deine after ryght For in making loue hath lost his sight To gyue a prys where none is deserued Cupide is blinde whose domes ben obserued More after lust then after equytye Or after reason how the trouth be For syngulertee and false affeccion Reyseth ful ofte by vayne lausion A man to worshyp that deserueth none By false reporte and thus full many one Without merite hath his fame blowe Wherof another the renowne is vnknowe That ī armes hath sūdry meruailes wrought Of whō peraunter speaketh no mā nought For fauour only is fostred more thē rightes That hindred hathe many worthy knightes ¶ Ouide also poete egally hath closed Falshed with trouthe y t make the men enosed To which parte that they shall theym holde His misty speche so hard is to vnfolde That it entriketh readers that it see Virgil also for loue of him Ene In his Eneyd reherseth much thinge And was in partie trewe of his writing Except onely that him list somwhile The traces folowe of Homeris stile ¶ And of this syege wrote eke Lollius But tofore all Daretus frigens Wrote most truely after that he fonde And Ditus eke of the Grekes londe For they were present and sene euery dell And as it fill they write trewe and well Eche in his tunge by suche consonaunce That in theyr bokes was no variaunce Which after were vnto Athenes brought And by processe serched out and sought By diligence of one Cornelius Who neuewe was vnto Salustius Of rome yborne which did his dewe Them to translate and the traces sewe Of these Auctours by good auisement But for bycause he set all his entent For to be brefe he lefte muche behinde Of the story as men in bokes finde The firste meninge and cause originall What was the ginninge and roote in speciall Ne how they come by lande or by nauy How firste the sparke was kindled of enuy Betwixt Grekes and theim of Troye towne Of this Cornelie maketh no menciowne Of theyr shyppes nor of theyr vytayle Nor how that Grece is called ytayle And the lasse as bokes verifye ¶ Is named nowe the lande of Romanye What numbre of kinges and of Dukes wēt Towarde the syege all of one assente To wynne worshyppe and for exercyse Of armes onely in full knyghtly wyse Abydyng there to se the version Of the cytye and noble Illyon Nor what the maner was of theyr armure ¶ Nor at the syege who longest did endure In what wise eche other dyd assayle Nor how often they met in battayle How many worthy lost theyr his lyfe How olde hatred wrought vp newe stryfe Nor of theyr death he dateth not the yeare For his wrytinge was so partyculere Without fruite he was compēdious This foresayd Romayne this Cornelius ¶ Wherfore but late in comparysowne There was an Auctour of ful highe renowne That besyed hym the traces for to sewe Of Dite Daret cast him not transmewe In all the story a worde as in sentence But foloweth theym by such conuenyence That in effect the substaunce is the same And of Columpna Guydo was his name Which had in writing passing excellence For he enlumineth by crafte and cadence This noble storye with many freshe coloure Of Rethorik and many ryche floure Of eloquence to make it sounde the bett ¶ He in the storye ymped hath and set That in good fayth I trowe he hath no pere To recken all that write of this mattere As in his boke ye may beholde and se To whom I saye knelyng on my kne Laude and honour and excellence of fame O Guydo mayster be vnto thy name That excellest by souerayngtye of style All that wryte this matter to compyle Whom I shal folow as nere as euer I may That god graunte it to be to the paye Of hym for whom I haue it vndertake So as I can this storye for to make Prayinge to all that shal it read or see Where as I erre there to amende me Of humble herte and lowe entencion Committing all to theyr correction And therof thanke my will is y t they wyn For through theyr support thus I wil begin The ende of the prologue The fyrste boke ¶ How y e knge of Thessalie named Pelleus lost all his men by diuine punishemēt who after by his praiers obtained others Ca. i. IN y e reigne and land of Thesalye The which is now ynamed saloni There was a king called Pelleus Wyse and discrete also vertuous The which as Guido list to specifie Helde the lordshippe and the regalye Of this yle as gouernour and kynge Of whych the people by recorde of writinge Mirundones were called in tho dayes Of whom Ouide fayneth in his sayes Metamorphoseos where as ye may rede How this people sothfastly in dede So as mine Auctour maketh mencion Were brought echeone to destruction With sodayne tempest and with fyry leuen By the goddes sent downe from the heauē For they of yre without more offence With swerde and with y e stroke of pestilence On this yle whilom toke vengeaunce Like as it is put in remembraunce For this people destroyed were certayne With thunder dint with hayle and rayne Full vnwarely as Guido list descriue For there was none of them left a liue In all the lande that the vyolence Escape might of this pestilence Except the kinge the which went alone Into a wood there to make his mone Sool by him selfe all disconsolate In a place that stode all desolate Where this kinge ronnynge to and fro Complayninge aye of this his fatall woo And the harmes that he did endure Till at the last of case or auenture Beside an holt he sawe where stode a tree Of full great hight and large of quantitye Holowe by thee roote as he coulde knowe Where as he sawe by the earthe lowe Of Antes crepe passing greate plente With which sight he fell downe on his kne And made his prayer in his panim wise To the goddes with humble sacrafise Vpon his wo and great aduersytee Onely of mercy for to haue pytee To turne these Antes into fourme of man Thus gan he praye with coloure pale wan His lande tenhabite which standeth desolate And he alone awhaped and a mate Comfortles of any creature Him to releue of that he did endure And as Ouide maketh mencion The god Iupiter herde his orison And hath such routhe on him at the leste That he anone fulfilleth his request And of his might which that is diuine His grace he made from heuen for to shine Beningly vnto the earth adowne That by a sodayne transmutaciowne The Antes were brought to fourme of mē anon Which on their fete vpright gan to gon To Thesaly and salue there the kinge And like his lieges toke theyr dwellinge Within a citye called tho Egee As in Ouide ye may beholde and se The which people for theyr worthinesse For theyr strength and great hardinesse Mirundines so longe haue bore the name As in the life ye reade may thee
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
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
maye wyth theim mete At Pylgramage and oblacions At spectacles in Cityes and in townes As sayth Guydo and all is for to selle But after him I can no further telle And eke he sayth in his sentement There is no fraude fully equypolent To the fraude and sleyghty compassinge Of a woman nor lyke in their workyng For who that set all his faithfulnesse Wening in theim to finde stablenesse He shall theim fynde stedfast as the mone That is in poynt for to chaunge soone If he be yonge they caste him in rage If he be olde he falleth in dotage Wherfore my counsayle is to bothe two Caste of the brydell and lightly let theim go ¶ This teacheth Guido god wote and not I That hath delite to speake cursedly Alway of women throughout all his boke As men maye se who so lyst to loke To theim he hadde enuye in specyall That in good fayth I am right wrothe w t al. That he with theim lyst so to debate For yre of which the Latin to translate Inwardly my hert I felte blede Of high dispite his clauses for to rede That resowned in conclusiowne Onely of malyce to accusasiowne Of those women full euyll mote he thriue So generally their secte do descryue Whiche made not through in discrecion Of good nor badde none excepcion He was to blame foule mote he falle For cause of one for to hynder all For I dare well affyrmen by the rode Agayne one bad their ben an hundred good And though some one double be and newe It hyndreth not to them that be trewe And by example also though he shewe That some one whylom was a shrewe They that be good take shall no hede For it no hinderinge is to womanheade Though twaine or thre can double be faine For there agayne sothly at Colayne Of vyrgyns weren inly full of grace A leuen thousande in that holy place A man may fynde and in our kalender Full many mayde parfyt and enter Which to the death stable were and trewe For some of theim with the rosen hewe Of Marterdome the blysse of heauen wonne And some also as bokes telle konne With the lylye of vyrgynyte And vyolettes of parfyte chastyte Ascenden be aboue the sterres cleare And the sercle of the nynthe sphere Where ioye is aye with gladnesse eterne Wherfore in sothe as I can discerne Though some clerkê of shrewes haue missaid Let no good woman therof be mispayde For lacke of one all are not to blame And eke of men maye be sayde the same For to the trewe it is no reprefe Though it be so another be a thefe For what is he the worse in his degre Though that the other be hanged on a tree Nor vnto women hinderyng it is none Amonge an hundred though y t there be one Of gouernaunce that be vicious For there agayne that byn ful vertuous Yf that ye lyst a thousande ye may fynde And though Guido write they haue of kinde To be double men shoulde it goodly take And there agayn no maner grutching make Nature in workynge hath full great powere And it were harde for any that is here The course of her to holde or to restreyne For she will not be guyded by no reyne To be coarted of her dewe righte Therfore eche man with all his full might Shoulde thanke god and taketh paciently For yf women be double naturelly Why shulde men laye on theim the blame For though min auctour hiÌ„der so their name In his writynge onely of Cryseyde And vpon her such a blame leyde My counsayle is lyghtly ouerpasse Where he myssayth of her in any place To hyndre women other eue or morowe Taketh no hede but let theim be wyth sorow And passe it ouer where ye list not rede Tyll ye be come where that Diomede For he was sente into Troye towne Where ceryously as is made menciowne Fyrst how that she to him delyuered was ¶ For Anthenor and for the kinge Thoas And how Troylus gan her to conueye With many other to brynge her on the weye ¶ And after this how that Dyomede By the waye gan her brydell lede Tyll he her brought to her fathers tent And how that Calchas in full good entent Receyued her lodged there he laye And her speche duryng all that daye And all the maner hole and euerydele All is rehersed ceryously and we le In Troylus boke as ye haue herde me saine To wryte it ofte I holde it were but vayne ¶ But Guydo sayth longe or it was nyght How Cryseyde hath forsake her owne knight And gaue her herte vnto this Diomede Of tendernesse and of womanhede That Troylus in her herte is now as colde Without fyre as byn these asshes olde I can none other accusacion But onely kyndes transmutacyon That is appropryed vnto her nature Selde or neuer stable to endure By experyence as men maye ofte lere But nowe to tourne agayne to my matere I must resorte though that I be ferre As I began to wryten of the werre ¶ Of their battayles after that trewse the descripcion of the Pallase of Ilion of a great pestylence in the grekes hoste whereby they were enforced to seke for trewse whiche vpon their suyte they obteyned for thyrtye dayes Capitulo xxvi THe tyme passed of the trewse ytake the next morow whaÌ„ TitaÌ„ hath forsake The vnder partye of their hemysperye Where al the night he had be full merye With Aurora liynge by his syde But in his bed hym lyst no longer byde But shope him vp caste his streames shene ¶ On Troy wall whan Hector armed clene Into the fyelde faste gan hym hye With fyftene thousande in his companye Of worthy knyghtes and of manly men And as I fynde Troylus had tenne Of knyghtes eke that his baner sewe And in all hast Parys gan remewe Out of the towne with them of Perce londe With eche of theÌ„ a mighty bowe in his honde And arrowes sharpe trussed by their syde And of knyghtes that aboute him ryde He had also thre thousande as I fynde ¶ And Deiphobus next him came behynde With thre thousande knightes armed clene On whose plates the sonne shone full shene ¶ And nexte hym came the Troyan Eneas And as I reade sothiÌ„y that there was The same day with them of Troye towne An hundred thousande knyghtes of renown Lyke as recordeth Dares Frygyus And in his boke Guydo writeth thus ¶ And with the grekes all toforre that day With seuen thousande goeth Menelay Knyghtes echone whiche he tho dyd lede And with as many went this Dyomede And next them seweth the hardy Achylles With his mayne called Myrmydones ¶ And zantipus the worthy kyng eke had Thre thousand knightê which w t hym he lad Into the fyelde agayn them of the towne And alderlaste the great Agamenowne With suche a nombre of the grekes felle That wonder is for to heren telle And whan the wardes in the felde abrode Had take their place without more abode ¶ A
language As in the latyn and the frenshe it is That of the storye we the truthe not mys No more than doth eche other nacion This was the fine of his entencion ¶ The which emprise anon I ginne shall In his worshyp as for memoryall And of the tyme to maken mencion Whan I began on this translation It was the yeare sothly for to seyne Fourtene complete tho of his fathers reygne The time of yeare shortly to conclude Whan .xx. grees was Phebus altitude The hour whā he hath made his stedes draw His rosen chariet lowe vnder the wawe To bathe his beames in the wawy sea Gresed lyke golde as men myght playnly se Passyng the bordure of our Occion And Lucina of coloure pale and wan Her colde arisynge in Octobre dyght Tenchase the darkenes of the frosty nyght That then amiddes was of the Scorpion And Hesperus gan fast to wester down Her course to haste againe the morowe gray When Lucifer the nyght to voyd away The messenger is called of the day Our hemispher to put out of Affray With bright kalēdes of Phebus vprist shene Out from y e boundes of Proserpin y e quene Where Pluto dwelleth the darke region And there the furyes haue theyr mansion Tyll after soone Apollo lyst not tarye To take his soiourne in the Sagittarye ¶ Which time I gan the prologue to behold Of Troye boke ymade by dayes olde Where written was of Auctours vs beforne Of al the dede the very trewe corne So as it fell seuered from the chaffe For in their hande they holde as for a staffe The truth onely which they haue compyled Vnto this fyne that we were not begiled Of necligence thorough foryetfulnesse The which serpent of age by longe processe Engendred is fiersely vs to assayle And of the trouth to maken vs to fayle For nere writers all were out of minde Not storyed onely but of nature and kinde The true knowing shuld haue gon to wrake And our wittes from scyence put abacke Ne had our elders serched out and soughte The sothfast pythe to impe it in our thought Of thinges passed fordyrked of theyr hewe Which through the writing be refreshed new Of Aūceters and left to vs be hynde To make a myrrour onely to our minde To se eche thinge truly as it was As bright and cleare as it were in a glasse For nere theyr writynge nowe memoryall Death w t his swerde shuld haue slayne all And ydimmed with his sodayne showres The great prowesse of these conquerours And derked eke the brightnesse of their fame That shineth yet by reporte of her name For vnto vs their bokes represent Without fayninge the waye that they went In theyr dayes when they were alyue Agayne the trouth who so euer striue Or counterplede or make any debate The south is redde of high or lowe estate Without fauour who so lyst take hede For after death clerkes litell drede Of theyr deserte for to beare wytnes Nor of a tyraunt the truthe to expresse ¶ As men deserue without excepcion With lak or pris they graūt their guerdon Wherfore me semeth euery maner man Shulde by his lyfe in all that euer he can For vertue sake eschewe to do amys For after death playnly as it is Clerkes willlyn write and except none The playne trouth when a man is gone And by olde time for theyr writinge trewe They cheryshed were of lordes y t thē knewe And honoured greatly as in tho dayes For they enacted and gilt with theyr sayes Theyr high renowne their māhod prowes Their knighthod eke and theyr worthines Their trihumphes al and eke their victories Their famous cōquest their fonge glories ¶ Fro point to poynt rehersinge all y e trouth Without fraude neclygence or slouth They did theyr labour and theyr besinesse For elles certayne the great worthinesse Of all theyr dedes had bene in vayne For dyrked age elles would haue slayne By length of yeares the noble worthy fame Of conquerours and playnly of theyr name For dimmed eke the letters aureat And eke deffaced the palme laureat Which y t they wan by knighthod ī their dayes Whose freting ruste newe and newe assayes For to eclipse the honour and the glory Of highe prowes which clerkes in memory Haue truly set through dilygent laboure And enlumined with many curious floure Of Rethorike to make vs comprehende The trouth of all as it was tho kinde Bysied them and faithfully trauailed Agayne all that that age wold haue assayled In theyr bokes euery thinge yset And with the key of remembraunce is shet Which lasteth yet and dureth euer in one Recorde of Thebes that was so longe agone Of which the ruyne and destruction Ye may beholde by good inspection Croppe and roote right as it was in dede On Stace loke and there ye may it rede Howe Polynece and Eteocles The brethern two ne could not liue in peace Till Thebes brought was to his ruyne And all the maner howe they diden fyne That death also of worthy Tideus And howe Edipp with teares full pyteous Wept out his eyen and all his drery payne And how y e smokes departed were in twaine At the feast of fyres funerall In great Stace ye may reden al. The syre engendred by brotherly hatred Where through y e deathe was the cruel mede ¶ In very sothe of many worthy man Lyke as mine Auctour well rehearse can Of Troye also that was of latter yeares By diligence of these Cronycleres Ye may beholde in theyr writinge well The strife werre the siege and euery dell Right as it was so many yeares sin passed Whose storye yet age hath not diffaced Nor cruell deathe with his mortall strokes For maugre death ye may beholde in bokes The storye fully rehersed newe and newe As freshe as floure of coloure and of hewe From day to day quicke and nothinge feinte For clerkes haue this storye so depeynt That death nor age by any other weye The trouth may not make for to deye ¶ Al be that some haue the trouth spared In their wrytynge and playnty not declared So as it was nor tolde out faythfully But it transformed in theyr poesy Through vayne fables which of entencion They haue contriued by false transsumptiō To hide trouth falsly vnder cloude And the sothe of malyce for to shroude As Homer did the which in his writinge I feyned hath full many dyuers thynge That neuer was as Guydo lyst deuise And thinges done farre in anotherwise He hath transformed then the trouth was And feyned falsly that goddes in this case ¶ The worthy Grekes helpe to warrey Agayne Troyens how that they were sey Lyke lyfely men among theym day by day And in his dytyes that were freshe and gay With sugred wordes vnder hoony sote His galie is hyd lowe by the roote That it may not outward be aspyed And all for he with Grekes was alyed Therfore he was to theym fauorable In much thyng whych is not commendable Of theym that lust to
gladnesse Of his knighthode and his highe prowesse Of his renowne and his manlyhede Of his expleyte and of his good spede And that fortune to encrease his name Hath caused him with so noble fame Out of Colchos with honour to repayre Albe his chere was vtterly contraire To his entent that euer he came agayne But for all that with face hole and playne He welcomed hym but al against his herte Full sore astoned that he euer asterte The auentures of Colchos peryllous And is retourned so victorious But couertly his treason for to hyde All delaye he gan to sette asyde And to Iason with chere full benyng His heritage fyrste he gan resygne Septre and crowne and kingdome at y e leste For to perfourme the summe of his beheste Like as he was assured by his bonde And Iason toke all into his honde And gan his vncle in full lowe manere First to thanke with all his herte entere ¶ And after that ful knightly gan him pray Goodly to here what that he wolde saye Of a mattere that fret his herte sore From daye to daye encreasyng euer more Besechyng hym to graunt hym audience Touchyng a wronge and a vyolence Done vnto hym whan he no harme ne ment In Troye lande to Colchos as he wente This is to saye the kynge of Troye towne Within the bondes of his region Whan I and myne in great aduersitye With winde and wether fordryuen in the sea Vs to refreshe to lande dyd aryue Not in purpose with hym for to stryue But for to rest vs after all our wo A lytell whyle and forth anone to go For we in sothe no maner harme ne thought But he vnkyngly of very malyce sought Agaynst vs to fynde occasyon Byddyng in haste to voyde his region Notwithstanding that we come in peace Lyke as my brother knoweth Hercules Vnto no wyght doyng no distresse Wherfore we praye to your hygh noblesse To our purpose for to condiscende Of whiche platly this the fynall ende That we be sette in full conclusyon Hooly to worke to his destruction Lyke our auowe whan we thense went If it so be ye goodly lyste assent And all at ones strongly and not spare Maugre his myght to Troye for to fare So that we may fynde in you fauoure Vs to refreshe with golde and with treasure And only eke of our curtesye Vs strength also with your cheualrye ¶ And Pelleus without more abode Anone as he this matter vnderstode Assented is of herte and wyll also In this voyage with theim for to go And all the worthy of that regyowne Kynges Dukes and Lordes of renowne Be accorded there is not one saieth naye To go with theim and helpe what they may And of this iourney chiefe solicitour Was Hercules the worthy conquerour ¶ And he in haste his retenewe to make Towarde Spartos hath the way take Whiche is an yle to Grekes pertinent Fully obeying to their commaundement In whiche Pollux and Castor eke also The worthy kingê the mighty brothern two Were as I fynde that tyme gouernours And bare their crowne like noble werreours And brothern weren also vnto Eleyne And as poetes lyketh for to fayne That Iupiter for all his deyte Vpon Leda begat them all three That in beautie all other dyd excelle And as for Eleyne lyke as bokes telle Conceyued was in Tyndarys the yle Vnto the londe ioynyng of Cecyle Therfore of some I fynde that she is After the yle called Tyndaris Of their byrth me lyst no more to endite But forthe I thyncke of Hercules to wryte That hath besought these noble kingê twain With mighty hande to do their busy payne Only to graunte with him for to wende To Troye warde shortly this the ende And to assente they saye not ones nay With all the power that they catche may Againe what tyme that him lyst assygne And Hercules with chere full beninge Thanked them of that they him behyght And forth he wente in all the haste he might Toward Messene the stronge mighty londe Within whiche the noble king he fonde The knightly man the worthy Thelamon Lorde and prynce of that region That in armes was one the manlyest That was a lyue and egall with the beste And whan he knew that Hercules was com For ioye he hath hym in his armes nome And him receyued in all maner thynge Lyke as it sat to a worthy kyng And whan he wiste sothly what he mente Without more anone he dyd assente With hym to gone Troyens for to greue And Hercules goodly toke his leue And hym enhasteth to Thesalye agayne To Pelleus and telleth hym certayne Howe he hath spedde besechynge hym also In all the haste that it may be do Letters to sende and all his lordes call And to assemble his worthy knyghtes all Thrughout his laÌ„d y t were both nigh ferre Suche as he knewe y t were experte in werre And them also that were of counsayle sage For wyt of them that be yronne in age Is more than force without experience But whan manhode is mente with sapience Who loketh well it may double auayle And they that longe haue vsed to trauayle Lyke as it is playnly to suppose May helpe moste our iourney to dispose For vnto age experience and wytte To youth force and hardinesse sytte And whan that both be of one entent Fully accorded to worken by assent With a quarell grounded vpon ryght Thrugh helpe of grace y t hath treble myght TheÌ„ nede not drede with spere nor w t shelde In knyghtly wyse for to holde a feilde For of knighthode the fame and the glory Nor in armes conquest nor victory Be not assured vpon multitude But on manhode so grace lyste conclude ¶ Therfore let vs for to auenge our wrong First with right make our selfe stronge And efte our force manly for to shewe Of knyghtes chose taken out a fewe And so auoyde encombraunce of numbre And so we shall our foes beste encombre And of all that that Hercules hath sayde Kyng Pelleus was tho right well apayde For as him thought his counsaile was righte good And Hercules without more abode Is in great haste with his meine gon To a prouince that called is Pilon In whiche there was a duke of noble fame And as I fynde Nestor was his name Full renowmed and stronge of chiualrye And he was eke of kinred and allye To Hercules and of the same bloud And whan that he plainly vnderstode The purpose hole and cause of his coming He graunted hym without more taryinge To go hym selfe with hym in this voiage With all the worthy of his baronage And to be ready agayne a certayne daye And Hercules as faste as euer he maye Repaired is ayen to Thesalye Where gathered was holy the nauye Of the lordes full redy apparayled Well enarmed and rychely vitayled ¶ And Pelleus hath taken fyrste the sea And euery lorde lyke to his degree Yshypped is and ready for to gon With Hercules and also with Iason Their behestes
the werre ful oft vpon him toke Of his knighthode many high empryse As the storye lyke after shall deuyse ¶ And in his boke like as wryte Vergile The poete olde w t soueraintye of style How that the king Pryam had also By Hecuba other sonnes two And by recorde of this Vergelius The one was named Pollidorus Whom Priamus in his grene youthe When that y e cominge was of Grekes kouth To Troyewarde in all the haste anone With golde treasour and many ryche stone Hath sent him forthe besyde vnto a kinge Of ful great trust to haue him in kepyng Till tyme he sawe what conclusyowne There shuld befall after of the towne And eke what fine the werres shoulden take That vpon theym the Grekes tho did make But thilke kyng of false couetyse Of his treasour that ye haue herde deuyse Whan that he sawe fortunes varyaunce Toward Pryam and his vnhappy chaunce Lyke a tyraunt and murderer also The childes throte made do cutte a two And after that he full of crueltye Made his men to burye him priuelye That no man might his treason vnderstond Besyde a sea depe vnder the strond ¶ The other sonne also that I of reade In Vergile called was fayre Ganimede Whom Iupiter hath in a forest hente Vpon a daye as he on huntinge wente And bare him vp aboue the sterres clere And in the heauens made him butlere Eternally with hym to wonnen there In stede of Hebes his owne daughter dere ¶ The fyrst doughter of kyng Pryamus Was hoote Creusa as sayeth Vergilius In his Eneydos sothely as it was And she was wedded vnto Eneas And eke this storye sayeth that this Enee Was wonderfull in his natyuytye Of whom the father as I fynde doubtles Was in his tyme called Anchyses That hym begat on Venus the goddesse For after her he was of such fayrnesse That to no wyght could neuer yet be se A man that was more passyng of beautye Of whom this storye touchyng his workyng Shall you declare many wonder thyng For it is he to whom so great a loos Vergyle hath giue in his Eneydos For he that booke in worshyp of Enee Compyled hath like as ye may se Of his knyghthood and many strong batayl By hym acheued before he wan Itayle Full long time after that the royall towne Of Troy was brought to his confusiowne And of his conquest yf ye lyst take hede In this poete ye may by ordre reade And how in armes he wrought in al his age And of his comyng also to Cartage Fro Troywarde within a litell while Al this ye may behold in great Vergile ¶ Another doughter also it is founde Kyng Pryam had of birth the secound Called Cassandra of ful great sadnesse And was in maner a diuineresse And in eche arte had experience Of thynges future fully the prescience To tell afore what that shall betide Of whom the fame sprang in costes wide Which kept her chaste aye in virginitye And eke in prayers and in honestye She led her life and in deuocion After the rites and the religyon Of Pagynisme vsed in tho dayes The obseruaunces keping of their layes ¶ The third doughter hight Pollicene Yongest of all and stil a mayde cleane She kept her selfe honest in her lawe Vnto the time that Pirrus hath her slawe Of shape of fortune was neuer by nature Wrought to beholde a fayrer creature Eke as I fynde this noble kynge also Hadde thirty sonnes the boke saith no mo Hardy in armes and noble founde at all That called were his sonnes naturall And they were all exceptinge neuer one Worthy knyghtes and manly men echone And their names who so lyste to knowe He shall them fynde wryte vpon arowe After in story eueryche after other Begynnyng fyrst at the eldest brother ¶ And whiles Pryam at the syege laye Tofore the castell to gette it if he may And therabout hath many way sought The wofull tydynges be vnto him broughte How the grekes haue taken Troye towne And slayne his father worthy Lamedowne And how the Citie of olde foundaciowne Full piteously was tourned vp so downe The worthy lordes and gentle men echone Taken and slayne and ylefte not one Of them a lyue through Grekes crueltie After the ruyne alas of their Citie And Exion his owne syster dere Lad in exyle with her eyen cleare ¶ Wherfore the kyng in herte astoned so For very sorowe he nist what to do His sodayne wo gan hym so constrayne He sobbeth wepeth that of mortall payne He thought his herte wolde a sondre breste Of hye distresse for he myghte haue no reste And into teares he gan him selfe destylle That for to deye was fynally his wyll ¶ And fortune that can so falsly varye With drery herte gan bytterly to warye That she to hym was so deceyuable So inly cruell and vnmercyable So dispyteous and so sterne of face So vengeable and so deuoyde of grace For of enuy with a raged thought She hath hir worst of malis on hī wrought And felly shewed what she myght do That in this worlde was neuer wight so wo. As I suppose of no maner of age To reaken all her harmes and damage For whiche anone in all that euer he maye In hast he chaungeth all his ryche araye Tryste and heuy with deadly face pale So astoned with this mortall tale That his desyre was to haue be dead With countenance enclined and with head This lyfe he lad and clad him all in blacke And sodaynly he the syege brake And wolde as tho no lenger there abyde But with his folke anone he gan to ryde That pyteously gan likwise w t him morne And toward Troy attones they efte returne ¶ And whan that he hath the Cyty founde Plaine with the soyle euen w t the grounde The hye walles whylom thicke and longe Ybeate downe that made were so stronge And his toures and paleys pryncypall That was in buildyng so excellent royall So famous ryche and of great noblesse He founde tourned into wyldernesse His people slayne his syster ladde awaye For very wo he ne wyste what to saye For the constraynt of his aduersytie And for his harmes that wyll not cured be For in that time he was right fully sure Vpon no syde there foūde might be recure Wherfore he can nought do but sobbe wepe And fro his brest w t syghes sought full dede Broken out with pale and dead visage And thus alas in this furious rage Full pyteously all his hooste and he Without respite continued dayes three Tyll at the laste the darke skyes blacke Gan of their wo in partye for to slacke And the tempest some deale gan withdrawe And of their wepynge blādyshe gan y e wawe And whan the floode of wo is ouer paste The ebbe of ioye folowe must in haste To sorowe euer it wolde their hertes shende And at a terme euery wo must ende for though for frēdes mē may wepe wayle After their deth their teares
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
Vnto Crisyde and though to my succour Of Rethoryke that I haue no floure Nor hewes ryche stones nor yet perre But al bare of curyosytye Though crafty speche to enbroude with her sleue Yet for al that now I wil not leue But be as ay bolde bayarde is the blynde That cast no peryl what way that he finde Right so wil I stumble forth of haed For vnconning and take no better hede So as I can her beaute to discryue That was in sothe of al tho alyue One of y e fayrest this Calchas doughter dere Therto of shap of face and of cheare There might be no fayrer creature Of high nor lowe but meane of stature Her sonnishe heyr like Phebus in his sphere Boūde in a tresse bryghter thā gold wyere Downe at her backe lowe downe behinde Which with a thred of golde she would binde Ful oft syth of a customaunce Therto she had so much suffysaunce Of kindes worke without any were And saue her browes ioyned were yfere No man coud in her a lacke espyen And furthermore to speake of her eyen They were so heauenly persyng and so clere That an herte ne might him selfe stere Agayne her shyninge y t they ne woūd wolde Throughout a brest god wote make it yold Also she was for al her semelinesse Symple and wyse and ful of sobernesse The best nouryshed that eke might be Goodly of speche fulfylled of pytye Facundious and therto right tretable And as sayth Guydo in loue variable Of tender hert and vnstedfastnesse He her accuseth and newfanglynesse ¶ And after this Dares doth reherse Amonges other how the kyng of Perse Came to grekes with many worthy knight To helpe and further all that euer he myght The whych kyng was of stature longe And wonder fat as he wryte right stronge Whose berd and heyr redde as flawme of fire With eyen stepe and feruent of desyre To haue ado and sterne of cheare and loke And oft sythes of sodayne yre he quoke And had wertes plenty in his face ¶ And thus Dares shortly for to pace No more of Grekes wryteth as I fynde But of Troians for to make mynde Ceryously he doth his style dresse Them to discryue as I shall expresse ¶ The descryption of Priam his sonnes and doughters of the ariuall of y e grekes tofore the Temple of Diane the goddesse Ca. xvi ANd first he sayeth how king Pryamus Was of his cheare bening gracious Of stature hygh with lymmes sklendre lōg Delytyng much in musyk and in songe And specially was most desyrous To heare songes that weren amerous A semely man and of great hardinesse And spake but lowe as bookes vs expresse Deuoyde of dread hating flatterye And all that could other glose or lye Trewe of his worde and to euery wyght He did playnly equite and right For no mede him list not to declyne And loued early on morowe for to dine In his time one of the worthyest Of all kinges and he that loued best Worthy knightes al that euer he knewe That manfull were and of herte trewe He coud cherishe no man halfe so wele With golde and gyftes that they myght fele His great fredome and larges eke withall ¶ And of his sonnes for to reken all The first of byrth so as bookes tell Was worthy Hector of knighthod sprīg wel Floure of manhod of strength pereles Sad discrete and prudent neuertheles Crop and roote ground of chyualrye Of cheare demure and of curtesye He was example therto of sobernesse A very myrour and for his gentilnesse In his time and therto most renoumed To reken all and of goodlyhead The most famous in peace and werre Whose fame stretched both to nygh and ferre On eche parte he was so vertuous And to be loued most gracious Of brawne and bones compact by measure So wel brethed in armes to endure So wel perfourmed by proporciowne So quicke so liuely and of most renowne So huge made so well growen of length So wel complet for to haue great strengthe ▪ That in this worlde if I shal not fayne Was neuer none that fully myght attayne To the prowes of this worthy knight To prayse his herte as well as his might And therwithall so wyse and aduysee The lowlyest eke of his degre To ryche and pore and of wordes fewe Vnto all suche cheare he could shewe Of his presence that glad was euery wight Whan they at leysur had of him a syght He was so bening to them of the towne And to his enemyes like a ferse Lyowne He could him shewe whan it was to do And in the felde there might no man so To reken all his labour halfe endure For the storye doth vs plyan assure That he was neuer werye in battayle Nor faynt in herte his fomen to assayle Of all good I finde he was the best Prowesse vertue in him were set at rest So passingly that neuer was or shall None bore of mother so perygall To him of manhod nor of chiualrie For all he passed but yf bokes lye In whom nature ne was nothing to wyte Saue in his tunge he was let a lite And as some Auctours make mencion He was sanguine of complexion ¶ And furthermore his brother Deiphobus Like as I finde and also Helenus Were lyke Pryam that sothly of theim thre Was hard to espye any dyuersyte Of shape or fourme or of countenaunce Saue of age there was no varyaunce Their father olde they were yonge lyght And in Deiphobus was a worthy knight And in armes fame and excellence And Helenus in clergye and scyence Was well expert and toke but lytell hede Of al the werre knighthod and manhede ¶ But sothly Troylus if I shall discriue There was of herte no manlyer alyue Nor more likly in armes to endure Well growen of hight and of great stature Yonge freshe lusty hardy as a Lyō Deliuer and stronge as any champyowne And perygall of manhode and of dede He was to any that I can of reade In derryng do this noble worthy wight For to fulfyl that longeth to a knight Te secounde Hector for his worthinesse He called was and for his high prowesse Duryng the werre he bare him selfe so wele Therto in loue trewe as any stele Secre and wise stedfast of courage The most goodly also of visage That might be and most beninge of cheare Without chaunge and of one herte entere He was alway faythfull iust and stable Perseueraunt and of will immutable Vpon what thing◠he ones set his herte That doubilnesse might him dot peruert In his dedes he was so hole and playne But of his foon the sothe for to sayne He was so ferse they might hym not w tstand Whan that he helde his blody sworde in hād Vnto Grekes death and confusyon To them of Troye shelde and protection And his knighthod shortly to accounte There might in māhod no mā him surmoūt Through the world though mē wouldē seke To reken
and gouernour And duke Stupex with him also had And of knyghtes a thousande that he ladde Towarde Troye from his region And as this storye maketh mencyon That prouince standeth most by wildernesse And by woodes of plenteous thickenesse Wherin growe full many diuers tree And most is forest that men may there se For they there buylde houses but a fewe And in that lande full diuersly them shewe Many lykenesse queynte and monstruous Beastes vnkouth to syght merueylous Stoundmele as by apparence By illusyon false in existence Wonder gastfull playnly for to sene For dyuers goddes of the woodes grene Apperen there called Satyrye Bycornes eke Fawny and Incubye That cause often men to falle in rage And of this lande the people full sauage Hardy knyghtes furyous and woode And desyrous aye to sheden bloude Greatly Experte specyally to shete With darte and spere peryllous for to mete For they caste euen as any lyne ¶ And from an yle that named was Boetine In great araye to Troye the Citee Lyke as I fynde there came Dukes three The fyrst of all called Amphymus Samus the secounde the thirde Forcius And as sayth Dares which listeth not to lye Twelue hundred knightes in their company ¶ And fro Brotyne as made is remembrance The riche lande that hath such habundaunce Of spyces gummes fruites corne and wine Holsome rotes ryndes ryche and fyne Wonder vnkouth and precious also Out of which there comen kinges two Full knightly men in armes desyrous Kynge Boetes and Epristuis And w t them brought to Troye from ferre A thousande knightes arayed for the werre ¶ And fro the lande called Pafflagonye Whiche seuered is from all companye As bookes saye that be hystoryall Vnder the plage that is Oryentall Sette so ferre as made is rehersayle That fewe or none to that lande trauayle For there to come is nere impossyble For whiche that lande is called inuisyble Bycause onely of his remosion And yet yt is a ryche regyon Of golde and syluer also and of stones And habundaunte of plentee for the nones It is so full of treasour and of good And hath his scyte on the ryche floude Ynamed Tygre not fer from Eufrates As sayth myne auctour that called is Dares From whiche lande in stele armed clene A thousand knightes came with Phylomene The worthy kyng whose shildes out of drede Were of cuirboilye in Guydo as I read With golde depainte fret with stones ryche that in this world I trow there was noÌ„e liche Out of the floudes chosen by deuyse Whiche haue their course out of Paradyse The whiche kyng a Gyaunt of stature And of his makynge passyng all measure Stronge and delyuer also as I fynde ¶ And fro the lande y t marcheth vpon Inde Kyng Perses came with many knightly man And he also that with his hande hym wan So moche honour the noble kyng Menon And eke his brother called Sygomon Whiche from the lande of their subiectiowne Of dukes erles and knyghtes of renowne Thre thousande brought all in plates shene With speres rounde whet ful square and kene From Ethyope came this noble route ¶ And from the kyngdome also out of doute That Thereo of Dares called is Came the kyngfull prudent and full wyse The manly man named Theseus And eke his sonne that hyght Archylogus A thousande knyghtes in their company And Theseus full nyghe was of allye To Pryamus by dissent of bloud And kynges twayne passyng ryche of good And renowmed of knighthode as by fame Albe that Guydo reherseth not their name Yet in this storye he maketh mencion That from Agresta the lyttle regyon A thousand knightê they brought vnto Troy The grekes pryde to daunte and to acoye For they were chosen and pycked for y e nones ¶ And from he land beyond the Amazones Lyssynya the kyng Epystrophus So wyse so worthy and inly vertuous Passyng of counsayle and discreciowne And with all this full worthy of renowne He preued was also in speciall And in the artes called lyberall He lerned was and expert a ryght Notwithstandyng he was a worthy knyght In werre and peace manfull and ryghte sage Albe that he was ronne ferre in age And as the storye maketh rehersayle A thousande knightê cladde in plate mayle To Troye towne I fynde that he ladde And with hym Guydo sayth that he hadde A wonder archer of syght meruaylous Of fourme and shap in maner monstruous For lyke myne auctour as I reherse can Fro the nauell vpwarde he was man And lower downe lyke a horse yshaped And thilke parte that after man was maked Of skinne was blacke and rough as any bere Couered with here fro colde him for to were Passyng foule and horrible of syght Whose eyen twain were sparkeling as bright As is a furneis with his reade leuene Or the lyghtnyng that falleth from y t heauen Dredefull of loke and reade as fyre of chere And as I reade he was a good archer And with his bowe both at euen morowe Vpon grekes he wrought moche sorowe And gasted them with many hydous loke So sterne he was that many of them quoke Whan they hym sawe so ougly and horryble And more lothsome than it is credible That many one hath wounded to the death And caused them to yelden vp the breath On grekes syde as ye shall after here ¶ And in this wyse assembled byn yfere Kynges Dukes and Erles of renowne From sundry landes within Troye towne That byn ygathred and come fro so ferre As sayth Dares to helpe them in this werre That were in numbre as he maketh mynde Two and thirtye thousande as I fynde Of worthy knyghtes and lordes of estate That syth the worlde was fourmed create Ne was sene I trowe in one Citee Together assembled of so hygh degree Nor of knightes so great a multitude And yet this Dares sothly to conclude In his boke maketh of them no mynde That came to Troye out of smaler Inde Nouther of them moste famous of renowne That were w t Priam yborne of Troy towne ¶ That fynally if it be trewly sought Syth y e houre that this world was wrought I dare affyrme vnder Phebus sphere So many worthy were not mette yfere Of manly men flouryng in lustynesse So freshe so yonge and as by lyklynesse In euery poynt of shape and of arraye For to do well for sothly this is no naye Who lyst consyder vpon outher syde For through the world where men go or ryde The floure of knighthode and of worthinesse Of chyualrye and of hyghe prowesse Assembled was without and within Fully assented the werre so to begyn ¶ Wherfore ye lysters taketh now good hede That you delyte in this boke to reade Fyrst for how lyttle that this werre began How light the cause for which so many a man Hath loste his lyfe in myschyefe pyteously And yet no man can beware therby Almost for nought was this stryfe begonne And who lyste loke they haue hereby nought wonne But only deth alas
if he maye To mete Hector of all that ylke daye ¶ But when that he was ybounde sore His wound to staunche that it blede no more More furyous than he was erst tofore Repeyred is with angre al to tore So aye the yre on his herte fret That he bare downe all that euer he met Slayth and kylleth he was so mercyles All tho that put theim selfe in the prease Or hardy were wyth hym for to mete For in his boke lyke as wryte Darete For very sothe and in the storye sayth If it be so that men may gyuen fayth And full credence of possybylyte As in Guydo clearly ye may se After that he caught his latter wounde Fynally the grekes to confounde So as it is affermed in certayne A thousand knightê w t his hande were slayn Without theim tho that I spake of rathe And newe alway he gan his swerde to bathe In grekes bloud that sodaynly they be So ouerlayne through his cruelte That greke was none of high nor low estate That he ne was awhaped and amate Of his knighthod and manly excellence For there was none to maken resystence Nor vtterly that durste take on hande Of all that daye Hector to wythstande ¶ And as is made also mencion Thylke daye kyng Agamenon As sayth Guydo came not into felde For causes great his presence he withhelde On grekes syde that al goeth vp so downe Hector on them so playeth the wood Liowne That to theyr tentes they fledde for socours And they of Troye proudly as victours Sewed after theim by traces of theyr bloud And there they wan treasour and great good And spoyled theim in full great dystresse Of their armure and of theyr richesse And fell on theim or that they were ware And home to Troye all that good they bare For fynally that daye wyth myschaunce Grekes had be brought vnto outraunce Without recure in sothe for euermore On euery parte they were belayde so sore Through the manhode of Hector y e mighte With helpe of many other worthy knyght That so felly agayne the grekes wrought For to such mischief playnly they theÌ„ brought That ne had be theyr owne pyteous slouthe Of pryde onely and of folye routhe They had of theim at theyr volunte That daye for euer had the soneraynte And recured through theyr hygh renowne Lordshyppe of theim and dominacyowne Whych shoulde haue laste and be continuall Victoryously and perpetuall Haue endured saue that cruell fate Is redy aye with fortune to debate Agayne thynges that gynne in wilfulnesse To make theim fine aye in wretchednesse Through theyr enuyous disposytion Of sodayne chaunce and reuolucion And vnware tourning of her false whele That wyll not byde when a thinge is wele Alas freyle deuoyde of sykernesse The cause was dimmed so with dercknesse That hath troians through false opynyon Yblinded so in theyr discrescion And specially fordercked so the syght Of worthy Hector the prudeÌ„t manly knyght To se afore what shulde after sewe By good aduyse the mischyefe to eschewe That folowed theim at the backe behinde Alas they were wilfully made blynde The same daye when they sytten softe By victorye on the hill alofte That they ne could of neclygence not se The after fall of theyr felycite So put abacke was theyr aduertence For lacke of reason and of high prudence For they their hap haue voided theyr grace That presently were set afore theyr face For in a man it is not commendable If fortune be to him fauorable And blandeshing with a forhead cleare To smyle on him with a plesaunt cheare Onely of fauoure for to helpe him oute When he in myschyefe is beset aboute If he refuse his hap of wylfulnesse Fortune auoyding through vnkindnesse Whan she ministreth to him of her grace Another tyme he shall not her embrace Whan he hath nede to her helpe at all To succour him or he catche a fall But rather then for his ingratitude Frowardly with mowes him delude Whan he best weneth to stande in sikernesse Fortune is aye so full of brotilnesse Remouable and ready for to flytte ¶ Her welfull houre y t who lyst not admytte With her fauour for to be allyed Another time it shall be denied When he were leuest finde her fauorable For in some houre sothly this no fable Vnto some man she graunteth his desyres That will not after in a thousande yeares Peraunter ones condescende Vnto his will nor his lust him sende ¶ As it hath fall this daye vnhappely To worthy Hector that so wilfully Wrought of head grekes for to spare Fatally when they were in snare For he of theim lyke a conquerour With victorye tryumphe and honour Might haue brought thrugh his hye renown The palme of conquest into Troye towne Which he that daye refused folylye ¶ For as he rode this Hector cruelly Amonges grekes slowe and bare all downe Casually he mette Thelamowne I meane Ayax nygh of his allye That of hate and cruel hote enuye To Hector rode lyke as he were wood Albe to him he was full nygh of bloud Yet for all that this yonge lusty knight Dyd his power and his full myght Without fayning to haue borne hym downe Whose father hyght also Thelamowne That hym begat the storye telleth vs Of Eryon syster to Pryamus And this Ayax flourynge in yonge age Freshe and delyuer and of great courage Sette on Hector of knyghtly hygh prowesse And as they met both in theyr woodnesse On theyr stedes these manly champyons Eueryche on other lyke Tygres or Lions Began to fall and proudly to assayle And furyously seuere plate and mayle First with speres longe large and rounde And afterwarde with swerdes kene ygrouÌ„de And fyghtyng thus longe they do contune Tyll it befell of case or of fortune Token or sygne or some apparence Or by natures kyndly influence Whych into hertes doth full depe myne Namely of theym that borne be of one lyne Whych cause was peraunter of these twane Naturally theyr rancour to restrayne And theyr yre for to modefye Onely for they so nygh were of allye Vnwyst of other and therof vnsure Tyll they were taught onely of nature For naturally bloud wyll aye of kynde Drawe vnto bloud where he may it fynde Whych made Hector kyndely to aduerte To be meued and stered in his herte Both of knyghthod and of gentilnesse Whan he of Ayax sawe the worthynesse ¶ Spake vnto him full beningnely And sayd Cosyn I saye the trewly If thou lyst grekes here forsake And come to Troye I dare the vndertake To thyne allyes and to thy kynrede Thou shalt be there withouten any dreade Full well receyued in partye and in all Of theim that be of the blode royall Sothly decended and hyghest of degre That it of ryght shall suffyse vnto the And kyndely be to the great plesaunce For to repayre vnto thyne allyaunce Of gentyll herte sythe nothyng is so good As be confedered with his owne bloud For I conceyue by thy worthynesse Whych nature doth kyndly in
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
his stede sturdy as a wall This worthy knyght this man most mercial Pleyeth his play amonge Myrmydones Hym selfe god wot alone all helples ¶ But tho alas what might his force auayle When thre thousande knightes him assayle On euery parte both in lengthe and brede And cowardly fyrst they slewe his stede With their speres sharpe so square ygrouÌ„d For whych alas he stante now on y e grounde Wythout reskuse refute or socoure That was that daye of chyualrye the floure But well awaye they haue him so beset That from his head they smote his basenet And brake his harueys as they hym assaile And seuer of stele the myghty stronge mayle He was dysarmed both necke and also heade Alas the whyle no wyght toke none hede Of all his knyghtes longynge to the towne And yet alway this Troyan champyowne In knyghtly wyse naked as he was ¶ Hym selfe defendeth tyll Achylles alas Came rydynge in furyous and wood And whaÌ„ he sawe howe that Troylus stode Of longe fyghtynge awhaped and a mate And from his folkes alone disconsolate Sole by hym at myschyefe pyteously This Achylles wonder cruelly Behynde vnwarely or that he toke hede With his swerde smyteth of his heade And cast it forthe of cruell cursed herte And thought sure it should hym not asterte To shewe his malice this wolfe vnmercyable Full vnknyghtly to be more vengeable Vpon the body that dead laye and colde Alas that euer it should of knyght be tolde Wryte or rehersed to do so foule a deede Or in a boke alas that men shall rede Of any knyght a storye so horryble Vnto the eares passyngly odyble For this Achilles of crueltye alas The dead corps toke out of the taas And vengeably bonde it as I fynde At the tayle of his horse behynde And hatefully that euery wyght behelde Drewe it him selfe endlonge the felde Through the renges and the wardes all But Oh alas that euer it should fall A knyght to be in herte so cruell Or of hatred so spytefull and so fell To drawe a man after he were deade OH thou Homer for shame be now red And y e amase y t holdest thy selfe so wyse On Achylles to set suche great a pryse In thy bokes for his chyualrye Aboue echone that dost hym magnyfye That was so sleyghty and so full of fraude Why geuest thou him so hye a prayse laude ¶ Certys Homer for all thy excellence Of Rethoryke and sugred eloquence Thy lusty songes and thy dytees swete Thy hony mouth that doth wyth sugre flete Yet in one thynge thou greatly art to blame Causeles to gyue hym suche a name With tytle suche of tryumphe and glorye So passyngely to put in memorye In thy bookes to saye and wryte so that he thrugh knighthod slain hath Hectors two First him y t was lyke vnto none other ¶ And sithê Troilus y t was his owne brother If thou arte meued of affection Whych that thou hast to Grekes nacion To preyse him so for thou caust endyte Thou shouldest aye for any fauour wryte The trouthe playnly and be indyfferent And saye the sothe clerely of entente ¶ For when he slewe Hector in the felde He was afore disarmed of his shelde And busy eke in spoylynge of a kynge For yf he had beware of his comynge He had hym quyt through his chyualrye His false deceyt and his trecherye That he ne had so lyghtly from him gone ¶ Also Troylus naked and alone Amyd thre thousand closed and yshet ¶ When Achilles hath his head of smet At his backe of full cruell herte When he nothing his treason dyd aduerte ¶ Was that a dede of a manly knyght To slee a man forweryed in the fyght Faynt of trauayle all the longe daye Amonge so many standynge at a baye A kynges sonne and so hye borne Naked the head his armure all to torne Euen at the death on the selfe poynt At great myschyefe and playnly out of ioynt Of his lyfe standynge on the wrake ¶ When Achilles came falsly at the bake Assaylynge hym when he was halfe deade And lyke a cowarde smote of then his heade That was tofore hurte and wounded sore ¶ Wherfor Homer ne praise him not therfore Let not his prease thy royall booke difface But in all haste his renowne outrace For here his name when I here it neuen Veryly vp to the thirde heauen As semeth me infecte is the eyre The sowne therof so foule is and vnfayre For if that he had vsed aduertence Other the eye of his prouydence Vnto knyghthod or his worthynesse Other to manhode or to gentyllesse Or to the renowne of his owne name Or to the reporte of his knyghtly fame In any wyse to haue taken hede He hadde neuer done so foule a dede So vengeably for to haue ydrawe A kynges sonne after he was slawe And namely hym that was so good a knight Whyche in his tyme who so loke aryght Passed Achylles I dare it well expresse Both of manhode and of gentylnesse But for all that he is nowe dead alas ¶ The death of whom when Pollydamas And Parys eke fyrst gan espye They fared in sothe as they woulden dye And specyally wyth face dead and fade ¶ Parys alas suche inly sorowe made For the constreynt of his deadly wo When he sawe well that Troylus was ago And that he shall in lyfe him neuer se Suche sorowe also the Troyan Dan Enee For hym hath made and many other mo That all at ones they togyther go The dead corps to recure if they maye ¶ But grekes were so fell on them that daye That all theyr haste was vtterly in vayne In any wyse the corps to get agayne Tyll that Menon the noble worthy kynge Whych loued Troylus ouer all thynge Caught such routhe of affection That he in haste fearser than a Lyon On his death cast him to be wreake And fyrst for Ire thus he gan to speake To Achylles for all his hye treasowne Oh thou Tratoure Oh thou Scorpyowne Oh thou Serpent full of Trecherye Whych in dishonour of all chyualrye Through false engyne hast this daye yslawe The onely best that here hadde no felowe When he was whylom in this worlde alyue Alas alas who maye aryght deseryue Thy venym hyd thy malice and vntrouthe Wythout pyte or any knyghtly routhe To drawe a knyght so gentyll and so good A kynges sonne of so worthy bloud Through out y e feld at thy horse tale behynde That euer after it shal be in mynde This cruell dede and vngentylnesse ¶ And wyth y t word Menon gan him dresse Towarde Achylles wythout more areste And wyth a spere smet him in the brest Enuyously of so great hatrede That he vnneth kepte him on his stede And Menon after pulled out a swerde And cast hym manly to mete him in the berde And rode to him fully deuoyde of dreade And suche a wound he gaue him on the head That maugre him in many mannes syght To the earthe he
made him to alyght For all his pryde in a mortall traunce And of that wound he felt such greuaunce That at the death he laye an huge whyle In a swowne the space of halfe a myle Tyll Myrmydones assembled into one With great laboure and hente him vp anone Full deadly pale so he gan to blede But for all that they set him on his stede And at the last his hert he caught agayne And smet his horse of hate and hye disdayne And towarde Menon fast gan him hye But when that he his cominge gan espye Full lyke a knyght lyst not to abyde But hit his horse sharply in the syde And mette Achilles proudly on the playne And wyth theyr swordes they togither layne And gan to hurtle on horse backe tho yfere Wyth herte enuyous and despytous chere ¶ But kynge Menon was at auauntage Of Achylles for all his wood rage In poynt to abrought him to confusyowne Tyll y t the wardes of newe be comen downe On other parte both of these and yonder Whych sodaynly seuered them asonder And as the story telleth playnly than Began the slaughter of many manly man For nother party the felde ne would leue Of very pryde tyll it drewe to eue That Phebus gan aswage of his hete And gan to bathe in the wawes wete His bryght beames of the Occyan That fro the felde home goth euery man To theyr lodginge and after seuen dayes They faught yfere made no more delayes ¶ Full mortall by cruell aduenture Whyle Achylles full busy was to cure His woundes grene and his sores sounde And then he had a newe treason founde To be venged vpon kynge Menon For all his wytte he sette thervpon And so this cruell enuyous Achilles Ycharged hath his Myrmydones Worthy Menon amonge theim to enbrace If they hym founde of opportune in place With all theyr might and theyr busy thought From theyr handes that he escape nought Tyll he hym selfe auenged on hym be ¶ And so befell as they Menon se The nexte morowe lyke a manly knyght Agayne the Grekes armed for to fyght On Troye syde as he was wonte to do Of auenture that daye yt fell so That Achilles and this Menon mette And eche of theim gan on other sette On horse backe wyth full great emiye When as so longe in theyr melancolye Mine auctour wryt they togyther fyght That eche made other of force to alyght ¶ And whan Menon stode vpon y e grounde ▪ Myrmydones wente aboute him rounde As they were charged of the fyerse Achylle When he alas wythout goddes wylle Dysseuered was from his knyghtes all And at myschyefe they vpon him fall Destitute alone and helples And in suche poynt slewe him Achylles But in the story lyke as it is founde This Menon fyrst gaue him such a wounde Tofore his death in all this fell stryfe That he dyspeyred was as of his lyfe This Achylles for all his false treason Take hede Homer and demeth in thy reason The false fraude and the sleyghty gyle The treason caste afore wyth many wyle Of Achylles and iudge now a ryght If euer he slewe any worthy knyght But if yt were by preodycyon Recorde I take of the kynge Menon So that the tytle of his laude alas Entriked is wyth fraude and with fallace ¶ That thou Homer mayst with no coloure Though thou paynte with gold w t asoure In thy wrytynge his venym not enclose But as the thorne hyd vnder the rose Whose malyce aye dareth by the roote Though the floure aboue fayre and soote That men the fraude vnder may not se Of his treason ye get no more of me BVt I wyll tell how Grekes do that day How Meneste and kynge Menelay Dyomede and Thelamonyus On Troyans were passyng despytous For cruelly wyth theyr wardes all In theyr myschyefe be vpon them fall And made theim flee home vnto the towne For whylom Troylus chyefe champyowne Is deade alas and hath them nowe forsake Of whom they haue the dead body take The same daye with great difficulte And dolefully they into the Cyte Haue tho it brought crying oft alas And for his death such a wo there was That I trowe there is no man alyue Whych could aryght halfe dele descriue Theyr pyteous wo nor lamentacyowne Certeyse not Boys that hath suche renowne With drery wordes to be wepe and crye ¶ In complaynynge to Phylosophye Throughe his boke accusynge aye fortune That selde or nought can in one contune She is so full of transmutaciowne Oh stace of Thebes make no bost nor sowne Of drerynesse for to wryte at all Nother of death nor festes funerall Of makynge sorowe nor aduersyte ¶ Let be thy wepynge oh thou Nyobe ¶ Ye syster also of Ayeliager That custome haue for to flee so fer Fro yere to yere your brother to complayne And thou that weptest out thine eyen twaine Oedippus kyng of Thebes the cyte Thou wofull Myrrha and Calyxtone That so well can in rage you bemene And Dydo eke whylome of Cartage quene Lette be your dole and your contrycyon ¶ And Phyllys eke for thy Dymophon ¶ And eke Cecho that newe dost begyn To crye and wayle and also thou Corynne That whylom were in so great affray For death onely of thy Popyngay As in his boke telleth vs Ouyde Let all this wo now be layde asyde And make of it no comparisowne Vnto the wo that was in Troye towne For death onely of this worthy knyght For loue of whom euery maner wyght Hygh and lowe olde and yonge of age Are falle of newe into suche a rage That they ne coulde of their wo none ende Whose salte teares wyll their eyen shende So pyteous was the lamentaciowne In euery strete throughout all the towne Alas who coulde all their sorowes telle ¶ I trowe certeys Pluto depe in helle For all his torment and his paynes kene Nouther she Proserpyna his quene Nother the wery wood Tycius Iryon nor hungry Tantalus Ne coulde not well for all their bytter peyne So furyously wepen and complayne As do troyans Troylus for thy sake For who can nowe suche a sorowe make ¶ Or who can wepe as kyng Pryamus Who wepeth now with face full pyteous Or sorowe maketh but Hecuba the quene ¶ Who wepeth now but fayre Pollycene Who wepeth nowe but Parys and Heleyne Who can now wepe into teares reyne As Troyans do with deadly swole chere It neded them no wepers for to hyer They had ynough of their owne store Alas for nowe they be for euermore Of helpe all sole of comforte destytute For who shall nowe be to them refute ¶ Nowe that Hector and also Deyphobus And Troylus eke that was so vertuous Be dead alas who shall their succour be Or helpe sustene the werre of there Cyte There is no more in conclusyon But after death fully destruction Of theyr towres and their walles stronge In this matter what shulde I playne longe It vayleth not alway so to morne Wherfore I wyll now
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
thy kinrede And do aduerte clerely to the fyne How thou art come of the same line And hatefull is who so can loke aryght Vnkinde bloud in euery mannes sight And Pyrrhus tho as any Tygre wrothe Afferme gan with many sacred othe That who so grutche or agaynst playne He shall hym sle with his handes twayne ¶ For hath not he by false extorsion ¶ Put Pelleus out of his regyon Whyche is your lorde and ye his trewe wyfe That fynally he shall lese hys lyfe And here anone of myne handes deye In this matter there is no more to seye And Pelleus darynge in the caue But ye of grace lyste his lyfe saue All other helpe platly is for nought This Pelleus anone forthe brought Croked and olde vnweldy eke to se And tofore Pyrrhus fell downe on hys kne Besechinge hym wyth a pyteous face At hys request take hym to hys grace ¶ And that he wolde in his manly herte Goodly beholde the deadly wo and smerte ¶ Of Atastus and the mortall payne That he tho hadde for his sonnes twaine Whiche lay dead tofore hym on the grene Slaine with your swerd y t is so sharpe kene Which he ne may recure in no wyse The sorow of which ought ynough suffyse Though ye on hym do no more vengeaunce All this well peysed iustly in balaunce Sith he is hooly submytted to your myghte Taketh now him to mercy anone ryght And let your sworde his age not consume This my request as I dare presume ANd then Pirrhus shortly for to sayne When he had put vp his sword agayne Seynge mercy myght him most auayle Without wordes or any rehersayle Fyrste of all tofore theim euerychone The kynges made accorden into one By his wysedome concludynge vp in dede That eche of theim shuld his right possede ¶ In Thesalye parted into twayne That neyther had matter to complayne Eueryche to reygne in his dewe see And while they were togyther all thre Out of presence of any other man ¶ Atastus fyrste thus his tale began ¶ Syres quod he to you is not vnknowe How through my age I am now brought so lowe And through natures kindly mocion Am wexed feble of wyt and of reason Beynge vnweldy of my lymmes all So many yeares are vpon me fall And can vnneth any thinge discerne To feble in sothe a kingedome to gouerne Of lyfe nor death takynge nowe no hede Sith that my sonnes slayne be and dead And sole lefte now withouten heyre Of worldly luste fully in dispeyre The tyme passed of my felycytye Fortunes tourne with mutabylytye Hathe taughte me playnlye I dare it well expresse In worldly ioye there is no sykernesse Nor very truste no while to abyde But I wyll now for my selfe prouyde And in all haste by prudent purueaunce Me clere discharge from all gouernaunce Agayne my sorte me list not maligne ¶ But sceptre and crowne frely I resigne Of Thesalye the lordship and the lande Of my fre will hole into thy hande There shall no man reclayme nor saye naye Interrupte nor make no delaye Touchinge this thinge by no conclusyon For I the put full in possession And hereupon of all that euer he abyde Makynge full fayth his hand in his he layde Quene Thetides syttynge there present And Pelleus of the same entent Vnto Pirrhus for his purpartye Resygned eke his ryght of Thesalye Fully affermynge that of yore ago His full desyre and his ioye also Was euer in one his neuewe to succede As ryghtfull heyre his kingdome to possede And vtterly without repentaunce All that belongeth vnto my lygeaunce Sceptre and sworde crowne and dyademe So as a kynge lyfe and death to deme Into thy hande without longer date This same houre holy to translate And when the knot of this conuencion Was fully brought to this concluson Perfourmed vp hole the vnyte For euermore atwene these kinges thre Atastus knightes disseuered enuyrowne Out of the forest be descended downe And by byddynge platly of theyr lorde They were echone sworne to this accorde And attones this lusty companye To Thesalye fast gan theim hye And Pirrhus folke lyinge on the sea Be sayled forthe streyght to the Cytye And Atastus doth sytte a parliament Where openly he gaue commaundement That all his lieges of hygh or lowe estate Wythout strife or any more debate Specially of gentyll bloud yborne The same daye to Pirrhus to be sworne Like theyr degrees in the royall hall To perseuer his trewe lieges all Durynge theyr lyfe for ernest or for game And Pelleus commaūded hath the same For his partye without any fraude And thus with ioye and with solempne laude Pirrhus was of euery maner age Gladly accepted to his heritage And on a daye fortunate and good With glad aspectes when the heuen stode Well accordynge to such maner thinge Worthy Pirrhus was ycrowned kinge Of Thesalye the riche regyon It were but vayne to make mencion Of theyr reuell nor theyr great arraye Nor of the feast made the same daye Eke in the story I finde it not in sothe I wyll passe ouer as mine auctour dothe Saue in his booke as it is specefyed That the kingdome was fer magnefyed Of Thesalye by puyssaunce and might Of this Pyrrhus whylom so good a knight Where I hym leaue in his royall see ¶ Tournynge agayne to kynge Ydumee Which in this while ygraue was vnder stone ¶ And after hym hys sonne Meeryone The story saith was crowned king of Crete That but awhyle reygninge in equyte Dyed also it wolde be none other ¶ And than in hast Leorica hys brother As rightfull heyre by successyon Was crowned kinge of that regyon ¶ In which tyme Atastus out of drede By thassent of Pyrrhus as I rede Full busy was to make in specyal A ryche toumbe passyngly royall Where buryed were with full huge prese ¶ Menalyppus and Polystenes That both two were in the forest slawe Thorugh Pirrhus swerde by full cruell law ¶ Of them can I none other processe make But euen there fully my tale I take Of them bothe and also eke yfere ¶ Of Atastus theyr owne father dere Of whome sothly for all hys lockes hore In Troye booke rede I can no more ¶ But now must I again to Pirrhus wende To wryte of him the sorye wofull ende Which whan he sat highest in his see Made full blinde with vayne prosperyte Gouerning tho the lande of Thesalye ¶ There hym betydde to fall in fantasye And to sette hys loue on Hermyon the quene ¶ Horestes wyfe reygnynge in Methene For whome he brent hote as any fyre And in fulfyllyng of hys foule desyre His purpose hole thus he brought aboute Her rauyshyng while her lorde was oute Tho led hir home and helde her as his wyfe Seminge to hym it was a blysfull lyfe And full relese of his paynes smerte ¶ Of whyche Horestes bare full heuy herte And caste hym playnely auenged for to be Whan he therto hath opportunyte And for that time though he susteined wrong ¶ He
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
through the worlde doth shyne And that all other in manhode doest excelle Egall of meryt to the worthyes nyne And borne also by ryght discent of lyne As veray heyre by tytle to attayne To beare y e crowne of worthy realmes twain ¶ And also fer as Phebus in his sphere Fro East to West throweth out his beames bright And as Lucyna w t a shrouded chere â–ª Goeth compasse rounde with her pale light Thou art yreckened for the best knight To be registred worthy as of name In highest place set of the house of fame ¶ To holde a palme of knighthod in thy haÌ„d For worthinesse and for hygh victorye As thou that arte drade on sea and lande And euermore w t lande honour and glorye For iust conquest to be put in memorye With a crowne made of laurer grene Vpon thy head tofore that famous quene ¶ Whilom ordeyned onely for conquerours Stable of herte with longe contynuaunce And gaue not vp till they were victoures Emprises take for no sodayne chaunce Whose name ay floureth w t newe remeÌ„brauÌ„ce And fadeth not of yeares yore agone Amonges which thou mayst be set for one ¶ For through the world in many regyon Reported is with fame that flyeth wyde That naturally thy condicion On thinge begonne is knightly to abyde And for the tyme manly set asyde Rest and ease with coste theron be spente Til thou haue wonne the fine of thin entente ¶ Most circumspect and passinge auisee And al thy workes conueyed w t high prudeÌ„ce Sad and demure like to Iosuee Agayne whose swerde there gayneth no resysteÌ„ce And hast also of heauenly influence With Salamon wisely to discerne Onely by grace thy people to gouerne ¶ Mercy eke ment with thy magnificence On all oppressed for to haue pyte And of rebelles by manly violence Abate thou canst the great cruelte And so with Dauid hast kingly pyte And highe prowesse with Sesar Iulyus That in his tyme was most victorious ¶ And manly holdest in thy handes two Who can beholde by clere inspection The sword of knighthod thy Sceptre also The tone to bringe to subiectyon Hertes made proude by false rebellyon And with the sceptre to rule at the best Thy trewe people that can liue in rest ¶ Now y u y t hast vertue manhode and grace Attemperaunce fredome and bounte Lowly I praye to the with dreadfull face Disdayne the not benignely for to se Vpon this boke rudely made by me To fyne onely to argue thine highnesse And rewe of mercy vpon my simplesse ¶ And in thy noble kingly aduertenee Consydre the my soueraygne lord most deare Of thine innate famous sapyence That christ Iesu receyued with good cheare The two minutes yeue of herte entere By the widowe which of wil and thought Gaue all her good and kepte her selfe ryghte nought By which example so that it not offende Thrugh mine vnconning to thy high noblesse Let your good will my litell gifte amende And of thy mercy and renowmed goodnesse Take no disdayne of my bareyne rudenesse And in making al though I haue no muse Let trewe meninge the surplus all excuse More then good herte hath no maner wight For to present eyther to god or man And for my parte to the as it is ryght That gyue I hoole as fer forth as I can Aye to perseuer fro tyme that I began With will and thought for thine estate to pray Which to conserue thus finally I saye ¶ Fyrste of almighty god y e wrathe to queme With all that maye be to his plesaunce And to thy crowne and to thy diademe Grace and good eure with long continuauÌ„ce And of thy lyeges faythfull obeysaunce And the vertue that man maye specifye I praye god graunt vnto thy regallye Explicit liber quintus et vltimus Lenuoye GO litell boke put the in the grace Of him that is y e most of excellence And be not hardye aye where to shewe thy face Without supporte of his magnificence And who so euer in the shall finde offence Be not to bolde for no presumpcion Thy selfe tenarme aye in pacience And the submitte to theyr correction Verba translatoris ad librum suum ANd for y e arte enlimmed w t no floures Of Rethorike but all w t white blacke Therfore thou must nedely abide the shoures Of them that list to set on the alacke And when thou arte most likly go to wracke Agaynst them thine errour not diffende But humbly tho withdrawe the go abacke Requiring them that they thy amisse amende FINIS ¶ Here begynneth the table HOwe the kinge of Thesalye named Pelleus loste all his men by dyuyne punishement who after by his praiers obteyned others Ca. i. ¶ Howe Eson the kinge for that he was olde and myghte no longer welde the gouernayle caused to crowne his brother Pelleus Ca. ii ¶ Howe Pelleus fearynge to be deposed by his brothers sonne Iason a worthy and valiaunt yonge knight counsayled him to vndertake the peryllous and almost inuincible conquest of the golden flese at Colchos who by his perswasion vndertoke the same Ca. iii. ¶ Howe Iason in his expedicion towardes Colchos casually with his felowshippe arryued in the territoryes of Troye meaninge onelye there for a whyle to refreshe and reste theym Ca. iiii ¶ How Lamedon kyng of Troye sent to Iason commaundinge him and his felowshyppe forthwyth to departe the confynes of his couÌ„treyth and of theyr aunswere sente ayen to the kynge· Ca. v. ¶ How Iason through the only helpe of Medea Oetes doughter the kynge of Colchos enamored of him he achieued the conquest of the golden flese Ca. vi ¶ How Iason after this conquest wyth Medea and his felowshyppe retourned agayne into Thesalye Ca. vii ¶ Howe Iason Hercules and all the prynces of Grece assembled to aduenge the vncurtesye done to theim by Lamendon in this expedycyon towardes Colchos Ca. viii ¶ Of the battayle betwixt the Grecians and the Troyans wherin the Troians were dyscomfyted theyr kinge slayne and after theyr Citye taken rased and destroyed Ca. ix ¶ The Translatour complaineth the misfortune of the Troyans in the losse of theyr Cite lyuely describinge the tykle estate of Fortunes gouernance beginning in the same chappiter his secounde boke persewynge the matter of the sayd historye Ca. x. ¶ Howe Pryam sonne to Lamedon and succedinge his father buylded the Citye agayne Ca. xi ¶ How king PriaÌ„ send Anthenor into Grece to haue restored ayen his sister Exion Ca. xii ¶ How Priam the kinge sent Parys Deiphobus and others the worthyes of Troye into Grece to aduenge the rauishinge of his sister Exion how they before theyr retourne rauyshed the faire Heleine wife to Menelaus and brought her to Troye Ca. xiii ¶ Howe Parys was receyued in Troye at his retourne and of his mariage to Helcyne Capitulo xiiii ¶ Howe the Grekes assembled to be aduenged of the Troyans for the rauyshynge of Heleyne Ca. xv ¶ The descripcion of Pryam his sonnes and doughters of the aryual of y e Grekes tofore the temple of Diane the goddesse Ca. xvi ¶ How Achilles and Patroclus were sent to Delos to receyue answere of god Apollo how they shuld spede ayenst the Troyans Ca. xvii ¶ Howe the Grekes nauye retourning from Athenes were distressed by tempest and howe they toke a castell of the Troyans called Saranaba Ca. xviii ¶ Howe Agamenon assembled counsayle of the nobles of Grece and determined and sent Vlixes and Diomede in embassade to kynge Priam. Ca. xix ¶ Howe Agamenon sent Achilles and Thelephus into the Ilande of Messa for vytayles and how they slewe the kyng and after ordeyned Thelephus the kinge there Ca. xx ¶ Howe the Grekes landed tofore Troye where they were stoutly fought with all Capitulo xxi ¶ Of the fyrst battayl wherin Hector shewed him selfe in valyauncye tofore all other Capitulo xxii ¶ How the Grekes thrugh theyr suite obteyned of kinge Priam a trewse for eyght wekes and of theyr battayles after the trewse ended Capitulo xxiii ¶ How the Troyans toke kinge Thoas prisoner and led him captiue to Troye Ca. xxiiii ¶ How duringe a trewse of .iii. monthes Hector walked into the Grekes hoost and of the talke had betwixt Achilles him Ca. xxv ¶ Of theyr battayles after that trewse the descripsyon of the Palleys of ylyon of a great pestylence in the Grekes hooste whereby they were enforced to seke for trewse whych vpon theyr suyte they obtayned for thirtye dayes Capitulo xxvi ¶ Howe Andromecha was by a dreame forwarned of the deathe of her husbande Hector if he the day folowyng entred the fyelde wherof she admonyshed him and he therto hauing no respect was the next day slayn of Achilles Capitulo xxvii ¶ The complaynte of Lydgate for the death of Hector Ca. xxviii ¶ How the grekes deposinge Agamenon ordayned Pallamydes the generall of theyr armye Capitulo xxix ¶ How kynge Priam in pâ—rsonne issued into battayle for thaduenge of Hectors deathe where he dyd ryght valyauntly Ca. xxx ¶ Howe Achylles slewe the worthy Troylus vnknightly after trayled his body throughe the fyelde tyed to his horse Ca. xxxi ¶ Howe Parys slewe Achilles and Archylogus Duke Nestors sonne in the temple of Apollo Ca. xxxii ¶ Howe Parys and Thelamon Ayax slewe eche other in the fyelde Ca. xxxiii ¶ How Pantasylla quene of Amazonis comminge in ayde of the Troyans was slayne by Pirrhus Achilles sonne Ca. xxxiiii ¶ Howe the Grekes made an horse of brasse wherin was men of armes and vnder colour of peace brought it into Troye by the whyche it was vtterly destroyed for euer Ca. xxxv How the Grekes retourned into Grece after the distruction and howe they were peryshed almost all in the sea and after they that escaped dyed mischeuously Ca. xxxvi ¶ How the translatour wryteth the stocke of Pirrhus by lyne all discente and howe his father hight Pelleus and his graundemother called Thetydes xxxviii The ende of the table ¶ Imprinted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the Princes armes by Thomas Marshe Anno. do M.D.L.V.
is and alway meynt with wo That in this world where so that we go We truely may aduert as in our thought That for the value of a thyng of nought Mortall causes of werres first begonne Strife and debate here vnderneth the sonne Were meued first of small occasyon That caused after great confusyon That no man can the harmes halfe endite And for a cause deare inough a mite Eche one is redy to destroye other A man for litel stryue will with his brother Blode is vnkynde which greatly is to drede Alas why ne will they take better hede For olde Troye and after that the newe Through smal enchesō who the trouth knew Were fynally brought to destruction As olde bokes make mencion And many worthy and many noble knight Slayne in the felde by duresse of that fight Kynges and prynces at the siege ben deade Whā Attropos lyst breake theyr liues threde That for to tel the mischiefe and the wo I want connyng and I fele also My pen quake and tremble in my hand Lyst that my lorde dradde on sea lande Whose worthines thrugh y e world doth sprede My rude makyng shal beholde and reade Whych of colour full naked is and bare That but if he of his mercye spare For to disdayne and list to haue pytye For feare I tremble that he shuld it se ¶ But onely mercye y t doth his hert embrase Byd me presume fully in his grace Seyng in hym most vertuous and good Mercye annexed vnto royall blode As to a prince longeth nigh and ferre Aye to fore ryght pytye to preferre For through the support of his high noblesse As now I will ayene my style dresse To wryte forth the storye by and by Of newe Troye in ordre seryously As mine auctour in latyn Guydo wryt Praying y e reader wher as my wordes missit Causyng the metre to be halte or lame For to correct to saue me from blame Let hym not wayte to haue curyosytye Sith that in rime Englyshe hath skersytye I am so dull certayne that I ne can Guido ensewe that clerke and curyous man Whych in latyn hath by rethoryke Set so his wordes that I cā not be lyke To sewe his style in my translation Worde by worde like the construction After the maner of gramariens Nor like the stile of rethoriciens I toke but on me this storye to translate For me to further Clio came to late That in such craft hath great experience I leue the wordes and folowe the sētence And trouthe of metre I set also asyde For of that arte I had as tho no guide Me to reduce whan I went a wrong Taking small hede eyther of short or long But to the trouth and lette curiosite Both of making and of metre be Not purposyng to much for to varye Nor for to be dyuers nor contrarye Vnto Guydo as by discordaunce But me conforme fully in substaunce Onely in meanyng to conclude all one Albe that I ne can the waye gone To sewe the floures of his eloquence Nor of peyntyng I haue none excellence With sundry hewes noble freshe and gay So ryche coloures byggen I ne may I must procede with sable and with blacke And in ennuyng where ye fynde a lacke I axe mercy or that I fro you twyn And with your fauour I will nowe begyn And in all haste my stile forth right directe And where I erre I pray you to correct THe same tyme whē that Troye towne Destroyed was y t king Lomedowne Was also slayne through the crueltye Of Hercules and that tofore his cytye He had a sonne the storye telleth vs Which was his heyre ycalled Priamus Wonder manly discrete eke and prudent Which at that time from Troye was absente When so his father lost hath so his lyfe For at that tyme with Hecuba his wyfe And with his sonnes aboute a castell laye And all his knightes to get it if they may That hath on theym mightely werreyed For they his father falsly disobeied And vnto hym be rebell wonder longe Albe Priam with sautes huge and stronge Theim had assayled oft and many syth His strength on them like a knight to kyth To get in armes worship and honour And theim to daunt like a conquerour He cast him fully or that he departe For day by day his life he gan Ieoparte Tofore their walles for to preue his mighte With many baron many worthy knight For he was flowing yet lusty bloude And was of age flouryng in knighthode And at assautes and such maner strife On with the first auenture his life To herte his men him lyst not be behind For dread of death sothly as I find Afore the castell hygh thyck ywalled And by his wife that Hecuba was called This Pryam had ful worthy of degre Fiue sonnes and yonge doughters thre ¶ Of whych the eldest Hector called was Which also fer as Phebus in compase A naturall daye his cercle goeth about So fer of hym withouten any doubte Reported was the renowne and the name The worthynesse and the noble fame For like as bokes of him specifye He was the roote and stocke of chiualrye And of knighthod very soueraygne floure The sours and well of worship and honoure And of manhode I dare it well expresse Patron myrrour and of high prowesse Ginning and grounde with all this yfeare Wonder benynge and lowely of his cheare Discrete also prudent and vertuous Of whom the dedes and actes merueilous Remembred ben of so long a gone For he alone excelled euerychone In olde Auctours reade and ye may finde Of his knighthod how yet they makē mynde ¶ The next brother called was Parys To whom nature gaue to her deuys Of shape and fourme beautye semelynesse That to recorde his excellent fayrnesse He in his time withouten any dread Ferre passed all that I can of reade And he was eke a full manly knight But most he vsed when so he shuld fight In his hand to beare a mighty bowe For such an archer no man coud knowe None might be foūd to seke both fer nere That of shoting might hardely be his pere As he was founde whan he had a do And Alexsandre called he was also ¶ The third sonne hight Deiphobus A worthy knight and a chiualrous And had in armes a ful great renowne And was a man of high discresciowne And wife of coūsail min auctour sayeth thus ¶ The fourth brother called was Helenus Sad and discrete and of highe prudence And was also a man of great scyence And renommed therwith in specyall In al the artes called lyberal For he in theym was full experte a ryght ¶ The fyfth sonne was a worthy knyght Freshe and lusty and yongest of theim all And as sayeth Guido Troylus men him call A manly man valyaunt in battayle And fearsely hote his fomen to assayle One of the best in his time yfounde For called he was Hector the secound For his manhode throughout Troye booke Within