and winds did not too much prevaile And when the greekes with trauell overprest Had long on Seas been tossed too and fro Desiring to relieue themselues and rest Their wearied limmes they sought on land to go And being cast vpon the Trâ—iâ—â— soyle They lande there to ease their wearied toyle CHAP. IIII. ¶ How Iason â—â—â—is Voyage to Coâ—chos by fortune was cast vppon the câ—â—st of Troy where he were on Land to refresh himselfe and his company THe Ship at anker by the Frigian coast Vntill the weather waxed cleare and faire The Greekes that had so long on Seas been tost Went all on shoare to walke and take the aire Glad to relieue their wearied lims of paine And after to returne to ship againe At Syâ—eonâ— a haven hard by Troy Where they did stay and ment there to abide Not hurting any Woman Man or Boy A day or two attending time and tide To hoyse vp Sayle and toward Colchos wend Where first to go they onely did pretend Not once jntending treason hurt or guile In any wise nor troublesome to bee Vnto the countrey people all the while They staied there for their necessitee For that as long as on the shoare they lay They did nought els but sport theÌ„selues play But Fortune that so swiftly turnes about Delighting men of pleasure to bereaue Was th' onely cause though causeles without doubt To make the Troians falsely to conceiue The Grecians sodaine landing did pretend Some mischiefe to their countrey in the end For by such bad and false suspition Most puissant Kings and Princes of great fame Haue brought themselues vnto destruction And been the onely causes of their shame Let Troyes example for this time suffice Which first did breed vpon a bare surmise Which was the cause and chiefe occasion As in the ancient Historie is found Of that most famous Townes destruction Whose mightie walles were rais'd vnto the ground And many men and many a worthy Knight Did loose their liues in that most bloody fight And many Ladies proper fine and faire Their Husbands and their Children being dead Were heard lament their losse in great dispaire And Mayds in tender yeares by Grecians led As slaues in bondage to their paine and griefe Did liue without all comfort or reliefe And onely for that fortune doth delight To shew her power and her majestie And make it knowne vnto each mortall wight In taking vengeance with such crueltie As on that famous Citie shee did shoe To their destruction miserie and woe Great pittie t' was that men of such estate Both on the valiant Greekes and Troian side For little cause should fall at such debate But truth it is and cannot be deni'd That envy having entred in the hart From thence doth not so readily depart For from a little graft doth oft arise A faire and goodly tree both huge and tall And he that climeth high may well surmise If that he slip to haue the greater fall And of a sparke full small wee often see And find that mighty fiers kindled bee And as a gnat that 's but a little thing Doth often cause the flesh of man to rise And swell abroad with pricking of his sting So many Princes mighty strong and wise And famous Townes at mortall warres do fall For slight or else for causes very small But if they had been well advis'd in time When sparks of envy first began to show And sought to quench and kill them in the prime Full many Cities now that lie full low Would haue stood still and flourisht till this day Which hatefull malice brought vnto decay For when the flame of envy spreads so wide That it embraceth heart and head and vaine And makes them bnrne so hot on either side There is no meanes to remedy that paine But fowle and cruell murther warre and strife Bereaving each the other of their life And thus death is the â—ine of enmetie And though the first beginning be but small Th' encrease doth breed to such extremitie That th' end bereaueth joy and pleasures all As vnto Troy wee read it so befell Which makes me sigth the truth thereof to test That for small cause such vengeance shold proceed Vnles it were by providence divine And heavenly wisedome secretly decreed Their fall should cause a greater joy in â—ine For Troy destroy'd by such occasion And finally brought to destruction Was th' onely meanes that th' ancient Citie Roome Receav'd her first beginning from the race And offspring of Aeneas that did come From Troy when Grecians banisht him the place Which Towne of Roome as Authors plainely say Of all â—he world once bare the chiefest sway Troy likewise brought into so great distresse And vtter ouerthrow of ancient fame Was cause that many Cities did encrease And divers Countries first obtain'd their name For Troiaus wanting habitation By force did enter many a Nation And after long and weary toyle orepast Aeneas many Countries Sayling by With all his ships did chance t' ariue at last Vppon the pleasant coast of Italy Who wan the same by conquest and by might And made himselfe the Prince thereof by right And after him his Sonne Ascanius Succeeded and as lawfull heire he raign'd Who beeing dead his sonne Prince Siluius The Diadem of Italy obtaind Of whom did come by right discent and true Most worthy Brute that Albion did subdue Wwo having woon't by force from Giants fell And conquest braue did thereof change the name And cal'd it Britaine as our stories tell And was the first inhabited the same With this Aeneas from the Troian towne Came Francus also Lord of great renowne Who afterward his honour to advance Did build a towne both stately faire and great Cald Parris whieh doth stand in midst of France The which he made his chiefe and Princely seat And first gaue name of France vnto that land Which he did win by strong and valiant hand And Anthenor a Lord of Troian race Began the towne of Venice to erect Where during life he made his resting place And Sicanus in whom was no defect Of Troian blood as Cronicles doe tell Won Cicile and long time therein did dwell And after him a Prince of worthy fame His Valiant brother Siculus did raigne Within that I le of whom it tooke the name Of Cicile as records therein explaine Aeneas hauing conquered Italy Did not himselfe therewith so satisfie But into Tuscan entred which he wan And in the I le of Cicile to his praise The regall Towne of Naples first began Which flourisheth so much in these our dayes With braue and welthie Marchant men of fame Who throgh their traffick great inricht the same And of the Greekes that Troy did helpe to spoyle King Diomed who with most great desire When he had spent his time with paine and toylâ— Ten yeares in warre and thought home to retire And there to liue and rest secure from harmes He found his men and countrey vp in armes With full intent
Soone did arriue before the Troyan coast Where safely landing all his ships together He presently relieu'd the Grecian hoast With victuals who thereof had then great need And thankt him that he broght it with such speed The Grecian host relieu'd as you haue heard Palamedes went to their ships to see If they had any need to be repair'd And what so euer requisite to bee Bestowd on them was found he did with care Cause to be done And likewise did not spare Of every thing what so ever it did cost To see prouision made and to supply All things that needfull were within the host The which he did performe most carefully While time of truce endur'd was out-run And that their bloudy warre againe begun Which many on each side most dearely bought Whereof to write at large is my pretence And shew how they together fiercely sought Each th' other to destroy in their defence And still continued in their deadly hate The which they held between the without date Vnto the great destruction and decay Of many valiant knights while it did last For as they were accustomed next day Ensuing after that the truce was past In warlike wise well arm'd with speare shield They entered againe into the field Where with their banners wavering in great pride And drums and trumpets sounding fearefully They met together brauely on each side And at the first encounter valiantly Deiphobus like a Lyon furious Met with a Grecian King cald Creseus And with his strong puissant speare in rest Ran at him with so great and mighty force That he did pierce him deepe into the brest Wherewith starke dead he fell off from his horse Whose death so much the Greeks did terrifie That sore amaz'd they did begin to flie Vnto their tents as fast as ere they could To saue themselues with mighty feare and dread The which when as the Troyans did behold They chased them till that King Diomede And with him also King Palamodes With most despightfull hearts and merciles With twenty thousand knights accompanied Vpon the Troyans sodainly did set And where the Grecians then before them fled They did so fiercely kill cast downe and beat The Troyans that their furious 〈◊〉 vs to shun Then made them fore the Greeks as fast to run And at that time came Thelamon Aiax in Conducting of another Grecian band At whose approach such slaughter did begin On Troyans side by his victorious hand That many of them then were fiercely kild And all the plaine with Troyans blood was fild And as he thus in furious wise did set On them and like a Lyon fierce for pray Did range about the field by chance he met The worthy knight Sicilian in his way A bastard Son of 〈◊〉 whome he Assailed with such extreame crueltie That with his sword he cut his arme in twaine And he therewith fell dead within the field Whome when Deiphobus saw so fiercely slaine By Thelamon and his dead corps beheld With speare in hand he smote so great a stroke At Thelmon that his Launce on him he broke And yet did hit him with so great a might That with the trunchion which did whole remaine He did him cleane out of his sadle smight And laid him all along vpon the plaine Which stroke when King Pallamides beheld And saw how he vnto the ground was feld He was therewith so vexed at the heart That to revenge King Thelamon he sware On Deiphobus and ere he thence did part With mighty speare which in his hand he bare He ran and smote Deiphobus such a stroke That therewithall he pierst his brest broke The speare within the same and therein left The trunchion and the head still sticking fast Wherewith he was of vitall breath bereft But ere the same out of his body past Which long within his breast could not abide It was his brother Paris chance to ride That way where he lay in a manner dead Whome when he did behold in such a case He was therewith so much astonished That he did looke with pale and deadly face And for him grieu'd and wept most bitterly And bad his knights conuay him speedily Out of the field and prease wherein he lay Aside into a place to take the aire Who presently did beare him thence away Vpon a shield with easie pace and faire And with great griefe sorrow laid him downe Hard by the wall close vnderneath the towne Where when he had a little while still laine With heauie cheare he lifted vp his eies And being in extreamity of paine Vnto his brother Paris softlie cries And said good brother let me one thing craue Of thee that thou wilt pittie on me haue And kindly and for lone and brother hood Remember what to thee I now shall say Sith that thou canst do mono other good Because I must depart from thee away Thou seest what woefull case I here lie in For Atropos will now no longer spin My thread of life nor favor to me shoe Good brother let me craue so much of thee Before that I out of the world hence goe That by thy meanes I may revenged bee Of him that hath bereau'd me of my breath And in this sort hath giuen me my death That I may be assur'd before I die That he is slaine and first gone downe to hell And in that soule inâ—ernall lake doth lie With Pâ—â—â—to there eternally to dwell Amongst the damned soules in griefe woe The which wheÌ„ my poore dying hart shal knoâ— I shall depart contentedlie and glad Out of this world and will esteem 't a blisse To me that he his death before me had And that with me thereof he did not misse Wherein I pray thee do me not denie And then pull out this speare and let me die Which his desire t' accomplish Paris went With speed into the field in mightie griefe Sore weeping to revenge with full intent His brother who meane time without reliefe Lay languishing and drawing on to death Expecting everie hower to yeeld his breath And seeking vp and downe he came whereas Pallamides was fighting hand to hand With Sarpedon a valiant King that was Come vnto Troy to Priam with a band Of valiant Knights to aid him gainst his foes And while that they together fiercely close And each the other furiously did smight For Sarpedon was valorous and strong And shewd himselfe to be a puissant knight Pallamides when they had â—ought so long That both of them were wearie puissantly Stroke Sarpedon a blow vpon the thigh And cut it cleane a sunder wherewithall King Sarpedon not able to endure Vpon his horse dead on the ground did fall Whose death vnto the Troyans did procure Such feare that they were forced to retire For that with heart repleat with wrath me Pallamides slew them so furiously That they durst not abide before his face Whose cruelty when Paris did espie And thought vpon his brothers woefull case He bent his bow that
â—iluar gold all their goods and then With mighty rage extreame violence They sackt spoyld without all reuerence The Temples of the Gods throughout the towne And in despight of them with courage bold Did fiercely rent and furiously pull downe Their ornaments of siluer and of gold In presence of the Gods that then were there While Priamus with sad heauy cheare Before Apollo kneeld and to him praid Devoutly to relieue him but in vaine For at that time there was no hope of aid That he by any meanes could then obtaine But onely there with patience to attend By cruell death his woefull life to end Whereof without all doubt he was most sure Ere long time past by Grecians hand to haue And Cassandra that holy creature Her selfe likewise in that distresse to saue Vnto Mineruaes Temple did repaire Accompanied with many a Lady faire And other Gentle-women of the towne Who there with sobs most bitterly did crie And made their woefull lamentation Attending euery hower when they should die Wherein I le let them with the goddesse dwell For if that I their sorrowes all should tell And show how they in euery lane and street Lay groueling on their Lords and husbands deare And suckt their wounds all their cloths did wet And staind and di'd them with the blood that there Out of their bodies ran that wofully Beheld them with a pale and deadly eye It would be ouer long for me to write And tedious likewise for you to heare But to proceed when they had all that night Nere ceast to kill and ransacke euery where The people and the towne and spard not one Next day in heaps they went to Ilion King Priamus most faire and Princely hall Wherein they found not one to make defence Against them nor to keepe the same for all The people in great feare were fled from thence To saue their liues and left it desolate Where all the gold and riches of the state Enclosed lay within the treasory The lockes whereof they brake and bare away The treasure therein found and cruelly Did fier the howse for no man durst say nay Nor let them to pursue their enterprise Then Pyrrhus in most fierce and furious wise Went to Divine Apolloes Temple where Before the Altar with great cruelty While Priamus deuoutly praied there In humble wise t' Apollo on his knee With fury great not speaking any word Into the body ran him with his sword And gaue him such a deepe and deadly wound That presently he fell vpon his face And pitifully died on the ground And with his blood defild the holy place Aeneas and Anthenor standing by As witnesses of his great cruelty Whose death when as Queene Hecuba perceiud And on the ground there lying did behold His bleeding corse she seemed cleane bereaud Of sences and in wofull wise did fold And wring her hands and pitiously did crie And in great feare out of the Church did flie With Pollicene her daughter who together Were present when King Priamus was slaine To saue their liues and yet they knew not whether To go noâ— run for no man durst maintaine Their quarrell nor no comfort then was left For them that of the same were cleane bereft For all the towne in euery place was fild With Greeks that throgh twith glistring swords did run And euery where the Troians fiercely kild That had no meanes their cruelty to shun And as she ran in that sort through the streete It was her chance Aeneas there to meet Whom when she saw her flesh began to shake And tremble with the griefe she had in mind And therewithall in fury great she spake And sayd to him oh Traitor most vnkind Oh serpent false oh Adder enuious Oh villaine vile and most malicious Thou that art causer by thy wickednes Of all our woes and through thy trechery Hast brought vs now into so great distresse That plunged in the vale of misery We run from place to place distrest in mind And can no ease at all nor comfort find How couldest thou in heart be so vnkind Vnto thy Lord and King as traiterously To stand by with a fierce and cruell mind And see him slaine by Pirrhus cruelly Within the Temple where he shead his blood Who while he liu'd was vnto thee so good And gratious Lord that neuer any man Felt more of his great liberalitie Nor was more lou'd as all men witnes can Then thou by him which thou maist not deny Who now lies dead within that holy place Thou wast not only traitor in that case But didst conspire his death for thou didst bring Fierce Pirrhus to Apolloes Temple where Thou knewest well that he should find the King Of purpose set that he might kill him there Where as thou shouldst as dutie doth thee bind Haue saud his life if thou hadst been so kind But thou not only hast that mischiefe don But didst betray this towne where thou wast bred And fostred with more reputation Then any man saue he that was the head And King thereof which now forgotten is By thee wherein though thou hast done amisse Yet if within thy stony heart there be One drop of pittie or compassion Let me request this favor now of thee That in this time of desolation Thou wilt my daughter Pollicene relieue And vnto her some ayd and succour giue If thou dost any one respect at all Of Priams race as sure thou canst not choose That she by thy protection may not fall Into the Grecians hands her life to loose That when men shall this woefull story read And find therein this fowle treacherous deed By thee so falsely done and brought to pas Against this towne it may the rigor stay Of those that will judge and condemne thee as A Traytor vile and giue them cause to say That though thou didst this great wicked thing Yet at the last thou shewdst thy selfe bening And gratious vnto Pollicene whereby Some little satisfaction thou shalt make In recompence of thy great treachery To vs and giue her cause thy part to take When men of thee to her shall justly say And call thee Traytor false another day If thou wilt now vouchsafe her life to saue But as for me do what thou wilt all 's one I neither do nor will thy fauor craue For sith my Lord King Priams dead gone I care not though that thou some Grecians bidst Do vnto me as vnto him thou didst This motion made by Hecuba the Queene Though sharp it were did moue Aeneus so That pittying faire Lady Pollicene He caused her forthwith with him to go And shut her in a chamber secretly From sight and knowledge of the enemy Least they thereby should find occasion To picke some quarrell with him for her sake And at that time likewise King Thelamon Of pity did in his protection take The wife of Hector cald Andromacha And Priams daughter Lady Cassandra And vnto them his Princely promise gaue
thou thy malice to vnfold The ashes of discord againe to sift And causing a new debate to rise of old And halfe forgotten enuie But thy drift Is onely to procure the woe and fine Of those that to thy nature doe incline Why hast thou wak't King Priam from his rest And with thy poyson fowle incenst his braine That he in mind and heart should so detest A quiet life and through perswasions vaine Procured him to seeke revenge in hast Vpon the Greekes for harmes so long forepast For where as he in peace did rule and raigne With honour great and no man him annoyd The Serpent Enuie entring in his braine By no meanes would from thence againe avoyd But with such deepe impression there did rest And did so much inflame his furious brest With his inveterate malice new reviu'd That by no meanes he could the same forget Whereby for ever after while he liu'd He brought on him and his such trouble great That wheretofore h'enioy'd a happy life His blisse was turn'd to bloody warre and strife For Priam in his riches glorying Wherein as then he tooke no small delight Imagining his state so flourishing His Towne of so great puissance and might His war-like Knights so many and so strong That no man could noâ— durst him offer wrong Was so possest with Enuie and with Pride That hap what would he had in heart forecast To take no rest vntill that he had tride How he might be reuengd for wrongs forepast Which to effect with full intent and mind He did a time and fit occasion find To summon all his Lords and Knights each one To make repaire all scuses set aside Vpon a day perfixt at Ilion Which his command not any one denide But there with speed did presently appeare Where all his sonnes likewise assembled were But Hector Who from Troy as then was gon Into the Province of Panomie Which Priam held in his subiection A new rebellion there to pacifie The which not long before was rais'd among The Countrey people there for certaine wrong But Hector well advis'd and patient Loth to reuenge where mercie might take place With curtesie so wanne them to content That he appeased them and offring grace And pardon vnto all that did repent Each one with satisfaction home he sent Such was the great and noble princely mind Of that most braue renown'd and valiant Knight Alwaies vnto his subiects iust and kind And rather did in mercie more delight Then vse the force and rigor of the law When as in them no great offence he saw Meane while the King that held an open court With entertainment great and Princely cheare Did wellcome all that thither did resort Which being done and they assembled were In open hall he did with courage bold And words most graue his mind began t' vnfold And sayd my Lords assembled heere as now Whose loyalty I haue no cause to doubt I am assurd not any one of you But well doth know what vnto vs fell out When as the Grecians causeles did inuade Our Towne and what a spoile therof they made And how with extreame barbrous crueltie They murthered our Subiects every one The memory whereof cannot but lie As fresh within your thoughts as it were done But th' other day for 't may not out your mind If to your Countrey you be kind For sure in my oppinion I suppose Nought can you moue vnto forgetfulnesse Of harmes forepast by your most deadly foes Nor can you be without great heavines To thinke thereon for I must plainely tell Out of my heart I can it not expell For yet me thinks I see it with mine eie So fresh it is and yet doth still remaine within my brest and ever there shall lie The which I hope you likewise doe retaine To thinke how they haue slaine our Ancestors If while they liu'd were valiant warriors Our Cittie burnt and brought vnto decay And left it wast like to a wildernes And borne and taken forcibly away All that they found our goods and our riches And slayne my Father King Laomedon Without all cause or just occasion Amends whereof we lawfully may craue And both with reason and with conscience Which all the Gods I trust will let vs haue Sith that by vs was offered none offence But mongst all their so extreame crueltie One thing there is which chiefly grieueth me When as I call to mind their villany In offering such wrong to Exion With whom as with his concubine doth lie The proud and hautie Grecian Telamon Abusing her with great dishonestie Not caring for her state nor high degree Nor if she was the daughter of a King Which vnto me can be no little scorne But they as seemes respect not any thing Iudge then if she that is so highly borne Be vsed so with what extreamitie Poore wiues and mayds of them abus'd shall be With others of your friends and your alies Within their hands as captiues then did fall Assure your selues what wrongs they can devise To doe to them to vex you therewithall They will not spate to vse them in their lust For in the Greekes there is no truth nor trust For neither bewtie age ne high estate Doe they respect but all like slaues doe liue So that in heart I cannot chuse but hate Their cursed race and you likewise must grieue As well as I for you as well as me It doth concerne Therefore reueng'd to be Should be your care and bend your onely thought To find the meanes your wrongs for to redresse For long ere now the same we should haue sought And haue relieu'd our friends from their distresse Let vs therefore joyne all with one consent And in our hearts jmprint a firme jntent Of all their malice rapes and crueltie To be reuenged for if that we vnite Our minds in one it cannot chuse but be A doubling of our strength and we shall fight With courage bold for vengeance doth belong As reason is to him that offereth worng And though till now wee haue deferred it Yet doubt I not but wee a time shall find To yeeld to them such measure as they mete And vse both them and their in selfe same kind And all the Gods I hope will vs assist In our just cause and the in wrong resist You know our Towne is strong and walld about With high and mightie Towers for the warre The like whereof in all the world throughout Is not to find that with it may compare So that we may be well assur'd therein That th' enemy by force shall never win Of men and valiant Knights we haue no want For all you know what number we can make Our store of victualls also is not scant And whensoeuer we shall vndertake To enter warre we need not be afraid But we shall likewise find some forren aid To help vs to revenge our open wrong Wherefore I thinke that now the time is fit Sith that we know our selues to be so
Who was a Smith by his profession That forg'd the thunder-bolts which vse to fall With huge and fearefull noyse downe from the skie And furiously from East to West doe flie This Uulcan married Venus that so rare Of beauty was and held her for his wife Long time to whom a iealous mind he bare So that twixt them there arose a mortall strife And for that cause he watched her so nie That at the last he found her secretly With Mars the God of warre her valiant Knight Layd closely dallying with her in a bed Whereat he did conceiue so great despight That to her shame her falult abroad he spread And therein did the Goddesse much abuse But God forbid that men should seeke t' accuse Poore women for a matter that 's so small For if they do such things of gentlenes They are therein for to be borne withall And let no man esteeme of them the lesse Least he in th' end to them grow odious As smotery Vulcan was for doing thus And yet mongst Paynims he was Deified But for that he so churlishly did let Their pleasant sport when as he them espied Therefore I haue him last in order set Among the Gods that honoured were as then Of jgnorant and supersticious men And thus this fowle Idolatrie began As you heaue hard through false opinions And was continued long on earth by man Still erring in his fond affection Which is most false as scriptures plain do show And such as learned are full well do know For by the rule of holy writ we learne How to despise those false opinions And all such superstitious to discerne Which are the Diuels meere jnventions And not long after that the world began By him put in the head of wicked man For when the Angels first created were He that of them was highest in degree Of whom the Prophet Esay witnes bare And saith such was his supreame dignitie That all the great and goodly Ceders greene In Paradise so faire were neuer seene Nor any Phirre nor Palme-tree could attaine Vnto his hight no more could any tree What ere it was that stood within the plaine Of Paradise to him compared bee For beauty and for comely feature For he surpast each other creature When by his pride and great presumption He sayd he would be like to God on hie And in the North place his dominion He was cast downe from heauen suddenly And vnto his most great and fowle despight Bereaued cleane of Gods most glorious â—ight And so confind into the pit of Hell With horror and with great confusion For ever there perpetually to dwell Of whom t' was said when he froÌ„ heaven was thrown How didst thou fall oh morning starre so bright From moÌ„gst the radiaÌ„t stones that cast such light Whom men for brightnes Lucifer did call And Christ himselfe doth say and witnes beare That he from heauen saw fowle Sathan fall Like to the fiery streames of lightning cleare Whom Iewes cald Bemoth which doth signifie A cursed beast and full of crueltie And is the serpent cal'd Leviathan Whereof most learned Isodore doth wright That is so great an enemy to man And taketh all his pleasure and delight To haunt the Seas and waters troubled Of whom King David to vs Prophesied In his divine and most spirituall song Wherein he doth set forth to vs that beast The fiery and most furious Dragon strong That hath his habitation and doth rest Within the Seas mongst Snakes and Adders vile Devising how he may man-kind beguile The which a Monke cald Brâ—ndon once did see In vision when vpon the Seas he was Into a fearefull pit cast downe to bee And there was bound his cursed daies to passe Vntill the last and great a generall doome When Christ with power to judge the world should come This cursed serpent he that did devise As in the holy scriptures we doe find To come to Adam when in Paradise He was and cause he hated all man-kind When as occasion fit he did espie Deceaued him by diuelish polecie And that he might the better worke the same He tooke on him the shape of serpent slie With maidens face and in that manner came To Eâ—a and with great subtility And face full smooth himselfe to her did goe And of her did desire the cause to know Why God did them forbid to touch and eat The fruit that on the tree of Life did grow Of which he said the vertue was so great That it would make them good and evill know And be as Gods and so to her did giue Two Apples which she tooke and did belieue What he had said of which when she had fed And vnto Adam given thereof to proue As he alleadg'd their eies were opened And for their guilt God did them straight remoue And from terrestriall Paradise did throw Commanding them the earth to till and sow With sweat of browes their living there to get And thus this most accursed fiend of hell His mind vpon all wickednesse did set And into such a rage gainst mankind fell That taking face of woman for a while By his false tongue he did them so beguile And vs'd that filthy beast to worke his will And spake in her and often doth the like Iâ— them that are possest with spirits ill And forceth them to fall in such dislike Of God and all his workes that furiously They curse and blaspheme God most horribly This wicked serpent cal'd Leuiathan Continuing in his purpose as we find T' effect his cursed will gainst silly man Devis'd to speake in Idols dumbe and blind And caused man on them to cry and call And them t' adore with worship spirituall As they did vse in Delos to implore Apollos aid But Dauid doth declare That we should all such jmages abhorre And that the workes of mans own hands they are This shall suffice to shew how where whan The worshipping of jdols first began And I suppose that Guido ment hereby To shew the same as thinking t' was not knowne Vnto the world and for to certefie How at the last it was cleane overthrowne As also that such as vnlearned bee Thesequell of the same might plainely see And now I will proceed and briefly show That when Achilles and Patroclus were Arriu'd in Delos Isle they straight did goe Vnto Appollos Temple there to heare What answere he would giue them in that câ—â—â— So doubtfull where they stayd a little space Before they did begin to sacrifice Consulting with the priests what course to take And after mature counsell and advise From them receau'd they did their prayers make And certaine rich oblations did present Wherin when they much time long had spent Devoutly fore the Altar at the last Appollo did his eares to them decline And after certaine daies were overpast Made answere vnto them with vowe divine And said Achilles thou that now art sent To me by all the Grecians full consent Returne in hast againe and to them
To keepe them from the Grecians cruelty And Menalus Queene Helena did saue As she for whom with such hostilitie He had been cause to moue that bloody warre And for whom long in heart he had such care The Greeks the while with hot and ragingire Neare ceast to breake and furiously pull downe The walles to consume and burne with fire The howses rich buildings in the towne So that therein they left nothing vpright Nor vndefac'd but with most great despight Destroyed all without exception Of any place or person whatsoere Vnlesse t were those which by condition They had before protested to forbeare And did belong and appertaine vnto Aeneas and all those that did vnto The treason by them practised consent And from their fury great would not forbeare That day till King Agamemnon had sent For all the Grecian Princes that were there To meet in Pallas Temple Vnto whome When they therein were altogether come He asked them if they would constantly Obserue their faith and promise made to those By whom they had obtaind that victory Which they so long had sought against their foes And what they would with all the treasure do Which they within the towne had won Wherto They answered that for their promise made And truely sworne vnto by them they would In each respect obserue it well and sayd That all the gould and treasure gotten should By iust diuision be distributed To euery man as he had merited Of what degree estate or dignity Soere he was and that it should be done By him without all partialitie So that mong them there might not any one Haue cause to be offended nor to blame Him for the true division of the same Which done while they within the Temple staid Some speech about Queene Helena did rise Whereto when some had answere made and sayd Their minds therein as they could best aduise King Thelaphus with great seuerity Sayd that she well deserued had to die For whom so many men their liues had lost And vrged that she might haue iudgement giuen That as they dyed for her it should her cost Her life likewise that day ere it was euen Which many more of them agreed vnto And cause for her there was so much adâ— Agamemnon and Menalus sat still And durst not speake one word to saue her life Least that the Greeks in â—ury should her kill There was mong them as then so great a strife Till that Ulisses with much Eloquence And good perswasions made in her defence Did satisfie them all so well in th' end That they contented were that she should liue And ceasing more about her to contend To Mâ—nalus they did her freely giue And when their Generall Agamemnon Perceiued that they were agreed theron He made request to them that they would giue Cassandra vnto him for recompence Of all his paines and sayd while she did liue He would her keepe and when they went froÌ„ theÌ„ce Take her with him and they contented were It should be so And then before them there Aeneas and Aâ—â—henor to them told And iustified it vpon their oath That Helenus King Priams Son nere would Agree vnto the war but still was loath That Priamus his Father and the rest Should take the same in hand and did his best To let it by his counsell and aduise And how that by the mediation Of him and of Cassandera the wise Whose hearts were moued with compassion Achilles murthered body was not made A prey for hounds as Hecuba had said That it should be and further that they were Much grieued for the murther and likewise For many other matters that were there Don in the towne contrary to thâ—aduise Which they from time to time had giuen to those That of the war had order to dispose To whom because that they were innocent Of all the wrongs that to the Greeks were don They graunted with one voice and full consent That they should haue a full remission And pardon of their liues Then Helenâ—â— With humble voyce and visage piteous Fell on his knees with great submission And thanking them for pardon to him giuen Submissiuely besought Agamemnon With many salt and brinish teares that euen As he had freely pardoned his offence For which he could make him no recompence He would be pleasd to haue compassion Vpon the silly blood of children And with a gratious eye to looke vpon The sons of valiant Hector who as then Nere had don wrong to him nor any other And that he would vouchsafe theÌ„ with their mother His widow left all comfortles alone A pardon of their liues and liberty To whom the King mou'd with compassion At his request did graunt securitie Of life and lim and licence free to go Whereas they list the like he did vnto The rest of all the women then in Troy That in the Grecian furie were not slaine And gaue to them free liberty t' enioy Their dwellings there or else-where to remaine Within the land for which most humbly They gaue him thanks with many aioyfull crie Which done the King with all the Grecians went Out of the Church and presently agreed To leaue the towne and to that end they sent Their treasure and their men aboord with speed Intending to returne to Greece againe But such a sodaine storme of wind raine With great and hideous tempests did arise Vpon the surging seas and such fowle weather Of thunder and of lightning in the skies Continued for one whole moneths space together That none of them durst with their ships aducÌ„ture That dangerous time into the seas to enter But were constraind vpon the land to tarry Till beâ—â—er wind and weather did ensue And finding it still more and more contrary They asked Calchas counsell if he knew What those great stormes tempests signified That them so long of passage had denied Who told them that those stormes tempests fell By prouidence Diuine that had provokt The vgly fowle and furious fiends of Hell To moue the same and could not be reuok't Nor yet would cease till they were punished By death that had Achilles murthered And that their God Apollo angry was Because thereby his Temple they did staine With blood and that therefore they should not paâ— Till they had pleased him with blood againe Which must be done by offering Pollicene Who by her extreame beauty cause had beene And th' obiect of that cruell murther don Vpon Achilles body to apease And giue Apollo satisfaction The which he sayd if they would haue the seas Propice they must needs do ere they went thencee To take away all causes of offence This answere made fierce Pyrrhus sought about In euery place for Pollicene but could By no meanes heare of her nor find her out Till some man at the last vnto him told That she was closely kept and hidden by Aeneas and Anthenor priuely Whereby so great a rumor suddenly Arose gainst them that by that meanes they were In danger
may be â—eard And that you with reason iudge and be Vnpartiall in this case twixt him and me And first consider well and way withall That while you here so long in siedge did tarry I onely out of Messa brought you all Prouision that for you was necessary That you no want of victuals might sustaine By any meanes while you did here remaine And further as concerning feats of armes Performed in the field in Knightly wise I euer ready was at all alarmes And daylie fought against our enemies And as I am assurd full well kild more Of them then those that greater countnance bore You also know that I slew Philomen To whom King Priam sent his youngest Son To keepe with store of treasure great and when I had him slaine and all that riches won I brought it vnto you and therewith did Relieue you much and did supplie your need And sor your sakes I slew the Frizian King And store of gold and treasure from him won And all those spoiles vnto the Campe did bring You likewise further know what I haue don T' augment and to aduance your soueraignty By conquering two kingdomes valianly While you in siedge here lay and did them ad Vnto your puissant Empire and likewise The prouinces to Troy annexed made All Subiect vnto you What otherwise I with Achilles did t' increase your fame I know that you cannot forget the same And therefore needles t were for me to say Or shew you all I could produce to proue My merits more then his do euery way Deserue a greater recompence and loue Of you And therefore whatsoere he saith No right vnto Palladion he hath The iudgement in this case I do referre Vnto you all the which that you may know The better how to giue you first shall heare His qualities which I will to you show In him there is no manner worthines Knight-hood valor nor yet hardines For when time serues that he should in a need Shew forth his might he dates not enterprize That which he boasts but proues as he 's indeed A coward right as plainely with your ciâ—s You see ther 's iâ— him nought but craâ—tines Words many falsehood decâ—â—â—fulnes For he is still in heart imagining How to effect by craft and subtilty His purpose and the same to passe to bring T' intrap and to deceaue his enemy For never any thing as yet there was By him archieu'd nor fully brought to passe For which he well deserued praise or laud But it was done it's knowne vnto you all By some devise of treachery or fraud For like vnto a goodly painted wall He makes a faire and pleasing outward show But no man can his inward meaning know And by such sleights deceit and pollicy He got the Image cald Palladion And thereby to our shame and villany It may be said the conquest we haue woone Vpon the towne by treason gotten was And not by our great knighthood brought to passe The onely cause whereof as I haue said Ulisses is for he vnto our shame This stumbling blocke hath in our honor laid And thereby much ecclipsed all our fame The truth thereof sith all of you do know I le leaue for this time more of him to show And of you all my Lords together craue You iudgements which of vs deserveth best For his deserts the jmage faire to haue That for the same we may no more contest Which words thus vsed by King Thelaphus Ulisses having heard with mind suspicious And seeing how with envie great he was Incenst and mou'd gainst him with good advise He bare with him a while and let ore-passe His choller and as he was passing wise Determing no iest thereof to make To answere him on this wise to him spake And said with countance bold before his face My Lords if that I may haue leaue to speake I hope before we part out of this place And yet intend no peace thereby to breake To proue directly that with equitie The jmage onely doth belong to me Which I will keepe and hold while I do liue Despight of all that thereto dare say nay And first for proofe this instance I do giue That at the siege wherein so long we lay In double wise I did my selfe acquit As well by valor great as by my wit For by advise I was the onely man T' intrap them in a snare and for your good Devis'd the meanes and way whereby we wan The towne of Troy which otherwise had stood And flourisht to this day and truth to tell As it is not vnknowne to all full well If you will speake vprightly and with reason I dare avouch though Thelaphus saith no I was chiefe cause of their confusion How often of Embassage did I go To make the treatie with them in such wise As I for our advantage could devise And when I saw that all that we had done Was but in vaine the towne of Troy to win And that for vs advantage there was none While that the holy Image was therein By my advise so subtillie I wrought That I to you Mineruaes Image brought Which Thelaphus maliciously doth say That to your great dishonour and your shame By treacherie I brought it thence away And thereby much imblemished your fame But sith you are so wise I pray you take The quarrell now in hand and thereof make An end betweene vs twaine and so prouide That th'jmage at this time may iudged be All fauour whatsoever laid aside To him that it deserues and as for me I le stand to your award Which having said He paused and from speaking further staid Whereat with courage great King Thelaphus In heart and mind exceeding lie much mou'd Respecting no man there in furious And raging wise despightfullie reprou'd And chafed at Vlisses with disdaine And he at him replide with like againe Whereby they two great enemies became And into hard and bitter tearmes did fall And threatning each the other for the same King Thelaphus in presence of them all Said that before they two did end that strife It should vnto Vlisses cost his life By his hands if he did not well defend Himselfe Which when the Grecian Princes heard The quarrell grown between them two to end The matter was by all of them deferd And wholly put to th'arbitration Of Menalus and King Agamemnon Which afterward did breed a mortall iarre For when they two considered had thereon They iudged cause Ulisses t'whom they bare Affection great the jmage faire had woon He should possesse the same as his reward And Thelaphus from claime thereof debard The reason that made them therein preferre Ulisses and King Thelaphus to thwart Was for because they both beholding were To him for that he friendly tooke their part When as the Greeks bout Helen were at strife To haue her kild and he to saue her life Perswaded them so well that they content To let her liue to Menalus her gaue When Thelaphus with furie gainst her
and also to implore Their aid therein and when he kneeld before The Altar he by Oracle was told And bidden that without compassion Shewn to his mother Clytemnestra he should Revenge the death of King Agamemnon His father vpon her that was the cause That he was slaine against all humane lawes And that he should no mercy to her show But to fulfill the Gods degree and hest He willed was her body all to hew In peeces small which done he should not rest Till he had slaine Egistus in likewise For iust reward of their great cruelties Enioyning him not to be negligent In any wise but carefully t' effect And execute the Gods commandement On paine if that he did the same reiect Of that which might vnto himselfe ensue Which Oracle which as Horestes knew He entred straight into his natiue soyle Where when he came all that did him withstand He did in hostile wise destroy and spoile And being in the middest of the land Layd siege vnto Methena towne whereas False Clytemnestra the Queene at that time was But ere Horestus fully thither came To plant the fiege Egistus in great post The day before was gon out of the same Intending to prepare a mighty hoast To set vpon Horestus and constraine Him to breake vp his siege but all in vaine For while Horestus still before it lay He ceased not his spies abroad to send To see and to enquire every day Which way he went and what he did intend Or meant to do and purposely did set Some bands of Knights his passages to let Appointing others speedily to ride And follow him about in euery place Commanding them t'assaile him on each side And euer more to keepe him still in chase While he the towne so hotly did assaile That it could not against his force prevaile So that at last he tooke it by assault And entring thereinto at euening late He found the Queene Clemnestra in a vaut Whom when he had set watch at every gate He caused to be bound in chaines layd Therein againe where till next day she staid While traitrous King Egistus hast did make Withall the power of men that he could get T' invade with speed and vnawares to take Horestus him of his purpose let And him thereby an ouerthrow to giue And by that meanes Methena to relieue But all that he could doe did nought availe For vnawares Horestus with him met And with such mighty force did him assayle That in short space he did the victory get And having slaine and put his men to flight Himselfe was tane to his great despight In prison cast with hands and feet fast bound Which done Horestus caused every one Wichin the towne that were consenting found Vnto the death of King Agamemnon As also those that armes against him bare To be committed prisoners did spare None whatsoere he was but all receiu'd Due punishment for their reward were Condemnd to die of their liues bereaud Next day when as the Son shin'd bright clreare And first Clemnestra principall head Of all the rest in mighty feare dread Was fore Horestus brought who presently Severely drew his sword therewithall When as he had condemned her to die Did hew cut her into peeces small And caused her in that sort to be borne Out of the towne to be deuourd and torne By Beasts and Birds and haue no buriall And by that meanes gaue her a iust reward Which done he did for false Egistus call Who when he had likewise his sentence hard Which was that he starke naked drawne should be Along the towne and hang'd vpon a tree And not to be cut downe but there to rot To execution went and so you see What guerdon by Gods iudgement murther got And they are so repaid that traitors bee And then the rest that with them did consent To kill the King and to rebell were sent Out of the towne hangd on gibbets hie That all men might example by them take And so Horestus with severitie Reuenged was for Agamemnons sake On them that him so traitrously had slaine And got his lost inheritance againe But when he had thus finished and don That which the Gods commanded had tane Revenge for death of King Agamemnon So traitrously by Queene Clytemnestra slaine King Menalus ariuing with his fleet Of ships that with him came from Troy in Creet And with him brought Queene Helena the faire That had been cause of all the Troian warre The people did in mighty flocks repaire To see and to behold her beauty rare For which so many Princes great were slaine But things once done cannot b'vndon againe Who hearing of his brothers death that In traitrous wise he had been murthered By Clemnestra his wife was grieud thereat But yet with partiality much led Considering on the fact as it behou'd Him to haue done he was in hart â—ore mou'd Against Horestus that so merciles With rigor great and extreame crueltie Had slaine his mother like one pitiles And cleane bereft of all civility For which he swore vou'd if he did liue He would him of his regall Crowne depriue Affirming for his cruelty so great By law of God that he vnworthily Vpon his Fathers Royall throne did sit And therefore straight againe to ship did hie And leauing Creet to Athens sayl'd so fast That he ariud in Nestors land at last And therein was receaud and welcomed As his estate requird but he possest With fury great and by much choller led Would not content himselfe nor be at rest Till he had told to Nestor why he came And of him askt his counsell in the same Desiring him that he a meanes would be By counsell by power if that he might To put Horestus from his dignitie And Regall throne which though it were his right He said that he had lost the same because He had his mother slaine gainst natures lawes And therevpon to Athens both they went And did require the Princes of the land To meet together there in Parlament Where Menalus gaue them to vnderstand What Horestus to Clytemnestra had don And craued all their iudgements therevpon Who being there himselfe and hearing what King Menalus had said and did esâ—ie His meaning and intent was flatly that He would haue him depriued Did replie With courage bold and sayd he had don nought But that which all the Gods decreed and thought Convenient to be done and then did shew How he commanded was by them to go Into Messena land and there to hew His mother all in peeces and to do The same without all ruth or compassion Because she had kild King Agamemnon And that the murther chiefely had been wrought By her alone against all humane lawes And therefore all the Princes there besought With equitie to thinke vpon the cause And not with any malice nor in rage To seeke to take from him his heritage He being Son to King
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF Hector ONE AND THE FIRST OF the most Puissant Valiant and Renowned Monarches of the world called the Nyne worthies Shewing his jnvincible force together with the marvailous and most famous Acts by him atchieved and done in the great long and terrible Siege which the Princes of Greece held about the towne of Troy for the space of Tenne yeares And finally his unfortunate death after hee had fought a Hundred mayne Battailes in open field against the Grecians The which heerein are all at large described Wherein there were slaine on both sides Fourteene Hundred and Sixe Thowsand Fourscore and sixe men Written by Iohn Lidgate Monke of Berry and by him dedicated to the high and mighty Prince Henrie the fift King of England AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Purfoot Anno. Dom. 1614. THE EPISTLE AS IT vvas dedicated vnto the high and mightie Prince HENRY the Fift MOST puissant Prince whose fame is knowne so well And whose renowne so farre abroad doth shine That it is found all others to excell And equall with that of the worthies Nine Borne by discent of right Paternall line To be the heire and thâ—onor to obtaine To weare the Crowne of mighty Kingdomes twaine Who even as farre as Phoebus in the spheare Celestiall doth spread his beames most bright And as Lucina with her face most cleare The world doth compasse round cast her light Art held to be the most renowned knight And worthy for the honor of thy name To sit on high in throane of Lady Fame And â—hold the palme of honor in thy hand In triumph for thy noble victory For which thou feared â—â—â—t by sea and land And ever with perpetuall praise and glory Shalt for thy conquest fresh in memory Sit opposite before her to be seene With wreath about thy head of Lawrell greene In former time for Conquerors ordain'd That constantly persever'd to the end And valiantly warre once begun maintain'd For causes iust and did their right defend And therevnto their forces did only bend Whose fame's still spread was long time agone Among whom thou by right mayst sit for one For through the world it 's known to every one And flying Fame reports it farre and wide That thou by naturall condition In things begun wi lt constantly abide And for the time dost wholly set aside All rest and never carst what thou dost spend Till thou hast brought thy purpose to an end And that thou art most circumspect and wise And dost effect all things with providence As Iosua did by counsell and advise Against whose sword ther 's none can make defeÌ„ce And wisedome hast by heavenly influence With Salomon to iudge and to discerne Mens causes and thy people to governe For mercy mixt with thy magnificence Doth make thee pitty all that are opprest And to withstand the force and violence Of those that right and equity detest With Dauid thou to piety art prest And like to Iulius Caesar valorous That in his time was most victorious And in one hand like worthy Prince dost hold Thy sword to see that of thy subiects none Against thee should presume with courage bold And pride of heart to raise rebellion Thereby to shake off thy subiection And in the other Scepter to maintaine True iustice while amoÌ„gst vs thou dost raigne Then sith thou art adorn'd with Maiestie Grace wisedome pitie and benignitie With humble heart I craue submissiuelie That thou wilt not disdaine but pleased be T' accept this Booke though rudely done by me Thereby thy great and Princely mind t' expresse By taking pitie of my simplenesse And in thy high and magnanimious hart With naturall jngrafted Sapience Remember Christ accepted in good part The wido wes almes of two poore single pence When she without expecting recompence Gaue to the poore with willing heart and glad That little gift being all that ere she had Let this if that it may thee not offend Example be vnto thy Noblenesse And of thy great benignitie extend Thy favor vnto me with gentlenesse Not to disdaine me for my barrennesse Of wit and though I haue no skill in muse Let my good will and meaning me excuse More then good heart none can whatsoere he bee Present or giue to God nor vnto man Which for my part I wholy giue to thee And ever shall as farre foorth as I can Wherewith I will as I at first began Continually not ceasing night and day With sincere mind for thine estate thus pray First that thou maist Gods mercy so procure Vnto thy selfe that he may still advance Thine honor and that thou maist here endure Thy raigne ore vs with long continuance And all thy Subiects true obeysance And that he will vouchsafe to giue to thee All vertues whatsoere may reckned bee Lenvoy GO forth my Booke vaild with the Princely Grace Of him that is extold for excellence Throughout the world but do not shew thy face Without support of his magnificence And whosoere against thee takes offence Be thou not stubborne with presumption But see thou arme thy selfe with patience And gently yeeld to their correction The Translator to his Booke ANd sith thou art not limb'd with trees not flowers Of Eloquence but clad in white and blacke Thou must prepare thy selfe t' abide the showers Of them that of dislike occasion take And when thou likeliest art to go to wracke Seeme not gainst them thine error to defend But rather yeeld a little and giue backe And pray them that they will thy faults amend THE PREFACE TO The READER MY Muses subiect tending to intreate Of ancient warres and acts of Chivalrie Whereby renowned Knights much honour get And with Eternall parises deifie Their names and fames is forced to require Thee mighty Mars with Art him to inspire Whose fiery nature bent to wrath and thrall As being of complexion hot and drie Melancholicke and furious withall For in thy bowels chollor hid doth lie Doth rightly cause all Poets sound thy fame And thee the God of warres in stories name Sith then thou art of warlike influence And that my stile of battailes must indite Assist me with some Marshall Eloquence That I may frame my hand and pen aright With words of Art and arteficiall phrase Of valiant Knights to sing th' eternall praise And if at my request thou dainst to list Or graunt the thing which I of thee do craue Yet for her sake that lovingly thee kist Blacke Vulcans wife and further fauour gaue Vouchsafe thy ayd my verse so to infuse That I therein fit tearmes and phrase may vse Els truth to say so barren is my wit And void of Aureat liquord Eloquence That I confesse my selfe to be vnfit Or able to accomplish my pretence Helpe then God Mars for faire Bellonaes sake And of my worke vouchsafe protection take And thou sweet Clio with thy sisters deare Whose chiefe aboad is on Pernassus hill By Helicon the fountaine faire and cleare Lend me thine ayd and giue
That it consum'd the people great and small And left not one but all di'de sodainlie Except the King who desolate alone Went wandring in the woods to make his mone Where for a time he walked to and fro Lamenting sore in mind his dolefull state And to himselfe complaining of his woe Began to curse his hard and cruell fate Till in the wood he chanst to spie a tree For height and thicknesse huge of quantity Which at the foot a hole had in the ground From whence of Ants great quantitie did creepe Which when this Prince so desolate had found He felâ— vpon his knees and sore did weepe And Paynim-like his prayer gan to make To moue the Gods some pittie on him take By miracle to shew their power as then In transformation of those Ants so little Into the right and perfect shape of men Therewith againe his Land to fill with people And so his poore distressed case to tender For which he vow'd continuall thanks to render Which his request as Ouid setteth downe With pitty mou'd God Inpiter did heare And by a sodaine transmutation The Ants did cause in forme of men t' appeare Who presently arising on their feet With all speed went their famous Prince to meet Which people by their strength and hardinesse The Storie saith obtained lofty fame And anciently for their great worthines As first I said Myrmidoâ—s had to name Who for their great fore-sight in euery thing The Poet fain'd them from those Ants to spring For as the Ant in Summers heat by care Prouides his food in Winter time to liue This people so their labour did not spare Industriously their bodies to relieâ—e In Peace and Warre prouiding for their need As all men should the better for to speed For if that care and labour we neglect Our food and clothes in time for to prouide We may perchance our follie so derect That men our â—loath will openly deride But to affirme this fable to be true Therein I leaue the iudgement vnto you And of King Peleus further will declare Who as mine Author saith did take to wife One Thetides of shape and beauty rare And liu'd with her a long and happie life From whome descended by paternall right Achilles while he liu'd a valiant Knight For mong the Greeks none might compare with him For valour high renowne and chiualrie He would so boldly venture life and lim Which caus'd the Troians feele his cruelty Before the Towne which if you list to heare Read on this Booke and there it will appeare And though that Peleus did the Scepter hold Yet was his elder Brother liuing still Whose name was Aeson but of yeares so old That vnto loue and lust he had no will And was so feeble and decayd in wit That for to rule the land he was vnfit His memorie as then became so bad And sences all from him were cleane bereft Who when he saw age him depriued had Of meanes to rule the Land the Crowne he left And regall state which he so long had held Vnto his Brother in his stead to weld CHAP. II. ¶ How King Aeson by reason of his age would no longer rule in the Kingdome of Thessalie but caused his Brother Peleus to be crowned in his stead YOu heard that when King Aeson did perceiue His sences eyes and all his strength decay Expecting death would shortly him bereaue Of life and all he did no time delay To cause his Brother Peleus to be crownd As his next Heire then liuing to be found And made him King of Thessalie by name For of his body was no jssue left When he was dead for to enjoy the same And so of Princely power cleane bereft He liu'd a quiet solitarie life In peace and rest cleane voyd of care and strife But as some Authors in their Bookes explaine The Gods such grace to Aeson did jmpart That they restor'd him to his youth againe By false enchantment and by deuilish Art Of charmes devised by Medeas skill That could command foule spirits at her will For shee compos'd a drinke as it was found By magicall confections in such wise That casting it vpon a barren ground Both buds and blossomes presently would rise As fresh and greene as possible might bee Or any man in pleasant spring could see The which for that it semeth strange and rare And truth to say impossible like wise I will it vnto you at large declare And how she did her diuâ—lish charmes devise As Ovid doth set downe the same to vs With in his booke the which he saith was thus Medea who by Art and skill knew well What hearbs would serue t' effect so strange a thing For that she did in Magicke much excéll Desiring it with speed to passe to bring That she might praise obtaine made no delay But presently alone did goe her way Abroad into the fields to seeke for some Such as she lik t whereof when she had sped And with the same into a place did come Which she as then of purpose halowed She made two Altars all of Turâ—e of which One vnto triple Hecate the witch Th' other vnto youth was consecrate And hauing couered them in decent wise With Verviâ— and with shrubs such as she gat There in the fields to offer sacrifice She cut the throats of two black Rammes whose blood Mixt with a bowle of pure white milke and good And with as much sweet hony clarified She put into two pits of purpose made Within the ground and after that she cryed And certaine mumbling prayers softly sayd To Pluto and his Wife the Lords of hell And all the Elfes and Gods on earth that dwell To spare old Aesons life a little space And not in hast his wearied lims depriue Of his most aged soule and t'giue him grace To hold the same That he might longer liue Whom when she had in that sort long besought She wild that Aesons corps shold forth be brought To her Whereas with certaine carmes she said She cast him straight into a slumber deepe And then before the Altar he was layd Vpon the hearbs as dead but yet a sleepe Which done with haire disperst about her head The Altars she devoutly compassed And dipping sticks within the pits of blood She kindled them vpon the Altars twaine Betwixt the which at that same time she stood And then vnto her purpose to attaine She did with Brimstone fire and water pure Thrise purge old Aesons corps that slept full sure Meane time the medecine boyld within a pan Of Brasse which she of purpose had broght thither Which at that time to gather froth began Where roots seeds flowers and leaues she sod together Which for that straÌ„ge confectioÌ„ she thoght best With pretious stones that came out of the East And grauell fine that in the West she had And dew that fell vpon a Monday night With flesh and feathers of a wicked jade A filthy witch that had her sole delight In shape of
the same The messenger thereto did thus reply And sayd though for the King you do not care This privileged you can me not deny In decent tearmes the message to declare Which now to you I bring what ere it bee Good or els bad there is no fault in mee And wheresoere it pleaseth you to stay The choise is in yourselues as being free Yet thus much vnto you I must needs say You haue no cause now to be wroth with me But leaue your threatning while you here remain And doe your worst when as you come againe For wisedome doth require silence now And secresie till that you be at large And then you may your courage boldly show But truth to say it longs not to my charge To stand and striue with you or make debate Yet better t' were betimes then all to late For you to shun the harmes that may befall And at this time I will with you be plaine For my discharge to tell it to you all That pittie t' were that here you should be slaine Or offered any point of villany Sith that no man whatsoeuer can deny But that your good behaviour doth declare And shew you worthie Personages to bee To governe and command in peace and warre And to descend of great and high degree But least with words perchaÌ„ce I might you grieue I le say no more but take of you my leaue The night ore-past at dawning of the day When as the Larke with sweet and pleasant note Doth straine hir brest as much as well she may To greet the streames of Phoebus Chariot As then beginning in the Orient skie To shew themselues with crimson colourd die And faire Aurora with her silver showers The fragrant Roses had begon to wet And all bedew'd the blooming silver flowers As Lillies Cowslippes and sweet Margaret And made them spread their leaues both fresh bright Which had been closed vp by glooming night And hony-Suckles mong the bushes green Perfumed had the aire with pleasant sent Long ere that Titans glistring beames were seene And to our Hemisphere their course had lent To comfort and relieue each living wight Which by his heat receiue their streÌ„gth might Long time I say before the Sun did rise Prince Iason and his fellow Hercules With all the speed they could in hasty-wise Prepard themselues to put vnto the Seas Commanding every man his way to take Abord the ship and all things ready make The Ankor vp with merry heart and glad They hoysed Sayles and straight put from the land For Iason knew the little traine he had Could not suffice the Troians to withstand As being much more weaker to conclude Then Troians were for strength and multitude So that as then warre with them to begin Was not his wisest way to take in hand Nor likely was the victorie to win As having but a small and feeble band For he that hewes aboue his head too hie Perchance a chip may fall into his eie And therefore made great speed to get away And having wind at will did saile so fast That finding no occasion them to stay They did ariue at Colchos safe at last By Fortunes aide although sometime vnstable That did them helpe as much as she was able In Colchos Isle a goodly towne did stand Which for the riches worthines and fame Was principall and chiefe within that land That called was Iaconites by name With streets full large and howses very faire And seated in a good and wholsome aire Round compassed with towred walles about The which did make a stately show to see And strong and deepely ditched all without To make defence against the enemy Wherein King Oeta with his Princely traine As fittest place did specially remaine And at such time as Iason thether went He found him there with many a worthy Knight For whom the King then purposely had sent To shew his great magnificence and might That so his fame reported farre and neare Vnto the Greekes for truth might then appeare About this towne were hilles and mountaines steep And valleies faire and pleasant to the eie With divers Rivers sweet and fresh and deep That every where within the land did lie And many a lake and many a goodly well Commodious for their vse which there did dwell And store of Parkes for beasts both wild and â—ame And wods and medowes fresh and very greene With sundry hearbâ— and flowers in the same Of faire and divers colours there were seene As pleased nature paint and set them out As time of yeare when Summer came about For fishing fowling and for Princely game Of hunting and of hauking in the field No countrey in the world did passe the same Nor yet more store of fish and fowle did yeild And plenty of each other kind of thing As Corne and graine that firtile soyle did bring There likewise did the Birds most sweetly sing In time of yeare with pleasant harmony When trees and bushes gan to bud and spring Procuring with their cheerefull mellody Great joy and comfort to the wounded harts Of lovers that were peirst with cupids darts That certainely when Summer past away And winter cold and chill did end the yeare And that the faire delighfull month of May With Lady Flora did begin t' appeare And deckt the fields with flowers of strange devise That stately land did seeme a Parradise And for all kind of dainty food and fine Dame Ceres that the name had alwaies borne To be the Queene of plenty sent them wine Flesh fish and fowle with every kind of coâ—â—e in so great plenty and exceeding store No Nation in the world could wish for more For what soere Dame Nature could devise Was found therein for nothing there was seant That pleasure might procure to hart or eyes Nor any man therein complaind of want So great increase this little Islâ— did bring Of all and eke of every kind of thing Vnto this Towne Prince Iason straight did goe With Hercules and all their noble traine Who in the way did make a goodly shoe As hand in hand they marcht in rancks of twaine Each one of stature big and very tall Young lustie strong and hady therewithall Their countenances sad and full demure In so good sort and in such comely wise That vnto every man it did procure Such pleasure to behold their greekish guise That all the Towne did run in flocks to see And learne what countrey people they might be That in such manner came into the Towne So vnexspected of the King and Peeres And every one went walking vp and downe To hearken and to tell what newes he heares So rude they were to wonder stare and gase And gape and looke as it were in a maze For such as in great Townes do vse to dwell Are commonly jnquisitiue of newes But of King Oates now I must you tell How kindly he those strangers then did vse And at their first ariuall in the court Receiu'd and welcom'd them
whatsoere betide I haue thee told and openly let know What danger thou art sure thereby t' abide Which if I could I would haue kept thee fro But truth to say I can it not deny To any man that sekes the same to try Then to conclude sith now thou dost perceiue What danger lies herein take heed in time Of her that turnes the wheele least she bereaue Thee of thy life while it is in the prime Doe as thou wilt thou getst no more of mee Of weale or woe the choise consists in thee With that the King did rise out of his seat When time drue neare for dinner to provide Whereto the preparation was so great That care of all things els being set aside Each Officer was busied to see That nothing whatsoere should wanting bee The tables couered stately to behold And Cubbards well and costly garnished With store of plate of silver and of gold Whereof the King was richly furnished And Trumpets sounding every man to call When as the meat was brought into the hall The King set downe with in his Royall seate With Hercules and Iason at his bord Great store of sundrie kinds of dainty meate Were served in as time did then afford That done the Marshall placed all the rest Each one in his degree as he thought best Where every man was entertaind so well That wonder t' was to see their costly fare Which in each thing did there so much excell By reason that the King no cost did spare That all the Court admir'd his noble mind Cause he to strangers shew'd himselfe so kind And more for to delight their minds withall Musitions never ceased still to play On Citern Lute Bandore and Base-Viall Cornet and Flute to passe the time away With pleasant notes and in such stately wise As it had been an earthly Paradize For truth to say such plenty there was found That Oetaes liberalitie was prays'd And so extold in all things to abound That his great fame vnto the skies was rays'd For entertaining strangers in such wise By all the wayes and meanes he could devise To tell each severall kind of meate by name Or halfe thereof in order to descrie Impossible it were to do the same There was so much and great diversitie It shall suffice to say such was the store That wit of man could well devise no more And to be briefe the King did so excell In every point of liberalitie That rightly might be sayd in him did dwell The patterne of true magnanimitie No marvell then as it did well appeare He made the Greekes so great and royall cheare And more for to augment his fame withall He caus'd his onely Daughter to be brought Out of her chamber downe into the hall Whose beautie if the world throghout were sought Could not be matcht so much it did excell That to describ't were hard for me to tell Whose Princely presence wrought no smal delight Within the hearts of all the company When in most stately wise each Grecian Knight She gan salute and no man did deny Hir courteous entertainment to afford As she did passe along from bord to bord And chiefely to behold hir comely face For whitenes like to Alablaster cleare With Roseat cheekes yet mixed with such grace That no accesse of colour did appeare Wherein dame Nature plaid so kind a part That well she proved mistresse of her Art This Princesse cald Medea as we read Was th' only child King Oeta had aliue And rightly in his Kingdome should succeed If she her father chanced to suruiue So ripe of yeares and gallant to behold That nature neuer fram'd a finer mold But notwithstanding this her beauty rare And youthfull yeares sufficient to inspire Her heart with loue yet was her onely care To read and study with no small desire All kind of books that might or could be found Whereby she learn'd of euery Art the ground So perfectly that neuer yet was found A man that did attaine vnto her skill Her learning was so great and so profound For to discusse of euery thing at will And nothing what so e're but she could tell Concerning things in heauen earth and hell No secrets of the earthly globe so round But she could well disclose them at her will The course of Starres and Planets she had found And did attaine vnto so lofty skill That by their motion she could truely show What should befall vpon the earth below She was so learned in Astronomie The Nigromancian Art she knew so well And thereto did her mind so well apply That by her charmes she called out of hell Th' infernall spirits and forst them to obay Her word and will they durst it not denay With words shee vsd to say in sundry wise First casting incense sweet into the fire And doing of some diuelish sacrifice With Goat horns milke bloud her whole desire She could attaine when time conuenient She knew would be to worke Inchantement Such was her skill and eke so well she had The heauenly and celestiall bodies found How to discerne that times both good and bad By them she chose to make and to compound Her drugs wherby she brought to passe her will In euery thing what euer good or ill She could command the winds to storme blow And make the ground to freeze in euery vaine And cause it thunder lighten haile snow And when she list it sodainly should raine And turne the day full cleare to vgly night And then againe cause Sun to shine most bright She could the waters make to rise and rage With huge and lofty billoes to the skye And then againe make calme eke asswage The tempest were it nere so great and hie She could yong trees dry vp both root rind And them reuiue againe in selfe same kind And in the deepest time of Winter cold When buds and blossomes wither and decay And euery thing doth fade and waxeth old She could the earth make greene eke array The fields with flowers of euery seuerall kind And colours as in Summer we them find And when she list she could the Summer cleare Cleane alter and convert to Winter cold And make it looke with darke glooming cheare Strange woonderfull and vgly to behold Old men she could to youth againe restore And make them fresh and lusty as before And yong men that no haire on face could show Soone would she cause appeare both gray and old Such was her skill that bought on earth below But she could change and secrets all vnfold And trees with fruit she would at will make bare Of barke and leafe a secret strange and rare She could the Sun and Moone ' gainst nature stay And cause ecclipses out of time by force For no man that is learned can denay But they are tyed vnto a certaine course As by the Lord ordain'd at first it was The which they may nor can by no means passe For till the Sun with glistering beames
They tooke and bare't into their ships in hast Dispoyling Temples with great violence And to the ground their Pagan Gods did cast For no man durst against them make defence And mercilesse great pittie to behold With bloudy swords they kild both yong old The tender child that mothers brest did sucke Escaped not their extreame cruelty For from the mothers arms they did them plucke And violently caused them to die Their maidens faire they did reserue for prise And with them did their beastly lusts suffice Regarding neither beautie birth nor name And when the houses all destroyed were They raz'd the wals and quite defast the same And Laomedons onlie daughter deare Faire Exion whose beautie did excell To go with them by force they did compell Who by them all was giuen to Telamon For his reward by Hercules his consent Because that he first enterd in the towne Wherewith he seemd to be as well contenâ—â— As if that all the treasure they had got Within the towne had fallen to his lot And yet he did himselfe therein abuse For being home returnd from victory To take her for his wife he did refuse But with her as his concubine did lie Regarding neither state nor high degree Nor her descent from Princely majestie For if he had her tane to be his spouse He could not haue disparag'd his estate Considering that she was of Princely house And royall bloud although vnfortunate Vpon his word and curtesie t'relie That kept her but his lust to satisfie But Telamon therin thou wast to blame To do a Princesse faire so great despight And make her to the world anopen shame When as thou shouldst haue shew'd thy selfe her knight And rather in defence of her to die Then that she should haue suffred villanie For through thy bad and foolish government So hote a sparke of envie did arise In Troyans hearts which to revenge were bent That nothing could to quench the same suffice For envie old once rooted in the heart Doth sieldome or else never thence depart And if it burne within and flames not out Nor maketh shew of fume nor smoke at all The greater cause men haue thereof to doubt And where it lights t' will haue the greater fall Which you within this History may see At large in every point set downe to bee When that the towne was burnt laid full low And all the wals vnto the ground was cast And nothing thereof left to make a show But it was spoyld and vtterly defast The Grecians did no longer time delay Vnto their ships their treasure to convay But being richly laden with great store Of siluer gold and costly jewels rare That not the meanest man of them was poore When wind did serue and weather waxed faire They 〈◊〉 â—iles returne againe to make To Thessaâ—â—â— and with them then did take Faire â—â—on and many a proper maide And saâ—â—ing forth with prosperous wind and good It was not long through gentle Neptunes aide But they 〈◊〉 with glad and merry mood At their dâ—â—sired port where on the sand Great multitudes of people then did stand To welcome them with glad and ioyfull cheare Reioycing at their victory obtain'd With losse of so few men as did appeare And cause they had such store of treasure gain'd Their Country to enrich for evermore They gaue great thanks vnto their Gods therefore Thus happily with triumph and renowne They being home returnd did liue in peace And throughout every City land and towne Their honor and their fame did still encrease So that the compasse of the world throughout Each Nation to offend them stood in doubt And feared them For certaine t is they had A multitude of men within their land And wealth treasure great the which they made When s'ever they tooke any thing in hand As common to them all whereby they were A terror to all Nations farre and nere Till fortune chanst to whirle her wheele about And turnd their peace into such bloudie warre As after in few yeares it did fall out When they and Troyans once againe did jarre Which at this time I meane not to declare Desiring that herein you will mespare And giue me leaue to rest a little while For herewith I do meane to end this Booke And at another time direct my stile To perfect that which first I vndertooke Which in the next t' accomplish I intend If life and leisure God to me will lend Meane time if that by rudenesse I offend The gentle readers pardon I will craue With promise any fault I make t' amend If that the least instruction I may haue And so in hope your favours you 'le extend To me herein my first Booke thus shall end FINIS THE LIFE AND DEATH OF HECTOR THE SECOND BOOKE The Preface CHAP. I. THe envious vaine which fortune flattering Doth vse in this vncertaine state of life Where all things fickle are and wavering Addicted is so much to warre and strife That whatsoever course a man doth run The sparkes thereof by no meanes he can shun For she is still so false and mutable That he which on her wheele doth highest clime And thinketh his estate secure and stable At some vncertaine hower day or time When least he doth suspect a change of state She casts him downe and makes vnfortunate And with a smooth and double flattering face Makes shew of loue when least she is to trust That well were he that had the power and grace To see and find her frauds and wiles vniust And all her engins and her snares well knew Which daily doe encrease and still renew The which in truth full well affirme I can So many and so diuers are of kind That hetherto not any mortall man Could euer them avoid that I can find For though vnequall ballance she doth beare With counterfeit false dissembling cheare And looke most smooth full of flatterie She can man soone beguile and cleane bereaue Of all his blisse in twinckling of an eie Her nature is so readie to deceaue And when she changeth high to low estate With fleering looke she stands laughs thereat And yet oft times she seemeth to be true For vnto some a while she 's favorable And then when as she list to change her hew To othersome she is deceauable Such skill she hath in transmutation That one shee le raise other throweth downe To some she giues renowne and victory And doth exalt their honor and their fame And some she causeth most deceitfully Though vndeseru'd t' incurre perpetuall shame To othersome she 's gentle and bening And giues them lucke in all and every thing On some she frownes and hath them in disdaine And by her power imbaseth them full low And for to show that earthly hope is vaine She can the state of Princes overthrow And make them stoop for all their great renowne And high and mighty Emperors cast downe From off the mount of high felicity To make them
feele her rankor and disdaine Into the vale of great adversity The rich she maketh poore and then againe Of poore makes rich and as it is her kind Sets one before another casts behind Some one she maketh run another halt The third she plungeth in extreamity The fourth she doth to honor great exalt So that in her there 's no security In some mans mouth sweet Nectar she distiâ—th Anothers throat with bitter gaâ—â— she fil'th And thus this wilfull Lady as we find Within her power great store of potions hath And every one of strange and severall kind For she to some with false and fained faith Giues pleasant wine but when the sweet is past As t is her vse she giveth them a tast Of Aloes and of bitter wormewood drinke And corfiues which do fret and pierce most deepe Into mens hearts when as they little thinke That fortune them beguiles and luls a sleepe And thus if in this Queene of Variance Whose ioy doth ever end with some mischaÌ„ce Men put their trust let them besure at last Of what estate so euer that they be Shee le overthrow them with some sodaine blast And cleane bereaue of all felicitie As by example of Laomedon We may perceiue brought to confusion For little cause or truth to say for nought Wherefore let euery man by him take heed A quarrell to begin where none is sought Least that like him destruction be their meed For little fire with ashes covered When men suppose it quencht and wholly dead May chance breake out and on a sodaine burne And when as men the same do seeke to cease Full often in their faces it doth turne But he that medleth least liues most at ease Therefore let Kings and Princes every one A mirror make of King Laomedon And see they vse no kind of violence Nor suffer any one to offer wrong To strangers when they giue them none offence For though their power force be great strong Within their land when least they thinke on it As he was seru'd they may their rigor quit And yeeld the like to them in other place When as perchance vnto their overthrow They shall of them receiue but little grace Wherefore I wish when as they heare or know That strangers in their Countries are arriu'd Let them with loue and honor be receau'd And wisely thinke and hold it to be true That to a stranger courtesie to show Vnto a noble mind belongs of due For sure it is as every man doth know That nothing doth their honors more augment Then when their only care and will is bent For to relieue to cherish and to comfort With all the loue and honor that they may Such strangers as vnto their Courts resort That they of them may well report and say The contrary whereof much strife hath wrought As in this present History is taught The towne of Troy that first was built thus spoil'd The people slaine and many forst to fly The remnant with great woe and sorrow toil'd Int'exile led liue in captiuity And Exion as you haue heard me tell Went into Greece with Telamon to dwell For whom there rose such bloudy warre strife And so great vengeance tane for it in th' end On either side that thousands lost their life Which to declare I purposely intend If you vouchsafe it patiently to heare And for your good the same in mind will beare So hard and fatall is our destiny That no estate can permanently stand For every man ordained is to die And alterations chance in every Land And through the world where ever that we be We heare of nought but warre and treacherie Which serues to put vs in rememberance That many warres battailes great are fought And many woes and miseries do chance And mooued are for little cause or nought And diuers things for matters small or none At first begun breed much confusion Each one doth seeke another to destroy And bloudy minds are greatly to be fear'd Man careth not his brother to annoy And all because we take no better heed But envie raignes so much in euery age That nought but bloud death can it asswsge By it although the causes were but small If truth were knowne on th' ancient towne of Troy Both old and new such miseries did fall That at the last it did them both destroy Where during their so long bloudy strife Full many a valiant Knight did loose his life And Kings and Princes died by dint of sword Which to recount my hand doth shake for feare Least that my barren wit should not afford Fit tearmes phrases the truth for to declare Vnto my most renownd and soueraigne Liege Of all that past in that long ten yeres siege Which if that he with patience please to heare And not disdaine my rude and simple verse And in his sacred wisedome with it beare While I this wofull Historie rehearse Whereof no doubt I haue sith that of grace Sweet mercy in his heart he doth embrace And that he is a Prince of Maiestie Whose vertues are so excellent and rare That to addict his mind to pietie It is his onely study and his care With his support I will here vndertake A true discourse vnto you now to make What did befall vnto the towne of Troy That newly was erected once againe When Greeks did it the second time destroy As Guydo doth the same at large explaine And if my verse for want of skill seeme lame Let me intreat you to correct the same But blame me not sith that the fault 's not mine For as you know the English tongue is harsh And wanteth words to make vp perfect rime Where it in many places is too scarce And truth to say my wit will not aspire To follow Guydoes phrase as I desire Who in his Latine verse doth so exceed In Rethoricke that my translation Requires a farre more fine and subtill head To follow him in like construction Verbatim as a learned Gramarian Or as a skilfull Rethoritian I only take vpon me to declare The Historie according to the sence And truth thereof which is my chiefest care Least I thereby to some might breed offence And truth of verse I likewise set aside As wanting one therein to be my guide And to correct and mend them that are wrong My onely seeking is truth to declare Regarding neither verses short nor long For curiousnesse therein I doe not care Pretending not in any thing to varry Nor yet my Author Guido to contrary Nor from him disagree in truth of sence But to conclude our meanings all in one And to agree therein for Eloquence Or Rethoricke I you assure there 's none In me your heads with phrases fine to fill Nor yet haue I in painting any skill With colours fresh and gay to please the ere I nought can vse but sad and mournfull blacke And therewithall my selfe will satisfie Which in good part I you beseech to take And so in
theÌ„ce coÌ„â—ay The streets were smothly pau'd in chequer wise With pollisht stories of colourred and white And any Trade whatsoere man could devise King Priam vsd and sought all meanes he might To bring 't into the towne where men did see Each severall Art in severall streets to bee That so they might for more commoditie And better meanes to sell and vent their ware Worke by themselues at their one libertie As goldsmith rich that seâ—lles the jewels rare Th'imbroderer and weauers of each kind The Mercers in whose costly shops men find Rich cloth of Gold of Arras Tapistrie Of sendall and of Taffetie most faire And every other stuffe which vsually The weauers make and commonly men were Smiths also that could make and forge full well Darts Daggers swords speares of perfect steele Pollaxes billes and kniues most sharpely ground And arrowe heads with other weapons more That in the fields are vsd were therein found Of Bowyers and of fletchers eke great store And such as make coat armors faire and braue And ensignes which in field men vse to haue And euery other kind of furniture For Marshall men which commonly we see Worne in the warre and dayly put in vre And euery other Art that nam'd may bee Was in that towne most plentifully found So much it did in every thing abound And through the towne a Riuer swift and cleare Did passe along deviding it in twaine Which on each side great store of Milles did beare In time of need to grind each kind of graine The name whereof was Xaâ—tas as I find Which did abound with fish of euery kind Which River was so cunningly conuaid That in the arches built vpon the same Great store of pipes of lead were closely layd Whereby into the houses water came And serued many Conduits in the towne And scowr'd the filth away as it ran downe In channels which did run cleane vnder ground Whereby they were washt and scowred cleane That neither filth nor durt was to be found Nor in the towne could any way be seene And was convaied thence so secretly That no man could the passage thereof spie Wherby you might haue gon throughout the street And neither durt nor dunghill once haue seene Which made the Towne so pleasant and so sweet Because that it was kept so faire and cleane That it was void of all corruption Pestiferous aire and fowle jnfection Which often by their force and violence Doe breed continuall fowle and noysome smels And are the onely cause of pestilence A River like to this as Virgill tells Within the towne of Roome devised was Cald Tiber which through the midst therof doth passe To people this so great and famous towne The Troyans being but in number small King Priam sent to each place vp and downe In countreys farre and neere to moue and call All men to come and to jnhabite there Respecting not from whence they came or were And made them free to trafficke and to deale Within the Towne as natiue Countrey-men By that meanes to enrich the common-weale Of his new Towne Which being done and when It did begin with people to increase And that they liu'd in pleasure wealth peace King Priam moued with gseat affection Which vnto Mars the God of warre he had Determined of pure devotion In honour of his name there should be made A yeerely Iusts where valiantly on horse Each Knight should shew his power strength force Within the towne to win renowne and fame And to that end a place he did ordaine All raild about of purpose for the same Which halfe a mile in circuit did containe To wrastle in and at the Barriers fight With playes in the Isle of Greet of ancient right Were long since found and onely dedicate To Mars their God for they did then beleeue By doing so he would preserue their state And in their need would aid them and releeue The like did noble Priamus furâ—ise And to that end-those triumphs did devise Men sayd within this towne was first found out The game of Chests so subtill and so wise Which who so plaies beleeue it without dout Must driue out of his head all fantasies It is so full of shifts and subtiltie And more and more a man may still devise Whereby if men should study all their daies To learne the skill of this so curious game He neuer could remember halfe the plaies That are and may be vsed in the same It doth consist of such diuersitie Of wards found out by skill and subtiltie Of Troians as mine Author testifies Which his supposed meere oppinion Iacobus de Vitriaco denies And in his Booke for truth makes mention How that a graue Philosopher and wise Cald Philometer first did it devise In Caldea with pollicy he wrought To stay a tyrants fierce and furious mind And though froÌ„ thence it into Greece was brought They say likewise the Troians first did find The playes of dice and tables dayly vsd Which since that time had been so much abusd For that in them there is so great deceit By false and cousning dice and wrangling play Which many vse the simple sort to cheat That much debate ariseth night and day Mongst ihose that dayly excercise doe make Of play and game and pleasure therein take For if the dice doe favor men a while And giue them leaue to win by happy chance An other time againe they â—them beguile Which makes the players fall at variance For that when as they thinke to mend their state By play at dice they proue vnfortunate And many that are plunged in distresse And by their play made needy poore and bare By playe sometime attaine to great riches And some mans joy procures an others care And by a chance at hassard or passage Ones glad and laughes an other he doth rage For if one win another doth contrary Like as the bones are throwne out of the hand An Hundred times a day th' are seene to varry And no man can his chance at them withstand Wherefore I wish each man such play to shunne Least that he loose and so may be vndone In Troy likewise they vsed comedies In Theaters for pleasures and delight And many strange and stately Tragedies Which vsually were playd both day and night The difference whereof that you may know I will in briefe the same vnto you show A Comedie doth many times begin With actions that dislike at first doe cause But at the last as men proceed therein They end in joy with gladnesse and applause And onely speakes of men of meane degree And such as fallen are in povertie A Tragedy contrarily doth treate Of matters which doe prosperously proceed And showes the liues and hearts of persons great As Princes which in honour doe exceed But ends with sorrow griefe and miserie That happeneth vnto them before they die And also tells how fortune doth beguile Full nany Kings and Emperors of fame Whose acts she seemes to favor for a while
Within the Isle and presently he road Vnto their Court which was not very far And there he found thē both to whom with speed He shewd the cause that made him to repaire To them as then and so gan to proceed With words most graue and courage bold stout To tell his mind without all feare or doubt And said my Lords whose power here extends For to command may 't please your Graces both To know that Priam King of Troye me sends To you in Princely wise as being loth To giue offence your ayd and helpe to haue T' obtaine a suite that he would gladly craue Of Telamon who gainst all equity Doth hold his Sister Princesse Exion As Concubine with great indignity Whose liberty and restitution To him againe is onely his desire Which to effect he humbly doth require You would vouchsafe your ayd therein t' afford Not doubting but as y' are discreet and wise That by your mediation and good word King Telamon will follow your aduise And Exion shall to him restored be Out of her long and hard captiuity Which his request he praies you not deny As you are Kings for valour high renownd Discreet and wise and of great maiesty And he shall thinke himselfe to you much bound And all his former wrong he will suspend For that to liue in peace he doth intend As he that is right prudent and discreet Forecasting what may after come to passe And seeth what perills and what dangers great Doe follow warre which neuer is nor was Without confusion misery and woe As Histories vnto vs plainly shoe Which to eschew he thinketh it the best And wisest way for euery man t' auoid The hatefull path of strife and it detest For by it many a Country is destroid Which by this meanes he is in hope to shun And that hath made him doe as he hath done In peace to craue your aid that Exion May be with speed sent home to him againe And thogh you may suppose that cause ther 's none Why he should you request to take this paine In his behalfe let this be his excuse That Princes ought to punish all abuse And by all meanes should seeke the same to stay He in like case desires your Princely aid And hopes you will it not to him denay And he will thinke himselfe full well apaid This is the summe of his petition Which he referres to your discretion When both the Kings Castor and Polux had Attentiuely heard what Anthenor spake King Castor sodainlie like one halfe mad Into such choller and impatience brake That by no meanes he could his furie stay But in most wrathfull wise to him did say I know not friend why thou of vs shouldst craue To haue amends for trespasse by vs done Vnto the King to whome we neuer gaue Cause of offence But when Laomedon First offring wrong to vs we did inuade And of his Towne a noble conquest made Wherein we did but right and equitie For had not he first offered offence To vs and ours with great indignitie We nere had sought for any recompence Nor he nor his been brought vnto their ends For which if that thy Master aske amends At our hands tell him 't is all too late For we with him desire no vnitie Peace nor accord but rather mortall hate Dissention strife and vtter enmitie Which he may chance hereafter for to feele If that he dare presume with vs to deale For we so little do his friendship prise That what he saith or doth I doe not care Therefore if that he 'le follow our aduise Let him prepare to enter into warre And it may chance to breed his owne decay And so from vs thou maist vnto him say And for thy selfe it seemeth vnto me Thy Lord and Master Priam loues thee not That sent thee messenger to vs to be And thou thy selfe hast foolishly oreshot To take on thee so perillous a thing As to the Grecians tydings such to bring Whereby thy life thou hast indangered But be thou rul'd by me if thou be wise Vnlesse thou art cleane voyd of feare and dread And get thou out my sight I thee aduise For if thou stayst mine anger is so bent That thou mayst chance thy follie to repent Anthenor to auoid the Court was glad And presentlie with speed from thence did goe And entring ship such hast from thence he made That though the wind contrarie then did blow He put to sea and failed prosperouslie To Pilon where Duke Nestor then did lie And there did hold a sumptuous Princelie Court Of whome he craued leaue submissiuelie To shew the cause that made him then resort To him and there withall to signifie King Priams mind as he had gin him charge From point to point as fullie and as large As he had done to other men before And all to one effect so that in vaine It were for me to show it any more Or to recite it word for word againe For his conclusion ended still in one As you haue heard concerning Exion Whereat Duke Nestor did so fret and fume And in so great a choller then did grow That all the bloud did presentlie consume Out of his face and he as pale did show As ashes and so grieued was in heart And therewithall did feele such inwardsmart Through wrath and ire that so possest each vaine And ioynt he had that he did seeme to shake Like Aspen leafe and hardlie could refraine Vpon Anthenor straight reuenge to take Like Lyon fell that hunteth after pray Whose furious course no man as then can stay So much his mind from him was alienate That t'yeeld himselfe by no meanes then he might And at his heart he was so passionate Which boyled with such ranchor and dispight That all that him beheld would iudge him mad So strange a looke and gesture then he had At last in midst of this perplexitie Into a sodaine choler out he brake And with a voice distraind from crueltie Vnto Anthenor furiously he spake With countenance so gastlie to behold That sure to make a man to feare it would Saying thou friend that canst so smoothly glose I think thou knowst not well whom thou hast told Thy needlesse tale nor yet dost thou suppose Who that I am that darest be so bold Thus to presume mine eares so to offend Pretending that King Priam did thee send Vnto the Greekes to aske them in his name Redresse for wrongs that nere by vs was done And turnst on vs the merit and the blame For iniuries wrought by Laomedon To vs and ours and in presumptuous wise Accusest vs with most notorious lies Which thy abuse most odious in mine eare So much doth fret and anger me at heart That by no meanes I can endure 't to heare And but I know a messenger thou art And that I do mine honour more respect Then thee I would in cruell wise correct And chastise thy so great temerity For by the rigour of our ancient law
should of nature for my sorrowes grieue And with all speedy meanes for to relieue My troubled mind and great aduersitie Sith that you see it doth torment me so And that the cause concernes both you and me Whom nature bind to feele one selfe same woe And as he spake and thus to them did mourne His face vnto Prince Hector he did turne And said Hector my Son my chiefe and only ioy My trust my sole delight my eldest child And here sucessiuelie to raigne in Troy Of whom my hopes as yet were nere beguild Thou that art nam'd the root the spring the well Of Chivalrie and dost therein excell Thy Brethren all whereby thou dost obtaine The soveraigntie of high renowne and fame Esteeme not I thee pray my words in vaine But yeeld and giue consent vnto the same And do the thing for which I long so sore For in thee is my trust and in no more This thing t' effect and wholly bring about And for that cause I make thee Generall Of all my force and herein make no doubt But that thou wilt go forward therewithall And yeeld t' accept of this my iust request For in thy valor onely do I rest And vnto thee it chieflie doth belong As being wise and full of gouerment Flowring in youth actiue and passing strong And hast thy mind to honour onelie bent Though yong in yeares yet of discretion Belou'd of all and of most high renowne And all thy younger Brethren shall obay To thee and at thy will be alwaies presâ— With thee to liue and dye and therefore say If that thou wilt consent to my request And let me heare thine answere herevnto That with all speed we may prepare thereto When Priam thus had shewed them his pretence Hector the patterne of Nobilitie Bowing his knee with humble reuerence Vnto the King as full of curtesie His answere gaue with sober countenance Th' effect whereof was this in full substance My most renowned Lord and Father deare Sith that it is your pleasure and your will That I should speake and you are pleas'd to heare Attentiuely I shall your mind fulfill And such good counsell as my wit affords I le giue to you in few and pithy words True'tis my Lord that natures lawes doe bind And still prouoke mans heart for to aspire And all Gods creatures else of seuerall kind With earnest and most resolute desire To seeke reuenge for wrongs by them sustaind And specially such men as haue attaind Vnto the honour of Nobility For vnto them t' were great reproach and shame And wholly gainst their state and dignity To suffer wrongs done to their name and fame For euery trespasse must considered be And wayd according to the qualitie Of him gainst whome the jniurie is wrought What way or meanes soeuer that it be As also of the person that it sought For t is more griefe to men of high degree To suffer hurt or harme by aduenture Or any wrong vniustly to endure Then vnto men of meaner quality And jniury maliciously contriu'd Is more offence to Princelie Majesty And men from high Nobility deriu'd Then vnto such as by their wealth aspire To worship though the world doth theÌ„ admire This well considered of much bound are we To seeke by force our honour to increase Sith we descend of Royall pedigree And let vs not from iust reuenge surcease For beasts that are by nature voyd of sence Desire the same and seeke their owne defence And for my part I know assuredly That none of all your Sons was ere more prest Vpon the Greekes to be reueng'd then I And herevpon my faith I doe protest That with despight gainst them I burne like fire And thirst their bloud with all my whole desire For as I am your eldest by degree So am I mooued most with angry mood And long by valour and by chiualry With sword in hand to shed the Grecians bloud Which they perchaÌ„ce shall feele ere that they ween When time doth serue as shortly shall be seene But first I must aduise you t' haue a care Ere you begin t' effect this your intent And thinke and way how great the dangers are Which vnto bloudy war are jncident And long not the beginning for to see But studie on the end what it may bee Which if you do you can by no meanes faile For counsell giuen in my opinion Is little worth and nothing may availe Nor yet deserueth commendation Which doth not tend t' advise men seriously To thinke vpon future adversity For though that men at pleasure bring about The first beginning of their tragedies Yet oftentimes it commonly fals out That they doe end with great extreamities And what availes beginning fortunate That after causeth strife and great debate I say therefore great wisedome t is to doubt At th'entring into any enterprise What issue may thereof in th' end fall out Which who so doth I hold him to be wise For that beginning is most fortunate Where midst and end continue in like estate But when they do not happilie proceed T' were better wholly from it to abstaine Then t'hazard mans estate when there 's no need For who so doth assured is to gaine Nought else but mischiefe and adversity And end his daies in great extreamity Let not your Majesty I yow beseech In any wise with me displeased be Nor yet to take exception at my speech For there 's no sparke of any thought in me To giue a cause vnto you of offence For that I speake is onely with pretence To counsell you to see that wilfully You enterprise not that which in the end By misadvice may chance vnhappily And be the cause in fine your selfe t' offend Nor of your foes too small account to make For so men oftentimes themselues mistake But thinke how they hold in subiection All Affrica and Europe wide and long With many another warlike Nation And that they are most valiant Knights and strong Esteem'd of all the world for worthinesse Abounding in great wealth and happinesse So that with your support I dare bebold T'aâ—â—irme that danger tis them to displease And if our quiet state disturbe we should It 's to be feard we must our selues disease And say that Asia should vs aid to fight It is not like vnto the Grecians might And though our Aunt the Princesse Exion Against all right be held by Telamon It is not fit for her redemption To bring vs all vnto destruction My counsel 's not to buy her halfe so deare For that perhaps all we that now sit here And many more might also for her right In doubtfull warres loose both their lire lim And after long and many a bloudy â—ight Perehance shall nere get her away from him Which were no wisedome as it seemes to me And it may hap ere long time passe that she Her fatall course and daies on earth will end And then what shall we reap for her to striue And with our Grecian
Nor iudge thereof vnlesse they naked there Before me stood that at my libertie I might behold if everie member were As faire in all respect and each degree As outwardlie their faces faire did show And then my doome they presentlie should know When they had heard me speak they gaue consent And did agree my mind therein t' obay And straight to strip themselues were all content The which to do they made no long delay For they had all decreed before they came That in no point they would denie the same When naked all before me there they stood And that I did behold them at the full And vewed everie part it did me good To see their bodies faire and beautifull But when mine eies on Venus bright I cast For her without delay my iudgement past And vnto her the Apple gaue with speed As fairest of them all excepting none And as at first it was by them decreed I should not partiall be to any one So did I iudge her beautie great to be Much more then th' others two in each degree For as me thought her eies most faire and bright That cast forth streames so cleare and delectable Were like the starre that shines to vs by night Cald Hesperus and so most amiable Faire Venus shewd her selfe ye t' was true I could not choose but giue to her her due Whereat this Goddesse faire did much reioyce And in her heart therewith did seeme to glorie That of her beautie rare I made the choice T' excell the rest and that the victorie By iudgement vnto her as then did fall To be the fair'st and beautiful'st of all And as the winged God to me did say What should be my reward of Venus part She said she would performe without delay And from his vowe and promise neuer start And saying so the Goddesses all three Did vanish and depart away from me And Mercurie with wings began to flie And soaring vp with speed his waie did take Directlie to the cleare and cristall skie And sodainlie therewith I did awake Out of my deadlie sleepe and vp I start And mounting horse from thence did straight depart Now my good Lord whom I both loue dread I ft please your Grace your selfe herein t' advise And vnto that which I haue said take heed You will it not esteeme nor yet surmise To be in vaine by Venus to me said And therefore I wish you not to be afraid But boldlie let me goe to Greece in hast With some great power of men about the thing Which I haue said and ere long time be past I doubt not but the same to passe to bring And as by Venus I am promised Of some faire Ladie certainlie to speed That by exchange of her you may obtaine An easie and a most assured way To get your Sister Exion home againe This is said he all that I haue to say For my advise and counsell to your Grace And so sate downe againe into his place But Priam what should cause thee to forget Thy selfe so much that thou shouldst be so vaine Thy hope and trust vpon a dreame to set I cannot choose but needs must tell thee plaine That shallow was thy wit and thy discretion To trust vnto a false illusion As that thou all care hadst set aside To follow after dreaming fantasie T' is sure that reason then was not thy guide That thou vpon meere follies wouldst relie As Paris did that Pallas did neglect And sacred wisedome wilfullie reiect And some also carelesly reâ—us'd With riches and with all her offers great And she that hath all men so much abus'd And at whose hands their 's nothing els to get But pleasure and the fond delights of loue Which onely doe a man to folly moue Faire J'enus cal'd the blacksmith Vulcans wife Whose seruice though it doth nought els procure Vnto a man but bloody warre and strife By him preferred was but t is most sure That Paris in his judgement was vniust And that his mind was wholy set on lust Whereby the great and famous Troian Towne When it had long been vext with bloudy warre Was in the end brought to confusion By Paris meanes that had so little care When it was offred him his choise to make Of wisedome gold and valor and to take A Woman that was cause of all the woe Which vnto Priam afterward befell Aâ— in this Booke hereafter I will shoe And now on dreames I will no longer dwell But to my matter seriously proceed And shew you what by Priam was decreed Vpon the dreame by Paris then declard But first of all in briefe I 'le let you know What Diophebus sayd who having heard His brothers speech stood vp his mind to show And grauely with a countenance benign Obedience made and spake vnto the King And sayd my Lord if every man should doubt And in his mind forecast and deepely way Concerning future things what might fall out It would be cause to make men often stay All actions whatsoere and neuer bend Their wits nor wils to bring them to an end Nor would they seeke their valours forth to show For he that doubts dares nothing vndertake For if a man before that he doth throw His Corne into the grouÌ„d should recknoning make How many grains thereof consum'd would be By Birds or by some other Casualtie I'would make him feare his ground to sow againe Let vs lay all such foolish doubts aside For I esteeme and hold them meerely vaine And counseil now no longer to abide Nor slacke the time but with a Navy strong Send Paris into Greece for to revenge our wrong This I dare affirme and boldly say That he hath counselled you and vs full well Which no man to speake truth can well denay So that I thinke and must you plainely tell Great error t' were his purpose to contrary And therefore let him now no longertarry But thither with a warlike Navy goe That we may quit them for the villany Which they vnto vs and ours did show In former times with extreame cruelty And for the better execution And getting of our Aunt faire Exion Whom they doe hold from vs by force and might And long haue done to our no little shame And that against all equitie and right Which wounds my heart to thinke vpon the same For remedy whereof I must needs say There is no better meanes nor readier way Then to send forth a strong and warlike band With him to Greece that forcibly he may Some Lady take within the Grecians land And mauger all their might her thence conuay And bring her vnto Troy with present speed By which so braue exploit and warlike deed You may haue meanes to satisfie your mind By changing her for Princes Exion This is the readiest way that I can find For to procure her restitution Which my good Lord I hope you do intend Quoth he my counsell I will end Which sayd his brother Helenus did rise Out of his seate
now sith you cannot withstand Your fortune you must not your selfe dismay For that with more and greater maiestie Honor dutie wealth and dignitie You shall be serued here then there you were And cause you must your husband now forsake And gainst your will his companie forbeare For which you seeme such sorrow here to make Your care therein by me shall soone be eas'd For that if you therewith be not displeas'd In stead of him I will your husband be And loue and honour you with all my heart If you can likewise thinke so well of me And till that death by force shall make vs part I will be true both in my word and deed For in my heart I fullie haue decreed To be to you as loving and as kind As dutifull as friendlie and as true As ever you King Menelaus did find And in all things will yeeld to you your due And here my faith and troth to you I plight To last vntill that death with dart me smight And though my words do seeme but rude plaine I hope for that you will me not disgrace Nor any whit this my request disdaine Sith I descend and come of roy all race And am as noble of degree and blood As Menelaus and in each point as good And will to you more faithfull be in loue Then ere he was and never change for new For nothing shall my heart from you remoue Then sith this I protest to you is true I pray you now leaue off to waile and weepe And let some comfort in your bosome creepe For little doth availe this woe and greefe If you consider well your owne estate And thanke the Gods that send you such reliefe In your distresse and thinke y' are fortunate To hap so well and this is all I craue That loue for loue of you I now may haue Alas said she can it possible be That I which haue my friends abandoned And liue in sorrow and adversitie Should not be grieu'd and wish that I were dead I see no cause why I should cease to erie Nor yet my cheeks from brinish teares to drie It cannot be for sure it were gainst kind That my so sore and great extreamitie I should so soone abandon out of mind And that the thing which toucheth me so nie And is the onely cause of this my smart Could be so lightlie cast out of my heart And for whose sake I am as now constrain'd To sorrow for our separation But sith the Gods for me haue thus ordain'd That I should loue in this strange Nation I am content to take it patientlie And to their heasts t'obâ—y submissiuely For follie t' were to striue against their will Wherefore as now my selfe I will prouoke Although it seeme my very heart to kill For to submit my necke vnto this yoke And gainst my will of meere necessitie Obay to what so ere you 'l do with me For 't would not helpe if that I should 't refuse And thus somewhat he did her griefe appease And yet what ere she said she could not chuse But thinke thereon But what should she disease Her selfe so much sith t' is a thing most sure An heart of â—â—int could not so much endure For 't is the common vse of women-kind Till they haue wept and wailed at their will Nere to surcease nor to content their mind But when they haue of sorrow had their fill And wearied are therewith they will as fast All sorrow from their hearts as lightlie cast And soone lay hold on comfort in their griefe A man their hearts may easilie disseuer From woe to ioye from sorrow to reliefe There is no storme that can endure for euer For as the learned write things violent By natures course cannot be permanent When stormes are past the Sun much brighter is And shineth hotter after then before So by the speech and counsell of Paris Faire Helena as then did weepe no more For as the faire and pleasant morning bright By custome and by kind doth follow night Right so in time her heart began to cheare And of her teares the flouds likewise to drie And hauing cleane abandoned all feare She liu'd in Troye with Paris ioyfullie As in the Chapter following you may see Whereas at large it shall declared bee CHAP. V. ¶ How Paris was receaued into Troye at his returne out of Greece and how he was married to Queene Helena WHen Helena had left her mourning cheare And that her rosent colour shewd againe Within her face most beautifull and cleare And had forgotten all her griefe and paine Paris that was in heart so amorous In hast did send vnto King Priamus For horse and men apparell gorgeous And diuers costlie iewels of great prise That Helena might shew more glorious And enter Troye in braue and sumptuous wise And all things he desired being sent Without delay to Troye with her he went And by the way King Priamus them met Accompanied with his Nobilitie And many faire and gallant Ladies great And maidens by their birth of high degree And with theÌ„ store of knights that were most braue And Citizens which their attendance gaue To welcome Paris who as then did ride With all his prisoners two and two before And he and Deiphobus on each side Of Helena to honor her the more And after them the Lords of high degree And all the rest most orderlie to see And tweene each ranke did leaue a little space That so their traine the longer might appeare And in that sort they road an easie pace Till that by Priam they encountred were Who met them in a faire and pleasant plaine And in his hand tooke Helens horses raine And so conuaied her into the towne Where store of people flockt on every side And all the way along ran vp and downe To gase and looke vpon their new come bride The Trumpets sounding in most stately wise Which made their eccho mount vp to the skies And many another kind of Instrument In sundrie wise playd seuerall melodie Before them as into the Towne they went So that to heare the pleasant harmonie T' would make mans heart to leap mount for ioy And when they all were entred into Troye King Priam at his Pallace did alight And by the hand did take the Grecian Queene And straight with all convenient speed he might Led her into a Chamber well beseene Commanding all his Officers to see That all what ere she need prepar'd should be And calling for a cup of wine he dranke Vnto the Queene to welcome her withall Forthwith she did in humble wise him thanke And so he went againe into the Hall Till supper time and left her there to make Her ready and her ease meane while to take But of the ioy that was within the towne In every place where people sat together And in the streets of Troye walk't vp and downe And spake thereof the one vnto the other My stile is all to rude of it to
write So much they did in heart and mind delight That Paris safely home returned is And in his voyage sped so luckily And of his men not any one did misse But all had scaped death most happily And to fulfill their ioy vpon next day As Guido in his Latine verse doth say They did the time no further off prolong But with all speed t' Apolloes Temple went And fore the Larke that morne begun his song Together did with full and free consent Giue faith and troth knit the wedlocke band Betweene them two for euermore to stand Whereto the King himselfe did giue consent And all his Lords and Nobles in likewise The Commons also were therewith content And greed thereto in favour of Paris And so the wedding feast most royally Continued was with great solemnity Within the towne of Troye for eight daies space To write each kind of revell sport and dance The severall sorts of mirths that then there was The braue attire and lofty countenance Of Courtiers proud and lovers amorous The privie grutching of the jealious The runnings and the tilts on every day The divers courses serued at the feast The seuerall kinds of musicke that did play The Largis given the overplus did rest When all was done whole thousands to suffice My English will not serue for to devise Such tearmes and phrases as sufficient were To shew the same But when the certainty Thereof did come vnto Cassandraes eare A thousand sighs she fetcht and gan to cry And woefully did teare and rent her haires And in this sort her face all wet with teares Said wretched Troye why erst thou in this case And giu'st consent vnto this villanie Why art thou now become so voyd of grace As to maintaine so foule adultery And suffrest Paris thus to wed and wiue Queene Helena whose husband is aliue Oh woefull Troye too cruell is thy fate The time is come thou shalt destroyed be To shun the same it is now all too late For many Fathers shall their children lee This day in health the next day shall be slaine And midst the fields lie wounded in great paine And many wiues in sorrow great shall weepe To see their husbands lie in open field Their bodies pierst and cut with wounds full deepe And there in grieuous wise their breaths to yeeld Alas how can they chuse but sore complaine And yet must be content and this sustaine Oh wretched Mother woefull is thy case To loose thy children without remedy And see them slaine each one before thy face And shall not help't though nere so lowd thou cry Alas good Queene what griefe shall thee surpresse And yet shalt and no ease in thy distresse Oh Troyans blinded with security Why will you not be rul'd by my aduise And to avoyd the Grecians cruelty With speed make seperation twixt Paris And Helena and their foule act abhorre And her againe vnto her Lord restore What thinke you that his theft and cruell deed The Grecians will forget and not require No no assure your selues without all dread The sword of vengeance shall most sharpely bite For his offence and will endure the smart When as we shall behold in spight our heart Our Pallaces and houses all cast downe And cruelly destroyd before our face And lastly the subversion of our towne Which at the Grecians hands shall find no grace Alas alas most wretchlesse Queene Helaine Vnhappy woman causer of our paine Bold misadvis'd and meerly without grace Thou onely art procurer of our care And sole disturber of our happie peace And kindled hast the brand of cruell warre For thou alone art ground and root of all The mischiefe that on vs is like to fall And shall see many a dolefull funerall And mournfull feasts held herewithin this towne Thus did Cassandra loudly cry and call To every one as she went vp and downe Throughout the streets boldly to them told What by that meanes vnto them happen shold Still crying out alas and welaway Are you so hard of heart that you nought feare And no man could her furious course then stay Till Priamus the King thereof did heare Who that she might no more such crying make About the Towne he did her cause to take And being bound with chaines in prison cast Where she remain'd long time in miserie And no man for her words and counsell past But liued all in great securitie Where I will let her lye to weepe and mourne And to the Greekes my stile againe retourne The most vnhappy time being come and while That fortune wild the Troyans to be glad And with dissembling face on them did smile For which great ioy and triumph then they made Supposing that all things would fall out wee le Not thinking on the turning of the wheele Of her that is as wavering as the clocke And when men trust her most will turne aside And sodainly vnto them giue a mocke For in deceit she hath her onely pride And loues to hide her beauty vnder cloud Against whose might ther 's no man can him shroud For when she fawnes she 's least to trust vpon For in her smile the Troyans little thought That she pretended their confusion And by that means which they as then had sought For they suppos'd of that to be secure Which they desir'd should the Greeks procure To yeeld vnto their wills and not resist Supposing by that thing by Paris done They should be forst to doe what ere they list But when report thereof abroad did runne And tydings vnto Menelaus was brought Of all the wrongs gainst him by Troyans wrought Whil'st he with Nestor did at Pirrha stay Where he receaued newes most certainly What they had done in th' Island Citheray And what exceeding rage and tyranny They did vpon his men there execute As also of th' assault and hot pursute That on the Greekes they made that fled away And how they spar'd no man nor woman-kind But killed some and tooke the rest as pray And all the gold and treasure they could find And when he heard how they had tane his wife Whome he did loue as dearely as his life And more if more might be a thousand fold His face did looke with pale and deadly hue And therewithall his heart did wax so cold With sorrow which therein did still renue That with much griefe being cast into a sound Like sencelesse corps he fell vnto the ground And could vpon his feet no longer stand Which when Duke Nestor mark't saw him striue Twixt life and death he tooke him by the hand And speedilie did him againe reviue Wherewith he sigh'd and said now woe is me That of my wife I should bereaued be Which was my onely ioy and my delight Come death I say and with thy cruell dart Sith fortune hath to me done this despight In pieces twaine now cleaue my wofull heart For I cannot indure that Helena My Queene should thus frō me be borne away Farewell my
of Troye reveng'd to bee And in that case and enterprise refer'd Themselues vnto the prudent government Of valiant King Agamemnon prefer'd By them with all their full and free consent To be the chiefe Commander of their host Provided at each severall Princes cost With faithfull vow and promise to maintaine And follow warres while life meanes should last Against their foes triumphantly to gaine Renowne and fame when vitall daies were past Thereof to leaue perpetuall memorie From age to age to their posteritie But ere they did assemble all their men And bring them to the place by them assign'd Queene Helena had two valiant bretheren King Pollux and King Castor grieu'd in mind To thinke thereon their ship did rig in hast And with the same to sea did hie them fast Accompanyed with many a valiant Knight In mind t'oretake the Troyans on the way And to recouer Helen by their might But Gods decree no mortall man can stay For ere that they three daies had sail'd along The Grecian seas the wind did blow so strong And such a darknesse rose within the skies That it did seeme as day had turn'd to night And therewithall so great a storme did rise That billows huge against the ship did smight And then a great and mighty clap of thunder Stroke down their masts broke theÌ„ cleane in sunder And with the furious blasts of Eolus The waue so high did mount vnto the skie And made them swell so huge monsterous That every man made full account to die And after they had tossed too and fro Sometimes aloft and then againe as lowe The waters greene and white so sore did rage And seem'd to boyle with furie of the wind That nothing could th'vnpiteous tempest swage Nor yet procure the Grecians ease in mind For what so ere resistance they would make At last the ship in many pieces brake And rent in twaine with great extreamity Whereby not one escapt but all were drownd And in the raging Seas cast furiously And of them all not any one was found To saue their liues except the Brethren twaine Who as in Stories Poets of them faine The Gods did in the heavens deifie And in the skies did place them there to be A starre in th' aire by name of Gemini And as the learned in Astronomie Affirme it is by Constellation Of Mercurie the house and mansion Which is both male and female in his kind The Eagle and the Dolphin in it rise And in the same iust three degrees we find The Dragons taile exalted is likewise In Man it 's said to rule the armes and hand And mongst the signs the third in place doth stand Thus were these stout valiant brethren twaine In heauen pla'st if that we may belieue The fables of the Poets fond and vaine Which earnest did the valiant Grecians grieue And was to them beginning of their woe And to the Brethren twaine their overthrow CHAP. VI. How the Grecians assembled to be reuenged of the Troyans for rauishing of Helena ERe that mine Author Guido doth declare What Grecian power did gainst the Troyans goe It seemes he had a great and speciall care The forme and shape of everie Prince to shoe Both on the Greekes and on the Troyans side The which while he amongst them did abide In time of truce beheld with great delight Omitting neither port nor seemelinesse Beautie nor yet deformitie that might Be seene in them but as he doth confesse Hath made a true and right description Of everie one in his proportion And first he setteth downe Queene Helens shape As Dares hath describ'd the same at large Wherein no point thereof he doth escape But tels the truth his promise to discharge And saith she had a scarre vpon her face And yet it did her beautie not disgrace He saith King Agamemnon was a man Of bodie strong and good proportion Of stature tall of colour pale and wan And flegmaticke of his complexion Vnquiet and impatient in his brest Eschewing and refusing ease and rest So much to war and strife his mind he gaue And yet he was to vertue whollie bent And therewithall a Prince most wise and graue Learned discreet and passing eloquent Whereby amongst the Grecian Princes all He was elected to be Generall King Menelaus was valiant stout and strong Of courage and of heart victorious His stature middle-siz'd twixt short and long Of good proportion and desirous Vnquietlie to liue in warre and strife Then to possesse great wealth with quiet life Achilles was of stature huge and tall With sholders broad breast both big square Faire faced and right seemely therewithall And in each part the like proportion bare With eies most great deepe broad very quicke And a browne haire that curl'd it was so thicke In Armes most fierce and right couragious And did in strength the Grecians all surmount And yet of looke was passing amorous Of liberall mind and made so small account To giue large gifts and royally to spend That all men for the same did him commend The valiant Grecian Tantalus was strong Of bodie huge and good proportion Indifferent grosse and neither short nor long Of sanguine colour and complexion Vnsteadfast ey'd and wavering in his head Abhorring strife whereas he saw no need Of word and promise true what so ere he made And never any quarrell tooke in hand Vnlesse that he a good occasion had And when he knew and well did vnderstand His cause to be both lawfull iust and right Then would he shew himselfe a valiant Knight Oileus Aiax was of bodie great And in apparell rich and curious Whereon his heart and mind was onely set And yet of shape both huge and monstrous With armes so great sholders broad square And waied so much no horse could well him bare His stature it was high and very tall Vnweldy and vnseemely to behold Of speach he was both rude and rusticall And car'd not how his mind he did vnfold And though to ayd the Greeks he did his part Yet was he but a coward in his heart Another Aiax surnamed Telamon There was a man that learning did adore Of bodie straight and faire complexion His haire cole blacke and turning vp before Who did so much in eloquence abound That in his time the like could not be found In Musicke sweet his time most part he spent Wherein he tooke such pleasure and delight That he did his owne instruments invent And yet he was a braue and valiant Knight And one that hated pride and flattery With honor seeking fame and victory Vlisses was a Prince of power and might That liued in great fame and royalty And yet he tooke great pleasure and delight To vse all kind of fraud and subtilty Of double hollow deepe dissembling heart And well could play a perfect lyers part With face that made a â—hew cleane void of guile And words full smooth wheÌ„ nothing lesse he ment Much giuen to mirth yet
sieldome seene to smile In counsell he was graue and provident Right eloquent in speech and did with speed Full often aid the Greekes in time of need Diomedes was valiant fierce and tall Of countnance proud and passing strong bold Broad breasted most sterne of looks withall Deceitfull and his promise nere would hold So hasty that his hand he could not stay But strike he must who ere stood in the way If once to wrath and anger he was bent Desiring strife still shunning rest and peace Vnto his servants most impatient And never froÌ„ contentious thoughts would cease But quarrell still though t' were but for a straw And held his will and pleasure for a law In lecherie his whole delight he plast And was so giuen thereto that where so ere He did become on loue his mind he cast And from the same could by no meanes forbeare But spent therein full many a night and day Which at the last procur'd his owne decay Duke Nestor was of stature somewhat tall And well composde of members in each part Crooke sholdered his middle very small Exceeding strong of hands and valiant heart In counsell wise well learnd and politicke And yet of nature was so cholericke That neither friend nor foe he could refraine He was so given to melancholie And would with no man flatter nor yet fame Nor for the time his anger mollifie Which nere the lesse but little space did last For as it lightly came it lightly past Prothesalus was gallant fresh and gay Of seemly shape and beautie passing rare Wherein no man surpast him as they say Quicke sprighted light of courage passing rare Exceeding swift and therewithall most strong And heart so fierce that he would take no wrong The valiant Grecian cald Neptolemus That had his haire as blacke as any Iet Was of proportion made right curious With eyes that were exceeding broad and great His breast most large somewhat stooping back And vsed much to stammer when he spake An Orator he was but turbulent And willingly would plead in any cause For that he was of nature wholly bent To studie and to learne the Grecian lawes Where in he tooke great pleasure and delight And yet he was a most couragious Knight Pallamides King Naulus Son was strong Of valiant heart and courage passing great Of face most faire of body leane and long And fierce vpon his enemie to set Familiar courteous wise and tractable In all his actions iust and laudable Of great account and onely had the name For bounty and for liberality Amongst the Grecians all which caus'd his fame To spread abroad into each Country Whereby in fine great honor he obtain'd And for the same perpetuall praises gain'd The worthy Polidamus was so fat And big of body bellie and of bone And so vnweldy that most part he sat And could not well sustaine himselfe alone Exceeding proud of heart and very sad And sodaine or else nere shewd countnance glad King Machaons stature was indifferent Twixt short and long his forehead broad hie Most prowd and fierce to choller wholly bent And so much giuen vnto jmpatiencie That nothing but revenge his mind would pleaâ—â— Whereby he sieldome slept or tooke his ease Next after these of Cresida he tels But here my pen is dasht for long agoe My Maister Chawcer that each one excels In Rethoricke her shape so well did shoe And thereof such a fine discourse doth make That follie t' were for me to vndertake To write thereof or adde vnto the same As knowing well that when that I haue done I shall deserue no praise but rather blame And yet I can the same by no meanes shun For if I write it not I must truth leaue And of the truth the Historie bereaue If I presume to slip and let it goe And not as Guido doth write orderlie Or vndertake the very same to shoe Which Chawcer hath declar'd so learnedly Full sure I am therein to make offence Either by folly or by negligence And so am plung'd twixt two extremities Great cause I haue to find fault and dislike Of Atropos that mongst her cruelties Durst with her knife the thread in sunder strike Of Chawcers life chiefe Poet of Britaine That first did cause to flourish and to raine The golden drops of Rethoricke so sweet Mongst English-men their speech to clarifie And their dull wits with Eloquence to whet But who liues neare so long at last shall die I must be forst his ayd herein to craue And read his booke to see if I may haue Some words of Art from thence to place with mine Which are so rude so bare so plaine and course For as the Ruby red that bright doth shine Set in a Copper Ring is nere the worse But beautified the more so is his phrase When it 's compar'd with wrighters of our daies It 's knowne so well and is so excellent That t is in vaine the same mongst ours to set For all our paine is as it were misspent When as wee seeke his stile to counterfet Well may we do 't on meere presumption But when al 's done there 's no comparison Yet for all this I must it not deny Craving excuse but as I first began Proceed to end the Troian History And doe the best that possibly I can T' effect the same and now of Cresida I will declare her beauty as I may Yet must I vnder Chawcers whings still hover And plainely tell that Rethoricke I haue none Nor eloquence my learning to discouer But letting all curiositie alone As Bayard blind doth boldly giue the venter And never feares what perill he doth enter To show my simple skill I will not spare And thereby some prospect vnto you giue Of Colchos daughters beauty passing rare That while she in this earthly mould did liue Was held to be an excellent faire creature For forme of face and comlinesse of feature Wherein none did surpasse her in her daies Her stature and proportion was but small Her haire that shind like Phoebus glistring raies In comly wise did on her shoulders fall And at her backe in tresses hung behind Which oft she did't with golden hearlace bind And but that both her eye-browes ioynd in one You could no fault at all in her espie And that was all her imperfection To speake of her faire cleare and rowling eye Whose glistring beams was of such force might And from the same did cast such peircing light That whosoere them earnestly beheld Could not withstand their power but must confesse Their extreame beauty had them forst to yeild Vnto her loue and with her seemelinesse She was indowed with great sobriety Well spoken wise and full of modestie And therewithall gentle and tractable And yet my Author Guydo plaine doth wright That in her loue she was too variable And tooke too great a pleasure and delight To giue her mind vnto vnstedfastnesse And womanly to all new fanglenesse Lastly he sayth how
as to you I now am bound I will not spare to giue you counsell true Remember then I say how you haue found The Gods to favour you in this respect And still will do 't if you do not neglect Their grace and by your great ingratitude And sloathfulnesse provoke them to agree An other doome against you to conclude For if that they do you so carelesse see Think it not strange if they do change their minds And vnto you at last should proue vnkind I counsell you therefore now to be gone And see that you no longer tarrie heare And ere the time of harvest doth come on While that the weather is both faire and cleare And pleasant Summer bideth in his heat And fore the Winter comes that's cold weat In season fresh and greene put to the seas And in the name of all the Gods proceed This is my counsell take it as you please For sith thereon you fullie haue decreed Make no delaie but each man go to ship And let no longer time thus over-slip CHAP. IX ¶ How the Grecians Nauie putting from Athens were distressed by tempest at Sea and how they tooke the Castle of Saranaba belonging to the Troyans CAlchas thus hauing spoken as you heare The Grecians thinking his advise so given To be most true all that assembled were Agreed vpon the selfe same day at even To enter ship and Agamemnon then By sound of Trump did summon all his men To make all hast they could to part away Who being also willing to be gone Did speedilie take ship without delay And having pleasant wind at will full soone Put forth to sea with all their warlike band And presentlie were out of fight of land To tell how many ships they had were vaine Because it hath alreadie beene declar'd But sure it is most evident and plaine That nere tofore of like fleet hath been heard Nor such a number of most valiant men As in their hoast assembled were as then And being on the seas in weather cleare Full sodainelie the wind began to rise The aire waxt darke they therewith did heare Huge thunder-claps â—ebound out of the skies Which with such furie on their ships then stroke That many Masts and Yards in sunder broke The waues likewise did rise so huge and hie And such a storme of raine and haile did fall Vpon the Seas that it did make the skie To shew as blacke as pitch and there withall The lightning in their fearefull faces flasht So mightily that they were sore agast And every man began to call and crie Vnto their Gods in that most fearefull case And made account assuredlie to die But Colchos who in knowledge did surpasse When he had made and said some Orasions By divelish charmes and inchantations Did cease the storms cause the Sun shine cleare Which made their heauie hearts exceding glad And told them how the cause of that great feare And tempest sore which they endured had Was for that faire Diana discontent With them because their course to Troye they bent And put to sea ere they did her adore Or offer'd any sacrifice at all Vpon her Altars or her aid implore Which made her in so great a rage to fall That if he had not found the meanes t' appease Her wrath she would haue drownd theÌ„ in the seas Wherewith King Agamemnon presently Belieuing Colchos counsell with all speed Perceiving that his fleet not farre did lie From th' Isle Aulides sodainlie decreed To land therein where by good fortune he A little Chappell found therein to be That was vnto Diana dedicate Whereto with all the speed he could he went To offer sacrifice thereby t' abate Th' incensed Goddesse Wrath and after spent Long time in prayer vntill that it appear'd The seas of storms tempests all were clear'd But some men say and for a truth declare As Ouâ—d long discourse thereof doth make That Agamemnon did as then not spare His daughter Effigenia to take And on the Altar naked did her laye Supposing with his virgins blood to stay Diana's wrath and he therewith would be Appeased with them but she loath to behold The virgin put to such extreamitie The bowels of her mercie to vnfold Invisibly from thence did take the maid And in her steed a Hart on th' Altar laid Which Agamemnon thereon offered And with the same the Goddesse satisfied Which having done and all things finished That therevnto belong'd in hast he hyed Vnto his ship and having weather cleare Put to the sea againe without all feare And by her aid and helpe whome some do say To be mans guide and chiefe direction When on the sea or land by night or day He travaileth and her protection By such as skill haue in Astronomie And seeke her fame t' extoll and magnifie Reported is and found most strong to be When as she keepeth this her scituate Within his tents and twelfth house by degree For in those two she is most fortunate And doth her clearest light on earth reflect If that she be conioynd with good aspect Of any other faire and happie starre Which vnto men that travell is bening And in short time saild on the seas so farre With wind so good that soone it did them bring Vnto the coast of Troye where on the strand A Castle strong at that same time did stand Ditcht round about and wal'd exceeding hie With divers Towers therein both round square And hard by it a haven there did lie Which many faddomes deepe of water bare Where ships might safely anker and abide And gainst all wind and weather safely ride Which Castle though that Dares hath forgot To name it yet some Authors do it call Saranaba where Grecians failed not To enter and their ankors there let fall Despight of all that offered to resist For at that time they might do what they list Which onely were the garrison of men That in the fort to keepe and hold the same Were placed by King Priamus as then Who valiantly to their eternall fame Assoone as they espyed the Grecians enter Came forth and to resist them did adventer With full pretence their landing to jmpeach With all their power if that it might preuaile But t' was as then too farre aboue their reach For then the Greeks did them so farre assaile That they could not against them long endure Though they suppos'd did themselues assure Because the Grecians long at sea had laine And wearied with sailing too and fro The victory with ease they should obtaine But yet they did not find it to be so For it fell out with them vnhappily Because they did it vnadvisedly For when that they together fiercely met With pikes and other weapons for the warre And that their powers vpon each other set The Grecians did exceed the Troyans farre In number and as then did plainlie shew That Troyans to withstand them were too few And had a farre vnequall match then found To fight
best deserued had And ventured life and lim for honors sake But he himselfe no part thereof would take As having more desire to win their hearts Then t' haue their goods for he that 's liberall And mongst his souldiers willingly imparts His treasure into danger nere doth fall And bountie wins their hearts doth them moue Their Generals to honor and to loue CHAP. X. ¶ How Agamemnon assembled all the Nobles â—â—â— chiefe Commanders of the Grecians where vpâ—â— deliberation taken amongst them they sent 〈◊〉 and Diomedes Ambassadors onto Priam Kiâ—â— of Troye to demaund restitution of Queen Helena and the domages done by Paris in the Temple of Cithera THe treasure dealt among them as you heare Commandment was by Agamemnon made That gainst next day the Princes should appeare Before him to conferre and when they had Tane rest a while and that the radiant light Of Phebus glistring face did shinemost bright Vpon the earth The Grecions on the land And Agamemnon plast in royall seat With all his power which bout him then did stand And all the Princes there together met And placed were each one in his degree Silence once made and oportunity Then offered The King with princely grace And pleasing tearmes as being eloquent And very wise rose vp out of his place And shew to them his will and his intent Th' effect whereof in substance doth appeare Hereafter as you presently shall heare My Lords said he you know and must confesse That we of right and meere necessity Compelled are at this time to redresse A wrong to vs done by the cruelty Of Troyans vnto whome we gaue no cause To breake the ancient God of peace's lawes True t is that we as all the world doth know Are of sufficient power force and might And are esteemd and knowne of hie and low To be the men that able are to right All wrongs whatsoere both by sea land T' effect such things as we shall take in hand Despight of all that gainst vs will resist Yet I suppose and 't ever hath been seene That power which in it selfe doth not consist Nor is puft vp with pride hath alwaies beene And to the Gods is most acceptable And longest doth remaine vpright and stable For is there any one amongst vs all But knows for truth and can full well expresse What harmes and griefs do oftentimes befall By envie pride and diuellish wilfulnesse And when by pride men take a thing in hand The Gods incenst their actions do withstand And crosse all those that are superbious For truth to say it is avice abhord Of every man and held most dangerous For pride nought else but mischiefe doth afford Yet must we not for pride esteeme or hold The valor in a man of courage bold For he that vnto pride his mind doth giue Or doth converse with one that 's proud in heart And takes delight with such a man to liue Can neither will nor chuse but haue his part Of all such crosses as to pride befall Which commonly despised is of all And nothing doth impaire mans honor more Of what estate so euer that he bee Then pride Wherfore let vs the same abhore And from it as from cruell viper flee And wholly race it out of heart and mind And so we shall the Gods more gracious find Especially when as our quarrel 's iust And that we ground it vpon equity But if that pride and envie should vs thrust Into a warre without necessity Or lawfull cause but onely of meere hate The end thereof would proue vnfortunate But all you know that we as now are here With full consent within the Troyan land To be revengd for wrongs that long since were By Priam done to vs and for to stand Vnto the triall of our cause by might Wherein we know we do nought else but right And to that end we haue begun t nvade And wasted spoyld and over-run his lands Destroyd and rane his Castles strong and made Occision of his men with warlike bands And many other harmes committed haue Whereof himselfe the first occasion gaue So that if he did hate vs heretofore As by fore passed actions it appeares I dare well say he hates vs now much more And that if to revenge himselfe it were Within his power you presently should see What strange revenge by him would taken bee And yet t is sure that they full well do know And heare of our arrivall in their land Although thereof they seeme to make no show And what by vs is done they vnderstand For that as yet it 's fresh in memory So that if they were strong vs to defie They would soone march to meet vs in the field Yet certaine t is their towne is huge and great And by all men invincible is held And fild with Knights therein together met Of their allies so that ere we begin I know we shall small vantage gainst them win For he that in a quarrell iust doth stand And fighteth to defend his Countreâ— Within a towne in his owne natiue land And hath great store of faithfull friends that be To him allied more vantage hath thereby To ayd himselfe then hath his enemy For oftentimes the Raven doth withstand And fights long with the Fawlcon in his nest Before the Fawlcon gets the vpper hand And hath the meanes to flie and take her rest While that the Fawlcon doth for her attend For birds will in their nests themselues defend I speake not this and so I pray conceaue To put your valiant hearts in any doubt Or once your minds of hope for to bereaue Of bringing this our enterprise about Which is to spoile and vtterly confound The Troyans and their towne though it abound With men and meanes against vs to resist And to defend themselues for certaine time For â—re we from our enterprise desist Which now you see is meerely in the prime We make no doubt but to destroy them all And bring them to their ends what ere befall But th' only cause why I these words nowvse Is to diswade you from presumption And pride of heart least that you should abuse Yourselues herein by indiscretion And wisely in this case so well provide That reason and not will may be your guide And ere we stirre from hence such order take That we may reape great commendation And of our wars a happy end soone make For th'onor of the Grecian Nation For oft we see the want of good foresight I speciall cause to breed a man despight When as he vndertaketh any thing Without forecasting what thereof may fall And in the end doth him to ruine bring It stands vâ—then vpon in mind to call What issue may ensue of our intent Least that in fine it maketh vs repent You know how first King Priamus did send To vs to haue his sister Exion By faire meanes and to peace did seeme to bend Who yet is holden by King Tolamon And how that we with one consent
Both thou and thine to die by Grecians swords Thy towne destroid and all that longs thereto Although thou seemst to vse such hautie words And with thy tong speak'st more thē thou canst do But better t' were such boasting speech to leaue And vnto our good counsell credite giue When Diomedes proudlie with disdaine Had spoken thus some Troyans in a rage Drew out their swords would him straight haue slaine But Priamus their furies to asswage Rose vp and with a countenance seuere On paine of death commanded them t'forbeare From wronging such as for Embassadors were Sent vnto him or t'offer them offence For though said he a foole will not forbeare To speake without discretion wit or sence A wise man must from rash attempts surcease And wincking at such follie hold his peace For if a foole speakes vnadvisedlie And by that meanes doth moue dissention A wise man should not hastilie replie Nor shun no kind of indiscretion For vnto fooles it properlie belongs For to bewray their follie with their tongues And wise men should be wary what they say And well advis'd in all their actions And both their hands and tongs discreetly stay From giuing cause to nourish factions For fooles by custome indiscreetly speake And oftentimes into great choller breake But wisemen can dissemble what they heare And till that time and place convenient bee With th'vnadvised rage of follie beare Which lasts not long as commonlie we see And for my part I do you all assure That rather would I wrong my selfe endure Then to permit the least offence that is For to be done by any man what ere For things which they suppose to be amisse To any messenger that now is here Within my Court for t is not fit that we For everie small offence reveng'd should be For many times wrongs rashlie offered When little cause or none to do 't there is Whereof some great revenge hath followed For hastiemen of woe doe neuer misse Wherefore I charge you everie one sit downe And see that no man by presumption Attempteth for to wrong in any wise Th'Embassadors of Grecia hither sent Nor furiously in malice gainst them rise But let them freelie shew the whole intent And scope of their embassage whatsoere And sit you still while we with silence heare With that Aeneas rose out of his seat Which next on th' one side of King Priam was And in a furious rage and choller great Said to the King with licence of your Grace I thinke when one without advise doth speake That he not onlie well deserues a cheake But punishment that men by him may take Example how in open audience Such vproares and dissentions they do make Thereby t' offend your roiall Excellence And truth to say it might so come to passe That I the bounds of reason might surpasse In this respect and hastilie commit A great offence whereby your royall Grace Might censure me to die therefore but yet I ft were not for your presence in this place I would revenged be vpon these twaine That haue so proudlie spoken in disdaine Of you for t is a most vnseemely thing To heare a foole with great presumption In presence of a high and mightie King Take on him without all discretion To speak that which to him might breed offence And preiudice to his magnificence To teach him how in better sort to learne To vse his tongue and when to hold his peace And of the persons better to discerne To whome he speakes and not with such excesse As he hath done that now before your Grace So prowdly spoken hath to your disgrace For which I counsell him if he be wise Out of your Graces sight with spreed to goe And not to stay long here vpon surmise That what so ere presumption he doth shoe The law of armes is his protection For if he do he 'le feele the smartfull soone Wherewith Diomedes disdainfully In proud and hawty words and yet but few Did to Aeneas sodainlie reply Saying thy speech sufficientlie doth shew That without doubt thou art exceeding wise And that the Prince that followeth thine advise Or vnto thee his secrets doth impart Can never erre nor do ought that 's amisse Because thou of so good a iudgement art That wilfullie without all good advise Prouok'st thy Prince the laws of armes to breake But would to God I might once with thee speake Alone when oportunitie doth serue That I might thee requite for thy great skill And curtesie as thou dost well deserue Which if I liue assuredly I will And thereof make account for if we meet In field with other tearmes I will thee greet But wise Vlisses rising vp then spake And seeming Diomedes speech t' excuse Vnto him said now further words to make Or longer here more arguments to vse Meere follie t' were for vs and to the King He said sith thou wilt do no other thing Nor make no further answere then thou hast Wee le stay no longer here but straight be gone And make relation what twixt vs hath past Vnto the Grecian Princes every one And how we find thee obstinately bent To hearken or to grant to their intent And so without delay to horse they mount And to the Grecians armies road in hast And there to Agamemnon did recount All what King Priam said and what had past Twixt them in Troye wherby the Greeks did see The Troyans purpose and intent to bee Not once to yeeld Queene Helena to send To them againe but valiantly to fight And gainst their foes their Citie to defend And if they could by valour and by might Driue them frō thence which though it pleasd thē not Yet sith they saw that such had been their lot To vndertake that hawtie enterprise And that there was no other remedie They did consult what waies they should devise To helpe themselues in their necessitie Of victuals and all other things beside Whereof in hast they did themselues provide But first before I shew what meanes they made To helpe themselues whil'st they fore Troye did lie I must declare what 's of Aeneas said By Guido who for truth doth certifie His father Duke Anchises was and that He on the Goddesse Uenus him begat And how that after Troye was cleane defast And overthrowen he sail'd from thence by seas And having past by many Coasts at last At Carthage did arriue where for to ease Himselfe he stayd and then tooke ship againe And sail'd so long that with great toyle paine His ships arriu'd in Italie in th' end The which by him was wholly conquered And that Augustus Casar did descend From him that was so highlie honored For many Conquests valiantly atchiu'd By him while on this earthly mowld he liu'd And Iustine that was Emperour a while Within his booke Autentikes cald by name The Rubrikes of Aeneas did compile In memory of him because he came So long a iourney into Italie And conquered it for his posteritie Which long
boast And longer that we in this sort still lie It giues more courage to our enemie But if we first had held another course Ere they had knowne thereof and ventured To land our men before their towne by force We had the same long since round compassed And straight besidge with this our puissant hoast And done that which ere t is done more wil cost For be assurd ere we approacht the strand T'vnship our men theâ—le issue out amaine With all their power our landing to withstand And valiantly the fight gainst vs maintaine By force and strength ere we the shoare shall get To driue vs thence if that they can vs let Whereas long since we might with ease haue got The victory but now by our delay We must take that which fortune doth alot And with more losse to vs doe what we may For now the time 's delaid it is most sure More danger vnto vs it will procure What should I say but tell you in good troth That our delay and cowardise will bee The cause of our great danger which full loath And sorry I would be in heart to see And if therefore my counsell you will take I thinke it best that presently you make All speed you can for to be gone from hence And ere the Sunne in morning doth appeare Hoyse sayles and put to Sea with full pretence And courage bold cleane void of any feare To Sayle to Troy and there land openly What ere falls out for know assuredly Without resistance by the Troians made Who valiantly will issue vs to beard There is no landing for vs to be had And yet you must not therefore be afeard But set all feare and cowardise aside And stoutly whatsoere fals out abide Which sayd the Greeks consulting therevpon Determined with courage bold to make What hast they could and preparation For to be gou and straight their course to take Vnto the towne of Troy as doth appeare And in the Chapter following you shall heare CHAP. XII ¶ How the Grecians landed before Troy where they were valiantly fought withall by the Troians WIthin the former Chapter you did heare How that the Greeks in counsell being set With full and whole consents agreed were All scuses set apart nought should them let With speed vnto the towne of Troy to sayle And there the Troians valiantly t'assaile And that end to the next day they begun To go abord their ships with courage bold And when they had all things prepard and don That needfull were they did a counsell hold T'ordaine among themselues and to agree How many ships should in each squadron bee And which of them in for most ranke should goe What course they should vpon the Seas obserue How they would land that no man might it know Thereby their men from danger to preserue Whereto they did assigne a speciall marke And so when as by singing of the Larke Which commonly is fore the Sun doth rise At dawning of the day they did awake And put Sea in braue and warlike wise And to the towne of Troy their course did take And first a hundred ships well furnished With store of men and armes the way did lead Whose pennons and rich streamers to behold Which on the seas did show most cleare and bright When they did them against the Sun vnfold Gaue vnto all that saw them great delight For nere before vpon the waues so greene The like triumphant sight had not been seeene An other hundred more sayld orderly In rancks to second them that went before Whose sayles most proudly in the wind did flie And spread abroad wherein there was great store Of valiant Knightts wel arm'd with sword speare The Troians to withstand without all feare Next afder them in order brauely ranck't The rest of their huge Navy followed The which on either side was strongly flank't With squadrons of great ships well furnished With valiant Knights whose number was so many That like to it had nere been seen of any Vpon the Seas and sayling so together Assisted by Neptune and Eolus That sent them both faire wind pleasant wether Their voiage was to them so prosperous That in one tide a sight of Troy they had Whereto with all their sayles hoyst vp they made Whose waving when the Troiaus did behold And saw that they drew nere vnto the strand And by their countnance well perceiu'd they would Despight of them if that they might take land In hast they arm'd themselues which having don They mounted on their horses and did run As fast as ere they could vnto the strand Attending neither Earles Prince nor King To be their guide nor over them command But furiously out of the gates did fling And in so great a number to behold That wheÌ„ the Greeks theÌ„ saw their harts were cold And stoutest of them all was much dismaid To find so many Troians on the land Well arm'd that all most resolutely stayd With courage bold their comming to withstand Whereby they knew and certainely did see No landing for them there as thou to bee Vnlesse that with the Troians they would fight And valiantly adventure for to land Or els like cowards take themselues â—o slight And fall into their deadly enemies hand For other refuge for them none there was But through the Troians swordâ— pikes to passe Which when King Prâ—thesilaus did behold Who of an hundred ships the conduct had He sayd that in despight of them beâ—ould Set foot on land and to that end â—e made His ships and men in readines to venter By force vpon the same strand to enteâ— But when his Ships set forward to ariue As nere vnto the shoare as well they might The wind did in their sayles so stifely driue That on the land by force iâ— did them smight And some of them vpon the gittie stroke Which presently in many peeces broke And most part of the men and ships were drown'd And scattered here and there contusedly So that but very few of them were found To make resistance gainst the enemy And those that scapt sau'd theselues froÌ„ hurt And got to land all clad with mire and durt And for a while their enemies withstood Were by the Troians slaine so cruelly That all the Sea was stained with the blood Of Grecians that vpon the sands did he Dead bleeding and sore wounded to the death Attending th' end to yeild their vitall breath And at that time the arrowes flew so fast And thicke into the aire that all the skie Did show as if it had been ouercast With some darke cloud and still and furiously The Troians fought and euermore renew'd Their number and the Grecians so pursu'd And for the time so hotly them assayld That what defence soever they could make Availd them not for Troians still prevaild And valiantly constraind them to giue backe With losse of many men and great disgrace And finally perforce to leaue the place Whereas they fought with much
blow which was of mighty force Both man and horse vnto the ground he cast But presently Ulisses rose againe And mounting on his horse road through the plaine And on the Troians set so furiously That many of them as then by him were slaine Which when as King Philomen did espie He tooke a lance and ran at him againe So mightily and such a blow him gaue Therewith that it his shield in sunder claue And pierst his armor through but burâ— him not And yet the blow vnto the ground him stroke But presently vpon his horse he got And in his hand a mighty lance he tooke And therewith at King Philomen did run So swiftly that ere he the blow could shon He pierst cleane throgh his shield and armor bright And in his brest did giue him such a wound That sideways from his horse he fell and light Vpon his head which first did touch the ground And therewithall most grieuously he bled Wherewith his men suppos'd he had been dead And tooke him vp and layd him on a shield Whereon with danger great they did him beare Cleane through the Grecians hoast out of the field Whereof when as the Troian Knights did heare They were abasht because they did beleeue He had been dead and for him much did grieue For if that mighty Philomen had not Been wounded so by fierce Vlisses hand Without all doubt the Grecians had not got So easily out of their ships to laud Nor yet so many Troians had been slaine As then lay dead both on the strand and plaine For while that they the fight did long maintaine And valiantly the Grecians did assaile And sought to driue them to the strand againe Ere that they could by force therein prevaile More Grecians in great number got to land And forcibly the Troians did withstand Conducted by foure Kings of great renowne The first King Agamemnon generall Of all the Greeks and proud King Thelamon King Thoas and King Menclaus cause of all That deadly warre at whose aproach you might Behold the death of many a valiant Knight And at that time the broken lances flew Into the aire and clouen shields did lie Vpon the ground and then they did renew The fight so hotly strong and furiously That in short space the strand and all the plaine Lay full of Knights and men that then were slain And though the Greeks at that time did abide Great losse of Knights yet cause they were so stroÌ„g The greatest losse fell on the Troians side Who nere the lesse fought valiantly and long And held the Grecians â—â—ort for all their might Till that the valiant fierce and worthy Knight Prothesilaus Who all that day had fought Couragiously and many Troians slaine And with his sword in cruell wise had wrought Them great despight both on the strand plaine To rest himselfe and take the ayre did ride Out of the field vnto the water side Where when he did off from his horse alight And saw his men he dead vpon the ground Who at their landing had been slame in fight And others by the raging waues then drownd He could not chuse out weepe to thinke thereon And for a while sat musing still alone And more he them beheld the more he grieu'd Till at the last when he by proofe did find That by â—â—â— griefe they were no whit relieu'd Nor he himselfe the qâ—uetter in mind Such suâ—â—aâ—ne ireâ—â—s valiant heart possest That from that time he could not be in rest But vow'd to be revenged if he might And to require their deaths vpon his foes Orels as it becomes a valiant Knight Couragiously his life with them to lose And â—o resolu'd Ieapton his horse againe And furiously road straight vnto the plaine And entring mongst the thickest of his foes Assayled them with trenchant bladeâ—â— hand And valiantly beat downe and kild all those That met with him or durst against him stand And in short space he did so many stay That every man was glad to run away Like sheepe before the wolfe their hues to saue But he still wounded kild and beat them downe And like a stout and valiant Champion draue And followed them all most vnto the towne And by that meanes the Greeks then victors were And Troians fied before them in great feare Till Persius King of Ethiopia Out of the towne with many a valiant Knight Came ryding in great bast and made them stay And then began a fresh and furious fight Wherein great store of Grecians then were slaine And many of them lay wounded on the plaine The Troians at that time so siercely fought When by the Ethiopian Knights they were Relieu'd so that where as before they sought To flie away to saue their liues in feare They made the Greekes loose all the ground again Which they before had won vpon the plaine And with their horse and foot-men did assaile Their enemies so strongly and so close That all the Greekes could doe might not prevaile But that at last they were constrain'd to lose Their ground and backe vnto the strand to flie In great despaire and much extremitie And without doubt had there been drown'd â—â—â—â— Had not the valiant King Palamides With new supply refreshed them againe And thereby did their heavy hearts appease Who at that time with all his Knights tooke lâ—â—d Where hauing horsed them vpon the strand And ranckt his men he entred valiantly With so great force amongst the Troians And them assaild with such dexterity That where before they slew the Grecians And draue them downe before them to the shoâ—â— He kild and wounded many of them so sore And kept them to 't so close that neither side As then advantage had and so it held Vntill that King Palamides espied Stout Sigamond in middest of the field Who all that day most like a valiant Knight Behau'd himselfe against the Greekes in fight Couragiously and beat them downe so fast That glad they were to shun his blowes and flie And by his prowesse only where he past Great store Grecians slaine by him did lie To whom he road and furiously when as Amongst the thickest of the Greeks he was He gaue him with his lance so great a wound Into his side that being deadly hurt He fell off from his horse vnto the ground And there all groueling in the mire and durt His armor with his blood cleane covered read He left him mongst the Troians pale and dead And forth he road and kild and wounded sore All those he met or that before him stood And like vnto a wild and cruell Bore With sword in hand dyed in the Trâ—â—â—â—â— blood He made them leaue the water side againe And draue them all before him to the plaine Where with his Knights that still about him â—â—â—â— He did assayle them in such furious wise And by his valor put them in such feare That mongst them there was heard great noyse and crâ—â— Of those that wounded sore could not withstand The
Leather covered were And some their enemies furious force withstood With shields of steele of length froÌ„ head to foot Some with their bows arrows fiercely shoot Some with their swords some with their darts in haÌ„d Some with a foure squar'd headed Pollax fight And some with Cros-bows with Pikes do stand Prepar'd to show their valor and their might And every one desiring for to doo 't Stood ready there on horsbacke or on foot After the manner of his Country And while they staid each one his armes did mend In every place whereas necessitie Requir'd the same the better to defend His body but in tearmes of Art to show What there vnto belongs or let you know More touching this I must my selfe excuse And pardon craue if therein I do misse For sure t is not the thing which I doe vse A Pen and not a Pike my weapon is T is want of skill breeds imperfection In me to make a right description Thereof in marshall tearmes as some men could But vnto him that 's wise I will referre My selfe herein and pray him that he would His censure mildly in this case deferre And such defects as he shall iustly find To winke thereat and beare them in his mind When Hector had them all well viewd and saw What power assembled in the field there was With speed he did each one command to draw Aside and then in ranks he did them place Which done in marshall wise he did ordaine His battailes orderly within the plaine And then he caus'd the gate Dardanides To be vnbard and to be opned wide Intending thereat gainst his enemies To salie forth and valiantly to bide A battaile whatsoever did befall And then his Bastard brother he did call That had to name Cincinabor the stour And valiant Glaucus Prince of Licia Land To whome by him of purpose chosen out He did appoint the leading of the band Which first that day against the Greeks in field Should fight to which they willingly did yeeld And in that wing a thousand knights there were Which purposely he chose out of them all And did command them valiantly to beare The forefront of the battaile and to fall Couragiously vpon their Grecian foe Which said out at the gate he bad them goâ— Who with their banners spred that shined bright Their armors and their sheilds that glistered Against the Sun did make a goodly sight When they vpon the enemie were led But least that they should be opprest by might And overlayd by multitudes in fight To second them he did appoint a band Of valiant Knights that iust a thousand were Commanding it in readines to stand To succour them and Grecians force to beare If need requir'd The charge whereof he gaue Vnto the King of Thrace stout and braue And with him ioynd his Son Arâ—â—â—agâ—â— A Prince endowed with good qualities For he was wise and very vertuoues Strong and most hardy gainst his enemies Those two the second wing together â—â—d And valiant 〈◊〉 followed The battaile that next after issued Out of the towne against the enemie By Hector was commanded to beled By two braue Kings of worthie memorie The one the Phrigian King cald Zantippus The other ioynd with him cald Alcanus In it three thousand knights well arm'd there were All resolutelie bent to trie their might Against the Greekes and everie one did beare A severall armes which was no small delight To those that stood to see them passe arraid So gallantly with banners broad displaid Then Hector cald his brother Troyelus A Knight of great desert and worthy fame And one that was so stout and valorous That every man extold him for the same To whome he gaue the charge and goverment Of those that he within the third wing sent That day against the Greekes wherein there was Three thousand braue gallant Knights that were All yong and of couragious hearts such as At other times him company did beare Who as he passed forward Hector staid And lovingly spake vnto him and said Brother quoth he my care of thee is such Moou'd therevnto by perfect amitie That though I know thy valor to be much And therein take a great felicitie For every man for it doth thee commend And shall do till this mortall world doth end Yet when I thinke vpon thy valiantnes And cald to mind thy yong and tender yeares Which commonly are given to wilfulnes I fall into a thousand kind of feares Least that thy courage fierce and violent Should make thee of thy life so negligent By over great presumption of thy might And pride of heart that it would thee perswade With ease to shun what ere on thee should light And out of all extreamities to wade Regarding neither hurt nor safety If once thy youthfull bloud should moued be Reposing trust in fortune mutable Which turns her wheele now vp then downe again And evermore is crosse and variable In warre when men thinâ—â— honour to obtaine Which causeth me full oftentimes to wake When I should sleepe and care for thee to take Fearing thy great and hastie wilfulnesse But deare and louing brother I thee pray What ere befals thee in thy hardinesse To haue regard vnto thy selfe this day And following of thy enemies take care Thou entrest not into their troopes so farre That thou canst not relieue thy selfe againe Let reason rule thy hote and furious mind And bridle thy affection with her raine Least thou an vnexpected danger find And giue our enmies cause to laugh and geere At thy so great misfortune brother deare And so beseeching Mars the God of warre This day and evermore thee to defend From all mishap and of thee to haue care Against thy Grecian foes I doe thee send To trie thy force wishing with heart to thee As to my selfe triumphant victorie To whome this valiant fierce and hardy Knight Young Troyclus whome no adversitie Could ever daunt with heart most fierce light Made answere with most great humilitie And yet with countnance glad ioyfull cheare Saying my Lord and my good brother deare I ft please the Gods I will to you obay And what advise so ere of gentlenesse To me you giue and shall command or say I will the same fulfill with readinesse For t is not my desire nor my intent T' infringe one point of your commandement But willingly with heart t' effect the same As farre as in my power it lyeth to doe So loath I am for to incurre the blame Of any disobedience shewed to you And truth to say my heart it sore would grieue And therewithall of Hector tooke his leaue And forth he road so like a valiant Knight Amongst his men and entred in the field With so great grace that t' was a goodly sight To looke on him who on an axure shield Three Lyons passant on 't did brauely beare And gainst the Greeks road forward without feare Young Troylus gone Prince Hector did ordaine The fourth ward and
not greatly care Though rude I be vnto you to declare In simple tearmes such as my wit doth yeeld Which to say truth are rusticall and plaine What order Agamemnon in the field That day did take his battaile to ordaine On Grecians side as having no intent That any man should find him negligent For t' was no time as then for him to sleepe Therefore with all the speed he could devise He did prepare that day the field to keepe As he was valiant politicke and wise Against his foes twentie six battailes great Which he in ranks most orderly did set The government whereof he did commit Vnto such puissant Kings and Princes braue As he for valor thought to be most fit To take that charge the first whereof he gaue Vnto a Prince of honor great and fame Which Gâ—idâ— saith Patroclus had to name Which was compos'd of Myrmidons most strong And puissant Knights that came from Thessalie And onely to Achilles did belong And with them ioynd the same to fortifie Such Knights as he himselfe did thither bring All strongly arm'd And with this valiant wing He was the first that on the Grecians lide Began the fight against their enemie The cause why he the Myrmidons did guide Was for because Achilles then did lie Sore wounded in his tent and came not outâ— That day for that his Surgions were in doubt If he should stirre his wounds that were so sore And very greene would festar ranckle bleed And trouble and torment him more and more Which to prevent it was by them decreed To keepe his bed and for to ease his paine To lie therein till they were whole againe And so vnto Patroclus did commend His Knights because he was of royall bloud And his assured true and perfect friend Exceeding rich and much esteemd for good And great discretion wit and curtesie And one in whom he wholly did relie For twixt them both there was such entire loue Affection great and perfect amitie That nothing could out of their hearts remoue The constant and assur'd fidelity Which mutually they did t'each other beare Whereby their hearts together linked were And knit in one as they were bound together For will and wealth was one betwixt them both And what so ere the one did or the other It was confirmd on either side as loath To moue dislike or discontentment breed Twixt them that had resolu'd full decreed To liue die true friends in heart mind Which to their ends they strictly did maintaine The second ward to Menon was assignd Who in that war great honor did obtaine And to the worthy King Idumenes To whome was ioynd a Duke cal'd Menestes With full three thousand men well furnished And all th' Athenian Knights in armour bright The third by King Ascalaphus was led And Philomene his Son a worthy Knight Who both in proud and stately wise together Conducted those that froÌ„ Cuman came thither King Archelaus the fourth ward did command And with him was Securidan the stout And Prothenor who with that warlike band All three together valiantly went out Against their foes had within the same None but the Knights that from Boâ—tia came King Menelaus a worthie Prince was made Conductor of the ward next following And lift in talâ— which in it onlie had The Knights which he did thither with him bring From Sparta and the Isles about the same Who likewise as his subiects thither came And of the battaile next and sixt the King Epistrophus was chiefe Commander made And with him stout King Gelidus to bring The same into the field which in it had The Knights that came out of the famous Isle Which by the Geeekes is called Fordessle The seventh battaile next ensuing led By worthie famous Thelamon Aiax King Of Salamine was onely furnished With Knights that he vnto the siege did bring And with them were foure Earles of high degree Whose names I find the storie saith to bee Theseus the first the next was Doxeus Polixarie the third the fourth was he That all men called stout Amphimacus The eight ward Agamemnon did decree Should by the King cald Thoas forth be led With many Knights well arm'd and furnished The ninth ward Cileus Aliax did command The tenth was led by King Philoctetes Th'eleaventh the which next orderly did stand The most renowmed King Palamides King Naulus son of whome the Greeks did make So great account into his charge did take Before the twelfth Duke Nestor full of pride And melancholy humors in his mind A very stout and valiant Knight did ride The thirteenth to King Honux was assign'd That was Maâ—berethes Son by true dissent Who with it to the field most proudly went The fourteenth battaile that day for to guide The subtill King Ullsses was sent out And with the fifteenth ward to field did ride King Humelus a worthy Prince and stout The sixteenth vnto Duke Caribulus A Knight of great account and valorous Committed was to lead and in that band The Knights of King Prothesalus did go Whom Hector slew that day the Greeks did land T' incourage them to be reveng'd And to King Rodus was assignd the seventeene The eighteenth to the King of Occeâ—ene And of the nineteenth stout King Zanâ—â—ppus Of Lidia leader was The tweentith band Commanded was by King Amphimacus Philoctetes King of Lariffia Land The one and twentith band with him did lead The two and twentith by King Diomed. The three and twentieth Agamemnon gaue Vnto Aeneas King of Cyparie The leading and command thereof to haue That day against their Troyan enemie And with the foure and twentith ward did ride Prothecatus a King the same to guide King Carpenor of Carpadie was made Conductor of the fiue and twentith band A noble Prince that great experience had In warre and peace both on the sea and land And valiantly himselfe he did defend Vntill the Troyan warres were at an end The six and twentith battaile and the last That was sent out against the enemie King Agamemnon Generall of the hoast A puissant Prince of great authoritie Reserued for himselfe and in it led Great store of armed knights well furnished The battailes thus ordain'd the Greeks were led In order to the field where as they staid Each Prince and chiefe Commander at the head Of every band with ensignes rich displaid And streamers wavering in the wind that shone In braue and warlike wise against the sun At which time many a creast and helmet faire And richly gilt and graven there were seene Wherein great store of strange devises were And plumes of feathers yellow red and greene Blacke blew and white with other colors more And some that day for loue of Ladies bore Their favors on their Crests for to be seene And to encourage them that day to fight Couragiously as if that they had beene In presence and before their Ladies sight And dolefull noyse of Drums trumpets shrill Which with a fearefull sound the aire did
therein For then they had A custome to intombe and bury those That Princes were and richly to inclose Their bodies faire in tombes most brauely made And so Patroclus and Prothesilaus Were buried in solemne wise and lay Together yet in severall tombes and thus The Grecians in their tents without still lay While Troians in the towne likewise did stay To cure their men that wounded were in fight And to recouer health and strength againe To those that sâ—re diseased were and might Not stirre themselues for dolor griefe and paine And in that cruell fight much blood had shed And ere the two moneths truce was finished Such diligence did vse that every man Was whole and sound but Priamus the King Made so great sorrow for Cassibellan That he would not be mou'd for any thing To cease his griefe but still he sobd and wept And while the corse aboue the ground was kept He caus'd a tombe of metall curiously Ingrau'd and wrought for to be made and when T' was finished and with solemnity In Venus Temple set and placed then He held a great and stately funerall For him and there accompanied with all His Lords vnto God Mâ—â—â— were offered His honors as his helmet sword and shield And last of all his braue and gallant steed The which when as Cassandra beheld And saw how all the company did crie And made great mone and sighed bitterly For him and with great lamentation For all their friends that likewise had been slaine And lost their liues in fight before the towne She was so grieu'd that she could not refraine To cry and sayd alas and well away That ere we saw this cursed dolefull day Oh most vnhappy wretches that you bee I st possible that ere you should indure The troubles and the woes that you shall see The which the Greeks vnto you will procure While they besiedge you round on euery side And seeke to be reuenged on your pride Most certaine t is that full well I know You can it not avoid for without doubt They will to you no grace nor mercy show But ere that many yeares shall come about They le kill and slay you cruelly each one And neuer leaue the siedge tell it be done Alas alas why do you not in time Seeke with your Grecian foes to make a peace While that the warre as yet is in the prime And fore the sword of vengeance mercilesse And old and young doth execution And brings this towne vnto destruction When all the streets therein with children small In woefull mothers armes heapt vp shall lie With gastly wounds and faces dead and pale Slaine by the Grecians furious cruelty And Maydens into Greece shall captiues goe And there bewaile in miserie and woe Their servitude and losse of this our towne That is so rich so famous and renownd Which by the Greeks shall sure be beaten downe And vtterly defaced to the ground And we perforce with patience must it beare Alas wee buy Queene Helena too deare Sith for her foule and vnadvised rape All we shall die a death most pittious Yong old rich poore not any one shall scape The wrath of them shall be so furious Gainst vs and ours and there 's no remedy But onely death to end our miserie And thus did she with pittious noyse and cry Forewarne the King her bretheren and all Within the towne into what miseries By pride and their presumption they should fall And like to one that 's mad in every street Run vp and downe told it all she meet Till Priamus her furious mood to stay Did cause her to be shut in prison fast And bound with chaines and in that sort she lay Close kept the while the Grecians siege did last And could not once be heard for no man would Belieue nor credite her though truth she told For neither wisedome nor discretion Counsell nor wit advise nor providence Truth reason nor yet good perswasion Can ought availe whereas no audience Is given thereto For were man nere so wise In counselling by wisedome or advise And could by perfect art and learning know What could in time hereafter come to passe And would the same vnto the world foreshow The obstinate would count him but an asse For counsell with a foole prevaileth nought Nor truth likewise how deare so ere t is bought As we may by Cassandra see full well Who though she did such wholesome counsell giue To them of Troye and did the truth foretell Of their decay they would her not belieue But cast her into prison Where a while I le leaue her to the Greeks to turne my stile And now will shew how king Palamides While that the Greeks these two months still did lie Was so possest with envies foule disease That he disdaind and grudged scornfully At all the Grecian Princes that gaue voyce And of King Agamemnon made their choyse To be the chiefe and Generall of that hoast And of so many Kings and Princes great That there assembled were from every coast Throughout the world and said he was not meet Nor worthy of so great authority And that himselfe of greater dignity Among the Grecaâ—â—ns was and bare more sway Then ere he did and fore them all dem'd To follow him or his command t' obay And said he would no longer there abide To yeeld to him the least subiection Sith he was not at his election Affirming that when choise of him they made There was no more but three Kings present there That thereto gaue consent and voyces had And thirtie Kings at least then absent were And therefore swone it was not his intent Nor will that he should haue that government Here may you see and perfectly behold What mischiefe breedeth by contention Mong Princes and Commanders great that shold Agree in one without dissention But envie and desire of rule is cause That makes men breake the God of peace his laws This cursed vice is cause of troubles great And mischiefes that in many Countries bee For when in Princes hearts it once doth get And maketh them contend and disagree That Kingdome cannot prosper nor encrease Till they agree againe and liue in peace The which the Greeks considering well forbare To giue consent vnto Palamides And wisely sought by good advise and care To stop the course of envies sore disease And wrought so well with him that in the end He was content t' agree and not contend With them therein but willing was to yeeld Vnto their choyse and did from strife surcease But now I le shew how they did meet in field On either side againe when as the peace Was ended and their battails did ordaine Before the towne of Troye vpon the plaine The truce expyr'd King Agamemnon made A muster of the Greeks in generall And with all speed assoone as ere he had Pervsed them he did the Princes call Together vnto him and forth of hand Appointed vnto every one a band By them to be conducted
cruelly as I the signes can show Most furiously the same didst hac and hew Whereby mine armes that forged are of steele When thou with puissant force on theÌ„ dist smight Could neuer yet assure my corps so well But that thy trenchaÌ„t blade through theÌ„ would 〈◊〉 Into my flesh full deepely and profound As well appeares by many a mortall wound Which in the same are now both long and wide And at this time full sorely ake and smart And put me to such paine on euery side For which as now it seemeth that my heart Doth rise swell beat and pant when I thee see With great despight reuengd on thee to bee And is so full repleat with furious rage And rancor old with such extreamitie That by no meanes it never will asswage Till with my hands thy death I giue to thee But one thing doth torment me most of all Which is when I vnto remembrance call And with my selfe in mind expostulate How to content thy fierce and bloody will With trenchant blade thou diddest separate Patroclus corps in twaine and didst him kill Whom I did loue with heart and mind intire And vnto him so great good will did beare That as my selfe I must the truth confesse I loued him and such affection Vnto him had as no tongue can expresse And thou thereby didst make division Twixt him and me that liu'd and lou'd together Like brethren twaine and so had done for euer While life endur'd for that betwixt vs twaine Our faithfull hearts were knit to fast together As if they had been linked in a chaine No griefe nor no adversity could sever Our hearts and thoughts how great soere it was Till by his death thou broughtst the same to pas And by that meanes our faith full loue didst part Whose death so deepe in printed in my thought So sore doth griue and vex me at the heart That I protest it shall be dearely bought And 't may be if I reckon not amisse Before this present yeare expired is For be assurd that onely for his sake When Fortune shall afor'd the time to do 't Revenge by cruell death on thee I le take And thereof make account and looke well to 't For if I liue it shall be surely don WheÌ„ thou shalt haue no means the same to shun For right requires that sith by death thou wert The cause and meane to part two louer true Death should to thee be rendred for desert Which I my selfe will giue thee as thy due That all the world through out may thereof know And heare how that Achilles kild his foe To be revenged for Patroclus death And though that I doe hate thee for the same And will as long as I on earth doe breath Thou hast no cause nor reason me to blame For well I wot thou hast my death conspird And many a day the same in heart desird So that to end this strife I tell thee plaine Nought els but cruell death shall vâ—â—pâ—â—r bee For till thou I or both of vs be slaâ—â—â— It shall not cease The which I hope to see Ere it be long for sure it shall be dâ—â— By me or thee the which thou shalt not shun When Hector had Achilles speech well hard And giuen him leaue to tell so long a â—ale As he that for the same full little card With countenance glad and yet with anger pale He did thereto reply and answer made Vnto the same and thus to him he sayd Achilles thou no maruell oughst to haue That as thou saist I doe thy death conspire And howrely the same of fortune craue As th' onely thing which I in heart desire And that to kill thee still I he in wait Because to thee I beare so deadly hate For if in mind thou didst consider well The sentence graue which verity doth proue And vnto vs for certaine truth doth tell That neither I nor any man can loue Nor any kind of fauor show to one That dayly seeketh my confusion And me and mine to vanquish and destroy With deadly hate and great presumption Besieged hath the noble towne of Troy To bring vs wholly to destruction Not can I any cause nor reason find That in my heart I should to him be kind Nor loue nor fauor him in any thing That seekes my death For loue doth neuer breed Of bloody warre and strife nor yet doth spring From fowle and deadly hate but doth proceed And takes her first and true originall From faithfulnesse which is the principall And onely cause that makes mens hearts t' agree And neuer from true faith and loue to start But doth them still preserue in vnitie Of words and will desire mind and hart And neither life nor death can loue disseuer For faithfull loue continueth true for euer But hatred and dissention is contrary From whence proceeds and followes as we see When as mens hearts and minds dissent varry Nought els but rancor strife and enâ—â—itie Whe which once bred makes men proceed so far That at the last they fall to mortall warre The which all loue cleane vanisheth away But nerethelesse I will that thou shalt know That whatsoeuer thou to me dost say In proud and vaunting words and makest show As if that thou wouldst doe that vnto mee Which while thou liust shal neare be don by thee I care not whatsoere thou dost or sayst For without bost hereof I thee assure When as thou hast don all that ere thou â—â—yst If that this warre long twixt vs doth indure I hope if that it be my chance to liue The Grecians so to terrifie and grieue That thou and they full well shall find and feele How with my trenchant blade when we shall meet I le hac and hew their armors made of steele And beat them downe and tread them vnderfeet And thine and all their pride so much will daunt That if you stay and still these warres doe haunt I le make you all repent your comming here For this I know and well assured am That th' onely thing as plainely doth appeare For which vnto this towne you hither came Proceeds of pride and indiscretion Els would you not with such presumption A thing of such importance take in hand As is the siedge of this our towne so great Which able is your forces to withstand And you and yours from thence by force to beat For th' enterprise I tell you true and plaine Is ouer hard and heavy to sustaine And will because to make you all in fine As hauty and as stout as now you seeme To leaue your pride and lowly to decline And stoop vnto the burthen which you deeme To be but very easie small and light With your no little shame and great despight And this I say Achilles vnto thee That whensoeuer thou dost me assayle Death shall vnto thy selfe be giuen by mee Before that thou against me shalt prevaile To do the thing wgich thou so easie deem'st Though of thy selfe thou nere so
them valiantly And put them to most great extreamitie And till we haue destroid them neuer cease Meane time we le send vnto King Priamus A messenger for to entreat with him for peace For two moneths space if he will graunt it vs Whereto I doe not doubt but he 'le agree Sith for his good as well as ours t will bee For he thereby may libertie obtaine To celebeate the funeralles of those Dead Troians that within the field lie slaine And serue for food to beast and carrion Crowes And such a shincke into the aire doe cast That t'cannot chuse but breed the plague at last And we the while may doe the same likewise And heale our wounds and giue our bodies rest And so when they had all agreed by good aduise Considered of his speech and found it best For them to do 't They did thereto consent And presently a messenger was sent To Troy for truce which graunted was full soone By Priamus and he returned againe With speed and made to them relation What he had done while he did there remaine And for that truce their counsell brake vp so And euery one vnto his tent did go And while the truce endur'd and they lay still And leisure had to thinke on their estate Pallamides whose heart began to fill And swell with pride disclaine and deadly hate Grutch in his mind that King Agamemnon Because he had the sole dominion And ore the Grecian house was Generall And for that cause did envy him so much And into such a great conceit did fall Of his owne worth that he began to grutch And murmured with indignation At him and in his furious passion Did seeme to vse such tearmes to his disgrace That all that heard the same might easily know What he did meane and yet he let it pas As thought he made no account thereof in show Till in the end that King Agamemnon Who was a Prince of great discretion Did heare thereof and knowing his intent Determind with him selfe to moue the same Vnto the Grecian Princes in his â—enâ— And when they all together thither came And orderly were set That worthy King Agamemnon a Prince in euery thing So cercumspect so wise and prouident So temperate demure and vertuous So prudent well advisd and patient And neuer giuen to be malicious Although he knew Pallamides intent And saw how much his heart to pride was bent With decent tearmes and great discretion As he that could well frame and tell his mind And so restraine the same from passion And hastines or any other kind Of bad behauiour or vnseemelinesse That nothing past but with advisednesse Out of his mouth as first considered Within his heart with great sincerity And neither for affection nor for dread Would seeme to breake the bonds of modesty Nor in his speeches superfluously let pas One word or sentence that vnseemely was He first saluted all his company And when he had causd silence to be made In seemely wise and in great curtesie He spake vnto Pallamides and sayd You need not King Pallamides said he As I suppose if you advised be To muse oâ— grutch that I am Generall Of our great hoast if you considered How I attaind thereto by choise of all The Princes here and that t' was offered To me by full and free Election And not hy any composition By me or any for me to procure The same in my behalfe once giuen or made For there of in my heart I am most sure No such ambitious thought I euer had Nor neuer dreamt of any such pretence But am most cleare thereof in conscience Which neuer moued was with such vaine glory As to aspire or any waies contest For this estate which is but transitory Though I must say that I haue done my best To see and looke that all things might be well And for the good of this our common wele And also that I had a speciall care As t is my charge while I the same do hold Of every mans estate particular And euer an indifferent eye did hold To all degrees of persons high or low To help them in their need when I did know That they had need of ayd and day and night Was alwaies moued with great carefulnes And speciall heed as much as ere I might To see that none did fall into distresse And such a iealous eye thereto I had That in my heart I was exceeding glad To do the best I could to please each one And that no man should at me take offence Nor haue in me the least suspition Of envy sloath or any negligence In my estate but euer more desir'd To doe my best as time and place requir'd For euery man without exception And therefore I assure my selfe full well That in the hoast there is not any one Of high or low estate that I can tell That can or may accuse me certainely Of falsehood or of partiality In his behalfe for I haue alwaies had So great a care to nourish vnitie And friendship mong you all that I was glad To see you liue in loue and amitie So that till now I am full well assur'd That while I in this office haue endur'd No such occasion hath been ministred And all the Gods well know I neuer feard Nor cared though you had determined An other in my place to haue preferd And giuen him the soueraintie And let me liue at ease and libertie In quietnes of mind as many more Great Lords and Princes here amongst you may That I might with my whole desire and power Fight for our common weale both night and day And ere in this our quarrell if so be It please the Gods it should so hap to me Which for my part I speake and doe not faine For t' were no boot for me herein to lie And where you say and thereof do complaine That I was chosen without your priuitie T is true indeed as euery man can tell You were not here if you remember well Nor came not hither vnto Troy well nere After that we our voyage had begun And planted this our siedge in two whole yeare And for to let so long time ouer-run To stay till you had come it might perchance Haue been to vs a mighty hinderance And extreame hurt for if that we had staid And laine so long at Athens still for you As by your selfe it cannot be denaid It 's like we had remained there till now And where you did esteem't vncredible And held it for a thing impossible For Grecians to presume in any wise Without the ayd and helpe of yours and you To take on them so great an enterprize It 's nothing so as you see plainely now For they without offence to you be 't sayd By force and power without you or your ayd Performed haue with most victorious hand And by their valor great and worthines Great matters both by water and by land And where you thinke and say of me no lesse
Without all doubt or contrariety For in her was his whole felicitie And when the three daies foresaid ended were Achilles vnto Hecuba straight sent His messenger againe of her t' inquire What Priam sayd concerning his intent To whom she told at large what had been don And how that she the King thereto had won And Paris likewise to consent thereto As also that her selfe well willing was With them t' agree and graunt it should be so If he could find the meanes to bring 't to pas That peace betweene them as he said he would Perpetually for euermore should hold The which she sayd he must first bring about And sure and perfect make in each condition And then he should not need to stand in dout Of speeding in his loue with expedition Wherewith Achilles messenger content Out of the towne vnto his maister went To whom he told the answere that was made By Hecuba to him wherewith well pleas'd And seeing that no other way he had But peace whereby he might of griefe be eas'd He purposed to bring the same t' effect And did no time nor any meanes neglect To find a way t' impart the same vnto The Greeks the which while he did goe about Supposing certainely that they would do The same for him and yet thereof did doubt At last into a desperate mind he fell And did perswade himselfe in heart full well That he the power had to worke his will And that without all cause of doubt or feare The Grecians would most redily fulfill His mind and graunt to that he should require And in that sort he did himselfe perswade All should fall out as he devised had According to his will and fantasie As louers vse to doe Who whatsoere They take in hand thinke it must certainely Fall out though nere s'impossible it were So much their minds with folly are possest And so Achilles did set downe his rest And was in hope his mind to satisfie Supposing that for his great worthines His mighty strength and his actiuitie His high renowne and passing valiantnes Whereof with no small pride great boast â—â—e made And in himselfe therefore much glory had The Grecians would be in dispaire and feare For euer winning Troy if he withheld His helping hand and that by him they were Forsaken when they went into the field And would at last and onely for his sake The siedge of Troy and all their warre forsake Vnlesse that he among them still did stay To helpe them till that they had made an end And for that cause he made no more delay But did procure Pallamides to send For all the Lords vnto his tent to know What vnto them he did intend to show And when that they assembled were together Achilles spake and sayd as you shall heare My Lords sith it hath pleas'd you to come hither And that at my request you summond were Let me desire you without offence To tell my mind before this audience I know sayd he that for the prouidence The wisedome and the great discretion The valor mighty force and sapience The honour wealth and excellent renowne Wherewith you are endowed your worthy name From East to West is spread by trompe of Fame But nerethelesse that these things doe belong Of right to you yet this I must you tell That though that you be nere so huge and strong As truth to say you doe in force excell All Nations yet if you doe consider The very cause wherfore you are come hither You must confesse and so it will be found That you in this your quarrell had no right Nor reason wherevpon you might it ground For sure it is most euident to sight Of euery man that beares an vpright hart That you herein did play a foolish part Without forecasting with advisednes What cause you had to make this mortall warre For when as we by foolish hastines Did come out of our countries so farre Into the Troian land our liues to venter Against our foes The quarrell we did enter At that same time into as euerie one Of vs well knows was for the iniurie And to revenge the priuate cause alone Of Menelaus for who can it denie That th'ravishing of Helena his wife Was th' onely cause of all the warre and strife Betweene vs and the Troyans which as now We do maintaine with great hostilie And for the which we all haue made a vow To sacke the towne of Troy with ieopardie Of life and goods and for that cause haue left Our Countries and our Cities and bereft Our children and our wiues of all delight And ioy make them mourne in great distresse While we remaine here in the field to fight Against our foes in griefe and heauinesse Assailed and enclos'd on every side With enemies and nought but death abide For sith the time that this our warre began Which onely of meere pride we do maintaine It hath vs cost the life of many a man Of great and meane account that now are slaine Who might haue liu'd at home in wealth ioy If they had not come hither vnto Troy To loose their liues by their owne wilfulnesse Here in this place with great extreamitie And for my part I must in truth confesse That by the Troyans force and crueltie So much bloud I haue lost since we began This warre that it hath made me pale wan And not long since I had a wound againe Which Hector with a Dart did giue to me Vpon the thigh that day that he was slaine Which put me to so great extremitie That it hath made me long in bed to lie To heal't and yet I doubt thereof to die I ft be not quickly cur'd for t is yet greene And very sore and puts me to great paine With many other wounds that yet are seene Vpon me still which make me oft complaine And truth to say if it considered were We should not buy Queene Helena so deare As for her t'hazard life and lim and all Our honors and our worldly goods and fame The which vnto vs quickly may befall If we haue not regard vnto the same And in our minds consider not how much This doubtfull warre for Helen doth vs tuch For if that we our reckning rightly make And call to mind what alteration Hath falne since we the same did vndertake And what destruction of our warlike Nation Hath for her sake been made yet much more Dishonor we are like to haue therefore And to incurre for as it doth appeare Although we do still hold this siege so long In fine if that we do continue heare It will to vs because of greater wrong And more and more redownd vnto our shame If order be not taken for the same Which may be if that we on either side Together would agree with one consent That Helena in Troy shall still abide And that King Menelaus would be content To take another wife and let her go That to him doth her selfe vnfaithfull
shoe Which he by law and without blame mya take And be diuorst from Helena sith she So shamelesly in Greece did him forsake For Paris and commit adulterie Thereby with foule disgrace vnto her name And truth to say to her perpetuall shame For many great examples extant be And through the world are to be heard seene How that for filthie foule adulterie Great Princes from their wiues divorst haue beene And therefore it can be no preiudice If for that most accursed sinfull vice King Menelaus doth iustlie her forsake And of another wife doth make his choise The which of him much more account will make Whereto if that you all will giue your voice T' will for our good be cause this warre to end Wherein our liues and blood we vainly spend And likely is if it continue long To cost much more both of our liues and bloud For Troy is so invincible and strong And furnished with worthy Knights and good And in so great a number that though wee Should stay here still the vttermost to see We neuer should be able to attaine To that we do pretend and so desire And therefore sith t is so it were in vaine For vs to stay and proudly to aspire With wilfulnes to that we cannot get But rather let 's our minds on reason set And thinke more of our profit then our glorie And wisely in good time withdraw our power While honor graceth vs with victorie Sith we cannot make fortune if she lower To stay her wheele which is so variable And therefore ere she waxeth mutable And doth begin on vs to change her cheere Let vs leaue off the warre and liue in peace And go our way and stay no longer heere For better t is from bloodie warre to cease While we may doo 't so our honor saue For of the warre th' advantage yet we haue For all men know that by our valor great Our principallest foe Prince Hector's slaine My counsell therefore is we should not let Th' advantage goe while we do still retaine Our honor and ere fortune gins to lower And seekes to crosse vs by her mighty power With one consent and sole opinion Of heart and mind we should no more soiourne Hold at this siege but let vs euery one With speed into our natiue Land returne For if that we our quarrell still maintaine Which now so long hath held I tell you plaine I am in doubt great detriment will be Our shares at last Wherefore I thinke it best Our follie to reiect and ere we see Worse happen vnto vs set vp our rest To leaue the warre while as t is knowne to all We are in fame and honor peregall With them of Troy and them surpasse if we Our state he hold in his assention And while that it is in the highst degree But least some men should make obiection And say that we cannot our honor saue If we returne to Greece and cannot haue Our wills to beare faire Helen backe againe Into our natiue land for whome so many Of vs haue in this cruell warre been slaine I say if that amongst vs there be any That thinks and is perswaded in his mind If we go hence and leaue her here behind It will to our most great dishonour bee I say that it to vs can be no shame If that into the depth there of we see Sith we haue one for honor and for fame As great as she and by her birth as good For she descends of high and royall blood As all you know the Princesse Exion King Priams sister who against their will In Greece is holden by King Thelamon As Helen is by Paris gainst our will And therefore sith it now can be no other My counsell is to set th' one gainst the other And all the wrath and envie that doth rest Betweene vs and the Troyans to appease The which I thinke and know would be the best For vs and them and for our good and ease Which otherwise said he will never end If you vnto my counsell will not bend To whome with extreame wrath King Menelaus Who with Achilles words did seeme most tucht And Thoas also and Duke Menestes Who likewise at his insolency grucht All with one voyce vnto Achilles spake And into mightie choller gainst him brake And with them all the rest impatientlie The Court perturb'd and did begin to fall Into great words much vnadvisedlie Against Achilles and at last said all They would not to his counsell then consent Nor to make peace in any wise were bent Wherewith Achilles full of wrath and ire The which did seeme to burne within his heart To see they would not grant to his desire Did sodenlie vpon his feet vp start And in a furie great did go away And said he would no longer mongst them stay Nor aid nor succor them in any wise What need so euer they of him should haue To fight against their Troyan enemies And to his men a speciall charge he gaue To see they did not aid the Grecians In any wise against the Troyans When so euer they to battaile forth should go In which his resolution firmely standing He did a while himselfe so constant show That while gainst them in that sort he was banding The Grecians many overthrows receau'd And thousands of them were of life bereau'd And while this controversie thus remaind The Grecian host great want of victuals had Whereby as then much hunger they sustaind For which mongst them great muttring there was For at that time they were so much distrest made For want of food that they were sore opprest Till that their Generall Palamedes To remedie the same a Court did call Of all the Princes in the host t' appease Their murmuring and by consent of all That then assembled were did order take A fleet of ships in readinesse to make Whereof the King Agamemnon should be Commander and with speed with them should saile To Messa for some victuals if that he In that same Isle of so much could prevaile As need requird for their necessitie To put them out of that extremitie Who being there arriu'd such favor had Of Thelaphus the King that therein raign'd That he not onlie ready was and glad To aid the Greeks therein but straight obtaind Commission presently and with all speed Of him to take as much as they should need Of euery kind of victuals in that jsle Commanding all his subiects to fulfill The same with speed and so in little while According to his pleasure and his will They made so great prouision of each thing That seru'd for food that presently the King Did fraught and fill their ships with mighty store Of victuals that so much as then they had That in them they could put nor lade no more Whereof King Agamemnon being glad He tooke his leaue of Thelaphus and so With all his ships full laden forth did go And put to sea and so with wind and weather
preserue you seeme with carelesnesse Not to respect and to obscure the light Of your renowne which euer was so cleare And through the world did shine exceeding bright In field to fight with vs you do forbeare Remember how the Grecians haue been slaine Before your tent and also in the plaine In cruell wise and euery place throughout The field and you no pittie on them take Why should you then refuse and be so stout Without a cause them whollie to forsake Who vntill now haue been their Champion Their chiefest helpe and their protection And for their sakes haue osten shedyour blood Against their foes when they with theÌ„ haue fought And by your aid not onely them withstood But their confusion valiantlie â—aue wrought And mightilie their enemies did assaile Without whose aid they may not long prevaile Against their foes no more may any one Of vs how stout and strong so ere we bee For t is you onlie that can do 't alone If that you will vouchsafe with vs t' agree To fight against the Troyans and thereto Lend vs your aid as you were woont to do And as we doubt not but you 'le grant the same To succour vs in our necessity Nâ—◠〈◊〉 for your owne perpetuall fame But to redeeme vs from extreamitie And to that end we come to you as now To craue of you your mind herein to show Whereto Achilles presentlie began Assoone as ere Ulisses ended had His tale to speake with visage pale and wan For angâ—â— and in this sort answere made Ulisses if so be our meaning were As you to me at this time do declare Of purpose and with one entire consent The famous towne of Troy to overthrow And vtterlie to spoile't and that we bent Our minds thereto and thereby meant to show Our power and might I must you plainly tell That we of truth therein haue not done well To put cur selues by indiscretion So carelesly without advisednes Into so dangerous an action To hazard the estate and happines With liues and goods of all the Chivalry Of Greece that put the same in ieopardy For little cause or none the truth to tell For hath â—ot many a worthie King and Knight Who both in fame and honor did excell Consum'd his wealth and lost his life in fight Here in this siege that might haue liu'd in peace And honor still if he had staid in Greace For hath not King Pallamides been slaine But now of late whose life was of more worth Then all the cause for which we here remaine And hold this dangerous siege to tell the troth And many other Knights and Princes great That on both sides are here together met To shew their puissant valor and their might And to attaine to honor and to fame Haue lost their liues vnhappily in fight And many more are like to do the same If that long time this cruell warre doth last For euery day the number lesneth fast Both on the Greeks and Troyans side likewise So that if this most cruell rage and mood Continue long and in such furious wise If that it be not otherwise withstood It 's likely that it will such hauocke make Of Princely bloud that clownes will vndertake To rule and gouerne here vpon the earth And of the same haue sole dominion And such as are of no degree nor birth Will Lords become when Princes there are none For is not Hector that most valiant Knight That was the onlie mirror and the light Of Chivalrie vnfortunatelie slaine In this same warre and so may I likewise Perchance be kild that neuer shall attaine To Hectors worth while light is in mine eâ—es For there 's no way deaths furious dart to shun If we vpon the point thereof will run And seeke it of our selues while we are here And therefore such a motion now to make Concerning this our warre as you require Is but in vaine for I do meane to take Another course and in this bloudy strife No more to stand in hazard of my life For I had rather to impaire my name Then wilfully to die or to be slaine Thereby to be eternized by fame For honor after death is but a vaine And needlesse thing and soone is set aside For though that fame be spred both far wide Obliuion and forgetfulnes may soone Impaire't by tract of times length of daies And make thereof a wrong conclusion For that the fame of Knighthood and the praise Of honor wisedome and of worthines Of freedome bounty and of gentlenes Of vertue and of euery other grace Wherewith a man is in this world endowd Forgetfulnesse can darken and deface And in oblivions mantle doth them shrowd And with a false report maliciously Doth crop the Palmâ— of worthy Chivalrie And therefore for my part I do intend Such folly now to leaue and henceforth liue In peace and all mine actions thereto bend And for that cause this counsell to you giue To make a peace with Troyans if you may And therein do no longer time delay Before that further mischiefe doth arise And cruell death should chance to be your share And therefore good my Lords if you be wise Of this my counsell see you take some care This is said he my purpose and intent Which you may show to him that hath you sent With which his resolute conclusion Ulisses Diomede and Nestor went Vnto their Generall Agamemnon And vnto him declared the intent And answere of Achilles which he made To them as I before vnto you said And there vpon he presently did call The Princes of the Greeks vnto his tent And when they were assembled to them all Did show whereto Achilles mind was bent And that he was desirous of a peace With them of Troy that all their warre might cease Refusing flatlie t' enter in the field With them against the Troyans any more And for that cause a counsell with them held To know of them what will thereto they bore And what therein they did intend to do Sith that the case with them as then stood so Whereto the first of them that did reply Was Menelaus who with an angry mood Began to chafe and flatlie did denie To make a peace and therein boldlie stood And said that it was never his intent By any meanes thereto to giue consent Sith that the towne of Troy was in such need And at the brinke of their destruction Now Hector and Deiphobus both were dead That whilome were their sole protection So that they might all comfort cleane reiect And nothing else but cruell death expect And therefore flatlie said without all feare Though that Achilles will vs helpe no more The burthen of our enterprise to beare We need not any whit to doubt therefore But that without him we shall overthrow Our enmies by our force as well I know Whereto Ulisses speedilie repli'd And Nestor both of one opinion And gainst his false assertion iustifi'd That touching peace whereof the motion As
for feare did shake And sayd to him how can you now sustaine And beare this great and cruell iniurie To soe your men before your face thus lie Dead on the ground and slaine in cruell wise Within your tent and take therof no heed But stay still here when as your enemies Haue sworne and with full intent decreed To kill you thus disarmed as you stand If by your mighty force and puissant hand You doe them not resist and valiantly Shew forth your courage and ere hence they passe Requite them for the extreame cruelty Which they haue showd to vs herein this place Which when Achilles heard with furious ire Which in his brest did burne as hot as fier He armd himselfe and soming like a Bore Forgetting that whereof so much he drempt And thought vpon vnto himselfe he swore To be reuengd for loue was cleane exempt Out of his mind and Pollicene also For whom he had endured so great wo And for her beauty felt such griefe in hart Vpon the Troians for their crueltie That suddenly vpon his feet he start And calling for his horse road speedily Into the field where in short space he had So great a slaughter of the Troians made And did so furiously vpon them set For like a greedy woolfe that seeks for pray He kild and spared none that with him met Or that durst him witstand along the way Whereas he road That in a little space He made the Troians flie before his face And shun his sword all died with their blood Wherewith he had so many of them slaine For there was none that him as then withstood But he was soone layd dead vpon the plaine Till Troielus that by fortune did behold How he the Troians slew with courage bold Ran at him with most great and puissant force Whose comming when Achilles did espie He likewise spurd his strong and gallant horse And ran at him with like dexteritie And met together with such puissant might That each the other to the ground did smight Both pierced in their brests but differently Achilles with a wound most daungerous Whereof he was constrained long to lie Within his tent to heal't but Troielus A little prickt and so that day till night And six daies more ensuing they did fight And neuer ceast in furious wise to kill And to destroy each other valiantly And in that time great store of blood did spill Vnto no little damage certainely On either side for many a worthy Knight Was brought vnto his end with great despight In that same time But cause I doe not know Their names nor of what dignities they were For Guydo in his Booke doth it not show To write them I must likewise now forbeare And let their names and titles with them die And in obliuion rest perpetually But when King Priamus was certified How fierce Achilles in the field had been That day to fight and thereby falsified His promise made for loue of Pollicene Sore grieud he was and did himselfe perswade Achilles with his words had him betraid But truth to say t' was neither fraud nor guile Nor any treason secretly decreed But heat of loue which lasteth but a while Which for that time did vex Achilles head And made him sweare to do more then he could And like the wind that none by force can hold Let words from his dissembling mouth be heard Contrary vnto that he ment to do The which a man that 's wise should not regard And make as though he gaue no eare thereto For though Achilles had tofore been gotten In Cupids snare he had it then forgotten And card not in his furie to displease His Lady whom so much he seemd to flatter He had not any will the warre to cease As he had sayd but cleane contrary matter Was in his head then he made shew to meane And promist to the Queene and Pollicene And for that cause King Priam did vpbraid And cast her in the teeth with light conceit Of false Achilles loue wherein she layd Her trust whereas he ment nought but deceit For which she was sore grieud because that shee Did to the Queene her mothers will agree To marry with Achilles to th' intent That by her meanes and marriage there might be A peace for euer made But t' was not ment By trecherous Achilles for when he Was healed of his wounds he did deuise And in his traitrous heart a way surmise To be reuengd on Troielus who still Stake deepely in his cruell heart and mind If that he might haue meanes t' obtaine his will And him at some aduantage take or find Such hatred in his heart to him he bare That day and night he tooke no other care Nor set his mind vpon no other thing But onely how to quench the burning fier Of enuy gainst him borne and how to bring The same t'eflect according t' his desire For he had sworne and bound it with a vow That Troielus should die he card not how Nor by what meanes by his hand and none other And to that end with purpose fully bent T effect his will he cald his Knights together And when they were assembled in his tent One morning when the Grecians forth did go Into the field with braue and warlike sho To fight against their Trâ—â—â— enemy Who in like sort out of the towne were come With all their force the Grecian to defie And ready stood with sound of fearefull drume And trumpets shrill to call and to invite The Grecians to a fierce and cruell fight He did to them of Troielus complaine For th' iniuries that he to him had done And prayed them that they would take the paine That day to let all other things alone And onely watch on Troielus to hold And to enclose him round if that they could In midst of them and when they had don so In furious wise t'assayle him altogether And not by any meanes to let him go But yet to saue his life till he came thither That with his sword alone he might him kill To satisfie his fierce and cruell will Lo here the valor of this worthy Knight Who enviously with rancor and in pride By treason and with rage and great despight All honor and true Knight-hood layd aside Doth seeke to kill a worthier Knight then he Alas that ere such trechery should be Within the heart of any man aliue That doth professe to be a valiant Knight And honor seekes to win and to achiue Most valiant acts and who is bound by right And law of armes while life in him doth rest All falsehood and fowle treason to detest And to maintaine all truth and equitie For now he doth in secret wise conspire The death of him by great disloyalty That onely vnto honor did aspire And he that was the braust and worthiest knight That euer ware or put on armor bright But that which by Gods will ordained is Though nere so much men seeke it to withstand
Must fall out in the end and cannot mis. The which his Myrmidons did take in hand And promised to do as he had sayd And so no longer time therein delaid But went into the field where Troielus With all the Troian troopes did ready stand Who valiantly with heart couragious And with his strong and trenchant blade in hand Vpon the Grecians set and of them made Such hauocke that in little time he had So many of them slaine and ouerthrowne And furiously sore wounded euery where As he amongst them road and past that none Of them durst stand against him and appeare Before his face and did so hotly chase And kill and beat them downe in euery place That they began for feare of him to flie So that despight of all the Greeks he won The field of them and with such crueltie Pursued them that ere it was full noone That day he had constraind them to retire To saue their liues and shun his furious ire Till that Achilles Myrmidons began T' inclose him round about on euery side And with most great despight vpon him ran And he to them in furious wise did ride And though alone he was amongst them all Like Lyon fierce vpon them he did fall And in such furious wise did them assayle And valiantly to kill them did not cease That in short space he did so much preuaile Gainst them that he their number did decrease For some he slew out right and some he bore Downe to the ground some he wounded sore And some he maim'd and some he cleft in twaine And hackt and hewed them most cruelly And did the fight so valiantly maintaine Against them all with such dexterity That they could not his hautie heart subdue But still he seem'd his courage to renew And them with force and valor great t'assayle And by no meanes to giue them any rest But what could all his power and strength preuaile When as he was so mightily opprest And that three thousand knights did neuer cease In furious wise vpon him still to presse And more and more on euery side him held At such a bay that cowardly in th' end They kild his horse whereby he was compeld To fight on foot and yet he did defend Himselfe so valiantly that they well felt The puissant blowes which he amongst them delt But nerethelesse he was so sore beset That all he did could him no whit prevaile By any meanes from midst of them to get For they did him so furiously assayle That mauger his most puissant force might Off from his head they did his helmet smight And hackt and heawd his armor in such wise That naked both with head and necke he stood In midst of all his furious enemies Without reliefe Yet like a Lyon wood He shewd himselfe a valiant Champion And neuer ceast to smight and beat them down And to withstand them mightily and long Disarmed as he was till in the end Achilles entring in amongst the throng Of Myrmidons where Troielus did defend Himselfe gainst them fought with courage bold Whom when he did in such a case behold Sore wearied with fighting and in need Of ayd as then with extreame cruelty Ere Troilus of him tooke any heed Behind him fiercely road and cowardly Smot off his head and not contented so Vnknightly his great crueltie to sho He causd his mangled body to be bound Vnto his horses tayle and in a rage Drewt after him along vpon the ground Throughout the field his choler to asswage And to content his fierce and cruell will Which tooke delight his enemies blood to spill By treason as too well it doth appeare By that disloyall act which he then wrought But he that such a traiterous heart doth beare All honor and renowne doth set at nought So that he may effect his cruelty And bad intent against his enemy But now I must a little change my stile And leaue the Greeks and Troians in the fight And vnto learned Homer speake a while Who as it seemes did take a great delight To praise Achilles for his chivalry And all the Greeks t' extoll and magnifie But Homer thou hadst need to blush for shame And to condemne thine owne partiality For magnifying of Achilles name That in thy booke extolst him to the skie Who while he liu'd was full of fraud and guile And neuer did deserue so loftie a stile I must confesse that with great Eloquence And Rethoricke thou hast set forth his praise And like a Poet of great excellence Dost say he was the best Knight in his daies Yet in one point thou greatly art to blame Without iust cause to magnifie his name And t'eleuate commend and glorifie Him with a title of such happines As that for euerlasting memorie Thou dost declare that through his worthines And Knight-hood he the honor did obtaine By his owne hand two Hectors to haue slaine One who in truth for Knight-hood did surpas All men that euer liu'd for such an other Was neuer found and Troielus that was A most renowned Knight his youngest brother Who likewise well deserued for his fame And valor great a second Hectors name If thou wast moued by affection And loue which thou dost seeme in heart to beare Vnto the valiant Greekish Nation To praise him thou shouldst not for loue nor feare Refuse to write the truth of euery thing And set aside all lies and flattering For when that he slew Hector in the field It was when he without all feare or care To ease himselfe a while had cast his shield Behind him at his backe and fore him bare A Kings dead corps before his sadle bow And of his comming did full little know For if he had perceiud his trechery Thou hadst not had the cause of him to boast As now thou hast for by his chiualry He would haue made Achilles to his cost To feele his puissant force and valor great And him besides his purpose would haue set And so he did to Troielus likewise Who being all alone enclosed round Amongst the Greeks his deadly enemies And fighting there on foot vpon the ground Disarmed head and necke in great distresse And redy for to faint with wearinesse He road behind him and most cowardly Smot off his head when he suspected least He would haue vsed him so traiterously Now iudge you all I pray at my request I ft were an act of any valiant Knight To kill a man sore wearied in fight Which he had held gainst thousands all that day And much of his most Princely blood had spent In midst of them as he stood at a bay Bare headed with his armor all most rent Cleane off his backe not able to sustaine Himselfe but in great danger to be slaine And in that case to come so cowardly Behind his backe and kill him vnawares To couer his devised trechery As one that of his honor had no care Praise him not therefore Homer for the same But
sustaine Their mightie blows but forced were againe To run out of the field discomforted Though Diomede did what he could to stay And succour them so many of them dead And wounded sorevpon the plaine then lay And cast out many a great and woefull crie The which when Duke Menestes did espie And saw what great disorder they were in And how the Troyans them so sore opprest Into the battaile fiercely did begin To enter and with mightie Launce in rest Brake through the Troyans ranks till that he was So farre that he met with Pollidamas Gainst whome at vnawares he ran so fast That with a blow which he at him let flie Vpon the ground he did him fiercely cast And while that he amaz'd thereon did lie Had slaine him if with speed he had not beene Relieu'd and rescued by King Philomen Who brauely in despight of all the force And might Menestes had did set him free And made him mount againe vpon his horse Sore bleeding and in great extreamitie Meane time fierce Thelmon Aiax carelesly Vnarmed with great pride yet foolishly Amongst the thickst of all his armed foes Nere ceast to kill and mightily to wound The Troyans and such valor great then shoes That they in heaps lay dead vpon the ground About him and none durst against him stand So fierce he was with bloudy fword in hand To kill and beat them downe still as he road And yet though in the midst of them he was And that so many thousands him with stood On euery side as he through them did passe Noâ— any part of him was perished Nor drop of bloud out of his body shed Which woonder was considering how that he Disarmed fought But when dame Fortune will Preserue and keepe man from extreamitie Nothing can hurt nor him by no meanes kill And yet when as she list shee 'le him beguile And play and sport with him a little while And sodainly when he thinkes least thereon Ore-turne her wheele and cast him on the ground As she that day did vnto Thelamon Who to his cost her most vnconstant found For as he mongst the Troyans with great pride Disarmed through their ranks did fiercely ride And many of the Persian Archers slew With heart cleane voyd of any feare or dread And more and more with furie did renew His force and to his safetie tooke no heed Paris perceauing his great hardinesse And how he did the Persian knights oppresse In great despight an arrow at him shot And with the same as he did fiercely ride Still killing all he met and spar'd them not Pierst him at vnawares into the side So deepe a wound that without remedie There was no other meanes but he must die Which when he did perceiue and saw no way T' avoid his death with heart surpriz'd with ire In furious wise he made no more delay But running through the prease with great desire To be reveng'd on Paris ere he died Sought him so long till at the last he spied Him mongst the thickst of all the Greeks in fight And vnto him with pale and deadly cheare But yet with extreame rage and great despight To thinke vpon his death that drew so neare Said Paris the wound which thou hast giuen me I know and certaine am my death will be For I do feele such extreame griefe and paine Within my heart that I am well assur'd I neuer shall returne to Greece againe And sith that thou my death hast thus procur'd I meane to giue thee such reward therefore That thou aliue to Troy shalt nere go more For as the great despight well meriteth Which thou shewst me I le make thee first to feele Ere that I die the bitter pangs of death And send thee down before me into hell And therefore make account thy glasse is run And that thou canst thy death as now not shun For here my troth I plight and firmely vow That with my sword I le make diuorse betweene Queene Helena and thee and that as now The chaine of fained wedlocke that hath beene So surelie made and knit twixt her and thee Shall now at last be cut in twaine by me And that false knot of thy adulterie Which hath beene cause such slaughter great to make And made so many valiant knights to die In this our warre and onlie for thy sake Shall be vnknitâ— for without remedy Paris said he of my hand thou shalt die And with his sword scarse able to sustaine Himselfe vpright gaue Paris such a wound That with the same he cleft his head in twaine And therewith he fell dead vpon the ground Which hauing done he likewise presently Fell downe and died to beare him company Which when the Troyans saw with dolefull cheare They tooke vp Paris body to convay The same to Troy and in a mighty feare Began to flie where all along the way The Greeks did kill pursue beat them downe Even to the walls and trenches of the towne And more had done but that it did begin To draw to night for then the Sun was downe And when the woefull Troyans were gone in And had secur'd themselues within the towne The Greeks likewise retired backe and went Vnto their Campe each man into his tent To ease themselues but ere as 't them behou'd They tooke their rest that night Agamemnon Commanded that their tents should be remou'd And set and placed neerer to the towne Not farre off from the walls and so they were Which put the Troyans in no little feare So that they durst not issue out to let And hinder them from doing it but glad To saue themselues shut fast their gates and set Watch all that night vpon the walls and made Such sorrow and so pittifully far'd For Paris death that nere the like was heard For by that meanes all Priams sons being slaine They did despaire and out of hope cleane were Of any comfort or release t' obtaine In their distresse and so possest with feare And plunged in most great extreamitie They made account there was no remedie Nor any meanes to aid themselues withall But still expecting their destruction To keepe themselues enclos'd within the wall And rampiers of their strong and mightie towne And for that cause most pittiouslie complaind And so great woe and sorrow then sustaind That nere the like was heard nor seene before But specially King Priam did so grieue For Paris death and did lament therefore So mightilie that nothing could relieue Nor comfort him and from his heart which fild With woe and care then was such teares distild And let fall downe his checkes and aged face That he did seeme as if he would haue died To tell you how in this most wofull case Queene Hecuba his mother wept and cried And what exceeding sorrow for their parts His sisters made and felt within their hearts And how they rent and tare their clothes haire And beat and smote their breasts in great distresse And all bedewd and wet
their faces faire With flouds of teares t' expresse their heauinesse Were vnto me a thing impossible And yet in truth it was not comparable To that which faire Queene Helena did make Who with a deadly cheare and wofull face Cast forth most dolefull cries for Paris sake And running furiouslie vnto the place Whereas his body lay fell flat thereon And though that it was cold as any stone Embrast it in her armes and wofully Lamenting on the same fell in a sound And likely was in that extreamitie To die and t' haue beene laid into the ground With him if those that were with her by force And strength had not pul'd her off froÌ„ the corse Wherewith she rent and tare her golden haire Like one that 's mad waxt so pale and wan That her most comelie face which was so faire Chang'd in such sort that it therewith began To looke and show like vnto ashes cold And with her hands which she did ring fold Together smote her white and deadly face And sounding fell againe vpon the ground And in her armes did Paris corse embrace And with her brinish teares did fill his wound And was so much perplexed in her mind That she could neither ease nor comfort find But rather seem'd to wish with great desire To die with him in whome her sole delight Was placed and in that most furious ire To end her daies with her most louing Knight And liue no more sith that she was bereft Of him and in such great discomfort left So that I may well say that neuer any Poore woman felt the like nor more distresse Although I could rehearse and tell of many That haue been plunged in great heauinesse As Cleopatre going to her graue And Thesbie that did come out of the caue And smote her selfe for griefe into the heart And Oristilla who no sooner spied Her Lord take shipping and from her depart Sore grieu'd for loue of him fell downe and died And Iulia that lou'd her Lord so well That sodenly dead on the ground she fell When she beheld his cloaths all dasht with blood And Portia that was so true a wife To Brutus that when as she vnderstood That he was slaine because she had no knife In readinesse to kill herselfe withall To show her loue into the fire did fall And burnt herselfe And that most noble Queene Cald Arthemisia who when she had found Her Knight Mausalus graue and there had seene His bones did take them vp out of the ground And with an heart repleat with griefe and care Vnto her Pallace solemnly them bare And beating them to powder every day Did drinke thereof till it was cleane consum'd Who with the rest aforesaid I must say And as in truth it is to be presum'd No doubt great griefe endur'd but not so much As faire Queene Helen did nor nothing such Who would haue kild her selfe for Paris sake Desiring to her graue with speed to go And rather of her life an end to make Then to liue after him she loued so And languishing in woe long time remaind And never could from weeping be restaind He that doth say that women cannot cry Deceaues himselfe for t is a thing most sure They can by nature doo 't and certainly Though they no griefe nor sorrow do endure Yet they can false and fained teares distraine Out of their eies without cause complaine I say not this Queene Helena t' accuse Of fained teares whose heart with woe was fild For then I should you with vntruth abuse For she for griefe her selfe would faine haue kild And yet it seemes she was not in such hast As she made shew for when the storme was past She soone forgot the great extreamitie That she was in for all things haue an end And every woe how great so ere it be Must passe away for follie't were to spend Long time in that which may be remedied For though that faire Queene Helen would haue died For Paris sake as then yet afterward She did repent for nature did her moue And told her that it was a thing too hard For her so soone to kill her selfe for loue She was a woman what would you haue more She thought it folly great to die therefore But I will speake no more hereof as now For it would be too long and teadious For me to shew and to declare to you Her grieuous woe and passions furious And all her dolefull lamentation The which would moue vnto compassion The hardest heart aliue to heare it told For Priam and Queene Hecuba likewise Such pitty had to see and to behold Her shead such flouds of teares out of her eies And in such fort to grieue and to complaine That they almost endured as much paine Within their hearts for her as she had had For Paris but there was no remedy But to conclude when they an end had made Of all their woe King Priam speedily Did cause a rich and costly sepulchre To be set vp in Iunoes Temple where Most sumptuóusly and in their Paynim wise His bodie was entomb'd but to declare The manner of the great solemnities Then vsed at their funerals which are So many and so diuers it would be Too long to be declared now by me CHAP. VI. ¶ How Panthasilia Queene of the Amazons comming to ayd the Troyans against the Grecians shâ—â— obtained great honor and was slaine by Pyrrhus the Soâ—â—e of Achilles KIng Priamus in doubt of his estate And brought into most great extreamity By fortune and his hard and cruell fate When he perceiu'd no other remedie Shut fast the gates of Troy and day and night Kept watch and ward as strongly as he might For all the Troyans generally were So much abasht and did such sorrow make For Paris death that they could not forbeare To weepe and waile and durst not vndertake Against the Greeks to fight nor issue out But kept within the towne in feare and doubt Expecting nought but finally to end Their daies in woe Which when the Greeks did see Agamemnon to Priamus did send A messenger t' intreat with him as he Before had done to issue with his might Out of the towne against the Greeks to fight But Priamus the motion did detest And flatly said it was not his intent To issue out of Troy at his request And that he was most resolutely bent Not once to set one foot out of the towne But when he list without compulsion And yet the cause why he so long time staid From issuing out against the Grecians Was for because he did expect some ayd From Panthasilia Queene of Amazons Who at that time was comming with great speed And mighty force to helpe him in his need Whose Countrie as some Authors say did stand Farre distant in the orientall part Twixt Asia and Europe In which Land None else but women-kind did dwell whose art And chiefe delight and onelie exercise Was managing of armes in warlike wise And valiantly into
be the way T' appease them and their furious course to stay Which hauing said Amphimachus arose Vpon his feet who grieued much to heare Anthenor speake of treatie with their foes In manner as you heard could not forbeare In presence of King Priamus t' vpbraid Him openly with treason and thus sayd Anthenor by thy speech I well perceiue That we haue little cause to trust in thee For ayd in need that so much dost deceiue Our expectations for we plainely see That Faith and troth from thee are banished And thou in 't falshood art by error led When as thou dost so variable show Where is become thy faith vnto thy Lord And due alleigance thou to him dost ow Where are thy oaths thy promises and word Which thou didst make protest and giue to be True vnto him and his posteritie All fled and gone In steed whereof thou hast Retained mutability and change Of mind opinion and of will and past The bounds of thy fidelity to change At liberty from all affection Which thou sholdst beare to him to this towne To liue and die for it if need should bee For neither faith nor troth nor sparkes of loue In thee remaines as now we plainely see When thou darst be so bold t' excite and moue The King by thy perswasions to giue eare To that which to his great dishonor were Which is to seeke a peace as if that he Did feare his foes Thou rather shouldst haue been The first that should haue proferred him to be A chiefe protector of the Citie when So ere the Greeks should seeke t'assaile the same With losse of life and lim to keepe the same But know thou well and so I thee assure That whatsoere thy meaning is to do Before we will this iniurie endure And ere they shall so far proceed thereto It shall the liues of twenty thowsand cost And many more before this towne be lost I hold thy words to be no prophesie But rather do esteeme them by good reason To be the signes and marks of trechery Of fained faith of falsehood and of treason To bring vs in subiection to our foes But though thou setst on them so faire a glose And outward show they are but meere deceit And Syrenes songs t' entrap and to beguile Vs and this towne till that our foes it get In this sort did Amphimachus reuile Anthenor for his counsell knowing well That t' was nought els but treason Till full well To pacefie his choler and to stay Them from proceeding further to a brawll Aeneas with faire words to make the way More open for their purpose and withall To smooth the matter so as if they ment Nought els but troth but t' was with false intent For he spake cleane contrary to his thought Intending onely to appease them twaine Till that he had by policie so wrought That they from futher speeches did refraine And when he saw them somewhat pacified To cloake Anthenors speeches and to hide His owne dissimulation in like ease When he had pausd a little while he sayd Vnto the King with smooth and flattering face That touching help reliefe or any ayd To be expected for the towne he thought There was none to be found that it nought Availed them to hope thereon sith they Besiedged were soclosely and so hard That they could haue no victualls any way To comfort them and wholy were debard From issuing forth as hauing not the might Against the Greeks for want of force to fight For as you know said he while that this warre Endured hath we haue consumd such store Of famous and most worthy knights that were A terror to our foes that now no more We can nor dare not issue out to fight And which is more vnto our great despight The people are so full of feare and dread That they are all perswaded ther 's noway For them but euery one to lay his head Vpon the blocke to die therefore I say Sith that the Fates for vs haue so decreed And that we now are driuen to such need If that you will be ruld by my aduise I thinke the safest way for vs wil be To parle with our foes and not be nise To make a peace with them though that it be Vnto our losse t' avoid th'extremety We may fall in sith ther 's no remedy But Priamus with face for anger pale And countnance sterne he was so moud in miâ—d Cut of Aeneas long and flattering tale And fretting at the treason he did find Lie hiden vnder it Could not refraine In furious wise to speake vnto them twaine And sayd Anthenor and Aeneas both I muse why you two should so hardy be And bold as that with breach of faith and troth You dare inuent such treason to bring me And all my subiects into extreame thrall And danger of our foes and therewithall Into dispaire by false suggestion How can or may you in your conscience find If that you well considered thereon Against your facts and oathes to be vnkind To me that of my secret counsell were And so well thought on by me that whatsoere Did passe therein it was not don without You were in presence to agree thereto But now I cannot muse how it falles out That you decline in this sort as you do From me that am of all my soones bereft And desolate of friends in manner left It makes me grieue to thinke vpon the same And much to muse that any of you can Be so vntrue and haue so little shame To do it how should I trust any man When you two are so faithlesse vnto me That ought my chiefest counsellors to be You should remember how with your consent And chiefely by your counsell and aduise Paris by me was into Grecia sent With many ships and men in warlike wise And thou Anthenor knowst full well also That fore he went thou didst Ambaster go Vnto the Greeks to fetch home Exion If by faire meanes we could bring them thereto And after that thou madst the motion And was the cause that Paris then did go With warlike force to Greece and this is true For thinke you that without aduise from you I would with such a power haue sent him thither Or haue assayld the Grecians in their land Vnlesse that you had mou'd me to 't together No surely it had nere been tane in hand And you your selues if you be well aduisd Cannot deny but that it was deuisd And put in execution through you twaine Especially for when as Paris went To Cithera for Helena its plaine Aeneas thou wast cause that he was sent And th' onely man that readiest was and sought To welcome her when she to Troy was brought For t is most sure she neuer had come here If thou hadst been vnwilling therevnto Although as now thou makst as though thou nere Hadst knowne thereof nor giuen consent thereto And now my sons are dead and I bereft Of my best Knights and without comfort
earnest were t' agree And bring the peace to that effect they sought And chiefly that Amphimacus should be Exiled as Anthenor closely wrought A sodaine noise among them did arise As it had been the lamentable cries And dolefull plaints of men in extreame woe Whereat Ulisses and King Diomede As they did out the Counsell chamber go Were stricken in no little feare and dread And thought the people that great favor bore T' Amphimacus would be revenged fore His exile causlesse done to their despight And therfore fear'd that they should murthered be With furie great within the towne that night By some devise and foule conspiracy Of false Anthenor and Aeneas both In whome they did repose but little troth And yet in truth there was not any man That heard the noyse and rumor in the hall That could câ—â—ceiue or know how it began Which made the Greeks in greater feare to fall And to sufpect the Commons would arise And kill them as their deadly enemies But to assure and put them out of dout And danger of all tumults what so ere Anthenor did convay them safely out Of Ilion and when they gotten were Out of the way to an assured place Ulisses with a pale and deadly face Scarce freed from feare with dissembling smile Began to charge Anthenor and to say They feared that he meant them to beguile Because he put them off from day to day And nought perform'd of that he promist had When they at first the cov'naÌ„ts with him made So that said he we thinke and certainly Belieue for truth as reason doth vs moue That you meane nothing else but treacherie But false Anthenor from them to remoue All causes of suspition what so ere Spake vnto them with sad and sober cheare And said I do the Gods to witnesse call Who onlie know the secret of mans heart That without any fraud or guile in all That I haue tane in hand as 't is my part I haue been faithfull true and diligent To bring 't to passe with all my whole intent One thing there is whereat you must not grieue Which is the cause I cannot as I would Performe't so soone which if you giue me leaue Shall brieflie vnto you by me be told This towne as old records declare to vs Long since was Builded by King Ilius Who in perpetuall honor of his name And to preserue it from oblivion When he had fullie finished the same Gaue vnto it the name of Ilion Wherein with most exceeding cost and charge He did erect a Temple faire and large In Pallas name the which long time was had And holden by all men in reverence great Which Temple being raised vp and made As high as to the roofe ere he had set And laid the beames and lead vpon the same Pallas because of her it had the name To shew how much the honor they her bore She did accept as pleasing in her eies And also to encourage them the more Vpon her Altars t'offer sacrifice A miracle so strange did shew as then That nere the like was seen before of men For from the skie did sodainlie descend A faire and goodlie Image so well made And curiously compos'd that none could mend The workmanship thereof nor ever had Seene any thing so exquisitely form'd Nor in all points so cunningly adorn'd For it was made within the heavenly bower Of Angels by divine Mineruaes hand And by her sent to shew her mighty power Downe from the skies into the church to stand Therein for vs perpetually to be A preseruation in extreamitie And to maintaine and keepe the towne from all Distresses harmes and dangers what so ere At any time should hap thereon to fall For that as long as it remaineth here Within her Church Troy well may be annoyd By enemies but nere shall be destroyd For Pallas of her grace to vs doth show Such favor that while it is in the Towne There 's no terrestriall power can overthrow Nor haue the meanes by force to breake it downe Vnlesse the Image could be stolne away From hence and yet there is no man that may Remoue it from the place where it doth stand Vnlesse it be the Priest whose office is Alone t' attend thereon and with his hand Is licensed to doo 't because it is Impossible for any other man To stirre or lift the same do what he can And who so ever sees and doth behold The Image cannot tell whether it be made Of wood or stone of mettall or of mold For certaine t is no earthly man ere layd Hand therevnto it is so heavenly A piece of worke and wrought so curiously By power divine and wise Mineruaes hand Who of her grace hath giuen it vnto Troy Within her Temple evermore to stand And granted them this priuiledge t' enioy That while it there remaines they shall not need The force and power of enemies to dread If they do yeeld due honor therevnto And by succession so shall still remaine From King to King who by true title do And shall the Troyan Diadem obtaine If they preserue the same with reverence And loose it not by their owne negligence The name whereof is cald Palladiowne Because it was sent downe out of the skie And by Minerua given to the Towne Within her Church to stand perpetually For their defence and this is th' only thing Which hindreth me my word to passe to bring Whereto Ulisses said if it be so That Troy cannot be given into our hands As thou to vs protested hast to do While th' Image in Mineruaes Temple stands And that it is impossible t' attaine To our desires therein It is in vaine For vs t' expect that at thy hands which thou Canst not effect and folly in thee to take On thee to do that which thou knowst not how By any meanes t' accomplish nor to make Thy promise good to vs therefore I say It 's best for vs to seeke some other way To whome Anthenor made reply and said As yet there 's nothing promised by me But shall be well perform'd though 't be delaid As by the sequell plainly you may see The manner how to you I will declare If so much time to heare it you will spare My meaning is said he forthwith to go Vnto the Priest that hath the custody Of Palladowne and to perswade him so By promising to giue him presently A sum of gold in hand that he shall be Content at my request to grant to me To bring the Image to the place whereas You shall appoint If that meane time you will Content your selues and letting care ore-passe Stay patiently a little while vntill That I this thing haue fully brought about Wherein said he I pray you not to doubt For I will take the charge of it in hand And do assure you of Palladiowne Whose purpose when the Greeks did vnderstand They tooke their leaues to go out of the Towne But to avoid suspition ere they went Anthenor
bad of conversation And that the brightnesse of the perfect light Which they should shew be voyd of good devotiō And turned by iniquity to night To whom shall any man repaire or go To learne or take example what to do The chiefest cause thereof is Auarice And greedinesse of getting gaine and gold Which most accursed and pestiferous vice So great a sway within Priests hearts doth hold That with the force thereof it makes them blind And vnto wicked motions stirs their mind For certainly there is no man that liues Vpon the earth that is more rauenous Nor vnto vs so bad examples giues Of greedinesse nor is more covetous Then Priests to scrape catch all that they may For true it is that long since many a day It hath been so fast rooted in the heart Of Priests that are so much therewith in loue That nothing what so ere can make it part Out of the same nor it from thence remoue For t is so firmely grafted in their sect That it makes them all holines neglect For gold is now so glistring and so bright That naturally it draws men to the same Like th' Adamant and dasleth so the sight Of Priests that they do only beare the name To be the men that earnestly embrace That wicked vice of covetousnes and place It in their greedy ravening minds so well That vertue doth not once so soone begin To moue their hearts but vice doth it expell And will not suffer it to enter in Such force it hath all goodnes to supplant As by this wicked Troyan Priest Tonant You may too well perceiue that traitrously The holy jmage to Anthenor sold While Priam and the Troyans busily Collected silver corne and store of gold Of rich and poore in readines to pay Vnto the Grecks which treasure they did lay And shut within Mineruaes Temple there To be reseru'd till all the covenants made On either of their sides performed were As they instructions from Anthenor had Which done the King and all the Troyans went Vnto Apollos Temple with intent To call vpon his name and to adore His Altars and thereon in Paynim wise In hope of grace his aid and helpe t'implore And when they had begun to sacrifice And lay the beasts the incense and the blood Vpon the Altars as the priests then stood Before the same and went about to make The wood to burne two strāge things did appeare The one was that it would no fier take Nor mount vp to the aire with flames most cleare As it at other times was woont to do Although they still did adde more fire thereto And ten times kindled it but 't would nor bee For still it quencht againe and did no other But cast out filthy smoake as oft we see Lyme when it is with water sleckt doth smother So that with all the meanes they deuise For want of fier they could not sacrifice T' appease their Idoll God Apollos ire The other thing was this that when they laid The offring on the Altar while the fire Was kindling and burnt not as it is said An Eagle did descend downe from the skie And with a great and mightie noise did flie Vnto the Altar where the offring lay And seazing on it with his tallents tooke It lightlie vp and bare it cleane away While all the people sore amaz'd did looke And gase on him with extreame dread feare But th' Eagle soring ore the Towne did beare It swiftly thence in all the Troyans sight And flying with it towards the Greeks at last Descended and vpon their ships did light And into them the offering did cast Which when the Troyans saw they had great feare And iudg'd thereby the Gods offended were Against the Towne because the fire went out And therefore to enquire what those things ment And t' ease their minds and put them out of dout Vnto Cassandra presently they sent To pray her that she would them certifie What those two strange events might signifie Who told them that the quenching of the fire Was vnto them a demonstration And certaine signe of great Apollos ire And of the wrathfull indignation Which he most iustly did vnto them beare Because that in despight without all feare Of him they kild Achilles traiterously Within his holie Temple and did staine The same with blood and after cruelly When they had him therein so falsly slaine Without respect of place or person drew His bodie thence and vnto dogs it threw For which she said t' appease his wrath and ire They must go to Achilles tombe by night And there devoutly at the sacred fire Which burned at the walke their Tapers light And with that fire the which without all doubt She said would not by any meanes go out New offrings make with great devotion Which would before Achilles burne most cleare That so they might giue satisfaction To him for murthering of Achilles where His name ador'd should be the which they made In manner as she them commanded had For th' Eagle that with th' offring way did flie Vnto the Greeks she bad them take good heed And said that it did plainly signifie That all the Gods together had decreed That Troy should by some treason be destroyd And that by no meanes they could it avoyd For as they saw the Eagle when she fled With th' offring to the Greeks so should they see The Towne that had so long time flourished In honor great and wealth deliuered bee Into the Grecians hands and vtterly Defast by them with most great cruelty Mineruaes Image could not helpe them then Which they had lost by their owne negligence For it most sure and certaine is that when Gods sentence is pronounst there 's no defence Against it to be made for every man Must stand to his decree do what they can The Grecians likewise woondring much when as They saw the Eagle with the offering Come flying so said surely that it was A signe of some most strange and secret thing That should be brought to passe and for it had Great feare till Calchas exposition made Thereof to them and bad them not to doubt Nor stand in feare at all of any thing For that the issue thereof would fall out Vnto their good and they t' effect should bring That for the which they long had quarrelled And so much of their Grecian bloud had shed And willed them therefore no cost to spare To make an end of their great enterprise And to that end did wish them to prepare Some thing to offer for a sacrifice To Pallas and to shew his traiterous mind To Troy he did a strange invention find The effect whereof was thus When he perceaued King Priam was perswaded to a Peace By false Anthenors meanes as cleane bereaued Of all reliefe and hope of warre to cease And that Anthenor and Aeneas both As traiterous as himselfe were very loth To be discouered in their treachery Before that they had brought the same to passe
them to get out Their furious clawes with great fearefull cries Like to a Bull that 's tide vnto a stake For to be kild doth mighty roaring make But all in vaine for nothing could him aid And when that he was kild they tooke their way Vnto Mineruaes Temple where they laid Themselues downe at her feet there did stay Wherewith a mighty trembling feate did fall With wonder new strange vpon them all For they suppos'd and thought it to be true That for because Lycaon with his speare Had run against the horse that as a due Deserved plague that punishment he bare And therefore all of them did cry and say Why bring you not this horse without delay Into the Towne the Goddesse wrath t' appease And presently the people did begin To batter downe their wall and did not cease Till they had made a mighty brech therein Which done they set the horses feet vpon Huge planks with wheels that it might slide there on And with great ropes about his necke did draw The fatall horse with men and armor full Which when the women with their children saw They leapt daunst singing holpe to pull And hale it in and glad was he that could By any meanes vpon the ropes lay hold And in that sort it entred in the Towne Vnhappy men to breed their owne decay For as they drew and shou'd it vp and downe Along the streets of Troy vpon the way Foure times it swai'd iog'd against the ground And euery time they heard the armor sound Within the same yet on with it they went And blind with fond desire they had to get That mōstrous horse brought in were not content Till they had it by Pallas Temple set Wherewith Cassandra plainly did them shew By spirit diuine what would thereof ensew But they that for her words did little care Belieu'd her not but like to sencelesse men The Temples strew'd with hearbs did prepare As solemne feasts as if that they had been Secur'd and freed from dangers whatso ere Might happē whē poore wretched men they were At point of death and as we vse to say With one foot stepping in the graue had No longer time to liue but one short day And so great triumph for the time then made That nere the like before was seen in Troy But true it is that after extreame ioy As oft we find ensues adversitie And after peace when men do liue secure Without all feare in great felicitie And thinke that it for euer will endure Comes cruell warre for there 's no certainty In worldly blisse full of variety Deceit and guile vnhappines and trouble And neuer in one state doth long remaine Not much vnlike vnto a water-bubble Which riseth vp straight falls downe againe For though that men haue wealth riches great And on the top of fortunes wheele are set Yet vnawares she soone doth cast them downe As you may well behold and plainly see Here in this Booke by Troy the ancient Towne Which thought it selfe for euer safe to be By bring in that mighty horse of brasse Which th' only cause of their destruction was And when that they in extreame ioy had spent The day without all care till it was past And that the christall firmament had sent Darke night with clouds the skies to ouercast While that the wearied Troyans on the wall Lay carelesly and some on sleepe did fall As fearing nought The Grecians armie soone From Tenadon with all their Navie came And guided by the cleare bright shining Moone With silence great did land and made a flame Of fire out of their admirall to show That they were there and to let Symon know They were prepard to ioyne with him when he Had done his feat within the Towne who when He started vp and looking out did see The light from thence he stole out and began To turne the gins that in the horse were made And when that he his bellie op'ned had He called out Ulisses Athamas Thesander Machon and King Menalus Pyrrhus Achilles son that also was Surnamed by the Greeks Neoptolimus King Thoas and a number more beside Who soone out of the Horses panch did slide And presently vpon the walles did go And there fast sleping found the watch whom they Did fiercely kill and when they had done so Vnto the gates in hast they went there way And brake them vp and then out of the towne Did hang a light which they at Tenadowne Perceiuing armd themselues and fiercely ride To Troy-ward where their fellows watch did keepe And ready stood their comming to abide At midnight when sound sleep on men doth crepe And furiously throughout the Citie ran And sparing neither woman child nor man Kild all they found with extreame cruelty For they as then fast sleeping lay in bed And little did suspect such trechery Till that they felt with gastly wounds that bled Their enemies blowes and saw no remedy But by their hands in cruell wise to die For neither sex nor age by them was spard Whereby a mighty crie and noise did rise Within the towne the which when Priam hard Who little did suspect his enemies So falsely had betraid him and that The towne by them was tane but al to late He found and by experience too well knew Anthenor and Aeneas had betraid The towne and him into their hands drew That traiterous plot the which they falsely said Was for his and their good in generall But it was don to blind his eies withall Till they fit oppertunitie might haue To bring 't passe in such sort as they had Agreed with the Greeks which was to saue Themselue on such conditions as they made In secret wise and cleane contrary told To Priamus which then he might behold To well for at that time the trechery Which with such traitrous hearts they had cōceild Was seene and by the Grecians cruelty Vnto the townes and his decay reueald And th' Authors knowne when as no remedy Was to be found t' auoyd th' extremity That on him fell for then the towne was tane And all the loftie towers thereof began With fierto burne and euery street lane Was fild with Greeks and nothing hard therein But lamentable cries and woefull grones Of men that dying lay vpon the stones Within the streets and howses and that fled Before the Greeks in mighty dread and feare Amazed sore he rose out of his bed And sheading many a salt and brinsh teare Ran to Apolloes Temple comfortles T' escape if that he might in that distresse Meane time the towne was of a flaming fier Which merciles consumd and spoyled all And Greeks on euery side with great desire To be reuenged vpon the Troians fall And murthered and beat them downe so fast That while that most accursed night did last Ere Phoebus shoane the next ensueing day They slew of them boue twenty thousand men And forcibly did take and bare away Their
bent Before them all said flatly she should haue Her head cut off and suffer deadly paine Because for her so many had beene slaine And by that meanes King Thelaphus was crost And put besides Palladion gainst his will For which he swore thogh deare it shold him cost Ere long time past he would Vlisses kill And one day likewise be reveng'd vpon King Menalus and king Agamemnon And therewith in a mighty rage he went With all his knights and left the company Who with him in their hearts were fully bent When they a fit occasion might espie In cruell wise ere long reveng'd to be Vpon their foes but chiefly on those three And for that cause such hatred to them bare That nothing but their deaths could thâ— content But they that of his purpose were aware With policie his furie to prevent Did cause their knights about them to attend If that occasion serued to defend And keepe them from the furie of their foes And likewise soone to rid them of that doubt For earely in the morne ere Phoebus rose The matter was so quicklie brought about King Thelaphus that braue and worthy knight Most cruelly was murthered in the night And in the morning bleeding sore was found Within his bed whereas his body lay Sore mangled hewd cut with many a wound Which thing when as the Grecians heard next day They did abhorre that act so horrible And cause to God and man t was odible They could not choose but for his murther weepe And grieue to thinke how foule and traiterously He had been kild when he was fast asleepe And mong them then there rose so great a cry Throughout the hoast for that most wicked deed That all his friends within their hearts decreed His death should be revenged vpon those That had that cruell murther brought to passe The which although no man would it disclose Yet every one that in the hoast then was For it had most and great'st suspicion On Menalus and King Agamemnon But chiefly on Vlisses vnto whome By common voice of them in generall His sodaine death imputed was and some Did vow and sweare what euer did befall Mong whom yong Pyrrhus specially was one They would revenge the death of him full soon Vpon Vlisses who by treachery Had falsly wrought the same but to preuent And scape from Pyrrhus furie sodainly Aboard his ships next morning straight he went And hoising saile in hast from thence he fled And left the jmage with King Diomed. And of the fact in heart had great remorse Who in that sort thus fled away and gone Yong Pyrrhus tooke his bloudy mangled corse And made a fire and laid the same thereon In presence of the Greeks that it beheld And burnt it vnto ashes in the field And afterward the ashes being cold He tooke them vp and did them safely put With reverence great into a box of gold The which with his owne seale of armes he shut And sent them to be buried there whereas While he did liue the soveraigne Prince he was And hauing all the ceremonies vs'd For him in every point most orderly He still vpon the cruell murther musd Which vnto him was done so traitrously And sware and vowd it should be dearly bought By them that it so wickedly had wrought And for that cause great hatred bare vnto King Menalus and King Agamemnon Who well advis'd and taking heed thereto For feare thereof nere went abroad alone But strongly garded daily did attend What issue would ensue thereof in th' end Which Pyrrhus likewise did and would not cease By all the meanes he could to seeke some way T' intrap them and his wrath would not appease And in that sort they three from that same day Were sterne and deadly foes each vnto other And while that they in such wise iar'd together And enviously each other did pursue Still more and more their malice did encrease And hatred great on each side did renue Till Anthenor their furies to appease By policie did cut of all disdaine On either side and made them friends againe And to that end prepard a royall feast And did invite the Grecians to the same And to intreat and pray them never ceast Till they three with the rest vnto it came That all the Princes of the hoast might see They had their anger left and did agree Together like good friends as ere they were To write the great and sumptuous fare they had With all the severall dishes that were there As also what rich Presents then were made And by Anthenor given liberallie Vnto the Greeks it 's no necessitie Let it suffice they wanted nothing that Might please and giue contentinent vnto man And while at table they together sat Some one among them enviously began To speake against Aeneas and t' accuse And charge him with most great and vile abuse Especially because he did conceale And hide away the Princes Pollicene And would by no meanes tell them noâ— reveale What was become of her that cause had been Of fierce Achilles death and for the same They did impose vpon him so much blame That they did all with one consent agree He should therefore be banisht out of Troy Contrary to their former grant that hee The freedome of the Towne should still enioy But nere the lesse they did with one consent Comdemne him to perpetuall banishment The causer of the same I cannot tell But sure it is Anthenor and none other Within the Towne of Troy did know it well And secretly betraid his traiterous brother That with him holpe to bring that thing to passe Which in the end the Townes destruction was Which when Aeneas knew and saw no way For him by any meanes to mollifie The Grecians hearts to giue him leaue to stay He humblie praied them of courtesie That of their princely favor and their grace They wold vouchâ—afe to grant him 4 months space To stay in Troy while he provided had All things that should for him be necessaire And further vnto them petition made That he from thence might also with him carrie The ships that into Cithera did go With Paris iust number twentie two Which being by the Grecians full consent Vnto him given with licence for the space Of time he askt to stay to Troy he went With heavie heart to see 't in such a case And specially when he to mind did call That all the woes which on the same did fall Came onlie by the treason he had wrought Against the Towne and also to remember That he could not enioy the thing he sought But must of force depart and stay no longer Where he had liu'd sometime in great estate And cursed his most hard and cruell fate To see him selfe so plung'd in that distresse And banisht by the Greeks and knew not why Nor who had sought his fall till he did gesse And saw by signes Anthenor subtilly To get him out of Troy procured it For which he sware
To grieue his head was fild with fantasies And deepe conceits t' imagine and to see If he could find or shape a remedie By any meanes to shun that would not bee But yet for all his policie and wit He could not reach vnto the depth of it For thinking that he would the same prevent De did suppose that no man but his son Was he that should it do and therefore sent With all the speed he could for Thelamon And cast him into prison so to shun That which the Fates decreed should be dun Remembring not the speare with steeled head Nor yet the flag thereon with azure fild With fishes on 't which in the seas do feed Nor Circes faire who in her hand it held Which signifi'd nought but hostility Nor yet the Crowne and regall dignity Of one that raign'd within an Isle that stands In middest of the sea that should be hee Who gainst his will should slay him with his hands And execute thereby the iust decree Of God the which Ulisses thought not on But onely did suspect Prince Thelaemon Whom he then held close prisner in a tower And to prevent all other meanes what s'ere He never ceast to muse thereon each hower And at the last grew thereof in such feare That he did cause a Castle to be made And built of Marble stone the which he had Devised in such sort that there was none Like vnto it in all the world throughout For strength and had no gates in it but one To enter in the same and round about A ditch most deepe and broad on every side Did compasse it Wherein he did abide And closely kept himselfe from sight of all The world but those which on him did attend And ever held a watch vpon the wall Both day and night most strictly to the end That no man should so hardy be to venter Without his leaue into the same to enter Vnlesse it were those that therein did lie Now as the storie vnto vs doth tell Ulisses had a Sonne begotten by Queene Circes who in valor did excell So much that he was comp'rable to none In all that land whose name was Thelagon Borne in an jsle among the furious rage Of foming seas that compast it about Who at that time attained had to th'age Of twenty fiue yeares old who stood in doubt What man did him beget or who should be His father whome he longed much to see And having great desire the same to know He fell before his mother on his knee And did intreat her earnestly to show The truth to him who might his father bee And what he was where he then did dwell But she long time by no meanes would it tell But put him off and fed him with delay Till when she saw she could not be at rest For him that did torment her every day And would not cease till he had his request She shewd him that Vlisses was his sire And where he dwelt who with most great desire To see him tooke his leaue of her with speed And told her that he straight froÌ„ thence would go But when the Queene perceau'd he had decreed To go to seeke Vlisses and that no Perswasion in the world could him withhold From doing it her heart it waxed cold And in her breast she felt exceeding paine And when she saw he would by no meanes stay She prayed him to come with speed againe Home vnto her And so the selfe same day He put to sea and saild so long till he He arriued where he did desire to be And when he was within Achaia land He never ceast to ride from place to place And rested not till he did vnderstand Where king Vlisses royall Pallace was Which when he knew he made no more aboad But speedily vnto the Court he road Whereas the king within his Castle stayd And early on a Munday morning came Vnto the gate and draw-bridge where he prayd The Porter who at that time kept the fame To giue him leaue a word or two to speake Vnto the king who to him gaue a cheake And churlishly did thrust him from the gate And proudly said he should not enter in And with some other speeches told him that He must be gone whereat he did begin To be in such a rage that there with all He did vpon the Porter fiercely fall And furiously did take him by the beard And gaue him such a blow that there with all He fell dead on the bridge which when they heard That were within they issued and did fall On him but he so hotely them withstood And fought with such a fierce surious mood That many of them cleane ore the bridge he cast And when as more vpon him issued forth And on all sides began t'assaile him fast He did begin to be exceeding wroth And with his sword about him made such way That he therewith did fifteene of them slay And fought so long that he was out of breath And scarce could hold himselfe vpright so that Sore wounded he expected nought but death Wherewith Vlisses came vnto the gate And when vpon the bridge he did espie His men on heaps dead on the same to lie Sore mou'd thereat he tooke a dart in hand And there with all in furious wise did throw At Thelagon who then did leaning stand Vpon his sword but it did light too low And hurt him not at all but Thelagon Straight stooped down laying hands theron Did throw it at Vlisses in great hast And there with all did strike him such a blow Into the breast that through his ribs it past And gaue him his deaths wound but did not know That 't was the king nor that he so had slaine His father deare who then could not sustaine Himselfe vpright but to the ground did slide With pale and deadly face and so he lay Amongst his men that stood on either side And busie were to beare him thence away Supposing that he verily was dead But sodainly he lifted vp his head And having still a perfect memory He cald to mind the vision he did see And how that he was told assuredly That one of his ner'st kinsmen should be hee That with a dart of life should him bereaue And for because â—â— could not well conceaue Who it should be He bad his men to bring The young man that before the gate then stood With speed to him without once offering To wrong him for so sheading of their blood And when that he was brought into the place Whereas he lay he look't him in the face And marking well his countenance began To aske him for what cause he did come thither And what occasion moved him as than T' assaile his guard that he and they together Had fought and he had slaine them so whereby Himselfe sore wounded was and like to die To whom with courage bold he spake and sayd The onely cause why I came hither was To see the King but by the
they returnd from Troy and for to show That whatsoeuer man doth take in hand The issue doth vpon Gods will depend For he tis giues an ill or happy end Which is well proved by this Historie Wherein you see that though the Greeks did win And had a most triumphant victorie Against the Troians and their Towne wherein They did obtaine that which they did desire Which was their wilâ— and t'honor to aspire Yet cause the warre which they with Troy began Was done of pride and in an envious vaine Without just cause they rather lost then wan For that vpon their side more men were slaine Then on the Troians part for all they lost Their towne so that they had no cause to boast Considering that besides their losse fore Troy When they were into Greece returnd most part Of them that liu'd did not long time enioy Their victorie for that with envious heart Each th' other did destroy and sought to kill By trecherie the Proverbe to fulfill That blood with blood alwaies reveng'd will be Troyes fall doth teach all Princes to take heed When as they liue in great prosperitie Not to be too secure least that they speed As Priam did who would not be content When he did liue in peace but t'envie bent Old quarrels with his Grecian foes renew'd Supposing that's his wealth and power great He could do what he list But what ensu'd Thereof the storie plainelie downe doth set Which saith that he therby wrought's owne decay To shew that man hath here no certaine stay THus haue you heard as much as I can tell Of all the Troian warre as it 's set downe By Dares Frigius who therein did dwell And wrote the storie thereof in the Towne And every day a view thereof did take Who of this same an end herewith doth make With whom the Grecian Ditus doth agree And in like sort his Historie doth end Twixt whom in truth no difference I can see For both their works vnto one purpose tend Which is the true proceedings to expresse Of that whereof they were eie witnesses Though not in verball forme yet in effect And meaning both alike and true they are Which is the thing men chiefely should respect But that the Grecian Ditus doth declare And saith that while the siege did there remaine The number of the Greeks that there was slaine Amounted to eight hundred thousand men And of the Troiaus side as Dares shoe Six hundred thousand seaventy and sixteene Then lost their liues moÌ„g whom are reckned those That to the Towne from other countries came And there were kild by ayding of the same For that of hundred thousands that did aid King Priam and of diuers countries were It is not found as it before is sayd Though they behaud theÌ„selues most brauely there So many of them in that warre was slaine That there did go fiue hundred home againe And both of them in this point do agree That full ten yeares six moneths 12. daies more The siege did last with great hostilitie And losse of men on either side before The Greeks for all that ever they could do Could win the towne oâ— enter thereinto Till Synon by his craft did it betray As it at large declared is before And further of the same I cannot say Because mine Authors thereof say no more And for to adde more then they write thereto Were in me great presump'ion so to do The time when I this worke had fully don By computation just was in the yeare One thousand foure hundred twenty one Of Iesus Christ our Lord Saviour deare And in the Eight yeare compleat of the raigne Of our most noble Lord and Soveraigne King Henrie the fift who in despight Of all his foes Brutes Albion doth maintaine In honor great for by his puissant might He conquered all Normandie againe And valiantly for all the power of France Hath won from them his owne inheritance And forced them his title to renew To all the Realme of France which doth belong To him and to his lawfull heires by true Discent the which they held from him by wrong And false pretence and to confirme the same Haue given him the honor and the name Of Regent of the Land for Charles his life And after his decease they haue agreed Thereby to end all bloody warre and strife That he as heire shall lawfully succeed Therein and raigne as King of France by right As by records which extant are to light It doth appeare And then I hope we shall Enioy againe the time so prosperous And fortunate the which men vse to call The good and golden world and that to vs God will afford his blessing and his grace That Mars no more our countrey shall meâ—â—â—ce Nor with his countnance furious and wood Moue war and strife between these countries twaine Nor be the cause of sheading of their blood Whereof till now they both may well complaine And that our noble King will so provide By wisedome and by power that either side Shall liue in peace and henchforth so agree That both the realmes of England and of France By one Prince ruld shall seeme all one to bee And ever more liue without variance And from their hearts all hate and malice chase By th' influence of Gods most mighty grace And heavenly power which ruleth every thing And who by his great providence divine Hath such an alliance made betweene our King And France by marying Lady Katherine The French Kings daughter that we hope it shall Procure vs peace and joy perpetuall And that the Royall issue of them twaine Will be a meane and way without all feare That England shall for evermore obtaine The sole command of those two Realmes weare Their Diadems imperiall both together And that the faire Queene Katherines coÌ„ming hither Will nourish so great loue and vnitie On both sides that we never shall haue need Nor cause to feare nor feele adversitie And that it will be th' only meanes to breed Our honor joy and great prosperitie Wealth pleasure peace and all felicitie And driue away all mischiefe whatsoere Out of this Land So that with heart thought We shall haue cause with voices lowd and cleare To pray for her that hath it to vs brought And him that by his valor great and might Hath shew'd himselfe so puissant a Knight That he hath won and cleerely doth possesse All that to him belongs and now it 's set Accompanied with his faire Emperesse Victoriously with praise and honor great In his most Royall throne to whom God giue As long as he vpon the earth shall liue And doth enioy the full fruition Of all that vnto him belongs of right And holds the same in his subiection Encrease of comfort pleasure and delight And t'send him home with triumph with honor As great as ere had any Conqueror And long time after grant him to possesse His kingdomes and his Regall Dignitie With his faire Queene
seeming very glad That his so great good fortune was t' aduance His honour and his house and that he had By Knightly force so much extold his name And home retourne with victory and fame From Calchos Isle Yet gladder had he beene Although in outward show he did explaine The contrary that he had neuer seene His safe returne to Thessalie againe A nd yet to play a right dissemblers part He welcomd him although against his heart Admiring how he could so soone obtaine By that aduenture strange and perillous The fleece of Gold and â—ome roturne againe In so short time and so victorious But couertly his treacherie to hide Without delay all scuses set aside To Iason he resigned presently His Kingdome which to him belong'd of right With Scepter Crowne and â—â—gaâ—â— dignity And all his Soueraignty and might His promise to obserue which when he went He made to him though otherwise he ment Supposing that he nere should come againe But he that for another digs a pâ—â— May faile in his imagination vaine And be the first himselfe that falls in it As Peleus did which sought his nephews end With deadly hate yet seemd his louing frend Which Iason did accept without delay And thanking him with louing face and cheare Besought him to giue eare what he would say And his request indifferently to heare Concerning Tooyans wrongs done as he went To him and his when he no huâ—t them ment And said my Lord when as we sailed by The coast of Troye a tempest in the aire Began to rise with such extreamity That we of life were wholy in despaire And in that care necessity and griefe We forced were to land there for reliefe Not minding any iniury or wrong Vnto the King in any wise to doe But t' ease our selues and then to passe along To Colchos Isle where first we ment to goe But Laomedon not therewith content A messenger in hast vnto vs sent Pretending of meere malice vs to grieue And churlishly bad vs depart from thence Or else he said by force he would vs driue Off from his coast as taking great offence That we would seeme to enter in his land So sodainly with sueh a warlike band When we nought els but peace friendship ment As glad to be relieu'd in our distresse Not hauing any kind of bad intent That should him moue to seeke vs to oppresse Now then my Lord sith he did so abuse Both me and mine and seem'd vs to refuse A place of rest from danger vs to saue Against the lawes of common courtesie I humbly you beseech that we may haue Your aid of men and mony both to trie By force of armes if that we can requite The Troyan King for his so great despight For truth to say my mind and will is bent To saile to Troye with all the speed I may And to destroy the Land is mineintent And cruelly Laomedon to slay According to the vow that I did make When I was forst the Troyan soile forsake Is that it please your Grace to giue consent To my request and lend your helping hand And doubt not ere that many months are spent But maugre Troye and Troyans all wee 'll land With all our power of Graecian chiualrie And soone requite the Troyans crueltie When Peleus did Prince Iasons mind perceaue Without delay he said it should be so Aâ—luring him he did so well conceaue Of his intent that he himselfe would go With him and all his company to Troye By force of armes that Country to destroye Whereto his whole Nobility agreed And none of them vnto the King said nay But promised their aid with present speed Preparing for the same without delay Of which their Iourney chiefe Solicitor Was Hercules the worthie Conqueror Who in all hast his forces to prepare In readines to Sparta straightway went Which is an Isle from Thessalie not farre And subiect to the Graecian gouernment Wherein as then two Princes great did raigne King Castor and King Pollux brethren twaine Whome Poets in their Histories do set Brethren to be â—â— Helena the faire Whome Iupiter on Ledâ— did beget Whose beauty was esteem'd to be so â—are Which Helena they write conceaued was In Tynâ—â—â—â—â— an Isle which as men passe Along the seâ—s â—â—â—s by Sicâ—â—â—â— Land And that her name Tynâ—â—â—â—â— of that Isle Was also cald◠〈◊〉 longer I le not stand Their pedigree to tell but speake a while Of Hercules to show how he did craue The aid of those two Kings as then to haue To goe with him vnto the Towne of Troye With all the power they had whereby he ment The same by force and valor to destroye To whose request they straight did giue consent And promised in readines to lie Till he to them the time should certifie When he would put to Sea Wherewith content He thanked them and did no longer stay But straight his course vnto Messena bent And there arriu'd about the breake of day And to the King cald Telamon did goe The cause of his repaire to him to shoe Whose comming when he knew he was full glad To see him and in braue and Princely wise Receaued him To whome when as he had Such honour done as he could well deuiseâ— He promised to aid him with all speed With mony and with men what he should need And personally himselfe with him to goe Which Hercules accepting in good part Did take his leaue his Princely mind to shoe And yeelded thanks to him with all his heart And entring Ship returnd to Thessalie To tell King Peleus and to cerâ—â—â—â— How he had sped Beseeching him to write To all the Lords and Barrons in his Land And them command with all the hast they might In readines to make a warlike band And to prouide a counsell wiâ—e and graue Which he that goes to warre he said must haue For that the wit of him that 's growne in age Is more then strength without experience But when as force is ioynd with counsell sage It is a bulwarke strong for our defence And he that long a trauailer hath beene And by experience many things hath seene Is meet in peace and war to rule and guide For vnto age experience greatâ— and â—â—â— Belongs of right 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth 〈◊〉 That strength and courage youth should best 〈◊〉 And when both youth and age with one consent To worke and ioyne together are content In any cause of equity and right Men need not feare with glistering sword shield By helpe of God the giuer of all might Against their foes to 〈◊〉 in the field For neither fame of Knight-hood not the glory Not yet the conquest nor the victory Of warre are got or woone by multitude But as experience saith of right belong To counsell wisedome and to fortitude Therefore said he let vs revenge our wrong With courage bold sith that our cause is good And for our honours spend our dearest blood And that we may our valours brauelie
shew We will avoid the multitude of number And of our warlike Knights choose but a few Wherewith we shall our foes much more incomber Then if we had an armie huge and great For many in a field each other let This good aduise King Peleus did allow And whatsoeuer Hercules had said T' effect the same did make a solemne vow Then Hercules to haue and get more aid To Pilon went wherein a Duke of fame As then did rule that Nestor had to name A Prince for wit and valour magnified Yet of a hastie fierce and angrie mood And in some sort to Hercules allied Whose comming when he once had vnderstood He was contented for his Nephews sake The Troyan warre with him to vndertake So Hercules the day and time would set And personally himselfe therein to be Then Hercules no further time to let With present speed returnd to Thessalie Whereas the Graecians Navie then did stay Attending time from thence to saile away Where after counsell tane they did agree That Peleus should be generall of the field And that each Lord and Prince of high degree While that their Troian warre did last should yeeld To his command as Soueraigne of them all And so they stayd till wind did them befall CHAP. VIII ¶ How Iason Hercules and the Graecian Princes assembled to make warre against the Towne of Troy to reuenge the discurtesie done to them by Laomedon King of Troye when they sailed to Colchos WHen as the temperate dewes of Aperill With many a sweet comfortable shower Into the ground full deepely do distill To raise the grasse and beauty of each flower And Phoebus mounting the celestiall spheare In Aries doth place his beames most cleare And in the spring which yerely doth befall When as the calends of the month of May Do celebrate the Equinoctiall And make an equall length of night and day And euery branch and tree to spring are seen And after vading hew shew fresh and greene When Snow that on the mountaine tops doth lie By heat of Phoebus beames dissolues away And when a vapery balme ascends on hie Out from the pleasant flower at prime of day And that the root by Winter cold kept in Recouering sap to spring forth doth begin And mount into each flower hearbe and tree And by the force of Sols most burning heat Infuseth in each branch humidity Assisted by some showers of raine most sweet When siluer springs cast forth their currant stream Into the Riuers glistring gainst Sonne beames And ere the Son new greene had sent againe Vnto each hearbe and grasse vpon the ground When as the pleasant Nightingale t'explaine Her ioy within the shadie woods is found With sweet and amorous noats a loud to sing And makes the eire with sound thereof to ring To welcome in the faire and pleasant spring Which doth delight all creatures that are Vpon the earth and comforts euery thing Which Winter hard ore-whelmd with cold care And when the winds did lessen calme swage The Seas that by cold Winters storms did rage At that same time the Graecians did begin To enter Ship and towards Troye to saile Well rigged man'd furnisht with each thing That for the wars might them as then availe And when the weather serued them to goe They put to Sea with braue and warlike shoe And made such hast by aid Neptune them lent That in few daies they saild vnto the Towne Of Troye whereto their course as then was bent At euening when the Sun was almost downe And there cast anker thinking it the best Within their Ships that night to take their rest And when the Larke did in the morning sing With pleasant noats to welcome Phebus bright â—o set their men on land they did begin And mark't their ground and rais'd their tents vpright Before the Towne of Troy ere they it wist For that they might as then do what they list And set a watch meane time in euery place To guard their Campe vntill the Sun most bright Had in the morning shew'd his glistring face And on the tents had cast his crimson light And then they all agreed with one consent To make repaire vnto King Peleus tent And being there as then together met King Peleus causing silence to be made When euery one in his degree was set With courage bold vnto them spake and said Most worthy Graecian Princes high and low Whose Knightly force the world throghout doth know Reported is as far as shines the Sun In any place it neuer yet was seen That Graecians haue an enterprise begun Which by them hath not well effected been And they victoriously with Lawrell crownd As in the ancient Histories is found Then valiant Lords and Princes of renowne Thinke on the wrong that vnto you was wrought By this discourteouâ— King Laomedon When as no â—urt to him by you was thought Which to requight sith now you do pretend See that your selues you valiantly defend And let vs now with all the speed we may Prepare our battailes in a readines And setting on them straight without delay Shew forth our valours and our worthines But let me first three things to you declare Which at this time for vs most needfull are One is that by discretion and aduise Our battailes we in such sort doe ordaine That no disorder may amongst vs rise That by the same aduantage none be tane Against vs by our foes to our disgrace And we thereby constrain'd to leaue the place The second is that we our valours show And let no manner feare possesse our heart But stoutly let vs gainst our enemies goe And see we play the valiant souldiers part Couragiously in battaile to endure And to our foes eternall shame procure The third and last is that we striue to gaine The fame and name our Ancestors haue held And valiantly the victory obtaine Against our foes and driue them out the field For if by Knighthood through our hardines We vanquish them and put them to distresse We win not only praise and high renowne Which to a valiant mind is chiefest blisse But if we once may enter in the Towne Of treasure great we surely cannot misse Which in the same is now there to be found For certaine 't is it doth therein abound Which maugre all our foes we will conuay Into our ships and so with ioyfull cheare When wind and weather serues without delay The same with vs into our Countries beare Therefore in hope this treasure now to win With courage bold t'assaile them lets begin Whereto most valiant Hercules reply'd And did King Peleus counsell much commend And said 't is truth and cannot be deny'd That of beginning wise proues happy end But now to bring our purpose to effect My counsell is that we do not neglect Before that it appeareth to be day To muster all our men vpon this plaine And being arm'd with all the speed we may Our forces to diuide in battailes twaine Whereof the