woo abyde mournynge and distresse Whyles that we the sothe to expresse Fro day to day beset on euery syde Lye in the flede and our deth abyde In sorowe and care in laboure and in woo And wot all this ye wyte well also Sythe tyme that the werre began Of our Grekes how many worthy man Hath lost his lyfe thorugh dethes fatal woūde That myght hytherto haue lyued be sounde At home in Grece assured well in ioye If they ne hadde come vnto Troye That to remembre it is full great pyte And ouer this I saye also for me Amonge Troyans in theyr cruell mode I haue loste so moche of my blode That hath full ofte made pale of hewe This other day also grene and newe I hadde of Ector suche a mortall wounde With a quarell sharpe whet and grounde Aboue the theygh so kene was the hede The same daye afore that he was dede Of very happe as it was I shape That fro the deth vnneth I myght escape Whiche yet all fresshe is vpon me sene Large and wyde and as yet but grene The smerte of whiche sore yet I pleyne And in good fayth me semeth that Eleyne If ye aduerte wysely in your thought With suche a pryse shulde nat be bought Where thorugh our lyfe and our good yfere And our honour are Yput in were And dredfully hange in ballaunce For if that ye in your remembraunce Conceyue a right and caste vp and downe The sodayne chaunge and reuolucyowne That fallen hath sythe the werre began The slaughter deth of many worthy man That for hir sake hath here loste his lyfe Yet the worste of this mortall stryfe Doth moste rebounde into our damage To disencrease and eke disauauntage And lykely is to encrease more If ordenaunce be nat made therfore And remedye shape on outher syde By fyne oonly that Eleyne abyde With them of Troye styll here in the towne And lette vs caste by good inspeccyowne For our ease some other meane way So that the kynge called Menelay These hym a wyfe in some other londe Lyke his estate by suraunce or by bonde Vnder wedlocke confermed vp of newe That vnto hym wyll be founde trewe Sythe that we without gylte or synne May by lawe from Eleyne twynne For of dyuerse causes be ynowe Thorugh out the world of euery wyght yknowe Of auoutry for the foule vyce For to lawe is no preiudyce Though Menelay iustly hir forsake Whan so hym lyste and another take That shall hym better both queme and please And so to vs it shal be full great ease Whan the werre is brought to an ende Whiche lykely is many man to shende If it so be that it forth contune The great laboure is so importune That we ne shall no whyle mowe sustene For this is sothe without any wene Troyans yet be floutynge in theyr myght And with them haue full many worthy knyght To helpe them of hye and lowe degre And therwithall so stronge in theyr cyte On euery part without and withinne That we are nat lykely for to wynne In our purpose though we euer abyde Wherfore by wysdome let vs voyde pryde And wylfulnesse oonly of prudence To haue the Eye of our aduertence To our profyte more than vayne glorye And whyle our honour shyneth by victorye A wysdome is to withdrawe our honde Syth we may nat constrayne by no bonde Fortunes whele for to abyde stable Wherfore I rede or she be mutable This gery goddesse with hir double chere Let vs gyue vp suche thynge as lyeth in were Whyles that we may our worshyp saue For of the werre the laude yet we haue Consyder well how by your manhede Our moste foo Ector is now dede And whyle that we in our honour floure My counsayle is or Fortune loure As I saydeere to chaunge hir bryght face Whyle that beste we stonde in hir grace By one assent and one oppynyon Without any contradiccyon Of herte and wyll bothe of one and alle Or our honoure on any party palle Into Grece that we home retourne For if that we lenger here soiourne On the quarell that we haue longe sewed Douteles it may bee schewed Full great damage this without fayle Or we haue done shall folowe at the tayle Wherfore beste is our folye vp resygne And whyle our hap is welfull and benygne Most blandysshynge and of face fayre The tyme is beste to make our repayre Whyle that we stande in party and in all With our enmyes in honour perygall And fer aboue playnely if that we Coude haue an Eye to our Felycyte Whyle that it is in his ascencyon But lest some man wyll make obieccyon That we may nat so our honour saue To repayre playnely but we haue Eleyne agayne that is cause of all To whiche thynge anone answere I shall If any man in his fantasye To dishonour or to vyllanye Arrette wolde in any maner kynde We to go home and leue hir behynde Shortely to saye I holde it be no shame Sythe that we haue one as great of name As is Eleyne and of berthe as gode Amonges vs ycome of kynges blode Suster to Pryam lorde of Troye towne Exyona whom that Thelamowne In kepynge hath if I shall nat feyne In Troye towne as Parys hath Eleyne And sythe nowe it may be none other Let the tone be set agayne the tother And the surplus of olde enmyte Bet wixe vs and Troye the cyte My counsayle is for our bothe ease By one assent wysely to apease This all and some and that we hens wende I can no more my tale is at an ende To whom anone kynge Menelaus For very yre wode and Furyous And kynge Thoas the Duke eke of Athene As they that myght no lenger hym sustene To suffre hym they were so reckeles Spake all attones vnto Achylles Nat oonly they but thorugh inpacyence The court perturbyd without prouydence With tumulte gonne to repreue This Achylles and proudely them cōmeue Agaynst hym and his oppynyon And sayde shortly in conclusyon Vnto his reed they ne wolde neuer assente Nor condescende to no thynge that he mente To be gouernyd by hym in this caas For whiche thynge anone Achylles was So full of Yre and rancoure in his herte That sodaynely from his see he sterte And went his way as he were in a rage Tryste and pale and a wode vysage And shortly sayde for hym lyst nat fayne That he ne wolde lenger do his payne To helpe them how so that they spede Agayne Troynas for no maner nede And bad anone this hardy Achilles To his knyghtes callyd Myrundones That they no more with spere nor with shelde To helpe Grekes entre into felde But kepe them close at home within theyr tent Thus in this Ȳre he gaue cōmaundement To all his men as ye haue herde deuyse Them to withdrawe at euery hye empryse Whan so euer they go into batayle And in this whyle scarsenesse of vytayle Fyll in the hoost of flesshe of brede and wynne That many
OVr gracyous god moost in magnyfyceÌ„ce His mercyful eyen casteth froÌ„ heueÌ„ on hi Seynge his creatures in deedly vyolence Hym selfe complayneth by pyte full ruâ—fully Sayenge Deus o man deuoyde of intellygence Open thyne eeres vnto my call and crye And tell me yf I haue done to the offence That thou forsakest my wyllyngly Man suche a loue to the I dyde take This world in seuen dayes whaÌ„ I it wrought Thou was the laste thynge that I dyd make Bycause I wolde thou wanted nought What thynge the myght helpe dyd not lake That at thy nede yf it were sought Fowle fysshe all thynge for thy sake For thy comforte all was forth brought More ouer I gaue the that dygnyte All beestes to bowe the vntyll I made the also lyke vnto me And gaue the connynge and freewyll Me to serue that thou sholde se To chose the good and leue the yll I aske nothynge agayne of the But loue thy souerayne as it is skyll But vnto this takest thou none entente Thou tournest fro me full vnkyndly On loues vnlefull thy loue is lente Thy herte beholdeth not heuen so hye For all the goodes I haue the sente The lysteth not ones to saye gramercye In tyme to come or thou repente Man make amendes or that thou dye A crysten soule conceyued in synne Receyued in conscyence thus complanynge He fell downe flatte with delefull dynne And sayd Homo lorde mercy souerayne kynge I moost vnkynde wretche of man kynne I knowe I am thy traytour vntrue in my lyuynge This wycked lyfe that I lyue in I may it nought hyde frome thy knowynge I want wordes and also wytte Of thy kyndnesse to speke a cause That I haue thou gaue me it Of thy goodnes withouten cause Thoughe I haue greued the and do yet Thy benefaytes thou nought withdrawse I haue deserued to haue hell pytte So haue I lyued ayenst thy lawse But lorde thou knowest mannes feblenesse How frayle it is and hath ben aye For thoughe the soule haue thy lykenesse Man is but fulsome erthe and claye In synne conceyued and wretchednesse And to the soule rebell alwaye Fyrst a man groweth as dooth gresse And he wasteth after as floures or haye Syth man is than so frayle a thynge And thy power so grete in kynde This worlde is but a twynkelynge Thou mayst destroye the myght of the fynde With thy ryght lorde mercy mynge And to my sore salue thou sende Sore me repenteth of my my slyuynge Mercy lorde I wyll amende Deus Man I gaue the bodyly hele That thou sholde it spende in my seruyce Fayrenes also and fetures fele Man what doost thou with all thyse Thou with delytes of the deuyll doost dele Whiche is to me a great despyse Thou lyuest a lecherous lyfe vnlele Fro yere to yere thou lyst not ryse Thou studyest after nyce araye And makest great cost on thy clothynge To make the semely as who sholde saye Thou coudest amende my makynge Thou purposed the daye by daye To set my people in synnynge Thy wretched wyll thou folowest alwaye What ende synne hathe thou thynkest nothynge In Noes tyme bycause of synne And for lecherye in especyall What vengeauÌ„ce came than to maÌ„nes kynne Saue .viii. persones drowned were all On Sodome and Gomor and the men wtin How I made fyre and brymstone fall Fro heuen on them that bode therin for synne were destroyed bothe great small Man wenest thou my myght be lesse Than it was than or that elles I Thou hast no as moche wyckednesse As whan I smote the moost pyteously But yf thou wyll thy fautes redresse Thought I now spare for my mercy Man thynke on my ryghtwysnesse And make amendes or that thou dye Tabula ¶ How the Grekes toke lande before Troye how they were strongly fought with Ca. xxi ¶ The thirde boke ¶ How the thirde boke telleth how the Troyans yssued out on the morowe and fought with the Grekes how valyauntly Ector bare hym selfe that daye Capitulo xxij ¶ How the Grekes sent to kynge Pryamus for to haue trewes for Eyght wekes And of theyr Bataylles after the trewes fayled Ca. xxiij ¶ How the Troyans toke kynge Thoas prysoner ledde hym into Troye Capitulo xxiiij ¶ Howe durynge a Trewes of thre Monthes Ector walked into the grekes hoost And of the coÌ„munyacyon of Achylles hym Ca. xxv ¶ How whan the trewes was endyd they went to batayle agayne where as were many a man slayne on bothe partyes And of the Discripcyon of the Palays of ylyon And also how there dyed so many grekes of the pestylence that they demaunded trewes for .xxx. dayes whiche they obteyned Capitulo xxvi ¶ How Andromecha Ectors wyfe had a vysyon in hir slepe that and hir housbonde fought on the morowe that he shulde be slayne the whiche wold nat byleue hir nouther Fader nor mo der And how Achylles slewe hym Ca. xxvij ¶ Of the complaynt that Lydgate maketh for the deth of worthy Ector Cap. xxviij ¶ The Fourthe boke ¶ Now the fourthe Boke whiche speketh how Grekes made kynge Pallamydes chefe Capitayne of theyr Hoost and deposed kynge Agamenon Capitulo xxix ¶ How kynge Pryamus went vnto the batay le for to auenge the dethe of Ector where as he dyd meruayllous dedes of Armes Ca. xxx ¶ Howe Achylles slewe the worthy Troylus Ectors brother vnknyghtly and trayled hym aboute the felde at his hors tayle Ca. xxxi ¶ How Parys slewe Achylles in the Temple of Appollo and Anthylogus duke Nestors sone Capitulo xxxij ¶ Howe Parys Thelamon Ayax slewe eche other in the felde Capitulo xxxiij ¶ Howe Pantasyllya the Quene of Amazonâ— came for to socoure kynge Pryamus of Troye And howe Pyrrus Achylles sone slewe hir â–ª Capitulo xxxiiij ¶ How the Grekê made an hors of brasse wherin was men of Armes vnder coloure of peas brought it into Troye by the whiche it was vtterly distroyed for euer Cap. xxxv ¶ The fyfthe boke ¶ The fyfthe boke of Troye the which speketh how the Grekes retourned into Grece after the distruccyon And after they that escaped dyed myscheuously Capitulo xxxvi ¶ Howe the translatoure wryteth the stocke of Pyrrus by lyneal discent how his Graunfader hyghte Pelleus and his Graunmoder called Thetydes Capitulo xxxvij ¶ Of the moost worthy kynge Henry yâ— fyfthe ¶ Explicit Tabula Here after foloweth the Troye boke otherwyse called the Sege of Troye Translated by IohnÌ„ Lydgate monke of the Monastery of Bury And Emprynted at the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of oure Soue raygne Lorde the kynge Henry the .viij. By Richarde Pynson prynter vnto his most noble grace The yere of our Lorde god a. M. CCCCC and xiij⸫ The Prologue of the Translatoure O Myghty Mars that with thy sterne lyght In Armys hast the power yâ— myght And named art from est tyl occident The myghty lorde the god Armypotent That with shynynge of thy stremes rede By influence doest thy brydell lede Of chyualrie as soueraygne and patron Full
whan they were crossyd vnder fayle Within the shyp whiche that Argus made Whiche was so stauÌ„che it myght no water lade They gan to sayle and had wynde at wyll The shyp gan breke the sturdy wawes yll Vpon the see and so bothe daye and nyght To colchos warde they helde the waye ryght Gydynge theyr cours by the lode sterre Where they sayle by costes nyghe or ferre For philotetes was theyr alder guyde That coude afore so prudently prouyde Of very insyght to caste afore and se Tempest or wynde bothe on londe and see Or whan there shulde trouble of stormes fall For he was mayster playnly of them all In shypman craft and chose theyr gouernour And coude them warne afore of euery shour That shulde falle whan sterres dyde appere And specyally as Guydo doth vs lere This philotetes whiche was no fole Had moste his syght erecte vnto the pole His aduertence and clere inspeccion To the sterres and constellacion With the axtre rounde aboute gon That clerkes call the septemtryon For the pole ycallyd arthycus Euer in oon apperyth vnto vs Ryght so in sothe who can loke aryght Antharticus is shrouded from our syght But to shypmen that be discrete and wyse That lyste theyr cours prudently deuyse Vpon the see haue suffysaunce ynoughe To gye theyr passage by Arthourys ploughe For it to them is direccion Vnto the costes of euery region With helpe oonly of nedle and of stone They may not erre what costes that they gone For maryners that be discrete and sage And expert be of theyr lodmanage By strâ—â—â—ge costes for to sayle ferre Gynne theyr cours oonly by the sterre ¶ Whiche that Arthur compasseth enuyron The whiche cercle and constellacion I called is the cercle Artophilax Who knoweth it nedeth no more to ax For it to shypmen on the sterry nyght Is suffysaunt whan they se his lyght ¶ And as poetis of thyse poolys twayne In theyr bokes lyketh for to fayne And in theyr dytees declare vnto vs Calixtoâ—e and Archadius Hir owne sone were Istellyfyed In the heuen and I deyfyed For that Iune to hir hadde enuye With Iubiter whan she dyde hir espye ¶ For whiche she was into a bere tourned And for hir gylt she hath in erthe mourned Tyll into heuen Nason can you tell She was translatyd eternally to dwell Amonge sterres where as she is stalled And vrsa maior is of clerkes called So as hir sone for his worthy fame ¶ Of vria minor beryth it the name Of suche the cours myght nat asterte Philotetes that was the moste experte Of all shypmen that euer I herde tell For of connynge he myght bere the bell ¶ And whan the grekes hadde longe be Fordryue and caste saylynge in the see Forweryed after trauayle They caste to aryue if it wolde auayle Them to refresshe and disporte in ioye Vpon the boundes of the londe of Troye ¶ How Iason gâ—ynge to conquere the golden flees toke Lande for to refresshe hym and his felawshyp besyde Troye Ca. iiii WHan Hercules Iason on his honde Out of their shyp taken haue yâ— londe And with them eke theyr knyghtes euerychone That fro the see be to londe gone Forweryed after theyr trauayle And they in sothe come to aryuayle At Symeounte an hauen of great renowne That was a lytell besyde Troye towne And they were gladde to be in sykernesse From storme and tempest after werynesse For they ne mente treason harme nor gyle But on the stronde to resten them a whyle To hyndre no wyght of no maner age Nor in that yle for to do damage To man nor beest where euer that they go But for to abyde there a day or two Them to refresshe and repayre anone Whan that the rage of the see were gone And whyles they vpon the stronde laye They no thynge dyde but disporte and playe And bathe wasshe them in the fresshe ryuere And dronke waters that were soote and clere That sprange lyke cristall in the colde welle And toke right nought but it were to selle It was no thynge in theyr entencion Vnto no wyght to do offension For to moleste or greue any wyght But the ordre of fortunes myght Hath euer enuye that men lyue in ese Whose coursenhasteth vnwarely to dysese For she was cause god wote causeles This gery fortune this lady recheles The blynde goddesse of transmutacion To tourne hir whele by reuolucion To make Troyens vniustly for to wene That grekes were aryued them to tene So that the cause of this suspicion Hath many brought vnto destruccion Full many worthy of kynges and of prynces Thorughout the worlde rekened in prouynces Were by this sclaundre vnto myscheif brought For thynge alas that was neuer thought For it was cause and occasiowne That this cyte and this royall towne Distroyed was as it is playnly founde Whose walles hye were bete downe to grouÌ„de And many a man many a worthy knyght Where slayne there and many lady bryght Was wedowe made by duresshe of this werre As it is kouthe and reported ferre And many mayde in grene and tendre age Be lefte were sool in that great rage Behynde theyr fadres alas it fall sholde And for no thynge but that fortune wolde Shewe hir myght and hir crueltee In vengeaunce takynge vpon this cytee ¶ Alas that euer so worthy of estate Shulde for lytell falle at the debate Whan it is gon it is nat lyke to staunche For of graffynge of a lytell braunche Full sturdy trees growe vp full ofte Who clymbeth hye may nat fall softe And of sparkes that be of syght small Is fyre engendred that deuoureth all And a gnast firste of lytell hate Encauseth flawme of contek and debate And of enuye to sprede a brode full ferre And thus alas in realmes mortall werre Is firste bygonne as men may rede and se Of a sparke of lytell enmytee That was nat stauÌ„chyd first whaÌ„ it was goÌ„ne For whan the fyre is so fer yronne That it embraseth hertes by hatrede To make them brenne hoote as any glede On other partye thorughe his cruell tene There is no staunche but sharpe swerdes kene The whiche alas consumeth all and slethe And thus the fyne of enmyte is dethe Thoughe the gynnynge be but casuell The frete abydynge is passyngly cruell To voyde realmes of reste peas and ioye As it fyll whylom of this worthy Troys It dothe me wepe of this caas sodayne For euery wyght ought to complayne That lytell gylt shuld haue suche vengeaunce Except parcaas thorugh goddes pourueaunce That this myscheyf shulde after be Folowynge parchaunce of great felycyte For Troye brought vnto destruccion Was the gynnynge and occasion In myn Auctour as it is specyfyed That worthy Rome was after edyfyed By the ofsprynge of worthy Eneas Whylom fro Troy whan he exyled was The whiche Rome rede and ye may se Of all the worlde was hede and cheyf cyte For the passynge famous worthynesse And eke whaÌ„ Troye was brought in distresse And the
than his power shall nat so large streche Of his sauf conduyte lytell shall we reche I saye the platly as is our entent We wyll nat haue vnto his maundement But lytell regarde and we that day abyde For takynge leue shal be sette a syde Bycause he hath begonne a playe Whiche we shall quyte by god if that I maye That tourne shall into his owne shame And spare nat to saye thy kynge the same This messager than gan agayne replye And sayde syr ye maye nat denye Of honeste my message to declare Auyse you for I wyll nat spare The kynges sonde playnely for to telle And where so be ye lyste to go or dwelle Ye may yet chese who so be leef or lothe Ye haue no cause with me to be wrothe For it syt nat vnto your worthynesse If ye take hede by waye of gentyllesse Or manassynge suche arowes for to shete For more honeste it were your thretynge to lete And kepe secrete tyll ye be at your large For certaynely no parcell of my charge Is to stryue with you or debate But better it is by tymes than to late That ye beware for harme that myght falle And for my parte I say vnto you alle It were pytee that ye destroyed were Or any man hyndre shulde or dere So worthy parsones in any maner wyse Whiche ben as lykly to be discrete and wyse And lest with wordes as now I do you greue I saye no more I take of you my leue THe nyght ypassed at spriÌ„gyng of yâ— daye Whan that the â—arke with a blessed laye Began to salue the lusty rowes rede Of phebus chare there fresshely sprede Vpon the bordure of the oryente And Aurora of herte and hool entente With the swetnesse of hir syluer shoures Bedewed hadde the fresshe somer floures And made the rose with newe bawme flete The soote lylye and the margarete For to vnclose theyr tendre leues whyte Oppressed hertes with gladnesse to delyte That drery were afore of myghtes tene And hony souklys amonge the busshes grene Enbawmed hadde enuyron all the eyre Longe or Tytan began make his repeyre With the bryghtnesse of his bemys merye For to reioyse all our emysperye For longe aforne are he dyde aryse This worthy Iason in full hasty wyse And his felowe hercules also I chargyd haue theyr shypmen haue ado To hale vp anker and them redy make And bad in haste euery man to take The right waye vnto shyp anoon For in sothenesse this manly man Iason Thought he was nat stuffed of meyne To begyn a werre on Troye cyte For he was nat shortly to conclude Egall in noumbre nor in multitude As for that tyme a werre to begynne It was nat lykly that he shulde wynne Victorye as tho for they were but a fewe And it is nat holsome a man to hewe Aboue his heed whan it is ouer hye Leste the chyppes wyll falle in his eye Wherfore of frygye they leue the costes blyue They drewe vp sayle the shyp began to dryue The wynde was good the goddes fauorable Fortune theyr frende though she be varyable And thus to Colchos sauf they ben I come And vnto lande bothe all and some They ben aryued in a lytell space For in the see they haue founde grace Of Neptunus that caused them as blyue As I sayde ere at Colchos for to aryue NOw in this yle and this lytell lande yâ— Colchos hyghte ye shall vnderstande How that there was a ryall cheyf cyte In all that reygne moost of dignyte Of worthynesse of rychesse and of fame And Iachonytes that tyme it bare the name Cheuest of all to speke of buyldynge And stretes large and coryous housynge And therwith all dyched well withoute Stronge walled and toured rounde aboute Of huge heyght and aboue batayled Magecolde also leste they were assayled With many paleys stately and royall For there the sete was moost pryncypall The kynge to abyde better than elles where And that tyme it happed hym be there And he was called Cethes as I rede Full renoÌ„med of knyghode and manhede And aboute hym a well besene meyne Lyke as was syttynge vnto his degre And euery where landes enuyrowne The same spradde of his hye renowne And all aboute this myghty cheyfcytee Where as Cethes helde his royall see Were fresshe ryuers of which the water clene Lyke cristall shone agayne the sonne shene Fayre playnes as Guydo bereth wytnesse And holsom hylles full of lustynesse And many lay and many lusty welle And there were eke myn auctoâ—r can you telle Full many a parke full fayre fresshe to sene And many wode and many medowe grene With sondry floures amonge yâ— herbes meynt Whiche on theyr stalke nature hath depeynt With sondry hewes within withoute After the season that somer came aboute For fysshynge foulynge and haukynge also For venerye and huatynge bothe two The place was Iâ—ly delytable Of corne and greyne passyngly greable And plenteuous in all maner thynge For there men herde the byrdes fresshely synge In tyme of yere in theyr armonye That the noyse and soote melodye On fresshe braunches full delycyous Reioyse wolde these folkes amerous Whom loues bronde had fyred to the herte And adawen of theyr paynes sinerte That certaynely whan that grene vere Ypassed were aye fro yere to yere And May was come the monthe of gladnesse And fresshe flora of floures Emperesse Hadde cladde the soyle newe at hir deuyse This noble place was lyke paradyse And Ceres goddesse of largesse and foyson Suche plente gaue vnto that regyon Of flesshe of fysshe wyne vytayle and corne That the lycoure of hir full horne Vpon that lande so began rayne and snowe That all astates bothe hyghe and lowe Lad theyr lyfe in soueraygne suffysaunce With all that nature cowde or myght auaunce This lytell yle with hir gyftes greate Lyke as toforne ye haue herde me treate For there was plente there was habundauÌ„ce And there was all that myght do pleasaunce To any herte and all coÌ„modytee And so besell that to this Cytee Iason is come and with hym hercules And after them foloweth all the pres Full well arayed and ryally be sayne Army senclosyd togyder twayne twayne A people chose as it were for the nones And therwith all of brawnes and of bones Eueryche of them of makynge and facyon Full well complete by proporcyon Yonge of age and of good stature Of countenaunce sad and full demure That euery wyghte hadde great plesaunce To se the maner of theyr gouernaunce So yonge so fresshe hardy and meke also And all at ones they to the paleys go With suche a chere that eueryche hath disporte To se the maner of theyr noble porte So gentylmanly they demenyd were That the people gan prese euery where Tose thyse straungers lyke the grekes gyse Demene them selfe in so thryfty wyse And of desyre the people ne wolde ceesse Aboute them to gader and empreesse And to enquere what they myght be That of
newe with suche ryalte Ben sodenly entred into the towne Thus eueryche wolde with his felawe rowne They were so rude to stare and to gase To gape and loke as it were on a mase This townysshe folke do so comonly Of euery thynge that falleth sodeynly But how that Cethes lyke a worthy kynge Whan that he herde firste of theyr comynge Receyueth them and hooly the matere If that ye lyste an one ye shall it here WHan yâ— the kyng hath sothly vnderstaÌ„de How the grekes come were to lande And how Iason was also therwith all Borne by dyssent of the blode royall Of Thesalye and lykly to be heyre If he by grace haue agayne repeyre The auentures achyeued of Colchos The kynge anone out of his see aroos Of gentyllesse in all the haste he may In goodly wyse to mete them on the way And them receyueth with chere full benynge And vnto them an one he dothe assygne His offycers to awayte them nyght and daye Chargynge them in all maner waye That what so euer may to them do ese Or any thynge that may them queme or plese That they it haue in foyson and plente Eueryche of them lyke to his degre Thus he coÌ„maunded in all maner thynge And than anone this noble worthy kynge As he that was of fredom a myroure Thorughe many halle and many ryche toure By many tourne and many dyuers waye By many gree made of marbyll graye Hath them conueyed a full easy pas Tyll he them brought there his â—hambre was Where he with them helde his dalyaunce And there anone with euery circumstaunce Of manly fredom he made to them chere And in his chambre englased bryght clere That shone full shene with golde with asure Of many ymage that was there in pycture He hath coÌ„maunded to his offycers Oonly in honour of them that were strauÌ„gers Spâ—ces and wyne and after that anoon The yonge fresshe the lusty man Iason As faste gan by lycence of the kynge For to declare the cause of this coÌ„mynge But firste the kynge with great tyaltee Assendyd is into his royall see Clothes of golde hanged enuyron After the custome of that regyon That to beholde it was a noble syght Stondynge aboute many a worthy knyght And many squyre and many gentylman Full well besene and the kynge right than Vnto Iason stondynge in presence CoÌ„maundyd hath of his magnyfycence With Hercules to sytte downe besyde And Iason than no lenger lyste abyde Of his coÌ„mynge the cause for to shewe The effect of whiche was this in wordes fewe Saue Iason are he his tale began Full well auysed and chered lyke a man Conceyued hath and noted wonder well From poynt to poynt his mater euerydell And nat forgat a worde in all his speche But euen lyke as rethoryk dothe teche He gan his tale so by crafte conueye To make the kynge to that he wolde seye Condescende and rather to enclyne For to assente that he myght fyne Of his coÌ„mynge the knyghtly hye empryse Thus worde by worde as I shal here deuyse RIght worthy prynce present iÌ„ this place Oonly with supporte of your hye grace And your goodnesse moste excellent dygne With pacyence of your fauour benyngne Displease it nat that I may saye and shewe And declare with wordes but a fewe The fynall grounde and cause of my coÌ„mynge So that ye lyste whiche ben so noble a kynge In goodly wyse without more offence Benyngly to gyue audyence To my request and that ye nat disdeyne Goodly to graunte that I may atteyne In this yâ—le if it may auayle The slees of golde frely for to assayle As the goddes in this auenture Lyste to ordayne for my fatall eure In whom lyeth all playnly and fortune For to gouerne thynges in comune In were and peas conquest and victorye And of armys the renowne and glorye Discomfyture and bryngynge to outraunce All lyeth in them to hyndre or to auaunte Ayen whose myght no mortal man may chesâ— But for all this where I wynne or lese Or lyfe or deth befyne of my labour If that ye lyste to do me this fauour To gyue me leue and no more delaye I am accorded fully for to assaye Lyke as the statute maketh mencyon Me lyste to make none excepcyon Vpon no syde fauour for to fynde But as the rytys playnly make mynde What euer falle I shall them vnder fonge Lowly besechynge that ye nat prolonge My purpose now nor make no delaye But of your grace sette me a daye Myne empryse that I may achyeue For myne abode stant vpon your leue Seyth but one worde of grauntynge at yâ— leste And than I haue the fyne of my requeste And whan the kynge had herde ceryously The entent of Iason sayde so manfully He stynt alyte and kepte hym close a whyle Tyll at the laste he goodly gan to smyle Towardes Iason and sayde vnto hym thus Iason quod he though thou be desyrous To vnderfonge this passynge hye empryse My counsayle is lyke as I shall deuyse Full prudently for to caste aforne The mortal peryle or that thou be lorne For in this thynge there is a lawe sette Bychauntement that may nat belette Nor remedyed for fauour nor for mede For deth in sothe who so taketh hede Is the guerdon platly or they twynne O fall that caste them the flees of golde to wynne For helpe is none in manhode nor fortune The streyghte waye is so Importune So dredfull eke and so full of rage That saue deth there is no passage Of victorye the palme to conquere For sothly Iason as I shall the lere Founded of olde by meruaylous workynge Be the statutes of this mortall thynge So sore bounde vnder my regalye That the rygour I may nat modefye Wherfore Iason or thou this thynge at tame Leste afterwarde on me were layde the blame Of thy lesynge or destruccion Of feythfull herte and trewe entencion I warne the my selfe for to quyte So that no man iustely shall me wyte Though thou of youthe and of wylfulnesse Thy lyfe destroye without a vysynesse Syth Iason of this perylous caas From poynt to poynt haue tolde the all yâ— caas Be now auysed and put no faute in me For the surplus frely lyeth in the Of all this thynge sythe thou mayst chese And where so be that thou wynne or lese No man to me it iustly may arecte For the lawe that mars hym selfe sette No mortall man of dewe right may passe For hye or lowe gette noon other grace Than the goddes lyste for hym ordeyne What euer he be that caste hym to darreyne This dyuers thynge moste furyous of drede Wherfore Iason how euer that thou spede I haue to the openly declared Hooly the peryle and for fauour spared As fer in sothe as reason wyll and ryght For thou wotest well it lyeth not in my myght For to declare or any man to lette That of manhode knyghtly caste to sette Vpon this thynge as thou haste herde me tell What shulde Ilenger
stare Clypse the mone and the bryght sonne Or naturelly they hadde theyr cours yronne To them apropred whiche they may nat passe For if that Tytan his cours by kynde trase Whan he meueth vnder clyptyk lyne The clypse nat folowe as auctours lyst diffyne So that there be by theyr discripcion Of bothe twayne full coniunccion And that the sonne with his bemes reed Haue his dwellynge in the dragon heed And the mone be set eke in the tayle As by nature than it may nat fayle That there must falle eclips of very nede In sondry bokes lyke as ye may rede Bycause of certayne intersecacions Of dyuers clerkes and reuolucions That maked ben in the heuen a lofte Whiche cause vs for to fayle ofte Of the fresshe comfortable stremes That be to vs shadde from phebus bemes For the mone hath made dyuysion By this sodayne interposicion That of our syght the stremes visuall May nat beholde nor I sene at all Nor to our luste fully comprehende How Appollo is in his chare chyuende As we were wonte aforehande for to se But of all this the great tholome Kynge of Egypt telleth the great causes why Within his boke full compendyously Bothe of eclyps and coniunccion And why they falle by naturell mocion But of Medee though this clerke suyde To encrease hir name vpon euery syde Lest in his fables suche thynges telle Thoughe he of poetes was the sprynge welle Yet god forbede ye shulde gyue credence To suche feynynge or do so hygh offence Syth of nature muste be denyed All suche affermynge and also be diffyed Of euery cristen stedfast in byleue For certaynly it wolde hyghly greue Our conscience in any wyse wene Agaynst kynde whiche is so hye a quene That any wyght orlyuynge creature Shulde haue power I do you playne â—â—â—ure So cursyd thynges supersticious To do or werke to kynde contraryous ¶ For god almyghty Iuge of Iuges alle Hath set a lawe the whiche may nat falle Amonge planettes perpetuelly to endure Afore ordeyned in his eternall cure The whiche may nat as clerkes lyst termyne Vpon no syde bowe nor declyne But as they were from discorde or debate Eternally yformed and create Thorugh the fynger of his sapyence Alway to meue in theyr intellygence Lyke as they be to his lordshyp bounde For neuer yet ne was eclyps yfounde The mone nat beynge in coniunccion As I haue tolde saue in the passyon The whiche eclips was agaynst kynde Nature hir knot that tyme dyde vnbynde Whan goddes sone starfe vpon the roode The sonne of lyfe was dyrked for our goode Whan heuen and erthe with hye compunccion Haue sygnes shewed of Lamentacion By erthe quaues lyght tourned to dyrkenesse And deed bodyes vpwarde gan them dresse From theyr tombes agayne from deth to lyue Stone and rocke a sonder ganne ryue In the temple the veyll was kut a two And sygnes many were yshewed tho That for wonder and tokens meruaylous The great worthy Dyonysyous Whiche at Athenes as clerkes of hym wryte Was called in scolys Ariopagyte That whan he sawe this noble famous clerke The bryght daye sodaynly so derke All though he were apaynym in tho dayes And was infect with rightê of theyr layes As he that was moost cheyf and pryncypall Of phylosophers for to reken all Yet that tyme astoned in his mynde Sayde platly outher the god of kynde Suffreth the dethe outher out of doute This rounde worlde whiche is so large aboute Shalbe dissolued and ybrought to nought By sodayne chaunge hasty as a thought ¶ By this clergye he knewe no better skyll For god may all chaunge at his wyll And hath power of suche coaccion Vnder whose myght and disposicion Is lawe of kynde constreyned sothe to seye From poynt to poynt lowely to obeye In euery thynge that hym lyst ordeyne Of elementê he may the cours restreyne As hooly wryt wytnesseth ye may se How at requeste of worthy Iosue The bryght sonne stode at Gabaon Adayes space in one degre and shon Shewynge his token to his trewe knyght Fynally for to gyue hym lyght That he myght by his hye prowesse His cruell foon manfully oppresse Whan that he faught this knyght this Iosue With kynges fyue reygnynge in Amoree So longe laste the pursute and the chaas Tyll they were take and for theyr trespaas Dempt to be dede the Bible can you telle Now syth that god thus hyghly lyst fulfylle Of his knyght request and orison What wonder was though in the passion Of criste Ihesu incarnat for our sake The sonne bemes though they wex blake Syth he hath lordshyp of planettes alle And as hym lyst nedes it must falle For of Medea though Ouydius In his fables reherseth and wryte thus As he that lyst hir name to exalte Yet from the trouthe some whyle he doth alte All be she were a passynge sorceresse And ferthest name of any chaunteresse 〈◊〉 I wyll passe ouer agayne to my matere And how she came to mete ye shall here Whan hir fader hadde for hir sent She came anone at his coÌ„maundement But or she came I fynde that tofore For to make hir beaute seme more In hir closet she toke hir beste araye For to encrease all that euer she maye Natures werke with royall apparayle For this women gladly wyll nat fayle WhaÌ„ they of beaute haue plenteuous largesse It to embellysshe they do theyr besynesse With ryche a tyre vpon euery syde I fought be mysse they can it close and hyde For all the foule shall couertly be wryed That no defaute outwarde be espyed ¶ But she was bothe fayre and well besayne And in hir porte so womanly certayne That hir comynge gladeth all the halle For it was ioye vnto one and alle To se the maner tho of hir entree To whom hir fader bad to take hir see Besyde Iason hym for to disporte Of womanhode and to recomforte ¶ But oo alas here lacked hye prudence Discrete auyse of inwarde prouydence Wysdome also with perell caste afore To truste a mayde of tendre yeres bore Of vnhappy fonde wylfulnesse For this kynge of his gentylnesse CoÌ„maunded hath to his confusion To his dishonour and destruccion His owne donghter borne to be his heyre That was also so womanly and feyre So sodaynly downe for to discende Consydred nat the myscheif of the ende Alas why durst he in hir you the affye To make hir sytte of his curtesye Where she myght by casuell mocion Full lyghtly catche or haue occasion To do amysse alas why dyde he so Why lyst hym nat take hede therto Nor to auerte in his discrecion Wysely to caste afore in his reason The vnware chaunge that is in womanhede Whiche euery wyse man oughte for to drede For who was euer yet so mad or wood That ought of reason konne a ryght his good To gyue fayth or hastely credence To any woman without experyence In whom is nouther truste nor sykernesse They ben so double and full of brytylnesse That it
towne was brent brought lowe Bothe toure and wall with the soyle made pleyn And no thynge stode of all that myght be 〈◊〉 So vtterly the Grekes them oppresse Makynge all waste lyke a wyldernesse ¶ For good and tresour and rychesse 〈◊〉 With many iewell full plesynge of delyte To theyr shyppes out of the towne they lede And in short tyme homwarde they them spede With treasour stuffed habundaunce of gode And whan they sawe that the weder stode The wynde also at theyr lust they hadde They gan to sayle with them home they ladde Exyone and many a mayde moo That out of Troye into Grece goo And saylynge forth within a lytell space They be escaped fro the see by grace And vnto londe aryued merely At whose comynge the grekes vtterly So ioyfull be of theyr good spede And specially in Guydo as I rede Theyr shyppes were with golde 〈◊〉 lade Wherof in herte they wexe wonder glade And for they hadde out so well the◠〈◊〉 To conquere and so fewe lorne Of theyr meyne they thanke theyr goddes all And of the grace that to them is fall For with the treasour that they haue home brought Full many pore was made vp of nought Thrugh out the lande ther was such habuÌ„ndaÌ„ce So moche good and so great suâ—â—ysaunce That no wyghte had amonges them no nede And many day this blessydfull lyfe they lede Frome yere to yere by reuoluciowne And for theyr manhode theyr hye renowne Theyr honour ran rounde the worlde aboute That them to offende many lande hath doute For theyr knyghthode for they were so wyse ¶ And tyll the storye lyste agayne deuyse In this manere ferther to procede With the fauour of your goodlyhede I wyll me reste for a lytell space And than vp borne with supporte of your grace For to accomplysshe as I vndertoke And here an ende of the firste boke I make now with quakynge hande for drede 〈◊〉 only for fere of you that shall it rede Lyste ye alas of hasty mocyon Ne wyll nat haue no compassyon Pyte nor routhe vpon my rudenesse Lowly besechynge to your gentylnesse Of mercy oonly bothe nyghe and ferre Where ye fynde that I fayle or erre For to correcte are ye ferther flytte For to your grace I hooly all commytte How Lydgate complayneth hym on Fortune for the firste dystruccyon of the cyte of Troye And how he begynneth his seconde Boke folowynge the mater of the sayde storye Capitulo .x. THe enuyous ordre of fortunat meuyÌ„ge In worldly thynge false flykerynge Ne wyll nat suffre vs iÌ„ this pÌ„sent lyfe 〈…〉 reste without werre or stryfe For she is blynde fykell and vnstable And of hir course false and full mutable Who sytte hyest she can downe hym enclyne 〈…〉 he leest weneth brynge hym to ruyne 〈…〉 â—â—ayâ—es that gladly ben sodayne And with hir face that parted is on twayne Shewe moost hole whan she is leest to tryste Thaâ— well were hym that hir disceytes wyste 〈…〉 engynes and hir trappes knewe That euery daye in hir courte be newe Of whiche in sothe I well afferme dare No mortall man may in this lyfe beware For she vneuen peysynge in balaunce With countrefete and fayned countenaunce With lokynge playne chere of flaterye Vnwarely can blere a mannes eye And hym begyle this the very sothe With a face blandysshynge and smothe WhaÌ„ she hath hym fro hye degre brought lowe Full falsly smyle and make hym the mowe And yet somwhyle moost varyaunt of hewe She vnto some pretendeth to be trewe For she whylom to some is fauourable And to some false and deceyuable She can reyse one and brynge another downe This false lady of transmutaciowne To some she gyueth renowne and victorye And dothe them floure in honour in glorye And some she can apayre with false fame And gyltles put a man in blame To some she is goodly and benyngne And of disdayne she can also malygne Agayne another and make hym lowte lowe And from theyr sees she can kynges throwe And them auayle for all theyr hye toures And she can plonge worthy Emperours From the hylle of hye prosperyte Into the vale of aduersyte The ryche emporysshe of rancoure disdayne And the pore she can enhaunce agayne This false goddesse with hir eyen blynde Set one afore a nother gothe behynde And dothe one renne and a nother halte And one she can in rychesse hye exalte And a nother plonge in pouerte In whom no man may haue no sykerte To some sugre and hony she distylleth And of some she the botell fylleth With bytter galle myrre and ales And thus this lady wylfull and recheles As she that is frowarde and peruers Hath in hir seler drynkes of dyuers For she to some of fraude and of fallas Mynystreth pyment bawme and ypocras And sodaynly whan the soote is paste She of custome can gyue hym a caste For to conclude falsly in the fyne Of bytter eysell and of egre wyne And corrosynes that fret and perce depe And Narcotykes that cause men to slepe Thus she to them that hir can approche After swete the bytter can a broche In hir reygne this quene of varyaunce Whose ioye fyneth alway with myschaunce Who trusteth hir she wyll hym ouer caste And hym deceyue playnly at the laste Of what estate so euer that he be This double lady of mut abylyte Se here example of kynge lamedon Whom she hath brought to confusion For lytell cause and for athynge of nouthe Hir cruelte he hath to dere bought Wherfore I rede euery man take hede To gynne a quarell where as is no nede For lytell fyre vnder asshes reke So may be kyndled that it wyll out breke Into suche flawme men may it nat a pease Who beste can suffre most shall haue his ease Therfore ye kynges and lordes euerychone Make you a myrour of this lamedone And be well ware to do no vyolence Vnto straungers whan they do none offence Whan they come fer into this regyon Ne suffre them nat by none oppressyon In your boundes for to haue no wronge For in your owne though that ye be stronge And myghty eke amonge your lyeges alle A nother daye perauenture may be falle That whan that ye full lytell thynke on it Of sodayne case that ye may be quyt And I thanked in a nother place Of auenture if ye happe pace Therfore whan ye may any suche espye Doo them good chere of your curtesye And prudently consyder in your wyt That to a lorde of gentyllesse it syt To euery straunger goodly hym to haue There is no thyng may more his honour saue Than to refresshe them frely and disporte Than may they after good of hym reporte By whose coÌ„trarye hath moch wo be wrought Afore this tyme if it be well sought The firste Troy vtterly destroyed And the people in sorowe and wo a cloyed Lad into exyle fer fro theyr Cyte Lyuynge in thraldome and captyuyte And Exyone as ye haue
the playe moste gloryous Whiche is so sotyll and so meruaylous That it were harde the mater to discryue For though a man studyed all his lyue He shall aye fynde dyuerse fantasyes Of wardes makynge and newe Iupartyes There is there in so great dyuersyte And it was firste founde in this cyte Durynge the sege lyke as sayth Guydo But Iacobus de vitriaco Is coutrarye of oppynyon For lyke as he maketh mencyon And affermeth fully in his aduyse How Philometer a phylosopher wyse Vnto a kynge to stynte his crueltee Fonde firste this play and made it in Caldee And into Grece from thens it was sent Also in Troye by great auysement The playe was founde firste of dyce tables And of castynge the chaunces deceyuables That haue be cause ofte of great debate For if that one be nowe founde fortunate To wynne a whyle by fauoure of his chaunce Or he be ware with sodayne varyaunce Vnhappely he is put a backe And a nother that stode vpon the wracke And of losse was plonged in distresse They reysed haue vnto the hye rychesse Gladnesse of one is to a nother rage A deuaunt hasarde and passage If one haue ioye another suffreth wo Lyke as the bones ronne to and fro An hondred sythe in a daye they varye Now blandysshynge now they be contrarye No man with them assured is in ioye And firste also I rede that in Troye Were songe and red many fresshe comedyes And other dytees that called be tragedyes And to declare shortly in sentence Of bothe two the fynall difference ¶ A Comedye hath in his gynnynge A pryme face a maner complaynynge And afterwarde endeth in gladnesse And it the dedes oonly doth expresse Of suche as be in pouerte plonged lowe But Tragedye who so lyste to knowe It begynneth in prosperyte And endeth euer in aduersyte And it also doth the conqueste treate Of ryche kynges and of lordes greate Of myghty men and olde conqueroures Whiche by fraude of fortunes shoures Be ouer caste and whelmed from theyr glorye And whylom thus was halowed y◠memorye Of tragedyes as bokes make mynde Whan they were red and songe as I fynde ¶ In the theatre there was a smale auter Amyddes sette that was halfe Circuler Whiche into Est of custome was directe Vpon the whiche a pulpet was erecte And therin stode an auncyent poete For to reherse by rethorykes swete The noble dedes that were hystoryall Of kynges prynces for a memoryall And of these olde worthy Emperours The great empryse eke of conquerours And how they gate in Martes hye honoure The lawrer grene for fyne of theyr laboure The palme of knighthod disserued by olde date Or Parchas made them passe into fate ¶ And after that with chere and face pale With style enclyned gan to tourne his tale And for to synge after all theyr loos Full mortally the stroke of Antropos And tell also for all theyr worthy hede The sodayne brekynge of theyr lyues threde How pytously they made theyr mortall ende Thrugh false fortune that all y◠world wyll shende And how the fyne of all theyr worthynesse Endede in sorowe and in hye trystesse By compassynge of fraude or false treason By sodayne murdre or vengeaunce of poyson Or conspyrynge of fretynge false enuye How vnwarly that they dyde dye And how theyr renowne theyr hye fame Was of hatrede sodaynly made lame And how theyr honour drough vnto declyne And the myschefe of theyr vnhappy fyne And how fortune was to them vnswete All this was tolde and red of the poete And whyle that he in the pulpet stode With dedely face all deuoyde of blode Syngynge his dytees with muses all to rent Amyd the theatre shrowded in a tent There cam out men gastfull of theyr cheres Diffygured theyr faces with vyseres Playeng by sygnes in the peoples syght That the poete songe hath on heyght So that there was no maner discordaunce At wene his dytees and theyr countenauce ¶ For lyke as he a lofte dyde expresse Wordes of ioye or of heuynesse Menynge and there benethe of them playeng From poynt to poynt was alway answeryng Now triste now glade now heuy now lyght And face chaunged with a sodayne syght So craftely they coude them transfygure Conformynge them to the chaunce plure Now to synge and sodaynly to wepe So well they coude theyr obseruaunces kepe And this was done in Apryll and in May Whan blosmes newe bothe on busshe and hay And floures fresshe gynne for to sprynge And the byrdes in the wood synge With luste supprysed of the somer sonne Whan these playes in Troye were begonne And in the theatre halowed and yholde And thus the ryte of tragedyes olde Pryamus the worthy kynge began Of this mater no more tell I can BVt I wyll forth this storye wryte And on my mater boystously endyte How Pryamus was passynge dylygent Right desirous and in wardly feruent If he myght amonge his werkes alle To bylde a paleys and a ryche halle Whiche shulde be his chose chefe dungyon His royall see and souerayne mansyon And whan he gan to his werke approche He made it bylde hye vpon a roche It for to assure in his foundacion And called it the noble Ylion The syght of whiche iustly circuler By compase cast rounde as any sper And who that wold the content of the grounde Truely acounte of this place rounde In the theatre firste he muste entre Takynge the lyne that kerueth thorugh the centre By gemetrye as longeth to that art And trebled it with the seuenthe part He fynde myght by experyence The measure hole of the circumference What lande also playnly eke with all Conteyned was within the stronge wall The creste of whiche where lowest was Hadde in heyghte full syxe hondred pas Bylded of marbyll full royall and full stronge And many other ryche stone amonge Whose toures were reysed vp so hye That they raughte almoste to the lkye The werke of whiche no man myght amende And who that lyste by greces vp assende He myght se in his inspeccyon To the boundes of many regyon And prouynces that stode rounde aboute And the walles within and withoute Endlonge with knottes grauen clene Depeynt with asure golde cynopre and grene That veryly whan the sonne shone Vpon the golde meynt amonge the stone They gaue a lyght withouten any were As Phebus doth in his mydday spere The worke of wyndowe and eke fenestrall Wrought of beryle and of clere crystall ¶ And amyddes of this Ylyon So fresshe so ryche of foundacyon Whiche clerkes yet in theyr bokes prayse Kynge Pryam made an halle for to rayse Excellynge all in beaute and in strengthe The latytude accordynge with the lengthe And of marbyll outwarde was the walle And the tymbre moste noble in specialle Was halfe of cedre as I reherse can And the remenaunt of the ryche Eban Whiche moste is able as I dare specefye With stone to ioyne by crafte of carpentrye For they of tymber haue
the soueraynte And for to tell of this Eban tree Lyke in bokes sothely as I fynde It cometh out of Ethyope and ynde Blacke as is geete and it wyll wexe anone Whan it is korue harde as any stone And euermore laste and endure And nat corrupte with water nor moysture And of this halle further to diffyne With stones square by leuell and by lyne It paued was with great dilygence Of masonrye and passynge excellence And all aboue reysed was a see Full curyously of stones and perre That called was as chefe and pryncipall Of the reygne the sete moste royall To fore whiche was sette by great delyte A borde of Eban and of yuery whyte So egally yioyned and so clene That in the werke there was no ryfte sene And sessyouns were made on euery syde Oonly the estates by ordre to deuyde Eke in the halle as it was couenable On eche partye was a dormaunt table Of yuery eke and this Eban tree And euen agayne this kynges royall se In the partye that was therto contrayre I reysed was by many crafty stayre Hye in the halle in the other syte Right as lyne in the opposyte Of pured metall and of stones clere In brede and lengthe a full ryche autere On whiche there stode of fygure and vysage Of massy fe golde a wonderfull ymage To be honoured in that hye sete Oonly in honour of Iubyter the grete ¶ And the statute for all his huge heyghte Fyftene cubytes complet was of heyghte A crowne of golde hye vpon his heede With heuenly saphyres and many ruby rede Fret enuyron with other stones ynde And amonges were medled as I fynde Whyte perles massyfe large and rounde And for most chefe all dirkenesse to confounde Was a Carbuncle kynge of stones alle To recomforte and glade all the halle And it to enlumyne in the blacke nyght With the fresshenesse of his rody lyght The value was therof inestymable And the rychesse playnly in comparable For this ymage by dyuysion Was of shap and proporcion From heed to fote so maysterly entayled That in apoynt yâ— workman hath nat fayled It to parfourme by crafty excellence Whom Pryamus with drede and reuerence Honoured hath aboue the goddes alle In all myschefe to hym to clepe and calle For in hym was his hole affeccion His soueraygne truste and deuocion His hope also and his affyaunce His helthe his ioye and his assuraunce And his welfare and prosperyte He hath coÌ„mytted to his deyte Wenynge in herte wonder sykerly To be assured from all myschefe therby And diffended in eche aduersyte And holde his reygne in hye felycyte And in honour contynuelly to shyne Whyle Iubyter thorugh his power dyuyne Hym and his hath in proteccion This was his truste and full opynyon And thus this werke fynally achyeued Wherof Pryam with ioye full releued That he his cyte and noble ylyon Hath fully brought vnto perfeccyon Lyke his entent whan that he began And thus Pryam this kyge this worthy man Full many a day in this newe Troye With his lyeges lad his lyfe in ioye Where I hym leue in his royall sete Soueraygnely reygnynge in quyete Procedynge forthe if ye lyste to here Vnto the effect anone of my matere ¶ How kyÌ„g Pryamus sent Anthenor iÌ„to Grece for to haue his suster Exyone agayne Ca. xij O Hateful harme which most is for to dred Kyndled solonge osparke of old hatred Roote of debate grounde of enuy and â—re With newe flawme hertes for to fyre O grayne of malys causer of all offence O francour rusted of impacience Whiche hast of newe made festred sores sinerte Whan thou art ones raked in an herte Whiche for disdayne of mercy mayst not lete A man no whyle to lyue in equyte But deluest vp malys many folde Debates newe that buryed were of olde And falsly quykest stryues to restore That enuyous serpent yâ— was slayne of yore Whiche felly hath this addre enuyous Out of his reste awaked Pryamus And with his venym so persynge so ylle Made hym wery to lyue in tranquylle And meued hym of his iniquyte Vpon Grekes auenged for to be For where as he in peas helde his reygne With his lyeges in ioy souereygne Without anoye or any perturbaunce This serpent hath with newe remembraunce Without aduyse or discrete areste So hoote a flawme kyndled in his breste Of olde enuye with fresshe rancour meynte That lykly is neuer to be queynte For Pryam nowe in his entenciowne Caste and compasseth reuoluynge vp downe Howe stronge he was of rychesse and meyne Howe noble and myghty was also his cyte And habundaunt shortly to conclude Bothe of plente and of multytude Of men of armes and of chyualrye Whiche stered hym to haue fantasye Alas the whyle to his vnhappy chaunce That to be deed he take wyll vengeaunce Vpon his foon the fyre of hoote enuye So brent hym in warde by malencolye Stondynge in purpose that no man chauÌ„ge may Of his damages auenged be some day And of miuryes that they on hym haue wrought And whan that he had a tyme sought To his purpose moste conuenyent Anone he hath for all his lordes sent And his knyghtes called euerychone To come in haste excused was nat one Namely of them that were of hye degre And they obeyeng with all humylyte His byddynge hooly and made no delay To come echeone agayne a certayne day And his sones were also present Ector except that was that tyme absent In the stronge and myghty regyon Of Panomye whiche in subieccyon Kynge Pryam helde thorugh his worthynesse And to amende thynges and redresse Ector was gone into this Panomye Certayne causes for to Iustefye As in his reason he thought for the beste To sette them in quyete and in reste For he was aye so iuste and so prudent So well aduysed and so pacyent And so demened in his gouernaunce That hym was lothe for to do vengeaunce Where as he myght in easy wyse treate For to reforme thynges smale and greate For lothe he was this noble worthy knyght For any haste to execute ryght Or causeles by rygour to condempne And in this whyle full worthy and solempne Kynge Pryamus of lordes great and small Within Troye helde a court royall As he that lyste for no coste to spare And ceryously his menynge to declare He in his see his lordes enuyron Gan thus to shewe his hertes mocyon O worthy lordes that be now here present Faythfull and trewe of herte of entent It is nat vnknowen to your discrecyon The great damages and oppressyon Whiche that Grekes haue vpon vs wrought Without cause for a thynge of nought This other daye as who sayth but late That as I trowe so newe is yet the date That it was fresshe remeÌ„bred in your mynde Vnto your blode if that ye be kynde For I suppose no foryetylnesse May put awaye the mortall heuynesse Of harmes olde whiche aye renewe agayne In my memorye I saye you in certayne And as I trowe
playnly in your thought That euer is grene and ne dyeth nought How they haue slayne our progenytours That whylom were so noble werreours Our Cyte brente and brought vnto ruyne And robbed it falsly by rauyne And tourned all into wyldernesse And into Grece caryed our rychesse My fader slayne that hyghte lamedon Without cause or occasyon And raught from hym his golde his tresour Whiche me semeth is a foule errour We myght of right amendes well chalenge And desyre vs iustly to reuenge Afore the goddes of so hye offence Oonly of reason and of conscyence And passynge all theyr mortall cruelte There is one thynge that moste greueth me That they vngoodly agaynst gentyllesse No rewarde hauynge to the worthynesse To the byrthe ne the royall blode Of hir that is so fayre and eke so gode I meane my suster called Exyon Whom they alas to theyr confusyon Difuse and kepe nat lyke hir degre From day to day in dishoneste Where thorugh hir honour hir name lorne Consyderynge nat of what stok she was borne For they are blynde for to take hede Or to aduerte the roote of hir kynrede Of surquyde they be so indu rate And sythe that she of so hye estate Ytreted◠is lyke as ye may se I suppose other that be of lowe degre Eouerned be full dishonestly For ye may thynke and demetruely How wyues maydens in that companye With other eke that be of your allye Ynaunted be and vsed at theyr luste On the grekes I haue no better truste For they ne spare nother blode nor age And thus they lyue in turment seruage Without touthe mercy or pyte The whiche toucheth you as well as me And as me semeth of equyte and ryght Ye oughte echone with all your full myght Of the wronges with whiche ye be offended To seke awaye it myght be amended And that we worke all by one assent And procede lyke to oure entent Of theyr malys and cursed cruelte All at ones auenged for to be And that we be in herte wyll and thought Of one accorde and ne vary nought For than our force is dowbled and pouste For right and reason and good equyte Requyre vengeaunce on hym y◠doth y◠wronge Though it so be that it abyde longe I truste also on the goddes rightwysenesse That they shall helpe our harmes to redresse And fauour vs in our innocence To chastyse them that wrought this offence Also ye knowe how that our cyte Is stronge and myghty of great suerte With toures hye and walled for the werre That also fer as shyneth sonne or sterre There is none lyke for to reken all That may in force be therto perygall Ye knowe also as it shal be founde With chyualrye how that we habounde Expert in armes and of olde assayed That for drede neuer were dismayed And we haue plente also of vytayle Of frendshyp eke that ne wyll vs nat fayle With all theyr myght to do to vs socour Wherfore I rede without more soiour To sette vpon them sythe we be able And tyme is nowe me semeth couenable For manhode byd make no delay To venge a wronge hap what that may For in differynge is ofte great damage To worke in tyme is double auauntage For to our purpose lacketh neuer adele And thorugh our manhod we be assured wele But lyste we be nat holde to hasty Or to rakell to worke wylfully And werre also stande in auenture For aye of mart doutous is the eure I rede firste to grekes that we sende To wyt if they our harmes wyll amende Without stryfe werre or more debate Than may we sayne that we be fortunate And if they be contrarye to reason To condyscende to this conclusion To graunte our askynge of equyte ryght Than haue we cause for to preue our myght But are that we procede by rygour We shall to them offer all measour As fer as right and reason eke requere And of disdayne if them lyst nat here Than our quarell deuoyde of wylfulnesse Yrooted is vpon sykernesse And if that we of theyr great offence Axe amendes firste in pacyence God and fortune I hope wyll nat assente In the ende we shall vs nat repente And it is better by peas to haue redresse Than gynne a werre without auysenesse Therfore lete vs our wofull auenture Pacyently suffre and endure And in our porte be but humble playne Vpon answere what that they wyll sayn◠For though so be in myne entencion Ymeued am by iuste occasion To procede of yre to vengeaunce I wyll all put out of remembraunce And lete slyde by foryetfulnesse The wronges do and voyde all heuynesse Towarde grekes and axe of them no more But that they wyll Exyona restore To vs agayne whiche is to me moste derre Oonly to stynte all debate and werre For the surplus of our mortall eure We shall dissymule and prudently endure Our harmes olde forth in pacyence If ye accorde vnto my sentence Saye here vpon as ye be auysed For if this sonde be of them despysed And that them lyste to reason not obeye Than we may iustely seke a nother weye To haue redresse for now there is no more Saue I purpose to sende Anthenore Whiche is a man discrete and auysee And specyally in mater of treate For he is bothe wyse and eloquente As ye well knowe and passyngly prudente And whan the kynge had tolde his tale anone To his counsayle they consent euerychone That Anthenor this Iourney vndertake And he in haste gan hym redy make Without abode and wyll nat denye To take on hym this embassetrye Well auysed in his discrecion Toke or he wente informacion From poynt to poynt of this great charge For he hym caste to stande at his large Without errour as he that coude his gode For he the effect full playnly vnderstode For euery thynge he prynted in his thought Or that he went and forgate right nought For of a worde he caste hym nat to fayle To shyppe he gothe and began to sayle And to short tyme he and his companye Aryued be vp into Thesalye At a cyte called Mynusyus Where by fortune was kynge Pelleus The same tyme and Anthenor anone Vnto the kynge the right waye is gone Of whom he was as Guydo hath conceyued At pryme face benyngnely receyued But whan he knewe the cause of his comynge He had in haste without more taryenge To Authenor with a felle vysage Shortly to saye the effecte of his message THis Troyā knyght astoned neuer adel But full demure and auysed wel Nat to hasty nor rakell for to sayne But abydynge with loke and face playne To Pelleus with a manly chere Sayde in effecte right thus as ye shall here The worthy kynge called Pryamus So wyse so noble so manly and famous And of knyghthod passynge excellent Hath firste to you in goodly wyse sent Out of Torye his royall chefe cyte His full entent and message here by me As I shall saye to you in wordes
golde and treasoure and the tyrannye Vpon his men by Troyans execute Both of assaylynge and of all the sute That on the grekes they made cruelly And how that they ne spared vtterly Man nor woman that came in theyr waye That they ne toke and ladde as for praye To theyr shyppes also of the fyght Afore the Castell that was on the nyght ¶ And alder laste he hereth of his wyfe Whom he loued as moche as his lyfe More tenderly god wote a thousande folde For whom astoned at herte he waxed as colde As any stone and pale of his hewe His hertely wo so inly gan renewe That first whan he herde hir name sowne Without more anone he fell in a swowne For he ne myght endure for to stande Tyll duke Nestor toke hym by the hande And hym awoke of his deedly swowgh Alas quod he why haue I lost and howgh My lyues luste my hertely suffysaunce A come now deth and make of my greuaunce Fully and ende with thy cruell darte That wounded am thorugh on euery parte My herte also korue in euery peyne For you my wyfe for you myn owne Eleyne That be deuorced frome welaway Farewell my ioye farewell myn olde play Now haue straungers of you possession Whiche wyll to me be full confusion Alas I noot how they you cherysshe or trete My fayre Eleyne that were to me so mete Now ye are gone pensyfenesse me slethe I may nat wayte now but after dethe And after thisâ— amyd in all his wo This Menelay shope hym for to go To his reygne but lytell there besyde He axeth hors and sayde he wolde ryde Sool to complayne of that he felte hym greue But all this whyle Nestor wyll nat leue To go with hym for consolacion Of frendely right hauynge compassion Hym to comforte with all his full myght â—edynge with hym many a worthy knyght Into the reygne of this Menelaus Than firste of allâ— the storye telleth vs How they sente for Agamenon And for Castor to come to hym anon And for Pollux if it myght be And whan that they were come all thre And sawe their brother iÌ„ such myschef brought Almoste murdred with his owne thought Without abode the wyse Agamenon To gyue hym comforte and consolacion Dyde his labour and dylygence entere Sayenge to hym right as ye shall here O brother myn what wo what heuynesse What deedly sorowe thus inly may oppresse Your knyghtly herte or trouble your manhede More furyously Iwys than it is nede For though that right requered vtterly You for to sorowe and hadde cause why Yet me semeth by iuste prouydence Ye shuld slyely dissymule your offence Syth eche wyse man in his aduersytee Shulde fayne chere and kepe in secree The inwarde wo that bynde hym in distresse By manly force rathest there compesse The spirite of Ire and melancolye Where the people it soonest myght espye It is a doctryne of them that be prudent That whan a man with furye is to rent To fayne chere tyll tyme he se leysere That he of vengeaunce kyndele may the fyere For sorowe out shewed if I shall nat fayne Who so taketh hede it doth thynges twayne It causeth frendes for to syghe sore And his enemyes to reioyse more Thy frende in herte is sorye of nature Thyne enemye glad of thy mysaduenture Wherfore in herte whaÌ„ wo doth most habouÌ„de Fayne gladnesse thyne enemye to confounde And shewe in chere as thou roughtest nought Of that moste is greuous in thy thought And wher thou hast most mater to complayne Make there good face glad in porte the fayne For into teres though thou all distylle And rende thy selfe as thou woldest the spylle It helpeth nat to a legge thy greuaunce For nouther honour nor pursute of vengeauÌ„ce With sorowe makynge mowe be execute Though it last ay ther cometh therof no fruyte Men lay how he that can dissymule a wronge How he is slyghe and of herte stronge And who can be pesyble in his smerte It is a token he hath a manly herte Nat to wepe as women in theyr rage Whiche is contrary to an hye courage With worde wepyng for to aueÌ„ge our payne By no meanes to worshyp to attayne Let vs with swerde nat with wordes fyght Our tunge appese by maÌ„hod preue our myght Worde is but wynde and water that we wepe And though the tempest and the floddes depe Of this two encrease euer moo They may nat do but augment our woo And to our soon therof whan they here Bothe of our dole and our heuy chere All is to them but encrase of ioye Wherfore brother a whyle do acoye The cruell tourment that bynde you so sore For in prouerbe it hath be sayde full yore That the prowesse of a manly knyght Is proued moste in myschefe and his myght To be assured in aduersyte Strongly sustene what wo that it be Nat cowardly his courage to submytte In euery peryll nor his honour flytte Thorughe no dispayre but hope alway wele And haue a truste trewe as any steâ—e To acheue aye what he take an honde For fynally I do you vnderstonde That of hymselfe who hath good fantasye To set vpon and put in Iuparâ—ye What that befalle or happe what happe may Takynge what chauÌ„ce wyll turne on his play The fyne of suche gladly is victorye They fayle selde of the palme of glorye And tyme is now to speke in wordes fewe O brother myn manhode for to shewe To plucke vp herte and you to make stronge And to venge your daÌ„mages your wronge We shall echone helpe and lay to hande Kynges Dukes and lordes of this lande And atones do our besynesse I you behyghte your harmes to redresse And in despyte of who that euer vs lette We shall vs lodge and our tentes sette Euen in the felde afore Troye towne And laye afore it sege to theyr destrucciowne Albe therof I set as now no day But brother firste in all the haste we may Let make letters without more sermon To all the lordes of this regyon Of matere touchynge your vyllanye To come togydre and shape remedye This is the effect of all that I can sayne ¶ And thus relesed somwhat of his payne Is Menelaus thorugh comfort of his brother For whan he fawe it myght be none other And of his tale the kynge made an ende Thorugh out yâ— lande he dyd his letters sende Firste to hir kynne and his alye To come to helpe hym of theyr curtesye And firste of all to Menelaus Came Achylles and with hym Patroclus And alder next stronge Dyomede And many a nother to helpe in this nede And all echone in open Parlement They were accorded full by one assent To be gouerned as Agamenon Lyst to ordayne in his discrecion Of this vyage they made hym gouernour And of theyr ooste cheffetayne and Emperour Amonge them all there was full vnyte Vpon Troyans auenged for to be And from this purpose neuer to remewe But firste
be bonde and assuraunce To be all one without varyaunce And than in haste they togydre gone To theyr shyppes and shope them forth anone With Pirrodus goynge by theyr syde They hale vp the anker and no lenger byde But sayle forthe Calcas and they twayne Towarde Grece them nedeth nat complayne On wynde and wawe tyll they aryued be At Athenes that stode vpon the see A large Cyte of olde foundacion And Achilles to kynge Agamenon Hath Calcas brought and also Pirrodus And whan the grekes the story telleth vs Assembled were they togyder went Tofore the kynge and Calcas represent To all the lordes and no lenger dwell And right anone Achilles gan to tell Without abode in Delos how they mette Tofore Appollo where they answere fette And how the god hath playnely determyned The grekes purpose how it shal be fyned Vpon Troyans and bad Calcas also In no wyse that he to Troye go But with grekes that he abyde stylle Tyll they theyr purpose fynally fulfylle Of whiche thynge the grekes glad of chere Calcas accepte with herte full entere For one of them confederat be bonde To be all one on water and on londe Without chaunge or any varyaunce The othe is made and put in remembraunce And they agayne fully hym assure To cherysshe hym whyle theyr lyfe may dure For wele or wo and so they made an ende And after parte and to theyr lodgynge wende TyÌ„ll on the morowe after yâ— sterry nyght Whan Aurora was gladded with the lyght Of Phebus vemes the grekes vp aryse And to theyr goddes with many sacryfyse They do honour in what they can or maye And deuoutly holdynge a feste daye After theyr rytes meynt with loue and drede In remembraunce of the good spede And of the answere that goddes haue them sent So agreable vnto theyr entent By Pirrodus and by Achilles And after this amonges all the pres Is Calcas come tofore Agamenon All his lordes syttynge enuyron Lyke theyr estates eche in his place dewe And humbly gan them to salewe Vpon his knees with sobre couÌ„tenaunce And prayed them it be no displesaunce To stynte a whyle and gyue hym audyence And right anone as made was sylence Amonge them all Calcas gan abrayde And euen thus full soberly he sayde OSyres quod he and my lordes dere Kynges Prynces dukes that be here Sonoble echone worthy and famous And eke so manly and so vertuous Whiche in this place be now here present Is nat the fyne and chefe of your entent And cause also why that ye echone Assembled be to Troye for togone With this power and this great strengthe Your purpose is to longe drawe a lengthe And differred forthe fro day to daye To your damage platly this no naye For to longe ye soiourne in this yle And trowe ye nat that Pryam in this whyle Hath his espyes amonge you pryuelye I wote it we le I saye you faythfullye To knowe the fyne of our gouernaunce And he there whyles may make purueaunce Hym to defende whyle ye m ydell reste Me semeth sothly ye do nat for the beste For in abydynge and in suche delayes Great harme may fall certayne this no nay is I preue it thus for playnely whyle that ye To your enmyes graunte lyberte Them to puruey they may with myghty haÌ„de Enforce them your power to withstande With theyr frendes and theyr allyaunce And at leyser make theyr ordynaunce It is folye that ye so differre Syth ye be redy for to make a werre On your ennemyes with euery circuÌ„staunce For no thynge may a quarell so auaunce As hasty suyte it wyll the sharper byte The Iren hoote tyme is for to smyte And nat abyde tyll that it be colde For nouther than it plye wyll nor folde Go sette vpon all of one accorde And to shyppe anone within borde Enhaste you for tyme is to remewe With all your myght your quarell to pursewe Agaynst them that haue to you trespassed How many dayes be of somer passed And many monthes ronne and ouer slyde And Titan ofte with his chare hath ryde From eest to west and in the wawes depe His stremes bathed whyle ye haue leyne aslepe And spent your tyme in this place thus Whyle that the wynde called zephyrus Benyngnely enspyred hath a lofte The a tempre eyer the wether fayre softe The calme see from wawes stylle and playne Whyles ye waste your dayes here in vayne That whan your foon therto take hede They wyll suppose that it be for drede And be more bolde to sette of you but lyte Truste forsothe for I wyll me quyte Trewely to you lyke as I am bounde And thynke how ye haue the goddes founde There towarde benyngne and fortunat Your honour saued in hye and lowe estat And so shall forthe if your ingratytude Prouoke them nat your purpose to delude Wylfully to slouthe your fortune No wonder is though they nat contune Towardes you for to shewe theyr grace Wherfore I rede hense for to pace Demynge the grekes playnely of the see For weryed and faynted hadde be With longe saylynge parbraked and forbroke Wherfore they caue on them haue be wroke All sodaynely and sette on the hede And put themselfe in aduenture and drede Of rakelnesse vn aduysely Wherof to them selfe vnhappely It befell whan they the grekes mette With speres longe and swerdes sharpe whette Eche on other manhode for to shewe But for cause Troyans were to fewe To yssue out they dyde folylye The felde was nat parted egallye For the grekes were innumerable That them to mete Troyans were nat able For that tyme they myght nat suffyse They toke on them to passynge hye empryse And yet they ne wold for no thyng theÌ„ wdrawe Tyll that they were wounded and yslawe And ouerlayne of grekes vtterly Now here now there bore downe cruelly Mercyles as Guy do dath reporte That them behoueth home agayne resorte Of very nede and necessytee And all attones gan for to flee I mene suche as were lefte a lyue To the castell they hasâ—ed them full blyue For they ne myght no lenger holde felde Agaynst grekes with spere nor with shelde They were to feble shortly to conclude To abyde so great a multytude And as they flee the grekes a great pase Ne cease nat to sewe on the chase Full hastely to the castell gate And entre in and by cruell fate They kyll and slee both hye and lowe They spare none ne lyste no wyghte to knowe Of none estate but felly hym oppresse And what they fonde golde and eke rychesse Vnto shyppe they caryed anone And of the castell they lefte nat a stone Aboue another but turned vp so downe Both walle toure and the chefe donge owne That no thynge stode so they vnder myne And whan all was brought vnto ruyne Grekes anone to theyr shyppes haste Of one assent and purpose as faste Without abode of one wyll and herte Fro that hauen playnely to dyuerte And to sayle Towarde
on Iustely to make restytucyon Than may we all in worshyp and honour Retourne home without more labour If they assente to do as we requere And our axynge if they lyste nat here But folyly of theyr wylfulnesse Refuse it than our worthynesse Is double assured on asyker grounde By iuste tytle Troyans to confounde With thynges two we shal be vnder pyght Firste our power borne vp with our ryght Shall for vs fyght our quarell to dareyne In balaunce to weye atwixe vs weyne To fyne that we shal be more excused For they tofore haue wylfully refused Oure iuste profers made to them afore And we shal be thorugh the worlde therfore Without spot of trespas or of blame Of mysreport in hyndrynge of our name Where they of folye shall ynoted be Of wylfull wodenesse playnely where that we Shall stande free our power for to vse And euery man shall vs well excuse Though that we do execucyon By takynge vengeaunce for their offencyon Of man and childe of eche sect and age That shall of deth holde the passage And by the swerde without mercy pace One and other there is no better grace BVt yet tofore I counsayle take hede That ye to them all mesoure bede This holde I beste and moost sykernesse And worke now by good auysenesse Amonge your selfe and no lenger tarye To whiche counsayle some were contrarye And varyaunt to his oppynyon Saue they that were of moost discrecyon Assented be playnely to this ende And chosen haue to Pryam for to sende Amonges them the embassy at to spede Wyse Vlixes and worthy Dyomede The whiche anone gan them redy make And shope them forthe and theyr way take Towarde Troye as any lyne ryght Whan the sonne shone full shene and bryght Holdynge the course of his firy spere In mydday arke wonder bryght and clere And gylte eche hylle vale playne roche With his bemes whan they dyde approche To the walles and gates of the towne And in they go without noyse or sowne Full well â—esene and in their porte them hadde Right manfully and the way them ladde To the paleyes streyght as any lyne Them nedeth nat asyde to declyne But into a court large wyde and square And they ful knightly for no wyght wold spare Vnto the effecte manly to procede To do theyr charge without fere or drede For the entre was to them nat refused For tho dayes paraunter was nat vsed To haue no conduyte for embassatrye The custome was to no man to denye As I suppose entre nor passage If it so were he come for message And in this court buylded so ryally Whan they come they meruayled full greatly The royall syght of so huge strengthe So well complete bothe in brede and lengthe For they nat hadde in theyr lyfe to fore Sene none so fayre yet they wonder more Into the Paleyes as they togyder gone That paued was all of Iasper stone Of a tree that amyddes stode On which to loke they thought it dyd theÌ„ gode Musynge where it were Artifycyall Erect or sette by magyk naturall Or by engyne of werkemen coryous Thorugh subtyll craftes superiticyous Or other werke of Nygromancye Or profounde castyuge of Phylosophye By apparence or illusyon Outher by crafte of Incantacyon Vp and downe they caste in theyr mynde Out by reason if they coude fynde Rote and grounde of this wonder werke But the trouthe was to them so derke That in theyr wytte though they longe trace The pryuyte they can out compace To conceyue how it was possyble For to the eye as it was vysyble In very sothe without any fable To mannes hande so it was palpable Of whiche the stocke of Guydo as I tolde In soth fastnesse was of pured golde Whiche shone as bryght as the somer sonne To enlumyne thynges that were donne And the body as a maste was ryght Proporcyoned moost goodly to the syght Substancyall and of huge strengthe And twelue cubytes the body was of lengthe And the croppe rounde and large of brede And in compas gan so flourysshe and sprede That all the playne aboute enuyrowne With the bowes was shadowed vp and downe The ryche braunches and the leues fayre Twayne and twayne ioyned as a payre One of golde a nother syluer shene And meynt amonge with stones whyte grene Some rede and some sapher hewed And euery daye the blomes were renewed And the blossomes with many sondry fuyte For stones ynde it bare in stede of fruyte As sayth Guydo I can no ferther telle And the Grekes wyll no lenger dwalle But holde theyr way by many sondry went To parfourme the fyne of theyr entent Tyll they atteyne the chambre pryncypall Where Pryamus in his see royall Lyke his estate in full kyngly wyse Sat and aboute full prudent and full wyse His lordes all in settes hym besyde Whan the grekes surquedous of pryde With sterne there and frowarde couÌ„tenaunce As they that had lytell remembraunce Of gentyllesse nor of curtesye For as Guydo doth playnely specyfye Entrynge in they taken haue theyr place In the opposyte of the kynges face And set them downe without more sermon Any obeyinge or salutacyon Worshyp honour or any reuerence Done of the kynge for all his excellence In pretudyce of all gentyllesse And than anone Vlixes gan expresse Cause of theyr comynge to kynge Pryamus Without abode sayinge euen thus Nat forberynge presence of the kynge OEruayle nat nor haue no wondrynge Though we to yâ— ne do no honour dewe In our comynge the for to salewe Syth it ne longeth in sothe as thynketh me Where rancour is and hertely enmyte Or dedely hate with salutacyons Or with fayned false affeccyons For to shewe where hertes be a fyre For naturally no man shall desyre Of his enmye the helthe nor welfare And platly now me lyste nat for to spare Shortly to shewe the fyne of our entent Lyke as we haue in coÌ„maundement In our message from Agamenowne The noble kynge moost worthy of reuowne Whiche vs hath sent there is no more to seyne Now vnto the for the quene Eleyne That was rauysshed out of grekes lande And brought to Troy by force of myghty haÌ„de Agaynst right and by vyolence Wherfore shortly without more offence We iustely axe without more demaunde That thou anone rightfully coÌ„maunde To Menelay that she be sent agayne And with all this we axe nat in vayne That thou make restytucyon Of wronges done in that regyon Of pylfres great slaughter and roberye By Parys done of wylfull tyrannye Whiche is thy sone and by the susteyned And in his errour wrongefully meynteyned Wherfore come of and fully condescende Without grutchynge this wronges to amende For so thou mayste beste the goddes queme Lyke as thou myght in thy reason deme As right requereth to worke as the wyse For if so be that thou now despyse To execute that I haue tolde the here Truste me right well a lesson thou shalt lere Whiche thou and thyne shall after sore rewe Without feynynge thou
great fame Passynge ryche and wonder plenteuous But of all this Dares Frygyus In his boke maketh no mencyon But shortly telleth in concluycon Howe Achylles and Thelephus also To Messana be togyder go With thre thousande of grekes chosen oute Moste manly men amonges all theyr route The whiche as faste as they gan to londe And the kynge gan to vnderstonde Of theyr comynge he is descended downe With all the worthy of his regyowne Ou hors and fote in stele armed bryght Agaynst Grekes manfully to fyght Them to deuoyde playnely if ye can And sodaynely thus the skarmysshe gan At wyxe grekes and theyr mortall fone On outher parte that there was many one Slayne and hurte and to the deth ywounded Euer vnlyckely therof to be sounded Hor other treate was none them atwene But swerdes sharpe and speres square kene Now here now there that they go to grounde For euery man his foo for to confounde His laboure dyde and his besynesse And though grek thrugh theyr worthynesse Hadde on theyr fooâ— moche lande ywonne yet to resorte after they begonne And meruayle none bycause that theyr fone Hadde alway thre in noumbre agaynst one For the tyme it may none other be Tyll Achylles gan beholde and se The mortall slaughter vpon grekes syde Tournynge the backe with wouÌ„des large wyde Of hasty rancour chaunge gan his blode And for Ire furyous and wode Whan he behelde his men lese theyr lande He with yâ— swerde whiche he helde in his hande Made waye kylled and bare downe And in the felde lyke a fyers lyowne He fared in sothe whan his men were slawe Makynge his foon backwarde to withdrawe And his grekes so manly recomforte That maugre them he made them to resorte And who that euer in his way stode Without mercy he kylleth in his mode There gayneth nat in his cruelte For douteles ne had his manhode be His passynge renowne and his worthynesse His knyghthode eke and his hye prowesse The grekes hadde that daye fynallye Vaynquysshed be without remedye But thorugh his helpe they recure all For Achylles sturdy as a wall Gan serche sheltrouns theyr rangys brake To fore whose face his fomen go to wrake And alderlaste whan he gan espye Tentran the kynge thorugh his chyualrye Diffende hymselfe lyke a worthy knyght And as a lyon bare hym in his fyght Now here now there grekes so oppresse This Achylles of cruell hardynesse Ne wolde cease in his putsewynge Thorugh the warde tyll he came to the kynge Of manly force stoute and full of pryde Makynge awaye rounde on euery syde Agayne whose myght no thyng myght auayle And of Tentran firste the auentayle He raced hath and rente the mayle a sonder And all to hewe that it was a wonder To consydre that day his cruelte And after that all to broke hath he His bassenet with many cruell wounde Of very myght smyt the kynge to grounde And in all haste he maked hath no lette Of his hede to rende his bassenette And mercyles for to do vengaunce His harme he gan on heyghte to auaunce Fully in purpose that he shall be dede And raunsomles gan hamyn at his hede With blody swerde and a despytous herte Castynge playnely he shuld hym nat asserte In his Ire he was so furyous ¶ But of fortune it befell right thus Thelephus the yonge lusty knyght Casuelly therof hadde a syght And of Achylles the maner full behelde The stroke anone he bare vp with his shelde And gan Achylles mekely for to preye To haue pyte so to do hym deye Syth he lay wounded almoste to the deth Brought to the poynt to yelde vp the breth Besechynge hym for his benyngnyte Of manly routhe and knyghtly eke pyte Withdrawe his hande and to do hym grace And graunte hym lyfe for a lytell space Syth euery knyght shulde of gentyllesse His enmye spare whan he is in distresse To vttraunce brought specyally whan he Mercy requyreth of humble volunte To whom Achylles feruent in his yre As he that was of rancoure sette a fyre Answerde agayne what lyst the so to preye For hym that nolde of pryde our wyll obeye Gan a werre where as was no nede Of disdayne and indignacyon Hauynge a truste of presumpcyon In his manhode which myght hy nat auayle Agaynst grekes to holde a batayle As it is preuyd playnely in the ende All otherwyse shortly than he wende For in the dyche iustely he is falle Whiche he made of malys for vs alle ¶ Where we of wyll nor entencyon Gaue vnto hym none occasyon Vpon no syde platly fer nor nere Nor mynystred to hym no matere Nor to his londe mente no damage But hymselfe grounde of all this rage Without offence done to hym of vs And efte agayne yonge Thelephus Humbly requyred of Achylle Of knyghtly routhe his axynge to fulfylle And to haue mercy on hym in this cas For with my fader this kynge whylom was Quod Thelephus be bonde conferate Whiche lyeth now here all desconsolate Expectant oonly with a dedely face Vpon the houre whan his goste shall pace Thorugh gyrte alas with many mortall wouÌ„de And for cause I haue in hym founde Afore this tyme full great kyndenesse For of manhode and of gentyllesse In the boundes of his regyowne He vnto me thorugh his hye renowne Whylom as I casuelly gan ryde Shewed in sothe vpon euery syde Full ryall chere and great humanyte That I am bounde of very duyte To remembre and to haue in mynde And douteles elles I were vnkynde Whiche after wolde my name foule a twyte And for that I parcell wolde hym quyte I you beseche of respyte of his lyfe And Achylles without any stryfe Delyuered hath the storye telleth thus Tentran frely vnto Thelephus Whether hym lyste to saue or to spylle And whan that he had hym at his wylle He consydered by his woundes grene That were so mortall sothely and so kene Of very nede that he muste dye There was no gayne nor no remedye Nor auayle may no medecyne The hour whaÌ„ Phebê° westward gan declyne And the batayle brought was to an ende Whyle the grekes to theyr shyppes wende The meane whyle Tentran for the payne Of his woundes gan more more complayne Without staunche so pyteously they blede His offycers faste gan them spede In a lytter made full royall Towarde his paleys douÌ„ge owne pryncypall To cary hym softely and easely ¶ And at his prayer full benyngnely Thelephus and also Achylles Conueyed hym amonges all the prees Tyll he was brought there as them lyste to be And they receyued lyke to theyr degre Full royally the kynge aye languysshynge As he that drewe towarde his endynge And myght nat lenger drawe a lengthe His wofull lyfe so weke was he of strengthe That his spirite muste algates wende And he in his haste made for to sende For Achylles and for Thelephus And whan they came he sayde vnto them thus Syres quod he full worthy of degre Helthe
he telleth of the fyght Whan they entred and of theyr welcomynge And ceryously he tolde eke of the kynge That Tentran hyghte playnely also howe Achilles amydde the selde hym slowe And or his dethe how he of hole entent Fully ordeyned in his testament Thelephus also to be his heyre All this he tolde and eke of his reâ—eyre Vnto the see and eke of the vytayle And Thelephus how he wyll nat fayle To sende them all that may them please Of whiche thynge the grekes in great ease Were brought of herte and lyke wonder well Whan Achilles hadde tolde them euerydell And greatly preysed his hye prouydence His manhode bothe and his sapyence In his out beynge that he bare hym so And after this Achilles is go To his lodgynge a lytell there besyde Where his knyghtes vpon hym abyde Myrundones full glade of his comynge And hym receyued as longeth to a kynge Where he abode and rested hym a whyle But for Guydo declyneth here his style From the grekes to them of Troye towne I muste also make dygressy owne Of myne Auctor the steppes for to shewe Lyke as it is conuenyent and dewe To my matere syth he is my guyde And for a whyle grekes sette asyde And reherce how Dares Frygyus In Troye booke declareth vnto vs And ceryously maketh mency owne Of the lordes that came to Troye towne To helpe them manly in theyr defence Agaynst grekes to make resystence With ordynaunce of many dyuerse thynges There came to them Erles Dukes Kynges As in Dares playnely is made mynde Rede his boke and there ye may it fynde And alder firste I rede how that he Specyally speketh of kynges thre Full manly 〈◊〉 and also of great â—aâ—e 〈…〉 〈…〉 wryteth thus 〈…〉 of them â— was called Pandaâ—us And as I rede Thabet the secounde The thuâ—e Andastrus lyke as it is founde And as Gâ—ydo â— lyste to specysye 〈…〉 knyghtes in theyr companye 〈◊〉 manly men they were euerychon And from an Iâ— called colloson Lyke as Dares lyketh to expresse There came also of excellent prowesse 〈…〉 of whiche the firste was 〈…〉 ynamed Caryas And the seconde â— hyghte ymasyus 〈◊〉 the thirdeâ— the .iiij. Amphymacus And fyue thousande worthy knyghtes alle There came with them manly for to falle Vpon grekes in helpynge of the towne And from an yie of full great renowne Called lyâ—ye came the kynge Glaucon And â—ith hym brought his sone Spardon A noble knyght in armes full famous And was allyed to kynge Pryamus And thre thousande if I shall nat fayne There came of knyghtê with these lordes twayne And from larys a ryche lande also As I fynde there came kynges two And them to quyte manly as they ought A thousande knyghtê they to Troye brought And from a kyngdome named lycaowne Caphemus a kynge of great renowne Brought with hym as dares bereth wytnesse A thousande knyghtes of great worthynesse And fyue hondred Dares telleth vs Came with Hupon and with Epedus Many knyghtes in plates of syluer bryght And with hym eke a kynge yâ— Remus hyght Brought .iij. thousande to Troye many myle From Tabaria his large myghty yle And Dukes foure with all theyr chyualrye 〈◊〉 Eries viij came in his companye Hauyngem armes great experyence And all they bare without difference Theyrmen they whan they were in yâ— felde The chief of golde eueryche in his shelde Wherby the kynge and booly his nauye Amonge them all knowen myght be All be that other bore eke the same And fro Trace kynge Pylex by his name Fro thyâ—ke Trace that is moste excellent Whiche in the plage of the Oryent Haueth his syght froÌ„ which this myghty kyÌ„â—ge A thousande knyghtê brought at his comynge As myne Auctor recordeth eke also An hondred knyghtes be to Troye go With Alchamus a Duke eke full famous That came with Pylex Guydo wryteth thus Troyans to helpe in theyr great nede And fro Pauonye sothely as I rede Came Pretemessus the noble werryour Lorde of that lande kynge and gouernour And duke Stupex with hym eke he hadde And of knyghtes a thousande that he ladde Towarde Troye from his regyon And as this storye maketh mencyon That yle standeth moste by wyldernesse And by woodes of plenteuous thyckenesse Growe therin many full dyuerse tree And moste is forest that men may there se For they there buylde houses but a fewe And in that lande full dyuersely themshewe Many lyknesse queynte and monstruous Bestes vnkouthe to syghte meruaylous Stoundemell as by apparence By illusyon false in existence Wonder gastefull playnely for to sene For dyuerse goodes of the woodes grene Appere there called Satyrye By cornys eke fawny and incubye That cause often men to falle in rage And of this lande the people is full sauage Hardy knyghtes furyous and wode And desyrous aye to shede blode Greatly experte specially to shete With darte and spere peryllous for to mete For they caste euen as any lyne And from an I le that named was Botyne In great arraye to Troye the Cyte Lyke as I fynde there came Dukes thre The firste of all called Auphymyus Saume the secounde the thirde Forcyus And as sayth Dares whiche lyste natlye Twelue hondred knyghtê in theyr companye And fro Bytunye as made is remembrauÌ„ce The ryche lande that hath suche habundauÌ„ce Of spyces goÌ„mes fruytes corne and wyne Holsome rotes ryndes ryche and fyne Wonder vnkouthe and precious also Out of whiche I le there came knyghtes two Full knyghtly men in armes desyrous Kynge Boetes and Epysterus And with them brought to Troye from so ferre A thousande knyghtes arayed for the werre And fro the lande called Paffogonye Whiche seuered is from all companye As bokes saye that be Hystoryall Vnder the plage that is Oryentall Sette so ferre as made is rehersayle That fewe or none to that lande trauayle For there to come is almoste impossyble For whiche that lande is called muysyble Bycause oonly of his remocyon And it is a ryche regyon Of golde and syluer and also of stones And habundaunte of plente for the nones It is so full of treasoure and of gode And hath his syght on the ryche flode I named Tygre nat fer from Eufrates As sayth myne Auctour that called is Dares Fro whiche lande in stele armed clene A thousande knyghtê came with Phylymene The worthy kynge whose sheldes out of orede Were of querboyl in Guydo as I rede With golde depaynte fret with stones ryche That in this worlde I trowe was none lyche Out of the floodes chosen by deuyse Whiche haue theyr course out of Paradyse The whiche kynge a Gyaunt of stature And of makynge is passynge all measure Stronge and delyuer also as I fynde And fro the lande that marcheth vpon ynde Kynge Porses came with many knghtly man And he also that with his honde hym wan So moche honour the noble Meryon And his brother called Sygamon Whiche from the lande of theyr subieccyowne Of dukes erles and knyghtes of renowne Thre thousande brought
greue But all for nought was his besy payne For Ector the eâ—le on bothe twayne Vpon Tenter and on Meneste And hadde them slayne ne hadde Ayaxbe Whiche vnto Ector faste gan hym hye A thousande knyghtes in his companye To withstande hym and Meneste to saue From his handes if he myght hym haue But Parys tho and the kynge of Perce With fyue thousande as I can reherce Of worthy knyghtes and many troyan mo Be vnto Ector all attones go In thryfty wyse rydynge on a rowe For Parys made a trumpet to be blowe At whiche there came knyghtly enbataylled Many Troyan full well apparaylled Whiche in the felde of Ector were conueyed For of one herte they fully haue obeyed Vnto the byddynge of this Troyan knyght All fresshe and newe tobegynne a fyght Vpon grekes as ferforth as they can Of whom was slayne many manly man And aye the slaughter pyteously reneweth That many greke sore in herte reweth Theyr great losse and destruccyowne Wrought vpon them by them of troye towne And specially of Ector as I fynde Whiche on that day as Dares maketh mynde With his hande a thousande knyghtes slowe That neuer were a dawed of theyr sowe For greke dare none in his waye dwelle For with his swerde he coude them so compelle To lese theyr grounde of necessyte And lyke as shepe afore the wolfe to fle And as I rede amyd of this victorye Ector mette vnder a Tentorye Amonge grekes Meryon the kynge To whom he spake without more taryenge O thou traytoure thy houre aprocheth faste For thou arte come sothely to thy laste Thy fatall day hath his course yronne For truste well or westrynge of the sonne I caste platly to quyte the thy mede And with my swerde in haste thy blode to shede For thou so bolde were on me to day To lette me of my ryche pray At the spoylynge of kynge Patroclus That for cause thou were presumptuous Me to disturbe thou shalt anone be dede And downe he sterte and smote of first his hede And hym to spoyle also gan hym haste But Meneste came on hym as faste Whan he behelde trauerse at his backe And with aspere in whiche was no lacke Smote hym in with great vyolence Without syght or any aduertence Of worthy Ector or any takynge hede The wounde of whom sore gan to blede But out he went and made it faste bynde And Meneste stale away behynde Nat in purpose sothly if he may To mete Ector of all that ylke day But whan that he was ybounde sore His wombe staunche that it blede no more More furyous than euer he was tofore Repayred is with anger all to tore So aye the yre on his herte fret That he bare downe all that euer he met Sleeth and kylleth he was so mercyles All tho that put themselfe in prees Of hardy were with hym for to mete For in his boke lyke as wryte Darete For very sothe and in the storye sayth If it be so that men may gyue fayth And credence of possybylyte As in Guydo clerely ye mayse After that he caughte his latter wounde Fynally grekes to confounde So as it is affermyd in certayne A thousande knyghtê with his hande were slayne Without them tho that I spake of rathe And newe alway he gan his swerde to bathe In grekes blode that sodaynely they be So ouerlayne thorugh his cruelte That greke was none of hye nor lowe estate That he ne was awhaped and amate Of his knyghthode and manly excellence For there was none to make resystence Nor vtterly that durste take on honde Of all that daye Ector to withstonde And as it is made also mensyon Thylke daye kynge Agamenon As sayth Guydo came nat into felde For causes great his presence he with helde On grekes syde that all goth vp so downe Ector on them so playeth the lyowne That to theyr tentes they fledde for socours And they of troye proudely as victours Sewed after by traces of theyr blode And there they wan treasoure and great gode And spoyled them in full great distresse Of theyr armure and of theyr rychesse And felle on them or that they were ware And home to troye all that good they bare For fynally that day with myschaunce Grekes hadde be brought vnto out traunce Without recure in sothe for euermore On euery part they were be layde so sore Thorugh the manhode of Ector the myght With helpe of many other worthy knyght That so felly agayne grekes wrought For to such myschefe playnly they theÌ„ brought That ne hadde be theyr owne pyteous slouthe Of pryde oonly and of folye routhe They hadde of them at theyr volunte That day for euer hadde the soueraygnete And recured thorugh theyr hye renowne Lordshyppe of them and domynacy owne Whiche shulde haue laste and be contynuell Victoryously and perpetuell Haue endured saue cruell fate Is redy aye with fortune to debate Agayne thynges that gynne in wylfulnesse To make them fyne aye in wretchednesse Thorughe theyr enuyous disposicyon Of sodayne chaunge and reuolucyon And vnware tournynge of hir false whele That wyll nat byde whan a thynge is wele Alas frele deuoyde of sykernesse The cause was dymmed with derkenesse That hath troyans thorugh false oppynyon Yblynded so in theyr discrecyon And specyally for dyrked so the syght Of worthy Ector the prudent manly knyght To se afore what shulde after sewe By good aduyse the myschefe to eschewe That folowed them at the backe behynde Alas they were wylfully made blynde The same day whan they sete softe By victorye on the hylle a lofte That they nat coude of neclygence se The after falle of theyr Felycyte So put a backe was theyr aduertence For lacke of reason and of hye prudence For they theyr hap haue voyded theyr grace That presently were sette afore theyr face For in a man is nat coÌ„mendable If Fortune be to hym fauourable And blaundysshynge with a forhede clere To smyle on hym with a splesaunte chere Oonly of Famour for to helpe hym oute Whan he in myschefe is beset aboute If he refuse his hap of wylfulnesse Fortune auoydynge thorugh vnkyndenesse Whan she mynystreth to hym of hir grace Another tyme he shall hir nat enbrace Whan he hath nede to hir helpe at all To socoure hym or he catche a fall But rather than for his ingratytude Frowardly with mowes hym delude Whan he beste weneth stonde in sykernesse Fortune is aye so full of brotylnesse Remouable and redy for to flytte Hyr welfull houre that who lyste nat amytte With hir fauour for to be allyed Another tyme it shal be denyed Whan he were leuest fynde hir sauourable For in some houre sothly this nofable Vnto some man she graunteth his desyres That wyll nat after in a thousande yeres Parauenture ones condescende Vnto his wyll nor his luste hym sende As it hath falle this daye vnhappely To worthy Ector that so wyllfully Wrought of hede grekes for to spare Fatally whan they were in the snare
very shoures and welle Displaese it nat now that I shall telle To youre noble famous excellence Nor to your Erys let be none offence That I shall say but of goodlyhede Pacyently that ye wyll take hede To my wordes sayde of herte and thought I you ensure for I fayne nought This to saye if ye remembre well The firste cause and purpose euerydell Of the grekes if ye haue mencyon Was fully sette by one entencyon As well of you as of vs parde Whan we come firste to this Cyte Kynges Prynces I except none Of whiche in sothe to reken euerychone Your selfe was to speke in specyall One of the firste and most pryncypall Assentyd full how Troye the Cyte Thorugh our manhode destroyed shulde be Perpetuelly brought vnto ruyne But now of newe I note what doth enclyne Your worthynesse sodaynely to varye And to our purpose for to be contrarye Consyder firste of you that be so sage The wronges done and the great damage In Grekes londe of them of the towne Conspyrynge aye to our destruccyowne If ye aduerte wysely in your thought That slayne haue and to an ende brought Full many worthy sythe gone full yore And of treasoure that no man may restore Despoyled vs and brought in great distresse Our goodes raughte our golde our rychesse Our shyppes brent thorugh theyr cruelte And to all this alas ye lyste nat se Now that they be whiche may nat be delayed Thorugh your manhode fynally outrayed Syth ye haue slayÌ„e theyr hope their suffysauÌ„ce Actor in whom was all theyr affyaunce Fully theyr truste and diffence also And Dephebus also is a go And lykely are more to be apeyred Fro day to day and fynally dispeyred So frowardly Fortune on them loureth And now your honour your fame floureth In his worshyp and your hye renowne Atteyned hath the exaltacyowne And hyest prycke of Fortunes whele It were great wronge and ye loke wele Of wylfulnesse for to be vnkynde To hir that ye so frendely to you fynde Or to be frowarde whyle she is benygne By influence gracyously to assygne Hir spokys meue vnto your plesaunce And hap to tourne with plente on your chaunce After whose helpe you nedeth nat to calle ¶ Wherfore alas why wyll ye suffre palle Your noble fame of very wylfulnesse Whyle it is hyest in his worthynesse Your knyghtly prudence it shulde natâ—a sâ—â—rte Of whiche thynge euery gentyll herte Shulde haue routhe and compassyon Wherfore we praye of discrecyon That ye you shape this purpose to amende And that ye wolde of herte condiscende With vs to stonde knyghtly in this werre By your manhode that is spoke of so ferre That your renowne to the worldes ende Reported be where so that men wende Perpetuelly by fresshenesse of hewe Day be day to encrease newe That the tryumphe of this hye victorye Be put in storye and eke in memorye And so enprentyd that foryetylnesse No power haue by malys to oppresse Your fame in knyghthode dyrke or difface That shyneth yet so clere in many place Without Eclypsynge sothly this no lesse Whiche to conserne ye be now reckelesse Of wylfulnesse to cloude so the lyght Of your renowne that whylom shone so bryght Your myghty hande of manhode to with drawe Consyder firste how Grekes are yslawe Tofore your Tent with mortall woundes wyde Thorugh out the felde vpon euery syde And haue disdayne oonly for lacke of routhe Alas the whyle for a lytell slouthe To ley to hande in theyr myschefe at all That whylom were theyr stroÌ„ge myghty wall Theyr chefe diffence and theyr champyowne Soueuerayne helpe and proteccyowne For whom ye haue so ofte shadde your blode Agayne theyr foon with them whan he stode Full myghtely theyr enmyes to assayle Without whom they lytell may auayle In very sothe ne none of vs echone But ye of knyghthode lyste with vs to gone Agayne Troyans as ye were wont to do As is our truste and fynall hope also That ye shall helpe and our socour be And here vpon we praye you that ye Saye your auyse and your full wylle And than anone the hardy fyerse Achylle Whan vlixes concludyd hadde his tale With a face for anger dede and pale Sayde euen thus all openly and playne Syr vlixes if so right as ye sayne And haue declaryd in conclusyon That our purpose and entencyon Was fynally to brenne and destroye This royall Cyte that is called Troye I holde in sothe me lyketh nat to lye That our entent was grounded on folye To put vs all thorugh in discrecyon Of reckeleshede and hasty mocyon Of lyfe and deth in suche Iupardye And specyally in all the Chyualrye Of Grekes londe for so smale a thynge So many prynce and many worthy kynge That haue Iuparted theyr body theyr gode Yloste theyr lyfe and yspent theyr blode Which myght haue be full well at home iÌ„ pees And is nat nowe the kynge Pallamydes Yslawe also as who sayth but of newe That was so wyse so manly and so trewe Of whom the lyfe was of more pryse alone Than the cause for whiche that we echone Be gaderyd here who so loke a ryght And of Grekes many a noble knyght That haue be slayne bothe of the worthyest The worlde to seke and the manlyest For out of euery lande and regyowne On grekes party and with them of the towne Of chyualry of knyghthod the sourayne floure To wynne in armes worshyp and honoure Assembled be and come fro so ferre Of whiche in sothe by duresse of this werre Full many one in the felde is dede And veryly without any drede There shall well mo if the werre laste For euery day the nombre lasseth faste Of worthy knyghtes dede without routhe That I dare saye and conclude of trouthe In this rage furyous and wode Full lykely is that all the gentyll blode Thorugh out this worlde shall destroyed be And rurall folke and that were great pyte Shall haue lordshyp and hooly gouernaunce And Churles eke with sorowe myschaunce In euery londe shall lordes be alone Whan gentyll men slayne be echone Is nat Ector that was so noble a knyght That was this worldes very sonne and lyght Of manhode floure slayne pyteously In this werre in soth and so myghte I Parauenture whiche may nat attayne To his noblesse if I shall nat fayne For by what waye shall we the deth eschewe With all our myght if we it pursewe Fro day to day whyle that we lye here Therfore shortely me for to requere Touchynge the werre outher for to praye Is but in vayne and herken what I saye I nat purpose in this werre or stryfe For to Iuparte any more my lyfe For leuer I haue that pallyd be my name Than to be slayne and haue an ydell fame For worthynesse after deth yblowe Is but a wynde and lasteth but a throwe For though renowne and pryse be blowe wyde Foryetylnesse leyth it ofte asyde By lengthe of yeres and oblyuyon Thorugh enuye and false conclusyon The
were so clere For dyrked were with dolefull terys smerte And to the corps sodaynely she sterte And clyppyd it in hir armes twayne And pyteously enbrace it and restrayne Lyke as she wolde with hym dye anone For styll she lay dombe as any stone As marbyll colde hir lymes Craumpysshynge Redy at all towarde hir buriynge Tyll men by force from the corps hir hent And she hir heer and his chekes rent As she were fallen in a rage That chaunged was alas in hir vysage Hir natyfe coloure and hir rody hewe Whylom as fresshe as any rose newe Now is she lyke vnto asshes colde And with hir handes aye togydre folde Hir selfe she smote on hir pale face And euer amonge the corps she dyde embrace In hir swownes as she fyll to grounde Twenty tymes and wept full his wounde With wo she was so wapyd and amate Of all comforte alas disconsolate In herte beynge inly desirous Thorugh hir rage passynge Furyous To dye attones with hir owne knyght For towarde deth enclosyd was hir syght As she that lyst to lyue now no more And I trowe that neuer man before No woman sawe falle in suche distresse In suche disioynt of deedly heuynesse Nor for no wo so pyteously yraue Nat Cleopatre goynge to hir graue Nor wofull Tesbe that fro the kaue sterte Whan she hir selfe smote vnto the herte Nor the faythfull trewe Orestylle Whan that she sawe hir lorde agayne hir wylle Marcus Prolancus vnto shyppe gone And for his loue fyll downe deed anone Nor the sorowe of trewe Iulia Nor the feruence of faythfull Porcia Or whiche the one fyll deed sodaynely For she sawe blode speynt so cruelly On hir lordes dredefull grauement And Porcia so trewe in hir entent Whan that hir lorde Brutus loste his lyfe For bycause she myght haue no knyfe With colys rede slewe hir selfe alas Was nat also in the selfe caas Arthemysya quene of Tarse londe Of Mansalus the graue whan she fonde Hir owne knyght of whose bones smale Full wofully and with a chere right pale She poudre made dranke it euery morowe But all the wo and the furyous sorowe Of these echone yet may nat atteyne Vnto the sorowe of the quene Eleyne That fynally wyll hir selfe for do For Parys sake whom she loued so For after hym she wyll nat lyue a day But be a wreke playnely if she may Vpon hir lyfe rather than disseuere And thus in wo aye she doth perseuere In hir herte Parys sat so depe Alas who sayth that women can nat we This douteles they haue it of nature Though it so be that they no wo endure Yet can they feyne and salte terys fynde Plente ynough of theyr owne kynde And sorowles morne and compleyne I saye nat this for the quene Eleyne That was with wo wounded to the herte That fro the deth she wende nat asterte For dethes darte hir herte made ryue And yet she rose agayne fro deth to lyue Oonly by grace for all hir felle rage For euery wo by processe muste aswage And ouer gone and wasted by myracle For eche venym made is Tryacle And euery wo hath his remedye For though Eleyne fayne wolde dye Hir kynde ne wolde assent yet therto So sodaynely to slee hir selfe for wo She was a woman no man shulde hir wyte Me lyste no more of hir wo endyte Lyste vnto you that it were Tedyous To here all hir paynes furyous Hir cruell wo and lamentacyon Whiche wolde meue to compassyon In very sothe to wryte euerydele Any herte though it were made of stele For kynge Pryam and the quene also Hadde suche couthe of hir pyteous wo To se hir so wepe and complayne That of hir they felte asmoche payne As they dyde almost for Parys Hereof no more for Pryam by deuys After this rage and this mortall wo Amyd the Temple sacryd to Iuno Ordayned hath with full besy cure For the corps a ryche Sepulture And in all haste therin made it shette That in sothnesse if I shulde lette Totelle all the rytes and the gyse That there were made in theyr paynym wyse And the costes of his buriynge It shulde be to longe a tariynge Ceryously thereon to abyde Wherfore as nowe I lette ouerslyde Theyr paynym rytys supersticyous ¶ How Pantasyllya the Quene of Amazone came for to socoure kynge Pryamus of Troye And howe Pirrus Achylles sone slewe hir⸫ Capitulo xxxiiij ANd tell I wyll how kynge Pryamus CoÌ„mauÌ„ded hath of myschefe of nede Thorugh troye towne oonly of very drede To shytte theyr gates strongly as they may And therupon bothe nyght and day To kepe watche for shortly they of Troye Disconsolate of all theyr olde ioye Can no refute but wepe and sorowe make For they ne durste no more vndertake Agayne Grekes into felde to gon Tyll on a day kynge Agamenon His messager by good auysement To Pryamus into Troye hath sent Requerynge hym of manhode lyke a knyght To yssue out with Grekes for to fyght As he was wonte with his Chyualâ—ye But kynge Pryam his axynge gan denye And shortly sayde to hym that was sent That he ne wolde at his assignemenet Nat ones passe the gates of the towne But at his owne fre eleccyowne Whan euer hym lyste without compellynge And yet in sothe cause of his tariynge ¶ Was for the hardy quene of Femynye Towarde Torye faste gan hir hye Out of hir lande and lytell regyon The whiche as bokes make mencyon After the syght of the firmament Is in the plage of the Oryent And called is the reygne of Amazonys Of whiche the custome and the vse is That oonly women therin shall abyde And they are wonte armed for to ryde And haue in armes great experyence For theyr laboure and theyr dylygence Is fynally to haue excercyse Fro day to day in Martes hye seruyse And ouer more theyr custome and vsaunce As to this day is made remembraunce Is that no man shall them nyghe nere But if it be thre monethes in the yere This to say in Iune Apryll and May And than the women haue in custome aye Vnto an I le a lytell there besyde Where as the men by them selfe abyde Fro yere to yere togydre euerychone Vnto the men out of theyr lande to gone And there abyde in that regyon Tyll tyme coÌ„meth of concepcyon Without tariynge any lenger whyle For than anone home vnto theyr yle They repeyre out of that countre Vnto tyme that they delyuered be And as faste as the childe is borne For lacke of kepynge that it be nat lorne He fostryd is tyll thre yere be agone Amonge the women and than right anone To the I le besyde adiacent Vnto the men the childe in haste is sent If that it be of kynde masculyne And if it falle that it be Femynyne With the women abyde stylle it shall Tyll that it be in actes mercyall Full well experte and that she can eke knowe To handle a spere or to drawe a bowe Lyke the
yrowne blode Bothe man and childe without excepcyon The Grekes sparynge no condcyon Of olde nor yonge woman wyfe nor mayde That with the crye Pryamus abrayde Out of his llepe and sodaynely a woke Whiche lay all nyght and no hede ne toke Of the daughter nor murdre in the towne But tho he wyste that there was treasowne Falsly compassyd vnto his cytee By Anthenor and also by Enee Of whose malys he was no more in doute For the venym was now broken oute And now the galle of conspyracyon That vnder sugre of symulacyon Hath so louge closyd be and hyd In dede is now execute and kyd And nowe the fraude fully of treason The caste also of false collusyon Be taked out and abrode yblowe And the Autours openly yknowe Now hath enuye and contryued hate Of theyr Engyne sette abrode the gate Now hath deceyte and olde conspyracye And fayned othes all of one allye Openly shewed theyr falsenesse And disclosed all theyr doubylnesse So ferre abrode that now is there no geyne For now alas the wylde fyre is seyne In toures hye with the wynde yblased Wherof Pryam astoned and amased All awapyd sterte out of his bed And comforteles to the temple is fled Of Appollo to saue hym if he myght And aye the flawme of the fyres bryght Brent in the towne and cousumeth all The ryche byldynge whylom so royall That the walles with theyr rofes huge Coueryd with lede for a chefe refuge Were now alas bare and bareyne makyd The grekes aye with theyr swerdes nakyd Murdre and slee where so that they go That twenty thousande that nyght and mo They kylled haue longe or it was day And in this slaughter and this great affray Spoyle and robbe and take what they fynde Treasour and good and lefte nat behynde By myghty honde and sturdy vyolence And the temples without reuerence They haue despoyled thorugh out all the towne And gredely rent and racyd downe Of golde and syluer the ornamentes alle Totore the goddes foule mote them falle Kynge Pryam aye with a deedly chere To Appolio makynge his prayere Furyously this hertely wofull man As he in soth that no rede ne can BUt wayte his deth his fatall Eure And Cassandra that holy creature Of in warde wo desyrous to sterue Complaynynge ran vnto Mynerue Makynge to hir a lamentacyowne With other gentyll women of the towne And there alas as they wolde dye Full pyteously they sobbe wepe and crye And in theyr dooll there I lette them dwelle For all theyr sorowes if I shulde telle In this storye and theyr wo descryue My penne shulde of very routhe ryue Rehersynge eke how in euery strete Theyr clothes blacke redy moyste and wete As they alas bothe one and alle On theyr lordes downe aswowne falle With theyr blode bedewed and ysprent Where men may se the cristall terys meynt Of theyr wepynge in theyr woundes grene That laye and blede agayne the sonne shene With deedly iyen castynge vp the whyte It were but vayne all here to wryte Nor the maner of theyr mortall sorowe But Guydo wryt that the same morowe How Anthenor and with hym false Enee Conueyued haue thorugh out the Cyte The myghty Grekes vnto Ylyon The royall toure and ryche mansyon That whylom was of most excellence In the whiche they founde no diffence Of hye nor lowe nor of none estate For it was lefte alone desolate With all the golde and rychesse of the twone Shet and enclosed in the chefe dongeowne But for there was no man that withstode They brake the lockes raught away the gode And the treasour that was shet within Eche for his partye that he myght wyn They gaue no force who was lefe or lothe And Pyrrus after to the temple goth Of Appollo by great cruelte And fyll on Pryam knelynge on his kne And with his swerde furyously and wode Tofore the auter shadde there his blode So hye raughte both in lengthe and brede That the stremes of his woundes rede That the statue of golde borned bryght Of this Appollo for all his great myght For all his power and his sterne face Defouled was and pollut all the place Oonly by deth of this worthy kynge By Pyrrus slayne whyle he lay knelynge Of olde hatrede and enuyous pryde Whyle Anthenor and Enee stode besyde That routhe was and pyte to beholde To sehym lye on the stones colde So pyteously tofore the auter blede Wherof alas whan Eccuba toke hede And hir doughter fayre Polycene With heer to rent as any golde wyer shene Inly supprysed with sorowe to the herte Whan they began consydre and aduerte This noble kynge with blody stremes rede All for drowned his eyen dyrke and dede With Pyrrus swerd gyrt thorugh outher syde For mortall fere they durste nat abyde But inwardly thorugh darted with the syght All in a rage toke them to the flyght And yet in sothe thorugh out the Cyte They wyste neuer whytherwarde to flee Rescuse was none nor no remedye Of kynne nor frende nor of none allye With grekes swerde the towne was so be set And in hir flyght this wofull quene hath met Eneas causer of all this wrake Vnto whom rebukynge thus she spake O thou traytour moste malycyous Thou false serpent adder enuyous Crope and roote fynder of falsenesse Soures and well of vnkyndenesse How myghtest thou in thy herte fynde Vnto thy kynge to be so vnkynde Gynner and grounde exaumple of treason And fynall cause of our destruccyon How myghtest thou deuoyde of all pyte Beholde alas thorugh thy cruelte Of the kynge shedde so the blode That euer hath ben so gentyll and so good So gracyous lorde specyally to the And ouer more thorugh his hye bounte They honoured and ymagnefyed All his lyue it may nat be denyed That lyeth now deed in the temple alas Thou were nat oonly traytoure in this caas But to his deth conspyrynge and vukynde Pyrrus conueyinge where he shuld hȳ fynde Tofore Appollo mydes of this Cyte Where thou shuldest of very duete Rather haue ben his proteccyon His myghty shelde and sauacyon That haste this cyte and this towne ylorne In whiche thou were fostryd and yborne On the grettest of reputacyon Of all the lordes dwellynge in this towne In which thou haddest whylom most pleasaūce But all is now out of remembraunce ¶ Yet in thy herte if any drope be Of gentyllesse mercy or pyte In this deedly rage full of tene Rewe on my doughter yonge Polycene From grekes swerde hir youthe for to saue If thy herte may any routhe haue Of manly pyte on hir maydenhede Diffende hir nowe and kepe hir out of drede If thou canste fynde any weye In any wyse that she may nat deye That hereafter whan men se and rede The false treason and the foule dede That thou haste done vnto troye towne It may in partye be proteccyowne To thy fame the venym to allye Of this treason whan men wyll assaye By iuste reporte thy name to accuse This
dere And was eke kept and hadde in cherte Fro poynt to poynt lyke to his degre With attendaunce conuenyent and dewe To his estate that euer vpon hym sewe Of suche as were moste expert and sage To gouerne hym tyll he came to age To reioyse if god gaue hym myght His herytage to whiche he hadde ryght By clere discent if happy were his chaunce Thus leue I hym vnder gouernaunce The yonge lone of Agamenon For I muste make a dygressyon ¶ Fro this mater and telle of Dyomede The auentures in Guydo as I rede His wofull fate and his paynes smerte The whiche alas he myght nat asterte As is remembred playnely in wrytynge That Oeres sone of the ryche kynge Called Naulus as ye haue herde toforne Suche heuynesse in his herte hath borne Vnto Grekes repeyrynge home fro Troye That his luste and his inwarde ioye Was them to hyndre bothe hye and lowe And cause why to you is nat vnknowe To them he was so passynge enuyous In wyll and thought ylyke desyrous If he myght sothly this no les The deth to venge of Pallamydes Lyke as tofore the stroye can deuyse To you that be so prudent and so wyse And how Oetes now of malyce wrought And traytoursly newe menes sought If he myght by any maner weye Dyomedes vnwarely to destroye Of all this thynge I caste nat to fayle Ceryously to make rehersayle IN Grece was a kyngdome wyde large Conyumpt in one Calydonye and Arge Full habundaunt of rychesse and of rente Of whiche the kynge called was Pollente A worthy man and of noble fame And had a sone Assandrus was his name And a doughter passynge fayre of syght And sothly Egra I fynde that she hyght And for hir Fader lyke as wryt Guydo Hadde nomo but thyse childre two For them he hath of wysedome so prouyded This myghty reygne for to be deuyded Atwene them two after his dissees Eche with his parte for to lyue in pees To exclude them fro indigence or nede And she was wyfe vnto Dyomede Albe tofore the storye of hym sayde That he whylom loued well Crysayde I can nat say where it was doublenesse But well wot I Guydo bereth wytnesse And in his boke sothely sayth none other And how Assandrus his owne wyues brother Full lusty fresshe and full of manlyhede To Troye wente with this Dyomede But in the see fordyuen vp so downe They ryued vp in the regyon Called Boece all disconsolate With tempest dryue wery and full mate Them to refresshe and for none other thynge In whiche lande Thelephus was kynge Of whose ryuayle whan he herde sayne In his herte he hadde hye disdayne That they were bolde to do so great offence To entre his grounde hauynge no lycence And yet in sothe they dyde no damage To hye nor lowe of no maner age Nortoke nat that myght disauayle Vnto that lande but it were vytayle For whiche they payde iustly at the fyne For flesshe and fysshe and for brede and wyne Yet for all that of indignacyowne Kynge Thelephus is descended downe With great array to harme them if he myght And so they gan to bycker and to fyght And Assandrus full of hye prowesse Lyke a Lyon his fomen gan oppresse And wonder knyghtly the feld vpon them wan And slewe that day many worthy man Of hye courage and of manly pryde And whan the kynge whiche that stode asyde Sawe his men slayne on euery parte Of hye disdayne hent anone a darte And caste at hym alas the mortall fate And ê‘cyd hath thurgh mayles thurgh plate Of Assandrus that he felle downe dede The soyle aboute of his blode all rede His deedly wounde so began to blede And wood as Tygre tho came Dyomede And hym to auenge bare hym lyke a knyght Sleeth and kylleth and put them vnto flyght And after that suche sorowe gan to make Of knyghtly routhe for his brothres sake That he ne wyste what was best to do But as I fynde myd of all his wo From beste and foule the deed corps to saue Lyke his estate he lette make a graue And buryed hym after rytes olde But Oetes to his suster tolde That he was slayne by fraude of Dyomede To fyne that he myght full possede The reygne of Arge hole without stryfe With the purpartye annexed to his wyfe For by his deth he myght season take And tolde hir eke that she was forsake This fayre Egra for all hir womenhede Of hir lorde called Dyomede All this he tolde in helle be he chayned And ouermore he forged hath and fayned How of enuye Assandrus lost his lyfe And howe hir lorde hath take a nother wyfe That was to hir dishonour and shame And passyngly great sclaundre to hir name In preiudyce ydone of hir estate All this he tolde to make them at debate Lyke as he wrote in conclusyon To Clemestra of Agamenon Whiche hir herte made sore greue For he put hir fully in byleue Of all the treason ye haue herde me tolde That for yre she pale wexe and colde Vnkyndenesse so hir herte sleeth And heuynesse of hir brothreâ— deth For neuer yet Guydo doth assure No woman loued better a creature Than she loued hym in no maner age For firste at nought she sette hir herytage In comparyson of hir brothres lyfe Loo how Oetes made a newe stryfe As ye haue herde in the storye rede That gylteles worthy Dyomede Whan he hath longe at the sege layne And to his kyngdome wold haue come agayne By myghty honde of this worthy quene And hir lyeges that assentyd bene He was exyled out of that regyon There may be made no medyacyon Thus in hym selfe mate and dispeyred Disconsolate he is agayne repeyred To Salerne a londe of great rychesse Where that Tenter thorugh his worthynesse With crowne sceptre hadde reygned longe With his lyeges and his knyghtes stronge And brother was to Apax Thelamon Murdred tofore as made is mencyon And Dyomede pore and destytute May in Salerne fynde no refute For whan Tenter firste gan hym espye He sewed hym by full great enuye Hauynge to hym aye suspecyon Touchynge the deth of kynge Thelamon But Dyomede on a certayne nyght Full secretly hath taken hym to flyght And fro Salerne faste gan hym hye In hope to fynde better remedye Helpe or socoure in some other place If Fortune wolde graunte hym grace For of hymselfe ashamed and confuse As man forsake abiect and refuse Right so fared he wandrynge to and fro As he that ne wyst what was best to do BVt I fynde the Troyan Eneas That al this whyle styll at Troye was Oonly of routhe and compassyowne To supporte them that were lefte of the towne Beynge alway of theyr lyfe in doute Of theyr fomen rounde beset aboute As they that lyued for lacke of an hede Contynuelly in myschefe and drede Knowynge no refute nor comforte in this caas Tyll by counsayle of this Eneas To supporte them in this great nede They sent in