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
t' endure Which when the Troyans heard they were content And willingly the same did them assure In hope the plague whereof they dyed so fast Would be a meanes to kill them all at last CHAP. VI. ¶ How Andromecha in a dreame was foreâ—arâ—ed of her Husband Hectors death if he the next day following entred into the field and how he refusing her counsell was the next day slaine in the battaile by Achilles WHen as the plague among the Greeks did cease And time of truce likewise was at an end The Grecians that in courage did encrease Determined and fully did intend T' assaile and set vpon the Troyan foes Betimes next day assoone as Phoebus rose But as the storie saith the night before Andromecha Prince Hectors louing wife That vnto him two Princelie children bore Whome he did loue as dearely as his life The eldest cald Laomedon the other Astionax much lesser then the other For he as then was small and very yong And onely with his mothers pap was fed And neither had the vse of foot nor tong As she lay fast a sleepe within her bed Was troubled with a sodaine vision Or as men say a revolution By dreame as hapned to King Scipio Whether it were by divine Oracle Or that the Gods did then vnto her shoe And giue her warning as a miracle Wherein she thought that one to her did say That if that Hector issued forth next day Out of the towne his Grecian foes t'assaile That he should not escape but certainlie Fell fate would then so much gainst him preuaile That she would him in trap and finally Fierce Atropos that foule and divellish fend The thrid of her deare husbands life would end Thereby to shew her cruell force and might If he that day into the field did goe Wherewith she fell into so great a fright And thought that she did feele such extreme woe That waking of a sodaine vp she start And for her dreame was grieued at the heart And lay and sighted sore and could not sleepe By reason of the extreame griefe and sorrow She had conceau'd and pittiously did weepe But specially the next ensuing morrow When she beheld the worthy famous knight Hector put on his compleat armour bright And ready was to go out of the towne To whome with flouds of teares within her eies She ran in hast and on her knees fell downe And vnto him declar'd with woefull cries The fearefull dreame she had the night before But he esteem'd it not but was therefore Offended and with indignation Affirm'd and said that folly great it were For men that are of good discretion Such peeuish fond and idle dreames to feare Or trust vnto so foolish fantasies Of visions that most commonly are lies And full of iests and false elusions Whereof the end is onely to delude Such as do trust to their conclusions Although the common people grosse and rude Are mooued with most fond affection To iudge by them in their opinion What may ensue and what they signifie Which many times falls out as they suppose But oftner times do hap cleane coâ—â—â—arie Whereat with wringing hands straight vp she â—â—se But downe againe she fell and there did lie A while as in a trance and then did crie And said alas my loue and Lord most deare Why will you not belieue nor thinke vpon Your louing wife but her refuse to heare That with good will and true affection Desires and wisheth you all good she can And vp she rose like one that 's mad and ran To Priamus and Hecuba that sat Together at that time and downe she fell Vpon her knees but long it was ere that For sobs and sigthes she could vnto them tell Her woefull case till at the last she tooke Some courage and with sad and heavie looke Vnto them shewd the fearefull dream she had The night before when as she waâ—◠〈◊〉 And to them there a full discourse then made Thereof in euery point with sighs most deepe Affirming that for certaine't would fall aur So as she said if Hector did goe out That day into the field sor't was ordaind By fortunes false and mischieuous decree And therewith in most pittious wise complaind And weeping prayd King Priam on her knee Of her and hers to haue compassion And with all speed to giue direction That Hector her deare Lord might not go out That day into the field and therewithall With weeping teares she turn'd her selfe about And in a deadly sound began to fall And with exceeding pale and woefull cheare Cry'd out said helpe help sweet mother dere And of your great benignity and grace Find meanes that my Lord Hector may not go This day into the field to fight noâ— passe Out of the gates and to perswade him so That he this day vse neither speare nor shield But vnto your desire get him to yeeld Whereto they both did willingly agree And readilie did grant to her request And to that end with speed went downe to see When all the battailes readie were and prest To issue forth where Troyelus first of all Appointed was vpon the Greeks to fall And next to him his brother Paris went And after him Aeneas forth did passe And then in order brauelie plast were sent King Sarpedon and braue Pollidamas King Erioâ—â— and King Epistrâ—phus And after them a King cald Forcius All richly arm'd in harnesse bright and cleare And last of all went out King Philomene With all the Kings Lords that then were there To aid King Priamus Who hauing seene Them all before him passe out of the towne Himselfe in person with them did go downe A little way and them in order plast Which having done he bad them forward goe And willed them couragiously to hast And set vpon the Greeks and there to shoe Their valors great gainst them with all their might That ready were and prest with them to fight And proudly stood all armed in the plaine With ensignes spred in braue and warlike shoe But Priamus with speed went backe againe And vnto Hector purposely did goe To will him not to â—â—ue forth that day Into the field but in the towne to stay For which he was sore grieued in his mind And when he saw the battailes all go forth Into the field and he was staid behind He did begin to be exceeding wroth And laid the fault thereof vpon his wife That seemd to be so tender of his life Imposing vpon her th' occasion That he vnto his great disgrace and shame Constrained was to stay within the towne But that it might not derogate his fame Nor giue men cause by false report to say That he for feare did stay within that day He did protest and with an oath it bound That happen life or death he would go out Into the field and therein would be found Yea though he were assured without doubt That he should die a thousand deaths and more So stout a heart within his brest
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
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
monstrous horse of brasse And every man his iudgement gaue thereon The Troyan knight Timeres counsell was To draw't into the Towne but some that there About it stood and somewhat wiser were As Capas and some others flatly bad Them throw the treasons of the Greeks away Or that forthwith a fire should be made To melt it or else that without delay They should it breake in pieces small to see What secret thing might therein hidden be Wherewith the people that amaz'd did stand In sundrie minds diuided were till that Lycaon came with mightie speare in hand And many following him demanded what They meant to do and entring mongst the throng Said Troyan knights you do your selus great wrong Belieue you that the Greeks are gone away Or that there 's any goodnes in their gifts Thinke you that for our benefit we may Giue credite to Ulisses subtill drifts I le pawne my life that in this horse lies hid A multitude of Greeks or that they did Devise it for an engine wherewithall By night to scale our Towne and so to win The same by force take heed you know not all What misterie so ever is therein I feare the Greeks said he will not trust Their gifts therewith gaue so great a thrust Against it with his speare that it did shake And with the same was heard so great a sound Within the hollow horse that it did make The noise thereof throughout the aire rebound Whereby had not the Troyans hearts been blind Enough was done the Grecians craft to find And Troy vntill this day had flourished Mean time by chāce the Troyan sheepherds caught A man who with his hands fast pinioned In hast vnto King Priamus they brought One that into their hands fell purposelie And in his heart was fullie bent to trie How he could worke the Troyans to beguile Or if he faild was resolute to die Who when he had stood still a little while Before the King and each man cast his eie On him some of them at him did flout He seem'd to sigh but marke how it fell out And you shall here the Grecians treasons see And by this one coniecture all the rest For as he stood in shew perplext to bee And with his hand did smight vpon his brest Alas said he what ground may me receaue What hope can I poore caytife now conceaue That neither with the Grecians dare abide And now among the Troyans captiue here Stand at their mercie readie to be tride And to receaue the doome of death I feare For that as reason is they thirst my blood The which to shed I know would do them good This mournfull tale by him so vttered The Troyans hearts of rigor did bereaue And being by them somewhat pittied They askt him what he was and gaue him leaue To tell his tale and plainlie to expresse His mind to whome he said I will confesse The truth O King of all that I do know And first I must needs say a Greeke I am For though that fortune false hath now broght low Poore Synon for so called was his name Yet shall she never make nor proue him lier Nor cause him to become a flatterer If ere you heard of King Pallamides And of his valor great and Chivalrie Who traiterouslie because he did displease The Greeks by them condemned was to die Vpon suggestion that he favored Their enemies but after he was dead They wished he had been aliue againe His Squire I was and also kinsman neare To whome my father I must needs tell plaine For pouertie put me his shield to beare And Armes to practise while he flourished Who living I was lou'd and honoured But after that by false Vlisses drifts He was betraid and brought vnto his end With griefe and woe I was put to my shifts Pittying the fall of my vnguiltie frend But like a foole I could not hold my peace Nor yet frō hard thratning words would cease But still I vowd if ere returne I might To Greece againe as they deserued had I would his death vpon his foes require Which was the cause of all my woe and made Vlisses to invent new crimes gainst me Whereby I was suspect and held to be A traitor gainst the Greeks and favorite To th' enemie and not content with that He rested not till Calchas by his wit Had found a meanes to end my life But what Should I rehearse such things as needlesse be To you and would no good procure to me But if you still to hate the Greeks persist Let it suffice you haue me here alone On whome you may take vengance if you list The which that it were brought to passe done Ulisses and Artidos much would spend And with that word he paus'd made an end Of speaking which did make them more desire To know the circumstances of his tale Suspecting not his craft and did require Him into his discourse againe to fall Who trembling though therein he did but faine With shew of feare spake vnto them againe And said full oft the Greeks would haue been gone And left their siege and ouer seas haue past To Greece againe for that not any one Of them but wearie was the warre did last So long and they their bloud liues did spend Therein could not bring it to an end And gone they had but that the seas did rise And often rage and southern winds did blow And caus'd them swell and mount vnto the skies And foming over brinks and banks to flow And made them stay but specially when as They had devis'd fram'd this horse of brasse So great a noise of thunder then was heard And round about the skies the lightning flasht That it did make them generally affeard And for that cause they were so much abasht That they did send Euripalus to know Of Phoebus what those tempests did fore-show At whose returne this answere he did make And said with blood oh Greeks of maiden slaine A wind you had vnto you given to take Your voyage vnto Troy and must againe With blood returne for one of you must die The furie of the Gods to satisfie Ere you a wind can haue Which news once blown Into the Grecian eares each man with feare Did tremble and would willingly haue known On whom the lot should fall as then to beare That punishment and for the rest should die At which time when Ulisses did espie Advantage he praid Calchas to declare The name of him that therefore should be slaine That all the rest might freed be of care And many closely spake some said plaine T was I for that they all acquainted were What secret malice he to me did beare And some thereof vnto me warning sent But ten daies t was ere Calchas would it show For he did seeme to be much discontent And loath that any man from him should know who 't was that suffer should for all the rest Till that Ulisses with his
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
while imagined and sought Meanes how he might attaine vnto his will Till at the last strang newes to him was brought Which did his heart with admiration fill And thereby taking some occasion He purposed in mind to worke thereon The newes which at that time vnto him came Though strange it were to heare to be told Was that in Colchos jsâ—e there was a Ramme Which bare a fleece of pure and finest gold And for it was so rich esteem'd to bee They kept it close that no man might it see Within that Isle a King of worthy fame Long had remain'd and yet therein did dwell Well stricken in yeares and Oeta had to name Who in his daies as antient Authors tell Most noble acts archieued had and done Wherby much honor to himselfe he wonne His Pedigree as Poets list to faine Doth shew he was the Sonne of Phebus bright Of whom they say he did the grace obtaine For to become a braue and valiant Knight Let this suffice his Ancestor to know And of the Ram now will I further show That to be kept where no man should it find By Magicke art was shut within a tower Whereas two Bulls of fierce and sauage kind With Brasen feet attended day and hower To gard the place that no man might go neere Out of their mouths still casting flames of fier Their eyes like burning fournace shining bright From whence great streams of lightning seem'd to start So terrible that at the very sight It stroke a feare and terror to the heart Of those that boldly ventur'd to assay To winne the golden Ram and bear 't away For who so would that conquest take in hand Must first of all those furious Buls assaile And both of them by force strength withstand Else could he by no meanes therein preuaile And make them came and gentle as a Cow And being yok't force theÌ„ the ground to plow That done he must a second combat make As dangerous and fearfull as the first The which to thinke vpon might cause him quake Yet must he not refuse to doe his wooâ—st Against a Serpentâ—gly huge and fell Much like a fiend that commeth out of hell Which had so â—oule and vâ—nomous a breath That it infected all the aire about And who so ere it felâ— was sure of death All were he ne're sovaliant strong or stout With scales vpon his backe as hard as steele That blow of sword or Lance he could not feele And to conclude he that did vndertake That enterprise to bring vnto an end Ere he began a full account must make Of cruell death vnlesse himselfe defend And well resist he could in open field That monster and by force make him to yâ—eld Which done and so the Serpent being dead The story sayth it was ordain'd by law That he that did it slay should take the head And all the teeth out of the mouth must draw And after cast and sow them in the field The which the furious Buls before had tild Whereas vpon a sodaine men beheld Out of the ground a troope of Knights arise And euery one well arm'd with speare and shield Who valiantly in braue and war-like wise Stayd not but met most furiously together And fiercely kild beat downe each th' other And in that sort dide presently againe In selfe same place where first they gan to liue For so the fatall furies did ordaine And to each one his desteny did giue That none should longer life on earth possesse But all together die in that distresse By this same way so strange and perillous Who so would seeke the Ram of gold to gaine And with the same returne victorious He must aduenture with no little paine And take his chance although t were nere so bad For remedy therein might not be had For by a law the King did so ordaine That who so ere aduentuâ—'d to assay To proue his force in hope the same t' obtaine Might not turne backe nor take another way But forth must goe though his heart did faile His cowardise should him no whit preuaile Some menaffirme which of this Ram entreat That by the same was meant great store of gold Which Oeta valiantly in time did get And by inchantment did so closely hold That who so euer sought to winne the same Must first begin those Monsters fierce to came The fame whereof did spread both far neare Which made full many ventrously desire To winne the same although it cost them deare For gold doth set a greedy mind oâ—fiâ—â— Through vaine report their honouâ— to adâ—ance Respecting not what vnto them might chance For neither wit nor hardines of armes In that pursuit could any whâ—â— avâ—â—â—â— Gainst such accurst and fowle infernall charmes Which made full many Knights therein to faile But he that sets his mind on greedy gaine To haue his will regards not death nor paine This news so brought to Peleus pleas'd him well Intending secret vse thereof to make And of his hidden malice truth to tell The hard and heauy burthen off to shake For he the reby did sodainly surmise Some bad pretence his Nephew to surprise For by that meanes he had a hope to moue Young Iason valiantly to vndertake The conquest of the golden Ramme to proue And presently a voyage thither make Supposing he nere should returne again And he thereby be easde of inward paine Concluding thus he doth pretend a show Of outward ioye yet inwardly did hide The treason of his heart that none might know What mischiefe he full smoothly did prouide Still spying time conuenient and fit In painted shew his malice out to spit With words of Art and eloquence refin'd Perswading men he meant nought else but good As knowing well his Nephews willing mind In such a cause to shead his dearest blood And for to bring his purpose to effect He doth no longer time therein neglect But straight throughout the land of Thessalie Commission sends forth presently to call His noble Peeres and all his Baronny Commanding them what euer might befall Without delay t' assemble and to meet At Eagee Towne in parliament to sit For three whole daies Where with a fained face And sugred words he doth vnfold his mind And openly before them in the place Makes shew to be most louing and most kind To Iason who as then he did commend That none might deeme he would his death pretend And said the cause that mou'd him to the same As also that assembly there to make Was specially t' aduance his Nephews name If so he would that voyage vndertake And then at large declar'd it in such wise That no man once his treason could surmise With countenance so glad and ioyfull show Of fained faith as after did appeare That they thâ—â— were in presence could not know But that he lou'd his Cousin very deare For which they all to praise him do begin Full little knowing his intent within Which hauing done with faire smiling
Towne and wall For vnto ashes men they will consume Wherefore beware and see thou not presume The Ram t'assaile least thou thy labour loose But take aduise and vse discretion To leaue the same while thou hast time to choose How to preserue thy honour and renowne And striue not to aduance thy worthinesse By follie and by too much hardinesse And cast thy selfe away where otherwise Thou maist preserue thy life from danger great If thou dost â—arken now to mine aduise Whereto I would thee willingly entreat And therfore think what answere thou wilt make Before thou dost this danger vndertake Medeas speech thus ended as you heare Iason therewith did grow impatient And said mine onely loue and Ladie deare Is this your mind your will and your intent To counsell me to leaue mine enterprise And staine my name and fame with cowardise A coward might I well be thought and deem'd That should begin a thing to vndertake And could nor durst not bring it to an end So men a common jest of me might make And giue report to my confusion That I of pride and meere presumption Had boasted I would do a thing in word Which when it came t' effect I durst noâ— venter Nay Lady deare I sweare vpon my sword I rather had in perill great to enter Of life and lim then cowardly forsake The enterprise I meane to vndertake Your counsell to this end is meerely vaine And so good Lady mine I you entreat To leaue your care herein for this is plaine What ere you say no more of me you get But that I meane my purpose to effect And feare of danger vtterly reiect For it I should through faintnes of my heart Refraine from such an enterprise begun And from your Court and pleasant jsle depart Ere for mine honour some thing I had done While life doth last reproach would me pursue And shame eternall be mine onely due For through the world report ful soone would spread That Iason did this conquest vndertake And that his heart was so possest with dread That he an end thereof durst neuer make But be assur'd it neuer shall be said That danger could yong Iason make afraid And there vpon my faith I you ensure I will performe the thing I haue begun As long as life and limbs of mine endure Although thereby no honour may be woone And that mine onelie guerdon should be death Yet had I rather yeeld my vitall breath Then be reproacht of cowardise and shame For worse report of man cannot be spread Then that he hath dishonoured his name It were much better for him to be dead For euery man should seeke and striue t' aspire To honours seat with heart and whole desire And though it were with losse of life and lim Before he would procure his owne disgrace And breed the meanes for men to laugh at him And so for shame be forst to hide his face Then be assur'd what euer I abide No danger shall me cause to start aside Then do I well perceiue your wilfull mind Said she to him and that you sooner chuse Your life to present danger now to bind And my good counsell vtterly refuse Then to your selfe you 'le reape perpetuall shame And yet it is in earnest and no game With Monsters strange vnwarilie to deale And hazard life when as your choyce is free And therefore I am mooued for your weale In heart and mind your follie great to see That leauing all aduise discretion Counsell and good deliberation You rather choose hard and cruell end And wilfullie vnto the same will goe Then yeeld vnto the counsell of your friend Which shewes that youth and courage ouerslow Within your heart keepe your mind in awe And make you thinke your lust to be a law Which in the end will breed your woe and griefe If you persist as now you do pretend For be you well assur'd there 's no reliefe From certaine death your bodie to defend For neither force nor humane wit can serue Your life in this great danger to preserue Wherefore in heart I purposelie am bent To seeke your good and find a remedie Whereby you may this perill great preuent So loath and grieu'd I am to see you die And rather then your fortune should be such I will my father whome I loue so much And all my friends for euermore displease And vtterlie abandon them each one So that I may procure your ioy and ease Which certainly by me shall soone be done For setting care of all things else aside In this your need I meane to be your guide And for your sake I will my royall seat And Princelie Pallace leaue with heart and will My honour too which I esteeme so great I le set asid your pleasure to fulfill All this and more if you to me be kind For you lie do and that you 'le bend your mind To recompence the kindnes I deserue And thinke it not a thing of small esteeme From cruell death your body to preserue Though you perhaps contrarilie may deeme But ne're the lesse I will so well ordaine By Art and skill of mine betwixt vs twaine That fore that we from others shall depart I hope all shall be well If you do rest Vpon this point that happen woe or smart To satisfie my mind you 'le do your best And there vpon my aid to you I le lend And vndertake you shall th' aduenture end Good Ladie said Prince Iason â—est content And be assur'd it is mine onelie cane To satisfie your will and whole intent And nothing to omit nor yet to spare My life nor lims all perill to endure Your pleasure and preferment to procure Then friend said she refer to me the rest But first to me by faith you shall be bound And with your heart vnfain câ—â—â—e protest That no vntruth in you there shall be found And sweare you must to take me to your wife And hold me as your owne for tearme of life This is the thing that I of you require If you will doo 't and hold your word with me Yet onething more I will of you desire That when to Greece you shall prepared be To make returne and readie to set saile To take me with you hence you will not faile And when your father dies and you succeed To raigne as King see that you not forget To shew your selfe most true in word and deed And let your heart on me be wholie set To maintaine me as my estate requires And seeke no change to please loues fond desires And while you liue haue in rememberance My courtesie to you in this your need And think with what great hap it was your chance To win my heart when none but you could speed For be assur'd no man that liues hath might Against the Buls and Dragon fierce to fight Vnlesse of me he first be taught the way And meanes whereby the conquest to obtaine The which as now my heart will not denay
And presently without delay command That his desire should straight performed bee And yet he sayd I am abasht to see That thou wâ—th so great wilfulnesse wilt run Vnto thy death and be the onely cause Of thy decay when as thou maist it shun The which thou oughst to doe by natures lawes For men will put the blame in me and say That I by Princely power and force might stay Thy course and so by wrong opinion And populer report would lay on mee The onely cause of thy destruction Which God forbid should ever hap to thee My counsell therefore is thou shouldst aduise Thy selfe heerein and doe it not dispise For better t is thine honor to retaine And safely and securely to retire Therewith into thy natiue soyle againe Then with vaine hope and over fond desire So wilfully to seeke to take in hand An enterprise which no man can withstand This is my doome my counsell and advise Be ruld thereby and shun thy cruell fate Refuse it not I say if thou beest wise Least thou repent when as it is too late But if thou dost persist and wilt not bend Thine eares to mine advise The Godâ— defend And saue and keepe thy life what ere befall And vnto them I le pray with great desire To be thy guide and shield from dangers all That thou maist from that enterprize retire In safety vnto thy land againe Without whose aid be sure thou shalt be slaine And so though grieud to see I cannot stay Thy youthfull fond desires from th'enterprize I le hold my tongue for more I cannot say But wish thou hadst been ruld by mine advise And to the Gods thy enterprize commend Beseeching them good fortune to thee send When as the King to Iason had thus said And by no manner reasons he did vse Could draw him from his course not once dismaid He did his counsell vtterly refuse And humbly kneeling downe vpon his knee With Knightly grace did thanke his maiestie That he vouchsaft to haue such speciall care Of him and so to pitie his estate And therewithall such favor to him bare That fearing he should proue vnfortunate And end his daies in that strange enterprize To keepe him from 't had giuen him that advise But yet said he your grace shall vnderstand For th'enterprse which I now vndertake And mind by force of armes and valiant hand T' effect the same I will it not forsake For no mans counsell nor perswasion Shall turne me from my resolution But as the law and statute hath decreed Which in this case is made to be obserud I will therein couragiously proceed If that my life from danger be preserud But whatsoere befalls Ile take th'adventer And first said he before that I do enter Into the same herein this Princely place And presence of his noble audience I do protest vnto your royall grace That no man can against you take offence If that I die in this mine enterprize Because I do refuse your good advise And of my selfe doe onely tak 't in hand Reiecting any counsell whatsoere And therefore doe protest thereto to stand And without dread or any manner feare Vnto the Gods my selfe I doe commit Hap life or death and what they shall thinke fit T'ordaine for me I will accept the same And take it in good part what ere it be And neither them nor you therefore will blame But willingly will beare th'extremitie And thereof I my full account do make And so as now sayd he my leaue I take First of your grace as dutie doth me bind And then of all this noble audience And so with louing countenance and kind Farewell vnto them all he went from thence And downe vnto the water side did go T' effect his charge as I to you well sho When Titan with the fervor of his heate And brightnes of his beanes had driuen away The Roseat deaw that flowers and hearbs did weat About the howre of nine a clocke that day Iason put on a costly armour bright And joyfully like to a valiant Knight Vnto the water side did take his way And there alone into a boate did go Which purposely prepard for him there lay And with the same vnto the I sle did row Whereas the Bulls the golden Ram did keepe And presently vpon the shoare did leape And making fast the boat vnto the strand Withall the speed he could the next path-way That he did find marcht vp into the land Till wearied for a while and for to stay Downe on the grasse he sate and there he thought Vpon the course Medea had him taught To hold when he should enter into fight Against the brasen Bulls and Dragon fell And when like to a wise and valiant Knight He had a while thereon considered well He rose againe and went so long till hee Came to the place where he the Bulls might see But there I must digresse and to you tell That when he first the enterprize began Medea grieu'd into such passion fell That her faire face became both pale and wan And with a grieued countenance and sad She sat and wept and such great sorrow made That all her face and clothes bedewed were With teares that from her christall eies did fall Which onely did proceed of griefe and feare By her conceiu'd when she to mind did call What danger he might cast himselfe into If carelesly he should forget to do As she had sayd and taught him ere he went And for that cause she was so grieud in mind That nothing could her please nor giue content Vnto her heart the which no rest could find For sobbing and for sighthing till in th' end Into a Terret hie she did assend On top whereof there stood a pinacle From whence the aue being cleare and faire she might Without all let or any obstacle Behold and see her deare and loving Knight And there with teares whichout her eies then ran To speake vnto her selfe she thus began My dearest friend sweet Iason thou that art To me so great a comfort and delight And th' onely joy and pleasure of my hart If that it were within thy power and might To know what griefe for thee as now I feele Thou wouldst to me continue true as steele Meanewhile withall my heart I wish and pray The gods to make thy enterprise to thee So fortunate and prosperous this day That thou therein a conquerer maist be And safe and sound returne with euery member To me againe And that thou maist remember To do as I thee taught in each respect And to obserue it orderly and well And nothing therein any wise neglect That so thine honor which doth now excell May more and more encrease Which vnto me The greatest joy that ere I had would be For if to thee ought happen should amisse Then might I say fare well my hearts delight Farewell my health farewell my worldly blisse Farewell my mirth farewell my loving Knight Farewell my fortune and mine onely joy
And welcome grefe displeasure and annoy And in this sort she stood and their she staid While Iason fought against the Monsters fell Who comming to the place was halfe afraid To see the Bulls cast fire like fiends of hell Out of their mouths But to withstand the power And force thereof his body was allore Annointed with an oyntment precious That able was to keepe him from the flame And fury of that fier dangerous Which from their mouthes so furiously then came Which otherwise had been impossible For that it was exceeding terrible Or to escape the huge and monstrous smoake Within the aire did rise so thicke and darke That it was able any man to choake Had not Medea taught him how to warke And how to shon each danger whatsoere By vertue of the Image he did beare For by the same his courage so surpast That when the Bulls with open throat did gape And fier out of their mouthes most fierce cast He did their furie easily escape And And all th' infection of the troubled aire Soone cleansd made it show both bright faire For gainst the fowle and stinking smoake and fume Which round about the aire so thicke did flie And able was mans body to consume The Image was a perfect remedy And more to keepe his mind from feare dread He often times within his booke did read For that the prayer so great of vertue was That it could saue him from all wretchednesse Yet for a further suretie in that case And to preserue his life from all distresse The liquor he into the mouthes did cast Of both the Bulls which closd their throts ful fast And by the vertue thereof had so glu'd And shut them vp that presently he staid The filthy smoake and it so well eschu'd That all the thicke and foggy clowds decayd And vanished away the christall skie Began t' appeare with faire and chrimson die Which don he boldly ventured to take And draw the Bulls forth by their hornes full sone Who then gainst him durst no resistance make Which he no sooner had performd and done But straight he yoakt to the plow theÌ„ bound And draue them forth to eare and til the ground Wherein they wrought so well and were so tame That what he would they did and neuer staid And as he was enioyned to the some They plowd the ground and it in furrowes laid In such good sort and made it smoth plaine That ready t' was t'receaue each kind of graine Then like a Champion boldly he did goe Vnto the Dragon fierce and monstrous Which was a beast most huge in shape and shoe Fowle Horrible and deadly venemous With scales as hard and strong as any steele That dint of sword or speare â—â— could not feele Whose breath then plague was more contagious T' effect therewith the cleare and pleasant skie And his strong poyson so outragious That whosoere it toucht was sure to die And from his mouth such flames of fier did flow That like a burning furnace it did show Or like the streames of lightning which from East Into the West do reach in time of heate So from the mouth of that most vgly beast The flames of fier did come and were so great And in young Iasons face made such a blaze That at the first it stroke him in a maze But thinking on his Ring it was straight gone And he of feare and danger out of care For in the same there was a precious stone Of great esteeme and vertue passing rare Which Isydore doth write is onely found Within the rich and fertile Indian ground And further saith it must he kept fâ—ll close About a man or woman pure and cleane Or else it will the vertue wholy lose Of colour t' was a passing orient greene And power had all venom to destroy That it could not the bearer ought annoy Nor Serpent Dragon Adder nor yet Snake Can hurt or harme by venom any way If that the same within your hand you take And it directly gainst their eye-sight stay For presently they cannot will nor choose But all their force and poyson they must loose And in this sort the vertue hauing wrought It presently doth burst in peeces small In Cicile whence this stone is like wise brought There is a worme which they do Bâ—sâ— call Most venomous which when so ere they will Make tame or els seeke to destroy or kill They take a cane at th' end whereof they bind The precious stone and hold it to the saâ—e Of that small beast and presently by kind She doth no sooner see 't but in that place The bowels bursting forth it there doth die Such force is found in that rich stone â—olie For nature that all things on earth doth frame And whose decree no mortall wight can moue Doth secretly direct and rule the same And by his power receaued from aboue Such force hath giuen to hearbs to gâ—asse to stone The causes why none knowes but she alone By vertue of this Ring and precious stone He boldly fought against the Dragon fell In whome as then resistance there was none Although to fore it did in force excell And soone had him bereaued of his life And presently did end his cruell strife With that great beast Whereof exceeding glad With sword in hand he gaue him many a stroke And chopt his scales that on his backe he had As if he should haue hewd and feld an Oke And then cut of his head and with all speed Tooke out his teeth and vsed them for seed And presently without delay did sow Them in the ground the which he did constraine The fierce and cruell Bulls before to plow From which so rare and strange a kind of graine A fruite more strange did presently proceed For as the Gods by power divine decreed A company of armed Knights arose Out of the ground who sought without delay Each other as most sterne and cruell foes By dint of sword to murther kill and slay And their most furious combat neuer left Till each his foe of life had cleane bereft For by the Law it so ordained was That each his brother presently should kill And that not one of them aliue should passe Out of that place nor yet should worke his will By force of armes the victory t' obtaine Against his foe but all should dead remaine Within the field Such was the desteny Of that strange race which was no sooner don But Iason straight to take the Ram did trie And with a courage bold laid hand thereon Wherein as then resistance none was found And by the hornes he puld it to the ground Then did he kill and sheare the golden fleece Of from the backe for valor so much deem'd That all the treasure in the Land of Greece To halfe the worth thereof was not esteem'd And with his prize he did not time delay But straight vnto the boate he tooke his way And rowed therein vnto the other
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
t' was too late The Troyans were of so great force and might That to resist it could them not availe So cruelly they did them then assaile And furiously did put them all to death Not sparing one but all they ouertooke By dint of sword did yeeld their vitall breath And when the field by force they had forsooke The battaile by the Troyans being woone In fierce and furious wise he then begun The Castle straight to ransacke and to pill Wherein they did great store of treasure gaine And hauing done their pleasures and their will With that and all the rest they did obtaine In Citheron vnto their ships they went And as it was their purpose and intent The wind as then being good and peaceable They sailed towards Troye without delay And hauing weather faire and comfortable They did arriue within the seauenth day That they put to the sea at Tenedowne A Castle standing neere vnto the Towne And presently out of their ships they went And with all speed the King aduertised By messenger whom they in hast then sent Of their returne and how that they had sped The which when Priam heard he was full glad And in his heart such ioy and pleasure had That their affaires so well had fallen out That in all hast by his authority He caus'd it to be publisht round about The towne of Troye with great solemnity Comanding that for those good news they shold In sumptuous wise a solemne feast-day hold To thanke their Gods in meeke and humble wise And on their Altars with devotion To offer them great guifts and sacrifice While Paris staying still at Tenedon Did welcome feast and Princely entertain'd Queene Helena that wept and sore complain'd And evermore bewaild her fortune fell That so mongst strangers comfortlesse alone She was constraind against her will to dwell Farre sequestred from friends and knew not one To whome she might declare in privitie The griefe she had for her Captivity And still she wept and waild with pittious cheare That flouds of tears down froÌ„ her cheeks did raine Distilling from her eies most faire and cleare And through the great extreamity and paine Which she then felt she sighed bitterly And with a wofull voice did often crye To thinke how she had left King Menelaus For which she wished death her heart to ease And for that cause became so furious That nothing could her griefe and woe appease And more t' encrease and multiply her paine When as she thought vpon her brethren twaine Her Husband and her little Daughter deare Faire Hermion whome she did loue so well Her face with griefe did pale and wan appeare Which other times in beautie did excell The Lillie flower and much the same surpasse But then her roseat colour changed was And more and more her griefe did still encrease That in her face she was cleane altered And by no meanes her sorrow would surcease But in most dolefull wise that life she led Till Paris to relieue her heauinesse Went vnto her and with all gentlenesse And pleasant words somewhat appeasd her mind And said alas most faire and noble Queene Why are you to your selfe so much vnkind I surely thinke that purposely you meane And will your death and finall end procure Or els you wold not such extreme greefe endure Nor causlesse shed so many a brinish teare That with the same you wet your outward weed And shew your selfe like vnto one that were A penitent lamenting her misdeed Alas faire Queene alas why do you so Let all this griefe and sorrow now cleane goe And liue no more sweet Ladie in distresse But leaue your woe and chearish vp your heart And thinke no more vpon this heauinesse But as it is a prudent womans part Be glad and what so ever you will craue Of me or mine be sure you shall it haue Let passe I say these salt and brinish teares For t is in vaine in sorrow still to liue And here my faith I plight to you and yours That I will you maintaine keepe and relieue In better sort then ever yet you were By Menelaus and therefore haue no feare For I will doe what I to you protest Vpon the faith and honour of a Knight For falshood in my heart I do detest Wherewith the Queene as well as then she might Fayning sighes with water in her eyes Did answere him and spake in louely wise I know sayd she whether I be loath or leefe Vnto your will I must not now say nay Although it be to my no little griefe For she that 's bound of force must needs obay And sith that from your hands I cannot flie I rest content with my Captiuity Which gainst my will constraines me here to dwell For it belongeth not to women-kind In forraine soyle to striue or to rebell Where they are like no favour great to find And that their cause shall not maintained be But if you list in heart to pittie me And in your mind conceaue so good a deed As to extend to vs some charitie While that you liue you shall the better speed For he that helps man in necessity And comforts them that are in woe and griefe Shall never faile of comfort and reliefe Then Lady deare quoth Paris I assure Vnto you now that what so ere you craue I will the same at your desire procure And thereof in your heart assurance haue And that in such aboundance as you list For no man shall your will and heast resist And therefore be no whit at all dismaid But comfort take and certainly belieue That I will doe what euer I haue said And now said he all sorrow cleane remoue And saying so he led her to a place That purposely for her prepared was Where after certaine speeches twixt them two In secret wise when they together were He did begin her plainly there to woe And vnto her did say my Ladie deare Thinke not I call you so to please your mind But from my very heart as you shall find And therefore entertaine within your thought What I to you shall speake and thus I say Sâ—th that by gods decree y' are hither brought For no man can their will and power stay I dare affirme that you were not accurst Therein and that they do 't not for the worst But for your good and so you must it take And sith there is no other remedie You must of your necessitie vertue make And be as glad and liue as merrilie As if you were within your natiue land For now I giue and plight to you my hand That here you shall at pleasure all things haue How deare so ere it doth vnto me cost And what so ere your heart can wish or craue You shall it haue and hereof dare I boast That this our land as well it shall be found In everie thing doth plenteouslie abound And much more then within the Grecian land And though that far from th'I sland cald Achay You are as
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
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
within the same Which were so many and so great a number That for to thinke theron t would make men woÌ„der And more if that it be considered right It is most sure that since the worlds creation Or Phoebus on the earth did cast his light There ne're was seen in any Nation So many Kings and Princes met together As on both sids at that same time were come thither For all the flower of chiualry was there Kings Princes Dukes Earles Barons Knights Squien And all their power of men that armes could beare With full intent and resolute desires Within the towne for to defend their right Without the towne to win it if they might Let them that read and doe peruse this booke Consider for what cause this warre began And if without vnpartiall eies they looke They shall perceiue that many a valiant man For small or no occasion lost his life In that so needlesse strange and bloody strife For truth to say for nought this warre began And nought there was on either side obtain'd For though the Greeks the towne of Troy then wan Yet if it be considered what they gain'd The storyshewes that when that all was don Their reckoning made they lost more theÌ„ they won For many thousands of them there were slaine And lost their liues before the towne of Troy And neuer did returne to Greece againe The honor of their victory to enioy And those that liu'd and backe to Greece did goe Did after end their daies in griefe and woe And on each side the flower of Chivalry Most woefully did end their fatall daies With hundred thousands in their company And altogether as the storie sayes That bloody quarrell then did vndertake For nought but for a sillie womans sake Great pittie t' was so many Knights should die And headlong run vnto destruction To end their daies in extreame miserie For small or rather no occasion Bettet it were at first to end or cease A quarrell of no moment then t' encrease In malice and reuenge for nought to take For wise men shold forecast what harmes might hap nd seeke an end of small debates to make Ere that they fall in wauering fortunes lap And so procure their owne decay perforce And after wish they had tane another course It is a vse mongst men when fier doth take In any house or place to ring a bell Or els some other noyse or signe to make Thereby to warne such as about them dwell To lend their ayd in that extremitie And speedily to seeke for remedie Before it doth increase to greater fier T' were then too late and folly in a man That comes to helpe to aske or to inquire Which way the fier in the howse began And to neglect the quenching of the same When time doth serue for which he thither came For danger doth require no delay And he that 's wise doth commonly forecast Such dangers as may fall in time to stay For t is too late when as the time is past But now I le leaue the Troians for a while And to the Grecians armie turne my stile You heard that while the Grecians did abide At Tenedon how that they all decreed To send to th'isle of Messa to provide Such victualls as their puissant hoast should need While they made warre within the Troian laud And how Achilles tooke that charge in hand Now while that he was gone and staied there The noble King Palamides ariued At Tenedon with thirtie ships that were All fild with valiant Knights the which reuiu'd The Grecians hearts as glad to see him there For that not any one of them but were Sore grieued that he staied so long behind As one they much esteem'd and honoured And many of them great fault with him did find That he had not at Athens mustered Suspecting him of partialitie But he to cleare himselfe and satisfie Their minds declard in open audience The cause whie he to Athens did not goe According to his promise and pretence And for to proue the same to them did show That sickenesse onely had procur'd his stay And forst him to absent himselfe away So long from them where with they satisfied Excused him for that which he had showne And for because they much on him relied And honoured him as second vnto none Mongst all the Greeks for bounty power wit As being one for all attempts most fit For whatsoere he once did vndertake Most valiantly he would the same effect And spight of all that could resistance make Nere leaue it off nor any wise neglect Tell that he had acchieu'd his enterprise And in regard they knew him to be wise And of the greatest reputation Amongst the Greeks that then assembled were They did intreare and pray him to be one Of those that sit in counsell for the warre Which he accepting they straight waies agreed For to besiedge the towne of Troy with speed But mongst theÌ„ questioÌ„ grew what time they might Vnto the towne of Troy most safely goe Some sayd they thought it best when it was night In secret wise to hoyse their sayles that so Without resistance of the enemy They might take land with most securitie But others sayd great dangers might ensue To them to sayle the River in the night And specially because they hardly knew The ready course and that by chanâ—r they might For want of light out of the channell stray And so cast both their ships and men away Thus being of contrary minds they stayd And for that time made no conclusion But put it off and still the same delaid And tooke not any resolution What they would doe but lay still where they were As if their hearts had been possest with feare Till valiant Diomedes grieu'd to see Them lie so long at rest in Tenadon And that they could not mongst themselues agree Nor fall to any resolution For to besiege the towne of Troy with speed As they at first and firmely had decreed Sayd vnto them my Lords whose worthy fame Throughout the world both farre neare doth flie I cannot chuse but needs I must you blame And discommend your great prolixitie That let the time thus passe as you haue don For now a yeare is almost over-run And yet you stir not hence in any wise But still lie here and giue your enemies cause To thinke you do 't for feare and cowardise And which is worse allow them time to pause On their affaires and at their libertie Taugment their strength with opportunitie Vs to withstand and valiantly resist Whereof assure your selues they will not faile For they not any day nor howre haue mist To seeke for ayd against vs to prevaile And bar their gates make their walls most strong For to withstand asiedge both great and long And which is more they haue their spies to see And hearken what we doe here in our hoast And doe affirme and boldly say that wee Dare not effect the thing whereof we
were one of your Royall blood The which I know for all your worldlie good You would by no meanes wish nor gladlie see Wherefore by mine aduise I thinke it best That Thoas should well kept and garded bee Within this towne and quietlie let rest Least as I said to you before it may Fall out that one of vs another day Might hap into their hands and prisoner be And so for him we might haue ours againe Which otherwise if with extreamitie We do proceed we never should obtaine This is my counsell in this case said he And such as I do thinke the best to be Whereto most worthy Hector did consent And with him was of like opinion And said that he no will had nor intent That any wrong to Thoas should be done While he in Troy then prisoner was though he Nere had deseru'd of them well vs'd to be Paris King Priams second son likewise When as his brother Hector had declar'd His mind said vnto them that his aduise Was that he wisht King Thoas should be spar'd And not put vnto death although he said To doe the same they need not be afraid But Deiphobus of cleane contrarie mind Vnto his brethren twaine did say he saw No cause why Thoas should such favor find At Troyans hands who by their marshall law Might iustlie for his merits make him die Being as he was their vtter enemie Whereto with courage bold youthfull heart Prince Troyelus did seeme somewhat t' agree With Deiphobus and said that for his part He did no cause nor any reason see Why they should spare their enemie that sought Their overthrow and to that end had brought His forces fore their towne as fullie bent To worke their vtter ruine and decay But yet said he it is not my intent To counsell you to deale with him that way Least as my Lord Aeneas saith we might Perchance thereby procure our owne despight Whose counsell Lord Anthenor did commend And said that to shew such extreamitie Of marshall Law and rigor to extend To him could not be done advisedlie For that said he there is none of vs all But may into our foes hands chance to fall And with the selfe same rigor vsed be That vnto him we shewd Wherefore I say If that by my advise you 'le ruled be It 's best to let him safe in prison stay And vse him well that we like curâ—esie May haue when need requires of th' enemy Pollidamas his sonne with all the rest Of those that in their Counsell chamber were With one consent did say they thought it best That he should still be kept a prisoner And as Aeneas said be vsed well Till they saw how fortune with theÌ„ would deale But Priamus to wrath and furie bent Did not agree to their opinion And would by no meanes therevnto consent But still maintain'd his first conclusion And said that if the Greeks should once perceiue That we of life do Thoas not bereaue But spare him though vnto that end it were They would report to our no little shame That we dare not attempt to do 't for feare We haue of them and so will vs defame But nere the lesse said he sith you 're content I will though loath vnto the same consent And therewithall their counsell vp they brake And then Aeneas and Anthenor went With Troyelus into the hall and spake With Helena whereas some time they spent With her and with Queene Hecuba that bare Her company with many Ladies faire That with her the Queene then present were Where Troyelus and Aeneas did perswade Queene Helena to set aside all feare Which by the meanes of war that great she had And she although much discontent she were In outward shew did seeme with ioyfull cheare And countenance demure being glad To welcome them as to their state was fit But Hecuba that nere her equall had For vertue bountie eloquence and wit While they vnto Queene Helena so spake Desired them for that faire Ladies sake And for the weale and safety of them all And of the towne that they would not adventer Themselues in field what ever might befall Too farre among the enemies to enter Nor put themselues in danger carelesly And yet besought them to fight valiantly To saue and keepe the towne from that distresse Which th' enemy did seeke to bring 't into The which she said she fear'd she must confesse Although she hope 't they should it never do And so of her and of the Ladies all The knights tooke leaue went out of the hall Meane time the Greeks that morning as I said While Priam in the towne a counsell held Did murmure great sorow mongst them made As in their tents they lay in th' open field To thinke vpon the losse which they sustaind And all of them together much complaind And grieued for the death of many a man Of great account slaine by the cruelties Since that most cruell deadly war began And valor of their Troyan enemies And for the hunger cold and thirst also With sorow thought vnquietnes and woe Which they had had and felt all for nought Or at the least for causes very small If that the ground thereof were truely sought This was the speech and words in generall That through the Grecians campe at that time ran And currantly did passe from man to man But specially amongst the poorer sort Of soldiers who in war most commonly Constrained are t' endure and to support The brunt of all and haue no remedy For though they do find fault grieue therfore Yet are they not relieued nere the more And so they did complaine make great mone To thinke vpon the mischiefe they endured And which to them the Troyan knights had done Thogh't were theÌ„selues that had the same procured Vnto their owne decay and might it shun If they had not that bloudy war begun Which to encrease the next ensuing night So cloudy darke and thicke as pitch became That neither Moone nor star appear'd in sight And such a storme did happen on the same Of thunder lightning wind raine that fell Vpon them as if all the fiends of hell Conspired had their vtter overthrow And therewithall the waters did so rise That all the field and plaine did overflow And with the wind that blew in furious wise Their tents were overthrowne they compeld To leaue the place which all that while they held By reason that the water grew so hie And in that sort the Greeks in great distresse Compelled were all that same night to lie With hearts repleate with griefe and heauinesse In that great storme of thunder wind raine Vntill the water did go backe againe The wind appeas'd and day began t' appeare Next morning when the Sun began to rise Which made the aire shew beautifull and cleare And draue away the clouds out of the skies And with the force and feavor of his heat Dried vp the ground which was
the walls did loose great store of men Which when the valiant Knight Margariton One of King Priams bastard Childeren Perceau'd and saw such hauocke of them made Such griefe and sorrow in his heart he had And was so moou'd thereat with great disdaine To see them flie and chast so furiously And fore the walls so many of them slaine He purposed with heart couragiously T'revenge them on Achilles if he might And therefore like a strong and valiant knight He spurd his horse through the prease he brake And in the midst of all the Myrmidons Enforst himselfe to kill or else to take Achilles and to that end on him runs And him with fierce and furious mood assaild But notwithstanding all his might he faild Of that which he intended to haue done For as fell fortune did for him ordaine Which by no meanes he could at that time shone He was himselfe by fierce Achilles slaine Wherewith the Troyans presently did flie Vnto the towne with fearefull noise and crie To see the valiant Knight Margariton Dead on the ground so pittiously to lie And also for because King Thelamon Pursued them with so great cruelty And with his sword so fiercely shed their blood Though Paris him couragiously withstood With all his valiant bastard Brethren But nere the lesse the Troyans more and more Fled backe and with the losse of many men Constrained were to giue the field cleane ore And entring into Troye with mighty feare Margaritons dead corps with them did beare And after them shut fast the gates with speed Whose body when as Hector did behold His heart within his brest for griefe did bleed And for that cause he swore and vowd he would Without abode or any more delay Revenge his death vpon the Greeks that day And presently his compleat armes put on And mounting on his horse with speed did goe Out of the towne before that any one Of those that would haue staid him did it know And like a Lyon in his cruelty Assaild the Grecians host so furiously That like to swarmes of Bees they ran away Before his sword and thought it best to get Out of his sight and he that time did slay Two worthy Dukes that then vpon him set Whereof the one was cald Euripalus The other had to name Halcidius And by that meanes the Troyans hauing woone Their ground againe they did the Grecians slay So furiously that they in hast begun To leaue the field and giue the Troyans way Yet though they were pursu'd so then it was Their chance by force to take Pollidamas A Troyan knight but Hector spurd his horse And road into the thickest of the presse And tooke him from them all againe by force And after put the Greeks to such distresse That through his valor great where s'ere he rood He bath'd his trenchant blade within their blood And was so cruell and so mercilesse That none escapt his hands that with him met And then a Grecian cald Leothides Presumptuously would needs vpon him set While he was in his greatest rage and ire But Hector who as then had great desire To make the Grecians feele his cruelty Slew him forthwith and on the ground him cast The which when as Achilles did espie And saw how he the Grecians slew so fast And hackt and hew'd them down spared none He did conceiue in his opinion That while that Hector liu'd it was most sure The Greeks should nere orecome their enemies Nor long gainst them in battaile could endure And for that cause did studie and deuise Which way to find the meanes by force or slight To rid him of his life if that he might And with him also did therein consent Pollicenes an Indian Duke that had His loue vnto Achilles sister bent And she of him her onelie choice had made Who that he might more in her favor stand Presum'd to take that enterprise in hand And him began t'assaile with courage bold But he was slaine by Hector presently The which when as Achilles did behold And saw him there dead on the ground to lie His heart with so great furie was possest That presently he set his speare in rest And ran therewith at Hector furiouslie But Hector with a dart most sharpely ground Which he with mightie force at him let flie Stroke him clean throgh the thigh a mighty wouÌ„d Which grieu'd him so that he could not abide Within the field but was constraind to ride With all the speed he could vnto his tent And there bound vp his wound and presently Did mount vpon his horse againe and went Into the field in feare least he should die Of that same wound so dangerous and sore And not to take revenge on him before For he desir'd no better remedie To case him of the griefe he did sustaine Then for to haue the meanes and libertie That Hector by his hands might first be slaine For of his death he did small reckning make So he might like revenge on Hector take And so he made a full conclusion Death for death to giue him if he might And with that stedfast resolution And heart repleat with choller and despight He road in mighty rage to find him out While Hector rang'd the field and plaine about And like a Lyon fierce and Tygar fell The Grecians slew and beat from place to place And by his valor great which did excell With sword in hand did them so hotly chase That as the sheepe before the Wolfe do flie They ran assoone as they did him espie For none so hardy was on him to set And while that he such hauocke of them made Amongst the Greeks a Grecian King he met That on his backe a goodly armor had Ingrau'd and set with many a precious stone And Pearles fine that bright clearely shone For on the circle of his helme throughout And all the borders of his Crest were set In every place on Velvet edg'd about Most rich and precious stones of value great Whose Armor when as Hector did behold To be so rich of precious stones and gold Assoone as he vnto the king drew neare He ran at him and with exceeding force Cleane through the heart did pierce him with his speare Wherewith â—e died and fell off from his horse And Hector then did presently alight And being of exceending strength might Tooke vp the body armed as it was Before him on his sadle-bow and ride Therewith out of the battaile that when as He had it got out of the way aside He might of his rich armor make a pray And spight of all the Grecians beare 't away Being glad that he had gotten such a prise But out alas that ere he should it see Or set his mind so much on a varice The heat whereof cannot extinguisht bee Out of mans heart if once therein it get For t is the cause that maketh man to set His mind on nothing else but greedinesse Which cleane disgraceth true Nobility And doth
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
then was made it was no maruaile why King Menelaus did it so much denie And to the same by no meanes would giue eare Sith that he was the ground of all their warre And that he and Queene Helena both were The cause that made the Greeks to come so farre Out of their natiue Countrie there to lose Their liues goods amongst their deadly foes And therefore said he cared not what paine Nor losse the Greeks endur'd so that he might Recouer his Queene Helena againe And where he saith the strong and valiant knight Hector is dead his heire as yet doth liue For knighthood who in manner doth reviue And raise him vp which is his yonger brother Prince Troyelus whome we may rightlie call Yong Hector for there is not such another In all the world for he 's as 't were the wall And sole defence of Troy now Hector's gone Which is well seene vnto vs euery one If we the truth thereof acknowledged Whose trechant blade in his most furious heat Doth oft and euerie hower make vs bleed Within the field when he with vs doth meet And in the stead of worthie Deiphobus That was a puissant knight and valorous His valiant brother Paris yet doth liue That 's vnto him for knighthood peregall Who also doth Troy mightilie relieue Whereby of them advantage none at all We haue as yet so that since we begun This warre in truth there is but little woone By vs but we are likelier to loose Yet more and more if we it still â—â— hold And therefore sith that we haâ—e power to choose My counsell is t were good if that we would T' agree with them of Troy and seeke for peace And let vs from this bloudie warre surcease Ulisses hauing spoken in this wise The Troyan traitor Calohas vexed sore To heare the same vpon his feet did rise And forthe hatred which to Troy he bore Said worthy Kings and Princes euery one Why should you change varie like the Moone From that your first and resolute intent Which was by you so fully greed vnto Against the will and the commandement Oâ— all the Gods that power haue to do What ere they list and rule and governe all The actions of man-kind both great small Why should you not vnto them credite giue Whose hests and doings are infallible For this you must all constantly belieue That t is most true and not impossible That Troy by their preordinance and will Shall be destroyd within a little while If you do not neglect and slacke the same Whereby great honor praise and victory Reserued is for you by Lady Fame And will be euer had in memory If you with courage bold pursue your foes And do not your good fortune fondly lose The which I dare affirme and boldly say And further must you tell that wilfully To dallie with the Gods is th'onlie way To make them change their purpose speedilie Wherefore my counsell is that vnitie Should be maintaind and all amb'guitie Dispaire and dread or any kind of doubt Forecasting perill sloath or cowardise Cleane laid aside you should with hearts most stout And valiant courage vtterlie despise All feare of death and once againe resume Your force with resolution to consume And spoile your foes for feare makes men to faint And leaue the enterprise they take in hand And doth mens minds with cowardise attaint And make them that they dare not thereto stand That as the Gods ordaind haue by decree And providence divine that you should bee Victorious ore your enemies in th' end If you with valiant hearts thereto aspire You may attaine to that you do pretend And so you shall fulfill the Gods desire Which speech when Calchas with smooth words faire Had spoken and thereby put all despaire Out of the Grecians hearts they did protest And vow that feare and danger laid aside They would fulfill his counsell and nere rest Though that Achilles flatly them denide His aid therein till that they had orethrowne The Troyans as hereafter shall be showne The two months truce aforesaid finished The Grecians did prepare themselues to fight Against their foes and brauely entered Into the field gainst whome in great despight The Troyan Knights with hearts couragious Did issue forth At which time Troyelus Such valor shewd that with his trenchant blade He kild and wounded them so furiouslie That in short space to flie he had them made For that day in his extreame crueltie He vowed for his brother Hectors sake Vpon the Grecians full revenge to take And as t is said that worthie Champion By his exceeding valor and his might Did slay a thousand Knights himselfe alone And put the Grecians valiantlie to flight All that day long till Phoebus did descend At which time he of fighting made an end And entred into Troy whereas he rested Till next day that the Grecians who t'revenge Their losse vpon the Troyans had protested Did orderly their wings and squadrons renge Assoone as Phoebus rose within the plaine With whome the Troyans fiercelie met againe Where each the other valiantlie assaild At which time fierce King Diomede did fight So cruellie and then so much preuaild Against his foes that by his passing might Great store of Troyans lost their liues and died Till Troyelus his crueltie espied At whome with speed he ran a mightie pace And with his strong and puissant speare in rest Encountred with him brauely face to face And gaue to him a blow vpon the brest So mightilie and with such passing force That with the same he smote him off his horse And bruis'd him sore To whom in spightfull wise As he vpon the ground did lie he spake And told him of his loue and treacheries Which he gainst him had wrought for Cresids sake At which time when the Grecians did espie King Diomede vpon the ground to lie Amongst the horses feet in great distresse They did with all the hast and speed they might To saue him from stout Troielus furiousnes Take him vp from the ground and in despight Of all his foes sore brused and dismaid Bare him from thence and in his tent him laid Whom to reuenge King Menelaus did set His speare in rest and furiously did ride To Troielus but ere with him he met Fierce Troielus that his comming would not bide Prevented him with such a furious blow That to the ground he did him ouerthrow And gaue him therewith all a cruell wound Within his brest that he was like to die But when his Knights saw him vpon the ground They layd him on a shield and speedily Bare him out of the presse into his tent At which time while away with him they went The Greeks were sore oppressed slaine and chast Throughout the field by Troilus passing might Who then most fiercely them pursued fast That they were forst to take themselues to flight Vntill such time as King Agamemnon With many Grecian Knights came riding down Into the field whose
be taken vpon thee And also in like sort on every one That vnto thee allied are by bloud For loue of that most valiant knight good Whose death the world caÌ„not enough complaine And for that cause men do not onlie take Revenge therefore but women do maintaine His quarrell and haue vowed for his sake As right requires without exception To put the same in execution Vnto which end here now before thy face I stand and readie am to trie thy might For to reuenge his death here in this place And sith thou hast at women such a spight Thou shalt soone find by good experience What we can do and how in our defence We can both weld a sword and warlike speare Which thou shalt try by shedding of thy blood Here in the field without all dread or feare Which words when Pyrrhus heard he waxt as wood As any Lyon fierce when men him chase And then with colour pale and angry face He tooke a speare and ran at her amaine And she likewise of him no whit in feare Encountred with him brauelie in the plaine Where Pyrrhus first vpon her brake his speare But mou'd her not she did so firmely sit But she did him so sure and strongly hit That with her Launce she did him overthrow And made him fall downe flat vpon the plaine At which his heart with rage did overflow And rising on his feet an great disdaine With sword in hand strake at her many a blow But she still firmely sat and did not bow And in exchange gaue him the like againe And often made him kneele vpon the ground And in that sort the fight betweene them twaine Continued long and no advantage found On either side till Pyrrhus knights came on And brought his horse made him mount theron And then the Generall Agamemnon With banners rich and pennons braue displaid Marcht forward into the field came on With many Earles Dukes Kings to ayd And second him and to assaile their foes Whose entry made the Troyan knights to lose Their grouud they were so fiercely followed And hotely charged by the Grecians Till Philomen them brauely rescued And by that meanes relieu'd the Troyans And ioyning with the Queene the Greeks assaild And at that time so much gainst them preuaild That by main force they made theÌ„ lose their grouÌ„d And then great store of knights on either side Were staine out right many more were found That wounded sore with gastly voices cride And yeelded vp their breath and many a sheâ—d And helmet broke and cleft lay in the field And many a horse ran maâ—â—erlesse about And such a noise of Drums Trumpets shrill And cries of men was heard the field throughout And with the sound thereof the aire did fill That fearefull't was to heare and to behold How on each side with courage stout and bold And most confused noise they slew each other Where th' Amazons conducted by their Queene Assaild the Greeks so furiously together That all the field the which before was greene Was turn'd into a faire and crimson red With blood of Greeks which by them then was shed Who seconded by stout Pollidamas King Esdras and Aeneas and the rest Of Prâ—â—â—s force which then all entred was Into the field vpon the Grecians prest So valiantlie that they were forst to lose Their ground and to giue place vnto their foes And would haue fled if Pyrrhus had not been Who onlie by his valor made them stay And kild so many of the Troyans men That they were glad to get out of his way But Panthasilia brauelie did with stand Both him and all the Greeks and by her hand And extreame force the Troyans did relieue And kild so many Greeks on euery side And vnto them such mightie wounds did giue That they durst not her puissant blows abide And in that fore those Champions fierce bold The fight in equall ballance long did hold Till Pyrrhus with the Troyan Glaucon met That brother was vnto Pollidamas Anthenors son and on him fiercely set To whome at vnawares as he did passe By him he gaue a wound into the side So deepely that he there fell downe and died Wherewith Queene Panthasilia fiercely ran To Pyrrhus and did brauely on him set At which time such a cruell fight began Betweene them both when they together met That with their swords in furious wise by force They beat each other downe off from his horse And so on foot fought valiantly and long Without advantage gotten on either side Till that the Greeks and Troyans with a throng Of knights by force betweene them both did ride And parted them and then Pollidamas Whose heart with griefe wrath possessed was For Glaucons death vpon the Grecians ran And without mercie or compassion had Of any one beat downe both horse and man And with the Queene so great a slaughter made Of them at that same time that they compeld Them spight their hearts to flie out of the field Vnto their tents vntill that Diomed And Thelamon with Pyrrhus turn'd them backe And once againe into the field them led Where for a while they did resistance make And fought againe till that it drew to night At which time when they could no longer fight For wearinesse When Phoebus gan to hide Her glistering beames and Westward to descend With greatest losse vpon the Grecians side They did from fighting cease and made an end Of that daies bloudie battaile with desire To rest themselues as time then did require And so they did 〈◊〉 next day gan t' appeare When as with courage great each side began To enter in the field and without feare In furious wise slew many a valiant man And for a month ensuing every day From fighting in the field did never stay But who did best or had the victory In all that time there is no mention made Nor yet what men of note therein did die But onely that Queene Panthasilia had One hundred of her women therein lost For which she said it should her dearely cost But she would be revenged for the same Vpon the Greeks if Fortune favourable Would be to her but she that beares the name To be so fickle false and variable That no man can his trust in her repose By turning of her wheele did make her lose Her life when as she was in highst degree Of honors throne presuming that her soes Nere should bereaue her of it But you see That when it is Gods pleasure to dispose Of man and of his actions none can't shun For what he hath decreed must be done For that when many battailes had been fought And Greeks and Troyans long and furiously Had slaine and spoild each others power sought On either side to win the victorie And that Queene Panthasilia brauely had Behau'd her selfe in many fights and made Such slaughter of the Greeks that for the same They feared her and shun'd her in the fight And by that
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
he bore And for that cause he made no more delay But arm'd himselfe againe with full intent Against his fathers will that bad him stay To go into the field and forward went For feare whereof his wife did cry shout And with her child in both her armes ran out And did to him most pittiously complaine Beseeching him her sorrow to behold And of his Princely loue to ease her paine By granting her request and that he would Not onely pittie her but haue a care Of his yong Son which in her armes she bare Who all the while would not from crying keepe By any meanes what so euer that she made When as he saw his wofull mother weepe And kneeling on her knees vnto him said Alas my Lord haue pittie now on me And on this tender babe whome here you see So wofully before you weepe and crie And be not so hard hearted and vnkind T' abandon vs and suffer vs to die Let Troy some mercy at thy hand now find Mine owne deare Lord least it and we each one Be put to cruell death when thou art gone For want of aid Thus did Andromecha Her Husband Hector mournfully desire To stay at home The like Queene Hecuba His mother also of him did require Together with his Sisters Cassandra And Policene with faire Queene Helena Who all at once downe at his feet did fall And pittiously their haire did rent and teare And lowdly cri'd and dolefully did call On him that he would for that day forbeare To go into the field and of the towne With them and her to haue compassion And to behold their sad and pittious mone For that he was the bulwarke and the wall And chiefe defender of the towne alone And th' only true supporter of them all In whome their onely safety and good With all their weale especially then stood But all this could not moue his heart to stay Nor grant to their request yet still they kneel'd And him with many brinish teares did pray Vnto their cries and woefull sute to yeeld And that they might some sparks of grace theÌ„ feele To come out of his heart as hard as steele By pittying them and on their woe to rew Which likely was to their destruction And overthrow still dailie to renew For that of their most famous Troyan towne His death would be the ruine and decay Yet all this could by no meanes make him stay But forth he would with heart couragious Which was inflam'd with extreame wrath rage And like a Lyon fierce and furious Would by no meanes his crueltie asswage For neither crie nor lamentation Could him withdraw from his opinion For casting everie danger cleane aside And all perswasions what so ere were made He spurd his horse and forward gan to ride Wherewith his wife such extreame dolor had Within her heart that with face pale and wan In furious wise vnto the King she ran So sore amaz'd and in such wofull case That she could hardly tell where she did go And with salt teares be-dewing all her face So strangely lookt that no man could her know And in that sort with great perplexitie She fell before King Priam on her knee And vnto him her wofull case did shoe Desiring him to put his helping hand To stay her husband Hector that would goe Out of the towne whom no man could withstand Vnlesse't were he who presentlie did bid One bring his horse and forth in hast he rid And pittying her estate did for her sake Set spurs vnto his horse with so great hast That he did Hector speedilie oretake Before that he out of the gate was past And straight laid hold vpon his horses reine And made him gainst his will turne back again Wherein he would his father not gaine say Although he was full loath the same to doe And by that meanes intreated was to stay And partly was by force constraind thereto And so he did downe from his horse alight With heart so full of ranckor and despight Melancholie and hot and burning ire That his couragious heart did boile in blood And with disdaine was set on such a fire That like a Tygar fierce or Lyon wood And furious depriued of his pray He did behaue himselfe all that same day Or like a Bore that as he goes doth whet And grind his tuskes still walking vp and downe While that the Greekes they of Troy did meet Where at the first yong Troyelâ—â— fore the towne In furious wise vpon his gallant steed By chance did meet with fierce King Diomede And both of them so furiously assaild And set vpon each other with such might That neither armes nor weapons had preuaild But one or both of them in that hard fight Had died if that King Menelaus had not beene That sodenly came riding them betweene And made them part and after valiantly Did spurre his horse and ran at Mereon The Phrigian King and him most cruellie With sword in hand assaild and set vpon And at him stroke a blow with so great force That with the same he feld him off his horse And at that time he surely had bin tane Or lost his life the Greeks so mightily Assaild and set on him and on the plaine Enclos'd him round about and furiously Pluckt off his helme and band vpon him laid And had him led away If to his aid Pollidamas had not come sodenly With many valiant knights with him and when He saw King Mereon in extreamitie And mongst a troope of Grecians prisoner then In furious wise he did vpon them set And him out of their hands by force did get But ere he could relieue him cleane from thence On either side there was such mortall strife For that the Greeks gainst him made great defence That many a valiant knight then lost his life For rather then he should from them be tane They swore vowd that he shold first be slaine And by that meanes he was in danger great But sodainly to free him from the same Yong Troyelus vpon the Grecians set And at the first as he amongst them â—aâ—â—e He did behaue himselfe gainst them so well And in such furious wise vpon them â—ell That in despight of them and all their traine Most valiantly he holpe king Mereon And him restor'd to libertie againe And then into the field came Thelamon That of three thousand knights the leader was And sodenlie vnhorst Pollidamas And him in midst of all his knights cast downe Vnto the ground But worthy Troyelus T' encrease his hautie fame and great renowne Despight of them with courage furious Holpe him perforce vnto his horse againe But at that time the Troyans were so slaine And beaten downe by Greeks on euery side For fierce Achilles then so cruelly Pursued them that they could not abide Before his face but of necessitie Constrained were perforce to flie away And by no meanes within the field would stay But fiercelie chast by him vnto the towne Close by