the quene Appollo fyrst and Dyane the shene Ychilded hath by Iubyter her lorde Whan he and Iuno were at suche discorde As wryte Ouyde for a lyttell whyle And so befell that in this lyttell yle There was a temple whylom dedicate Vnto Appollo and also consecrate In his worshyp of olde foundacion That was honoured by great deuocion Bycause Appollo with his beames cleare After the floud fyrst there dyd appere To shewe his hornes rather there and soone And eke Dyane that called is the moone Of whiche shewyng this yle bereth the name Into this day that is of so great fame Onely be apperyng of this ylke twayne For Delos is in greke no more to sayne Than a shewyng or an apparence And thus began the great reuerence To Appollo fyrst and the honor eke To hym ydone of so many greke And to his syster that called is Dyane The pale moone that can so waxe and wane And called is of Paynems a goddesse That whylom was in wod an hunteresse And this lady with the sonne her brother Of this yle hath lordshyp and none other Only for they at their natiuitie Shewed their lyght fyrst in that countrey The whyche I le grekes also calle Ortygya in their language all Bycause Curlewes were there fyrste yseyne For Otygyas is no more to seyne Than a Curlewe in Grewe I vnderstande For they were fyrst ingendred in that lande ¶ And Appollo is called eke Tytan That in his tyme so moche worshyp wan Longe afore or he was made a sterre With Iubiter whan that he helde werre And he also ycalled is Phebus And of some ynamed is Phyteus For of Phyton he had the victorye When he hym slâ—we to his great glorye The great serpent here in erthe alowe With his arowes and his mighty bowe Of whiche conqueste the great god Cupyde Hadde enuye and euen through the syde He wounded hym depe to the herte With y e arowe of gold y t made him sore smerte And of Phyton that Phebus made thus fine Came Phetonysses that can so deuyne I meane women that be deuyneresses Through dead men these false sorceresses As one whylom reysed Samuel For loue of Saule the byble can you tell And in his temple large longe and olde There was a statue all of pured golde Full great and hyghe and of huge weyght And therin was through the deuylles sleyght A spyryte vnclene by false illusyon That gaue answere to euery questyon Not the ydoll dombe as stocke or stone And thus the people deceyued euerychone Were by the fende brought in great errour To do worshyppe and suche false honour With sacryfyce and cursed mawmentrye And in this wyse began ydolatrye As in this place to telle I me caste And eke how longe it abode and syth laste Compendiously I purpose to descryue Gynnyng and ende as ye shall here blyue Withouten any ambyguytee For at the byrth and natiuitie Of chryste Ihesu his incarnaciowne All the ydolles braste fell adowne And vanyshed and were brought to nought Whan Herodes the blesfull chylde sought Through his malis and crueltye horryble As holy wryte recordeth and the byble For whiche pursuite and persecucion There dyd appere tho by auisyon An holly aungell to Ioseph as he slepe And bad hym ryse and also take kepe Vnto the chylde and also to Marye And go his waye or Herode hym aspye Into Egypt the great regyon Lyke as the gospell maketh mencyon And ryght anone as he came to that lande There was none ydol y t vpright might stand But to shyuered vnto pieces small This holy wrytte plainly and no tale And was recorded fyrst of Esaye How that our lorde on an easy skaye Ascende shulde and holde forthe his weye Towarde Egipt and therwithall shuld deye All mawmentrye and no longer dwell ¶ But as the Iewes recorde of Ismael That he was fyrst y t mawmentrye hath fond And made of claye an ydoll with his honde ¶ And as Paynems write and tellen vs That alder fyrst as Prometheus That founde ydolles shortly to conclude For symulacrum cometh of symylytude That is nothyng playnly but lykenesse Made after man his ymage to expresse Vnto whiche paynems in their guyse With false honour and cursed sacryfyse Begon fyrst this ryte for drede of man And some saye how Belus fyrst began Suche false worshyp and such mawmentrye In their bokes as clerkes specyfye ¶ That of Assiry was lord and gouernour After whose deth his sonne is in honour ¶ That Nynus hyght an ymage did do make To be worshypped only for his sake All of brent golde by false effection And sette it vp for consolacion And for amynde and a memoryall Vnto the whiche with herte wyll and aâ—l Of ignoraunce and of fleshely loue He dyd honour as to god aboue In his temples most of excellence And made his people to do reuerence And sayde in heauen he masdefyed That of no man it durste be denyed Tyll after soone but a lyttell whyle A wycked spyryte folkes to begyle In this ydoll entred to abyde And gaue answere vpon euery syde To the people of what them lyst demaunde And they agayne what he wyll coÌ„maunde Obey fully the folke of all Assyrye Whiche vnto god did great iniurye Makyng the people in suche errour fall And some Belus and some Bell him call And some Balym and some Belphegore And felle in errour alway more and more And Belzebub he named was also Whiche name is made of these wordes two Of Bel and zebub that thus syngnyfye For Bell is God and zebub is a flye Than Belzebub togyther specyfyes Ioyned in one the great god of flyes And of this fayned false ydolatrye Gan all the worlde worshyp mawmentrye ¶ For some Saturne god of goddes all Gan in their errour falsely for to call That whylom was the myghty king of Crete And gaue hym name after the planete That in heauen hath so large a sphere And as Poetes in their fables lere That he before through his sapyence Sawe in his diuine prouydence Howe a sonne shulde of hym descende ¶ And of Iuno the goddes as he wende That shuld him plainly fro his reigne expell And suffer hym no lenger for to dwell In his kyngdome whan he came to age Wherof Saturne fyll in suche rage That he wyll shape remedye therfore Byddyng his wyfe when y e childe were bore That she to hym shulde it brynge anone In stede wherof to him she brought a stone To saue her childe she dyd her busynesse And this Saturne through his gredinesse The stone deuoureth in his melancolye And this Saturne but if bookes lye Had sonnes thre a doughter and no mo ¶ Iubiter Neptunus and Pluto But Iubiter greatest was of name Moste renowmed and worthyest of fame Amonge Paynems as it is veryfyed For they so hyghe haue hym magnifyed That they hym call god of fyre and eyre Next to Saturne borne for to be heyre ¶ And next to hym in bookes as I rede Is god of batayle myghty Mars
abide afore their face For in the felde in any wise stande For they them dryue to the selfe stronde Downe to the clyffe of the salte see And slewe of them so huge and great plentee That fynally they had all be dystroyed For euermore and vtterly acloyed ¶ Ne had Dyomede stande tho at diffence And of knighthod made theim resistence For he that daye in partye and in all For Grekes stode as a sturdy wall And was alone their helpe and chefe succour ¶ But for all that with worshyp and honour Pantasilla as made is memorye Repeyred is with conquest and victorye Wyth all her women into Troye towne Vpon the houre of Phebus goyng downe ¶ And by the syde of this hardy quene ¶ Armed in stele rode kynge Phylomene Whom Pryam hath wyth great reuerence Knightly receyued and did his diligence Theim to refreshe with euery maner thinge That might be vnto theyr lykinge And as theyr hertes could best deuyse ¶ And after this in ful goodly wyse He thanked hath the noble hardy quene Of her goodnesse that her lyst to sene To helpe him in his great nede And offred her in Guydo as I reade All that he hath treasour and rychesse Hopynge fully through her worthinesse Vpon Grekes auenged for to be And for to kepe hym safe in his Cyte Maugre Grekes whych of theim saye naye ¶ For as I reade after daye by daye She slinte not proudly theim to assayle Agayne whose swerde they myght not auayl So mortally she made theyr sydes blede ¶ Tyll Menelay fro kinge Lycomede Repeyred is with Neptolonyus Which in his bokes called eke Pirrhus Whylom the sonne of cruell Achillles Whom for to se full huge was the prese Of the Grekes goynge enuyron ¶ And for he was as by successyon ¶ Borne to be heyre of this Achilles He hath receyued of Myrmydones With great honour and great solempnyte So glad were they theyr yonge lorde to se To whom echone they made affiaunce And were eke sworne by bonde assuraunce For lyfe or deathe to him to be trewe And his lieges and chaunge for no newe To obeye his lust in all maner thynge ¶ And after this Agamenon the kinge Made him knight and Thelamonius Wyth a swerde gyrte anone Pirrhus Sayinge to him in the selfe place With y t baudrik when he hym did enbrace ¶ Take hede quod he mine owne cosin deare To resemble in manhode and in chere In knighthod eke and in worthinesse To thy father which in sothfastnesse In his tyme was so noble a knight And ouermore with all thy full might To auenge his death that thou do thy payne ¶ And theÌ„ of grekes worthy Dukes twayne Full humbly began downe to knele And set a sporre vpon eyther hele As was the maner of golde bourned bryght And in this whyle Pirrhus is made knighte As ye haue herde in full high presence With great honour and due reuerence Lyke the custome of the Grekes layes And the rytes vsed in tho dayes And then anone hath kyng Agamenon With full glad chere and great affection Delyuered hym fully by sentence The armes hole without difference Which Achilles by his life bare His worthy father on his shoulders square As for nexte heyre of lyne by discente And all his Treasour also and his Tente Armure and all deliuered were anone Vnto Pirrhus and Grekes euerychone Eyght dayes suynge by and by Through out the hoste full solempnely They halowe in honour of this yong knyght â–ª Til on a morow wheÌ„ Phebê° shone ful bright Which with his lyght that shineth fro so fer Diffaced hath the streames of the sterre Lucifer the dayes messagere When Grekes gan in plates bryght clere Enarmed them that daye soure and swete Fulle in purpose wyth theyr fone to mete And manfully out of theyr tentes wide Agaynst Troyans they began to ride Warde after warde proudly into felde And Pirrhus bare that daye vpon his shelde His fathers armes lyke as sayth Guydo And of the same he had vpon also A cote armure that became hym wele And forth he rode armed bright in stele And casually formest as he was He mette fyrst wyth Pollydamas A knyght of Troye a full manly man ¶ And furyously Pirrhus to him ran On horsebacke with a myghty swerde And gan to hurtle with him in the berde So myghtely that in this hatefull stryfe ¶ Pollydamas had lost his lyfe Ne had ben reskued without more taryinge Of Phylomene the noble worthy kinge Onely of knighthod and of worthynesse ¶ To whom Pirrhus hastely gan him dresse With his swerde and smit him in the syghte That from his horse he made him to alighte For he the stroke might not sustene And sothfastly this worthy Phylomene Of Pirrhus had ytake be anone Saue his knightes assembled into one Of Pafflagonye came him to reskue But Pirrhus aye so fyersly gan pursewe Vpon this king with Myrmydones Beset in myschefe amonge the great prese That many knight of this noble kynge Yslayne was at his reskuynge He stode of death in so streyght a case ¶ Tyl of fortune came Pollydamas To his reskuse and did his full myght Him to delyuer and quyte him lyke a knight But in sothenesse there was suche resystence ¶ Of Pirrhus knightes standing at diffence That aye in mischyef stode king Philomene ¶ Tyll Pantasilla of femenie the quene With her women a great companye Gan this thinge of auenture espye Which were echone for the more delyte On theyr armure that daye clad in white That veryly there was no lylye floure Nor snowe y t flaketh froÌ„ Iubyters his towre Of whytenesse that is fresher on to sene Then in felde was this hardy quene Which firste of all amonge the Grekes chees Proudly to fall on Myrmydones Amonges them rydinge vp and downe She theÌ„ vnhorseth through her hie renowne And slewe them vpon euery syde Makinge theyr renges for to seuer wyde Tyll Thelamon in a furyous heate With a spere vnwarely did her mete And in a rage smote her to the playne But she anone ful lyfely rose agayne ¶ And w t her swerd so marketh Thelamown That froÌ„ his horse she made him light downe Plat to the grounde on his handes twayne And then her women did theyr busy payne To make theyr quene her stede to recure ¶ And all this while stode in auenture Of his life worthy Philomene Pirrhus knightes were on him so kene Maugre his men that they haue him take It geyneth not diffence for to make The Grekes haue so strongly him beset ¶ And forth they lad him it might be no bet Toward theyr tentes throughout al the felde The which thinge when the quene behelde With her women that aboute her rode Pursewed after without more abode That fynally they haue so after sewed Through their force that he was reskued Maugre the manhode of Myrmidones ¶ And Pantasilla was so mercyles Vpon the Grekes that of necessyte Through her force and her crueltee Afore her swerde they
her excellence Albe that she neuer dyd offence Yet her lorde of newfangilnesse Toke an other the letters did expresse Fully in purpose anone at his repayre Though Clemestra were both good fayre All sodaynly her to exyle Out of his lande many thousande myle Warning her that she be prudente This was the substaunce as in sentemente That Oetes wrote vnto this quene Albe the kynge was innocente and clene And was to her in all his fore liuinge Louyng and true in all maner thinge And her to please passyng ententyfe In worde and dede durynge all his lyfe As fer as oughte of reson be desyred But the letters that falsly was conspyred They haue her put parcase of Innocence For to gyue to hasty credence ¶ Thankynge firste Oetes for his trouthe That so goodly hym lyst to haue routhe Vpon her wronge of hygh compassyon And yet the storye maketh mencion Here afterwarde as I shall descriue That she was the fal'est one alyue Vnto her lorde and in his longe absence And in all haste she made stronge diffence Agayne this thinge gan her to purueye By suche fraude that she not ne deye But of her worke in sothe she was to wyte The whych alas I must anone endyte As the story platly doth me lere Whych doleful is and mortall for to heare OH vnsure truste of all worldly glorye w t sodayn chaunge put out of memorye Oh ioye vnstable of vayne ambycyon With vnware tourne reuersed vp so downe Oh ydell fame blowe vp to the skye Ouer whelmed with twincklinge of an eye Oh pompe oh boste of tryumphe victorye Lyke a shadowe waste and transytorye Oh fortune false and vnassured That to no man maye fully be lured To hygh nor lowe of no maner estate With bonde of fayth to be conferate Agayne whose myght no mā may him diffēd But at his tourne that he shall discende When he syt hyest on thyne vnstable whele Thy brotyll fauour forged not of stele Meynt and all allyed with mutabylytye For welfulnesse and false felicitye With sodayn sweygh frowarde y u canst auale Now freshe of chere now for anger pale Of hygh disdayne thou sparest no degree For Princes Dukes highest in their see Mighty kinges and worthy Emperours That richest reygne in theyr royal floures With Sceptre crowne y u canst pul downe ¶ I take wytnesse of Agamenowne That was so noble and myghty in his lyue As sondry auctours his hie renowne desriue But sothfastly for all his excellence He might not make no diffence With all his knightes that his baner sewe Conspyred murdre to voyde and eschewe Rescuse was none that he could make For which alas I fele my pen quake That doth mine inke blotte on my boke Oh mighty god that w t thine inwarde loke Seest euery thing thrugh thy eternal might Why wilt thou not of equit and of ryght Punishe and chastice so horrible a thinge And specyally the murdre of a kinge Alas the payne of Ixion in hell Or of Manes that with Sathan dwell Were not egall nor equipolent To venge murdre nor sufficient For it excedeth in comparison Al felonye falshed and treason Wherfore oh lord that seest and knowest all Through thy power that is eternall Suffre no suche to liue vpon the grounde Worse than Tygre or Cerberus the hounde That chayned lyeth bounde at hel gate Whych of malyce playnly though he hate He berketh fyrst or he do offence But murdre gladly is wrought in sylence Or men aduerte or take any kepe ¶ Alas a Prince to sley him in his slepe On his pyllowe when he slepeth softe That cryeth wreche to hye god alofte And axeth vengeaunce to take as fast Though it abyde it wyll out at the laste Alas a kynge spoken of so ferre That was so worthy outwarde in the werre His cruell fate passynge odyous Dysposed hath in his owne house His mortall ende to be execute Agaynst whych there was no refute For ryght as he his shyp to lande sette The quene Clemestra on y e strond him mette With humble cheare and loke full beninge And shewed out full many faythful sygne Of wysely trouthe in her countenaunce Albe in herte there was varyaunce Not perceyued playnly in her face Whom the kynge goodly did embrace As he in sothe that but trouth mente And to his paleys the hye waye he wente Not aduertynge the treason that was shape The whych alas he might not escape Of the falshede he could nothinke fele But I ne maye no longer it consele Agayne her lorde how Clemestra wrought For on her bond of wedlocke she ne thought The trewe loke sothly of spousayle Agayne her malyce lytell myght auayle Vnto her lorde her trouthe to conserue Newfangilnesse caused to sterue Her olde fayth and her assuraunce Her loue abode on a fykell chaunce Longe absence had her herte apalled She loued one that was Egistus called Which afore all in her grace stode That nother was of byrth nor of bloud Lytell or nought of reputacyowne Nor renowmed of manhode nor renowne Nor of knyghthod nor of hygh prowesse But for his laboure and his busynesse And good awayte vpon her by nyght Therfore he was best furthred in her syght Such dread had she for to lyue alone Sorowles so well she could grone I can not saye what life that she ladde Except that she by him a doughter had And Exyona Guydo sayth she hight And vnto him Clemestra behyght Assuringe him vpon payne of her head He shulde raygne when her lorde were dead And to enhaste this conclusyon Her worthy lorde kynge Agamenon The next nyght was murdred and yslayne By false Egistus and the quene full fayne No longer bode the storye can you lere But in all haste they wedded were yfere And by her false and sleyghty compassynge Of Messene she made him crowned kynge And put him full in possessyon ¶ Alas that synne hath dominacion To further wronge and abate ryght For in this worlde falshed hath more ryghte Full ofte syth than hath ryghtwisenesse And in the estate sette of worthynesse Lo how the synne of auoutrye Brought in murdre by conspyracye Synne vpon synne lynked both twayne And embraced in the fendes chayne Perpetually in hell to endure Alas who shall him selfe full assure Fro cruell murdre his body to withdrawe When that kinges in theyr bedde are slawe Whiche bringeth in alyenacyon By extorte tytle false successyon There maye coloure of pretense seme But full streyghtly god shall after deme And iustly venge with due recompence Intrusyon brought in by violence And felly quyte suche horryble thinges And sodayne slaughter specially of kinges Greatly to dread in euery regyon ¶ And as I fynde that Agamenon By Clemestra the false double quene Had a sonne passynge faire to sene Right gracious in euery mannes syght And Horestus the boke sayth that he hyghte Wonder semely and but yonge of age And for great feare of this mortall rage Lest he were slayne as it was to dread
THE AVNCIENT HISTORIE AND onely trewe and syncere Cronicle of the warres betwixte the Grecians and the Troyans and subsequently of the fyrst euer cyon of the auncient and famouse Cytye of Troye vnder Lamedon the king and of the laste and fynall destruction of the same vnder Pryam wrytten by Daretus a Troyan and Dictus a Grecian both souldiours and present in all the sayde warres and digested in Latyn by the lerned Guydo de Columpnis and sythes translated in to englyshe verse by Iohn Lydgate Moncke of Burye And newly imprinted An. M.D.L.V. To the reader ALthough the battayles betwixte the Grecyans and the Troyans before the laste and fynall euersion of y e Cyty of Troy as an hisstorye worthye of eterne memorye hath passed through the pennes of sundry famouse Poetes and great clerkes Grekes and Latynes as Homer Vergyle Ouyde and others whych for that theyr workes ther of came to the handes of most men haue therfore hytherto ben holden as chiefest reporters of that hystorye Of whom neuerthelesse part lye by affection towardes theyr countreythemen as Homer fauourynge the Grecyans and Virgyle and Ouyde the Troyans and partelye breakynge out as who sayth into theyr poetycall fictions the historye was so peruerted that the verye trouthe therof is not to be had in theyr dygestes What we maye then hope to fynde of the trouthe in theyr doynges that haue onely laboured as translators of Virgyle Homer into theyr peculyer and vulgare languages as it is easelye to be consydered Of whome although some I do confesse haue learnedlye and that ryghte well perfourmed theyr enterpryse therin Yet hath there ben other some so beastly bolde to vndertake w tout eyther wyt or any learning to translate the same history namelye the Eanedes of Virgyle into englyshe not vnderstandynge searse any word what Virgile meÌ„t in all that worke As by example if a man studyouse of that historye shoulde seke to fynde the same in the doynges of Wyllyam Caxton in his leawde recueil of Troye what shoulde he then fynde thyncke you assuredlye none other thynge but a longe tedious and brayneles bablyng tendyng to no end â–ª nor hauyng any certayne begynnynge but proceadynge therin as an ydyot in his follye that can not make an ende tyll he be bydden Muche lyke the foolyshe and vnsauerye doynges of Orestes whom Iuuinall remembreth that after he had wryt his booke to the iuste volume filled then the mergentes and outwarde sydes with his madnes whych after both that with in and wythout consydered tended to no purpose at all whych Caxtons recueil who so lyst wyth iudgement peruse shall rather thyncke his doynges worthye to be nuÌ„bred amongest the trifelinge tales and barrayne luerdries of Robyn Hode Beuys of Hampton then remaine as a monumeÌ„t of so worthy an history Yet hath there not wanted the faythful trew reporters of y e historye as Daretus the Phrigyan and Dytus the Grecyan who both curyouse of the worthy dedes of theyr countreithes both lykewyse preseÌ„t in al the sayd warres haue dyligently regestred the same whose bokes although by iniurye of the tyme were not of long extant yet at the last beyng founde at Athenes haue sins by dewe conference ben founde hooly to agre in all the dyscourse of y e sayd warres which the labores aswel of Darete as Dyte at the laste came to the syght handes of the lerned and dylygent Guydo of Columpna who hath syncerelye and pythely digested the same in one latyne volume And so by these degrees hath bene at the laste by y e diligence of Iohn Lydgate a moncke of Burye brought into our englyshe tonge and dygested as maye appere in verse who estranayle as well in other his doynges as in this hathe wythout doubte so muche preuayled in this our vulgare language that hauynge his prayse dewe to his deseruynges may worthyly be numbred amongest those that haue chefelye deserued of our tunge As the verye perfect disciple and imitator of the great Chaucer y e onelye glorye and beauty of the same Neuertheles lykewyse as it hapned y e same Chaucer to lease y e prayse of that tyme wherin he wrote beyng then when in dede al good letters were almost aslepe so farre was the grosenesse and barbarousnesse of that age from the vnderstaÌ„dinge of so deuyne a wryter That if it had not bene in this our time wherin all kindes of learnyng thancked be god haue as much floryshed as euer they did by anye former dayes within this realme and namelye by the dylygence of one willyam Thime a gentilmaÌ„ who laudably studyouse to y e polyshing of so great a Iewell with ryghte good iudgement trauail great paynes causing the same to be ê‘fected and stamped as it is nowe read y e sayde Chaucers workes had vtterly peryshed or at y e lest bin so depraued by corrupcion of copies that at the laste there shoulde no parte of hys meaning haue ben founde in any of them Euen the same iniurye almost hathe happened to this wryter in this his Pamphlite of the euercioÌ„ of Troye being printed about .xlii. yeares agoe euen then in the tayle as it hapned of the dercke and vnlearned times suche was then the ignoraunce of bothe the prynter and correctour neyther of them as it shoulde seme eyther learned or dnderstandynge englishe y t y e same worke is so falsed in his verse by either lacke folishe surplus or displasinge of y e wordes that thereby y e sentence and coÌ„sequeÌ„tlye y e historye is so confused and obscured that in most places there can be almost nothing gathered therof I therfore muche meruaylinge how it hath happened whether for lack of copies as in dede they be but few or otherwise y t this boke being thouly trew sincere english Cronicle of that so worthye an historye whervpon so many great clerkes in other languages haue voutsafed theyr trauayles hath not before this tyme whiche in deede lacketh not that haue already by their doynges shewed them selfes to haue ryght good iudgement in our language bin purged of his falsyties redused as nere as mgiht be with conuenieÌ„ce to the auctours translation Haue therfore taken vpon me as one studyous of y e language of my countreyth although I must confesse y e least able of a great nuÌ„bre to bring again this historian into lyght somewhat I truste more perfecte polished then before not inuertyng therin eyther matter or sentence but leauyng that to the auctour his commendacyon as of right apperteineth Natheles if I would haue ben withdrawen from this myne attempte w t that which I myght iustly haue recompted w t my selfe that is to consyder how great an enterprise he vndertaketh that goeth aboute to brynge perfected into the handes of men y e corrupted labours of former wryters and howe lyttle thanke is gained therby I shulde neuer then haue dared to haue bestowed hereof one penful of yncke Consideryng that who so trauaylethe in other mennes doynges
same Of saincte Mathewe how they be called so Where the Apostle so much had a do Which for their wisdome their prudent aduertence Besy labour and wilfull diligence By forseing and great discrecion As I suppose in mine opinion That this fable of Antes was contriued Which by their wisdōe haue so much acheued Through their knighthod who so list to loke Their manly dedes throughout Troye boke In al mischiefe so wel they haue theim borne That they full wisely prouided were toforne Of that it fil both in werre and peace For of slouthe they weren not reckles ¶ But as the Ante to eschewe idelnesse In somer is so full of besinesse Or winter comme to saue her from the colde That she to fore astored hath her holde ¶ But in this matter I holde no sermon Ywill no longer make disgression Nor in fables no more as nowe soiourne But there I lefte I will agayne retourne Of Pelleus ferther to procede ¶ Which king forsothe in story as I rede And as mine Auctour listeh to endite Hadde a wife that called was Tethite Of whyche twayne platly this no lees The manly man the hardy Achilles So as Guido liste to termine Descended was sothely as by lyne Moste renoumed of manhode and of might Amonges Grekes and the best knyghte Yholde in sothe throughout all the lande In worthines preued of his hande Whose crueltye Troyens sore abought By his merueyles that he there wrought Durynge the syege as ye shall after lere Pacyently yf ye shall list to heare ¶ This Pelleus that I of spake aforne A brother had of one mother borne That hight Eson so ferre yronne in yeares That he of lust hath lost all his desyres So ferre he was cropen into age That all his wyt was turned to dotage For bothe minde and memoriall Furdulled wer and dercked so in all That veryly his discrecyon Was him berafte in conclusion Wherfore the reigne and land of Thesalye Crowne and ceptre with all the regalye He hath assigned his brother for to queme Estate royall and also diademe ¶ Howe Eson the kyng for that he was olde and myghte no longer welde the gouernayle caused to crowne his brother Pelleus Ca. ii Bycause he croked was lame and blinde And to gouerne lost both wit and minde So feble was his celle retentife And forderked his imaginatife That lost were bothe memorye and reason For whiche he made hathe resignacion To his brother nexte heyre by degre And nyest allye of his affynytye But as some Auctors in theyr bokes sayne To youth he was restored newe agayne By crafte of Mede the great Sorceresse And renewed to his lustinesse For with her herbys and with her pocions By subtyl workynge of confexions By queintise eke of her instrumentes Wyth her charmes and enchauntmentes She made a drinke in bokes as it is tolde In whych a yerde that was drye and olde Without abode anone as she it cast To blome and budde woulde begin fast And eke grene and freshe to beholde And through this drinke she hathe fro yeares olde Eson restored vnto lusty age And was of wyt and reason eke as sage As euer he hadde in all his life aforne The whiche Eson of his wife yborne Had a sonne and Iason was his name In worke of whō nature was not to blame For she her crafte platly and conninge Spent vpon him hooly in workynge Whan she him made with hert wil thought That of her crafte behind was right nought To reken his shape and also his fayrnesse His strength his beauty and his liuelynesse His gentylnes and his wise gouernaunce How large he was and of dalyaunce The most goodly that men coulde knowe In all his porte both to highe and lowe And with all this auise and eke tretable That of conning god wote I am not able For to discriue his vertues by and by For as myne Auctour telleth faithfully He was beloued so of olde and yonge That through y e lād so is his honour sprong But for y t he was yet but yonge and slendre Of age also inly grene and tendre He was committed to the gouernaile Of Pelleus to whom withouten fayle In euery thinge he was as seruiable As diligent in chambre and at table As euer was childe or any man Vnto his lorde in al that euer he can Glad in herte of faithful obeyssaunce So that in cheare nor yet in countenaunce Inwarde in hearte nor outward in shewing His vncle against was he not grutching All be he had hooly in his hande The worthy kingdome and the riche lande Of this Iason and the heritage Onely for he was tho to yonge of age ¶ Vnto whom Pelleus did his payne Against his herte falsly for to fayne To shewe other that he mente not in herte And kept him close y t nothing him outsterte Like an addre vnder floures fayre For to his herte his tunge was al contrayre Benigne of speche of mening like serpent For vnder coloure was the treason blente To shewe him goodly vnto his allye But inward brent of hate and of enuy The hoote fyre and yet there was no smeke So couertly the malyce was yreke That no man might as by signe espie Towarde Iason in herte he bare enuye And meruayle none for it was causeles Saue he dradde that he for his encres And for his manhode likely was tatteine For to succede as in his fathers reigne Whiche Pelleus vniustly occupieth And daye by day cast and fantisyeth How his venim may by some pursute Vpon this Iason be fully execute Here on he museth euery houre and time As he that dradde to se an hasty prime Folowe chaunge as it is wonte to done Sodenly after a chaunge or newe mone He casteth wayes and compasseth sore And vnder coloure alway more and more His fell malice he gan to close and hide Like as a snake that wonted is to glide With his venim vnder freshe floures And as the sonne is right hote after shoures So of enuy hotter brent the glede Till on a time he thought he would procede To execute his meaninge euery dell In port a lambe in herte a lion fell Double as Tygre slyghtly to compace Galle in his breste and suger in his face That no man hath to him suspection How he purueyeth the destruction Of his neuewe and that within a while Pretending loue all be the fine was gile His malice was yshet so vnder keye That his entent there can no man bewreye It was conceled and closed in secre Vnder the cloke of priuye enmitye And that in so the greued him the more Vpon him selfe the angre frette so sore Abidynge aye tyll vnto his entent He finde may leysur conuenient Vpon his purpose platly to procede For to perfourme it fully vp in dede Wherof Iason hath full lytell rought His vncle and he ne were not in one thought Of whose meaninge was no conuenience For so was malice linked with innocence And grounde of all so as I can
deuise Was false enuye and hatefull couetise Whiche frette so sore falsly for to winne As croppe and roote of euery sorowe sinne And cause hath bene sith go full yore That many a realme hath bought ful sore The dreadful venim of couetise alas Let them beware that stande in this case ¶ To thinke afore and for to haue in minde That all falshed draweth to an ende For though it bide and last a yeare or two The ende in sothe shall sorowe be and woo Of all that bene false and enuious Hereof no more but forth of Pelleus I will you tell that hath so longe sought Vpō this thing till they were to him brought Tydinges newe and that so merueylous That he astoned was and all his house Of a meruayle that tho was newly falle Beside Troy the plage orientalle Howe in Colchos as the tidinges cam Within an yle enclosed was a ram Whiche bare his flese full richly all of golde And for the richesse it was kept in holde With great aduice and great dilygence That no man might there to do offence And in this I le there was a gouernour A noble kinge a worthy warrour That Oetes hight wise discrete and sage Which was also yronne farre in age That in his time as bokes can deuise Had vnderfonged many great empryse In peace warre and much worship wonne And he was also sonne vnto the sonne That gaue him vre to honour to atteyne So as these poetes listen for to feyne Touchinge his line I leue as nowe y e greate And of this Ram my purpose is to treate That was commit I dare you well assure To the keping and the busy cure Of cruell Mars the mighty god of werre Which with the stremys of his rede sterre And influence of his deytee Ordeyned hath by full great crueltee This Ram to kepe bullis full vnmilde With brasen fete ramageous and wilde And there with all fell and dispitous And of nature wood and furious To hurte and slee euer of one desyre Out of whose mouthe leuen and wylde fyre Lyke a flawme euer blased out To brenne all theim that stode nygh aobut Eke of their eyen the lokes moste horrible To a fourneys the stremes were visyble And who that wolde tencrease his glorye This Ram of golde wynnen victorie Fyrste he must of very force and myght Vnto oultraunce with these bulles to fyght And theim vanquishe alder fyrst of all And make theim humble as any oxe in stall And sithe theim yoke and do them ere y e land Of very manhode this must he take in hand And after that he must also endure With a serpent of huge and great stature Without fauour playnely haue to do To oultraunce eke without wordes mo The whiche serpent shortly for to tell Was lyke a fende comyng out of hell ¶ Full of venym and of cruell hate And with skales harde as any plate He armed was to stande at defence And by his brethe werse then pestilence Infecten wolde enuiron all the eyre In eche place where was his repeyre He was so full of foule corruption And eke so dredefull of infection That deth in soth shortly to deuyse Was the fyne of this hygh Empryse To suche as wolde this quarell take in hond Ylyke in one both to free and bonde But if he coulde the bet him selfe defende And of his conquest this was eke the ende That when he had the myghty serpēt slawe He must anone by custome and by lawe ¶ Out of his head his tethe echeone arrace And after sowe theim in the selfe place Where as the oxen eryd had aforne Of which seede there sprange a wōder corne Knyghtes armed passynge of great myght Eueryche with other redy for to fyght Til eche his brother had ybrought to groūd By mortall fate and yeue his dethes wound This was the ende of euerychone For sowfastly of all there was non That liue myght by that fatall lawe A longer tyme then lyued his fellowe ¶ And by this way dredfull and peryllous Who so desyreth to ben victorious He passe must and manly to endure And how so fall take his auenture For of estate was no excepcion Chese who so wyll for this conclusyon He may not scape for fauour ne for mede Who so begynneth a vyse him wel I rede For by the statute of the kyng he may Who so that wyll entre and assaye But after that he ones hath begonne He may not chese tyll he haue lost or wonne Yet as some other of this Ram expresse And of his flese also bere wytnesse It was nothyng but golde great treasour That Oetes kynge with full hye laboure Made kepe it as by Incantacions By sorserye and false illusyons ¶ That was spoke of in realmes fer about For whiche many put theyr lyfe in doubte Of hye desyre that they had for to wyn The great treasoure that was shyt within Colchos londe as ye haue harde deuyse Whose pursuyte rose out of couetyse Grounde and roote of wo of myschaunce By vayne reporte theim selfe to auaunce For whiche they put theim selfe in ieopardy Without rescues lykely for to dye There was no helpe ne no sleyght of armes That vaile might againe y e cursed charmes So were they stronge and supersticious That many worthy in knighthode famous Enhasted were vnto their deth alas That ieoparde list their liues as in this case ¶ This lasteth forthe tyll afterwarde byfell That Pelleus platly hath hard tell The great mischiefes and destructions In Colchos wrought on sundry nacions That haue pursued thes auntres to cōquere Tyll Pelleus so ferforth gan enquere That he knewe hooly how the trouth was And in his herte anone he gan compasse How that he myght by any slyght make His neuewe Iason for to vndertake This hye Empryse in Colchos for to wende For by that way he myght hym best shende ¶ And gan pretende a colour freshe of hew Ygylte outwarde so lusty and so newe As though there were no treasō hyd within He sawe also it was tyme to begyn On his purpose tho fyrst he made it queint And gan forthwith with golde asure paint His gaye wordes in sownyng glorious Knowynge Iason was yonge and desyrous Vnto suche thynge lyghtly wolde enclyne Therfore he thought that he wolde not fyne Playnely to worke to his conclusyon And made anone a conuocation Of his lordes and of his baronye Aboute enuyron the lande of Thesalye For to assemble estates of eche degree Of all his realme within the chiefe citee To holde a counseyle vtterly he caste Therby to acheue his desyre as faste And so his courte continued dayes three Tyll at the laste his hyd iniquitie He out gan rake that hath be hyd so longe For he ne myght no longer forth prolonge The venym hyd that fret so at his herte In so slye wyse that no man myght auerte Vpon no syde but that he mente well So was his treason couered euerydell And curtined so
vnder trechery For he this thynge so slyghtly gan to gye At pryme face that no man myght deme By any worde as it wolde seme In chere in porte by sygne or dalyaunce But that he caste knyghtly to auaunce His yonge neuewe as by lykelynesse To hye honour of manhode and prowesse For of th entent of whiche he gan purpose No man cowde spye theffect he dyd so glose The texte was so conueyed with flatery That the people cowde not then espye Lyttell or nought of his entent within For whiche anone to preyse him they begyn That he suche honour to his neuewe wolde For with suche chere he began vnfolde Tofore theim all this entencion That he hath voyded all suspection From all that were assembled in the place And towarde Iason he tourne gan his face Full louyngly in countenaunce and chere And to hym sayde that all myght it here Throughout y e court whē maked was silēce Thus worde by worde platly in sentence ¶ Howe Pelleus fearynge to be deposed by his brothers son Iason a worthye valiaūt yonge knight coūsayled him to vndertake y e perellous almost inuincible conquest of the golden flese at Colchos who by his perswacion vndertoke the same Cap. iii. COsyn Iason take hede what I shal sain For the I am so inly glad and fayne And so surprised with mirth through my hert That it enchaseth and voideth all my smerte For to consyder in myne inspection Of thy youthe the disposicion The whiche shortely for to comprehende Saue to vertue to nothyng do entende Vnto worshyp and to gentylnesse To manly fredom and to hye largesse That veryly whether I wake or wynke My ioye is onely there on for to thyncke My selfe I holde so passinge fortunate And all my lande of hye and lowe estate That lykely are in honour for to flete And to lyue in reste and perfecte quiete Through thy supporte worthy gouernaile Whose manhode may so muche to vs auayle By likelyhod and eke so moche amende In very soth to saue vs and defende Agayne al tho as I can descryue That of malis wolde against vs stryue Or rebell be in any maner waye Of surquedrye or pryde to werraye Our worthinesse assured in tranquyll From all assaute of them that wolde vs ylle For to perturbe our noble state royall Agaynst whome thou arte our only wall Our myghty shyelde and our protection Thus deme I fully in myne opynion ¶ For of thyne age thy wyt thy prouidence Thy knyghtly herte thy manly excellence Reported ben and thyne hye renowne In many londe and many regyowne This rounde worlde aboute in circuite Howe myght I than stonde in better plyte For thyne honour lyke as it is founde To my worshyp so hyghly doth rebounde That I wolde playnly seke nothyng cease If I coulde helpe thyne honour to encrease And hygh renowne Ywys in euery houre And therupon spenden my treasoure This hye desyre withouten any fayle Of entier loue me dothe so sore assayle That nyght nor daye I maye haue no reste And all shall tourne I hope for the beste For tenhaunce thyne honour to the heauen Aboue the poole and the sterres seuen To whiche thinge I haue awaye espyed As I my wyt therto haue applyed This is to meane what shuld I longer dwel My dere Cosyn as I shall after tell If it so were by manhode souerayne Of thy knyghthode that thou durst attayne The flese of gold to conquere by thy strength Whiche is spoke of so fer in bredth and length And home returne in body saufe and sounde If so this conquest myght in the be founde That thou acheue durst this hyghe emprise More hertes ioye coulde I not deuyse In all this worlde for sothly at the beste My realme and I were fully then in rest For by thy manhode all men wolde vs drede Wherfore Cosyn of knyghthode manhede Take vpon the my praier and request ¶ And here my trouth and take it for beheste What euer nedeth in meyne or costage I wyll my selfe towarde this viage Ordaine ynoughe in harneyse and araye That nought shal faile y t may be to thy paye And furthermore I playnly the ensure That if I see thou do thy besy cure This hyghe empryse for to bryng aboute Thou shalt not feare nother ben in doubt After my daye by successyon For to be kyng of this Region And hooly haue sceptre and regaly Wherfore Iason lyfte vp thyne hertes eye Thynke thy name shal be longe recorded Throughout y e world wherfore be accorded Within thy selfe and plainly not ne spare Of thyne entent the sentence to declare VVhan Iason had his vncle vnderstāde He muche reioyseth for to take on hand This dredfull labour without auisement He nought aduertith the menyng fraudulēt The priue poyson vnder suger cured Nor howe to galle with hony he was lured The dercke deceyte the cloudy false engyne Ygylt without but vnder was venyme Wherto Iason hath none aduertence The kynge he wende of cleane conscience Withouten fraude had all this thyng yment Wherfore anon he yeueth full assent At wordes fewe and plainely gan to seye His vncles will that he wolde obeye He was accorded in conclusion With humble herte and hoole entensyon Wherof the kynge receyueth suche gladnesse That he vnneth myght the same expresse But ryght as faste dyd he his besy paine For this iourney in hast there nedes ordaine And for asmoche as Colchos the countrey Enclosed was inuyron with a sea And that no man how longe that he stryue Without shyp thyder may arryue To his presence anone he dyd call Famous Argus that coulde most of all To make a shyp and fyrst that art yfonde To sayle with by sea fro londe to londe And he hath wrought a shyp by sotyl crafte Whiche was the fyrst that euer wawe rafte To haue entre and Argon bare the name Gramariens do yet recorde the same The which shyp fyrst for that meruayle Is called so whiche proudely bare her sayle As Guydos boke doth vs specifye But how it happed forthe of this nauye ¶ Whan all was ready meyne and vytayle They byde nought but wynde for to sayle And many worthye was there in companye Of noble byrthe and of great allye In that vyage ready for to gon Bothe for loue and worshyp of Iason Amonge the whiche the great Hercules Of force and myght of strength pereles And he begetten was vpon Alcmene So inly fayre and womanly to sene Of Iubiter and that full longe agone Takyng lykelynesse of Amphitrion Downe fro the heuen for all his deyte He rauisshed was through lust of her beaute For he her loued with herte and hole entent And of them two sothly by discent Came Hercules the worthy famous knyght Most renoumed of manhode and of myghte Whiche in his tyme was so meruaylous So excellent and so victorious That Ouyde liste recorden all hym selue In Methamorphosis his dedes twelue Whiche ben remembred there inspeciall In his honour for a memoryall
hede That shuld haue died ne had she be thy read Of thy conquest she was the very cause That I may not shortly in a clause Write her bountie nor briefly comprehende Effectually perfourmed to the ende At wordes fewe ne may it not be tolde Thrugh whom y u hast the riche flese of golde Manly conquered which withouten doubte Vnlikely was that to haue brought about For whan thou were of helpe tho destitute She was thine only comforte and refute And with all this thou maiest it not denye All erthly honour how she gan defye The to conserue out of all heuinesse And eke her father hath of his richesse So enpeyred that pitie is to here By whose example women may well lere How they shuld faith or trusten on any man Alas Medea that so mykle can Both of sterres and of astronemye Yet sawe she not afore her destinye Loue hath her put so out of gouernayle That al her crafte ne myght her not auayle She was to slowe by calculation To caste afore the constellation Of her birthe and eke her wofull fate For rekleshed she sawe it all to late But I suppose her connyng was fallyble And doubtles as me semeth incredible For if she had wiste of it toforne So piteously she had not now be lorne As ye shall se hereafter hastely So as the story teacheth by and by How it befell of Iason and Medee But fyrst ye shall the maner holly see How she gan wirche for after he was swore The same night alas she hath forbore Her maydenhead and that was great pitie And yet she mente naught elles but honestye As I suppose she went haue be his wyfe But touchyng that I holde as now no strife And yet one thing I dare afyrme and sayne That both so the meaning of these twayne Ne was not one but wonder fer atwene For all that she truely gan to meane Of honeste thynkyng no outrage Like as a maide all innocent of age He to perfourme his fleshly false delight And to acheue his fylthy appetite Wrought euery thing to her entent contraire Alas that she was tho so debonaire As for to truste vpon his curtesye Or to acquite her of her gentery So hastely to rewe vpon his smarte But women ben so pytefull of herte That they wyll gladly shewen petie all When in mishappe they se a man is fall And saue his lyfe rather than he shoulde dye And so Medea shortly for to seye Castyng no peryll after that shall fall But his desyres and his lustes all Holy obeyeth with all her full might And that so longe almoste that the night Hath his course rounde about gone At whiche tyme thus spake to her Iason And lowly sayde my lady it is time That we aryse for soone it wyll be pryme Ye may see well the day beginneth to springe For we may here howe the byrdes synge Prayinge to you in all my beste wyse How I shall worke that ye lyste deuyse And ceriously in euery thyng dispose I you beseche o goodly freshe rose Myne enterpryse to bring vnto an ende And than at erst fro hense will I wynde Saue that I thincke first with you to treate In what maner ye shall this countrey lete And into Grece repaire agayne with me Whiche is a lande of great felicitie For trusteth wel and be nothyng adrede Into that reygne with me I shall you lede After my conquest if so be that I wynne Wherfore I pray you goodly to begynne How I shall worke in all the hast we may For in good fayth anone it wil be daye ¶ To whom she spake saying as ye shal here Myn owne Iason and vnto me more deare Than is my selfe as in conclusyon I am assented with ful affection Of all my wittes and with my hole herte You to enfourme how ye shall asterte Euery daunger of that lytell yle If it so be ye lyst bide a whyle And vp she rose in all the haste she maye And to a cofer where her treasour laye She wēt anone and brought him in her hōde A ryche ymage of syluer that she fonde Which sothely was of meruaylous entayle Whose power was and vertue to auayle Effectually to her both entent Agayne all magik and enchauntement And to with syt the force of Sorcerye For it was made so by Astronomye In houre chosen equat for the nones By clerkes olde that full long agone is Whilom whā they were flouring ī their ages That they vsed to make such ymages As did the kyng called Thelomee And so to Iason wylled hath Medee To beare this ymage on hym pryuely As ye haue herd to worke effectually In euery thynge as she dyd assygne And then she toke to hym a medycine Made as in maner of an oyntment Hym to enoynt that he be not brent That was more riche precious thā bawme Agayne the malyce of eche fire and flawme And after that she toke to hym anone A ryche rynge wherin was set a stone That vertue had all venym to destroye That on no syde it myght hym not anoye The which stone had furthermore this might That yf a man coude it beare aright Within his hand next the skyn enclosed The strength of syght shuld be deposed Of theim that would gasen or beholde For who so euer in his hand it holde By such vertue as was infallyble The storye sayeth he was inuysible The which stone these prudent clerkes call Achates most vertuous of all And it is founde sothly in Cecile Of which stone whylom wrote Virgyll Now that Venus it to Eneas sente First whan that he into Cartage went ¶ And after this she to Iason toke A certayne byll wrytten lyke a boke That to his Iourney myght much auayle And bad him wysely that he not ne fayle If he bethought him graciously to spede First of all the scripture that he rede Or he the Ram touche in any wyse Him charging eke afore this hye empryse With humble hert and great deuocion That he knelyng saye that oryson That vp and downe was wrytten on the bill Praying the goddes lowely to fulfyll His request and mercy for to haue Of very pitye from mischiefe him to saue And after that for his chiefe socoure She toke to hym a vyoll with lycoure And bad him manly without feare or drede When that he come vnto the bulles reade If he hym cast knightly to escape That as fast as he seeth theim gape Into theyr golles that he the lycour caste Than hym nede but lytel of theim gaste For theyr iawes togither it shall glyewe That on no syde they shall not eschewe To bide his lust in what hym lyst constreyne For doubtles maugre al theyr busye peyne He shall theim daunte therw t make so tame That where hym list in earnest or in game He myght theym make louten and encline And do theym bowen both in backe chyne The lycour shall theyr iawes so coharte That lyghtly they shall not a sundre parte
nor myght For what theim list be yt wronge or ryght They aye achieue who so sayth yea or nay Agayne whose lust defend him no man may ¶ Thus Guydo aye of cursed false delyte To speak theÌ„ harme hath caught an appetite Throughout his boke of women to say yll That to translate it is agayne my wll He hath aye ioye theyr honour to ramuerse And I ryght sorye that I must reherse The fel wordes in his booke yfounde To all women I am so mikle bounde They be echone so goodly and so kynde I dare of theim not say but as I finde Of Guydoes write throughout Troy booke For when I redde for feare my herte quoke And veryly my wyttes gan to fayle Whan I therof must maken rehersaile Like his decrete but Guydo now do wyte For ye shall heare anone how that he chit The quene Heleyne for cause that she went With herte deuoute her offryng to presente To the temple of Venus the goddesse Thus word by word he sayth to her expresse ¶ O mortal harme that most is for to dread A fraude ycast by sleyght of womanhead Of euery wo ginning crop and roote Agaynst whych helpe may no bote Whan lust hath dryue in theyr herte a nayle Aye deadly venim seweth at the tayle Which no man hath power to restreyne Recorde I take of quene Heleyne That inly brent alas in her desyres Of newe lust to dele with those straungers Whom she knewe nat ne neuer sawe beforne Wher through alas ful many meÌ„ were lorne Of cruel death embrased in a cheyne Without pyty now saye thou quene Heleyne What ghost or spyryte alas hath meued the Sole fro thy lorde in such royaltye Out of thy house to go among the prease Why were y u wery to liue at home in peace But wentest out straungers for to se Taking no hede vnto thine honestye Thou shuldest haue kept thy closet secretly And not haue passed out so folyly In the absence of thy lorde alas Thou were to wilful and rakel in this case To se afore what shuld after sewe For al to sone thou were draweÌ„ out of mewe That coulde not kepe at home tho thy bouÌ„dê Thou weÌ„test out as hare among y e houndes For to be caught of very wilfulnesse And thy desyre coudest not compesse For though thy lust lyst not to refrayne O many woman hath caught be in a trayne By goyng out such halowes for to seke It syt theim better at home for to kepe Close in theyr chaumber and fle occasyowne For neuer shyp shuld in peryl drowne Nor ryue on rocke nor be with tempest rente Nor with Caribdis dreached or yshent Nor to go to wrake with no wethers yll If it were kept in the hauen styll For who wil not occasyons eschewe Nor dread no peryll for it is to sewe He must nedely as by necessytie Or he beware endure aduersytie And who can not his fote fro trappes spare Let him take hede or he fall in the snare For harme ydone to late is to compleyne For if whylom the noble quene Heleyne Her selfe had kept at home secrete and close Of her there ne had be so wicke a lose Reported yet grene freshe and newe Whose chauÌ„ce vnhappi eche maÌ„ ought to rew That cause was of such destruction Of many worthy and confusyon Of her husband and many other mo On grekes syde and those of Troye also In this storye as ye shall after reade ¶ And so this quene as fast as she may spede To the temple hath the way ynome Full royally and whan that she was come Ful deuoutly within Citheron Made vnto Venus her oblacion In presence and syght of many one With many iewell and many ryche stone ¶ And wheÌ„ that Paris had this thing espied To the temple anone he hath him hyed Ful thriftely in all the hast he myght Wher he forthwith as he had a syght Of the goodly fayre freshe quene Cupides darte that is whet so kene Or he was ware hath him marked so That for astoned he nist what to do So much he meruayleth her semelinesse Her womanhead her porte and her fayrnesse For neuer erst ne wende he that nature Coud ought haue made so fayre a creature So aungellyke she was of her beaute So feminine so goodly on to se That sothly he her dempte as by liklynesse For her beaute to be some goddesse For so his herte did him aye assure That she ne was a mortall creature So heauenly fayre and so celestyall He thought she was in partye and in all And eft consydereth for auysely Her features all in ordre by and by So curyously aye in his reason Of euery thinge by good inspection Her golden heare like the sonne streames Of freshe Phebus with his bright beames The goodly heade of her fleshly face Full replete of beaute and of grace Ylike enewed with quickenes of coloure Both of the rose and the lyly floure So egally that nother was to wite Through none excesse of much nor of lite Within the cerclynge of her eyen bryght Was paradise compassed in her syght That through eche hert y e beaute gaÌ„ to perce And certaynly if so I shall reherce Her shape her fourme her features by by As Guydo doth by ordre ceryously From head to foote clearly to deuyse I want englyshe that therto may suffyse It wil not be our tunge is nothing like I want also the floures of Rethorike To sewe his flouryshyng or his peynture For to discryue so fayre a creature For so my coloures feble be and feynte That nother can ennewe nor wel depaynte Eke I am not acqueynted with no muse Of all the nine therfore I me excuse To you echone not all of neclygence But for defaute onely of eloquence And you remit to Guydo for to se How he descriueth by ordre her beaute To take on me it were presumpciowne ¶ But I wil tell how Parys vp and downe Gothe in the temple and his eye cast Towardes Heleyne and gan presen fast As he that brent hoote in loues fyre That was enflawmed greatly by desyre And oft he chaungeth couÌ„tenaunce cheare And euer he neygheth to her nere and nere Ydarted through with her eyen tweyne And in likewyse this freshe quene Heleyne As hote she brent in herte priuely Albe no man it outward could espye For as her thought she neuer erst to fore Of all men that euer yet were bore Se none so fayre nor like to her pleasaunce On him to loke was hartes suffysaunce For in the temple she taketh hede of nought But compasseth and casteth in her thought How she may catche some oportunitye With him to speake at further lybertye This hooly was all her busynesse For him she felt so inly great distresse That oft she chauÌ„geth couÌ„tenauÌ„ce hewe For Venus hath theim marked so of newe With her brondes fyred by feruence And enflawmed by sodayne influence That egally they brought were in rage And saue the eye atwene was
w t brest ful square mete To endure in armes fel and coragious And of his loke wonder amerous High of stature and large of giftes eke And more of strength than any other Greke And to spend he set lytel charge He was of herte so plenteous and large And in the felde passyng chyualrous ¶ And for to tell forth of Tantalus Of sanguine hewe hauing much of reed Diuerse eyed aye meuing in his head Of huge making also of great strengthe Wel answeryng hys brede to his lengthe Hatinge to striue where he sawe no nede Ryght trewe of worde also as I reade And neuer quarel wolde he take on hande To fyght for but he might vnderstande That it were fully grounded vpon ryght And than he wolde quyte hym like a knyght ¶ Cilcus Ayax was right corpulent To be well cladde he set al his entent In ryche aray he was ful curyous Although he were of body corsyous Of armes great w t shoulders square brode It was of him almost a horse lode Hygh of stature and boystous in a pres And of his speche rude and rechles Ful many worde in ydel hym asterte And but a coward was he of his herte ¶ An other Ayax Thelamonyous There was also dyscrete and vertuous Wonder fayre and semely to beholde Whose heyr was black vpward ay gā folde In compas wise rounde as any sphere And of musyke was there none his pere Hauing a voyce full of melodye Right well entuned as by Hermonye And was inuentife for to counterfete Instrumentes aswell smal as grete In sundry wise longing to musyke And for all this yet had he good practike In armes eke and was a noble knyght No man more orped nor hardyer for to fight Nor desyrous for to haue vyctorye Deuoyde of pompe hatyng all vaynglorye All ydle laude spent and blowe in vayne ¶ Of Vlyxes what shall I also sayne That was so noble and worthy in his dayes Ful of wyles and sleyghty at assayes In meaning double and deceyuable To forge a leysyng also wonder able With face playn he coud make it toughe Mery worded and but selde loughe In counsayling discret and ryght prudent And in his tyme the most eloquent And holpe to Grekes often in theyr nede ¶ And for to speake of worthy Diomede Full wel compact and growe well in length Of sturdy porte and famous eke of strength Large brested and ferse also of syght And deceyuable of what euer he hyght Hasty testyf to smyte reckles And medlyng aye and but selde in peace To his seruauntes ful inpacient And baraytous where that so euer he went For lytel worthe of disposycion And lecherous eke of complexion And had in loue oft syth his parte Brenning within of Cupydes fyery darte And spechles ful ofte felt he his sore ¶ What shal I sayne eke of Duke Nestore Of longe stature and wel compact wythall With corbe shoulders and of middell small In handes strong with armes large roūde In counsalyng prudent and wyse yfounde Whose wordes were sugred wyth pleasaunce Vpon his frende hauing aye remembraunce For of his trouthe he ne coud fayne But in anger he might him not refrayne He was so fret wyth melancolye That no man myght his yre modefye Albe it laste but a lytell space Who could him suffer anone it would pace Lightly it came and lyghtly went awaye ¶ And Prothesalyus y t freshe was of araye Wonder semely and of great beaute I trowe a fayrer might no man se Of good stature delyuer and ful lyght No man swyfter and to speake of myght Of his makyng he was passyng stronge Ferse of courage and lothe to take a wronge ¶ And to tell of Neptolomus He was of making wonder corsyous Whose heyr was blacke shining as doth geat With eyen rounde brode and therto great Large brested with a rysyng backe And in speche stamerd whan he spacke But in causes he could medle wele And in the lawe ful depe he did fele For all his lust was beset on plees ¶ But for to tell of Pallamides King Naulus sonne withouten any wene Of face fayre of body longe and lene Of manful hert hardy in battayle And desyrous his enemye to assayle Famylyer curteyse and therto right tretable In al his dedes and inly worshipable In giuing large and passing of grete fame Of whose bounteful wide sprange the name In many land the storye telleth thus ¶ And next I finde of Polydamus The worthy Greke was of great thycknesse Of wombe swolle enbossed with fatnesse That vnneth he might him selfe sustene And yet of herte he was ful proude kene Right surquidrous and ful of pensyfenesse And selde glad so thought did him oppresse ¶ But Machaon like as wryte Guydo Of longe and short was betwyx two Ful proude and ferse deuoyde of pacyence And vengeable who hym did offence And yet he was as balde as is a coote On whose forhead euen by the roote The heyr was fallen wasted clene away And selde or neuer he would slepe a daye ¶ And ouermore to tellen of Crysyde Stumbleth my pen for longe or she dyed My mayster Chauncer did his diligence As to descryue the great excellence Of her beaute and that so maysterly To take on me it were but high folye In any wyse to adde more therto For wel I wote anone as I haue do That I in sothe no thāke deserue maye By cause that he in wrytyng was so gay And but I wryte I must the trouthe leue Of Troye booke and my matter breue And ouer passe and not go by and by As doth Guydo in ordre ceryously And that I must don offencion Through necligence or presumpcion So am I set euen amiddes twayne Great cause haue I matter to complayne On Attropos that through her enuye Tho brake the thred and made for to dye Noble Galfryde chefe Poete of Brytayne Among our Englishe y t caused first to rayne The golden droppes of Rethorike so fyne Our rude language onely tenlumine To god I praye that he his soule haue After whose helpe of nede I must craue And seke his boke that is left behinde Some goodly worde therin for co finde To set amonge the croked lines rude Whych I do wryte as by symylitude The rubye stant so royall of renowne Within a ryng of coper or latowne So stant the making of him doubtles Amonge our bokes of Englyshe pereles They be ful easy knowen so they be excellēt There is no making to his equipolent We do but halte who so taketh hede That medle of makyng without any drede Whan as we would his style counterfete We may alday our colour grinde and bete Tempre our asour and vermilyon But al I holde but presumpcion It foloweth not therfore I let be And fyrst of all I wil excuse me And procede as I haue erst begon And through his fauour certayn if I con Of Troye booke for to make an ende And there I left I wyl agayne nowe wende
all Troian nouther greke None so named of famous hardinesse As bokes olde of him do beare witnesse Except Hector there ne was such an other ¶ And after him to speake of his brother I meane Parys most passing of beaute That in this worlde no man might se In very sothe a more semely knight For as I reade that he by title of right Of fayrnesse bare aye away the floure With lockes yelowe like golde as of coloure And in shotyng most was his delyte Hauyng in hunting a full great appetyte And as Dares lyketh him discriue The best archer one that time a liue And of his hand was eke a noble knight A manly man delyuer and of good might And in the werre preued wel he was ¶ And as I reade the Troian Eneas As mine Auctour lysteth to endyte Was wel brested and of body lyte And bare in Troye wonder great estate And in his workes discrete and temporate And had a fame of passyng eloquence Wise of counsayle and of great sapyence Most renoÌ„med also of lecture Delyting muche in bokes and scripture And euer glad both of porte and cheare Sterne of his loke with persyng eyen cleare And amonge all dwellyng in the towne To speake of goodes and possessyowne Of castelles and Toures great plentye I finde sothly that none in that Citye Ne might attayne vnto his rychesse And had also for al his worthynesse Of golde and Iewellê passyng great treasor ¶ And his felowe that hyght danÌ„ Anthenor Was sklender longe and of great dalyauÌ„ce And circumspect in all his gouernaance Welbeloued also of Pryamus And of wordes wonder copyous Resowning ay into myrth and playe And he was bouerdyng all the long daye Amonges his feres and in companye So dryely that no maÌ„ might espye So sobre he was in his countenaunce That euery wight had great plesaunce To heare him talke whan that he was glad And albeit that he of porte was sad Yet all his speche ful of bouerdes was ¶ And his son called Pollidamas Was like his father of stature and of make Ythewed well that there was no lacke In his persone gentill and right trewe Wonder stronge and pale also of hewe And to yre stered sodaynly Albe in wordes he kept couertly But all his heate passe would anone ¶ And to tell of king Mereone Large brested and of his makyng all The best compacte the most tall Of shape and fourme that men coulde fynde And eke so well perfourmed vp by kynde That none was lyke to hym nye ne ferre His lockes yelow and crisping was his heare Styll of his porte and gentill with to playe And inly stronge maistryes to assaye Wonder curteyse to no wyght rygorous And wrought in ariues dedes meruaylous As in this boke hereafter shal be sene ¶ Nowe after him Heccuba the quene Lyke the story my style I must enclyne Whose lymmes all rather dyd declyne To shappe of man than to womanhead As sayth Guydo but in worke and dede She was in soth the most womanly The beste aduysed and most prudently In her dedes could her selfe gouerne That mans wyt myght in no wise discerne To fynde a better doubtles than was she So trewe example of femynyte She was in sothe and to euery wyghte Benynge of porte and gracious of syghte To pore also pyteous and mercyable And vnto nedy wonder cherytable The wife of Hector her doughter eke in law After her lore semed muche to drawe Andromecha the faythfull trewe wyfe So good so iust the whiche in all her lyfe In honeste dyd aye her most delyte Longe of her shap with brestes fayre white With ruddy chekes ennewed by measure With persynge eyen of angelyke fygure Leke golde her tresses and rosen lyppes red Ylyche freshe of colour nothyng dead Therto she was of chere the goodlyest To riche and pore and spake alwaye the best Of euery one aye helpyng that she might That no man heauy went out of her syght And ouer this euery gentylman She further wolde in all that euer she can And gladly euer dyd her dylygence To get grace to them that dyd offence This was her vsage and condicion She was so fylled of compassyon That women all myght of her lere ¶ And Cassandra her owne doughter dere Was of stature wonder womanly Of colour whyte and therwith ryght semely Saue in her face in sondry places were Many wertes growyng here and there And all her ioye and felycytee Was to kepen her virginite In freelte that women haue of kynde Through vertue morall she put out of minde And of all foly fleynge occasyon So aye in study and contemplacyon Of sondry bookes she wolde her occupye But most of all to knowe Astronomye ¶ Of prophecye a spyryt also had she And some men saye she was one of three Of thilke women that Cebyle bare the name Of whom y e renowne floureth and the fame Vnto this daye and is as yet full grene ¶ And to tell of younge Polycene And to descryue her beautie vp and downe It were in soth a foule presumpciowne To take on me now so great a thynge To clymbe so hye it passeth my connyng Syth nature hath in forgynge of this mayde Her connyng all vtterly assayed To make her fayre aboue eche creature ¶ And sayd proudely se how I nature Whan that my lyste enbellyshe can my worke Lyke as Phebus amonge the cloudes derke Is passyng clere so in comparyson I can my worke and operacion Right as me lyste adourne and make fayre So painte and floryshe it shall not appayre And my colours so craftely dispose Of the lylye and of the freshe rose And so ennewe them y t they shall not fade But aye be one and in this wise I made My dere doughter as ye know whoÌ„ I mene The yonge freshe and fayre Polycene Askaunse that none can this crafte but I This in her worke bosted vtterly Nature her selfe whan she this may wrought As she that fully in her herte thought Aboue all other to maken her excell And of beautie to be the very well And therwithall in shap nor in stature Ne was no lacke I dare you well assure And god aboue gaue her soueraintee In all thewes and wolde she shulde be Crop and roote named of womanhead With fulsomnesse of all goodlihead So passyngly that it were ydelnesse Me to presume in wordes to expresse Her beaute all it were a vayne trauayle For wel I wote mine englishe would fayle In such matter to talke felingely Who euer can it certayne it am not I. Therfore I passe and streight now wil I go To my matter for Dares of no mo In all his booke maketh menciowne Of theim of grece nor of Troye towne In special he put no mo in minde Than ye haue herde saue as ye shal finde In this storye whan it cometh therto Of theyr knighthod who that best hath do Lasting the siege the maner euerydell And ryght anone to sharpe my poyntell I wil me dresse this storye
bryng forth a worde ¶ And thus Bachus the strōg mighty lord Ful oft causeth folkes for to erre For to debate and to maken werre Of hastynesse where as is no nede Wherfore it is wysedome that men drede His sleyghty workyng or they fall in snare And feble braines by measure for to spare Or they vnwarely arested be and take And or Bachus make theim for to shake In a feuer worse than tercyen If it of custome be cotydyen Alterat with Bachus myghty Ious And affered of tourning of the hous And fordreynt on the drye lande When he hath lost the vse of foote hande And with a strawe playeth lyke an ape And deuoutly ginneth for to gape And noddeth oft wyth his Iowsy heade As he had on an heauy cappe of leade And who that be of this condicion He entre maye the relegyon Of myghty Bachus for habylite The whych lorde hath the souereynte Both of hony and of mylke therto And of bawme that is so ryche also And lordshyp hath of high power diuine Both of grapes and of euery vyne Theim to nouryshe through his influence Of whom the honour and the reuerence Is reysed most as I vnderstande Amonges vynters in euery maner lande Bycause he is to theim so gracious ¶ And they of Lemnos worshyp Vulcanus The god of fyre Iubyter his smythe The whych forgeth on his blacke stythe The great thonder hydous and horryble And the leuens that whylom be visible Into the west out of the Oryent And gasteth vs with his dredful dent The smotry smyth this swarte Vulcanus That whylom in herte was so Ialous Toward Venus that was his wedded wife Wherof there rose a deadly mortall strife Whan he with Mars gan her first espye Of hygh malyce and cruell false enuye Through y e shining of Phebus bemes bright Lying abed with Mars her owne knight For which in herte he brent as any glede Making the slaundre all abrode to sprede And gan theron falsly for to muse And god forbede that any man accuse For so lytell any woman euer Where loue is set hard is to disseuer For though they do such thing of gentilnesse Passe ouer lyghtly and beare none heuinesse Lest that thou be to women odius And yet this smythe this false Vulcanus Albe that he had theim thus espyed Amonge Paynems yet was he defyed And for that he so falsly theim awoke I haue him set last of all my boke Amonge the goddes of false mawmentrye And in this wyse gan ydolatrye As ye haue herde through oppynyons Of people erryng in theyr affections That all is false who the trouthe serche For by teaching of all holy churche By holy doctryne and tradicions We shal despyse such opynyons Whych of the fende were founde not of late For whan aungelles in heauen were create He that of all had the prelacye Of whom the prophete called Esaye Wryteth ryght thus how the Cedres grene Of Paradyse were not so fayre to sene Planys nor fyrre in heyght soth to sayne To his highnes might not attayne Nor all the trees so delycious Of Paradyse were not so precious Nouther in sight nor in semelinesse To be egall to him as in fayrnesse But through his pryde and his surquidrye Whan so he sayde to god that syt so hye He wyll be lyke and also set his see High in the north passyng his degre He was cast downe wyth all his legyons From the fayre heauenly mansyons All sodaynly into the pyt of hel Perpetually there for to dwell Of whom was sayde whan he fel so ferre How fell thou so O thou morowe sterre From the middes of the stones bryght That be so persyng and fyery of theyr lyght That whilom were for thy great bryghtnesse Called Lucifer of whō Christ sayeth expresse In his gospell how he sawe fro heauen Sathan descende lyke the fyery leuene The olde serpent that is so lowe yfall Whom the Hebrues in theyr tunge call ¶ Bemoth that doth in latin playne expresse A beast rude full of cursednesse The vile serpent he Leuiathan Whom I sydore well descryue can Whych of kynde is neuer conuersaunt In welles trouble and hath most his haunt Amonges waters and in the large sea Of whom sayth Dauid like as ye may se In his Psalter making mencion Of the snake the monstruous Dragon ful of venym and of hard grace Whych in the sea large and great of space Wyth foule adders hath his mansyon Vnto mankynde to do illusyon Whom whylom sawe the holy monke Brādā As he sayled forthe by the Occyan Thorowen and deiect in a pyt horryble More foule and hydous than it is credible There to abide this tortuous serpent Vnto the daye playnly of Iudgement That of malyce enuyed so mankynde Whych with his ginnes sleightes as I find Came to our fathers first in paradyse And to deceyue the bet at his deuyse More couertly this worme in his passage Toke of a serpent the lyknesse and ymage That is of cheare of loke and countenaunce Lyke a mayde and hath resemblaunce Of a woman as recordeth Bede In his deceytes rather for to spede I meane the face onely and not elles For behynde so as clerkes telles Lyke a serpent of wombe backe and tayle He was whan he gan him to assaile And towarde Eue whan he gan to glyde He fyrst enquereth as he her toke asyde Why god forbad theim eten of the tree Whych if they eate sothly they shulden be Like to goddes knowing good and yll And right forthwith as they gan fulfyll The fendes hest theyr eyen were vnclosed And for theyr gylt sodaynly deposed From Paradyse into wretchednesse To lyue in labour sorowe and distresse And thus the fende whan that fyrst he toke Fourme of a snake and a womans loke And made the tunge in her heade to meue By false engene mankinde for to greue So as he doth in theim that be trauayled With wycked spyrytes vexed and assayled To meue theyr tunges falsly out to breake Into blasphemy what thinge y t they speake The same serpent he Leuiathan Continuing aye falsely as he gan In cursed Idolles dombe deafe and blinde Ful oft speaketh by spyrytes as I finde Which are but fendes Dauid wryte certayne ▪ The goddes all whom folkes so in vaine Honour with rites supersticious As whilom was Apollo Delphicus Like as tofore ye haue herd deuise Which as for now ought inough suffise ¶ And as I trowe the very cause why That myne auctour reherseth by and by Grounde and ginnyng of Idolatrye This the cause for ought I can espye For that he sawe the matter was not knowe Ilyche well both to high and lowe Perauenture you to do pleasaunce He hath the grounde put in remembraunce Of false goddes and of mawmentrye And most for theim that can no poesye ANd to y e storye resorteth soone agayne How Achilles as ye haue herd me saine And Patroclus haue the waye ynome To the temple and thyther be ycome To haue aunswere of theyr
lande An hundred thousand almost at thyn hande Agayne whose might y u mayst y e not assure To resyst playnly nor endure Consyder well how that they be stronge As thou shalt wyt peraunter or be longe So manly men and so well arayed Expert in armes and of olde assayed That no diffence may agayne theim vayle And wyte eke well that thou mayst not fayle By death of sworde of theyr hande to deye And all thyne there is no more to seye Though it so be proudly that thou speake And with thy tunge onely to be wreake Afermest more than thou mayst acheue Better it were such bostyng wordes leue And to wyse counsayle taketh better hede BVt than in haste agayne this Diomede Surquidous and inly full of pryde There rose vp some by the kynges syde With swordes drawe on him wold haue fal And al to hewen him there among theim all Of hasty yre brenning as the glede Tyll Pryamus gan to taken hede And rose him vp seyng this disease And manfully this rage gan appease Theim diffending vpon death and lyfe That none of theim be hardy in this stryfe The embassadoures to harme or to greue For though a fole his foly will not leue To presume to speake vnconningly A wyse man must suffer pacyently And though that he happe to do offence Through folishe speche for lacke of sapyence A wyse man ne ought sothe to sayne To taken hede or to speake agayne For to a fole as it is pertynent To shewe his foly right so conuenient Is to the wyse sothly with suffraunce In all his porte to haue tolleraunce For vnto foles belongeth kindely Without aduyse to speake folyly Vndiscretly his mening to fulfyll Where as a wyse man heare can and be styll Tyll he se tyme and haue pacience And dissimule in his aduertence The rage of foles that last but a throwe For by his tunge a fole is oft knowe And leuer I had I do you wel assure In my persone domage to endure Then to suffer any messengere In my court of you that be here To haue a wronge other great or lite The swerde of rancoure may not alway bite To do vengeaunce for a thyng of nought For oft it falleth that a wronge is wrought For lytel excesse foloweth great reprefe And haste is aye medled wyth myschefe Wherfore I byd that ye sytte adowne And in no wise of presumpciowne Attempteth not in no maner wyse By sygne or worde more for to despyse Thembassadoures from the Grekes sente But let theim frely declare theyr entente And ye there whyles kepe your lippes close ANd sodaynly then Eneas rose Whych next the kinge helde then his see So inwardly with rancour fret was he That he ne myght him selfe not refrayne And sayd syr so ye not disdayne That I shall saye me semeth that it is Wel according when one hath sayd amys And rekly spoken vnaduised Of his foly that he be chastysed That other maye example by him take To be wel ware such noyse and crye to make And specially in open audience So to offende your royall excellence And sothly yet I wote well that I might So me gouerne playnly in your syght Of hastinesse without auisement That I shulde by your commaundement The death deserue for my great offence And trewly yet ne were for your presence Of this twayne that haue so yspoke Without abode I shuld anone be wroke For it were worthy and ryght well sittyng Whan that a fole in presence of a kinge Is bolde or hardy of presumpcion To take on him of indiscrescion Thinge to reherse concluding in sentence Preiudyce of his magnificence That he were taught better to gouerne His large tunge to konne bet and diserne Whan he shal speake or whan be in pease To suffer him to renne out of lese As doth he this that spoke hath so large Wherfore in haste I counsayle him charge Without abode or any worde mo Out of your syghte anone he be ago For it is best to do as I him rede TO whom anone ful proudly Diomede Not astoned but with a sterne loke To Eneas that for yre quoke Answered agayne but with wordes fewe And sayd syr thy wordes doth well shewe What so thou be that thou art ryght wise Well is that king that doth by thyne aduyse Or hath the nye of counsayle for to be For he ne maye erre in no degre That art so rightful in thy iudgement Of wylfullnesse without aduysement To cause a lorde his bondes for to pace So would god in some other place That I myght by fauoure of fortune Mete with the at leysure oportune Lyke my desyre that canst so well endite In olde fables thy labour for to quyte And the to thanke for thy gentyll chere Which so knightly thou hast vs shewed here Truste well therto and haue therof no drede ANd tho Vlixes of this Diomede Gan interrupte his wordes prudently And to him sayde full aduysely That it was best to stynt and be still And now we know fully all thy will Quod Vlyxes full manly to the kynge We will go hense without more taryinge Out of thy sight to Agamenon And make to him playne relacion Of thy aunswere in ordre by and by And to horse they wenten sodaynly And in shorte time so hast them in their way That they be come there is no more to saye Where the kinge satte in his tentorye And worde by worde as came to memorye They reherse the substaunce euery dele Wherof the grekes like nothing wele Conceyuing full there was no remedye As by reporte of the embassadrye Saue onely this vtterly procede How they theim shall gouerne in this nede Agayne Troians of necessitee For they well wote it may none other be And assented both in wyl and dede To puruey theim fast they theim spede In this storye as ye shall after fynde BVt fyrst or I therof maken mynde I must a whyle of Eneas endyte As myne Auctour lyst of hym to wryte The whych sothly as bokes saye he was This manly Troian this worthy Eneas Anchises sone of great worthinesse Whylom gete of Venus the goddesse Conqueroure of many regyon Whan Troye was brought to destruction He wente his waye by the large see Called Tyrene and saylyng forth goth he By many coste and many streyght passage Many daunger tyll into Cartage He ryued is and thense gan to sayle To the conquest of the great Ytale And so to Rome he hath the waye take Of whose spring as auctours mencion make Came Augustus Cesar the Emperour That was whilom so noble a conquerour That his renowne to this daye doth shine And of Enee the Emperour Iustyne In his bokes called Autentykes Full playnly wryt therin the rubrykes That after Cesar so as Cesares Be named yet ryght so Eneades After Enee they name shoulden beare Whych fro Troye comen was so fere Vnto ytayle and of this Eneas As I haue tolde Cesar descended was Downe lyne ryght ful manly and royall
That fyrst in Rome by sceptre imperyall Maugre theyr myght had the gouernaunce And of wysedome set the ordynaunce Of common thynges touchyng the Cytee And to procede further of Enee Hooly his lyfe and knyghthod by and by If that ye lyst to reade ceryously Ye may se all ful autentyke of style In Eneydos compyled of Vergyle Albeit so that this noble clerke Was graue afore or coÌ„plete was his werke As bokes olde maken mencion ¶ How Agamenon sent Achilles and Thelephus into the Ilande of Messa for vytayles and how they slewe the king and after ordeyned Thelephus the kynge there Ca. xx BVt nowe agayne to Agamenon Without more I wyll my style retourne The whych kyng will no more soiourne In this matter delayes for to make But in all haste he hath his counsayle take Of his lordes beyng there present And such as were not he hath after sent For one and al Earles Dukes and kinges ¶ And sayd syres amonge other thynges To our Iourney that be necessarye My counsayle is no longer that we tarye But fyrst of all to make ordynaunce By one assent with prudent purueaunce That alder fyrst we shape vs for vytayle Without whych none hoost may auayle To parfourme a iourney thryftely Wherfore I reade here but fast by If it to you be lykyng and plesaunce Into an yle ful of habundaunce Called Messa that we sende anone And at one worde assented euery chone They chosen haue worthy Achilles And Thelephus the sone of Hercules To execute this purpose fynally With many worthy in theyr company Ychosen out through the hoost anone With Achilles are to Messa gone In whych lande ryche and plenteous Reygned a kynge worthy and famous That Tentran hyght whych in tranquylyte Without werre or aduersyte Had holde his Sceptre and his royall sete In this yle so pleasaunte and so mete Albe that some saye that this lytell yle To the kyngedome longeth of Cecyle And hath his name gyuen of plente After Messane an huge great Cite Full plenteous both on se and lande The whych kyngdome as I vnderstande Is sayde Messena of Messes in latin Through habundauÌ„ce of fruyt corne wyne At the aryuayle on the playnes large Where they are wont for to stuffe charge Merchaunt shyppes of straunge fer countre That thyther sayle by the large sea To fetche vitayle aye from yeare to yeare Fro many coste of landes farre and nere Onely by eschaunge of merchaundise And eke also as bokes can deuyse And as Guido full playnly telleth vs That of a kyng called Messanus This countrey first of Messa toke the name That in his tyme was of great fame Passyng ryche and wonder plenteous But of all this Dares Frygyus In his boke maketh no mencion But shortly telleth in conclusyon How Achilles and Thelephus also To Messena be togither go With thre thousande of grekes chosen out Most manly men amonges all theyr route The whych as fast as they gan to londe And the kynge gan to vnderstonde Of theyr comyng he is descended downe With all the worthy of his regiowne On horse and foote in stele armed bryght Agaynst Grekes manfully to fyght Theim to deuoyde playnly yf they can And sodaynly thus the skermyshe gan Atwixe Grekes and other mortall fone On other parte there was many one Slayne and hurte to the death ywounded Neuer lykly therof to be sounded ¶ For other treate was theim not atwene But swerdê sharpe and speres square kene Now here now there that they go to ground For euery man his foo for to confounde His labour dyd and his busynesse And though grekê through theyr worthinesse Had on theyr foen much londe ywon Yet to retyre after they begon And meruayle none bycause that theyr fone Had alwaye thre in noumber agaynst one For the time it may none other be Till Achilles gan beholde and se The mortall slaughter vpon grekes syde Tourning y e backe w t woundes large wide Of hasty rancour chaungen gan his bloode And for yre furious and woode Whan he behelde his men lese theyr lande He w t the swerd whiche he helde in his hande Made waye kylled and bare downe And in the felde like a fierse Lyowne He fared in sothe when y t his men were slawe Makyng his foen backwarde to withdrawe And his grekes so manly recomforte That maugre theim he made them to resorte ¶ And who that euer in his waye stode Without mercy he kylleth in his mode There gayneth nought in his crueltee For doubtles ne had his manhod be His passyng renowne and his worthynesse His knighthod eke and his high prowesse The Grekes had that daye fynallye Vanquished be without remedye But through his helpe they recure all For Achilles sturdy as a wall Gan serche sheltrouns theyr raÌ„ges brake Tofore whose face his fomen go to wrake ¶ And alderlast whan he gan espye Tentran the kyng through his chyualrye Defende him selfe lyke a worthy knyght And as a Lyon bare him in his fyght Now here now there grekes so oppresse This Achilles of cruell hardynesse Ne would cease in his pursewynge Through the warde tyll he came to the king Of manly force stoute and full of pryde Makyng a waye rounde on euery syde Agayne whose might nothyng might auayle ¶ And of Tentran fyrst the auentayle He raced hath and rent the male asonder And al to hewe that it was a wonder To consydre that daye his cruelte And after that al to broke hath he His bassenet wyth many cruell wounde And by his myght smyt the kyng to grounde And in all haste he maked hath no let From of his head to rende his bassenet And merciles for to do vengeaunce His harme he gan on heyght to auaunce Fully in purpose that he shulde be dead And raunsomles gan amyn at his heade With blody swerde and despytous herte Castyng playnly he shulde not asterte In his Ire he was so furyous ¶ But of fortune it befell ryght thus Thelephus the yonge lusty knyght Casuelly therof had a syght And of Achilles the maner ful behelde The stroke anone he bare vp with his shelde And gan Achilles mekely for to preye To haue pytye so to do him deye Syth he laye wounded almost to the deathe Brought to the poynt to yelden vp y e breathe Beseching him for his beningnyte Of manly routhe and eke knightly pyte Withdrawe his hande and to do him grace And graunt him life for a lytell space Syth euery knyght should of gentilnesse His enmye spare whan he is in distresse To vttraunce brought and specyally wheÌ„ he Mercy requireth of humble voluntee ¶ To whom Achylles feruent in his yre As he that was of rancoure set a fyre Aunswered agayne what lyst the so to preye For him that nolde of pryde our wyll obeye But gyn a werre where as was no nede Of highe disdayne and indignacion Hauyng a truste of presumpcion In his manhod which myght him not auaile Agaynst grekes to holden a
in his testament The fyne concludynge of his laste entent And after that he full piteously Besought Thelephus most hertely Of manly routhe and knyghtly gentilnesse To do his deuer and his busynesse After his death like his estate royall To halowe and holde his feast funerall Solemply and the exequies do And sodeynly without wordes mo The kyng Tentran yeldeth vp the goste And went his waye I note to what coste I can not deme of suche mystyhede And whan Percas broken had the threde On the rocke and he was forth his waye Then Thelephus out of marbell graye Curiously a tombe made do carue The dead corps therin to conserue Full rychely and aboue the graue An Epythaphe anone he dyd do graue In his honour playnly to expresse His knighthode both and his worthynesse And howe his goste and he were deuorced With letters ryche of golde aboue enboced Rounde aboute wonder curious On his tombe that sayden playnly thus Here lyeth Tentran the kyng doubtles Whylom slayne of cruell Achylles That his scepter and the regallye Hooly gaue whiche no man may denye To Thelephus the sonne of Hercules Whiche in his tombe resteth nowe in peace Whan this perfourmed was in euery thynge And Thelephus of Messa crowned kyng And hyghe and lowe all by one assent Had solempnely in open parlement Made fayth to hym and ydone homage Lyke their degrees as they were of age And with hole herte in all their best entent By othe assured and by sacrament As trewe lyeges receyued him for kyng ¶ Than Achylles without more taryinge Whan all was sette in peace and gouernaunce Without grutchinge or any varyaunce To their shyppes anone he made carye Euery thyng that was necessarye To the grekes corne fruite or vitayle Fleshe or fyshe or what that might auayle To hosteynge or helpe them in their nede Downe to the sea he all this dyd lede Fully their vessell for to stuffe and lade And Thelephus after this he made Stylle in boundes of his regyon For to abyde for this conclusion That through his helpe and his diligence Busynes and discrete prouydence Agayne all myschyefe and all scarsytee Whan they nede he myght their socour be ALbe that he lyke as sayth Guydo With Achilles full fayne wolde haue go But he abode sothly for the beste By bonde assured fully and beheste In euery thynge grekes to releue And than in haste Achilles toke his leue Of Thelephus and gan anone to sayle All his shyphes stuffed with vitayle Towarde grekes as made is menciowne And in shorte tyme he at Tenedowne Aryued is and taken hath the grounde With all his knyghtes likwise hole sounde ¶ And after this to Agamenon He fyrste hath made full relacion Of his exployt lyke as it was fall In the presence of his lordes all Sittyng enuyron many worthy knyght ¶ And fyrste in Messa he telleth of the fyght Whan they entred and of their welcomyng And ceryously he tolde eke of the kynge That Tentran hyght and playnly also how Achylles amydde the fyelde hym slowe And or his death how he of hole entent Fully ordeyned in his testament Thelephus also to be his heire All this he tolde and eke of his repayre Vnto the sea and eke of the vyttayle ¶ And Thelephus how he wyll not fayle To sende them all that may them please Of whiche thynge the grekes in great ease Were brought of herte and lyke wonder well When Achilles had tolde them euerydell And greatly preysed his hygh prouydence His manhode both and his sapyence In his out beynge that he bare him so And after this Achylles is ygo To his lodgynge a lyttle there besyde Where his knyghtes vpon hym abyde Myrmydones full glade of his comynge And hym receyued as longeth to a kynge Where he abode and rested hym a whyle ¶ But for Guydo declyneth here his style From the grekes to them of Troye towne I must also make digressyowne Of myne auctour the steppes for to sewe Lyke as it is conuenient and dewe To my matter syth he is my guyde And for a whyle grekes sette asyde I wyll reherse how Dares Frygyus In Troye booke declareth vnto vs And ceriously maketh menciowne Of the lordes that came to Troye towne To helpen them manly in their defence Agaynst grekes to maken resystence With ordynaunce of many dyuers thynges There came to theÌ„ Erles Dukes kinges As in Dares playnly is made mynde Reade his boke and there ye may yt fynde ¶ And alder fyrst I reade how that he Specyally speaketh of kynges three Full manly men and also of great fame All be that he reherseth not the name Of their kyndomes yet he wryteth thus ¶ The fyrst of theim was called Pandarus And as I reade Tapor the seconde The thirde Andrastrus lyke as it is founde And as Guydo lyst to specyfye Thre thousande knyghtes in their companye And manly men they were euerychone ¶ And from an yle called Coleson Lyke as Dares listeth to expresse There came also of excellent prowesse ¶ Kynges foure of whiche the fyrst was As he hath wrytte ynamed Carras And the seconde hyghte Ymasyus Nestor the thirde the .iiii. Amphymacus And fyue thousande worthy knightes all There came with them manly for to fall Vpon the grekes in helping of the towne And fro y e prouince knowen of great renowne Called Lycye came the kyng Glaucon And with him brought his sonne Sarpedon A noble knight in armes full famous And was allyed to kyng Pryamus And thre thousande yf I shall not fayne There came of knightê w t these lordes twaine ¶ And from Larysse a ryche lande also As I fynde there camen kynges two And them to quite manly as they ought A thousand knightê they to Troye brought ¶ And from a kyngdome named Lycaowne Euphemus a kyng of great renowne Brought with hym as Dares doth wytnesse A thousande knyghtes of great worthynesse And fyue hundred Dares telleth vs Came with Hupon and with Epedus Many knyghtes in plates of syluer bryght And with hym eke a kyng y t Remus hyght Brought .iii. thousande to Troye many myle From Tabaria his large mightye yle And Dukes foure with all their chiualrye And Erles .viii. came in his companye Hauynge in armes great experyence And all they bare without difference Their men they when they were in y e fyelde The chiefe of golde eueryche in his shielde Wherby the kynge and holy his nauy Amonge them all knowen mighten be Albe that other bore eke the same Also froÌ„ Trace kynge Pylex by his name Fro thylke Trace that is moste excellent Whiche in the plage of the Oryent Haueth his scyte froÌ„ which this mighty kyng A thousande knightê brought at his cominge As myne auctor recordeth eke also An hundred knightes be to Troye go With Alchamus a worthy Duke famous That came with Pilex Guydo wryteth thus Troyans to helpe in their great nede And fro Pauonye sothly as I reade Came Pretemessus the noble werryour Lorde of that lande kynge
pase The brode fyelde tyll they haue atteyned ¶ And in this whyle Hector hath ordeyned Lyke myne auctour as I can reherse The eyght warde of the folke of Perce Worthy knightes manly and ryght wyse The whiche were committed to Paryse On him that day tawayte busyly To whom Hector tho full beningly Spake and saide thus at his departyng Oh brother myne in all maner thynge Whan thou arte passed by Dardanides This daye to ferre put the not in prese Amonge grekes nor in iupardye Lest thy toen in mischyefe the espye To whom they haue of olde and newe date In their hertes full freshe and mortall hate The fyre of which their brest hath so enbrased That it were harde out to be araced Wherfore brother loke that thou euer be In any wise not to ferre fro me But kepe the nye that no misauenture Fall vpon the so that I may succoure This daye to the mine owne brother deare To whom Parys with full humble cheare Answered and sayd that in euery thinge He would obeye vnto his bidding And rode his waye anone with his meyne Into the felde out of the Cite The ninth warde in ordre for to dresse Whych he thought hym selfe for to lede In whych he put sothly as I rede Fiue thousand knightê borne of Troy towne The worthyest and greatest of renowne And passyngly famous in knighthode Borne by discent on the Troians bloud ¶ And of his brethern taketh w t hym ten Suche as he knewe the most manly men That were forayne from stocke of regallye Out of the lyne borne in bastardye Whom Hector had in great chyerte For the knyghthod he could in theim se And whan he had by knightly purueaunce All his wardes set in gouernaunce Lyke Mars him selfe fast gan him spede Without abode for to take his stede Whych was in bokes called Gallathe Of all horse hauyng the soueraynte As ferre as men ryde in any coste Of whom Dares maketh so great a boste Of shape of heyght and also of fayrnesse Of strengthe of loke and of great swyftnesse So lyke an horse perfourmed out and oute And w t a wyer men might him tourne about Lyke as Dares maketh menciowne Of whoÌ„ Hector rydeth through troye towne Armed at all that came him wonder well From foote to head full rychly euerydele That shone as bright as son on somers daye And to Pryam he helde the ryght waye And whan that he was come to the kinge He reherseth in ordre euery thynge How he hath done and all his ordynaunce And lowly sayd so it be plesaunce To your noble royall excellence I haue chosen with busy dylygence A thousand knightes full of suffysaunce With fyue hundred to haue attendaunce On your persone alway where ye be With all footmen that be in the Cyte That shall awayte on you euer in one Wherfore my lorde as fast as we are gone Lowly I praye to your worthinesse To sewe vs by good aduysenesse Out at the towne alway eke that ye Togyther kepe your knightes and meyne This I beseche with all my full myght Within the boundes where as we shall fight That ye suffer none of theim passe But kepe ye hole in the selfe place Atwyxe vs and this stronge Cyte If we haue nede that ye maye aye se Vs to releue kepyng you asyde And specially there for to abyde Where most is lyckly our partye to sustene For euer amonge there shal men go betwene Of our exployt the trouthe to reporte For which parte Mars lyst the fielde to sorte Of his power this ilke daye fatall For ye shal be our castell and our wall And our refuge to saue vs from all smerte And specially one thynge ye aduerte That no deceyt fraude nor treasowne Compassed be behynde to the towne Of our foen through our recklesnesse Whyles that we don hooly our busynesse Agaynst theim in the fielde to fight In all wise therto haue a syght That nothynge tourne vnto our domage Through their engine but worke as y e sage With victorye that we maye conclude So that grekes with fraude vs not delude By no engyne of vnware vyolence Hopyng alway that it is none offence To your highnes that I haue here sayde And with that worde Pryamus abrayde Beningely of cheare and countenaunce And sayde Hector my sothfast suffysaunce My fynall truste and supportacion In thy discreat disposycion Hooly I put as thou list ordaine For next god if I shall not fayne My fayth my hope and all my sikernesse And my welfare in very sothfastnesse Committed be hole into thy hande And gouernaunce playnly of my lande As thou ordaynest it must nedes be And this prayer I make nowe for the To the goddes aboue celestyall The to preserue in partye and in all From eche myschiefe and aduersyte That thou mayst home ayene to this Cite Repaire in honour with laude and victorye So that the praise renowne and memorye Of thy name be put in remembraunce Perpetually thine honour to auaunce And fare now well mine owne sonne deare And Hector tho with full humble cheare His leue toke and forth he rode anone Amonge his lordes knyghtes euerychone As he that was the roote of noblesse Of knyghthode grouÌ„d of strengthe hardynesse The very stocke and therto inuincyble For as muche as it was possyble That nature myght to him graunt or kynde Touchyng manhode in bokes as I fynde He hadde in him soueraygne excellence And gouernaunce medled with prudence That nought asterte he was so wyse ware And in his shelde I fynde that he bare Vpon his brest this Troian champyon The chyefe of golde of gowlys a lyon Depeynt therin and in his baner bete The selfe same and so amydde the strete He toke the waye to Dardanydes That to beholde huge was the prese Noyse of trumpettes and of claryons Baners vnrolled and longe freshe penons Of red and whyte grene blewe and blacke And in this wyse Hector hath ytake The felde wythout w t herte and hole entente As Mars him selfe had tho be presente And they that he as Guydo maketh mynde Rode with in warde that lefte was behinde Of his manhode he would not abyde But smote his stede sharply in the syde Of fell courage he hath his horse so payned The fyrste warde that he hath atayned By vale and hylle tofore in the frounteres Not astoned of the fell cheares Of the grekes nor platly not aferde But lyke a knyght euen afore theyr berde He gan prease in as theyr foo mortall ¶ And in this whyle vpon Troye wall In sondry places on the hygh toures As freshe besene as May is with his floures The ladyes be ascended of the towne So fayre so yonge standinge enuyrowne The quene Heleyne passyng fayre to sene The kinges doughters goodly Pollycene And many other whych of womanheade In herte weren full of busy dreade Inly agaste and of feare afrayde Whan they behelde in the fyelde displayde The brode baners that some of tendernesse Some
outwarde sygnes that he dyd espye Wherfore quod he me lyketh not to lye By apparaunce as I dare presume Whyles that we waste thus and consume Oure stuffe within as it is to dreade They wyll prouyde of what y t they haue nede For all that is to them auauntage Myght be to vs hyndryng and damage And whyles that they encreasen and amende We shall our store discrease and dispende Yet neuerthelesse how euer that it be Touchyng this trewes as for monthes thre Sythen ye all assent and it accorde From your sentence I will not discorde In no wyse as to be varyaunt And thus the trewes confirmed was by graūt On outher syde they thought for the beste Bycause they shulde in quyet and in reste The meane whyle ease them and releue And they that felte their woundes sore greue Myght leyser haue their sores to recure And in y t meane while trewes did thus endure They fell in treatee and in communyng ¶ Of Anthenor and of Thoas the kyng That Anthenor delyuered shulde be For kyng Thoas to Troye the cyte ¶ And Thoas shuld to grekes home againe By this enchaunge as ye haue herd me saine One for an other as it accorded was ¶ And in this while y e troian byshop Calchas Remembred hym vpon his doughter dere Called Cryseyde with her eyen clere Whom in Troye he had lefte behynde Whē he went thense as bokes maken mynde For whom he felte passyngly great smerte So tenderly she was sette at his herte And enprented both at eue and morowe And chiefe cause and grounde of al his sorowe For she was lefte behynde him in the towne Without comforte or consolaciowne As he caste sothly in his absence And specially for his great offence That he hath wrought agaynst thē of Troye And as hym thought he shuld neuer haue ioye Tyll he his doughter recured hath agayne ¶ Wherfore Calchas the story sayth certaine In his wyttes many wayes caste How he best might while the trewes doth last Recure his doughter by some maner waye And as I fynde vpon a certayne daye In his porte wonder humbly With wepyng eye wente full pyteously In his complaynyng of teares albe reyned Whose inwarde wo sothly was not feyned And on his knees anone he falleth downe Tofore the great kyng Agamenowne Besechynge hym with all humilite Of very mercy and of hyghe pyte With other kynges syttyng in the place To haue routhe and for to do hym grace And on his wo to haue compassyon That he maye haue restitucion Of his doughter whom he loued so Praying them all their deuer for to do That through their prudent mediacyon For Anthenor that was in their pryson With kyng Thoas she myght eschaunged be If that them lyste of their benignite To his requeste goodly to assent And they him graunt forth anone they sent To kyng Pryam for to haue Creseyde For Calchas sake and therwith al they leyde The charge for her wonder specially On them that went for this embassadrye ¶ To Troye towne and to kynge Pryamus To whom Calchas was so odyus So hatefull eke throughout all the towne That this reporte was of him vp and downe That he a treatour was and also false Worthy to be enhonged by the halse For his treason and his doublenesse And euermore they sayd eke expresse That he deserued hath by ryght of lawe Shamefully fyrste for to be drawe And afterwarde the moste horryble death That he may haue to yelden vp the breth Lyke as a treatour in as dyspyteous wyse As any herte can thyncke or deuyse Eueryche affyrmyng as by iudgement That death was none fully equypollent To his deserte nor to his falsenesse As yonge and olde playnely bare wytnesse Concludyng eke for his iniquyte That they wolde assent in no degree Vnto nothyng that myght his herte please Nor of Creseyde for to do hym ease They caste not to make delyueraunce Leuer they had to gyuen hym mischaunce If they hym myght haue as at good large ¶ But fynally the effect of all this charge Is so ferforth dryuen to an ende That Priamus hath graūted she shal wende With kyng Thoas shortly there no more Vnto her father for Dan Anthenore Who euer grutche the kyng in parlement Hath thervpon geuen iudgement So vtterly it may not be repealed For with his worde the sentence was assealed That she must parte with her eyen glade And of the sorowe playnely that she made At his departynge hereafter ye shall here Whan it agayne cometh to my matere ¶ How duryng a trewes of .iii. monthes Hoctor walked into the grekes hooste and of the talke hadde betwyxte Achylles and hym Capitulo .xxv. THe truse affyrmed as ye haue herd deuise On outher syde of them y t were full wise And full assented of them euerychone Tyll three monthes comen be and gone Lyke as I reade on a certayne daye Whan agreable was the morowe graye Blandyshyng and pleasaunt of delyte Hector in harte caught an appetyte Lyke as Guydo lyketh for to wryte The same daye he wolde grekes vysyte Full well besene and wonder rychely With many worthy in his companye Of suche as he for the nones chese And to the tent fyrst of Achylles I fynde in soth that this Troyan knyght Vpon his stede hath take the weye ryght Full lyke a man as made is mencion ¶ Nowe had Achylles great affection In his herte both by daye and nyght Of worthy Hector for to haue a syght For neuer yet by none occasyon He myght of hym haue full inspection Nor hym beholde at good lyberte For vnarmed he myght hym neuer se But wonder knightly aswell in porte chere They had them both as they mette yfere And ryght manly in their countenaunce And at the laste they fell in dalyaunce ¶ But Achylles fyrst began abreyde And vnto hym euen thus he sayde Hector quod he full pleasynge is to me That I at leyser naked may the se Syth I of the neuer myght haue syght But whan thou were armed as a knyght And now to me it shal be full greuous Whiche am to the so inly enuyous But thou of me there is no more to sayne Be slayne anone with my handes twayne For this in soth were hooly my pleasaunce By cruell death to take on the vengeaunce For I full ofte in werre and eke in fyght Haue felte the vertue and the great myght Of thy force through many woundes kene That vpon me full freshe byn and grene In many place by shedyng of my bloud Thou were on me so furyous and wood Aye compassynge to my destructiowne For many a mayle of myne haberiowne Thy sharpe swerde racyd hath a sonder And cruelly seuered here and yonder And mortally as I can sygnes shewe My plates stronge persed and yhewe And my harneys forged bryght of stele Myght neuer yet assured be so wele In thyne yre whan thou lyste to smyte That thy sworde ne wolde them kerne byte Into my fleshe full depe and full profounde
her owne trewe knight Full tryst and heauy came agaynes eue If he might ought comforte or releue ¶ But he in sothe hath this Creseyde founde All in a swowne liyng on the grounde And pyteously vnto her he wente With wofull cheare and her in armes hente And toke her vp and then atwene theim two Began of newe suche a deadly wo That it was routhe and pyte for to sene For she of cheare pale was and grene And he of coloure like to ashes deade And fro her face gone was all the red And in his chekes deuoyded was the bloude So wofully atwene theim two it stode For she ne might not a worde yspeake And he was redy with deathe to be wreke Vpon him selfe his naked swerde besyde And she full ofte gan to the grounde glyde Out of his armes as she fell a swowne And he him selfe gan in teares drowne She was as stille and dombe as any stone He had a mouthe but wordes had he none The wery spyryte flykered in his brest That of the death stode tho vnder a reste Without maynpryse sothly as of lyfe And thus there was as it semed a stryfe Whiche of theim two shulde fyrste ypasse For death portrayed both in herte and face With coloure such as men go to theyr graue And thus in wo they gan togyther raue Disconsolate all the longe nyght That in good fayth yf here I should aryght The processe hole of theyr bothe sorowe That they made till the next morowe From poynt to poynt do it specifye All to longe it would me occupye Of euery thynge to make mencion And tarye me in my translacion If so I shoulde in her wo procede But me semeth that it is no nede ¶ Syth my maister Chaucer here afore In this matter hath so well him bore In his boke of Troylus and Creseyde Whych he mayde longe or that he deyed Rehersyng first how Troilus was cōtrayre For to ascende vp on loues stayre And how that he for all his surquedrye After became one of the compaynye Of loues folke for all his olde game Whan Cupide had subdued him full tame And brought him lowe to his subiectiowne In a temple as he walked vp and downe When he his gynnes and his hookes leyde Amid the eyen cercled of Creseyde Whych on that daye he might not asterte For through his brest perced hath his herte He went him home pale dead and wan And in this wise Troylus first began To be a seruaunt my mayster telleth thus Till he was after holpe of Pandarus Through whose comforte and mediacion As in his boke is made relacion With great laboure fyrst he came to grace And so continueth by many yeares space Till gery fortune gan vpon him frowne That she fro him must go out of the towne All sodaynly and sythe him se Lo here the ende of false felycite Lo here the ende of worldly brotilnesse Of fleshly lust lo here thunstablenesse Lo here the double variacion Of wordly blisse and transmutacion This daye in myrthe and in wo to morowe For aye the fine alas of ioye is sorowe For now Creseyde with the kinge Thoas For Anthenor shall forth gon alas Vnto Grekes and euer with theim dwell ¶ The hole storye Chaucer can you tell If that ye lyst no man better alyue Nor the processe halfe so well discriue For he our englyshe gilt with his sayes Rude and boystous firste by olde dayes That was full fer from all parfection And but of lytell reputacion Till that he came and with his poetrye Gan our tunge first to magnifye And adourne it with his eloquence To whom honour laude and reuerence Throughout this lande giuen be and songe So that the laurer of our englishe tonge Be to him giuen for his excellence Right as whilom by ful high sentence Perpetually for a memoriall ¶ Of Columpna by the Cardinall To Petrack fraūceis was giuen in Italye That the reporte neuer after fayle Nor the honour dirked of his name To be registred in the house of fame Amonge other in the highest sete My mayster Galfride as for chiefe Poete That euer was yet in our language The name of whom shall pallen in none age But euer yliche without eclipsing shine And for my parte I will neuer fine So as I can him to magnifye In my writinge plianly till I dye And god I praye his soule bringe in ioye ¶ And where I lefte I wil agayne of troye The storye tell and first how that he Guydo Within his boke thus speaketh Troylus to Rebuking him full vncurteysly That he so sette his herte folyly Vpon Creseyde full of doubilnesse For in his boke as Guydo list expresse That her teares and her complayninge Her wordes white softe and blandishinge Were meynt with fayning with flatterye And outward farsed with many a false lye For vnderhid was all the varyaunce Cured aboue with fayned countenaunce As women can falsly teres borowe In theyr herte though there be no sorowe Lyke as they would of very trouthe deye They can thynke one and an other say As a serpent vnder floures fayre His venym hydeth where he doth repayre The sugre afore the galle hydde behinde As propered is aye vnto theyr kynde To be dyuerse and double of nature Rathest deceyuing when men most assure For vnder coloure euery thynge they werke The fayre aboue the foule in the dercke They hydde so that no man may espye And though so be that wyth a wofull eye They can outwarde wepe pyteously The tother eye can laugh couertly Whose sorowes all are tempred with alleys And theyr coloure is euer meynt with rayes For vpon chaunge and mutabylyte Stande hole theyr truste and theyr suerte So that they be sure in doubylnesse And alway double in theyr sikernesse Seminge one when they best can varye Lykest to a corde when they be contrarye And thus they be most varyaunt in accorde And hoolest seme when there is discorde And Guido sayth how there are fewe or none That in herte apayed is in one And yet they can be it to one or twayne To thre or foure in theyr speche fayne Lyke as they were to one and to no mo Hoole in theyr loue for well and eke for wo. That eneryche shall of hym selfe deme That he be next lyke as he doth seme And thus in hope stādeth eche in of theim all The trewest aye redyest forto fall Who serueth best next to be appayred And thus in chaunge all theyr loue is fayred Let no man truste but catche when he maye Farewell to morow though it be sure to daye The fayre of chaunge lasteth all the yeare But it is folye for to bye to deare Thilke treasour whyche harde is to possede But flieth away when men therof most nede And yf it happe that no chapman be As sayth Guydo yet all daye men maye se It sheweth out at large fenestralles On chaumbers high lowe downe in halles And in windowes eke in euery strete And also eke men
aforne For to their tentes they haue thē chased down That ne had be kyng Agamenowne Grekes had be driuen clene out of the fyelde The whiche thyng anon as he behelde He came vpon with many worthy man And tho of new the slaught agayne began On euery halfe vpon the large playne That grekes haue Troyans so be laine That efte agayne they haue the fyelde ywon So that Troyans canstrayned tho begon To lese their lande tyll Pollydamas Whiche with his knyghtes there besyde was Gan fall vpon endlonge on the grene Them of Troye full manly to sustene And the grekes he gan so to enchace Whan he came in that they loste their place And to the stronde euen vpon the see Thrugh his knyghthod he made thē for to fle Of their lyfe that they were in dread The whiche mischiefe whan that Diomede Behelde and sawe how Pollydamas Mortally pursued on the chase On horsebacke both and in the fyelde yfere With cruell herte hent anone a spere And spryngyng out rode to hym full ryght And he agayne tacquyte him lyke a knyght As he that lyste on no partye fayne Of his stede helde agayne the reyne ¶ And raught a spere threwe it in the rest And Dyomede he smote so on the breste That mortally lyke as it is founde He hym vnhorseth with a greuous wounde And ryght anone with a knightly herte Pollydamas all attones sterte Vnto the horse of this Dyomede And by the reyne proudely gan it lede ¶ Vnto Troylus where he on foote stode All forbathed in the grekes bloude On euery halfe whiche that he shadde Amonges them so knightly he him had That they ne myght endure nor sustene His sharpe sworde grounde was so kene ¶ And delyuer maugre all his foen Into the sadell vp he sterte anone Of very force armed as he was And vnwarely by aduenture or case With sharpe swerdes for the nones whette As Achylles and he together mette Worthy Troylus of rancour and of pryde Achylles smote that he fell a syde Downe of his horse lowe to the grounde And notw tstanding his grene mortal woūde He rose agayne and fast gan hym spede If that he myght recure agayne his stede But all for nought it wolde not auayle For sodaynly with a freshe battayle They of Troye as made is mencyon In compasewyse beset hym enuyron Eueryche of them armed bright and clene And Hector tho in his furious tene ¶ As Dares telleth all the maner howe The same daye a thousande knyghtes slowe Whiche them withstode onely in diffence For Achylles to maken resystence That tyme of death standyng in ieopardye That certaynly but yf that bokes lye By lyklyhode he myght not tho escape In that mischyefe to be dead or take Hector on hym was so furyous ¶ But as I read kyng Thelamonyus Rescued hym in this great nede And caused hym there to recure his stede Notwithstandyng all that it disdayne For he the duke and lorde of Athene Was in case of herte and hole entent To helpe Achylles wonder dylygent That with hym ladde many noble knyght ¶ But for bycause that it drewe to nyght As the storye maketh rehersayle They made an ende as of that battayle And they of Troye entred be the towne And after that as made is menciowne By and by hauyng no delayes Mortally they foughten thirtye dayes Without lette or interrupcyon On outher parte to great destruction But aldermost nathles their great pryde They lost most on the grekes syde ¶ Saue Pryamus lost in specyall Syxe of his sonnes called naturall For whom he made great dole and heuinesse And as the storye lyketh to expresse This mene whyle Hector in certayne In his face wounded was agayne And thus they haue in this cruell rage On euery parte receyued great domage Tyll Pryam hath from Troye sent downe For a trewes vnto Agamenowne For six monthes if he assente wolde And therupon he hath a counsayle holde With his lordes what were beste to do And they echone accorded be therto And graunte his axynge conclusyon ¶ And all this whyle within Ylyon Durynge the peas on outher parte assured Of his woundes fully to be cured ¶ Lay worthi Hector protector of the towne But of this ryche royall chefe doungeowne That Ilyon in Troye bare the name Whiche of buildyng had suche a fame If that I shuld commende it vp and downe As Dares doth in his discrypciowne I wante cunnynge my termes to aplye For in his boke as he doth specifye In all this worlde was there newe so ryche Of hyghe deuyse nor of buildyng lyche The whiche stode the more to delyte As he there sayth on twelue stones whyte Of Alabastre shortly to conclude And twenty pase was the latytude That grounde ypaued thrughout w t crystall And vp an hyght performed euery wall Of all stones that any man can fynde Of Dyamountes and of saphyres Inde The royall rubye so oryent and lyght That the derkenesse of the dymme nyght Enchaced was with the beames shene And euer amonge were emeraudes grene With stones all that any maner man In this worlde deuyse or recken can That were of pryse value or richesse Ther were wrought of large gret roūdnes As sayth Dares and Iuory the pyllers And thervpon set at the corners Of pured golde all aboue on hyght There were ymages wonder huge of weight With many perle and many ryche stone And euery piller in the halle had one Of massyfe golde burned clere and bryght And wonderfull to any mans syght For of this worke the merueylous fasshyon Was more lyke by estymacyon A thynge ymade and founded by fayrye Than any worke wrought by fantasye Through wytte of man as by lykelynesse For in his bokes Dares doth wytnesse That it was lyke to recken syght and all In apparaunce a thynge celestyall Seeth in this boke ye get no more of me For but in wrytynge I myght neuer it se Albe that it all other dyd excelle No more therof I thinke nowe to telle But to retourne agayne to Pryamus Whiche all this whyle was inly curyous With all his myght and his busy cure To ordeyne for the sepulture Of his sonnes that afore were dead ¶ And all that tyme sycke laye Dyomede With loues stripe wounded to the herte As he that felte inwardly the smerte Of woful syghes whiche in his brest abreide Full ofte adaye for loue of her Creseyde For he was shake with a feuer newe That caused hym to be full pale of hewe And to wexen megre poore and lene For pyteously he gan hym to abstene For meate and drynke and from all solace As it was sene in his deadly face And ofte a daye to her he wolde complayne Of his dissease and of his mortall payne Prayinge of grace that she wolde do se Vpon his woo for to haue pytye And of mercy for to taken hede Of her seruaunt onely of womenhead Or playnely elles there is no more to seye For her sake he sayde that he wolde
they ne might of the shote so kene The mortall harme abide nor sustene But gan anone to fle out of the place And kinge Priam so narowe gan thē chase That of great nede and necessite Through the slaughter and the cruelte Of his sworde sharpe whet and grounde There was no Greke in the felde yfounde But fledde awaye eueriche to his tente And they of Troye be to their Cite wente Bycause it drewe faste towarde night For Phebus hadde bereued them his light ¶ And so the honour of his high victorye The worship eke the laude and memorye Perpetually and the palme also ¶ Priam the kinge hath wonne and no mo For that daye in release of his sorowe ¶ And as I reade on the next morowe He hath ysente out of Troye towne For a trewse to Agamenowne Which graunted was the selfe daye at prime Albe therof rehersed be no tyme. Howe longe it laste in the boke expresse ¶ During the which they did theyr businesse Hertye laboure and inwarde diligence For to ordayne with great reuerence How that the corps of the worthy kinge Of Perce lande without more taryinge With kingly honour out of Troye towne Shall caryed be into this regiowne To be buryed with his predecessours With other kinges of his progenitours The whych thinge was complete by y e aduise Of Alisaunder that called was Paris And firste the corps enbawmed richely Conueyed was and that full solempnely As write Guido with an huge route Of his knightes ridinge him aboute Triste and heauy cladde in blacke echone And with the chare the right way they gone Towardes Perce ledinge of this kinge The dead corps towarde his buryinge Which halowed was like his estate royall ¶ And in this while the feaste funerall Was holde also with great deuociowne ¶ Of worthy Hector within Troye towne Like the custome vsed in tho dayes And the rites of their paynym layes The which feast as made is mencion Fro yere to yeare by reuolucion Yhalowed was the space of fourtnight With many flawme and many hydous light That brent enuiron in the sentuarye And called was the Aniuersarye For that it came aboute yeare by yeare A certayne daye in theyr Kalendere In whych of custome for a remembraunce The people shoulde by continuaunce Playne and wepe and also praye and reade For theyr frendes that afore were deade Ful piteously with theyr heyr to torne Mourninge in black and kneling aye aforne The dead corps of this worthy knight Which in his time so passinge was of mighte And this was done while the trewse dure So that the Grekes trustely might assure When that theim list at good liberte Without daunger enter this cite Daye by daye and Troians might also Vnto Grekes frely come and go AT whiche time with full great delite Hath Achilles caught an appetite To entre and se the maner of the towne Without wisedome or dtscresciowne For to beholde playnly and to se Hoole the maner of this solempnite And forthe he wente on a certayne daye Towarde Troye in all the haste he maye Vnarmed sothly as mine Auctour sayeth Without assuraunce or any other fayth Except the trewse who so be lyefe or lothe And first of all to the temple he gothe Of Apollo halowed where was the feaste Throughout the towne downe vnto the lest That cleped was the Anyuersarye As ye haue herde what shuld I longer tarye And many worthy present was therat Amid the temple of high and lowe estate Lordes and ladyes of affecciowne From euery parte gathered of the towne ¶ Now was the corps of this worthy knyght As freshe of colour kept vnto the syght As lyfely eke and as quicke of hewe To beholde as any rose newe Through vertue onely of the gummes swete And the bawme that gan aboute flete To euery ioynt and eche extremyte ¶ And at this feast and solempnyte Was Hecuba and yonge Pollicene So womanly and goodly on to sene With many other of high estate and lowe Tofore the corps syttinge on a rowe With heyr vntrussed cladde in wedes blake That euer in one suche a sorowe make That routhe was and pyte for to sene Howe they playne and the death bimeane Of worthy Hecor of knighthod groūd well ¶ But trowe ye as Guydo lyst to tell That Pollicene in all her wofull rage Ychaunged hath vpon her visage Her natife coloure as freshe to the sighte As is the rose or the lelye white Other the freshenes of her lippes red For al the teares that she gan to shede On her chekes as any cristall cleare Her heyr also resembling to golde wyere Whych laye abrode like vnto the sighte Of Phebus beames in her sphere bright Whan he to vs doth his light auale And aye she rente with her fingers smale Her golden heyre on her blacke wede ¶ Of whyche thing Achilles toke good hede And gan meruayle greatly in his thoughte How god or kinde euer might haue wrought In theyr workes so fayre a ceeature For him thought he might not endure To beholde the brightnesse of her face For he felte through his herte pace The persinge streames of her eyen two Cupides darte hath him marked so For loue of her that in his desyre He brente as hote as dothe any fyre And after soonewith sodayne ire he quoke And alwaye fixe on her he had his loke So that the arowe of the god Cupide Hath perced him euen through the side To the herte and gaue him suche a wounde That neuer was likly to be sounde And aye in one his loke on her he caste As he durste and gan to prese faste Towarde her namely with his eye That him thought he must nedes deye But if that he founde in her some grace There was no gayne for playnly in y t place Of newe he was caughte in loues snare That of healthe and of all welfare He was despeyred in his herte so That he ne knewe what was beste to do Eche other thinge I do you well assure He set at nought and toke of it no cure His thought was on her and no mo The longe daye thus wente he to and fro Tyll Phebus cheyre lowe gan decline His golden axetre that so clere did shine This to saye the sonne wente downe Whan Hecuba quene of Troye towne ¶ And her doughter Pollycene also Out of the temple to the paleys go ¶ And aye Achilles on her had a sighte While that he might till for lacke of lighte He maye no more haue leysure oportune To loke on her cursed be fortune For which in haste he maked hath his wente With his knightes home vnto his Tente Where he anone without more taryinge To bedde goeth full tryste in complayninge Aye in him selfe castinge vp and downe In his minde and eke in his reasowne From head to foote her beaute euerydell And in his herte he felte and knewe ful well That fynall cause of his languyshynge Was Pollicene of beaute most passinge For loue of whom so muche pay
myne auctour Guydo lyst endyte Saue after hym I can no ferther wryte In his boke he geueth him suche a name That by his manhode and his knyghtly fame The grekes all were dryuen vnto flyght By all that daye tyll it drewe to nyght ¶ And on the morowe in the dawnynge The grekes haue at Phebus vprysynge Yarmed them with great dylygence Agayne Troyans to standen at diffence Amonges whome that daye as I rede ¶ So well hym bare worthy Dyomede That many Troyan through his cruelte ¶ Hath loste his lyfe tyll Troylus gan to se This Dyomede in the fyelde rydynge To whom anone without more lettynge With his spere throwen into the reste This Troylus rode smote hym on the brest So myghtely that of very nede Downe of his horse he smote this Dyomede Albe of wounde he tho had no domage And furyously Troylus in his rage Of hygh enuye gan him to abrayde Whan he was down y e loue of faire Creseide Of his deceyte and false Trecherye And grekes than faste gan them hye Amonge the horse in mischiefe whiche he lay To drawe him out in all the hast y t they may And on a shelde brosed and affrayde They bare hym home so he was dysmayde Of the stroke home vnto his tent ¶ And Menelay the same whyle hath hente A myghty spere tauenge this Dyomede And towardes Troylus fast gan him spede Fully auysed to hym vnhorse anone But Troylus fyrste made his stede gone So swyfte a course towardes Menelay That he anone at the earth laye So myghtely ye hyt hym with his spere That shelde nor plate might his body were That he ne had there a mortall wounde But his knightes anone as they hym founde Out of the prese when they had him rent They bare hym home to his owne tent The grekes aye standyng in distresse Through the knighthode and y e hye prowesse Of this Troilus whiche so hath them belaine On euery part where he rode on the plaine ¶ Tyll vnto tyme that Agamenowne Into the fyelde is a valed downe With many worthy about his banere That shone full shene agayne the sonne clere And w t his knightê hym rydyng enuyrowne He sore enchased them of Troye towne Woundeth sleeth and put theim to y e flyght Hym selfe acquytynge lyke a manly knyght But for all that without more abode Amonge Troyans fyersly as he rode ¶ This worthy kyng great Agamenowne Troylus with a spere hath smytten downe Maugre his grekes there gameth no socour And whan they sawe their lorde gouernour In suche myschyefe at the grounde lyende They hente hym vp and made hym to assende Through their manhode on his stronge stede And he of wyt gan to taken hede And consydered wisely in his thought In what disioynt Troilus had them brought And how his grekes for all their great pryde Tofore his swerde myght not abyde He prudently of hygh discrecyon ¶ This noble knyght this kyng Agomenon As he that hadde aye his aduertence On gouernaunce through his prouydence Whan he sawe his grekes gan to fayle And wexe feble to standen in battayle For lacke of stuffe that shulde them recomfort Full prudently he made them to resorte Eueryche of them to his owne tent ¶ And after that he hath to Pryam sent For a trewse to Troye the Cyte For syxe monthes if it myghte be And by his counsayle Pryamus the kynge Without abode graunted his axynge Albe that some as Guydo lyste endyte Were euyll apayde so longe to respyte Their mortall foen in any maner wyse But yet his graunt as ye haue harde deuyse Stode in his strength fully as I read ¶ In whiche tyme of very womanhead Creseyde lyste no longer for to tarye Though her father were therto contrarye For to vysyte and to haue a syght ¶ Of Dyomede that was become her knyght ¶ Which had of Troilus late caught a wouÌ„d And in his tent when she hath hym founde Benygnely vpon his beddes syde She set her downe in the selfe tyde And platly caste in her owne thought ¶ Touchynge Troylus y t it was for nought To lyue in hope of any more recure And thought she wolde for nothing be vnsure Of purueyaunce nor without store She gaue anone without any more Hooly her herte vnto this Dyomede Lo what pytye is in womanhead What mercy eke and benynge routhe That newly can all her olde trouthe Of nature lette slyppe and ouer slyde Rather then they lysten so abyde Any man in myschiefe for their sake The chaunge is not so redy for to make In Lumbardstrete of crowne nor doket All poyse is good be so the prent be set Their letter of chaunge doth no man abyde So that the wynde be redy and the tyde Passage is aye who so lyste to pace No man is loste that lyste seke for grace Daunger is none but counterfeyte disdeyne The sea is calme and from these rockes plain For mercyles neuer man ne deyde That sought for grace record of her Creseide Whiche fynally hath gyuen all her herte To Dyomede in relese of his smerte And prayed hym to be right glad and lyght And calleth him her owne man her knyght And hym behyghte rather then he deye In euery thynge howe she wolde obeye That were honest hym to do pleasaunce For leuer she had chaunge and varyaunce Were founde in her than lacke of pytye As syttynge is to all Femynyte Of nature not to be vengeable For fayth nor othe but rather mercyable Of mannes lyfe standynge in distresse ¶ Hereof no more for now I wyll me dresse To tell forth in my translacyon Ceriously how Agamenon Durynge the trewse and the time of peace Hym selfe wente vnto Achylles Besechynge him some regarde to haue Of his knyghthode Grekes for to saue And his presence no more to withdrawe To suffer them so mortally to be slawe Of their enmyes Pompous and Elate ¶ But Achylles alway indurate Ilyche newe both in herte and thought From his purpose platly chaungeth nought Fully enclyned for to haue a peace ¶ But for as moche as this Achylles Of entyernesse and hyghe affection So louyng was vnto Agamenon He vnto hym graunted at the leste A great parcell touchynge his requeste This to saye that this Achylles Graunteth to hym his Myrmydones Full knyghtly men onely in his absence With the grekes to maken resystence In the fyelde agayne them of the towne For whiche graunte kynge Agamenowne And duke Nestor thanked hym of herte But he alwaye conteynynge in his smerte For the loue of fayre Pollycene Ne knewe no gayne to his wounde sgrene But dispeyred languysheth euer in one And whan the trewse passed were and gone Vpon a day the morowe full benynge Achylles his knyghtes dyd assygne The fylde to take with Agamenon And as the story maketh mencion He gaue to them bandes freshe of read That men may knowe by their manlyhead With whom they were withholde in specyall â–ª And lyke a man deadly and mortall Within his tent
feyned falsenesse out of drede Rose of the deuyll and fyrst by his engyne And of his sleyghty treynes serpentyne Onely mankynde whan he made loute To false ydoles the whiche out of doubte Are but deuylles Dauyd beareth wytnesse In the saulter where he wryt expresse And confyrmeth there as he endites Howe the goddes of Paganisme rytes One and all he excepteth none Be made of golde of syluer and of stone Forged of brasse of metall and of tree And eyen haue of and yet they may not se And all are fendes so as Dauyd sayth That who in them haueth any fayth Hope credence or in them delyte It is no drede that they wyll hym quyte With suche guerdon as the soule sleeth Perpetually so that the fyne is death Of their seruyce when men hense pace And in their lyfe vnhap and euell grace Mischyefe and wo and confusyowne As men may se example by the towne That wende well assured for to haue be And to haue stande in longe prosperitye Agayne their foen through helpe of Apollo Of Venus eke and fauour of Iuno Through Pallas might Dyane Mynerue Whom they were wonte to honour serue With cerimonyes and with sacrafyce As ye tofore haue herde me deuyse That them haue brought now to ruyne By cruell death in a bed them to fyne Here may ye se how the venym bytes At the ende of suche olde rytes By euydence of this noble towne What may auayle now Palladyowne What may now helpe their frauded fantasye Of all their olde false ydolatrye Alas alas they bought it all to sore Now farewell Troye farewell for euermore Farewell alas to cruell was thy fall Of the no more now I wryte shall For thy sake forsoth whan I take hede Of inwarde wo my herte I fele blede And when that I remembre in my thought By ruine how thou arte brought to noughte That whylom were so noble and so ryche That in this worlde I trowe none was liche Nor perygall to speake of fayrenesse To speake of knyghthode or of worthynesse As clerkes say that thy byldynge knewe That all the worlde ought for to rewe On thy piteous waste walles wilde Whylom so royall when men gan to bylde Thy towres hye and kynge Pryamus The fyrst began most ryche and gloryous And sette his see in noble Ilyon Oh who can wryte a lamentacion Conuenient Oh Troye for thy sake Thy great myschiefe to complayne and crye ¶ Certes I trowe not olde Ieremye That so be wepte the captiuitye Of thylke noble royall chyefe Cyte Ierusalem and his destruction With all the hole transmygracion ¶ Of the Iewes nor thou Ezechyell That were that tyme when the mischiefe fell Vnto the kynge ycalled Sedeclye In Babylon and for thy prophesye With stones were cruelly yslawe Nor he that was departed with a sawe Ye bothe two that colde so complaine Nor Danyell that felte so great peyne For the kynges transmutasyon In a beast tyll through the oryson Of Danyell he restored was To mynde agayne and eate no more grasse ¶ Yet veryly though ye all thre With your wepynge gan aliue be And present eke at the destructiowne Of this noble worthy royall towne To haue bewayled the mischiefe and the wo And the slaughter at the syege do On outher partye in full cruell wyse All your teares might not suffyce To haue bewepte their sorowes euerychone By treason wrought aswell as by their foen ¶ Hereof no more for it may not auayle But lyke as he that gynneth for to sayle Agayne the wynde when the maste do ryue Ryght so it were but in vayne to stryue Agayne the face bytter then galle By the vengeaunce vpon Troye falle Nor to presume their furyes sharpe whette Ceryously in this boke to sette So great a thyng I dare not vndertake But euen here a pyteous ende I make Of the syege after my symplesse And though my stile be blotted with rudenesse As of metre both rusty and vnfyled ¶ The fourthe boke that I haue compyled With humble hande of drede y t doth me quake Vnto your grace hooly I betake ¶ Of your mercy nothynge in dispryre So as I can makynge my repeyre To the grekes and no longer dwelle Their aduentures of the sea to telle In their resorte home to their countre And how that they there receyued be Onely of supporte so ye not despyse The fyfthe boke I shortely shall deuyse ¶ Thus endeth the fourth boke The fyfthe boke ¶ Here begynneth the fyfth booke Howe the Grekes retourned into Grece after the distruction and howe they were perysshed almoste all in the sea and after they that escaped dyed myscheuously Cap. xxxvi WHen Eolus whiche dothe the wyndes rore Appeased was y t he blewe no more Whiche is of stormes gouernoure and lorde And was also fully of accorde With myghty Iuno lady of the ayre To make the skye and the wether fayre That cloude none in heauen dyd appere And Neptunus blaundyshynge of chere Was of assent the story sayeth for soth To make the sea fro tempest calme and smoth Without boyling or trouble of any wawe The mighty grekê to shipward gan theÌ„ draw For to repeyre home to their countre After they had wonnen the citye And put their fomen fully at the werse But fortune aye frowarde and peruerse Hath with their mirth meynt aduersyte For when they wende full assured be And haue stande stedfaste in quyete This blynde lady falsly made to flete Into their sugred galle of discordaunce Amonge them selfe to brynge in varyaunce And their hertes of rancour and of pryde Contagyously to seueryne and deuyde When they sat hyghest in their glorye With the palme of conquest and victorye Fully reioysynge through their hye renowne The crowne of laurer in possessyowne And had also at their lust all wonne When bryghtest shone the lustye freshe sonne From East to West of their worthynesse A cloudye skye vnwarely with derkenesse Eclypsed hath a partye of their light And eke diffaced the holsome beames bryght Of their welfare and prosperitie By the enuyous false contagyosytie Of the serpent pompouse and ellate Amonge them selfe to make them at debate Indusynge in rancour and discorde For or they entre within shyppes borde Agayne Vlyxes worthy Thelamon In presence of the kynge Agamenon Purposed hath playnely his mattere Tofore grekes anone as ye shall here SIres quod he so it you not greue Me semeth iustly of reason I may meue Touchyng y e winning getting of the towne With golde richesse and possessyowne Fully delyuered and taken to our hande With all the treasour founde in the londe The whiche me thincketh in my inward sight Ne hath not ben departed halfe a ryght Amonge vs by iuste deuysyon Ne by egall dystribucion Consydered fyrst by tytle of equyte Of euery wyght the estate and dignitie Remembred eke howe in this sharpe shoure The worthyest the meryte and labour And desertes in this mortall stryfe Grauntynge to eueryche his prerogatyfe And lyke fortune as he hath deserued But
Within a while there is no more to seye That he him gat the storye will not lye An other thousande to his companye Of worthy knightes all of one accorde To go with him as w t theyr soueraygne lorde In euery thinge his biddinge to obeye As ye haue herde Egistus to werrey ¶ And thus Horestes in full riche arraye Gan hooste and made no delaye And his lodginge alderfyrst gan chese In a Citye that called was Troyese Receyued there with great reuernece Of the kinge that named was Forence A manly knyght as bookes specifye And bare in herte passinge great enuye To Egistus by double occasion Fyrste for the death of Agamenon And eke for he had a doughter deare That was to him inwardly entere Both good and fayre but yonge of age That whilom was giuen in mariage To Egistus but he of doubilnesse Of false treson and newfangilnesse The kinges doughter hath vtterly forsake And in all haste did a libell make And forge a writ of repulsyon Albe he hadde no trewe occasyon This Egistus that he her forsoke Saue that he falssy to wiue toke The quene Clemestra agayne al right law When by assent they murdred haue slawe Agamenon as it afore is tolde That whylom was so myghty and so bolde And for the hatefull false conspyrasye As well of murther as auoutrye To venge bothe by dewe recompence The worthy knyght y e mighty kyng Forence Offred Horestes for to make hym stronge And go with hym to helpe venge his wronge And with hym ladde armed bryght in stele Foure hundred knightes horsed wonder wele Takynge the fyelde with a manly chere And so Horestes and the kynge yfeare Be ryden forthe with many manly man ¶ But Horestes or he this werre gan When bryght Phebus in the bole shone To the temple is full lowly gone And to the goddes in most best wyse With humble herte dyd sacryfyce Fully in hope the better for to fare Where he was bode for lyfe nor deth to spare Without mercy or remyssyon The death to venge of Agamenon ¶ On Clemestra that was moste to wyte And that he make fyrste his sworde to byte On his mother with his handes twayne And ouermore to do his busy payne Without pytye and no mercye shewe On smale peces tyll she be to hewe And dismembred a sonder ioynt fro ioynt And eke that he for yet not a poynt Iustly to punyshe by rycoure and by ryght ¶ Egistus eke the false vntrewe knyght And that he be not slowe nor neclygent To execute the commaundement Of the goddes lyste what after falle ¶ And than Horestes with his knyghtes all ¶ And Forenses the mighty kynge also Of one herte be to the syege go Of the Cyte that called was Methene Within whiche was the false quene Clemestra god gyue her herde grace And when Horestes syeged hath the place With his knyghtes set it rounde aboute ¶ False Egistus was yryden out To gather men and to be a wreke And falle vpon and the syege breke ¶ If he myght on any maner syde And with great stuffe thus he gan to ryde Takynge vp men fro euery coste Tyll he hym made a full myghtye hooste ¶ But Horeste whiche at the syege laye His gouernaunce espyeth daye by daye And sent out men as he that was full sage To stoppe wayes and lette his passage And made knyghtes a full huge route To pursue hym euery coste aboute And of the syege manfully begonne By assaute he hath the towne ywonne And entred in on a nyght full late And sette wardes stronge at euery gate And in a doungeon most stronge princypall That was of buildyng myghty and royall This Horestes fyrste his mother fonde ¶ The quene Clemestra lady of that lande Whiche for drede sore gan to quake But mercyles anone he made her take And put in chaynes tyll the next morowe ¶ And Egistus god gyue hym euyll sorowe With all the stuffe that he myght accroche Towarde the towne faste gan aproche ¶ In purpose full Horestes for to greue And them within sodeynely releue But all in sothe myght not auayle For or that he the cytye myght abayle Horestes knightes vnwarely haue him mette And all attones proudely on hym sette Fyrste slewe his men put them to flyght ¶ And taken hym maugre all his myght And with chaynes lyke as they hym fynde Mercyles full fast they him bynde And shet hym vp fetryd in prysowne And all false founde in the towne That were assented wyllinge or helpynge To the murdre of the worthy kynge Grekes workers and conspyratours Agayne their lorde ryfynge as traytours All were take and bounde by rycour The same nyghte and shet vp in a toure Tyll on the morowe lyke as the lot be drawe Eueryche of them vnder fonge his lawe Lyke his decerte excepcion was none And when the nyght passed was and gone And Phebus rose estwarde in his sphere And on the toures shone full bryght clere ¶ When Clemestra rote of all falsehede Was brought forth quakyng in her drede ¶ Before Horestes to iudgement yfet He with a sworde sharpe and kene ywhet Like as the goddes charged him toforne On peces smale he hath her all to shorne And made her bere out of the townes boūdes To be voured of beastes and of houndes Pytye was none in his breste reserued But quit her fully as she hath deserued Fro poynt to poynt and forgat right nought And thē chayned Egistus was furth brought And iustly dempt by rigour of the lawe Of an herdell naked to be drawe Through the towne that all might se And after hye hanged on a tre For to rot and drye agaynst the sonne Lo how murdre hath his guerdon wonne Lo how falshed his mayster can awake ¶ And all the traytours in the towne ytake Were on galowes enhanged euerychone Tyll they were seuered asonder bone fro bone Hye on an hill agayne the sterres shene Thus was y e towne fro treason purged clene And with trouth augmented and ymored And to his reygne Horrestes full restored As the storye sewinge shall expowne And of the daye when he toke his crowne ANd when the myst euery cloudy skye Of false treason and conspyracye Were tried out vpon euery syde The falshed hadde no place to abyde The storye sayth in ordre rehersynge The same time Menelay the kinge Out of the sea ful of wawes wete Fro Troyewarde yriued was in Crete Frely escaped many dread and peyne With his quene the goodly freshe Heleyne And for cause she was so famous fayre Great was the pres and meruaylous repaire Fro euery parte her beaute to beholde For whom Troye with walles not ful olde Destroyed was the noble royall towne And many man ful worthy of renowne Hath lost his life there may no man say naye All for Heleyne wife to Menelay When thinge is done it may be none other But when this kinge knewe fully of his brother Agamenon murdre and euerydele He
after sewe And where a man might his fate eschewe And of all this like to mine entent I had aunswere full conuenient Saue what befalleth when a soule is gone Diffinicion vnto me was none Such thinge to assoyle accordeth not to right It is reserued vnto goddes myght And excedeth reason and wyt of man And fro thense forth to sayle I gan Driuen with wynde and no parte succoured Where I was lyke to haue be deuoured ¶ Of Karibdes with his profounde well Where Syrines Meremaydens dwell That fro the brest with scales siluer shene Be of theyr shape fishes freshe and clene And ouermore kinde doth compasse Them to appeare feminine of face Like virgins that were of nature Without spot vndefouled pure And of custome in wawes as they flete The songe of them is so heauenly swete So aungelike and full of armonye That veryly the sugred melodye Rauishe would any man alyue Of inly ioye almost his herte ryue Make a man of sodayne high pleasaunce Forget him selfe and lese his remembraunce Deuoyde him clene from his owne thought Tyl vnwarely he be to mischiefe brought And with theyr songe or he take kepe He shall be brought in a mortall slepe And they anone yt maye not be withdrawe Wil drenche his shippe lowe vnder the wawe Thus the swetenesse of theyr heauenly sowne Bringeth a man to confusyon Who so euer by theyr bondes passe ¶ But with the lyfe I scaped by grace For mine eares with waxe and gommes clere Were stopped so that I ne might heare Touche nor werble of theyr instrumentes Wherby the reason of a man blinded is And fynally through my subtyltee I and my men be escaped free Saylinge forth all mate of werinesse Till we came vp with full great distresse ¶ At Phenice and toke anone the lande Caste anker and our shippes bande But sothly there it fell vs full vnfayre ¶ For the people cruell and contrayre Onely of malice fell on me anone And slewe my men almost euerychone Treasour and good litell that I had Was me berafte all with thē they ladde And fewe of theim that were lefte alone They toke theim and put in prison bliue Thus hath fortune lad me on her daunce With litell ioye and plentye of mischaunce Of whose daunger learned and experte I am fall in mischiefe and pouerte And with great dole and sorowe full my brest On sea and land by South and not by East I am come vnto your presence And haue declared playnly in sentence Min auentures to your worthinesse Of truste onely and of faythfulnesse That I haue to you in specyall And now I haue rehersed and tolde all To your hyghnesse and my best wyse Without more to me it doth suffyse And though in herte he was constrayned sore Thilke time Vlixes spake no more But helde his peace ful heuy in lokinge ¶ And Ydumeus like a gentyll kinge Comforted him all that euer he might And busy was his herte for to light And him besought his heuinesse lete And as longe as hym lyst in Crete With him abide he made him suerte He should fare also as wel as he And not wante of what maye do him ease And when his sorowe some what gan apease That his rage drewe vnto an ende Leue he toke and sayde he would wende Out of that lande home to his countre ¶ But fyrst the kinge of fredome and bounte Gaue vnto hym great rychesse and arraye And what soeuer was to his paye Golde treasour and many other thinges And at partynge of these two kynges There were shippes when you list to sayle Redy stuffed with meyne and vitayle And thus Vlixes gan him redy make And when he hath his leue fully take He hasted him and toke anone the sea And gan to sayle towarde his countre But fyrste he wente to kinge Alphenon Whych passingly had affeccion To se Vlixes at his home comynge And desyrous ouer all thynge To haue of him newly acqueyntaunce For vnto him was inly great plesaunce To heare him talke for his eloquence For his wisedome and his high prudence And there he was after all his smerte Receyued playnly with as glad an herte As euer yet was any maner man Sithen tyme that the worlde began ¶ And to encrease of his felycyte There herde me first of Penolopee His trewe wife without spot of blame Of whom yet grene is the noble fame Which from her lorde for all his longe absēce In thought nor dede neuer did offence But sothly was both in chere and dede Throughout Grece example of womanhede And yet was she as bokes lyst expresse Throughout y e world myrrour of fayrenesse And amonge Grekes borne of hyest blode Called of Auctours both fayre and good And yet saye bokes of her doubtles Was neuer none that had so great prese But she her kepte chaunginge for no newe Vnto her lorde euer ylyke trewe Of herte aye one not parted into twayne That she is called quene and soueraygne Of wifely trouthe in this bokes olde And ofte I finde her herte would colde She tourne pale fro her lorde so ferre In her closet to heare of the werre Of dread she had and for feare eke quake Of fantasyes for her lordes sake For his absence both eue and morowe Was death vnto her and importable sorowe And aye in sothe for ioye or any game When it fell she herde Hectors name In any place anone she fell a swowne And gan her selfe in teares drowne Of womanhead so she was aferde To heare the slaughter of his mortall swerde Lest her lorde of knyghtly surquedrye Had of fortune fall in ieopardye Of had or sorte to a mette that worthy knight That seld or neuer she felte her herte lyght And many dreame on nightes did her gaste All the while that the siege laste And euery playe was venym in her syght When that she was from her owne knight For in this worlde ioye had she none Of high nor lowe playnly but of one For whose sake all myrth she refuseth And who so be that in his herte museth Of any woman any thinge but good Of melancolye meued in his bloud Let him aduerte of wysedome and ysee And remembre on Penolope For his deserte lest that he be blamed And oh Guido thou shouldest be ashamed To saye of wiues any thinge but wele For in good fayth as ferre as I can fele Though one or two do amonge offence She that is good through her prouidence Is therof nothinge for to wite And though Guydo in his bokes endite ¶ The varyaunce of Heleyne or Criseyde ¶ Or Medea that for sorowe deyde Let the agayne of ryght and equyte The wifely trouth of Penolope The maydenhode of yonge Polycene And the goodnesse of Hecuba the quene Of Cassandra eke the stedfastnesse And with all this take the vnkindnesse Of Pantasyll withoute variaunce And put all this togyther in balaunce And ye shal finde if ye lyst accounte Maugre who grutcheth trouth shal surmoūt I dare affirme and beare
wrought And his purpose fully about brought Of high wisedome set in his inwarde syght Inioyinge all that longeth to his ryght And highest syt of worthynesse in glorye With the Sceptre of conquest and victorye I praye god onely for bis beste ¶ When he hath al sette in peace and reste And is full put in clere possessyon Of all that longeth to his subiection To sende him home with triumphe honour As great as euer had any conquerour After longe in ioye and in quiete To rule and reygne in his royall sete Thus shall I aye there is no more to saye Daye and night for his exployte praye Of faythfull herte and of hole entente That whilom gaue me in commaundemente Not yore ago in his fathers tyme The syege of Troye on my maner to rime Most for his sake to speake in specyall Although that I be boystous and rurall He gaue me charge this storye to translate Rude of connynge called Iohn Lydgate Monke of Burye by profession Vsynge an habite of perfection Albe my lyfe accordeth not therto I feyne not I wot well it is so It nedeth not witnesse for to call Recorde I take of my brethren all That will not fayle at so great a nede ¶ And all that shall this noble storye reade I beseche of supporte and of grace Where I offende in any maner place Or wher soeuer that they find shal an errour Of gentylnesse to shewen their fauour And benyngly for to do their payne Hyt to correcte rather then dysdayne For wel wot I y t muche thyng ther is wronge Falsely metryd both of shorte and longe And if they shoulde haue of all disdayne It is no dreade my labour were in vayne Let ignoraunce and rudenesse me excuse For if that ye platly all refuse For certayne fautes whiche ye there shal finde I doute not my thancke is sette behynde For in the verse though there be ignoraunce Yet in the story ye fynde may pleasaunce Touching substaunce of y t mine auctour writ And though so be that any worde misse syt Amendeth it with chere debonayre For an errour to hyndre and appayre That is not sayde of purpose or malyce It is no worshyp to hym that is wyse And no wight gladly demeth so soone a lacke Specyally behynde at the backe As he in soth that can no skylle at all He goeth full hoole that neuer had a fall And I not fynde of newe nor of olde For to deme that is alway so bolde As he that is yblent with vnconnynge For blynde bayarde caste peryll of nothynge Tyll that he stumblyng fall amydde the lake And none so redye for to vndertake Than he in sothe nor bolder to saye werse That can no skylle on prose nor yet on verse And of all suche that lysten not be styll I lyttell forse where they saye good or yll For vnto them my booke is not directe But to all suche as lyste haue in effecte On symple folke full compassyon That goodly can by their correction Amende a thynge and hyndre neuer adele Of custome aye ready to saye wele FOr he that was grouÌ„de of well sayinge In all his lyfe hyndred no makyng My maister Chaucer y t founde ful many spot Hym list not pynche nor grutche at euery blot Nor meue hym selfe to perturbe his reste I haue herde tolde but sayde alway the beste Sufferynge goodly of his gentilnesse Full many thynge embraced with rudenesse And if I shall shortly hym discriue Was neuer none to thys daye alyue To reken all bothe of yonge and olde That worthy was his ynkehorne for to holde And in thys lande yf there any be In borough or towne vyllage or Cite That connyng hath his tracys for to sewe Where he go brode or he be shet in mewe To hym I make a full dyreccyon Of thys boke to haue inspeccion Besechinge theim with theyr prudent loke To race and scrape through out al my boke Voyde and adde where theim seineth nede And though so be that they not ne reade In all this boke no Rethorikes newe Yet this I hope that they shall finde al trewe The storye playne chiefly in substaunce And who so lyst to se the varyaunce Of worldly thinge wrought by dayes olde In this boke he maye full well beholde Chaunge of fortune in her course mutable Selde or not faythfull other stable Lordes Princes from her royalte Sodaynly brought in aduersyte And kinges eke plounged in pouerte And for theyr dread daringe in deserte Vnware slaughter compassed of enuye Murdre conspyred by conspyracye Awayte layinge falshede and treason And of kingedome sodayne reuersyon Rauyshinge of women for delyte Roote of the werre and mortall despyte False mayntenaunce of auoutrye Many worthy causynge for to dye Sinne aye concludinge who so taketh hede Vengeaunce vnware for his finall mede TO declare that in all worldly luste Who loke aryght is but litell truste As in this boke example ye maye finde If that you list enprinte it in your minde How all passeth and halt there no soioure Wastinge awaye as doth a somer floure Riche and pore of euery maner age For here our life is but a pilgramage Meynt with laboure and with muche wo That if men would taken hede therto And eke tofore prudently aduerte Litell ioye he should haue in his herte To sette theyr truste in any worldly thinge For there is nother prince lorde nor kynge ¶ By example of Troye as ye may see That in this lyfe maye haue full surete ¶ Therfore to him that starfe vpoÌ„ the roode Suffrynge deth for our alder good Lyfte vp your hartê thinke on him amonge For be ye neuer so myghty not so gronge Without hym al that may not auaile For he can gyue victorye in battayle And holde a fyelde shortly to conclude With a fewe agayne great multytude And by his grace he maketh prynces stronge And worthy kynges for to reygne longe And these Tyrantes sodeynely oppresse Throwe theÌ„ downe for al their great richesse And in his hande power he reserueth Eche to acquyte lyke as he deserueth To whom I praye with all deuocyon With all myne herte and hole affection That he lyste graunt longe contynuaunce Prosperytye and good perseueraunce Helthe welfare victorye and honour Vnto that noble myghty conquerour ¶ Henry the fyfthe tofore especyfyed So that his name maye be magnefyed Here in this lyfe vp to the sterres clere And afterwarde aboue the nynth sphere Whan he is dead for to haue a place This praye I god for to sende him grace At whose byddynge as I tolde late Fyrste I began the syege to translate ¶ And now I haue holy in his honoure Full executed the fyne of my laboure Vnto all that shall this storye se With humble herte and all humilyte This lyttell booke lowely I betake It to supporte and thus an ende I make ¶ Of the most noble excellent Prynce kynge Henry the fyfthe MOst worthy Prynce of knighthode soures and welle Whose highe renowne
mansyons And they of Troye dyspeyred ouer all No refute could Grekes for to let But of assent fast theyr gates shette And all the nyght on the walles wake And ouer this suche a wo they make Through the Cyte that Parys was so dead For fynally nowe they can no reade But wepe and crye and sorowe euer in one NOwe al y e sonnes of Priamê° were gone Fortune alas hath theim so appeyred That of theyr lyfe they be nowe dyspeyred Of all hope and of good welfare Perpetually for to lyue in care Vnto the death and that was faste bye For nowe there is no maner remedye Vpon no syde nor refute none at all But theym to kepe close wythin the wall That for to se it was a pyteous thynge ¶ And suche a wo maketh now the kynge ¶ For Parys death that for deadly smerte Hym thought platly that his wofull herte Recureles would brast and ryue a tweyne And into teares he gan dystylle and reyne As he would tho for very sorowe deye ¶ And of the quene alas what shall I seye ¶ Hecuba his owne mother deare That crieth wepeth with a woful cheare ¶ Of Pollycene that was so wo begone And of his systren also euerychone That haue theyr heir theyr clothes torne As yf they had theyr owne death ysworne For drery wo and for pyteous peyne ¶ But for by all the fayre quene Heleyne Wayleth cryeth with a deadly cheare That her eyen whych whylom were so cleare Forderked were with dolefull teares smerte And to the corps sodaynly she sterte And clypped yt in her armes twayne And pyteously embrace it and restrayne Lyke as she would with him dye anone For styll she laye dombe as any stone As marbyll colde her lymmes craumpishing Redy at all towarde her buryinge Tyll men by force from the corps her hent And she her heyr and her chekes rente As tho she had be fallen in a rage That chaunged was alas in her vysage Her natyfe coloure and her rody hewe Whylom as freshe as any rose newe Nowe is she lyke vnto ashes colde And wyth her handes aye togyther folde Her selfe she smote on her pale face And euer amonge the corps she did embrace In her swownes as she fell to grounde Twenty tymes and wept full his wounde Wyth wo she was awhaped and amate Of all comforte alas disconsolate In herte beynge inly desyrous Through her rage passynge furyous To dye attones with her owne knyght For towarde death enclosed was her syght As she that lyst to lyue nowe no more ¶ And as I trowe that neuer man before No woman sawe fall in suche distresse In suche disioynt of deadly heuynesse Nor for no wo so pyteously yraue Not Cleopatre goynge to her graue Nor wofull Tesbe that fro the kaue sterte Whan she her selfe smote vnto the herte ¶ Nor the faythfull trewe Orestylle When that she sawe her lord agayne her will ¶ Marcus Prolancus vnto shyppe gone And for his loue fell downe dead anone ¶ Nor the sorowe of trewe Iulia ¶ Nor the feruence of faythfull Porcia Of whych the one fell dead sodaynly For she sawe bloud spent so cruelly On her lordes dredfull gardment ¶ And Portia so trewe in her entent When that her lorde Brutus lost his lyfe For bycause she myght haue no knyfe Wyth rolys red slewe her selfe alas Was not also in the selfe case ¶ Arthemysya quene of Tarse londe Of Mausalus the graue whan she foude Her owne knyght of whose bones smale Full wofully and wyth a cheare pale She poudre made dranke it euery morowe ¶ But all the wo and the furyous sorowe Of these echone yet may not atteyne ¶ Vnto the sorowe of the quene Heleyne That fynally wyll her selfe fordo For Parys sake whom she loued so For after him she wyll not lyue a daye But be awreke playnly yf she maye Vpon her lyfe rather than dysseuere And thus in wo aye she doth perseuere In her herte Parys sat so depe ¶ Alas who sayth that women can not wepe Yes doubtles they haue it of nature Though it so be that they no wo endure Yet can they fayne and salte teares fynde Plenty ynough of thryr owne kynde And sorowles morne and compleyne ¶ I saye not this for the quene Heleyne That was wyth wo wounded to the herte That fro the death she wende not sterte For deathes darte her herte made ryue And yet she rose agayne fro death to lyue Onely by grace for all her fell rage For euery wo by processe must aswage And ouer gone and wasted by myracle For eche venym made is some Tryacle And euery wo hath his remedye ¶ For though Heleyne as tho fayn wold dye Her kynde ne would assent yet therto So sodaynly to slea her selfe for wo. She was a woman no man shulde her wyte Me lyste no more of her wo endyte Lest vnto you that it were tedyous To heren all her paynes furyous Her cruell wo and lamentacion Whych would meue to compassyon In very sothe to wryte euerydele Any herte though it were made of stele ¶ For kynge Pryam and the quene also Had suche routhe of her pyteous wo To se her wepe and furyously complayne That they of her felte as much payne ¶ As they dyd almost for hym Parys ¶ Herof no more for Pryam by deuyse After this rage and this mortall wo Amyd the Temple sacred to Iuno Ordayned hath with full busy cure For the corps a ryche sepulture And in all haste therin made it shette That in sothenesse if I should not lette To tell all the rytes and the gyse That there were made in theyr paynim wise And the costes of his buryinge It should be all to longe a taryinge Ceryously theron to abyde Wherfore as nowe I let ouerslyde Their paynim rites supersticious ¶ Howe Pantisilia quene of Amazonis comming in ayde of the Troians was slayne by Pyrrhus Achylles sonne Ca. xxxiiii ANd telle I wyll how kyng Priamus CoÌ„mauÌ„ded hath of mischyefe of nede Through Troye towne onely of very drede To shytte theyr gates strongly as they maye And therupon both by nyght and daye To kepe watche for shortly they of Troye Dysconsolate of all theyr olde ioye Can no refute but wepe and sorowe make For they ne durst no more vndertake Agayne Grekes into felde to gone ¶ Tyll on a daye kynge Agamenon His messager by good auisement To Pryamus into Troye hath sent Requyrynge him of manhode lyke a knyghte To yssue out wyth Grekes for to fyght As he was wonte wyth his chyualrye ¶ But kynge Pryam his axinge gan denye And shortly sayd to him that was sent That he ne would at his assignement Not ones passe the gates of the towne But at his owne free electiowne Whan euer him lyst without compellynge ¶ And yet in sothe cause of his taryinge ¶ Was for the hardy quene of Femynye Towarde Troye that fast gan her hye Out of her lande and lyttell regyon The whych as bokes
make mencion After the scyte of the fyrmamente Is in the plage of the Oryent ¶ And called is the reygne of Amazonis Of which the custome and the vse is That onely women therin shall abyde And they were wonte armed for to ryde And haue in armes great experyence For theyr laboure and theyr dylygence Is fynally to haue exercyse Fro daye to daye in Martes hygh seruyce ¶ And ouermore theyr custome and vsaunce As to this daye is made remembraunce Is that no man shall them nygh nere But yf it be thre monthes in the yeare ¶ This to saye in Iune Apryll and Maye And then the women haue in custome aye Vnto an yle a lytell there besyde Where as the men by them selfe abyde Fro yere to yere togyther euerychone Vnto the men out of theyr lande to gone And there abyde in that regyon Tyll tyme cometh of concepcion Wythout taryinge any longer whyle For then anone home vnto theyr ile They be repeyred out of that countre Vnto tyme that they delyuered be And as fast as the chylde is borne For lacke of kepynge that it be not lorne He fostred is tyll thre yeres be agone Amonge the women and then ryght anone To the yle besyde adiacent Vnto the men the chylde in haste is sent If that it be of kynde masculyne And yf it fall that it be femynyne With the women abyde styll it shall Tyll that it be in actes mercyall Full well expert and that she can eke knowe A spere to haddle or to drawe a bowe Lyke the statutes of that regyon The whych as bookes make mencyon Is sette betwene Ewrope and Asya ¶ And of this lande was Pantasilia Whylom lady and chyefe gouernesse Full renowmed of strength and hardinesse Thrugh out y e worlde both in length brede And yet in sothe to speake of womanhead For all her myght she had an huge pryse For both she was vertuous and wyse Wonder dyscrete and had an honest name Notwythstandynge the excellence of fame Of her renowne in armes and in glorye For of conquest and of high victorye She was most surmountynge out of drede Of any woman that I can of rede And sothely yet bookes bere wytnesse Of womanhead and of gentylnesse She kepte her so that nothynge her asterte ¶ The whych loued wyth all her hole herte Worthy Hector and wyth all her myght Onely for he was so good a knyght All her ioye and worldly plesaunce Her harty ease and soueraygne suffysaunce In very sothe where she wake or wyncke Was euer in one vpon him to thynke Of very fayth wythout any slouthe And vnto hym she was by bonde of trouthe Confederate of olde affectiowne That when she herde how that Troye towne Beseiged was of the Grekes fell Thys hardy quene lyst no longer dwell But hasteth her as fast as euer she maye Towarde Troye infull good araye With all the worthy women of her lande Full well experte and preued of her hande Well horsed eke and armed rychely And as I fynde in her companye A thousande maydens rydyng by her side This worthy quene that durst well abyde She wyth her brought in stele armed bryght For loue of Hector her owne trewe knyght And on her waye fast she gan her spede To helpe hym yf she se cause of nede For in nothynge she could her more delyte Than towarde him her faythfully to quyte For that was all her lust and hertes ioye ¶ But when that she come was to Troye And hath hard tell as by relacyowne That he was dead most worthy of renowne To whom she was so louynge and so trewe Anone she gan to chaunge cheare and hewe And pyteously gan to wepe and crye And fared in sothe as she would dye For very wo and hertely heuynesse And thought she would thrugh her wortthynesse Auenge his death platly if she maye On the Grekes and so vpon a daye ¶ She prayeth Pryam w t great affectiowne For to open the gates of the towne And to go out with Grekes for to fyght That they maye knowe and be expert aright Of this women the great worthynesse And of this quene the famous hardynesse And so the kynge hopynge for the beste Without abode graunted her requeste The next morowe wheÌ„ Phebê° shone ful shene ¶ And all tofore out goth Philomene The noble kinge w t them of Pafflagonye And after him other knightes manye Folowed after with worthy Eneas The Troyan eke Dan Pollidamas And the quene Pantasilla By the gate called Dardanica Towarde Grekes proudly yssued oute With her women rydynge her aboute The whych anone when Grekes did espye Into felde gan them fast hye ANd fyrste of all worthy Meneste Pantasylla when that he dyd se Wyth his sporres made his stede gone And wyth a spere rode to her anone ¶ Of whom the quene astoned neuer a dele Kaught a spere that was squared wele Round y e shafte and the head well grounde Which as they coupe smet hiÌ„ downe to grouÌ„d And maugre hym reued him his stede But then in haste in came Dyomede And cruelly to the quene gan ryde And she as fast on the other syde Rode eke to him in plates bryght and shene And as they met wyth theyr speres kene She hytte so this fell Diomede For all his myght and his manlyhead That she him made his sadell for to lese There is no more he myght tho not chese And in despyte of his men echone She hath his shelde him berafte anone And it delyuereth proudly as she rode To a mayde that vpon her abode And lyke a Tygre in his gredynesse Or lyke in sothe to a Lionesse That daye she fared rydynge vp and downe Amonge the Grekes till that Thelamowne Gan to beholde the slaughter that she made Of high despyte and rancour ouerlade As he that myght for yre not sustene Gan reyne his horse to fall vpon this quene ¶ But when that she his comynge dyd espye She fell on him in her melancolye So mortally maugre his knightes all That to the grounde she made him for to fall And Grekes put in so great disraye Where euer she rode all that ylke daye That they ne might afore her not sustene And through the helpe of kyng Philomene As myn auctour recordeth in his boke Amyd the felde Thelamon she toke And sent him forth through her hie renowne As prysoner towarde Troye towne ¶ Tyll vnto reskuse came he Dyomede And cruelly on them that gan him lede He fell vnwarely with an huge route Of his knyghtes rydynge him aboute And from theyr haÌ„des maugre al their might He him delyuereth lyke a manly knyght At whych tyme the hardy quene anone With her women aboute her euerichone The Grekes hath afore her on the playne As wryt Guydo so mortally belayne That she them made of necessytee Out of the felde wyth her sworde to fle That verely it semed incredible And to leue a maner impossyble To se the women Grekes so enchase Which might not there
To anul his tytle that he not succede Him to preserue that he were not shent Kinge Taltibus with power hath him sente Ful secretly out of that countree Vnto a kinge called Ydume That helde his sceptre and his royall sete Full mightely in the lande of Crete And Carkasis named was the quene That had a doughter called eke Climene Borne to be heyre of that regyon And as it is made eke mencyon This Horestes to reken all thynge Was with the quene and also with the kinge Cherished as well the storye can you lere As Climena theyr owne doughter deare And was eke kepte and had in cherte Fro poynt to poynt lyke to his degre With attendaunce conuenyent and dewe To his estate that euer vpon him sewe Of such as were most experte and sage To gouerne him tyll he came to age To reioyce if god gaue him might His heritage to whych he had right By clere discent if happy were his chaunce Thus leue I him vnder gouernaunce The yonge sonne of Agamenon For I must make a dygressyon Fro this matter and tell of Diomede The auentures in Guydo as I rede His wofull fate and his paynes smerte The whych alas he might not asterte As is remembred playnly in writynge That Oetes sonne of the riche kinge Called Naulus as ye haue herde toforne Such heuynesse in his herte hath borne Vnto Grekes repeyringe home fro Troye That his lust and his inwarde ioye Was them to hyndre both high and lowe And cause why to you it is vnknowe To them he was so passynge enuyous In will and thought ylyke desyrous If he might sothly this no les The death to venge of Pallamides Lyke as tofore the storye can deuyse To you that be so prudent and so wyse And how Oetes now of malice wrought And trayterously new meane sought If he might by any maner waye Diomedes vnwarely to destroye Of all this thinge I cast not to fayle Ceryously to make rehersayle IN Grece was a kingedome wide large Coniunct in one Calidonye and Arge Full habundaunt of rychesse and of rente Of which the kinge called was Pollente A worthy man and of noble fame And had a sonne Assandrus was his name And a doughter passinge fayre of syght And sothly Egra I finde that she hyght And for her father like as wryte Guydo Had no mo but these children two For them he hath of wisedome so prouided This mighty reygne for to be deuyded Atwene theim two after his decease Eche with his parte for to lyue in peace To exclude them fro indigence or nede And she was wyfe vnto Diomede Albe tofore the storye of him sayde That he whilom loued one Crysayde I can not saye where it was doubilnesse But well wote I Guydo beareth wytnesse And in his boke sothly sayth none other And how Assandrus his owne wiues brother Full lusty freshe and ful of manlyhead To Troye went with this Dyomede But in the sea fordriuen vp so downe They riued vp in the regyon Called Boece all disconsolate With tempest driue wery and full mate Them to refreshe and for none other thinge In which lande Thelephus was kinge Of whose riuayle whan he herde sayne In his herte he had high disdayne That they were bolde to do so great offence To entre his grounde hauinge no licence And yet in sothe they did no domage To high nor lowe of no maner age Nor toke nought that might disauayle Vnto that lande but it were vytayle For which they payde iustly at the fine For fleshe and fyshe and for bread and wine Yet for all that of indignaciowne Kinge Thelaphus is descended downe With great array to harme thē if he might And so they gan to bicker and to fight And Assandrus full of high prowesse Like a Lion his fomen gan oppresse And wonder knyghtly the felde vpen thē wā And slewe that daye many worthy man Of hygh courage and of manly pryde And when the kinge whiche that stode asyde Sawe his men slayne on euery parte Of hygh dysdayne hent anone a darte And caste at hym alas the mortall fate And perced hathe through mayles through plate Of Assandrus that he fel downe dead The soyle about of his bloud all redde His deadly wounde so began to blede And wood as Tygre tho came Dyomede And hym to auenge bare hym lyke a knyght Sleeth and kylleth and put them vnto flight And after that such sorowe gan to make Of knyghtly routh for his brothers sake That he ne wyst what was best to do But as I finde myd of all his wo From beast and foule the dead corps to saue Like his estate he let make a graue And buryed hym after rites olde ¶ But Oetes to his syster tolde That he was slayne by fraude of Dyomede To fyne that he myght full possede The reygne of Arge hole without stryfe Wyth the purpartye annexed to hys wyfe For by his death he myght season take And tolde her eke that she was forsake This fayre Egra for all her womanhead Of her lorde callled Dyomede All this he tolde in hell be he chayned And ouermore he forged hath and fained How of enuye Assandrus lost his lyfe And how her lorde hath take an other wyfe That was to her dyshonour and shame And passyngly great sclaunder to her name In preiudyce ydone of her estate All this he tolde to make them at debate Lyke as he wrote in conclusyon To Clemestra of Agamenon Whych her herte made sore greue For he put her fully in byleue Of all the treason ye haue herde me tolde That for yre she pale was and colde Vnkyndnesse so her herte sleeth And heuynesse of her brothers death For neuer yet Guydo doth assure No woman loued better a creature Than she loued hym in no maner age For fyrst at nought she set her herytage In comparyson of her brothers lyfe Lo how Oetes made a newe stryfe As ye haue herde in the storye rede That gyltles worthy Dyomede When he hath longe at the syege layne And to his kingdom would haue come agayn By migyhty hande of this worthy quene And her lyeges that assented bene He was exyled out of that regyon There may be made no medyacyon Thus in him selfe mate and dyspeyred Dysconsolate he is agayne repeyred To Salerne a londe of great rychesse Where that Tenter through his worthynesse Wyth crowne Sceptre had reygned longe Wyth hys lyeges and hys knyghtes stronge And brother was to Ayax Thelamon Murdred tofore as made is mencyon And Dyomede pore and destytute Maye in Salerne fynde no refute For whan Tenter first gan him espye He sewed hym by full great enuye Hauynge to hym aye suspection Touchynge the death of kynge Thelamon ¶ But Dyomede on a certayne nyghte Full secretely hath taken him to flyght And fro Salerne fast gan hym hye In hope to fynde better remedye Helpe or socour in some other place If fortune wolde graunte hym grace For of hym selfe ashamed