stare Clypse the mone and the bryght sonne Or naturelly they hadde theyr cours yronne To them apropred whiche they may nat passe For if that Tytan his cours by kynde trase Whan he meueth vnder clyptyk lyne The clypse nat folowe as auctours lyst diffyne So that there be by theyr discripcion Of bothe twayne full coniunccion And that the sonne with his bemes reed Haue his dwellynge in the dragon heed And the mone be set eke in the tayle As by nature than it may nat fayle That there must falle eclips of very nede In sondry bokes lyke as ye may rede Bycause of certayne intersecacions Of dyuers clerkes and reuolucions That maked ben in the heuen a lofte Whiche cause vs for to fayle ofte Of the fresshe comfortable stremes That be to vs shadde from phebus bemes For the mone hath made dyuysion By this sodayne interposicion That of our syght the stremes visuall May nat beholde nor I sene at all Nor to our luste fully comprehende How Appollo is in his chare chyuende As we were wonte aforehande for to se But of all this the great tholome Kynge of Egypt telleth the great causes why Within his boke full compendyously Bothe of eclyps and coniunccion And why they falle by naturell mocion But of Medee though this clerke suyde To encrease hir name vpon euery syde Lest in his fables suche thynges telle Thoughe he of poetes was the sprynge welle Yet god forbede ye shulde gyue credence To suche feynynge or do so hygh offence Syth of nature muste be denyed All suche affermynge and also be diffyed Of euery cristen stedfast in byleue For certaynly it wolde hyghly greue Our conscience in any wyse wene Agaynst kynde whiche is so hye a quene That any wyght orlyuynge creature Shulde haue power I do you playne â—â—â—ure So cursyd thynges supersticious To do or werke to kynde contraryous ¶ For god almyghty Iuge of Iuges alle Hath set a lawe the whiche may nat falle Amonge planettes perpetuelly to endure Afore ordeyned in his eternall cure The whiche may nat as clerkes lyst termyne Vpon no syde bowe nor declyne But as they were from discorde or debate Eternally yformed and create Thorugh the fynger of his sapyence Alway to meue in theyr intellygence Lyke as they be to his lordshyp bounde For neuer yet ne was eclyps yfounde The mone nat beynge in coniunccion As I haue tolde saue in the passyon The whiche eclips was agaynst kynde Nature hir knot that tyme dyde vnbynde Whan goddes sone starfe vpon the roode The sonne of lyfe was dyrked for our goode Whan heuen and erthe with hye compunccion Haue sygnes shewed of Lamentacion By erthe quaues lyght tourned to dyrkenesse And deed bodyes vpwarde gan them dresse From theyr tombes agayne from deth to lyue Stone and rocke a sonder ganne ryue In the temple the veyll was kut a two And sygnes many were yshewed tho That for wonder and tokens meruaylous The great worthy Dyonysyous Whiche at Athenes as clerkes of hym wryte Was called in scolys Ariopagyte That whan he sawe this noble famous clerke The bryght daye sodaynly so derke All though he were apaynym in tho dayes And was infect with rightê of theyr layes As he that was moost cheyf and pryncypall Of phylosophers for to reken all Yet that tyme astoned in his mynde Sayde platly outher the god of kynde Suffreth the dethe outher out of doute This rounde worlde whiche is so large aboute Shalbe dissolued and ybrought to nought By sodayne chaunge hasty as a thought ¶ By this clergye he knewe no better skyll For god may all chaunge at his wyll And hath power of suche coaccion Vnder whose myght and disposicion Is lawe of kynde constreyned sothe to seye From poynt to poynt lowely to obeye In euery thynge that hym lyst ordeyne Of elementê he may the cours restreyne As hooly wryt wytnesseth ye may se How at requeste of worthy Iosue The bryght sonne stode at Gabaon Adayes space in one degre and shon Shewynge his token to his trewe knyght Fynally for to gyue hym lyght That he myght by his hye prowesse His cruell foon manfully oppresse Whan that he faught this knyght this Iosue With kynges fyue reygnynge in Amoree So longe laste the pursute and the chaas Tyll they were take and for theyr trespaas Dempt to be dede the Bible can you telle Now syth that god thus hyghly lyst fulfylle Of his knyght request and orison What wonder was though in the passion Of criste Ihesu incarnat for our sake The sonne bemes though they wex blake Syth he hath lordshyp of planettes alle And as hym lyst nedes it must falle For of Medea though Ouydius In his fables reherseth and wryte thus As he that lyst hir name to exalte Yet from the trouthe some whyle he doth alte All be she were a passynge sorceresse And ferthest name of any chaunteresse 〈◊〉 I wyll passe ouer agayne to my matere And how she came to mete ye shall here Whan hir fader hadde for hir sent She came anone at his coÌ„maundement But or she came I fynde that tofore For to make hir beaute seme more In hir closet she toke hir beste araye For to encrease all that euer she maye Natures werke with royall apparayle For this women gladly wyll nat fayle WhaÌ„ they of beaute haue plenteuous largesse It to embellysshe they do theyr besynesse With ryche a tyre vpon euery syde I fought be mysse they can it close and hyde For all the foule shall couertly be wryed That no defaute outwarde be espyed ¶ But she was bothe fayre and well besayne And in hir porte so womanly certayne That hir comynge gladeth all the halle For it was ioye vnto one and alle To se the maner tho of hir entree To whom hir fader bad to take hir see Besyde Iason hym for to disporte Of womanhode and to recomforte ¶ But oo alas here lacked hye prudence Discrete auyse of inwarde prouydence Wysdome also with perell caste afore To truste a mayde of tendre yeres bore Of vnhappy fonde wylfulnesse For this kynge of his gentylnesse CoÌ„maunded hath to his confusion To his dishonour and destruccion His owne donghter borne to be his heyre That was also so womanly and feyre So sodaynly downe for to discende Consydred nat the myscheif of the ende Alas why durst he in hir you the affye To make hir sytte of his curtesye Where she myght by casuell mocion Full lyghtly catche or haue occasion To do amysse alas why dyde he so Why lyst hym nat take hede therto Nor to auerte in his discrecion Wysely to caste afore in his reason The vnware chaunge that is in womanhede Whiche euery wyse man oughte for to drede For who was euer yet so mad or wood That ought of reason konne a ryght his good To gyue fayth or hastely credence To any woman without experyence In whom is nouther truste nor sykernesse They ben so double and full of brytylnesse That it
For certaynly it may none other be But if that ye your counsayle take of me For none but I may do you helpe or ese Alas Iason why wyll ye nat appese Your manly corage in this caas yblent And to my counsayle ben obedyent Than durst I swere ye shulde haue victory Ben remembred and put in memorye Perpetuelly thorugh your knyghthod wyn The flees of golde the whiche is yonde within In the yle that standes here besyde Of whiche that Mars is gouernour and gyde Wherfore at ones in your selfe assente To my counsayle fully to consente At fewe wordes if ye lyste to spede And leue your lust and worke after my rede TO whom Iason with full humble chere Answered sayd myn owne lady dere I thanke you in all my best wyse Right as fet forthe as I may suffyse And as my power platly may attayne Myne hertes quene and lady souerayne Whom ye may hooly I ensure All the whyle that my lyfe may dure Truste right well me lyst nat for to fayne To lyue or dye at your luste restrayne As hym that is your owne trewe man You for to obeye in all that euer I can Without chaunge or any doubylnesse Whyle that I lyue in very sothfastnesse That you lyste of trewe affeccion Vpon my lyfe to haue compassion Of gentyllesse and that ye lyste to haue Suche cherte my body for to saue That in good fayth of very due ryght I am ybounde to be your owne knyght Vnto myn ende and that more specially That of your grace so benyngnely Ye lyst your selfe of any counsayle be That neuer afore to you in no degre Ne dyde seruyse to your womanhede And with your wordes full of goodlyhede Your owne man lysteth recomforte The whiche in sothe so as I can reporte A thousande folde be the more plesaunt That neuer afore no meryte gat hym graunt Ne no desert request nor prayere But more frely with herte full entere Lyst vnrequyred on my wo to rewe And vndisserued be to me so trewe That I ensure vpon my fayth as faste In your seruyse I shall vnto my laste Parseuer sothely that there shal be no slouthe Nor varyaunce and therto here my trouthe For fynally withouten wene At fewe wordes I saye right as I mene Me lyste nat fayne flatre nor delude For my beheste with dethe I shall conclude Whan that parcas my lyues threde to rende This all some and thus I make an ende THan quod she ful wysely in your herte Ye muste afore consydre aud aduerte The aduenture that ye take on hande And prudently the peryll vnderstande And full warely caste and haue in mynde The mortall harme at the tayle behynde That is well more then it is credyble For leue me well it is an impossyble To gynne in honour and also for to fyne For thylke flees by hye power dyuyne Preserued is and eke with Marcys myght That who so entreth therfore to fyght It were full harde to hym to escape The fyrye flawme whan the bulles gape That ben of brasse trapped all in leuen More for to drede than lyghtnynge of y◠heuen Tofore the dynt of the great thonder That seuered hath many toure asonder For to Asshes they must a man consume Wherfore I rede that ye nat presume The Ram to assayle leste ye your labour lese Withdrawe your foote yet sythe ye may chese By good aduyse and discreciowne Your honour sauf and your hye renowne Where so ye lyste of your wylfulnesse Oonly of folye and of hastynesse To this empryse of heed to procede Or where ye lyst lyke as I you rede Saue your selfe from wo and all myschaunce Lyke as ye shall if to myn ordenaunce Ye you commytte and lowely lyste obeye Without fraude there is no more to seye ANd Iason than syttynge at the borde Of Medea emprentynge euery worde Waxe for Ire almoste vnpacyent And sayde alas and is this your entent Me to counsayle to leue this empryse Certes it were to foule a cowardyse To gynne thynge I myght nat a cheue For euery man wolde me repreue And reporte to my confusion That I of pryde and presumpcion Toke on me whan I was at my large So hye a thynge and so great a charge That I durst not for doute of myschefe Accomplysshe it whan it cam to the prefe Leuer me were myn owne lady dere For to Iuparte and to put in were My selfe at ones and at wordes fewe On smale pecys to be all to hewe Than I shulde cowardely forsake Thylke empryse that I haue vndertake As ye well knowe and leue it thus alas Let be your counsayle playnely in this cas For what so euer happe or falle of me Trusteth right well it shall none other be For if that I of my cowarde herte Fro my purpose shulde now dyuerte Without lawde my lyfe I shulde lede And shame eternall shulde be my mede Through out the worlde noted ouer all In euery lande spoke of in speciall That Iason hath so hyghly vndertake That he for fere dare none ende make Thynketh right well that it shall not betyde For lyfe or dethe what myscheif I abyde And there vpon my trouthe I you ensure That as ferforthe as my lyfe may endure I shall parfourme that I haue begonne And though so be it may nat be wonne But that I muste with my deth it beye I wyll nat leue for leuer I haue to deye Than lyue ashamed of cowardyse slouthe For me semeth it is to hygh a routhe A man to appere or dare shewe his hede Whan he hath his honour vyllanede After tyme whan his name is slayne For eueryman shulde be rather fayne To dye in honour than lyue as a wretche And though this thynge to my deth stretche It is welcome I shall it well abyde This all and some what so of me betyde THan quod she sythe it is so That ye algates desyre to haue ado Ther is nomore by ought I can espy But ye had leuer shortly for to dye Rather than lyue and to haue a shame And yet it is an ernest and no game With suche monstres vnwarely for to dele Lyke as in dede there after ye shall fele Wherfore I am meued of pyte And greatly stered that ye of volunte Without aduyse or discrecion Counsayle or good delyberacion Lyste take on you this meruaylous vyage For your youthe and also your corage Gouerned ben as in this matere All after luste for bothe two yfere Inparded ben if ye your purpose sewe For unpossyble is to you to eschewe A sodayne dethe for nouther fre nor bonde By crafte of man hath power to withstonde ¶ Wherfore I thynke of herte good entent To caste awaye yet or ye be shent And to your tourne shape a remedye Suche routhe I haue that ye shulde dye For my fader whom I loue moste Rather than ye shulde thus be loste I shall offende and vtterly displease My frendes all so it may do you ease For I shall
woo abyde mournynge and distresse Whyles that we the sothe to expresse Fro day to day beset on euery syde Lye in the flede and our deth abyde In sorowe and care in laboure and in woo And wot all this ye wyte well also Sythe tyme that the werre began Of our Grekes how many worthy man Hath lost his lyfe thorugh dethes fatal woūde That myght hytherto haue lyued be sounde At home in Grece assured well in ioye If they ne hadde come vnto Troye That to remembre it is full great pyte And ouer this I saye also for me Amonge Troyans in theyr cruell mode I haue loste so moche of my blode That hath full ofte made pale of hewe This other day also grene and newe I hadde of Ector suche a mortall wounde With a quarell sharpe whet and grounde Aboue the theygh so kene was the hede The same daye afore that he was dede Of very happe as it was I shape That fro the deth vnneth I myght escape Whiche yet all fresshe is vpon me sene Large and wyde and as yet but grene The smerte of whiche sore yet I pleyne And in good fayth me semeth that Eleyne If ye aduerte wysely in your thought With suche a pryse shulde nat be bought Where thorugh our lyfe and our good yfere And our honour are Yput in were And dredfully hange in ballaunce For if that ye in your remembraunce Conceyue a right and caste vp and downe The sodayne chaunge and reuolucyowne That fallen hath sythe the werre began The slaughter deth of many worthy man That for hir sake hath here loste his lyfe Yet the worste of this mortall stryfe Doth moste rebounde into our damage To disencrease and eke disauauntage And lykely is to encrease more If ordenaunce be nat made therfore And remedye shape on outher syde By fyne oonly that Eleyne abyde With them of Troye styll here in the towne And lette vs caste by good inspeccyowne For our ease some other meane way So that the kynge called Menelay These hym a wyfe in some other londe Lyke his estate by suraunce or by bonde Vnder wedlocke confermed vp of newe That vnto hym wyll be founde trewe Sythe that we without gylte or synne May by lawe from Eleyne twynne For of dyuerse causes be ynowe Thorugh out the world of euery wyght yknowe Of auoutry for the foule vyce For to lawe is no preiudyce Though Menelay iustly hir forsake Whan so hym lyste and another take That shall hym better both queme and please And so to vs it shal be full great ease Whan the werre is brought to an ende Whiche lykely is many man to shende If it so be that it forth contune The great laboure is so importune That we ne shall no whyle mowe sustene For this is sothe without any wene Troyans yet be floutynge in theyr myght And with them haue full many worthy knyght To helpe them of hye and lowe degre And therwithall so stronge in theyr cyte On euery part without and withinne That we are nat lykely for to wynne In our purpose though we euer abyde Wherfore by wysdome let vs voyde pryde And wylfulnesse oonly of prudence To haue the Eye of our aduertence To our profyte more than vayne glorye And whyle our honour shyneth by victorye A wysdome is to withdrawe our honde Syth we may nat constrayne by no bonde Fortunes whele for to abyde stable Wherfore I rede or she be mutable This gery goddesse with hir double chere Let vs gyue vp suche thynge as lyeth in were Whyles that we may our worshyp saue For of the werre the laude yet we haue Consyder well how by your manhede Our moste foo Ector is now dede And whyle that we in our honour floure My counsayle is or Fortune loure As I saydeere to chaunge hir bryght face Whyle that beste we stonde in hir grace By one assent and one oppynyon Without any contradiccyon Of herte and wyll bothe of one and alle Or our honoure on any party palle Into Grece that we home retourne For if that we lenger here soiourne On the quarell that we haue longe sewed Douteles it may bee schewed Full great damage this without fayle Or we haue done shall folowe at the tayle Wherfore beste is our folye vp resygne And whyle our hap is welfull and benygne Most blandysshynge and of face fayre The tyme is beste to make our repayre Whyle that we stande in party and in all With our enmyes in honour perygall And fer aboue playnely if that we Coude haue an Eye to our Felycyte Whyle that it is in his ascencyon But lest some man wyll make obieccyon That we may nat so our honour saue To repayre playnely but we haue Eleyne agayne that is cause of all To whiche thynge anone answere I shall If any man in his fantasye To dishonour or to vyllanye Arrette wolde in any maner kynde We to go home and leue hir behynde Shortely to saye I holde it be no shame Sythe that we haue one as great of name As is Eleyne and of berthe as gode Amonges vs ycome of kynges blode Suster to Pryam lorde of Troye towne Exyona whom that Thelamowne In kepynge hath if I shall nat feyne In Troye towne as Parys hath Eleyne And sythe nowe it may be none other Let the tone be set agayne the tother And the surplus of olde enmyte Bet wixe vs and Troye the cyte My counsayle is for our bothe ease By one assent wysely to apease This all and some and that we hens wende I can no more my tale is at an ende To whom anone kynge Menelaus For very yre wode and Furyous And kynge Thoas the Duke eke of Athene As they that myght no lenger hym sustene To suffre hym they were so reckeles Spake all attones vnto Achylles Nat oonly they but thorugh inpacyence The court perturbyd without prouydence With tumulte gonne to repreue This Achylles and proudely them cōmeue Agaynst hym and his oppynyon And sayde shortly in conclusyon Vnto his reed they ne wolde neuer assente Nor condescende to no thynge that he mente To be gouernyd by hym in this caas For whiche thynge anone Achylles was So full of Yre and rancoure in his herte That sodaynely from his see he sterte And went his way as he were in a rage Tryste and pale and a wode vysage And shortly sayde for hym lyst nat fayne That he ne wolde lenger do his payne To helpe them how so that they spede Agayne Troynas for no maner nede And bad anone this hardy Achilles To his knyghtes callyd Myrundones That they no more with spere nor with shelde To helpe Grekes entre into felde But kepe them close at home within theyr tent Thus in this Ȳre he gaue cōmaundement To all his men as ye haue herde deuyse Them to withdrawe at euery hye empryse Whan so euer they go into batayle And in this whyle scarsenesse of vytayle Fyll in the hoost of flesshe of brede and wynne That many
lyke as I haue behyght And in all haste bego out of my syght For vtterly it dothe to great offence Vnto myn eye to hauethe in presence For thorugh disdayne it causeth myn vnreste Than Anthenor thought for the beste It was nat holsom lenger to abyde But caste wysely for rancour or for pryde That it was beste for to bere hym fayre And to his shyppe he gan anone repayre And in all haste by possybylytee Without abode he taken hath the see And gan to sayle and homewarde faste drawe But sodaynly boyle gan the wawe The see to ryse and the cloudes blake For to appere and the wynde a wake Wonder gastfull also was the heuene With dredfull fyre of the bryght leuene The thonder smote the tempest gan to dryue That the maste gan a soder ryue Now alofre now in poynt to drowne The felle weder gan so on them frowne That they awayte nat but vpon dethe Euen at the poynt of yeldynge vp of the brethe For they ne sawe none other remedye And euer amonge they gan clepe and crye To theyr goddes and auowes make And deuoutly for to vndertake Eche of them lyke as he was of age If they escape to go on pylgrymage Lyke the rytes of theyr paynem wyse To the goddes to do theyr sacryfyse So as they were of substaunce of myght And sodaynly the weder derke as nyght With newe lyght by grace gan adawe The see waxe calme and smothe gan the wawe So that of happe amonge euerychone For all the tempest perysshed was nat one But tofore Troye within a sytell space They be aryued euerychone by grace Escaped safe from euery Ieopardye Bothe Anthenor and all his companye And to the temple he toke the right way And in his prayer there full longe he lay With many another also for his sake ThaÌ„kyng their goddes that made them so eskape Euery peryll and tempest of the see And after this vnto the kynge gothe he That with his lordes aboute hym full royall In his paleys and dongyon pryncypall Sat and abode full solempnelye Trewe reporte of this embassatrye And this knyght of all that hath hym falle Hath tolde the kynge tofore his lordes alle THis Anthenor hath first made meÌ„cion Tofore the kynge by iuste relacyon Of his expleyt by ordre by and by And in what wyse and how vncurteysly He was receyued of kynge Pelleus Of the thretes and wordes despytous That he suffred of kynge Thelamon Beynge as ferse as a wood lyon And afterwarde he gan also complayne Of the despyte of the bretherne twayne Of his rebuke and his great drede And at Nestor how he dyde spede That with his lyfe he myght vnneth skape All this he tolde and gan an ende make Of his iourney and eke of his repayre And than Pryam was fully in despayre Outher by forte or by aduenture Euer agayne his suster to recure For he conceyueth in his aduertence By clere reporte of experte euydence That aye the more he was to them benygne The more vngoodly ayen hym they malygne And where he most hym sheweth debonayre There he fonde theÌ„ agaynward most coÌ„trayre So frowardly euer they them quyte Shewynge by sygnes that they sette lyte By his frenshyp for ought he coude aduerte Wherof he was pure sorym his herte That he constrayned right of very nede Compelled was iustly to procede To haue redresse oonly by rygour For profre of peas myght haue no fauour To be admytted by tytle of ryghtwysenesse Thorugh hye despyte of hasty wylfulnesse For euery mene of measour was in vayne Saue oonly werre engendred by disdayne Begonne and caused all of olde hatrede Whiche gan anone suche a bronde to brede Of newe enuye in the kynges breste That Pryamus without more areste Is so iuly with Yre and rancour fret And with disdayne so sore grounde and whet That where so be that he lese or wynne Vpon grekes he wyll a werre begynne And Iuparte manly as a knyght His lyfe his deth bycause he hadde ryght And caste hym firste a nauee for to sende Into grece his fomen for to fende And lyke a knyght his force for to haunte In knyghtly wyse he caste hym for to daunte The pompe of grekes and the sturdynesse And fynally theyr pryde to oppresse ¶ But saye Pryam what infelycyte What newe trouble what hap what destyne Or from aboue what hatefull Influence Descended is by vnware vyolence To mâ—ue the thou canste nat lyue in pees What sodayne sorte what fortune gracelees What chaunce vnhappy without auysenesse What wylfull luste what fonned hardynesse Haue put thy soule out of tranquyllyte To make the werye of thy prosperyte Why hast yâ— fauour in bytter more than swete That canste nat lyue in peas nor in quyete Thou art trauayled with wylfull mocyons Ouer maystred with thy passyons For lacke of reason and of hye prudence Derked and blynde from all prouydence And full barayne to cast afore and se The harmes folowynge of thyne aduersyte Thou were to slowe wysely to consydere For wante of syght made to the slydere Thorugh myste of errour falsly to forueye By pathys wronge from the right weye To voyde reason of wylfull hastynesse Wher was thy guyde wher was thy maistresse Descrecyon so prudent and so ladde A vyselye that shulde the haue ladde From the traces of sensualyte Though it full selde in mannes power be By suffraunce hymselfe to refrayne Whan sodayne Yre doth his herte strayne Thou shuldest afore better a cast thy chaunce Wrought by counsayle nat put in balaunce Thy sykernesse alas why dydest thou so And haue symuled some dele of thy wo And caste thy chaunge well afore the pryme To haue forgoten wronges of olde tyme And thought afore in thyn aduertence That ofte falleth in experyence That whyles men do moste besynesse Vengeably theyr wronges to redresse With double harme or that they are ware They falle agayne in a newe snare And damages that were forgete clene By false reporte of rumoure fresshe and grene Renewed be thorugh the swyfte fame That fleeth so fer to hyndre alordes name Namely whan they to a purpose wende Oonly of hede and se nat the ende For of pryde and of sodayne heete They voyde themselfe out of all quyete Aduertynge nat to worke auyselye Nor the prouerbe that techeth comonlye He that stande sure enhaste hym nat to meue For if he do it shall hym after greue And he that walketh surely on the playne If he stumble it is but in vayne But if so be helyste of his folye Be neclygent to put hym wylfullye In auenture and of hymselfe to reche To eschewe peryll I holde he be a wreche For sothly Pryam thou were to rechelees For to coÌ„mytte thy quyete and the pees So dredefully durynge by no date To cruell fortune or to fykell fate Whose maner is of custome comonly That whan a man trusteth moste soueraynely Of this goddesse blynde and full vnstable Than she to hym is moste deceyuable Hym to
all in plates shene With speres rounde whet full quare and kene From Ethyope came this noble route And from the kyngdome also out of doute That Teremo of Dares called is Came the kynge full prudent and full wys The manly man named Theseus And eke his sone that hyght Archylogus A thousande knyghtes in theyr companye And Theseus full nye was of allye To Pryamus by discent of blode And kynges twayne passynge ryche of gode And renowmed of knyghthode as by fame All be that Guydo reherseth nat theyr name Yet in this storye he maketh mensyon That from Agresta the lytell regyon A thousande knyghtê they brought vnto troye Grekes pryde to daunte and acoye For they were chosen and pycked for the nones And from the lande beyonde Amazones Lyssyny a the kynge Epystrophus So wyse so worthy and inly vertuous Passynge of counsayle and discrecyowne And with all this full worthy of renowne He preuyd was also in specyall And in the Artys called lyberall He lerned was and expert a ryght Natwithstandynge he was a worthy knyght In werre and peas manfull and ryght sage All be that he was ron ferre in age And as the storye maketh rehersayle A thousande knyghtê cladde in plate mayle To troye towne I fynde that he ladde And with hym Guydo sayth he hadde A wonder Archer of syght meruaylous Of fourme and shap in maner monstruous For lyke myne Auctour as I reherce can Fro the nauell vp warde he was man And lower downe lyke a hors yshaped And thylke parte that after man was maked Of skynne was blacke and rough as any vere Coueryd with here fro colde hym for to were Passynge foule and horryble of syght Whose eyen were sparkelynge as bryght As a furneys with his rede leuene Or the lyghtenynge that cometh downe fro heuene Dredefull of loke and reed as fyre of â—here And as I rede he was a good archere And with his bowe bothe at euen morowe Vpon grekes he wrought moche sorowe And gastyd them with many hydous loke So sterne he was that many of them quoke Whan they hym sawe so ougly horrybly And more lothsome than it is credyble That many one hath wounded to the deth And caused them to yelde vp the breth On grekes syde as ye shall after here And in this wyse assembled be yfere Kynges dukes and Erles of renowne From sondry landes within Troye towne That be gaderyd and come fro so ferre As sayth Dares to helpe them in this werre That were in nombre as he maketh mynde Two and thurty thousande as I fynde Of worthy knyghtes and lordes of estate That fythe the worlde was fourmed create Ne was sene I trowe in one Cyte Togydre assembled of so hye degre Nor of knyghtes so great a multytude And yet this Dares sothly to conclude In his boke maketh of them nomynde That came to Troye out of smaler ynde Nouther of them moste famous of renowne That were with Pryam yborne of troye towne That fynally if it be trewely sought Syth the houre that this world was wrought I dare afferme vnder Phebus spere So many worthy were nat mette yfere Of manly men flourynge in lustynesse So fresshe so yonge and as by lyklynesse In euery poynt of shape and of arraye For to do well for sothely this is no naye Who lyste consyder vpon outher syâ—e For thorugh the worlde where men go or ryde Thâ— floure of knyghthode of worthynesse Of chyualrye and of hye prowesse Assembled was withoute and within Fully assented a werre to begyn ¶ Wherfore ye lysters take now good hede That you delyte in this boke to rede Firste for how lytell that this werre began How lyght yâ— cause for whiche so many a man Hath loste his lyfe in myschefe pytuously And yet no man can beware therby Almoste for nought was this stryfe begonne And who lyst loke they haue no thyng wonne But oonly deth alas the harde stounde So many knyght caught his dethes wounde Withoute recure or any remedye And for a woman if I shall nat lye Gan all this stryfe it was the more pyte That so great myschefe or aduersyte Of mortall slaughter euer shulde tyde Better had be to haue sette asyde Suche quarelles dere ynough a myte To a let passyd or the vengeaunce byte For wysedome were to caste afore and se If suche sklaundres myght eschewed be Or the venym gonne for to rype For though yâ— men with hornes blowe pype Whan the hous is fyred in his hete Of the sparcle to late it is to trete That caused all wherfore at the gynnynge The remedy is put of euery thynge As euery wyght may deme in his reason And whyle that grekes lay at Tenedon Them to refresshe and to reste in pes The worthy kynge called Pallamydes With thurty shyppes out of grekes lande Stuffed with knyghtê ful worthy of theyr hande The beste choyse of all his regyon Aryued is vp at Tenedon Wherof grekes whan they had a syght Reioysynge them were right glade and lyght Hauynge rewarde vnto his worthynesse Where they afore hadde had heuynesse For his absence that he was so longe And some of them grutched at hym stronge For he nat kepte his moustre 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 hegan hymself excuse Stoppynge all tho that theron lyste to muse Of his absence she wynge the cause why That for sykenesse and sodayne malady He was coÌ„strayned his presence to withdrawe And for they sawe that lykensse hath no lawe They helde excused fully his absence And for he was of moste reuerence Amonge grekes to no wyght 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 wysely he wolde aye well acheue And what he gan he ne wolde leue Maugre his foon in no maner wyse Tyll that he sawe a fyne of his empryse And for he was moste of oppynyon Amonge grekes and reputacyon They hym beâ—ought that he wolde be Of theyr counsayle auysely tose What were to do in euery maner thynge And he assenteth vnto theyr axynge Benygnely of his gentylnesse And grekes than dyde theyr besynesse To procede without more delaye Them to enhaste in all that euer they maye To gynne a sege and differre it nought And sondry wayes they serched haue sought In theyr wyttes how fro Tenedowne They maye remeue towarde troye towne From the hauen where theyr shyppes be And some thought moste coÌ„modyte For moste expleyt by nyght pryuely Towarde troye that stode faste by Proudely to sayle with theyr shyppes alle And some sayde great peryll myght falle Towarde nyght for take the see Lest with derkenesse they ennosed bee In theyr passage knowynge nat the waye Wherof great harme after falle maye And thus dyuerse of oppynyon Procedynge nat to no conclusyon For in effect theyr
Vpon grekes his manhode for to haunte For he theyr pryde so mortally gan daunte That they hym fledde where that he rode Makynge all hote the streyntes of theyr blode Endelonge to renne vpon the grene Tyll the tyme the Duke of great Athene That called was whylom Menesteus With thre thousande knyghtes full famous Of whiche he was bothe lorde and guyde The felde hath take vpon the lefte syde For a deceyte in full secrete wyse ¶ Where Troylus was with the folke of Fryse Whiche hath that daye who so lyste to seke By his knyghthode kylled many greke Lyke a Tygre gredy on his pray Troylus bare hym all the longe day Sleynge of grekes many worthy knyght And whyle that he was besyest in fyght Agayne his foon with kynge Antipus And the kynge that hyght Alchanus Vpon grekes Ylyche fresshe and newe Makynge theyr sydes all of blody hewe By one assent this thre thorugh theyr maÌ„hede And specyally vpon his bay stede Where so euer that this Troylus rode Euery greke that his swerde abode Sodaynely he made for to sterue Thorugh theyr plates so depe he gan kerue And this contynued tyll duke Meneste Of Troylus sawe the great cruelte And the slaughtre that he of grekes made Of hasty Ire with face pale and fade Hent a spere and threwe it in the rest And Troylus smette euen amyd the brest So sternely that maugre his renowne To the erthe anone he bare hym downe In the myddes of his mortall foon That cruelly hym besette anoon And hym to treyne layde out oke and lase Rounde aboute in maner of compase With spere darte and swerdes forged bryght But he hymselfe diffendeth lyke a knyght With great manhode his honour to auaunce Albe his lyfe was hanged in balaunce Where he stode and felte full vnswete In poynt of deth amonge the horse fete With great awayte of Duke Meneste Howe this Troylus myght haue take be Of mortall hate castynge in his thought At myschefe take that he escape nought On euery halfe he was so besette With swerdes rounde kene grounde whette Alone alas mortally bestadde They seased hym forth they haue hym ladde Tyll Myseres a worthy knyght of troye Gan to crye as he stode in the waye Sore abasshed in right furyous wyse O ye noble worthy men of Fryse Manly knyghtes aye preuyd in the felde Moste renowmed bothe with spere and shelde Consyder nowe vnto your hye fame And aduerte the glorye of your name How this daye thorugh your neclygence By the power and myghty vyolence Of the grekes Troylus is ytake Sool in the felde for ye haue hym forsake That shall rebounde to your alder shame For ye in sothe greatly are to blame If he that is of worthynesse floure Be take of grekes for lacke of socoure That but if ye take hasty wreche Shamefull reporte your honour shall apeche Perpetuelly and sayde therof amys In your defaute that Troylus taken is Whiche named be so worthy and famous And with that worde the kynge Alkamous Of melancolye felte his herte ryue And in his Ire hente a spere blyue And pryckynge after enhateth what he myght Tyll he of them playnely had a syght That besy were Troylus for to â—ede And he full knyghtly syttynge on his stede Ran one thorugh that he fell downe dede And efte agayne pale and no thynge rede In his rancoure no lenger wolde lette But a greke the firste that he mette Thorugh the body smet he with a spere That men myght se the poynt a fere By breste and plate thorugh the shulder bone That to the grounde he fell downe dede anone And therwithall the worthy Fryses alle Came flokmele downe and on grekes falle So myghtely that maugre theyr diffence They sette vpon with so great vyolence That Troylus is from all daunger fre And thorugh theyr knyghtly magnanymyte They made hym to recure his stede And specyally helpynge in this nede Was zantipus the stronge manly kynge Whiche of disdayne at his in coÌ„mynge Ou Meneste gan his spere grate And thorugh his shelde mayle thycke plate So sore he smote that this Meneste Hadde be dede ne hadde his armour be Whiche for Ire gan to tremble and shake That Troylus was from his hondes take And escaped to be prysoner Despyte his berde and maugre his power Wherfore he gan of hasty hote enuye On his knyghtes furyously to crye That were so myghty renowmed and stronge To payne them for to venge his wronge Vpon Troyans to mete them in the face And they in hast gan myghtely enbrace Theyr sharpe speres grounde for to byte And felly foyne and togydre smyte For tho began the great mortall werre The fyre brast out shene as any sterre On basenertes and theyr plates bryght That thorugh yâ— felde flaumeth the fereful lyght To lyfe nor deth they toke tho no hede And downe the playne both in lengthe brede The wardes gan proudely to auale And with lokes of enuye pale They aproche and assemble yfere In hate brennynge that no man may stere And gan hurte with spere swerde and darte And mortally vpon euery parte The slaughter gan greatly for to rewe And Ylyche alwaye newe and newe Ector grekes thorugh his worthynesse Where he rode manly dyde oppresse And mercylesse slowe them and bare downe Now here now there without excepcyowne So furyously that routhe was to se And than of newe the duke Meneste Repayred is with enuyous herte From his hondes that Troylus so a sterte And for the slaughter eke of his meynee That where he rode he besy was to sâ—ee The troyan people whan he myght them mete For to auenge hym for nothynge wolde he lete Tyll casuelly amonges all the prees A knyght he mette that hyght Miserees Whiche in despyte of this Meneste Hadde at the reskus of worthy Troylus be And maugre hym put hym from his pray And so befelle on the selfe day As they mete agayne of aduenture That Meneste by his cote armure Marked hym by armes that he bare And sodaynely or that he was ware Or that he myght take any hede Furyously on his sterne stede And with a spere amyd the renges alle Bare hym ouer and made hym for to falle Maugre his myght to the erthe downe And than I fynde how the kynge Hupowne Descended is the storye lyste nat lye Two thousande knyghtes in his companye Whiche on grekes felly gan to sette And in yâ— berde kynge Prothenor them mette And Archelaus the noble werryour Of Boece lorde and gouernour With helpe oonly of this Prothenor Lyke a tygre or a wood boor Gan troyans assayle to the deth And many one that daye he sleeth But kynge Hupon thorugh his chyualrye That tyme in his melancolye Full many greke gaue his dethes wounde And thus they gan eche other to confounde Suche mortall hate amonges them there was Tyll of Fortune a knyght Pollydamas On troye syde sone of Anthenor With his knyghtes and hymselfe tofor Is
come downe On outher parte bothe here and yonder Whiche sodaynely seuered them a sonder And as the storye telleth playnely than Began the slaughter of many manly man For nouther party the felde ne wolde leue Of very pryde tyll it drewe to eue That Phebus gan asswage of his hete And gan to bathe in the wawes wete His bryght bemys of the Occyan That fro the felde home goth euery man To theyr lodgynge and after seuen dayes They faughte yfere and made no delayes Full mortall by cruell aduenture Whyle Achylles besy was to cure His woundes grene and his sores sounde And than he hath a newe treson founde To be vengyd vpon kynge Menon For all his wytte he set therupon And so this cruell enuyous Achylles I charged hath his Myrundones Worthy Menon amonge them to enbrace If they hym founde in opportune place With all theyr myght and theyr besy thought From theyr hondes that he escape nought Tyll he hym selfe auengyd on hym be And so befell as they Menon se The nexte morowe lyke a manly knyght Agayne the Grekes armed for to fyght On Troye syde as he was wonte to do Of auenture that day it fylle so That Achylles and this Menon mette And eche of them gan on other sette On horse backe of full great enuye And so longe in theyr melancolye Myn Auctor wryt they togydre fyght That eche made other of force to a lyght And whan Menon stode vpon the grounde Myrundones wente abounte hym rounde As they were charged of the fyerse Achylle Whan he allas without goddes wylle Dysseuered was from his knyghtes alle And at myschefe they vpon hym falle Destytute alone and helples And in suche poynt slewe hym Achylles But in the storye lyke as it is founde This Menon firste gaue hym suche a wouÌ„de Tofore his deth in all this felle stryfe That he dispeyred was playnely of his lyfe This Achylles for all his false treson Take hede Omer and deme in thy reson The false fraude and the sleyghty gyle The treson caste afore with many wyle Of Achylles and Iuge now a ryght If euer he slewe any worthy knyght But it were by prodycyon Recorde I take of the kynge Menon So that the tytyle of his laude alas Entryked is with fraude and with fallas That thou Omer mayste with no coloure Though thou paynte with gold with asoure In thy wrytynge his venym nat enclose But as the thorne hyd vnder the rose Whose malys aye dareth by the rote Though the floure aboue fayre and sote That men the fraude vnder may nat se Of his treson ye gette no more of me BUt I wyll tell how grekes do that day How Meneste and kynge Menelay Dyomede and Thelamonyus On Troyans were passynge despytous For cruelly with theyr wardes alle In theyr myschefe be vpon them falle And made them flee home vnto the towne For whylom troylus yâ— was their chaÌ„pyowne Is dede alas and hath them now forsake Of whom they haue the dede body take The same day with great diffyculte And dolefully into the Cyte They haue it brought cryeng oft alas And for his deth suche a woo there was That I trowe there is no man a lyue Whiche coude a right halfdele descryue Theyr pyteous wo nor lamentacyowne Certeyse nat Boys that had suche renowne With drery wordes to be wepe and crye In complaynynge to Phylosophye Thorugh his boke accusynge aye Fortune That selde or nought can in one contune She is so full of transmutacyowne O stace of Thebes make no boste nor sowne Of drerynesse for to wryte at all Nouther of deth nor festes funerall Of makynge sorowe nor aduersyte Let be thy wepynge o thou Nyobe ¶ Yâ—e suster also of Mellenger That custome haue for to fle so fer Fro yere to yere your brother to complayne And thou that weptest out thyn Eyen twayne Edippus kynge of Thebes the Cyte Thou wofull Myrre and Calixtone That so well can in rage you bemene And Dydo eke of Cartage quene Lette be your dole and contrycyon And Phyllys eke for thy Demophon And Ecto eke that newe dost begynne To crye and wayle and also thou Corynne That whylom were in so great affray For deth oonly of thy Popyngay As in his boke telleth vs Duyde Let all this woo now be layde asyde And make of it no comparysowne Vnto the woo that was in Troye towne For deth oonly of this worthy knyght For loue of whom euery maner wyght Hye and lowe olde and yonge of age Are falle of newe into suche a rage That they coude of theyr wo none ende Whose salte terys wyll theyr eyen shende So pyteous was the lamentacyowne In euery strete thorugh out all the towne Alas who coude all theyr sorowes telle I trowe certeys Pluto depe in helle For all his tourment and his paynes kene Nouther she Proserpyna his quene Nouther the wery woode Tycyus Ixyon nor hungry Tantalus Ne coude nat for all theyr bytter payne So furyously wepe and complayne As do troyans Troylus for thy sake For who can now suche a sorowe make Or who can wepe as kynge Pryamus Who wepeth nowe with face full pyteous Or maketh sorowe but Eccuba the quene ¶ Who wepeth nowe but fayre Polycene Who wepeth nowe but Parys and Eleyne Who can nowe wepe or vnto terys reyne As do Troyans with dedely swolle chere It neded them no wepers for to here They hadde ynough of theyr owne store Alas for nowe they be for euermore Of helpe all sole of comforte destytute For who shall nowe be to them refute Nowe that Ector and also Dephebus And troylus eke that was so vertuous Be dede alas who shall theyr socoure be Or sustene the werre of theyr Cyte There is no more in conclusyon But after deth fully destruccyon Of theyr toures and theyr walles stronge In this mater what shulde I playne longe It vayleth nat alway so to morne Wherfore I wyll now agayne retorne To my mater and telle how the kynge To grekes hath without more tariynge For a trewes and a peas Ysent A certayne tyme by great auysement Whiche graunted was of Agamenowne And whaÌ„ they anone were repeyred to yâ— towne ¶ Howe Parys slewe Achylles in the Temple of Appollo and Anthylogus duke Nestors sone Capitulo xxxij BYnge Pryamus dyde his besy cure For to make a ryche sepulture For Troylus corps full noble and ryall As sayth Guydo of stones and metall And hym enclosed of great affeccyon And nye besyde was the kynge Menon Solempnely buryed and ygraue And after that day by day they haue Lyke the custome of Festes funerall And other Rytis cerymonyall For them bothe with dewe obseruaunce Seruyse done by contynuaunce In theyr Temple lyke as was the guyse Whiche were to longe me for to deuyse And Tedyus eke for you to dwelle But I purpose ceryously to telle Howe Eccuba as I can endyte Hir caste fully Achylles to quyte His Tyrannye sothely if she may And vnto hir she calleth
hertes be Or knyghtly force in aduersyte For to endure by vertue of suffraunce Tyll of his deth ye take may vengaunce And manly quyte this outragyous offence Whan tyme coÌ„meth to make recompence But syth that ye be manly and prudent I wolde firste se the playne entent In this mater of you that be so wyse Hereupon what is your aduyse By one assente and voyce in comune Where that ye wyll the werre forth contune And the sege ygonne vpon this towne Tyll they be brought to destruccyowne Or into Grece now resorte agayne For cause oonly that Achylles is slayne That whylom was your stronge ChaÌ„pyowne Your diffence and proteccyowne But fynally now that he is dede Hereupon lette se what is your rede Saye openly and no lenger tarye And some anone gonne for to varye And to grutche castynge to and fro Stondynge in doute what were beste to do And some sayde on the tother syde For lyfe or deth they wolde an ende abyde And some of them that of wytte were rude For theyr partye gonne to conclude That they wolde home agayne retourne And other sayde that they wyll soiourne Styll at the sege happe what happe may And thus they treate all the longe day Euery man lyke his oppynyon Tyll at the laste in conclusyon They be accorded fully into one Fro the sege neuer for to gone Vnto the tyme they haue of the towne Thorugh theyr knyghthode full possessyon At theyr fce wyll to spylle and to saue All be Achylles was buryed and ygraue For the truste of euery worthy knyght Was fynally as goddes haue behyght That they in haste shall the towne possede This was the hope fully deuoyde of drede Vndispeyred in theyr oppynyon And than anone Ayax Thelamon A worthy knyght and famous of his hande Amonge all tho of the Grekes lande Sayde euen thus playnely in sentence Syres quod he that be here in presence My counsayle is platly and my rede Now it standeth so that Achylles is dede For his sone in all haste to sende Hyder to come for to se an ende Of the sege and helpe vs in this nede ¶ Whiche nowe abyt with kynge Lycomede His bysayel and named is Pirrus And some hym call Neptolonyus Right lusty fresshe and by lyklynesse Able to attayne to great worthynesse As by reporte and the fame is kouthe If he drawe hym to armes in his youthe And sothfastly but if bokes lye As I haue redde and herde by prophecye That fynally Troye the Cyte Without hym shall neuer wonne be Thus bokes saye that be of olde memorye And how grekes shall haue no victorye Tyll he come this sone of Achylles Wherfore in haste and be nat reckeles Sende for hym that it be done anone And they coÌ„mende his counsayle euerychone And to his rede fully them assente And by aduyse full prudently they sente In all haste on this embassyat The wyse kynge full famous of estat I mene the prudent noble Menelay And forth he goth the selfe same day And on his iourney gan hym faste spede Tyll that he came vnto Lycomede The olde kynge as ye haue herde me telle Wherfore a tyme I wyll leue hym dwelle And to Grekes in the mene whyle So as I can directe agayne my style ¶ Howe Parys Thelamon Ayax slewe eche other in the felde Capitulo xxxiij THe tyme of yere whan the shene sonne In the Crabbe had his course yronne To the hyest of his Ascencyon Whiche called is the somer stacyon Whan the vertue out of euery roote Is drawen vp and the bawme soote Into the crop and the fresshe floure Most lusty is of hewe and of coloure Tyll Phebus chare in his descencyon Out of the Crabbe towarde the Lyon Holdeth his course in the firmament I mene whan he is retrogradyent And dryeth vp the moysture and the wete Of herbe and floure with his feruent hete And all that veer afore hym made grene To whyte he tourneth with his bemys shene Bothe sede and grayne by decoccyon For naturelly by digestyon That firste was rawe in fruytes in floures And watery eke by plente of humoures He dryeth vp and rypeth at the fulle With his feruence that men may them pulle Eche in his kynde after the season Fro yere to yere by reuolucyon On theyr braunches fresshely as they sprede Whan that Cheryes powbly be and rede Firste in Iune that seweth after May Whan the hoote mery somers day No dwery is but lyke a geaunt longe The same tyme grekes stoute and stronge With rancour brent of theyr enuyous hete Haue shapen them with theyr foon to mete And bryght armed into felde they go And they of Troye out of the towne also And theyr wardes ordeyned euerychone The felde haue take to mete with theyr foon And gan to assemble vpon outher syde But Thelamon of foly and of pryde The same day of hym as I rede As he that hadde of his deth no drede Disarmed was for batayle of arest Of mayle and plate bare vpon his brest For of foly and surquedous outrage Bare his hede and bare eke his vysage And bare also without basenet And naked eke of vyser and palet Herode all day of no thynge aferde Hauynge no wepen but a naked swerde For wylfully he lefte at home his shelde And his spere whan he toke the felde Full lyke a knyght syttynge on his stede And after hym foloweth Dyomede Lyke Mars hym selfe aboute hym his meyne And faste by came duke Meneste Kynge vlyxes and Agamenon ANd Pryamus with them of troye towne Toke eke the felde with a full heuy chere For he was bothe ferefull and in were In great dispeyre and inly full of drede To yssue out now Ector was dede ¶ Worthy Troylus and also Dephebus For in hym selfe he demyd playnely thus That he was feblyd greatly of his myght After theyr deth with grekes for to fyght But out he goth hap what happe may And Parys eke full knyghtly of array Kynge Phylymene and Pollydamas ¶ Worthy Esdre and with them Eneas By one assent there is no more to seye The same day knyghtly lyue or deye In theyr diffence and vtterly Iuparte As goddes lyste the felde to departe And proudely firste the grekê they gan perce And Parys tho with them that were of Perce Fyll in asyde with the sonne shene And his archerys with arrowes square kene The grekes gan aâ—ondre to disseuere For in the felde they myght nat perseuerâ— Oonly for shot of the stronge archerys Of Perce londe and the Arbalasterys Whiche made them fle right of very nede Into tyme that proude Dyomede Whan he of grekes sawe this sodayne flyght Them to releue lyke a manly knyght Is come vpon felly in his tene And firste of all he sette on Phylyment A worthy kynge that came on Troye syde The whiche agayne gan at hym to ryde That Dyomede hath but lytell wonne With swerdes styffe as they togydre ronne That to beholde it was a noble syght
this malyce in werkynge Firste astoned in his inwarde syght All sodaynely stert vp lyke a knyght This wyse worthy this Pallamydes Hardy as Lyon amyd all the prees No thynge agaste hym knyghtly gan expresse And playnely sayde he wolde nat refuse To acquyte hym selfe of this horryble caas Nat exceptynge that he so worthy was Of byrthe and blode and of hye kynrede All this deuoydynge of knyghthode maÌ„hede As he that gaue of lyfe nor deth no fo rs Tofore them all to Iuparde his cors Within a felde where them lyste ordeyne Lyke as a knyght this quarell to dareyne With whom that lyst or durste it vndertake Excepcyon hym lyked none to make Of hye nor lowe who that were so bolde To preue the reason that I haue you tolde Besechynge them to make no delay Nor prolonge hym but the same day Manly requerynge it may be do in haste But they yâ— had falsly this thynge compaste Of his answere stoned were echone In all the hoost that there was nat one That hardy was if I shall nat feyne In chaump close this quarell to dareyne Nouther Vlixes nouther Dyomede Chefe workers of this foule dede ¶ But Vlixes as he was customable In euery thynge to be deceyuable Double in his werke and full aye of disceyte Lyke a serpent that lyeth in awayte Whiche vnder floures can so glyde and trace Right so vlixes with a fayned face Whan yâ— he sawe the knyghtly hye prowesse The manly chere and the hardynesse And hye renowne of this Pallamydes Anone of falshede put hym selfe in prees And lyke a frende that mente nat but wele Brotell as glasse pretendynge outwarde stele With one the firste gan hym to excuse Them counsayllynge no longer for to muse On this matere for theyr alder ease And by crafte gan them so appease Touchynge the rumoure of this hye treason That he hath voyded all suspecyon Out of theyr hertes concludynge in tertayne This accusynge made was in vayne And conspyred oonly of hatrede Albe hym selfe was roote of all this dede ¶ But whan he sawe he myght nat acheue As ye haue herde this worthy kynge to greue Some spot of treason on hym for to laye Hehath anone founde another waye By the assent fully of Dyomede Vnder pretense playnely of frendelyhede Comynge to hym agayne a certayne nyght Vndersuraunce as he was trewe knyght Counsayle to kepe outher for sote or soure Enformynge hym of a great treasoure Of golde and good and infynyte ryches To hym discured vnder secretenes The whiche sothly no man dyde knowe Hyd and enclosyd in a welle lowe Within a felde a lytell there be syde The whiche hym lyste fro hym nat to hyde But of truste vnto hym discure So he wolde do his besy cure The same nyght with hym for to go Vnto the welle they thre and no mo To fette away that great suÌ„me of gode And he in sothe that no thynge vnderstode What they mente assentyd was anone And so they thre be togydre gone Vnto the well lyke as I haue tolde And for that he moste manly was and bolde Pallamydes lyke as they hym telle Descended is lowe into the welle Supposynge to haue a treasour founde But they alas hym falsly to confounde Haue murdred hym with stones great and huge He in the botome hauynge no refuge And whaÌ„ they had acomplysshed their entent They be repeyred eueryche to his Tent. THis tale the storye telleth vs That feyned was to the kynge Naulus Touchynge the deth of Pallamydes Them to desclaundre that were gylteles For vlixes and with Dyomede Were innocent platly as I rede And grekes all bothenygh and ferre For he was slayne knyghtly in the werre Durynge the sege of Parys with an arowe But who is false fayne can full narowe To fynde a tale that neuer yet was thought And of the treason that shuld haue be wrought Touchynge the lettres sent out of the towne There was no suche conspyracyowne By grekes wrought but a fable vnsoth Falsly feyned to make Naulus wroth With Vlixes and Dyomede also Agamenon and other grekes mo To lette them homewarde in theyr waye And hyndre also there is no more to saye As they repeyre to theyr regyons And Naulus than by this occasyons And Oetes his sone a manly man Accorded be in what they may or can By one assent to auenge mercyles The cruell murdre of Pallamydes And to ordayne at theyr home passage To worke fully into theyr damage For Grekes muste of necessyte Homewarde sayle foreby his countre Wherfore this kynge shapen hath a wyle On hylâ—es hye by a lytell yle In wynter season euery maner nyght To make fyres and to sette vp lyght To cause them on the see to erre For as Grekes sawe the fyre a ferre Vnware of harme caste them for to lande As they that coude no perell vnderstande But shope them with all theyr full myght For to aryue faste by the lyght Wherwith .ij. hondred of theyr shyppes brake Amonge rockes and fully go to wrake That there was drowned many worthy man And thus the vengaunce alderfirste began That kynge Naulus hath on grekes take Of deedly hate for his sones sake To great myschefe and confusyon Of Grekes nauye but Agamenon With great perell is the deth escaped That hadde almoste amonge them be beiaped For erles dukes worthy kynges crowned Thorugh this trayne in the see were drowned But Menelay and also Dyomede Escaped this myschefe as I rede And whan they were from all daunger gone This Oetes wood foryre an one In his herte shope another wyle And thought he wolde Agamenon begyle Compassynge a full mortall stryfe Let sende a lettre anone to the wyfe Of this myghty great Agamenon In whiche there was included false treason For euen lyke if I shall nat lye Thus in effect they dyde specyfye Firste how hir lorde Agamenon the kynge Hadde at the sege wrought a wonder thynge In preiudyce and sclaundre of hir name Albe in hir was no maner blame Lyke as he wrote platly nor trespace His knyghtly honoure of foly to difface This to say Guydo telleth thus He loued a doughter of kynge Pryamus And for beaute hadde hir to wyfe take And hir in herte fynally forsake This worthy quene whylom of great fame And Clemestra sothly was hir name Wonder semely and right fayre with all And by descent borne of the stocke royall Hir celly nge eke for all hir excellence Albe that she neuer dyde offence Yet hir lorde of newe fangylnesse Toke a nother the lettres dyde expresse Fully in purpose anone at his repayre Though Clemestra were bothe good fayre All sodaynely hir to exyle Out of his londe many thousande myle Warnynge hir that she be prudent This was the substaunce as in sentement That Oetes wrote vnto this quene Albe the kynge was innocent and clene And was to hir in all his fore lyuynge Louynge and trewe in all maner thynge And hir to please passynge ententyfe In worde and
Egistus by double occasyon Firste for the deth of Agamenon And eke for he hadde a doughter dere That was to hym in wardly entere Both good and fayre but yonge of age That whylom was gyuen in maryage To Egistus but he of doubylnesse Of false treason and new fangylnesse The kynges doughter hath vtterly forsake And in all haste dyd a lybell make And forge a wryt of repulsyon Albe he hadde no trewe occasyon This Egistus that he hir forsoke Saue that he falsly to wyue toke The quene Clemestra agayne all ryght lawe Whan by assent they murdred haue slawe A gamenon as it tofore is tolde That whylom was so myghty and so bolde And for the hatefull false conspyracye As well of murdre as auoutrye To venge bothe by dewe recompence The worthy knyght yâ— myghty kyng Forence Offrede Horestes for to make hym stronge And go with hym to helpe venge his wronge And with hym ladde armed bryght in stele Foure hondred knyghtes horsed wonder wele Takynge the felde with a manly chere And so Horestes and the kynge yfere Be ryden forthe with many manly man ¶ But Horestes or he this werre gan Whan bryght Phebus in the bole shone To the temple is full lowely gone And to the goddes in his best wyse With humble herte dyde sacryfyse Fully in hope the better for to fare Where he was bode for lyfe nor deth to spare Without mercy or remyssyon The deth to venge of Agamenon On Clemestra that was moste to wyte And that he make firste his swerde to byte On his moder with his hondes twayne And ouer more to do his besy payne Without pyte and no mercye shewe On smale peces tyll she be to hewe And dismembred a sonder ioynt fro ioynt And eke that he foryet nat a poynt Iustly to punysshe by rygoure and by ryght Egistus eke the false vntrewe knyght And that he be nat slowe nor neclygent To execute the coÌ„maundement Of the goddes lyst what after falle And than Horestes with his knyghtes alle And Forensis the myghty kynge also Of one herte be to the sege go Of the Cyte that called was Methene Within whiche was the false quene Clemestra god gyue hir harde grace And whan Horestes seged hath the place With his knyghtes set it rounde aboute False Existus was Yryden oute To gadre men and to be a wreke And falle vpon and the sege breke If he myght on any maner syde And with great stuffe thus he gan to ryde Takynge vp men from euery coost Tyll he hym made a full myghty hoost But horeste whiche at the sege lay His gouernaunce espyeth day by day 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 sege man fully begonne By assaute he hath the towne y wonne And entrede in on a nyght full late And sette wardes stronge at euery gate And in a doungeon moste strong pryncypall That was of byldynge myghty and royall This horestes firste his moder fonde The quene Clemestra lady of that londe Whiche for drede sore gan to quake But mercyles anone he made hir take And put in chaynes tyll the nexte morowe And Egistus god gyue hym euyll sorowe With all the stuffe that he myght accroche Towarde the towne fast gan approche In purpose full horestes for to greue And them within sodaynely releue But all in sothe myght nat auayle For or that he the Cyte myght abayle Horestes knyghtes vnwarely haue hym mette And all attones proudely on hym sette Firste slewe his men put them to the flyght And taken hym maugre all his myght And with chaynes lyke as they hym fynde Mercyles full faste they hym bynde And shet hym vp fetryd in prysowne And all false founde in the towne That were assentyd wynynge or helpynge To the murdre of the worthy kynge Great werkers and conspyratours Agayne theyr lorde rysynge as traytours An were take and bounde by rygoure The same nyght 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 excepcyon was none And whan the nyght passed was and gone And Phebus role esswarde in his spere And on the tours shone full bryght clere ¶ Whan Clemestra rote of all falsehede Was brought forthe quakynge in hir drede Before Horestes to Iugement yfet He with a swerde sharpe and kene whet Lyke as the goddes charged hym toforne On peces smale he hath hir all to shorne And made hir bere out of the townes boundes To be vouryd of bestes and of houndes Pyte was none in his breste reseruyd But quyt hir fully as she hath disseruyd Fro poynt to poynt and forgat right nought And thaÌ„ chayned egistus was forth brought And iustly dempt by rygour of the lawe On an herdell naked to be drawe Thorugh the towne that all myght se And after hye hanged on a tree For to rot and drye agayne the sonne Loo howe murdre hath his guerdon wonne Loo how falsehede his master can awake And all the traytours in the towne ytake Were on galowes enhonged euerychone Tyll they were seueryd a sonder bone fro bone Hye on an hylle agayne the sterres shene Thus was the towne fro treason purgyd clene And with trouthe augmentyd and ymoryd And to his reygne Horestes full restoryd As the storye sewynge shall expowne And of the daye whan he toke his crowne ANd whan yâ— myste euery cloudy skye Of false treason and conspyracye Were tryed out vpon euery syde That falsehede hadde no place to abyde The storye sayth in ordre rehersynge The same tyme Menelay the kynge Out of see full of wawes were Fro Troyewarde aryued was in Crete Frely escapyd many drede and peyne With his quene the goodly fresshe Eleyne And for cause she was so famous fayre Great was the prees and meruayllous repayre Fro euery parte hir beaute to beholde For whom Troye with walles nat full olde Destroyed was the noble royall towne And many man full worthy of renowne Hath loste his lyfe there may no man say nay All for Eleyne wyfe to Menelay Whan thynge is done it may be none other But whaÌ„ this kyng knew fully of his brother A gamenon murdre and euerydele He was full tryste and lyked no thynge wele But inwardly felte full great smerte And his neuewe he hadde also at herte I mene Horestes that so mercyles Lyke a tyraunt that were graceles His Modre slewe and had no pyte Of morrall yâ—re in his cruelte And fully caste that he wolde blyue Of sceptre and crowne platly hym depryue Full affermynge for this hatefull caas By all lawe that he vnworthy was His faders reygne as heyre to possede Iustely consydred his horryble dede And all attones Furyous and wrothe Without abode vnto shyp he gothe Melancolyke in his great tene Out of Crete saylnge to Athene
And vanysshed and were brought to nought Whan herodes the blesfull childe sought Thorugh his malys and cruelte horryble As holy wrytte recordeth and the byble For whiche pursuyte and persecucion There dyde apere by auysion An hooly aungell to Ioseph as he slepe And bad hym ryse and also take kepe Vnto the childe and also to marye And go his waye or Herode hym aspye Into Egipt the great regyon Lyke as the Gospell maketh mencyon And right anone as he came to that lande There was none Ydoll that vpright myght stāde But to shyuered vnto peces smale This holy wrytte playnely and no tale And was recorded friste of Isaye How that our lorde on an esy skaye Ascende shulde and holde forthe his weye Towarde Egipt and therwith shulde deye All mawmetrye and no longer dwelle But as the Iewes recorde of Ysmaelle That he was firste that mawmetrye fonde And made of claye an Ydoll with his honde And as Paynems wryte and telle vs That alder firste was Promotheus That founde Ydolles shortly to conclude For symulacrum cometh of symylitude That is no thynge playnely but lyknesse Made after man his ymage to expresse Vnto whiche paynems in theyr gyse With false honour and cursed sacryfyse Begonne firste this ryte for drede of man And some saye how Belus firste began Suche false worshyp and suche mawmettye In theyr bokes as clerkes specefye That of assirye was lorde and gouernour After whose deth his sone in his honour That Nynus hyghte an ymage dyde make To be worshypped oonly for his sake All of brent golde by false affeccion And sette it vp for consolacion And for a mynde and a memoryall Vnto the whiche with herte wyll and all Of ignoraunce and of flesshely loue He dyde honour as to god aboue In his temples moste of excellence And made his people to do reuerence And sayde in heuen he was deyfyed That of no man durste be denyed Tyll after soone but a lytell whyle A wycked spyryte folkes to begyle In this ydoll entrede to abyde And gaue answere vpon euery syde To the people of what them lyste demaunde And they agayne what he wyll cōmaunde Obeye fully the folke of all Assyrye Whiche vnto god dyde great iniurye Makynge the people in suche errour falle And some Belus and some Bell hym calle And some Balym and some Belphegore And felle in errour alway more and more And Belzebub he named was also Whiche name is made of wordes two Of bel and zebub that thus signefye For bel is god and zebub is a flye Than Belzebub togydre specyfyes Ioyned in one the great god of flyes And of this fayned false ydolatrye Gan all the worlde worshyp mawmetrye ¶ For some Saturne god of goddes all Gan in theyr errour falsely for to call That was whylom the myghtykyng of Crete And gaue hym name after the planete That in heuen hath so large a spere And as Poetes in theyr fables lere That he before thorugh his sapyence Sawe in his dyuyne prouydence How a sone shulde of hym descende ¶ And of Iuno the goddes as he wende That shulde hȳ playnely fro his reigne expelle And suffre hym no lenger for to dwelle In his kyngdome whan he came to age Wherof Saturne fyll in suche arage That he wyll shape remedye therfore Byddynge his wyfe whan y◠childe were bore That she to hym shulde it brynge anone In stede wherof to hym she brought a stone To saue hir childe she dyde hir besynesse And this Saturne thorugh his gredynesse The stone deuoureth in his melancolye And thus Saturne but if bokes lye Hadde sones thre a doughter and no mo Iubyter Neptunus and Pluto But Iubyter grettest was of the name Moste renowmed and worthyest of fame Amonge Paynems as it is veryfyed For they so hye haue hym magnefyed That they hym calle god of fyre and eyre Nert to Saturne borne for to be heyre And nert to hym in bokes as I rede Is god of batayle myghty Mars the rede And next Appollo so clere so shene bryght The dayes eye and voyder of the nyght Cheryssher of fruyte herbe floure and corne The whiche god lyke as is sayde toforne In Delos is worshypped and honoured And after venus that often hath socoured Many louer the fayre lusty quene And them aledge of theyr woundes grene That firste was hurte with hir firy bronde As she that is goddesse of many londe And all the worlde hath in hir demeyne Faste enbraced in hir firy cheyne I mene the lady that called is venus And next in ordre is Mercurius That in speche hath moste excellence Of rethoryke and sugred eloquence Of musyke songe and Armonye He hath lordshyp and hole the regalye Next the Moone that wexe can and wane Called Lucyna and also eke Dyane That in Delos hath hir mancyon Lyke as tofore is maked mencyon Now full of myght now horned pale is she Lady of chaunge and mutabylyte That selde in one halte hir any tyme And so fare they that be borne in hir clyme That aye delyte in thynges that be newe Whose herte is cladde in many sondry hewe So they be dyuers in theyr affeccyons And in this wyse in sondry regyons Of mawmetrye is in the venym ronne Lyke as clerkes well deuyse konne For as I fynde the Maurycyens Worshyp Iulam and Egipcyens Honoure y◠sis after theyr konnynge Whylom doughter of ynachus the kynge That taughte thē first theyr lōde to ere sowe And also letters for to rede and knowe And in lecture to sette theyr besynesse For whiche thynge they calle hir a goddesse And Iubyter honoured is in Crete Where he whylom helde his souerayne sete And on them leyde many dyuerse charge With egles beten in his baner large And he was lorde of eyre londe and see His royall kyngdome deuydynge into thre In the hyest hymselfe doth contune And hole in the see he gaue vnto Neptune And laste the erthe to holde his see royall He gaue to Pluto that god is infernall And alder laste whan he was stellyfyed This Iubyter was moste magnyfyed Of them of Crete aboute ouer all To whom they made for a memoryall A large tombe and a statue a lofte And hym honoured in theyr rytes ofte With encens and other sacryfyse And of this mater ferther to deuyse The larynes with besy dylygence In theyr rytes dyde reuerence To the goddes if it be credyble y◠called fawny that be muysyble And haue hered wellynge in the wodes grene Albe that men theyr fygure may nat sene And of Romayns further to deuyne They moste ī honour haue theyr god quyryne The whiche whylom as bokes telle vs Amonges them was called Romulus That bylte firste the walles of the towne And from an herde he came to suche renowne Thorugh his manhode and his worthynesse The spere of whom as bokes sayne expresse As he the hede pytched in the grounde It gan anone lyke as it is founde To florysshe and floure and budde by myracle And of nature hadde
shalt fynde trewe That but if thou a better ende make Cruell vengeaunce shall on the be take And fynally what shulde I to the fayne The force of deth this quarell shall darayne Vpon the and vpon all the blode Raunsomles other of golde and gode And questyonles reporte this of me That mercyles this ryche stronge Cyte Shall downe be bete and ylayde full lowe Walle and toures also ouerthrowe This all and some be now well aduysed That our axynge of the be nat despysed But wysely werke and do as I haue sayde ANd sodaynly kyng Pryamus iÌ„ abrayde Of hasty Ire he myght nat abyde Of the grekes whan he sawe the pryde The great outrage and presumpcyon Without abode or dely beracyon To â—lixes anone he gan out breke And vnto hym euen thus to speke I wonder greatly in myn aduertence Beunge astoned how ye in my presence So vngoodly dare make this demaunde Lyke as ye hadde power to coÌ„maunde And me constrayne your byddynge to obeye And I for fere durste nat with saye No maner thynge that ye axe here Nor contrarye what that ye requyre Wherof sothly in herte I am ameued And of your thretes inwardly agreued And astoned surely nat alyte That ye are bolde so me to excyte And vylaynously myn honour to prouoke On your wordes for to be a worke But for all this truste me right we le I wyll nat passe my boundes neuer adele Nor the rather shrotely at the ende To your axynge in no thynge condescende ¶ For to consyder the fyne of your entent It were nat syttynge nor conuenyent Akynge to graunte your axynge thoughe yâ— he Stode in myschefe and captyuyte Without recure to vttraunce bought It were outrage playnely to be thought To axe of hym that ye axe of me And sothely yet I suppose nat that ye Accomplysshynge may so moche auayle As ye haue sayde for plately ye shall fayle Of your purpose I saye and god toforne Mauge your myght though ye had it sworne For your request in euery wyghtes syght Wanteth a grounde bothe of trouthe ryght That axe of me satisfaccyon And were your selfe firste occasyon Whan ye slewe my fader Lamedowne And his lyeges and brent eke his towne And many harmes if they were out sought On hym and his causeles ye wrought That it were longe all for to reherce Whiche daye by daye thorugh my herte perce My suster eke called Exyon Ye ladde awaye out of this regyon The whiche is nat vnto hir worthynesse Ytreted lyke nor after gentylnesse ¶ And for all this ye wolde amendes haue Wrongly of me that whylom for to saue All thynge in peas and to stynte werre To you sente into Grece ferre Oonly to haue hadde Exyona agayne Of whiche sonde ye hadde but disdayne And cruelly in vngoodly wyse My messager ye gan to despyse That he vnneth myght eskape awaye Out of grece ye knowe it is no naye Of you he hadde so vngoodly chere And in good fayth me lyste nat now to here Your request nor gyue audyence To your axynge for your great offence For leuer I hadde shortely for to deye Than condescende to ought that ye seye For I wyll fully for conclusyon That it be knowen to Agamenon That we haue leuer this is douteles Fynally his werre than his pees Syth ye to me haue done so great trespace And by my trouthe in this selfe place Cruelly anone ye shulde dye But for the offyce of embassatrye Agaynst deth is fully your defence That be so bolde without reuerence In my presence so to threte or speke Truste me right it shulde an one bewreke Wherfore in haste without wordes mo My counsayle is that ye be a go Out of my syght and voyde this Cyte For thus it standeth whyles I you se In my herte may entre no gladnesse The fret of Ire put me in suche distresse That in good fayth I may it nat sustene So In portune is the rage and tene That inwardly byndeth me for the whyle ANd Dyomedes tho began to smyle And sayde anone thus vnto the kynge If it so be that thou of our comynge In thyne herte haste so moche payne Vs to beholde now that be buttwayne And art therwith so inly sette a fyre Than shalt thou neuer be without yre In all thy lyfe nor deuoyde of woo Sythe thou hast so many cruell foo Of grekes now entred in thy lande An hondred thousande almoste at thyn hande Agayne whose myght thou mayst yâ— nat assure To resyste playnely nor endure Consyder well how that they be stronge As thou shalt wyt paraunter are aught longe Somanly men and so well arayed Expert in armes and of olde assayed That no diffence many agayne them vayle And wyteeke well that thou mayst nat fayle By deth of swerde of theyr hande to deye And all thyne there is no more to seye Though it so be proudely that thou speke And with thy tunge oonly to be wreke Afermest more than thou mayst acheue Better it were suche wordes leue And to wyse counsayle take better hede BUt than in haste agayne this Dyomede Surquydous and moste full of pryde There rose vp some by the kynges syde With swerdes drawe and on hym haue fall And all to hewe there amonge them all Of hasty Ire brennynge as the glede Tyll Pryamus gan to take hede And rose hym vp seynge this disease And manfully this rage gan appease Them diffendynge vpon deth and lyfe That none of them be hardy in this stryfe The embassatoures to harme or to greue For though a fole his foly wyll nat leue To presume to speke vnconnyngly A wyse man muste suffre pacyently And thoughe that he happe do offence Thorugh foly speche for lacke of sapyence To a wyse man ne iongeth sothe to sayne To take hede or to speke agayne For as to a fole it is perteynent To shewe his foly right so conuenyent Is to the wyse sothly with suffraunce In all his port to haue tolleraunce For to foles longeth kyndely Without aduyse to speke folyly Vndiscretely his menynge to fulfylle Where a wyse man shall here and bestylle Tyll he se tyme and haue pacyence And dissymule in his aduertence The rage of foles that last but a throwe For by his tunge a fole is ofte knowe And leuer I hadde I do you well assure In my persone damage to endure Than to suffre any messagere In my court of you that be here To haue a wronge outher great or lyte The swerde of rancour may nat alway byte To do vengeaunce for a thynge of nought For ofte it falleth a wronge is wrought For lytell excesse foloweth great reprefe And haste is ayemedled with myschefe Wherfore I bydde that ye sytte downe And in no wyse of presumpcyowne Attempteth nat in no maner wyse By sygne or worde more for to despyse The embassatoures from the grekes sent But lette them freely declare theyr entent And ye there whyles kepe your lyppes close ANd sodaynely than Eneas rose Whiche next
great fame Passynge ryche and wonder plenteuous But of all this Dares Frygyus In his boke maketh no mencyon But shortly telleth in concluycon Howe Achylles and Thelephus also To Messana be togyder go With thre thousande of grekes chosen oute Moste manly men amonges all theyr route The whiche as faste as they gan to londe And the kynge gan to vnderstonde Of theyr comynge he is descended downe With all the worthy of his regyowne Ou hors and fote in stele armed bryght Agaynst Grekes manfully to fyght Them to deuoyde playnely if ye can And sodaynely thus the skarmysshe gan At wyxe grekes and theyr mortall fone On outher parte that there was many one Slayne and hurte and to the deth ywounded Euer vnlyckely therof to be sounded Hor other treate was none them atwene But swerdes sharpe and speres square kene Now here now there that they go to grounde For euery man his foo for to confounde His laboure dyde and his besynesse And though grek thrugh theyr worthynesse Hadde on theyr fooâ— moche lande ywonne yet to resorte after they begonne And meruayle none bycause that theyr fone Hadde alway thre in noumbre agaynst one For the tyme it may none other be Tyll Achylles gan beholde and se The mortall slaughter vpon grekes syde Tournynge the backe with wouÌ„des large wyde Of hasty rancour chaunge gan his blode And for Ire furyous and wode Whan he behelde his men lese theyr lande He with yâ— swerde whiche he helde in his hande Made waye kylled and bare downe And in the felde lyke a fyers lyowne He fared in sothe whan his men were slawe Makynge his foon backwarde to withdrawe And his grekes so manly recomforte That maugre them he made them to resorte And who that euer in his way stode Without mercy he kylleth in his mode There gayneth nat in his cruelte For douteles ne had his manhode be His passynge renowne and his worthynesse His knyghthode eke and his hye prowesse The grekes hadde that daye fynallye Vaynquysshed be without remedye But thorugh his helpe they recure all For Achylles sturdy as a wall Gan serche sheltrouns theyr rangys brake To fore whose face his fomen go to wrake And alderlaste whan he gan espye Tentran the kynge thorugh his chyualrye Diffende hymselfe lyke a worthy knyght And as a lyon bare hym in his fyght Now here now there grekes so oppresse This Achylles of cruell hardynesse Ne wolde cease in his putsewynge Thorugh the warde tyll he came to the kynge Of manly force stoute and full of pryde Makynge awaye rounde on euery syde Agayne whose myght no thyng myght auayle And of Tentran firste the auentayle He raced hath and rente the mayle a sonder And all to hewe that it was a wonder To consydre that day his cruelte And after that all to broke hath he His bassenet with many cruell wounde Of very myght smyt the kynge to grounde And in all haste he maked hath no lette Of his hede to rende his bassenette And mercyles for to do vengaunce His harme he gan on heyghte to auaunce Fully in purpose that he shall be dede And raunsomles gan hamyn at his hede With blody swerde and a despytous herte Castynge playnely he shuld hym nat asserte In his Ire he was so furyous ¶ But of fortune it befell right thus Thelephus the yonge lusty knyght Casuelly therof hadde a syght And of Achylles the maner full behelde The stroke anone he bare vp with his shelde And gan Achylles mekely for to preye To haue pyte so to do hym deye Syth he lay wounded almoste to the deth Brought to the poynt to yelde vp the breth Besechynge hym for his benyngnyte Of manly routhe and knyghtly eke pyte Withdrawe his hande and to do hym grace And graunte hym lyfe for a lytell space Syth euery knyght shulde of gentyllesse His enmye spare whan he is in distresse To vttraunce brought specyally whan he Mercy requyreth of humble volunte To whom Achylles feruent in his yre As he that was of rancoure sette a fyre Answerde agayne what lyst the so to preye For hym that nolde of pryde our wyll obeye Gan a werre where as was no nede Of disdayne and indignacyon Hauynge a truste of presumpcyon In his manhode which myght hy nat auayle Agaynst grekes to holde a batayle As it is preuyd playnely in the ende All otherwyse shortly than he wende For in the dyche iustely he is falle Whiche he made of malys for vs alle ¶ Where we of wyll nor entencyon Gaue vnto hym none occasyon Vpon no syde platly fer nor nere Nor mynystred to hym no matere Nor to his londe mente no damage But hymselfe grounde of all this rage Without offence done to hym of vs And efte agayne yonge Thelephus Humbly requyred of Achylle Of knyghtly routhe his axynge to fulfylle And to haue mercy on hym in this cas For with my fader this kynge whylom was Quod Thelephus be bonde conferate Whiche lyeth now here all desconsolate Expectant oonly with a dedely face Vpon the houre whan his goste shall pace Thorugh gyrte alas with many mortall wouÌ„de And for cause I haue in hym founde Afore this tyme full great kyndenesse For of manhode and of gentyllesse In the boundes of his regyowne He vnto me thorugh his hye renowne Whylom as I casuelly gan ryde Shewed in sothe vpon euery syde Full ryall chere and great humanyte That I am bounde of very duyte To remembre and to haue in mynde And douteles elles I were vnkynde Whiche after wolde my name foule a twyte And for that I parcell wolde hym quyte I you beseche of respyte of his lyfe And Achylles without any stryfe Delyuered hath the storye telleth thus Tentran frely vnto Thelephus Whether hym lyste to saue or to spylle And whan that he had hym at his wylle He consydered by his woundes grene That were so mortall sothely and so kene Of very nede that he muste dye There was no gayne nor no remedye Nor auayle may no medecyne The hour whaÌ„ Phebê° westward gan declyne And the batayle brought was to an ende Whyle the grekes to theyr shyppes wende The meane whyle Tentran for the payne Of his woundes gan more more complayne Without staunche so pyteously they blede His offycers faste gan them spede In a lytter made full royall Towarde his paleys douÌ„ge owne pryncypall To cary hym softely and easely ¶ And at his prayer full benyngnely Thelephus and also Achylles Conueyed hym amonges all the prees Tyll he was brought there as them lyste to be And they receyued lyke to theyr degre Full royally the kynge aye languysshynge As he that drewe towarde his endynge And myght nat lenger drawe a lengthe His wofull lyfe so weke was he of strengthe That his spirite muste algates wende And he in his haste made for to sende For Achylles and for Thelephus And whan they came he sayde vnto them thus Syres quod he full worthy of degre Helthe
and honour with longe prosperyte Be vnto you and good aduenture All the whyle that your lyfe may dure And specyally of the O Thelephus Whiche haste to me be so gracyous Of gentyllesse in my paynes stronge Oonly of grace my lyfe for to prolonge But deth alas I may nat now eichewe Nor his swerde on no part remewe Without recure knytte in bytter bondes Vpon the brynke falle of fatys hondes Of my lyfe all fully in despeyre Whiche of my body neuer myght haue heyre After my daye by successyon To gouerne this lytell regyon Whiche lyckely is to stande desolate Of gouernaunce and disconsolate Whiche that I wan with full great trauayle And to this day with werre and batayle I haue it kepte as ye well knowe echoue And defended from all maner fone Without losse yeres here toforne But recurlees of yore I had it lorne Ne had I had helpe and eke socour Of Hercules the great conquerour That whylom was fader to Thelepus So stronge so myghty and so chyualrous By whose manhode and whose hardynesse By his knyghthode and great worthynesse Whiche day by day is newe of memorye Of all my foon I hadde the victorye He daunted them and made them so a ferde Oonly by rygoure of his sharpeswerde That fynally thorugh his manly hede He made me this reygne to possede Maugre theyr myght in peas and quyete With septre and crowne my royall sete That none of them tyll that he was dede Hardy was to lyfte vp the hede Agaynst me to speke wordes fewe Wherby I may fully declare and shewe By euydence that this lytell yle Is perteynent and longeth to Cecyle Where Hercules for a memoryall Sâ—tte pylers in his conquest royall Whan he hadde ryde and go to fere And of Columpna yet the name bere After hym called Herculea Though some saye they hyght Herracula The name chaungynge by corrupcyon The whiche lande was whylom mansyon To the people of wylde barbarye The whiche kyngdome for to magnefye Frederyke sothly the secounde Of golde and good passyngly habounde That chosen was to be Emperour Of Rome towne and myghty gouernour And whylom eke was kynge of Cecyle Whiche made reyse in that large yle A myghty toure hye and thycke of walle As sayth Guydo for a memoryall To put his name longe in remembraunce And for the soyle was to his plesaunce With floures fresshe of many sondry hewe In some bokes the londe was named newe And pealled as I vnderstonde For his fayrenesse the lusty newe londe But Tentran aye lymge in his payne As he that faste gan the houre attayne Of cruell deth afore his lordes all He made in haste Thelephus to call To his presence and with a mortall chere Sayde openly that all myght here My sone quod he nowe I shall pace Out of this worlde for gayne may no grace My lyfe to saue thorugh no mannes myght But for bycause of equyte and ryght I am compelled iustly in sentence To declare elerely my conscyence To fore my deth herynge all this prees This to sage thy fader Hercules The wyse worthy and that knyghtly man Whylom this londe thorugh his conquest wan The whiche oonly of his goodly hede As he that was the stocke of manly hede Toke vnto me by coÌ„myssyon The gouernaunce of this regyon Of his free wyll with hole the regallye And nolde hymselfe the cowne occupye And sothely yet his right was nat the lasse For loue of whom now that I shall passe Withall the entent of my laste wylle To the I graunt as it is ryght and skylle As very heyer iustely to succede Longe in honour therin thy lyfe to lede Makynge there a prodestacyon That in full token of confirmacyon This is the wyll fynall of myn herte Fro the whiche no man may dyuerte Vpon no syde nor vtterly declyne Hor firste my wyll and dissent of lyne Be togyder combyne now in one For whiche thynge no mortall man may gone For this desyre laste of my langour That thou playnely be my Successour And fynally thus I conclude and deme That vnto the Septre and dyademe Delyuered be with euery circumstaunce But all his wyll for more assuraunce He made wryte in his testament The fyne concludynge of his laste entent And after that he full pyteously Thelephus besought hertely Of manly routhe and knyghtly gentyllesse To do his deuer and his besynesse After his deth lyke his estate royall To halowe and holde the feste funerall Solempnely and the exequyes do And sodaynely without wordes mo The kynge Tentran yeldeth vp the goste And went his way I note to what coste I can nat deme of suche mystyhede And whan Parcas broken haue the thrde On the rokke and he was forth his waye Than Thelephus out of marbyll graye Curyously a tombe madekerue The dede corps therin to conserue Full rychely and aboue the graue An Epythaphe anone he dyde graue In his honour playnely to expresse His knyghthode bothe and worthynesse And how his goste and he were deuorced With letters ryche of golde aboue enboced Rounde aboute wonder curyous On his tombe that sayde playnely thus Here lyeth Tentran the kynge douteles Whylom slayne of cruell Achylles That his sceptre and the regalye Hoolly gaue whiche no man may denye To Thelephus sone of Hercules Whiche in his tombe resteth now in pees Whan this perfourmed was in euery thynge And Thelephus was crowned in to kynge And hye and lowe all by one assent Had openly in a Parlement Made fayth to hym and ydone homage Lyke theyr degrees as they were of age And with hole herte in all theyr best entent By othe assured and by sacrament As trewe lyeges receyued hym for kynge Than Achylles without more tariynge Whan all was sette in peas gouernaunce Without grutchynge or any varyaunce To theyr shyppes anone he made carye Euery thynge that was necessarye To the grekes corne fruyte or vytayle Flesshe or fysshe or what that myght auayle To hosteynge or helpe them in theyr nede Downe to the see all hedyde lede Fully theyr vessell for to stuffe and lade And Thelephus after this he made Stylle in the boundes of his regyon For to abyde for this conclusyon That thorugh his helpe and his dylygence Besynes and discrete prouydence Agayne all myschefe and all scarsyte Whan they nede he myght theyr socour be AL be that he lyke as sayth Guydo With Achilles full fayne wold haue go But he abode sothely for the beste By bonde assured fully and beheste In euery thynge grekes to releue And than in haste Achilles toke his leue Of Thelephus and gan anone to sayle All his shyppes stuffed with vytayle Towarde grekes as made is mencyowne And in shorte tyme he at Thenedowne Aryued is and taken bathe the grounde With all his knyghted 〈…〉 rounde And after this to 〈◊〉 Hemade firste full relacyon Of his expleyt lyke as it was falle In the presence of his lordes alle Syttynge enuyron many worthy knyght ¶ And firste in Messa
with theyr blode the wawes were ystayned So mortally that sothely to beholde Amonge the sonde pale dede and colde The grekes lye with wouÌ„des fresshe grene And all the eyre with shote of arowes kene I shadowed was that Phebus bemes bryght Vpon the soyle was derked of his lyght And newe alway Troyans them assayle That to grekes playnely this â—yuayle So mortall was and so infortunate So vnwelfull and disconsolate So vâ—â—â—sposed thorugh infelycytee That I trowe neuer out of no see 〈◊〉 none hoost of more harde to londe But for all that grekes ne wolde wonde For lyfe nor deth manly to aryue And so befelle of aduenture as blyue Thre hondred shyppes that next after sewe Auyfedly and in tyme dewe Be entrede in and haste nat to faste And stryke sayle and theyr ankers caste For the werre strongly enbatayled In theyr londynge leste they were assayled And wysely firste they sette theyr Aâ—balaâ—ters And theyr gonners and theyr beste archers With pauysers for to go aforne Knyghtly to laÌ„de though troyans had sworne The contrarye proudely them toletâ—e Yet for all that fyersâ—y vp they sette The grekysshe shote made them to withdrawe And many of them on the lande lay slawe That maugre them the stronde they recure And suche as myght moste manfully endure Was sette afore tyll they the lande haue take And all attones suche assaute they make Vpon troyans and tho began the fyght Whan Prothesylaus the noble worthy knyght Wonder lyfely and right passynge stronge With the grekes entrede in amonge The hardy troyans euery where theÌ„ sought For he of armes meruayles on them wrought Thylke daye thorugh his worthynesse That many troyan he brought in distresse Where he went they felte full vnsofte Thorugh whose manhode grekes were a lofte For thyâ—ke daye ne haâ—de his knyght hode be The greekes hadde in great aduersyte Be venquysshed by fatall puruâ—yaunce And fynally brought vnto outtraunce I put a backe playnely this no lye But what aâ—uyleth all his chyualrye His worthynesse or his fyerse courage What myght it helpe or do auauntage Syth .vij. thousande grekes hadde a do With an hondred thousaÌ„de troyans yet mo It metuayle was how they myght endure In any wyse the stronde to recure Or so fewe for to holde a felde But in themselfe one thynge they behelde Full prudently whiche that gaue them herte That they sawe they myght nat asâ—erte To escape a lyue if they wolde flee For at theyr backe was no thynge but the see And tofore them an hoost so great and huge And other waye was there no refuge But dye attones or fyght manfully Wherfore they cast shope them full knyghtly Lyke rather as maÌ„ly men theyr lyues to ieoê‘te Than cowardely from theyr foon departe To lese theyr grounde and drenchen in the see And thus as longe as it wolde be Grekes defende them ferre aboue their myght All be that many were kylled in this fyght That the stremes of theyr rede blode Ran in the sonde large as any flode So cruelly troyans on hym set With spere swerde ful sharpe grouÌ„de whet That routhe was and pyte for to thynke Tyll they almoost droue them to the brynke Where the grekes in myschefe and distresse In great anguysshe and passyngly werâ—nesse Themselfe defende maat and full â—ery Where they shulde haue perysshed vtterly Recurles in sothe for euermore Ne hadde Archelaus and worthy Pâ—otenor From theyr shyppes aryued vnto lande Of sodayne happe with them for to stande And yet they hadde full great aduersyte For to aryue thorugh the cruelte Of the troyans but yet the lande they wynne And grekes than cruelly begynne Agayne theyr foon to stande aâ— defence With manly force and great vyolence And thâ— encreaseth the blody werre newe That all the â—oyle depaynt was with the dewe That firste was greâ—e tourned into rede On eche syde so many one laye dede Vpon the grounde of his lyfe depryued But duke Nestor is sodaynely aryued With his knyghtes felle and full Irous And of herte right melancolyous With his speres archyers out asyde He entrede in sterne and full of pryde With swerde and axe grounde sharpe and kene They ran â—fere and mette vpon the grene And hoked â—rowes alway flewe amonge And 〈…〉 to braste tourne wronge And with theyâ—â—olys â—teled and well whette The longe daye they haue togyder mette And the slaughter newe alway began 〈◊〉 euery halfe of many worthy man Wtih woundes large felle and despytous 〈…〉 Prothenor and kynge Archelaus 〈…〉 swerdes styffe amonge the renges kerue 〈◊〉 many many Troyan made for to sterue They were that day so passyngely Irous And them to auenge inly desyrous Neuce seasynge in theyr pursuynge And to releue them Alagus the kynge â—londed is and eke kynge Athalus Whiche on Troyans were full enuyous 〈◊〉 of Ire as the firy glede And vpon them of very olde hatrede With theyr knyghtes sodaynely be falle And in theyr Ire bytterer than galle Cruelly they theyr foon oppresse And of assent dyde theyr besynesse Maugre them bakwarde to resorte Amyâ—de the felde as I can reporte There was no choyse so they were coÌ„strayned 〈◊〉 veâ—y force and of manhode payned To withdrawe to theyr confusyowne But than in haste downe from Troye towne Of worthy knyghtes fresshely armed newe With deuyses of many sondry hewe 〈…〉 abode shortely to conclude There came downe so great a multytude 〈◊〉 armes depaynte vpon the shelde 〈◊〉 in theyr comynge glytereth all the felde Of theyr armure as the sonne bryght Aâ—d whan that they were entrede into fyght 〈◊〉 metynge felly by enuye They sette vpon feet with melancolye With suche a wyll of herte and courage With suche furye in theyr mortall rage That vnto accorde was none other mene But slaughter and dethe them to go betwene Thorugh stroke of axe of dagger and of spere That of force coacte the grekes were To retourne bakwarde to the stronde To whose rescuse anone there come to londe The kynge vlyxes with his hole nauye And full knyghtly with his chyualrye Towarde Troyans enhasteth hym anone And of one herte the grekes with hym gone And theyr courage holly they resume And gan theyr foon felly to consume Vnto the deth theyr damage to reuenge That no wyght may iustely them chalenge Of manhode so well they haue them borâ—e To quyte agayne theyr harmes done before At whiche tyme lyke a fyersly owne Amonge Troyans rengynge vp and downe Vltxes went with his swerde in honde He kylleth sleeth and knyghtly gan to sonde Thylke daye lyke a man be founde And here there with many mortall wounde Vpon Troyans he wrought all this wracke Them berynge downe on fote on horse backe In his Ire his strokes were so kene At whiche tyme worthy Phylomene Lorde and kynge of Paffogonye Whan he behelde with his companye So many Troyan of vlixes slawe Tawardes hym anone he gan hym drawe On horse backe and with a spere rounde Out of his sadell bare hym
to the grounde But vlixes rose vp anone ryght Takynge his horse lyke a manly knyght The whiche anone as Phylomene hath sayne Toke efte aspere and rode to hym agayne So myghtely and with suche vyolence That fynally there gayneth no diffence But that he smote hym euen thorugh yâ— shelde The whiche flewe a sondre in the felde And thorughe his plates without any fayle The spere hede ran and rested in the mayle That forged was of stele full shene and bryght Whiche to perce the spere hede hath no myght So trewely made was the hawberiowne But with that stroke vlixes was bore downe Yet efte agayne but he vp rose anone Whiche of his stroke harme ne felte none And raughte a spere sharpe whet grounde And Phylomene he gaue suche a wounde With all the myght of his armes twayne Of Irous herte with so great a payne That thorugh his shelde bothe place mayle He smote hym vp thorugh his auentayle Into the gorge that the stocke gan glyde That from his hors he fell downe a syde Full perryllously pyght vpon his hede His knyghtes wenynge sothly he were dede Whiche toke hym vp layde hym on a shelde And bare hym home in haste out of the felde With great dauÌ„ger or they myght hym wyÌ„ne Thorugh the grekes with theyr lorde to twyÌ„ne And for Troyans supposed sykerly That Phylomene without remedy Hadde be deed they were astoned all That if this case that day ne had fall Of Physomene grekes on the stronde â—â—dde be outrayed aryuynge vp to londe Thorughe the knyghthode this is douteles Of Phylomene whom that vlixes Vâ—hoâ—sed hath with a mortall wounde In knyghtly wyse Troyans to confounde Wherof they were astoned euerychon ¶ But tho as than and Agamenon Of greks ooste lorde and Emperour Aryued is vnto theyr socour With all his knyghtes and Menelaus And eke the worthy Thelamonyous Called Ayax is to lande come And they at leyser haue theyr hors nome Whyle other grekes Troyans occupye Sorâ— fyghtynge and they gan faste hye Towardes them makynge no delay All in a frusshe in all haste they may They ran Yfere and theyr speres bracke With herte enuyous vpon hors backe There myght men the worthy knyghtes se On theyr stedes eche at other flee With styffe swerdes shaftes great and rounde With hedes square the poyntes kene grounde There myght men se in theyr furyous tene So many knyghtes dede vpon the grene But moste the slaughter and confusyowne Fell thylke tyme of them of the towne The grekes were so myghty and so stronge And in the felde this contynueth longe Tyll Prothesilaus the stronge myghty kyng Whiche all the daye in skarmysshe fyghtyng Full lyke a knyght had occupyed be Agayne Troyans in his cruelte Of manhode oonly and of worthynesse Of aduenture in his werynesse Hym to refresshe and to take eyre And to a brethe hym maked his repeyre To the stronde where he dyde aryue ¶ Where as he thought his herte gan toryue Of cruell yre and alfo of pyte That he caughte oonly for to se His men lye slayne ende longe the stronde And some of them comynge vp to the londe Dreynt in the see amonge the floodes depe For whiche thynge he gan anone to wepe Full pyteuosly all were it nat espyed Whose wofull eyen myght nat be dryed For the constreynt whiche sat sonye his herte Tyll at the laste amonge his paynes smerte So cruell Yre gan his herte enbrace That sodaynely with a despytous face Without abode thought how that he Vpon theyr deth wolde auenged be Or fynally attones with them deye And on his stede he toke the ryght weye Towarde his foon full Irous in his rage And lyne right he holdeth his passage Swyfte as grayhounde yâ— renneth out of lees And where he sawe that was grettest prees He preceth thorugh amyddes of the felde And with the swerde whiche in his hande he helde That grounde was to kerue and to byte Full mortally aboute hym he gan smyte That Troyans myght hym nat asterte Some he ryueth euen to the herte And some he woundeth sothely to the deth And some he made yelde vp the breth And he vnhorseth some cruelly And whom he mette that day vtterly From his hors he made hym to alyght For where he rode they fledde out of his syght And his presence as the deth eschewe But euer in one he gan after sewe In his chase lyke as a wood lyon This playe he playeth with them of the towne Tyll Perseus of Ethyopye kynge From the Cyte came sodaynely rydynge With many a knyght and many lyfely man At whose comynge of newe there began A fresshe skarmysshe furyous and woode That many greke that day loste his blode So felle assaute Troyans on them make Amonge them the Ethyopyes blake So manly bare them fyghtynge here there That where Troyans were afore in fere 〈◊〉 be and of newe assured yâ— thorugh theyr helpe they haue yâ— felde recured And made them lese also moche agayne As they tofore wonne on the playne For they so hole and so myghtely Kept them togydre and so auysely Gouerned them with pauys spere and shelde That grekes were compelled in the felde Maugre who so grutche of necessyte To the sironde backewarde for to flee Almoste dispayred mate and comforteles But in that whyle kynge Pallamydes To theyr rescous come to arryuayle And lusty fresshe entreth in batayle With his knyghtes and his hole maynee Takynge theyr hors faste by the see And full proudely enbusshed all attones With spere and swerde ygrouÌ„de for the nones By conueyinge of theyr worthy comynge Haue so oppressed at theyr in comynge The manly Troyans that it was a wonder To se them lye slayne here and yonder And this contynueth tyll amonge the prees Of auenture that Pallamydes Brennynge aye in his furyoushete Amyd the felde happeth for to mete A worthy knyght called Sygamon Whiche brother was to the kynge Menon 〈◊〉 also as Guydo doth reherce This manly man to the kynge Perce Whiche grekes had that daye sore opressed By his knyghthode as it is expressed For he the grekes to his worthynesse Had ofte brought in full great distresse The same daye to his great encrees â—ut of Fortune alas Pallamydes As I you tolde hath in the felde hym mette And with aspere square and sharpe whette Whan he of knyghthode was most iÌ„ his pryde He rode at hym and smote hym thorugh yâ— syde And with that laste dedely fatall wounde From his stede he bare hym to the grounde And on the playne of his blode all rede 〈◊〉 â—â—amydes lefte hym pale and dede Amonges them that of Troye were And forth he rode bare downe here and there All that euer in his waye stode He was on them so furyous and wode Maugre Troyans tofore hym on the playne Made resorte to the walle agayne His manly knyghtes alway faste by On hym awaytynge full ententyfely Redy to honde at euery great empryse But tho began the noyse to
all his besy payne Diffende hymself agayne the kynges twayne Menelay and Thelamonyus Whiche vpon hym were full Furyous And with a spere this greke this Thelamowne Pollydamas smote to the erthe downe Compellynge hym there was none other vote Agayne them two for to fyghte on fote Assentyd fully on hym to be wroke And firste they haue he wen and to broke The myghty charnelle of his basenet And whan his vyser after was smet And his face naked was and bare They felle on hym in that mortall snare And toke hym the storye can deuyse And sent hym forth in full cruell wyse Towarde grekes with many worthy knyght But whan Ector therof had a syght And sawethe myschefe of Pollydamas He caste fully to socoure in this caas And prycked after wooder than lyon And where he rode aboute hym enuyron With his swerde he made a large space Tyll he came to the same place Amonges greke furyous and wode Pollydamas the selfe tyme stode Socourles from all remedye Tyll that he on Ector caste his Eye That grekes made hastely withdrawe And thurty firste of them he hath slawe And seuered them maugre all theyr pryde Tofore his swerde they durste nat abyde Agaynst hym nor make none obstacle But of knyghthode by very hye myracle Pollydamas in myschefe firste awhaped From grekes honde frely is escaped But fresshely tho the kynge Epystrophns Menelay and Thelamonyus With all theyr knyghtes togydre hole cloos Agayne Troyans to gette them aloos Be of newe entred in batayle With great strengthe and passynge apparayle That myghtely troyans they compelle In theyr waye that they dare nat dwelle Natwithstandynge theyr great worthynesse Nor of Ector the knyghtly hye prowesse That fought so manly that tyme as I rede But cowardely they haue slayne his stede That he constrayned was to fyght on fote That many greke felte full vnsote For there was none that aboute hym stode With his swerde that he ne shadde his blode Though he so thycke aboute was be layne He voyded them and made aspace playne In compasse rounde behynde and eke afore And on his fete so well he hath hym bore That day that greke was none certayne That harby was hande on hym to layne He was so stronge and sturdy as a wall And whan his brethren called naturall Sawe hym a fote amyd of all his foon On a frusshe they felle in euerychon And founde hym the storye maketh mynde Diffende hymselfe lyke a Tygre in ynde And hym to helpe thorugh theyr hye renowne They felle firste on kynge Thelamowne For he on Ector was so cruell founde They gaue to hym many blody wounde Tyll one of them named Dyndaron Hath so ferre amonge the rengys gon And bore hym so oonly of manhede That he hath wonne a passynge myghty stede And brought to Ector sothly there he stode Amonge grekes all bathed in theyr blode The whiche in haste full knyghtly he be strode And amōge them lyke Mars hymself he rode Full many greke makynge for to sterue And with his swerde whetted for to kerue He daunted hath theyr enuyous pryde Tyll Dephebus entrede in a syde Into the felde with a knyghtly chere And with hym brought many good Archere Of Poeme whiche with theyr arrowes kene And with fethers of pecok fresshe and shene Vpon grekes haue the felde recured In they shotte they were so moche assured That thorugh mayle and thycke plate of stele They perced haue theyr harneys euerydele And Dephebus full lyke a manly man To kynge Tentran on hors backe tho ran And furyously gan his swerde enbrace And wounded hym euen amyd the face Thorughe the vyser in his felle tene On hors backe he myght nat sustene And thus Troyans on grekes are yronne That they agayne haue the felde ywonne They were on them so yrous and so wode But Theseus full knyghtly them withstode With the knyghtes that he with hym ladde And as I rede Ectora brother hadde The storye sayth that hyght Quyntylene yonge fresshe and lusty armed bryght shene Whiche with the kynge called Modernus Is proudely falle vpon Theseus And these twayne togydre of assent Be falle on hym with great aduysement That fynally to his vnhappy chaunce with theyr knyghthode brought hȳ to outtraūce And caste shortly that he shal be dede Of whose purpose as Ector gan take hede He vnto them of very gentery With all his myght loude gan to crye Besechynge them for no thynge that he deye And lowely they his byddynge dyde obeye And them withdrewe for to do vengeaunce For Ector hadde fully remembraunce How Theseus the same daye tofore Towarde hym so goodly hadde hym bore Whan he hym sawe in myschefe and distresse And knyghtly thought quyte his gentylnesse Lyke as it logeth to euery gentylman And Theseus full lowely tho began To thanke Ector that he was escaped But kynge Thoas tho hath faste raped Into the felde with other knyghtes manye And specyally with them of Calydonye Came Phyloteas the myghty kynge also Agayne Troyans for to haue ado And firste Thoas with a spere ran Furyously to Cassybelan One of the sones of kynge Pryamus And gaue hym tho a wounde so greuous Without recure that he fell downe dede Of whiche stroke whan Ector gan take hede In his herte gan his deth complayne And in all haste dyde his besy payne On his brother auenge hym if he myght And many one he made to a lyght Thorugh his knyghthode from his hors bake That sothefastly all went vnto wrake On grekes syde what came in his way So worthely he bare hym all that day Tyll duke Nestor is entrede into fyght With fyue thousande in stele armed bryght Agayne Troyans grekes to socoure And with hym mette of very auenture The kynge Esdras so myghty and so bolde And kynge Phyon in his chare of golde With all the worthy noble chyualrye That from Argesta came with Ieconye The kynges sone of the same lande Full renowmed and worthy of his hande And as they semble and togydre ran The same tyme many worthy man Hath loste his lyfe vpon eyther syde And of slaughtre with large woundes wyde All the soyle of bodyes that laye dede Lyke a ryuer ran with stremys rede With theyr cherys grysely pale and fade That in the blode men myght go and wade To the ancle the slaughtre was so huge And kynge Phyon socour and refuge Vnto Troyans so bare hym in that stryfe That many greke he made lese his lyfe The same day so well his swerde was whette But he vnwarely so sore was besette With multytude of grekes rounde aboute That of his lyfe he playnely stode in doute For lykely was he myght nat escape And of grekes he shulde anone be take Ne hadde he be holpe of worthy Ieconye That to Esdras loude gan to crye Alas quod he of routhe and pyte ¶ Worthy Phyon the kynge shall take be Amonge grekes thorugh your neclygence But in all haste ye do your dylygence For to reskewe
this noble worthy kynge And all attones without more tariynge Maugre all tho that made resystence From grekes swerde by myghty vyolence They haue reskewed the noble kynge Phyon And at his large with them he is goon Of his escape wonder gladde and lyght And Ector than with many lusty knyght Retourned is and Dephebus also Pollydamas and many another to Of Troyan knyghtes that desyre newe Grekes to make sore for to rewe For of assent they fully them purpose In suche myschefe grekes to enclose That if they myght fewe shulde escape And therupon knyghtly they them shape And them began fresshely for to assayle That in the felde grekes gan to fayle Of theyr power and to lese theyr lande That fynally thorugh the myghty hande And the force of Troianysshe knyghtes The grekes hadde maugre all theyr myghtes Be brought that day to confusyowne But Menelay and kynge Thelamowne Whan they them sawe febly and apeyre They of knyghthode made them to repeyre And so lyke men they haue themself diffendyd Tyll Eneas from Troye is discendyd With Ewfremus the Duke the manly man And with theyr knyghtes of newe they began Efte agayne grekes to oppresse And Ector aye thorugh his worthynesse Lyke a lyon with a sterne face Euer in one so gan them to enchace That compellyd of necessyte They were echone afore his swerde to fle And constrayned ryght of very nede Of whiche thynge whan Ayax gan take hede Hadde in herte great compassyon To se the slaughter and confusyon On grekes syde Guydo maketh mynde And gan to loke at his backe behynde And sawe where many warde stode abrode And many baner and penowne that abode Amyd the felde hole and nat for broke That redy were attones to be wroke If nede were on them of Troye towne In whiche wardes without excepcyowne Was hole the floure of grekes chyualtye To whom anone Ayax gan hym hye As he that was sore in herte agreued And with his crye he hath them so cōmeued That they in haste them to come to reskuse Amonges whom was there no refuse And as faste as they gan assemble Of noyse of hors the erthe gan to tremble Furyously as they togydre flynge There myght men the strokys here rynge Of sperys sharpe thorugh the harneys borne And thorugh sheldes wrought of stele horne Into the breste sturdy square and brode And there I fynde how that Ayax rode To Eneas and he to hym also So great enuye was atwyxe them two That nat but deth myght theyr yre apese For in herte nouther myght haue ese Tyll with sperys sharpe grounde and whette On hors backe they haue togydre mette And at Coupynge so sore they haue hytte That eueryche other to the erth smytte That to beholde was a knyghtly syght And after they bothe on fote fyght By lyklyhede in theyr wode rage Outher to falle in full great damage Amonge the horse because that they stode Vpon the soyle a louer sparde with blode But Phyloteas is to Ayar come And hath hym vp amonge the horse ynome That knyghtly faught as made is memorye For sothely ellys Troyans with victorye Hadde had the felde playnely for to sayne Tyll Phyloteas with his wardes twayne Euen in the face manly them withstode And with a spere he firste to Ector rode And vpon hym the shafte I fynde he brake But sothly he vpon his horse bake Kept hym so well for all that felle stroke Remeuynge nat but sturdy as an oke Sat in his sadell vpryght with his chyne And with a spere right as any lyne Into body depe thorugh the shelde Phyloteas he smote into the felde That of his lyfe his knyghtes were in doute But tho came in with so great a route Bynge Humerus and vlixes eke And with them brought many worthy greke Ten thousande knyghtes manly men echone That gan Troyans for to assoyle anone And cruelly on euery halfe certayne With multytude they haue them so be layne That dispayred and disconsolate And of longe fyght awaped and a mate Gan withdrawe faynted in batayle And eke theyr hors sothly gan fayle That on theyr syde all went vp so downe But Parys tho with them of Troye towne Is entrede in in full manly wyse And firste he mette with the kynge of Fryse That to Vlixes was nye of allye Whom Parys smote with so great enuye That he hym slewe wherof grekes were Sore abasshed and after with a spere Vlixes to de to auenge hym if he myght And firste whan he of Parys hadde a syght Into the reste he gan his spere throwe That fynally for he bare to lowe Faylynge of Parys sothly as I rede Vnder hym he slewe his myghty stede That maugre hym he to grounde is gone And he on hym wolde haue falle anone But Troylus tho mette hym in the berde And furyously with his sharpe swerde He smote Vlixes thorugh out his vyser That lyke a condyte or a small ryuer Downe by his face of blode the stremys ran But vlixes lyke a manly man Of that stroke astoned nat at all But on his stede styffe as any wall With his swerde so myghtely gan race Thorughe the vmbrer into Troylus face That he hym gaue a large mortall wounde Of whiche stroke passyngly iocounde The grekes were supposyng in theyr thought How Troyans fynally were brought Vnto out traunce and sothely so they hadde Saue that Ector with kynghtes whiche he ladde And with hym eke Parys and Dephebus And all his brethren i knyghthod most famous Troylus also for all his laste wounde That was alway so noble knyght y◠founde All attones Ioyned into one Vpon grekes sodaynely be gone And worthy Ector alder firste began Grekes to enchace that afore hym ran Lyke as bestes that fledde fro the deth And euer in one with his swerde he sleth Whom he mette or durste his stroke abyde And on his soon with fresshe woundes wyde The slaughter he made alway to renewe And thylke daye in blody rosen hewe He hath theyr platys theyr harneyse steyned And though it hadde blode fro heuen reyned The soyle redder myght nat a ben And aye ylyche as a swarme of been The grekes flockmele fledde out of his way And Guydo sayth that all that ylke day Actor hadde formest on the playne In the frounter of the grekes layne That behynde the knyghtes of his Garde For lacke of hym were all out of warde Wherfore whan he hadde sought longe And grekes sawe of newe wexe stronge To his knyghtes he is agayne repayred Whiche in themselfe greatly were dispayred For his absence but tho whan they hym se Full inwardely recomforted be And with glad herte haue their lorde receyued And theyr gladnesse whan he hath parceyued Spake vnto them full affectuously And prayed them full benyngnely To remembre knyghtly in theyr herte And consyder wysely and aduerte Firste the wronges that grekes haue them do Of yore agoo and ouermore also If grekes hadde that day victorye Farewell for aye the honour and the
glorye Of Troyan blode in conclusiowne For fynally we and eke our towne Shall mortally turne to ruyne And our honour that was wont to shyne Thorugh out the worlde and our worthynesse Eclypse shall and turne to derkenesse But ye this day lyke as men you quyte Wherfore I praye that no man atwyte Your hye renowne of any cowardyse To sette vpon in full manly wyse And nat to spare for drede of deth I praye And they echone full lowely gan obaye To his desyre without lenger tale And entrynge in by a certayne vale Vpon grekes this worthy knyghtes all Folowynge Ector sodaynely be fall Full mortally or that they were ware And Ector tho no greke wolde spare But euery where to theyr confusyon He kylled and slewe aboute hym enuyron And his knyghtes rydynge by his syde Made theyr â—omen maugre all theyr pryde To lese theyr londe flewe out of theyr syght Tyll that the kynge whiche Toas hyght On grekes syde in warde gan hym dresse And of newe full knyghtly gan oppresse Them of Troye this kynge this manly man That hadde afore slayne Cassybelan One of the sones of kynge Pryamus But as he rode of fortune it felle thus That all the bretherne on a frusshe he mette Whiche of assent enuyron hym be sette And from his sadell that many greke behelde Amonge the hors smethym into the felde And of they rente firste his basenet And cruelly they hadde his hede of smet For he vnarmed all at myschefe stode Saue that the Duke furyous and wode Of Athenys rydynge a great pace Reskued hym in this mortall cace With is knyghtes that aboute hym rode And hym to helpe without more abode With aspere sharpe whette and kene Firste of all he felle on Quyntylene That besy was Thoas to haue slawe And the bretherne he made also withdrawe Whan Quyntylene of his hors was throwe But Parys tho drewe vp his myghty bowe And to this duke lette an arowe glyde And thorugh his plates hyt hym in the syde Vpon a ryb that made hym sore blede Of whiche stroke he ne toke no hede Bycause oonly that he so feruent was Amyd his foon to helpe kynge Thoas Amonge the hors that was bore to grounde In poynt of deth with many mortall wounde Oonly for he was naked on the hede But this Duke fully deuoyde of drede Of his knyghode in this pecyllous caas Amyd his foon hath holpe kynge Thoas And with his lyfe made hym scape free And Ector aye of cruell enmytee Ilyche fresshe for no thynge wolde leue Vpon grekes his manhode for to preue Enforsynge hym to theyr destruccy wone And as he rode amonge them vp downe Kynge Humerus hath a bowe take And to shote gan hym redy make And hatefully therin sette an arowe And to Ector he marked hath so narowe That he smote hym euen amyd the face But or he myght any fertherpase Ector smet hym with so great a payne That with his swerde he rose his hede at wayne The deth of whom whan the grekes knowe Myn Auctor sayth they haue an horne yblowe That vnwarly with that dredefull sowne Seuen thousaÌ„de knyghtê came attones downe Aboute Ector without more abode But he of force thorugh them all he rode Maugre theyr myght that hym tho with sette And slowe all tho that his waye lette And stynte nat playnely tyll he cam To his Fader the worthy kynge Pryam With many worthy full famous of renowne That with his knyghtes faste by the towne Lay all the daye with men on hors and foote As he that was of knyghode croppe and roote And kept hym close of full hye prudence Tyll Ector came vnto his presence And hym besoughte in this great nede With thre thousande that he wolde hym spede Vpon grekes in theyr felle rage To falle on them at moost auauntage ANd than i hast this worthy Pryamus With his knyghtes fresshe desyrous Towarde grekes hath the waye take And suche a mordre gan vpon them make That many grekes lay dede on the playne For Pryamus so sore hath them be layne On euery halfe thorugh his great myght That they full faste fledde out of his syght So sore of newe he vpon them sette And as I fynde they togydre mette Actor and Ayax of very auenture And on theyr stedes stronge and wonder sure The storye sayth in all the haste they konne Lyke wood lyons they togydre ronne With so great myght yâ— were they lefe or lothe Vpon the playne they were vnhorsed bothe And in this whyle Menelay the kynge Sodaynely as he came rydynge He slewe of Troye a worthy Amyrall And thus the slaughtre passyngly mortall Benewed aye for Celydonas The neue we slewe of kynge Thoas And Madan met myn Auctor wryteth thus A grekysshe kynge called Cedyus Whiche with his swerde suche a stroke hym sette That thorughe yâ— vmbrer 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 hye prowesse All though Guydo his name nat expresse And than also came Margaryton On troye syde agayne Thelamon And bothe two inly sette a fyre Of hye disdayne and of hatefull yre And they mette on hors backe yfere Kynge Thelamon sothly as I lere Gaue vnto hym a woundefull cruell But tho came in the troyan Phanuell And Prothenor smote downe of his stede And thus the sones playnely as I rede Of Pryamus no thynge disamayde The grekes haue on euery part outrayed And so knyghtly all the daye them borne That many greke fatally hath lorne His lyfe in sothe of hate and enmyte And kynge Duglas is falle on Meneste Of Athenys Duke and gouernoure And with aspere of Ire and olde rancoure He ran at hym smet hym amyd the shelde But for all that his sadell yet he helde And for the duke spere hadde none He with a swerde to Duglas rode anone And thorugh the owmbrer rofe of nye his nase That he astoned stode as in a mase Whan that he sawe the condyte of his blode So streme out but for all that he rode Out asyde fully deuoyde of fere Vnto tyme that he staunched were But Deamor his owne brother dere Whan he behelde his mortall blody chere Of hye disdayne he rode to Meneste And hym vnhorseth but vp anone sterte he And or he myght fully vp aryse Another brother in full cruell wyse Is falle on hym so that of them thre Attones were vpon Meneste Fully in purpose he shall lese his lyfe But he so knyghtly bare hym in that stryfe Agaynst them that wonder was to se And vpon hym moste cruell of them thre Was one Thoras eldest of echone Whiche hym to a slayne was besy euer in one For all to broke they haue his basenet But whan that Tenter sawe hym so beset A grekysshe kynge as made is mencyon Hadde in his herte great compassyon And thought playnly of manhode hym releue And if he myght his foomen for to
to be To them he hadde so cruell enmyte And whan Parys sawe hym in the felde Towardes hym the right waye he helde And of purpose they theyr wardes sette Eche on other tyll they togydre mette And tho the skarmysshe the slaughter gan On outher parte of many manly man And all this whyle Ector ne wolde cease Amonge grekes cruelly to prease And new and new of hym as I rede A lyke fresshe the blode of them to shede For of his swerde the traces were ysene That the grekes myght nat sustene To resyste nor stande afore his face But where he rode aye they gaue hym place ¶ Tyll that aknyght whiche Boetes hyght Yonge of age whan he hadde a syght How Ector slewe the Grekes mortally On euery syde hauynge no mercy He presyd in to encrease his name Perpetuelly to purchace hym a fame And furyously in herte nat afferde He caste hym platly to mete hym in the berde The whiche thynge whan Ector gan aduerte So hye raucour enbracyd hath his herte That with his swerde of indignacyowne He rofe hym euen to the nauell downe Fro the crowne with so great a payne That in the felde he partyd lay in twayne And Ector tho assygned hath his stede To a squyer and bad he shulde it lede To troye towne without more abode And all this whyle furyously he rode Amonge Grekes and euer mercylees He slewe all the that put them selfe in prees And shadde theyr blode of herte despytous The whiche thynge whan kynge Archylogus Rydynge besyde sawe and gan espye How Boetes his cosyn and allye So cruelly was of Ector slawe Towardes hym in haste he gan hym drawe Vpon his deth auenged for to be And tode at hym with great cruelte Fully in purpose Ector for to quyte And sodaynely as he gan at hym smyte Ector vnwarely hyt hym on the hede So myghtely that he felle downe dede Partyd on two by cruell aduenture NatwithstaÌ„dyng his myghty stronge armure Agayne his stroke it was of no diffence For it was gyuen with suche vyolence That it holpe hym in no maner thynge And than anone Prochenor the kynge Of hatefull yre and foole hardynesse Of surquedye and of hastynesse Of melancolye and indignacyon Caught in his herte a presumpcyon To assayle Ector of inwarde foly pryde And goth to hym a trauerse on the syde Furyously with a despytous herte That his coÌ„mynge he myght nat aduerte Oonly for he came at his backe behynde And vnwarely in Guydo as I fynde And Ector smote from his hors to grounde In whom there was so moch manhode fouÌ„de That he anone with a knyghtly herte Without abode into his sadell sterte And right fyersly Prothen or purseweth That fynally his honde he nat escheweth For with his swerde he marked hym so wele Thorugh basenet by his breste of stele That into twayne withoute any fayle He roofe hym downe into his paunce of mayle And he felle downe in full pyteous wyse Of whiche stroke the grekes sore agryse And specyally the hardy fyerse Achylle Whan he behelde lyked full ylle For Phothenor was his nye cosyne And descendyd of the same lyne For deth of whom he hath suche heuynesse So inwarde thought and so great distresse In all this worlde he ne wyste what to do For hym he had so moche payne and wo And for the deth of Archylogus To be auenge he was full desyrous And in his herte many waye he caste And in the wardes gan to seke faste With many greke on Ector to haue falle Conspyred fully in soth amonge them alle Of one entent Ector to assayle But all for nought it wolde nat auayle He was that day so cruell in his rage They myght of hym haue none auauntage And Troyan knyghtes by fauour of Fortune Vpon Grekes so myghtely contune Thorugh conueyinge of Ector and his myght That they anone haue them put to flyght And to theyr tentes maugre who that stryue In their pursuyte for wouÌ„ded they them dryue That here and there they laye in aswowe And many a greke mercyles they slowe The longe day tyll it drewe to nyght And sothly than for very lacke of lyght These troyan knyghtê full worthy of renowne Aboute Ector repayre to the towne And entre in with honour and with glorye That day of grekes hauynge the victorye And thus I leue them in theyr towne within And forth of Grekes telle I wyll begyn WHan Esperus the fayre bryght sterre Agaynst eue caste his stremys ferre And in the west rathest gan appere Whan the twylyght with a pale chere In maner morneth the absence of the sonne And nyght approcheth with his copys donne The same tyme whan Tytan toke his leue That clerkes calle crepusculum at eue Whiche is nat ellys but the meane lyght Of Phebus absence and the derke nyght And twylyght hatte for it is a mene Of daye and nyght departynge them betwene Fully nouther but of bothe meynt Or the heuen be clustred and depeynt With bryght sterrys in the euenynge AT whiche tyme Agamenon the kynge For his lordes sodaynely hath sent To come echone anone into his tent And whan they were assembled all yfere Tryst and heuy and with a sorefull chere They gan yâ— slaughter of Ector to complayne Affermyng playnly they myght neuer attayne Vnto victorye whyle he were a lyue Wherfore they gan to conspyre blyue The deth of hym in many sondry weye Echone concludynge whyle he were in Troye It was nat lykely Grekes for to wynne For he alone of them that were withinne Was chefe diffence and proteccy owne And soueraynely vpholder of the towne Theyr myghty Castell and theyr stronge wall And vnto grekes dedely foo mortall For they ne myght his great force endure Nor neuer a right agayne theyr foos be sure He standynge hole they sayde in no degre Nor whyle he floureth in Felycyte Wherfore echone of one entencyon They condescende to this conclusyon That by some sleyghte of awayte lymge Whan he were moste besy in fyghtynge Amonge them in myschefe or distresse That Achylles do his besynesse With all his myght vnwarely hym to assayle That hym to slee for no thynge that he fayle And grekes all gan theyr prayer make To Achylles for to vndertake Of this Empresse fynally the sute Thorugh his manhode that it be execute The hasty deth of theyr mortall foo And Achylles without wordes moo Theyr request assenteth to parfourme And to theyr luste gan hooly hym confourme For that tyme let hym beware I rede To be to hasty this iourne for to spede Vpon Ector his power for to kythe Lyste Fortune a wronge hir face wrythe To loke on hym with a frowarde chere Hym to brynge vnto his handes nere Thorugh sorte or hap of Ector folylye To put his lyfe of deth in Ieopartye Lyste vnto hym it happe euen lyche To falle hymsefe in the same dyche That he for Ector compassed hath and shape For it is wonder if that he escape Syth Ector hadde without any
in his waye mette Agaynst whom anone his hors he sette And he to hym full knyghtly rode agayne And as they mette there is no more to sayne On horsbacke whyles they were wrothe Of vyolence they were vnhorsed bothe And Menelay Parys mette of newe The whiche two well togydre knewe Full desyrous eche other for to dere But Menelay caught firste a spere And hytte Parys with all his inwarde cure But for surenesse of his stronge armure And myghty platê his wounde was but small Whiche in effect greued nat at all But with that stroke vnto grounde he gothe Of whiche fall Parys wexed right wrothe Wonder confuse and also rede for shame Lest the reporte in hyndrynge of his name Came to the erys of the Quene Eleyne How he that daye myght nat atteyne With Menely to holde chaumpartye Lykely to sowne into his vylonye The whiche at herte greued hym full sore And Adrastus the kynge without more So as he rode the kynge Vlixes fonde knyghtly both they foughte honde to honde And as they faughte downe to the erthe lowe From his hors Vlixes hath hym throwe And full proudely in signe of this victorye He sent his hors home to his Tentorye And in that tyme amonges all the prees Full sodaynely kynge Pallamydes Is falle on Hupon with his lockes hore And in his Ire wounded hym so sore That he felle dede and grouelyng to the grouÌ„de His mortall swerde was so kene grounde Besyde whom Neptolonyus Assayled hath kynge Archylogus The whiche hymselfe manly gan diffende But as they faught and many strokes spende In their diffence it wolde be none other Eueryche of them hath vnhorsed other And tho came in rydynge on his stede Pollydamas and gan to take hede Amonge the renges a lytell hym besyde Where as the kynge Pallamydes doth ryde And cruelly so lyke a manly man He smote his stede and to hym he ran And maugre his myght and his worthynesse As the storye playnely bereth wytnesse Oonly to venge the deth of kynge Hupowne From his stede he proudely bare hym downe And in his rancoure and his cruell hete Of that despyte gan hym to rehete And tho besyde the kynge Scelenus Of dedely hate and herte full Irous With kynge Carras by aduenture hath met And furyously from his stede smet And than also the kynge Phylymene Is on the Duke falle of Athene That maugre both his manhod his myght He hath his hors berafte hym in this fyght And ladde with hym proudely by his syde Where as hym lyste that it shulde abyde And Phyloteas the worthy kynge also The selue tyme with Remus had ado And euery other sothly as I rede His felawe hath made to voyde his stede And Theseus the kynge that was so stronge Amyd the felde so as he rode amonge In the great prese hath met Curyalus The worthy kyÌ„g of knyghthod right famous And bothe two in armes wonder stronge By themselfe faught at leyser longe Tyll eche other with woundes fresshe grene Fro horsbak his felawe threwe endloÌ„g the grene And afterwarde I fynde how they two Vpon foote knyghtly hadde ado They were in armes somly desyrous And of manhode passyngly famous And all this whyle the sones naturell Of Pryamus bare them wonder well Amonge grekes vp and downe rydynge And prudently togydre abydynge Made a slaughter of grekes full pytous Of kynges dukes and lordes right famous And as I rede how worthy Thelamowne That tyme met with kynge Sapedowne And with theyr speres squared full sharpely Eueryche hath other wounded mortally Thorugh shelde plate haberion of mayle That as the storye maketh rehersayle How theyr harneys wexed of blode all rede And how they fylle almoste bothe dede At great myschefe amonge the hors feet Of whose bledynge the soyle gan wexe weet Thorugh theyr harneys as it can distylle Whyles kynge Thoas and the fyerse Achylle As they that were of kynne and allyed Amyd the felde Ector haue espyed Where as he faught beset amyd his foon And vpon hym of one accorde they goon And mortally if it wolde auayle On euery halfe they gan hym newe assayle And of hate in herte borne of yore They haue beset this Troyan knyght so sore That they alas from his hede hath smet By vyolence his ryche basenet And wounded hym felly on the hede But for all that he ne toke no hede This worthy man floure of Chyualrye But hym diffendynge tho so myghtely Kynge Thoas smet hym in the face so That with a stroke he rafte his nose a two And shorted it by the halfe dele To whiche stroke the brother naturele Of manly Ector faste gan them hye To socoure hym whan they firste espye His great myschefe and at theyr in coÌ„mynge They so manly bare them in fyghtynge Agayne grekes that Thoas they haue take And Theâ—amon so they made awake With newe assaute of sharpe woundes kene That he was take and lefte vpon the grene And of his men borne home to his tent And kynge Thoas home to troye is went Maugre grekes whiche helpe hyÌ„ may no more For Dephebus and also Anthenore Haue sente hym forth to Troye the cyte And Menelay tho began to se So as he rode Parys stonde a syde And shope hym shortly of hate cruell pryde If it wolde falle on his chaunce Sodaynely to ymen hym myschaunce But he was ware kept hymselfe so narowe That Menelay he marked with an arowe The hede of whiche with venym was enoynt Intoxycate at the square poynt That the kynge of that dredefull wounde All dispayred of his men was founde Whiche in great haste bare hym to his tent And he anone for Surgyens hath sent Whiche firste the hede toke out of his wounde Albe it was yperced full profounde Thorugh his harneys full depe into the bone But cunnyngely they dyde theyr crafte echone To drawe it out with theyr Instrumentes And subtylly with certayne oyntementes They serched haue the wounde enuyron To make it clene from corrupcyon And prudently firste they toke hede That the venym further nat procede Rounde in compasse clensyd it aboute And after that bounde it sure withoute And defensyues made on euery syde And Menelay no lenger wolde abyde But bad in haste brynge forth his stede In purpose full Parys to quyte his mede If he hym fynde the selfe same daye Hym lyste no lenger put it in delaye What euer falle of his grene wounde And forth he rode tyll he hath hym founde By aduenture vnarmed in the felde Without swerde pollex spere or shelde Or bowe in honde were it of reklesnesse Or to refresshe hym after werynesse And Menelay anone a spere hath take And in his yre â—elly gan it shake Towarde Parys by great auysenesse And shulde haue slayne hym as by lyklynesse Ne had Eneas whiche all this thynge behelde Bore of the stocke with his stronge shelde To diffende hym in this auenture Destytute and naked of armure Parys that tyme in suche
For neuer his lyfe by none occasyon He myght of hym haue none inspeccyon Nor hym beholde at good lyberte For vnarmed he myght hym neuer se But wonder knyghtly as well in porte chere They had them both as they mette in fere And right manly in theyr countenaunce And at the laste they felle in Dalyaunce But Achylles firste began abreyde And vnto hym euen thus he seyde Ector quod he full pleasynge is to me That I at leyser naked may these Syth I of the neuer myght haue syght But whan thou were armed as a knyght And now to me it shal be full greuous Whiche am to the so inly enuyous But thou of me there is no more to sayne Be slayne anone with my handes twayne For this in sothe were hoolly my pleasaunce By cruell deth to take on the vengeaunce For I full ofte in werre and eke in fyght Haue felte the vertue and the great myght Of thy force thorugh many woundes kene That vpon me be full fresshe and grene In many place byshedynge of my blode Thou wre on me so furyous and wode Aye comâ—assynge to my destruccyowne For manyâ— mayle of myn haberâ—owne Thy sharâ—e swerde racyd hath a sonder And cruellâ— seuered here and yonder And mortally as I can sygnes shewe My plates stronge percyd and yhewe And my haâ—eys forged bryght of stele Myght neuâ—r assured be so wele In thyne Yrâ— whan thou lyste to smyte That thy swâ—rde wolde kerue and byte Into my flesshe full depe and full profounde As sheweth yeâ— by many mortall wounde On my body large longe and wyde That yet appere vpon euery syde And day by day full sore ake and smerte For whiche thynge me semeth that my herte Enbolleth newe nowe whan I these Of hye despyte auenged for to be So am I fret of enuyous rage That it may neuer in my breste aswage Tyll the vengeaunce and the fatall sute Of cruell deth be on the execute And of one thynge moost is my greuaunce Whan I haue fully remembraunce And in my mynde consyderyd vp and downe Howe thou madest a dyuysyowne Of me alas and of Patroclus So yonge so manly and so vertuous Whom I loued as it was skylle and ryght Ryght as my selfe with all my full myght With as hole herte and inly kyndenesse As an tunge may telle or expresse Now haste thou made a departysyon Of vs that were by hole affeccyon Yknet in one of hertely allyaunce Without partynge or disseueraunce So entyerly our faythfull hertes twayne Ylaced were and locked in a chayne Whiche myght nat for none aduersyte Of lyfe nor deth a sonder twynned be Tyll cruelly thou madest vs departe Which thurgh my herte so iÌ„wardly doth darte That it wyll neuer in soth out of my thoughte And truste well full dere shal be boughte The deth of hym and be no thynge in were Parauenture or endyd be this yere For vpon the oonly for his sake Of cruell deth vengeaunce shal be take I the ensure without other bonde If I may lyue with myn owne honde I shall of deth do execucyon Without abode or longe delacyon For right requyreth without any drede Deth for deth for his fynall mede For I my selfe theron shal be wroke That thorugh the worlde hereafter shal be spoke How Achylles was venged on his foo For Patroclus that he loued soo And though that I be to the enuyous And of thy deth inly desyrous Ne wyte me nat nor put on me no blame For well I wotte thou arte to me the same And hast my dethe many day desyred And therupon inwardely conspyred And thus shortely as atwene vs two There is but deth without wordes mo Whan Fortune hath the tyme shape I hope fully thou shalt nat escape Truste none other I say the vtterly To whom Ector nat to hastely Answerde agayne with sobre countenaunce Auysed well in all his dalyaunce As he that was in nothynge rekles And euen thus he spake to Achylles Syr Achylles without any fayle Thou oughtest nat in herte to meruayle Though with my power and my full myght With herte and wyll of very dewe ryght Day by day I thy deth conspyre And euer in one compasse it and desyre And do my laboure erely and eke late To pursue it by full cruell hate Thou oughtest nat to wonder in no wyse But fully knowe by sentence of the wyse In no maner who so taketh hede Of rightwysnesse it may nat procede That outher I or any other wyght Shulde hym loue that with all his myght My deth pursueth and destruccyon And ouer this to more confusyon Hath layde a sege aboute this Cyte On my kynred and also vpon me And therupon felly doth presume With mortall hate of werre to consume Vs euerychone I wysse I can nat fynde In my herte as by lawe of kynde Suche one to loue of right nor equyte Nor haue hym chere sothly in no degre For of werre may no frendlyhede Nor of debate loue a right procede For sothly loue moste in specyall Of faythfulnesse hath his Orygenall In hertes ioyned by conuenyence Of one accorde whom no difference Of doubylnesse may in no degre Nouther in ioye nor aduersyte For lyfe nor deth a sondre nor disseuer For where loue is it contynueth euer But of hate all is the contrarye Of whiche sothly from hertes whan they varye Procedeth rancour at eye as men may se Debate enuye stryfe and Enmyte Mortall slaunghtre bothe nye and ferre Moder of whiche in sothfastnesse is werre The fyn wherof longe or it be do Seuereth hertes and frendeshyp kut a two And causeth loue to be layde full lowe But for all this I wyll well that thou knowe Thy proude wordes in herte nor in thought In very sothe agaste me right nought And if I shall ferther more out breke Without auaunt the trouthe for to speke I say the playnely hense or two yere If I may lyue in this werres here And my swerde of knyghthode forth acheue I hope in sothe so mortally to grene The grekes all whan I with them mete That they and thou shall fele full vnswete If ye contynue and the werres haunte I shall your pryde and surquedye adaunte In suche a wyse with my handes two That or the werre fully be a do Full many greke sore shall it rewe For well I wote of olde and nat of newe That the Grekes gaderyd here in one Of surquedye are founde euerychone Oonly for lacke of discrecyon To vndertake of presumpcyon So hye a thynge a sege for to layne And your selfe to ouer charge in vayne With Empryses withoute fable Be of weyght to you importable And the peys of so great heuynesse That fynally wyll you all oppresse And your pryde auale and enclyne The berthone eke enbowe backe and chyne And vnwarely cause you to falle Or ye haue done I say to one and alle And ouer more be full in suerte Thou Achylles I speke vnto the That fatall deth firste shall the assayâ— Tofore
thy swerde in any thynge auiyle Agaynst me for all thy worthynesse And if so be that so great hardynese Courage of wyll vygour force or mâ—ght Meue thy herte by manhode as a kiyght To take on the as in derrynge do For to darreyne here betwene vs two Thylke quarell how so that befalle For the whiche that we stryue all I wyll assente playnely to Iupaâ—te Tyll that the deth one of vs departe There is no more that these lordes here Kynges prynces wyll accorde yfere That it be do fully by one assent And holde stable of herte and of entent Whiche in a felde oonly that we tweyne As I haue sayde this quarell may darreyne And it fynysshe by this condycyowne That if it happe thorugh thy hye renowne Me to venquysshe or put at outtraunce I wyll you make fully assuraunce That firste my lorde Pryamus the kynge Shall vnto grekes in all maner thynge With sceptre crowne hoolly hym submytte And in a poynt varye nouther flytte Fully to yelde to your subieccyowne All his lordshyp within Troye towne And his lyges in captyuyte Shall go theyr way out of this cyte And leue it quyte in your gouernaunce Without stryfe or any varyaunce And therupon to make suerte To deuoyde all ambygnyte Tofore the goddes by othe and sacrament We shall be swore in full good entent And ouer more our fayth also to saue To assure you in pledge ye shall haue The mene whyle and kepe them on your syde At your choyse hostages to abyde From Troye towne of the worthyeste That ye lyste chese and also of the beste So that ye shall of no thynge be in were Of all that euer that I saye you here And Achylles without wordes mo If that thou lyste accorde full therto That I haue sayde thy honour to encrease To make this werre sodaynely to cease That lykly is for to laste longe Betwene Troyans and the Grekes stronge Thou shalt nat oonly with honour with fame Thorugh out the worlde gette the a name But therwith all and that is nat a lyte Thorugh thy knyghthod to many man ê“fyte That fro the deth shall escape a lyue And to his countre hole and sounde aryue That lykly are by cruell aduenture For to be dede if the werre endure Come of therfore and let nat be prolongued But let the day at wene vs two be ioyned As I haue sayde in condycyowne If in diffence oonly of this towne I haue victorye by fortune on the I axe nat but anone that ye Breke vp sege and the werre lete And suffre vs to lyue in quyete Into Grece home whan ye are gone To whiche thynge Achylles anone Hote in his Ire and furyous also Brennynge full hote for anger and for wo Assentydis with a despytous chere And gan anone to Ector dresse hym nere And sayde he wolde delyuer hym vtterly Fro poynt to poynt his axynge by and by And there in made none excepcyon But of hole herte and entencyon His requeste accepted euerydell And as it semed lyked it right well And for his parte he caste a gloue downe In sygne and token of confirmacyowne For lyfe or deth that he wyll holde his day Agayne Ector happe what happe may Vnto the whiche Ector lyfly sterte And toke it vp with as glad an herte As euer yet dyde man or knyght That quarell toke with his foo to fyght There can no man in sothe a ryght deuyse How gald he was of this hye Empryse Of whiche the noyse and the great sowne Ran to the Erys of Agamenowne And he anone came downe to theyr tent With all the lordes of his Parlyament ¶ Where Achylles and Ector were yfere To wytte theyr wyll as in this matere Were they wolde assente fynally To put the quarell full in Iupardy Of outher part atwene these knyghtes tweyne As ye haue herde it fully to dareyne And with one voyce grekes it denye And sayde they ne wolde of suche a companye Of kynges dukes and lordes eke also Both lyfe and deth Iuparte atwene two Nor to the course of Fortune them submytte That can hir face all day chaunge and flytte And some of Troye in conclusyowne Iuparte ne wold theyr lyues nor theyr towne In the handes oonly of a knyght To put all in auenture of fyght Pryam except whiche sothly in this caas Within hym selfe fully assentyd was Playnely to a put and set in Iupardye Hoolly the honour of his regallye Supposynge aye as made is memorye That Ector shulde haue hadde the victorye Of this Empryse if he it toke on honde But for Pryam myght natwithstonde Agayne so many of one entencyon That were contrarye to his oppynyon Bothe of Grekes and on Troye syde He helde his peas and let it ouer slyde And so the Grekes parted be echone And Ector is from Achylles gone Home to Troye where I hym leue a whyle Whyles that I directe shall my style To telle of Troylus the lamentable wo Whiche that he made to parte his lady fro ALas Fortune Gery and vnstable And redy aye for to be chaungeable WhaÌ„ folk most trust iÌ„ thy stormy face Lyke theyr desyre the fully to embrace Than is thy ioye away to tourne and wrythe Vpon wretches thy power for to kythe Recorde on Troylus that fro the whele so lowe By false enuye thou hast ouer throwe Out of the ioye whiche that he was Inne From his lady to make hym for to twynne Whan he best wende for to haue be suryd And of the woo that he hath enduryd I must nowe helpe hym to complayne Whiche as his herte felte so great payne So inwarde wo and so great distresse More than I haue cunnynge to expresse Whan he knewe the partynge of Cryseyde Almost for woo and for payne he deyde And fully wyste she departe shall By sentence and Iugement fynall Of his fader gyuen in Parlyament For whiche with wo and tourment all to rent He was in poynt to haue fallen in rage That no man myght a pease nor a swage The hyd paynes whiche in his breste gan dare For lyke a man in furye he gan fare And suche sorowe day and nyght to make In complaynynge oonly for hir sake For whan he sawe that she shulde aweye He leuer hadde playnely for to deye Than to lyue behynde in hir absence For hym thought without hir presence He was but dede there is no more to sayne And intoterys he began to rayne With whiche his eyen gan for to bolie And in his breste the syghes vp to swolle And the sobbynge of his sorowes depe That he ne can but rore and wepe So sore loue his herte gan constrayne And she ne felte nat a lytell payne But wepte also and pyteously gan crye Desyrynge aye that she myght dye Rather than parte fro hym out of Troye Hir owne knyght hir lust hir lyues ioye That by hir chekes the terys downe distylle And fro hir eyen the rounde droppes trylle And all for dewed haue hir blacke wede
And eke vntrussed hir heer a brodegan sprede Lyke to golde wyre for rent and all to torne Yplucked of and nat with sherys shorne And ouer this hir fresshe rosen hewe Whylom ymeynt with whyte lylyes newe With wofull wepynge pyteously disteyned And lyke Erbys in Apryll all be reyned Or floures fresshe with the dewes swete Right so hir chekes moyste were and wete With crystall water vp ascendynge hye Out of hir breste into hir heuenly eye And aye amonge hir lamentaeyowne Ofte sythe she fyll in a swowne downe Dedely pale for dymmed in hir syght And ofte sayde alas myn owne knyght Myn owne Troylous alas why shall we ê‘te Rather let deth with his spere darte Thorugh my herte and the vaynes kerue And with his rage do me for to stryue Rather alas than fro my knyght to twynne And of this wo O deth that I am inne Why ne wylt thou come helpe make an ende For how shulde I out of Troye wende He abyde and I to grekes goon There to dwelle amonge my cruell foon Alas alas I wofull creature How shulde I there in the werre endure I wretched woman but my selfe alone Amonge the men of armes euerychone Thus gan she crye all the longe day This was hir complaynte with full great afray Hir pyteous noyse tyll it drewe to nyght That vnto hir hir owne trewe knyght Full tryste and heuy came agaynes eue If he myght hir comforte or leue But he in sothe hath Cryseyde founde All in a swowne lyinge on the grounde And pyteously vnto hir he went With wofull chere and hir in armes hent And toke hir vp and than atwene them two Began of newe suche a dedely wo That it was routhe and pyte for to sene For she of chere pale was and grene And he of coloure lyke to asshes dede And fro hir face was gone all the rede And in his chekes deuoyded was the blode So wofully atwene them two it stode For she ne myght nat a worde Yspeke And he was redy with deth to be wreke Vpon hym selfe his naked swerde besyde And she full ofte gan to grounde glyde Out of his armes as she fylle a swowne And he hym selfe gan in terys drowne She was as stylle and dumbe as any stone He had a mouthe but wordes had he none The wery spyryte flyckered in hir breste And of deth stode vnder a reste Withoute menprys sothely as of lyfe And thus there was as it semed a stryfe Whiche of them two shulde firste ypasse For deth portrayed in herte outher face With suche coloure as men go to theyr graue And thus in wo they gan togydre raue Disconsolate all the longe nyght That in good fayth if I shulde a ryght The processe hole of theyr bothe sorowe That they made tyll the next morowe Fro poynt to poynt it to specefye It wolde me full longe occupye Of euery thynge to make mencyon And tarye me in my translacyon If I shulde in hir wo procede But me semeth that it is no nede Syth my mayster Chaucer here afore In this mater hath so well hym bore In his boke of Troylus and Cryseyde Whiche he made longe or that he deyde Rehersynge first how Troylus was contrayre For to ascende vp on loues stayre And how that he for all his surquedye After became one of the companye Of loues folke for all his olde game Whan Cupyde made hym full tame And brought hym lowe to his subieccyowne In a temple as he walked vp and downe Whan he his gynnes and his hookes leyde Amyd the Eyen cerclyd of Cryseyde Whiche on that day he myght nat asterte For thorugh his breste percyd and his herte He wente hym home pale syke and wan And in this wyse Troylus firste began To be a seruaunt my mayster telleth thus Tyll he was holpe after of Pandarus Thorugh whose comforte and medyacyon As in his boke is made mencyon With great laboure firste he came to grace And so contynueth by certayne yeres space Tyll fortune gan vpon hym frowne That she fro hym must go out of towne All sodaynely and neuer hym after se Lo here the ende of false Felycyte Lo here the ende of wordely brotylnesse Of flesshely luste lo here the vnstablenesse Lo here the double varyacyon Of worldly blysse and transmutacyon This daye in myrthe and in wo to morowe For aye the fyne alas of ioye is sorowe For now Cryseyde with the kynge Thoas For Anthenor shall go forth alas Vnto Grekes and euer with them dwelle The hole storye ChauÌ„cer can you telle If that ye lyste no man better a lyue Nor the processe halfe so well descryue For he our englysshe gylte with his sayes Rude and boystous firste by olde dayes That was full fer from all parfeccyon And but of lytell reputacyon Tyll that he came and thorugh his poetrye Gan our tunge firste to magnefye And adourne it with his eloquence To whom honoure laude and reuerence Thorugh out this lande gyuen be and songe So that the laurer of our englysshe tonge Be to hym gyuen for his excellence Right as whylom by full hye sentence Perpetuelly for a memoryall Of Columpna by the Cardynall To Petrark Fraunceyse was gyuen in Ytayle That the reporte neuer after fayle Nor the honour dyrked of his name To be regystred in the hous of fame Amonge other in the hyest sete My mayster Galfryde as for chefe Poete That euer was yet in our langage The name of whom shall pallen in none age But euer ylyche without eclypsynge shyne And for my parte I wyll neuer fyne So as I can hym to magnefye In my wrytynge playnely tyll I dye And god I praye his soule brynge in ioye And where I lefte I wyll agayne of troye The storye telle and firste how that Guydo Within his boke speketh Troylus to Rebukynge hym full vncurteysly That he so sette his herte folyly Vpon Cryseyde full of doubylnesse For in his boke as Guydolyste expresse That hir terys and hir complaynynge Hir wordes whyte softe and blandysshynge Were meynt with faynynge with flaterye And outwarde farsed with many a false lye For vnderhyd was all the varyaunce Curyd aboue with fayned countenaunce As women can falsely terys borowe In theyr herte though there be no sorowe Lyke as they wolde of very trouthe deye They can thynke on and a nother seye As a serpent vnder floures fayre His venym hydeth where he doth repayre The sugre afore the galle hydde behynde As appropryd is vnto theyr kynde To be dyuerse and double of nature Rathest deceyuynge whan men moste assure For vnder coloure euery thynge they werke The fayre aboue the foule in the derke They hydde so that no man may espye And though so be that with a wofull Eye They can outwarde wepe pyteously The tother eye can laffe couertly Whose sorowes all are tempryd with allyes And theyr coloure euer is meynt with rayes For vpon chaunge and mutabylyte Stande hole theyr truste and theyr suerte So that they
eke that his baner sewe And in hast Parys gan remewe Out of the towne with them of Perce longe And eche of them a bowe in his honde And arrowes sharpe trussed by theyr syde And of knyghtes that aboute hym ryde He hadde also thre thousande as I fynde And Dephebus next hym came behynde With thre thousande knyghtes armed clene On whose plates the sonne shone full shene And next hym came the Troyan Eneas And as I rede sothly that there was Thesame day with them of Troye towne An hondred thousande knyghtes of renowne Lyke as recordeth Dares Frygius And in his boke Guydo wryteth thus And with the Grekes all tofore that day With seuen thousande went Menelay Knyghtes echone whiche he dyde lede And with as many went Dyomede And next them foloweth the hardy Achylles With his mayne called Myrundynes And zanptipuâ— the worthy kynge eke hadde Thre thousande knyghtê whiche that he ladde Into the felde agayne them of the towne And alderlaste came Agamenowne With suche a nombre of the Grekes felle That wonder is for to here telle And whan the wardes in the felde abrode Hadde theyr place without more abode Agrekysshe kynge whiche that Phyllys hyghte Anone as he of Ector hadde a syghte Towardes hym syttynge on his stede With his spere he gan hym faste spede But whan Ector his coÌ„mynge sayne He hente a spere and rode to hym agayne And thorugh his shelde and his plates rounde He gaue to hym his laste fat all wounde Vpon whose deth auenged for to be Full many Greke gan on Ector for to flee And firste of all the worthy kynge Famous That of Grekes was called zantipus Of hye disdayne oonly for Phyllys sake Towarde Ector hath his course ytake And with a spere ran at hym full ryght But Ector firste hyt hym with suche a myght Thorugh his harneys with his speres hede That zantipus fylle to grounde dede The deth of whom Greke sore playne And dyde theyr myght and theyr besy payne On euery halfe furyous and wode To auenge them on Troyans blode And thorugh he passynge cruell hardynesse They began Troyans so to oppresse That many one that day ne myght asterte Thoruh the breste yperced and the herte For to be dede and slayne amonge the prees Amonges whiche cruell Achylles Slewe Lychaon and Eufrobyus Noble knyghtes right worthy and famous That were ycome out of theyr countre Agayne Grekes to helpe the Cyte And whyle troyans coÌ„strayned were so narowe Were it with spere quarell darte or arowe Ector was wounded thorugh out the vyser Into the face that lyke a ryuer The reed blode downe began to rayle But his harneys thorugh his auentayle Wherof astoned whan they hadde a syght Full many Troyan toke hym to the flyght And to the Cyte faste gan them drawe And at the chase full many one was slawe Or they myght out of the felde remewe And euer in one grekes after sewe Vnto the walles almost of the towne Tyll that Ector the troyan champyowne Of his knyght hode gan to take hede Albe his wounde sore gan to blede Yet of manhode he gan them recomforte And maugre them into the felde resorte Namely whan he hadde inspeccyowne On the walles and toures of the towne How that Eleyne and Eccuba the quene And his suster fayre Polycene With many other lady gan beholde Hym thought anone his herte gan to colde Of very shame his knyghtes shulde fle And lyke a Lyon in his cruelte He made them tourne manly euerychone And in his waye he mette Meryon Agrekysshe kynge that was nye allye To Achylles as bokes specefye And with his swerde Ector smote hym so That he hym rofe on pecys two And whan Achylles sawe hym dede Parted a two euen fro the hede He hent a spere and thought he ne wolde fayle Tohyt Ector thorugh shelde plate mayle And rode to hym full Enuyously And amyd the shelde he smet hym cruelly But with the stroke Ector neuer adell Remeueth nat he sat so faste and well But with his swerde anone taryeth nought Ran to Achylles with an enuyous thought He knyghtly ran vpon his coursere And on his creste that shone so bryght clere With suche a myght Ector hath hym smet That he percyd thorughe his basenet And racede eke from his auentayle With that stroke many pece of mayle That Achylles constrayned was of nede Maugre his myght to stagre on his stede To enclyne and to bowe his backe At whiche tyme Ector to hym spake And sayde Achylles I do well aduerte The great enuye of thy cruell herte And specyally that thou haste to me But yet beware I counsayle the Thy selfe to put so in aduenture For of one thynge I playnely the ensure As I desyre at my laste some day Here in the felde if I the mete may Truste me right well there gayneth no socour That I shall so acquyte thy labour So mortally I do the vnderstande With this swerde that I holde in honde That with thy lyfe thou shalt nat escape So cruelly the vengeaunce shal be take Efte whan we met euen vpon thy hede Of whiche thynge whan Achylles toke hede Aduertynge all that he herde hym sayne Right as he wolde haue answere agayne ¶ Worthy Troylus knyghtly entrede inne And made them a sondre for to twynne And thorugh the manhode of his companye Of worthy knyghtes that he dyde guye And hye prowesse of his owne myght He hath the grekes put agayne to flyght And slayne of them that day out of drede Sixe hondred knyghtes sothely as I rede For losse of whiche the Grekes faste fle To theyr tentes of necessyte Tyll Menelay dyde his besy cure To make them the felde agayne recure Thorugh whose manhode that day out of doute And worthy knyghtes that were hym aboute The felde of grekes recured was anone But tho fro Troye came kynge Odemon And in all haste possyble that he may He came enbusshed vpon Menelay And hym vnhorseth in the selfe place And suche a wounde gaue hym in the face That fro the deth he wende nat escape And doutles anone he hadde hym take With helpe of Troylus and lad vnto the towne But of Grekes suche a prese came downe To reskewe hym in this great nede That Odemon no ferther myght lede Kynge Menelay towarde the Cyte Whan Dyomede came with his meyne And many worthy rydynge hym aboute And Troylus mette amonges all the route All sodaynely of hap or aduenture And hym vnhorseth as it was his eure And after that anone he hent his stede And bad a squyer that he shulde it lede Vnto Cryseyde oonly for his sake Besechynge hir that she wolde it take As for a gyfte of hir owne man Syth he that day for hir loue it wan Amyd the felde thorugh his great myght Of hym that was whylom hir owne knyght And he in haste on his waye is went And therof made vnto hir present Prayinge hir in full humble wyse This lytell gyfte that she nat
do me grace That my lorde into the felde ne pace And do your deuer of moderly pyte Benyngnely and goodly for to se To his knyghthode and his hye prowesse For to restrayne his renowmed noblesse Thylke day to handle spere or shelde Nor that he go armed into felde And bothe twayne assent for the beste And condescende vnto hir requeste Fynally accordynge into one That whan the wardes were redy euerychone On yssuynge out and Troylus firste of alle And Parys next on grekes for to falle And after hym the Troyan Eneas Kynge Sarpedon and Pollydamas Kynge Eroys and kynge Epystrophus And eke the kynge ycalled Forcyus In plate and mayle eueryche armed clene And alderlaste came kyng Phylymene With all the kynges and lordes of renowne That in diffence come of the towne With the grekes knyghtly to debate And Pryamus sothly to the gate Conueyed them at their out goynge And set their wardes this noble worthy kynge Full prudently thoruhe his sapyence And after gaue them congee and lycence Vpon Greke for to proue their myght Agaynst whom full redy for to fyght Their fomen were with royall apparayle Amyd the felde abydynge the batayle But Pryamus in this mene whyle Lyke as Guydo remembreth in his style For thylke fyne that ye haue herde me sayne To worthy Ector repayred is agayne Hym contermauÌ„dynge that he ne shuld gone Thylke day to fyght agayne theyr foon For whiche thynge of hye despyte he brent Whan that he sawe other lordes went Out at the gate and he alone abode For whiche he wexed furyous and wode Hoolly the cause arettynge to his wyfe That was of cherte so tender of his lyfe Puttynge on his fully the occasyowne Of his abydynge that day in the towne In preiudyce of hir worthynesse And disencrease of his hye prowesse And lyfte thorugh tunges to his hye estate Thorugh false reporte it were derogate He caste anone of a full knyghtly herte For lyfe nor deth it shulde hym nat asterte Within the felde that day to be founde Though it so were with many mortall wounde He shulde on pecys he wen be a sondre Vpon the playne dismembryd here yondre So hole in manhode was his herte sette That he anone without lenger lette Agayne to arme hym was full dylygent Agayne the precept and coÌ„maundement Of his Fader and rode forth on his weye For fere of whiche as she wolde deye His wyfe of newe crye gan and shoute And with hir pappes also hangynge oute Hir lytell childe in hir armes twayne Afore hir lorde gan to wepe and playne Besechynge hym of routhe and pyte If he wolde vnto hir sorowese At the leste for hir wyfely trouthe That he of manhode haue in herte routhe Vpon hir childe and on hir also Whiche that she bare in hir armes two And nat myght hym from cryinge kepe Whan he sawe his wofull moder wepe And knelynge downe vnto hym she sayde In hir sobbynge as she myght abrayde Myne owne lorde haue mercy nowe on me And on this lytell childe whiche that ye se So pyteously afore you wepe and crye Haue mercy lorde on vs or we dye Haue mercy eke vpon this cyte Myn owne lorde haue mercy or that we By cruell deth passe shall echone For lacke of helpe alas whan ye are gone This was the crye of Andromecha With whom was eke hir suster Cassandra Eccuba and fayre Polycene And Eleyne the lusty fresshe quene Whiche all attones felle hym beforne With heer vntressyd and wepynge all to torne And loude gan to crye in the place Besechynge hym of mercy and of grace For thylke day to abyde in the towne And in his herte to haue compassyowne On hir complaynte and hir wofull mone Syth all the truste of the twone alone In hym abode and all the resystence For agayne deth he was there chefe diffence And in hym hoolly was theyr affyaunce Theyr suerte and theyr suffysaunce In eche thynge that them myght greue And yet all this ne myght his herte meue For to abyde yet of goodlyhede They hym besought to theyr womanhede He wolde enclyne his herded herte of stele That they myght a lytell droppe fele Oonly of pyte on theyr woto rewe That lykly was to morne and renewe Fynally to theyr distruccyowne For of the Cyte sothly and the towne His vnhap were endelesse ruyne But yet all this myght hym nat enclyne That he ne wolde out in conclusyon So indurate and herted as a lyon He was alway contynuynge in his rage Whose herte myght a softe nor a swage Nouther prayer nor waymentacyon Hym to restrayne from his oppynyon For euery perell he layde so a syde And on his way gan anone to ryde Where thorugh his wyfe none other bote can But in hir rage to the kynge she ran So a mased in hir mortall wo That she vnneth myght speke hym to So diffacyd and rewefull of hir syght That by hir hewe knoweth hir no wyght For loste she hadde bothe myght strengthe And plat she fyll to the grounde a lengthe Tofore the kynge that routhe was to sene Besechynge hym of entent full clene Of his grace to consydre hir wo For but he helpe Ector was a go And he seynge hir faythfull womanhede At hir request raughte anone his stede And prycked after oonly for hir sake In so great haste that he hath ouer take Worthy Ector within the cyte And hent his reyne with great diffyculte And maugre hym made hym tourne agayne In suche wyse he durste it nat with sayne Albe that he was full lothe therto So that by force and prayer also From his stede he made hym a lyghte The a reste of whom eschewe he ne myghte For he ne wolde agayne his fader stryue Albe that he felte his herte ryue Of melancolye and of hertely Ire And of disdayne newe set a fyre So inwardely steryd was his blode That lyke a Tygre or a lyon wode That were depryued newly of hir pray Right so he fared all that ylke day Or lyke a bore that his tuskes whette Whyle the Grekes and they of Troye mette Furyously walkynge vp and downe And in diffence sothly of the towne Troylus firste on his bay stede Of aduenture mette Dyomede And eche at other surquedous of pryde With sharpe speres gan togydre ryde And Guydo sayth without any drede One or bothe hadde anone be dede Ne had Menelay knyghtly go bytwene And after that in a furyous tene He smette his hors in full kâ—yghtly wyse And Meryem the myghty kynge of Fryse Menelaus marked hath full wele And with his swerde full sharpe grouÌ„de of stele Vnhorsed hym and threwe hym on the grene For he the stroke myght nat sustene This Menelay was on hym so wode That it was lykly euen there he stode With the lyfe he shuld nat escape For the grekes full hastely them shape This Meryem as ye haue herde me sayne For to be sette rounde vpon the playne And to sesse hym by the auentayle On euery part and cruelly to
assayle All destytute in this dredefull caas But hym to helpe came Pollydamas With his knyghtes and gan to nyghe nere Whan he hym sawe taken prysonere And maugre all vpon hym sette From theyr handes Pollydamas hym fette At whose reskues there was so great a stryfe That many one therfore loste his lyfe For grekes rather than he shulde escape From theyr handes in that hasty rape Caste them playnely that he shal be dede Fully in purpose to haue hadde his hede He stode of myschefe in so great disioynt But hym to helpe euen vpon the poynt Came Troylus in moste knyghtly of array And of his manhode made suche affray Amonges them in reskues of this kynge That maugre them at his in coÌ„mynge Delyuered was this myghty lorde of Fryse From cruell deth as ye haue herde deuyse But therupon came Thelamonyus Proude in armes and euer surquedous With thre thousande full worthy euerychone And he vnhorseth Pollydamas anone Amonge his knyghtê proudly bare hyÌ„ downe But troylus hath thorugh his hye renowne Myd of his foon gete hym his hors agayne But they of Troye so sore were be layne On euery halfe thorughe the grekes pryde That they myght afore them nat abyde For newe and newe the hardy Achylles Assayled them with his Myrundones That they compelled of necessyte In myschefe were made for to flee Home to the walles and gates of the towne To great damage and confusyowne Of theyr partye that a backe so gon The whiche thynge whan Margaryton Behelde and sawe how the game goth In his herte he gan to wexe wroth And passyngly for to haue disdayne And as the storye recordeth in certayne That he was bothe hardy and famous And sone also to kynge Pryamus A noble knyght and of great worthynesse And whan he sawe the myschefe and distresse Of them of Troye and how they gan to fle He caste anone auenged for to be Vpon Achylles for all his great myght And ran to hym full lyke a manly knyght On hors backe for the townes sake And hym enforseth Achylles to take Amyd the felde amonge his knyghtes alle But Achylles alas it shulde falle That day hym slewe by cruell aduenture Where thorugh Troyans myght nat endure The felde to holde but homewarde gan theÌ„ hye And mortally to make noyse and crye Firste for the deth of Margaryton And for the pursuyte that kynge Thelamon Made on the chase thorugh his cruelte Home to the Gates of Troye the Cyte That slewe and kylled alway as he rode Albe that Parys manly hym withstode With his brethre that in baste were borne But for all that theyr grounde they haue lorne Lefte and forsake vtterly the felde And home they went broughte on a shelde The dede corps of Margaryron And after that theyr gates shette anone The whiche myschefe as Ector gan beholde Of very Ire his herte gan to colde And sayde platly without more delay He wolde auenge his deth the same day And made in haste his stede to be fet And vp he sterte and on his basenet Vn wyste the kynge or who be lefe or lothe There was no gayne forth anone he goth Tyll he was passyd the gates of the towne More Furyous than Tygre or lyowne At whose coÌ„mynge thycke as swarme of been Tofore his swerde Grekes gan to fleen They thought it was tyme to withdrawe And firste I fynde how that he hath slawe Two worthy Dukes as he with them mette That besy were his waye for to lette The tone ycalled was Eurypalus And the tother hyghte Hascydyus And so Troyans the felde agayne haue wonne And of newe manfully begonne Grekes to sewe and folowe on the tras And yet at myschefe dauÌ„z Pollydamas The same tyme was of grekes take But Ector hath so borne hym for his sake Where as that he sorest was be layne And thorugh his knyghthod reskued hyÌ„ agayÌ„e And put the grekes in so great distresse Thorugh his manhode and his worthynesse That where so euer thylke day he rode His sharpe swerde he bathed in theyr blode He was so cruell and so mercyles But than a knyght callyd Leothydes Shope hym anone with Ector for to mete Whyle he was moste Irous in his hete And sette on hym full presumptuously But Ector tho deuoyde of all mercy Anone hym slewe and threwe hym in the felde The whiche thynge whan Achylles behelde The great slaughtre and the woundes wyde That Ector made vpon euery syde He gan anone compasse in his herte And vp and downe caste and aduerte How the grekes neuer may be sure Agayne theyr foon to fyght nor endure Nor kepe a felde with them for to stryue All the whyle that Ector were a lyue Wherfore he caste and shope many weye By what engyne Ector myght deye At auauntage if he myght hym fynde And therto eke Polycenes of ynde A worthy Duke was also of assent Oonly for he of herte and hole entent In hope stode his suster wyue For loue of whom he felte his herte ryue And in hir grace better for to stonde He caste fully for to take on honde This hye empryse as I haue you tolde But whyle that he was on hym moste bolde Ector hym slewe there was none other geyne The whiche anone as Achylles hath seyne For Ire he wexed in his herte as wode As bore or Tygre in theyr cruell mode Vpon Ector auenged for to be And furyously on hym he gan fle But Ector caughte a quarell sharpe ygrouÌ„de And threwe at hym gaue hyÌ„ suche a wounde Thorugh out the thyghe vpon outher syde That in the felde he myght nat abyde But hym withdrewe and anone is wente With his men home vnto his tente And made anone a Surgyen to bynde His mortall wounde and after as I fynde Whan he was staunche ceaseth for to blede In all haste agayne he toke his stede And lest he were of that wounde dede Afterwarde as it was great drede He thought firste auenged for to be Vpon Ector if he myght hym se Of hap or sorte if it wolde falle For hym thought to his paynes alle It were to hym the beste remedye Of his honde if he myght dye For of his lyfe he roughte nat amyte Be so that he Ector myghte quyte Deth for deth in conclusyon For that was hoolly his entencyon Of his desyre fully suffysaunce By deth vnwarely to gyue hym myschaunce But all this tyme Ector vp and downe As he was wont playeth the lyowne Amonge grekes in many sondry place And with his swerde gan them so to enchace That as the deth where they myght hym seen They fledde afore hym lyke a swarme of been For none so hardy was hym to with sette And in this whyle a grekysshe kynge he mette Were it of hap or of aduenture The whiche in sothe on his Cote armure Enbrouded hadde full many ryche stone That gaue a lyght whan the sonne shone Full bryght and clere that ioye was to sene For Perlys whyte and Emerawdys
Greke brought vnto his fyne For they ne myght endure for distresse Constreynt of hunger dyde them so oppresse Tyll at the laste kynge Pallamydes As he that was in no thynge reckeles Hath therupon made purueaunce Remedye and redy ordynaunce And by assent and counsayle of echon He hath sent wyse Agamenon The worthy kynge to Messa there besyde A â—yâ—ell I le oonly to prouyde For the Grekes if he myght spede Them to releue in this great nede And Telephus kynge of that londe Of gentyllesse hath put to his honde As he that was large and wonder free And renowmed of humanyte To socoure them coÌ„maundynge anone His purueours in all haste to gone From euery party aboute enuyron Thorugh all the landes of his regyon And faythfully to serche euery coost To take vp vytayle for the grekes hoost And after that full hastely he made To stuffe theyr shyppes playnely and to lade With euery thynge that was necessarye To the grekes and by water carye At requeste of Agamenon Without tariynge or delacyon And so the kynge with plente of vytayle Fraute and YÌ„lade gan anone to sayle Towarde the sege he and his meynee Aye costynge by the Grekysshe see The wynde was good the kynge as blyue With his nauye at Troye dyde aryue In fewe dayes and Grekes anone ryght Of his repeyre were full glad and lyght Of his expleyt and his good spede That he so well hath borne hym in this nede And after this Pallamydes anone As sayth Guydo is to his shyppes gone For to consydre and loke all aboute Where nede was within and withoute Any of them to amende or repare As he that lyst for no coste to spare In euery thynge without neclygence Touchynge his charge to do his dylygence Tyll the Trewes fully were out ronne And the werres newe agayne begonne Whiche many man sothly dere aboughte And ceryously to wryte howe they wroughte My purpose is playnely in sentence Vnder supporte of your pacyence DVrynge in one the dedely cruell hate That stynte maye nor cesse by no date Atwyxe Grekes and them of the towne To great damage and destruccyowne On outher parte felynge full vnswete Tyll on a daye they caste for to mete As they were wonte proudely with spere shelde With theyr wardes entrynge into felde Armyd full bryght vpon outher syde And enbatayled stoute and full of pryde Full knyghtly haue chose theyr grouÌ„de take Theyr large baners with the wynde yshake Tyll they togydre sodaynely haue mette And alderfirste Dephebus hath sette Fresshe and lusty and of herte yrous Vpon a kynge called Creseous And of enuye the storye telleth than On hors backe as they togydre ran Dephebus firste with his spere as blyue Thorughout the breste euen dyde hym ryue Vnto the herte that he spake no more The deth of whom Grekes playne sore And for his loue suche a woo they make That all astoned they haue the felde forsake And gan anone vnto theyr tentes flee The whiche in sothe whan they of Troye se Vpon the chase faste gan them spede Vnto tyme that worthy Dyomede And with hym eke the kynge Pallamydes Of hye despyte cruell and mercyles With twenty thousande worthy knyghtes alle Vpon Troyans sodaynely are falle And mortally made them lese theyr weye And to resorte home agayne to Troye And eke with grekes felle and furyous The same tyme came Thelamonyus That hyght Ayax the stronge knyghtly man And lyke a Lyon amonge them as he ran Vpon Troyans and them ouer sette Casuelly in his waye he mette Cecylyen lusty fresshe and lyght And of his tyme a wonder manly knyght And sone was to Pryam as I rede Whom Thelamon pryckynge on his stede Slowe cruelly with his swerde anone Rasynge his arme from the shuldre bone That heallas fyll dede in the felde The deth of whom whan Dephebus behelde Wodder anone than Tygre or lyon With a spere ran to Thelamon And smette hym so thorugh his plates bryght Of very force that he made hym lyght And lese his sadell be sete amonge the prees The whiche stroke whan Pallamydes Behelde and sawe and clerely gan aduerte Irous and wood with a furyous herte Caste hym anone to auenge Thelamowne On Dephebus full worthy of renowne And mortally his guerdon hym to quyte And with a spere grounde for to byte Sharpe and kene large rounde and square Full cruelly or that he was ware Thorugh his harneys without more areste Dephebus he smote so in the breste That with the stroke he brake the shafte a two So that the tronchone and the hede also Lefte in his breste that there was no weye Fynally but that he muste deye There was none helpe nor remedye at all The wounde was so cruell and mortall That with the lyfe he myght nat abyde And in this whyle Parys came besyde Of auenture whyle this Dephebus Was of his wounde so inly anguysshous And gan in haste for to aproche nere With face pale and right an heuy chere And for his distresse wepte pyteously And his knyghtes coÌ„maunded hastely His wounded brother out asyde fere In all haste that they shulde bere Out of the wardes fro the great prees Vnto his payne for to do relees For to a brethe hym at leyser or to auente In open eyre and they vnto hym wente Maugre the Grekes where he wounded was And bare hym out a full easy pas Towarde the walle faste by the towne And with great dole and lamentacyowne Full softely on the grounde hym layde Tyll at the laste this dedely man abrayde With mortall loke and face funerall And chere pyteous so that eche ball Gan tourne vp of his deedly eye And euen thus to Parys he gan seye O brother myn whom that I loued so Haue now pyte and rewe vpon my wo Of kyndenesse and of brotherhede And to my wordes of routhe take now hede Syth we by deth muste a sondre twynne For Antropose shall no lenger spynne My lyues threde but the knotte breke Wherfore brother I praye the be wreke Vpon my deth or I hense pace It that thou lyste to do me suche a grace Of kyndenesse yet or I be dede Out of my breste or this sperys hede Be rent away that thou auengyd be Vpon my foo as I truste in the That I may wyt he be deed or I And that his spirite it passe fynally And firste descende depe downe in helle Eternally with Pluto for to dwelle Myd his boundes that dyrke ben and lowe For fynally so that I may knowe That he be deed there is no more to seye I gyue no forse how soone that I deye To whose requeste Parys toke good hede And into felde faste gan hym spede For thought and woo pyteously wepynge Whyle his brother lay there languysshynge Nat awaytynge but oonly after deth Vpon the poynt to yelde vp the breth And with his knyghtes Parys vp downe The wardes soughte aboute enuyrowne Tyll at the laste Pallamydes he fonde With Sarpedon fyghtynge
honde of honde Now was this kyng this worthy sarpedowne Come in diffence of them of Troye towne Whiche of his hande was a noble knyght And whyle that he with all his full myght Moste besy was Pallamydes to presse Lyke a Lyon whettyd with woodnesse Pallamydes in herte nat a ferde Let flye at hym with his sharpe swerde So myghtely that it was a wonder For his theygh parted hath a sonder And smote of by the harde bone That Sarpedon fyll downe dede anone So that Troyans whan that he was slawe Were compellyd of force them to withdrawe Thorugh the pursuyt of kynge Pallamydes Whiche vpon them was so mercyles And as cruell as a wood lyon After the deth of Sarpedon The whiche alas whan Parys dyde espye He marked hym with a cruell eye And hente a bowe that passyngly was stronge And with an arowe to his tyller longe Entoxycat with venym in the hede That whom he smote therwith was but dede And hytte hym so in the auentayle Thorugh out the stuffe and the thykke mayle Into the throte that it gan thorugh pace That he fell dede in the selfe place Pallamydes this manfull worthy knyght Where thorugh Grekê toke them to the flyght And made a noyse and a wofull crye The deth complaynynge wonder pyteouslye Of theyr lorde and myghty gouernour But late chose to be Emperour Theyr chefe socour and souerayne refuâ— But now alas they stonde destytut Of gouernaunce broke and disarayed Without guyde right as shepe dismayed Disconsolat and comfortles yshent That eche of them flyeth vnto his Tent And they of Troye sued on the chace On hors backe a wonder huge pace And mercyles slewe them as they fle On euery syde that routhe was to se Without pyte or any other grace For lyke Lyons they gan them enchace Tyll they compellyd of necessyte Constrayned were thorugh theyr cruelte To tourne agayne and them selfe diffende And they of Troye downe anone discende Of hors backe euen vpon the playne And attones there was none other gayne They gan the Grekes proudely to outtraye And cruelly so to disamaye That fynally there gayneth no diffence So mortall was the myghty vyolence Of Troyans that Grekes so diffoyle And alderfirste at leyser they dispoyle The grekes tentes of golde and rychesse At whiche tyme Troylus gan hym dresse And Parys eke downe to theyr nauye With thurty thousande in theyr companye Kyllynge all tho playnely that they mette And on theyr shyppes wylde fyre they sette That to the walle of Troye the Cyte Men myght well the hydous flawmese And all had gone to destruccyon Ne had Ayax ycalled Thelamon Thorugh his manhode knyghtly excellence Come anone and made resistence Of the Grekes with many worthy knyght And tho of new began the mortall fyght Atwene Troyans and the Grekes stoute The rede blode rayllynge all aboute Vpon the playne so hydously they blede And here and there bothe in lengthe and brede Deed and maymed and full pale of syght Vpon the soyle full many noble knyght Atwexe them so cruell was the hate For in theyr fyght togydre they debate As wylde borys euen so they fare For none of them lyste other for to spare And in the felde worthy Thelamowne Thorugh his knyghthode his hye renowne So manly bare hym grekes to diffende That no man myght in manhode hyÌ„ amende Thorugh all the world though men had sought For he that daye in his ê‘sone hath wrought Meruayle in armys thorugh his great myght That in sothenesse Grekes anone ryght Withoute hym hadde fynally be shent And theyr shyppes attones loste and brent Thorugh the pursuyt of Parys that daye And worthy troylus that made such affraye Amonges them thorugh his hye prowesse That fyfty shyppes Guydo doth expresse Were loste and brent or that Thelamowne To reskus came with his knyghtes downe Vnto the see the remenaunt for to saue But for all that Troyans that daye haue The hyer hande of this mortall fyght Thorugh the force and the great myght Of troylus oonly whiche hath so many slayne Of the grekes in sothe that they were fayne Them to withdrawe and the felde to lete For in abydynge they fonde full vnswete Wherfore they gan for to lese theyr place Amonge whiche the kynges sone of Trace That heber hyght wounded to the deth That he myght vnneth drawe his breth With aspere in his breste styckynge To Achylles he came in complaynynge Vnto his tent euen there he laye Whiche in the felde was nat all that daye For the sake oonly of Polycene The loue of whom was so sharpe and kene Aye at his herte ylyke grene and newe To whom Heber with a mortall hewe Complayneth sore arrettynge cowardyse And in manhode a very trewandyse That he that daye myght so for shame Withdrawe hym in hyndrynge of his name Out of the felde to hym full great reprefe Of the Grekes seynge the myschefe That they were in and confusyon Vpon the brynke of theyr destruccyon Abrode the felde to se them so lye dede And lyste nat ones for to take hede Of his knyghthode grekes to releue And whyle Heber gan hym thus repreue And the spere whiche in his body was All sodaynely was drawen out alas With Eye vp caste in rancour and in yre Full pyteously Heber dyde expyre In the presence of this Achylles And therwith came in a sodayne res Into his tent a certayne knyght of his Of whom Achylles axeth how it is Amonge Grekes and clerely how it stode And he answeryd full yrous in his mode Certys quod he full vnhappely For they of Troye haue so cruelly Our Grekes all this daye in theyr fyght Full shamefully put vnto the flyght So many slayne alas and wela waye That vnneth none ne went awaye Vnhurte maymed or withouten wounde So felle on vs Troyans were Yfounde And of them eke was suche multytude That I suppose shortly to conclude This daye there was to my oppynyowne Nat lefte a man within Troye towne That able was to stonde in batayle With spere or swerde his enmye to assayle I wene in sothe but they come oute With vs to fyght there was so huge a route That we ne myght of force take on honde In the felde agaynst them to stonde But nowe my lorde it draweth vnto nyght That they be faynte any more to fyght If it were pleasynge to your worthynesse To your manhode and your hye noblesse To take on you to your encrase of fame For euermore to gete you a name And there with all for your owne glorye Perpetuelly to be in memorye To ryse vp and arme you anone And sodaynely vpon them to gone Feble and weke to make resystence Agaynst your manly famous excellence There were no more but we were victours For euer more and very conquerours Durynge the worlde to be in remembraunce And they for euer brought vnto outtraunce In soth fastnesse I haue of it no drede But Achylles toke of hym no hede Nor to Heber that lay afore hym
laude of knyghthode and of worthynesse Of wysedome eke and of gentyllesse Fredam bounte vertue and suche grace Foryetylnesse can derke and difface And therwithall malys and enuye Yseryd hath the palme of Chyualrye By false reporte wherfore I saye for me I wyll of wysedome suche folye let be And in quyete forth my lyfe nowelede And ouer this to you thre I rede To seke peas with Troyans if ye may In hasty wyse without more delay This my counsayle platly to you alle Or that myschefe of deth vpon you falle It were well done that ye toke hede Bothe vlixes and thou Dyomede And Nestor eke sythen ye be wyse To werke playnely lyke as I deuyse This the sūme and fyne of myn entent And so reporteth to hym that hath you sent And they anone with shorte conclusyon Bepeyred be to Agamenon With suche answere as ye haue herde me sayne It nedeth nat to wryte it newe agayne And here vpon kynge Agamenon Let make anone a conuocacyon Of his lordes and in theyr presence Fro poynt to poynt sothly in sentence He hath rehersyd how that Achylles Was desyrous for to haue a pees With them of Troye and platly how that he For no prayer wyll in no degre Agayne Troyans with spere nor with shelde In helpe of Grekes be armed in the felde Wherfore the kynge as he that was full wyse Here vpon axed theyr aduyse And what them thought was beste for to do In this mater sythe it stode so And firste of all speketh Menelay With angry chere and sayde platly nay To haue a peas it was nat his entent Ne that he wolde therto be of assent Sythen the Cytee in conclusyon Stode on the prycke of his destruccyon NOw that Ector Dephebus were dede that whylom were their trust in euery nede And theyr diffence but now they are ago Farewell their truste and their hope also Without more and all their hole pryde They may nat now but after deth abyde And truste well without any les Though it so be that this Achylles Ne helpe vs nat towarde our empryse We therof nat drede in no maner wyse Withoute hym for to haue victorye By our manhode and our owne glorye I am full sure therof and certayne But vlixes gan replye agayne Qestor also of sodayne mocyon Contrayre was to his oppynyon Affermynge playnely that no wonder was Though Menelay sothly in this cas Vnto the peas wolde nat assente For openly they wyste what he mente For he was grounde and roote of all the werre And cause also they come were so ferre Out of theyr londe he and the quene Eleyne And for the sake oonly of them tweyne The Grekes all whiche no man may denye Theyr lyues put in suche Iupardye For hym and hir if the grounde be sought For well they wyste that he rought nought This Menelay what wo they endure So he his wyfe myght agayne recure And where he sayth that Ector is dede He hath an heyre to speke of manlyhede And of knyghthode as it wyll be founde And called is Ector the secounde ¶ Worthy Troylus whiche that is his brother In all this worlde is nat suche a nother Of worthynesse for to reken alle For he of Troye is the myghty walle And diffence now Ector is agone Ye knowe it well your selfe euerychone If it so be that ye lyste take hede Whose sharpe swerde sore doth vs blede Euery day in his furyous hete Amyd the felde whan we with hym mete And in stede of worthy Dephebus Whiche in his tyme was wonderly famous His brother Parys is nowe founde at all In worthynesse of knyghthode perygall So that of them we haue none auauntage Vnto this houre but rather great damage To reken all sythe we be gonne This very sothe we haue but lytell wonne But we are lykely alway more to lese If we contynue but sythe we may chese It were holsome to lyue in quyete To haue a peas and this werre lete By one assent sythe ye be wyse ANd with the worde Calchas gan to ryse The Troyan traytour with a pale chere For very Ire and sayde as ye shall here A worthy Prynces what thynke ye to done To chaunge so lyke as doth the moone Your olde purpose and your firste entent Agayne the wyll and cōmaundement Of the goddes that euery thynge gouerne By purueaunce who so can discerne Alas alas why ne wyll ye at the leste Credence and fayth gyue to theyr heste Whiche in no wyse may nat be fallyble For in sothe it were an impossyble Vtterly but Troye the Cyte Of ordynaunce and necessyte Myght be destroyed hens but alyte If your slouthe be it nat to wyte So that victorye worshyp and honour And fynall palme eke of this labour To be reported on water and on londe Reserued be hoolly to your honde In your purpose if ye forth contune And hyndre nat of folye your Fortune This in sothe I dare it well conclude And peryllous is the goddes to yllude Of neclygence or slouthe wylfully Wherfore I rede that now manfully Of herte and thought and of full vnyte Platly deuoydynge all ambygnyte To sette vpon and knyghtly to resume Your force agayne fully to consume Your cruell foon and let be shet withoute Wan hope and drede dispeyre euery doute Castynge of parryll slouthe and cowardyse And let manhode vtterly despyse All drede of deth that causeth hertes feynt With cowardyse for to be atteynt That fynally as goddes haue be hyght Thorugh prescyence of theyr eternall myght To victorye that ye shall attayne Lyke your desyre there is no more to sayne And whan Calchas in conclusyowne This false traytour vnto Troye towne The Grekes hadde thorugh his wordes fayre Touchynge the werre put out of dispayre Of herte all one they caste them to fulfylle Hoolly his counsayle though so that Achylle Be frowarde aye to helpe them in theyr nede They gaue no force nor toke of it no hede But euerychone they them redy make As ye shall here the felde in haste to take THe trewes passed of the monthes wayne Into the felde the Grekes them ordayne And they of Troye agayne them yssue oute And worthy Troylus with an huge route The Grekes gan alderfirste assayle And with his swerde he made firste to rayle The rede blode thorugh theyr harneyse bryght That as the deth theyr fledde fro his syght For he that daye thorugh his cruelte Caste hym fully auenged for to be Vpon the deth of Ector vtterly And as Dares reherseth specyally A. M. knyghtes this Troyan champyowne That day hath slayne rydynge vp and downe As myn Auctour Guydo lyst endyte Saue after hym I can no ferther wryte In his boke he yeueth hym suche a name That by his manhode and his knyghtly fame The Grekes all were put vnto flyght All that day tyll it drewe to nyght And on the morowe in the dawenynge The grekes haue at Phebus vprysynge Yarmed them with great dylygence Agayne Troyans to stande at diffence
But vpon hym vnwarely or he wende Came myghty troylus lyke a wood lyowne And from his stede anone he bare hym downe And after that he put hym so in prees Tyll he mette with Myrundones And of them slewe that daye full many one And so fet in Troylus is Ygone That he grekes put vtterly to flyght Thorugh his knyghthod tyl it drewe to nyght fro his swerde no raunsouÌ„ myght theÌ„ borowe And Guydo wryte that on the next morowe Full mortall was the slaughter on outher syde Amyd the felde as they togydre ryde Of manly knyghtes that wonder was to sene And as they faughte the kynge Phylymene With helpe oonly of Pollydamas Taken hath the worthy kynge Thoas And gan hym lede towarde Troye towne But Myrundones on hym come downe Wonder proudely and after gan to sewe And thurgh their myght Thoas they reskewe And hym delyuer for they were so stronge But troylus than hurtled them amonge Furyously lyke a champyowne Now here now there caste threwe theÌ„ downe Some he slewe and some he made blede Tyll cruelly they slewe his myghty stede Whiche he sat on and yet neuertherles He faught on fote agayne Myrundones That hadde caste troylus to haue take But Parys tho gan them so a wake With his brethren that aboute hym rode That in the place where as troylus stode Vpon his fete but hym selfe alone Of Myrundones they slewe many one That of knighthod thorugh theyr manlyhede They vnto hym brought another stede Amyd his foon and made hym to ascende And he full knyghtly gan hym selfe diffende Be set with grekes in the selfe stounde That neuer yet a better knyght was founde They felte it well that were his foon But than his brother callyd Emargaron So as he faught puttynge hym selfe in prees Was slayne alas amonge Myrundones The deth of whom in a cruell yre Troylus with angre newe sette a fyre Playnely purposeth to auenge if he may And with his swerde began to make way And Parys aye faste by rydynge And all his brethren vpon hym awaytynge Whiche all yfere were so mercyles As I fynde vpon Myrundones That of force and necessyte They were compelled playnely for to fle Troylus on them was so Furyous So vengeable eke and so despytous That he them gaue many mortall wounde And yet in sothe that day they were founde Noble knyghtes and quyt them wonder wele For they the crafte knewe euerydele Longynge to armys of them as I rede But for all that he made theyr sydes blede Thorughe the mayle and theyr plates shene That they ne myght playnely nat sustene The swerde of troylus them chasyng ouerall Albe they kepte them close as any wall Hole togydre and wente nat a sonder But troylus aye them chaseth here yonder And seuered them maugre all theyr myght Tyll into felde with many worthy knyght Came Menelay and kynge Agamenon Vlixes eke and cruell Thelamon And Dyomede whiche of his woundes grene Recuryd was as sayth myn Auctor clene And on Troyans sodaynely they fall With theyr wardes and theyr knyghtes all And tho began the fyght to renewe On euery halfe that with blody hewe The plates bryght were of newe steyned And they of troye so manly haue them peyned Agayne theyr foon in this myghty stryfe That many greke was berafte his lyfe And where they were moste myghty in batayle Troylus came in and gan them to assayle On euery parte with many blody wounde And by his knyghthode gan them to comfouÌ„de That aye they fledde so they were aferde The mortall strokes of his sharpe swerde Theyr deedly foo and destruccyon And this contynueth tyll kynge Thelamon By his manhode whan that he behelde The grekes made recure agayne the felde And gan Troyans assayle wonder sore And tho began the slaughter more and more On eche syde tyll troylus newe agayne The grekes hathe so fyersly ouerlayne Myrundones and them euerychone Afore his swerde that he made them gone To theyr tentes and the felde for sake And with his honde that day he hath take An hondred knyghtes that came in his weye Thorugh his prowesse sent them into troye And euer in one gan so to enchace Myrundones that they loste theyr place And to Achylles lyenge in his tent They repeyre forwounde and to rent Theyr harneys broke bothe plate and mayle And of nombre I fynde that they fayle An hondred knyghtes slayne and deed alas That after were founde in the Taas Amyd the felde thorugh gyrt with many wouÌ„de Of Troylus swerde Ector the secounde Wherof Achylles whan he hadde a syght So heuy was all the nexte nyght In his bedde walo wynge to and fro Deuoyde of slepe for constreynt of his wo At his herte his wounde was so kene What for his men and fayre Polycene Wyttynge well if he dyde his payne To be venged he shulde nat attayne In no wyse vnto his desyre And thus he brent in a double fyre Of loue and Ire that made hym shyghe sore But for cause loue was the more He was aferde agayne them of the towne In his ê‘sone to do offencyowne Lyste Pryamus and Eccubathe quene Offended were and namely Polycene And thus he stode in a double weer That his herte satte hym wonder neer With many wonder dyuers fantasye As haue louers that be in poynt to dye Ryght euen so fareth this wofull man For very woo that no rede ne can So entryked that wende to deye Of his recure he knewe no better weye And whyle he lay this in this throwes whyte Lyke as Guydo playnely lyste endyte And the storye maketh mencyowne That dayes seuen they of troye towne To encrease and augment of theyr sorowe With the Grekes mette euery morowe That thorugh the force of bothe theyr myght On outher parte was slayne many a knyght And all this whyle lay this Achylles Of Grekes deth ylyke reckeles For loue oonly and toke no maner hede Who so were hole or mortally dothe blede Or who that playneth with his woundê large Hym thought it was no parcell of his charge So moche he hath on other thynge to thynke That ofte he waketh whan he shulde wynke Thoughtfull aye and Ymagynatyfe And very wery of his owne lyfe Tyll on a daye kynge Agamenon Seynge the deth and destruccyon On Grekes halfe without remedye To Troye sent by enbassatrye For a trewes certayne dayes space But he myght therof haue no grace Lenger tyme platly to endure Than for leyser of the Sepulture Of worthy knyghtes that were deed aforne In the felde on outher party lorne Whiche in the taas full besely they soughte And after this playnely how they wroughte Durynge the sege with great vyolence I shall descryue with your pacyence ¶ How Achylles slewe the worthy Troylus Ectors brother vnknyghtly and trayled hym aboute the felde at his hors tayle Ca. xxxi THe cruell force and mortall yre Of Martys myght alway set a fyre with newe enuye gonne of olde hatrede BreÌ„nynge in hertê hote as
any glede Atwyxe Grekes and Troye the Cyte Whiche lykely is nat staunched for to be Tyll deth consume with his mortall darte Full many worthy vpon outher parte To execute alas by fynall fate Eche on other the enuyous deedly hate Whiche they ne myght by destyne remewe Nor for Parchas at lyberte eschewe For Antropos wyll suffre it be none other That is maystresse guyder of therother Of dethes shyp tyll all goth vnto wrake And Fortune gan tourne hir face bake Of hye disdayne fro Troye the Cyte As in this storye right soone ye shall se For whan the trewes that they hadde take Were wered out they gan them redy make The proude Grekes and into felde they gone Vpon a morowe whan Phebus bryght shone Armed full shene eueryche at his deuyse And Menelay firste mette with Parys That daye in storye as I rede And eche of them smet other of his stede A◠whiche tyme daūz Pollydamas To Vlixes rode a sterne paas And eche at other of cruell enmyte With styffe swerdes gan togydre flee That nouther was of manhode for to wyte And with aspere squared for to byte The myghty Duke called Meneste Rode lyne ryght that all myght se To Anthenor the Troyan full of pryde And from his sadell caste hym downe asyde In his furye and his hatefull tene And tho in all haste came kyng Phylemene Oonly in helpe of them of the towne And gan assayle kynge Agamenowne Thorugh his knyghthode and his hardynesse That he hym hadde brought in great distresse To outter myschefe and confusyon Ne hadde oonly be that kynge Thelamon Full proudely came hym for to reskewe And after sore gan for to pursewe With a spere vpon Phylemene And for his hors he layde hym on the grene Maugre his force the storye telleth thus For he to hym was mortally Irous And after that yonge Archylogus A mortall couts ran vnto Brumus One of the sones of Pryamus the kynge Yonge and delyuer and beste in his lykynge But he hym smette with so great a myght That he fell deed this fresshe lusty knyght The deth of whom whan they of Troye espye They made a shoute and pyteously gan crye Of wofull routhe and his deth complayne Tyll the noyse gan vtterly attayne To troylus Erys platly where he rode And he no lenger after that abode But to the place felly gan approche And with his swerde for to sette a broche Without routhe the grekes hatefull blode And mercyles all that hym withstode He slewe that daye by cruell auenture That greke was none y◠whiche myght endure Tofore his swerde he gan them so oppresse For of knyghthode and of hye prowesse He hadde them put vtterly to flyght Ne hadde ben the manhode and the myght Of Myrundones whiche all that day By one assent vpon Troylus lay Wherof he was full melancolyus And of courage and manhode most famous He ne lyste no lenger for to lette But all attones vpon them he sette And furyously gan amonge them ryde And some he smote euen thorugh the syde Thorugh the body and some thorugh y◠herte And with his swerde thorugh doublet sherte Thorugh shelde plate and thorugh haberion He percyd hath and lyke a wood lyon He slewe that day of them many one That maugre them they fledde euerychone With the Grekes eueryche to his tent And they of Troye after them be went Swyftly on hors tyll they haue them take And suche a murdre of grekes there they make That fynally there was no better reskuse But oonly deth so passyngly confuse The grekes were at myschefe desolate Troylus so narowe brought thē to chekmate That they coude no better remedye But hydously for to wayle and crye To deth forwounded with a grysely chere That Achylles whan he gan firste here The dredefull noyse and the wofull sowne That caused was by refleccyowne Of eyre agayne who so coude it knowe In rochys harde and kauernys lowe Lyke as it were one worde spoke of two That men are wont to called an Ecco So confuse was the lamentacyowne On grekes syde of whiche the deedly sowne So pyteously to Achylles is ronne Of them that lay agayne the hote sonne With mortall woundes yeldynge vp the breth With roumble swowhe resownyng into deth Suche a noyse grekes made there And what it ment Achylles dyde enquere And what the cause was of theyr clamour And they tolde hym for lacke of socour The grekes were eche in his Centorye Of Troylus slayne so that the victorye Goth fynally with them of Troye towne For euermore in conclusyowne So many greke lay slayne in this tent Gapynge vpwarde that his blode yspent Thorugh the constreynt of his woūdes smerte And whyle Achylles gan aduerte Full sodaynely there came to hym a man The whiche his tale euen thus began Alas quod he how may ye sustene To se your men hereupon the grene Afore youre face slayne and lye dede And lyste nat ones for to take hede But stonde stylle pensyfe in your tent Vpon the poynt your selfe to be shent In hasty houre if ye here abyde For fyfty thousande knyghtes here besyde Redy armed in plates and in mayle Caste them playnely attones you to sayle This no doute vnarmed as ye stonde But ye of knyghthode manly take on honde To resyste in this selfe place And lyke a man to mete them in the face For whiche anone in a cruell mode This Achylles lyke as he were wode Armed hym fomynge as a bore Farewell his loue he sette of it no store Of hasty hete his yre was so kene That he forgat fayre Polycene And hir beaute that whylom made hym smert And in a rage vp anone he sterte And toke his stede as any Lyon wroth Agayne Troyans and into felde he goth Lyke a wolfe that is with hunger gnawe Right so gan he agayne his foon to drawe And where he rode without excepcyowne He woundeth sleeth kylleth and bereth downe Now here now there in a lytell throwe That they of troye gan his swerde to knowe Whiche was infecte of newe with theyr blode For there was none as yet that hym withstode So mortally he gan aboute hym layne The deed bodyes enlonge the playne Tyll casuelly Troylus gan espye This Achylles as he caste an eye And gan his hors with spores to constrayne And rode at hym with all his myght payne But Achylles of hym was ware also Smette his stede and made hym for to go Towarde Troylus in the selfe tyde And with full course as they togydre ryde Full lyne ryght theyr speres sharpe whette With suche a myght they haue togydre mette Of hye disdayne there is no more to sayne That to the grounde they felle bothe twayne But Achylles caught suche a wounde In his body so depe and profounde That longe he lay myn Auctor sayth certayne Or he to helthe restored was agayne And troylus eke thorugh plates mayle all As wryte Guydo hadde a wounde small
Whiche vnto hym dyde no greuaunce And thus that daye by contynuaunce And dayes sixe suynge by and by The proude grekes mette cruelly Amyd the felde them of Troye towne To great damage and confusyowne Of outher party playnely this no nay For many worthy was slayne day by day In theyr rancour and hertely hoote enuye Albe Guydo doth nat specefye None of theyr names playnely in this boke As ye shall fynde if ye lyste to loke ANd al this whyle for this sodeyn thyÌ„ge Pensyfe tryste was Pryamê° the kynge That Achylles tourned hath so clene His herte away fro yonge Polycene And for this chaunge so sodayne and so newe Thought his behestes were nat all trewe But on deceyte and doubylnesse On fraude falsly and newe fangylnesse On sleyghty treason an vncouert gyle Or rage of loue that lasteth but a whyle Was vtterly founde his beheste For lyke a wynde that no man may areste Fareth a worde discordaunt fro the dede Of whiche a wyse man take shall no hede But lette passe as he were reckeles For albe it that this Achylles Was whylom caught within loues snare Hym lyste nat nowe ones for tospare Of hye rancour his lady to offende It was nat lyke as they of troye wende Eccuba nouther Polycene ¶ Wherfore Pryam spake vnto the quene In an angre and gan hir to abreyde That she hir truste so entyerly leyde On Achylles that can so falsly mene Wherfore full tryste was this Polycene That was enclyned with hir eyen clere By the counsayle of hir moder dere To haue be weddyd to Achylles To fyne oonly there shulde haue be a pees At wene grekes and them of troye towne But all was false in conclusyowne In the fyne was the trouthe ysene For whan Achylles of his woundes grene Was fully curyd by a certayne day He gan compasse in all that euer he may And ymagyne in his enuyous herte To be vengyd of his woundes smerte Vpon troylus that stacke aye in his mynde At auauntage if he myght hym fynde To hym he bare so passyngly hatrede In his herte brennynge as the glede Whiche day nor nyght may in no degre Fully be queynt tyll he auengyd be The hoote rancour gan so on hym gnawe Auysed platly that he shal be slawe Of his hondes whan so that it falle And on a day to hym he gan calle Myrundones his knyghtes euerychone Vpon a morowe whan the grekes gone Tofore the towne in stele armed bryght Agayne troyans of purpose for to fyght And they were come proudely into felde In the opposyt with many ryche shelde Newely depeynt with coloures fresshe fyne Vpon whiche full bryght gan to shyne Firy Tytan golde tressyd in his spere At his vpryste with his bemysclere Whan this felle enuyous Achylles To his knyghtes called Myrundones Vpon Troylus gan hym to complayne Besechynge them for to do theyr payne Agayne this Troylus in the felde that day To catche hym at myschefe if they may And besely to do theyr dyllygence On hym to haue theyr full aduertence By one assent where so that he ryde All other thynge for to sette asyde And of nought ellys for to take hede Saufe fynally agayne hym to procede If they myght catche hym in a trappe Within them selfe troylous for to clappe To enclose and sette hym rounde aboute In all wyse that he go nat oute And whan he were beset amonge them alle Nat to slee hym what so euer falle But thorugh theyr myght maÌ„ly hym coÌ„serue Tyll he hym selfe come and make hym sterue With his swerde he and none other wyght Loo here a manhode for to preyse a ryght Vengeaunce of deth of rancoure and of pryde Compassyd treason knyghthode layde asyde Worthynesse by enuye slawe Falshede a lofte trauthe a backe ydrawe Alas in armes that he shulde falle Of Trecherye there the bytter galle Shulde in this worlde many knyght befouÌ„de That be to trauthe of they ordre bounde Alas alas for now this Achylles Conspyred hath with his Myrundones The dethe of one the worthyest wyght That euer was and the beste knyght Alas for wo my herte I fele dede For his sake this storye whan I rede But whan Fortune hath a thynge ordeyned Though it be euer wayled and compleyned There is no gayne nor no remedye Though men on it galen aye and crye I can no more touchynge this matere But wryte forth lyke as ye shall here How Myrundones haue theyr lorde behyght With all theyr power and theyr full myght To fulfyll his coÌ„maundement And into felde with grekes they be went But Troylus firste in the opposyte Of very knyghthode hathe so great delyte Without abode manly them to mete He was ybrent with so feruent hete Of hardynesse and of hye courage Of worthynesse and of vasselage That hym ne lyste no lenger to abyde But with his folke in began to ryde Amonge grekes this folke of hye renowne And with his swerde he wouÌ„deth bereth downe Sleeth and kylleth vpon euery halue So mortally that there may no salue Theyr sorys sounde for there was but deth Where so he rode and yeldynge vp the breth So furyously he gan them enchace And made them lese in a lytell space Theyr londe echone and afore hym flee In troylus swerde there was suche crueltee That maugre them he the felde hath wonne The same tyme whan the bryght sonne Hye in the southe at mydday marke shoone Euen at the houre whan it drewe to noone Whan Myrundones gadred all in one In compasse wyse rounde aboute hym gone And furyously of one entencyowne They made a cercle aboute hym enuyrowne Whan they sawe hym of helpe desolate But he of herte nat disconsolate Vpon no syde thorugh his manlyhede Lyke a Lyon toke of them no hede But thorugh his famous knyghtly excellence As a Tygre stondeth at diffence And manfully gan them to encoumbre And gan to lesse and discrease theyr noumbre And some he maymeth woundeth to yâ— dethe And some he made to yelde vp the brethe And some he layde to the erth lowe And some he made for to ouerthrowe With his swerde of theyr blode all wete At great myschefe vnder his hors fete Vpon his stede sturdy as a wall This worthy knyght this man most marcyall Playeth his pley amonge Myrundones Hym selfe god wot alone all helpeles But tho alas what myght his force auayle Whan thre thousande knyghtes hym assayle On euery parte bothe in lengthe and brede And cowardly firste they slewe his stede With theyr sperys sharpe and quare grounde For whiche alas he stante now on the grounde Without reskus refute or socoure That was that day of Chyualrye floure But welawaye they haue hym so beset That from his hede they smote his basenet And brake his harneys as they hym assayle And seuere of stele the myghty stronge mayle He was disarmed bothe necke and hede Alas the whyle and no wyght toke none hede Of all his knyghtes longynge to the towne And yet
on a day Alysaunder in full secrete wyse And vnto hym as I shall deuyse With wepynge eyen and full heuy chere Sayde euen thus lyke as ye shall here Parys quod she alas saufe goddes wylle Thou knowest well how the fyerse Achylle My sones hath slayne nye echone There is none lefte but thy selfe alone He hath me made alas there is no gayne Full cowardly of children now barayne Bothe of Ector and Troylus eke therto Whiche were to me in euery trouble and wo Fully comforte plesaunce and solace Wherfore I caste playnely to compace By some engyne his deth to ordayne And lyke as he by treason dyde his payne Trayterously with his swerde to smyte Right so I thynke with treason hym to quyte As sytrynge is of right and equyte And sythe thou wotest platly how that he Hath sette his herte and his loue clene Oonly on my doughter yonge Polycene To fyne oonly to haue hir to wyue For whiche I caste to hym sende blyue For to come and treate of that matere In the Temple of Appollo here In the Temple moste chefe of this Cyte Whiche tyme my wyll is that thou be Thy selfe armed there full pryuelye With certayne knyghtes in thy companye Armed also agayne the same daye That in no wyse he scape nat away From your handes but that he be dede As I haue sayde and therfore take good hede Vnto this thynge with all my herte I preye Fro poynt to poynt byddynge to obeye And he assenteth with all his hole herte Behotynge hir he shulde nat asterte And with hym toke twenty and no mo Of manly men that well durste do And in the Temple by full good aduys They were Yhyd by byddynge of Parys Whyle Eccuba couert in hir entent Hir messager to Achylles hath sent As ye haue herde in conclusyowne To come in haste vnto Troye towne After the effect was of hir message Oonly to treate for a maryage And he in haste coÌ„meth at hir sonde As he that coude no thynge vndersâ—onde Hir treason hyd nor playnely it aduerte He was so hote marked in his herte With â—oues bronde and his firy glede Oflyfe nor deth that he toke no hede But sette asyde wytte and all reason To caste afore by good discrecyon What was to do with lokynge full prudent But he in sothe was with loue blent Into Troye whan he shulde gone Lyke as it fareth of louers euerychone Whan they haue caught in herte a fantasye For no peryll though they shulde dye They haue no myght nor power to be warre Tyll they vnwarely be trapped in the snare Theyr maladye is so furyous And thus Achylles and Anthylogus Nestors sone haue the way nome Towarde the towne and be togydre come Into Temple as ye haue herde me telle And Parys tho lyste no lenger dwelle But all vnwarely with his knyghtes alle On Achylles is at myschefe falle Eueryche of them with a swerde full bryght And some bokes say it was by nyght Whan his deth longe afore desyred By Eccuba and Parys was conspyred But Achylles in this mortall caas Amonge them all naked as he was Hent out a swerde in the selfe steuen And lyke a knyght he slewe of them seuen Of very force maugre all theyr myght But whan Parys therof hadde a syght Thre dartes raughte that were kene square And sodaynely are that he was ware Full secretely hyd vnder the shade Markynge at hym and no noyse made Caste at hym euen as euer he can That hede and shafte thorugh his body ran And therwith all knyghtes nat a fewe With sharpe swerdes gan vpon hym hewe And lefte hym nat tyll he lay at grounde Full pale deed with many mortall wounde And rightfully of reason as it syt Thus was the fraude and the falshed quyt Of Achylles for his hye treason As deth for deth his skylfully guerdon And egall mede without any fable To them that be mercyles vengeable For thylke day Guydo wryteth thus That Achylles and Anthylogus Of Parys were in the Temple yslawe And afterwarde the body was out drawe Of Achylle fro the holy boundes And cruelly throwen vnto houndes To be deuoured in the brode strete The canell rennynge with his wawes wete Without pyte or any maner routhe Lo here the ende of falshede and vntrouthe Lo here the fyne of suche Trecherye Of false deceyt compassyd by enuye Lo here the knotte and conclusyon How god quyt aye slaughtre by treason Lo here the guerdon and the fynall mede Of them that so delyte in falshede For euery thynge platly for to sayne Lyke as it is his guerdon doth attayne As ye may se of this Achylles Whiche on a nyght in the Temple les His lyfe for he was aye customable By fraude and treason for to be vengeable But it befell at requeste of Eleyne That the bodyes of these ylke tweyne Conserued were from the hungry rage Of beste and foule gredy and ramage And yet they lay amyddes the Cyte Full openly that men myght them se To great gladnesse of them of the towne Into tyme that Agamenowne To kynge Pryam sent his massagerys To haue Lysence to fette them home on berys By graunt of whom they haue the corsys take For whom Grekes suche a sorowe make That pyte was and routhe for to here And eueryche spake thus vnto his fere Farewell our truste now Achylles is dede Farewell our hope and hoolly all our spede Farewell our ioye and our chefe diffence That hadde in manhode so great excellence Farewell alas our soueraygne assuraunce Farewell in knyghthod all our suffisaunce For nowe alas vnlykely is that we Shall euer wynne or gette this Cyte To vs alas so frowarde is Fortune But for that they myght nat contune Alway in wo nor in payne endure They made haue a ryche Sepulture To Achylles of stones precyous And another to Anthylogus What shulde I now any lenger dwelle Ceryously the rytes for to telle Of theyr buriynge nor what wo they make Theyr wepynge all nor of theyr clothes blake Nor how that some loure in theyr hode And how some go with mylke and blode With dolefull herte and into fyre it shete And how other caste goÌ„mys swete Amyd the great flaumbe funerall Nor of the playes called pallestrallâ— Nor the wrastlynge that was at the wake It were but vayne me to vndertake To telle all wherfore I lette be Fully in purpose lyke as ye shall se To resorte in conclusyon To telle how the great Agamenon For his Lordes in all haste hath sent And whan they were assembled in his tent Full prudently this kynge this manly man With great aduyse thus his tale began SYres quod he Fortunes varyaunce Hir chere frowarde double couÌ„tenauÌ„ce And sodayne Tourne of hir false vysage Your hertes hath put in suche arage For the murdre to god and man odyble Of Achylles cruell and the deth horryble By compassynge of Eccuba the quene Now semeth me that it shal be sene If any manhode in your
were so clere For dyrked were with dolefull terys smerte And to the corps sodaynely she sterte And clyppyd it in hir armes twayne And pyteously enbrace it and restrayne Lyke as she wolde with hym dye anone For styll she lay dombe as any stone As marbyll colde hir lymes Craumpysshynge Redy at all towarde hir buriynge Tyll men by force from the corps hir hent And she hir heer and his chekes rent As she were fallen in a rage That chaunged was alas in hir vysage Hir natyfe coloure and hir rody hewe Whylom as fresshe as any rose newe Now is she lyke vnto asshes colde And with hir handes aye togydre folde Hir selfe she smote on hir pale face And euer amonge the corps she dyde embrace In hir swownes as she fyll to grounde Twenty tymes and wept full his wounde With wo she was so wapyd and amate Of all comforte alas disconsolate In herte beynge inly desirous Thorugh hir rage passynge Furyous To dye attones with hir owne knyght For towarde deth enclosyd was hir syght As she that lyst to lyue now no more And I trowe that neuer man before No woman sawe falle in suche distresse In suche disioynt of deedly heuynesse Nor for no wo so pyteously yraue Nat Cleopatre goynge to hir graue Nor wofull Tesbe that fro the kaue sterte Whan she hir selfe smote vnto the herte Nor the faythfull trewe Orestylle Whan that she sawe hir lorde agayne hir wylle Marcus Prolancus vnto shyppe gone And for his loue fyll downe deed anone Nor the sorowe of trewe Iulia Nor the feruence of faythfull Porcia Or whiche the one fyll deed sodaynely For she sawe blode speynt so cruelly On hir lordes dredefull grauement And Porcia so trewe in hir entent Whan that hir lorde Brutus loste his lyfe For bycause she myght haue no knyfe With colys rede slewe hir selfe alas Was nat also in the selfe caas Arthemysya quene of Tarse londe Of Mansalus the graue whan she fonde Hir owne knyght of whose bones smale Full wofully and with a chere right pale She poudre made dranke it euery morowe But all the wo and the furyous sorowe Of these echone yet may nat atteyne Vnto the sorowe of the quene Eleyne That fynally wyll hir selfe for do For Parys sake whom she loued so For after hym she wyll nat lyue a day But be a wreke playnely if she may Vpon hir lyfe rather than disseuere And thus in wo aye she doth perseuere In hir herte Parys sat so depe Alas who sayth that women can nat we This douteles they haue it of nature Though it so be that they no wo endure Yet can they feyne and salte terys fynde Plente ynough of theyr owne kynde And sorowles morne and compleyne I saye nat this for the quene Eleyne That was with wo wounded to the herte That fro the deth she wende nat asterte For dethes darte hir herte made ryue And yet she rose agayne fro deth to lyue Oonly by grace for all hir felle rage For euery wo by processe muste aswage And ouer gone and wasted by myracle For eche venym made is Tryacle And euery wo hath his remedye For though Eleyne fayne wolde dye Hir kynde ne wolde assent yet therto So sodaynely to slee hir selfe for wo She was a woman no man shulde hir wyte Me lyste no more of hir wo endyte Lyste vnto you that it were Tedyous To here all hir paynes furyous Hir cruell wo and lamentacyon Whiche wolde meue to compassyon In very sothe to wryte euerydele Any herte though it were made of stele For kynge Pryam and the quene also Hadde suche couthe of hir pyteous wo To se hir so wepe and complayne That of hir they felte asmoche payne As they dyde almost for Parys Hereof no more for Pryam by deuys After this rage and this mortall wo Amyd the Temple sacryd to Iuno Ordayned hath with full besy cure For the corps a ryche Sepulture And in all haste therin made it shette That in sothnesse if I shulde lette Totelle all the rytes and the gyse That there were made in theyr paynym wyse And the costes of his buriynge It shulde be to longe a tariynge Ceryously thereon to abyde Wherfore as nowe I lette ouerslyde Theyr paynym rytys supersticyous ¶ How Pantasyllya the Quene of Amazone came for to socoure kynge Pryamus of Troye And howe Pirrus Achylles sone slewe hir⸫ Capitulo xxxiiij ANd tell I wyll how kynge Pryamus CoÌ„mauÌ„ded hath of myschefe of nede Thorugh troye towne oonly of very drede To shytte theyr gates strongly as they may And therupon bothe nyght and day To kepe watche for shortly they of Troye Disconsolate of all theyr olde ioye Can no refute but wepe and sorowe make For they ne durste no more vndertake Agayne Grekes into felde to gon Tyll on a day kynge Agamenon His messager by good auysement To Pryamus into Troye hath sent Requerynge hym of manhode lyke a knyght To yssue out with Grekes for to fyght As he was wonte with his Chyualâ—ye But kynge Pryam his axynge gan denye And shortly sayde to hym that was sent That he ne wolde at his assignemenet Nat ones passe the gates of the towne But at his owne fre eleccyowne Whan euer hym lyste without compellynge And yet in sothe cause of his tariynge ¶ Was for the hardy quene of Femynye Towarde Torye faste gan hir hye Out of hir lande and lytell regyon The whiche as bokes make mencyon After the syght of the firmament Is in the plage of the Oryent And called is the reygne of Amazonys Of whiche the custome and the vse is That oonly women therin shall abyde And they are wonte armed for to ryde And haue in armes great experyence For theyr laboure and theyr dylygence Is fynally to haue excercyse Fro day to day in Martes hye seruyse And ouer more theyr custome and vsaunce As to this day is made remembraunce Is that no man shall them nyghe nere But if it be thre monethes in the yere This to say in Iune Apryll and May And than the women haue in custome aye Vnto an I le a lytell there besyde Where as the men by them selfe abyde Fro yere to yere togydre euerychone Vnto the men out of theyr lande to gone And there abyde in that regyon Tyll tyme coÌ„meth of concepcyon Without tariynge any lenger whyle For than anone home vnto theyr yle They repeyre out of that countre Vnto tyme that they delyuered be And as faste as the childe is borne For lacke of kepynge that it be nat lorne He fostryd is tyll thre yere be agone Amonge the women and than right anone To the I le besyde adiacent Vnto the men the childe in haste is sent If that it be of kynde masculyne And if it falle that it be Femynyne With the women abyde stylle it shall Tyll that it be in actes mercyall Full well experte and that she can eke knowe To handle a spere or to drawe a bowe Lyke the
statutes of that Regyon The whiche as bokes make mencyon Is sette bytwene Ewrope and Asya And of this lande was Pantasyllya Whylom lady and gouernesse Full renowmed of strengthe and hardynesse Thorugh out the world both in length brede And yet in sothe to speke of womanhede For all hir myght she hadde an huge pryse For bothe she was vertuous and wyse Wonder discrete and hadde an honest name Nat withstondynge the excellence of fame Of hir renowne in armes and in glorye For of conquest and of hye victorye She was moste surmuntynge out of drede Of any woman that I can of rede And sothely yet bokes bere wytnesse Of womanhede and of gentyllesse She kepte hir so that nothynge hir asterte The whiche loued with all hir hole herte ¶ Worthy Ector and with all hir myght Oonly for he was so noble a knyght That hir ioye and worldly plesaunce Hir hertely ease and soueraygne suffysaunce In very sothe where she wake or wynke Was euer in one vpon hym to thynke Of very fayth without any slouthe And vnto hym she was by bonde of trouthe Confederat of olde affeccyowne That whan she herde how that Troye towne Besegyd was of the Grekes felle This hardy quene lyste no lenger dwelle But hasteth hir as faste as euer she may Towarde Troye in full good array With all the wrothy women of hir lande Full well experte and preuyd of theyr honde Well horsyd eke and armed rychely And as I fynde in hir company A thousande maydens rydynge by hir syde This worthy quene that durste well abyde She with hir brought in stele armed bryght For loue of Ector hir owne trewe knyght And on hir way faste she gan hir spede To helpe hym if she se nede For in no thynge she coude hir more delyte Than towarde hym faythfully hir quyte For that was all hir luste and hertes ioye But whan that she come was to Troye And herde telle by relacyowne That he was dede most worthy of renowne To whom she was so louynge and so trewe Anone she gan to chaunge chere and hewe And pyteously for to wepe and crye And fared in sothe as she wolde dye For very wo and hertely heuynesse And thought she wold thurgh hir worthynesse Auenge his deth platly if she may On the Grekes and so vpon a day She prayeth Pryam with great affeccyowne For to open the gates of the towne And to go out with Grekes for to fyght That they may knowe and be experte a ryght Of this women the great worthynesse And of this quene the famous hardynesse And so the kynge hopynge for the beste Without abode graunted hir requeste The next morowe whaÌ„ Phebê° shone ful shene And all tofore out goth Phylymene The noble kynge with them of Paffagonye And after hym other knyghtes manye Folowed after with worthy Eneas The Troyan eke dauÌ„z Pollydamas And than the quene Pantasyllya By the gate called Dardanyca Towarde Grekes proudely yssued oute With hir women rydynge hir aboute The whiche anone whan grekes dyde espye Into the felde gan them faste hye ANd firste of all worthy Meneste Pantasyllya whan he dyde se With his spores made his stede gone And with a spere rode to hir anone Of whom the quene astoned neuer adele Kaught a spere that was squaryd wele Rounde the shafte and the hede well grounde Which as they coupe smet hyÌ„ downe to grouÌ„de And maugre hym reuyd hym his stede But than in haste in came Dyomede And cruelly to the quene â—an ryde And she as faste on the tother syde Rode eke to hym in plates bryght and shene And as they mette with theyr sperys kene She hytte so this felle Dyomede For all his myght and his manlyhede That she hym made his â—adell for to lese There is no more he myght tho nat chese And in despyte of his men echone She hath his shelde hym berafte anone And it delyuereth proudely as she rode To a mayde that vpon hir abode And lyke a Tygre in his gredynesse Or lyke in soth to a Lyonesse That dayeshe fared rydynge vp and downe Amonge the grekes tyll that Thelamowne Gan beholde the slaughter that she made Of hye despyte and rancourouer lade As he that myght for Ire nat sustene Gan reyne his hors to fall vpon this quene But whan that she his coÌ„mynge dyd espye She fyll on hym in hir melancolye So mortally maugre his knyghtes all That to the grounde she made hym for to fall And Grekes put in so great disray Where euer she rode all that ylke day That they myght afore hir nat sustene And thorugh the helpe of kyng Phylymene As myn Auctor recordeth in his boke Amyd the felde Thelamon she toke And sent hym forth thorugh hir hye renowne As prysoner towarde Troye towne Tyll vnto reskus came cruell Dyomede And cruelly on them that gan hym lede He fyll vn warely with an huge route Of his knyghtes rydynge hym aboute And from theyr handê maugre al theyr myght He hym delyuereth lyke a manly knyght At whiche tyme this hardy quene anone With hir women aboute hir euerychone The grekes hath afore hir on the playne As wryt Guydo so mortally belayne That she them made of necessyte Out of the felde with hir swerde to fle That veryly it was incredyble And to leue a maner impossyble To se the women Grekes so enchace Whiche myght nat abyde afore theyr face Nor in the felde in any wyse stonde For they them dryue to the selfe stronde Downe to the clyffe of the salte see And slewe of them so huge great plente That fynally they hadde be destroyed For euer more and vtterly accloyed Ne hadde Dyomede stonde at diffence And of knyghthode made resystence For he that day in party and in all For Grekes stode as a sturdy wall And was alone theyr helpe and chefe socoure But for all that with worshyp and honoure Pantasyllya as made is memorye Repeyred is with conquest and victorye With all hir women into Troye towne Vpon the houre of Phebus goynge downe And by the syde of this hardy quene Armed in stele rode kynge Phylymene Whom Pryam hath with great reuerence Knyghtly receyued and dyde his dylygence Them to refresshe with euery maner thynge That myght be vnto theyr lykynge As theyr hertes coude best deuyse And after this in full goodly wyse He thanked hath the noble hardy quene Of hir goodnesse that hir lyst to sene To helpe hym in his great nede And offrede hir in Guydo as I rede All that he hath Treasour and rychesse Hopynge fully thorugh hir worthynesse Vpon Grekes auenged for to be And for to kepe hym in his Cyte Maugre grekes whiche of them say nay For as I rede after day by day She stynte nat proudely them to assayle Agayne whose swerde they myght nat auayle So mortally she made theyr sydes blede Tyll Menelay frokynge Lycomede Repeyred is with Neptolonyus Whiche in his bokes called eke Pirrus Whylom the sone of cruell Achylles Whom for
to se full huge was the prees Of the Grekes goynge enuyron And for he was by successyon Borne to be heyre of this Achylles He was receyued of Myrundones With great honour and great solempnyte So glad were they theyr yonge lorde to se To whom echone they made affyaunce And were eke sworne by bonde assuraunce For lyfe or deth to hym to be trewe As his lyeges and chaunge for no newe To obeye his lust in all maner thynge And after this Agamenon the kynge Made hym knyght and Thelamonyus ¶ With a swerde gyrte anone Pirrus Sayenge to hym in the selfe place With yâ— bawdryke whan he hym dyd embrace Take hede quod he myn owne cosyn dere To resemble in manhode and in chere In knyghthode eke and in worthynesse To thy Fader whiche in sothfastnesse In his tyme was so noble a knyght And ouer more with all thy full myght To auenge his deth that thou do thy payne And than of grekes worthy Dukes twayne Full humbly began downe toknele And sette a spore vpon eyther hele As was the maner of golde bornyd bryght And in this wyse Pirrus was made knyght As ye haue herde in full hye presence With great honoure and due reuerence Lyke the custome of the grekes layes And the ryghtes vsed in tho dayes And than anone hath Agamenon With full glad there and great affeccyon Delyuered hym fully by sentence The armes hole without difference Whiche Achylles by his lyfe bare His worthy Fader on his shuldres square As for next heyre of lyne by discent And all the Tresour also and his Tent Armure and all delyueryd were anone Vnto Pirrus and grekes euerychone Eyght dayes suynge by and by Thorugh out the hoost full solempnely They halowe in honour of this yonge knyght Tyl on a morowe whaÌ„ Phebê° shone ful bryght Which with his lyght that shyneth fro so ferre Diffaced hath the stremys of the sterre Lucyfer the dayes messagere Whan grekes gan in plates bryght and clere Enarmed them that day for soure or swete Fully in purpose with theyr foon to mete And manfully out of theyr tentes wyde Agaynst Troyans they began to ryde Warde after warde proudely into felde And Pirrus bare that day vpon his shelde His Faders armes lyke as sayth Guydo And of the same he hadde vpon also A cote armure that became hym wele And forth he rode armed bryght in stele And casuelly formest as he was He mette firste with Pollydamas A knyght of Troye a full manly man And furyously Pirrus to hym ran On hors backe with a myghty swerde And gan to hurtle with hym in the berde So myghtely that in this hatefull stryfe Pollydamas hadde loste his lyfe Ne hadde reskus ben without more tariynge Of Phylymene the noble worthy kynge Oonly of knyghthode and of worthynesse To whom Pirrus gan hym dresse With his swerde and smet hym in the syghte That from his hors he made hym to a lyghte For he the stroke myght nat sustene And sothfastly this worthy Phylymene Of Pirrus hadde ytake be anone Saue his knyghtes assembled into one Of Paffagonye came hym to rekewe But Pirrus aye so fyersly gan pursewe Vpon this kynge with Myrundones Beset in myschefe amonge the great prees That many knyght of this noble kynge yslayne was at his reske wynge He stode of deth in so streyt a caas Tyll of Fortune came Pollydamas To his reskus and dyde his full myght Hym to delyuere and quyte hym lyke a knyght But in sothenesse there was suche resystence Of Pirrus knyghtes stondynge at diffence That aye in myschefe stode kyÌ„ge Phylymene Tyll Pantasyllya of Femynye the quene With hir women a great companye Gan this thynge of auenture espye Whiche were echone for the more delyte On theyr armure that day clade in whyte That veryly there was no lylye floure Nor snowe that flaketh fro Iupyters toure Of whytnesse fressher on to sene Than in felde was this hardy quene Whiche firste of all amonge the grekes chees Proudely to falle on Myrundones Amonges whom rydynge vp and downe She them on horseth thorugh hir hyerenowne And slewe them vp on euery syde Makynge theyr renges for to seuâ—r wyde Tyll Thelamon in a furyous hete With a spere vn warely dyde hir mete And in arage smote hir to the playne But she anone full lyfely rose agayne And with hir swerde so marketh Thelamowne That from his hors she made hyÌ„ lyght dow ne Plat to the grounde on his handes twayne And than hir women dyde theyr besy payne To make theyr quene hir stede to recure And all this whyle stode in auenture Of his lyfe worthy Phylymene Pirrus knyghtes were on hym so kene Maugre his men that they haue hym take It geyneth nat diffence for to make The grekes haue so strongly hym beset And forth they lad hym it myght be no bet Towarde theyr tentê thorugh out all the felde The whiche thynge whan the quene behelde With hir women that aboute hir rode Pursued after without more abode That fynally they haue so after sewed Thorugh theyr force that he was reskewed Maugre the manhode of Myrundones And Pantasyllya was so mercyles Vpon Grekes that of necessyte Thorugh hir force and hir cruelte Afore hir swerde they durst nat abyde But whan Pirrus sawe hir great pryde To his knyghtes loude he gan to crye And sayde it was shame and vyllanye For the women so to lese theyr londe And to be slayne so felly of hir honde Wherfore echone your hertes doth resume And of assent let vs nowe consume The â—ryde of them that none away escape For but if we some remedye shape This ylke day theyr force to confounde Shamefull reporte to vs shall rebounde Perpetuelly where we slepe or wake And as Pirrus gan his swerde to take Furyously and with a knyghtly there This hardy quene happed to here All that Pirrus to his knyghtes spake Hirlyste nat ones for to tourne bake Nor of his thret for to take hede For platly she hadde of hym no drede But right proudely gan to drawe nere And to hym sayde anone as ye shall here O thou Pirre sone of Achylles That slewe Ector in knyghthode pereles Thorugh his treynys and his trecherye By malys oonly and by false enuye Vnware whan he no thynge dyde aduerte The whiche neuer may out of my herte So grene it stycketh in my remembraunce Vpon his deth for to do vengeaunce And it syt well as semeth vnto me That his deth be venged vpon the Firste of all and on thy Faders blode For loue of hym so gentyll and so gode The deth of whom shuld all yâ— world coÌ„playne Nat oonly men do theyr besy payne To quyte his deth but women eke also With all theyr myght helpe eke therto As right requyreth without excepcyon There on to do full execucyon And I now stonde in the same plyte And for thou haste vs women in despyte Of our power shortly in sentence Thou shalt in haste haue
experyence And knowe our force sothely euerydele Right in shorte tyme truste me right we le Here in this felde in shedynge of his blode ¶ Wherfore Pirrus wexed gan as wode As any Tygre bore or wood lyon So frat the coloure in his complexyon And in his Ire fell and despytous He toke a spere pale and Furyous And ran at hir with all his myght and payne And agayne warde as she that lyste nat fayne Encountrede hym all deuoyde of fere But Pirrus firste bracke on hir his spere All be that he myght hir nat remeue In hir sadell nor but lytell greue But she agayne so sore gan hym hytte On his stede that he may nat sytte But descendeth endelonge the playne And vp he rose with full great disdayne And toke a swerde in his honde anone And made his stede lyne ryght to gone Vpon this quene of passynge wortynesse And inwardely of hate of woodnesse In herte yfret smet at hir many stroke But euer she sat styll as any oke And of force in hir yre pale Efte agayne she made hym to auale To the erthe maugre all his payne And thus the fyghte lasteth of them twayne A large whyle tyll Myrundones Haue take theyr lorde by force out of the prees And made hym his hors recure agayne And in his tyme on the selfe playne With his baner is descendyd downe The worthy kynge great Agamenowne With kynges dukes endelonge the grene With theyr wardes that wonder was to sene So prudently in the felde batayled That haue Troyans mortally assayled ¶ But tho in haste the kynge Phylymene As ye haue herde reskewed by the quene Whan he hath thanked to hir worthynesse With his knyghtes in he gan hym dresse And Pantasyllya assembled bothe in one Vpon Grekes gan for to gone Where men may se with speres sharpe grounde Eueryche other bere vnto the grounde There men may se proudely without lacke The manly knyghtes renne on horse backe And the women mortally oppresse The fell Grekes thorugh theyr hardynesse Oonly thorugh force of the myghty quene That deed they lay couerynge all the grene ¶ Wherwith came in daūz Pollydamas Fro deth reskewed and with hym Eneas Kynge Esdras eke of troye the Cyte And tho the wardes gan togydre fle On eyther partye fell and furyous ¶ But moste of all Neptolonyus That Pirrus hyghte y◠grekes Champyowne Irous and wood on them of troye towne Made his swerde in theyr flesshe to byte And Pantasyllya proudely hir to quyte Ne spareth nat with mortall woundes wyde Grekes to slee vpon euery syde Now here now there to theyr confusyon And Pirrus than is falle on Glawcon The halfe brother to Pollydamas For Anthenor eke his Fader was And Pirrus so in a cruell yre With melancolye newe sette a fyre Smot Glawcon so or that he toke hede Amonge the prees that he fylle downe dede And Pantasyllya from hir women all The same tyde is on Pirrus falle And he of hir whan he hadde a syght Rode vnto hir lyke a manly knyght And as they hurtle on hors backe yfere Of auenture with swerdes styffe and clere Eueryche made other to alyghte And hatefully on fote so they syghte Longe or outher myght of other wynne Tyll they were made of force for to twynne By the wardes that went them atwene I mene Pirrus and this hardy quene And all this tyme daūz Pollydamas So wood for Ire in his herte was Amyd Grekes for his brothers deth That whom he mette for his loue he sleth Without mercy in his hatefull tene That he alone and this worthy quene Suche a slaughter on the grekes make That they the felde vtterly forsake And gan toflee to theyr tentes downe Tyll Dyomede and Ayax Thelamowne And Pirrus eke made tourne agayne But they in sothe were so ouerlayne That they ne myght all that day releue And thus they faughte tyll it drewe to eue To moste damage of the grekes syde Tyll Phebus gan his bryght chare to hyde Lowe in the west and to shroude his lyght Vnder courteyne of the blacke nyght That eyther parte thought for the beste To departe and drawe to theyr reste And toke theyr ease that nyght as they may And all the moneth suynge day by day Without any interrupcyon They faught yfere albe no mencyon Be made therof nor wryte in specyall Of no persone but in generall Who that euer dyde euell or well In Troye boke I fynde neuer adele Saue the quene lyke as wryt Guydo Of hir women an hondred hath forgo That slayne were thylke moneth day The deth of whom playnely if she may Shall well be quyt if so that Fortune Be fauourable frendely to contune That hir face chaunge nat contrarye But she that can euery day so varye Alas the whyle and selde in one soiourne Gan fro this quene hir loke away to tourne To enhaste thorugh hir vngoodlyhede Antropose to breke hir lyues threde As the storye playnely shall you lere Benyngnely if ye lyste to here THe fatall houre harde for to remewe Of cruel deth which nomā may eschewe Nor in this lyfe fynally escape Specyally whan Parchas haue it shape Approche gan it may none other bene Alas the whyle of this hardy quene ¶ Whiche on a day furyous and wroth Into the felde out of Troye goth And gan on grekes proudely for to sette And alder firste Pirrus with hir mette Of mortall hate and indignacyowne And she in haste by the renges downe Rode vnto hym swyftly on hir stede Whose sporys sharpe made his sydes blede And as they mette theyr speres in the reste They bare so euen markynge at the breste That theyr shaftes sothly this no tale Gan to shyuer all on peces smale Without bowynge outher backe or chyne For neyther made other to enclyne Saue the hede forged harde of stele Of Pantasyllya that was grounde wele In Pirrus breste percyd hath so depe That plate in soth nor mayle myght hym kepe But the sharpnesse of the speres hede Was of his blode in party rede The whiche stroke whan grekes gan espye For astoned loude gan to crye And all attones for the noyse and sowne Vpon this quene in the felde came downe In compasse wyse goynge enuyrowne But thorugh hir prowesse hir hye renowne She hir diffendeth that it was meruayle But they alas so sore hir gan assayle That all to hewe they haue hir basenet Amyd Grekes so thycke she was beset That with axes and swerdes square Hir hede in sothe made was all bare And hir shuldres were naked eke alas The mayle hewen of and the rere bras And Pirrus than lyke as it is founde For anguysshe oonly of his grene wounde In doute playnely where he shulde escape Towarde this quene faste gan hym rape To be auenged what so euer falle Amyd the felde amonge the grekes alle And whan she sawe that he came so faste Of force oonly to mete hym yet she caste And with hir swerde firste gan hym assayle But
of hir stroke it happed hir to fayle Amonge the prees so narowe she was beset And Pirrus swerde was so sharpe whet That sodaynely of hir arme he smette Alas there was none armoure hym to lette But raceth thorugh all the shuldre bone So that this quene fyll downe deed anone And of malys for â—o venge hym more At his herte the yre fret so sore That with a chere of very anger pale He hath hir hewen all on pecys smale The whiche was to foule a cruell dede But euer in one Pirrus so gan blede Nyghe to the deth of his mortall wounde For lacke of blode that he fyll to grounde In a traunce full longe gruflynge he lay Tyll knyghtes in all the haste they may Haue take hym vp and layde hym on a shelde And dolefully home out of the felde They haue hym borne wounded as he was And the women of the quene alas For very sorowe and inwarde deedly wo Whan they sawe theyr lady was ago For to be deed they were so desyrous That in all haste wood and furyous In a rage without gouernayle Grekes they gan of newe for to assayle To aueÌ„ge theyr quene they were so hertly kyÌ„de That they slewe sothely as I fynde Two thousaÌ„de grekê on theÌ„ they were so wode But o alas in great disâ—oynt they stode Oonly for lacke they haue no gouernour For she was gone that was theyr chefe socour Whiche was also to speke of hardynesse Of women all lady and maystresse As of hir honde that I can of rede OYe Troyans ye stande in great drede Amyd the felde all out of gouernaunce The day is come of your vnhappy chaunce For now haue ye leder none nor gyde Farewell your truste now on euery syde And grekes be vpon you so stronge That ye the felde may nat kepe longe For they caste them felly you to quyte This same day as Dares lyste endyte For as he wryt homewarde as they drawe Ten thousande troyans were of grekê yslawe For all theyr wardes came attones downe And mortally without excepcyowne They kylle and slee all that them withstode And moste they were vpon the women wode To be auenged playnely as I rede On euery halfe and theyr blode to shede Without mercy or remyssyowne Chasynge troyans home into the towne Out of the felde for there was none abode So pyteously tho with them it stode That they ne can none otherrecur caste But kepe theyr towne shytte theyr gatê faste For all theyr hope clene was agone Any more to fyght with theyr fone For now theyr trust of knyghthode was away Theyr worthy men slayne weylaway Refute was none but in theyr Cyte To kepe them close it may none other be For them thought they myght it kepe longe Theyr walles were so myghty so stronge If they hadde plente of vytayle Though all the worlde attones them assay They may be sure whyle they kepe them in For euermore that no man shall them wyn ¶ Yet neuertheles erely and eke late The Grekes made tofore euery gate Full myghty watche and awayte full stronge With preuy spyes goynge in amonge That of theyr foon none escape away By none engyne as ferforth as they may And in this whyle within Troye towne More than I can make descripcyowne For the quene there was so great a sorowe Of euery wyght bothe at eue and morowe That she alas was slayne for hir mede Whiche came so fer to helpe them in their nede And aldermoste for they ne myght haue The deed corps to burye it and to graue With reuerence and with honour dewe For whiche they gan to the grekes sewe With great prayer and great besynesse But all in vayne and in ydelnesse Was theyr requeste the grekes were so wrothe And fynally with many sondry othe Oonly of malys and of hote enuye The deed corps to them they denye And shortly sayde of mortall enmyte That of houndes it shall deuouryd be There was no gayne theyr rancour to coÌ„pesse But Pirrus than of very gentyllesse Ne wolde assent to so foule a dede But wood and wroth cruell Dyomede Sayde openly how it was syttynge That she fayle of hir buriynge That slayne hadde so many worthy man And thus the stryfe amonge the grekes gan With great rumoure and altercacyowne Tyll at the laste vnder Troye towne Of hir they haue the dede corps ytake And cruelly in a profounde lake They haue hir caste where I lete hir lye And vnto Troye agayne I wyll me hye To tell forth how they lyue in pyne O Cruell Mars that hast made for to fyne Thorugh thyne yre all yâ— worthy blode Of Troye alas why hast thou be so wode Agaynst them to slee theyr knyghtes all Why hast thou lette thy bytter venym fall On them alas thou sterre infortunate With all the worlde to make them at debate O hatefull sterre hote combust and drye Firy Irous grounde of all enuye Hasty euer full of discencyon And Coleryk of thy complexyon In murdre and deth is aye thy delyte In takynge vengeaunce moste thyne appetyte Firste meuer of anger and of hate Rote of Contek causynge to debate In stryfe and murmur moste is thy desyre Feerfull of loke as any wylde fyre And gastfulleuer of thy wode syght As any leuen so flamynge is thy lyght Lyke in twynklynge to the spakes rede In great fyres that abrode so sprede Consumynge aye by melancolye Hertes that be enbraced with enuye Thy wrathe is aye so fretynge and so kene And causest men to be longe and lene Consumpt sklendre browne and cytrenhewed Vnmercyable and right euell thewed Wonder sleyghty and Engenyous Compassynge and suspecyous Tryste and solen and full of heuynesse And assentynge to all cursydnesse To awaytynge deth and roberye To murdre also and to trecherye Without remors of any conscyence So venymous is thyne influence And helper arte vnto false Treason The house of whom is the Scorpyon And crowned arte in the Caprycorne But in the Bole is thy kyngome lorne For therin is thy deieccyon Thy power loste and domynacyon And haste also in thy subieccyon Exyle werre chayne 's and pryson Proscripcyon and Captyuyte That for thy malys on troye the Cyte So wolde god I coude chyde a ryght That haste on them kydde thy felle myght Of thy rancour hoolly the outtraunce Firste on them for to do vengaunce With speres sharpe and swerdes kene whette And now in pryson to enclose them shette So vengeably that they dare nat oute The grekes felle aye lyinge them aboute They be nat holde in maner wyse In thy temple to do sacryfyse Neyther with Bulles nor with borys wylde Nor with bestes that euer be vnmylde As Tygres Berys nor the wode lyon Of whiche thou art souerayne and patron They are nat holde to do the brymstone smoke On thyne Auterys whiche art so felly wroke Of them alas and nowe worste of alle Thou haste shad out chefe of all thy galle Amonge them selfe to brynge in treason
fully were vnwyttynge of the dede And now my sonnes euerychone be dede And ye mese alone destytute Your counsayle is as for chefe refute Me to pursewe to Grekes for a pees As I were foryetell reckeles To remembre the infynyt outrages The mortall werre slaughter damages The cruelte and destruccyowne That they haue wrought hereupon this towne That veryly whan I all recorde For to be deed I can nat accorde With them to treate lyke as ye deuyse For I espye in many sondry wyse In your entent a right peryllous snare So couertly vnder falsehede dare That it wyll be to my confusyon If ye acheue your entencyon Fynally as ye haue it shape For impossyble it were to escape Shamefully at myschefe me to dye Without recure of any remedye For this the fyne I knowe it out of doute Of the treate that ye be aboute And right anone the Troyan Eneas Of Ire and rancoure so ameued was Agayne the kynge with a swellynge herte That sodaynely out at the dore he sterte After he hadde for to be a wroke Full many worde agayne the kynge yspoke He went his way and Anthenor also And Pryamus of very Ire and wo Sodaynely braste out for to wepe He myght hym selfe nat for anguysshe kepe The anger frat vpon hym so sore Within hym selfe conceyuynge more more By euydence of discrecyon The couert gyle and the false treason That they for hym and for his Cyte Ishapen haue but he auysed be Dredynge aye that these ylke twayne By some engyne or conspyred trayne To the Grekes wolde hym betraye Wherfore the kynge caste and wolde saye Shape away theyr malys to withstonde So the treason that they toke on hande Oonly of right in dede or it were founde Vpon them selfe myght agayne rebounde That the full execucyon Of theyr contryued conspyracyon Resorte agayne in full dewe wyse Oonly on them that gan it firste deuyse Treason for treason is conuenyent For to falsehed the guerdon pertynent Is shamefull deth and the fynall mede Wherfore to shape in this great nede A remedye this olde Pryamus Calleth his sone Amphymacus And pyteously alone but they twayne In terys drowned gan to hym complayne On Anthenor and on this Eneas And sayde sone take hede in this cas And thynke how I am thy Fader dere And how there be now no more yfere Oâ— my sones lefte with me a lyue But thou alone and therfore as blyue Touchynge the treason conspyred ysworne What euer falle let vs be toforne Oonly of wysedome away for to make That we may firste in the trappe them take And to puruey for them euen lyche That iustly they may falle in the oyche Whiche they haue made and for vs ytreyned And in all hast lette so be ordeyned That this mater close be kept in mewe To fyne oonly that they nat eschewe For to be slayne of equyte and ryght In this place euen towarde nyght For I purpose playnely for theyr sake Agayne that houre a counsayle for to make And vnder coloure make them both calle And thou vnwarely shalt vpon them falle With knyghtes sworne vnto the and me In this mater for to be secre And right anone this Amphymacus Assentyd is vnto Pryamus To accomplysshe in full secrete wyse Fro poynt to poynt as ye haue herde deuyse BVt sothe is sayde of full yore agone Of olde wyse that counsayle is there none In all this worlde so pryuely ycaste That it wyll out platly at the laste For the people whiche that is rurall Sayth that secretes whiche be nat knowen at all The erthe wyll as they make mynde Discure them of his owne kynde And of nature vp caste and disclose The thynge that men are wont in it to close Let euery man beware as it is gode Or his counsayle go to ferre abrode And specyally lordes haue great nede Of all men they stonde moste in drede So great awayte is vpon them layde That whan it happeth that a thynge be sayde Or ones spoke of a lordes mouthe It falleth ofte that it is full kouthe And reported and ysprad full wyde In many coste by them that stonde asyde Or he be ware by sodayne auenture For some in hap in whom he dothe assure Wyll first of all hym reporte amys Therfore in sothe beste for them is this For to beware and kepe theyr tonge A purpose caste shulde nat be ronge Nor spoke abrode amonge folkes rude For gladly aye the worste they conclude Of euery thynge whyle that it is newe In reporte varyaunt and vntrewe For after reason no thynge they expowne But after wyll the folke that be of towne Lyke the purpose whiche they desyre For they fare as a wyspe of fyre Whan it brenneth bryghtest in his blase Sodaynely it wasteth as a mase On suche folke platly is no tryste That fyre and water holde in theyr fyste Beynge with bothe ylke indifferent Now hote now colde lyke as theyr entent Of newe chaungeth so in theyr courage After the calme foloweth sodayne rage To day they loue and tomorowe hate To truste a comon lasteth by no date Lette nat a lorde make them to secree For now the counsayle is ronne to Enee That Pryam wende hadde be full close For the rumour and the wynde arose By false reporte and so ferre is blowe That Eneas and Anthenor well knowe Ende and gynnynge and euery maner thynge And hole the counsayle of Pryamus the kynge And bothe two full of one entent With other eke that were of theyr assent Conspyred be and togydre sworne And couertly caste awaye aforne That fynally Troye the Cyte By theyr engyne shall destroyed be And of accorde caste playnely thus If it happe that kynge Pryamus Sende for them shortly to conclude They wolde come with suche multytude Of armyd men if they se nede That of hym they shulde no thynge drede For Eneas was in that Cyte Of great power and Auctoryte Bothe of blode and kynred allyed And for his golde greatly magnefyed Thorugh the Cyte moste in specyall That he in myght and power perygall As sayth Guydo was vnto the kynge And Anthenor almoste in euery thynge Was vnto hym Egall of powere And bothe twayne of one herte entere Conspyred haue in sothe agayne the towne Fynally to this conclusyowne That they of grekes myght haue surete With theyr treasoure to go at lyberte With theyr allyes borne of Troye towne Whan all were brought to destruccyowne With lyfe and good â—aufe without more At whiche tyme for dauÌ„z Anthenor And Eneas Pryamus hath sent To accomplysshe the fyne of his entent And they in haste with so great a route Came of knyghtes stuffyd them aboute That therof was astoned Pryamus And made sende for Amphymacus CoÌ„maundynge hym to chaunge his purpose For well he wyste his counsayle was nat close And by sygnes gan well vnderstonde That the mater whiche they hadde on honde Discured was to his confusyon Bothe the murdre and conspyracyon Apparceyuynge in his
tene Therfore to Appollo she myght vp offred be By sacryfyce to please his deyte With deth agayne to make recompence Right as by deth firste was the offence This grekes muste vtterly fulfyll If they desyre for to haue at wyll The large see to sayle in quyete And Pyrus tho in a Furyous hete Gan enquere aboute of euery man For Polycene but no wyght tell can Of hir a worde nor shortly where she was Saufe some sayde how that Eneas And Anthornor hadde hyd hir pryuely Wherof there rose amonge them sodaynely Suche a grutchynge of grekes all aboute Of theyr lyfe that they were in doute So inwardly this thynge they toke at grefe Tyll Anthenor god gyue hym euyll prefe That may of treason as wardeyne bere the keye To shewe out his malys euery weye So longe hath sought tyll in a chaumbre olde He hath hir founde and the grekes tolde And brought hir forth vnto theyr presence By cruell force and hatefull vyolence Without pyte or compassion And hir delyueryd to Agamenon And he alas by hasty Iugement Without respyte or auysement Shortly hath dempte that she shal be dede That was flourynge in hir maydenhede And for to do excepcyon She was assygned by Agamenon Vnto Pyrrus and he of Tyrannye Ladde hir forth and fast gan hym hye To the place where she shulde deye Great was the prease that in the weye Gan Croude and shoue to beholde and sene This yonge mayde fayre Polycene That for hir beaute and hir semlynesse Hir womanhede and excellent fayrenesse Of all yfere whan they toke hede They hadde routhe that she shal be dede Without gylte or any more trespace Where men may se vpon many face The salte terys faste fall downe Of very pyte and compasâ—yowne For man nor childe was none so harde of herte But he felte for hir sake smerte Hir goodly face whan they beholde and se And fayne wolde if it myght haue be Delyuered hir of very force anone From Pyrrus hoÌ„de but for they wende echone Without hir deth neuer to haue repayre Into Grece nor the weder fayre As Calchas hadde made suggestyon And brought them all in oppynyon And at the laste whan this Polycene Of dede and wyll a very mayde clene Was to the graue of Achylles brought She kneleth downe with an humble thought Caste vp hir Eye and gan syghe ofte And to the goddes humbly and softe With dredfull herte and deuocyon Made in this wyse hir lamentacyon OYe almyghty that in this worlde gouerne And euery thynge consydre discerne By whom this worlde so huge large rounde Bothe eyer and see heuen and eke the grounde At your deuyse with a worde was wrought And soth fastly knowe euery thought Right as it is of euery maner wyght Without lettynge so persynge is your syght That no thynge is concelyd nor ywrye From the beholdynge of your eternall eye And euery thynge may attones se Vpon my soule haue mercy and pyte And of your grace and benygne cure Vpon my woo and pyteous auenture Haue some routhe now that I shall deye My wofull spirite to lede and conueye Where as you lyste nowe that I shall pace For vnto you in this selfe place I me confesse with all humylyte That hethertowarde I haue in chastyte Lade all my lyfe and kept my maydenhede In your seruyse bothe in thought and dede In porte in chere and in countenaunce Or for feture of any dalyaunce With one mysloke I neuer yet abrayde So that in sothe I dye shall a mayde As ye well knowe of synne all innocent Though I be nowe dempt by Iugement For to be deed without gylte at all Wytnesse on you that be inmortall Clene of entent of that I am accusyd And yet alas I may nat be excusyd But that the swerde of vengeaunce mustebyte Routheles whiche am no thynge to wyte But stonde clere and pure of all offence And discharged in my conscyence I dare afferme and fully gylteles Touchynge the murdre of worthy Achylles Whiche slewe my brother and after louyd me And is nowe cause of myne aduersyte And yet in wyll dede worde nor thought Vnto his deth assentaunt was right nought But therof was right sory in my herte Albe that I may nat now asterte For to be deed oonly for his sake On me alone vengeaunce shal be take Without mercy in full cruell wyse With my blode to make sacryfyâ—e To the goddes theyr wrathe for to queme O people blynde in sothe amys ye deme Agaynst me your herte is so cruell To mercyles to Yrous and to fell Without routhe to mykell Indurate To slee a mayde alone desolate Out of your herte alas pyte is gone Harder in trouthe than outher stocke or stone And more cruell in your oppynyon Forlacke of pyte than Tygre or Lyon Certes ye be greatly for to blame And oughte therof for to haue great shame To assent to so foule a dede To slee a mayde quakynge in hir drede And graunte hir none oportunyte For to be wepe hir virgynyte That of this cruell this pyteous wreche My blode your gylte hereafter shall apeche And accuse also your great enuye To the goddes that shall iustefye Euery vnright bothe of hye and lowe Full egally and make to be knowe The trouthe playnely spare and no degree But make open that is now secree I saye nat this nor my selfe complayne To haue reders of my fatall payne For deth is now more welcome vnto me Than is my lyfe and more I take at gree Sythen my brether most worthy of renowne Be slayne all and buryed in this towne My Fader deed in his vn weldy age And I alone lefte in all this rage And haue abyde pyteously to se Fynall ruyne now of this Cyte Whiche at my herte sytteth now so sore That leuer I haue than to wepe more Dye attones in reles of my woo Sythe all my kynne is passed and agoo Longer to lyue were to me a deth For better is here to yelde vp the breth Than to be lad out of this Cyte Amonge straungers to lyue in pouerte O Deth welcome and longer lette Thy dredefull darte to fyle to whette My tendre herte therwith all to ryue Agayne thy myght I shall neuer stryue Now is tyme to kythe thy powere On me that am of wyll and herte entere A clene mayde so as I began Without touche of any maner man In all my lyfe to this same day This lytell auaunt make yet I may In myn ende to the goddes alle After whose helpe now I clyppe and calle And to theyr mercy mekely I coÌ„mende My wofull spirite pray them that they sende To euery mayde better happe and grace Than I haue nowe and a longer space In hertely ioye and honour to contune Without assaute of any infortune To lede theyr lyfe in prosperyte And all maydens remembreth vpon me To take exaumple how ye shall you kepe And that ye wolde a fewe terys wepe Whan
dere And was eke kept and hadde in cherte Fro poynt to poynt lyke to his degre With attendaunce conuenyent and dewe To his estate that euer vpon hym sewe Of suche as were moste expert and sage To gouerne hym tyll he came to age To reioyse if god gaue hym myght His herytage to whiche he hadde ryght By clere discent if happy were his chaunce Thus leue I hym vnder gouernaunce The yonge lone of Agamenon For I muste make a dygressyon ¶ Fro this mater and telle of Dyomede The auentures in Guydo as I rede His wofull fate and his paynes smerte The whiche alas he myght nat asterte As is remembred playnely in wrytynge That Oeres sone of the ryche kynge Called Naulus as ye haue herde toforne Suche heuynesse in his herte hath borne Vnto Grekes repeyrynge home fro Troye That his luste and his inwarde ioye Was them to hyndre bothe hye and lowe And cause why to you is nat vnknowe To them he was so passynge enuyous In wyll and thought ylyke desyrous If he myght sothly this no les The deth to venge of Pallamydes Lyke as tofore the stroye can deuyse To you that be so prudent and so wyse And how Oetes now of malyce wrought And traytoursly newe menes sought If he myght by any maner weye Dyomedes vnwarely to destroye Of all this thynge I caste nat to fayle Ceryously to make rehersayle IN Grece was a kyngdome wyde large Conyumpt in one Calydonye and Arge Full habundaunt of rychesse and of rente Of whiche the kynge called was Pollente A worthy man and of noble fame And had a sone Assandrus was his name And a doughter passynge fayre of syght And sothly Egra I fynde that she hyght And for hir Fader lyke as wryt Guydo Hadde nomo but thyse childre two For them he hath of wysedome so prouyded This myghty reygne for to be deuyded Atwene them two after his dissees Eche with his parte for to lyue in pees To exclude them fro indigence or nede And she was wyfe vnto Dyomede Albe tofore the storye of hym sayde That he whylom loued well Crysayde I can nat say where it was doublenesse But well wot I Guydo bereth wytnesse And in his boke sothely sayth none other And how Assandrus his owne wyues brother Full lusty fresshe and full of manlyhede To Troye wente with this Dyomede But in the see fordyuen vp so downe They ryued vp in the regyon Called Boece all disconsolate With tempest dryue wery and full mate Them to refresshe and for none other thynge In whiche lande Thelephus was kynge Of whose ryuayle whan he herde sayne In his herte he hadde hye disdayne That they were bolde to do so great offence To entre his grounde hauynge no lycence And yet in sothe they dyde no damage To hye nor lowe of no maner age Nortoke nat that myght disauayle Vnto that lande but it were vytayle For whiche they payde iustly at the fyne For flesshe and fysshe and for brede and wyne Yet for all that of indignacyowne Kynge Thelephus is descended downe With great array to harme them if he myght And so they gan to bycker and to fyght And Assandrus full of hye prowesse Lyke a Lyon his fomen gan oppresse And wonder knyghtly the feld vpon them wan And slewe that day many worthy man Of hye courage and of manly pryde And whan the kynge whiche that stode asyde Sawe his men slayne on euery parte Of hye disdayne hent anone a darte And caste at hym alas the mortall fate And ê‘cyd hath thurgh mayles thurgh plate Of Assandrus that he felle downe dede The soyle aboute of his blode all rede His deedly wounde so began to blede And wood as Tygre tho came Dyomede And hym to auenge bare hym lyke a knyght Sleeth and kylleth and put them vnto flyght And after that suche sorowe gan to make Of knyghtly routhe for his brothres sake That he ne wyste what was best to do But as I fynde myd of all his wo From beste and foule the deed corps to saue Lyke his estate he lette make a graue And buryed hym after rytes olde But Oetes to his suster tolde That he was slayne by fraude of Dyomede To fyne that he myght full possede The reygne of Arge hole without stryfe With the purpartye annexed to his wyfe For by his deth he myght season take And tolde hir eke that she was forsake This fayre Egra for all hir womenhede Of hir lorde called Dyomede All this he tolde in helle be he chayned And ouermore he forged hath and fayned How of enuye Assandrus lost his lyfe And howe hir lorde hath take a nother wyfe That was to hir dishonour and shame And passyngly great sclaundre to hir name In preiudyce ydone of hir estate All this he tolde to make them at debate Lyke as he wrote in conclusyon To Clemestra of Agamenon Whiche hir herte made sore greue For he put hir fully in byleue Of all the treason ye haue herde me tolde That for yre she pale wexe and colde Vnkyndenesse so hir herte sleeth And heuynesse of hir brothreâ— deth For neuer yet Guydo doth assure No woman loued better a creature Than she loued hym in no maner age For firste at nought she sette hir herytage In comparyson of hir brothres lyfe Loo how Oetes made a newe stryfe As ye haue herde in the storye rede That gylteles worthy Dyomede Whan he hath longe at the sege layne And to his kyngdome wold haue come agayne By myghty honde of this worthy quene And hir lyeges that assentyd bene He was exyled out of that regyon There may be made no medyacyon Thus in hym selfe mate and dispeyred Disconsolate he is agayne repeyred To Salerne a londe of great rychesse Where that Tenter thorugh his worthynesse With crowne sceptre hadde reygned longe With his lyeges and his knyghtes stronge And brother was to Apax Thelamon Murdred tofore as made is mencyon And Dyomede pore and destytute May in Salerne fynde no refute For whan Tenter firste gan hym espye He sewed hym by full great enuye Hauynge to hym aye suspecyon Touchynge the deth of kynge Thelamon But Dyomede on a certayne nyght Full secretly hath taken hym to flyght And fro Salerne faste gan hym hye In hope to fynde better remedye Helpe or socoure in some other place If Fortune wolde graunte hym grace For of hymselfe ashamed and confuse As man forsake abiect and refuse Right so fared he wandrynge to and fro As he that ne wyst what was best to do BVt I fynde the Troyan Eneas That al this whyle styll at Troye was Oonly of routhe and compassyowne To supporte them that were lefte of the towne Beynge alway of theyr lyfe in doute Of theyr fomen rounde beset aboute As they that lyued for lacke of an hede Contynuelly in myschefe and drede Knowynge no refute nor comforte in this caas Tyll by counsayle of this Eneas To supporte them in this great nede They sent in
can remebre douteles The tone of them called Sorygenes Whiche vnto me full contraryous was And the tother named Coclopas Bretherne of byrthe and in conclusyon Ylyke cruell of condycyon For though my sorte hadde shape for the nones Bothe twayne fylle on me attones Oppressynge in full great distresse Spoyled my shyppes of treasour and rychesse And for pyte lyked nat to spare Tyll I was lefte destytute and bare Of all my good alas my mortall chaunce And moste of all was to me greuaunce Whan of my golde they may nomore restrayne They sent downe their myghty sones twayne Alypham that was full large and longe And Polypheme the myghty gyauÌ„t stronge Which on my men to auenge theÌ„ were so fayne That they of them haue an hondred slayne Disarayed to stonde at diffence And of malyce with sodayne vyolence They toke me for myschefe almost lorne And Alphenor myn owne brother sworne And hatefully as they haue vs founde In chaynes caste and in stockes bounde And after that ylocked in pryson And for to make platly mencyon This myghty man this great Polypheme A suster hadde shortly for to deme One of the fayrest that euer yet was borne She myght in beaute so besette aforne Nature hir gaue suche a prerogatyfe A clene mayde sothly and no wyfe Flourynge bothe in fayrenesse bounte Whom Alphenor whan he dyde se Albe he was fetred in pryson For loue he loste wyt and eke reason And wexe all mad so narowe she dyd hyÌ„ bynde Saue vpon hir alway was his mynde And closed aye was his peryllous wounde And syxe monthes thus we lay bounde Both he and I to say the platte trouthe Tyll Polypheme hadde vpon vs â—outhe And thorugh his grace and medyacyon He quyt vs fre out of that pryson And shewed vs of mercy and pyte After our sorowe great humanyte But Alphenor ylyke of one entent Was with the bronde of Cupyde brent And felte his parte with many mortall fyt Tyll he so wrought with his sotyll wyt That on a nyght who was leef or loth He stale this mayde and his way he goth Thorugh helpe of men with hym at that tyme But on the morowe at the houre of pryme Polyphemus gan vs for to sewe Whose myghty honde we myght nat eschewe And suche assaute on vs they gan make That of force they haue the mayde take From Alphenor mauge all his rage And Polypheme vnto my damage With his knyghtes so sore vpon me lay That I myght vnneth scape away To saue my selfe compassyd enuyron To deth pursued of that champyon But whan I sawe there was no other gayne To fle the deth shortly for to sayne Whyle this geaunt most freesly on me sette With my swerde out his eye I smette And vnto shyp with my companye I fledde in haste that no man myght espye ¶ Where I be came nor Alphenor my fere And whan the wawes gan for to clere And gracyous wynde gan to vs a wake That countre we haue anone forsake It was nat holsome for vs to abyde ¶ But of this man lyke as wryt Ouyde Polyphemus the Geaunt out of drede Hadde an eye amyd of his forhede Whiche vlixes smote out at a stroke And lyke the browes of a braunched oke Was all his heer and his longe berde On whom to loke childre were aferde And whan that he hadde lost his syght Amonge the hylles he ronneth day and nyght In a rage to fynde hym some refuge Caste rockes and great stones huge On euery parte enuyron the countre On Vlixes auenged for to be Thus sayth Ouyde in conclusyon In his boke of transformacyon Methamorphoseos there ye may it se Whan so euer that your leyser be Ceâ—yously the storye for to rede And in wrytynge forth I wyll procede How vlixes with face deed and pale To ydumee tolde forth his tale Reâ—ersynge thus supprysed and awaked Fro Polypheme whan we were escaped Thorugh our vnhappe and infelycyte Into an yle myddes of the see We were dryue whan it gan to nyght And ElodiuÌ„ that lytell kyngdome hyght ¶ Where that Circes the great enchaunteresse Thylke tyme was Lady and goddesse Thâ—â— coude hir crafte so wonderly ê‘forme All sodaynely a man for to transforme To haue the lykenesse and lese his reason Of horse of bere Tygre or lyon Wolfe or fox or what hir lyste deuyse Hir dredefull craft was shapen in suche wyse So myghty were hir straunge pocyons Hir letuaryes and confeccyons And she also so fayre vpon to se That fro hir power no man myght fle For by the werke of this sorceresse I was so founcyd vpon hir fayrenesse That fynally thus with me it stode That all a yere I with hir abode And playnely hadde power none nor myght For to departe nouther day nor nyght So lusty was the lyfe that I ladde In whiche tyme by me a childe she hadde Right inly fayre and goodly to the syght And Thelagonyus in sothenesse he hyght Whiche afterwarde I well reherse can By processe wexe a manly man And by my sotyle secrete prouydence Of hir crafte I hadde experyence That maugre hir enchauntementes olde I stale away she myght me nat holde And fynally my fate to conclude With my connynge hir crafte I gan delude That with my men I scaped fro hir honde And went at large fre out of hir londe But all this thynge me lytell dyd auayle For on my way as I gan to sayle For all my sleyghte in a lytell whyle Yblowe was vp into an yle ¶ Where Calypha suster to Circes Was crowned quene helde hir sceptre in pees Whose craftes were so myghty and so stronge Maugre my wyll she helde me there full longe But she in sothe to speke of womanhede Of bounte fredome and of goodlyhede Surely hadde so souerayne excellence That myne abode to me was none offence But who so euer there at crye or clappe At the laste I scaped fro hir trappe And came to an Yle right as any lyne Whiche specyally thorugh hye power dyuyne Ordeyned is of yore by myracle As it were a spirituall oracle A man to haue in a temple there Sodayne answere of what hym lyst enquere Of questyons and demaundes alle And of soules what shall eke befalle Whan men are dede and grauen vnderstone And I gan axe in the temple anone Myn auentures that shulde after sewe And where a man myght his fate eschewe And of all this lyke to myn entent I hadde answere full conuenyent Saue what befalleth whan a soule is gone Diffynycyon vnto me was none Such thyng to assoyle accordeth nat to ryght It is reseruyd vnto goddes myght And excedeth reason and wyt of man And fro thense forth to sayle I gan Dryuen with wynde and no parte socoured Where I was lyke to haue be deuoured Of Karybdes with his profounde welle Where Syrenes Meremaydenes dwelle That fro the brest with scales syluer shene Be of theyr shape fysshes fresshe and clene And ouer more kynde doth compasse Them to appere Femynyne
But of wysedome she hath them so delayde That there was none so manly nor so sage That coude of hir gette auauntage So auyse she was in hir werkynge And whan vlixes conceyueth all this thynge And fully knewe by open euydence And hadde also in specyall credence Sent vnto hym fro Penolopee The mater hole declarynge in secretee His owne sone Thelamonyus He wexe in herte wood and Furyous And wolde make no dylacyon But in all haste besoughte Alphenon The myghty kynge of his hye bounte To releue hym in his aduersyte And that he wolde thorugh his myghty honde Of gentyllesse conueye hym to his londe He graunteth hym and say nat ones nay And bothe two in full great array Toke the see whan the wynde was gode Well fortuned for no thynge them withstode They be aryued and hadde no lettynge Where vlixes as ye haue herde was kynge And secretely in a nyght they were conueyed To them that haue his lygaunce disobeyed And mercyles or they myght awake In theyr beddes they haue them all take Makynge no prolongynge tyll the morowe But in all hast for no wyght durst theÌ„ borowe Smette of theyr hedes by Jugement fynall And sette them vpon the castell wall Eueryche by other endelonge the rowe Vpon the toure whan the kocke gan crowe And thus all nyght they kept them selfe close Tyll that Phebus meryly arose In the Oryent whan the larke songe And tho these kyngê with their meyne stronge Fresshely besene entre the Cytee ¶ Who was tho glad but Penolopee Who made ioye but this goodly quene Full desyrous hir owne lorde to sene But if I shulde all in ordre sette The great myrthe they made whan they mette Make rehersayle of complayntes olde And how they gan theyr hertes to vnfolde Eche to other and lyste no thynge concele And the gladnesse that they inly fele If I shulde put all in memorye The reioysynge and the hertely glorye That his lyeges made at his comynge The costes eke they hadde at his metynge The gyftes great and presentes ryche In all this worlde It cowe none ylyche It were to longe tariynge for my boke And how that he newe assuraunce toke Of his lordes and lyeges alle And how that they to his grace falle The chere he made eke to Alphenowne Of gentyllesse thorugh his hye renowne And how the doughter inly debonayre Of Alphenon Nausica the fayre By vlixes medyacyon Yweddyd was vnto Thelamon Borne by discent there may no man say nay To reioyse his crowne after his day And thus came in by his purueaunce Of two reygnes the myghty allyaunce And how all this brought was to the knotte Men wolde deme playnely me to sotte To presume of oppynyon For to delate a descripcyon Sythen Guydo touchynge but the chefe In this mater of style was but brefe Shortly rehersynge how kynge Alphenon Repeyred is home to his regyon And vlixes in his chefe Cytee Abode stylle with Penolopee Where I hym leue in ioye and in solace Tyll Antropos lyketh to purchace For to Fychche fynally the date The threde to vntwyne of his lyues fate ¶ How the translatoure wryteth the stocke of Pyrrus by lyncall dyscent and how his Fader hyght Pelleus his graunmoder called Thetydes Capitulo xxxvij NOw muste I full besy be a whyle To directe the tracys of my style In descryuynge shortly of entent The stocke of pyâ—â—us by lyneal disceÌ„t Myn Auctour folowe and be compendyous ¶ Whose olde Fader hyght Pelleus His graunmoder called Therydes Of whiche two came worthy Achylles That at Troye by treason loste his lyfe And Dardanyca called was his wyfe Pyrrus moder and doughter as I rede Vnto the kynge called Lychomede Hauynge a Fader that Acastus hyght Whiche in sothnesse all that euer he myght Bare heuy herte to kynge Pelleus To Achylles and also to Pyrrus To all the kyn playnely on that syde And of malyce rancoure and of pryde And of enuye in an hatefull rage ¶ Whan Pelleus salie was in age He berafte hym bothe sceptre and crowne And from his see lowe a lyght hym downe And into exyle auayle way no stryfe He made hym go with Thetydes his wyfe Of hye disdeyne gayne may no grace And in his herte gan day and nyght compace The deth of Pyrrus kepe hym if he can And therupon malycyously began To shape away by awayte lyinge Hym for to sle at his home comynge ¶ But this Pyrrus from his treynes free Many daunger escaped of the see Many wawe and many tempest wode With great losse bothe of men and gode At Malasus alder firste gan londe A stronge Cyte a lytell fro the stronde Where that he was refresshed wonder wele And there he knewe grounde and euerydele Firste of Thexyle lyke as men hym tolde Of Therydes and Pelleus the olde And how Atastus bare to hym hatrede Vnto the deth wherof he gan drede And thought he wolde as he yâ— was right wyse By some engyne eschewe his malyse And therupon do his besy payne Nowhadde Atastus other sones twayne Menalyppus and Polystenes And adoughter ycalled Thetydes And all this whyle wofull Pelleus In a Castell olde and ruynous With Thetydes full of sorowe and care For drede of deth day and nyght gan dare Disespeyred in his vnweldy age Recure to fynde of this mortall rage Except that he hadde an hope of yore That Pyrrus shulde helpe hym and restore At his repeyre whan so that it falle After whose comynge often he gan calle The tyme curse that he so longe abode But whan Pyrrus all this vnderstode At Malasus by relacyowne Full faste he gan haste out of the towne Toke the see and faste gan hym hye Towarde the londe called Thesalye Ofentent to make ordynaunce On Atastus for to do vengaunce But alderfirste this Pyrrus full prudent Espyes twayne he tofore hath sent To Thesalye forth togydre gone And Crylyppus called was the tone And Adastrus named was his fere They were expert them nedeth nat to lere In whose expleyte to more auauntage This Pyrrus hath direct his massage Of Thesalye to a Cyteseyne Called Assandrus a maner chaumberleyne With Pelleus and whylom full secree Whyle he was flourynge in Felycytee And whan Pyrrus in conclusyon Knewe all the sothe by relacyon On see nor londe hym ne lyste to tarye Albe that he founde the wynde contrarye ¶ But he â—â—caped many dredefull stoundes Of Thesalye aprocheth to the boundes For Eolus that his luste obeyed And of Fortune wonâ—erly conâ—eyed He dryuen was as it were by grace To aryue in the same place Where Pelleus in a dolefull caue For drede of deth lay hym selfe to saue Sool saue his wyfe withouten any ferys All enclosyd with husshes and with brerys And Pyrrus there went vp firste to sonde Sool by hym selfe walkynge on the stronde Pensyfe and tryste and his way toke ¶ Where Pelleus in the caue quoke Hauynge with hym tho none other guyde Saue his swerde hangynge by his syde And vn warely with a dredefull
of them all And as sayth Guydo Troylus men hym call A manly man founde in barayle And desyrous his fomen to assayle One of the beste in his tyme founde And called was Ector the secounde For his manhode thorugh out Troye boke Within the werre full ofte vpon hym toke Of his knyghthod many hye empryse As the storye hereafter shall deuyse And in his boke lyke as wryte virgyle The poete olde by full soueraynestyle How that the kynge Pryam hadde also By Ecuba other sones two And by recorde of this virgilius The one was called Pollyodorus Whom Pryamus in his grene youthe Whan the comynge was of grekes kouthe To Troye warde in all haste anone With golde treasour and many ryche stone Sent hym forth besyde vnto a kynge Of full great truste to haue hym in kepynge Tyll tyme he sawe what conclusiowne There shulde falle after of the towne And eke what fyne the werre wolde take That vpon them the grekes dyde make ¶ But thylke kynge for false couetyse Of his treasour that ye haue herde deuyse Whan that he sawe fortunes varyaunce Towward Pryam and his vnhappy chaunce Lyke a tyraunt and murdrer also The childes throte made cutte a two And after that he full cruelly Made his men to burye hym pryuely That no man myght his treson vnderstonde Besyde a see depe vnder the stronde The other sone also as Irede In virgyle was called Ganymede Whom Iubyter in a forest hente Gpon a daye as he on huntynge wente And bare hym vp aboue the sterres clere And made hym in heuen his botelere Eternally with hym for to wone In stede of hebes his owne dere sone The firste doughter of kynge Pryamus Hyght Creusa as sayth virgilius In his Eneydos sothly as it was And she was wedded vnto Eneas As sayth this storye and eke this ylke Enee Was wonderfull in his natyuyte Of whom the fader I fynde doutles Was in his tyme called Anchyses That hym begat on Venus the goddesse For after hir he hadde suche fayrenesse That neuer wyght ne coude yet I se A man that was more passynge of beaute Of whom this storye touchyng his workynge Shall you declare many wonder thynge For it is he to whom so great a los Virgyle gaue in his Eneydos For he that boke in worshyp of Enee Compyled hath lyke as ye may se Of his knyghthod many stronge batayle By hym acheued or he wan Itayle After full longe that the royall towne Of Troye was brought to confusiowne And his conquest if ye lyste take hede In this poete ye may by ordre rede And in armes wrought in all his age And his comynge also to Cartage Fro Troyewarde in a lytell whyle All this ye may beholde in virgyle Another doughter also it is founde Kynge Pryam hadde of byrthe the seconde Called cassandra of full great sadnesse And was in maner a dyuyneresse And in eche art hadde experyence Of thynges futur fully prescyence To tell afore what that shall betyde Of whom the fame sprange in costes wyde Whiche kepte hirchaste in virgynyte And aye in prayers and in honeste She ladde hir lyfe and in deuocion After the rytes and relygyon Of paganysme vsed in tho sayes The obseruaunces kepynge of theyrlayes The thirde doughter hyght Pollycene Yongest of all and euer a maydeclene She kepte hir selfe and honest in hir lawe Vnto the tyme that Pirrus hath hir slawe Of shap of fortune was neuer by nature Wrought nor shap a fayrer creature Eke as I fynde this noble kynge also Hadde thyrty sones the boke sayth and no mo Hardy in armes and noble founde at all That called were his sones naturall And they were all I excepte none Worthy knyghtes and manly men echone And theyr names who so lyste to knowe He shall fynde them wryte vpon arowe After this storye eueryche after other Begynnynge firste at the eldest brother And whyles Pryam at the sege laye Tofore the castell to gete it if he maye And theraboute hath many way sought The wofull tydynges be vnto hym brought How the grekes haue take Troye towne And slayne his fader worthy Lamedowne And how the cyte of olde foundaciowne Full pytously was tourned vp so downe The worthy lordes and gentyll men echone Taken and slayne and I lefte nat one Of them a lyue thorugh grekes cruelte After the ruyne alas of theyr cyte And Exion his owne suster dere Lad into exyle with hir eyen clere ¶ Wherfore the kynge in herte is stoned so For very sorowe he ne wyste what to do His sodayne wo gan hym so constrayne He sobbeth wepeth that of mortall payne He thought his herte wolde a sonder breste Of hye distresse for he myght haue no reste And into teeres he gan hymselfe dislylle That for to deye was fynally his wylle ¶ And fortune that can so falsly varye With drery herte he gan to warye That she to hym was so deceyuable So inly cruell and vnmercyable So dispytous and so sterne of face So vengeable and deuoyde of grace For of enuy with a rage thought She hath hir wreste of malys on hȳ wrought And felly shewed what she myght do That in this worlde was neuer wyght so wo As I suppose of no maner age To reken all hir harmes and damage For whiche anone in all that euer he maye Faste he chaungeth all his ryche araye Tryste and heuy with deedly face pale So astoned with this mortall tale That his desyre was to haue be dede With countenaunce enclyned his hede This lyfe he ladde cladde hym all in blacke And sodaynely he the sege bracke And wolde as tho no lenger there abyde But with his folke anone he gan to ryde That pyteously gan with hym to morne And towarde Troye attones they retourne And whan that he hath the cyte founde Playne with the soyle euen with the grounde The hye walles whylom thycke and longe I vere downe that were made so stronge And his toures and paleys pryncypall That was in byldynge so excellent royall So famous ryche and of great nobylnesse He fonde tourned into wyldernesse His people slayne his suster ladde awaye For very wo he ne wyste what to saye For the constreynt of his aduersyte And for his harmes that wyll not recured be For in that tyme he was fully sure Vpon no syde there was no recure Wherfore he can nat but sobbe and wepe And from his brest with syghes sought full depe Broken out with a deed vysage And thus alas in this furyous rage Full pyteously all his hooste and he Without respyte contynewe dayes thre Tyll at the laste the derke skyes blacke Gan of theyr wo in partye for to slacke And the tempest some delegan withdrawe And of theyr wepynge blādysshe gan y◠wawe And whan the floode of wo is ouer paste The ebbe of ioye folowe muste in haste To sorowe euer it wolde theyr hertes shende And at a terme euery wo muste ende For though for frendes men aye wepe
wayle After theyr deth there may no recure vayle Wherfore the kynge after all his care Hath sought a waye the cyte to repare And caste hym fully if it wolde be To make reuerture of necessyte And manfully after all his tene Whan that the eyre gan to wexe clene Of the mystes of his cloudy sorowe And that somedele adawe gan the morowe Of heuynesse after the derke nyght Chaced awaye with a sonne bryght Of newe ioye for aye the fyne of wo Muste be gladnesse whan that sorowe is go And so Pryam after a certayne space Whan his sorowe gan lyte aud lyte pace And of wysdome in all his pytous smerte Gan prudently to plucke vp his herte And of his eyen the wawes gan clere Anone he wrought right as ye shall here ¶ How kynge Pryamus sone vnto kynge La medone buylded Troye newe agayne Ca. xi THe sorowe aswaged the syghes olde By longe processe lyke as I you tolde This worthy kynge called Pryamus In his herte now so desyrous Vpon the playne that was so waste wylde So stronge a towne of newe for to bylde At his deuyse a cyte edefye That shall the assautes vtterly defye Of all enmyes and his mortall foone With ryche toures and walles of harde stoone And all aboute the countres enuyron He made seke in euery regyon For suche workemen as were curyous Of wyt inuentyfe of castynge meruaylous Or suche as coude crafte of gemetrye Or were sotyll in theyr fantasye And for eueryche that was good a deuysous Mason hewer or crafty quarreour For euery wryghte and passynge carpenters That may be founde ferre or nere For suche as coude graue groupe or kerue Or suche as were able for to serue With lyme and stone for to reyse a walle With bataylynge and crestes marcyalle Or suche as hadde konnynge in theyr hede Alabastre outher whyte or rede Or marbyll graye for to pullysshe it playne To make it smothe of vaynes and of grayne He sente also for euery ymagour Bothe in entayle and euery portreyour That coude drawe or with coloure peynte With hewes fresshe that the werke nat feynte And suche as coude with countenaunce glade Make an Image that wyll neuer fade To countrefete in metall tree or stoon The sotyll werke of pygmaleon Or of Appollo the whiche as bokes telle In ymagerye all other dyde excelle For by his crafty workynge curyous The tombe he made of kynge daryous Whiche Alysaundre dyde on heyght reyse Oonly for men shulde his fame preyse In his conquest by perce whan he went And thus Pryam for euery mayster sent For eche keruere and passynge ioygnyour To make knottes with many curyous floure To sette on crestes within and withoute Vpon the wall the Cyte rounde aboute Or who that were excellynge in practyke Of any arte called mecanyke Or hadde a name flowrynge or famous Was after sent to come to pryamus ¶ For he purposeth this noble worthy kynge To make a cyte moost royall in byloynge Brode large and wyde lyst it were assayled For werre proudely aboute enbatayled And firste the grounde he made to be sought Full depe and lowe that it fayle nought To make sure the foundaciowne In the place where the olde towne Was firste ybylded he the walles sette And he of lande many myle out mette Aboute in compasse for to make it large As the maystres that toke on them the charge Deuysed haue the settynge and the syte For holsome eyre to be more of delyte And whan the soyle defouled with ruyne Of walles olde was made playne as a lyne The workemen gan this Cyte for to founde Full myghtely with stones square and rounde That in this worlde was to it none lyche Of workemanshyp nor of byldynge ryche Nor of crafte of curyous masonrye I can no termes to speke of gemetrye Wherfore as now I muste them sette asyde For douteles I radde neuer Enclyde That the mayster and foundour was Of all that worke by quare or compas Or kepe theyr measure by leuell or by lyne I am to rude clerely to diffyne Or to discryue this werke in euery part For lacke of termes longynge to that arte But I dare well of trouthe afferme here In all this world ne was there neuer his pere Vnto this cyte and wryte it for a sothe As in his boke my mayster Guydo dothe And that it myght in prosperyte In hye honour and felycyte From all assaute perpetuelly contune It was reysed in worshyp of Neptune And named Troye as it was to forne Lyke the firste that was thorugh grekes lorne The lengthe was shortly to conclude Thre dayes iourne lyke the latytude That neuer I herde make mencion Of suche a nother of foundacion So huge in compase nor of suche largesse Nor to counte so passynge of fayrenesse So edefyed or iusty to the syghte And as I rede the walles were on hyghte Two hondred cubytes all of marbyll graye Magecolled without for lautes and assaye And it to make more pleasaunt of delyte Amonge the marbyll was alabastre whyte Meynt in the walles rounde yâ— towne about To make it shewe within and without So fresshe so ryche and so delectable That it alone was in comparable Of all cytes that any mortall man Sawe euer yet sythe the worlde began And at the corner of euery walle was sette A crowne of golde with ryche stones frette That shone full bryght agayne yâ— sonne shene And euery toure bretexed was so clene Of chose stone that were nat fer a sondre That to beholde it was very wondre Therto his cyte compassed enuyrowne Hadde gates .vi. to entre into the towne The firste of all and strengest eke with all Largest also and moste pryncypall Of myghty byldynge alone pereles Was by the kynge called Dardanydes And in storye lyke as it is founde Tymbria was named the seconde And the thirde called helyas The fourthe gate hyghte also Cetheas The fyfte Troiana the syxth Anthonydes Stronge and myghty bothe in werre pes With square toures set on euery syde At whose corners of very pompe and pryde The workemen haue with sterne fell vysages Of ryche entayle sette vp great Ymages Wrought out of stone that neuer are lyke to fayle Full curyously enarmed for batayle And thorugh the walle theyr fomen for to lette At euery toure were great gonnes sette For assautes and sodayne auentures And on tourettes were reysed vp fygures Of wylde beestes as beres and lyons Of Tygres bores of serpentes dragons And hertes eke with theyr brode hornes Olyfauntes and large vnycornes Bugles bulles and many great gryfâ—on Forged of brasse of coper and laton That cruelly by sygnes of theyr faces Vpon theyr foon made felle menaces Barbycans and bul werkes huge Afore the towne made for hye refuge If nede were erely and eke late And portekoles stronge at euery gate That them nede nat none assaylynge charge And the lockes thycke brode and large Of the gates all of bryght bras And within the myghty
haste for this Dyomede Knowynge full well his desolacyon How he was proscrip fro his regyon Besechynge hym of manhode and of routhe Hym to enhaste without any slouthe With all the stuffe that he get can And souldeours also manly euery man Without abode and to Troye them lede To socoure them in this great nede And Dyomede came and taryed nought At theyr request as he was besought To releue them in this sharpe shoure And with hym brought many souldeoure And Eneas on the way hym mette In frendely wyse and into towne hym fette And to hym made passyngly great chere And there they gan to comune yfere Theyr auentures bothe of lande and see Entermedlyd with great aduersyte That no man may deuoyde nor eschewe But take his parte as it to hym is dewe As sorte or hap doth his brydell lede And in this storye shortly to procede Cely Troyans that almost were shent With theyr fomen of Yles adiacent That them besette aboute enuyrowne But thorugh the manhode the hye renowne Of Dyomede and his souldeours And other knyghtes noble werry ours They were reskued and holpen vtterly And foure dayes they foughte by and by In knyghtly wyse deffendynge the Cyree And thorugh prowesse also of Enee They slewe and toke all that them withstode And in diffence of Troyanysshe blode Suche as they fonde to the Cyte false They henge them vp hye by the halse And punysshed them for theyr great wronge And Dyomede thus gan wexe stronge By longe processe as made is mencyowne Chefe protectoure nowe of Troye towne That enmye none by a large space Durste abyde but he hadde grace To this lygaunce so he made them loute And thus his name sprede gan aboute That of his fame the great oppynyon Dylated is vnto the regyon By swyfte reporte to Calydonye and Argâ— Whiche the quene greatly gan to charge And astoned whan she taketh hede His power gan and his myght to drede Lyste he wolde hir londe vpon hir wynne And of knyghthode a werre newe begynne And secretely gan muse on this thynge That hir lorde and hir myghty kynge Late exyled and yput to flyght Hath grace founde in Fortunes syght And is remounted to so hye estate Wherof she was in hir selfe chekmate And wayes caste as she that was prudent By hole aduyse of hir Parlement Without grutchynge or rebellyon Hym to reuoke to his regyon ¶ And therupon to hym lowly sent And with lettres the messager forth went The cause annullyng by which he was exyled And how he was fully reconcyled By hole assente of his lyeges alle And full lowly euerychone they calle For theyr offence and of theyr trespace Without rygoure for to do them grace And he anone lyke a manly knyght More of mercy sothly than of ryght Whan he hath theyr sonde well conceyued And theyr menynge fully apparceyued To stynte all stryfe thought for the beste In goodly wyse to grauute theyr requeste And to his reygne within a certayne day He is repeyred in full ryche array Of whose coÌ„mynge full glad his lyeges bene And reconcyled bothe he and the quene And all rancoure of any olde offence Oonly of wysdome they put in suspence And of one herte a blysfull lyfe they lede In Troye boke no more of hym I rede But lette hym lyue in felycytee Agayne resortynge to tell of Enee After how he hath his tyme spent Whiche is fro Troye with many Troyan went His shyppes stuffed he and his meynee Be sayled forth by many straunge see Many daunger and many strayte passage Tofore or he aryued in Cartage Ledynge with hym his fader Anchyses And by the way I fynde that he les His wyfe Crewsa by fatall auenture But all the woo that he dyde endure Who so lyste ceryously to sene And how that he falsehede the quene I mene Dido of womanhede floure That gaue to hym hir rychesse and treasoure Iewellys and golde all yâ— myght hym please And euery thynge that myght do hym ease But for all that how he was vnkynde Rede Eneydos and there ye shall it fynde And how that he falsely stale away By nyght tyme whyle she a bedde lay And of his conqueste also in Itaylle Where he hadde many stronge bataylle His auentures and his workes all And of the fyne that is to hym fall Ye may all se by full souerayne style Fro poynt to poynt compyled in virgyle Wryte and made sythen go full yore For Troye boke speketh of hym no more But procedeth as I shall endyte How Horestes caste hym for to quyte His fadres deth playnely and nat spare If ye lyste here as Guydo shall declare IT is requered of equyte and ryght Of that iuge that is moste of myght And Egally holdeth his balaunce On deth conspyred for to do vengaunce The voyse of blode doth so aye contune To crye wreche with clamour importune On them in sothe that it iniustly shede For murdre wrought wyll haue his egal mede And his guerdon as he hath disseruyd They may nat flee the iugement reseruyd Of hym that sytte hyest in his Trone And all beholdeth by hym selfe alone Full rightfully the noble myghty kynge For though he suffre he foryet no thynge But all consydereth in his inspeccyon And for the murdre of Agamenon The myghty lorde that is most souerayne gode Made his Mynystre of the same blode ¶ Yonge Horestes full of hye prowesse To execute his dome of ryght wysnesse And gaue to hym grace power and myght And he anone toke the ordre of a knyght Of you meâ—s lyke as it is tolde Whan he was foure and twenty wynter olde Fresshe and lusty and wonderly prudent And in wardely desyrous of entent If Fortune wolde hym nat withsayne His herytage to recure agayne ¶ Whiche Egistus falsly hym denyeth And the crowne in iustly occupyeth By false tytle of hir that was his wyfe But horestes wyll Iuparde his lyfe And auenture whyle hym lasteth breth Firste to be venged on his fadres deth Vpon them tho that the treason wrought And alderfirste full lowely he besought Kynge yâ—dumee of his goodlyhede To forther hym in this great nede And the kynge benygnely anone Assigned hath with hym for to gone A thousande knyghtes manly right stronge To redresse the great horryble wronge Of Egistus wroughte by vyolence And by his wysedome and his dylygence This Horestes gan hym so purueye Within a whyle there is no more to seye That he hym gat the store wyll nat lye Another thousande to his companye Of worthy knyghtes all of one accorde To go with hym as with theyr souerayne lorde In euery thynge his byddynge to obeye As ye haue herde Egistus to werreye And thus Horestes in full ryche array Gan hoostey and made no delay And his lodgynge alderfirste gan chese In a Cytee that called was Troyese Receyued there with great reuernece Of the kynge that named was Forence A manly knyght as bookes specefye And bare in herte passynge great enuye To