all in plates shene With speres rounde whet full quare and kene From Ethyope came this noble route And from the kyngdome also out of doute That Teremo of Dares called is Came the kynge full prudent and full wys The manly man named Theseus And eke his sone that hyght Archylogus A thousande knyghtes in theyr companye And Theseus full nye was of allye To Pryamus by discent of blode And kynges twayne passynge ryche of gode And renowmed of knyghthode as by fame All be that Guydo reherseth nat theyr name Yet in this storye he maketh mensyon That from Agresta the lytell regyon A thousande knyghtê they brought vnto troye Grekes pryde to daunte and acoye For they were chosen and pycked for the nones And from the lande beyonde Amazones Lyssyny a the kynge Epystrophus So wyse so worthy and inly vertuous Passynge of counsayle and discrecyowne And with all this full worthy of renowne He preuyd was also in specyall And in the Artys called lyberall He lerned was and expert a ryght Natwithstandynge he was a worthy knyght In werre and peas manfull and ryght sage All be that he was ron ferre in age And as the storye maketh rehersayle A thousande knyghtê cladde in plate mayle To troye towne I fynde that he ladde And with hym Guydo sayth he hadde A wonder Archer of syght meruaylous Of fourme and shap in maner monstruous For lyke myne Auctour as I reherce can Fro the nauell vp warde he was man And lower downe lyke a hors yshaped And thylke parte that after man was maked Of skynne was blacke and rough as any vere Coueryd with here fro colde hym for to were Passynge foule and horryble of syght Whose eyen were sparkelynge as bryght As a furneys with his rede leuene Or the lyghtenynge that cometh downe fro heuene Dredefull of loke and reed as fyre of â—here And as I rede he was a good archere And with his bowe bothe at euen morowe Vpon grekes he wrought moche sorowe And gastyd them with many hydous loke So sterne he was that many of them quoke Whan they hym sawe so ougly horrybly And more lothsome than it is credyble That many one hath wounded to the deth And caused them to yelde vp the breth On grekes syde as ye shall after here And in this wyse assembled be yfere Kynges dukes and Erles of renowne From sondry landes within Troye towne That be gaderyd and come fro so ferre As sayth Dares to helpe them in this werre That were in nombre as he maketh mynde Two and thurty thousande as I fynde Of worthy knyghtes and lordes of estate That fythe the worlde was fourmed create Ne was sene I trowe in one Cyte Togydre assembled of so hye degre Nor of knyghtes so great a multytude And yet this Dares sothly to conclude In his boke maketh of them nomynde That came to Troye out of smaler ynde Nouther of them moste famous of renowne That were with Pryam yborne of troye towne That fynally if it be trewely sought Syth the houre that this world was wrought I dare afferme vnder Phebus spere So many worthy were nat mette yfere Of manly men flourynge in lustynesse So fresshe so yonge and as by lyklynesse In euery poynt of shape and of arraye For to do well for sothely this is no naye Who lyste consyder vpon outher syâ—e For thorugh the worlde where men go or ryde Thâ— floure of knyghthode of worthynesse Of chyualrye and of hye prowesse Assembled was withoute and within Fully assented a werre to begyn ¶ Wherfore ye lysters take now good hede That you delyte in this boke to rede Firste for how lytell that this werre began How lyght yâ— cause for whiche so many a man Hath loste his lyfe in myschefe pytuously And yet no man can beware therby Almoste for nought was this stryfe begonne And who lyst loke they haue no thyng wonne But oonly deth alas the harde stounde So many knyght caught his dethes wounde Withoute recure or any remedye And for a woman if I shall nat lye Gan all this stryfe it was the more pyte That so great myschefe or aduersyte Of mortall slaughter euer shulde tyde Better had be to haue sette asyde Suche quarelles dere ynough a myte To a let passyd or the vengeaunce byte For wysedome were to caste afore and se If suche sklaundres myght eschewed be Or the venym gonne for to rype For though yâ— men with hornes blowe pype Whan the hous is fyred in his hete Of the sparcle to late it is to trete That caused all wherfore at the gynnynge The remedy is put of euery thynge As euery wyght may deme in his reason And whyle that grekes lay at Tenedon Them to refresshe and to reste in pes The worthy kynge called Pallamydes With thurty shyppes out of grekes lande Stuffed with knyghtê ful worthy of theyr hande The beste choyse of all his regyon Aryued is vp at Tenedon Wherof grekes whan they had a syght Reioysynge them were right glade and lyght Hauynge rewarde vnto his worthynesse Where they afore hadde had heuynesse For his absence that he was so longe And some of them grutched at hym stronge For he nat kepte his moustre at Athene But for to shewe that he was all clene Of any spotte in his conscyence Full manfully in open audyence Lyke a knyght hegan hymself excuse Stoppynge all tho that theron lyste to muse Of his absence she wynge the cause why That for sykenesse and sodayne malady He was coÌ„strayned his presence to withdrawe And for they sawe that lykensse hath no lawe They helde excused fully his absence And for he was of moste reuerence Amonge grekes to no wyght the secounde And was also full wyse and eke habounde Of golde and good auyse and prudent That what so euer he sette on his entent Knyghtly wysely he wolde aye well acheue And what he gan he ne wolde leue Maugre his foon in no maner wyse Tyll that he sawe a fyne of his empryse And for he was moste of oppynyon Amonge grekes and reputacyon They hym beâ—ought that he wolde be Of theyr counsayle auysely tose What were to do in euery maner thynge And he assenteth vnto theyr axynge Benygnely of his gentylnesse And grekes than dyde theyr besynesse To procede without more delaye Them to enhaste in all that euer they maye To gynne a sege and differre it nought And sondry wayes they serched haue sought In theyr wyttes how fro Tenedowne They maye remeue towarde troye towne From the hauen where theyr shyppes be And some thought moste coÌ„modyte For moste expleyt by nyght pryuely Towarde troye that stode faste by Proudely to sayle with theyr shyppes alle And some sayde great peryll myght falle Towarde nyght for take the see Lest with derkenesse they ennosed bee In theyr passage knowynge nat the waye Wherof great harme after falle maye And thus dyuerse of oppynyon Procedynge nat to no conclusyon For in effect theyr
nat oonly nor hir heuynesse But parcell eke of the vnkyndenesse Of this Iason and telleth playnely howe Medea hir bothe sones slowe For they were lyke theyr fader of vysage And telleth eke that put hir moste in rage How falsly he I can hym nat excuse Loued a nother that called was Ceruse Eke in his pysteles who so taketh hede Hir deedly sorowe he may beholde and rede And how that she hir trouthe a boughte sore Of Medea ye gete of me no more In all this boke nor of hir auenture But I wyll now do my besy cure Hooly to tourne my style to Iason And of the werre he made on Lamedon Lyke as in Guydo is openly descryued After that he in Grece was aryued FI rste whan Iason and Hercules also I londed were with many a nother mo In the lande and reygne of Thesalye Kynge Pelleus with all his Cheualrye Caste hym playnely that he wyll nat fayle To mete his neuewe at his aryuayle And whan they mette in countenaunce â—here Made it outwarde as hole and as entere As he hadde had soueraygne gladnesse Of his kynghthode and his heyprowesse Of his renowne and his manly hede Of his expleyte and his good spede And that fortune to encrease his name Hath caused hym with so noble fame Out of Colchos with honour to repayre All be his chere was vtterly contrayre To his entent that euer he came agayne But for all that with face hole and playne He welcomed hym all agaynst herte Full sore astoned that he euer asterte The auentures of Colchos peryllous And is retourned so victoryous But couertly his treason for to hyde All delaye he gan to sette asyde And to Iason with chere full benyngne His herytage firste he gan resygne Septre and crowne and kyngdome at the leste For to parfourme the suÌ„me of his beheste Lyke as he was assured by his bonde And Iason toke all into his honde And gan his vncle in full lowe manere Firste to thanke with all his herte entere And after that ful knyghtly gan hym praye Goodly to here what that he wolde saye Of a matere that fret his herte sore From daye to daye encresynge euer more Besechynge hym to graunte hym audyence Tochynge a wronge and a vyolence Done vnto hym whan he no harme ne mente In Torye lande to Colchos as he wente This is to saye the kynge of Troye towne Within the bondes of his regyon Whan I and myne in great aduersyte With wynde weder for to dryue in the see Vs to refresshe to lande dyde aryue Not in purpose with hym for to stryue But for to rest vs after all our wo A lytell whyle and forth anone to go For we in sothe no maner harme ne thought But he vnkyngly of very malys sought Agaynst vs firste occasion Byddynge in haste to voyde his regyon Nat withstondynge that we come in pes Lyke as my brother knoweth hercules Vnto no myght doynge no distresse Wherfore we praye to your hye noblesse To our purpose for to condescende Of whiche platly this the fynall ende That we be sette in full conclusion Hooly to werke to his destruccion Lyke our auowe whan we thense went If it so be ye goodly lyste assent And all at ones strongly and nat spare Maugre his myght to Troye for to fare So that we may fynde in you fauoure Vs to refresshe with golde and with creasoure And oonly eke of your curtesye Vs strengthe also with your cheualrye And Pelleus without more abode Anone as he this mater vnderstode Assented is of herte and wyll also In this vyage with them for to go And all the worthy of that regyowne Kynges dukes and lordes of renowne Be accorded there is nat one sayth nay To go with them and helpe what they may And of this Iourney chyeue solycytour Was hercules the worthy conquerour And he in haste his retenewe to make Towarde sparthos hath the way take Whiche is an yle to Grekes pertynent Fully obeyeng to theyr coÌ„maundement In whiche Pollux and Castor eke also The worthy kyngê the myghty brethren two Wereas I fynde that tyme gouernours And bare theyr crowne lyke noble werreours And brothren were also to Eleyne And as poetes lyketh for to feyne That Iubiter for all his deyte Vpon Dyane begat them all thre That in beaute all other dyde excelle And for Eleyne lyke as bokes telle Conceyued was in Tyndarys the yle Vnto the londe ioynynge of Cecyle Therfore of some I fynde that she is After the yle called Tyndarys Of theyr byrthe me lyste no more to endyte But forthe I thynke of hercules to wryte That hath besought these noble kâ—gê twayne With myghty hande to do theyr besy payne Oonly to graunte with hym for to wende To Troye warde shortly this the ende And to assente they saye nat ones nay With all the power that they catche may Agayne what tyme that hym lyste assygne And hercules with cherefull benyngne Thanked them of that they hym behyght And forthe he wente in all the haste he myght Towarwe Messene the stronge myghty londe Within whiche the noble kynge he fonde The knyghtly man the worthy Thelamon Lorde and prynce of that regyon That in armes was one the manlyest That was a lyue and egall with the beste And whan he knewe that hercules was come For â—oye he hath hym in armes noâ—e And receyued in all maner thynge Lyke as it sat to a worthy kynge And whan he wyste sothely what he mente Without more anone he dyde assente With hym to gone Troyens for to greue And hercules goodly toke leue And hym enhasteth to Thesalye agayne To Pelleus and telleth hym certayne How he hath spedde besechynge hym also In all the haste that it may be do To sende letters and his lordes call And to assemble his worthy knyghtes all Thorugh out his lande both nygh and ferre Suche as he knewe that were expert in werre And them also that were of counsayle sage For wyt of them that be ronne in age Is more than force without experyence But whan manhode is mente with sapyence Who consydereth it may double auayle And they that longe haue vsed to trauayle Lyke as it is playnely to suppose May helpe moste our iourney to dispose For vnto age experyence and wytte To youthe force and hardynesse sytte And whan that bothe be of one entent Fully accorded to worke by assent With a quarell grounded vpon ryght Thorugh helpe of grace yâ— hath treble myght Them that nat drede with spere nor with shelde In knyghtly wyse for to holde a felde For of knyghthode the fame nor the glorye Nor in armes conquest nor victorye Be nat assured vpon multytude But on manhode so grace lyste conclude Therfore lete vs for to auenge our wronge Firste with ryght make our selfe stronge And our force manly for to shewe Of knyghtes chose taken out a fewe And deuoyde encombraunce of nombre And so we shall our foes beste encombre And of all
he telleth of the fyght Whan they entred and of theyr welcomynge And ceryously he tolde eke of the kynge That Tentran hyghte playnely also howe Achilles amydde the selde hym slowe And or his dethe how he of hole entent Fully ordeyned in his testament Thelephus also to be his heyre All this he tolde and eke of his reâ—eyre Vnto the see and eke of the vytayle And Thelephus how he wyll nat fayle To sende them all that may them please Of whiche thynge the grekes in great ease Were brought of herte and lyke wonder well Whan Achilles hadde tolde them euerydell And greatly preysed his hye prouydence His manhode bothe and his sapyence In his out beynge that he bare hym so And after this Achilles is go To his lodgynge a lytell there besyde Where his knyghtes vpon hym abyde Myrundones full glade of his comynge And hym receyued as longeth to a kynge Where he abode and rested hym a whyle But for Guydo declyneth here his style From the grekes to them of Troye towne I muste also make dygressy owne Of myne Auctor the steppes for to shewe Lyke as it is conuenyent and dewe To my matere syth he is my guyde And for a whyle grekes sette asyde And reherce how Dares Frygyus In Troye booke declareth vnto vs And ceryously maketh mency owne Of the lordes that came to Troye towne To helpe them manly in theyr defence Agaynst grekes to make resystence With ordynaunce of many dyuerse thynges There came to them Erles Dukes Kynges As in Dares playnely is made mynde Rede his boke and there ye may it fynde And alder firste I rede how that he Specyally speketh of kynges thre Full manly 〈◊〉 and also of great â—aâ—e 〈…〉 〈…〉 wryteth thus 〈…〉 of them â— was called Pandaâ—us And as I rede Thabet the secounde The thuâ—e Andastrus lyke as it is founde And as Gâ—ydo â— lyste to specysye 〈…〉 knyghtes in theyr companye 〈◊〉 manly men they were euerychon And from an Iâ— called colloson Lyke as Dares lyketh to expresse There came also of excellent prowesse 〈…〉 of whiche the firste was 〈…〉 ynamed Caryas And the seconde â— hyghte ymasyus 〈◊〉 the thirdeâ— the .iiij. Amphymacus And fyue thousande worthy knyghtes alle There came with them manly for to falle Vpon grekes in helpynge of the towne And from an yie of full great renowne Called lyâ—ye came the kynge Glaucon And â—ith hym brought his sone Spardon A noble knyght in armes full famous And was allyed to kynge Pryamus And thre thousande if I shall nat fayne There came of knyghtê with these lordes twayne And from larys a ryche lande also As I fynde there came kynges two And them to quyte manly as they ought A thousande knyghtê they to Troye brought And from a kyngdome named lycaowne Caphemus a kynge of great renowne Brought with hym as dares bereth wytnesse A thousande knyghtes of great worthynesse And fyue hondred Dares telleth vs Came with Hupon and with Epedus Many knyghtes in plates of syluer bryght And with hym eke a kynge yâ— Remus hyght Brought .iij. thousande to Troye many myle From Tabaria his large myghty yle And Dukes foure with all theyr chyualrye 〈◊〉 Eries viij came in his companye Hauyngem armes great experyence And all they bare without difference Theyrmen they whan they were in yâ— felde The chief of golde eueryche in his shelde Wherby the kynge and booly his nauye Amonge them all knowen myght be All be that other bore eke the same And fro Trace kynge Pylex by his name Fro thyâ—ke Trace that is moste excellent Whiche in the plage of the Oryent Haueth his syght froÌ„ which this myghty kyÌ„â—ge A thousande knyghtê brought at his comynge As myne Auctor recordeth eke also An hondred knyghtes be to Troye go With Alchamus a Duke eke full famous That came with Pylex Guydo wryteth thus Troyans to helpe in theyr great nede And fro Pauonye sothely as I rede Came Pretemessus the noble werryour Lorde of that lande kynge and gouernour And duke Stupex with hym eke he hadde And of knyghtes a thousande that he ladde Towarde Troye from his regyon And as this storye maketh mencyon That yle standeth moste by wyldernesse And by woodes of plenteuous thyckenesse Growe therin many full dyuerse tree And moste is forest that men may there se For they there buylde houses but a fewe And in that lande full dyuersely themshewe Many lyknesse queynte and monstruous Bestes vnkouthe to syghte meruaylous Stoundemell as by apparence By illusyon false in existence Wonder gastefull playnely for to sene For dyuerse goodes of the woodes grene Appere there called Satyrye By cornys eke fawny and incubye That cause often men to falle in rage And of this lande the people is full sauage Hardy knyghtes furyous and wode And desyrous aye to shede blode Greatly experte specially to shete With darte and spere peryllous for to mete For they caste euen as any lyne And from an I le that named was Botyne In great arraye to Troye the Cyte Lyke as I fynde there came Dukes thre The firste of all called Auphymyus Saume the secounde the thirde Forcyus And as sayth Dares whiche lyste natlye Twelue hondred knyghtê in theyr companye And fro Bytunye as made is remembrauÌ„ce The ryche lande that hath suche habundauÌ„ce Of spyces goÌ„mes fruytes corne and wyne Holsome rotes ryndes ryche and fyne Wonder vnkouthe and precious also Out of whiche I le there came knyghtes two Full knyghtly men in armes desyrous Kynge Boetes and Epysterus And with them brought to Troye from so ferre A thousande knyghtes arayed for the werre And fro the lande called Paffogonye Whiche seuered is from all companye As bokes saye that be Hystoryall Vnder the plage that is Oryentall Sette so ferre as made is rehersayle That fewe or none to that lande trauayle For there to come is almoste impossyble For whiche that lande is called muysyble Bycause oonly of his remocyon And it is a ryche regyon Of golde and syluer and also of stones And habundaunte of plente for the nones It is so full of treasoure and of gode And hath his syght on the ryche flode I named Tygre nat fer from Eufrates As sayth myne Auctour that called is Dares Fro whiche lande in stele armed clene A thousande knyghtê came with Phylymene The worthy kynge whose sheldes out of orede Were of querboyl in Guydo as I rede With golde depaynte fret with stones ryche That in this worlde I trowe was none lyche Out of the floodes chosen by deuyse Whiche haue theyr course out of Paradyse The whiche kynge a Gyaunt of stature And of makynge is passynge all measure Stronge and delyuer also as I fynde And fro the lande that marcheth vpon ynde Kynge Porses came with many knghtly man And he also that with his honde hym wan So moche honour the noble Meryon And his brother called Sygamon Whiche from the lande of theyr subieccyowne Of dukes erles and knyghtes of renowne Thre thousande brought
thy swerde in any thynge auiyle Agaynst me for all thy worthynesse And if so be that so great hardynese Courage of wyll vygour force or mâ—ght Meue thy herte by manhode as a kiyght To take on the as in derrynge do For to darreyne here betwene vs two Thylke quarell how so that befalle For the whiche that we stryue all I wyll assente playnely to Iupaâ—te Tyll that the deth one of vs departe There is no more that these lordes here Kynges prynces wyll accorde yfere That it be do fully by one assent And holde stable of herte and of entent Whiche in a felde oonly that we tweyne As I haue sayde this quarell may darreyne And it fynysshe by this condycyowne That if it happe thorugh thy hye renowne Me to venquysshe or put at outtraunce I wyll you make fully assuraunce That firste my lorde Pryamus the kynge Shall vnto grekes in all maner thynge With sceptre crowne hoolly hym submytte And in a poynt varye nouther flytte Fully to yelde to your subieccyowne All his lordshyp within Troye towne And his lyges in captyuyte Shall go theyr way out of this cyte And leue it quyte in your gouernaunce Without stryfe or any varyaunce And therupon to make suerte To deuoyde all ambygnyte Tofore the goddes by othe and sacrament We shall be swore in full good entent And ouer more our fayth also to saue To assure you in pledge ye shall haue The mene whyle and kepe them on your syde At your choyse hostages to abyde From Troye towne of the worthyeste That ye lyste chese and also of the beste So that ye shall of no thynge be in were Of all that euer that I saye you here And Achylles without wordes mo If that thou lyste accorde full therto That I haue sayde thy honour to encrease To make this werre sodaynely to cease That lykly is for to laste longe Betwene Troyans and the Grekes stronge Thou shalt nat oonly with honour with fame Thorugh out the worlde gette the a name But therwith all and that is nat a lyte Thorugh thy knyghthod to many man ê“fyte That fro the deth shall escape a lyue And to his countre hole and sounde aryue That lykly are by cruell aduenture For to be dede if the werre endure Come of therfore and let nat be prolongued But let the day at wene vs two be ioyned As I haue sayde in condycyowne If in diffence oonly of this towne I haue victorye by fortune on the I axe nat but anone that ye Breke vp sege and the werre lete And suffre vs to lyue in quyete Into Grece home whan ye are gone To whiche thynge Achylles anone Hote in his Ire and furyous also Brennynge full hote for anger and for wo Assentydis with a despytous chere And gan anone to Ector dresse hym nere And sayde he wolde delyuer hym vtterly Fro poynt to poynt his axynge by and by And there in made none excepcyon But of hole herte and entencyon His requeste accepted euerydell And as it semed lyked it right well And for his parte he caste a gloue downe In sygne and token of confirmacyowne For lyfe or deth that he wyll holde his day Agayne Ector happe what happe may Vnto the whiche Ector lyfly sterte And toke it vp with as glad an herte As euer yet dyde man or knyght That quarell toke with his foo to fyght There can no man in sothe a ryght deuyse How gald he was of this hye Empryse Of whiche the noyse and the great sowne Ran to the Erys of Agamenowne And he anone came downe to theyr tent With all the lordes of his Parlyament ¶ Where Achylles and Ector were yfere To wytte theyr wyll as in this matere Were they wolde assente fynally To put the quarell full in Iupardy Of outher part atwene these knyghtes tweyne As ye haue herde it fully to dareyne And with one voyce grekes it denye And sayde they ne wolde of suche a companye Of kynges dukes and lordes eke also Both lyfe and deth Iuparte atwene two Nor to the course of Fortune them submytte That can hir face all day chaunge and flytte And some of Troye in conclusyowne Iuparte ne wold theyr lyues nor theyr towne In the handes oonly of a knyght To put all in auenture of fyght Pryam except whiche sothly in this caas Within hym selfe fully assentyd was Playnely to a put and set in Iupardye Hoolly the honour of his regallye Supposynge aye as made is memorye That Ector shulde haue hadde the victorye Of this Empryse if he it toke on honde But for Pryam myght natwithstonde Agayne so many of one entencyon That were contrarye to his oppynyon Bothe of Grekes and on Troye syde He helde his peas and let it ouer slyde And so the Grekes parted be echone And Ector is from Achylles gone Home to Troye where I hym leue a whyle Whyles that I directe shall my style To telle of Troylus the lamentable wo Whiche that he made to parte his lady fro ALas Fortune Gery and vnstable And redy aye for to be chaungeable WhaÌ„ folk most trust iÌ„ thy stormy face Lyke theyr desyre the fully to embrace Than is thy ioye away to tourne and wrythe Vpon wretches thy power for to kythe Recorde on Troylus that fro the whele so lowe By false enuye thou hast ouer throwe Out of the ioye whiche that he was Inne From his lady to make hym for to twynne Whan he best wende for to haue be suryd And of the woo that he hath enduryd I must nowe helpe hym to complayne Whiche as his herte felte so great payne So inwarde wo and so great distresse More than I haue cunnynge to expresse Whan he knewe the partynge of Cryseyde Almost for woo and for payne he deyde And fully wyste she departe shall By sentence and Iugement fynall Of his fader gyuen in Parlyament For whiche with wo and tourment all to rent He was in poynt to haue fallen in rage That no man myght a pease nor a swage The hyd paynes whiche in his breste gan dare For lyke a man in furye he gan fare And suche sorowe day and nyght to make In complaynynge oonly for hir sake For whan he sawe that she shulde aweye He leuer hadde playnely for to deye Than to lyue behynde in hir absence For hym thought without hir presence He was but dede there is no more to sayne And intoterys he began to rayne With whiche his eyen gan for to bolie And in his breste the syghes vp to swolle And the sobbynge of his sorowes depe That he ne can but rore and wepe So sore loue his herte gan constrayne And she ne felte nat a lytell payne But wepte also and pyteously gan crye Desyrynge aye that she myght dye Rather than parte fro hym out of Troye Hir owne knyght hir lust hir lyues ioye That by hir chekes the terys downe distylle And fro hir eyen the rounde droppes trylle And all for dewed haue hir blacke wede
despyse But it receyue for a remembraunce And with all this that it be pleasaunce Of very pyte and of womanhede On hir seruaunt called Dyomede To remembre that was be come hir knyght And she anone with herte glad and lyght Full womanly bad hym repayre agayne Vnto his lorde and playnely to hym sayne That shene myght of very kyndenesse Of womanhede nor of gentyllesse Refuse hym platly from hir grace That was to hir there in straunge place So kynde founde and so comfortable In euery thynge and so seruyable That it may nat lyghtly out of mynde To thynke on hym that was so trewe kynde ¶ With whiche answere the messager is gone Vnto his lorde and tolde it hym anone Worde by worde lyke as she hath sayde And he therof was full well apayde That hym thought playnely in his herte He was recured of his paynes smerte And forth he had hym in armes as a knyght But that day durynge the stronge fyght They of Troye so manly haue them borne That grekes myght nat stonde them aforne For to theyr tentê they haue theÌ„ chased downe That ne hadde be kynge Agamenowne Grekes hadde be dryuen out of the felde The whiche thynge anone as he behelde He came vpon with many worthy man And tho of newe the slaughtre agayne began On euery halfe vpon the large playne That Grekes haue Troyans so be layne That efte agayne they haue the felde ywonne So that Troyans constrayned tho begonne To lese theyr londe tyll Pollydamas Whiche with his knyghtes there besyde was Gan falle vpon endelonge the grene Them of Troye full manly to sustene And the Grekes he gan so to enchace Whan he came in that they loste theyr place And to the stronde euen vpon the see Thurgh his knyghthod he made theÌ„ for to fle Of theyr lyfe that they were in drede The whiche myschefe whan that Dyomede Behelde and sawe how Pollydamas Mortally pursued on the chas On hors backe in the felde a fere With cruell herte hent anone a spere And spryngynge out rode to hym full ryght And he agayne to acquyte hym lyke a knyght As he that lyste on no partye feyne Of his stede helde agayne the reyne And raughte a spere threwe it in the reste And Dyomede he smote so on the breste That mortally lyke as it is founde He vnhorsed hym with a greuous wounde And ryght anone with a knyghtly herte Pollydamas all attones sterte Vnto the hors of this Dyomede And by the reyne proudely gan it lede Vnto Troylus where he on foot stode All for bathed in the Grekes blode On euery halfe whiche that he shadde Amonges them so knyghtly he hym hadde That they ne myght endure nor sustene His sharpe swerde grounde was so kene And delyuerly maugre all his foon Into the sadell vp he sterte anoon Of very force armed as he was And vnwarely by aduenture or cas With sharpe swerdes for the nones whette As Achylles and he togydre mette Worthy Troylus of rancour and of pryde Achylles smote that he felle asyde Downe of his hors lowe to the grounde And natwtstandynge his grene mortal wouÌ„de He rose agayne and faste gan hym spede If that he myght to recure his stede But all for nought it wolde nat auayle For sodaynely with a fresshe batayle They of Troye as made is mencyon In compasse wyse beset hym enuyron Eueryche of them armed bryght and clene And Ector tho in his furyous tene As Dares telleth all the maner howe The same day a thousande knyghtes slowe Whiche them withstode oonly in diffence For Achylles to make resystence That tyme of deth stondynge in Iupardye That certaynely but if bokes lye By lyklyhede he myght nat escape In that myschefe to be dede or take Ector on hym was so furyous But as I rede Thelamonyus Reskued hym in this great nede And caused hym to recure his stede Natwithstandynge all the great prees For the Duke and lorde of Athenes Was in this case of herte and hole entent To helpe Achylles wonder dylygent That with hym ladde many noble knyght But for bycause that it drewe to nyght As the storye maketh rehersayle They made an ende as of that batayle And they of Troye entred be the towne And after that as made is mencyowne By and by hauynge delayes Mortally they foughte thurty dayes Withoute any interrupcyon On outher parte to great destruccyon But aldermost for all theyr great pryde They lost moste on the Grekes syde Saue Pryamus loste in specyall Sixe of his sones called naturall For whom he hadde full great heuynesse And as the storye lyketh to expresse This mene whyle Ector in certayne In his face wounded was agayne And thus they haue in this cruell rage On euery parte receyued great damage Tyll kynge Pryam from Troye sent downe For a trewes vnto Agamenowne For sixe monthes if he assente wolde And therupon he hath a counsayle holde With his lordes what were beste to do And they echone accorded be therto And graunte his axynge in conclusyon And all this whyle within ylyon Durynge the peas on outher parte assured Of his woundes fully to be cured Lay worthy Ector protector of the towne But of this ryche royall chefe doungeowne That Ylyon in Troye bare the name Whiche of byldynge hadde suche a fame If that I shulde coÌ„mende it vp so downe As Dares doth in his descripcyowne I wante cunnynge my termys to aplye For in his boke as he doth specefye In all this wrolde was there none so ryche Of hye deuyse nor of byldynge lyche The whiche stode the more to delyte As he recordeth on twelue stones whyte Of Alabastre shortly to conclude And twenty pase was the latytude That grounde ypaued thorugh out with crystall And vp on hyghte parformed euery wall Of all stones that any man can fynde Of Dyamountes and saphyres ynde The royall rubye so oryent and lyght That the derkenesse of the dymme nyght Enchaced was with his bemes shene And euer amonge were emeraudes grene With stones all that any maner man In this worlde deuyse or reken can That were of pryse value or rychesse Ther were wrought of large gret rouÌ„denesse As sayth Dares Yuory pyllers And therupon set at the corners Of pured golde all aboue on hyghte There were ymages wonder huge of weyghte With many perle and many ryche stone And euery pyller in the halle hadde one Of massyfe golde borned clere and bryght And wonderfull to any mannes syght For of this werke the meruaylous fasyon Was more lyke by estymacyon A thynge ymade and founded by fayrye Than any werke wrought by fantasye Thorugh wytte of man as by lyklynesse For in his boke Dares bereth wytnesse That it was lyke to reken syght and all In apparaunce a thynge celestyall Syth in this boke ye get no more of me For but in wrytynge I myght neuer it se Albe all other that it dyde excelle No more therof I thynke nowe to telle But retourne agayne to Pryamus
And toke the londe out of shyppes borde ¶ Where duke Nestor was gouernour lorde Whiche them receyueth lyke a gentyll knyght With all his power dylygence and myght But Menelaye of rancoure and great hete Gan with the duke secretely to trete To fynde a mene in his inwarde syght For to depryue Horestes of his ryght And therupon to haue a iugement At Athenes was holde a Parlement Of all the lordes of that regyon To gyue theron a diffynycyon In whiche was shewed openly ynoughe How Horestes his owne modre sloughe And the maner of his great offence Hym selfe tho beynge in presence And whan this thynge he fully dyde espye For his partye he gan agayne replye As he that felte hym frely at his large For hym allegynge how he hadde in charge Of the goddes shortly to declare His mortall swerde that he nat ne spare Vpon Clemestra roote of false treason That slewe hir lorde kynge Agamenon And the murdre thorugh hir malys wrought Wherfore Horestes humbly besought The lordes all with a manly herte Of equyte consydre and aduerte For no malyce rancoure nor for rage Hym to depryue of his herytage Syth he was sone of Agamenon Borne to be heyre of that regyon As ye haue herde that called was Methene Albe his moder Clemestra the quene Compassyd hadde his destruccyon But Duke Nestor ymeuyd of reason In susteynynge of horestes ryght Rose vp anone lyke a manly knyght Offrynge hym selfe proudely for his sake This hye quarell for to vndertake With his body to the deth darreyne With whom that lyst his tytle to withseyne But there was none in all that companye That durste a worde agayne hym replye So hoole he stode in his oppynyon And by his knyghtly medyacyon He bare hym so feynynge in no thynge That Horestes was ycrowned kynge Of Meneste all beynge of assent And whan dissolued was the Parlement This Horestes of his lyeges trewe Receyued was with a crowne newe And by treate of lordes many one Kynge Menelay and he were made atone And gan theyr Ire and theyr rancourelete And yâ—dumee the worthy kynge of Crete So prudently gouerneth this matere That hermyone the yonge doughter dere Of Menelay and the quene Eleyne So yonge so fresshe of beaute souereyne Yweddyd was without more tariynge To Horestes the newe lusty kynge And bycause of this allyaunce Deuoyded was all rancour and distaunce Atwene the kynges Menelay the olde And horestes of whom right now I tolde Thus leue I them as it was the beste Eche in his reygne lyue in peas and reste For all stryfe was ceasyd in this caas But Erygona that the doughter was Of Egistus as ye haue herde me telle For sorowe and drede lyste no lenger dwelle But toke a rope and lyst no thynge to spare And therwithall gan hir selfe to gnare The storye sayth hye vpon a tree This was hir fyne ye gette no more of me But I wyll forth ceryously entreate Of the storye to telle you the greate OVlixes by ordre in my wrytynge Thyne auentures come on the rynge Full wonderfull both on londe see Entermedlyd with great aduersytee For Guydo firste descryuynge thy repayre Sayth how thou founde weder foule fayre Now agreable now the thonder sowne Now stylle and smothe now with clwdes frowne And sayth also that thou dyddest ordayne To thy passage myghty shyppes twayne Apparaylled all for marchaundyse That thou myghtest in moste secrete wyse Euery myschefe of the see escape ¶ But for all that thou haddest a felle iape For as this Auctour thy resorte doth wryte He sayth Vlixes for all his wordes whyte Yrobbed was of rychesse and of gode Contraryous wynde so agayne hym stode That he was dryue to his confusyon Into the myghty stronge regyon Where Thelamon reygned by his lyue And there he was hent and take blyue ¶ By myghty honde sesyd by the brest And mercyles put vnder arest For they hym hadde suspect in workynge Touchynge the murdre of the same kynge But he so wroughte by his sleyghty wyle And his tale sette in suche a style That them all he playnely hath be iaped And fro theyr honde freely is escaped Except that he for all his queynt fare Of his treasour was ymade full bare And for his passage was to hym vnkouthe He fyll agayne into the wolfes mouthe For veryly as it is specyfyed Kynge Naulus men haue hym eft espyed Take and bounde and chayned mercyles For the murdre of kynge Pallamydes But the storye reherseth in certayne By his prudence he scaped is agayne For he was bothe expert wyse and olde All though the maner be nat fully tolde Of his escape thorugh his besy payne Out of daunger of these kynges twayne Tyll thurgh Fortune he came fro myschefe fre To the presence of kynge ydume In symple array and torne apparayle Wherof the kynge greatly gan meruayle Tose his pouert in so lowe manere But for all that he made hym good chere Though that tyme he were infortunate He hym receyueth lyke to his estate And whan they were bothe twayne alone In complaynynge Vlixes made his mone Vnto the kynge as he that was full sage Ceryously the sorte of his passage With face sad and a sobre chere Fro poynt to poynt anone as ye shall here My lorde quod he shortly to expresse Of truste I haue in your gentyllesse I shall to you myn auentures alle Reherse here right as it is falle FIrste whan that I Troye londe forsoke And the water with my shyppes toke I was anone with wynde pesyble blowe To an yâ—le whiche was to me vnknowe Called Mirma of great habâ—â—daunce And all thynge that was to my plesaunce That may for syluer or for golde be bought I redy founde and wanted right nought And there abode full longe whyle in ioye With the treasoure that I gat at Troye My shyppes stuffed my men hole and sounde And for coÌ„modyte of that ylke gounde We lyked so the countre enuyron That for disporte and recreacyon Our tariynge there we thought nat full longe For no man dyde vnto vs no wronge Tyll on a daye that the eyer was styll The wynde also fully at our wyll We sayled forth in quyete and in pees Vnto a porte called Claustafages Wherwith my meyne longe and many day I founde all thynge accordynge to my pay The weder lusly agreable and fayre But who may truste outher in wynde or ayre For vpon fayth of the smothe skye Agayne to shyppe faste I gan me hye Taryed nought but toke anone the see Smothe and calme endurynge dayes three That in the weder founde was no lacke But sodaynely the heuen tourneth blacke The hydous tempest and the wawes grene Out of hope haue me dispeyred clene Troubled my spirite and made me so pensyfe Without refute to escape with the lyfe Tossyd and dryuen by many sondry yle Tyll at the laste caste vp at Cecyle Recurynge londe with great annoye payne Where that tyme reygned kynges twayne And as I
the soueraynte And for to tell of this Eban tree Lyke in bokes sothely as I fynde It cometh out of Ethyope and ynde Blacke as is geete and it wyll wexe anone Whan it is korue harde as any stone And euermore laste and endure And nat corrupte with water nor moysture And of this halle further to diffyne With stones square by leuell and by lyne It paued was with great dilygence Of masonrye and passynge excellence And all aboue reysed was a see Full curyously of stones and perre That called was as chefe and pryncipall Of the reygne the sete moste royall To fore whiche was sette by great delyte A borde of Eban and of yuery whyte So egally yioyned and so clene That in the werke there was no ryfte sene And sessyouns were made on euery syde Oonly the estates by ordre to deuyde Eke in the halle as it was couenable On eche partye was a dormaunt table Of yuery eke and this Eban tree And euen agayne this kynges royall se In the partye that was therto contrayre I reysed was by many crafty stayre Hye in the halle in the other syte Right as lyne in the opposyte Of pured metall and of stones clere In brede and lengthe a full ryche autere On whiche there stode of fygure and vysage Of massy fe golde a wonderfull ymage To be honoured in that hye sete Oonly in honour of Iubyter the grete ¶ And the statute for all his huge heyghte Fyftene cubytes complet was of heyghte A crowne of golde hye vpon his heede With heuenly saphyres and many ruby rede Fret enuyron with other stones ynde And amonges were medled as I fynde Whyte perles massyfe large and rounde And for most chefe all dirkenesse to confounde Was a Carbuncle kynge of stones alle To recomforte and glade all the halle And it to enlumyne in the blacke nyght With the fresshenesse of his rody lyght The value was therof inestymable And the rychesse playnly in comparable For this ymage by dyuysion Was of shap and proporcion From heed to fote so maysterly entayled That in apoynt yâ— workman hath nat fayled It to parfourme by crafty excellence Whom Pryamus with drede and reuerence Honoured hath aboue the goddes alle In all myschefe to hym to clepe and calle For in hym was his hole affeccion His soueraygne truste and deuocion His hope also and his affyaunce His helthe his ioye and his assuraunce And his welfare and prosperyte He hath coÌ„mytted to his deyte Wenynge in herte wonder sykerly To be assured from all myschefe therby And diffended in eche aduersyte And holde his reygne in hye felycyte And in honour contynuelly to shyne Whyle Iubyter thorugh his power dyuyne Hym and his hath in proteccion This was his truste and full opynyon And thus this werke fynally achyeued Wherof Pryam with ioye full releued That he his cyte and noble ylyon Hath fully brought vnto perfeccyon Lyke his entent whan that he began And thus Pryam this kyge this worthy man Full many a day in this newe Troye With his lyeges lad his lyfe in ioye Where I hym leue in his royall sete Soueraygnely reygnynge in quyete Procedynge forthe if ye lyste to here Vnto the effect anone of my matere ¶ How kyÌ„g Pryamus sent Anthenor iÌ„to Grece for to haue his suster Exyone agayne Ca. xij O Hateful harme which most is for to dred Kyndled solonge osparke of old hatred Roote of debate grounde of enuy and â—re With newe flawme hertes for to fyre O grayne of malys causer of all offence O francour rusted of impacience Whiche hast of newe made festred sores sinerte Whan thou art ones raked in an herte Whiche for disdayne of mercy mayst not lete A man no whyle to lyue in equyte But deluest vp malys many folde Debates newe that buryed were of olde And falsly quykest stryues to restore That enuyous serpent yâ— was slayne of yore Whiche felly hath this addre enuyous Out of his reste awaked Pryamus And with his venym so persynge so ylle Made hym wery to lyue in tranquylle And meued hym of his iniquyte Vpon Grekes auenged for to be For where as he in peas helde his reygne With his lyeges in ioy souereygne Without anoye or any perturbaunce This serpent hath with newe remembraunce Without aduyse or discrete areste So hoote a flawme kyndled in his breste Of olde enuye with fresshe rancour meynte That lykly is neuer to be queynte For Pryam nowe in his entenciowne Caste and compasseth reuoluynge vp downe Howe stronge he was of rychesse and meyne Howe noble and myghty was also his cyte And habundaunt shortly to conclude Bothe of plente and of multytude Of men of armes and of chyualrye Whiche stered hym to haue fantasye Alas the whyle to his vnhappy chaunce That to be deed he take wyll vengeaunce Vpon his foon the fyre of hoote enuye So brent hym in warde by malencolye Stondynge in purpose that no man chauÌ„ge may Of his damages auenged be some day And of miuryes that they on hym haue wrought And whan that he had a tyme sought To his purpose moste conuenyent Anone he hath for all his lordes sent And his knyghtes called euerychone To come in haste excused was nat one Namely of them that were of hye degre And they obeyeng with all humylyte His byddynge hooly and made no delay To come echeone agayne a certayne day And his sones were also present Ector except that was that tyme absent In the stronge and myghty regyon Of Panomye whiche in subieccyon Kynge Pryam helde thorugh his worthynesse And to amende thynges and redresse Ector was gone into this Panomye Certayne causes for to Iustefye As in his reason he thought for the beste To sette them in quyete and in reste For he was aye so iuste and so prudent So well aduysed and so pacyent And so demened in his gouernaunce That hym was lothe for to do vengeaunce Where as he myght in easy wyse treate For to reforme thynges smale and greate For lothe he was this noble worthy knyght For any haste to execute ryght Or causeles by rygour to condempne And in this whyle full worthy and solempne Kynge Pryamus of lordes great and small Within Troye helde a court royall As he that lyste for no coste to spare And ceryously his menynge to declare He in his see his lordes enuyron Gan thus to shewe his hertes mocyon O worthy lordes that be now here present Faythfull and trewe of herte of entent It is nat vnknowen to your discrecyon The great damages and oppressyon Whiche that Grekes haue vpon vs wrought Without cause for a thynge of nought This other daye as who sayth but late That as I trowe so newe is yet the date That it was fresshe remeÌ„bred in your mynde Vnto your blode if that ye be kynde For I suppose no foryetylnesse May put awaye the mortall heuynesse Of harmes olde whiche aye renewe agayne In my memorye I saye you in certayne And as I trowe
lyke as I haue behyght And in all haste bego out of my syght For vtterly it dothe to great offence Vnto myn eye to hauethe in presence For thorugh disdayne it causeth myn vnreste Than Anthenor thought for the beste It was nat holsom lenger to abyde But caste wysely for rancour or for pryde That it was beste for to bere hym fayre And to his shyppe he gan anone repayre And in all haste by possybylytee Without abode he taken hath the see And gan to sayle and homewarde faste drawe But sodaynly boyle gan the wawe The see to ryse and the cloudes blake For to appere and the wynde a wake Wonder gastfull also was the heuene With dredfull fyre of the bryght leuene The thonder smote the tempest gan to dryue That the maste gan a soder ryue Now alofre now in poynt to drowne The felle weder gan so on them frowne That they awayte nat but vpon dethe Euen at the poynt of yeldynge vp of the brethe For they ne sawe none other remedye And euer amonge they gan clepe and crye To theyr goddes and auowes make And deuoutly for to vndertake Eche of them lyke as he was of age If they escape to go on pylgrymage Lyke the rytes of theyr paynem wyse To the goddes to do theyr sacryfyse So as they were of substaunce of myght And sodaynly the weder derke as nyght With newe lyght by grace gan adawe The see waxe calme and smothe gan the wawe So that of happe amonge euerychone For all the tempest perysshed was nat one But tofore Troye within a sytell space They be aryued euerychone by grace Escaped safe from euery Ieopardye Bothe Anthenor and all his companye And to the temple he toke the right way And in his prayer there full longe he lay With many another also for his sake ThaÌ„kyng their goddes that made them so eskape Euery peryll and tempest of the see And after this vnto the kynge gothe he That with his lordes aboute hym full royall In his paleys and dongyon pryncypall Sat and abode full solempnelye Trewe reporte of this embassatrye And this knyght of all that hath hym falle Hath tolde the kynge tofore his lordes alle THis Anthenor hath first made meÌ„cion Tofore the kynge by iuste relacyon Of his expleyt by ordre by and by And in what wyse and how vncurteysly He was receyued of kynge Pelleus Of the thretes and wordes despytous That he suffred of kynge Thelamon Beynge as ferse as a wood lyon And afterwarde he gan also complayne Of the despyte of the bretherne twayne Of his rebuke and his great drede And at Nestor how he dyde spede That with his lyfe he myght vnneth skape All this he tolde and gan an ende make Of his iourney and eke of his repayre And than Pryam was fully in despayre Outher by forte or by aduenture Euer agayne his suster to recure For he conceyueth in his aduertence By clere reporte of experte euydence That aye the more he was to them benygne The more vngoodly ayen hym they malygne And where he most hym sheweth debonayre There he fonde theÌ„ agaynward most coÌ„trayre So frowardly euer they them quyte Shewynge by sygnes that they sette lyte By his frenshyp for ought he coude aduerte Wherof he was pure sorym his herte That he constrayned right of very nede Compelled was iustly to procede To haue redresse oonly by rygour For profre of peas myght haue no fauour To be admytted by tytle of ryghtwysenesse Thorugh hye despyte of hasty wylfulnesse For euery mene of measour was in vayne Saue oonly werre engendred by disdayne Begonne and caused all of olde hatrede Whiche gan anone suche a bronde to brede Of newe enuye in the kynges breste That Pryamus without more areste Is so iuly with Yre and rancour fret And with disdayne so sore grounde and whet That where so be that he lese or wynne Vpon grekes he wyll a werre begynne And Iuparte manly as a knyght His lyfe his deth bycause he hadde ryght And caste hym firste a nauee for to sende Into grece his fomen for to fende And lyke a knyght his force for to haunte In knyghtly wyse he caste hym for to daunte The pompe of grekes and the sturdynesse And fynally theyr pryde to oppresse ¶ But saye Pryam what infelycyte What newe trouble what hap what destyne Or from aboue what hatefull Influence Descended is by vnware vyolence To mâ—ue the thou canste nat lyue in pees What sodayne sorte what fortune gracelees What chaunce vnhappy without auysenesse What wylfull luste what fonned hardynesse Haue put thy soule out of tranquyllyte To make the werye of thy prosperyte Why hast yâ— fauour in bytter more than swete That canste nat lyue in peas nor in quyete Thou art trauayled with wylfull mocyons Ouer maystred with thy passyons For lacke of reason and of hye prudence Derked and blynde from all prouydence And full barayne to cast afore and se The harmes folowynge of thyne aduersyte Thou were to slowe wysely to consydere For wante of syght made to the slydere Thorugh myste of errour falsly to forueye By pathys wronge from the right weye To voyde reason of wylfull hastynesse Wher was thy guyde wher was thy maistresse Descrecyon so prudent and so ladde A vyselye that shulde the haue ladde From the traces of sensualyte Though it full selde in mannes power be By suffraunce hymselfe to refrayne Whan sodayne Yre doth his herte strayne Thou shuldest afore better a cast thy chaunce Wrought by counsayle nat put in balaunce Thy sykernesse alas why dydest thou so And haue symuled some dele of thy wo And caste thy chaunge well afore the pryme To haue forgoten wronges of olde tyme And thought afore in thyn aduertence That ofte falleth in experyence That whyles men do moste besynesse Vengeably theyr wronges to redresse With double harme or that they are ware They falle agayne in a newe snare And damages that were forgete clene By false reporte of rumoure fresshe and grene Renewed be thorugh the swyfte fame That fleeth so fer to hyndre alordes name Namely whan they to a purpose wende Oonly of hede and se nat the ende For of pryde and of sodayne heete They voyde themselfe out of all quyete Aduertynge nat to worke auyselye Nor the prouerbe that techeth comonlye He that stande sure enhaste hym nat to meue For if he do it shall hym after greue And he that walketh surely on the playne If he stumble it is but in vayne But if so be helyste of his folye Be neclygent to put hym wylfullye In auenture and of hymselfe to reche To eschewe peryll I holde he be a wreche For sothly Pryam thou were to rechelees For to coÌ„mytte thy quyete and the pees So dredefully durynge by no date To cruell fortune or to fykell fate Whose maner is of custome comonly That whan a man trusteth moste soueraynely Of this goddesse blynde and full vnstable Than she to hym is moste deceyuable Hym to
golde and treasoure and the tyrannye Vpon his men by Troyans execute Both of assaylynge and of all the sute That on the grekes they made cruelly And how that they ne spared vtterly Man nor woman that came in theyr waye That they ne toke and ladde as for praye To theyr shyppes also of the fyght Afore the Castell that was on the nyght ¶ And alder laste he hereth of his wyfe Whom he loued as moche as his lyfe More tenderly god wote a thousande folde For whom astoned at herte he waxed as colde As any stone and pale of his hewe His hertely wo so inly gan renewe That first whan he herde hir name sowne Without more anone he fell in a swowne For he ne myght endure for to stande Tyll duke Nestor toke hym by the hande And hym awoke of his deedly swowgh Alas quod he why haue I lost and howgh My lyues luste my hertely suffysaunce A come now deth and make of my greuaunce Fully and ende with thy cruell darte That wounded am thorugh on euery parte My herte also korue in euery peyne For you my wyfe for you myn owne Eleyne That be deuorced frome welaway Farewell my ioye farewell myn olde play Now haue straungers of you possession Whiche wyll to me be full confusion Alas I noot how they you cherysshe or trete My fayre Eleyne that were to me so mete Now ye are gone pensyfenesse me slethe I may nat wayte now but after dethe And after thisâ— amyd in all his wo This Menelay shope hym for to go To his reygne but lytell there besyde He axeth hors and sayde he wolde ryde Sool to complayne of that he felte hym greue But all this whyle Nestor wyll nat leue To go with hym for consolacion Of frendely right hauynge compassion Hym to comforte with all his full myght â—edynge with hym many a worthy knyght Into the reygne of this Menelaus Than firste of allâ— the storye telleth vs How they sente for Agamenon And for Castor to come to hym anon And for Pollux if it myght be And whan that they were come all thre And sawe their brother iÌ„ such myschef brought Almoste murdred with his owne thought Without abode the wyse Agamenon To gyue hym comforte and consolacion Dyde his labour and dylygence entere Sayenge to hym right as ye shall here O brother myn what wo what heuynesse What deedly sorowe thus inly may oppresse Your knyghtly herte or trouble your manhede More furyously Iwys than it is nede For though that right requered vtterly You for to sorowe and hadde cause why Yet me semeth by iuste prouydence Ye shuld slyely dissymule your offence Syth eche wyse man in his aduersytee Shulde fayne chere and kepe in secree The inwarde wo that bynde hym in distresse By manly force rathest there compesse The spirite of Ire and melancolye Where the people it soonest myght espye It is a doctryne of them that be prudent That whan a man with furye is to rent To fayne chere tyll tyme he se leysere That he of vengeaunce kyndele may the fyere For sorowe out shewed if I shall nat fayne Who so taketh hede it doth thynges twayne It causeth frendes for to syghe sore And his enemyes to reioyse more Thy frende in herte is sorye of nature Thyne enemye glad of thy mysaduenture Wherfore in herte whaÌ„ wo doth most habouÌ„de Fayne gladnesse thyne enemye to confounde And shewe in chere as thou roughtest nought Of that moste is greuous in thy thought And wher thou hast most mater to complayne Make there good face glad in porte the fayne For into teres though thou all distylle And rende thy selfe as thou woldest the spylle It helpeth nat to a legge thy greuaunce For nouther honour nor pursute of vengeauÌ„ce With sorowe makynge mowe be execute Though it last ay ther cometh therof no fruyte Men lay how he that can dissymule a wronge How he is slyghe and of herte stronge And who can be pesyble in his smerte It is a token he hath a manly herte Nat to wepe as women in theyr rage Whiche is contrary to an hye courage With worde wepyng for to aueÌ„ge our payne By no meanes to worshyp to attayne Let vs with swerde nat with wordes fyght Our tunge appese by maÌ„hod preue our myght Worde is but wynde and water that we wepe And though the tempest and the floddes depe Of this two encrease euer moo They may nat do but augment our woo And to our soon therof whan they here Bothe of our dole and our heuy chere All is to them but encrase of ioye Wherfore brother a whyle do acoye The cruell tourment that bynde you so sore For in prouerbe it hath be sayde full yore That the prowesse of a manly knyght Is proued moste in myschefe and his myght To be assured in aduersyte Strongly sustene what wo that it be Nat cowardly his courage to submytte In euery peryll nor his honour flytte Thorughe no dispayre but hope alway wele And haue a truste trewe as any steâ—e To acheue aye what he take an honde For fynally I do you vnderstonde That of hymselfe who hath good fantasye To set vpon and put in Iuparâ—ye What that befalle or happe what happe may Takynge what chauÌ„ce wyll turne on his play The fyne of suche gladly is victorye They fayle selde of the palme of glorye And tyme is now to speke in wordes fewe O brother myn manhode for to shewe To plucke vp herte and you to make stronge And to venge your daÌ„mages your wronge We shall echone helpe and lay to hande Kynges Dukes and lordes of this lande And atones do our besynesse I you behyghte your harmes to redresse And in despyte of who that euer vs lette We shall vs lodge and our tentes sette Euen in the felde afore Troye towne And laye afore it sege to theyr destrucciowne Albe therof I set as now no day But brother firste in all the haste we may Let make letters without more sermon To all the lordes of this regyon Of matere touchynge your vyllanye To come togydre and shape remedye This is the effect of all that I can sayne ¶ And thus relesed somwhat of his payne Is Menelaus thorugh comfort of his brother For whan he fawe it myght be none other And of his tale the kynge made an ende Thorugh out yâ— lande he dyd his letters sende Firste to hir kynne and his alye To come to helpe hym of theyr curtesye And firste of all to Menelaus Came Achylles and with hym Patroclus And alder next stronge Dyomede And many a nother to helpe in this nede And all echone in open Parlement They were accorded full by one assent To be gouerned as Agamenon Lyst to ordayne in his discrecion Of this vyage they made hym gouernour And of theyr ooste cheffetayne and Emperour Amonge them all there was full vnyte Vpon Troyans auenged for to be And from this purpose neuer to remewe But firste
That was in armes felle and despytous With hym brought from his lande so ferre Sixe and thyrty shyppes for the werre Amphymacus and kynge Polybete Thyrty shyppes brought to the flete From Calcedoyne and Meryon the kynge With ydinneus hadde in theyr ledynge Foure score shyppes with them out of Crete And vlixes with grekes dyde mete With fyfty shyppes stuffed out of Trace Towardes Troye proudely for to pace ¶ Duke Melleus full of manly men Brought eke with hym grete shyppes ten And moreouer the duke Perhotacus And the duke named Prothesylaus To the hauen that called was Athene Brought fyfty shyppê enarmed bryght shene From Phylyarcha the stronge myghty Yle And Methaon as Guydo dothe compyle With his brother Polydris also From theyr countre Trycionyco Brought two and twenty shyppes as I fynde And from Phyces as it is made mynde With Achilles came fyfty full by nombre And from rodon Troyans to encombre Came twenty shyppes with kynge Thelapolus And with the duke that hyght Antipus Out of the lande that Hesyda men call Of whiche the folke be nyghe cherles all With sayle crossed agayne the bryghte heuen In nombre came shyppes eke elleuen And with them was of name full famous The worthy duke called Amphymacus And Polybethes the stronge myghty kynge Fyfty shyppes brought at his coÌ„mynge Out of Richa the noble regyowne And with this kynge full worthy of renowne Was Losius the duke eke as I rede And as I fynde the noble Dyomede Of shyppes great I speke of no small barge Hath with hym brought fro Calydonye Arge Foure score in nombre sothly this no tale And Thelemus and myghty Euryale Two manly men and in armes lage With Dyomede came in this vyage And Polyphebus brought shyppes seuen And Phyneus the hardy kynge enleuen And Prothoylus as I can specyfye Brought fyfty shyppes vnto this nauye Fro Demenesa the myghty regyon And Carpenor as made is mencyon Brought fyfty eke from Capadye his countre A great prouynce of whiche kynge was he Trearyus of Beysa lorde and kynge Brought two and twenty also in his coÌ„mynge And fynally if I shall nat lye Full many shyppe was in this nauye Mo than Guydo maketh rehersayle Towarde Troye with grekes for to sayle For as Omer in his descripcion Of grekes shyppes maketh mencion Shortly affermynge yâ— man was neuer borne That suche a nombre of shyppes sawe toforne Counted the shyppes that Palamydes Brought with hym theyr nombre to encrese That whan these lordes aforesayd euerychone Kynges dukes and erles all in one Assembled were without any wene Afore the hauen that called is Athene THe famous kynge great Agamenown So wyse so worthy of so hye renown As he that was Prynce and gouernoure Of grekes hoost anone dyde his laboure His besy cure and waker dylygence By hye aduyse and inwarde prouydence To delyuer wysely in this nede What were to do or that he procede In this matere castynge vp and downe And reuoluynge of hye discreciowne That he may so begyn that the ende Conclude well that wylfulnesse ne shende Hooly theyr purpose thorugh no rakelnesse Ne thorugh none haste without auysenesse So that they may afore so wysely se That fynally in felycyte They may accoÌ„plisshe their purpose iÌ„ certayne And so this kynge vpon a large playne Out of the Cyte but lytell fro the stronde With his lordes wyll for no thynge wonde To haue a counsayle this wyse Agamenon Makynge anone a conuocacyon Of suche as were moste great inspecyall He syttynge firste in his see royall And his lordes eueryche in his see Lyke as they were of hye or lowe degree And all Tumulte stynted and scylence Was thorugh yâ— prees to gyue hym audyence Than he anone in full sobre wyse Began his tale as I shall deuyse SYres quod he I praye you take hede That be so noble and so renowmede Both of wysdome and of worthynesse Of manhode eke and of hye prowesse That of knyghthode the reporte the fame Thorugh out yâ— world rebouÌ„deth to yoâ— name For douteles the floure of Chyualrye Men may now fynde in this companye For whosawe euer of manly men yfere Togyder met as there be now here So yonge so fresshe so couragyous also So well besene for to haue a do Orso lykely sythe the worlde began Without raskayle so many knyghtly man Of kynges dukes and many another lorde As be now here of wyll and one accorde And of one herte assembled in this place That if fortune and goddes of theyr grace Be nat behynde our Iourney to repreue We may nat fayle our purpose to acheue ¶ For I deme hym playnely in arage Or werâ—e than wood that durste this vyage In any wyse perturbe or presume To take agayne vs outher to assume By myght on hym of malys to excyte Our worthynesse were it neuer so lyte Vs to prouoke to Ire or do offence That we ne shulde by mortall recompence Aquyte his mede as it lyeth in our myght That haue amoÌ„ge vs so many worthy knyght Amonges whiche an hondred and yet mo I coude chese able for to go By manly force and knyghtly suffysaunce To take on hym for to do vengaunce Vpon Troyans by hymselfe alone For whiche that we be gadred now echone That with his men were suffycyent To execute the suÌ„me of his entent And it accomplysshe in felycyte The cause I mene for whiche that all we Assembled be bothe hye and lowe And with all this to you is nat vnknowe How shamefully Troyans haue vs greued Prouoked vs and wylfully ymeued To ryse agayne them to haue recure of ryght Of wronges done with all our force myght Wherfore let vs by one assente and wyll Sette to haue as it is right and skyll Redresse to fynde of that we now complayne And of one herte do our besy payne Vpon Troyans a werre for to make And I suppose we shall them so awake That they shall lerne or we thense wende To remembre to the worldes ende How they hereafter shall dare take an hande For to presume in grece more to lande Or to be bolde whyle they haue lyfe or space Agayne Grekes more to trespace For whose offence as who sayth do but late Within our herte with so brennynge hate The feruent hete and the gredy Yre Fro day to day so setteth vs a fyre That it reneweth the constreynt of our payne So inwardely if I shall nat fayne We must of reason of so hye greuaunce Our selfe enforce for to do vengaunce As right requereth and our iuste sorowe Compelleth vs bothe eue and morowe On Troyans our harmes to bewreke And for to stoppe tunges that so speke To our reprefe and to our vylenye We must attones shape remedye That our foon hensforthe may drede For to do worse to vs as god forbede In tyme coÌ„mynge if thorugh our pacyence We lykely suffre theyr importable offence To passe forthe and take of it nohede Syth neuer yet of Grekes coude I rede That any man
Tenedowne A stronge castell whiche fro Troye towne In distaunce but sixe myle stode Full of Tresoure of rychesse and of gode Replenysshed of all habundaunce And whan that they with theyr ordynaunce ysayled haue bothe safe and sounde And fro the see taken haue the grounde To theyr pleasaunce wonder agreable And of syght a place delytable Holsome of eyre the soyle right fayre and grene And lusty playnes goodly on to sene And was also habundaunt of vytayle Replenysshed of all that may auayle To osteynge and to sowgyoures For firste the lande full of fresshe floures Was plenteuous bothe of corne and grayne Of wyne and fruyt that no thyng lay barayne Of beste and foules passyngly plente And faste by stode also the see Full habundaunt of fysshe as I fynde After the season of euery maner kynde And whan that they within the castell were The grekesse londed from a fere Without abode they arme them went oute And vpon them make an hydous shoute Stuffyng the castell with meyne strong behynde And toke theyr way in Guydo as I fynde Towarde theyr foon and knyghtly set vpon And right forthe with grekes eke anon Mette with them vpon the other syde Full surquydous and right full of pryde Clenly armed in harneys all ofstele Fresshe arayed and besene so wele For the felde as thycke as sworme of been On eche syde men may beholde and seen Spradde all the playne downe vnto yâ— stronde Tyll at the laste they mette honde to honde And assemble with square speres grounde And hurtle yfere with many blody wounde There was no good day nor no saluynge But strokes felle that men herde rynge On bassenettes the strokes rounde aboute So cruelly that the fyre sprange oute Amonge the tuftes brode bryght and shene Of foyle of golde fethers whyte and grene Eke into brestes perced many shelde And besagues fleed a brode in the felde And many men ley that mortall founde Full dedely pale lawe by the grunde With face gruf and blody stremes wyde And aldermost vpon the grekes syde The slaughter was and the discomfyture So myghtely the Troyans dyde endure Tyll at the laste for they were so sewe With multytude the grekê on theÌ„ hewe For mo than forty were agaynst one Of very force abacke they muste gone No thyng for lacke of manhode dare I sayne But for so many haue them ouer layne They may no lenger in the felde soiourne But to theyr Castell home agayne retourne In full great haste suche as myght escape Away a lyue and some of them for rape And drede of deth toke them to flyght On horse backe to Troye towne full ryght No wonder was though they haste faste For to the gates the chace of grekes laste So cruelly after they pursewe And some of them that myght nat remewe On Troye syde forweryed of fyght The grekes slewe with all theyr full myght Now here now there who they myght attayne There may no raunsome nor no mercy gayne Of none estate without excepcyowne And after that vnto Tenedowne The grekes went and it be sette aboute That Troyan none myght escape out And whan they hadde the bulwerkes wonne To skale the walle after they begonne And made a saute manfully and ofte And Troyans as they stode a lofte Put them of that entre they ne myght With caste of stone and quarell bryght With bowe turkeys and shote of Arbalasteres And theyr gonners standynge at corneres With hym also and caste of wylde fyre Of yrous hate full hote in theyr desyre Lyke manly men them selfe they diffende And aye the grekes as they vp ascende Cruelly they put to the grounde Tyll they without an ordynauÌ„ce haue founde What with gynnes deuysed for the nones And gonnes great for to caste stones Bent to the toures right as any lyne And large sowes lowe for to myne And some of them vpon the walle gone That were so thycke made of lyme and stone And to entre they many wayes seke Sette theyr bastyles and theyr hurdeys eke Rounde aboute to the harde walle And skalynge ladders for sawâ—es marcyalle They gan vp caste with hokes for to holde And vp ascende the sturdye grekes bolde Tyll Troyans from the crestes caste The great stones whyle they wolde laste And Callyowne eke grekes to opresse And wonder manly dyde theyr besynesse In theyr diffence and made plonge them lowe With caste of quarell and with shote of bowe Thorugh Olyettes that of necessyte They put them of it may none other be And broke theyr neckes theyr shuldre boues As they felle with the square stones And lye dede pyteous pale of hewe But Grekes aye gan the saute renewe With multytude Troyans to assayle To withstande that they gan to fayle And wexe feble for rescuse came there none And so of force the grekes be in gone Thorugh the walles whan they haue theÌ„ broke And on Troyans so cruelly be wroke That fynally they lefte none a lyue But slee and kylle and after that as blyue On the walles theyr baners they haue sette And yonge and olde it myght be no bette All goth to wracke vpon Troye syde And after that they ne wyll no lenger byde But treasoure golde and what they may fynde They caste an hepe and togyder bynde And make spoyle of all that was within And than in haste the walles they begyn Pynacle and toures and also the dungeowne To brenne and hewe and to bete downe And with the soyle they made euen playne And with great pray anone they went agayne To theyr shyppes glad and lyght of chere Whan the fyre with his flawmes clere The castell had consumed and ybrent And after that auyse and prudent The manly man the worthy Agamenon Let make anone a conuocacyon Of the grekes and bad they shulde brynge Golde and treasour without more tariynge With all the praye they wanne at Tenedowne To his presence for this conclusyowne That he may make distribucyon Amonges them without excepcyon Lyke theyr desert vnto pore and ryche He departeth to euery man a lyche But moste to suche as dyde beste disserue For to hymselfe hym lyste no thynge conserue For he hath leuer theyr hertes than the gode Of suche as hadde spente theyr owne blode So manfully the castell for to wynne For who that can with largesse firste begynne Ne fayleth nat after well to spede Thorugh helpe of men whan that hath nede For loue foloweth fredome comenly ¶ How kynge Agamenon assembled the Barons of Grece afore to kepe a counsayle And how they sent Vlixes and kynge Dyomede to kynge Pryamus on message Ca. xix ANd after this the kynge let make a cry That all the kyngê lordes of his oste Dukes and Erles come from euery coste The nexte morowe tofore hym to appere The nyght ypassed Phebus gan to clere Hir emysperye after the larke songe Whan yâ— the kynge amonge the grekes stronge Vpon the playne in his see royall And faste by moste chefe and pryncypall
and honour with longe prosperyte Be vnto you and good aduenture All the whyle that your lyfe may dure And specyally of the O Thelephus Whiche haste to me be so gracyous Of gentyllesse in my paynes stronge Oonly of grace my lyfe for to prolonge But deth alas I may nat now eichewe Nor his swerde on no part remewe Without recure knytte in bytter bondes Vpon the brynke falle of fatys hondes Of my lyfe all fully in despeyre Whiche of my body neuer myght haue heyre After my daye by successyon To gouerne this lytell regyon Whiche lyckely is to stande desolate Of gouernaunce and disconsolate Whiche that I wan with full great trauayle And to this day with werre and batayle I haue it kepte as ye well knowe echoue And defended from all maner fone Without losse yeres here toforne But recurlees of yore I had it lorne Ne had I had helpe and eke socour Of Hercules the great conquerour That whylom was fader to Thelepus So stronge so myghty and so chyualrous By whose manhode and whose hardynesse By his knyghthode and great worthynesse Whiche day by day is newe of memorye Of all my foon I hadde the victorye He daunted them and made them so a ferde Oonly by rygoure of his sharpeswerde That fynally thorugh his manly hede He made me this reygne to possede Maugre theyr myght in peas and quyete With septre and crowne my royall sete That none of them tyll that he was dede Hardy was to lyfte vp the hede Agaynst me to speke wordes fewe Wherby I may fully declare and shewe By euydence that this lytell yle Is perteynent and longeth to Cecyle Where Hercules for a memoryall Sâ—tte pylers in his conquest royall Whan he hadde ryde and go to fere And of Columpna yet the name bere After hym called Herculea Though some saye they hyght Herracula The name chaungynge by corrupcyon The whiche lande was whylom mansyon To the people of wylde barbarye The whiche kyngdome for to magnefye Frederyke sothly the secounde Of golde and good passyngly habounde That chosen was to be Emperour Of Rome towne and myghty gouernour And whylom eke was kynge of Cecyle Whiche made reyse in that large yle A myghty toure hye and thycke of walle As sayth Guydo for a memoryall To put his name longe in remembraunce And for the soyle was to his plesaunce With floures fresshe of many sondry hewe In some bokes the londe was named newe And pealled as I vnderstonde For his fayrenesse the lusty newe londe But Tentran aye lymge in his payne As he that faste gan the houre attayne Of cruell deth afore his lordes all He made in haste Thelephus to call To his presence and with a mortall chere Sayde openly that all myght here My sone quod he nowe I shall pace Out of this worlde for gayne may no grace My lyfe to saue thorugh no mannes myght But for bycause of equyte and ryght I am compelled iustly in sentence To declare elerely my conscyence To fore my deth herynge all this prees This to sage thy fader Hercules The wyse worthy and that knyghtly man Whylom this londe thorugh his conquest wan The whiche oonly of his goodly hede As he that was the stocke of manly hede Toke vnto me by coÌ„myssyon The gouernaunce of this regyon Of his free wyll with hole the regallye And nolde hymselfe the cowne occupye And sothely yet his right was nat the lasse For loue of whom now that I shall passe Withall the entent of my laste wylle To the I graunt as it is ryght and skylle As very heyer iustely to succede Longe in honour therin thy lyfe to lede Makynge there a prodestacyon That in full token of confirmacyon This is the wyll fynall of myn herte Fro the whiche no man may dyuerte Vpon no syde nor vtterly declyne Hor firste my wyll and dissent of lyne Be togyder combyne now in one For whiche thynge no mortall man may gone For this desyre laste of my langour That thou playnely be my Successour And fynally thus I conclude and deme That vnto the Septre and dyademe Delyuered be with euery circumstaunce But all his wyll for more assuraunce He made wryte in his testament The fyne concludynge of his laste entent And after that he full pyteously Thelephus besought hertely Of manly routhe and knyghtly gentyllesse To do his deuer and his besynesse After his deth lyke his estate royall To halowe and holde the feste funerall Solempnely and the exequyes do And sodaynely without wordes mo The kynge Tentran yeldeth vp the goste And went his way I note to what coste I can nat deme of suche mystyhede And whan Parcas broken haue the thrde On the rokke and he was forth his waye Than Thelephus out of marbyll graye Curyously a tombe madekerue The dede corps therin to conserue Full rychely and aboue the graue An Epythaphe anone he dyde graue In his honour playnely to expresse His knyghthode bothe and worthynesse And how his goste and he were deuorced With letters ryche of golde aboue enboced Rounde aboute wonder curyous On his tombe that sayde playnely thus Here lyeth Tentran the kynge douteles Whylom slayne of cruell Achylles That his sceptre and the regalye Hoolly gaue whiche no man may denye To Thelephus sone of Hercules Whiche in his tombe resteth now in pees Whan this perfourmed was in euery thynge And Thelephus was crowned in to kynge And hye and lowe all by one assent Had openly in a Parlement Made fayth to hym and ydone homage Lyke theyr degrees as they were of age And with hole herte in all theyr best entent By othe assured and by sacrament As trewe lyeges receyued hym for kynge Than Achylles without more tariynge Whan all was sette in peas gouernaunce Without grutchynge or any varyaunce To theyr shyppes anone he made carye Euery thynge that was necessarye To the grekes corne fruyte or vytayle Flesshe or fysshe or what that myght auayle To hosteynge or helpe them in theyr nede Downe to the see all hedyde lede Fully theyr vessell for to stuffe and lade And Thelephus after this he made Stylle in the boundes of his regyon For to abyde for this conclusyon That thorugh his helpe and his dylygence Besynes and discrete prouydence Agayne all myschefe and all scarsyte Whan they nede he myght theyr socour be AL be that he lyke as sayth Guydo With Achilles full fayne wold haue go But he abode sothely for the beste By bonde assured fully and beheste In euery thynge grekes to releue And than in haste Achilles toke his leue Of Thelephus and gan anone to sayle All his shyppes stuffed with vytayle Towarde grekes as made is mencyowne And in shorte tyme he at Thenedowne Aryued is and taken bathe the grounde With all his knyghted 〈…〉 rounde And after this to 〈◊〉 Hemade firste full relacyon Of his expleyt lyke as it was falle In the presence of his lordes alle Syttynge enuyron many worthy knyght ¶ And firste in Messa
to the grounde But vlixes rose vp anone ryght Takynge his horse lyke a manly knyght The whiche anone as Phylomene hath sayne Toke efte aspere and rode to hym agayne So myghtely and with suche vyolence That fynally there gayneth no diffence But that he smote hym euen thorugh yâ— shelde The whiche flewe a sondre in the felde And thorughe his plates without any fayle The spere hede ran and rested in the mayle That forged was of stele full shene and bryght Whiche to perce the spere hede hath no myght So trewely made was the hawberiowne But with that stroke vlixes was bore downe Yet efte agayne but he vp rose anone Whiche of his stroke harme ne felte none And raughte a spere sharpe whet grounde And Phylomene he gaue suche a wounde With all the myght of his armes twayne Of Irous herte with so great a payne That thorugh his shelde bothe place mayle He smote hym vp thorugh his auentayle Into the gorge that the stocke gan glyde That from his hors he fell downe a syde Full perryllously pyght vpon his hede His knyghtes wenynge sothly he were dede Whiche toke hym vp layde hym on a shelde And bare hym home in haste out of the felde With great dauÌ„ger or they myght hym wyÌ„ne Thorugh the grekes with theyr lorde to twyÌ„ne And for Troyans supposed sykerly That Phylomene without remedy Hadde be deed they were astoned all That if this case that day ne had fall Of Physomene grekes on the stronde â—â—dde be outrayed aryuynge vp to londe Thorughe the knyghthode this is douteles Of Phylomene whom that vlixes Vâ—hoâ—sed hath with a mortall wounde In knyghtly wyse Troyans to confounde Wherof they were astoned euerychon ¶ But tho as than and Agamenon Of greks ooste lorde and Emperour Aryued is vnto theyr socour With all his knyghtes and Menelaus And eke the worthy Thelamonyous Called Ayax is to lande come And they at leyser haue theyr hors nome Whyle other grekes Troyans occupye Sorâ— fyghtynge and they gan faste hye Towardes them makynge no delay All in a frusshe in all haste they may They ran Yfere and theyr speres bracke With herte enuyous vpon hors backe There myght men the worthy knyghtes se On theyr stedes eche at other flee With styffe swerdes shaftes great and rounde With hedes square the poyntes kene grounde There myght men se in theyr furyous tene So many knyghtes dede vpon the grene But moste the slaughter and confusyowne Fell thylke tyme of them of the towne The grekes were so myghty and so stronge And in the felde this contynueth longe Tyll Prothesilaus the stronge myghty kyng Whiche all the daye in skarmysshe fyghtyng Full lyke a knyght had occupyed be Agayne Troyans in his cruelte Of manhode oonly and of worthynesse Of aduenture in his werynesse Hym to refresshe and to take eyre And to a brethe hym maked his repeyre To the stronde where he dyde aryue ¶ Where as he thought his herte gan toryue Of cruell yre and alfo of pyte That he caughte oonly for to se His men lye slayne ende longe the stronde And some of them comynge vp to the londe Dreynt in the see amonge the floodes depe For whiche thynge he gan anone to wepe Full pyteuosly all were it nat espyed Whose wofull eyen myght nat be dryed For the constreynt whiche sat sonye his herte Tyll at the laste amonge his paynes smerte So cruell Yre gan his herte enbrace That sodaynely with a despytous face Without abode thought how that he Vpon theyr deth wolde auenged be Or fynally attones with them deye And on his stede he toke the ryght weye Towarde his foon full Irous in his rage And lyne right he holdeth his passage Swyfte as grayhounde yâ— renneth out of lees And where he sawe that was grettest prees He preceth thorugh amyddes of the felde And with the swerde whiche in his hande he helde That grounde was to kerue and to byte Full mortally aboute hym he gan smyte That Troyans myght hym nat asterte Some he ryueth euen to the herte And some he woundeth sothely to the deth And some he made yelde vp the breth And he vnhorseth some cruelly And whom he mette that day vtterly From his hors he made hym to alyght For where he rode they fledde out of his syght And his presence as the deth eschewe But euer in one he gan after sewe In his chase lyke as a wood lyon This playe he playeth with them of the towne Tyll Perseus of Ethyopye kynge From the Cyte came sodaynely rydynge With many a knyght and many lyfely man At whose comynge of newe there began A fresshe skarmysshe furyous and woode That many greke that day loste his blode So felle assaute Troyans on them make Amonge them the Ethyopyes blake So manly bare them fyghtynge here there That where Troyans were afore in fere 〈◊〉 be and of newe assured yâ— thorugh theyr helpe they haue yâ— felde recured And made them lese also moche agayne As they tofore wonne on the playne For they so hole and so myghtely Kept them togydre and so auysely Gouerned them with pauys spere and shelde That grekes were compelled in the felde Maugre who so grutche of necessyte To the sironde backewarde for to flee Almoste dispayred mate and comforteles But in that whyle kynge Pallamydes To theyr rescous come to arryuayle And lusty fresshe entreth in batayle With his knyghtes and his hole maynee Takynge theyr hors faste by the see And full proudely enbusshed all attones With spere and swerde ygrouÌ„de for the nones By conueyinge of theyr worthy comynge Haue so oppressed at theyr in comynge The manly Troyans that it was a wonder To se them lye slayne here and yonder And this contynueth tyll amonge the prees Of auenture that Pallamydes Brennynge aye in his furyoushete Amyd the felde happeth for to mete A worthy knyght called Sygamon Whiche brother was to the kynge Menon 〈◊〉 also as Guydo doth reherce This manly man to the kynge Perce Whiche grekes had that daye sore opressed By his knyghthode as it is expressed For he the grekes to his worthynesse Had ofte brought in full great distresse The same daye to his great encrees â—ut of Fortune alas Pallamydes As I you tolde hath in the felde hym mette And with aspere square and sharpe whette Whan he of knyghthode was most iÌ„ his pryde He rode at hym and smote hym thorugh yâ— syde And with that laste dedely fatall wounde From his stede he bare hym to the grounde And on the playne of his blode all rede 〈◊〉 â—â—amydes lefte hym pale and dede Amonges them that of Troye were And forth he rode bare downe here and there All that euer in his waye stode He was on them so furyous and wode Maugre Troyans tofore hym on the playne Made resorte to the walle agayne His manly knyghtes alway faste by On hym awaytynge full ententyfely Redy to honde at euery great empryse But tho began the noyse to
some wyll haue a payre platys lyght To welde hym well whan that he shall fyght And some wyll haue a target or a spere And some a pauys his body for to were And some a targe made stronge to laste And some wyll haue dartes for to caste Some a pollax heded of fyne stele And pycked square for to laste wele And some a swerde his enemy for to mete And some wyll haue a bowe for to shete Some an arblast to stande out asyde ¶ And some on foot and some for to tyde Array themsesfe their foomen for to sayle And many one was besy for to nayle His felawes harneys for to make it stronge And to dresse it sytte nat wronge With poyntes tresshes other maner thynge That in suche case longeth to armynge I haue no connynge euery thynge to telle And vnto you were to longe to dwelle Where I fayle ye mot haue me excused For in suche crafte I am lytell vsed And ignoraunce doth my penne lette In theyr ordre my termys for to sette And ofte chaungeth suche harneys and deuyse And ye that be therin expert and wyse Dysdayne nat that I speke in this place Of theyr armynge for all is in your grace Right at your lyste to correcte euery dell And whan Ector sawe that all was well And euery armed and arrayed This worthy knyght no lenger hath delayed Aduysely his wardes for to make And prudently badde they shulde take Theyr grounde in haste to put all in certayne And stande in ordre endelonge the playne So that no man were founde recheles And the gate called Dardanydes Without abode Ector made vnshette And after bad that men shulde fette To his presence that it were done in haste Cyncynabor his brother borne in baste And vnto hym firste of euerychon And to a lorde that named was Glaucon The kynges sone of Lycye and his heyre With many baner displayed in the eyre To this two Ector gaue the guarde And gouernaunce of the firste warde In which he hath a thousande knyghtes sette With speres rounde and swerdes kene whette And on theyr breste full many ryche shelde And they werechosen out in all the felde Amonge the beste that endure myght Agayne grekes manly for to fyght And vnto them Ector bad anone In goddes name that they shulde gone Out at the gate sothely as I rede And ieâ—te they fylle in myschefe or in nede He assygned in the selfe place With manly chere to the kynge of Trace Wysely on hym to be awaytynge A thousande knyghtes to haue at his ledynge In a wenge knyghtly for to abyde To wayte on hym vpon euery syde And with hym was his sone Archylogus Of his age a man right vertuous To fulfylle that longeth to a knyght For bothe he had herte and also myght And next to them Ector gan deuyse The next warde to the kynge of Fryse That in his tyme called zantipus And vnto hym yonge stronge and desyrous He assygned to wayte on his vanere Thre thousande knyghtê armed bryght clere With whiche warde kynge Alchomus also Of Ector was coÌ„maunded for to go And to his byddynge he mekely dyde obeye And full knyghtly they haue take theyr weye Out at the gate passyngly arrayed Towarde grekê with baners fresshe displayed And theyr penons vnrolled euerychone And after Ector assygned hath anone To the noble yonge lusty free His brother Troylus so fresshe vpon to se Whiche in knyghthode had all suffysaunce The thirde warde to haue in gouernaunce With .iii. thousande knyghtes yonge of age Flourynge in force hardy of courage Suche as he was of custome wont to lede To whom Ector of very bretherhede Full goodly spake sayde at his departynge Brother quod he my herte is so louynge Towardes the of very kyndenesse That though I haue in partye great gladnesse Of thy manhode that so ferre is kouthe And the knyghthode of thy grene youthe Yet douteles in my fantasye Full ofte a daye I stonde in Iupardye Of pensyfehede and in warde besy drede Whan I remembre vpon thy manhede Lest thy courage be to vyolent Of thy lyfe to be neclygent Thy selfe to put to ferre in aduenture Of surquydrye so moche to assure In thy force kynghtly to a sterte Euery peryll in thy manfull herte Hauynge no rewarde in suche mortall stryfe Of wylfulnesse nouther to deth nor lyfe Nor aduertence to thy sauacyowne But as fortune turneth vp and downe Hyr whele meuable hye and after lowe In Martys Ire as the wynde doth blowe Whiche causeth me full ofte syghe and thynke And to wake whan I shulde wynke Reuoluynge aye thy hasty wylfulnesse But gentyll brother for any hardynesse Thus ylke day vpon euery syde I praye the so wysely to prouyde For hate or yre thy foos pursuynge Nat to excede more than is syttynge But let prudence the kepe in a mene And wysdome eke holde agayne the reyne Of thy herte and thy fyers courage That fyred haue thy grene tendre age Deuoyde of drede eche peryll to endure That our enemyes of thy mysauenture Reioysenat myn owne brother dere And myghty mars I praye of herte entere Thus euery day on Troyans grounde From theyr handes the to kepe sounde Lyke as I wolde that he dyde me To whom anone with all humylyte In manly wyse this yonge iusty knyght This worthy Troylus of herte fresshe lyght Answered agayne and sayd with glad chere Myn owne lorde and my brother dere And god to fore I fully shall obeye To fulfylle what you lyste to seye Now vnto me of your gentyllesse And nat declyne thorugh none reklesnesse In any poynt from your coÌ„maundement But with hole herte in all my best entent I shall take hede and playnely do none other Than ye haue sayde myn owne lord brother So lothe me were offende you or greue And in this wyse he lowly toke his leue And forth herode so lyke a manly knyght That to beholde it was a noble syght Amonge his men he behaueth hym so wele Thre thousande knyghtê armed in bryght stele Enuyron rode with Troylus into felde And that day he bare in his shelde Passant of golde iij. lyons rychely The chaumpe of asure wrought full craftely And by the gate he yssued out anone And with hym ladde his knyghtes euerychone To the grekes holdynge the next waye And Ector hasteth all that euer he maye Prudently his wardes to ordayne And to the noble worthy bretherne twayne To kynge Hupon and to Ardelaus He assygned the storye telleth thus The fouthe warde to guye and to wysse And in the lande that called was larysse The bretherne two hadde reygned longe And kynge Hupon was passyngly stronge And of stature lyke a chaumpyowne And saue Ector in all Troye towne Was none to hym egall as of myght More delyuere nor a better knyght And on his foon passynge despytous Whiche with his brother called Ardelaus Foure thousande knyghtes hadde for to lede And seuen thousande sothly as I rede And to them lyke
as wrytte Guydo Worthy Ector assygned hath also One of his bretherne called Brymarchus A noble knyght in armes right famous And hadde in manhode passynge excellence And of Ector they taken haue lycence And rode theyr waye amonge all the prces Thorughe the gate of Dardanydes The fyfte warde to haue at his ledynge Was by Ector coÌ„mytted to the kynge That of Cesoyne lorde and prynce was And to his brother called Pollydamas And Cysones were of hye stature And myghty in armes passyngly endure Vpon whom full many man behelde And theyr kynge bare no thynge in his shelde But a felde of Gowlys as I fynde Of other sygne Guydo maketh no mynde And forth he rode a full sterne pas This noble kynge and Pollydamas Whan they hadde of Ector leue take Whiche euer in one full besy was to make The sixte warde with all his dylygence And to the kynge called Pretemense That was full worthy bothe in werre pees And to a Duke that hyght Sterepes Whiche was also full worthy of his honde He toke the folke of Pauonye londe Them to gouerne in the felde that daye The whiche people hath in custome aye Without plate hawberion or mayle On swyfte hors theyr foomen for to assayle With myghty bowes arrowes sharpe grouÌ„de Thorugh an harneys mortally to wounde And with this folke of Ector eke also Deyphebus assygned was to go In the felde to guyde them and to lede And on theyr waye they faste gan them spede But or they passe by Dardanydes Full discrtely Ector for them chees Pauyseres cladde in mayle and plate Them coÌ„maundynge at yssynge of the gate And with the Archers into felde to gone And many worthy well armed euerychone To awayte on them that they were nat lore For this folke that I of spake tofore Of Pauonye hadde none armure But prudent Ector for to make them sure Out of Agrest the myghty regyowne Hath chosen out full worthy of renowne The beste knyghtes of them euerychon And with two kynges Esdras and Phyon Assygned them for to take hede To the fotemen whan that they haue nede The whiche Phyon made full rychely Rode in a chare all of Yuory Of whiche the wheles wrought full curyous Were of a tree Ycalled Ebenus The whiche tree groweth ferre in ynde Blacke of hewe and also as I fynde Whan it is korue this tree wyll wexe anone Of his nature harde as any stone Whan it is graue eyther rounde or square And of pure golde roued was this chare Fret with perle and many ryche stonys That such a nother I trowe now ther none is In all this worlde it I shall nat fayne And it was ladde of myghty knyghtê twayne Men of armes within and withoute Armed in stele rydynge rounde aboute This worthy kynges Esoras and Phyon And Ector hath called to hym anone One of his bretherne what so that be falle To be guyde and leder of them alle The name of whom was Pyktagoras And to the great Troyan Eneas Of whom tofore made is mencyon Ector by goode delyberacyon The .vij. warde assygned hath to kepe And vpon stedys lusty for to lepe Of suche as were vsed moche to ryde Full manly knyghtes to houe by his syde Whiche with Emphranye vnto Troye towne Come so ferre from theyr regyowne To fostre them for Ectors sake And whan they hadde of hym leue take They rode full proudely forthe with Eneas Out at the gate a wonder knyghtly pas The brode felde tyll they haue atteyned And in this whyle Ector hath ordayned Lyke myn Auctour as I can reherce The eyght warde of the folke of Perce Worthy knyghtes manly and ryght wyse The whiche were coÌ„mytted to Paryse On hym that day to awayte besyly To whom Ector full benyngnely Spake and sayde at his departynge O brother myn in all maner thynge Whan thou art passed by Dardanydes This daye to ferre put the nat in prees Amonge grekes nor in Iupardye Leste thy foon in myschefe the espye To whom they haue of olde and newe date In theyr hertes full fresshe and mortall hate The fyre of which their breste hath so enbraced That it were harde out to be arraced Wherfore brother loke that thou be In all wyse nat to ferre fro me But kepe the nye that no mysauentoure Falle vpon the so that I may socoure This day to the myn owne brother dere To whom Parys with full humble chere Answered and sayde that in euery thynge He wolde obeye vnto his byddynge And rode his waye anone with his meyne Into the felde out of the Cyte And Ector aye dyde his besynesse The nynthe warde in ordre for to dresse Whiche he thought hymselfe for to lede In whiche he put sothly as I rede Fyue thousande knyghtê borne of troye towne The worthyest and grettest of renowne And passyngly famous in knyghthode Borne by descent of troyans blode ¶ And of his bretherne he toke with hym ten Suche as he knewe for moost manly men That were forayne fro stocke of regallye Out of the lyne borne in bastardye Whom Ector had in great chyerte For the knyghthode he coude in themse And whan he hadde by knyghtly purueaunce All his wardes set in gouernaunce Lyke Mars hymselfe faste gan hym spede Without abode for to take his stede Whiche was in bokes called Gallathe Of all hors hauynge the soueraygnete As ferre as men ryde in any coste Of whom Dares maketh so great a boste Of shape of hyghte and also of fayrenesse Of strengthe of loke and of great swyftenesse So lyke an hors perfourmed out and oute And with a wyer men myght hym turne aboute Lyke as Dares maketh mencyowne Of whom Ector rode thorugh troye towne Armed at all that came hym wonder well From foot to hede full rychely euerydell That shone as bryght as sonne on somers day And to pryam he helde the right way And whan that he was come to the kynge He reherseth in ordre euery thynge How he hath done and all his ordynaunce And lowly sayde so it be pleasaunce To your noble royall excellence I haue chosen with besy dylygence A thousande knyghtes full of suffysaunce With fyue houndred to haue attendaunce On your persone alway where ye be With all footmen that be in the Cyte That shall awayte on you euer in one Wherfore my lorde as faste as we are gone Lowly I praye to your worthynesse To sewe vs by good aduysenesse Out at the towne alwaye eke that ye Togydre kepe your knyghtes and meyne This I beseche with all my full myght Within the boundes where as we shall fyght That ye suffre none of them passe But kepe ye hole in the selfe place At wyxe vs and this stronge Cyte If we haue nede that ye may aye se Vs to releue kepynge you asyde And specyally there for to abyde Where moste is lyckely our partye to sustene For euer amonge there shall men go betwene Of our expleyt the trouthe to reporte For whiche parte Mars lyste the felde to
sorte Of his power this ylke day fatalle For ye shal be our castell and our walle And our refuge to saue vs from all smerte And specyally one thynge ye aduerte That no disceyte fraude nor treasowne Compassyd be behynde to the towne Of our foon thorugh our reklesnesse Whyles that we do our besynesse Agaynste them in the felde to fyght In all wyse therto hath a syght That no thynge tourne vnto our damage Thoughe our engyne but worke as the sage With victorye that we may conclude So that grekes with fraude vs nat delude By no engyne of vn ware vyolence Hopynge alway that it is none offence To your hyghnes that I haue here sayde And with that worde Pryamus in abrayde Benyngnely of chere and countenaunce And sayde Ector my sothfast suffysaunce My fynall truste and supportacion In thy wyse disposycion Hoolly I putte as thou lyste ordayne For next god if I shall nat fayne My fayth my hope and all my sykernesse And my welfare in very sothfastnesse CoÌ„mytted behole into thy hande And gouernaunce playnely of my lande As thou ordaynest it must nedes be And this prayer I make now for the To the goddes aboue celestyall The to preserue in partye and in all From eche myschefe and aduersyte That thou mayste home to this Cyte Repayre in honour with laude and victorye So that the prayse renowne and memorye Of thy name be put in remembraunce Perpetuelly thyne honour to auaunce And fare now well myn owne sone dere And Ector tho with full humble chere His leue toke and forthe he rode anone Amonge his lordes and knyghtes euerychone As he that was rote of all noblesse Of knyghthod grouÌ„de of strength hardynesse The very stocke and therto inuyncyble For asmoche as it was possyble That nature myght hym graunte or kynde Touchynge manhode in bokes as I fynde He hadde in hym soueraygne excellence And gouernaunce medlyd with prudence That nought a sterte hyÌ„ he was so wyse ware And in his shelde I fynde that he bare Vpon his breste this Troyan champyon The chief of golde of Gowlys alyon Depeynt therm and in his baner bete The selfe same and so amydde the strete He toke the waye to Dardanydes That to beholde huge was the prees Noyse of trumpettes and of claryons Baners vnrolled and longe fresshe penons Of rede and whyte grene blewe and blake And in this wyse Ector hath I take The felde without with herte and hole entent As Mars hymselfe hadde be present And they that he as Guydo maketh mynde Rode with the warde that lafte was behynde Of his manhode he wolde nat abyde But smote his stede sherpely in the syde Of fell courage he hath his hors so payned The firste warde that he hath attayned By vale and hylle to fore in the frounteres Nat astoned of the fell cheres Of the grekes nor platly nat aferde But lyke a knyght euen afore theyr berde He gan prease in as theyr foo mortall And in this whyle vpon Troye wall In sondry place on the hye toures As fresshe besene as May is with his floures The ladyes be ascended of the towne So fayre so yonge stondynge enuyrowne The quene Eleyne passynge fayre to sene The kynges doughtres and goodly Polycene And many other whiche of womanhede In herte were full of besy drede Inly a gaste and of fere a frayde Whan they behelde in the felde displayde The brode baners that some of tendernesse Some of loue and some of kyndenesse Pale and dredefull for theyr lordes were And some theyr faces hydde eke for fere That were nat bolde to lyfte vp theyr syght To beholde the armure clere and bryght So glyterynge agayne the sonne shene Theyr hertes tendre myght nat sustene And in theyr drede thus I â—ette them dwelle ANd of grekes forth I shall you telle If so be ye lyste abyoe a whyle For now must I my fordulled style Agayne direct to Agamenon Well may I make an exclamacyon On ignoraunce that standeth so in my lyght Whiche causeth me with a full clowdy syght In my makynge to speke of the werre For lacke of termes I must nedes erre Connyngely my wardes for sette Cruell Allector is besy me to lette The nyghtes doughter blynded by derkenesse By crafte of armes the trouthe to expresse In ordre dewe a felde to descryue And Chauncer now alas is nat alyue Me to refourme or to be my rede For lacke of whom slower is my spede The noble Rethor that all dyde excelle For in makynge he dranke of the welle Vnder Pernaso that the muses kepe On whiche hylle I myght neuer slepe Vnneth slombre for whiche alas I playne But for all this there is no more to sayne Thoughe my wede be nat Polymyte Coloures forth I wyll endyte As it cometh euen to my thought Playnely to wryte how yâ— kynghath wrought The manly knyght great Agamenon Lyke as the Latyn maketh mencyou ¶ What troweye that he in his entent Was founde slowe outher neclygent On grekes halfe his wardes for to make Nay nay nat so for hym lyste to wake That tyme more sothly than to slepe For lyke a kynge that day the felde to kepe No neclygence myght his herte fade For in that daye I fynde that he made Sixe and twenty wardes by and by So well deuysed and so prudently That no man myght amende his ordynaunce And of the firste he gaue gouernaunce To the manfull noble Patroclus That with hym ladde myn Auctour telleth thus Myrundones so myghty and so stronge With all the folke that to Achylles longe Besyde thylke that were of his meyne Whiche that he brought out of his countre At his coÌ„mynge to the sege of Troye And he rode forth with them on his waye Into the felde and made no delay Now fyll it so on the same day That Achylles kepte hym in his tente And for sykenesse that daye out ne wente For his lechesse made hym to abstene For his woundes fresshe were and grene That he caught on the day tofore Whiche for to he le of theyr akynge sore He by counsayle kepte hymselfe close And from his bed that day nat ne rose In hope oonly the bettre to endure Whan that he was restored vnto cure But all his men he toke to Patroclus Whiche was marmes passyngely famous And be descent come of great kynrede And was also of hym as I rede Haboundaunt of golde and of rychesse And ferre coÌ„mended for his gentyllesse And hadde a name of hye discresyon Now were they aye of suche affeccyon Of entyer loue trouthe and faythfulnesse So great desyre and inwarde kyndenesse Besy thenkynge and so great feruence So moche frenshyp thoughtfull aduertence So huge brennynge passynge amerous Betwyxe Achylles and this Patroclus That theyr hertes were locked in a chayne And what so euer if I shall nat fayne The ton hath wrought as broder vnto brother In herte it was confermed of the tother For wyll and goodes bothe were comune And to the deth they
inly great desyre To spoyle hym of his armure anone In whiche there was full many ryche stone Bothe of rubyes and Saphyres ynde For that dayes playnely as I fynde Kynges lordes and knyghtes this no naye To batayle went in theyr beste araye And sothly Ector whan he firste gan se The multytude of stones and peâ—re On Patroâ—lus so oryent and sheyne Vpon his arme he hynge his hors reyne The meane whyle whyle he of hole entent To catche his praye was so dylygent Of couetyse in theyr alder syghtes Tyll Meryon with thre thousaÌ„de knyghtes Armed in stele rounde aboute hym alle Is sodaynely vpon Ector falle The dede corps of Patroclus to saue That his purpose Ector may nat haue At lyberte the ryche kynge to spoyle Whiche caused hym in angre for to boyle To whom the kynge called Meryon Irous and wode sayde amonge echon O gredy Lyon O wolfe moste tauynous O hatefull Tygre passynge enuyous Of Auaryce O beste in saturable And of desyre sothly vnstaunchable Vpon this praye thou shalt yâ— nat now fede Go elles where to sewe for thy mede For truste well in conclusyon Fyfty thousande to thy destruccyon Of one entent playnely wyll nat fayle Thyne hatefull pryâ—e attones for to assayle And sodaynely with speres sharpe whette On euery halfe they gan hym besette Maugre his force his myght his manhode Enforcynge them to a refte hym his stede That soth fastely of great vyolence He constrayned for all his stronge defence As sayth Guydo to falle vpon his kne But thorugh his myght and magnanymyte He of manhode hath his horse recured And maugre grekes is so moche assured In his strengthe and in his great myght That he recured lyke a worthy knyght His stede agayne amyddes of his foon And right as syne he rode to Meryon Full desyrous on hym auenged be In his furye of hasty cruelte For therupon was sette all his delyte That in his mortall â—lody appetyâ—e In very sothe he had hym slayne anoon Saue yâ— the kynge whiche called was Glacon Came to rescue hym with kynge Theseus And his sone that hyght Archylogus As I haue tolde Meryon to reskewe And thâ—e thousande knyghtes gan hym sewe Full alâ—â—â—ted attones in batayle For lyfe or dâ—th Ector to assayle In awayte vnware on hym to sette But al this whyle with whom yâ— euer he mette With his swerde he kylled and bare downe That fynally there gayneth no raunsowne For any greke that durste with hym mete At departynge felte full vnswete He made a waye aboute hym euery where That they fledde hym as the deth for fere For where he rode he made a patthe ful playne And as I rede to Patroclus agayne He is repeyred to spoyle hym if he myght Amyd the felde in the grekes syght As he wolde his praye nat lyghtly lete Tyll I dumee the myghty kynge of Crete With two thousande cladde in plate mayle Worthy kynghtes Ector to assayle Whyles that he was so desyrous As I haue tolde to spoyle Patroclusi And newe agayne to his confusyon Lyke as I fynde came kynge Meryon And or Ector myght take hede They of force refte hym his stede That sothely he there was none other boote Compelled was for to fyght on foote And of knyghode his herte he resumeth And with his swerde aboute hym he consumeth All that withstande bothe hors and man And furyously this troyan knyght began Armes legges shuldres by the boon To hewe of amydde his mortall foon That grekes myght afore hym nat sustene And as I rede that he slewe fyftene Of them that were besy hym to take And such a slaughter he gan amoÌ„ge theÌ„ make That they ne durste abyde afore his face And Meryon in the selfe place This meane whyle toke vp Patroclus With heuy chere and face full pyruous And on his â—tede he layde it hym beforne And to his tente anone he hath it borne Alwaye grekes in theyr cruell mode Aboute Ector furyous and wode Felly aâ—ode fyghtynge vpon fote Of whiche some felte vnlote That presumed vpon hym to presse But of manhode they ne wolde cesse To besette hym on euery syde Hauynge a truste in theyr great pryde Fynally at myschefe hym to take For they dempte he myght nat escape Theyr handes shortly by none aduenture Nor his stede by lyklyhede recure For of force they caste hym to lette And all attones gan on hym to sette And specyally amonge them euerychone I fynde in sothe howe that there was one A grekysshe knyght of right worthy fame And Caryon playnely was his name That hym aforced Ector to oppresse Whan he was moste in myschefe and distresse Besette with grekes hym enuyrownynge Tyll of fortune on hym awaytynge The longe daye in that felle fyght To his rescuse there came atroyan knyght Mydde of grekes whan he was besette And toke .ij. dartes sharpe and kene whette And furyously firste he shoke the toon And thorugh the herte he smote this Caryon That the darte into the felde gan glyde By plate and mayle thorughout outher syde That fatally of that dedely wounde This Caryon glode anone to grounde Amonge an hondred knyghtes of his ferys Afore conspyred with theyr felle cherys To a slayne Ector by some maner waye But eft agayne this yonge knyght of troye Full delyuerly raughte a nother spere And caste at one that he sawe afere Auaunce hymselfe on Ector in the felde And thorugh his platys playnely his shelde Lyne right that he ne shulde asterte Of very myght roofe hym thorughe the herte And after that in all the haste he coude Vpon Troyans he gan to crye loude To enhaste them knyghtly to socoure Whorthy Ector that stode in aduentoure Amonge Grekes hauynge no refute Sool he hymselfe of helpe destytute At whiche crye on grekes all vnware Firste of all came worthy Cyncybare That brother was to Ector in baste borne And hymselfe rydynge all toforne And the knyghtes of whiche he was guyde Wonder proudely pryckynge by his syde Sodaynely bothe one and alle In a frosshe be on the grekes falle That hadde Ector rounde beset aboute And thorugh manhode of this great route That be enbosshed on them at the backe Threhondred knyghtes of whiche that I spacke For astoned gan them to withdrawe But thurty firste cruelly were slawe And maugre them Ector of manhede Amyd the felde taken hath his stede And entred is in amonge the prees And he that daye of knyghthode pereles Whyle he helde his blody swerde in honde All tho that agayne hym stonde There was no helpe playnely nor no rede But that he brake and karfe a two the threde And the knotte of cruell Antropos Onely for he was let of his purpose At good leyser to spoyle Patroclus Therfore in Ire wode and Furyous Full cruelly grekes quytte theyr mede Whiche from his face faste gan them spede Whose sharpe swerde bathed in theyr blode Was dyed rede for it dyde hym gode Vpon them auenged for to be For that daye a lyon played he
Vpon grekes his manhode for to haunte For he theyr pryde so mortally gan daunte That they hym fledde where that he rode Makynge all hote the streyntes of theyr blode Endelonge to renne vpon the grene Tyll the tyme the Duke of great Athene That called was whylom Menesteus With thre thousande knyghtes full famous Of whiche he was bothe lorde and guyde The felde hath take vpon the lefte syde For a deceyte in full secrete wyse ¶ Where Troylus was with the folke of Fryse Whiche hath that daye who so lyste to seke By his knyghthode kylled many greke Lyke a Tygre gredy on his pray Troylus bare hym all the longe day Sleynge of grekes many worthy knyght And whyle that he was besyest in fyght Agayne his foon with kynge Antipus And the kynge that hyght Alchanus Vpon grekes Ylyche fresshe and newe Makynge theyr sydes all of blody hewe By one assent this thre thorugh theyr maÌ„hede And specyally vpon his bay stede Where so euer that this Troylus rode Euery greke that his swerde abode Sodaynely he made for to sterue Thorugh theyr plates so depe he gan kerue And this contynued tyll duke Meneste Of Troylus sawe the great cruelte And the slaughtre that he of grekes made Of hasty Ire with face pale and fade Hent a spere and threwe it in the rest And Troylus smette euen amyd the brest So sternely that maugre his renowne To the erthe anone he bare hym downe In the myddes of his mortall foon That cruelly hym besette anoon And hym to treyne layde out oke and lase Rounde aboute in maner of compase With spere darte and swerdes forged bryght But he hymselfe diffendeth lyke a knyght With great manhode his honour to auaunce Albe his lyfe was hanged in balaunce Where he stode and felte full vnswete In poynt of deth amonge the horse fete With great awayte of Duke Meneste Howe this Troylus myght haue take be Of mortall hate castynge in his thought At myschefe take that he escape nought On euery halfe he was so besette With swerdes rounde kene grounde whette Alone alas mortally bestadde They seased hym forth they haue hym ladde Tyll Myseres a worthy knyght of troye Gan to crye as he stode in the waye Sore abasshed in right furyous wyse O ye noble worthy men of Fryse Manly knyghtes aye preuyd in the felde Moste renowmed bothe with spere and shelde Consyder nowe vnto your hye fame And aduerte the glorye of your name How this daye thorugh your neclygence By the power and myghty vyolence Of the grekes Troylus is ytake Sool in the felde for ye haue hym forsake That shall rebounde to your alder shame For ye in sothe greatly are to blame If he that is of worthynesse floure Be take of grekes for lacke of socoure That but if ye take hasty wreche Shamefull reporte your honour shall apeche Perpetuelly and sayde therof amys In your defaute that Troylus taken is Whiche named be so worthy and famous And with that worde the kynge Alkamous Of melancolye felte his herte ryue And in his Ire hente a spere blyue And pryckynge after enhateth what he myght Tyll he of them playnely had a syght That besy were Troylus for to â—ede And he full knyghtly syttynge on his stede Ran one thorugh that he fell downe dede And efte agayne pale and no thynge rede In his rancoure no lenger wolde lette But a greke the firste that he mette Thorugh the body smet he with a spere That men myght se the poynt a fere By breste and plate thorugh the shulder bone That to the grounde he fell downe dede anone And therwithall the worthy Fryses alle Came flokmele downe and on grekes falle So myghtely that maugre theyr diffence They sette vpon with so great vyolence That Troylus is from all daunger fre And thorugh theyr knyghtly magnanymyte They made hym to recure his stede And specyally helpynge in this nede Was zantipus the stronge manly kynge Whiche of disdayne at his in coÌ„mynge Ou Meneste gan his spere grate And thorugh his shelde mayle thycke plate So sore he smote that this Meneste Hadde be dede ne hadde his armour be Whiche for Ire gan to tremble and shake That Troylus was from his hondes take And escaped to be prysoner Despyte his berde and maugre his power Wherfore he gan of hasty hote enuye On his knyghtes furyously to crye That were so myghty renowmed and stronge To payne them for to venge his wronge Vpon Troyans to mete them in the face And they in hast gan myghtely enbrace Theyr sharpe speres grounde for to byte And felly foyne and togydre smyte For tho began the great mortall werre The fyre brast out shene as any sterre On basenertes and theyr plates bryght That thorugh yâ— felde flaumeth the fereful lyght To lyfe nor deth they toke tho no hede And downe the playne both in lengthe brede The wardes gan proudely to auale And with lokes of enuye pale They aproche and assemble yfere In hate brennynge that no man may stere And gan hurte with spere swerde and darte And mortally vpon euery parte The slaughter gan greatly for to rewe And Ylyche alwaye newe and newe Ector grekes thorugh his worthynesse Where he rode manly dyde oppresse And mercylesse slowe them and bare downe Now here now there without excepcyowne So furyously that routhe was to se And than of newe the duke Meneste Repayred is with enuyous herte From his hondes that Troylus so a sterte And for the slaughter eke of his meynee That where he rode he besy was to sâ—ee The troyan people whan he myght them mete For to auenge hym for nothynge wolde he lete Tyll casuelly amonges all the prees A knyght he mette that hyght Miserees Whiche in despyte of this Meneste Hadde at the reskus of worthy Troylus be And maugre hym put hym from his pray And so befelle on the selfe day As they mete agayne of aduenture That Meneste by his cote armure Marked hym by armes that he bare And sodaynely or that he was ware Or that he myght take any hede Furyously on his sterne stede And with a spere amyd the renges alle Bare hym ouer and made hym for to falle Maugre his myght to the erthe downe And than I fynde how the kynge Hupowne Descended is the storye lyste nat lye Two thousande knyghtes in his companye Whiche on grekes felly gan to sette And in yâ— berde kynge Prothenor them mette And Archelaus the noble werryour Of Boece lorde and gouernour With helpe oonly of this Prothenor Lyke a tygre or a wood boor Gan troyans assayle to the deth And many one that daye he sleeth But kynge Hupon thorugh his chyualrye That tyme in his melancolye Full many greke gaue his dethes wounde And thus they gan eche other to confounde Suche mortall hate amonges them there was Tyll of Fortune a knyght Pollydamas On troye syde sone of Anthenor With his knyghtes and hymselfe tofor Is
on grekes of enuyous pryde Myd theyr wardes falle in a syde And gan breke them knyghtly to disseuer Agayne whose swerde they myght nat ê‘seuer He was on them so inly furyous And hym to helpe came the kynge Remus With a wynge on that other parte Brekynge in with many spere and darte Agayne grekes with thre thousande knyghtes That to beholde how felly that he fyghtes It was in sothe vnto them of troye A very luste and a heuenly ioye To se now grekes brake asondre That the noyse loude as any thondre In the felde of strokes gan aryse And whyle Remus as ye haue herde deuyse Vpon grekes was so enuyous Into the felde came Menelaus With his worthy knyghtes of Spartense Agayne Remus to make resystence And full proudely makynge no delaye This worthy Remus and kynge Menelaye On hors backe with sharpe speres whette Myd the felde of enuye mette And thorugh their manly prowesse renowne From hors backe eche bare other downe For none the stroke of other myght shone And in that whyle of Anthenor the sone Pollydamas lusty fresshe and lyght As he that was in his delyuer myght And desyrous to honour to atteyne Mette in the felde the neuewe of Eleyne The myghty duke called Mereus Flourynge in youthe and right vertuous Fresshe armed newe and lusty of courage And was in sothe but twenty yere of age Whiche of so yonge was a noble knyght Right renowmed bothe of herte and myght But of Fortune it befell alas The troyan knyght dauÌ„z Pollydamas With a spere thorugh shelde mayle and plate Hytte hym so that by cruell fate Amonge grekes that he felle downe dede Of whiche thynge whan Menelay toke hede And sawe hym lye slayne on the grene In his herte remembrynge on the quene The quene Eleyne whose neuewe he was For dole of whiche a full delyuer pas To Remus rode in his cruelte Also ferre as he myght hym se And full knyghtly mette hym in the berde And smette at hym with his sharpe swerde Vpon the hede in his hatefull tene That of his stede he myght nat sustene His wounde was so passyngely mortall That with the stroke and the pryllous fall His knyghtes wende dede he hadde be And hent hym vp and began to fle To troye warde with hym a great paas But it befell that Pollydamas The maner of them whan that he behelde Made them repayre knyghtly into felde Excepte that some as they in byddynge hadde Worthy Remus home to troye ladde Pale and dede with his woundes wyde And tho came in on the grekes syde Celydys the lusty fresshe kynge Of whom Dares sayth in his wrytynge And for a sothe in his boke lyste telle How Celydys all other dyde excelle Bothe in beaute and in semelyhede Of shape of porte and of goodlyhede Surmountynge all as Dares lyste descryue As in fayrenesse all tho alyue All his lymmes compact were so clene And as I rede the yonge fresshe quene Of Fumynye whiche was of beaute floure Kynge Celydys loued Paramoure That vpon hym was hooly hir pleasaunce He was so prynted in hir remembraunce For chefe resorte sothely of hir herte Was vpon hym euery houre to aduerte For fynally he departed nought Day nor nyght nor houre out of hir thought For he was fully all hir owne knyght But of Fortune he lusty fresshe and lyght Smote his stede sharply in the syde Of surquedye and proudely gan to ryde Of mortall hate a full Furyous paas Right as lyne to Pollydamas And with a spere made hym for to flytte From his sadell in whiche he dyde sytte He marked hym with so great a myght But agaynewarde this manly troyan knyght Pollydamas with a despytous face Or Celydys departed fro the place With aswerde so smet hym on the hede From his stede that he fylle downe dede Whiche to grekes was great confusyon And all this tyme fyerser than lyon Ector grekes knyghtly gan enchace And ofte made them for to lese theyr place Where euer he rode of necessyte Afore his swerde he made them for to fle Suche vengeaunce he hath on them take That they the felde were fayne to forsake And to pursewe wolde he neuer fyne Tyll amonge the people of Salomyne Ector mette the worthy kynge famous That was theyr lorde and hyght Thesalus That many Troyan that day hadde slawe And as Ector towarde hym gan drawe Kynge Tenter that was of grece also A manly knyght and prudent bothe two Raught a spere in all the haste he can And vnwarely vnto Ector ran And thorughe his shelde plate mayle of stele The sperehede forged was so wele So sharpe and square and so kene grounde That he gaue Ector full peryllous wounde But as Ector reyne gan his stede Proude Tenter to aquyte his mede He full wysely in all the haste he myght Was right ferre seuered from his syght Wherof Ector melancolyous And of herte wood and furyous For the akynge of his wounde grene In haste to auenge the constreynte of his tenâ— What greke after shortly that he mette That was so bolde his waye to with sette Without mercy he was his deth anone And as I rede he encountred one Whiche of pryde wolde hym dyuerte Whom with his swerde he rose to the herte Thorugh his harneys of melancolye The whiche stroke whan grekes gan espye They astoned of one entencyon Peryllously besette hym enuyron And suche assaute gan aboute hym make Thorugh theyr maÌ„hode if they myght hyÌ„ take And of accorde with great multytude Cruelly they gan hym to include By lyklyhede in that mortall stryfe He myght nat escape with the lyfe On hym they were so fell and enuyous Tyll that a kynge whiche hyght Theseus On grekes syde oonly of gentyllesse Suche routhe caughe vpon his distresse To se hym stande so nye vpon the wrake Thus vnto hym of manly pytespake O Flour of knyghthode rote of hardynes Welle of manhode stok of worthynes Why lyst yâ— nat to haue none aduerteÌ„ce Thy lyf to saue of knyghtly prouydeÌ„ce But wylfully where moste is to drede Thy lyfe Iupardest and take lyste no hede In mortall peryll how thou arte besette Amonge so many closed and yshette Alone alas deuoyde of all socoure And to thy selfe wylt do no fauoure But as Fortune lyketh to ordayne That euery wyght ought to complayne To beholde that so noble a knyght Whiche thorugh the world cast so clere a lyght In worthynesse and wyll hym nat withdrawe Reklesly this day to be slawe So pyteously thy persone for to lese Withdrawe thy hande yet syth thou mayst chese Thy hye prowesse compelleth me to preye At suche myschefe that thou nat ne deye And whan Ector of hym gan take hede He thanked hym of his goodlyhede And maugre sothly the power the myght Of the grekes lyke a worthy knyght He scapyd is myd of all his foon And went his waye thorugh them euerychon His blody swerde alway in his honde And in his waye Pollydamas he fonde Full lyke a man with
in his waye mette Agaynst whom anone his hors he sette And he to hym full knyghtly rode agayne And as they mette there is no more to sayne On horsbacke whyles they were wrothe Of vyolence they were vnhorsed bothe And Menelay Parys mette of newe The whiche two well togydre knewe Full desyrous eche other for to dere But Menelay caught firste a spere And hytte Parys with all his inwarde cure But for surenesse of his stronge armure And myghty platê his wounde was but small Whiche in effect greued nat at all But with that stroke vnto grounde he gothe Of whiche fall Parys wexed right wrothe Wonder confuse and also rede for shame Lest the reporte in hyndrynge of his name Came to the erys of the Quene Eleyne How he that daye myght nat atteyne With Menely to holde chaumpartye Lykely to sowne into his vylonye The whiche at herte greued hym full sore And Adrastus the kynge without more So as he rode the kynge Vlixes fonde knyghtly both they foughte honde to honde And as they faughte downe to the erthe lowe From his hors Vlixes hath hym throwe And full proudely in signe of this victorye He sent his hors home to his Tentorye And in that tyme amonges all the prees Full sodaynely kynge Pallamydes Is falle on Hupon with his lockes hore And in his Ire wounded hym so sore That he felle dede and grouelyng to the grouÌ„de His mortall swerde was so kene grounde Besyde whom Neptolonyus Assayled hath kynge Archylogus The whiche hymselfe manly gan diffende But as they faught and many strokes spende In their diffence it wolde be none other Eueryche of them hath vnhorsed other And tho came in rydynge on his stede Pollydamas and gan to take hede Amonge the renges a lytell hym besyde Where as the kynge Pallamydes doth ryde And cruelly so lyke a manly man He smote his stede and to hym he ran And maugre his myght and his worthynesse As the storye playnely bereth wytnesse Oonly to venge the deth of kynge Hupowne From his stede he proudely bare hym downe And in his rancoure and his cruell hete Of that despyte gan hym to rehete And tho besyde the kynge Scelenus Of dedely hate and herte full Irous With kynge Carras by aduenture hath met And furyously from his stede smet And than also the kynge Phylymene Is on the Duke falle of Athene That maugre both his manhod his myght He hath his hors berafte hym in this fyght And ladde with hym proudely by his syde Where as hym lyste that it shulde abyde And Phyloteas the worthy kynge also The selue tyme with Remus had ado And euery other sothly as I rede His felawe hath made to voyde his stede And Theseus the kynge that was so stronge Amyd the felde so as he rode amonge In the great prese hath met Curyalus The worthy kyÌ„g of knyghthod right famous And bothe two in armes wonder stronge By themselfe faught at leyser longe Tyll eche other with woundes fresshe grene Fro horsbak his felawe threwe endloÌ„g the grene And afterwarde I fynde how they two Vpon foote knyghtly hadde ado They were in armes somly desyrous And of manhode passyngly famous And all this whyle the sones naturell Of Pryamus bare them wonder well Amonge grekes vp and downe rydynge And prudently togydre abydynge Made a slaughter of grekes full pytous Of kynges dukes and lordes right famous And as I rede how worthy Thelamowne That tyme met with kynge Sapedowne And with theyr speres squared full sharpely Eueryche hath other wounded mortally Thorugh shelde plate haberion of mayle That as the storye maketh rehersayle How theyr harneys wexed of blode all rede And how they fylle almoste bothe dede At great myschefe amonge the hors feet Of whose bledynge the soyle gan wexe weet Thorugh theyr harneys as it can distylle Whyles kynge Thoas and the fyerse Achylle As they that were of kynne and allyed Amyd the felde Ector haue espyed Where as he faught beset amyd his foon And vpon hym of one accorde they goon And mortally if it wolde auayle On euery halfe they gan hym newe assayle And of hate in herte borne of yore They haue beset this Troyan knyght so sore That they alas from his hede hath smet By vyolence his ryche basenet And wounded hym felly on the hede But for all that he ne toke no hede This worthy man floure of Chyualrye But hym diffendynge tho so myghtely Kynge Thoas smet hym in the face so That with a stroke he rafte his nose a two And shorted it by the halfe dele To whiche stroke the brother naturele Of manly Ector faste gan them hye To socoure hym whan they firste espye His great myschefe and at theyr in coÌ„mynge They so manly bare them in fyghtynge Agayne grekes that Thoas they haue take And Theâ—amon so they made awake With newe assaute of sharpe woundes kene That he was take and lefte vpon the grene And of his men borne home to his tent And kynge Thoas home to troye is went Maugre grekes whiche helpe hyÌ„ may no more For Dephebus and also Anthenore Haue sente hym forth to Troye the cyte And Menelay tho began to se So as he rode Parys stonde a syde And shope hym shortly of hate cruell pryde If it wolde falle on his chaunce Sodaynely to ymen hym myschaunce But he was ware kept hymselfe so narowe That Menelay he marked with an arowe The hede of whiche with venym was enoynt Intoxycate at the square poynt That the kynge of that dredefull wounde All dispayred of his men was founde Whiche in great haste bare hym to his tent And he anone for Surgyens hath sent Whiche firste the hede toke out of his wounde Albe it was yperced full profounde Thorugh his harneys full depe into the bone But cunnyngely they dyde theyr crafte echone To drawe it out with theyr Instrumentes And subtylly with certayne oyntementes They serched haue the wounde enuyron To make it clene from corrupcyon And prudently firste they toke hede That the venym further nat procede Rounde in compasse clensyd it aboute And after that bounde it sure withoute And defensyues made on euery syde And Menelay no lenger wolde abyde But bad in haste brynge forth his stede In purpose full Parys to quyte his mede If he hym fynde the selfe same daye Hym lyste no lenger put it in delaye What euer falle of his grene wounde And forth he rode tyll he hath hym founde By aduenture vnarmed in the felde Without swerde pollex spere or shelde Or bowe in honde were it of reklesnesse Or to refresshe hym after werynesse And Menelay anone a spere hath take And in his yre â—elly gan it shake Towarde Parys by great auysenesse And shulde haue slayne hym as by lyklynesse Ne had Eneas whiche all this thynge behelde Bore of the stocke with his stronge shelde To diffende hym in this auenture Destytute and naked of armure Parys that tyme in suche
telle How the Grekes on the same morowe Amonge them selfe complayne make sorowe Theyr harmes great in Murmur and in rage The losse the costes and the great damage That they haue enduryd folylye Lastynge the werre and wyste neuer whye The deth the slaughtre of many worthy man Syth the tyme that the werre began Hunger and thurste watche and colde also Full great vnreste sorowe thought and wo And all togydre for a thynge of nought In sothfastnesse if the grounde be sought This was the noyse and rumour eke that ran Thorugh out the hoost that day fro man to man And moste amonge the pore souldy oures Whiche bare the bronte euer of suche shoures And the myschefe of werre comenlye And though they playne they haue no remedy Of thynges whiche sytte them full vnsofte And thus grekes complayned haue full ofte Of many myschefe that hath on them falle The whiche they myght haue eschewed alle If they ne hadde of foly gonne a werre Out of Grece nat come halfe so ferre To theyr myschefe and confusyon This was that daye their lamentacyon ¶ Whiche to encrease the same next nyght So derked was without sterre lyght So cloudy blacke and so thycke of ayre Dymmyd with skyes foule no thynge fayre So wyndy eke with tempest all be layne Almoste fordrenchyd with the smoky rayne And in the felde astoned here and yonder With sodayne stroke of the dredefull thonder And with openynge of the hydous leuene That it sempte in the hye heuene The Cataractys hadde be vndo For the cloudes and skyes bothe two Sodaynely wexen were so blake Lyke as the goddes wolde haue taken wrake And hadde of newe assentyd be in oon The lande to drenche of Deucalyon And all this worlde without more refuge To ouerflowe with a fresshe deluge The wynde also so sternely gan blowe That theyr tentes stondynge on a rowe For possyd were and ybete downe And furyously to theyr confusyowne The floodê raughte theÌ„ fro theyr staÌ„dyng place And bare them forth a full large space Wherof in myschefe and in great distresse In great laboure and hertely heuynesse The grekes bydde all the same nyght What for the tempest and for lacke of lyght Tyll the floode gan agayne withdrawe The wynde to appese and the day gan dawe And the heuen gan agayne to clere Without cloudes fresshely to appere And Phebus eke with a feruent hete Hadde on the soyle dryed vp the wete And the moysture enuyrowne on the playne And grekes hadde theyr tentes set agayne And were adawed of theyr nyghtes sorowe Thorugh the aperynge of the galde morowe They them arrayed nothynge for the pees And into the felde firste went Achylles As ye shall here of entencyowne That day to fyght with them of Troye towne WHan dryed was the lusty large playne with phebê° bemys as ye haue herd me sayÌ„e The troyan knyghtes full worthy of renowne Descendyd be and ycome downe And in the felde toke theyr fyghtynge place But Achylles to mete them in the face Tofore went out lyke as I you tolde With his lordes and his knyghtes bolde And firste I fynde without more abode Vnto Hupon furyously he rode I mene Hupon that was of his stature Lyke a Geaunt as bokes vs assure Whom Achylles with his sharpe spere Thorugh the body percyd hym so fere That he fylle dede his wounde was so kene And after this the kynge Octamene As he fyersly on Ector wolde haue gone Without abode Ector hym siewe anone And cruelly quytte hym his fatall mede And sodaynely agaynst Dyomede As zantipus the worthy kynge gan drawe Full pyteously he of hym was slawe And right anone the kynge Epyscrophus And eke the kynge that hyght Cedyus Of one assent proudely in batayle Begonne Ector mortally to assayle And with a spere firste Epyscrophus Ran at hym with herte despytous And as Guydo also doth deuyse Rebukyd hym in vngoodly wyse To hym so sore in herte he was a meued Wherof Ector furyously agreued Hath mortally his wounde made so large That hym ne geyneth plate shelde nor targe For he fyll dede amonge his men echone To whom Ector bad he shulde gone To the Furyes depe downe in helle Suche wordes amonges them to telle For here quod he men take of them no hede And thus whan he was waged for his mede Anone his brother called Cedyus Suche sorowe made for Epyscrophus So hertely dole and so wofull chere That pyte was for to se and here So inwardly on his deth he thought And with a thousande knyghtê that he brought To be auenged by manhode of them alle Despyteously on Ertor he is falle Where he hym founde fyghtynge with his foon That thorugh the force of them euerychoon So sore enuyrowne they haue hym beset That from his stede downe they haue hyÌ„ smet ¶ Whom Cedyus aye in his cruell rage Whan that he sawe to his auauntage Ector vnhorsed and he on his stede His swerde he lefte of inwardely hatrede Markynge at hym with so great a payne With all the force of his armes twayne Fully in purpose without more delay To slee Ector playnely if he may But or his stroke descende myght downe Ector of hate and indignacyowne With his swerde that was full sharpe whet From his shuldre hath his arme of smet And after that he reuyd hym his lyfe Than Eneas amyddes all this stryfe Came rydynge in woode and furyous And as he mette the kynge Amphymacus He fell on hym and slewe hym in his rage And from grekes holdynge theyr passage There came downe firste Menelaus And after hym kynge Thelamonyus The great Duke also of Athene In whom there was so moche manhode sene Vlixes eke and cruell Dyomede And eke also to helpe them in theyr nede There came with them the kynge Machaon And alderlaste the great Agamenon With all theyr wardes and fyll in sodaynly Vpon Troyans and they full manfully Diffende them selfe agayne the Grekes proude And put them of full knyghtly as they coude And eche on other sothly as they mette With spere and swerde enuyously they sette So mortall hate there was them betwene And whan the sonne was in merydyen In myd day angell passynge hote and shene The grekes gan felly in theyr tene So myghtely to falle on them of Troye That they them made for to gyue weye Of very force and necessyte And Achylles so full of cruelte Amonge the renges as he gan hym drawe The kynge Phylem enuyously hath slawe And amyd of grekes the same tyme Ector Maugre them all slewe kynge Alphenor And eke the kynge called Dorous On them he was so cruell and yrous That thorugh vertue of his knyghtly honde Troyans haue wonne agayne theyr londe Vpon grekes and made them for to flee And thylke houre from Torye the Cytee Epyscrophus full of manlynesse The felde hath take thorugh his worthynesse And on grekes proudely for the nones With his knyghtes he falleth all attones And seuered them made them for to twynne And gan the
Troyans haue full dere bought For that day Fortune holpe them nought But tourned hole to theyr confusyowne And so they be repeyred to the towne And to theyr tentes grekes faste them spede Tyll on the morowe they sent Dyomede ¶ Whith Vlixes to Troye the cyte For a trewes oonly for monthes thre If kynge Pryam therto wolde assente And as they two on this message wente A certayne knyght borne of Troye towne That hyght Dolon of great discrecyowne And also was ryght famous of rychesse Of curtely and of gentyllesse His deuer dyde and his dylygence Them to conueye vnto the presence Of Pryamus in his paleys royall And in his see most chefe and pryncypall Where as he sat his lordes enuyrowne With many knyght full worthy of renowne They gan to hym firste to specefye Hoolly the substaunce of theyr embassatrye And of the trewes theyr entent they tolde If it so were he assente wolde And the kynge benyngnely them herde And by auyse prudently answerde That therupon his honour for to saue At good leyser he wolde a counsayle haue With his lordes and fully hym gouerne In this mater lyke as they discerne And to conclude shortly euerychone Assentyd be except Ector alone Vnto the trewes and ne wolde it nat denye But Ector sayde that of trecherye Oonly of slaughter and false Treson Theyr axynge was vnder occason Firste to berye Grekes that were dede And vnder coloure therof out of drede Afterwarde them selfe to vytayle For he well knewe that theyr stuf gan fayle And enfamyned leste they shulde dye They soughte a space them selfe to purueye By outwarde sygnes that he dyde espye Wherfore quod he me lyketh nat to lye By apparence as I dare presume Whyles that we waste and consume Oure stuf within as it is to drede They wyll prouyde of what that they haue nede For all that is to them auauntage Myght be to vs hyndrynge and damage And whyles they encrease and amende We shall our store discrease and dispende Yet neuertheles how euer that it be Touchynge this trewes as for monthes thre Sythen ye all assente and accorde Fro your sentence I wyll nat discorde In no wyse to be varyaunt And thus the trewes confermyd was by graūt On outher syde them thought for the beste Bycause they shulde in quyete and in reste The mene whyle ease them and releue And they that felte theyr woundes sore greue Myght haue leyser them selfe to recure And whyle the trewes dyde thus endure They fylle in Tretee and in comunynge Of Athenor and Thoas the kynge That Anthenor delyuered shulde be For kynge Thoas to Troye the cyte And so Thoas shuld to grekes home agayne Oonly by eschaunge as ye haue herde me sayne One for a nother as it accorded was And in this whyle the bysshop hight Calchas Remembred hym vpon his doughter dere Called Cryseyde with hir Eyen clere Whom in Troye he had lefte behynde Whan he wente as the boke maketh mynde For whom he felte passyngly great smerte So tenderly she was set at his herte And enprented both at eue and morowe And chefe cause and grounde of all his sorowe Was that she lefte behynde hym in the towne Without comforte or consolacyowne As he caste sothly in his absence And specyally for his great offence That he hath wrought agaynst them of troye And as hym thought he shuld neuer haue ioye Tyll he his doughter recured hath agayne ¶ Wherfore Calchas the storye sayth certayne In his wyttes many wayes caste How he myght whyle the trewes doth laste Recure his doughter by some maner way And as I fynde vpon a certayne day In his porte wonder humbly With wepynge eye wente pyteously In complaynynge of terys albe reyned Whose inwarde wo sothly was nat feyned And on his knees anone he falleth downe Tofore the great kynge Agamenowne Besechynge hym with all humylyte Of very mercy and of hye pyte With other kynges syttynge in the place To haue routhe and for to do hym grace And on his woo to haue compassyon That he may haue restytucyon Of his doughter whom he loued so Prayinge them all theyr deuer for to do That thorugh theyr prudent medyacyon For Anthenor that was in theyr pryson ¶ With kyng Thoas she myght eschaūged be If that them lyst of theyr benygnyte To his requeste goodly to assente And they hym graūt forth anone they sente To kynge Pryamus for to haue Cryseyde For Calchas sake and therwith all they leyde The charge for hir wonder specyally On them that went for this Embassatry To Troye towne and to kynge Pryamus To whom Calchas was so odyus So hatefull eke thorugh out all the towne That this reporte was of hym vp and downe That he a Traytour was and also false Worthy to be enhonged by the halfe For his Treson and his doubylnesse And ouer more they sayde eke expresse That he disserued hath by right of lawe Shamefully firste for to be drawe And afterwarde the most horryble deth That he may haue to yelde vp the breth Lyke a Traytour in as despytous wyse As any herte can thynke or deuyse Eueryche affermynge as by Iugement That deth was none fully equypollent To his deserte nor to his falsnesse As yonge and olde playnely bare wytnesse Concludynge eke for his iniquyte That they wolde assent in no degre Vnto no thynge that myght his herte please Nor of Cryseyde for to do hym ease They caste nat to make delyueraunce Leuer they hadde to gyue hym myschaunce If they hym myght haue at good large But fynally the effect of all this charge Is so ferforth dryuen to an ende That Pryamus hath graūted she shall wende With kynge Thoas shortly there is no more Vnto hir Fader for daūz Anthenore Who euer grutche the kynge in Parlement Hath therupon gyuen Iugement So vtterly it may nat be repelyd For with his worde the sentence was asselyd That she must parte with hir eyen glade And of the sorowe playnely that she made At hir partynge hereafter ye shall here Whan it agayne cometh to my matere ¶ Howe durynge a Trewes of thre Monthes Ector walked into the Grekes hooste And of the cōmunycacyon of Achylles hym Ca. xxv ⸫ ⸫ ⸫ tHe trewes affermyd as ye haue herd deuyse On outher syde of them that were full wyse And full assentyd of them euerychone Tyll thre monthes come be and gone Lyke as I rede on a certayne daye Whan agreable was the morowe graye Blandysshynge and pleasaunt of delyte Ector in herte caught an appetyte Lyke as Guydo lyketh for to wryte The same day Grekes to vysyte Full well besene and wonder rychely With many worthy in his company Of suche as he for the nones ches And to the tent firste of Achylles I fynde in sothe this Troyan knyght Vpon his stede toke the waye ryght Full lyke a man as made is mencyon Nowe hadde Achylles great affeccyon In his herte bothe day and nyght Of worthy Ector for to haue a syght
Troye hadde tho belet At theyr repeyre the storye telleth thus He had the manhode be of Pryamus The whiche anone as any lyon stronge With his swerde gan ryde them amonge And seuered them with large woundes wyde And slewe all tho that wolde his swerde abyde Euery where endelonge the playne And Parys eke hath them so belayne With myghty shote of his stronge Archerys And with the pursuyte of his Arbalasterys That they ne myght of the shote so kene The mortall harme abyde nor sustene But gan anone to fle out of the place And kyng pryam so narowe gan them chace That of nede and necessyte Thorugh the slaughtre and the cruelte Of his swerde sharpe whette and grounde There was no greke in the felde yfounde But fled away eueryche to his tent And they of Troye be to theyr cyte went Bycause it drewe faste towarde nyght For Phebus hadde be reued them his lyght And so the honour of his hye victorye The worshyp eke the laude and memorye Perpetuelly and the palme also Pryam the kynge hath wonne and no mo For that day in release of his sorowe And as I rede on the next morowe He hath ysent out of Troye towne For atrewes to Agamenowne Whiche graunted was the selfe day at pryme Albe therof rehersyd be no tyme How longe it laste in the boke expresse Durynge the whiche they dyd their besynesse Hertely laboure and inwarde dylygence For to ordayne with great reuerence How that the corps of the worthy kynge Of Perce londe without more tariynge With kyngly honour out of Troye towne Shall caryed be into this regyowne To be buryed with his predecessours With outher kynges his progenytours The whiche thynge was complete by the aduys Of Alysaunder that called was Parys And firste the corps enbawmed rychely Conueyed was full solempnely As wryte Guydo with an huge route Of his knyghtes rydynge hym aboute Tryste and heuy cladde in blacke echone And with the chare the right way they gone Towardes Perce ledynge of this kynge The dede corps towarde his buriynge Whiche halowed was lyke his estate royall And in this whyle the feste funerall Was holde also with great deuocyowne Of worthy Ector within Troye towne Lyke the custome vsed in tho dayes And the rytes of theyr paynem layes The whichefeste as made is mencyon Fro yere to yere by reuolucyon Yhalowed was the space of fourtenyght With many flawme and many hydous lyght That brent enuyrowne in the seyntuarye And called was the Anyuersarye For that it came aboute yere by yere A certayne day in theyr Kalendere In whiche of custome for a remembraunce The people shulde by contynuaunce Playne and wepe and also praye and rede For theyr frendes that afore were dede Full pyteously with theyr heer to torne Mornynge in blacke and knelynge aye aforne The dede corps of this worthy knyght Whiche in his tyme passynge was of myght And this was done whyle the trewes dure So that Grekes trustely myght assure Whan that them lyste at good lyberte Without daunger entre the cyte Day by day and Troyans myght also Vnto Grekes frely come and go AT whiche tyme with full great delyte Hath Achylles caught an apetyte To entre and se the maner of the towne Without wysdome or discrecyowne For to beholde playnely and to se Hooly the maner of this solempnyte And forth he went on a certayne day Towarde Troye in all the haste he may Vnarmed sothly as myn Auctour sayth Without assuraunce or any other fayth Except the trewes who so be lefe or loth And firste of all to the temple he goth Of Appollo halowed was the feste Thorugh out the towne downe vnto the leste That cleped was the Anyuersarye As ye haue herde what shulde I lenger tarye And many worthy present was there at Amyd the temple of hye and lowe estat Lordes and ladyes of affeccyowne From euery parte gaderyd of the towne Now was the corps of this worthy knyght As fresshe of coloure kept vnto the syght As lyfely eke and as quycke of hewe To beholde as any rosenewe Thorugh vertue oonly of the gommys swete And the bawme that gan aboute flete To euery ioynt and eche extremyte And at this feste and solempnyte Was Eccuba and yonge Polycene So womanly and goodly on to sene With many other of hye estate and lowe Tofore the corps syttynge on a rowe With heer vntrussyd cladde in wedes blake That euer in one suche a sorowe make That routh was and pyte for to sene How they playne and the deth by mene Of worthy Ector of knyghthod groūd welle But trowe ye as Guydo lyste to telle That Polycene in all hir wofull rage Ychaunged hath vpon hir vysage Hyr natyfe colour as fresshe to the syght As is the rose or the lylyes whyte Outher the fresshenesse of hir lyppes rede For all the terys that she gan to shede On hir chekes as any crystall clere Hyr heer also resemblynge to golde wyere Whiche lay abrode lyke vnto the syght Phebus bemys in his spere bryght Whan he to vs doth his lyght auale And aye she rent with hir fyngers smale Hyr golden heer on hir blacke wede Of whiche thynge Achylles toke good hede And gan meruayle greatly in his thought How god or kynde euer myght haue wrought In theyr werkes so fayre a creature For hym thought he myght nat endure To beholde the bryghtnesse of hir face For he felte thorugh his herte pace The persynge stremys of hir eyen two Cupydes bronde hath hym marked so For loue of hyr that in his desyre He brente as hote as any fyre And after soone with sodayne colde he quoke And alway fyxe on hir he had his loke So that the arrowe of the god Cupyde Perced hym euen thorugh the syde To the herte and gaue hym suche a wounde That neuer was lykely for to be sownde And aye in one his loke on hir he caste As he durste and gan to prese faste Towarde hir namely with his eye That hym thought he must nedes deye But if that he founde in hir some grace There was no geyne for playnely in y◠place Of newe he was caughte in loues snare That of helth and of all welfare He was dispeyred in his herte so That he ne knewe what was beste to do Eche other thynge I do you well assure He set at nought and toke of it no cure His thought was hole on hir and no mo The longe day thus went he to and fro Tyll Phebus chare lowe gan declyne His golden axtre that so clere doth shyne This to saye the sonne went downe ¶ Whan Eccuba quene of Troye towne And hir doughter Polycene also Out of the Temple to the paleys go And aye Achylles on hir had a syght Whyle he myght tyll for lacke of lyght He maye no more haue leyser opportune To loke on hir cursed be Fortune For whiche in haste he maked hath his went With his knyghtes home to his Tent Where he anone
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
were so clere For dyrked were with dolefull terys smerte And to the corps sodaynely she sterte And clyppyd it in hir armes twayne And pyteously enbrace it and restrayne Lyke as she wolde with hym dye anone For styll she lay dombe as any stone As marbyll colde hir lymes Craumpysshynge Redy at all towarde hir buriynge Tyll men by force from the corps hir hent And she hir heer and his chekes rent As she were fallen in a rage That chaunged was alas in hir vysage Hir natyfe coloure and hir rody hewe Whylom as fresshe as any rose newe Now is she lyke vnto asshes colde And with hir handes aye togydre folde Hir selfe she smote on hir pale face And euer amonge the corps she dyde embrace In hir swownes as she fyll to grounde Twenty tymes and wept full his wounde With wo she was so wapyd and amate Of all comforte alas disconsolate In herte beynge inly desirous Thorugh hir rage passynge Furyous To dye attones with hir owne knyght For towarde deth enclosyd was hir syght As she that lyst to lyue now no more And I trowe that neuer man before No woman sawe falle in suche distresse In suche disioynt of deedly heuynesse Nor for no wo so pyteously yraue Nat Cleopatre goynge to hir graue Nor wofull Tesbe that fro the kaue sterte Whan she hir selfe smote vnto the herte Nor the faythfull trewe Orestylle Whan that she sawe hir lorde agayne hir wylle Marcus Prolancus vnto shyppe gone And for his loue fyll downe deed anone Nor the sorowe of trewe Iulia Nor the feruence of faythfull Porcia Or whiche the one fyll deed sodaynely For she sawe blode speynt so cruelly On hir lordes dredefull grauement And Porcia so trewe in hir entent Whan that hir lorde Brutus loste his lyfe For bycause she myght haue no knyfe With colys rede slewe hir selfe alas Was nat also in the selfe caas Arthemysya quene of Tarse londe Of Mansalus the graue whan she fonde Hir owne knyght of whose bones smale Full wofully and with a chere right pale She poudre made dranke it euery morowe But all the wo and the furyous sorowe Of these echone yet may nat atteyne Vnto the sorowe of the quene Eleyne That fynally wyll hir selfe for do For Parys sake whom she loued so For after hym she wyll nat lyue a day But be a wreke playnely if she may Vpon hir lyfe rather than disseuere And thus in wo aye she doth perseuere In hir herte Parys sat so depe Alas who sayth that women can nat we This douteles they haue it of nature Though it so be that they no wo endure Yet can they feyne and salte terys fynde Plente ynough of theyr owne kynde And sorowles morne and compleyne I saye nat this for the quene Eleyne That was with wo wounded to the herte That fro the deth she wende nat asterte For dethes darte hir herte made ryue And yet she rose agayne fro deth to lyue Oonly by grace for all hir felle rage For euery wo by processe muste aswage And ouer gone and wasted by myracle For eche venym made is Tryacle And euery wo hath his remedye For though Eleyne fayne wolde dye Hir kynde ne wolde assent yet therto So sodaynely to slee hir selfe for wo She was a woman no man shulde hir wyte Me lyste no more of hir wo endyte Lyste vnto you that it were Tedyous To here all hir paynes furyous Hir cruell wo and lamentacyon Whiche wolde meue to compassyon In very sothe to wryte euerydele Any herte though it were made of stele For kynge Pryam and the quene also Hadde suche couthe of hir pyteous wo To se hir so wepe and complayne That of hir they felte asmoche payne As they dyde almost for Parys Hereof no more for Pryam by deuys After this rage and this mortall wo Amyd the Temple sacryd to Iuno Ordayned hath with full besy cure For the corps a ryche Sepulture And in all haste therin made it shette That in sothnesse if I shulde lette Totelle all the rytes and the gyse That there were made in theyr paynym wyse And the costes of his buriynge It shulde be to longe a tariynge Ceryously thereon to abyde Wherfore as nowe I lette ouerslyde Theyr paynym rytys supersticyous ¶ How Pantasyllya the Quene of Amazone came for to socoure kynge Pryamus of Troye And howe Pirrus Achylles sone slewe hir⸫ Capitulo xxxiiij ANd tell I wyll how kynge Pryamus CoÌ„mauÌ„ded hath of myschefe of nede Thorugh troye towne oonly of very drede To shytte theyr gates strongly as they may And therupon bothe nyght and day To kepe watche for shortly they of Troye Disconsolate of all theyr olde ioye Can no refute but wepe and sorowe make For they ne durste no more vndertake Agayne Grekes into felde to gon Tyll on a day kynge Agamenon His messager by good auysement To Pryamus into Troye hath sent Requerynge hym of manhode lyke a knyght To yssue out with Grekes for to fyght As he was wonte with his Chyualâ—ye But kynge Pryam his axynge gan denye And shortly sayde to hym that was sent That he ne wolde at his assignemenet Nat ones passe the gates of the towne But at his owne fre eleccyowne Whan euer hym lyste without compellynge And yet in sothe cause of his tariynge ¶ Was for the hardy quene of Femynye Towarde Torye faste gan hir hye Out of hir lande and lytell regyon The whiche as bokes make mencyon After the syght of the firmament Is in the plage of the Oryent And called is the reygne of Amazonys Of whiche the custome and the vse is That oonly women therin shall abyde And they are wonte armed for to ryde And haue in armes great experyence For theyr laboure and theyr dylygence Is fynally to haue excercyse Fro day to day in Martes hye seruyse And ouer more theyr custome and vsaunce As to this day is made remembraunce Is that no man shall them nyghe nere But if it be thre monethes in the yere This to say in Iune Apryll and May And than the women haue in custome aye Vnto an I le a lytell there besyde Where as the men by them selfe abyde Fro yere to yere togydre euerychone Vnto the men out of theyr lande to gone And there abyde in that regyon Tyll tyme coÌ„meth of concepcyon Without tariynge any lenger whyle For than anone home vnto theyr yle They repeyre out of that countre Vnto tyme that they delyuered be And as faste as the childe is borne For lacke of kepynge that it be nat lorne He fostryd is tyll thre yere be agone Amonge the women and than right anone To the I le besyde adiacent Vnto the men the childe in haste is sent If that it be of kynde masculyne And if it falle that it be Femynyne With the women abyde stylle it shall Tyll that it be in actes mercyall Full well experte and that she can eke knowe To handle a spere or to drawe a bowe Lyke the
to se full huge was the prees Of the Grekes goynge enuyron And for he was by successyon Borne to be heyre of this Achylles He was receyued of Myrundones With great honour and great solempnyte So glad were they theyr yonge lorde to se To whom echone they made affyaunce And were eke sworne by bonde assuraunce For lyfe or deth to hym to be trewe As his lyeges and chaunge for no newe To obeye his lust in all maner thynge And after this Agamenon the kynge Made hym knyght and Thelamonyus ¶ With a swerde gyrte anone Pirrus Sayenge to hym in the selfe place With yâ— bawdryke whan he hym dyd embrace Take hede quod he myn owne cosyn dere To resemble in manhode and in chere In knyghthode eke and in worthynesse To thy Fader whiche in sothfastnesse In his tyme was so noble a knyght And ouer more with all thy full myght To auenge his deth that thou do thy payne And than of grekes worthy Dukes twayne Full humbly began downe toknele And sette a spore vpon eyther hele As was the maner of golde bornyd bryght And in this wyse Pirrus was made knyght As ye haue herde in full hye presence With great honoure and due reuerence Lyke the custome of the grekes layes And the ryghtes vsed in tho dayes And than anone hath Agamenon With full glad there and great affeccyon Delyuered hym fully by sentence The armes hole without difference Whiche Achylles by his lyfe bare His worthy Fader on his shuldres square As for next heyre of lyne by discent And all the Tresour also and his Tent Armure and all delyueryd were anone Vnto Pirrus and grekes euerychone Eyght dayes suynge by and by Thorugh out the hoost full solempnely They halowe in honour of this yonge knyght Tyl on a morowe whaÌ„ Phebê° shone ful bryght Which with his lyght that shyneth fro so ferre Diffaced hath the stremys of the sterre Lucyfer the dayes messagere Whan grekes gan in plates bryght and clere Enarmed them that day for soure or swete Fully in purpose with theyr foon to mete And manfully out of theyr tentes wyde Agaynst Troyans they began to ryde Warde after warde proudely into felde And Pirrus bare that day vpon his shelde His Faders armes lyke as sayth Guydo And of the same he hadde vpon also A cote armure that became hym wele And forth he rode armed bryght in stele And casuelly formest as he was He mette firste with Pollydamas A knyght of Troye a full manly man And furyously Pirrus to hym ran On hors backe with a myghty swerde And gan to hurtle with hym in the berde So myghtely that in this hatefull stryfe Pollydamas hadde loste his lyfe Ne hadde reskus ben without more tariynge Of Phylymene the noble worthy kynge Oonly of knyghthode and of worthynesse To whom Pirrus gan hym dresse With his swerde and smet hym in the syghte That from his hors he made hym to a lyghte For he the stroke myght nat sustene And sothfastly this worthy Phylymene Of Pirrus hadde ytake be anone Saue his knyghtes assembled into one Of Paffagonye came hym to rekewe But Pirrus aye so fyersly gan pursewe Vpon this kynge with Myrundones Beset in myschefe amonge the great prees That many knyght of this noble kynge yslayne was at his reske wynge He stode of deth in so streyt a caas Tyll of Fortune came Pollydamas To his reskus and dyde his full myght Hym to delyuere and quyte hym lyke a knyght But in sothenesse there was suche resystence Of Pirrus knyghtes stondynge at diffence That aye in myschefe stode kyÌ„ge Phylymene Tyll Pantasyllya of Femynye the quene With hir women a great companye Gan this thynge of auenture espye Whiche were echone for the more delyte On theyr armure that day clade in whyte That veryly there was no lylye floure Nor snowe that flaketh fro Iupyters toure Of whytnesse fressher on to sene Than in felde was this hardy quene Whiche firste of all amonge the grekes chees Proudely to falle on Myrundones Amonges whom rydynge vp and downe She them on horseth thorugh hir hyerenowne And slewe them vp on euery syde Makynge theyr renges for to seuâ—r wyde Tyll Thelamon in a furyous hete With a spere vn warely dyde hir mete And in arage smote hir to the playne But she anone full lyfely rose agayne And with hir swerde so marketh Thelamowne That from his hors she made hyÌ„ lyght dow ne Plat to the grounde on his handes twayne And than hir women dyde theyr besy payne To make theyr quene hir stede to recure And all this whyle stode in auenture Of his lyfe worthy Phylymene Pirrus knyghtes were on hym so kene Maugre his men that they haue hym take It geyneth nat diffence for to make The grekes haue so strongly hym beset And forth they lad hym it myght be no bet Towarde theyr tentê thorugh out all the felde The whiche thynge whan the quene behelde With hir women that aboute hir rode Pursued after without more abode That fynally they haue so after sewed Thorugh theyr force that he was reskewed Maugre the manhode of Myrundones And Pantasyllya was so mercyles Vpon Grekes that of necessyte Thorugh hir force and hir cruelte Afore hir swerde they durst nat abyde But whan Pirrus sawe hir great pryde To his knyghtes loude he gan to crye And sayde it was shame and vyllanye For the women so to lese theyr londe And to be slayne so felly of hir honde Wherfore echone your hertes doth resume And of assent let vs nowe consume The â—ryde of them that none away escape For but if we some remedye shape This ylke day theyr force to confounde Shamefull reporte to vs shall rebounde Perpetuelly where we slepe or wake And as Pirrus gan his swerde to take Furyously and with a knyghtly there This hardy quene happed to here All that Pirrus to his knyghtes spake Hirlyste nat ones for to tourne bake Nor of his thret for to take hede For platly she hadde of hym no drede But right proudely gan to drawe nere And to hym sayde anone as ye shall here O thou Pirre sone of Achylles That slewe Ector in knyghthode pereles Thorugh his treynys and his trecherye By malys oonly and by false enuye Vnware whan he no thynge dyde aduerte The whiche neuer may out of my herte So grene it stycketh in my remembraunce Vpon his deth for to do vengeaunce And it syt well as semeth vnto me That his deth be venged vpon the Firste of all and on thy Faders blode For loue of hym so gentyll and so gode The deth of whom shuld all yâ— world coÌ„playne Nat oonly men do theyr besy payne To quyte his deth but women eke also With all theyr myght helpe eke therto As right requyreth without excepcyon There on to do full execucyon And I now stonde in the same plyte And for thou haste vs women in despyte Of our power shortly in sentence Thou shalt in haste haue
fayre sheweth though the weder be Wonder dyuers and troubly for to se So this tygre full of doubylnesse So couertly his treason dyde expresse As he nat mente but trouthe to the towne Fully affermynge in conclusyowne How the grekes myghty were and stronge And lykly eke to abyde longe Day by day redy them to assayle And also plente of vytayle Concludynge aye there was no remedye Agaynst them to holde chaumpartye Nor with them any more to stryue For he sayde they hadde yet a lyue Theyr worthy knyghtes hardy as lyons Theyr manly men and theyr champyons Whiche theyr lyues platly to Iuparte From the Cyte caste them nat departe Tyll theyr purpose acheued be in all For fynally nouther toure nor wall Nor your gates of yren though ye shette The Grekes shall on no syde lette But that they wyll vs wynne at the laste Wherfore it nedeth a mene way to caste Sythen of myght nor fauour of Fortune We may nat longe agaynst them contune Wherfore quod he so ye condescende I can right well all this thynge amende Remedye so that ye nat varye To that I saye for to be contrarye This to mene shortly out of doute Embassatoure whan that I was oute With the grekes laste whan ye me sent They sayd goodly how they wolde assent Vnto a peas by this condycyon That ye wyll make restytucyon Of the harmes and the vyolences The wronges done and also the offences By Parys wrought in Grece at Cytheron As it is right me semeth of reason For theyr request is meynt with equyte And we be dryuen of necessyte Vnto theyr luste iustly to enclyne Maugre our wyll the werre for to fyne For all is now in theyr eleccyon We may nat make no rebellyon Now the mater is so fer ybrought To stryue agayne in soth it helpeth nought It may apeyre but no thynge auayle Therfore the beste that I can counsayle As in prouerbe hath be sayde of yore That if a man be constrayned sore And may nat flee to falle in a trayne Let hym chese the lesse harme of twayne And the gretter prudently to eschewe And let our golde that ye kept in mewe To saue our lyfe make redempcyon For better it is demeth of reason Spoyled to be oonly of rychesse Than wylfully dye in distresse The lyfe is better than glode or any gode Set all at nought in sauynge of your blode For foly is a man for his welfare Thorugh couetyse any golde to spare And now our lyfe dependeth in balaunce Let golde farewell and go with myschaunce We may hereafter by sort of auenture Golde by grace and good ynough recure And sythen we as I haue you tolde May bye a peas fynally for golde And with our treasour stynt eke the werre It were foly playnely to differre With the grekes vtterly to accorde For if so be I to them recorde That ye assent without any varyaunce There may of peas be no perturbaunce It is so lyght now to be recured For as soone as they be assured By iuste reporte of your entencyons They wyll do wryte oblygacyons Of couenauntes that nat be by hynde And that ye shall in them no faute fynde Whan assuraunce from outher parte is hadde Therupon Endentures shal be made So that of fayth ye may them nat repreue And for that they fully truste and leue Without fraude my relacyon I wyll now make no dylacyon To signefye to them in certayne Hoolly the effect of that ye wyll sayne And the people loude gan to crye All with one voyse and to magnefye All that euer Anthenor hath sayde And vpon hym they haue the charge layde Of theyr answere and entent fynall And by recorde to reporte all That no thynge be forgetten in this caas They haue assigned also Eneas With hym to go for the same thynge In the presence of the olde kynge Taltybyus whiche also of entent ¶ With Anthenor was to Troye sent The whiche thre haue playnely vndertake As ye haue herde a fynall peas to make Albe that they in couert treason mente And on theyr way forth anone they wente With playne power cōmytted of the towne BUt kyng Pryam hath ay suspeccyowne To Anthenor and also to Enee How that they shall destroye his Cytee And to hym selfe tryste of hertely wo He sayd alas what is beste to do In this myschefe that I am in falle And yet is this to me worste of alle That I am nowe thorugh myn aduersyte Bounde and compelled of necessyte Maugre my hede in maner of raunson For my lyfe to make redempcyon Vnto my foon that I haue moste at herte I se right well I may it nat asterte For I must paye there gayneth no socoure My good my golde ryches and treasoure To my moste foon and dare it nat denye And yet I stonde of lyfe in Iupartye Without refute hangynge in balaunce Alas constrayned thorugh my wofull chaunce To obeye theyr luste that mortally me hate Dryuen therto of byrthe thorugh my fate So Parchas haue my desteny yshape By no engyne I may it nat escape ANd whyle pryam gan thus to cōpleyne To Anthenor came the quene Eleyne Besechynge hym in his embassatrye Of gentyllesse for to specefye Thorugh his prudent medyacyon To fynde away in conseruacyon Of hir estate fynally that she To Menelay may reconsyled be If so falle that the treate holde So that hir lorde of his grace wolde Restore hir vnto hir degre Oonly of mercy and of hye pyte And Anthenor vnto hir requeste Gaue audyence makynge a beheste How he wolde with all his herte entere Be dylygent to treate of this matere And therwithall of hym she toke hir leue And thus was done on the same eue That Anthenor I pray god gyue hȳ sorowe To Grekes went on the next morowe Oonly to treate for apeas fynall And in this whyle the feest Funerall Was holde in troye myn Auctor wryteth thus Of a lorde that called was Glaucus A manly knyght tofore in his lyuynge And sone was of Pryamus the kynge And ouer this lyke as sayth Guydo That kynge Pryam besyed hym also Of Pantasyllya how the body myght Be conseruyd fresshely to the syght And for loue of this worthy quene Of puryd golde and of stones shene He lete make a vessell full ryall And fylde it full with bawne naturall To kepe the corps fro corrupcyowne Tyll the werre of grekes and of the towne Thorugh the treate were ystynted clene SO that the kynge called Phylymene This deed quene myght of affeccyon Carye it home into hir regyon With the Auncetres buryed for to be Lyke the maner of olde antiquyte And the custome vsed in that tyme It were in vayne more therof to ryme I passe ouer vnto the Tretee Atwene grekes and Troye the Cytee And for the partye of grekes as I rede Firste vlixes and with hym Dyomede Assigned were and the kynge of Crete With Anthenor and Eneas to mete And all yfere shortly in sentence By conduyt firste and after by
haste for this Dyomede Knowynge full well his desolacyon How he was proscrip fro his regyon Besechynge hym of manhode and of routhe Hym to enhaste without any slouthe With all the stuffe that he get can And souldeours also manly euery man Without abode and to Troye them lede To socoure them in this great nede And Dyomede came and taryed nought At theyr request as he was besought To releue them in this sharpe shoure And with hym brought many souldeoure And Eneas on the way hym mette In frendely wyse and into towne hym fette And to hym made passyngly great chere And there they gan to comune yfere Theyr auentures bothe of lande and see Entermedlyd with great aduersyte That no man may deuoyde nor eschewe But take his parte as it to hym is dewe As sorte or hap doth his brydell lede And in this storye shortly to procede Cely Troyans that almost were shent With theyr fomen of Yles adiacent That them besette aboute enuyrowne But thorugh the manhode the hye renowne Of Dyomede and his souldeours And other knyghtes noble werry ours They were reskued and holpen vtterly And foure dayes they foughte by and by In knyghtly wyse deffendynge the Cyree And thorugh prowesse also of Enee They slewe and toke all that them withstode And in diffence of Troyanysshe blode Suche as they fonde to the Cyte false They henge them vp hye by the halse And punysshed them for theyr great wronge And Dyomede thus gan wexe stronge By longe processe as made is mencyowne Chefe protectoure nowe of Troye towne That enmye none by a large space Durste abyde but he hadde grace To this lygaunce so he made them loute And thus his name sprede gan aboute That of his fame the great oppynyon Dylated is vnto the regyon By swyfte reporte to Calydonye and Argâ— Whiche the quene greatly gan to charge And astoned whan she taketh hede His power gan and his myght to drede Lyste he wolde hir londe vpon hir wynne And of knyghthode a werre newe begynne And secretely gan muse on this thynge That hir lorde and hir myghty kynge Late exyled and yput to flyght Hath grace founde in Fortunes syght And is remounted to so hye estate Wherof she was in hir selfe chekmate And wayes caste as she that was prudent By hole aduyse of hir Parlement Without grutchynge or rebellyon Hym to reuoke to his regyon ¶ And therupon to hym lowly sent And with lettres the messager forth went The cause annullyng by which he was exyled And how he was fully reconcyled By hole assente of his lyeges alle And full lowly euerychone they calle For theyr offence and of theyr trespace Without rygoure for to do them grace And he anone lyke a manly knyght More of mercy sothly than of ryght Whan he hath theyr sonde well conceyued And theyr menynge fully apparceyued To stynte all stryfe thought for the beste In goodly wyse to grauute theyr requeste And to his reygne within a certayne day He is repeyred in full ryche array Of whose coÌ„mynge full glad his lyeges bene And reconcyled bothe he and the quene And all rancoure of any olde offence Oonly of wysdome they put in suspence And of one herte a blysfull lyfe they lede In Troye boke no more of hym I rede But lette hym lyue in felycytee Agayne resortynge to tell of Enee After how he hath his tyme spent Whiche is fro Troye with many Troyan went His shyppes stuffed he and his meynee Be sayled forth by many straunge see Many daunger and many strayte passage Tofore or he aryued in Cartage Ledynge with hym his fader Anchyses And by the way I fynde that he les His wyfe Crewsa by fatall auenture But all the woo that he dyde endure Who so lyste ceryously to sene And how that he falsehede the quene I mene Dido of womanhede floure That gaue to hym hir rychesse and treasoure Iewellys and golde all yâ— myght hym please And euery thynge that myght do hym ease But for all that how he was vnkynde Rede Eneydos and there ye shall it fynde And how that he falsely stale away By nyght tyme whyle she a bedde lay And of his conqueste also in Itaylle Where he hadde many stronge bataylle His auentures and his workes all And of the fyne that is to hym fall Ye may all se by full souerayne style Fro poynt to poynt compyled in virgyle Wryte and made sythen go full yore For Troye boke speketh of hym no more But procedeth as I shall endyte How Horestes caste hym for to quyte His fadres deth playnely and nat spare If ye lyste here as Guydo shall declare IT is requered of equyte and ryght Of that iuge that is moste of myght And Egally holdeth his balaunce On deth conspyred for to do vengaunce The voyse of blode doth so aye contune To crye wreche with clamour importune On them in sothe that it iniustly shede For murdre wrought wyll haue his egal mede And his guerdon as he hath disseruyd They may nat flee the iugement reseruyd Of hym that sytte hyest in his Trone And all beholdeth by hym selfe alone Full rightfully the noble myghty kynge For though he suffre he foryet no thynge But all consydereth in his inspeccyon And for the murdre of Agamenon The myghty lorde that is most souerayne gode Made his Mynystre of the same blode ¶ Yonge Horestes full of hye prowesse To execute his dome of ryght wysnesse And gaue to hym grace power and myght And he anone toke the ordre of a knyght Of you meâ—s lyke as it is tolde Whan he was foure and twenty wynter olde Fresshe and lusty and wonderly prudent And in wardely desyrous of entent If Fortune wolde hym nat withsayne His herytage to recure agayne ¶ Whiche Egistus falsly hym denyeth And the crowne in iustly occupyeth By false tytle of hir that was his wyfe But horestes wyll Iuparde his lyfe And auenture whyle hym lasteth breth Firste to be venged on his fadres deth Vpon them tho that the treason wrought And alderfirste full lowely he besought Kynge yâ—dumee of his goodlyhede To forther hym in this great nede And the kynge benygnely anone Assigned hath with hym for to gone A thousande knyghtes manly right stronge To redresse the great horryble wronge Of Egistus wroughte by vyolence And by his wysedome and his dylygence This Horestes gan hym so purueye Within a whyle there is no more to seye That he hym gat the store wyll nat lye Another thousande to his companye Of worthy knyghtes all of one accorde To go with hym as with theyr souerayne lorde In euery thynge his byddynge to obeye As ye haue herde Egistus to werreye And thus Horestes in full ryche array Gan hoostey and made no delay And his lodgynge alderfirste gan chese In a Cytee that called was Troyese Receyued there with great reuernece Of the kynge that named was Forence A manly knyght as bookes specefye And bare in herte passynge great enuye To
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
Of his lordes were set in theyr degre And whan the kynge sawe oportunyte That was there made scylence euery where His lyeges standynge enuyron here there The kynge of chere sad and eke Iocounde As he that was of speche full faucounde Began his tale with sobre countenaunce The effect of whiche was this in substaunce Syres quod he full worthy of degre Of very right and necessyte We be compelled bothe hye and lowe With all our myght lyke as ye well knowe To redresse a thynge that is amys For thorugh the worlde as it reported is We be of force of power and of myght Of worthynesse in euery wyghtes syght Moste renowmed and moste worshypable And ydempt and Iuged for moste able Of all people and lyklyest to stonde For to parforme what we take an honde Who that euer grutcheth or sayth nay Yer me semeth if it be to your pay Thylke power moste is acceptable Vnto goddes and lengest stondeth stable That is deuoyde of surquedry and pryde For it is kouth vpon euery syde In eche lande bothe of one and all How many harmes and greues haue befall Thorugh rancoure oonly pryde wylfulnesse So inportable as I coude expresse Thorugh pryde there is done offence The hye goddes make resistence To all tho that be surquydous Whiche is a vyce so contraryous That it may in no place abyde And in good fayth manhode is no pryde For who that hath any acqueyntaunce Outher by frendshyp or by alyaunce With a proude man to be confederate With hym in herte of hye or lowe estate He nedes muste what euer that he be To many other of necessyte Be lothsome firste enmy and contrayre For no thynge may a man so moche appayre As pryde in sothe in hye or lowe degre Wherfore I rede playnly how that we This foule vyce out of our herte arrace That our quarell may haue the more grace And specyally that our dedes all Conueyed be how euer that it fall By rightwysnesse more than volunte For if trouthe our sothfaste guyde be Vs to directe by his rightfull lyne Than our quarell shall aye in honour shyne And contune in full felycyte And ferthermore this knowe all ye How we are come for to do vengeaunce With our frendshyppe and out alyaunce Vpon Pryam for wronges done of olde By hym and his as I haue ofte tolde And here vpon we haue his grounde ytake And some of his maked to a wake With manfull hande and his castelles stronge Ibete downe that stonde haue so longe And take there the rychesseê that we founde And slewe his men with many blody wounde And harmes mo done in his countre That I wote well if theyr enmyte Was vnto vs great and moche afore I dare saye now it is in double more That if that they auenged myght be On vs echone anone ye shulde se Theyr great Ire so cruell and so huge Be execute without more refuge And yet in sothe I wote they haue espyed Our beynge here though we be nat askyred Of them as yet I dare saye vtterly They are well ware that we are faste by And ouer more this wote I well also Of the harmes that we haue them do The whiche as yet be but fresshe and grene If they were stronge and myghty to sustene A werre on vs anone they wolde gynne And yet the Cyte in whiche they be inne Is walled stronge and toured rounde aboute That they wene fully out of doute With the meyne that they haue gadred in Of theyr alyes that we shall nat wyn Of them but smale in werre nor in stryfe For he in sothe hath a prerogatyfe And auauntage that in his countre Hym selfe diffendeth namely if that he Be stuffed stronge of frendes hym besyde And of alyes where he dothe abyde Lyke as the Rauen with his fethers blake Within his nest wyll ofte tyme make Agayne the Faukon gentyll of nature Full harde diffence whyles he may dure Or that he be vaynquysshed and outrayed And yet some whyle the Faukon is delayed Whyles the Rauen besyde his nest doth flee Within his courte at his lyberte As euery foule is frowarde to areste For to be daunted in his owne neste ANd yet these wordes to you I nat saye In any wyse to put in a fraye Your knyghtly herte so manly and so stable Nor that to you it shulde be doutabse But the Troyans that we shall confounde And theyr Cyte in whiche they habounde Playnely destroye albe that it be stronge And they and all be them amonge Shall fynally consumpt be with dethe Thorowe grekes swerde yelde vp the brethe ¶ But the cause without any drede Why I saye thus is that ye take hede For any pryde or presumpcyon To aduerte in your discrecyon So prudently that reason in this nede For any haste may our brydell lede And so ordayne or we hense wende That laude and prayse after the ende May be reported as I haue deuysed For many man that hath nat be aduysed In his pursuyte for lacke of prouydence To se tofore in his aduertence What shuld falle to deth it hath them brought Suche wylfull haste were good to be thought Of vs afore by examynacyon And well discussed by reuolucyon ¶ Of thynkynge ofte that we nat repente And firste remembre how that Pryam sente To vs but late oonly for Exyon That yet is holde of kynge Thelamon Whiche was of vs without aduysement Vndiscretely denyed by assent Whiche hath to vs be none aduauntage But grounde and rote of full great damage For if that we thorugh wyse purueaunce Of hir hadde made delyueraunce The harmes great had be eschewed That after were of Parys so pursewed In the temple of Cythera That buylde is besyde Eirrea The tresoure great also that he hadde And Iewelles that he with hym ladde Than to Troye and the great rychesse The slaughter of men and the heuynesse That yet is made for the quene Eleyne Thorughoute Grece and the great payne Of Menelay all hadde ben vnwrought If we hadde sene this in our thought Wysely afore and Exyon restored Than hadde nat the harmes be so mourned On vs echone in very soth fastnesse Nor spent our laboure so in ydelnesse Tresoure nor good wasted so in vayne Nor come so ferre for to fetche agayne The quene Eleyne with costes inportable Withouten harmes now in eschewable ANd for all this yet ne wote we Whether to ioye or aduersyte The thynge shall tourne that we be aboute Syth ofte sythe dependent and in doute Is fatall thynge vnsyker and vnstable And fro the gynnynge ofte varyable The ende is sene fortune can transmewe Hir gery cours and therfore to eschewe The harmes lykly possyble for to fall My counsayle is here amonge you all Vpon trauayle trauayle to eschewe In this mater are we further sewe To Pryamus without any more To sende firste agayne for to restore The quene Eleyne as right and reason is And other harmes done eke by Parys After his trespas and offency