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
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
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
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
nor myght For what theim list be yt wronge or ryght They aye achieue who so sayth yea or nay Agayne whose lust defend him no man may ¶ Thus Guydo aye of cursed false delyte To speak theÌ„ harme hath caught an appetite Throughout his boke of women to say yll That to translate it is agayne my wll He hath aye ioye theyr honour to ramuerse And I ryght sorye that I must reherse The fel wordes in his booke yfounde To all women I am so mikle bounde They be echone so goodly and so kynde I dare of theim not say but as I finde Of Guydoes write throughout Troy booke For when I redde for feare my herte quoke And veryly my wyttes gan to fayle Whan I therof must maken rehersaile Like his decrete but Guydo now do wyte For ye shall heare anone how that he chit The quene Heleyne for cause that she went With herte deuoute her offryng to presente To the temple of Venus the goddesse Thus word by word he sayth to her expresse ¶ O mortal harme that most is for to dread A fraude ycast by sleyght of womanhead Of euery wo ginning crop and roote Agaynst whych helpe may no bote Whan lust hath dryue in theyr herte a nayle Aye deadly venim seweth at the tayle Which no man hath power to restreyne Recorde I take of quene Heleyne That inly brent alas in her desyres Of newe lust to dele with those straungers Whom she knewe nat ne neuer sawe beforne Wher through alas ful many meÌ„ were lorne Of cruel death embrased in a cheyne Without pyty now saye thou quene Heleyne What ghost or spyryte alas hath meued the Sole fro thy lorde in such royaltye Out of thy house to go among the prease Why were y u wery to liue at home in peace But wentest out straungers for to se Taking no hede vnto thine honestye Thou shuldest haue kept thy closet secretly And not haue passed out so folyly In the absence of thy lorde alas Thou were to wilful and rakel in this case To se afore what shuld after sewe For al to sone thou were draweÌ„ out of mewe That coulde not kepe at home tho thy bouÌ„dê Thou weÌ„test out as hare among y e houndes For to be caught of very wilfulnesse And thy desyre coudest not compesse For though thy lust lyst not to refrayne O many woman hath caught be in a trayne By goyng out such halowes for to seke It syt theim better at home for to kepe Close in theyr chaumber and fle occasyowne For neuer shyp shuld in peryl drowne Nor ryue on rocke nor be with tempest rente Nor with Caribdis dreached or yshent Nor to go to wrake with no wethers yll If it were kept in the hauen styll For who wil not occasyons eschewe Nor dread no peryll for it is to sewe He must nedely as by necessytie Or he beware endure aduersytie And who can not his fote fro trappes spare Let him take hede or he fall in the snare For harme ydone to late is to compleyne For if whylom the noble quene Heleyne Her selfe had kept at home secrete and close Of her there ne had be so wicke a lose Reported yet grene freshe and newe Whose chauÌ„ce vnhappi eche maÌ„ ought to rew That cause was of such destruction Of many worthy and confusyon Of her husband and many other mo On grekes syde and those of Troye also In this storye as ye shall after reade ¶ And so this quene as fast as she may spede To the temple hath the way ynome Full royally and whan that she was come Ful deuoutly within Citheron Made vnto Venus her oblacion In presence and syght of many one With many iewell and many ryche stone ¶ And wheÌ„ that Paris had this thing espied To the temple anone he hath him hyed Ful thriftely in all the hast he myght Wher he forthwith as he had a syght Of the goodly fayre freshe quene Cupides darte that is whet so kene Or he was ware hath him marked so That for astoned he nist what to do So much he meruayleth her semelinesse Her womanhead her porte and her fayrnesse For neuer erst ne wende he that nature Coud ought haue made so fayre a creature So aungellyke she was of her beaute So feminine so goodly on to se That sothly he her dempte as by liklynesse For her beaute to be some goddesse For so his herte did him aye assure That she ne was a mortall creature So heauenly fayre and so celestyall He thought she was in partye and in all And eft consydereth for auysely Her features all in ordre by and by So curyously aye in his reason Of euery thinge by good inspection Her golden heare like the sonne streames Of freshe Phebus with his bright beames The goodly heade of her fleshly face Full replete of beaute and of grace Ylike enewed with quickenes of coloure Both of the rose and the lyly floure So egally that nother was to wite Through none excesse of much nor of lite Within the cerclynge of her eyen bryght Was paradise compassed in her syght That through eche hert y e beaute gaÌ„ to perce And certaynly if so I shall reherce Her shape her fourme her features by by As Guydo doth by ordre ceryously From head to foote clearly to deuyse I want englyshe that therto may suffyse It wil not be our tunge is nothing like I want also the floures of Rethorike To sewe his flouryshyng or his peynture For to discryue so fayre a creature For so my coloures feble be and feynte That nother can ennewe nor wel depaynte Eke I am not acqueynted with no muse Of all the nine therfore I me excuse To you echone not all of neclygence But for defaute onely of eloquence And you remit to Guydo for to se How he descriueth by ordre her beaute To take on me it were presumpciowne ¶ But I wil tell how Parys vp and downe Gothe in the temple and his eye cast Towardes Heleyne and gan presen fast As he that brent hoote in loues fyre That was enflawmed greatly by desyre And oft he chaungeth couÌ„tenaunce cheare And euer he neygheth to her nere and nere Ydarted through with her eyen tweyne And in likewyse this freshe quene Heleyne As hote she brent in herte priuely Albe no man it outward could espye For as her thought she neuer erst to fore Of all men that euer yet were bore Se none so fayre nor like to her pleasaunce On him to loke was hartes suffysaunce For in the temple she taketh hede of nought But compasseth and casteth in her thought How she may catche some oportunitye With him to speake at further lybertye This hooly was all her busynesse For him she felt so inly great distresse That oft she chauÌ„geth couÌ„tenauÌ„ce hewe For Venus hath theim marked so of newe With her brondes fyred by feruence And enflawmed by sodayne influence That egally they brought were in rage And saue the eye atwene was
the slawe And in the fyelde by cruelte ydrawe ¶ Ah blynde people of death y u takest no hede Why nylte thou worke and do after my rede And in this case more prudent be and wyse To take awaye this Heleyne fro Paris As right requireth withouten any more And to her lorde iustely her restore ¶ What trowen ye his thefte cruel dede Shall passe thus nay nay withouten drede The sword of vengeauÌ„ce shal ful sharply byte For his offence and we shall beare the wyte Paleys and house to se within a throwe And toures hye layde on the erthe alowe Alas alas I saye to the Heleyne Vnhappy woman causer of our payne Harde vnsely and also gracelese Vnwealfull woman disturbler of our peace Thou hast vs brought in mischefe in were Kyndled a bronde to burne vs all yfeare Alas thou arte the grounde and roote of all Of many drery feast funerall That shall beholde amonge vs in this towne And in this wise Cassandra vp and downe Aboute ran in subarde and in strete And crieth in one whom euer that she mete Full ofte syth alas and welaway Tyll Pryamus bycause of her affray And for the noyse that she as tho did make Without abode anone he doth her take And bounde her fast and fetred in pryson Without mercy or remyssyon They toke no hede to her sadde trouthe Nor to her wordes it was the more routhe But shet her vp in bondes great and stronge Without pitie where she abyde longe And thus in pryson a whyle I let her morne And to the grekes I wyll agayne retourne TH unhappy tyme in the same whyle That false fortune frendly gan to smyle Vpon Troyans and bad them to be mery For which highly they gan their goddes hery Wenyng with ioye to haue assured weale Nothyng aduerting the tournyng of y e whele Of her that lasteth stable but a throwe WheÌ„ men most trust her she can make a mowe Tourne her forhead and her face wrythe Suche ioye she hath her doublenesse to kythe And to wrappe her clerenesse vnder cloude AgaiÌ„st whose might ther mai no maÌ„ hiÌ„ shroud WheÌ„ most she flattereth theÌ„ is she lest to triste For in her ioye the Troyans lyttell wyste What she hath mente to their confuciowne For whyle that they aboute in all the towne Wende of grekes haue gotten full recure Of their domages and to haue be sure Through thilke pray y e Paris had theÌ„ wonne The wycked fame and rumour is yronne With swift wingê of al y t they haue wroughte To Menelay the fydynges were ybrought Whyles he abode with Nestor at Pirrha Firste of the temple in Cithera How it was spoyled and the robberye Of golde and treasoure and the tyrrannye Vpon his men by Troyans execute Both of assaylyng and of all the suite That on the grekes they made cruelly And how that they ne spared vtterly Man nor woman that came in their waye That they ne toke and ladde as for praye To theyr shyppes also of the fyght Afore the Castell that was on the nyght ¶ And alder laste he heareth of his wyfe Whom he loued as derely as his lyfe More tenderly god wote a thousande folde For whom at herte he waxed is as colde As any stone and therto pale of hewe His hertye wo so inly gan renewe That fyrst whan he harde her name sowne Without more anone he fell in sowne For he ne myght endure for to stande Til that duke Nestor toke hym by the hande And hym adawed of his deadely swowe Alas quod he why haue I lost and howe My lyues luste my hertes suffysaunce Ah death come now make of my greuauÌ„ce Fully an ende with thy cruell darte That wounded am through on euery parte My herte also korne in euery veyne For you my wyfe for you myne owne Heleine That be deforced fro me welaway Farewell my ioye farewell my olde playe Now haue straungers of you possessyon Whiche wyll to me be full confusyon Alas I not how they cheryshe or trete My fayre Heleyne that were to me so swete Now ye are gone pensyfnesse me sleath I may not wayte now but after death And after this amyd in all his wo This Menelay shope hym for to go To his reygne but lyttell there besyde He axeth horse and said how he wolde ryde Sole to complaine of y t he felte him greue But all this whyle Nestor wyll not leue To go with hym for consolacion Of frendly ryght hauynge compassion Hym to comforte with all his full myght Leading with him many a worthy knyght Into the reygne of this Menelaus ¶ Than fyrst of all the story telleth vs How they sent for kyng Agamenon And for Castor to come to him anone And for Pollux if it myght so be And when that they comen were all three And saw their brother iÌ„ such mischief brought Almost murdred with his owne thought Without abode the wyse Agamenon To gyue him hoope and consolacion Dyd his labour and diligence entere Sayinge to hym as ye shall after here ¶ Oh brother mine what wo what heuinesse What deadly sorowe thus inly may oppresse Your knightly hert or trouble your manhead More furiously ywys than it is nede For though that ryght required vtterly You for to sorowe and hadden cause why Yet me semeth by iuste prouidence Ye slyly shulde dyssymule your offence Sith eche wyse man in his aduersytie Shulde fame chere and kepen in secree The inwarde wo that bynt hym in distresse By manly force rathest there compesse The spyryte of Ire and melancolye Where the people myght it not espye The doctryne of them that be prudent Than whan a man with furye is to rent To fayne chere tyll tyme he se leysure That he of vengeaunce kyndell may the fyre For sorowe out shewed if I shall not fayne Who so taketh hede it doth thynges twayne It causeth frendes for to syghe sore And his enemyes to reioyse the more Thy frende in herte is sorye of nature Thyne enemye glad of thy mysaduenture Wherfore in herte whaÌ„ wo doth most habouÌ„de Faineth gladnesse thyne enemye to confound And shew in chere as thou roughtest nought Of that most is greuous in thy thought And where y u hast moste matter to complayne Make there good face glad in porte y e faine For into teares though thou all distylle And rende thy selfe as thou woldest the spylle It helpeth not to a ledge thy greuaunce For honour nother pursuite of vengeaunce With sorowe makynge mowe be execute Though it last ay ther cometh therof no frute Men say how he that can dissimule a wronge How he is slyghe and of herte stronge And who can be peasyble in his smerte It is a token he hath a manly herte Not to wepe as women in their rage Whiche is contrary to an hygh courage With word weping for to auenge our paine And no meanes to worshyp to attayne Let vs with sworde not with wordes
meninge afore theim specifye And sayd syres in whom I most affye ¶ To you is knoweÌ„ how y e king Thoas here Is in this Cite taken prisonere And is as yet belocked in prisowne Whych euer hath be vnto Troye towne An enemye great vnto his power And vs offended aye both ferre and nere In many wise albe we lytell retche As ferre as he his force might do stretche And now w t Grekê came to besiege our town As he that willeth our destructiowne And therupon hath do his busynesse Wherfore of dome and of rightwysnesse Both of reason and of equite I saye playnly as semeth vnto me So that it be to you acceptable And that ye thynke my counsayle coÌ„meÌ„dable Like as he hath cast our death and shape I holde it rightfull that he not escape But that by death he receyue his guerdon For ryght requireth and also good reason That death for death is skilful guerdonning Vnto my witte and right well syttyng ¶ Say your aduise now playnly in this case ¶ And fyrst of all tho spake this Eneas And sayd lorde so it be none offence To your highnesse to gyue me audyence Thrugh support here of theÌ„ that be full wyse I shall reherse playnly my deuise What is to worke as in this mattere Me semeth fyrst my lyege lorde so deare That your noble royall excellence Consydre shoulde with full high prudence In euery worke and operacion To caste afore in conclusyon The fynall ende that may after sewe For to a wyse man onely is not dewe To se the gynning and the ende nought But both attones peysen in his thought And weye theim so iustly in balaunce That of the fine ensewe no repentaunce Why I saye this and platly why I meane Is for that ye ought for to sene How kinge Thoas one of the pryncipall Amonge the grekes is and of y t bloud royall If ye consydre descended as by lyne Wherfore if he haue thus foule a fyne As to be slayne whyle he is in pryson It happen might as in conclusyon That ye and yours that therto assente Here afterwarde shoulde it sore repent ¶ I preue it thus that by aduenture Of fortunes rule that no man may assure Some of your lordes were another daye Of grekes take as it happe maye Or of your sonnes full worthy of renowne Or of kinges that here be in this towne Trusteth me well that suche lyke gentylnesse As ye to theim shewen in their distresse They will you quyte when in case semblable Fortune to theim they fynde fauorable The which no man constrayne may or binde Wherfore my lord haueth this thing in mind ¶ For yf Thoas of shorte auysemente Shall now be dead through hasty iudgemeÌ„t Another daye Grekes wyll vs acquyte And for rygour make their malyce byte On some of yours who euer that it be And nother spare high nor lowe degre Though he were peraunter of your bloud The which thinge for all this worldes good It might fall that ye ne would se Wherfore I reade to let kinge Thoas be Honestly kept in your presowne Like his estate still here in this towne Lest as I sayd that another daye Some lorde of yours as it happe maye Casuelly were take of auenture By his eschaunge ye might best recure Without stryfe your owne man agayne In this matter I can no more sayne But fynally this is my full rede ¶ To which counsayl Hector toke good hede And for it was according to reason He it commendeth in his opynion ¶ But Pryam euer of one entencion Stode alway fixe to this conclusion Playnly affirminge if greks may espye That we this kinge spare of gentrye They will arrecte it cowardyse anone That we dare not venge vs of our foen For very dread hauynge none hardynesse Nor herte nother to do rightwisenesse Yet neuerthelesse after your assente That he shall lyue I wyll in myne entente To your desyre fully condescende ¶ And of this counsayle so they made an end Without more saue Eneas is ygo ¶ And Troylus eke and Anthenor also Into an hall excelling of beaute The quene Heleyne of purpose for to se With whom was eke Hecuba the quene And other ladyes goodly on to sene And many mayde that yonge lusty was And worthy Troylus with this Eneas Did their labour and their busy payne For to comforte the fayre quene Heleyne As she that stode for the werre in dreade But for all that of very womanheade Thilke time with all her herte entere As she well could made to theim good chere Hauinge of conninge iuly suffysannce Both of cheare and of dalyaunce And Hecuba beyng in this hall Very example vnto women all Of bounte hauinge soueraygne excellence In wisedome eke and in eloquence Besought theim tho wonder womanly And counsayled eke full prudently For any haste both of nigh and ferre Auysely to kepe theim in the werre And not ieoparte theyr bodies folyly But to aduerte and caste prudently In diffence knightlyy of the towne Theim to gouerne by discresciowne She spake of fayth could nothing feyne And then of her and after of Heleyne They toke leue and no longer dwell But went their waye forth I will you tell ¶ How the Grekes on the same morowe Amonge theÌ„ selfe complayne makeÌ„ sorowe Their harmes great in murmur and in rage The losse the costes and the great domage That they haue there endured folylye Lastynge the werre and wisten neuer whye The death slaught of many worthy man That there were dead sith y t the werre began Hunger and thurst watche and colde also Full great vnreste sorowe thought and wo And all together for a thinge of nought In sothfastnesse if the grounde be sought This was the noyse rumour eke that ran Throughout y e hoost y t day from man to maÌ„ And most amonge the pore souldiours Which bare the bronte euer of such shoures And the mischiefe of werre comonly And though they plain they haue no remedy Of sondry thinges which sit theim full vnsoft And thus grekes complayned haue full ofte Of many mischief that hath on theim fall The which they might haue eschewed all If they ne had of foly gonne a werre Out of Grece nat come halfe so ferre To their mischief and confusyon This was that daye their lamentacion ¶ Which to encrease the same nexte night So derked was without sterre light So cloudy blacke and so thicke of ayre Dimmed with skyes foule and nothing fair So windy eke with tempest all belayne Almost for drenched with the smoky rayne And in the felde astoned here and yonder With sodayne stroke of the dreadfull thonder And with opening of the hidous leuene That it semed in the high heauen The Cataractes hadden be vndo For both the cloudes and the skyes two Sodainly wexen were so blake Like as the goddes would haue takeÌ„ wrake And had of newe assented be in one The lande to drenche of Deucalyon And all this world without more refuge To
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
downe The wardes sought about enuyrowne ¶ Tyll at the laste Pallamydes he fonde With Sarpedon fyghtyng hande of hande Now was this king this worthi Sarpedown Come in defence of them of Troye towne Whiche of his hande was a noble knight And whyle that he with all his full myght ¶ Moste busy was Pallamydes to presse Lyke a Lyon whetted with woodnesse Pallamydes in herte not a ferde Let flye at hym with his sharpe sworde So myghtely that it was a wonder For he his thygh parted hath a sonder And smote of by the herde bone ¶ That Sarpedon fyll downe dead anone So that Troyans whan that he was slawe Were compelled of force them to withdrawe Through the pursuite of kyng Pallamydes Whiche vpon them was so merciles And as cruell as a wood Lyon ¶ After the death of kyng Sarpedon The whiche alas whan Parys dyd espye He marked hym with a cruell eye And hente a bowe that passyngly was strong And with an arowe to his tyller longe Entoxycat with venym in the head That whom he smote therwith was but dead And hytte hym so in the auentayle Throughout the stuffe and the thicke mayle Into the throte that it gan through pace That he fell dead in the selfe place ¶ Pallamydes this manfull worthy knight Where through Grekê toke them to the flight And made a noyse and a wofull crye The death complaynyng wonder piteouslye Of their lorde and myghty gouernour But late chose to be their Emperour Their chiefe socour and soueraine refute But now alas they stonde destitute Of gouernaunce broke and disarayed Without guyde ryght as shepe dismayed Disconsolate and comfortlesse yshent That eche of them flyeth vnto his tente And they of Troye sued on the chace On horsebacke a wonder huge pace And merciles slewe them as they fle On euery syde that pyte was to se Without mercy or any other grace For lyke the Lyons they gan them enchace Tyll they compelled of necessyte Constrayned were through their cruelte To tourne agayne and them selfe diffende And they of Troye downe anone discende Of horsebacke euen vpon the playne And attones there was none other gayne They gan the grekes proudely to outraye And cruelly do them so disamaye That fynally there gayneth no diffence So mortall was the mighty violence Of Troyans that Grekes so diffoyle And alderfyrste at leyser they dispoyle The grekes tentes of golde and rychesse At whiche time Troylus gan him dresse And Parys eke downe to their nauye With thirtye thousande in their companye Kyllyng all tho playnly that they mette And on their shyppes wylde fyre they sette That to the wall of Troye the Cyte Men myght well the hydous flawme se ¶ And all had gone to destruction Ne had Ayax ycalled Thelamon Through his manhode knyghtly excellence Come anone and made resystence Of the grekes with many worthy knyght And tho of new began the mortall fyght Atwene Troyans and the grekes stoute The red bloud raylyng all aboute Vpon the playne so hydously they blede And here and there both in length and brede Dead and maymed and full pale of syght Vpon the soyle full many noble knyght Atwyxe them so cruell was the hate For in their fyght togyther they debate As wylde bores euen so they fare For none of them lyste other for to spare And in the fyelde worthy Thelamowne Through his knyghthod his high renowne So manly bare hym grekes to deffende That no maÌ„ might in manhode him amende Thrugh all y e world though men had sought For he that day in his person hath wroughte Meruailes in armes thrugh his great might That in sothnesse Grekes anone ryght Without hym had fynally be shent And their shyppes attones loste and brent Through the pursuite of Parys that day ¶ And worthy Troilus y t made such affraye Amonges them through hygh prowesse That fyfty shyypes Guydo doth expresse Were loste and brent or that Thelamowne To reskus came with his knightes downe Vnto the sea the remenaunt for to saue But for all that Troyans that daye haue The hygher hande of this mortall fyght Through the force and the great myght Of Troylus only which hath so many slaine Of the grekes in soth that they were fayne Them to withdrawe and the fielde to lete For in abydyng they fonde full vnswete Wherfore they gan for to lese their place ¶ Amonge which the kinges sonne of Trace That Heber hyght wounded to the death That he ne myght vnneth drawe his breth With a spere in his breste styckynge ¶ To Achylles he came in complaynyng Vnto his tent euen there he laye Whiche in the fyelde was not all that daye ¶ For the sake onely of Pollycene The loue of whom was so sharpe and kene Aye at his herte ylyke grene and newe To whom Heber with a mortall hewe Complayneth sore arrettyng cowardyse And in manhode a very trewandyse That he that day myght so for shame Withdrawe him selfe in hindring of his name Out of the fyelde to hym full great reprefe Of the grekes seynge the mischiefe That they were in and confusyon Vpon the brinke of their destruction Abrode the fielde to se them so lye deade And lyste not ones for to take hede Of his knyghthode grekes to releue ¶ And whyle Heber gan hym thus repreue And the spere whiche in his body was All sodaynly was drawen out alas With Eye vp caste in rancoure and in yre Full pyteously Heber dyd expyre ¶ In the presence of this Achylles And therwith came in a sodayne res Into his tente a certayne knyght of his ¶ Of whom Achylles axeth how it is Amonge the grekes and clerely how it stode And he answered full Irours in his mode Certes quod he full vnhappely For they of Troye haue so cruelly Our grekes all this daye in their fyght Full shamefully put vnto the flyghte So many slayne alas and welawaye That vnneth none escape myght awaye Vnhurte maymed or withouten wounde So fell on vs Troyans were yfounde And of them eke was suche multitude That I suppose shortely to conclude This daye there was to my opynyowne Not lefte a man within Troye towne That able was to stande in battayle With spere or sworde his enmye to assayle I Wene in soth but they byn come out With vs to fyght there was so huge a route That we ne myght of force take on hande In the fyelde agaynst them for to stande ¶ But nowe my lorde it draweth vnto night That they be faynte any more to fyght If it were pleasyng to your worthynesse To your manhode and your hygh noblesse To take on you to your encrese of fame For euermore to getten you a name And there withall for your owne glorye Perpetually to be in memorye To ryse vp and arme you anone And sodaynely vpon them to gone Feble and weake to make resystence Agaynst your manly famous excellence There were no more but we were victours For eâ—er more and very conquerours Duryng the worlde to
after sewe And where a man might his fate eschewe And of all this like to mine entent I had aunswere full conuenient Saue what befalleth when a soule is gone Diffinicion vnto me was none Such thinge to assoyle accordeth not to right It is reserued vnto goddes myght And excedeth reason and wyt of man And fro thense forth to sayle I gan Driuen with wynde and no parte succoured Where I was lyke to haue be deuoured ¶ Of Karibdes with his profounde well Where Syrines Meremaydens dwell That fro the brest with scales siluer shene Be of theyr shape fishes freshe and clene And ouermore kinde doth compasse Them to appeare feminine of face Like virgins that were of nature Without spot vndefouled pure And of custome in wawes as they flete The songe of them is so heauenly swete So aungelike and full of armonye That veryly the sugred melodye Rauishe would any man alyue Of inly ioye almost his herte ryue Make a man of sodayne high pleasaunce Forget him selfe and lese his remembraunce Deuoyde him clene from his owne thought Tyl vnwarely he be to mischiefe brought And with theyr songe or he take kepe He shall be brought in a mortall slepe And they anone yt maye not be withdrawe Wil drenche his shippe lowe vnder the wawe Thus the swetenesse of theyr heauenly sowne Bringeth a man to confusyon Who so euer by theyr bondes passe ¶ But with the lyfe I scaped by grace For mine eares with waxe and gommes clere Were stopped so that I ne might heare Touche nor werble of theyr instrumentes Wherby the reason of a man blinded is And fynally through my subtyltee I and my men be escaped free Saylinge forth all mate of werinesse Till we came vp with full great distresse ¶ At Phenice and toke anone the lande Caste anker and our shippes bande But sothly there it fell vs full vnfayre ¶ For the people cruell and contrayre Onely of malice fell on me anone And slewe my men almost euerychone Treasour and good litell that I had Was me berafte all with thē they ladde And fewe of theim that were lefte alone They toke theim and put in prison bliue Thus hath fortune lad me on her daunce With litell ioye and plentye of mischaunce Of whose daunger learned and experte I am fall in mischiefe and pouerte And with great dole and sorowe full my brest On sea and land by South and not by East I am come vnto your presence And haue declared playnly in sentence Min auentures to your worthinesse Of truste onely and of faythfulnesse That I haue to you in specyall And now I haue rehersed and tolde all To your hyghnesse and my best wyse Without more to me it doth suffyse And though in herte he was constrayned sore Thilke time Vlixes spake no more But helde his peace ful heuy in lokinge ¶ And Ydumeus like a gentyll kinge Comforted him all that euer he might And busy was his herte for to light And him besought his heuinesse lete And as longe as hym lyst in Crete With him abide he made him suerte He should fare also as wel as he And not wante of what maye do him ease And when his sorowe some what gan apease That his rage drewe vnto an ende Leue he toke and sayde he would wende Out of that lande home to his countre ¶ But fyrst the kinge of fredome and bounte Gaue vnto hym great rychesse and arraye And what soeuer was to his paye Golde treasour and many other thinges And at partynge of these two kynges There were shippes when you list to sayle Redy stuffed with meyne and vitayle And thus Vlixes gan him redy make And when he hath his leue fully take He hasted him and toke anone the sea And gan to sayle towarde his countre But fyrste he wente to kinge Alphenon Whych passingly had affeccion To se Vlixes at his home comynge And desyrous ouer all thynge To haue of him newly acqueyntaunce For vnto him was inly great plesaunce To heare him talke for his eloquence For his wisedome and his high prudence And there he was after all his smerte Receyued playnly with as glad an herte As euer yet was any maner man Sithen tyme that the worlde began ¶ And to encrease of his felycyte There herde me first of Penolopee His trewe wife without spot of blame Of whom yet grene is the noble fame Which from her lorde for all his longe absēce In thought nor dede neuer did offence But sothly was both in chere and dede Throughout Grece example of womanhede And yet was she as bokes lyst expresse Throughout y e world myrrour of fayrenesse And amonge Grekes borne of hyest blode Called of Auctours both fayre and good And yet saye bokes of her doubtles Was neuer none that had so great prese But she her kepte chaunginge for no newe Vnto her lorde euer ylyke trewe Of herte aye one not parted into twayne That she is called quene and soueraygne Of wifely trouthe in this bokes olde And ofte I finde her herte would colde She tourne pale fro her lorde so ferre In her closet to heare of the werre Of dread she had and for feare eke quake Of fantasyes for her lordes sake For his absence both eue and morowe Was death vnto her and importable sorowe And aye in sothe for ioye or any game When it fell she herde Hectors name In any place anone she fell a swowne And gan her selfe in teares drowne Of womanhead so she was aferde To heare the slaughter of his mortall swerde Lest her lorde of knyghtly surquedrye Had of fortune fall in ieopardye Of had or sorte to a mette that worthy knight That seld or neuer she felte her herte lyght And many dreame on nightes did her gaste All the while that the siege laste And euery playe was venym in her syght When that she was from her owne knight For in this worlde ioye had she none Of high nor lowe playnly but of one For whose sake all myrth she refuseth And who so be that in his herte museth Of any woman any thinge but good Of melancolye meued in his bloud Let him aduerte of wysedome and ysee And remembre on Penolope For his deserte lest that he be blamed And oh Guido thou shouldest be ashamed To saye of wiues any thinge but wele For in good fayth as ferre as I can fele Though one or two do amonge offence She that is good through her prouidence Is therof nothinge for to wite And though Guydo in his bokes endite ¶ The varyaunce of Heleyne or Criseyde ¶ Or Medea that for sorowe deyde Let the agayne of ryght and equyte The wifely trouth of Penolope The maydenhode of yonge Polycene And the goodnesse of Hecuba the quene Of Cassandra eke the stedfastnesse And with all this take the vnkindnesse Of Pantasyll withoute variaunce And put all this togyther in balaunce And ye shal finde if ye lyst accounte Maugre who grutcheth trouth shal surmoūt I dare affirme and beare