troilus, all *whole of cares cold,* *cured of painful sorrows*<55> Gan thanke then the blissful G.o.ddes seven. <56> Thus sundry paines bringe folk to heaven.

This Troilus her gan in armes strain, And said, "O sweet, as ever may I go'n,* *prosper Now be ye caught, now here is but we twain, Now yielde you, for other boot* is none." *remedy To that Cresside answered thus anon, "N' had I ere now, my sweete hearte dear, *Been yolden,* y-wis, I were now not here!" *yielded myself*

O sooth is said, that healed for to be Of a fever, or other great sickness, Men muste drink, as we may often see, Full bitter drink; and for to have gladness Men drinken often pain and great distress!

I mean it here, as for this adventure, That thorough pain hath founden all his cure.

And now sweetnesse seemeth far more sweet, That bitterness a.s.sayed* was beforn; *tasted <57> For out of woe in blisse now they fleet,* *float, swim None such they felte since that they were born; Now is it better than both two were lorn! <58> For love of G.o.d, take ev'ry woman heed To worke thus, if it come to the need!

Cresside, all quit from ev'ry dread and teen,* *pain As she that juste cause had him to trust, Made him such feast,<59> it joy was for to see'n, When she his truth and *intent cleane wist;* *knew the purity And as about a tree, with many a twist, of his purpose*

*Bitrent and writhen* is the sweet woodbind, *plaited and wreathed*

Gan each of them in armes other wind.* *embrace, encircle

And as the *new abashed* nightingale, *newly-arrived and timid*

That stinteth,* first when she beginneth sing, *stops When that she heareth any *herde's tale,* *the talking of a shepherd*

Or in the hedges any wight stirring; And, after, sicker* out her voice doth ring; *confidently Right so Cressida, when *her dreade stent,* *her doubt ceased*

Open'd her heart, and told him her intent.* *mind

And might as he that sees his death y-shapen,* *prepared And dien must, *in aught that he may guess,* *for all he can tell*

And suddenly *rescouse doth him escapen,* *he is rescued and escapes*

And from his death is brought *in sickerness;* *to safety*

For all the world, in such present gladness Was Troilus, and had his lady sweet; With worse hap G.o.d let us never meet!

Her armes small, her straighte back and soft, Her sides longe, fleshly, smooth, and white, He gan to stroke; and good thrift* bade full oft *blessing On her snow-white throat, her breastes round and lite;* *small Thus in this heaven he gan him delight, And therewithal a thousand times her kist, That what to do for joy *unneth he wist.* *he hardly knew*

The lovers exchanged vows, and kisses, and embraces, and speeches of exalted love, and rings; Cressida gave to Troilus a brooch of gold and azure, "in which a ruby set was like a heart;"

and the too short night pa.s.sed.

"When that the c.o.c.k, commune astrologer, <60> Gan on his breast to beat, and after crow, And Lucifer, the daye's messenger, Gan for to rise, and out his beames throw; And eastward rose, to him that could it know, Fortuna Major, <61> then anon Cresseide, With hearte sore, to Troilus thus said:

"My hearte's life, my trust, and my pleasance!

That I was born, alas! that me is woe, That day of us must make disseverance!

For time it is to rise, and hence to go, Or else I am but lost for evermo'.

O Night! alas! why n'ilt thou o'er us hove,* *hover As long as when Alcmena lay by Jove? <62>

"O blacke Night! as folk in bookes read That shapen* art by G.o.d, this world to hide, *appointed At certain times, with thy darke weed,* *robe That under it men might in rest abide, Well oughte beastes plain, and folke chide, That where as Day with labour would us brest,* *burst, overcome There thou right flee'st, and deignest* not us rest.* *grantest

"Thou dost, alas! so shortly thine office,* *duty Thou rakel* Night! that G.o.d, maker of kind, *rash, hasty Thee for thy haste and thine unkinde vice, So fast ay to our hemisphere bind, That never more under the ground thou wind;* *turn, revolve For through thy rakel hieing* out of Troy *hasting Have I forgone* thus hastily my joy!" *lost

This Troilus, that with these wordes felt, As thought him then, for piteous distress, The b.l.o.o.d.y teares from his hearte melt, As he that never yet such heaviness a.s.sayed had out of so great gladness, Gan therewithal Cresside, his lady dear, In armes strain, and said in this mannere:

"O cruel Day! accuser of the joy That Night and Love have stol'n, and *fast y-wrien!* *closely Accursed be thy coming into Troy! concealed*

For ev'ry bow'r* hath one of thy bright eyen: *chamber Envious Day! Why list thee to espyen?

What hast thou lost? Why seekest thou this place?

There G.o.d thy light so quenche, for his grace!

"Alas! what have these lovers thee aguilt?* *offended, sinned against Dispiteous* Day, thine be the pains of h.e.l.l! *cruel, spiteful For many a lover hast thou slain, and wilt; Thy peering in will nowhere let them dwell: What! proff'rest thou thy light here for to sell?

Go sell it them that smalle seales grave!* *cut devices on We will thee not, us needs no day to have."

And eke the Sunne, t.i.tan, gan he chide, And said, "O fool! well may men thee despise!

That hast the Dawning <63> all night thee beside, And suff'rest her so soon up from thee rise, For to disease* us lovers in this wise! *annoy What! hold* thy bed, both thou, and eke thy Morrow! *keep I bidde* G.o.d so give you bothe sorrow!" *pray

The lovers part with many sighs and protestations of unswerving and undying love; Cressida responding to the vows of Troilus with the a.s.surance --

"That first shall Phoebus* falle from his sphere, *the sun And heaven's eagle be the dove's fere, And ev'ry rock out of his place start, Ere Troilus out of Cressida's heart."

When Pandarus visits Troilus in his palace later in the day, he warns him not to mar his bliss by any fault of his own:

"For, of Fortune's sharp adversity, The worste kind of infortune is this, A man to have been in prosperity, And it remember when it pa.s.sed is.<64> Thou art wise enough; forthy,*" do not amiss; *therefore Be not too rakel,* though thou sitte warm; *rash, over-hasty For if thou be, certain it will thee harm.

"Thou art at ease, and hold thee well therein; For, all so sure as red is ev'ry fire, As great a craft is to keep weal as win; <65> Bridle alway thy speech and thy desire, For worldly joy holds not but by a wire; That proveth well, it breaks all day so oft, Forthy need is to worke with it soft."

Troilus sedulously observes the counsel; and the lovers have many renewals of their pleasure, and of their bitter chidings of the Day. The effects of love on Troilus are altogether refining and enn.o.bling; as may be inferred from the song which he sung often to Pandarus:

The Second Song of Troilus.

"Love, that of Earth and Sea hath governance!

Love, that his hestes* hath in Heaven high! *commandments Love, that with a right wholesome alliance Holds people joined, as him list them guy!* *guide Love, that knitteth law and company, And couples doth in virtue for to dwell, Bind this accord, that I have told, and tell!

"That the worlde, with faith which that is stable, Diverseth so, his *stoundes according;* *according to its seasons*

That elementes, that be discordable,* *discordant Holden a bond perpetually during; That Phoebus may his rosy day forth bring; And that the Moon hath lords.h.i.+p o'er the night; -- All this doth Love, ay heried* be his might! *praised

"That the sea, which that greedy is to flowen, Constraineth to a certain ende* so *limit His floodes, that so fiercely they not growen To drenchen* earth and all for evermo'; *drown And if that Love aught let his bridle go, All that now loves asunder shoulde leap, And lost were all that Love holds now *to heap.* *together <66>*

"So woulde G.o.d, that author is of kind, That with his bond Love of his virtue list To cherish heartes, and all fast to bind, That from his bond no wight the way out wist!

And heartes cold, them would I that he twist,* *turned To make them love; and that him list ay rue* *have pity On heartes sore, and keep them that be true."

But Troilus' love had higher fruits than singing:

In alle needes for the towne's werre* *war He was, and ay the first in armes dight,* *equipped, prepared And certainly, but if that bookes err, Save Hector, most y-dread* of any wight; *dreaded And this increase of hardiness* and might *courage Came him of love, his lady's grace to win, That altered his spirit so within.

In time of truce, a-hawking would he ride, Or elles hunt the boare, bear, lioun; The smalle beastes let he go beside;<67> And when he came riding into the town, Full oft his lady, from her window down, As fresh as falcon coming out of mew,* *cage <68> Full ready was him goodly to salue.* *salute