For to offende or noyen any wight And wheÌ„ she had thus sayd vnto her knight In euery thynge and gyue instruction Playn doctrine and informacyon How he shall scape the daungers by and by If he take hede and worke auysely ¶ And thus agreyd they thought it for y e best For to parte or men out of theyr rest Awaked were for it drewe towardes daye As they well sawe by the morowe graye And lest men had to theym suspicioÌ„ Of hye prudence and discrecion Atwene the twelight and the rody morowe They toke theyr leue w t saint Iohn y e borow With oft kyssyng as louers wheÌ„ they twinne And so he went and she is left within Beyng in hope to mete agayn some daye And Iason than as fast as euer he maye Gan ordayne him his Iourney to achieue And thought he would anoÌ„ go take his leue And in that wyse w tin a litel whyle After the maner of my rude style My purpose is sothly and not to spare With your supporte playnly to declare VVhan that the rowes the rayes rede Estward to vs full early gonnen sprede Euen at the twelyght in the dawnynge When that the larke of custome gynneth sing For to salue in her heauenly laye The lusty goddesse of the morowe graye I meane Aurora which afore the sonne Is wonte tenchâ—se the blacke skyes donne And the derkenesse of the dymmy night And freshe Phebus with coÌ„forte of his light And with the brightnes of his beames shene Had ouergylt the hye hylles grene And floures eke agayn the morowe tyde VpoÌ„ their stalkes gaÌ„ playn theyr leues wide Whan that Iason with all his companye Toward the kynge full fast gan hym hye Whom than he fonde lyke to his estate With sceptre in haÌ„deful pompous and elate Hye in the see of his regally Sittyng full kyngly amid his cheualrye And his lordes about him enuiron ¶ At why â—he tyme this yonge champion Vnder a vowe standing of the Ram. With sterne face tofore the kyng in cam Besechyng hym of his magnificence The same day to graunt him lycence To do hys armes and make no mo delayes Concluding playnly that at all assayes He will that daye in the felde be found For to achieue lyke as he was bound Of olde behest and not a poynt declyne For life nor death till he parfourme and fine Holy the auntres that to the flese belonge The kynge requyryng no loÌ„ger him proloÌ„ge But goodly grauÌ„t the fine of his empryse And than the kynge in ful sobre wyse Consydering the summe of his demaunde To Iason spoke sayd he shall commauÌ„d That his request perfourmed were in hast Albe quod he I am ful sore agast Of wylfulnesse thou shulde destroyed be Lest men thy death arected vnto me And therupon would a blame set Of royall power that I not ne let Thy manly youth from such Ieopardy Which were in sothe a great vylany And preiudice to my estate and name That afterward men should put me iÌ„ blame Through false reporte wrong opynyon That I withstode not thy destruction ¶ Wherfore I rede that y u be yet bet auysed And my counsayle let not be dispysed For better it is with honoure in certayne Into thy country to repayre againe Than wilfully for to take on hande A mortall thyng that no man may withstaÌ„d That is my rede and fully myn aduise Take hede therto syth ye aren wyse Lest thou repent when it is to late And yf so be that thou wilt algate Thy purpose holde and not do as I rede Almyghty Mars I praye to be thy spede The for to gyde whatsoeuer shal befall And eke I praye to the goddes all Safe and sound thy body to restore This all some on me thou gettest no more ¶ And whan Iason thus had herd the kyng Not dismayed nor stoned in no thyng In knyghtly wise did him reuerence Thankyng highly his royall excellence That of his grace and beningnytye Vpon his death hym lyst to haue pytye Fully concluding touchyng his battayle That nother rede nor other counsayle In no wyse his purpose should withdrawe But lyke the statute playnly and the lawe Right so far forth as fortune wyll hym eure What so besyde of this his auenture Settyng asyde euery feare and drede He platly sayd that he wyll procede For to parfourme that he hath vndertake It were in ydle mo skylles for to make Or to allege more there againe And Iason than full openly and plaine Touching y e surplus of this dredfull thing At his departyng thus sayd to the kyng In audience tho of his lordes all What so of me hereafter now be fall Or who so euer of malys theron muse To all the worlde fyrst I you excuse And to the goddes platly you acquyte That though I deye ye be nothyng to wyte Ne no man shall arecte it you of skylle For that I worke is freely at my wyll Agayne the aduice of your hye prudence And lyfe or death here in your presence Hooly of herte and neuer for to flytte Vnto the goddes and fortune I commytte So as them lyst for me to ordayne Againe whose wyll I shall neuer plaine Nor them nor you ne shall put in no blame What so betide honour ioye or shame And of this thyng thus an ende I make And for this tyme of you my leue I take And of all tho that you about stande And one by one he toke them by the hande And in what wyse forth he gan hym dresse To you anone I thyncke it to expresse VVhan that Titan had w t his ferueÌ„t hete Drawen vp the dewe fro the leues wete Towarde myd morowe as I can diffine Vpon the houre whan the clocke is nine Iason full manly and full like a knight Armed in stele of cherefull glad and lyght Gan dresse hym forth what hap that euer fal And sayd a dieu vnto his feres all He in the boote and they vpon the stronde And all a lone whan he came to londe And in the water had his vessell lafte He fyrst of all remembryng on the crafte Of Medea with all the circumstaunces And how he shulde kepe his obseruaunces In euery thing and had it well in mynde And than anone full manly as I fynde He shope him forth and went a knyghtly pase Toward the bulles that forged wer of brase But at the point whan he his iourney gan For him Medea wexed full pale and wan So sore agast that nothing might her glade A ruthe it was to see what wo she made For so her teares on her chekes twayne Full pyteously gan to destylle and rayne That all fordewed were her wedes blake And aye this sorowe she made for his sake Lyke a woman fearefull and in doubte While he his armes ful maÌ„ly brought about To sobbe and syghe she can not be in a peace Lest he for hast were ought rekles Fro point to point to do as she him bad This was the life that she
durst not abyde ¶ But when Pirrhus sawe her great pryde To his knightes loud he gan to crye And sayde it was shame and villanye For the women so to lese theyr lande And to be slayne so felly of her hande Wherfore echone your hertes doth resume And of assent let vs nowe consume The pryde of them that none awaye escape For but if we some remedye do shape This ylke daye theyr force to confounde Shamefull reporte to vs shall rebounde Perpetually where we slepe or wake ¶ And as Pirrhus gan his swerde to take Furyously and wyth a knyghtly chere This hardy quene happed for to heare ¶ All that Pirrhus to his knightes spake All her lyst not ones to tourne bake Nor of his thret for to take hede For platly she had of him no dreade But right proudly gan to drawe nere And to him sayde anone as ye shall heare ¶ Oh thou Pirrhe sonne of Achilles That slewe Hector in knyghthod pereles Through his trenys and his trecherye By malice onely and by false enuye Vnware when he nothinge did aduerte The whych neuer maye out of my herte So grene it sticketh in my remembraunce Vpon his death for to do vengeaunce And it syt well as semeth vnto me That his death be venged vpon the Fyrste of all and on thy fathers bloud For loue of him so gentyll and so good The deth of whom shuld al y e world cōplayne Not onely men do theyr busy payne To quyte his death but women eke also With all theyr myght and helpe eke therto As right requyreth without excepcion There on to do full execution And I nowe stande in the same plyte And for thou hast vs wonnen in despite Of our power shortly in sentence Thou shalt in haste haue experyence And knowe our force sothly euerydele Right in shorte tyme truste me right wele Here in this felde by shedynge of thy bloud Wherfore Pirrhus weren gan as wood As any Tygre bore or wood Lyon So fret the coloure in his complexion And in his Ire fell and despytous He toke a spere pale and furyous And ran at her with al his myght and payne And agaynwarde as she that list not feyne Encountred hym all deuoyde of feare But Pirrhus fyrste brake on her his spere Albe that he myght her not remeue In her sadell nor but lyttel greue But she agayne so sore gan him hytte On his stede that he maye not sytte But descendeth endlonge the playne And vp he rose with full great disdayne And toke a swerde in his hande anone And made his stede lyne ryght to gone Vpon this quene of passynge worthinesse And inwardly of hate and of woodnesse In herte yfret smet at her many stroke But euer she sat styll as any oke And of force in her yre pale Efte agayne she made him to auale To the earthe maugre all his payne And thus the fyght lasteth of theym twayne A large whyle till Myrmydones Haue take theyr lorde by force out of y e prese And made him his horse recure agayne ¶ And in his tyme on the selfe playne With his baner he descended downe The worthy kinge great Agamenowne With kinges dukes endlonge the grene With theyr wardes that wonder was to sene So prudently in the felde battayled That hath Troians mortally assayled ¶ But tho in haste kynge Phylomene As ye haue herde reskued by the quene When he hath thanked to her worthinesse With his knightes in he gan him dresse ¶ And Pantasilla assembled both in one Vpon the Grekes gan for to gone Where men may se w t speres sharpe grounde Eueryche other beare vnto the grounde There men maye se proudly without lacke The manly knightes renne on horse backe ¶ And the women mortally oppresse The fell Grekes through theyr hardynesse Onely through force of the myghty quene That dead they laye couerynge al the grene ¶ Wherwith came in Dan Pollydamas Fro death reskued and eke Eneas ¶ Kinge Esdras eke of Troye the cyte ¶ And tho the wardes gan togyther fle On eyther partye fell and furious But most of all Neptolonius That Pirrhus hight y e grekes champiowne Irous and wood on them of Troye towne Made his swerde in theyr fleshe byte ¶ And Pantasilla proudly her to quyte Ne spareth not wyth mortall woundes wide Grekes to slee vpon euery syde Now here now there to theyr confusyon ¶ And Pirrhus then is fall on Glawcon The halfe brother to Pollydamas For Anthenor eke his father was And Pirrhus so in a cruell yre With melancolye newe set a fyre Smote Glawcon so or that he toke hede Amonge the prease that he fell downe dead ¶ And Pantasillya from her women all ¶ The same tyde is on Pirrhus fall And he of her when he had a syghte Rode eke agayne lyke a manly knyght And as they hurtle on horse backe yfere Of auenture with swerdes styffe and clere Eueryche made other to alyghte And hatefully on fote so they fyghte Longe or other myght of other wynne Tyll they were made of force for to twynne By the wardes that wente them atwene I meane Pirrhus and this hardy quene ¶ And all this tyme Dan Pollydamas So wood for yre in his herte was Amyd Grekes for his brothers deathe That whom he mette for his loue he sleth Without mercy in his hateful tene That he alone and this worthy quene Suche a slaughter on the Grekes make That they the felde vtterty forsake And gan to fle to theyr tentes downe Tyll Dyomede and Ayax Thelamowne And Pyrrhus eke made tourne agayne But they in sothe were so ouerlayne That they ne myght all that daye releue And thus they faughte tyll it drewe to eue To most domage of the Grekes syde Tyll Phebus gan his bryght chayre hyde Lowe in the west and to shroude his lyght Vnder courtayne of the blacke nyght That eyther parte thought for the best To departe and drawe to theyr reste And toke theyr ease that nyght as they may And all the moneth suynge day by daye Without any interrupcion They fought yfere albe no mencion Be made therof nor wryte in specyall Of no person but in generall Who that euer dyd euyll or well In Troye boke I fynde neuer a dele Saue the quene lyke as wryt Guydo Of her women an hundred hath forgo That slayne were thylke moneth daye The death of whom playnly if she maye Shall well be quyt if so that fortune Be fauorable frendly to contune That her face chaunge not contrarye But she that can euery daye so varye Alas the whyle and selde in one soiourne Gan fro this quene her loke awaye to tourne To enhaste through her vngoodlyhead Attropose to breake her lyues threde As the storye playnly shall you lere Beningly if ye lyst to heare THe fatall houre harde for to remewe Of cruel deth which no mā may eschewe Nor in this lyfe fynally escape Specially when Parchas haue it shape Approche gan it may none other bene Alas the
language As in the latyn and the frenshe it is That of the storye we the truthe not mys No more than doth eche other nacion This was the fine of his entencion ¶ The which emprise anon I ginne shall In his worshyp as for memoryall And of the tyme to maken mencion Whan I began on this translation It was the yeare sothly for to seyne Fourtene complete tho of his fathers reygne The time of yeare shortly to conclude Whan .xx. grees was Phebus altitude The hour whā he hath made his stedes draw His rosen chariet lowe vnder the wawe To bathe his beames in the wawy sea Gresed lyke golde as men myght playnly se Passyng the bordure of our Occion And Lucina of coloure pale and wan Her colde arisynge in Octobre dyght Tenchase the darkenes of the frosty nyght That then amiddes was of the Scorpion And Hesperus gan fast to wester down Her course to haste againe the morowe gray When Lucifer the nyght to voyd away The messenger is called of the day Our hemispher to put out of Affray With bright kalēdes of Phebus vprist shene Out from y e boundes of Proserpin y e quene Where Pluto dwelleth the darke region And there the furyes haue theyr mansion Tyll after soone Apollo lyst not tarye To take his soiourne in the Sagittarye ¶ Which time I gan the prologue to behold Of Troye boke ymade by dayes olde Where written was of Auctours vs beforne Of al the dede the very trewe corne So as it fell seuered from the chaffe For in their hande they holde as for a staffe The truth onely which they haue compyled Vnto this fyne that we were not begiled Of necligence thorough foryetfulnesse The which serpent of age by longe processe Engendred is fiersely vs to assayle And of the trouth to maken vs to fayle For nere writers all were out of minde Not storyed onely but of nature and kinde The true knowing shuld haue gon to wrake And our wittes from scyence put abacke Ne had our elders serched out and soughte The sothfast pythe to impe it in our thought Of thinges passed fordyrked of theyr hewe Which through the writing be refreshed new Of Aūceters and left to vs be hynde To make a myrrour onely to our minde To se eche thinge truly as it was As bright and cleare as it were in a glasse For nere theyr writynge nowe memoryall Death w t his swerde shuld haue slayne all And ydimmed with his sodayne showres The great prowesse of these conquerours And derked eke the brightnesse of their fame That shineth yet by reporte of her name For vnto vs their bokes represent Without fayninge the waye that they went In theyr dayes when they were alyue Agayne the trouth who so euer striue Or counterplede or make any debate The south is redde of high or lowe estate Without fauour who so lyst take hede For after death clerkes litell drede Of theyr deserte for to beare wytnes Nor of a tyraunt the truthe to expresse ¶ As men deserue without excepcion With lak or pris they graūt their guerdon Wherfore me semeth euery maner man Shulde by his lyfe in all that euer he can For vertue sake eschewe to do amys For after death playnly as it is Clerkes willlyn write and except none The playne trouth when a man is gone And by olde time for theyr writinge trewe They cheryshed were of lordes y t thē knewe And honoured greatly as in tho dayes For they enacted and gilt with theyr sayes Theyr high renowne their māhod prowes Their knighthod eke and theyr worthines Their trihumphes al and eke their victories Their famous cōquest their fonge glories ¶ Fro point to poynt rehersinge all y e trouth Without fraude neclygence or slouth They did theyr labour and theyr besinesse For elles certayne the great worthinesse Of all theyr dedes had bene in vayne For dyrked age elles would haue slayne By length of yeares the noble worthy fame Of conquerours and playnly of theyr name For dimmed eke the letters aureat And eke deffaced the palme laureat Which y t they wan by knighthod ī their dayes Whose freting ruste newe and newe assayes For to eclipse the honour and the glory Of highe prowes which clerkes in memory Haue truly set through dilygent laboure And enlumined with many curious floure Of Rethorike to make vs comprehende The trouth of all as it was tho kinde Bysied them and faithfully trauailed Agayne all that that age wold haue assayled In theyr bokes euery thinge yset And with the key of remembraunce is shet Which lasteth yet and dureth euer in one Recorde of Thebes that was so longe agone Of which the ruyne and destruction Ye may beholde by good inspection Croppe and roote right as it was in dede On Stace loke and there ye may it rede Howe Polynece and Eteocles The brethern two ne could not liue in peace Till Thebes brought was to his ruyne And all the maner howe they diden fyne That death also of worthy Tideus And howe Edipp with teares full pyteous Wept out his eyen and all his drery payne And how y e smokes departed were in twaine At the feast of fyres funerall In great Stace ye may reden al. The syre engendred by brotherly hatred Where through y e deathe was the cruel mede ¶ In very sothe of many worthy man Lyke as mine Auctour well rehearse can Of Troye also that was of latter yeares By diligence of these Cronycleres Ye may beholde in theyr writinge well The strife werre the siege and euery dell Right as it was so many yeares sin passed Whose storye yet age hath not diffaced Nor cruell deathe with his mortall strokes For maugre death ye may beholde in bokes The storye fully rehersed newe and newe As freshe as floure of coloure and of hewe From day to day quicke and nothinge feinte For clerkes haue this storye so depeynt That death nor age by any other weye The trouth may not make for to deye ¶ Al be that some haue the trouth spared In their wrytynge and playnty not declared So as it was nor tolde out faythfully But it transformed in theyr poesy Through vayne fables which of entencion They haue contriued by false transsumptiō To hide trouth falsly vnder cloude And the sothe of malyce for to shroude As Homer did the which in his writinge I feyned hath full many dyuers thynge That neuer was as Guydo lyst deuise And thinges done farre in anotherwise He hath transformed then the trouth was And feyned falsly that goddes in this case ¶ The worthy Grekes helpe to warrey Agayne Troyens how that they were sey Lyke lyfely men among theym day by day And in his dytyes that were freshe and gay With sugred wordes vnder hoony sote His galie is hyd lowe by the roote That it may not outward be aspyed And all for he with Grekes was alyed Therfore he was to theym fauorable In much thyng whych is not commendable Of theym that lust to
may ought spede What so he be that lyueth here mortall For to assayle the forces marcyall Of both the dragon and the bulles yfeare But it so be of me that first he lere Hooly the manere howe he shall him gye Like as to you I thinke to specifye Whan so it happeth that we mete againe For none but I may helpe herin certayne As in this case whiche platly ye shall fynde And I naught aske but ye ayene be kynde SOthly quod Iason al this shal be do As ye deuyse I will that it be so And here my faith theron I you assure Oh goodliest of any creature That euer yet I sawe vnto my paye And fayrest eke in soth it is no naye And of bountie ye ben incomparable For of my death ye ben so marciable That whyle I lyue I saye you by my fayth Myne herte meneth as my tunge sayth I wyll be founde your aldertrewest man For life or death in all that euer I can So that of grace it be to you pleasaunt For to perfourme your hestes your graunt And fully worke to my saluation As ye haue sayde in full conclusyon For truely ye of all that bearen lyfe In beaute haue such prerogatife Passyng echone me list not for to glose Amonges floures as doth the rede rose Which in somer amyd the leues soote After that Vere hath made out of the roote The humidyte kyndly to ascende The barrayne soyle to clothe and to amend And them whom winters blastes haue shakē bare With sote blosmes freshly to repayre And the medowes of many sundry hewe Tapited bene with diuers floures newe Of sundry motlees lustly for to sene And holsome bawne is shad among y e grene ¶ Ryght as the rose is fayrest of echone Ryght so hath nature set you all alone When she you made first at her deuise Aboue all other for to haue a pryse As ye that bene of bounte spring welle Therto in beaute sothly ye excelle All that beare life for no comparyson Ne may be made so of discrescion Ye passen all as euery man may se And with all this I finde you vnto me The goodlyest that euer yet was borne Without whom I were as now but lorne Of helpe and succoure fully destitute Ne were that I had founde in you refute Frō whō al fredom to meward doth haboūd So passingly that I am euer bounde As ferre forth as my sely life may stretche That for your sake of death I ne reche If vnto you it might a pleasure bene That to my helpe so goodly list to sene For if that I of neclygence shuld In Any thing refusen that ye would I might of reason full well merked be And noted eke of wilfull nycetye So folylye to voyde away my grace It were a rage aman from him to chase Wilfull fortune whan she is beninge Wherfore as nowe hooly I resigne Herte body my lyfe and eke my death Into your hande while y e me lasteth breath With all the othes that I affirme may For to parseuer to mine endinge daye Your trewe spouse as I haue sayd sworne And you behested playnly here toforne And there vpon in euery thinge obeye That may you please till such time as I deye This all some what shuld I longer tarye From this behest I shall me neuer varye ¶ Thus whan Medea sawe his stedfastnes She was supprised with so hye gladnesse With so great ioye pleynly in her herte That she was voyde of euery wo and smert For he so lowly to her lust obeyd That or she went thus to him she seyde ¶ Iason quod she than shall I well ordayne A meane waye wherby we both twayne May eft agayne at leysure mete sone For to perfourme all that is to done In this matterlike to our entent Where shall be made a finall sacrament Of our desire that no man shall vnbinde Though nowe therto we may no leisure fīde And that toward eue it shall not me eskape Trust me right well a time for to shape Right secretly that we may mete yfeare For I shall sende a priuy chambre To you of mine which shall you do conuye Vnto my chaumbre by a priue wey A certayne houre withouten any fable To our entent that shal be most greable Vpon the point when Phebus w t his light Ywestred is and eke the dercke night Hath w t his dimmesse of his shadowes black Our Hemisperye fully ouertake That oft giueth by fauoure of fortune Vnto theise louers a leysour opportune For to perfourme their lustes and achieue And right anone as it shall drawe to eue I shall for you vnto my closet send Of euery thinge there for to make an ende Where we togither shall at leysur speake Euerich with other and our hertes breake And eft declare the summe of all our will And when we haue spoken all our fill By good leysur I fully you byhete We shall ordeyne whan so vs lust to mete To set a time who euer that say nay Alway by nyght whan passed is the day For myghty Ioue as wysely me succour As hence forth I wyll be hooly your Whyle that I lyue both wakyng a slepe If it so be that ye your hestes kepe TO whom Iason lowly gan enclyne And sayd as far as man may ymagine Or any wight may clearly comprehende I wyll to you vnto my liues ende As seruaunt trewe faythfully me quyte And though that I can not saye but lyte My fayth to you shal be nerthelesse And though I can not paynt nor compasse No gay processe my soueraigne hertes quene Tyll I be dead I shall but trewly meane Haue here my trouth whyle I haue lyfe and mind As in the end ye shall hereafter finde And of theyr speche an ende thus they make And Medea shope her for to take Her leue anone amonges all the prese First of her father syth of Hercules No longer bode but forthwith that anone In haste she is vnto her chambre gone Where vp and downe she made many went None of her meine wetyng what she ment Casting wayes her purpose to achieue And in her wittes gan busyly to meue As she thus rometh in her habytacle On any side if let were or obstacle Or other thinge which would her sore greue This was her study till it drewe to eue Where I her leue complaining in her wo With many a thought walking to and fro ¶ The midday hour is gone and ouerslide Tytan so fast doth in his chayre ryde The daies arke from east to west compassed His fyry stedes haue almost ouer passed Our orizonte and drowen downe ful lowe His golden waine that no man might know Where as he hidde his fyery beames bright In his discence full farre out of our syght And Hirenes with her copes myrke The euening begon for to dirke In the Twylight when the day gan faide And Hesperus with her beames glade That ben so freshe so lusty and so merye Gan recomforte all our Hemisperye ¶
greatest was y e prefe He preceth through amiddes of the felde And with the sworde y t in his hande he helde That grounde was to kerue and to byte Full mortally aboute him gan he smyte That these Troians might him not asterte That he ne ryueth some vnto the herte And some he woundeth sothly to the death And some he made yelden vp the breath And some also vnhorseth cruelly And whom he met that daye vtterly From his horse he made him to alyght For where he rode they fled out of his sighte And his presence as the death eschewe But styll in one he gan theim after sewe In his chase lyke as a wood lyon For thus he playeth with theim of the towne TYll Perseus of Etheopye kinge Came from the Cyte sodaynly riding With many a knyght and many lyuely man At whose coming of newe there began A freshe skarmyshe furyous and wood That many greke that daye lost his blode So fell assaute Troians on theim make Amonge theim the Ethiopes blake To manly bare thē fighting here and there That where the Troians were afore in fere Remounted be and of newe assured y t through their helpe they haue y e feld recured And made theim lese also much agayne As they tofore wonnen on the playne For they so hole and so mightely Kept theim togyther and so auysely Gouerned theim with glaue spere and shelde That grekes were compelled in the felde Maugre who grutche of necessyte To the stronde backwarde for to flee Almost dispayred mate and comfortles But in that while kinge Pallamides To theyr rescous came to aryuayle All lusty freshe entreth into battaile With his knightes and his hole maynee Taking their horse tho fast by the see And proudly thense embushed all at ones With spere swerde yground for the nones By wise gouernement in their doinge Haue so oppressed at their in coming The manly Troians that it was a wonder To se theim lye slayne here and yonder And this continueth til amonge the prese Of auenture that Pallamides Brenning aye in his furious hete Amid the felde happeth for to mete A worthy knight called Sygamon Which brother was to the kyng Menon Neuewe also as Guido doth reherse This manly man to the kinge Perce Which Grekes had that daye sore oppressed By his knighthod as it is expressed For he the grekes to his worthinesse Had oft sithes brought in great distresse The same daye to his great encrease ¶ But of Fortune alas Pallamydes As I you tolde hath in the fyelde him mette And with a spere square and sharpe whette Whan he of knighthod was most in his pride He rode at hym and smote him through y e side And with that last deadly fatall wounde From his stede he bare hym to the grounde And on the playne of his bloud all red Pallamydes lefte him pale and dead Amonges them that of Troye were And forth he rode bare downe here there All that euer in his waye stode He was on theim so furyous and wood Maugre Troians tofore him on the playne Made resorte to the walle agayne His manly knightes alway fast by On him awayting ful ententifely Redy to honde at euery great emprise But tho began the noyle to aryse The wofull clamour and the pyteous crye Of theim of Troye the which vtterly Agayne grekes mighten not sustene The mortall swerde was so sharpe and kene Of the noble worthy famous knyght Pallamydes that with his great myght The longe daye hath yborne him so Agayne his foen and so knightly do In his persone through his high renowne That chased hath almost to the towne Troians echone and manly made theim flee The noyse of whom is entred the Cite The hydous crye and the mortall shoute ¶ Wherof amened Hector yssueth oute Furyously in all the hast he can The son of Mars this knyght this māly mā Of all worthy yet the worthiest That euer was and the hardiest For as Phebus with his beames cleare Amonge the sterres right so did he appeare Excellyng all in stele armed bryght On whom it was a very heauenly syght For it was he that both nigh and terre Of worthinesse was the lode sterre The whych whan he entred into felde Like as I reade bare that daye a shelde The fyelde of which was of pure golde With thre Lions in storye as is tolde Of whose coloure is made no mencion But as I fynde by discripcion They were passant if I reporte a ryght Borne on the brest of this Troian knyght That was y e ground rote of high prowesse And floure accompted of all worthinesse The which so manly without more abode Amonge his knightes to the grekes rode So lyke a man that they in his cominge Astoned were as he gan in thringe Amonges thē which killeth downe slethe And whom he met there was not but death Afore his swerd grekes go to wrake And their wardes of knightly force he brake Maugre theyr head seuered thē a sonder And bare all downe ridyng here and yonder And casually he meteth in his waye ¶ Prothesylaus whych all the longe daye Had sore fought agaynst theim of Troye And slewe all tho that comen in his waye This hardy knyght this worthy fierse kinge Whych on Troians was euer pursewyng He had to theim so hertely great enuye The whych thinge whan Hector gan espye And of his knyghthod gan to taken hede Towardes him tho turneth he his stede And line right of hasty Ire he rode And with his swerde disteyned al with blode He cloue his head through his basenet With such a might that his stroke nas let By force of mayle nor of thicke plate But fynally as was his mortall fate the swerd of Hector thrugh nerue bone vain This worthy kynge parted hath on twayne For vtterly there gayneth none armure Agayne the stroke of Hector to endure But that this kynge so full of worthinesse Stronge mighty and of great hardinesse Receyued hath his last fatall wounde And lyeth now dead parted on the grounde And Hector forth amonge the grekes rideth And whosoeuer his stroke so abydeth Refute was none nor diffence but death And many greke thus that daye he sleyth For whych of theim tho in his waye stode His sharpe swerde he batheth in his blode That also ferre as they might him se As the death from his swerde they fle So mortal vengeaunce vpō thē he wrought And many a greke at his felowe sought And gan enquere what he might be For all their lyfe they coulde neuer se None so knightly haue him in battayle And playnly dempte as by supposayle It was Hector the noble warryour Whiche of knighthode bare away the floure Amonge all that euer yet were borne For there nas greke that him may stād aforne Of all that day he gan them so enchace To the stronde euen afore his face For they ne durste his mortall stroke abyde And when he had this on euery syde The
That eueryche other to the earth smytte That to beholde was a knightly syght And after they bothe on foote fyght By lyklyhead tho in theyr wood rage Other to fall in full great domage Amonge the horse bycause that they stode Vpon the soyle all ouer spredde with blode ¶ But Phyloctetes is to Ayax come And hath him vp amonge the horse ynome That knightly fought as made is memorye For sothly elles Troians with victorye Had had the fyelde playnly for to sayne Tyll Philoctetes with his wardes twayne Euen in the face manly theim withstode And with a spere he fyrst to Hector rode And vpon him the shafte I fynde he brake But sothly he vpon his horse bake Kept him so well for all that fell stroke Remeuinge not but sturdy as an oke Sat in his sadell vpryght with his chine And wyth a spere ryght as any lyne Into the body depe through the shyelde Philoctetes he smote into the fielde That of his lyfe hys knightes were in doubt ¶ But tho came in with so great a route ¶ Kynge Humerus and Vlixes eke And with them brought many worthy greke Ten thousād knightes manly men echone That gan Troians for to assayle anone And cruelly on euery halfe certayne With multytude they haue theim so belayne That dispayred and disconsolate And of longe fyght a waped and a mate Gan withdrawe faynted in battayle And eke theyr horse sothly gan to fayle That on theyr syde all went vp so downe ¶ But Parys tho with them of Troy towne Is entred in in ful manly wyse And fyrst he mette with the kynge of Fryse That to Vlyxes nye was of allye Whom Parys smote with so great enuye That he hym slewe wherof grekes were Sore abashed and after wyth a spere ¶ Vlyxes rode to auenge him if he might And fyrst when he of Parys had a syght Into the brest he gan his spere throwe That fynally for he bare to lowe Fayling of Parys sothely as I reade Vnder him he slewe his mighty stede That maugre him he to grounde is gone And he on him would haue fall anone ¶ But Troilus tho mette him in the berde And furyously with his sharpe swerde He smote Vlyxes throughout his viser That lyke a condyte or a small ryuer Downe by his face of bloud the streames ran But Vlyxes tho lyke a manly man Of that stroke astoned not at all But on his stede stiffe as any wall With his swerde so mightely gan race Through the vmber into Troylus face That he him gaue a large mortall wounde Of which stroke passingly ioycounde The grekes were supposing in theyr thought How Troians fynally were brought Vnto outtraunce and sothly so they hadde Saue that Hector w t knightes which he lad And with him Parys and Deiphobus And al his brethern ī knighthod most famous Troylus also for all his laste wounde That was alway so noble knight yfounde All at ones be ioyned into one And vpon grekes sodaynly be gone ¶ And worthy Hector alder fyrst began Grekes to enchase that afore him ran Like as beastes that fledde fro the death And euer in one thus he killeth and sleyeth Whom he mette or durst his stroke abyde And on his foen with freshe woundes wyde The slaught he made alway to renewe And thylke daye in blody rosen hewe He hath theyr plates their harneys steined And thought it had bloud from heauē rained The soyle redder might not tho a ben And aye ylyche as a swarme of been The grekes flockmele fledde out of his way And Guydo sayth that all that ylke daye Hector had formest on the playne In the frounter of the grekes layne That behynde the knyghtes of his garde For lacke of hym were all out of warde Wherfore when he had sought full longe And grekes sawe of new wexen stronge To his knyghtes he is agayne repeyred Whych in theim selfe greatly were dispayred For his absence but tho when they him se Full inwardly recomforted they be And with glad hert haue theyr lorde receiued And theyr gladnesse when he hath perceyued ¶ Spake vnto theim full affectiously And lykewyse prayed theim full beningly To remembre knyghtly in their herte And consyder wysely and aduerte First the wronges that grekes haue them do Of yore ago and ouermore also If grekes had that daye the victorye Farewell for aye the honour and glorye Of Troyan bloud in conclusyowne For fynally we and eke our towne Shall mortally tournen to ruyne And our honour that was wont to shyne Throughout the world and our worthinesse Eclipse shall and tournen to dercknesse But ye this daye lyke as men you quyte Wherfore I praye that no man ne atwyte Your hygh renowne of any cowardise To sette vpon in full manly wise And not to spare for dread of death I praye ¶ And they echone full lowly gan obeye To his desyre withouten longer tale And entryng in by a certayne vale Vpon grekes these worthy knyghtes all Folowing Hector sodaynly be fall Full mortally or that they were ware And Hector tho no greke would spare But euery where to theyr confusyon He killed and slewe aboute him enuyron And his knyghtes riding by his side Made theyr foen maugre all their pryde To lese their lande flewe out of their sighte ¶ Tyll that the kinge which y e Thoas hight On grekes syde inwarde gan him dresse And of newe fulll knyghtly gan oppresse Them of Troye this knight this manly mā ¶ That had afore slayn Cassybellan One of the sonnes of king Pryamus But as he rode of fortune it fell thus That all the brethren on a frushe he mette Which of assent enuyron him besette And from his sadell that many greke beheld Amonge the horse smyt him into felde And of they rente first his basenet And cruelly they had his head of smet For he vnarmed all at myschief stode ¶ Saue that the Duke furyous and wood Of Athenes riding tho a great pase Reskued him in this mortall case With his knightes that about him rode And him to helpe without more abode With a spere sharpe whet and kene ¶ Fyrst of all he fell on Quintiline That busy was Thoas to haue slawe And the bretherene made also withdrawe Whan Quintiline of his horse was throwe ¶ But Parys thē drewe vp his mighty bow And to this Duke let an arowe glyde And through his plates hit him in the side Vpon a rybbe that made him sore to blede Of whych stroke he ne toke no hede Bycause onely that he so feruent was Amid his foen to helpe thus kinge Thoas Amonge the horse that was bore to grounde In poynt of death with many mortall woūd Onely for he was naked on the head But this Duke fully deuoyde of dread Of his knighthod in this perillous case Amid his foen hath holpe the king Thoas And with his lyfe made him scapen fre And Hector aye of cruell enmitee Iliche freshe for nothing would leue Vpon grekes his manhode for
the impresse Of Troian bloud that thou art descended Whych of grekes longe hath be offended Wherfore I reade to leue theim vtterly And he aunswered agayne full humbly That sythen he of byrthe was a greke And was of youthe among them fostred eke From the tyme of his natiuitye And taken had the ordre and degre Of knighthod eke amonges theim aforne And ouer this bounde was and sworne To be trewe as to theyr nacion Making of bloud none excepcion He swore he would conserue his beheste And to Hector he made this requeste That if that he of manfull gentilnesse Would of knyghthod and of worthinesse Shewe vnto hym so great affectiowne To make theim that were of Troye towne Onely withdrawe grekes to pursewe And for theyr tentes make theim to remewe And resorte agayne vnto the towne Of knighthode routhe and compassyowne Without assaylynge or anye more affraye Made on the grekes for that ilke day Sythe vnto theim ought ynoughe suffyse That of the fielde in so knightly wyse They were of manhead fully possessours And of theyr fomen fynally victours Like as tofore fully is defyned To whose request Hector is enclyned Alas the while of hasty wilfulnesse And made anone without auysenesse Amydde the fielde trumpet for to blowe Wherby Troians fully mighten knowe His wil was that they shulde theÌ„ withdrawe After custome playnely and the lawe And the vsaunce both of nyghe and ferre Amonges them that be experte in werre Whan they were moste feruent for to fyght Vpon grekes for to preue their might And had them chaced lowe to the stronde That they were weake of power to withstaÌ„de For they of Troye all of one desyre Gan sette on with shotte of wylde fyre To brenne their shyppes of high mischauÌ„ce Fynally to put them at outtraunce ¶ And so they had this the very trouth Ne had Hector had vpon them routh Makyng Troyans repayre ayene to towne Vngraciously to their confusyowne As the story shall after specifye For tho he put alas in iupardye Lyfe death whiche elles might haue be sure And whiche againe they shall neuer recure ¶ How the grekes through their suite opteyned of kyng Pryam a trewce for eyght wekes and of their battayles after the trewce ended Capitulo .xxiii. THey haue matter to complaynen sore For fro that daye farewell for euermore Laude victory and fro them of the towne To them denyed by disposyowne Of mortall fate whiche contrarye In this matter me lyste no lenger tarye For they of Troye be entred their Citie And shet their gates for more suretie For of that daye lyke as made is mynde Thus was the ende in Guydo as I fynde They wende haue done peraunter for the best ¶ And when the sonne was ygo to rest They toke their ease all that ylke night Tyll on the morowe Tytan clere and bryght Shadde his beames on their hemispherye Makyng the daye for to shewe merye At whiche tyme Troyans anone right They that were hole and lusty for to fyght Gan arme theim in purpose full that daye Their foen to mete platly if they maye For that was hole their wyll playne entent And eke they had in commaundement Tofore of Hector redy them to make Out of their slepe a morowe whan they wake Of whiche thynge they were not neclygent But to Pryam the grekes haue ysent There messangers the same day or pryme To take trewce onely for the tyme Of eyght wekes the whiche Pryamus With Hectors wyll the story telleth thus Hath graunted them and by auctoritye Of all the wyse that were in the Citie In whiche tyme whyle they leyser haue The grekes gan to burye and to graue The bodyes that afore weren slawe Lyke their rytes in their paynem lawe With all their might and their busy cure For some brent and some by sepulture Enclosed were lyke their estate in all And thus they helde the feast funerall Fro day to day duryng aye the peace ¶ In whiche space I fynde how Achelles Of Patroclus the death hath sore playned As he that was with teares all be rayned So inwardly he loued hym in herte That for the anguyshe and the cruell smerte He longe abode in lamentacion And dyd make by great affection A large toumbe for a remembraunce Myd the fielde as tho was the vsaunce Amonge grekes with great reuerence Lyke the honour and the excellence ¶ Of royall burying so this Patroclus Ygraue was and Protheselaus In their toumbes korue of marbyll graye And nye together in a playne they laye The werke about them rychly was ywrought And to the earth they were together brought Solempnely lyke the obseruaunces Of their rytes with the circumstaunces Of grekes vsed sothly in tho dayes Fro poynt to poynt as longeth to their layes Of suche as weren of estate royall So holden was the feast funerall Of these two whyles the trewse doth laste ¶ And they of Troye busyed them full faste With all their might and their bufy eure The grene hurtes and woundes for to cure By their aduyse that were in surgerye Full well experte to shapen remedye Their swolle sores to soften of their payne That in the space of these monthes twayne They were restored to helth in euery thynge In whiche time Priamus the kinge ¶ Suche sorowe made for Cassybellan In his herte that no wyght ne can Hym recomforte of his heuinesse For day by day of inwarde tendernesse Full pyteously he gan to sobbe and wepe ¶ And the body he made for to kepe Aboue the earth for a certayne space Tyll he had chosen out some worthy place To his burying and his sepulture And as Guydo vs fully doth assure ¶ In Venus temple ryche as any shryne He made his men a toumbe for to myne In marbell greye and metall rychely In whiche he put full solempnely The dead corps of this Cassybellan Beinge present full many manly man In the phane of Cytherea The whiche thynge when that Cassandra Within her selfe consydered and behelde And sawe vp offred his helme eke his shelde His sworde also and vnto Mars his stede Of inwarde wo she felte her herte blede Heryng the noyse and the pyteous crye The tender wepynge and sorowyng vtterly Of them of Troye and lamentaciowne Which for their frendê throughout al y e towne They gan to make that were slawe afore With sodeyne rage her herte was all to tore So inwardely she might her not restrayne Furyously to crye and to complayne And sayde alas full ofte and welawaye ¶ Oh wofull wretches that ye be this daye Vnhappy eke and graceles also Infortunate and inly wo bego How ye may suffre the great harmes kene Whiche ye are lykely hereafter to sustene Duryng the syege in this towne belocke Seynge your foen redy to be wroke Aboute you beset on euery syde To be venged on your great pryde I wote ryght well ye may them not eschewe That they ne shall vnto the death pursewe You euerychone besyeged in this place Without mercy
In sorowe and care in labour and in wo And with all this ye wotte well also Sith fyrst tyme that the werre began Of our grekes how many worthy man Hath loste his lyfe thrugh deathes fatal woūd That hytherto haue myght lyued be sounde At home in Grece assured well in ioye If they ne had comen vnto Troye That to remembre it is full great pyte ¶ And ouer this I saye also for me Amonge Troyans in their cruell mode I haue so moche loste of my bloude That hath full ofte made pale of hewe ¶ This other day also grene and newe I had of Hector suche a mortall wounde With a quarell sharpe what and grounde Aboue the thygh so kene was the head The same daye afore that he was dede Of very happe as it was yshape That from the death vnneth I might escape Whiche yet all freshe is vpon me sene Large and wyde and as yet but grene The smerte of whiche I yet ful sore cōplayne ¶ And in good fayth me semeth that Heleyne If ye aduerte wysely in your thought With suche a pryse shulde nat haue be bought Where through our lyfe and our good yfeare And our honour are yput in were And dreadfully hangen in ballaunce For yf that ye in your remembraunce Conceyue aryght and casten vp and downe The sodayne chaunge and reuoluciowne That fallen hath syth the werre began The slaught death of many worthy man That for her sake hath here loste his lyfe And yet the worste of this mortall stryfe Doth moste rebounde into our damage To disencrease and eke disauauntage And lykely is dayly to be more If ordenaunce be not made therfore And remedy shape on outher syde By fyne onely that Heleyne do abyde With them of Troye styll here in the towne And let vs caste by good inspectiowne For our ease some other maner waye ¶ So that the kynge called Menelay Chese hym a wyfe in some other londe Lyke his estate by suraunce or by bonde Vnder wedlocke confyrmed vp of newe That vnto hym wyll be founde trewe Syth that we without gylte or synne May him by the law from this Heleine twyn For of dyuerse causes be ynowe Thrughout y e world of euery wight yknowe Of auoutry for the foule vyce That it to lawe is no preiudice ¶ Though Menelay iustly her forsake Whan so his lyste and an other take That shall hym both better queme and please And so to vs it shall be full great ease Whan the werre is brought to an ende Whiche lykely is many man to shende If it so be that it forth contune The great labour is so importune That we ne shall no whyle mowe sustene For this is soth withouten any wene Troyans yet be flourynge in their myght And w t them haue full many worthy knighte To helpe them of hye and lowe degre And therwithall so stronge in their cite On euery parte without and eke within That we are not lykely for to wynne In our purpose though we euer abyde Wherfore by wysedome let vs voyden pryde And wylfulnesse onely of prudence To haue the eye of our aduertence To our profyt more then vaine glorye And while our honour shineth by victory A wysedome is to withdrawe our honde Sith we may not constrayne by no bonde Fortunes whele for to abyde stable Wherfore I rede or she become mutable This gery goddesse with her double chere Let vs gyue vp suche thynge as lyeth in were Whyles that we may our alder worshyp saue For of the werre the laude yet we haue Consyder well how by your manhead ¶ Our most foe Hector is now dead And whyle that we in our honour floure My counsayle is before fortune loure As I sayd ere to chaunge her bryght face Whyle that we beste stonde in her grace By one assent and one oppynyon Without any contradiction Of herte and wyll both of one and all Or our honour on any partye pall Into Grece that we home returne For if that we longer here soiourne On the quarell that we haue longe sewed Doutles it may not be eschewed Full great damage this without fayle Or we haue done shall folowe at the tayle Wherfore beste is our folye vp resygne And whyle our hap is welfull and benynge Most blandyshynge and of face fayre The tyme is beste to make our repayre Whyle that we stande in party and in all With our enmyes in honour perygall And fer aboue playnly if that we Coulde haue an eye to our felicite Whyle that it is in his ascencion ¶ But lest some man wyll make obiection That we may not so our honour saue To repayre playnely but we haue Helayne agayne that is cause of all To whiche thynge anone answere I shall ¶ If any man in his fantasye To dishonour or to vyllanye Arrecte wolde in any maner kynde We to go home and leue her behynde Shortely to saye I holde it be no shame Syth that we haue one as great of name ¶ As is Heleyne and of byrthe as good Amonges vs ycome of kynges bloud ¶ Syster to Pryam lorde of Troye towne ¶ Exiona whom that Thelamowne In kepynge hath if I shall not feyne In Troye towne as Parys hath Heleyne And syth nowe it may be none other Let the tone be set agayne the tother And the surplus of olde enmyte Betwyxe vs and Troye the cite My counsayle is for our both ease By one assent wysely to appease This all and some and that we hence wende I can no more my tale is at an ende ¶ To whom anone kyng Menelaus For very yre wood and furyous ¶ And kyng Thoas the duke eke of Athene As they that myght no longer hym sustene To suffre hym they were so reckles Spake all attones vnto Achylles Not onely they but through inpacyence The courte perturbed without prouydence With tumulte gonnen to repreue ¶ This Achilles and proudely them cōmeue Agaynst hym and his opynyon And sayde shortely in conclusyon Vnto his read they ne wolde assent Nor condescende to nothyng that he mente To be gouerned by him in this case ¶ For whiche thynge anone Achylles was So full of yre and rancour in his herte That sodaynely from his see he sterte And went his waye as he were in a rage Tryste and pale and a wood vysage And shortly sayde for him lyke not fayne That he ne wolde longer do his payne To helpe them how so that they spede Agayne Troyans for no maner nede ¶ And bad anone this hardy Achilles To his knyghtes called Myrmydones That they no more with spere nor with shelde To helpe grekes entre into fyelde But kepe thē close at home within thetr tente Thus in his yre he gaue commaundement To all his men as ye haue herde deuyse Them to withdrawe at euery hygh empryse Whan so euer they go into battayle And in this whyle scarsenesse of vyttayle Fell in the hoost of fleshe of bred and wyne That many Greke brought vnto his fyne
his stede sturdy as a wall This worthy knyght this man most mercial Pleyeth his play amonge Myrmydones Hym selfe god wot alone all helples ¶ But tho alas what might his force auayle When thre thousande knightes him assayle On euery parte both in lengthe and brede And cowardly fyrst they slewe his stede With their speres sharpe so square ygrouÌ„d For whych alas he stante now on y e grounde Wythout reskuse refute or socoure That was that daye of chyualrye the floure But well awaye they haue him so beset That from his head they smote his basenet And brake his harueys as they hym assaile And seuer of stele the myghty stronge mayle He was dysarmed both necke and also heade Alas the whyle no wyght toke none hede Of all his knyghtes longynge to the towne And yet alway this Troyan champyowne In knyghtly wyse naked as he was ¶ Hym selfe defendeth tyll Achylles alas Came rydynge in furyous and wood And whaÌ„ he sawe howe that Troylus stode Of longe fyghtynge awhaped and a mate And from his folkes alone disconsolate Sole by hym at myschyefe pyteously This Achylles wonder cruelly Behynde vnwarely or that he toke hede With his swerde smyteth of his heade And cast it forthe of cruell cursed herte And thought sure it should hym not asterte To shewe his malice this wolfe vnmercyable Full vnknyghtly to be more vengeable Vpon the body that dead laye and colde Alas that euer it should of knyght be tolde Wryte or rehersed to do so foule a deede Or in a boke alas that men shall rede Of any knyght a storye so horryble Vnto the eares passyngly odyble For this Achilles of crueltye alas The dead corps toke out of the taas And vengeably bonde it as I fynde At the tayle of his horse behynde And hatefully that euery wyght behelde Drewe it him selfe endlonge the felde Through the renges and the wardes all But Oh alas that euer it should fall A knyght to be in herte so cruell Or of hatred so spytefull and so fell To drawe a man after he were deade OH thou Homer for shame be now red And y e amase y t holdest thy selfe so wyse On Achylles to set suche great a pryse In thy bokes for his chyualrye Aboue echone that dost hym magnyfye That was so sleyghty and so full of fraude Why geuest thou him so hye a prayse laude ¶ Certys Homer for all thy excellence Of Rethoryke and sugred eloquence Thy lusty songes and thy dytees swete Thy hony mouth that doth wyth sugre flete Yet in one thynge thou greatly art to blame Causeles to gyue hym suche a name With tytle suche of tryumphe and glorye So passyngely to put in memorye In thy bookes to saye and wryte so that he thrugh knighthod slain hath Hectors two First him y t was lyke vnto none other ¶ And sithê Troilus y t was his owne brother If thou arte meued of affection Whych that thou hast to Grekes nacion To preyse him so for thou caust endyte Thou shouldest aye for any fauour wryte The trouthe playnly and be indyfferent And saye the sothe clerely of entente ¶ For when he slewe Hector in the felde He was afore disarmed of his shelde And busy eke in spoylynge of a kynge For yf he had beware of his comynge He had hym quyt through his chyualrye His false deceyt and his trecherye That he ne had so lyghtly from him gone ¶ Also Troylus naked and alone Amyd thre thousand closed and yshet ¶ When Achilles hath his head of smet At his backe of full cruell herte When he nothing his treason dyd aduerte ¶ Was that a dede of a manly knyght To slee a man forweryed in the fyght Faynt of trauayle all the longe daye Amonge so many standynge at a baye A kynges sonne and so hye borne Naked the head his armure all to torne Euen at the death on the selfe poynt At great myschyefe and playnly out of ioynt Of his lyfe standynge on the wrake ¶ When Achilles came falsly at the bake Assaylynge hym when he was halfe deade And lyke a cowarde smote of then his heade That was tofore hurte and wounded sore ¶ Wherfor Homer ne praise him not therfore Let not his prease thy royall booke difface But in all haste his renowne outrace For here his name when I here it neuen Veryly vp to the thirde heauen As semeth me infecte is the eyre The sowne therof so foule is and vnfayre For if that he had vsed aduertence Other the eye of his prouydence Vnto knyghthod or his worthynesse Other to manhode or to gentyllesse Or to the renowne of his owne name Or to the reporte of his knyghtly fame In any wyse to haue taken hede He hadde neuer done so foule a dede So vengeably for to haue ydrawe A kynges sonne after he was slawe And namely hym that was so good a knight Whyche in his tyme who so loke aryght Passed Achylles I dare it well expresse Both of manhode and of gentylnesse But for all that he is nowe dead alas ¶ The death of whom when Pollydamas And Parys eke fyrst gan espye They fared in sothe as they woulden dye And specyally wyth face dead and fade ¶ Parys alas suche inly sorowe made For the constreynt of his deadly wo When he sawe well that Troylus was ago And that he shall in lyfe him neuer se Suche sorowe also the Troyan Dan Enee For hym hath made and many other mo That all at ones they togyther go The dead corps to recure if they maye ¶ But grekes were so fell on them that daye That all theyr haste was vtterly in vayne In any wyse the corps to get agayne Tyll that Menon the noble worthy kynge Whych loued Troylus ouer all thynge Caught such routhe of affection That he in haste fearser than a Lyon On his death cast him to be wreake And fyrst for Ire thus he gan to speake To Achylles for all his hye treasowne Oh thou Tratoure Oh thou Scorpyowne Oh thou Serpent full of Trecherye Whych in dishonour of all chyualrye Through false engyne hast this daye yslawe The onely best that here hadde no felowe When he was whylom in this worlde alyue Alas alas who maye aryght deseryue Thy venym hyd thy malice and vntrouthe Wythout pyte or any knyghtly routhe To drawe a knyght so gentyll and so good A kynges sonne of so worthy bloud Through out y e feld at thy horse tale behynde That euer after it shal be in mynde This cruell dede and vngentylnesse ¶ And wyth y t word Menon gan him dresse Towarde Achylles wythout more areste And wyth a spere smet him in the brest Enuyously of so great hatrede That he vnneth kepte him on his stede And Menon after pulled out a swerde And cast hym manly to mete him in the berde And rode to him fully deuoyde of dreade And suche a wound he gaue him on the head That maugre him in many mannes syght To the earthe he
made him to alyght For all his pryde in a mortall traunce And of that wound he felt such greuaunce That at the death he laye an huge whyle In a swowne the space of halfe a myle Tyll Myrmydones assembled into one With great laboure and hente him vp anone Full deadly pale so he gan to blede But for all that they set him on his stede And at the last his hert he caught agayne And smet his horse of hate and hye disdayne And towarde Menon fast gan him hye But when that he his cominge gan espye Full lyke a knyght lyst not to abyde But hit his horse sharply in the syde And mette Achilles proudly on the playne And wyth theyr swordes they togither layne And gan to hurtle on horse backe tho yfere Wyth herte enuyous and despytous chere ¶ But kynge Menon was at auauntage Of Achylles for all his wood rage In poynt to abrought him to confusyowne Tyll y t the wardes of newe be comen downe On other parte both of these and yonder Whych sodaynly seuered them asonder And as the story telleth playnly than Began the slaughter of many manly man For nother party the felde ne would leue Of very pryde tyll it drewe to eue That Phebus gan aswage of his hete And gan to bathe in the wawes wete His bryght beames of the Occyan That fro the felde home goth euery man To theyr lodginge and after seuen dayes They faught yfere made no more delayes ¶ Full mortall by cruell aduenture Whyle Achylles full busy was to cure His woundes grene and his sores sounde And then he had a newe treason founde To be venged vpon kynge Menon For all his wytte he sette thervpon And so this cruell enuyous Achilles Ycharged hath his Myrmydones Worthy Menon amonge theim to enbrace If they hym founde of opportune in place With all theyr might and theyr busy thought From theyr handes that he escape nought Tyll he hym selfe auenged on hym be ¶ And so befell as they Menon se The nexte morowe lyke a manly knyght Agayne the Grekes armed for to fyght On Troye syde as he was wonte to do Of auenture that daye yt fell so That Achilles and this Menon mette And eche of theim gan on other sette On horse backe wyth full great emiye When as so longe in theyr melancolye Mine auctour wryt they togyther fyght That eche made other of force to alyght ¶ And whan Menon stode vpon y e grounde ▪ Myrmydones wente aboute him rounde As they were charged of the fyerse Achylle When he alas wythout goddes wylle Dysseuered was from his knyghtes all And at myschyefe they vpon him fall Destitute alone and helples And in suche poynt slewe him Achylles But in the story lyke as it is founde This Menon fyrst gaue him such a wounde Tofore his death in all this fell stryfe That he dyspeyred was as of his lyfe This Achylles for all his false treason Take hede Homer and demeth in thy reason The false fraude and the sleyghty gyle The treason caste afore wyth many wyle Of Achylles and iudge now a ryght If euer he slewe any worthy knyght But if yt were by preodycyon Recorde I take of the kynge Menon So that the tytle of his laude alas Entriked is wyth fraude and with fallace ¶ That thou Homer mayst with no coloure Though thou paynte with gold w t asoure In thy wrytynge his venym not enclose But as the thorne hyd vnder the rose Whose malyce aye dareth by the roote Though the floure aboue fayre and soote That men the fraude vnder may not se Of his treason ye get no more of me BVt I wyll tell how Grekes do that day How Meneste and kynge Menelay Dyomede and Thelamonyus On Troyans were passyng despytous For cruelly wyth theyr wardes all In theyr myschyefe be vpon them fall And made theim flee home vnto the towne For whylom Troylus chyefe champyowne Is deade alas and hath them nowe forsake Of whom they haue the dead body take The same daye with great difficulte And dolefully they into the Cyte Haue tho it brought crying oft alas And for his death such a wo there was That I trowe there is no man alyue Whych could aryght halfe dele descriue Theyr pyteous wo nor lamentacyowne Certeyse not Boys that hath suche renowne With drery wordes to be wepe and crye ¶ In complaynynge to Phylosophye Throughe his boke accusynge aye fortune That selde or nought can in one contune She is so full of transmutaciowne Oh stace of Thebes make no bost nor sowne Of drerynesse for to wryte at all Nother of death nor festes funerall Of makynge sorowe nor aduersyte ¶ Let be thy wepynge oh thou Nyobe ¶ Ye syster also of Ayeliager That custome haue for to flee so fer Fro yere to yere your brother to complayne And thou that weptest out thine eyen twaine Oedippus kyng of Thebes the cyte Thou wofull Myrrha and Calyxtone That so well can in rage you bemene And Dydo eke whylome of Cartage quene Lette be your dole and your contrycyon ¶ And Phyllys eke for thy Dymophon ¶ And eke Cecho that newe dost begyn To crye and wayle and also thou Corynne That whylom were in so great affray For death onely of thy Popyngay As in his boke telleth vs Ouyde Let all this wo now be layde asyde And make of it no comparisowne Vnto the wo that was in Troye towne For death onely of this worthy knyght For loue of whom euery maner wyght Hygh and lowe olde and yonge of age Are falle of newe into suche a rage That they ne coulde of their wo none ende Whose salte teares wyll their eyen shende So pyteous was the lamentaciowne In euery strete throughout all the towne Alas who coulde all their sorowes telle ¶ I trowe certeys Pluto depe in helle For all his torment and his paynes kene Nouther she Proserpyna his quene Nother the wery wood Tycius Iryon nor hungry Tantalus Ne coulde not well for all their bytter peyne So furyously wepen and complayne As do troyans Troylus for thy sake For who can nowe suche a sorowe make ¶ Or who can wepe as kyng Pryamus Who wepeth now with face full pyteous Or sorowe maketh but Hecuba the quene ¶ Who wepeth now but fayre Pollycene Who wepeth nowe but Parys and Heleyne Who can now wepe into teares reyne As Troyans do with deadly swole chere It neded them no wepers for to hyer They had ynough of their owne store Alas for nowe they be for euermore Of helpe all sole of comforte destytute For who shall nowe be to them refute ¶ Nowe that Hector and also Deyphobus And Troylus eke that was so vertuous Be dead alas who shall their succour be Or helpe sustene the werre of there Cyte There is no more in conclusyon But after death fully destruction Of theyr towres and their walles stronge In this matter what shulde I playne longe It vayleth not alway so to morne Wherfore I wyll now
deuise Was false enuye and hatefull couetise Whiche frette so sore falsly for to winne As croppe and roote of euery sorowe sinne And cause hath bene sith go full yore That many a realme hath bought ful sore The dreadful venim of couetise alas Let them beware that stande in this case ¶ To thinke afore and for to haue in minde That all falshed draweth to an ende For though it bide and last a yeare or two The ende in sothe shall sorowe be and woo Of all that bene false and enuious Hereof no more but forth of Pelleus I will you tell that hath so longe sought Vpō this thing till they were to him brought Tydinges newe and that so merueylous That he astoned was and all his house Of a meruayle that tho was newly falle Beside Troy the plage orientalle Howe in Colchos as the tidinges cam Within an yle enclosed was a ram Whiche bare his flese full richly all of golde And for the richesse it was kept in holde With great aduice and great dilygence That no man might there to do offence And in this I le there was a gouernour A noble kinge a worthy warrour That Oetes hight wise discrete and sage Which was also yronne farre in age That in his time as bokes can deuise Had vnderfonged many great empryse In peace warre and much worship wonne And he was also sonne vnto the sonne That gaue him vre to honour to atteyne So as these poetes listen for to feyne Touchinge his line I leue as nowe y e greate And of this Ram my purpose is to treate That was commit I dare you well assure To the keping and the busy cure Of cruell Mars the mighty god of werre Which with the stremys of his rede sterre And influence of his deytee Ordeyned hath by full great crueltee This Ram to kepe bullis full vnmilde With brasen fete ramageous and wilde And there with all fell and dispitous And of nature wood and furious To hurte and slee euer of one desyre Out of whose mouthe leuen and wylde fyre Lyke a flawme euer blased out To brenne all theim that stode nygh aobut Eke of their eyen the lokes moste horrible To a fourneys the stremes were visyble And who that wolde tencrease his glorye This Ram of golde wynnen victorie Fyrste he must of very force and myght Vnto oultraunce with these bulles to fyght And theim vanquishe alder fyrst of all And make theim humble as any oxe in stall And sithe theim yoke and do them ere y e land Of very manhode this must he take in hand And after that he must also endure With a serpent of huge and great stature Without fauour playnely haue to do To oultraunce eke without wordes mo The whiche serpent shortly for to tell Was lyke a fende comyng out of hell ¶ Full of venym and of cruell hate And with skales harde as any plate He armed was to stande at defence And by his brethe werse then pestilence Infecten wolde enuiron all the eyre In eche place where was his repeyre He was so full of foule corruption And eke so dredefull of infection That deth in soth shortly to deuyse Was the fyne of this hygh Empryse To suche as wolde this quarell take in hond Ylyke in one both to free and bonde But if he coulde the bet him selfe defende And of his conquest this was eke the ende That when he had the myghty serpēt slawe He must anone by custome and by lawe ¶ Out of his head his tethe echeone arrace And after sowe theim in the selfe place Where as the oxen eryd had aforne Of which seede there sprange a wōder corne Knyghtes armed passynge of great myght Eueryche with other redy for to fyght Til eche his brother had ybrought to groūd By mortall fate and yeue his dethes wound This was the ende of euerychone For sowfastly of all there was non That liue myght by that fatall lawe A longer tyme then lyued his fellowe ¶ And by this way dredfull and peryllous Who so desyreth to ben victorious He passe must and manly to endure And how so fall take his auenture For of estate was no excepcion Chese who so wyll for this conclusyon He may not scape for fauour ne for mede Who so begynneth a vyse him wel I rede For by the statute of the kyng he may Who so that wyll entre and assaye But after that he ones hath begonne He may not chese tyll he haue lost or wonne Yet as some other of this Ram expresse And of his flese also bere wytnesse It was nothyng but golde great treasour That Oetes kynge with full hye laboure Made kepe it as by Incantacions By sorserye and false illusyons ¶ That was spoke of in realmes fer about For whiche many put theyr lyfe in doubte Of hye desyre that they had for to wyn The great treasoure that was shyt within Colchos londe as ye haue harde deuyse Whose pursuyte rose out of couetyse Grounde and roote of wo of myschaunce By vayne reporte theim selfe to auaunce For whiche they put theim selfe in ieopardy Without rescues lykely for to dye There was no helpe ne no sleyght of armes That vaile might againe y e cursed charmes So were they stronge and supersticious That many worthy in knighthode famous Enhasted were vnto their deth alas That ieoparde list their liues as in this case ¶ This lasteth forthe tyll afterwarde byfell That Pelleus platly hath hard tell The great mischiefes and destructions In Colchos wrought on sundry nacions That haue pursued thes auntres to cōquere Tyll Pelleus so ferforth gan enquere That he knewe hooly how the trouth was And in his herte anone he gan compasse How that he myght by any slyght make His neuewe Iason for to vndertake This hye Empryse in Colchos for to wende For by that way he myght hym best shende ¶ And gan pretende a colour freshe of hew Ygylte outwarde so lusty and so newe As though there were no treasō hyd within He sawe also it was tyme to begyn On his purpose tho fyrst he made it queint And gan forthwith with golde asure paint His gaye wordes in sownyng glorious Knowynge Iason was yonge and desyrous Vnto suche thynge lyghtly wolde enclyne Therfore he thought that he wolde not fyne Playnely to worke to his conclusyon And made anone a conuocation Of his lordes and of his baronye Aboute enuyron the lande of Thesalye For to assemble estates of eche degree Of all his realme within the chiefe citee To holde a counseyle vtterly he caste Therby to acheue his desyre as faste And so his courte continued dayes three Tyll at the laste his hyd iniquitie He out gan rake that hath be hyd so longe For he ne myght no longer forth prolonge The venym hyd that fret so at his herte In so slye wyse that no man myght auerte Vpon no syde but that he mente well So was his treason couered euerydell And curtined so
ryue In the temple the veyll was kut a two And sygnes many were yshewed tho That for y e wondre and tokens meruailous The great worthy Dyonysyous Vhiche at Athenes as clekes of hym write Was called in scholes Ariopagyte He whan he sawe this noble famous clerke The bryght daye sodeynely so derke Although he were apaynym in tho dayes And was infecte with rytes of their layes As he that was moste chiefe and principall Of phylosophers for to reken all Yet that tyme astoned in his mynde Sayde platly other the god of kynde Suffreth the death other out of doubte This rounde worlde which is so large about Shal be dissolued and ybrought to nought By sodayne chaunge hasty as a thought By his clergye he knewe no better skyll For god may all chaungen at his wyll And hath power of suche coaction Vnder whose myght and disposicion Is lawe of kynde constreyned soth to seye From poynt to poynt lowely to obeye In euery thynge that hym lyst ordeyne Of elementes he may the course restreyne As holy wryt doth witnesse ye may se How at request of worthy Iosue The bryght sonne stode at Gabaon Adayes space in one degree and shone Shewynge token to his trewe knyght Fynally and for to gyue him lyght That he myght by his hye prowesse His cruell foon manfully oppresse Whan that he fought this knight this Iosue With fyue kinges reignyng in Amoree So longe laste the pursuite and the chase Tyll they were take for their hye trespasse Dempt to be dead the Bible can you tell Now syth that god thus hyghly lyst fulfyll This his knyghtes request and orison What wonder was though in the passyon Of Christe Iesu incarnat for our sake The sonne beames as tho were waren blak Syth he hath lordship of the planettes all And as hym lyst it must nedely fall For of Medea though Ouydyus In his fables writeth and saith thus As he that lyst her name so hyghe exalte Yet in the truth somewhile doth he halte Albe she were a passynge sorceresse And chefest named of any chaunteresse ¶ I wyll passe ouer agayne to my matere And howe she came to meate ye shall en here Whan her father had thus for her sent Se came anone at his commaundement But or she came I fynde that tofore For to make her beautie se men more She in her closet toke her best araye For tencrease in all that euer shee maye Natures worke with royall apparayle For these women gladly wyll not fayle Whā they of beautie haue plēteuous largesse It to embellyshe they do their businesse With ryche a tire vpon euery syde If ought be mysse they can it close and hyde For all the foule shall couertly be wryed That no defaute outwarde be espied ¶ But she was faire and also well be sayne And in her porte so womanly certayne That at her comynge gladeth all the halle For it was ioye both vnto one and all To se the maner tho of her entree To whom her father bad to take her see Besyde Iason hym for to disporte Of womanhede and for to recomforte ¶ But oh alas here lacked hye prudence Discrete auyse of inwarde prouydence Wysedome also with perell caste aforne To truste amayde of tendre yeres yborne Of lyght vnhappy fonde wylfulnesse For this kynge of his gentylnesse Commaunded hath to his confusyon To his dishonour and destruction His owne doughter borne to be his heyre That was also so womanly and fayre So sodaynly downe for to discende Consydered not the myschyefe of the ende Alas why durst he in her youth affye To make her sytte of his curtesye Where as she myght by casuell mocion Full lyghtly catche or haue occasyon To do amysse alas why dyd he so Why list he not take better hede therto Nor to auerte in his discretion Wysely to caste afore as in reason The vnware chaunge that is in womanhed Whiche euery wyse man oughte for to drede For who was euer yet so mad or wood That ought of reason coude aright his good To gyue fayth or hastyly credence To any woman without experyence In whom is nother trust nor sykernesse They ben so double and full of brytylnesse That it is harde in them to assure For vnto them it longeth of nature From theyr birth to haue alliaunce With doublenesse and with variaunce Their hertes be so fraile and so vnstable Namely in youthe so meuynge and mutable That so as clerkes of them lyst tendyte Albe that I am sory for to wryte They sayen that chaunge and mutabilite Apropred ben vnto feminite This is affyrmed of them that were ful sage And specially whyle they be grene of age In their wexyng and whan y t they be yonge Whose herte full selde accordeth w t her tonge For if the trouth inwardely be sought With y e surplus remnaunt of their thought Men may anone the true patron fynde Of inconstaunce whose flaskysable kynde Is to and fro meuynge as a wynde That Hercules were not stronge to binde Nother Sampson so as I beleue A womans herte to make it not remeue For as the blase whyrleth of a fyre So to and fro they flee in their desyre Tyll they accomplyshe fully their delite For as nature by kyndly appetyte Kyndly seketh to sewen after fourme Tyl he his course by processe may performe Euen so these women refraine them ne can To sewe their luste as fro man to man They will not cease till all be assayed But wolde god as nature is apayed With one fourme and holdeth him content Whan of his boundes he hath the terme went And not desyre ferther to procede But styll abyte and wyll it not excede That by example all sortes women wolde Abide in one as they of duety shoulde And holde them paide and stylle there abyde But faile of foting doth them ofte to slyde For they be not content with vnitee But fast they sewen to finde pluralitee So of nature to menynge they be shewed Although among by signes outward shewed They ofte pretende a maner stablenesse But vnder that is hyd their doublenesse So well yreke that outwarde at the eye Full harde it is the treason to espye Vnder curtyn and veyle of honeste Is closed chaunge and mutabilitye For their desyre is kepte full close in mewe Of thyng that they had leuest for to sewe Only outwarde for to haue a laude They can declyne w t faynyng with fraude ¶ Wherfore Oetes thy wyt was to barayne That thou afore by prudence naddest sayne What shulde folowe of this vnhappy case Why were thou bolde thus to suffer alas Thine owne doughter inly freshe of hewe With straunge gestes entred but of newe So folilye for to lete her dele Where thrugh thin honor worship thin hele Was lost in haste she to mischiefe brought In straūge lande w t sorowe with thought Where as she in sclaunder of thy name With miserie with sorowe and with shame An ende made and thou were
For finally I saye withouten wene At fewe wordes in all right as I meane Me list not fayne flatter nor delude For my beheste with deathe I shall conclude When Parcas shall my liues threde do rend This all and some and thus I make an ende VVell thā quod she ful wisely in your hert Ye must afore consydre and aduerte The aduenture that ye shall take on hande And prudently the perill vnderstande And warely cast and haue full well in minde The mortall harme at the tayle behinde That is well more then it is credible For leue me well it is an impossible To ginne in honour and also for to fine For thilke flese by hye power diuine Preserued is and that wyth Marcys mighte That who so therfore entreth in to fight It were full harde to him thence to eskape The fyery flawme when the bulles gape That bene of brasse trapped all in leuen Ben more to dread thē lightening of y e heauē Tofore the dint of the great thonder That seuered hath full many toure a sunder For vnto ashes they will a man consume Wherfore I rede that ye not presume The Ram to assayle lest ye your laboure lese yet to withdraw your foote sith ye may chese By good aduise and by discresiowne Your honour safe and your hye renowne Where so ye list of your worthinesse Onely of folye and of hastinesse To this emprise of head to procede Or where ye list like as I you rede Saue your selfe from woo and al mischaūce Like as ye shall if to mine ordinaunce Ye you commytte and lowely lyste obeye Without fraude there is no more to seye ANd Iason ther thā sitting at the borde Of Medea emprintynge euery worde Waxed for Ire almost vnpacient And sayd alas and is this your entent Me to counceyle to leue this my emprise Certes it were to foule a cowardyse To gyn thynge that I myght not a chyeue For euery man wolde me of shame repreue And eke reporte to my confusyon That I of pride and of presumption Toke this on me whan I was at large So hye a thynge and so great a charge That I durst not distrustyng of myschyefe Accomplyshe it whan it came to the prefe Leuer me were myne owne lady dere For to ieoparde and to put in were My selfe at ones and at wordes fewe On smale pyeces to be all to hewe Rather than I shulde cowardely forsake Thylke empryse that I haue vndertake As ye well knowe and leue it thus alas Let be your counseyle plainly in this case For what so euer happe or falle of me Trusteth ryght well it shall none other be For if that I shulde of my cowarde harte Fro this my purpose by any way diuerte Without laude my lyfe I shulde lede And shame eternall iustlye by my mede Throughout the worlde noted ouer all In euery lande spoke of in speciall That Iason hath so hyghly vndertake Wherof for feare he dare none ende make Thynketh ryght well that it shall not betide For lyfe or deth what mischiefe I abyde And thervpon my trouth I you ensure That so ferforth as this my lyfe may endure I shall parfourme that I haue nowe begon And though so be no honor may be wonne But that I muste with my deth it beye I wil not leue for bett were me to deye Than liue ashamed of cowardise slouth For as me semeth it is to hygh a routhe A man tappere or dare do shewe his head Whan he hath ones his honour vyllanede And after time whan y t his name is slayne For euery man shulde coueite rather faine To dye in honour than liue as a wretche And though this thinge to my death stretche Welcome beit I shall it well abyde This all and some what so of me betyde IAson quod she than syth it standeth so That ye algates desyre to haue a do There is no more by ought I can espye But ye had leuer shortly for to dye Rather than lyue and haue ye saye a shame And yet it is an ernest and no game With suche monsters vnwarely for to deale Lyke as in dede hereafter ye shal feale And therfore I am meued of pytee And greatly steered that ye of volunte Without aduyse or by discresion Counsayle or elles deliberation Lyst take on you this meruailous voyage For both your youth and also your courage Gouerned ben chiefely in this matere All after luste for both the two I feare Inparded ben if ye your purpose sewe For impossyble is that ye eschewe A sodeyne death for nother free nor bonde By crafte of man hath power to withstonde ¶ Wherfore I thinke of herte good entent To cast for you yea yet or ye be shent And to your tourne to shape a remedye Suche routhe I haue that ye shulden dye For to my father whom I loue most Rather then ye shulde in this wise be loste I shall offende and vtterly displease And all my friendes so it may do you ease For I shall fynde suche a meane weye That at the least I will not se you deye For in this case I thinke to be your gyde So that for you I shall do sette asyde First my discent as of the stocke royall ¶ And ouer more myne heritage withall Lykewise my honour shal I put abacke You for to helpe that there shal be no lacke Yfounde in me so ye be to me kinde And that ye lyste for to haue in mynde As I deserue goodly me to quyte Consyderyng first that it is nat alite To saue your lyue that stant in Ieopardye More peryllous than ye can ought espye But for all this I shall it so ordeyne All by my crafte only atwyxe vs twayne That or we parte I hope all shall be well Vpon this poynt if so that I may fele Faythfully for ioye woo or smarte With full accorde of body will and herte To my desire that ye condescend I vndertake to make therof an ende ¶ This sothly ladye sayde this Iason tho I am assented without wordes mo For to fulfyll with euery circumstaunce What euer thinge may be to you plesaunce THan quod she there is no more to saine But firste of all w t fayth herte plaine With all your myght and your busy cure And meanyng hole that ye do me assure Hereafter for to take me for your wyfe To holde and kepe by terme of your life So that your dede accorde may w t your hest This is the fyne and summe of my requeste Except only that ye shall ordeyne In your repayre to your fathers reigne That faithfully ye shall me with you lede And after that whan so ye shall succede As by his death into your heritage With herte aye one and with lyke corage Ye shall to me alwayes be founden true And cherishe me for chaunge of any newe Like mine estate without varyaunce And while ye lyue haue in remembraunce My gentlenesse in this your great nede For there is none aliue that
hath for hym lad ¶ And for to se how he shulde him defende She gan anone by greces to assende Of a Touret in to an hye pynacle Where as she myght haue tho none obstacle Nor lettyng nother for to haue a syghte Of hym that was her owne chosen knight And euer amonge with wordes out she brake And stoundemell thus to her selfe she spake ¶ O thou Iason my souerayne hertes heale If thou ought knew what wo for the I fele Sothly I trowe it shulde the not asterte For to be trewe with all thy hole herte And god I praye this iourney at the leste May this tyme tournen for the best And kepe y e saulfe sounde in euery membre And yefe the might fully to remembre As I the taught and in the same fourme Euery thynge fully to perfourme Only this day thine honour to anaunce Which for to se were all my hole pleasaunce For certes Iason if the fylle ought amisse Fare well my helth and all my worldly blisse And fare well than my mirthe and my solace And my welfare my fortune and my grace And all at ones my hartes suffisaunce ¶ Lo this for him was her gouernaunce First fro y e time that he the lande hath nome And first of all whan he was thether come Where as the bulles fell and dispiteous Out caste their fyre and flawme furious Fro out their mouthes wonder large huge Againe the whiche for his chiefe refuge Hym for to saue that he were not brent He was enoynted with an oyntement On his body that kept him from damage Of thilke fyre that was so full of rage And the smokes darke and full horrible Whiche to escape was almoste impossyble For any man of what estate he be Without comforte and counsayle of Medee By whose doctryne Iason can so worke That he is scaped from the mistes darke Of the syre with the blases blake That all the eyre so cloudy hath do make She had hym made so discrete and sage By vertue onely of thilke same ymage Whych that he about his necke bare Wherby he was so prudent and so ware That when y e bulles haue most feersly gaped He hath theyr malyce so auysedly scaped For the enfection of theyr troubled eyre He hath vanquished and was in no dispeire For in effect agayne the foule fume That would a man vnto the death consume The ymage was a ful preseruatyfe Him to diffend and to saue his lyfe And more surely to kepe him out of drede Ful ofte sythe the wrytte he did rede For the vertue of thilke same oryson Was vnto hym a full protection That he not fell therby in no distresse And after that for rather sykernesse Him to preserue in this his mortall case He toke the lycoure that in the vyall was And therwithall full lyke a manly man That all at ones he toke the bulles than And nought forgat so warely it to cast That therw tal theyr iawes were closed fast And by the vertue so mightely englued That he ther through hath vtterly eschewed The hole enfection of the smoky leuen And wheÌ„ the eyre gan clere and al y e heauen And that y e mystes were wasted him toforne With maÌ„ly hert he raught hath by the horne The sterne bulles and by his vyolence He drew them forth in whom was no defeÌ„ce And yoâ—keth them so as the maner was And with the plough he made them go a pase Now vp now down and so to eare the londe And at his lyst so buxom he them fonde That the soyle smothe bare and playn They redy made to bearen any grayne And on renges it tourned vp so downe For tho in theym was no rebellyowne But humble meke and redy at his will All his desyres playnly to fulfyll ¶ And Iason than lyke a champyon Gan him enhaste towardes the dragon That was a beast ryght great moÌ„struous Foule and horrible and deadly venimous And was armed in scales large and thicke Of whom the breath more perillous wicke Was then the eayre of any pestylence His venim was of such a vyolence That it full deadly was and eke mortall And at his throte there issued out with al A flawme of fyre as of a fournes mouthe Or lyke the leuen that downe by the south Out of the East is wont in tempest smite Right so this dragon sothely for to wite Out at his mouth had a flawme blased Wherof Iason a lytell first amased Was in his hert of that dreadfull thynge But whaÌ„ that he remembred on his ringe All feare and dread was layd asyde and gone For in that ringe there was set a stone Ful ryche noble and right vertuous Of whych as teacheth great Ysydorus And in mine Auctour also as I finde Most comenly cometh out of ynde And must be kept chaste and wonder cleane And of colour surmounteth euery grene Whose vertue is all venym to destroye And to withstand that it may not anoye Of dragon serpent of adder and of snake And specyally if so that it betake And be yholden in the opposyte Of any worme euen agayn the syte Without abode in sothe he may not chese Of his venym the force must he lese How stronge it be or vyolent of rage But to the stone it doth ful great damage For whan he hath his vertue do as blyue On peces smale it gynneth all to ryue And in it selfe abydeth whole no whyle For in the land that called is Cecyle There is a worme y t Bufo beareth y e name And when men of malice make him tame And his venym vtterly expresse They take a quil mine Auctour beareth witnesse WhaÌ„ they wyll worke or a large can And in the ende this stone they set than And line right agayne the wormes heade They holden it tyll that he be deade For that is sothly his vertue of nature That no venim last may nor endure In the presence of this ryche stone And as I finde this Bufo ryght anone Through myght therof brusteth eueÌ„ a twain Onely by kynde that no maÌ„ may restrayne For the goddesse that called is Nature Whych next her lorde al thyng in cure Hath vertue gyue to herbe gras and stone Whych no man knoweth but her selfe alone The causes hyd be closed in her hande That wyt of man can not vnderstande Openly the myght of her workyng And so Iason by vertue of this rynge And through his ston y t might hiÌ„ most auauÌ„ce Hath the dragon brought to vttraunce In whom he fonde no maner resystence Hym to wythstand force nor diffence Neyther by venym nor none other stryfe Wherfore he hath beraft him of his lyfe In manly wise and in the fielde outrayed And Iason then full glad and well apayed Hath w t his sword speÌ„t on him many a stroke And layde on hym as men newe on an oke His bryght skales were so hard and dure That well vnneth he ne might endure Hym to dysmembre and smite of his head And
wherin the Troyans were discomfeted their kinge slayne and after their Citie taken rased and destroyed Ca. ix KYng Lamedon whan that he herde tell Of their cōming him list no longer dwel But out he went with many a noble knighte Flouryng in youth and desyrous to fyght And all tho that mighten armes beare Or that coude shote or handell durste a spere ¶ And whan they were assēbled in the fielde Eueryche his armes depeint vpon his shilde Brouded or bete vpon his coote armure Than Lamedon with all his busy cure Set them in ordre and his wardes maketh And in the fielde forth his waye he taketh Towarde the Grekes as any lyne right Fully purposynge there to abide and fight He was not ware of thē that were behynde He not aduerteth or casteth in his mynde The great sleyght nor the treachery That him was shape he coude it not espye But forthe he wente with his wardes set And the Grekes anone with him hath met With herte bolde astoned not at all Duke Nestor first sturdy as a wall In whose manhod was neuer foundē lacke Full knightly than vpon his horse backe To herte his men and his knightes eke Gan prese in with many worthy Greke With Lamedon sturdely to mete At whiche tyme they felte it full vnswete For in the frounter many manly man With sharpe speres first together ran And eft with swordes sharpe kene ygroūde Was thilke daye geuen many a wounde Where as they met thus on euery syde Thrugh plate maile their woundes bledde wide And basenettes they riue to y e crowne The noyse of strokes in the eyre gan sowne And of the blode that tho was shad of new The grene soyle chaunged hath his hewe For it was dyed playnly in to red Vpon the whiche full many man lay dead And many worthy lost their his lyfe And certainly than in this mortall stryfe The Grekes had discomfyted be echone Ne had Castor socoured them anone The folke of Troy so manly haue them bore That many a knight of grekes was ylore But after Castor entreth in bataile With his knightes so sore he did assayle The worthy Troyans y t with spere shielde Grekes agayne recouered haue the fielde That many one lieth slayne vpon the grene Thrugh girt the body w t sharpe speres kene That they of Troye in this mortall stoure Were driue a backe tyll there came socour To them in hast of worthy Lamedowne Whiche entred in like a wodde lyowne And made a waye vpon euery syde And where as he made his swerde to glyde There was but deth so manly he hym bare That well vnneth was there none that dare Abyde his stroke for rydynge vp and downe He made waye about him enuirowne In the renges he hath his foen out soughte That dai ī armes meruailes hath he wroute Than by his manhod and his worthines He the grekes hath brought in suche distresse That they his swerde flyen as the death Marciles so many of them he sleeth Of which slaughter the grekes wer confuse Tyll Pelleus came to their rescuse Irous and wood as he were fall in rage He thought he wold y e great pompe aswage Of them of Troye and so he dyd anone For he vnhorseth of them many one And felly slough all that stode him aforne And many harueys he hath y t daye to torne And made sheldes for to ryue a sonder That to beholde it was a very wondre Til Lamedon his people sawe go backe For Pelleus brought them so to wracke Wherof in herte he felte full great payne Beseching them efte to repaire againe And kyth their might like as men endure And so the fielde he made them to recure Tyll duke Nestor knewe that Lamedowne Amid the fielde was kynge of Troye towne And right anone without more abode Agaynst hym a full great pace he rode And whan the kyng did him first espye Of hye dispite of rancour and enuye In knightly wyse gan to tourne againe Nothynge agast but of hye disdayne With yrons herte enbolned all with pride His horse fyersly smytyng in the syde That from y e pricke out ran the red bloud And forth to Nestor like as he were wood He rode anone and he his spere brake But he full knightly kept his horse backe And full delyuerly him againe to quite With speare full sharpe whette for to byte Thrugh sheld brest gaue him such a woūde That fro his hors he felde hī down to groūd Of whiche fall the kyng nothyng a ferde Vprise ayene and knightly drewe his swerd So angre fret hym at his herte rote That he vnhorsed fyghte muste on fote Wherof he was in partyfull confuse Tyll one Cedar came to his rescuse That was made knight y e selfe same yere Yonge freshe and lusty and of noble chere Syttyng that tyme on a noble stede And whan that he gan to take hede And saw the kyng on foote at mischiefe fight Gan forth to pryke in all the hast he might Toward Nestor and with a spere him hytte From his sadell that he made him flytte Downe to the ground afore kyng Lamedon But he anone full lyke a champion Recured vp and hymselfe defendeth And many a stroke eche on other spendeth With sharpe swerdrs kene for to byte Eueriche at other gan foyne and smyte Tyll Lamedon with a dispyteous chere From of his face rased his viser And by that strype he of at ones sinet A ryche cercle from his basenet Of large perle goynge enuyrowne With creste and all he fyersly beate a downe That whyles Nestor thus afore hym stode His face was all depeint with his bloud That certainely the soth to conclude Had not Grekes with great multitude Rescued him he had of Lamedowne Be slayne as faste for he was bore a downe Vnto the earth amonge the horse feete But Castor thought that he ne wolde lete To be his helpe as he behelde yfeare And yrously he toke a mighty spere And to Cedar that I spake of late He gan to ryde and pricke in deadly hate But or he came and toke him there doubtles A Troyan knight called Segnerides Cosyn to Cedar whan he hath this sene On a courser rode anone bytwene And with a spere he smote Castor so That with the stroke it broken is a two To whom Castor withouten more areste Hath with a spere amyddes of the brest Segnerides gyue a mortall wounde That lykely was neuer for to sounde Wherfore Cedar caught hath suche enuye That he anone of fell melancolye And of dispyte boylynge in his herte Segnerides when he beholde so smerte Maugre who grutcheth amiddes of y e fielde Of very myght from Castor toke his shelde And through vyser of rancour and of rage He wounded hym amyddes of his vysage And eke his horse fro hym also he caughte And to his squier manfully it raught That certainely he stode in suche disioynt This worthy Castor that he was in poynt To haue be taken of
might To preue shortly that he is a knight For of reason ye this consyder may How that no man iustly may saye nay But that Parys hath counsayled wele For by my trouth as fer as I can fele It were errour his purpose to contrary Wherfore let hym now no longer tarye But holde his waye with a stronge nauye For to auenge the shamefull velanye That grekes haue done if so ye lyst take hede In alder dayes to vs and our kynred And eke for fynall execucion Of the recure as touchyng Exion Whom they demeyne in such dishonest wyse Agaynst all ryght and title of iustyce Wherof to thinke it giueth my hert a wounde The shame of which so newly doth rebounde Vpon vs all that be of her ally Wherfore the best that I can espye Is that Parys take maye this voyage With suche as be of freshe and lusty age Manly to wende into grekes lande And by force of their myghtye hande Maunger the Grekes proude and most elate Rauishe there some lady of estate And thā ye may by knighthod of my brother If ye lyste after chaunge her for that other This is most redy and short conclusyon That I can se for restytution Of Exyon if so that Parys wende And of my counsayle shortly thus the end ▪ ¶ And than as faste full discrete and sage Helenus the fourth sonne as of age Rose from his seate with humble reuerence Praying his father graunte hym aundience That he may say in presence of them all Openly what after shal be fall As he that most of secrete thynges can And soberlye thus he his tale began With cleane entent and trewe affection ¶ My lorde quod he with supportacion Of your grace wherin is most my trust Let none offence be vnto your luste Nor you displease yf so I my conceyte As now declare syth I meane no decetie For neuer yet fayled no sentence But that it fyll efte in experyence Lyke as I tolde in partie and in all In pryuye treate and eke in generall Without meanynge of any doublenesse That it folowed as I dyd expresse Remembryng you as ye shall fynde it trewe And yf god wyll I shall not now of new Spare for to say lyke as I conceyue Nor to be dede with fraude you deceyue Declaryng fyrst of trewe entention As it shall folowe in conclusion ¶ That yf he Parys into Grece wende Trusteth me well it wyll vs all shende For the goddes so by reuelacion Haue made to me playne demonstration And eke I knowe it by astronomye For neuer yet as in my prophecye I was deceyued of that shulde after fall Nor none that lyste me to counsayle call So am I taught of thyng that shall betyde Wherfore I praye for rancour nor for pryde Nor for enuye wrought of olde hatred To take vengeaunce that ye not procede In your aduyse lyke as ye purpose I saye you playnly for me ylyst not glose Ye shall repente if so ye Parys sende Into Grece the whiche god defende Wytte this full well for the conclusyon Shall fully tourne to our destruction And fynally vnto our ruyne Lyke as to you I gan afore deuyne For this the fyne that there folowe shall Subuercyon both of towne and of wall Of house and paleys here in our Citie Al goth to nought ye get no more of me Forme semeth it ought ynough suffyse That I haue sayd syth that ye be wyse For yf that ye aduerten to my sawe I doubte not that ye wyll withdrawe Your hande be tyme or that more domage Assayleth you by constraynte of this rage For better is betymes to absteyne From this purpose whiche is yet but grene Than of hede thus hastely assente To thynge for which we shal echone repente For plenerly there shall nothynge socoure That there shal folowe both of you and your Despyteful death without excepciowne Of one and all abydynge in this towne Fyrst on your selfe playnly to endite Shall the vengeaunce of the grekes byte Through the fury of their mortall tene And your wyfe fayre Hecuba the queene Shall lede her lyfe through grekes crueltie In sorowe wo and in captiuitie And your lyeges by the sworde shall pace Of cruell death withouten any grace And innocentes merciles shall blede In your aduyse if that ye do procede Of wylfulnesse a werre for to make And folyly thus for to vndertake As to parturbe your quyete and your rest Which shal retourne nothyng for the best But to ruyne of you and of vs all I can no more but or that mischyefe fall My counsayle is afore that ye prouyde And letteth wylfulnesse be sette asyde Specially whan death as I you tolde Must be the fyne if ye your purpose holde Lo here is all without wordes mo Into Grece if so that Parys go ¶ And in this wyse whan that Helenus Had playnly sayde as Guydo telleth vs Tryste and heuy with pale and deadly face Agayne resorteth to his syttynge place Of whose sentence astoned euerychone Sat in sylence stylle as any stone Powerles their hertes efte to resume To speake a worde no man dare presume Of all the prese but kept their lyppes close That at the laste Troylous vp arose Yonge freshe and couragyous also And aye desyrous for to haue a do In armes manly as longeth to a knight And whan that he of chere ful glad and light Sawe his father and brethern euerychone So inly troubled thus he spake anone ¶ Oh noble and worthy syttyng enuiron Of hyghe prudence and great discrecion Manfull also and of hyghe courage What sodein fere hath brought you ī this rage What new trouble is cropen in your brest For the sentence of a coward priest Syth they echone as ye shall euer fynde Desyre more veryly of kynde To lyue in lust and voyde awaye trauayle And deadly hate to here as of battayle For they their wyt fynally applye To sewe their lust and lyue in glottony To fyll their stomake and restore their mawe To reste and ease euermore to drawe And to sewe their inwarde appetite This their ioye and this their delyte In eatyng drynkyng and in couetyse Is their studye fully to deuyse How they may folow their lust without more Of ryght nought elles setten they no store Alas for shame why be ye so dismayde And sytte mate astoned and afrayde For the wordes of hym this Helenus Fearefull for drede as a lyttle mouse That he quaketh to here speake of fyght And moreouer agayne all skylle and ryght In preiudice of the goddes all He taketh on hym to say what shall be fall Of thynge future for to specyfye As yf he had a spirite of prophecye Graunted to hym alone in speciall As though he were in connyng perygall To the goddes hauynge prescience To shewe afore through his sapyence What shall betyde outher euyll or good Let be let be for no wyght is so woodd That hath his wyt to gyue therto credence That any man by crafte or by scyence That mortall is
sodaynly they gan echone to chace At Penthens and loude agayne hym crye Repreuynge hym and the prophecye Of this father to their confusyon ¶ But oh alas the reuolucion Of ioye or wo or of felicitee For thing tofore ordeyned must nedely be The state of thynges w t fate is so englewed For that shall fall may not be eschewed Whiche caused them for tassent in one In al the hast that Parys shulde be gone Vnhappely w t hap they were enuolued ¶ And thus concluding their counsaile is dissolued But casuelly loe it befell ryght than That this aduyse vnto the ere 's ran Of Cassandra and she with great afraye Of sodayne wo gan cryen welaway ¶ Alas quod she alas what wyll ye do What and shall Parys into Grece go And with that worde she braste out to wepe Full piteously with inwarde syghes depe She gan to wayle and sowne for the payne And furyously with noyse to complayne With wofull rage and many pyteus sowne She made a mortall lamentatiowne For to be deade she might her not withholde With heare to torne and with fystes folde She sayde alas more than and hundred syth Ah stormy fortune why lyst thou to kythe Thy cruell force to oure aduersytie Vpon vs all and eke on this Citie Of mortall yre and gery violence with sword of vengeaunce worse thā pestilēce ¶ Oh Troye Troye what is the gylte alas What hast thou done what is thy trespas To be euersed and tourned into nought With wylde fyre thy synne is dere abought Ah Pryam kynge vncely is thy chaunce What hast thou gylte outher do greuaunce To thy goddes or wyrched through vnryght Them to prouoke to shewe their cruell might Vpon thy bloud alas what hast thou do Oh mother myne Oh Hecuba also What maner cryme or importable offence Hast thou cōmyt to haue such recompence The daye to abyde Oh noble worthy quene Of thy sonnes suche vengeaunce for to sene Oh wofull deth cruell and horryble Alas why are ye no more credible To my counsayle suche harmes to eschewe Your mortall purpose fully to remewe That he go not as it is ordeyned The thought of which my hart hath so cōstrained That vnneth I may this my wo endure And to her father this wofull creature Helde streight her way falleth plat to groūd And of her wepyng all in water drownde By her chekes so gan the teares rayne And as she myght for constraint of her paine Vpon hym she gan clyppen and crye Besechynge hym to shape a remedye With pyteous voyce as she y t knewe ful wele In this matter playnly euerydele What shall befall and had it full in mynde The sodeyne harmes that shal insue behynde But all her clamour was not but in vayne For that shall fall as some clerkes sayne Ne may not well of men eschewed be And eke fortune by great aduersytie Of hasty Ire furyous and wood And aye vnkynde vnto the Troyan bloud Causelesse agaynst them sore agreued And of rancour sodaynly amened With blind awaite to catche them in a traūce By vyolence of her vnhappy chaunce Hath w t a sweyght tourned her whele vnstable As she that is enuyous and mutable To hasten Troyens to theyr confusyon Of wylfulnesse and vndiscretion Agaynst grekes quarell for to make And therupon haue their counsayle take And haue achieued as ye herde deuyse Without assent of the most wyse For yf so they the diffynycyon Of Hector herde concluded in reason In this matter and of Helenus The counsayle take and to Percheus Aduerted wysely as to his sentence And without faynyng gyuen full credence To her Cassandra that neuer lyst to lye And by aduyse had harde the prophecye From poynt to poynt for to caste aforne In such mischief they had not tho be lorne But floured yet in theyr felycitie Without domage and aduersytie But fortune will fortholde her course alway Whose wyll abydeth who so sayth ye or nay For she it was that caused this voyage With forhead playne blandishing vysage With sugre shad and venim in the roote Bytter of taste and in shewing soote Wrynckled double like an horned snayle Fayth in her face fraud ay in her tayle To haste the Troyans to accorde into one That Parys shuld into grece gone As ye haue herde there is no more to sayne For herupon they cast theim to ordayne ¶ How Priam the king sent Paris Deiphobus and others of the worthies of Troy into Grece to aduenge the rauishinge of his syster Exion how they before their returne rauyshed the faire Heleine wife to Menelaus and brought her to Troye Ca. xiii THe time approched whē y e son shene His golden wayne whyrleth vp atwene The cleare sterres of Hyades so read Which haue theyr scyte in the Bulles head And Pleyades the seuenth sterre so bryght Of whych syxe appearen to our syght For the seuenth draweth her asyde And couertly doth her beames hide Whylom for she hath done a great offence That vnto vs causeth her absence For she dare not shewe her stremes cleare Nor with her systren openly appeare Whelom for she as with a god mortall A syn committed that was cryminall Which noysed was kouth thrughout y e heuē That she alone amonge the sistrē seuen Shroudeth to vs shamefestly her chere ¶ And when as Titan in the zodiak sphere Atwene these sterres taken had his see Of the bul in the sixtenth degre Vpon the time of Ioly grene Maye When that Flora with her hewes gaye Hath euery playne medowe hil and vale With her floures quicke nothing pale Ouer spred and clad in lyuery newe And braūches blosme with diuerse lusty hewe And byd vs fully to be glad and lyght For by assuraunce they their fruit haue hight Agayne Autumpne who so that list thē shake When on the vines ripeth euery grape For thus this season most lusty of disporte Embraseth hertes with newe recomforte Onely of hope by kinde as it is dewe That holsom fruite shall the blosmes sewe Whan time cometh by reuolucion And thus in May y e lusty freshe season Whan byrdes synge in theyr hermonye The same time out of Pannonye Repeyred be Deiphobus and Parys And with theim brought chosen by deuyse Thre thousande knightes redy for to gone With theim to grece and shippes many one Ful vitayled of all that may theim nede And of these shippes the nomber as I rede Was two and twenty like as wryte Guydo And after this without more ado The kinge commaundeth vnto Eneas To Anthenor and to Polydamas In al the haste that they theim redy make With Parys knyghtly for to vndertake As ye haue herde this Iourney to acheue And on the time whan they toke theyr leue Pryamus with shorte conclusyon Sheweth the effect of his entencion And specially they theyr deuer done For to recure his syster Exione As ye haue herde here tofore me tell What shuld I more in this matter dwell Whan they were ready without more soioure
lande An hundred thousand almost at thyn hande Agayne whose might y u mayst y e not assure To resyst playnly nor endure Consyder well how that they be stronge As thou shalt wyt peraunter or be longe So manly men and so well arayed Expert in armes and of olde assayed That no diffence may agayne theim vayle And wyte eke well that thou mayst not fayle By death of sworde of theyr hande to deye And all thyne there is no more to seye Though it so be proudly that thou speake And with thy tunge onely to be wreake Afermest more than thou mayst acheue Better it were such bostyng wordes leue And to wyse counsayle taketh better hede BVt than in haste agayne this Diomede Surquidous and inly full of pryde There rose vp some by the kynges syde With swordes drawe on him wold haue fal And al to hewen him there among theim all Of hasty yre brenning as the glede Tyll Pryamus gan to taken hede And rose him vp seyng this disease And manfully this rage gan appease Theim diffending vpon death and lyfe That none of theim be hardy in this stryfe The embassadoures to harme or to greue For though a fole his foly will not leue To presume to speake vnconningly A wyse man must suffer pacyently And though that he happe to do offence Through folishe speche for lacke of sapyence A wyse man ne ought sothe to sayne To taken hede or to speake agayne For to a fole as it is pertynent To shewe his foly right so conuenient Is to the wyse sothly with suffraunce In all his porte to haue tolleraunce For vnto foles belongeth kindely Without aduyse to speake folyly Vndiscretly his mening to fulfyll Where as a wyse man heare can and be styll Tyll he se tyme and haue pacience And dissimule in his aduertence The rage of foles that last but a throwe For by his tunge a fole is oft knowe And leuer I had I do you wel assure In my persone domage to endure Then to suffer any messengere In my court of you that be here To haue a wronge other great or lite The swerde of rancoure may not alway bite To do vengeaunce for a thyng of nought For oft it falleth that a wronge is wrought For lytel excesse foloweth great reprefe And haste is aye medled wyth myschefe Wherfore I byd that ye sytte adowne And in no wise of presumpciowne Attempteth not in no maner wyse By sygne or worde more for to despyse Thembassadoures from the Grekes sente But let theim frely declare theyr entente And ye there whyles kepe your lippes close ANd sodaynly then Eneas rose Whych next the kinge helde then his see So inwardly with rancour fret was he That he ne myght him selfe not refrayne And sayd syr so ye not disdayne That I shall saye me semeth that it is Wel according when one hath sayd amys And rekly spoken vnaduised Of his foly that he be chastysed That other maye example by him take To be wel ware such noyse and crye to make And specially in open audience So to offende your royall excellence And sothly yet I wote well that I might So me gouerne playnly in your syght Of hastinesse without auisement That I shulde by your commaundement The death deserue for my great offence And trewly yet ne were for your presence Of this twayne that haue so yspoke Without abode I shuld anone be wroke For it were worthy and ryght well sittyng Whan that a fole in presence of a kinge Is bolde or hardy of presumpcion To take on him of indiscrescion Thinge to reherse concluding in sentence Preiudyce of his magnificence That he were taught better to gouerne His large tunge to konne bet and diserne Whan he shal speake or whan be in pease To suffer him to renne out of lese As doth he this that spoke hath so large Wherfore in haste I counsayle him charge Without abode or any worde mo Out of your syghte anone he be ago For it is best to do as I him rede TO whom anone ful proudly Diomede Not astoned but with a sterne loke To Eneas that for yre quoke Answered agayne but with wordes fewe And sayd syr thy wordes doth well shewe What so thou be that thou art ryght wise Well is that king that doth by thyne aduyse Or hath the nye of counsayle for to be For he ne maye erre in no degre That art so rightful in thy iudgement Of wylfullnesse without aduysement To cause a lorde his bondes for to pace So would god in some other place That I myght by fauoure of fortune Mete with the at leysure oportune Lyke my desyre that canst so well endite In olde fables thy labour for to quyte And the to thanke for thy gentyll chere Which so knightly thou hast vs shewed here Truste well therto and haue therof no drede ANd tho Vlixes of this Diomede Gan interrupte his wordes prudently And to him sayde full aduysely That it was best to stynt and be still And now we know fully all thy will Quod Vlyxes full manly to the kynge We will go hense without more taryinge Out of thy sight to Agamenon And make to him playne relacion Of thy aunswere in ordre by and by And to horse they wenten sodaynly And in shorte time so hast them in their way That they be come there is no more to saye Where the kinge satte in his tentorye And worde by worde as came to memorye They reherse the substaunce euery dele Wherof the grekes like nothing wele Conceyuing full there was no remedye As by reporte of the embassadrye Saue onely this vtterly procede How they theim shall gouerne in this nede Agayne Troians of necessitee For they well wote it may none other be And assented both in wyl and dede To puruey theim fast they theim spede In this storye as ye shall after fynde BVt fyrst or I therof maken mynde I must a whyle of Eneas endyte As myne Auctour lyst of hym to wryte The whych sothly as bokes saye he was This manly Troian this worthy Eneas Anchises sone of great worthinesse Whylom gete of Venus the goddesse Conqueroure of many regyon Whan Troye was brought to destruction He wente his waye by the large see Called Tyrene and saylyng forth goth he By many coste and many streyght passage Many daunger tyll into Cartage He ryued is and thense gan to sayle To the conquest of the great Ytale And so to Rome he hath the waye take Of whose spring as auctours mencion make Came Augustus Cesar the Emperour That was whilom so noble a conquerour That his renowne to this daye doth shine And of Enee the Emperour Iustyne In his bokes called Autentykes Full playnly wryt therin the rubrykes That after Cesar so as Cesares Be named yet ryght so Eneades After Enee they name shoulden beare Whych fro Troye comen was so fere Vnto ytayle and of this Eneas As I haue tolde Cesar descended was Downe lyne ryght ful manly and royall
That fyrst in Rome by sceptre imperyall Maugre theyr myght had the gouernaunce And of wysedome set the ordynaunce Of common thynges touchyng the Cytee And to procede further of Enee Hooly his lyfe and knyghthod by and by If that ye lyst to reade ceryously Ye may se all ful autentyke of style In Eneydos compyled of Vergyle Albeit so that this noble clerke Was graue afore or coÌ„plete was his werke As bokes olde maken mencion ¶ How Agamenon sent Achilles and Thelephus into the Ilande of Messa for vytayles and how they slewe the king and after ordeyned Thelephus the kynge there Ca. xx BVt nowe agayne to Agamenon Without more I wyll my style retourne The whych kyng will no more soiourne In this matter delayes for to make But in all haste he hath his counsayle take Of his lordes beyng there present And such as were not he hath after sent For one and al Earles Dukes and kinges ¶ And sayd syres amonge other thynges To our Iourney that be necessarye My counsayle is no longer that we tarye But fyrst of all to make ordynaunce By one assent with prudent purueaunce That alder fyrst we shape vs for vytayle Without whych none hoost may auayle To parfourme a iourney thryftely Wherfore I reade here but fast by If it to you be lykyng and plesaunce Into an yle ful of habundaunce Called Messa that we sende anone And at one worde assented euery chone They chosen haue worthy Achilles And Thelephus the sone of Hercules To execute this purpose fynally With many worthy in theyr company Ychosen out through the hoost anone With Achilles are to Messa gone In whych lande ryche and plenteous Reygned a kynge worthy and famous That Tentran hyght whych in tranquylyte Without werre or aduersyte Had holde his Sceptre and his royall sete In this yle so pleasaunte and so mete Albe that some saye that this lytell yle To the kyngedome longeth of Cecyle And hath his name gyuen of plente After Messane an huge great Cite Full plenteous both on se and lande The whych kyngdome as I vnderstande Is sayde Messena of Messes in latin Through habundauÌ„ce of fruyt corne wyne At the aryuayle on the playnes large Where they are wont for to stuffe charge Merchaunt shyppes of straunge fer countre That thyther sayle by the large sea To fetche vitayle aye from yeare to yeare Fro many coste of landes farre and nere Onely by eschaunge of merchaundise And eke also as bokes can deuyse And as Guido full playnly telleth vs That of a kyng called Messanus This countrey first of Messa toke the name That in his tyme was of great fame Passyng ryche and wonder plenteous But of all this Dares Frygyus In his boke maketh no mencion But shortly telleth in conclusyon How Achilles and Thelephus also To Messena be togither go With thre thousande of grekes chosen out Most manly men amonges all theyr route The whych as fast as they gan to londe And the kynge gan to vnderstonde Of theyr comyng he is descended downe With all the worthy of his regiowne On horse and foote in stele armed bryght Agaynst Grekes manfully to fyght Theim to deuoyde playnly yf they can And sodaynly thus the skermyshe gan Atwixe Grekes and other mortall fone On other parte there was many one Slayne and hurte to the death ywounded Neuer lykly therof to be sounded ¶ For other treate was theim not atwene But swerdê sharpe and speres square kene Now here now there that they go to ground For euery man his foo for to confounde His labour dyd and his busynesse And though grekê through theyr worthinesse Had on theyr foen much londe ywon Yet to retyre after they begon And meruayle none bycause that theyr fone Had alwaye thre in noumber agaynst one For the time it may none other be Till Achilles gan beholde and se The mortall slaughter vpon grekes syde Tourning y e backe w t woundes large wide Of hasty rancour chaungen gan his bloode And for yre furious and woode Whan he behelde his men lese theyr lande He w t the swerd whiche he helde in his hande Made waye kylled and bare downe And in the felde like a fierse Lyowne He fared in sothe when y t his men were slawe Makyng his foen backwarde to withdrawe And his grekes so manly recomforte That maugre theim he made them to resorte ¶ And who that euer in his waye stode Without mercy he kylleth in his mode There gayneth nought in his crueltee For doubtles ne had his manhod be His passyng renowne and his worthynesse His knighthod eke and his high prowesse The Grekes had that daye fynallye Vanquished be without remedye But through his helpe they recure all For Achilles sturdy as a wall Gan serche sheltrouns theyr raÌ„ges brake Tofore whose face his fomen go to wrake ¶ And alderlast whan he gan espye Tentran the kyng through his chyualrye Defende him selfe lyke a worthy knyght And as a Lyon bare him in his fyght Now here now there grekes so oppresse This Achilles of cruell hardynesse Ne would cease in his pursewynge Through the warde tyll he came to the king Of manly force stoute and full of pryde Makyng a waye rounde on euery syde Agayne whose might nothyng might auayle ¶ And of Tentran fyrst the auentayle He raced hath and rent the male asonder And al to hewe that it was a wonder To consydre that daye his cruelte And after that al to broke hath he His bassenet wyth many cruell wounde And by his myght smyt the kyng to grounde And in all haste he maked hath no let From of his head to rende his bassenet And merciles for to do vengeaunce His harme he gan on heyght to auaunce Fully in purpose that he shulde be dead And raunsomles gan amyn at his heade With blody swerde and despytous herte Castyng playnly he shulde not asterte In his Ire he was so furyous ¶ But of fortune it befell ryght thus Thelephus the yonge lusty knyght Casuelly therof had a syght And of Achilles the maner ful behelde The stroke anone he bare vp with his shelde And gan Achilles mekely for to preye To haue pytye so to do him deye Syth he laye wounded almost to the deathe Brought to the poynt to yelden vp y e breathe Beseching him for his beningnyte Of manly routhe and eke knightly pyte Withdrawe his hande and to do him grace And graunt him life for a lytell space Syth euery knyght should of gentilnesse His enmye spare whan he is in distresse To vttraunce brought and specyally wheÌ„ he Mercy requireth of humble voluntee ¶ To whom Achylles feruent in his yre As he that was of rancoure set a fyre Aunswered agayne what lyst the so to preye For him that nolde of pryde our wyll obeye But gyn a werre where as was no nede Of highe disdayne and indignacion Hauyng a truste of presumpcion In his manhod which myght him not auaile Agaynst grekes to holden a
battayle As it is preuyd playnly in the ende All otherwyse shortly than he wende For in the dyche iustely he is falle Which he hath made of malys for vs all ¶ Where we of wyll nor entencion Gaue vnto hym none occasyon Vpon no syde platly fer nor nere Nor ministred to hym no such matere Nor to his lande menten no damage But he hym selfe grounde of all this rage Without offence done to hym of vs. ¶ And efte agayne this yonge Thelephus Humbly required hath of hym Achylle Of knyghtly routhe his axyng to fulfyll And to haue mercy on hym in this case For with my father this kynge whylom was Quod Thelephus by bonde confederate Whiche lyeth nowe here all disconsolate Expectant only with a deadly face Vpon the houre whan his goste shall pace Through gyrte alas w t many mortal wouÌ„de ¶ And for bycause that I haue in him found Afore this tyme assured great kyndenesse For of manhode and of gentylnesse In the boundes of his regiowne He vnto me through his highe renowne Whylom as I casually gan ryde Shewed in soth vpon euery syde Full royal chere and great humanite That I am bounde as of very duytee To remembre and to haue in mynde And doubtles elles me semeth I were vnkind Which after wolde my name foule a twyte And for that I in parte wolde him acquite I you beseche of respyte of his lyfe And Achylles withouten any stryfe Delyuered hath the story telleth thus Tentran frely vnto Thelephus Whether hym lyste to sauen or to spylle And when that he had hym at his wyll He hath consydered by his woundes grene That were so mortall sothly and so kene Of very nede that he must dye There was no gayne nor no remedye Nor auayle maye no medecyne The houre wheÌ„ Phebê° westward gan decline And the battayle brought was to an ende Whyle the grekes to their shyppes wende The meane whyle Tentran for the payne Of his woundes gan more more complain Without staunche so pyteously they blede His offycers faste gan them spede In a lytter made tho full royall Toward his paleys douÌ„ge owne pryncipall To cary hym softe and easyly ¶ And at his prayer full benyngly Thelephus and also Achylles Conueyed hym among all the prese Tyll he was brought there as hym lyst to be And they receyued lyke to their degree Full royally the kyng aye languysshyng As he that drewe towarde his endynge And might not longer drawen forth a length His wofull lyfe so weke was he of strengthe That his spirite must algates wende And he in haste caused for to sende For Achylles and for Thelephus And whan they came he sayd vnto them thus ¶ Syres quod he full worthy of degree Helth and honour with longe prosperitee Be vnto you and goodly aduenture All the whyle that your lyfe may dure And specyally of the Oh Thelephus Whiche haste to me be so gracious Of gentilnesse in my paynes stronge Onely of grace my lyfe for to prolonge But death alas I may not now eschewe Nor his sworde on no parte remewe Without recure knytte in bytter bondes Vpon the brincke fall of fatys hondes And of my lyfe all fully in dispeyre Whiche of my body neuer myght haue heire After my daye by successyon As to gouerne this lyttell regyon Whiche lykely is to stande disconsolate Of gouernaunce and fully desolate Which erst I wan with full great trauayle And to this day with werre stronge bataile I haue it kept as ye well knowe echone And it defended from all maner fone Withouten losse yeres heretoforne But recurlees of yore I had it lorne Ne had I had helpe and eke socour Of Hercules the great conquerour That whylom was father to Thelephus So stronge so mighty and so chyualrous By whose manhode and whose hardinesse By his knyghthode and great worthynesse Whiche daye by day is new of memorye Of all my foen I had the vyctorye He daunted them and made them so a ferde Only by rygoure of his sharpe swerde That fynally through his manlyhede He caused me this reygne to possede Maugre their might in peace and quyete With septre and crowne and my royall seate That none of them tyll that he was dead Hardy was to lyfte vp the head Agaynst me to speake but wordes fewe Wherby I may fully declare and shewe By euydence that this little yle Is perteynent and longeth to Cecyle Where Hercules for a memoryall Sette pillers in his conquest royall When he had ryde and gon tho so ferre And of Columpna yet the name they beare After hym called Herculea Though some saye they hyght Herracula The name chaungyng by corrupcion The whiche lande was whylom mansyon To the people of wylde Barbarye The whiche kyngdome for to magnyfye Frederyke sothly the secounde Of golde and good passyngly habounde That chosen was to be Emperour Of Rome towne and mighty gouernour And whylom eke kyng was of Cecyle Whiche made reyse in that large yle A myghty toure hyghe and thycke of wall As sayth Guydo for a memoryall To put his name longe in remembraunce And for the soyle was to his pleasaunce With floures freshe of many sondry hewe In some bokes the lande was named newe And ycalled as I vnderstande For his fayrenesse the lusty newe lande But Tentran aye lyinge in his payne As he that faste gan the houre attayne Of cruell death afore his lordes all He made in haste Thelephus to call To his presence and with a mortall chere Sayde openly that all men myghten here My sonne quod he syth nedely I must pace Out of this worlde for gayne may no grace My lyfe to saue through no mannes myghte But for bycause of equytye and ryght I am compelled iustly in sentence To declare clerely my conscyence Tofore my death herynge all this prese This to saye thy father Hercules The wyse worthy and that knyghtly man Whylom this lond through his conquest wan The whiche onely of his godlyhead As he that was the stocke of manlyhead Toke vnto me by coÌ„myssyon The gouernaunce of this regyon Of his free wyll with hole the regally And nolde him selfe the countrey occupye And sothly yet his ryght was not the lasse For loue of whom syth that I shall passe With full entent of my laste wyll To the I graunt as it is ryght and skylle As very heire iustly to succede Longe in honour therin thy lyfe to lede Makyng there a protestacion That in full token and confyrmacion This is the wyll fynall of myne hearte Fro the whiche no man may me diuerte Vpon no syde nor vtterly declyne ¶ For fyrst my wyll and dissent of lyne Be together combyne now in one Fro whiche thyng no man may do me gone For this desyre laste of my langour That thou playnly be my successour And fynally thus I conclude and deme That vnto the Septer and diademe Delyuered be with euery circumstaunce But all his wyll for more assuraunce He made do write it
gouernaunce With thre thousand knightes yonge of age Flourynge in force hardy of courage Suche as he was of custome wont to lede To whom Hector of very brotherhead Full goodly spake and sayd at his partynge Brother quod he my herte is so louynge Towardes the of very kyndnesse That though I haue in party gret gladnesse Of thy manhode that so ferre is kouthe And the knyghthode of thy grene youthe Yet doubtlesse I in my fantasye Ful ofte a daye stande in iupardye Of pensyfehead and in busye drede Whan I remembre vpon thy manhead Lest thy courage be to vyolent Of thy lyfe to be neglygent Thy selfe to put to ferre in aduenture Of surquidrye so moche to assure In thy force knightly to a sterte Euery peryll in thy manfull herte Hauynge regarde in suche mortall stryfe Of wylfulnesse nouther to death nor life Nor aduertence to thy sauacyowne But as fortune turneth vp and downe Her whele meuable hye and after lowe In Martes Ire as the wynde doth blowe Whiche causeth me ful ofte syghe and thincke And to wake whan that I shulde wynke Reuoluynge aye thy hasty wylfulnesse But gentyll brother for any hardynesse Thus ylke daye vpon euery syde I praye the so wysely to prouyde For hate or yre thy foes pursuynge Not to excede more than is settynge But let prudence kepe the in a mene And wysdome eke holde agayne the reyne Of thy herte and thy fyerse courage That fyred haue thy grene tendre age Deuoyde of drede eche peryll to endure That our ennemyes of thy mysauenture Reioyce not myne owne brother dere And myghty Mars I praye of herte entere Thus euery day on the Troyans grounde From their handes the to kepe sounde Lyke as I wolde that he dyd do me ¶ To whom anone with all humilite In manly wise this yonge lusty knight This worthy Troylus in herte freshe light Answered agayn and sayd with glad cheare Mine owne lorde and my brother deare And god tofore I fully shall obeye And all fullfyll what you lyst to seye Now vnto me of your gentilnesse And not decline through none recklesnesse In any poynt from your commaundemente But with hole herte in all my best entente I shall take hede and playnly do none other Than ye haue sayd mine owne lord bother So lothe me were offende you or greue And in this wise he lowly toke his leue And forth he rode so lyke a manly knyght That to beholde it was a noble syght Amonge his men he haueth hym so wele Thre thousande knightes armed all in stele Enuyron rode with Troylus into fyelde And as that day he beareth in his shielde Passant of golde thre Lyons rychely The champe of asure wrought full craftly And by the gate he yssued out anone And with him ladde his knyghtes euerychon To the grekes holdyng the next waye ¶ And Hector hasteth all that euer he may Prudently his wardes to ordeyne And to the noble worthy bretherne twayne To kyng Hupon and Andelius Assygned he the story telleth thus The fourth warde to guye and to wysse And in the lande that called was Larysse The brethern two there had reigned longe And this Hupon was passyngly stronge And of stature lyke a chaumpyowne And saue Hector in all Troye towne Was none to hym egall as of myght More delyuer nor a better knight And on his foen passyng despytous Whiche with his brother Andelyus Foure thousande knyghtes hadde for to lede And seuen thousande sothly as I rede And to them lyke as wryte Guydo Worthy Hector assygned hath also One of his brothern called Dimarchus A noble knight in armes ryght famous And had in manhode passyng excellence And of Hector they taken haue lycence And rode their waye amonge all the prese Through the gate of Dardanides ¶ The fyfte warde to haue at his ledyng Was by Hector commytted to the kyng That of Cesoyne lorde and prynce was And to his brother called Pollidamas These Cysones were of hye stature And might in armes passyngly endure Vpon whom full many man behelde And their kyng bare nothynge in his shyelde But a fyelde of Gules as I fynde Of other sygne Guydo maketh no minde And forth he rode a full sterne pase This noble kynge and Pollydamas Whan they had of Hector lene take Whiche euer in one full busye was to make The syxth warde with all his diligence And to the kyng called Pretemense That was full worthy both in werre peace ¶ And to a duke that hyght Sterepes Whyche was also full worthy of his honde He toke the folke of Poenye lande Them to gouerne in the fyelde that day The whiche people hath in custome aye Without plate hawberion or mayle On swyfte horse their fomen for to assayle With mighty bowes arrowes sharpe groūd Through an harneys mortally to wounde And with this folke of Hector eke also Deyphobus assygned was to go In the fyelde to guyde them and to lede And on their waye they faste gan theim spede But or they passe by Dardanydes Full discretely Hector for them chese Panysers cladde in mayle and plate Them commaundyng at yssuyng of the gate And with the archers in to fyelde to gone And many worthy well armed euerychone To awayte on them that they were not lore For this folke that I of spake tofore Of Poenye hadden none armure But prudent Hector for to make them sure Out of Agrest the myghty regyowne Hath chosen out full worthy of renowne The best knightes of them euerychon ¶ And with the kynges Esdras and Phylon Assygned them for to taken hede To the fotemen when that they haue nede The whiche Phylon ordeyned full rychely Rode in a chere all of Yuery Of whyche the wheles wrought full curious Were of a tree ycalled Hebanus The whiche tree groweth ferre in Inde Blacke of hewe and also as I fynde When it is korne this tree wyll were anone Of his nature harde as any stone Whan it is graue eyther rounde or square And of pure golde roued was this chare Fret with perle and many ryche stones That suche an other I trowe now there none is In all this worlde if I shall not fayne And it was ladde of mighty knightes twaine Men of armes within eke and without Armed in stele rydyng rounde aboute These worthy kynges Esdras and Phylon And Hector hath called to hym anone One of his brethern what so that be falle To be guyde and leder of them all The name of whom was Pytagoras ¶ And to the great Troyon Eneas Of whom tofore made is mencion Hector by good deliberation The seuenth warde assygned hath to kepe And vpon stedes lusty for to lepe Of suche as were vsed moche to ryde Full manly knightes to haue by his syde Whiche with Ewpheny vnto Troye towne Come so ferre from their regyowne To succour them and that for Hectors sake And when they had of hym leue take They rode full proudely forth with Eneas Out at the gate a wonder knightly
of loue and some of kyndnesse Pale and dreadfull for theyr lordes were And some theyr faces hyden eke for feare That were not bolde to lyfte vp theyr syghte For to heholde the armure cleare and bryght So glytterynge aye agayne the sonne shene Theyr hertes tender myght not sustene And in theyr dreade thus I lette theim dwel ANd of grekes forth I shall you tell Yf so be ye list abyde but a whyle For now must I my fordulled style Agayne dyrect to Agamenon Well maye I make an exclamacion On ignoraunce that staunt so in my lyght Which causeth me with a full cloudy syght In my makynge to speken of the werre For lacke of tearmes I must nedely erre Conningly my wardes for sette Cruell Alecto is busy me to lette The nyghtes doughter blynded by derknesse By crafte of armes the trouthe to expresse In ordre dewe a felde to descryue And Chauncer nowe alas is not alyue Me to refourme or to be my rede For lacke of whom slower is my spede The noble Rethor that all did excelle For in making he dranke so of the welle Vnder Pernaso that the muses kepe On which hylle I neuer yet might slepe Vnneth slombre for whych alas I playne But for all this there is no more to sayne Though my wede be not pollymyte As of coloures forth I wyll endyte As it cometh euen to my thought Playnly to write how y e kinge hath wrought The manly knight the great Agamenon Lyke as the latyn maketh mencion ¶ What trowen ye that he in his entente Was founde slowe other neclygente On grekes halfe his wardes for to make Nay nay not so for him lyst to wake That tyme more sothly than to slepe For lyke a kinge that daye the felde to kepe No neclygence myght his herte fade For in that daye I fynde that he made Syxe and twenty wardes by and by So well deuysed and so prudently That no man might amende his ordynaūce And of the fyrst he gaue gouernaunce To the manfull noble Patroclus That w t him ladde myn auctour telleth thus Myrmydones so myghty and so stronge With all the folke that to Achilles longe Besyde thylke that were of his meyne Whych that he brought out of his countre At his cominge to the siege of Troye And he rode forth with theim on his waye Into the syelde and made no delaye Now fell it so on the same daye That Achilles kept him in his tente And for sycknesse that daye out ne wente For his lechesse made him to abstene For his woundes freshe were and grene That he caught on the daye tofore Whych for to heale of theyr akyng sore He by counsayle kept him selfe close And from his bedde that daye not ne rose In hope onely the better to endure Whan that he was restored vnto cure But all his men he toke to Patroclus Which was in armes passyngly famous And by discent come of great kynrede And was also of hym as I reade Hoboundaunt of golde and of rychesse And ferre commēded for his gentilnesse And had a name of hygh dyscrecion ¶ Now were they aye of suche affection Of entyre loue trouthe and faythfulnesse So great desyre and inwarde kyndenesse Busy thynkyng and so great feruence So much frendship w t thoughtful aduertēce So huge brennyng so passyng amerous Betwyxt Achilles and this Patroclus That theyr hertes were locked in a cheyne And what soeuer if I shall not fayne The tone hath wrought as brother vnto brother In herte it was confermed of the other For wyll and goodes weren both commune And to the death they euer so contune Without chaunge theyr loue so abode ¶ And Patroclus forth anone rode Into the fyelde with Myrmydones And in his tente abydeth Achilles ¶ The secounde warde to kinge Menon Assygned was by Agamenon ¶ And to the worthy kinge Ydumenee And to a Duke called Menestee Thre thousand knightes in stele armed clene Wyth all the folke that comen from Athene Assygned were wyth theim for to go ¶ The thyrde warde to king Ascalapho And to his sone that hyght Phylomene With the knightes that came from Cumane ¶ The fourth warde without more lettynge To Archelaus the noble worthy kynge To Prothenor and to Securydan Whych in his dayes was so stronge a man Assygned was holly to these three And all the knyghtes with theim for to be Of Boece the myghty lande famous ¶ The fyfth warde to kinge Menelaus With all the folke of the regyowne Called Spertence of full high renowne And of yles that were adiacent All these with the baner wente ¶ Of Menelay freshe and couragyous The .vi. warde to kynge Epystrophus Was assygned and to the kinge Gelyde With many worthy rydyng by his syde Of the prouynce and the famous yle That called is in Guydo Fordesyle ¶ The seuenth warde to Thelamonius Called Ayax the great kynge famous Was assygned shortly to termyne With the folkes that from Salomyne He with him brought and many another mo And foure Earles with hym went also ¶ Theseus and eke Amphymacus And the thyrde that called was Doxus And the fourth named Polyxarye The .viii. warde if I shall not tarye By good aduyse that daye assygned was Vnto the kinge that called was Thoas ¶ Ayax Cileus the .ix. warde tho ladde And the tenth king Philoctetes hadde ¶ And to the kinge the .xi. he did assigne That sothly was both of byrth and lyne So renowmed and of so great encrease The mighty kynge called Pallamides Kinge Naulus son highest borne of blode And Duke Nestor full famous in knighthod The .xii. warde ladde on grekes syde Melancolyke and surquedous of pryde And kinge Honux son of one Maberte Into the fyelde by hym selfe aparte In ordre hadde of wardes the thyrtene Proudly musterynge endlonge on the grene Agayne Troians redy for to fyght ¶ And eke the kinge that Vlyxes hight Ladde with him the fourtene as I rede ¶ And eke Humelius the kinge did lede The fiftenth mine auctour writeth thus ¶ And a Duke called Curibulus The sixtenth had in gouernaunce that daye In which the knightes of king Prothesylay Assygned were by great ordinaunce To enforce theim to do vengeaunce Vpon the death of their worthy kinge By Hector slayne at grekes ariuinge ¶ And kinge Rodus ladde the seuentene And he that was the kinge of Occymene ¶ The eyghtenth warde had at his ledinge He zantipus that was of Lyde kinge Had to kepe committed to his garde On grekes syde the .xix. warde ¶ And the twenty mine auctour lerneth vs Had the kinge called Amphimacus Like a kinge to guyde theim and to wysse And Philoctetes that kinge was of Larysse The one and twenty ladde eke as I reade The two twenty hadde king Diomede ¶ And Eneus kinge of Cyparye That was whylom so noble and so worthy The thre and twenty had in gouernayle And the Troians proudly for tassayle The .xxiiii. with swerde spere and shelde ¶ King Prothecatus lad into the felde ¶ And Carpenor of
he was so passynge odyous So lyke a deuyll and so monstruous And there was founde none so hardy a knight On horsebacke that had force or might To holde his horse whan they myght hym se But that anone a backe he wolde do flee And of this archer I fynde wryten eke That he that day slewe full many greke And wounded them with his arrowes kene Throughout y e plates forged bryght shene For there was none afore hym that abode But to their tentes faste away they rode They myght not his hydous loke endure Tyll there befell a wonder aduerture Whyle they of Troye by helpe of this archer Sewe on the chase to their lodgyng ner And slewe of them in mischiefe and in dreade ¶ Besyde a Tent mette hym Dyomede With this archer of necessyte For it stode so that he ne myght hym flee No maner way nor a backe remewe For lyfe nor deth he myght hym not eschewe So many Troyan was tho at his backe That in his flyinge he had go to wracke ¶ Wherfore anone this worthy Dyomede With cruell herte faste gan hym spede And towarde him proudely for to dreffe But this archer by great aduysenesse Fyrst with an arrowe smytte Dyomede Thrugh his harneys that he made him blede Of whiche stroke he wexed so wood wroth That to this monstre so hydous and so loth He went a pase and hym vnarmed fonde And with y t sworde that he helde in his honde He gaue to hym his laste fattall wounde That he fell dead grouelynge vnto y e ground The death of whom grekes reioysynge And in all haste their hertes resumynge Began them selfe for to recomforte And into fyelde proudely they resorte ¶ By conueyinge of Policenare The worthy Duke that so well hym bare Vpon Troyans that day in the fyelde But whan Hector the slaught of him behelde Vpon this Duke anone he gan to sette And on their stedes fyersly as they mette ¶ Hector hym slewe of full great hatrede And after that on Gallathe his stede So as he rode forth amonge the prese Or he was ware he mette with Achylles And with their speres longe large and round In purpose fully eche other to confounde They ran yfeare yrous and right wrothe That with the stroke they were vnhorsed both ¶ But Achylles with a dispyteous herte Fyrst as I reade into his sadell sterte And busy was with all his inwarde peyne Gallathe to taken by the reyne Therof for euer Hector to depryue And bad his men to lede it home as blyue So that Hector there was none other bote Full lyke a man faught standyng on his fote Amonges the grekes and his fomen all And to his knightes loude he gan to call For his stede that they shulden sewe And they in haste his horse to rescue Ben attones fallen vpon Achylle ¶ And maugre him of force agayne his will They haue from hym berafte it on the plaine And vnto Hector restored it agayne Which in knighthod so moche him self assureth In their dispyte his sadell he recureth Whiche afterwarde full dere they aboughte For lyke a lyon all that day he wrought Amonges them rydyng here and there And as the death they fled his sword for fere Through whose manhod troians efte begyn Vpon grekes the fielde agayne to wyn ¶ But it befell amyd their great fyght That Anthenor a certayne Troyan knight Amonge the prese is so fer ygone That of grekes he was take anone And to their tentes sent in haste he was Albe his sonne called Pollydamas To rescue hym dyd his dylygence So manfully that no neclygence Was founde in hym who so lyste to seke And that full dere a bought many greke The same day through his worthynesse But for cause onely of derckenesse And for that it gan drawe towarde nyght They made an ende onely for lacke of lyghte And grekes went home to their lodgyng And eke Troyans tyll on the mornyng ¶ That Phebê° gan his bryght beames shew And Aurora newe gan to dewe The herbes sote and the grene leues Both on hayes and in freshe greues Syluer bryght with rounde perles fyne That so clerely agayne the sonne shyne And shewe them selfe so oryent and shene On hylle and vale and on euery grene The rody morowe tyll the hote beames Of bryght Phebus with his fyry stemes Vapoureth vp their moysture into ayre The wether cleare agreable and fayre And attempre also of his hete Whan the Troians caste them for to mete With their fomen platly if they maye And out they went in their beste arraye With their wardes into fyelde by rowe ¶ Agaynst whom grekes were not slowe But shope them forth without longer lette Tyll they togyther manfully haue mette And with their speres and their swordes clere They ran together with a dispyteous chere Tyll shyuered was a sonder many spere On sheldes stronge them selfe for to were And ryuen was on peces many targe And with axes rounde brode and large On basenettes as they tho smyte and shrede Full many knyght mortally gan blede In sothfastnesse and as I tell can The same day was slayne many a man On outher parte but most of Troye towne Albe Guydo maketh no mencyowne Of no person as in specyall On nouther syde but in generall Saue he concludeth playnely that this fyght Lasted fro morowe tyl that it was nyght The which Troyans haue ful dere abought For that day fortune holpe them nought But tourned hole to their confusyowne And so they be repeyred to the towne And to their tentes grekes fast them spede ¶ Till on the morowe they senten Dyomede With Vlixes to Troye the cytie For a trewes onely for monthes thre If kyng Pryam therto wolde assente And as they two on this message wente A certayne knyght borne of Troye towne That hyght Dolon of great discreciowne And also was ryght famous of rychesse Of curtesy and of gentylnesse His deuer dyd and his diligence Them to conueye vnto the presence ¶ Of Pryamus in his paleys royall And in his sea most chyefe and pryncipall Where as he satte his lordes enuirowne With many knyght full worthy of renowne They gan to hym fyrst to specyfye Hooly the substaunce of their embassadrye And of the trewes theyr entent they tolde If it so were that he assent wolde And the kyng benyngnely them herde And by aduyse prudently answerde That thervpon his honour for to saue At good leyser he wolde a counsayle haue With his lordes and fully hym gouerne In this matter lyke as they discerne ¶ And to conclude shortly euerychone Assented be except Hector alone Vnto the trewes and wolde it not denye But Hector sayde that of trecherye Onely of slaughter and false treason Their axynge was vnder occasyon Fyrste to burye grekes that weren dead And vnder coloure therof out of dread Afterwarde them selfe to vyttayle For he well knewe that their stuffe gan fayle And enfamyned leste they shulden dye They sought a space them selfe to purueye By
As sheweth yet by many mortall wounde On my body large longe and wyde That yet appere vpon euery syde And day by day full sore ake and smerte For whiche thynge me semeth that my herte Enbolleneth newe nowe whan I the see Of hyghe despyte auenged for to be So am I fret of olde enuious rage That it may neuer in my brest aswage Tyll the vengeaunce and the fatall sute Of cruell death be on the execute ¶ And of one thyng most is my greuaunce That whan I haue fully remembraunce And in my mynde consyder vp and downe Howe thou hast made fynall deuysyowne ¶ Of me alas and of hym Patroclus So yonge so manly and so vertuous Whom I loued as it was skylle and ryght Euen as my selfe with all my full myght With as hoole herte and inly kyndnesse As an tongue may telle or expresse Now hast thou made a departisyon Of vs that were by hole affection Yknyt in one of hertie allyaunce Without partyng or disseueraunce So entyerly our faythfull hertes twayne Ylaced were and locked in a chayne Whiche myght not for none aduersyte Of lyfe nor death a sonder twynned be Tyll cruelly thou madest vs departe Which thrugh my hert so inwardly doth darte That it wyll neuer in soth out of my thought And trusteth well ful dere shal be bought The death of hym and be nothyng in were Perauenture or ended be this yere For vpon the onely for his sake Of cruell deth vengeaunce shal be take I the ensure without other bonde If I may lyue with myne owne hande I shall of death do execucyon Without abode or longe delacyon For ryght requireth without any dreade Death for death for his fynall mede For I my selfe theron shall be wroke That through y e world hereafter shal be spoke How Achylles was venged on his soe ¶ For Patroclus that he loued so And though that I be to the enuyous And of thy death inly desyrous Ne wete me not nor put on me no blame For well I wotte thou arte to me the same And hast my death many day desyred And thervpon inwardly conspyred And thus shortely as atwene vs two There is but death without wordes mo Whan fortune lyst the tyme thereto shape I hope fully thou shalte not escape Truste none other I saye the vtterly ¶ To whom Hector not to hastely Answerde againe with sober countenaunce Auysed well in all his dalyaunce As he that was in nothyng rekles ¶ And euen thus he spake to Achylles Syr Achylles without any fayle Thou ne oughtest greatly to meruayle Though with my power and my full myghte With herte and will of very dewe ryght Day by day I thy death conspyre And euer in one it compasse and desyre And do my laboure early and eke late It to pursue by full cruell hate Thou oughtest not to wonder in no wyse But fully knowe by sentence of the wyse In no maner who so taketh hede Of ryghtwysenesse it may not then procede That other I or any other wyght Should do him loue that with al his myght My death purseweth and destruction And ouer this to more confusyon Hath layde a syege aboute this Cyte On my kinrede and also vpon me And thervpon felly doth presume With mortall hate of werre to consume Vs euerychone ywysse I can not fynde In my herte as by lawe of kynde Suche one to loue of ryght nor equyte Nor haue him chere sothly in no degre For of werre may no frendlyhead Nor of debate loue aryght procede ¶ For sothly loue most in speciall Of faythfulnesse hath the orygenall In hertes ioyned by conuenyence Of one accorde whom no difference Of doubylnesse may in no degre Nother in ioye nor in aduersyte For lyfe nor death asunder nor disseuer For where loue is it contuneth euer ¶ But of hate all is the contrarye Of whych sothly from hertê when they varye Procedeth rancoure at eye as men maye se Debate enuye stryfe and enmyte Mortall slaughter both to nygh and ferre Mother of whyche in sothfastnes is werre The fyne wherof longe or it be do Seuereth hertes and frendship cutte atwo And causeth loue to be leyde full lowe ¶ But for all this I wil that thou knowe Thy proude wordes in herte nor in thoughte In very sothe agasten me ryght nought And if I shall furthermore out breake Without auaunt the trouthe for to speake I saye the playnly hense or two yeare If I maye lyue in the werres here And my swerde of knighthod forthe acheue I hope in sothe so mortally to greue The Grekes all when I with theÌ„ maye mete That they and thou shall fele it full vnswete If ye contynue and the werres haunte I shal your pryde and surquedrye adaunte In suche a wise with my handes two That or the werre fully be ado Well many greke full sore shall it rewe For well I wote of olde and not of newe That the grekes gathered here in one Of surquedrye are founde euerychone Onely for lacke of discrescion To vndertake of presumpcion So highe a thinge a syege for to layne And your selfe to ouer charge in vayne With empryses withouten any fable That byn to you of weyght importable And the peys of so great heuynesse That fynally it will you all oppresse And your pride auale and lowe enclyne Which burtheÌ„ shall enbowe backe and chyne And vnwarely causen you to fall Or ye haue done I saye to one and all ¶ And ouer more be full in suerte ¶ Thou Achilles I speake this vnto the. That fatall deathe first shall the assayle Tofore thy swerde in any thynge auayle Agaynst me for all thy worthynesse ¶ And if so be that so great hardynesse Courage of wyll vygour force or myght Meue thy herte by manhode as a knyght To take on the as in derryng do For to darreyne here betwene vs two Thilke quarell how so that befall For the whych that we stryue all I wyll assent playnly to ieoparde Tyll that the death one of vs departe There is no more but that these lordes here Kinges and prynces wyll accorde yfere That it be do fully by one assent And holde stable of herte and of entente So that the felde onely by vs tweyne As I haue sayde this quarell may darreyne And ended be by this condiciowne That if it happe through thy highe renowue Me to venquishe or dryue to outtraunce I will you make fully assuraunce That fyrst my lorde Priamus the kinge Shall vnto grekes in all maner thinge With crowne and sceptre holy him submitte And in a poynt varye nother flytte Fully to yelde to our subiectiowne All his lordship within Troye towne ¶ And his lyeges in captyuytye Shall go theyr waye out of this cyte And leue it quyte as to your gouernaunce Without stryfe or any varyaunce And thervpon to make securyte To deuoyde all ambyguyte Tofore the goddes by othe of sacrament We shall be swore in full good entente And ouermore our fayth also to saue To assure
you in pledge ye shall haue The meane whyle and kepe thē on your side At your choyse hostages to abyde From Troye towne of the worthiest That ye lyst chese and also of the beste So that ye shall of nothyng be in were Of all that euer that I saye you here ¶ And Achilles without wordes mo If that you lyste accorde therunto That I haue sayd thy honour to encrease To make this werre sodaynly to cease That lykly is for to laste longe Betwene Troians and the Grekes stronge Thou shalt not onely w t honour with fame Throughout the worlde winnen the a name But therwithall and that is not a lyte Thrugh thy knighthod to many man profite That fro the death shall escape alyue And to his countre hole and sounde aryue That lykly are by cruell aduenture For to be dead if the werre endure Come of therfore and let not be prolonged But let the daye atwene vs two be ioyned As I haue sayd in condiciowne If in diffence onely of this towne I haue victorye by fortune ouer the I axe not elles but anone that ye Breake vp siege and the werre lete And suffer vs to lyuen in quyete Into Grece home when ye are gone To which thinge Achilles there anone Hote in his yre and furyous also Brenning full hote for anger and for wo Assented is with a despytous cheare ¶ And gan anone to Hector dresse him nere And sayd he would delyuer him vtterly Fro poynt to poynt his axynge by and by And therin made none excepciowne But of hole herte and entencion His requeste accepted euery dell And as it semed leked it right well And for his parte he caste his gloue adowne In sygne and token of confirmaciowne For lyfe or death that he will holde this daye Agayne Hector happe what happe maye Vnto the which Hector lyfely sterte And toke it vp with as glad an herte As euer yet did any man or knyght That quarell toke with his foe to fight There can no man in sothe a ryght deuyse How glad he was of this high empryse ¶ Of whych the noyse and the great sowne Ran to the eares of kinge Agamenowne And he anone him selfe came to the tente With all the lordes of his parliament ¶ Where Achilles and Hector were yfere To wytte their will as in this mattere Where they would assenten fynally To put the quarell full in Ieopardy Of other parte atwene these knightes tweyn As ye haue herde fully to dareyne ¶ And with one voyce Grekes it denye And sayde they nolde of suche a companye Of kinges Dukes and of Lordes eke also Bothe life and death Ieoparte atwene two Nor to the course of fortune theim submitte That can all daye her face chaunge flytte And some of Troye in conclusyowne Ieoparde ne wold their liues nor their towne In the handes onely of a knight To put all in auenture of fyght ¶ Pryam except whyche sothly in this case Within him selfe fully assented was Playnly to put and sette in Ieopardye Hooly the honour of his regallye Supposynge aye as made is memorye That Hector shoulde haue had the victorye Of this empryse if he toke it on hande ¶ But for Priam might not tho withstande Agayne so many of one entencion That were contrarye to his opynion Bothe of Grekes and on Troye syde He helde his peace and let it ouer slyde And so the Grekes parted be echone ¶ And Hector is from Achilles gone Home to Troye where I him leue a whyle Whiles that I dyrecten shall my stile To tell of Troylus the lamentable wo Which that he made to parte his lady fro ALas fortune gery and vnstable And redy aye for to be chaungeable Whē folke most trust in thy stormye face Like their desyre the fully to embrace Then is thy ioye away to tourne and writhe Wpon wretches thy power for to kythe Record of Troylus y t from the whele so lowe By false enuye thou hast ouerthrowe Out of the ioye whych that he was in From his lady to make hym for to twynne When he best wende for to haue be sured And of the woe that he hath endured I muste nedely helpe hym to complayne Whych that in herte felte so great payne So inwarde wo and so great distresse More than I haue cunning to expresse When that he knewe the partynge of Creseyd Almost for wo and for payne he deyed And fully wiste that she departe shal By sentence and by iudgement fynall Of his father gyuen in parlyamente For which with wo and tourment al to rente He was in poynt to haue fallen in rage That no man might appease nor aswage The hidde paynes which in his brest gā dare For lyke a man in furye he gan fare And such sorowe daye and nyght to make In complayninge onely for her sake For when he sawe that she should aweye He leuer had playnly for to deye Than to lyue behinde in her absence For him thought without her presence He was but dead there is no more to sayne And into teares he gan to berayne With which his eyen gan for to bollen And in his brest the sighes tho vppe swollen And the sobbynge of his sorowes depe That he ne can not do but rore and wepe So sore loue his herte gan constrayne And she ne felte not a litle payne But wepte also and piteously gan crye Desyringe aye that she might do dye Rather than parte fro him out of Troye Her owne knyght her lust her lyues ioye That by her chekes the teares downe destyll And fro her eyen the teares round drops tryl That all fordewed haue her blacke wede And eke vntrussed her heyre abrode gā sprede Lyke golde wyre forrent and all to torne Yplucked of and not with sheres shorne And ouer this her freshe rosen hewe Whilom ymeynt with whyte lylyes newe With wofull wepynge pyteously disteyned And like the herbes in April all bereyned Or floures freshe with the dewes swete Right so her chekes moyste were and wete With cristall water vp ascendinge hye Out of her brest into her heauenly eye And aye amonge her lamentaciowne Full ofte sythe she fell in swowne adowne Deadly pale fordimmed in her syghte And ofte sayde alas myne owne knight Mine owne Troilus alas why shal we parte Rather let death with his spere darte Through my herte and the vaynes kerue And with his rage do me for to sterue Rather alas than fro my knight to twinne ¶ And of this wo Oh death that I am in Why nilt thou come helpe to make an ende For how shulde I out of Troye wende He abyde and I to Grekes gone There to dwell amonge my cruell fone Alas alas I wofull creature How shoulde I there in the werre endure I wretched woman but my selfe alone Amonge the men of armes euerychone Thus gan she crye all the longe daye This was her playnte with full great affray Her pyteous noyse till it drewe to night That vnto her
her owne trewe knight Full tryst and heauy came agaynes eue If he might ought comforte or releue ¶ But he in sothe hath this Creseyde founde All in a swowne liyng on the grounde And pyteously vnto her he wente With wofull cheare and her in armes hente And toke her vp and then atwene theim two Began of newe suche a deadly wo That it was routhe and pyte for to sene For she of cheare pale was and grene And he of coloure like to ashes deade And fro her face gone was all the red And in his chekes deuoyded was the bloude So wofully atwene theim two it stode For she ne might not a worde yspeake And he was redy with deathe to be wreke Vpon him selfe his naked swerde besyde And she full ofte gan to the grounde glyde Out of his armes as she fell a swowne And he him selfe gan in teares drowne She was as stille and dombe as any stone He had a mouthe but wordes had he none The wery spyryte flykered in his brest That of the death stode tho vnder a reste Without maynpryse sothly as of lyfe And thus there was as it semed a stryfe Whiche of theim two shulde fyrste ypasse For death portrayed both in herte and face With coloure such as men go to theyr graue And thus in wo they gan togyther raue Disconsolate all the longe nyght That in good fayth yf here I should aryght The processe hole of theyr bothe sorowe That they made till the next morowe From poynt to poynt do it specifye All to longe it would me occupye Of euery thynge to make mencion And tarye me in my translacion If so I shoulde in her wo procede But me semeth that it is no nede ¶ Syth my maister Chaucer here afore In this matter hath so well him bore In his boke of Troylus and Creseyde Whych he mayde longe or that he deyed Rehersyng first how Troilus was cōtrayre For to ascende vp on loues stayre And how that he for all his surquedrye After became one of the compaynye Of loues folke for all his olde game Whan Cupide had subdued him full tame And brought him lowe to his subiectiowne In a temple as he walked vp and downe When he his gynnes and his hookes leyde Amid the eyen cercled of Creseyde Whych on that daye he might not asterte For through his brest perced hath his herte He went him home pale dead and wan And in this wise Troylus first began To be a seruaunt my mayster telleth thus Till he was after holpe of Pandarus Through whose comforte and mediacion As in his boke is made relacion With great laboure fyrst he came to grace And so continueth by many yeares space Till gery fortune gan vpon him frowne That she fro him must go out of the towne All sodaynly and sythe him se Lo here the ende of false felycite Lo here the ende of worldly brotilnesse Of fleshly lust lo here thunstablenesse Lo here the double variacion Of wordly blisse and transmutacion This daye in myrthe and in wo to morowe For aye the fine alas of ioye is sorowe For now Creseyde with the kinge Thoas For Anthenor shall forth gon alas Vnto Grekes and euer with theim dwell ¶ The hole storye Chaucer can you tell If that ye lyst no man better alyue Nor the processe halfe so well discriue For he our englyshe gilt with his sayes Rude and boystous firste by olde dayes That was full fer from all parfection And but of lytell reputacion Till that he came and with his poetrye Gan our tunge first to magnifye And adourne it with his eloquence To whom honour laude and reuerence Throughout this lande giuen be and songe So that the laurer of our englishe tonge Be to him giuen for his excellence Right as whilom by ful high sentence Perpetually for a memoriall ¶ Of Columpna by the Cardinall To Petrack fraūceis was giuen in Italye That the reporte neuer after fayle Nor the honour dirked of his name To be registred in the house of fame Amonge other in the highest sete My mayster Galfride as for chiefe Poete That euer was yet in our language The name of whom shall pallen in none age But euer yliche without eclipsing shine And for my parte I will neuer fine So as I can him to magnifye In my writinge plianly till I dye And god I praye his soule bringe in ioye ¶ And where I lefte I wil agayne of troye The storye tell and first how that he Guydo Within his boke thus speaketh Troylus to Rebuking him full vncurteysly That he so sette his herte folyly Vpon Creseyde full of doubilnesse For in his boke as Guydo list expresse That her teares and her complayninge Her wordes white softe and blandishinge Were meynt with fayning with flatterye And outward farsed with many a false lye For vnderhid was all the varyaunce Cured aboue with fayned countenaunce As women can falsly teres borowe In theyr herte though there be no sorowe Lyke as they would of very trouthe deye They can thynke one and an other say As a serpent vnder floures fayre His venym hydeth where he doth repayre The sugre afore the galle hydde behinde As propered is aye vnto theyr kynde To be dyuerse and double of nature Rathest deceyuing when men most assure For vnder coloure euery thynge they werke The fayre aboue the foule in the dercke They hydde so that no man may espye And though so be that wyth a wofull eye They can outwarde wepe pyteously The tother eye can laugh couertly Whose sorowes all are tempred with alleys And theyr coloure is euer meynt with rayes For vpon chaunge and mutabylyte Stande hole theyr truste and theyr suerte So that they be sure in doubylnesse And alway double in theyr sikernesse Seminge one when they best can varye Lykest to a corde when they be contrarye And thus they be most varyaunt in accorde And hoolest seme when there is discorde And Guido sayth how there are fewe or none That in herte apayed is in one And yet they can be it to one or twayne To thre or foure in theyr speche fayne Lyke as they were to one and to no mo Hoole in theyr loue for well and eke for wo. That eneryche shall of hym selfe deme That he be next lyke as he doth seme And thus in hope stādeth eche in of theim all The trewest aye redyest forto fall Who serueth best next to be appayred And thus in chaunge all theyr loue is fayred Let no man truste but catche when he maye Farewell to morow though it be sure to daye The fayre of chaunge lasteth all the yeare But it is folye for to bye to deare Thilke treasour whyche harde is to possede But flieth away when men therof most nede And yf it happe that no chapman be As sayth Guydo yet all daye men maye se It sheweth out at large fenestralles On chaumbers high lowe downe in halles And in windowes eke in euery strete And also eke men
aforne For to their tentes they haue thē chased down That ne had be kyng Agamenowne Grekes had be driuen clene out of the fyelde The whiche thyng anon as he behelde He came vpon with many worthy man And tho of new the slaught agayne began On euery halfe vpon the large playne That grekes haue Troyans so be laine That efte agayne they haue the fyelde ywon So that Troyans canstrayned tho begon To lese their lande tyll Pollydamas Whiche with his knyghtes there besyde was Gan fall vpon endlonge on the grene Them of Troye full manly to sustene And the grekes he gan so to enchace Whan he came in that they loste their place And to the stronde euen vpon the see Thrugh his knyghthod he made thē for to fle Of their lyfe that they were in dread The whiche mischiefe whan that Diomede Behelde and sawe how Pollydamas Mortally pursued on the chase On horsebacke both and in the fyelde yfere With cruell herte hent anone a spere And spryngyng out rode to hym full ryght And he agayne tacquyte him lyke a knyght As he that lyste on no partye fayne Of his stede helde agayne the reyne ¶ And raught a spere threwe it in the rest And Dyomede he smote so on the breste That mortally lyke as it is founde He hym vnhorseth with a greuous wounde And ryght anone with a knightly herte Pollydamas all attones sterte Vnto the horse of this Dyomede And by the reyne proudely gan it lede ¶ Vnto Troylus where he on foote stode All forbathed in the grekes bloude On euery halfe whiche that he shadde Amonges them so knightly he him had That they ne myght endure nor sustene His sharpe sworde grounde was so kene ¶ And delyuer maugre all his foen Into the sadell vp he sterte anone Of very force armed as he was And vnwarely by aduenture or case With sharpe swerdes for the nones whette As Achylles and he together mette Worthy Troylus of rancour and of pryde Achylles smote that he fell a syde Downe of his horse lowe to the grounde And notw tstanding his grene mortal woūde He rose agayne and fast gan hym spede If that he myght recure agayne his stede But all for nought it wolde not auayle For sodaynly with a freshe battayle They of Troye as made is mencyon In compasewyse beset hym enuyron Eueryche of them armed bright and clene And Hector tho in his furious tene ¶ As Dares telleth all the maner howe The same daye a thousande knyghtes slowe Whiche them withstode onely in diffence For Achylles to maken resystence That tyme of death standyng in ieopardye That certaynly but yf that bokes lye By lyklyhode he myght not tho escape In that mischyefe to be dead or take Hector on hym was so furyous ¶ But as I read kyng Thelamonyus Rescued hym in this great nede And caused hym there to recure his stede Notwithstandyng all that it disdayne For he the duke and lorde of Athene Was in case of herte and hole entent To helpe Achylles wonder dylygent That with hym ladde many noble knyght ¶ But for bycause that it drewe to nyght As the storye maketh rehersayle They made an ende as of that battayle And they of Troye entred be the towne And after that as made is menciowne By and by hauyng no delayes Mortally they foughten thirtye dayes Without lette or interrupcyon On outher parte to great destruction But aldermost nathles their great pryde They lost most on the grekes syde ¶ Saue Pryamus lost in specyall Syxe of his sonnes called naturall For whom he made great dole and heuinesse And as the storye lyketh to expresse This mene whyle Hector in certayne In his face wounded was agayne And thus they haue in this cruell rage On euery parte receyued great domage Tyll Pryam hath from Troye sent downe For a trewes vnto Agamenowne For six monthes if he assente wolde And therupon he hath a counsayle holde With his lordes what were beste to do And they echone accorded be therto And graunte his axynge conclusyon ¶ And all this whyle within Ylyon Durynge the peas on outher parte assured Of his woundes fully to be cured ¶ Lay worthi Hector protector of the towne But of this ryche royall chefe doungeowne That Ilyon in Troye bare the name Whiche of buildyng had suche a fame If that I shuld commende it vp and downe As Dares doth in his discrypciowne I wante cunnynge my termes to aplye For in his boke as he doth specifye In all this worlde was there newe so ryche Of hyghe deuyse nor of buildyng lyche The whiche stode the more to delyte As he there sayth on twelue stones whyte Of Alabastre shortly to conclude And twenty pase was the latytude That grounde ypaued thrughout w t crystall And vp an hyght performed euery wall Of all stones that any man can fynde Of Dyamountes and of saphyres Inde The royall rubye so oryent and lyght That the derkenesse of the dymme nyght Enchaced was with the beames shene And euer amonge were emeraudes grene With stones all that any maner man In this worlde deuyse or recken can That were of pryse value or richesse Ther were wrought of large gret roūdnes As sayth Dares and Iuory the pyllers And thervpon set at the corners Of pured golde all aboue on hyght There were ymages wonder huge of weight With many perle and many ryche stone And euery piller in the halle had one Of massyfe golde burned clere and bryght And wonderfull to any mans syght For of this worke the merueylous fasshyon Was more lyke by estymacyon A thynge ymade and founded by fayrye Than any worke wrought by fantasye Through wytte of man as by lykelynesse For in his bokes Dares doth wytnesse That it was lyke to recken syght and all In apparaunce a thynge celestyall Seeth in this boke ye get no more of me For but in wrytynge I myght neuer it se Albe that it all other dyd excelle No more therof I thinke nowe to telle But to retourne agayne to Pryamus Whiche all this whyle was inly curyous With all his myght and his busy cure To ordeyne for the sepulture Of his sonnes that afore were dead ¶ And all that tyme sycke laye Dyomede With loues stripe wounded to the herte As he that felte inwardly the smerte Of woful syghes whiche in his brest abreide Full ofte adaye for loue of her Creseyde For he was shake with a feuer newe That caused hym to be full pale of hewe And to wexen megre poore and lene For pyteously he gan hym to abstene For meate and drynke and from all solace As it was sene in his deadly face And ofte a daye to her he wolde complayne Of his dissease and of his mortall payne Prayinge of grace that she wolde do se Vpon his woo for to haue pytye And of mercy for to taken hede Of her seruaunt onely of womenhead Or playnely elles there is no more to seye For her sake he sayde that he wolde
deye ¶ But cunnyngly and in full sleyghty wyse To kepe hym lowe vnder her seruyce With delayes she helde hym forth on hande ▪ And caused hym as in a were to stande Full vnsure betwene hope and dispayre And whan that grace shuld haue had repaire To put hym out of all this heuynesse Daunger of newe brought hym in distresse And with disdayne to encrease his payne Of double were she brought him in a trayne As women can holde a man full narowe Whan he is hurte with Cupydes arowe To sette on them with many fell assayes Day by day to put hym in delayes To stande vnsure betwyxe hope and dread Ryght as Creseyde lefte this Dyomede Of entent to sette hym more a fyre As this women kyndly aye desyre Whan they a man haue brought in to a traūce Vneuenly to hange hym in balaunce Of hope and dread to lynke hym in a chayne And of the fyne vnsure of bothe twayne To dryue hym forth yeres them to serue And do no force where he lyue or sterue This is the fyne of loues fyry rage And for she wolde haue hym in seruage She locked hym vnder suche a keye That he wote not where to lyue or deye Wherof in doubte thus I lette hym dwell And forth I wyll of the story tell And to my matter eke resorte agayne And as myne auctour recordeth in certayne After the trewse were wered out and gone Twelue dayes suyng all in one The grekes haue faught w t thē of the towne To great damage and confusyowne Of outher partye and aduersyte And in this whyle a great mortalyte Both of sworde and of pestylence Amonge grekes by fatall influence Of noyous hete and of corrupte eyre Engendred was that tho in great dispayre Of theyr lyfe in the fyelde they leye For day by day sodaynly they deye Wherby theyr nombre fast gan dyscrece And whan they sawe that it ne wolde sece By theyr aduyse the kyng Agamenowne For a trewse sent vnto the towne For thirty dayes and Priamus the kinge Without abode graunted his axynge ¶ How Andromecha was by a dreame forwarned of the death of her husbande Hector if he the day folowing entred the fielde wher of she admonyshed him and he therto hauing no respect was the next day slain of Achilles Capitulo .xxvii. VVhan the moreyne and the wofull rage Of pestylence began for to aswage And the trewse were wered out and gone The grekes caste to meten with their foen Vpon a day in plates armed clene Whan Phebus rose with his beames shene Full pleasauntly and gan to shede his lyghte ¶ But as I fynde tofore the selfe nyght Andromecha the faythfull trewe wyfe Of worthy Hector hym louyng as her lyfe By whom he had gette chyldren two Wonder semely and inly fayre also ¶ And Lamedowne called was the tone So yonge the tother that it ne myght gone ¶ And Astyonax I read that he hyght Fetured well and passynge fayre of syghte And as Guydo lysteth to endyte Of his moder at the pappes whyte For very yonge that tyme was suckynge And with his arme his brestes embrasyng And she that nyght as made is mencyon Had in her slepe a wonder vysyon I note in sothe what I may it neuene Outher a dreame or veryly a sweuene Or fro aboue a reuelacyon As whylom had the kyng Scypyon Or a shewyng outher an Oracle Or of goddes a warnyng by myracle For in sothnesse slepynge as she laye Her thought playnly if the nexte daye ¶ Hector went his fomen for to assayle As he was wonte armed in battayle That he ne shulde escape vtterly In fates hondes to falle fynally And ouermore Attropos shall fyne For euermore his lyues threde to twyne And shewe the force of her fell myght When the Parodye of this worthy knyght A proche shall without wordes mo Into the fyelde playnly if he go Of which astoned strete and short of breth Where as she laye abrayde vpon the death And with a syghe stynte for to slepe And pyteously brast out for to wepe For the constraynte of her herty sorowe And specyally on the wofull morowe When that she sawe this stocke of worthinesse As he was wonte manfully hym dresse To arme hym in stele borned bryght This troian wall Hector this worthy knight She can no more but at his fete fell downe Lowly declaryng her a vysyowne With quakyng herte of very womanhead Wherof god wote he toke full lyttle hede But therof had hygh indignacion Platly affyrmynge that no discrecion Was to trusten in suche fantasyes In dreames shewed gladly meinte with lyes Full of Iapes and of illusyons Of whiche playnely the conclusyons Be not elles but folkes to delude Albe it so that these people rude Therin some whyle haue affection To iudge and deame in their oppynion Dyuersly what they may pretende And ofte falle and happen as they wende And foloweth lyke in conclusyon For dread of whiche the lamentacion Encrease gan of this Andromecha And in her swone fyrst she cryed ha Sayinge alas myne owne lorde so dere Your trewe wyfe alas why nyll ye here Whyche of so faythfull hoole affection Desyreth aye your saluacyon And vp she rose deadly of vysage And lyke a woman caught with sodayne rage To kynge Pryam and Hecuba the quene In haste she went her selfe to be mene And of her wyfely herte trewe as stele Ceryously declared euery deale Her pyteous dreame which through myracle To her onely by deuyne oracle Yshewed was through goddes purueyaunce And tolde them eke the fynall ordynaunce Of fortunes false dispocisyon Fully purueyed to destruction Of her lorde without more delaye Into the fyelde yf he go that daye ¶ Wherfore she prayeth with a deadly hewe Vnto the the kynge of mercy for to rewe Vpon her wo to haue compassyon For to ordeyne by hyghe discrecion Of his lordshyp and of soueraynte That her lorde may not destroyed be Of reckeleshead or wylfulnesse And with that worde of very kyndnesse In whom was aye so moche loue founde Tofore the quene in sowne fell to grounde And sayde alas with a deadly chere Helpe in this case myne owne mother dere Of womanhead and routh do me grace That my lorde into the fyelde ne pace And do your deuer of motherly pytee Benyngnely and goodly for to se To his knyghthode and his hygh prowesse For to restrayne his renowmed noblesse This ylke day to handle spere or shelde Nor that he go armed into fylde ¶ And both twayne assent for the beste And condescende vnto her requeste Fynally accordynge into one That whē the wardes were redy euerychone ¶ On yssuynge out and Troylus fyrst of all ▪ And Parys next on grekes for to fall ¶ And after hym the troyan Eneas Kinge Sarpedan and Pollydamas Kyng Eroys and kyng Epystrophus And eke the kyng ycalled Forcyus In plate and mayle eueryche armed clene And alderlast came kyng Phylomene Withall the kynges and lordes of renowne That in deffence come of the towne With the grekes knyghtly
to debate ¶ And Pryamus sothly to the gate Conueyed them at theyr out goynge And set their wardes this noble worthy king Full prudently through his sapyence And after gaue them congee and lycence Vpon grekes for to proue their myght Agaynst whom full redy for to fyght Their fomen were with royall apparayle Amyd the fyelde abydyng the battayle ¶ But Pryamus in the meane whyle Lyke as Guydo remembreth in his style For thylke fyne that ye haue herde me sayne To whothy Hector repayred is agayne Hym contermaundyng that he ne shuld gone Thilke day to fyght agayne their foen For whyche thynge of hygh despyte he brent Whan that he sawe other lordes went Out at the gate and he alone abode For whiche he wexed furyous and wood Hooly the cause arettynge to his wyfe That was of cheietie so tender of his lyfe Puttyng on her fully the occasyowne Of his abydynge that day in the towne In preiudyce of his worthynesse And disencrease of his hygh prowesse And leest through tongues to his hygh estate Through false reporte it were derogate He caste anone of a full knightly herte For lyfe nor death it shulde hym not asterte Within the fyelde that daye to be founde Though it so were w t many mortall wounde He shulde on peces hewen be a sonder Vpon the playne dismembred here yonder So hole in manhod was his herte sette That he anone without longer lette Agayne to arme hym was full dyligent Agayne the precept and commaundemente Of his father and rode on his waye For feare of whyche anone as she would deye His wife of newe crye gan and shoute And with her papes also hangynge oute Her lytell chylde in her armes twayne Tofore her lorde gan to wepe and playne Besechynge him of routhe and pyte If so he would vnto her sorowe se At the least for her wyfely trouthe That he of manhode haue in herte routhe Vpon his childe and vpon her also Whych that she bare in her armes two And not might him from criynge kepe Whan he sawe his wofull mother wepe And knelynge downe vnto him she sayde In her sobbynge as she might abrayde Mine owne lorde haue mercy now on me And on this lytell chylde whych that ye se So pyteously afore you wepe and crye Haue mercy lorde on vs or that we dye Haue mercy eke vpon this Cite Myne owne lorde haue mercy or that we By cruell death passe shall echone For lacke of helpe alas when ye are gone ¶ This was the crye of Andromecha With whom was eke her syster Cassandra ¶ Hecuba and fayre Pollycene And Heleyne eke the lusty freshe quene Which all atones fell him beforne With heyr vntrussed and weping all to torne And loude gan to crye in the place Besechynge him of mercy and of grace For thilke daye to abyde in the towne And in his hert to haue compassyowne On her complaynte and her wofull mone Sith all the truste of the towne alone In him abode and all the resystence Agaynst death he was their chiefe defēce And in him onely was their affiaunce Their suerte and their suffysaunce In eche thinge that theim might greue ¶ And yet all this ne might his herte meue For to abyde yet of goodlyheade They him besought to their womanheade He would encline his herded herte of stele That they might a lytell droppe fele Onely of pyte on their woo to rewe That lykly was to more and renewe Fynally to their destructiowne For of the Cite and lykewyse the towne His death in soth shulde fully be ruyne But yet all this might not him enclyne That he ne would out in conclusyon As indurate and harted as a Lyon He was alwaye continuinge in his rage Whose herte might as often nor aswage Nother prayer nor lamantacion Him to restrayne from his opinion For euery peryll he layde hath asyde And on his waye gan anone to ryde Where through his wife none other bote can But in her rage to the kinge she ran So amased in her mortall wo That she vnneth might speake him to So diffaced and rewefull of her sight That by her hewe knoweth her no wight For loste she had bothe might and strengthe And plat she fell to the grounde at length Tofore the kynge that routhe was to sene ¶ Besechinge him of entente full clene That he of grace consider wolde her wo For but he helpe Hector was ago And he seynge her faythfull womanhead At her request raughte anone his stede And pricked after onely for her sake In so great haste that he hath ouertake Worthy Hector within the Cite And hent his reyne with great difficulte And maugre him made him tourne agayne In suche wise he durst it not with sayne Albe that he was full lothe therto So that by prayer and by force also From his stede he made him to alyghte The areste of whom eschewe he ne myght For he ne would agayne his father striue Albe that he felte his herte ryue Of melancolye and of hertye yre And of disdayne newe set a fyre So inwardly stered was his blode That lyke a Tygre or a Lyon wood That were depriued newly of her praye Right so he fared all that ylke daye Or lyke a bore that his tuskes whette Whyle the Grekes and they of Troye mette Furyously walkynge vp and downe And in diffence sothly of the towne Troylus fyrste on his baye stede Of aduenture mette with Diomede And eche at other surquedous of pryde With sharpe speres gan togyther ryde And Guydo sayth without any dreade One or bothe had anone be deade Ne had Menelay knightly go betwene And after that in a furyous tene He smette his horse in full knyghtly wyse ¶ And Mereon the mighty kinge of Fryse Menelaus marked hath full well And wyth his swerde ful sharp groūd of stele Vnhorsed him and threwe hym on the grene For he the stroke might not tho sustene This Menelay was on him so wood That it was lykly euen there he stode With his lyfe he shoulde not thense eskape For the Grekes ful hastely theim shape This Meryon as ye haue herde me sayne For to be sette rounde vpon the playne And to cesse him by the auentayle On euery parte and cruelly to assayle All destytute in this wofull case ¶ But him to helpe came Pollydamas With his knightes and gan to nighe nere When he him sawe taken prysonere And maugre all that there vpon him sette From theyr handes Pollydamas him fette At whose reskues there was so great a strife That many one therfore loste his lyfe For Grekes rather then he shoulde escape From their handes in that hasty rape Caste theym playnly that he shoulde be dead Fully in purpose to haue hadde his head He stode of mischyefe in so great disioynt But him to selpe euen vpon the poynt ¶ Came Troylus in most knightly of arraye And of his manhod made suche affraye Amōges them in reskuse of this kinge That maugre theim at his in
cominge Deliuered was this mighty kinge of Fryse From cruell death as ye haue herde deuyse But thervpon came Thelamonyus Proude in armes and euer surquidous With thre thousande full worthy euerychone And he vnhorseth Pollydamas anone Among his knightê proudly bare hiÌ„ downe ¶ But Troilus hath thrugh his hie renowne Myd of his foen get him his horse agayne But they of Troye so sore were belayne On euery halfe throughe the grekes pryde That they ne might afore theim tho abyde For newe and newe the hardy Achilles Assayled theim with his Myrmydones That they compelled of necessyte In mischyefe were made for to flee Home to the walles and gates of the towne To great domage and confusyowne Of theyr partye that abacke so gone ¶ The whych thynge when Margaryton Behelde and sawe howe the game gothe In his herte he gan to wexen wrothe And passyngly for to haue disdayne As the storye recordeth in certayne That he was bothe hardy and famous And sonne also to kinge Priamus A noble knight and of great worthinesse And when he sawe the mischyef and distresse Of theim of Troye add how they gan fle He caste anone auenged for to be Vpon Achilles for all his great might And ran to him full lyke a manly knight On horse backe for the townes sake And him enforseth Achilles for to take Amyd the felde amonge his knightes all ¶ But Achilles alas it should befall That daye him slewe by cruell aduenture Where through Troians mighteÌ„ not endure The felde to holde but homeward gan theÌ„ hie And mortally they maken noyse and crye First for the death of Margaryton ¶ And for the pursuyte that king ThelamoÌ„ Made on the chase through hys crueltye Home to the gates of Troye the Cite That slewe and killed alwaye as he rode Albe that Parys manly him withstode With his brethrene that in baste were borne But for al that their ground they haue lorne Lefte and forsake vtterly the felde And home they weÌ„t and brought on a shelde The dead corps of Margaryton And after that theyr gates shette anone The whych mischiefe as Hector gan beholde Of very yre his herte gan wexe colde And sayd platly without more delaye He would auenge his death the same daye And made in haste his stede to be fet And vp he sterte and on his basenet Vnwyste the kinge or who be lefe or lothe There was no gayne forthe anone he gothe Tyll he was passed the gates of the towne More furyous then Tygre or Lyowne At whose coming as thick as swarme of been Tofore his sworde Grekes gan to fleen They thought it was tyme to withdrawe And fyrst I finde how that he hath slawe Two worthy Dukes as he wyth theim met That busy were his waye for to let The one ycalled was Eurypalus ¶ And the other hyght Halcydius And so Troians the felde agayne haue won And of newe manfully begon Grekes to sewe and folowe on the trase And yet at myschiefe Dan Pollydamas The same tyme was of Grekes take But Hector hath so borne him for his sake Where as that he forest was belayne And thrugh his knighthod reskued hiÌ„ agayne And put the Grekes in so great distresse Through his manhode and his worthinesse That where so euer thylke daye he rode His sharpe swerde he bathed in their bloud He was so cruell and so merciles ¶ But then a knight called Leothydes Shope him anone with Hector for to mete While he was most yrous in his hete And set on him full presumptuously But Hector tho deuoyde of all mercy Anone him slewe and threwe him in the felde The whych thinge when Achilles behelde The great slaughter and the woundes wide That Hector made vpon euery syde He gan anone compasse in his herte And vp and downe caste and aduerte How the grekes neuer maye be sure Agayne their foen to fyght nor endure Nor kepe a felde with theim for to stryue All the whyle that Hector were alyue Wherfore he caste and shope many weye By what engyne Hector might deye At auauntage if he might him finde ¶ And therto eke Pollicenes of Inde A worthy Duke was also of assent Onely for he of herte and hole entente In hope stode his syster for to wyue For loue of whom he felte his herte ryue And in her grace better for to stande He caste fully for to take on hande This high emprise as I haue you tolde But while that he was on him most bolde Hector him slew there was none other gayne The whych anone as Achilles hath seyne For yre he wexed in his herte as wood As bore or Tygre in theyr cruell moode Vpon Hector auenged for to be And furyously he gan on him to fle ¶ But Hector caught a quarel sharp ygrouÌ„d And threwe at him gaue him such a wound Throughout the thighe vpon other syde That in the felde he might not abyde But him withdrewe and anone is wente With all his men home vnto his tente And made anone a surgeyn for to binde His mortall wounde and after as I fynde Whan he was staunche ceaseth for to blede In all haste agayne he toke his stede And leest he were of that wounde deade Afterwarde as it was great dreade He thought fyrst auenged for to be Vpon Hector if he might him se Of happe or sorte yf it would fall For him thought to his paynes all It were to hym the beste remedye Of his hande if he might dye For of his lyfe he routhe not a mite Be so that he Hector might acquyte Deathe for deathe in conclusyon For that was holy his entencion Of his desyre fully suffysaunce By death vnwarely to gyue him mischaunce ¶ But all this time Hector vp and downe As he was wonte playeth the Lyon Amonges Grekes in many sondry place And with his swerde gan theim so enchase That as the death where they might hiÌ„ seen They fledde afore him like a swarme of been For none so hardy was him to wythsette And in this while a grekishe kinge he mette Were it of hap or of aduenture The whiche in sothe on his cote armure Embrouded had full many ryche stone That gaue a lyght when the sonne â–ª shone Full bryght and cleare that ioye was to sene For Perles white and Emerawdes grene Full many one were therin sette And on the cercle of his basenette And rounde enuyron of his auentayle In veluet fret all aboue the mayle Saphyres ynde and other stones red Of whose arraye when Hector taketh hede Towardes him fast gan him drawe And fyrst I fynde how he hath hym slawe And after that by force of his manheade He hente him vp afore him on his stede And fast gan wyth him for to ryde From the wardes a lytell out of syde At good leyser playnly if he maye To spoyle him of his ryche arraye Full glad and lyght of his newe empryse But out alas of false couetise Whose gredy fret the which is great pytee In
hertes may not lightly staunshed be The Etike draweth by so great distresse That it defaceth the high worthynesse Full ofte sythe of these conqueroures And of theyr fame rente away the floures Desyre of hauynge in a gredy thuoght To hygh noblesse sothly longeth nought Nor suche pylfre spoylynge nor robberye Appartayne not to worthy chyualrye For couetyse and knighthod as I lere In one chayne maye not be knet yfere For kouthe it is that ofte suche rauyne Hath cause be and roote of ruyne Of many worthy who so lyst take hede Lyke as ye maye nowe of Hector reade That sodaynly was brought to his endynge Onely for spoylynge of this ryche kinge For of desyre to him that he hadde On horse backe out whan he him ladde Reklesly the storye maketh mynde He caste his shelde at his backe behynde To welde him selfe at more lyberte And for to haue oportunyte To spoyle him and for no wyght spare So that hys brest disarmed was and bare Except his plates there was no diffence Agayne the stroke to maken resistence Alas why was he tho so reckles This floure of knighthod of maÌ„hode pereles When that his foo all that ylke daye For him alone in awayte so laye If in mischiefe of hate or of enuye In the fielde he might him ought espye This Achilles cruell and venymous Of hertye moste melancolius Whych couertly houing him beside When that he sawe Hector disarmed ryde He hente a spere sharpe grounde and kene And of yre in his hatefull tene All vnwarely or Hector might aduerte ¶ Alas the while he smote him to the herte Throughout y e brest that dead he fel adowne Vnto the earthe this Troian champyowne Through neclygence onely of his shelde The death of whom when Odemon behelde The worthy kinge might hym not refrayne ¶ But to Achilles rode with all his payne And hit him so amyd of all the prese Maugre the might of his Myrmydones That for dead Guydo sayth certayne Of that wounde fel grofeling on y e playne But his knightes on a shelde alofte The ylayde him and caryed him full softe Vnto his tente in all the haste he can And there I leue this deadly wounded man Full sore sycke tyll he maye releue And after that when it drewe to eue They of Troye with great reuerence Did their laboure and theyr diligence The dead corps to carye into towne Of worthy Hector wheÌ„ Titan went adowne And to the temple dolefully they wende And of that daye this was the wofull ende I can no more but thus the longe night In heauinesse as it is skill and ryght I will theim leue and agayne retourne To my matter to helpe theym for to mourne ¶ The complaynte of Lydgate for the death of Hector Ca. xxviii BVt nowe alas how shal I forth procede In the storye that for wo and dreade Fele my hande bothe tremble and eke quake Oh worthy Hector onely for thy sake Of thy deathe I am so lothe to wryte Oh who shall now helpe me to endite Or vnto whom shall I clepe or call Certys to none amonge the muses all That by accorde singen euer in one On Pernasus besyde Helycon So aungelyke in theyr hermonye That tunge is none that may specifye The great swetenesse of theyr goodly songe For no discorde is founde theim amonge In theyr minsyke they be entuned so It sytte theim nought for to helpe in wo Nor in maters y t be with mourninge shente As tragydyes all to tore and rente In camplayninge pyteously in rage In the Theatre with a dead vysage To theim alas I clepe dare nor crye My troubled penne of grace for to guye Nother to Clyo nor to Callyope ¶ But to Alecto and to Thesyphone And to Megera that euer doth complayne As they that lyue aye in wo and payne Eternally and in torment dwell With Cerberus depe downe in hell Whom I must praye to be gratious To my matter which is so furyous For to a wyght that is comlaplayninge A drery feare is ryght well syttinge And to a matter meynt with heuynesse Accordeth well a cheare of drerynesse To be allyed as by vnyte ¶ Wherfore helpe nowe thou wofull Nyobe Some drery teare in all thy piteous payne Into my penne dolefully to rayne ¶ And helpe also thou cruelly Yxione And Belydes that dothe the bokette gone And with thy stone helpe thou Secyphus And in thy ryuer helpe eke Tantalus That for hunger haste so huge pyne This wofull playute helpe me for to fyne Me to further do your busynesse For now the stocke and roote of worthynesse Of knighthod grouÌ„d of maÌ„hod soures well That tofore all bare away the bell Of derrynge do this floure of high prowesse And was exaumple also of gentilnesse That neuer could do amisse or seye ¶ Alas Hector alas why shuldest thou deye Oh cruell Parchas why toke ye no hede So cruelly to twine his fatall threde Ye were to hasty alas why were ye so And namely when the threde ye brake a two Thou Attropos which thrugh thy gret enuye Oh Troye alas well mayst thou wepe crye And make a wofull lamentacion Whych haste of newe to thy confusyon Loste thy diffence and thy stronge wall Thy berer vp thy suertie royall By whom thy honour chiefely was begonne Alas alas for now thy bryght sonne Eclipsed is now standest thou desolate Of all comforte and disconsolate Thy lyght is loste and thou in dercknesse Yplounged arte for in sothefastnesse Of all worthy thou haste the worthyest This daye yloste and the knightlyest That is or was or shall I the ensure Be euer borne whylse the worlde may dure No wonder is though thou be wale sore And daye by daye complayne for euermore That was thy shelde bothe in ioye and wo Whom thou were wonte for to loue so So tenderly with all thy hole herte That it maye not lyghtly the asterte To haue him euer in thy remembraunce Which was in sothe fully thy suffysaunce ¶ For as Guydo maketh mencion There was no man dwellinge in the towne That he ne hadde of very kindenesse For loue of him as he lyste expresse His childe more lefe to haue dyed in this case Other his heyre so well beloued he was If the goddes fate or destyne Disposed had that it might haue be Women also of euery maner age Be for his deathe fall in suche a rage Through the Cite aboute in euery strete That with sobbinge and with salte tearê wete And heyre to rente for their deadly wo Furyously they ronnen to and fro So mortall was their aduersyte That to beholde alas it was pyte Yonge maydes and lykewyse matrones olde Sobbe and syghe and their fystes folde And loude crye and sayde fynally Alas nowe shall our fathers cruelly In our syght be slayne day by day Alas the while and no man shal say nay Farewell our helpe nowe Hector is ygone That in the surenesse of vs euerychone Was wonte to reste now is he dead alas ¶ Of
ne might mine auctour sayth certayne Nother be queint with tēpest winde or rayne Nor by processe wasten of no yeares Whiche in the ayre be bryght bourned wires Full craftely reysed were a lofte Of whose swetenes men reioyced ofte In theyr courage it lyked theim full well And whē this worke was complete eueridell Rounde enuyrowne ful ryche and freshe to se ¶ They made a parclose all of Eban tre That so longe laste maye and dure The which tree onely of nature When it is cutte smelleth wonder swete And maye not waste nor brenne with no hete Though it be layde amonge the coles red Midde the flawme of many fiery glede It not consumeth though men assaye ful ofte And in water it houeth not alofte But kyndely thense to the grounde it goth To swymme on heyght in soth it is to loth And lyke also as teacheth Plynyus This tree whylom was passyngly famous Of so hyghe pryse and reputacion That in the large myghty regyon And worthy lande of Ethyope and Inde Of yore agon the folkes as I fynde Had this tree in so great honour That they gaue trybute to the Emperour ¶ As is remembred of antiquite Of golde and yuor and of this ryche tree With these gyftes famous and royall To quyte theyr dette to hym in specyall ¶ And whan Pryam in full thryfty wyse Performed hath as ye haue herde deuyse This ryche worke noble and excellent Of herty loue in all his beste entent Ordayned eke as Guydo can you tell A certayne nombre of prestes for to dwell ¶ In the temple in their deuocions Contynually with deuoute orysons ¶ For the soule of Hector for to preye That the goddes his spyryte lyste conuey Eternally with them to dwell yfeare In ioye and blysse aboue the sterres clere ¶ To whiche prestes y e kyng gaue mansyons There to abyde and possessyons The whiche he hath to them mortysed Perpetually as he haue herde deuysed And whyles that they knele praye and wake I caste fully me an ende to make Fynally of this my thirde boke On my rude maner as I vndertoke And whyles they of Troye wepe and morne Vnto grekes I wyll agayne retourne And with dulle style on the story trace Onely borne vp with supporte of your grace Thus endeth the thirde boke ¶ How the grekes deposyng Agamenon ordayned Pallamydes the general of their armye Cap. xxix HEctor thus deade as ye haue herde said Achylles in his tent ylayde With his woundes mortall fresshe and grene Vpon a morning when y e son shene Enchaced had away the derke nyght ¶ Agamenon the wyse worthy knyght In his workes passyngly prudent Hath in all haste for his lordes sent And when they were assembled euerychone Within his tente to them he sayde anone ¶ Syrs quod he and lordes that be here Kynge Prynces and Dukes eke yfere If ye aduerte by clere inspection Ye ought echeone with hygh deuocyon Hooly of herte our goddes for to herye And inwardely for to be ryght merye If ye consydre and wysely do take hede ¶ How that our enemye Hector is now dead That whylom was berer vp of Troye Their full truste their honour and their ioye Their hoole deffence and their protection And vnto vs death and confusyon Vnlykely euer to haue had victorye Whyles with lyfe he floured in his glorye Againe whose sworde we mighten not auaile For slewe he not at our aryuayle If ye remembre on the fyrste day ¶ The noble kyng called Protheselay And after nexte if I shall not fayne He Patroclus parted euen on twayne In fyelde amonges vs euerychone Slewe he not eke the worthy kynge Menon Archylogus and also Prothenor And eke the kyng that hyghte Alphynor Phyllys also and kyng Epystrophus ¶ And to the ende he brought zantypus And Meryon the myghty stronge kyng In his waye as he came rydynge He slayne hath and other kynges two ¶ Cedyus and Doryus also Polyrenes and stronge Polybete Letabonis and the kynge Phylete The manly knyght the kynge Isydyus ¶ And eke the kynge called Humerus For in his Ire and his cruell tene Of worthy kynges he slayne hath eyghtene Whiche hyther came out of grekes lande By the power of his myghty hande ¶ Nowe laude and honour to the goddes all Whiche caused haue that it is be fall That he is dead to our encrease of ioye And to discrese of our foen in Troye As they shall fynde in experyence And laude also prese and reuerence Be to fortune that vs hath holpe wele With her tournyng of her double whele To hyghe comforte and consolacyowne Of vs echone syttynge enuyrowne That stonde nowe in parfyt sykernesse Through deth of him y t dyd vs so oppresse And what may they waite now in the towne But after deth and destructiowne And hastely for to ende in wo Now that their truste Hector is a go Without whom they may not longe endure Wherfore we may fully vs assure Our purpose hole that we shall acheue And fynally daunte them so and greue That vnto them it shal be importable Of one assent if we stande stable For their partye tourneth on the wrake And their hope is fully put a bake And dispeired in nonsecurytye For vtterly both they and their Citye Shall more more in weer of death depende And we in soth shall day by day amende With helpe of god both on sea and lande For now victorye is redy to our hande Deuoyde platly of ambyguyte And excluded at eye as ye may se Both of wantrust and of foreyne dread But I counsayle or that we procede Any ferther vpon our foen to ryde Prudently a whyle to abyde And kepe vs close for to passe our boundes ¶ Tyll Achylles be heled of his woundes And then echone by myghtye vyolence Shal thē oppresse when they haue no diffence As I haue sayde through helpe of Achylles And let vs nowe sende for a peace For two monthes to kyng Pryamus If it so be he lyste to graunt it vs. As it is lyke playnely that he shall And they there whyle with flawme funerall Consume may the deade bodyes pale That lye abrode on euery hyll and vale Whiche by reporte of them that haue repeyre From day to day infecten so the eyre Throughout the fielde engendryng pestilence Of stynke there is so great a vyolence ¶ And we there whyle may in ease and reste Our woundes cure me semeth for the beste ¶ And they assent therto euerychone And vnto Troye the messageres are gone And haue the trewse graunted of the kynge And be repeyred without more taryinge And thereof made full relacyon To the grekes afore Agamenon And after that when all was at an ende Home to his tent euery lorde doth wende And whyle the trewse endureth and the peace Amonge grekes kynge Pallamydes Cumplayneth sore of Agamenon That he so had the domynacyon Aboue them all hauyng there at enuye And on a day in his melancolye Of hyghe despyte and indignacyon Full inly fret
quene ¶ To Priam spake of this Pollycene Touchinge the sonde of this Achilles And of his profre for to make a peace She tolde him all and forgate nothinge Wherof astoned Priamus the kynge Spake not a worde halfe an houres space But in him selfe gan inly to compace Full prudently what it might meane That Achilles would haue Pollycene Vnto his wife aye wonderynge more more And at the laste syghinge wonder sore He hath disclosed the conceyt of his herte And sayd alas howe sore it doth me smerte To remembre that I may haue no peace The great offence of this Achilles Towardes me playnly when that he Slewe worthy Hector through his crueltye That hooly was vpon euery side The hoole assuraunce gouernour and guyd Of me and mine platly for to sayne And therwithall of myne eyen twayne He was alone the very sothfast lyght Shelde protectour thrugh his great might And his manhode agayne the mortall rage Of Grekes werre in my croked age ¶ But nowe alas to my confusyowne He slayne is so worthy of renowne By Achilles which maye not out of minde That in my herte I can neuer fynde To be allyed with my mortall foo Roote and grounde of all my sorowe woo It were full harde my herte to appease To loue him that causeth mine vnease On euery halfe where through my cruel foen The proude Grekes harted be echone Agaynst me nowe Fortune is contrayre Tourned of newe my quarell to apayre That causeth Grekes wood and furyous On me alas to be presumptuous ¶ Onely for Hector is me berafte awaye But sythen I no other choyse maye Agaynst herte though it for anger ryue In this matter assaye I shall to stryue Though me be lothe and sytteth me full sore Yet to eschewe harmes that be more Which lykly be hereafter for to fall And for to saue myne other sonnes all I will consente that this Achilles So that he moke a trewe fynall peace Atwene Grekes and also this Cite Without more playnly howe that he Haue vnto wyfe my doughter Pollycene ¶ But leste that he any treason meane My will is firste how so that it wende Of his behest that he make an ende Wythout fraude this is mine aduise ¶ To whych counsayle assenteth eke Parys And more rather in conclusyon For there was made none excepcioon ¶ In this Trete of the quene Heleyne That Menelaye neuer shoulde atteyne Her to recure agayne vnto hys wyfe For whyche Parys without noyse or stryfe Or grutchynge other vnto this entente Within him selfe was fully of assente Therby hopynge without feare or dreade Perpetually Heleyne to possede Right at his luste and no man shall saye nay And after this vpon the thirde daye ¶ Achilles hath to wytte of this mattere To Hecuba sente his messingere And she him tolde the aunswere of the kynge Ceryously gynninge and endinge And how that he assenteth well therto ¶ And Parys eke and she her selfe also If it so were playnly she him tolde Touchinge the peace that the purpose holde And fyrste that he his heste brynge aboute That they be sure therof nede not doubte That he shall haue his purpose euerydele If that he worke prudently and we le And herevpon with informaciowne This messenger out of Troye towne Without abode in all the haste he maye To Achilles helde the ryghte waye And tolde him hole the effect of this mattere And he alwaye feruente and entiere In herte brent as hole as any glede And sawe there was none other way to spede But onely peace as ye haue herde me telle ¶ And aye his brest with sighes gan to swel For the only loue of this Pollycene And caste alwaye amonge his throes kene To his purpose a waye for to fynde And whyles he was busy in his mynde How he shoulde his purpose brynge aboute And in him selfe casteth many doubte ¶ Anone dispayre in a rage vp sterte And cruelty caught hym by the herte Whych hath him throwe into suche a were That him thoughe it was in his power All his beheste to fulfyll in dede Except he hadde well the lesse dreade Euery thinge to put in certayne Wening no Greke would his luste with fayne From his desyre to be varyable And to him selfe thus was he fauorable For to parfourme and nothynge to denye All that was lusty to his fantasye As is the maner of louers euerychone That they suppose to acheue anone What thinge it be that they lyst take on hand In what disioynt that the matter stande All though it be a very impossyble In theyr foly they be aye so credible And so Achilles trusteth fynally For to fulfyll his hestes vtterly Supposinge aye for his worthynesse For his manhode and his hygh prowesse In whych he did him selfe gloryfye Some what of pryde and of surquedrye How the Grekes shoulden be despayred Both of theyr truste theyr might appeyred Vpon Troians to wynnen any lande If it so were that he withdrewe his hande To helpe theim and therwithall also Home into Grece that they wolden go From the syege onely for his sake And their quarell vterly forsake ¶ But it so were this daye fyerse Achille With theym abode the cite for to spylle For whyche thinge the lordes by assente Assembled were to heren the entente Amonge theim all of thys Achilles By the byddinge of Pallamydes And when they were gathered all yfere Tofore theim all lyke as ye shall heare THis Achilles hath his tale begonne And sayd syres that so muche konne Both of wysedome and of high prudence So renowmed eke of sapyence Throughout the worlde of discreciowne And be so worthy also of renowne Kynges and dukes of whose royall name From East to West floureth yet the fame Both of knyghthode and of manlyhead To that I saye I pray you taken hede This to saye yf that ye consyder The playne entent of our commyng hyther By good auyse that our entencyon Had no grounde founded on reason Nor cause roted on no maner ryght If it so be that ye lyft vp your syght And aduerte clerely in your mynde Full ferre a backe wytte was set behynde Prudent lokyng and aduysenesse For fyrst whan that we of foly hastynesse Toke vpon vs to come from so ferre Agayne Troyans for to gynne a werre And to ieoparte our lyues euerychone For the loue of one man alone Ye wote all I trowe whom I meane ¶ Kyng Menelay defrauded of his quene To telle trouth me lyste not for to feyne For ye well wote onely that Heleyne Was groūde and gynnyng of all this debate For whom so many worthy of estate Recurlesse of any remedye Lyfe and good haue put in ieopardye Our landes lefte and eke our regyownes Our cyties also and our ryche townes Whiche by our absence stonden desolate Wyues and chyldren eke disconsolate In woe abyde mournynge and distresse Whyles that we here the soth to expresse From day to day beset on euery ryde Lye in the felde and our death abyde
after that whan they were set yfeare Lyke theyr degree anone in aduenture ¶ Whyle Vlixes full of eloquence Gan his tale prudently deuyse ¶ To Achylles saying in this wise ¶ Syr Achylles moste renowned of glorye Throughout the worlde to be in memorye And of his knyghthode very shoures and wel Displease it not now that I shall tell To your noble famous excellence Nor to your eares let be none offence That I shall say but of goodlyhead Pacyently that ye wyll take hede To my wordes sayd of herte and thought I you ensure for I fayne noughte This to saye yf ye remembre wel The fyrst cause and purpose euery dell Of the grekes yf ye haue mencyon Was fully sette by one entencyon As well of you as of vs pardye Whan we come fyrst to this citye Kynges prynces I except none Of whiche in soth to recken euerychone Your selfe was to speake in speciall One of the fyrst and moste pryncypall Assented full how Troye the Cite Through our manhode destroyed shulde be Perpetually brought vnto ruyne But nowe of newe I note what doth enclyne Your worthynesse sodeynly to varye And to our purpose for to be contrarye ¶ Consyder fyrst of you that be so sage The wronges done and the great damage In grekes lande of them of the towne Conspyryng aye to our destructiowne If ye aduerte wysely in your thought That slayne haue and to an ende brought Full many worthy syth gone full yore And of treasour that no man may restore Dispoyled vs and brought in great distresse Our goodes raught our golde our rychesse â–ª Our shyppes brent through their cruelte And to all this alas ye lyste not se Now that they be whiche may not be delayed Through your manhode fynally outtrayed Sith ye haue slaine their hope their suffisauÌ„ce ¶ Hector in whom was all their affyaunce Fully their truste and diffence also ¶ And Deyphobus also is a go And lykely are more to be apeyred Fro day to day and fynally dispeyred So frowardly fortune on them loureth And now your honour your fame flouteth In his worshyp and your high renowne Atteyned hath the exaltaciowne And hyghest prycke of fortunes whele It were great wronge and ye loke wele Of wylfulnes for to be vnkynde To her that ye so frendly to you fynde Or to be frowarde whyle she is benynge By influence graciously to assygne Her spoukes meue vnto your pleasaunce And hap to tourne w t plente on your chaunce After whose helpe you nedeth not to calle ¶ Wherfore alas why wyll ye suffer palle Your noble fame of very wylfulnesse Whyle it is hyest in his worthynesse Your knyghtly prudence it shulde not asterte Of whiche thynge euery gentyll herte Shulde haue routhe and compassyon Wherfore we praye of â—iscrecyon That ye you shape this purpose to amende And that ye wolde of herte condiscende With vs to stonde knyghtly in this werre By your manhode that is spoke of so ferre That your renowne to the worlde ende Reported be where so that men wende Perpetually by freshenesse of hewe Day by day to encrease newe That the tryumphe of this hygh victorye Be put in storye and eke in memorye And so enprynted that foryetfulnesse No power haue by malys to oppresse Your fame in knyghthode derke or difface That shyneth yet so clere in many place Without Eclypsyng sothly this no lesse Whiche to conserne ye be now reckelesse Of wylfulnesse to cloude so the lyght Of your renowne y e whylom shone so bryght Your myghty hande of manhode to w tdrawe Consyder fyrst how grekes are yslawe Tofore your tent w t mortal woundes wyde Through out the fyelde vpon euery syde And haue disdayne onely for lacke of routhe Alas the whyle for a lyttle slouthe To ley to honde in their mischyefe at all That whylom were their stroÌ„ge mighty wall Their chiefe diffence and their champiowne Souerayne helpe and protectiowne For whom ye haue so ofte shedde your bloud Agayne their foen with them whan he stode Full myghtely their enmyes to assayle Without whom they lyttell may auayle In very soth ne none of vs echone But ye of knyghthode lyste with vs to gone Agayne Troyans as ye were wont to do And is our trust and fynall hope also That ye shall helpe and our socour be ¶ And hereupon we praye you that ye Saye your aduyce and your full wyll ¶ And than anone the hardy fyerse Achylle Whan Vlixes concluded had his tale Sith a face for anger dead and pale Sayde euen thus all openly and playne Sir Vlixes if so ryght as ye sayne And haue declared in conclusyon That our purpose and entensyon Was fynally to brenne and destroye This royall citie that is called Troye I holde in soth me lyketh not to lye That our entent was grounded on folye To put vs all through indiscrecion Of reckleshede and hasty mocyon Of lyfe and death in suche ieopardye And specyally in all the Chiualrye Of grekes lande for so smale a thynge So many prynce and so many worthy kyng That haue ieoparted their body their good Yloste their lyfe and yspent their bloud Which might haue be ful well at home iÌ„ peace ¶ And is not nowe the kyng Pallamydes Yslawe also as who sayth but of newe That was so wise so manly and so trewe Of whom the lyfe was of more pryce alone Than the cause for whiche that we echone Be gathered here who so loke a ryght And of grekes many a noble knyght That haue be slayne both of the worthyest The worlde to seke and the manlyest For out of euery lande and regyowne On grekes partye and with them of y e towne Of chyualry knighthod y e soueraine floure To wynne in arme worshippe and honour Assembled be and come fro so ferre Of whiche in soth by duresse of this werre Full many one in the fyelde is dead And veryly without any drede There shall well mo if the werre laste Fro euery day the numbre lasseth faste Of worthy knyghtes dede without routh That I dare saye and conclude of trouth In this rage furyous and wood Full lykely is that all the gentyl bloude Through out this worlde shall destroyed be And rural folke and that were great pyty Shall haue lordshyp and hooly gouernaunce And Churles eke with sorowe mischaunce In euery londe shall lordes be alone Whan gentyll men slayne be echone ¶ Is not Hector that was so noble a knight That was this worldes very sonne and light Of manhode floure slayne pyteously In this werte in soth and so myghty I. Parauenture whiche may not attayne To his noblesse if I shall not fayne For by what way shall we the death eschewe With all our myght if we it pursewe Fro day to daye whyle that we lye here Therfore shortely me for to requere Touchynge the werre outher for to praye Is but in veyne and herken what I saye I wyll not purpose in this werre or stryfe For to ieoparte any more my lyfe
For leuer I haue that Palled be my name Than for to be slayne and haue an ydle fame For worthinesse after death yblowe Is but a wynde and lasteth but a throwe For though renowne and prise be blowe wide Foryetfulnesse leyth it ofte asyde By length of yeres and oblyuion Through enuye and false conclusyon The lande of knyghthode and of worthynesse Of wysedome eke and of gentylnesse Fredam bounte vertue and suche grace Foryetfulnesse can darke and defface And therwithall males and enuye Ysered hath the palme of Chyualrye By false reporte wherfore I saye for me I wyll of wysedome suche folye let be And in quyet forth my lyfe nowe lede ¶ And ouer this to you three I rede To seke peace with Troyans if ye may In hasty wyse without more delaye This my counsayle platly to you all Or that myschyefe of death vpon you fall It were well done that ye toke hede ¶ Both Vlixes and thou Dyomede ¶ And Nestor eke sythen ye be wyse To worke playnely lyke as I deuyse This the summe and fyne of myne entent And so reporteth to hym that hath you sent And they anone with shorte conclusyon ¶ Repeyred be to Agamenon With such answere as ye haue herde me seine It nedeth not to wryte it newe againe ¶ And herevpon kynge Agamenon Let make anone a conuocasyon Of his lordes and in their presence Fro poynt to poynt sothly in sentence He hath rehersed how that Achylles Was desyrous for to haue a peace With them of Troye and platly how that he For no prayer wyll in no degree Agayne Troians with spere nor with shelde In helpe of grekes be armed in the felde Wherfore the kynge as he that was ful wise Hereupon axed their deuyse And whan them thought what best for to do In this matter syth it stode so ¶ And fyrste of all speaketh Menelay With angry chere and sayde platly nay To haue a peace it was not his entent Ne that he wolde therto be of assent Sythen the Cyte in conclusion Stode on the prycke of his distruction NOw that Hector Deiphobê° were dead y t whylom were their trust in euery nede And their diffence but now they are ago Farewell their truste and their hope also Without more and all their hole pryde They maye not now but after death abyde ¶ And truste well without any lesse Though it so be that this Achylles Ne helpe vs not towarde our empryse We therof not drede in no maner wyse Without hym for to haue victorye By our manhode and our owne glorye I am full sure therof and certayne But Vlixes gan replye agayne Nestor also of sodayne mocyon Contrayre was to his opynyon Affyrmynge playnely that no wonder was Though Menelay sothly in this case Vnto the peace wolde not assent For openly they wyste what he ment For he was ground and roote of al the werre And cause also they come were so ferre Out of their lande he and the quene Heleyne ¶ And for the sake onely of them tweyne The grekes all whiche no man may denye Their lyues put in suche ieopardye For hym and her if the grounde be soughte For well they wyste that he rought nought This Menelay what wo they endure So he his wyfe myght agayne recure ¶ And where he sayth that Hector is dead He hath an heyre to speake of manlyhead And of knyghthode as it wyll be founde And called is Hector the seconde ¶ Worthy Troylus whiche y t is his brother In all this worlde is not suche an other Of worthynesse for to recken all For he of Troye is the myghty wall ¶ And diffence now Hector is a gone Ye knowe it well your selfe euerychone If it so be that ye lyste take hede Whose sharpe sworde sore doth vs blede Euery day in his furyous hete Amyd the fyelde whan we with hym mete And in stede of worthy Deiphobus Whiche in his tyme was wonderly famous ¶ His brother Parys is nowe founde at all In worthynesse of knyghthode perygall So that of them we haue none auauntage Vnto this houre but rather great damage To recken all syth we be gonne This very soth we but lyttle wonne But we are lykely alwaye more to lese If we contune but syth we may chese It were holsome to lyue in quyet To haue a peace and this werre lete By one assent syth ye be wyse ANd with y t worde Calchas gan to ryse The Troyan treytour w t a pale chere For very Ire and sayde as ye shall here ¶ A worthy prynces what thynke ye to done To chaunge so lyke as doth the moone Your olde purpose and your fyrst entent Agayne the wyll and commaundement Of the godder that euery thynge gouerne By purueyaunce who so can discerne Alas alss why ne wyll ye at the leste Credence and fayth geue to theyr heste Whiche in no wyse may not be fallyble For in soth it were an impossyble Vtterly but Troye the citye Of ordynaunce and necessytye Myght be destroyed hense but alyte If your slouth be it not to wyte So that victorye worshyp and honour And fynall palme eke of this labour To be reported on water and on lande Reserued be hooly to your hande In your purpose yf ye forth contune And hynder not of foly your fortune This in soth I dare it well conclude And peryllous is the goddes to yllude Of neclygence or slouth wylfully Wherfore I read that now manfully Of herte and thought and of full vnyte Platly deuoydyng ambyguyte To set vpon and knyghtly to resume Your force agayne fully to consume Your cruell foen and let be shet without Wanhope and drede dispeyre euery doubte Castyng of parrell slouth and cowardyse And let manhode vtterly dispyse All dread of death that causeth hertes feynt With cowardyse and to be atteynt That fynally as goddes haue be hyght Through prescyence of their eternall might To victorye that ye shall attayne Lyke your desyre there is no more to sayne ¶ And whan Calchas in conclusyowne This false treytour vnto Troye towne The grekes had through his wordes fayre Touchynge the werre put out of dyspayre Of herte all one they caste them to fulfyll Hooly his counsayle though so that Achylle Be frowarde aye to helpe them in their nede They gaue no force nor toke of it no hede But euerychone they them redy make As ye shall here the fielde in haste to take THe trewes passed of y e monthes twayne Into y e felde Grekê gan theim ordayne And they of Troye agayne theim yssue oute ¶ And worthy Troylus with an huge route The Grekes gan alderfirste assayle And with his swerde he made for to rayle The red bloud through their harneys bright That as the death they fled fro his syght For he that daye thrugh his cruelte Caste him platly auenged for to be Vpon the death of Hector vtterly ¶ And as Dares wryteth specyally A M. knightes this Troyan champyowne That day hath slayne rydyng vp and downe ¶ As
this Achylles abode When they from him into the fyelde rode Only for dole they shulden from him twinne In his absence a werre to begynne Maugre his wyll agayne them of the towne ¶ But forth they went with Agamenowe Vpon Troyans sterne and full of pryde And with them mette on the other syde The manly knyghtes of the Troyan bloud Whiche were on them so furyous and wood That cruelly the grekes they oppresse So that a backe for feare they gan theÌ„ dresse They were on them so inly fell and kene ¶ Tyll that the myghty Duke of Athene Entred in the grekes to diffende But vpon hym vnwarely or he wende Came myghty Troylus lyke a wood Lyown And from his stede anone he bare him downe And after that he put hym so in prese Tyll he hath mette with these Myrmydones And of them slewe that daye full many one And so fer in Troylus is ygone That he grekes put vtterly to flyght Through his knyghthod til it drewe to night fro his swerde no raunsom might theÌ„ borow And Guydo wryte that on the next morowe Full mortall was the slaught on outher syde Amyd the fielde as they togyther ryde Of manly knightes that wonder was to sene ¶ And as they faught the kyng Phylymene With helpe onely of Pollydamas Taken hath the worthy kyng Thoas And gan hym leade towarde Troye y e towne But Myrmydones him to helpe came downe Wonder proudly and after gan to sewe And through their myght Thoas they rescue And hym delyuer for they were so stronge ¶ But Troylus then hurtled them amonge Furyously full lyke a champyowne Now here now there cast threwe theÌ„ downe Some he slewe and some he made blede Tyll cruelly they slewe his myghty stede On whiche he sat and yet neuerthelesse He fought on foote agaynst Myrmydones That cast had Troylus to haue take ¶ But Parys tho gan them so awake With his brothern that about hym rode That in the place where as Troylus stode Vpon his fete but him selfe alone Of Mirmydones they sleine haue many one That of knighthod through their maÌ„lyhead They vnto hym brought an other stede Amyd his foen and made hym to ascende And he full knightly gan him selfe dyffende ¶ Be set with grekes in the felfe stounde That neuer yet a better knyght was founde They felte it well that tho were his foen But than his brother called Margaryton So as he fought puttyng hym selfe in prese Was slayne alas amonge Myrmydones The death of whom in a cruell yre This Troylus with anger sette a fyer Playnely purposeth tauenge if he may And with his sworde began to make way ¶ And Parys aye fast by hym rydyng With his brethern vpon hym awaytyng Whiche all yfeare were so mercylesse ¶ And I fynde these Myrmydones That of force and necessyte They were compelled playnly for to flee Troylus was on them so furyous So vengeable eke and so dispyteous That he them gaue many mortall wounde And yet in soth that day they were founde Noble knyghtes and quyt them wonder wele For they the crafte knewe euerydele Longyng to armes of them as I reade But for all that he made their sydes blede Through the mayle and their plates shene That they ne myght playnly him sustene The sword of Troilus them chasing ouerall Albe they kepte them close as any wall Hole together and went not a sonder But Troilus aye them chaseth here yonder And seuered them mauger all their myght Tyll into fielde with many worthy knyght Came Menelay and kyng Agamenon Vlyxes eke and cruell Thelamon And Dyomede whiche of his woundes grene Recured was as sayth myne auctour clene And on Troyans sodaynly they fall With their wardes and their knyghtes all And tho began the fyght to renewe On euery halfe that with blouddy hewe The plates bryght were of newe ysteyned And they of Troy so manly haue theÌ„ peyned Agayne there foen in this myghty stryfe That many greke was berafte his lyfe And where they were most myghty in bataile Troylus came in and gan them to assayle On euery parte with many blouddy wounde And by his knighthod gan them to confouÌ„de That aye they fledde so they were a ferde The mortall strokes of his sharpe sworde Their deadly foe and destruction And this contynueth tyll kyng Thelamon By his manhode whan that he behelde The grekes made recure agayne the fyelde And gan Troyans assayle wonder sore And tho began the slaughter more and more On eche syde till Troylus newe agayne The grekes hath so fyersly ouerlayne Myrmydones and them euerychone Afore his sworde that he made them gone To their tentes and the fyelde forsake And with his hande that day he hath take An hundred knightes that came in his weye Through his prowesse sent them into troye And euer in one gan so to enchace ¶ Myrmydones that they loste their place ¶ And to Achylles lying in his tent They be repeyred forwounded and to rent Their herneys broke both in plate and maile And of their nombre I fynde that they fayle An hundred knyghtes slayne dead alas That after were founde in Taas Amyd the fyeld thrugh girt w t many wouÌ„de ¶ Of Troylus sword Hector the secounde Wherof Achylles when he had a syght So heauy was all the nexte nyght In his bedde walowynge to and fro Deuoyde of slepe for constreynt of his wo At his herte his wounde was so kene What for his men and fayre Polycene Wyttynge well if he dyd his payne To be venged he shulde not attayne In no wise vnto his desyre And thus he brent in a double fyre Of loue and yre that made him syghe sore But for cause loue was the more He was aferde agayne them of the towne In his person to do offenciowne ¶ Leste Pryamus and Hecuba the quene Offended were and namely Polycene And thus he stode in a double weer That at his herte satte him wonder nere With many wonder dyuers fantasye As haue louers that be in poynt to dye Ryght euen so fareth this wofull man For very wo that no rede ne can So entryked that wende for to deye Of his recure he knewe no better weye And whyle he laye this in his throwes wyte Lyke as Guydo playnly lyste endyte That the story maketh mencyowne That dayes seuen they of Troye towne So encrese and augment of the sorowe With the grekes metten on euery morowe That thrugh y e force of alder both their might On outher parte was slayne many a knight ¶ And all this whyle laye this Achylles Of grekes death ylyke reckeles For loue onely and toke no maner hede Who so were hole or mortally doth blede Or who that plaineth with his woundê large Hym thought it was no parcell of his charge So moche he hath on other thyng to thincke That ofte he waketh whan he shulde wynke â–ª Thoughtfull aye and ymagynatyfe And very wery of his owne lyfe ¶ Tyll on a day kyng Agamenon Seynge the
of stones precyous ¶ And an other to Anthylogus What shulde I now any longer dwell Ceryously the rytes for to telle Of their buryinge nor what wo they make Their wepynge all nor of their clothes blake Nor how that some loure in their hode And how some go with mylke and bloud With dolefull herte and into fyre it shete And how that other casten gummes swete Amydde the great flaumes funerall Nor of the playes called pallestrall Nor of the wrastlynge that was at the wake It were but vayne me to vndertake To tellen all wherfore I will lette be Fully in purpose lyke as ye shall se To resorte as in conclusyon To tellen how the great Agamenon For his lordes in all the haste hath sent And when they were assembled in his tent Full prudently this kyng this manly man With great aduyse thus he his tale began SYres quod he fortunes varyaunce Her chere froward double countenance And sodeyne tourne of her false vysage Your hertes hath put in suche arage For the murdre to god and man odyble ¶ Of Achylles and the death horryble By compassynge of Hecuba the quene Now semeth me that it shall be sene If any manhode in your hertes be Or knightly force in aduersytye For to endure by vertue of suffraunce Tyll of his death ye taken may vengeaunce And manly quyte this outragious offence Whan time cometh to make full recompence But syth that ye be manly and prudent I wolde fyrst se the playne entent In this matter of you that be so wyse And hereupon what is your aduyse By one assent and voyce in comune Whether ye wyll the werre forth contune And the syege ygonne vpon this towne Tyll they be brought to destructiowne Or into grece now resorte agayne For cause only that Achylles is slayne That whilom was your strong champiowne Your distence and chiefe protectiowne But fynally now that he is dead Hereupon let se what is your reade Saye openly and no longer tarye ¶ And some anone gonne for to varye And to grutche castynge to and fro Standynge in doute what were beste to do ¶ And some sayde on the tother syde For lyfe or death they wolde an ende abyde And some of them that of wytte were rude For their partye gonnen to conclude That they wolde efte home agayne retourne And other sayd that they wyll soiourne Styll at the syege happe what happe may And thus they treate all the longe day Euery man lyke his opynyon Tyll at the laste in conclusyon They be accorded fully into one Fro the syege neuer for to gone Vnto the tyme they haue of the towne Through their knyghthode full possessyowne At their free wyll to spylle or elles to saue Albe Achylles buryed was in graue For the truste of euery worthy knyght Was fynally as goddes haue behyght That they in haste shall the towne possede This was their hope fully deuoyde of drede Vndispeyred in their opynyon ¶ And then anone Ayax Thelamon A worthy knyght and famous of his hande Amonge all tho that were of grekes londe Sayde euen thus playnly in sentence ¶ Syres quod he that here be in presence My counsayle is platly and my rede Now it standeth so that Achylles is dead For his sonne in all the haste to sende Hyther to come for to se an ende Of the syege and helpe vs in this nede ¶ Whiche nowe abyt with kynge Lycomede His bysayle and named is Pirrus And some hym call Neptolonyus Ryght lusty freshe and by lykelynesse Able to attayne to great worthynesse As by reporte and the fame is kouthe If he drawe hym to armes in his youth ¶ And sothfastly but yf bokes lye As I haue redde and herde by prophecye That fynally Troye the Cyte Without hym shall neuer wonne be Thus bokes saye that be of olde memorye And howe grekes shall haue no victorye Tyll he come this sonne of Achylles Wherfore in haste and be not reckeles Sende for hym that it be done anone And they commende his counsaile euerichone And to his reade fully them assent And by aduise full prudently they sente In all the haste on this embassyat The wyse kynge full famous of estate I meane the prudent noble Menelay And forth he goeth the selfe same day And on his iourney gan hym faste spede ¶ Tyll that he came vnto Lycomede The olde kynge as ye haue harde me telle Where for a tyme I wyll lette him dwelle ¶ And to Grekes in the meane whyle So as I can derecte againe my style ¶ Howe Parys and Thelamon Ayax slewe eche other in the fylde Cap. xxxiii THe tyme of yere when the shene sonne In the Crabbe had his course yronne To the hyghest of his ascencyon Whiche called is the somer stacyon Whan the vertue out of euery roote Is drawen vp and the bawme soote Into the croppe and the freshe floure Most lusty is of hewe and of coloure Tyll Phebus chare in his discencion Out of the Crabbe towarde the Lyon Holdeth his course in the fyrmament I meane whan he is retrogradyent And dryeth vp the moysture and the wete Of herbe and floure with his feruent hete And all that veer afore hym made grene To white he tourneth with his beames shene Both sede and grayne by decoction For naturally by dygestyon That fyrst was rawe in fruites in floures And watry eke by plente of humoures He dryeth vp and rypeth at the full With his feruence that men may them pull Eche in his kynde after the season Fro yeare to yeare by reuolucyon On their braunches freshely as they sprede Whan that Cheryes powbly be and rede ¶ First in Iune that seweth after Maye Whan the hote mery somers daye No dwery is but lyke a gyaunt longe The same tyme grekes stoute and stronge With rancour brent of their enuyous hete Haue shapen them with their foen to mete And bryght armed into fyelde they go And they of Troye out of the towne also And their wardes ordeyned euerychone The fyelde haue take to meten with their foen And gan to assemble vpon outher syde ¶ But Thelamon of foly and of pryde The same daye of hym as I reade As he that had of his death no dread Disarmed was for battayle of arest Of mayle and plate bare vpon his brest For of foly and surquedons outrage Bare his heade and bare of his vysage And bare also without basenet And naked eke of vyser and palet He rode all daye of nothynge tho aferde Hauynge no weapon but a naked sworde For wylfully he lefte at home his shelde And his spere when he toke the fyelde Full lyke a knight syttynge on his stede ¶ And after hym foloweth Dyomede Lyke Mars hym selfe about hym his meyne And faste by came the duke of Meneste Kyng Vlixes and Agamenon ANd Pryamus w t them of Troy towne Toke eke the fyelde w t a full heuy chere For he was both feareful and in were In great dispeyre and inly full of dreade
protection His myghty shelde and sauacion That haste this citie and this towne ylorne In whiche thou were fostred and yborne On the greatest of reputacion Of all the lordes dwellinge in this towne In which thou haddest whilom most plesauÌ„ce But all is now out of remembraunce ¶ Yet in thy hert yf any drape be Of gentylnesse mercy or pytye In this deadly rage full of tene Rewe on my doughter yonge Polycene From grekes sworde her youthe for to saue If thy herte may any routhe haue Of manly pytye on her maydenheade Defende her nowe and kepe her out of drede If thou canste fynde any weye In any wyse that she maye not deye ¶ That hereafter when men se and rede The false treason and the foule dede That thou haste done vnto Troye towne It maye in partye be protectiowne To thy fame the venym to allye Of this treason when men wyll assaye By iuste reporte thy name to accuse This dede may the helpe to excuse Agaynst tonges that speake of Enee Than wyll they saye thou haddest yet pytye On Polycene onely of gentilnesse Therwith to sugre all the bytternesse Of thy deserte blowe forth by fame By rehersayle of the foule blame That shal of the through the worlde be borne With sklauÌ„der infect wheÌ„ thou art al to torne That thou ne shalte the shame mowe sustene Then shall my doughter fayre Polycene Be thy defence agayne suche famous stryfe If it so be now thou saue her lyfe Of me no force though thou make as blyue The sworde of grekes through my herte ryue ¶ And so by prayer of this wofull quene This Eneas toke to hym Polycene Whose traytour herte for all his cruelte On her youthe was meued of pytye Onely of routhe that in his brest arose And secretely put her vp in close Lest that grekes founde occasyon Agaynst hym and Ayax Thelamon Toke to his warde Andromecha Hectors wyfe and wyfe Cassandra Out of the temple longing to Mynerue From grekes sworde their lyues to conserue ¶ And Menelaye toke the quene Heleyne Into his garde for whom so great a payne Bode in his herte many daye toforne By whom alas the cytye is now lorne ¶ And grekes aye were busye in their yre To slea and kylle and crullly to fyre On euery syde and to beate downe Palyce and house and wall of the towne They spare nought for all goth to the fyre So feruent hate brent in their desyre Of olde enuye auenged for to be That they ne lefte within the Cyte Nothynge vnbrent and also ylyowne Was in this rage tourned vp so downe There made were none exceptions Onely but take the possyons Of Anthenor euyll mote he fare And Eneas whom the grekes spare As thâ—y to them were bounde by their othe And thus the grekes furyous and wrothe Haue all that daye robbed and ybrent ¶ Tyll that the kynge Agamenon hath sent For his lordes to assemble yfeare In Pallas temple onely for to here There wyse aduyse vpon thynges twayne Fyrste if they wolde holde and not fayne Hooly their hope without exceptiowne To theÌ„ by whom they wonne fyrst the towne ¶ And ouer more he axed them also Touchynge the goddes what they wolde do With golde treasour and possessyowne That they haue won thrugh their hie renown ¶ And they answered without more taryinge They wolde their faith kepe in euery thynge As they were sworne and hestes holde And ouer this they sayde howe they wolde That golde treasour and good of the Cyte As ryght requietrh and also equitye Be iustly parted by deuysion To euery wyght made distribucyon Lyke his meryt of hygh and lowe degree And that the kynge eke of reason se Eche to rewarde after his labour So as it longeth to a conquerour That no man haue matter to compleyne And so they felle in speakynge of Heleyne Eueryche after his opynyon And tofore all other Ayax Thelamon Shortly sayde she hath deserued death For whom so many haue yelde vp the brethe Playnely affyrmynge there in Parlement Of ryghtwysenesse and trewe iudgement She shulde not escape with the lyfe That gynnyng was cause of all their strife Rote and grounde of all their sorowe and wo And so sayde eke many an other mo And for the noyse and the great affraye ¶ Agamenon nor kinge Menelaye Ne durst a worde for her partye meue To saue y e quene lest grekes wold them greue Agaynst them there was so great rumour Tyll Vlixes chiefely her socour Through his wyt and his eloquence His deuer dyd and his dylygence To haue her life and fully to purchace Of the grekes for to gette her grace ¶ And as Guydo also doth vs lere Agamenon grekes gan requere To graunt hym for a chiefe guerdon Of Cassandra to haue possession All her lyfe with hym to abyde Eke Eneas and Anthenor besyde Of Helenus to the grekes tolde How to the werre he neuer assente wolde And how that he prudennt and vertuous In counsaylyng was contrarious To all tho of hygh and lowe estate In Troye first that began debate Atwyxe grekes and this myghty towne Eke by his helpe and medyatiowne Achylles was buryed and ygraue The deade corps from houndes for to saue Whan he was slayne in full cruell wyse By nyght tyme as ye haue herde deuyse For sothly he and Cassandra both Of this murder in herte were full wrothe And sory eke of many an other thynge Wrought in the towne w tout their wyttynge ¶ And for they were of malyce Innocent The grekes haue fully by assent Graunted to them a prerogatyfe By Parlement for to haue theyr lyfe But Helenus first in teares drowned Tofore the kynge pyteously hath sowned And abraydynge with a deadly face In humble wyse besought hym of his grace Of knyghtly pytye to haue his aduertence To spare his sworde fro bloud of Innocence And of mercy that he not disdayne To graunt lyfe to the sonnes twayne ¶ Of worthy Hector his brother most entere And eke to rewe on their mother dere Onely of grace that she be not dead A wydowe lefte a lone and can not reade And so the kynge ameued in his herte And wote not whither that she maye diuerte Of his wordes and his wofull chere Benygnely graunted his prayer And gaue eke lyfe and fredom for to go To the mother and her chyldren two ¶ And to ladyes and gentyll women all That for mercy to his grace calle He graunted eke of compassyon A safe conduite and a fre pardon Where that them lyste in the towne abyde Or in the countre adiacent besyde He put it hole in their electiowne ¶ And thanking him they fell on knees down With many teare dewed in the face ¶ And so the kynge parteth fro the place And after that grekes ryght anone Fully purpose to shyp for to gone In haste to sayle towarde their countre But suche a tempest rose vp in the sea Of wawe and wynde also of cloudes blacke All a moneth that they dare not take The
water salte for drede of Neptunus ¶ Of very Ire and also Golus Was vnto them in euery thynge contrary That on the londe made them longe tarye The sea was aye so fell and boylynge ¶ Tyll the grekes of Calchas enquyryng By one assent what it myght be That euer in one so dyuers was the sea In his rage both eue and morowe ¶ And he answered god gyue him euyl sorow This olde shrewe with all his prophecye That can so well when hym lyste to lye How this tempest caused was at all By the goddes and furyes infernall That neuer wolde appease nor be stylle Tyll the number platly of Achylle Auenged be and shedynge of his bloud ¶ For whiche he sayde Apollo was eke wood For his temple to him consecrate Was through his death in Troye violate By bloude agayne be made satisfaction Wherfore there muste throughe redempcyon Of her that was roote in speciall Through her beautye and orygynall Cause of his death yonge Polycene And gynnynge fyrst of his mortall tene Therfore to Apollo she might vp offred be By sacrafyce to please his deyte With death agayne to make recompence Right as by death fyrst was the offence This grekes must vtterly fulfyll If they desyre for to haue at wyll The large sea to sayle in quiet ¶ And Pirrhus tho in a furious hete Gan enquire about of euery man For Policene but no wyght tell can Of her a worde nor shortely where she was Saufe some sayde howe that Eneas And Anthenor had hyd her pryuely Wherof there rose amonge them sodeynly Suche agrutchynge of grekes all aboute Of their lyfe that they were in doubte So inwardly this thinges they toke at grefe ¶ Till Anthenor god geue hym euyll prefe That may of treason as wardeyn bere y e keye To shewe out his malys euery waye So longe hath sought till in a chamber olde He hath her founde and the grekes tolde And brought her forth vnto their presence By cruell force and hatefull vyolence Without pytye or compassyon And her delyuered to Agamenon ¶ And he alas by hastye Iudgement Without respyte or auysemente Shortely hath dempte that she shall be deade That was flourynge in her maydenhead ¶ And for to do excepcyon ¶ She was assygned by Agamenon Vnto Pirrhus and he of tirannye Ladde her forth and fast gan hym hye To the place where she shulde dye ¶ Great was the prease that in the weye Gan croude and shoue to beholde and sene This yonge mayde fayre Pollycene That for her beautye and her semlynesse Her womanhede and excellent fayrenesse Of all yfere when they toke hede They had routhe that she shal be deade Without gylte or any more trespace Where men may se vpon many face The salte teares faste falle downe Of very pytye and compassyowne For man nor childe was none so harde of hert But he felte for her sake some smert Her goodly face whan they beholde and se And fayne wolde if it might haue be Delyuered her of very force anone Fro Pirrus hande but for they wende echone Without her death neuer to haue repeire Into grece nor the wether fayre As Calchas had made suggestion And brought them all in opynyon ¶ And at the laste whan this Policene Of dede and wyll a very mayde clene Was to the graue of Achylles brought She kneleth downe w t an humble thought Caste vp her eye and gan syghe ofte And to the goddes humbly and softe With dredfull herte and deuocion Made in this wyse her lamentacion OH ye myghty y t in this worlde gouerne And euery thinge consyder and diserne By whom this world so huge large rounde Both ayre and sea heauen eke y e grounde At your deuyse with a worde was wrought And sothfastly knowe euery thought Right as it is of euery maner wyght Without lettynge so persynge is your syght That nothinge is conceyled nor ywrye From the beholdynge of your eternall eye And euery thinge maye attones se Vpon my soule haue mercy and pyte And of your grace and beninge cure Vpon my wo and pyteous auenture Haue some routhe nowe that I shall deye My wofull spyryte to lede and conueye Where as you lyst now that I shall pace For vnto you in this selfe place I me confesse with all humilyte That hytherto I haue in chastyte Ladde all my lyfe and kept my maydēhead In your seruyce both in thought and dede In porte in chere and in countenaunce Or for feture of any daliaunce With one misloke I neuer yet abrayde So that in sothe I dye shall a maide As ye well knowe of synne all innocent Though I be nowe dempt by iudgement For to be dead without gilte at all Witnesse on you that be immortall Clene of entente of that I am accused And yet alas I maye not be excused But that the swerde of vengeaunce must byte Routheles which am nothinge to wite But stande cleare and pure of all offence And discharged in my conscience I dare affirme and fully giltles Touchinge the murdre of worthy Achilles Which slewe my brother and after loued me And is nowe cause of mine aduersyte And yet in will dede worde nor thought Vnto his death assentaunt was right nought But therof was right sory im my herte Albe that I maye not now asterte For to be dead onely for his sake On me alone vengeaunce shal be take Without mercy in full cruell wise With my bloud to make sacrafise To the goddes their wrathe for to queme Oh people blinde in sothe amisse ye deme Agaynst me your herte is so cruell To mercyles to yrous and to fell Without routhe to mikel indurate To sley a mayde alone desolate Out of your herte alas pitye is gone Harder in trouthe than any stocke or stone And more cruell in your opinion For lacke of pitye than Tigre or Lion Certis ye be greatly for to blame And ought therof for to haue great shame To assent to so foule a dede To sley a maide quakinge in her dread And graunte her none oportunitye For to be wepe her virginyte ¶ That of this cruell this piteous wreche My bloude your gylte hereafter shall apeche And accuse also your great enuye To the goddes that shall iustyfye Euery vnright bothe of hygh and lowe Full egally and make to be knowe The trouthe plainly spare and no degree But make open that is now secree I saye not this nor my selfe complayne To haue redres of my fatall payne For death is now more welcome vnto me Than is my lyfe and more I take at gree Sithen my brother most worthy of renowne Be slayne all and buryed in this towne My father dead in his vnweldy age And I alone leste in all this rage And haue abyde pyteousely to se Fynally ruyne now of this cytye Whiche at my herte sytteth now so sore That leuer I haue then to wepe more Dye attones in relesse of my wo. Sith all my kynne is passed and ago Longer to
feyned falsenesse out of drede Rose of the deuyll and fyrst by his engyne And of his sleyghty treynes serpentyne Onely mankynde whan he made loute To false ydoles the whiche out of doubte Are but deuylles Dauyd beareth wytnesse In the saulter where he wryt expresse And confyrmeth there as he endites Howe the goddes of Paganisme rytes One and all he excepteth none Be made of golde of syluer and of stone Forged of brasse of metall and of tree And eyen haue of and yet they may not se And all are fendes so as Dauyd sayth That who in them haueth any fayth Hope credence or in them delyte It is no drede that they wyll hym quyte With suche guerdon as the soule sleeth Perpetually so that the fyne is death Of their seruyce when men hense pace And in their lyfe vnhap and euell grace Mischyefe and wo and confusyowne As men may se example by the towne That wende well assured for to haue be And to haue stande in longe prosperitye Agayne their foen through helpe of Apollo Of Venus eke and fauour of Iuno Through Pallas might Dyane Mynerue Whom they were wonte to honour serue With cerimonyes and with sacrafyce As ye tofore haue herde me deuyse That them haue brought now to ruyne By cruell death in a bed them to fyne Here may ye se how the venym bytes At the ende of suche olde rytes By euydence of this noble towne What may auayle now Palladyowne What may now helpe their frauded fantasye Of all their olde false ydolatrye Alas alas they bought it all to sore Now farewell Troye farewell for euermore Farewell alas to cruell was thy fall Of the no more now I wryte shall For thy sake forsoth whan I take hede Of inwarde wo my herte I fele blede And when that I remembre in my thought By ruine how thou arte brought to noughte That whylom were so noble and so ryche That in this worlde I trowe none was liche Nor perygall to speake of fayrenesse To speake of knyghthode or of worthynesse As clerkes say that thy byldynge knewe That all the worlde ought for to rewe On thy piteous waste walles wilde Whylom so royall when men gan to bylde Thy towres hye and kynge Pryamus The fyrst began most ryche and gloryous And sette his see in noble Ilyon Oh who can wryte a lamentacion Conuenient Oh Troye for thy sake Thy great myschiefe to complayne and crye ¶ Certes I trowe not olde Ieremye That so be wepte the captiuitye Of thylke noble royall chyefe Cyte Ierusalem and his destruction With all the hole transmygracion ¶ Of the Iewes nor thou Ezechyell That were that tyme when the mischiefe fell Vnto the kynge ycalled Sedeclye In Babylon and for thy prophesye With stones were cruelly yslawe Nor he that was departed with a sawe Ye bothe two that colde so complaine Nor Danyell that felte so great peyne For the kynges transmutasyon In a beast tyll through the oryson Of Danyell he restored was To mynde agayne and eate no more grasse ¶ Yet veryly though ye all thre With your wepynge gan aliue be And present eke at the destructiowne Of this noble worthy royall towne To haue bewayled the mischiefe and the wo And the slaughter at the syege do On outher partye in full cruell wyse All your teares might not suffyce To haue bewepte their sorowes euerychone By treason wrought aswell as by their foen ¶ Hereof no more for it may not auayle But lyke as he that gynneth for to sayle Agayne the wynde when the maste do ryue Ryght so it were but in vayne to stryue Agayne the face bytter then galle By the vengeaunce vpon Troye falle Nor to presume their furyes sharpe whette Ceryously in this boke to sette So great a thyng I dare not vndertake But euen here a pyteous ende I make Of the syege after my symplesse And though my stile be blotted with rudenesse As of metre both rusty and vnfyled ¶ The fourthe boke that I haue compyled With humble hande of drede y t doth me quake Vnto your grace hooly I betake ¶ Of your mercy nothynge in dispryre So as I can makynge my repeyre To the grekes and no longer dwelle Their aduentures of the sea to telle In their resorte home to their countre And how that they there receyued be Onely of supporte so ye not despyse The fyfthe boke I shortely shall deuyse ¶ Thus endeth the fourth boke The fyfthe boke ¶ Here begynneth the fyfth booke Howe the Grekes retourned into Grece after the distruction and howe they were perysshed almoste all in the sea and after they that escaped dyed myscheuously Cap. xxxvi WHen Eolus whiche dothe the wyndes rore Appeased was y t he blewe no more Whiche is of stormes gouernoure and lorde And was also fully of accorde With myghty Iuno lady of the ayre To make the skye and the wether fayre That cloude none in heauen dyd appere And Neptunus blaundyshynge of chere Was of assent the story sayeth for soth To make the sea fro tempest calme and smoth Without boyling or trouble of any wawe The mighty grekê to shipward gan theÌ„ draw For to repeyre home to their countre After they had wonnen the citye And put their fomen fully at the werse But fortune aye frowarde and peruerse Hath with their mirth meynt aduersyte For when they wende full assured be And haue stande stedfaste in quyete This blynde lady falsly made to flete Into their sugred galle of discordaunce Amonge them selfe to brynge in varyaunce And their hertes of rancour and of pryde Contagyously to seueryne and deuyde When they sat hyghest in their glorye With the palme of conquest and victorye Fully reioysynge through their hye renowne The crowne of laurer in possessyowne And had also at their lust all wonne When bryghtest shone the lustye freshe sonne From East to West of their worthynesse A cloudye skye vnwarely with derkenesse Eclypsed hath a partye of their light And eke diffaced the holsome beames bryght Of their welfare and prosperitie By the enuyous false contagyosytie Of the serpent pompouse and ellate Amonge them selfe to make them at debate Indusynge in rancour and discorde For or they entre within shyppes borde Agayne Vlyxes worthy Thelamon In presence of the kynge Agamenon Purposed hath playnely his mattere Tofore grekes anone as ye shall here SIres quod he so it you not greue Me semeth iustly of reason I may meue Touchyng y e winning getting of the towne With golde richesse and possessyowne Fully delyuered and taken to our hande With all the treasour founde in the londe The whiche me thincketh in my inward sight Ne hath not ben departed halfe a ryght Amonge vs by iuste deuysyon Ne by egall dystribucion Consydered fyrst by tytle of equyte Of euery wyght the estate and dignitie Remembred eke howe in this sharpe shoure The worthyest the meryte and labour And desertes in this mortall stryfe Grauntynge to eueryche his prerogatyfe And lyke fortune as he hath deserued But
her dead But through his prudent mediacyon Maugre the myght of this Thelamon He hath the quene fro the death preserued Albe that she the same had well deserued As grekes sayde in their opynyon And thus defrauded of Palladyon As ye haue harde was this worthy knyght For all his manhode and his great myght Where through there gan in his herte brede Passynge enuye and full great hatrede And thought he wolde auenged be some day Vpon Vlixes and on Menelay And eke also vppon Agamenon And out he brake lyke a wood Lyon With his knightes about him y t were stronge And sayd playnly of this great wronge For to be dead he woulde auenged be And specyally on this ilke three And therwithall furious and wrothe Tournyng his backe out anone he goeth In herte fret with full mortall tene With many greke his quarell to sustene That in herte sore gan dysdayne Agayne Vlixes and the tother twayne But they full ware what so euer falle Their knightes made aboute them for to call And with gret stuffe where they wake or slepe To awayte on them and manly for to kepe With full good watche enuyron all the close ¶ But full erely or the sonne arose This worthy Ayax in his bed vpryght Ymurdred was the selfe same nyght And albe blede in the morowe founde On peces hewe with many mortall wounde That for this thyng cruell and horryble To god and man lothsome and odyble Full many greke that wofull morowe wepe To se a knyght so murdred in his slepe That the crye and the noyse ran Throughout the hooste anone fro man to maÌ„ And for constreynt of this foule deede Eueryche of them felte his herte blede Full desyrous to make an ordynaunce On this murdre for to do vengeaunce Hauynge therof great suspection To Menelay and to Agamenon ¶ But to Vlixes most in specyall By comon voyce to hym arrettynge all The foule fame he myght not asterte ¶ But Pyrrhus most toke this thyng at hert Makyng a vowe furyous and wood To be venged playnely on the bloud Of Thelamon vpon Vlixes heade Hym manasynge that he shal be deade So sore on hym frettynge was the sorowe ¶ But Vlixes erly on a morowe For dread of Pirrhus taken hath the sea And with his shyppes faste gan to flee ¶ But or he wente platly as I reade Palladyon he toke to Dyomede Hauynge in herte therof full great remorse ¶ And Pirrhus then taken hath the corse Of Thelamon for loue in specyall And dyd make a flawme funerall Large and great of coles hote and red And amyddes the feruent fyry glede Full many a greke stondynge to beholde He lette it brenne into ashes colde And in the storye after as is tolde He closed them in an vrne of golde Full reuerently and after hath it shette And thervpon he hath the prynte ysette Of his armes curyously ygraue From all myschyefe the asshes for to saue And sent them home by great affection To be conserued in the regyon Where he was kyng whyle he was a lyue And euery thynge was perfourmed blyue After the rytes in tho dayes vsed ¶ And euer in one Pyrrhus hath ymused Vpon this murdre trayterously ywrought And caste it shulde be full dere abought The pyteous death of this Thelamon Hauynge aye hate as to Agamenon And had eke suspecte olde Menelay That in a wayte eche for other laye Makyng theÌ„ selfe with their knightê stronge To trye out who hath ryght or wronge For Pyrrhus ne wolde let it lyghtly gone And thus they were made mortall fone This ylke three platly to the death Through false enuy which their hertes sleeth And while they were amonge theÌ„ selfe vntrue Stryfe vpon stryfe gan euery day renewe And debates for to multiplye Tyll Anthenor gan this thynge espye And by his wysedome to stynten all disdayne Them reconsyled vnto peace agayne And caused them to accorde in all And after made a solempne feast royall Besechynge them full lowely al thre To graunt to hym therat for to be Of gentylnesse that Grekes myghte echone Outwarde conceyue that they were al alone And to this feast he goodly made to calle As writ Guydo the worthy grekes all Of hye ne lowe was none excepcion But yf I shulde make descrypcion Howe the lordes and estates sette Of sundrye courses and the gyftes great That Anthenor gaue on euery syde It were to longe to you for to abyde There was of plente so great suffysaunce ¶ And I fynde they fell in dalyaunce Syttyng at meate to speken of Enee Brought in of hate and of enmite And of disdaye shortely in sentence They put on hym many great offence And specyally in their hasty tene Whylom how he concealed Polycene And by his sleyght made her be withdrawe Whiche was in cause Achylles was yslawe Shortly concludyng by one opynyon His fynall exyle out of Troye towne Notwithstandyng the graunt and lyberte Gyuen to hym to abyde in the cyte Also longe as hym lyste deuyse But grekes haue adnulled his fraunchyse Fro the lowest vp vnto the meste That were present at this hye feste ¶ But doubtelesse I can not well espye By whom was brought this conspyracye In Troye boke I fynde can no more Saue that hym selfe wytte it Anthenor Ylyche false bothe in one degre As ye haue herde betrayshynge the Cytye Lyke as they had spronge out of one roote And wheÌ„ he knew ther was none other boote This Eneas his dome to modefye He prayed them of their courtesye At the least to graunten him grace Foure monthes that he myght haue space To make his stuffe and his apparayle And hym selfe to puruey of vytayle Eke to graunt hym that they wolde assent Thylke shyppes that with Parys went To Cytheron vnto that temple olde That were in nombre two and twenty tolde And with full graunt of his petycyowne He is retourned home to Troye towne Tryste and heuy to se and beholde The waste Cytye with his walles olde And for sorowe felte his herte blede Within hym selfe when he taketh hede And remembred in his aduertence To false treason and the great offence By hym compassed to the towne aforne And how that he so sodeynely hath lorne The grace of grekes and stode disconsolate That whylom was of so great estate Now in his herte he fully dispeyred That he vnwarely was so euyll apayred Vnto grekes beyonde at his backe Beynge vngylty and without lacke And by whome he coulde not well deme Saue by sygnes as it shulde seme That Anthenor was moste for to wyte And caste playnely that he wolde hym quyte And through the towne he made sende blyue For thilke fewe that were lefte alyue Commynge anone at his commaundemente And when they were euerychone present SIres quod he ye se howe that fortune Towardes me gynneth discontune Aye vnstable with her eyen blynde As ye experte in your selfe now fynde Whilom frowarde now tourned into werse That of clerkes called is aduerse When her lyst her cruelte to shewe
To anul his tytle that he not succede Him to preserue that he were not shent Kinge Taltibus with power hath him sente Ful secretly out of that countree Vnto a kinge called Ydume That helde his sceptre and his royall sete Full mightely in the lande of Crete And Carkasis named was the quene That had a doughter called eke Climene Borne to be heyre of that regyon And as it is made eke mencyon This Horestes to reken all thynge Was with the quene and also with the kinge Cherished as well the storye can you lere As Climena theyr owne doughter deare And was eke kepte and had in cherte Fro poynt to poynt lyke to his degre With attendaunce conuenyent and dewe To his estate that euer vpon him sewe Of such as were most experte and sage To gouerne him tyll he came to age To reioyce if god gaue him might His heritage to whych he had right By clere discent if happy were his chaunce Thus leue I him vnder gouernaunce The yonge sonne of Agamenon For I must make a dygressyon Fro this matter and tell of Diomede The auentures in Guydo as I rede His wofull fate and his paynes smerte The whych alas he might not asterte As is remembred playnly in writynge That Oetes sonne of the riche kinge Called Naulus as ye haue herde toforne Such heuynesse in his herte hath borne Vnto Grekes repeyringe home fro Troye That his lust and his inwarde ioye Was them to hyndre both high and lowe And cause why to you it is vnknowe To them he was so passynge enuyous In will and thought ylyke desyrous If he might sothly this no les The death to venge of Pallamides Lyke as tofore the storye can deuyse To you that be so prudent and so wyse And how Oetes now of malice wrought And trayterously new meane sought If he might by any maner waye Diomedes vnwarely to destroye Of all this thinge I cast not to fayle Ceryously to make rehersayle IN Grece was a kingedome wide large Coniunct in one Calidonye and Arge Full habundaunt of rychesse and of rente Of which the kinge called was Pollente A worthy man and of noble fame And had a sonne Assandrus was his name And a doughter passinge fayre of syght And sothly Egra I finde that she hyght And for her father like as wryte Guydo Had no mo but these children two For them he hath of wisedome so prouided This mighty reygne for to be deuyded Atwene theim two after his decease Eche with his parte for to lyue in peace To exclude them fro indigence or nede And she was wyfe vnto Diomede Albe tofore the storye of him sayde That he whilom loued one Crysayde I can not saye where it was doubilnesse But well wote I Guydo beareth wytnesse And in his boke sothly sayth none other And how Assandrus his owne wiues brother Full lusty freshe and ful of manlyhead To Troye went with this Dyomede But in the sea fordriuen vp so downe They riued vp in the regyon Called Boece all disconsolate With tempest driue wery and full mate Them to refreshe and for none other thinge In which lande Thelephus was kinge Of whose riuayle whan he herde sayne In his herte he had high disdayne That they were bolde to do so great offence To entre his grounde hauinge no licence And yet in sothe they did no domage To high nor lowe of no maner age Nor toke nought that might disauayle Vnto that lande but it were vytayle For which they payde iustly at the fine For fleshe and fyshe and for bread and wine Yet for all that of indignaciowne Kinge Thelaphus is descended downe With great array to harme thē if he might And so they gan to bicker and to fight And Assandrus full of high prowesse Like a Lion his fomen gan oppresse And wonder knyghtly the felde vpen thē wā And slewe that daye many worthy man Of hygh courage and of manly pryde And when the kinge whiche that stode asyde Sawe his men slayne on euery parte Of hygh dysdayne hent anone a darte And caste at hym alas the mortall fate And perced hathe through mayles through plate Of Assandrus that he fel downe dead The soyle about of his bloud all redde His deadly wounde so began to blede And wood as Tygre tho came Dyomede And hym to auenge bare hym lyke a knyght Sleeth and kylleth and put them vnto flight And after that such sorowe gan to make Of knyghtly routh for his brothers sake That he ne wyst what was best to do But as I finde myd of all his wo From beast and foule the dead corps to saue Like his estate he let make a graue And buryed hym after rites olde ¶ But Oetes to his syster tolde That he was slayne by fraude of Dyomede To fyne that he myght full possede The reygne of Arge hole without stryfe Wyth the purpartye annexed to hys wyfe For by his death he myght season take And tolde her eke that she was forsake This fayre Egra for all her womanhead Of her lorde callled Dyomede All this he tolde in hell be he chayned And ouermore he forged hath and fained How of enuye Assandrus lost his lyfe And how her lorde hath take an other wyfe That was to her dyshonour and shame And passyngly great sclaunder to her name In preiudyce ydone of her estate All this he tolde to make them at debate Lyke as he wrote in conclusyon To Clemestra of Agamenon Whych her herte made sore greue For he put her fully in byleue Of all the treason ye haue herde me tolde That for yre she pale was and colde Vnkyndnesse so her herte sleeth And heuynesse of her brothers death For neuer yet Guydo doth assure No woman loued better a creature Than she loued hym in no maner age For fyrst at nought she set her herytage In comparyson of her brothers lyfe Lo how Oetes made a newe stryfe As ye haue herde in the storye rede That gyltles worthy Dyomede When he hath longe at the syege layne And to his kingdom would haue come agayn By migyhty hande of this worthy quene And her lyeges that assented bene He was exyled out of that regyon There may be made no medyacyon Thus in him selfe mate and dyspeyred Dysconsolate he is agayne repeyred To Salerne a londe of great rychesse Where that Tenter through his worthynesse Wyth crowne Sceptre had reygned longe Wyth hys lyeges and hys knyghtes stronge And brother was to Ayax Thelamon Murdred tofore as made is mencyon And Dyomede pore and destytute Maye in Salerne fynde no refute For whan Tenter first gan him espye He sewed hym by full great enuye Hauynge to hym aye suspection Touchynge the death of kynge Thelamon ¶ But Dyomede on a certayne nyghte Full secretely hath taken him to flyght And fro Salerne fast gan hym hye In hope to fynde better remedye Helpe or socour in some other place If fortune wolde graunte hym grace For of hym selfe ashamed
the prise There will no man replye that is wise He were to feble in his opynion ¶ And while Vlixes was with Alphenon It was to him made relacyon Of an hatefull conspiratyon That certayne lordes enuyron his countre Rauishe would his quene Penolope Maugre all tho that were there agayne Albe that she was euer ylyke playne In her trouthe stedfaste as a wall Yet they haue caste platly that she shall Be take of force it maye not be eschewed But it so be in haste she be reskued For they them caste the time not aiourne For daye and nighte with her they soiourne Inly in herte for loue disamayde But of wisedome she hath theim so belayde There was none so manly nor so sage That could of her get auauntage So aduyse s he was in her workynge And when Vlixes conceyueth all this thinge And fully knewe by open euydence And had also in specyall credence ¶ Sente vnto him fro Penolope The matter hole declarynge in secretee ¶ His owne sonne Thelamonius He wexe in herte wood and furyous And would make no dylacyon ¶ But in all haste besoughte Alphenon The mighty kinge of his high bounte To releue him in his aduersyte And that he would through his mighty hāde Of gentillesse conueye him to his lande He graunteth him and saye not ones naye And both two in ful great araye Toke the sea when the winde was good Well fortuned for nothinge theim withstode They be ariued and had no lettynge Where Vlixes as ye haue herde was kinge And secretly in a night they were conueyed To them that haue his ligaunce disobeyed And mercyles or they might awake In theyr beddes they haue theim all take Makynge no prolongyng tyll on the morowe But in all haste for no wight durst thē borow Smet of theyr heades by iudgement fynall And set theim vpon the castell wall Eueriche by other endlonge the rowe Vpon the toure when the cocke gan crowe And thus all nyght they kept theim selfe close Till that Phebus meryly arose In the Orient when the larke songe And tho these kinges w t theyr meyne strōge Freshly besene entre the cetee Who was so glad but Penolope Who made ioye but this goodly quene Full desyrous her owne lorde to sene ¶ But if I should all in ordre sette The great myrthe they made when they met Make rehersayle of complayntes olde And how they gan theyr hertes to vnfolde Eche to other and lyst nothinge concele And the gladnesse that they inly fele If I shulde put all in memorye The reioysynge and the hertye glorye That his lyeges made at his comynge The coste eke they had at his metynge The giftes great and presentes ryche In all this worlde I trowe none ylyche It were to longe taryinge for my boke And how that he newe assuraunce toke Of his lordes and lyeges all And how that they to his grace fall The cheare he made eke to Alphenowne Of gentylnesse through his high renowne And how the doughter inly debonayre Of Alphenon Nausica the fayre By Vlixes medyacyon Ywedded was vnto Thelamon Borne by discent there may no man saye nay To reioyce his crowne after his daye And thus came in by his purueyaunce Of two reygnes the myghty allyaunce And how all this brought was to the knotte Men would deme playnly me to sotte To presume of opynyon For to delate a descripcyon Sythen Guydo touchinge but the chyefe In this matter of stile was but brefe ¶ Shortly rehersynge how kinge Alphenon Repeyred is home to his regyon And Vlixes in his chiefe cyte Abode styll with Penolope Where I him leue in ioye and in solace Till Attropos liketh to purchase For to fyche fynally the date The threde to vntwine of his liues fate ¶ How the translatour wryteth the stocke of Pirrhus by lyneall dyscent and how his father hight Pelleus and his graundmother called Thetydes Ca. xxxviii NOw must I full busy be a while To directe the traces of my stile In discriuinge shortly of entente The stocke of Pirrhus by lyneall discente Myn Auctour folowe and be compendious ¶ Whos 's olde father hyght Pelleus His graundmother called Thetydes Of whych two came worthy Achilles That at Troye by treason lost his lyfe And Dardanica called was his wife ¶ Pirrhus mother and doughter as I reade Vnto the kynge called Lychomede ¶ Hauinge a father that Atastus hight Whych in sothnesse all that euer he myght ¶ Bare heauy herte to kinge Pelleus To Achilles and also to Pirrhus To all the kyn playnly on that side And of malyce rancour and of pryde And of enuye in an hatefull rage ¶ When Pelleus fall was in age He berafte him both sceptre and crowne And from his see lowe alight him downe And into exyle auayle maye no stryfe He made him go with Thetydes his wyfe Of high disdayne gayne maye no grace And in his herte gan daye and night cōpace The death of Pyrrhus kepe him if ye can And therupon maliciously began To shape a waye by awayte lyinge Him for to sley at his home comynge But this Pyrrhus from his treynes free Many daunger escaped of the sea Many wawe and many tempest wood With great losse both of men and good At Malasus alderfyrst gan londe A stronge Cyte a lytell from the stronde Where that he was refreshed wonder wele And there he knewe grounde and euery dele Fyrste of Thexyle lyke as men him tolde ¶ Of Thetides and Pelleus the olde And how Atastus bare to him hatrede Vnto the death wherof he gan drede And thought he would as he y t was right wise By some engyne eschewe his malyce And therupon do his busy payne ¶ Now had Atastus other sonnes twayne ¶ Menalippus and Polistenes And a doughter ycalled Thetydes And all this whyle wofull Pelleus In a castell olde and ruynous With Thetydes full of sorowe and care For dread of death daye and night gan dare Dispeyred in his vnweldy age Recure to fynde of this mortall rage Except that he had an hope of yore That Pyrrhus shoulde helpe him and restore At his repeyre when so that it fall After whose comynge often he gan call The tyme curse that he so longe abode But when Pyrrhus all this vnderstode At Malasus by relacyowne Ful faste he gan haste out of the towne Toke the sea and fast gan him hye Towarde the lande called Thesalye Of entent to make ordynaunce On Atastus for to do vengeaunce But alder fyrste this Pyrrhus ful prudent Espyes twayne he tofore hath sent To Thesalye forth togyther gone ¶ And Crilippus named was the tone And Adrastus named was his fere They were expert theim nedeth not to lere In whose exployte to more auauntage ¶ This Pyrrhus hath dyrecte his message Of Thesalye to a cytezyne Called Assandrus a maner chamberlayne With Pelleus and whilom ful secree While he was flourynge in felycytee And when Pyrrhus in conclusyon Knewe all the sothe by relacyon On sea nor lande hym ne lyst to
weake and faynt ynough Be the beastes and oxen of my plough The longe daye agayne the hyll to wende But almost now at the landes ende Of Troye booke fyche I wyll a stake Saue I must spende a fewe lynes blake The laste chapiter shortly to translate Of all this worke and ympen in the date Of that daye death sette on him areste Full execute by him he loued best LOwe on my knees now must I loute To this god that maketh men to route And causeth folkes to haue glad swenenes Both on morowe and on lusty euenes When Morphe us with slepy wande Which that he holdeth alwaye in his hande Hath marked them agayne the nyght To make men both mery and lyght And some whyle to haue gladnesse And sodeynly to falle in heauynesse Lyke as to them he gyueth euydence By sondry sygnes in his apparence Vnto that lord now must I mekely preye At this tyme my style to conueye Of Vlyxes the dreame to discryue The laste of all he had by his lyue Declarynge hym by tokens full notable And by sygnes very demonstrable As he slepte agayne the pale mone His fatall day that shulde folowe soone For it fell thus as he abedde laye After mydnyght tofore the morowe graye ¶ Hym thought he sawe appeare a creature To his syght celestyall of fygure None erthly thynge but veryly deuyne Of porte and chere wonder femynyne ¶ And as hym sempte in his fantasye Lyke a thynge sent out of fayrye For the beaute of her goodly face Recomforted playnely all the place Most surmountynge and most souerayne And the clerenesse of her eyen twayne All sodeynly or men myght aduerte Perce woulde euen to the herte Deffence none myght be deuysed ¶ And Vlyxes with her loke supprysed Gan her beholde alwaye more and more And in his slepe for to syghe sore Persynge aye with full busy peyne Her to enbrace in his armes twayne ¶ But aye the more that he gan pursue She agaynewarde gan hym to eschewe And aye the more he preysed her to se Aye the more from hym she gan to flee So contrayre to hym was fortune And whan she sawe he was importune She asked hym shortly what he wolde And he to her the platte trouth tolde ¶ Certes quod he my lyues Emperysse Where that ye be woman or goddesse I can not deme nor iudge halfe a ryght I am so derked and blynded in my syght ¶ But I dare well affyrme in this place My lyfe my deth stande hoolely in your grace More of mercy requyrynge than of ryght To rewe on me which am your owne knight And of your pyte and compassyon Goodly to se to my saluacyon For my desyre but I maye fulfyll This same night to haue of you my wyll To my recure I can no remedye For lacke of routhe but nedely I must dye Now haue I all atwixe hope and dread My selfe declared to your womanhead And after that she kept her close a while And tho full sadly gan on him to smyle And as it put is in remembraunce Sayde vnto him with sobre countenaunce Sothly quod she this thine affection Would fully tourne to the confusion As of vs both so it is perellous So inly mortall and contagyous That vtterly there gayne may no reade But one of vs must anone be dead This is the fyne of the hateful chaunce That folowe should after our pleasaunce And as Vlixes gan to nighen nere Beholdinge aye on her the heauenly cheare Where as she stode vp right on the grdunde He sawe her holde a spere longe and rounde The head therof all of borned stele Forged newe and grounde wonder wele ¶ And therupon in his auisiowne He sawe a baner blasynge vp and downe The felde therof all of coloure ynde Full of fyshes beaten as I fynde ¶ And in some bokes like as it is tolde In the middes a large crowne of golde ¶ And or that she tourne gan her face Lykly anone to parte out of the place She spake to him sayd in wordes playne This is full token of partynge of vs twayne For euermore and efte for sowre ne swete After this daye neuer agayne to mete And disaperinge anone her leue she toke And after that he sodaynly awoke And gan to musen in his fantasye What maner thing this dreme might sygnefy But where it mente other euill or good The secretnesse he tho not vnderstode For it surmounted sothly his reason Therfore he sente throughout his region For suche as were subtill exposytoures Of fate or sorte or crafty dyuinours For all the clerkes subeict to his crowne To assemble in one his sweuen to expowne ¶ And when they knewe by informacyon The maner hole of his auision They byn concluded according as in one The time aprocheth and shall come anone That one that is the next of his kinrede With a spere shulde make his herte blede ¶ Let se where he his fate gan remewe Sith it is harde destynye teschewe As saye tho folke in theyr opinion That worke and trust on constellacion And Vlixes musynge on this tale Chaungeth coloure and gan to wexeen pale Wonder dreadfull and full of fantasyes Gan in him selfe to seke out remedyes Awaye to voyde thinge that will not be ¶ He stareth brode but he maye not se His inwarde loke was with a cloude yblent ¶ But weninge he for to be prudent ¶ Made call to hym his sonne Thelamon And to be take and shet vp in pryson He supposynge fully in his witte From all mischiefe therby to go quite He not aduerteth nor ne toke none hede To the sharpenesse of his speares head Nor to the fishes in the baner beate Nor of the sea wherin they swimme and flete Nor of the quene that called is Circes That signes brought of wer not of peace Nor of the crowne token of dignyte Of one that holde shall his royall see Waltryng amid the wawes both fell woo Amonge the fyshes in the large floud ¶ And he shall make the ful diuision Tofore remembred in the auision Agayne his will of very ignoraunce And execute the fatall puruyaunce Vp of the dreame with his spere of stele Whych Vlixes consydreth neuer a dele ¶ Nor to no wyght hath suspection ¶ But to his sonne called Thelamon That closed is and shet vp in a towre ¶ And Vlixes with coste and great laboure Fro daye to daye doth his busynesse For him selfe to make a forteresse Bilte on a rocke of lime and square stones Depe ditched about for the nones That no man maye enter on no syde Where as he casteth all hys lyfe to abyde With certayne men chosen in specyall ¶ Night and daye to watche vpon the wall That no maner wyght shulde haue none entree But it so falle that he be aye secree And knowen of olde to counsayle sworne NOw as y e story rehersed hath to forne The olde foole this dotarde Vlixes A sonne had begot on her Cyrces Freshe and lusty yonge and
coragious And he was called Thelagonyus ¶ Borne in the see amonge the floddes rage That was also to reken his age Fyue and twenty yeres and there aboute ¶ But of hys father he was aye in doute What man he was or who it mighte be Beynge therof in no securytie Tyll on a daye he desyrous to knowe To hys mother fell on knees lowe Beseching her goodly and not spare Of hys father to him the trouthe declare What that he was or where he shuld dwelle He her besought that she woulde hym tell ¶ But sothly she longe and many dayes Of hyghe prudence put hym in delayes Tyll that she sawe she might haue no reste So importune he was in his requeste And whē she knew ther was none other bote Fro poynt to poynt she tolde him crop rote ¶ Of Vlixes and where that he was kynge And he anone made no taryinge But toke leue it may none other be And playnely sayde he wolde hys father se ¶ Wherof the quene gan in her herte colde But when she saw she might him not w tholde She hym besought wyth chere debonayre That he wolde soone agayne to her repayre And forthe he sayleth onwarde on his way Without abode the selfe same day By many porte and many fer countre Tyll he was brought there as he would be ¶ To Achaya a lande of great renowne And he gan serche through out the regyon After the place and paleys pryncypall Where as the kinge helde his see royall And he so longe in the countre rode Tyll he was taught where the kynge abode There Vlixes was shytte vp in mewe To which place in haste he gan pursewe A great party releued of hys sorow And on a monday erely by the morow ¶ Vnto the brydge the ryghteway he toke And foūde a porter deynous of hys loke And lowely fyrste he gan him for to praye That he voutsafe hym goodly to conueye Into the courte and make no taryinge For he a message he hadde to the kynge ¶ But proudely he denyed the gate And shortly sayd that he came to late To entre there in any maner wyse And eke vngoodly gan him to despyse Frowarde of speche and malycyous But in all haste thys Thelagonyus As he that was in heart not a ferde The proude porter hente by the berde And with his fyste rofe his chawe bone That he fell deade muet as a stone And other eke that him tho withstode He made proudely lepe into the flode And whan mo came to maken resistence He hente a swerde by manly vyolence And furyously in hys yrous tene The story sayeth he slewe of them fyftene Hym selfe almoste wounded to death And gan for wery sothly fayle breath And Vlixes what for noyse and sowne To the bridge is descendyd downe Fynding his men at entre of his gate Dead and slayne by full mortall hate And he full yrous hente anone adarte Of auenture standinge tho aparte And cruelly caste at Thelagon But yet the stroke as in conclusyon Domaged not for it glode asyde And he for haste no longer would abyde Hent vp the darte without more arest And smote the king lowe vnder the brest Through the ribbes shortly for to saye That of the wounde he must nedes deye Hauinge as tho no opinion That he was kinge nor suspection Nor that he had his owne father slawe Which fast gan to his ende drawe His wound was so deadly and so kene That he might him selfe not sustene But pale and wan to the grounde gan glide His men about vpon euery syde That busy were to helpe hym and releue But his sore gan so ake and greue That he well felte that he must be dead ¶ But abrayding as he lift vp his head Hauynge as yet both perfect minde reason Remembre gan of his auysyon And how it was tolde him out of dreade That one that was next of his kinrede Descended downe from his owne lyne His sweuen shall parfourme and to the fyne Accomplishe it wyth a darte of stele And for he could naught conceyuen wele What that he was nor who that it shulde be He badde anone vnto his meyne Without harme or any vyolence To do him sette anone vnto his presence The yonge man whych at the gate stode That hath that daye shed so muche bloud ¶ And when he was afore Vlixes brought Of him he hath enquyred out and sought Fyrste of his kyn and next of his countre ¶ Certes quod he I was borne in the sea Amonge fyshes myd the wawes grene And sayde also his mother was a quene Called Circes of whom the name is kouthe Both east and west and eke right fer by south And tolde also his father was a kynge That hym begat at his home comynge Fro Troye towne towarde this countre And as my mother Circes tolde it me Serteinly that he Vlixes hyghte Of whom desyrous for to haue a syghte I entred am this myghty regyon And haue pursewed vnto this dungeon Onely in hope my father to haue seyne But I se well my laboure is in vayne And syth in sothe lost is my trauayle And that it maye in no syde auayle It were folly longer for to dwell Lo here is all that I can you tell Of my kynred aske of me no more ¶ With that Vlixes gan to syghe sore For lacke of bloud as he that was full pale And sayde anone when he herde his tale ¶ Now wot I well my wofull destynye Fulfylled is it maye none other be Now wot I well that it is to late To grutche or stryue agayne my piteous fate ¶ For my sonne as clerkes whilom tolde Hath made an ende of my dayes olde Theron exspectant with paynes full greuous ¶ And with that worde Thelagonius When so he wist agayne natures lawe That he alas had his father slawe Which in y e land longe had borne his crowne Without abode fell anone in swowne ¶ His clothes rente his yelowe heyre to torne ¶ Alas quod he that euer was I borne For cursed is my woful destynye And my fortune which I maye not fle Cursed my sorte cursed min auenture And I refuse of euery creature Forwarryed eke my disposycyon And cursed is my constellacyon Cursed also and full infortunate The houre in which my father me begat So would god without longer reade To acquite him anone that I were dead To laye my life for his death to borowe ¶ And when the kynge sawe his great sorow And wyst he was his sonne of Circes borne By many sygnes rehersed heretoforne He vnto him anone forgaue his death As tho he might for lacke and want of breth So importable was his passyon ¶ And efte his sonne called Thelamon Whyche hath in prison so many daye be shet To his presence in all haste was fet Which when he sawe his father in suche poynt Wpon his death standynge in disioynt And knewe also and the trouthe hath founde By whom he had his last deadly
through the worlde doth shyne And that all other in manhode doest excelle Egall of meryt to the worthyes nyne And borne also by ryght discent of lyne As veray heyre by tytle to attayne To beare y e crowne of worthy realmes twain ¶ And also fer as Phebus in his sphere Fro East to West throweth out his beames bright And as Lucyna w t a shrouded chere â–ª Goeth compasse rounde with her pale light Thou art yreckened for the best knight To be registred worthy as of name In highest place set of the house of fame ¶ To holde a palme of knighthod in thy haÌ„d For worthinesse and for hygh victorye As thou that arte drade on sea and lande And euermore w t lande honour and glorye For iust conquest to be put in memorye With a crowne made of laurer grene Vpon thy head tofore that famous quene ¶ Whilom ordeyned onely for conquerours Stable of herte with longe contynuaunce And gaue not vp till they were victoures Emprises take for no sodayne chaunce Whose name ay floureth w t newe remeÌ„brauÌ„ce And fadeth not of yeares yore agone Amonges which thou mayst be set for one ¶ For through the world in many regyon Reported is with fame that flyeth wyde That naturally thy condicion On thinge begonne is knightly to abyde And for the tyme manly set asyde Rest and ease with coste theron be spente Til thou haue wonne the fine of thin entente ¶ Most circumspect and passinge auisee And al thy workes conueyed w t high prudeÌ„ce Sad and demure like to Iosuee Agayne whose swerde there gayneth no resysteÌ„ce And hast also of heauenly influence With Salamon wisely to discerne Onely by grace thy people to gouerne ¶ Mercy eke ment with thy magnificence On all oppressed for to haue pyte And of rebelles by manly violence Abate thou canst the great cruelte And so with Dauid hast kingly pyte And highe prowesse with Sesar Iulyus That in his tyme was most victorious ¶ And manly holdest in thy handes two Who can beholde by clere inspection The sword of knighthod thy Sceptre also The tone to bringe to subiectyon Hertes made proude by false rebellyon And with the sceptre to rule at the best Thy trewe people that can liue in rest ¶ Now y u y t hast vertue manhode and grace Attemperaunce fredome and bounte Lowly I praye to the with dreadfull face Disdayne the not benignely for to se Vpon this boke rudely made by me To fyne onely to argue thine highnesse And rewe of mercy vpon my simplesse ¶ And in thy noble kingly aduertenee Consydre the my soueraygne lord most deare Of thine innate famous sapyence That christ Iesu receyued with good cheare The two minutes yeue of herte entere By the widowe which of wil and thought Gaue all her good and kepte her selfe ryghte nought By which example so that it not offende Thrugh mine vnconning to thy high noblesse Let your good will my litell gifte amende And of thy mercy and renowmed goodnesse Take no disdayne of my bareyne rudenesse And in making al though I haue no muse Let trewe meninge the surplus all excuse More then good herte hath no maner wight For to present eyther to god or man And for my parte to the as it is ryght That gyue I hoole as fer forth as I can Aye to perseuer fro tyme that I began With will and thought for thine estate to pray Which to conserue thus finally I saye ¶ Fyrste of almighty god y e wrathe to queme With all that maye be to his plesaunce And to thy crowne and to thy diademe Grace and good eure with long continuauÌ„ce And of thy lyeges faythfull obeysaunce And the vertue that man maye specifye I praye god graunt vnto thy regallye Explicit liber quintus et vltimus Lenuoye GO litell boke put the in the grace Of him that is y e most of excellence And be not hardye aye where to shewe thy face Without supporte of his magnificence And who so euer in the shall finde offence Be not to bolde for no presumpcion Thy selfe tenarme aye in pacience And the submitte to theyr correction Verba translatoris ad librum suum ANd for y e arte enlimmed w t no floures Of Rethorike but all w t white blacke Therfore thou must nedely abide the shoures Of them that list to set on the alacke And when thou arte most likly go to wracke Agaynst them thine errour not diffende But humbly tho withdrawe the go abacke Requiring them that they thy amisse amende FINIS ¶ Here begynneth the table HOwe the kinge of Thesalye named Pelleus loste all his men by dyuyne punishement who after by his praiers obteyned others Ca. i. ¶ Howe Eson the kinge for that he was olde and myghte no longer welde the gouernayle caused to crowne his brother Pelleus Ca. ii ¶ Howe Pelleus fearynge to be deposed by his brothers sonne Iason a worthy and valiaunt yonge knight counsayled him to vndertake the peryllous and almost inuincible conquest of the golden flese at Colchos who by his perswasion vndertoke the same Ca. iii. ¶ Howe Iason in his expedicion towardes Colchos casually with his felowshippe arryued in the territoryes of Troye meaninge onelye there for a whyle to refreshe and reste theym Ca. iiii ¶ How Lamedon kyng of Troye sent to Iason commaundinge him and his felowshyppe forthwyth to departe the confynes of his couÌ„treyth and of theyr aunswere sente ayen to the kynge· Ca. v. ¶ How Iason through the only helpe of Medea Oetes doughter the kynge of Colchos enamored of him he achieued the conquest of the golden flese Ca. vi ¶ How Iason after this conquest wyth Medea and his felowshyppe retourned agayne into Thesalye Ca. vii ¶ Howe Iason Hercules and all the prynces of Grece assembled to aduenge the vncurtesye done to theim by Lamendon in this expedycyon towardes Colchos Ca. viii ¶ Of the battayle betwixt the Grecians and the Troyans wherin the Troians were dyscomfyted theyr kinge slayne and after theyr Citye taken rased and destroyed Ca. ix ¶ The Translatour complaineth the misfortune of the Troyans in the losse of theyr Cite lyuely describinge the tykle estate of Fortunes gouernance beginning in the same chappiter his secounde boke persewynge the matter of the sayd historye Ca. x. ¶ Howe Pryam sonne to Lamedon and succedinge his father buylded the Citye agayne Ca. xi ¶ How king PriaÌ„ send Anthenor into Grece to haue restored ayen his sister Exion Ca. xii ¶ How Priam the kinge sent Parys Deiphobus and others the worthyes of Troye into Grece to aduenge the rauishinge of his sister Exion how they before theyr retourne rauyshed the faire Heleine wife to Menelaus and brought her to Troye Ca. xiii ¶ Howe Parys was receyued in Troye at his retourne and of his mariage to Helcyne Capitulo xiiii ¶ Howe the Grekes assembled to be aduenged of the Troyans for the rauyshynge of Heleyne Ca. xv ¶ The descripcion of Pryam his sonnes and doughters of the aryual of y e Grekes tofore the temple of Diane the goddesse Ca. xvi ¶ How Achilles and Patroclus were sent to Delos to receyue answere of god Apollo how they shuld spede ayenst the Troyans Ca. xvii ¶ Howe the Grekes nauye retourning from Athenes were distressed by tempest and howe they toke a castell of the Troyans called Saranaba Ca. xviii ¶ Howe Agamenon assembled counsayle of the nobles of Grece and determined and sent Vlixes and Diomede in embassade to kynge Priam. Ca. xix ¶ Howe Agamenon sent Achilles and Thelephus into the Ilande of Messa for vytayles and how they slewe the kyng and after ordeyned Thelephus the kinge there Ca. xx ¶ Howe the Grekes landed tofore Troye where they were stoutly fought with all Capitulo xxi ¶ Of the fyrst battayl wherin Hector shewed him selfe in valyauncye tofore all other Capitulo xxii ¶ How the Grekes thrugh theyr suite obteyned of kinge Priam a trewse for eyght wekes and of theyr battayles after the trewse ended Capitulo xxiii ¶ How the Troyans toke kinge Thoas prisoner and led him captiue to Troye Ca. xxiiii ¶ How duringe a trewse of .iii. monthes Hector walked into the Grekes hoost and of the talke had betwixt Achilles him Ca. xxv ¶ Of theyr battayles after that trewse the descripsyon of the Palleys of ylyon of a great pestylence in the Grekes hooste whereby they were enforced to seke for trewse whych vpon theyr suyte they obtayned for thirtye dayes Capitulo xxvi ¶ Howe Andromecha was by a dreame forwarned of the deathe of her husbande Hector if he the day folowyng entred the fyelde wherof she admonyshed him and he therto hauing no respect was the next day slayn of Achilles Capitulo xxvii ¶ The complaynte of Lydgate for the death of Hector Ca. xxviii ¶ How the grekes deposinge Agamenon ordayned Pallamydes the generall of theyr armye Capitulo xxix ¶ How kynge Priam in pâ—rsonne issued into battayle for thaduenge of Hectors deathe where he dyd ryght valyauntly Ca. xxx ¶ Howe Achylles slewe the worthy Troylus vnknightly after trayled his body throughe the fyelde tyed to his horse Ca. xxxi ¶ Howe Parys slewe Achilles and Archylogus Duke Nestors sonne in the temple of Apollo Ca. xxxii ¶ Howe Parys and Thelamon Ayax slewe eche other in the fyelde Ca. xxxiii ¶ How Pantasylla quene of Amazonis comminge in ayde of the Troyans was slayne by Pirrhus Achilles sonne Ca. xxxiiii ¶ Howe the Grekes made an horse of brasse wherin was men of armes and vnder colour of peace brought it into Troye by the whyche it was vtterly destroyed for euer Ca. xxxv How the Grekes retourned into Grece after the distruction and howe they were peryshed almost all in the sea and after they that escaped dyed mischeuously Ca. xxxvi ¶ How the translatour wryteth the stocke of Pirrhus by lyne all discente and howe his father hight Pelleus and his graundemother called Thetydes xxxviii The ende of the table ¶ Imprinted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the Princes armes by Thomas Marshe Anno. do M.D.L.V.
death and destruction On grekes halfe withouten remedye To Troye sent by enbassadrye For a trewse certayne dayes space But he myght therof haue no grace Lenger tyme platly to endure Then for leyser of the sepulture Of worthy knyghtes that were dead aforne In the fyelde on outher party lorne Whiche in the Taas full busyly they soughte And after this plainly how they wrought Durynge the syege with great vyolence I shall descryuen with your pacyence ¶ Howe Achylles slewe the worthy Troylus vnknyghtly after trayled his body through the fyelde tyed to his horse Cap. xxxi THe cruell force and mortall yre Of martyrs myght alway set a fyre With newe enuye gonne of olde hatrede Brennyng in hertes hole as any glede Atwyxe grekes and them of Troye cytye Whiche lykely is not staunched for to be Tyll deth consume with mortall darte Full many worthy vpon outher parte To execute alas by fynall fate On eyther parte the enuious deadly hate Whiche they ne myght by destyne remewe For it was set it nedely must insewe And Attropos wyll suffer it none other That maystresse is guyder of the rother Of deathes shyp tyll all goth vnto wrake And fortune gan tourne her face abake Of highe disdayne fro Troye the cytye As in this story shortly ye shall se For whan the trewse that they had ytake Were wered out they gan them redy make The proude grekes and into fyelde they gone Vpon a morowe whan Phebus bright shone Armed full shene eueryche at his deuyse ¶ And Menelay hath first met with Paris That day in storye as I read And eche of them smytte other of his stede At whiche tyme Dan Pollydamas ¶ To Vlixes rode a sterne pase And eche at other of cruell enmyte With styffe swordes gan together flee That nouther was of manhode for to wyte And with a spere squared for to byte ¶ The myghty Duke called Meneste Rode lyne ryght that all myght it se To Anthenor the Troyan full of pryde And from his sadell caste hym downe asyde In his furye and his hatefull tene And tho in haste come kyng Phylomene Only in helpe of them of the towne And gan assayle kyng Agamenowne Through his knyghthode and his hardinesse That he hym had brought in great distresse To vtter myschyefe and confusyon ¶ Ne had be only that kyng Thelamon Full proudely came hym for to reskewe And after sore gan for to pursewe With a spere vpon Phelomene And for his horse he layde hym on the grene Maugre his force the story telleth thus For he to hym was mortally yrous And after that yonge Archylogus A mortall course ran vnto Brumius One of the sonnes of Pryamus the kynge Yonge and delyuer and beste in lykyng But he hym smytte with so great a myght That he fell dead this freshe lusty knyght The death of whom whā they of Troy espye They made a shoute and pyteously gan crye Of wofull routhe and his death complayne Tyll the noyse gan vtterly attayne To Troylus eares platly where he rode And he no lenger after that abode But to the place felly gan approche And with his sworde for to sette a broche Without routhe the grekes hatefull bloud And mercyles all that hym withstode He slewe that daye by cruell auenture That greke was none y t which might endure Tofore his sworde he gan them so oppresse For of knyghthode and of hygh prowesse He had them put vtterly to flyght Ne had byn the manhode and the myght ¶ Of Myrmydones which al that longe day By one assent vpon Troylus lay Wherof he was full melancolyus And of courage and manhode moste famous He ne lyste no longer for to lette But all attones vpon them he sette And furyously gan amonge thē ryde And some he smote euen through the syde Through the body and some through y e herte And w t his sworde thrugh doublet the shert Through shelde plate and thrugh haberion He perccd hath and lyke a wood lyon He slewe that day of them many one That maugre them they fledde eueryche With the grekes eueryche to his tent ¶ And they of Troy after them he went Swyftly on horse tyll they haue them take And such a slaught of grekes ther they make That fynally there was a bette reskuse But only death so passyngly confuse The grekes were at myschyefe desolate Troylus so narowe brought thē to chekmate That they coulde tho no better remedye But hydously for to wayle and crye To death forwounded with a grisely chere ¶ That Achylles whan he gan fyrst to here The dredefull noyse and the wofull sowne That caused was by reflectiowne Of eyre agayne who so coulde it knowe In rochys harde and in kauernes lowe Lyke as it were one worde spoke of two That men are wont to callen an Ecco So confuse was the lamentaciowne On grekes syde of whiche the deadly sowne So pyteously to Achylles is ronne Of them that lay agayne the hote sonne With mortall woundes yeldyng vp the breth With roumble swowhe resownyng into deth Such a noyse grekes maden there And what it ment Achylles dyd enquere And what the cause was of their clamour And they him tolde for lacke of socour The grekes were eche in his tentorye ¶ Of Troylus slayne so that the victorye Goth fynally with them of Troye towne For euermore in conclusyowne So many greke slayne laye in his tent Gapynge vpwarde w t his bloud yspent Through the constreynt of his wounde smert ¶ And whyle Achilles gan their case aduerte Full sodaynely there came to hym a man The whiche his tale euen thus began Alas quod he how may ye thus sustene To se your men hereupon the grene Afore your face slayne and lye deade And lyste not ones for to take hede But stande styll pensyfe in your tent Vpon the poynt your selfe to be shent In hasty houre yf ye here abyde For fyfty thousande knyghtes here besyde Redy armed in plates and in mayle Caste them playnly you for to assayle This no doubte vnarmed as ye stande But ye of knyghthode manly take on hande Them to resyste in this selfe place And lyke a man to meten in the face ¶ For whiche anone in a cruell mode This Achylles lyke as he were woode Hath armed hym fomyng as a bore Farewell his loue he sette of it no store Of hasty hete his yre was so kene ¶ That he forgat fayre Pollycene And her beaute y t whylom made him smert And in a rage vp anone he starte And toke his stede as any Lyon wroth Agayne Troyans and into fyelde he goth Lyke a wolfe that is with hunger gnawe Ryght so gan he agayne his foen to drawe And where he rode without excepciowne He woundeth sleeth killeth and bereth downe Now here now there in a lyttle throwe That they of Troy gan his sworde to knowe Whiche was infecte of newe with their bloud For there was none as yet y t him withstode So mortally he gan