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For that is doon is not to come!
I have more sorowe than Tantale. '
And whan I herde him telle this tale 710
Thus pitously, as I yow telle,
Unnethe mighte I lenger dwelle,
Hit dide myn herte so moche wo.
'A! good sir! ' quod I, 'say not so!
Have som pite on your nature 715
That formed yow to creature,
Remembre yow of Socrates;
For he ne counted nat three strees
Of noght that Fortune coude do. '
'No,' quod he, 'I can not so. ' 720
'Why so? good sir! parde! ' quod I;
Ne say noght so, for trewely,
Thogh ye had lost the ferses twelve,
And ye for sorwe mordred your-selve,
Ye sholde be dampned in this cas 725
By as good right as Medea was,
That slow hir children for Iason;
And Phyllis als for Demophon
Heng hir-self, so weylaway!
For he had broke his terme-day 730
To come to hir. Another rage
Had Dydo, quene eek of Cartage,
That slow hir-self, for Eneas
Was fals; [a! ] whiche a fool she was!
And Ecquo dyed for Narcisus 735
Nolde nat love hir; and right thus
Hath many another foly don.
And for Dalida dyed Sampson,
That slow him-self with a pilere.
But ther is [noon] a-lyve here 740
Wolde for a fers make this wo! '
'Why so? ' quod he; 'hit is nat so;
Thou wost ful litel what thou menest;
I have lost more than thou wenest. '
'Lo, [sir,] how may that be? ' quod I; 745
Good sir, tel me al hoolly
In what wyse, how, why, and wherfore
That ye have thus your blisse lore. '
'Blythly,' quod he, 'com sit adoun;
I telle thee up condicioun 750
That thou hoolly, with al thy wit,
Do thyn entent to herkene hit. '
Yis, sir. ' 'Swere thy trouthe ther-to. '
Gladly. ' 'Do than holde her-to! '
'I shal right blythly, so god me save, 755
Hoolly, with al the witte I have,
Here yow, as wel as I can. '
'A goddes half! ' quod he, and began:--
Sir,' quod he, 'sith first I couthe
Have any maner wit fro youthe, 760
Or kyndely understonding
To comprehende, in any thing,
What love was, in myn owne wit,
Dredeles, I have ever yit
Be tributary, and yiven rente 765
To love hoolly with goode entente,
And through plesaunce become his thral,
With good wil, body, herte, and al.
Al this I putte in his servage,
As to my lorde, and dide homage; 770
And ful devoutly prayde him to,
He shulde besette myn herte so,
That it plesaunce to him were,
And worship to my lady dere.