An Alliterative Romance Translated from Guido de Colonna's "Hystoria Troiana" The Gest Hystoriale of the destruction of Troy |
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 | An Alliterative Romance Translated from Guido de Colonna's "Hystoria Troiana" |  |
11
OFF ERCULES.
There was honerable Ercules egur of wille,
As poyetes haue pricked of his prise fader:
He was getton of a god on a gret lady,
Þat ajoinet was Iobeter to his iuste nome,
And his moder full mylde Almena was clepid:
She was wyffe as I wene to worthy Amphitrio.
This Ercules euermore egur & nobill,
The worde of his werkes thurghe þe worlde sprange:
So mony groundes he for-justede & of ioy broght,
That no tung might hom telle þof it tyme hade.
Hit is tolde in his tyme, wo þat trawe lyst,
In his hastines he highyt vnto helle yates,
A þre hedet hounde in his honnd coght,
That was keper of the close of þat curset In:
So dang he þat dog with dynt of his wappon,
Þat þe warlag was wete of his wan atter,
And thurgh voidyng of venym with vomettes grete,
Mony prouyns and perties were put out of helle.
All þat poites haue pricket of his prise dedis,
I haue no tome for to telle ne tary no lengur.
But þe wonders þat he wroght in þis world here,
In yche cuntré ben knowen vnder Criste euyn.
Tow pyllers he pight in a place lowe,
Vppon Gades groundes, þat he gotton hade:
Too whiche pyllers priste as prouyt is before,
The mighty Massidon Kyng maister of All,
The Emperour Alexaunder Aunterid to come:
He wan all the world & at his wille aght.
[OMITTED]
As poyetes haue pricked of his prise fader:
He was getton of a god on a gret lady,
Þat ajoinet was Iobeter to his iuste nome,
And his moder full mylde Almena was clepid:
She was wyffe as I wene to worthy Amphitrio.
This Ercules euermore egur & nobill,
The worde of his werkes thurghe þe worlde sprange:
So mony groundes he for-justede & of ioy broght,
That no tung might hom telle þof it tyme hade.
Hit is tolde in his tyme, wo þat trawe lyst,
In his hastines he highyt vnto helle yates,
A þre hedet hounde in his honnd coght,
That was keper of the close of þat curset In:
So dang he þat dog with dynt of his wappon,
Þat þe warlag was wete of his wan atter,
And thurgh voidyng of venym with vomettes grete,
Mony prouyns and perties were put out of helle.
All þat poites haue pricket of his prise dedis,
I haue no tome for to telle ne tary no lengur.
But þe wonders þat he wroght in þis world here,
In yche cuntré ben knowen vnder Criste euyn.
Tow pyllers he pight in a place lowe,
Vppon Gades groundes, þat he gotton hade:
Too whiche pyllers priste as prouyt is before,
The mighty Massidon Kyng maister of All,
The Emperour Alexaunder Aunterid to come:
He wan all the world & at his wille aght.
12
| An Alliterative Romance Translated from Guido de Colonna's "Hystoria Troiana" | |