hertes may not lightly staunshed be The Etike draweth by so great distresse That it defaceth the high worthynesse Full ofte sythe of these conqueroures And of theyr fame rente away the floures Desyre of hauynge in a gredy thuoght To hygh noblesse sothly longeth nought Nor suche pylfre spoylynge nor robberye Appartayne not to worthy chyualrye For couetyse and knighthod as I lere In one chayne maye not be knet yfere For kouthe it is that ofte suche rauyne Hath cause be and roote of ruyne Of many worthy who so lyst take hede Lyke as ye maye nowe of Hector reade That sodaynly was brought to his endynge Onely for spoylynge of this ryche kinge For of desyre to him that he hadde On horse backe out whan he him ladde Reklesly the storye maketh mynde He caste his shelde at his backe behynde To welde him selfe at more lyberte And for to haue oportunyte To spoyle him and for no wyght spare So that hys brest disarmed was and bare Except his plates there was no diffence Agayne the stroke to maken resistence Alas why was he tho so reckles This floure of knighthod of maÌ„hode pereles When that his foo all that ylke daye For him alone in awayte so laye If in mischiefe of hate or of enuye In the fielde he might him ought espye This Achilles cruell and venymous Of hertye moste melancolius Whych couertly houing him beside When that he sawe Hector disarmed ryde He hente a spere sharpe grounde and kene And of yre in his hatefull tene All vnwarely or Hector might aduerte ¶ Alas the while he smote him to the herte Throughout y e brest that dead he fel adowne Vnto the earthe this Troian champyowne Through neclygence onely of his shelde The death of whom when Odemon behelde The worthy kinge might hym not refrayne ¶ But to Achilles rode with all his payne And hit him so amyd of all the prese Maugre the might of his Myrmydones That for dead Guydo sayth certayne Of that wounde fel grofeling on y e playne But his knightes on a shelde alofte The ylayde him and caryed him full softe Vnto his tente in all the haste he can And there I leue this deadly wounded man Full sore sycke tyll he maye releue And after that when it drewe to eue They of Troye with great reuerence Did their laboure and theyr diligence The dead corps to carye into towne Of worthy Hector wheÌ„ Titan went adowne And to the temple dolefully they wende And of that daye this was the wofull ende I can no more but thus the longe night In heauinesse as it is skill and ryght I will theim leue and agayne retourne To my matter to helpe theym for to mourne ¶ The complaynte of Lydgate for the death of Hector Ca. xxviii BVt nowe alas how shal I forth procede In the storye that for wo and dreade Fele my hande bothe tremble and eke quake Oh worthy Hector onely for thy sake Of thy deathe I am so lothe to wryte Oh who shall now helpe me to endite Or vnto whom shall I clepe or call Certys to none amonge the muses all That by accorde singen euer in one On Pernasus besyde Helycon So aungelyke in theyr hermonye That tunge is none that may specifye The great swetenesse of theyr goodly songe For no discorde is founde theim amonge In theyr minsyke they be entuned so It sytte theim nought for to helpe in wo Nor in maters y t be with mourninge shente As tragydyes all to tore and rente In camplayninge pyteously in rage In the Theatre with a dead vysage To theim alas I clepe dare nor crye My troubled penne of grace for to guye Nother to Clyo nor to Callyope ¶ But to Alecto and to Thesyphone And to Megera that euer doth complayne As they that lyue aye in wo and payne Eternally and in torment dwell With Cerberus depe downe in hell Whom I must praye to be gratious To my matter which is so furyous For to a wyght that is comlaplayninge A drery feare is ryght well syttinge And to a matter meynt with heuynesse Accordeth well a cheare of drerynesse To be allyed as by vnyte ¶ Wherfore helpe nowe thou wofull Nyobe Some drery teare in all thy piteous payne Into my penne dolefully to rayne ¶ And helpe also thou cruelly Yxione And Belydes that dothe the bokette gone And with thy stone helpe thou Secyphus And in thy ryuer helpe eke Tantalus That for hunger haste so huge pyne This wofull playute helpe me for to fyne Me to further do your busynesse For now the stocke and roote of worthynesse Of knighthod grouÌ„d of maÌ„hod soures well That tofore all bare away the bell Of derrynge do this floure of high prowesse And was exaumple also of gentilnesse That neuer could do amisse or seye ¶ Alas Hector alas why shuldest thou deye Oh cruell Parchas why toke ye no hede So cruelly to twine his fatall threde Ye were to hasty alas why were ye so And namely when the threde ye brake a two Thou Attropos which thrugh thy gret enuye Oh Troye alas well mayst thou wepe crye And make a wofull lamentacion Whych haste of newe to thy confusyon Loste thy diffence and thy stronge wall Thy berer vp thy suertie royall By whom thy honour chiefely was begonne Alas alas for now thy bryght sonne Eclipsed is now standest thou desolate Of all comforte and disconsolate Thy lyght is loste and thou in dercknesse Yplounged arte for in sothefastnesse Of all worthy thou haste the worthyest This daye yloste and the knightlyest That is or was or shall I the ensure Be euer borne whylse the worlde may dure No wonder is though thou be wale sore And daye by daye complayne for euermore That was thy shelde bothe in ioye and wo Whom thou were wonte for to loue so So tenderly with all thy hole herte That it maye not lyghtly the asterte To haue him euer in thy remembraunce Which was in sothe fully thy suffysaunce ¶ For as Guydo maketh mencion There was no man dwellinge in the towne That he ne hadde of very kindenesse For loue of him as he lyste expresse His childe more lefe to haue dyed in this case Other his heyre so well beloued he was If the goddes fate or destyne Disposed had that it might haue be Women also of euery maner age Be for his deathe fall in suche a rage Through the Cite aboute in euery strete That with sobbinge and with salte tearê wete And heyre to rente for their deadly wo Furyously they ronnen to and fro So mortall was their aduersyte That to beholde alas it was pyte Yonge maydes and lykewyse matrones olde Sobbe and syghe and their fystes folde And loude crye and sayde fynally Alas nowe shall our fathers cruelly In our syght be slayne day by day Alas the while and no man shal say nay Farewell our helpe nowe Hector is ygone That in the surenesse of vs euerychone Was wonte to reste now is he dead alas ¶ Of
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
is and alway meynt with wo That in this world where so that we go We truely may aduert as in our thought That for the value of a thyng of nought Mortall causes of werres first begonne Strife and debate here vnderneth the sonne Were meued first of small occasyon That caused after great confusyon That no man can the harmes halfe endite And for a cause deare inough a mite Eche one is redy to destroye other A man for litel stryue will with his brother Blode is vnkynde which greatly is to drede Alas why ne will they take better hede For olde Troye and after that the newe Through smal enchesō who the trouth knew Were fynally brought to destruction As olde bokes make mencion And many worthy and many noble knight Slayne in the felde by duresse of that fight Kynges and prynces at the siege ben deade Whā Attropos lyst breake theyr liues threde That for to tel the mischiefe and the wo I want connyng and I fele also My pen quake and tremble in my hand Lyst that my lorde dradde on sea lande Whose worthines thrugh y e world doth sprede My rude makyng shal beholde and reade Whych of colour full naked is and bare That but if he of his mercye spare For to disdayne and list to haue pytye For feare I tremble that he shuld it se ¶ But onely mercye y t doth his hert embrase Byd me presume fully in his grace Seyng in hym most vertuous and good Mercye annexed vnto royall blode As to a prince longeth nigh and ferre Aye to fore ryght pytye to preferre For through the support of his high noblesse As now I will ayene my style dresse To wryte forth the storye by and by Of newe Troye in ordre seryously As mine auctour in latyn Guydo wryt Praying y e reader wher as my wordes missit Causyng the metre to be halte or lame For to correct to saue me from blame Let hym not wayte to haue curyosytye Sith that in rime Englyshe hath skersytye I am so dull certayne that I ne can Guido ensewe that clerke and curyous man Whych in latyn hath by rethoryke Set so his wordes that I cā not be lyke To sewe his style in my translation Worde by worde like the construction After the maner of gramariens Nor like the stile of rethoriciens I toke but on me this storye to translate For me to further Clio came to late That in such craft hath great experience I leue the wordes and folowe the sētence And trouthe of metre I set also asyde For of that arte I had as tho no guide Me to reduce whan I went a wrong Taking small hede eyther of short or long But to the trouth and lette curiosite Both of making and of metre be Not purposyng to much for to varye Nor for to be dyuers nor contrarye Vnto Guydo as by discordaunce But me conforme fully in substaunce Onely in meanyng to conclude all one Albe that I ne can the waye gone To sewe the floures of his eloquence Nor of peyntyng I haue none excellence With sundry hewes noble freshe and gay So ryche coloures byggen I ne may I must procede with sable and with blacke And in ennuyng where ye fynde a lacke I axe mercy or that I fro you twyn And with your fauour I will nowe begyn And in all haste my stile forth right directe And where I erre I pray you to correct THe same tyme whē that Troye towne Destroyed was y t king Lomedowne Was also slayne through the crueltye Of Hercules and that tofore his cytye He had a sonne the storye telleth vs Which was his heyre ycalled Priamus Wonder manly discrete eke and prudent Which at that time from Troye was absente When so his father lost hath so his lyfe For at that tyme with Hecuba his wyfe And with his sonnes aboute a castell laye And all his knightes to get it if they may That hath on theym mightely werreyed For they his father falsly disobeied And vnto hym be rebell wonder longe Albe Priam with sautes huge and stronge Theim had assayled oft and many syth His strength on them like a knight to kyth To get in armes worship and honour And theim to daunt like a conquerour He cast him fully or that he departe For day by day his life he gan Ieoparte Tofore their walles for to preue his mighte With many baron many worthy knight For he was flowing yet lusty bloude And was of age flouryng in knighthode And at assautes and such maner strife On with the first auenture his life To herte his men him lyst not be behind For dread of death sothly as I find Afore the castell hygh thyck ywalled And by his wife that Hecuba was called This Pryam had ful worthy of degre Fiue sonnes and yonge doughters thre ¶ Of whych the eldest Hector called was Which also fer as Phebus in compase A naturall daye his cercle goeth about So fer of hym withouten any doubte Reported was the renowne and the name The worthynesse and the noble fame For like as bokes of him specifye He was the roote and stocke of chiualrye And of knighthod very soueraygne floure The sours and well of worship and honoure And of manhode I dare it well expresse Patron myrrour and of high prowesse Ginning and grounde with all this yfeare Wonder benynge and lowely of his cheare Discrete also prudent and vertuous Of whom the dedes and actes merueilous Remembred ben of so long a gone For he alone excelled euerychone In olde Auctours reade and ye may finde Of his knighthod how yet they makē mynde ¶ The next brother called was Parys To whom nature gaue to her deuys Of shape and fourme beautye semelynesse That to recorde his excellent fayrnesse He in his time withouten any dread Ferre passed all that I can of reade And he was eke a full manly knight But most he vsed when so he shuld fight In his hand to beare a mighty bowe For such an archer no man coud knowe None might be foūd to seke both fer nere That of shoting might hardely be his pere As he was founde whan he had a do And Alexsandre called he was also ¶ The third sonne hight Deiphobus A worthy knight and a chiualrous And had in armes a ful great renowne And was a man of high discresciowne And wife of coūsail min auctour sayeth thus ¶ The fourth brother called was Helenus Sad and discrete and of highe prudence And was also a man of great scyence And renommed therwith in specyall In al the artes called lyberal For he in theym was full experte a ryght ¶ The fyfth sonne was a worthy knyght Freshe and lusty and yongest of theim all And as sayeth Guido Troylus men him call A manly man valyaunt in battayle And fearsely hote his fomen to assayle One of the best in his time yfounde For called he was Hector the secound For his manhode throughout Troye booke Within
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
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
the werre ful oft vpon him toke Of his knighthode many high empryse As the storye lyke after shall deuyse ¶ And in his boke like as wryte Vergile The poete olde w t soueraintye of style How that the king Pryam had also By Hecuba other sonnes two And by recorde of this Vergelius The one was named Pollidorus Whom Priamus in his grene youthe When that y e cominge was of Grekes kouth To Troyewarde in all the haste anone With golde treasour and many ryche stone Hath sent him forthe besyde vnto a kinge Of ful great trust to haue him in kepyng Till tyme he sawe what conclusyowne There shuld befall after of the towne And eke what fine the werres shoulden take That vpon theym the Grekes tho did make But thilke kyng of false couetyse Of his treasour that ye haue herde deuyse Whan that he sawe fortunes varyaunce Toward Pryam and his vnhappy chaunce Lyke a tyraunt and murderer also The childes throte made do cutte a two And after that he full of crueltye Made his men to burye him priuelye That no man might his treason vnderstond Besyde a sea depe vnder the strond ¶ The other sonne also that I of reade In Vergile called was fayre Ganimede Whom Iupiter hath in a forest hente Vpon a daye as he on huntinge wente And bare him vp aboue the sterres clere And in the heauens made him butlere Eternally with hym to wonnen there In stede of Hebes his owne daughter dere ¶ The fyrst doughter of kyng Pryamus Was hoote Creusa as sayeth Vergilius In his Eneydos sothely as it was And she was wedded vnto Eneas And eke this storye sayeth that this Enee Was wonderfull in his natyuytye Of whom the father as I fynde doubtles Was in his tyme called Anchyses That hym begat on Venus the goddesse For after her he was of such fayrnesse That to no wyght could neuer yet be se A man that was more passyng of beautye Of whom this storye touchyng his workyng Shall you declare many wonder thyng For it is he to whom so great a loos Vergyle hath giue in his Eneydos For he that booke in worshyp of Enee Compyled hath like as ye may se Of his knyghthood and many strong batayl By hym acheued before he wan Itayle Full long time after that the royall towne Of Troy was brought to his confusiowne And of his conquest yf ye lyst take hede In this poete ye may by ordre reade And how in armes he wrought in al his age And of his comyng also to Cartage Fro Troywarde within a litell while Al this ye may behold in great Vergile ¶ Another doughter also it is founde Kyng Pryam had of birth the secound Called Cassandra of ful great sadnesse And was in maner a diuineresse And in eche arte had experience Of thynges future fully the prescience To tell afore what that shall betide Of whom the fame sprang in costes wide Which kept her chaste aye in virginitye And eke in prayers and in honestye She led her life and in deuocion After the rites and the religyon Of Pagynisme vsed in tho dayes The obseruaunces keping of their layes ¶ The third doughter hight Pollicene Yongest of all and stil a mayde cleane She kept her selfe honest in her lawe Vnto the time that Pirrus hath her slawe Of shape of fortune was neuer by nature Wrought to beholde a fayrer creature Eke as I fynde this noble kynge also Hadde thirty sonnes the boke saith no mo Hardy in armes and noble founde at all That called were his sonnes naturall And they were all exceptinge neuer one Worthy knyghtes and manly men echone And their names who so lyste to knowe He shall them fynde wryte vpon arowe After in story eueryche after other Begynnyng fyrst at the eldest brother ¶ And whiles Pryam at the syege laye Tofore the castell to gette it if he may And therabout hath many way sought The wofull tydynges be vnto him broughte How the grekes haue taken Troye towne And slayne his father worthy Lamedowne And how the Citie of olde foundaciowne Full piteously was tourned vp so downe The worthy lordes and gentle men echone Taken and slayne and ylefte not one Of them a lyue through Grekes crueltie After the ruyne alas of their Citie And Exion his owne syster dere Lad in exyle with her eyen cleare ¶ Wherfore the kyng in herte astoned so For very sorowe he nist what to do His sodayne wo gan hym so constrayne He sobbeth wepeth that of mortall payne He thought his herte wolde a sondre breste Of hye distresse for he myghte haue no reste And into teares he gan him selfe destylle That for to deye was fynally his wyll ¶ And fortune that can so falsly varye With drery herte gan bytterly to warye That she to hym was so deceyuable So inly cruell and vnmercyable So dispyteous and so sterne of face So vengeable and so deuoyde of grace For of enuy with a raged thought She hath hir worst of malis on hī wrought And felly shewed what she myght do That in this worlde was neuer wight so wo. As I suppose of no maner of age To reaken all her harmes and damage For whiche anone in all that euer he maye In hast he chaungeth all his ryche araye Tryste and heuy with deadly face pale So astoned with this mortall tale That his desyre was to haue be dead With countenance enclined and with head This lyfe he lad and clad him all in blacke And sodaynly he the syege brake And wolde as tho no lenger there abyde But with his folke anone he gan to ryde That pyteously gan likwise w t him morne And toward Troy attones they efte returne ¶ And whan that he hath the Cyty founde Plaine with the soyle euen w t the grounde The hye walles whylom thicke and longe Ybeate downe that made were so stronge And his toures and paleys pryncypall That was in buildyng so excellent royall So famous ryche and of great noblesse He founde tourned into wyldernesse His people slayne his syster ladde awaye For very wo he ne wyste what to saye For the constraynt of his aduersytie And for his harmes that wyll not cured be For in that time he was right fully sure Vpon no syde there foūde might be recure Wherfore he can nought do but sobbe wepe And fro his brest w t syghes sought full dede Broken out with pale and dead visage And thus alas in this furious rage Full pyteously all his hooste and he Without respite continued dayes three Tyll at the laste the darke skyes blacke Gan of their wo in partye for to slacke And the tempest some deale gan withdrawe And of their wepynge blādyshe gan y e wawe And whan the floode of wo is ouer paste The ebbe of ioye folowe must in haste To sorowe euer it wolde their hertes shende And at a terme euery wo must ende for though for frēdes mē may wepe wayle After their deth their teares
might To preue shortly that he is a knight For of reason ye this consyder may How that no man iustly may saye nay But that Parys hath counsayled wele For by my trouth as fer as I can fele It were errour his purpose to contrary Wherfore let hym now no longer tarye But holde his waye with a stronge nauye For to auenge the shamefull velanye That grekes haue done if so ye lyst take hede In alder dayes to vs and our kynred And eke for fynall execucion Of the recure as touchyng Exion Whom they demeyne in such dishonest wyse Agaynst all ryght and title of iustyce Wherof to thinke it giueth my hert a wounde The shame of which so newly doth rebounde Vpon vs all that be of her ally Wherfore the best that I can espye Is that Parys take maye this voyage With suche as be of freshe and lusty age Manly to wende into grekes lande And by force of their myghtye hande Maunger the Grekes proude and most elate Rauishe there some lady of estate And thā ye may by knighthod of my brother If ye lyste after chaunge her for that other This is most redy and short conclusyon That I can se for restytution Of Exyon if so that Parys wende And of my counsayle shortly thus the end ▪ ¶ And than as faste full discrete and sage Helenus the fourth sonne as of age Rose from his seate with humble reuerence Praying his father graunte hym aundience That he may say in presence of them all Openly what after shal be fall As he that most of secrete thynges can And soberlye thus he his tale began With cleane entent and trewe affection ¶ My lorde quod he with supportacion Of your grace wherin is most my trust Let none offence be vnto your luste Nor you displease yf so I my conceyte As now declare syth I meane no decetie For neuer yet fayled no sentence But that it fyll efte in experyence Lyke as I tolde in partie and in all In pryuye treate and eke in generall Without meanynge of any doublenesse That it folowed as I dyd expresse Remembryng you as ye shall fynde it trewe And yf god wyll I shall not now of new Spare for to say lyke as I conceyue Nor to be dede with fraude you deceyue Declaryng fyrst of trewe entention As it shall folowe in conclusion ¶ That yf he Parys into Grece wende Trusteth me well it wyll vs all shende For the goddes so by reuelacion Haue made to me playne demonstration And eke I knowe it by astronomye For neuer yet as in my prophecye I was deceyued of that shulde after fall Nor none that lyste me to counsayle call So am I taught of thyng that shall betyde Wherfore I praye for rancour nor for pryde Nor for enuye wrought of olde hatred To take vengeaunce that ye not procede In your aduyse lyke as ye purpose I saye you playnly for me ylyst not glose Ye shall repente if so ye Parys sende Into Grece the whiche god defende Wytte this full well for the conclusyon Shall fully tourne to our destruction And fynally vnto our ruyne Lyke as to you I gan afore deuyne For this the fyne that there folowe shall Subuercyon both of towne and of wall Of house and paleys here in our Citie Al goth to nought ye get no more of me Forme semeth it ought ynough suffyse That I haue sayd syth that ye be wyse For yf that ye aduerten to my sawe I doubte not that ye wyll withdrawe Your hande be tyme or that more domage Assayleth you by constraynte of this rage For better is betymes to absteyne From this purpose whiche is yet but grene Than of hede thus hastely assente To thynge for which we shal echone repente For plenerly there shall nothynge socoure That there shal folowe both of you and your Despyteful death without excepciowne Of one and all abydynge in this towne Fyrst on your selfe playnly to endite Shall the vengeaunce of the grekes byte Through the fury of their mortall tene And your wyfe fayre Hecuba the queene Shall lede her lyfe through grekes crueltie In sorowe wo and in captiuitie And your lyeges by the sworde shall pace Of cruell death withouten any grace And innocentes merciles shall blede In your aduyse if that ye do procede Of wylfulnesse a werre for to make And folyly thus for to vndertake As to parturbe your quyete and your rest Which shal retourne nothyng for the best But to ruyne of you and of vs all I can no more but or that mischyefe fall My counsayle is afore that ye prouyde And letteth wylfulnesse be sette asyde Specially whan death as I you tolde Must be the fyne if ye your purpose holde Lo here is all without wordes mo Into Grece if so that Parys go ¶ And in this wyse whan that Helenus Had playnly sayde as Guydo telleth vs Tryste and heuy with pale and deadly face Agayne resorteth to his syttynge place Of whose sentence astoned euerychone Sat in sylence stylle as any stone Powerles their hertes efte to resume To speake a worde no man dare presume Of all the prese but kept their lyppes close That at the laste Troylous vp arose Yonge freshe and couragyous also And aye desyrous for to haue a do In armes manly as longeth to a knight And whan that he of chere ful glad and light Sawe his father and brethern euerychone So inly troubled thus he spake anone ¶ Oh noble and worthy syttyng enuiron Of hyghe prudence and great discrecion Manfull also and of hyghe courage What sodein fere hath brought you ī this rage What new trouble is cropen in your brest For the sentence of a coward priest Syth they echone as ye shall euer fynde Desyre more veryly of kynde To lyue in lust and voyde awaye trauayle And deadly hate to here as of battayle For they their wyt fynally applye To sewe their lust and lyue in glottony To fyll their stomake and restore their mawe To reste and ease euermore to drawe And to sewe their inwarde appetite This their ioye and this their delyte In eatyng drynkyng and in couetyse Is their studye fully to deuyse How they may folow their lust without more Of ryght nought elles setten they no store Alas for shame why be ye so dismayde And sytte mate astoned and afrayde For the wordes of hym this Helenus Fearefull for drede as a lyttle mouse That he quaketh to here speake of fyght And moreouer agayne all skylle and ryght In preiudice of the goddes all He taketh on hym to say what shall be fall Of thynge future for to specyfye As yf he had a spirite of prophecye Graunted to hym alone in speciall As though he were in connyng perygall To the goddes hauynge prescience To shewe afore through his sapyence What shall betyde outher euyll or good Let be let be for no wyght is so woodd That hath his wyt to gyue therto credence That any man by crafte or by scyence That mortall is
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
you in pledge ye shall haue The meane whyle and kepe thē on your side At your choyse hostages to abyde From Troye towne of the worthiest That ye lyst chese and also of the beste So that ye shall of nothyng be in were Of all that euer that I saye you here ¶ And Achilles without wordes mo If that you lyste accorde therunto That I haue sayd thy honour to encrease To make this werre sodaynly to cease That lykly is for to laste longe Betwene Troians and the Grekes stronge Thou shalt not onely w t honour with fame Throughout the worlde winnen the a name But therwithall and that is not a lyte Thrugh thy knighthod to many man profite That fro the death shall escape alyue And to his countre hole and sounde aryue That lykly are by cruell aduenture For to be dead if the werre endure Come of therfore and let not be prolonged But let the daye atwene vs two be ioyned As I haue sayd in condiciowne If in diffence onely of this towne I haue victorye by fortune ouer the I axe not elles but anone that ye Breake vp siege and the werre lete And suffer vs to lyuen in quyete Into Grece home when ye are gone To which thinge Achilles there anone Hote in his yre and furyous also Brenning full hote for anger and for wo Assented is with a despytous cheare ¶ And gan anone to Hector dresse him nere And sayd he would delyuer him vtterly Fro poynt to poynt his axynge by and by And therin made none excepciowne But of hole herte and entencion His requeste accepted euery dell And as it semed leked it right well And for his parte he caste his gloue adowne In sygne and token of confirmaciowne For lyfe or death that he will holde this daye Agayne Hector happe what happe maye Vnto the which Hector lyfely sterte And toke it vp with as glad an herte As euer yet did any man or knyght That quarell toke with his foe to fight There can no man in sothe a ryght deuyse How glad he was of this high empryse ¶ Of whych the noyse and the great sowne Ran to the eares of kinge Agamenowne And he anone him selfe came to the tente With all the lordes of his parliament ¶ Where Achilles and Hector were yfere To wytte their will as in this mattere Where they would assenten fynally To put the quarell full in Ieopardy Of other parte atwene these knightes tweyn As ye haue herde fully to dareyne ¶ And with one voyce Grekes it denye And sayde they nolde of suche a companye Of kinges Dukes and of Lordes eke also Bothe life and death Ieoparte atwene two Nor to the course of fortune theim submitte That can all daye her face chaunge flytte And some of Troye in conclusyowne Ieoparde ne wold their liues nor their towne In the handes onely of a knight To put all in auenture of fyght ¶ Pryam except whyche sothly in this case Within him selfe fully assented was Playnly to put and sette in Ieopardye Hooly the honour of his regallye Supposynge aye as made is memorye That Hector shoulde haue had the victorye Of this empryse if he toke it on hande ¶ But for Priam might not tho withstande Agayne so many of one entencion That were contrarye to his opynion Bothe of Grekes and on Troye syde He helde his peace and let it ouer slyde And so the Grekes parted be echone ¶ And Hector is from Achilles gone Home to Troye where I him leue a whyle Whiles that I dyrecten shall my stile To tell of Troylus the lamentable wo Which that he made to parte his lady fro ALas fortune gery and vnstable And redy aye for to be chaungeable Whē folke most trust in thy stormye face Like their desyre the fully to embrace Then is thy ioye away to tourne and writhe Wpon wretches thy power for to kythe Record of Troylus y t from the whele so lowe By false enuye thou hast ouerthrowe Out of the ioye whych that he was in From his lady to make hym for to twynne When he best wende for to haue be sured And of the woe that he hath endured I muste nedely helpe hym to complayne Whych that in herte felte so great payne So inwarde wo and so great distresse More than I haue cunning to expresse When that he knewe the partynge of Creseyd Almost for wo and for payne he deyed And fully wiste that she departe shal By sentence and by iudgement fynall Of his father gyuen in parlyamente For which with wo and tourment al to rente He was in poynt to haue fallen in rage That no man might appease nor aswage The hidde paynes which in his brest gā dare For lyke a man in furye he gan fare And such sorowe daye and nyght to make In complayninge onely for her sake For when he sawe that she should aweye He leuer had playnly for to deye Than to lyue behinde in her absence For him thought without her presence He was but dead there is no more to sayne And into teares he gan to berayne With which his eyen gan for to bollen And in his brest the sighes tho vppe swollen And the sobbynge of his sorowes depe That he ne can not do but rore and wepe So sore loue his herte gan constrayne And she ne felte not a litle payne But wepte also and piteously gan crye Desyringe aye that she might do dye Rather than parte fro him out of Troye Her owne knyght her lust her lyues ioye That by her chekes the teares downe destyll And fro her eyen the teares round drops tryl That all fordewed haue her blacke wede And eke vntrussed her heyre abrode gā sprede Lyke golde wyre forrent and all to torne Yplucked of and not with sheres shorne And ouer this her freshe rosen hewe Whilom ymeynt with whyte lylyes newe With wofull wepynge pyteously disteyned And like the herbes in April all bereyned Or floures freshe with the dewes swete Right so her chekes moyste were and wete With cristall water vp ascendinge hye Out of her brest into her heauenly eye And aye amonge her lamentaciowne Full ofte sythe she fell in swowne adowne Deadly pale fordimmed in her syghte And ofte sayde alas myne owne knight Mine owne Troilus alas why shal we parte Rather let death with his spere darte Through my herte and the vaynes kerue And with his rage do me for to sterue Rather alas than fro my knight to twinne ¶ And of this wo Oh death that I am in Why nilt thou come helpe to make an ende For how shulde I out of Troye wende He abyde and I to Grekes gone There to dwell amonge my cruell fone Alas alas I wofull creature How shoulde I there in the werre endure I wretched woman but my selfe alone Amonge the men of armes euerychone Thus gan she crye all the longe daye This was her playnte with full great affray Her pyteous noyse till it drewe to night That vnto her
to debate ¶ And Pryamus sothly to the gate Conueyed them at theyr out goynge And set their wardes this noble worthy king Full prudently through his sapyence And after gaue them congee and lycence Vpon grekes for to proue their myght Agaynst whom full redy for to fyght Their fomen were with royall apparayle Amyd the fyelde abydyng the battayle ¶ But Pryamus in the meane whyle Lyke as Guydo remembreth in his style For thylke fyne that ye haue herde me sayne To whothy Hector repayred is agayne Hym contermaundyng that he ne shuld gone Thilke day to fyght agayne their foen For whyche thynge of hygh despyte he brent Whan that he sawe other lordes went Out at the gate and he alone abode For whiche he wexed furyous and wood Hooly the cause arettynge to his wyfe That was of cheietie so tender of his lyfe Puttyng on her fully the occasyowne Of his abydynge that day in the towne In preiudyce of his worthynesse And disencrease of his hygh prowesse And leest through tongues to his hygh estate Through false reporte it were derogate He caste anone of a full knightly herte For lyfe nor death it shulde hym not asterte Within the fyelde that daye to be founde Though it so were w t many mortall wounde He shulde on peces hewen be a sonder Vpon the playne dismembred here yonder So hole in manhod was his herte sette That he anone without longer lette Agayne to arme hym was full dyligent Agayne the precept and commaundemente Of his father and rode on his waye For feare of whyche anone as she would deye His wife of newe crye gan and shoute And with her papes also hangynge oute Her lytell chylde in her armes twayne Tofore her lorde gan to wepe and playne Besechynge him of routhe and pyte If so he would vnto her sorowe se At the least for her wyfely trouthe That he of manhode haue in herte routhe Vpon his childe and vpon her also Whych that she bare in her armes two And not might him from criynge kepe Whan he sawe his wofull mother wepe And knelynge downe vnto him she sayde In her sobbynge as she might abrayde Mine owne lorde haue mercy now on me And on this lytell chylde whych that ye se So pyteously afore you wepe and crye Haue mercy lorde on vs or that we dye Haue mercy eke vpon this Cite Myne owne lorde haue mercy or that we By cruell death passe shall echone For lacke of helpe alas when ye are gone ¶ This was the crye of Andromecha With whom was eke her syster Cassandra ¶ Hecuba and fayre Pollycene And Heleyne eke the lusty freshe quene Which all atones fell him beforne With heyr vntrussed and weping all to torne And loude gan to crye in the place Besechynge him of mercy and of grace For thilke daye to abyde in the towne And in his hert to haue compassyowne On her complaynte and her wofull mone Sith all the truste of the towne alone In him abode and all the resystence Agaynst death he was their chiefe defēce And in him onely was their affiaunce Their suerte and their suffysaunce In eche thinge that theim might greue ¶ And yet all this ne might his herte meue For to abyde yet of goodlyheade They him besought to their womanheade He would encline his herded herte of stele That they might a lytell droppe fele Onely of pyte on their woo to rewe That lykly was to more and renewe Fynally to their destructiowne For of the Cite and lykewyse the towne His death in soth shulde fully be ruyne But yet all this might not him enclyne That he ne would out in conclusyon As indurate and harted as a Lyon He was alwaye continuinge in his rage Whose herte might as often nor aswage Nother prayer nor lamantacion Him to restrayne from his opinion For euery peryll he layde hath asyde And on his waye gan anone to ryde Where through his wife none other bote can But in her rage to the kinge she ran So amased in her mortall wo That she vnneth might speake him to So diffaced and rewefull of her sight That by her hewe knoweth her no wight For loste she had bothe might and strengthe And plat she fell to the grounde at length Tofore the kynge that routhe was to sene ¶ Besechinge him of entente full clene That he of grace consider wolde her wo For but he helpe Hector was ago And he seynge her faythfull womanhead At her request raughte anone his stede And pricked after onely for her sake In so great haste that he hath ouertake Worthy Hector within the Cite And hent his reyne with great difficulte And maugre him made him tourne agayne In suche wise he durst it not with sayne Albe that he was full lothe therto So that by prayer and by force also From his stede he made him to alyghte The areste of whom eschewe he ne myght For he ne would agayne his father striue Albe that he felte his herte ryue Of melancolye and of hertye yre And of disdayne newe set a fyre So inwardly stered was his blode That lyke a Tygre or a Lyon wood That were depriued newly of her praye Right so he fared all that ylke daye Or lyke a bore that his tuskes whette Whyle the Grekes and they of Troye mette Furyously walkynge vp and downe And in diffence sothly of the towne Troylus fyrste on his baye stede Of aduenture mette with Diomede And eche at other surquedous of pryde With sharpe speres gan togyther ryde And Guydo sayth without any dreade One or bothe had anone be deade Ne had Menelay knightly go betwene And after that in a furyous tene He smette his horse in full knyghtly wyse ¶ And Mereon the mighty kinge of Fryse Menelaus marked hath full well And wyth his swerde ful sharp groūd of stele Vnhorsed him and threwe hym on the grene For he the stroke might not tho sustene This Menelay was on him so wood That it was lykly euen there he stode With his lyfe he shoulde not thense eskape For the Grekes ful hastely theim shape This Meryon as ye haue herde me sayne For to be sette rounde vpon the playne And to cesse him by the auentayle On euery parte and cruelly to assayle All destytute in this wofull case ¶ But him to helpe came Pollydamas With his knightes and gan to nighe nere When he him sawe taken prysonere And maugre all that there vpon him sette From theyr handes Pollydamas him fette At whose reskues there was so great a strife That many one therfore loste his lyfe For Grekes rather then he shoulde escape From their handes in that hasty rape Caste theym playnly that he shoulde be dead Fully in purpose to haue hadde his head He stode of mischyefe in so great disioynt But him to selpe euen vpon the poynt ¶ Came Troylus in most knightly of arraye And of his manhod made suche affraye Amōges them in reskuse of this kinge That maugre theim at his in
quene ¶ To Priam spake of this Pollycene Touchinge the sonde of this Achilles And of his profre for to make a peace She tolde him all and forgate nothinge Wherof astoned Priamus the kynge Spake not a worde halfe an houres space But in him selfe gan inly to compace Full prudently what it might meane That Achilles would haue Pollycene Vnto his wife aye wonderynge more more And at the laste syghinge wonder sore He hath disclosed the conceyt of his herte And sayd alas howe sore it doth me smerte To remembre that I may haue no peace The great offence of this Achilles Towardes me playnly when that he Slewe worthy Hector through his crueltye That hooly was vpon euery side The hoole assuraunce gouernour and guyd Of me and mine platly for to sayne And therwithall of myne eyen twayne He was alone the very sothfast lyght Shelde protectour thrugh his great might And his manhode agayne the mortall rage Of Grekes werre in my croked age ¶ But nowe alas to my confusyowne He slayne is so worthy of renowne By Achilles which maye not out of minde That in my herte I can neuer fynde To be allyed with my mortall foo Roote and grounde of all my sorowe woo It were full harde my herte to appease To loue him that causeth mine vnease On euery halfe where through my cruel foen The proude Grekes harted be echone Agaynst me nowe Fortune is contrayre Tourned of newe my quarell to apayre That causeth Grekes wood and furyous On me alas to be presumptuous ¶ Onely for Hector is me berafte awaye But sythen I no other choyse maye Agaynst herte though it for anger ryue In this matter assaye I shall to stryue Though me be lothe and sytteth me full sore Yet to eschewe harmes that be more Which lykly be hereafter for to fall And for to saue myne other sonnes all I will consente that this Achilles So that he moke a trewe fynall peace Atwene Grekes and also this Cite Without more playnly howe that he Haue vnto wyfe my doughter Pollycene ¶ But leste that he any treason meane My will is firste how so that it wende Of his behest that he make an ende Wythout fraude this is mine aduise ¶ To whych counsayle assenteth eke Parys And more rather in conclusyon For there was made none excepcioon ¶ In this Trete of the quene Heleyne That Menelaye neuer shoulde atteyne Her to recure agayne vnto hys wyfe For whyche Parys without noyse or stryfe Or grutchynge other vnto this entente Within him selfe was fully of assente Therby hopynge without feare or dreade Perpetually Heleyne to possede Right at his luste and no man shall saye nay And after this vpon the thirde daye ¶ Achilles hath to wytte of this mattere To Hecuba sente his messingere And she him tolde the aunswere of the kynge Ceryously gynninge and endinge And how that he assenteth well therto ¶ And Parys eke and she her selfe also If it so were playnly she him tolde Touchinge the peace that the purpose holde And fyrste that he his heste brynge aboute That they be sure therof nede not doubte That he shall haue his purpose euerydele If that he worke prudently and we le And herevpon with informaciowne This messenger out of Troye towne Without abode in all the haste he maye To Achilles helde the ryghte waye And tolde him hole the effect of this mattere And he alwaye feruente and entiere In herte brent as hole as any glede And sawe there was none other way to spede But onely peace as ye haue herde me telle ¶ And aye his brest with sighes gan to swel For the only loue of this Pollycene And caste alwaye amonge his throes kene To his purpose a waye for to fynde And whyles he was busy in his mynde How he shoulde his purpose brynge aboute And in him selfe casteth many doubte ¶ Anone dispayre in a rage vp sterte And cruelty caught hym by the herte Whych hath him throwe into suche a were That him thoughe it was in his power All his beheste to fulfyll in dede Except he hadde well the lesse dreade Euery thinge to put in certayne Wening no Greke would his luste with fayne From his desyre to be varyable And to him selfe thus was he fauorable For to parfourme and nothynge to denye All that was lusty to his fantasye As is the maner of louers euerychone That they suppose to acheue anone What thinge it be that they lyst take on hand In what disioynt that the matter stande All though it be a very impossyble In theyr foly they be aye so credible And so Achilles trusteth fynally For to fulfyll his hestes vtterly Supposinge aye for his worthynesse For his manhode and his hygh prowesse In whych he did him selfe gloryfye Some what of pryde and of surquedrye How the Grekes shoulden be despayred Both of theyr truste theyr might appeyred Vpon Troians to wynnen any lande If it so were that he withdrewe his hande To helpe theim and therwithall also Home into Grece that they wolden go From the syege onely for his sake And their quarell vterly forsake ¶ But it so were this daye fyerse Achille With theym abode the cite for to spylle For whyche thinge the lordes by assente Assembled were to heren the entente Amonge theim all of thys Achilles By the byddinge of Pallamydes And when they were gathered all yfere Tofore theim all lyke as ye shall heare THis Achilles hath his tale begonne And sayd syres that so muche konne Both of wysedome and of high prudence So renowmed eke of sapyence Throughout the worlde of discreciowne And be so worthy also of renowne Kynges and dukes of whose royall name From East to West floureth yet the fame Both of knyghthode and of manlyhead To that I saye I pray you taken hede This to saye yf that ye consyder The playne entent of our commyng hyther By good auyse that our entencyon Had no grounde founded on reason Nor cause roted on no maner ryght If it so be that ye lyft vp your syght And aduerte clerely in your mynde Full ferre a backe wytte was set behynde Prudent lokyng and aduysenesse For fyrst whan that we of foly hastynesse Toke vpon vs to come from so ferre Agayne Troyans for to gynne a werre And to ieoparte our lyues euerychone For the loue of one man alone Ye wote all I trowe whom I meane ¶ Kyng Menelay defrauded of his quene To telle trouth me lyste not for to feyne For ye well wote onely that Heleyne Was groūde and gynnyng of all this debate For whom so many worthy of estate Recurlesse of any remedye Lyfe and good haue put in ieopardye Our landes lefte and eke our regyownes Our cyties also and our ryche townes Whiche by our absence stonden desolate Wyues and chyldren eke disconsolate In woe abyde mournynge and distresse Whyles that we here the soth to expresse From day to day beset on euery ryde Lye in the felde and our death abyde
For they ne myght endure for distresse Constreynt of hunger dyd thē so oppresse ¶ Tyll at the laste kyng Pallamydes As he that was in nothynge reckeles Hath therupon made purueyaunce Remedye and redye ordynaunce And by assent and counsayle of echone ¶ He hath sent wyse Agamenon The worthy styng to Messa there besyde A lyttell I le onely to prouyde For the grekes if he myght spede Them to releue in this great nede ¶ And Thelephus kynge of that lande Of gentylnesse hath put to his hande As he that was large and wonder free And renowmed of muche humanite To succour them commaundyng aye anone His purueyours in all hast to gone From euery party aboute enuyron Through all the landes of his regyon And faythfully to serche euery coste To take vp vytayle for the grekes hooste ¶ And after that full hastely he made To stuffe their shyppes playnly and to lade With euery thynge that was necessarye To the grekes and by water carye At requeste of kynge Agamenon Without taryinge or delacyon ¶ And so the kyng with plente of vytayle Fraughte and ylade gan anone to sayle Towarde the syege he and his meynee Aye costynge by the grekyshe see ¶ The wynde was good the kyng as blyue With his nauye at Troye dyd aryue In fewe dayes and Grekes anone ryght Of his repeyre were full glad and light Of his exployt and his good spede That he so well hath borne him in this nede ¶ And after this Pallamydes anone As sayth Guydo is to his shyppes gone For to consyder and loke all aboute Where nede was within and eke without Any of them to amende or repare As he that lyste for no coste to spare In euery thynge without neclygence Touchynge his charge to do his dylygence Tyll the trewse fully were out ronne And the werres newe agayne begonne Whiche many man sothly dere abought And ceryously to wryte howe they wrought My purpose is playnly in sentence Vnder supporte of your pacyence DVrynge in one the deadly cruell hate That stynte may nor cesse by no date Atwyxe Grekes and them of the towne To great damage and destructiowne On outher parte felynge full vnswete Tyll on a daye they caste for to mete As they were wont proudely w t spere shelde With their wardes entrynge into fyelde Armed full bryght vpon outher syde ¶ And enbatayled stoute and full of pryde Full knyghtly haue chose their ground take Their large baners with the wynde yshake Tyll they togyther sodaynly haue mette ¶ And alderfyrst Deiphobus hath sette Freshe and lusty and of herte yrous ¶ Vpon a kyng called Creseus And of enuye the storye telleth than On horsebacke as they together ran ¶ Deiphobus fyrste with his spere as blyue Throughout the breste euen dyd hym ryue Vnto the herte that he spake no more The deth of whom Grekes playne sore And for his loue suche a woe they make That all astoned they haue the fyelde forsake And gan anone vnto theyr tentes flee The whiche in sothe when they of Troye see Vpon the chase faste gan them spede Vnto tyme that worthy Dyomede ¶ And with him eke the kynge Pallamydes Of hye despyte cruell and mercyles With twenty thousande worthy knyghtes al Vpon Troyans sodaynly are fall And mortally made them lese their waye And to resorte home agayne to Troye ¶ And eke with grekes felle and furious The same tyme came Thelamonius That hyght Ayax the stronge knightly man And lyke a Lyon amonge them as he ran Vpon Troyans and them ouer sette Casually in his waye he mette ¶ Cecylien lusty freshe and lyght And of his tyme a wonder manly knyght And sonne was to Pryam as I rede Whom Thelemon pryckyng on his stede Slewe cruelly with his sworde anone Rasynge his arme from the shuldre bone That he alas fell dead in the fyelde The deth of whō whan Deiphobus behelde Wodder anone then Tygre or Lyon With a spere rauhe to Thelamon And smette him so through his plates bright Of very force that he made hym lyght And lese his sadell be set amonge the prese ¶ The whiche stroke whan Pallamydes Behelde and sawe and clerely gan aduerte Irous and wood with a furyous herte Caste hym anone to auenge Thelamowne On Deiphobus full worthy of renowne And mortally his guerdon him to quyte And with a spere grounde for to byte Sharpe and kene large rounde and square Full cruelly or that he was ware Through his harneys without more areste ¶ Deiphobus he smote so in the breste That with the stroke he brake y e shafte a two So that the tronchone and the head also Lefte in his breste that there was no waye Fynally but that he must deye There was none helpe nor remedye at all The wounde was so cruell and mortall That with the lyfe he myght not abyde ¶ And in this whyle Parys came besyde Of auenture whyle this Deiphobus Was of his wounde so inly anguyshous And gan in hast for to approche nere With face pale and right an heuy chere And for his distresse wepte pyteously And his knightes commaunded hastely His wounded brother a syde softe and feare In all hast that they shulde forthw t do beare Out of the wardes from the great prese Vnto his payne for to do relese For to a brethe hym at leyser and auente In open eyre and they vnto hym wente Maugre the grekes where he wounded was And bare him out a full easy pase Towarde the walle faste by the towne And with great dole and lamentaciowne Full softely on the grounde hym layde Tyll at the laste this deadly man abrayde With mortall loke and face funerall And there pyteous so that eche ball Gan tourne vp of his deadly eye And euen thus to Parys he gan seye Oh brother myne whom that I loued so Haue now pyte and rewe vpon my wo Of kyndnesse and of brotherheade And to my wordes of routhe take now hede Syth we by death muste a sonder twynne ¶ For Attropose shal no longer spynne My lyues threde but the knotte breke Wherfore brother I praye the to be wreke Vpon my deth or I hense pace If that thou lyste to do me suche a grace Of kyndnesse yet or I be deade Out of my breste or this speres heade Be rent away that thou auenged be Vpon my foe as I truste in the. That I may wyt he be dead or I And that his spyryte it passe fynally And fyrste discende depe downe in helle Eternally with Pluto for to dwelle Myd his boundes that derke byn and lowe That fynally so that I may knowe That he be dead there is no more to saye I gyue no force how soone that I deye ¶ To whose request Parys toke good hede ▪ And into fyelde faste gan hym spede For thought and woe pyteously wepynge Whyle his brother laye there lanquyshynge Not awaytynge but onely after death Vpon the poynt to yelden vp the breth ¶ And with his knightes Parys vp
agayne retorne To my matter and tell forth how the kyng To grekes hath without more taryinge For a trewse and a peace ysent A certayne tyme by great auysement Whyche graunted was of Agamenowne And they ayene repeyred to the towne ¶ Howe Parys slewe Achylles and Archylogus Duke Nestors sonne in the Temple of Apollo Cap. xxxii KYnge Pryamus dyd his busye cure For to make a ryche sepulture For Troylus corps full noble and royall As sayth Guydo of stones and metall And him enclosed of great affection ¶ And nighe besyde was the kyng Menon Solempnely buryed and laide in graue And after that day by day they haue Lyke the custome of feste funerall And other ryghtes ceremonyall For them bothe with dewe obseruaunce Seruyse done aye by contynuaunce In their temple lyke as was the guyse Whiche were to longe me for to deuyse And tedyus eke to you for to dwell But I purpose ceriously to tell Howe Hecuba as I can endyte Her caste fully Achylles to requyte His tirannye sothly yf she may And vnto her she calleth on a day Alexsaunder in full secrete wyse And vnto hym as I shall you deuyse With wepynge eyen and full heuy chere Sayde euen thus as ye shall after here ¶ Parys quod she alas saue goddes wyll Thou knowest well howe the fyerse Achylle My sonnes hath slayne well nye euerychone There is none lefte but thy selfe alone He hath me made alas there is no gayne Full cowardly of chyldren now baraine Both of Hector and Troylus eke therto Whiche were to me in euery trouble and wo Fully comforte pleasaunce and solace Wherfore I caste playnely to compase By some engyne his death to ordayne And lyke as he by treason dyd his payne Trayterously with his sworde to smyte Ryght so I thynke with treason him to quite As syttynge is of ryght and equyte And syth thou wotest platly how that he Hath sette his herte and his loue clene Vpon my doughter yonge Polycene To fyne onely to haue her vnto wyue For whiche I caste to hym sende blyue For to come and treate of that mattere ¶ In the temple of Appollo here In the temple moste chiefe of this Cyte At whiche tyme my wyll is that thou be Thy selfe armed there full pryuelye With certayne knyghtes in thy companye Armed also agayne the same daye That in no wyse he ne scape maye From your handes but that he be dead As I haue saide and therfore take good hede Vnto this thynge with all my herte I praye From poynt to poynt my byddyng to obeye And he assenteth with all his hole herte Behotynge her that he shulde not asterte And with hym toke twenty and no mo Of manly men that ryght well durste do And in the temple by full good aduyse ¶ They were yhid by biddynge of Parys Whyle Hecuba couert in her entente Her messager to Achylles hath sent As ye haue herde in conclusyowne To come in haste vnto Troye towne After the effecte whiche was of her myssage Onely to treate of a maryage And he in haste commeth at her sonde As he that coulde nothyng vnderstonde Her treason hyd nor playnly it aduerte He was so hote marked in his herte With loues bronde and his fyry glede Of lyfe nor death that he toke no hede But sette a syde wytte and all reason To caste afore by good discrecion What was to do with lokynge full prudent For he in soth was with loue blent Into Troye whan that he shulde gone Lyke as it fareth of louers euerychone Whan they haue caught in herte a fantasye For no peryll though they shulden dye They haue no myght nor power to beware Tyll they vnwares be trapped in the snare Their maladye is aye so furyous ¶ And thus Achylles and Anthylogus Nestors sonne haue the waye nome Towarde the towne and be togither come Into temple as ye haue harde me telle And Parys tho lyste no longer dwelle But all vnwarely with his knyghtes all On Achylles is at myschyefe fall Eueryche of them with a sworde full bryght And some bokes saye it was done by night Whan his death longe afore desyred ¶ By Hecuba and Parys was conspyred ¶ But Achylles in this mortall case Amonge them all naked as he was Hent out a sworde in the selfe steuen And lyke a knyght he slewe of them seuen Of very force mauger all their myght ¶ But whan Parys therof had a syght Thre dartes raught that were kene square And sodeynly are that he was ware Full secretely hyd vnder the shade Markynge at hym and no noyse made Caste at hym euen as euer he can That head and shafte through his body ran And therwithall knyghtes not a fewe With sharpe swordes gan vpon hym hewe And lefte him not tyll he lay at grounde ¶ Full pale dead with many mortall wounde And ryghtfully of reason as it syt Thus was the fraude and the falshed quyt ¶ Of Achylles for his hygh treason As deth for deth is skylfully guerdon And egall mede without any fable ¶ To them that be mercyles vengeable For thilke daye Guydo wryteth thus That Achylles and Anthylogus ¶ Of Parys were in the temple slawe And afterwarde the bodye was outdrawe Of Achylle fro the holy boundes And cruelly throwen vnto the houndes To be deuoured in the brode streste In canell rennynge of fylthy waters wete Without pytye or any maner routhe Lo here the ende of falshed and vntrouth Lo here the fyne of suche trecherye Of false deceyte compassed by enuye Lo here the knotte and conclusyon How god aye quytteth slaughter by treason Lo here the guerdon and the fynall mede Of them that so delyten in falshede For euery thyng platly for to sayne Lyke as it is his guerdon doth attayne As ye may se of this Achilles Whiche on a nyght in the temple les His lyfe for he was aye customable By fraude and treason for to be vengeable ¶ But it befell at request of Heleyne That the bodyes of these ylke tweyne Conserued were from the hungry rage Of beste and foule gredy and ramage And yet they lay amyddes of the cytye Full openly that all men myght them se To great gladnesse of them of the towne ¶ Into tyme that Agamenowne To kyng Pryam sent his massageres To haue license to fette them home on beares By graunt of whom they haue the corses take For whom grekes suche a sorowe make That pytye was and routh for to here And eueryche spake thus vnto his feare Farewell our truste nowe Achylles is dede Farewell our hope and hooly all our spede Farewell our ioye and our chiefe diffence That hadde in manhode so great excellence Farewell alas our souerayne assuraunce Farewell in knighthode all our suffysaunce For now alas vnlykely is that we Shall euer wynne or getten this Cite To vs alas so frowarde is fortune But that they myghten not contune Alway in wo nor in payne endure They caused to make a ryche Sepulture To Achylles
mansyons And they of Troye dyspeyred ouer all No refute could Grekes for to let But of assent fast theyr gates shette And all the nyght on the walles wake And ouer this suche a wo they make Through the Cyte that Parys was so dead For fynally nowe they can no reade But wepe and crye and sorowe euer in one NOwe al y e sonnes of Priamê° were gone Fortune alas hath theim so appeyred That of theyr lyfe they be nowe dyspeyred Of all hope and of good welfare Perpetually for to lyue in care Vnto the death and that was faste bye For nowe there is no maner remedye Vpon no syde nor refute none at all But theym to kepe close wythin the wall That for to se it was a pyteous thynge ¶ And suche a wo maketh now the kynge ¶ For Parys death that for deadly smerte Hym thought platly that his wofull herte Recureles would brast and ryue a tweyne And into teares he gan dystylle and reyne As he would tho for very sorowe deye ¶ And of the quene alas what shall I seye ¶ Hecuba his owne mother deare That crieth wepeth with a woful cheare ¶ Of Pollycene that was so wo begone And of his systren also euerychone That haue theyr heir theyr clothes torne As yf they had theyr owne death ysworne For drery wo and for pyteous peyne ¶ But for by all the fayre quene Heleyne Wayleth cryeth with a deadly cheare That her eyen whych whylom were so cleare Forderked were with dolefull teares smerte And to the corps sodaynly she sterte And clypped yt in her armes twayne And pyteously embrace it and restrayne Lyke as she would with him dye anone For styll she laye dombe as any stone As marbyll colde her lymmes craumpishing Redy at all towarde her buryinge Tyll men by force from the corps her hent And she her heyr and her chekes rente As tho she had be fallen in a rage That chaunged was alas in her vysage Her natyfe coloure and her rody hewe Whylom as freshe as any rose newe Nowe is she lyke vnto ashes colde And wyth her handes aye togyther folde Her selfe she smote on her pale face And euer amonge the corps she did embrace In her swownes as she fell to grounde Twenty tymes and wept full his wounde Wyth wo she was awhaped and amate Of all comforte alas disconsolate In herte beynge inly desyrous Through her rage passynge furyous To dye attones with her owne knyght For towarde death enclosed was her syght As she that lyst to lyue nowe no more ¶ And as I trowe that neuer man before No woman sawe fall in suche distresse In suche disioynt of deadly heuynesse Nor for no wo so pyteously yraue Not Cleopatre goynge to her graue Nor wofull Tesbe that fro the kaue sterte Whan she her selfe smote vnto the herte ¶ Nor the faythfull trewe Orestylle When that she sawe her lord agayne her will ¶ Marcus Prolancus vnto shyppe gone And for his loue fell downe dead anone ¶ Nor the sorowe of trewe Iulia ¶ Nor the feruence of faythfull Porcia Of whych the one fell dead sodaynly For she sawe bloud spent so cruelly On her lordes dredfull gardment ¶ And Portia so trewe in her entent When that her lorde Brutus lost his lyfe For bycause she myght haue no knyfe Wyth rolys red slewe her selfe alas Was not also in the selfe case ¶ Arthemysya quene of Tarse londe Of Mausalus the graue whan she foude Her owne knyght of whose bones smale Full wofully and wyth a cheare pale She poudre made dranke it euery morowe ¶ But all the wo and the furyous sorowe Of these echone yet may not atteyne ¶ Vnto the sorowe of the quene Heleyne That fynally wyll her selfe fordo For Parys sake whom she loued so For after him she wyll not lyue a daye But be awreke playnly yf she maye Vpon her lyfe rather than dysseuere And thus in wo aye she doth perseuere In her herte Parys sat so depe ¶ Alas who sayth that women can not wepe Yes doubtles they haue it of nature Though it so be that they no wo endure Yet can they fayne and salte teares fynde Plenty ynough of thryr owne kynde And sorowles morne and compleyne ¶ I saye not this for the quene Heleyne That was wyth wo wounded to the herte That fro the death she wende not sterte For deathes darte her herte made ryue And yet she rose agayne fro death to lyue Onely by grace for all her fell rage For euery wo by processe must aswage And ouer gone and wasted by myracle For eche venym made is some Tryacle And euery wo hath his remedye ¶ For though Heleyne as tho fayn wold dye Her kynde ne would assent yet therto So sodaynly to slea her selfe for wo. She was a woman no man shulde her wyte Me lyste no more of her wo endyte Lest vnto you that it were tedyous To heren all her paynes furyous Her cruell wo and lamentacion Whych would meue to compassyon In very sothe to wryte euerydele Any herte though it were made of stele ¶ For kynge Pryam and the quene also Had suche routhe of her pyteous wo To se her wepe and furyously complayne That they of her felte as much payne ¶ As they dyd almost for hym Parys ¶ Herof no more for Pryam by deuyse After this rage and this mortall wo Amyd the Temple sacred to Iuno Ordayned hath with full busy cure For the corps a ryche sepulture And in all haste therin made it shette That in sothenesse if I should not lette To tell all the rytes and the gyse That there were made in theyr paynim wise And the costes of his buryinge It should be all to longe a taryinge Ceryously theron to abyde Wherfore as nowe I let ouerslyde Their paynim rites supersticious ¶ Howe Pantisilia quene of Amazonis comming in ayde of the Troians was slayne by Pyrrhus Achylles sonne Ca. xxxiiii ANd telle I wyll how kyng Priamus CoÌ„mauÌ„ded hath of mischyefe of nede Through Troye towne onely of very drede To shytte theyr gates strongly as they maye And therupon both by nyght and daye To kepe watche for shortly they of Troye Dysconsolate of all theyr olde ioye Can no refute but wepe and sorowe make For they ne durst no more vndertake Agayne Grekes into felde to gone ¶ Tyll on a daye kynge Agamenon His messager by good auisement To Pryamus into Troye hath sent Requyrynge him of manhode lyke a knyghte To yssue out wyth Grekes for to fyght As he was wonte wyth his chyualrye ¶ But kynge Pryam his axinge gan denye And shortly sayd to him that was sent That he ne would at his assignement Not ones passe the gates of the towne But at his owne free electiowne Whan euer him lyst without compellynge ¶ And yet in sothe cause of his taryinge ¶ Was for the hardy quene of Femynye Towarde Troye that fast gan her hye Out of her lande and lyttell regyon The whych as bokes
water salte for drede of Neptunus ¶ Of very Ire and also Golus Was vnto them in euery thynge contrary That on the londe made them longe tarye The sea was aye so fell and boylynge ¶ Tyll the grekes of Calchas enquyryng By one assent what it myght be That euer in one so dyuers was the sea In his rage both eue and morowe ¶ And he answered god gyue him euyl sorow This olde shrewe with all his prophecye That can so well when hym lyste to lye How this tempest caused was at all By the goddes and furyes infernall That neuer wolde appease nor be stylle Tyll the number platly of Achylle Auenged be and shedynge of his bloud ¶ For whiche he sayde Apollo was eke wood For his temple to him consecrate Was through his death in Troye violate By bloude agayne be made satisfaction Wherfore there muste throughe redempcyon Of her that was roote in speciall Through her beautye and orygynall Cause of his death yonge Polycene And gynnynge fyrst of his mortall tene Therfore to Apollo she might vp offred be By sacrafyce to please his deyte With death agayne to make recompence Right as by death fyrst was the offence This grekes must vtterly fulfyll If they desyre for to haue at wyll The large sea to sayle in quiet ¶ And Pirrhus tho in a furious hete Gan enquire about of euery man For Policene but no wyght tell can Of her a worde nor shortely where she was Saufe some sayde howe that Eneas And Anthenor had hyd her pryuely Wherof there rose amonge them sodeynly Suche agrutchynge of grekes all aboute Of their lyfe that they were in doubte So inwardly this thinges they toke at grefe ¶ Till Anthenor god geue hym euyll prefe That may of treason as wardeyn bere y e keye To shewe out his malys euery waye So longe hath sought till in a chamber olde He hath her founde and the grekes tolde And brought her forth vnto their presence By cruell force and hatefull vyolence Without pytye or compassyon And her delyuered to Agamenon ¶ And he alas by hastye Iudgement Without respyte or auysemente Shortely hath dempte that she shall be deade That was flourynge in her maydenhead ¶ And for to do excepcyon ¶ She was assygned by Agamenon Vnto Pirrhus and he of tirannye Ladde her forth and fast gan hym hye To the place where she shulde dye ¶ Great was the prease that in the weye Gan croude and shoue to beholde and sene This yonge mayde fayre Pollycene That for her beautye and her semlynesse Her womanhede and excellent fayrenesse Of all yfere when they toke hede They had routhe that she shal be deade Without gylte or any more trespace Where men may se vpon many face The salte teares faste falle downe Of very pytye and compassyowne For man nor childe was none so harde of hert But he felte for her sake some smert Her goodly face whan they beholde and se And fayne wolde if it might haue be Delyuered her of very force anone Fro Pirrus hande but for they wende echone Without her death neuer to haue repeire Into grece nor the wether fayre As Calchas had made suggestion And brought them all in opynyon ¶ And at the laste whan this Policene Of dede and wyll a very mayde clene Was to the graue of Achylles brought She kneleth downe w t an humble thought Caste vp her eye and gan syghe ofte And to the goddes humbly and softe With dredfull herte and deuocion Made in this wyse her lamentacion OH ye myghty y t in this worlde gouerne And euery thinge consyder and diserne By whom this world so huge large rounde Both ayre and sea heauen eke y e grounde At your deuyse with a worde was wrought And sothfastly knowe euery thought Right as it is of euery maner wyght Without lettynge so persynge is your syght That nothinge is conceyled nor ywrye From the beholdynge of your eternall eye And euery thinge maye attones se Vpon my soule haue mercy and pyte And of your grace and beninge cure Vpon my wo and pyteous auenture Haue some routhe nowe that I shall deye My wofull spyryte to lede and conueye Where as you lyst now that I shall pace For vnto you in this selfe place I me confesse with all humilyte That hytherto I haue in chastyte Ladde all my lyfe and kept my maydēhead In your seruyce both in thought and dede In porte in chere and in countenaunce Or for feture of any daliaunce With one misloke I neuer yet abrayde So that in sothe I dye shall a maide As ye well knowe of synne all innocent Though I be nowe dempt by iudgement For to be dead without gilte at all Witnesse on you that be immortall Clene of entente of that I am accused And yet alas I maye not be excused But that the swerde of vengeaunce must byte Routheles which am nothinge to wite But stande cleare and pure of all offence And discharged in my conscience I dare affirme and fully giltles Touchinge the murdre of worthy Achilles Which slewe my brother and after loued me And is nowe cause of mine aduersyte And yet in will dede worde nor thought Vnto his death assentaunt was right nought But therof was right sory im my herte Albe that I maye not now asterte For to be dead onely for his sake On me alone vengeaunce shal be take Without mercy in full cruell wise With my bloud to make sacrafise To the goddes their wrathe for to queme Oh people blinde in sothe amisse ye deme Agaynst me your herte is so cruell To mercyles to yrous and to fell Without routhe to mikel indurate To sley a mayde alone desolate Out of your herte alas pitye is gone Harder in trouthe than any stocke or stone And more cruell in your opinion For lacke of pitye than Tigre or Lion Certis ye be greatly for to blame And ought therof for to haue great shame To assent to so foule a dede To sley a maide quakinge in her dread And graunte her none oportunitye For to be wepe her virginyte ¶ That of this cruell this piteous wreche My bloude your gylte hereafter shall apeche And accuse also your great enuye To the goddes that shall iustyfye Euery vnright bothe of hygh and lowe Full egally and make to be knowe The trouthe plainly spare and no degree But make open that is now secree I saye not this nor my selfe complayne To haue redres of my fatall payne For death is now more welcome vnto me Than is my lyfe and more I take at gree Sithen my brother most worthy of renowne Be slayne all and buryed in this towne My father dead in his vnweldy age And I alone leste in all this rage And haue abyde pyteousely to se Fynally ruyne now of this cytye Whiche at my herte sytteth now so sore That leuer I haue then to wepe more Dye attones in relesse of my wo. Sith all my kynne is passed and ago Longer to
Within a while there is no more to seye That he him gat the storye will not lye An other thousande to his companye Of worthy knightes all of one accorde To go with him as w t theyr soueraygne lorde In euery thinge his biddinge to obeye As ye haue herde Egistus to werrey ¶ And thus Horestes in full riche arraye Gan hooste and made no delaye And his lodginge alderfyrst gan chese In a Citye that called was Troyese Receyued there with great reuernece Of the kinge that named was Forence A manly knyght as bookes specifye And bare in herte passinge great enuye To Egistus by double occasion Fyrste for the death of Agamenon And eke for he had a doughter deare That was to him inwardly entere Both good and fayre but yonge of age That whilom was giuen in mariage To Egistus but he of doubilnesse Of false treson and newfangilnesse The kinges doughter hath vtterly forsake And in all haste did a libell make And forge a writ of repulsyon Albe he hadde no trewe occasyon This Egistus that he her forsoke Saue that he falssy to wiue toke The quene Clemestra agayne al right law When by assent they murdred haue slawe Agamenon as it afore is tolde That whylom was so myghty and so bolde And for the hatefull false conspyrasye As well of murther as auoutrye To venge bothe by dewe recompence The worthy knyght y e mighty kyng Forence Offred Horestes for to make hym stronge And go with hym to helpe venge his wronge And with hym ladde armed bryght in stele Foure hundred knightes horsed wonder wele Takynge the fyelde with a manly chere And so Horestes and the kynge yfeare Be ryden forthe with many manly man ¶ But Horestes or he this werre gan When bryght Phebus in the bole shone To the temple is full lowly gone And to the goddes in most best wyse With humble herte dyd sacryfyce Fully in hope the better for to fare Where he was bode for lyfe nor deth to spare Without mercy or remyssyon The death to venge of Agamenon ¶ On Clemestra that was moste to wyte And that he make fyrste his sworde to byte On his mother with his handes twayne And ouermore to do his busy payne Without pytye and no mercye shewe On smale peces tyll she be to hewe And dismembred a sonder ioynt fro ioynt And eke that he for yet not a poynt Iustly to punyshe by rycoure and by ryght ¶ Egistus eke the false vntrewe knyght And that he be not slowe nor neclygent To execute the commaundement Of the goddes lyste what after falle ¶ And than Horestes with his knyghtes all ¶ And Forenses the mighty kynge also Of one herte be to the syege go Of the Cyte that called was Methene Within whiche was the false quene Clemestra god gyue her herde grace And when Horestes syeged hath the place With his knyghtes set it rounde aboute ¶ False Egistus was yryden out To gather men and to be a wreke And falle vpon and the syege breke ¶ If he myght on any maner syde And with great stuffe thus he gan to ryde Takynge vp men fro euery coste Tyll he hym made a full myghtye hooste ¶ But Horeste whiche at the syege laye His gouernaunce espyeth daye by daye And sent out men as he that was full sage To stoppe wayes and lette his passage And made knyghtes a full huge route To pursue hym euery coste aboute And of the syege manfully begonne By assaute he hath the towne ywonne And entred in on a nyght full late And sette wardes stronge at euery gate And in a doungeon most stronge princypall That was of buildyng myghty and royall This Horestes fyrste his mother fonde ¶ The quene Clemestra lady of that lande Whiche for drede sore gan to quake But mercyles anone he made her take And put in chaynes tyll the next morowe ¶ And Egistus god gyue hym euyll sorowe With all the stuffe that he myght accroche Towarde the towne faste gan aproche ¶ In purpose full Horestes for to greue And them within sodeynely releue But all in sothe myght not auayle For or that he the cytye myght abayle Horestes knightes vnwarely haue him mette And all attones proudely on hym sette Fyrste slewe his men put them to flyght ¶ And taken hym maugre all his myght And with chaynes lyke as they hym fynde Mercyles full fast they him bynde And shet hym vp fetryd in prysowne And all false founde in the towne That were assented wyllinge or helpynge To the murdre of the worthy kynge Grekes workers and conspyratours Agayne their lorde ryfynge as traytours All were take and bounde by rycour The same nyghte and shet vp in a toure Tyll on the morowe lyke as the lot be drawe Eueryche of them vnder fonge his lawe Lyke his decerte excepcion was none And when the nyght passed was and gone And Phebus rose estwarde in his sphere And on the toures shone full bryght clere ¶ When Clemestra rote of all falsehede Was brought forth quakyng in her drede ¶ Before Horestes to iudgement yfet He with a sworde sharpe and kene ywhet Like as the goddes charged him toforne On peces smale he hath her all to shorne And made her bere out of the townes boūdes To be voured of beastes and of houndes Pytye was none in his breste reserued But quit her fully as she hath deserued Fro poynt to poynt and forgat right nought And thē chayned Egistus was furth brought And iustly dempt by rigour of the lawe Of an herdell naked to be drawe Through the towne that all might se And after hye hanged on a tre For to rot and drye agaynst the sonne Lo how murdre hath his guerdon wonne Lo how falshed his mayster can awake ¶ And all the traytours in the towne ytake Were on galowes enhanged euerychone Tyll they were seuered asonder bone fro bone Hye on an hill agayne the sterres shene Thus was y e towne fro treason purged clene And with trouth augmented and ymored And to his reygne Horrestes full restored As the storye sewinge shall expowne And of the daye when he toke his crowne ANd when the myst euery cloudy skye Of false treason and conspyracye Were tried out vpon euery syde The falshed hadde no place to abyde The storye sayth in ordre rehersynge The same time Menelay the kinge Out of the sea ful of wawes wete Fro Troyewarde yriued was in Crete Frely escaped many dread and peyne With his quene the goodly freshe Heleyne And for cause she was so famous fayre Great was the pres and meruaylous repaire Fro euery parte her beaute to beholde For whom Troye with walles not ful olde Destroyed was the noble royall towne And many man ful worthy of renowne Hath lost his life there may no man say naye All for Heleyne wife to Menelay When thinge is done it may be none other But when this kinge knewe fully of his brother Agamenon murdre and euerydele He