they returnd from Troy and for to show That whatsoeuer man doth take in hand The issue doth vpon Gods will depend For he tis giues an ill or happy end Which is well proved by this Historie Wherein you see that though the Greeks did win And had a most triumphant victorie Against the Troians and their Towne wherein They did obtaine that which they did desire Which was their wilâ— and t'honor to aspire Yet cause the warre which they with Troy began Was done of pride and in an envious vaine Without just cause they rather lost then wan For that vpon their side more men were slaine Then on the Troians part for all they lost Their towne so that they had no cause to boast Considering that besides their losse fore Troy When they were into Greece returnd most part Of them that liu'd did not long time enioy Their victorie for that with envious heart Each th' other did destroy and sought to kill By trecherie the Proverbe to fulfill That blood with blood alwaies reveng'd will be Troyes fall doth teach all Princes to take heed When as they liue in great prosperitie Not to be too secure least that they speed As Priam did who would not be content When he did liue in peace but t'envie bent Old quarrels with his Grecian foes renew'd Supposing that's his wealth and power great He could do what he list But what ensu'd Thereof the storie plainelie downe doth set Which saith that he therby wrought's owne decay To shew that man hath here no certaine stay THus haue you heard as much as I can tell Of all the Troian warre as it 's set downe By Dares Frigius who therein did dwell And wrote the storie thereof in the Towne And every day a view thereof did take Who of this same an end herewith doth make With whom the Grecian Ditus doth agree And in like sort his Historie doth end Twixt whom in truth no difference I can see For both their works vnto one purpose tend Which is the true proceedings to expresse Of that whereof they were eie witnesses Though not in verball forme yet in effect And meaning both alike and true they are Which is the thing men chiefely should respect But that the Grecian Ditus doth declare And saith that while the siege did there remaine The number of the Greeks that there was slaine Amounted to eight hundred thousand men And of the Troiaus side as Dares shoe Six hundred thousand seaventy and sixteene Then lost their liues moÌ„g whom are reckned those That to the Towne from other countries came And there were kild by ayding of the same For that of hundred thousands that did aid King Priam and of diuers countries were It is not found as it before is sayd Though they behaud theÌ„selues most brauely there So many of them in that warre was slaine That there did go fiue hundred home againe And both of them in this point do agree That full ten yeares six moneths 12. daies more The siege did last with great hostilitie And losse of men on either side before The Greeks for all that ever they could do Could win the towne oâ— enter thereinto Till Synon by his craft did it betray As it at large declared is before And further of the same I cannot say Because mine Authors thereof say no more And for to adde more then they write thereto Were in me great presump'ion so to do The time when I this worke had fully don By computation just was in the yeare One thousand foure hundred twenty one Of Iesus Christ our Lord Saviour deare And in the Eight yeare compleat of the raigne Of our most noble Lord and Soveraigne King Henrie the fift who in despight Of all his foes Brutes Albion doth maintaine In honor great for by his puissant might He conquered all Normandie againe And valiantly for all the power of France Hath won from them his owne inheritance And forced them his title to renew To all the Realme of France which doth belong To him and to his lawfull heires by true Discent the which they held from him by wrong And false pretence and to confirme the same Haue given him the honor and the name Of Regent of the Land for Charles his life And after his decease they haue agreed Thereby to end all bloody warre and strife That he as heire shall lawfully succeed Therein and raigne as King of France by right As by records which extant are to light It doth appeare And then I hope we shall Enioy againe the time so prosperous And fortunate the which men vse to call The good and golden world and that to vs God will afford his blessing and his grace That Mars no more our countrey shall meâ—â—â—ce Nor with his countnance furious and wood Moue war and strife between these countries twaine Nor be the cause of sheading of their blood Whereof till now they both may well complaine And that our noble King will so provide By wisedome and by power that either side Shall liue in peace and henchforth so agree That both the realmes of England and of France By one Prince ruld shall seeme all one to bee And ever more liue without variance And from their hearts all hate and malice chase By th' influence of Gods most mighty grace And heavenly power which ruleth every thing And who by his great providence divine Hath such an alliance made betweene our King And France by marying Lady Katherine The French Kings daughter that we hope it shall Procure vs peace and joy perpetuall And that the Royall issue of them twaine Will be a meane and way without all feare That England shall for evermore obtaine The sole command of those two Realmes weare Their Diadems imperiall both together And that the faire Queene Katherines coÌ„ming hither Will nourish so great loue and vnitie On both sides that we never shall haue need Nor cause to feare nor feele adversitie And that it will be th' only meanes to breed Our honor joy and great prosperitie Wealth pleasure peace and all felicitie And driue away all mischiefe whatsoere Out of this Land So that with heart thought We shall haue cause with voices lowd and cleare To pray for her that hath it to vs brought And him that by his valor great and might Hath shew'd himselfe so puissant a Knight That he hath won and cleerely doth possesse All that to him belongs and now it 's set Accompanied with his faire Emperesse Victoriously with praise and honor great In his most Royall throne to whom God giue As long as he vpon the earth shall liue And doth enioy the full fruition Of all that vnto him belongs of right And holds the same in his subiection Encrease of comfort pleasure and delight And t'send him home with triumph with honor As great as ere had any Conqueror And long time after grant him to possesse His kingdomes and his Regall Dignitie With his faire Queene
were wholy done in vaine And those that honour sought had lost their paine And time by length of yeares and ages past Would haue defaced name and honor cleane Of Conquerors for what can ever last Vnlesse record thereof were to be seene Which Clarkes for which they merit and deserue Continuall praise haue sought still to preserue For Histories and Bookes are sayd to bee The keyes of learning memory and skill In them and by them all men plainely see What hath forepast and what is good or ill Witnesse the fall of Thebes the ancient Towne In Stacies Booke for truth at large set downe Where you may read and see how Polinece Was nere content with Etocles a day Nor would like louing Brother liue in peace Till Thebes Towne was brought vnto decay And hâ—w Tedeus through that mortall ctrife And by dissention was bereft of life How Oedipus with sorrow griefe and woe Did loose his eies so bitterly he wept And how the Smoâ—kes devided were iâ— two Of fiers made when funerall feasts was kept Which fier brothers hatred did engender And death to both for iust reward did render Mine author Guydo in like sort doth show As by his Booke most plainely it appeares Of all the Troian Princes overthrow While Greeks besieg'd the towne so many yeares In very truth and though t is long since past No time nor age the storie hath defast For maugre them you may it still behold In Bookes set downe most plainely to mens eies For truth by lying will not be controld Though enviously some seeke it to disguise Transforming all the substance of the matter By fayned tales dissembling to flatter As Homer did who truth would seeme to show Yet covertly did seeke the same to hide And by vntruth which he full well did know With Artificiall words doth truth deride Who seeming Greecians honour to defend Doth faine the Gods from heaven to descend In shape of men and openly were knowne To helpe the Greeks against the Troians fight And many such vntruths by him are showne In sugred words and phrases for delight Pretending so his malice for to hide For falsehood seekes in darkenes to abide The cause why he the Greeks so smothly prais'd Was for that he vnto them was allide And therefore sought their glory to haue rais'd But such as loue the truth cannot abide Gainst conscience for to praise or discommend Where no desert their action may defind But Cupid as the Poets faine is blind And giues his doome more after lust then law So Sicophants as we by proofe doe find Commend and praise the men they never saw By false report extolling them to skie Of whom in heart they know full well they lie Whereby such men as never merit faâ—e But iust disgrace are highly magnified And they contrary that deserue good name Are either not remembred or beli'd For favor now doth beare so great a sâ—ay That true desert is driven cleane away Ovidius Naso likewise hath devisâ— A Booke in verse of Troian â—â—â—s to show Part true part false but in such sort disguisd That who so reads it can by no meanes know Which way to sound the deapth of his intent His phraise therein's so misâ—ically bent Like story also Virgill doth declare When of Aeneas traâ—â—â—les he doth write Where truth to tell in part he doth not spare Although sâ—â—â— time he seemth to delight In Homers course with Rethoricke to glose And truth with falsehood often to compose Dares an ancient Author first was found And Ditus eke of Troian warres to write Who both set down the truth perfect grouÌ„d As being there and did behold the fight And thogh their books in seuerall language be Yet they are knowen in all things to agree The Books in time to Athens being brought Salustius cousen one Cornelius By diligent enquirie out them sought And being of a mind industrious Translated them with great earnest care In each respect as th' Authors doth declare His only fault was that he did not write The story full at large as he it found But â—ure he did in breuity delight Els would he not haue spar'd to shew the grouÌ„d And first beginning of that mortall strife Which cost so many thousand men their life And how the Greeks came both by sea laÌ„d The nuÌ„ber of their â—en and of their ships The manner how they first did take in hand To plant their siege all this he ouerskips How envy was the root and cause of all The mischiefe that on Troy at last did fall How many Kings and Princes thither went In warlike wise to win them high renowne How they agreed all with one conscent To see the full subâ—erâ—iâ—â—â— of the Towne What armes they â—are what men they did retaine Who in the siege did longest there remaine How one the other Knightly did assaile How many valiant Princes lost their life How of t they met in field to giue battaile How hatred still increast and bred new strife Nor of their deaths â—e â—iteth not the yeare Thus much he leaueth out as doth appeare Which lately causd an Author to arise Whose truth in writing is not to be blaâ—'d That tooke in hand this stâ—â—iâ— iâ— such wise As that of Ditus and of Dares nam'd He hath not sought one sentence to neglect Nor yet in ought the meaning to reiect This Clarkethat wrote so true so iust so well Was Guydo of Columpna by his name Who in sweet Rethoricke did so much excell That he enricht his storie with the same So Eloquently hath he set it downe That he deserueth praise and high renowne For which in heart and voice I will not stay To giue him praise and commendation due And with applause in truth and rightly say He was the flower most certainely and true Of all that sought this storie to compile For wit and soveraignty of stile Whose treces as I can I will obserue If God vouchsafe me time and grace to do 't And graunt my labour may of him deserue The Princely praise that first provokt me to 't Beseeching all that see 't with heart mind Not spare to speake if any fault they find And with good will I shall amend the same For many eies may see much more then one Correct then freely where you find the blame But find not fault whereas deserueth none And so in hope I shall your favours win With your support this storie I le begin THE LIFE AND DEATH OF HECTOR THE FIRST BOOKE CHAP. 1. I How Peleus King of Thessalie lost his people men women and Children by diuine punishment and after by prayer vnto the Gods obtained others IN Thessalie King Peleus once did raigne For vertue held a Prince of worthy fame Whose subiects as mine Author doth explaine Were Myrmidons so called by their name Of whose beginning Ouid doth rehearse The History at large in Latine verse And saith that in that Countrie downe did fall So furious a tempest from the skie
and winds did not too much prevaile And when the greekes with trauell overprest Had long on Seas been tossed too and fro Desiring to relieue themselues and rest Their wearied limmes they sought on land to go And being cast vpon the Trâ—iâ—â— soyle They lande there to ease their wearied toyle CHAP. IIII. ¶ How Iason â—â—â—is Voyage to Coâ—chos by fortune was cast vppon the câ—â—st of Troy where he were on Land to refresh himselfe and his company THe Ship at anker by the Frigian coast Vntill the weather waxed cleare and faire The Greekes that had so long on Seas been tost Went all on shoare to walke and take the aire Glad to relieue their wearied lims of paine And after to returne to ship againe At Syâ—eonâ— a haven hard by Troy Where they did stay and ment there to abide Not hurting any Woman Man or Boy A day or two attending time and tide To hoyse vp Sayle and toward Colchos wend Where first to go they onely did pretend Not once jntending treason hurt or guile In any wise nor troublesome to bee Vnto the countrey people all the while They staied there for their necessitee For that as long as on the shoare they lay They did nought els but sport theÌ„selues play But Fortune that so swiftly turnes about Delighting men of pleasure to bereaue Was th' onely cause though causeles without doubt To make the Troians falsely to conceiue The Grecians sodaine landing did pretend Some mischiefe to their countrey in the end For by such bad and false suspition Most puissant Kings and Princes of great fame Haue brought themselues vnto destruction And been the onely causes of their shame Let Troyes example for this time suffice Which first did breed vpon a bare surmise Which was the cause and chiefe occasion As in the ancient Historie is found Of that most famous Townes destruction Whose mightie walles were rais'd vnto the ground And many men and many a worthy Knight Did loose their liues in that most bloody fight And many Ladies proper fine and faire Their Husbands and their Children being dead Were heard lament their losse in great dispaire And Mayds in tender yeares by Grecians led As slaues in bondage to their paine and griefe Did liue without all comfort or reliefe And onely for that fortune doth delight To shew her power and her majestie And make it knowne vnto each mortall wight In taking vengeance with such crueltie As on that famous Citie shee did shoe To their destruction miserie and woe Great pittie t' was that men of such estate Both on the valiant Greekes and Troian side For little cause should fall at such debate But truth it is and cannot be deni'd That envy having entred in the hart From thence doth not so readily depart For from a little graft doth oft arise A faire and goodly tree both huge and tall And he that climeth high may well surmise If that he slip to haue the greater fall And of a sparke full small wee often see And find that mighty fiers kindled bee And as a gnat that 's but a little thing Doth often cause the flesh of man to rise And swell abroad with pricking of his sting So many Princes mighty strong and wise And famous Townes at mortall warres do fall For slight or else for causes very small But if they had been well advis'd in time When sparks of envy first began to show And sought to quench and kill them in the prime Full many Cities now that lie full low Would haue stood still and flourisht till this day Which hatefull malice brought vnto decay For when the flame of envy spreads so wide That it embraceth heart and head and vaine And makes them bnrne so hot on either side There is no meanes to remedy that paine But fowle and cruell murther warre and strife Bereaving each the other of their life And thus death is the â—ine of enmetie And though the first beginning be but small Th' encrease doth breed to such extremitie That th' end bereaueth joy and pleasures all As vnto Troy wee read it so befell Which makes me sigth the truth thereof to test That for small cause such vengeance shold proceed Vnles it were by providence divine And heavenly wisedome secretly decreed Their fall should cause a greater joy in â—ine For Troy destroy'd by such occasion And finally brought to destruction Was th' onely meanes that th' ancient Citie Roome Receav'd her first beginning from the race And offspring of Aeneas that did come From Troy when Grecians banisht him the place Which Towne of Roome as Authors plainely say Of all â—he world once bare the chiefest sway Troy likewise brought into so great distresse And vtter ouerthrow of ancient fame Was cause that many Cities did encrease And divers Countries first obtain'd their name For Troiaus wanting habitation By force did enter many a Nation And after long and weary toyle orepast Aeneas many Countries Sayling by With all his ships did chance t' ariue at last Vppon the pleasant coast of Italy Who wan the same by conquest and by might And made himselfe the Prince thereof by right And after him his Sonne Ascanius Succeeded and as lawfull heire he raign'd Who beeing dead his sonne Prince Siluius The Diadem of Italy obtaind Of whom did come by right discent and true Most worthy Brute that Albion did subdue Wwo having woon't by force from Giants fell And conquest braue did thereof change the name And cal'd it Britaine as our stories tell And was the first inhabited the same With this Aeneas from the Troian towne Came Francus also Lord of great renowne Who afterward his honour to advance Did build a towne both stately faire and great Cald Parris whieh doth stand in midst of France The which he made his chiefe and Princely seat And first gaue name of France vnto that land Which he did win by strong and valiant hand And Anthenor a Lord of Troian race Began the towne of Venice to erect Where during life he made his resting place And Sicanus in whom was no defect Of Troian blood as Cronicles doe tell Won Cicile and long time therein did dwell And after him a Prince of worthy fame His Valiant brother Siculus did raigne Within that I le of whom it tooke the name Of Cicile as records therein explaine Aeneas hauing conquered Italy Did not himselfe therewith so satisfie But into Tuscan entred which he wan And in the I le of Cicile to his praise The regall Towne of Naples first began Which flourisheth so much in these our dayes With braue and welthie Marchant men of fame Who throgh their traffick great inricht the same And of the Greekes that Troy did helpe to spoyle King Diomed who with most great desire When he had spent his time with paine and toylâ— Ten yeares in warre and thought home to retire And there to liue and rest secure from harmes He found his men and countrey vp in armes With full intent
feele her rankor and disdaine Into the vale of great adversity The rich she maketh poore and then againe Of poore makes rich and as it is her kind Sets one before another casts behind Some one she maketh run another halt The third she plungeth in extreamity The fourth she doth to honor great exalt So that in her there 's no security In some mans mouth sweet Nectar she distiâ—th Anothers throat with bitter gaâ—â— she fil'th And thus this wilfull Lady as we find Within her power great store of potions hath And every one of strange and severall kind For she to some with false and fained faith Giues pleasant wine but when the sweet is past As t is her vse she giveth them a tast Of Aloes and of bitter wormewood drinke And corfiues which do fret and pierce most deepe Into mens hearts when as they little thinke That fortune them beguiles and luls a sleepe And thus if in this Queene of Variance Whose ioy doth ever end with some mischaÌ„ce Men put their trust let them besure at last Of what estate so euer that they be Shee le overthrow them with some sodaine blast And cleane bereaue of all felicitie As by example of Laomedon We may perceiue brought to confusion For little cause or truth to say for nought Wherefore let euery man by him take heed A quarrell to begin where none is sought Least that like him destruction be their meed For little fire with ashes covered When men suppose it quencht and wholly dead May chance breake out and on a sodaine burne And when as men the same do seeke to cease Full often in their faces it doth turne But he that medleth least liues most at ease Therefore let Kings and Princes every one A mirror make of King Laomedon And see they vse no kind of violence Nor suffer any one to offer wrong To strangers when they giue them none offence For though their power force be great strong Within their land when least they thinke on it As he was seru'd they may their rigor quit And yeeld the like to them in other place When as perchance vnto their overthrow They shall of them receiue but little grace Wherefore I wish when as they heare or know That strangers in their Countries are arriu'd Let them with loue and honor be receau'd And wisely thinke and hold it to be true That to a stranger courtesie to show Vnto a noble mind belongs of due For sure it is as every man doth know That nothing doth their honors more augment Then when their only care and will is bent For to relieue to cherish and to comfort With all the loue and honor that they may Such strangers as vnto their Courts resort That they of them may well report and say The contrary whereof much strife hath wrought As in this present History is taught The towne of Troy that first was built thus spoil'd The people slaine and many forst to fly The remnant with great woe and sorrow toil'd Int'exile led liue in captiuity And Exion as you haue heard me tell Went into Greece with Telamon to dwell For whom there rose such bloudy warre strife And so great vengeance tane for it in th' end On either side that thousands lost their life Which to declare I purposely intend If you vouchsafe it patiently to heare And for your good the same in mind will beare So hard and fatall is our destiny That no estate can permanently stand For every man ordained is to die And alterations chance in every Land And through the world where ever that we be We heare of nought but warre and treacherie Which serues to put vs in rememberance That many warres battailes great are fought And many woes and miseries do chance And mooued are for little cause or nought And diuers things for matters small or none At first begun breed much confusion Each one doth seeke another to destroy And bloudy minds are greatly to be fear'd Man careth not his brother to annoy And all because we take no better heed But envie raignes so much in euery age That nought but bloud death can it asswsge By it although the causes were but small If truth were knowne on th' ancient towne of Troy Both old and new such miseries did fall That at the last it did them both destroy Where during their so long bloudy strife Full many a valiant Knight did loose his life And Kings and Princes died by dint of sword Which to recount my hand doth shake for feare Least that my barren wit should not afford Fit tearmes phrases the truth for to declare Vnto my most renownd and soueraigne Liege Of all that past in that long ten yeres siege Which if that he with patience please to heare And not disdaine my rude and simple verse And in his sacred wisedome with it beare While I this wofull Historie rehearse Whereof no doubt I haue sith that of grace Sweet mercy in his heart he doth embrace And that he is a Prince of Maiestie Whose vertues are so excellent and rare That to addict his mind to pietie It is his onely study and his care With his support I will here vndertake A true discourse vnto you now to make What did befall vnto the towne of Troy That newly was erected once againe When Greeks did it the second time destroy As Guydo doth the same at large explaine And if my verse for want of skill seeme lame Let me intreat you to correct the same But blame me not sith that the fault 's not mine For as you know the English tongue is harsh And wanteth words to make vp perfect rime Where it in many places is too scarce And truth to say my wit will not aspire To follow Guydoes phrase as I desire Who in his Latine verse doth so exceed In Rethoricke that my translation Requires a farre more fine and subtill head To follow him in like construction Verbatim as a learned Gramarian Or as a skilfull Rethoritian I only take vpon me to declare The Historie according to the sence And truth thereof which is my chiefest care Least I thereby to some might breed offence And truth of verse I likewise set aside As wanting one therein to be my guide And to correct and mend them that are wrong My onely seeking is truth to declare Regarding neither verses short nor long For curiousnesse therein I doe not care Pretending not in any thing to varry Nor yet my Author Guido to contrary Nor from him disagree in truth of sence But to conclude our meanings all in one And to agree therein for Eloquence Or Rethoricke I you assure there 's none In me your heads with phrases fine to fill Nor yet haue I in painting any skill With colours fresh and gay to please the ere I nought can vse but sad and mournfull blacke And therewithall my selfe will satisfie Which in good part I you beseech to take And so in
theÌ„ce coÌ„â—ay The streets were smothly pau'd in chequer wise With pollisht stories of colourred and white And any Trade whatsoere man could devise King Priam vsd and sought all meanes he might To bring 't into the towne where men did see Each severall Art in severall streets to bee That so they might for more commoditie And better meanes to sell and vent their ware Worke by themselues at their one libertie As goldsmith rich that seâ—lles the jewels rare Th'imbroderer and weauers of each kind The Mercers in whose costly shops men find Rich cloth of Gold of Arras Tapistrie Of sendall and of Taffetie most faire And every other stuffe which vsually The weauers make and commonly men were Smiths also that could make and forge full well Darts Daggers swords speares of perfect steele Pollaxes billes and kniues most sharpely ground And arrowe heads with other weapons more That in the fields are vsd were therein found Of Bowyers and of fletchers eke great store And such as make coat armors faire and braue And ensignes which in field men vse to haue And euery other kind of furniture For Marshall men which commonly we see Worne in the warre and dayly put in vre And euery other Art that nam'd may bee Was in that towne most plentifully found So much it did in every thing abound And through the towne a Riuer swift and cleare Did passe along deviding it in twaine Which on each side great store of Milles did beare In time of need to grind each kind of graine The name whereof was Xaâ—tas as I find Which did abound with fish of euery kind Which River was so cunningly conuaid That in the arches built vpon the same Great store of pipes of lead were closely layd Whereby into the houses water came And serued many Conduits in the towne And scowr'd the filth away as it ran downe In channels which did run cleane vnder ground Whereby they were washt and scowred cleane That neither filth nor durt was to be found Nor in the towne could any way be seene And was convaied thence so secretly That no man could the passage thereof spie Wherby you might haue gon throughout the street And neither durt nor dunghill once haue seene Which made the Towne so pleasant and so sweet Because that it was kept so faire and cleane That it was void of all corruption Pestiferous aire and fowle jnfection Which often by their force and violence Doe breed continuall fowle and noysome smels And are the onely cause of pestilence A River like to this as Virgill tells Within the towne of Roome devised was Cald Tiber which through the midst therof doth passe To people this so great and famous towne The Troyans being but in number small King Priam sent to each place vp and downe In countreys farre and neere to moue and call All men to come and to jnhabite there Respecting not from whence they came or were And made them free to trafficke and to deale Within the Towne as natiue Countrey-men By that meanes to enrich the common-weale Of his new Towne Which being done and when It did begin with people to increase And that they liu'd in pleasure wealth peace King Priam moued with gseat affection Which vnto Mars the God of warre he had Determined of pure devotion In honour of his name there should be made A yeerely Iusts where valiantly on horse Each Knight should shew his power strength force Within the towne to win renowne and fame And to that end a place he did ordaine All raild about of purpose for the same Which halfe a mile in circuit did containe To wrastle in and at the Barriers fight With playes in the Isle of Greet of ancient right Were long since found and onely dedicate To Mars their God for they did then beleeue By doing so he would preserue their state And in their need would aid them and releeue The like did noble Priamus furâ—ise And to that end-those triumphs did devise Men sayd within this towne was first found out The game of Chests so subtill and so wise Which who so plaies beleeue it without dout Must driue out of his head all fantasies It is so full of shifts and subtiltie And more and more a man may still devise Whereby if men should study all their daies To learne the skill of this so curious game He neuer could remember halfe the plaies That are and may be vsed in the same It doth consist of such diuersitie Of wards found out by skill and subtiltie Of Troians as mine Author testifies Which his supposed meere oppinion Iacobus de Vitriaco denies And in his Booke for truth makes mention How that a graue Philosopher and wise Cald Philometer first did it devise In Caldea with pollicy he wrought To stay a tyrants fierce and furious mind And though froÌ„ thence it into Greece was brought They say likewise the Troians first did find The playes of dice and tables dayly vsd Which since that time had been so much abusd For that in them there is so great deceit By false and cousning dice and wrangling play Which many vse the simple sort to cheat That much debate ariseth night and day Mongst ihose that dayly excercise doe make Of play and game and pleasure therein take For if the dice doe favor men a while And giue them leaue to win by happy chance An other time againe they â—them beguile Which makes the players fall at variance For that when as they thinke to mend their state By play at dice they proue vnfortunate And many that are plunged in distresse And by their play made needy poore and bare By playe sometime attaine to great riches And some mans joy procures an others care And by a chance at hassard or passage Ones glad and laughes an other he doth rage For if one win another doth contrary Like as the bones are throwne out of the hand An Hundred times a day th' are seene to varry And no man can his chance at them withstand Wherefore I wish each man such play to shunne Least that he loose and so may be vndone In Troy likewise they vsed comedies In Theaters for pleasures and delight And many strange and stately Tragedies Which vsually were playd both day and night The difference whereof that you may know I will in briefe the same vnto you show A Comedie doth many times begin With actions that dislike at first doe cause But at the last as men proceed therein They end in joy with gladnesse and applause And onely speakes of men of meane degree And such as fallen are in povertie A Tragedy contrarily doth treate Of matters which doe prosperously proceed And showes the liues and hearts of persons great As Princes which in honour doe exceed But ends with sorrow griefe and miserie That happeneth vnto them before they die And also tells how fortune doth beguile Full nany Kings and Emperors of fame Whose acts she seemes to favor for a while
strong To â—et on them and not still jdle sit For valor bids vs make no more delay To be revengd hap what so ever may The Proverb saith delay may danger breed For by delay men often times are crost And to take time when time doth fall with speed I never heard by it that men haue lost And sith we nothing want why should we pauâ—â— And stay revenge in our so iust a cause But least we might too hasty be esteem'd And wilfull thought to runne so carelesly Vnto the warre which alwaies hath been deem'd A doubtfull thing We will not doggedly Bite ere we barke but first to Greece wee le send To know if that they will our wrongs amend Which if they seeme vnto vs to refuse And obstinately will deny the same Then may we iustly force and power vse And no man for it can nor may vs blame But first we will with curtesie assay To see if we can win them by that way But if that they refuse with gentlenesse To hrare vs speake when as we are content To aske amends with peace and quietnesse I hope in th' end they shall the same repent For better t is by peace to haue redresse Then seeke for warre with vnadvisednesse Therefore let vs with patience yet indure Our wrongs and our great iniuries sustaine In humble wise vntill we may procure That they to vs an answere send againe For though it be my whole and full desire And that our iust occasion doth require In furious sort of them to take vengeance I will as t' were in meere forgetfulnesse Put all their wrongs out of remembrance And cleane expell all griefe and heavinesse Out of my heart and of them aske no more But that they will againe to me restore My Sister that vnto me is so deare There by to stint all bloody warre and strife And for the rest we shall with patience beare And never cal 't in question during life Which to fulfill â— purposely am bent If you thereto will giue your full consent Speake then my Lords are you content to stay Till that they answere make to our request Say all with one consent your yea or nay And what for vs to do you thinke is best For I do meane Anthenor straight shall goe Vnto the Greeks our mind herein to show Of whose discretion courage and advise You need not once to doubt for I haue knowne And found him by experience to be wise When he of other messages hath gone And therefore I of him my choyse doe make And thinke him fit that charge to vndertake The King thus hauing spoken as you heare The Lords and all the Nobles did agree That Lord Anthenor should the message beare From them vnto the Greeks and straight should be Dispatcht and with instructions sent away With charge he should no longer time delay But wind and weather serving straight set sayle Who hauing his instruction and at large Informd therein as carefull not to fayle In any point that should concerne his charge Did presently take ship for Thessalie Where being landed with his companie He went to seeke the King cald Peleus Who at that time the story saith remaind Within a Citie named Monosius Of whom he was at first well entertaind But when that he the cause did partly know Wherefore he came he willed him to show Th' effect of his Embassage and his charge And with a frowning looke and visage fell Sat still till that Anthenor did at large With courage bold the same vnto him cell With words most graue and such as fitting were For time and place spake as you shall heare Priam the most renowned King of Troy My Soveraigne Lord his Princely Maiestie Wishing to your grace prosperitie and ioy In friendly wise saluteth you by me A messenger expresly by him sent To shew to you his will and his intent If you vouchsafe to giue me audience Wherein if that in ought I shall offend I you beseech to heer 't with patience And let the law of armes my guilt defend For as you know Embassadors are free To tell their message what soere it bee Your Grace I thinke doth yet remember well What wrongs of late by you and yours were done In Troian Land when ye with hearts most fell And cruell minds the same did overcome And how without cause or occasion You brought them all vnto destruction The Citie burnt and vtterly throwne downe Their riches by you tane and borne away How that the noble King Laomedon As then was slaine and would your rage not stay But in your fury Children Wiues and men Were all destroyd and murthered as then Some Mayds except which to fulfill your lust You led with you into captiuitie Which iniuries so great and most vniust Deserving name of barbarous crueltie You may suppose cannot forgotten bee And yet mongst all this great indignitie One thing there is which doth King Priam grieue Mâ—re then the rest which is that Exion His sister Captiue here in Greece doth liue And held a Concubine by Telamon Dishonestly not like a noble Knight Whose care should be with all his power might To saue and keepe poore Ladies in distresse But regarding nought her high degree By no meanes will this open wrong redresse But he still persisteth in his villanie Which his so great and fowle an oversight Most noble King belongs to you of right To looke into and with a Princely care Seeke to restraine as much as in you lies Such foule misdeeds and as a friend you are To Telamon see how you may deuise T' amend and to redresse the iniurie Wherein consisteth true Nobility This thing hath caus'd King Priam now to moue Your Grace with this embassage by me brought For to intreat in friendship and in loue That by your mediation may be wrought The meanes that Exion may deliuered be Out of her thraldome and captiuitie Which recompence so small he doth request For all the wrongs that vnto him were done By you and yours so much he doth detest To liue in warre and strife which for to shun He is content all quarrells to surcease Desiring onely her returne with peace Which his request so lawfull if you will Procure King Telamon to grant with speed He you assures his promise to fulfill Or else he must by force of armes proceed Which by this meanes he doth desire to stay And this my Lord is all I haue to say When Peleus had Anthenors message heard His heart was so possest with wrath and ire That on him with a furious looke he star'd With eies enfiam'd as red as any fire And with dispightfull and incensed heart Vpon his feet did sodainlie vp start Disdainfullie reiecting the request By Priam made and setting him at nought Said that both him and his he did detest Euen from his verie soule and inward thought Commanding Lord Anthenor not to stay But presentlie to get him thence away On perill that thereafter might befall
Which he in hast did presentlie obay And vnto him his companie did call With whome he made no longer time of stay But thence did saile directlie to a â—owne Salerne nam'd which long'd to Telamon Whereas the King and all his Lords then were And to the Court Antheâ—or straight did hie Where when he did before the King appeare At first he entertaind him courteouslie And without seeming once to take offence With present speed did grant him audience For Exions sake who then stood by his side For otherwise in heart he sore abhord All Troyans and by no meanes could abide To see or heare of them nor yet afford A friendly thought of them such was his rage Gainst theÌ„ conceauâ—d that nothing could't asswage This nere the lesse he was content to heare Anthenor speake and patientlie to stay Till that he had with words that see mely were Declared what as then he had to say Who hauing to the King his reuerence made With courage bold vnto him spake and said Most noble Prince sith that it pleases your Grace To heare the message which as now I bring With patience and t' afford me time and space For to declare the same and euery thing That 's giuen me in charge I will not stay But tell it you as briefly as I may Know then great King without offence be 't done That Priam King of Troye my soueraigne Lord Desirous strife and bloudie warre to shun Intreateth you in friendly wise t' afford This fauour vnto him to be content And thereto giue your full and free consent That Exion may her libertie obtaine And be deliuered from Captiuitie Whome you do hold as I must tell you plaine In slauish wise not like to her degree And to her great dishonour and her shame For which although he may you iustlie blame Yet he content all wrongs to pacifie And peace and loue with you and yours to hold Desireth that you will him not denie This his request and that vouchsafe you would For to restore her vnto him with speed Which doing you shall act a Princely deed And saue your honor now imblemished By wronging her whome you so much abuse Wherein you haue so long time been misled That truth to say you can it not excuse Yet he 's content to lay this wrong aside And many more so that you will prouide To send her vnto Troye without delay And this is all the sum and full effect Of that I had in charge to you to say The which if that you seeme now to reiect It will old hate and enmitie reuiue Speake now my Lord what answere you will giue When Telamon had heard Anthenor speake And knew King Priams will and his desire He did into such extreame chollor breake That both his eyes did shine like flaming fire And in his face was not a drop of blood So that with cheeks most pale and angry mood He lookt aside and turning vp the white Of both his eies with most disdainfull smile Gnasht all his teeth and seemd his tong to bite And after hauing paws'd a little while With furious voyce shewd forth the mortall hate That burnt within his heart most obstinate Saying my friend what euer that thou be I muse in heart what strange and sodaine thing Hath mooued Priam thus to send to me And that thou darst so proud a message bring I thinke thee but a foole or else starke mad That of thy selfe so little care hast had To put thy life in danger for his sake With whom I neuer had nor haue to deale Nor he with me and this account do make Neuer will haue and so thou mayst him tell And as we haue acquaintance very small He may be well assured I neither shall Nor will do any thing at his request For that it wholy is against my mind With him to deale and let that be his rest Which by experience plainly he shall find If so he list to try if that he may Fetch her by force of armes from me away This well I wot that but a while agoe I crost the seas with many Grecians more And saild to Troye and if that thou wilt know The cause it was for that not long before Laomedon had vs a trespasse done And for the same the Towne by force we wonne And slew the King and all that with him held Not cowardly as you perchance suppose But Knightly meeting him in open field And for I entred first vpon our foes Into the Towne by full consent of all The Grecian Lords vnto my share did fall This faire and Princely Lady Exion Of whome I presently was there possest And since that time haue held her for mine owne And euerwill let Priam doe his best To fetch her hence and therefore 't is in vaine For thee to send for her I tell thee plaine For be assur'd and trust me if thou wilt Thou getst her not from me if that I may And rather shall my dearest blood be spilt And many thousands more before that day Shall ere be seen that I will her forsake Though all the world her quarrell vndertake Thinkst thou I will so easly let her goe Whome for to win much of my blood was lost And for her did receaue so many a blow No sure for that full deare she hath me cost And in good faith I le let her if I can From going from me to another man So deare her person and her seemly grace Her beautie bounty and her comlinesse Her faire and passing amiable face And all her Princely gifts I must confesse Are printed in the closet of my heart That while I liue from theÌ„ce they shall not part Let Priam therefore doe the vttermost That he can do he shall but loose his paine For neuer did a thing so dearely cost As she shall do ere he haue her againe For nought can her redeeme but sword speare And deepe and gastly wounds that mortall are For there shall sure be raised such a strife And deadly warre ere she restored be That it will cost full many a man his life This is the answere that thou getst of me And bid thy Master when he list begin But I suppose he will but little win And for thy selfe as first to thee I told I thinke thee mad and more presumptuous Then thou shouldst be that darest be so bold To bring this message so audacious The noble Grecians therewith to offend But let him thee no more vnto me send On perill of thy life that may betide To thee for thy reward and now get hence With speed I thee command for if thou bide Here longer in my sight to breed offence Thou knowst the price who euer sayeth nay Therefore be gone and see thou make no stay Anthenor hearing this without delay Straight entred ship and put to Sea in hast And sailed to an Island nam'd Achay Where when that he on shore had anchor cast He heard that both the Kings as then abode
Within the Isle and presently he road Vnto their Court which was not very far And there he found thē both to whom with speed He shewd the cause that made him to repaire To them as then and so gan to proceed With words most graue and courage bold stout To tell his mind without all feare or doubt And said my Lords whose power here extends For to command may 't please your Graces both To know that Priam King of Troye me sends To you in Princely wise as being loth To giue offence your ayd and helpe to haue T' obtaine a suite that he would gladly craue Of Telamon who gainst all equity Doth hold his Sister Princesse Exion As Concubine with great indignity Whose liberty and restitution To him againe is onely his desire Which to effect he humbly doth require You would vouchsafe your ayd therein t' afford Not doubting but as y' are discreet and wise That by your mediation and good word King Telamon will follow your aduise And Exion shall to him restored be Out of her long and hard captiuity Which his request he praies you not deny As you are Kings for valour high renownd Discreet and wise and of great maiesty And he shall thinke himselfe to you much bound And all his former wrong he will suspend For that to liue in peace he doth intend As he that is right prudent and discreet Forecasting what may after come to passe And seeth what perills and what dangers great Doe follow warre which neuer is nor was Without confusion misery and woe As Histories vnto vs plainly shoe Which to eschew he thinketh it the best And wisest way for euery man t' auoid The hatefull path of strife and it detest For by it many a Country is destroid Which by this meanes he is in hope to shun And that hath made him doe as he hath done In peace to craue your aid that Exion May be with speed sent home to him againe And thogh you may suppose that cause ther 's none Why he should you request to take this paine In his behalfe let this be his excuse That Princes ought to punish all abuse And by all meanes should seeke the same to stay He in like case desires your Princely aid And hopes you will it not to him denay And he will thinke himselfe full well apaid This is the summe of his petition Which he referres to your discretion When both the Kings Castor and Polux had Attentiuely heard what Anthenor spake King Castor sodainlie like one halfe mad Into such choller and impatience brake That by no meanes he could his furie stay But in most wrathfull wise to him did say I know not friend why thou of vs shouldst craue To haue amends for trespasse by vs done Vnto the King to whome we neuer gaue Cause of offence But when Laomedon First offring wrong to vs we did inuade And of his Towne a noble conquest made Wherein we did but right and equitie For had not he first offered offence To vs and ours with great indignitie We nere had sought for any recompence Nor he nor his been brought vnto their ends For which if that thy Master aske amends At our hands tell him 't is all too late For we with him desire no vnitie Peace nor accord but rather mortall hate Dissention strife and vtter enmitie Which he may chance hereafter for to feele If that he dare presume with vs to deale For we so little do his friendship prise That what he saith or doth I doe not care Therefore if that he 'le follow our aduise Let him prepare to enter into warre And it may chance to breed his owne decay And so from vs thou maist vnto him say And for thy selfe it seemeth vnto me Thy Lord and Master Priam loues thee not That sent thee messenger to vs to be And thou thy selfe hast foolishly oreshot To take on thee so perillous a thing As to the Grecians tydings such to bring Whereby thy life thou hast indangered But be thou rul'd by me if thou be wise Vnlesse thou art cleane voyd of feare and dread And get thou out my sight I thee aduise For if thou stayst mine anger is so bent That thou mayst chance thy follie to repent Anthenor to auoid the Court was glad And presentlie with speed from thence did goe And entring ship such hast from thence he made That though the wind contrarie then did blow He put to sea and failed prosperouslie To Pilon where Duke Nestor then did lie And there did hold a sumptuous Princelie Court Of whome he craued leaue submissiuelie To shew the cause that made him then resort To him and there withall to signifie King Priams mind as he had gin him charge From point to point as fullie and as large As he had done to other men before And all to one effect so that in vaine It were for me to show it any more Or to recite it word for word againe For his conclusion ended still in one As you haue heard concerning Exion Whereat Duke Nestor did so fret and fume And in so great a choller then did grow That all the bloud did presentlie consume Out of his face and he as pale did show As ashes and so grieued was in heart And therewithall did feele such inwardsmart Through wrath and ire that so possest each vaine And ioynt he had that he did seeme to shake Like Aspen leafe and hardlie could refraine Vpon Anthenor straight reuenge to take Like Lyon fell that hunteth after pray Whose furious course no man as then can stay So much his mind from him was alienate That t'yeeld himselfe by no meanes then he might And at his heart he was so passionate Which boyled with such ranchor and dispight That all that him beheld would iudge him mad So strange a looke and gesture then he had At last in midst of this perplexitie Into a sodaine choler out he brake And with a voice distraind from crueltie Vnto Anthenor furiously he spake With countenance so gastlie to behold That sure to make a man to feare it would Saying thou friend that canst so smoothly glose I think thou knowst not well whom thou hast told Thy needlesse tale nor yet dost thou suppose Who that I am that darest be so bold Thus to presume mine eares so to offend Pretending that King Priam did thee send Vnto the Greekes to aske them in his name Redresse for wrongs that nere by vs was done And turnst on vs the merit and the blame For iniuries wrought by Laomedon To vs and ours and in presumptuous wise Accusest vs with most notorious lies Which thy abuse most odious in mine eare So much doth fret and anger me at heart That by no meanes I can endure 't to heare And but I know a messenger thou art And that I do mine honour more respect Then thee I would in cruell wise correct And chastise thy so great temerity For by the rigour of our ancient law
sieldome seene to smile In counsell he was graue and provident Right eloquent in speech and did with speed Full often aid the Greekes in time of need Diomedes was valiant fierce and tall Of countnance proud and passing strong bold Broad breasted most sterne of looks withall Deceitfull and his promise nere would hold So hasty that his hand he could not stay But strike he must who ere stood in the way If once to wrath and anger he was bent Desiring strife still shunning rest and peace Vnto his servants most impatient And never froÌ„ contentious thoughts would cease But quarrell still though t' were but for a straw And held his will and pleasure for a law In lecherie his whole delight he plast And was so giuen thereto that where so ere He did become on loue his mind he cast And from the same could by no meanes forbeare But spent therein full many a night and day Which at the last procur'd his owne decay Duke Nestor was of stature somewhat tall And well composde of members in each part Crooke sholdered his middle very small Exceeding strong of hands and valiant heart In counsell wise well learnd and politicke And yet of nature was so cholericke That neither friend nor foe he could refraine He was so given to melancholie And would with no man flatter nor yet fame Nor for the time his anger mollifie Which nere the lesse but little space did last For as it lightly came it lightly past Prothesalus was gallant fresh and gay Of seemly shape and beautie passing rare Wherein no man surpast him as they say Quicke sprighted light of courage passing rare Exceeding swift and therewithall most strong And heart so fierce that he would take no wrong The valiant Grecian cald Neptolemus That had his haire as blacke as any Iet Was of proportion made right curious With eyes that were exceeding broad and great His breast most large somewhat stooping back And vsed much to stammer when he spake An Orator he was but turbulent And willingly would plead in any cause For that he was of nature wholly bent To studie and to learne the Grecian lawes Where in he tooke great pleasure and delight And yet he was a most couragious Knight Pallamides King Naulus Son was strong Of valiant heart and courage passing great Of face most faire of body leane and long And fierce vpon his enemie to set Familiar courteous wise and tractable In all his actions iust and laudable Of great account and onely had the name For bounty and for liberality Amongst the Grecians all which caus'd his fame To spread abroad into each Country Whereby in fine great honor he obtain'd And for the same perpetuall praises gain'd The worthy Polidamus was so fat And big of body bellie and of bone And so vnweldy that most part he sat And could not well sustaine himselfe alone Exceeding proud of heart and very sad And sodaine or else nere shewd countnance glad King Machaons stature was indifferent Twixt short and long his forehead broad hie Most prowd and fierce to choller wholly bent And so much giuen vnto jmpatiencie That nothing but revenge his mind would pleaâ—â— Whereby he sieldome slept or tooke his ease Next after these of Cresida he tels But here my pen is dasht for long agoe My Maister Chawcer that each one excels In Rethoricke her shape so well did shoe And thereof such a fine discourse doth make That follie t' were for me to vndertake To write thereof or adde vnto the same As knowing well that when that I haue done I shall deserue no praise but rather blame And yet I can the same by no meanes shun For if I write it not I must truth leaue And of the truth the Historie bereaue If I presume to slip and let it goe And not as Guido doth write orderlie Or vndertake the very same to shoe Which Chawcer hath declar'd so learnedly Full sure I am therein to make offence Either by folly or by negligence And so am plung'd twixt two extremities Great cause I haue to find fault and dislike Of Atropos that mongst her cruelties Durst with her knife the thread in sunder strike Of Chawcers life chiefe Poet of Britaine That first did cause to flourish and to raine The golden drops of Rethoricke so sweet Mongst English-men their speech to clarifie And their dull wits with Eloquence to whet But who liues neare so long at last shall die I must be forst his ayd herein to craue And read his booke to see if I may haue Some words of Art from thence to place with mine Which are so rude so bare so plaine and course For as the Ruby red that bright doth shine Set in a Copper Ring is nere the worse But beautified the more so is his phrase When it 's compar'd with wrighters of our daies It 's knowne so well and is so excellent That t is in vaine the same mongst ours to set For all our paine is as it were misspent When as wee seeke his stile to counterfet Well may we do 't on meere presumption But when al 's done there 's no comparison Yet for all this I must it not deny Craving excuse but as I first began Proceed to end the Troian History And doe the best that possibly I can T' effect the same and now of Cresida I will declare her beauty as I may Yet must I vnder Chawcers whings still hover And plainely tell that Rethoricke I haue none Nor eloquence my learning to discouer But letting all curiositie alone As Bayard blind doth boldly giue the venter And never feares what perill he doth enter To show my simple skill I will not spare And thereby some prospect vnto you giue Of Colchos daughters beauty passing rare That while she in this earthly mould did liue Was held to be an excellent faire creature For forme of face and comlinesse of feature Wherein none did surpasse her in her daies Her stature and proportion was but small Her haire that shind like Phoebus glistring raies In comly wise did on her shoulders fall And at her backe in tresses hung behind Which oft she did't with golden hearlace bind And but that both her eye-browes ioynd in one You could no fault at all in her espie And that was all her imperfection To speake of her faire cleare and rowling eye Whose glistring beams was of such force might And from the same did cast such peircing light That whosoere them earnestly beheld Could not withstand their power but must confesse Their extreame beauty had them forst to yeild Vnto her loue and with her seemelinesse She was indowed with great sobriety Well spoken wise and full of modestie And therewithall gentle and tractable And yet my Author Guydo plaine doth wright That in her loue she was too variable And tooke too great a pleasure and delight To giue her mind vnto vnstedfastnesse And womanly to all new fanglenesse Lastly he sayth how
preserue you seeme with carelesnesse Not to respect and to obscure the light Of your renowne which euer was so cleare And through the world did shine exceeding bright In field to fight with vs you do forbeare Remember how the Grecians haue been slaine Before your tent and also in the plaine In cruell wise and euery place throughout The field and you no pittie on them take Why should you then refuse and be so stout Without a cause them whollie to forsake Who vntill now haue been their Champion Their chiefest helpe and their protection And for their sakes haue osten shedyour blood Against their foes when they with theÌ„ haue fought And by your aid not onely them withstood But their confusion valiantlie â—aue wrought And mightilie their enemies did assaile Without whose aid they may not long prevaile Against their foes no more may any one Of vs how stout and strong so ere we bee For t is you onlie that can do 't alone If that you will vouchsafe with vs t' agree To fight against the Troyans and thereto Lend vs your aid as you were woont to do And as we doubt not but you 'le grant the same To succour vs in our necessity Nâ—◠〈◊〉 for your owne perpetuall fame But to redeeme vs from extreamitie And to that end we come to you as now To craue of you your mind herein to show Whereto Achilles presentlie began Assoone as ere Ulisses ended had His tale to speake with visage pale and wan For angâ—â— and in this sort answere made Ulisses if so be our meaning were As you to me at this time do declare Of purpose and with one entire consent The famous towne of Troy to overthrow And vtterlie to spoile't and that we bent Our minds thereto and thereby meant to show Our power and might I must you plainly tell That we of truth therein haue not done well To put cur selues by indiscretion So carelesly without advisednes Into so dangerous an action To hazard the estate and happines With liues and goods of all the Chivalry Of Greece that put the same in ieopardy For little cause or none the truth to tell For hath â—ot many a worthie King and Knight Who both in fame and honor did excell Consum'd his wealth and lost his life in fight Here in this siege that might haue liu'd in peace And honor still if he had staid in Greace For hath not King Pallamides been slaine But now of late whose life was of more worth Then all the cause for which we here remaine And hold this dangerous siege to tell the troth And many other Knights and Princes great That on both sides are here together met To shew their puissant valor and their might And to attaine to honor and to fame Haue lost their liues vnhappily in fight And many more are like to do the same If that long time this cruell warre doth last For euery day the number lesneth fast Both on the Greeks and Troyans side likewise So that if this most cruell rage and mood Continue long and in such furious wise If that it be not otherwise withstood It 's likely that it will such hauocke make Of Princely bloud that clownes will vndertake To rule and gouerne here vpon the earth And of the same haue sole dominion And such as are of no degree nor birth Will Lords become when Princes there are none For is not Hector that most valiant Knight That was the onlie mirror and the light Of Chivalrie vnfortunatelie slaine In this same warre and so may I likewise Perchance be kild that neuer shall attaine To Hectors worth while light is in mine eâ—es For there 's no way deaths furious dart to shun If we vpon the point thereof will run And seeke it of our selues while we are here And therefore such a motion now to make Concerning this our warre as you require Is but in vaine for I do meane to take Another course and in this bloudy strife No more to stand in hazard of my life For I had rather to impaire my name Then wilfully to die or to be slaine Thereby to be eternized by fame For honor after death is but a vaine And needlesse thing and soone is set aside For though that fame be spred both far wide Obliuion and forgetfulnes may soone Impaire't by tract of times length of daies And make thereof a wrong conclusion For that the fame of Knighthood and the praise Of honor wisedome and of worthines Of freedome bounty and of gentlenes Of vertue and of euery other grace Wherewith a man is in this world endowd Forgetfulnesse can darken and deface And in oblivions mantle doth them shrowd And with a false report maliciously Doth crop the Palmâ— of worthy Chivalrie And therefore for my part I do intend Such folly now to leaue and henceforth liue In peace and all mine actions thereto bend And for that cause this counsell to you giue To make a peace with Troyans if you may And therein do no longer time delay Before that further mischiefe doth arise And cruell death should chance to be your share And therefore good my Lords if you be wise Of this my counsell see you take some care This is said he my purpose and intent Which you may show to him that hath you sent With which his resolute conclusion Ulisses Diomede and Nestor went Vnto their Generall Agamemnon And vnto him declared the intent And answere of Achilles which he made To them as I before vnto you said And there vpon he presently did call The Princes of the Greeks vnto his tent And when they were assembled to them all Did show whereto Achilles mind was bent And that he was desirous of a peace With them of Troy that all their warre might cease Refusing flatlie t' enter in the field With them against the Troyans any more And for that cause a counsell with them held To know of them what will thereto they bore And what therein they did intend to do Sith that the case with them as then stood so Whereto the first of them that did reply Was Menelaus who with an angry mood Began to chafe and flatlie did denie To make a peace and therein boldlie stood And said that it was never his intent By any meanes thereto to giue consent Sith that the towne of Troy was in such need And at the brinke of their destruction Now Hector and Deiphobus both were dead That whilome were their sole protection So that they might all comfort cleane reiect And nothing else but cruell death expect And therefore flatlie said without all feare Though that Achilles will vs helpe no more The burthen of our enterprise to beare We need not any whit to doubt therefore But that without him we shall overthrow Our enmies by our force as well I know Whereto Ulisses speedilie repli'd And Nestor both of one opinion And gainst his false assertion iustifi'd That touching peace whereof the motion As
for feare did shake And sayd to him how can you now sustaine And beare this great and cruell iniurie To soe your men before your face thus lie Dead on the ground and slaine in cruell wise Within your tent and take therof no heed But stay still here when as your enemies Haue sworne and with full intent decreed To kill you thus disarmed as you stand If by your mighty force and puissant hand You doe them not resist and valiantly Shew forth your courage and ere hence they passe Requite them for the extreame cruelty Which they haue showd to vs herein this place Which when Achilles heard with furious ire Which in his brest did burne as hot as fier He armd himselfe and soming like a Bore Forgetting that whereof so much he drempt And thought vpon vnto himselfe he swore To be reuengd for loue was cleane exempt Out of his mind and Pollicene also For whom he had endured so great wo And for her beauty felt such griefe in hart Vpon the Troians for their crueltie That suddenly vpon his feet he start And calling for his horse road speedily Into the field where in short space he had So great a slaughter of the Troians made And did so furiously vpon them set For like a greedy woolfe that seeks for pray He kild and spared none that with him met Or that durst him witstand along the way Whereas he road That in a little space He made the Troians flie before his face And shun his sword all died with their blood Wherewith he had so many of them slaine For there was none that him as then withstood But he was soone layd dead vpon the plaine Till Troielus that by fortune did behold How he the Troians slew with courage bold Ran at him with most great and puissant force Whose comming when Achilles did espie He likewise spurd his strong and gallant horse And ran at him with like dexteritie And met together with such puissant might That each the other to the ground did smight Both pierced in their brests but differently Achilles with a wound most daungerous Whereof he was constrained long to lie Within his tent to heal't but Troielus A little prickt and so that day till night And six daies more ensuing they did fight And neuer ceast in furious wise to kill And to destroy each other valiantly And in that time great store of blood did spill Vnto no little damage certainely On either side for many a worthy Knight Was brought vnto his end with great despight In that same time But cause I doe not know Their names nor of what dignities they were For Guydo in his Booke doth it not show To write them I must likewise now forbeare And let their names and titles with them die And in obliuion rest perpetually But when King Priamus was certified How fierce Achilles in the field had been That day to fight and thereby falsified His promise made for loue of Pollicene Sore grieud he was and did himselfe perswade Achilles with his words had him betraid But truth to say t' was neither fraud nor guile Nor any treason secretly decreed But heat of loue which lasteth but a while Which for that time did vex Achilles head And made him sweare to do more then he could And like the wind that none by force can hold Let words from his dissembling mouth be heard Contrary vnto that he ment to do The which a man that 's wise should not regard And make as though he gaue no eare thereto For though Achilles had tofore been gotten In Cupids snare he had it then forgotten And card not in his furie to displease His Lady whom so much he seemd to flatter He had not any will the warre to cease As he had sayd but cleane contrary matter Was in his head then he made shew to meane And promist to the Queene and Pollicene And for that cause King Priam did vpbraid And cast her in the teeth with light conceit Of false Achilles loue wherein she layd Her trust whereas he ment nought but deceit For which she was sore grieud because that shee Did to the Queene her mothers will agree To marry with Achilles to th' intent That by her meanes and marriage there might be A peace for euer made But t' was not ment By trecherous Achilles for when he Was healed of his wounds he did deuise And in his traitrous heart a way surmise To be reuengd on Troielus who still Stake deepely in his cruell heart and mind If that he might haue meanes t' obtaine his will And him at some aduantage take or find Such hatred in his heart to him he bare That day and night he tooke no other care Nor set his mind vpon no other thing But onely how to quench the burning fier Of enuy gainst him borne and how to bring The same t'eflect according t' his desire For he had sworne and bound it with a vow That Troielus should die he card not how Nor by what meanes by his hand and none other And to that end with purpose fully bent T effect his will he cald his Knights together And when they were assembled in his tent One morning when the Grecians forth did go Into the field with braue and warlike sho To fight against their Trâ—â—â— enemy Who in like sort out of the towne were come With all their force the Grecian to defie And ready stood with sound of fearefull drume And trumpets shrill to call and to invite The Grecians to a fierce and cruell fight He did to them of Troielus complaine For th' iniuries that he to him had done And prayed them that they would take the paine That day to let all other things alone And onely watch on Troielus to hold And to enclose him round if that they could In midst of them and when they had don so In furious wise t'assayle him altogether And not by any meanes to let him go But yet to saue his life till he came thither That with his sword alone he might him kill To satisfie his fierce and cruell will Lo here the valor of this worthy Knight Who enviously with rancor and in pride By treason and with rage and great despight All honor and true Knight-hood layd aside Doth seeke to kill a worthier Knight then he Alas that ere such trechery should be Within the heart of any man aliue That doth professe to be a valiant Knight And honor seekes to win and to achiue Most valiant acts and who is bound by right And law of armes while life in him doth rest All falsehood and fowle treason to detest And to maintaine all truth and equitie For now he doth in secret wise conspire The death of him by great disloyalty That onely vnto honor did aspire And he that was the braust and worthiest knight That euer ware or put on armor bright But that which by Gods will ordained is Though nere so much men seeke it to withstand
meaning and intent What you thinke best by vs now to be done And whether that you will the warre maintaine And hold the siege still here before the towne Till that it be destroyd or go againe Home into Greece sith our chiefe Champion Our sole defence and our protection Achilles now is slaine Whose death alone Vnto vs will a mighty hindrance be And therefore I entreat you euery one To giue me your advise herein what we Shall doe sith that the case now standeth thus For that delay oft proueth dangerous Which having said the Princes all began To fall in great dissention and to varrie Amongst themselues and many of them than Were halfe in feare no longer there to tarry And doubtfull were what they were best to do But some reply'd and answere made thereto That happen life or death they would still stay And never leaue the siege till they had woone And cleane destroyd the towne and some did say They would not stay but presently be gone And into Greece returne againe with speed And in that sort a while they disagreed And every man was of opinion Contrarie each to other But in th' end They did all with full resolution Agree to stay and ceasing to contend Said flatlie they would neuer leaue the towne Till they had it destroyd and beaten downe Although their chiefe and onelie Champion Achilles then was slaine of whome they made So great account for their opinion Was sith that all the Gods decreed had They should destroy the same they did not doubt But in short time to bring the same about And to confirme their resolution And that they might still firmelie therein hold The worthy Grecian Knight cald Thelamon Surnamed Aiax did with courage bold Stand vp and when he had obeysance made Vnto them all in this wise spake and said My Lords and Princes all assembled now If you will take my counsell and advise I am perswaded it is best for you Sith that Achilles in such traiterous wise Is slaine that we a messenger should send To fetch his Son yong Pyrrhus to the end He may revenge his fathers death and aid Vsto atchieue our enterprise in handâ— Who at this time as I haue hard it said Remaineth with King Licomedes and As men of him repor t is said to be A valiant Knight and likely if that he While he is yong take on him armes to beare To proue a knight of great renowne and fame And also i ft be true as I do heare By prophesie which doth foreshow the same Troy nere shall be destroyd vnlesse that he With vs to doe the same here present be And further that till Pyrrhus do come hither We never shall obtaine the victory Against our foes and therefore let 's together Agree to send one thither presently To fetch him Wherevnto they did consent And Menelaus of that Embassage went Who entring ship saild forth the selfe same day And soone arriu'd where Licomedes dwelt Where with him for a while I le let him stay And show you how the Greeks and Troyans dealt Together when truce past in fight they were As in the Chapter following you shall heare CHAP. V. ¶ How Paris and Thelamon Aiax slew each other how Queene Helena Lamented for the death of Paris the Grecians remooue their tents necrer vnto Troy and the truce is ended betweene them WHeÌ„ Phoebus by due course as time doth passe Into the signe of Cancer entrie made And in the height of his assention was Which vsually men Summer call and had Drawen from the root of every flower tree The vertue sweetnesse and humiditie And made them mount into the hearbs leauesâ— And when each flower doth fresh gay appeare Till Cancer place by course to Leo giues Which is the time and season of the yeare When as the Sun being in the highest degree Descends and is said retrograde to bee And with his mighty heat feruor cleane Dries vp the sap of roots trees hearbs flowers And that which spring time made shew fresh and CoÌ„verts to white for want of April showers green To mollifie his strong decoction For that by naturall digestion The moysture which in fruits flowers abounds By reason of the great humiditie Which is in them he dries vp confounds And with his heat extreame fervencie Which hotest is when it is Summer weather Doth ripen them and make them sit to gather And pull off from the branches as they spread And hang thereon in their due time and season When Cheries gin to ripen and wax red And other kinds of friuts are yong and geason In Iune and at the latter end of May When as the hot and pleasant Summers day By course of time is sixteene howers long The Greeks with hearts repleat with wrath and ire Presuming of their force that was so strong And hoping to attaine to their desire Into the field couragiously did go Well arm'd to fight against their Troyan foe Conducted by the Kings Agamemnon Ulisses valiant Diomede and mo As Menestes and furious Thelamon Who that same day into the field did go Without an armor helmer speare or shield Onely his sword which in his hand he held And naked in that sort most brauely fought Gainst whom the Trayans though in feare doubt Did issue forth for that King Priam thought His force too weake so often to go out As he was woont sith his Sons valorous Hector Deiphobus and yong Troyelus Vnfortunatelie were all dead and slaine Yet not to giue the Grecians cause to say He feared them he sent them out againe And gaue the chiefe command of them that day To Paris that his eldest Sonne then was Who with King Philomene Pollidamas King Esdras and Aeueas valiantly Against the Grecians went and on them set With courage stout resolu'd that day to die In their defence oâ— honor great to get Vpon their deadly and inveterate foes As 't pleased God the victorie to dispose And furiously the onset on them gaue Where Paris with his Persian Archers shot Vpon the Greeks so swiftly and so braue That soone he had advantage on them got And they compelled were in extreame need To flie to saue themselues Till Diomede Perceauing them so fast to run away T'â—eleiue them like a stout and valiant Knight Did turne them backe againe and made them stay Still in the field and valiantly to fight And at his entring in amongst them met King Philomene on whome he fiercely set Who brauely vnto him did likewise ride Where each of them the other did assaile And valiantly their strengths and valors trideâ— But neither gainst the other could prevaile And yet they fought most furiously and long For both of them were passing stout and strong And would not yeeld one â—oâ— vnto his foe So much they did in courage great excell But while they were together fighting so The Troyans fought so furiously and fell Against the Greeks that they could not
sustaine Their mightie blows but forced were againe To run out of the field discomforted Though Diomede did what he could to stay And succour them so many of them dead And wounded sorevpon the plaine then lay And cast out many a great and woefull crie The which when Duke Menestes did espie And saw what great disorder they were in And how the Troyans them so sore opprest Into the battaile fiercely did begin To enter and with mightie Launce in rest Brake through the Troyans ranks till that he was So farre that he met with Pollidamas Gainst whome at vnawares he ran so fast That with a blow which he at him let flie Vpon the ground he did him fiercely cast And while that he amaz'd thereon did lie Had slaine him if with speed he had not beene Relieu'd and rescued by King Philomen Who brauely in despight of all the force And might Menestes had did set him free And made him mount againe vpon his horse Sore bleeding and in great extreamitie Meane time fierce Thelmon Aiax carelesly Vnarmed with great pride yet foolishly Amongst the thickst of all his armed foes Nere ceast to kill and mightily to wound The Troyans and such valor great then shoes That they in heaps lay dead vpon the ground About him and none durst against him stand So fierce he was with bloudy fword in hand To kill and beat them downe still as he road And yet though in the midst of them he was And that so many thousands him with stood On euery side as he through them did passe Noâ— any part of him was perished Nor drop of bloud out of his body shed Which woonder was considering how that he Disarmed fought But when dame Fortune will Preserue and keepe man from extreamitie Nothing can hurt nor him by no meanes kill And yet when as she list shee 'le him beguile And play and sport with him a little while And sodainly when he thinkes least thereon Ore-turne her wheele and cast him on the ground As she that day did vnto Thelamon Who to his cost her most vnconstant found For as he mongst the Troyans with great pride Disarmed through their ranks did fiercely ride And many of the Persian Archers slew With heart cleane voyd of any feare or dread And more and more with furie did renew His force and to his safetie tooke no heed Paris perceauing his great hardinesse And how he did the Persian knights oppresse In great despight an arrow at him shot And with the same as he did fiercely ride Still killing all he met and spar'd them not Pierst him at vnawares into the side So deepe a wound that without remedie There was no other meanes but he must die Which when he did perceiue and saw no way T' avoid his death with heart surpriz'd with ire In furious wise he made no more delay But running through the prease with great desire To be reveng'd on Paris ere he died Sought him so long till at the last he spied Him mongst the thickst of all the Greeks in fight And vnto him with pale and deadly cheare But yet with extreame rage and great despight To thinke vpon his death that drew so neare Said Paris the wound which thou hast giuen me I know and certaine am my death will be For I do feele such extreame griefe and paine Within my heart that I am well assur'd I neuer shall returne to Greece againe And sith that thou my death hast thus procur'd I meane to giue thee such reward therefore That thou aliue to Troy shalt nere go more For as the great despight well meriteth Which thou shewst me I le make thee first to feele Ere that I die the bitter pangs of death And send thee down before me into hell And therefore make account thy glasse is run And that thou canst thy death as now not shun For here my troth I plight and firmely vow That with my sword I le make diuorse betweene Queene Helena and thee and that as now The chaine of fained wedlocke that hath beene So surelie made and knit twixt her and thee Shall now at last be cut in twaine by me And that false knot of thy adulterie Which hath beene cause such slaughter great to make And made so many valiant knights to die In this our warre and onlie for thy sake Shall be vnknitâ— for without remedy Paris said he of my hand thou shalt die And with his sword scarse able to sustaine Himselfe vpright gaue Paris such a wound That with the same he cleft his head in twaine And therewith he fell dead vpon the ground Which hauing done he likewise presently Fell downe and died to beare him company Which when the Troyans saw with dolefull cheare They tooke vp Paris body to convay The same to Troy and in a mighty feare Began to flie where all along the way The Greeks did kill pursue beat them downe Even to the walls and trenches of the towne And more had done but that it did begin To draw to night for then the Sun was downe And when the woefull Troyans were gone in And had secur'd themselues within the towne The Greeks likewise retired backe and went Vnto their Campe each man into his tent To ease themselues but ere as 't them behou'd They tooke their rest that night Agamemnon Commanded that their tents should be remou'd And set and placed neerer to the towne Not farre off from the walls and so they were Which put the Troyans in no little feare So that they durst not issue out to let And hinder them from doing it but glad To saue themselues shut fast their gates and set Watch all that night vpon the walls and made Such sorrow and so pittifully far'd For Paris death that nere the like was heard For by that meanes all Priams sons being slaine They did despaire and out of hope cleane were Of any comfort or release t' obtaine In their distresse and so possest with feare And plunged in most great extreamitie They made account there was no remedie Nor any meanes to aid themselues withall But still expecting their destruction To keepe themselues enclos'd within the wall And rampiers of their strong and mightie towne And for that cause most pittiouslie complaind And so great woe and sorrow then sustaind That nere the like was heard nor seene before But specially King Priam did so grieue For Paris death and did lament therefore So mightilie that nothing could relieue Nor comfort him and from his heart which fild With woe and care then was such teares distild And let fall downe his checkes and aged face That he did seeme as if he would haue died To tell you how in this most wofull case Queene Hecuba his mother wept and cried And what exceeding sorrow for their parts His sisters made and felt within their hearts And how they rent and tare their clothes haire And beat and smote their breasts in great distresse And all bedewd and wet
earnest were t' agree And bring the peace to that effect they sought And chiefly that Amphimacus should be Exiled as Anthenor closely wrought A sodaine noise among them did arise As it had been the lamentable cries And dolefull plaints of men in extreame woe Whereat Ulisses and King Diomede As they did out the Counsell chamber go Were stricken in no little feare and dread And thought the people that great favor bore T' Amphimacus would be revenged fore His exile causlesse done to their despight And therfore fear'd that they should murthered be With furie great within the towne that night By some devise and foule conspiracy Of false Anthenor and Aeneas both In whome they did repose but little troth And yet in truth there was not any man That heard the noyse and rumor in the hall That could câ—â—ceiue or know how it began Which made the Greeks in greater feare to fall And to sufpect the Commons would arise And kill them as their deadly enemies But to assure and put them out of dout And danger of all tumults what so ere Anthenor did convay them safely out Of Ilion and when they gotten were Out of the way to an assured place Ulisses with a pale and deadly face Scarce freed from feare with dissembling smile Began to charge Anthenor and to say They feared that he meant them to beguile Because he put them off from day to day And nought perform'd of that he promist had When they at first the cov'naÌ„ts with him made So that said he we thinke and certainly Belieue for truth as reason doth vs moue That you meane nothing else but treacherie But false Anthenor from them to remoue All causes of suspition what so ere Spake vnto them with sad and sober cheare And said I do the Gods to witnesse call Who onlie know the secret of mans heart That without any fraud or guile in all That I haue tane in hand as 't is my part I haue been faithfull true and diligent To bring 't to passe with all my whole intent One thing there is whereat you must not grieue Which is the cause I cannot as I would Performe't so soone which if you giue me leaue Shall brieflie vnto you by me be told This towne as old records declare to vs Long since was Builded by King Ilius Who in perpetuall honor of his name And to preserue it from oblivion When he had fullie finished the same Gaue vnto it the name of Ilion Wherein with most exceeding cost and charge He did erect a Temple faire and large In Pallas name the which long time was had And holden by all men in reverence great Which Temple being raised vp and made As high as to the roofe ere he had set And laid the beames and lead vpon the same Pallas because of her it had the name To shew how much the honor they her bore She did accept as pleasing in her eies And also to encourage them the more Vpon her Altars t'offer sacrifice A miracle so strange did shew as then That nere the like was seen before of men For from the skie did sodainlie descend A faire and goodlie Image so well made And curiously compos'd that none could mend The workmanship thereof nor ever had Seene any thing so exquisitely form'd Nor in all points so cunningly adorn'd For it was made within the heavenly bower Of Angels by divine Mineruaes hand And by her sent to shew her mighty power Downe from the skies into the church to stand Therein for vs perpetually to be A preseruation in extreamitie And to maintaine and keepe the towne from all Distresses harmes and dangers what so ere At any time should hap thereon to fall For that as long as it remaineth here Within her Church Troy well may be annoyd By enemies but nere shall be destroyd For Pallas of her grace to vs doth show Such favor that while it is in the Towne There 's no terrestriall power can overthrow Nor haue the meanes by force to breake it downe Vnlesse the Image could be stolne away From hence and yet there is no man that may Remoue it from the place where it doth stand Vnlesse it be the Priest whose office is Alone t' attend thereon and with his hand Is licensed to doo 't because it is Impossible for any other man To stirre or lift the same do what he can And who so ever sees and doth behold The Image cannot tell whether it be made Of wood or stone of mettall or of mold For certaine t is no earthly man ere layd Hand therevnto it is so heavenly A piece of worke and wrought so curiously By power divine and wise Mineruaes hand Who of her grace hath giuen it vnto Troy Within her Temple evermore to stand And granted them this priuiledge t' enioy That while it there remaines they shall not need The force and power of enemies to dread If they do yeeld due honor therevnto And by succession so shall still remaine From King to King who by true title do And shall the Troyan Diadem obtaine If they preserue the same with reverence And loose it not by their owne negligence The name whereof is cald Palladiowne Because it was sent downe out of the skie And by Minerua given to the Towne Within her Church to stand perpetually For their defence and this is th' only thing Which hindreth me my word to passe to bring Whereto Ulisses said if it be so That Troy cannot be given into our hands As thou to vs protested hast to do While th' Image in Mineruaes Temple stands And that it is impossible t' attaine To our desires therein It is in vaine For vs t' expect that at thy hands which thou Canst not effect and folly in thee to take On thee to do that which thou knowst not how By any meanes t' accomplish nor to make Thy promise good to vs therefore I say It 's best for vs to seeke some other way To whome Anthenor made reply and said As yet there 's nothing promised by me But shall be well perform'd though 't be delaid As by the sequell plainly you may see The manner how to you I will declare If so much time to heare it you will spare My meaning is said he forthwith to go Vnto the Priest that hath the custody Of Palladowne and to perswade him so By promising to giue him presently A sum of gold in hand that he shall be Content at my request to grant to me To bring the Image to the place whereas You shall appoint If that meane time you will Content your selues and letting care ore-passe Stay patiently a little while vntill That I this thing haue fully brought about Wherein said he I pray you not to doubt For I will take the charge of it in hand And do assure you of Palladiowne Whose purpose when the Greeks did vnderstand They tooke their leaues to go out of the Towne But to avoid suspition ere they went Anthenor
To keepe them from the Grecians cruelty And Menalus Queene Helena did saue As she for whom with such hostilitie He had been cause to moue that bloody warre And for whom long in heart he had such care The Greeks the while with hot and ragingire Neare ceast to breake and furiously pull downe The walles to consume and burne with fire The howses rich buildings in the towne So that therein they left nothing vpright Nor vndefac'd but with most great despight Destroyed all without exception Of any place or person whatsoere Vnlesse t were those which by condition They had before protested to forbeare And did belong and appertaine vnto Aeneas and all those that did vnto The treason by them practised consent And from their fury great would not forbeare That day till King Agamemnon had sent For all the Grecian Princes that were there To meet in Pallas Temple Vnto whome When they therein were altogether come He asked them if they would constantly Obserue their faith and promise made to those By whom they had obtaind that victory Which they so long had sought against their foes And what they would with all the treasure do Which they within the towne had won Wherto They answered that for their promise made And truely sworne vnto by them they would In each respect obserue it well and sayd That all the gould and treasure gotten should By iust diuision be distributed To euery man as he had merited Of what degree estate or dignity Soere he was and that it should be done By him without all partialitie So that mong them there might not any one Haue cause to be offended nor to blame Him for the true division of the same Which done while they within the Temple staid Some speech about Queene Helena did rise Whereto when some had answere made and sayd Their minds therein as they could best aduise King Thelaphus with great seuerity Sayd that she well deserued had to die For whom so many men their liues had lost And vrged that she might haue iudgement giuen That as they dyed for her it should her cost Her life likewise that day ere it was euen Which many more of them agreed vnto And cause for her there was so much adâ— Agamemnon and Menalus sat still And durst not speake one word to saue her life Least that the Greeks in â—ury should her kill There was mong them as then so great a strife Till that Ulisses with much Eloquence And good perswasions made in her defence Did satisfie them all so well in th' end That they contented were that she should liue And ceasing more about her to contend To Mâ—nalus they did her freely giue And when their Generall Agamemnon Perceiued that they were agreed theron He made request to them that they would giue Cassandra vnto him for recompence Of all his paines and sayd while she did liue He would her keepe and when they went froÌ„ theÌ„ce Take her with him and they contented were It should be so And then before them there Aeneas and Aâ—â—henor to them told And iustified it vpon their oath That Helenus King Priams Son nere would Agree vnto the war but still was loath That Priamus his Father and the rest Should take the same in hand and did his best To let it by his counsell and aduise And how that by the mediation Of him and of Cassandera the wise Whose hearts were moued with compassion Achilles murthered body was not made A prey for hounds as Hecuba had said That it should be and further that they were Much grieued for the murther and likewise For many other matters that were there Don in the towne contrary to thâ—aduise Which they from time to time had giuen to those That of the war had order to dispose To whom because that they were innocent Of all the wrongs that to the Greeks were don They graunted with one voice and full consent That they should haue a full remission And pardon of their liues Then Helenâ—â— With humble voyce and visage piteous Fell on his knees with great submission And thanking them for pardon to him giuen Submissiuely besought Agamemnon With many salt and brinish teares that euen As he had freely pardoned his offence For which he could make him no recompence He would be pleasd to haue compassion Vpon the silly blood of children And with a gratious eye to looke vpon The sons of valiant Hector who as then Nere had don wrong to him nor any other And that he would vouchsafe theÌ„ with their mother His widow left all comfortles alone A pardon of their liues and liberty To whom the King mou'd with compassion At his request did graunt securitie Of life and lim and licence free to go Whereas they list the like he did vnto The rest of all the women then in Troy That in the Grecian furie were not slaine And gaue to them free liberty t' enioy Their dwellings there or else-where to remaine Within the land for which most humbly They gaue him thanks with many aioyfull crie Which done the King with all the Grecians went Out of the Church and presently agreed To leaue the towne and to that end they sent Their treasure and their men aboord with speed Intending to returne to Greece againe But such a sodaine storme of wind raine With great and hideous tempests did arise Vpon the surging seas and such fowle weather Of thunder and of lightning in the skies Continued for one whole moneths space together That none of them durst with their ships aducÌ„ture That dangerous time into the seas to enter But were constraind vpon the land to tarry Till beâ—â—er wind and weather did ensue And finding it still more and more contrary They asked Calchas counsell if he knew What those great stormes tempests signified That them so long of passage had denied Who told them that those stormes tempests fell By prouidence Diuine that had provokt The vgly fowle and furious fiends of Hell To moue the same and could not be reuok't Nor yet would cease till they were punished By death that had Achilles murthered And that their God Apollo angry was Because thereby his Temple they did staine With blood and that therefore they should not paâ— Till they had pleased him with blood againe Which must be done by offering Pollicene Who by her extreame beauty cause had beene And th' obiect of that cruell murther don Vpon Achilles body to apease And giue Apollo satisfaction The which he sayd if they would haue the seas Propice they must needs do ere they went thencee To take away all causes of offence This answere made fierce Pyrrhus sought about In euery place for Pollicene but could By no meanes heare of her nor find her out Till some man at the last vnto him told That she was closely kept and hidden by Aeneas and Anthenor priuely Whereby so great a rumor suddenly Arose gainst them that by that meanes they were In danger
may be â—eard And that you with reason iudge and be Vnpartiall in this case twixt him and me And first consider well and way withall That while you here so long in siedge did tarry I onely out of Messa brought you all Prouision that for you was necessary That you no want of victuals might sustaine By any meanes while you did here remaine And further as concerning feats of armes Performed in the field in Knightly wise I euer ready was at all alarmes And daylie fought against our enemies And as I am assurd full well kild more Of them then those that greater countnance bore You also know that I slew Philomen To whom King Priam sent his youngest Son To keepe with store of treasure great and when I had him slaine and all that riches won I brought it vnto you and therewith did Relieue you much and did supplie your need And sor your sakes I slew the Frizian King And store of gold and treasure from him won And all those spoiles vnto the Campe did bring You likewise further know what I haue don T' augment and to aduance your soueraignty By conquering two kingdomes valianly While you in siedge here lay and did them ad Vnto your puissant Empire and likewise The prouinces to Troy annexed made All Subiect vnto you What otherwise I with Achilles did t' increase your fame I know that you cannot forget the same And therefore needles t were for me to say Or shew you all I could produce to proue My merits more then his do euery way Deserue a greater recompence and loue Of you And therefore whatsoere he saith No right vnto Palladion he hath The iudgement in this case I do referre Vnto you all the which that you may know The better how to giue you first shall heare His qualities which I will to you show In him there is no manner worthines Knight-hood valor nor yet hardines For when time serues that he should in a need Shew forth his might he dates not enterprize That which he boasts but proues as he 's indeed A coward right as plainely with your ciâ—s You see ther 's iâ— him nought but craâ—tines Words many falsehood decâ—â—â—fulnes For he is still in heart imagining How to effect by craft and subtilty His purpose and the same to passe to bring T' intrap and to deceaue his enemy For never any thing as yet there was By him archieu'd nor fully brought to passe For which he well deserued praise or laud But it was done it's knowne vnto you all By some devise of treachery or fraud For like vnto a goodly painted wall He makes a faire and pleasing outward show But no man can his inward meaning know And by such sleights deceit and pollicy He got the Image cald Palladion And thereby to our shame and villany It may be said the conquest we haue woone Vpon the towne by treason gotten was And not by our great knighthood brought to passe The onely cause whereof as I haue said Ulisses is for he vnto our shame This stumbling blocke hath in our honor laid And thereby much ecclipsed all our fame The truth thereof sith all of you do know I le leaue for this time more of him to show And of you all my Lords together craue You iudgements which of vs deserveth best For his deserts the jmage faire to haue That for the same we may no more contest Which words thus vsed by King Thelaphus Ulisses having heard with mind suspicious And seeing how with envie great he was Incenst and mou'd gainst him with good advise He bare with him a while and let ore-passe His choller and as he was passing wise Determing no iest thereof to make To answere him on this wise to him spake And said with countance bold before his face My Lords if that I may haue leaue to speake I hope before we part out of this place And yet intend no peace thereby to breake To proue directly that with equitie The jmage onely doth belong to me Which I will keepe and hold while I do liue Despight of all that thereto dare say nay And first for proofe this instance I do giue That at the siege wherein so long we lay In double wise I did my selfe acquit As well by valor great as by my wit For by advise I was the onely man T' intrap them in a snare and for your good Devis'd the meanes and way whereby we wan The towne of Troy which otherwise had stood And flourisht to this day and truth to tell As it is not vnknowne to all full well If you will speake vprightly and with reason I dare avouch though Thelaphus saith no I was chiefe cause of their confusion How often of Embassage did I go To make the treatie with them in such wise As I for our advantage could devise And when I saw that all that we had done Was but in vaine the towne of Troy to win And that for vs advantage there was none While that the holy Image was therein By my advise so subtillie I wrought That I to you Mineruaes Image brought Which Thelaphus maliciously doth say That to your great dishonour and your shame By treacherie I brought it thence away And thereby much imblemished your fame But sith you are so wise I pray you take The quarrell now in hand and thereof make An end betweene vs twaine and so prouide That th'jmage at this time may iudged be All fauour whatsoever laid aside To him that it deserues and as for me I le stand to your award Which having said He paused and from speaking further staid Whereat with courage great King Thelaphus In heart and mind exceeding lie much mou'd Respecting no man there in furious And raging wise despightfullie reprou'd And chafed at Vlisses with disdaine And he at him replide with like againe Whereby they two great enemies became And into hard and bitter tearmes did fall And threatning each the other for the same King Thelaphus in presence of them all Said that before they two did end that strife It should vnto Vlisses cost his life By his hands if he did not well defend Himselfe Which when the Grecian Princes heard The quarrell grown between them two to end The matter was by all of them deferd And wholly put to th'arbitration Of Menalus and King Agamemnon Which afterward did breed a mortall iarre For when they two considered had thereon They iudged cause Ulisses t'whom they bare Affection great the jmage faire had woon He should possesse the same as his reward And Thelaphus from claime thereof debard The reason that made them therein preferre Ulisses and King Thelaphus to thwart Was for because they both beholding were To him for that he friendly tooke their part When as the Greeks bout Helen were at strife To haue her kild and he to saue her life Perswaded them so well that they content To let her liue to Menalus her gaue When Thelaphus with furie gainst her
bent Before them all said flatly she should haue Her head cut off and suffer deadly paine Because for her so many had beene slaine And by that meanes King Thelaphus was crost And put besides Palladion gainst his will For which he swore thogh deare it shold him cost Ere long time past he would Vlisses kill And one day likewise be reveng'd vpon King Menalus and king Agamemnon And therewith in a mighty rage he went With all his knights and left the company Who with him in their hearts were fully bent When they a fit occasion might espie In cruell wise ere long reveng'd to be Vpon their foes but chiefly on those three And for that cause such hatred to them bare That nothing but their deaths could thâ— content But they that of his purpose were aware With policie his furie to prevent Did cause their knights about them to attend If that occasion serued to defend And keepe them from the furie of their foes And likewise soone to rid them of that doubt For earely in the morne ere Phoebus rose The matter was so quicklie brought about King Thelaphus that braue and worthy knight Most cruelly was murthered in the night And in the morning bleeding sore was found Within his bed whereas his body lay Sore mangled hewd cut with many a wound Which thing when as the Grecians heard next day They did abhorre that act so horrible And cause to God and man t was odible They could not choose but for his murther weepe And grieue to thinke how foule and traiterously He had been kild when he was fast asleepe And mong them then there rose so great a cry Throughout the hoast for that most wicked deed That all his friends within their hearts decreed His death should be revenged vpon those That had that cruell murther brought to passe The which although no man would it disclose Yet every one that in the hoast then was For it had most and great'st suspicion On Menalus and King Agamemnon But chiefly on Vlisses vnto whome By common voice of them in generall His sodaine death imputed was and some Did vow and sweare what euer did befall Mong whom yong Pyrrhus specially was one They would revenge the death of him full soon Vpon Vlisses who by treachery Had falsly wrought the same but to preuent And scape from Pyrrhus furie sodainly Aboard his ships next morning straight he went And hoising saile in hast from thence he fled And left the jmage with King Diomed. And of the fact in heart had great remorse Who in that sort thus fled away and gone Yong Pyrrhus tooke his bloudy mangled corse And made a fire and laid the same thereon In presence of the Greeks that it beheld And burnt it vnto ashes in the field And afterward the ashes being cold He tooke them vp and did them safely put With reverence great into a box of gold The which with his owne seale of armes he shut And sent them to be buried there whereas While he did liue the soveraigne Prince he was And hauing all the ceremonies vs'd For him in every point most orderly He still vpon the cruell murther musd Which vnto him was done so traitrously And sware and vowd it should be dearly bought By them that it so wickedly had wrought And for that cause great hatred bare vnto King Menalus and King Agamemnon Who well advis'd and taking heed thereto For feare thereof nere went abroad alone But strongly garded daily did attend What issue would ensue thereof in th' end Which Pyrrhus likewise did and would not cease By all the meanes he could to seeke some way T' intrap them and his wrath would not appease And in that sort they three from that same day Were sterne and deadly foes each vnto other And while that they in such wise iar'd together And enviously each other did pursue Still more and more their malice did encrease And hatred great on each side did renue Till Anthenor their furies to appease By policie did cut of all disdaine On either side and made them friends againe And to that end prepard a royall feast And did invite the Grecians to the same And to intreat and pray them never ceast Till they three with the rest vnto it came That all the Princes of the hoast might see They had their anger left and did agree Together like good friends as ere they were To write the great and sumptuous fare they had With all the severall dishes that were there As also what rich Presents then were made And by Anthenor given liberallie Vnto the Greeks it 's no necessitie Let it suffice they wanted nothing that Might please and giue contentinent vnto man And while at table they together sat Some one among them enviously began To speake against Aeneas and t' accuse And charge him with most great and vile abuse Especially because he did conceale And hide away the Princes Pollicene And would by no meanes tell them noâ— reveale What was become of her that cause had been Of fierce Achilles death and for the same They did impose vpon him so much blame That they did all with one consent agree He should therefore be banisht out of Troy Contrary to their former grant that hee The freedome of the Towne should still enioy But nere the lesse they did with one consent Comdemne him to perpetuall banishment The causer of the same I cannot tell But sure it is Anthenor and none other Within the Towne of Troy did know it well And secretly betraid his traiterous brother That with him holpe to bring that thing to passe Which in the end the Townes destruction was Which when Aeneas knew and saw no way For him by any meanes to mollifie The Grecians hearts to giue him leaue to stay He humblie praied them of courtesie That of their princely favor and their grace They wold vouchâ—afe to grant him 4 months space To stay in Troy while he provided had All things that should for him be necessaire And further vnto them petition made That he from thence might also with him carrie The ships that into Cithera did go With Paris iust number twentie two Which being by the Grecians full consent Vnto him given with licence for the space Of time he askt to stay to Troy he went With heavie heart to see 't in such a case And specially when he to mind did call That all the woes which on the same did fall Came onlie by the treason he had wrought Against the Towne and also to remember That he could not enioy the thing he sought But must of force depart and stay no longer Where he had liu'd sometime in great estate And cursed his most hard and cruell fate To see him selfe so plung'd in that distresse And banisht by the Greeks and knew not why Nor who had sought his fall till he did gesse And saw by signes Anthenor subtilly To get him out of Troy procured it For which he sware
comming thither told them that he wold Go downe into the well to fetch the gold Supposing to haue found it there indeed But being downe into the bottome gone As they before between them had agreed When aid and succor for him there was none For vp againe himselfe he could not rise They stoned him to death in cruell wise And went their waies vnto their tents with speed Where down they laid themselues to take their ease As if that they had never done the deed And so they said that King Pallomides Was murthered by Ulisses treachery And Diomede and it was but a lie Deuis'd to slander them that guiltlesse were And also all the Grecians else beside For he was with an arrow slaine in warre By Paris while they did in siege abide But they that are to falshood wholly bent Can tales devise that nere were done nor ment And as for those two letters that were brought Out of the towne as by them was surmis'd No such thing by Pallamides was wrought It only was maliciously devis'd And nothing else but falshood vntroth Of purpose told to make king Naulus wroth And angry with the Greeks in generall Thereby to worke their ruine and decay And mou'd him for that cause on them to fall As they returned homeward on their way For presently king Naulus and his sonne Belieuing that such treason had beene done And wrought by Greeks as was vnto them told Did sweare and vow reveng'd to be therefore Vpon them by all waies and meanes they could And vnto them in heart such hatred bore That without any favor merciles When as the Greeks were on the surging seas And saild along the shore by Naulus land He caused fires to burne and set vp lights Vpon the coast the which on hills did stand And might be seene farre off in winter nights To make the Greeks to erre and go aside Out of the way for when they had espi'd The lights on shore and did not vnderstand The reason but supposing harbor neere They did direct their course vnto the land And thinking them for sea-marks placed there To shew them how to fall on land by night Without all feare they made vnto the light Whereby vpon the rockes sand they stroke And by that meanes two hundred ships they lost Which sodainly were all in pieces broke And cast away vpon king Naulus coast Which cost the life of many a worthy man And so to take revenge he first began Vpon the Grecians with destruction Of them and of their Navie huge and great But yet by fortune King Agamemnon Escaped death and safely home did get With Menalus King Diomed and more That followed them yet there was great store Of Earles Kings and Princes cast away At that same time But when as Oetes knew That they were gone and that he could not stay Them as he would he vowd some should it rew And presently imagined a wile Wherewith he did Agamemnon beguile By writing of a letter to his wife Which set so great contention tweene theÌ„ twaine That it did cost Agamemnon his life The letter did in it thus much containe That her deare Lord and king Agamemnon A great and mighty wrong to her had don The which could not but breed most extreame blame And detriment vnto her in the end Although she nere had merited the same The which he said was that he did intend A daughter of king Priamus to take To wife and would her vtterly forsake Though she surpast her much for excellence Of beauty and of comely feature That never had vnto him done offence Whereof he did her certainly assure And that it was his purpose and intent That she should into banishment be sent A thousand miles froÌ„ thence when he came home Advising her that she should warily Looke to her owne estate This was the sum And generall contents of that which he Within his letter sent vnto the Queene Although the king was innocent and cleane Of that which he to her did falsly write And loud her while he liu'd with all his heart And in none else but she did take delight Nor had no such intent from her to part But 't may be that the letter which he sent Made her to do more then she ever ment And to giue credite thervnto too soone Who thanked Oetes for his carefulnesse In her behalfe and his compassion Shewd therein to preserue her from distresse And yet as in the story you shall find She was a most false Lady and vnkind To him while he was absent in the warre But nerethelesse she was so diligent To looke vnto her selfe and to prepare A bait for him and thereby to prevent All mischiefe whatsoever might ensue To her by that which she thought to be true That finally she brought him to his end What trust can man repose in worldly glory Though all men to obtaine't their wits do bend Which proues to be so vaine and transitory Or in the wavering ioyes of prowd ambition Which sodainely are turned vpside downe Or flying fame that mounteth vp so hie And is orethrown in twinckling of an eie Or as vaine boasting of great victory That vanisheth away so sodainly Or in dissembling fortune most vniust In whom no man could ere so surely trust As that he might assure himselfe that she Would vnto him a constant friend remaine Gainst whom no man whats'euer that he be Can once resist or victory obtaine For on her wheele though he clime nere so fast Let him be sure shee le throw him downe at last Her favor's not to be relide vpon For she 's so full of mutability That he which doth repose his trust thereon Doth build vpon a meere vncertainty To day shee le be a friend and seeme to smile To morrow she will falsly men beguile Her pride is such she spareth no degree Great Emperors Kings Dukes Princes all are one With her for in their greatst felicity When they are plast in high and Princely throne And liue and raigne in honor and renowne For all their mighty power she casts theÌ„ downe As you may see by King Agamemnon Who while he liu'd so puissant was of state That mong the Greeks there was not any one Esteemd nor found to be more fortunate Nor greater yet for all his excellence He could not make resistance nor defence With all the power that on him did attend Against conspired murther nor prevent The treason wrought to bring him to his end Which his Queene Clytemnestra did invent And purposely deuise But he that knows All things on earth his iudgment often shows On such as take delight in murthering Of men which God doth vtterly forbid And specially the murthering of a king Which is so foule and horrible a deed That all the paine that Exion feâ—les in hell With other foule infernall spirits that dwell With Belzebub are not sufficient To take revenge nor punish such â—one As hath a heart so mischieuously bent For that
excedeth in comparison All other kinds of treason whatsoere And no man can vprightly with it beare But God will them assuredly confound And bring vnto an end vnfortunate For they are worse then Cerberns the hound Who though that he of malice doth vs hate He barks before he bites but such as lie In wait to kill a man will sodainly Assaile and set on him ere he 's aware But bloud so shead vndoubtedly doth crie To God for iust revenge on those that are The actors and will fall assuredly On them which though sometimes he doth prolong Yet he is iust and punisheth all wrong Done vnto every man but specially To mighty Kings as this Agamemnon In his time was of such authority That comparable to him there was none In all the Grecian campe but fate so wrought That when vnto his house he came thought To liue in peace he should there end his life By vnexpected murther which was done By policy and mischiefe of his wife For that when to the shore he came assoone As ever foot vpon the land he set In seemely wise Clytemnestra with him met Who outwardly with countenance bening And friendly show did welcome him with much Great courtesie and honour whome the King In loving wise embrast and thought no such False treason had vnto him then been ment And straight with her vnto his Pallace went Where she no whit respecting faithfull vow Nor promise made in wedlocke set aside All duety and respect she ought to show Vnto the king and shamelesly vntide The knot of loue and proued so vnkind That she did set her heart and all her mind Vpon a knight that in her favor stood Whose name Egistus was though truth to tell He neither came of noble birth nor blood Nor yet in armes nor knighthood did excell But cause he did his businesse well by night She tooke in him such pleasure and delight That he her loue from all men else had wone Which moued her her husbands blood to shed And for because she could not he alone She made him her copartner in her bed And by him at the last a Daughter had Cald Exion and promise to him made Vpon the paine of loosing of her head That should be her Lord and King when as Her husband King Agamemnon was dead The which accordingly to bring to passe Agamemnon next night by him was slaine Whereof the Queene exceeding glad faine No longer time delayd but presently Did marry with Egistus and did bring His purpose so to passe by treachery That he was of Messena crowned King And gaue him thereof full possession And thereby disinherited her Son And lust with her abounded in such wise That reason bore no sway within her mind For they are alwaies deadly enemies And wrong and falshood now more favor find Then equity true dealing righteousnes Honor estate desert or worthinesse For by her beastly foule adultery A sin which never raignes in man alone She practised with false conspiracie To murther her deare Lord wrong her Sonne And thereby heapt one sin vpon another Which down to hell with her did sinke together And to her did erelasting woe procure Which she full well deserued for her paine Who can himselfe here in this life assure When Kings in traiterous wise are falsly slaine To make and stirre vp alteration In kingdomes great by wrong succession Which they that are the authors may pretend To do with colour of some equitie But God the Iudge of Iudges in the end Will right all false intrusions speedily On those that seeke by force and violence To wrong such as nere did to them offence For though thereby she thought her selfe secure As having all the Country at command And dreamt long in that happy state t' endure Yet she cold not the punishment withstand Which God for her prepar'd for when 't was known That she her selfe s'vnnaturall had shown Vnto her Lord and King Agamemnon As so to murther him and afterward So falsly disinherited her Sonne And had him from his lawfull right debard Her Son that was of yong and tender age Horestus cald to shun his mothers rage Was secretly convaid and sent away Out of the Land by King Taltabius Into the Isle of CreetÌ„e where he did stay And nourisht was by King Idumeus And Carkasis his Queene whose onely heire A daughter was of beauty passing faire Climenea cald and by them vs'd as well As their owne child where he continued Till he waxt great and did in armes excell And with him thence a puissant army led To conquere his inheritance by might Which false Egistus held without all right And equity from him But for a while I le let him stay where he was nourished In tender yeares for I must change my stile And tell you somewhat of king Diomed Who for his part likewise great woe endur'd The which to him was enviously procur'd And falsly brought to passe by Oetes traine Which he for him and many others more Prepared had of malice and disdaine Which he vnto the Grecian Princes bore To take revenge on them for murthering Pallamides the which to passe to bring Though 't were vntrue yet he and Naulus both Perswaded otherwise would 't not belieue But in their minds conceaued so much wrath And hatred gainst the Greeks that to bereaue Them of their liues was all their care thought Thus gainst the said king Diomed they wrought Within the great and spacious Grecian land There was a mighty kingdome long and large Which towards the Easterne parts therof did stand Composed of Calidoâ—ie and Arge Both ioynd in one abounding in great store Of wealth whereof he that the scepter bore And raignd therein Polentus had to name To whome his wife a son daughter bare The sonne Assandrus called was whose fame Both far and neere was spred for knighthood rare His daughter faire the name of Egra bore Who cause he had two children and no more He did vpon his death bed so provide That when he should depart the world All strife they two his kingdome should divide to cease Betweene them and together liue in peace Whose daughter afterward he being dead Was married vnto king Diomed. Who while he did at Troy in siege remaine Lou'd Cressida that Calchas daughter was And for her sake endur'd much griefe and paine But I will let his loue to her orepasse As nothing to the matter pertinent Who not long after they were married went Vnto the siege of Troy accompanied With Assandrus her brother who together Vpon the seas out of the way were led And driven too and fro with stormie weather And cleane contrary wind they had which bore Them forcibly vpon Boetia shore Whereas they did as glad a while to stay And rest themselues take land there remaine Till Thelaphus the King thereof heard say That they were there and thereat much disdaind Because that they to land thereon would venter Before that he did
and also to implore Their aid therein and when he kneeld before The Altar he by Oracle was told And bidden that without compassion Shewn to his mother Clytemnestra he should Revenge the death of King Agamemnon His father vpon her that was the cause That he was slaine against all humane lawes And that he should no mercy to her show But to fulfill the Gods degree and hest He willed was her body all to hew In peeces small which done he should not rest Till he had slaine Egistus in likewise For iust reward of their great cruelties Enioyning him not to be negligent In any wise but carefully t' effect And execute the Gods commandement On paine if that he did the same reiect Of that which might vnto himselfe ensue Which Oracle which as Horestes knew He entred straight into his natiue soyle Where when he came all that did him withstand He did in hostile wise destroy and spoile And being in the middest of the land Layd siege vnto Methena towne whereas False Clytemnestra the Queene at that time was But ere Horestus fully thither came To plant the fiege Egistus in great post The day before was gon out of the same Intending to prepare a mighty hoast To set vpon Horestus and constraine Him to breake vp his siege but all in vaine For while Horestus still before it lay He ceased not his spies abroad to send To see and to enquire every day Which way he went and what he did intend Or meant to do and purposely did set Some bands of Knights his passages to let Appointing others speedily to ride And follow him about in euery place Commanding them t'assaile him on each side And euer more to keepe him still in chase While he the towne so hotly did assaile That it could not against his force prevaile So that at last he tooke it by assault And entring thereinto at euening late He found the Queene Clemnestra in a vaut Whom when he had set watch at every gate He caused to be bound in chaines layd Therein againe where till next day she staid While traitrous King Egistus hast did make Withall the power of men that he could get T' invade with speed and vnawares to take Horestus him of his purpose let And him thereby an ouerthrow to giue And by that meanes Methena to relieue But all that he could doe did nought availe For vnawares Horestus with him met And with such mighty force did him assayle That in short space he did the victory get And having slaine and put his men to flight Himselfe was tane to his great despight In prison cast with hands and feet fast bound Which done Horestus caused every one Wichin the towne that were consenting found Vnto the death of King Agamemnon As also those that armes against him bare To be committed prisoners did spare None whatsoere he was but all receiu'd Due punishment for their reward were Condemnd to die of their liues bereaud Next day when as the Son shin'd bright clreare And first Clemnestra principall head Of all the rest in mighty feare dread Was fore Horestus brought who presently Severely drew his sword therewithall When as he had condemned her to die Did hew cut her into peeces small And caused her in that sort to be borne Out of the towne to be deuourd and torne By Beasts and Birds and haue no buriall And by that meanes gaue her a iust reward Which done he did for false Egistus call Who when he had likewise his sentence hard Which was that he starke naked drawne should be Along the towne and hang'd vpon a tree And not to be cut downe but there to rot To execution went and so you see What guerdon by Gods iudgement murther got And they are so repaid that traitors bee And then the rest that with them did consent To kill the King and to rebell were sent Out of the towne hangd on gibbets hie That all men might example by them take And so Horestus with severitie Reuenged was for Agamemnons sake On them that him so traitrously had slaine And got his lost inheritance againe But when he had thus finished and don That which the Gods commanded had tane Revenge for death of King Agamemnon So traitrously by Queene Clytemnestra slaine King Menalus ariuing with his fleet Of ships that with him came from Troy in Creet And with him brought Queene Helena the faire That had been cause of all the Troian warre The people did in mighty flocks repaire To see and to behold her beauty rare For which so many Princes great were slaine But things once done cannot b'vndon againe Who hearing of his brothers death that In traitrous wise he had been murthered By Clemnestra his wife was grieud thereat But yet with partiality much led Considering on the fact as it behou'd Him to haue done he was in hart â—ore mou'd Against Horestus that so merciles With rigor great and extreame crueltie Had slaine his mother like one pitiles And cleane bereft of all civility For which he swore vou'd if he did liue He would him of his regall Crowne depriue Affirming for his cruelty so great By law of God that he vnworthily Vpon his Fathers Royall throne did sit And therefore straight againe to ship did hie And leauing Creet to Athens sayl'd so fast That he ariud in Nestors land at last And therein was receaud and welcomed As his estate requird but he possest With fury great and by much choller led Would not content himselfe nor be at rest Till he had told to Nestor why he came And of him askt his counsell in the same Desiring him that he a meanes would be By counsell by power if that he might To put Horestus from his dignitie And Regall throne which though it were his right He said that he had lost the same because He had his mother slaine gainst natures lawes And therevpon to Athens both they went And did require the Princes of the land To meet together there in Parlament Where Menalus gaue them to vnderstand What Horestus to Clytemnestra had don And craued all their iudgements therevpon Who being there himselfe and hearing what King Menalus had said and did esâ—ie His meaning and intent was flatly that He would haue him depriued Did replie With courage bold and sayd he had don nought But that which all the Gods decreed and thought Convenient to be done and then did shew How he commanded was by them to go Into Messena land and there to hew His mother all in peeces and to do The same without all ruth or compassion Because she had kild King Agamemnon And that the murther chiefely had been wrought By her alone against all humane lawes And therefore all the Princes there besought With equitie to thinke vpon the cause And not with any malice nor in rage To seeke to take from him his heritage He being Son to King
To grieue his head was fild with fantasies And deepe conceits t' imagine and to see If he could find or shape a remedie By any meanes to shun that would not bee But yet for all his policie and wit He could not reach vnto the depth of it For thinking that he would the same prevent De did suppose that no man but his son Was he that should it do and therefore sent With all the speed he could for Thelamon And cast him into prison so to shun That which the Fates decreed should be dun Remembring not the speare with steeled head Nor yet the flag thereon with azure fild With fishes on 't which in the seas do feed Nor Circes faire who in her hand it held Which signifi'd nought but hostility Nor yet the Crowne and regall dignity Of one that raign'd within an Isle that stands In middest of the sea that should be hee Who gainst his will should slay him with his hands And execute thereby the iust decree Of God the which Ulisses thought not on But onely did suspect Prince Thelaemon Whom he then held close prisner in a tower And to prevent all other meanes what s'ere He never ceast to muse thereon each hower And at the last grew thereof in such feare That he did cause a Castle to be made And built of Marble stone the which he had Devised in such sort that there was none Like vnto it in all the world throughout For strength and had no gates in it but one To enter in the same and round about A ditch most deepe and broad on every side Did compasse it Wherein he did abide And closely kept himselfe from sight of all The world but those which on him did attend And ever held a watch vpon the wall Both day and night most strictly to the end That no man should so hardy be to venter Without his leaue into the same to enter Vnlesse it were those that therein did lie Now as the storie vnto vs doth tell Ulisses had a Sonne begotten by Queene Circes who in valor did excell So much that he was comp'rable to none In all that land whose name was Thelagon Borne in an jsle among the furious rage Of foming seas that compast it about Who at that time attained had to th'age Of twenty fiue yeares old who stood in doubt What man did him beget or who should be His father whome he longed much to see And having great desire the same to know He fell before his mother on his knee And did intreat her earnestly to show The truth to him who might his father bee And what he was where he then did dwell But she long time by no meanes would it tell But put him off and fed him with delay Till when she saw she could not be at rest For him that did torment her every day And would not cease till he had his request She shewd him that Vlisses was his sire And where he dwelt who with most great desire To see him tooke his leaue of her with speed And told her that he straight froÌ„ thence would go But when the Queene perceau'd he had decreed To go to seeke Vlisses and that no Perswasion in the world could him withhold From doing it her heart it waxed cold And in her breast she felt exceeding paine And when she saw he would by no meanes stay She prayed him to come with speed againe Home vnto her And so the selfe same day He put to sea and saild so long till he He arriued where he did desire to be And when he was within Achaia land He never ceast to ride from place to place And rested not till he did vnderstand Where king Vlisses royall Pallace was Which when he knew he made no more aboad But speedily vnto the Court he road Whereas the king within his Castle stayd And early on a Munday morning came Vnto the gate and draw-bridge where he prayd The Porter who at that time kept the fame To giue him leaue a word or two to speake Vnto the king who to him gaue a cheake And churlishly did thrust him from the gate And proudly said he should not enter in And with some other speeches told him that He must be gone whereat he did begin To be in such a rage that there with all He did vpon the Porter fiercely fall And furiously did take him by the beard And gaue him such a blow that there with all He fell dead on the bridge which when they heard That were within they issued and did fall On him but he so hotely them withstood And fought with such a fierce surious mood That many of them cleane ore the bridge he cast And when as more vpon him issued forth And on all sides began t'assaile him fast He did begin to be exceeding wroth And with his sword about him made such way That he therewith did fifteene of them slay And fought so long that he was out of breath And scarce could hold himselfe vpright so that Sore wounded he expected nought but death Wherewith Vlisses came vnto the gate And when vpon the bridge he did espie His men on heaps dead on the same to lie Sore mou'd thereat he tooke a dart in hand And there with all in furious wise did throw At Thelagon who then did leaning stand Vpon his sword but it did light too low And hurt him not at all but Thelagon Straight stooped down laying hands theron Did throw it at Vlisses in great hast And there with all did strike him such a blow Into the breast that through his ribs it past And gaue him his deaths wound but did not know That 't was the king nor that he so had slaine His father deare who then could not sustaine Himselfe vpright but to the ground did slide With pale and deadly face and so he lay Amongst his men that stood on either side And busie were to beare him thence away Supposing that he verily was dead But sodainly he lifted vp his head And having still a perfect memory He cald to mind the vision he did see And how that he was told assuredly That one of his ner'st kinsmen should be hee That with a dart of life should him bereaue And for because â—â— could not well conceaue Who it should be He bad his men to bring The young man that before the gate then stood With speed to him without once offering To wrong him for so sheading of their blood And when that he was brought into the place Whereas he lay he look't him in the face And marking well his countenance began To aske him for what cause he did come thither And what occasion moved him as than T' assaile his guard that he and they together Had fought and he had slaine them so whereby Himselfe sore wounded was and like to die To whom with courage bold he spake and sayd The onely cause why I came hither was To see the King but by the