University of Virginia Library

Howe prudently Agamenon coragyde his lordys ageyns the Troyans.

“Sirs,” quod he, “I praye ȝou takeþ hede,
Þat be so noble and so renomed
Boþe of wisdam and of worþines,
Of manhode eke and of hiȝe prowes,
Þat of knyȝthod þe report & þe fame
Þoruȝ-oute þe world reboundeþ to ȝour name:
For dout[e]les þe flour of chiualrie
Men may now fynde in þis companye;
For who sawe euer of manly men y-fere,
To-gidre met, as þer ben now here—
So ȝonge, so fresche, so coraious also,
So wel be-seyn for to haue a-do,
Or so likly, sith þe worlde began,
With-oute raskaile so many knyȝtly man,
Of kynges, dukes, and many anoþer lorde,
As be now here of wil & on accorde,
And of on hert assemblid in þis place,
Þat ȝif Fortune & goddis, of her grace
Be nat be-hinde oure Iourne to apreve,
We may nat faille oure purpos to acheve:
For, I deme hym pleynly in a rage,
Or wers þan wod, þat durste þis viage
In any wyse perturben, or preswme
To take ageyn vs, ouþer to asswme
Be myȝt on hym of malys to excite
Our worþines—wer it neuer so lyte—
Vs to prouoke to Ire, or doon offence,
Þat we ne schulde, be mortal recompense,
Aquyte his mede, as it liþe in oure myȝt,
Þat han among vs so many a worþi knyȝt—
Amongis whiche an hundrid & ȝit mo
I koude chese able for to go,
Be manly force & knyȝtly suffysance,
To take on hym for to do vengaunce
Vp-on Troyans be hym silf allone—
For whiche þat we be gadrid now echone—
Þat with his meyne were sufficient
To execute þe somme of his entent
And it acomplische in felicite—
Þe cause, I mene, for whiche þat alle we
Assemblid ben, boþe hiȝe and lowe.
And with al þis, to ȝou is nat vnknowe
Howe schamefully Troyens han vs grevid,
Prouokid vs & wilfully y-mevid
To rise ageyn hem to han recur of riȝt
Of wrongis don, with al oure force & myȝt.
Wherfore, lete vs be on assent & wille,
Settyn to han, as it is riȝt and skylle,
Redres to fynde of þat we now compleyne,
And of oon herte done oure besy peyne
Vp-on Troyens a werre for to make.
And I suppose, we schul hem so a-wake,
Þat þei schal lerne, or we þen[ne]s wende,
To remembre to þe worldes ende
How þei her-after schal dur take on honde
For to preswme in Grece more to londe,
Or to be bolde while þei haue lif or space
Ageyn[es] Grekis more for to trespace:
For whos offence, as who seyþe do but late,
With-Inne oure herte, with so brennyng hate,
Þe feruent hete and þe gredy Ire
Fro day to day so settiþ vs a-fire,
Þat it reneweþ þe constreynt of oure peyne
So inwardly, ȝif I schal nat feyne,
We mote of resoun of so hiȝe greuaunce
Our silf enforce for to do vengaunce,
As riȝt requireth, and oure iust[e] sorwe
Compelleth vs, boþe eve and morwe,
On Troyans oure harmes to be-wreke.
And for to stop tonges þat so speke
To oure repref and to oure vilenye,
We most attonys schape remedie,
Þat oure foon hen[ne]s-forþe may drede
For to do wers to vs, as God forbede,
In tyme commyng, ȝif þoruȝ oure pacience
We liȝtly suffre her importable offence
To passe forþe, and take of it noon hede.
Sith neuer ȝit of Grekis koude I rede,
Þat any man dide repref to her name,
Þat iustly myȝt rebounde to her schame,
With-oute þis, þat þei it quitte ageyn
Þoruȝ her manhod, so openly & pleyn,
Þat no man myȝt of hem seyn or þis
In any wyse or report a-mys.
Ne we schal nat dissymulen in þis cas,
With cher oppressed, nor with dredful face
To lete slyde or liȝtly ouer-go
Þe grete offencis þat were so late do,
Whiche wolde turne vn-to vs and ours
To gret reprefe, & to oure successoures
In tyme comyng, & schamefully be spoke,
How þat Grekis durste nat be wroke
Vp-on her foon—þe whiche may nat be,
I ȝou ensure, sith þat alle we
Ben of oon wil to reforme oure wrong,
And þer-with-al so myȝty & so strong,
Þat who is he þat koude in brede & lengþe
A-riȝt reherse our power & our strengþe,
Or who durste euer oure worþines assaile
Þat he ne schulde, with-oute any faile,
Repente in hert, or at þe ende rewe—
Saue Troyans, þis oþer day of newe,
Of wilfulnes, in a foly rage
In-to oure londe maden a viage,
Vnwar of vs, & with her praye hom went;
Þe whiche þei schal ful hastily repent,
For her trespas and gret offencioun:
For al þe worlde knoweþ vp and doun,
But late agon how Grekis but a fewe
Vp-on Troyens her power dide schewe
And slowe her kyng, callid Lamedoun,
Fadir to Priam, now kyng of þat toun,
And fordide touris and cite,
And with hem ladde in captiuite,
From Grekis swerde swiche as hem list spare,
Þat among vs in seruitude and care
Compleyne her harme whiche may nat be recurid.
Þan how may þei stonde full assured
Ageyn vs alle to holden chaumpartye,
Þat han so worþi in oure companye;
For it is likly a þousand to acheue
Þat four or five so liȝtly myȝt[e] preue.
And ȝit o þing aferme wel I dar,
Of oure comyng Troyens ar wel war
And don her labour & her dilligence
Ageyn[e]s vs to make resistence
With al her myȝt—I knowe it oute of doute—
And gadre frendis in contres al aboute
To helpen hem & strengþe hem in her nede,
Vs to wiþstonde, ȝif þei myȝt[e] spede.
But finally, o þing I consaille,
From þis hauene or we ferþer saille,
Þat we may be þe more fortunat,
Of oon assent to make ambassiat,
And prudently, or we ferþer wende,
In-to Delos in al hast þat we sende—
Whiche is an yle a litel here be-syde—
More discretly our Iourne to provide,
Þat we may han þe better hap & grace
Of Appollo, patroun of þat place—
To haue of hym, ȝif þat we may spede,
Fynal answer in þis grete nede
Of oure expleyt how þat it schal falle,
Ȝif it so be ȝe wil assenten alle
To þis conseil, þe meste and eke þe leste.”
And þei echon þouȝten for þe beste
To condiscende to þis conclusioun
With-outen any contradiccioun;
And alle attonys, with-outen any drede,
Þei prayse his counseil & his wyse rede;
And þer-vp-on, discretly, as þei ouȝte,
As seiþe þe stori, euene þus þei wrouȝt.