wherin the Troyans were discomfeted their kinge slayne and after their Citie taken rased and destroyed Ca. ix KYng Lamedon whan that he herde tell Of their cōming him list no longer dwel But out he went with many a noble knighte Flouryng in youth and desyrous to fyght And all tho that mighten armes beare Or that coude shote or handell durste a spere ¶ And whan they were assēbled in the fielde Eueryche his armes depeint vpon his shilde Brouded or bete vpon his coote armure Than Lamedon with all his busy cure Set them in ordre and his wardes maketh And in the fielde forth his waye he taketh Towarde the Grekes as any lyne right Fully purposynge there to abide and fight He was not ware of thē that were behynde He not aduerteth or casteth in his mynde The great sleyght nor the treachery That him was shape he coude it not espye But forthe he wente with his wardes set And the Grekes anone with him hath met With herte bolde astoned not at all Duke Nestor first sturdy as a wall In whose manhod was neuer foundē lacke Full knightly than vpon his horse backe To herte his men and his knightes eke Gan prese in with many worthy Greke With Lamedon sturdely to mete At whiche tyme they felte it full vnswete For in the frounter many manly man With sharpe speres first together ran And eft with swordes sharpe kene ygroūde Was thilke daye geuen many a wounde Where as they met thus on euery syde Thrugh plate maile their woundes bledde wide And basenettes they riue to y e crowne The noyse of strokes in the eyre gan sowne And of the blode that tho was shad of new The grene soyle chaunged hath his hewe For it was dyed playnly in to red Vpon the whiche full many man lay dead And many worthy lost their his lyfe And certainly than in this mortall stryfe The Grekes had discomfyted be echone Ne had Castor socoured them anone The folke of Troy so manly haue them bore That many a knight of grekes was ylore But after Castor entreth in bataile With his knightes so sore he did assayle The worthy Troyans y t with spere shielde Grekes agayne recouered haue the fielde That many one lieth slayne vpon the grene Thrugh girt the body w t sharpe speres kene That they of Troye in this mortall stoure Were driue a backe tyll there came socour To them in hast of worthy Lamedowne Whiche entred in like a wodde lyowne And made a waye vpon euery syde And where as he made his swerde to glyde There was but deth so manly he hym bare That well vnneth was there none that dare Abyde his stroke for rydynge vp and downe He made waye about him enuirowne In the renges he hath his foen out soughte That dai ī armes meruailes hath he wroute Than by his manhod and his worthines He the grekes hath brought in suche distresse That they his swerde flyen as the death Marciles so many of them he sleeth Of which slaughter the grekes wer confuse Tyll Pelleus came to their rescuse Irous and wood as he were fall in rage He thought he wold y e great pompe aswage Of them of Troye and so he dyd anone For he vnhorseth of them many one And felly slough all that stode him aforne And many harueys he hath y t daye to torne And made sheldes for to ryue a sonder That to beholde it was a very wondre Til Lamedon his people sawe go backe For Pelleus brought them so to wracke Wherof in herte he felte full great payne Beseching them efte to repaire againe And kyth their might like as men endure And so the fielde he made them to recure Tyll duke Nestor knewe that Lamedowne Amid the fielde was kynge of Troye towne And right anone without more abode Agaynst hym a full great pace he rode And whan the kyng did him first espye Of hye dispite of rancour and enuye In knightly wyse gan to tourne againe Nothynge agast but of hye disdayne With yrons herte enbolned all with pride His horse fyersly smytyng in the syde That from y e pricke out ran the red bloud And forth to Nestor like as he were wood He rode anone and he his spere brake But he full knightly kept his horse backe And full delyuerly him againe to quite With speare full sharpe whette for to byte Thrugh sheld brest gaue him such a woūde That fro his hors he felde hī down to groūd Of whiche fall the kyng nothyng a ferde Vprise ayene and knightly drewe his swerd So angre fret hym at his herte rote That he vnhorsed fyghte muste on fote Wherof he was in partyfull confuse Tyll one Cedar came to his rescuse That was made knight y e selfe same yere Yonge freshe and lusty and of noble chere Syttyng that tyme on a noble stede And whan that he gan to take hede And saw the kyng on foote at mischiefe fight Gan forth to pryke in all the hast he might Toward Nestor and with a spere him hytte From his sadell that he made him flytte Downe to the ground afore kyng Lamedon But he anone full lyke a champion Recured vp and hymselfe defendeth And many a stroke eche on other spendeth With sharpe swerdrs kene for to byte Eueriche at other gan foyne and smyte Tyll Lamedon with a dispyteous chere From of his face rased his viser And by that strype he of at ones sinet A ryche cercle from his basenet Of large perle goynge enuyrowne With creste and all he fyersly beate a downe That whyles Nestor thus afore hym stode His face was all depeint with his bloud That certainely the soth to conclude Had not Grekes with great multitude Rescued him he had of Lamedowne Be slayne as faste for he was bore a downe Vnto the earth amonge the horse feete But Castor thought that he ne wolde lete To be his helpe as he behelde yfeare And yrously he toke a mighty spere And to Cedar that I spake of late He gan to ryde and pricke in deadly hate But or he came and toke him there doubtles A Troyan knight called Segnerides Cosyn to Cedar whan he hath this sene On a courser rode anone bytwene And with a spere he smote Castor so That with the stroke it broken is a two To whom Castor withouten more areste Hath with a spere amyddes of the brest Segnerides gyue a mortall wounde That lykely was neuer for to sounde Wherfore Cedar caught hath suche enuye That he anone of fell melancolye And of dispyte boylynge in his herte Segnerides when he beholde so smerte Maugre who grutcheth amiddes of y e fielde Of very myght from Castor toke his shelde And through vyser of rancour and of rage He wounded hym amyddes of his vysage And eke his horse fro hym also he caughte And to his squier manfully it raught That certainely he stode in suche disioynt This worthy Castor that he was in poynt To haue be taken of
¶ And brought to Hector sothly there he stode Amonge grekes all bathed in their bloud The whiche in haste ful knightly he be strode And thē amonge lyke Mars himselfe he rode Full many greke makyng for to sterue And with this sworde whetted for to karue He daunted hath their enuious pryde Tyll Deyphobus entred in a syde Into the fyelde with a knightly chere And with hym brought many good archer Of Boeme whiche with their arrowes kene And with fethers of Pecock freshe and shene Vpon grekes haue the fyelde recured In their shotte they were so muche assured That through mayle and thicke plate of stele They perced haue their harneys euery dele ¶ And Deiphobus full lyke a manly man To kynge Tentran on horse backe tho ran And furyously gan his swerde enbrace And wounded hym euen amyd the face Through the vyser in his felle tene On horse backe that he myght not sustene And thus on grekes the Troyans are yron That they agayne hath the fielde ywonne They were on them so yrons and so wood But Theseus full knightly them withstode With the knightes that he with him ladde ¶ And as I read Hector a brother hadde The story sayth that hyght Quintilene Yonge freshe and lusty armed bryght shene Whiche with the kinge called Modernus Is proudely falle vpon Theseus And these twayne togither of assent Be falle on hym with great aduisement That fynally to his vnhappy chaunce With their knyghthode broughte hym to outtraunce And cast shortly that he shal be dead Of whose purpose as Hector gan take hede He vnto them of very gentery With all his myght loude gan to crye Besechyng them for nothyng that he deye And lowely they his byddyng dyd obeye And them withdrewe for to do vengeaunce For Hector had fully remembraunce Now Theseus the same daye tofore Towarde hym so goodly had hym bore Whan he hym sawe in mischyefe and dystresse And knightly thought quyte his gentilnesse Lyke as it longeth to euery gentylman ¶ And Theseus full lowly tho began To thanke Hector that he was escaped ¶ But kyng Thoas tho hath faste yraped Into the fyelde with other knightes many And specyally with them of Calydony ¶ Came Phyloctetes the myghty kinge also Agayne the Troyans for to haue ado And fyrst Thoas with a spere ran ¶ Furyously to Cassybellan One of the sonnes of kynge Pryamus And gaue hym tho a wounde so greuous Without recure that he fell downe dead Of whiche stroke when Hector gan take hede In his herte gan his death complayne And in all haste dyd his busy payne On his brother auenge him if he myght And many one he made to a lyght Through his knighthod from his horse backe That sothfastly all went to wrake On grekes syde what came in his waye So worthely he bare hym all that daye ¶ Tyll duke Nestor is entred in to fyght With fyue thousande in stele armed bryght Agayne the Troyans grekes to socoure And with hym mette of very auenture ¶ The kynge Esdras so mighty and so bolde And kyng Phylon in his chare of golde With all the worthy noble chyualrye That from Agresta came with Iaconye The kynges sonne of the same lande Full renowmed and worthy of his hande And as they semble and together ran The same tyme many worthy man Hath loste his lyfe vpon eyther syde And of the slaught with large woundes wyde All the soyle of bodyes that laye dead Lyke a ryuer ran with streames red With their cheres grysely pale and fade That in the bloud men might go and wade To the ancle the slaughter was so huge ¶ And kyng Phylon 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 sworde was whette But he vnwarely was so sore besette With multytude of grekes rounde aboute That of his lyfe he playnly stode in doubte For lykely was he myght not escape And of grekes he shulde anone be take Ne had the helpe be of worthy Iaconye That to Esdras loude gan to crye Alas quod he of routhe and pyte ¶ Worthy Phylon the kyng shall taken be Amonge grekes through your necligence But in all haste ye do your diligence For to rescue this noble worthy kynge And all attones without more taryinge Maugre all tho that maden resystence From grekes swerde by myghty vyolence They haue rescued the noble kyng Phylon And at his large with them he is gone Of his escape wonder gladde and lyght ¶ And Hector than with many lusty knight Retourned is and Deiphobus also Pollydamas and many an other mo Of Troyan knightes that desyre newe To causen grekes sore for to rewe For of assent they fully them purpose In suche mischiefe grekes to enclose That if they might fewe shulde escape And therupon knightly they them shape And them began freshely for to assayle That in the fielde grekes gan to faile Of their power and to lese their lande That fynally through the mighty hande And the force of the Troyan knightes The grekes had maugre all their mightes Be brought that day to confusyowne ¶ But Menelay and kyng Thelamowne When they them sawe febly and apeyre They of knyghthode made them to repeyre And so lyke men they haue thē selfe deffended Tyll Eneas from Troye is descended With Ewfremus the duke the manly man And with their knightes of newe they began Efte agayne grekes to oppresse And Hector aye through his worthynesse Lyke a Lyon with a sterne face Euer in one so gan them to enchace That compelled of great necessytye They were echone afore his sworde to fle And constrayned ryght of very nede Of whiche thynge when Ayax gan take hede He had 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 fielde hole and not for broke That redy were attones to be wroke If nede were on them of Troye towne In whiche wardes without excepciowne Was hole the floure of grekes chyualrye ¶ To whom anone Ayax gan him hye As he that was in herte sore agreued And with his crye he hath thē so commened That they in haste theim comen to reskuse Amonges whom was there no reffuse And as fast as they gan assemble Of noyse of horse the earthe gan to tremble Furyously as they together flynge There might men the strokes heren ringe Of speres sharpe through the harneys borne And through sheldes wrought of stele horn Into the brest sturdy square and brode ¶ And there I fynde how that Ayax rode ¶ To Eneas and he to him also So great enuye was atwyxe theim two That not but death might their ire apease For in herte nother might haue ease Tyll with speres sharpe ground and whette On horse backe they togyther mette And at copyng so sore haue they hytte
But many a greke in this great nede Came to rescues of this Achylles And for his loue put them selfe in prese Thrugh help of whō his horse he doth attaine Enhastyng him with al his might payne To be auenged of his great iniurye And sodeynly in his wood furye With a sworde ful sharpe ground and whette ¶ He smote Hector vpon the basenet That from his sadell he made hym to remewe The whiche stroke he might not eschewe But for all that this noble worthy knight Of very force through his great myght Maugre his foen his sadell hath recured As he that was in manhode most assured And sodeynly in herte he wexed so wroth That in arage to Achylles he goth And with his sworde so smyt him on the head Through the basenet that the bloud all red By his face gan to ronnen downe Lyke a ryuer his chekes enuyrowne But he hym selfe deffendeth as a knyght And tho of newe began the cruell fyght Atwene them two to se that it was wonder For euery stroke great as dent of thonder Range in the eyre for none wolde other spare And this the soth in their fyght they fare Lyke wood Tygres or Bores in their rage Or sterne Bulles whan they be sauage That it semyd in very sothfastnesse If these two so full of worthynesse Contune longe in fyghtynge and endure The tone or both of cruell aduenture Must haue be dead of necessyte The whiche thyng had great petye be Bycause they weren worthy knyghtes bothe But whyle that they in fyghtyng fell wroth Most busy were the grekes tho begyn With their wardes for to entre in And they of Troye the storye maketh mynde On their partye lefte not behynde But in the fyelde enhaste them euerychone In knightly wyse to mete with their fone That with the prease here and also yonder The knyghtes two seuered were a sonder ¶ And tho came in sterne Dyomede With the knyghtes whiche he there dyd lede Full lustly and in the selue place With whom hath mette proudly in the face Worthy Troylus on his horsebacke That neuer had yet in manhode lacke And as they countre the storye doth vs lere Eueryche vnhorsed knightly hath his feare ¶ But fyrst his horse recureth Dyomede And in all haste gan him for to spede Tassayle Troylus stondyng vpon foote And when he sawe there was none other bote And knightly yet as dyd erst any man Agaynst hym to deffende tho he began But Dyomede hote as any fyre Wonder enuyous and hatefull of desyre With his sworde of rancour for the nones The ryche Cercle full of Inde stones That was that tyme on Troylus basenet Full cruelly hath raced of and smet But Troilus nolde for that him w tdrawe For hym deffendynge he hath the stede slawe On whiche sat that tyme Dyomede That mauger him he must alyght nede And whan they were on fote both twayne They dyd their myght and their cruell payne Eueryche of them other to assayle With swordes sharpe so that plate and mayle They gan to seuere and a sonder race As wood Lyons with mortall chere and face Tyll the Grekes stronge stoute and felle As myne auctour in his boke can telle Haue through their might caused Dyomede All sodeynly to recure his stede And Troyan knightes on the tother syde Haue Troylus brought a stede for to ryde ¶ And when they were horsed both two Without more they efte togyther go With stronge foynes and yfeare ran Eche at other as felly as they can Tyll at the laste cruell Dyomede Lyke as ye may in myne auctour rede Were it by case hap or aduenture In whiche no man fully may assure Or by fortune with her false vysage Had that tyme of Troylous avauntage For he on hym was fallen at myschyefe The whiche thynge to hym was no reprefe Though he him toke amonge so great aroute On euery halfe with grekes set aboute Syth doubtous euer is the fyne of fyght Now vp now down now derk after bright For no wyght may be aye vyctoryous In peace nor werre nor ylyche eurous Let euery man syth hap it sette in doute Take his tourne as it commeth aboute Though troylus now was take of Diomede An other tyme he shall him quite his mede For as the storye telleth in this place This Dyomede but a lyttell space Troylus ladde forth as prysoner That to reskewes in stele armed clere Many Troyan came pryckynge in this nede That maugre all the myght of Dyomede They Troylus haue from his handes take And tho began the slaughter for his sake On euery halfe that wonder is to telle Of the Troyans and the grekes felle ¶ Than into fyelde is entred Menelay Whiche on Troyans all that ylke daye Full busy was auenged for to be To them he had so cruell enmyte ¶ And whan Parys sawe hym in the fyelde Towardes hym the ryght waye he helde And of purpose they their wardes sette Eche on other tyll they together mette And tho the skyrmyshe the slaughter gan On outher parte of many manly man ¶ And all this whyle Hector ne wolde cease Amonge grekes cruelly to prease And new and new of hym as I read Alyke freshe the bloud of them to shede For of his sworde the traces were ysene That the grekes ne myghten not sustene To resyste nor stande afore his face But where he rode aye they gaue him place ¶ Tyll that a knyght whiche Boetes hyghte Yonge of age whan he had a syght How Hector slewe the grekes mortally On euery syde hauynge no mercy He preased in to encrease his name Perpetually to purchase him a fame And furiously in herte not aferde He caste platly to mete him in the berde The whiche thynge when Hector gan aduert So hyghe rancour enbraced hath his herte That with his sworde of indignaciowne He rofe hym euen to the nauell downe Fro the crowne with so great a payne That in the fyelde he parted laye in twayne And Hector tho assygned hath his stede To a squyer and bad he shulde it lede To Troye towne without more abode And all this while furyously he rode Amonge grekes and euer mercilese He slewe all tho that put them selfe in prese And shedde their bloud of herte despiteous The whiche thynge when kyng Archylogus Rydyng besyde sawe and gan espye How Boetes his cosyn and allye So cruelly was of Hector slawe Towardes him in hast he gan him drawe Vpon his death auenged for to be And rode at him with great cruelte Fully in purpose Hector for to quyte And sodeynly as he gan at hym smyte Hector vnwarely hyt him on the head So myghtly that he fell downe dead Parted on two by cruell aduenture Notwithstanding his mighty stronge armure Agayne his stroke it was of no deffence For it was geuen with suche violence That it holpe hym in no maner thynge ¶ And then anone Prothenor the kynge Of hatefull yre and fole hardynesse Of surquedye and of hastinesse
Of melancolye and indignacion Caught in his herte a presumpcion To assayle Hector of in warde folyshe pryde And goth to him attrauerse on the syde Furyously with a dispiteous herte That his commonge he might not aduerte Onely for he came at his backe behynde And vnwarely in Guydo as I fynde And Hector smote from his horse to grounde In whom there was so muche manhod fouÌ„de That he anone with a knightly herte Without abode into his sadell sterte And ryght fyersely Prothenor purseweth That fynally his hande he not escheweth For with his sworde he marked hym so wele Through the basenet by his breste of stele That into twayne without any fayle He roue him downe into his paunce of mayle And he fell downe in full pyteous wise Of whych stroke the grekes sore agryse ¶ And specially the hardy fierse Achille When he behelde lyked it full yll ¶ For Prothenor was nygh his cosyne And descended of the same lyne For death of whom he hath such heuynesse So inwarde thought and so great distresse In all this worlde he ne wyst what to do For him he had so much payne and wo. And for the death of him Archilogus 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 Hector to haue fall Conspyred fully in sothe amonge theim all Of one entente Hector to assayle But all for nought it would not auayle He was that daye so cruell in his rage They might of him haue none auauntage And Troian knightes by fauour of Fortune Vpon grekes so mightely contune Thrugh conueyeng of Hector and his might That they anone haue put theim to flyght And to theyr tentes maugre who that stryue In their pursuite forwouÌ„ded they them driue That here and there they laye as in a swowe And many a greke merciles they slowe The longe daye till it drewe to nyght And sothly then for very lacke of lyght These troians knightê ful worthy of renowne Aboute Hector repayren to the towne And entre in with honour and with glorye That daye of grekes hauing the victorye And thus I leue theim in their towne within And forth of grekes to tel I will begyn VVhan Hesperus the faire bright sterre Agaynst eue hath caste his streames fer And in the west rathest gan appeare Whan the twylight with a pale cheare In maner morneth thabsence of the sonne And night aprocheth with his coopes dunne The same time when Titan toke his leue That clerkes call Crepusculum at eue Whych is not elles but the meane lyght Of Phebus absence and the dercke night And twylight hatte for it is a meane Of daye and night departing theim betwene Fully nother but of both ymeynt Or the heauen be clustered and depeynt With bryght sterres in the eueninge AT whyche tyme Agamenon the kinge For his lordes sodaynly hath sente To come echone anone into his tente And when they were assembled all yfeare Tryst and heuy with a ruthfull cheare They gan y e slaught of Hector to complayne Affirming playnly they ne maye attayne Vnto victorye while he were alyue Wherfore they gan to conspyre blyue The death of him in many sondry weye Echone concludynge whyle he were in Troy It was not lykely grekes for to wynne For he alone of them that were within Was chiefe deffence and protectiowne And soueraynly vpholder of the towne Their mighty Castell and their stronge wall And vnto grekes deadly foe mortall For they ne myght his great force endure Nor neuer aryght agayne their foes be sure He standyng hole they sayde in no degre Nor whyle he floureth in felycitye Wherfore echone of one entencion They condiscende to this conclusyon That by some slyght of awayte lyinge Whan he were moste busy in fyghtynge Amonge them in myschyfe or distresse That Achylles do his busynesse With all his might vnwarely hym to assayle That hym to slea for nothynge that he fayle ¶ And grekes all gan their prayer make To Achilles for to vndertake Of this Empresse fynally the suite Through his manhode that it be execute The hasty deth of their mortall foe And Achylles without wordes mo Their request assenteth to perfourme And to their luste gan hooly hym confourme From that tyme lett hym beware I reade To be to hasty this iourney for to spede Vpon Hector his power for to kythe Lest fortune awronge her face wrythe To loke on him wyth a frowarde cheare Him to brynge vnto his handes nere Through sorte or hap of Hector folylye To put his lyfe of death in Ieopartye Lest vnto him it happe euen lyche To fall him selfe in the same dyche That he for Hector compassed hath shape For it is wonder if that he escape Sith Hector had without any dreade As brennyng yre and as great hatrede To Achilles his death for to puruey If he hym founde or in any place to saye Conuenyent for execucion I trowe there should gayne him no raunson Nor other mede his herte to quyete But onely death when so that they mete This the ende and fyne of my mattere As in this boke after ye shall heare And thus Grekes made haue an ende Of theyr counsayle and anone they wende Eueryche of theim home to theyr lodgynge And toke theyr resten till in the morninge ¶ Howe the troians toke kinge Thoas prysoner and led him captiue to Troie Ca. xxiiii VVhan Aurora the syluer droppes shene Her teares shad vpon the freshe grene Complayning aye in weping in sorow Her chyldrens death euery somer morowe That is to saye when the dewe so soote Enbawmed hath the floure and eke the roote With lusty lycoure in Aprill and in Maye When that the larke messenger of daye Of custome aye Aurora doth salue With sundrye notys her sorow to transmewe Or Phebus ryse with ioye and gladnesse Through hermonye to leue her heuynesse Taking her leue with sainct Iohn to borow The same time Grekes by the morowe With lusty herte early did aryse And armed theim in all theyr best wise For they theim caste that daye for to gone Into the felde to mete with their fone ¶ And Hector hath the same morowe also I cast him fully with Grekes haue ado And yssued is knightly out of Troye In herte he hath so great desyre and ioye The same daye with grekes for to fyght And wyth him ladde many lusty knyght Of such as were of the Cyte borne And forthe he rode him selfe all aforne ¶ And Eneas with many a worthy Folowed after wonder fast by ¶ And Paris theÌ„ and next him Deiphobus ¶ And syth Troylus that was coragious With all the wardes made of Troye towne In which as Dares maketh menciowne Within his boke there were on Troye syde Of fighting men y t went and that did ryde And hundred thousande armed for to go Into the felde and fyfty thousande mo Which haue theim cast that daye or at eue Of one entent Grekes for to
language As in the latyn and the frenshe it is That of the storye we the truthe not mys No more than doth eche other nacion This was the fine of his entencion ¶ The which emprise anon I ginne shall In his worshyp as for memoryall And of the tyme to maken mencion Whan I began on this translation It was the yeare sothly for to seyne Fourtene complete tho of his fathers reygne The time of yeare shortly to conclude Whan .xx. grees was Phebus altitude The hour whā he hath made his stedes draw His rosen chariet lowe vnder the wawe To bathe his beames in the wawy sea Gresed lyke golde as men myght playnly se Passyng the bordure of our Occion And Lucina of coloure pale and wan Her colde arisynge in Octobre dyght Tenchase the darkenes of the frosty nyght That then amiddes was of the Scorpion And Hesperus gan fast to wester down Her course to haste againe the morowe gray When Lucifer the nyght to voyd away The messenger is called of the day Our hemispher to put out of Affray With bright kalēdes of Phebus vprist shene Out from y e boundes of Proserpin y e quene Where Pluto dwelleth the darke region And there the furyes haue theyr mansion Tyll after soone Apollo lyst not tarye To take his soiourne in the Sagittarye ¶ Which time I gan the prologue to behold Of Troye boke ymade by dayes olde Where written was of Auctours vs beforne Of al the dede the very trewe corne So as it fell seuered from the chaffe For in their hande they holde as for a staffe The truth onely which they haue compyled Vnto this fyne that we were not begiled Of necligence thorough foryetfulnesse The which serpent of age by longe processe Engendred is fiersely vs to assayle And of the trouth to maken vs to fayle For nere writers all were out of minde Not storyed onely but of nature and kinde The true knowing shuld haue gon to wrake And our wittes from scyence put abacke Ne had our elders serched out and soughte The sothfast pythe to impe it in our thought Of thinges passed fordyrked of theyr hewe Which through the writing be refreshed new Of Aūceters and left to vs be hynde To make a myrrour onely to our minde To se eche thinge truly as it was As bright and cleare as it were in a glasse For nere theyr writynge nowe memoryall Death w t his swerde shuld haue slayne all And ydimmed with his sodayne showres The great prowesse of these conquerours And derked eke the brightnesse of their fame That shineth yet by reporte of her name For vnto vs their bokes represent Without fayninge the waye that they went In theyr dayes when they were alyue Agayne the trouth who so euer striue Or counterplede or make any debate The south is redde of high or lowe estate Without fauour who so lyst take hede For after death clerkes litell drede Of theyr deserte for to beare wytnes Nor of a tyraunt the truthe to expresse ¶ As men deserue without excepcion With lak or pris they graūt their guerdon Wherfore me semeth euery maner man Shulde by his lyfe in all that euer he can For vertue sake eschewe to do amys For after death playnly as it is Clerkes willlyn write and except none The playne trouth when a man is gone And by olde time for theyr writinge trewe They cheryshed were of lordes y t thē knewe And honoured greatly as in tho dayes For they enacted and gilt with theyr sayes Theyr high renowne their māhod prowes Their knighthod eke and theyr worthines Their trihumphes al and eke their victories Their famous cōquest their fonge glories ¶ Fro point to poynt rehersinge all y e trouth Without fraude neclygence or slouth They did theyr labour and theyr besinesse For elles certayne the great worthinesse Of all theyr dedes had bene in vayne For dyrked age elles would haue slayne By length of yeares the noble worthy fame Of conquerours and playnly of theyr name For dimmed eke the letters aureat And eke deffaced the palme laureat Which y t they wan by knighthod ī their dayes Whose freting ruste newe and newe assayes For to eclipse the honour and the glory Of highe prowes which clerkes in memory Haue truly set through dilygent laboure And enlumined with many curious floure Of Rethorike to make vs comprehende The trouth of all as it was tho kinde Bysied them and faithfully trauailed Agayne all that that age wold haue assayled In theyr bokes euery thinge yset And with the key of remembraunce is shet Which lasteth yet and dureth euer in one Recorde of Thebes that was so longe agone Of which the ruyne and destruction Ye may beholde by good inspection Croppe and roote right as it was in dede On Stace loke and there ye may it rede Howe Polynece and Eteocles The brethern two ne could not liue in peace Till Thebes brought was to his ruyne And all the maner howe they diden fyne That death also of worthy Tideus And howe Edipp with teares full pyteous Wept out his eyen and all his drery payne And how y e smokes departed were in twaine At the feast of fyres funerall In great Stace ye may reden al. The syre engendred by brotherly hatred Where through y e deathe was the cruel mede ¶ In very sothe of many worthy man Lyke as mine Auctour well rehearse can Of Troye also that was of latter yeares By diligence of these Cronycleres Ye may beholde in theyr writinge well The strife werre the siege and euery dell Right as it was so many yeares sin passed Whose storye yet age hath not diffaced Nor cruell deathe with his mortall strokes For maugre death ye may beholde in bokes The storye fully rehersed newe and newe As freshe as floure of coloure and of hewe From day to day quicke and nothinge feinte For clerkes haue this storye so depeynt That death nor age by any other weye The trouth may not make for to deye ¶ Al be that some haue the trouth spared In their wrytynge and playnty not declared So as it was nor tolde out faythfully But it transformed in theyr poesy Through vayne fables which of entencion They haue contriued by false transsumptiō To hide trouth falsly vnder cloude And the sothe of malyce for to shroude As Homer did the which in his writinge I feyned hath full many dyuers thynge That neuer was as Guydo lyst deuise And thinges done farre in anotherwise He hath transformed then the trouth was And feyned falsly that goddes in this case ¶ The worthy Grekes helpe to warrey Agayne Troyens how that they were sey Lyke lyfely men among theym day by day And in his dytyes that were freshe and gay With sugred wordes vnder hoony sote His galie is hyd lowe by the roote That it may not outward be aspyed And all for he with Grekes was alyed Therfore he was to theym fauorable In much thyng whych is not commendable Of theym that lust to
deuise Was false enuye and hatefull couetise Whiche frette so sore falsly for to winne As croppe and roote of euery sorowe sinne And cause hath bene sith go full yore That many a realme hath bought ful sore The dreadful venim of couetise alas Let them beware that stande in this case ¶ To thinke afore and for to haue in minde That all falshed draweth to an ende For though it bide and last a yeare or two The ende in sothe shall sorowe be and woo Of all that bene false and enuious Hereof no more but forth of Pelleus I will you tell that hath so longe sought Vpō this thing till they were to him brought Tydinges newe and that so merueylous That he astoned was and all his house Of a meruayle that tho was newly falle Beside Troy the plage orientalle Howe in Colchos as the tidinges cam Within an yle enclosed was a ram Whiche bare his flese full richly all of golde And for the richesse it was kept in holde With great aduice and great dilygence That no man might there to do offence And in this I le there was a gouernour A noble kinge a worthy warrour That Oetes hight wise discrete and sage Which was also yronne farre in age That in his time as bokes can deuise Had vnderfonged many great empryse In peace warre and much worship wonne And he was also sonne vnto the sonne That gaue him vre to honour to atteyne So as these poetes listen for to feyne Touchinge his line I leue as nowe y e greate And of this Ram my purpose is to treate That was commit I dare you well assure To the keping and the busy cure Of cruell Mars the mighty god of werre Which with the stremys of his rede sterre And influence of his deytee Ordeyned hath by full great crueltee This Ram to kepe bullis full vnmilde With brasen fete ramageous and wilde And there with all fell and dispitous And of nature wood and furious To hurte and slee euer of one desyre Out of whose mouthe leuen and wylde fyre Lyke a flawme euer blased out To brenne all theim that stode nygh aobut Eke of their eyen the lokes moste horrible To a fourneys the stremes were visyble And who that wolde tencrease his glorye This Ram of golde wynnen victorie Fyrste he must of very force and myght Vnto oultraunce with these bulles to fyght And theim vanquishe alder fyrst of all And make theim humble as any oxe in stall And sithe theim yoke and do them ere y e land Of very manhode this must he take in hand And after that he must also endure With a serpent of huge and great stature Without fauour playnely haue to do To oultraunce eke without wordes mo The whiche serpent shortly for to tell Was lyke a fende comyng out of hell ¶ Full of venym and of cruell hate And with skales harde as any plate He armed was to stande at defence And by his brethe werse then pestilence Infecten wolde enuiron all the eyre In eche place where was his repeyre He was so full of foule corruption And eke so dredefull of infection That deth in soth shortly to deuyse Was the fyne of this hygh Empryse To suche as wolde this quarell take in hond Ylyke in one both to free and bonde But if he coulde the bet him selfe defende And of his conquest this was eke the ende That when he had the myghty serpēt slawe He must anone by custome and by lawe ¶ Out of his head his tethe echeone arrace And after sowe theim in the selfe place Where as the oxen eryd had aforne Of which seede there sprange a wōder corne Knyghtes armed passynge of great myght Eueryche with other redy for to fyght Til eche his brother had ybrought to groūd By mortall fate and yeue his dethes wound This was the ende of euerychone For sowfastly of all there was non That liue myght by that fatall lawe A longer tyme then lyued his fellowe ¶ And by this way dredfull and peryllous Who so desyreth to ben victorious He passe must and manly to endure And how so fall take his auenture For of estate was no excepcion Chese who so wyll for this conclusyon He may not scape for fauour ne for mede Who so begynneth a vyse him wel I rede For by the statute of the kyng he may Who so that wyll entre and assaye But after that he ones hath begonne He may not chese tyll he haue lost or wonne Yet as some other of this Ram expresse And of his flese also bere wytnesse It was nothyng but golde great treasour That Oetes kynge with full hye laboure Made kepe it as by Incantacions By sorserye and false illusyons ¶ That was spoke of in realmes fer about For whiche many put theyr lyfe in doubte Of hye desyre that they had for to wyn The great treasoure that was shyt within Colchos londe as ye haue harde deuyse Whose pursuyte rose out of couetyse Grounde and roote of wo of myschaunce By vayne reporte theim selfe to auaunce For whiche they put theim selfe in ieopardy Without rescues lykely for to dye There was no helpe ne no sleyght of armes That vaile might againe y e cursed charmes So were they stronge and supersticious That many worthy in knighthode famous Enhasted were vnto their deth alas That ieoparde list their liues as in this case ¶ This lasteth forthe tyll afterwarde byfell That Pelleus platly hath hard tell The great mischiefes and destructions In Colchos wrought on sundry nacions That haue pursued thes auntres to cōquere Tyll Pelleus so ferforth gan enquere That he knewe hooly how the trouth was And in his herte anone he gan compasse How that he myght by any slyght make His neuewe Iason for to vndertake This hye Empryse in Colchos for to wende For by that way he myght hym best shende ¶ And gan pretende a colour freshe of hew Ygylte outwarde so lusty and so newe As though there were no treasō hyd within He sawe also it was tyme to begyn On his purpose tho fyrst he made it queint And gan forthwith with golde asure paint His gaye wordes in sownyng glorious Knowynge Iason was yonge and desyrous Vnto suche thynge lyghtly wolde enclyne Therfore he thought that he wolde not fyne Playnely to worke to his conclusyon And made anone a conuocation Of his lordes and of his baronye Aboute enuyron the lande of Thesalye For to assemble estates of eche degree Of all his realme within the chiefe citee To holde a counseyle vtterly he caste Therby to acheue his desyre as faste And so his courte continued dayes three Tyll at the laste his hyd iniquitie He out gan rake that hath be hyd so longe For he ne myght no longer forth prolonge The venym hyd that fret so at his herte In so slye wyse that no man myght auerte Vpon no syde but that he mente well So was his treason couered euerydell And curtined so
For finally I saye withouten wene At fewe wordes in all right as I meane Me list not fayne flatter nor delude For my beheste with deathe I shall conclude When Parcas shall my liues threde do rend This all and some and thus I make an ende VVell thā quod she ful wisely in your hert Ye must afore consydre and aduerte The aduenture that ye shall take on hande And prudently the perill vnderstande And warely cast and haue full well in minde The mortall harme at the tayle behinde That is well more then it is credible For leue me well it is an impossible To ginne in honour and also for to fine For thilke flese by hye power diuine Preserued is and that wyth Marcys mighte That who so therfore entreth in to fight It were full harde to him thence to eskape The fyery flawme when the bulles gape That bene of brasse trapped all in leuen Ben more to dread thē lightening of y e heauē Tofore the dint of the great thonder That seuered hath full many toure a sunder For vnto ashes they will a man consume Wherfore I rede that ye not presume The Ram to assayle lest ye your laboure lese yet to withdraw your foote sith ye may chese By good aduise and by discresiowne Your honour safe and your hye renowne Where so ye list of your worthinesse Onely of folye and of hastinesse To this emprise of head to procede Or where ye list like as I you rede Saue your selfe from woo and al mischaūce Like as ye shall if to mine ordinaunce Ye you commytte and lowely lyste obeye Without fraude there is no more to seye ANd Iason ther thā sitting at the borde Of Medea emprintynge euery worde Waxed for Ire almost vnpacient And sayd alas and is this your entent Me to counceyle to leue this my emprise Certes it were to foule a cowardyse To gyn thynge that I myght not a chyeue For euery man wolde me of shame repreue And eke reporte to my confusyon That I of pride and of presumption Toke this on me whan I was at large So hye a thynge and so great a charge That I durst not distrustyng of myschyefe Accomplyshe it whan it came to the prefe Leuer me were myne owne lady dere For to ieoparde and to put in were My selfe at ones and at wordes fewe On smale pyeces to be all to hewe Rather than I shulde cowardely forsake Thylke empryse that I haue vndertake As ye well knowe and leue it thus alas Let be your counseyle plainly in this case For what so euer happe or falle of me Trusteth ryght well it shall none other be For if that I shulde of my cowarde harte Fro this my purpose by any way diuerte Without laude my lyfe I shulde lede And shame eternall iustlye by my mede Throughout the worlde noted ouer all In euery lande spoke of in speciall That Iason hath so hyghly vndertake Wherof for feare he dare none ende make Thynketh ryght well that it shall not betide For lyfe or deth what mischiefe I abyde And thervpon my trouth I you ensure That so ferforth as this my lyfe may endure I shall parfourme that I haue nowe begon And though so be no honor may be wonne But that I muste with my deth it beye I wil not leue for bett were me to deye Than liue ashamed of cowardise slouth For as me semeth it is to hygh a routhe A man tappere or dare do shewe his head Whan he hath ones his honour vyllanede And after time whan y t his name is slayne For euery man shulde coueite rather faine To dye in honour than liue as a wretche And though this thinge to my death stretche Welcome beit I shall it well abyde This all and some what so of me betyde IAson quod she than syth it standeth so That ye algates desyre to haue a do There is no more by ought I can espye But ye had leuer shortly for to dye Rather than lyue and haue ye saye a shame And yet it is an ernest and no game With suche monsters vnwarely for to deale Lyke as in dede hereafter ye shal feale And therfore I am meued of pytee And greatly steered that ye of volunte Without aduyse or by discresion Counsayle or elles deliberation Lyst take on you this meruailous voyage For both your youth and also your courage Gouerned ben chiefely in this matere All after luste for both the two I feare Inparded ben if ye your purpose sewe For impossyble is that ye eschewe A sodeyne death for nother free nor bonde By crafte of man hath power to withstonde ¶ Wherfore I thinke of herte good entent To cast for you yea yet or ye be shent And to your tourne to shape a remedye Suche routhe I haue that ye shulden dye For to my father whom I loue most Rather then ye shulde in this wise be loste I shall offende and vtterly displease And all my friendes so it may do you ease For I shall fynde suche a meane weye That at the least I will not se you deye For in this case I thinke to be your gyde So that for you I shall do sette asyde First my discent as of the stocke royall ¶ And ouer more myne heritage withall Lykewise my honour shal I put abacke You for to helpe that there shal be no lacke Yfounde in me so ye be to me kinde And that ye lyste for to haue in mynde As I deserue goodly me to quyte Consyderyng first that it is nat alite To saue your lyue that stant in Ieopardye More peryllous than ye can ought espye But for all this I shall it so ordeyne All by my crafte only atwyxe vs twayne That or we parte I hope all shall be well Vpon this poynt if so that I may fele Faythfully for ioye woo or smarte With full accorde of body will and herte To my desire that ye condescend I vndertake to make therof an ende ¶ This sothly ladye sayde this Iason tho I am assented without wordes mo For to fulfyll with euery circumstaunce What euer thinge may be to you plesaunce THan quod she there is no more to saine But firste of all w t fayth herte plaine With all your myght and your busy cure And meanyng hole that ye do me assure Hereafter for to take me for your wyfe To holde and kepe by terme of your life So that your dede accorde may w t your hest This is the fyne and summe of my requeste Except only that ye shall ordeyne In your repayre to your fathers reigne That faithfully ye shall me with you lede And after that whan so ye shall succede As by his death into your heritage With herte aye one and with lyke corage Ye shall to me alwayes be founden true And cherishe me for chaunge of any newe Like mine estate without varyaunce And while ye lyue haue in remembraunce My gentlenesse in this your great nede For there is none aliue that
For to offende or noyen any wight And wheÌ„ she had thus sayd vnto her knight In euery thynge and gyue instruction Playn doctrine and informacyon How he shall scape the daungers by and by If he take hede and worke auysely ¶ And thus agreyd they thought it for y e best For to parte or men out of theyr rest Awaked were for it drewe towardes daye As they well sawe by the morowe graye And lest men had to theym suspicioÌ„ Of hye prudence and discrecion Atwene the twelight and the rody morowe They toke theyr leue w t saint Iohn y e borow With oft kyssyng as louers wheÌ„ they twinne And so he went and she is left within Beyng in hope to mete agayn some daye And Iason than as fast as euer he maye Gan ordayne him his Iourney to achieue And thought he would anoÌ„ go take his leue And in that wyse w tin a litel whyle After the maner of my rude style My purpose is sothly and not to spare With your supporte playnly to declare VVhan that the rowes the rayes rede Estward to vs full early gonnen sprede Euen at the twelyght in the dawnynge When that the larke of custome gynneth sing For to salue in her heauenly laye The lusty goddesse of the morowe graye I meane Aurora which afore the sonne Is wonte tenchâ—se the blacke skyes donne And the derkenesse of the dymmy night And freshe Phebus with coÌ„forte of his light And with the brightnes of his beames shene Had ouergylt the hye hylles grene And floures eke agayn the morowe tyde VpoÌ„ their stalkes gaÌ„ playn theyr leues wide Whan that Iason with all his companye Toward the kynge full fast gan hym hye Whom than he fonde lyke to his estate With sceptre in haÌ„deful pompous and elate Hye in the see of his regally Sittyng full kyngly amid his cheualrye And his lordes about him enuiron ¶ At why â—he tyme this yonge champion Vnder a vowe standing of the Ram. With sterne face tofore the kyng in cam Besechyng hym of his magnificence The same day to graunt him lycence To do hys armes and make no mo delayes Concluding playnly that at all assayes He will that daye in the felde be found For to achieue lyke as he was bound Of olde behest and not a poynt declyne For life nor death till he parfourme and fine Holy the auntres that to the flese belonge The kynge requyryng no loÌ„ger him proloÌ„ge But goodly grauÌ„t the fine of his empryse And than the kynge in ful sobre wyse Consydering the summe of his demaunde To Iason spoke sayd he shall commauÌ„d That his request perfourmed were in hast Albe quod he I am ful sore agast Of wylfulnesse thou shulde destroyed be Lest men thy death arected vnto me And therupon would a blame set Of royall power that I not ne let Thy manly youth from such Ieopardy Which were in sothe a great vylany And preiudice to my estate and name That afterward men should put me iÌ„ blame Through false reporte wrong opynyon That I withstode not thy destruction ¶ Wherfore I rede that y u be yet bet auysed And my counsayle let not be dispysed For better it is with honoure in certayne Into thy country to repayre againe Than wilfully for to take on hande A mortall thyng that no man may withstaÌ„d That is my rede and fully myn aduise Take hede therto syth ye aren wyse Lest thou repent when it is to late And yf so be that thou wilt algate Thy purpose holde and not do as I rede Almyghty Mars I praye to be thy spede The for to gyde whatsoeuer shal befall And eke I praye to the goddes all Safe and sound thy body to restore This all some on me thou gettest no more ¶ And whan Iason thus had herd the kyng Not dismayed nor stoned in no thyng In knyghtly wise did him reuerence Thankyng highly his royall excellence That of his grace and beningnytye Vpon his death hym lyst to haue pytye Fully concluding touchyng his battayle That nother rede nor other counsayle In no wyse his purpose should withdrawe But lyke the statute playnly and the lawe Right so far forth as fortune wyll hym eure What so besyde of this his auenture Settyng asyde euery feare and drede He platly sayd that he wyll procede For to parfourme that he hath vndertake It were in ydle mo skylles for to make Or to allege more there againe And Iason than full openly and plaine Touching y e surplus of this dredfull thing At his departyng thus sayd to the kyng In audience tho of his lordes all What so of me hereafter now be fall Or who so euer of malys theron muse To all the worlde fyrst I you excuse And to the goddes platly you acquyte That though I deye ye be nothyng to wyte Ne no man shall arecte it you of skylle For that I worke is freely at my wyll Agayne the aduice of your hye prudence And lyfe or death here in your presence Hooly of herte and neuer for to flytte Vnto the goddes and fortune I commytte So as them lyst for me to ordayne Againe whose wyll I shall neuer plaine Nor them nor you ne shall put in no blame What so betide honour ioye or shame And of this thyng thus an ende I make And for this tyme of you my leue I take And of all tho that you about stande And one by one he toke them by the hande And in what wyse forth he gan hym dresse To you anone I thyncke it to expresse VVhan that Titan had w t his ferueÌ„t hete Drawen vp the dewe fro the leues wete Towarde myd morowe as I can diffine Vpon the houre whan the clocke is nine Iason full manly and full like a knight Armed in stele of cherefull glad and lyght Gan dresse hym forth what hap that euer fal And sayd a dieu vnto his feres all He in the boote and they vpon the stronde And all a lone whan he came to londe And in the water had his vessell lafte He fyrst of all remembryng on the crafte Of Medea with all the circumstaunces And how he shulde kepe his obseruaunces In euery thing and had it well in mynde And than anone full manly as I fynde He shope him forth and went a knyghtly pase Toward the bulles that forged wer of brase But at the point whan he his iourney gan For him Medea wexed full pale and wan So sore agast that nothing might her glade A ruthe it was to see what wo she made For so her teares on her chekes twayne Full pyteously gan to destylle and rayne That all fordewed were her wedes blake And aye this sorowe she made for his sake Lyke a woman fearefull and in doubte While he his armes ful maÌ„ly brought about To sobbe and syghe she can not be in a peace Lest he for hast were ought rekles Fro point to point to do as she him bad This was the life that she
them of Troye tho For he on foote with him must haue go Ne had Pollux with many manly knyght Mo then .vii. hundred in stele armed bryght The rather come Castor to rescue Whiche after them so sore gan to sewe That maugre them Castor when he fond Of force he reste him from his enemies hōd And to his horse restored hym agayne And after that this Pollux in certayne Of very anger and of feruent Ire Agayne Troians with rancoure set a fyre That al at ones he vpon theim set And in his mode by fortune as he met A Troian knight called Eliatus In armes yonge freshe and desyrous Wonder semely and yet of tendre age The kinges sonne also of great Cartage And neuewe eke vnto king Lamedon Whom Pollux hath like a fierse Lyon Without compassion pytye or mercye Within the renges slayne ful cruelly That Lamedon whan he gan take hede Of inwarde dole felt his herte blede Whan he hym sawe in point vpon the deathe Full pyteously yelden vp the breathe Vpon the playne as he lay him beforne For whiche anone he made sowne a horne At which time there came in riche araye Seuen M. knigh tin all the haste they may Vpon his deathe auenged for to be Which merciles of theyr great crueltye The Grekes haue here and there confoūded Here lyeth one dead here another woūded So that they might with them hold no tacke So mortally they made theim go abacke That all gan tourne to theyr confusion And fynally that daye wyth Lamedon The triumphe had and the fielde ygone Saue that alas out of the towne anone Vnto the king there came a messengere That hath him tolde w t a ful piteous cheare How the Grekes haue his Citye take ¶ Then for to se the wo he tho did make It would haue made a piteus herte as bliue Of very dole a sundre for to riue So sore he gan within him selfe to mourne He wist not to what partye he may tourne But in a weuer he abiding longe Afore him sawe the mighty Grekes stronge And in the Citie another hoost behinde Almoste for wo he went out of his minde And sodeynly backward as he behelde Toward the Citye he sawe come in the felde First Hercules and with him Iason That by theyr sleyght wonnen had y e towne And in all hast this cruell Hercules The mighty giaunt of force pereles Lyke a Lyon wood and dispiteous Or a Tygre ramage and furyous Gan of newe theim of Troye assayle And with his sworde perce plate mayle Which of laboure were full mate and feynt And of longe fight with werinesse atteynt And he came in lusty freshe and grene That they his force might him not sustene For as he rode among theim here yonder In cruell wise he seuered theim a sonder And put theim hooly in this high mischaunce Out of rule and from all gouernaunce So that the kinge oppressed al with dole Out of his wardes destytute and sole At mischiefe left and all infortunate And of comforte fully disconsolate This Hercules with full dispiteous loke With sharpe spores his stede felly toke And cruelly rode forthe to Lamedowne And to the earth fiersly bare him downe And vpon him in all the hast he might Downe of his horse sodeinly alighte And mightely rent of his Basenet And with a swerd sharpe grounde and whet Smote of his head there was no other grace And cast it forth in the selfe place Amonge the horse by cruel violence Without pytye or any reuerence And in arage raught his horse agayne And like a Lion renning on the playne Bare down slough what so cā in his weye And many Troyan at y t time made deye That like to shepe were forskatered wide All destitute of gouernour or guide Ne can no reade shortly to conclude For the Grekes with double multitude Gan theim enchase to the death ful blyue That wel vnneth there left was one alyue The felde they haue ben that day victours And with triumphe like as conquerours To the citye they toke their waye after And rende adowne both wall sparre rafter And all the treasour and riches of the towne They toke anone to theyr possessyowne Who euer grutche or be lefe or lothe What they found there plainly w t them gothe And in the temples did great violēce There to the goddes doyng no reuerence For all they spoyle without dread or feare And vnto shippe euery thing they beare And mercyles on croked olde and lame Theyr swerdes they made cruelly to tame And childrē soukyng at theyr mother breste They kill and sley withouten more arest And yong maydens wepyng in distresse Full gentyl borne and of great semelynesse With theym they led may not them excuse Theyr freshe beaute falsly to misuse They waste bren and consumen all And roūde aboute they brake adowne y e wall And Exyone the kinges doughter dere That was to him so passingly entere By his life I meane to Lamedon Meke and bening of her condicion This Hercules hath anone her take That in her dreadful pyteously gan quake And her delyuered vnto Thelamowne For that he entred first into towne And he his gift receyued hath at gree Bycause she was surmounting of beautee And treated her after as he would Not like as he a kinges doughter shuld For syth he hath her wonne by victorye For his worship and his owne glorye Hauing regarde to her highe degree He shuld rather of knightly honestee And of knighthode wedded her therfore Sith that she was of blode so gentill bore Than of false lust agayne all goodlihead Vsed her beautye and her womanhaede Dishonestly and in such sinfull wise Of royall blode not lyke the high empryse Nor the doctrine of natures right Nor like to nurture of a gentil knight Consydered fyrst her birth and her kinrede Her grene youth and eke her maydenheade So good so fayre so womanly therto A kinges doughter of byrth she was also To haue her wed it coulde haue be no shame Now Thelamō in sothe thou were to blame For through the errour of thy gouernaunce There kindled was of ful highe vengeaunce So hote a sparke after of enuye That through y e world y e fire gan multeplye Which was not like to quenche of his hete For hatred olde to bren can not lete With newe flawme who so taketh hede If it not smoke it is the more to dread As in this storye hereafter shall be knowe whā this towne was brēt brought so low Bothe toure and wall w t y e soyle made playn And nothing stode of all that might be sein So vtterly the Grekes theym oppresse Makyng all waste like a wyldernes ¶ For good treasour ryches infynyte With many iewell full pleasing of delyte To theyr shippes out of the towne they lede And in shorte tyme homeward do they spede With treasour stuffed habūdaūce of good And when they sawe that the wether stode The wynd
lande An hundred thousand almost at thyn hande Agayne whose might y u mayst y e not assure To resyst playnly nor endure Consyder well how that they be stronge As thou shalt wyt peraunter or be longe So manly men and so well arayed Expert in armes and of olde assayed That no diffence may agayne theim vayle And wyte eke well that thou mayst not fayle By death of sworde of theyr hande to deye And all thyne there is no more to seye Though it so be proudly that thou speake And with thy tunge onely to be wreake Afermest more than thou mayst acheue Better it were such bostyng wordes leue And to wyse counsayle taketh better hede BVt than in haste agayne this Diomede Surquidous and inly full of pryde There rose vp some by the kynges syde With swordes drawe on him wold haue fal And al to hewen him there among theim all Of hasty yre brenning as the glede Tyll Pryamus gan to taken hede And rose him vp seyng this disease And manfully this rage gan appease Theim diffending vpon death and lyfe That none of theim be hardy in this stryfe The embassadoures to harme or to greue For though a fole his foly will not leue To presume to speake vnconningly A wyse man must suffer pacyently And though that he happe to do offence Through folishe speche for lacke of sapyence A wyse man ne ought sothe to sayne To taken hede or to speake agayne For to a fole as it is pertynent To shewe his foly right so conuenient Is to the wyse sothly with suffraunce In all his porte to haue tolleraunce For vnto foles belongeth kindely Without aduyse to speake folyly Vndiscretly his mening to fulfyll Where as a wyse man heare can and be styll Tyll he se tyme and haue pacience And dissimule in his aduertence The rage of foles that last but a throwe For by his tunge a fole is oft knowe And leuer I had I do you wel assure In my persone domage to endure Then to suffer any messengere In my court of you that be here To haue a wronge other great or lite The swerde of rancoure may not alway bite To do vengeaunce for a thyng of nought For oft it falleth that a wronge is wrought For lytel excesse foloweth great reprefe And haste is aye medled wyth myschefe Wherfore I byd that ye sytte adowne And in no wise of presumpciowne Attempteth not in no maner wyse By sygne or worde more for to despyse Thembassadoures from the Grekes sente But let theim frely declare theyr entente And ye there whyles kepe your lippes close ANd sodaynly then Eneas rose Whych next the kinge helde then his see So inwardly with rancour fret was he That he ne myght him selfe not refrayne And sayd syr so ye not disdayne That I shall saye me semeth that it is Wel according when one hath sayd amys And rekly spoken vnaduised Of his foly that he be chastysed That other maye example by him take To be wel ware such noyse and crye to make And specially in open audience So to offende your royall excellence And sothly yet I wote well that I might So me gouerne playnly in your syght Of hastinesse without auisement That I shulde by your commaundement The death deserue for my great offence And trewly yet ne were for your presence Of this twayne that haue so yspoke Without abode I shuld anone be wroke For it were worthy and ryght well sittyng Whan that a fole in presence of a kinge Is bolde or hardy of presumpcion To take on him of indiscrescion Thinge to reherse concluding in sentence Preiudyce of his magnificence That he were taught better to gouerne His large tunge to konne bet and diserne Whan he shal speake or whan be in pease To suffer him to renne out of lese As doth he this that spoke hath so large Wherfore in haste I counsayle him charge Without abode or any worde mo Out of your syghte anone he be ago For it is best to do as I him rede TO whom anone ful proudly Diomede Not astoned but with a sterne loke To Eneas that for yre quoke Answered agayne but with wordes fewe And sayd syr thy wordes doth well shewe What so thou be that thou art ryght wise Well is that king that doth by thyne aduyse Or hath the nye of counsayle for to be For he ne maye erre in no degre That art so rightful in thy iudgement Of wylfullnesse without aduysement To cause a lorde his bondes for to pace So would god in some other place That I myght by fauoure of fortune Mete with the at leysure oportune Lyke my desyre that canst so well endite In olde fables thy labour for to quyte And the to thanke for thy gentyll chere Which so knightly thou hast vs shewed here Truste well therto and haue therof no drede ANd tho Vlixes of this Diomede Gan interrupte his wordes prudently And to him sayde full aduysely That it was best to stynt and be still And now we know fully all thy will Quod Vlyxes full manly to the kynge We will go hense without more taryinge Out of thy sight to Agamenon And make to him playne relacion Of thy aunswere in ordre by and by And to horse they wenten sodaynly And in shorte time so hast them in their way That they be come there is no more to saye Where the kinge satte in his tentorye And worde by worde as came to memorye They reherse the substaunce euery dele Wherof the grekes like nothing wele Conceyuing full there was no remedye As by reporte of the embassadrye Saue onely this vtterly procede How they theim shall gouerne in this nede Agayne Troians of necessitee For they well wote it may none other be And assented both in wyl and dede To puruey theim fast they theim spede In this storye as ye shall after fynde BVt fyrst or I therof maken mynde I must a whyle of Eneas endyte As myne Auctour lyst of hym to wryte The whych sothly as bokes saye he was This manly Troian this worthy Eneas Anchises sone of great worthinesse Whylom gete of Venus the goddesse Conqueroure of many regyon Whan Troye was brought to destruction He wente his waye by the large see Called Tyrene and saylyng forth goth he By many coste and many streyght passage Many daunger tyll into Cartage He ryued is and thense gan to sayle To the conquest of the great Ytale And so to Rome he hath the waye take Of whose spring as auctours mencion make Came Augustus Cesar the Emperour That was whilom so noble a conquerour That his renowne to this daye doth shine And of Enee the Emperour Iustyne In his bokes called Autentykes Full playnly wryt therin the rubrykes That after Cesar so as Cesares Be named yet ryght so Eneades After Enee they name shoulden beare Whych fro Troye comen was so fere Vnto ytayle and of this Eneas As I haue tolde Cesar descended was Downe lyne ryght ful manly and royall
he there was none other boote Compelled was for to fight on foote And of knighthod his herte he resumeth And w t his swerde about him he consumeth All that withstande both the horse and man And furyously this Troian knight began Armes legges and shoulders by the bone To hewe of amid his mortall fone That grekes might afore him not sustene And as I reade that he slewe fiftene Of theim that were busy him to take And such a slaught he gan among thē make That they ne durst abyde afore his face ¶ And Merion in the selfe place This meane while toke vp Patroclus With heuy cheare and face full piteous And on his stede he layd it him beforne And to his tente anone he hath it borne Alway grekes in their cruell mode About Hector furyous and wode Felly abode fyghting vpon fote Of which some felt it full vnsote That presumed vpon him to presse But of manhode they ne woulden cesse Him to beset rounde on euery side Hauing a trust in their great pride Fynally at mischiefe him to take For they dempt he might not escape Their handes shortly by none aduenture Nor his stede by lyklyhede recure For of force they casten him to let And all attones gan on him to set And specially amonge theim euerichone I finde in sothe how that there was one A grekishe knight of right worthy fame ¶ And Carion playnly was his name That him enforced Hector to oppresse Whan he was most in mischiefe and distresse Beset with grekes him enuyroning Tyll of fortune aye on him awaytinge The longe daye in that fell fight To his rescuse there came a Troian knighte Midde of grekes whan he was beset And hent two dartes sharpe and kene whet And furiously fyrst he shoke the toen And through y e herte he smote this Carion That the darte into the felde gan glide By playte mayle throughout outher side That fatally of that deadly wounde This Caryon glode anone togrounde Amonge an hundred knightes of his ferys Afore conspyred with their fell chearis To haue slayne Hector by some maner waye But eft agayne this yonge knight of Troye Full delyuer raughte another spere And cast at one that he sawe yfere Auaunce him selfe on Hector in the felde And through his plates playnly his shelde Line right that he ne should asterte Of very might roue him through the herte ¶ And after that in all the hast he coude Vpon Troians he gan to crye aloude To enhaste theim knightly to succoure Worthy Hector that stode in aduenture Amonge grekes hauing no refute Sole he him selfe of helpe destitute At whych crye on grekes all vnware ¶ Fyrst of all came worthy Cincibare That brother was to Hector borne in baste Ridinge him selfe tofore in all haste And y e knightes of whom he tho was guyde Wonder proudly pricking by his syde Sodaynly together one and all In a froshe be on the grekes fall That had Hector rounde beset aboute And through manhode of this great route That be enbushed on theim at the backe Thre hondred knightes of which y t I spacke For astoned gan theim to withdrawe But thurty first cruelly were slawe And maugre theim Hector of manhede Amid the felde taken hath his stede And entred is in amonge the prees As he that daye of knighthode pereles While he helde his blody sworde in hande All tho that there in felde agayne him stande There was no helpe playnly nor no rede But that he brake and karfe a two the threde And the knotte of cruell Attropos Onely for he was let of his purpose At his leyser to spoylen Patroclus Therfore in Ire wood and furious Full cruelly grekes quytte he their mede Whiche from his face faste gan them spede Whose sharpe sworde bathed in theyr bloud Was dyed red for it dyd hym good Vpon them tho auenged for to be For that daye a Lyon played he Vpon grekes his manhode for to haunte For he their pryde so mortally gan daunte That they hym fledde where so that he rode Makyng all hote the streintes of their bloud Endlonge to renne and shede vpon y e grene ¶ Tyll the tyme the duke of great Athene That called was whylom Menesteus With thre thousande knyghtes full famous Of whom he was both lorde and guyde The fyelde hath take vpon the lefte syde For a deceyte in full secrete wyse ¶ Where Troylus was with y e folke of Frise Whiche hath that daye who so lyste to seke By his knighthode kylled many greke Lyke a Tygre gredy on his praye Troylus bare hym all the longe daye Sleynge of grekes many worthy knyght And whyle that he was busyest in fyght ¶ Agayne his foen with kyng Antipus And the kynge that hyght Alchanus Vpon grekes ylyche freshe and newe Making their sides all of blody hewe By one assent these thre through their māhed And specially vpon his bay stede Where so euer that this Troylus rode Euery greke that his sworde abode Sodaynly he made for to sterue Through their plates he gan so depe kerue ¶ And this continued tyll duke Meneste Of Troylus sawe the great cruelte And the slaughter that he of grekes made Of hasty yre with face pale and fade ¶ Hent a spere and threwe it in the rest And Troylus smytte euen amydde the brest So sternely that maugre his renowne To the earth anone he bare him downe In the myddes of his mortall foen That cruelly hym besette anone And hym to treyne layde out hoke and lase Rounde about in maner of compase With spere darte and swordes forged bright But he hym selfe deffendeth lyke a knight 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 myschyefe take that he escape nought On euery halfe he was so besette With sworde spere kene grounde whette Alone alas mortally bestadde They seased hym forth they haue him ladde Tyll Mesers a worthy knight of Troye Gan to crye as he stode in the waye Sore abashed in ryght furyous wyse Oh ye noble worthy men of Fryse Manly knightes aye preued in the fyelde Moste renowmed both with spere and shielde Consyder now vnto your hyghe fame And aduert the glorye of your name How this daye throughe your neclygence By the power and myghty vyolence Of the grekes Troylus is ytake Sool in the fyelde for ye haue hym forsake That shall rebounde to your alder shame For ye in soth greatly are to blame If he that is of worthynesse the floure Betake of grekes for lacke of your succoure That but yf ye taken hasty wreche Shameful reporte your honour shall apeche Perpetually and saye therof amys In your defaute that Troylus taken is Whiche named be so worthy and famous And with that worde the kyng Alcamus Of
That eueryche other to the earth smytte That to beholde was a knightly syght And after they bothe on foote fyght By lyklyhead tho in theyr wood rage Other to fall in full great domage Amonge the horse bycause that they stode Vpon the soyle all ouer spredde with blode ¶ But Phyloctetes is to Ayax come And hath him vp amonge the horse ynome That knightly fought as made is memorye For sothly elles Troians with victorye Had had the fyelde playnly for to sayne Tyll Philoctetes with his wardes twayne Euen in the face manly theim withstode And with a spere he fyrst to Hector rode And vpon him the shafte I fynde he brake But sothly he vpon his horse bake Kept him so well for all that fell stroke Remeuinge not but sturdy as an oke Sat in his sadell vpryght with his chine And wyth a spere ryght as any lyne Into the body depe through the shyelde Philoctetes he smote into the fielde That of his lyfe hys knightes were in doubt ¶ But tho came in with so great a route ¶ Kynge Humerus and Vlixes eke And with them brought many worthy greke Ten thousād knightes manly men echone That gan Troians for to assayle anone And cruelly on euery halfe certayne With multytude they haue theim so belayne That dispayred and disconsolate And of longe fyght a waped and a mate Gan withdrawe faynted in battayle And eke theyr horse sothly gan to fayle That on theyr syde all went vp so downe ¶ But Parys tho with them of Troy towne Is entred in in ful manly wyse And fyrst he mette with the kynge of Fryse That to Vlyxes nye was of allye Whom Parys smote with so great enuye That he hym slewe wherof grekes were Sore abashed and after wyth a spere ¶ Vlyxes rode to auenge him if he might And fyrst when he of Parys had a syght Into the brest he gan his spere throwe That fynally for he bare to lowe Fayling of Parys sothely as I reade Vnder him he slewe his mighty stede That maugre him he to grounde is gone And he on him would haue fall anone ¶ But Troilus tho mette him in the berde And furyously with his sharpe swerde He smote Vlyxes throughout his viser That lyke a condyte or a small ryuer Downe by his face of bloud the streames ran But Vlyxes tho lyke a manly man Of that stroke astoned not at all But on his stede stiffe as any wall With his swerde so mightely gan race Through the vmber into Troylus face That he him gaue a large mortall wounde Of which stroke passingly ioycounde The grekes were supposing in theyr thought How Troians fynally were brought Vnto outtraunce and sothly so they hadde Saue that Hector w t knightes which he lad And with him Parys and Deiphobus And al his brethern ī knighthod most famous Troylus also for all his laste wounde That was alway so noble knight yfounde All at ones be ioyned into one And vpon grekes sodaynly be gone ¶ And worthy Hector alder fyrst began Grekes to enchase that afore him ran Like as beastes that fledde fro the death And euer in one thus he killeth and sleyeth Whom he mette or durst his stroke abyde And on his foen with freshe woundes wyde The slaught he made alway to renewe And thylke daye in blody rosen hewe He hath theyr plates their harneys steined And thought it had bloud from heauē rained The soyle redder might not tho 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 daye Hector had 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 when he had sought full longe And grekes sawe of new wexen stronge To his knyghtes he is agayne repeyred Whych in theim selfe greatly were dispayred For his absence but tho when they him se Full inwardly recomforted they be And with glad hert haue theyr lorde receiued And theyr gladnesse when he hath perceyued ¶ Spake vnto theim full affectiously And lykewyse prayed theim full beningly To remembre knyghtly in their herte And consyder wysely and aduerte First the wronges that grekes haue them do Of yore ago and ouermore also If grekes had that daye the victorye Farewell for aye the honour and glorye Of Troyan bloud in conclusyowne For fynally we and eke our towne Shall mortally tournen to ruyne And our honour that was wont to shyne Throughout the world and our worthinesse Eclipse shall and tournen to dercknesse But ye this daye lyke as men you quyte Wherfore I praye that no man ne atwyte Your hygh renowne of any cowardise To sette vpon in full manly wise And not to spare for dread of death I praye ¶ And they echone full lowly gan obeye To his desyre withouten longer tale And entryng in by a certayne vale Vpon grekes these worthy knyghtes all Folowing Hector sodaynly be fall Full mortally or that they were ware And Hector tho no greke would spare But euery where to theyr confusyon He killed and slewe aboute him enuyron And his knyghtes riding by his side Made theyr foen maugre all their pryde To lese their lande flewe out of their sighte ¶ Tyll that the kinge which y e Thoas hight On grekes syde inwarde gan him dresse And of newe fulll knyghtly gan oppresse Them of Troye this knight this manly mā ¶ That had afore slayn Cassybellan One of the sonnes of king Pryamus But as he rode of fortune it fell thus That all the brethren on a frushe he mette Which of assent enuyron him besette And from his sadell that many greke beheld Amonge the horse smyt him into felde And of they rente first his basenet And cruelly they had his head of smet For he vnarmed all at myschief stode ¶ Saue that the Duke furyous and wood Of Athenes riding tho a great pase Reskued him in this mortall case With his knightes that about him rode And him to helpe without more abode With a spere sharpe whet and kene ¶ Fyrst of all he fell on Quintiline That busy was Thoas to haue slawe And the bretherene made also withdrawe Whan Quintiline of his horse was throwe ¶ But Parys thē drewe vp his mighty bow And to this Duke let an arowe glyde And through his plates hit him in the side Vpon a rybbe that made him sore to blede Of whych stroke he ne toke no hede Bycause onely that he so feruent was Amid his foen to helpe thus kinge Thoas Amonge the horse that was bore to grounde In poynt of death with many mortall woūd Onely for he was naked on the head But this Duke fully deuoyde of dread Of his knighthod in this perillous case Amid his foen hath holpe the king Thoas And with his lyfe made him scapen fre And Hector aye of cruell enmitee Iliche freshe for nothing would leue Vpon grekes his manhode for
the impresse Of Troian bloud that thou art descended Whych of grekes longe hath be offended Wherfore I reade to leue theim vtterly And he aunswered agayne full humbly That sythen he of byrthe was a greke And was of youthe among them fostred eke From the tyme of his natiuitye And taken had the ordre and degre Of knighthod eke amonges theim aforne And ouer this bounde was and sworne To be trewe as to theyr nacion Making of bloud none excepcion He swore he would conserue his beheste And to Hector he made this requeste That if that he of manfull gentilnesse Would of knyghthod and of worthinesse Shewe vnto hym so great affectiowne To make theim that were of Troye towne Onely withdrawe grekes to pursewe And for theyr tentes make theim to remewe And resorte agayne vnto the towne Of knighthode routhe and compassyowne Without assaylynge or anye more affraye Made on the grekes for that ilke day Sythe vnto theim ought ynoughe suffyse That of the fielde in so knightly wyse They were of manhead fully possessours And of theyr fomen fynally victours Like as tofore fully is defyned To whose request Hector is enclyned Alas the while of hasty wilfulnesse And made anone without auysenesse Amydde the fielde trumpet for to blowe Wherby Troians fully mighten knowe His wil was that they shulde theÌ„ withdrawe After custome playnely and the lawe And the vsaunce both of nyghe and ferre Amonges them that be experte in werre Whan they were moste feruent for to fyght Vpon grekes for to preue their might And had them chaced lowe to the stronde That they were weake of power to withstaÌ„de For they of Troye all of one desyre Gan sette on with shotte of wylde fyre To brenne their shyppes of high mischauÌ„ce Fynally to put them at outtraunce ¶ And so they had this the very trouth Ne had Hector had vpon them routh Makyng Troyans repayre ayene to towne Vngraciously to their confusyowne As the story shall after specifye For tho he put alas in iupardye Lyfe death whiche elles might haue be sure And whiche againe they shall neuer recure ¶ How the grekes through their suite opteyned of kyng Pryam a trewce for eyght wekes and of their battayles after the trewce ended Capitulo .xxiii. THey haue matter to complaynen sore For fro that daye farewell for euermore Laude victory and fro them of the towne To them denyed by disposyowne Of mortall fate whiche contrarye In this matter me lyste no lenger tarye For they of Troye be entred their Citie And shet their gates for more suretie For of that daye lyke as made is mynde Thus was the ende in Guydo as I fynde They wende haue done peraunter for the best ¶ And when the sonne was ygo to rest They toke their ease all that ylke night Tyll on the morowe Tytan clere and bryght Shadde his beames on their hemispherye Makyng the daye for to shewe merye At whiche tyme Troyans anone right They that were hole and lusty for to fyght Gan arme theim in purpose full that daye Their foen to mete platly if they maye For that was hole their wyll playne entent And eke they had in commaundement Tofore of Hector redy them to make Out of their slepe a morowe whan they wake Of whiche thynge they were not neclygent But to Pryam the grekes haue ysent There messangers the same day or pryme To take trewce onely for the tyme Of eyght wekes the whiche Pryamus With Hectors wyll the story telleth thus Hath graunted them and by auctoritye Of all the wyse that were in the Citie In whiche tyme whyle they leyser haue The grekes gan to burye and to graue The bodyes that afore weren slawe Lyke their rytes in their paynem lawe With all their might and their busy cure For some brent and some by sepulture Enclosed were lyke their estate in all And thus they helde the feast funerall Fro day to day duryng aye the peace ¶ In whiche space I fynde how Achelles Of Patroclus the death hath sore playned As he that was with teares all be rayned So inwardly he loued hym in herte That for the anguyshe and the cruell smerte He longe abode in lamentacion And dyd make by great affection A large toumbe for a remembraunce Myd the fielde as tho was the vsaunce Amonge grekes with great reuerence Lyke the honour and the excellence ¶ Of royall burying so this Patroclus Ygraue was and Protheselaus In their toumbes korue of marbyll graye And nye together in a playne they laye The werke about them rychly was ywrought And to the earth they were together brought Solempnely lyke the obseruaunces Of their rytes with the circumstaunces Of grekes vsed sothly in tho dayes Fro poynt to poynt as longeth to their layes Of suche as weren of estate royall So holden was the feast funerall Of these two whyles the trewse doth laste ¶ And they of Troye busyed them full faste With all their might and their bufy eure The grene hurtes and woundes for to cure By their aduyse that were in surgerye Full well experte to shapen remedye Their swolle sores to soften of their payne That in the space of these monthes twayne They were restored to helth in euery thynge In whiche time Priamus the kinge ¶ Suche sorowe made for Cassybellan In his herte that no wyght ne can Hym recomforte of his heuinesse For day by day of inwarde tendernesse Full pyteously he gan to sobbe and wepe ¶ And the body he made for to kepe Aboue the earth for a certayne space Tyll he had chosen out some worthy place To his burying and his sepulture And as Guydo vs fully doth assure ¶ In Venus temple ryche as any shryne He made his men a toumbe for to myne In marbell greye and metall rychely In whiche he put full solempnely The dead corps of this Cassybellan Beinge present full many manly man In the phane of Cytherea The whiche thynge when that Cassandra Within her selfe consydered and behelde And sawe vp offred his helme eke his shelde His sworde also and vnto Mars his stede Of inwarde wo she felte her herte blede Heryng the noyse and the pyteous crye The tender wepynge and sorowyng vtterly Of them of Troye and lamentaciowne Which for their frendê throughout al y e towne They gan to make that were slawe afore With sodeyne rage her herte was all to tore So inwardely she might her not restrayne Furyously to crye and to complayne And sayde alas full ofte and welawaye ¶ Oh wofull wretches that ye be this daye Vnhappy eke and graceles also Infortunate and inly wo bego How ye may suffre the great harmes kene Whiche ye are lykely hereafter to sustene Duryng the syege in this towne belocke Seynge your foen redy to be wroke Aboute you beset on euery syde To be venged on your great pryde I wote ryght well ye may them not eschewe That they ne shall vnto the death pursewe You euerychone besyeged in this place Without mercy
greue ¶ And so they mette strongly on other syde And gan assemble and together ryde Full cruelly and with great hatrede And with theim tho that Paris had to lede He entred in full mighty stronge archeres Of Perce lande with many Arbalasters That with theyr arowes filed sharp rouÌ„de And w t quarelles square whette and ground Full many greke hath reued of his lyfe And amiddes of this mortall stryfe ¶ Agamenon into the felde is come Towardes whom Hector hath ynome The right way threwe him from his stede Amonge his knightes that he there did lede He spared nought for all the great prese ¶ And therwithall anone came Achilles That in awayte of Hector tho had layne And sodaynly with all his might and payne ¶ Hector he smote on the head so sore That w t y e stroke mine auctour sayth no more His basenet was bowed and ycrased ¶ Of which stroke Hector not amased On Achilles shuld anone yfall Ne had Eneas with his knightes all And worthy Troylus come and go betwene The which twayne with their swerdes kene Gan Achilles felly for to assale To hewe his playtes and to perse his mayle And tho began the slaught on euery syde Of men of foote and of theim that ryde ¶ Like a condyte their woundes gaÌ„ to blede And in this whyle cruell Dyomede Were it by hap aduenture or case So as he rode mette wyth Eneas And ryght anone as he had him founde He smet at hym and gaue him such a wound That lykly was he should it not recure But if therto be do the better cure ¶ And therupon full despyteously Thys Diomede in his melancolye Repreued hath this Troian knight Enee And sayd to him all hayle for thou art he That whylom gaue to Pryamus the kinge A fell counsayle hasty and bytynge Me to haue slayne by sodayne violence When I was last at Troye in his presence That trust me wel and haue it well in minde Amyd the fyelde if I the eft fynde Thou shalt thy counsayle mortally repente If that fortune hereafter will assent To brynge the aryght vnto my hande At good leyser here in thine owne londe ¶ I am full sette thy laboure for to quyte here my trouth this swerde shal kerue bite So kenely thy Troian bloud to shede That fynally death shall be thy mede The which I beare atwene my haÌ„dê twayne And w t that word he might him not restrayn This Diomede but rode all sodaynly Vpon Enee and tho so furyously He smote at him this hardy cruell knight With such a payne and so great a myght That from his horse he made him for to fall Maugre the myght of his knightes all The which stroke he lyked but full yll ¶ And in this while Hector hath Achylle Assayled so that through his basenet He perced hath and with his swerde him smet And hath so narowe brought him to y e poynt Of hye mychefe and in suche disioynt Constrayned hym that of necessite He had hym take ne had only be Sodayne rescues of thys chyualrous ¶ That called is the sonne of Tydyus I meane the fell fyrse Dyomede Which Achilles hath holpen in his nede For he through force of his armes twayne Smote Hector tho with so great a payne That he him gaue a wounde full greuous But he nothyng mine auctour wryteth thus Astoned was this knight this manly man But with his swerde in all the haste he can Smote Diomede so furyous and wrothe That from his horse to the earth he gothe For all his pryde and his surquidrye ¶ The which anone as Troylus did espye Without abode downe of his stede alyght With Dyomede a foote for to fyght And eche of theim in sothfastnesse than Aquyte him selfe lyke a manly man That nother was in muche nor in lyte In no degre of manhode for to wyte ¶ And while they fought Hector Achilles Togyther mette agayne amonge the prees And ran yfeare fyersly in theyr rage As wood Lyons when they be ramage Right so in sothe they faired in their fighting And in that tyme Menelay the kinge Full proudly shope him Troians for to mete ¶ Vlyxes eke and also Pollymete And after him came Neptolonyus ¶ Pallamides and eke Scelemus ¶ Duke Meneste Nestor and Thoas ¶ Currynulus and Phyloctheas ¶ And Theseus as it is made mynde With his knyghtes proudly came behinde ¶ And on the partye of theim of the towne Came all the kinges without excepciowne That were assembled into their dâ—ffence Agayne Grekes to maken resystence Except the knightes which y t Hector ladde And the wardes that he made hadde The same daye as sayeth the Latin boke In knightly wyse the fyelde when y t he toke And tho began the fell mortall fyght In which that daye ful many worthy knight In fates handes fynally are fall And of fortune amonge the wardes all ¶ Agamenon the noble mighty kynge All sodaynly as he came rydynge ¶ Pantysylaus in his waye he mette Agaynst whom anone his horse he sette And he to him full knyghtly rode agayne And as they mette there is no more to sayne On horse backe whiles they weren wrothe Of violence they were vnhorsed bothe ¶ And Menelay Parys mette of newe The whych two well togyther knewe Full desyrous eche other for to dere ¶ But Menelay caught fyrst a spere And hytte Parys wyth all his busy cure But for surenesse of his stronge armure And mighty plates his wouÌ„de was but small Which in effect greued not at all But with that stroke vnto grounde he gothe Of whych fall Parys wexed wrothe Wonder confuse and also red for shame Lest the reporte in hinderyng of his name Came to the eares of quene Heleyne How he that daye might not atteyne With Menelay to holde chaumpartye Lykly to sowne vnto his vilanye The whych at herte greued him full sore And Adrastus the kinge withouten more So as he rode the kinge Vlyxes fonde And knightly both they fought hoÌ„de to hoÌ„de And as they fought downe to the earth lowe From his horse Vlyxes hath him throwe And ful proudly in sygne of his victorye He sente his horse home to his Tentorye ¶ And in that tyme amonges all the prese ¶ Full sodaynly kynge Pallamydes Is fall on Hupon with his lockes hore And in his yre wounden him so sore That he fell dead and grouelyng to y e grouÌ„d His mortall swerde was so kene ygrounde Besyde whom Neptolonius Assayled hath kinge Archylogus The whych him selfe manly gan defende But as they faught and many strokes speÌ„de In their diffence it would be none other Eueryche of theim hath vnhorsed other ¶ And tho came in riding on his stede ¶ Pollidamas and gan to taken hede Amonge the renges a lytell him besyde Where as the kinge Pollamides doth ryde And fiersely tho full lyke a manly man He smote his stede and to him he ran And maugre his might and his worthinesse As the storye playnly beareth
meninge afore theim specifye And sayd syres in whom I most affye ¶ To you is knoweÌ„ how y e king Thoas here Is in this Cite taken prisonere And is as yet belocked in prisowne Whych euer hath be vnto Troye towne An enemye great vnto his power And vs offended aye both ferre and nere In many wise albe we lytell retche As ferre as he his force might do stretche And now w t Grekê came to besiege our town As he that willeth our destructiowne And therupon hath do his busynesse Wherfore of dome and of rightwysnesse Both of reason and of equite I saye playnly as semeth vnto me So that it be to you acceptable And that ye thynke my counsayle coÌ„meÌ„dable Like as he hath cast our death and shape I holde it rightfull that he not escape But that by death he receyue his guerdon For ryght requireth and also good reason That death for death is skilful guerdonning Vnto my witte and right well syttyng ¶ Say your aduise now playnly in this case ¶ And fyrst of all tho spake this Eneas And sayd lorde so it be none offence To your highnesse to gyue me audyence Thrugh support here of theÌ„ that be full wyse I shall reherse playnly my deuise What is to worke as in this mattere Me semeth fyrst my lyege lorde so deare That your noble royall excellence Consydre shoulde with full high prudence In euery worke and operacion To caste afore in conclusyon The fynall ende that may after sewe For to a wyse man onely is not dewe To se the gynning and the ende nought But both attones peysen in his thought And weye theim so iustly in balaunce That of the fine ensewe no repentaunce Why I saye this and platly why I meane Is for that ye ought for to sene How kinge Thoas one of the pryncipall Amonge the grekes is and of y t bloud royall If ye consydre descended as by lyne Wherfore if he haue thus foule a fyne As to be slayne whyle he is in pryson It happen might as in conclusyon That ye and yours that therto assente Here afterwarde shoulde it sore repent ¶ I preue it thus that by aduenture Of fortunes rule that no man may assure Some of your lordes were another daye Of grekes take as it happe maye Or of your sonnes full worthy of renowne Or of kinges that here be in this towne Trusteth me well that suche lyke gentylnesse As ye to theim shewen in their distresse They will you quyte when in case semblable Fortune to theim they fynde fauorable The which no man constrayne may or binde Wherfore my lord haueth this thing in mind ¶ For yf Thoas of shorte auysemente Shall now be dead through hasty iudgemeÌ„t Another daye Grekes wyll vs acquyte And for rygour make their malyce byte On some of yours who euer that it be And nother spare high nor lowe degre Though he were peraunter of your bloud The which thinge for all this worldes good It might fall that ye ne would se Wherfore I reade to let kinge Thoas be Honestly kept in your presowne Like his estate still here in this towne Lest as I sayd that another daye Some lorde of yours as it happe maye Casuelly were take of auenture By his eschaunge ye might best recure Without stryfe your owne man agayne In this matter I can no more sayne But fynally this is my full rede ¶ To which counsayl Hector toke good hede And for it was according to reason He it commendeth in his opynion ¶ But Pryam euer of one entencion Stode alway fixe to this conclusion Playnly affirminge if greks may espye That we this kinge spare of gentrye They will arrecte it cowardyse anone That we dare not venge vs of our foen For very dread hauynge none hardynesse Nor herte nother to do rightwisenesse Yet neuerthelesse after your assente That he shall lyue I wyll in myne entente To your desyre fully condescende ¶ And of this counsayle so they made an end Without more saue Eneas is ygo ¶ And Troylus eke and Anthenor also Into an hall excelling of beaute The quene Heleyne of purpose for to se With whom was eke Hecuba the quene And other ladyes goodly on to sene And many mayde that yonge lusty was And worthy Troylus with this Eneas Did their labour and their busy payne For to comforte the fayre quene Heleyne As she that stode for the werre in dreade But for all that of very womanheade Thilke time with all her herte entere As she well could made to theim good chere Hauinge of conninge iuly suffysannce Both of cheare and of dalyaunce And Hecuba beyng in this hall Very example vnto women all Of bounte hauinge soueraygne excellence In wisedome eke and in eloquence Besought theim tho wonder womanly And counsayled eke full prudently For any haste both of nigh and ferre Auysely to kepe theim in the werre And not ieoparte theyr bodies folyly But to aduerte and caste prudently In diffence knightlyy of the towne Theim to gouerne by discresciowne She spake of fayth could nothing feyne And then of her and after of Heleyne They toke leue and no longer dwell But went their waye forth I will you tell ¶ How the Grekes on the same morowe Amonge theÌ„ selfe complayne makeÌ„ sorowe Their harmes great in murmur and in rage The losse the costes and the great domage That they haue there endured folylye Lastynge the werre and wisten neuer whye The death slaught of many worthy man That there were dead sith y t the werre began Hunger and thurst watche and colde also Full great vnreste sorowe thought and wo And all together for a thinge of nought In sothfastnesse if the grounde be sought This was the noyse rumour eke that ran Throughout y e hoost y t day from man to maÌ„ And most amonge the pore souldiours Which bare the bronte euer of such shoures And the mischiefe of werre comonly And though they plain they haue no remedy Of sondry thinges which sit theim full vnsoft And thus grekes complayned haue full ofte Of many mischief that hath on theim fall The which they might haue eschewed all If they ne had of foly gonne a werre Out of Grece nat come halfe so ferre To their mischief and confusyon This was that daye their lamentacion ¶ Which to encrease the same nexte night So derked was without sterre light So cloudy blacke and so thicke of ayre Dimmed with skyes foule and nothing fair So windy eke with tempest all belayne Almost for drenched with the smoky rayne And in the felde astoned here and yonder With sodayne stroke of the dreadfull thonder And with opening of the hidous leuene That it semed in the high heauen The Cataractes hadden be vndo For both the cloudes and the skyes two Sodainly wexen were so blake Like as the goddes would haue takeÌ„ wrake And had of newe assented be in one The lande to drenche of Deucalyon And all this world without more refuge To
he was so passynge odyous So lyke a deuyll and so monstruous And there was founde none so hardy a knight On horsebacke that had force or might To holde his horse whan they myght hym se But that anone a backe he wolde do flee And of this archer I fynde wryten eke That he that day slewe full many greke And wounded them with his arrowes kene Throughout y e plates forged bryght shene For there was none afore hym that abode But to their tentes faste away they rode They myght not his hydous loke endure Tyll there befell a wonder aduerture Whyle they of Troye by helpe of this archer Sewe on the chase to their lodgyng ner And slewe of them in mischiefe and in dreade ¶ Besyde a Tent mette hym Dyomede With this archer of necessyte For it stode so that he ne myght hym flee No maner way nor a backe remewe For lyfe nor deth he myght hym not eschewe So many Troyan was tho at his backe That in his flyinge he had go to wracke ¶ Wherfore anone this worthy Dyomede With cruell herte faste gan hym spede And towarde him proudely for to dreffe But this archer by great aduysenesse Fyrst with an arrowe smytte Dyomede Thrugh his harneys that he made him blede Of whiche stroke he wexed so wood wroth That to this monstre so hydous and so loth He went a pase and hym vnarmed fonde And with y t sworde that he helde in his honde He gaue to hym his laste fattall wounde That he fell dead grouelynge vnto y e ground The death of whom grekes reioysynge And in all haste their hertes resumynge Began them selfe for to recomforte And into fyelde proudely they resorte ¶ By conueyinge of Policenare The worthy Duke that so well hym bare Vpon Troyans that day in the fyelde But whan Hector the slaught of him behelde Vpon this Duke anone he gan to sette And on their stedes fyersly as they mette ¶ Hector hym slewe of full great hatrede And after that on Gallathe his stede So as he rode forth amonge the prese Or he was ware he mette with Achylles And with their speres longe large and round In purpose fully eche other to confounde They ran yfeare yrous and right wrothe That with the stroke they were vnhorsed both ¶ But Achylles with a dispyteous herte Fyrst as I reade into his sadell sterte And busy was with all his inwarde peyne Gallathe to taken by the reyne Therof for euer Hector to depryue And bad his men to lede it home as blyue So that Hector there was none other bote Full lyke a man faught standyng on his fote Amonges the grekes and his fomen all And to his knightes loude he gan to call For his stede that they shulden sewe And they in haste his horse to rescue Ben attones fallen vpon Achylle ¶ And maugre him of force agayne his will They haue from hym berafte it on the plaine And vnto Hector restored it agayne Which in knighthod so moche him self assureth In their dispyte his sadell he recureth Whiche afterwarde full dere they aboughte For lyke a lyon all that day he wrought Amonges them rydyng here and there And as the death they fled his sword for fere Through whose manhod troians efte begyn Vpon grekes the fielde agayne to wyn ¶ But it befell amyd their great fyght That Anthenor a certayne Troyan knight Amonge the prese is so fer ygone That of grekes he was take anone And to their tentes sent in haste he was Albe his sonne called Pollydamas To rescue hym dyd his dylygence So manfully that no neclygence Was founde in hym who so lyste to seke And that full dere a bought many greke The same day through his worthynesse But for cause onely of derckenesse And for that it gan drawe towarde nyght They made an ende onely for lacke of lyghte And grekes went home to their lodgyng And eke Troyans tyll on the mornyng ¶ That Phebê° gan his bryght beames shew And Aurora newe gan to dewe The herbes sote and the grene leues Both on hayes and in freshe greues Syluer bryght with rounde perles fyne That so clerely agayne the sonne shyne And shewe them selfe so oryent and shene On hylle and vale and on euery grene The rody morowe tyll the hote beames Of bryght Phebus with his fyry stemes Vapoureth vp their moysture into ayre The wether cleare agreable and fayre And attempre also of his hete Whan the Troians caste them for to mete With their fomen platly if they maye And out they went in their beste arraye With their wardes into fyelde by rowe ¶ Agaynst whom grekes were not slowe But shope them forth without longer lette Tyll they togyther manfully haue mette And with their speres and their swordes clere They ran together with a dispyteous chere Tyll shyuered was a sonder many spere On sheldes stronge them selfe for to were And ryuen was on peces many targe And with axes rounde brode and large On basenettes as they tho smyte and shrede Full many knyght mortally gan blede In sothfastnesse and as I tell can The same day was slayne many a man On outher parte but most of Troye towne Albe Guydo maketh no mencyowne Of no person as in specyall On nouther syde but in generall Saue he concludeth playnely that this fyght Lasted fro morowe tyl that it was nyght The which Troyans haue ful dere abought For that day fortune holpe them nought But tourned hole to their confusyowne And so they be repeyred to the towne And to their tentes grekes fast them spede ¶ Till on the morowe they senten Dyomede With Vlixes to Troye the cytie For a trewes onely for monthes thre If kyng Pryam therto wolde assente And as they two on this message wente A certayne knyght borne of Troye towne That hyght Dolon of great discreciowne And also was ryght famous of rychesse Of curtesy and of gentylnesse His deuer dyd and his diligence Them to conueye vnto the presence ¶ Of Pryamus in his paleys royall And in his sea most chyefe and pryncipall Where as he satte his lordes enuirowne With many knyght full worthy of renowne They gan to hym fyrst to specyfye Hooly the substaunce of their embassadrye And of the trewes theyr entent they tolde If it so were that he assent wolde And the kyng benyngnely them herde And by aduyse prudently answerde That thervpon his honour for to saue At good leyser he wolde a counsayle haue With his lordes and fully hym gouerne In this matter lyke as they discerne ¶ And to conclude shortly euerychone Assented be except Hector alone Vnto the trewes and wolde it not denye But Hector sayde that of trecherye Onely of slaughter and false treason Their axynge was vnder occasyon Fyrste to burye grekes that weren dead And vnder coloure therof out of dread Afterwarde them selfe to vyttayle For he well knewe that their stuffe gan fayle And enfamyned leste they shulden dye They sought a space them selfe to purueye By
outwarde sygnes that he dyd espye Wherfore quod he me lyketh not to lye By apparaunce as I dare presume Whyles that we waste thus and consume Oure stuffe within as it is to dreade They wyll prouyde of what y t they haue nede For all that is to them auauntage Myght be to vs hyndryng and damage And whyles that they encreasen and amende We shall our store discrease and dispende Yet neuerthelesse how euer that it be Touchyng this trewes as for monthes thre Sythen ye all assent and it accorde From your sentence I will not discorde In no wyse as to be varyaunt And thus the trewes confirmed was by graūt On outher syde they thought for the beste Bycause they shulde in quyet and in reste The meane whyle ease them and releue And they that felte their woundes sore greue Myght leyser haue their sores to recure And in y t meane while trewes did thus endure They fell in treatee and in communyng ¶ Of Anthenor and of Thoas the kyng That Anthenor delyuered shulde be For kyng Thoas to Troye the cyte ¶ And Thoas shuld to grekes home againe By this enchaunge as ye haue herd me saine One for an other as it accorded was ¶ And in this while y e troian byshop Calchas Remembred hym vpon his doughter dere Called Cryseyde with her eyen clere Whom in Troye he had lefte behynde Whē he went thense as bokes maken mynde For whom he felte passyngly great smerte So tenderly she was sette at his herte And enprented both at eue and morowe And chiefe cause and grounde of al his sorowe For she was lefte behynde him in the towne Without comforte or consolaciowne As he caste sothly in his absence And specially for his great offence That he hath wrought agaynst thē of Troye And as hym thought he shuld neuer haue ioye Tyll he his doughter recured hath agayne ¶ Wherfore Calchas the story sayth certaine In his wyttes many wayes caste How he best might while the trewes doth last Recure his doughter by some maner waye And as I fynde vpon a certayne daye In his porte wonder humbly With wepyng eye wente full pyteously In his complaynyng of teares albe reyned Whose inwarde wo sothly was not feyned And on his knees anone he falleth downe Tofore the great kyng Agamenowne Besechynge hym with all humilite Of very mercy and of hyghe pyte With other kynges syttyng in the place To haue routhe and for to do hym grace And on his wo to haue compassyon That he maye haue restitucion Of his doughter whom he loued so Praying them all their deuer for to do That through their prudent mediacyon For Anthenor that was in their pryson With kyng Thoas she myght eschaunged be If that them lyste of their benignite To his requeste goodly to assent And they him graunt forth anone they sent To kyng Pryam for to haue Creseyde For Calchas sake and therwith al they leyde The charge for her wonder specially On them that went for this embassadrye ¶ To Troye towne and to kynge Pryamus To whom Calchas was so odyus So hatefull eke throughout all the towne That this reporte was of him vp and downe That he a treatour was and also false Worthy to be enhonged by the halse For his treason and his doublenesse And euermore they sayd eke expresse That he deserued hath by ryght of lawe Shamefully fyrste for to be drawe And afterwarde the moste horryble death That he may haue to yelden vp the breth Lyke as a treatour in as dyspyteous wyse As any herte can thyncke or deuyse Eueryche affyrmyng as by iudgement That death was none fully equypollent To his deserte nor to his falsenesse As yonge and olde playnely bare wytnesse Concludyng eke for his iniquyte That they wolde assent in no degree Vnto nothyng that myght his herte please Nor of Creseyde for to do hym ease They caste not to make delyueraunce Leuer they had to gyuen hym mischaunce If they hym myght haue as at good large ¶ But fynally the effect of all this charge Is so ferforth dryuen to an ende That Priamus hath graūted she shal wende With kyng Thoas shortly there no more Vnto her father for Dan Anthenore Who euer grutche the kyng in parlement Hath thervpon geuen iudgement So vtterly it may not be repealed For with his worde the sentence was assealed That she must parte with her eyen glade And of the sorowe playnely that she made At his departynge hereafter ye shall here Whan it agayne cometh to my matere ¶ How duryng a trewes of .iii. monthes Hoctor walked into the grekes hooste and of the talke hadde betwyxte Achylles and hym Capitulo .xxv. THe truse affyrmed as ye haue herd deuise On outher syde of them y t were full wise And full assented of them euerychone Tyll three monthes comen be and gone Lyke as I reade on a certayne daye Whan agreable was the morowe graye Blandyshyng and pleasaunt of delyte Hector in harte caught an appetyte Lyke as Guydo lyketh for to wryte The same daye he wolde grekes vysyte Full well besene and wonder rychely With many worthy in his companye Of suche as he for the nones chese And to the tent fyrst of Achylles I fynde in soth that this Troyan knyght Vpon his stede hath take the weye ryght Full lyke a man as made is mencion ¶ Nowe had Achylles great affection In his herte both by daye and nyght Of worthy Hector for to haue a syght For neuer yet by none occasyon He myght of hym haue full inspection Nor hym beholde at good lyberte For vnarmed he myght hym neuer se But wonder knightly aswell in porte chere They had them both as they mette yfere And ryght manly in their countenaunce And at the laste they fell in dalyaunce ¶ But Achylles fyrst began abreyde And vnto hym euen thus he sayde Hector quod he full pleasynge is to me That I at leyser naked may the se 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 soth were hooly my pleasaunce By cruell death 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 through many woundes kene That vpon me full freshe byn and grene In many place by shedyng of my bloud Thou were on me so furyous and wood Aye compassynge to my destructiowne For many a mayle of myne haberiowne Thy sharpe swerde racyd hath a sonder And cruelly seuered here and yonder And mortally as I can sygnes shewe My plates stronge persed and yhewe And my harneys forged bryght of stele Myght neuer yet assured be so wele In thyne yre whan thou lyste to smyte That thy sworde ne wolde them kerne byte Into my fleshe full depe and full profounde
As sheweth yet 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 Enbolleneth newe nowe whan I the see Of hyghe despyte auenged for to be So am I fret of olde enuious rage That it may neuer in my brest aswage Tyll the vengeaunce and the fatall sute Of cruell death be on the execute ¶ And of one thyng most is my greuaunce That whan I haue fully remembraunce And in my mynde consyder vp and downe Howe thou hast made fynall deuysyowne ¶ Of me alas and of hym Patroclus So yonge so manly and so vertuous Whom I loued as it was skylle and ryght Euen as my selfe with all my full myght With as hoole herte and inly kyndnesse As an tongue may telle or expresse Now hast thou made a departisyon Of vs that were by hole affection Yknyt in one of hertie allyaunce Without partyng or disseueraunce So entyerly our faythfull hertes twayne Ylaced were and locked in a chayne Whiche myght not for none aduersyte Of lyfe nor death a sonder twynned be Tyll cruelly thou madest vs departe Which thrugh my hert so inwardly doth darte That it wyll neuer in soth out of my thought And trusteth well ful dere shal be bought The death of hym and be nothyng in were Perauenture or ended be this yere For vpon the onely for his sake Of cruell deth vengeaunce shal be take I the ensure without other bonde If I may lyue with myne owne hande I shall of death do execucyon Without abode or longe delacyon For ryght requireth without any dreade Death for death for his fynall mede For I my selfe theron shall be wroke That through y e world hereafter shal be spoke How Achylles was venged on his soe ¶ For Patroclus that he loued so And though that I be to the enuyous And of thy death inly desyrous Ne wete me not nor put on me no blame For well I wotte thou arte to me the same And hast my death many day desyred And thervpon inwardly conspyred And thus shortely as atwene vs two There is but death without wordes mo Whan fortune lyst the tyme thereto shape I hope fully thou shalte not escape Truste none other I saye the vtterly ¶ To whom Hector not to hastely Answerde againe with sober countenaunce Auysed well in all his dalyaunce As he that was in nothyng rekles ¶ And euen thus he spake to Achylles Syr Achylles without any fayle Thou ne oughtest greatly to meruayle Though with my power and my full myghte With herte and will of very dewe ryght Day by day I thy death conspyre And euer in one it compasse and desyre And do my laboure early and eke late It to pursue by full cruell hate Thou oughtest not to wonder in no wyse But fully knowe by sentence of the wyse In no maner who so taketh hede Of ryghtwysenesse it may not then procede That other I or any other wyght Should do him loue that with al his myght My death purseweth and destruction And ouer this to more confusyon Hath layde a syege aboute this Cyte On my kinrede and also vpon me And thervpon felly doth presume With mortall hate of werre to consume Vs euerychone ywysse I can not fynde In my herte as by lawe of kynde Suche one to loue of ryght nor equyte Nor haue him chere sothly in no degre For of werre may no frendlyhead Nor of debate loue aryght procede ¶ For sothly loue most in speciall Of faythfulnesse hath the orygenall In hertes ioyned by conuenyence Of one accorde whom no difference Of doubylnesse may in no degre Nother in ioye nor in aduersyte For lyfe nor death asunder nor disseuer For where loue is it contuneth euer ¶ But of hate all is the contrarye Of whych sothly from hertê when they varye Procedeth rancoure at eye as men maye se Debate enuye stryfe and enmyte Mortall slaughter both to nygh and ferre Mother of whyche in sothfastnes is werre The fyne wherof longe or it be do Seuereth hertes and frendship cutte atwo And causeth loue to be leyde full lowe ¶ But for all this I wil that thou knowe Thy proude wordes in herte nor in thoughte In very sothe agasten me ryght nought And if I shall furthermore out breake Without auaunt the trouthe for to speake I saye the playnly hense or two yeare If I maye lyue in the werres here And my swerde of knighthod forthe acheue I hope in sothe so mortally to greue The Grekes all when I with theÌ„ maye mete That they and thou shall fele it full vnswete If ye contynue and the werres haunte I shal your pryde and surquedrye adaunte In suche a wise with my handes two That or the werre fully be ado Well many greke full sore shall it rewe For well I wote of olde and not of newe That the grekes gathered here in one Of surquedrye are founde euerychone Onely for lacke of discrescion To vndertake of presumpcion So highe a thinge a syege for to layne And your selfe to ouer charge in vayne With empryses withouten any fable That byn to you of weyght importable And the peys of so great heuynesse That fynally it will you all oppresse And your pride auale and lowe enclyne Which burtheÌ„ shall enbowe backe and chyne And vnwarely causen you to fall Or ye haue done I saye to one and all ¶ And ouer more be full in suerte ¶ Thou Achilles I speake this vnto the. That fatall deathe first shall the assayle Tofore thy swerde in any thynge auayle Agaynst me for all thy worthynesse ¶ And if so be that so great hardynesse Courage of wyll vygour force or myght Meue thy herte by manhode as a knyght To take on the as in derryng do For to darreyne here betwene vs two Thilke quarell how so that befall For the whych that we stryue all I wyll assent playnly to ieoparde Tyll that the death one of vs departe There is no more but that these lordes here Kinges and prynces wyll accorde yfere That it be do fully by one assent And holde stable of herte and of entente So that the felde onely by vs tweyne As I haue sayde this quarell may darreyne And ended be by this condiciowne That if it happe through thy highe renowue Me to venquishe or dryue to outtraunce I will you make fully assuraunce That fyrst my lorde Priamus the kinge Shall vnto grekes in all maner thinge With crowne and sceptre holy him submitte And in a poynt varye nother flytte Fully to yelde to our subiectiowne All his lordship within Troye towne ¶ And his lyeges in captyuytye Shall go theyr waye out of this cyte And leue it quyte as to your gouernaunce Without stryfe or any varyaunce And thervpon to make securyte To deuoyde all ambyguyte Tofore the goddes by othe of sacrament We shall be swore in full good entente And ouermore our fayth also to saue To assure
grekyshe kyng which that Phillis hight Anone as he of Hector had a syght Towardes hym syttynge on his stede With his spere he gan him faste spede But when Hector hath his commynge sayne He hente a spere and rode to hym agayne And through his shyelde his plates rounde He gaue to hym hys laste fatall wounde Vpon whose deth auenged for to be Full many greke gan on Hector flee And fyrst of all the worthy kyng famous ¶ That of grekes was called zantypus Of hye disdayne onely for Phyllys sake Towarde Hector hath his course ytake And with a spere ran at him full ryght But Hector fyrst hyt him with suche a might Through his harneys with his speres head That zantyhus fell to the grounde deade The death of whom the grekes sore cōplaine And dyd their myght and their busy payne On euery halfe furyous and wood Them to auenge on the Troyans bloud And through their passyng cruell hardynesse They gan Troyans tho so sore oppresse That many one that day ne myght asterte Through the brest yperced and the herte For to be dead and slayne amonge the prese Amonge whiche cruell Achylles Slewe Lychaon and Eutorbyus Noble knyghtes ryght worthy and famous That were ycome out of their countre Agayne grekes to helpen the citie And while troians cōstrained were so narow Were it with spere quarell darte or arowe Hector was wounded throughout the vyser Into the face that lyke a ryuer The red bloud downe began to rayle By his harneys through his auentayle Wherof astoned whan they had a syght Full many Troyan toke hym to the flyght And to the cyte faste gan them drawe And in the chase full many one was slawe Or they myght efte out of the felde remewe And euer in one grekes after sewe Vnto the walles almost of the towne Tyll that Hector the Troyan champyowne Of his knyghthode gan to taken hede Albe his wounde sore gan to blede Yet of manhode he gan them recomforte And maugre them into the fyelde resorte Namely whan he had inspectiowne On the walles and toures of the towne How that Heleyne and Heccuba the quene And his syster fayre Polycene With many other lady gan beholde Hym thought anone his herte gan to colde Of very shame his knygytes shulden flee And lyke a Lyon in his crueltee He made theim tourne manly euerychone And in his waye he meteth Meryon A grekyshe kinge that was nygh of allye To Achilles as bookes specifye And with his sworde Hector smote him so That he his bodye clouen hath on two And when Achilles sawe that he was deade Parted atwo euen fro the head He hēt a spere and thought he ne would fayl To hyt Hector through shelde plate mayle And rode to him tho full enuyously And myd the shelde he smet him cruelly But with the stroke Hector neuer adell Remeueth not he sat so faste and well But with his swerde anone taryeth nought He to Achylles with enuyous thought But knyghtly ran vpon his coursere And on his creste that shone so bright clere With such a myght Hector hath hym smyt That he perced throughe his basenet And raced 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 Hector 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 be well ware therfore I counsayle the Thy selfe to put so farre in aduenture For of one thynge I playnely the ensure As I desyre at my luste some daye Here in the fyelde yf I the mete may Trust me ryght wel there gayneth no socour That I ne shal acquyten thy labour So mortally I do the vnderstande With this sworde that I holde in hande That with thy life thou shalt not thēs◠escape So cruelly the vengeaunce shal be take Efte whan we mette euen vpon thy head ¶ Of which thyng whan Achylles toke hede Aduertynge all that he herde him sayne Ryght as he wolde haue answered agayne ¶ Vorthy Troylus knyghtly entred in And made them a sonder for to twynne And through the manhode of his companye Of worthy knyghtes that he tho dyd guye And hyghe prowesse of his owne might He hath the grekes put agayne to flyght And slayne of them that day out of dread Syxe hundred knyghtes sothly as I reade For losse of whyche the grekes faste gan flee To their tentes as of necessytee Tyll Menelay dyd his busy cure To make them the fyelde agayne recure Through whose manhode y t day out of doute And worthy knightes that weren him about The fyelde of grekes recured was anone ¶ But tho fro Troye came kyng Odemon And in all hast possyble that he may He came enbushed vpon Menelay And hym vnhorseth in the selfe place And suche a wounde gaue hym in the face That from the death he wende not escape And doubtles anone he had hym take With helpe of Troylus and lad vnto y e towne But of grekes suche a prese came downe To rescue hym in this great nede ¶ That Odemon myght tho no further lede Kyng Menelay towarde the cyte Whan Dyomede came with his meyne And many worthy rydynge hym aboute When Troylus mette amonges al the route All sodeynly of hap or aduenture Hath him 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 onely for his sake Besechynge her that she wolde it take As for a gyfte of her owne man Syth he that day for her loue it wan Amyd the fyelde through his great myght Of hym that was whylom her owne knight And he in haste on his waye it went And therof made vnto her present ¶ Prayinge her in full humble wyse This lyttell gyfte that she not despyse But it receyue for a remembraunce And with all this that it be pleasaunce Of very pitye and of womanhede On her seruaunt called Dyomede To remembre that was become her knyght And she anone with harte glad and lyght Full womanly bad hym repayre agayne Vnto his lord and playnly to hym sayne That she ne myght of very kyndnesse Of womanhead nor of gentylnesse Refusen hym platly from her grace That was to her there in straunge place So kynde founde and so comfortable In euery thynge and seruysable That it may not lykely out of mynde To thynke on hym that was so true kinde ¶ With which answere the messager is gone Vnto his lorde and tolde it hym anone Worde by worde lyke as she hath sayde And he therof was full well apayde That hym thought playnely in his herte He was recured of his paynes smerte And forth he had hym in armes as a knyght ¶ But that day duryng the stronge fyght They of Troye so manly haue them borne That grekes myght not stande them
aforne For to their tentes they haue thē chased down That ne had be kyng Agamenowne Grekes had be driuen clene out of the fyelde The whiche thyng anon as he behelde He came vpon with many worthy man And tho of new the slaught agayne began On euery halfe vpon the large playne That grekes haue Troyans so be laine That efte agayne they haue the fyelde ywon So that Troyans canstrayned tho begon To lese their lande tyll Pollydamas Whiche with his knyghtes there besyde was Gan fall vpon endlonge on the grene Them of Troye full manly to sustene And the grekes he gan so to enchace Whan he came in that they loste their place And to the stronde euen vpon the see Thrugh his knyghthod he made thē for to fle Of their lyfe that they were in dread The whiche mischiefe whan that Diomede Behelde and sawe how Pollydamas Mortally pursued on the chase On horsebacke both and in the fyelde yfere With cruell herte hent anone a spere And spryngyng out rode to hym full ryght And he agayne tacquyte him lyke a knyght As he that lyste on no partye fayne Of his stede helde agayne the reyne ¶ And raught a spere threwe it in the rest And Dyomede he smote so on the breste That mortally lyke as it is founde He hym vnhorseth with a greuous wounde And ryght anone with a knightly herte Pollydamas all attones sterte Vnto the horse of this Dyomede And by the reyne proudely gan it lede ¶ Vnto Troylus where he on foote stode All forbathed in the grekes bloude On euery halfe whiche that he shadde Amonges them so knightly he him had That they ne myght endure nor sustene His sharpe sworde grounde was so kene ¶ And delyuer maugre all his foen Into the sadell vp he sterte anone Of very force armed as he was And vnwarely by aduenture or case With sharpe swerdes for the nones whette As Achylles and he together mette Worthy Troylus of rancour and of pryde Achylles smote that he fell a syde Downe of his horse lowe to the grounde And notw tstanding his grene mortal woūde He rose agayne and fast gan hym spede If that he myght recure agayne his stede But all for nought it wolde not auayle For sodaynly with a freshe battayle They of Troye as made is mencyon In compasewyse beset hym enuyron Eueryche of them armed bright and clene And Hector tho in his furious tene ¶ As Dares telleth all the maner howe The same daye a thousande knyghtes slowe Whiche them withstode onely in diffence For Achylles to maken resystence That tyme of death standyng in ieopardye That certaynly but yf that bokes lye By lyklyhode he myght not tho escape In that mischyefe to be dead or take Hector on hym was so furyous ¶ But as I read kyng Thelamonyus Rescued hym in this great nede And caused hym there to recure his stede Notwithstandyng all that it disdayne For he the duke and lorde of Athene Was in case of herte and hole entent To helpe Achylles wonder dylygent That with hym ladde many noble knyght ¶ But for bycause that it drewe to nyght As the storye maketh rehersayle They made an ende as of that battayle And they of Troye entred be the towne And after that as made is menciowne By and by hauyng no delayes Mortally they foughten thirtye dayes Without lette or interrupcyon On outher parte to great destruction But aldermost nathles their great pryde They lost most on the grekes syde ¶ Saue Pryamus lost in specyall Syxe of his sonnes called naturall For whom he made great dole and heuinesse And as the storye lyketh to expresse This mene whyle Hector in certayne In his face wounded was agayne And thus they haue in this cruell rage On euery parte receyued great domage Tyll Pryam hath from Troye sent downe For a trewes vnto Agamenowne For six monthes if he assente wolde And therupon he hath a counsayle holde With his lordes what were beste to do And they echone accorded be therto And graunte his axynge conclusyon ¶ And all this whyle within Ylyon Durynge the peas on outher parte assured Of his woundes fully to be cured ¶ Lay worthi Hector protector of the towne But of this ryche royall chefe doungeowne That Ilyon in Troye bare the name Whiche of buildyng had suche a fame If that I shuld commende it vp and downe As Dares doth in his discrypciowne I wante cunnynge my termes to aplye For in his boke as he doth specifye In all this worlde was there newe so ryche Of hyghe deuyse nor of buildyng lyche The whiche stode the more to delyte As he there sayth on twelue stones whyte Of Alabastre shortly to conclude And twenty pase was the latytude That grounde ypaued thrughout w t crystall And vp an hyght performed euery wall Of all stones that any man can fynde Of Dyamountes and of saphyres Inde The royall rubye so oryent and lyght That the derkenesse of the dymme nyght Enchaced was with the beames shene And euer amonge were emeraudes grene With stones all that any maner man In this worlde deuyse or recken can That were of pryse value or richesse Ther were wrought of large gret roūdnes As sayth Dares and Iuory the pyllers And thervpon set at the corners Of pured golde all aboue on hyght There were ymages wonder huge of weight With many perle and many ryche stone And euery piller in the halle had one Of massyfe golde burned clere and bryght And wonderfull to any mans syght For of this worke the merueylous fasshyon Was more lyke by estymacyon A thynge ymade and founded by fayrye Than any worke wrought by fantasye Through wytte of man as by lykelynesse For in his bokes Dares doth wytnesse That it was lyke to recken syght and all In apparaunce a thynge celestyall Seeth in this boke ye get no more of me For but in wrytynge I myght neuer it se Albe that it all other dyd excelle No more therof I thinke nowe to telle But to retourne agayne to Pryamus Whiche all this whyle was inly curyous With all his myght and his busy cure To ordeyne for the sepulture Of his sonnes that afore were dead ¶ And all that tyme sycke laye Dyomede With loues stripe wounded to the herte As he that felte inwardly the smerte Of woful syghes whiche in his brest abreide Full ofte adaye for loue of her Creseyde For he was shake with a feuer newe That caused hym to be full pale of hewe And to wexen megre poore and lene For pyteously he gan hym to abstene For meate and drynke and from all solace As it was sene in his deadly face And ofte a daye to her he wolde complayne Of his dissease and of his mortall payne Prayinge of grace that she wolde do se Vpon his woo for to haue pytye And of mercy for to taken hede Of her seruaunt onely of womenhead Or playnely elles there is no more to seye For her sake he sayde that he wolde
hole affection Assented be to speke in generall Here men may se how it is naturall Men to delyte in thynges that is newe The truste of people is faynt and vntrewe Aye vndiscrete and full of doublenesse And varyable of their sykernesse Aye awaytyng in their opynyon After chaunge and transmutacyon Selde or neuer standyng hole in one To day they loue to morowe it is gone In whom full selde is any sykernesse For onely now of newfangelnesse That hath embraced their affection They haue in stede of Agamenon Of newe chose onely of fauour ¶ Pallamydes to be their gouernour And of all Grece lyke as they desyre To haue the Sceptre of the hole Empyre And to be called aboute in euery coste The onely Emperour of the Grekes hooste Ryght as tofore was Agamenon And this was fyne and conclusyon For that day of their Parlement And after that euery man is went To his lodgyng home the ryght way ¶ But in his tente wounded as he laye The hardy knyght the fyerse Achylles Whan that he herde of Pallamydes From poynt to poynt and of the election He was displeased in his opynyon And playnly thought as to his aduyse Agamenon was passyngly more wyse And more discrete vnto gouernaunce Than was the tother as to his pleasaunce And sayde it was none election But a maner subrogacyon Bycause hym selfe in the parlement At the chesyng was not there present Arettyng it passyng great offence That the choyse was made in his absenee Wherwith he was of herte inly wrothe But where so be that he be lefe or loth There is no more but in conclusion In his strength stode the election ¶ Howe kyng Pryam in personne issued into batayle for thaduēge of Hectors death where he dyd ryght valyauntly Cap. xxx THe trewse passed and ywered out The wounded eke recured all aboute The nexte morowe after Pryamus In his herte was inly desyrous With the grekes manly for to fyght Hectors death tauenge if he myght This olde Pryam knightly in the fyelde That whan Troyans in them selfe behelde The great will and the hygh courage Of hym that was so ferre yronne in age They gan reioyse and plucke vp theyr herte And specyally whan they gan aduerte His great manhode and his worthynesse His liuelyed and his hyghe prowesse And for his sake euery maner man Gan arme him in all the haste they can With Pryamus that day to lyue or deye An hundred thousand and fyfty of the towne Lyke as Dares maketh mencyowne And worthy knyghtes they were euerychone Without other that with Pryam gone ¶ And all afore went Deiphobus And Parys nexte and then Pryamus Menon the kyng and worthy Eneas And alderlast came Pollydamas And as I fynde sterne and full of pryde Pallamydes came on the tother syde Into the fyelde with many stronge battayle And fyrste when eche other gan assayle Kynge Pryamus knyghtly his way chese Through the wardes to Pallamydes And hym vnhorseth thrugh his hye renowne And lyke a knyght he kylleth bereth downe The proude grekes where so that they rode Was none so hardy that his sworde abode For so narowe he gan them to coharte That their wardes he made a sonder parte On them he was so felle and furyous For he that daye dyd dedesfull meruaylous In armes wrought that wonder was to sene And a maruayle how he may sustene Of so great age in the fyelde tendure For in credible was I you ensure To se howe he through his great myght The grekes put proudely to the flyght ¶ And Deiphobus was also not behynde Agayne his foen knightly as I fynde To acquyte him selfe make thē to go backe And Sarpedowne in whom eke is no lacke Yfallen is on Neptolonius The proudest greke and moste surquedous And most famous as of strength and myght The whiche agaynwarde rode ful lyne ryght To Serpedowne with a spere rounde And delyuerly smote hym to the grounde ¶ But Sarpedowne full yrous in his herte Without abode on his fete vp sterte ¶ And Neptolonye in his yre all hote Thrughout the thighe w t his sword he smote ¶ And than anone the kyng of Perce lande That was so worthy famous of his hande Of Sarpedowne whan that he toke hede Knyghtly to hym restored hath his stede ¶ Not withstandyng that Menelaus Was vpon hym passynge despyteous And with hym eke the Duke of Athenes Enclosed haue amonge the great prese The kynge of Perce alas it shulde befall And slewe hym as he amonge them all ¶ Full knyghtly fought lyke a champyowne With multitude enclosed enuyrowne And he him selfe but alone alas All destitute in this mortall case Thrugh whose mischefe they of Troy towne Gan to withdrawe tyll that Sarpedowne Hath holpen them to recure there lande Full many Greke kyllyng with his hande ¶ And kyng Pryam so manly founde at all With his sonnes called naturall Whiche vpon hym where so that he rode The longe daye manfully abode Departynge not playnely from his syde And as the kynge and they togyther ryde Full mortally the grekes they confounde For Pryamus with many cruell wounde Hath slayne of them many worthy man On horsebacke amonge them as he ran For there was none that day yonge nor olde Of Troye towne so hardy nor so bolde Of none estate that hath so well hym borne Amonge Grekes or so well hath hym worne From poynt to poynt to reken euery thynge As hath Pryam the noble worthy kyng For he alone was confusyon To the grekes and destruction Their outter mischiefe and discomfyture Afore whose face they myght not endure For thynges two in his mortall yre Inwardely haue sette hym so a fyer The harty hate that he bare of olde Vnto grekes double many folde With the death had in remembraunce Of worthy Hector by contynuaunce The whiche platly through his worthynesse With his sworde he shope hym to redresse For fret of hate and constreynt of his peyne Were veryly thylke thynges twayne By whiche that daye who so loke a ryght His force was doubled and his myght Where thrugh he toke so cruelly vengeaunce That he the grekes brought to outtraunce And thrugh his knyghthod put thē to y e flight ¶ But grekes then attones dyd their myght By assent to assemble into one And for a sleyght a syde out they gone Into a playne large and fayre to se Betwene Pryam and Troye the cytye To fyne onely in their entenciowne Hym to debarre the entre of the towne For euery waye the grekes haue with set That they of Troye had tho be let At their repayre the storye telleth thus Ne had the manhode be of Priamus The whiche anone as any lyon stronge With his sworde gan ryde them amonge And seuered them with large woundes wyde And slewe all tho that wolde his sword abide Euery where endelonge on the playne ¶ And Paris eke hath them so belayne With myghty shote of his stronge archers And with the pursuite of these Arbalasters That
In sorowe and care in labour and in wo And with all this ye wotte well also Sith fyrst tyme that the werre began Of our grekes how many worthy man Hath loste his lyfe thrugh deathes fatal woūd That hytherto haue myght lyued be sounde At home in Grece assured well in ioye If they ne had comen vnto Troye That to remembre it is full great pyte ¶ And ouer this I saye also for me Amonge Troyans in their cruell mode I haue so moche loste of my bloude That hath full ofte made pale of hewe ¶ This other day also grene and newe I had of Hector suche a mortall wounde With a quarell sharpe what and grounde Aboue the thygh so kene was the head The same daye afore that he was dede Of very happe as it was yshape That from the death vnneth I might escape Whiche yet all freshe is vpon me sene Large and wyde and as yet but grene The smerte of whiche I yet ful sore cōplayne ¶ And in good fayth me semeth that Heleyne If ye aduerte wysely in your thought With suche a pryse shulde nat haue be bought Where through our lyfe and our good yfeare And our honour are yput in were And dreadfully hangen in ballaunce For yf that ye in your remembraunce Conceyue aryght and casten vp and downe The sodayne chaunge and reuoluciowne That fallen hath syth the werre began The slaught death of many worthy man That for her sake hath here loste his lyfe And yet the worste of this mortall stryfe Doth moste rebounde into our damage To disencrease and eke disauauntage And lykely is dayly to be more If ordenaunce be not made therfore And remedy shape on outher syde By fyne onely that Heleyne do abyde With them of Troye styll here in the towne And let vs caste by good inspectiowne For our ease some other maner waye ¶ So that the kynge called Menelay Chese hym a wyfe in some other londe Lyke his estate by suraunce or by bonde Vnder wedlocke confyrmed vp of newe That vnto hym wyll be founde trewe Syth that we without gylte or synne May him by the law from this Heleine twyn For of dyuerse causes be ynowe Thrughout y e world of euery wight yknowe Of auoutry for the foule vyce That it to lawe is no preiudice ¶ Though Menelay iustly her forsake Whan so his lyste and an other take That shall hym both better queme and please And so to vs it shall be full great ease Whan the werre is brought to an ende Whiche lykely is many man to shende If it so be that it forth contune The great labour is so importune That we ne shall no whyle mowe sustene For this is soth withouten any wene Troyans yet be flourynge in their myght And w t them haue full many worthy knighte To helpe them of hye and lowe degre And therwithall so stronge in their cite On euery parte without and eke within That we are not lykely for to wynne In our purpose though we euer abyde Wherfore by wysedome let vs voyden pryde And wylfulnesse onely of prudence To haue the eye of our aduertence To our profyt more then vaine glorye And while our honour shineth by victory A wysedome is to withdrawe our honde Sith we may not constrayne by no bonde Fortunes whele for to abyde stable Wherfore I rede or she become mutable This gery goddesse with her double chere Let vs gyue vp suche thynge as lyeth in were Whyles that we may our alder worshyp saue For of the werre the laude yet we haue Consyder well how by your manhead ¶ Our most foe Hector is now dead And whyle that we in our honour floure My counsayle is before fortune loure As I sayd ere to chaunge her bryght face Whyle that we beste stonde in her grace By one assent and one oppynyon Without any contradiction Of herte and wyll both of one and all Or our honour on any partye pall Into Grece that we home returne For if that we longer here soiourne On the quarell that we haue longe sewed Doutles it may not be eschewed Full great damage this without fayle Or we haue done shall folowe at the tayle Wherfore beste is our folye vp resygne And whyle our hap is welfull and benynge Most blandyshynge and of face fayre The tyme is beste to make our repayre Whyle that we stande in party and in all With our enmyes in honour perygall And fer aboue playnly if that we Coulde haue an eye to our felicite Whyle that it is in his ascencion ¶ But lest some man wyll make obiection That we may not so our honour saue To repayre playnely but we haue Helayne agayne that is cause of all To whiche thynge anone answere I shall ¶ If any man in his fantasye To dishonour or to vyllanye Arrecte wolde in any maner kynde We to go home and leue her behynde Shortely to saye I holde it be no shame Syth that we haue one as great of name ¶ As is Heleyne and of byrthe as good Amonges vs ycome of kynges bloud ¶ Syster to Pryam lorde of Troye towne ¶ Exiona whom that Thelamowne In kepynge hath if I shall not feyne In Troye towne as Parys hath Heleyne And syth nowe it may be none other Let the tone be set agayne the tother And the surplus of olde enmyte Betwyxe vs and Troye the cite My counsayle is for our both ease By one assent wysely to appease This all and some and that we hence wende I can no more my tale is at an ende ¶ To whom anone kyng Menelaus For very yre wood and furyous ¶ And kyng Thoas the duke eke of Athene As they that myght no longer hym sustene To suffre hym they were so reckles Spake all attones vnto Achylles Not onely they but through inpacyence The courte perturbed without prouydence With tumulte gonnen to repreue ¶ This Achilles and proudely them cōmeue Agaynst hym and his opynyon And sayde shortely in conclusyon Vnto his read they ne wolde assent Nor condescende to nothyng that he mente To be gouerned by him in this case ¶ For whiche thynge anone Achylles was So full of yre and rancour in his herte That sodaynely from his see he sterte And went his waye as he were in a rage Tryste and pale and a wood vysage And shortly sayde for him lyke not fayne That he ne wolde longer do his payne To helpe them how so that they spede Agayne Troyans for no maner nede ¶ And bad anone this hardy Achilles To his knyghtes called Myrmydones That they no more with spere nor with shelde To helpe grekes entre into fyelde But kepe thē close at home within thetr tente Thus in his yre he gaue commaundement To all his men as ye haue herde deuyse Them to withdrawe at euery hygh empryse Whan so euer they go into battayle And in this whyle scarsenesse of vyttayle Fell in the hoost of fleshe of bred and wyne That many Greke brought vnto his fyne
aboute hym layne The dead bodyes enlonge the playne ¶ Tyll casually Troylus gan espye This Achylles as he caste an eye And gan his horse with all his might 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 together ryde Full lyne ryght their speres sharpe whette With suche a myght they haue together mette Of hyghe dysdayne there is no more to sayne That to the grounde they felle both twayâ—◠¶ But Achylles caught hath suche a wounde In his body depe and so profounde That longe he lay myn auctour saith certain Or he to helth restored was agayne ¶ And Troilus eke thrugh plates maile al As wryte Guydo had a wounde small Whiche vnto hym dyd no greunaunce And thus that daye by contynuaunce And dayes syxe suynge by and by The proude grekes mette cruelly Amyd the fyelde them of Troye towne To great damage and confusyowne Of outher partye playnely this no nay For many worthy slayne was day by day In their rancour and hertye hoote enuye Albe Guydo doth not specyfye None of theyr names playnely in this boke As ye shall fynde yf ye lyste to loke ANd al this whyle for this sodeine thinge Pensyfe tryste was Pryamê° the kyng That Achylles tourned hath so clene His luste awaye from yonge Pollycene And for this chaunge so sodeyne and so newe Thought his behestes were not all trewe ¶ But on deceyte and on doublenesse On fraude falsly and newe fangelnesse On sleyghty treason an vncouert gyle Or rage of loue that lasteth but a whyle Was vtterly founde in his beheste For lyke as a wynde that no man may areste Faceth a worde discordaunt fro the dede Of whiche a wyse man take shall no hede But lette passe as he were reckelesse For albeit that this Achylles Was whylom caught within loues snare Hym lyste not nowe ones for to spare Of hygh rancour his lady to offende It was not lyke as they of Troye wende Hecuba nouther yet Pollycene And in an angre and gan her to abreyde That she her truste so entyerly hath leyde On Achylles that can so falsly mene Wherfore full tryste was this Pollycene That was enclyned with her eyen clere By the counsayle of her mother dere ¶ To haue be wedded to Achylles To fyne onely there shulde haue be a peace Atwene grekes and them of Troy towne But all was false inconclusyowne ¶ In the fyne was the trouthe ysene For whan Achylles of his woundes grene Was fully cured by a certayne day He gan compasse in all that euer he may And ymagine in his enuyous herte To be venged of his woundes smerte Vpon Troylus thot 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 degree Fully be queynt tyll he auenged be The hoote rancour gan so on hym gnawe Auysed platly that he shall beslawe Of his handes whan so that it be falle And on a day to hym he gan calle Myrmydones his knightes 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 fielde In opposyte with many ryche shelde Newly depeynt with colours freshe fyne Vpon whiche full bryght gan to shyne Fyry Titan golde tressed in his sphere At his vpryste with his beames clere Whan this felle enuyous Achylles To his knightes called Myrmydones ¶ Vpon Troylus gan hym to complayne Besechynge them for to do theyr payne Agayne this Troylus in the fielde that daye To catche hym at myschyefe if they may And busyly to do their dylygence On him to haue their full aduertence By one assent where that he ryde All other thynge for to sette asyde And of nought elles for to take hede Saufe fynally agayne hym to procede If so they myght catche hym in a trappe Within them selfe troylus for to clappe To enclose and sette hym rounde abouie In all wyse that he go not oute And whan he were beset amonge them all Not to siea him what euer that be fall But through their myght manly him coÌ„serue Tyll he hym selfe come and make hym sterue With his sworde he and none other wyght ¶ Lo here a manhode for to preyse a ryght Vengeaunce of deth of rancour and of pryde Compassed treason knighthode layde asyde Worthynesse by false enuye yslawe Falshede a lofte trouthe a backe ydrawe Alas in armes that it shulde befall Of trecherye there the bytter galle Shulde in this world in any knight be fouÌ„de That be to trouth of their order bounde ¶ Alas alas for now this Achylles Conspyred hath with his Myrmydones The death of one and y t the worthyest wight That euer was and eke the beste knyght Alas for wo my herte I fele deade 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 mattere But wryte forth lyke as ye shall here How Myrmydones haue their lord behyght With all their power and their full myght To fulfyll his commaundement And into fielde with grekes they be went ¶ But Troylus fyrst in the opposyte Without abode manly them to mete He was ybrent with so feruent hete Of hardynesse and of hyghe courage Of worthynesse and of vasselage That him ne lyste no longer to abyde But with his folke in began to ryde Amonge grekes this folke of hyghe renowne And w t his sword he wouÌ„deth bereth downe Sleeth and kylleth vpon euery haiue So mortally that there may no salue Their sores sounde for there was but death Where so he rode and yeldyng vp the breth So furyously he gan them to enchase And made them lese in a lyttell space Their lande echone and afore him flee In Troylus sworde there was suche cruelte That maugre them he the fielde hath wonne The same tyme whan the bryght sonne Hye in the southe at mydday marke shone Euen at the houre when it drewe to noone When Myrmydones gathred all in one In compasse wyse rounde aboute hym gone And furyously of one entenciowne They made a cercle about him enuyrowne When they hym sawe of helpe desolate But he of herte not dysconsolate Vpon no syde through his manlyhead Lyke a Lyon toke of theym no hede But through his famous knyghtly excelleÌ„ce He as a Tygre standeth at diffence And manfully gan them to encomber And gan to lesse and dyscrease their nomber And some he maymeth wouÌ„deth to y e death And some he made to yelden vp the breath And some he layde to the earthe lowe And some he made for to ouerthrowe Wyth hys swerde of theyr bloud all wete At great myschyefe vnder his horse fete Vpon
his stede sturdy as a wall This worthy knyght this man most mercial Pleyeth his play amonge Myrmydones Hym selfe god wot alone all helples ¶ But tho alas what might his force auayle When thre thousande knightes him assayle On euery parte both in lengthe and brede And cowardly fyrst they slewe his stede With their speres sharpe so square ygrouÌ„d For whych alas he stante now on y e grounde Wythout reskuse refute or socoure That was that daye of chyualrye the floure But well awaye they haue him so beset That from his head they smote his basenet And brake his harueys as they hym assaile And seuer of stele the myghty stronge mayle He was dysarmed both necke and also heade Alas the whyle no wyght toke none hede Of all his knyghtes longynge to the towne And yet alway this Troyan champyowne In knyghtly wyse naked as he was ¶ Hym selfe defendeth tyll Achylles alas Came rydynge in furyous and wood And whaÌ„ he sawe howe that Troylus stode Of longe fyghtynge awhaped and a mate And from his folkes alone disconsolate Sole by hym at myschyefe pyteously This Achylles wonder cruelly Behynde vnwarely or that he toke hede With his swerde smyteth of his heade And cast it forthe of cruell cursed herte And thought sure it should hym not asterte To shewe his malice this wolfe vnmercyable Full vnknyghtly to be more vengeable Vpon the body that dead laye and colde Alas that euer it should of knyght be tolde Wryte or rehersed to do so foule a deede Or in a boke alas that men shall rede Of any knyght a storye so horryble Vnto the eares passyngly odyble For this Achilles of crueltye alas The dead corps toke out of the taas And vengeably bonde it as I fynde At the tayle of his horse behynde And hatefully that euery wyght behelde Drewe it him selfe endlonge the felde Through the renges and the wardes all But Oh alas that euer it should fall A knyght to be in herte so cruell Or of hatred so spytefull and so fell To drawe a man after he were deade OH thou Homer for shame be now red And y e amase y t holdest thy selfe so wyse On Achylles to set suche great a pryse In thy bokes for his chyualrye Aboue echone that dost hym magnyfye That was so sleyghty and so full of fraude Why geuest thou him so hye a prayse laude ¶ Certys Homer for all thy excellence Of Rethoryke and sugred eloquence Thy lusty songes and thy dytees swete Thy hony mouth that doth wyth sugre flete Yet in one thynge thou greatly art to blame Causeles to gyue hym suche a name With tytle suche of tryumphe and glorye So passyngely to put in memorye In thy bookes to saye and wryte so that he thrugh knighthod slain hath Hectors two First him y t was lyke vnto none other ¶ And sithê Troilus y t was his owne brother If thou arte meued of affection Whych that thou hast to Grekes nacion To preyse him so for thou caust endyte Thou shouldest aye for any fauour wryte The trouthe playnly and be indyfferent And saye the sothe clerely of entente ¶ For when he slewe Hector in the felde He was afore disarmed of his shelde And busy eke in spoylynge of a kynge For yf he had beware of his comynge He had hym quyt through his chyualrye His false deceyt and his trecherye That he ne had so lyghtly from him gone ¶ Also Troylus naked and alone Amyd thre thousand closed and yshet ¶ When Achilles hath his head of smet At his backe of full cruell herte When he nothing his treason dyd aduerte ¶ Was that a dede of a manly knyght To slee a man forweryed in the fyght Faynt of trauayle all the longe daye Amonge so many standynge at a baye A kynges sonne and so hye borne Naked the head his armure all to torne Euen at the death on the selfe poynt At great myschyefe and playnly out of ioynt Of his lyfe standynge on the wrake ¶ When Achilles came falsly at the bake Assaylynge hym when he was halfe deade And lyke a cowarde smote of then his heade That was tofore hurte and wounded sore ¶ Wherfor Homer ne praise him not therfore Let not his prease thy royall booke difface But in all haste his renowne outrace For here his name when I here it neuen Veryly vp to the thirde heauen As semeth me infecte is the eyre The sowne therof so foule is and vnfayre For if that he had vsed aduertence Other the eye of his prouydence Vnto knyghthod or his worthynesse Other to manhode or to gentyllesse Or to the renowne of his owne name Or to the reporte of his knyghtly fame In any wyse to haue taken hede He hadde neuer done so foule a dede So vengeably for to haue ydrawe A kynges sonne after he was slawe And namely hym that was so good a knight Whyche in his tyme who so loke aryght Passed Achylles I dare it well expresse Both of manhode and of gentylnesse But for all that he is nowe dead alas ¶ The death of whom when Pollydamas And Parys eke fyrst gan espye They fared in sothe as they woulden dye And specyally wyth face dead and fade ¶ Parys alas suche inly sorowe made For the constreynt of his deadly wo When he sawe well that Troylus was ago And that he shall in lyfe him neuer se Suche sorowe also the Troyan Dan Enee For hym hath made and many other mo That all at ones they togyther go The dead corps to recure if they maye ¶ But grekes were so fell on them that daye That all theyr haste was vtterly in vayne In any wyse the corps to get agayne Tyll that Menon the noble worthy kynge Whych loued Troylus ouer all thynge Caught such routhe of affection That he in haste fearser than a Lyon On his death cast him to be wreake And fyrst for Ire thus he gan to speake To Achylles for all his hye treasowne Oh thou Tratoure Oh thou Scorpyowne Oh thou Serpent full of Trecherye Whych in dishonour of all chyualrye Through false engyne hast this daye yslawe The onely best that here hadde no felowe When he was whylom in this worlde alyue Alas alas who maye aryght deseryue Thy venym hyd thy malice and vntrouthe Wythout pyte or any knyghtly routhe To drawe a knyght so gentyll and so good A kynges sonne of so worthy bloud Through out y e feld at thy horse tale behynde That euer after it shal be in mynde This cruell dede and vngentylnesse ¶ And wyth y t word Menon gan him dresse Towarde Achylles wythout more areste And wyth a spere smet him in the brest Enuyously of so great hatrede That he vnneth kepte him on his stede And Menon after pulled out a swerde And cast hym manly to mete him in the berde And rode to him fully deuoyde of dreade And suche a wound he gaue him on the head That maugre him in many mannes syght To the earthe he
made him to alyght For all his pryde in a mortall traunce And of that wound he felt such greuaunce That at the death he laye an huge whyle In a swowne the space of halfe a myle Tyll Myrmydones assembled into one With great laboure and hente him vp anone Full deadly pale so he gan to blede But for all that they set him on his stede And at the last his hert he caught agayne And smet his horse of hate and hye disdayne And towarde Menon fast gan him hye But when that he his cominge gan espye Full lyke a knyght lyst not to abyde But hit his horse sharply in the syde And mette Achilles proudly on the playne And wyth theyr swordes they togither layne And gan to hurtle on horse backe tho yfere Wyth herte enuyous and despytous chere ¶ But kynge Menon was at auauntage Of Achylles for all his wood rage In poynt to abrought him to confusyowne Tyll y t the wardes of newe be comen downe On other parte both of these and yonder Whych sodaynly seuered them asonder And as the story telleth playnly than Began the slaughter of many manly man For nother party the felde ne would leue Of very pryde tyll it drewe to eue That Phebus gan aswage of his hete And gan to bathe in the wawes wete His bryght beames of the Occyan That fro the felde home goth euery man To theyr lodginge and after seuen dayes They faught yfere made no more delayes ¶ Full mortall by cruell aduenture Whyle Achylles full busy was to cure His woundes grene and his sores sounde And then he had a newe treason founde To be venged vpon kynge Menon For all his wytte he sette thervpon And so this cruell enuyous Achilles Ycharged hath his Myrmydones Worthy Menon amonge theim to enbrace If they hym founde of opportune in place With all theyr might and theyr busy thought From theyr handes that he escape nought Tyll he hym selfe auenged 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 daye yt fell so That Achilles and this Menon mette And eche of theim gan on other sette On horse backe wyth full great emiye When as so longe in theyr melancolye Mine auctour wryt they togyther fyght That eche made other of force to alyght ¶ And whan Menon stode vpon y e grounde ▪ Myrmydones wente aboute him rounde As they were charged of the fyerse Achylle When he alas wythout goddes wylle Dysseuered was from his knyghtes all And at myschyefe they vpon him fall Destitute alone and helples And in suche poynt slewe him Achylles But in the story lyke as it is founde This Menon fyrst gaue him such a wounde Tofore his death in all this fell stryfe That he dyspeyred was as of his lyfe This Achylles for all his false treason Take hede Homer and demeth in thy reason The false fraude and the sleyghty gyle The treason caste afore wyth many wyle Of Achylles and iudge now a ryght If euer he slewe any worthy knyght But if yt were by preodycyon Recorde I take of the kynge Menon So that the tytle of his laude alas Entriked is wyth fraude and with fallace ¶ That thou Homer mayst with no coloure Though thou paynte with gold w t asoure In thy wrytynge his venym not enclose But as the thorne hyd vnder the rose Whose malyce aye dareth by the roote Though the floure aboue fayre and soote That men the fraude vnder may not se Of his treason ye get no more of me BVt I wyll tell how Grekes do that day How Meneste and kynge Menelay Dyomede and Thelamonyus On Troyans were passyng despytous For cruelly wyth theyr wardes all In theyr myschyefe be vpon them fall And made theim flee home vnto the towne For whylom Troylus chyefe champyowne Is deade alas and hath them nowe forsake Of whom they haue the dead body take The same daye with great difficulte And dolefully they into the Cyte Haue tho it brought crying oft alas And for his death such a wo there was That I trowe there is no man alyue Whych could aryght halfe dele descriue Theyr pyteous wo nor lamentacyowne Certeyse not Boys that hath suche renowne With drery wordes to be wepe and crye ¶ In complaynynge to Phylosophye Throughe his boke accusynge aye fortune That selde or nought can in one contune She is so full of transmutaciowne Oh stace of Thebes make no bost nor sowne Of drerynesse for to wryte at all Nother of death nor festes funerall Of makynge sorowe nor aduersyte ¶ Let be thy wepynge oh thou Nyobe ¶ Ye syster also of Ayeliager That custome haue for to flee so fer Fro yere to yere your brother to complayne And thou that weptest out thine eyen twaine Oedippus kyng of Thebes the cyte Thou wofull Myrrha and Calyxtone That so well can in rage you bemene And Dydo eke whylome of Cartage quene Lette be your dole and your contrycyon ¶ And Phyllys eke for thy Dymophon ¶ And eke Cecho that newe dost begyn To crye and wayle and also thou Corynne That whylom were in so great affray For death onely of thy Popyngay As in his boke telleth vs Ouyde Let all this wo now be layde asyde And make of it no comparisowne Vnto the wo that was in Troye towne For death onely of this worthy knyght For loue of whom euery maner wyght Hygh and lowe olde and yonge of age Are falle of newe into suche a rage That they ne coulde of their wo none ende Whose salte teares wyll their eyen shende So pyteous was the lamentaciowne In euery strete throughout all the towne Alas who coulde all their sorowes telle ¶ I trowe certeys Pluto depe in helle For all his torment and his paynes kene Nouther she Proserpyna his quene Nother the wery wood Tycius Iryon nor hungry Tantalus Ne coulde not well for all their bytter peyne So furyously wepen and complayne As do troyans Troylus for thy sake For who can nowe suche a sorowe make ¶ Or who can wepe as kyng Pryamus Who wepeth now with face full pyteous Or sorowe maketh but Hecuba the quene ¶ Who wepeth now but fayre Pollycene Who wepeth nowe but Parys and Heleyne Who can now wepe into teares reyne As Troyans do with deadly swole chere It neded them no wepers for to hyer They had ynough of their 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 Hector and also Deyphobus And Troylus eke that was so vertuous Be dead alas who shall their succour be Or helpe sustene the werre of there Cyte There is no more in conclusyon But after death fully destruction Of theyr towres and their walles stronge In this matter what shulde I playne longe It vayleth not alway so to morne Wherfore I wyll now
make mencion After the scyte of the fyrmamente Is in the plage of the Oryent ¶ And called is the reygne of Amazonis Of which the custome and the vse is That onely women therin shall abyde And they were wonte armed for to ryde And haue in armes great experyence For theyr laboure and theyr dylygence Is fynally to haue exercyse Fro daye to daye in Martes hygh seruyce ¶ And ouermore theyr custome and vsaunce As to this daye is made remembraunce Is that no man shall them nygh nere But yf it be thre monthes in the yeare ¶ This to saye in Iune Apryll and Maye And then the women haue in custome aye Vnto an yle a lytell there besyde Where as the men by them selfe abyde Fro yere to yere togyther euerychone Vnto the men out of theyr lande to gone And there abyde in that regyon Tyll tyme cometh of concepcion Wythout taryinge any longer whyle For then anone home vnto theyr ile They be repeyred out of that countre Vnto tyme that they delyuered be And as fast as the chylde is borne For lacke of kepynge that it be not lorne He fostred is tyll thre yeres be agone Amonge the women and then ryght anone To the yle besyde adiacent Vnto the men the chylde in haste is sent If that it be of kynde masculyne And yf it fall that it be femynyne With the women abyde styll it shall Tyll that it be in actes mercyall Full well expert and that she can eke knowe A spere to haddle or to drawe a bowe Lyke the statutes of that regyon The whych as bookes make mencyon Is sette betwene Ewrope and Asya ¶ And of this lande was Pantasilia Whylom lady and chyefe gouernesse Full renowmed of strength and hardinesse Thrugh out y e worlde both in length brede And yet in sothe to speake of womanhead For all her myght she had an huge pryse For both she was vertuous and wyse Wonder dyscrete and had an honest name Notwythstandynge the excellence of fame Of her renowne in armes and in glorye For of conquest and of high victorye She was most surmountynge out of drede Of any woman that I can of rede And sothely yet bookes bere wytnesse Of womanhead and of gentylnesse She kepte her so that nothynge her asterte ¶ The whych loued wyth all her hole herte Worthy Hector and wyth all her myght Onely for he was so good a knyght All her ioye and worldly plesaunce Her harty ease and soueraygne suffysaunce In very sothe where she wake or wyncke Was euer in one vpon him to thynke Of very fayth wythout any slouthe And vnto hym she was by bonde of trouthe Confederate of olde affectiowne That when she herde how that Troye towne Beseiged was of the Grekes fell Thys hardy quene lyst no longer dwell But hasteth her as fast as euer she maye Towarde Troye infull good araye With all the worthy women of her lande Full well experte and preued of her hande Well horsed eke and armed rychely And as I fynde in her companye A thousande maydens rydyng by her side This worthy quene that durst well abyde She wyth her brought in stele armed bryght For loue of Hector her owne trewe knyght And on her waye fast she gan her spede To helpe hym yf she se cause of nede For in nothynge she could her more delyte Than towarde him her faythfully to quyte For that was all her lust and hertes ioye ¶ But when that she come was to Troye And hath hard tell as by relacyowne That he was dead most worthy of renowne To whom she was so louynge and so trewe Anone she gan to chaunge cheare and hewe And pyteously gan to wepe and crye And fared in sothe as she would dye For very wo and hertely heuynesse And thought she would thrugh her wortthynesse Auenge his death platly if she maye On the Grekes and so vpon a daye ¶ She prayeth Pryam w t great affectiowne For to open the gates of the towne And to go out with Grekes for to fyght That they maye knowe and be expert aright Of this women the great worthynesse And of this quene the famous hardynesse And so the kynge hopynge for the beste Without abode graunted her requeste The next morowe wheÌ„ Phebê° shone ful shene ¶ And all tofore out goth Philomene The noble kinge w t them of Pafflagonye And after him other knightes manye Folowed after with worthy Eneas The Troyan eke Dan Pollidamas And the quene Pantasilla By the gate called Dardanica Towarde Grekes proudly yssued oute With her women rydynge her aboute The whych anone when Grekes did espye Into felde gan them fast hye ANd fyrste of all worthy Meneste Pantasylla when that he dyd se Wyth his sporres made his stede gone And wyth a spere rode to her anone ¶ Of whom the quene astoned neuer a dele Kaught a spere that was squared wele Round y e shafte and the head well grounde Which as they coupe smet hiÌ„ downe to grouÌ„d And maugre hym reued him his stede But then in haste in came Dyomede And cruelly to the quene gan ryde And she as fast on the other syde Rode eke to him in plates bryght and shene And as they met wyth theyr speres kene She hytte so this fell Diomede For all his myght and his manlyhead That she him made his sadell for to lese There is no more he myght tho not chese And in despyte of his men echone She hath his shelde him berafte anone And it delyuereth proudly as she rode To a mayde that vpon her abode And lyke a Tygre in his gredynesse Or lyke in sothe to a Lionesse That daye she fared rydynge vp and downe Amonge the Grekes till that Thelamowne Gan to beholde the slaughter that she made Of high despyte and rancour ouerlade As he that myght for yre not sustene Gan reyne his horse to fall vpon this quene ¶ But when that she his comynge dyd espye She fell on him in her melancolye So mortally maugre his knightes all That to the grounde she made him for to fall And Grekes put in so great disraye Where euer she rode all that ylke daye That they ne might afore her not sustene And through the helpe of kyng Philomene As myn auctour recordeth in his boke Amyd the felde Thelamon she toke And sent him forth through her hie renowne As prysoner towarde Troye towne ¶ Tyll vnto reskuse came he Dyomede And cruelly on them that gan him lede He fell vnwarely with an huge route Of his knyghtes rydynge him aboute And from theyr haÌ„des maugre al their might He him delyuereth lyke a manly knyght At whych tyme the hardy quene anone With her women aboute her euerichone The Grekes hath afore her on the playne As wryt Guydo so mortally belayne That she them made of necessytee Out of the felde wyth her sworde to fle That verely it semed incredible And to leue a maner impossyble To se the women Grekes so enchase Which might not there
abide afore their face For in the felde in any wise stande For they them dryue to the selfe stronde Downe to the clyffe of the salte see And slewe of them so huge and great plentee That fynally they had all be dystroyed For euermore and vtterly acloyed ¶ Ne had Dyomede stande tho at diffence And of knighthod made theim resistence For he that daye in partye and in all For Grekes stode as a sturdy wall And was alone their helpe and chefe succour ¶ But for all that with worshyp and honour Pantasilla as made is memorye Repeyred is with conquest and victorye Wyth all her women into Troye towne Vpon the houre of Phebus goyng downe ¶ And by the syde of this hardy quene ¶ Armed in stele rode kynge Phylomene Whom Pryam hath wyth great reuerence Knightly receyued and did his diligence Theim to refreshe with euery maner thinge That might be vnto theyr lykinge And as theyr hertes could best deuyse ¶ And after this in ful goodly wyse He thanked hath the noble hardy quene Of her goodnesse that her lyst to sene To helpe him in his great nede And offred her in Guydo as I reade All that he hath treasour and rychesse Hopynge fully through her worthinesse Vpon Grekes auenged for to be And for to kepe hym safe in his Cyte Maugre Grekes whych of theim saye naye ¶ For as I reade after daye by daye She slinte not proudly theim to assayle Agayne whose swerde they myght not auayl So mortally she made theyr sydes blede ¶ Tyll Menelay fro kinge Lycomede Repeyred is with Neptolonyus Which in his bokes called eke Pirrhus Whylom the sonne of cruell Achillles Whom for to se full huge was the prese Of the Grekes goynge enuyron ¶ And for he was as by successyon ¶ Borne to be heyre of this Achilles He hath receyued of Myrmydones With great honour and great solempnyte So glad were they theyr yonge lorde to se To whom echone they made affiaunce And were eke sworne by bonde assuraunce For lyfe or deathe to him to be trewe And his lieges and chaunge for no newe To obeye his lust in all maner thynge ¶ And after this Agamenon the kinge Made him knight and Thelamonius Wyth a swerde gyrte anone Pirrhus Sayinge to him in the selfe place With y t baudrik when he hym did enbrace ¶ Take hede quod he mine owne cosin deare To resemble in manhode and in chere In knighthod eke and in worthinesse To thy father which in sothfastnesse In his tyme was so noble a knight And ouermore with all thy full might To auenge his death that thou do thy payne ¶ And theÌ„ of grekes worthy Dukes twayne Full humbly began downe to knele And set a sporre vpon eyther hele As was the maner of golde bourned bryght And in this whyle Pirrhus is made knighte As ye haue herde in full high presence With great honour and due reuerence Lyke the custome of the Grekes layes And the rytes vsed in tho dayes And then anone hath kyng Agamenon With full glad chere and great affection Delyuered hym fully by sentence The armes hole without difference Which Achilles by his life bare His worthy father on his shoulders square As for nexte heyre of lyne by discente And all his Treasour also and his Tente Armure and all deliuered were anone Vnto Pirrhus and Grekes euerychone Eyght dayes suynge by and by Through out the hoste full solempnely They halowe in honour of this yong knyght â–ª Til on a morow wheÌ„ Phebê° shone ful bright Which with his lyght that shineth fro so fer Diffaced hath the streames of the sterre Lucifer the dayes messagere When Grekes gan in plates bryght clere Enarmed them that daye soure and swete Fulle in purpose wyth theyr fone to mete And manfully out of theyr tentes wide Agaynst Troyans they began to ride Warde after warde proudly into felde And Pirrhus bare that daye vpon his shelde His fathers armes lyke as sayth Guydo And of the same he had vpon also A cote armure that became hym wele And forth he rode armed bright in stele And casually formest as he was He mette fyrst wyth Pollydamas A knyght of Troye a full manly man ¶ And furyously Pirrhus to him ran On horsebacke with a myghty swerde And gan to hurtle with him in the berde So myghtely that in this hatefull stryfe ¶ Pollydamas had lost his lyfe Ne had ben reskued without more taryinge Of Phylomene the noble worthy kinge Onely of knighthod and of worthynesse ¶ To whom Pirrhus hastely gan him dresse With his swerde and smit him in the syghte That from his horse he made him to alighte For he the stroke might not sustene And sothfastly this worthy Phylomene Of Pirrhus had ytake be anone Saue his knightes assembled into one Of Pafflagonye came him to reskue But Pirrhus aye so fyersly gan pursewe Vpon this king with Myrmydones Beset in myschefe amonge the great prese That many knight of this noble kynge Yslayne was at his reskuynge He stode of death in so streyght a case ¶ Tyl of fortune came Pollydamas To his reskuse and did his full myght Him to delyuer and quyte him lyke a knight But in sothenesse there was suche resystence ¶ Of Pirrhus knightes standing at diffence That aye in mischyef stode king Philomene ¶ Tyll Pantasilla of femenie the quene With her women a great companye Gan this thinge of auenture espye Which were echone for the more delyte On theyr armure that daye clad in white That veryly there was no lylye floure Nor snowe y t flaketh froÌ„ Iubyters his towre Of whytenesse that is fresher on to sene Then in felde was this hardy quene Which firste of all amonge the Grekes chees Proudly to fall on Myrmydones Amonges them rydinge vp and downe She theÌ„ vnhorseth through her hie renowne And slewe them vpon euery syde Makinge theyr renges for to seuer wyde Tyll Thelamon in a furyous heate With a spere vnwarely did her mete And in a rage smote her to the playne But she anone ful lyfely rose agayne ¶ And w t her swerd so marketh Thelamown That froÌ„ his horse she made him light downe Plat to the grounde on his handes twayne And then her women did theyr busy payne To make theyr quene her stede to recure ¶ And all this while stode in auenture Of his life worthy Philomene Pirrhus knightes were on him so kene Maugre his men that they haue him take It geyneth not diffence for to make The Grekes haue so strongly him beset ¶ And forth they lad him it might be no bet Toward theyr tentes throughout al the felde The which thinge when the quene behelde With her women that aboute her rode Pursewed after without more abode That fynally they haue so after sewed Through their force that he was reskued Maugre the manhode of Myrmidones ¶ And Pantasilla was so mercyles Vpon the Grekes that of necessyte Through her force and her crueltee Afore her swerde they
And that ye be so rebell and contrarye Some onely of false collusyon Vs to brynge in desperacyon Me and my lyeges yf I shall not fayne Of false entente to catche vs in a trayne Alas howe maye you in your herte fynde Agayne nature for to be vnkynde That whylom were of my counsayle chefe Of euery thynge or it was brought to prefe ¶ For ye absente I could nothynge fyne And nowe alas ye caste to declyne Awaye fro me barayne lefte and sole That to remembre it is to great a dole How any wyght alas so chaunge can For who shall more truste any man When ye be founde double of entente Can ye not thynke how by your assente By your counsayle and by your aduyse Whylom how I sente forth Parys Into Grece of full yore ago ¶ And Anthenor thou wotest thy selfe also How thou were fyrste made imbassadour And therupon chyefe counsaylour Touchinge the sonde made for Exeon But after that cause and mocyon Though were in sothe that Parys shulde go Into Grece thou wotest well it is so For I ne durste of presumpcion Haue sente Parys vnto Citheron Without aduyce and auctorytye Of Eneas playnly and of the Vpon Grekes a werre to haue gonne I trowe in sothe that you neuer konne Excuse him selfe and you be aduysed For euerye thynge wrought was and deuised And execute by counsayle of you twayne For when Parys went for Heleyne Grounde and roote to speake in speciall Were thou Enee and cause principall Present also when euery thing was wrought Out of Grece when she was hither brought For this the sothe out of that regyowne She neuer had come to this towne If thou haddest he therto contrayre Albe thou wouldest with thy wordes fayre Thy selfe excuse here in audience As thou knewe nought of that offence But fully were vnwittinge of the dede And nowe my sonnes euerychone be deade And ye me se alone destitute Your counsayle is as for chyefe refute Me to pursewe to Grekes for a peace As I were foryetell reckles To remembre the infinite outrages The mortall werre slaughter and damages The cruelte and destructiowne That they haue wrought herupoÌ„ this towne That veryly when I all recorde For to be dead I can not accorde With them to treate like as ye deuise For I espye in many sondry wyse In your entente a right peryllous snare So couertly vnder falshed dare That it wyll be to my confusyon If ye acheue your entencion Fynally as ye haue it shape For impossyble it were to escape Shamefully at myschyefe me to dye Without recure of any remedye For this the fyne I knowe it out of doubte Of the treate that ye be aboute ¶ And ryght anone the Troian Eneas Of yre and rancoure so ameued was Agayne the kynge with a swellynge herte That sodaynly out at the dore he sterte After he had for to be awroke Full many worde agayne the kynge yspoke He wente his waye and Anthenor also ¶ And Pyramus of very yre and wo Sodainly braste out for to wepe He might him selfe not for anguishe kepe The anger fret vpon him so sore Within him selfe conceyuinge more and more By euydence of discrescyon The couert guyle and the false treason That they for him and for his Cyte Yshapen haue but he auysed be Dredynge aye that these ylke twayne By some engyne or conspyred trayne To the Grekes would hym betrayet Wherfore the kynge caste and would saye Shape awaye theyr malyce to withstande So the treason that they toke on hande Onely of ryght in dede or it were founde Vpon them selfe myght agayne rebounde That the full execucyon Of theyr contryued conspyracion Resorte agayne in ful dewe wyse Onely of theym that gan it fyrste deuyse Treason for treason is conuenyent For to falshed the guerdon pertynente Is shamefull deathe and the fynall mede Wherfore to shape in this great nede ¶ A remedye this olde Pryamus ¶ Calleth his sonne Amphymacus And pytyously alone but they twayne In teares drowned gan to him complayne On Anthenor and on this Eneas And sayde sonne take hede on this case And thynke how I am thy father deare And how there be now no more yfere Of my sonnes lefte wyth me alyue But thou alone and therfore as blyue Touching y e treason conspyred and ysworne What euâ—r fall let vs be toforne Onely of wysedome away for to make That we maye fyrst in the trappe theim take And to puruey for theym euen ylyche That iustly they maye fall in the dyche Whych they haue made and for vs ytreyned And in all haste let so be ordeyned That this matter close be kept in mewe To fyne onely that they not eschewe For to be slayue of equite and ryght In this place euen towarde night For I purpose playnly for theyr sake Agayne that houre a counsayle for to make And vnder coloure make them both call And thou vnwarely shalt vpon them fall With knightes sworne vnto the and me In this matter for to be secre And right anone this Amphimacus Assented is vnto Pryamus To accomplishe in full secret wise Fro poynt to poynt as ye haue herde deuyse BVt sothe is sayde of full yore agone Of olde wise y e counsayle is there none In all this worlde so pryuely ycaste Tyll it will out platly at the laste For the people whych that is rurall Sayth y t secretes which be not knowen at all The earthe will as they make mynde Discure theim of his owne kinde And of nature vp cast and disclose The thinge that men are wont in it to close Let euery man beware as it is good Or his counsayle go to ferre abrode And specially lordes haue great nede Of all men they stande most in dreade So great awayte is vpon them layde That when it happeth that a thinge 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 theim that stande asyde Or he be ware by sodayne auenture For some in hap in whom he doth assure Wyll fyrste of all him reporte amys Therfore in sothe best for them is this For to beware and kepe theyr tonge A purpose caste should not be ronge Nor spoke abrode amonge folkes rude For gladly aye the worste they conclude Of euery thynge while that it is newe In reporte varyaunt and vntrewe For after reason nothinge they expowne But after will the folke that be of towne Lyke the purpose which they desyre For they fayre as a wispe of fyre When it brenneth brightest in his blase Sodaynly it wasteth as a wase On suche folke platly is no truste That fire and water holde in their fiste Beynge with both ylke indifferente Now hote nowe colde lyke as theyr entente Of newe chaungeth so in theyr courage After the calme foloweth sodayne rage To daye they loue and to morowe hate To truste a common lasteth by no date Let not a lorde make them to secre For nowe the
lyue were to me a death For better is here to yelde vp the breth Then to be led out of this Cyte Amonge straungers to lyue in pouertee OH death welcome and longer lette Thy dredefull darte to fyle to whette My tender herte therwith all to ryue Agayne thy myght I wyll neuer stryue ¶ Now is tyme to keth the power 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 daye This lyttle auaunte yet make I maye In myne ende to the goddes all After whose helpe I clyppe and calle And to their mercy mekely I commende My woful spirite pray them that they sende To euery mayde better happe and grace Then I haue nowe and a longer space In hertye ioye and honour to contune Without assaulte of any infortune To leade their lyfe in prosperitye And all maydens remembreth vpon me To take ensample how ye shall you kepe And that ye wolde a fewe teares wepe When that ye thynke vpon fayre Pollyne That was of age and of yeres grene Whan she was slayne by cruell auenture And to the goddes for to haue in cure My dredfull goste holely I betake Eternally and thus an ende I make ¶ And with y t word her head she gan enclyne Full humbly when she shulde fyne And of her eyen helde the ledes downe ¶ And Pirrhus then wodder then Lyon Dismembred hath with his sherpe sworde This yonge made dredefull and aferde And ouer more his cruelte to shewe On peces smale he hath her all to hewe Endelonge his fathers sepulture Alas how myght his cruell herte endure Mercyles to do so foule a dede I am astoned sothly when I reade After her death how it did hym good Lyke a tiraunt to caste abrode her bloude Or a Tygre that can no routhe haue Rounde enuyrowne about his fathers graue He sprent of hate and of cruelte Oh thou Pyrrhus thou mayste well ybe Achylles sonne by lyneall discent For lyke to hym of herte and of entente Thou were in soth deuoyde of all pytye And worse then he yet in one degree For of thy father in all his lyuinge Ne radde I neuer yet so foule a thynge Though I wolde of hatred him abrayde For no rancour that euer he slewe amayde I fynde well that he had his parte Whylom in loue of Cupydes darte That made him sore in his lyue smerte When that he was wounded to the herte With the castynge onely of an eye Wenynge therby wystly for to dye He myght not the sodeyne stroke escape And afterwarde as his fate hath shape ¶ He murdred was for the loue of Pollicene Whom thou haste slayne in the cruell tene Furyously without routh or shame For whiche thynge the foule hatefull fame Through al the world hereafter shal be spred When this story rehersed is and red Then shal be sayd that Pirrhus routhlesse Slewe in his yre a mayde gyltelesse And woryed shall thy name most odyble Be for this dede passyngly horryble For loue onely of fayre Pollycene The death of whom when Hecuba the quene Hath sene alas as she besyde stode For very wo gan to be wood And for sorowe out of her wyt she went And her clothes and heire she rent All in a rage and wot not what she doth But gan anone with handes and with tothe In her furye scrache and eke byte Stones castes and with fystes smyte Whom she mette tyll grekes made her bynde And sente her forth also as I fynde Into an yle to Troye partment Where she was slayne onely by Iudgement Of the grekes and stoned to the death And whan she had yelde vp the breth This wofull quene by cruell auenture The grekes dyd make a sepulture Ceryously of metall and of stone And toke the corps and buryed it anone With great honour and solempnitee That longe after men there might se The ryche toumbe costfull and royall There set and made for a memoryall Of Hecuba whylom of great fame And after gaue to that place a name And called it to be longe in mynde ¶ Locus in festus in Guydo as I fynde And thus the quene onely for sorowe wood Whan her doughter had shad her bloud Of grekes stones dyd her ende make As ye haue herde plainly for the sake Of Policene whylom in Calchas Vnto Apollo falsly offred was By Pyrrhus sworde Achylles auengyng To make the sea calme and blandysshydg That the goddes take no vengeaunce Vpon grekes that on euyll chaunce Come to this false goddes euerychone And their statues of stockes and of stone In whiche the serpent and the olde snake Sathan hym selfe gan his dwellyng make And fraudently folkes to yllude Full suttyll can hym selfe illude In ymages for to make his holde That forged be of syluer and of golde That by errour of false illusyon He hath ybrought to confusyon Through mischance the worthy kinde of man Syth tyme that alder fyrste began The false honour of ydolatrye And the worshyp vnto maumetrye By sacrafyce of beastes and of bloud To appease them when that they are wood And to queme bothe at eue and morowe I praye to god giue them all sorowe Where so they be within or without I none excepte of the false route Saturne nor Mars Pallas nor Iuno Iubyter Mercurius nor Pluto Nother Flora that doth the floures sprede Nother Bachus with grapes white read Nor Cupydo with his eyen blynde Nother Daphne closed vnder rinde Through Tellus might of his laurer tree Nor thou Dyane with thy chastitee Myghtye Venus nor Citherea With thy dartes nor Proserpyna That lady arte depe downe in helle Nor Bellides that draweth at the well Ixyon nor thou zezyphus Nor with thyne appyll thou cruell Tantalus Nor the furies that be infernall Nor ye that spynne the lyues threde fatall Vpon the rocke of euery maner man Nor the Muses that so synge can Atwene the Coppys of Nysus and Cira Vpon the hylle besyde Cyrrea Nor the Cybeles nor Ceres with thy corne Nor Golus of whom the dredefull horne Is herde so ferre when thou lyste to blowe Nor Ianus Byfrons with backe corbed low Nor Pryapes nor Genyus the prest That cursed aye with candylles in his feste Them echone that frowarde be to kynde Nor Ymeneus whose power is to bynde Hertes that be knit in maryage Tyll the goddesse of discorde and rage Disseuereth theim by diuision Nother Maues that haue their mansyon Myd the erthe in derkenesse and in wo. Nor this Elues that are wont to go In vndyrmeles when Phebus is most shene Nother Fawny in tender greues grene Water nymphes nor this Naydes Satyrye nother Driades That goddes be of wood and wildernesse Nor other goddes nother more nor lesse As Morpheus that is the god of slepe I holde hym wood that taketh any kepe To do to them any obseruaunce He may not fayle for to haue myschaunce At the ende playnely for his mede For all suche
her dead But through his prudent mediacyon Maugre the myght of this Thelamon He hath the quene fro the death preserued Albe that she the same had well deserued As grekes sayde in their opynyon And thus defrauded of Palladyon As ye haue harde was this worthy knyght For all his manhode and his great myght Where through there gan in his herte brede Passynge enuye and full great hatrede And thought he wolde auenged be some day Vpon Vlixes and on Menelay And eke also vppon Agamenon And out he brake lyke a wood Lyon With his knightes about him y t were stronge And sayd playnly of this great wronge For to be dead he woulde auenged be And specyally on this ilke three And therwithall furious and wrothe Tournyng his backe out anone he goeth In herte fret with full mortall tene With many greke his quarell to sustene That in herte sore gan dysdayne Agayne Vlixes and the tother twayne But they full ware what so euer falle Their knightes made aboute them for to call And with gret stuffe where they wake or slepe To awayte on them and manly for to kepe With full good watche enuyron all the close ¶ But full erely or the sonne arose This worthy Ayax in his bed vpryght Ymurdred was the selfe same nyght And albe blede in the morowe founde On peces hewe with many mortall wounde That for this thyng cruell and horryble To god and man lothsome and odyble Full many greke that wofull morowe wepe To se a knyght so murdred in his slepe That the crye and the noyse ran Throughout the hooste anone fro man to maÌ„ And for constreynt of this foule deede Eueryche of them felte his herte blede Full desyrous to make an ordynaunce On this murdre for to do vengeaunce Hauynge therof great suspection To Menelay and to Agamenon ¶ But to Vlixes most in specyall By comon voyce to hym arrettynge all The foule fame he myght not asterte ¶ But Pyrrhus most toke this thyng at hert Makyng a vowe furyous and wood To be venged playnely on the bloud Of Thelamon vpon Vlixes heade Hym manasynge that he shal be deade So sore on hym frettynge was the sorowe ¶ But Vlixes erly on a morowe For dread of Pirrhus taken hath the sea And with his shyppes faste gan to flee ¶ But or he wente platly as I reade Palladyon he toke to Dyomede Hauynge in herte therof full great remorse ¶ And Pirrhus then taken hath the corse Of Thelamon for loue in specyall And dyd make a flawme funerall Large and great of coles hote and red And amyddes the feruent fyry glede Full many a greke stondynge to beholde He lette it brenne into ashes colde And in the storye after as is tolde He closed them in an vrne of golde Full reuerently and after hath it shette And thervpon he hath the prynte ysette Of his armes curyously ygraue From all myschyefe the asshes for to saue And sent them home by great affection To be conserued in the regyon Where he was kyng whyle he was a lyue And euery thynge was perfourmed blyue After the rytes in tho dayes vsed ¶ And euer in one Pyrrhus hath ymused Vpon this murdre trayterously ywrought And caste it shulde be full dere abought The pyteous death of this Thelamon Hauynge aye hate as to Agamenon And had eke suspecte olde Menelay That in a wayte eche for other laye Makyng theÌ„ selfe with their knightê stronge To trye out who hath ryght or wronge For Pyrrhus ne wolde let it lyghtly gone And thus they were made mortall fone This ylke three platly to the death Through false enuy which their hertes sleeth And while they were amonge theÌ„ selfe vntrue Stryfe vpon stryfe gan euery day renewe And debates for to multiplye Tyll Anthenor gan this thynge espye And by his wysedome to stynten all disdayne Them reconsyled vnto peace agayne And caused them to accorde in all And after made a solempne feast royall Besechynge them full lowely al thre To graunt to hym therat for to be Of gentylnesse that Grekes myghte echone Outwarde conceyue that they were al alone And to this feast he goodly made to calle As writ Guydo the worthy grekes all Of hye ne lowe was none excepcion But yf I shulde make descrypcion Howe the lordes and estates sette Of sundrye courses and the gyftes great That Anthenor gaue on euery syde It were to longe to you for to abyde There was of plente so great suffysaunce ¶ And I fynde they fell in dalyaunce Syttyng at meate to speken of Enee Brought in of hate and of enmite And of disdaye shortely in sentence They put on hym many great offence And specyally in their hasty tene Whylom how he concealed Polycene And by his sleyght made her be withdrawe Whiche was in cause Achylles was yslawe Shortly concludyng by one opynyon His fynall exyle out of Troye towne Notwithstandyng the graunt and lyberte Gyuen to hym to abyde in the cyte Also longe as hym lyste deuyse But grekes haue adnulled his fraunchyse Fro the lowest vp vnto the meste That were present at this hye feste ¶ But doubtelesse I can not well espye By whom was brought this conspyracye In Troye boke I fynde can no more Saue that hym selfe wytte it Anthenor Ylyche false bothe in one degre As ye haue herde betrayshynge the Cytye Lyke as they had spronge out of one roote And wheÌ„ he knew ther was none other boote This Eneas his dome to modefye He prayed them of their courtesye At the least to graunten him grace Foure monthes that he myght haue space To make his stuffe and his apparayle And hym selfe to puruey of vytayle Eke to graunt hym that they wolde assent Thylke shyppes that with Parys went To Cytheron vnto that temple olde That were in nombre two and twenty tolde And with full graunt of his petycyowne He is retourned home to Troye towne Tryste and heuy to se and beholde The waste Cytye with his walles olde And for sorowe felte his herte blede Within hym selfe when he taketh hede And remembred in his aduertence To false treason and the great offence By hym compassed to the towne aforne And how that he so sodeynely hath lorne The grace of grekes and stode disconsolate That whylom was of so great estate Now in his herte he fully dispeyred That he vnwarely was so euyll apayred Vnto grekes beyonde at his backe Beynge vngylty and without lacke And by whome he coulde not well deme Saue by sygnes as it shulde seme That Anthenor was moste for to wyte And caste playnely that he wolde hym quyte And through the towne he made sende blyue For thilke fewe that were lefte alyue Commynge anone at his commaundemente And when they were euerychone present SIres quod he ye se howe that fortune Towardes me gynneth discontune Aye vnstable with her eyen blynde As ye experte in your selfe now fynde Whilom frowarde now tourned into werse That of clerkes called is aduerse When her lyst her cruelte to shewe
Now so it standeth ye be here but a fewe And I must parte and ye styll abyde But it so be that ye will prouyde Standynge alone deuoyde of all succoure Amonge your selfe to make a gouernoure I can not se beaute shal be acloyed On euery parte and fynally destroyed As sely shepe that ne can no reade All disparkled when no man doth thē leade Wherfore best is in this dredefull thynge By one assent to chosen you a kynge And moste able the estate to occupye From all assaulte manly you to guye Is Anthenor of knyghthode and renowne If it accorde with your opynyowne Wherfore in haste vnto this entent Without abode lette for hym be sent And at his comynge plainely into towne Vpon his heade lette be sette a crowne Grauntynge to him scepter and regalye By his wysedome that he maye you guye From all assaulte of any parturbaunce By his knyghthode prudent gouernaunce And they assent makyng no delaye There was neuer one that lyketh to saye nay But were ryght gladde in all maner thynge As ye haue herde for to make hym kynge ¶ But they full lyttle sothly in their sonde Of Eneas the meanyng vnderstande For he ne mente but treason and falsehede Howe at his entrynge that he shal be dead Full trayterously in awayte lying To slea hym falsely at his in commynge But Anthenor of all this nothyng ware Dysarmed came and no weapen bare And Eneas with an huge route With swordes drawe set hym rounde aboute Tyll they of Troye both the yonge and olde Ran atwene and manly hym with holde And on their knees fell mekely downe Besechynge hym to haue compassyowne Of worthynesse and also of manlyhead Lyke as a knyght for to taken hede Howe they were lefte but of people bare Besechynge hym his dredfull sworde to spare And his rancoure and his yre leue Lest the slaughter wolde them all greue And on the commō they besought him rewe As sayth myne auctour at mischiefe to y e londe And there he was founde on the sonde Almost at death without remedye To hym Mynerua hath so great enuye For he so woodly to her temple wente And Cassandra after her autur hente By cruell force and hatefull vyolence ¶ Lo what peryll is to do offence Of hye dyspyte to any holy place I doubte not he shall fayle grace Who so euer vseth it in deede At the laste god wyll quyte his mede And rewarde him lyke as he dysserueth And for such thyng many greke now striueth Bycause onely of suche occasyon To exemplefye for no presumpcyon Folyly to attaine as I haue tolde For agayne god who so be to bolde Shall repent sooner than he weneth And many man that no harme ne meneth Suffreth vengeaunce for trespasse of one The fyrste Auctour goth not quyte alone But many other his offence abayth For ceryously Guydo wryt and sayth Suynge in ordre the wofull auenture That euery greke homewarde dyd endure Of hygh and lowe sparynge none estate Holsome welfull and some infortunate Both of their woo and of their welfare Ryght as it fell the storye shall declare IN Grece whylom was a worthy kyng Manly and ryche and prudent of lyuynge And had in soth lyke as wryte Guydo In his tyme worthy sonnes two Pallamydes was the eldest brother And Oetes called was the tother Bothe twayne of one mother borne And as the storye rehersed hath toforne Pallamydes was a noble knyght Full famous eke of power and of myght And fer spoke of in many sundrye coste And had also of all the grekes hooste For his wysedome whylom gouernayle ¶ But he alas was slayne in battayle Through vnhap of Martys cruell tene Whan the sonne shone most bright and shene Of his knighthode and his worthynesse Lyke as tofore the story beareth witnesse And of his death doth playnely specyfye ¶ But nowe of malyce hatrede and enuye Of such as haue tunges infortunate To make onely kinge Naulus at debate With the Grekes contriued haue of newe An hye treason false and full vntrewe The which ī soth was neuer do nor wrought Nor in effecte ymagined nor thought But a false thinge yfeyned of malyce ¶ That this kinge so manly and so wyse And so prudent this Pallamides Shulde of enuye god wot causeles At the siege of Troye the Cyte Vpon a night falsly murdred be So that this slaughter this lothsome dede By Vlixes and by Diomede Were fully wrought as ye haue herde deuise Whiche euery herte ought to agryse ¶ This false also that this tale haue fayned To king Naulus haue traiterously cōplained Albe in dede it was neuer mente That grekes were also of assent To this murdre and conspyration Both Menelay and Agamenon Albe in soth that euery dele was false That hanged be they hye by the halfe That can tales so forge and contryue To make frendes causeles to stryue For they through fraude of false collusyon Kynge Naulus put in suspection That grekes had conspyred doubtles Vpon the murdre of Pallamydes Makyng their ground which they did fayne That fro Troye were sent letters twayne To Pallamydes immediatly directe Whiche concluded treason in effecte Howe that he was for all his hyghe estate Falsely allyed and confederate To them of Troye for a summe of golde All this they haue fayned and ytolde And howe he had out of the Cytye Of good receyued huge quantite To fyne onely Grekes to betraye And to prolonge them platly and delaye At the syege in gettynge of the towne By his engyne and medyacygwne And to confirme all this in sentence To make Naulus gyue full credence They sayd playnely in confusyowne The letters which y t were sent fro the towne Yfounde were enclosed in a shielde Vpon a knyght yslayne in the fyelde Comprehendynge hole the trecherye The treason full and confederacye ¶ Atwene the towne and Pallamydes Veryly though he were gyltles And to gyue more open euydence To make a prefe of this great offence ¶ They sayde Vlyxes affyrmyng in certayne Accorded was with a chaumberleyne That was in offyce with Pallamydes Wonder secrete and nothynge reckeles For to assente to this conspyracye Wrongly compassed of brennynge hote enuye Behotynge him guerdon and great mede Lyke his deuise to execute in dede To take a treasour and a summe of good Full secretly and knit it in a hode And hid it when voyded was the prese Vnder the bedde of Pallamides And more to put Grekes in suerte The treasour was the same of quantyte That it ne might after be denyed Lyke as the letters had specyfyed ¶ And when all this founde was knowe Throughout the hoost noised was yblowe Both of the letters and the golde also Fro poynt to poynt accordynge both two Which that this kinge assentinge to tresowne Receyued had out of Troye towne To be assented as ye haue herde me tell The Grekes tho no longer would dwell But shope theym forth all of one entente And in all haste came vnto the tente
and confuse As man forsake abiecte and refuse Ryght so fared he wandrynge to and fro As he that ne wyst what was best to do BVt I fynde the Troyan Eneas That all this while still at Troye was Onely of routh and compassyowne To support thē that were left of the towne Beynge alway of theyr life in doubte Of theyr fomen rounde beset aboute As they that lyued for lacke of an hede Contynually in myschyefe and in dread Knowing no refute nor cōfort in this case Tyll by counsell of this Eneas To supporte theym in this great nede They sent in haste for this Dyomede Knowynge full well his desolacyon How he was proscrypt fro his regyon Besechynge hym of manhode and of routhe Him to enhaste wythout any slouthe With all the stuffe that he get can And souldyers also manly euery man Without abode and to Troye them lede To succoure 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 wyth hym brought many a souldeour And Eneas on the waye him mette In frendly wyse and into towne hym fette And to him made passyngly great chere And there they gan to commune yfere Theyr auentures both of lande and sea Entermedled with great aduersyte That no man maye deuoyde nor eschewe But take his parte as it to him is dewe As sorte or hap doth his brydell lede And in this storye shortly to procede Cely Troyans that were almost shent With theyr fomen of yles adiacent That theim besette aboute enuyrowne But through the manhod the hye renowne Of Dyomede and his souldeours And other knyghtes noble werreours They were reskued and holpen vtterly And foure dayes they fought by and by In knyghtly wyse defendynge the Cytee And through prowesse also of Enee They slewe and toke all that them withstode And in diffence of Troyanyshe bloud Suche as they fonde to the cytye false They hange them vp hye by the halse And punyshed them for theyr great wronge ¶ And Dyomede thus gan wexe stronge By longe processe as made is mencyon Chiefe protectour now of Troye towne That enuye none by a large space Durst abyde that he had grace To his lygeaunce so he made them loute And thus his name sprede gan aboute That of his fame the great opynyon Dylated is vnto the regyon By swifte reporte to Calydonye and Arge Which the quene greatly gan to charge And astoned when he taketh hede His power gan and his might to dreade Lest he would her lande vpon her wynne And of knighthod a werre newe begynne And secretly gan muse on this thinge That her lorde and her myghty kynge Late exyled and yput to flyght Hath grace founde in fortunes syght And is remonuted to high estate Wherof she was in her selfe checke mate And wayes caste as he that was prudent By hole aduyse of her parliament Without grutchynge or rebellyon Him to reuoke to his regyon ¶ And therupon to him lowly sente And with letters the messager forth went The cause annullyng by which he was exiled And how he was fully reconsyled By hole assent of his lyeges all And ful lowly euerychone they call For theyr offence and of theyr trespace Without rygour for to do them grace And he anone like a manly knyght More of mercy sothly then of ryght When he hath theyr sonde well conceyued And theyr meninge fully apparceyued To stynte all strife thought for the best In goodly wise to graunt theyr requeste And to his reigne within a certayne daye He is repeyred in full riche arraye Of whose comynge full glad his lieges bene And reconsiled both he and the quene And all rancour of any olde offence Onely of wisedome they put in suspense And of one herte a blisful life they lede In Troye booke no more of hym I reade But let him liue in felycytee Agayne resortynge to tell of Ene After how he hath his tyme spent Which is fro Troye w t many Troyan went His shippes stuffed he and his meyne Be sayled forth by many straunge sea Many daunger and many strayte passage Tofore or he aryued in Cartage Ledinge with him his father Anchises And by the waye I finde that he les His wife Crewsa by fatall auenture But all the wo that he dyd endure Who so list ceryously to sene And how that he falshede the quene I meane Dido of womanhead floure That gaue to him her rychesse treasoure Iewelles and golde al y t mighte him please And euery thing that might do him ease ¶ But for all that how he was vnkinde Reade Eneydos and there ye shall it fynde And howe that he falsly stale awaye By nyghte tyme while she a bedde laye And of his conquest also in ytayle Where he hadde many stronge battayle His auentures and his workes all And of the fyne that is to him fall Ye maye all se by soueraygne style Fro poynt to poynt compyled in Virgile Wryte and made sythen go full yore For Troye boke speaketh of him no more ¶ But procedeth as I shall endyte How Horestes caste him for to quyte His fathers death playnly and not spare If ye lyst heare as Guydo doth declare IT is requyred of equit and of right Of that iudge that is most of myght And egally holdeth his balaunce On death conspyred for to do vengeaunce The voyce of bloud doth so aye contune To crye wreche with clamour importune On them in sothe that it iniustly shede For murdre wrought wil haue his egall mede And his guerdon as he hath deserued They maye not fle the iudgement reserued Of him that sit highest in his trone And all beholdeth by him selfe alone Full rightfully the noble mighty kinge For though he suffer he forget nothinge But all consydreth in his in inspectyon And for the murdre of Agamenon The mighty lorde y t is most soueraygne good Made of mynystre of the same bloud Yonge Horestes full of high prowesse To execute his dome of ryghtwisenesse And gaue to him grace power and might And he anone toke the ordre of a knyght Of Ydumeus like as it is tolde When he was foure and twentye wynter olde Freshe and lustye and wonderly prudent And inwardly desyrous of intente If fortune would him not with sayne His heritage to recure agayne ¶ Which Egistas falsly hym denyeth And the crowne vniustly occupyeth By false tytle of her that was his wife ¶ But Horest's will ieoparde his lyfe And auenture while him lasteth breth Fyrst to be venged on his fathers death Vpon them tho that the treason wrought And alderfyrst full lowly he besought ¶ Kinge Ydinne of his goodlyhead To further him in this great nede ¶ And the kinge benignely anone Assigned hath with him for to gone A thousand knightes manly and right strōge To redresse the great horrible wronge Of Egistus wrought by violence And by his wisdome and his dyligence This Horestes gan him so purueye
the prise There will no man replye that is wise He were to feble in his opynion ¶ And while Vlixes was with Alphenon It was to him made relacyon Of an hatefull conspiratyon That certayne lordes enuyron his countre Rauishe would his quene Penolope Maugre all tho that were there agayne Albe that she was euer ylyke playne In her trouthe stedfaste as a wall Yet they haue caste platly that she shall Be take of force it maye not be eschewed But it so be in haste she be reskued For they them caste the time not aiourne For daye and nighte with her they soiourne Inly in herte for loue disamayde But of wisedome she hath theim so belayde There was none so manly nor so sage That could of her get auauntage So aduyse s he was in her workynge And when Vlixes conceyueth all this thinge And fully knewe by open euydence And had also in specyall credence ¶ Sente vnto him fro Penolope The matter hole declarynge in secretee ¶ His owne sonne Thelamonius He wexe in herte wood and furyous And would make no dylacyon ¶ But in all haste besoughte Alphenon The mighty kinge of his high bounte To releue him in his aduersyte And that he would through his mighty hāde Of gentillesse conueye him to his lande He graunteth him and saye not ones naye And both two in ful great araye Toke the sea when the winde was good Well fortuned for nothinge theim withstode They be ariued and had no lettynge Where Vlixes as ye haue herde was kinge And secretly in a night they were conueyed To them that haue his ligaunce disobeyed And mercyles or they might awake In theyr beddes they haue theim all take Makynge no prolongyng tyll on the morowe But in all haste for no wight durst thē borow Smet of theyr heades by iudgement fynall And set theim vpon the castell wall Eueriche by other endlonge the rowe Vpon the toure when the cocke gan crowe And thus all nyght they kept theim selfe close Till that Phebus meryly arose In the Orient when the larke songe And tho these kinges w t theyr meyne strōge Freshly besene entre the cetee Who was so glad but Penolope Who made ioye but this goodly quene Full desyrous her owne lorde to sene ¶ But if I should all in ordre sette The great myrthe they made when they met Make rehersayle of complayntes olde And how they gan theyr hertes to vnfolde Eche to other and lyst nothinge concele And the gladnesse that they inly fele If I shulde put all in memorye The reioysynge and the hertye glorye That his lyeges made at his comynge The coste eke they had at his metynge The giftes great and presentes ryche In all this worlde I trowe none ylyche It were to longe taryinge for my boke And how that he newe assuraunce toke Of his lordes and lyeges all And how that they to his grace fall The cheare he made eke to Alphenowne Of gentylnesse through his high renowne And how the doughter inly debonayre Of Alphenon Nausica the fayre By Vlixes medyacyon Ywedded was vnto Thelamon Borne by discent there may no man saye nay To reioyce his crowne after his daye And thus came in by his purueyaunce Of two reygnes the myghty allyaunce And how all this brought was to the knotte Men would deme playnly me to sotte To presume of opynyon For to delate a descripcyon Sythen Guydo touchinge but the chyefe In this matter of stile was but brefe ¶ Shortly rehersynge how kinge Alphenon Repeyred is home to his regyon And Vlixes in his chiefe cyte Abode styll with Penolope Where I him leue in ioye and in solace Till Attropos liketh to purchase For to fyche fynally the date The threde to vntwine of his liues fate ¶ How the translatour wryteth the stocke of Pirrhus by lyneall dyscent and how his father hight Pelleus and his graundmother called Thetydes Ca. xxxviii NOw must I full busy be a while To directe the traces of my stile In discriuinge shortly of entente The stocke of Pirrhus by lyneall discente Myn Auctour folowe and be compendious ¶ Whos 's olde father hyght Pelleus His graundmother called Thetydes Of whych two came worthy Achilles That at Troye by treason lost his lyfe And Dardanica called was his wife ¶ Pirrhus mother and doughter as I reade Vnto the kynge called Lychomede ¶ Hauinge a father that Atastus hight Whych in sothnesse all that euer he myght ¶ Bare heauy herte to kinge Pelleus To Achilles and also to Pirrhus To all the kyn playnly on that side And of malyce rancour and of pryde And of enuye in an hatefull rage ¶ When Pelleus fall was in age He berafte him both sceptre and crowne And from his see lowe alight him downe And into exyle auayle maye no stryfe He made him go with Thetydes his wyfe Of high disdayne gayne maye no grace And in his herte gan daye and night cōpace The death of Pyrrhus kepe him if ye can And therupon maliciously began To shape a waye by awayte lyinge Him for to sley at his home comynge But this Pyrrhus from his treynes free Many daunger escaped of the sea Many wawe and many tempest wood With great losse both of men and good At Malasus alderfyrst gan londe A stronge Cyte a lytell from the stronde Where that he was refreshed wonder wele And there he knewe grounde and euery dele Fyrste of Thexyle lyke as men him tolde ¶ Of Thetides and Pelleus the olde And how Atastus bare to him hatrede Vnto the death wherof he gan drede And thought he would as he y t was right wise By some engyne eschewe his malyce And therupon do his busy payne ¶ Now had Atastus other sonnes twayne ¶ Menalippus and Polistenes And a doughter ycalled Thetydes And all this whyle wofull Pelleus In a castell olde and ruynous With Thetydes full of sorowe and care For dread of death daye and night gan dare Dispeyred in his vnweldy age Recure to fynde of this mortall rage Except that he had an hope of yore That Pyrrhus shoulde helpe him and restore At his repeyre when so that it fall After whose comynge often he gan call The tyme curse that he so longe abode But when Pyrrhus all this vnderstode At Malasus by relacyowne Ful faste he gan haste out of the towne Toke the sea and fast gan him hye Towarde the lande called Thesalye Of entent to make ordynaunce On Atastus for to do vengeaunce But alder fyrste this Pyrrhus ful prudent Espyes twayne he tofore hath sent To Thesalye forth togyther gone ¶ And Crilippus named was the tone And Adrastus named was his fere They were expert theim nedeth not to lere In whose exployte to more auauntage ¶ This Pyrrhus hath dyrecte his message Of Thesalye to a cytezyne Called Assandrus a maner chamberlayne With Pelleus and whilom ful secree While he was flourynge in felycytee And when Pyrrhus in conclusyon Knewe all the sothe by relacyon On sea nor lande hym ne lyst to
coragious And he was called Thelagonyus ¶ Borne in the see amonge the floddes rage That was also to reken his age Fyue and twenty yeres and there aboute ¶ But of hys father he was aye in doute What man he was or who it mighte be Beynge therof in no securytie Tyll on a daye he desyrous to knowe To hys mother fell on knees lowe Beseching her goodly and not spare Of hys father to him the trouthe declare What that he was or where he shuld dwelle He her besought that she woulde hym tell ¶ But sothly she longe and many dayes Of hyghe prudence put hym in delayes Tyll that she sawe she might haue no reste So importune he was in his requeste And whē she knew ther was none other bote Fro poynt to poynt she tolde him crop rote ¶ Of Vlixes and where that he was kynge And he anone made no taryinge But toke leue it may none other be And playnely sayde he wolde hys father se ¶ Wherof the quene gan in her herte colde But when she saw she might him not w tholde She hym besought wyth chere debonayre That he wolde soone agayne to her repayre And forthe he sayleth onwarde on his way Without abode the selfe same day By many porte and many fer countre Tyll he was brought there as he would be ¶ To Achaya a lande of great renowne And he gan serche through out the regyon After the place and paleys pryncypall Where as the kinge helde his see royall And he so longe in the countre rode Tyll he was taught where the kynge abode There Vlixes was shytte vp in mewe To which place in haste he gan pursewe A great party releued of hys sorow And on a monday erely by the morow ¶ Vnto the brydge the ryghteway he toke And foūde a porter deynous of hys loke And lowely fyrste he gan him for to praye That he voutsafe hym goodly to conueye Into the courte and make no taryinge For he a message he hadde to the kynge ¶ But proudely he denyed the gate And shortly sayd that he came to late To entre there in any maner wyse And eke vngoodly gan him to despyse Frowarde of speche and malycyous But in all haste thys Thelagonyus As he that was in heart not a ferde The proude porter hente by the berde And with his fyste rofe his chawe bone That he fell deade muet as a stone And other eke that him tho withstode He made proudely lepe into the flode And whan mo came to maken resistence He hente a swerde by manly vyolence And furyously in hys yrous tene The story sayeth he slewe of them fyftene Hym selfe almoste wounded to death And gan for wery sothly fayle breath And Vlixes what for noyse and sowne To the bridge is descendyd downe Fynding his men at entre of his gate Dead and slayne by full mortall hate And he full yrous hente anone adarte Of auenture standinge tho aparte And cruelly caste at Thelagon But yet the stroke as in conclusyon Domaged not for it glode asyde And he for haste no longer would abyde Hent vp the darte without more arest And smote the king lowe vnder the brest Through the ribbes shortly for to saye That of the wounde he must nedes deye Hauinge as tho no opinion That he was kinge nor suspection Nor that he had his owne father slawe Which fast gan to his ende drawe His wound was so deadly and so kene That he might him selfe not sustene But pale and wan to the grounde gan glide His men about vpon euery syde That busy were to helpe hym and releue But his sore gan so ake and greue That he well felte that he must be dead ¶ But abrayding as he lift vp his head Hauynge as yet both perfect minde reason Remembre gan of his auysyon And how it was tolde him out of dreade That one that was next of his kinrede Descended downe from his owne lyne His sweuen shall parfourme and to the fyne Accomplishe it wyth a darte of stele And for he could naught conceyuen wele What that he was nor who that it shulde be He badde anone vnto his meyne Without harme or any vyolence To do him sette anone vnto his presence The yonge man whych at the gate stode That hath that daye shed so muche bloud ¶ And when he was afore Vlixes brought Of him he hath enquyred out and sought Fyrste of his kyn and next of his countre ¶ Certes quod he I was borne in the sea Amonge fyshes myd the wawes grene And sayde also his mother was a quene Called Circes of whom the name is kouthe Both east and west and eke right fer by south And tolde also his father was a kynge That hym begat at his home comynge Fro Troye towne towarde this countre And as my mother Circes tolde it me Serteinly that he Vlixes hyghte Of whom desyrous for to haue a syghte I entred am this myghty regyon And haue pursewed vnto this dungeon Onely in hope my father to haue seyne But I se well my laboure is in vayne And syth in sothe lost is my trauayle And that it maye in no syde auayle It were folly longer for to dwell Lo here is all that I can you tell Of my kynred aske of me no more ¶ With that Vlixes gan to syghe sore For lacke of bloud as he that was full pale And sayde anone when he herde his tale ¶ Now wot I well my wofull destynye Fulfylled is it maye none other be Now wot I well that it is to late To grutche or stryue agayne my piteous fate ¶ For my sonne as clerkes whilom tolde Hath made an ende of my dayes olde Theron exspectant with paynes full greuous ¶ And with that worde Thelagonius When so he wist agayne natures lawe That he alas had his father slawe Which in y e land longe had borne his crowne Without abode fell anone in swowne ¶ His clothes rente his yelowe heyre to torne ¶ Alas quod he that euer was I borne For cursed is my woful destynye And my fortune which I maye not fle Cursed my sorte cursed min auenture And I refuse of euery creature Forwarryed eke my disposycyon And cursed is my constellacyon Cursed also and full infortunate The houre in which my father me begat So would god without longer reade To acquite him anone that I were dead To laye my life for his death to borowe ¶ And when the kynge sawe his great sorow And wyst he was his sonne of Circes borne By many sygnes rehersed heretoforne He vnto him anone forgaue his death As tho he might for lacke and want of breth So importable was his passyon ¶ And efte his sonne called Thelamon Whyche hath in prison so many daye be shet To his presence in all haste was fet Which when he sawe his father in suche poynt Wpon his death standynge in disioynt And knewe also and the trouthe hath founde By whom he had his last deadly
wrought And his purpose fully about brought Of high wisedome set in his inwarde syght Inioyinge all that longeth to his ryght And highest syt of worthynesse in glorye With the Sceptre of conquest and victorye I praye god onely for bis beste ¶ When he hath al sette in peace and reste And is full put in clere possessyon Of all that longeth to his subiection To sende him home with triumphe honour As great as euer had any conquerour After longe in ioye and in quiete To rule and reygne in his royall sete Thus shall I aye there is no more to saye Daye and night for his exployte praye Of faythfull herte and of hole entente That whilom gaue me in commaundemente Not yore ago in his fathers tyme The syege of Troye on my maner to rime Most for his sake to speake in specyall Although that I be boystous and rurall He gaue me charge this storye to translate Rude of connynge called Iohn Lydgate Monke of Burye by profession Vsynge an habite of perfection Albe my lyfe accordeth not therto I feyne not I wot well it is so It nedeth not witnesse for to call Recorde I take of my brethren all That will not fayle at so great a nede ¶ And all that shall this noble storye reade I beseche of supporte and of grace Where I offende in any maner place Or wher soeuer that they find shal an errour Of gentylnesse to shewen their fauour And benyngly for to do their payne Hyt to correcte rather then dysdayne For wel wot I y t muche thyng ther is wronge Falsely metryd both of shorte and longe And if they shoulde haue of all disdayne It is no dreade my labour were in vayne Let ignoraunce and rudenesse me excuse For if that ye platly all refuse For certayne fautes whiche ye there shal finde I doute not my thancke is sette behynde For in the verse though there be ignoraunce Yet in the story ye fynde may pleasaunce Touching substaunce of y t mine auctour writ And though so be that any worde misse syt Amendeth it with chere debonayre For an errour to hyndre and appayre That is not sayde of purpose or malyce It is no worshyp to hym that is wyse And no wight gladly demeth so soone a lacke Specyally behynde at the backe As he in soth that can no skylle at all He goeth full hoole that neuer had a fall And I not fynde of newe nor of olde For to deme that is alway so bolde As he that is yblent with vnconnynge For blynde bayarde caste peryll of nothynge Tyll that he stumblyng fall amydde the lake And none so redye for to vndertake Than he in sothe nor bolder to saye werse That can no skylle on prose nor yet on verse And of all suche that lysten not be styll I lyttell forse where they saye good or yll For vnto them my booke is not directe But to all suche as lyste haue in effecte On symple folke full compassyon That goodly can by their correction Amende a thynge and hyndre neuer adele Of custome aye ready to saye wele FOr he that was grouÌ„de of well sayinge In all his lyfe hyndred no makyng My maister Chaucer y t founde ful many spot Hym list not pynche nor grutche at euery blot Nor meue hym selfe to perturbe his reste I haue herde tolde but sayde alway the beste Sufferynge goodly of his gentilnesse Full many thynge embraced with rudenesse And if I shall shortly hym discriue Was neuer none to thys daye alyue To reken all bothe of yonge and olde That worthy was his ynkehorne for to holde And in thys lande yf there any be In borough or towne vyllage or Cite That connyng hath his tracys for to sewe Where he go brode or he be shet in mewe To hym I make a full dyreccyon Of thys boke to haue inspeccion Besechinge theim with theyr prudent loke To race and scrape through out al my boke Voyde and adde where theim seineth nede And though so be that they not ne reade In all this boke no Rethorikes newe Yet this I hope that they shall finde al trewe The storye playne chiefly in substaunce And who so lyst to se the varyaunce Of worldly thinge wrought by dayes olde In this boke he maye full well beholde Chaunge of fortune in her course mutable Selde or not faythfull other stable Lordes Princes from her royalte Sodaynly brought in aduersyte And kinges eke plounged in pouerte And for theyr dread daringe in deserte Vnware slaughter compassed of enuye Murdre conspyred by conspyracye Awayte layinge falshede and treason And of kingedome sodayne reuersyon Rauyshinge of women for delyte Roote of the werre and mortall despyte False mayntenaunce of auoutrye Many worthy causynge for to dye Sinne aye concludinge who so taketh hede Vengeaunce vnware for his finall mede TO declare that in all worldly luste Who loke aryght is but litell truste As in this boke example ye maye finde If that you list enprinte it in your minde How all passeth and halt there no soioure Wastinge awaye as doth a somer floure Riche and pore of euery maner age For here our life is but a pilgramage Meynt with laboure and with muche wo That if men would taken hede therto And eke tofore prudently aduerte Litell ioye he should haue in his herte To sette theyr truste in any worldly thinge For there is nother prince lorde nor kynge ¶ By example of Troye as ye may see That in this lyfe maye haue full surete ¶ Therfore to him that starfe vpoÌ„ the roode Suffrynge deth for our alder good Lyfte vp your hartê thinke on him amonge For be ye neuer so myghty not so gronge Without hym al that may not auaile For he can gyue victorye in battayle And holde a fyelde shortly to conclude With a fewe agayne great multytude And by his grace he maketh prynces stronge And worthy kynges for to reygne longe And these Tyrantes sodeynely oppresse Throwe theÌ„ downe for al their great richesse And in his hande power he reserueth Eche to acquyte lyke as he deserueth To whom I praye with all deuocyon With all myne herte and hole affection That he lyste graunt longe contynuaunce Prosperytye and good perseueraunce Helthe welfare victorye and honour Vnto that noble myghty conquerour ¶ Henry the fyfthe tofore especyfyed So that his name maye be magnefyed Here in this lyfe vp to the sterres clere And afterwarde aboue the nynth sphere Whan he is dead for to haue a place This praye I god for to sende him grace At whose byddynge as I tolde late Fyrste I began the syege to translate ¶ And now I haue holy in his honoure Full executed the fyne of my laboure Vnto all that shall this storye se With humble herte and all humilyte This lyttell booke lowely I betake It to supporte and thus an ende I make ¶ Of the most noble excellent Prynce kynge Henry the fyfthe MOst worthy Prynce of knighthode soures and welle Whose highe renowne
lykely for to fade And whan she came the grekes for to glade The halle in soth she walketh vp and downe Of womanhede and pure affectiowne To make chere vnto these gestes newe And thus Medea with her rosen hewe And with the freshnesse of the lyllye whyte So entermedled kyndly by delyte That nature made in her face sprede So egally the white with the rede That the medlynge in conclusyon So was ennewed by proportion That fynally excesse was there none Of one nor other for both two in one So ioyned were longe to endure By the empresse that called is nature For she her made lyke to her deuise That to beholde it was a paradyse In verye soth bothe to one and all Of olde and yonge that sytten in the hall Therto she was as by successyon Borne to be heyre of that regyon After her father by discent of lyne If she abyde and dure after his fyne Syth he ne had by ryght to succede One heyre male that I can of reade She was also the boke maketh mencion Were vnto yeres of discretion Able for age maryed for to be And not withstondynge also eke that she Was of beaute and of womanhede One of the fayrest that I can of read Yet none of bothe haue her youth let That to clergy was her desyre set So passyngly that in speciall In all the artes called lyberall She was expert and knowynge at the beste It was her vre to konne what her lyste Of suche a woman herde I neuer telle At Helicon she dranke so of the welle That in her tyme was there none semblable I founde in sothe ne none that was so hable As to conceyue by studye and doctrine And of natures to dispute and termine She coude also and the causes fynde Of althinges formed as by kynde She had in lernyng so her tyme spente That she knewe of the fyrmament The trewe course and of the sterres all And by their meuynge what that shulde fall So was she lerned in astronomye But moste she wrought by nycromancye With exorsismes and coÌ„iuracions And vsed also to make illusyons With her charmes sayde in sondrye wyse And with rytes of diuers sacrifyse Encens and ryches caste into the fyre To shewe the thynges lyke to her desire With gootes hornes and with milke blude Whan the mone equat was and stode In the fyfthe or in the syxte house And was fortuned with lokyng gracious To these an houre that were conuenient And fortunate as by enchauntement To make and worke sundry apparences So well she knewe the heauenly influences And aspectes bothe wrothe and glade For she by them all her thynges made That apperteyne to suche experimentes For whan her lyst by her enchauntementes She coude make the wyndes for to blowe To thondre lighten and to haile snowe And frese also to greue men with payne And sodeynely she coude make to rayne And shewe what wether that her list to haue And gasten men with sodeyne erth quaue And tourne the daye vnwarely vnto nyght And then anone make the sonne bryght Shewe his beames full persyng ful shene With golden hornes to voyde nyghtes tene And reise y e floodes w t many a dredful wawe And whaÌ„ her list she coude them eft w tdrawe Eke yonge trees to sere roote and rynde And afterward make them againe in kinde With lusty braunches blome budde newe Also in wynter with floures freshe of hewe Aray the yerth and tapyte hym in grene That to beholde a Ioye it was to sene With many colour shewynge full diuers As whyte and rede grene ynde and pers The deysy with her ryche perled crowne And other floures that winter made frowne Vpon their stalke freshly for tappere And sodeynely with a deadly chere She coude somer into winter tourne Causynge the daye with mystes for to mone And olde men she coude make yonge And efte agayne or any here was spronge She coude them shewe both in head berde Ful hore and graye in crafte so was she lerede And trees w t fruite she coude also make bare Of rinde and leafe to do men on them stare Eclipse the mone and the bryght sonne Or naturally they had theyr course yronne To them apropred which they mai not passe For if that Tytanes course by kindly trase Whan so he meueth vnder the clyptik lyne The clipse mott folow as auctours list diffine So that there be by their discription Of bothe twayne full coniunction And that the sonne with his beames red Haue his dwellyng in the dragones head And the mone be set eke in the tayle As by nature than it maye not fayle That there must fall eclyps of veary nede In sondry bokes like as ye may read Bycause of certayne interfecacions Of diuers circles and reuolucions That maked ben in the heauen alofte Whiche causen vs for to fayle ofte Of the freshe and comfortable stremes That be vs shad from Phebê° bryght bemes For so the mone hath made deuisyon By this sodeyne interposicion That of our syght the stremes visuall May not beholde nor yet ysene at all Nor to our luste fully comprehende How Phebus in his chaire is cheuansende As we were wonte aforehande for to see But of all this the great Ptholome Kyng of Egypt telleth the causes why Within his boke and that compendiously Bothe of Eclyps and coniunction And why they fall by naturall mocion But of Medee though this clerke Ouyde T encrease her name vpon euery syde Lyst suche thynges in his fables tell Though he of poetes was the spryng well Yet god forbede ye shulde gyue credence To suche feynyng or do so hyghe offence Sith of nature it must be denyed Al suche affirmyng and likewise be diffyed Of euery christien stedfast in beleue For certainly it wolde hyghly greue Our conscience in any wyse to wene Agaynst kynde whiche is so hye a quene That any wight or lyuynge creature Shulde haue power I do you plaine assure So cursed thynges supersticious To do or worke to kynde contrarious ¶ For god almyghtye Iudge of Iudges all Hath sette a lawe the whiche may not falle Amonge planettes eternally tendure Afore ordeyned in his eternall cure The whiche may not as clerkes lyst termine Vpon no syde bowen nor declyne But as they were from discorde or debate Eternally yformed and create Through the fynger of his sapience Alway to meue in their intelligence Lyke as they be to his lordshyp bounde For neuer yet was eclyps yfounde The mone not beinge inconiunction As I haue tolde saue in the passyon The which eclyps was tho against kinde Nature her knot that tyme lyst vnbynde Whan goddes sonne starfe vpon the roode The sonne of lyfe was derked for our good Whan heauen and erth w t hye compunction Haue sygnes shewed of lamentacion By earthquakes light tourned to derkenes And dead bodies vpwarde gan them dresse From their tombes againe from deth to liue Stone and rocke a sonder gan to
ryue In the temple the veyll was kut a two And sygnes many were yshewed tho That for y e wondre and tokens meruailous The great worthy Dyonysyous Vhiche at Athenes as clekes of hym write Was called in scholes Ariopagyte He whan he sawe this noble famous clerke The bryght daye sodeynely so derke Although he were apaynym in tho dayes And was infecte with rytes of their layes As he that was moste chiefe and principall Of phylosophers for to reken all Yet that tyme astoned in his mynde Sayde platly other the god of kynde Suffreth the death other out of doubte This rounde worlde which is so large about Shal be dissolued and ybrought to nought By sodayne chaunge hasty as a thought By his clergye he knewe no better skyll For god may all chaungen at his wyll And hath power of suche coaction Vnder whose myght and disposicion Is lawe of kynde constreyned soth to seye From poynt to poynt lowely to obeye In euery thynge that hym lyst ordeyne Of elementes he may the course restreyne As holy wryt doth witnesse ye may se How at request of worthy Iosue The bryght sonne stode at Gabaon Adayes space in one degree and shone Shewynge token to his trewe knyght Fynally and for to gyue him lyght That he myght by his hye prowesse His cruell foon manfully oppresse Whan that he fought this knight this Iosue With fyue kinges reignyng in Amoree So longe laste the pursuite and the chase Tyll they were take for their hye trespasse Dempt to be dead the Bible can you tell Now syth that god thus hyghly lyst fulfyll This his knyghtes request and orison What wonder was though in the passyon Of Christe Iesu incarnat for our sake The sonne beames as tho were waren blak Syth he hath lordship of the planettes all And as hym lyst it must nedely fall For of Medea though Ouydyus In his fables writeth and saith thus As he that lyst her name so hyghe exalte Yet in the truth somewhile doth he halte Albe she were a passynge sorceresse And chefest named of any chaunteresse ¶ I wyll passe ouer agayne to my matere And howe she came to meate ye shall en here Whan her father had thus for her sent Se came anone at his commaundement But or she came I fynde that tofore For to make her beautie se men more She in her closet toke her best araye For tencrease in all that euer shee maye Natures worke with royall apparayle For these women gladly wyll not fayle Whā they of beautie haue plēteuous largesse It to embellyshe they do their businesse With ryche a tire vpon euery syde If ought be mysse they can it close and hyde For all the foule shall couertly be wryed That no defaute outwarde be espied ¶ But she was faire and also well be sayne And in her porte so womanly certayne That at her comynge gladeth all the halle For it was ioye both vnto one and all To se the maner tho of her entree To whom her father bad to take her see Besyde Iason hym for to disporte Of womanhede and for to recomforte ¶ But oh alas here lacked hye prudence Discrete auyse of inwarde prouydence Wysedome also with perell caste aforne To truste amayde of tendre yeres yborne Of lyght vnhappy fonde wylfulnesse For this kynge of his gentylnesse Commaunded hath to his confusyon To his dishonour and destruction His owne doughter borne to be his heyre That was also so womanly and fayre So sodaynly downe for to discende Consydered not the myschyefe of the ende Alas why durst he in her youth affye To make her sytte of his curtesye Where as she myght by casuell mocion Full lyghtly catche or haue occasyon To do amysse alas why dyd he so Why list he not take better hede therto Nor to auerte in his discretion Wysely to caste afore as in reason The vnware chaunge that is in womanhed Whiche euery wyse man oughte for to drede For who was euer yet so mad or wood That ought of reason coude aright his good To gyue fayth or hastyly credence To any woman without experyence In whom is nother trust nor sykernesse They ben so double and full of brytylnesse That it is harde in them to assure For vnto them it longeth of nature From theyr birth to haue alliaunce With doublenesse and with variaunce Their hertes be so fraile and so vnstable Namely in youthe so meuynge and mutable That so as clerkes of them lyst tendyte Albe that I am sory for to wryte They sayen that chaunge and mutabilite Apropred ben vnto feminite This is affyrmed of them that were ful sage And specially whyle they be grene of age In their wexyng and whan y t they be yonge Whose herte full selde accordeth w t her tonge For if the trouth inwardely be sought With y e surplus remnaunt of their thought Men may anone the true patron fynde Of inconstaunce whose flaskysable kynde Is to and fro meuynge as a wynde That Hercules were not stronge to binde Nother Sampson so as I beleue A womans herte to make it not remeue For as the blase whyrleth of a fyre So to and fro they flee in their desyre Tyll they accomplyshe fully their delite For as nature by kyndly appetyte Kyndly seketh to sewen after fourme Tyl he his course by processe may performe Euen so these women refraine them ne can To sewe their luste as fro man to man They will not cease till all be assayed But wolde god as nature is apayed With one fourme and holdeth him content Whan of his boundes he hath the terme went And not desyre ferther to procede But styll abyte and wyll it not excede That by example all sortes women wolde Abide in one as they of duety shoulde And holde them paide and stylle there abyde But faile of foting doth them ofte to slyde For they be not content with vnitee But fast they sewen to finde pluralitee So of nature to menynge they be shewed Although among by signes outward shewed They ofte pretende a maner stablenesse But vnder that is hyd their doublenesse So well yreke that outwarde at the eye Full harde it is the treason to espye Vnder curtyn and veyle of honeste Is closed chaunge and mutabilitye For their desyre is kepte full close in mewe Of thyng that they had leuest for to sewe Only outwarde for to haue a laude They can declyne w t faynyng with fraude ¶ Wherfore Oetes thy wyt was to barayne That thou afore by prudence naddest sayne What shulde folowe of this vnhappy case Why were thou bolde thus to suffer alas Thine owne doughter inly freshe of hewe With straunge gestes entred but of newe So folilye for to lete her dele Where thrugh thin honor worship thin hele Was lost in haste she to mischiefe brought In straūge lande w t sorowe with thought Where as she in sclaunder of thy name With miserie with sorowe and with shame An ende made and thou were
and gouernour And duke Stupex with him also had And of knyghtes a thousande that he ladde Towarde Troye from his region And as this storye maketh mencyon That prouince standeth most by wildernesse And by woodes of plenteous thickenesse Wherin growe full many diuers tree And most is forest that men may there se For they there buylde houses but a fewe And in that lande full diuersly them shewe Many lykenesse queynte and monstruous Beastes vnkouth to syght merueylous Stoundmele as by apparence By illusyon false in existence Wonder gastfull playnly for to sene For dyuers goddes of the woodes grene Apperen there called Satyrye Bycornes eke Fawny and Incubye That cause often men to falle in rage And of this lande the people full sauage Hardy knyghtes furyous and woode And desyrous aye to sheden bloude Greatly Experte specyally to shete With darte and spere peryllous for to mete For they caste euen as any lyne ¶ And from an yle that named was Boetine In great araye to Troye the Citee Lyke as I fynde there came Dukes three The fyrst of all called Amphymus Samus the secounde the thirde Forcius And as sayth Dares which listeth not to lye Twelue hundred knightes in their company ¶ And fro Brotyne as made is remembrance The riche lande that hath such habundaunce Of spyces gummes fruites corne and wine Holsome rotes ryndes ryche and fyne Wonder vnkouth and precious also Out of which there comen kinges two Full knightly men in armes desyrous Kynge Boetes and Epristuis And w t them brought to Troye from ferre A thousande knightes arayed for the werre ¶ And fro the lande called Pafflagonye Whiche seuered is from all companye As bookes saye that be hystoryall Vnder the plage that is Oryentall Sette so ferre as made is rehersayle That fewe or none to that lande trauayle For there to come is nere impossyble For whiche that lande is called inuisyble Bycause onely of his remosion And yet yt is a ryche regyon Of golde and syluer also and of stones And habundaunte of plentee for the nones It is so full of treasour and of good And hath his scyte on the ryche floude Ynamed Tygre not fer from Eufrates As sayth myne auctour that called is Dares From whiche lande in stele armed clene A thousand knightes came with Phylomene The worthy kyng whose shildes out of drede Were of cuirboilye in Guydo as I read With golde depainte fret with stones ryche that in this world I trow there was noÌ„e liche Out of the floudes chosen by deuyse Whiche haue their course out of Paradyse The whiche kyng a Gyaunt of stature And of his makynge passyng all measure Stronge and delyuer also as I fynde ¶ And fro the lande y t marcheth vpon Inde Kyng Perses came with many knightly man And he also that with his hande hym wan So moche honour the noble kyng Menon And eke his brother called Sygomon Whiche from the lande of their subiectiowne Of dukes erles and knyghtes of renowne Thre thousande brought all in plates shene With speres rounde whet ful square and kene From Ethyope came this noble route ¶ And from the kyngdome also out of doute That Thereo of Dares called is Came the kyngfull prudent and full wyse The manly man named Theseus And eke his sonne that hyght Archylogus A thousande knyghtes in their company And Theseus full nyghe was of allye To Pryamus by dissent of bloud And kynges twayne passyng ryche of good And renowmed of knighthode as by fame Albe that Guydo reherseth not their name Yet in this storye he maketh mencion That from Agresta the lyttle regyon A thousand knightê they brought vnto Troy The grekes pryde to daunte and to acoye For they were chosen and pycked for y e nones ¶ And from he land beyond the Amazones Lyssynya the kyng Epystrophus So wyse so worthy and inly vertuous Passyng of counsayle and discreciowne And with all this full worthy of renowne He preued was also in speciall And in the artes called lyberall He lerned was and expert a ryght Notwithstandyng he was a worthy knyght In werre and peace manfull and ryghte sage Albe that he was ronne ferre in age And as the storye maketh rehersayle A thousande knightê cladde in plate mayle To Troye towne I fynde that he ladde And with hym Guydo sayth that he hadde A wonder archer of syght meruaylous Of fourme and shap in maner monstruous For lyke myne auctour as I reherse can Fro the nauell vpwarde he was man And lower downe lyke a horse yshaped And thilke parte that after man was maked Of skinne was blacke and rough as any bere Couered with here fro colde him for to were Passyng foule and horrible of syght Whose eyen twain were sparkeling as bright As is a furneis with his reade leuene Or the lyghtnyng that falleth from y t heauen Dredefull of loke and reade as fyre of chere And as I reade he was a good archer And with his bowe both at euen morowe Vpon grekes he wrought moche sorowe And gasted them with many hydous loke So sterne he was that many of them quoke Whan they hym sawe so ougly and horryble And more lothsome than it is credible That many one hath wounded to the death And caused them to yelden vp the breath On grekes syde as ye shall after here ¶ And in this wyse assembled byn yfere Kynges Dukes and Erles of renowne From sundry landes within Troye towne That byn ygathred and come fro so ferre As sayth Dares to helpe them in this werre That were in numbre as he maketh mynde Two and thirtye thousande as I fynde Of worthy knyghtes and lordes of estate That syth the worlde was fourmed create Ne was sene I trowe in one Citee Together assembled of so hygh degree Nor of knightes so great a multitude And yet this Dares sothly to conclude In his boke maketh of them no mynde That came to Troye out of smaler Inde Nouther of them moste famous of renowne That were w t Priam yborne of Troy towne ¶ That fynally if it be trewly sought Syth y e houre that this world was wrought I dare affyrme vnder Phebus sphere So many worthy were not mette yfere Of manly men flouryng in lustynesse So freshe so yonge and as by lyklynesse In euery poynt of shape and of arraye For to do well for sothly this is no naye Who lyst consyder vpon outher syde For through the world where men go or ryde The floure of knighthode and of worthinesse Of chyualrye and of hyghe prowesse Assembled was without and within Fully assented the werre so to begyn ¶ Wherfore ye lysters taketh now good hede That you delyte in this boke to reade Fyrst for how lyttle that this werre began How light the cause for which so many a man Hath loste his lyfe in myschyefe pyteously And yet no man can beware therby Almost for nought was this stryfe begonne And who lyste loke they haue hereby nought wonne But only deth alas
the hard stound So many knight caught his dethes wounde Without recure or any remedye ¶ And for a woman if I shall not lye Gan all this stryfe it was the more pytie That so great mischyefe or aduersytie Of mortall slaughter euer shulde betyde Better had be to haue sette asyde Suche quarelles all dere ynough a myte And let theÌ„ passe or y t the vengeaunce byte For wysedome were to caste afore and se If suche sklaunders myght eschewed be Or the venym gynneth for to rype For though y e men with hornes blowe pype Whan the house is fyred in his hete Of the sparke to late is then to treate That caused all wherfore at the gynnynge The remedye is put of euery thynge As euery wyght may deme in his reason ¶ And while that grekes lay at Tenedon Them to refreshe and to reste in peace The worthy kyng that hyght Pallamydes With thirtye shyppes out of grekes lande Stuffed w t knightê ful worthy of their hande The beste choyse of all his regyon Aryued is vp at Tenedon Wherof the grekes whan they had a syght Reioysynge them were ryght glad and lyght Hauynge regarde vnto his worthynesse Where they afore had made heuynesse For his absence that he was so longe And some of them grutched at hym stronge For he ne kepte his mouster at Athene But for to shewe that he was all clene Of any spotte in his conscyence Full manfully in open audyence Lyke a knyght he gan him selfe excuse Stoppyng all tho that theron lyste to muse ¶ Of his absence shewyng the cause why That for sykenesse and sodeyne malady He was coÌ„strained his presence to withdrawe And for they sawe that sycknesse hath no law They helde excused fully his absence ¶ And for he was of most reuerence Amonge grekes so no wight the secounde And was also full wyse and eke habounde Of golde and good auyse and prudent That what so euer he sette on his entent Knyghtly wisely he wolde aye well achieue And what soeuer he gan he nolde it leue Maugre his foen in no maner wyse Tyll that he sawe a fyne of his empryse And for he was most of opinion Amonge grekes and reputacion They him besought that he wolde be Of their counsayle auisely to forse What were to do in euery maner thyng And he assenteth vnto their axynge Benyngly of his great gentilnesse And grekes than dyd theyr busynesse To procede withouten more delaye Them to enhaste in all that euer they maye To gyn a syege and differre it nought And sundry waies they serched haue sought In their wyttes how from Tenedowne They may remeue towardes Troye towne From the hauen where their shippes be And some thought moste commoditee For best exployt by nyght pryuely Toward Troye towne that stode but fast by Proudely to sayle with their shyppes all And some sayde great peryll might be fall Towarde night for take the sea Lest with derkenesse they ennosed bee In their passage knowynge not the waye Wherof great harme after fall maye And thus diuers of opynyon Procedyng not to no conclusyon For in effecte their purpose not ne helde But styl abyden lodged in the fyelde Lyke as they had entryked be with drede ¶ Tyll on a daye the worthy Dyomede Of the grekes seynge the cowardyse Euen thus he his counsayle gan deuyse ¶ Syres quod he that be here now present If that he lyste all by one assent Goodly consyder aduertyng prudently What I shall saye tofore you openly Whiche of knighthode haue so noble name sothly me semeth we oughteÌ„ haue gret shame Whiche holde our selfe so mighty so stronge And in this lande soiourned haue so longe Nigh all this yeare and dursten in no wise Remoue hense for very cowardise What haue we do nought elles certaynly But to our foen graunted folyly Euen at their lust space and liberte To make theim stronge and oportunite Vs to withstande playnly at the hande And so they will ye may well vnderstande ¶ For daye by daye to our confusiowne They sought waies full wisely vp downe To get theim helpe in the meane space And theim enforced aboute in euery place Their large Cite with barres with palis Their walles mascued and agayn our skalis Trusteth theron made great ordinaunce And with all this of our gouernaunce They haue espyed seyng that for drede We haue no herte manly to procede In our purpose to hold with them the werre And aye the more they se that we differre The more they will catchen hardinesse Vs to resyste with al their businesse Also I se and trust it veryly That if we had afore hand manfully As we began knightly forth contynued Our Iourney had better be fortuned If sodaynly with stronge and mighty hande They vnauysed we had into their lande Without abode afore this time ariued Of which a while we must be depriued And delayed where fyrst the victorye To our honour with palme of high glory We might sothly ne had be our slouthe Our will complyshed this the playne trouthe Where maugre vs or we to lande ariue With stroÌ„g defeÌ„ce they will agayne vs striue And put vs of or we the stronde may win For aye the more we tarye to begin The more in sothe for me list not lye We put our selfe echone in Ieopardye What should I sayne or fage from y e trouthe For our tarying and our cowarde slouthe Are likely after to tourne vs to great sorowe Wherfore betimes on the next morowe My counsayle is our ankers vp to pulle In this matter no longer that we dulle But to enarme our shippes for the werre And at the vprise of the morowe sterre Let vs ordayne with knightly apparayle Out of thys hauen with the winde to sayle Of manly herte and lusty freshe courage Our course holdinge and our right passage Towarde Troye and landen openlye What euer fall for truste sykerlye Without scarmishe we may not ariue For they of Troye descende will as bliue Like manly men to mete vs in the berde But for all that let vs not be aferde But dreade avoyde and manhod set afore That cowardise ne entre at no bore For to adaunt the manhode of your herte And with that worde grekes gan aduerte The manly counsayle of this Diomede And in effect to procede in dede Vnto the poynt and for nothinge wyll spare And in what wise anone I will declare ¶ How the grekes laÌ„ded tofore Troy where they were stoutly fought with all Ca. xxi THe next morowe wonderly betime Or Phebus rose longe or it was prime Whan it began full merily to dawe The grekes hoost to shipward ginnen drawe With manly herte fully deuoyde of drede Onely through comforte of this Diomede But alder first anone as they awake The lordes wisely gan their counsayle take And concluded amonge theim euerichone Which of their shippes shulde y e formest gone And on the sea how they shoulde theim guye So to ariue that no man
dewe That first was grene tourned into red On eche side so many one lay deade Vpon the grounde of his life depryued ¶ But duke Nestor all sodaynly ariued With his knightes fell and full Irous And of herte right melancolious With his speres and archiers out aside He entred in sterne and full of pride With sworde are grounde sharpe and kene They ran yfere and met vpon the grene And hoked arowes alway flewe amonge And shaftes shiuer brast and tourne wronge And with their toles steled and well whet The longe daye they haue togither met And the slaughter newe alwaye began On euery halfe of many worthy man With woundes large and despytous ¶ For Prothenor and king Archelaus With swerdes stiffe among the renges kerue That many Troian made for to sterue They were that daye so passingly Irous And theim tauenge inly desyrous Neuer seasing in their pursewing ¶ And to releue theim Alagus the kinge Ylonded is and eke king Attalus Which on Troians were full enuious Brenning of ire as the fiery glede And vpon theim of very olde hatrede With their knightes sodeynly be fall And in their ire bitterer than gall Cruelly there they their foen oppresse And of assent did their businesse Maugre theim backwarde to resorte Amide the felde as I can reporte There was no choyse so they were cōstreyned Of very force and of manhode payned To withdrawe to their confusiowne But than in hast downe from Troye towne Of worthy knightes freshly armed newe With deuyses of many sondry hewe Without abode shortly to conclude There came downe so great a multitude Eche his armes depaynte vpon the shylde That in their comming glittereth al the felde Of their armure as the sonne bryght And whan that they were entred in to fight Grekes metynge felly by enuye They sette vpon fret with melancolye With such a will of herte and of courage With such furye in their mortall rage That to accorde was none other mene But slaught and death theym to go betwene Thrugh stroke of axe of dagger and of spere That of force compelled the grekes were Theim retourne backwarde to the stronde To whose rescuse anone there came to londe The king Vlixes with his hole nauye And full knightly wyth his chiualrye Towardes Troians enhasteth him anone And of one herte the grekes with him gone And theyr courage hooly they resume And gan their foen felly to consume Vnto the death their domage to reuenge That no wight may iustly theim chalenge Of manhode so well they haue theim borne To acquite again their harmes done beforne At which time like a fierse Lyowne Amonge Troians ranging vp and downe Vlixes wente with his swerde in honde He killeth sleeth and knightly gan to fonde Thilke daye like a man be founde And here there with many mortal wounde Vpon Troians he wrought all this wracke Thē bering downe on fote on horse backe In his ire his strokes were so kene ¶ At which time worthy Philomene Lorde and king of Pafflagonye Whan he behelde with his companye So many Troian of Vlixes slawe Towardes him anone he gan him drawe On horse backe and with a spere rounde Out of his sadyll bare him to the grounde But Vlixes rose vp anone right Taking his horse lyke a manly knight The which anone as Philomene hath sayne Toke eft a spere and rode to him agayne So mightely and with such violence That fynally there gayneth no diffence But that he smote him euen through y e shelde The which flewe asonder in the felde And through his plates without any fayle The spere head and rested in the mayle That forged was of stele ful shene bright Which to perce the spere head hath no might So trewly made was the haberiowne But w t that stroke Vlixes was bore downe Yet efte agayne he hasteth vp anone Ne of this stroke herme felt he none And raught a spere sharpe whet ygrounde And Philomene he gaue such a wounde With all the myght of his armes twayne Of yrous herte with so great a payne That through his sheld both y e plate maile He smote him vp through his auentayle Into the gorge that the stocke gan glyde That from his horse he fell downe asyde Full peryllously pyght vpon his head His knightes wenyng sothly he were dead Which toke him vp and layde him on a shelde And bare him home in hast out of the felde With great daunger or they might him wyn Through the grekes with their lord to twyn And for Troians supposed sykerly That Philomene withouten remedye Had be dead they were astoned all That if this case that daye ne had befall Of Phylomene grekes on the stronde Had be outrayed arruing vp to londe Through the knighthod this is doubtles Of Phylomene whom that Vlyxes Vnhorsed hath with a mortall wounde In knightly wyse Troians to confounde Wherof they were astoned euerychon ¶ But Thoas than and Agamenon Of Grekes hooste lorde and emperour Aryued is vnto theyr socoure With all his knightes and Menelaus And eke the worthy Thelamonious Called Ayax is to lande come And they at leysure haue theyr horse nome While other grekes Troians occupye Sore fighting and they gan fast hye Towardes theim making no delay All in a frushe in all the hast they may They ran yfere and their speres bracke With herte enuyous vpon horse backe There myght men the worthy knyghtes se On their stedes eche at other flee With styffe swordes shaftes great rounde With hedes square the pointes kene grounde There myght men se in their furyous tene So many knightes dead vpon the grene But most the slaughter and confusyowne Fell thilke time of theim of the towne The grekes were so myghty and so stronge And in the felde this contynueth longe ¶ Til Prothesylay the stronge mighty king Which all the daye in skarmishe and fighting Full lyke a knyght had occupyed be Againe Troians in his cruelte Of manhode onely and of worthinesse Of aduenture in his werynesse Him to refreshe and to taken eyre And to abrethe him making his repeyre To the stronde where he did aryue Where as he thought his herte gan to ryue Of cruel yre and also of pyte That he hath caught onely for to se His men slayne endlonge on the stronde And some of theim comyng vp to londe Dreynt in the sea amonge the flodes depe For whych thinge he gan anone to wepe Full pyteously all were it not aspyed Whose wofull eyen might not tho be dryed For the constreynt which sat so nygh his hert Till at the last amonge his paynes smerte So cruell yre gan his herte enbrace That sodaynly with a despytous face Without abode thought how that he Vpon theyr death would auenged be Or finally attones with theim deye And on his stede he toke the right weye Towarde his foen ful yrous in his rage And line right he holdeth his passage Swift as grayhounde y t renneth out of lese And where he sawe that
greatest was y e prefe He preceth through amiddes of the felde And with the sworde y t in his hande he helde That grounde was to kerue and to byte Full mortally aboute him gan he smyte That these Troians might him not asterte That he ne ryueth some vnto the herte And some he woundeth sothly to the death And some he made yelden vp the breath And some also vnhorseth cruelly And whom he met that daye vtterly From his horse he made him to alyght For where he rode they fled out of his sighte And his presence as the death eschewe But styll in one he gan theim after sewe In his chase lyke as a wood lyon For thus he playeth with theim of the towne TYll Perseus of Etheopye kinge Came from the Cyte sodaynly riding With many a knyght and many lyuely man At whose coming of newe there began A freshe skarmyshe furyous and wood That many greke that daye lost his blode So fell assaute Troians on theim make Amonge theim the Ethiopes blake To manly bare thē fighting here and there That where the Troians were afore in fere Remounted be and of newe assured y t through their helpe they haue y e feld recured And made theim lese also much agayne As they tofore wonnen on the playne For they so hole and so mightely Kept theim togyther and so auysely Gouerned theim with glaue spere and shelde That grekes were compelled in the felde Maugre who grutche of necessyte To the stronde backwarde for to flee Almost dispayred mate and comfortles But in that while kinge Pallamides To theyr rescous came to aryuayle All lusty freshe entreth into battaile With his knightes and his hole maynee Taking their horse tho fast by the see And proudly thense embushed all at ones With spere swerde yground for the nones By wise gouernement in their doinge Haue so oppressed at their in coming The manly Troians that it was a wonder To se theim lye slayne here and yonder And this continueth til amonge the prese Of auenture that Pallamides Brenning aye in his furious hete Amid the felde happeth for to mete A worthy knight called Sygamon Which brother was to the kyng Menon Neuewe also as Guido doth reherse This manly man to the kinge Perce Which Grekes had that daye sore oppressed By his knighthod as it is expressed For he the grekes to his worthinesse Had oft sithes brought in great distresse The same daye to his great encrease ¶ But of Fortune alas Pallamydes As I you tolde hath in the fyelde him mette And with a spere square and sharpe whette Whan he of knighthod was most in his pride He rode at hym and smote him through y e side And with that last deadly fatall wounde From his stede he bare hym to the grounde And on the playne of his bloud all red Pallamydes lefte him pale and dead Amonges them that of Troye were And forth he rode bare downe here there All that euer in his waye stode He was on theim so furyous and wood Maugre Troians tofore him on the playne Made resorte to the walle agayne His manly knightes alway fast by On him awayting ful ententifely Redy to honde at euery great emprise But tho began the noyle to aryse The wofull clamour and the pyteous crye Of theim of Troye the which vtterly Agayne grekes mighten not sustene The mortall swerde was so sharpe and kene Of the noble worthy famous knyght Pallamydes that with his great myght The longe daye hath yborne him so Agayne his foen and so knightly do In his persone through his high renowne That chased hath almost to the towne Troians echone and manly made theim flee The noyse of whom is entred the Cite The hydous crye and the mortall shoute ¶ Wherof amened Hector yssueth oute Furyously in all the hast he can The son of Mars this knyght this māly mā Of all worthy yet the worthiest That euer was and the hardiest For as Phebus with his beames cleare Amonge the sterres right so did he appeare Excellyng all in stele armed bryght On whom it was a very heauenly syght For it was he that both nigh and terre Of worthinesse was the lode sterre The whych whan he entred into felde Like as I reade bare that daye a shelde The fyelde of which was of pure golde With thre Lions in storye as is tolde Of whose coloure is made no mencion But as I fynde by discripcion They were passant if I reporte a ryght Borne on the brest of this Troian knyght That was y e ground rote of high prowesse And floure accompted of all worthinesse The which so manly without more abode Amonge his knightes to the grekes rode So lyke a man that they in his cominge Astoned were as he gan in thringe Amonges thē which killeth downe slethe And whom he met there was not but death Afore his swerd grekes go to wrake And their wardes of knightly force he brake Maugre theyr head seuered thē a sonder And bare all downe ridyng here and yonder And casually he meteth in his waye ¶ Prothesylaus whych all the longe daye Had sore fought agaynst theim of Troye And slewe all tho that comen in his waye This hardy knyght this worthy fierse kinge Whych on Troians was euer pursewyng He had to theim so hertely great enuye The whych thinge whan Hector gan espye And of his knyghthod gan to taken hede Towardes him tho turneth he his stede And line right of hasty Ire he rode And with his swerde disteyned al with blode He cloue his head through his basenet With such a might that his stroke nas let By force of mayle nor of thicke plate But fynally as was his mortall fate the swerd of Hector thrugh nerue bone vain This worthy kynge parted hath on twayne For vtterly there gayneth none armure Agayne the stroke of Hector to endure But that this kynge so full of worthinesse Stronge mighty and of great hardinesse Receyued hath his last fatall wounde And lyeth now dead parted on the grounde And Hector forth amonge the grekes rideth And whosoeuer his stroke so abydeth Refute was none nor diffence but death And many greke thus that daye he sleyth For whych of theim tho in his waye stode His sharpe swerde he batheth in his blode That also ferre as they might him se As the death from his swerde they fle So mortal vengeaunce vpō thē he wrought And many a greke at his felowe sought And gan enquere what he might be For all their lyfe they coulde neuer se None so knightly haue him in battayle And playnly dempte as by supposayle It was Hector the noble warryour Whiche of knighthode bare away the floure Amonge all that euer yet were borne For there nas greke that him may stād aforne Of all that day he gan them so enchace To the stronde euen afore his face For they ne durste his mortall stroke abyde And when he had this on euery syde The
knyghtes all So secretly no man myght espye And trayterously he gan hym for to hye Vpon the walles the selfe same nyght And towarde grekes gan to shewe a lyght Where as they laye tofore Tenedowne Redy armed to falle vpon the towne And whan they had this sodayne light espyed On horse backe anone they haue them hyed Towarde Troye armed clene at all And in they went by the same walle Whyche for the horse was but late broke And mortally for to be a wroke The knyghtes eke in the stede of brasse Haue with them met a full sterne pace And gan anone throughout the Citye On euery halfe for to kylle and slea With bloudy sworde vpon euery syde And made their woundes brode large wide Whyle they alas no thinge aduertynge At mydnight houre abedde lay slepynge Full innocent and thought not be good All forbathed in their owne bloude Bothe man and childe without exception The grekes sparynge no condicyon Of olde nor yonge woman wyfe nor mayde ¶ That with the crye Pryamus abrayde Out of his slepe and sodeynely awoke Whiche laye all nyght and no hede ne toke Of the slaughter nor murther in the towne ¶ But tho he wiste that there was treasowne Falsely compassed vnto his cytee By Anthenor and also by Enee Of whose malys he was no more in doubte For the venym was now taken oute And now the galle of conspyracion That vnder sugre of symulacion Hath so longe closed be and hyd In dede is nowe execute and kyd And nowe the fraude fully of treason The castes also of false collusyon Be raked out and abrode yblowe And the auctours openly yknowe ¶ Now hath enuye and contryued hate Of their engyne sette abrode the gate Now hate deceyte and olde conspyracye And fayned othes all of one allye All openly shewed theyr falsenesse And disclosed all their doublenesse So farre abrode that nowe is there no geyne For nowe alas the wylde fyre is seyne In towers hye with the wynde yblased Wherof Pryam astoned and amased All awaped sterte out of his bedde And comfortelesse to the temple is fledde Of Apollo to saue hym yf he myght And aye the flawme of the fyres bryght Brent in the towne and consumeth all The ryche byldynge whylom so royall That the walles with the rofes huge Couered with lede for a chyefe refuge Were now alas bare and bareyne makyd The grekes aye with their swordes naked Murdre and slea where so that they go That twenty thousande they y t nyght and mo There kylled haue longe or it was day And in this slaughter and this great affraye Spoyle and robbe and take what they finde Treasour and good and lefte not behynde By myghty hande and sturdy vyolence And the temples without reuerence They haue despoiled throughout al the town And gredely rent and raced downe Of golde and syluer the ornamentes all Tofore the goddes foule mote them fall ¶ Kynge Pryam aye with a deadly chere To Apollo makyng his prayer Furyously this deadly wofull man As he in soth that no reade ne can BVt wayte his death his fatall eure And Cassandra that holy creature Of inwarde wo desyrous to sterue Complaynynge hyed vnto Mynerue Makynge to her a lamentaciowne With other gentyll women of the towne And there alas as they wolden dye Full pyteously they sobbe wepe and crye And in their dole there I lette them dwelle For all there sorowes if I shulde do telle In this storye and theyr wo discryue My dulled penne of ruthe shulde also rite riue ¶ Rehersynge eke howe in euery strete Their clothes blacke redy moyste and wete As they alas both in one and all On their lordes downe aswone fall With their bloude be dewed and ysprent Where men may see the crystall teares meynt Of their wepynge in their woundes grene That laye and blede agayne the sonne shene With deadly eyen castynge vp the whyte It were but vayne their wofull case to wryte Nor the maner of their mortall sorowe ¶ But Guydo wryt that the same morowe How Anthenor and with him false Euee Conueyed haue throughout the cyte The myghty Grekes vnto Ilyon The royall toure and ryche mansyon That whylom was of most excellence In the whiche they founde as tho no dyffence Of hyghe nor lowe nor of none estate For it was lefte alone all desolate With all the golde and rychesse of the towne Shet and enclosed in the chyefe dongeowne But there was no man that withstode They brake the lockes raught away y e good And the treasure that was shet within Eche for his partie that he might wyn They gaue no force who was lyfe or loth ¶ And Pirrhus after to the temple goth Of Appollo by great cruelte And fell on Pryam knelyng on his kne And with his sworde furyously and wood Tofore the aulter shadde there his bloud So hye raught both in length and brede What the streames of his woundes redde That the statute of golde borned bryght Of this Apollo for all his great might For all his power and his sterne face Defouled was and pollut all the place Onely by death of this worthy kynge By Pirrhus slaine while he lay knelynge Of olde hatred and olde enuyous pryde Whyle Anthenor and Enee stode besyde That routhe was and pytye to beholde To se him lye on the stones colde So pyteously tofore the aulter blede Wherof alas when Hecuba toke hede And her fayre doughter Polycene With heire to rent as any golde wyer shene Inly supprysed with sorowe to the herte When they began consider and aduerte The noble kinge with bloudy streames red All for drowned his eyen derke and dead With Pirrhus sword girte thrugh outher side For mortall feare they durst not abyde But inwardly through darted with the sight All in a rage toke them to the flyghte And yet in so the through out the Cite They wyste neuer whytherwarde to flee Rescuse was none nor no remedye Of kynne nor friende nor of none allye With grekes sworde the towne was so be sette And in her flight this wofull quene hath met Eneas causer of all this wrake Vnto whom rebukynge thus he spake Oh thou traytour most malycious Thou false serpent adder enuyous Croppe and roote fynder of falsenesse Soures and well of vnkyndenesse How myghtest thou in thy hande fynde Vnto thy kynge to be so vnkynde Gynner and grounde example of treason And fynall cause of our destruction How myghtest thou deuoyde of all pytye Beholdynge alas through thy cruelte Of the kynge shedde so the bloude That euer hath byn so gentyll and so good So gracious lorde specially to the. And ouermore throughe his highe bounte They honoured and ymagnefyed All his lyfe it may not be denyed That lyeth now dead in the temple alas Thou were not onely traytour in this case But to his death conspyrynge and vnkynde Pirrhus conueying where he shuld him finde Tofore Apollo myddes of this cyte Where thou shuldest of very duetye Rather haue byn his
protection His myghty shelde and sauacion That haste this citie and this towne ylorne In whiche thou were fostred and yborne On the greatest of reputacion Of all the lordes dwellinge in this towne In which thou haddest whilom most plesauÌ„ce But all is now out of remembraunce ¶ Yet in thy hert yf any drape be Of gentylnesse mercy or pytye In this deadly rage full of tene Rewe on my doughter yonge Polycene From grekes sworde her youthe for to saue If thy herte may any routhe haue Of manly pytye on her maydenheade Defende her nowe and kepe her out of drede If thou canste fynde any weye In any wyse that she maye not deye ¶ That hereafter when men se and rede The false treason and the foule dede That thou haste done vnto Troye towne It maye in partye be protectiowne To thy fame the venym to allye Of this treason when men wyll assaye By iuste reporte thy name to accuse This dede may the helpe to excuse Agaynst tonges that speake of Enee Than wyll they saye thou haddest yet pytye On Polycene onely of gentilnesse Therwith to sugre all the bytternesse Of thy deserte blowe forth by fame By rehersayle of the foule blame That shal of the through the worlde be borne With sklauÌ„der infect wheÌ„ thou art al to torne That thou ne shalte the shame mowe sustene Then shall my doughter fayre Polycene Be thy defence agayne suche famous stryfe If it so be now thou saue her lyfe Of me no force though thou make as blyue The sworde of grekes through my herte ryue ¶ And so by prayer of this wofull quene This Eneas toke to hym Polycene Whose traytour herte for all his cruelte On her youthe was meued of pytye Onely of routhe that in his brest arose And secretely put her vp in close Lest that grekes founde occasyon Agaynst hym and Ayax Thelamon Toke to his warde Andromecha Hectors wyfe and wyfe Cassandra Out of the temple longing to Mynerue From grekes sworde their lyues to conserue ¶ And Menelaye toke the quene Heleyne Into his garde for whom so great a payne Bode in his herte many daye toforne By whom alas the cytye is now lorne ¶ And grekes aye were busye in their yre To slea and kylle and crullly to fyre On euery syde and to beate downe Palyce and house and wall of the towne They spare nought for all goth to the fyre So feruent hate brent in their desyre Of olde enuye auenged for to be That they ne lefte within the Cyte Nothynge vnbrent and also ylyowne Was in this rage tourned vp so downe There made were none exceptions Onely but take the possyons Of Anthenor euyll mote he fare And Eneas whom the grekes spare As thâ—y to them were bounde by their othe And thus the grekes furyous and wrothe Haue all that daye robbed and ybrent ¶ Tyll that the kynge Agamenon hath sent For his lordes to assemble yfeare In Pallas temple onely for to here There wyse aduyse vpon thynges twayne Fyrste if they wolde holde and not fayne Hooly their hope without exceptiowne To theÌ„ by whom they wonne fyrst the towne ¶ And ouer more he axed them also Touchynge the goddes what they wolde do With golde treasour and possessyowne That they haue won thrugh their hie renown ¶ And they answered without more taryinge They wolde their faith kepe in euery thynge As they were sworne and hestes holde And ouer this they sayde howe they wolde That golde treasour and good of the Cyte As ryght requietrh and also equitye Be iustly parted by deuysion To euery wyght made distribucyon Lyke his meryt of hygh and lowe degree And that the kynge eke of reason se Eche to rewarde after his labour So as it longeth to a conquerour That no man haue matter to compleyne And so they felle in speakynge of Heleyne Eueryche after his opynyon And tofore all other Ayax Thelamon Shortly sayde she hath deserued death For whom so many haue yelde vp the brethe Playnely affyrmynge there in Parlement Of ryghtwysenesse and trewe iudgement She shulde not escape with the lyfe That gynnyng was cause of all their strife Rote and grounde of all their sorowe and wo And so sayde eke many an other mo And for the noyse and the great affraye ¶ Agamenon nor kinge Menelaye Ne durst a worde for her partye meue To saue y e quene lest grekes wold them greue Agaynst them there was so great rumour Tyll Vlixes chiefely her socour Through his wyt and his eloquence His deuer dyd and his dylygence To haue her life and fully to purchace Of the grekes for to gette her grace ¶ And as Guydo also doth vs lere Agamenon grekes gan requere To graunt hym for a chiefe guerdon Of Cassandra to haue possession All her lyfe with hym to abyde Eke Eneas and Anthenor besyde Of Helenus to the grekes tolde How to the werre he neuer assente wolde And how that he prudennt and vertuous In counsaylyng was contrarious To all tho of hygh and lowe estate In Troye first that began debate Atwyxe grekes and this myghty towne Eke by his helpe and medyatiowne Achylles was buryed and ygraue The deade corps from houndes for to saue Whan he was slayne in full cruell wyse By nyght tyme as ye haue herde deuyse For sothly he and Cassandra both Of this murder in herte were full wrothe And sory eke of many an other thynge Wrought in the towne w tout their wyttynge ¶ And for they were of malyce Innocent The grekes haue fully by assent Graunted to them a prerogatyfe By Parlement for to haue theyr lyfe But Helenus first in teares drowned Tofore the kynge pyteously hath sowned And abraydynge with a deadly face In humble wyse besought hym of his grace Of knyghtly pytye to haue his aduertence To spare his sworde fro bloud of Innocence And of mercy that he not disdayne To graunt lyfe to the sonnes twayne ¶ Of worthy Hector his brother most entere And eke to rewe on their mother dere Onely of grace that she be not dead A wydowe lefte a lone and can not reade And so the kynge ameued in his herte And wote not whither that she maye diuerte Of his wordes and his wofull chere Benygnely graunted his prayer And gaue eke lyfe and fredom for to go To the mother and her chyldren two ¶ And to ladyes and gentyll women all That for mercy to his grace calle He graunted eke of compassyon A safe conduite and a fre pardon Where that them lyste in the towne abyde Or in the countre adiacent besyde He put it hole in their electiowne ¶ And thanking him they fell on knees down With many teare dewed in the face ¶ And so the kynge parteth fro the place And after that grekes ryght anone Fully purpose to shyp for to gone In haste to sayle towarde their countre But suche a tempest rose vp in the sea Of wawe and wynde also of cloudes blacke All a moneth that they dare not take The