to me some skill That loftie verse by stately tearmes may yeild To valiant Knights their honour due in field Assist herein likewise i ft be thy will Calliope to Orpheus mother deare Who insweet musicke so exceld for skill That with the sound of harpe as doth appeare He pleasd the monster Cerberus so well That he had leaue to enter into hell To fetch his loue out of th' infernall lake Where Pluto held her for his owne sweet-hart But with the musicke he to them did make He graunted she with him should thence depart And with the dew of thy sweet liquor wet My tongue so harsh and in right tune it set For thou art sayd of Rethoricke to beare The onely praise and patronesse for skill And eke of musicke pleasant to the eare Thou canst direct each instrument at will Deny not then sweet Muse thy ayd to mee And I shall rest beholding vnto thee Els will the clowds of ignorance enclose And round incampe my wits that are so bare And cause the rude to Poets vtter foes To laugh at me But such as learned are I will intreat what faults soere they find To winke thereat and keepe them in their mind And if that in my verses I haue err'd As no man but may erre what ere he be I must confesse I never yet deseru'd To haue the praise for excellent Poetrie For God he knowes when I this worke began I did it not for praise of any man But for to please the humor and the hest Of my good Lord and Princely Patron Who dained not to me to make request To write the same least that obliuson By tract of time and times swift passing by Such valiant acts should cause obscur'd to lie As also cause his Princely high degree Provokes him study ancient Histories Whereas in Myrrour be may plainely see How valiant Knights haue won the masteries In battailes fierce by prowesse and by might To run like race and proue a worthy knight And as they sought to clime to honors seat So doth my Lord seeke therein to excell That as his name so may his fame be great And thereby likewise Idlenesse expell For so he doth to vertue bend his mind That hard it is his equall now to find To write his Princely vertues and declare His valor high renowne and Maiestie His braue exploits Marshall acts that are Most rare and worthy his great dignitie My barren head cannot devise by wit T' extoll his fame with words phrases fit This mighty Prince whom I so much coÌ„mend Yet not so much as well deserues his fame By royall blood doth liâ—ally descend From Henrie king of EnglaÌ„d forth by name His eldest Son heire vnto the Crowne And by his vertues Prince of high renowne For by the graft the fruit men easly know Excreasing th' honour of his pedigree His name Lord Henrie as our stories show And by his title Prince of Wales is hee Who with good right his father being dead Shal weare the Crown of Brittain on his head This mighty Prince hath made me vndertake To write the siege of Troy the ancient towne And of their warres a true discourse to make From point to point as Guydo sets it down Who long since wrot the same in latin verse Which in the English now I will rehearse The time when first I tooke the same in hand To say the truth was in the fourteenth yeare Of famous Henrie King of England The Fourth by â—â—ne my Princes Father deare When Phoebus shew'd in altitude to be Fine three times told and foure and one degree When he did in his Chariot downe descend With golden streames into the Ocean strand To bath his steeds and light to others lâ—nd That farre remote inhabite th' Indian land Where when our Summer is cleanâ— past and gon Their spring begâ—â—s but newly to come on And when Lucina faire with paler light Began in cold October to arise T'enhase the darkenes of the winters night And glistring starres appeard in christall skies And then was in the signe of Scorpion And Hesperus then westward running downe His course to hasten gainst tomorrow bright As Lucifer that driues darke clouds away Is sayd to bee the messenger of light And shineth at the dawning of the day When Phoebus early shoes his glistring face Ascending from Proserpins obscure place Where Pluto sits environed about With furies of the fowle infernall Lake In this yeare moneth and time as it fell out This Historie I first in hand did take And of the Troyan wars the truth vntwind As in my ancient Author I it find For if no Authors had the truth set downe In written Bookes of things that are forepast Forget fulnes would soone haue trodden downe Each worthy act and cleane extinct at last Which Serpent never ceaseth to assaile The world to cause all truth on earth to faile And had no ancient Histories been found But all things vnto memorie were left Truth surely then would soone be layd in ground And men of knowledge vtterly bereft But God intending Sathan to prevent That hath foreseene and writers alwaies sent From age to age still to renew the same That truth might alwaies spring and come to light And thereby win an everlasting name Against the which sowle envy still doth fight But famous Clarkes not ceasing truth to show By writing leaue the same to vs to know Els time with syth would soone cut downe the grasse And reâ—ening death extirpe the root and all And nothing whatsoere on earth did passe Should haue record the same to mind to call Nor honor due to valiant Knights be read But it with them should rest and lie as dead And so not onely name but fame would die And wholy be defaced out of mind But Histories explain the same to th'eie As daylie by experience we may find Nere ceasing spight of envy to vnfold The truth of all which may not be controld Therein we see of high and low estate The life and acts as it were on a stage For writers that are wise in heart do hate To speake vntruth or flatter any age For tyrauts being dead they will not feare To write and shew their follies as they were And t'yeild each man as he shall well deserue Be 't good or bad and therefore it iâ— best For every one that credit will preserue In life to vertue cleaue and vice detest For after death know this and marke it well Clarkes will not spare the truth of them to tell For such vnpartiall dealing in their daies Great Princes in them tooke no small delight For truely blasing forth their laud praise Their high renown their power their might Their knightly acts their victories fame Eternally with glory of their name For they still sought to shun the sisters three Fraud Negligence and Sloth that none might doubt Ought was forgot or more pâ—t in to bee Then truth requird and as the truth fell out Els worthy acts
in princely sort For presently as he did vnderstand Th'ariuall of Prince Iason and his traine Of worthy grecian Knights within his land He did not seeme their comming to disdâ—â—â—â— But rising from his chaire without delay In person went to meet them on the way Receaving them with glad and joyfull cheare In stately wise as it becomes a King And that his bountie might the more appeare Vnto his royall court he doth them bring With charge vnto his officers to see They should be seru'd each one in his degree And that not any thing what ere should want That might procure their pleasure or their ease Nor any one in duty should be scant To honor them if him they sought to please That don he leads them to his Royall place Where he doth welcom theÌ„ with Princely grace And passing through a Marble paved yeard He went into a stately sumpteous hall Wherein no cost of any thing was spard That might adorne and beatifi't withall The walles beser with Images of gold And hangd with Arras costly to behold Where being entred in and he set downe He doth them all in hearty manner greet And welcome bids to Iacomtes towne Each one in his degree as he thought meet Commanding straight great store of wine bear To be broght forth their wearied limbs to chear The King thus set and plast in Royall chaire All hang'd with rich and costly cloth of gold And gilt and set with pearles very faire Most sumptious and most stately to behold Environed with Lords and Knights that were At his command then summond to be there Beholding with a gracious countenance Prince Iason and his fellow Hercules Their honors more t' encrease and to advance Willd them to sit downe by him for their ease But Iason would no longer time let pas To shew the King wherefore his comming was Which he in words but few yet wisely told Began to tell with such a comely grace And so demurely as full well he could That all that were then present in the place Admird his wit his memory and tongue To be most perfect in a Prince so young But ere he did begin his tale to frame With good advise and great discretion He did in mind premeditate the same And to each sentence gaue direction And did his meaning then so wisely say That Oetes his request could not denay And so with stoâ—â— and princely courage bold He started vp with due obedience And kneeling fore the King began t' vnfold Wherefore he came and shewed the full pretence Of his so strange and valiant enterprise Which in this manner thus he did deuise Most puissant Prince and King of Colchos land May 't please you of your high and speciall grace Beningly now to heare and vnderstand The cause of my repaire vnto this place And in good sort not taking of offence Vouchsafe therein to giue me audience To vse long speech and many words were vaine And might perhaps breed cause of tediousnes Or moue offence but soothly to be plaine Reiecting rethoritian curiousnesse In briefe t' vnfold the some of mine intent I must confesse that honour hath me bent To trie th' adventure of the golden fleece And win the glory to atchiue the same And for that cause I passed out of Greece In hope t' augment my valor and my fame Which if your grace will giue me leaue t' assay I doubt not but to beare the prise away And though I know what ever men pretend And vndertake in hope of victory Vnlesse the gods some savour to them lend In whom consisteth all felicitie It were in vaine for any man to venter Or on him take in perill great to enter For peace and warre dishonor eke and fame Doe all vpon their willes and mights depend And no man can withstand them in the same What ever fortune shall vnto me send I will not spare th' adventure now to trie And doe my best for once I can but die If that your Grace thereto will giue consent And grant me leaue my force therein t' assay Vnto your lawes therein is my intent In each respect to yeild and to obay And craue no favour whatsoere betide Hap good or ill I will it all abide Most humbly craving that without delay My mind heerein your grace will not withstand But rather flatly bind me to a day The same t'achieue if so I tak 't in hâ—nd Speake gracious Prince grant to my request And loe your Knight at your command is prest While Iason thus his mind did boldly say The King that full attentiuely the while His speech had mark't with silence seem'd to stay Before he spake at last he gan to smile And friendly him beholding in the face Vnto him sayd with glad and cheerefull grace Young Knight although thy mind be fully set And wholly bent vpon this enterprise So dangerous that no man can thee let Nor hold thee from 't yet follow my advise And wisely with thy selfe resolue in mind Ere thou begin't what danger thou shalt find For know thou must though valiant be thy hart That this adventure is so hard to win As being wrought and fram'd by magicke Art That strength of man can not prevaile therein But he that dares the same once vndertake To end his life a full account must make No favor nor no hope for him is left That doth presume to take the same in hand For by the law he is thereof bereft Which by no means he may in ought withstand As having choise before he gines to venter To leaue the same and not therein to enter But once begun he must therein proceed For backe he may not turne what ere betide And though he stand in never so great need His dome is past he must his chance abide For death is his reward that doth begin And take in hand the golden fleece to win So strickt a law binds him that this will trie Which vnto thee yong Iason I must tell I can by no meanes change nor yet deny To any one therefore advise thee well Before thou ventrest t' vndertake the same Least afterward on me be layd the blame Of thy so desperate destruction Wherefore for my discharge I thee require With hearty and with true intention To leaue the same and let not high desire Procure thee to incurre thine owne decay By this so hard and vnexpected way Sith then thou seest what danger lies therein For that from point to point I haue thee told The truth of all before thou dost begin Let reason rule and be not overbold To take in hand while time thou hast to chuse Least when thou wouldst thou canst it not refuse The time doth now afford thee space to take Or to refuse th' adventure which you will For looke what law God Mars himsefe did make I must the same in all respects fulfill What ere he be that venters in this case Let him be sure he gets no other grace Thus youthfull Iason
their puissant force and might As they that were of hearts couragious Assembled many a stout and hardy Knight In Athens where a Navy huge they had And there their preparations all were made To sayle to Troy whose number was so great That never since this fatall world began So many Knights at once were knowne to meet Nor hath it ere been seene by any man That such a Navy was assembled As by the valiant Greeks as then was led Whereof to shew and make description What every Prince vnto the same did bring My Author sayth that King Agamemnon A hundred ships with men and every thing That needfull was prepared at his cost To joyne with that most huge and famous host King Menelaus the causer of that fleet From Sparta brought threescore great ships and tall Prothenor and King Archelaus there met With fiftie ships whereof some great some small From Sithmene with Duke Achedaphus Came threescore ships and with him Helenus The Kings Epistraphus and Thedaus Together brought full fiftie ships compleat King Telemon Aiax and Amphimachus Duke Theseus and Earle Dorion with a great And puissant Duke that was by name cald Tentar With that same fleet their fiftie ships did venter Nestor a Duke of furious mind and thought Whose choller was not easie to appease Full fiftie ships from Piron with him brought King Thoas and the King of Dianes A hundred ships had in their companie Well fraught with Knights of great activitie And Thelamon surnamed Pelâ—â—â— Had 36 ships in his leading King Polidete and stout Amphimacus Did thirtie ships from Calidonia bring King Merdon and Idameus from Creet Fourscore good ships had with them in that fleet Vlisses King of Thracia with him had Fiftie faire ships well furnished with men Duke Meleus and Prothecatus both made Provision of great ships in number ten And from the Isle of Philiarcha strong Prothesilaus brought 50 ships along Machon and his brother Polidrus Twenty two ships did bring well furnished From Trincico and out of Phicius Achilles did in his conduct then lead Iust Fiftie ships and from th'isle Rhodomus Came twenty ships with King Thelapobus And with a valiant Duke cald Antipus From Hesida Eleaven ships there came In company of Duke Amphimachus That partner was in furnishing the same Polibetheâ— the stout and valiant King Did fiftie ships from Recha with him bring And Duke Lifuisus bare him company Diomedes vnto this army brought Fowerscore great ships out of Caledony And with him came two Knights that honor sought The one of them they did Thelemus call The other was the mighty Duriall And with the valiant Knight Poliphebus Came seauen ships well rigd and furnished And in that puissant fleet King Phineus Eleauen ships at his command then led Prothoyelus of Demenesa King Did fiftie ships with him to Athens bring King Carpenor from fertile Capadie With fiftie ships in likewise thither came King Tricorius from his countrie Cald Borsa to win honor great and fame wenty two ships vnto that fleete did bring Well furnished with men and every thing And many ships more in that fleet there were Then Guydo in his Booke doth mention For that in honors works it doth appeare Whereas he seemes to make description Of all the Grecians ships they were so many Ahat ne're the like fleet had been seen of any Accounting those that with Palamides Came to their ayd the number to augment Which being ready their to put to Seas And to the Troians full destruction bent With many a valiant Lord Earle Duke King In Athens where they were assembling King Agamemnon generall of all That fleete a Prince discreet and very wise When as his charge to mind he gan to call Did study how he might best way devise In that most cerious businesse to proceed With honor as they fully had decreed Esteeming it a point of wisedome great To foresee all with care and diligence Their enterprise that nothing might it let Nor hinder their determined pretence That as with honor they began the same It might so end to their eternall fame Least that through hast and misadvisednesse They might oreshoot themselues and be deceiu'd And by orewhelming pride and wilfullnesse Of their conceiued glory be bereau'd He caused all the Lords and Princes great Which in the hoast together then were met To hold a counsell with him in the field Without the Towne of Athens where each one His reasons and his arguments might yeild About their warres as then in question And when they all together did appeare He spake and sayd to them as you shall heare My Lords and Princes all whose worthines Is such and of so great account and fame That in good truth I cannot but confesse The world is fild with glory of the same For without doubt the flower of Chivalry Is met together here in company For who ere saw so great a multitude Of valiant Knights assembled at one time So young so fresh and all so well indued With courage bold and in the very prime Of Youth as we amongst vs can afford And are together come with one accord So that if Fortune be not to contrary In this same warre by vs now tane in hand And that the Gods cause vs not to miscarry And our pretence of purpose doe withstand We doubt not but great honor we shall gaine And of our foes the victory obtaine For sure I deeme him wholly without sence And worse then mad that dares oppose or set Himselfe against our power to make defence Or any wayes our enterprise to let Or privily seekes to do to vs despight Or wrong but we full soone would him â—require For I could in this great assembly find An hundred Knights and more so fierce and bold And that doe beare so valerous a mind That with their forces onely durst and would Adventure for to take this warre in hand And valiantly our enemies withstand Presume then what our forces ioynd in one May doe against the Troians to requite The wrong that they of late to vs haue done For all you know how with their power and might They entred into Greece and bare away King Menelaus deare wife Queene Helena With many prisoners more and all the gold And treasure that in Cithera they might Lay hold vpon with reason then we should Not onely seeke revenge for that despight But boldly warre against them vndertake And I suppose we shall them so awake That they shall feare hereafter while they liue To be so bold to dare to take in hand The like attempt gainst vs or seeme to giue Occasion of dislike to Grecian land For which offence by them done to vs so late Our hearts within doe burne with deadly hate The heat whereof converts them to such ire That it renewes our rage and deadly paine And day by day so setteth vs on fire That we by no meanes longer can refraine But with all speed our mortall power advance For this our wrong on them
liu'd and di'd a Virgin without spot And with them also ioyne Queene Hecuba Whose like for vertue while she liu'd was not In all the world and also Cassandra That did deserue great praise for stedfastnesse And Panthasilia for her gentlenesse With many more that well might be set downe And he shall find if hethe truth confesse The vertuous and such as deserue renowne The greater number be and th' other lesse Gainst whome he doth so enviously invay And all men that do favor them will say That he did erre in his opinion To tax them so without exception And while Vlisses staid with Alphenon Ere he from thence determind to he gon A messenger vnto him certified That if from home he did long time abide Without all doubt his Queene Penelope By some great Lords whose countrey bordred Next vnto his by force should rauisht be And in despight of all his men be led Out of his land full sore against her will For she to him remained constant still Yet nerethelesse they had all flatly sworne That if by force she were not rescued She should without delay away be borne And to that end with her continued And would not part from thence but with her staid Who in hir heart therefore was much dismaid But yet so wisely with them dalied That they could get no vantage at her hand But with delaies to their demands were fed Which heavy newes when he did vnderstand And knew the truth by letters which she sent To him he was in heart so fiercely bent That he would stay no longer but begon In hast from thence and then most humbly praid His sure and trusty friend King Alphenon To bring him home which he not once denaid But with him put to sea when wind was good And finding nought that them theron withstood They soone ariud within Ulisses land And in the night were secretly conuaid Vnto the place where those that did withstand And make resistance gainst his wife then stay Where sodainely before they could awake He did them vnawares surprize and take And without more delay or mercy shewen As he them found fast sleeping in their beds He causd them all in peeces to be hewen And on the castle walles did set their heads The which before the Cocke next day did crow Were seen thereon to stand vpon a row Which done that night they there continued close Till morning that the Larke with pleasant song Began to mount aloft when Phoebus rose At which time with a mighty force and strong They entred in the towne and by the Queene Were welcomed as she that â—â—â—g had beene In sorrow great and had endur'd such paine For th' absence of her Lord she lou'd so well That wonder t was she could so long maintaine Her health but if I should vnto you tell And orderly set downe the pleasures great And joy they did conceiue when as they met And what they to each other friendly said Wiâ—â—â—â—ry â—â—es and many â— sweet embrace When as they were in bed together laid And lovingly beheld each others face As also what great joy their subiects made When they beheld their soueraigne Lord that had So long been absent from them in the warre And what rich presents they to him did make To shew the loue which they vnto him bare And that he did a new alleigeance take Of them againe and how that every one Great honor shew'd vnto king Alphenone And thank't him for the succour he had lent Vnto their Lord to helpe him in his need And how ere he out of that countrey went A mariage was by those two Kings agreed Betweene the daughter of king Alphenon Cald Naufica and young Prince Thelamon Ulisses Son whereby an aliance great Betweene those Kings perpetually was made It would be overlong for me to set It downe to you and be a meanes t'orelaid My Booke with that wherein I would be briefe As Guido is who toucheth but the chiefe And speciallest matter and goeth on To shew how when that mariage was agreed And consumated twixt them Alphenon Tooke shipping and went home againe with speed Into his Land and left Ulisses still In ioy with Queene Penelope vntill That fierce and cruell Atropos did bend Herselfe against them both and did bereaue Him of his life and vnto him did send A sodaine death vntill which time I le leaue To speake of them and for a little while Change matter and to Pyrrhus turne my stile CHAP. II. ¶ Here the Author sheweth the stocke of Pyrrhus by lyneall discent and telleth how his Grand-fathers name was Peleus and his Grand-mother Thetides AS Guido doth so must I likewise tell And shew at large what of Achilles Son Young Pyrrhus did become and what befell To him when as the Troian warre was don Whose grand-fire as the story telleth vs While he did liue was cald King Peleus His grand-mother nam'd Thetides whose Son Achilles was that falsely lost his life Within the towne of Troy when he had won Great honor at that siege that tooke to wife Dardanica the faire who as I read Was daughter to a King cald Lycomead And on her his Son Pyrrhus did beget Whom some men vse to call Neptolemus Her grand-sire King Atastus was so great An enemie vnto King Peleus Achilles and to Pyrrhus with the rest Of that same stocke that he did sore detest And hate them all and furiously when as King Peleus staid in Thessaly alone And then without his Son Achilles was Who to the mighty siege of Troy was gone He entered by force into his land And finding none that could him there withstaÌ„d He tooke the same from him and made him flie Into a Caue with Thetides his wife And there he was compelled secretly To hide himselfe whereas to saue his life Long after in great misery he lay While cruell King Atastus every day Sought all the meanes he could devise or find To bring his Nephew Pyrrhus to his end And therevpon determind in his mind In secret wise his knights abroad to send To take and to intrap him on the way As he returned home and him to stay But Pyrrhus out of all the snares escapt Which he for him did lay by sea and land And at the last as Fortune for him shapt As no man can his Desteny withstand With losse of many men and treasure great Before the towne of Malasus did get Vnto the shoare where he did vnderstand Of Thetides and Peleus bannishment By violence out of their natiue land And how false King Atastus was so bent Gainst him that he each hower and minit sought His death nere would cease till he had brought The same to passe Which when as Pyrrhus knew He purposed his malice to prevent By some sinister meanes and to eschew The furie of Atastus gainst him bent Who as the story saith had two Sons more Th' one the name of Menalippus bore The other of them was Polistenes Two Knights of great
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF Hector ONE AND THE FIRST OF the most Puissant Valiant and Renowned Monarches of the world called the Nyne worthies Shewing his jnvincible force together with the marvailous and most famous Acts by him atchieved and done in the great long and terrible Siege which the Princes of Greece held about the towne of Troy for the space of Tenne yeares And finally his unfortunate death after hee had fought a Hundred mayne Battailes in open field against the Grecians The which heerein are all at large described Wherein there were slaine on both sides Fourteene Hundred and Sixe Thowsand Fourscore and sixe men Written by Iohn Lidgate Monke of Berry and by him dedicated to the high and mighty Prince Henrie the fift King of England AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Purfoot Anno. Dom. 1614. THE EPISTLE AS IT vvas dedicated vnto the high and mightie Prince HENRY the Fift MOST puissant Prince whose fame is knowne so well And whose renowne so farre abroad doth shine That it is found all others to excell And equall with that of the worthies Nine Borne by discent of right Paternall line To be the heire and thâ—onor to obtaine To weare the Crowne of mighty Kingdomes twaine Who even as farre as Phoebus in the spheare Celestiall doth spread his beames most bright And as Lucina with her face most cleare The world doth compasse round cast her light Art held to be the most renowned knight And worthy for the honor of thy name To sit on high in throane of Lady Fame And â—hold the palme of honor in thy hand In triumph for thy noble victory For which thou feared â—â—â—t by sea and land And ever with perpetuall praise and glory Shalt for thy conquest fresh in memory Sit opposite before her to be seene With wreath about thy head of Lawrell greene In former time for Conquerors ordain'd That constantly persever'd to the end And valiantly warre once begun maintain'd For causes iust and did their right defend And therevnto their forces did only bend Whose fame's still spread was long time agone Among whom thou by right mayst sit for one For through the world it 's known to every one And flying Fame reports it farre and wide That thou by naturall condition In things begun wi lt constantly abide And for the time dost wholly set aside All rest and never carst what thou dost spend Till thou hast brought thy purpose to an end And that thou art most circumspect and wise And dost effect all things with providence As Iosua did by counsell and advise Against whose sword ther 's none can make defeÌ„ce And wisedome hast by heavenly influence With Salomon to iudge and to discerne Mens causes and thy people to governe For mercy mixt with thy magnificence Doth make thee pitty all that are opprest And to withstand the force and violence Of those that right and equity detest With Dauid thou to piety art prest And like to Iulius Caesar valorous That in his time was most victorious And in one hand like worthy Prince dost hold Thy sword to see that of thy subiects none Against thee should presume with courage bold And pride of heart to raise rebellion Thereby to shake off thy subiection And in the other Scepter to maintaine True iustice while amoÌ„gst vs thou dost raigne Then sith thou art adorn'd with Maiestie Grace wisedome pitie and benignitie With humble heart I craue submissiuelie That thou wilt not disdaine but pleased be T' accept this Booke though rudely done by me Thereby thy great and Princely mind t' expresse By taking pitie of my simplenesse And in thy high and magnanimious hart With naturall jngrafted Sapience Remember Christ accepted in good part The wido wes almes of two poore single pence When she without expecting recompence Gaue to the poore with willing heart and glad That little gift being all that ere she had Let this if that it may thee not offend Example be vnto thy Noblenesse And of thy great benignitie extend Thy favor vnto me with gentlenesse Not to disdaine me for my barrennesse Of wit and though I haue no skill in muse Let my good will and meaning me excuse More then good heart none can whatsoere he bee Present or giue to God nor vnto man Which for my part I wholy giue to thee And ever shall as farre foorth as I can Wherewith I will as I at first began Continually not ceasing night and day With sincere mind for thine estate thus pray First that thou maist Gods mercy so procure Vnto thy selfe that he may still advance Thine honor and that thou maist here endure Thy raigne ore vs with long continuance And all thy Subiects true obeysance And that he will vouchsafe to giue to thee All vertues whatsoere may reckned bee Lenvoy GO forth my Booke vaild with the Princely Grace Of him that is extold for excellence Throughout the world but do not shew thy face Without support of his magnificence And whosoere against thee takes offence Be thou not stubborne with presumption But see thou arme thy selfe with patience And gently yeeld to their correction The Translator to his Booke ANd sith thou art not limb'd with trees not flowers Of Eloquence but clad in white and blacke Thou must prepare thy selfe t' abide the showers Of them that of dislike occasion take And when thou likeliest art to go to wracke Seeme not gainst them thine error to defend But rather yeeld a little and giue backe And pray them that they will thy faults amend THE PREFACE TO The READER MY Muses subiect tending to intreate Of ancient warres and acts of Chivalrie Whereby renowned Knights much honour get And with Eternall parises deifie Their names and fames is forced to require Thee mighty Mars with Art him to inspire Whose fiery nature bent to wrath and thrall As being of complexion hot and drie Melancholicke and furious withall For in thy bowels chollor hid doth lie Doth rightly cause all Poets sound thy fame And thee the God of warres in stories name Sith then thou art of warlike influence And that my stile of battailes must indite Assist me with some Marshall Eloquence That I may frame my hand and pen aright With words of Art and arteficiall phrase Of valiant Knights to sing th' eternall praise And if at my request thou dainst to list Or graunt the thing which I of thee do craue Yet for her sake that lovingly thee kist Blacke Vulcans wife and further fauour gaue Vouchsafe thy ayd my verse so to infuse That I therein fit tearmes and phrase may vse Els truth to say so barren is my wit And void of Aureat liquord Eloquence That I confesse my selfe to be vnfit Or able to accomplish my pretence Helpe then God Mars for faire Bellonaes sake And of my worke vouchsafe protection take And thou sweet Clio with thy sisters deare Whose chiefe aboad is on Pernassus hill By Helicon the fountaine faire and cleare Lend me thine ayd and giue
were wholy done in vaine And those that honour sought had lost their paine And time by length of yeares and ages past Would haue defaced name and honor cleane Of Conquerors for what can ever last Vnlesse record thereof were to be seene Which Clarkes for which they merit and deserue Continuall praise haue sought still to preserue For Histories and Bookes are sayd to bee The keyes of learning memory and skill In them and by them all men plainely see What hath forepast and what is good or ill Witnesse the fall of Thebes the ancient Towne In Stacies Booke for truth at large set downe Where you may read and see how Polinece Was nere content with Etocles a day Nor would like louing Brother liue in peace Till Thebes Towne was brought vnto decay And hâ—w Tedeus through that mortall ctrife And by dissention was bereft of life How Oedipus with sorrow griefe and woe Did loose his eies so bitterly he wept And how the Smoâ—kes devided were iâ— two Of fiers made when funerall feasts was kept Which fier brothers hatred did engender And death to both for iust reward did render Mine author Guydo in like sort doth show As by his Booke most plainely it appeares Of all the Troian Princes overthrow While Greeks besieg'd the towne so many yeares In very truth and though t is long since past No time nor age the storie hath defast For maugre them you may it still behold In Bookes set downe most plainely to mens eies For truth by lying will not be controld Though enviously some seeke it to disguise Transforming all the substance of the matter By fayned tales dissembling to flatter As Homer did who truth would seeme to show Yet covertly did seeke the same to hide And by vntruth which he full well did know With Artificiall words doth truth deride Who seeming Greecians honour to defend Doth faine the Gods from heaven to descend In shape of men and openly were knowne To helpe the Greeks against the Troians fight And many such vntruths by him are showne In sugred words and phrases for delight Pretending so his malice for to hide For falsehood seekes in darkenes to abide The cause why he the Greeks so smothly prais'd Was for that he vnto them was allide And therefore sought their glory to haue rais'd But such as loue the truth cannot abide Gainst conscience for to praise or discommend Where no desert their action may defind But Cupid as the Poets faine is blind And giues his doome more after lust then law So Sicophants as we by proofe doe find Commend and praise the men they never saw By false report extolling them to skie Of whom in heart they know full well they lie Whereby such men as never merit faâ—e But iust disgrace are highly magnified And they contrary that deserue good name Are either not remembred or beli'd For favor now doth beare so great a sâ—ay That true desert is driven cleane away Ovidius Naso likewise hath devisâ— A Booke in verse of Troian â—â—â—s to show Part true part false but in such sort disguisd That who so reads it can by no meanes know Which way to sound the deapth of his intent His phraise therein's so misâ—ically bent Like story also Virgill doth declare When of Aeneas traâ—â—â—les he doth write Where truth to tell in part he doth not spare Although sâ—â—â— time he seemth to delight In Homers course with Rethoricke to glose And truth with falsehood often to compose Dares an ancient Author first was found And Ditus eke of Troian warres to write Who both set down the truth perfect grouÌ„d As being there and did behold the fight And thogh their books in seuerall language be Yet they are knowen in all things to agree The Books in time to Athens being brought Salustius cousen one Cornelius By diligent enquirie out them sought And being of a mind industrious Translated them with great earnest care In each respect as th' Authors doth declare His only fault was that he did not write The story full at large as he it found But â—ure he did in breuity delight Els would he not haue spar'd to shew the grouÌ„d And first beginning of that mortall strife Which cost so many thousand men their life And how the Greeks came both by sea laÌ„d The nuÌ„ber of their â—en and of their ships The manner how they first did take in hand To plant their siege all this he ouerskips How envy was the root and cause of all The mischiefe that on Troy at last did fall How many Kings and Princes thither went In warlike wise to win them high renowne How they agreed all with one conscent To see the full subâ—erâ—iâ—â—â— of the Towne What armes they â—are what men they did retaine Who in the siege did longest there remaine How one the other Knightly did assaile How many valiant Princes lost their life How of t they met in field to giue battaile How hatred still increast and bred new strife Nor of their deaths â—e â—iteth not the yeare Thus much he leaueth out as doth appeare Which lately causd an Author to arise Whose truth in writing is not to be blaâ—'d That tooke in hand this stâ—â—iâ— iâ— such wise As that of Ditus and of Dares nam'd He hath not sought one sentence to neglect Nor yet in ought the meaning to reiect This Clarkethat wrote so true so iust so well Was Guydo of Columpna by his name Who in sweet Rethoricke did so much excell That he enricht his storie with the same So Eloquently hath he set it downe That he deserueth praise and high renowne For which in heart and voice I will not stay To giue him praise and commendation due And with applause in truth and rightly say He was the flower most certainely and true Of all that sought this storie to compile For wit and soveraignty of stile Whose treces as I can I will obserue If God vouchsafe me time and grace to do 't And graunt my labour may of him deserue The Princely praise that first provokt me to 't Beseeching all that see 't with heart mind Not spare to speake if any fault they find And with good will I shall amend the same For many eies may see much more then one Correct then freely where you find the blame But find not fault whereas deserueth none And so in hope I shall your favours win With your support this storie I le begin THE LIFE AND DEATH OF HECTOR THE FIRST BOOKE CHAP. 1. I How Peleus King of Thessalie lost his people men women and Children by diuine punishment and after by prayer vnto the Gods obtained others IN Thessalie King Peleus once did raigne For vertue held a Prince of worthy fame Whose subiects as mine Author doth explaine Were Myrmidons so called by their name Of whose beginning Ouid doth rehearse The History at large in Latine verse And saith that in that Countrie downe did fall So furious a tempest from the skie
and winds did not too much prevaile And when the greekes with trauell overprest Had long on Seas been tossed too and fro Desiring to relieue themselues and rest Their wearied limmes they sought on land to go And being cast vpon the Trâ—iâ—â— soyle They lande there to ease their wearied toyle CHAP. IIII. ¶ How Iason â—â—â—is Voyage to Coâ—chos by fortune was cast vppon the câ—â—st of Troy where he were on Land to refresh himselfe and his company THe Ship at anker by the Frigian coast Vntill the weather waxed cleare and faire The Greekes that had so long on Seas been tost Went all on shoare to walke and take the aire Glad to relieue their wearied lims of paine And after to returne to ship againe At Syâ—eonâ— a haven hard by Troy Where they did stay and ment there to abide Not hurting any Woman Man or Boy A day or two attending time and tide To hoyse vp Sayle and toward Colchos wend Where first to go they onely did pretend Not once jntending treason hurt or guile In any wise nor troublesome to bee Vnto the countrey people all the while They staied there for their necessitee For that as long as on the shoare they lay They did nought els but sport theÌ„selues play But Fortune that so swiftly turnes about Delighting men of pleasure to bereaue Was th' onely cause though causeles without doubt To make the Troians falsely to conceiue The Grecians sodaine landing did pretend Some mischiefe to their countrey in the end For by such bad and false suspition Most puissant Kings and Princes of great fame Haue brought themselues vnto destruction And been the onely causes of their shame Let Troyes example for this time suffice Which first did breed vpon a bare surmise Which was the cause and chiefe occasion As in the ancient Historie is found Of that most famous Townes destruction Whose mightie walles were rais'd vnto the ground And many men and many a worthy Knight Did loose their liues in that most bloody fight And many Ladies proper fine and faire Their Husbands and their Children being dead Were heard lament their losse in great dispaire And Mayds in tender yeares by Grecians led As slaues in bondage to their paine and griefe Did liue without all comfort or reliefe And onely for that fortune doth delight To shew her power and her majestie And make it knowne vnto each mortall wight In taking vengeance with such crueltie As on that famous Citie shee did shoe To their destruction miserie and woe Great pittie t' was that men of such estate Both on the valiant Greekes and Troian side For little cause should fall at such debate But truth it is and cannot be deni'd That envy having entred in the hart From thence doth not so readily depart For from a little graft doth oft arise A faire and goodly tree both huge and tall And he that climeth high may well surmise If that he slip to haue the greater fall And of a sparke full small wee often see And find that mighty fiers kindled bee And as a gnat that 's but a little thing Doth often cause the flesh of man to rise And swell abroad with pricking of his sting So many Princes mighty strong and wise And famous Townes at mortall warres do fall For slight or else for causes very small But if they had been well advis'd in time When sparks of envy first began to show And sought to quench and kill them in the prime Full many Cities now that lie full low Would haue stood still and flourisht till this day Which hatefull malice brought vnto decay For when the flame of envy spreads so wide That it embraceth heart and head and vaine And makes them bnrne so hot on either side There is no meanes to remedy that paine But fowle and cruell murther warre and strife Bereaving each the other of their life And thus death is the â—ine of enmetie And though the first beginning be but small Th' encrease doth breed to such extremitie That th' end bereaueth joy and pleasures all As vnto Troy wee read it so befell Which makes me sigth the truth thereof to test That for small cause such vengeance shold proceed Vnles it were by providence divine And heavenly wisedome secretly decreed Their fall should cause a greater joy in â—ine For Troy destroy'd by such occasion And finally brought to destruction Was th' onely meanes that th' ancient Citie Roome Receav'd her first beginning from the race And offspring of Aeneas that did come From Troy when Grecians banisht him the place Which Towne of Roome as Authors plainely say Of all â—he world once bare the chiefest sway Troy likewise brought into so great distresse And vtter ouerthrow of ancient fame Was cause that many Cities did encrease And divers Countries first obtain'd their name For Troiaus wanting habitation By force did enter many a Nation And after long and weary toyle orepast Aeneas many Countries Sayling by With all his ships did chance t' ariue at last Vppon the pleasant coast of Italy Who wan the same by conquest and by might And made himselfe the Prince thereof by right And after him his Sonne Ascanius Succeeded and as lawfull heire he raign'd Who beeing dead his sonne Prince Siluius The Diadem of Italy obtaind Of whom did come by right discent and true Most worthy Brute that Albion did subdue Wwo having woon't by force from Giants fell And conquest braue did thereof change the name And cal'd it Britaine as our stories tell And was the first inhabited the same With this Aeneas from the Troian towne Came Francus also Lord of great renowne Who afterward his honour to advance Did build a towne both stately faire and great Cald Parris whieh doth stand in midst of France The which he made his chiefe and Princely seat And first gaue name of France vnto that land Which he did win by strong and valiant hand And Anthenor a Lord of Troian race Began the towne of Venice to erect Where during life he made his resting place And Sicanus in whom was no defect Of Troian blood as Cronicles doe tell Won Cicile and long time therein did dwell And after him a Prince of worthy fame His Valiant brother Siculus did raigne Within that I le of whom it tooke the name Of Cicile as records therein explaine Aeneas hauing conquered Italy Did not himselfe therewith so satisfie But into Tuscan entred which he wan And in the I le of Cicile to his praise The regall Towne of Naples first began Which flourisheth so much in these our dayes With braue and welthie Marchant men of fame Who throgh their traffick great inricht the same And of the Greekes that Troy did helpe to spoyle King Diomed who with most great desire When he had spent his time with paine and toylâ— Ten yeares in warre and thought home to retire And there to liue and rest secure from harmes He found his men and countrey vp in armes With full intent
his entry to withstand And to bereaue him of his Diadem And princely state thrust him out of his land Who being thereby brought to that extream Was forst for his reliefe as stories tell To seeke another Countrey where to dwell And entring in Callabria by strength He brought the Countrey to subiection And there did rule in peace till at the length Dame Fortune seeking his subversion By Cerces meanes his grecian Knights did change Into the forme of Birds most rare and strange Which presently did flie into the aire And euer since continew thereabout Their seathers shining bright and very faire And called are to put you out of douâ—t As wee in Isydore the same may read Among the Greekes the Birds of Diomede But as some Authors list hereof to wright They say this Metamorphosis was don By Venus in her malice to that Knight Because against Aeneas hir deare Son Feirce Diomede did cast a cruell dart As they too fought to strike him to the hâ—rt Which when his Mother Venus had espide She causd a mistie clowd twixt them to rise And therewith did hir Sonne Eneas hide From sight of Diomedes cruell eies And afterward wroght him that spightfull scorne And did his men in shape of Birds transforme And in that sort from time to time they flie Vnto the place of Diomedes graue Where as his body deepe intombd doth lie To shew that still a mind of him they haue For yearely on his day of Funerall They flock about that place both great small And there from morne till night you shall theÌ„ find It further is reported to be true That those straÌ„ge Birds do loue the Greekes by kind And vtterly doe hate and still eschew The Latins and do know them well asunder When they theÌ„ see Which seemeth such a wonder To me that I by no meanes can espey Nor yet conceiue by any manner way The hidden causes of such sorcery But this I know and that I dare well say The first beginning of so bad jntent Was wrought by art of foule jnchantment But faith doth teach vs boldly to defie And flatly banish all jllusion Which Satan daily casts before our eye To bring vs thereby to confusion And thus by famous Troyes subversion Full many ancient Cities first begun And diuers Lands with many a wealthy towne By sequell of that warre long flourished Which fore that Troye was cruelly throwne downe Lay wast and were not then jnhabited But to declare them orderly by name Were labour great for me to do the same And therefore to Prince Iason I le returne That went a shore at Simeont by Troye And for a day or two did there soiourne The comfort of the pleasant aire t'enjoye And of his weary toyle himselfe to ease Till wind and waues did calme vpon the Seas But enviously a false report was blowne And to the King Laomedon declar'd That certaine Grecian Knights to him vnknowne To enter in his land themselues prepar'd Well armed at each point which bred surmise They sought t'jnvade the Country by surprise Else would they first say they a licence craue And not so proudly land without consent Of him or his and no safe conduct haue Which argued but a signe of bad intent Which if the King would not prenent in time They said might proue his prejudice in fine For if said they he will not seeme to feare Their landing but deferre by negligence T' enquire know from whence they are where They meane to go and what is their pretence He may perchance repent his little care Of making hast against them to prepare For sodaine things require sodaine sight And should not be deferd till mischiefe fall And Dogs are to be fear'd that first do bite And flie vpon a man before they braule So wisedome doth require present speed To stop a mischiefe ere it further breed Thus did the Troyans murmure in the towne And speake thereof each one vnto the other As in the streets they walked vp and downe That at the length there spread so great a rumor That Laomedon did forthwith prepare A messenger to know from whence they were And without counsell taking in the same In hast did send to will them to depart Or else he said their pride he would so tame That stoutest of them all should wish in heart He had not been so bold to giue the venter Without his leaue within his land to enter The messenger in this sort sent away Made hast to let Prince Iason vnderstand What Laomedon willed him to say And to command him to auoyd the land Who all this while did nought but sport play Attending time from thence to saile away Th' effect of which his message to declare From poynt to poynt verbatim as it was As neere as ere I can I will not spare And what thereof did after come to passe Which in the Chapter following shall appeare If to the same you giue attentiue eare CHAP. V. I How Laomedon King of Troye sent to Iason to command him and his company forthwith to depart out of his Countrie and what answere they returned to the King againe THe high and mighty Prince of great renowne My most redoubted Lord and soueraigne true Laomedon of Troye that beares the crowne By me his messenger hath sent to you To let you know he doth not well conceaue Of this your bold arriuall without leaue Within his land thus armed as you seeme Not once vouchâ—afing first to know his mind As though of him you made so small esteeme That no resistance gainst you he could find The which to let you well perceiue and see He doth expresly send you word by mee That presently and that without delay Both you and yours depart out of this land And Troiaâ— bounds and get you hence away Or else by force he minds you to withstand And will you nill you make you leaue the place If you presume to offer him disgrace My counsell is beleeue it if you list To get you hence in peace and quietnes For folly great t' were for you to resist And of meer pride or glorious wilfullnes Seeke to disturbe my Lorde feliâ—itie Which now doth liue in great tranquilitie And doth his kingdome governe and maintaine With so great wisedome and magnificence By valor and by might that t were in vaine For any to withstand him of pretence Wherefore I wish you all if you be wise Herein to take and follow mine advise And seeke not further now to moue offence Least you procure your perill woe and smart And find that true by good experience Which friendly vnto you I doe impart This is my Lords embassage too you sent Conceiue it as you will tis his intent The messenger in this sort having said What Laomedon charged him as then Iason therewith not very well apayd In face and colour waxed pale and wan Yet soberly with wisedome held his peace Not seeming once in chollor to encrease Nor yet to
take offence what ere fell out Although it vext and grieu'd him at the hart But stood as mute at last he turnd about And vnto all his fellowes did jmpart What message Laomedon had him sent And how to him and them he seemed bent And willing them about him to draw neare He thus began his words and speech to frame My friends and fellowes whom I loue so deâ—â—e Know that King Laomedon doth vs blame For entring as he saith within his land Before we craved licence at his hand And for that cause a messenger hath sent With threatning words to let vs know his mind That to driue vs from hence is his intent If here we stay Wherefore he doth vs bind And straightly charge eft-foones without delay All scuses set apart to packe away Behold said he what blindnes he dothâ—â—e And how he doth on honor set his mind That vnto wearied strangers doth refuse To giue them leaue a little ease to find In their distresse who nothing lesse pretend Then him or his in any wise t' offend But where is antient libertie become Is neigher loue nor kindnes to be found Both which in Princely harts should haue a roome And where is honor gon that vs'd t' abound In Princes minde who of an antient right Still mooved them with care and great delight To entertaine all strangers that resort Vnto their Courts or countreys whatsoere That afterward they might of them report What Princely and what noble minds they beare But neither loue nor libertie are found In this Kings Court or countrey to abound For if he were of noble heart and kind He could not chuse â—ot in them both delight And to shew forth his great and Princely mind He would command his subjects to their might To succour men opprest with woe and griefe And not haue sent vs hence without reliefe For if that he had chanced from the seas By fortune or adventure whatsoere T' ariue and set his foot on shoare for ease Where any Grecian Prince doth Scepter beare With much more honor like to his degree He should not faile by vs receau'd to bee But sith that he for ought I can espie Hath banisht out of mind and doth disdaine All freedome honor and humanitie And cleane contrary vices doth retaine We must and will his mind herein fullfill Because as now our power 's not like our will For this is sure and so it shall be found That this disgrace which to vs now is don In th' end may chance vpon himselfe rebound Sith that he hath of malice thus begon And peradventure it may chance fall out Ere Phebus thrice the Zodâ—ack runnes about For let him trust and thereof be assurd We will him serue with such as he hath sent And if I liue and what he hath procurd He shall not faile thereof by my intent Albeit now I set no time nor tide Sith longer here I mindd not to abide Till I haue better leisure to soiorne And so with stearne and yet with liuely cheare At that same word began about to turne And suddenly vnto the messenger That from the King as then to him was sent In this wise he declared his jntent My friend quoth he know well and vnderstand The message which as now thou bringst to me From Laomedon King of Trâ—iâ—â— land Vnfit doth seeme from such a Prince as he For by each point thereof I doe perceaue How he doth vse of strangers to conceaue And cannot chuse but deepely in my mind Thinke much on his great favor to vs showne And of his liberalitie so kind And gifts which on vs now he hath bestowne Nor can I well let slip out of my thought The least reward that thou to vs hast brought For trust me well I can it not forget But needs must deepe jmprint it in my mind How by his honor he so much doth set As that he studieth onely to be kind That by thee now doth send vnto vs here Such intertainment great and dainty cheare Cleane contrary to that we did expect From such a worthy famous Prince as he But god which doth all secrets deepe detect Can beare vs witnes jnnocents to be From any hurtor any bad pretence That we ere ment gainst him to cause offence And Gods to record in this case I call With my whole heart to justifie the same Whatsoever may hereafter chance to fall We haue not once deserved any blame Nor violently taken any thing From man or boy so mayst thou tell the King But being forst by great and stormy wind Necessity compelled vs to land Vpon this coast some succour here to find And rest our wearied limmes vpon the strand Intending but a day or two to stay And then againe with speed to go away Vnto the place where we desire to bee Which thou vnto thy Lord for truth maist say And further that the time he shall once see When as perchance more thanks receiue he may From vs or els it may be from some other So go thy waies and farewell gentle brother When Iason thus an answere had returnd And bad the Trâ—â—an messenger depart The noble Knight stout Hercules that burn'd With rage and fury inwardly in hart As he was gonâ—â—ad him againe turne backe Disdainefully and thus to him he spake Good fellow thou that art the messenger Of thy good Lord who hath thee hither sent Content thy selfe and stand thou not in feare That here to stay is ought of our jntent For that before the Sunne shall rise againe We will be gon and so I tell thee plaine And not a man of ours on shoâ—re shall be To morrow at this time what eâ—e befall And therevpon my troth I pledge to thee And Gods to witnes to the same I call For we intend no longer here t'soiorne But to our ships againe with speed returne As soone as it is dawning of the day On paine to suffer fowle reproch and blame But ere three yeares shall fully passe away Who euer saith contrary to the same We will returne againe into this land And cast our Ankors here vpon this sand Take heed thereof and note full well the time And let this now suffice and warning be That some new change shall follow of this Prime Which if Iliue thy King shall plainely see And when his power gainst vs shall not extend For his safe conduct we will scorne to send And then I tell thee plainely for no lie We will no more regard him then a straw Nor of his words nor threats that are so hie The least of vs shall stand in any awe Till when because we will him not deceaue We mind not once of him to take our leaue For that of vs he seemes to make a jest As though we were not worthy better cheare But though he now doth thinke to liue at rest I sweare by God he shall abide it deare Which in the end shall turne vnto his shame And see that to the King you tell
doth run By vsuall course vnto th'ecclipticke line And then is in coniunction with the Moone There 's no ecclipse as writers do define But when the Sun with fiery beames most red His mansion hath in th' vgly Dragons head And that the Moone is seated in the taile Of Dragon fell then 't is a thing most true That an ecclipse by nature cannot faile But certainly thereof must needs ensue By reason of intersecations Of circles and of reuolutions Which fixed are within the skies aloft And cause the shining beames of Phoebus bright As it is seene within the world full oft To be obscur'd and shadowed from our sight For that the Moone doth make diuision By naturall interposition Betweene our eyes and Phebus glistring beames So as we may not then behold nor see How Tytans flaming Chariot weld his streames Which for a time cleane darkned seeme to bee But for bycause Ptholome the King Within his Booke shews cause of euery thing Both of ecclipses and coniunction Of Sun and Moone with other planets bright That they doe hap by common motion I will no longer of this matter write And though that Ouid in his booke doth praise Medeas skill her honour so to raise And doth of her such fained fables tell Yet God forbid that credite we should giue Vnto such fond conceits as knowing well No creature that vpon the earth doth liue Hath power to work against dame natures course To make the Sun and Moone ecclipst by force For God that ruleth all things by his might Hath so disposd his heauenly creatures That they cannot remooue by day nor night Without his will as long as world endures But in a mutuall order still are bound Continually the world to compasse round For no ecclipse as yet was euer knowne The Moone not being in coniunction As I haue said vnlesse that God hath showne A miracle as in the passion For then the Sun was found ecclipst to be Gainst natures course as all the Iews might see For when that Christ vpon the crosse was nail'd The Son of life was darkened for our good And then of heauen and earth the powers fail'd At shedding of his pure and precious bloud And shewed signes most strangely to behold The glory of his God-head to vnfold The earth did quake great darknes did appeare The dead did rise which caus'd no little wonder Within the Church the vale in midst did teare Hard stones and rocks did burst cleaue in sunder That for the tokens strange and marueilous Which then were seene wise Diomsians When as he did such sodaine darknesse find Although that he a heathen was by right Yet seemed much astonished in mind And flatly said that sure the God of might Did suffer death or else 't was to presume The world as then would perish and consume Thus did this heathen man as then conceaue When as he did such wonders great behold For God his creatures can of power bereaue As being all of him to be contrould For he that did all things on earth ordaine Can heauen earth of vsuall course restraine As sacred Scriptures plainly testifie How Iosua caus'd the Sun his course to stay While he did force his enemies to flie At Gabaon for space of one whole day Which God did grant vnto his faithfull Knight At his request to shew his power and might Then think 't not strange if at the passion Of Iesus Christ incarnate for our sake The heauens shew'd such alteration And bright Sun beames became of color blacke Sith he hath made both skie sea land And all are rul'd by his most mighty hand But though that Ouid list so much to wright And of Medea tells so false a fable And to extoll her seemes to take delight Yet all he said to proue he was not able Although she were a cunning sorceresse As ancient stories manifest no lesse This shall suffice to shew her wit and skill And now I will proceed to mine intent To tell how she obayd her fathers will When as she knew that he for her had sent Inuesting costly furniture great store That she might cause her beauty seeme the more For if of beauty women haue good store They will not faile to play a womans part By skill t' encrease dame natures worke the more And are therein such mistresses of Art That what so er's amisse they will it hide That no defect may outwardly be spide But she was faire and beautifull in face And in behauiour womanly withall And set it forth with such a princely grace That euery man admir'd her in the hall Her entry so maiesticall did seeme As if she had a heauenly creature beene King Oeta as the story sheweth it As soone as she into the hall was brought Caus'd her by yong Prince Iason downe to sit For his desire will and onely thought Was how he might him princely entertaine And so his bounty to the Greeks explaine But in this point alas he seem'd to bee Cleane voyd of good aduise prudent care For wisedome wills vs wisely to foresee Each danger and against the same prepare To cause a maiden light of wit and eie His pleasure in that case to satisfie And though his speciall meaning and desire Was onlie for the honour of his guest Yet it did set his Daughters heart on fire Which burnt within the furrows of her brest So sore that it bred his confusion And finally her owne destruction Great follie 't was so much her youth to trust And giue her cause of such a motion That might prouoke and stir her vnto lust And that through want of good discretion To thinke vpon as reason doth require A womans light and mutable desire Which any man that 's wise no doubt will feare For who was euer yet so mad or wood Vnlesse he did so sound affection beare As that he seemed carelesse of his good Without good triall women to beleeue or hasty credite to their words to giue In whome is neither constancy nor trust They are so double and so full of wile That hard it is t'restraine them of their lust And set their minds so much on fraud guile That no man can himselfe of them assure For it to them belongeth of nature Euen from the time they first creepe out of cradle To be both wilie wauering and light Their hearts they are so fraile and so vnstable In youthfull yeares wherein they take delight For that while they in growing yeres are yong Their inward thoughts agree not with their rong Which is the cause that many wise men write That wau'ring change and mutability To women doth belong of ancient right As fram'd of mould of instability Which all that know them well cannot denay Although it grieueth me so much to say For if you could perceaue their inward mind And all their slights and wilie fetches know You might the true and liuely patterne find Within their hearts they do so ouer flow Of fond and
Tyger did me breed and in my brest A heart more hard then flint or steele doth rest Why rather should I not with wrathfull eie His death behold and in the same delight Why mooue I not the Buls most furiouslie Gainst him to hold a fierce and cruell fight And all the knights that shall rise out the ground Incite to set on him and him confound And that same Dragon fell which nere doth rest The Gods forbid that I such things should do Such treacherie I vtterlie detest But praier is small remedy thereto Vnlesse that I do lend my helping hand And shall I then betray my natiue land Shall I a stranger saue I do not know And giue him aid that me perchance may leaue Behind him and into his Countrie go And take an otherwise It should me grieue But if I knew he would worke me that spight And in an other woman take delight Die sure he should But he beares not the face Like one that would so great a mischiefe worke His birth his valour and his comelie grace Show that in him such treason doth not lurke And me assure he will me not deceaue Nor once forget the good he shall receaue Thereby from me Yet first he shall me plight His faith and troth according to the lawes To marrie me and keepe his couenant right Why then am I in feare without a cause To take this matter presently in hand And not delay it off nor lingring stand Iason shall thinke himselfe much bound to me And gladly for his wife will me retaine And I thereby much honoured shall be Of all the people which as now remaine Within the rich and fertile land of Greece For helping them to win the Golden fleece Shall I then leaue my Father and my kin And houshold Gods to whome such loue I beare My natiue soile and all that is therein And with a stranger saile I know not where Yea these and all that ere I haue why not My Father 's hard my Countries rude God wot The greatest good vnto my selfe will fall For that the things which I shall now forsake I may full well but meerely trifles call If I to those compare them which I take For Graecians safetie honoured shall I bee And dwell in Towns that are both rich and free Whose fame doth freshly florish euery where Mongst people that in liberall Arts excell And which of all things else I hold most dere And for all earthly treasure would not sell I shall enioy King Aesons Princely Son Whom had I once vnto my husband won Most happy then I would esteeme my state And thinke my selfe to be aduanst so hie That with my head I should be eleuate Boue all the starres within the Christ all skie But men report that rocks in Seas doe meet And gainst nature againe in sunder fleet And how Caribdis vtter enemie To ships doth cause the waues them ouethrow When vnder saile they chance to passe thereby And Scilla with whome Dogs doth euer go Out of Cicillia gulfe comes barking out And puts such as saile by in feare and doubt But what skils that if I enioy my loue And in my Iasons armes may safelie sleepe It shall me not in any wise once moue Though seas be nere so dang'rous foule deepe For while that I my louer may embrace Nought can make me to feare in any case And if that feare should chance to trouble me And make my mind perplexed therewithall My feare should onlie for my husband be Dar'st thou him then so boldlie husband call Pretendest thou Medea title gaie To thy offence thou rather shouldst say naie And see what ledwnes thou dost go about Thereby to shunne the mischiefe dangerous Before that worse vnto thee chance fall out She had no soonner in that sort said thus But shamefastnes and feare that by her staid Made franticke loue to flie away dismaid And raging mood thereof was well alaid And for the present time put cleane to flight Till spying Aesons sonne the flames that staid And seemed as they had been quenched quight Did kindle and againe began to show And with their heat did cause her cheeks to glow And scarlet blood within his face did rise And like vnto a sparke of fire that 's hid In ashes with the whisking wind out flies And by that meanes againe is kindled So did her loue which then was put to flight Renew his former force at Iasons sight For when she did behold his comelie Grace And Princelie port she judged him to bee Much faiâ—er and more beautifull in face Then ere she had when first she did him see For which her iudgement sure it doth behoue To beare with her because she was in loue Thus as Medea wrought to ease her griefe She spun the web of her aduersitie For fortune making shew to send reliefe Procures her time her mind to certefie And to vnfold the secret of her heart To Iason though it bred her woe and smart For thus it chanst when Phoebus bright did shine In th' afternoone at hottest time of day As he began then Westward to decline And by degrees his feruent heat delay King Oeta finding time conuenient In all the hast for faire Medea sent And willed her with present speed to go Into the hall Prince Iason t' entertaine And vnto him all curtesie to sho Whereby she did occasion fit obtaine When time conuenient serued to discouer Her hearts desire vnto her new found louer For when as she her father had espied With Graecian Knights in earnest speech to bee And that each man his mind was occupied To passe the time When no man did her see In courteous wise to Iason she drew neere And he to her the like with ioyfull cheere And being set together in that sort With louelie looke and countenance bening Medea glad and willing t'yeeld the fort And parle first well weighing euery thing With sighs beheld Prince Iason in the face And vnto him declar'd her doubtfull case CHAP. VI. ¶ How Iason by the onely helpe and aduise of Medea King Oetas Daughter enamored of him acchieued the conquest of the Golden Fleece PRince Iason ere I speake to thee said shee I charge thee by thy valour and thy might Thy courtesie and true nobilitie And as thou art a stout and hardy Knight Desiring much t' aduance thy noble fame By valiant acts and t'magnifie thy name That these my words with rash opinion Thou dost not censure to proceed of guile Deceitfulnesse nor yet presumption Nor from a womans heart that 's full of wile In that I am so bold and do not spare My mind to thee at large now to declare Without all manner doublenes of heart First praying thee vnto my words giue eare And marke full well what I to thee impart And faile thou not the same in mind to beare For what so e're I say it 's for thy weale As she that meanes in truth with thee to deale Two things there are
Isle Not farre from thence whereas vpon the shore Prince Hercules attended all the while Accompanied with many Grecians more Till that he had his conquest brought to passe And when that he mongst them arived was For ioy they lept and to their Gods did call And yeilded thanks for his most happy chance That he had so preserved been from thrall And to such honor did him then advance By Knight-hood great to win the golden Ram Out of the midst of burning fier and flame And fore Apollo fully had run out And compassed the earthly globe so faire Or from the East to west had gon about For still he was perceaved in the aire Although with speed he did as then decline And on the Seas full watrishly did shine Iason withall his grecian Knights did goe Vnto the King with glad and chearefull face And vnto him the golden sleece did shoe The which to wim the Gods had gin him grace Whereat the King did seeme much to reioyce In outward show and with dissembling voyce Did welcome him vnto his Court againe Glad as he said that he so well had sped And more his outward joy therein t'explaine Into the Pallace by the hand him him led And entertained him with royall chere As if that no dislike in him there were And shewed pleasant countenance and face As hipocrites can do when as they faine And thinke on craft and rather seeke disgrace To him whom flatteringly they intertaine With outward smiling and dissembling show When inwardly they wish his overthrow So at that time King Octes entertaind Prince Iason with a friendly countenance And show of ioy that he so well had gaind The golden fleece his honor to aduance Although from heart his ioy did not proceed For inwardly with griefe it seemd to bleed That of the Ram he was dispoyled so To his great losse and whole confusion And that he must the golden fleece forgo Which in him bred a great division Twixt outward show and his interior mind As oft we see and by experience find That many men of double heart and mind And of meere malice hid in their desire With smothed face such subtill shifts can find To take and couer closely vp the fire Of envie with the ashes of deceit That no man can their wicked purpose let But well were he that could their craft espie And know their meaning false and fraudulent Wherein nought else but trecherie doth lie For to betray the simple innocent And such as by no villany are led Nor in the paths of subtilty haue tread But when a man a smiling face doth make With outward show of loue and speaketh kind They do his words and all his gestures take To be th' effects of his interior mind So Iason held himselfe full well apaid Withall the King then did to him or sayd Svpposing that no grudge to him he bare And doubtles though the King was griued sore And had his heart possest with thought and care Cause he should loose the Ram for evermore It had more folly been for him to fret When as the same by no meanes he could let And for as then he could not will nor chose Such and so great was his extremitie But that of force he must his treasure lose He made a vertue of necessitie And gainst his will his mind he wholy bent To welcome him though t' were with discontent And with all kind of common curtesie From day to day to show his gentlenesse He feasted Iason and his company And not one signe of grutging did expresse Vntill the time that he did steale away And secretly his daughter thence convay Meane while the people ran In flockes apace From all and euerie part of Colchos Isle Vpon the golden Ram to starre and gase Which some admir'd some others seme'd to smile Each one his verdit and his Iudgment gaue But to the same men no respect should haue For they are so vnconstant in their mind That with each blast they varry like a phane And as the mone according to hir kind To day th' encrease to morow they do wane So much they are of nature flexible And altogether light and variable Some did reioyce that Iason spead so well And some admir'd his great and passing might And said he did in valor much excell That gainst the Bulls and Dragon so could fight And conquering theÌ„ returnd thence safe sonnd Which to effect till then none could be found Some grieu'd thereat dislike it veâ—erly And wholy did repine that so it was Some others said t' was done by Sorcery Thus each cast forth his verdict in that case One saying this an other praring that And every one of Iason seem'd to chat At last as though she knew not of the chance Medea from her chamber did descend Glad at her heart although in countenance A sad and heavy cheare she did pretend That no man might her secret joy conceaue Nor of her mind the least pretence perceaue And by her wise and good discretion Not any one a misse of her could deeme Whereby she did avoid suspition And euery one of her did well esteeme Her port and cheare nought els did signifie But signes of griefe although full secretlie She smild to thinke how well her loue had sped Then closely vnto Iason she drew neare And that of them suspision none might breed With voice full low she whispred in his eare And willed him in any wise to see He did not faile with her at night to bee For that she sayd she would with him confer Of matters that concernd them very neere Which at that time of force she must defer To let him know till that he met her there Which he suspecting when as night came on Vnto his chamber went where all alone He found her sitting there but not asleepe But wishing with her heart as I do gesse By her straight watch which she as then did keepe With him to parle in great holinesse Of matters of deepe contemplation For she was moued with devotion To celebrate Dame Venus memory And for her sake a Requiem to say With him alone in her oratory And not as foolish hipocrits doe pray In open streets that men may them commend The time they did not passe nor vainely spend For glory of the world nor any laud Of mortall wights but closely all alone Betweene themselues not thinking any fraud And without any light of Sunne or Moone That longsome night they past and did not rest For sure they thoutht for them it was not best To thinke on sleepe â—â—ll morning was in prime And so the night together they did spend With great delight not loosing any time But in what sort I cannot comprehend Nor their religious obseruations show But leaue that vnto them that better know Suppose what t' was you get no more of me Let him that hath good skill and knowes the Art Or is acquainted with the facultie The misteries thereof to you impart And
shew We will avoid the multitude of number And of our warlike Knights choose but a few Wherewith we shall our foes much more incomber Then if we had an armie huge and great For many in a field each other let This good aduise King Peleus did allow And whatsoeuer Hercules had said T' effect the same did make a solemne vow Then Hercules to haue and get more aid To Pilon went wherein a Duke of fame As then did rule that Nestor had to name A Prince for wit and valour magnified Yet of a hastie fierce and angrie mood And in some sort to Hercules allied Whose comming when he once had vnderstood He was contented for his Nephews sake The Troyan warre with him to vndertake So Hercules the day and time would set And personally himselfe therein to be Then Hercules no further time to let With present speed returnd to Thessalie Whereas the Graecians Navie then did stay Attending time from thence to saile away Where after counsell tane they did agree That Peleus should be generall of the field And that each Lord and Prince of high degree While that their Troian warre did last should yeeld To his command as Soueraigne of them all And so they stayd till wind did them befall CHAP. VIII ¶ How Iason Hercules and the Graecian Princes assembled to make warre against the Towne of Troy to reuenge the discurtesie done to them by Laomedon King of Troye when they sailed to Colchos WHen as the temperate dewes of Aperill With many a sweet comfortable shower Into the ground full deepely do distill To raise the grasse and beauty of each flower And Phoebus mounting the celestiall spheare In Aries doth place his beames most cleare And in the spring which yerely doth befall When as the calends of the month of May Do celebrate the Equinoctiall And make an equall length of night and day And euery branch and tree to spring are seen And after vading hew shew fresh and greene When Snow that on the mountaine tops doth lie By heat of Phoebus beames dissolues away And when a vapery balme ascends on hie Out from the pleasant flower at prime of day And that the root by Winter cold kept in Recouering sap to spring forth doth begin And mount into each flower hearbe and tree And by the force of Sols most burning heat Infuseth in each branch humidity Assisted by some showers of raine most sweet When siluer springs cast forth their currant stream Into the Riuers glistring gainst Sonne beames And ere the Son new greene had sent againe Vnto each hearbe and grasse vpon the ground When as the pleasant Nightingale t'explaine Her ioy within the shadie woods is found With sweet and amorous noats a loud to sing And makes the eire with sound thereof to ring To welcome in the faire and pleasant spring Which doth delight all creatures that are Vpon the earth and comforts euery thing Which Winter hard ore-whelmd with cold care And when the winds did lessen calme swage The Seas that by cold Winters storms did rage At that same time the Graecians did begin To enter Ship and towards Troye to saile Well rigged man'd furnisht with each thing That for the wars might them as then availe And when the weather serued them to goe They put to Sea with braue and warlike shoe And made such hast by aid Neptune them lent That in few daies they saild vnto the Towne Of Troye whereto their course as then was bent At euening when the Sun was almost downe And there cast anker thinking it the best Within their Ships that night to take their rest And when the Larke did in the morning sing With pleasant noats to welcome Phebus bright â—o set their men on land they did begin And mark't their ground and rais'd their tents vpright Before the Towne of Troy ere they it wist For that they might as then do what they list And set a watch meane time in euery place To guard their Campe vntill the Sun most bright Had in the morning shew'd his glistring face And on the tents had cast his crimson light And then they all agreed with one consent To make repaire vnto King Peleus tent And being there as then together met King Peleus causing silence to be made When euery one in his degree was set With courage bold vnto them spake and said Most worthy Graecian Princes high and low Whose Knightly force the world throghout doth know Reported is as far as shines the Sun In any place it neuer yet was seen That Graecians haue an enterprise begun Which by them hath not well effected been And they victoriously with Lawrell crownd As in the ancient Histories is found Then valiant Lords and Princes of renowne Thinke on the wrong that vnto you was wrought By this discourteouâ— King Laomedon When as no â—urt to him by you was thought Which to requight sith now you do pretend See that your selues you valiantly defend And let vs now with all the speed we may Prepare our battailes in a readines And setting on them straight without delay Shew forth our valours and our worthines But let me first three things to you declare Which at this time for vs most needfull are One is that by discretion and aduise Our battailes we in such sort doe ordaine That no disorder may amongst vs rise That by the same aduantage none be tane Against vs by our foes to our disgrace And we thereby constrain'd to leaue the place The second is that we our valours show And let no manner feare possesse our heart But stoutly let vs gainst our enemies goe And see we play the valiant souldiers part Couragiously in battaile to endure And to our foes eternall shame procure The third and last is that we striue to gaine The fame and name our Ancestors haue held And valiantly the victory obtaine Against our foes and driue them out the field For if by Knighthood through our hardines We vanquish them and put them to distresse We win not only praise and high renowne Which to a valiant mind is chiefest blisse But if we once may enter in the Towne Of treasure great we surely cannot misse Which in the same is now there to be found For certaine 't is it doth therein abound Which maugre all our foes we will conuay Into our ships and so with ioyfull cheare When wind and weather serues without delay The same with vs into our Countries beare Therefore in hope this treasure now to win With courage bold t'assaile them lets begin Whereto most valiant Hercules reply'd And did King Peleus counsell much commend And said 't is truth and cannot be deny'd That of beginning wise proues happy end But now to bring our purpose to effect My counsell is that we do not neglect Before that it appeareth to be day To muster all our men vpon this plaine And being arm'd with all the speed we may Our forces to diuide in battailes twaine Whereof the
feele her rankor and disdaine Into the vale of great adversity The rich she maketh poore and then againe Of poore makes rich and as it is her kind Sets one before another casts behind Some one she maketh run another halt The third she plungeth in extreamity The fourth she doth to honor great exalt So that in her there 's no security In some mans mouth sweet Nectar she distiâ—th Anothers throat with bitter gaâ—â— she fil'th And thus this wilfull Lady as we find Within her power great store of potions hath And every one of strange and severall kind For she to some with false and fained faith Giues pleasant wine but when the sweet is past As t is her vse she giveth them a tast Of Aloes and of bitter wormewood drinke And corfiues which do fret and pierce most deepe Into mens hearts when as they little thinke That fortune them beguiles and luls a sleepe And thus if in this Queene of Variance Whose ioy doth ever end with some mischaÌ„ce Men put their trust let them besure at last Of what estate so euer that they be Shee le overthrow them with some sodaine blast And cleane bereaue of all felicitie As by example of Laomedon We may perceiue brought to confusion For little cause or truth to say for nought Wherefore let euery man by him take heed A quarrell to begin where none is sought Least that like him destruction be their meed For little fire with ashes covered When men suppose it quencht and wholly dead May chance breake out and on a sodaine burne And when as men the same do seeke to cease Full often in their faces it doth turne But he that medleth least liues most at ease Therefore let Kings and Princes every one A mirror make of King Laomedon And see they vse no kind of violence Nor suffer any one to offer wrong To strangers when they giue them none offence For though their power force be great strong Within their land when least they thinke on it As he was seru'd they may their rigor quit And yeeld the like to them in other place When as perchance vnto their overthrow They shall of them receiue but little grace Wherefore I wish when as they heare or know That strangers in their Countries are arriu'd Let them with loue and honor be receau'd And wisely thinke and hold it to be true That to a stranger courtesie to show Vnto a noble mind belongs of due For sure it is as every man doth know That nothing doth their honors more augment Then when their only care and will is bent For to relieue to cherish and to comfort With all the loue and honor that they may Such strangers as vnto their Courts resort That they of them may well report and say The contrary whereof much strife hath wrought As in this present History is taught The towne of Troy that first was built thus spoil'd The people slaine and many forst to fly The remnant with great woe and sorrow toil'd Int'exile led liue in captiuity And Exion as you haue heard me tell Went into Greece with Telamon to dwell For whom there rose such bloudy warre strife And so great vengeance tane for it in th' end On either side that thousands lost their life Which to declare I purposely intend If you vouchsafe it patiently to heare And for your good the same in mind will beare So hard and fatall is our destiny That no estate can permanently stand For every man ordained is to die And alterations chance in every Land And through the world where ever that we be We heare of nought but warre and treacherie Which serues to put vs in rememberance That many warres battailes great are fought And many woes and miseries do chance And mooued are for little cause or nought And diuers things for matters small or none At first begun breed much confusion Each one doth seeke another to destroy And bloudy minds are greatly to be fear'd Man careth not his brother to annoy And all because we take no better heed But envie raignes so much in euery age That nought but bloud death can it asswsge By it although the causes were but small If truth were knowne on th' ancient towne of Troy Both old and new such miseries did fall That at the last it did them both destroy Where during their so long bloudy strife Full many a valiant Knight did loose his life And Kings and Princes died by dint of sword Which to recount my hand doth shake for feare Least that my barren wit should not afford Fit tearmes phrases the truth for to declare Vnto my most renownd and soueraigne Liege Of all that past in that long ten yeres siege Which if that he with patience please to heare And not disdaine my rude and simple verse And in his sacred wisedome with it beare While I this wofull Historie rehearse Whereof no doubt I haue sith that of grace Sweet mercy in his heart he doth embrace And that he is a Prince of Maiestie Whose vertues are so excellent and rare That to addict his mind to pietie It is his onely study and his care With his support I will here vndertake A true discourse vnto you now to make What did befall vnto the towne of Troy That newly was erected once againe When Greeks did it the second time destroy As Guydo doth the same at large explaine And if my verse for want of skill seeme lame Let me intreat you to correct the same But blame me not sith that the fault 's not mine For as you know the English tongue is harsh And wanteth words to make vp perfect rime Where it in many places is too scarce And truth to say my wit will not aspire To follow Guydoes phrase as I desire Who in his Latine verse doth so exceed In Rethoricke that my translation Requires a farre more fine and subtill head To follow him in like construction Verbatim as a learned Gramarian Or as a skilfull Rethoritian I only take vpon me to declare The Historie according to the sence And truth thereof which is my chiefest care Least I thereby to some might breed offence And truth of verse I likewise set aside As wanting one therein to be my guide And to correct and mend them that are wrong My onely seeking is truth to declare Regarding neither verses short nor long For curiousnesse therein I doe not care Pretending not in any thing to varry Nor yet my Author Guido to contrary Nor from him disagree in truth of sence But to conclude our meanings all in one And to agree therein for Eloquence Or Rethoricke I you assure there 's none In me your heads with phrases fine to fill Nor yet haue I in painting any skill With colours fresh and gay to please the ere I nought can vse but sad and mournfull blacke And therewithall my selfe will satisfie Which in good part I you beseech to take And so in
hope your favors I shall win I will proceed the story to begin WHen as the noble King Laomedon Was slaine in field by cruell Hereules When as the Greekes did first destroy the towne He had a sonne and heire as Guido saâ—es Cald Priamus a Prince of courage stout Whose fortune was at that time to be out With Hecuba his wife and did assault A Castle strong wherein a Lord did lie Which at that time did stubbornly revolt And long before had warred cruelly Against the towne of Troy with force and might Yet subiect was vnto the same by right Where Priam and his sonnes in campe did lie Accompanied with many a worthy Knight Their power and force against their foes to trie And it besieged round both day and night With vow the same by fierce assault to win And to destroy them all that were within For he as then was strong and valorous Young lusty and of fierce and hawtie heart And therewithall so stout and ventrous That feare of death could neuer make him start And to be first that in the field did enter Against his foes his life therein to venter Whereby hewan great honour and renowne And for his time was held a worthy Knight Till Fortune from her wheele did cast him downe And in his fall did show her power and might To change and alter things as she thinks good Respecting neither poore nor Princely blood This Priamus by Hecuba his wife Eight goodly faire and Princely children had Which all were slaine and died in the strife And bloody warre that Grecions gainst him made Whereof there were fiue sons daughters three Which I will name each one in his degree The first and eldest Hector had to name Whose worthinesse as farre abroad doth flie And is extold by Trumpe of Lady Fame As Phoebus doth râ—n compasse â—out the skie In one daies space for authors certifie And say be was thâ—â—ooâ— of chivalâ—ie Of Knight-hood true the onely Soveraigne And Mirror bright and cleare of Noblenesse And did therein vnto such hight attaine That no man can sufficiently expresse The great and valiant acts he did archiue Surpassing all that ever yet did liue And therewithall he was most vertuous Discreet and wise and friendly to each one Of whom the deeds and prowesse marvelous Reported are and haue been long agone By many ancient Authors fore our dayes That write of him to his eternall praise The second Sonne by birth and Dignitie Was Parris cald who did exceed so farre In person beautie shape dexteritie And was esteem'd therein to be so rare That in his time as farre as I can heare Vpon the earth there neuer liu'd his peere Who likewise was a stout and worthy Knight And in a bow had such delight and skill Wherewith he vsed commonly to fight That where he aim'd he would be sure to kill None ever did surpasse him in the same And Alexander was his other name Deiphobus was the third Sonne by degree A Knight of worthy same and great renowne Strong hardy and of courage franke and free Exceeding wise and of great discretion A counsellor in peace and warre most graue And in the field a Champion bold and braue The fourth of them was Heleâ—â—â— by name Who onely gaue his minds vnto his booke And was so much addicted to the same That pleasure in no other thing he tooke Whereby so wise and learned he became That all men did admire him for the same The Fist Sonne was a hardie valiant Knight Although the last and yongest of them all And puissantly against his â—oes did fight Whom Troyâ—lâ—s the historie doth call And for his valiant heart and courage braue The name of second Hector men him gaue So many valiant acts hy him were don While that the Grecian warre continued Whereby so much renowne therein he won That after Hectors death he was so feared And did the Greekes so cruelly assaile That nought against the Towne they could prevaile Yet Uirgill in his Booke of Troyan warre By him cald his Enâ—idos saith thus That Hecuba vnto King Pryam bare Two younger Sonnes the one Polidorus Whom when the Grecians first did take in haâ—d Their bloody warre and entred in his land As then but young he straight did send away Vnto a King that was his trusty friend With store of treasure great with him to stay Till he might see what jssue and what end The warre would haue as then but new begon Betweene the Greekes and him before the towne But he in whom he did repose his trust When as he vnderstood King Pryams state Desirous of the gold which makes men thurst Did cause the Troian Prince vnfortunate To be bereav'd of life most cruelly And buried in a place full secretly Hard by the Sea so deepe within the ground That no man could his treason great espie Nor never afterward his body found And so the Proverbe old did verefie Who so on gold doth set his onely care To win the same no mischiefe he will spare The second of those two cald Ganimed Vpon a time did hunt for his disport And straying in a wood by fortune led God Iupiter as Uirgill doth report Vp to the skies did sodainely him take And there for ever Butler did him make The eldest of King Priams daughters three Cerusa nam'd the story doth declare Was married to a Lord of high degree Aeneas cal'd a man of beauty rare Whose Father was a Duke of noble fame And Uirgill saith Anchises had to name And on the Goddesse Uenus him begot For this Aeneas honor and his fame Uirgill compild a Booke wherein he wrot His travells all at large and doth the same From his departure out of Troy begin And showes how he all Italie did win Long after that the great and famous Towne Of Troy destroyd and cleane defaced was And what great conquests were archieu'd and dâ—n By him as he along the Seas did passe And how that first at Carthage he did stay Ere that he further forth went on his way Whereas Queene Dido pierst with Cupids dart Of him became so much enamored That for because from thence he did depart For loue of him her selfe she murthered All which and more in Virgill you may see In Latine verse at large declard to bee King Priams second daughter had to name Cassandra as the ancient stories saies Who by her wit attaind so loftie fame That she was holden for a Prophetes Her skill in Arts of all kinds was so much That like to her there nere was any such For future things she could declare and show And what was done within the world so round Before it came to passe she did it know Her learning was so deepe and so profound Her manner was religiously to liue And onely to the same her mind did giue The third and youngest daughter Policene For shape and beautie past her sisters twaine Who liued all her daies a Virgin cleane Till she by Pirrhus cruelty was slaine
In presence of her Mother to fulfill And satisfie his fierce and bloody will And Priamus as you likewise may read Had thirty valiant bastard children All sonnes which did so much in armes exceed That in their times they proved valiant men Whose names to show as now I le overpasse Till that occasion serues in other place WHile Priam so the castle did inclose To win the same by force dayly sought All meanes he could to ouercome his foes The wofull newes vnto him there was brought How that the Greekes the towne of Troy had won And kild his father King Laomedon The walles and howses thereof cleane cast downe The people all slaine with great cruelty And left nought standing vpright in the towne But all on ground did flat and euen lie And Exion made to Thelamon a prey Who had her captiue led with him away He was in mind so much astonished And sodaine woe his sences so did straine That for a while he seem'd as one were dead And inwardly did feele such mortall paine That he did thinke his heart within his brest Would cleaue in twaine so much he was opprest With sorrow griefe perplexitie and woe And therewithall the teares did fast distill Out from his eies downe to the earth so low That sure if that he might haue had his will He rather would haue chosen there to die Then to haue felt so great extremitie Wherewith he did on fortune much exclaime That she to him was so deceaueable To worke him such disgrace and open shame And shew'd her selfe to be so mutable With most despightfull sterne and cruell face As one cleane void of mercy and of grace For she of envious heart and spightfull thought In cruell wise did shew her fell intent And all at once her malice on him wrought As vnto his destruction fully bent So wauering and vnconstant is her mind Wherein her greatest pleasure she doth find For which forthwith he made no more delay But with a heavy heart and face full pale He did put off his faire and rich array And never ceast his fortune to bewaile With mournfull cheare still casting downe his head And in that sort a dolefull life he led Apparelling himselfe in mournfull blacke And minding there no longer to abide In all the hast he could the â—iedge vp brake And presently to Troy ward forth did ride With all his hoast who likewise were full sad And for his losse and theirs great sorrow made And when the towne so much defast he found And that the walles that were so huge and strong So plaine and even beaten were to ground And nothing stood but all was laid along The towers that reacht allmost vp to the skie And builded were so faire and sumptuously Cleane overthrowne with great confusednesse His people slaine and Sister led away And all made wast like to a wildernesse For griefe and woe he wist not what to say Such and so great was his extremitie But at that time he could't not remedie Which made him most extreamly sob and weepe For nothing could his sorrow great asswage And from his brest to fetch great sighes and deepe And in that wofull plight and furious rage His men and he a mournfull life did lead And in the same three daies continued Till at the last when clowdes of sorrow backe Began to cleare and stormes of woe to cease And that their mourning somewhat seem'd to slack And causd them in their minds to find some ease For when the floood of warre is gone and past An ebbe of ioy doth follow it in hast Still to lament and mourne doth not amend But more impaire and though we vse to waile And weepe for friends our sorrow once must end For after death teares will then nought availe King Priamus abandoning all care Devising how he might the towne repaire Determin'd in that great extremitie To show himselfe a Prince of courage braue And making vertue of necessitie Couragiously his credit then to saue When as his sorrowes great orepassed were And that the aire began somewhat to cleare And void the mists of his adversitie And that the prime of woe and heauinesse Night past and gone was forst away to flie By sonne-shine of some new found joyfulnesse For that the friend of woe and miserie Is joy when men haue past extremitie When he had grieu'd in mind a little space And long indured sorrow woe and smart And that his care did somewhat overpasse He rous'd himselfe and plucking vp his heart More ioyfull to his souldiers did appeare And so hegan to worke as you shall heare CHAP. II. ¶ How King Priam Sonne to Laomedon butlâ— the Cutie of Troy againe much stronger greater and fairer then euer it was before KIng Priams sorrow great and griefe ore-past As vnto you before I did declare He purposed vpon the ground made wast Where as the ancient monuments first were To build a towne much stronger then it was Which to effect he did no time let passe But straight sent forth into each Countrey For certaine men or wit ingenious And skilfull worke men in Geometrie That could invent workes fine and curious As Masons Cervers Carpenters and all That skilfull were in Arts mecannicall And wheresoere he could once know or heare Of any expert workemen of that kind He would not spare to send both farre and neare Nor never ceast vntill he did them find For such as could devise a stately wall With battlements and rauelings great small For men that were of fine and subtill head The Marble stone to pollish with the graine And Alablaster white and Purphier read To hew and cut and make them smoth and plaine For gravers of all kind of Images And such as Art of painting did professe And cunning were their works to beautifie With colours fresh that long time would indure And that could make an Image with an eye As if it were a liuely creature And counterfeit in mettall wood and stone As curious worke as ere Pignalion Devised or as Histories doe tell Apollo could invent for he did frame Darius Tombe the which did so excell For wormanship that none ere past the same Which th' emperor commanded him to raise That men thereby his worthy fame might praise He sent likewise for ioyners that had skill In Cedar Cipresse and in Walnut-tree To worke and with imbossed flowers to fill The creasts that round about the walles should bee And whosoere in building was erpert And praise deserued therein by desert Or had the name in workeman-ship â—excell The King would his direction therein haue How farre or wide soever he did dwell Or what soever wages he would craue No cost he spard in any kind of thing That he his worke vnto effect might bring Intending such a sumptuous Towne to frame That it should passe all others whatsoere And in most spacious wise to build the same For widenes breadth length that it should beare And with so high so thicke
But at the last she brings them vnto shame And turnes their glory into miserie To make of them a woefull Tragedie The manner how their Tragedies they playd Was in this sort whereas they did devise Within a Theater as first I sayd To set an Altar made halfe circle wise Which on the top a loftie pulpit bare Wherein there stood a Poet to declare With Eloquent and Rethoricion phrase The noble deeds of Kings and Princes great And eke the fame of Conquerors to rayse Which in their liues by valor they did get And how that they with lawrell crowned were For their deserts as stories witnes beare An'd liud in honour great tell Parchas fell Did end their liues by stroke of Atropos And afer that in mournefull wise did tell How piteously each one the same did lose And were by Fortune brought vnto their end Gainst whom it is but folly to contend And how the fine of all their worthines Their honour fame and magnanimitie Was onely sorrow and great heavines Procur'd by treason false or subtilty By murther poyson or by enmity Wrath or despight or some extremity And how their floud of joy was not so hie But that at last it had an ebbe as low And how that Fortune by her subtiltie To show her spight had wrought their overthrow All this with face full pale the Poet sayd And while that he within the pulpit staid Their jssued forth out of another place Men purposely disguisd and clad which plaid With gastly and with pale and deadly face By signes all whatsoere the Poet said Twixt whom no difference was in any thing For What the Poet spake or loud did sing They on the ground the same did represent And shew'd by outward gestures what had hapt To Princes in their liues and how they spent Their daies on earth till fortune them intrapt And suddenly orewhelming their estate Did end their liues by death vnfortunate These sports they vsed commonly to play When Birds for ioy in woods and bushes sing In pleasant months of Aprill and of May To see the tree and flower begin to spring Thus haue you heard how Tragedies began And in what place they first were plaid whan Now will I show how Priam did proceed When as the Towne of Troy erected was To build a stately Pallace with all speed Which did the rest of all his works surpasse And high vpon a rocke did place the same In midst of Troy and Ilion did it name The forme whereof was round as any ball Well wald about with Marble faire and cleare And other costly stones mixt therewithall And did in hight six hundred paces beare With Towers high and great that whose would Mount vp the same might round about behold The Countrey farre and neare as it did lie And all the walles within and eke without Imbost with knots and flowers most curiously And richly guilt and painted thoroâ—ghout Whereon when as the Sun shines cleare bright The gold did cast a most exceeding light And in the midst of this his Pallace faire A sumptuous great and stately hall there stood Which did in leÌ„gth breadth like distance beare All fram'd of Cedar tree and Heban wood Which Heban tree they say is onely found In Ethiopia and the India ground Which colour hath as blacke as any jet And beeing cut and wrought doth waxe so hard That it will not consume with any wet The pauement vnder foot was marble squard Both white and gray which chequor wise did lie And made it show most beautifull to th'eie Within this hall was plast a royall throane Which was King Priams seat Maiesticall All made of Iasper and of Purphire stone Most richly guilt to beautifie't withall At foot whereof a sumptuous table stood Halfe Ivory and halfe of Heban wood And on each side thereof were diuers chaires Wherein King Priams counsellors did sit There to consult about his chiefe affaires As often times they vsed were to meet Two daynty Tables fram'd of Heban tree Stood longst the walles with bords of Iuorie And opposite against the regall chaire At th' other end an Altar made of brasse â—nchased gilt and grauen passing faire There stood whereon an Image great there was Of massie gold which Priam placed there In honor of his God cald Iupiter This Image fifteene Cubits high was made Besides the waight that equall substance bare And on the head a Crowne of gold it hath Wherein were plast great store of Iewels rare As Rubies red and Saphirs Christaâ—line With many oryent pearles round and fine And mongst the rest a Carbuncle most bright And passing cleare was set in midst of all Which at all times did cast so great a light That night and day that great and spacious hall Did show as bright as if that sonne or moone Within the same continually had showne Which rich and stately Image was so well And cunningly composd in euery part That from the head to foot it did excell â—n skilfull worke deuisd by curious Art Who therein did not once seeme to deny His aid and helpe the same to beautifie And framed thus it was to represent Great Iupiter one of the Planets seaven The which as Poets fainedly invent The Pagans thought to be a God in heauen Which Priam held to be of power so great That he in him his whole aâ—â—iance set To him he prayd in his necessitie And had in him so firme affection That onely to his fained Deitiâ— He did addict his whole devotion Supposing by his vertue power and might To be preseru'd from harmes both day night And onely vnto him he did commend The care of his estate and dignitie Beleeuing that he would him still defend In all distresse and with prosperitie Vphold his throane by his protection Such was his fond and vaine opinion This Image and this Pallace Ilyon Thus being made and fully finished And every thing brought to perfection Which Priam had forecast and purposed Full many yeares in his new towne of Troy He raignd in peace in honor and in joy And long might haue possest this happy state If fortune had not chang'd her smiling cheare As all things subiect are to cursed â—ate And brought him to decay as you shall heare By sequell of the story where is showne how he and his in â—ine were overthrowne CHAP. III. ¶ How King Priam sent Anthenor into Greece to haue his Sister Exion restored home againe OH cursed fiend which lurkest in the brest Of man inflam'd with thy most furious fier And never suffrest him to liue in rest Till that thou hast jncenced him with ire To take reuenge for wrong wherein thou ioy'st Not caring though all other thou annoy'st Thou seed of strife and root of all offence Why causest thou old sores againe to smart With rancor and through fowle jmpatience When thou once creepst into an envious hart Provoking it no time nor houre to cease From hatefull thoughts nor seeking any peace What needest
Which he in hast did presentlie obay And vnto him his companie did call With whome he made no longer time of stay But thence did saile directlie to a â—owne Salerne nam'd which long'd to Telamon Whereas the King and all his Lords then were And to the Court Antheâ—or straight did hie Where when he did before the King appeare At first he entertaind him courteouslie And without seeming once to take offence With present speed did grant him audience For Exions sake who then stood by his side For otherwise in heart he sore abhord All Troyans and by no meanes could abide To see or heare of them nor yet afford A friendly thought of them such was his rage Gainst theÌ„ conceauâ—d that nothing could't asswage This nere the lesse he was content to heare Anthenor speake and patientlie to stay Till that he had with words that see mely were Declared what as then he had to say Who hauing to the King his reuerence made With courage bold vnto him spake and said Most noble Prince sith that it pleases your Grace To heare the message which as now I bring With patience and t' afford me time and space For to declare the same and euery thing That 's giuen me in charge I will not stay But tell it you as briefly as I may Know then great King without offence be 't done That Priam King of Troye my soueraigne Lord Desirous strife and bloudie warre to shun Intreateth you in friendly wise t' afford This fauour vnto him to be content And thereto giue your full and free consent That Exion may her libertie obtaine And be deliuered from Captiuitie Whome you do hold as I must tell you plaine In slauish wise not like to her degree And to her great dishonour and her shame For which although he may you iustlie blame Yet he content all wrongs to pacifie And peace and loue with you and yours to hold Desireth that you will him not denie This his request and that vouchsafe you would For to restore her vnto him with speed Which doing you shall act a Princely deed And saue your honor now imblemished By wronging her whome you so much abuse Wherein you haue so long time been misled That truth to say you can it not excuse Yet he 's content to lay this wrong aside And many more so that you will prouide To send her vnto Troye without delay And this is all the sum and full effect Of that I had in charge to you to say The which if that you seeme now to reiect It will old hate and enmitie reuiue Speake now my Lord what answere you will giue When Telamon had heard Anthenor speake And knew King Priams will and his desire He did into such extreame chollor breake That both his eyes did shine like flaming fire And in his face was not a drop of blood So that with cheeks most pale and angry mood He lookt aside and turning vp the white Of both his eies with most disdainfull smile Gnasht all his teeth and seemd his tong to bite And after hauing paws'd a little while With furious voyce shewd forth the mortall hate That burnt within his heart most obstinate Saying my friend what euer that thou be I muse in heart what strange and sodaine thing Hath mooued Priam thus to send to me And that thou darst so proud a message bring I thinke thee but a foole or else starke mad That of thy selfe so little care hast had To put thy life in danger for his sake With whom I neuer had nor haue to deale Nor he with me and this account do make Neuer will haue and so thou mayst him tell And as we haue acquaintance very small He may be well assured I neither shall Nor will do any thing at his request For that it wholy is against my mind With him to deale and let that be his rest Which by experience plainly he shall find If so he list to try if that he may Fetch her by force of armes from me away This well I wot that but a while agoe I crost the seas with many Grecians more And saild to Troye and if that thou wilt know The cause it was for that not long before Laomedon had vs a trespasse done And for the same the Towne by force we wonne And slew the King and all that with him held Not cowardly as you perchance suppose But Knightly meeting him in open field And for I entred first vpon our foes Into the Towne by full consent of all The Grecian Lords vnto my share did fall This faire and Princely Lady Exion Of whome I presently was there possest And since that time haue held her for mine owne And euerwill let Priam doe his best To fetch her hence and therefore 't is in vaine For thee to send for her I tell thee plaine For be assur'd and trust me if thou wilt Thou getst her not from me if that I may And rather shall my dearest blood be spilt And many thousands more before that day Shall ere be seen that I will her forsake Though all the world her quarrell vndertake Thinkst thou I will so easly let her goe Whome for to win much of my blood was lost And for her did receaue so many a blow No sure for that full deare she hath me cost And in good faith I le let her if I can From going from me to another man So deare her person and her seemly grace Her beautie bounty and her comlinesse Her faire and passing amiable face And all her Princely gifts I must confesse Are printed in the closet of my heart That while I liue from theÌ„ce they shall not part Let Priam therefore doe the vttermost That he can do he shall but loose his paine For neuer did a thing so dearely cost As she shall do ere he haue her againe For nought can her redeeme but sword speare And deepe and gastly wounds that mortall are For there shall sure be raised such a strife And deadly warre ere she restored be That it will cost full many a man his life This is the answere that thou getst of me And bid thy Master when he list begin But I suppose he will but little win And for thy selfe as first to thee I told I thinke thee mad and more presumptuous Then thou shouldst be that darest be so bold To bring this message so audacious The noble Grecians therewith to offend But let him thee no more vnto me send On perill of thy life that may betide To thee for thy reward and now get hence With speed I thee command for if thou bide Here longer in my sight to breed offence Thou knowst the price who euer sayeth nay Therefore be gone and see thou make no stay Anthenor hearing this without delay Straight entred ship and put to Sea in hast And sailed to an Island nam'd Achay Where when that he on shore had anchor cast He heard that both the Kings as then abode
That they may know the better how to weild A sword and lawnce when as they come in field Against their foes for to revenge their wrong And giue command to Paris straight to goe As you pretend well furnished and strong With all your ships his puissant force to show Vpon the Greeks our jniuries to requite Which to our shames are vnrevenged yet And with that word he did sit downe againe And sayd no more when all that present were Did much commend his wit and warlike vaine And sayd that he deserued praise to beare For valor high renowne and chivalrie And with applause extold him to the skie Wherewith the King gaue thanks vnto them all Dismissing them as then and presently To dinner went in his most sumptuous hall Withall his sonnes and his Nobilitie And hauing din'd as soone as he did rise From Table cald his sonnes in secret wise Prince Paris and Deiphobus his brother And bad them straight into Panomia hie And take with them great store of Knights other To ayd them and to beare them company And therewith speed a Navy to prepare To put to Sea vpon the Greeks to warre And next day after Priam hastily Appointed all his counsellors to meet In Ilyon and they accordingly With speed did come and when they were all set The King commanding silence to be made In pithie words spake vnto them and sayd My noble Lords and Counsellors most graue The cause that I for you as now haue sent Is your advise and counsell wise to haue About our Grecian warres which my intent I did jmpart to you not long agoe And now againe the same doe meane to show It 's not vnknowne vnto you all full well How that the Greeks gainst vs so enviously In most dispightfull wise like Tygars â—ell Did execute their cruell tyranny The which is yet so fresh within my thought That I cannot forget it if I mought Which day by day increasing more and more Within my breast it doth so much torment My grieued heart and vexeth me so sore That in my mind I cannot becontent Especially when as I thinke vpon My deare and loving Sister Exâ—â—â— Who by them still is held in servitude Which many times constraineth me to weepe And doth all joy ouâ— of my heart exclude And makes me fetch most extreame sighes deepe Whose cruelty we haue too deerely bought And yet of late in friendly wise I sought To them to graunt me one thing and no more In recompence of all the wrongs I had Which was my Sister Exion to restore To me againe but they an answere made Contrary to my expectation In scornesull wise and great presumption Refusing that so small and iust request And with proud threats and brags did me defie And sayd that in their hearts they did detest In any thing my mind to satisfie But as we learne by rules of Surgerie We must with Irons sharpe seeke remedie To cut away dead flesh which oft doth lie Within a wound and will by no meanes heale Though nere so many oyntments we applie Even so we must be forst with them to deale For sith peace can procure no remedie It 's our best way to vse extremitie Therefore by your advise I do jntend As soone as ere I can without delay A Navy to the Grecian land to send With Paris to find meanes if that he may Despight of all that dare him there withstand Some Lady faire by force take in that land And bring her vnto Troy and so constraine Them spight their hearts t' exchange faire Exion For her before they get her home againe Which by vs cannot faile for to be done If that the Gods to vs be favourable And this my counsell be acceptable To you each one as well as 't pleaseth me For when a thing concernes the whole estate Of Subiects and their Princes dignitie It 's reason they both should thereof debate And that before they doe thereon decree They should with one consent agree For things that meerely touch the comminalty Of right should be approved by them all And therefore by you all advis'd to be What I should do this counsell I did call Now let me heare sayd he what you will say And therewithall his speech as then did stay This sayd a Knight Percheus cal'd by name Stood vp who was as Ovid telleth vs The sonne of that most worthy man of fame In his time cal'd the great Euforbius In whom as Ovid fames transformed was The soule of learn'd and wise Pithagoras And in most humble wise these words he spake My soveraigne Lord may 't please your noble grace To giue me leaue and no displeasure take In this most high and honourable place With faithfull zeale my mind now to declare And giue you my advise I will not spare To tell the truth for favor nor for dread And to my power advise you to beware Of danger that as now begins to breed For doubtles this t' affirme I boldly dare That if you meane to do as you pretend And Paris into Greece of purpose send You will repent the same â—re long time passe For that my Father cal'd Euforbius Whose skill in Art so true and perfect was And therewithall most wise and vertuous Who future things by his prescience knew And could divine what after would ensue And plainely tell by true Philosophy Th' event of future Fortune ere it fell For nothing whatsoere of secresie But he it knew and could the same foretell And all men esteem'd him wise and sage When he was iust an hundred yeares of age I do remember well would sit and weepe And let fall teares vpon his beard so gray And many times with sighes full sore and deepe And mournfull wise would to me speake and say If Paris once be sent to fetch a wife By force in Greece t' will breed such mortall strife Against vs all that this most noble Towne By Grecians force and extreame crueltie Shall be destroi'd and vtterly throwne downe And nothing shall procure our safety But Grecians swords shall all of vs devoure So much sayd he shall fortune on vs lowre Wherefore I you beseech now euery one Without offence at that which I haue sayd Let all revenge for former wrongs alone And your pretended voyage likewise stay And let not malice be the cause to cease The pleasant course of your most happy peace Nor let vs not commit ore hastely Our happines to fickle Fortunes hand Ne yet disturbe with ancient enmitie This state which now so flourishing doth stand For if that to the same you giue consent Ther 's none of you but shall it sore repent And if thereto your minds so much are bent That by no meanes this voyage you will stay Let some man els in Paris place be sent That so perhaps the better speed you may This is sayd he my counsell in this case Which I thought good to giue vnto your grace Which sayd they all began to shoot
Three thousand valiant Knights of great activity And twenty two faire ships well furnished With all things that to them belonging were Who having all provided that should need King Priam did no longer time deferre But willed Lord Aeneas Anthenor And Polidamus and many Troians more To arme themselues and preparation make With Paris on that voiage for to goe And when they came their leaues of him to take In pithie words he did vnto them show The full effect of his intention Was chiefly to recover Exion For when that Voyage especially he made And so the time no longer to delay When Paris and the rest together had Their leaues of Priam tane they went their way And entring ship did presently set sayle In Venus name in hope she would not fayle By ayd of Ioue t' assist them in their need And entring Sea with weather faire and cleare And wind at will they sayled with great speed That in short time they vnto land grâ—w neare For nothing in their voyage did them let And yet by chance vpon the Sea they met A Ship wherein King Menalaus then was That Sayled vnto Pyilon there to see Duke Nestor and the time with him to passe Suspecting not each to other foes to bee Within those ships the which King Menalaus Vnto King Agamennon brother was And husband to Queene Helena the faire That sister was vnto the brothren twaine King Castor and King Pollux Knights that were Of great renowne in armes and did attaine Vnto such height therein that for the same No Grecian Knights did ere deserue more fame Who at that time remaind within a Towne Cald Strinester their cheife and princely seat Wherein they joyntly raignd with great renowne For that the loue betweene them was so great That they could not jndure to liue alone And with them was the Princes Hermione A Lady that in beautie did excell The daughter of their sister Helena And yet although as then it so befell That they together met vpon the Sea And that they saild close by each others side Yet were their hearts fild with inward pride That neither to each other one made show To call or aske from wence they came or were But past along and for the wind did blow Directly with the Troians and did beare Them swiftly thence they did within a while Ariue before an old and ancient Isle Which Cithera is called at this day And there within the haven did anchor cast Where presently not making any stay Apparelling themselues they did in hast Set foot on land with resolution stout And hope to bring their purposesone about Within this Isle an ancient Temple was Most pleasant and most beautifull to see For that in sumpteous worke it did surpasse All other whatsoere in that countrie Which honourd was of all both farre and neare Throughout the Land and once in every yeare A solemne feast was kept within the same Where many men with great devotion In honour of the Goddesse Venus came To whom they vse with superstition Which by them was obserud from age to age To bring great gifts and went on pilgrimage And every man did offer sacrifice Where while they kneeld and most deuoutly said Their Orations to her in Parum wise The Image vnto them an answere made Of every thing whereof they stood in doubt Resolving them how that it would fall out This custome they do vse continually Within that Church so sumptuous and so braue And did obserue the same most reuerently In hope that they the better speed should haue And as the Gods would hau 't their fortune was To goe on shoare the selfe same day when as This yearely feast was kept in solemne wise Whereto great store of Grecians flockt and came From every place to offer sacrifice And other rights t' obserue about the same The which as soone as Paris did espie He tooke with him some of his company And with them to the Temple went his way Apparelled in braue and sumptuous wise T' obserue the ancient rights there vsd that day At Uenus shrine and t'offer sacrifice And kneeling downe with great devotion Before her Altar made his Oration And on it layd great store of Iewells rare Orientall pearles rich stones and heapes of gold For at that time he would not seeme to spare Which made the Greekes admire and to behold His beauty sumptuous port and Maiestie And in their hearts to muse what he might be For as the story saith he was so faire That no man might therein compare with him And therewithall so fine proportion bare For comely shape of body and of lim That there was never seene a brauer Knight For all men to behold him tooke delight And prest in heaps about him for the same Desiring much his name and state to know And for what cause as then he thither came And prayd his men the same to them to show But they did make their answere in such wise That no man by their speech could ought surmise Yet some of them not fearing to declare The truth both of his name and dwelling place Did boldly tell and thereof made no spare That Priam King of Troye his Father was A Prince of mighty force and great renowne And that he thither came for Exion And thus of him they did enquire and spake As they together were and every one Of severall minds did severall verdicts make And all of them were in suspition But chiefly they in whome no iudgement were For euery man desireth newes to heare And whilst of him the speech went far and neare And past from man to man in Greecian land Queene Helena at last thereof did heare And when as she the same did vnderstand And truth thereof for certainty did know Of those that went and came both too and fro She could not rest vntill that with her eie She found report and sight in one t' agree And for that time determined to trie The truth and those braue Troyan Knights to see But more God knows of meere intention For Paris sake then for devotion She fained on a Pilgrimage to goe Vnto the shrine of Venus bright and cleare That vnto her some honor she might shoe And when all things for her prepared were And she adorn'd most like a stately Queene She went to see and likewise to be seene For what should mooue her else with such desire And in her heart put such a motion To goe to see new sights but secret fire Of wanton lust and no devotion Vpon the Goddesse Venus then to call And as the manner is of women all Delighting to be there where great resort Of people are and tâ—shew themselues at playes And at each common pastime and disport That men their beauties may commend praise And at their better libertie to see How they may find an oportunitie T' effect their wils and alwaies lie in wait In places where their minds and thoughts are seâ— In couert wise their wanton lookes to â—ait And
of Troye reveng'd to bee And in that case and enterprise refer'd Themselues vnto the prudent government Of valiant King Agamemnon prefer'd By them with all their full and free consent To be the chiefe Commander of their host Provided at each severall Princes cost With faithfull vow and promise to maintaine And follow warres while life meanes should last Against their foes triumphantly to gaine Renowne and fame when vitall daies were past Thereof to leaue perpetuall memorie From age to age to their posteritie But ere they did assemble all their men And bring them to the place by them assign'd Queene Helena had two valiant bretheren King Pollux and King Castor grieu'd in mind To thinke thereon their ship did rig in hast And with the same to sea did hie them fast Accompanyed with many a valiant Knight In mind t'oretake the Troyans on the way And to recouer Helen by their might But Gods decree no mortall man can stay For ere that they three daies had sail'd along The Grecian seas the wind did blow so strong And such a darknesse rose within the skies That it did seeme as day had turn'd to night And therewithall so great a storme did rise That billows huge against the ship did smight And then a great and mighty clap of thunder Stroke down their masts broke theÌ„ cleane in sunder And with the furious blasts of Eolus The waue so high did mount vnto the skie And made them swell so huge monsterous That every man made full account to die And after they had tossed too and fro Sometimes aloft and then againe as lowe The waters greene and white so sore did rage And seem'd to boyle with furie of the wind That nothing could th'vnpiteous tempest swage Nor yet procure the Grecians ease in mind For what so ere resistance they would make At last the ship in many pieces brake And rent in twaine with great extreamity Whereby not one escapt but all were drownd And in the raging Seas cast furiously And of them all not any one was found To saue their liues except the Brethren twaine Who as in Stories Poets of them faine The Gods did in the heavens deifie And in the skies did place them there to be A starre in th' aire by name of Gemini And as the learned in Astronomie Affirme it is by Constellation Of Mercurie the house and mansion Which is both male and female in his kind The Eagle and the Dolphin in it rise And in the same iust three degrees we find The Dragons taile exalted is likewise In Man it 's said to rule the armes and hand And mongst the signs the third in place doth stand Thus were these stout valiant brethren twaine In heauen pla'st if that we may belieue The fables of the Poets fond and vaine Which earnest did the valiant Grecians grieue And was to them beginning of their woe And to the Brethren twaine their overthrow CHAP. VI. How the Grecians assembled to be reuenged of the Troyans for rauishing of Helena ERe that mine Author Guido doth declare What Grecian power did gainst the Troyans goe It seemes he had a great and speciall care The forme and shape of everie Prince to shoe Both on the Greekes and on the Troyans side The which while he amongst them did abide In time of truce beheld with great delight Omitting neither port nor seemelinesse Beautie nor yet deformitie that might Be seene in them but as he doth confesse Hath made a true and right description Of everie one in his proportion And first he setteth downe Queene Helens shape As Dares hath describ'd the same at large Wherein no point thereof he doth escape But tels the truth his promise to discharge And saith she had a scarre vpon her face And yet it did her beautie not disgrace He saith King Agamemnon was a man Of bodie strong and good proportion Of stature tall of colour pale and wan And flegmaticke of his complexion Vnquiet and impatient in his brest Eschewing and refusing ease and rest So much to war and strife his mind he gaue And yet he was to vertue whollie bent And therewithall a Prince most wise and graue Learned discreet and passing eloquent Whereby amongst the Grecian Princes all He was elected to be Generall King Menelaus was valiant stout and strong Of courage and of heart victorious His stature middle-siz'd twixt short and long Of good proportion and desirous Vnquietlie to liue in warre and strife Then to possesse great wealth with quiet life Achilles was of stature huge and tall With sholders broad breast both big square Faire faced and right seemely therewithall And in each part the like proportion bare With eies most great deepe broad very quicke And a browne haire that curl'd it was so thicke In Armes most fierce and right couragious And did in strength the Grecians all surmount And yet of looke was passing amorous Of liberall mind and made so small account To giue large gifts and royally to spend That all men for the same did him commend The valiant Grecian Tantalus was strong Of bodie huge and good proportion Indifferent grosse and neither short nor long Of sanguine colour and complexion Vnsteadfast ey'd and wavering in his head Abhorring strife whereas he saw no need Of word and promise true what so ere he made And never any quarrell tooke in hand Vnlesse that he a good occasion had And when he knew and well did vnderstand His cause to be both lawfull iust and right Then would he shew himselfe a valiant Knight Oileus Aiax was of bodie great And in apparell rich and curious Whereon his heart and mind was onely set And yet of shape both huge and monstrous With armes so great sholders broad square And waied so much no horse could well him bare His stature it was high and very tall Vnweldy and vnseemely to behold Of speach he was both rude and rusticall And car'd not how his mind he did vnfold And though to ayd the Greeks he did his part Yet was he but a coward in his heart Another Aiax surnamed Telamon There was a man that learning did adore Of bodie straight and faire complexion His haire cole blacke and turning vp before Who did so much in eloquence abound That in his time the like could not be found In Musicke sweet his time most part he spent Wherein he tooke such pleasure and delight That he did his owne instruments invent And yet he was a braue and valiant Knight And one that hated pride and flattery With honor seeking fame and victory Vlisses was a Prince of power and might That liued in great fame and royalty And yet he tooke great pleasure and delight To vse all kind of fraud and subtilty Of double hollow deepe dissembling heart And well could play a perfect lyers part With face that made a â—hew cleane void of guile And words full smooth wheÌ„ nothing lesse he ment Much giuen to mirth yet
that the Percian King Came to the Greeks with many a worthy Knight And with him diuers thousands more did bring To succour them with all his power and might And that he was of body tall and long Yet very fat and therewithall most strong Red haire and beard and deepe and fiery eyes And in his face great store of warts he had His countnance sterne and often times would rise Into such rage that he did seeme halfe mad Which did in him so deepe jmpression take That therewithall his body it would shake Thus much I find that Dares doth declare Of all the Grecians shapes and personages But of the Troians he no paines doth spare In cerious wise at large them to expresse Omitting none as you may well behold The Chapter next ensuing doth vnfold CHAP. VII ¶ The description of Priam and his sonnes and daughters and of the arriuall of the Greeks at the Temple of Diana ANd first he sheweth how King Priamus Of body was both slender tall and strong Of countenance and looke right gratious Delighting much in musicke and in song And therewithall was most desirous To heare such ditties as were amorous A seemely Prince and of great hardines Cleane void of feare abhorring flattery And with low voyce his speech he did expresse Of word most true much given to equitie And never did refuse to any wight To doe him vpright justice law and right No favor nor no loue made him decline Nor leane vnto the greatest or the least His manner was full sone in morne to dine And of all Kings he was the worthiest One that esteem'd each worthy Knight and trew Or any valiant souldier that he knew On whom he did bestow great store of gold And did aduance them vnto dignitie And spared not his treasure to vnfold Mongst them to show his magnanimitie And by that meanes in such wise with them dealt That every one his bounty largely felt Of many sonnes he had the eldest was Hector the famous Prince and worthy Knight Who all the world in valor did surpasse Such was his courage hardinesse and might The very root and spring of Chivalry As ancient Histories doe certifie And therewithall so sober wise and sad Courteous demure and full of gentlenesse That in his time no Prince more honor had And truth to say he did deserue no lesse Forvertue did so much in him abound That throughout all the world he was renownd Of flesh and bones he was so well compact And rightly formed in proportion And every lim so perfect and exact That no defect has found in any one Huge made he was and of just hight length Thereto compleat and of surpassing strength Liuely well breathed and able to sustaine Against his foe a long and furious fight So that no mortall man could ere attaine Vnto the fame of that most valiant Knight For his surpassing strength and courage bold If vnto him his due ascribe I should Wherewith he was so wise and so discreet And louely though a Prince of high degree To rich and poore that met him in the street That all men prais'd his great humilitie A Prince that vs'd few words to any one And shew'd good countenance vnto every one That all men joyed when as they him beheld Vnto his Troian Subiects he was kind But when as he once entred in the field His foes did him a furious Lyon find So valiantly he could himselfe maintaine And by his might their forces all sustaine No man was euer able to endure The moile of the paine that he would take For as the story plainely doth assure And thereof doth a large relation make He neare had feare nor did in fighting faile Nor with faint heart his enemies assaile Of all the valiant Knights that ever were He was the best for vertue prowesse and might And did the prize of honor from them beare The which he might by valor claime of right For none could euer equall him therein Since that this earthly globe did first begin In whom Dame nature did so much prevaile And like a skilfull workeman fashioned His mold that not one thing did in him faile But was compleat saue that he stammered But had no other imperfection And was of sanguine pure complexion His brethren Deiphobus and Helenus In each respect and every property Were both so like vnto King Priamus That twixt them three was no diversitie Except in age he old they young and light The first he was a strong and valiant Knight And in his warres did many a valiant deed But Helenus to learning wholy bent Of feates of armes and prowesse tooke no heed But in all Arts became so excellent And had such knowledge in Astronomy That he could tell what future things should be Of Troilus to speake it is most sure There never liu'd a more couragious Knight Nor likelier in Armes for to indure As hauing therein pla'st his whole delight Of body well compact of stature tall Young lustly fresh and hardy therewithall So valiant strong and stout a Champion That equall vnto him neare any was For none with him could make comparison So much he did in worthines surpasse For which his great and most exceeding might He was a second Hector cal'd by right He did behaue himselfe so valiantly In that great warre against his enemies In loue he did perseuere constantly And was therein most secret firme and wise Of face most faire and of a pleasant cheare Wherein no alteration did appeare He was so firme and constant in his heart And therewithall so loving and so kind That nothing could disswade nor make him start From that which he had once decreed in mind So true he was in word and so vpright And to his foes he was so sterne a Knight And fierce that they could not his force withstand Vnto the Greeks it was confusion When as he held his bloody sword in hand And to the Troians their protection For that his Knight-hood was of such account That no man might in valor him surmount Thogh al the world they shold haue sought throghout What â—hall I say to make his praises last More then I haue but that amongst the rout Of Greeks and Troians all none him surpast Vnlesse it were his jnvinsible brother Hector alone and neuer any other King Priamus sonne cal'd Paris was a Knight So beautifull of flesh and blood to see That for to yeild to him his due and right I must confesse none was so faire as he Whose crisping looks that shin'd like golden wier Made all men his great beautie much admire His sole delight was shooting in a bow And hunting in the woods to chase wild deare And did therein such skill and cunning show That he all Archers past that euer were And was a Knight of great renowne and fame Whose valiant deeds did well approue the same Aeneas that King Priams daughter had Was light of lims and eyâ—d bright and cleare Well brested and of good proportion
Both thou and thine to die by Grecians swords Thy towne destroid and all that longs thereto Although thou seemst to vse such hautie words And with thy tong speak'st more thē thou canst do But better t' were such boasting speech to leaue And vnto our good counsell credite giue When Diomedes proudlie with disdaine Had spoken thus some Troyans in a rage Drew out their swords would him straight haue slaine But Priamus their furies to asswage Rose vp and with a countenance seuere On paine of death commanded them t'forbeare From wronging such as for Embassadors were Sent vnto him or t'offer them offence For though said he a foole will not forbeare To speake without discretion wit or sence A wise man must from rash attempts surcease And wincking at such follie hold his peace For if a foole speakes vnadvisedlie And by that meanes doth moue dissention A wise man should not hastilie replie Nor shun no kind of indiscretion For vnto fooles it properlie belongs For to bewray their follie with their tongues And wise men should be wary what they say And well advis'd in all their actions And both their hands and tongs discreetly stay From giuing cause to nourish factions For fooles by custome indiscreetly speake And oftentimes into great choller breake But wisemen can dissemble what they heare And till that time and place convenient bee With th'vnadvised rage of follie beare Which lasts not long as commonlie we see And for my part I do you all assure That rather would I wrong my selfe endure Then to permit the least offence that is For to be done by any man what ere For things which they suppose to be amisse To any messenger that now is here Within my Court for t is not fit that we For everie small offence reveng'd should be For many times wrongs rashlie offered When little cause or none to do 't there is Whereof some great revenge hath followed For hastiemen of woe doe neuer misse Wherefore I charge you everie one sit downe And see that no man by presumption Attempteth for to wrong in any wise Th'Embassadors of Grecia hither sent Nor furiously in malice gainst them rise But let them freelie shew the whole intent And scope of their embassage whatsoere And sit you still while we with silence heare With that Aeneas rose out of his seat Which next on th' one side of King Priam was And in a furious rage and choller great Said to the King with licence of your Grace I thinke when one without advise doth speake That he not onlie well deserues a cheake But punishment that men by him may take Example how in open audience Such vproares and dissentions they do make Thereby t' offend your roiall Excellence And truth to say it might so come to passe That I the bounds of reason might surpasse In this respect and hastilie commit A great offence whereby your royall Grace Might censure me to die therefore but yet I ft were not for your presence in this place I would revenged be vpon these twaine That haue so proudlie spoken in disdaine Of you for t is a most vnseemely thing To heare a foole with great presumption In presence of a high and mightie King Take on him without all discretion To speak that which to him might breed offence And preiudice to his magnificence To teach him how in better sort to learne To vse his tongue and when to hold his peace And of the persons better to discerne To whome he speakes and not with such excesse As he hath done that now before your Grace So prowdly spoken hath to your disgrace For which I counsell him if he be wise Out of your Graces sight with spreed to goe And not to stay long here vpon surmise That what so ere presumption he doth shoe The law of armes is his protection For if he do he 'le feele the smartfull soone Wherewith Diomedes disdainfully In proud and hawty words and yet but few Did to Aeneas sodainlie reply Saying thy speech sufficientlie doth shew That without doubt thou art exceeding wise And that the Prince that followeth thine advise Or vnto thee his secrets doth impart Can never erre nor do ought that 's amisse Because thou of so good a iudgement art That wilfullie without all good advise Prouok'st thy Prince the laws of armes to breake But would to God I might once with thee speake Alone when oportunitie doth serue That I might thee requite for thy great skill And curtesie as thou dost well deserue Which if I liue assuredly I will And thereof make account for if we meet In field with other tearmes I will thee greet But wise Vlisses rising vp then spake And seeming Diomedes speech t' excuse Vnto him said now further words to make Or longer here more arguments to vse Meere follie t' were for vs and to the King He said sith thou wilt do no other thing Nor make no further answere then thou hast Wee le stay no longer here but straight be gone And make relation what twixt vs hath past Vnto the Grecian Princes every one And how we find thee obstinately bent To hearken or to grant to their intent And so without delay to horse they mount And to the Grecians armies road in hast And there to Agamemnon did recount All what King Priam said and what had past Twixt them in Troye wherby the Greeks did see The Troyans purpose and intent to bee Not once to yeeld Queene Helena to send To them againe but valiantly to fight And gainst their foes their Citie to defend And if they could by valour and by might Driue them frō thence which though it pleasd thē not Yet sith they saw that such had been their lot To vndertake that hawtie enterprise And that there was no other remedie They did consult what waies they should devise To helpe themselues in their necessitie Of victuals and all other things beside Whereof in hast they did themselues provide But first before I shew what meanes they made To helpe themselues whil'st they fore Troye did lie I must declare what 's of Aeneas said By Guido who for truth doth certifie His father Duke Anchises was and that He on the Goddesse Uenus him begat And how that after Troye was cleane defast And overthrowen he sail'd from thence by seas And having past by many Coasts at last At Carthage did arriue where for to ease Himselfe he stayd and then tooke ship againe And sail'd so long that with great toyle paine His ships arriu'd in Italie in th' end The which by him was wholly conquered And that Augustus Casar did descend From him that was so highlie honored For many Conquests valiantly atchiu'd By him while on this earthly mowld he liu'd And Iustine that was Emperour a while Within his booke Autentikes cald by name The Rubrikes of Aeneas did compile In memory of him because he came So long a iourney into Italie And conquered it for his posteritie Which long
time held the same and did defend The regall state thereof by valiant hand For Casar did ast's said from him descend And first jmperiall Diadem in that land Did weare and by his pollicie and wit Ordaind the civill lawes to governe it What further of Aeneas travelling You seeke to know in Uirgill you may see The same at large who writeth everie thing By him atchieu'd though some perswaded bee That Virgill was long dead and buried Before his booke was fullie finished CHAP. XI ¶ How Agamemnon sent Achilles and Thelephus into the island of Messa for victuals and how they of the Isle withstood the Greekes and fought with them in which battaile the King of Messa was slaine and Thelephus was made King of Messa by consent of all the Nobility of the Island YOu heard how while Ulisses did soiourne With Diomed in Troye what there had past And also what King Priam did returne For answere to the Grecians who in hast Vpon the same a generall counsell call Where in the full assemblie of them all King Agamemnon spake to them and said My Lords as well you know t is now high time That care by vs should speedilie be had And chiefly now while we are in the prime Of our affaires for things that needfull are To serue our turnes while we maintaine the war Gainst Troye and first that good provision Of victuals should be made for if we faile Thereof t' will be our owne confusion Which to prevent and better to prevaile In the enterprise which we as now pretend My counsell is that presently we send If you think 't good vnto an jsle hard by Cald Messa where great stoâ—â— of victuals are From whence we may in our necessity Our selues thereof provide without all care Of sending into Greece and to that end I pray you name whom you will thither send With which advise the Grecians all consent Agreed amongst themselues that Thelephus And with him stout Achilles should be sent To th'jsle of Messa rich and populous For victuals to suffice them and their host And for to bring it thence what ere it cost At which time in that fertile Island raignd King Tenteran that valiantly by might The Scepter and the Crowne thereof obtaind And had with iustice equity and right Long ruled in the same in peace and rest Till Grecians did his quiet state molest Though some men do affirme that Messa lies Within the bounds of the Sicilian King And that the name of Messa signifies Aboundance great and store of every thing Which therein grew and that it had the name From Messena a Citie in the same Exceeding rich and plentifull from whence Great store of ships and vessels laden were With victuals which they did convay from thence To everie place and Countrie farre and neere Which for such wares as to that jsle they brought They did excange and of those people bought And some men say that Messa named was Of Messanus a King that rul'd the same Who in his time all others did surpasse For riches great exceeding power and fame This shall suffice in breife to let you know What Messa was and now I will you show That when the Grecian Princes had decreed That Thelephus and Achilles should be sent To Messa with three thousand men with speed They put to seas and ere long time was spent Arriued there and straight their men did land But when the King thereof did vnderstand He marched with an army to the strand And there with horse and footmen valiantly The Grecians power by force sought to withstand Giuing the onset most couragiouslie And gainst them did a cruell fight maintaine Wherein great numbers of their men were slaine On either side and many wounded were That bleeding on the ground in great distresse Lay never likely armes againe to beare And in so great a rage and furiousnesse Each partie did against the other fight That long it was ere that perceiue you might Advantage twixt them both so equally The battaile went and at that time was fought Till in the end the Grecians valiantly Draue backe their foes but it avail'd them nought For presently they were constrain'd to run And backe t'retire with speed againe to shun The furie of the enemies that were Three to their one that cruelly then slew And made to flie in great distresse and feare Which at that time they could not well eschew But when with angry mood Achilles saw His men so fiercely slaine and forst to draw Backe to the strond in great extremitie With trenchant blade in hand he entered Amongst the thickest of the enemie Where many of his men in field lay dead And others wounded sore away did flie And there behau'd himselfe so valiantlie That in short space he had recovered The field againe and in most furious mood Feld wounded and before his feet lay dead All that he found or him as then withstood And therewithall his men so comforted And by his valor great encouraged That where before they fled and lost their ground Their enemies were forced to retire And flie to saue themselues and none was found That durst withstand his fierce and furious ire For who so ere he met was sure to die And none escapt such was his cruelty And sure if that his valor worthinesse Exceeding force and courage passing bold Had not prevail'd against the hardinesse Of Tentrans men without all doubt they would That day in field haue slaine the Grecians all But he like to a strong puissant wall Withstood them their ranks so fiercely brake That maugre all their power he made them lie In heaps before his feet and way to make And at the last when as he did espie King Tenteran a braue and valiant Knight Like Lyon fierce defend himselfe in fight And here and there the Grecians so opprest That many of them by him were fiercely slaine And beaten downe and that he never ceast To overthrow all that he could attaine He did not stay but with most fierce desire And heart that burnt with rage as hote as fire Made way through thicke and thin round about Him kild his foes so fast on every side That at the last he found King Tentran out Whereas he fought and with exceeding pride Gaue him a blow so fiercely on the crest That 't made his head bend down vnto his brest And then againe his blow redoubled And with the same so deepely did him wound That therewithall most grievously he bled And with a thrid blow stroke him to the ground And then from off his head his helmet rent In furious wise with purpose and intent To strike it off and to that end did heaue His hand on high with bloody sword to giue The Fatall blow that should his life bereaue So much the slaughter of his men did grieue Him at the heart which he perceiu'd was made By him alone and that he onely had Been cause thereof But ere the blow did fall Young
and therewith feard The stroake of death with pale and deadly cheare To Thelaphus he spake as you shall heare My sonne sayd he sith I from hence must passe And leaue this world for neither force nor might Intreaty presents pardon nor yet grace Can saue my life as equitie and right Requires the same here in the audience Of all my Lords to cleare my conscience I tell thee that the worthy valiant Knight Thy Father Hercules once conquered This â—â—and by his valor and his might And when that he therein had stablished A perfect peace and all things quiet were Because he did to me affection beare He freely did assigne and giue to me The regall crowne and scepter of the same With all the Princely power and dignite That thereunto belong'd or he could claime And of him I it held I must confesse So that his state therein was nere the lesse And now for loue of him sith I must die I giue to thee that which from him I had Which is the Crowne and soveraignty Of this same Isle and likewise as he made Me King thereof I also thee create King in my stead to maintaine the estate And dignity thereof while thou do'st lâ—ue And to thine heires for ever to remaine Though I confesse the thing which I thee giue Before vnto thy selfe did appertaine By true descent and right paternall line As Hercules did giu 't to me and mine And to that end he sayd vnto them all That round about him stood I doe declare That sith the Gods out of this world do call Me hence without an heire and that you are Left destitute of one to be your guide To th' end that you all care should set aside I heere doe make my will and Testament And by the same do grant assigne and giue My scepter crowne and regall ornament To Thelaphus to hold't while he doth liue And after to his heires by true discent Which sith it is my will and my intent I pray you all as soone as I am dead Without delay let it performed be And set the regall crowne vpon his head And honour him as you haue honord me And after hauing written what he sayd He pawsd a little while and then he praid And hartily desired Thelaphus That presently assoone as he was dead Of Knight-hood for to be so courteous To cause his body to be buried With royall pompe and Princely funerall Fit for a King and then turn'd to the wall And suddenly fell Parcas cut in twaine This thred of life and made him yeild his goast Which as the Poets in their fables faine Straight tooke her way vnto Th'lizian coast Whose body feard and balm'd withâ—ut delay King Thelaphus a tombe of Marble gray Caus'd to be made in rich and sumptuous wise Whereon in golden letters he did place An Epitaph the which he did devise To show how Tentran died and what he was And how he gaue his crowne to Thelaphus Whereof th' effect In verses six was thus Here lies King Tâ—ntrans body in this tombe Who by Achilles cruelly was kild In fight but ere of death he had his dombe By testament to Thelaphus he wild And freely gaue the Crowne and Soveraignty Of Messa Isle and so in peace did die Which being done and every other thing Performed with great pompe and royalty And Thelaphus of Messa crowned King By full consent of the Nobility And fealtie and homage to him made As they before to Tâ—ntran promist had Achilles straight vnto his ships did carry All things that he would aske desire or haue That for the Grecians turnes were necessary As Corne and Wine such as the soyle there gaue Flesh fish fruits fowles of every kind such store That he could not desire nor wish for more And order with King Thelaphus did take That he should there remaine to rule the land And when occasion seru'd provision make Of such things as the Greekâ— in need did stand That at all times in their necessitie Of victuall they well furnished might be Though willingly he would haue gone againe With him to Troy but that Achilles praâ—'d And hartely desird him to remaine In Messa that he might the Grecians ayd When they in any need should stand straight With all his ships with victualls fully fraught He sayld to Troy againe and soone did land At Tenadon and there relation made What entertainment they in Messa found And how King Tentran then resisted had And valiantly the Grecians power assaild And without doubt against them had prevaild As hauing three men to their one but he By valor slew King Tentran in the field Who being brought vnto extremitie And at the point of death himselfe did yeild And how before he died he did consent And order tooke by will and testament That Thelaphus should king of Messa be Whereto the whole Nobility agreed And Crowned him with great solemnitie And how that he had left him there when need Requird to make provision Of victualls and of munition And lastly shewd what victualls he had brought With him from thence to serue them presently Assuring them they need not doubt that ought Should want to ayd them in necessitie Wherewith the Greeks well pleas'd did much esteem Achilles for his valour thanking him That he therein had been so dilligent And brought his charge vnto so good a passe Which done he road vnto his tent Where he with great applause receaued was And welcomed of all his men as glad That he from Messa safe retourned had But now for that mine Author turnes his stile And leaues the Grecians power at Tenadon And of the Trâ—â—â—ns actions for a while Doth speak to show what they meane time had don To fortifie themselues against their foes And then at large particularly shoes What force they had procur'd and severally The names of all the Princes doth declare That came to Troy and there couragiously Their ayd did lend to Prians in the warre Which he so long and valiantly maintain'd Against the Greeks and finally obtain'd Although at last t' was his destruction Eternall fame which death could ne're deface Nor tract of time put in oblivion But mongst the rancks of worthies doth him place I will them orderly each one declare And show what several names armes they bare And first he saith three Kings of noble fame Came vnto Troy to ayd King Priamus Their countries he omits but doth them name Andrastrus Tapor and King Pandarus And with them full three thousand Knights they brought That valiantly against the Grecians â—ought And from the Isle of Coleson there came Fiue thousand knights that by foure Kings were led The first of them King Carras had to name A Prince for valor great much honored The second called was Imaâ—ius Nestor the third the fourth Amphimacus From Licia land with Glaucus Valerius So there came his sonne and heire Prince Sarpedon Both were alied to King Priamus Who in those warres great fame and honor won And with
them three thousand knights did bring Well furnish't for the warres of euery thing Out of the famous rich Larissian land Two Kings there came to ayd the Troyan Who with theÌ„ brought the Grecians to withstand A thousand Knights and from Licacian The valorous Euphenius their King A thousand armed Knights with him did bring By Hupon and by Epidus together Fiue hundred Knights to Troy conducted were King Remus also did with him bring thither Three thousand Knights that silver armes did bear Out of Tabaria Isle which distantlay From Troy a tedious long and dangerous way Foure Dukes likewise with all their chivalry And Earles eight that great experience Had in the warres came in his cumpany Who without any manner difference When as they armed were within the field Did beare a crest of Gold vpon his shield Whereby the King and all that with him came Were known although besides theÌ„ many a knight Vpon their shields and pennons bare the same When they did enter in the field to fight From orientall Thracia the King Cald Pilex iust a thousand Knights did bring And Alchamus a Duke that with him came A hundred Knights in his conduction had Preâ—emâ—ssus a King of worthy fame Great preparation in Panomie made Of men and armes to ayd King Priamus With whom a valiant Duke adventurous Cal'd Stupex was and in their company A thousand Knights all arm'd and furnished With darts and speares wherewith they vsually Doe fight and are so well eâ—perienced With them to throw that when they list they can Directly strike and kill both horse and man By nature they are wild and furious And of most cruell fierce and angrie mood Yet valiant Knights and very ventrous In fight to spill and shed their enemies blood Their couÌ„tries full of woods and desart ground And nought but trees groues therein are fouÌ„d For howses very few or none there bee Their lodging is in woods and groues whereas T is sayd men oft and commonly doe see When they along and through the same do passe Most strange and fearefull sights of monsters fell Not much vnlike the furious fiends of hell As Satyres Faunes by cornes and incubus And such like shapes of dum Gods as we In Poets bookes of tales incredulous Doe read within the woods and groues to be Which often times put men in such a feare That they doe seeme as out their wits they were From Boetine Isle three Dukes together came In company all Princes valorous The one of them Amphimus had to name The other two Samus and Forcius And with them full twelue hundred Knights they brought That valiantly against the Grecians fought From Boetine land which doth so much abound With Spices gummes fruits Corne wine store Of rare and holsome roots which there are found Whereof no countrie hath the like nor more Two braue and valiant Kings together came That Boetes and Epristius had to name And with them iust a thousand Knights there were And from the land cal'd Paflagonie The which as ancient Authors witnes beare So farre remote in th'Easterne parts doth lie That as they say it is impossible To travell to t and cal 't inuisible Nor that it is not to be seen nor found But onely for because it is so farre And yet t is sayd the countrey dâ—th abound In silver gold and precious stones â—ost rare And that vpon a River great it lies Which issues from terrestriall Paradise By name cal'd Tibris nere to Eâ—phraâ—â—â— Which Philomene a gyant huge and fell Whose admirable stature Guydo sayes All other men for greatnes did excell A thousand Knights in steele all aâ—med were And every one a goodly shield did beare Of Cuâ—rboilie all guilt and farely set With precious stones which forth the Rivers cleare That issue out of Paradise are fet And from the Ethiopian land that nere To India lies came many a valiant man With Perses and King Menon he that wan So great renowne and honor by his might And with him valiant Sigamon his brother Who also was a stout and hardy Knight As Barons Earles Dukes and many other Besides three thousand Knights all arm'd in steele Which caus'd the Greeks full oft their force to feele And from the land of Therdo there came With valorous and wise King Theseus That sole and Soveraigne Prince was of the same His most renowned sonne Archilagus Who both were of King Priâ—â—s royall blood And iust a thousand valiant Knights and good Besides two Kings of great renowne and fame And passing rich of gold and euery thing That man can wish yet none of them doth name But saith that that they did from Agrosta bring A thousand valiant chosen Knights to fight Against the Greeks to trie their force and might And from Lissinia land which faâ—re did lie From Troy with prudent King Epistrophus Whose fame throughout the world abroad did â—â—ie As knowne to be a Prince most vertuous Discret right wise and provident withall Well learned in the Arts cald liberall In warre approu'd a stout and valiant Knight A counseller in peace exceeding sage And at that time a man of passing might Although as then he was well stricken in age A thousand Knights there came in company The proud and hauty Grecians to defie Besides an Archer strange and monstrous That with him came who such proportion had That to behold him it was maruelous For from his Navill vpward he was made Like man in shape and downeward like a horse And therewithall of most exceeding force His vpward part like man proportioned Had skin as blacke as cole and rough as beare And was with curled haire cleane covered His eies like to a burning furnace were As red as fier his face most horrible And looke exceeding fierce and terrible His vgly shape and diuelish countenance Was such it did the Greeks so much dismay That whensoere he did himselfe advance To set on them they fled and ran away And stoutest of them all for feare did quake He did so great a slaughter of them make Within his hand a bow he alwaies held Which he so well could vse and had such skill That whosoere he hit to ground he feld And thousands of the Grecians he did kill That they of him were in no little feare As in the storie you at large shall heare Thus many Kings and Princes of renowne From diuers strange and severall countreis Farre distant from the famous Troian towne Assembled were therein as enemies Profest against the Grecians and to lend Their ayd vnto King Priamus their friend Who with them brought well furnish't for the warr Thirty two thousand Knights adventurous Besides their Squiors that armes pennons bare And show'd themselues in field couragions Against their furious foes and to conclude There nere was seene so huge a multitude Of Knights and Princes great assembled Within one towne not counting those that came From India nor such as were borne and bread In Troy and dwelt as then
within the same Which were so many and so great a number That for to thinke theron t would make men woÌ„der And more if that it be considered right It is most sure that since the worlds creation Or Phoebus on the earth did cast his light There ne're was seen in any Nation So many Kings and Princes met together As on both sids at that same time were come thither For all the flower of chiualry was there Kings Princes Dukes Earles Barons Knights Squien And all their power of men that armes could beare With full intent and resolute desires Within the towne for to defend their right Without the towne to win it if they might Let them that read and doe peruse this booke Consider for what cause this warre began And if without vnpartiall eies they looke They shall perceiue that many a valiant man For small or no occasion lost his life In that so needlesse strange and bloody strife For truth to say for nought this warre began And nought there was on either side obtain'd For though the Greeks the towne of Troy then wan Yet if it be considered what they gain'd The storyshewes that when that all was don Their reckoning made they lost more theÌ„ they won For many thousands of them there were slaine And lost their liues before the towne of Troy And neuer did returne to Greece againe The honor of their victory to enioy And those that liu'd and backe to Greece did goe Did after end their daies in griefe and woe And on each side the flower of Chivalry Most woefully did end their fatall daies With hundred thousands in their company And altogether as the storie sayes That bloody quarrell then did vndertake For nought but for a sillie womans sake Great pittie t' was so many Knights should die And headlong run vnto destruction To end their daies in extreame miserie For small or rather no occasion Bettet it were at first to end or cease A quarrell of no moment then t' encrease In malice and reuenge for nought to take For wise men shold forecast what harmes might hap nd seeke an end of small debates to make Ere that they fall in wauering fortunes lap And so procure their owne decay perforce And after wish they had tane another course It is a vse mongst men when fier doth take In any house or place to ring a bell Or els some other noyse or signe to make Thereby to warne such as about them dwell To lend their ayd in that extremitie And speedily to seeke for remedie Before it doth increase to greater fier T' were then too late and folly in a man That comes to helpe to aske or to inquire Which way the fier in the howse began And to neglect the quenching of the same When time doth serue for which he thither came For danger doth require no delay And he that 's wise doth commonly forecast Such dangers as may fall in time to stay For t is too late when as the time is past But now I le leaue the Troians for a while And to the Grecians armie turne my stile You heard that while the Grecians did abide At Tenedon how that they all decreed To send to th'isle of Messa to provide Such victualls as their puissant hoast should need While they made warre within the Troian laud And how Achilles tooke that charge in hand Now while that he was gone and staied there The noble King Palamides ariued At Tenedon with thirtie ships that were All fild with valiant Knights the which reuiu'd The Grecians hearts as glad to see him there For that not any one of them but were Sore grieued that he staied so long behind As one they much esteem'd and honoured And many of them great fault with him did find That he had not at Athens mustered Suspecting him of partialitie But he to cleare himselfe and satisfie Their minds declard in open audience The cause whie he to Athens did not goe According to his promise and pretence And for to proue the same to them did show That sickenesse onely had procur'd his stay And forst him to absent himselfe away So long from them where with they satisfied Excused him for that which he had showne And for because they much on him relied And honoured him as second vnto none Mongst all the Greeks for bounty power wit As being one for all attempts most fit For whatsoere he once did vndertake Most valiantly he would the same effect And spight of all that could resistance make Nere leaue it off nor any wise neglect Tell that he had acchieu'd his enterprise And in regard they knew him to be wise And of the greatest reputation Amongst the Greeks that then assembled were They did intreare and pray him to be one Of those that sit in counsell for the warre Which he accepting they straight waies agreed For to besiedge the towne of Troy with speed But mongst theÌ„ questioÌ„ grew what time they might Vnto the towne of Troy most safely goe Some sayd they thought it best when it was night In secret wise to hoyse their sayles that so Without resistance of the enemy They might take land with most securitie But others sayd great dangers might ensue To them to sayle the River in the night And specially because they hardly knew The ready course and that by chanâ—r they might For want of light out of the channell stray And so cast both their ships and men away Thus being of contrary minds they stayd And for that time made no conclusion But put it off and still the same delaid And tooke not any resolution What they would doe but lay still where they were As if their hearts had been possest with feare Till valiant Diomedes grieu'd to see Them lie so long at rest in Tenadon And that they could not mongst themselues agree Nor fall to any resolution For to besiege the towne of Troy with speed As they at first and firmely had decreed Sayd vnto them my Lords whose worthy fame Throughout the world both farre neare doth flie I cannot chuse but needs I must you blame And discommend your great prolixitie That let the time thus passe as you haue don For now a yeare is almost over-run And yet you stir not hence in any wise But still lie here and giue your enemies cause To thinke you do 't for feare and cowardise And which is worse allow them time to pause On their affaires and at their libertie Taugment their strength with opportunitie Vs to withstand and valiantly resist Whereof assure your selues they will not faile For they not any day nor howre haue mist To seeke for ayd against vs to prevaile And bar their gates make their walls most strong For to withstand asiedge both great and long And which is more they haue their spies to see And hearken what we doe here in our hoast And doe affirme and boldly say that wee Dare not effect the thing whereof we
been their whole destruction And vtter overthrow if that in hast The worthy valiant Knights and chivalrous Paris Deiphobus and young Troielus With many Troian Knights in company Had not come forth to ayd them in their need Who gainst the Grecians fought so valiantly That in short space despight of them they freed The Troians from distresse and did constraine The Grecians to retire in hast againe Backe from the walles for worthy Troielus So valiantly himselfe that time did quite And shewd a heart so stout and valorous That whosoere with sword or launce he hit He did him either wound cast downe or slay And causd the Greeks for feare to make him way And by that meanes the Troians succoured At which time when Lucina cleare and bright Shewd forth her face and day surrendred Her place vnto obscure and glooming night Achilles with the Greeks road to his tent To rest himselfe the Troians likewise went Into the towâ—e of Troy where as in hast Their gates were shut and barricadoed sure And round about their walles great watches plast That able were long gainst their foes t' indure Meane time King Agamemnon wisely chose And pointed out a place for to inclose His army and intrencht it round about With ditches walls and palisadoes strong And for each Prince and Captaine quartred out Their lodgings and their courts of guard moog Them did appoint his officers to see That every man in order plast should bee Within the same and presently they made Their tents and rich pavilions to be plaâ—st And speedily set vp and such as had No tents wherewith to shrowd themselues in hast Built cabins shades and cotages to keepe Themselues from wind and weather to slepe And rest therein and all that night vnshipt Their horses and their furniture for warres And no occasion time nor hower ore-â—â—ipt Their victualls to vnlade and to prepare All other things and to their tents to carry That which for such a siedge was necessarie Which don their ships in warlike wiâ—e they plast Within the Port and then with cables strong Vpon the land to getties made them fast With full intent to hold a siedge so long And puissant before the tovne of Troy That in the end they would it cleane destroy And vtterly deface which to effect Each one with vowes protested for his part While life should last all danger to reiect And with a courage stout and noble heart There to remaine and resolutely lie Till t' were perform'd or valiantly to die And so with burning fiers bright and cleare And minstrels that both loudly plaid and song That night they held a watch by such as were Fresh men and had not fought all that day long Appointing new supplies for to relieue And second them if th' enemies should giue Them battaile or assaile them in the night And such as at their landing wounded were And those that all that day had held the â—â—ght And valiantly the Troyans force did beare Did rest and in their tents and cabinâ—s slept While others in the campe straight watches kept And so till that with clouds of crimson die The sun began in th'orient to apeare And spread his beames throughout the Cristall skie The valiant Greekes abandoning all feare Incamped layd attending the euent Of doubt full waâ—re with full and whole intent T' effect their wills what ere to them befell Where for a night I le leaue them in the field And orderly at large vnto you tell What further course on either side was held During the siedge without and eke within The towne And so my third Booke I le begin FINIS THE LIFE AND DEATH OF HECTOR THE THIRD BOOKE CHAP. I. I Shewing the first battayle fought between the Troians and the Grecians after they had planted their siedge before the Towne wherein Hector behaved himselfe most valiantly aboue all others WHen with avading pale and deadly light Auroraes face lay covered ore with shade Of th'obscure cold and darke and glooming night And in her cheekes a ruddy colour had As blushing sore for shame for to be seene Because that she too long â—n bed had beene With Phoebus her most deare and chosen Knight For which she was so much abasht that she Did for a while absent her selfe from sight Of any man vntill such time as he With Flegoâ—te his lusty steed had gon And swiftly mounted boue the horrison And with his radiant beames most bright cleare Had comforted her heart with shame opprest And made her change her sad and heauy cheare That is when Titan mounting in the East The dawning of the day once past did rise And shew his face within the christall skies Hector the most renowned champion Who for his valor great surpassing all That euer liu'd the chiefe command in towne Next Priam had and also Generall Of all the Knights assembled at that time Within the same When day was in the prime Commanded all that in the towne then were Both Princes Kings Knights squiers every one That able was to fight and armor beare Without exception vnto any one In hast to meet him with their troopes of men Before Dianaes Temple which as then Stood in the midst of Troy within a plaine Of great and spacious breadth wherein he ment To mustar them and also to ordaine Such battailes as he would should forth besent That day against th'incamped Greeks to fight To driue them thence againe if that he might In this faire plaine in midst of Troy so set At his command in braue and warlike wise The Troian Princes all together met Each with such standerds pennons and devise As vsually in battaile they did beare And on their coats of Armes shields did weare To tell what armes each Prince Knight then had Would be ore long and tedious to declare Most sure it is each one prouision made Of every thing that 's needfull for the warre Each severall people Province Land or nation Bearing such armes as was their ancient fashion Some had their Canvas Cassocks or their Iacks That plated were with steele some then came With ancient Almaine rivets on their backs Their sleeues of male and goriets of the same Some coats of male some caps of steele did weare And in their hands a bill or holberd beare Some in their compleat armes were brauely clad With Poldrons with Vanbras what more Thereto belond'g and on their heads they had Their Caskets with their Beavers close before Throgh which being shut they might their foes be hold And let theÌ„ fall to breath when as they wold Some gantlets had some not to overlade Themselues with armes the easier to fight Had quilted Iacks that were of Canvas made And covered ore with silke most braue to sight Some Iepons had some hauberions and some Into the field with Cassocks long did come Downe to their knees in their hands did beare Round Targets made of bone or else of wood The which all ore with
Leather covered were And some their enemies furious force withstood With shields of steele of length froÌ„ head to foot Some with their bows arrows fiercely shoot Some with their swords some with their darts in haÌ„d Some with a foure squar'd headed Pollax fight And some with Cros-bows with Pikes do stand Prepar'd to show their valor and their might And every one desiring for to doo 't Stood ready there on horsbacke or on foot After the manner of his Country And while they staid each one his armes did mend In every place whereas necessitie Requir'd the same the better to defend His body but in tearmes of Art to show What there vnto belongs or let you know More touching this I must my selfe excuse And pardon craue if therein I do misse For sure t is not the thing which I doe vse A Pen and not a Pike my weapon is T is want of skill breeds imperfection In me to make a right description Thereof in marshall tearmes as some men could But vnto him that 's wise I will referre My selfe herein and pray him that he would His censure mildly in this case deferre And such defects as he shall iustly find To winke thereat and beare them in his mind When Hector had them all well viewd and saw What power assembled in the field there was With speed he did each one command to draw Aside and then in ranks he did them place Which done in marshall wise he did ordaine His battailes orderly within the plaine And then he caus'd the gate Dardanides To be vnbard and to be opned wide Intending thereat gainst his enemies To salie forth and valiantly to bide A battaile whatsoever did befall And then his Bastard brother he did call That had to name Cincinabor the stour And valiant Glaucus Prince of Licia Land To whome by him of purpose chosen out He did appoint the leading of the band Which first that day against the Greeks in field Should fight to which they willingly did yeeld And in that wing a thousand knights there were Which purposely he chose out of them all And did command them valiantly to beare The forefront of the battaile and to fall Couragiously vpon their Grecian foe Which said out at the gate he bad them goâ— Who with their banners spred that shined bright Their armors and their sheilds that glistered Against the Sun did make a goodly sight When they vpon the enemie were led But least that they should be opprest by might And overlayd by multitudes in fight To second them he did appoint a band Of valiant Knights that iust a thousand were Commanding it in readines to stand To succour them and Grecians force to beare If need requir'd The charge whereof he gaue Vnto the King of Thrace stout and braue And with him ioynd his Son Arâ—â—â—agâ—â— A Prince endowed with good qualities For he was wise and very vertuoues Strong and most hardy gainst his enemies Those two the second wing together â—â—d And valiant 〈◊〉 followed The battaile that next after issued Out of the towne against the enemie By Hector was commanded to beled By two braue Kings of worthie memorie The one the Phrigian King cald Zantippus The other ioynd with him cald Alcanus In it three thousand knights well arm'd there were All resolutelie bent to trie their might Against the Greekes and everie one did beare A severall armes which was no small delight To those that stood to see them passe arraid So gallantly with banners broad displaid Then Hector cald his brother Troyelus A Knight of great desert and worthy fame And one that was so stout and valorous That every man extold him for the same To whome he gaue the charge and goverment Of those that he within the third wing sent That day against the Greekes wherein there was Three thousand braue gallant Knights that were All yong and of couragious hearts such as At other times him company did beare Who as he passed forward Hector staid And lovingly spake vnto him and said Brother quoth he my care of thee is such Moou'd therevnto by perfect amitie That though I know thy valor to be much And therein take a great felicitie For every man for it doth thee commend And shall do till this mortall world doth end Yet when I thinke vpon thy valiantnes And cald to mind thy yong and tender yeares Which commonly are given to wilfulnes I fall into a thousand kind of feares Least that thy courage fierce and violent Should make thee of thy life so negligent By over great presumption of thy might And pride of heart that it would thee perswade With ease to shun what ere on thee should light And out of all extreamities to wade Regarding neither hurt nor safety If once thy youthfull bloud should moued be Reposing trust in fortune mutable Which turns her wheele now vp then downe again And evermore is crosse and variable In warre when men thinâ—â— honour to obtaine Which causeth me full oftentimes to wake When I should sleepe and care for thee to take Fearing thy great and hastie wilfulnesse But deare and louing brother I thee pray What ere befals thee in thy hardinesse To haue regard vnto thy selfe this day And following of thy enemies take care Thou entrest not into their troopes so farre That thou canst not relieue thy selfe againe Let reason rule thy hote and furious mind And bridle thy affection with her raine Least thou an vnexpected danger find And giue our enmies cause to laugh and geere At thy so great misfortune brother deare And so beseeching Mars the God of warre This day and evermore thee to defend From all mishap and of thee to haue care Against thy Grecian foes I doe thee send To trie thy force wishing with heart to thee As to my selfe triumphant victorie To whome this valiant fierce and hardy Knight Young Troyclus whome no adversitie Could ever daunt with heart most fierce light Made answere with most great humilitie And yet with countnance glad ioyfull cheare Saying my Lord and my good brother deare I ft please the Gods I will to you obay And what advise so ere of gentlenesse To me you giue and shall command or say I will the same fulfill with readinesse For t is not my desire nor my intent T' infringe one point of your commandement But willingly with heart t' effect the same As farre as in my power it lyeth to doe So loath I am for to incurre the blame Of any disobedience shewed to you And truth to say my heart it sore would grieue And therewithall of Hector tooke his leaue And forth he road so like a valiant Knight Amongst his men and entred in the field With so great grace that t' was a goodly sight To looke on him who on an axure shield Three Lyons passant on 't did brauely beare And gainst the Greeks road forward without feare Young Troylus gone Prince Hector did ordaine The fourth ward and
the conduct thereof gaue To Hupon and Andelius brethren twaine Both Knights couragious valorous and braue This Hupon of Larisse land was King And many men with him to Troys did bring To ayd them in their wars that were so long And sure he was a very valiant Knight Of stature huge and tall and passing strong And no man was like vnto him for might In all the great and spacious Troyan towne But onely Hector that braue Champion And gainst his foes he was so fierce and fell That he of them brought many to the ground Who spight their hearts did try his force too well Hector with these two brethren forth did send His bastard brother cald Dimarechus A stout and valiant Knight adventurous And to them to conduct with standards braue And to be led when they should come in field Twice sure and iust three thousand men he gaue All Knights well horst armd with speare shield Who taking leaue of Hector curteously Road forward to the field couragiously The fift ward which next orderly did stand Into the field against the Greekes to goe Was giuen vnto the King of Cesoyne land Whose name it seemes the Author did not know And to his Brother cald Pollidamas Those people named Cesoynes did surpasse The common sort of men for stature tall Proportion strength and great dexterity For which they were admir'd prais'd of all That them beheld and marked earnestly The colour of the shield the King then boare Was only gules and nothing in it more Who when his charge of Hector he had had His leaue he tooke and with his brother road Couragiously before his Knights that made A gallant show when they in order stood Meane while Prince Hector ceast not paines to take The sixt ward with all speed he could to make Which he vnto King Protemense gaue Who both in force and wisedome did excell And to a Duke cald Sterepes to haue The conduct of the people that did dwell In Poenie land and them to guide that day Which people vse of custome as men say Their enemies in furious wise t'assaile Onely with bowes and arrowes sharpely ground On horsebacke without armes or coate of male And theÌ„ cleane throgh their armors sore to wound And Hector with those people also sent His Brother Deiphobus to th' intent They might securitie into the plaine Where they should fight so they went their way But ere they past Prince Hector did ordaine A band of men to goe with them that day Well arm'd into the field least they shold venter Among the Greekes so nakedly to enter And be orethrowne which band of men he tooke Out of those Knights that from Agresta came And that they should the better to them looke And for to be conductors of the same He did appoint two valiant Kings to ride Along with them and by them to abide During the fight against the Greeks that day The one of them King Esdras had to name The other was King Philon but to say Where they did dwell or froÌ„ what place they came I cannot for mine Author doth not show Because as I suppose he did not know Or else I thinke he had it cleane forgot He saith that rich King Philon sumptuously Apparelled sat in a Chariot The which was made of pure white Ivory With wheeles of Heban wood most finely wrought Which wood out of the Indian land is brought And as men say is hard as any stone His Charet within was all inchast with gold And precious stones and pearles vpon the bone And was so rich and sumptuous to behold That as I thinke the like was never seene Before nor since within the world t' haue beene Two Knights this Chariot drew some did ridâ— About it strongly arm'd with speare shield For to defend their King on every side So he and Esdras road into the field Accompanied with stout Pithagoras That one of Hectors bastard brethren was Who of that wing to haue the chiefe command Of purpose sent him out with them to goe The battaile that next ready plast did stand Hector vpon Aeneas did bestow Which had no other Knights within the same Then those that with Ewphemy thether came So farre out of their natiue Country For Hectors sake to ayd King Priâ—â—â—â— The which were Knights of great activity Good horsemen and exceeding valorous Who being brauely horst and furnished Their Coronell Aeneas followed And went out of the towne couragiously As if each one God Mars himselfe had been Hector meane time the eight ward orderly Ordained had and rank't it out wherein No other Knights nor men but Persians That thither came to ayd the Troyans By him were plast which wing he did command Vnto his brother Paris to obay As Captaine over them and when they stand All ready to set forward on their way Hector his brother Paris kindlie staid And louingly spake vnto him and said Brother the thing that I of thee require And which for thine owne good to thee I moue Is that I doe thee heartilie desire If thou thine owne securitie dost loue When thou this day in field against thy foe Shalt fight see that thou ventrest not to goe Too farre amongst the thickst of them least they Intrappe thee vnawares as sure they will If that they can by any meanes or way For their inveterate hatred to thee still Encreaseth more and doth their hearts embrace So ferventlie that nothing can it race Out of their minds but thy destruction Which to prevent be thou not far from me In any wise least when thou art alone They should some hurt or mischiefe do to thee Before that I could come to thy reliefe Which vnto me would be no little griefe Keepe therefore neere to me at any hand That I may ayd and helpe thee in distresse And doubt not but we shall our foes withstand How furiously so ere on vs they presse To whome his brother Paris answere made And said that he in mind resolued had Vnto his hests in all things to obay And so his leaue of Hector hauing tane Withall his Knights in order road his way Out at the gate while Hector did ordaine The battaile that the ninth last should be Wherein he plast the flower of Chivalrie For in the same fiue thousand Knights there was Most worthy men and of most great renowne And such as for their valor did surpasse All other Knights that were within the towne And all of them right Troyans by discent Borne in the towne This battaile Hector menâ— Should by himselfe into the field be led And of his bastard brethren chose out ten To ride with him whome he much honored As knowing them to be right valiant men And such as for their prowesse their mights Of all men were esteemd most hardie Knights And when he had his battailes made plast In order as before I haue set downe And all of them one after other past In braue and warlike wise
not greatly care Though rude I be vnto you to declare In simple tearmes such as my wit doth yeeld Which to say truth are rusticall and plaine What order Agamemnon in the field That day did take his battaile to ordaine On Grecians side as having no intent That any man should find him negligent For t' was no time as then for him to sleepe Therefore with all the speed he could devise He did prepare that day the field to keepe As he was valiant politicke and wise Against his foes twentie six battailes great Which he in ranks most orderly did set The government whereof he did commit Vnto such puissant Kings and Princes braue As he for valor thought to be most fit To take that charge the first whereof he gaue Vnto a Prince of honor great and fame Which Gâ—idâ— saith Patroclus had to name Which was compos'd of Myrmidons most strong And puissant Knights that came from Thessalie And onely to Achilles did belong And with them ioynd the same to fortifie Such Knights as he himselfe did thither bring All strongly arm'd And with this valiant wing He was the first that on the Grecians lide Began the fight against their enemie The cause why he the Myrmidons did guide Was for because Achilles then did lie Sore wounded in his tent and came not outâ— That day for that his Surgions were in doubt If he should stirre his wounds that were so sore And very greene would festar ranckle bleed And trouble and torment him more and more Which to prevent it was by them decreed To keepe his bed and for to ease his paine To lie therein till they were whole againe And so vnto Patroclus did commend His Knights because he was of royall bloud And his assured true and perfect friend Exceeding rich and much esteemd for good And great discretion wit and curtesie And one in whom he wholly did relie For twixt them both there was such entire loue Affection great and perfect amitie That nothing could out of their hearts remoue The constant and assur'd fidelity Which mutually they did t'each other beare Whereby their hearts together linked were And knit in one as they were bound together For will and wealth was one betwixt them both And what so ere the one did or the other It was confirmd on either side as loath To moue dislike or discontentment breed Twixt them that had resolu'd full decreed To liue die true friends in heart mind Which to their ends they strictly did maintaine The second ward to Menon was assignd Who in that war great honor did obtaine And to the worthy King Idumenes To whome was ioynd a Duke cal'd Menestes With full three thousand men well furnished And all th' Athenian Knights in armour bright The third by King Ascalaphus was led And Philomene his Son a worthy Knight Who both in proud and stately wise together Conducted those that froÌ„ Cuman came thither King Archelaus the fourth ward did command And with him was Securidan the stout And Prothenor who with that warlike band All three together valiantly went out Against their foes had within the same None but the Knights that from Boâ—tia came King Menelaus a worthie Prince was made Conductor of the ward next following And lift in talâ— which in it onlie had The Knights which he did thither with him bring From Sparta and the Isles about the same Who likewise as his subiects thither came And of the battaile next and sixt the King Epistrophus was chiefe Commander made And with him stout King Gelidus to bring The same into the field which in it had The Knights that came out of the famous Isle Which by the Geeekes is called Fordessle The seventh battaile next ensuing led By worthie famous Thelamon Aiax King Of Salamine was onely furnished With Knights that he vnto the siege did bring And with them were foure Earles of high degree Whose names I find the storie saith to bee Theseus the first the next was Doxeus Polixarie the third the fourth was he That all men called stout Amphimacus The eight ward Agamemnon did decree Should by the King cald Thoas forth be led With many Knights well arm'd and furnished The ninth ward Cileus Aliax did command The tenth was led by King Philoctetes Th'eleaventh the which next orderly did stand The most renowmed King Palamides King Naulus son of whome the Greeks did make So great account into his charge did take Before the twelfth Duke Nestor full of pride And melancholy humors in his mind A very stout and valiant Knight did ride The thirteenth to King Honux was assign'd That was Maâ—berethes Son by true dissent Who with it to the field most proudly went The fourteenth battaile that day for to guide The subtill King Ullsses was sent out And with the fifteenth ward to field did ride King Humelus a worthy Prince and stout The sixteenth vnto Duke Caribulus A Knight of great account and valorous Committed was to lead and in that band The Knights of King Prothesalus did go Whom Hector slew that day the Greeks did land T' incourage them to be reveng'd And to King Rodus was assignd the seventeene The eighteenth to the King of Occeâ—ene And of the nineteenth stout King Zanâ—â—ppus Of Lidia leader was The tweentith band Commanded was by King Amphimacus Philoctetes King of Lariffia Land The one and twentith band with him did lead The two and twentith by King Diomed. The three and twentieth Agamemnon gaue Vnto Aeneas King of Cyparie The leading and command thereof to haue That day against their Troyan enemie And with the foure and twentith ward did ride Prothecatus a King the same to guide King Carpenor of Carpadie was made Conductor of the fiue and twentith band A noble Prince that great experience had In warre and peace both on the sea and land And valiantly himselfe he did defend Vntill the Troyan warres were at an end The six and twentith battaile and the last That was sent out against the enemie King Agamemnon Generall of the hoast A puissant Prince of great authoritie Reserued for himselfe and in it led Great store of armed knights well furnished The battailes thus ordain'd the Greeks were led In order to the field where as they staid Each Prince and chiefe Commander at the head Of every band with ensignes rich displaid And streamers wavering in the wind that shone In braue and warlike wise against the sun At which time many a creast and helmet faire And richly gilt and graven there were seene Wherein great store of strange devises were And plumes of feathers yellow red and greene Blacke blew and white with other colors more And some that day for loue of Ladies bore Their favors on their Crests for to be seene And to encourage them that day to fight Couragiously as if that they had beene In presence and before their Ladies sight And dolefull noyse of Drums trumpets shrill Which with a fearefull sound the aire did
and not relieu'd the blame And worthily will turne vpon your head For if with speed you do him not relieue Men will report and verily belieue That onely by your meanes it came to passe That Troyelus this day had this mischance And by the Grecians prisoner taken was Let vs then to that end our selues advance And valiantly our honors herein saue That no discredite we thereby may haue Wherewith the worthie King cald Alchanus Was so much moou'd in heart that presentlie Like to a Lyon fierce and furious He tooke a speare in hand and sodainlie Did spur his horse as fast as ere he might And after road till that he had a fight Of those that yong Prince Troyelus prisner led And with his speare ran at a Grecian Knight And pierst him to the heart that he fell dead Vpon the ground and then againe did smite Another Grecian Knight with such a force That he not onlie cast him off his horse But with his mightie Launce did pierce him cleane Through 's body sholder bone armor strong So that the steely point thereof was seene Out at his backe at least a handfull long And then the Phrigian Knights as thicke as haile Came riding downe did the Greeks assaile With so great courage and dexterity That maugre all resistance they could make They did procure Prince Troyelus liberty And him out of their hands by force did take And help't him to his horse againe with speed Whereof as then he had no little need And with them also was King Zaâ—â—ippus Who when he saw Duke Menestes with speed And with a noble heâ—â—t and valorous In furious wise he spurd his lusty steed And run at him with speare in hand so fast That with the blow through sheild male he past With so great force that without doubt he had Been slaine if that his armes had not been good But Menestes was furious wood and mâ—d And raging freâ—â—ing â—â—ming chasing stood And like an Aspen leaâ—e with anger shooke Because the Troyans Troyelus from him tooke Despight of him and all his Chivalty And foming like a Bore at mouth did baâ—le And to th Athenian Knights aloud did cry To will them on the Troyan Knights to fall And be reveng'd on them for that disgrace Before that they should stir out of that place Wherewith they all at once with fury great The Troyans did assaile right valiantly And for their parts they likewise did not let To fall vpon the Greekes couragioussie And then began a fierce and furious fight And did so fiercely one the other smight That fire out of their sheilds armes did fly And sparkle all abroad in fearefull wiâ—e And many a valiant Knight that day did die And in the field cast our most dolefull cries Of life or death they tooke as then no heed For that they had determin'd and decreed Each other to destroy confound and kill And furiously to worke their enemies bane And at that time the battailes that stood still On every side came downe into the plaine And with most pale and deadly faces met And on each other valiantly did set With hote and burning jre so that as then Nought else but blows of Launces sword darâ— Were heard and seene within the field and men Did shout and cry alowd and on each part The fight began in such sort to renew That many a man in fine the same did rew For Hector like a most renowned Knight So furiously still on the Greekes did set And with most puissant blows and passing might Did kill beat downe maime all those he metâ— And mercilesse with extreame cruelty Did them confound that pitty t' was to see And Menestes with heart repleat with spight Because his pris ner Troyelus had beene tane So forcibly from him and that in fight His men had then so many of them been slaine Where so ere he road in furious wise did slay Beat downe wound fore him draue away The Troyan knights that he might take revenge For th' iniuries that they to him had done And as he round the field about did range Like Wolfe for prey and here and there did run In furious wiâ—e to kill his enemies He met a Troyan knight cal'd Miseres Who in despight of all his Chivalrie His pris ner worthie Troyelus had tane By force from him that day and set him free And some of his Athenian knights had slaine And knowing him againe by th' armes he bare Vpon his shield before he was aware And ere of him he once tooke heed or care He spurd his horse ran at him in hast And mongst the ranks of Troyans that were there Him to the ground out of his saddle cast Then to the field on Troyans side there came A valiant King that Hupon had to name That with him full two thousand knights did bring Who on the Greekes in furious wise did set And to encounter them for Greekes a king Cald Prothenor couragiously did meet And Archelius the noble warrior That of Boetia Land was Governor Who with the ayd of valiant Prothenor The Troyans did assaile as cruelly As he had been a Tygar or a Bore And Prothenor himselfe couragiously Did also many a Troyan fiercely slay But Hupon by his valor great did stay Their furious moods and through his Chivalry Not only did the Troyans then defend But in most cruell wise and furiously Brought many Grecian knights vnto their end And thus twixt them the fight then equall was Till that the worthy knight Polidamas Anthenors sonne that valiantly did ride Before his knights amongst the Greekes did enter And brauely them assaild on every side And by that meanes did breake their ranks asunder And cruelly kild many a Grecian knight For they could not resist against his might He was so hardy stout and furious And for to second him the worthy king Cald Remus that of knights chivalerous Three thousand to the field with him did bring Into the battaile came and there did fight So valiantly and with such force and might That all the Troyan knights that him beheld Tooke great delight were exceeding glad To see him kill chase the Greekes in field And that such havocke of them there he made Whereby as then great noyse of strokes cries Within the field was heard and gan to rise And while king Remus in this sort still â—ights And on the Greeks in furious wise did set King Menelaus with all his Spartane knights Into the battaile proudly came to let And to restraine king Remus in his course And to that end set spurres vnto his horse And valiantly vpon king Remus set And Remus likewise gainst him road as fast And with their speares so furiously they met That each the other to the ground did cast For in their course they did so fiercely run That neither of theÌ„ each others blows could shun Meane time the valiant knight Pollidamus Who onely sought to honor to
attaine As he that was both stout and valorous Met with Queene Helens Nephew in the plaine That was a mighty Duke cald Mereus A Prince both gallant yong and vertuous Most richly arm'd and of good carriage And for his time a stout and valiant knight For he was then but twenty yeares of age Yet much renownd for valor and for might But by hard fortune it fell out alas That this braue Troyan knight Pollidamas Ran at him with a speare so furiously That piercing through his armes and coat of male He strake him to the heart and sodainly He fell downe dead with color wan and pale Which when as old King Menelaus beheld And saw him lie dead groueling in the field That sometime Nephew was to Helena His wife he fell into so great a rage That presently he made no more delay But in some part his choller to asswage He ran at stout King Remus in despight And with his sword stroke at him with such might Vpon the head that he could not sustaine Himselfe vpright but fell vnto the ground Wherewith his Knights supposing he was slaine For that the blood did run out of his wound And he as dead vpon the ground did lie They tooke him vp and with him gan to flie As fast as ere they could and would not stay Till that the valiant Knight Pollidamas Vnto them went and stopt them in the way And by no meanes would suffer them to passe Except those that by him appointed were King Remus to the towne of Troy to beare Then to the field on Grecians side there came King Celides a valiant Prince and stout Whom Dares doth report t' haue had the name Amongst the Greeks and all the world throughout T' excell all men without exception For beauty shape and good proportion Behauiour grace and countenance bening For every part of him was most exact And finely made so that not any thing To grace a man withall in him there lackt For nature had him fram'd of such a mold That all men did delight him to behold Which made the gallant Amazonian Queene For passing beauty held to be the flower To loue him so when once she had him seene That she did choose him for her Parramour And loued him so deerely at the heart That from her thought he neuer could depart Who being as I sayd a gallant Knight As soone as ere he entred in the field And saw whereas Pollidamas did fight Against the Greeks and at a bay them held He set his spurres vnto his horses side And in most furious wise to him did ride And with his speare did giue him such a blow That with the same which came with passing might Off from his horse he did him overthrow But to requite him for 't the Troian Knight Pollidamas with pale and furious face Ere Celides departed from the place Drewout his sword and smot him on the head So cruelly and with so great a might That he therewith off from his horse fell dead Vpon the grrund vnto the great despight Of all the Greeks that could him not relieue For which in heart they sore did fret and grieue And while the Greeks and Troians thus did fight And each the other kild in euery place Throughout the field Hector the valiant Knight Like Lyon fierce before him did them chase And furiously did wound beat downe and slay The Greeks so fast that forst to giue him way Like sheepe before the greedy woolfe they fled For gainst his trenchant blade no Greeks durst staÌ„d For with the same their blood so fast he shead That glad was he that could escape his hand And at that time such vengance he did take On them that they compeld were to forsake The field whereas he fought yet would he not Leaue off to kill and chase them till in fine As he road here and there it was his lot Among the valiant Knights of Saloâ—ine T' incounter with King Theseus in the way That many a Troian Knight had slaine that day And as to him in hast he gan to ride The valiant Knight King Tentar thither came With speare in hand and while he lookt aside In furious wise ran at him with the same And with the blow cleane through his armes did pierce And wounded him but while with courage fierce Hector to be reueng'd for that despight On Tentar turnd his horse about in hast He wisely road as fast as ere he might Till he out of his furious sight was past Wherewith his heart was soe possest with ire That in his breast it burnt as hot as fire And when he felt his wound to ake and smart He did within himselfe so rage and fret That for to ease the coller of his heart What Greeke soeuer after that he met Or that durst be so bold him to withstand Was sure to die by his victorious hand And mongst the rest one speciall there was That proudly and of purpose him withstood Whom with his sword which through his arms did He claue vnto the heart with furious mood passe At which most puissant stroke the Greeks did treÌ„ble But nerethelesse they did in troopes assemble And him inclosed round on every side Vpon him such a fierce assault to make Which they supposd he could not long abide That at the last by force they would him take And more and more there number still increast Which on all sides t'assayle him neuer ceast So that to all mens â—ight by likelihood He could not from their hands escape aliue And while in so great danger there he stood And still with them did â—â—ghtâ—â—nd brauely striue Like to a Lyon fierce and furious The worthy Grecian King cald Theseus Of curtesie and of meere gentlenesse In heart was mouâ—d to see him in that case And pitying his heard and great distresse As fearing what in fine might come to passe Because he stood in danger of the wracke In kind and friendly manner to him spake Oh valiant Knight and root of hardinesse Oh spring of man-hood stocke of Noblenesse And th' onely patterne of all worthinesse Why art thou now so carelesse in distresse To saue thy life by Knightly prouidence When as thou seest thou canst not make defence Against so huge a number of thy foes Mongst whom thou art in danger to be slaine For they on every side doe thee inclose And haue all meanes of succour from thee tane And yet thou wilt not helpe thy selfe at all But staist to see the worst that may befall For which all men in heart may well complaine To see that such a worthy valiant Knight Who by his valor Knight-hood doth maintaine And vnto Marshall men is th' only light And as it were th'v pholder of their law Will not himselfe from danger now withdraw But wilfully thy life wilt rather loose Great pitty t' were that thou shouldst here be slaine Withdraw thy selfe therfore whilst thou maist chose For if thou diest not now thou wilt be tane Thy prowesse
great compelleth me to pray Thee that in this distresse thou wilt not stay Which words wheÌ„ Hector heard knew they came Out of a heart repleat with curtesie He bow'd his head and thank't him for the same As to his friend and yet his enemy And then perforce and mauger all the might The Greeks could vse most like a valiant Knight With bloody sword in hand he brake the presse And through the thickst of them did brauely ride And got from them and still he did not cease To kill and beat them downe on euery side And in his way Pollidamas he found That valiantly stood fighting on the ground Against two Greecian Kings whereof the one Was Menelaus a worthy valiant Knight The other fierce and furious Thelamon Who likewise was a Prince of passing might And Thelamon ran at him with such force That with his speare he threw him on his horse And forcedihim gainst both of them to fight On foot that they reuenge on him might take And with most furious blowes they did him â—â—aâ—â—e Vpon his crest and helmet which they brake And then the beauer from his face they â—â—â—e And when that it vncouered was and bare And by that meanes he could it not defend With that aduantage which on him they had They tooke him suddenly and did him send Vnto their tents and him a prisoner made But when as Hector did behold and see Pollidamas in such extremitie With full intent to succour him in hast He spurd his horse and furiously did ride T'oretake the Greekes and wheresoere he past With sword in hand made way on every side Till in the end he got vnto the place Whereas distrest Pollidamas then was Cleane succourlesse and without remedy Or hope of ayd from Troians in that case Till that he did on Hector set his eie That thirty Greeks had slaine in little space And made them giue him way for all their pride For none of them durst fore his sword abide Nor gainst him stand so that by valor great And Knightly force he made them all to flie And by that meanes Pollidamas did set Free from their hands againe at libertie Then to the field came King Epistrophus With many worthy Knights and valorous And with him Menelaus and Thelamon And each of them great store of Knights likewise Who with their troopes of Greeks all joynd in one The Troians did assaile in furious wise To get themselues an everlasting name Of honour and of glory by the same And with their power of Greeks that were so strong They draue the Troians fore them in the field And entring mongst the thickest of the throng Gainst them a hard and furious fight they field Despight of all their valor and their might Or Hectors Knightly prowesse that did fight So valiantly as then and with such force That none but he himselfe could euer do 't But cowardly the Greeks did kill his horse And then he was constraind to fight on foot Which vnto them procur'd but little good For there was none that then about him stood But he did kill and wound them grieuously And though by them he was inclosed round And on all sides assayled furiously He made them to recule and giue him ground And on his feet so fiercely fought that day That none of them durst hand vpon him lay For if they did they were assur'd to die And when his valiant brethren him beheld And saw him fight on foot so furiously Inclosd by Greeks in midst of all the field And to defend himselfe gainst them so well As any rauening Tyger fierce and fell That furiously doth fight to saue her whelp They all together brake into the prease And Hector on all sides began to helpe And first vpon King Thelamon did ceaze For him gainst Hector busiest then was found And gaue him many a great and bloody wound While that a valiant Knight cald Dixdaron Among the Grecian troopes did boldly ride And there a gallant horse by force he won Which hauing got he did not long abide Bâ—â— brought it vnto Hector where he stood Among the Greeks all bathed in their blood Whereon in hast he mounted gallantly And mongst the Greeks like Mars himselfe did ride And many of them did kill so furiously That at that time he did abate their pride Then Deiphobus entred in the field And brauely gainst the Grecians battaile held With th'archers of Bohemie which he brought With him to field whose arrowes feathers were With Peacocks glistring tailes wherwith they fought And did so fiercely shoot that in great feare To shun the same the Greeks retired backe And Troians by that meanes did courage take And then Deiphobus valiantly did race And beat King Tentrans helmet from his head And with his sword did wound him in the face So cruelly that in a manner dead Hefell of from his horse with extreame paine And then the Troians furiously againe Assaild the Greeks and put them to a stand And once againe were masters of the field But Theseus with the Knights at his command Withstood them still and them too hardly held Till Hectors bastard brother Quintiline Whose armes as cleare bright as sun did shine And the most valiant King cald Modernâ—â— Assayled and with extreame crueltie Together fell vpon King Theseus Who nerethelesse with great agilitie Against them both himselfe did long defend But notwithstanding all his force in th' end They brought him vnto such extremitie That without doubt they had him surely flaine If Hector mou'd thereto by curtesie Had not with speed cri'd out to them amaine To pray them for his sake their hands to stay And saue his life whereto they did obay And for that time assayled him no more For Hector cald to mind what curtesie To him was showne the selfe same day before By Theseus in his hard extremity And therefore with the like did him require As t is the part of every courteous Knight For which King Theseus thankt him hartely As glad he had escapt by such a chance Then in the field King Thoas valiantly On Grecians side his standard did aduance And with him King Philoctetes came thither Who with theÌ„ broght great store of knights together And with that great and new supply of men The Troians did assayle and Thoas ran At one of Priams bastard children Whom Guido â—aith was cald Cassibelian And to him gaue so great and sore a wound That he therewith fell dead vpon the ground Which blow when Hector saw he grieued sore And for his brothers death great sorrow made And to himselfe he did protest and swore That he would neuer rest till that he had Reveng'd his brothers death if that he might Vpon the Greeks and then with great despight He entred mongst the thick'st of them in hast And furiously all those that in his way Did stand he kild or maymed sore did cast Them off their horses backes and all that day So valiantly did fight against his
foes That many a 〈◊〉 thereby his life did lose Then to the field Duke Nestor proudly brought Fiue thousand valiant Knights in armor bright That furiously against the Troians fought And on the Troians side the worthy Knight King Esdras with a courage stout and bold And Philon in his stately chaire of gold With all the valiant Knights and chivalry That for to ayd King Priam thither came Out of Agresta land with Iacony The Prince and heire thereof and with the same Couragiously vpon the Grecians ran At which time many a braue and worthy man Was fiercely slaine and maim'd on euery side And from the men that on the ground lay dead And wounded sore with gashes long and wide The field all ore was died in colour red With streames of blood that men therin might wade Such slaughter at that time twixt them was made At which time Philon fought most furiously And did by valor great the Troians ayd And many a Greeke that day did cause to die But while thus fighting valiantly he staid At vnawares he was inclosed round And sodainly himselfe in danger found For that the Greekes so compast him about That he vnlikely was from them t' escape For by no meanes he could from thence get out But that in th' end they would him either take Or kill outright but that Prince Iacony Vnto King Esdras loudly gan to cry Saying my Lord by our great negligence King Philon at this time will sure be slaine For gainst so many Greeks ther 's no defence But that he must needs die or els be tane If we relieue him not if that we can And so in hast they altogether ran And in despight of all the Greeks by force They did release King Philon from their hands Who glad thereof did mount vpon his horse And road with them vnto the Troian bands That then with all their power force and might With Hector that most brave and worthy Knight Deiphobus and Pollidamas and other Couragious Troian Knights that had decreed With one consent and valiantly together The Grecians freshly to assayle with speed Of purpose if convenient meanes they found With all their puissant power t' inclose theÌ„ round That few of them should scape with life from theÌ„ce And to that end did fiercely them assaile And did compell the Greeks with small defence For that as then their courages did fayle To loose their ground and to retire with speed And finally were driuen into such need That mauger all their might they had that day Been vtterly brought to confution And forced in the end to run away If that King Menelaus and Thelamon When as they saw them faint and halfe afraid Had them not then incouraged and staid And made them once againe themselues defend Till that Aeneas and Duke Eufrenus Against the Greeks did valiantly descend With other troopes of Knights chivalrous And freshly them againe did sore oppresse And Hector also by his worthinesse Like Lyon fierce with sterne and cruell face Did put them to so great extremitie That like to sheepe that cruell woolfe doth chase They were compeld with feare from him to flie As glad his strong and trenchant blade to shun And from it for to saue their liues to run The which when valiant Aiax did espie He had in heart so much compassion To thinke vpon the great extremitie With cruell slaughter and confusion The which the Greeks as then did feele and find That when he turn'd his backe look't behind And saw so many Grecian wings that staid And were in order prest within the field Which banners large and pennons faire displaid And all that while the cruell fight beheld And saw how Hector had the Greeks in chase Yet stirred not one foot out of their place Although in them the flower of chivalry On Grecians side there was that able were The Troians to withstand and valiantly To be reveng'd on them and for to beare The furious charge of their fierce enemies In all the hast he could to them he hies And loudly vnto them for helpe did crie Whereatin hast the wearied Greeks to ayd They marched forward gainst the enemy With ensignes rich and pennons braue displaid And when they and the Troians fiercely meet The earth did shake and tremble with the feet Of horses that in furious wise did fling And gallop in the field and then did rise Anâ—â—eous noyse wherewith the ayre did ring O huge and mighty strookes and fearefull cries On either side and many a Knight was seene With deadly wounds lie gasping on the greene Then Aiox gainst Aeneas fiercely ran And he gainst him as willingly did ride For twixt them both such enmitie as than And hatred great there was on either side That nought but death their furies could asswage And did together meet in such a rage That with the blow that each the other hit Most puissantly withall their force and might Each other to the ground they brauely smit And vp againe they rose on foot to fight And there a valiant combat twixt them tride Where as they both great danger did abide Amongst the horses feet vpon the ground Till that Philocletes that brauely fought That day on Grecian side had Aiax found And him another horse to mount on brought And did assayle the Troians valiantly That other wise had had the victory Against the Greeks but that Philocletes Withall his Knights them man fully withstood And first of all as th' Author Guido saies At Hector with a speare he fiercely roade Which with the blow in many peeces brake But stird him not off from his horses backe For though he had receiu'd so great a stroke That well might haue orethrown avaliant Knight He sat as stif and sturdy as an oke And with his speare Philocletes did smite Through armor shield and body that withall Sore wounded to the grouud he made him fall That off his life his Knights were much in doubt Then to the field King Humerus and eke Ulisses came and with cen thousand stour And valiant Knights and many a worthy Greeke The Troians did assaile so furiously And with great multitudes of new supply Vpon them set that in despaire and feare And wearied with so long and cruell fight They gan for to recule and readdy were To turne away and take themselues to flight It Paris had not come with more supply To rescue them and at his entery Into the field the King of Frizia met That vnto King Ulisses was of kin And in such furious wise vpon him set That without more adoe he ran him in Through armor shield and bodie with his speare Whereat the Greeks full sore abashed were And for his death Ulisses grieved so That in a rage and with extreame despight He did a speare at Paris fiercely throw To pierce his heart but it to low did light Yet nerethelesse it went with such a force That with the strength thereof it kild his horse And he thereby fell flat vpon
did fret And burne with wrath that entring in the presse In cruell wise whosoever that he met He killed beat downe and wounded mercilesse And spared none of what degree so ere So that from him the Grecians fled for feare And in that furâ—e great and crueltie Wherewith the Greeks as then he did oppresse As Guide doth declare and certifie And as his Author Dares doth confesse If that we may beleeue the Historie Which truth of things sincerely should desâ—â—e After he did his latter wound receaue Not reckoning those whereof I spake before With his owne hands he hid of life bereaue A thousand Grecian Knights and more and more He did pursue them with such cruelty That all his sword was turnd to crimson die With Grecians blood So that his chivalry So much by them was feard that euery one Of high and low estate from him did flie And mongst them all ther was not any one That after all that day durst him withstand Or offer to resist him hand to hand And yet although that Hector slew them so And valiantly held them at such a bay Their Generall Agamemnon would not go Into the field to ayd them all that day Whereby as then the Greeks were sore opprest For Hector like a Lyon did not rest To kill and wound them in such a furious wise That they constrained were for ayd to flie Vnto their tents with many shootes and cries The Troians following them couragiously By traces of their blood along the way And in their tents great store of them did slay And did from them much of their treasure take And bare it vnto Troy victoriously And of them there such hauocke then did make That that same day they had most certainly Been vtterly orethrowne for euermore By Troians that oppressed them so sore And valiant Hectors valor and his might Who all that day most valiantly had fought And with the ayd of many a Troian Knight Vnto such great extremitie them brought That had't not been by their owne foolishnes And pride of heart with ore-much carelesnes Without all doubt they verily had gain'd A great and most triumphant victory Against the Greeks and therewithall obtain'd Dominion rule and Soveraignty Ore them and all their land continually Which well might haue indurd perpetually Ifâ— had not been for hard and cruell Fate The which in things begon with wilfulnesse Is alwaies prest and ready to debate And striues to make them end with wretchednesse By hir most enuious disposition Vnhappy chance and resolution And turning of her light and slippery wheele Which ticklesse is and full of â—icklenesse That t' will not stand when as a thing is well For fortune's wholly bent to wilfulnesse Great pitty t' was they were so ouershot And at that time themselues so much forgot And would not their good fortune then pursue And chiefely Hector that renowned Knight That would not marke what after might ensue And to prevent the mischiefe if they might Which at that time did presse on them so nere But sure it is too much they blinded were That day in field when as victoriously They saw themselues triumphantly to bee Set on the top of fortunes wheeles so hie That of meere negligence they could not see What danger might ensue and all for lacke Of providence which did them cleane forsake And made them loose that great and speciall grace Which fortune offered them although vnstable Sometimes she bee and set before their face For in a man it is not commendable If fortune seeme on him to laugh and smile And with faire show doth favor him awhile To succour and relieue him in distresse When he therein most deeply plung'd doth lie So great good hap to loose by wilfulnesse And Fortune to let slip so carelesly When as she doth impart to him such grace For when he would she will him not embrace An other time when he of her hath need And ready is downe from her wheele to fall Nor yet will care to stand him once in steed Or to vouchsafe to succour him at all But in regard of his ingratitude With frowns mocks mowes will him delude When he doth thinke himselfe secure to bee For she so much is bent to wilfulnesse Deceit and guile and extreame crueltie That when a man with foolish carelesnesse Her favors most vncertaine doth deride Another time t' shall be to him denide When he desireth most the same to haue For at some time it is a thing most sure She graunts some man the thing that he doth craue And â—tmay be that he neuer shall procure The like againe of her though he should liue A thousand yeares and nere so much would giue T' obtaine the same as most vnhappely To worthy Hector it befell that day That needs would spare the Greeks so wilfully And proudly favord them when as it lay In him to overthrow them and to kill And vtterly destroy them at his will And by his valor great triumphantly With honor and renowne t' haue entered Into the Towne of Troy with victory Which he that day too much by folly led Resused and could neuer more attaine The like advantage while he liu'd againe For as he road and cruelly did slay And wound the Greeks on euery side he met With valiant Thelmon Aiax in the way Who furiously and with great envy set On him like to a Lyon fierce and wood And though that he his kinsman was by blood And therewithall a young and gallant Knight Yet did he brauely venture to assayle His Nephew Hector and with him to fight Couragioosly presuming to prevaile To cast him off his horse and yet they were Of blood each vnto other very nere For he was sonne vnto King Thelamon A worthy Grecian Prince and valerous That him begat vpon faire Exion That sister was vnto King Priaâ—â—us And so he did the first occasion take To moue the Greeks that warre on him to make And to that end first with a sturdy speare At Hector ran and he at him likewise And each the others blow did brauely beare Like two most fierce and and hardy enemies For both of them in valor did excell And then like Lyons fierce and Tygers fell Vpon their horses fought with sword in hand And cut and hewd each others armors strong And each his enemies furie did withstand Most valiantly the which indured so long Betweene them both till that by providence Divine or els by naturall influence Which diues into the mind of man so farre And searcheth both the heart and euery vaine Of those that of one blood and linage are They moved were their rancor to restraine And thereby both their furies molefied Onely for that they were so nere ali'd Though neither of them then the same did know Nor yet the least suspition thereof had Till nature it vnto them both did show And them in heart of foes as friends had made For naturally blood will to blood be kind And friends to friends
therein For then they had A custome to intombe and bury those That Princes were and richly to inclose Their bodies faire in tombes most brauely made And so Patroclus and Prothesilaus Were buried in solemne wise and lay Together yet in severall tombes and thus The Grecians in their tents without still lay While Troians in the towne likewise did stay To cure their men that wounded were in fight And to recouer health and strength againe To those that sâ—re diseased were and might Not stirre themselues for dolor griefe and paine And in that cruell fight much blood had shed And ere the two moneths truce was finished Such diligence did vse that every man Was whole and sound but Priamus the King Made so great sorrow for Cassibellan That he would not be mou'd for any thing To cease his griefe but still he sobd and wept And while the corse aboue the ground was kept He caus'd a tombe of metall curiously Ingrau'd and wrought for to be made and when T' was finished and with solemnity In Venus Temple set and placed then He held a great and stately funerall For him and there accompanied with all His Lords vnto God Mâ—â—â— were offered His honors as his helmet sword and shield And last of all his braue and gallant steed The which when as Cassandra beheld And saw how all the company did crie And made great mone and sighed bitterly For him and with great lamentation For all their friends that likewise had been slaine And lost their liues in fight before the towne She was so grieu'd that she could not refraine To cry and sayd alas and well away That ere we saw this cursed dolefull day Oh most vnhappy wretches that you bee I st possible that ere you should indure The troubles and the woes that you shall see The which the Greeks vnto you will procure While they besiedge you round on euery side And seeke to be reuenged on your pride Most certaine t is that full well I know You can it not avoid for without doubt They will to you no grace nor mercy show But ere that many yeares shall come about They le kill and slay you cruelly each one And neuer leaue the siedge tell it be done Alas alas why do you not in time Seeke with your Grecian foes to make a peace While that the warre as yet is in the prime And fore the sword of vengeance mercilesse And old and young doth execution And brings this towne vnto destruction When all the streets therein with children small In woefull mothers armes heapt vp shall lie With gastly wounds and faces dead and pale Slaine by the Grecians furious cruelty And Maydens into Greece shall captiues goe And there bewaile in miserie and woe Their servitude and losse of this our towne That is so rich so famous and renownd Which by the Greeks shall sure be beaten downe And vtterly defaced to the ground And we perforce with patience must it beare Alas wee buy Queene Helena too deare Sith for her foule and vnadvised rape All we shall die a death most pittious Yong old rich poore not any one shall scape The wrath of them shall be so furious Gainst vs and ours and there 's no remedy But onely death to end our miserie And thus did she with pittious noyse and cry Forewarne the King her bretheren and all Within the towne into what miseries By pride and their presumption they should fall And like to one that 's mad in every street Run vp and downe told it all she meet Till Priamus her furious mood to stay Did cause her to be shut in prison fast And bound with chaines and in that sort she lay Close kept the while the Grecians siege did last And could not once be heard for no man would Belieue nor credite her though truth she told For neither wisedome nor discretion Counsell nor wit advise nor providence Truth reason nor yet good perswasion Can ought availe whereas no audience Is given thereto For were man nere so wise In counselling by wisedome or advise And could by perfect art and learning know What could in time hereafter come to passe And would the same vnto the world foreshow The obstinate would count him but an asse For counsell with a foole prevaileth nought Nor truth likewise how deare so ere t is bought As we may by Cassandra see full well Who though she did such wholesome counsell giue To them of Troye and did the truth foretell Of their decay they would her not belieue But cast her into prison Where a while I le leaue her to the Greeks to turne my stile And now will shew how king Palamides While that the Greeks these two months still did lie Was so possest with envies foule disease That he disdaind and grudged scornfully At all the Grecian Princes that gaue voyce And of King Agamemnon made their choyse To be the chiefe and Generall of that hoast And of so many Kings and Princes great That there assembled were from every coast Throughout the world and said he was not meet Nor worthy of so great authority And that himselfe of greater dignity Among the Grecaâ—â—ns was and bare more sway Then ere he did and fore them all dem'd To follow him or his command t' obay And said he would no longer there abide To yeeld to him the least subiection Sith he was not at his election Affirming that when choise of him they made There was no more but three Kings present there That thereto gaue consent and voyces had And thirtie Kings at least then absent were And therefore swone it was not his intent Nor will that he should haue that government Here may you see and perfectly behold What mischiefe breedeth by contention Mong Princes and Commanders great that shold Agree in one without dissention But envie and desire of rule is cause That makes men breake the God of peace his laws This cursed vice is cause of troubles great And mischiefes that in many Countries bee For when in Princes hearts it once doth get And maketh them contend and disagree That Kingdome cannot prosper nor encrease Till they agree againe and liue in peace The which the Greeks considering well forbare To giue consent vnto Palamides And wisely sought by good advise and care To stop the course of envies sore disease And wrought so well with him that in the end He was content t' agree and not contend With them therein but willing was to yeeld Vnto their choyse and did from strife surcease But now I le shew how they did meet in field On either side againe when as the peace Was ended and their battails did ordaine Before the towne of Troye vpon the plaine The truce expyr'd King Agamemnon made A muster of the Greeks in generall And with all speed assoone as ere he had Pervsed them he did the Princes call Together vnto him and forth of hand Appointed vnto every one a band By them to be conducted
other and the fight continued In equall sort without advantage great Till it fell out at last that Diomede By policie or fortune chanst to get Advantage by some meanes on Troyelus For no man alwaies is victorious Nor yet in peace or warre like fortunate For t is the doubtfull end of bloudy warre Now vp now downe still subiect vnto fate And therfore let each man himselfe prepare Sith fickle fortune is so full of doubt To take his chance when as it falleth out And at that time layd hand vpon his horse being then enclos'd by Grecians round about And tooke him for his prisoner and by force Among the prease began to lead him out Accompanyed with many a Grecian knight To gard and keepe him as they went by might For though it then fell out that Troyelus Was tane perforce by Diomede in â—ight He might by fortune proue victorious Another time and him therefore requite For that as it â—ell out in little space He had not led him farre out of the place But multitudes of Troyans him assaild And maugre all the power of Diomede So mightily against the Greeks prevaild That they did rescue Troyelus in his need And him by force of armes from him did take And then began great slaughter for his sake On either side where many men were slaine On th' one side for to keepe him prisoner still On th' other side to set him free againe But yet in th' end the Troyans had their will And while the fight in this sort twixt them held King Menelaus did enter in the field Who all that day gainst Troyans brauely fought And busie was on them reveng'd to bee For malice that to them of old he ought The which when Paris not farre off did see With all his knights vpon him he did set And he with Greeks on him when they met Betweene them both on either side began A cruell fierce and bloudy fight which was The death of many a braue and gallant man Hector meane time through thick thin did passe spill And neuer ceast in surious wise to kill The Greeks in great streams their bioud to For with his sword so many of them were slaine And beaten downe with extreame cruelty That they could not his puissant blowes sustaine But were constraind before his face to flye And when a lustie yong and gallant knight Cald Boetes saw with how great force might The Greeks were slaine by Hectors cruelty On euery side to win himselfe great fame And that record of him perpetually Might still be kept for th'onor of his name With courage bold heart not once affeard He thought he would adventure him to beard The which when Hector saw he did conceaue Such wrath within his heart and great disdaine That with his sword he did his body cleaue Cleane downe from head to foot in pieces twaine And tooke his horse and sent it to the towne And then againe road fiercely vp and downe Amongst the Greeks and euer mercilesse With extreame force and heart couragious He kild all those that on him sought to presse Which when the valiant King Archilagus Perceau'd and saw his Cousin Boetes lie By Hector slaine in that sort cruellie To be reveng'd on him for that despight With fury great vnto him he did goe And as at him he did begin to smight Hector vpon his shield receau'd the blowe And with his sword stroke him vpon the head So mightily that he therewith fell dead Vpon the ground his body cleft in twaine And though his armes were passing strong good Yet could they not the mighty force sustaine Of Hectors stroke that came with furious mood The which when King Protbenor did behold With great despight courage fierce bold And yet in truth t' was but in foolish pride He road to him in hast and vnaware Smote him a mighty blow vpon the side And him therewith out of his sadle bare And made him fall downe flat vpon the ground But Hector who in valor did abound In hast leapt vp vpon his horses backe And Prothenor pursued furiously And when at last he did him ouertake He smote him with his sword so cruelly Vpon the Helme that with the blow he gaue His head and body to the brest he claue And downe he fell before the Greeks who sore Abashed were at that most cruell blow But specially Achilles grieu'd therefore And for the same his heart was full of woe To see his Cousin Prothenor lye slaine Before his face for which he felt such paine And griefe in mind that full of heauinesse He road among the Grecian troopes to see If he could ease himselfe of his distresse And find the meanes with them reueng'd to bee On Hector for the death of Prothenor The which both he and they together swore And for the death of King Archilagus And to that end conspir'd among them all With many Grecian Knights chivalorous At once on Hector furiously to fall And him with speed on every side t'assaile But at that time it did them not availe For all that day such hauocke he did make And kild and hewd the Greeks so furiously That they on him could no advantage take But were constraind for their owne safety And for to shun the extreame force and might Of him and of the Troyans that did fight At that time with so great agility And such a fierce assault vnto them gaue To leaue the field and to recoyle and fly Vnto their tents and there themselues to saue And in their flight so beaten were slaine That all the way along all the plaine Lay full of dead and wounded Greeks that bled And gaspt and groand and howld and cryed sore And still the Troyan Knights continued The chase and draue the Grecians more more Before them downe till that it grew to night And waxed darke then for want of light The Troyans to their honor and renowne With Hector did retire and entered Victoriously againe into the towne And there themselues refreshed cur'd and fed Where till the day next morning gan to breake I le let them rest and of the Grecians speake When Hesperus the bright and glistring starre At euening in the West began t' appeare And spred his beames abroad both nere farre And twilight with a pale and deadly cheare Did seeme to moâ—ned he absence of the Sun And night approached with his mantle dun When Tytan did begin his leaue to take And to the Westerne coast in hast descond At twilight when the day an end doth make For twy-light nothing else is but the end Of day and the beginning of the night And yet in truth is neither day nor night But iust a meane betweene them both doth beare Yet neither th' one nor th' other perfectly And comes before the glistring starres appeare To shew themselues within the azure skie Their Generall King Agamemnon sent For all the Grecian Princes to his tent And when
head with so great force That therewith all he feld him off his horse And while they fought Hector Achilles met And him assaild so cruelly againe That with a blow that on his head he smet His helmet cleft almost in pieces twaine And had him brought to such extreamity That at that time without all remedy He would him there perforce haue prisoner â—ane I Diomede had not by chance come thither The quarrell of Achilles to sustaine And with his sword while they two fought together To Hector gaue a blow that hurt him sore But he nothing at all dismaid therefore Straight turnd his horse about to Diomede And smote him with his sword so furiously That with the blow he feld him off his steed The which assoone as Troyelus did espie Without delay off from his horse he light Vpon his feet with Diomede to fight Who then together fought so valiantly That no man that beheld them well could tell Which of them both should haue the victorie For each of them in Knighthood did excell And while they two together so did fight Hector againe vpon Achilles light And on him set with fierce and furious mood Where twixt them both a gallant fight was seene And each his foe so fiercely then with stood Aâ—â—â— two cruell Lyons they had been Meane time the Greeks with many a gallant wing Of Knights came on with Menelaus the King With great desire vpon their foes to set And next to him did march Neoptolemus Then wise Ulisses aud stout Pollimet Palamides and valiant Selemus Duke Menestes Duke Nestor and King Thoas Currinulus and then Philoctheas And lastly with the rereward followed Duke Theseus with a band of gallant men And on the Troyans side there entered All those that to the towne were come as then Against the Greekes to helpe them in their need And all the Kings by whom they then were led And none did stay behind but Hectors band Wherewith that day himselfe had issued And at that time did valiantly withstand Their Grecian foes and then much bloud was shed On either side for that most cruell fight Procur'd the death of many a valiant Knight And while the fight twixt them continued thus It was King Agamemnons chance to meet Among the prease with stout Pantisilaus And on him there in furious wise did set And he on him likewise and in their course Each strake the other down off from his horse And Menelaus againe on Paris set And each to other furiously did ride And when they both together fiercely met King Menelaus hit Paris on the side A blow which though it hurt him not at all Yet he was forst downe from his horse to fall Wherewith in heart he was exceeding wrath And at that time did seeme to blush for shame Least Helena should know 't as being loath That it against his honor name and same Should vnto her be told that by maine force King Menelaus had thrown him from his horse And then the valiant King Adrastus met Ulisses in the prease and there together A while they fought with force and courage great Without advantage one against the other But at the last Vlisses stroke a blow At him so hard that it did overthrow Him to the ground and then he tooke his horse And sent it by his Squire to his tent Then valiant King Palamides by force King Hupon did assaile and they two spent Long time in fight till with great cruelty Palamides a blow at him let flie With so great force that it did wound him sore And therewith all dead to the ground he fell Not farre from them two pikes length no more Neoptolemus who did in force excell Assailed King Archilagus whereas Betweene them both a valiant fight there was Till in the end each th' other did vnhorse Then to the field came stout Pollidamas Vpon a gallant steed of mighty force And when he did perceiue and saw whereas The valiant King Palamides did ride He set his spurs vnto his horses side And ran at him with such exceeding force That maugre all his valor and his might He gaue him such a blow that from his horse He threw him on the ground with great despight For to revenge King Hupous death whome he Had slaine before with extreame cruelty Not farre from thence King Selemus did set Vpon a King cald Carras and by force When they in furious wise together meâ— Selemus threw King Carras off his horse On th' other side King Philâ—mâ—ns assaild The worthy Duke of Athens and preuaild So much gainst him that â—â—ally by force Although he was both valiant stout strong And fought right well he tooke from him his horse And led it in his hand with him along And worthy King Philâ—ctâ—â— did fight With Râ—mus and each of them both did smight The other from his horse And Theseus As he amongst his Troyan foes did fight By chance did meet with King Coriolus A Prince of passing valor force and might Where twixt the both the fight continued long For Theseus likewise was exceeding strong Till each the other wounded sore did smight Off from his horse and rising vp againe Vpon their feet still valiantly did fight A fierce and bloudy combate to otaine The victory against his mortall foe For each of them great prowesse then did shoe And all this while the sons of Priamus Behau'd themselues so valiantly in fight And gainst the Greeks like Knights couragious Such valor shewd that by their force and might Great store of Kings Dukes Lords knights were slaine And many Greeks laid dead vpon the plaine And at that time renowmed Thelamon With speare in hand set spurs vnto his horse And furiously ran at King Sarpedon Who likewise at him ran with mighty force And each the other mortally did wound And in that sort they both fell to the ground And after they a furious fight had held And cut and mangled each the other sore WheÌ„ neither of them both their armes could weld They were constraind to breath and fight no more And mongst the horses feet in danger stood And all the ground about theÌ„ dide with blood While Thoas and Achilles that had spide Where Hector fought in midst of all his foes Vnto him in most furious wise did ride And vnawares they did him round enclose And with great spight which they vnto him bore They did assaile and set on him so sore That they did smight his helmet from his head And in the same gaue him a mighty wound But he therewith no whit astonished For in him never cowardise was found Most valiantly against them both did fight And many furious blows at them did smite So that advantage none on him they got Till Thoas did a blow at him let flie Wherewith his nose off from his face he smâ—â— The which when as his brethren did espye The Grecians they so furiously assaild And at that time so much gainst them preuaild That Thoas valiaritly
such a blow That with the same he bled exceedingly Wherewith he was in heart offended so That furiously vnto him straight he went And ere that he his bow againe had bent Stept into him and with exceeding force Gaue such a dangerous deepe and fatall wouâ—d Vnto that monster Demy man and horse That dead he fell down groueling on the ground Whose death when as the Grecians did behold Abandoning all feare with courage bold They did vpon the Troians set agâ—â—â—â— And furiously constrained them to â—â—iâ— And to retire in hast into the plaine Where Duke Policinare most valiantly Great store of them did of their liues bereaue Whose crueltie when Hector did perceiue In furious wise he did vpon him set And slew him with his sword wiâ—h great despight And then as he by chance Achilles met Couragiously and like a hardy Knight With launce in rest he ran at him amaine And he at him with purpose to haue slaine Each th' other if they might and in their wroth So fiercely strake each other on the shield That with their blowes they were vnhorsed both And laid along flat downe vpon the field But fierce Achilles with dispightfull hart First vp againe into his sadle start And sought by all the meanes he could to take Gallathe Hectors horse if that he might With full intent a prey thereof to make And hauing tane't to Hectors great despight He gau 't his men to lead out of the field And Hoctor by that meanes was then compeld To fight on foot amongst his deadly foes Who in most furious wise on them did fall And kild and beat them downe with mighty blowes And then vnto his Troian Knights did call And willed them vpon the Greeks to set And forcibly his horse from them to get And they in hast to rescue it againe Achilles did assaile and gainst his will Tooke it by force from him vpon the plaine And brought it vnto Hector who the while The Grecians fiercely slew with great despight And then by force most like a valiant Knight Despight of all that round about him keapt And like Smiths on an anvell at him stroke Vpon his gallant horses backe he leapt And by maine â—orce through thickest of them broke And then againe so fiercely with them fought That they his wrath and anger dearely bought And mongst them riding bramely here and there Like Lion strong the Greeks did wound and slay So furiously that cleane poâ—â—est with feare As death his sword they shun'd and fled away And by that meanes the Troians did begin Vpon the Greeks the field againe to win But it befell in 〈◊〉 so furious fight That vnawares Anthenor went so farre Amongst the Greeks that by maine force might They did him for their prisoner take and bare Him straight froÌ„ theÌ„ce vnto their tents with speed And yet his sonne to helpe him at his need Spard neither paine nor valor to relieue And rescue him but all was labor lost For which at heart he did so free and grieue That many a Grecians life that time it cost By valor great which he as then did show But for because the sonne then waxed low And it began in hast to draw to night They made an end and fought no more as then Because at that same time they wanted light And either side retired with their men The Greeks vnto their tents vpon the plaine The Troians went into the towne againe And rested there till morning did appeare When Phoebus gan his glistring beames to shew And Dame Aurora with most ioyfull cheare The hearbs and flowers did moisten with her deaw And hungd her siluer drops like pearles fine On euery bush which gainst the Sun did shine And show themselues so orient and so cleare On every valley hill and pleasant greene In morning when the Crimson clouds appeare And in the skies most beautifull are seene Vntill the heat of Phoebus glistring beames Dries vp their moisture with his fiery streames And makes the vaper mount into the aire When as the skie did not exceed with heat And that the weather shew'd both cleare and faire Which time the Troians purposed to meet Then foes and with most braue warlike show In order plast into the field did goe Gainst whom likewise the Grecians valiantly Did goe into the field and when they met And each the others armies did espie They did vpon each other fiercely set And presently great store of launces broke And many a mighty strong and cruell stroke On either side was giuen and many a shield With axes billes and trenchant â—ades were clâ—â— And many a Knight sore wounded in the field In little space was of his life bereft And such a cruel laughter there was then On either side that many thousand men That day were brought vnto confusion But greatest losse on Troians side did fall Yet Guido of no Prince makes mention That then was slaine but speakes in generall And saith that cruell fierce and bloody fight Betweene them held from morning vnto night Which Troians for their parts full dearely bought For Fortune then vnto them was no friend But rather with the Grecians gainst them fought And so when day did draw vnto an end The Troians went againe into the towne The while the Greeks vnto their tents went down And there did rest till they againe could see At which time all the Grecian Princes met And mongst them did with one consent agree To send vnto the towne of Troy to get A truce for 3 moneths space to which intent Ulisses and fierce Diomede were sent That message vnto Priamus to beare And when vnto the gates of Troy they came A Troian Knight cald Dolon met them there And courteously convaid them through the same And brought them to King Priams royall hall Where he then sat amongst his Princes all Where they to him their message briefely told Which was a truce for 3 moneths space to haue If he would be content the same to hold To whom the King a friendly countenance gaue And sayd he would advise of counsell take And then to them he would an answere make And they did all agree and were content To yeild vnto the Greeks in that respect Saue Hector who thereto would not consent But at the first their motion did reiect And did affirme that t' was but meere deceit By them then vsed of Priam time to get And that two things them therevnto procur'd First that they might haue time and libertie To bury all their dead while truce endur'd And vnder colour thereof secretly More victualls to prouide which they did want And which as now with them was very scant And by that meanes the famine to preuent Which then was in their campe with pollicie He sayd he knew was only to th' intent That they the longer there in siege might lie And being well prouided of each thing That needfull is sayd he they might vs bring While they increase and we decrease our store
hath power and is availeable By liuely force and kind humiditie Life to infuse in flower hearb and tree And likewise did the power thereof extend Into each vaine and sinew in his brest Backe armes hands and downeward did discend Through all his bones and ioynts and ne're did rest Till it did run into his thighs and feet At which a voyoll full of gumme most sweet And balme was set which neuer would decay Nor yet impaire by no distemperature But still increast and waxed euery day Of greater force and sweeter did endure Where of the vapor vpward did assend And such a pleasant savor forth did send And made all round about the aire to rise For that it t' was most exquisitely good That it did seeme an earth by Paradize And fore the corps foure lamps of gold there stood Within that place continually gaue light And neuer ceased burning day nor night All â—â—ld with oyle if it be credible The which is sayd to be of such a kind That it was sound â—â—be impossible To 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 tempest 〈◊〉 or wind Not neuer 〈…〉 in many yeares Which lampes did hang high 〈…〉 by wiers And such 〈…〉 That 〈…〉 the same to sâ—ell And when this worke was brought vnto an end And euery thing was done exceeding well And pleasd the eies of all that did it see They made a grate of wood of Heban tree Which wood aâ—â—rmed is will ere indure And being cut doth smell exceeding sweet â—â—d can by no meanes wast for this is sure T will neuer burne by any extreame heat Of fier as it hath been tried oft â—â— waâ—er â—â— nâ—re swimmeth vp aloâ—t But downe into the bottome straight doth go And as some men thereof make mention This tree hath been long since esteemed so And heldon in such reputation That in the fertile soyle of India And in the land of Ethiopia They vsd to pay a tribute as t is sound Of Ivory fine gold and Heban tree To th' Emperor as they thereto were bound And when King Priam saw the worke to bee Performed in so braue and sumptuous wise That he in heart no better could deuise He did ordaine a quier of Priests to pray Continually with great deuotion Before that Princely throne both night and day For Hectors â—oule and gaue them pentions To liue vpon and roomes wherein to lie And bound them to do 't perpetually But while that they are in their orations With Hectors death my third Booke I will end And for a while will leaue the Troians In sorrow great and woe the time to spend And show you what the Grecians meane while do If that you please to hearken therevnto FINJS THE LIFE AND DEATH OF HECTOR THE FOVRTH BOOKE CHAP. 1. ¶ How the Grecians depriued Agamemnon of his place of Genorall of their Armie and made Pallamides Generall in his place THe worthy Champion Hector beeing slaine And fierce Achilles borne vnto his tent Whereas he lay in danger great and paine King Agamemnon for the Grecians sent Next day betimes assooue as sonne did rise To aske of them their counsell and advise What would be best for them as then to doe Sith they by vallant Hectors death were free From danger great which he had put them two And out of feare of his great crueltie And when that they were altogether met Within his tent and there in order set And silence made he spake vnto them all And sayd my Lords and Princes euery one That now are heere If you to mind will call What good the Gods of late for you haue done You ought to giue them thanks with humble voice And inwardly in heart and mind reioyce To thinke on Hectors death for he alone Was th' onely prop and chiefe support of Troy Their whole defence and their protection Their chiefest trust their honour and their ioy And vnto vs confusion and death For that while he enioyed vitall breath We neuer could his valor great withstand Nor victory against our foes obtaine For when that we did first set foot on lend Prothesalus by him was fiercely slaine And next day when in field againe we met He did vpon Patroclus fiercely set And with his sword did cleaue his brest in twaine And after kild King Menon furiously And next by him Archilagus was slaine And in his wrath and extreame crueltie He slew the most renowned Prothenor And then the valiant King cald Alphenor King Phillis also and Epistrophus And Merian a Prince of great renowne And after him a King cald Zantipus And in the field as he road vp and downe He flew two Kings the one cald Dorius The other had to name King Cedius And after that he kild strong Polibet Lâ—â—aboniâ— Policenes and more For in his wrath he slew King Phiâ—bâ—â— And to the ground in surious wife he bore And kild the valiant King Isidius And then the noble King cald Humorus For eighteene great and worthy Kings and many Braue Earles Dukes and Princes he hath slaine With thousands more So that not euer any Likevalor to him showd nor could obtaine Such victory gainst vs for that his hand Was th' onely terror to vs in this Land But'now he 's dead to our no little ioy The Gods be thankt therefore and to the woe And great distresse of all that are in Troy As by experience time to them will show Laud also and much honor giuen be To Fortune for her great benignitie Vnto vs showne in helping vs so well To bring that furious Champion to his end By turning of her â—alse and fickle wheele And vnto vs such fauor did extend That by his death while this warre doth endure All we that now are here may liue secure With comfort great and ease of extreame care And feare we had of him while that he liu'd Where contrary the Trâ—ians all now are By death of him that onely them relieud Texpect nought els but their destruction And finally their townes subversion For now he 's gone they cannot long endure For be assur'd we will them so much grieue That from hence forth we may our selues assure To haue our wils on them ere we them leaue And make this siedge to them importable If we doe hold together firme and stable Their ship in th' end is like to proue a wracke And ready with huge billowes t'orewhelme For all their hope and comfort goeth backe And deepe despaire is guider of theâ—â— helme And maketh them continually depend On death while we our state do still amend By ayd of God both on the sea and land For now without all ambiguitie We may expect the victory at hand And boldly light with great securitie Against our foes without all feare or dread But yet my counsell is ere we proceed T' assaile our foes as we intend to doe To stay a while and not to passe our bonds Till that Achilles to the fieild may goe With vs when he is healed of his wounds And then we will assaile
them valiantly And put them to most great extreamitie And till we haue destroid them neuer cease Meane time we le send vnto King Priamus A messenger for to entreat with him for peace For two moneths space if he will graunt it vs Whereto I doe not doubt but he 'le agree Sith for his good as well as ours t will bee For he thereby may libertie obtaine To celebeate the funeralles of those Dead Troians that within the field lie slaine And serue for food to beast and carrion Crowes And such a shincke into the aire doe cast That t'cannot chuse but breed the plague at last And we the while may doe the same likewise And heale our wounds and giue our bodies rest And so when they had all agreed by good aduise Considered of his speech and found it best For them to do 't They did thereto consent And presently a messenger was sent To Troy for truce which graunted was full soone By Priamus and he returned againe With speed and made to them relation What he had done while he did there remaine And for that truce their counsell brake vp so And euery one vnto his tent did go And while the truce endur'd and they lay still And leisure had to thinke on their estate Pallamides whose heart began to fill And swell with pride disclaine and deadly hate Grutch in his mind that King Agamemnon Because he had the sole dominion And ore the Grecian house was Generall And for that cause did envy him so much And into such a great conceit did fall Of his owne worth that he began to grutch And murmured with indignation At him and in his furious passion Did seeme to vse such tearmes to his disgrace That all that heard the same might easily know What he did meane and yet he let it pas As thought he made no account thereof in show Till in the end that King Agamemnon Who was a Prince of great discretion Did heare thereof and knowing his intent Determind with him selfe to moue the same Vnto the Grecian Princes in his â—enâ— And when they all together thither came And orderly were set That worthy King Agamemnon a Prince in euery thing So cercumspect so wise and prouident So temperate demure and vertuous So prudent well advisd and patient And neuer giuen to be malicious Although he knew Pallamides intent And saw how much his heart to pride was bent With decent tearmes and great discretion As he that could well frame and tell his mind And so restraine the same from passion And hastines or any other kind Of bad behauiour or vnseemelinesse That nothing past but with advisednesse Out of his mouth as first considered Within his heart with great sincerity And neither for affection nor for dread Would seeme to breake the bonds of modesty Nor in his speeches superfluously let pas One word or sentence that vnseemely was He first saluted all his company And when he had causd silence to be made In seemely wise and in great curtesie He spake vnto Pallamides and sayd You need not King Pallamides said he As I suppose if you advised be To muse oâ— grutch that I am Generall Of our great hoast if you considered How I attaind thereto by choise of all The Princes here and that t' was offered To me by full and free Election And not hy any composition By me or any for me to procure The same in my behalfe once giuen or made For there of in my heart I am most sure No such ambitious thought I euer had Nor neuer dreamt of any such pretence But am most cleare thereof in conscience Which neuer moued was with such vaine glory As to aspire or any waies contest For this estate which is but transitory Though I must say that I haue done my best To see and looke that all things might be well And for the good of this our common wele And also that I had a speciall care As t is my charge while I the same do hold Of every mans estate particular And euer an indifferent eye did hold To all degrees of persons high or low To help them in their need when I did know That they had need of ayd and day and night Was alwaies moued with great carefulnes And speciall heed as much as ere I might To see that none did fall into distresse And such a iealous eye thereto I had That in my heart I was exceeding glad To do the best I could to please each one And that no man should at me take offence Nor haue in me the least suspition Of envy sloath or any negligence In my estate but euer more desir'd To doe my best as time and place requir'd For euery man without exception And therefore I assure my selfe full well That in the hoast there is not any one Of high or low estate that I can tell That can or may accuse me certainely Of falsehood or of partiality In his behalfe for I haue alwaies had So great a care to nourish vnitie And friendship mong you all that I was glad To see you liue in loue and amitie So that till now I am full well assur'd That while I in this office haue endur'd No such occasion hath been ministred And all the Gods well know I neuer feard Nor cared though you had determined An other in my place to haue preferd And giuen him the soueraintie And let me liue at ease and libertie In quietnes of mind as many more Great Lords and Princes here amongst you may That I might with my whole desire and power Fight for our common weale both night and day And ere in this our quarrell if so be It please the Gods it should so hap to me Which for my part I speake and doe not faine For t' were no boot for me herein to lie And where you say and thereof do complaine That I was chosen without your priuitie T is true indeed as euery man can tell You were not here if you remember well Nor came not hither vnto Troy well nere After that we our voyage had begun And planted this our siedge in two whole yeare And for to let so long time ouer-run To stay till you had come it might perchance Haue been to vs a mighty hinderance And extreame hurt for if that we had staid And laine so long at Athens still for you As by your selfe it cannot be denaid It 's like we had remained there till now And where you did esteem't vncredible And held it for a thing impossible For Grecians to presume in any wise Without the ayd and helpe of yours and you To take on them so great an enterprize It 's nothing so as you see plainely now For they without offence to you be 't sayd By force and power without you or your ayd Performed haue with most victorious hand And by their valor great and worthines Great matters both by water and by land And where you thinke and say of me no lesse
That I am proud of this my great estate To see my selfe so highly eleuate And that I seeme because of my degree Of Generall t' extoll and magnifie My selfe too much It is so farre from mee That for to proue and show the contrarie And put you cleane out of suspition I will thereof make resignation Vnto you now my selfe thereby t' excuse And for that cause I doe aduise you all Against to morrow in the morne to chuse Whom you will haue to be your Generall For I therein will make no more delay And so their counsell ended for that day And they went to their tents to rest all night And next day in the morning ere the sun Began with radiant beames to shine most bright They met againe for the Election And when they were assembled all together And knew the cause why they did then come thither Agamemnon with sober smiling cheare Rose vp vpon his feet and to them spake And sayd my Lords that are assembled here I need no long discourse vnto you make To show how I with heart and good intent Haue laboured in this my gouernment To see that all things might be done so well That they vnto your good would wholy tend And for th' aduancement of your common weale By ayd of Gods and Fortune that did lend Their grace and helping hand therein to me Whereby your state as yet doth seeme to be Maintaind in honor great and noblenesse So that while you do flourish and vphold The same entire and in great happinesse I thinke it best for me that now I should My gouernment vnto you all resigne While Fortune to the same is so benigne For of so many that here present are I know my selfe most insufficient Alone to take so great a charge and care On me and for that cause t is my intent To leaue the same for he may ouerwhelme A ship that knowes not how to guide the helme My whole desire therefore is that you would Giue leaue to me t'resigne my gouernment And charge which I of all this hoast do hold So that no man therewith be discontent And let vs now with one intention Without all strife and all dissention Amongst vs find and chuse out such a one As we do like and is most fit and meet To gouerne vs by good discretion And in the place of Generall to set Whereto they all agreed with one consent And as he sayd to chuse one were content Here you may see that t is a vsuall thing With men to take delight in novelties And that there thoughts are alwaies wauering And led away with foolish fantasies In them most sure ther 's no securitie For all their minds are on varietie And their delights in alteration And change of state and neuer are content Nor seldome hold in one opinion To day to loue some one man they are bent Next day they le hate that man as much againe And neuer doe in constant mind remaine For in a vaine of meere new â—anglenes Which at that tâ—me mou'd their affection With great oresight and much vnthankfulnes In steed of valiant King Agamemnon They all agreed with one consent and voice Of King Pallamides to make their choice To beare the rule and gouernment of all The Grecian hoast and with most great applause Gaue him the state and name of Generall To rule and gouerne them by Martiall lawes Like as the worthy King Agamemnon Had done before with great discretion Which done they brake vp counsell for that day And euery man vnto his tent did goe But when Achilles who then wounded lay Sore sicke within his tent thereof did know And heard how they all with one will and voice Of King Pallamides had made there choise He was much grieu'd thereat and flatly sayd Agamemnon in his opinion Much fitter was the place still to haue had Then th' other and that their Election In that case was not good nor commendable Nor by their Martiall law available Because t' was done without consent of all The Princes in the hoast he being one Whom they did neither summon nor yet call To be with them at their Election And did esteem't to him a great offence That they did make that choise in his absence And for that cause he was exceeding wroth And chaâ—ed sore but t' was to little end For whether he therewith was leefe or loth They would no eare vnto his speeches lend For no Election more the Grecians would For that time make But sayd it should so hold CHAP. II. ¶ How King Priamus in person issued out of Troy with a puissant â—â—ast to reuenge Hectors death and fought most valiantly against the Grecians THe time of truce aforesayd being out The next ensuing morrow Priamus Though old in yeares yet valorous and stout Of heart was in his mind desirous Against the Grecians valiantly to fight T'reuenge the death of Hector if he might Which when the Troians knew and did behold Their aged Kings great courage and his might They were exceeding glad and sayd they would Aduenture life and lim with him to fight Against the Greeks and therefore euery one Did arme himselfe with resolution That day to issue forth with Priamus And those of Troy that armor bare as then Were as my Author Dares â—elleth vs An hundred and iust fiftie thousand men Besides all those of other countries That ayded him against his enemies And first into the field went Deiphobus And after him his brother Paris led The second ward the third King Priamus Then Menon and Aeneas followed And last of all Pollidamas did goe The rere-ward to conduct in warlike shoe And that same day vpon the Grecians side With mighty troopes all in good order set Pallamides with heart replcat with pride The Troians in the field most brauely met And when the Battailes ioynd on either side King Priam to Pallamides did â—ide And like a worthy Prince of great renowne Most valiantly vnhorst him with his launce And cleane out of his sadle bare him downe Vnto the ground and forward did aduance Himselfe and road among the Grecians And with his trenchant blade in both his hands So heawd beat downe and mightily ore-run The Grecians in the field where he did ride That they for feare his puissant blowes did shun And durst not in his furious sight abide And them so fast and cruelly did slay That wheresoere he road they made him way And shund his sword he was so furious For all that day he fought so valiantly And shewd himselfe so strong and valorous That wonder t' was he could so puissantly And long in field against his foes endure Being of so great an age for t is most sure That by his valor great and puissant might Which he that time couragiously did shoe He put the proud and haughtie Greeks to flight His Sonne Deiphobus valiantly also That followed him so fiercely on them set That he did kill and beat downe all he met King Sarpedon
preserue you seeme with carelesnesse Not to respect and to obscure the light Of your renowne which euer was so cleare And through the world did shine exceeding bright In field to fight with vs you do forbeare Remember how the Grecians haue been slaine Before your tent and also in the plaine In cruell wise and euery place throughout The field and you no pittie on them take Why should you then refuse and be so stout Without a cause them whollie to forsake Who vntill now haue been their Champion Their chiefest helpe and their protection And for their sakes haue osten shedyour blood Against their foes when they with theÌ„ haue fought And by your aid not onely them withstood But their confusion valiantlie â—aue wrought And mightilie their enemies did assaile Without whose aid they may not long prevaile Against their foes no more may any one Of vs how stout and strong so ere we bee For t is you onlie that can do 't alone If that you will vouchsafe with vs t' agree To fight against the Troyans and thereto Lend vs your aid as you were woont to do And as we doubt not but you 'le grant the same To succour vs in our necessity Nâ—◠〈◊〉 for your owne perpetuall fame But to redeeme vs from extreamitie And to that end we come to you as now To craue of you your mind herein to show Whereto Achilles presentlie began Assoone as ere Ulisses ended had His tale to speake with visage pale and wan For angâ—â— and in this sort answere made Ulisses if so be our meaning were As you to me at this time do declare Of purpose and with one entire consent The famous towne of Troy to overthrow And vtterlie to spoile't and that we bent Our minds thereto and thereby meant to show Our power and might I must you plainly tell That we of truth therein haue not done well To put cur selues by indiscretion So carelesly without advisednes Into so dangerous an action To hazard the estate and happines With liues and goods of all the Chivalry Of Greece that put the same in ieopardy For little cause or none the truth to tell For hath â—ot many a worthie King and Knight Who both in fame and honor did excell Consum'd his wealth and lost his life in fight Here in this siege that might haue liu'd in peace And honor still if he had staid in Greace For hath not King Pallamides been slaine But now of late whose life was of more worth Then all the cause for which we here remaine And hold this dangerous siege to tell the troth And many other Knights and Princes great That on both sides are here together met To shew their puissant valor and their might And to attaine to honor and to fame Haue lost their liues vnhappily in fight And many more are like to do the same If that long time this cruell warre doth last For euery day the number lesneth fast Both on the Greeks and Troyans side likewise So that if this most cruell rage and mood Continue long and in such furious wise If that it be not otherwise withstood It 's likely that it will such hauocke make Of Princely bloud that clownes will vndertake To rule and gouerne here vpon the earth And of the same haue sole dominion And such as are of no degree nor birth Will Lords become when Princes there are none For is not Hector that most valiant Knight That was the onlie mirror and the light Of Chivalrie vnfortunatelie slaine In this same warre and so may I likewise Perchance be kild that neuer shall attaine To Hectors worth while light is in mine eâ—es For there 's no way deaths furious dart to shun If we vpon the point thereof will run And seeke it of our selues while we are here And therefore such a motion now to make Concerning this our warre as you require Is but in vaine for I do meane to take Another course and in this bloudy strife No more to stand in hazard of my life For I had rather to impaire my name Then wilfully to die or to be slaine Thereby to be eternized by fame For honor after death is but a vaine And needlesse thing and soone is set aside For though that fame be spred both far wide Obliuion and forgetfulnes may soone Impaire't by tract of times length of daies And make thereof a wrong conclusion For that the fame of Knighthood and the praise Of honor wisedome and of worthines Of freedome bounty and of gentlenes Of vertue and of euery other grace Wherewith a man is in this world endowd Forgetfulnesse can darken and deface And in oblivions mantle doth them shrowd And with a false report maliciously Doth crop the Palmâ— of worthy Chivalrie And therefore for my part I do intend Such folly now to leaue and henceforth liue In peace and all mine actions thereto bend And for that cause this counsell to you giue To make a peace with Troyans if you may And therein do no longer time delay Before that further mischiefe doth arise And cruell death should chance to be your share And therefore good my Lords if you be wise Of this my counsell see you take some care This is said he my purpose and intent Which you may show to him that hath you sent With which his resolute conclusion Ulisses Diomede and Nestor went Vnto their Generall Agamemnon And vnto him declared the intent And answere of Achilles which he made To them as I before vnto you said And there vpon he presently did call The Princes of the Greeks vnto his tent And when they were assembled to them all Did show whereto Achilles mind was bent And that he was desirous of a peace With them of Troy that all their warre might cease Refusing flatlie t' enter in the field With them against the Troyans any more And for that cause a counsell with them held To know of them what will thereto they bore And what therein they did intend to do Sith that the case with them as then stood so Whereto the first of them that did reply Was Menelaus who with an angry mood Began to chafe and flatlie did denie To make a peace and therein boldlie stood And said that it was never his intent By any meanes thereto to giue consent Sith that the towne of Troy was in such need And at the brinke of their destruction Now Hector and Deiphobus both were dead That whilome were their sole protection So that they might all comfort cleane reiect And nothing else but cruell death expect And therefore flatlie said without all feare Though that Achilles will vs helpe no more The burthen of our enterprise to beare We need not any whit to doubt therefore But that without him we shall overthrow Our enmies by our force as well I know Whereto Ulisses speedilie repli'd And Nestor both of one opinion And gainst his false assertion iustifi'd That touching peace whereof the motion As
then was made it was no maruaile why King Menelaus did it so much denie And to the same by no meanes would giue eare Sith that he was the ground of all their warre And that he and Queene Helena both were The cause that made the Greeks to come so farre Out of their natiue Countrie there to lose Their liues goods amongst their deadly foes And therefore said he cared not what paine Nor losse the Greeks endur'd so that he might Recouer his Queene Helena againe And where he saith the strong and valiant knight Hector is dead his heire as yet doth liue For knighthood who in manner doth reviue And raise him vp which is his yonger brother Prince Troyelus whome we may rightlie call Yong Hector for there is not such another In all the world for he 's as 't were the wall And sole defence of Troy now Hector's gone Which is well seene vnto vs euery one If we the truth thereof acknowledged Whose trechant blade in his most furious heat Doth oft and euerie hower make vs bleed Within the field when he with vs doth meet And in the stead of worthie Deiphobus That was a puissant knight and valorous His valiant brother Paris yet doth liue That 's vnto him for knighthood peregall Who also doth Troy mightilie relieue Whereby of them advantage none at all We haue as yet so that since we begun This warre in truth there is but little woone By vs but we are likelier to loose Yet more and more if we it still â—â— hold And therefore sith that we haâ—e power to choose My counsell is t were good if that we would T' agree with them of Troy and seeke for peace And let vs from this bloudie warre surcease Ulisses hauing spoken in this wise The Troyan traitor Calohas vexed sore To heare the same vpon his feet did rise And forthe hatred which to Troy he bore Said worthy Kings and Princes euery one Why should you change varie like the Moone From that your first and resolute intent Which was by you so fully greed vnto Against the will and the commandement Oâ— all the Gods that power haue to do What ere they list and rule and governe all The actions of man-kind both great small Why should you not vnto them credite giue Whose hests and doings are infallible For this you must all constantly belieue That t is most true and not impossible That Troy by their preordinance and will Shall be destroyd within a little while If you do not neglect and slacke the same Whereby great honor praise and victory Reserued is for you by Lady Fame And will be euer had in memory If you with courage bold pursue your foes And do not your good fortune fondly lose The which I dare affirme and boldly say And further must you tell that wilfully To dallie with the Gods is th'onlie way To make them change their purpose speedilie Wherefore my counsell is that vnitie Should be maintaind and all amb'guitie Dispaire and dread or any kind of doubt Forecasting perill sloath or cowardise Cleane laid aside you should with hearts most stout And valiant courage vtterlie despise All feare of death and once againe resume Your force with resolution to consume And spoile your foes for feare makes men to faint And leaue the enterprise they take in hand And doth mens minds with cowardise attaint And make them that they dare not thereto stand That as the Gods ordaind haue by decree And providence divine that you should bee Victorious ore your enemies in th' end If you with valiant hearts thereto aspire You may attaine to that you do pretend And so you shall fulfill the Gods desire Which speech when Calchas with smooth words faire Had spoken and thereby put all despaire Out of the Grecians hearts they did protest And vow that feare and danger laid aside They would fulfill his counsell and nere rest Though that Achilles flatly them denide His aid therein till that they had orethrowne The Troyans as hereafter shall be showne The two months truce aforesaid finished The Grecians did prepare themselues to fight Against their foes and brauely entered Into the field gainst whome in great despight The Troyan Knights with hearts couragious Did issue forth At which time Troyelus Such valor shewd that with his trenchant blade He kild and wounded them so furiouslie That in short space to flie he had them made For that day in his extreame crueltie He vowed for his brother Hectors sake Vpon the Grecians full revenge to take And as t is said that worthie Champion By his exceeding valor and his might Did slay a thousand Knights himselfe alone And put the Grecians valiantlie to flight All that day long till Phoebus did descend At which time he of fighting made an end And entred into Troy whereas he rested Till next day that the Grecians who t'revenge Their losse vpon the Troyans had protested Did orderly their wings and squadrons renge Assoone as Phoebus rose within the plaine With whome the Troyans fiercelie met againe Where each the other valiantlie assaild At which time fierce King Diomede did fight So cruellie and then so much preuaild Against his foes that by his passing might Great store of Troyans lost their liues and died Till Troyelus his crueltie espied At whome with speed he ran a mightie pace And with his strong and puissant speare in rest Encountred with him brauely face to face And gaue to him a blow vpon the brest So mightilie and with such passing force That with the same he smote him off his horse And bruis'd him sore To whom in spightfull wise As he vpon the ground did lie he spake And told him of his loue and treacheries Which he gainst him had wrought for Cresids sake At which time when the Grecians did espie King Diomede vpon the ground to lie Amongst the horses feet in great distresse They did with all the hast and speed they might To saue him from stout Troielus furiousnes Take him vp from the ground and in despight Of all his foes sore brused and dismaid Bare him from thence and in his tent him laid Whom to reuenge King Menelaus did set His speare in rest and furiously did ride To Troielus but ere with him he met Fierce Troielus that his comming would not bide Prevented him with such a furious blow That to the ground he did him ouerthrow And gaue him therewith all a cruell wound Within his brest that he was like to die But when his Knights saw him vpon the ground They layd him on a shield and speedily Bare him out of the presse into his tent At which time while away with him they went The Greeks were sore oppressed slaine and chast Throughout the field by Troilus passing might Who then most fiercely them pursued fast That they were forst to take themselues to flight Vntill such time as King Agamemnon With many Grecian Knights came riding down Into the field whose
may with speed vpon the same agree Where thou well arm'd in secret wise shalt stand With certaine knights and readie be at hand To kill him there while he for me doth stay Where let him of his death be surelie sped And see that by no meanes he scape away Out of thy hands vntill that he be dead Which I thee heartly pray as 't is my will Effectuall for my sake to fulfill And see thou failest not to do the same Whereto he did agree and presentlie Against Achilles to the Temple came With twentie valiant knights there secretly Did stay Meane time Queene Hecuba did send A messenger t' Achilles to that end As she with Paris had determined By whome she made him certainlie belieue That she did meane and fullie purposed Her daughter Policene to him to giue And at his comming would as she did say Agree twixt them vpon the marriage day Where to he did most willinglie consent As he that no suspition had in mind Of treason for his heart it was so bent And set on fire with loue that he was blind And could not see nor yet perceiue at all By reason and aduise what might be fall To him by going into Troy so soone At her request he had offended so By killing of her Sons as he had done But hap what would needs thither would he go As louers all are fond and despratly No perill shun although that they should die T' enioy the thing wherewith in loue they are Their maladie it is so furious Vntill they are intrapped in a snare And so Achilles and Archilogus Duke Nestors Son that bare him company Did goe to Troy and entring presently Into the Temple of Apollo went Where Paris with his Knights for him did stay In secret wise with purpose fully bent Him there as he deserued had to slay And sodainly assoone as he was in T' assaile him altogether did begin By night as some do say but when so ere The same was done when as Achilles saw Himselfe assaild abandoning all feare He did his sword out of his scabberd draw And in short space despight of all their mights In furious wise he slew seuen Troyan knights And did defend himselfe so valiantly Against them then although they were so many And with them fought with such dexterity That long it was ere vantage they bad any On him at all till Paris who as then Stood watching oportunitie and when He saw Achilles such resistance make Tooke vp a Dart and aim'd at him so well And so directly that therewith he strake Him through the heart and therewith all he fell With pale and deadly face vpon the ground And body mangled sore with many a wound And so was slaine his treason to requite As reason is that such as traitors are And while they liue in treachery delight Should at the last fall in the selfe same snare Which they for others had prepar'd And thus Achilles and with him Archilogus Were slaine by Paris in the Temple at Queene Hecubaes desire and request Who presently did giue commandment that Their bodies in the Temple should not rest And made them to be drawne out of the bounds Thereof and to be throwne vnto the hounds Loe here the iust reward of treachery And of deceit which while he liued he Delighted in and how with equitie God punisheth all such as traitors be For reason is that he that seeks t' obtaine His will by treason should likewise againe With treason be requited for his paine As false Achilles was that tooke delight In treason while he liu'd and so was staine Within Apollos Temple in the night But yet their bodie were not as t is said Although that they in th' open streets were laid That with great ioy the Troyans might them see Devour'd by hounds as by commandment Of Hecuba they were ordaind to be For Helena vnto King Priam went And on her knees of him did humbly craue Their bodies from that cruelty to saue Who willinglie did therevnto consent And caus'd them to be kept as she desir'd Till that King Agamemnon to him sent A messenger and leaue of him requir'd To fetch them and to giue them buriall The which he did for whome in generall The Grecians did such extreame sorrow make And were so much discomforted therefore That in great feare each vnto other spake And said alas now farewell euermore Our trust our hope our ioy our confidence Our welfare and our soueraigne defence Sith valorous Achilles now is dead For he in knighthood did so much excell That while he liu'd we neuer stood in dread To overcome this towne but now full well We may both feare and plainlie say that we Nere in our liues shall masters thereof be And while that they such sorrow great did make And plunged were in extreame doubts feares For their great Champion fierce Achilles sake Agamemnon two costly Sepulchers For workemanship most rare and curious Caus'd to made one for Archilogus The other for Achilles wherein they Intombed were with great solemnitie In Paynim wise and both vpon a day To shew the whole particularity And manner of their ancient buriall Were over-long to trouble you withall It shall suffice to tell that they did make Much sorrow and endur'd great heauinesse For death of them and how in mournfull blacke They brought them to their graues to expresse Their woefulnes with heauie heart and mood Some threw sweet gums some cast milk blood Into the funerall fires and how they made Playes which by them were called palestrall And wrastrings at the wakes and how they had Great store of customes ceremoniall At burials of the dead the which much more Then needfull were to tell as now therefore I le leaue herewith And vnto you declare How therevpon King Agamemnon sent For all the Grecian Princes that then were Within the hoast to come vnto his tent And when they all assembled were therein And orderly set downe he did begin To speake to them and said my Lords t is now No time to moue nor need t' encourage your Against your Troyan foes sith that you know And too well find by good experience how Vnconstant fortune hath now chang'd her face And sodenly cleane altered our case And fild your hearts with rage and iust despight To thinke vpon the murther horrible Of late done to Achilles which in sight Of God and man is foule and odible Despightfully by Hecuba the Queene For which I thinke it shortlie shall be seene If that within your valiant hearts there be Or resteth any man-hood force or wit To make a vertue of necessitie And to refraine till that occasion fit To take revenge therefore and t'recompence The iniurie despight and great offence Vnto you done and giuen thereby fall out As reason t is it should requited be For very beasts insensible no doubt Would do the same in like extremitie But yet as you are wise and prouident I would faine know your
To keepe them from the Grecians cruelty And Menalus Queene Helena did saue As she for whom with such hostilitie He had been cause to moue that bloody warre And for whom long in heart he had such care The Greeks the while with hot and ragingire Neare ceast to breake and furiously pull downe The walles to consume and burne with fire The howses rich buildings in the towne So that therein they left nothing vpright Nor vndefac'd but with most great despight Destroyed all without exception Of any place or person whatsoere Vnlesse t were those which by condition They had before protested to forbeare And did belong and appertaine vnto Aeneas and all those that did vnto The treason by them practised consent And from their fury great would not forbeare That day till King Agamemnon had sent For all the Grecian Princes that were there To meet in Pallas Temple Vnto whome When they therein were altogether come He asked them if they would constantly Obserue their faith and promise made to those By whom they had obtaind that victory Which they so long had sought against their foes And what they would with all the treasure do Which they within the towne had won Wherto They answered that for their promise made And truely sworne vnto by them they would In each respect obserue it well and sayd That all the gould and treasure gotten should By iust diuision be distributed To euery man as he had merited Of what degree estate or dignity Soere he was and that it should be done By him without all partialitie So that mong them there might not any one Haue cause to be offended nor to blame Him for the true division of the same Which done while they within the Temple staid Some speech about Queene Helena did rise Whereto when some had answere made and sayd Their minds therein as they could best aduise King Thelaphus with great seuerity Sayd that she well deserued had to die For whom so many men their liues had lost And vrged that she might haue iudgement giuen That as they dyed for her it should her cost Her life likewise that day ere it was euen Which many more of them agreed vnto And cause for her there was so much adâ— Agamemnon and Menalus sat still And durst not speake one word to saue her life Least that the Greeks in â—ury should her kill There was mong them as then so great a strife Till that Ulisses with much Eloquence And good perswasions made in her defence Did satisfie them all so well in th' end That they contented were that she should liue And ceasing more about her to contend To Mâ—nalus they did her freely giue And when their Generall Agamemnon Perceiued that they were agreed theron He made request to them that they would giue Cassandra vnto him for recompence Of all his paines and sayd while she did liue He would her keepe and when they went froÌ„ theÌ„ce Take her with him and they contented were It should be so And then before them there Aeneas and Aâ—â—henor to them told And iustified it vpon their oath That Helenus King Priams Son nere would Agree vnto the war but still was loath That Priamus his Father and the rest Should take the same in hand and did his best To let it by his counsell and aduise And how that by the mediation Of him and of Cassandera the wise Whose hearts were moued with compassion Achilles murthered body was not made A prey for hounds as Hecuba had said That it should be and further that they were Much grieued for the murther and likewise For many other matters that were there Don in the towne contrary to thâ—aduise Which they from time to time had giuen to those That of the war had order to dispose To whom because that they were innocent Of all the wrongs that to the Greeks were don They graunted with one voice and full consent That they should haue a full remission And pardon of their liues Then Helenâ—â— With humble voyce and visage piteous Fell on his knees with great submission And thanking them for pardon to him giuen Submissiuely besought Agamemnon With many salt and brinish teares that euen As he had freely pardoned his offence For which he could make him no recompence He would be pleasd to haue compassion Vpon the silly blood of children And with a gratious eye to looke vpon The sons of valiant Hector who as then Nere had don wrong to him nor any other And that he would vouchsafe theÌ„ with their mother His widow left all comfortles alone A pardon of their liues and liberty To whom the King mou'd with compassion At his request did graunt securitie Of life and lim and licence free to go Whereas they list the like he did vnto The rest of all the women then in Troy That in the Grecian furie were not slaine And gaue to them free liberty t' enioy Their dwellings there or else-where to remaine Within the land for which most humbly They gaue him thanks with many aioyfull crie Which done the King with all the Grecians went Out of the Church and presently agreed To leaue the towne and to that end they sent Their treasure and their men aboord with speed Intending to returne to Greece againe But such a sodaine storme of wind raine With great and hideous tempests did arise Vpon the surging seas and such fowle weather Of thunder and of lightning in the skies Continued for one whole moneths space together That none of them durst with their ships aducÌ„ture That dangerous time into the seas to enter But were constraind vpon the land to tarry Till beâ—â—er wind and weather did ensue And finding it still more and more contrary They asked Calchas counsell if he knew What those great stormes tempests signified That them so long of passage had denied Who told them that those stormes tempests fell By prouidence Diuine that had provokt The vgly fowle and furious fiends of Hell To moue the same and could not be reuok't Nor yet would cease till they were punished By death that had Achilles murthered And that their God Apollo angry was Because thereby his Temple they did staine With blood and that therefore they should not paâ— Till they had pleased him with blood againe Which must be done by offering Pollicene Who by her extreame beauty cause had beene And th' obiect of that cruell murther don Vpon Achilles body to apease And giue Apollo satisfaction The which he sayd if they would haue the seas Propice they must needs do ere they went thencee To take away all causes of offence This answere made fierce Pyrrhus sought about In euery place for Pollicene but could By no meanes heare of her nor find her out Till some man at the last vnto him told That she was closely kept and hidden by Aeneas and Anthenor priuely Whereby so great a rumor suddenly Arose gainst them that by that meanes they were In danger
may be â—eard And that you with reason iudge and be Vnpartiall in this case twixt him and me And first consider well and way withall That while you here so long in siedge did tarry I onely out of Messa brought you all Prouision that for you was necessary That you no want of victuals might sustaine By any meanes while you did here remaine And further as concerning feats of armes Performed in the field in Knightly wise I euer ready was at all alarmes And daylie fought against our enemies And as I am assurd full well kild more Of them then those that greater countnance bore You also know that I slew Philomen To whom King Priam sent his youngest Son To keepe with store of treasure great and when I had him slaine and all that riches won I brought it vnto you and therewith did Relieue you much and did supplie your need And sor your sakes I slew the Frizian King And store of gold and treasure from him won And all those spoiles vnto the Campe did bring You likewise further know what I haue don T' augment and to aduance your soueraignty By conquering two kingdomes valianly While you in siedge here lay and did them ad Vnto your puissant Empire and likewise The prouinces to Troy annexed made All Subiect vnto you What otherwise I with Achilles did t' increase your fame I know that you cannot forget the same And therefore needles t were for me to say Or shew you all I could produce to proue My merits more then his do euery way Deserue a greater recompence and loue Of you And therefore whatsoere he saith No right vnto Palladion he hath The iudgement in this case I do referre Vnto you all the which that you may know The better how to giue you first shall heare His qualities which I will to you show In him there is no manner worthines Knight-hood valor nor yet hardines For when time serues that he should in a need Shew forth his might he dates not enterprize That which he boasts but proues as he 's indeed A coward right as plainely with your ciâ—s You see ther 's iâ— him nought but craâ—tines Words many falsehood decâ—â—â—fulnes For he is still in heart imagining How to effect by craft and subtilty His purpose and the same to passe to bring T' intrap and to deceaue his enemy For never any thing as yet there was By him archieu'd nor fully brought to passe For which he well deserued praise or laud But it was done it's knowne vnto you all By some devise of treachery or fraud For like vnto a goodly painted wall He makes a faire and pleasing outward show But no man can his inward meaning know And by such sleights deceit and pollicy He got the Image cald Palladion And thereby to our shame and villany It may be said the conquest we haue woone Vpon the towne by treason gotten was And not by our great knighthood brought to passe The onely cause whereof as I haue said Ulisses is for he vnto our shame This stumbling blocke hath in our honor laid And thereby much ecclipsed all our fame The truth thereof sith all of you do know I le leaue for this time more of him to show And of you all my Lords together craue You iudgements which of vs deserveth best For his deserts the jmage faire to haue That for the same we may no more contest Which words thus vsed by King Thelaphus Ulisses having heard with mind suspicious And seeing how with envie great he was Incenst and mou'd gainst him with good advise He bare with him a while and let ore-passe His choller and as he was passing wise Determing no iest thereof to make To answere him on this wise to him spake And said with countance bold before his face My Lords if that I may haue leaue to speake I hope before we part out of this place And yet intend no peace thereby to breake To proue directly that with equitie The jmage onely doth belong to me Which I will keepe and hold while I do liue Despight of all that thereto dare say nay And first for proofe this instance I do giue That at the siege wherein so long we lay In double wise I did my selfe acquit As well by valor great as by my wit For by advise I was the onely man T' intrap them in a snare and for your good Devis'd the meanes and way whereby we wan The towne of Troy which otherwise had stood And flourisht to this day and truth to tell As it is not vnknowne to all full well If you will speake vprightly and with reason I dare avouch though Thelaphus saith no I was chiefe cause of their confusion How often of Embassage did I go To make the treatie with them in such wise As I for our advantage could devise And when I saw that all that we had done Was but in vaine the towne of Troy to win And that for vs advantage there was none While that the holy Image was therein By my advise so subtillie I wrought That I to you Mineruaes Image brought Which Thelaphus maliciously doth say That to your great dishonour and your shame By treacherie I brought it thence away And thereby much imblemished your fame But sith you are so wise I pray you take The quarrell now in hand and thereof make An end betweene vs twaine and so prouide That th'jmage at this time may iudged be All fauour whatsoever laid aside To him that it deserues and as for me I le stand to your award Which having said He paused and from speaking further staid Whereat with courage great King Thelaphus In heart and mind exceeding lie much mou'd Respecting no man there in furious And raging wise despightfullie reprou'd And chafed at Vlisses with disdaine And he at him replide with like againe Whereby they two great enemies became And into hard and bitter tearmes did fall And threatning each the other for the same King Thelaphus in presence of them all Said that before they two did end that strife It should vnto Vlisses cost his life By his hands if he did not well defend Himselfe Which when the Grecian Princes heard The quarrell grown between them two to end The matter was by all of them deferd And wholly put to th'arbitration Of Menalus and King Agamemnon Which afterward did breed a mortall iarre For when they two considered had thereon They iudged cause Ulisses t'whom they bare Affection great the jmage faire had woon He should possesse the same as his reward And Thelaphus from claime thereof debard The reason that made them therein preferre Ulisses and King Thelaphus to thwart Was for because they both beholding were To him for that he friendly tooke their part When as the Greeks bout Helen were at strife To haue her kild and he to saue her life Perswaded them so well that they content To let her liue to Menalus her gaue When Thelaphus with furie gainst her
Fell at debate with them for they devis'd A tale the which they told him and surmis'd That which was never practised nor wrought By any one of all the Greeks not yet In any wise imagined nor thought By them though he for truth belieued it For they told him that while the Grecians were Before the towne of Troy that falslie there Pallamides his sonne was murthered By night as he within his bed did lie The which they said was done by Diomede And false Ulisses with great crueltie Which truth to say and giue to them their due They never did for it was most vntrue They also did most confidentlie tell The King that all the Princes did consent Vnto that deed and knew thereof full well Although there was nere any such intent And specially that King Agamemnon And Menalus were by when it was done But all they said was false and nothing so Yet nere the lesse they did the king perswade So well that he gaue credite therevnto And verilie belieu'd the Grecians had Conspir'd the death and the destruction Of valiant King Pallamides his son And better to averre their false report They fain'd said that letters twaine were sent Out of the towne which treason did import And said that King Pallamides was bent To favor them of Troy and that he had Receau'd a sum of gold of them and made Condition more to haue so that he would Delay the time and cause their enemie To leaue the siege and for them only hold And more to make their matter good did lie And said they found the letters in the field Enclosed fast within a Troyans shield That in the fight was flaine and that thereby The whoâ—e contents of all the treason wrought And practis'd by the Troyans secretly With King Pallamides to light was brought And though that he was guiltles of the same The Grecians more to slaunder and to blame They said Ulisses falsly practised With one that on Pallamides did wayt And him with gold and words most faire so fed That at the last he caught him with a bait And got him to agree and be content To grant to his request and giue consent To take a bag of gold and secretly By night convay the same into the bed Whereas his Lord Pallamides did lie Which he accordingly accomplished And to make all seem true the gold then laid Within the bed was so much as was said Pallamides receaued had in hand That when the matter once in question came He should not well gainst his accusers stand It being found and prou'd to be the same Iust summe of gold the which was specifi'd In those two letters in the Targat hid Which being found and to the Grecians told They were to vproare moued in such wise Concerning those two letters and the gold That they did in a muttering arise And all together ran with one consent In furious wise vnto the royall tent Wherein the king that innocent and cleane Of that suppos'd offence then was remaind And little knew what they thereby did meane And would by no intreaty be restraind To stay but when before him there they stood Like vnto men that had been mad or wood They did begin against lowd to crie And bitterly to raile and chafe withall And by no meanes their rage would pacifie But readie were on him therefore to fall And specially the kings Agamemnon And Menalus with indignation Against him in their hearts conceaued than Without advise or any care at all Of his estate or high degree began For iustice there beâ—ore the Greeks to call The which when king Pallamides perceau'd And saw what malice they gainst him conceau'd At first he was somewhat therewith abast But presently againe without all feare He stood vp on his feet and at the last When as he saw how hot at him they were And that they still persisted that he shold Condemned be To show his courage bold And valor great he flatly did deny That which by them on him was falsly layd And swore before them all it was a lie For proofe whereof he offer made and said That he his life would venture like a Knight With any whatsoere he were to fight In single combat hand to hand to try And proue by force that he no treason wrought Respecting not his Soveraigne dignity Nor royall bloud and them therefore besought To grant and giue consent that presently That day the combat might be fought thereby To find and know the truth if any one Against him durst within the field appeare Which proffer made they all stood mute and none Of all his foes that his accusers were The combate would accept for Diomede And King Ulisses authors of that deed Withdrew themselues and never did make proffer To take his gauntlet vp which he had laid Before them on the ground nor yet would offer To proue that which of him they falsly said Behind his backe but with a fained show Made as if they thereof did nothing know And for his part Ulisses craftily As 't was his common practise to dissemble With all men and to flatter faine and lie Wherein he did the serpent slie resemble That closely lyeth hidden in the grasse To sting and bite such as thereon do passe When as he heard Pallamides deny The treason to him laid and offer made To proue them false that would it iustifie He seemd as if therefore he had been glad And like a friend that meant nought else but well He did begin in double wise to deale And openly seemd him thereof t' excuse And gaue advise vnto the Greeks to cease From charging him with treason and to vse No more opprobrious speeches in that case And by that meanes appeaz'd their muteny And did perswade them that most certainly That accusation false and slanderous Vpon him was imposed wrongfully By some that had with hearts malicious Conspir'd to do him that great villany And to procure his everlasting shame Yet he himselfe was author of the same But when he saw he could not bring to passe That which he had devised to betray And charge him with that he a traitor was He subtilly found out another way Which by consent of Diomede he brought Vnto effect and in this wise he wrought He went vnto him late vpon a night And as a secret friend vnto him told First swearing him by th'onor of a knight Not to disclose that which reveale he shold That he could bring him to a place whereas Great store of gold and treasure hidden was That had to him been privately disclos'd And none else but himselfe thereof did know And that is lay within a well enclos'd Which as a friend he offred him to show So that he promise would that night to go Accompani'd with them two and no mo To fetch it secretly into his tent Which he belieuing all that they did say Agreed vnto and forth with them he went Vnto the well whereas he said it lay And
comming thither told them that he wold Go downe into the well to fetch the gold Supposing to haue found it there indeed But being downe into the bottome gone As they before between them had agreed When aid and succor for him there was none For vp againe himselfe he could not rise They stoned him to death in cruell wise And went their waies vnto their tents with speed Where down they laid themselues to take their ease As if that they had never done the deed And so they said that King Pallomides Was murthered by Ulisses treachery And Diomede and it was but a lie Deuis'd to slander them that guiltlesse were And also all the Grecians else beside For he was with an arrow slaine in warre By Paris while they did in siege abide But they that are to falshood wholly bent Can tales devise that nere were done nor ment And as for those two letters that were brought Out of the towne as by them was surmis'd No such thing by Pallamides was wrought It only was maliciously devis'd And nothing else but falshood vntroth Of purpose told to make king Naulus wroth And angry with the Greeks in generall Thereby to worke their ruine and decay And mou'd him for that cause on them to fall As they returned homeward on their way For presently king Naulus and his sonne Belieuing that such treason had beene done And wrought by Greeks as was vnto them told Did sweare and vow reveng'd to be therefore Vpon them by all waies and meanes they could And vnto them in heart such hatred bore That without any favor merciles When as the Greeks were on the surging seas And saild along the shore by Naulus land He caused fires to burne and set vp lights Vpon the coast the which on hills did stand And might be seene farre off in winter nights To make the Greeks to erre and go aside Out of the way for when they had espi'd The lights on shore and did not vnderstand The reason but supposing harbor neere They did direct their course vnto the land And thinking them for sea-marks placed there To shew them how to fall on land by night Without all feare they made vnto the light Whereby vpon the rockes sand they stroke And by that meanes two hundred ships they lost Which sodainly were all in pieces broke And cast away vpon king Naulus coast Which cost the life of many a worthy man And so to take revenge he first began Vpon the Grecians with destruction Of them and of their Navie huge and great But yet by fortune King Agamemnon Escaped death and safely home did get With Menalus King Diomed and more That followed them yet there was great store Of Earles Kings and Princes cast away At that same time But when as Oetes knew That they were gone and that he could not stay Them as he would he vowd some should it rew And presently imagined a wile Wherewith he did Agamemnon beguile By writing of a letter to his wife Which set so great contention tweene theÌ„ twaine That it did cost Agamemnon his life The letter did in it thus much containe That her deare Lord and king Agamemnon A great and mighty wrong to her had don The which could not but breed most extreame blame And detriment vnto her in the end Although she nere had merited the same The which he said was that he did intend A daughter of king Priamus to take To wife and would her vtterly forsake Though she surpast her much for excellence Of beauty and of comely feature That never had vnto him done offence Whereof he did her certainly assure And that it was his purpose and intent That she should into banishment be sent A thousand miles froÌ„ thence when he came home Advising her that she should warily Looke to her owne estate This was the sum And generall contents of that which he Within his letter sent vnto the Queene Although the king was innocent and cleane Of that which he to her did falsly write And loud her while he liu'd with all his heart And in none else but she did take delight Nor had no such intent from her to part But 't may be that the letter which he sent Made her to do more then she ever ment And to giue credite thervnto too soone Who thanked Oetes for his carefulnesse In her behalfe and his compassion Shewd therein to preserue her from distresse And yet as in the story you shall find She was a most false Lady and vnkind To him while he was absent in the warre But nerethelesse she was so diligent To looke vnto her selfe and to prepare A bait for him and thereby to prevent All mischiefe whatsoever might ensue To her by that which she thought to be true That finally she brought him to his end What trust can man repose in worldly glory Though all men to obtaine't their wits do bend Which proues to be so vaine and transitory Or in the wavering ioyes of prowd ambition Which sodainely are turned vpside downe Or flying fame that mounteth vp so hie And is orethrown in twinckling of an eie Or as vaine boasting of great victory That vanisheth away so sodainly Or in dissembling fortune most vniust In whom no man could ere so surely trust As that he might assure himselfe that she Would vnto him a constant friend remaine Gainst whom no man whats'euer that he be Can once resist or victory obtaine For on her wheele though he clime nere so fast Let him be sure shee le throw him downe at last Her favor's not to be relide vpon For she 's so full of mutability That he which doth repose his trust thereon Doth build vpon a meere vncertainty To day shee le be a friend and seeme to smile To morrow she will falsly men beguile Her pride is such she spareth no degree Great Emperors Kings Dukes Princes all are one With her for in their greatst felicity When they are plast in high and Princely throne And liue and raigne in honor and renowne For all their mighty power she casts theÌ„ downe As you may see by King Agamemnon Who while he liu'd so puissant was of state That mong the Greeks there was not any one Esteemd nor found to be more fortunate Nor greater yet for all his excellence He could not make resistance nor defence With all the power that on him did attend Against conspired murther nor prevent The treason wrought to bring him to his end Which his Queene Clytemnestra did invent And purposely deuise But he that knows All things on earth his iudgment often shows On such as take delight in murthering Of men which God doth vtterly forbid And specially the murthering of a king Which is so foule and horrible a deed That all the paine that Exion feâ—les in hell With other foule infernall spirits that dwell With Belzebub are not sufficient To take revenge nor punish such â—one As hath a heart so mischieuously bent For that
excedeth in comparison All other kinds of treason whatsoere And no man can vprightly with it beare But God will them assuredly confound And bring vnto an end vnfortunate For they are worse then Cerberns the hound Who though that he of malice doth vs hate He barks before he bites but such as lie In wait to kill a man will sodainly Assaile and set on him ere he 's aware But bloud so shead vndoubtedly doth crie To God for iust revenge on those that are The actors and will fall assuredly On them which though sometimes he doth prolong Yet he is iust and punisheth all wrong Done vnto every man but specially To mighty Kings as this Agamemnon In his time was of such authority That comparable to him there was none In all the Grecian campe but fate so wrought That when vnto his house he came thought To liue in peace he should there end his life By vnexpected murther which was done By policy and mischiefe of his wife For that when to the shore he came assoone As ever foot vpon the land he set In seemely wise Clytemnestra with him met Who outwardly with countenance bening And friendly show did welcome him with much Great courtesie and honour whome the King In loving wise embrast and thought no such False treason had vnto him then been ment And straight with her vnto his Pallace went Where she no whit respecting faithfull vow Nor promise made in wedlocke set aside All duety and respect she ought to show Vnto the king and shamelesly vntide The knot of loue and proued so vnkind That she did set her heart and all her mind Vpon a knight that in her favor stood Whose name Egistus was though truth to tell He neither came of noble birth nor blood Nor yet in armes nor knighthood did excell But cause he did his businesse well by night She tooke in him such pleasure and delight That he her loue from all men else had wone Which moued her her husbands blood to shed And for because she could not he alone She made him her copartner in her bed And by him at the last a Daughter had Cald Exion and promise to him made Vpon the paine of loosing of her head That should be her Lord and King when as Her husband King Agamemnon was dead The which accordingly to bring to passe Agamemnon next night by him was slaine Whereof the Queene exceeding glad faine No longer time delayd but presently Did marry with Egistus and did bring His purpose so to passe by treachery That he was of Messena crowned King And gaue him thereof full possession And thereby disinherited her Son And lust with her abounded in such wise That reason bore no sway within her mind For they are alwaies deadly enemies And wrong and falshood now more favor find Then equity true dealing righteousnes Honor estate desert or worthinesse For by her beastly foule adultery A sin which never raignes in man alone She practised with false conspiracie To murther her deare Lord wrong her Sonne And thereby heapt one sin vpon another Which down to hell with her did sinke together And to her did erelasting woe procure Which she full well deserued for her paine Who can himselfe here in this life assure When Kings in traiterous wise are falsly slaine To make and stirre vp alteration In kingdomes great by wrong succession Which they that are the authors may pretend To do with colour of some equitie But God the Iudge of Iudges in the end Will right all false intrusions speedily On those that seeke by force and violence To wrong such as nere did to them offence For though thereby she thought her selfe secure As having all the Country at command And dreamt long in that happy state t' endure Yet she cold not the punishment withstand Which God for her prepar'd for when 't was known That she her selfe s'vnnaturall had shown Vnto her Lord and King Agamemnon As so to murther him and afterward So falsly disinherited her Sonne And had him from his lawfull right debard Her Son that was of yong and tender age Horestus cald to shun his mothers rage Was secretly convaid and sent away Out of the Land by King Taltabius Into the Isle of CreetÌ„e where he did stay And nourisht was by King Idumeus And Carkasis his Queene whose onely heire A daughter was of beauty passing faire Climenea cald and by them vs'd as well As their owne child where he continued Till he waxt great and did in armes excell And with him thence a puissant army led To conquere his inheritance by might Which false Egistus held without all right And equity from him But for a while I le let him stay where he was nourished In tender yeares for I must change my stile And tell you somewhat of king Diomed Who for his part likewise great woe endur'd The which to him was enviously procur'd And falsly brought to passe by Oetes traine Which he for him and many others more Prepared had of malice and disdaine Which he vnto the Grecian Princes bore To take revenge on them for murthering Pallamides the which to passe to bring Though 't were vntrue yet he and Naulus both Perswaded otherwise would 't not belieue But in their minds conceaued so much wrath And hatred gainst the Greeks that to bereaue Them of their liues was all their care thought Thus gainst the said king Diomed they wrought Within the great and spacious Grecian land There was a mighty kingdome long and large Which towards the Easterne parts therof did stand Composed of Calidoâ—ie and Arge Both ioynd in one abounding in great store Of wealth whereof he that the scepter bore And raignd therein Polentus had to name To whome his wife a son daughter bare The sonne Assandrus called was whose fame Both far and neere was spred for knighthood rare His daughter faire the name of Egra bore Who cause he had two children and no more He did vpon his death bed so provide That when he should depart the world All strife they two his kingdome should divide to cease Betweene them and together liue in peace Whose daughter afterward he being dead Was married vnto king Diomed. Who while he did at Troy in siege remaine Lou'd Cressida that Calchas daughter was And for her sake endur'd much griefe and paine But I will let his loue to her orepasse As nothing to the matter pertinent Who not long after they were married went Vnto the siege of Troy accompanied With Assandrus her brother who together Vpon the seas out of the way were led And driven too and fro with stormie weather And cleane contrary wind they had which bore Them forcibly vpon Boetia shore Whereas they did as glad a while to stay And rest themselues take land there remaine Till Thelaphus the King thereof heard say That they were there and thereat much disdaind Because that they to land thereon would venter Before that he did
her selfe and to that end Determining him home againe to call A messenger with speed to him did send And to him by her letters signified That whereas she had wrongtully deny'd Him enterance into his Land when he Returned from the siege of Troy she said That she with all her whole Nobilitie Submissiuely for pardon crau'd and praid Him to come home againe into his land Which news when he from her did vnderstand Remitting all offences whatsoere Vnto him done he was content to do As she desir'd and with her fault to beare As being more of mercy mou'd thereto Then iustice which doth wrongs with force requite And as he was a wise and courteous knight When he did by her letters vnderstand Her meaning and intent he thought it best To stint all strife therefore out of hand Did willingly graunt vnto their request And speedily returned home agene And reconcild was vnto his Queene And for his part all wrongs forgotten were And pardoned to his Nobility And after that he liued long time there In high estate and great felicity And with his Queene a happy life did lead But cause no more of him I further read I will leaue off to speake of him as now And vnto Duke Aeneas turne my stile And of him briefely tell vnto you how When he in Troy remained had a while To aid them with Diomed spent Some time therein with many men he went Aboord his Troian ships well furnished Of all things that for him were necessary And hoysing sayles put vnto sea with speed And prosperous wind till it began to varry And made the seas to storme waues to rise And mount aloft almost vnto the skies And hauing many dangers ouerpast And sayled many miles along the coast He did ariue at Carthage at the last When he his wife by Fortune strange had lost But to declare all that to him befell And seuerally vnto you here to tell How that Queene Dido loued him and gaue Him treasure gold costly jewels store With all things els that he desir'd to haue And how for all the loue she to him bore He shewd himselfe to her so much vnkind That as you shall at large in Virgill find He secretly from her did steale away And got into his ships ere she it knew By night when she in bed fast sleeping lay For which in desperate wise her selfe she slew And sayled into Italy whereas He did through many hard adventures pas And diuers battailes fought and at the last Did conquer it and therein raigned King With all his long and tedious trauailes past It needles were for me sith every thing Declared is by Virgill long before I wrote this Booke which of him speaks no more But sheweth how Horestus to requight His Fathers death on them that had him kild Did find the meanes as equitie and right Requires that blood by murther falsely spild Should by the King of kings most iust decree Without all doubt at last revenged bee For blood by murther shead or violence Doth neuer cease for vengance loud to call On him that hath committed such offence Which on him at the last will surely fall And giue him that reward he hath deserud For none can scape the doome that is reseru'd For murthers by God that sits on hie And doth behold downe from his heavenly throne All actions good or bad with equall eie Who though a while he letteth them alone And makes a shew to winck at faults forepast When he sees cause he le punish them at last At such time as they little thinke thereon The which he doth full often for our good As for the murther of Agamemnon He made one that was next to him of blood Horestus his owne Son his substitute His iudgement in that case to execute And vnto him procured meanes might By aid of freinds to bring the same to pas Who when he had been made dubbed knight By Idumeus King of Creet when as He had attaind to twenty foure yeares old And was of body strong and courage bold And therewithall both wise and provident And calling vnto mind the iniurie He had sustaind was resolutely bent If Fortune vnto him did not deny Her ayd to proue if that he could obtaine His kingdome and his heritance againe The which by force Egistus from him held And wrongfully possest by false pretence Of wedlocke thereby had him compeld For safegard of his life to flie from thence For which he did protest while he had breath To be revengd and also for the death And murther fowle of King Agamemnon His father on all those that had conspird And traitrously procurd it to be don And to that end most earnestly desird Idumeus King of Creet to stand his friend Some ayd some reliefe to him to lend To helpe him to assaile his enemie By whom he did such iniurie sustaine Which his request the King would not denie But willing his iust quarrell to maintaine Ordained that a thousand Knights should goe With him to fight against his cruell foe Egistus that by force and violence So long time vnto him had done such wrong Which done Herestus by his diligence In little time did make himselfe so strong That he another thousand knights did win To go with him and therewith did begin With all his power to march and in the way As he along did through the countrey pas The first place where he did incampe and stay To victuall and to rest his army was Within a towne Troyesa cald where he Was welcomed with great solemnitie By Forence King thereof who hated sore Egistus for his barbrous cruelty In murdering King Agamemnon but more Because of great deceit and trechery He had vnto him done when as the king That loud him well him so much honouring Vnto him gaue his daughter young of age To be his wife but he respecting not The Kings good will nor breach of mariage When he had her virginitie once got Car'd not for her but quickly changd his mind And shewd himselfe vnto her so vnkind That he without a cause her cleane forsooke And gainst the lawes of equitie and right Committed fowle adulterie and tooke Clytemnestra to his wife when he by night With her consent had slaine Agamemnon And of Methena Crowne bereft her Son And for that hatefull false conspiracle By her and him so mischieuously wrought Committing murther and adulterie King Forence that by all occasions sought To be revenged on him for the â—ame Assoone as Prince Horestus to him came He did not onely offer him some ayd To helpe him in his need against his foe But in most friendly wise vnto him sayd That he himselfe would also with him goe And with foure hundred Knights well furnished Vnto Methena land accompanied Him all the way but ere they entered Into the same Horestus first did go Into the Temple where he offered A sacrifice vnto the Gods to know How he should speed
and also to implore Their aid therein and when he kneeld before The Altar he by Oracle was told And bidden that without compassion Shewn to his mother Clytemnestra he should Revenge the death of King Agamemnon His father vpon her that was the cause That he was slaine against all humane lawes And that he should no mercy to her show But to fulfill the Gods degree and hest He willed was her body all to hew In peeces small which done he should not rest Till he had slaine Egistus in likewise For iust reward of their great cruelties Enioyning him not to be negligent In any wise but carefully t' effect And execute the Gods commandement On paine if that he did the same reiect Of that which might vnto himselfe ensue Which Oracle which as Horestes knew He entred straight into his natiue soyle Where when he came all that did him withstand He did in hostile wise destroy and spoile And being in the middest of the land Layd siege vnto Methena towne whereas False Clytemnestra the Queene at that time was But ere Horestus fully thither came To plant the fiege Egistus in great post The day before was gon out of the same Intending to prepare a mighty hoast To set vpon Horestus and constraine Him to breake vp his siege but all in vaine For while Horestus still before it lay He ceased not his spies abroad to send To see and to enquire every day Which way he went and what he did intend Or meant to do and purposely did set Some bands of Knights his passages to let Appointing others speedily to ride And follow him about in euery place Commanding them t'assaile him on each side And euer more to keepe him still in chase While he the towne so hotly did assaile That it could not against his force prevaile So that at last he tooke it by assault And entring thereinto at euening late He found the Queene Clemnestra in a vaut Whom when he had set watch at every gate He caused to be bound in chaines layd Therein againe where till next day she staid While traitrous King Egistus hast did make Withall the power of men that he could get T' invade with speed and vnawares to take Horestus him of his purpose let And him thereby an ouerthrow to giue And by that meanes Methena to relieue But all that he could doe did nought availe For vnawares Horestus with him met And with such mighty force did him assayle That in short space he did the victory get And having slaine and put his men to flight Himselfe was tane to his great despight In prison cast with hands and feet fast bound Which done Horestus caused every one Wichin the towne that were consenting found Vnto the death of King Agamemnon As also those that armes against him bare To be committed prisoners did spare None whatsoere he was but all receiu'd Due punishment for their reward were Condemnd to die of their liues bereaud Next day when as the Son shin'd bright clreare And first Clemnestra principall head Of all the rest in mighty feare dread Was fore Horestus brought who presently Severely drew his sword therewithall When as he had condemned her to die Did hew cut her into peeces small And caused her in that sort to be borne Out of the towne to be deuourd and torne By Beasts and Birds and haue no buriall And by that meanes gaue her a iust reward Which done he did for false Egistus call Who when he had likewise his sentence hard Which was that he starke naked drawne should be Along the towne and hang'd vpon a tree And not to be cut downe but there to rot To execution went and so you see What guerdon by Gods iudgement murther got And they are so repaid that traitors bee And then the rest that with them did consent To kill the King and to rebell were sent Out of the towne hangd on gibbets hie That all men might example by them take And so Horestus with severitie Reuenged was for Agamemnons sake On them that him so traitrously had slaine And got his lost inheritance againe But when he had thus finished and don That which the Gods commanded had tane Revenge for death of King Agamemnon So traitrously by Queene Clytemnestra slaine King Menalus ariuing with his fleet Of ships that with him came from Troy in Creet And with him brought Queene Helena the faire That had been cause of all the Troian warre The people did in mighty flocks repaire To see and to behold her beauty rare For which so many Princes great were slaine But things once done cannot b'vndon againe Who hearing of his brothers death that In traitrous wise he had been murthered By Clemnestra his wife was grieud thereat But yet with partiality much led Considering on the fact as it behou'd Him to haue done he was in hart â—ore mou'd Against Horestus that so merciles With rigor great and extreame crueltie Had slaine his mother like one pitiles And cleane bereft of all civility For which he swore vou'd if he did liue He would him of his regall Crowne depriue Affirming for his cruelty so great By law of God that he vnworthily Vpon his Fathers Royall throne did sit And therefore straight againe to ship did hie And leauing Creet to Athens sayl'd so fast That he ariud in Nestors land at last And therein was receaud and welcomed As his estate requird but he possest With fury great and by much choller led Would not content himselfe nor be at rest Till he had told to Nestor why he came And of him askt his counsell in the same Desiring him that he a meanes would be By counsell by power if that he might To put Horestus from his dignitie And Regall throne which though it were his right He said that he had lost the same because He had his mother slaine gainst natures lawes And therevpon to Athens both they went And did require the Princes of the land To meet together there in Parlament Where Menalus gaue them to vnderstand What Horestus to Clytemnestra had don And craued all their iudgements therevpon Who being there himselfe and hearing what King Menalus had said and did esâ—ie His meaning and intent was flatly that He would haue him depriued Did replie With courage bold and sayd he had don nought But that which all the Gods decreed and thought Convenient to be done and then did shew How he commanded was by them to go Into Messena land and there to hew His mother all in peeces and to do The same without all ruth or compassion Because she had kild King Agamemnon And that the murther chiefely had been wrought By her alone against all humane lawes And therefore all the Princes there besought With equitie to thinke vpon the cause And not with any malice nor in rage To seeke to take from him his heritage He being Son to King
solemnity They crownd him king of all that land made Such triumph at his Coronation And also such a royall banquet had That if I should thereof make mention It were too much and I must it forbeare Because mine Author writes not thereof here But briefly tels that Pyrrhus by his might Encreased much the Land of Thessalie And raign'd long there with equitie and right And no more thereof speaketh presently But vnto other matter turnes his stile And shews how king Idumeus dīd the while In Creet where he long time had raigned king And after him his sonne Prince Merryone Succeeded who vntimely death did bring Vnto his end and children hauing none His brother Prince Leorica obtaind The Crown of Creet therin long time raignd And while in Creet this change of Princes fell Atastus by consent of Pyrrhus made A rich and sumptuous tombe which did excell For workmanship wherein when as he had According to his mind full finished All that thereto belong'd he buried His sons which by king Pyrrhus had been slaine Within the wood And leaving him doth show How while that Pyrrhus prosperously did raigne In Thessalie and did in wealth oreflow He was provoked want only to lust For that which by Gods law is held vniust And fell in loue with faire Queene Hermion Horestus wife and had so great desire To her that he did wholly thinke thereon Whereby his heart was set on such a fire Of lust that he by no meanes could content His mind till he vnto Methena went And there his purpose brought so well about That watching time and oportunity When Horestus her husband was gone out He ravisht her and after secretly Tooke her away and held her as his wife And long with her liu'd an adulterous life For which Horestus hated him so sore That he sought all the meanes he could devise Or find to be reveng'd on him therefore But held his peace as being very wise And for a little while sustaind that wrong As knowing well that Pyrrhus was too strong For him to deale withall t'revenge the same At home within his land Who also made Andromecha Prince Hectors wife that came With him from Troy his Concubine and had A child by her who by his Grandsiers name Achillides was cald and with the same She nourished Prince Hectors eldest sonne Laomedon who Pyrrhus being slaine And left no child to be his heire but one A bastard borne his kingdome did obtaine By gift of yong Achillides his brother Whome Pyrrhus did beget vpon his mother Which women being both of high estate And living in great pleasure and delight Could not content themselues but so did hate Each other that Queene Hermion in despight And iealousie that Pyrrhus loved better Her Feer then he did her did send a letter To Menalus her father t'whome she wrot That notwithstanding her so great degree She well perceau'd that Pyrrhus lou'd her not But favored more Andromecha then she Desiring him with speed to come to kill Her and her sonne who granted to her will And in great hast went vnto Thessalie To be reveng'd on them that never had Offended him but yet his cruelty Could not so farre extend but he was made To leaue the same by those that did withstand Him in the towne and tooke her out his hand And did abhorre such inhumanity Especially in him that was a king Vnto a woman done which certainly In my conceit is such a hainous thing That it doth make me blush for very shame That I should be compeld to tell the same But you must vnderstand that this was done When Pyrrhus was from home gone away For he that time on pilgrimage was gone To Delos there to sacrifice and pray Devoutly for his fathers soule vnto Apollo and such other things to do As he had vowd and promist to fulfill For ioy of that revenge that had been made At Troy on those that did his father kill And for that great good fortune that they had To triumph ore his Troyan enemy Which vantage when Horestus did espy Who still laid watch for him both day night He did no time nor no occasion let But straight to Delos went with many a knight And on him there so furiously did set That Pyrrhus was not able to withstand Horestus but was slaine there by his hand And all that were with him in company And so king Pyrrhus dy'd and lost his life For iust reward of his adultery And foule abuse done to Horestus wife And let all those that vse to do the like Remember this know that God will strike Them likewise when they little thinke thereon Whose body was in Delos Temple layd Within a costly Marble tombe which done Horestus there no longer time delayd But straight when as his enemy was slaine He went and got his wife by force againe Out of the towne of Thessalie whereas He found not one that durst against him stand Such feare griefe amongst them then there was When they of Pyrrhus death did vnderstand And that to rule and governe them was none Then left but yong Achillides his sonne A child as then not fully three months old Whose yong and tender age was not to take So great a charge in hand and yet they would Not put him from 't but for his fathers sake They were content that he ore them shold raigne But when he did to lawfull yeares attaine He did resigne his crowne and all his right In Thessalie vnto Laomedon His brother by the mothers side a knight Of worthy Troyan blood Prince Hectors son Begotten on his wife Andromecha Protector while he liu'd of Phrigia And made him king Soveraigne of that land Despight of all that durst the same denie Who when he had the Crowne chiefe command Of all the puissant Realme of Thessalie He let the Troyan captiues all go free Where as they list at their owne liberty And no exception made of any one But freed them of all ransome whatsoere They were to pay and when he had so done And set all things in peace and quiet there And much encreast the bounds of Thessalie He raign'd long there in great prosperity But of the acts of king Laomedon Or of king Pyrrhus and his kindered I le cease to speake as now because thereon Mine Author writes no more that I can read Who briefly by the way somewhat doth show But to what purpose well I do not know Of Menons wife whome fierce Achilles slew Because when he Prince Troyelus had kild And at his horses taile his body drew He valiantly withstood him in the field And made him leaue his body by force Sore wounded beat him down off frō his horse Whose body was entomb'd by Priamus In Troy within a little Temple where It lay close by the Tombe of Troyelus And after did stand therein many a yeare Who saith that long time after she was dead And in her natiue
they returnd from Troy and for to show That whatsoeuer man doth take in hand The issue doth vpon Gods will depend For he tis giues an ill or happy end Which is well proved by this Historie Wherein you see that though the Greeks did win And had a most triumphant victorie Against the Troians and their Towne wherein They did obtaine that which they did desire Which was their wilâ— and t'honor to aspire Yet cause the warre which they with Troy began Was done of pride and in an envious vaine Without just cause they rather lost then wan For that vpon their side more men were slaine Then on the Troians part for all they lost Their towne so that they had no cause to boast Considering that besides their losse fore Troy When they were into Greece returnd most part Of them that liu'd did not long time enioy Their victorie for that with envious heart Each th' other did destroy and sought to kill By trecherie the Proverbe to fulfill That blood with blood alwaies reveng'd will be Troyes fall doth teach all Princes to take heed When as they liue in great prosperitie Not to be too secure least that they speed As Priam did who would not be content When he did liue in peace but t'envie bent Old quarrels with his Grecian foes renew'd Supposing that's his wealth and power great He could do what he list But what ensu'd Thereof the storie plainelie downe doth set Which saith that he therby wrought's owne decay To shew that man hath here no certaine stay THus haue you heard as much as I can tell Of all the Troian warre as it 's set downe By Dares Frigius who therein did dwell And wrote the storie thereof in the Towne And every day a view thereof did take Who of this same an end herewith doth make With whom the Grecian Ditus doth agree And in like sort his Historie doth end Twixt whom in truth no difference I can see For both their works vnto one purpose tend Which is the true proceedings to expresse Of that whereof they were eie witnesses Though not in verball forme yet in effect And meaning both alike and true they are Which is the thing men chiefely should respect But that the Grecian Ditus doth declare And saith that while the siege did there remaine The number of the Greeks that there was slaine Amounted to eight hundred thousand men And of the Troiaus side as Dares shoe Six hundred thousand seaventy and sixteene Then lost their liues moÌ„g whom are reckned those That to the Towne from other countries came And there were kild by ayding of the same For that of hundred thousands that did aid King Priam and of diuers countries were It is not found as it before is sayd Though they behaud theÌ„selues most brauely there So many of them in that warre was slaine That there did go fiue hundred home againe And both of them in this point do agree That full ten yeares six moneths 12. daies more The siege did last with great hostilitie And losse of men on either side before The Greeks for all that ever they could do Could win the towne oâ— enter thereinto Till Synon by his craft did it betray As it at large declared is before And further of the same I cannot say Because mine Authors thereof say no more And for to adde more then they write thereto Were in me great presump'ion so to do The time when I this worke had fully don By computation just was in the yeare One thousand foure hundred twenty one Of Iesus Christ our Lord Saviour deare And in the Eight yeare compleat of the raigne Of our most noble Lord and Soveraigne King Henrie the fift who in despight Of all his foes Brutes Albion doth maintaine In honor great for by his puissant might He conquered all Normandie againe And valiantly for all the power of France Hath won from them his owne inheritance And forced them his title to renew To all the Realme of France which doth belong To him and to his lawfull heires by true Discent the which they held from him by wrong And false pretence and to confirme the same Haue given him the honor and the name Of Regent of the Land for Charles his life And after his decease they haue agreed Thereby to end all bloody warre and strife That he as heire shall lawfully succeed Therein and raigne as King of France by right As by records which extant are to light It doth appeare And then I hope we shall Enioy againe the time so prosperous And fortunate the which men vse to call The good and golden world and that to vs God will afford his blessing and his grace That Mars no more our countrey shall meâ—â—â—ce Nor with his countnance furious and wood Moue war and strife between these countries twaine Nor be the cause of sheading of their blood Whereof till now they both may well complaine And that our noble King will so provide By wisedome and by power that either side Shall liue in peace and henchforth so agree That both the realmes of England and of France By one Prince ruld shall seeme all one to bee And ever more liue without variance And from their hearts all hate and malice chase By th' influence of Gods most mighty grace And heavenly power which ruleth every thing And who by his great providence divine Hath such an alliance made betweene our King And France by marying Lady Katherine The French Kings daughter that we hope it shall Procure vs peace and joy perpetuall And that the Royall issue of them twaine Will be a meane and way without all feare That England shall for evermore obtaine The sole command of those two Realmes weare Their Diadems imperiall both together And that the faire Queene Katherines coÌ„ming hither Will nourish so great loue and vnitie On both sides that we never shall haue need Nor cause to feare nor feele adversitie And that it will be th' only meanes to breed Our honor joy and great prosperitie Wealth pleasure peace and all felicitie And driue away all mischiefe whatsoere Out of this Land So that with heart thought We shall haue cause with voices lowd and cleare To pray for her that hath it to vs brought And him that by his valor great and might Hath shew'd himselfe so puissant a Knight That he hath won and cleerely doth possesse All that to him belongs and now it 's set Accompanied with his faire Emperesse Victoriously with praise and honor great In his most Royall throne to whom God giue As long as he vpon the earth shall liue And doth enioy the full fruition Of all that vnto him belongs of right And holds the same in his subiection Encrease of comfort pleasure and delight And t'send him home with triumph with honor As great as ere had any Conqueror And long time after grant him to possesse His kingdomes and his Regall Dignitie With his faire Queene
in joy and quietnes If possible it were perpetuallie And I will never cease both night and day Withall my heart vnto the Lord to pray For him by whose commandement I tooke On me though farre vnfit to do the same To translate into English verse this Booke Which Guido wrote in Latin and doth name The siege of Troy and for his sake alone I must confesse that I the same begon When Henrie whom men fourth by name did call My Princes Father lived and possest The Crowne And though I be but rusticall I haue therein not spard to do my best To please my Princes humor Though A thing that I should not haue tane on me Which am a Monke by my profession In Berry cald Iohn Lidgate by my name And weare a habit of perfection Although my life agrees not with the same That meddle should with things spirituall As I must needes confesse vnto you all But seing that I did therein proceed At his command whom I could not refuse I humbly do beseech all those that reade Or leysor haue this story to pervse If any fault therein they find to bee Or error that committed is by mee That they will of their gentlenes take paine The rather to correct and mend the same Then rashly to condemne it with disdaine For well â—â—vot it is not without blame Because I know the verse therein is wrong As being some too short and some too long For if with faults men should not sometime beare But all for some seeme wholy to refuse Then must I say in vaine my labor were Let ignorance and rudenes me excuse For though my verse for harshnes you reiect Yet if you to the some haue good respect I doubt not but that you therein shall find That all the substance of the matter is Set downe that Guydo wrote to please your mind And if that any word be plast amis I pray you mend the same in curtesie For to condemne an error vtterly Which is not made nor done with bad intent No commendation to him that 's wise For no man vnto scoffing more is bent Behind mens backs nor sooner will surmise A lie then he that hath no wit at all He treadeth sure that neuer hath a fall I oft haue read in Authors new and old Which write of mens behaviors good and ill That no man is more foolish and more bold Then he that is an Idiot without skill For that blind Bayard feares nothing at all Till in a ditch he sodainlie doth fall And none so ready is to prate and prattle Nor sooner will condemne a man then he But for all those that vse such tittle tattle I care not what they say or speake of me For I do not to them direct my Booke But vnto such as with a sincere looke Pervse the same and with mens falts do beare And can amend an error without blame To him that writes and tell not what they heare To hinder or impeach a mans good name But vsed are to speake well of their friend Whereto all honest men their wits should bend For Chawcer that my master was and knew What did belong to writing verse or prose Nere stumbled at small faults nor yet did view With scornefull eie the works and Bookes of those That in his time did write nor yet would taunt At any man to feare him or to daunt His courage in that kind of exercise But rather vse their weaknes to support And as he was well learned and very wise And able to instruct and to exhort Such as did use to write would winke and smile At faults and yet say nothing all the while So that if to describe him I should striue I must needs say vnlesse from truth I varry That never any man as yet did liue Vntill this day that worthy was to carry His inckhorne in respect of Poetrie But if within this Land or Realme there be Such men as able be his steps to trace To them it is that I direct my Booke And wholy to their skills referre my case With their judiciall eies thereon to looke Beseeching them to mend what is amis And t'adde or to diminish all that is Superâ—â—uous or else wanting And although They find therein no phrases that are new Nor Eloquence as they suppose enough Yet I do hope that they shall find all true In substance as mine Author wrote the same Wherein I know I shall incurre no blame ANd he that list and doth desire to see The wavering state and infelicity Of ages past may here instructed be And find how Fortunes mutability Hath alwaies been so great that no man could Put trust in her And therewithall behold How Princes cleane bereft of Royalty Were sodainely brought into great distresse And Kings redu'st to such extremity That poverty and want did them oppresse Great slaughters made in kingdomes enviously Murthers committed by conspiracie False treason secret ambushes despight Subversion of whole kingdomes sodainely The ravishing of women for delight The root of warre and great hostility Maintaining of most fowle adulterie Which caused many Princes great to die To shew thereby that since the cause of all Such wickednes receiues reward most iust Which sodainely vpon mankind doth fall For that in worldly ioyes there is no trust And in this Booke examples you shall find If you consider well thereof in mind How every man must vnto nature yeild When time doth serue both young and old of age And wither like the grasse within the field For here our life is but a Pilgrimage Repleat with sorrow miserie and woe Which if men mark't tooke good heed therto And wisely would consider of their end They would esteeme all pleasure but a toy And no more time therein so vainely spend Nor take so much delight in worldly joy For by Troyes fall it plainely doth appeare That neither King nor Emperor hath here A permanent estate to trust vnto Therefore to him that died vpon the rood And was content and willing so to do And for man-kind did shead his precious blood Lift vp your minds and pray with humble 〈◊〉 That he his aid vnto you will impart For though you be of extreame force and might Without his helpe it will you nought availe For he doth giue man victorie in fight And with a few is able to prevaile And overcome an armie huge and strong And by his grace makes kings and Princes long To raigne here on the earth in happinesse And Tyrants that to men do offer wrong And violence doth sodainly suppresse Although their power be nere so great strong And in his hand his blessings all reserveth For to reward each one as he deserueth To whom I pray with humble mind and hart And so I hope all you wil doe no lesse That of his grace he would vouchsafe t' impart And send all joy wel fare and happines Health victory tranquilitie and honor Vnto the high and mightie coqueror King Henrie the Fift that his great name May here on earth â—'extold and magnified While life doth last and when he yeilds the same Into his hands he may be glorified In heaven among the Saints Angels bright Therein to serue the God of power might At whose request this worke I vndertooke As I haue sayd And now that I haue don And with great labour finished my Booke I doe intreat all those that looke thereon T' accept thereof and tak 't in as good part As I it send to them withall my hart FINIS
the same The messenger thereto did thus reply And sayd though for the King you do not care This privileged you can me not deny In decent tearmes the message to declare Which now to you I bring what ere it bee Good or els bad there is no fault in mee And wheresoere it pleaseth you to stay The choise is in yourselues as being free Yet thus much vnto you I must needs say You haue no cause now to be wroth with me But leaue your threatning while you here remain And doe your worst when as you come againe For wisedome doth require silence now And secresie till that you be at large And then you may your courage boldly show But truth to say it longs not to my charge To stand and striue with you or make debate Yet better t' were betimes then all to late For you to shun the harmes that may befall And at this time I will with you be plaine For my discharge to tell it to you all That pittie t' were that here you should be slaine Or offered any point of villany Sith that no man whatsoeuer can deny But that your good behaviour doth declare And shew you worthie Personages to bee To governe and command in peace and warre And to descend of great and high degree But least with words perchaÌ„ce I might you grieue I le say no more but take of you my leaue The night ore-past at dawning of the day When as the Larke with sweet and pleasant note Doth straine hir brest as much as well she may To greet the streames of Phoebus Chariot As then beginning in the Orient skie To shew themselues with crimson colourd die And faire Aurora with her silver showers The fragrant Roses had begon to wet And all bedew'd the blooming silver flowers As Lillies Cowslippes and sweet Margaret And made them spread their leaues both fresh bright Which had been closed vp by glooming night And hony-Suckles mong the bushes green Perfumed had the aire with pleasant sent Long ere that Titans glistring beames were seene And to our Hemisphere their course had lent To comfort and relieue each living wight Which by his heat receiue their streÌ„gth might Long time I say before the Sun did rise Prince Iason and his fellow Hercules With all the speed they could in hasty-wise Prepard themselues to put vnto the Seas Commanding every man his way to take Abord the ship and all things ready make The Ankor vp with merry heart and glad They hoysed Sayles and straight put from the land For Iason knew the little traine he had Could not suffice the Troians to withstand As being much more weaker to conclude Then Troians were for strength and multitude So that as then warre with them to begin Was not his wisest way to take in hand Nor likely was the victorie to win As having but a small and feeble band For he that hewes aboue his head too hie Perchance a chip may fall into his eie And therefore made great speed to get away And having wind at will did saile so fast That finding no occasion them to stay They did ariue at Colchos safe at last By Fortunes aide although sometime vnstable That did them helpe as much as she was able In Colchos Isle a goodly towne did stand Which for the riches worthines and fame Was principall and chiefe within that land That called was Iaconites by name With streets full large and howses very faire And seated in a good and wholsome aire Round compassed with towred walles about The which did make a stately show to see And strong and deepely ditched all without To make defence against the enemy Wherein King Oeta with his Princely traine As fittest place did specially remaine And at such time as Iason thether went He found him there with many a worthy Knight For whom the King then purposely had sent To shew his great magnificence and might That so his fame reported farre and neare Vnto the Greekes for truth might then appeare About this towne were hilles and mountaines steep And valleies faire and pleasant to the eie With divers Rivers sweet and fresh and deep That every where within the land did lie And many a lake and many a goodly well Commodious for their vse which there did dwell And store of Parkes for beasts both wild and â—ame And wods and medowes fresh and very greene With sundry hearbâ— and flowers in the same Of faire and divers colours there were seene As pleased nature paint and set them out As time of yeare when Summer came about For fishing fowling and for Princely game Of hunting and of hauking in the field No countrey in the world did passe the same Nor yet more store of fish and fowle did yeild And plenty of each other kind of thing As Corne and graine that firtile soyle did bring There likewise did the Birds most sweetly sing In time of yeare with pleasant harmony When trees and bushes gan to bud and spring Procuring with their cheerefull mellody Great joy and comfort to the wounded harts Of lovers that were peirst with cupids darts That certainely when Summer past away And winter cold and chill did end the yeare And that the faire delighfull month of May With Lady Flora did begin t' appeare And deckt the fields with flowers of strange devise That stately land did seeme a Parradise And for all kind of dainty food and fine Dame Ceres that the name had alwaies borne To be the Queene of plenty sent them wine Flesh fish and fowle with every kind of coâ—â—e in so great plenty and exceeding store No Nation in the world could wish for more For what soere Dame Nature could devise Was found therein for nothing there was seant That pleasure might procure to hart or eyes Nor any man therein complaind of want So great increase this little Islâ— did bring Of all and eke of every kind of thing Vnto this Towne Prince Iason straight did goe With Hercules and all their noble traine Who in the way did make a goodly shoe As hand in hand they marcht in rancks of twaine Each one of stature big and very tall Young lustie strong and hady therewithall Their countenances sad and full demure In so good sort and in such comely wise That vnto every man it did procure Such pleasure to behold their greekish guise That all the Towne did run in flocks to see And learne what countrey people they might be That in such manner came into the Towne So vnexspected of the King and Peeres And every one went walking vp and downe To hearken and to tell what newes he heares So rude they were to wonder stare and gase And gape and looke as it were in a maze For such as in great Townes do vse to dwell Are commonly jnquisitiue of newes But of King Oates now I must you tell How kindly he those strangers then did vse And at their first ariuall in the court Receiu'd and welcom'd them
ioy farewell my chiefest blisse Now strangers haue thee in possession And I the thing I loue do so much do misse And must endure 't with extreame passion Would God I knew how that they doe intreat My Helena that was to me so sweet Now thou art gone the thought of thee me slayth And I must liue in sorrow griefe and woe Expecting still my end by cruell death And therewithall he said that he would goe To Sparta therein comfortlesse alone His great grievous losse to waile and mone But Nestor would not leaue his company But went with him for consolation By all meanes seeking how to pacifie His mind and hauing great compassion On his distresse did make no longer stay But did him to his Country thence convay And being there arriu'd with woefull heart By letters sent in post to euery place He did vnto his brethren twaine impart His great mischance and sad and woefull case Desiring them to come to him with speed To aid him with their counsell in his need And first to King Agamemnon did write And to King Castor and King Pollux send Desiring them with all the speed they might In his distresse their ayd to him to lend And when they came and saw his countnance dead Like to a man with thought halfe murthered They could not chuse but for his sorrow grieue And by perswasions sought the same to ease But when they saw they could it not remoue Out of his mind nor him no whit appease King Agamemnon wisely gan to speake And in these words his mind to him did breake Brother said he what woe what heauinesse What deadly griefe doth thus torment your mind And as it seemes your sences all oppresse So furiouslie and we no case can find You should do thus but grant it to be true That cause for to be grieu'd is giuen you Yet you should be so arm'd with providence That what so ere dislike were offered you You should thereat not seeme to take offence And make as though thereof you nothing knew For that a wise man in adversitie Should ioyfull countenance shew and secretly Conceiue in mind the thing that doth him grieue And priuilie within his breast inclose His wrath and ire that none might it perceiue Nor let it once be knowen vnto his foes For t is the counsell of the provident That when mans heart with furie thinks to rent He should not seeme to be possest with ire Till that he findeth fit occasion To kindle and reviue the burning fire Of vengeance when his foe thinks not thereon For griefe shew'd outwardlie by proofe we find Two things doth breed which are of several kind First it provokes thy friend to sigh full sore For nature binds him to lament thy griefe And it doth cause thy foe reioyce the more For he is glad when thou dost want reliefe Wherefore when griefe most in thy heart doth lie Shew cheerefull face to crosse thine enemie And make as though thou dost esteeme at nought The thing which doth thee most torment and vex And evermore remaineth in thy thought Ye though it doth thee nere so much perplex And where thou hast most cause for to complaine There make best show ioyful countnance faine For into teares although thou should'st distill And never cease tormenting of thy mind Yea though thy selfe thou shouldest therewith kill Thou could'st but little ease and pleasure find For vengeance nere was tane nor honor wonne By any thing that man that way hath done For though it lasteth long it brings no gaine It 's said the man that can dissemble wrong Although it be with inward greete and paine Is subtill and of valiant heart and strong And he that can be peaceable in smart Doth well declare he hath a noble heart For he that weepes like women in their rage And thinkes by words and teares to ease his paine His sorrow and his griefe shall nere asswage And by no meanes to honor shall attaine Let 's not with words but with our weapons fight And hold our tongs manlike try our might Words are but wind and water t is we weepe And though the stormes flouds of either two Do multiply and vs in sorrow keepe They do no good but still increase our woe And to our foes when as that they do â—eâ—â—e That we doe make so sad and heauie 〈◊〉 It doth increase and multiply their ioy And giues them cause much more to laugh at vs Wherefore let not this sorrow thee annoy Which now doth seeme so to torment thee thus For it is said the courage of a Knight Is prou'd when as with mischiefe and despight He is not feard nor in adversity Doth not himselfe faint-heartedly submit To any danger what so ere it be Nor doth impaire his honor any whit Through foule despaire but hopeth alwaies well And hath a mind as firme as any steele T' effect the thing that he doth take in hand And his desire at last to satisfie For this from me I pray you vnderstand That he which in himselfe hath fantasie T' assaile his foe and venture life and lim What ere befall or happeneth vnto him And takes the chance that vnto him is cast He commonly nere failes in victorie And hauing dangers all cleane over-past In fine obtaineth praise eternally And now t is time to speake in words but few Good brother mine your valour forth to shew To cheare your heart and for to make you strong The forces of your foes for to withstand And to revenge your domages and wrong And we thereto will put our helping hand And all with one consent and force and might Assist you in your need t' obtaine your right And in despight of all that shall vs let Within the fields before the Towne of Troye Will plant our siege and there our tents vp set And ere we part will 't vtterlie destroy Albeit as now I can appoint no day Therefore let vs with all the speed we may Send messengers into the Grecian Land The Princes of the same to certifie Of these your wrongs craue their helping hand T' assist you and the same to remedie And so full well revenge your selfe you may And this is all that I to you can say King Menelaus therewith somewhat appeas'd Began more cherefull countenance to make And with his heart and mind thereby was eas'd All outward griefe did presently forsake And seeing that by care he could't not mend To all his friends throughout the land did send And first his Kinne and allies he did moue By showing them what had chanced vnto him Desiring them of courtesie and loue His case as t' were their owne for to esteeme And with their powers assistants to him be To ayd him in his great extreamitie His letters seene and read there did resort Achilles and Patroclus Princes stout Diomedes and others to his Court Who having heard what things had fallen out Did all with one consent and will agree Vpon the King