University of Virginia Library

Howe Vlixes and Diomede, withoute dewe reverence purposed þere Embassayte in þe presence of Priamus. And here ye shule se þe birthe of Eneas, and howe Agamenoun sent Achyle, and Thelefus to the Ille of Messay for an eyede of vitaile.

And þe Grekis wil no lenger dwelle,
But hilde her wey be many sondri went
To parforme þe fyne of her entent,
Til þei atteyne þe chambour principal,
Wher Priamus in his se royal,
Like his estat, in ful knyȝtly wyse
Saat, [and] aboute, ful prudent & ful wyse,
His lordis alle in setis hym be-syde—
Whan þe Grekis, surquedous of pride,
With sterne chere & froward countenaunce,
As þei þat hadde litel remembraunce
Of gentilles nor of curtesye—
For, as Guydo doth pleynly specefye,
Entryng in þei taken han her place
In thoposyt of þe kynges face,
And sette hem doun, with-oute more sermoun,
Any obeiyng or salutacioun,
Worschip, honour, or any reuerence
Done to þe kyng, for al his excellence,
In preiudyce of al gentilles.
And þan anon Vlixes gan expres
Cause of her comyng to kyng Priamus,
With-oute abood seiyng euene þus,
Not forberyng presence of þe kyng:
“Merueille nat nor haue no wondring,
Þouȝ we to þe do non honour dew,
In oure comyng þe for to salue,
Sith it ne longeth, in soþ, as þinkeþ me,
Wher rancour is & hertly enmyte
Of dedly hate, with salutaciouns,
Or wiþ feyned fals affecciouns
For to schewe, wher hertis ben a-fire:
For naturelly no man schal desyre
Of his enmye þe helthe nor welfare.
And platly now me list nat for to spare
Schortly to schewe þe fyn of our entent,
Liche as we haue in commaundement
In oure message from Agamenoun,
Þe noble kyng, most worþi of renoun,
Whiche vs hath sent, þer is no more to seyn,
Now vn-to þe for þe quene Eleyne,
Þat was rauissched oute of Grekis lond,
And brout to Troye be force of myȝti hond,
Ageynes riȝt, and by violence.
Wherfore, schortly, with-out more offence,
We iustly axe, with-out more demaunde,
Þat þou anon riȝtfully comaunde
To Menelay þat sche be sent ageyn;
And with al þis, we axe nat in veyn
Þat þou make restitucioun
Of wrongis don in þat regioun,
Of pilfres grete, slauȝtre, & robberye,
By Paris don of wilful tyrannye,
Whiche is þi sone, and by þe sustenyd,
And in his errour wrongfully mayntenyd.
Wherfore, come of and fully condescende,
With-oute grucching, þese wrongis to amende:
For so þou maist best þe goddis queme,
Liche as þou myȝt in þi resoun deme,
As riȝt requereþ, to werchen as þe wyse.
For ȝif so be, þat þou now dispise
To execute þat I haue tolde þe here,
Trust me riȝt wel, a lessoun þou schalt lere,
Whiche þou and þine schal aftir sore rewe,
With-oute feynyng þou schalt fynde trewe,
Þat, but ȝif þou a better ende make,
Cruel vengaunce schal on þe be take;
And finally, what schulde I to þe feyne,
Þe force of deth þis quarel schal dareyne
Vp-on þe and vp-on al þi blod,
Raunsomles outher of gold or good.
And questionles, reporte þis of me,
Þat mercyles þis riche strong cite
Schal doun be bete and y-layd ful lowe,
Wal & toures also ouerthrowe.
Þis al and som; be now wel avised
Þat oure axyng of þe be nat dispised,
But wisly werke & do as I haue seid.”
And sodeinly kyng Priamus abreide,
Of hasty Ire he myȝt[e] nat abide,
Of þe Grekis whan he sawe þe pride,
Þe grete outrage and presumpcioun—
Wiþ-oute abode or deliberacioun,
To Vlixes anon he gan out breke,
And [vn-]to hym euene þus to speke:
“I wondre gretly in myn aduertence,
Beyng astonyed how ȝe in my presence
So vngoodly dar make þis demaunde,
Like as ȝe had power to comaunde
And me constreyne ȝour biddyng to obeye,
And I for fere durste nat wiþ-seye
No maner þing þat ȝe axen here,
Nor contrarie what þat ȝe requere;
Wher-of sothly in hert I am amevid,
And of ȝour þretis inwardely a-grevid,
And astonid, surly nat a lite,
Þat ȝe ar bold so me to excite,
And vilenly myn honour to prouoke
On ȝoure wordis for to ben awroke.
But for al þis, trusteþ me riȝt wel,
I wil nat passe my boundis neuer-a-del,
Nor þe raþer, schortly at þe ende,
To ȝour axynge in no þing condescende;
For considerid þe fyn of ȝour entent,
It wer nat syttyng nor conuenient
A kyng to graunte ȝour axyng, þouȝ þat he
Stood in meschef and captiuite,
With-oute recure to outtraunce brouȝte.
It were outrage, pleinly, to be þouȝte,
To axe of hym þat ȝe axe of me!
And sothly, ȝit, I suppose nat þat ȝe
Acomplissching may so moche availle
As ȝe han seid; for platly ȝe schal faille
Of ȝour purpos, I seie, & God to-forne,
Maugre ȝoure myȝt, þouȝ ȝe had it sworne:
For ȝoure request, in euery wyȝtis siȝt,
Wanteth a grond, boþe of trouþe & riȝt—
Þat axe of me satisfaccioun!—
And were ȝoure silfe first occasioun,
Whan ȝe slowe my fader Lamedoun
And his liges, & brenten eke his toun,
And many harmys, ȝif þei wern [out] souȝt,
On hym and hyse causeles ȝe wrouȝt,
Þat it were longe al for to reherse—
Which day be day þoruȝ myn hert[e] perse—
My suster eke, callid Exyoun,
Ȝe ladde a-weye oute of þis regioun,
Þe whiche is nat vn-to hir worþines
I-tretid like, nor aftir gentillesse.
And for al þis ȝe wolde a-mendis haue
Wrongly of me, þat whilom for to saue
Al þing in pees & to stynte werre,
To ȝou sente in-to Grece ferre
Only to han had Exyoun ageyn,
Of whiche sond ȝe had but disdeyn,
And cruelly and in vngoodly wyse
My massanger ȝe gonne to dispise,
Þat he vnneþe myȝt eskape away
Out of Grece—ȝe knowe it is no nay—
Of ȝou he had so vngoodly chere.
And in good feith, me list nat now to here
Ȝoure request, nor ȝeven audience
To ȝour axyng, for ȝour gret offence;
For leuer I hadde, schortly, for to deye,
Þan condescende to ouȝt þat ȝe seye:
For I wil fully, for conclusioun,
Þat it be knowe to Agamenoun,
Þat we haue leuer—þis is dout[e]les—
Fynally his werre þan his pees,
Sith ȝe to me han don so gre[t] trespace.
And, by my trouþe, in þis silf[e] place
Cruelly anon ȝe schulde deye,
But for þe offis of embassatrie
Ageyn[e]s deth is fully ȝour diffence,
Þat be so bolde, with-oute reuerence,
In my presence so to þrete or speke—
Trust me riȝt [wel], it schuld anon be wreke!
Wherfore, in hast, with-out wordis mo,
My conseil is, þat ȝe ben a-go
Out of my siȝt, and voideþ þis cite;
For þus it stant: whiles I ȝou se,
In myn herte may entre no gladnes,
Þe fret of Ire put me in swiche distres,
Þat, in good feith, I may it nat sustene,
So importune is þe rage and tene
Þat inwardely bynt me for þe while.”
And Dyamedes þo be-gan to smyle,
And seid anon þus vn-to þe kyng:
“Ȝif it so be þat þou of oure comyng
In þin hert hast so moche peyne
Vs to beholde now þat be but tweyne,
And art þerwith so inly set a-fyre,
Þan schaltow neuere ben with-oute Ire
In al þi lif, nor deuoide of wo,
Siþen þou hast so many cruel fo
Of Grekis now entrid in þi lond—
An hundrid þousand almost at þin hond,
Ageyn whos myȝt þou maist þe nat assure
To resiste, pleynly, nor endure,
Consydred wel how þat þei be strong,
As þou schalt wit, paraunter, or ouȝt longe,
So manly men & so wel arrayed,
Expert in armys, and of old assaied,
Þat no diffence may ageyn hem vaille.
And wite eke wel, þat þou maist nat faille
Be deth of swerde of her hond to deye,
And alle þine—þer is no more to seye—
Þouȝ it so be, proudly þat þou speke,
And with þi tonge, only to be wreke,
Affermyst more þan þou maist acheue:
Bettre it were swiche wordes leue,
And to wys counseil take bettre hede.”
But þan in haste ageyn þis Dyamede,
Surquedous and most ful of pride,
Þer rose vp some be þe kynges syde
With swerdis drawe, & on hym han falle
And al to-hew, þer amonge hem alle,
Of hasty Ire brennyng as þe glede;
Til Priamus gan to taken hede,
And roos hym vp, seyng þis dissese,
And manfully þis rage gan appese,
Hem diffendyng vp-on deth & life,
Þat non of hem be hardy in þis strife
Þenbassatours to harmen or to greue:—
“For þouȝ a fool his foly wil nat leue
To presume to speke vnkonnyngly,
A wys man moste suffre paciently;
And [þouȝ] þat he happe doon offence
Þoruȝ foly speche, for lak of sapience,
To a wysman ne longeþ, soth to seyn,
To take hede or to speke a-geyn:
For as to a fole it is pertynent
To schewe his foly, riȝt so convenient
Is to þe wyse, softly, with suffraunce,
In al his port to haue tolleraunce.
For to folis longeth kyndely,
With-oute a-vis to speke folily,
Vndiscretly his menyng to fulfille,
Where a wysman schal heryn & be stylle
Til he se tyme, and haue pacience,
And dyssymule in his aduertence
Þe rage of folis þat last but a þrowe:
For be his tonge a fole is ofte knowe;
And leuer I hadde, I do ȝou wel assure,
In my persone damage to endure,
Þanne to suffre any messanger
In my court, of ȝow þat ben here,
To han a wronge, ouþer grete or lite—
Þe swerde of rancour may nat alwey bite,
To do vengaunce for a þing of nouȝt.
For ofte it falleth a wrong is wrouȝt:
For litel excesse folweþ gret reprefe;
And hast is ay medlid with meschefe.
Wherfore, I bidde þat ȝe sitte doun,
And in no wyse, of presumpcioun,
Attempteþ nat, in no maner wyse,
Be signe or worde more for to dispise
Þembassatours from þe Grekis sent,
But late hem frely declaren her entent,
And ȝe þer-whiles kepe ȝour lippes clos.”
And sodeinly þanne Eneas aros,
Whiche nexte þe kyng hadde þan his se,
So inwardly with rancour fret was he,
Þat he ne myȝt hym siluen nat restreyn,
And seid[e]: “sir, so ȝe nat disdeyne
Þat I schal seyn, me semeth þat it is
Wel a-cordyng, whan oon haþ seid amys
And reklesly spoken vn-avised,
Of his foly þat he be chastysed,
Þat oþer may exaumple by hym take,
To be wel war swiche noise & cry to make,
And specially in open audience
So toffende ȝour royal excellence!
And sothly ȝit, I wot wel þat I myȝt
So me gouerne, pleynly, in ȝoure siȝt,
Of hastynes with-oute avisement,
Þat I schulde by ȝour commaundement
Þe deth disserue for my gret offence.
And trewly ȝit, ne wer [for] ȝoure presence,
On þis tweyne þat han so I-spoke,
With-oute abood I schuld anoon be wroke:
For it wer worþi & riȝt wel sittyng,
Whan þat a fool in presence of a kyng
Is bolde or hardy of presumpcioun
To take on hym of indiscrecioun
Þing to reherse, concludyng in sentence
Preiudice of ȝoure magnificence,
Þat he were tauȝt bettre to gouerne
His large tonge, to konne bet discerne
Whan he schal speke or whan ben in pes,
To suffren hym to renne out of les,
As doth he þis þat spoken haþ so large.
Wherfor, in hast, I conseil hym & charge,
With-oute abood, or any wordis mo,
Out of ȝoure siȝt anon he be ago,
For it is best to don as I hym rede.”
To whom anon ful proudly, Dyomede,
Nat astonyd, but with a sterne loke,
To Eneas, þat for Ire quoke,
Answerde ageyn with wordis but a fewe,
And seide: “sir, þi speche doþe wel schewe,
What so þou be, þat þou art riȝt wys.
Wel is þat kyng, þat doþe be þin avys,
Or hath þe nyȝe of conseil for to be;
For he ne may erre in no degre—
Þat art so riȝtful in þi Iugement,
Of wilfulnes, wiþ-oute avisement,
To cause a lord his boundis for to pace.
So wolde God, in som oþer place
Þat I myȝt, be fauour of Fortune,
Metyn wiþ þe at leiser oportune,
Like my desire, þat canst so wel endite—
I nolde faile þi labour for to quyte,
And þe to þanke for þi gentil chere,
Whiche so knyȝtly þou hast vs schewed here—
Trust wel þer-to: I haue þer-of no drede!”
And þo Vlixes of þis Dyomede
Gan interrupte his wordis prudently,
And to hym seide ful avisely
Þat it was best to stynten & be stille.
“And now we know fully al þi wille,”
Quod Vlixes ful manly to þe kyng,
“We wil gon hens, with-oute [more] tariyng,
Out of þi siȝt to Agamenoun,
And make to hym pleyn relacioun
Of þin answere, in ordre by and by.”
And to hors þei went sodeynly,
And in schort tyme so hast hem on her weye,
Þat þei be come, þer is no more to seie,
Wher þe kyng sat in his tentorie;
And worde by worde, as cam to memorie,
Þei reherse þe substaunce euery-del,
Wher-of þe Grekis like no þing wel,
Conceyving ful þer was no remedie,
As be report of þe embassatrye,
Saf only þis: outerly procede,
Howe þei hem schal gouernen in þis nede
Ageyn[es] Troyen[s], of necessite;
For þei wel wot it may noon oþer be,
And assentid, boþe in wille and dede:
To purveye hem fast[e] þei hem spede,
In þis story as ȝe schal aftir fynde.
But or þat I make þer-of mynde,
I most a while of Eneas endyte,
As myn auctor list of hym to write:
Þe whiche, soþely, as bokis seyn, he was,
Þis manly Troyan, þis famus Eneas,
Anchises sone, of gret worþ[i]nes,
Whilom gete of Venus þe goddes,
Conquerour of many regioun.
Whan Troye was brouȝt to destruccioun,
He went his weye by þe large se,
Callid Tirene, & sailyng forþe goþe he
Be many cost & many narow passage,
Many daunger, til in-to Cartage
He rivid is, and þus gan to saille
To þe conquest of þe gret Ytaille;
And so to Rome he hath þe wey[e] take.
Of whos of-spryng, as auctour[e]s make,
Cam Augustus Cesar, þe Emperour,
Þat was whilom so noble a conqueror,
Þat his renoun to þis day doth schyne.
And of Enee, themperour Iustyne,
In his boke, callid Autentikes,
Ful pleynly writ þer in þe rubrikes:
Þat aftir Cesar, so as Sesares
Be named ȝit, riȝt so Eneades,
After Enee þe name schulde bere,
Whiche fro Troye comen was so fere
Vn-to Ytaille. And of þis Eneas,
As I haue tolde, Cesar discendid was
Doun lyne riȝt, ful manly & royal,
Þat first in Rome be septer imperial,
Maugre her myȝt, had[de] gouernaunce,
And of wisdam sette in gouernaunce
Comoun þinges touchyng þe cite.
And to procede ferþer of Enee,
Holly his lyf & knyȝthod by & by
Ȝif þat ȝe list to rede Ceriously,
Ȝe may se al, ful awtentik of style,
In Eneydos compiled of Virgile:
Al-be it so, þat þis noble clerke
Was graue a-forn or complet was his werk,
As bokes olde make mencioun.
But now ageyn to Agamenoun,
With-oute more, my stile I wil retourne.