on Iustely to make restytucyon Than may we all in worshyp and honour Retourne home without more labour If they assente to do as we requere And our axynge if they lyste nat here But folyly of theyr wylfulnesse Refuse it than our worthynesse Is double assured on asyker grounde By iuste tytle Troyans to confounde With thynges two we shal be vnder pyght Firste our power borne vp with our ryght Shall for vs fyght our quarell to dareyne In balaunce to weye atwixe vs weyne To fyne that we shal be more excused For they tofore haue wylfully refused Oure iuste profers made to them afore And we shal be thorugh the worlde therfore Without spot of trespas or of blame Of mysreport in hyndrynge of our name Where they of folye shall ynoted be Of wylfull wodenesse playnely where that we Shall stande free our power for to vse And euery man shall vs well excuse Though that we do execucyon By takynge vengeaunce for their offencyon Of man and childe of eche sect and age That shall of deth holde the passage And by the swerde without mercy pace One and other there is no better grace BVt yet tofore I counsayle take hede That ye to them all mesoure bede This holde I beste and moost sykernesse And worke now by good auysenesse Amonge your selfe and no lenger tarye To whiche counsayle some were contrarye And varyaunt to his oppynyon Saue they that were of moost discrecyon Assented be playnely to this ende And chosen haue to Pryam for to sende Amonges them the embassy at to spede Wyse Vlixes and worthy Dyomede The whiche anone gan them redy make And shope them forthe and theyr way take Towarde Troye as any lyne ryght Whan the sonne shone full shene and bryght Holdynge the course of his firy spere In mydday arke wonder bryght and clere And gylte eche hylle vale playne roche With his bemes whan they dyde approche To the walles and gates of the towne And in they go without noyse or sowne Full well â—esene and in their porte them hadde Right manfully and the way them ladde To the paleyes streyght as any lyne Them nedeth nat asyde to declyne But into a court large wyde and square And they ful knightly for no wyght wold spare Vnto the effecte manly to procede To do theyr charge without fere or drede For the entre was to them nat refused For tho dayes paraunter was nat vsed To haue no conduyte for embassatrye The custome was to no man to denye As I suppose entre nor passage If it so were he come for message And in this court buylded so ryally Whan they come they meruayled full greatly The royall syght of so huge strengthe So well complete bothe in brede and lengthe For they nat hadde in theyr lyfe to fore Sene none so fayre yet they wonder more Into the Paleyes as they togyder gone That paued was all of Iasper stone Of a tree that amyddes stode On which to loke they thought it dyd theÌ„ gode Musynge where it were Artifycyall Erect or sette by magyk naturall Or by engyne of werkemen coryous Thorugh subtyll craftes superiticyous Or other werke of Nygromancye Or profounde castyuge of Phylosophye By apparence or illusyon Outher by crafte of Incantacyon Vp and downe they caste in theyr mynde Out by reason if they coude fynde Rote and grounde of this wonder werke But the trouthe was to them so derke That in theyr wytte though they longe trace The pryuyte they can out compace To conceyue how it was possyble For to the eye as it was vysyble In very sothe without any fable To mannes hande so it was palpable Of whiche the stocke of Guydo as I tolde In soth fastnesse was of pured golde Whiche shone as bryght as the somer sonne To enlumyne thynges that were donne And the body as a maste was ryght Proporcyoned moost goodly to the syght Substancyall and of huge strengthe And twelue cubytes the body was of lengthe And the croppe rounde and large of brede And in compas gan so flourysshe and sprede That all the playne aboute enuyrowne With the bowes was shadowed vp and downe The ryche braunches and the leues fayre Twayne and twayne ioyned as a payre One of golde a nother syluer shene And meynt amonge with stones whyte grene Some rede and some sapher hewed And euery daye the blomes were renewed And the blossomes with many sondry fuyte For stones ynde it bare in stede of fruyte As sayth Guydo I can no ferther telle And the Grekes wyll no lenger dwalle But holde theyr way by many sondry went To parfourme the fyne of theyr entent Tyll they atteyne the chambre pryncypall Where Pryamus in his see royall Lyke his estate in full kyngly wyse Sat and aboute full prudent and full wyse His lordes all in settes hym besyde Whan the grekes surquedous of pryde With sterne there and frowarde couÌ„tenaunce As they that had lytell remembraunce Of gentyllesse nor of curtesye For as Guydo doth playnely specyfye Entrynge in they taken haue theyr place In the opposyte of the kynges face And set them downe without more sermon Any obeyinge or salutacyon Worshyp honour or any reuerence Done of the kynge for all his excellence In pretudyce of all gentyllesse And than anone Vlixes gan expresse Cause of theyr comynge to kynge Pryamus Without abode sayinge euen thus Nat forberynge presence of the kynge OEruayle nat nor haue no wondrynge Though we to yâ— ne do no honour dewe In our comynge the for to salewe Syth it ne longeth in sothe as thynketh me Where rancour is and hertely enmyte Or dedely hate with salutacyons Or with fayned false affeccyons For to shewe where hertes be a fyre For naturally no man shall desyre Of his enmye the helthe nor welfare And platly now me lyste nat for to spare Shortly to shewe the fyne of our entent Lyke as we haue in coÌ„maundement In our message from Agamenowne The noble kynge moost worthy of reuowne Whiche vs hath sent there is no more to seyne Now vnto the for the quene Eleyne That was rauysshed out of grekes lande And brought to Troy by force of myghty haÌ„de Agaynst right and by vyolence Wherfore shortly without more offence We iustely axe without more demaunde That thou anone rightfully coÌ„maunde To Menelay that she be sent agayne And with all this we axe nat in vayne That thou make restytucyon Of wronges done in that regyon Of pylfres great slaughter and roberye By Parys done of wylfull tyrannye Whiche is thy sone and by the susteyned And in his errour wrongefully meynteyned Wherfore come of and fully condescende Without grutchynge this wronges to amende For so thou mayste beste the goddes queme Lyke as thou myght in thy reason deme As right requereth to worke as the wyse For if so be that thou now despyse To execute that I haue tolde the here Truste me right well a lesson thou shalt lere Whiche thou and thyne shall after sore rewe Without feynynge thou
herde me telle Lad into Grece with Thelamon to dwelle For whom there was as Guydo can you teche After take so great vengaunce and wreche On eyther parte that in very trouthe For to here it is to moche routhe As in this boke ye maye after rede Ceryously if ye lyste take hede For gladly aye the reuolusion Of fatall thynge by disposicion Is so enuyous and alway meynt with wo That in this worlde where so that we go We truely may aduerte in our thought That for the value of a thynge of nought Mortall causes and werres firste begonne And stryfe and debate here vnder the sonne Were meued firste of smale occasion That caused after great confusion That noman can the harmes halfe endyte For a cause dere Inough a myte Eche is redy to destroye other A man for lytell wyll stryue with his brother Blode is vnkynde whiche greatly is to drede Alas why ne wyll they take better hede For olde Troye and after the newe Thorugh small encheson who yâ— trouthe knewe Were fynally brought to distruccion As olde bokes make mencion And many worthy and many noble knyght Slayne in the felde by duteâ—â—e of that fyght Kynges prynces at the sege dede Whan Attropos to breke theyr lyues threde That for to tell the myscheif and the wo I wante connynge and I fele also My penne quake and tremble in my honde Lyste that my lorde dradde on see and londe Whose worthynes thrugh the world doth sprede My makynge rude shall beholde and rede Whiche of colour full naked is and bare That but if he of his grace spare For to disdayne and lyste to haue pyte For fere I tremble that he shulde it se ¶ But onely mercy that doth his herte enbrace Byd me presume fully in his grace Seynge in hym moste vertuous and gode Mercy anexed vnto royall blode As to a prynce longeth nyghe and ferre Aye tofore right pyte to preferre For thorugh the supporte of his hye noblesse Sowpowayled I wyll my style dresse To wryte forth the storye by and by Of newe Troye in ordre ceryously As myn Auctour in latyn Guydo wryt Prayeng the reder where my worde myssyt Causynge the metre to be halte or lame For to correcte to saue me fro blame Lete hym not wayte after curyosyte Syth that in ryme Englysshe hath scarste I am so dull certayne that I ne can Folowe Guy do that clerke that coryous man Whiche in latyn hath by rethoryke Set so his wordes that I can nat be lyke To sewe his style in my translacion Worde by worde lyke the construccion After the maner of gramaryens Nor lyke the style of rethorycyens I toke nat on me this storye to translate For me to further Clyo came to late That in suche crafte hath great experyence I leue these wordes and folowe the sentence And trouthe of metre I sette also a syde For of that art I hadde as tho no guyde Me to reduce whan I went a wronge I toke none hede nouther of shorte nor longe But to the trouthe and lefte euryosyte Bothe of makynge and of metre be Nat purposynge to moche for to varye Nor for to be dyuers nor contrarye Vnto Guydo as by discordaunce But me conforme fully in substaunce Oonly in menynge to conclude all one All be that I ne can the way gone To sewe the floures of his eloquence Nor of peyntynge I haue none excellence With sondry hewes noble fresshe and gay So ryche colours byggen I ne may I muste procede with sable and with blacke And in ennewynge where ye fynde a lacke I axe mercy or I fro you twynne And with your fauour I wyll anone begynne And in all haste my style forth dyrecte And where I erre I praye you to correcte THe same tyme whan that Troye towne Destroyed was and kyng lamedowne Was also slayne thorugh the cruelte Of hercules vnder his eyte He had a sone the storye telleth vs Whiche was his heyce y called Pryamus Wonder manly discrete and prudente Whiche that tyme from Troye was absent Whan his fader loste there his lyfe For he that tyme with Ecuba his wyfe And with his sones aboute a castell lay And all his knyghtes to gete it if they may That hath on them myghtely werreyed For they his fader haue falsly disobeyed And vnto hym be rebell wonder longe All be Pryam with sautes huge and stronge Them hadde assayled ofte and many sythe His strengthe on them lyke a knyght of kythe To gete in armes worshyp and honour And them to daunte lyke a conquerour He caste hym fully or that he departe For day by day his lyfe he gan Iuparte At theyr walles for to preue his myght With many baron and many worthy knyght For he yet hadde his yonge lusty blode And was in age flowrynge in knyghthode And at assautes and suche maner stryfe On with the firste for to auntre his lyfe To herte his men hym lyste nat be behynde For drede of dethe sothly as I fynde Afore the castell hye and thycke walled And by his wyfe that Ecuba was called This Pryam had full worthy of degree Fyue sones and yonge doughters three Of whiche the eldest Ector called was Whiche also fer as Phebus in compas A naturell daye goth his cercle aboute So fer of hym without any doute Reported was the renowne and the name The worthynesse and the noble fame For lyke as bokes of hym specefye He was the roote and stocke of chyualrye And of knyghthod very soueraygne floure The sours and welle of worshyp honoure And of manhod I dare it well expresse Example and myroure and of hye prowesse Gynnynge and grounde with all this yfere Wonder benygne and lowely of his chere Discrete also prudent and vertuous Of whom the dedes and actes meruaylous Remembred ben of so longe a gone For he alone excelled euerychone In olde Auctours rede and ye may fynde Of his knyghthod how yet they make mynde The nexte brother called was Parys To whom nature gaue to herdeuys Of shap and fourme beaute and semelynesse That to remembre his excellent fayrenesse In his tyme without any drede He passed all that I can of rede And he was eke a full manly knyght But moost he vsed whan he shulde fyght In his hande for to bere abowe For suche an archer no man coude knowe For to seke bothe fer and nere That of shotynge myght be his pere As it was founde whan he hadde a do And Alysaundre called was also The thirde sone hyghte Dephebus A worthy knyght and a chyualrous And hadde in armes a full great renowne And was a man of hye discreciowne And wyse of couÌ„sayle myn auctor telleth thus ¶ The fourth brother called Helenus Sad and discrete and of hye prudence And was also a man of great scyente And renoÌ„med therwith in specyall In all the artes called lyberall For he in them was expert a ryght The fyfte sone was a worthy knyght Fresshe and lusty and yongest
playnly in your thought That euer is grene and ne dyeth nought How they haue slayne our progenytours That whylom were so noble werreours Our Cyte brente and brought vnto ruyne And robbed it falsly by rauyne And tourned all into wyldernesse And into Grece caryed our rychesse My fader slayne that hyghte lamedon Without cause or occasyon And raught from hym his golde his tresour Whiche me semeth is a foule errour We myght of right amendes well chalenge And desyre vs iustly to reuenge Afore the goddes of so hye offence Oonly of reason and of conscyence And passynge all theyr mortall cruelte There is one thynge that moste greueth me That they vngoodly agaynst gentyllesse No rewarde hauynge to the worthynesse To the byrthe ne the royall blode Of hir that is so fayre and eke so gode I meane my suster called Exyon Whom they alas to theyr confusyon Difuse and kepe nat lyke hir degre From day to day in dishoneste Where thorugh hir honour hir name lorne Consyderynge nat of what stok she was borne For they are blynde for to take hede Or to aduerte the roote of hir kynrede Of surquyde they be so indu rate And sythe that she of so hye estate Ytreted◠is lyke as ye may se I suppose other that be of lowe degre Eouerned be full dishonestly For ye may thynke and demetruely How wyues maydens in that companye With other eke that be of your allye Ynaunted be and vsed at theyr luste On the grekes I haue no better truste For they ne spare nother blode nor age And thus they lyue in turment seruage Without touthe mercy or pyte The whiche toucheth you as well as me And as me semeth of equyte and ryght Ye oughte echone with all your full myght Of the wronges with whiche ye be offended To seke awaye it myght be amended And that we worke all by one assent And procede lyke to oure entent Of theyr malys and cursed cruelte All at ones auenged for to be And that we be in herte wyll and thought Of one accorde and ne vary nought For than our force is dowbled and pouste For right and reason and good equyte Requyre vengeaunce on hym y◠doth y◠wronge Though it so be that it abyde longe I truste also on the goddes rightwysenesse That they shall helpe our harmes to redresse And fauour vs in our innocence To chastyse them that wrought this offence Also ye knowe how that our cyte Is stronge and myghty of great suerte With toures hye and walled for the werre That also fer as shyneth sonne or sterre There is none lyke for to reken all That may in force be therto perygall Ye knowe also as it shal be founde With chyualrye how that we habounde Expert in armes and of olde assayed That for drede neuer were dismayed And we haue plente also of vytayle Of frendshyp eke that ne wyll vs nat fayle With all theyr myght to do to vs socour Wherfore I rede without more soiour To sette vpon them sythe we be able And tyme is nowe me semeth couenable For manhode byd make no delay To venge a wronge hap what that may For in differynge is ofte great damage To worke in tyme is double auauntage For to our purpose lacketh neuer adele And thorugh our manhod we be assured wele But lyste we be nat holde to hasty Or to rakell to worke wylfully And werre also stande in auenture For aye of mart doutous is the eure I rede firste to grekes that we sende To wyt if they our harmes wyll amende Without stryfe werre or more debate Than may we sayne that we be fortunate And if they be contrarye to reason To condyscende to this conclusion To graunte our askynge of equyte ryght Than haue we cause for to preue our myght But are that we procede by rygour We shall to them offer all measour As fer as right and reason eke requere And of disdayne if them lyst nat here Than our quarell deuoyde of wylfulnesse Yrooted is vpon sykernesse And if that we of theyr great offence Axe amendes firste in pacyence God and fortune I hope wyll nat assente In the ende we shall vs nat repente And it is better by peas to haue redresse Than gynne a werre without auysenesse Therfore lete vs our wofull auenture Pacyently suffre and endure And in our porte be but humble playne Vpon answere what that they wyll sayn◠For though so be in myne entencion Ymeued am by iuste occasion To procede of yre to vengeaunce I wyll all put out of remembraunce And lete slyde by foryetfulnesse The wronges do and voyde all heuynesse Towarde grekes and axe of them no more But that they wyll Exyona restore To vs agayne whiche is to me moste derre Oonly to stynte all debate and werre For the surplus of our mortall eure We shall dissymule and prudently endure Our harmes olde forth in pacyence If ye accorde vnto my sentence Saye here vpon as ye be auysed For if this sonde be of them despysed And that them lyste to reason not obeye Than we may iustely seke a nother weye To haue redresse for now there is no more Saue I purpose to sende Anthenore Whiche is a man discrete and auysee And specyally in mater of treate For he is bothe wyse and eloquente As ye well knowe and passyngly prudente And whan the kynge had tolde his tale anone To his counsayle they consent euerychone That Anthenor this Iourney vndertake And he in haste gan hym redy make Without abode and wyll nat denye To take on hym this embassetrye Well auysed in his discrecion Toke or he wente informacion From poynt to poynt of this great charge For he hym caste to stande at his large Without errour as he that coude his gode For he the effect full playnly vnderstode For euery thynge he prynted in his thought Or that he went and forgate right nought For of a worde he caste hym nat to fayle To shyppe he gothe and began to sayle And to short tyme he and his companye Aryued be vp into Thesalye At a cyte called Mynusyus Where by fortune was kynge Pelleus The same tyme and Anthenor anone Vnto the kynge the right waye is gone Of whom he was as Guydo hath conceyued At pryme face benyngnely receyued But whan he knewe the cause of his comynge He had in haste without more taryenge To Authenor with a felle vysage Shortly to saye the effecte of his message THis Troyā knyght astoned neuer adel But full demure and auysed wel Nat to hasty nor rakell for to sayne But abydynge with loke and face playne To Pelleus with a manly chere Sayde in effecte right thus as ye shall here The worthy kynge called Pryamus So wyse so noble so manly and famous And of knyghthod passynge excellent Hath firste to you in goodly wyse sent Out of Torye his royall chefe cyte His full entent and message here by me As I shall saye to you in wordes
disdayne It is no drede my labour were in vayne Let ignoraunce and rudenesse me excuse For if that ye platly all refuse For certayne Fautes whiche ye shall fynde I doute nat my thanke is set behynde For in metrynge though there be ignoraunce Yet in the storye ye fynde may plesaunce Touchynge substauÌ„ce of yâ— myn Auctour wryt And though so be that any worde mysse syt Amende it with chere debonayre For an Errour to hyndre and appayre That is nat sayde of purpose nor malyce It is no worshyp to hym that is wyse And no wyght gladly so soon demeth a lacke Specyally behynde at the backe As he in soth that can no skylle at all He gothe full hole that neuer hadde fall And I nat fynde of newe nor of olde For to deme there is none so bolde As he that is yblent with vnconnynge For blynde bayarde caste pereyll of no thynge Tyll he stumble myddes of the lake And none so redy for to vndertake Than he in sothe nor bolder to say werse That can no skylle on prose nor on verse Of all suche that can nat be stylle Lytell forse where they say good or ylle For vnto them my boke is nat dyrect But to suche as haue in effect On symple folke full compassyon That goodly can by correccyon Amende a thynge that hyndre neuer adele Of custome aye redy to say wele FOr he that was grouÌ„de of well sayinge In all his lyfe hyndred no makynge My mayster Chaucer yâ— founde full many spot Hym lyst nat pynche nor grutche at euery blot Nor meue hym selfe to parturbe his reste I haue herde tolde but sayde alway the beste Suffrynge goodly of his gentyllesse Full many thynge embraced with rudenesse And if I shall shortly hym descryue Was neuer none to this daye alyue To reken all bothe yonge and olde That worthy was his ynkehorne for to holde And in this londe if there any be In borugh or towne vyllage or Cyte That connynge hath his tracys for to sewe Where he go brode or be shet in mewe To hym I make a dyreccyon Of this boke to haue inspeccyon Besechynge them with theyr prudent loke To race and scrape thorugh out all my bokâ— Voyde and adde where them semeth nede And though so be that they nat ne rede In all this boke no rethorykes newe ¶ yâ—et I hope they shall fynde trewe The storye playne clefly in substaunce And who so lyste to se varyaunce Of worldly thynge wrought by dayes olde In this boke he may full well beholde Chaunge of Fortune in hir course mutable Selde or nat faythfull outher stable Lordes Prynces sfrom hir royalte Sodaynely brought in aduersyte And kynges eke plounged in pouerte And for drede darynge in deserte Vnware slaunghtre compassed of enuyâ— Murdre execute by conspyracye Awayt leyinge falshede and treason And of kyngdome sodayne euersyon Bauysshynge of women for delyte Rote of the werre and mortall despyte False mayntenaunce of auoutrye Many worthy causynge for to dye Synne aye concludynge who so taketh hede Vengaunce vnware for his fynall mede VO declare that in all worldly luste Who loke a right is but lytell truste As in this boke exaumple ye shall fynde If that ye lyste enprente it in your mynde How all passeth and halt there no soiour Wastynge away as doth a somer floure Ryche and pore of euery maner age For our lyfe here is but a pylgrymage Meynt with labour and with moche woo That if men wolde take hede therto And tofore prudently aduerte Lytell ioye they shulde haue in theyr herte To set theyr truste in any worldly thynge For there is nouther Prynce lorde nor kynge By example of Troye lyke as ye may se That in this lyfe may haue full seurte Therfore to hym that starfe vpon the rode Suffrynge deth for our aller gode Lyfte vp your hertê thynke on hym amonge For be ye neuer so myghty nor so stronge Without hym all may nat auayle For he can gyue victorye in batayle And holde a felde shortly to conclude With a fewe agayne great multytude And by grace he maketh prynces stronge And worthy kynges for to reygne longe And Tyrantes sodaynely oppresse Thorwe theÌ„ downe for all theyr great rychesse And in his honde power he reserueth Eche to aquyte lyke as he disserueth To whom I praye with deuocyon With all myn herte and hole affeccyon That he lyste graunte longe contynaunce Prosperyte and good perseueraunce Helthe welfare victorye and honoure Vnto that noble myghty conqueroure Herry the fyfther tofore yspecefyed So that his name may be magnefyed Herein this lyfe vp to the sterrys clere And afterwarde aboue the nynthe spere Whan he is deed for to haue a place This praye I god for to sende hym grace At whose byddynge as I tolde late Firste I began the sege to translate And now I haue hoolly in his honoure Executed the fyne of my laboure Vnto all that shall this storye se With humble herte and all humylyte This lytell booke lowely I betake It to supporte and thus an ende I make ¶ Laus deo ¶ Of the moost noble excellent Prynce kynge Henry the fyfthe MOost worthy Prynce of knyghthode soures and welle Whos 's hye renowne thorugh the worlde dothe shyne And all other in manhode doest excelle Egall of meryt to the worthys nyne And borne also by discent of lyne As rightfull heyre by tytle to attayne To bere yâ— crowne of worthy Realme twayne And also fer as Phebus in his spere From Eest to west shedyth his bemys bryght And Lucyna with ashrouded chere Gothe compasse rounde with hir pale lyght Thou art yrekened for the best knyght To be registred worthy as of name In the hyest place of the house of fame To holde a palme of knyghthod in thy honde For worthynesse and for hye victorye As thou that art drade on see and londe And euermore with laude honoure and glorye For iuste conquest to be put in memorye With a crowne made of laurer grene Vpon thy heed tofore that famous quene Whylom ordeyned oonly for conquerours Stable of herte with longe perseueraunce And gaue nat vp tyll they were victours Empryses take for no sodayne chaunce Whose name ay floureth with newe remeÌ„brauÌ„ce And fadeth nat of yeres yore agone Amonges whiche thou mayste be set for one For thorugh the worlde in many regyon Reported is with fame that flyeth wyde That naturelly thy condycyon On thynge begonne is knyghtly to abyde And for the tyme manly set asyde Rest and ease what cost theron be spente Tyll thou haue cheued the fyne of thyn entente Moste circumspect and passynge auysee All thy werkes conueyed with prudence Sad and demure lyke to Iosuee Agayne whose swerde is no resystence And hast also heuenly influence With Salamon wysely to discerne Oonly by grace thy people to gouerne Mercy eke meynt with thy magnyfycence On all oppressed for to haue pyte And of rebelles by manly vyolence Abate canste the great cruelte And so with Dauyd thou haste kyngly pytâ— And hye prowesse with Sesar Iulyus In his tyme moost victoryous And manly holdest in thy hondes two Who can beholde by clere inspeccyon The swerde of knyghthode thy Scepture also The tone to brynge to subieccyon Hertes made proude by false rebellyon And with the Sceptre to rewle at the best Thy trewe people that can lyue in rest Now thou yâ— haste manhode vertue grace Attemperaunce fredome and bounte Lowly I praye with dredefull face Disdayne nat benyngely to se Vpon this boke rudely made by me To fyne oonly to agrene thyne hyghnesse And rewe of mercy vpon my symplesse And in thy noble kyngly aduertence Consydre se my soueraygne lorde most dere Of thyne inuat famous sapyence That criste Ihesu receyued with good chere The twey Munytys you of herte entere By the wydowe whiche of wyl and of thought Gaue all hir good kept hir selfe right nought By whiche ensaumple so that it nat offende Thorugh myn vnconnyng to thy hye noblesse Let good wyll my lytell gyfte amende And of thy mercy and renowmed goodnesse Haue no disdayne of my bareyne rudenesse And in makynge though I haue no muse Let trewe menynge the surplus all excuse More than good herte hath no maner wyght To present nouther to god nor man And for my parte to the as it is ryght That gyue I hole as ferforth as I can Aye to perseuere fro tyme that I gan With wyll thought for thyne estate to praye Whiche to conserue thus fynally I saye Firste of all almyghty god to queme With all that may be to his plesaunce And to thy crowne and thy dyademe Grace and good Eure with longe contynuaunce Of thy lyeges faythfull obeyssaunce And eche vertue that man may specefye I praye god graunte vnto thy regalye ¶ Explicit Liber quintus vltimus ¶ Lenuoye â—Oo lytell boke and put the in the grace Of hym that is moste of excellence And be nat hardy to appere in no place Without supporte of his magnyfycence And who so euer in the fynde offence Be nat to bolde for no presumpcyon Thy selfe enarme aye in pacyence And the submytte to theyr correccyon ¶ Verba translatoris ad librum suum And for thou art enlymned with no flowres Of Retoryke but with whyte and blacke Therfore thou muste abyde all showres Of them that lyste set on the alacke And whan thou art most lykely go to wracke Agaynst them thyne Errour nat diffende But humbly with drawe and go a backe Requerynge them all yâ— is amysse to amende Here endeth the Troye booke otherwyse called the Sege of Troye translated by IohnÌ„ Lydgate monke of the Monastery of Bery And Emprynted the yere of oure Lorde a. M. CCCCC xiij by Richard Pynson prynter vnto the kyngê noble grace