your lyues to Ieoparte In any wyse for lacke of prouydence Agaynst his wyll to make resystence Outher of pryde or of wylfulnesse For to be bolde without a vysynesse To interrupte his felycyte For he desyreth in tranquyllyte To holde his reygne without perturbaunce In whose parsone is made suche allyaunce At wene his manhode and Royall mageste That they wyll nat suffre none of no degre To enpugne his quyete in any maner wyse Wherfore I counsayle as ye seme wyse To take hede vnto that I seye And his byddynge nat to disobeye ¶ Leste ye offende his knyghtly excellence For ye shall fynde in experyence Without feynynge sothe all that I telle Take hede therfore I may no lenger dwelle From poynt to poynt syth ye be wyse and sage For this is hool the effect of my message WHan Iason herde of the messagere Thyse wordê all he gan chauÌ„ge there And kepte hym close with sobre couÌ„tenaunce And was nat hasty for Irene greuaunce For no rancoure he caughte of his tale Saue in his face he began to wex pale Longe abydynge or aughte he wolde sayne And or he spake any worde agayne Vnto hym that fro the kynge was sent He began disclose the soÌ„me of his entent Vnto his folke stondynge rounde aboute For vnto them he discured oute The message hool firste whan he abreyde And worde by worde thus to them he seyde Syres he sayth to you be it knowe Take hede I praye bothe hye and lowe How Lamedone that is kynge of Troye Hath sent to vs a wonderfull enuoye Chargynge in haste to hye out of his londe And axeth how we vpon the stronde For to aryue hadde hardynesse Without leue se there his gentylnesse And his fredom the whiche is nat alyte How lyke a kynge that he can hym quyte Vnto straungers that entre in his yle For nought god wote but for a lytell whyle Them to refresshe and to departe anoon Lyke as ye can recorde euerychon And bere wytnesse all and some Alas fredom where is it now become ¶ Where is manhode and gentylnesse also Whiche in a kynge togyder bothe two Shulde of custome haue theyr restyng place And where is honour that shuld also embrace Alordes herte whiche of kyngly ryght Of manly fredome with all his full myght Shulde straungers refresshe and recomforte That afterwarde they myght of hym reporte ¶ Larges experte manhode and gentyllesse That they haue founde in his worthynesse For if noblesse were of his allye And fredom eke knyt with his regallye So as longeth to honoure of a kynge He shulde haue charged firste of all thynge His worthy lyeges with all that myght please To haue shewed the comforte and the ease With all theyr myght and theyr besy cure Vnto straungers that of a venture Were in the see dryuen and dismayed And of our comforte nat be euyll apayed For if that he in any caas semblable Outher by fortune that is varyable By sort or hap that may nat withstande Aryued hadde into grekes lande More honestly lyke to his degre He sholde of vs haue receyued be Lyke as it longeth vnto gentrye But syth that he for ought I can espyâ— Hath fredom honoure and humanyte At ones made out of his courte to fle Chose dyshonour and let worshyp gone There is no more but we shall euery chone That he hath chose helpe to fulfyll Whan power shall nat belyke his wyll This is to saye and sothe it shal be founde That his dede shall on hym selfe rebounde Syth of malys he hath this werke begonne Perauenture or the somer sonne The sodyak hath thryes gone aboute For lete hym truste and no thynge be in doute we shall hym serue with suche as he hath sought For if I lyue it shal be dere a bought All be therof I sette as now no tyde And in his lande I wyll no lenger byde Tyll I haue leyser better to soiourne And with that worde he gan anone to tourne With manly face and a sterne chere Sodaynly vnto the messagere That fro the kynge was vnto hym sent And in this wyse he sheweth his entent My frende quod he I haue well vnderstande The message hool that thou toke on hande Of thy kynge to brynge vnto vs Right now vnwarely syth it stondeth thus That I haue his menynge euerydele From poynt to poynt and vnderstonde it wele For word by word I haue it playnly coÌ„teyned And the gyftes that we haue receyued On his behalfe in our great nede I wyll remembre take of it right good hede To euery thynge that thou haste vs brought For truste well that I forgete it nought But emprente it well suerly in my mynde And with all this how goodly that we fynde The great bounte in all maner thynge Within this lande of Lamedone the kynge His welcomynge and his great chere And goodly sonde that thou bryngest here Nat accordynge nat to our entent For god well wote that we neuer ment Harme vnto hym nor playnly no damage To none of his of no maner age And there vpon the goddes inmortall That of kynde ben celestyall Vnto recorde with all myn herte I take And touching this my borowes I them make In wytnessynge we ment none offence Ne toke nat as by violence Within his realme of woman childe nor man And so thou mayste reporte if thou can But for that we dryuen in the see Compelled were of necessyte For to aryue as thou haste harde me sayne Oonly to reste vs here vpon the playne Without more vnto a certayne daye And afterwarde to holde forthe our waye Vpon our iourney and make no taryenge Lyke as thou mayste recorde to thy kynge And saye hym eke he shall the tyme â—e That he paraunter shall mowe thanked be Whan tyme cometh by vs or by some other Go forthe thy way say hym thus my brother And than anone as Ialon was in pes The manly knyght the worthy hercules WhaÌ„ he had herd this thyng fro poyÌ„t to poynt He was anone brought in suche disioynt Of hasty rancoure and of sodayne Ire The whiche his herte almoste sette a fyre That sodaynly as he abreyde a bake Of hye disdeyne euen thus he spake With chere askoyne vnto the messagere And sayde felawe be no thynge in were Of our abydynge but be right well certayne That are Tytan his bemes reyse agayne We shall departe and to shyp gone That of our men shall nat leue one Within this lande god toforne to morowe And there vpon haue here my fayth to borowe For we no lenger shall holde here soioure For elles where we shall make our retoure To morowe erely in the dawnynge Vpon payne of repref and so go say thy kynge And or thre yere if god vs graunt lyfe Maugre who grutcheth or make any stryfe Vnto this lande we shall agayne retourne And caste anker a whyle to soiourne Take hede therof and note well the tyme A newe chaunge shall folowe of this pryme And
dede durynge all his lyfe As fer as oughte of reason be desyred But the lettres that falsly was conspyred They haue hir put parcas of Innocence For to gyue to hasty credence Thankynge firste Oetes for his trouthe That so goodly hym lyst to haue routhe Vpon hir wronge of hye compassyon And yet the storye maketh mencyon Here afterwarde as I shall descryue That she was the falsest one alyue Vnto hir lorde and in his longe absence And in all haste she made stronge dâ—ffence Agayne this thynge and gan hir to purueye By suche fraude that she nat ne deye But of hir werke in sothe she was to wyte The whiche alas I muste anone endyte As the storye platly doth me lere Whiche dolefull is and mortall for to here OVnsure truste of all worldly glorye with sodayne chauÌ„ge put out of memorye O ioye vnstable of vayne ambycyon With vnware tourne reuersed vp so downe O ydell fame blowe vp to the skye Ouer whelmyd with twynclynge of an eye O pompe o boste of tryumphe and victorye Lyke a shadowe waste and transytorye O Fortune false and vnassured That to no man was neuer fully lured To hye nor lowe of no maner estate With bonde of fayth to be conferate Agayne whose myght no man may hyÌ„diffende But at his tourne that he shall discende Whan he syt hyest on thyne vnstable whele Thy brotyll fauour forged nat of stele Meynt and allayed with mutabylyte For welfulnesse and false felycyte With sodayne sweygh frowarde thou canst auale Now fresshe of chere now for anger pale Of hye disdayne thou sparest no degree For Prynces Dukes hyest in theyr see Myghty kynges and worthy Emperours That rychest reygne in theyr royall floures With Sceptre and crowne thou canst pull downe I take wytnesse of Agamenowne That was so noble and myghty in his lyue As sondry Auctours his hye renown descryue But sothfastly for all his excellence He myght nat make no diffence With all the kynges that his baner sewe Conspyred murdre to voyde and eschewe Rescuse was none that he coude make For whiche alas my penne I fele quake That doth myn ynke blotte on my boke O myghty god yâ— with thyne inwarde loke Seest euery thynge thurgh thy eternal myght Why wylt thou nat of equyte and ryght Punysshe chastyse so horryble a thynge And specyally the murdre of a kynge Alas the payne of Ixyon in helle Or of Manes that with Sathan dwelle Were nat egall nor equypolent To venge murdre nor suffycyent For it excedeth in comparyson All felonye falshede and treason Wherfore o lorde that seest and knowest all Thorugh thy power that is eternall Suffre no suche to lyue vpon the grounde Worse than Tygre or Cerberus the hounde That chayned lyeth bounde at helle gate Whiche of malyce playnely though he hate He berketh firste or he do offence But murdre gladly is wrought in sylence Or men aduerte or take any kepe Alas a Prynce to sle hym in his slepe On his pyllowe whan he slepeth softe That cryeth wreche to hye god a lofte And axeth vengaunce to take as faste Though it abyde it wyll out at the laste Alas a kynge spoken of so ferre That was so worthy outwarde in the werre His cruell fate passynge odyous Disposed hath in his owne hous His mortall ende to be execute Agaynst whiche there was no refute For right as he his shyppe to londe sette The quene Clemestra on the stronde hyÌ„ mette With humble chere and loke full benygne And shewed out full many faythfull sygne Of wyfely trouthe in hir countenauce Albe in herte there was varyaunce Nat parceyued playnely in hir face Whom the kynge goodly dyde enbrace As he in soth that but trouthe mente And to his paleyse the hye way he went Nat aduertynge the treason that was shape The whiche alas he myght nat escape Of the falshede he coude no thynge fele But I ne may no lenger it concele Agayne hir lorde how Clemestra wrought For on hir bonde of wedlocke she ne thought The trewe loke sothly of spousayle Agayne hir malyce lytell myght auayle Vnto hir lorde hir trouthe to conserue Newfangelnesse caused to streue Hir olde fayth and hir assuraunce Hir loue abode on a fykyll chaunce Longe absence hadde hir herte appalled She loued one that was Egistus called Whiche afore all in hir grace stode That nouther was of byrthe nor of blode Lytell or nought of reputacyowne Nor renowned of manhode nor renowne Nor of knyghthode nor of hye prowesse But for his labour and his besynesse And good awayte vpon hir by nyght Therfore he was best furthrede in hir syght Suche drede hadde she for to lyue alone Sorowles so well she coude grone I can nat say what lyfe that they ladde Except that she by hym a doughter hadde And Exyona Guydo sayth she hyght And vnto hym Clemestra behyght Assurynge hym vpon payne of hir hede He shulde reygne whan hir lorde were dede And to enhaste this conclusyon Hir worthy lorde kynge Agamenon The nexte nyght was murdred yssayne By false Egistus and the quene full fayne No lenger bode the storye can you lere But in all haste they wedded were yfere And by hir false and sleyghty compassynge Of Messene she made hym crowned kynge And put hym full in possessyon Alas that synne hath domynacyon To furthre wronge and abate ryght For in this worlde falshede hath more myght Full ofte sythe than hath rightwysenesse And in the estate sette of worthynesse Loo how the synne of auoutrye Brought in murdre by conspyracye Synne vpon synne lynked both twayne And enbraced in the fendes chayne Perpetuelly in helle to endure Alas who shall hymselfe full assure Fro cruell murdre his body to withdrawe Whan that kynges in theyr bed are slawe Whiche bryngeth in Alyenacyon By extort tytle false successyon There may coloure of pretense seme But full straytely god shall after deme And iustly venge with dewe recompence Intrusyon brought in by vyolence And felly quyte suche horryble thynges And sodayne slaughter specyally of kynges Greatly to drede in euery regyon And as I fynde that Agamenon By Clemestra the false double quene Hadde a sone passynge fayre to sene Right gracyous in euery mannes syght And Horestes the boke sayth that he hyght Wonder semely and but yonge of age And for great fere of this mortall rage Lyste he were slayne as it was to drede To anulle his tytle that he nat succede Hym to preserue that he were nat shent Kynge taltybus with power hath hym sent Full secretely out of that countre Vnto a kynge called Ydume That helde his sceptre and his royall sete Full myghtely in the lande of Crete And Carkasys named was the quene That hadde a doughter called eke Clymene Borne to be heyre of that regyon And as it is made eke mencyon This Horestes to reken all thynge Was with the quene and also with the kynge Cherysshed as well the storye can you lere As Clymen a theyr owne doughter
dere And was eke kept and hadde in cherte Fro poynt to poynt lyke to his degre With attendaunce conuenyent and dewe To his estate that euer vpon hym sewe Of suche as were moste expert and sage To gouerne hym tyll he came to age To reioyse if god gaue hym myght His herytage to whiche he hadde ryght By clere discent if happy were his chaunce Thus leue I hym vnder gouernaunce The yonge lone of Agamenon For I muste make a dygressyon ¶ Fro this mater and telle of Dyomede The auentures in Guydo as I rede His wofull fate and his paynes smerte The whiche alas he myght nat asterte As is remembred playnely in wrytynge That Oeres sone of the ryche kynge Called Naulus as ye haue herde toforne Suche heuynesse in his herte hath borne Vnto Grekes repeyrynge home fro Troye That his luste and his inwarde ioye Was them to hyndre bothe hye and lowe And cause why to you is nat vnknowe To them he was so passynge enuyous In wyll and thought ylyke desyrous If he myght sothly this no les The deth to venge of Pallamydes Lyke as tofore the stroye can deuyse To you that be so prudent and so wyse And how Oetes now of malyce wrought And traytoursly newe menes sought If he myght by any maner weye Dyomedes vnwarely to destroye Of all this thynge I caste nat to fayle Ceryously to make rehersayle IN Grece was a kyngdome wyde large Conyumpt in one Calydonye and Arge Full habundaunt of rychesse and of rente Of whiche the kynge called was Pollente A worthy man and of noble fame And had a sone Assandrus was his name And a doughter passynge fayre of syght And sothly Egra I fynde that she hyght And for hir Fader lyke as wryt Guydo Hadde nomo but thyse childre two For them he hath of wysedome so prouyded This myghty reygne for to be deuyded Atwene them two after his dissees Eche with his parte for to lyue in pees To exclude them fro indigence or nede And she was wyfe vnto Dyomede Albe tofore the storye of hym sayde That he whylom loued well Crysayde I can nat say where it was doublenesse But well wot I Guydo bereth wytnesse And in his boke sothely sayth none other And how Assandrus his owne wyues brother Full lusty fresshe and full of manlyhede To Troye wente with this Dyomede But in the see fordyuen vp so downe They ryued vp in the regyon Called Boece all disconsolate With tempest dryue wery and full mate Them to refresshe and for none other thynge In whiche lande Thelephus was kynge Of whose ryuayle whan he herde sayne In his herte he hadde hye disdayne That they were bolde to do so great offence To entre his grounde hauynge no lycence And yet in sothe they dyde no damage To hye nor lowe of no maner age Nortoke nat that myght disauayle Vnto that lande but it were vytayle For whiche they payde iustly at the fyne For flesshe and fysshe and for brede and wyne Yet for all that of indignacyowne Kynge Thelephus is descended downe With great array to harme them if he myght And so they gan to bycker and to fyght And Assandrus full of hye prowesse Lyke a Lyon his fomen gan oppresse And wonder knyghtly the feld vpon them wan And slewe that day many worthy man Of hye courage and of manly pryde And whan the kynge whiche that stode asyde Sawe his men slayne on euery parte Of hye disdayne hent anone a darte And caste at hym alas the mortall fate And ê‘cyd hath thurgh mayles thurgh plate Of Assandrus that he felle downe dede The soyle aboute of his blode all rede His deedly wounde so began to blede And wood as Tygre tho came Dyomede And hym to auenge bare hym lyke a knyght Sleeth and kylleth and put them vnto flyght And after that suche sorowe gan to make Of knyghtly routhe for his brothres sake That he ne wyste what was best to do But as I fynde myd of all his wo From beste and foule the deed corps to saue Lyke his estate he lette make a graue And buryed hym after rytes olde But Oetes to his suster tolde That he was slayne by fraude of Dyomede To fyne that he myght full possede The reygne of Arge hole without stryfe With the purpartye annexed to his wyfe For by his deth he myght season take And tolde hir eke that she was forsake This fayre Egra for all hir womenhede Of hir lorde called Dyomede All this he tolde in helle be he chayned And ouermore he forged hath and fayned How of enuye Assandrus lost his lyfe And howe hir lorde hath take a nother wyfe That was to hir dishonour and shame And passyngly great sclaundre to hir name In preiudyce ydone of hir estate All this he tolde to make them at debate Lyke as he wrote in conclusyon To Clemestra of Agamenon Whiche hir herte made sore greue For he put hir fully in byleue Of all the treason ye haue herde me tolde That for yre she pale wexe and colde Vnkyndenesse so hir herte sleeth And heuynesse of hir brothreâ— deth For neuer yet Guydo doth assure No woman loued better a creature Than she loued hym in no maner age For firste at nought she sette hir herytage In comparyson of hir brothres lyfe Loo how Oetes made a newe stryfe As ye haue herde in the storye rede That gylteles worthy Dyomede Whan he hath longe at the sege layne And to his kyngdome wold haue come agayne By myghty honde of this worthy quene And hir lyeges that assentyd bene He was exyled out of that regyon There may be made no medyacyon Thus in hym selfe mate and dispeyred Disconsolate he is agayne repeyred To Salerne a londe of great rychesse Where that Tenter thorugh his worthynesse With crowne sceptre hadde reygned longe With his lyeges and his knyghtes stronge And brother was to Apax Thelamon Murdred tofore as made is mencyon And Dyomede pore and destytute May in Salerne fynde no refute For whan Tenter firste gan hym espye He sewed hym by full great enuye Hauynge to hym aye suspecyon Touchynge the deth of kynge Thelamon But Dyomede on a certayne nyght Full secretly hath taken hym to flyght And fro Salerne faste gan hym hye In hope to fynde better remedye Helpe or socoure in some other place If Fortune wolde graunte hym grace For of hymselfe ashamed and confuse As man forsake abiect and refuse Right so fared he wandrynge to and fro As he that ne wyst what was best to do BVt I fynde the Troyan Eneas That al this whyle styll at Troye was Oonly of routhe and compassyowne To supporte them that were lefte of the towne Beynge alway of theyr lyfe in doute Of theyr fomen rounde beset aboute As they that lyued for lacke of an hede Contynuelly in myschefe and drede Knowynge no refute nor comforte in this caas Tyll by counsayle of this Eneas To supporte them in this great nede They sent in
of face Lyke virgyns that were of nature Without spot vndefouled pure And of custome in wawes as they flete The songe of them is to heuenly swete So Aungelyke and full of Armonye That veryly the sugred melodye Rauysshe wolde any man a lyue Of inly ioye almoste his herte ryue Make a man of sodayne hye plesaunce Foryet hym selfe and lese his remembraunce Deuoyde hym clene from his owne thought Tyll vnwarely he be to myschefe brought And with theyr songe or he take kepe He shall be brought in a mortall slepe And they anone it may nat be withdrawe Wyll drenche his shyp lowe vnder the wawe Thus the swetnesse of theyr heuenly sowne Bryngeth a man to con fusyowne Who so euer by theyr boundes passe ¶ But with the lyfe I scaped by grace For myn ere 's with waxe gummes clere Were stopped so that I ne myght here Touche nor werble of theyr instrumentis Wherby the reason of a man blynded is And fynally thorugh my sotylte I and my men be escaped fre Saylynge forth all mate of werynesse Tyll we came vp with full great distresse At Phenyce and toke anone the londe Caste anker and our shyppes bonde But sothly there it fyll vs full vnfayre For the people cruell and contrayre Oonly of malyce fyll on me anone And slewe my men almoste euerychone Tresoure and good lytell that I hadde Was me berafte all with them they ladde And fewe of them that were left a lyue They toke them and put in pryson blyue Thus hath Fortune lad me an hir daunce With lytell ioye and plente of myschaunce Of whose daunger lernyd and experte I am fall in mychefe and pouerte And with great dole sorowe full my breest On see and londe by Southe and nat by Eest I am come vnto your presence And haue declaryd playnely in sentence Myn auentures to your worthynesse Of truste oonly and of faythfulnesse That I haue to you in specyall And now I haue rehersyd and tolde all To your hyghnesse and my beste wyse Without more to me it dothe suffyse And though in hert he was constrayned sore Thylke tyme Vlixes spake no more But helde his peas full heuy in lokynge And Ydumeus lyke a gentyll kynge Comforted hym all that euer he myght And besy was his herte for to lyght And hym besought his heuynesse lete And as longe as hym lyste in Crete With hym abyde he made hym suerte He shulde fare also well as he And nat wante of what may do hym ease And whan his sorowe some what gan apease That his cage drewe vnto an ende Leue he toke and sayde he wolde wende Out of tha◠londe home to his countre But firste the kynge of fredome and bounte Gaue vnto hym great rychesse and array And what so euer was to his pay Golde treasour and many other thynges And at partynge of thyse two kynges There were shyppes whan hym lyste to sayle Redy stuffyd with meyne and vytayle And thus vlixes gan hym redy make And whan he hath his leue fully take He hasted hym and toke anone the see And gan sayle towarde his countree But firste he wente to kynge Alphenon Whiche passyngly hadde affeccyon To se vlixes at his home comynge And desyrous ouer all thynge To haue of hym newely aqueyntaunce For vnto hym was inly great plesaunce To here hym talke for his eloquence For his wysdome and his hye prudence And there he was after all his smerte Receyued playnely with as glad an herte As euer yet was any maner man Sythen tyme that the worlde began And to encrease of his Felycytee There herde he firste of Penolopee His trewe wyfe without spot of blame Of whom yet grene is the noble fame Whiche from hir lorde for all his longe absence In thought nor dede neuer dyde offence But sothly was bothe in chere and dede Thorugh out Grece exaumple of womanhede And yet was she as bokes lyste expresse Thorugh out the world Myrour of fayrenesse And amonge Grekes borne of hyest blode Called of Auctours bothe fayre and gode And yet say bookes of hir doutlees Was neuer none that hadde so great prees But she hir kept chaungynge for no newe Vnto hir lorde euer ylyke trewe Of herte aye one nat parted into twayne That she is called quene and souerayne Of wyfely trouthe in this bokes olde And ofte I fynde hir herte wolde colde She tourne pale fro hir lorde so ferre In hir closet to here of the werre Of drede she hadde and fro fere eke quake Of fantasyes for hir lordes sake For his absence bothe eue and morowe Was deth vnto hir and importable sorowe And aye in sothe for ioye or any game Whan it fyll she herde Ectors name In any place anone she fylle a swowne And gan hir selfe in teres drowne Of womanhede so she was a ferde To here the slaughter of his mortall swerde Lyste hir lorde of knyghtly surquedye Hadde of Fortune falle in ieopardye Of hap or sorte to a mette y◠worthy knyght That selde or neuer she felte hir herte lyght And many dreme a nyghtes dyde hir gaste All the whyle that the sege laste And euery play was venym in hir syght Whan that she was from hir owne knyght For in this worlde ioye hadde she none Of hye nor lowe playnely but of one For whose sake all myrthe she refuseth And who so be that in his herte museth Of any woman any thynge but gode Of melancolye meuyd in his blode Let hym aduerte of wysdome and ysee And remembre on Penolopee For his decert lyste that he be blamyd And o Guydo thou shuldest be ashamyd To say of wyues any thynge but we le For in good fayth as ferre as I can fele Though one or two do amonge offence She that is good thorugh hir prouydence Is therof no thynge for to wyte And thoughe Guydo in his boke endyte The varyaunce of Eleyne or Creseyde Or Medea that for sorowe deyde Let the agayne of right and equytee The wyfely trouthe of Penolopee The maydenhode of yonge Polycene And the goodnesse of Eccuba the quene Of Cassandra eke the stedefastnesse And with all this take the kyndenesse Of Pantasylle without varyaunce And put all this togydre in balaunce And ye shall fynde if ye lyste accounte Maugre who grutcheth trouth shal surmoūte I dare afferme and bere away the pryse There wyll no man replye that is wyse He were to feble in his oppynyon And whyle vlixes was with Alphenon It was to hym made relacyon Of an hatefull conspiracyon That certayne lordes enuyron his countree Bauysshe wold◠his quene Penolopee Maugre all tho that were there agayne Albe that she was euer ylyke playne In hir trouthe stedfaste as a wall Yet they haue caste platly that she shall Be take of Force it may nat be eschewed But if so be in haste she be reskewed For they them caste the tyme nat aiourne For day and nyght with hir they soiourne Inly in herte for loue disamayde
cast hym nat transmewe In all the storye a worde as in sentence But foloweth them by suche conuenyence That in effect the substaunce is the same And of columpna Guydo was his name Whiche had in wrytynge passynge excellence For he enlumyneth by crafte and cadence This noble storye with many fresshe coloure Of Rethoryk and many ryche floure Of eloquence to make it sowne bet ¶ Hein the storye hath ympyd in and set That in good fayth I trowe he hath no pere To reken all that wryted of this matere As in his boke ye may beholde and se To whom I saye knelynge on mykne Laude and honour and excellence of fame O Guydo mayster be vnto thy name That excellest by souereygne of style All that wryte this mater to compyle Whom I shall folowe as nere as euer I may That god graunte it to be to thy pay Of hym for whom I haue vndertake So as I can this storye for to make Prayeng to all that shall it rede or se Where as I erre to amende me Of humble herte and lowe entencion Commyttynge all to theyr correccion And there of thanke my wyll is that they wyn For thorugh their support thus I wyl begyn ¶ Explicit Prologus Here begynneth the Troye boke translated by IohnÌ„ Lydgate monke of Bery the whiche speketh firste How the kynge of Thesalye named Pelleus had all his men slayne by dyuyne punycyon And how thorugh his prayer he had other agayne Ca. Primo IN the reygne and londe of Thesalye The whiche is now ynamed Salonye There was a kynge callyd Pelleus Wyse and discrete and also vertuous The whiche as Guydo lyste to specyfye Helde the lordshyp and the regalye Of this yle as gouernour and kynge Of whiche the people by recorde of wrytynge Myrundones were callyd in tho dayes Of whom Ouyde seyneth in his sayes Methamorphoscos where as ye may rede How this people soth fastly in dede So as myn Auctour maketh mencion Were brought echone to destruccion With sodayne tempest and with fyry leuen By the goddes sent downe from the heuen For they of yre without more offence With the swerde and stroke of pestylence On this yle whylom toke vengaunce Lyke as it is put in remembraunce For this people distroyed were certayne With thunder dynt with hayle and rayne Full vnwarely as Guydo lyst descryue For there was none of them lefte a lyue In all the lande that the vyolence Escape myght of this pestylence Except the kynge the whiche went alone In to a wood for to make his mone Sool by hym selfe all disconsolate In a place that stode all desolate Where this kynge romynge to and fro Complaynynge aye of his fatall wo And the harmys that he dyde endure Tyll at the laste of caas or auenture Besyde an holt he sawe where stode a tree Of full great heyght and large of quantytee Hole by the roote as he cowde knowe Where as he sawe by the erthe lowe Of Amptys crepe passynge great plente With whiche syghte he fylle downe on his kne And made his prayer in his paynym wyse To the goddes with humble sacrefyse Vpon his wo and great aduersytee Oonly of mercy for to haue pytee To tourne these Amptys into fourme of man Thus gan he praye with colour pale wan His lande to enhabyte whiche staÌ„deth desolate And he alone a wapyd and a mate Comfortles of any creature Hym to releue of that he dyde endure And as Ouyde maketh mencion That Iubiter herde his orison And hath suche routhe on hym at the leste That he anone fulfylleth his requeste And of his myght whiche that is dyuyne His grace he made from heuen for to shyne Benyngly vnto the erthe downe That a sodayne transmutaciowne Was made of Amptê to fourme of meÌ„ anoon Whiche on theyr fete gonne streyght to goon To Thesalye and salue there the kynge And lyke his lyeges toke theyr dwellynge Whithin a Cytee callyd tho Egee As in Ouyde ye may beholde and se The whiche people for theyr worthynesse For theyr strengthe and great hardynesse Myrundones so longe haue bore the name As in the lyfe ye rede may the same Of seynt Mathewe how they be callyd so Where the apostle so moche hadde a do Whiche for wysdome and prudent aduertence Besye laboure and wylfull dylygence By forseynge and discrecyon As I suppose in myn oppynyon That this fable of Amptys was contryued Which by their wysdom haue somoch acheued Thorugh theyr knyghthod who so lyst to loke Theyr manly dedys thorugh Troye boke In all myscheif so well they haue them borne That they full wysely prouyded were toforne Of that it fyll bothe in werre and pes For of no sâ—outhe they were nat rekles ¶ But as the Ampte to eschewe ydelnesse In somer is so full of besynesse Or wynter come to saue hir fro colde She tofore astoryd hath hir holde ¶ But in this matere I holde no sermon I wyll no lenger make digression Nor in fables no more as now soiourne But there I lefte I wyll agayne retourne Of Pelleus ferther to procede Whiche kynge forsothe in storye as I rede And as myn Auctour lysteth to endyte Hadde a wyfe that callyd was Tedyte Of whiche twayne platly this no lees The manly man the hardy Achilles So as Guydo lysteth to termyne Descendyd was sothly as by lyne Moste renoÌ„med of manhode and of myght Amonges Grekes and the beste knyght I holde in sothe thorughout all the lande In worthynes preued of his hande Whose cruelte troyens sore abought By his meruayles that he there wrought Durynge the syege as ye shall after lere Pacyently yf yelyst to here ¶ This Pelleus that I of spake aforne A brother had of one moder borne That hyght Eson so ferre I ronne in yeres That he of lust hath loste all his desyres So ferre he was cropen in to aege That all his wyt was turned to dotage For bothe mynde and memoryall Fordulled were and derked so all That verayly his dyscrecyon Was hyâ— berafte in conclusyon Wherfore the regne londe of Thesalye Crowne and ceptre with all the regalye He hathe resygned his brother for to queme Estate royall and also dyademe ¶ How kynge Eson crowned his broder Pelleus kynge bycause that he was fallen in age myght not welde it Ca. ii Bycause he was croked lame blynde And to gouerne lost both wyt mynde So feble was his celle retentyfe And forderked his ymagynatyfe That lost were bothe memorye and reason For whiche he made a resygnacyon To his broder nexte heyre by degre And nyest allye of his affynyte But as some Auctours in theyr bokes sayne To youthe he was restoryd newe agayne By crafâ—e of Medee the great Sorceresse And renewed to his lustynesse For with hir herbys and with hir pocions Sotyll workynge of confexions By queyntyse eke of hir instrumentes With hir charmes and enchauntementes She made a drynke in bokes as is tolde In whiche a yerde that was drye and
wolde enuyron all the eyre In eche place where was his repeyre He was so full of corrupcion And so dredefull of infeccion That deth in â—oth shortly to deuyse Was the fyne of this hyghe Empryse To suche as wolde this quarell take in honde Ilyke in one bothe to fre and bonde But if he cowde the better hym selfe defende And of his conquest this was eke the ende That whan he had the myghty serpent slawe He muste anone by custome and by lawe ¶ Out of his hed his tethe echon arrace And than sowe them in the selfe place Where the Oxes eryd had aforne Of suche seede there sprange a wonder corne Knyghtes armed passynge of great myght Eueryche with other redy for to fyght Tyll eche his brother had brought to grounde By mortall fate and yeue his dethes wounde This was the ende of them euerychon For in sothenesse of all there was noon That lyue myght by that fatall lawe Any lenger in sothe than his felawe ¶ And by this waye dredefull and peryllous Who desyreth to be victoryous He muste passe and manly to endure And how so falle take his auenture Of none estate was none excepcion Chese who so wyll for his conclusion He may nat scape for fauourne for mede Who so euer begyn a vyse hym well I rede For by the statute of the kynge I may Who so that wyll entre and assay But after that he ones hath begonne He may nat chese tyll he haue loste or wonne yâ—et as some of this Ram expresse And of his flees also bere wytnesse It was no thynge but golde great treasoure That Cethes kynge withfull hye laboure Made kepe it by Incantacions By sorcerye and fals illusions ¶ That was spoke of in realmes fer aboute For whiche many put theyr lyfe in doute Of hye desyre they hadde for to wyn The great treasoure that was shyt within Colchos londe as ye haue herde deuyse Who 's pursuyte rose out of couetyse Grounde and roote of wo and all myschaunce By vayne reporte them selfe to auaunce For whiche they put them selfe in ieopardye Without rescues lykely for to dye There was no helpe ne no sleyghte of armes That vayle myght agayne yâ— cursyd charmes They were so stronge and superstycious That many worthy iÌ„ knyghthod full famous Enhasted were vnto theyr deth alas That lyste ieoparde theyr lyues in this cas ¶ And this lastyth tyll afterwarde byfell That Pelleus platly herde tell The great myschefes and distruccions In Colchos wrought on sondry nacions That pursued the auntres to conquere Tyll Pelleus so ferfoth gan enquere That he knewe hooly how the trouthe was And in his herte anone he gan compas How he myght by any sleyght make His neuewe Iason for to vnder take This hye Empryse in Colchos for to wende By whiche waye beste he myght hym shende ¶ And gan pretende a coloure fresshe of hewe I gylt outwarde so lusty and so newe As there were no treason hydde within And sawe it was tyme to begyn On his purpose thofirst he made it queynte And began with asour and golde to peynte His gaye wordes in sownynge gloryous Knowynge Iason was yonge and desyrous Vnto suche thynge and lyghtly wolde enclyne Therfore he thought that he wolde fyne Playnly to werke to his conclusion And made anone a conuocacion Of his lordes and his baronye Aboute enuyron the londe of Thesalye For to assemble estates of degree Of all his realme within the chefe cytee For to holde a counsayle vtterly caste Therby to acheue his desyre as faste And so his court contynued dayes thre That the laste his hyd myquyte He out gan rake that hath be hyd so longe For he ne myght no longer forth prolonge The venym hyd that frete so at his herte In so slye wyse that no man myght auerte Vpon no syde but that he mente well For the treason was cured euerydell And curtyned vnder trecherye For he this thynge so slyghly gan to gye At pryme face that no man myght deme By any worde as it wolde seme In chere in port by sygne or dalyaunce But that he caste knyghtly for to auaunce His yonge neuewe as by lyklynesse To hye honour of manhode and prowesse For of the entent of whiche he gan purpose No man cowde spye theffecte he dyde so glose The texte was so conueyed so with flaterye That the people cowde nat espye Lytell or nought of his entent within For whiche anone to preyse hym they begyn That he suche honour to his neuewe wolde For with suche chere he began vnfolde Tofore them all this entencion That he hath voyded all suspeccion From all that were assembled in the place And towarde Iason he tourne gan his face Full louyngly in countenaunce and cherâ— And to hym sayde that all myghte it here Thorughout yâ— court whaÌ„ maked was sylence Thus worde by worde platly in sentence ¶ How Pelleus counsayled his neuewe Iason by malyce to go conquere the golden â—lees and how he toke it vpon hym Ca. iii. COsyn IasoÌ„ take hede what I shal sayn For the I am so inly glad and fayn And supprised with myrthe thorugh my herte That it enchasyth voydeth all my smerte For to consyder in myn Inspeccion Of thy youthe the disposicion The whiche shortly for to comprehende Saue to vertue to no thynge dothe entende Vnto worshyp and to gentylnesse To manly fredom and to hye largesse That verrayly where I wake or wynke My ioye is oonly there on for to thynke My selfe I holde so passynge fortunate And all my londe of hye and lowe estate That lykely are in honour for to flete And tolyue in reste and quyete Thorugh thy supporte and supportayle Whose man hode may so moche vs auayle By lykelyhod and so moche amende In verray sothe to saue vs and defende Agayne all tho as I can descryue That of malys wolde agaynst vs stryue Or rebell in any maner waye Of surquedrye or pryde to werraye Our worthynesse assuryd in tranquylle From all assaute of them that wolde vs ylle For to perturbe our noble estate royall Agaynst whom whan thou art our wall Our myghty shyeld and proteccion Thus deme I fully in myn oppynyon ¶ For of thyne age thy wyt thy prouydence Thy knyghtly herte thy manly excellence Reported ben and thyne hye renowne In many londe and many regyowne This rounde worlde aboute in circuyte How myght I than stonde in better plyte For thyne honour lyke as it is founde To my worshyp so hyghly dothe rebounde That I wolde playnely and nat cease If I coude helpe to encrease Thyne hygh renowne I wys in euery hour And therupon spenden my treasour This hygh desyre withouten any fayle Of entyer loue me dothe so sore assayle That nyght nor daye I may haue no restâ— And all shall tourne I hope for the beste For to enhaunce thyn honour to the heuen Aboue the pool and the sterrys seuen To whiche thynge I haue awaye espyed As I my wyt
whan they were crossyd vnder fayle Within the shyp whiche that Argus made Whiche was so stauÌ„che it myght no water lade They gan to sayle and had wynde at wyll The shyp gan breke the sturdy wawes yll Vpon the see and so bothe daye and nyght To colchos warde they helde the waye ryght Gydynge theyr cours by the lode sterre Where they sayle by costes nyghe or ferre For philotetes was theyr alder guyde That coude afore so prudently prouyde Of very insyght to caste afore and se Tempest or wynde bothe on londe and see Or whan there shulde trouble of stormes fall For he was mayster playnly of them all In shypman craft and chose theyr gouernour And coude them warne afore of euery shour That shulde falle whan sterres dyde appere And specyally as Guydo doth vs lere This philotetes whiche was no fole Had moste his syght erecte vnto the pole His aduertence and clere inspeccion To the sterres and constellacion With the axtre rounde aboute gon That clerkes call the septemtryon For the pole ycallyd arthycus Euer in oon apperyth vnto vs Ryght so in sothe who can loke aryght Antharticus is shrouded from our syght But to shypmen that be discrete and wyse That lyste theyr cours prudently deuyse Vpon the see haue suffysaunce ynoughe To gye theyr passage by Arthourys ploughe For it to them is direccion Vnto the costes of euery region With helpe oonly of nedle and of stone They may not erre what costes that they gone For maryners that be discrete and sage And expert be of theyr lodmanage By strâ—â—â—ge costes for to sayle ferre Gynne theyr cours oonly by the sterre ¶ Whiche that Arthur compasseth enuyron The whiche cercle and constellacion I called is the cercle Artophilax Who knoweth it nedeth no more to ax For it to shypmen on the sterry nyght Is suffysaunt whan they se his lyght ¶ And as poetis of thyse poolys twayne In theyr bokes lyketh for to fayne And in theyr dytees declare vnto vs Calixtoâ—e and Archadius Hir owne sone were Istellyfyed In the heuen and I deyfyed For that Iune to hir hadde enuye With Iubiter whan she dyde hir espye ¶ For whiche she was into a bere tourned And for hir gylt she hath in erthe mourned Tyll into heuen Nason can you tell She was translatyd eternally to dwell Amonge sterres where as she is stalled And vrsa maior is of clerkes called So as hir sone for his worthy fame ¶ Of vria minor beryth it the name Of suche the cours myght nat asterte Philotetes that was the moste experte Of all shypmen that euer I herde tell For of connynge he myght bere the bell ¶ And whan the grekes hadde longe be Fordryue and caste saylynge in the see Forweryed after trauayle They caste to aryue if it wolde auayle Them to refresshe and disporte in ioye Vpon the boundes of the londe of Troye ¶ How Iason gâ—ynge to conquere the golden flees toke Lande for to refresshe hym and his felawshyp besyde Troye Ca. iiii WHan Hercules Iason on his honde Out of their shyp taken haue yâ— londe And with them eke theyr knyghtes euerychone That fro the see be to londe gone Forweryed after theyr trauayle And they in sothe come to aryuayle At Symeounte an hauen of great renowne That was a lytell besyde Troye towne And they were gladde to be in sykernesse From storme and tempest after werynesse For they ne mente treason harme nor gyle But on the stronde to resten them a whyle To hyndre no wyght of no maner age Nor in that yle for to do damage To man nor beest where euer that they go But for to abyde there a day or two Them to refresshe and repayre anone Whan that the rage of the see were gone And whyles they vpon the stronde laye They no thynge dyde but disporte and playe And bathe wasshe them in the fresshe ryuere And dronke waters that were soote and clere That sprange lyke cristall in the colde welle And toke right nought but it were to selle It was no thynge in theyr entencion Vnto no wyght to do offension For to moleste or greue any wyght But the ordre of fortunes myght Hath euer enuye that men lyue in ese Whose coursenhasteth vnwarely to dysese For she was cause god wote causeles This gery fortune this lady recheles The blynde goddesse of transmutacion To tourne hir whele by reuolucion To make Troyens vniustly for to wene That grekes were aryued them to tene So that the cause of this suspicion Hath many brought vnto destruccion Full many worthy of kynges and of prynces Thorughout the worlde rekened in prouynces Were by this sclaundre vnto myscheif brought For thynge alas that was neuer thought For it was cause and occasiowne That this cyte and this royall towne Distroyed was as it is playnly founde Whose walles hye were bete downe to grouÌ„de And many a man many a worthy knyght Where slayne there and many lady bryght Was wedowe made by duresshe of this werre As it is kouthe and reported ferre And many mayde in grene and tendre age Be lefte were sool in that great rage Behynde theyr fadres alas it fall sholde And for no thynge but that fortune wolde Shewe hir myght and hir crueltee In vengeaunce takynge vpon this cytee ¶ Alas that euer so worthy of estate Shulde for lytell falle at the debate Whan it is gon it is nat lyke to staunche For of graffynge of a lytell braunche Full sturdy trees growe vp full ofte Who clymbeth hye may nat fall softe And of sparkes that be of syght small Is fyre engendred that deuoureth all And a gnast firste of lytell hate Encauseth flawme of contek and debate And of enuye to sprede a brode full ferre And thus alas in realmes mortall werre Is firste bygonne as men may rede and se Of a sparke of lytell enmytee That was nat stauÌ„chyd first whaÌ„ it was goÌ„ne For whan the fyre is so fer yronne That it embraseth hertes by hatrede To make them brenne hoote as any glede On other partye thorughe his cruell tene There is no staunche but sharpe swerdes kene The whiche alas consumeth all and slethe And thus the fyne of enmyte is dethe Thoughe the gynnynge be but casuell The frete abydynge is passyngly cruell To voyde realmes of reste peas and ioye As it fyll whylom of this worthy Troys It dothe me wepe of this caas sodayne For euery wyght ought to complayne That lytell gylt shuld haue suche vengeaunce Except parcaas thorugh goddes pourueaunce That this myscheyf shulde after be Folowynge parchaunce of great felycyte For Troye brought vnto destruccion Was the gynnynge and occasion In myn Auctour as it is specyfyed That worthy Rome was after edyfyed By the ofsprynge of worthy Eneas Whylom fro Troy whan he exyled was The whiche Rome rede and ye may se Of all the worlde was hede and cheyf cyte For the passynge famous worthynesse And eke whaÌ„ Troye was brought in distresse And the
walles caste and broke downe It was in cause that many regyowne Begonne was and many great cytee For this Troyan this manly man Enee By sondry sees gan so longe sayle Tyll of fortune he came into yâ—tayle And wan that londe as bookes telle vs With whom was eke his sone Askanius That after Ence doth by lyne succeede The lande of Italye iustly to possede And after hym his sone Syluyus Of whom came Brute so passyngly famous After whom if I shall nat fayne Whylom this lande called was bretayne For he of geauntes thorugh his manhode wan This noble yÌ„le and it firste began ¶ From Troye also with this ylke Enee Came worthy francus a lorde of hye degree Whiche vpon Rome to encrease his renowne Bylded in his tyme a fall royall towne The whiche sothely his honour to auaunce After his name he made calle fraunce And thus began as I vnderstande The name firste of that worthy lande And Authenor departynge fro Troyens Began firste the cyte of venycyens And Sycanus within alytell whyle Began enhabyte the lande of Cecyle And after partynge of this Sycanus His worthy brother called Syculus So as I fynde reygned in that yle And after hym it called was Cecyle ¶ But Eneas is to Tuscy gone It to enhabyte with people right anone And in Cecyle he Naplys firste began To whiche full many Neopolytane Longeth this day full ryche of great myght ¶ And Dyomedes the noble worthy knyght Whan Troye was falle with his toures fayre And to his reygne he caste to repayre His lyeges began to feyne a quarell Agaynst hym and shope them to be rebell And of malys and conspiracy owne They hym withhelde bothe sceptre crowne Theyr deuty and olde lygeaunce And hym denye trouthe and obeyssaunce Wherfore anone so as bokes telle With aâ—l his folke he went for to dwelle Vnto Calabre and began it to possede And there the knyghtes of this Dyomede That tro Troye haue hym thyder sewed To fourme of byrdes were anone traÌ„smewed By Circes crafte doughter of the sonne And in the eyre to flee an one they gonne And called ben in ysydre as I rede Amonge grekes brydes of Dyomede But as some bokes of them bere wytnesse This chaunge was made by venus yâ— goddesse Of wrathe that she hadde to this worthy knyght Oonly for the sawe hym ones fyght With Eneas hir owne sone dere At whiche tyme as they faughte yfere And Dyomede with a darte I grounde Can ame at hym a deedly mortall wounde ¶ This moder venus began anone hym shroude Vnder a skye and a mystye cloude To saue hym that tyme fro myschaunce And for this skyl venus toke vengaunce Into byrdes to tourne his meyne And in that fourme from yere to yere they fle Vnto his tombe where as he is graue So vpon hym a mynde they haue That of custome for a remembraunce Aryte they holde and an obseruaunce At his exequyes thyse brydes euerychone A dayes space and thennys nat ne gone And ouer more as it to them is dewe They loue grekes and platly they eschewe Latynes all for nought that may betyde For they present anone they fice asyde And eche from other as bokes vs assure These byrdes knowe oonly of nature Grekes and latynes kyndely assonder Whan they them se the which is such a wonder Vnto my wyt that I can nat aspye The causes hydde of suche sorcerye But well I wote though my wyt be blent That roote of all was fals enchauntement But of our faythe we ought to defye Suche apparences shewed to the eye Whiche of the fende is but illusion Thereof no more thus whan Troye towne Euersed was and yâ— brought to nought Full many cyte was ybyld and wrought ¶ And many lande and many ryche towne Was edefyed by the occasiowne Of this werre as ye haue herde me telle Whiche to declare nowe I maye nat dwelle From poynt to poynt lyke as bokes sayne For to Iason I wyll resorte agayne That landyd is with worthy hercules At Symeounte the hauen that he ches As I haue tolde to reste them and comforte And for nat elles but oonly to disporte But to the kynge reygnynge in Troye towne That was that tyme called lamedowne Of fals enuye reported was and tolde How certayne grekes were of herte bolde To entrete his lande yâ— whiche they nat knewe Well arayed in a vessell newe Whiche to aryue hadde no lycence And them purpose for to done offence By lyklyheed and his lande to greue For they of pryde without any leue Or sauf conduyte haue the stronde ytake And suche maystryes on the lande they make As in theyr power were all maner thynge Hauynge no regarde playnely to the kynge ¶ Of his estate take they none hede Of suche straungers great is to drede If men be laches outher neclygent Fully to wete what is theyr entent But forthe prolonge and no peryll caste Suche sodayne thynge wolde be wyst as faste And nat differred tyll the harme be do It were wysdom that it were se to Men may to longe suffre and abyde Of neclygence for to lete slyde For to enquere of theyr gouernaunce This was the speche of the dalyaunce Eueryche to other by reuelaciowne In euery strete thorugh Troye towne Some rownynge and some spake a brode And this speche so longe there a bode From one to another sothely that the sowne Reported was to kynge Lamedowne As ye haue herde the whiche of wylfulnesse Without counsayle or a vysynesse To hastely maked hath his sonde To wyt how they were hardy for to londe Besyde his leue of presumpcion Wherfore he bad in conclusion Without a bode soone to remewe Or fynally they shulde nat eschewe To be compelled maugre who sayth nay And so the kynge vpon a certayne day In haste hath sent his embassatoure Vnto Jason of grekes gouernoure That nouther thoughte harme nor villanye But Innocent with his companye Disportyd hym endlonge the stronde And euer hath do sythe he came to londe And of the charge that he on hym layde And worde by worde to Iason how he sayde As in effect with euery circumstaunce This was the soÌ„me playnely in substaunce ¶ How kyng Lamedone of Troyesent a messenger vnto Iason for to byd hym auoyde his Countre and of theyr langage betwene them Capitulo v. THe wyse worthy famous of renown The myghty kyÌ„g the noble Lamedown Hath vnto you his message sent Of whiche theffect as in sentement Is this in sothe that he hath meruayle Into his lande of your aryuayle Bryngynge with you grekes nat afewe And haue no conduyte for you for to shewe Proteccion playnly nor lycence In preiudyce of his magnyfycence Wherfore he hath on me the charge layde And wyll to you that it be platly sayde That ye anone without more delaye Without noyse or any more affraye Of Troye lande the bondes that ye leue Or you and youres he casteth for to greue And better it is with ease to departe Than of folye
And vanysshed and were brought to nought Whan herodes the blesfull childe sought Thorugh his malys and cruelte horryble As holy wrytte recordeth and the byble For whiche pursuyte and persecucion There dyde apere by auysion An hooly aungell to Ioseph as he slepe And bad hym ryse and also take kepe Vnto the childe and also to marye And go his waye or Herode hym aspye Into Egipt the great regyon Lyke as the Gospell maketh mencyon And right anone as he came to that lande There was none Ydoll that vpright myght stāde But to shyuered vnto peces smale This holy wrytte playnely and no tale And was recorded friste of Isaye How that our lorde on an esy skaye Ascende shulde and holde forthe his weye Towarde Egipt and therwith shulde deye All mawmetrye and no longer dwelle But as the Iewes recorde of Ysmaelle That he was firste that mawmetrye fonde And made of claye an Ydoll with his honde And as Paynems wryte and telle vs That alder firste was Promotheus That founde Ydolles shortly to conclude For symulacrum cometh of symylitude That is no thynge playnely but lyknesse Made after man his ymage to expresse Vnto whiche paynems in theyr gyse With false honour and cursed sacryfyse Begonne firste this ryte for drede of man And some saye how Belus firste began Suche false worshyp and suche mawmettye In theyr bokes as clerkes specefye That of assirye was lorde and gouernour After whose deth his sone in his honour That Nynus hyghte an ymage dyde make To be worshypped oonly for his sake All of brent golde by false affeccion And sette it vp for consolacion And for a mynde and a memoryall Vnto the whiche with herte wyll and all Of ignoraunce and of flesshely loue He dyde honour as to god aboue In his temples moste of excellence And made his people to do reuerence And sayde in heuen he was deyfyed That of no man durste be denyed Tyll after soone but a lytell whyle A wycked spyryte folkes to begyle In this ydoll entrede to abyde And gaue answere vpon euery syde To the people of what them lyste demaunde And they agayne what he wyll cōmaunde Obeye fully the folke of all Assyrye Whiche vnto god dyde great iniurye Makynge the people in suche errour falle And some Belus and some Bell hym calle And some Balym and some Belphegore And felle in errour alway more and more And Belzebub he named was also Whiche name is made of wordes two Of bel and zebub that thus signefye For bel is god and zebub is a flye Than Belzebub togydre specyfyes Ioyned in one the great god of flyes And of this fayned false ydolatrye Gan all the worlde worshyp mawmetrye ¶ For some Saturne god of goddes all Gan in theyr errour falsely for to call That was whylom the myghtykyng of Crete And gaue hym name after the planete That in heuen hath so large a spere And as Poetes in theyr fables lere That he before thorugh his sapyence Sawe in his dyuyne prouydence How a sone shulde of hym descende ¶ And of Iuno the goddes as he wende That shulde hȳ playnely fro his reigne expelle And suffre hym no lenger for to dwelle In his kyngdome whan he came to age Wherof Saturne fyll in suche arage That he wyll shape remedye therfore Byddynge his wyfe whan y◠childe were bore That she to hym shulde it brynge anone In stede wherof to hym she brought a stone To saue hir childe she dyde hir besynesse And this Saturne thorugh his gredynesse The stone deuoureth in his melancolye And thus Saturne but if bokes lye Hadde sones thre a doughter and no mo Iubyter Neptunus and Pluto But Iubyter grettest was of the name Moste renowmed and worthyest of fame Amonge Paynems as it is veryfyed For they so hye haue hym magnefyed That they hym calle god of fyre and eyre Nert to Saturne borne for to be heyre And nert to hym in bokes as I rede Is god of batayle myghty Mars the rede And next Appollo so clere so shene bryght The dayes eye and voyder of the nyght Cheryssher of fruyte herbe floure and corne The whiche god lyke as is sayde toforne In Delos is worshypped and honoured And after venus that often hath socoured Many louer the fayre lusty quene And them aledge of theyr woundes grene That firste was hurte with hir firy bronde As she that is goddesse of many londe And all the worlde hath in hir demeyne Faste enbraced in hir firy cheyne I mene the lady that called is venus And next in ordre is Mercurius That in speche hath moste excellence Of rethoryke and sugred eloquence Of musyke songe and Armonye He hath lordshyp and hole the regalye Next the Moone that wexe can and wane Called Lucyna and also eke Dyane That in Delos hath hir mancyon Lyke as tofore is maked mencyon Now full of myght now horned pale is she Lady of chaunge and mutabylyte That selde in one halte hir any tyme And so fare they that be borne in hir clyme That aye delyte in thynges that be newe Whose herte is cladde in many sondry hewe So they be dyuers in theyr affeccyons And in this wyse in sondry regyons Of mawmetrye is in the venym ronne Lyke as clerkes well deuyse konne For as I fynde the Maurycyens Worshyp Iulam and Egipcyens Honoure y◠sis after theyr konnynge Whylom doughter of ynachus the kynge That taughte thē first theyr lōde to ere sowe And also letters for to rede and knowe And in lecture to sette theyr besynesse For whiche thynge they calle hir a goddesse And Iubyter honoured is in Crete Where he whylom helde his souerayne sete And on them leyde many dyuerse charge With egles beten in his baner large And he was lorde of eyre londe and see His royall kyngdome deuydynge into thre In the hyest hymselfe doth contune And hole in the see he gaue vnto Neptune And laste the erthe to holde his see royall He gaue to Pluto that god is infernall And alder laste whan he was stellyfyed This Iubyter was moste magnyfyed Of them of Crete aboute ouer all To whom they made for a memoryall A large tombe and a statue a lofte And hym honoured in theyr rytes ofte With encens and other sacryfyse And of this mater ferther to deuyse The larynes with besy dylygence In theyr rytes dyde reuerence To the goddes if it be credyble y◠called fawny that be muysyble And haue hered wellynge in the wodes grene Albe that men theyr fygure may nat sene And of Romayns further to deuyne They moste ī honour haue theyr god quyryne The whiche whylom as bokes telle vs Amonges them was called Romulus That bylte firste the walles of the towne And from an herde he came to suche renowne Thorugh his manhode and his worthynesse The spere of whom as bokes sayne expresse As he the hede pytched in the grounde It gan anone lyke as it is founde To florysshe and floure and budde by myracle And of nature hadde
the kyng haue thaÌ„ his see So inwardely with rancour fret was he That he ne myght hymselfe nat refrayne And sayde syr so ye nat disdayne That I shall saye me semeth that it is Well accordynge whan one hath sayde amys And reklesly spoken vnaduysed Of his folye that he be chastysed That other may example by hym take To be well ware suche noyse crye to make And specyally in open audyence So to offende your toyall excellence And sothely yet I wote well that I myght So me gouerne playnely in your syght Of hastynesse without aduysement That I shulde by your coÌ„maundement The deth deserue for my great offence And trewely yet ne were for your presence Of this twayne that haue so yspoke Without abode I shulde anone be wroke For it were worthy and right well syttynge Whan that a fole in presence of kynge Is bolde or hardy of presumpcyon To take on hym of indiscrecyon Thynge to reherce concludynge in sentence Preiudyce of your magnyfycence That he were taught better to gouerne His large tunge to konne bet diserne Whan he shall speke or whan be in pese To suffre hym to renne out of lese As doth he this that spoke hath so large Wherfore in hast I counsayle hym and charge Without abode or any worde mo Out of your syght anone he be a go For it is beste to do as I hym rede TO whom anone ful proudly Dyomede Nat astoned but a with sterne loke To Eneas that for yre quoke Answered agayne with wordes but a fewe And sayde syr thy wordes doth well shewe What so thou be that thou art right wyse Well is that kynge that doth by thyne aduyse Or hath the nye of counsayle for to be For he ne may erre in no degre That art so rightfull in thy iugement Of wylfulnesse without aduysement To causea lorde his bondes for to pace So wolde god in some other place That I myght by fauoure of fortune Mete with the at leyser oportune Lyke my desyre that canst so well endyte In olde fables thy labour for to quyte And the to thanke for thy gentyll there Whiche so knyghtly thou hast vs shewed here Truste well therto and haue therof no drede ANd tho Vlixes of this Dyomede Gan interrupte his wordê prudently And to hym sayde full aduysely That it was beste to stynte and be styll And now we knowe fully all the wyll Quod vlires full manly to the kynge We wyll go hense without more tariynge Out of thy syght to Agamenon And make to hym playne relacyon Of thy answer in ordre by and by And to horse they went sodaynly And in shorte tyme so hast them in theyr waye That they be come there is no more to saye Where the kynge satte in his tentorye And worde by worde as came to memorye They reherce the substraunce euery dele Wherof the grekes lyke no thynge wele Conceyuynge full there was no remedye As by reporte of the embassatrye Saue oonly this vtterly procede How they them shall gouerne in this nede Agayne Troyans of necessyte For they well wot it may none other be And assented both in wyll and bede To purueye them faste they them spede In this storye as I shall after fynde BVt or that I make therof mynde I muste a whyle of Eneas endyte As myn Auctor lyst of hym to wryte The whiche sothly as bokes saye he was This manly Troyan this famous Eneas Anchisis sone of great wortynesse Whylom gete of Venus the goddesse Conqueroure of many regyon Whan Troye was brought to destruccyon He wente his waye by the large see Called Tyrene and saylynge forth goth he By many coste and many narowe passage Many daunger tyll into Cartage He ryued is and then segan to sayle To the conquest of the great ytale And so to Rome he hath the way take Of whose ofsprynge as Auctours make Came Augustus Cesar the Emperour That was whylom so noble a conquerour That his renowne to this daye doth shyne And of Enee the Emperour Iustyne In his boke called Autentykes Full playnely wryt therin the rubrykes That after Cesar so as Cesares Be named yet right so Eneades After Enee the name shulde bere Whiche fro Troye comen was so fere Vnto ytayle and of this Eneas As I haue tolde Cesar descended was Downe lyne right full manly and royall That firste in Rome by sceptre imperyall Mauge theyr myght had gouernaunce And of wysoome sette in gouernaunce Comon thynges touchynge the Cytee And to procede ferther of Enee Hooly his lyfe and knyghthode by and by If that ye lyste to rede ceryously Ye maye se all full Autentyke of style In Eneydos compyled of virgyle Albe it so that this noble clerke Was graue afore or complete was his werke As bokes olde make mencyon ¶ How kynge Agamenon sent Achylles and Thelephus into the yle of Messa for vitaylles and how they slewe the kynge and made The lephus kynge after his deth Ca. xx BVt nowe agayne to Agamenon Without more my style I wyl retourne The whiche kynge wyll no more soiourne In this mater delayes for to make But in all haste he hath his counsayle take Of his lordes beynge there present And suche as were nat he hath after sent For one and all Erlys Dukes and kynges And sayde syres amonge other thynges To our Iourney that be necessarye My counsayle is no lenger that we tarye But firste of all to make ordynaunce By one assent with prudent purueaunce That alder firste we shape for vytayle Without whiche none hoost may auayle To parforme a Iourney thryftely Wherfore I rede here but faste by If it to you be lykynge and plesaunce Into an yle full of habundaunce Called Messa that we sende anone And at one worde assented euerychone They chosen haue worthy Achylles And Geleffus the sone of Hercules To execute this purpose fynally With many worthy in theyr company I chosen out thorugh the hoost anone With Achylles to Messa for to gone In whiche lande ryche and plenteuous Reygned a kynge worthy and famous That Tentran hyght whiche in tranquyllyté Without werre or aduersyte Hadde holde his Sceptre and his royall sete In this yle so plesaunt and so mete Albe that some saye that this lytell yle To the kyngdome longeth of Cecyle And hath his name gyuen of plente After Messane an huge great Cyte Full plenteuous both on see and lande The whiche kyngdome as I vnderstande Is sayde Messana of Messes in latyne Thorugh habundaunce of fruyt corne wyne At the aryuayle on the playnes large Where they are wonte for to stuffe and charge Marchaunt shyppes of straunge fer countree That thyder sayle by the large see To fetche vytaylle aye fro yere to yere Fro many coste of landes fer and nere Oonly by eschaunge of other march aundyse And eke also as bokes can deuyse And as Guydo full playnely telleth vs That of a kynge called Messanus This countre firste of Messa toke the name That in his tyme was of
purpose nat ne helde But styll lye aye lodged in the felde Lyke as they had entryked be with drede Tyll on a daye worthy Dyomede Of the grekes seynge the cowardyse Euen thus his counsayle gan deuyse Syres quod he that be here now present If that ye lyste all by one assent Goodly consydre aduertynge prudently What I shall saye tofore you openly Whiche of knyghthode haue so noble a name Sothly me semeth we ought haue gret shame Whiche holde our selfe so myghty so stronge And in this lande soiourned haue so longe Nygh all this yere and durste in no wyse Remeue hense for very cowardyse What haue we do nat ellys certaynely But to our foon graunted folyly Euen at theyr luste space and lyberte To make them stronge and opportunyte Vs to withstande playnely at the hande And so they wyll ye may well vnderstande ¶ For day by day to our confusyowne They sought wayes full wysely vp downe To gette them helpe in the mene space And them enforced aboute in euery place Theyr large Cyte with barrerys with palys Theyr wall mascued and agayne our skalys Trusteth theron made great ordynaunce And with all this of our gouernaunce They haue aspyed seynge that for drede We haue no herte manly to procede In our purpose to holde with them werre And aye the more they se that we deferre The more they wyll catche hardynesse Vs to resyste with all theyr besynesse Also I se and truste it veryly That if we hadde afore hande manfully As we began knyghtly forth contynued Our iourney hadde better be fortuned If sodaynely with stronge and myghty hande They vnauysed we hadde into theyr lande Without abode afore this tyme aryued Of whiche a whyle we muste be depryued And delayed where firste with victorye To our honour with the palme of glorye We myght sothely ne had be our slouthe Our wyl complysshed this the playnetrouthe Where maugre vs or we to lande aryue With stroÌ„ge defence they wyl agayne vs stryue And put vs of or we the stronde wynne For aye the more we tarye to begynne The more in sothe for me lyste nat lye We put our selfe echone in Ieopardye What shulde I fayne or fage fro the trouthe For our tariynge and our cowarde â—louthe Are lykely after to tourne vs to great sorowe Wherfore erely by tymes to morowe My counsayle is our ankers vp to pulle In this mater no lenger that we dulle But to enarme our shyppes for the werre And at the vp ryse of the morowe sterre Lette vs ordayne with knyghtly apparayle Out of this hauen with the wynde to sayle Of manfull herte and lusty fresshe courage Our course holdynge and our right passage Towarde Troye and lande oppedlye What euer falle for truste sykerlye Without scarmousshe we may nat aryue For they fro Troye descende wyll as blyue Lyke manly men to mete vs in the berde But for all that lette vs nat be aferde But voyde drede and manhode sette afore That cowardyse entre at no bore For taste the manhode of your herte And with that worde grekes gan aduerte The manly counsayle of this Dyomede And in effect to procede in dede Vnto the poynt and for nothynge spare And in what wyse anone I shall declare ⸫ ⸫ ⸫ ¶ How the Grekes toke lande before Troye how they were strongely fought with Ca. xxi THe next morowe wonderly be tyme Or Phebus vp rose loÌ„ge or it was pÌ„me Whan it began full meryly to dawe The grekes hoste to shypwarde gan drawe With manly herte fully deuoyde of drede O only thorugh comforte of this Dyomede But alder firste anone as they awoke The lordes wysely theyr counsayle toke And concluded amonge them euerychone Whiche of theyr shyppes shulde for mest gone And on the see how they shulde them guye So to aryue that no man them aspye This was deuysed at a certayne marke The nyght passed at syngynge of the larke Grekes be shypped without more tariynge Bothe hye and lowe in the dawnynge And first tofore an hondred shyppes of toure Stuffed with many worthy warryoure Gan proudely sayle as they had in charge And the baners brode bryght and large Were I splayed out vpon euery syde And they departed the fomy wawes wyde That to syghte whelmen vp so grene And next to them for werre wel enarmed clene Another hondred folowed faste by Whiche bare theyr sayles passyngly proudely In which there was ful many worthy knyght Armed in mayle and in plates bryght And after foloweth hoolly theyr nauye That as I trowe suche a companye Of worthy kynghtes and lordes of degree Was neuer afore sene vpon the see And â—olus was to them fortunate And eke Neptune made none debate with wynde nor trouble amoÌ„ge the sterne wawes The atempre weder full mery to them dawes That in a tyde as they sayled ryght Of Troye towne they caughte anone a syght Wherof in herte full glade lyght they be But whan Troyans firste theyr shyppes se So proudely sayle a lytell fro the stronde And sawe how they caste them for to londe They bode no more but arme them hastely In plate and mayle and Iackes rychely With Irous herte and that was done anone And toke theyr hors forth in haste they gone Out at the gates and made no tariynge For they ne abyde prynce duke nor kynge Nor other lorâ—e to guyde them or gouerne But haste them forth so many and so yerne Torough out the felde so great a multytude Amonges whom were no folkes rude But manly men thryftely be sayne So clenly armed on the large playne That whan grekes gan them firste beholde Oâ— the nombre theyr hertes gan to colde For there was none so manly them amonge So yonge so fresshe so hardy nor so stronge Of hye estate nor of lowe degre That he ne was a stonyed for to se The hardy troyans so proudly downe desceÌ„de To lette Grekes that they nat assende That they wyste and conceyue vtterly There was no meane to aryue by But oonly deth or manly for to fyght Or cowardely take them to the flyght For other conduyte playnely none there was But sharpe sworde and speres in this cas Tyll sodaynely the hardy fyerse kynge Prothesylaus whiche in his gouernynge Formest of all an hondred shyppesladde Gan haste hym for Ire that he hadde To a landed firste if it wolde haue be To haue mette with them so great desyre had he But suche a wynde gan in the sayle dryue Of his shyppes whan hes hope to aryue That he vnwarely smette vpon the loude On the gettys and the drye sonde That his shyppes shyuered all a sonder And some dreynt to broke here and yonder And deuoured of the wawy see That it was routhe and pyte for to se For but of harde there myght none escape And whyles some were bely for to take The drye lande with fylthe and mudde ylade Troyans of them full cruell slaughter made Maugre theyr myght grekes so constrayned That
very shoures and welle Displaese it nat now that I shall telle To youre noble famous excellence Nor to your Erys let be none offence That I shall say but of goodlyhede Pacyently that ye wyll take hede To my wordes sayde of herte and thought I you ensure for I fayne nought This to saye if ye remembre well The firste cause and purpose euerydell Of the grekes if ye haue mencyon Was fully sette by one entencyon As well of you as of vs parde Whan we come firste to this Cyte Kynges Prynces I except none Of whiche in sothe to reken euerychone Your selfe was to speke in specyall One of the firste and most pryncypall Assentyd full how Troye the Cyte Thorugh our manhode destroyed shulde be Perpetuelly brought vnto ruyne But now of newe I note what doth enclyne Your worthynesse sodaynely to varye And to our purpose for to be contrarye Consyder firste of you that be so sage The wronges done and the great damage In Grekes londe of them of the towne Conspyrynge aye to our destruccyowne If ye aduerte wysely in your thought That slayne haue and to an ende brought Full many worthy sythe gone full yore And of treasoure that no man may restore Despoyled vs and brought in great distresse Our goodes raughte our golde our rychesse Our shyppes brent thorugh theyr cruelte And to all this alas ye lyste nat se Now that they be whiche may nat be delayed Thorugh your manhode fynally outrayed Syth ye haue slayÌ„e theyr hope their suffysauÌ„ce Actor in whom was all theyr affyaunce Fully theyr truste and diffence also And Dephebus also is a go And lykely are more to be apeyred Fro day to day and fynally dispeyred So frowardly Fortune on them loureth And now your honour your fame floureth In his worshyp and your hye renowne Atteyned hath the exaltacyowne And hyest prycke of Fortunes whele It were great wronge and ye loke wele Of wylfulnesse for to be vnkynde To hir that ye so frendely to you fynde Or to be frowarde whyle she is benygne By influence gracyously to assygne Hir spokys meue vnto your plesaunce And hap to tourne with plente on your chaunce After whose helpe you nedeth nat to calle ¶ Wherfore alas why wyll ye suffre palle Your noble fame of very wylfulnesse Whyle it is hyest in his worthynesse Your knyghtly prudence it shulde natâ—a sâ—â—rte Of whiche thynge euery gentyll herte Shulde haue routhe and compassyon Wherfore we praye of discrecyon That ye you shape this purpose to amende And that ye wolde of herte condiscende With vs to stonde knyghtly in this werre By your manhode that is spoke of so ferre That your renowne to the worldes ende Reported be where so that men wende Perpetuelly by fresshenesse of hewe Day be day to encrease newe That the tryumphe of this hye victorye Be put in storye and eke in memorye And so enprentyd that foryetylnesse No power haue by malys to oppresse Your fame in knyghthode dyrke or difface That shyneth yet so clere in many place Without Eclypsynge sothly this no lesse Whiche to conserne ye be now reckelesse Of wylfulnesse to cloude so the lyght Of your renowne that whylom shone so bryght Your myghty hande of manhode to with drawe Consyder firste how Grekes are yslawe Tofore your Tent with mortall woundes wyde Thorugh out the felde vpon euery syde And haue disdayne oonly for lacke of routhe Alas the whyle for a lytell slouthe To ley to hande in theyr myschefe at all That whylom were theyr stroÌ„ge myghty wall Theyr chefe diffence and theyr champyowne Soueuerayne helpe and proteccyowne For whom ye haue so ofte shadde your blode Agayne theyr foon with them whan he stode Full myghtely theyr enmyes to assayle Without whom they lytell may auayle In very sothe ne none of vs echone But ye of knyghthode lyste with vs to gone Agayne Troyans as ye were wont to do As is our truste and fynall hope also That ye shall helpe and our socour be And here vpon we praye you that ye Saye your auyse and your full wylle And than anone the hardy fyerse Achylle Whan vlixes concludyd hadde his tale With a face for anger dede and pale Sayde euen thus all openly and playne Syr vlixes if so right as ye sayne And haue declaryd in conclusyon That our purpose and entencyon Was fynally to brenne and destroye This royall Cyte that is called Troye I holde in sothe me lyketh nat to lye That our entent was grounded on folye To put vs all thorugh in discrecyon Of reckeleshede and hasty mocyon Of lyfe and deth in suche Iupardye And specyally in all the Chyualrye Of Grekes londe for so smale a thynge So many prynce and many worthy kynge That haue Iuparted theyr body theyr gode Yloste theyr lyfe and yspent theyr blode Which myght haue be full well at home iÌ„ pees And is nat nowe the kynge Pallamydes Yslawe also as who sayth but of newe That was so wyse so manly and so trewe Of whom the lyfe was of more pryse alone Than the cause for whiche that we echone Be gaderyd here who so loke a ryght And of Grekes many a noble knyght That haue be slayne bothe of the worthyest The worlde to seke and the manlyest For out of euery lande and regyowne On grekes party and with them of the towne Of chyualry of knyghthod the sourayne floure To wynne in armes worshyp and honoure Assembled be and come fro so ferre Of whiche in sothe by duresse of this werre Full many one in the felde is dede And veryly without any drede There shall well mo if the werre laste For euery day the nombre lasseth faste Of worthy knyghtes dede without routhe That I dare saye and conclude of trouthe In this rage furyous and wode Full lykely is that all the gentyll blode Thorugh out this worlde shall destroyed be And rurall folke and that were great pyte Shall haue lordshyp and hooly gouernaunce And Churles eke with sorowe myschaunce In euery londe shall lordes be alone Whan gentyll men slayne be echone Is nat Ector that was so noble a knyght That was this worldes very sonne and lyght Of manhode floure slayne pyteously In this werre in soth and so myghte I Parauenture whiche may nat attayne To his noblesse if I shall nat fayne For by what waye shall we the deth eschewe With all our myght if we it pursewe Fro day to day whyle that we lye here Therfore shortely me for to requere Touchynge the werre outher for to praye Is but in vayne and herken what I saye I nat purpose in this werre or stryfe For to Iuparte any more my lyfe For leuer I haue that pallyd be my name Than to be slayne and haue an ydell fame For worthynesse after deth yblowe Is but a wynde and lasteth but a throwe For though renowne and pryse be blowe wyde Foryetylnesse leyth it ofte asyde By lengthe of yeres and oblyuyon Thorugh enuye and false conclusyon The
can remebre douteles The tone of them called Sorygenes Whiche vnto me full contraryous was And the tother named Coclopas Bretherne of byrthe and in conclusyon Ylyke cruell of condycyon For though my sorte hadde shape for the nones Bothe twayne fylle on me attones Oppressynge in full great distresse Spoyled my shyppes of treasour and rychesse And for pyte lyked nat to spare Tyll I was lefte destytute and bare Of all my good alas my mortall chaunce And moste of all was to me greuaunce Whan of my golde they may nomore restrayne They sent downe their myghty sones twayne Alypham that was full large and longe And Polypheme the myghty gyauÌ„t stronge Which on my men to auenge theÌ„ were so fayne That they of them haue an hondred slayne Disarayed to stonde at diffence And of malyce with sodayne vyolence They toke me for myschefe almost lorne And Alphenor myn owne brother sworne And hatefully as they haue vs founde In chaynes caste and in stockes bounde And after that ylocked in pryson And for to make platly mencyon This myghty man this great Polypheme A suster hadde shortly for to deme One of the fayrest that euer yet was borne She myght in beaute so besette aforne Nature hir gaue suche a prerogatyfe A clene mayde sothly and no wyfe Flourynge bothe in fayrenesse bounte Whom Alphenor whan he dyde se Albe he was fetred in pryson For loue he loste wyt and eke reason And wexe all mad so narowe she dyd hyÌ„ bynde Saue vpon hir alway was his mynde And closed aye was his peryllous wounde And syxe monthes thus we lay bounde Both he and I to say the platte trouthe Tyll Polypheme hadde vpon vs â—outhe And thorugh his grace and medyacyon He quyt vs fre out of that pryson And shewed vs of mercy and pyte After our sorowe great humanyte But Alphenor ylyke of one entent Was with the bronde of Cupyde brent And felte his parte with many mortall fyt Tyll he so wrought with his sotyll wyt That on a nyght who was leef or loth He stale this mayde and his way he goth Thorugh helpe of men with hym at that tyme But on the morowe at the houre of pryme Polyphemus gan vs for to sewe Whose myghty honde we myght nat eschewe And suche assaute on vs they gan make That of force they haue the mayde take From Alphenor mauge all his rage And Polypheme vnto my damage With his knyghtes so sore vpon me lay That I myght vnneth scape away To saue my selfe compassyd enuyron To deth pursued of that champyon But whan I sawe there was no other gayne To fle the deth shortly for to sayne Whyle this geaunt most freesly on me sette With my swerde out his eye I smette And vnto shyp with my companye I fledde in haste that no man myght espye ¶ Where I be came nor Alphenor my fere And whan the wawes gan for to clere And gracyous wynde gan to vs a wake That countre we haue anone forsake It was nat holsome for vs to abyde ¶ But of this man lyke as wryt Ouyde Polyphemus the Geaunt out of drede Hadde an eye amyd of his forhede Whiche vlixes smote out at a stroke And lyke the browes of a braunched oke Was all his heer and his longe berde On whom to loke childre were aferde And whan that he hadde lost his syght Amonge the hylles he ronneth day and nyght In a rage to fynde hym some refuge Caste rockes and great stones huge On euery parte enuyron the countre On Vlixes auenged for to be Thus sayth Ouyde in conclusyon In his boke of transformacyon Methamorphoseos there ye may it se Whan so euer that your leyser be Ceâ—yously the storye for to rede And in wrytynge forth I wyll procede How vlixes with face deed and pale To ydumee tolde forth his tale Reâ—ersynge thus supprysed and awaked Fro Polypheme whan we were escaped Thorugh our vnhappe and infelycyte Into an yle myddes of the see We were dryue whan it gan to nyght And ElodiuÌ„ that lytell kyngdome hyght ¶ Where that Circes the great enchaunteresse Thylke tyme was Lady and goddesse Thâ—â— coude hir crafte so wonderly ê‘forme All sodaynely a man for to transforme To haue the lykenesse and lese his reason Of horse of bere Tygre or lyon Wolfe or fox or what hir lyste deuyse Hir dredefull craft was shapen in suche wyse So myghty were hir straunge pocyons Hir letuaryes and confeccyons And she also so fayre vpon to se That fro hir power no man myght fle For by the werke of this sorceresse I was so founcyd vpon hir fayrenesse That fynally thus with me it stode That all a yere I with hir abode And playnely hadde power none nor myght For to departe nouther day nor nyght So lusty was the lyfe that I ladde In whiche tyme by me a childe she hadde Right inly fayre and goodly to the syght And Thelagonyus in sothenesse he hyght Whiche afterwarde I well reherse can By processe wexe a manly man And by my sotyle secrete prouydence Of hir crafte I hadde experyence That maugre hir enchauntementes olde I stale away she myght me nat holde And fynally my fate to conclude With my connynge hir crafte I gan delude That with my men I scaped fro hir honde And went at large fre out of hir londe But all this thynge me lytell dyd auayle For on my way as I gan to sayle For all my sleyghte in a lytell whyle Yblowe was vp into an yle ¶ Where Calypha suster to Circes Was crowned quene helde hir sceptre in pees Whose craftes were so myghty and so stronge Maugre my wyll she helde me there full longe But she in sothe to speke of womanhede Of bounte fredome and of goodlyhede Surely hadde so souerayne excellence That myne abode to me was none offence But who so euer there at crye or clappe At the laste I scaped fro hir trappe And came to an Yle right as any lyne Whiche specyally thorugh hye power dyuyne Ordeyned is of yore by myracle As it were a spirituall oracle A man to haue in a temple there Sodayne answere of what hym lyst enquere Of questyons and demaundes alle And of soules what shall eke befalle Whan men are dede and grauen vnderstone And I gan axe in the temple anone Myn auentures that shulde after sewe And where a man myght his fate eschewe And of all this lyke to myn entent I hadde answere full conuenyent Saue what befalleth whan a soule is gone Diffynycyon vnto me was none Such thyng to assoyle accordeth nat to ryght It is reseruyd vnto goddes myght And excedeth reason and wyt of man And fro thense forth to sayle I gan Dryuen with wynde and no parte socoured Where I was lyke to haue be deuoured Of Karybdes with his profounde welle Where Syrenes Meremaydenes dwelle That fro the brest with scales syluer shene Be of theyr shape fysshes fresshe and clene And ouer more kynde doth compasse Them to appere Femynyne
disdayne It is no drede my labour were in vayne Let ignoraunce and rudenesse me excuse For if that ye platly all refuse For certayne Fautes whiche ye shall fynde I doute nat my thanke is set behynde For in metrynge though there be ignoraunce Yet in the storye ye fynde may plesaunce Touchynge substauÌ„ce of yâ— myn Auctour wryt And though so be that any worde mysse syt Amende it with chere debonayre For an Errour to hyndre and appayre That is nat sayde of purpose nor malyce It is no worshyp to hym that is wyse And no wyght gladly so soon demeth a lacke Specyally behynde at the backe As he in soth that can no skylle at all He gothe full hole that neuer hadde fall And I nat fynde of newe nor of olde For to deme there is none so bolde As he that is yblent with vnconnynge For blynde bayarde caste pereyll of no thynge Tyll he stumble myddes of the lake And none so redy for to vndertake Than he in sothe nor bolder to say werse That can no skylle on prose nor on verse Of all suche that can nat be stylle Lytell forse where they say good or ylle For vnto them my boke is nat dyrect But to suche as haue in effect On symple folke full compassyon That goodly can by correccyon Amende a thynge that hyndre neuer adele Of custome aye redy to say wele FOr he that was grouÌ„de of well sayinge In all his lyfe hyndred no makynge My mayster Chaucer yâ— founde full many spot Hym lyst nat pynche nor grutche at euery blot Nor meue hym selfe to parturbe his reste I haue herde tolde but sayde alway the beste Suffrynge goodly of his gentyllesse Full many thynge embraced with rudenesse And if I shall shortly hym descryue Was neuer none to this daye alyue To reken all bothe yonge and olde That worthy was his ynkehorne for to holde And in this londe if there any be In borugh or towne vyllage or Cyte That connynge hath his tracys for to sewe Where he go brode or be shet in mewe To hym I make a dyreccyon Of this boke to haue inspeccyon Besechynge them with theyr prudent loke To race and scrape thorugh out all my bokâ— Voyde and adde where them semeth nede And though so be that they nat ne rede In all this boke no rethorykes newe ¶ yâ—et I hope they shall fynde trewe The storye playne clefly in substaunce And who so lyste to se varyaunce Of worldly thynge wrought by dayes olde In this boke he may full well beholde Chaunge of Fortune in hir course mutable Selde or nat faythfull outher stable Lordes Prynces sfrom hir royalte Sodaynely brought in aduersyte And kynges eke plounged in pouerte And for drede darynge in deserte Vnware slaunghtre compassed of enuyâ— Murdre execute by conspyracye Awayt leyinge falshede and treason And of kyngdome sodayne euersyon Bauysshynge of women for delyte Rote of the werre and mortall despyte False mayntenaunce of auoutrye Many worthy causynge for to dye Synne aye concludynge who so taketh hede Vengaunce vnware for his fynall mede VO declare that in all worldly luste Who loke a right is but lytell truste As in this boke exaumple ye shall fynde If that ye lyste enprente it in your mynde How all passeth and halt there no soiour Wastynge away as doth a somer floure Ryche and pore of euery maner age For our lyfe here is but a pylgrymage Meynt with labour and with moche woo That if men wolde take hede therto And tofore prudently aduerte Lytell ioye they shulde haue in theyr herte To set theyr truste in any worldly thynge For there is nouther Prynce lorde nor kynge By example of Troye lyke as ye may se That in this lyfe may haue full seurte Therfore to hym that starfe vpon the rode Suffrynge deth for our aller gode Lyfte vp your hertê thynke on hym amonge For be ye neuer so myghty nor so stronge Without hym all may nat auayle For he can gyue victorye in batayle And holde a felde shortly to conclude With a fewe agayne great multytude And by grace he maketh prynces stronge And worthy kynges for to reygne longe And Tyrantes sodaynely oppresse Thorwe theÌ„ downe for all theyr great rychesse And in his honde power he reserueth Eche to aquyte lyke as he disserueth To whom I praye with deuocyon With all myn herte and hole affeccyon That he lyste graunte longe contynaunce Prosperyte and good perseueraunce Helthe welfare victorye and honoure Vnto that noble myghty conqueroure Herry the fyfther tofore yspecefyed So that his name may be magnefyed Herein this lyfe vp to the sterrys clere And afterwarde aboue the nynthe spere Whan he is deed for to haue a place This praye I god for to sende hym grace At whose byddynge as I tolde late Firste I began the sege to translate And now I haue hoolly in his honoure Executed the fyne of my laboure Vnto all that shall this storye se With humble herte and all humylyte This lytell booke lowely I betake It to supporte and thus an ende I make ¶ Laus deo ¶ Of the moost noble excellent Prynce kynge Henry the fyfthe MOost worthy Prynce of knyghthode soures and welle Whos 's hye renowne thorugh the worlde dothe shyne And all other in manhode doest excelle Egall of meryt to the worthys nyne And borne also by discent of lyne As rightfull heyre by tytle to attayne To bere yâ— crowne of worthy Realme twayne And also fer as Phebus in his spere From Eest to west shedyth his bemys bryght And Lucyna with ashrouded chere Gothe compasse rounde with hir pale lyght Thou art yrekened for the best knyght To be registred worthy as of name In the hyest place of the house of fame To holde a palme of knyghthod in thy honde For worthynesse and for hye victorye As thou that art drade on see and londe And euermore with laude honoure and glorye For iuste conquest to be put in memorye With a crowne made of laurer grene Vpon thy heed tofore that famous quene Whylom ordeyned oonly for conquerours Stable of herte with longe perseueraunce And gaue nat vp tyll they were victours Empryses take for no sodayne chaunce Whose name ay floureth with newe remeÌ„brauÌ„ce And fadeth nat of yeres yore agone Amonges whiche thou mayste be set for one For thorugh the worlde in many regyon Reported is with fame that flyeth wyde That naturelly thy condycyon On thynge begonne is knyghtly to abyde And for the tyme manly set asyde Rest and ease what cost theron be spente Tyll thou haue cheued the fyne of thyn entente Moste circumspect and passynge auysee All thy werkes conueyed with prudence Sad and demure lyke to Iosuee Agayne whose swerde is no resystence And hast also heuenly influence With Salamon wysely to discerne Oonly by grace thy people to gouerne Mercy eke meynt with thy magnyfycence On all oppressed for to haue pyte And of rebelles by manly vyolence Abate canste the great cruelte And so with Dauyd thou haste kyngly pytâ— And hye prowesse with Sesar Iulyus In his tyme moost victoryous And manly holdest in thy hondes two Who can beholde by clere inspeccyon The swerde of knyghthode thy Scepture also The tone to brynge to subieccyon Hertes made proude by false rebellyon And with the Sceptre to rewle at the best Thy trewe people that can lyue in rest Now thou yâ— haste manhode vertue grace Attemperaunce fredome and bounte Lowly I praye with dredefull face Disdayne nat benyngely to se Vpon this boke rudely made by me To fyne oonly to agrene thyne hyghnesse And rewe of mercy vpon my symplesse And in thy noble kyngly aduertence Consydre se my soueraygne lorde most dere Of thyne inuat famous sapyence That criste Ihesu receyued with good chere The twey Munytys you of herte entere By the wydowe whiche of wyl and of thought Gaue all hir good kept hir selfe right nought By whiche ensaumple so that it nat offende Thorugh myn vnconnyng to thy hye noblesse Let good wyll my lytell gyfte amende And of thy mercy and renowmed goodnesse Haue no disdayne of my bareyne rudenesse And in makynge though I haue no muse Let trewe menynge the surplus all excuse More than good herte hath no maner wyght To present nouther to god nor man And for my parte to the as it is ryght That gyue I hole as ferforth as I can Aye to perseuere fro tyme that I gan With wyll thought for thyne estate to praye Whiche to conserue thus fynally I saye Firste of all almyghty god to queme With all that may be to his plesaunce And to thy crowne and thy dyademe Grace and good Eure with longe contynuaunce Of thy lyeges faythfull obeyssaunce And eche vertue that man may specefye I praye god graunte vnto thy regalye ¶ Explicit Liber quintus vltimus ¶ Lenuoye â—Oo lytell boke and put the in the grace Of hym that is moste of excellence And be nat hardy to appere in no place Without supporte of his magnyfycence And who so euer in the fynde offence Be nat to bolde for no presumpcyon Thy selfe enarme aye in pacyence And the submytte to theyr correccyon ¶ Verba translatoris ad librum suum And for thou art enlymned with no flowres Of Retoryke but with whyte and blacke Therfore thou muste abyde all showres Of them that lyste set on the alacke And whan thou art most lykely go to wracke Agaynst them thyne Errour nat diffende But humbly with drawe and go a backe Requerynge them all yâ— is amysse to amende Here endeth the Troye booke otherwyse called the Sege of Troye translated by IohnÌ„ Lydgate monke of the Monastery of Bery And Emprynted the yere of oure Lorde a. M. CCCCC xiij by Richard Pynson prynter vnto the kyngê noble grace
as hare amonge the houndes For to be caughte of very wylfulnesse And thy desyre coudest nat compesse For though thy luste lyst nat to refrayne O many woman hath caught in a trayne Theyr goynge out suche halowes for to seke It syt them better them selfe for to kepe Close in theyr chamber and fle occasiowne For neuer shyp shulde in peryll drowne Nor scatre on rocke nor be with tempestrent Nor with carybbes deuoured or I shent Nor go to wrake with no weders ylle If it were kept in the hauen stylle For who wyll nat occasions eschewe Nor drede no peryll for to sewe He muste amonge of necessyte Or he be ware endure aduersyte And who can nat hir fote fro trappes spare Let hir be ware or she falle in the snare For harme I done to late is to compleyne For if whylom the worthy quene Eleyne Hir selfe had kept at home in close Of hir there ne had be so wycke a lose Reported yeâ— grene fre she and newe Whose chauÌ„ce vnhappy ethe man ought rewe That cause was of suche destruccion Oâ— many worthy and confusion Of hir worthy husbonde and many other mo On grekes syde and on Troye also In this storye as ye shall after rede And so this quene as faste as she may spede To the temple hath the way nome Full ryally and whan that she was come Full deuoutly within Citheron Made vnto venus hir oblacion In presence and syght of many one With many iewell and many ryche stone And whan Parys had this espyed To the temple anone he hath hym hyed Full thryf tely in all the haste he myght And whan that he had firste a syght Of the goodly fayre fresshe quene Cupides darte that is whet so kene Or he was ware hath hym marked so That for astoned he ne wyste what to do So he meruayleth hir great semelynesse Hir womanhede hir porte and hir fayrenesse For neuer afore ne wende he that nature Coude haue made so fayre a creature So aungellyke she was of hir beaute So femynyne so goodly on to se That he dempte as by lyklynesse For hir beaute to be some goddesse For his herte dyde hym aye assure That she was no mortall creature So heuenly fayre and so celestyall He thought she was in party and in all And consydereth for auysely Hir futures in ordre by and by Ententyfly within his reason Euery thynge by good inspeccion Hir golden heer lyke the sonne stremes Of fresshe Phebus with his bryght bemes The goodlyhede of hir fresshely face So replenysshed of beaute and grace Euen ennewed with quyckenesse of colour Of the rose and the lylye flour So egally that nouther was to wyte Thorugh none excesse of moche nor of lyte Within the cerclynge of hir eyen bryght Was paradys compassed in hir syght That thorugh abreste the beaute wolde perce And certaynly if I shall reherce Hir shap hir fourme and futures by and by As Guydo dothe by ordre ceryously From hede to foâ—e clerely to deuyse I haue none englysshe that therto may suffyse It wyll nat be our tunge is nat lyke I wante floures also of rethoryke To sewe his flourysshyng or his gay peynture For to descryue so fayre a creature For my coloures be to feble and faynte That nouther can ennewe well nor paynte Eke I am nat acqueynted with noâ—use Of all myn therfore I me excuse To you echone nat all of neclygence But for defaute oonly of eloquence And you remytte to Guydo for to se How he descryueth by ordre hir beaute To take on me it were presumpciowne ¶ But I wyll tell how Parys vp and downe Gothe in the temple and his eye caste Towarde Eleyne and gan prese faste As he that brente hoote in loues fyre That was enflawmed greatly by desyre And ofte he chaungeth countenaunce chere And euer he neygheth to hir nere and nere Ydarted thorugh with hir eyen tweyne And agayne warde the fresshe quene Eleyne As hoote brente in herte pryuely Albe no man it outwarde coude espy For she thought she had neuer afore Of all men that euer yet were bore Se none so fayre nor lyke hir pleasaunce On hym to loke was hir suffysaunce For in the temple she toke hede of right nought But to compasse and caste in hir thought How she may catche opportunyte With hym to speke at good lyberte This hooly was all hir besynesse For hym she felte so inly great distresse That ofte she chaungeth couÌ„tenaunce hewe And venus hath marked them of newe With hir brondes fyred by feruence And enflawmed by sodayne influence That egally they were brought in a rage And saue the eye atweâ—e was no message Eche on other so fyxe hath caste theyr syght That they conceyue and wyste â—one ryght Within themself what theyr herte mente And neâ—e to hir euer Parys wente To seke fully and gete occasion That they myght by full relacion Theyr hertes conceyt declare secretly And so vefell that Parys nygheth nye To the place where the quene Eleyne Stode in hir see and ther at wene them tweyne They broke out the suÌ„me of all theyr herte And gaue yssue to theyr inwarde smerte But this was done lyst they were espyed Whan the people was moste occupyed In the templeâ— for to stare and gase Now here now there as it were on a mase They kepte them close that no worde asterte There was no man the treson myght aduerte Of them twayne ne what they wolde mene But at the laste Parys and this quene Concluded haue with short auysement Fully the fyne of theyr bothe entent And sette a purpose betwyxe them in certayne Whan they caste for to mete agayne But lyste men hadde to them suspeccion They made an ende without more sermon And departe albe that they were lothe And soberly anone this Parys gothe Out of the temple his herte in euery parte Wounded thorugh out with loues firy darte To his shyppes he helde the right way And than anone in all the haste he may Whan assembled was his chyualrye One and other of his companye In fewe wordes as shortly as I can Tofore them all his tale thus he gan Syâ—res quod he shortly to expresse The cause is kouthe to yor worthynesse Why my fader into Grece vs sente For as ye knowe the chefe of his entent Was to recure his suster Exyon Out of the handes of kynge Thelamon The whiche thynge for ought I can espye Is impossyble shortly in myn eye By any waye as fer as I can se He is so great and stronge in this countre Of his allyes aboute on euery syde And in herte â— so inly full of pryde To yelde hir vp he hath nat but disdayne Therof to treate it were nat but in vayne Therfore the beste that I can deuyse Syth our power may nat now suffyse To werrey hym in this regyowne We be nat egall of myght nor of renowne For lacke of men with hym to holde a felde We may
nat semble with spere nor with shelde To encountre hym with all his multytude Wherfore the beste that I can conclude Is syth fortune hath vs hyder brought And the goddes haue eke for vs wrought So graciously to make vs for to londe At venus temple faste by the stronde Whiche haboundeth with full great rychesse Of grekes offrynge vnto the goddesse By londe and see fro many sondry porte Of men and women that haue here resorte To that place in worshyp of venus So that the wyfe of kynge Menelaus Is there present full ryche and well beseyne And if that we by manhode myght atteyne To rauysshe hir and the temple spoyle And of theyr treasoure chesen out and coyle The chefe iewelles and charge our somers With golde and syluer and take prysoners And maugre them to our shyppes brynge This same nyght without taryenge We may nat fayle who euer that say nay If ye assente of a ryche pray Wherfore in haste that ye now redy make And euery man anone his harnes take And arme hym well in his beste aray â— And they assente without more delay And in theyr shyppes they byde tyll at nyght Whan Phebus chare with drawen had his lyght Vnder wawes and sterres dyd appere On the heuen with theyr stremes clere Or the moone that tyme dyde ryse They shope them forthe in full thryfty wyse The manly Troyans in stele armed bryght To the temple holdynge theyr way ryght For they caste no lenger for to tarye But proudely entre in the sentuarye Into the chapell called Citheron Without reuerence or deuocion Done to venus in hir oratorye For it was clene out of theyr memorye Honour and drede and all obseruaunce For fynally all theyr attendaunce As myn Auctor sothely can diffyne Was to right nought but oonly to rauyne They toke all that came to their hande Rychesse and treasour that was in the lande Golde and syluer stones and Iewelles Relyques sacred the holy eke vesselles Without abode out of the sacrarye And all yfere to theyr shyppes carye It is a wonder to thynke on the gode They kylle and sâ—e all that them withstode It was a pyte for to se them blede And many grekes they to shyp lede That after lyued in captyuyte Full many yere in Troye the Cyte ¶ And there whyles goth Parys to Eleyne And hir embraceth in his armes tweyne Full humbly and with great reuerence In whom he fonde no maner resystence It sat hir nat she was so womanly For to Parys she yolde hir vtterly Hir herte in hap was yolde or she came there Therfore to yelde hir she hadde lesse fere She can nat stryue nor no woman sholde And he anone as gentyllesse wolde Comforteth hir as he beste can or may And ladde hir with hym without more delay To his shyppes and there full besyly He sette wardes to kepe hir honestly Whyle he retourneth to the temple agayne To spoyle and robbe and to make all playne Thorugh the temple with walles wyde ¶ Now stode a castell faste there besyde Ystuffed well with grekysshe souldeours The whiche awoke with noyse of the pylours The same nyght and gan make a shoute And therwithall anone they yssue oute Armed in stele the temple to reskewe And manfully after them they sewe And so befylle whan they togydre mette With speres sharpe and swerdes kene whette ¶ They ran togydre as Tygres vnmylde Lyke wodelyons or these bores wylde There was no faynynge founde in their fyght Albe the felde departed was aryght For the Troyans doubled them in noumbre That vtterly the grekes they encoumbre And of myschefe made them to flee And pursue after and cruelly them slee Without mercy to the castell gate There was no rescuse for they came late Of this skarmysshe for the fyne was deth Now here now there they yolde vp the breth So myghtely Troyans them assayle That to withstande it wolde nat auayle For of manhode they the felde haue wonne And after that cruelly begonne In all haste to spoyle the castell And to shyppe they brought euerydell Treasour golde what that they may wyn And on the morowe to sayle they begyn Stuffed with good by the grekysshe see Towarde the costes of Troye the Cytee The see was calme and fully at theyr wylle Bothe of tempest and of stormes ylle And clere also was the bryght heuen That in space almoste of dayes seuen At the castell called Tenedowne They aryue sixe myle fro the towne And glad and lyght they to lande wente And after that I fynde Parys sente His messager streyght vnto the kynge That hym enfourmeth of his home comynge Of theyr expleyt he tolde hym euerydele And Pryamus lyketh wonder wele That so manly they haue borne them oute And made puplysshe it in the towne aboute This tydynges with great solempnyte To hye and lowe thorugh out the cyte And that for ioye the most and the leste For remembraunce halowe and holde a feste And thanke theyr goddes in full humble wyse With obseruaunces and with sacryfyse On theyr auters with great deuocion And all this whyle he at Tenedon Holdeth soiour with the quene Eleyne The whiche gan reufully compleyne Hir vnkouthe lyfe to dwelle with straungers All desolate amonges prysoners Fer sequestred away from hir countre Solytarye in captyuyte She wepeth and cryeth with a pytous chere The burbly wawes of hir eyen clere Lyke welle stremes by hir chekes rayne And for constraynt of hir inwarde payne Full ofte a daye hir songe was welaway With sobbynge voyce that she so fer away Departed is from hir Menelaus For whose absence in rages furyous Hir lyfe she hateth and curseth eke fortune And in this wo she euer doth contune Without soiour alway more and more And for hir bretherne Pollux and Castore And for the loue of hir doughter dere Now pale and grene she wexyth of hir chere That whylom was fressher for to sene Than the lyllye on his stalke grenâ— Alas chaunged is hir rosen hewe And euer on hir wo encreaseth newe That lyke no woman she was to beholde For aye she wepte as she to water wolde Tyll at the laste in all hir heuynesse Parys to hir came of gentyllesse Hir to comforte and to appese hir rage He besyeth hym hir sorowes to aswage Sayeng to hir what may all this mene That ye alas o goodly fresshe quene Lyst thus your selfe in sorowynge diffygure I wonder greatly how ye may endure So moche water causeles to shede That with wepynge haue dewed so your wede For lyke a conduyte the stremes ran downe Lyke to a penytaunt in contryciowne Ye you disâ—aye alas why do you so Let be this fare and let it ouer go All your wepynge thought and heuynesse And be no more my lady in distresse Make an ende now of your greuaunce For all the ease comforte and pleasaunce That men may do truste well ye shall haue It is but folye in sorowe thus to raue Let passe ouer all these sharpe shoures And