University of Virginia Library

THE PRÆFACE.

Consider well and weygh,
what castles, towers and townes,
What realmes, what Kings by cruell Mars,
haue lost their royall crownes.
The force of warre eche man,
hath felt, this well I knowe:
If euer he in Martiall feates,
did any time bestowe.
Howe many headlesse men,
what townes destroyed be?
If stories olde thou do reuolue,
there playnely mayst thou see.
This storie I therefore,
in English haue translate:
Bycause thereby thou mayst perceyue,
of warre the cruell fate.
Howe Mars with bloudy sworde,
doth raunge when victorie:
Shal ope hir gates, and let him in,
to haue the maysterie.
What Princes bloud is spilt,
of captiues wofull case:
And how that traytours vse their sleyghts
their Princes to deface.
Loe here thou shalt it see,
by Caulcas traytour olde:
Which to the Greekes a Princes childe,
by trayterie hath solde.
I haue in time heard say,
how men that did delight:
To reade olde iestes of battayles olde,
did much desire the sight,
Of bookes that did intreate,
of Hectors courage stoute:
How in the midst of all the Greekes,
with valiant heart he fought.
Loe here thou mayst perceyue,
in Hectors little sonne:
The courage of his father olde,
and what he oft hath done.
Buy therefore and it reade,
the price of it is small:
If ought there be in it amisse,
amend it soone I shall.
Thus I take here my leaue,
requiring this of thee:
That thou accept here my good will,
though rude the verses be.

The hystorie of two of the most noble Princes of the world Astianax & Polixena

When Troie wt Troianes were inclosde,
by mighty armies twayne:
And weery Greekes forsoke that lande,
retourning home agayne.
By their deuise a monster huge,
was left in Troian ground:
A playne disceyte them to destroy,
as afterwardes they found.
A horse of wood, in which there was,
of armed men great store;
Vlisses and the offspring of,
the huge and bristled bore.
When that these Knights in armor bright
inclosed were therein:
To Tenedos not farre from thence,
to goe they doe begin.
A place in sight of Troian lande,
where men them might not see;
Bycause of mistes which caused were,
vnto the Skies to flie.
These Gretians there themselues did hide,
and Phrygians did beginne:
By force of men, the ingine great,
to hale and plucke it in.
With minstrels and with trompets eke,
and feast this night they make:
And fearing nought that might ensue,
their quiet restes they take.
When halfe the night was spent in slepe,
at Troie the Greekes ariue:
Then those that in the ingine were.
their fiers forth do driue.
To top of towre these fiers they flewe,
the houses eke belowe:
And what within the ingine was,
the Gretians playne do showe.
Then strayght the Troianes all in heapes,
vnto the court doe flie:
And eke the rowte of Gretians stoute,
Æneas doth defie.
And seekes with manly courage stout,
the Greekes for to restrayne:
But out alas, his noble heart,
did trauayle all in vayne.
For more and more the Greekes did yet,
their number multiplie:
That succour ought to Troie should come,
the Gods did playne denie.
And cruell fates that were peruers,
to Troianes as I deeme:
The Troian towne olde Illyon,
did nought at all esteeme.
And when that once Neptunes hand,
the walles at will to beate:
And cruell Iuno in the toyle.
did labour till she sweate.
And all the Gretian Gods at once,
doe giue them to the spoyle:
Both Iuppiter and cruell Mars,
Lieutenant of the broyle.
There men might see the Troian walles,
turnde topsie turuie downe:
And at this breach the Gretians kepe,
to enter in the towne.
Here nowe they winne the victorie,
and there to ground they fall:
And some vnto the temples runne,
vpon the Gods to call,
For ayde and helpe, but all in vayne,
the towne is quite destroyde:
And for the spoyle their labour all,
is duely now imployed.
There Priamus the auncient King,
by Pyrrus hande is slayne:
And here the Greekes the castle strong,
indeuour to obtayne.
The towne once wonne, then all in haste,
they runne to take the spoyle:
And here and there the Troianes doe,
of Gretians take the foyle.
At length the towne is put to sacke,
and all as dead doth lie:
And then the Greekes do strayght prepare,
to Greece agayne to hie.
And Agamemnon generall,
doth part the spoyle and gayne:
And eke the captiues they doe seeke,
to Greece with them to trayne.
While all these things in Troian lande,
were thus commit and done:
Dauphebus in the Zodiacke,
had more than halfe outrunne.
And running now another way,
did call for Winter dayes:
To which time mighty Aeolus,
nought of his power decayes.
Then homeward do the Greekes prepare,
to wende in very deede:
And first to get the spoyle to shippes,
they forwarde doe proceede.
Some nowe do rigge and tallowe eke,
the shippes that beaten were:
With winde and rayne, and other some,
the mighty mastes doe reare,
Some scoure the gons, some tackels new,
some vitailes doe prouide:
And some full ready are to wende,
yet lacke they winde and tide.
The Gretian Princes them disporte,
in midst of Prygian lande:
And wofull Troianes in the midst.
with wringing handes doe stande.
Before the ende of dolours all,
in sight there did appeare:
A manly Knight in armour bright,
and did himselfe vp reare.
And spake these words vnto the hoste,
of Gretians stoute and strong:
You haue my Knightes, within this lande,
remayned very long.
And nowe at length you haue repayde,
the Troians once their hire.
For not one stone on others left,
now all lies in the mire.
Therefore I say attende to me,
and aunswere quickly giue:
You knowe the mayde whose wedlocke I,
did craue when I did liue.
With that they all astonied were,
and mused who should be:
The wight whose loue he did desire,
in his prosperitie.
At last, he to dissolue them from,
this feare that they were in:
And then a newe to prosecute,
this tale he doth beginne.
Achilles I your Champion olde,
that sometime was your King,
Nowe being deade yet do request,
of you but this one thing.
That Polixena may be mine,
and on my tombe be slayne:
So shall your shippes returne full safe,
vnto your friendes agayne.
And losed be from long decay,
the which here they abyde:
With paynted pompe, and shall agayne,
vpon the salte seas flyde.
And more I will and doe commaunde,
that she to death be put:
And then your shippes shall losed be,
the foming seas to ent.
By Pyrrus hande I will that she,
be slayne, and then depart:
And then ye haue the Troianes payde,
after their owne desert.
This sayd, the earth did quake, & downe,
to hell he did descende:
The Greekes his wordes for to perfourme,
do thorowly intende.
Then to their ships the Greekes do hie,
in posting wise amaine:
For weather faire did then appeare,
to bring them home ogayne.
Vlisses then, whose diuelish wiles,
were not farre of to seeke:
Did this procure, that Hectors sonne,
shoulde die in maner like.
Astianax that manly wight,
yet being but a childe:
Coulde not forbeare, he seing that
from Troie he was exilde.
But willingly his tender corps,
for countries soyle would beare:
Through all the rowte of Gretians strong,
which Vlisses did feare.
And practizing to haue him slayne,
for feare he shoulde in ende:
Be able with an armie huge,
through Gretian lande to wende.
And then his children after him,
by force for to subdewe:
And eke destroy all Gretian lande,
as they had ouerthrewe,
The Troian towne olde Illyon,
as men thereof may see:
Vlisses and Caulcas therefore,
hereon agreed be.
That Caulcas shall adiure and sweare,
that one there must be slayne:
For whome the Greekes doe make delay,
and still in creeke remayne.
The night is past, the day is come,
auroraes beames do spred:
And now Caulcas that traytour olde,
doth ryse from drowsie bed.
And stands at aultare twixt the Gods,
to offer sacrifice:
With foming mouth the Heyfer yong,
before the altare lies.
Much like as when a raging bore,
compast with any wight:
And stricken to the heart with shafte,
of force must lie vpright.
And foming at his cruell mouth,
he wrastles all in vayne:
The more he striues, the more increaseth,
his sore and grieuous payne.
So lies the Heyfer yong before,
the altare of the Gods:
His breathing paunch is opened,
the bloud runs forth with clods.
Then crieth out the Prophet olde,
and sayth that needes must we:
Slay Hectors sonne, for loe the Gods,
with vs agrieued be.
And nothing can appease their ire,
but onely sacrifice:
And therefore Astianax must be slayne,
I say in any wise.
Then strayght from thence to seeke the boy
the Gretians doe them hie:
But for a time him for to finde,
the God doth them denie.
Till at the last that crafty King,
traynde vp with all disceyte:
Did finde him out, as one that knewe,
the way him for to get.
At length when they obtayned had,
this peerelesse Princes childe:
To warde they doe commit the boy,
and eke the Aunte so milde.
Untill such time as poynted was,
by Caulcas traitour olde:
The which thing he before, within
his traytours head had folde.
Aurora twice had shewed hir face,
and Tytan twice in Skies:
Hath shewed his glistering beames frō out
the side where he doth rise.
And nowe the thirde to men is come,
whereof they did reioyce:
With mery notes the Mariners,
do sing with cheerefull voyce.
At last this Hector yong of yeares,
doth ioy, and hastes with speede:
Of cruel fate for to receiue,
his finall ende in deede.
Then strait the Greekes & Troianes runne
to place where he should die:
And who first at the place should be,
the Greekes and Troianes trie.
Some by the castle wall doe stande,
and some heape stones on hie:
And some from top of Idamon,
do see where he shall lie.
Some gather stones, and pyles doe make,
thereon to stand and see:
Some other weepe at his ill fate,
appoynted so to bee.
Some talke of Hectors valiauntnesse,
some come with him behinde:
Some that Vlisses necke were broke,
wish both in heart and minde.
And styll they stand and gaze vpon,
the olde and rotten toure:
And doe aspect of Mars his stroke,
when that shall come the floure.
At length he coms that causer was,
of Greekes so long delay:
And Greekes with Troianes all at once,
lament that dolefull day.
The manly boy with manly heart,
vnto his death doth goe:
And rolles about his seemely eyes,
his friendes and foes to knowe.
Unto the top of Castle olde,
the Greekes and he doe wende:
And from the hiest toppe thereof,
they downewarde do him sende.
The tender corps of Princes bloude,
and Illyons onely ioy:
In whome his hope did all consist,
for to repaire olde Troie,
Doth nowe in midst of Illyon towne,
lie quite dissolued of life:
The mourning now who can expresse,
of noble Hectors wife.
The Greekes lament his wofull hap,
with teares their eyes do flowe:
And eke how Troianes doe lament,
my pen can not forth showe,
They houle, they weepe, they mourne & cry
they wring their handes amayne:
To see how that the tender corps,
of that sweete Prince lies slayne
At length the Greekes do downe descende,
Polixenaes death to see:
But Agamemnon in whome doth growe,
the braunch of faire pitie,
Doth Greekes deny that they should see,
the fall of hir likewise:
And for the death of Hectors sonne,
the teares runne downe his eyes.
Then Pyrrus he with posting speede,
and Gretians all doe hie:
Unto the place where as I wis,
Polixena must die.
The Gretians doe runne amaine,
and Troians be not slowe:
The company, the poynted place,
doe throng and ouerflowe.
The number was with wayling fillde,
to see so faire a wight:
In pitious wise for slaughter huge,
so cruelly to be dight.
At length they come, and Hellyn she,
doth beare the mariage brande:
Before the mayde, as maner was,
with stretched arme and hande.
The mayde with manly courage stout,
doth viewe the mighty trayne:
With sterne aspect, reuoluing here
hir sight and there agayne.
Wyth bended browes she viewes the host
of Gretians as she goes:
And yet for that with Tyndaris,
not one fote she doth lose.
But is as lusty in hir way,
as best of Gretians all:
No cruell dreade durst once assay,
within hir bones to fall.
And after hir in order commes,
Achilles onely sonne:
Which must the mayde on fathers tombe,
with sworde quite thorow runne.
And Caulcas eke did after come,
but yet with slower pace:
The mayde before the rest she went,
whose glistering golden face,
Did quite excell the bright sunne beames,
of Phœbus fresh and faire:
Which good cause gaue the Gretian host,
vpon hir so to stare.
Hir comelie haire depending downe,
behinde hir head did shewe:
Hir perfect graces what they were,
in which she full did flowe.
Hir face as Roses fresh and sweete,
did seeme that there were plaste:
Hir tender lips, hir body eke,
in kirtle being laste.
Hir fingers long and lyllie white,
yea euen as the snowe:
Dame nature in Polixena,
hir power at once did showe.
No parte of hir misseshapen was,
but all full well did gree:
Which caused of the Greekes to weepe,
hir cruell chaunce to see.
It would haue made a heart of flint,
to weepe or else to burst:
To see so faire a Lady die,
as one that was accurste.
Now is she come vnto the tombe,
of hie and stout Achil,
The Gretians all then of the Gods,
{the blessed} eares do fill.
With roarings and with cries also,
euen as a mother woulde:
When that euen now hir childe to die,
before hir see she should.
So do the Greekes and Troians all,
lament hir cruell fall:
And oft for help, but yet in vayne,
vnto the Gods they call.
And then to top of tombe she goes,
and there as still doth stande:
As any lambe, which to be slayne,
the butcher hath in hande.
Then downe she kneeles & prayes ye Gods,
and then doth rise agayne:
And euery man to heare hir speake,
approch and are ful fayne.
Then thus to them at last she spake,
all feare now layde aside:
Leaue of quoth she, I say you Greekes,
leaue of your filthy pride.
The crowne of victorie the which,
you now triumphant beare:
For if you loke neuer so hie,
yet fortune doth [OMITTED]
To throwe you downe vnto the earth,
that erst she set on hie:
And yet O Troie I now ioy much,
that I with thee must die.
I shall not wander into Greece,
nor as a slaue ywis:
Be bound with chaines in prison strong,
as nowe the maner is.
But with my father and my friends,
shall here abyde I say:
Now welcome O thou death to me,
I ioy to see this day.
With that Achilles sonne,
pluckt forth his bloudy blade:
Hir pleasant corps intending then,
by sworde for to inuade.
Then lifting vp his hande to strike,
he stayed in the blowe:
For cruell feare in quaking bones,
intangled had him so.
At length he quite desolued from feare,
doth hyde his sworde within:
Hir tender ribbes, hir breathing bloud,
[OMITTED] beginne.
And yet not dead, she falles as though,
the burden she would make:
Full heauy to Achilles, then,
there life she doth forsake.
And then the bloud out of the wounde,
in breathing wise doth flowe:
Euen as a floud out from the hilles,
descending downe belowe.
Then all the shores is through complete,
with weepings manifolde,
The Greekes they wepe hir cruell fate,
on that wise to beholde.
From thence they goe vnto their ships,
and homeward thinke to wende:
The ships be losde, and fate reuolued,
faire winde the Gods haue sende.
Then hoyse they sayle, away they [OMITTED]
to see once Greece agayne:
And leauing Troie on foming [OMITTED]
they ride and sayle [OMITTED]