University of Virginia Library

The descripcion of þe moste part of princes þat kame with þe Grekis for þe destruccyoun of Troye.

But for-as-moche as Dares Frigius
Was in his boke whilom corious
Þe forme of Troyens & Grekis to discryve,
Liche as he saw—þis auctor by his lyve—
Þe schap, þe forme, and complexioun,
Boþe of þe party of hem of Troye toun,
And of þe Grekis, be good avisement,
In tyme of trewe among hem as he went,
Seyng þe maner of her gouernaunce,
Her port, her chere, with euery circumstance,
Namly of þoo þat wer of hiȝe degre—
He nat for-gat color nor qualite,
Condiciouns, and also her stature—
Al to discrive Dares dide his cure,
In Grekysche tong, be-gynnyng at Eleyne,
Liche as to-forn ȝe han herde me seyne,
Of hir beute and hir semlynes
How ceryously Guydo doth expresse
(Saue he seide, in a litel space,
A strype þer was endelonge hir face,
Whiche, as he writ, be-cam hir wonder wel,
Embelyssching hir beute [e]uerydel,
Like as Dares makeþ discripcioun).
And first he seiþ how kyng Agamenoun
Was of good schap & hiȝe of his stature,
And myȝte in labour at þe best endure—
Vnpacient to lyuen in quiete,
He was to armys so egal and so mete—
Of colour white, & good proporcioun,
And flewmatik of his complexioun,
Discret and hardy, & wonder vertuous,
And of speche riȝt facundious,
And kowde him wel in euery þing demene.
But Menelay of stature was but mene,
Proporcioned atwixe schort and longe,
Worþi in armys, deliuere, & also strong,
And of corage and hert[e] vigerous,
Semly also, and ay more desyrous
To lyue in werre, rather þan in pees.
And, ferthermore, to speke of Achilles,
He was riȝt fair and of gret semlynes,
With hawborne her, crispyng for þiknes,
With eyen glawke, large, stepe, and grete,
And brod schuldrid, with brest ful square [and] mete,
Tendure in armys fel and coragous,
And of his loke wonder amerous,
Hiȝe of stature, and large of ȝiftes eke,
And more of strengþe þan any oþer Greke.
And to spende he sette litel charge,
He was of herte so plenteuous & large,
And in the feld passyng chiualrous.
And for to telle forþe of Tantalus,
Of sangwyn hewe, havyng moche of red,
Diuers eyed, ay mevyng in his hed,
Of huge makyng & also of gret strengþe,
Wel answeryng his brede to his lengþe,
Hatyng to stryve where he saw no nede,
Riȝt trewe of worde also, as I rede;
And neuere quarel wolde he take on honde
To fiȝt[e] fore, but he myȝt vndirstonde
Þat it were fully gronded vp-on riȝt,
And þanne he wolde quite him lik a knyȝt.
Oyleus Aiax was riȝt corpulent;
To be wel clad he sette al his entent;
In riche array he was ful corious,
Al-þeiȝe he were of body corsyous,
Of armys gret, with schuldris square & brode,
It was on hym al-most an hors[e] lode,
Hiȝe of stature & boistous in a prees,
And of his speche rude and rekkeles—
Ful many worde in ydel hym asterte,
And but a coward was [he] of his herte.
A-noþer Aiax, Thelamonivs,
Þer was also, discret & vertuous,
Wonder fair and semly to beholde,
Whos her was blak, & vpward ay gan folde
In compas wyse, rounde as any spere;
And of mvsik was þer noon his pere,
Hauyng a vois ful of melodie,
Riȝt wel entvned as by armonye,
And was inventif for to counterfete
Instrumentis, boþe smale and grete,
In sondry wyse longyng to mvsik.
And for al þis, ȝet had he gret practik
In armys eke, & was a noble knyȝt—
No man more orpid nor hardier to fiȝt
Nor desyrous for to han victorie,
Devoide of pompe, hatyng al veyn glorie,
Al ydel laude, spent & blow in veyn.
Of Vlixes what schal I also seyn?—
Þat was so noble & worþi in his daies,
Ful of wyles and sleiȝty at assayes,
In menyng double and riȝt deceyueable,
To forge a lesyng also wonder able;
With face pleyn he coude make it towe,
Merie wordid, and but selde lowe,
In conseillynge discret & ful prudent,
And in his tyme þe moste elloquent,
And halpe to Grekis often in her nede.
And for to speken of worþi Diomede,
Ful wel compact & growe wel on lenþe,
Of sturdy port and famus eke of strenþe,
Large brestid, & fers also of fiȝt,
And deseyueable of what þat euer he hiȝt—
Hasty, testif, to smyte rek[e]les,
And medlif ay, and but selde in pes,
To his seruantis ful impacient,
And baratous wher þat euer he went,
For litel wroþe of dispocisioun,
And lecherous of complexioun,
And had in loue oft[e] sythes his part,
Brennynge at hert wiþ Cupides dart,
And specheles ful oft felt[e] soor.
What schal I seyn [eke] of duke Nestor?—
Of longe stature & wel compact with-al,
With kurbe schuldris & of myddel smal,
In hondis strong, with armys large & rounde,
In counseillyng prudent & wys y-founde;
Whos wordis werne sugrid with plesaunce,
Vp-on his frende hauyng ay remembraunce:
For of his trouþe he ne koude feyne,
But in anger he myȝt hym nat refreyne;
He was so fret wiþ malencolye,
Þat no man myȝt his Ire modefie,
Al-be it laste but a litel space—
Who coude hym suffre, anon it wolde pace,
Liȝtly it cam and liȝtly went a-way.
And Protheselavs was fresche of array,
Wonder semly & of gret bewte—
I trowe a fairer no man myȝt[e] se—
Of good stature and deliuere & liȝt,
No man more swyfte; & to speke of myȝt,
Of his makyng he was passyng strong,
Fers of corage & loth to take a wrong.
And to telle of Neptolonius,
He was of makyng wonder corsious,
Whos her was blak, schynyng as doþ get,
With eyen rounde, brood[e], stepe, and gret,
Large brestid, wiþ a risyng bak,
And in speche stamered whan he spak;
But in causes he coude medle wele,
And in þe lawe ful depe he dide fele,
For al his lust was be-set on plees.
But for to telle of Pallamydes,
Kyng Naulus sone, with-outen any wene,
Of face faire, of body longe and lene,
Of manful hert, hardy in bataille,
And desirous his enmy to assaille—
Famylier, curteis, and tretable
In alle his dedis, & inli worschipable,
In ȝifyng large, & passyng of gret fame,
Of whos bounte ful wyde sprange þe name
In many londe, þe story telleþ þus.
And nexte, I fynde how Polydamvs,
Þe worþi Greke, was of gret þiknes,
Of wombe swolle, enbosid with fatnes,
Þat onneþe he myȝt him silfe sustene;
And ȝet of hert he was ful proude & kene,
Riȝt surquedous & ful of pensifnes,
And seld[e] glad, so þouȝt dide hym oppres.
But Machaon, lik as writ Guydo,
Of longe & schort was atwixe two,
Fel, proude, & fers, deuoyde of pacience,
And vengable, who hym dide offence;
And ȝit he was ballid as a cote,
On whos forhede, euene by þe rote,
Þe here was falle & wasted clene awey,
And selde or neuer he wolde slepe a-day.
And ouermore, to tellen of Cryseyde,
Mi penne stumbleþ, for longe or he deyde
My maister Chaucer dide his dilligence
To discryve þe gret excellence
Of hir bewte, and þat so maisterly,
To take on me it were but hiȝe foly,
In any wyse to adde more þer-to;
For wel I wot, anoon as I haue do,
Þat I in soth no þanke disserue may,
Be-cause þat he in writyng was so gay—
And but I write, I mote þe trouþe leue
Of Troye boke, and my mater breue
And ouer-passe and nat go by and by
As Guydo doþ in ordre ceryously.
And þus I most don offencioun
Þoruȝe necligence or presumpcioun:
So am I sette euene amyddes tweyne!
Gret cause haue I & mater to compleyne
On Antropos & vp-on hir envie,
Þat brak þe þrede & made for to dye
Noble Galfride, poete of Breteyne,
Amonge oure englisch þat made first to reyne
Þe gold dewe-dropis of rethorik so fyne,
Oure rude langage only tenlwmyne.
To God I pray, þat he his soule haue,
After whos help of nede I most[e] crave,
And seke his boke þat is left be-hynde
Som goodly worde þer-in for to fynde,
To sette amonge þe crokid lynys rude
Whiche I do write; as, by similitude,
Þe ruby stant, so royal of renoun,
With-Inne a ryng of copur or latoun,
So stant þe makyng of hym, dout[e]les,
Among oure bokis of englische per[e]les:
Þei arn ethe knowe, þei ben so excellent;
Þer is no makyng to his equipolent;
We do but halt, who-so takeþ hede,
Þat medle of makyng, with-outen any drede.
Whan we wolde his stile counterfet,
We may al day oure colour grynde & bete,
Tempre our aȝour and vermyloun:
But al I holde but presumpcioun—
It folweþ nat, þerfore I lette be.
And first of al I wil excuse me
And procede as I haue be-gonne,
And þoruȝ his fauour certeyn, ȝif I konne,
Of Troye boke for to make an ende;
And þer I lefte ageyn I wil now wende,
Vn-to Cryseyde, and þouȝ to my socour
Of rethorik þat I haue no flour
Nor hewes riche, stonys nor perre—
For I am bare of alle coriouste,
Þoruȝ crafty speche to enbrovde with her sleve—
Ȝet for al þat, now I wil not leue,
But ben as bolde as Baiard is, þe blynde,
Þat cast no peril what wey[e] þat he fynde;
Riȝt so wil I stumble forþe of hede
For vnkonnyng, & take no better hede,
So as I can, hir bewte to discriue.
Þat was in soth of alle þo on-lyue
On þe fayrest, þis Calchas douȝter dere,
Þer-to of schap, of face, and of chere,
Þer myȝt[e] [be] no fairer creature:
To hiȝe nor lowe, but mene of stature—
Hir sonnysche her, liche Phebus in his spere,
Bounde in a tresse, briȝter þanne golde were,
Doun at hir bak, lowe doun be-hynde,
Whiche with a þrede of golde sche wolde bynde
Ful ofte syþe of a-custummaunce;
Þer-to sche hadde so moche suffisaunce
Of kyndes wirke, with-outen any were—
[And] Saue hir browes Ioyn[e]den y-fere,
No man koude in hir a lake espien.
And, ferþermore, to speken of hir eyen,
Þei wer so persyng, heuenly, & so clere,
Þat an herte [ne] myȝt hym silf[e] stere
Ageyn hir schynyng, þat þei nolde wounde
Þoruȝ-out a brest, God wot, & biȝonde.
Also sche was, for al hir semlynes,
Ful symple & meke, & ful of sobirnes,
Þe best norissched eke þat myȝt[e] be,
Goodly of speche, fulfilde of pite,
Facundious, and þer-to riȝt tretable,
And, as seiþ Guydo, in loue variable—
Of tendre herte & vnste[d]fastnes
He hir accuseth, and newfongilnes.
And aftir þis, Dares doþe reherse
Amongis oþer, how þe kyng of Perce
Cam to Grekis with many worþi knyȝt
To helpe & furþere with al his ful[le] myȝt.
Þe whiche kyng was of stature longe,
And wonder fat and, as he writ, riȝt stronge;
Whos berd and her, reed as flawme of fire,
With eyen stepe, and feruent of desyre
To haue a-do, and sterne of chere & loke,
And ofte syþes of sodeyn Ire he quoke—
And had wertis plente in his face.
And þus Dares, schortly for to pace,
No more of Grekis writeþ, as I fynde,
But of Troyans for to make mynde,
Ceriously he doþe his stile dresse
Hem to discryue, as I schal expresse.
And first he seith how kyng Priamus
Was of his chere benigne and gracious,
Of hiȝe stature, with lymys sklender & longe,
Delityng moche in musik & in songe;
And specialy he was most desyrous
To heren songis þat wern amerous—
A semly man, and of gret hardynes,
And spake but lowe, as bokis vs expresse:
Devoide of drede, hatyng flaterye,
And alle þat koude ouþer glose or lye,
Trewe of his worde, & to euery wyȝt
He dide pleinly equite and riȝt;
For no mede hym list nat to decline,
And loued erly on morwe for to dyne.
In his tyme on þe worþiest
Of alle kynges, and he þat loued best
Worþi knyȝtes; & alle þat he knewe
Þat manful were and of hert[e] trewe,
He koude cherische, no man half so wele,
With gold & ȝiftes, þat þei myȝt[e] fele
His grete fredam & largesse eke with al.
And of his sones, for to rekne hem alle,
Þe first of birþe, so as bokis telle,
Was worþi Ector, of knyȝthod spring & welle,
Flour of manhod, of strengþe per[e]les,
Sadde & discret & prudent neuere-þe-les,
Crop & rote, grounde of chiualrie,
Of cher demvre, and of curtesye
He was example—þer-to of sobirnes
A verray merour, & for his gentilnes
In his tyme þe most[e] renomed,
To reknen al, and of goodlyhed
Þe most[e] famus, [and] in pes & werre
Ferþest spoke of, boþe nyȝe & ferre.
On eche part he was so vertuous,
And to be loued þe most gracious,
Of brawn & bonys compact be mesure,
So wel breþid in armys to endure,
So wel parformed be proporcioun,
So quik, so lifly, and of most renoun,
So huge made, so wel growe on lengþe,
So wel complet for to haue gret strengþe,
Þat in þis worlde, ȝif I schal nat feyne,
Was neuer noon þat fully myȝt attayne
To þe prowes of þis worþi knyȝt,
To rekne his hert as wel as his myȝt.
And þer-wiþ-al so wys and avysee,
Þe low[l]iest eke of his degre
To riche & pore, and of wordis fewe.
Vn-to alle suche chere he koude schewe,
Of his presence þat glad was euery wyȝt,
Whan þei at leyser hadde of him a siȝt;
He was so benygne to hem of þe toun,
And to his enmyes lyk a fers lyoun
He koude hym schewe, whan it was to do;
And in þe felde þer myȝt[e] no man so,
To rekene al his labour, half endure:
For þe story doth vs pleyn assure
Þat he was neuer wery in bataille,
Nor feint in hert his fomen to assaille.
Of alle good I fynde he was þe beste;
Prowes & vertu in him wer sette at reste
So passyngly, þat neuer was ne schal
Noon bore of modir to be perigal
To hym of manhod nor of chiualrie:
For alle he passed, but ȝif bokis lye,
In whom Nature was no þing to wyte,
Saue in his tonge he was let a lite;
And, as som auctours make mencioun,
He was sangwyn of complexioun.
And, ferþermore, his broþer Dephebus,
Lik as I fynde, and also Elenus,
Were liche Priam, þat sothly of hem þre
Was hard tespien any diuersyte
Of schap, of forme, or of countenaunce,
Saue of age, þer was no variaunce:
Her fader olde and þei wer ȝong & liȝt.
And Dephebus was a worþi knyȝt,
And had in armys fame & excellence;
And Elenus in clergie and science
Was wel expert, & toke but litel hede
Of alle þe werre, knyȝthod, nor manhede.
But Troylus schortly ȝif I schal discryve,
Þer was of hert non manlier on lyue,
Nor more likly in armys to endure:
Wel woxe on heiȝte and of good stature,
Ȝong, fresche, & lusty, hardy as a lyoun,
Deliuere and strong as any champioun,
And perigal of manhod and of dede
He was to any þat I can of rede
In doring do, þis noble worþi knyȝt,
For to fulfille þat longeþ to a knyȝt.
Þe secunde Ector for his worþines
He callid was, and for his hiȝe prowes
Duryng þe werre, he bare hym ay so wel;
Þer-to in loue as trewe as any stele,
Secre and wys, stedefast of corage,
Þe most[e] goodly also of visage
Þat myȝt[e] be, and benigne of cher,
With-oute chaunge, & of on hert entere.
He was alwey feithful, iust, & stable,
Perseueraunt, and of wil inmvtable
Vp-on what þing he onys set his herte,
Þat doubilnes myȝt hym nat peruerte—
In his dedis he was so hool and pleyn;
But on his foon, þe sothe for to seyn,
He was so fers þei myȝt him nat withstonde
Whan þat he hilde his bloodly swerde on hond:
Vn-to [þe] Grekis deth and confusioun,
To hem of Troye shelde and proteccioun;
And his knyȝthod schortly to acounte,
Þer myȝt in manhod no man him surmounte,
Þoruȝ þe worlde þouȝ men wolde seke,
To reknen al, Troyan nouþer Greke,
Noon so namyd of famus hardynes,
As bokis olde of hym bere witnes,
Excepte Ector, þer was nat swiche anoþer.
And aftir hym, to speken of his broþer,
I mene Paris, most passyng of bewte,
Þat in þis worlde no man myȝt[e] se,
In verray soþe, a more semly knyȝt;
For as I rede, þat he, be title of riȝt,
Of fairnes bare awey þe flour—
With lokkis ȝelwe lik gold were of colour.
And in schetyng most was his delite,
Hauyng in hunting a [ful] gret appetite;
And as Dares likith hym discryue,
Þe best archer on þer-of a-lyve;
And of his hond was eke a noble knyȝt,
A manly [man], deliuere and of good myȝt;
And in þe werre preued wel he was.
And, as I rede, þe Troyan Eneas,
As myn auctor listeth to endite,
Was wel brested and of body lite,
And bare in Troye wonder gret estat;
In his werkis discret and temperat,
And hadde a fame of passyng elloquence,
Wys of counseil and of gret sapience,
Most renomed also of lettrure,
Delytyng moche in bokis & scripture,
And euere glad, boþe of port & chere,
Sterne of his loke, with persyng eyen clere.
And amonge alle dwellyng in þe toun,
To speke of goodys and pocessioun,
Of castels and towres gret plente,
I fynde, soþely, þat noon in þat cite
Ne myȝt atteyne vn-to his reches;
And hadde also, for al his worþines,
Of gold and mebles passing gret tresour.
And his felawe, he, dawn Anthenor,
Was sclendre & longe, & of gret dalyaunce,
And circumspect in al his gouernaunce,
Wel be-louyd also of Priamus,
And of wordis wonder copious,
Resownyng ay in-to myrþe and pley.
And he was Iapyng al þe longe day
Among his feris and in companye,
So driely þat no man myȝt espie,
So sobir he was in his contenaunce,
Þat euery wyȝt hadde gret plesaunce
To here hym talke, whan þat he was glad;
And, al-be-it þat he of port was sad,
Ȝit al his speche ful of bourdis was.
And his sone, callid Pollydamas,
Was lik his fader of stature & of mak,
I-thewed wel, þat þer was no lak
In his persone, gentil and riȝt trewe,
Wonder strong and pale also of hewe,
And to Ire sterid sodeynly,
Al-be in wordis he kept hym couertly—
But al his hete passe wolde anoon.
And to telle of kyng Meryon,
Large brestid, & of his makyng al
Þe best[e] compact and þe most[e] tal
Of schap and forme þat men koude fynde,
And so wel parformed vp by kynde,
Þat non was lik to hym, nyȝe nor fer:
His lokkis ȝelwe, & crispyng was his her—
Stille of his port, and gentil with to play,
And inly strong maystries for to assay;
Wonder curteis, to no wiȝt dispitous,
And wrouȝt in armys dedis meruelous,
As in þis boke her-after schal be sene.
Nowe after hym, to Eccuba þe quene,
Lik þe story, my style y mote encline—
Whos lymys alle dide more decline
To schap of man þan to womanhede,
As seith Guydo; but in werke and dede
Sche was in soth þe most[e] womanly,
Þe best avised, and most prudently
In hir dedis koude hir silfe gouerne,
Þat mannys with myȝt[e] nat discerne
To fynde a bet, dout[e]les, þan sche—
So trewe example of femynyte
Sche was in soþe, and to euery wiȝt
Benigne of port and gracious of siȝt:
To pore also pitous and merciable,
And vn-to nedy wonder charitable.
Þe wif of Ector, hir douȝter in lawe,
After hir lore mochel dide drawe,
Andronomecha, þe feiþful trewe wyf,
So good, so iust, þe whiche in al hir lyf
In honeste dide hir moste delite—
Longe of hir schap, with brestis faire & whyte,
With rody chekis, ennewed by mesure,
With persyng eyen, of angelik figure—
Lik gold hir tressis, & rosyn lippis rede
I-liche fresche, of colour no þing dede.
Þer-to sche was of chere þe goodlieste
To riche & pore, and spake alwey þe beste
Of euery wiȝt, ay helping what sche myȝt,
Þat no man trist went out of hir siȝt;
And ouer þis, euery gentil-man
Sche forþre wolde in al þat euer sche can,
And gladly euer dide hir dilligence
To gete grace to hem þat dide offence:—
Þis was hir vsage and condicioun,
Sche was so ful of compassioun
Þat women alle myȝten of hir lere.
And Cassandra, hir ovne douȝter dere,
Was of stature wonder wommanly,
Of colour white, and þer-with riȝt semly
(Saue in her face in soundri places were
Many wertys growyng here & þere);
And al hir Ioy and felicite
Was to kepe hir virginite;
And freelte þat wommen han of kynde,
Þoruȝ vertu moral sche put out of mynde,
Of alle foly fleyng occasioun;
And ay in studie & contemplacioun
Of sondry bokis sche wolde [hir] occupie,
And specially of astronomye;
Of prophesye a spirit had[de] sche;
And somme men seyn sche was on of þe þre,
Of þe women þat Cebile bare þe name,
Of whom þe renoun floureth & þe fame
Vn-to þis day, and is as ȝet but grene.
And for to telle of ȝong[e] Pollicene,
And discriue hir bewte vp and doun,
It were in soþe a presumpcioun
To take on me now so gret a þing,
To clymbe so hiȝe & passe my konnyng,
Siþen Nature in forgyng of þis mayde,
Hir konnyng al outterly assaied
To make hir fair aboue eche creature,
And seide proudly: “se how I, Nature,
Whan [þat] me list, enbelissche can my wirke:
Liche as Phebus among þe cloudis dirke
Is passyng clere, so in comparisoun,
I can my wirke and operacioun
Riȝt as me list adourne & make fair,
So peint & florische, it schal nat apeire;
And my colours so craftily dispose,
Of þe lillie and þe fresche rose,
And so ennew þat þei schal nat fade,
But ay ben on; and in þis wyse I made
My dere douȝter, ȝe wite whom I mene,
Þe ȝonge, fresche, faire Policene,
A-skans þat non can þis crafte but I!”
Þus in hir wirke bosted outerly
Nature hir silf, whan sche þis maide wrouȝt,
As sche þat fully in hir hert[e] þouȝt
Abouen alle oþer to maken hir excelle,
And of bewte to be þe verray welle.
And þer-with-al in schap nor [in] stature
Ne was no lak, I dar ȝou wel assure;
And God aboue ȝaf hir souereynte
In alle thewes, and wolde sche scholde be
Crop & rote namyd of womanhede,
With folsomnes of al goodlyhede,
So passyngly, þat it wer ydelnes
Me to preswme by and by texpresse
Hir beute al, it wer a vayn travail;
For wel I wote myn englische wolde faile,
In whiche mater to talke felyn[g]ly,
Who-euere it can, certeyn it am nat I.
Þerfore I passe, & streȝt now wil I go
To my mater; for Dares of no mo
In al his boke maketh mencioun
Of hem of Grece nor of Troye toun:
In special he putte no mo in mynde
Þan ȝe haue herde, saue, as ȝe schal fynde
In þis story, whan it cometh þer-to,
Of hir knyȝthod & who þat best hath do,
Lastyng þe sege, þe maner euerydel.
And riȝt anon to scharp[e] my poyntel
I wil me dresse, þis story to entrete,
Of al þe werre to telle ȝou þe grete.