passe the sworde To sée them so to dye My sire my dame my brothren all and nearest friendes them by I shal not grieue for them so much as griefe for thée I haue And most to thinke that of some Gréeke thou shalt become the slaue Who to his country shal thée leade to tease and tosse his wul He shal thée put from day to day to spinne to picke and pull And in the midst of al the heat from spring his water drawe Which néedes must pinch thée at the heart but Néede it hath no law And often shal the passers by say Looke who yonder is The wife of valiant Hector loe who in the field with his Such fame and great renoume did get wheÌ„ Grecians compast round The great and mightie town of Troy and tare it to the grounde How great to heare my name rehearst shal then thy dolors be And that my helpe thou canst not haue eft to recouer thée But ere the waylings I wil heare of thée my captiue wife The earth shall hay this corpse of mine and I wil lose my life With this the valiant prince doth hide his carke and inwarde griefe And out doth put his handes to take his sonne the pretie léese A little pretie bulchion fat séeing the dreadfull crest And armor cries and calls his nurse and nouzels in hir breast With this the curteous parents they smile at the preatie grace Of that the babe and Hector he his sonne for to embrace Doth set aside his loftie helme he him doth coil and kus With pleasant mind he holds him softe and formd his praiers thus O mightie Gods ye soueraigne Lords request this grant to me That once this boy triumphantly a doubtie man may be Among his folke as nowe I am Also when I am dead Giue him the honor that he may the Troyans guide and leade That men may say when they shall sée him prosper in such case Howe farre the sonne the father doth in déedes of armes surpasse And when the spoiles as conquerour from forraine foes he pull His mother she may sée the same hir ioy it may be full The child he giues his mother nowe who takes it in hir hand She smiles therewith yet in hir eyes the water ful doth stand He rues thereat to hir he drawes hir sorowe to delay About the necke he takes hir fast and thus beganne to say My dearest spouse these waylings leaue and take not thus at heart My death thou knowest well ynough we al must hence departe No man can boast that he is frée from death and from his blow For from the first day of our byrth to death we subiects goe And as for me this body who and life shal part in twaine Shall pay full deare and haue no cause to glorie of his gaine I shal not die before my time Good wife for Gods sake goe Home to thy house be of good cheare and leaue to gréeue thée so Do passe the time to winde and réele with your maids to spinne Commaunde and order take that they good workewomen may bin And let vs men sée to the fielde and looke what néedfull is And I as alwayes now to be the formost wil not misse With this from ground his helme he takes on his head it weares Home goes Andromacha with sighes and seas of sobbing teares When she vnto hir douse doth come she findeth wéeping eyes The seruants al do sobbe and howle with shril and heauy cryes Be wéeping Hector thus they say On this odde knight alacke We neuer shall set eyes againe this day wil be his wracke Some fel and cruel Gréeke this day shall worke his death harme Paris againe makes no abode he hasteth fast to arme He after Hector runneth nowe he trusteth in his force And eke in his agilitie And like vnto the horse That in the stable halter doth and headstall cracke in twaine And slippeth out the house apace into the fields amaine With many frisks and yerks behinde his head doth cast aloft At last vnto some pleasant streame doth pace and trotteth soft Therein to wash and play himselfe and haply there doth finde Some lustie Mare vpon the bancke t'assuage his raging minde Ene so sir Paris tall and tricke in citie shewes ful braue Unto the sunne his Armes and targe the like for brightnesse haue As Hector left Andromacha he méetes him in the téeth He going forth he gréeteth him and thus beganne therewith O brother deare and eldest borne mâ—…abode deserueth blame In staying nowe thus long sith that you willd me haste the same All in good time quoth Hector then that doubtie Troyan he None can thée iustly giue reproch how worthy that he be When to the field thou setst thy mind thou lustie art and light A vauntage great but slowly oft thou drawest to the fight Ne wil not mend thy pace one whit nor leaue one iote of will It grieues me most that so thou givst thy selfe to pleasure still And chiefly when the Troyans they I sée thy doings blame They byding many deadly brunts do babble to thy shame Well let vs go against these Gréekes our forces for to lay These brutes ful wel we may appease if happly come the day Hauing our enimies put to flight the condigne sacrifice Unto the hie immortall Gods on Aultars they may rise Finis sexti Libri ¶ The seauenth Booke NO we warlike Hector doth depart with Paris out the towne They willing both in armes to shewe some déede of great renowme And like as after stormie flawes that déeres the shipmen sore In déepest sea against the winde there striue with arme and ore God sends a present calme to cease that dreadfull tempest blast Euen so the Troyans ouerhaeld doe comfort at the last When as they sawe these brethren two marching before their sight Who well they knewe sufficient were for to maintaine the fight They were no sooner come but that they slaie two Gréekish foes The stout Menesthius to the ground by Paris hand he goes In Arna towne he sceptre held of king Areitho bred Who young with faire and glassie eyes Philomedusa wed Hector with sharpe ypointed launce Ioneus doth slaie Twene curet and his gorget both the stéele it maketh waye Glaucus doth Iphinous ding he downe on earth doth fall The raines eke of his horse the blowe did force him leane withall The slaughter Pallas séeing nowe thus of these Grecians thrée And the confusion of the rest which likely was to be Full moovde and grievde to sée the sight vnto the Troyan towne Descends from high Olympe Phoebus that sawe hir comming downe He sat vpon the wall to viewe how ende the battaile shall Which in the fauour he doth wishe of Troy and Troyans all He finely coÌ„mes vnto hir straight quoth he vnder this Béeche I count it best you rest your selfe and thus beganne his spéeche You daughter of the mightie God shew me th'occasion why
well shalt knowe of Greece the force powre Thou wel shalt know what heds of knights we haue thée for to scoure Achilles out who kéepes abourde with armes who doth not mell Bicause of an vnhappie iarre betwéene our chiefe which fell And him And here my selfe t'aduaunce among the rest thou séest And therefore now beginne beginne if of the mynde you béest Hector hearing thus the Gréeke doth forthwith then replie What iollie Aiax are these wordes so arrogant and hie Most like a dame or prentise young gesse you to make me shrinke Sure long agoe what longs to warre I knowe and so doe thinke And willing thereto giue my selfe a charge I can abyde And charge I can my massie shielde I knowe to beate I ride At hand and further fight I knowe I foote it when I please And all these knowe I howe to vse when most they ayde or ease By sleights my foe I can sometime imbrewe with mortall blowe But you a man of valure much bicause I certaine knowe No cunning will I vse as nowe but clap you on the Crowne With arme I will imploy my best therewith to plucke you downe With this doth Hector to him draw his sturdie dart he shooke So large in length so stifely launcde that forth the way it tooke And pierced to the seuenth fold of that his buckler strong The toughe and stéeled plate with all it teared all a long Aiax againe his stubborne staffe at Hector shaking flings With force so great as through the bosse of Hectors targe it rings And further to his paunche doth passe and Curet through doth glide No harme at all a small at least the Troyan turnd aside Ech out againe his launce to plucke doth striue the best he can Like Lions fierce inuincible and grieslie bores they ranne Together both Hector doth thrust on targe but all in vaine The strength therof doth beare it off and turnes the poynt againe And Aiax blowe did likewise glaunce on Hectors shield aloft And péercde his necke the purple bloud it trickled downe full soft So small a ticke he héedeth not retyring from the grounde He séekes and takes a coggle blacke a mightie and a rounde Therewith on Aiax so doth lay on target great it range In midst thereof the stone resounds so soundly he it flange Aiax a greater farre doth ratch and brawnly so doth cast That he his bigge and bumpishe targe therwith in péeces brast The Troyan on his knées he sancke perforce on earth he lay With shield behapte from whence to scape he knew no maner way But that Apollo sodainly ariueth in the place To yéeld a safetie to the man and raise him in that case Then would they out haue bladed it their armor so to teare But them betwéene the Heraults came eche did a sceptre beare And Idee sage the herault wise there thus in speach he brake Déere sonnes leaue off this cruel strife herein a breathing take To Ioue you both are deare do end this deadly combate nowe And at the packe of mortall men you valiant doe allowe Lo heâ—…e the might which bids you two to graunt to my request Quoth Aiax then O Ideus thou wel and wisely sayest But I refuse if Troyan here who did vs al prouoke And me assaild do not entreate this quarrel to reuoke And if he do I do agrée to graunt with al my hart Quoth Hector then sith Gods on earth such honor thée impart That as of force good gifts and wit so eke of mightie bone I do confesse of al the Gréekes thou art the knight alone On Gods name leaue this enterprise againe we may beginne Another time we may it trie who shal the honor winne The more bicause the sunne is lowe and night drawes nie at hand Whereby wel pleasd your mates wil be Gréeks hereby that staÌ„d And I the dwellers al of Troy againe shall greatly glad And eke the dames who déeply déerde their prayers now haue had For me I thinke it Aiax méete in chaunge we do bestow Our presents now betwéene vs both that all the world may know And say to sée our heate so colde these two were lately foes And now great friends their enmitie to faithful friendship groes With thys the prowest Hector gaue his bright and gallant blade With séemly sheath and belt so braue so trimly which were made Againe to him doth Aiax reach the Bawdrike big he bare He pleasd therewith and Aiax doth vnto his friends repaire And Hector to his Troyans commes whome séeing safe and sound They ioy amayne they dreaded he had caught so me mortal wound They vnto Troy do bring him all and Aiax strong doth goe Forthwith the Gréekish faction on victor with souldiors showe And in his tent he séeketh out Agamemnon the King Who chieftaine good them al to feast commaunded euery thing To Ioue for fauor forthwith he doth sacrifice prepare A Bull of grease of fiue yeares olde the yoke that neuer bare Which straight was lead and offred vp and off they plucke the hide And him in péeces al to cut and them on spits they slide And al things fit eche man drewe nie to eate and féede his fil And so wel vsd as when they left they liked al at will Agamemn dothe his champion muche extoll and presents feate Of price hym gaue in witnesse of his force and prowesse greate When eche so muche had eate and drunke as wel content they stood The Nestor olde whose counsel graue was alwayes proued good Which to declare his last aduise it lately servde them wel To Agamemnon and the Gréeks his tale he thus doth tel Ye loftie Lordes and Princes great ye are not to be taughte Thys day how many Grecians are to death by weapon broughte Their bodies layed along the field their soules to hel are hyed Some order must be tane herein their buriall to prouide And for the same the war to cease to morrow néedes must we To Carrs to ioine Moyles two to two and also yokte muste be A number great of Oxen to the carcasses to beare More nie the ships and there with fire the same on heapes to reare I wish also that héede there be to saue the bones that burne To giue them to their children if we haply home retourne And eke a common Monument a Trophée let vs build And more oure vessals eke is beste from Troyans them to shielde Least haply they vnhaply should in fight the better get We towers hie and bulwarkes strong about them nie do set With ample gates and issues wide the Chariots forth to goe And eke our squadrons with our bandes to passe out to and fro With trenches large and déepe before with pales impaled strong To kéepe vs from the Troyans charge if haply with their throng They should assaile vs where they are Thus Nestor loud did chauÌ„t And that his councell al the kings for good did willing graunt
prayed Of Gods thou Ioue the soueraigne chiefe and Lord of Welkin hie Of aire and of this earth below who lets the thunder flie The stormes of Haile pashing showers graÌ„t me this day thy grace That I this Citie set a fire or night do come in place Which hath so long w estood our force grant y e my sworde doe sheare This day the shirt of Hector stout on brest which he doth weare And that by me he end his dayes viewing hys souldiours al Enforcing them to saue his life in bloudie death to fall He prayed thus but Ioue was deafe he pleased not to heare For all his offering there so great he doth him greatly deare Then is the hostie slaine and flayde and part on gridorne put The liuer and lights they comely séeth and euery little gut The gigots and the other flesh in péeces they did spit Which rost tipling the pleasaunt wine they downe to table sit At pleasure hauing fed their fil old Nestor was the furst Who could not rest but with these words their talking tales he burst It is no time Agamemnon to laugh or chat at all But execute we must the thing to which Ioue vs doth call Commaund then all the Heraults here that they go crie amaine And hither warne the Campe to come and then let vs againe Ech one in field go raunge his bande and there with curteous wordes Exhort them that right souldiour like they wéelde vse their swords Agamemn bids the Heraults good to go from band to band And cal y e Gréekes who Heraults heard came straight out of hand A séemely sight it was to sée th'array in euery thing And armour of the warlike Gréekes ech following his king But goodlier was it to behold those great and mightie Kings What paine they tooke the multitude who there in order brings Wyth them stoode Pallas al vnknowen come down froÌ„ Welkin hie Of Ioue the God inuinâ—…ible who liues immortally The Target hung and gastful so she on hir shoulder bare About the which hanging of gold an hundred pendants were So richly framde as ech was worth of â—…eues an hundred told So armde of doughtie Grecians so the harts she doth embolde To play the men with dreadlesse minds and do as souldiours right They nothing more wishe than their liues to venter and to fight The shining of their armor bright gret Targets shields of weight Amid the plaine was like in shew to those on mountaine height As is the fire in forrest made which men do sée a farre So shone their harneis gainst the sunne and weapons for the warre And like a gay great heard of Cranes or flock of swans like snow Or Géese a lesser foule with Charme and sundry singing go Harde by the pleasaunt Caister floud vnder the clothed trées That all the places rounde about do sound in fundry wise So Gréekes armde at Scamanderbanke for fight in euery thing Such noise they yeelde as fur aloofe they make the medowes ring With treading of the Horsse likewise the valley long did sound To battayle martch as many Gréeks as flowers on the ground And as you sée great swarmes of flies flie oft out hollow hoales And come in skul into the place wheras the shepheard foldes And gathers at the spring the milke which of his shéepe he reapes Euen so suppose the Gréeks they came out order al in heapes But their good leaders them dispose as heardsmen who with care At euen aye their flockes in field to seuer do prepare Whom al aboue Prince Agamemn himselfe did shew at ful As chiefe in name so chiefe in déede who brauing as a Bul Came fierce triumphes and rule he wil ouer the Dren bréede So he the puissant King commaundes how matters shal procéede For head he lookt that day like Ioue like Neptune for his brest You would haue iudgde him presently God Mars for all the rest It was the pleasure then of Ioue such deckings to bestow In Agamemu that more thereby his honor he might showe Now Muses who in heauen hie your place and dwellings haue The fauourers of vertuous workes teach me I humbly craue To tell that now I cannot write yée all and all do knowe Recite the Princes who to Troy did with the army goe Recite their countrys and their ships but hearesay nought haue we It shall suffise to tell the names of those who chiefest be For no man can with all his wittes rehearse of all the men The number and the proper names though tongues yea fully ten Right good he had and mouthes like wel spéecht that open were If euerlasting voyce I had and breast of brasse did beare Without your fauour I may haue in this I am but lost Of Ioue you daughters Goddesses of grace and vertue most Oh teach me then to name the kings and shippes of Gréekish host ¶ The Cataloge of the Grecian Princes and of their nauie that came to the siege of Troye and also of the Troyan Dukes and forraine Kings who came to Priams ayde Translated out of the Latine TO Troyan cost from Beotie fiue warlike leaders cum Pencle Prothaeno and Leiton Arcesilaus Clonlum These people hath Beotia lande they who do hyries eare With Scaenon Scolon Aulida which sâ—…onie earth doth beare And also 〈◊〉 Eteonum beâ—…pred wiâ—…h Maioraâ—… Thespia Graea Mâ—…ales and toâ—…n Lâ—…gam With Haxma olde the Ilesy and those that pasture on The auntient soyle of Erythra and men of Eleon Of Peteon and Hilis eke and those in Copae dwel And in Medâ—…on 〈◊〉 for wals in pride doth so excal With Thisbes which doth so abound with doues of wanton wil Who Eutresis and Coronâ—…e and Plateâ—… gay do til Th'inhabitaunts of Aliarte which is so fraught with grasse And who do stately Thebes holde and liue about Glissas Orcheston too with sacred groue to Neptunes godhead â—…owde And Arnen where y e trées of vines with waight of grapes are â—…owde Midea faire Nissâ—… diuine and lastly who do liue In Anthâ—…do whose fields about do fraught of flowers giue With fiftie ships they come full stuft with weapon and with men Ech one an hundred souldiours brought and also double tenne Who from watred Orchomenon with Minyeus floud Whose Citie is Aspledona two knights of Mars his bloud Ascalaphus and Ialmen leade Astyoche the fayre While she a virgin Actors childe did by hir selfe repaire To Parler sole Mars hir deflourde and forth she brought the twinne Those two welfurnisht at the ful with thirtie sayle come in From Phocis opposite against such numbers as were sent With Schâ—…us and Epistrophus two souldiours odde they went Them Iphitus Eubole begat they all of Cyparis Of rockie Pytho of Crâ—…ssa of Pâ—…op and Daulis Of loftie Hyampole and wholy on Cephisson floold In Anemore whose dwellings to at head of Lilee stoode From whence Cephissa riuer râ—…es with fortie ships they swéepe And as Beotians faithfuâ—…ates their left hand side they kéepe The diuerse
You now are séene here in this place come downe so spéedily Sure great affaires or else some cause which muche your minde it léekes The victorie from Troyans good to giue vnto the Gréekes And is not that your meaning now your purpose and intent To sée the Troyan towne destroyed hir buildings all to rent It better were in my aduise this day to cease the warre And eft they may beginne their fields and fights wherein they ar Till that such time the citie there to sacke and pillage goe Sith that you Gods with one remorce of force will haue it so The Goddesse answerde then Agréed for so I meane aright Of purpose I descended downe to staie these folke from fight Wherefore séeke way to seuer now frō this daies warre these wights Apollo soothde quoth he therto of all these gallant knights Let Hector bold march boldly on and chalenge for to trie Yea man to man the stoutest foe with him to liue or die This braue demaund will much amaze the stoutest of their bands And they will point some odde man out with him to mingle hands And thus this battaile shall haue end Apollos saying théed Unto his graue and learned skill forthwith it was agréed Then sage and prudent Helenus who there their secret knewe By ghost diuine with courteous wordes lowlie to Hector drewe Quoth he my dearest brother now to me thine eare attend And maruaile not though to aduise and euerie way I bend My selfe t'aduaunce thy great renowme sith brethren both we be I cannot chuse to doe my best as duetie doth agrée Cause Gréekes and Troyans to retire with voice and courage hie Aduaunce thy selfe if any Gréeke will out this quarrell trie Upon him doe for by the fates this day thou shalt not dye I haue it from the mightie Gods whose councells cannot lye Hector right iolly marcheth on out of the rancks he goes His launce full long in midst he held he willes thē leaue their blowes He brings his squadrons backe againe the shot he bids retire The Gréekes stand fast they order kéepe and newes they doe desire Agamemn eke to harken to made Grecians to abide Both Pallas and Apollo then séeing on euerie side The dartes to cease vpon a Béeche of armes a mightie trée The God and Goddesse they doe sit as Uulturs there they bée They doe delight such puissant cries in field to sée so still The Bataillons yet soundly knit on ground doe lie at will With tooles of warre at elbowes end much like the Ocean waue Which working storme not gréen but black doth make y e colour haue Then Hector armde at euerie point thus spake vnto them all Hearke both ye Gréekes Troyan knights what to your wealth may fall Betwéene these campes the treaties sworne parts so firmly fast Imperfect are of no effect as none had euer past Ioue in this daunger hath vs lapt n'accord he will allowe He doth determine in his minde with malice he doth vowe He all a cruell sacrifice of vs doth meane to make As thus that either you the Gréekes our Troyan towne shall take Or that your iourney shall returne to you both voide and vaine Or hardly by vs Troyans set quite beaten downe and slaine And now I knowe it verie well that in your campe you haue As to defend so to assaile both souldiours fytte and braue And valiant men single to me the strong and stoutest knight Let him nowe here his manhood trie and cope with me in fight I will abide the man and truth and faith I giue withall To which if so it néedefull is I Ioue to witnesse call If victor of me for to be so luckie be his chaunce And in my bowels that he doe imbrewe his warlike launce Take he my spoyles vnto his shippes my bodie let it rest Without outrage let Troyans take it to the fierie feast Let them the ashes gather vp And if him vnder foote That I doe tread Apollo graunt I craue no other boote But that his harneys I may haue to Ilion thether I In temple his a relique signe to set and hang on hie And for his carcase send I will the Gréekes they shall it haue Who in the shore of Hellespont thereon may reare his graue That if hereafter to this land a straunger take his way And with the tombe doe haply méete full iustly he may say Here lies intombde the doughtie Gréeke whom Hector charging hard Downe slue although he shewde the part of knight of great regard For valure and for force and loe thus shall a forraine saye Whereby my fame and great renowme shall last for euer and aye This spéech so stunt and sodaine sayed yéelds all the troupe abasht Ech doubting to accept the fight they blushing all are dasht Menelaus who marked all and how they stoode he grewe In furie great he out doth come and sighes he déepely drewe O villaine Gréekes quoth he in wordes ech proude hardie speakes But come to déedes you quaile alacke like faint and coward freakes O Gréekes infamed tootoo much what Gréekish men not so But rather Gréekish wiues what shame and filthy spéech will goe Of you for this your cowardize with hart not standing out With Hector here to ioyne for why you daungers dreadfull doubt And without further mouing hence that ye to earthy molde Doe turne your faults to plague I pray or else to water cold And as for me I will me arme the combat I allowe With hardie minde I it accept I knowe it well ynowe The loftie Gods as best they please bestowe the victorie Thus Menelau doth blame his mates and armour on doth tye And now at hand O Menelau was end of all thy toiles Thy death was sure in Hectors hands whose skill in warlike brosles And strength of arme surmounts thée farre but the Gréekish kings Had come and stayde thée Agamemn he by the hand thée wrings And much misliking this thy Acte with rage quoth he thou asse Thou fondling thou thinkst thou thy strength of force to bring to passe To matche this doughtie Troyan here to whom of Gréekish race Net one howe stoute so ere he be dare boldly shewe his face Achilles no he greatly doubtes with him in field the fraie Drawe backe and quiet kéepe thy selfe we shall finde out a way To end this cause we shall finde one shall make him stirre his stumps Though that a dreadlesse knight he be and though in martiall iumps A souldior bold nere tirde in warre I hope right well that he Shall thinke himselfe a happie man if haplie so it be Without his death this quarrell end and that with humble hart Upon his knées thanke God aboue with life for to depart Agamemn Menelaus thus perswaded and he stayde His gromes right glad their maister sawe out daunger to be wayde And flocke about his armor one another takes his shield His weapons some and by his bands