seeming very glad That his so great good fortune was t' aduance His honour and his house and that he had By Knightly force so much extold his name And home retourne with victory and fame From Calchos Isle Yet gladder had he beene Although in outward show he did explaine The contrary that he had neuer seene His safe returne to Thessalie againe A nd yet to play a right dissemblers part He welcomd him although against his heart Admiring how he could so soone obtaine By that aduenture strange and perillous The fleece of Gold and â—ome roturne againe In so short time and so victorious But couertly his treacherie to hide Without delay all scuses set aside To Iason he resigned presently His Kingdome which to him belong'd of right With Scepter Crowne and â—â—gaâ—â— dignity And all his Soueraignty and might His promise to obserue which when he went He made to him though otherwise he ment Supposing that he nere should come againe But he that for another digs a pâ—â— May faile in his imagination vaine And be the first himselfe that falls in it As Peleus did which sought his nephews end With deadly hate yet seemd his louing frend Which Iason did accept without delay And thanking him with louing face and cheare Besought him to giue eare what he would say And his request indifferently to heare Concerning Tooyans wrongs done as he went To him and his when he no huâ—t them ment And said my Lord when as we sailed by The coast of Troye a tempest in the aire Began to rise with such extreamity That we of life were wholy in despaire And in that care necessity and griefe We forced were to land there for reliefe Not minding any iniury or wrong Vnto the King in any wise to doe But t' ease our selues and then to passe along To Colchos Isle where first we ment to goe But Laomedon not therewith content A messenger in hast vnto vs sent Pretending of meere malice vs to grieue And churlishly bad vs depart from thence Or else he said by force he would vs driue Off from his coast as taking great offence That we would seeme to enter in his land So sodainly with sueh a warlike band When we nought els but peace friendship ment As glad to be relieu'd in our distresse Not hauing any kind of bad intent That should him moue to seeke vs to oppresse Now then my Lord sith he did so abuse Both me and mine and seem'd vs to refuse A place of rest from danger vs to saue Against the lawes of common courtesie I humbly you beseech that we may haue Your aid of men and mony both to trie By force of armes if that we can requite The Troyan King for his so great despight For truth to say my mind and will is bent To saile to Troye with all the speed I may And to destroy the Land is mineintent And cruelly Laomedon to slay According to the vow that I did make When I was forst the Troyan soile forsake Is that it please your Grace to giue consent To my request and lend your helping hand And doubt not ere that many months are spent But maugre Troye and Troyans all wee 'll land With all our power of Graecian chiualrie And soone requite the Troyans crueltie When Peleus did Prince Iasons mind perceaue Without delay he said it should be so Aâ—luring him he did so well conceaue Of his intent that he himselfe would go With him and all his company to Troye By force of armes that Country to destroye Whereto his whole Nobility agreed And none of them vnto the King said nay But promised their aid with present speed Preparing for the same without delay Of which their Iourney chiefe Solicitor Was Hercules the worthie Conqueror Who in all hast his forces to prepare In readines to Sparta straightway went Which is an Isle from Thessalie not farre And subiect to the Graecian gouernment Wherein as then two Princes great did raigne King Castor and King Pollux brethren twaine Whome Poets in their Histories do set Brethren to be â—â— Helena the faire Whome Iupiter on Ledâ— did beget Whose beauty was esteem'd to be so â—are Which Helena they write conceaued was In Tynâ—â—â—â—â— an Isle which as men passe Along the seâ—s â—â—â—s by Sicâ—â—â—â— Land And that her name Tynâ—â—â—â—â— of that Isle Was also cald◠〈◊〉 longer I le not stand Their pedigree to tell but speake a while Of Hercules to show how he did craue The aid of those two Kings as then to haue To goe with him vnto the Towne of Troye With all the power they had whereby he ment The same by force and valor to destroye To whose request they straight did giue consent And promised in readines to lie Till he to them the time should certifie When he would put to Sea Wherewith content He thanked them and did no longer stay But straight his course vnto Messena bent And there arriu'd about the breake of day And to the King cald Telamon did goe The cause of his repaire to him to shoe Whose comming when he knew he was full glad To see him and in braue and Princely wise Receaued him To whome when as he had Such honour done as he could well deuiseâ— He promised to aid him with all speed With mony and with men what he should need And personally himselfe with him to goe Which Hercules accepting in good part Did take his leaue his Princely mind to shoe And yeelded thanks to him with all his heart And entring Ship returnd to Thessalie To tell King Peleus and to cerâ—â—â—â— How he had sped Beseeching him to write To all the Lords and Barrons in his Land And them command with all the hast they might In readines to make a warlike band And to prouide a counsell wiâ—e and graue Which he that goes to warre he said must haue For that the wit of him that 's growne in age Is more then strength without experience But when as force is ioynd with counsell sage It is a bulwarke strong for our defence And he that long a trauailer hath beene And by experience many things hath seene Is meet in peace and war to rule and guide For vnto age experience greatâ— and â—â—â— Belongs of right 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth 〈◊〉 That strength and courage youth should best 〈◊〉 And when both youth and age with one consent To worke and ioyne together are content In any cause of equity and right Men need not feare with glistering sword shield By helpe of God the giuer of all might Against their foes to 〈◊〉 in the field For neither fame of Knight-hood not the glory Not yet the conquest nor the victory Of warre are got or woone by multitude But as experience saith of right belong To counsell wisedome and to fortitude Therefore said he let vs revenge our wrong With courage bold sith that our cause is good And for our honours spend our dearest blood And that we may our valours brauelie
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
strong To â—et on them and not still jdle sit For valor bids vs make no more delay To be revengd hap what so ever may The Proverb saith delay may danger breed For by delay men often times are crost And to take time when time doth fall with speed I never heard by it that men haue lost And sith we nothing want why should we pauâ—â— And stay revenge in our so iust a cause But least we might too hasty be esteem'd And wilfull thought to runne so carelesly Vnto the warre which alwaies hath been deem'd A doubtfull thing We will not doggedly Bite ere we barke but first to Greece wee le send To know if that they will our wrongs amend Which if they seeme vnto vs to refuse And obstinately will deny the same Then may we iustly force and power vse And no man for it can nor may vs blame But first we will with curtesie assay To see if we can win them by that way But if that they refuse with gentlenesse To hrare vs speake when as we are content To aske amends with peace and quietnesse I hope in th' end they shall the same repent For better t is by peace to haue redresse Then seeke for warre with vnadvisednesse Therefore let vs with patience yet indure Our wrongs and our great iniuries sustaine In humble wise vntill we may procure That they to vs an answere send againe For though it be my whole and full desire And that our iust occasion doth require In furious sort of them to take vengeance I will as t' were in meere forgetfulnesse Put all their wrongs out of remembrance And cleane expell all griefe and heavinesse Out of my heart and of them aske no more But that they will againe to me restore My Sister that vnto me is so deare There by to stint all bloody warre and strife And for the rest we shall with patience beare And never cal 't in question during life Which to fulfill â— purposely am bent If you thereto will giue your full consent Speake then my Lords are you content to stay Till that they answere make to our request Say all with one consent your yea or nay And what for vs to do you thinke is best For I do meane Anthenor straight shall goe Vnto the Greeks our mind herein to show Of whose discretion courage and advise You need not once to doubt for I haue knowne And found him by experience to be wise When he of other messages hath gone And therefore I of him my choyse doe make And thinke him fit that charge to vndertake The King thus hauing spoken as you heare The Lords and all the Nobles did agree That Lord Anthenor should the message beare From them vnto the Greeks and straight should be Dispatcht and with instructions sent away With charge he should no longer time delay But wind and weather serving straight set sayle Who hauing his instruction and at large Informd therein as carefull not to fayle In any point that should concerne his charge Did presently take ship for Thessalie Where being landed with his companie He went to seeke the King cald Peleus Who at that time the story saith remaind Within a Citie named Monosius Of whom he was at first well entertaind But when that he the cause did partly know Wherefore he came he willed him to show Th' effect of his Embassage and his charge And with a frowning looke and visage fell Sat still till that Anthenor did at large With courage bold the same vnto him cell With words most graue and such as fitting were For time and place spake as you shall heare Priam the most renowned King of Troy My Soveraigne Lord his Princely Maiestie Wishing to your grace prosperitie and ioy In friendly wise saluteth you by me A messenger expresly by him sent To shew to you his will and his intent If you vouchsafe to giue me audience Wherein if that in ought I shall offend I you beseech to heer 't with patience And let the law of armes my guilt defend For as you know Embassadors are free To tell their message what soere it bee Your Grace I thinke doth yet remember well What wrongs of late by you and yours were done In Troian Land when ye with hearts most fell And cruell minds the same did overcome And how without cause or occasion You brought them all vnto destruction The Citie burnt and vtterly throwne downe Their riches by you tane and borne away How that the noble King Laomedon As then was slaine and would your rage not stay But in your fury Children Wiues and men Were all destroyd and murthered as then Some Mayds except which to fulfill your lust You led with you into captiuitie Which iniuries so great and most vniust Deserving name of barbarous crueltie You may suppose cannot forgotten bee And yet mongst all this great indignitie One thing there is which doth King Priam grieue Mâ—re then the rest which is that Exion His sister Captiue here in Greece doth liue And held a Concubine by Telamon Dishonestly not like a noble Knight Whose care should be with all his power might To saue and keepe poore Ladies in distresse But regarding nought her high degree By no meanes will this open wrong redresse But he still persisteth in his villanie Which his so great and fowle an oversight Most noble King belongs to you of right To looke into and with a Princely care Seeke to restraine as much as in you lies Such foule misdeeds and as a friend you are To Telamon see how you may deuise T' amend and to redresse the iniurie Wherein consisteth true Nobility This thing hath caus'd King Priam now to moue Your Grace with this embassage by me brought For to intreat in friendship and in loue That by your mediation may be wrought The meanes that Exion may deliuered be Out of her thraldome and captiuitie Which recompence so small he doth request For all the wrongs that vnto him were done By you and yours so much he doth detest To liue in warre and strife which for to shun He is content all quarrells to surcease Desiring onely her returne with peace Which his request so lawfull if you will Procure King Telamon to grant with speed He you assures his promise to fulfill Or else he must by force of armes proceed Which by this meanes he doth desire to stay And this my Lord is all I haue to say When Peleus had Anthenors message heard His heart was so possest with wrath and ire That on him with a furious looke he star'd With eies enfiam'd as red as any fire And with dispightfull and incensed heart Vpon his feet did sodainlie vp start Disdainfullie reiecting the request By Priam made and setting him at nought Said that both him and his he did detest Euen from his verie soule and inward thought Commanding Lord Anthenor not to stay But presentlie to get him thence away On perill that thereafter might befall
sustaine Their mightie blows but forced were againe To run out of the field discomforted Though Diomede did what he could to stay And succour them so many of them dead And wounded sorevpon the plaine then lay And cast out many a great and woefull crie The which when Duke Menestes did espie And saw what great disorder they were in And how the Troyans them so sore opprest Into the battaile fiercely did begin To enter and with mightie Launce in rest Brake through the Troyans ranks till that he was So farre that he met with Pollidamas Gainst whome at vnawares he ran so fast That with a blow which he at him let flie Vpon the ground he did him fiercely cast And while that he amaz'd thereon did lie Had slaine him if with speed he had not beene Relieu'd and rescued by King Philomen Who brauely in despight of all the force And might Menestes had did set him free And made him mount againe vpon his horse Sore bleeding and in great extreamitie Meane time fierce Thelmon Aiax carelesly Vnarmed with great pride yet foolishly Amongst the thickst of all his armed foes Nere ceast to kill and mightily to wound The Troyans and such valor great then shoes That they in heaps lay dead vpon the ground About him and none durst against him stand So fierce he was with bloudy fword in hand To kill and beat them downe still as he road And yet though in the midst of them he was And that so many thousands him with stood On euery side as he through them did passe Noâ— any part of him was perished Nor drop of bloud out of his body shed Which woonder was considering how that he Disarmed fought But when dame Fortune will Preserue and keepe man from extreamitie Nothing can hurt nor him by no meanes kill And yet when as she list shee 'le him beguile And play and sport with him a little while And sodainly when he thinkes least thereon Ore-turne her wheele and cast him on the ground As she that day did vnto Thelamon Who to his cost her most vnconstant found For as he mongst the Troyans with great pride Disarmed through their ranks did fiercely ride And many of the Persian Archers slew With heart cleane voyd of any feare or dread And more and more with furie did renew His force and to his safetie tooke no heed Paris perceauing his great hardinesse And how he did the Persian knights oppresse In great despight an arrow at him shot And with the same as he did fiercely ride Still killing all he met and spar'd them not Pierst him at vnawares into the side So deepe a wound that without remedie There was no other meanes but he must die Which when he did perceiue and saw no way T' avoid his death with heart surpriz'd with ire In furious wise he made no more delay But running through the prease with great desire To be reveng'd on Paris ere he died Sought him so long till at the last he spied Him mongst the thickst of all the Greeks in fight And vnto him with pale and deadly cheare But yet with extreame rage and great despight To thinke vpon his death that drew so neare Said Paris the wound which thou hast giuen me I know and certaine am my death will be For I do feele such extreame griefe and paine Within my heart that I am well assur'd I neuer shall returne to Greece againe And sith that thou my death hast thus procur'd I meane to giue thee such reward therefore That thou aliue to Troy shalt nere go more For as the great despight well meriteth Which thou shewst me I le make thee first to feele Ere that I die the bitter pangs of death And send thee down before me into hell And therefore make account thy glasse is run And that thou canst thy death as now not shun For here my troth I plight and firmely vow That with my sword I le make diuorse betweene Queene Helena and thee and that as now The chaine of fained wedlocke that hath beene So surelie made and knit twixt her and thee Shall now at last be cut in twaine by me And that false knot of thy adulterie Which hath beene cause such slaughter great to make And made so many valiant knights to die In this our warre and onlie for thy sake Shall be vnknitâ— for without remedy Paris said he of my hand thou shalt die And with his sword scarse able to sustaine Himselfe vpright gaue Paris such a wound That with the same he cleft his head in twaine And therewith he fell dead vpon the ground Which hauing done he likewise presently Fell downe and died to beare him company Which when the Troyans saw with dolefull cheare They tooke vp Paris body to convay The same to Troy and in a mighty feare Began to flie where all along the way The Greeks did kill pursue beat them downe Even to the walls and trenches of the towne And more had done but that it did begin To draw to night for then the Sun was downe And when the woefull Troyans were gone in And had secur'd themselues within the towne The Greeks likewise retired backe and went Vnto their Campe each man into his tent To ease themselues but ere as 't them behou'd They tooke their rest that night Agamemnon Commanded that their tents should be remou'd And set and placed neerer to the towne Not farre off from the walls and so they were Which put the Troyans in no little feare So that they durst not issue out to let And hinder them from doing it but glad To saue themselues shut fast their gates and set Watch all that night vpon the walls and made Such sorrow and so pittifully far'd For Paris death that nere the like was heard For by that meanes all Priams sons being slaine They did despaire and out of hope cleane were Of any comfort or release t' obtaine In their distresse and so possest with feare And plunged in most great extreamitie They made account there was no remedie Nor any meanes to aid themselues withall But still expecting their destruction To keepe themselues enclos'd within the wall And rampiers of their strong and mightie towne And for that cause most pittiouslie complaind And so great woe and sorrow then sustaind That nere the like was heard nor seene before But specially King Priam did so grieue For Paris death and did lament therefore So mightilie that nothing could relieue Nor comfort him and from his heart which fild With woe and care then was such teares distild And let fall downe his checkes and aged face That he did seeme as if he would haue died To tell you how in this most wofull case Queene Hecuba his mother wept and cried And what exceeding sorrow for their parts His sisters made and felt within their hearts And how they rent and tare their clothes haire And beat and smote their breasts in great distresse And all bedewd and wet
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
To grieue his head was fild with fantasies And deepe conceits t' imagine and to see If he could find or shape a remedie By any meanes to shun that would not bee But yet for all his policie and wit He could not reach vnto the depth of it For thinking that he would the same prevent De did suppose that no man but his son Was he that should it do and therefore sent With all the speed he could for Thelamon And cast him into prison so to shun That which the Fates decreed should be dun Remembring not the speare with steeled head Nor yet the flag thereon with azure fild With fishes on 't which in the seas do feed Nor Circes faire who in her hand it held Which signifi'd nought but hostility Nor yet the Crowne and regall dignity Of one that raign'd within an Isle that stands In middest of the sea that should be hee Who gainst his will should slay him with his hands And execute thereby the iust decree Of God the which Ulisses thought not on But onely did suspect Prince Thelaemon Whom he then held close prisner in a tower And to prevent all other meanes what s'ere He never ceast to muse thereon each hower And at the last grew thereof in such feare That he did cause a Castle to be made And built of Marble stone the which he had Devised in such sort that there was none Like vnto it in all the world throughout For strength and had no gates in it but one To enter in the same and round about A ditch most deepe and broad on every side Did compasse it Wherein he did abide And closely kept himselfe from sight of all The world but those which on him did attend And ever held a watch vpon the wall Both day and night most strictly to the end That no man should so hardy be to venter Without his leaue into the same to enter Vnlesse it were those that therein did lie Now as the storie vnto vs doth tell Ulisses had a Sonne begotten by Queene Circes who in valor did excell So much that he was comp'rable to none In all that land whose name was Thelagon Borne in an jsle among the furious rage Of foming seas that compast it about Who at that time attained had to th'age Of twenty fiue yeares old who stood in doubt What man did him beget or who should be His father whome he longed much to see And having great desire the same to know He fell before his mother on his knee And did intreat her earnestly to show The truth to him who might his father bee And what he was where he then did dwell But she long time by no meanes would it tell But put him off and fed him with delay Till when she saw she could not be at rest For him that did torment her every day And would not cease till he had his request She shewd him that Vlisses was his sire And where he dwelt who with most great desire To see him tooke his leaue of her with speed And told her that he straight froÌ„ thence would go But when the Queene perceau'd he had decreed To go to seeke Vlisses and that no Perswasion in the world could him withhold From doing it her heart it waxed cold And in her breast she felt exceeding paine And when she saw he would by no meanes stay She prayed him to come with speed againe Home vnto her And so the selfe same day He put to sea and saild so long till he He arriued where he did desire to be And when he was within Achaia land He never ceast to ride from place to place And rested not till he did vnderstand Where king Vlisses royall Pallace was Which when he knew he made no more aboad But speedily vnto the Court he road Whereas the king within his Castle stayd And early on a Munday morning came Vnto the gate and draw-bridge where he prayd The Porter who at that time kept the fame To giue him leaue a word or two to speake Vnto the king who to him gaue a cheake And churlishly did thrust him from the gate And proudly said he should not enter in And with some other speeches told him that He must be gone whereat he did begin To be in such a rage that there with all He did vpon the Porter fiercely fall And furiously did take him by the beard And gaue him such a blow that there with all He fell dead on the bridge which when they heard That were within they issued and did fall On him but he so hotely them withstood And fought with such a fierce surious mood That many of them cleane ore the bridge he cast And when as more vpon him issued forth And on all sides began t'assaile him fast He did begin to be exceeding wroth And with his sword about him made such way That he therewith did fifteene of them slay And fought so long that he was out of breath And scarce could hold himselfe vpright so that Sore wounded he expected nought but death Wherewith Vlisses came vnto the gate And when vpon the bridge he did espie His men on heaps dead on the same to lie Sore mou'd thereat he tooke a dart in hand And there with all in furious wise did throw At Thelagon who then did leaning stand Vpon his sword but it did light too low And hurt him not at all but Thelagon Straight stooped down laying hands theron Did throw it at Vlisses in great hast And there with all did strike him such a blow Into the breast that through his ribs it past And gaue him his deaths wound but did not know That 't was the king nor that he so had slaine His father deare who then could not sustaine Himselfe vpright but to the ground did slide With pale and deadly face and so he lay Amongst his men that stood on either side And busie were to beare him thence away Supposing that he verily was dead But sodainly he lifted vp his head And having still a perfect memory He cald to mind the vision he did see And how that he was told assuredly That one of his ner'st kinsmen should be hee That with a dart of life should him bereaue And for because â—â— could not well conceaue Who it should be He bad his men to bring The young man that before the gate then stood With speed to him without once offering To wrong him for so sheading of their blood And when that he was brought into the place Whereas he lay he look't him in the face And marking well his countenance began To aske him for what cause he did come thither And what occasion moved him as than T' assaile his guard that he and they together Had fought and he had slaine them so whereby Himselfe sore wounded was and like to die To whom with courage bold he spake and sayd The onely cause why I came hither was To see the King but by the
that makes me thus proceed That 's seruent loue and common courtesie Which both in one so fully are agreed To worke thy good that nought I can deny Nor yet conceale within my breast from thee As ere we part most plainly thou shalt see For first I thinke of very courtesie That vnto strangers men should take delight To shew all kind of liberalitie As being thereto bound of ancient right Both in their words and works them defend From harmes as much as power doth extend And for my part braue Iason cause I see Within thy thoughts the signes of worthines I will not faile as much as lies in mee To further thee with hearty carefulnes And with that word she fetcht a sigh full kind For him that so did sticke within her mind For thy sweet sake my heart within doth bleed Because thou seek'st without aduisednes The fleece of Gold to win and to proceed Therein of youth and wilfull hardines Which enterprise who so doth take in hand Is sure of death and can it not withstand So perillous and dreadfull is the venter That pen nor tongue can well declare the same For doubtlesse who so ere therein doth enter Finds nought but death and after to his shame Whereas he thinkes his honour to aduance Report shall blase his foule wretched chance So much the end is found to be contrary Vnto the first beginning of th'aduenter For at the last he 's certaine to miscarry Though 't first it seemes an easie thing to enter For wit of man by engin force or might Although he had experience great to fight And had his armes most strong and passing sure And knew how to defend himselfe full well And were well breathed long time to endure And nere so much in valour did excell Or what so euer weapon he could bring To strike to thrust to shoot or else to fling All were in vaine it could auaile him nought For neither force deuice nor subtilly Nor any other thing what ere he sought Could saue his life but sure he were to die For earthly meanes may him no way defend Vnlesse that I mine ayd to him should lend Wherefore of thee I haue compassion That wilfully would'st cast thy selfe away And of thy youth with pure affection I should bewaile the losse both night and day If that thou dost with folly seeke to trie This dangerous act where nought but death doth lie Thy Princely rare and noble progeny Vnworthy is t' abide so cruell end For certainly it may none other be If thou effect'st the thing thou dost pretend Vnlesse that to my counsell thou wilt list For none therein but I can thee assist Alas good Iason rest thy selfe content And let thy noble courage yeeld herein And to my counsell see thy heart be bent Which if thou wilt before thou doest begin I dare be bold to sweare thou shalt preuaile And of thy hoped victory not faile Whereby thou maist eternall praise obtaine And in fames booke of Register be plast And shalt be sure the Golden fleece to gaine Which thou to win so great desire hast In spight of Mars and all that thee withstand If that by my aduise thou take 't in hand Wherefore to me I pray thee giue consent And that full soone if thou pretend'st to speed And to my counsell see thou dost assent Which can thee helpe with all thou stand'st in need Speake valiant Knight if that thou wilt by me In this thy hard aduenture ruled be Prince Iason for reply said Lady deare I can but yeeld you thanks for your good will And when occasion serues as shall appeare I will not faile with all my power and skill Mine own hearts Queene Lady Soueraigne In full effect by action to explaine How much the loue you vnto me do show Shall bind me while that life in me doth rest To be your Knight at your command to go To ride and run and thinke my selfe most blest To be esteem'd your true and faithfull man T' obay your hest in all that ere I can With hearty zeale and true affection That thus with so great kindnes thinkes on me And of my life haue such compassion As that you seeme in heart perplex't to be For my mishap which maketh me of right To bind my selfe to be your faithfull Knight While life doth last And that more specially Because you take such care me to protect And to vouchsafe with great benignity Your counsell and your aid in each respect To him that neuer fauour did afford Vnto your Grace in action thought or word And more to bind me vnto you in heart Your words so kind so much enflame my sence That Cupid with his piercing fiery dart Hath forst me yeeld and dare not make defence Against the same least I should seeme ingrate To her that hath such care of my estate Without request or motion on my part Nor yet in any manner once deseru'd Then sith it doth proceed from out your heart To take such care that I should be preseru'd I vow to you vpon my faith most sure In seruing you as long I will endure As life doth last and nere therein shall faile Whereto I sweare and plight with all my troth That life nor death shall any way preuaile To change my heart for I would be full â—â—ath That foule vntruth should enter in my mind To do you wrong that showes your selfe so kind Few words therefore to vse I do pretend And meane my vow and promise to renew That till that Parcas doth my liues thread end I will remaine most constant vnto you Hap good or ill my resolution 's bent T' effect and do your will and your intent Well then said she let wisedome rule thy mind And so forecast with care and diligence The dangers that are insident to find If wilfully thou followest thy pretence And thinke not lightly to orepasse the same By fond conceit to win perpetuall fame For thus much I dare well affirme for true That though thou dost for honur tak 't in hand Nought but dishonour can thereof ensue Which thou by no meanes shalt nor mayst withstand For who against the powers diuiâ—e can fight Or once resist their all sufficient might And this is sure that he which doth desire The fleece to win by valour and by might Shall nere attaine to that he doth aspire But worke his owne dishonour shame and spight For though at first fortune doth seeme thy â—â—iend Be well assur'd shee 'll crosse thee in the end For who so euer seeks to take in hand This action strange can by no meanes escape The fiery flames nor yet the force withstand Of those two brasen Buls which when they gape Such furious flashes out their throats do send That folly t' were against them to contend For much more dreadfull is their dangerous fight Then lightning which down froÌ„ the skies doth fall Before the thunder-clap on earth doth light Which often battreth Castle
And presently without delay command That his desire should straight performed bee And yet he sayd I am abasht to see That thou wâ—th so great wilfulnesse wilt run Vnto thy death and be the onely cause Of thy decay when as thou maist it shun The which thou oughst to doe by natures lawes For men will put the blame in me and say That I by Princely power and force might stay Thy course and so by wrong opinion And populer report would lay on mee The onely cause of thy destruction Which God forbid should ever hap to thee My counsell therefore is thou shouldst aduise Thy selfe heerein and doe it not dispise For better t is thine honor to retaine And safely and securely to retire Therewith into thy natiue soyle againe Then with vaine hope and over fond desire So wilfully to seeke to take in hand An enterprise which no man can withstand This is my doome my counsell and advise Be ruld thereby and shun thy cruell fate Refuse it not I say if thou beest wise Least thou repent when as it is too late But if thou dost persist and wilt not bend Thine eares to mine advise The Godâ— defend And saue and keepe thy life what ere befall And vnto them I le pray with great desire To be thy guide and shield from dangers all That thou maist from that enterprize retire In safety vnto thy land againe Without whose aid be sure thou shalt be slaine And so though grieud to see I cannot stay Thy youthfull fond desires from th'enterprize I le hold my tongue for more I cannot say But wish thou hadst been ruld by mine advise And to the Gods thy enterprize commend Beseeching them good fortune to thee send When as the King to Iason had thus said And by no manner reasons he did vse Could draw him from his course not once dismaid He did his counsell vtterly refuse And humbly kneeling downe vpon his knee With Knightly grace did thanke his maiestie That he vouchsaft to haue such speciall care Of him and so to pitie his estate And therewithall such favor to him bare That fearing he should proue vnfortunate And end his daies in that strange enterprize To keepe him from 't had giuen him that advise But yet said he your grace shall vnderstand For th'enterprse which I now vndertake And mind by force of armes and valiant hand T' effect the same I will it not forsake For no mans counsell nor perswasion Shall turne me from my resolution But as the law and statute hath decreed Which in this case is made to be obserud I will therein couragiously proceed If that my life from danger be preserud But whatsoere befalls Ile take th'adventer And first said he before that I do enter Into the same herein this Princely place And presence of his noble audience I do protest vnto your royall grace That no man can against you take offence If that I die in this mine enterprize Because I do refuse your good advise And of my selfe doe onely tak 't in hand Reiecting any counsell whatsoere And therefore doe protest thereto to stand And without dread or any manner feare Vnto the Gods my selfe I doe commit Hap life or death and what they shall thinke fit T'ordaine for me I will accept the same And take it in good part what ere it be And neither them nor you therefore will blame But willingly will beare th'extremitie And thereof I my full account do make And so as now sayd he my leaue I take First of your grace as dutie doth me bind And then of all this noble audience And so with louing countenance and kind Farewell vnto them all he went from thence And downe vnto the water side did go T' effect his charge as I to you well sho When Titan with the fervor of his heate And brightnes of his beanes had driuen away The Roseat deaw that flowers and hearbs did weat About the howre of nine a clocke that day Iason put on a costly armour bright And joyfully like to a valiant Knight Vnto the water side did take his way And there alone into a boate did go Which purposely prepard for him there lay And with the same vnto the I sle did row Whereas the Bulls the golden Ram did keepe And presently vpon the shoare did leape And making fast the boat vnto the strand Withall the speed he could the next path-way That he did find marcht vp into the land Till wearied for a while and for to stay Downe on the grasse he sate and there he thought Vpon the course Medea had him taught To hold when he should enter into fight Against the brasen Bulls and Dragon fell And when like to a wise and valiant Knight He had a while thereon considered well He rose againe and went so long till hee Came to the place where he the Bulls might see But there I must digresse and to you tell That when he first the enterprize began Medea grieu'd into such passion fell That her faire face became both pale and wan And with a grieued countenance and sad She sat and wept and such great sorrow made That all her face and clothes bedewed were With teares that from her christall eies did fall Which onely did proceed of griefe and feare By her conceiu'd when she to mind did call What danger he might cast himselfe into If carelesly he should forget to do As she had sayd and taught him ere he went And for that cause she was so grieud in mind That nothing could her please nor giue content Vnto her heart the which no rest could find For sobbing and for sighthing till in th' end Into a Terret hie she did assend On top whereof there stood a pinacle From whence the aue being cleare and faire she might Without all let or any obstacle Behold and see her deare and loving Knight And there with teares whichout her eies then ran To speake vnto her selfe she thus began My dearest friend sweet Iason thou that art To me so great a comfort and delight And th' onely joy and pleasure of my hart If that it were within thy power and might To know what griefe for thee as now I feele Thou wouldst to me continue true as steele Meanewhile withall my heart I wish and pray The gods to make thy enterprise to thee So fortunate and prosperous this day That thou therein a conquerer maist be And safe and sound returne with euery member To me againe And that thou maist remember To do as I thee taught in each respect And to obserue it orderly and well And nothing therein any wise neglect That so thine honor which doth now excell May more and more encrease Which vnto me The greatest joy that ere I had would be For if to thee ought happen should amisse Then might I say fare well my hearts delight Farewell my health farewell my worldly blisse Farewell my mirth farewell my loving Knight Farewell my fortune and mine onely joy
They tooke and bare't into their ships in hast Dispoyling Temples with great violence And to the ground their Pagan Gods did cast For no man durst against them make defence And mercilesse great pittie to behold With bloudy swords they kild both yong old The tender child that mothers brest did sucke Escaped not their extreame cruelty For from the mothers arms they did them plucke And violently caused them to die Their maidens faire they did reserue for prise And with them did their beastly lusts suffice Regarding neither beautie birth nor name And when the houses all destroyed were They raz'd the wals and quite defast the same And Laomedons onlie daughter deare Faire Exion whose beautie did excell To go with them by force they did compell Who by them all was giuen to Telamon For his reward by Hercules his consent Because that he first enterd in the towne Wherewith he seemd to be as well contenâ—â— As if that all the treasure they had got Within the towne had fallen to his lot And yet he did himselfe therein abuse For being home returnd from victory To take her for his wife he did refuse But with her as his concubine did lie Regarding neither state nor high degree Nor her descent from Princely majestie For if he had her tane to be his spouse He could not haue disparag'd his estate Considering that she was of Princely house And royall bloud although vnfortunate Vpon his word and curtesie t'relie That kept her but his lust to satisfie But Telamon therin thou wast to blame To do a Princesse faire so great despight And make her to the world anopen shame When as thou shouldst haue shew'd thy selfe her knight And rather in defence of her to die Then that she should haue suffred villanie For through thy bad and foolish government So hote a sparke of envie did arise In Troyans hearts which to revenge were bent That nothing could to quench the same suffice For envie old once rooted in the heart Doth sieldome or else never thence depart And if it burne within and flames not out Nor maketh shew of fume nor smoke at all The greater cause men haue thereof to doubt And where it lights t' will haue the greater fall Which you within this History may see At large in every point set downe to bee When that the towne was burnt laid full low And all the wals vnto the ground was cast And nothing thereof left to make a show But it was spoyld and vtterly defast The Grecians did no longer time delay Vnto their ships their treasure to convay But being richly laden with great store Of siluer gold and costly jewels rare That not the meanest man of them was poore When wind did serue and weather waxed faire They 〈◊〉 â—iles returne againe to make To Thessaâ—â—â— and with them then did take Faire â—â—on and many a proper maide And saâ—â—ing forth with prosperous wind and good It was not long through gentle Neptunes aide But they 〈◊〉 with glad and merry mood At their dâ—â—sired port where on the sand Great multitudes of people then did stand To welcome them with glad and ioyfull cheare Reioycing at their victory obtain'd With losse of so few men as did appeare And cause they had such store of treasure gain'd Their Country to enrich for evermore They gaue great thanks vnto their Gods therefore Thus happily with triumph and renowne They being home returnd did liue in peace And throughout every City land and towne Their honor and their fame did still encrease So that the compasse of the world throughout Each Nation to offend them stood in doubt And feared them For certaine t is they had A multitude of men within their land And wealth treasure great the which they made When s'ever they tooke any thing in hand As common to them all whereby they were A terror to all Nations farre and nere Till fortune chanst to whirle her wheele about And turnd their peace into such bloudie warre As after in few yeares it did fall out When they and Troyans once againe did jarre Which at this time I meane not to declare Desiring that herein you will mespare And giue me leaue to rest a little while For herewith I do meane to end this Booke And at another time direct my stile To perfect that which first I vndertooke Which in the next t' accomplish I intend If life and leisure God to me will lend Meane time if that by rudenesse I offend The gentle readers pardon I will craue With promise any fault I make t' amend If that the least instruction I may haue And so in hope your favours you 'le extend To me herein my first Booke thus shall end FINIS THE LIFE AND DEATH OF HECTOR THE SECOND BOOKE The Preface CHAP. I. THe envious vaine which fortune flattering Doth vse in this vncertaine state of life Where all things fickle are and wavering Addicted is so much to warre and strife That whatsoever course a man doth run The sparkes thereof by no meanes he can shun For she is still so false and mutable That he which on her wheele doth highest clime And thinketh his estate secure and stable At some vncertaine hower day or time When least he doth suspect a change of state She casts him downe and makes vnfortunate And with a smooth and double flattering face Makes shew of loue when least she is to trust That well were he that had the power and grace To see and find her frauds and wiles vniust And all her engins and her snares well knew Which daily doe encrease and still renew The which in truth full well affirme I can So many and so diuers are of kind That hetherto not any mortall man Could euer them avoid that I can find For though vnequall ballance she doth beare With counterfeit false dissembling cheare And looke most smooth full of flatterie She can man soone beguile and cleane bereaue Of all his blisse in twinckling of an eie Her nature is so readie to deceaue And when she changeth high to low estate With fleering looke she stands laughs thereat And yet oft times she seemeth to be true For vnto some a while she 's favorable And then when as she list to change her hew To othersome she is deceauable Such skill she hath in transmutation That one shee le raise other throweth downe To some she giues renowne and victory And doth exalt their honor and their fame And some she causeth most deceitfully Though vndeseru'd t' incurre perpetuall shame To othersome she 's gentle and bening And giues them lucke in all and every thing On some she frownes and hath them in disdaine And by her power imbaseth them full low And for to show that earthly hope is vaine She can the state of Princes overthrow And make them stoop for all their great renowne And high and mighty Emperors cast downe From off the mount of high felicity To make them
should of nature for my sorrowes grieue And with all speedy meanes for to relieue My troubled mind and great aduersitie Sith that you see it doth torment me so And that the cause concernes both you and me Whom nature bind to feele one selfe same woe And as he spake and thus to them did mourne His face vnto Prince Hector he did turne And said Hector my Son my chiefe and only ioy My trust my sole delight my eldest child And here sucessiuelie to raigne in Troy Of whom my hopes as yet were nere beguild Thou that art nam'd the root the spring the well Of Chivalrie and dost therein excell Thy Brethren all whereby thou dost obtaine The soveraigntie of high renowne and fame Esteeme not I thee pray my words in vaine But yeeld and giue consent vnto the same And do the thing for which I long so sore For in thee is my trust and in no more This thing t' effect and wholly bring about And for that cause I make thee Generall Of all my force and herein make no doubt But that thou wilt go forward therewithall And yeeld t' accept of this my iust request For in thy valor onely do I rest And vnto thee it chieflie doth belong As being wise and full of gouerment Flowring in youth actiue and passing strong And hast thy mind to honour onelie bent Though yong in yeares yet of discretion Belou'd of all and of most high renowne And all thy younger Brethren shall obay To thee and at thy will be alwaies presâ— With thee to liue and dye and therefore say If that thou wilt consent to my request And let me heare thine answere herevnto That with all speed we may prepare thereto When Priam thus had shewed them his pretence Hector the patterne of Nobilitie Bowing his knee with humble reuerence Vnto the King as full of curtesie His answere gaue with sober countenance Th' effect whereof was this in full substance My most renowned Lord and Father deare Sith that it is your pleasure and your will That I should speake and you are pleas'd to heare Attentiuely I shall your mind fulfill And such good counsell as my wit affords I le giue to you in few and pithy words True'tis my Lord that natures lawes doe bind And still prouoke mans heart for to aspire And all Gods creatures else of seuerall kind With earnest and most resolute desire To seeke reuenge for wrongs by them sustaind And specially such men as haue attaind Vnto the honour of Nobility For vnto them t' were great reproach and shame And wholly gainst their state and dignity To suffer wrongs done to their name and fame For euery trespasse must considered be And wayd according to the qualitie Of him gainst whome the jniurie is wrought What way or meanes soeuer that it be As also of the person that it sought For t is more griefe to men of high degree To suffer hurt or harme by aduenture Or any wrong vniustly to endure Then vnto men of meaner quality And jniury maliciously contriu'd Is more offence to Princelie Majesty And men from high Nobility deriu'd Then vnto such as by their wealth aspire To worship though the world doth theÌ„ admire This well considered of much bound are we To seeke by force our honour to increase Sith we descend of Royall pedigree And let vs not from iust reuenge surcease For beasts that are by nature voyd of sence Desire the same and seeke their owne defence And for my part I know assuredly That none of all your Sons was ere more prest Vpon the Greekes to be reueng'd then I And herevpon my faith I doe protest That with despight gainst them I burne like fire And thirst their bloud with all my whole desire For as I am your eldest by degree So am I mooued most with angry mood And long by valour and by chiualry With sword in hand to shed the Grecians bloud Which they perchaÌ„ce shall feele ere that they ween When time doth serue as shortly shall be seene But first I must aduise you t' haue a care Ere you begin t' effect this your intent And thinke and way how great the dangers are Which vnto bloudy war are jncident And long not the beginning for to see But studie on the end what it may bee Which if you do you can by no meanes faile For counsell giuen in my opinion Is little worth and nothing may availe Nor yet deserueth commendation Which doth not tend t' advise men seriously To thinke vpon future adversity For though that men at pleasure bring about The first beginning of their tragedies Yet oftentimes it commonly fals out That they doe end with great extreamities And what availes beginning fortunate That after causeth strife and great debate I say therefore great wisedome t is to doubt At th'entring into any enterprise What issue may thereof in th' end fall out Which who so doth I hold him to be wise For that beginning is most fortunate Where midst and end continue in like estate But when they do not happilie proceed T' were better wholly from it to abstaine Then t'hazard mans estate when there 's no need For who so doth assured is to gaine Nought else but mischiefe and adversity And end his daies in great extreamity Let not your Majesty I yow beseech In any wise with me displeased be Nor yet to take exception at my speech For there 's no sparke of any thought in me To giue a cause vnto you of offence For that I speake is onely with pretence To counsell you to see that wilfully You enterprise not that which in the end By misadvice may chance vnhappily And be the cause in fine your selfe t' offend Nor of your foes too small account to make For so men oftentimes themselues mistake But thinke how they hold in subiection All Affrica and Europe wide and long With many another warlike Nation And that they are most valiant Knights and strong Esteem'd of all the world for worthinesse Abounding in great wealth and happinesse So that with your support I dare bebold T'aâ—â—irme that danger tis them to displease And if our quiet state disturbe we should It 's to be feard we must our selues disease And say that Asia should vs aid to fight It is not like vnto the Grecians might And though our Aunt the Princesse Exion Against all right be held by Telamon It is not fit for her redemption To bring vs all vnto destruction My counsel 's not to buy her halfe so deare For that perhaps all we that now sit here And many more might also for her right In doubtfull warres loose both their lire lim And after long and many a bloudy â—ight Perehance shall nere get her away from him Which were no wisedome as it seemes to me And it may hap ere long time passe that she Her fatall course and daies on earth will end And then what shall we reap for her to striue And with our Grecian
sieldome seene to smile In counsell he was graue and provident Right eloquent in speech and did with speed Full often aid the Greekes in time of need Diomedes was valiant fierce and tall Of countnance proud and passing strong bold Broad breasted most sterne of looks withall Deceitfull and his promise nere would hold So hasty that his hand he could not stay But strike he must who ere stood in the way If once to wrath and anger he was bent Desiring strife still shunning rest and peace Vnto his servants most impatient And never froÌ„ contentious thoughts would cease But quarrell still though t' were but for a straw And held his will and pleasure for a law In lecherie his whole delight he plast And was so giuen thereto that where so ere He did become on loue his mind he cast And from the same could by no meanes forbeare But spent therein full many a night and day Which at the last procur'd his owne decay Duke Nestor was of stature somewhat tall And well composde of members in each part Crooke sholdered his middle very small Exceeding strong of hands and valiant heart In counsell wise well learnd and politicke And yet of nature was so cholericke That neither friend nor foe he could refraine He was so given to melancholie And would with no man flatter nor yet fame Nor for the time his anger mollifie Which nere the lesse but little space did last For as it lightly came it lightly past Prothesalus was gallant fresh and gay Of seemly shape and beautie passing rare Wherein no man surpast him as they say Quicke sprighted light of courage passing rare Exceeding swift and therewithall most strong And heart so fierce that he would take no wrong The valiant Grecian cald Neptolemus That had his haire as blacke as any Iet Was of proportion made right curious With eyes that were exceeding broad and great His breast most large somewhat stooping back And vsed much to stammer when he spake An Orator he was but turbulent And willingly would plead in any cause For that he was of nature wholly bent To studie and to learne the Grecian lawes Where in he tooke great pleasure and delight And yet he was a most couragious Knight Pallamides King Naulus Son was strong Of valiant heart and courage passing great Of face most faire of body leane and long And fierce vpon his enemie to set Familiar courteous wise and tractable In all his actions iust and laudable Of great account and onely had the name For bounty and for liberality Amongst the Grecians all which caus'd his fame To spread abroad into each Country Whereby in fine great honor he obtain'd And for the same perpetuall praises gain'd The worthy Polidamus was so fat And big of body bellie and of bone And so vnweldy that most part he sat And could not well sustaine himselfe alone Exceeding proud of heart and very sad And sodaine or else nere shewd countnance glad King Machaons stature was indifferent Twixt short and long his forehead broad hie Most prowd and fierce to choller wholly bent And so much giuen vnto jmpatiencie That nothing but revenge his mind would pleaâ—â— Whereby he sieldome slept or tooke his ease Next after these of Cresida he tels But here my pen is dasht for long agoe My Maister Chawcer that each one excels In Rethoricke her shape so well did shoe And thereof such a fine discourse doth make That follie t' were for me to vndertake To write thereof or adde vnto the same As knowing well that when that I haue done I shall deserue no praise but rather blame And yet I can the same by no meanes shun For if I write it not I must truth leaue And of the truth the Historie bereaue If I presume to slip and let it goe And not as Guido doth write orderlie Or vndertake the very same to shoe Which Chawcer hath declar'd so learnedly Full sure I am therein to make offence Either by folly or by negligence And so am plung'd twixt two extremities Great cause I haue to find fault and dislike Of Atropos that mongst her cruelties Durst with her knife the thread in sunder strike Of Chawcers life chiefe Poet of Britaine That first did cause to flourish and to raine The golden drops of Rethoricke so sweet Mongst English-men their speech to clarifie And their dull wits with Eloquence to whet But who liues neare so long at last shall die I must be forst his ayd herein to craue And read his booke to see if I may haue Some words of Art from thence to place with mine Which are so rude so bare so plaine and course For as the Ruby red that bright doth shine Set in a Copper Ring is nere the worse But beautified the more so is his phrase When it 's compar'd with wrighters of our daies It 's knowne so well and is so excellent That t is in vaine the same mongst ours to set For all our paine is as it were misspent When as wee seeke his stile to counterfet Well may we do 't on meere presumption But when al 's done there 's no comparison Yet for all this I must it not deny Craving excuse but as I first began Proceed to end the Troian History And doe the best that possibly I can T' effect the same and now of Cresida I will declare her beauty as I may Yet must I vnder Chawcers whings still hover And plainely tell that Rethoricke I haue none Nor eloquence my learning to discouer But letting all curiositie alone As Bayard blind doth boldly giue the venter And never feares what perill he doth enter To show my simple skill I will not spare And thereby some prospect vnto you giue Of Colchos daughters beauty passing rare That while she in this earthly mould did liue Was held to be an excellent faire creature For forme of face and comlinesse of feature Wherein none did surpasse her in her daies Her stature and proportion was but small Her haire that shind like Phoebus glistring raies In comly wise did on her shoulders fall And at her backe in tresses hung behind Which oft she did't with golden hearlace bind And but that both her eye-browes ioynd in one You could no fault at all in her espie And that was all her imperfection To speake of her faire cleare and rowling eye Whose glistring beams was of such force might And from the same did cast such peircing light That whosoere them earnestly beheld Could not withstand their power but must confesse Their extreame beauty had them forst to yeild Vnto her loue and with her seemelinesse She was indowed with great sobriety Well spoken wise and full of modestie And therewithall gentle and tractable And yet my Author Guydo plaine doth wright That in her loue she was too variable And tooke too great a pleasure and delight To giue her mind vnto vnstedfastnesse And womanly to all new fanglenesse Lastly he sayth how
show That their desire accomplished shall be And that to Troye they all shall safely goe And there take land though with some difficultie But at the last shall gainst their foes prevaile And after they haue fought many battaile At ten yeares end the towne of Troye shall win And cruelly put it vnto the sword And noneshall scape of all they find therein But such as they shall mercy then afford For Priamus and Hecuba his wife And all their Sons in that same mortall strife The Grecians shall vnto confusion bring And slay them all and having done the towne The houses walls and every other thing Shall be defast and vtterly cast downe This is said he decreed by heavenly doome And in due time most sure to passe shall come Achilles with this answere was full glad And thanked God Appollo with his heart For his so good and gracious answere made And ere he out the Temple did depart By fortune Bishop Calchos thither came To sacrifice and pray in Priams name And for to know what issue he should haue In that his warre gainst Grecians tane in hand This Calchos was both learned wise and graue And one of great account in Trâ—yan land A man that did in science much excell And could both straÌ„ge future things foretell Who offering to the God due sacrifice As in that case their vsuall manner was And praying on his knees in humble wise Wherein he did some certaine howers passe Apollo without tarrying or delay Spake vnto him and in this sort did say Calchas Calchas twice calling him by name See that to Troye thou goest not backe againe For if thou doest t' will turne thee vnto blame For know for truth and so I tell thee plaine Wherein thou maist belieue and credit me Ere long time passe it shall destroyed be For sure it is and they can't notwithstand Therefore thou shalt vnto Achilles goe And with the Grecians joyne in heart and hand And stay with them for I will haue it so For they as I haue said shall victors be And thereby win great fame and dignitie For so the Fates their honors will advance And thou to them by counsell wise and graue Shalt be a helper aid and furtherance In their affaires and of them thou shalt haue Thy maintenance Wherwith he straight arose And presently vnto Achilles goes Of whome with honor great and reverence He was receau'd according t' his estate And to him shewd his mind and full pretence And therevpon became confederate And vowed to be good friends one to th' other And so went out the Temple both together And speedely made preparation To goe from thence and presently set saile For Athens where they did arriue full soone For neither wind nor weather did them faile And landing there did make no long delay But in all hast the very selfe same day Vnto the Greekes a full relation made What they had done in Delos bout their charge And what to them the God Apollo said Declaring all and every thing at large And how that they in those their wars should speed And that the Gods together had decreed The Troyans ruine and destruction And also what Apollo likewise spake And vnto Calchas said and had foreshowne And willed him agreement straight to make With Greekes and not to Troye returne againe But with them ever after to remaine Where at the Grecks reioyc't and were full glad That of the Gods such favour they had found And after that with one consent they made A league and vnto Calchas straight were bound And he to them with promise on each side As friends for ever after to abide Which done each one vnto his lodging went Till next day in the morne when glooming night By force of Phebus beames away was sent And Sun began to shine most cleare and bright When as the Grecians offered sacrifice Vnto the Gods in most submissiue wise And did devoutly hold a solemne feast In Paynim wise and in remembrance Of th'answere which they had in their request T' Apollo made and with great reverence Gaue thanks to him with glad ioyfull cheare The Troyan Bishop Calchas did appeare Before them and downe on his knees did fall Desiring them to giue him audience To speake his mind in presence of them all And that thereat they would take no offence Which being granted they did silence make And he with sober countnance to them spake My Lords and Princes all assembled here Whose fame and honor great so much is sprad Throughout the world that Nations farre neare Continually of you do stand im dread Is 't not your purpose vnto Troye to goe And there against your foes your strength to shoâ— Why then do you deferre the time so long And still within the towne of Athens stay Sith that you haue an armie huge and strong Assure your selues nought's gotten by delay For t is the meanes to worke your hinderance And not the way your purpose to advance For thinke you while that you so long abide Here in this place and make so much delay That Priam for himselfe will not provide And doth encrease his forces night and day And hath his spies here mongst you secretly That your proceedings to him certifie Me thinks this course you take is not the best For be assur'd King Priam is so wise That while you lie here still and take your rest He will not cease by all meanes to devise To helpe stimselfe delay is dangerous And may vnto yourselues be perillous And thus I prou't for all the while that ye Within the towne of Atheni still doe stand You giue your enemie meanes and libertie To make your selfe the stronger to withstand Your forces and at leasure to provide Great store of men your comming to abide Therefore I say you ought to haue more care Sith that as now it 's by you all decreed Against your foes to goe and to make warre And doe it with as much convenient speed As possible you may withall your might For when the Iron 's hote it 's time to smite For if you stay vntill that it be cold And doe your time neglect to worke thereon Then will it neither plie yeeld bend nor fold Therefore I wish you all for to be gone And while you do in hearts and minds accord Without delay each man straight go abord And make no stay to march against your foe That hath to you so great a trespasse done How many daies haue you as now let goe And months ore-past and carelesly ore-run How oft hath Titan from the East to West Compast the world whilst you here take your rest And haue consum'd your time so pretious How long and often hath the pleasant airâ— Caus'd by the gentle wind cald Zephirus And seas that haue so oft been calme and faire But overslipt by you while you lie here It makes your foes suppose you doe 't for feare And giues them cause t' esteeme the lesse of you Belieue me
as to you I now am bound I will not spare to giue you counsell true Remember then I say how you haue found The Gods to favour you in this respect And still will do 't if you do not neglect Their grace and by your great ingratitude And sloathfulnesse provoke them to agree An other doome against you to conclude For if that they do you so carelesse see Think it not strange if they do change their minds And vnto you at last should proue vnkind I counsell you therefore now to be gone And see that you no longer tarrie heare And ere the time of harvest doth come on While that the weather is both faire and cleare And pleasant Summer bideth in his heat And fore the Winter comes that's cold weat In season fresh and greene put to the seas And in the name of all the Gods proceed This is my counsell take it as you please For sith thereon you fullie haue decreed Make no delaie but each man go to ship And let no longer time thus over-slip CHAP. IX ¶ How the Grecians Nauie putting from Athens were distressed by tempest at Sea and how they tooke the Castle of Saranaba belonging to the Troyans CAlchas thus hauing spoken as you heare The Grecians thinking his advise so given To be most true all that assembled were Agreed vpon the selfe same day at even To enter ship and Agamemnon then By sound of Trump did summon all his men To make all hast they could to part away Who being also willing to be gone Did speedilie take ship without delay And having pleasant wind at will full soone Put forth to sea with all their warlike band And presentlie were out of fight of land To tell how many ships they had were vaine Because it hath alreadie beene declar'd But sure it is most evident and plaine That nere tofore of like fleet hath been heard Nor such a number of most valiant men As in their hoast assembled were as then And being on the seas in weather cleare Full sodainelie the wind began to rise The aire waxt darke they therewith did heare Huge thunder-claps â—ebound out of the skies Which with such furie on their ships then stroke That many Masts and Yards in sunder broke The waues likewise did rise so huge and hie And such a storme of raine and haile did fall Vpon the Seas that it did make the skie To shew as blacke as pitch and there withall The lightning in their fearefull faces flasht So mightily that they were sore agast And every man began to call and crie Vnto their Gods in that most fearefull case And made account assuredlie to die But Colchos who in knowledge did surpasse When he had made and said some Orasions By divelish charmes and inchantations Did cease the storms cause the Sun shine cleare Which made their heauie hearts exceding glad And told them how the cause of that great feare And tempest sore which they endured had Was for that faire Diana discontent With them because their course to Troye they bent And put to sea ere they did her adore Or offer'd any sacrifice at all Vpon her Altars or her aid implore Which made her in so great a rage to fall That if he had not found the meanes t' appease Her wrath she would haue drownd theÌ„ in the seas Wherewith King Agamemnon presently Belieuing Colchos counsell with all speed Perceiving that his fleet not farre did lie From th' Isle Aulides sodainlie decreed To land therein where by good fortune he A little Chappell found therein to be That was vnto Diana dedicate Whereto with all the speed he could he went To offer sacrifice thereby t' abate Th' incensed Goddesse Wrath and after spent Long time in prayer vntill that it appear'd The seas of storms tempests all were clear'd But some men say and for a truth declare As Ouâ—d long discourse thereof doth make That Agamemnon did as then not spare His daughter Effigenia to take And on the Altar naked did her laye Supposing with his virgins blood to stay Diana's wrath and he therewith would be Appeased with them but she loath to behold The virgin put to such extreamitie The bowels of her mercie to vnfold Invisibly from thence did take the maid And in her steed a Hart on th' Altar laid Which Agamemnon thereon offered And with the same the Goddesse satisfied Which having done and all things finished That therevnto belong'd in hast he hyed Vnto his ship and having weather cleare Put to the sea againe without all feare And by her aid and helpe whome some do say To be mans guide and chiefe direction When on the sea or land by night or day He travaileth and her protection By such as skill haue in Astronomie And seeke her fame t' extoll and magnifie Reported is and found most strong to be When as she keepeth this her scituate Within his tents and twelfth house by degree For in those two she is most fortunate And doth her clearest light on earth reflect If that she be conioynd with good aspect Of any other faire and happie starre Which vnto men that travell is bening And in short time saild on the seas so farre With wind so good that soone it did them bring Vnto the coast of Troye where on the strand A Castle strong at that same time did stand Ditcht round about and wal'd exceeding hie With divers Towers therein both round square And hard by it a haven there did lie Which many faddomes deepe of water bare Where ships might safely anker and abide And gainst all wind and weather safely ride Which Castle though that Dares hath forgot To name it yet some Authors do it call Saranaba where Grecians failed not To enter and their ankors there let fall Despight of all that offered to resist For at that time they might do what they list Which onely were the garrison of men That in the fort to keepe and hold the same Were placed by King Priamus as then Who valiantly to their eternall fame Assoone as they espyed the Grecians enter Came forth and to resist them did adventer With full pretence their landing to jmpeach With all their power if that it might preuaile But t' was as then too farre aboue their reach For then the Greeks did them so farre assaile That they could not against them long endure Though they suppos'd did themselues assure Because the Grecians long at sea had laine And wearied with sailing too and fro The victory with ease they should obtaine But yet they did not find it to be so For it fell out with them vnhappily Because they did it vnadvisedly For when that they together fiercely met With pikes and other weapons for the warre And that their powers vpon each other set The Grecians did exceed the Troyans farre In number and as then did plainlie shew That Troyans to withstand them were too few And had a farre vnequall match then found To fight
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
boast And longer that we in this sort still lie It giues more courage to our enemie But if we first had held another course Ere they had knowne thereof and ventured To land our men before their towne by force We had the same long since round compassed And straight besidge with this our puissant hoast And done that which ere t is done more wil cost For be assurd ere we approacht the strand T'vnship our men theâ—le issue out amaine With all their power our landing to withstand And valiantly the fight gainst vs maintaine By force and strength ere we the shoare shall get To driue vs thence if that they can vs let Whereas long since we might with ease haue got The victory but now by our delay We must take that which fortune doth alot And with more losse to vs doe what we may For now the time 's delaid it is most sure More danger vnto vs it will procure What should I say but tell you in good troth That our delay and cowardise will bee The cause of our great danger which full loath And sorry I would be in heart to see And if therefore my counsell you will take I thinke it best that presently you make All speed you can for to be gone from hence And ere the Sunne in morning doth appeare Hoyse sayles and put to Sea with full pretence And courage bold cleane void of any feare To Sayle to Troy and there land openly What ere falls out for know assuredly Without resistance by the Troians made Who valiantly will issue vs to beard There is no landing for vs to be had And yet you must not therefore be afeard But set all feare and cowardise aside And stoutly whatsoere fals out abide Which sayd the Greeks consulting therevpon Determined with courage bold to make What hast they could and preparation For to be gou and straight their course to take Vnto the towne of Troy as doth appeare And in the Chapter following you shall heare CHAP. XII ¶ How the Grecians landed before Troy where they were valiantly fought withall by the Troians WIthin the former Chapter you did heare How that the Greeks in counsell being set With full and whole consents agreed were All scuses set apart nought should them let With speed vnto the towne of Troy to sayle And there the Troians valiantly t'assaile And that end to the next day they begun To go abord their ships with courage bold And when they had all things prepard and don That needfull were they did a counsell hold T'ordaine among themselues and to agree How many ships should in each squadron bee And which of them in for most ranke should goe What course they should vpon the Seas obserue How they would land that no man might it know Thereby their men from danger to preserue Whereto they did assigne a speciall marke And so when as by singing of the Larke Which commonly is fore the Sun doth rise At dawning of the day they did awake And put Sea in braue and warlike wise And to the towne of Troy their course did take And first a hundred ships well furnished With store of men and armes the way did lead Whose pennons and rich streamers to behold Which on the seas did show most cleare and bright When they did them against the Sun vnfold Gaue vnto all that saw them great delight For nere before vpon the waues so greene The like triumphant sight had not been seeene An other hundred more sayld orderly In rancks to second them that went before Whose sayles most proudly in the wind did flie And spread abroad wherein there was great store Of valiant Knightts wel arm'd with sword speare The Troians to withstand without all feare Next afder them in order brauely ranck't The rest of their huge Navy followed The which on either side was strongly flank't With squadrons of great ships well furnished With valiant Knights whose number was so many That like to it had nere been seen of any Vpon the Seas and sayling so together Assisted by Neptune and Eolus That sent them both faire wind pleasant wether Their voiage was to them so prosperous That in one tide a sight of Troy they had Whereto with all their sayles hoyst vp they made Whose waving when the Troiaus did behold And saw that they drew nere vnto the strand And by their countnance well perceiu'd they would Despight of them if that they might take land In hast they arm'd themselues which having don They mounted on their horses and did run As fast as ere they could vnto the strand Attending neither Earles Prince nor King To be their guide nor over them command But furiously out of the gates did fling And in so great a number to behold That wheÌ„ the Greeks theÌ„ saw their harts were cold And stoutest of them all was much dismaid To find so many Troians on the land Well arm'd that all most resolutely stayd With courage bold their comming to withstand Whereby they knew and certainely did see No landing for them there as thou to bee Vnlesse that with the Troians they would fight And valiantly adventure for to land Or els like cowards take themselues â—o slight And fall into their deadly enemies hand For other refuge for them none there was But through the Troians swordâ— pikes to passe Which when King Prâ—thesilaus did behold Who of an hundred ships the conduct had He sayd that in despight of them beâ—ould Set foot on land and to that end â—e made His ships and men in readines to venter By force vpon the same strand to enteâ— But when his Ships set forward to ariue As nere vnto the shoare as well they might The wind did in their sayles so stifely driue That on the land by force iâ— did them smight And some of them vpon the gittie stroke Which presently in many peeces broke And most part of the men and ships were drown'd And scattered here and there contusedly So that but very few of them were found To make resistance gainst the enemy And those that scapt sau'd theselues froÌ„ hurt And got to land all clad with mire and durt And for a while their enemies withstood Were by the Troians slaine so cruelly That all the Sea was stained with the blood Of Grecians that vpon the sands did he Dead bleeding and sore wounded to the death Attending th' end to yeild their vitall breath And at that time the arrowes flew so fast And thicke into the aire that all the skie Did show as if it had been ouercast With some darke cloud and still and furiously The Troians fought and euermore renew'd Their number and the Grecians so pursu'd And for the time so hotly them assayld That what defence soever they could make Availd them not for Troians still prevaild And valiantly constraind them to giue backe With losse of many men and great disgrace And finally perforce to leaue the place Whereas they fought with much
were one of your Royall blood The which I know for all your worldlie good You would by no meanes wish nor gladlie see Wherefore by mine aduise I thinke it best That Thoas should well kept and garded bee Within this towne and quietlie let rest Least as I said to you before it may Fall out that one of vs another day Might hap into their hands and prisoner be And so for him we might haue ours againe Which otherwise if with extreamitie We do proceed we never should obtaine This is my counsell in this case said he And such as I do thinke the best to be Whereto most worthy Hector did consent And with him was of like opinion And said that he no will had nor intent That any wrong to Thoas should be done While he in Troy then prisoner was though he Nere had deseru'd of them well vs'd to be Paris King Priams second son likewise When as his brother Hector had declar'd His mind said vnto them that his aduise Was that he wisht King Thoas should be spar'd And not put vnto death although he said To doe the same they need not be afraid But Deiphobus of cleane contrarie mind Vnto his brethren twaine did say he saw No cause why Thoas should such favor find At Troyans hands who by their marshall law Might iustlie for his merits make him die Being as he was their vtter enemie Whereto with courage bold youthfull heart Prince Troyelus did seeme somewhat t' agree With Deiphobus and said that for his part He did no cause nor any reason see Why they should spare their enemie that sought Their overthrow and to that end had brought His forces fore their towne as fullie bent To worke their vtter ruine and decay But yet said he it is not my intent To counsell you to deale with him that way Least as my Lord Aeneas saith we might Perchance thereby procure our owne despight Whose counsell Lord Anthenor did commend And said that to shew such extreamitie Of marshall Law and rigor to extend To him could not be done advisedlie For that said he there is none of vs all But may into our foes hands chance to fall And with the selfe same rigor vsed be That vnto him we shewd Wherefore I say If that by my advise you 'le ruled be It 's best to let him safe in prison stay And vse him well that we like curâ—esie May haue when need requires of th' enemy Pollidamas his sonne with all the rest Of those that in their Counsell chamber were With one consent did say they thought it best That he should still be kept a prisoner And as Aeneas said be vsed well Till they saw how fortune with theÌ„ would deale But Priamus to wrath and furie bent Did not agree to their opinion And would by no meanes therevnto consent But still maintain'd his first conclusion And said that if the Greeks should once perceiue That we of life do Thoas not bereaue But spare him though vnto that end it were They would report to our no little shame That we dare not attempt to do 't for feare We haue of them and so will vs defame But nere the lesse said he sith you 're content I will though loath vnto the same consent And therewithall their counsell vp they brake And then Aeneas and Anthenor went With Troyelus into the hall and spake With Helena whereas some time they spent With her and with Queene Hecuba that bare Her company with many Ladies faire That with her the Queene then present were Where Troyelus and Aeneas did perswade Queene Helena to set aside all feare Which by the meanes of war that great she had And she although much discontent she were In outward shew did seeme with ioyfull cheare And countenance demure being glad To welcome them as to their state was fit But Hecuba that nere her equall had For vertue bountie eloquence and wit While they vnto Queene Helena so spake Desired them for that faire Ladies sake And for the weale and safety of them all And of the towne that they would not adventer Themselues in field what ever might befall Too farre among the enemies to enter Nor put themselues in danger carelesly And yet besought them to fight valiantly To saue and keepe the towne from that distresse Which th' enemy did seeke to bring 't into The which she said she fear'd she must confesse Although she hope 't they should it never do And so of her and of the Ladies all The knights tooke leaue went out of the hall Meane time the Greeks that morning as I said While Priam in the towne a counsell held Did murmure great sorow mongst them made As in their tents they lay in th' open field To thinke vpon the losse which they sustaind And all of them together much complaind And grieued for the death of many a man Of great account slaine by the cruelties Since that most cruell deadly war began And valor of their Troyan enemies And for the hunger cold and thirst also With sorow thought vnquietnes and woe Which they had had and felt all for nought Or at the least for causes very small If that the ground thereof were truely sought This was the speech and words in generall That through the Grecians campe at that time ran And currantly did passe from man to man But specially amongst the poorer sort Of soldiers who in war most commonly Constrained are t' endure and to support The brunt of all and haue no remedy For though they do find fault grieue therfore Yet are they not relieued nere the more And so they did complaine make great mone To thinke vpon the mischiefe they endured And which to them the Troyan knights had done Thogh't were theÌ„selues that had the same procured Vnto their owne decay and might it shun If they had not that bloudy war begun Which to encrease the next ensuing night So cloudy darke and thicke as pitch became That neither Moone nor star appear'd in sight And such a storme did happen on the same Of thunder lightning wind raine that fell Vpon them as if all the fiends of hell Conspired had their vtter overthrow And therewithall the waters did so rise That all the field and plaine did overflow And with the wind that blew in furious wise Their tents were overthrowne they compeld To leaue the place which all that while they held By reason that the water grew so hie And in that sort the Greeks in great distresse Compelled were all that same night to lie With hearts repleate with griefe and heauinesse In that great storme of thunder wind raine Vntill the water did go backe againe The wind appeas'd and day began t' appeare Next morning when the Sun began to rise Which made the aire shew beautifull and cleare And draue away the clouds out of the skies And with the force and feavor of his heat Dried vp the ground which was
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
Soone did arriue before the Troyan coast Where safely landing all his ships together He presently relieu'd the Grecian hoast With victuals who thereof had then great need And thankt him that he broght it with such speed The Grecian host relieu'd as you haue heard Palamedes went to their ships to see If they had any need to be repair'd And what so euer requisite to bee Bestowd on them was found he did with care Cause to be done And likewise did not spare Of every thing what so ever it did cost To see prouision made and to supply All things that needfull were within the host The which he did performe most carefully While time of truce endur'd was out-run And that their bloudy warre againe begun Which many on each side most dearely bought Whereof to write at large is my pretence And shew how they together fiercely sought Each th' other to destroy in their defence And still continued in their deadly hate The which they held between the without date Vnto the great destruction and decay Of many valiant knights while it did last For as they were accustomed next day Ensuing after that the truce was past In warlike wise well arm'd with speare shield They entered againe into the field Where with their banners wavering in great pride And drums and trumpets sounding fearefully They met together brauely on each side And at the first encounter valiantly Deiphobus like a Lyon furious Met with a Grecian King cald Creseus And with his strong puissant speare in rest Ran at him with so great and mighty force That he did pierce him deepe into the brest Wherewith starke dead he fell off from his horse Whose death so much the Greeks did terrifie That sore amaz'd they did begin to flie Vnto their tents as fast as ere they could To saue themselues with mighty feare and dread The which when as the Troyans did behold They chased them till that King Diomede And with him also King Palamodes With most despightfull hearts and merciles With twenty thousand knights accompanied Vpon the Troyans sodainly did set And where the Grecians then before them fled They did so fiercely kill cast downe and beat The Troyans that their furious 〈◊〉 vs to shun Then made them fore the Greeks as fast to run And at that time came Thelamon Aiax in Conducting of another Grecian band At whose approach such slaughter did begin On Troyans side by his victorious hand That many of them then were fiercely kild And all the plaine with Troyans blood was fild And as he thus in furious wise did set On them and like a Lyon fierce for pray Did range about the field by chance he met The worthy knight Sicilian in his way A bastard Son of 〈◊〉 whome he Assailed with such extreame crueltie That with his sword he cut his arme in twaine And he therewith fell dead within the field Whome when Deiphobus saw so fiercely slaine By Thelamon and his dead corps beheld With speare in hand he smote so great a stroke At Thelmon that his Launce on him he broke And yet did hit him with so great a might That with the trunchion which did whole remaine He did him cleane out of his sadle smight And laid him all along vpon the plaine Which stroke when King Pallamides beheld And saw how he vnto the ground was feld He was therewith so vexed at the heart That to revenge King Thelamon he sware On Deiphobus and ere he thence did part With mighty speare which in his hand he bare He ran and smote Deiphobus such a stroke That therewithall he pierst his brest broke The speare within the same and therein left The trunchion and the head still sticking fast Wherewith he was of vitall breath bereft But ere the same out of his body past Which long within his breast could not abide It was his brother Paris chance to ride That way where he lay in a manner dead Whome when he did behold in such a case He was therewith so much astonished That he did looke with pale and deadly face And for him grieu'd and wept most bitterly And bad his knights conuay him speedily Out of the field and prease wherein he lay Aside into a place to take the aire Who presently did beare him thence away Vpon a shield with easie pace and faire And with great griefe sorrow laid him downe Hard by the wall close vnderneath the towne Where when he had a little while still laine With heauie cheare he lifted vp his eies And being in extreamity of paine Vnto his brother Paris softlie cries And said good brother let me one thing craue Of thee that thou wilt pittie on me haue And kindly and for lone and brother hood Remember what to thee I now shall say Sith that thou canst do mono other good Because I must depart from thee away Thou seest what woefull case I here lie in For Atropos will now no longer spin My thread of life nor favor to me shoe Good brother let me craue so much of thee Before that I out of the world hence goe That by thy meanes I may revenged bee Of him that hath bereau'd me of my breath And in this sort hath giuen me my death That I may be assur'd before I die That he is slaine and first gone downe to hell And in that soule inâ—ernall lake doth lie With Pâ—â—â—to there eternally to dwell Amongst the damned soules in griefe woe The which wheÌ„ my poore dying hart shal knoâ— I shall depart contentedlie and glad Out of this world and will esteem 't a blisse To me that he his death before me had And that with me thereof he did not misse Wherein I pray thee do me not denie And then pull out this speare and let me die Which his desire t' accomplish Paris went With speed into the field in mightie griefe Sore weeping to revenge with full intent His brother who meane time without reliefe Lay languishing and drawing on to death Expecting everie hower to yeeld his breath And seeking vp and downe he came whereas Pallamides was fighting hand to hand With Sarpedon a valiant King that was Come vnto Troy to Priam with a band Of valiant Knights to aid him gainst his foes And while that they together fiercely close And each the other furiously did smight For Sarpedon was valorous and strong And shewd himselfe to be a puissant knight Pallamides when they had â—ought so long That both of them were wearie puissantly Stroke Sarpedon a blow vpon the thigh And cut it cleane a sunder wherewithall King Sarpedon not able to endure Vpon his horse dead on the ground did fall Whose death vnto the Troyans did procure Such feare that they were forced to retire For that with heart repleat with wrath me Pallamides slew them so furiously That they durst not abide before his face Whose cruelty when Paris did espie And thought vpon his brothers woefull case He bent his bow that
you could not faile To your perpetuall honor and your fame But win a great and noble victorie On them and make the Grecians by the same For evermore ore them triumphantlie To raigne and while the world doth still endure To Troyans euerlasting shame procure But to his words Achilles tooke no heed Nor yet of Hebers bodie seemd to haue The least respect though 't lay before him dead Nor in a manner leaue vnto them gaue To speake their minds for 't was to him allone Whats'ere they said for counsell he wold none But like a man that 's deafe and dumbe he stood And made as though he did not heare at all And neuer seemd in countenance nor mood In any passion for the same to fall For in one eare no sooner entred't was But out againe at th' other it did passe Herein a man may see a louers state That wholly therevnto addicts his mind Who rather then he 'le prooue vnfortunate And in his loue desireth ioy to find All honor worship manhood valiantnes Strength reputation might and hardines Encrease of vertue fame and victorie Knighthood renowne and every other blisse Glorie in armes and all activitie He will forsake and count them none of his And as vaine toyes will lay them all aside When he in Cupids bands himselfe hath ti'd Such power Cupid hath on him to seaze When once his heart within his snares is cought That he is loath to anger or displease In word or deed in countenance or thought Her whome he doth esteeme his Lady deare For with a looke of her faire eies and cleare She onlie t is can daunt his pride of heart For Venus with her flattring tong can bind His sences thoughts and euery other part So strictly that nought else in his mind But his sweet loue and so doth make him lie In Cupids bands restraind from libertie Which was the onlie cause without all doubt Why all that day Achilles was not seene Abroad nor t'aide the Grecians would go out Into the field for he fear'd Pollicene Least she should be offended if he went Into the field and gainst the Troyans bent His force and so should seeme her enemie Whome he esteemd his deare and speciall friend And while he lay in this extreamitie And with conceits of her the time did spend The Grecians fought against them of the towne Till Phoebus with his Chariot went downe At which time all the Troyans did begin Because they wanted light to go their way With speed to Troy but ere they entred in Yong Troyelus and Paris made them stay While they tooke vp Deiphobus whom they found Complaining sore of his most deadly wound And when they saw him in that pittious case They could not choose but weepe sore lament And with salt teares bedew'd their eies and face And were so fild with griefe and discontent Within their hearts and did such sorrow make As if they would haue died for his sake And while that they in this sort by him stood He waxt so weake that he began to die For he had lost such quantity of blood That t'saue his life there was no remedy Yet while his valiant brethren did lament Because they saw his vitall breath was spent He lifted vp his eies and when he heard That Paris King Pallamides had slaine He seem'd therewith to be a little cheard And to release the sore and deadly paine He bad them draw his speare out of his wound Which done he fell down dead vpon the ground Whose body straight they bare in mournfull wise Into the towne with great solemnity I need not shew what sorrow and what cries For him was made with much extreamity By all the men and women in the towne As also for the death of Sarpedowne And specially by old King Priamus Queene Hecuba his sisters Pollicene Cassandra and his brother Helenus With other of his worthy bretheren This shall suffice that vnto you I tell That 't was most great as you may iudge full well And to be briefe for him and Sarpedon King Priamus in hast two toombs did make In sumptuous wise of pollisht Marble stone And when that they were finisht for their sake He made a great and costly funerall Whereat the people all in generall Were present did mourne make great mone According to their old and ancient right And while that this within the towne was done The Grecians with all speed and hast they 〈◊〉 Did make a tombe for their most worthy 〈◊〉 Pallamides and at his burying Did vse such ancient customes as they had Amongst them and their sorrow to expresse Great griefe and extreame dolor for him made And in that sort brought him with heauinesse In royall wise vnto his sepulture And then because they might not long endure Without a Prince to be their gouernor By full and free election of them all They made King Agamemnon who before Had held that place and rul'd them Generall And chiefe Commander of their hoast againe In stead of King Pallamides then slaine Which done on either side without delay The Troyans strongly arm'd did issue out Of Troy and went into the field next day T' assaile the Greeks who without feare or doubt In warlike wise and face to face them met But Troyelus on them so fiercely set That by his valor great and mighty force The Greeks durst not abide before his face For he so many of them did vnhorse And did begin so hoâ—ely them to chase That where so ere he road the field about They fled from him in mighty feare doubt And with him were the Knights that he then led Yong lusty and well arm'd with speare shield Who so much Grecian bloud that day did shed That all the ground showd red within the field And streames of blood ran downe along the plaine At which time there did fall so great a raine And huge a mist that men could hardly see But most of all vpon the Grecians side By means whereof and with th'extremitie And smart of wounds which they did then abide And through the valiant proweâ—â—e and the might Of Troyelus the strong and hardie Knight They were constraind to shun his crueltie And to avoyd the storme which then did rise To saue their liues in mightie feare to flie And to giue place vnto their enemies Ran to their tents some succor there to find The Troyans them pursuing fast behind In cruell wise and with exceeding pace But for because the storme did still encrease At that time they no longer held the chase But both from it and fighting did surcease And entred into Troy and there did stay Till morning when the Larke did sing next day That Troyelus betimes did issue out Determining the Greeks againe t'assaile Where in the field as he did ride about Among his foes he did so much preuaile Gainst them that who so euer he did smight With his stroÌ„g sword was maim'd or kild ouâ— right And in that furious
manner still did hold His enemies in chase and beat them downe All that day with couragious heart and bold And brought them vnto great confusion So long till that the Sun withdrew his light And euening when it waxed toward night That he returnd to Troy victoriously And seven daies ensuing without rest He did assaile the Greeks so cruelly And in such furious manner them opprest That they could not his puissant force sustaine But forced were to flie out of the plaine T' avoyd the strong and mighty blows which he Amongst them dealt for where so ere he past He put them to so great extreamitie That they shrunke backe and were in heart abasht To see the field all dy'd and coloured red With bloud of Greeks that on the plaine lay dead And were that day oppressed in such wise That next day after they did all agree Betimes assoone as ere the Sun did rise To fend a messenger to Troy to see If Priamus vnto a truce would yeeld For two months space wherwith king Priam held A counsell of his Lords to that intent And by consent of them he did agree Vnto the Greeks desire and was content That peace for two months time should holden be Which done the Greeks out of the towne straight went And comming vnto 〈◊〉 tent Declared vnto him what was decreed By Priamus concerning his desire And after that their Generall with speed Sent messengers to pray and to require Achilles who was obstinately beâ—t And resolutely held in his intent Not to relieue nor aid the Grecians In any wise what need so ere they had Against their mortall foes the Troyans According to the vow he then had made To mollifie his anger and t' agree With them t'assaile their Troyan enemie As he had done before the which to doe Ulisses Diomede and Nestor were Appointed to perswade him therevnto That they might not such losse damage beare As daily they endur'd and specially Because he did to them his aid deny And would not with them in the field appeare Whome when Achilles saw he did receaue And welcome them with ioy full heart and cheare And when they had of him desired leaue To speake their minds according to their charge Ulisses their Commission to discharge An eloquent discourse vnto him made And following his first instruction In this sort did begin him to perswade And said my Lord Achilles whose renowne Exceeding might and glory passing great For memory perpetually is set Within the Booke and register of fame And who the truth to say doth certainlie At this time well deserue to beare the name Of all that vnderneath the christ all skie Do liue and breath for knighthood to excell Be not displeas'd I pray you that I tell My mind to you nor be it none offence At all vnto your honor that I say For this is sure it is my full pretence To tell the truth as neere as ere I may As well your Lordship shall perceiue and see If you but marke what shall be said by me You know full well if you to mind will call The chiefest cause and reason why that we With all the Grecian Princes which excell For puissant strength and power that now be Assembled here whereof your selfe was one Of those that first did make the motion Was by a full consent and will t' invade Besige and to destroie the puissant towne Of Troy and when that we performed had Our wills therein to raise and cast it downe Vnto the ground to our e'relasting fame But now my Lord you varrie from the same And so denlie haue altered your mind And to that end do vtterlie denie To aid vs in our warre the which we find To be exceeding strange especiallie When you should thinke vpon the mightie wrong Done vnto vs in Greece and that not long Nor many yeares agoe by Troyans That sent a mightie force out of their towne And therewith slew and kild the Grecians And entring into Cithera beat downe Our Castles and our houses and did beare Our treasure thence and not contented were With all that spoile but to our great despight Did ravish faire Queene Helena and made Her go with them and hold her still by might And would not once confesse the wrong they had Then done and now still vnto vs procure But in the same do obstinate endure And since our being here in siege haue wrought So much and so great hurt and iniurie To vs by burning of our ships and brought So many Greeks vnto their ends that we Cannot but muse at your great carelesnes That will not now when they as we confesse By your exceeding might and valor great Are brought vnto most hard extreamitie Sâ—th you haue Hector slaine in whome they set Their speciall trust and chiefe securitie And he who onlie did their towne sustaine And sith Deiphobus likewise now is slaine And they by likelihood continuallie And day by day to fall into despaire Now fortune on them casts a lowring eie And vnto vs doth shew a countnance faire Even now I say when you are so renownd And that your praise by trump of fame doth sound Through euerie Land and Nation far neare Take time while it doth serue t' extoll your praise And by dame Fortunes aid which doth you beare So great good will to worke by all assaies To bring your long desired wish t' effect For 't were great wrong in you so to neglect Dame Fortune when to you she is so kind And obstinately to refuse her aid When you do her so friendly to you find And so extols your fame as I haue said That she puts victorie into your hand And vnexpectedly your foes withstand So that you need no helpe of her to craue Why then should you so wilfullie let fall The noble fame which at this time you haue And suffer that men should 't in question call When as it is now in the highst degree Me thinks you should much better thereto see And haue a greater care the same to keepe For euerie knight that is of valiant mind Would grieue thereat with great sighs deepe Lament to see you proue so much vnkind Vnto your selfe as to abase your state When fame doth it so highlie eleuate Wherefore we you desire heartilie To haue remorse of conscience in your mind And that you would vnto vs not denie Your aid but let vs so much favor find At your hands to helpe vs in our need T' effect the thing which we haue all decreed To bring to passe ere we leaue off the same That your renowne may still be magnified Throughout the world to your perpetuall fame And still encrease and be reedified And that the trivmph of our victorie May evermore be had in memorie And so recorded that forgetfulnesse May not your fame valor greatt deface Nor power haue by malice to suppresse The same which now doth shine in euerie place Without ecclipse as we must needs confesse Which to
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
be the way T' appease them and their furious course to stay Which hauing said Amphimachus arose Vpon his feet who grieued much to heare Anthenor speake of treatie with their foes In manner as you heard could not forbeare In presence of King Priamus t' vpbraid Him openly with treason and thus sayd Anthenor by thy speech I well perceiue That we haue little cause to trust in thee For ayd in need that so much dost deceiue Our expectations for we plainely see That Faith and troth from thee are banished And thou in 't falshood art by error led When as thou dost so variable show Where is become thy faith vnto thy Lord And due alleigance thou to him dost ow Where are thy oaths thy promises and word Which thou didst make protest and giue to be True vnto him and his posteritie All fled and gone In steed whereof thou hast Retained mutability and change Of mind opinion and of will and past The bounds of thy fidelity to change At liberty from all affection Which thou sholdst beare to him to this towne To liue and die for it if need should bee For neither faith nor troth nor sparkes of loue In thee remaines as now we plainely see When thou darst be so bold t' excite and moue The King by thy perswasions to giue eare To that which to his great dishonor were Which is to seeke a peace as if that he Did feare his foes Thou rather shouldst haue been The first that should haue proferred him to be A chiefe protector of the Citie when So ere the Greeks should seeke t'assaile the same With losse of life and lim to keepe the same But know thou well and so I thee assure That whatsoere thy meaning is to do Before we will this iniurie endure And ere they shall so far proceed thereto It shall the liues of twenty thowsand cost And many more before this towne be lost I hold thy words to be no prophesie But rather do esteeme them by good reason To be the signes and marks of trechery Of fained faith of falsehood and of treason To bring vs in subiection to our foes But though thou setst on them so faire a glose And outward show they are but meere deceit And Syrenes songs t' entrap and to beguile Vs and this towne till that our foes it get In this sort did Amphimachus reuile Anthenor for his counsell knowing well That t' was nought els but treason Till full well To pacefie his choler and to stay Them from proceeding further to a brawll Aeneas with faire words to make the way More open for their purpose and withall To smooth the matter so as if they ment Nought els but troth but t' was with false intent For he spake cleane contrary to his thought Intending onely to appease them twaine Till that he had by policie so wrought That they from futher speeches did refraine And when he saw them somewhat pacified To cloake Anthenors speeches and to hide His owne dissimulation in like ease When he had pausd a little while he sayd Vnto the King with smooth and flattering face That touching help reliefe or any ayd To be expected for the towne he thought There was none to be found that it nought Availed them to hope thereon sith they Besiedged were soclosely and so hard That they could haue no victualls any way To comfort them and wholy were debard From issuing forth as hauing not the might Against the Greeks for want of force to fight For as you know said he while that this warre Endured hath we haue consumd such store Of famous and most worthy knights that were A terror to our foes that now no more We can nor dare not issue out to fight And which is more vnto our great despight The people are so full of feare and dread That they are all perswaded ther 's noway For them but euery one to lay his head Vpon the blocke to die therefore I say Sith that the Fates for vs haue so decreed And that we now are driuen to such need If that you will be ruld by my aduise I thinke the safest way for vs wil be To parle with our foes and not be nise To make a peace with them though that it be Vnto our losse t' avoid th'extremety We may fall in sith ther 's no remedy But Priamus with face for anger pale And countnance sterne he was so moud in miâ—d Cut of Aeneas long and flattering tale And fretting at the treason he did find Lie hiden vnder it Could not refraine In furious wise to speake vnto them twaine And sayd Anthenor and Aeneas both I muse why you two should so hardy be And bold as that with breach of faith and troth You dare inuent such treason to bring me And all my subiects into extreame thrall And danger of our foes and therewithall Into dispaire by false suggestion How can or may you in your conscience find If that you well considered thereon Against your facts and oathes to be vnkind To me that of my secret counsell were And so well thought on by me that whatsoere Did passe therein it was not don without You were in presence to agree thereto But now I cannot muse how it falles out That you decline in this sort as you do From me that am of all my soones bereft And desolate of friends in manner left It makes me grieue to thinke vpon the same And much to muse that any of you can Be so vntrue and haue so little shame To do it how should I trust any man When you two are so faithlesse vnto me That ought my chiefest counsellors to be You should remember how with your consent And chiefely by your counsell and aduise Paris by me was into Grecia sent With many ships and men in warlike wise And thou Anthenor knowst full well also That fore he went thou didst Ambaster go Vnto the Greeks to fetch home Exion If by faire meanes we could bring them thereto And after that thou madst the motion And was the cause that Paris then did go With warlike force to Greece and this is true For thinke you that without aduise from you I would with such a power haue sent him thither Or haue assayld the Grecians in their land Vnlesse that you had mou'd me to 't together No surely it had nere been tane in hand And you your selues if you be well aduisd Cannot deny but that it was deuisd And put in execution through you twaine Especially for when as Paris went To Cithera for Helena its plaine Aeneas thou wast cause that he was sent And th' onely man that readiest was and sought To welcome her when she to Troy was brought For t is most sure she neuer had come here If thou hadst been vnwilling therevnto Although as now thou makst as though thou nere Hadst knowne thereof nor giuen consent thereto And now my sons are dead and I bereft Of my best Knights and without comfort
â—iluar gold all their goods and then With mighty rage extreame violence They sackt spoyld without all reuerence The Temples of the Gods throughout the towne And in despight of them with courage bold Did fiercely rent and furiously pull downe Their ornaments of siluer and of gold In presence of the Gods that then were there While Priamus with sad heauy cheare Before Apollo kneeld and to him praid Devoutly to relieue him but in vaine For at that time there was no hope of aid That he by any meanes could then obtaine But onely there with patience to attend By cruell death his woefull life to end Whereof without all doubt he was most sure Ere long time past by Grecians hand to haue And Cassandra that holy creature Her selfe likewise in that distresse to saue Vnto Mineruaes Temple did repaire Accompanied with many a Lady faire And other Gentle-women of the towne Who there with sobs most bitterly did crie And made their woefull lamentation Attending euery hower when they should die Wherein I le let them with the goddesse dwell For if that I their sorrowes all should tell And show how they in euery lane and street Lay groueling on their Lords and husbands deare And suckt their wounds all their cloths did wet And staind and di'd them with the blood that there Out of their bodies ran that wofully Beheld them with a pale and deadly eye It would be ouer long for me to write And tedious likewise for you to heare But to proceed when they had all that night Nere ceast to kill and ransacke euery where The people and the towne and spard not one Next day in heaps they went to Ilion King Priamus most faire and Princely hall Wherein they found not one to make defence Against them nor to keepe the same for all The people in great feare were fled from thence To saue their liues and left it desolate Where all the gold and riches of the state Enclosed lay within the treasory The lockes whereof they brake and bare away The treasure therein found and cruelly Did fier the howse for no man durst say nay Nor let them to pursue their enterprise Then Pyrrhus in most fierce and furious wise Went to Divine Apolloes Temple where Before the Altar with great cruelty While Priamus deuoutly praied there In humble wise t' Apollo on his knee With fury great not speaking any word Into the body ran him with his sword And gaue him such a deepe and deadly wound That presently he fell vpon his face And pitifully died on the ground And with his blood defild the holy place Aeneas and Anthenor standing by As witnesses of his great cruelty Whose death when as Queene Hecuba perceiud And on the ground there lying did behold His bleeding corse she seemed cleane bereaud Of sences and in wofull wise did fold And wring her hands and pitiously did crie And in great feare out of the Church did flie With Pollicene her daughter who together Were present when King Priamus was slaine To saue their liues and yet they knew not whether To go noâ— run for no man durst maintaine Their quarrell nor no comfort then was left For them that of the same were cleane bereft For all the towne in euery place was fild With Greeks that throgh twith glistring swords did run And euery where the Troians fiercely kild That had no meanes their cruelty to shun And as she ran in that sort through the streete It was her chance Aeneas there to meet Whom when she saw her flesh began to shake And tremble with the griefe she had in mind And therewithall in fury great she spake And sayd to him oh Traitor most vnkind Oh serpent false oh Adder enuious Oh villaine vile and most malicious Thou that art causer by thy wickednes Of all our woes and through thy trechery Hast brought vs now into so great distresse That plunged in the vale of misery We run from place to place distrest in mind And can no ease at all nor comfort find How couldest thou in heart be so vnkind Vnto thy Lord and King as traiterously To stand by with a fierce and cruell mind And see him slaine by Pirrhus cruelly Within the Temple where he shead his blood Who while he liu'd was vnto thee so good And gratious Lord that neuer any man Felt more of his great liberalitie Nor was more lou'd as all men witnes can Then thou by him which thou maist not deny Who now lies dead within that holy place Thou wast not only traitor in that case But didst conspire his death for thou didst bring Fierce Pirrhus to Apolloes Temple where Thou knewest well that he should find the King Of purpose set that he might kill him there Where as thou shouldst as dutie doth thee bind Haue saud his life if thou hadst been so kind But thou not only hast that mischiefe don But didst betray this towne where thou wast bred And fostred with more reputation Then any man saue he that was the head And King thereof which now forgotten is By thee wherein though thou hast done amisse Yet if within thy stony heart there be One drop of pittie or compassion Let me request this favor now of thee That in this time of desolation Thou wilt my daughter Pollicene relieue And vnto her some ayd and succour giue If thou dost any one respect at all Of Priams race as sure thou canst not choose That she by thy protection may not fall Into the Grecians hands her life to loose That when men shall this woefull story read And find therein this fowle treacherous deed By thee so falsely done and brought to pas Against this towne it may the rigor stay Of those that will judge and condemne thee as A Traytor vile and giue them cause to say That though thou didst this great wicked thing Yet at the last thou shewdst thy selfe bening And gratious vnto Pollicene whereby Some little satisfaction thou shalt make In recompence of thy great treachery To vs and giue her cause thy part to take When men of thee to her shall justly say And call thee Traytor false another day If thou wilt now vouchsafe her life to saue But as for me do what thou wilt all 's one I neither do nor will thy fauor craue For sith my Lord King Priams dead gone I care not though that thou some Grecians bidst Do vnto me as vnto him thou didst This motion made by Hecuba the Queene Though sharp it were did moue Aeneus so That pittying faire Lady Pollicene He caused her forthwith with him to go And shut her in a chamber secretly From sight and knowledge of the enemy Least they thereby should find occasion To picke some quarrell with him for her sake And at that time likewise King Thelamon Of pity did in his protection take The wife of Hector cald Andromacha And Priams daughter Lady Cassandra And vnto them his Princely promise gaue
vowd he would him quit And to that end sent presently for all The Troyans that then in the towne were left Who willingly assembled at his call For being of their soveraigne Prince bereft They made account he onlie did remaine Aliue to be their Lord and Soveraigne To whome he spake said my friends you see How fortune at this time begins to frowne And with dissembling face to ieare at mee As she hath done at this most worthy towne Her cruelty gainst it and me to shew You know likewise that we are but a few Here resting in this ruin'd place t' abide And I perforce must leaue your company Wherefore I thinke it best that you provide Some meanes for your owne good and safety By looking out among you for a man To governe you with all the speed you can For otherwise I see not how you should Be able long this open Towne to keepe Nor yet your selues from strange invasionâ— hold That here now like vnto a flocke of sheepe Disperst without a sheepheard do remaine And no man left your quarrell to maintaine Wherefore if you my counsell now will take I thinke sithtis so dangerous a thing For you to liue without an head to make And choose some one among you for your king And he whome I thinke fittest man to raigne Ore you and be your Lord and soueraigne Is Anthenor whose knighthood and renowne Is knowne vnto you all if you consent And will agree to my opinion And to that end let one for him be sent And when that he comes here within the towne You shall set on his head a regall Crowne That he may governe you with equity And valiantly defend preserue and saue You from distresse and all extreamity And they agreed and were content to haue Him sent for presently to be their king For they not once suspected any thing Concerning that the which Aeneas ment Whose words and mind contrary were to other For it was his full purpose and intent To slay him presently when he came thither And with his friends prepared to that end All armed stood his comming to attend Who nought suspecting that which did fall out Vnarmed came into the towne where he Was presently enclosed round about By Aeneas and in danger slaine to be If that the common people had not been Who in great hast came running theÌ„ between And downe vpon their knees before him fell Desiring him to haue compassion On them and theirs whom he then knew full well Were left within a bare and naked towne Without a guide and praid him to withhold His hand and furie great from that which wold Be cause of their destruction generall And on them and their woefull case to rue To whome Aeneas said before them all Will you that I forbeare him that 's vntrue And shews himselfe so traiterously bent To you and me with false and bad intent That for it he deserued hath to die For was 't not he that specially alone Conspir'd by treason with your enemie To bring you all vnto destruction And me vnto the Greeks hath sold and bought And vndeseru'd my banishment hath wrought The which they haue decreed without repeale But ere I go from hence I le make him sure The iust reward of his deserts to feele And without all compassion to endure The paine that to a traitor doth belong That at this time hath done me so much wrong To be exild from hence where with you all I purposed to lead my life and take Such part as should vnto our shares befall But by his meanes I must the Towne forsake Which wrong I cannot brooke nor never may And therefore for the same I will him slay Besides all this he was as you haueseene The onely man that to the Grecians gaue The yong and goodly Princesse â—â—lliceâ—e Whom they did slay would you I should saue One that so traitrous is Thus much I say Whos'ever that against the â—ame saith nay Sith you intreat for him he shall go free With life but cause his treason is so great He shall out of this Towne exiled bee And therewith they a time vnto him set When he shold go from thence without all grace Or favour shewd and that he must not passe And thus as traitors both they wrought together To bring the Towne to ruine and decay So treacherously they did exile each other Out of the same and might not therein stay To lead their liues where they were borne bred In peace and rest as they determined And presently Anthenor therevpon Without delay did preparation make Of all things necessarie to be gone From thence with his friends did shipping take And saild by divers Lands and sundry Isleâ— It 's needlesse to rehearse how many miles He travel'd on the seas nor how he scapt The dangers that therein are often seen But to be briefe his course so well he shapt That at the last when he a while had been Tost too and fro with stormy wind weather He spied an Isle with his ships made thither Which Island had to name Gâ—râ—â—diay Where he no sooner foot on land did get But there vpon a â—â—â—ke without delay His men with present speed to worke he set And made a towne that was both broad long With towred wals which were exceeding strong And many plesant woods and waters sweet That on each side the same environed With all things else that for the same was meet Which Isle as then was ruld and governed By Thetides a king of worthy same Who long and many yeres had held the same In peace and never had molested been By any adverse fortune whatsoeâ—e Who vnto Lord Anthenor and his men Great courtesie did shew and by him were In friendly wise receau'd and welcomed And peaceably by him were suffered To plant themselues therein and to enioy Their towne as freely with all priviledge As they before liu'd in the towne of Troy Whose being there once knowen and published A number of the Troyan knights went thither And there encreast and multipli'd together And soone did make it rich and populous And called it the Towne of Menelau To tell you more of him were frivolous For memory of him there should be none Sith he was by his treason cause of all The miseries that did on Troy befall And therefore I will turne my stile againe To tell you what vnto the Greeks befell And how by Prophesie Cassandra plaine And truely did vnto the Grecians tell What happen to them should mong them all Declared to their puissant Generall That he within his house should murthered bee By treason that against him should be wrought And that there was no way for him to flie Nor scape the same what meanes so ere he sought And bad him haue a care of his estate For he should die by death vnfortunate The storie saith when Thelaphus was slaine As in another place I said before He had two sons that liuing did
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
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
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
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
Porter staid Whom I entreated courteously to pas And churlishly put backe with words most vile I seeing that he did me so revile Much grieued that he vsd me in that sort Did kill him with a blow on th' eare which whan The guard did see that watch held in the fort They issued and together on me ran And I compeld to fight though gainst my will In my defence fifteene of them did kill Whereby I am thus wounded as you see And like to loose my life as well as they That sought if that they could t' haue killed me And this if these here present truth will say The reason was we fought and they were kild By me which when Ulisses heard he wild Him to declare where he was borne and what His Father was and where he then did dwell Who answered the King and told him that He would the truth thereof vnto him tell And said he was borne in an Isle that stood Within the sea of high and Princely blood And that he to his mother had a Queene Cald Circes who both fâ—r and nâ—â—â— was knowne And how he had his Father neuer â—â—erio But said that by his mother he was showne That he was gotten by a king who as He did returne from Troy did chance to pas Along that way and as she told to me Said he his name Vlisses was Whom I Did long and such desire had to see That taking ship I set sayle presently And in short space I came into this land Where I was told and given to vnderstand That I should find my Father in this place But now I see my labour is in vaine And feare that I shall never see his face And therefore sith I haue tane so much paine And cannot vnto my desire attaine I will if that I liue returne againe Into my natiue soylo and seeke no more With danger of my life for that which I So long to find and yet it grieues me fore T' haue tane such paines and cannot satisfie My mind This is all that I can you show Said he of that which you desire to know Whereby Vlisses sighing sore when as He had heard him that answere to him make Perceiving he his Son by Circes was With griefe began to tremble and to quake And sheading store of blood out of his wound He fainted and did full into a swound And with a countnance heavy dead and pale Said now I see my woefull Destiny Fulfilled is for by this young mans â—ale I know and find there is no remedy For me and that the time is now too lâ—â—e To strine against my hard and cuâ—sâ—â— Faâ—e For now my Son which here by me doth stand Hath given meâ—â—y death and made an end Of his old Fathers life and with his hand Hath finishe that whereto my dreame did tend Which words pronounst young Thelagon began With countnance sad and face â—oth pale wan To sigh when as he knew and vnderstood That gainst the lawes of nature he had flame His Father and so fiercely shed his blood That him begot and felt such grieuous paine In heart that he did presently sincke downe And fore them all did fall into a swone And comming to himselfe when he had torne His clothes and puld his haire off from his head He said alas that ever I was borne That by my hands my Father should be dead Curst be my hard and woefull Destiny And fortune fell the which I could not flie Curst be the hand that hath been so impure Whereby this wicked deed by me is don Accurst be I of every creature Accursed be my constellation And cursed be and most vnfortunate The hower wherein my father me begat Oh would to God for this vnhappy deed T' excuse his death I might for my reward In presence of you all die in his steed And wholy of all comfort be debard And that men would me vtterly forsake But when the King such sorrow hard him make And knew he was his Son that Circes bore By him in th'isle Aulides as be found By many signes which he rehearst before He made him to be tane vp from the ground Whereon he lay and pardned him his death Being ready then to yeild his vitall breath And lying in so great extreamitie With speed did call for his Son Thelamon Who at that time in prison straight did lie Who presently when as he heard thereon Vnto his Father went and when he saw That he began vnto his end to draw And by enquirie knew the truth and found That Thelagon who fore him there did stand Was he that had given him his deadly wound With mighty rage he tooke his sword in hand And thought his brother Thelagon to kill But ere thâ—â— he of him could haue his will Ulisses made his men to run and hold His hand and then for all the paine he had He cald his Sons and told them that he would Haue them t' agree and to be friends made Them graâ—â— and promise to be so which â—on He did expresly charge Prince Thelamon That he without dissimulation Should loue and in most friendly manner liue While vitall breath did last with Thelagon His brother and to him the halfe should giue Of all his goods as heire by true discent To him whereto he freely did consent And neuer from his Fathers will did varry Which said his men a Chariot did provide And did him to his chiefest Citie carry Where afterward within three daies he dide Whose body was interred by hie Sonne Within a costly Tombe of Marble stone And after that they Crowned Thelamon And made him King with great solemnity With whom a whole yeare after Thelagon His brother staid to whom most lovingly And kindly he nere any thing denide And when he would n◠〈◊〉 there abide He dubd him Knight and after did prepare A ship and gold for him whereof he had Great store wherewith he did againe repaire Home to Aulides Isle and thereby made His mother Circes heart exceeding glad That had for his long absence been full sad For she by Negromancian Art could tell That he through many dangers great had past And scapt them all And after that she fell Into an extreame sickenes and at last Well stricken in yeares she died as all men must When as their time is come For God most just Hath death ordaind for every living thing Who having vnto nature paid her debt Prince Thelagon her Son was Crowned King Of Aulides whereas with honor great He did his Crowne Kingdome long maintaine And threescore yeares full coÌ„pleat ther did raigne While Thelamon liu'd in Achaia land And thereof held the Scepter and the Crowne For seaventy yeares together in his hand Till from his throne death proudly puld him down Vnto the ground and with his piercing dart In cruell wise did strike him to the hart This shall suffiice to let you see and know Th'adventures of the Greeks by sea and land When