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
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
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
That fyrst in Rome by sceptre imperyall Maugre theyr myght had the gouernaunce And of wysedome set the ordynaunce Of common thynges touchyng the Cytee And to procede further of Enee Hooly his lyfe and knyghthod by and by If that ye lyst to reade ceryously Ye may se all ful autentyke of style In Eneydos compyled of Vergyle Albeit so that this noble clerke Was graue afore or coÌ„plete was his werke As bokes olde maken mencion ¶ How Agamenon sent Achilles and Thelephus into the Ilande of Messa for vytayles and how they slewe the king and after ordeyned Thelephus the kynge there Ca. xx BVt nowe agayne to Agamenon Without more I wyll my style retourne The whych kyng will no more soiourne In this matter delayes for to make But in all haste he hath his counsayle take Of his lordes beyng there present And such as were not he hath after sent For one and al Earles Dukes and kinges ¶ And sayd syres amonge other thynges To our Iourney that be necessarye My counsayle is no longer that we tarye But fyrst of all to make ordynaunce By one assent with prudent purueaunce That alder fyrst we shape vs for vytayle Without whych none hoost may auayle To parfourme a iourney thryftely Wherfore I reade here but fast by If it to you be lykyng and plesaunce Into an yle ful of habundaunce Called Messa that we sende anone And at one worde assented euery chone They chosen haue worthy Achilles And Thelephus the sone of Hercules To execute this purpose fynally With many worthy in theyr company Ychosen out through the hoost anone With Achilles are to Messa gone In whych lande ryche and plenteous Reygned a kynge worthy and famous That Tentran hyght whych in tranquylyte Without werre or aduersyte Had holde his Sceptre and his royall sete In this yle so pleasaunte and so mete Albe that some saye that this lytell yle To the kyngedome longeth of Cecyle And hath his name gyuen of plente After Messane an huge great Cite Full plenteous both on se and lande The whych kyngdome as I vnderstande Is sayde Messena of Messes in latin Through habundauÌ„ce of fruyt corne wyne At the aryuayle on the playnes large Where they are wont for to stuffe charge Merchaunt shyppes of straunge fer countre That thyther sayle by the large sea To fetche vitayle aye from yeare to yeare Fro many coste of landes farre and nere Onely by eschaunge of merchaundise And eke also as bokes can deuyse And as Guido full playnly telleth vs That of a kyng called Messanus This countrey first of Messa toke the name That in his tyme was of great fame Passyng ryche and wonder plenteous But of all this Dares Frygyus In his boke maketh no mencion But shortly telleth in conclusyon How Achilles and Thelephus also To Messena be togither go With thre thousande of grekes chosen out Most manly men amonges all theyr route The whych as fast as they gan to londe And the kynge gan to vnderstonde Of theyr comyng he is descended downe With all the worthy of his regiowne On horse and foote in stele armed bryght Agaynst Grekes manfully to fyght Theim to deuoyde playnly yf they can And sodaynly thus the skermyshe gan Atwixe Grekes and other mortall fone On other parte there was many one Slayne and hurte to the death ywounded Neuer lykly therof to be sounded ¶ For other treate was theim not atwene But swerdê sharpe and speres square kene Now here now there that they go to ground For euery man his foo for to confounde His labour dyd and his busynesse And though grekê through theyr worthinesse Had on theyr foen much londe ywon Yet to retyre after they begon And meruayle none bycause that theyr fone Had alwaye thre in noumber agaynst one For the time it may none other be Till Achilles gan beholde and se The mortall slaughter vpon grekes syde Tourning y e backe w t woundes large wide Of hasty rancour chaungen gan his bloode And for yre furious and woode Whan he behelde his men lese theyr lande He w t the swerd whiche he helde in his hande Made waye kylled and bare downe And in the felde like a fierse Lyowne He fared in sothe when y t his men were slawe Makyng his foen backwarde to withdrawe And his grekes so manly recomforte That maugre theim he made them to resorte ¶ And who that euer in his waye stode Without mercy he kylleth in his mode There gayneth nought in his crueltee For doubtles ne had his manhod be His passyng renowne and his worthynesse His knighthod eke and his high prowesse The Grekes had that daye fynallye Vanquished be without remedye But through his helpe they recure all For Achilles sturdy as a wall Gan serche sheltrouns theyr raÌ„ges brake Tofore whose face his fomen go to wrake ¶ And alderlast whan he gan espye Tentran the kyng through his chyualrye Defende him selfe lyke a worthy knyght And as a Lyon bare him in his fyght Now here now there grekes so oppresse This Achilles of cruell hardynesse Ne would cease in his pursewynge Through the warde tyll he came to the king Of manly force stoute and full of pryde Makyng a waye rounde on euery syde Agayne whose might nothyng might auayle ¶ And of Tentran fyrst the auentayle He raced hath and rent the male asonder And al to hewe that it was a wonder To consydre that daye his cruelte And after that al to broke hath he His bassenet wyth many cruell wounde And by his myght smyt the kyng to grounde And in all haste he maked hath no let From of his head to rende his bassenet And merciles for to do vengeaunce His harme he gan on heyght to auaunce Fully in purpose that he shulde be dead And raunsomles gan amyn at his heade With blody swerde and despytous herte Castyng playnly he shulde not asterte In his Ire he was so furyous ¶ But of fortune it befell ryght thus Thelephus the yonge lusty knyght Casuelly therof had a syght And of Achilles the maner ful behelde The stroke anone he bare vp with his shelde And gan Achilles mekely for to preye To haue pytye so to do him deye Syth he laye wounded almost to the deathe Brought to the poynt to yelden vp y e breathe Beseching him for his beningnyte Of manly routhe and eke knightly pyte Withdrawe his hande and to do him grace And graunt him life for a lytell space Syth euery knyght should of gentilnesse His enmye spare whan he is in distresse To vttraunce brought and specyally wheÌ„ he Mercy requireth of humble voluntee ¶ To whom Achylles feruent in his yre As he that was of rancoure set a fyre Aunswered agayne what lyst the so to preye For him that nolde of pryde our wyll obeye But gyn a werre where as was no nede Of highe disdayne and indignacion Hauyng a truste of presumpcion In his manhod which myght him not auaile Agaynst grekes to holden a
battayle As it is preuyd playnly in the ende All otherwyse shortly than he wende For in the dyche iustely he is falle Which he hath made of malys for vs all ¶ Where we of wyll nor entencion Gaue vnto hym none occasyon Vpon no syde platly fer nor nere Nor ministred to hym no such matere Nor to his lande menten no damage But he hym selfe grounde of all this rage Without offence done to hym of vs. ¶ And efte agayne this yonge Thelephus Humbly required hath of hym Achylle Of knyghtly routhe his axyng to fulfyll And to haue mercy on hym in this case For with my father this kynge whylom was Quod Thelephus by bonde confederate Whiche lyeth nowe here all disconsolate Expectant only with a deadly face Vpon the houre whan his goste shall pace Through gyrte alas w t many mortal wouÌ„de ¶ And for bycause that I haue in him found Afore this tyme assured great kyndenesse For of manhode and of gentylnesse In the boundes of his regiowne He vnto me through his highe renowne Whylom as I casually gan ryde Shewed in soth vpon euery syde Full royal chere and great humanite That I am bounde as of very duytee To remembre and to haue in mynde And doubtles elles me semeth I were vnkind Which after wolde my name foule a twyte And for that I in parte wolde him acquite I you beseche of respyte of his lyfe And Achylles withouten any stryfe Delyuered hath the story telleth thus Tentran frely vnto Thelephus Whether hym lyste to sauen or to spylle And when that he had hym at his wyll He hath consydered by his woundes grene That were so mortall sothly and so kene Of very nede that he must dye There was no gayne nor no remedye Nor auayle maye no medecyne The houre wheÌ„ Phebê° westward gan decline And the battayle brought was to an ende Whyle the grekes to their shyppes wende The meane whyle Tentran for the payne Of his woundes gan more more complain Without staunche so pyteously they blede His offycers faste gan them spede In a lytter made tho full royall Toward his paleys douÌ„ge owne pryncipall To cary hym softe and easyly ¶ And at his prayer full benyngly Thelephus and also Achylles Conueyed hym among all the prese Tyll he was brought there as hym lyst to be And they receyued lyke to their degree Full royally the kyng aye languysshyng As he that drewe towarde his endynge And might not longer drawen forth a length His wofull lyfe so weke was he of strengthe That his spirite must algates wende And he in haste caused for to sende For Achylles and for Thelephus And whan they came he sayd vnto them thus ¶ Syres quod he full worthy of degree Helth and honour with longe prosperitee Be vnto you and goodly aduenture All the whyle that your lyfe may dure And specyally of the Oh Thelephus Whiche haste to me be so gracious Of gentilnesse in my paynes stronge Onely of grace my lyfe for to prolonge But death alas I may not now eschewe Nor his sworde on no parte remewe Without recure knytte in bytter bondes Vpon the brincke fall of fatys hondes And of my lyfe all fully in dispeyre Whiche of my body neuer myght haue heire After my daye by successyon As to gouerne this lyttell regyon Whiche lykely is to stande disconsolate Of gouernaunce and fully desolate Which erst I wan with full great trauayle And to this day with werre stronge bataile I haue it kept as ye well knowe echone And it defended from all maner fone Withouten losse yeres heretoforne But recurlees of yore I had it lorne Ne had I had helpe and eke socour Of Hercules the great conquerour That whylom was father to Thelephus So stronge so mighty and so chyualrous By whose manhode and whose hardinesse By his knyghthode and great worthynesse Whiche daye by day is new of memorye Of all my foen I had the vyctorye He daunted them and made them so a ferde Only by rygoure of his sharpe swerde That fynally through his manlyhede He caused me this reygne to possede Maugre their might in peace and quyete With septre and crowne and my royall seate That none of them tyll that he was dead Hardy was to lyfte vp the head Agaynst me to speake but wordes fewe Wherby I may fully declare and shewe By euydence that this little yle Is perteynent and longeth to Cecyle Where Hercules for a memoryall Sette pillers in his conquest royall When he had ryde and gon tho so ferre And of Columpna yet the name they beare After hym called Herculea Though some saye they hyght Herracula The name chaungyng by corrupcion The whiche lande was whylom mansyon To the people of wylde Barbarye The whiche kyngdome for to magnyfye Frederyke sothly the secounde Of golde and good passyngly habounde That chosen was to be Emperour Of Rome towne and mighty gouernour And whylom eke kyng was of Cecyle Whiche made reyse in that large yle A myghty toure hyghe and thycke of wall As sayth Guydo for a memoryall To put his name longe in remembraunce And for the soyle was to his pleasaunce With floures freshe of many sondry hewe In some bokes the lande was named newe And ycalled as I vnderstande For his fayrenesse the lusty newe lande But Tentran aye lyinge in his payne As he that faste gan the houre attayne Of cruell death afore his lordes all He made in haste Thelephus to call To his presence and with a mortall chere Sayde openly that all men myghten here My sonne quod he syth nedely I must pace Out of this worlde for gayne may no grace My lyfe to saue through no mannes myghte But for bycause of equytye and ryght I am compelled iustly in sentence To declare clerely my conscyence Tofore my death herynge all this prese This to saye thy father Hercules The wyse worthy and that knyghtly man Whylom this lond through his conquest wan The whiche onely of his godlyhead As he that was the stocke of manlyhead Toke vnto me by coÌ„myssyon The gouernaunce of this regyon Of his free wyll with hole the regally And nolde him selfe the countrey occupye And sothly yet his ryght was not the lasse For loue of whom syth that I shall passe With full entent of my laste wyll To the I graunt as it is ryght and skylle As very heire iustly to succede Longe in honour therin thy lyfe to lede Makyng there a protestacion That in full token and confyrmacion This is the wyll fynall of myne hearte Fro the whiche no man may me diuerte Vpon no syde nor vtterly declyne ¶ For fyrst my wyll and dissent of lyne Be together combyne now in one Fro whiche thyng no man may do me gone For this desyre laste of my langour That thou playnly be my successour And fynally thus I conclude and deme That vnto the Septer and diademe Delyuered be with euery circumstaunce But all his wyll for more assuraunce He made do write it
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
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
deuise Was false enuye and hatefull couetise Whiche frette so sore falsly for to winne As croppe and roote of euery sorowe sinne And cause hath bene sith go full yore That many a realme hath bought ful sore The dreadful venim of couetise alas Let them beware that stande in this case ¶ To thinke afore and for to haue in minde That all falshed draweth to an ende For though it bide and last a yeare or two The ende in sothe shall sorowe be and woo Of all that bene false and enuious Hereof no more but forth of Pelleus I will you tell that hath so longe sought Vpō this thing till they were to him brought Tydinges newe and that so merueylous That he astoned was and all his house Of a meruayle that tho was newly falle Beside Troy the plage orientalle Howe in Colchos as the tidinges cam Within an yle enclosed was a ram Whiche bare his flese full richly all of golde And for the richesse it was kept in holde With great aduice and great dilygence That no man might there to do offence And in this I le there was a gouernour A noble kinge a worthy warrour That Oetes hight wise discrete and sage Which was also yronne farre in age That in his time as bokes can deuise Had vnderfonged many great empryse In peace warre and much worship wonne And he was also sonne vnto the sonne That gaue him vre to honour to atteyne So as these poetes listen for to feyne Touchinge his line I leue as nowe y e greate And of this Ram my purpose is to treate That was commit I dare you well assure To the keping and the busy cure Of cruell Mars the mighty god of werre Which with the stremys of his rede sterre And influence of his deytee Ordeyned hath by full great crueltee This Ram to kepe bullis full vnmilde With brasen fete ramageous and wilde And there with all fell and dispitous And of nature wood and furious To hurte and slee euer of one desyre Out of whose mouthe leuen and wylde fyre Lyke a flawme euer blased out To brenne all theim that stode nygh aobut Eke of their eyen the lokes moste horrible To a fourneys the stremes were visyble And who that wolde tencrease his glorye This Ram of golde wynnen victorie Fyrste he must of very force and myght Vnto oultraunce with these bulles to fyght And theim vanquishe alder fyrst of all And make theim humble as any oxe in stall And sithe theim yoke and do them ere y e land Of very manhode this must he take in hand And after that he must also endure With a serpent of huge and great stature Without fauour playnely haue to do To oultraunce eke without wordes mo The whiche serpent shortly for to tell Was lyke a fende comyng out of hell ¶ Full of venym and of cruell hate And with skales harde as any plate He armed was to stande at defence And by his brethe werse then pestilence Infecten wolde enuiron all the eyre In eche place where was his repeyre He was so full of foule corruption And eke so dredefull of infection That deth in soth shortly to deuyse Was the fyne of this hygh Empryse To suche as wolde this quarell take in hond Ylyke in one both to free and bonde But if he coulde the bet him selfe defende And of his conquest this was eke the ende That when he had the myghty serpēt slawe He must anone by custome and by lawe ¶ Out of his head his tethe echeone arrace And after sowe theim in the selfe place Where as the oxen eryd had aforne Of which seede there sprange a wōder corne Knyghtes armed passynge of great myght Eueryche with other redy for to fyght Til eche his brother had ybrought to groūd By mortall fate and yeue his dethes wound This was the ende of euerychone For sowfastly of all there was non That liue myght by that fatall lawe A longer tyme then lyued his fellowe ¶ And by this way dredfull and peryllous Who so desyreth to ben victorious He passe must and manly to endure And how so fall take his auenture For of estate was no excepcion Chese who so wyll for this conclusyon He may not scape for fauour ne for mede Who so begynneth a vyse him wel I rede For by the statute of the kyng he may Who so that wyll entre and assaye But after that he ones hath begonne He may not chese tyll he haue lost or wonne Yet as some other of this Ram expresse And of his flese also bere wytnesse It was nothyng but golde great treasour That Oetes kynge with full hye laboure Made kepe it as by Incantacions By sorserye and false illusyons ¶ That was spoke of in realmes fer about For whiche many put theyr lyfe in doubte Of hye desyre that they had for to wyn The great treasoure that was shyt within Colchos londe as ye haue harde deuyse Whose pursuyte rose out of couetyse Grounde and roote of wo of myschaunce By vayne reporte theim selfe to auaunce For whiche they put theim selfe in ieopardy Without rescues lykely for to dye There was no helpe ne no sleyght of armes That vaile might againe y e cursed charmes So were they stronge and supersticious That many worthy in knighthode famous Enhasted were vnto their deth alas That ieoparde list their liues as in this case ¶ This lasteth forthe tyll afterwarde byfell That Pelleus platly hath hard tell The great mischiefes and destructions In Colchos wrought on sundry nacions That haue pursued thes auntres to cōquere Tyll Pelleus so ferforth gan enquere That he knewe hooly how the trouth was And in his herte anone he gan compasse How that he myght by any slyght make His neuewe Iason for to vndertake This hye Empryse in Colchos for to wende For by that way he myght hym best shende ¶ And gan pretende a colour freshe of hew Ygylte outwarde so lusty and so newe As though there were no treasō hyd within He sawe also it was tyme to begyn On his purpose tho fyrst he made it queint And gan forthwith with golde asure paint His gaye wordes in sownyng glorious Knowynge Iason was yonge and desyrous Vnto suche thynge lyghtly wolde enclyne Therfore he thought that he wolde not fyne Playnely to worke to his conclusyon And made anone a conuocation Of his lordes and of his baronye Aboute enuyron the lande of Thesalye For to assemble estates of eche degree Of all his realme within the chiefe citee To holde a counseyle vtterly he caste Therby to acheue his desyre as faste And so his courte continued dayes three Tyll at the laste his hyd iniquitie He out gan rake that hath be hyd so longe For he ne myght no longer forth prolonge The venym hyd that fret so at his herte In so slye wyse that no man myght auerte Vpon no syde but that he mente well So was his treason couered euerydell And curtined so
lykely for to fade And whan she came the grekes for to glade The halle in soth she walketh vp and downe Of womanhede and pure affectiowne To make chere vnto these gestes newe And thus Medea with her rosen hewe And with the freshnesse of the lyllye whyte So entermedled kyndly by delyte That nature made in her face sprede So egally the white with the rede That the medlynge in conclusyon So was ennewed by proportion That fynally excesse was there none Of one nor other for both two in one So ioyned were longe to endure By the empresse that called is nature For she her made lyke to her deuise That to beholde it was a paradyse In verye soth bothe to one and all Of olde and yonge that sytten in the hall Therto she was as by successyon Borne to be heyre of that regyon After her father by discent of lyne If she abyde and dure after his fyne Syth he ne had by ryght to succede One heyre male that I can of reade She was also the boke maketh mencion Were vnto yeres of discretion Able for age maryed for to be And not withstondynge also eke that she Was of beaute and of womanhede One of the fayrest that I can of read Yet none of bothe haue her youth let That to clergy was her desyre set So passyngly that in speciall In all the artes called lyberall She was expert and knowynge at the beste It was her vre to konne what her lyste Of suche a woman herde I neuer telle At Helicon she dranke so of the welle That in her tyme was there none semblable I founde in sothe ne none that was so hable As to conceyue by studye and doctrine And of natures to dispute and termine She coude also and the causes fynde Of althinges formed as by kynde She had in lernyng so her tyme spente That she knewe of the fyrmament The trewe course and of the sterres all And by their meuynge what that shulde fall So was she lerned in astronomye But moste she wrought by nycromancye With exorsismes and coÌ„iuracions And vsed also to make illusyons With her charmes sayde in sondrye wyse And with rytes of diuers sacrifyse Encens and ryches caste into the fyre To shewe the thynges lyke to her desire With gootes hornes and with milke blude Whan the mone equat was and stode In the fyfthe or in the syxte house And was fortuned with lokyng gracious To these an houre that were conuenient And fortunate as by enchauntement To make and worke sundry apparences So well she knewe the heauenly influences And aspectes bothe wrothe and glade For she by them all her thynges made That apperteyne to suche experimentes For whan her lyst by her enchauntementes She coude make the wyndes for to blowe To thondre lighten and to haile snowe And frese also to greue men with payne And sodeynely she coude make to rayne And shewe what wether that her list to haue And gasten men with sodeyne erth quaue And tourne the daye vnwarely vnto nyght And then anone make the sonne bryght Shewe his beames full persyng ful shene With golden hornes to voyde nyghtes tene And reise y e floodes w t many a dredful wawe And whaÌ„ her list she coude them eft w tdrawe Eke yonge trees to sere roote and rynde And afterward make them againe in kinde With lusty braunches blome budde newe Also in wynter with floures freshe of hewe Aray the yerth and tapyte hym in grene That to beholde a Ioye it was to sene With many colour shewynge full diuers As whyte and rede grene ynde and pers The deysy with her ryche perled crowne And other floures that winter made frowne Vpon their stalke freshly for tappere And sodeynely with a deadly chere She coude somer into winter tourne Causynge the daye with mystes for to mone And olde men she coude make yonge And efte agayne or any here was spronge She coude them shewe both in head berde Ful hore and graye in crafte so was she lerede And trees w t fruite she coude also make bare Of rinde and leafe to do men on them stare Eclipse the mone and the bryght sonne Or naturally they had theyr course yronne To them apropred which they mai not passe For if that Tytanes course by kindly trase Whan so he meueth vnder the clyptik lyne The clipse mott folow as auctours list diffine So that there be by their discription Of bothe twayne full coniunction And that the sonne with his beames red Haue his dwellyng in the dragones head And the mone be set eke in the tayle As by nature than it maye not fayle That there must fall eclyps of veary nede In sondry bokes like as ye may read Bycause of certayne interfecacions Of diuers circles and reuolucions That maked ben in the heauen alofte Whiche causen vs for to fayle ofte Of the freshe and comfortable stremes That be vs shad from Phebê° bryght bemes For so the mone hath made deuisyon By this sodeyne interposicion That of our syght the stremes visuall May not beholde nor yet ysene at all Nor to our luste fully comprehende How Phebus in his chaire is cheuansende As we were wonte aforehande for to see But of all this the great Ptholome Kyng of Egypt telleth the causes why Within his boke and that compendiously Bothe of Eclyps and coniunction And why they fall by naturall mocion But of Medee though this clerke Ouyde T encrease her name vpon euery syde Lyst suche thynges in his fables tell Though he of poetes was the spryng well Yet god forbede ye shulde gyue credence To suche feynyng or do so hyghe offence Sith of nature it must be denyed Al suche affirmyng and likewise be diffyed Of euery christien stedfast in beleue For certainly it wolde hyghly greue Our conscience in any wyse to wene Agaynst kynde whiche is so hye a quene That any wight or lyuynge creature Shulde haue power I do you plaine assure So cursed thynges supersticious To do or worke to kynde contrarious ¶ For god almyghtye Iudge of Iudges all Hath sette a lawe the whiche may not falle Amonge planettes eternally tendure Afore ordeyned in his eternall cure The whiche may not as clerkes lyst termine Vpon no syde bowen nor declyne But as they were from discorde or debate Eternally yformed and create Through the fynger of his sapience Alway to meue in their intelligence Lyke as they be to his lordshyp bounde For neuer yet was eclyps yfounde The mone not beinge inconiunction As I haue tolde saue in the passyon The which eclyps was tho against kinde Nature her knot that tyme lyst vnbynde Whan goddes sonne starfe vpon the roode The sonne of lyfe was derked for our good Whan heauen and erth w t hye compunction Haue sygnes shewed of lamentacion By earthquakes light tourned to derkenes And dead bodies vpwarde gan them dresse From their tombes againe from deth to liue Stone and rocke a sonder gan 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
might Only on foote with many sotyll poynt And some of them were naked and enioynt To wynne a pryse they dyd their full entent And there was founde by clerkes full prudent Of the chesse the playe moste gloryous Whiche is so sotill and so meruaylous That it were harde the matter to discryue For though a man studied all his lyue He shall aye fynde dyuers fantasyes Of wardes makynge and newe inparties There is therin so great diuersytie And it was fyrst founde in this Citie During the syege lyke as sayth Guydo But Iacobus de vitriaco Is contrary in his opynyon For lyke as he maketh playnly mencion And affyrmeth at full in his aduyse How Philometer a philosopher wyse Vnto a kynge to stynte his crueltee Foūde first this playe and made it in Caldee And into Grece from thence it was sent Also in Troye by great auisement The playe was founde first of dyce tables And castynge the chaunces deceyuables That cause haue byn full ofte of great debate For if that one be now founde fortunate To wynne a whyle by fauour of his chaunce Or he be ware with sodeyne varyaunce Vnhappely he is put cleane a backe And other folke that stode vpon the wracke And by their losse were plonged in distresse They reysed haue in haste to hye rychesse Gladnesse of one is to an other rage A deuaunt of hasarde and passage If one haue ioye a nother suffreth wo Lyke as the bones ronnen to and fro An hundred syth in a daye they varye Now blandyshing now they be contrary No man with them assured is in ioye ¶ And first also I read how that in Troye Were songe and red many freshe comedies And other dities that called ben tragedies And to declare shortly in sentence Of bothe two the fynall difference ¶ A comedye hath in his gynnynge A pryme face a maner complaynynge And afterwarde endeth in gladnesse And it the dedes onely doth expresse Of such as be in pouerte plonged lowe ¶ But tragedye who so lyste to knowe It styll begynneth in prosperitie And endeth lykewyse by aduersytie And it doth also of the conquest treate Of ryche kynges and of lordes great Of mighty men and olde conquerours Which by fraude of fortunes sodeine shoures Be ouer caste and whelmed from their glory And whylom thus was halowed y e memorye Of tragedyes as bokes maken mynde When they were red and songe as I fynde ¶ In the theatre there was a smale aulter Amyddes sette that was halfe Circuler Which into East of custome was directe Vpon the whiche a Pulpet was erecte And therin stode an auncient poete For to reherse by rethorykes swete The noble dedes that were hystoryall Of kynges prynces for memoryall And of these olde worthy Emperours The great empryse eke of conquerours And how they gate in Martes hye honour The lawrer grene for fyne of their labour The palme of knighthod disserued by old date Or Parchas made them passen into fate ¶ And after that with chere and face pale With style enclyned gan to tourne his tale And for to synge after all their loose Full mortally the stroke of Attropose And tell also for all their worthy head The sodeyne breaking of their liues threde How piteously they made theyr mortall ende Thrugh false fortune y t al y e world wil shende And how the fyne of all their worthynesse Ended in sorowe and in hyghe tristesse By compassynge of fraude or false treason By sodaine murder or vengeaunce of poyson Or conspyryng of fretyng false enuye How vnwarely that they dydden dye And how their renowne their mighty fame Was of hatred sodeynly made lame And how their honour dawnward gā decline And the mischiefe of their vnhappy fyne And how fortune was to them vnswete All this was tolde and red of the Poete And whyle that he in the pulpet stode With deadly face all deuoyde of blode Synging his ditees with muses all to rent Amyd the theatre shrowded in a tent There came out men gastfull of their cheres Disfygured their faces with viseres Playing by sygnes in the peoples syght That the Poet songe hath on heyght So that there was no maner discordaunce Atwene his ditees and their countenaunce ¶ For lyke as he a lofte dyd expresse Wordes of ioye or of heauinesse Meaning and chere beneth of theim playing From poynt to poynt was alway answering Now triste now glad now heuy now light And face ychaunged with a sodeyne syght So craftely they coulde them transfygure Conformyng them to the chante plure Now to synge and sodaynely to wepe So well they coulde their obseruaunces kepe And this was done in Apryll and in May Whan blosmes new both on bushe and hey And floures freshe gynne for to sprynge And the byrdes in the wood synge With lust supprysed of the somer sonne Whan these playes in Troye were begon And in the theatre halowed and yholde And thus the rytes of tragedyes olde Pryamus the worthy kyng began Of this matter no more tell I can BVt I wyll forth of this storye wryte And on my matter boystously endyte How Pryamus was passyng dylygent Ryght desyrous and inwardly feruent If so he myght amonge his workes all Do bylde a palays and a ryche hall Whiche shulde be his chose chyefe dungyon His royall see and souerayne mansyon And whan he gan to his worke approche He made it builde hye vpon a roche It for to assure in his foundation And called it the noble Ylion The syght of whyche iustly circuler By compasse cast rounde as any sphere And who that wolde y e content of the grounde Truely acounte of this place rounde In the theatre fyrst he muste entre Takyng y e lyne y t carueth through the centre By geometrye as longeth to that art And trebled it with the seuenth parte He fynde myght by experience The measure hole of the circumference What lande also playnly eke with all Conteyned was within the stronge wall The crest of which in place where lowest was Vpreysed was full syxe hundred pase Builded of marbell ful royall and ful stronge And many other ryche stone amonge Whose toures were reysed vp so hye And who that lyst by greces vp assende He there might se in his inspection The fayre boundes of many regyon And prouinces that stode rounde about And the walles within and eke without Endlonge were with knottes grauen cleane Depeynt with asure golde cinople grene That verely when so the sonne shone Vpon the golde meynt amonge the stone They gaue a lyght withouten any were As doth Apollo in his midday sphere And all the windowes and eche fenestrall Wrought were of beryle of cleare crystall ¶ And high amiddes this noble Ylion So ryche and passing of foundacion Whych clerkes yet in theyr bokes prayse Kyng Priam made an hall for to rayse Excelling all in beaute and in strengthe The latitude according with the lengthe And of marbyll outward was the wall And the tymbre
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
fyght Our tunge appese by māhod preue or might Worde is but winde and water that we wepe And though the tempest and of fluddes depe Of this two encrease euer mo They may not do but augment our wo. And to our foon therof when they here Both of our dole and our heauy chere All is to them but encrease of ioye Wherfore brother a whyle do acoye The cruel tourment that byndeth you so sore For in prouerbe it hath be sayd full yore That the prowesse of a manly knyght Is proued most in mischyefe and his myght To be assured in aduersitee Strongly susteyne what wo that it be Not cowardly his courage to submytte In euery peryll nor his honour flytte Through no dispeyre but hope alway wele And haue a truste trewe as any stele Tacheue aye what he take an hande For fynally I do you vnderstande That of hym selfe who hath good fantasye To set vpon and put in inpartye What that befall or happe what happe may Takyng what chaunce tourneth on his play The fyne of suche gladly is victorye They fayle selde of the palme of glorye And tyme is now to speke in wordes fewe Oh brother myne manhode for to shewe To plucke vp herte and to make you stronge And to venge your damages and wronge We shall echyone helpe and lay to hande Kynges Dukes and lordes of this lande And all atones do our busynesse I you behyght your harmes to redresse And in despyte who that euer vs lette We shall vs lodge and our tentes sette Euen in the fyelde afore Troye towne And it beseage to their destructiowne Albe therof I set as now no daye But brother first in all the haste we may Let maken letters without more sermon To all the lordes of this region Of matter touchynge this your vyllanye To come to gyther and shape a remedye This is theffect of all that I can sayne ¶ And thus released somwhat of the payne Is Menelays through cōfort of his brother For whan he sawe it myght be none other And of his tale the kynge made an ende Thrugh out y e lande he did his letters sende Fyrst to her kynne and to his allye To come to helpe hym of their curtesye ¶ And fyrst of all to Menelaus Came Achylles and with him Patroclus And alder nexte the stronge Dyomede And many another to helpe in this nede And all echone in open Parlement They were accorded full by assente To be gouerned as Agamenon Lyst to ordayne in his discrecion Of this voyage they made hym gouernour And of their hooste chieftaine and Emperour Amonge them all there was full vnitee Vpon Troyans auenged for to bee And from this purpose neuer to remewe But fyrst I fynde Parys for to sewe The voyage toke y e worthy brethern tweine Pollux and Castor to recure Heleyne Yet neuertheles as some bokes lysten tell That these kynges no longer wolde dwell But alder faste as Parys was agone They toke a shyppe and folowed hym anone With many worthy in their company And doubtlesse but yf olde bokes lye That or they had sayled dayes three To Troyewarde in the large see The tempest rose and wyndes dyd awake The heauen derke with the cloudes blake That haue the day tourned into nyght And bryght Phebus was mirked of this light The fyry lenen and stroke of the thonder Smote in the maste and shyuerde it a sonder It was so derke no lyghte myght adawe The sea gan swell with many sturdy wawe That rose on hyghte large as any mounte And fell downe and swapped in the frounte Euen of the shyppe and plunged it full lowe Now vp now downe forcast and ouerthrow Their shyppes were with tempest to and fro The fomy waters grene whyte and blo Of feruent boylyng and as pytche blacke With storme wynd that al goeth to wracke So hydously the blastes at theim dryue That euery borde gan from other ryue And all is peryshed there scaped not a man But all atones as I reherse can Be dead drowned with tempest sodaynly There scaped none I say you certaynly Except the brethern such as bookes tel The one in heauen the other lowe in hel Were lordes made tabyde eternally ¶ And some fayne in theyr poesy How the goddes haue theim defyed Like in heauen and ystellifyed After theyr shyppes ware ygo to wrake They were made sterres in the zodyake And to the sygne transfourmed vtterly Whych is of clerkes called Gemyny The whych sygne and constellation Is to Mercury house and mansyon And is of kinde femell and masculyne In whych the Egle and also the Dolphyne Haue theyr arysyng by reuolucion The tayle also aboue the Dragon Is exaltate in the thyrd degree Of Gemyny whych sygne hathe most pouste In hande and armes of man oute of doubte Like as Lucina halt her course aboute And in this wyse were the brether twayne To heauen rapt as these poetes fayne After the tempest ye get no more of me For in this wise the grekes in the sea An ende made and that ful wylfully This ernest first came vnhappely To theim echone as ginning of theyr wo And finall chaunce to the brether two ¶ How y e Grekes assembled to be aduēged of y t Troians for the rauishing of Helein Ca. xv BVt for asmuche as Dares frigius Was in his boke whilom curyous The fourme of Troiens grekes to descriue Lyke as he sawe this auctour by his lyue The shape the fourme complexiowne Both of the partye of theym of Troy towne And of the grekes by good auisement In time of trewse amonge theim as they wēt Seyng the maner of theyr gouernaunce Their porte theyr chere w t euery circūstaūce Namely of tho that were of high degre He not forgate one loose nor qualyte Condicions and also theyr stature All to descryue Dares did his cure In Grekishe tunge beginning at Heleyne Like as tofore ye haue herd me seyne Of her beaute and her semelynesse How seryously Guido doth expresse Saue he sayd as in a lytell space A strype there was endlong in her face Whych as he wryte became her wonder wele Embelyshing her beaute euerydele Like as Dares maketh desripcion ¶ And first he sayeth how king Agamenon Was of good shape and high of his stature And might in laboure at the best endure Vnpacient to lyue in quyet He was to armes so egall and so mete Of coloure whyte and good proporcion And flemytek of his complexion Discrete and hardy and wonder vertuous And of speche ryght facundious And coud him wel in euery thinge demene ¶ But Menelay of stature was but meane Proporcioned atwix shorte and longe Worthy in armes delyuer and ryght stronge Of courage and of hert vygorous Semely also and aye more desyrous To lyue in werre rather than in peace ¶ And furthermore to speake of Achilles He was ryght fayre and of great semelynesse With aborne heyr crispyng for thicknesse With eyen glawke large stepe and great shuldred brode
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
melancolye felte his herte ryue And in his yre hente a spere blyue And pryckyng after enchasteth what he might Tyll he of them playnly had a syght That busy were Troylus for to lede And he full knyghtly syttyng on his stede Ran one through that he fell downe dead And efte agayne pale and nothyng redde In his rancour no longer wolde he lette But a greke the fyrste that he mette Through the body smet he with a spere That men myght se therof the poynt a fere By brest and plate through the shulder bone That to the ground he fel downe dead anone And tho forthwith the worthy Fryses all Came flokmele downe and on the grekes fal So myghtely that maugre their diffence They sette vpon with so great vyolence That Troylus is from all daunger free And through their knightly magnanimyte They maden hym there to recure his stede And specially helpyng in this nede Was zantipus the stronge manly kyng Whiche of disdaine at his commyng On Meneste he gan his spere grate And through his shielde mayle thicke plate So sore he smote that this Meneste Had be dead ne had his armour be Whiche for Ire gan tremble tho and shake That Troylus was from his handes take And escaped to be prysoner Dispyte his berde and maugre his power Wherfore he gan of hasty hote enuye On his knyghtes furyously to crye That were so mighty renowmed and stronge To payne them for to venge his wronge Vpon Troyans to mete them in the face ¶ And they in hast gan mightely enbrace Their sharpe speres grounde for to byte And felly foyne and together smytte ¶ For tho began the great mortall werre The fyre brast out shene as any sterre On basenettes and their plates bryght That through y e fielde flaumeth y e fereful light To lyfe nor death they toke tho no hede And downe the plaine both in length bredth The wardes gan proudly to auale And with lokes ryght enuyously pale They aproche and assemble yfere In hate brennyng that no man may stere And gan hurte with spere sworde and darte And mortally vpon euery parte The slaughter gan greatly for to rewe And ylyche alwaye newe and newe Hector grekes through his worthynesse Where he rode manly dyd oppresse And mercylesse slowe them and bare downe Now here now there without excepciowne So furyously that routhe was to see ¶ And then of new duke Meneste Repayred is with full enuyous herte From his hondes that Troylus so a sterte And for the slaughter eke of his meyne That where he rode busy was to slee The troian people whan he myght them mete For him tauenge for nothyng wolde he lete Tyll casually amonges all the prese ¶ A knight he mette that hyght Myseres Whyche in dispyte of this Meneste Had at the rescuse of worthy Troylus be And maugre him put hym from his praye And so befell on the selfe daye As they mete agayne of aduenture That Meneste by his cote armure Marked hym by armes that he bare And sodeynly or that he was ware And or that he might taken any hede Furiously on his mightye stede And with a spere amyd the renges all Bare hym ouer and made hym for to fall Mauger his might to the earth adowne ¶ And than I fynde howe the kynge Hupon Descended is the storye lyste not lye Two thousande knyghtes in his companye Whiche on grekes felly gan to sette And in y e berde kynge Prothenor them mette And Archelaus the noble werryour Of Boece the lorde and gouernour With helpe onely of this Prothenor Lyke to a Tygre or a wood Bore Gan Troyans assaylen to the deth And many one him selfe that daye he sleeth But kyng Hupon through his chyualrye Full fell that tyme in his melancolye Full many greke gaue his dethes wounde And thus they gan eche other to confounde Such mortall hate amonges them there was Tyll of fortune a knyght Pollydamas ¶ On Troye syde sonne of Anthenor With his knightes and hym selfe tofore Is on grekes right enuious of pryde Amyd their wardes fallen in a syde And gan them breke knightly to disseuer Againe whose sword they might not perseuer He was on them so inly furyous ¶ And him to helpe came the kyng Remus With a wynge on that other parte Breakyng in with many spere and darte Agayne grekes with thre thousand knightes That to beholde how felly that he fyghtes It was in sothe vnto them of Troye A very luste and heauenly aioye To see how grekes brake there asondre That the noyse loude as any thonder In the fyelde of strokes gan aryse ¶ And while Remus as ye haue herde deuise Vpon grekes was so enuyous Into the fyelde came Menelaus With his worthy knightes of Spartense Agayne Remus to maken resystence And full proudely makyng no delaye This worthy Remus and kynge Menelaye On horse backe with sharpe speres whette Amydde the fielde byn together mette And through their manly prowesse renown From horsebacke eche bare other downe For none the stroke of other tho might shone And in that whyle of Anthenor the sonne Pollydamas lusty freshe and lyght As he that was in his delyuer myght And desyrous to honour to attayne Mette in the fielde the neuewe of Heleyne The mighty duke called Mereus Flouringe in youthe and ryght vertuous Freshe armed newe and lusty of courage And was in sothe but twenty yere of age Whyche of so yonge was a noble knight Right renoumed bothe of herte and might But of fortune it befell alas The Troian knight Dan Pollidamas With a spere throughe shelde maile and plate Hytte hym so that by cruell fate Amonge grekes that he fallen is downe dead Of whiche thyng when Menelaye toke hede And sawe hym lye slayne on the grene In his herte remembrynge on the quene The quene Heleine to whom he neuewe was For dole of which a full delyuer pas To Remus rode in his cruelte Also ferre as he might him se And full knightly mette him in the berde And smytte at him with his sharpe swerde Vpon the head in his hatefull tene That on his stede he might not sustene His wounde was so passingly mortall That with the stroke and the perillous fall His knightes wende dead that he had be ¶ And hent him vp and began to fle To Troye warde with him a great pase ¶ But it befell that Pollidamas The maner of theim when that he behelde Made theim repayre knightly into felde Except that some as they in bidding hadde Worthy Remus home to Troye ladde Pale and dead with his woundes wide And tho came in on the grekes syde ¶ Celydys the lusty freshe kinge Of whom Dares sayeth in his wrytinge And for a sothe in his boke lyst tell How Celydys all other did excell Both in beaute and in semelyheade Of shape of porte and of goodlyheade Surmounting all as Dares list descriue As in fayrnesse all tho that time alyue All his limmes compact were
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
greue ¶ And so they mette strongly on other syde And gan assemble and together ryde Full cruelly and with great hatrede And with theim tho that Paris had to lede He entred in full mighty stronge archeres Of Perce lande with many Arbalasters That with theyr arowes filed sharp rouÌ„de And w t quarelles square whette and ground Full many greke hath reued of his lyfe And amiddes of this mortall stryfe ¶ Agamenon into the felde is come Towardes whom Hector hath ynome The right way threwe him from his stede Amonge his knightes that he there did lede He spared nought for all the great prese ¶ And therwithall anone came Achilles That in awayte of Hector tho had layne And sodaynly with all his might and payne ¶ Hector he smote on the head so sore That w t y e stroke mine auctour sayth no more His basenet was bowed and ycrased ¶ Of which stroke Hector not amased On Achilles shuld anone yfall Ne had Eneas with his knightes all And worthy Troylus come and go betwene The which twayne with their swerdes kene Gan Achilles felly for to assale To hewe his playtes and to perse his mayle And tho began the slaught on euery syde Of men of foote and of theim that ryde ¶ Like a condyte their woundes gaÌ„ to blede And in this whyle cruell Dyomede Were it by hap aduenture or case So as he rode mette wyth Eneas And ryght anone as he had him founde He smet at hym and gaue him such a wound That lykly was he should it not recure But if therto be do the better cure ¶ And therupon full despyteously Thys Diomede in his melancolye Repreued hath this Troian knight Enee And sayd to him all hayle for thou art he That whylom gaue to Pryamus the kinge A fell counsayle hasty and bytynge Me to haue slayne by sodayne violence When I was last at Troye in his presence That trust me wel and haue it well in minde Amyd the fyelde if I the eft fynde Thou shalt thy counsayle mortally repente If that fortune hereafter will assent To brynge the aryght vnto my hande At good leyser here in thine owne londe ¶ I am full sette thy laboure for to quyte here my trouth this swerde shal kerue bite So kenely thy Troian bloud to shede That fynally death shall be thy mede The which I beare atwene my haÌ„dê twayne And w t that word he might him not restrayn This Diomede but rode all sodaynly Vpon Enee and tho so furyously He smote at him this hardy cruell knight With such a payne and so great a myght That from his horse he made him for to fall Maugre the myght of his knightes all The which stroke he lyked but full yll ¶ And in this while Hector hath Achylle Assayled so that through his basenet He perced hath and with his swerde him smet And hath so narowe brought him to y e poynt Of hye mychefe and in suche disioynt Constrayned hym that of necessite He had hym take ne had only be Sodayne rescues of thys chyualrous ¶ That called is the sonne of Tydyus I meane the fell fyrse Dyomede Which Achilles hath holpen in his nede For he through force of his armes twayne Smote Hector tho with so great a payne That he him gaue a wounde full greuous But he nothyng mine auctour wryteth thus Astoned was this knight this manly man But with his swerde in all the haste he can Smote Diomede so furyous and wrothe That from his horse to the earth he gothe For all his pryde and his surquidrye ¶ The which anone as Troylus did espye Without abode downe of his stede alyght With Dyomede a foote for to fyght And eche of theim in sothfastnesse than Aquyte him selfe lyke a manly man That nother was in muche nor in lyte In no degre of manhode for to wyte ¶ And while they fought Hector Achilles Togyther mette agayne amonge the prees And ran yfeare fyersly in theyr rage As wood Lyons when they be ramage Right so in sothe they faired in their fighting And in that tyme Menelay the kinge Full proudly shope him Troians for to mete ¶ Vlyxes eke and also Pollymete And after him came Neptolonyus ¶ Pallamides and eke Scelemus ¶ Duke Meneste Nestor and Thoas ¶ Currynulus and Phyloctheas ¶ And Theseus as it is made mynde With his knyghtes proudly came behinde ¶ And on the partye of theim of the towne Came all the kinges without excepciowne That were assembled into their dâ—ffence Agayne Grekes to maken resystence Except the knightes which y t Hector ladde And the wardes that he made hadde The same daye as sayeth the Latin boke In knightly wyse the fyelde when y t he toke And tho began the fell mortall fyght In which that daye ful many worthy knight In fates handes fynally are fall And of fortune amonge the wardes all ¶ Agamenon the noble mighty kynge All sodaynly as he came rydynge ¶ Pantysylaus in his waye he mette Agaynst whom anone his horse he sette And he to him full knyghtly rode agayne And as they mette there is no more to sayne On horse backe whiles they weren wrothe Of violence they were vnhorsed bothe ¶ And Menelay Parys mette of newe The whych two well togyther knewe Full desyrous eche other for to dere ¶ But Menelay caught fyrst a spere And hytte Parys wyth all his busy cure But for surenesse of his stronge armure And mighty plates his wouÌ„de was but small Which in effect greued not at all But with that stroke vnto grounde he gothe Of whych fall Parys wexed wrothe Wonder confuse and also red for shame Lest the reporte in hinderyng of his name Came to the eares of quene Heleyne How he that daye might not atteyne With Menelay to holde chaumpartye Lykly to sowne vnto his vilanye The whych at herte greued him full sore And Adrastus the kinge withouten more So as he rode the kinge Vlyxes fonde And knightly both they fought hoÌ„de to hoÌ„de And as they fought downe to the earth lowe From his horse Vlyxes hath him throwe And ful proudly in sygne of his victorye He sente his horse home to his Tentorye ¶ And in that tyme amonges all the prese ¶ Full sodaynly kynge Pallamydes Is fall on Hupon with his lockes hore And in his yre wounden him so sore That he fell dead and grouelyng to y e grouÌ„d His mortall swerde was so kene ygrounde Besyde whom Neptolonius Assayled hath kinge Archylogus The whych him selfe manly gan defende But as they faught and many strokes speÌ„de In their diffence it would be none other Eueryche of theim hath vnhorsed other ¶ And tho came in riding on his stede ¶ Pollidamas and gan to taken hede Amonge the renges a lytell him besyde Where as the kinge Pollamides doth ryde And fiersely tho full lyke a manly man He smote his stede and to him he ran And maugre his might and his worthinesse As the storye playnly beareth
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
grekyshe kyng which that Phillis hight Anone as he of Hector had a syght Towardes hym syttynge on his stede With his spere he gan him faste spede But when Hector hath his commynge sayne He hente a spere and rode to hym agayne And through his shyelde his plates rounde He gaue to hym hys laste fatall wounde Vpon whose deth auenged for to be Full many greke gan on Hector flee And fyrst of all the worthy kyng famous ¶ That of grekes was called zantypus Of hye disdayne onely for Phyllys sake Towarde Hector hath his course ytake And with a spere ran at him full ryght But Hector fyrst hyt him with suche a might Through his harneys with his speres head That zantyhus fell to the grounde deade The death of whom the grekes sore cōplaine And dyd their myght and their busy payne On euery halfe furyous and wood Them to auenge on the Troyans bloud And through their passyng cruell hardynesse They gan Troyans tho so sore oppresse That many one that day ne myght asterte Through the brest yperced and the herte For to be dead and slayne amonge the prese Amonge whiche cruell Achylles Slewe Lychaon and Eutorbyus Noble knyghtes ryght worthy and famous That were ycome out of their countre Agayne grekes to helpen the citie And while troians cōstrained were so narow Were it with spere quarell darte or arowe Hector was wounded throughout the vyser Into the face that lyke a ryuer The red bloud downe began to rayle By his harneys through his auentayle Wherof astoned whan they had a syght Full many Troyan toke hym to the flyght And to the cyte faste gan them drawe And in the chase full many one was slawe Or they myght efte out of the felde remewe And euer in one grekes after sewe Vnto the walles almost of the towne Tyll that Hector the Troyan champyowne Of his knyghthode gan to taken hede Albe his wounde sore gan to blede Yet of manhode he gan them recomforte And maugre them into the fyelde resorte Namely whan he had inspectiowne On the walles and toures of the towne How that Heleyne and Heccuba the quene And his syster fayre Polycene With many other lady gan beholde Hym thought anone his herte gan to colde Of very shame his knygytes shulden flee And lyke a Lyon in his crueltee He made theim tourne manly euerychone And in his waye he meteth Meryon A grekyshe kinge that was nygh of allye To Achilles as bookes specifye And with his sworde Hector smote him so That he his bodye clouen hath on two And when Achilles sawe that he was deade Parted atwo euen fro the head He hēt a spere and thought he ne would fayl To hyt Hector through shelde plate mayle And rode to him tho full enuyously And myd the shelde he smet him cruelly But with the stroke Hector neuer adell Remeueth not he sat so faste and well But with his swerde anone taryeth nought He to Achylles with enuyous thought But knyghtly ran vpon his coursere And on his creste that shone so bright clere With such a myght Hector hath hym smyt That he perced throughe his basenet And raced eke from his auentayle With that stroke many pece of mayle That Achylles constrayned was of nede Maugre his myght to stagre on his stede To enclyne and to bowe his backe At whiche tyme Hector to hym spake And sayde Achylles I do well aduerte The great enuye of thy cruell herte And specyally that thou haste to me But be well ware therfore I counsayle the Thy selfe to put so farre in aduenture For of one thynge I playnely the ensure As I desyre at my luste some daye Here in the fyelde yf I the mete may Trust me ryght wel there gayneth no socour That I ne shal acquyten thy labour So mortally I do the vnderstande With this sworde that I holde in hande That with thy life thou shalt not thēs◠escape So cruelly the vengeaunce shal be take Efte whan we mette euen vpon thy head ¶ Of which thyng whan Achylles toke hede Aduertynge all that he herde him sayne Ryght as he wolde haue answered agayne ¶ Vorthy Troylus knyghtly entred in And made them a sonder for to twynne And through the manhode of his companye Of worthy knyghtes that he tho dyd guye And hyghe prowesse of his owne might He hath the grekes put agayne to flyght And slayne of them that day out of dread Syxe hundred knyghtes sothly as I reade For losse of whyche the grekes faste gan flee To their tentes as of necessytee Tyll Menelay dyd his busy cure To make them the fyelde agayne recure Through whose manhode y t day out of doute And worthy knightes that weren him about The fyelde of grekes recured was anone ¶ But tho fro Troye came kyng Odemon And in all hast possyble that he may He came enbushed vpon Menelay And hym vnhorseth in the selfe place And suche a wounde gaue hym in the face That from the death he wende not escape And doubtles anone he had hym take With helpe of Troylus and lad vnto y e towne But of grekes suche a prese came downe To rescue hym in this great nede ¶ That Odemon myght tho no further lede Kyng Menelay towarde the cyte Whan Dyomede came with his meyne And many worthy rydynge hym aboute When Troylus mette amonges al the route All sodeynly of hap or aduenture Hath him vnhorseth as it was his eure And after that anone he hent his stede And bad a squyer that he shulde it lede Vnto Cryseyde onely for his sake Besechynge her that she wolde it take As for a gyfte of her owne man Syth he that day for her loue it wan Amyd the fyelde through his great myght Of hym that was whylom her owne knight And he in haste on his waye it went And therof made vnto her present ¶ Prayinge her in full humble wyse This lyttell gyfte that she not despyse But it receyue for a remembraunce And with all this that it be pleasaunce Of very pitye and of womanhede On her seruaunt called Dyomede To remembre that was become her knyght And she anone with harte glad and lyght Full womanly bad hym repayre agayne Vnto his lord and playnly to hym sayne That she ne myght of very kyndnesse Of womanhead nor of gentylnesse Refusen hym platly from her grace That was to her there in straunge place So kynde founde and so comfortable In euery thynge and seruysable That it may not lykely out of mynde To thynke on hym that was so true kinde ¶ With which answere the messager is gone Vnto his lorde and tolde it hym anone Worde by worde lyke as she hath sayde And he therof was full well apayde That hym thought playnely in his herte He was recured of his paynes smerte And forth he had hym in armes as a knyght ¶ But that day duryng the stronge fyght They of Troye so manly haue them borne That grekes myght not stande them
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
ne might mine auctour sayth certayne Nother be queint with tēpest winde or rayne Nor by processe wasten of no yeares Whiche in the ayre be bryght bourned wires Full craftely reysed were a lofte Of whose swetenes men reioyced ofte In theyr courage it lyked theim full well And whē this worke was complete eueridell Rounde enuyrowne ful ryche and freshe to se ¶ They made a parclose all of Eban tre That so longe laste maye and dure The which tree onely of nature When it is cutte smelleth wonder swete And maye not waste nor brenne with no hete Though it be layde amonge the coles red Midde the flawme of many fiery glede It not consumeth though men assaye ful ofte And in water it houeth not alofte But kyndely thense to the grounde it goth To swymme on heyght in soth it is to loth And lyke also as teacheth Plynyus This tree whylom was passyngly famous Of so hyghe pryse and reputacion That in the large myghty regyon And worthy lande of Ethyope and Inde Of yore agon the folkes as I fynde Had this tree in so great honour That they gaue trybute to the Emperour ¶ As is remembred of antiquite Of golde and yuor and of this ryche tree With these gyftes famous and royall To quyte theyr dette to hym in specyall ¶ And whan Pryam in full thryfty wyse Performed hath as ye haue herde deuyse This ryche worke noble and excellent Of herty loue in all his beste entent Ordayned eke as Guydo can you tell A certayne nombre of prestes for to dwell ¶ In the temple in their deuocions Contynually with deuoute orysons ¶ For the soule of Hector for to preye That the goddes his spyryte lyste conuey Eternally with them to dwell yfeare In ioye and blysse aboue the sterres clere ¶ To whiche prestes y e kyng gaue mansyons There to abyde and possessyons The whiche he hath to them mortysed Perpetually as he haue herde deuysed And whyles that they knele praye and wake I caste fully me an ende to make Fynally of this my thirde boke On my rude maner as I vndertoke And whyles they of Troye wepe and morne Vnto grekes I wyll agayne retourne And with dulle style on the story trace Onely borne vp with supporte of your grace Thus endeth the thirde boke ¶ How the grekes deposyng Agamenon ordayned Pallamydes the general of their armye Cap. xxix HEctor thus deade as ye haue herde said Achylles in his tent ylayde With his woundes mortall fresshe and grene Vpon a morning when y e son shene Enchaced had away the derke nyght ¶ Agamenon the wyse worthy knyght In his workes passyngly prudent Hath in all haste for his lordes sent And when they were assembled euerychone Within his tente to them he sayde anone ¶ Syrs quod he and lordes that be here Kynge Prynces and Dukes eke yfere If ye aduerte by clere inspection Ye ought echeone with hygh deuocyon Hooly of herte our goddes for to herye And inwardely for to be ryght merye If ye consydre and wysely do take hede ¶ How that our enemye Hector is now dead That whylom was berer vp of Troye Their full truste their honour and their ioye Their hoole deffence and their protection And vnto vs death and confusyon Vnlykely euer to haue had victorye Whyles with lyfe he floured in his glorye Againe whose sworde we mighten not auaile For slewe he not at our aryuayle If ye remembre on the fyrste day ¶ The noble kyng called Protheselay And after nexte if I shall not fayne He Patroclus parted euen on twayne In fyelde amonges vs euerychone Slewe he not eke the worthy kynge Menon Archylogus and also Prothenor And eke the kyng that hyghte Alphynor Phyllys also and kyng Epystrophus ¶ And to the ende he brought zantypus And Meryon the myghty stronge kyng In his waye as he came rydynge He slayne hath and other kynges two ¶ Cedyus and Doryus also Polyrenes and stronge Polybete Letabonis and the kynge Phylete The manly knyght the kynge Isydyus ¶ And eke the kynge called Humerus For in his Ire and his cruell tene Of worthy kynges he slayne hath eyghtene Whiche hyther came out of grekes lande By the power of his myghty hande ¶ Nowe laude and honour to the goddes all Whiche caused haue that it is be fall That he is dead to our encrease of ioye And to discrese of our foen in Troye As they shall fynde in experyence And laude also prese and reuerence Be to fortune that vs hath holpe wele With her tournyng of her double whele To hyghe comforte and consolacyowne Of vs echone syttynge enuyrowne That stonde nowe in parfyt sykernesse Through deth of him y t dyd vs so oppresse And what may they waite now in the towne But after deth and destructiowne And hastely for to ende in wo Now that their truste Hector is a go Without whom they may not longe endure Wherfore we may fully vs assure Our purpose hole that we shall acheue And fynally daunte them so and greue That vnto them it shal be importable Of one assent if we stande stable For their partye tourneth on the wrake And their hope is fully put a bake And dispeired in nonsecurytye For vtterly both they and their Citye Shall more more in weer of death depende And we in soth shall day by day amende With helpe of god both on sea and lande For now victorye is redy to our hande Deuoyde platly of ambyguyte And excluded at eye as ye may se Both of wantrust and of foreyne dread But I counsayle or that we procede Any ferther vpon our foen to ryde Prudently a whyle to abyde And kepe vs close for to passe our boundes ¶ Tyll Achylles be heled of his woundes And then echone by myghtye vyolence Shal thē oppresse when they haue no diffence As I haue sayde through helpe of Achylles And let vs nowe sende for a peace For two monthes to kyng Pryamus If it so be he lyste to graunt it vs. As it is lyke playnely that he shall And they there whyle with flawme funerall Consume may the deade bodyes pale That lye abrode on euery hyll and vale Whiche by reporte of them that haue repeyre From day to day infecten so the eyre Throughout the fielde engendryng pestilence Of stynke there is so great a vyolence ¶ And we there whyle may in ease and reste Our woundes cure me semeth for the beste ¶ And they assent therto euerychone And vnto Troye the messageres are gone And haue the trewse graunted of the kynge And be repeyred without more taryinge And thereof made full relacyon To the grekes afore Agamenon And after that when all was at an ende Home to his tent euery lorde doth wende And whyle the trewse endureth and the peace Amonge grekes kynge Pallamydes Cumplayneth sore of Agamenon That he so had the domynacyon Aboue them all hauyng there at enuye And on a day in his melancolye Of hyghe despyte and indignacyon Full inly fret
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
of stones precyous ¶ And an other to Anthylogus What shulde I now any longer dwell Ceryously the rytes for to telle Of their buryinge nor what wo they make Their wepynge all nor of their clothes blake Nor how that some loure in their hode And how some go with mylke and bloud With dolefull herte and into fyre it shete And how that other casten gummes swete Amydde the great flaumes funerall Nor of the playes called pallestrall Nor of the wrastlynge that was at the wake It were but vayne me to vndertake To tellen all wherfore I will lette be Fully in purpose lyke as ye shall se To resorte as in conclusyon To tellen how the great Agamenon For his lordes in all the haste hath sent And when they were assembled in his tent Full prudently this kyng this manly man With great aduyse thus he his tale began SYres quod he fortunes varyaunce Her chere froward double countenance And sodeyne tourne of her false vysage Your hertes hath put in suche arage For the murdre to god and man odyble ¶ Of Achylles and the death horryble By compassynge of Hecuba the quene Now semeth me that it shall be sene If any manhode in your hertes be Or knightly force in aduersytye For to endure by vertue of suffraunce Tyll of his death ye taken may vengeaunce And manly quyte this outragious offence Whan time cometh to make full recompence But syth that ye be manly and prudent I wolde fyrst se the playne entent In this matter of you that be so wyse And hereupon what is your aduyse By one assent and voyce in comune Whether ye wyll the werre forth contune And the syege ygonne vpon this towne Tyll they be brought to destructiowne Or into grece now resorte agayne For cause only that Achylles is slayne That whilom was your strong champiowne Your distence and chiefe protectiowne But fynally now that he is dead Hereupon let se what is your reade Saye openly and no longer tarye ¶ And some anone gonne for to varye And to grutche castynge to and fro Standynge in doute what were beste to do ¶ And some sayde on the tother syde For lyfe or death they wolde an ende abyde And some of them that of wytte were rude For their partye gonnen to conclude That they wolde efte home agayne retourne And other sayd that they wyll soiourne Styll at the syege happe what happe may And thus they treate all the longe day Euery man lyke his opynyon Tyll at the laste in conclusyon They be accorded fully into one Fro the syege neuer for to gone Vnto the tyme they haue of the towne Through their knyghthode full possessyowne At their free wyll to spylle or elles to saue Albe Achylles buryed was in graue For the truste of euery worthy knyght Was fynally as goddes haue behyght That they in haste shall the towne possede This was their hope fully deuoyde of drede Vndispeyred in their opynyon ¶ And then anone Ayax Thelamon A worthy knyght and famous of his hande Amonge all tho that were of grekes londe Sayde euen thus playnly in sentence ¶ Syres quod he that here be in presence My counsayle is platly and my rede Now it standeth so that Achylles is dead For his sonne in all the haste to sende Hyther to come for to se an ende Of the syege and helpe vs in this nede ¶ Whiche nowe abyt with kynge Lycomede His bysayle and named is Pirrus And some hym call Neptolonyus Ryght lusty freshe and by lykelynesse Able to attayne to great worthynesse As by reporte and the fame is kouthe If he drawe hym to armes in his youth ¶ And sothfastly but yf bokes lye As I haue redde and herde by prophecye That fynally Troye the Cyte Without hym shall neuer wonne be Thus bokes saye that be of olde memorye And howe grekes shall haue no victorye Tyll he come this sonne of Achylles Wherfore in haste and be not reckeles Sende for hym that it be done anone And they commende his counsaile euerichone And to his reade fully them assent And by aduise full prudently they sente In all the haste on this embassyat The wyse kynge full famous of estate I meane the prudent noble Menelay And forth he goeth the selfe same day And on his iourney gan hym faste spede ¶ Tyll that he came vnto Lycomede The olde kynge as ye haue harde me telle Where for a tyme I wyll lette him dwelle ¶ And to Grekes in the meane whyle So as I can derecte againe my style ¶ Howe Parys and Thelamon Ayax slewe eche other in the fylde Cap. xxxiii THe tyme of yere when the shene sonne In the Crabbe had his course yronne To the hyghest of his ascencyon Whiche called is the somer stacyon Whan the vertue out of euery roote Is drawen vp and the bawme soote Into the croppe and the freshe floure Most lusty is of hewe and of coloure Tyll Phebus chare in his discencion Out of the Crabbe towarde the Lyon Holdeth his course in the fyrmament I meane whan he is retrogradyent And dryeth vp the moysture and the wete Of herbe and floure with his feruent hete And all that veer afore hym made grene To white he tourneth with his beames shene Both sede and grayne by decoction For naturally by dygestyon That fyrst was rawe in fruites in floures And watry eke by plente of humoures He dryeth vp and rypeth at the full With his feruence that men may them pull Eche in his kynde after the season Fro yeare to yeare by reuolucyon On their braunches freshely as they sprede Whan that Cheryes powbly be and rede ¶ First in Iune that seweth after Maye Whan the hote mery somers daye No dwery is but lyke a gyaunt longe The same tyme grekes stoute and stronge With rancour brent of their enuyous hete Haue shapen them with their foen to mete And bryght armed into fyelde they go And they of Troye out of the towne also And their wardes ordeyned euerychone The fyelde haue take to meten with their foen And gan to assemble vpon outher syde ¶ But Thelamon of foly and of pryde The same daye of hym as I reade As he that had of his death no dread Disarmed was for battayle of arest Of mayle and plate bare vpon his brest For of foly and surquedons outrage Bare his heade and bare of his vysage And bare also without basenet And naked eke of vyser and palet He rode all daye of nothynge tho aferde Hauynge no weapon but a naked sworde For wylfully he lefte at home his shelde And his spere when he toke the fyelde Full lyke a knight syttynge on his stede ¶ And after hym foloweth Dyomede Lyke Mars hym selfe about hym his meyne And faste by came the duke of Meneste Kyng Vlixes and Agamenon ANd Pryamus w t them of Troy towne Toke eke the fyelde w t a full heuy chere For he was both feareful and in were In great dispeyre and inly full of dreade
make mencion After the scyte of the fyrmamente Is in the plage of the Oryent ¶ And called is the reygne of Amazonis Of which the custome and the vse is That onely women therin shall abyde And they were wonte armed for to ryde And haue in armes great experyence For theyr laboure and theyr dylygence Is fynally to haue exercyse Fro daye to daye in Martes hygh seruyce ¶ And ouermore theyr custome and vsaunce As to this daye is made remembraunce Is that no man shall them nygh nere But yf it be thre monthes in the yeare ¶ This to saye in Iune Apryll and Maye And then the women haue in custome aye Vnto an yle a lytell there besyde Where as the men by them selfe abyde Fro yere to yere togyther euerychone Vnto the men out of theyr lande to gone And there abyde in that regyon Tyll tyme cometh of concepcion Wythout taryinge any longer whyle For then anone home vnto theyr ile They be repeyred out of that countre Vnto tyme that they delyuered be And as fast as the chylde is borne For lacke of kepynge that it be not lorne He fostred is tyll thre yeres be agone Amonge the women and then ryght anone To the yle besyde adiacent Vnto the men the chylde in haste is sent If that it be of kynde masculyne And yf it fall that it be femynyne With the women abyde styll it shall Tyll that it be in actes mercyall Full well expert and that she can eke knowe A spere to haddle or to drawe a bowe Lyke the statutes of that regyon The whych as bookes make mencyon Is sette betwene Ewrope and Asya ¶ And of this lande was Pantasilia Whylom lady and chyefe gouernesse Full renowmed of strength and hardinesse Thrugh out y e worlde both in length brede And yet in sothe to speake of womanhead For all her myght she had an huge pryse For both she was vertuous and wyse Wonder dyscrete and had an honest name Notwythstandynge the excellence of fame Of her renowne in armes and in glorye For of conquest and of high victorye She was most surmountynge out of drede Of any woman that I can of rede And sothely yet bookes bere wytnesse Of womanhead and of gentylnesse She kepte her so that nothynge her asterte ¶ The whych loued wyth all her hole herte Worthy Hector and wyth all her myght Onely for he was so good a knyght All her ioye and worldly plesaunce Her harty ease and soueraygne suffysaunce In very sothe where she wake or wyncke Was euer in one vpon him to thynke Of very fayth wythout any slouthe And vnto hym she was by bonde of trouthe Confederate of olde affectiowne That when she herde how that Troye towne Beseiged was of the Grekes fell Thys hardy quene lyst no longer dwell But hasteth her as fast as euer she maye Towarde Troye infull good araye With all the worthy women of her lande Full well experte and preued of her hande Well horsed eke and armed rychely And as I fynde in her companye A thousande maydens rydyng by her side This worthy quene that durst well abyde She wyth her brought in stele armed bryght For loue of Hector her owne trewe knyght And on her waye fast she gan her spede To helpe hym yf she se cause of nede For in nothynge she could her more delyte Than towarde him her faythfully to quyte For that was all her lust and hertes ioye ¶ But when that she come was to Troye And hath hard tell as by relacyowne That he was dead most worthy of renowne To whom she was so louynge and so trewe Anone she gan to chaunge cheare and hewe And pyteously gan to wepe and crye And fared in sothe as she would dye For very wo and hertely heuynesse And thought she would thrugh her wortthynesse Auenge his death platly if she maye On the Grekes and so vpon a daye ¶ She prayeth Pryam w t great affectiowne For to open the gates of the towne And to go out with Grekes for to fyght That they maye knowe and be expert aright Of this women the great worthynesse And of this quene the famous hardynesse And so the kynge hopynge for the beste Without abode graunted her requeste The next morowe wheÌ„ Phebê° shone ful shene ¶ And all tofore out goth Philomene The noble kinge w t them of Pafflagonye And after him other knightes manye Folowed after with worthy Eneas The Troyan eke Dan Pollidamas And the quene Pantasilla By the gate called Dardanica Towarde Grekes proudly yssued oute With her women rydynge her aboute The whych anone when Grekes did espye Into felde gan them fast hye ANd fyrste of all worthy Meneste Pantasylla when that he dyd se Wyth his sporres made his stede gone And wyth a spere rode to her anone ¶ Of whom the quene astoned neuer a dele Kaught a spere that was squared wele Round y e shafte and the head well grounde Which as they coupe smet hiÌ„ downe to grouÌ„d And maugre hym reued him his stede But then in haste in came Dyomede And cruelly to the quene gan ryde And she as fast on the other syde Rode eke to him in plates bryght and shene And as they met wyth theyr speres kene She hytte so this fell Diomede For all his myght and his manlyhead That she him made his sadell for to lese There is no more he myght tho not chese And in despyte of his men echone She hath his shelde him berafte anone And it delyuereth proudly as she rode To a mayde that vpon her abode And lyke a Tygre in his gredynesse Or lyke in sothe to a Lionesse That daye she fared rydynge vp and downe Amonge the Grekes till that Thelamowne Gan to beholde the slaughter that she made Of high despyte and rancour ouerlade As he that myght for yre not sustene Gan reyne his horse to fall vpon this quene ¶ But when that she his comynge dyd espye She fell on him in her melancolye So mortally maugre his knightes all That to the grounde she made him for to fall And Grekes put in so great disraye Where euer she rode all that ylke daye That they ne might afore her not sustene And through the helpe of kyng Philomene As myn auctour recordeth in his boke Amyd the felde Thelamon she toke And sent him forth through her hie renowne As prysoner towarde Troye towne ¶ Tyll vnto reskuse came he Dyomede And cruelly on them that gan him lede He fell vnwarely with an huge route Of his knyghtes rydynge him aboute And from theyr haÌ„des maugre al their might He him delyuereth lyke a manly knyght At whych tyme the hardy quene anone With her women aboute her euerichone The Grekes hath afore her on the playne As wryt Guydo so mortally belayne That she them made of necessytee Out of the felde wyth her sworde to fle That verely it semed incredible And to leue a maner impossyble To se the women Grekes so enchase Which might not there
abide afore their face For in the felde in any wise stande For they them dryue to the selfe stronde Downe to the clyffe of the salte see And slewe of them so huge and great plentee That fynally they had all be dystroyed For euermore and vtterly acloyed ¶ Ne had Dyomede stande tho at diffence And of knighthod made theim resistence For he that daye in partye and in all For Grekes stode as a sturdy wall And was alone their helpe and chefe succour ¶ But for all that with worshyp and honour Pantasilla as made is memorye Repeyred is with conquest and victorye Wyth all her women into Troye towne Vpon the houre of Phebus goyng downe ¶ And by the syde of this hardy quene ¶ Armed in stele rode kynge Phylomene Whom Pryam hath wyth great reuerence Knightly receyued and did his diligence Theim to refreshe with euery maner thinge That might be vnto theyr lykinge And as theyr hertes could best deuyse ¶ And after this in ful goodly wyse He thanked hath the noble hardy quene Of her goodnesse that her lyst to sene To helpe him in his great nede And offred her in Guydo as I reade All that he hath treasour and rychesse Hopynge fully through her worthinesse Vpon Grekes auenged for to be And for to kepe hym safe in his Cyte Maugre Grekes whych of theim saye naye ¶ For as I reade after daye by daye She slinte not proudly theim to assayle Agayne whose swerde they myght not auayl So mortally she made theyr sydes blede ¶ Tyll Menelay fro kinge Lycomede Repeyred is with Neptolonyus Which in his bokes called eke Pirrhus Whylom the sonne of cruell Achillles Whom for to se full huge was the prese Of the Grekes goynge enuyron ¶ And for he was as by successyon ¶ Borne to be heyre of this Achilles He hath receyued of Myrmydones With great honour and great solempnyte So glad were they theyr yonge lorde to se To whom echone they made affiaunce And were eke sworne by bonde assuraunce For lyfe or deathe to him to be trewe And his lieges and chaunge for no newe To obeye his lust in all maner thynge ¶ And after this Agamenon the kinge Made him knight and Thelamonius Wyth a swerde gyrte anone Pirrhus Sayinge to him in the selfe place With y t baudrik when he hym did enbrace ¶ Take hede quod he mine owne cosin deare To resemble in manhode and in chere In knighthod eke and in worthinesse To thy father which in sothfastnesse In his tyme was so noble a knight And ouermore with all thy full might To auenge his death that thou do thy payne ¶ And theÌ„ of grekes worthy Dukes twayne Full humbly began downe to knele And set a sporre vpon eyther hele As was the maner of golde bourned bryght And in this whyle Pirrhus is made knighte As ye haue herde in full high presence With great honour and due reuerence Lyke the custome of the Grekes layes And the rytes vsed in tho dayes And then anone hath kyng Agamenon With full glad chere and great affection Delyuered hym fully by sentence The armes hole without difference Which Achilles by his life bare His worthy father on his shoulders square As for nexte heyre of lyne by discente And all his Treasour also and his Tente Armure and all deliuered were anone Vnto Pirrhus and Grekes euerychone Eyght dayes suynge by and by Through out the hoste full solempnely They halowe in honour of this yong knyght â–ª Til on a morow wheÌ„ Phebê° shone ful bright Which with his lyght that shineth fro so fer Diffaced hath the streames of the sterre Lucifer the dayes messagere When Grekes gan in plates bryght clere Enarmed them that daye soure and swete Fulle in purpose wyth theyr fone to mete And manfully out of theyr tentes wide Agaynst Troyans they began to ride Warde after warde proudly into felde And Pirrhus bare that daye vpon his shelde His fathers armes lyke as sayth Guydo And of the same he had vpon also A cote armure that became hym wele And forth he rode armed bright in stele And casually formest as he was He mette fyrst wyth Pollydamas A knyght of Troye a full manly man ¶ And furyously Pirrhus to him ran On horsebacke with a myghty swerde And gan to hurtle with him in the berde So myghtely that in this hatefull stryfe ¶ Pollydamas had lost his lyfe Ne had ben reskued without more taryinge Of Phylomene the noble worthy kinge Onely of knighthod and of worthynesse ¶ To whom Pirrhus hastely gan him dresse With his swerde and smit him in the syghte That from his horse he made him to alighte For he the stroke might not sustene And sothfastly this worthy Phylomene Of Pirrhus had ytake be anone Saue his knightes assembled into one Of Pafflagonye came him to reskue But Pirrhus aye so fyersly gan pursewe Vpon this king with Myrmydones Beset in myschefe amonge the great prese That many knight of this noble kynge Yslayne was at his reskuynge He stode of death in so streyght a case ¶ Tyl of fortune came Pollydamas To his reskuse and did his full myght Him to delyuer and quyte him lyke a knight But in sothenesse there was suche resystence ¶ Of Pirrhus knightes standing at diffence That aye in mischyef stode king Philomene ¶ Tyll Pantasilla of femenie the quene With her women a great companye Gan this thinge of auenture espye Which were echone for the more delyte On theyr armure that daye clad in white That veryly there was no lylye floure Nor snowe y t flaketh froÌ„ Iubyters his towre Of whytenesse that is fresher on to sene Then in felde was this hardy quene Which firste of all amonge the Grekes chees Proudly to fall on Myrmydones Amonges them rydinge vp and downe She theÌ„ vnhorseth through her hie renowne And slewe them vpon euery syde Makinge theyr renges for to seuer wyde Tyll Thelamon in a furyous heate With a spere vnwarely did her mete And in a rage smote her to the playne But she anone ful lyfely rose agayne ¶ And w t her swerd so marketh Thelamown That froÌ„ his horse she made him light downe Plat to the grounde on his handes twayne And then her women did theyr busy payne To make theyr quene her stede to recure ¶ And all this while stode in auenture Of his life worthy Philomene Pirrhus knightes were on him so kene Maugre his men that they haue him take It geyneth not diffence for to make The Grekes haue so strongly him beset ¶ And forth they lad him it might be no bet Toward theyr tentes throughout al the felde The which thinge when the quene behelde With her women that aboute her rode Pursewed after without more abode That fynally they haue so after sewed Through their force that he was reskued Maugre the manhode of Myrmidones ¶ And Pantasilla was so mercyles Vpon the Grekes that of necessyte Through her force and her crueltee Afore her swerde they
her excellence Albe that she neuer dyd offence Yet her lorde of newfangilnesse Toke an other the letters did expresse Fully in purpose anone at his repayre Though Clemestra were both good fayre All sodaynly her to exyle Out of his lande many thousande myle Warning her that she be prudente This was the substaunce as in sentemente That Oetes wrote vnto this quene Albe the kynge was innocente and clene And was to her in all his fore liuinge Louyng and true in all maner thinge And her to please passyng ententyfe In worde and dede durynge all his lyfe As fer as oughte of reson be desyred But the letters that falsly was conspyred They haue her put parcase of Innocence For to gyue to hasty credence ¶ Thankynge firste Oetes for his trouthe That so goodly hym lyst to haue routhe Vpon her wronge of hygh compassyon And yet the storye maketh mencion Here afterwarde as I shall descriue That she was the fal'est one alyue Vnto her lorde and in his longe absence And in all haste she made stronge diffence Agayne this thinge gan her to purueye By suche fraude that she not ne deye But of her worke in sothe she was to wyte The whych alas I must anone endyte As the story platly doth me lere Whych doleful is and mortall for to heare OH vnsure truste of all worldly glorye w t sodayn chaunge put out of memorye Oh ioye vnstable of vayne ambycyon With vnware tourne reuersed vp so downe Oh ydell fame blowe vp to the skye Ouer whelmed with twincklinge of an eye Oh pompe oh boste of tryumphe victorye Lyke a shadowe waste and transytorye Oh fortune false and vnassured That to no man maye fully be lured To hygh nor lowe of no maner estate With bonde of fayth to be conferate Agayne whose myght no mā may him diffēd But at his tourne that he shall discende When he syt hyest on thyne vnstable whele Thy brotyll fauour forged not of stele Meynt and all allyed with mutabylytye For welfulnesse and false felicitye With sodayn sweygh frowarde y u canst auale Now freshe of chere now for anger pale Of hygh disdayne thou sparest no degree For Princes Dukes highest in their see Mighty kinges and worthy Emperours That richest reygne in theyr royal floures With Sceptre crowne y u canst pul downe ¶ I take wytnesse of Agamenowne That was so noble and myghty in his lyue As sondry auctours his hie renowne desriue But sothfastly for all his excellence He might not make no diffence With all his knightes that his baner sewe Conspyred murdre to voyde and eschewe Rescuse was none that he could make For which alas I fele my pen quake That doth mine inke blotte on my boke Oh mighty god that w t thine inwarde loke Seest euery thing thrugh thy eternal might Why wilt thou not of equit and of ryght Punishe and chastice so horrible a thinge And specyally the murdre of a kinge Alas the payne of Ixion in hell Or of Manes that with Sathan dwell Were not egall nor equipolent To venge murdre nor sufficient For it excedeth in comparison Al felonye falshed and treason Wherfore oh lord that seest and knowest all Through thy power that is eternall Suffre no suche to liue vpon the grounde Worse than Tygre or Cerberus the hounde That chayned lyeth bounde at hel gate Whych of malyce playnly though he hate He berketh fyrst or he do offence But murdre gladly is wrought in sylence Or men aduerte or take any kepe ¶ Alas a Prince to sley him in his slepe On his pyllowe when he slepeth softe That cryeth wreche to hye god alofte And axeth vengeaunce to take as fast Though it abyde it wyll out at the laste Alas a kynge spoken of so ferre That was so worthy outwarde in the werre His cruell fate passynge odyous Dysposed hath in his owne house His mortall ende to be execute Agaynst whych there was no refute For ryght as he his shyp to lande sette The quene Clemestra on y e strond him mette With humble cheare and loke full beninge And shewed out full many faythful sygne Of wysely trouthe in her countenaunce Albe in herte there was varyaunce Not perceyued playnly in her face Whom the kynge goodly did embrace As he in sothe that but trouth mente And to his paleys the hye waye he wente Not aduertynge the treason that was shape The whych alas he might not escape Of the falshede he could nothinke fele But I ne maye no longer it consele Agayne her lorde how Clemestra wrought For on her bond of wedlocke she ne thought The trewe loke sothly of spousayle Agayne her malyce lytell myght auayle Vnto her lorde her trouthe to conserue Newfangilnesse caused to sterue Her olde fayth and her assuraunce Her loue abode on a fykell chaunce Longe absence had her herte apalled She loued one that was Egistus called Which afore all in her grace stode That nother was of byrth nor of bloud Lytell or nought of reputacyowne Nor renowmed of manhode nor renowne Nor of knyghthod nor of hygh prowesse But for his laboure and his busynesse And good awayte vpon her by nyght Therfore he was best furthred in her syght Such dread had she for to lyue alone Sorowles so well she could grone I can not saye what life that she ladde Except that she by him a doughter had And Exyona Guydo sayth she hight And vnto him Clemestra behyght Assuringe him vpon payne of her head He shulde raygne when her lorde were dead And to enhaste this conclusyon Her worthy lorde kynge Agamenon The next nyght was murdred and yslayne By false Egistus and the quene full fayne No longer bode the storye can you lere But in all haste they wedded were yfere And by her false and sleyghty compassynge Of Messene she made him crowned kynge And put him full in possessyon ¶ Alas that synne hath dominacion To further wronge and abate ryght For in this worlde falshed hath more ryghte Full ofte syth than hath ryghtwisenesse And in the estate sette of worthynesse Lo how the synne of auoutrye Brought in murdre by conspyracye Synne vpon synne lynked both twayne And embraced in the fendes chayne Perpetually in hell to endure Alas who shall him selfe full assure Fro cruell murdre his body to withdrawe When that kinges in theyr bedde are slawe Whiche bringeth in alyenacyon By extorte tytle false successyon There maye coloure of pretense seme But full streyghtly god shall after deme And iustly venge with due recompence Intrusyon brought in by violence And felly quyte suche horryble thinges And sodayne slaughter specially of kinges Greatly to dread in euery regyon ¶ And as I fynde that Agamenon By Clemestra the false double quene Had a sonne passynge faire to sene Right gracious in euery mannes syght And Horestus the boke sayth that he hyghte Wonder semely and but yonge of age And for great feare of this mortall rage Lest he were slayne as it was to dread
Within a while there is no more to seye That he him gat the storye will not lye An other thousande to his companye Of worthy knightes all of one accorde To go with him as w t theyr soueraygne lorde In euery thinge his biddinge to obeye As ye haue herde Egistus to werrey ¶ And thus Horestes in full riche arraye Gan hooste and made no delaye And his lodginge alderfyrst gan chese In a Citye that called was Troyese Receyued there with great reuernece Of the kinge that named was Forence A manly knyght as bookes specifye And bare in herte passinge great enuye To Egistus by double occasion Fyrste for the death of Agamenon And eke for he had a doughter deare That was to him inwardly entere Both good and fayre but yonge of age That whilom was giuen in mariage To Egistus but he of doubilnesse Of false treson and newfangilnesse The kinges doughter hath vtterly forsake And in all haste did a libell make And forge a writ of repulsyon Albe he hadde no trewe occasyon This Egistus that he her forsoke Saue that he falssy to wiue toke The quene Clemestra agayne al right law When by assent they murdred haue slawe Agamenon as it afore is tolde That whylom was so myghty and so bolde And for the hatefull false conspyrasye As well of murther as auoutrye To venge bothe by dewe recompence The worthy knyght y e mighty kyng Forence Offred Horestes for to make hym stronge And go with hym to helpe venge his wronge And with hym ladde armed bryght in stele Foure hundred knightes horsed wonder wele Takynge the fyelde with a manly chere And so Horestes and the kynge yfeare Be ryden forthe with many manly man ¶ But Horestes or he this werre gan When bryght Phebus in the bole shone To the temple is full lowly gone And to the goddes in most best wyse With humble herte dyd sacryfyce Fully in hope the better for to fare Where he was bode for lyfe nor deth to spare Without mercy or remyssyon The death to venge of Agamenon ¶ On Clemestra that was moste to wyte And that he make fyrste his sworde to byte On his mother with his handes twayne And ouermore to do his busy payne Without pytye and no mercye shewe On smale peces tyll she be to hewe And dismembred a sonder ioynt fro ioynt And eke that he for yet not a poynt Iustly to punyshe by rycoure and by ryght ¶ Egistus eke the false vntrewe knyght And that he be not slowe nor neclygent To execute the commaundement Of the goddes lyste what after falle ¶ And than Horestes with his knyghtes all ¶ And Forenses the mighty kynge also Of one herte be to the syege go Of the Cyte that called was Methene Within whiche was the false quene Clemestra god gyue her herde grace And when Horestes syeged hath the place With his knyghtes set it rounde aboute ¶ False Egistus was yryden out To gather men and to be a wreke And falle vpon and the syege breke ¶ If he myght on any maner syde And with great stuffe thus he gan to ryde Takynge vp men fro euery coste Tyll he hym made a full myghtye hooste ¶ But Horeste whiche at the syege laye His gouernaunce espyeth daye by daye And sent out men as he that was full sage To stoppe wayes and lette his passage And made knyghtes a full huge route To pursue hym euery coste aboute And of the syege manfully begonne By assaute he hath the towne ywonne And entred in on a nyght full late And sette wardes stronge at euery gate And in a doungeon most stronge princypall That was of buildyng myghty and royall This Horestes fyrste his mother fonde ¶ The quene Clemestra lady of that lande Whiche for drede sore gan to quake But mercyles anone he made her take And put in chaynes tyll the next morowe ¶ And Egistus god gyue hym euyll sorowe With all the stuffe that he myght accroche Towarde the towne faste gan aproche ¶ In purpose full Horestes for to greue And them within sodeynely releue But all in sothe myght not auayle For or that he the cytye myght abayle Horestes knightes vnwarely haue him mette And all attones proudely on hym sette Fyrste slewe his men put them to flyght ¶ And taken hym maugre all his myght And with chaynes lyke as they hym fynde Mercyles full fast they him bynde And shet hym vp fetryd in prysowne And all false founde in the towne That were assented wyllinge or helpynge To the murdre of the worthy kynge Grekes workers and conspyratours Agayne their lorde ryfynge as traytours All were take and bounde by rycour The same nyghte and shet vp in a toure Tyll on the morowe lyke as the lot be drawe Eueryche of them vnder fonge his lawe Lyke his decerte excepcion was none And when the nyght passed was and gone And Phebus rose estwarde in his sphere And on the toures shone full bryght clere ¶ When Clemestra rote of all falsehede Was brought forth quakyng in her drede ¶ Before Horestes to iudgement yfet He with a sworde sharpe and kene ywhet Like as the goddes charged him toforne On peces smale he hath her all to shorne And made her bere out of the townes boūdes To be voured of beastes and of houndes Pytye was none in his breste reserued But quit her fully as she hath deserued Fro poynt to poynt and forgat right nought And thē chayned Egistus was furth brought And iustly dempt by rigour of the lawe Of an herdell naked to be drawe Through the towne that all might se And after hye hanged on a tre For to rot and drye agaynst the sonne Lo how murdre hath his guerdon wonne Lo how falshed his mayster can awake ¶ And all the traytours in the towne ytake Were on galowes enhanged euerychone Tyll they were seuered asonder bone fro bone Hye on an hill agayne the sterres shene Thus was y e towne fro treason purged clene And with trouth augmented and ymored And to his reygne Horrestes full restored As the storye sewinge shall expowne And of the daye when he toke his crowne ANd when the myst euery cloudy skye Of false treason and conspyracye Were tried out vpon euery syde The falshed hadde no place to abyde The storye sayth in ordre rehersynge The same time Menelay the kinge Out of the sea ful of wawes wete Fro Troyewarde yriued was in Crete Frely escaped many dread and peyne With his quene the goodly freshe Heleyne And for cause she was so famous fayre Great was the pres and meruaylous repaire Fro euery parte her beaute to beholde For whom Troye with walles not ful olde Destroyed was the noble royall towne And many man ful worthy of renowne Hath lost his life there may no man say naye All for Heleyne wife to Menelay When thinge is done it may be none other But when this kinge knewe fully of his brother Agamenon murdre and euerydele He
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