of any maner age Nor in that yle for to do damage To man nor beast where euer that they go But as to abyde for a daye or two Theim to refreshe and efte repaire anone When that the rage of the seas were gone And whyle that they vpon the stronde laye They did nought els but to disporte playe And bath washe them in the freshe ryuere And dronke waters that were soote cleare That sprange like cristall in the colde well And toke right nought but if it were to selle It was nothyng in their entencion Vnto no wyght to do offensyon Or to moleste or greuen any wyght But the vnstable rule of fortunes might Hath euer enuye that men liue in ease Whose hastie course vnwarely doth disease For she was cause god wote causeles This gery fortune this lady recheles The blinde goddesse of transmutacion To tourne her whele by reuolucion To make Troyens vniustly for to wene That Grekes were ariued theim to tene So that the cause of this suspicion Hath many brought vnto destruction Full many worthy of kinges and princes Throughout y e world reckened in prouinces Were by this slaundre vnto mischief brought For thinge alas that neuer was be thought For it was cause and chiefe occasiowne That this citye and this royall towne Destroyed was as it is playnly founde Whose walles hie were beteÌ„ downe to grouÌ„d And many a man many a worthye knight Were slayue there and many a lady bright Was wedowe made by duresse of this werre As it is kouthe and sith reported ferre And many a mayde in grene and tender age Be lefte were sole withouten mariage Behinde theyr fathers alas it fall shulde And for nought elles but y t fortune would Shewen her might and her crueltye In vengeaunce taking vpon this citye ¶ Alas that euer so worthy of estate Shuld for so lytell fallen at the debate Whan it is gon it is not like to staunche For of the graffing of a litell braunche Full sturdy trees growen vp full ofte Who clymbeth hye may not fall softe And of sparkes that be of sight small Is fyre engendred that deuoureth all And as a gnat first of litell hate Encauseth flawme of contek and debate And enuiouslye to sprede abrode full ferre And thus alas in realmes mortall werre Is first begonne as men may reade and se Of a sparke of litell enmitye That was not staunched fyrst wheÌ„ it begoÌ„ne For when the fire is so ferre yronne That it embraseth hertes by such hatrede To make them brenne as hote as any glede On other partye through his cruell tene Ther is no staunche but sherp swerdes kene The which alas consumeth all and slethe And thus the fine of enmite is death And though the ginning be but casuell The biding frete is passingly cruell To voyde realmes of reste peace and ioye As it fill whilom of this worthy Troye It doth me wepe of this case sodayne For euery wight ought it to complayne That litell gilt shuld haue suche vengeauÌ„ce Except percase through goddes purueaunce That this mischiefe shuld perhappes be The ensuing cause of great felycitye For Troye brought thus vnto destruction Was the ginninge and occacion In mine auctour as it is specified That worthy Rome was after edified By the of springe of worthy Eneas Whilom from Troy whan he exiled was The whiche Rome reade and ye may se Of all the worlde was head and chiefe citye For the famous passing worthinesse And eke wheÌ„ Troy was brought thus in distresse And y e walles cast broke adowne It was in cause that many regiowne Begonne was and many a great citye For this Troyan this manly man Enee By sundrye seas gan so longe to sayle Till of fortune he came into Itayle And wan that lande as bokes tellen vs With whom was eke his sonne Ascanius That after Enee doth by line succede The land of Itale iustly to possede And after him his sonne Siluius Of whom came Brute so passingly famous After whom if so I shall not fayne Whilom this land called was Britayne For he of geauntes through his maÌ„hode waÌ„ This noble yle and it first began ¶ From Troye also with this ilke Enee Came worthy Francus a lorde of hye degre Which after Rome teÌ„crease his high renowne Builded in his time a full royall towne Which he sothely his honour to auaunce After his name he made do call it Fraunce And thus began as I vnderstande The name first of that worthy lande And Anthenor departing from Troyens Began the cytie of the Veneciens And Sycanus within a litell while Began tenhabite the land of Cecile And after parting of this Sycanus His worthy brother called Syculus So as I finde reygned in that yle And after him it called was Cecile But Eneas is forth to Tuscy gone It tenhabite with people right anone And in Cicile he Naples first began To which full many Neopolitane Longeth this daye ful riche of great might ¶ And Diomede the noble worthy knight Whan Troye was fall with his toures faire Howe to his reygne he cast to repayre His lieges tho began a quarell fayne And him withstode w t al their might maine And of malyce and conspiraciowne They him w theld both sceptre the crowne Their deutye and theyr olde aligeaunce And him denied both trouth and obeyssauÌ„ce Wherfore anone so as the bokes tell With all his folkes he went for to dwell To Calabre and gan it to possede And there the knightes of this Diomede That fro Troye haue him thither sewed To fourme of byrdes wer anone traÌ„smewed By Circes crafte doughter of the Sonne And in the eyer to flee anone they gonne And called bene in I sodore as I reade Amonge Grekes the byrdes of Diomede Not as some bokes of theim list beare witnes This chauÌ„ge was made by Venê° y e goddesse Of wrathe y t she had to this worthy knight Onely for that she sawe him ones fighte With Eneas her ownely sonne deare At which time as they faughte yfeare And Diomede with a darte ygrounde Gan ame at him a deadly mortall wounde ¶ His mother Venê° gan anone him shroud Vnder a skye and a misty cloude To saue him tho that time fro mischaunce And for this skill Venus toke vengeaunce Into byrdes to tourne his meyne And in that fourme from yere to yere they fle Vnto his tombe where as he is graue So y t on him as yet a minde they haue That of custome for a remembraunce A rite they holde and an obseruaunce At his exequies these byrdes euery chone A dayes space and thence not ne gone And moreouer as it to them is dewe They loue the Grekes platly they eschewe Latins all for ought that may betyde For they present anone they flee aside And eche from other as bokes vs assure These byrdes knowe onely of nature Grekes and latines kindely assonder Whan they theym se y t which is such a woÌ„der
the hard stound So many knight caught his dethes wounde Without recure or any remedye ¶ And for a woman if I shall not lye Gan all this stryfe it was the more pytie That so great mischyefe or aduersytie Of mortall slaughter euer shulde betyde Better had be to haue sette asyde Suche quarelles all dere ynough a myte And let theÌ„ passe or y t the vengeaunce byte For wysedome were to caste afore and se If suche sklaunders myght eschewed be Or the venym gynneth for to rype For though y e men with hornes blowe pype Whan the house is fyred in his hete Of the sparke to late is then to treate That caused all wherfore at the gynnynge The remedye is put of euery thynge As euery wyght may deme in his reason ¶ And while that grekes lay at Tenedon Them to refreshe and to reste in peace The worthy kyng that hyght Pallamydes With thirtye shyppes out of grekes lande Stuffed w t knightê ful worthy of their hande The beste choyse of all his regyon Aryued is vp at Tenedon Wherof the grekes whan they had a syght Reioysynge them were ryght glad and lyght Hauynge regarde vnto his worthynesse Where they afore had made heuynesse For his absence that he was so longe And some of them grutched at hym stronge For he ne kepte his mouster at Athene But for to shewe that he was all clene Of any spotte in his conscyence Full manfully in open audyence Lyke a knyght he gan him selfe excuse Stoppyng all tho that theron lyste to muse ¶ Of his absence shewyng the cause why That for sykenesse and sodeyne malady He was coÌ„strained his presence to withdrawe And for they sawe that sycknesse hath no law They helde excused fully his absence ¶ And for he was of most reuerence Amonge grekes so no wight the secounde And was also full wyse and eke habounde Of golde and good auyse and prudent That what so euer he sette on his entent Knyghtly wisely he wolde aye well achieue And what soeuer he gan he nolde it leue Maugre his foen in no maner wyse Tyll that he sawe a fyne of his empryse And for he was most of opinion Amonge grekes and reputacion They him besought that he wolde be Of their counsayle auisely to forse What were to do in euery maner thyng And he assenteth vnto their axynge Benyngly of his great gentilnesse And grekes than dyd theyr busynesse To procede withouten more delaye Them to enhaste in all that euer they maye To gyn a syege and differre it nought And sundry waies they serched haue sought In their wyttes how from Tenedowne They may remeue towardes Troye towne From the hauen where their shippes be And some thought moste commoditee For best exployt by nyght pryuely Toward Troye towne that stode but fast by Proudely to sayle with their shyppes all And some sayde great peryll might be fall Towarde night for take the sea Lest with derkenesse they ennosed bee In their passage knowynge not the waye Wherof great harme after fall maye And thus diuers of opynyon Procedyng not to no conclusyon For in effecte their purpose not ne helde But styl abyden lodged in the fyelde Lyke as they had entryked be with drede ¶ Tyll on a daye the worthy Dyomede Of the grekes seynge the cowardyse Euen thus he his counsayle gan deuyse ¶ Syres quod he that be here now present If that he lyste all by one assent Goodly consyder aduertyng prudently What I shall saye tofore you openly Whiche of knighthode haue so noble name sothly me semeth we oughteÌ„ haue gret shame Whiche holde our selfe so mighty so stronge And in this lande soiourned haue so longe Nigh all this yeare and dursten in no wise Remoue hense for very cowardise What haue we do nought elles certaynly But to our foen graunted folyly Euen at their lust space and liberte To make theim stronge and oportunite Vs to withstande playnly at the hande And so they will ye may well vnderstande ¶ For daye by daye to our confusiowne They sought waies full wisely vp downe To get theim helpe in the meane space And theim enforced aboute in euery place Their large Cite with barres with palis Their walles mascued and agayn our skalis Trusteth theron made great ordinaunce And with all this of our gouernaunce They haue espyed seyng that for drede We haue no herte manly to procede In our purpose to hold with them the werre And aye the more they se that we differre The more they will catchen hardinesse Vs to resyste with al their businesse Also I se and trust it veryly That if we had afore hand manfully As we began knightly forth contynued Our Iourney had better be fortuned If sodaynly with stronge and mighty hande They vnauysed we had into their lande Without abode afore this time ariued Of which a while we must be depriued And delayed where fyrst the victorye To our honour with palme of high glory We might sothly ne had be our slouthe Our will complyshed this the playne trouthe Where maugre vs or we to lande ariue With stroÌ„g defeÌ„ce they will agayne vs striue And put vs of or we the stronde may win For aye the more we tarye to begin The more in sothe for me list not lye We put our selfe echone in Ieopardye What should I sayne or fage from y e trouthe For our tarying and our cowarde slouthe Are likely after to tourne vs to great sorowe Wherfore betimes on the next morowe My counsayle is our ankers vp to pulle In this matter no longer that we dulle But to enarme our shippes for the werre And at the vprise of the morowe sterre Let vs ordayne with knightly apparayle Out of thys hauen with the winde to sayle Of manly herte and lusty freshe courage Our course holdinge and our right passage Towarde Troye and landen openlye What euer fall for truste sykerlye Without scarmishe we may not ariue For they of Troye descende will as bliue Like manly men to mete vs in the berde But for all that let vs not be aferde But dreade avoyde and manhod set afore That cowardise ne entre at no bore For to adaunt the manhode of your herte And with that worde grekes gan aduerte The manly counsayle of this Diomede And in effect to procede in dede Vnto the poynt and for nothinge wyll spare And in what wise anone I will declare ¶ How the grekes laÌ„ded tofore Troy where they were stoutly fought with all Ca. xxi THe next morowe wonderly betime Or Phebus rose longe or it was prime Whan it began full merily to dawe The grekes hoost to shipward ginnen drawe With manly herte fully deuoyde of drede Onely through comforte of this Diomede But alder first anone as they awake The lordes wisely gan their counsayle take And concluded amonge theim euerichone Which of their shippes shulde y e formest gone And on the sea how they shoulde theim guye So to ariue that no man
if he maye To mete Hector of all that ylke daye ¶ But when that he was ybounde sore His wound to staunche that it blede no more More furyous than he was erst tofore Repeyred is with angre al to tore So aye the yre on his herte fret That he bare downe all that euer he met Slayth and kylleth he was so mercyles All tho that put theim selfe in the prease Or hardy were wyth 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 gyuen fayth And full credence of possybylyte As in Guydo clearly ye may se After that he caught his latter wounde Fynally the grekes to confounde So as it is affermed in certayne A thousand knightê w t his hande were slayn Without theim tho that I spake of rathe And newe alway he gan his swerde to bathe In grekes bloud that sodaynly they be So ouerlayne through his cruelte That greke was none of high nor low estate That he ne was awhaped and amate Of his knighthod and manly excellence For there was none to maken resystence Nor vtterly that durste take on hande Of all that daye Hector to wythstande ¶ And as is made also mencion Thylke daye kyng Agamenon As sayth Guydo came not into felde For causes great his presence he withhelde On grekes syde that al goeth vp so downe Hector on them so playeth the wood Liowne That to theyr tentes they fledde for socours And they of Troye proudly as victours Sewed after theim by traces of theyr bloud And there they wan treasour and great good And spoyled theim in full great dystresse Of their armure and of theyr richesse And fell on theim or that they were ware And home to Troye all that good they bare For fynally that daye wyth myschaunce Grekes had be brought vnto outraunce Without recure in sothe for euermore On euery parte they were belayde so sore Through the manhode of Hector y e mighte With helpe of many other worthy knyght That so felly agayne the grekes wrought For to such mischief playnly they theÌ„ brought That ne had be theyr owne pyteous slouthe Of pryde onely and of folye routhe They had of theim at theyr volunte That daye for euer had the soneraynte And recured through theyr hygh renowne Lordshyppe of theim and dominacyowne Whych shoulde haue laste and be continuall Victoryously and perpetuall Haue endured saue that cruell fate Is redy aye with fortune to debate Agayne thynges that gynne in wilfulnesse To make theim fine aye in wretchednesse Through theyr enuyous disposytion Of sodayne chaunce and reuolucion And vnware tourning of her false whele That wyll not byde when a thinge is wele Alas freyle deuoyde of sykernesse The cause was dimmed so with dercknesse That hath troians through false opynyon Yblinded so in theyr discrescion And specially fordercked so the syght Of worthy Hector the prudeÌ„t manly knyght To se afore what shulde after sewe By good aduyse the mischyefe to eschewe That folowed theim at the backe behinde Alas they were wilfully made blynde The same daye when they sytten softe By victorye on the hill alofte That they ne could of neclygence not se The after fall of theyr felycite So put abacke was theyr aduertence For lacke of reason and of high prudence For they their hap haue voided theyr grace That presently were set afore theyr face For in a man it is not commendable If fortune be to him fauorable And blandeshing with a forhead cleare To smyle on him with a plesaunt cheare Onely of fauoure for to helpe him oute When he in myschyefe is beset aboute If he refuse his hap of wylfulnesse Fortune auoyding through vnkindnesse Whan she ministreth to him of her grace Another tyme he shall not her embrace Whan he hath nede to her helpe at all To succour him or he catche a fall But rather then for his ingratitude Frowardly with mowes him delude Whan he best weneth to stande in sikernesse Fortune is aye so full of brotilnesse Remouable and ready for to flytte ¶ Her welfull houre y t who lyst not admytte With her fauour for to be allyed Another time it shall be denied When he were leuest finde her fauorable For in some houre sothly this no fable Vnto some man she graunteth his desyres That will not after in a thousande yeares Peraunter ones condescende Vnto his will nor his lust him sende ¶ As it hath fall this daye vnhappely To worthy Hector that so wilfully Wrought of head grekes for to spare Fatally when they were in snare For he of theim lyke a conquerour With victorye tryumphe and honour Might haue brought thrugh his hye renown The palme of conquest into Troye towne Which he that daye refused folylye ¶ For as he rode this Hector cruelly Amonges grekes slowe and bare all downe Casually he mette Thelamowne I meane Ayax nygh of his allye That of hate and cruel hote enuye To Hector rode lyke as he were wood Albe to him he was full nygh of bloud Yet for all that this yonge lusty knight Dyd his power and his full myght Without fayning to haue borne hym downe Whose father hyght also Thelamowne That hym begat the storye telleth vs Of Eryon syster to Pryamus And this Ayax flourynge in yonge age Freshe and delyuer and of great courage Sette on Hector of knyghtly hygh prowesse And as they met both in theyr woodnesse On theyr stedes these manly champyons Eueryche on other lyke Tygres or Lions Began to fall and proudly to assayle And furyously seuere plate and mayle First with speres longe large and rounde And afterwarde with swerdes kene ygrouÌ„de And fyghtyng thus longe they do contune Tyll it befell of case or of fortune Token or sygne or some apparence Or by natures kyndly influence Whych into hertes doth full depe myne Namely of theym that borne be of one lyne Whych cause was peraunter of these twane Naturally theyr rancour to restrayne And theyr yre for to modefye Onely for they so nygh were of allye Vnwyst of other and therof vnsure Tyll they were taught onely of nature For naturally bloud wyll aye of kynde Drawe vnto bloud where he may it fynde Whych made Hector kyndely to aduerte To be meued and stered in his herte Both of knyghthod and of gentilnesse Whan he of Ayax sawe the worthynesse ¶ Spake vnto him full beningnely And sayd Cosyn I saye the trewly If thou lyst grekes here forsake And come to Troye I dare the vndertake To thyne allyes and to thy kynrede Thou shalt be there withouten any dreade Full well receyued in partye and in all Of theim that be of the blode royall Sothly decended and hyghest of degre That it of ryght shall suffyse vnto the And kyndely be to the great plesaunce For to repayre vnto thyne allyaunce Of gentyll herte sythe nothyng is so good As be confedered with his owne bloud For I conceyue by thy worthynesse Whych nature doth kyndly in
In sorowe and care in labour and in wo And with all this ye wotte well also Sith fyrst tyme that the werre began Of our grekes how many worthy man Hath loste his lyfe thrugh deathes fatal woūd That hytherto haue myght lyued be sounde At home in Grece assured well in ioye If they ne had comen vnto Troye That to remembre it is full great pyte ¶ And ouer this I saye also for me Amonge Troyans in their cruell mode I haue so moche loste of my bloude That hath full ofte made pale of hewe ¶ This other day also grene and newe I had of Hector suche a mortall wounde With a quarell sharpe what and grounde Aboue the thygh so kene was the head The same daye afore that he was dede Of very happe as it was yshape That from the death vnneth I might escape Whiche yet all freshe is vpon me sene Large and wyde and as yet but grene The smerte of whiche I yet ful sore cōplayne ¶ And in good fayth me semeth that Heleyne If ye aduerte wysely in your thought With suche a pryse shulde nat haue be bought Where through our lyfe and our good yfeare And our honour are yput in were And dreadfully hangen in ballaunce For yf that ye in your remembraunce Conceyue aryght and casten vp and downe The sodayne chaunge and reuoluciowne That fallen hath syth the werre began The slaught death of many worthy man That for her sake hath here loste his lyfe And yet the worste of this mortall stryfe Doth moste rebounde into our damage To disencrease and eke disauauntage And lykely is dayly to be more If ordenaunce be not made therfore And remedy shape on outher syde By fyne onely that Heleyne do abyde With them of Troye styll here in the towne And let vs caste by good inspectiowne For our ease some other maner waye ¶ So that the kynge called Menelay Chese hym a wyfe in some other londe Lyke his estate by suraunce or by bonde Vnder wedlocke confyrmed vp of newe That vnto hym wyll be founde trewe Syth that we without gylte or synne May him by the law from this Heleine twyn For of dyuerse causes be ynowe Thrughout y e world of euery wight yknowe Of auoutry for the foule vyce That it to lawe is no preiudice ¶ Though Menelay iustly her forsake Whan so his lyste and an other take That shall hym both better queme and please And so to vs it shall 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 labour is so importune That we ne shall no whyle mowe sustene For this is soth withouten any wene Troyans yet be flourynge in their myght And w t them haue full many worthy knighte To helpe them of hye and lowe degre And therwithall so stronge in their cite On euery parte without and eke within That we are not lykely for to wynne In our purpose though we euer abyde Wherfore by wysedome let vs voyden pryde And wylfulnesse onely of prudence To haue the eye of our aduertence To our profyt more then vaine glorye And while our honour shineth by victory A wysedome is to withdrawe our honde Sith we may not constrayne by no bonde Fortunes whele for to abyde stable Wherfore I rede or she become mutable This gery goddesse with her double chere Let vs gyue vp suche thynge as lyeth in were Whyles that we may our alder worshyp saue For of the werre the laude yet we haue Consyder well how by your manhead ¶ Our most foe Hector is now dead And whyle that we in our honour floure My counsayle is before fortune loure As I sayd ere to chaunge her bryght face Whyle that we beste stonde in her grace By one assent and one oppynyon Without any contradiction Of herte and wyll both of one and all Or our honour on any partye pall Into Grece that we home returne For if that we longer here soiourne On the quarell that we haue longe sewed Doutles it may not be eschewed 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 benynge Most blandyshynge 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 playnly if that we Coulde haue an eye to our felicite Whyle that it is in his ascencion ¶ But lest some man wyll make obiection That we may not so our honour saue To repayre playnely but we haue Helayne agayne that is cause of all To whiche thynge anone answere I shall ¶ If any man in his fantasye To dishonour or to vyllanye Arrecte wolde in any maner kynde We to go home and leue her behynde Shortely to saye I holde it be no shame Syth that we haue one as great of name ¶ As is Heleyne and of byrthe as good Amonges vs ycome of kynges bloud ¶ Syster to Pryam lorde of Troye towne ¶ Exiona whom that Thelamowne In kepynge hath if I shall not feyne In Troye towne as Parys hath Heleyne And syth nowe it may be none other Let the tone be set agayne the tother And the surplus of olde enmyte Betwyxe vs and Troye the cite My counsayle is for our both ease By one assent wysely to appease This all and some and that we hence wende I can no more my tale is at an ende ¶ To whom anone kyng Menelaus For very yre wood and furyous ¶ And kyng Thoas the duke eke of Athene As they that myght no longer hym sustene To suffre hym they were so reckles Spake all attones vnto Achylles Not onely they but through inpacyence The courte perturbed without prouydence With tumulte gonnen to repreue ¶ This Achilles and proudely them cōmeue Agaynst hym and his opynyon And sayde shortely in conclusyon Vnto his read they ne wolde assent Nor condescende to nothyng that he mente To be gouerned by him in this case ¶ For whiche thynge anone Achylles was So full of yre and rancour in his herte That sodaynely from his see he sterte And went his waye as he were in a rage Tryste and pale and a wood vysage And shortly sayde for him lyke not fayne That he ne wolde longer do his payne To helpe them how so that they spede Agayne Troyans for no maner nede ¶ And bad anone this hardy Achilles To his knyghtes called Myrmydones That they no more with spere nor with shelde To helpe grekes entre into fyelde But kepe thē close at home within thetr tente Thus in his yre he gaue commaundement To all his men as ye haue herde deuyse Them to withdrawe at euery hygh empryse Whan so euer they go into battayle And in this whyle scarsenesse of vyttayle Fell in the hoost of fleshe of bred and wyne That many Greke brought vnto his fyne
ought I can espye Hath fredom honour and humanytye At ones made out of his courte to flie Chose dishonour and let worship gone There is no more but we shall euerichone That he hath chose helpe to fulfiil When that power shall not be like his will That is to saye and sothe it shall be founde That his dede shall on him selfe rebounde Sith of malyce he hath this worke begonne Perauenture or that the somer sonne To zodiak hath thrise gone about For let him trust and nothing be in doubte We shall him serue w t such as he hath sought For if I lyue it shall be dere abought Albe therof I set as nowe no tide And in this lande I will no longer abyde Till I haue leysur better to soiourne And with that worde begā anone to fourne With manly face and with a sterne cheare All sodeynly vnto the messagere That fro the kinge was so vnto him sent And in this wise he sheweth his entent ¶ My frende quod he I haue wel vnderstād The message hoole that y u hast toke in hand From thy kinge to bringen vnto vs. Right nowe vnwarely sith it standeth thus That nowe I haue his meaninge euery dele From poynt to poynt and vnderstande it wel Worde by worde and playnly it conceyued And the giftes that we haue receyued On his behalfe in this our great nede I will remembre and take of it good hede To euery thing that thou hast to vs brought For truste well that I forget it nought But shall imprinte it surely in my minde And withall this how goodly that we finde The great bountie in all maner thinge Within this land of Lamedone the kinge His welcominge and his great cheare And goodly sonde that thou bringest here Not accordinge as to our entent For god well wote that we neuer ment Harme vnto him nor playnly no domage To none of his of any maner age And there vpon the goddes inmortall That of theyr kinde ben celestiall Vnto recorde with all mine herte I take And touching this my borowes I thē make In witnessing we ment none offence Ne haue not taken as by violence Within this realme of woman childe or man And so thou mayest reporte if thou can But for that we fordriuen in the sea Compelled were as of necessyte For to ariue as thou hast herd me sayne Onely to reste vs here vpon the playne Without more vnto a certayne daye And afterwarde to hold furth our way Vpon our Iourney and make no tarying Like as thou mayste recorde vnto thy kinge And saye him eke he shall the time se That he perauenter shal mowe thanked be Whan time commeth by vs or by some other Go furth thy way say him thus my brother ¶ And then anone as Iason was in peace The manly knight the worthy Hercules Whē he had herd this thinge fro point to poīt He was anone brought into such disioynt Of hasty rancoure and of sodeyne Ire The whiche his herte almost set a fyre That sodeynly as he abreyde abacke Of hie disdeyne euen thus to him he spake With chere askoyne vnto the messengere And sayd felowe be nothing in feare Of our abydinge but do the well certayne That are Titan his bemes reyse agayne We shall departe and hence to shyppe gone That of our men shall not be lefte one Within this lande god to forne to morowe And there vpō haue here my faith to borowe For we no longer shall holde here soiourne For elles where we shall make our retourne To morowe early by the daye dawninge On payne of reprefe and so go saye thy kinge And or thre yeare yf god vs graunt life Maugre who grutcheth or maketh any strife Vnto this lande we shall agayne retourne And cast anker a while to soiourne Take hede therof and note well the time A newe chaunge shall folowe of this prime And thē his power shall not so large stretche Of his safe conduit litell shall we reche I say the platly as is our entent We will not haue vnto his maundement But small regarde and we that day abyde For taking leue shal be set aside Bycause he hath begonnen here a playe Which we shal quite by god if that we may That tourne shall into his owne shame And spare not to say thy kinge the same ¶ This messeger then gan agayne replye And sayd syr ye may not me denye Of honeste my message to declare Auise you well for I will not spare The kinges sonde playnly for to tell And where so beye liste to go or dwell Ye may yet chese who so be lefe or lothe Ye haue no cause with me to be wrothe For it sit not vnto your worthinesse If ye take hede by waye of gentellesse Of manassing suche arowes for to shete For bett it were your thretninge to lete And kepe secret till ye be at your large For certaynly no parcell of my charge Is to striue with you or make debate But better is betimes than to late That ye beware for harmes that mighte fall And for my parte I say vnto you all It were pytie that ye destroyed were Or any man shulde hinder or do dere So worthy persons in any maner wise Which likly ben to be discrete and wise And lest w t wordes as nowe I do you greue I saye no more I take of you my leue THe nighte ypassed at springing of y e day When that the larke with a blessed laye Began to salue the lusty rowes rede Of Phebus chare y t ther were freshly sprede Vpon the bordure of the oriente And Aurora of herte and hole entent With the swetenes of her siluer shoures Bedewed had the freshe somer floures And made the rose w t newe bawme to flete The soote lylye and the margarete For to enclose theyr tender leues white Oppressed hertes with gladnes to delite That drery were afore of nightes tene And hony suckels among the bushes grene Enbawmed had enuyron all the eyre Longe or Titan gan make his repayre With the brightnes of his beames merye For to reioyse all our Hemisperie For longe aforne are he did arise This worthy Iason in full hasty wise And his felowe Hercules also Ycharged haue theyr shypmen haue ado To hale vp anker and theym ready make And bad in haste euery man to take The right way vnto the shyppe anone For in sothnes this manly man Iason Thought he was not stuffed of meyne To gin as than a werre on Troye citye For he was not shortly to conclude Egall in nombre nor in multitude As for that time a werre to beginne It was not likely that he shuld wynne Victorye as tho for they were but a fewe And it sitteth nought for a man to hewe Aboue his head when it is ouer hye Leste that the chippes do fall in his eye Wherfore of Troye they leue the costes bliue They drewe vp sayle the ship began to driue The winde was good the goddes
fauorable Fortune theyr frende though she be variable And thus to Colchos safe they ben ycome And vnto lande safe both all and some They ben ariued in a litell space For in the sea founde they haue such grace Of Neptunus that caused them as blyue As I sayd erst at Colchos to aryue NOw in this yle and in this lytell lande That Colchos hight ye shal vnderstāde Howe that there was a royall cheife cyty In al that reygne most of dignitye Of worthinesse of ryches and of fame And Iacomtes tho it bare the name Chefest of all to speake of buylding With stretes large and curyous of housinge And therwith all dyched well without Stronge walled and toured rounde about Of huge height and aloft battayled And y e ryght strongly leste they were assailed With many paleys stately and royall For there was tho the seat most principall The kinge to abide better than elles where And at that time it happed him be there And he was called Oetes as I reade Full renōmed of knighthod and of manhead And him about a well besene meane Like as was sitting vnto his degre And euery where the landes enuirowne The fame spredde of his hye renowne And al about this mighty chiefe citye Where as Oetes helde his royall sea Were riuers freshe of which y e waters cleane Lyke cristall shone agayne the sonne shene Fayre playnes as Guydo beareth wytnesse And holsome hilles full of lustinesse And many lake and many lusty welle And there were eke mine auctour cā you tell Full many a parke full fayre freshe to sene And many wode and many a medowe grene With sundry floures among y e herbes meynt Which on theyr stalke nature hath depeynt With sundry hewes within and eke withoute After the season as somer came aboute For fishing fouling for hauking eke also For venery and hunting both two The place was right inly delytable Of corne and grayne passingly greable And plenteous in all maner thynge For their men harde the birdes freshely syng In tyme of yere in their hermonye That the noyse and soote melodye On freshe braunches full delycious Reioyse wolde these folkes amerous Whom loues bronde had fyred to the herte And efte adawen of their paynes smerte That certeynly whan that grene Vere Ypassed was aye fro yere to yere And May was come the month of gladnes And freshe flora of floures Emperesse Had cladde the soyle newe at her deuyse This noble place was lyke to Paradyse And Ceres goddesse of largesse and foyson Suche plentye gaue vnto that regyon Of fleshe of fyshe wyne vitaile and corne That the lycour of her full horne Vpon the londe so gan to raine and snowe That all astates yea both high and lowe Lad their life in soueraiane suffysaunce With al that nature coulde or might auaūce This litle yle with her giftes great Lyke as toforne ye haue harde me treate For ther was plētie ther was habundaūce And there was al that might do pleasaunce To any harte and all commoditee And so befell that to this citie Iason is come and with him Hercules And after them foloweth al the pres Full well arayed and royally be sayne Their armes enclosed togyther twayne and twain A people chose as it were for y e nones And therwith all of brawnes and of bones Eueriche of theim of makyng and facion Full well complete as by preportion Yonge of age and of good stature Sadde of countenaunce and full demure That euery wight had great pleasaunce To se the maner of their gouernaunce So yonge so freshe hardy and meke also And all at ones they to the paleys go With suche a chere that eueriche hath disport To see the maner of their noble porte So gentylmanly they demeaned were That the people prese gan euery where To see these straungers lyke the grekes gyse Demeane them selfe in so thryfty wyse And of desire the people ne wolde cesse Aboute them to gather and impresse And to enquere what they myght be That of newe with suche a royalte Ben sodeynly entred into the towne Thus eueriche wold with his felowe rowne They were so rude to stare and to gase To gape and loke as it were in a mase As townish folke done so comonly Of euery thynge that falleth sodeinly But how Oetes lyke a worthy kyng Whan that he harde fyrst of their comyng Receyueth them and hooly the manere If that ye lyst anone ye shall it here VVhan y t the king hath sothly vnderstāde How the grekes come were to lande And how Iason was also there with all Borne by dissente of the blud royall Of Thesalye and lykely to be heyre If he by grace haue againe repeire The auentures achyued of Colchos The kynge anone out of his sea arose Of gentillesse in all the haste he may In goodly wyse to mete theim on the waye And them receiueth with a cheare benigne And vnto them anone he doth assygne His offycers tawayte them night and daye Chargynge them in euery maner waye That what soeuer may to them do ease Or any thyng that may them queme or plese That they it haue in foyson and plente Eueryche of them lyke to his degree Thus he commaunded in al maner thyng And than anone this noble worthy kyng As he that was of fredome a myrrour Through many halle and many riche toure By many tourne and many dyuers waye By many gree made of marbyll graye Hath them conueyed a full easy pase Tyll he thē brought there his chambre was Where he with them helde his daliaunce And there anone with euery circumstaunce Of manly fredome he made vnto them chere And in his chambre englosed bright cleare That shone ful shene with gold with asure Of many ymage that there was in picture He hath commaunded to his offycers Only in honour of thē that were straungers Spyces and wyne and after that anon The yonge freshe the lusty man Iason As fast gan by lycence of the kyng For to declare the cause of this comyng But fyrst the kyng with great royalte Assended is into his royall sea Clothes of golde ranged enuyron After the custome of that regyon That to beholde it was a noble syght Stondyng aboute many a worthy knight And many a squyre and many a gentylman Full well besene and the kyng right than Vnto Iason stondyng in presence Commaunded hath of his magnifycence With Hercules to sytte a downe besyde And Iason than no longer lyste abyde Of his commyng the cause for to shewe The effect of which was this in wordes fewe Saue Iason fyrst ere he his tale began Full well auised and chered lyke a man Conceyued hath and noted wonder well From poynt to poynt his mater euerydell And not forgot a worde in all his speche But euen lyke as rethoryke doth teache He gan his tale so by crafte conueye To make y e kyng to that which he wold seye Condescende and rather to enclyne For to assente
lykely for to fade And whan she came the grekes for to glade The halle in soth she walketh vp and downe Of womanhede and pure affectiowne To make chere vnto these gestes newe And thus Medea with her rosen hewe And with the freshnesse of the lyllye whyte So entermedled kyndly by delyte That nature made in her face sprede So egally the white with the rede That the medlynge in conclusyon So was ennewed by proportion That fynally excesse was there none Of one nor other for both two in one So ioyned were longe to endure By the empresse that called is nature For she her made lyke to her deuise That to beholde it was a paradyse In verye soth bothe to one and all Of olde and yonge that sytten in the hall Therto she was as by successyon Borne to be heyre of that regyon After her father by discent of lyne If she abyde and dure after his fyne Syth he ne had by ryght to succede One heyre male that I can of reade She was also the boke maketh mencion Were vnto yeres of discretion Able for age maryed for to be And not withstondynge also eke that she Was of beaute and of womanhede One of the fayrest that I can of read Yet none of bothe haue her youth let That to clergy was her desyre set So passyngly that in speciall In all the artes called lyberall She was expert and knowynge at the beste It was her vre to konne what her lyste Of suche a woman herde I neuer telle At Helicon she dranke so of the welle That in her tyme was there none semblable I founde in sothe ne none that was so hable As to conceyue by studye and doctrine And of natures to dispute and termine She coude also and the causes fynde Of althinges formed as by kynde She had in lernyng so her tyme spente That she knewe of the fyrmament The trewe course and of the sterres all And by their meuynge what that shulde fall So was she lerned in astronomye But moste she wrought by nycromancye With exorsismes and coÌ„iuracions And vsed also to make illusyons With her charmes sayde in sondrye wyse And with rytes of diuers sacrifyse Encens and ryches caste into the fyre To shewe the thynges lyke to her desire With gootes hornes and with milke blude Whan the mone equat was and stode In the fyfthe or in the syxte house And was fortuned with lokyng gracious To these an houre that were conuenient And fortunate as by enchauntement To make and worke sundry apparences So well she knewe the heauenly influences And aspectes bothe wrothe and glade For she by them all her thynges made That apperteyne to suche experimentes For whan her lyst by her enchauntementes She coude make the wyndes for to blowe To thondre lighten and to haile snowe And frese also to greue men with payne And sodeynely she coude make to rayne And shewe what wether that her list to haue And gasten men with sodeyne erth quaue And tourne the daye vnwarely vnto nyght And then anone make the sonne bryght Shewe his beames full persyng ful shene With golden hornes to voyde nyghtes tene And reise y e floodes w t many a dredful wawe And whaÌ„ her list she coude them eft w tdrawe Eke yonge trees to sere roote and rynde And afterward make them againe in kinde With lusty braunches blome budde newe Also in wynter with floures freshe of hewe Aray the yerth and tapyte hym in grene That to beholde a Ioye it was to sene With many colour shewynge full diuers As whyte and rede grene ynde and pers The deysy with her ryche perled crowne And other floures that winter made frowne Vpon their stalke freshly for tappere And sodeynely with a deadly chere She coude somer into winter tourne Causynge the daye with mystes for to mone And olde men she coude make yonge And efte agayne or any here was spronge She coude them shewe both in head berde Ful hore and graye in crafte so was she lerede And trees w t fruite she coude also make bare Of rinde and leafe to do men on them stare Eclipse the mone and the bryght sonne Or naturally they had theyr course yronne To them apropred which they mai not passe For if that Tytanes course by kindly trase Whan so he meueth vnder the clyptik lyne The clipse mott folow as auctours list diffine So that there be by their discription Of bothe twayne full coniunction And that the sonne with his beames red Haue his dwellyng in the dragones head And the mone be set eke in the tayle As by nature than it maye not fayle That there must fall eclyps of veary nede In sondry bokes like as ye may read Bycause of certayne interfecacions Of diuers circles and reuolucions That maked ben in the heauen alofte Whiche causen vs for to fayle ofte Of the freshe and comfortable stremes That be vs shad from Phebê° bryght bemes For so the mone hath made deuisyon By this sodeyne interposicion That of our syght the stremes visuall May not beholde nor yet ysene at all Nor to our luste fully comprehende How Phebus in his chaire is cheuansende As we were wonte aforehande for to see But of all this the great Ptholome Kyng of Egypt telleth the causes why Within his boke and that compendiously Bothe of Eclyps and coniunction And why they fall by naturall mocion But of Medee though this clerke Ouyde T encrease her name vpon euery syde Lyst suche thynges in his fables tell Though he of poetes was the spryng well Yet god forbede ye shulde gyue credence To suche feynyng or do so hyghe offence Sith of nature it must be denyed Al suche affirmyng and likewise be diffyed Of euery christien stedfast in beleue For certainly it wolde hyghly greue Our conscience in any wyse to wene Agaynst kynde whiche is so hye a quene That any wight or lyuynge creature Shulde haue power I do you plaine assure So cursed thynges supersticious To do or worke to kynde contrarious ¶ For god almyghtye Iudge of Iudges all Hath sette a lawe the whiche may not falle Amonge planettes eternally tendure Afore ordeyned in his eternall cure The whiche may not as clerkes lyst termine Vpon no syde bowen nor declyne But as they were from discorde or debate Eternally yformed and create Through the fynger of his sapience Alway to meue in their intelligence Lyke as they be to his lordshyp bounde For neuer yet was eclyps yfounde The mone not beinge inconiunction As I haue tolde saue in the passyon The which eclyps was tho against kinde Nature her knot that tyme lyst vnbynde Whan goddes sonne starfe vpon the roode The sonne of lyfe was derked for our good Whan heauen and erth w t hye compunction Haue sygnes shewed of lamentacion By earthquakes light tourned to derkenes And dead bodies vpwarde gan them dresse From their tombes againe from deth to liue Stone and rocke a sonder gan to
also at theyr lust they had They gaÌ„ to saile and with theÌ„ home they lad Yong Exione and many a mayde mo That out of Troye into Grece go And sayling forth within a litell space They be escaped fro the sea by grace And vnto land aryued merely At whose commyng the Grekes vtterly So ioyfull be of theyr good spede And specially in Guido as I reade Theyr shyppes were w t golde treasour lade Wherof in herte they wexe wonder glade And for they had outward so well theÌ„ borne To ouerthrowe and haue so fewe ylorne Of theyr meyne they thanke theyr goddes al. And of the grace that to theym is fall For w t y e treasour y t haue they home brought Full many pore was made vp of nought Throughout y t laÌ„d there was such habuÌ„dauÌ„ce So much good and so great suffisaunce That no wight had among theim nede And many day this blessedfull lyfe they lede From yeare to yeare by reuoluciowne And for theyr manhod theyr high renowne Theyr honour ran round the world about That theim toffende many laÌ„de hath doubte For theyr knighthod for they were so wyse Vntill the storye last agayne deuise In this matter ferther to procede With the fauour of your goodlyhead I wil me rest for a lytel space And thaÌ„ vpborne w t supporte of your grace For taccomplishe as I you vndertoke And here an ende of the first boke I make now with quakyng hand for dreade Onely for feare of you that shall it reade Lest ye alas of hasty mocion Ne will not haue no compassyon Pytye nor routhe vpon my rudenesse Lowly besechyng to your gentilcesse Of mercye onely both nigh and ferre Where ye finde that I fayle or erre For to correcte or ye further flyt For to your grace I hooly all commit ¶ The Translatour complaineth the misfortune of the Troians in the losse of theyr City liuely describyng the tykle estate of Fortunes gouernaunce beginning in the same chapyter his secound boke persewing the matter of the sayd historye Ca. x. THe enuious ordre of fortunat meninge In worldly thynge false and flikerynge Nil suffer vs as in this present life To lyue in reste without werre or stryfe For she is blinde fikel and vnstable And of her course false and ful mutable Who sitteth highest she caÌ„ him downe encline WheÌ„ he least weneth and bring hym to ruine With the awaytes that gladly ben sodayne And with her face that parted is in twayne Shewe most hole whaÌ„ she is lest to tryst That well were him that her deceytes wist And her engines and her trappes knewe That in her courte euery daye be newe Of which in sothe I well affirme dare No mortall man may in this life beware For she vneuen peysing in balaunce With counterfete and fayned countenaunce With loâ—ing playn cheare of flatterye Vnwarely can do blere a mannes eye And him begile this the very sothe With a face blandishing and smothe When she hath him froÌ„ high degre made low Full falsly smile and make to him the mowe And yet somewhyle most varyaunt of hewe She vnto some pretendeth to be trewe For she whylom to some is fauorable And to some false and like deceiuable She can reise one and bring another downe This false lady of transmutacyowne To some she giueth renowne victorye And doth theym floure in honoure glorie And some she can appayre with false fame And giltles perde put a man in blame To some she is goodly and beninge And of disdeyne she can also malygne Agayne an other and make hym lowte lowe And froÌ„ their see she can great kinges throwe And theim auayle for all their high toures And she can plonge worthy Emperours From the hyll of hye prosperetye Into the vaile like of aduersytye The ryche emprishe of rancoure dysdayne And eft the pore she can enhauÌ„ce agayne This false goddesse with her eyen blinde Set one afore another goeth behinde And doth one renne maketh another halte And one she can high in riches exalte And an other plonge in pouertye In whom no man may haue securytye To some suger and hony she distilleth And to other some she the bottel fylleth With bytter gall mirre and aloes And thus this lady wilfull and rechles As she that is froward and peruers Hath in her seller drinkes ful diuers For she to some of fraude and of fallas Ministreth piment bawme and ypocras And sodeynly when the soote is past She of custome can giue him a cast For to conclude falsly in the fine Of bytter eysell and of egre wine And corrosynes that fret and perce depe And Narcotikes that cause men to slepe Thus she to theim that her can aproche After swete the bitter can a broche Thus in her reygne this quene of varyaunce Whose ioye alwayes fineth with mischaunce Who trusteth her she will him ouercast And him deceyue playnly at the last Of what estate soeuer that he be This double lady of mutabilitye Se here example of king Lamedon Whom she hath brought to confusion For litel cause and for a thing of nought Her crueltye he hath to deare abought Wherfore I reade euery man take hede To gin a quarell where as is no nede For litell fyre vnder ashes reke So may be kindled that it will out breake Into such flawme men may it not apease Who best can suffer moste shall haue his ease Therfore ye kynges and lordes euerychone Make you a myrroure of this Lamedone And be well ware to do no violence Vnto straungers when they do none offence Whan they come fer into this region Ne suffer theim by none oppression Within your bondes for to haue no wrong For in your owne though that ye be strong And mightye eke among your lieges all Another daye perauntre may befall That when that ye ful lytell thynke on it Of sodeyne case thus may ye be aquyt And ythanked in another place Of auenture where ye may fayle of grace Therfore when ye may any such espye Do theym good cheyre of your curtesye And prudently consyder in your witt That to a lorde of gentilnesse it syt To euery straunger goodly him to haue There is nothing may more his honour saue Than to refreshe them frely and disporte Than may they after good of him reporte By whose coÌ„trary hath much wo be wrought Afore this time if so it be well sought The first Troye thus vtterly destroyed And the people in sorowe and wo acloyed Lad into exyle a farre from theyr Cytye Lyuing in thraldome and captiuitye And Exyone as ye haue herde me tell Led into Grece with Thelamon to dwell For whoÌ„ there was as Guido caÌ„ you teache After take so great vengeaunce wreche On eyther parte that in very trouthe For to heare it is to great a routhe As in this boke ye may hereafter rede Ceryously if that ye list take hede For gladly aye by reuolusyon Of fatall thing by disposicion So enuyous
might Only on foote with many sotyll poynt And some of them were naked and enioynt To wynne a pryse they dyd their full entent And there was founde by clerkes full prudent Of the chesse the playe moste gloryous Whiche is so sotill and so meruaylous That it were harde the matter to discryue For though a man studied all his lyue He shall aye fynde dyuers fantasyes Of wardes makynge and newe inparties There is therin so great diuersytie And it was fyrst founde in this Citie During the syege lyke as sayth Guydo But Iacobus de vitriaco Is contrary in his opynyon For lyke as he maketh playnly mencion And affyrmeth at full in his aduyse How Philometer a philosopher wyse Vnto a kynge to stynte his crueltee Foūde first this playe and made it in Caldee And into Grece from thence it was sent Also in Troye by great auisement The playe was founde first of dyce tables And castynge the chaunces deceyuables That cause haue byn full ofte of great debate For if that one be now founde fortunate To wynne a whyle by fauour of his chaunce Or he be ware with sodeyne varyaunce Vnhappely he is put cleane a backe And other folke that stode vpon the wracke And by their losse were plonged in distresse They reysed haue in haste to hye rychesse Gladnesse of one is to an other rage A deuaunt of hasarde and passage If one haue ioye a nother suffreth wo Lyke as the bones ronnen to and fro An hundred syth in a daye they varye Now blandyshing now they be contrary No man with them assured is in ioye ¶ And first also I read how that in Troye Were songe and red many freshe comedies And other dities that called ben tragedies 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 onely doth expresse Of such as be in pouerte plonged lowe ¶ But tragedye who so lyste to knowe It styll begynneth in prosperitie And endeth lykewyse by aduersytie And it doth also of the conquest treate Of ryche kynges and of lordes great Of mighty men and olde conquerours Which by fraude of fortunes sodeine shoures Be ouer caste and whelmed from their glory And whylom thus was halowed y e memorye Of tragedyes as bokes maken mynde When they were red and songe as I fynde ¶ In the theatre there was a smale aulter Amyddes sette that was halfe Circuler Which into East of custome was directe Vpon the whiche a Pulpet was erecte And therin stode an auncient poete For to reherse by rethorykes swete The noble dedes that were hystoryall Of kynges prynces for memoryall And of these olde worthy Emperours The great empryse eke of conquerours And how they gate in Martes hye honour The lawrer grene for fyne of their labour The palme of knighthod disserued by old date Or Parchas made them passen into fate ¶ And after that with chere and face pale With style enclyned gan to tourne his tale And for to synge after all their loose Full mortally the stroke of Attropose And tell also for all their worthy head The sodeyne breaking of their liues threde How piteously they made theyr mortall ende Thrugh false fortune y t al y e world wil shende And how the fyne of all their worthynesse Ended in sorowe and in hyghe tristesse By compassynge of fraude or false treason By sodaine murder or vengeaunce of poyson Or conspyryng of fretyng false enuye How vnwarely that they dydden dye And how their renowne their mighty fame Was of hatred sodeynly made lame And how their honour dawnward gā decline And the mischiefe of their 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 deadly face all deuoyde of blode Synging his ditees with muses all to rent Amyd the theatre shrowded in a tent There came out men gastfull of their cheres Disfygured their faces with viseres Playing by sygnes in the peoples syght That the Poet songe hath on heyght So that there was no maner discordaunce Atwene his ditees and their countenaunce ¶ For lyke as he a lofte dyd expresse Wordes of ioye or of heauinesse Meaning and chere beneth of theim playing From poynt to poynt was alway answering Now triste now glad now heuy now light And face ychaunged with a sodeyne syght So craftely they coulde them transfygure Conformyng them to the chante plure Now to synge and sodaynely to wepe So well they coulde their obseruaunces kepe And this was done in Apryll and in May Whan blosmes new both on bushe and hey And floures freshe gynne for to sprynge And the byrdes in the wood synge With lust supprysed of the somer sonne Whan these playes in Troye were begon And in the theatre halowed and yholde And thus the rytes of tragedyes olde Pryamus the worthy kyng began Of this matter no more tell I can BVt I wyll forth of this storye wryte And on my matter boystously endyte How Pryamus was passyng dylygent Ryght desyrous and inwardly feruent If so he myght amonge his workes all Do bylde a palays and a ryche hall Whiche shulde be his chose chyefe dungyon His royall see and souerayne mansyon And whan he gan to his worke approche He made it builde hye vpon a roche It for to assure in his foundation And called it the noble Ylion The syght of whyche iustly circuler By compasse cast rounde as any sphere And who that wolde y e content of the grounde Truely acounte of this place rounde In the theatre fyrst he muste entre Takyng y e lyne y t carueth through the centre By geometrye as longeth to that art And trebled it with the seuenth parte He fynde myght by experience The measure hole of the circumference What lande also playnly eke with all Conteyned was within the stronge wall The crest of which in place where lowest was Vpreysed was full syxe hundred pase Builded of marbell ful royall and ful stronge And many other ryche stone amonge Whose toures were reysed vp so hye And who that lyst by greces vp assende He there might se in his inspection The fayre boundes of many regyon And prouinces that stode rounde about And the walles within and eke without Endlonge were with knottes grauen cleane Depeynt with asure golde cinople grene That verely when so the sonne shone Vpon the golde meynt amonge the stone They gaue a lyght withouten any were As doth Apollo in his midday sphere And all the windowes and eche fenestrall Wrought were of beryle of cleare crystall ¶ And high amiddes this noble Ylion So ryche and passing of foundacion Whych clerkes yet in theyr bokes prayse Kyng Priam made an hall for to rayse Excelling all in beaute and in strengthe The latitude according with the lengthe And of marbyll outward was the wall And the tymbre
noble in speciall Was halfe of Cedre as I reherse can And the remnaunt of the ryche Heban Which most is able as I dare specifye With stone to ioyne by craft of carpentrye For they of tymber haue the soueraynte And for to tel of this Heban tree Lyke in bokes sothely as I finde It cometh out of Ethiop and ynde Blacke as is geate and it wyll waxe anone Whan it is korne as harde as any stone And euermore last wil and endure And not corrupt with water nor moysture And of this hall further to diffine With stones square by leuel and by line It paued was with full great dilygence Of masonrye and passyng excellence And all aboue reysed was a see Ful curyously of stones and perre That called was as chiefe and pryncipall Of the reygne the seate most royall Tofore which was set by great delyte A borde of Heban and of yuerye white So egally yioyned and so clene That in the worke there was no ryft ysene And sessyons were made on euery syde Onely the states by ordre to deuide Eke in the hall as it was conuenable On eche partye was a dormaunt table Of yueree eke and of this Heban tree And euen agayne this kynges royall see In the partye that was therto contrayre Yraysed was by many crafty stayre High in the hall in the other syte Ryght as lyne in the opposytr Of pured metall and of stones clere In brede and length a full rych aultere On which there stode of fygure and vysage Of massy golde a wonderful ymage As to be honoured in that high seate Onely in name of Iupyter the great ¶ And the statue for all his huge weyght Fyftene cubytes compleyt was of heyght A crowne of golde high vpon his heade With heauēly saphyres many ruby redde Fret enuyron with other stones of Inde And amonges were medled as I fynde Whyte pereles massye large and rounde And for most chefe all dirkenesse to confound A Carbuncle was set as kyng of stones all To recomforte and gladden all the hall And it to enlumine in the black night With the freshenes of his ruddy light The value was therof inestymable And the ryches playnly incomparable For this ymage by diuision Was of shape and of proporcion From heade to foote so maysterly entayled That in a poynt the workmā hath not failed It to parfourme by crafty excellence Whom Priamus with dread and reuerence Honoured hath aboue the goddes all In all mischiefe him to clepe and call For in him was his hole affection His soueraygne trust and chefe deuocion His hope also and his affyaunce His welth his ioye and his assuraunce And his welfare and his prosperytye He hath committed to his deyte Wening in herte wonder sykerly To be assured from all mischefe therby And diffended in eche aduersytye And holde his reygne in high felicitye And in honour contynually to shyne While Iupyter through his power diuine Hym and his hath in protection This was his trust and full opinion And thus this worke to the ende achyeued Wherof Pryam with ioye full releued That he his Citye and noble Ilion Hath fully brought vnto perfection Lyke his entent whā he therof began And thus Pryam this king this worthy man Full many a day in this newe Troye With his lyeges lad his lefe in ioye Where I hym leue in his royall sete Soueraygnly reygning in quyete Procedyng forth if so ye list to heare Vnto the effect anone of my matere ¶ How king Pryā send Anthenor into Grece to haue restored ayen his sister Exion Ca. xii O Hateful harme which most is for to dred Kindled so longe o sparke of olde hatred Roote and debate grounde of enuy and yre With newe flawme hertes for to fyre O grayne of malyce causer of all offence Of rancour rusted of impacyence Which hast of newe made festred sores smert Whan thou art ones raked in an herte Which for disdayne of mercye mayst not lete A man no whyle to lyue as in quyete But deluest vp malyce manyfolde Debates newe that buryed were of olde And falsly quyckest strifes to restore That enuious serpēt that was slayne of yore Which felly hath this addre enuyous Out of his rest awaked Pryamus And with his venim so persyng and so ille Made him wery to lyue a lyfe tranquille And meued hym of his iniquitee Vpon the Grekes auenged for to be For where as he in peace held his reygne With his lyeges in ioye souereygne Without anoye or any perturbaunce This serpent hath wyth newe remembraūce Without aduyse or discrete areste So hote a flawme kindled in his breste Of olde enuye with freshe rancour meynte That lykly is neuer to be queynte For Pryam nowe in his entenciowne Cast and compasseth reuoluing vp downe Howe strong he was of ryches and meyne How noble and mighty was his newe Citye And habundaunt shortly to conclude Both of plentye and of multitude Of men of armes and of chyualrye Which stered him to haue a fantesye Alas the whyle to his vnhappy chaunce That to be dead he take will vengeaunce Vpon his foon the fyre of hote enuye So brent him inward by melancolye Standing in purpose y t no man chaūge may Of his domages auenged be some day And of iniuryes y t thei on him haue wrought ¶ And when that he had a tyme out sought To his purpose most conuenient Anone he hath for all his lordes sent And his knightes called euerychone To come in haste excused was not one Namely of theim that were of hygh degre And they obeying with all humylitye His bydding hooly and made no delay To come echeone agayne a certayne day And his sonnes were also tho present Hector except that was that tyme absent In the stronge and mighty regyon Of Panomye which in subiection Kinge Pryam held through his worthynesse And to amende thinges and redresse Hector was gone into this Panomye Certayne causes for to iustifye As in his reason he thought for the best To settle theim in quiet and in rest For he was aye so iust and so prudent So well aduysed and so pacient And so demeaned in his gouernaunce That him was lothe for to do vengeaunce Where as he might in easy wise treate For to reforme thinges small and great For lothe he was this noble worthy knighte For any haste to execute vnright Or causeles by rygour to condempne And in this while full worthy and solempne Kinge Priamus of lordes great and small Within Troye held a court royall As he that lyst for no cost to spare And ceryously his meaning to declare He in his see his lordes enuyron Gan to shewe his hertes entention ¶ O worthy lordes assembled here present Faythfull and trewe of herte and of entēte It is well knowen to your discrecion The great domages and foule oppression Which that y e Grekes haue vpon vs wrought Without cause for a thinge of nought This other daye as who sayeth yet but late
That as I trowe so newe is yet the date That it is freshe remembred in your mynde Vnto your blode if so that ye be kinde For I suppose no foryetfulnesse May put away the mortal heuynesse Of harmes olde whych aye renewe agayne As in my mynde I saye you in certayne And as I trowe playnly in your thought It yet is grene and ne dyeth nought How they haue slaine our olde progenitours That whylom were so noble werreours Our Cytye brent and brought vnto ruyne And robbed it falsly by rauyne And tourned all into wildernesse And into Grece caryed our rychesse My father slayne that hyght Lamedon Without cause or iuste occasyon And raught frō him his golde his treasour Which as me semeth is a foule errour We might of ryght amendes well chalenge And eke desyre to be fully aduenge Afore the goddes of full high offence Onely of reason and of conscience And passyng all theyr mortall crueltee There is one thinge that most greueth me That they vngoodly agaynst all gentyllesse Without regarde as to the worthinesse To the byrth ne the royall blode Of her that is so fayre and eke so good I meane my syster called Exyon Whom they alas to theyr confusyon Disuse and kepe not like to her degre From day to day in such dishonestee Where thrugh her honour her name is lorn Cōsiderīg nought of what stock she was born For they are blinde for to take hede Or to aduert the roote of her kindred Of surquidrye they be so indurate And syth that she borne of so highe estate Ytreated is like as ye may se We may coniecte that those of lowe degre Gouerned be passing dishonestly For ye may thinke and demen truely How wyues and maydens in that companie With other eke that be of your allye Yhaunted 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 liue in torment seruage Without routhe mercy or pitee The which toucheth you as well as me And as me semeth of equite and of ryght Ye ought echone with all your ful might Of the wronges with which ye be offended To seke a waye how it might be amended And that we worke all by one assent And sins procede like to our entent Of theyr malyce and cursed crueltee All at ones auenged for to be And that we be in herte wil and thought Of one accord and ne varye nought For then our force is doubled and pouste For right and reason and good equite Requyre vengeaunce on him y t doth y e wrōge Though it so be we differre it longe I truste also the goddes rightwisenesse That they shall helpe our harmes to redresse And fauour vs in our innocence To chastice them that wrought this offence ¶ Also ye knowe how that this our Citye Is stronge mighty and of great suertye With toures high walled for the werre That also fer as shineth sonne or sterre There is none like for to reken all That may in force be therto peregall Ye knowe also as it shall eft be founde With cheualrye how that we habounde Except in armes and of olde assayed That yet for dreade neuer were dismayed And we haue plenty also of vytayle Of frendshyp eke that ne will vs fayle With all theyr might to do to vs succour Wherfore I reade without more soiour To set vpon theim sith we be well able And time is nowe me semeth couenable For manhode byd to make no more delaye To venge a wronge hap what so euer maye For in differring is oft drawen in domage To worke in time is double auauntage For to our purpose lacketh neuer a dele And through our manhod we be assured wel But that we be not holde to hasty Or to rakell to worken wilfully And werre also stant in auenture For aye of Mart doubtous is the eure I reade first to Grekes that we sende To wyt if they our harmes will amende Without stryfe werre or more debate Then may we sayne that we be fortunate And yf they be contrarye of reason To condiscende to this conclusyon To graunte our askyng of equite and righte Then haue we cause for to preue our might But are that we proceden by rygour We shall assaye them fyrst measure As fer as ryght and reason eke requere And of disdeyne yf them lyst not here Than our quarell deuoyde of wylfulnesse Yrooted is vppon good sykernesse And if that we of their great offence Demaunde amendes fyrst in pacience God and fortune I hope wyll not assent That in the ende we shulde the same repent And it is better by peace to haue redresse Than gyn a werre without auisenesse Therfore let vs our wofull auenture Paciently aye suffre and endure And in our porte both humble be playne Tyll they to vs their answere send ayene For though so be in myne entencion I meaued am by iuste occasyon In Irous sort proceadyng to vengeaunce I wyll put all out of remembraunce And letten slyde by foryetfulnesse The wronges do and voyde all heauinesse Toward grekes and axe of them no more But that they wyll Exiona restore To vs againe whiche is to me most dere Only to stynte hatred debate and werre For the surplus of our mortall eure We shall dessymule and prudently endure Our harmes olde forth in pacience If ye accorde vnto my sentence Saye here vpon as ye be full auysed For yf this sonde be of them despised And that them lyste to reason not obeye Than we may iustly seke a nother waye To haue redresse for now there is no more Saue I purpose to senden Anthenore Whiche is a man discrete and well auysee And specially in mater of treatee For he is both wyse and eloquent As ye well knowe and passyngly prudent And whan the kyng had tolde his tale anone To his counseyle they consent echone That Anthenor this iourney vndertake And he in hast gan him ready make Without abode and wyll not ones denye To take on hym this embassadrye Full well auised in his discrecion Toke or he went informacion From poynt to poynt of this great charge For he hym caste to stande at his large Without errour as he that coulde his good For he theffecte full playnly vnderstode And euery thyng he prynted in his thought Or that he went hath forgat ryght nought For of a worde he caste him not to fayle To shyppe he goth and began to sayle And in short tyme he and his companye Aryued be vp into Thesalye At a citie called Monosyus Where by fortune was kynge Pelleus The same tyme and Anthenor anone Vnto the kynge the right way is gone Of whom he was as Guydo hath conceiued At pryme face right beningly receyued But whan he knewe the cause of his comyng He bad in hast without more tarying To Anthenor with a fell visage Shortly to saye theffecte of his message THis Troian knight astoned neuer
purpose wende Only of head and not forsee the ende For of pryde and of sodayne heate They voyde them selfe out of all quyete Aduertyng not to worke auysely Nor the prouerbe that teacheth comonly He that stande sure enhaste hym not to meue For yf he do it shall him after greue And he that walketh surely on the playne Where if he stumble it is but in vayne Onlesse so be he lyste of his folye Be neclygent to put hym wylfully In auenture and of hym selfe to reche To eschewe peryll I holde he be a wreche For sothly Pryam thou were to rechelese For to commytte thy quyete and the peace So dredfully durynge by no date To cruell fortune or to fykell fate Whose maner is of custome comonly That whan a man trusteth most suredly Of this goddesse blynde and full vnstable Then she to hym is moste deceyuable Hym to abate from his royall stalle And sodeynly doth make hym downe to falle And with a tryp throwe him on the backe Who that gayne striueth shal haue lytle tacke She is so slyely with her gylefull snare That she can make a man for his welfare With her pantre that is with fraude englewed Whā he least weneth for to be remewed Therfore no man may hope affyaunce In fortunes rule so full of varyance Ne lete no wyght his ease more Iuparte Then he ne recke how she the game departe To tourne his chaunce outher to well or wo For selde in one she doth the game go As ye may see example of Pryamus That of his foly is so desyrous To worke of head and folow so his wylle That troubled is the calme of his tranquille As in the boke hereafter shal be founde Hym and his citie platly to confounde And vtterly to his confusyon That afterwarde by longe successyon It shal be red in story and in fable And remembred with dytees delytable To do pleasaunce to them that shall it here That by this sample they beware and lere Of hasty lust or of rashe voluntee To gyn a thyng wherin no suretee Dependeth aye as stryfe werre and debate For in such play vnwarely cometh check mate And harme ydone to late is to amende Whose fyne is ofte other then they wende In this story as ye shall after see And lette Pryam alwaye your myrrour be Hasty errour by tymes to correcte For I anone my poyntill wyll directe After the maner of his traces rude Of this story the remnaunt to conclude THis worthy kyng euer of one sentence Aye more and more fyred with feruence Hath his breuettes and his letters sente For his lordes to holde a parlement And them cōmaunded in al the hast they may To come anone at their assygned daye From euery warde and party of the towne For to assemble in noble Ilyowne Chiefe of his reigne when they were echone With hym present this noble kyng anone Tofore theim all as shortly as he can His wyll declareth and thus he than began ¶ Syres quod he bycause ye be so wyse It nedeth not longe processe to deuyse For to reherse of your comynge the cause But for to tell shortly in a clause What I meane and maketh no more delaye Ye wotte how I now this other day Sent into Grece by counsayle of you all A knyght of myne that Anthenor is call To haue recured Exiona agayne Whose message tho was not but in vayne For of grekes full vncurteysly He was receyued and dispyteously Threte and rebuked in poynt to haue be dead Vnneth he myght escape with his head They put on hym such hygh offence blame That muche redoundeth to our alder shame And day by day it must encrease the more But we ordeyne some remedy therfore For there as we all measure haue them offred They haue to vs werre and stryfe yprofred Of hyghe despyte of rancour and of heate And of malys cruelly vs threate And where as we wold peace of thē purchace For wronges done they felly vs manace And for y e harmes y t they haue to vs wrought They not purpose playnly in their thought Other redresse nor amendes make But vtterly with werre vs to awake Whose ioye is fully encrease of our greuaunce So wolde god they were with repentaunce Contryte in herte to stynten all myschiefe That lykely is to fall and eke the grefe On outher parte that it myght ouer slyde But they alas with rancour with pryde Are swole of new to threaten more and more But god defende halfe deale of the sore By infortune that euer shulde be fall As they purpose to euery of vs all But syth they haue deuysed thus for vs We must resyste their wyll malicious Through myght of god as of necessitie In our deffence it wyll none other be And beste I holde vnto our entent To worke and do all by one assent So we our purpose sonest shall achieue Where is discorde there may no quarell preue For on that parte where hertes be not one Victorye may no way with them gone Chiefe of conquest is peace and vnitie Ryght as discorde is of aduersytie Wherfore I read that of a wyll and harte Lette vs set on to do the grekes smerte For sothfastly if so ye lyste to se I dare affyrme that we farre stronger be Than be the grekes vpon euery parte And haue of armes parfytly the arte And be accoūted of knighthod crop and roote And plenty haue of horsemen and on foote Arrayed well eueryche in his degree And therwith also stronge is our Citie For to withstonde our fomon euerichone You counsayling and syth ordayne anone Fyrst tassemble holy your nauye And stuffe them strongly w t our chiualrye And into Grece hastely them to sende The proude grekes manly to offende And of iuste cause and by tytle of ryght On theim to werre with all our force might Their townes bren and their fyeldes waste With herte vnfayned also vs enhaste To quite them as they deserued haue For by my read we shall none of them saue But cruellyf to do on theim vengeaunee Ne hath no eare ne let be no greuaunce Though they tofore by fortune were victours And slewe our fathers progenitours For he that was of vnhap fyrste put downe Remounteth ofte and that to hyghe renowne As by the charge and duble varyance Of werre and stryfe that aye is in balaunce For he that this day is assured wele We see to morowe cast downe of the whele The victor ofte lykewyse in aduenture And vanquished as by discomfyture Of hym that had afore the victorie Now vp syth downe in armes stant the glory In Martes chaunce no man may him assure But as it cometh so must he take his eure For gery Mars by sudden influence Can gyue a man whylom excellence To wynne a pryse lyke a conquerour And sodaynly as falleth the somer floure He can his honour make for to fade For whan that he all his aspectes glade From any man lysteth for to wrythe His olde renowne
bryng forth a worde ¶ And thus Bachus the strōg mighty lord Ful oft causeth folkes for to erre For to debate and to maken werre Of hastynesse where as is no nede Wherfore it is wysedome that men drede His sleyghty workyng or they fall in snare And feble braines by measure for to spare Or they vnwarely arested be and take And or Bachus make theim for to shake In a feuer worse than tercyen If it of custome be cotydyen Alterat with Bachus myghty Ious And affered of tourning of the hous And fordreynt on the drye lande When he hath lost the vse of foote hande And with a strawe playeth lyke an ape And deuoutly ginneth for to gape And noddeth oft wyth his Iowsy heade As he had on an heauy cappe of leade And who that be of this condicion He entre maye the relegyon Of myghty Bachus for habylite The whych lorde hath the souereynte Both of hony and of mylke therto And of bawme that is so ryche also And lordshyp hath of high power diuine Both of grapes and of euery vyne Theim to nouryshe through his influence Of whom the honour and the reuerence Is reysed most as I vnderstande Amonges vynters in euery maner lande Bycause he is to theim so gracious ¶ And they of Lemnos worshyp Vulcanus The god of fyre Iubyter his smythe The whych forgeth on his blacke stythe The great thonder hydous and horryble And the leuens that whylom be visible Into the west out of the Oryent And gasteth vs with his dredful dent The smotry smyth this swarte Vulcanus That whylom in herte was so Ialous Toward Venus that was his wedded wife Wherof there rose a deadly mortall strife Whan he with Mars gan her first espye Of hygh malyce and cruell false enuye Through y e shining of Phebus bemes bright Lying abed with Mars her owne knight For which in herte he brent as any glede Making the slaundre all abrode to sprede And gan theron falsly for to muse And god forbede that any man accuse For so lytell any woman euer Where loue is set hard is to disseuer For though they do such thing of gentilnesse Passe ouer lyghtly and beare none heuinesse Lest that thou be to women odius And yet this smythe this false Vulcanus Albe that he had theim thus espyed Amonge Paynems yet was he defyed And for that he so falsly theim awoke I haue him set last of all my boke Amonge the goddes of false mawmentrye And in this wyse gan ydolatrye As ye haue herde through oppynyons Of people erryng in theyr affections That all is false who the trouthe serche For by teaching of all holy churche By holy doctryne and tradicions We shal despyse such opynyons Whych of the fende were founde not of late For whan aungelles in heauen were create He that of all had the prelacye Of whom the prophete called Esaye Wryteth ryght thus how the Cedres grene Of Paradyse were not so fayre to sene Planys nor fyrre in heyght soth to sayne To his highnes might not attayne Nor all the trees so delycious Of Paradyse were not so precious Nouther in sight nor in semelinesse To be egall to him as in fayrnesse But through his pryde and his surquidrye Whan so he sayde to god that syt so hye He wyll be lyke and also set his see High in the north passyng his degre He was cast downe wyth all his legyons From the fayre heauenly mansyons All sodaynly into the pyt of hel Perpetually there for to dwell Of whom was sayde whan he fel so ferre How fell thou so O thou morowe sterre From the middes of the stones bryght That be so persyng and fyery of theyr lyght That whilom were for thy great bryghtnesse Called Lucifer of whō Christ sayeth expresse In his gospell how he sawe fro heauen Sathan descende lyke the fyery leuene The olde serpent that is so lowe yfall Whom the Hebrues in theyr tunge call ¶ Bemoth that doth in latin playne expresse A beast rude full of cursednesse The vile serpent he Leuiathan Whom I sydore well descryue can Whych of kynde is neuer conuersaunt In welles trouble and hath most his haunt Amonges waters and in the large sea Of whom sayth Dauid like as ye may se In his Psalter making mencion Of the snake the monstruous Dragon ful of venym and of hard grace Whych in the sea large and great of space Wyth foule adders hath his mansyon Vnto mankynde to do illusyon Whom whylom sawe the holy monke Brādā As he sayled forthe by the Occyan Thorowen and deiect in a pyt horryble More foule and hydous than it is credible There to abide this tortuous serpent Vnto the daye playnly of Iudgement That of malyce enuyed so mankynde Whych with his ginnes sleightes as I find Came to our fathers first in paradyse And to deceyue the bet at his deuyse More couertly this worme in his passage Toke of a serpent the lyknesse and ymage That is of cheare of loke and countenaunce Lyke a mayde and hath resemblaunce Of a woman as recordeth Bede In his deceytes rather for to spede I meane the face onely and not elles For behynde so as clerkes telles Lyke a serpent of wombe backe and tayle He was whan he gan him to assaile And towarde Eue whan he gan to glyde He fyrst enquereth as he her toke asyde Why god forbad theim eten of the tree Whych if they eate sothly they shulden be Like to goddes knowing good and yll And right forthwith as they gan fulfyll The fendes hest theyr eyen were vnclosed And for theyr gylt sodaynly deposed From Paradyse into wretchednesse To lyue in labour sorowe and distresse And thus the fende whan that fyrst he toke Fourme of a snake and a womans loke And made the tunge in her heade to meue By false engene mankinde for to greue So as he doth in theim that be trauayled With wycked spyrytes vexed and assayled To meue theyr tunges falsly out to breake Into blasphemy what thinge y t they speake The same serpent he Leuiathan Continuing aye falsely as he gan In cursed Idolles dombe deafe and blinde Ful oft speaketh by spyrytes as I finde Which are but fendes Dauid wryte certayne ▪ The goddes all whom folkes so in vaine Honour with rites supersticious As whilom was Apollo Delphicus Like as tofore ye haue herd deuise Which as for now ought inough suffise ¶ And as I trowe the very cause why That myne auctour reherseth by and by Grounde and ginnyng of Idolatrye This the cause for ought I can espye For that he sawe the matter was not knowe Ilyche well both to high and lowe Perauenture you to do pleasaunce He hath the grounde put in remembraunce Of false goddes and of mawmentrye And most for theim that can no poesye ANd to y e storye resorteth soone agayne How Achilles as ye haue herd me saine And Patroclus haue the waye ynome To the temple and thyther be ycome To haue aunswere of theyr
embassadrye Of great Apollo whych may not lye Of y e pryestes they haue theyr counsaile take In the temple to praie and to wake Tyll they may finde vnto theyr entente To haue aunswere at time conuenient To theyr purpose and leysure oportune ¶ And of one herte so longe they contune In praying fastyng and oblacions Wyth sacrifise and sundrye orysons Tofore the god awayting alwaye fast Tyll he to theim answered at last With softe voyce and sayde Achilles twye Home to Grekes fast that thou the hye From whom thou were hyther to me sente And saye thē sothly the sūme of their entent Shal be fulfylled withouten wordes mo And how that they shall to Troye go And there abyde many stronge battayle But at the last withouten any fayle At ten yeares daye they win shall the towne And brynge it playnly to destructiowne Wall and toures fall shal to ruyne And with al this theyr purpose for to fyne Kyng Priamus and Hecuba his wife And theyr sones in this mortall stryfe Shall there be slayne brother after brother This is the fine for it may be none other For there shal none escape in the place But such as Grekes liketh vnto grace Of very routhe and of mercy take This all and some and thus an ende I make Of which aunswere Achilles glad light Was in his hert and with al his myght Thanketh Apollo of his blesfull eure And sodeynly of sorte or aduenture The selfe tyme befell a wonder thynge For out of Troye from Pryamus the kynge Was sent a bysshop for the same case To haue answere and named was Calchas And he came in fool without prese The same houre whyle that Achilles Was there present a man of great scyence I meane Calchas had experyence Especially of calculacion Of sorte also and dyuinacion And lerned was in astronomye And whan that he his tyme dyd espye To haue answere most conuenient Of Appollo lyke to his entent As heretofore maked is memorye He entred is in to the oratorye Doyng his rytes and his obseruaunces Lyke the custome with the circumstaunces And besely gan to knele and praye And his thinges deuoutly for to saye And to the god crye and call ful stronge And for Apollo would not tho prolonge Sodaynly his aunswere gan attame And sayd Calchas twies by his name Be right wel ware thou ne tourne agayne To Troye towne for that were but in vayne For finally lerne this thinge of me In shorte tyme it shall destroyed be This is in sothe whych may not be denyed Wherfore I wil that thou be alyed With the Grekes and with Achilles go To theim anone my will is it be so For they shall haue as I haue disclosed Victorye and honour that may be disposed For it is fatall and ne may not varye And thou to theim shalt be necessarye In counseling and in yeuing rede And be right helping to their good spede And with that worde rose him vp Calchas And to Achilles he went an easy pace And whan that he came to his presence With great honour muche reuerence He was receiued like to his estate And after soone they were confederate Swore togyther be bonde and assuraunce To be al one withouten varyaunce And than in haste they togyther gone To theyr shippes shope theym forth anone With Patroclus goyng by theyr syde They hale vp the anker and no longer byde But sayle forthe Calchas and they twayne Toward Grece theim nedeth not complaine On winde and wawe till they aryued be At Athenes that stode vpon the sea A large Citye of olde foundacion And Achilles to kyng Agamenon Hath Calchas brought and also Patroclus And whan the Grekes the storye telleth vs Assembled were they together went Tofore the king and Calchas represent To all the lordes and no longer dwell And right anone Achilles gan to tell Without abode in Delos how they mette Tofore Apollo where they aunswer fette And how the god hath playnly determyned The Grekes purpose how it shal be fyned Vpon Troians and bad Calchas also In no wyse that he to Troye go But with Grekes that he abyde styll Tyll they theyr purpose fynally fulfyll Of whiche thyng the grekes glad of chere Calchas accepte with herte full entere For one of them confederate by 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 cheryshe hym whyle theyr lyfe may dure For weale or wo and so they made an ende And after parte and to their lodgyng wende TIll on the morne after the sterry nyght When Aurora was gladded w t the light Of Phebus beames the grekes vp aryse And to their goddes with many sacryfyce They do honour in what they can or may And deuoutly holdyng a feast daye After their rytes meynt with loue and drede In remembraunce of the good spede And of the answere y e goddes haue them sent So agreable vnto their entent By Patroclus and by Achilles And after this amonges all the prese Is Calchas come tofore Agamenon All his lordes syttynge enuyron Lyke their estates eche in his place dewe And humbly gan them all to salewe Vpon his knees with sobre countenaunce And prayed them it be no displesaunce To stynte a whyle and gyue hym audyence And ryght anone as made was sylence Amonge them all Calchas gan abrayde And euen thus full sobrely he sayd OH syres quod he and my lordes dere Kynges Princes Dukes that be here So noble echone worthy and famous And eke so manly and so vertuous Whiche in this place be now here present Is not the fyne and chiefe of your entent And cause also why that ye echone Assembled be to Troye for to gone With this power and this great strength Your purpose is to longe drawe a length And differred forth from day to daye To your damage platly this no naye For to longe ye soiourne in this yle And trowe ye not that Pryam in this whyle Hath his espyes amonge you pryuely I wote it wele I saye you faythfully To knowe the fyne of your gouernaunce And he there whyles may make purueaunce Hym to defende while ye in ydell reste Me semeth sothly ye do not for the beste For in abydyng and in suche delayes Great harme may fal certayne this no nay is I preue it thus for playnly whyle that yee To your enmyes graunte this lybertee Them to puruey they may with mighty hand Enforce them your power to withstande With their fryendes and their allyaunce And at leysour make their ordinaunce It is foly that ye so dyfferre Syth ye be ready for to make a werre On your ennemyes with euery circūstraunce For nothyng may a quarell so auaunce As hasty suite it will the sharper byte The Iron hoote tyme is for to smyte And not abyde tyll that it be colde For it wyl neither plye then nor folde Go sette vpon all of one accorde And
to preue Enforsing him to their destructiowne ¶ And as he rode amonge theim vp down ¶ Kinge Humerus hath a bowe take And to shote gan him redy make And hatefully therin set an arowe And to Hector he marked hath so narowe That he smote him euen amid the face But or he might any ferther pace Hector smyt him with so great a payne That w t his swerd he roue his head atwayn ¶ The death of whoÌ„ when the grekes know Mine auctour saith they haue an horn yblow That vnwarely with that dreadfull sowne SeueÌ„ thousaÌ„d knightê came at ones adowne About Hector without more abode But of force through theim all he rode Maugre theyr might that him tho withsette And slowe all tho that his way lette And would do stynt playnly tyll he came To his father the worthy kinge Pryam With many worthy full famous of renowne That wyth his knyghtes fast by the towne Laye all the daye with men on horse foote As he that was of knighthod crop and roote And kept him close in full high prudence Tyll Hector came vnto his presence And him besought in this great nede With thre thousand that he would him spede Vpon grekes in theyr full rage To fall on theim at most auauntage ANd theÌ„ in haste this worthy Priamus With his knightes freshe desyrous Towarde grekes hath the waye ytake And such a mordre gan vpon theim make That many grekes laye dead on the playne For Pryamus hath theim so sore belayne On euery halfe through his great might That they full fast fledde out of his syght So sore of newe he vpon theim sette ¶ And as I fynde they tohether mette ¶ Hector and Ayax of cruell auenture And on their stedes stronge and wonder sure The storye sayth in all the haste they konne Lyke wood Lyons they together ronne With so great might y t were they lefe or lothe Vpon the playne they were vnhorsed bothe ¶ And in this whyle Menelay the kinge Sodaynly as he camen ridinge He slewe of Troye a worthy admyrall And thus the slaughter passingly mortall Renewed aye for that Celidonas The neuewe slewe of the kinge Thoas And MadaÌ„ met mine auctour writeth thus A grekyshe kinge called Cedeus Which w t his swerde such a stroke him sette That through y e vmber out his eye he smette ¶ And Sardellus that was of Troye eke The same whyle slewe a worthy greke A lorde of name and of high prowesse Although Guido his name doth not expresse ¶ And then also came Margaryton On Troye side agayne Thelamon And both two inly set a fyre Of high disdayne and of hatefull yre As they met on horse backe both yfere Kinge Thelamon sothly as I lere Gaue vnto him a deadly wounde cruell ¶ But tho came in the Troian Phanuell And Prothenor smote downe of his stede And thus the sones playnly as I reade Of Pryamus nothing nat dismayde The grekes haue on euery parte outrayed And so knightly all the daye theim borne That many greke fatally hath lorne His life in sothe of hate and enmyte And kinge Anglas is fall on Meneste Of Athenes Duke and gouernoure And with a spere of yre and olde rancoure He ran and smet him tho amyd the shyelde But for al that his sadell yet he helde ¶ And for that the Duke spere had none He with a swerde to Anglas rode anone And through y t owmber roue of nigh his nase That he astoned stode as in a mase When that he sawe the condyte of his blode So streame out but for all that he rode Out asyde fully deuoyde of feare Vnto the time that he staunched were ¶ But Deamor his owne brother deare When he behelde his mortall blody cheare ¶ Of high disdayne he rode to Meneste And him vnhorseth but vp anone sterte he And or he might fully vp aryse Another brother in full creuell wyse Is fall on him so that of them thre Attones weten vpon Meneste Fully in purpose he shall lese his lyfe But he so knightly bare him in that stryfe Agaynst theim that wonder was to se And vpon him most cruell of theim thre Was one Thoas eldest of echone Which him to sleye was busy euer in one For all to broke they haue his basenet ¶ But when that Tenter sawe him so beset A grekishe kinge as made is mencion Had in his herte great compassyon And thought playnly of manhode him releue And if he might his fomen for to greue But all for nought was his busy payne For Hector tho fallen is on both twayne ¶ Vpon Tenter and on Meneste ¶ And had theim slayne ne had Ayax be Which vnto Hector faste gan him hye A thousande knightes in his companye Him to withstande and Meneste to saue From his handes if he might him haue ¶ But Parys tho and the king of Perce With fiue thousande as I can reherse Of worthy knightes and many troian mo Be vnto Hector all at ones ygo In thryfty wise cydyng on a rowe For Parys made a trumpet to be blowe At whych there came knightly enbattayled Many Troian full well apparayled Whych in the fielde of Hector were conueyed For of one herte they fully haue obeyed Vnto the bydding of this Troian knight All freshe and newe to begyn a fyght Vpon grekes as ferre forth 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 destructiowne Wrought vpon theÌ„ by theim of Troye towne And specially of Hector as I finde Whych on that day as Dares maketh minde With his hande a thousande knightes slowe That neuer were adawed of their sowe For greke none dare in his waye dwell For w t his swerde he coud theim so compell To lese theyr grounde of necessyte And lyke as shepe afore the wolfe to fle ¶ And as I reade amiddes this victorye Hector hath met vnder a Tentoree ¶ Amonges grekes Mereon the kinge To whom he spake without more tarying Oh thou tratoure thy houre aprocheth faste For thou art come sothly to thy laste Thy fatall daye hath his course yronne For truste well or westrynge of the sonne I caste platly to quyten the thy mede And with my swerd in haste thy bloud to shed For thou so bolde were on me to daye Me to disturben of my ryche praye At the spoylyng of kinge Patroclus That for cause thou were presumptious Me to disturbe thou shalt anone be deade And downe he sterte smote of first his head ¶ And him to spoyle also gan him haste ¶ But Meneste came on him as faste Whan he behelde trauerse at his backe And w t a spere in which was no lacke Smote him in with so great violence Without syght or any aduertence Of worthy Hector or any takyng hede The wound of whom sore gan to blede But out he went and made it faste bynde ¶ And Meneste stale away behinde Not in purpose sothly
after that whan they were set yfeare Lyke theyr degree anone in aduenture ¶ Whyle Vlixes full of eloquence Gan his tale prudently deuyse ¶ To Achylles saying in this wise ¶ Syr Achylles moste renowned of glorye Throughout the worlde to be in memorye And of his knyghthode very shoures and wel Displease it not now that I shall tell To your noble famous excellence Nor to your eares let be none offence That I shall say but of goodlyhead Pacyently that ye wyll take hede To my wordes sayd of herte and thought I you ensure for I fayne noughte This to saye yf ye remembre wel The fyrst cause and purpose euery dell Of the grekes yf ye haue mencyon Was fully sette by one entencyon As well of you as of vs pardye Whan we come fyrst to this citye Kynges prynces I except none Of whiche in soth to recken euerychone Your selfe was to speake in speciall One of the fyrst and moste pryncypall Assented full how Troye the Cite Through our manhode destroyed shulde be Perpetually brought vnto ruyne But nowe of newe I note what doth enclyne Your worthynesse sodeynly to varye And to our purpose for to be contrarye ¶ Consyder fyrst of you that be so sage The wronges done and the great damage In grekes lande of them of the towne Conspyryng aye to our destructiowne If ye aduerte wysely in your thought That slayne haue and to an ende brought Full many worthy syth gone full yore And of treasour that no man may restore Dispoyled vs and brought in great distresse Our goodes raught our golde our rychesse â–ª Our shyppes brent through their cruelte And to all this alas ye lyste not se Now that they be whiche may not be delayed Through your manhode fynally outtrayed Sith ye haue slaine their hope their suffisauÌ„ce ¶ Hector in whom was all their affyaunce Fully their truste and diffence also ¶ And Deyphobus also is a go And lykely are more to be apeyred Fro day to day and fynally dispeyred So frowardly fortune on them loureth And now your honour your fame flouteth In his worshyp and your high renowne Atteyned hath the exaltaciowne And hyghest prycke of fortunes whele It were great wronge and ye loke wele Of wylfulnes for to be vnkynde To her that ye so frendly to you fynde Or to be frowarde whyle she is benynge By influence graciously to assygne Her spoukes meue vnto your pleasaunce And hap to tourne w t plente on your chaunce After whose helpe you nedeth not to calle ¶ Wherfore alas why wyll ye suffer palle Your noble fame of very wylfulnesse Whyle it is hyest in his worthynesse Your knyghtly prudence it shulde not asterte Of whiche thynge euery gentyll herte Shulde haue routhe and compassyon Wherfore we praye of â—iscrecyon That ye you shape this purpose to amende And that ye wolde of herte condiscende With vs to stonde knyghtly in this werre By your manhode that is spoke of so ferre That your renowne to the worlde ende Reported be where so that men wende Perpetually by freshenesse of hewe Day by day to encrease newe That the tryumphe of this hygh victorye Be put in storye and eke in memorye And so enprynted that foryetfulnesse No power haue by malys to oppresse Your fame in knyghthode derke or difface That shyneth yet so clere in many place Without Eclypsyng sothly this no lesse Whiche to conserne ye be now reckelesse Of wylfulnesse to cloude so the lyght Of your renowne y e whylom shone so bryght Your myghty hande of manhode to w tdrawe Consyder fyrst how grekes are yslawe Tofore your tent w t mortal woundes wyde Through out the fyelde vpon euery syde And haue disdayne onely for lacke of routhe Alas the whyle for a lyttle slouthe To ley to honde in their mischyefe at all That whylom were their stroÌ„ge mighty wall Their chiefe diffence and their champiowne Souerayne helpe and protectiowne For whom ye haue so ofte shedde your bloud Agayne their foen with them whan he stode Full myghtely their enmyes to assayle Without whom they lyttell may auayle In very soth ne none of vs echone But ye of knyghthode lyste with vs to gone Agayne Troyans as ye were wont to do And is our trust and fynall hope also That ye shall helpe and our socour be ¶ And hereupon we praye you that ye Saye your aduyce and your full wyll ¶ And than anone the hardy fyerse Achylle Whan Vlixes concluded had his tale Sith a face for anger dead and pale Sayde euen thus all openly and playne Sir Vlixes if so ryght as ye sayne And haue declared in conclusyon That our purpose and entensyon Was fynally to brenne and destroye This royall citie that is called Troye I holde in soth me lyketh not to lye That our entent was grounded on folye To put vs all through indiscrecion Of reckleshede and hasty mocyon Of lyfe and death in suche ieopardye And specyally in all the Chiualrye Of grekes lande for so smale a thynge So many prynce and so many worthy kyng That haue ieoparted their body their good Yloste their lyfe and yspent their bloud Which might haue be ful well at home iÌ„ peace ¶ And is not nowe the kyng Pallamydes Yslawe also as who sayth but of newe That was so wise so manly and so trewe Of whom the lyfe was of more pryce alone Than the cause for whiche that we echone Be gathered here who so loke a ryght And of grekes many a noble knyght That haue be slayne both of the worthyest The worlde to seke and the manlyest For out of euery lande and regyowne On grekes partye and with them of y e towne Of chyualry knighthod y e soueraine floure To wynne in arme worshippe and honour Assembled be and come fro so ferre Of whiche in soth by duresse of this werre Full many one in the fyelde is dead And veryly without any drede There shall well mo if the werre laste Fro euery day the numbre lasseth faste Of worthy knyghtes dede without routh That I dare saye and conclude of trouth In this rage furyous and wood Full lykely is that all the gentyl bloude Through out this worlde shall destroyed be And rural folke and that were great pyty Shall haue lordshyp and hooly gouernaunce And Churles eke with sorowe mischaunce In euery londe shall lordes be alone Whan gentyll men slayne be echone ¶ Is not Hector that was so noble a knight That was this worldes very sonne and light Of manhode floure slayne pyteously In this werte in soth and so myghty I. Parauenture whiche may not attayne To his noblesse if I shall not fayne For by what way shall we the death eschewe With all our myght if we it pursewe Fro day to daye whyle that we lye here Therfore shortely me for to requere Touchynge the werre outher for to praye Is but in veyne and herken what I saye I wyll not purpose in this werre or stryfe For to ieoparte any more my lyfe
mansyons And they of Troye dyspeyred ouer all No refute could Grekes for to let But of assent fast theyr gates shette And all the nyght on the walles wake And ouer this suche a wo they make Through the Cyte that Parys was so dead For fynally nowe they can no reade But wepe and crye and sorowe euer in one NOwe al y e sonnes of Priamê° were gone Fortune alas hath theim so appeyred That of theyr lyfe they be nowe dyspeyred Of all hope and of good welfare Perpetually for to lyue in care Vnto the death and that was faste bye For nowe there is no maner remedye Vpon no syde nor refute none at all But theym to kepe close wythin the wall That for to se it was a pyteous thynge ¶ And suche a wo maketh now the kynge ¶ For Parys death that for deadly smerte Hym thought platly that his wofull herte Recureles would brast and ryue a tweyne And into teares he gan dystylle and reyne As he would tho for very sorowe deye ¶ And of the quene alas what shall I seye ¶ Hecuba his owne mother deare That crieth wepeth with a woful cheare ¶ Of Pollycene that was so wo begone And of his systren also euerychone That haue theyr heir theyr clothes torne As yf they had theyr owne death ysworne For drery wo and for pyteous peyne ¶ But for by all the fayre quene Heleyne Wayleth cryeth with a deadly cheare That her eyen whych whylom were so cleare Forderked were with dolefull teares smerte And to the corps sodaynly she sterte And clypped yt in her armes twayne And pyteously embrace it and restrayne Lyke as she would with him dye anone For styll she laye dombe as any stone As marbyll colde her lymmes craumpishing Redy at all towarde her buryinge Tyll men by force from the corps her hent And she her heyr and her chekes rente As tho she had be fallen in a rage That chaunged was alas in her vysage Her natyfe coloure and her rody hewe Whylom as freshe as any rose newe Nowe is she lyke vnto ashes colde And wyth her handes aye togyther folde Her selfe she smote on her pale face And euer amonge the corps she did embrace In her swownes as she fell to grounde Twenty tymes and wept full his wounde Wyth wo she was awhaped and amate Of all comforte alas disconsolate In herte beynge inly desyrous Through her rage passynge furyous To dye attones with her owne knyght For towarde death enclosed was her syght As she that lyst to lyue nowe no more ¶ And as I trowe that neuer man before No woman sawe fall in suche distresse In suche disioynt of deadly heuynesse Nor for no wo so pyteously yraue Not Cleopatre goynge to her graue Nor wofull Tesbe that fro the kaue sterte Whan she her selfe smote vnto the herte ¶ Nor the faythfull trewe Orestylle When that she sawe her lord agayne her will ¶ Marcus Prolancus vnto shyppe gone And for his loue fell downe dead anone ¶ Nor the sorowe of trewe Iulia ¶ Nor the feruence of faythfull Porcia Of whych the one fell dead sodaynly For she sawe bloud spent so cruelly On her lordes dredfull gardment ¶ And Portia so trewe in her entent When that her lorde Brutus lost his lyfe For bycause she myght haue no knyfe Wyth rolys red slewe her selfe alas Was not also in the selfe case ¶ Arthemysya quene of Tarse londe Of Mausalus the graue whan she foude Her owne knyght of whose bones smale Full wofully and wyth a cheare pale She poudre made dranke it euery morowe ¶ But all the wo and the furyous sorowe Of these echone yet may not atteyne ¶ Vnto the sorowe of the quene Heleyne That fynally wyll her selfe fordo For Parys sake whom she loued so For after him she wyll not lyue a daye But be awreke playnly yf she maye Vpon her lyfe rather than dysseuere And thus in wo aye she doth perseuere In her herte Parys sat so depe ¶ Alas who sayth that women can not wepe Yes doubtles they haue it of nature Though it so be that they no wo endure Yet can they fayne and salte teares fynde Plenty ynough of thryr owne kynde And sorowles morne and compleyne ¶ I saye not this for the quene Heleyne That was wyth wo wounded to the herte That fro the death she wende not sterte For deathes darte her herte made ryue And yet she rose agayne fro death to lyue Onely by grace for all her fell rage For euery wo by processe must aswage And ouer gone and wasted by myracle For eche venym made is some Tryacle And euery wo hath his remedye ¶ For though Heleyne as tho fayn wold dye Her kynde ne would assent yet therto So sodaynly to slea her selfe for wo. She was a woman no man shulde her wyte Me lyste no more of her wo endyte Lest vnto you that it were tedyous To heren all her paynes furyous Her cruell wo and lamentacion Whych would meue to compassyon In very sothe to wryte euerydele Any herte though it were made of stele ¶ For kynge Pryam and the quene also Had suche routhe of her pyteous wo To se her wepe and furyously complayne That they of her felte as much payne ¶ As they dyd almost for hym Parys ¶ Herof no more for Pryam by deuyse After this rage and this mortall wo Amyd the Temple sacred to Iuno Ordayned hath with full busy cure For the corps a ryche sepulture And in all haste therin made it shette That in sothenesse if I should not lette To tell all the rytes and the gyse That there were made in theyr paynim wise And the costes of his buryinge It should be all to longe a taryinge Ceryously theron to abyde Wherfore as nowe I let ouerslyde Their paynim rites supersticious ¶ Howe Pantisilia quene of Amazonis comming in ayde of the Troians was slayne by Pyrrhus Achylles sonne Ca. xxxiiii ANd telle I wyll how kyng Priamus CoÌ„mauÌ„ded hath of mischyefe of nede Through Troye towne onely of very drede To shytte theyr gates strongly as they maye And therupon both by nyght and daye To kepe watche for shortly they of Troye Dysconsolate of all theyr olde ioye Can no refute but wepe and sorowe make For they ne durst no more vndertake Agayne Grekes into felde to gone ¶ Tyll on a daye kynge Agamenon His messager by good auisement To Pryamus into Troye hath sent Requyrynge him of manhode lyke a knyghte To yssue out wyth Grekes for to fyght As he was wonte wyth his chyualrye ¶ But kynge Pryam his axinge gan denye And shortly sayd to him that was sent That he ne would at his assignement Not ones passe the gates of the towne But at his owne free electiowne Whan euer him lyst without compellynge ¶ And yet in sothe cause of his taryinge ¶ Was for the hardy quene of Femynye Towarde Troye that fast gan her hye Out of her lande and lyttell regyon The whych as bokes
knyghtes all So secretly no man myght espye And trayterously he gan hym for to hye Vpon the walles the selfe same nyght And towarde grekes gan to shewe a lyght Where as they laye tofore Tenedowne Redy armed to falle vpon the towne And whan they had this sodayne light espyed On horse backe anone they haue them hyed Towarde Troye armed clene at all And in they went by the same walle Whyche for the horse was but late broke And mortally for to be a wroke The knyghtes eke in the stede of brasse Haue with them met a full sterne pace And gan anone throughout the Citye On euery halfe for to kylle and slea With bloudy sworde vpon euery syde And made their woundes brode large wide Whyle they alas no thinge aduertynge At mydnight houre abedde lay slepynge Full innocent and thought not be good All forbathed in their owne bloude Bothe man and childe without exception The grekes sparynge no condicyon Of olde nor yonge woman wyfe nor mayde ¶ That with the crye Pryamus abrayde Out of his slepe and sodeynely awoke Whiche laye all nyght and no hede ne toke Of the slaughter nor murther in the towne ¶ But tho he wiste that there was treasowne Falsely compassed vnto his cytee By Anthenor and also by Enee Of whose malys he was no more in doubte For the venym was now taken oute And now the galle of conspyracion That vnder sugre of symulacion Hath so longe closed be and hyd In dede is nowe execute and kyd And nowe the fraude fully of treason The castes also of false collusyon Be raked out and abrode yblowe And the auctours openly yknowe ¶ Now hath enuye and contryued hate Of their engyne sette abrode the gate Now hate deceyte and olde conspyracye And fayned othes all of one allye All openly shewed theyr falsenesse And disclosed all their doublenesse So farre abrode that nowe is there no geyne For nowe alas the wylde fyre is seyne In towers hye with the wynde yblased Wherof Pryam astoned and amased All awaped sterte out of his bedde And comfortelesse to the temple is fledde Of Apollo to saue hym yf he myght And aye the flawme of the fyres bryght Brent in the towne and consumeth all The ryche byldynge whylom so royall That the walles with the rofes huge Couered with lede for a chyefe refuge Were now alas bare and bareyne makyd The grekes aye with their swordes naked Murdre and slea where so that they go That twenty thousande they y t nyght and mo There kylled haue longe or it was day And in this slaughter and this great affraye Spoyle and robbe and take what they finde Treasour and good and lefte not behynde By myghty hande and sturdy vyolence And the temples without reuerence They haue despoiled throughout al the town And gredely rent and raced downe Of golde and syluer the ornamentes all Tofore the goddes foule mote them fall ¶ Kynge Pryam aye with a deadly chere To Apollo makyng his prayer Furyously this deadly wofull man As he in soth that no reade ne can BVt wayte his death his fatall eure And Cassandra that holy creature Of inwarde wo desyrous to sterue Complaynynge hyed vnto Mynerue Makynge to her a lamentaciowne With other gentyll women of the towne And there alas as they wolden dye Full pyteously they sobbe wepe and crye And in their dole there I lette them dwelle For all there sorowes if I shulde do telle In this storye and theyr wo discryue My dulled penne of ruthe shulde also rite riue ¶ Rehersynge eke howe in euery strete Their clothes blacke redy moyste and wete As they alas both in one and all On their lordes downe aswone fall With their bloude be dewed and ysprent Where men may see the crystall teares meynt Of their wepynge in their woundes grene That laye and blede agayne the sonne shene With deadly eyen castynge vp the whyte It were but vayne their wofull case to wryte Nor the maner of their mortall sorowe ¶ But Guydo wryt that the same morowe How Anthenor and with him false Euee Conueyed haue throughout the cyte The myghty Grekes vnto Ilyon The royall toure and ryche mansyon That whylom was of most excellence In the whiche they founde as tho no dyffence Of hyghe nor lowe nor of none estate For it was lefte alone all desolate With all the golde and rychesse of the towne Shet and enclosed in the chyefe dongeowne But there was no man that withstode They brake the lockes raught away y e good And the treasure that was shet within Eche for his partie that he might wyn They gaue no force who was lyfe or loth ¶ And Pirrhus after to the temple goth Of Appollo by great cruelte And fell on Pryam knelyng on his kne And with his sworde furyously and wood Tofore the aulter shadde there his bloud So hye raught both in length and brede What the streames of his woundes redde That the statute of golde borned bryght Of this Apollo for all his great might For all his power and his sterne face Defouled was and pollut all the place Onely by death of this worthy kynge By Pirrhus slaine while he lay knelynge Of olde hatred and olde enuyous pryde Whyle Anthenor and Enee stode besyde That routhe was and pytye to beholde To se him lye on the stones colde So pyteously tofore the aulter blede Wherof alas when Hecuba toke hede And her fayre doughter Polycene With heire to rent as any golde wyer shene Inly supprysed with sorowe to the herte When they began consider and aduerte The noble kinge with bloudy streames red All for drowned his eyen derke and dead With Pirrhus sword girte thrugh outher side For mortall feare they durst not abyde But inwardly through darted with the sight All in a rage toke them to the flyghte And yet in so the through out the Cite They wyste neuer whytherwarde to flee Rescuse was none nor no remedye Of kynne nor friende nor of none allye With grekes sworde the towne was so be sette And in her flight this wofull quene hath met Eneas causer of all this wrake Vnto whom rebukynge thus he spake Oh thou traytour most malycious Thou false serpent adder enuyous Croppe and roote fynder of falsenesse Soures and well of vnkyndenesse How myghtest thou in thy hande fynde Vnto thy kynge to be so vnkynde Gynner and grounde example of treason And fynall cause of our destruction How myghtest thou deuoyde of all pytye Beholdynge alas through thy cruelte Of the kynge shedde so the bloude That euer hath byn so gentyll and so good So gracious lorde specially to the. And ouermore throughe his highe bounte They honoured and ymagnefyed All his lyfe it may not be denyed That lyeth now dead in the temple alas Thou were not onely traytour in this case But to his death conspyrynge and vnkynde Pirrhus conueying where he shuld him finde Tofore Apollo myddes of this cyte Where thou shuldest of very duetye Rather haue byn his
this ordre hath not be obserued Amonges vs without excepcyon In delyueraunce of Palladyon Whiche Vlyxes I saye without drede Tofore you all vniustly doth possede On hym vsurpynge by false opynyon By merytorye retrybucyon And apparence his tytle for to grounde Vnder pretense of colour falsely founde That he this relyke reioyse shulde of ryght By sleyght wonne rather then of myght And vsurpeth by maner of a vaunt As it were gyuen vnto hym by graunt Of you echone for a chyefe guerdon But I wyll make a replycation That this relyke is not to hym mete Whiche he shall not reioyse in quyete If that I maye disturbe hym or do lette For I it cleyme duely as of dette And for guerdon to me conuenyent So that ye lyste to be indifferent Of reason onely as it doth you seme Atwene vs two egally to deme Iustly fyrst with euery circumstaunce Our outher meryte weyed in balaunce Firste consydered forth fro day to daye By all the longe whyle that the syege laye That ye shulde of plentye of vitayle On no syde fro no myschyefe fayle ¶ And if I shall without auaunt out breke As of armes and knyghthode for to speke In the fyelde by longe continuaunce Of manly force and perseueraunce Vpon our foen that were so felle and kene Day by daye I was armed clene It nedeth not to make mencyon With my right hand I slewe him Phylomene As ye well knowe whiche had in his kepynge The yonge sonne of Pryamus the kynge Freshe and lusty and of great fayrenesse And with hym had infynyte rychesse Of treasoure golde passyngly plentye And euery dele was brought to you by me If ye remembre and lyste to take hede That ye were quyet of indygence and nede By occasyon of that great good And through my manhode shed I not y e blode Mercyles in full cruell wyse For your sake of the kynge of Fryse And the treasour in his cofers sought And all yfeare to the syege ybrought And by my knyghthode syth go full yore Haue I not eke augmented and made more The grekes lande with possessyons By conquest onely of two regyons Through my prudence and my laboure won Sythen that ye the syege fyrst begonne With prouynces to Troye adiacent To your encrease I was so dyligent ¶ And with Achylles the worthy warryour Ye be experte full well of my laboure What we wrought to your auauntage And sythen ye so prudent be and sage Not foryetell but fully remembrynge It nedeth not rehersen euery thynge ¶ And so to dispreue manly as a knyght His tytle and cleyme that he hath no ryght The dome cōmyttynge to your opynyons By rehersayle of his condycyons He nother hath manhode nor prowesse Force knyghthode nother hardynesse And at a poynt for to haue a rewarde In darynge do is preued a cowarde Experyence hath shewed you in dede How that he is when it cometh to nede But worde and wynde sleyghty cōpassyng And on falshode euer ymagynynge For neuer yet to this daye was preued That any thynge was by hym acheued Whiche might be entitled to his laude But the ende medlyd were with fraude For vnder colour he can cure all Pretende fayre lyke a paynted walle Dyuerse hewed that nother hye nor lowe There may no man his plaine mening know ¶ And with suche sleyght cōpassed by treason Out of Troye he gat Palladyon Whiche is great shame sclaunder to vs all For of our conquest it is thus befalle More of treason we haue the cytye wonne Than of knyghthode as men reporte koune And crop and rote yf I reherse shall Vlyxes there is grounde and cause of all And gynnynge fyrste of this vnhappy fame That reboundeth to our alder shame And syth the trouthe is platly knowen wiste My tale is ended demyth as ye lyste VLyxes then in his aduertence Conceyued hath the great inpacyence Of Thelamon and the great enuye The feruent rancour and melancolye ¶ Forbare him fyrst by full great aduyse As he that was full prudent and ryght wise And thought he wolde make therof no iape By no worde for haste that shulde escape Nother by none vnbrydled countenaunce Outwarde conceyued in his regardaunce ¶ And abraydynge with a stable face Syres quod he so I may haue grace Vnder supporte of your hyghe presence That my tale maye haue audyence I nother am in doubte nor in drede Of equytye that I shall possede Palladyon durynge my lyues daye Maugre the myght of who that say naye For yf ye lyst of reason for to se At the syege layde fyrst to this cyte I haue my selfe in double wise acquyt As well by knyghthod sothly as by wyt And through my counsell and my busy cure Be ofre cause of theyr discomfiture Aye dylygent to your auauntage Wrought and compassed vnto theyr domage That to this daye in sothe ne had I be They had floured in theyr felycytye In theyr force contuned and welfare And if that I the trouth shall not spare If it be dempt and loked of reason I was most cause of theyr confusyon Who so euer agaynst it replye ¶ How ofte went I on your imbassadrye With importable charge and dyspense The treate aye concludynge in sentence To the forthrynge of your entenciowne And disencrease and hindringe of the towne And when I sawe other meane none In myne aduyse and wittes euerichone By our force the cyte for to win While they had y t relyke them within Therupon so sotylly I wrought That vnto you Palladyon I brought Which Thelamon that of malyce striueth Of olde hatred vnto my gilt ascriueth Hooly this thinge y t I haue for you wrought ¶ But ye that be so prudent in your thought Aduerteth wysely and an ende maketh And in your hande this quarell fully taketh Palladion iustly to prouyde And all fauour let be layde asyde Sith all this thinge ye platly vnderstande And let vs both to our demynge stande By one assent how so the matter wende Lo here is all my tale is at an ende ¶ Then Thelamon in Ire full feruent And through rancoure made inpacient And of enuye inwardely ameued Vlyxes hath dispyteously repreued Onely of malys and of hyghe disdaine And Vlixes rebukyng him agayne Full bytterly without abode anone And so they twayne made full mortall foen In the presence of Agamenon ¶ But furyously Ayax Thelamon Of melancolye pale and nothynge red Thrette Vlyxes that he shall be dead Of his handes he shulde it not eschewe And grekes tho all rancour to remewe This quarell put in arbytration Of Menclaye and Agamenon That caused after a full mortall stryfe For by sentence anone dyffynytyfe They put Vlixes in possessyon Perpetually of thilke Palladyon With hym confyrmynge to abyde stable And cause why they were fauourable To Vlyxes lyke as Guydo wryte Was for that he so goodly hath hym quyte Vnto Heleyne at gettynge of the towne Beynge in cause of her sauaciowne Dispeyred and of her lyfe in drede Grekes willynge to haue had
To anul his tytle that he not succede Him to preserue that he were not shent Kinge Taltibus with power hath him sente Ful secretly out of that countree Vnto a kinge called Ydume That helde his sceptre and his royall sete Full mightely in the lande of Crete And Carkasis named was the quene That had a doughter called eke Climene Borne to be heyre of that regyon And as it is made eke mencyon This Horestes to reken all thynge Was with the quene and also with the kinge Cherished as well the storye can you lere As Climena theyr owne doughter deare And was eke kepte and had in cherte Fro poynt to poynt lyke to his degre With attendaunce conuenyent and dewe To his estate that euer vpon him sewe Of such as were most experte and sage To gouerne him tyll he came to age To reioyce if god gaue him might His heritage to whych he had right By clere discent if happy were his chaunce Thus leue I him vnder gouernaunce The yonge sonne of Agamenon For I must make a dygressyon Fro this matter and tell of Diomede The auentures in Guydo as I rede His wofull fate and his paynes smerte The whych alas he might not asterte As is remembred playnly in writynge That Oetes sonne of the riche kinge Called Naulus as ye haue herde toforne Such heuynesse in his herte hath borne Vnto Grekes repeyringe home fro Troye That his lust and his inwarde ioye Was them to hyndre both high and lowe And cause why to you it is vnknowe To them he was so passynge enuyous In will and thought ylyke desyrous If he might sothly this no les The death to venge of Pallamides Lyke as tofore the storye can deuyse To you that be so prudent and so wyse And how Oetes now of malice wrought And trayterously new meane sought If he might by any maner waye Diomedes vnwarely to destroye Of all this thinge I cast not to fayle Ceryously to make rehersayle IN Grece was a kingedome wide large Coniunct in one Calidonye and Arge Full habundaunt of rychesse and of rente Of which the kinge called was Pollente A worthy man and of noble fame And had a sonne Assandrus was his name And a doughter passinge fayre of syght And sothly Egra I finde that she hyght And for her father like as wryte Guydo Had no mo but these children two For them he hath of wisedome so prouided This mighty reygne for to be deuyded Atwene theim two after his decease Eche with his parte for to lyue in peace To exclude them fro indigence or nede And she was wyfe vnto Diomede Albe tofore the storye of him sayde That he whilom loued one Crysayde I can not saye where it was doubilnesse But well wote I Guydo beareth wytnesse And in his boke sothly sayth none other And how Assandrus his owne wiues brother Full lusty freshe and ful of manlyhead To Troye went with this Dyomede But in the sea fordriuen vp so downe They riued vp in the regyon Called Boece all disconsolate With tempest driue wery and full mate Them to refreshe and for none other thinge In which lande Thelephus was kinge Of whose riuayle whan he herde sayne In his herte he had high disdayne That they were bolde to do so great offence To entre his grounde hauinge no licence And yet in sothe they did no domage To high nor lowe of no maner age Nor toke nought that might disauayle Vnto that lande but it were vytayle For which they payde iustly at the fine For fleshe and fyshe and for bread and wine Yet for all that of indignaciowne Kinge Thelaphus is descended downe With great array to harme thē if he might And so they gan to bicker and to fight And Assandrus full of high prowesse Like a Lion his fomen gan oppresse And wonder knyghtly the felde vpen thē wā And slewe that daye many worthy man Of hygh courage and of manly pryde And when the kinge whiche that stode asyde Sawe his men slayne on euery parte Of hygh dysdayne hent anone a darte And caste at hym alas the mortall fate And perced hathe through mayles through plate Of Assandrus that he fel downe dead The soyle about of his bloud all redde His deadly 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 flight And after that such sorowe gan to make Of knyghtly routh for his brothers sake That he ne wyst what was best to do But as I finde myd of all his wo From beast and foule the dead corps to saue Like his estate he let make a graue And buryed hym after rites olde ¶ But Oetes to his syster tolde That he was slayne by fraude of Dyomede To fyne that he myght full possede The reygne of Arge hole without stryfe Wyth the purpartye annexed to hys wyfe For by his death he myght season take And tolde her eke that she was forsake This fayre Egra for all her womanhead Of her lorde callled Dyomede All this he tolde in hell be he chayned And ouermore he forged hath and fained How of enuye Assandrus lost his lyfe And how her lorde hath take an other wyfe That was to her dyshonour and shame And passyngly great sclaunder to her name In preiudyce ydone of her estate All this he tolde to make them at debate Lyke as he wrote in conclusyon To Clemestra of Agamenon Whych her herte made sore greue For he put her fully in byleue Of all the treason ye haue herde me tolde That for yre she pale was and colde Vnkyndnesse so her herte sleeth And heuynesse of her brothers death For neuer yet Guydo doth assure No woman loued better a creature Than she loued hym in no maner age For fyrst at nought she set her herytage In comparyson of her brothers lyfe Lo how Oetes made a newe stryfe As ye haue herde in the storye rede That gyltles worthy Dyomede When he hath longe at the syege layne And to his kingdom would haue come agayn By migyhty hande of this worthy quene And her lyeges that assented bene He was exyled out of that regyon There may be made no medyacyon Thus in him selfe mate and dyspeyred Dysconsolate he is agayne repeyred To Salerne a londe of great rychesse Where that Tenter through his worthynesse Wyth crowne Sceptre had reygned longe Wyth hys lyeges and hys knyghtes stronge And brother was to Ayax Thelamon Murdred tofore as made is mencyon And Dyomede pore and destytute Maye in Salerne fynde no refute For whan Tenter first gan him espye He sewed hym by full great enuye Hauynge to hym aye suspection Touchynge the death of kynge Thelamon ¶ But Dyomede on a certayne nyghte Full secretely hath taken him to flyght And fro Salerne fast gan hym hye In hope to fynde better remedye Helpe or socour in some other place If fortune wolde graunte hym grace For of hym selfe ashamed
Within a while there is no more to seye That he him gat the storye will not lye An other thousande to his companye Of worthy knightes all of one accorde To go with him as w t theyr soueraygne lorde In euery thinge his biddinge to obeye As ye haue herde Egistus to werrey ¶ And thus Horestes in full riche arraye Gan hooste and made no delaye And his lodginge alderfyrst gan chese In a Citye that called was Troyese Receyued there with great reuernece Of the kinge that named was Forence A manly knyght as bookes specifye And bare in herte passinge great enuye To Egistus by double occasion Fyrste for the death of Agamenon And eke for he had a doughter deare That was to him inwardly entere Both good and fayre but yonge of age That whilom was giuen in mariage To Egistus but he of doubilnesse Of false treson and newfangilnesse The kinges doughter hath vtterly forsake And in all haste did a libell make And forge a writ of repulsyon Albe he hadde no trewe occasyon This Egistus that he her forsoke Saue that he falssy to wiue toke The quene Clemestra agayne al right law When by assent they murdred haue slawe Agamenon as it afore is tolde That whylom was so myghty and so bolde And for the hatefull false conspyrasye As well of murther as auoutrye To venge bothe by dewe recompence The worthy knyght y e mighty kyng Forence Offred Horestes for to make hym stronge And go with hym to helpe venge his wronge And with hym ladde armed bryght in stele Foure hundred knightes horsed wonder wele Takynge the fyelde with a manly chere And so Horestes and the kynge yfeare Be ryden forthe with many manly man ¶ But Horestes or he this werre gan When bryght Phebus in the bole shone To the temple is full lowly gone And to the goddes in most best wyse With humble herte dyd sacryfyce Fully in hope the better for to fare Where he was bode for lyfe nor deth to spare Without mercy or remyssyon The death to venge of Agamenon ¶ On Clemestra that was moste to wyte And that he make fyrste his sworde to byte On his mother with his handes twayne And ouermore to do his busy payne Without pytye and no mercye shewe On smale peces tyll she be to hewe And dismembred a sonder ioynt fro ioynt And eke that he for yet not a poynt Iustly to punyshe by rycoure and by ryght ¶ Egistus eke the false vntrewe knyght And that he be not slowe nor neclygent To execute the commaundement Of the goddes lyste what after falle ¶ And than Horestes with his knyghtes all ¶ And Forenses the mighty kynge also Of one herte be to the syege go Of the Cyte that called was Methene Within whiche was the false quene Clemestra god gyue her herde grace And when Horestes syeged hath the place With his knyghtes set it rounde aboute ¶ False Egistus was yryden out To gather men and to be a wreke And falle vpon and the syege breke ¶ If he myght on any maner syde And with great stuffe thus he gan to ryde Takynge vp men fro euery coste Tyll he hym made a full myghtye hooste ¶ But Horeste whiche at the syege laye His gouernaunce espyeth daye by daye And sent out men as he that was full sage To stoppe wayes and lette his passage And made knyghtes a full huge route To pursue hym euery coste aboute And of the syege manfully begonne By assaute he hath the towne ywonne And entred in on a nyght full late And sette wardes stronge at euery gate And in a doungeon most stronge princypall That was of buildyng myghty and royall This Horestes fyrste his mother fonde ¶ The quene Clemestra lady of that lande Whiche for drede sore gan to quake But mercyles anone he made her take And put in chaynes tyll the next morowe ¶ And Egistus god gyue hym euyll sorowe With all the stuffe that he myght accroche Towarde the towne faste gan aproche ¶ In purpose full Horestes for to greue And them within sodeynely releue But all in sothe myght not auayle For or that he the cytye myght abayle Horestes knightes vnwarely haue him mette And all attones proudely on hym sette Fyrste slewe his men put them to flyght ¶ And taken hym maugre all his myght And with chaynes lyke as they hym fynde Mercyles full fast they him bynde And shet hym vp fetryd in prysowne And all false founde in the towne That were assented wyllinge or helpynge To the murdre of the worthy kynge Grekes workers and conspyratours Agayne their lorde ryfynge as traytours All were take and bounde by rycour The same nyghte and shet vp in a toure Tyll on the morowe lyke as the lot be drawe Eueryche of them vnder fonge his lawe Lyke his decerte excepcion was none And when the nyght passed was and gone And Phebus rose estwarde in his sphere And on the toures shone full bryght clere ¶ When Clemestra rote of all falsehede Was brought forth quakyng in her drede ¶ Before Horestes to iudgement yfet He with a sworde sharpe and kene ywhet Like as the goddes charged him toforne On peces smale he hath her all to shorne And made her bere out of the townes boūdes To be voured of beastes and of houndes Pytye was none in his breste reserued But quit her fully as she hath deserued Fro poynt to poynt and forgat right nought And thē chayned Egistus was furth brought And iustly dempt by rigour of the lawe Of an herdell naked to be drawe Through the towne that all might se And after hye hanged on a tre For to rot and drye agaynst the sonne Lo how murdre hath his guerdon wonne Lo how falshed his mayster can awake ¶ And all the traytours in the towne ytake Were on galowes enhanged euerychone Tyll they were seuered asonder bone fro bone Hye on an hill agayne the sterres shene Thus was y e towne fro treason purged clene And with trouth augmented and ymored And to his reygne Horrestes full restored As the storye sewinge shall expowne And of the daye when he toke his crowne ANd when the myst euery cloudy skye Of false treason and conspyracye Were tried out vpon euery syde The falshed hadde no place to abyde The storye sayth in ordre rehersynge The same time Menelay the kinge Out of the sea ful of wawes wete Fro Troyewarde yriued was in Crete Frely escaped many dread and peyne With his quene the goodly freshe Heleyne And for cause she was so famous fayre Great was the pres and meruaylous repaire Fro euery parte her beaute to beholde For whom Troye with walles not ful olde Destroyed was the noble royall towne And many man ful worthy of renowne Hath lost his life there may no man say naye All for Heleyne wife to Menelay When thinge is done it may be none other But when this kinge knewe fully of his brother Agamenon murdre and euerydele He