protection His myghty shelde and sauacion That haste this citie and this towne ylorne In whiche thou were fostred and yborne On the greatest of reputacion Of all the lordes dwellinge in this towne In which thou haddest whilom most plesauÌ„ce But all is now out of remembraunce ¶ Yet in thy hert yf any drape be Of gentylnesse mercy or pytye In this deadly rage full of tene Rewe on my doughter yonge Polycene From grekes sworde her youthe for to saue If thy herte may any routhe haue Of manly pytye on her maydenheade Defende her nowe and kepe her out of drede If thou canste fynde any weye In any wyse that she maye not deye ¶ That hereafter when men se and rede The false treason and the foule dede That thou haste done vnto Troye towne It maye in partye be protectiowne To thy fame the venym to allye Of this treason when men wyll assaye By iuste reporte thy name to accuse This dede may the helpe to excuse Agaynst tonges that speake of Enee Than wyll they saye thou haddest yet pytye On Polycene onely of gentilnesse Therwith to sugre all the bytternesse Of thy deserte blowe forth by fame By rehersayle of the foule blame That shal of the through the worlde be borne With sklauÌ„der infect wheÌ„ thou art al to torne That thou ne shalte the shame mowe sustene Then shall my doughter fayre Polycene Be thy defence agayne suche famous stryfe If it so be now thou saue her lyfe Of me no force though thou make as blyue The sworde of grekes through my herte ryue ¶ And so by prayer of this wofull quene This Eneas toke to hym Polycene Whose traytour herte for all his cruelte On her youthe was meued of pytye Onely of routhe that in his brest arose And secretely put her vp in close Lest that grekes founde occasyon Agaynst hym and Ayax Thelamon Toke to his warde Andromecha Hectors wyfe and wyfe Cassandra Out of the temple longing to Mynerue From grekes sworde their lyues to conserue ¶ And Menelaye toke the quene Heleyne Into his garde for whom so great a payne Bode in his herte many daye toforne By whom alas the cytye is now lorne ¶ And grekes aye were busye in their yre To slea and kylle and crullly to fyre On euery syde and to beate downe Palyce and house and wall of the towne They spare nought for all goth to the fyre So feruent hate brent in their desyre Of olde enuye auenged for to be That they ne lefte within the Cyte Nothynge vnbrent and also ylyowne Was in this rage tourned vp so downe There made were none exceptions Onely but take the possyons Of Anthenor euyll mote he fare And Eneas whom the grekes spare As thâ—y to them were bounde by their othe And thus the grekes furyous and wrothe Haue all that daye robbed and ybrent ¶ Tyll that the kynge Agamenon hath sent For his lordes to assemble yfeare In Pallas temple onely for to here There wyse aduyse vpon thynges twayne Fyrste if they wolde holde and not fayne Hooly their hope without exceptiowne To theÌ„ by whom they wonne fyrst the towne ¶ And ouer more he axed them also Touchynge the goddes what they wolde do With golde treasour and possessyowne That they haue won thrugh their hie renown ¶ And they answered without more taryinge They wolde their faith kepe in euery thynge As they were sworne and hestes holde And ouer this they sayde howe they wolde That golde treasour and good of the Cyte As ryght requietrh and also equitye Be iustly parted by deuysion To euery wyght made distribucyon Lyke his meryt of hygh and lowe degree And that the kynge eke of reason se Eche to rewarde after his labour So as it longeth to a conquerour That no man haue matter to compleyne And so they felle in speakynge of Heleyne Eueryche after his opynyon And tofore all other Ayax Thelamon Shortly sayde she hath deserued death For whom so many haue yelde vp the brethe Playnely affyrmynge there in Parlement Of ryghtwysenesse and trewe iudgement She shulde not escape with the lyfe That gynnyng was cause of all their strife Rote and grounde of all their sorowe and wo And so sayde eke many an other mo And for the noyse and the great affraye ¶ Agamenon nor kinge Menelaye Ne durst a worde for her partye meue To saue y e quene lest grekes wold them greue Agaynst them there was so great rumour Tyll Vlixes chiefely her socour Through his wyt and his eloquence His deuer dyd and his dylygence To haue her life and fully to purchace Of the grekes for to gette her grace ¶ And as Guydo also doth vs lere Agamenon grekes gan requere To graunt hym for a chiefe guerdon Of Cassandra to haue possession All her lyfe with hym to abyde Eke Eneas and Anthenor besyde Of Helenus to the grekes tolde How to the werre he neuer assente wolde And how that he prudennt and vertuous In counsaylyng was contrarious To all tho of hygh and lowe estate In Troye first that began debate Atwyxe grekes and this myghty towne Eke by his helpe and medyatiowne Achylles was buryed and ygraue The deade corps from houndes for to saue Whan he was slayne in full cruell wyse By nyght tyme as ye haue herde deuyse For sothly he and Cassandra both Of this murder in herte were full wrothe And sory eke of many an other thynge Wrought in the towne w tout their wyttynge ¶ And for they were of malyce Innocent The grekes haue fully by assent Graunted to them a prerogatyfe By Parlement for to haue theyr lyfe But Helenus first in teares drowned Tofore the kynge pyteously hath sowned And abraydynge with a deadly face In humble wyse besought hym of his grace Of knyghtly pytye to haue his aduertence To spare his sworde fro bloud of Innocence And of mercy that he not disdayne To graunt lyfe to the sonnes twayne ¶ Of worthy Hector his brother most entere And eke to rewe on their mother dere Onely of grace that she be not dead A wydowe lefte a lone and can not reade And so the kynge ameued in his herte And wote not whither that she maye diuerte Of his wordes and his wofull chere Benygnely graunted his prayer And gaue eke lyfe and fredom for to go To the mother and her chyldren two ¶ And to ladyes and gentyll women all That for mercy to his grace calle He graunted eke of compassyon A safe conduite and a fre pardon Where that them lyste in the towne abyde Or in the countre adiacent besyde He put it hole in their electiowne ¶ And thanking him they fell on knees down With many teare dewed in the face ¶ And so the kynge parteth fro the place And after that grekes ryght anone Fully purpose to shyp for to gone In haste to sayle towarde their countre But suche a tempest rose vp in the sea Of wawe and wynde also of cloudes blacke All a moneth that they dare not take The
fauorable Fortune theyr frende though she be variable And thus to Colchos safe they ben ycome And vnto lande safe both all and some They ben ariued in a litell space For in the sea founde they haue such grace Of Neptunus that caused them as blyue As I sayd erst at Colchos to aryue NOw in this yle and in this lytell lande That Colchos hight ye shal vnderstāde Howe that there was a royall cheife cyty In al that reygne most of dignitye Of worthinesse of ryches and of fame And Iacomtes tho it bare the name Chefest of all to speake of buylding With stretes large and curyous of housinge And therwith all dyched well without Stronge walled and toured rounde about Of huge height and aloft battayled And y e ryght strongly leste they were assailed With many paleys stately and royall For there was tho the seat most principall The kinge to abide better than elles where And at that time it happed him be there And he was called Oetes as I reade Full renōmed of knighthod and of manhead And him about a well besene meane Like as was sitting vnto his degre And euery where the landes enuirowne The fame spredde of his hye renowne And al about this mighty chiefe citye Where as Oetes helde his royall sea Were riuers freshe of which y e waters cleane Lyke cristall shone agayne the sonne shene Fayre playnes as Guydo beareth wytnesse And holsome hilles full of lustinesse And many lake and many lusty welle And there were eke mine auctour cā you tell Full many a parke full fayre freshe to sene And many wode and many a medowe grene With sundry floures among y e herbes meynt Which on theyr stalke nature hath depeynt With sundry hewes within and eke withoute After the season as somer came aboute For fishing fouling for hauking eke also For venery and hunting both two The place was right inly delytable Of corne and grayne passingly greable And plenteous in all maner thynge For their men harde the birdes freshely syng In tyme of yere in their hermonye That the noyse and soote melodye On freshe braunches full delycious Reioyse wolde these folkes amerous Whom loues bronde had fyred to the herte And efte adawen of their paynes smerte That certeynly whan that grene Vere Ypassed was aye fro yere to yere And May was come the month of gladnes And freshe flora of floures Emperesse Had cladde the soyle newe at her deuyse This noble place was lyke to Paradyse And Ceres goddesse of largesse and foyson Suche plentye gaue vnto that regyon Of fleshe of fyshe wyne vitaile and corne That the lycour of her full horne Vpon the londe so gan to raine and snowe That all astates yea both high and lowe Lad their life in soueraiane suffysaunce With al that nature coulde or might auaūce This litle yle with her giftes great Lyke as toforne ye haue harde me treate For ther was plētie ther was habundaūce And there was al that might do pleasaunce To any harte and all commoditee And so befell that to this citie Iason is come and with him Hercules And after them foloweth al the pres Full well arayed and royally be sayne Their armes enclosed togyther twayne and twain A people chose as it were for y e nones And therwith all of brawnes and of bones Eueriche of theim of makyng and facion Full well complete as by preportion Yonge of age and of good stature Sadde of countenaunce and full demure That euery wight had great pleasaunce To se the maner of their gouernaunce So yonge so freshe hardy and meke also And all at ones they to the paleys go With suche a chere that eueriche hath disport To see the maner of their noble porte So gentylmanly they demeaned were That the people prese gan euery where To see these straungers lyke the grekes gyse Demeane them selfe in so thryfty wyse And of desire the people ne wolde cesse Aboute them to gather and impresse And to enquere what they myght be That of newe with suche a royalte Ben sodeynly entred into the towne Thus eueriche wold with his felowe rowne They were so rude to stare and to gase To gape and loke as it were in a mase As townish folke done so comonly Of euery thynge that falleth sodeinly But how Oetes lyke a worthy kyng Whan that he harde fyrst of their comyng Receyueth them and hooly the manere If that ye lyst anone ye shall it here VVhan y t the king hath sothly vnderstāde How the grekes come were to lande And how Iason was also there with all Borne by dissente of the blud royall Of Thesalye and lykely to be heyre If he by grace haue againe repeire The auentures achyued of Colchos The kynge anone out of his sea arose Of gentillesse in all the haste he may In goodly wyse to mete theim on the waye And them receiueth with a cheare benigne And vnto them anone he doth assygne His offycers tawayte them night and daye Chargynge them in euery maner waye That what soeuer may to them do ease Or any thyng that may them queme or plese That they it haue in foyson and plente Eueryche of them lyke to his degree Thus he commaunded in al maner thyng And than anone this noble worthy kyng As he that was of fredome a myrrour Through many halle and many riche toure By many tourne and many dyuers waye By many gree made of marbyll graye Hath them conueyed a full easy pase Tyll he thē brought there his chambre was Where he with them helde his daliaunce And there anone with euery circumstaunce Of manly fredome he made vnto them chere And in his chambre englosed bright cleare That shone ful shene with gold with asure Of many ymage that there was in picture He hath commaunded to his offycers Only in honour of thē that were straungers Spyces and wyne and after that anon The yonge freshe the lusty man Iason As fast gan by lycence of the kyng For to declare the cause of this comyng But fyrst the kyng with great royalte Assended is into his royall sea Clothes of golde ranged enuyron After the custome of that regyon That to beholde it was a noble syght Stondyng aboute many a worthy knight And many a squyre and many a gentylman Full well besene and the kyng right than Vnto Iason stondyng in presence Commaunded hath of his magnifycence With Hercules to sytte a downe besyde And Iason than no longer lyste abyde Of his commyng the cause for to shewe The effect of which was this in wordes fewe Saue Iason fyrst ere he his tale began Full well auised and chered lyke a man Conceyued hath and noted wonder well From poynt to poynt his mater euerydell And not forgot a worde in all his speche But euen lyke as rethoryke doth teache He gan his tale so by crafte conueye To make y e kyng to that which he wold seye Condescende and rather to enclyne For to assente
And the lockes thycke brode and large Of al y e gates wel wrought of shyning brasse And eke within the mighty shytting was Of yren barres stronge square and rounde And great barres pytched in the grounde With huge cheynes forged for diffence Whiche ne wolde breake for no violence That harde it was through theym for to win And euery house that buylded was within Euery paleys and euery mansyowne Of marbell were throughout all the towne Of crafty buildyng working most royall And the highte was of euery wall Sixty cubytes from the grounde accounted And there was none y t other hath surmoūted In the Citie but of one hyght aliche In very soth both of pore and ryche That it was harde of hye estate or lowe House or paleys a sonder for to knowe So egally of tymbre and of stone Theyr houses were reysed euerychone And yf I shuld rehersen by and by The corne knottes by craft of masonry The freshe enbowīg w t verges right as lynes And the housyng ful of backewines The ryche coyning the lusty tablementes Vinettes ronning in casementes Though y e termes in Englishe wolden rime To shewe theim all I haue as now no time Ne yet language picked for the nones To tell the sotyll ioynyng of the stones Nor howe they put in stede of mortere In the ioyntoures coper gylte full clere To make them ioyne by leuell and by lyne Amonge the marbell freshely for to shyne Agaynst he sonne whan his shene lyght Smote on the golde that was burned bright To make the worke glister on euery syde And of this towne the stretes large wyde Were by crafte so prudently prouyded And by workmen sette so and deuyded That holsome eyre amyddes myght enspyre Erely on morowe to them that it desyre And zephirus that is so comfortable For to nouryshe thinges that bene vegetable In tyme of yere throughout euery strete With sugred sauour lusty and so swete Moste pleasauntly in the eyre gan smyte The Citezeynes onely to delyte And with his breth them to recomforte Whan they lyste walke theim selfe to disporte And thrugh the towne w t crafty purueiaunce By great auise and discrete ordenaunce By compase cast and squared out by squyers Of pullished marble vpon stronge pyllers Deuysed were longe large and wyde Of euery streate in the fronter syde Freshe alures with lusty hye pynacles And moūstryng outward costly tabernacles Vauted aboue lyke to reclynatoryes That called were deambulatoryes Men to walke togithers twaine and twaine To kepe thē drye when it happed to rayne Or them to saue fro tempest winde or thundre If that them lyst shroude thēselfe there vnder And euery house couered was with lead And many gargoyle and many hydous head With spoutes thorough pipes as they aught From the stone worke to the canell raught Voydyng fylthes lowe into the grounde Thorough grates made of yron perced roūd The stretes paued bothe in length and brede In cheker wyse with stones whyte and reade And euery crafte that any maner man In any lande deuyse or reken can Kyng Pryamus of hye discreciowne Ordeyned hath to dwell in the towne And in streates seuered here and yonder Eueryche from other to be set a sonder That they myght for there more commoditie Eche by hymselfe worke at his lybertye ¶ Goldsmythes fyrst and riche Iewelleres And by them selfe crafty brouderers Weuers also of wollen and of lyne Of clothe of golde damaske and satyn Of veluet sendell and double samyt eke And eueryche clothe that men lyste to seke Smythes also that coulden forge wele Pollaxes swerdes and speres sharpe of stele Dartes daggers for to mayme and wounde And quarelheades sharpe square ygrounde There were also crafty armerers Makers of bowes and also these fletchers And suche as coulde make shaftes playne And other eke that dyd their busy payne For the werre to make also trappures Baners beate and royall cote armures And by diuers Standardes and penouns And for the fyelde freshe and gaye getouns And euery crafte that may reckened be To tell shortly was in this Citie And through this towne so ryche excellent In the myddes a large ryuer went Causynge to them full great commoditie The whiche on twayne hath parted the Citie Of course full swyfte w t freshe stremes clere And hyght Xantus as Guydo doth vs lere And as I rede that vpon this flode On eche a syde many a mylle stode Whē nede was their graine corne to grinde Them to susteyne in storye as I fynde This ryuer eke of fyshe full plenteous Deuided was by workemen curious So craftely through castynge souerayne That in his course the stremes might attaine For to areche as Guydo doth coniecte By arches stronge his course for to reflecte Through condite pypes large wyde withal By certayne meanes artifyciall That it tho made a full purgacion Of all ordure and fylthes in the towne Wasshyng the stretes as they stode a rowe And the gutters in the earth be lowe That in the Citie was no fylthe ysene For the cauell scoured was so clene And eke deuoyded in so secrete wyse That no man myght espye or deuyse By what engyne the fylthes fer nor nere Were borne awaye by course of the ryuer So couertly euery thyng was coured Wherby the towne was vtterly assured From engendryng of all corruption From wycked eyre and from infexion That cause ofte by their vyolence Mortalitie and great pestilence And by example of this flode there was Made tybre at Rome and wrought by Eneas The whiche also departeth Rome a two Myne auctour saith I note if it be so And tenhabite this royall chiefe Citie Kynge Pryam hath about in eche countre Made for to serche with all his hole entent And in prouinces that were adiacent In borowes townes and in smales vyllages Ygathred had out of all maner ages And of thropes folkes full dyuers Of suche as were vacant and dispers About Troye in any regyowne He made hath to entre into towne Great multitude what of yonge and olde It tenhabyte as ye haue herde me tolde And those that were afore to him foreynes He hath in Troye made them Citezeynes Full discretly lyke as it is founde And whan they gan with people to abounde Kynge Priamus of hye affectiowne After the buyldyng of this myghty towne Hath in his harte caughte a fantasye His newe Cytie for to magnifye And it to put the more in remembraunce He fully caste to do some obseruaunce To myghty Mars sterne and ferse of hewe And specially with certayne playes newe On horse and foote in many sondry wyse To gyue his men in knyghthode excercyse Eueryche to put other at assaye In iustes lystes and also in tourney To preue their force whā they happe to mete The which plaies were founded first in Crete And in that lande of hye and lowe estate In Martys honour they were dedicate And in palastre on wakes on the nyght Were other plaies as men tassaye their
cause onely at his foundacion Kinge Ylyus sythe go full longe The founder was of the wall stronge After whom as made is mencion It called was and named Yllyon In the whych with great and busy charge In Pallas name he made a temple large That passingly was had in reuerence And when this Phane of most excellence Perfourmed was by masonry full wele And saue the rose complete euerydele Of myghty stone the buyldinge well assured But or it was with lede and tymber cured Agayne tempest for to be obstacle There tell a wonder onely by myracle That I dare well affyrme it in certayne Suche an other was there neuer seyne Who so list se and consydre all This meruayle was so celestiall FOr there came downe from y e high heauē By Plyades and the sterres seuen And through the eyre holdynge his passage Lyke a fayre and meruaylous ymage That in this world though men had sought Ne was there none halfe so well ywrought For as it is truely to suppose Pygmalyon remembred in the rose In his tyme had no connynge To graue or paynte so curyous a thynge For it was wrought wyth dylygent laboure By hande of Aungell in the heauenly toure Thrugh goddes myght and diuine ordinaūce And hither sent through his purueyaunce For a relyke onely of his grace There to abyde for a protection For a diffence and saluacion Perpetually whyle the worlde maye dure Agayne all mischyefe and mysauenture Euery trouble and trybulacyon In susteynynge and releuacion And soueraygne helpe eke of this Cyte The whych neuer maye destroyed be By no engyne that men maye purchase The goddes haue graunted such a grace And such vertue annexed eke therto That Troye in sothe maye neuer be fordo Tyll this relyke stole be awaye And yet in sothe there is no man that maye From the place slere it nor remewe But the preieste to whom it is dewe Onely of offyce to touche it with his honde So mightely conserued is the bonde That who attempteth in conclusyon It to remewe of presumpcion At the fyne platly he shall fayle For force none maye him not auayle For it in sothe will not remeued be Except of him to whom of deutee It pertayneth as ye haue herde toforne And ouermore there is no man yet borne That reade can nor tell in no degre Veryly where it be stone or tree Nor howe it was deuised nor ywrought There is no wight so subtill in his thoughte Ceriously to tell the manere For Minerua that is so freshe and clere The sterne goddesse thrugh her great might That is so dreadful both of loke and sight Which on her brest hath of cristall Her shelde Egys this goddesse immortall Ygraunted hath in bokes as I lerne Through her power which that is eterne This holy relike for a memoryall To her Temple of buildinge most royall It to conserue from all assault of dreade And to succoure in euery maner nede Agayne theyr foen vnto Troye towne While it is kept with deuocyowne So that alwaye by successyowne From kinge to kinge in the line downe But iust tytle liuely succede Therto annexed that they take hede Prudently auoyding necligence It to conserue with due reuerence As they are bounde and yholde of ryght Thē shall no enemye power haue nor might To do domage in hindering of the towne And why it is called Palladyowne Lyke as clerkes wryte of it and sayne Is for Pallas to make her towne certayne This relike sente fro the heauen downe And to conclude shortly my reasowne This the cause our purpose is so let ¶ Than quod Vlixus sith it maye be no bet Our labour is in ydell and in vayne Without recure if it be certayne As thou hast sayd this towne in no degre Through this relyke maye not destroyed be It was foly the to vndertake Vnto Grekes beheste for to make Without this thou haddest be well sure ¶ Quod Anthenor yet there is recure As I haue hight ye shall haue the towne Although there be a dylacyowne And the maner anone I shall tell If it so be ye lyst a whyle dwell Without noyse other perturbaunce ¶ The prieste the whych the gouernaunce Of this relike shal be spoke vnto By good aduyse and ytreated so That he shall be full of our assente For he with golde and treasour shal be blent That he accorde shall to our purpose To brynge the relyke which is kept so close To what place that ye lyste assigne Be styll of porte goodly and benygne In your workes tyll I haue brought about Fully this thinge and be nothyng in doubte I dare my selfe take it well on hande And when they had his meaninge vnderstād They toke leue and went out of the towne But fyrst to voyde all suspecyowne At theyr goynge Anthenor hath hyght How that he would go the same nyghte To Priamus to make ordynaunce How the bondes and the assuraunce Of the peace should ymaked be And for to knowe eke the quantytye Of the golde that ye shall receyue Thus shall I best the purpose apperceyue Of the kinge and knowe it eueridele And they consente and like it wonder wele Euery thinge that Anthenor had sayde And so they parte glad and well apayde And went theyr waye and made no tarying ¶ And Anthenor goth vnto the kinge Hym counsaylinge he make no delay To call his lordes agayne the nexte daye And his lyeges to assemble yfere Fynally to engroce this mattere As it was syttynge and expedyent And when the kinge in open perliament Crowned sat in his regalye This Anthenor gan to specyfye In audyence that men myght knowe To eche estate both to high and lowe The Grekes will if they agre therto And what the summe was of golde also Which they are if the peace shall stande Twenty thousande marke to haue in hande Of pured golde which must anone be payde And of syluer that maye not be delayed They must eke haue the same quantytee And ouer this as they accorded be Certayne measures by couenaunt also Of wheate and floure theyr lyues for to saue In theyr repayre by the large sea When they sayle home to theyr countre And that the collecte made be anone By good aduyse of them euerychone That all be redy by a certayne daye There was no man that durst tho saye naye Nor contrarye that Anthenor had sayde Where so they were well or euyll payde But ful assent in conclusyowne And in all haste throughout all the towne The collatours gathered vp the golde Lyke the summe that I haue you tolde Of poore ryche there was spared none The whych tyme Anthenor is gone Vnto the priest that called was Tonaunt If he might in any wise him daunt To make his herte fully to enclyne Full craftely he layde out hooke and lyne With lusty bayte of false couetyse Excytynge him in full secret wyse That would be of his assente And condescende vnto his entente To put him in possession Of the relyke called
of any maner age Nor in that yle for to do damage To man nor beast where euer that they go But as to abyde for a daye or two Theim to refreshe and efte repaire anone When that the rage of the seas were gone And whyle that they vpon the stronde laye They did nought els but to disporte playe And bath washe them in the freshe ryuere And dronke waters that were soote cleare That sprange like cristall in the colde well And toke right nought but if it were to selle It was nothyng in their entencion Vnto no wyght to do offensyon Or to moleste or greuen any wyght But the vnstable rule of fortunes might Hath euer enuye that men liue in ease Whose hastie course vnwarely doth disease For she was cause god wote causeles This gery fortune this lady recheles The blinde goddesse of transmutacion To tourne her whele by reuolucion To make Troyens vniustly for to wene That Grekes were ariued theim to tene So that the cause of this suspicion Hath many brought vnto destruction Full many worthy of kinges and princes Throughout y e world reckened in prouinces Were by this slaundre vnto mischief brought For thinge alas that neuer was be thought For it was cause and chiefe occasiowne That this citye and this royall towne Destroyed was as it is playnly founde Whose walles hie were beteÌ„ downe to grouÌ„d And many a man many a worthye knight Were slayue there and many a lady bright Was wedowe made by duresse of this werre As it is kouthe and sith reported ferre And many a mayde in grene and tender age Be lefte were sole withouten mariage Behinde theyr fathers alas it fall shulde And for nought elles but y t fortune would Shewen her might and her crueltye In vengeaunce taking vpon this citye ¶ Alas that euer so worthy of estate Shuld for so lytell fallen at the debate Whan it is gon it is not like to staunche For of the graffing of a litell braunche Full sturdy trees growen vp full ofte Who clymbeth hye may not fall softe And of sparkes that be of sight small Is fyre engendred that deuoureth all And as a gnat first of litell hate Encauseth flawme of contek and debate And enuiouslye to sprede abrode full ferre And thus alas in realmes mortall werre Is first begonne as men may reade and se Of a sparke of litell enmitye That was not staunched fyrst wheÌ„ it begoÌ„ne For when the fire is so ferre yronne That it embraseth hertes by such hatrede To make them brenne as hote as any glede On other partye through his cruell tene Ther is no staunche but sherp swerdes kene The which alas consumeth all and slethe And thus the fine of enmite is death And though the ginning be but casuell The biding frete is passingly cruell To voyde realmes of reste peace and ioye As it fill whilom of this worthy Troye It doth me wepe of this case sodayne For euery wight ought it to complayne That litell gilt shuld haue suche vengeauÌ„ce Except percase through goddes purueaunce That this mischiefe shuld perhappes be The ensuing cause of great felycitye For Troye brought thus vnto destruction Was the ginninge and occacion In mine auctour as it is specified That worthy Rome was after edified By the of springe of worthy Eneas Whilom from Troy whan he exiled was The whiche Rome reade and ye may se Of all the worlde was head and chiefe citye For the famous passing worthinesse And eke wheÌ„ Troy was brought thus in distresse And y e walles cast broke adowne It was in cause that many regiowne Begonne was and many a great citye For this Troyan this manly man Enee By sundrye seas gan so longe to sayle Till of fortune he came into Itayle And wan that lande as bokes tellen vs With whom was eke his sonne Ascanius That after Enee doth by line succede The land of Itale iustly to possede And after him his sonne Siluius Of whom came Brute so passingly famous After whom if so I shall not fayne Whilom this land called was Britayne For he of geauntes through his maÌ„hode waÌ„ This noble yle and it first began ¶ From Troye also with this ilke Enee Came worthy Francus a lorde of hye degre Which after Rome teÌ„crease his high renowne Builded in his time a full royall towne Which he sothely his honour to auaunce After his name he made do call it Fraunce And thus began as I vnderstande The name first of that worthy lande And Anthenor departing from Troyens Began the cytie of the Veneciens And Sycanus within a litell while Began tenhabite the land of Cecile And after parting of this Sycanus His worthy brother called Syculus So as I finde reygned in that yle And after him it called was Cecile But Eneas is forth to Tuscy gone It tenhabite with people right anone And in Cicile he Naples first began To which full many Neopolitane Longeth this daye ful riche of great might ¶ And Diomede the noble worthy knight Whan Troye was fall with his toures faire Howe to his reygne he cast to repayre His lieges tho began a quarell fayne And him withstode w t al their might maine And of malyce and conspiraciowne They him w theld both sceptre the crowne Their deutye and theyr olde aligeaunce And him denied both trouth and obeyssauÌ„ce Wherfore anone so as the bokes tell With all his folkes he went for to dwell To Calabre and gan it to possede And there the knightes of this Diomede That fro Troye haue him thither sewed To fourme of byrdes wer anone traÌ„smewed By Circes crafte doughter of the Sonne And in the eyer to flee anone they gonne And called bene in I sodore as I reade Amonge Grekes the byrdes of Diomede Not as some bokes of theim list beare witnes This chauÌ„ge was made by Venê° y e goddesse Of wrathe y t she had to this worthy knight Onely for that she sawe him ones fighte With Eneas her ownely sonne deare At which time as they faughte yfeare And Diomede with a darte ygrounde Gan ame at him a deadly mortall wounde ¶ His mother Venê° gan anone him shroud Vnder a skye and a misty cloude To saue him tho that time fro mischaunce And for this skill Venus toke vengeaunce Into byrdes to tourne his meyne And in that fourme from yere to yere they fle Vnto his tombe where as he is graue So y t on him as yet a minde they haue That of custome for a remembraunce A rite they holde and an obseruaunce At his exequies these byrdes euery chone A dayes space and thence not ne gone And moreouer as it to them is dewe They loue the Grekes platly they eschewe Latins all for ought that may betyde For they present anone they flee aside And eche from other as bokes vs assure These byrdes knowe onely of nature Grekes and latines kindely assonder Whan they theym se y t which is such a woÌ„der
that he myght fyne Of his comyng the knightly hye empryse Thus word by worde as I shall here deuyse RIght worthy prince preseÌ„t in this place Only with supporte of your hye grace And your goodnes most excelleÌ„t dign With pacience of your fauour benygne Displease it not that I may saye and shewe And efte declare with wordes but fewe The fynal grounde and cause of my coming So that ye lyste whiche ben so noble a kyng In goodly wise without more offence Of curtesye to gyue aundience To my request and that ye not disdayne Goodly to graunte that I may atteyne In this yle if it may me auayle The flese of golde frely to assayle As the goddes in this myne auenture Lyste to ordeyne for my fatall eure In whom lyeth all playnly and fortune For to gouerne thynges in comune In werre and peace conquest and victorye And of armes the renowne and glory Discomfyture and bryngyng to outraunce All lyeth in them to hyndre or tauaunce Ayen whose might no mortal maÌ„ may chese But for all this where so I wynne or lese Or lyfe or deth be fyne of my labour If that ye lyste to do me this fauour To gyue me leue and no more delaye I am accorded fully for to assaye Lyke as the statute maketh mencion Me lyste to make none acception Vpon no syde fauour for to fynde But as the rytes playnly maken mynde What euer fall I shall them vnder fonge Lowly besechynge that ye not prolonge My purpose now nor make no delaye But of your grace sette to me a daye Myne enterpryse that I maye achyeue For myne abode stant vpon your leue Saithe but one word of grauntyng at y e lest And than I haue the fyne of my requeste ¶ And whan the kyng had herde ceriously Th entent of Iason sayd so manfully He stynt alyte and kepte hym close a whyle Tyll at the last he goodly gan to smyle Towardes Iason and said vnto hym thus Iason quod he albe thou desyrous To vnderfonge this passyng hye empryse My counsayle is lyke as I shall deuyse Full prudently for to caste aforne The mortall peryll or that thou be lorne For in this thynge there is a lawe ysette By chauntement that may not be ylette Nor remedyed for fauour nor for mede For deth in soth who so taketh hede Is the guerdon platly or they twynne Of them that caste the flese of golde to wyn For helpe is none in manhode nor fortune The streyght waye is so importune So dredefull eke and so full of rage That saue deth there lyeth no passage Of victorye the palme to conquere For sothly Iason as I shall the lere Founded of olde by meruaylous workyng By the statutes of this mortall thinge So sore bounde vnder my regalye That the rygour I may not modifye Wherfore Iason or thou this thinge attame Leste afterwarde on me were laide y e blame Of thy lesynge or thy destruction Of faythfull herte and true entencion I warne the my selfe for to quyte So that no man iustely shall me wyte Though thou of youth of thy wylfulnesse Thy lyfe destroye without auysynesse Sith I Iason of this peryllous case From poynt to point haue tolde the al y e case Be now auised and put no faulte in me For the surplus frely lyeth in the. Of all this thinge syth thou mayst chese And where so be that thou wynne or lesse No man to me it iustly may arecte For that lawe that Mars hym selfe sette No mortall man of right may duelye passe For hie or lowe he getteth none other grace Than the goddes lyste for hym ordeyne What euer he be that caste hym to darrayne This diuers thyng most furious of drede Wherfore Iason how euer that thou spede I haue to the openly declared Hooly the peryle and for fauour spared As fer in soth as reason wyll and ryght For thou wotest wel it lyeth not in my might For to declare or any man to lette That of manhode knightly caste to sette Vpon this thing as thou hast herde me tell What shulde I longer in this mater dwell It were but vaine for now thou knowest all Beware of her that tourneth as a ball For at this tyme thou gettest no more of me Do as thou lyste I put the choyse in the. And with that word the kyng rose vp anone Vpon the tyme whan he shulde gone Vnto his meate and Iason by his syde As ye shall here if so ye lyste abyde THe time approcheth gan to neigh fast That offycers full busyly them cast To make redy with all their busye cure And in the halle bordes for to cure For by the dyal the hour they gan to marke That Phebê° southward whirled vp his arke So hye a lofte that it drewe to none That it was tyme for the kyng to gone Vnto his meate and entre into halle And than Oetes with his lordes all And with his knightê aboute hym euerichon With Hercules and also with Iason It sette to meate in his royall sea And euery lorde lyke to his degree But fyrste of all this worthy man Iason Assygned was by the kynge anone For to sytte at his owne borde And Hercules that was so great a lorde Was sette also faste by his syde And the marshall no longer lyste abyde To assygne estates where they shulde be Lyke as they were of hye or lowe degree And after that on scaffolde hye alofte The noise gan loude and nothynge softe Of trumpeters and eke of clarioneres And there with all the noble offycers Full thryftely serued haue the halle Lyke as the season gan that tyme fall With all deyntes that may rekened be That sothfastly the foyson and plente Of kyngly fredom vnto hye and lowe So fulsomly gan there to reygne and snowe That through y e hall was y e manhod praised Of the kyng and his renowne reysed That can his gestes sothly for to sey Whan that hym lysteth chere and festey So lyke a kyng and in so thryfty wyse With all deynte that man can deuyse For at this feast and solempnitie The grekes myght the great nobely see Of kyng Oetes and the worthynesse And by reporte therof beare wytnesse Where so they come after all their lyue I wante connynge by ordre to discryue Of euery course the diuersitees The straunge sewes and the sotyltees That were that day serued in that place Haue me excused thoughe I lyghtly passe Though I can not all in ordre sayne Mine englyshe is to rude and eke to playne For to endite of so hye a thyng But forthe I will reherse how the kyng To shewe his gestes his nobley ouer all Hath for his doughter sent in speciall And byd she shulde forth anone be broughte The which in south though men had sought The world thrughout I do you plain assure Men might a founde no fayrer creature More womanly of porte nor manere Nor more demure nor sadder of her chere Whose beaute was not
This Parys first as lord and gouernour Of this voyage made by Pryamus And his brother called Deiphobus Theyr leue haue take as longed of deutye And after that to ship right manfully Without abode they gan theym selues dresse And in the name of Venus the goddesse And mighty Ioue they taken theyr Iourney With anker hoist forth by the large sea They gan to saile and haue the winde at wil. The water calme blandishing and still Without trouble of any boystous wawe And to the costes they ginnen fast to drawe Of grekes lande for nothing ne theim let And of fortune in theyr course they met A grekishe shyp mine Auctour telleth thus In whych there was the king Menelaus Towarde Pyram a famous stronge Citie For to visite a duke of high degre That Nestor hight and this Menelaus Was brother eke vnto the king famous The wise worthy great Agamenon Greatest of name and reputacion Amonges the Grekes for his worthinesse And Menelay this storye beareth wytnesse Husbande was to the quene Heleyne And she was syster to the brethren tweyne Castor and Pollux whych as I you tolde Were of their hand so worthy knightes hold And in that time like to their degre In Strynester theyr most cheif Citye They helde a housholde solempne royall The loue of whom was tho so speciall Of wyll and herte accordinge with the dede Atwixe theim two of very brotherhede That none from other could lyue alone With whom was eke the mayde Hermyone The yonge doughter of the quene Heleyne Of fayrenesse most inly souereyne Most passyngly excellyng in beaute ¶ And thus the Troians sayling on the sea Towarde grece amonge the wawes wete Of auenture theim happed for to mete Kinge Menelaus sayling by theyr syde And none of theim list of very pryde For to enquere what that other was But passen forthe a swyft and lusty pase For none of theym could then other knowe And aye the wynde peasebly gan blowe The Troian flete causyng in a whyle For to approche to the noble yle That called is Cithera at this daye And in the hauen in all the haste they may They anker cast boūd theyr shippes strōge And after that theim list not tarye longe To take the lande ful many lusty man Araying theim as freshly as they can ¶ Now in this yle of passyng excellence There was a temple of great reuerence That buylded was of olde foundacion And honoured most as in that region Throughout the land both of fer and nere The feast day aye from yere to yere Like as it fil by reuolucion Repeyringe thither of great deuocion In honour onely of Venus the goddesse Whom the grekes with al theyr businesse Honoured most of euery maner age With giftes brynging and with pilgremage With great offryng and with sacrafise As vsed was in theyr paynem wise ¶ For in this Phane as they knele wake With herte contryte and theyr prayer make The statue gaue of euery questyon Perfect answere and ful solucion With ceremonies to Venus as they loute Of euery thinge wherof they were in doubt They hadden there ful declaracion And thus the grekes vpon Citheron Halowe this feast with riche great araye With rytes dewe as fer forthe as they may In hope fully the better for to thryue ¶ And of fortune when he did aryue Vp to the land by aduenture or case The same tyme this feast halowed was Of many a greke coming to and fro From euery coste that to the temple go On pilgramage theyr vowes to acquite Of the place the reliques to visyte And after Parys all this did espye He chosen hath out of his companye The worthiest that he there chese may And to the temple he toke the right way Ful wel besene and in knightly wise And did his honour and his sacrafise Ful humble and to the Grekes liche With many an ouche and many iewel riche With golde and syluer stones and riche perre He spendeth there like to his degre And quit him manly in his oblacions And ful deuoutly in his orysons He him demeneth that ioye it was to se ¶ Now was Parys of passing great beaute Amonges all that euer were alyue For there was none that might w t him striue Troian nor greke to speake of semeliheade Wonder freshe and lusty as I reade And in his porte full lyke a gentil knighte Of whose person for to haue a sight They gan to prease both of nigh and fere So royally he bare him in his gere And all prease both high estate and loowe What knight he was desyren for to knowe And of his men they asken busyly From whense he came and the cause why Of his coming enquyring one by one But prudently they kept theym euerychone That nothing was openly espyed In theyr answer so they them selues guyde That euery thing kept was secree Eueriche of theim was so auisee Albe that some openly declare What that he was and ne list not to spare But tolde playnly the cause of his cominge And howe Pryam the stronge mighty kinge His father was most royall of renowne And how he came also for Exiowne Thus eche of theim gan with other rowne At pryme face whan he came to towne And therupon were ymagynatyfe Sore musyng and much inquisitife Eche with other as by suspection Deminge therof lyke theyr opynyon And rathest they that nothinge ne knewe As folkes done of thinges that be newe And whyles that they of this matter treate In sondry wise among theyr wordes greate The saying of theim gan anone atteyne To the eares of the quene Heleyne Nigh there beside in that regyon And when she herde as by relacion And by reporte of them that come bytwene This fayre Heleyne this freshe lusty quene Anone as she the sothe vnderstode Without delay or any more abode She casteth her to this solempnytye The freshe folke of Phrigia to se Wel more god wote in her entention To se Parys than for deuocion Vnder colour of holy pylgramage To the temple she taketh her voyage With a great meyne and royal apparayle Parys to se for she wyll not fayle ¶ But oh alas what lusty newe fyre Her herte hath nowe enflawmed by desyre To go to vigiles other to spectacles None holynesse to heare of myracles Hath meued her that there shal befall But as the maner is of women all To drawe thether platly to conclude Where as they be sure that multytude Ygathered is at lybertye to see Where as they may finde oportunitye To theyr desyre ful narowe they awayte Now couertly theyr eyen for to baite In place where as set is theyr plesaunce Now pryuely to haue dalyaunce By some sygne or casting of an eye Or tokens shewing in hert what they drye With touche of hādes stole amonge the prese With arme or fote to catche vp in theyr lese Whom that them lyst all be he free or bonde Of nature they can holde him in honde Ayen whose sleyght auaileth wyt
w t brest ful square mete To endure in armes fel and coragious And of his loke wonder amerous High of stature and large of giftes eke And more of strength than any other Greke And to spend he set lytel charge He was of herte so plenteous and large And in the felde passyng chyualrous ¶ And for to tell forth of Tantalus Of sanguine hewe hauing much of reed Diuerse eyed aye meuing in his head Of huge making also of great strengthe Wel answeryng hys brede to his lengthe Hatinge to striue where he sawe no nede Ryght trewe of worde also as I reade And neuer quarel wolde he take on hande To fyght for but he might vnderstande That it were fully grounded vpon ryght And than he wolde quyte hym like a knyght ¶ Cilcus Ayax was right corpulent To be well cladde he set al his entent In ryche aray he was ful curyous Although he were of body corsyous Of armes great w t shoulders square brode It was of him almost a horse lode Hygh of stature and boystous in a pres And of his speche rude and rechles Ful many worde in ydel hym asterte And but a coward was he of his herte ¶ An other Ayax Thelamonyous There was also dyscrete and vertuous Wonder fayre and semely to beholde Whose heyr was black vpward ay gā folde In compas wise rounde as any sphere And of musyke was there none his pere Hauing a voyce full of melodye Right well entuned as by Hermonye And was inuentife for to counterfete Instrumentes aswell smal as grete In sundry wise longing to musyke And for all this yet had he good practike In armes eke and was a noble knyght No man more orped nor hardyer for to fight Nor desyrous for to haue vyctorye Deuoyde of pompe hatyng all vaynglorye All ydle laude spent and blowe in vayne ¶ Of Vlyxes what shall I also sayne That was so noble and worthy in his dayes Ful of wyles and sleyghty at assayes In meaning double and deceyuable To forge a leysyng also wonder able With face playn he coud make it toughe Mery worded and but selde loughe In counsayling discret and ryght prudent And in his tyme the most eloquent And holpe to Grekes often in theyr nede ¶ And for to speake of worthy Diomede Full wel compact and growe well in length Of sturdy porte and famous eke of strength Large brested and ferse also of syght And deceyuable of what euer he hyght Hasty testyf to smyte reckles And medlyng aye and but selde in peace To his seruauntes ful inpacient And baraytous where that so euer he went For lytel worthe of disposycion And lecherous eke of complexion And had in loue oft syth his parte Brenning within of Cupydes fyery darte And spechles ful ofte felt he his sore ¶ What shal I sayne eke of Duke Nestore Of longe stature and wel compact wythall With corbe shoulders and of middell small In handes strong with armes large roūde In counsalyng prudent and wyse yfounde Whose wordes were sugred wyth pleasaunce Vpon his frende hauing aye remembraunce For of his trouthe he ne coud fayne But in anger he might him not refrayne He was so fret wyth melancolye That no man myght his yre modefye Albe it laste but a lytell space Who could him suffer anone it would pace Lightly it came and lyghtly went awaye ¶ And Prothesalyus y t freshe was of araye Wonder semely and of great beaute I trowe a fayrer might no man se Of good stature delyuer and ful lyght No man swyfter and to speake of myght Of his makyng he was passyng stronge Ferse of courage and lothe to take a wronge ¶ And to tell of Neptolomus He was of making wonder corsyous Whose heyr was blacke shining as doth geat With eyen rounde brode and therto great Large brested with a rysyng backe And in speche stamerd whan he spacke But in causes he could medle wele And in the lawe ful depe he did fele For all his lust was beset on plees ¶ But for to tell of Pallamides King Naulus sonne withouten any wene Of face fayre of body longe and lene Of manful hert hardy in battayle And desyrous his enemye to assayle Famylyer curteyse and therto right tretable In al his dedes and inly worshipable In giuing large and passing of grete fame Of whose bounteful wide sprange the name In many land the storye telleth thus ¶ And next I finde of Polydamus The worthy Greke was of great thycknesse Of wombe swolle enbossed with fatnesse That vnneth he might him selfe sustene And yet of herte he was ful proude kene Right surquidrous and ful of pensyfenesse And selde glad so thought did him oppresse ¶ But Machaon like as wryte Guydo Of longe and short was betwyx two Ful proude and ferse deuoyde of pacyence And vengeable who hym did offence And yet he was as balde as is a coote On whose forhead euen by the roote The heyr was fallen wasted clene away And selde or neuer he would slepe a daye ¶ And ouermore to tellen of Crysyde Stumbleth my pen for longe or she dyed My mayster Chauncer did his diligence As to descryue the great excellence Of her beaute and that so maysterly To take on me it were but high folye In any wyse to adde more therto For wel I wote anone as I haue do That I in sothe no thāke deserue maye By cause that he in wrytyng was so gay And but I wryte I must the trouthe leue Of Troye booke and my matter breue And ouer passe and not go by and by As doth Guydo in ordre ceryously And that I must don offencion Through necligence or presumpcion So am I set euen amiddes twayne Great cause haue I matter to complayne On Attropos that through her enuye Tho brake the thred and made for to dye Noble Galfryde chefe Poete of Brytayne Among our Englishe y t caused first to rayne The golden droppes of Rethorike so fyne Our rude language onely tenlumine To god I praye that he his soule haue After whose helpe of nede I must craue And seke his boke that is left behinde Some goodly worde therin for co finde To set amonge the croked lines rude Whych I do wryte as by symylitude The rubye stant so royall of renowne Within a ryng of coper or latowne So stant the making of him doubtles Amonge our bokes of Englyshe pereles They be ful easy knowen so they be excellēt There is no making to his equipolent We do but halte who so taketh hede That medle of makyng without any drede Whan as we would his style counterfete We may alday our colour grinde and bete Tempre our asour and vermilyon But al I holde but presumpcion It foloweth not therfore I let be And fyrst of all I wil excuse me And procede as I haue erst begon And through his fauour certayn if I con Of Troye booke for to make an ende And there I left I wyl agayne nowe wende
them amonge Shall fynally consumpt be with death Thorowe grekes sworde yelden vp the breth ¶ But the cause without any drede Why I saye thus is that ye take hede For any pryde or presumpcion To aduerte in your discrecion So prudently that reason in this nede For any haste may our brydell lede And so ordeyne or we hense wende That laude and prayse after in the ende May be reported as I haue deuysed For many man that hath not be aduised In his pursuite for lacke of prouidence To se tofore in his aduertence What shuld be fall to deth it hath thē brought Suche wylfull hast were good to be thought Of vs by fore examynacion And well discussed by reuolucion ¶ Of thynkyng ofte that we not repente And fyrst remembre how that Pryam sent To vs but late only for Exyon That yet is holde of kynge Thelamon Whiche was of vs without aduisement Vndiscretely denyed by assent Whiche hath to vs be none aduauntage But grounde and rote of full great damage For if that we through wyse purueyaunce Of her had made tho delyueraunce The harmes great had be then eschewed That after were of Parys so pursewed In the temple of faire Cythera That buylded is besyde Cirrea The treasour great also that he had And Iewelles thense that he with him ladde Than to Troye and the great rychesse The slaughte of men and the heauinesse That yet is made for the quene Heleyne Throughout Grece and the great payne Of Menelaye all had ben nowe vnwrought If so we had foresene this in our thought Wysely tofore and restored Exyon Than had not the harmes ne of them one Ensewed on vs in very sothfastnesse Nor spent our labour so in ydelnesse Treasour nor good wasted so in vayne Nor come so ferre for to fetche agayne The quene Heleyne with costes inportable Withouten harmes now in eschewable ANd for all this yet ne wote we Whether to ioye or to aduersytye The thynge shall tourne that we be about Syth ofte syth dependent and in doubte Is fatall thyng vnsyker and vnstable And fro the gynnynge often varyable The ende is sene fortune can transmewe Her gery course and therfore to eschewe The harmes possyble lykely for to fall My counsayle is here amonge you al Vpon arryuaile trauayle to eschewe In this matter are we further sewe To Pryamus without any more To sende fyrste agayne for to restore The quene Heleyne as ryght and reason is And other harmes done eke by Parys After his trespasse and offencion Iustely to maken restytucion Than may we all in worshyp and honour Retourne home without more labour If they assente to do as we requere And our axynge if they lyste not here But folyly of their wylfulnesse Refusen it than this our worthynesse Is double assured on a syker grounde By iuste tytle Troyans to confounde With thynges two we shal be vnder pyght Fyrst our power borne vp with our ryght Shall for vs fyght our quarell to dareyne In balaunce euen to weye atwixe vs twayne To fyne that we shal be more excused For they tofore haue wylfully refused Our iuste profers made to them afore And we shal be through the worlde therfore Without spot of trespasse or of blame Of mysreporte in hyndrynge of our name Where they of foly shall ynoted be Of wylfull wodnesse playnly where that we Shall stande free our power for to vse And euery man shall vs well excuse Though that we do execucyon By takynge vengeaunce for their offencyon Of men and chylde of eche secte and age That shall of death holden their the passage And by the sworde without mercy pace One and other there is no better grace BVt yet tofore I counsayle taketh hede That ye to them with all measure bede This holde I beste and moste syckernesse And worke now by good auisenesse Amonge your selfe and no longer tarye To whiche counsayle some weren contrary And varyaunt to his opinyon Saue they that were of most discrecion Assented be playnly to this ende And chosen haue to Pryam for to sende Amonges them the ambassyat to spede Vlyxes wise and worthy Dyomede The whiche anone gan them ready make And shope them forth and their waye take Towarde Troye as any lyne ryght When the sonne shone full shene and bryghte Holdyng the course of his fyry sphere In mydday arke wonder bryght and clere And gylte eche hyll vale playne roche With his beames when they dyd approche To the walles and gates of the towne And in they go without noyse or sowne ▪ Full well be sene and in their porte them had Ryght manfully and the waye them ladde To the paleyes streyght as any lyne Them nedeth not asyde to declyne But into a courte large wyde and square And thei ful knightly for no wight wold space Vnto the effecte manly to procede To do their charge without feare and drede For their commyng was not tho refused And in tho dayes peraunter was not vsed To haue no conduite for embassadrye The custome was to no man to denye As I suppose entre nor passage If it so were he come as for message And in this courte builded so royally When they come fyrst they meruayled greatly The royall syght of so huge a strength So well complete both in brede and length For they ne had in their lyfe tofore Sene none so fayre yet they wonder more Into the paleyes as they together gone That paued was all of Iasper stone Of a tree that amyddes stode On which to loke they thought it did thē good Musyng where it were Artifyciall Erecte or sette by magyke naturall Or by engyne of workemen curyous Through subtyll craftes supersticious Or other worke of Nycromancye Or profounde castynge of Phylosophye By apparaunce or yllusyon Outher by crafte of incantacion Vp and downe they casten in their mynde Out by reason if they myghten fynde Rote and grounde of this wonder worke But the trouthe was to them so derke That in their wytte though they longe trace The pryuitee they can not compare To conceyue how it was possyble For to the eye as it was vysyble In very soth without any fable To mannes hande so it was palpable Of whiche the stocke of Guydo as is tolde In sothfastnesse was of pured golde Whiche shone as bryght as the somer sonne To enlumyne thinges that weren donne And the body as a maste was ryght Proporcyoned most goodly to the syght Substanciall and of huge strengthe And twelue cubytes the body was of length And the croppe rounde and large of brede And in compasse gan flourishe so and sprede That all the playne aboute enuyrowne With the bowes was shadowed vp downe The ryche braunches and the leues fayre Twayne and twayne ioyned as a payre One of golde another syluer shene And meynt among w t stones whyte grene Some rede and some sapher hewed And euery daye the blomes were renewed And the blossomes with many sundry suyte For stones Inde it
hertes may not lightly staunshed be The Etike draweth by so great distresse That it defaceth the high worthynesse Full ofte sythe of these conqueroures And of theyr fame rente away the floures Desyre of hauynge in a gredy thuoght To hygh noblesse sothly longeth nought Nor suche pylfre spoylynge nor robberye Appartayne not to worthy chyualrye For couetyse and knighthod as I lere In one chayne maye not be knet yfere For kouthe it is that ofte suche rauyne Hath cause be and roote of ruyne Of many worthy who so lyst take hede Lyke as ye maye nowe of Hector reade That sodaynly was brought to his endynge Onely for spoylynge of this ryche kinge For of desyre to him that he hadde On horse backe out whan he him ladde Reklesly the storye maketh mynde He caste his shelde at his backe behynde To welde him selfe at more lyberte And for to haue oportunyte To spoyle him and for no wyght spare So that hys brest disarmed was and bare Except his plates there was no diffence Agayne the stroke to maken resistence Alas why was he tho so reckles This floure of knighthod of maÌ„hode pereles When that his foo all that ylke daye For him alone in awayte so laye If in mischiefe of hate or of enuye In the fielde he might him ought espye This Achilles cruell and venymous Of hertye moste melancolius Whych couertly houing him beside When that he sawe Hector disarmed ryde He hente a spere sharpe grounde and kene And of yre in his hatefull tene All vnwarely or Hector might aduerte ¶ Alas the while he smote him to the herte Throughout y e brest that dead he fel adowne Vnto the earthe this Troian champyowne Through neclygence onely of his shelde The death of whom when Odemon behelde The worthy kinge might hym not refrayne ¶ But to Achilles rode with all his payne And hit him so amyd of all the prese Maugre the might of his Myrmydones That for dead Guydo sayth certayne Of that wounde fel grofeling on y e playne But his knightes on a shelde alofte The ylayde him and caryed him full softe Vnto his tente in all the haste he can And there I leue this deadly wounded man Full sore sycke tyll he maye releue And after that when it drewe to eue They of Troye with great reuerence Did their laboure and theyr diligence The dead corps to carye into towne Of worthy Hector wheÌ„ Titan went adowne And to the temple dolefully they wende And of that daye this was the wofull ende I can no more but thus the longe night In heauinesse as it is skill and ryght I will theim leue and agayne retourne To my matter to helpe theym for to mourne ¶ The complaynte of Lydgate for the death of Hector Ca. xxviii BVt nowe alas how shal I forth procede In the storye that for wo and dreade Fele my hande bothe tremble and eke quake Oh worthy Hector onely for thy sake Of thy deathe I am so lothe to wryte Oh who shall now helpe me to endite Or vnto whom shall I clepe or call Certys to none amonge the muses all That by accorde singen euer in one On Pernasus besyde Helycon So aungelyke in theyr hermonye That tunge is none that may specifye The great swetenesse of theyr goodly songe For no discorde is founde theim amonge In theyr minsyke they be entuned so It sytte theim nought for to helpe in wo Nor in maters y t be with mourninge shente As tragydyes all to tore and rente In camplayninge pyteously in rage In the Theatre with a dead vysage To theim alas I clepe dare nor crye My troubled penne of grace for to guye Nother to Clyo nor to Callyope ¶ But to Alecto and to Thesyphone And to Megera that euer doth complayne As they that lyue aye in wo and payne Eternally and in torment dwell With Cerberus depe downe in hell Whom I must praye to be gratious To my matter which is so furyous For to a wyght that is comlaplayninge A drery feare is ryght well syttinge And to a matter meynt with heuynesse Accordeth well a cheare of drerynesse To be allyed as by vnyte ¶ Wherfore helpe nowe thou wofull Nyobe Some drery teare in all thy piteous payne Into my penne dolefully to rayne ¶ And helpe also thou cruelly Yxione And Belydes that dothe the bokette gone And with thy stone helpe thou Secyphus And in thy ryuer helpe eke Tantalus That for hunger haste so huge pyne This wofull playute helpe me for to fyne Me to further do your busynesse For now the stocke and roote of worthynesse Of knighthod grouÌ„d of maÌ„hod soures well That tofore all bare away the bell Of derrynge do this floure of high prowesse And was exaumple also of gentilnesse That neuer could do amisse or seye ¶ Alas Hector alas why shuldest thou deye Oh cruell Parchas why toke ye no hede So cruelly to twine his fatall threde Ye were to hasty alas why were ye so And namely when the threde ye brake a two Thou Attropos which thrugh thy gret enuye Oh Troye alas well mayst thou wepe crye And make a wofull lamentacion Whych haste of newe to thy confusyon Loste thy diffence and thy stronge wall Thy berer vp thy suertie royall By whom thy honour chiefely was begonne Alas alas for now thy bryght sonne Eclipsed is now standest thou desolate Of all comforte and disconsolate Thy lyght is loste and thou in dercknesse Yplounged arte for in sothefastnesse Of all worthy thou haste the worthyest This daye yloste and the knightlyest That is or was or shall I the ensure Be euer borne whylse the worlde may dure No wonder is though thou be wale sore And daye by daye complayne for euermore That was thy shelde bothe in ioye and wo Whom thou were wonte for to loue so So tenderly with all thy hole herte That it maye not lyghtly the asterte To haue him euer in thy remembraunce Which was in sothe fully thy suffysaunce ¶ For as Guydo maketh mencion There was no man dwellinge in the towne That he ne hadde of very kindenesse For loue of him as he lyste expresse His childe more lefe to haue dyed in this case Other his heyre so well beloued he was If the goddes fate or destyne Disposed had that it might haue be Women also of euery maner age Be for his deathe fall in suche a rage Through the Cite aboute in euery strete That with sobbinge and with salte tearê wete And heyre to rente for their deadly wo Furyously they ronnen to and fro So mortall was their aduersyte That to beholde alas it was pyte Yonge maydes and lykewyse matrones olde Sobbe and syghe and their fystes folde And loude crye and sayde fynally Alas nowe shall our fathers cruelly In our syght be slayne day by day Alas the while and no man shal say nay Farewell our helpe nowe Hector is ygone That in the surenesse of vs euerychone Was wonte to reste now is he dead alas ¶ Of
after that whan they were set yfeare Lyke theyr degree anone in aduenture ¶ Whyle Vlixes full of eloquence Gan his tale prudently deuyse ¶ To Achylles saying in this wise ¶ Syr Achylles moste renowned of glorye Throughout the worlde to be in memorye And of his knyghthode very shoures and wel Displease it not now that I shall tell To your noble famous excellence Nor to your eares let be none offence That I shall say but of goodlyhead Pacyently that ye wyll take hede To my wordes sayd of herte and thought I you ensure for I fayne noughte This to saye yf ye remembre wel The fyrst cause and purpose euery dell Of the grekes yf ye haue mencyon Was fully sette by one entencyon As well of you as of vs pardye Whan we come fyrst to this citye Kynges prynces I except none Of whiche in soth to recken euerychone Your selfe was to speake in speciall One of the fyrst and moste pryncypall Assented full how Troye the Cite Through our manhode destroyed shulde be Perpetually brought vnto ruyne But nowe of newe I note what doth enclyne Your worthynesse sodeynly to varye And to our purpose for to be contrarye ¶ Consyder fyrst of you that be so sage The wronges done and the great damage In grekes lande of them of the towne Conspyryng aye to our destructiowne If ye aduerte wysely in your thought That slayne haue and to an ende brought Full many worthy syth gone full yore And of treasour that no man may restore Dispoyled vs and brought in great distresse Our goodes raught our golde our rychesse â–ª Our shyppes brent through their cruelte And to all this alas ye lyste not se Now that they be whiche may not be delayed Through your manhode fynally outtrayed Sith ye haue slaine their hope their suffisauÌ„ce ¶ Hector in whom was all their affyaunce Fully their truste and diffence also ¶ And Deyphobus also is a go And lykely are more to be apeyred Fro day to day and fynally dispeyred So frowardly fortune on them loureth And now your honour your fame flouteth In his worshyp and your high renowne Atteyned hath the exaltaciowne And hyghest prycke of fortunes whele It were great wronge and ye loke wele Of wylfulnes for to be vnkynde To her that ye so frendly to you fynde Or to be frowarde whyle she is benynge By influence graciously to assygne Her spoukes meue vnto your pleasaunce And hap to tourne w t plente on your chaunce After whose helpe you nedeth not to calle ¶ Wherfore alas why wyll ye suffer palle Your noble fame of very wylfulnesse Whyle it is hyest in his worthynesse Your knyghtly prudence it shulde not asterte Of whiche thynge euery gentyll herte Shulde haue routhe and compassyon Wherfore we praye of â—iscrecyon That ye you shape this purpose to amende And that ye wolde of herte condiscende With vs to stonde knyghtly in this werre By your manhode that is spoke of so ferre That your renowne to the worlde ende Reported be where so that men wende Perpetually by freshenesse of hewe Day by day to encrease newe That the tryumphe of this hygh victorye Be put in storye and eke in memorye And so enprynted that foryetfulnesse No power haue by malys to oppresse Your fame in knyghthode derke or difface That shyneth yet so clere in many place Without Eclypsyng sothly this no lesse Whiche to conserne ye be now reckelesse Of wylfulnesse to cloude so the lyght Of your renowne y e whylom shone so bryght Your myghty hande of manhode to w tdrawe Consyder fyrst how grekes are yslawe Tofore your tent w t mortal woundes wyde Through out the fyelde vpon euery syde And haue disdayne onely for lacke of routhe Alas the whyle for a lyttle slouthe To ley to honde in their mischyefe at all That whylom were their stroÌ„ge mighty wall Their chiefe diffence and their champiowne Souerayne helpe and protectiowne For whom ye haue so ofte shedde your bloud Agayne their foen with them whan he stode Full myghtely their enmyes to assayle Without whom they lyttell may auayle In very soth ne none of vs echone But ye of knyghthode lyste with vs to gone Agayne Troyans as ye were wont to do And is our trust and fynall hope also That ye shall helpe and our socour be ¶ And hereupon we praye you that ye Saye your aduyce and your full wyll ¶ And than anone the hardy fyerse Achylle Whan Vlixes concluded had his tale Sith a face for anger dead and pale Sayde euen thus all openly and playne Sir Vlixes if so ryght as ye sayne And haue declared in conclusyon That our purpose and entensyon Was fynally to brenne and destroye This royall citie that is called Troye I holde in soth me lyketh not to lye That our entent was grounded on folye To put vs all through indiscrecion Of reckleshede and hasty mocyon Of lyfe and death in suche ieopardye And specyally in all the Chiualrye Of grekes lande for so smale a thynge So many prynce and so many worthy kyng That haue ieoparted their body their good Yloste their lyfe and yspent their bloud Which might haue be ful well at home iÌ„ peace ¶ And is not nowe the kyng Pallamydes Yslawe also as who sayth but of newe That was so wise so manly and so trewe Of whom the lyfe was of more pryce alone Than the cause for whiche that we echone Be gathered here who so loke a ryght And of grekes many a noble knyght That haue be slayne both of the worthyest The worlde to seke and the manlyest For out of euery lande and regyowne On grekes partye and with them of y e towne Of chyualry knighthod y e soueraine floure To wynne in arme worshippe and honour Assembled be and come fro so ferre Of whiche in soth by duresse of this werre Full many one in the fyelde is dead And veryly without any drede There shall well mo if the werre laste Fro euery day the numbre lasseth faste Of worthy knyghtes dede without routh That I dare saye and conclude of trouth In this rage furyous and wood Full lykely is that all the gentyl bloude Through out this worlde shall destroyed be And rural folke and that were great pyty Shall haue lordshyp and hooly gouernaunce And Churles eke with sorowe mischaunce In euery londe shall lordes be alone Whan gentyll men slayne be echone ¶ Is not Hector that was so noble a knight That was this worldes very sonne and light Of manhode floure slayne pyteously In this werte in soth and so myghty I. Parauenture whiche may not attayne To his noblesse if I shall not fayne For by what way shall we the death eschewe With all our myght if we it pursewe Fro day to daye whyle that we lye here Therfore shortely me for to requere Touchynge the werre outher for to praye Is but in veyne and herken what I saye I wyll not purpose in this werre or stryfe For to ieoparte any more my lyfe
death and destruction On grekes halfe withouten remedye To Troye sent by enbassadrye For a trewse certayne dayes space But he myght therof haue no grace Lenger tyme platly to endure Then for leyser of the sepulture Of worthy knyghtes that were dead aforne In the fyelde on outher party lorne Whiche in the Taas full busyly they soughte And after this plainly how they wrought Durynge the syege with great vyolence I shall descryuen with your pacyence ¶ Howe Achylles slewe the worthy Troylus vnknyghtly after trayled his body through the fyelde tyed to his horse Cap. xxxi THe cruell force and mortall yre Of martyrs myght alway set a fyre With newe enuye gonne of olde hatrede Brennyng in hertes hole as any glede Atwyxe grekes and them of Troye cytye Whiche lykely is not staunched for to be Tyll deth consume with mortall darte Full many worthy vpon outher parte To execute alas by fynall fate On eyther parte the enuious deadly hate Whiche they ne myght by destyne remewe For it was set it nedely must insewe And Attropos wyll suffer it none other That maystresse is guyder of the rother Of deathes shyp tyll all goth vnto wrake And fortune gan tourne her face abake Of highe disdayne fro Troye the cytye As in this story shortly ye shall se For whan the trewse that they had ytake Were wered out they gan them redy make The proude grekes and into fyelde they gone Vpon a morowe whan Phebus bright shone Armed full shene eueryche at his deuyse ¶ And Menelay hath first met with Paris That day in storye as I read And eche of them smytte other of his stede At whiche tyme Dan Pollydamas ¶ To Vlixes rode a sterne pase And eche at other of cruell enmyte With styffe swordes gan together flee That nouther was of manhode for to wyte And with a spere squared for to byte ¶ The myghty Duke called Meneste Rode lyne ryght that all myght it se To Anthenor the Troyan full of pryde And from his sadell caste hym downe asyde In his furye and his hatefull tene And tho in haste come kyng Phylomene Only in helpe of them of the towne And gan assayle kyng Agamenowne Through his knyghthode and his hardinesse That he hym had brought in great distresse To vtter myschyefe and confusyon ¶ Ne had be only that kyng Thelamon Full proudely came hym for to reskewe And after sore gan for to pursewe With a spere vpon Phelomene And for his horse he layde hym on the grene Maugre his force the story telleth thus For he to hym was mortally yrous And after that yonge Archylogus A mortall course ran vnto Brumius One of the sonnes of Pryamus the kynge Yonge and delyuer and beste in lykyng But he hym smytte with so great a myght That he fell dead this freshe lusty knyght The death of whom whā they of Troy espye They made a shoute and pyteously gan crye Of wofull routhe and his death complayne Tyll the noyse gan vtterly attayne To Troylus eares platly where he rode And he no lenger after that abode But to the place felly gan approche And with his sworde for to sette a broche Without routhe the grekes hatefull bloud And mercyles all that hym withstode He slewe that daye by cruell auenture That greke was none y t which might endure Tofore his sworde he gan them so oppresse For of knyghthode and of hygh prowesse He had them put vtterly to flyght Ne had byn the manhode and the myght ¶ Of Myrmydones which al that longe day By one assent vpon Troylus lay Wherof he was full melancolyus And of courage and manhode moste famous He ne lyste no longer for to lette But all attones vpon them he sette And furyously gan amonge thē ryde And some he smote euen through the syde Through the body and some through y e herte And w t his sworde thrugh doublet the shert Through shelde plate and thrugh haberion He perccd hath and lyke a wood lyon He slewe that day of them many one That maugre them they fledde eueryche With the grekes eueryche to his tent ¶ And they of Troy after them he went Swyftly on horse tyll they haue them take And such a slaught of grekes ther they make That fynally there was a bette reskuse But only death so passyngly confuse The grekes were at myschyefe desolate Troylus so narowe brought thē to chekmate That they coulde tho no better remedye But hydously for to wayle and crye To death forwounded with a grisely chere ¶ That Achylles whan he gan fyrst to here The dredefull noyse and the wofull sowne That caused was by reflectiowne Of eyre agayne who so coulde it knowe In rochys harde and in kauernes lowe Lyke as it were one worde spoke of two That men are wont to callen an Ecco So confuse was the lamentaciowne On grekes syde of whiche the deadly sowne So pyteously to Achylles is ronne Of them that lay agayne the hote sonne With mortall woundes yeldyng vp the breth With roumble swowhe resownyng into deth Such a noyse grekes maden there And what it ment Achylles dyd enquere And what the cause was of their clamour And they him tolde for lacke of socour The grekes were eche in his tentorye ¶ Of Troylus slayne so that the victorye Goth fynally with them of Troye towne For euermore in conclusyowne So many greke slayne laye in his tent Gapynge vpwarde w t his bloud yspent Through the constreynt of his wounde smert ¶ And whyle Achilles gan their case aduerte Full sodaynely there came to hym a man The whiche his tale euen thus began Alas quod he how may ye thus sustene To se your men hereupon the grene Afore your face slayne and lye deade And lyste not ones for to take hede But stande styll pensyfe in your tent Vpon the poynt your selfe to be shent In hasty houre yf ye here abyde For fyfty thousande knyghtes here besyde Redy armed in plates and in mayle Caste them playnly you for to assayle This no doubte vnarmed as ye stande But ye of knyghthode manly take on hande Them to resyste in this selfe place And lyke a man to meten in the face ¶ For whiche anone in a cruell mode This Achylles lyke as he were woode Hath armed hym fomyng as a bore Farewell his loue he sette of it no store Of hasty hete his yre was so kene ¶ That he forgat fayre Pollycene And her beaute y t whylom made him smert And in a rage vp anone he starte And toke his stede as any Lyon wroth Agayne Troyans and into fyelde he goth Lyke a wolfe that is with hunger gnawe Ryght so gan he agayne his foen to drawe And where he rode without excepciowne He woundeth sleeth killeth and bereth downe Now here now there in a lyttle throwe That they of Troy gan his sworde to knowe Whiche was infecte of newe with their bloud For there was none as yet y t him withstode So mortally he gan
knyghtes all So secretly no man myght espye And trayterously he gan hym for to hye Vpon the walles the selfe same nyght And towarde grekes gan to shewe a lyght Where as they laye tofore Tenedowne Redy armed to falle vpon the towne And whan they had this sodayne light espyed On horse backe anone they haue them hyed Towarde Troye armed clene at all And in they went by the same walle Whyche for the horse was but late broke And mortally for to be a wroke The knyghtes eke in the stede of brasse Haue with them met a full sterne pace And gan anone throughout the Citye On euery halfe for to kylle and slea With bloudy sworde vpon euery syde And made their woundes brode large wide Whyle they alas no thinge aduertynge At mydnight houre abedde lay slepynge Full innocent and thought not be good All forbathed in their owne bloude Bothe man and childe without exception The grekes sparynge no condicyon Of olde nor yonge woman wyfe nor mayde ¶ That with the crye Pryamus abrayde Out of his slepe and sodeynely awoke Whiche laye all nyght and no hede ne toke Of the slaughter nor murther in the towne ¶ But tho he wiste that there was treasowne Falsely compassed vnto his cytee By Anthenor and also by Enee Of whose malys he was no more in doubte For the venym was now taken oute And now the galle of conspyracion That vnder sugre of symulacion Hath so longe closed be and hyd In dede is nowe execute and kyd And nowe the fraude fully of treason The castes also of false collusyon Be raked out and abrode yblowe And the auctours openly yknowe ¶ Now hath enuye and contryued hate Of their engyne sette abrode the gate Now hate deceyte and olde conspyracye And fayned othes all of one allye All openly shewed theyr falsenesse And disclosed all their doublenesse So farre abrode that nowe is there no geyne For nowe alas the wylde fyre is seyne In towers hye with the wynde yblased Wherof Pryam astoned and amased All awaped sterte out of his bedde And comfortelesse to the temple is fledde Of Apollo to saue hym yf he myght And aye the flawme of the fyres bryght Brent in the towne and consumeth all The ryche byldynge whylom so royall That the walles with the rofes huge Couered with lede for a chyefe refuge Were now alas bare and bareyne makyd The grekes aye with their swordes naked Murdre and slea where so that they go That twenty thousande they y t nyght and mo There kylled haue longe or it was day And in this slaughter and this great affraye Spoyle and robbe and take what they finde Treasour and good and lefte not behynde By myghty hande and sturdy vyolence And the temples without reuerence They haue despoiled throughout al the town And gredely rent and raced downe Of golde and syluer the ornamentes all Tofore the goddes foule mote them fall ¶ Kynge Pryam aye with a deadly chere To Apollo makyng his prayer Furyously this deadly wofull man As he in soth that no reade ne can BVt wayte his death his fatall eure And Cassandra that holy creature Of inwarde wo desyrous to sterue Complaynynge hyed vnto Mynerue Makynge to her a lamentaciowne With other gentyll women of the towne And there alas as they wolden dye Full pyteously they sobbe wepe and crye And in their dole there I lette them dwelle For all there sorowes if I shulde do telle In this storye and theyr wo discryue My dulled penne of ruthe shulde also rite riue ¶ Rehersynge eke howe in euery strete Their clothes blacke redy moyste and wete As they alas both in one and all On their lordes downe aswone fall With their bloude be dewed and ysprent Where men may see the crystall teares meynt Of their wepynge in their woundes grene That laye and blede agayne the sonne shene With deadly eyen castynge vp the whyte It were but vayne their wofull case to wryte Nor the maner of their mortall sorowe ¶ But Guydo wryt that the same morowe How Anthenor and with him false Euee Conueyed haue throughout the cyte The myghty Grekes vnto Ilyon The royall toure and ryche mansyon That whylom was of most excellence In the whiche they founde as tho no dyffence Of hyghe nor lowe nor of none estate For it was lefte alone all desolate With all the golde and rychesse of the towne Shet and enclosed in the chyefe dongeowne But there was no man that withstode They brake the lockes raught away y e good And the treasure that was shet within Eche for his partie that he might wyn They gaue no force who was lyfe or loth ¶ And Pirrhus after to the temple goth Of Appollo by great cruelte And fell on Pryam knelyng on his kne And with his sworde furyously and wood Tofore the aulter shadde there his bloud So hye raught both in length and brede What the streames of his woundes redde That the statute of golde borned bryght Of this Apollo for all his great might For all his power and his sterne face Defouled was and pollut all the place Onely by death of this worthy kynge By Pirrhus slaine while he lay knelynge Of olde hatred and olde enuyous pryde Whyle Anthenor and Enee stode besyde That routhe was and pytye to beholde To se him lye on the stones colde So pyteously tofore the aulter blede Wherof alas when Hecuba toke hede And her fayre doughter Polycene With heire to rent as any golde wyer shene Inly supprysed with sorowe to the herte When they began consider and aduerte The noble kinge with bloudy streames red All for drowned his eyen derke and dead With Pirrhus sword girte thrugh outher side For mortall feare they durst not abyde But inwardly through darted with the sight All in a rage toke them to the flyghte And yet in so the through out the Cite They wyste neuer whytherwarde to flee Rescuse was none nor no remedye Of kynne nor friende nor of none allye With grekes sworde the towne was so be sette And in her flight this wofull quene hath met Eneas causer of all this wrake Vnto whom rebukynge thus he spake Oh thou traytour most malycious Thou false serpent adder enuyous Croppe and roote fynder of falsenesse Soures and well of vnkyndenesse How myghtest thou in thy hande fynde Vnto thy kynge to be so vnkynde Gynner and grounde example of treason And fynall cause of our destruction How myghtest thou deuoyde of all pytye Beholdynge alas through thy cruelte Of the kynge shedde so the bloude That euer hath byn so gentyll and so good So gracious lorde specially to the. And ouermore throughe his highe bounte They honoured and ymagnefyed All his lyfe it may not be denyed That lyeth now dead in the temple alas Thou were not onely traytour in this case But to his death conspyrynge and vnkynde Pirrhus conueying where he shuld him finde Tofore Apollo myddes of this cyte Where thou shuldest of very duetye Rather haue byn his
Whan thus Medea by her selfe alone Of hyghe desyre gan to make her mone That she so longe abode after her knyght Alwaye accountyng the houres of the nyght So full of trouble and of busye thought Which hath full streitly serched out sought A ready waye wel setting her purpose Albe that she kept it in full close Amyd her herte quapping as a wawe For dreade and feare tyll hope gan adawe And bad she shuld be ryght mery and glad Tyll dreade agayne it made sobre sadde Lest her desyre troubled were or let And thus she was at abay yset Amyd hope and fearfull dreade also That she ne wyst what was best to do ¶ For her desyre and hygh affection So hoote they brent in her opynyon Of lust she had to mete with this Iason And there agaynst dreade come in anone And made her fearfull lest she were espyed But all her ill was holpe and remedyed Onely by fortune and the derke night By whych she was made full glad and lyght For recomforted onely those two And with good hope that made her glad also She gan anone to casten and deuyse When that the moone on heaueÌ„ would aryse And whan that she with her hornes pale Wolde shed her lyght vpon the hylle vale She gan acounte and caste well the tyme And founde a quarter passed after pryme As she that was well knowyng in that arte And sawe in soth that the fourth part Of the mone was shadde with newe lyght And passed was in her course aryght After the tyme of coniunction Three sygnes full by computacion And dayes seuen complete were of her age ¶ At which time she brennyng in her rage As one through darted with cupides arowe Gan for to loke and beholde narowe At euery dore and listen busely If any wyght that she myght espye Of all the courte other walke or go Or any man romyn to or fro So sore she dradde goynge vp and downe Whan so she herde noyse or any sowne Or whaÌ„ she heareth whisperyng any where It was venim sothly in her ere She wished all had slept fast a bed This pytyous lyfe the longe nyght she led w tout respite though no wyght coude knowe Till hye mydnyght that the cockes crowe At whych tyme whan al was bushte styl For taccomplyshe the remnauÌ„t of her wyll And euery where made was sylence She cleped anone vnto her presence And aged vecke fer in yeares yronne That in such crafte so mikle helpe kon Thriftly to bryng this thing about For they afore can casten euery doubte ¶ Of yeares passed olde experyence Hath gyue to theim so passyng hye prudence That they in loue all the sleyghtes knowe And she was made as dogge for the bowe To whom Medea discureth al her thoughte Fro poiÌ„t to poiÌ„t hath forgat righte nought And charged her in release of her smerte And recomforte of this her troubled herte To haste her anone vpon her waye Vnto her chambre Iason to conuaye And she anone not rekles in that case Is gone for hym forthe an easy pase As she that was of newe not to lere And hath him brought as ye shal after heare VVhaÌ„ that the cock comon Astrologere The midnight hour w t his voyce clere Began to sowne and did his busy payne To beate his breste with his wynges twayne And of the time a mynute wyll not pace To warne them that weren in the place Of the tides and season of the night Medea to awayte vpon her knight Full ready was the entre for to kepe As she that lyst full lytell for to slepe For that ne was no parcell of her thought And whaÌ„ IasoÌ„ was to his chambre brought Without espying of any maner wight Than she anone conueyeth hym full ryght Into her closet in all the haste she maye Full well besene with great and ryche araye Where by her syde she made him take his see And first of al this ylke lease of thre By her that most expert was in this case All sodeynly was tourned to a brase For the olde vecke to stare vpon the mone Is walked out and hath theym left alone And when Medea the dores had fast shet By Iason downe anone she hath her set But first I finde with all her busy might About the chambre that she set vp light Torches of great and cyerges ful royall Aboute on pyllers and on euery wall Whych gaue a lyghte like y e sonne shene And to a cheste wrought of crystall clene Firste of all she taketh her passage Out of the whych she toke a ryche image Of pure golde full lusty to beholde That by theyr custome of the rytes olde To myghty Ioue eterne and increat Yhalowed was and also consecrat The whych Image deuoutly as she ought With humble hert to Iason first she brought And made him lowly theron take his othe Vnto his last other for lyef or lothe That he her shuld take vnto his wyfe Fro that daye forthe duryng all his life With herte vnfayned and fayth inuyolate And cheryshe her lyke to her estate Fro till that tyme I finde how that she Had euer floured in vyrgynitye And as myne Auctour well reherse can Aye kept her cleane from touche of any man In thought and dede and neuer did amys For she of herte all hooly gyuen is Vnto Iason and that for euer mo And he anone hath put his hande vnto And swore fully as ye haue heard me saye All her requestes without more delaye To kepe theÌ„ aye while that his life may laste But oh alas how soone he ouercast His hest his fayth w t which he was assured And had his fraude with flatterye yâ—ured So couertly that both her innocence Her trewe meanyng and her diligence And all that euer she deuyse can Deceyued was by falshed of this man And though y e trouth apparent was aboue Yet doublenesse so slyghly was in shoue As though he had sothely be allyed With trewe meaning so y t nothinge espyed Vnder fayre chere was faining and fallaces for what might she haue wrought more iÌ„ this case ThaÌ„ for thy sake ceptre regallye And all the lordes eke of her alie Forsoke at ones and toke of them no hede And of pitye and of very goodly hede Loste her friendes and her good fame Only Iason to saue the this fro shame And yet moreouer forsoke her heritage She that was borne of so hye parage And shulde haue be by succession Heyre by dissent of that Region But womanly for she wolde her quite Of all yfeare she hath not set a mite But in one houre all she hath forsake And vnto the she hath her holy take Only for trust thou shouldest haue be kynde Riches and honour she hath ylefte beynde And in exyle hath chose with the to gone From all her kynne this sely mayde alone ¶ Alas I wepe for thyne vnkyndenesse What hath she not fro death and fro distresse Preserued the and yet thou takest none
hede That shuld haue died ne had she be thy read Of thy conquest she was the very cause That I may not shortly in a clause Write her bountie nor briefly comprehende Effectually perfourmed to the ende At wordes fewe ne may it not be tolde Thrugh whom y u hast the riche flese of golde Manly conquered which withouten doubte Vnlikely was that to haue brought about For whan thou were of helpe tho destitute She was thine only comforte and refute And with all this thou maiest it not denye All erthly honour how she gan defye The to conserue out of all heuinesse And eke her father hath of his richesse So enpeyred that pitie is to here By whose example women may well lere How they shuld faith or trusten on any man Alas Medea that so mykle can Both of sterres and of astronemye Yet sawe she not afore her destinye Loue hath her put so out of gouernayle That al her crafte ne myght her not auayle She was to slowe by calculation To caste afore the constellation Of her birthe and eke her wofull fate For rekleshed she sawe it all to late But I suppose her connyng was fallyble And doubtles as me semeth incredible For if she had wiste of it toforne So piteously she had not now be lorne As ye shall se hereafter hastely So as the story teacheth by and by How it befell of Iason and Medee But fyrst ye shall the maner holly see How she gan wirche for after he was swore The same night alas she hath forbore Her maydenhead and that was great pitie And yet she mente naught elles but honestye As I suppose she went haue be his wyfe But touchyng that I holde as now no strife And yet one thing I dare afyrme and sayne That both so the meaning of these twayne Ne was not one but wonder fer atwene For all that she truely gan to meane Of honeste thynkyng no outrage Like as a maide all innocent of age He to perfourme his fleshly false delight And to acheue his fylthy appetite Wrought euery thing to her entent contraire Alas that she was tho so debonaire As for to truste vpon his curtesye Or to acquite her of her gentery So hastely to rewe vpon his smarte But women ben so pytefull of herte That they wyll gladly shewen petie all When in mishappe they se a man is fall And saue his lyfe rather than he shoulde dye And so Medea shortly for to seye Castyng no peryll after that shall fall But his desyres and his lustes all Holy obeyeth with all her full might And that so longe almoste that the night Hath his course rounde about gone At whiche tyme thus spake to her Iason And lowly sayde my lady it is time That we aryse for soone it wyll be pryme Ye may see well the day beginneth to springe For we may here howe the byrdes synge Prayinge to you in all my beste wyse How I shall worke that ye lyste deuyse And ceriously in euery thyng dispose I you beseche o goodly freshe rose Myne enterpryse to bring vnto an ende And than at erst fro hense will I wynde Saue that I thincke first with you to treate In what maner ye shall this countrey lete And into Grece repaire agayne with me Whiche is a lande of great felicitie For trusteth wel and be nothyng adrede Into that reygne with me I shall you lede After my conquest if so be that I wynne Wherfore I pray you goodly to begynne How I shall worke in all the hast we may For in good fayth anone it wil be daye ¶ To whom she spake saying as ye shal here Myn owne Iason and vnto me more deare Than is my selfe as in conclusyon I am assented with ful affection Of all my wittes and with my hole herte You to enfourme how ye shall asterte Euery daunger of that lytell yle If it so be ye lyst bide a whyle And vp she rose in all the haste she maye And to a cofer where her treasour laye She wēt anone and brought him in her hōde A ryche ymage of syluer that she fonde Which sothely was of meruaylous entayle Whose power was and vertue to auayle Effectually to her both entent Agayne all magik and enchauntement And to with syt the force of Sorcerye For it was made so by Astronomye In houre chosen equat for the nones By clerkes olde that full long agone is Whilom whā they were flouring ī their ages That they vsed to make such ymages As did the kyng called Thelomee And so to Iason wylled hath Medee To beare this ymage on hym pryuely As ye haue herd to worke effectually In euery thynge as she dyd assygne And then she toke to hym a medycine Made as in maner of an oyntment Hym to enoynt that he be not brent That was more riche precious thā bawme Agayne the malyce of eche fire and flawme And after that she toke to hym anone A ryche rynge wherin was set a stone That vertue had all venym to destroye That on no syde it myght hym not anoye The which stone had furthermore this might That yf a man coude it beare aright Within his hand next the skyn enclosed The strength of syght shuld be deposed Of theim that would gasen or beholde For who so euer in his hand it holde By such vertue as was infallyble The storye sayeth he was inuysible The which stone these prudent clerkes call Achates most vertuous of all And it is founde sothly in Cecile Of which stone whylom wrote Virgyll Now that Venus it to Eneas sente First whan that he into Cartage went ¶ And after this she to Iason toke A certayne byll wrytten lyke a boke That to his Iourney myght much auayle And bad him wysely that he not ne fayle If he bethought him graciously to spede First of all the scripture that he rede Or he the Ram touche in any wyse Him charging eke afore this hye empryse With humble hert and great deuocion That he knelyng saye that oryson That vp and downe was wrytten on the bill Praying the goddes lowely to fulfyll His request and mercy for to haue Of very pitye from mischiefe him to saue And after that for his chiefe socoure She toke to hym a vyoll with lycoure And bad him manly without feare or drede When that he come vnto the bulles reade If he hym cast knightly to escape That as fast as he seeth theim gape Into theyr golles that he the lycour caste Than hym nede but lytel of theim gaste For theyr iawes togither it shall glyewe That on no syde they shall not eschewe To bide his lust in what hym lyst constreyne For doubtles maugre al theyr busye peyne He shall theim daunte therw t make so tame That where hym list in earnest or in game He myght theym make louten and encline And do theym bowen both in backe chyne The lycour shall theyr iawes so coharte That lyghtly they shall not a sundre parte