University of Virginia Library

Howe Agamenon layde his Oste byfore Thenedoun, a stronge Castele vj myle fro Troye, the which he wan, and it bet to þe grounde; and aftire þat, agally made distribucyoun of the godys.

And whan al was brouþt vn-to ruyne,
Grekis anoon to her schippes haste
Of on assent, and purpos as faste,
With-oute abood, of o wille and herte,
Fro þat hauene pleynly to diuerte,
And to saille towarde Tenedoun,
A strong castel, whiche fro Troye toun
In distaunce but sixe myle stood,
Ful of tresour, of riches, and of good,
Repleuysched of alle habundaunce.
And whan þat þei with her ordinaunce
I-seiled han, boþe sauf and sounde,
And fro þe se taken han þe grounde,
To her plesaunce wonder agreable,
And of syȝt a place delitable,
Holsom of eyr, þe soil riȝt fair & grene,
And lusty playnes goodly on to sene,
And was also habundaunt of vitaille,
Repleuesched of al þat may availle
To hosteiyng and to soudyours—
For firste þe lond, ful of fresche flours,
Was plenteuous boþe of corn & greyne,
Of wyn & frute, þat no þing ley bareyn,
Of best and foules passingly plente—
And fast[e] by stood also þe se,
Ful habundaunt of fysches, as I fynde,
After þe sesoun of euery maner kynde.
And whan þat þei which Inne þe castel were
Þe Grekis seie londen from a-fere,
With-oute abood þei arme hem & wente oute,
And vppon hem make an hydous schout,
Stuffyng þe castel with meine strong be-hynde,
And toke her wey, in Guydo as I fynde,
Toward her foon, & knyȝtly set vp-on.
And riȝt furþe-with Grekis eke anoon
Mette with hem vp-on þe toþer syde,
Ful surquedous and riȝt ful of pride,
Clenly armyd in harneis al of stel,
Fresche arayed and be-seye so wel
For þe felde, as þikke as swarme of ben—
On eche syde men may beholde & sen,
Sprad al þe pleyn doun vn-to þe stronde,
Til at þe last þei metten hond of honde,
And assemble with square speris grounde,
And hurtle I-fere, with many blody wounde.
Þer was no “gooday,” nor no saluyng,
But strokis felle, þat men herde rynge
On basenettis þe strokis rounde aboute
So cruelly þat þe fire sprange oute
Among þe tuftis brode, briȝt, & schene
Of foil of gold & feþres white & grene.
Eke in-to brestes percid many schelde,
And besagus flen a-brood þe felde,
And many a man lyn þat mortal stounde
Ful dedly pale, lowe be þe grounde,
With face gruf & blody stremys wyde.
And aldermost vp-on þe Grekis syde
Þe slauȝtre was and þe discounfiture,
So myȝtely Troyens dide endure.
Til at þe last, for þei were so fewe,
With multitude þe Grekis on hem hewe:
For mo þan fourty wer ageyn[e]s on,
Of verray force abak þei most[e] gon,
No þing for lak of manhod, I dar seyn,
But for so many han hem ouerleyn,
Þei may no lenger in þe felde soiourne,
But to her castel hom ageyn retourne
In ful gret haste, swiche as myȝt eskape
Away a-live; and somme of hem for rape
And drede of deth taken hem to fliȝt
On horse bak to Troye toun ful riȝt—
No wonder was þouȝ þei hast[e] fast;
For to þe gatis þe chas of Grekis last,
So cruelly after þei purswe.
And somme of hem þat myȝt[e] nat remewe
On Troye side, for-weried of fiȝt,
Þe Grekis slen with al her ful[le] myȝt—
Now here, now þere, whom þei myȝt atteyne,
Þer may no raunsoun nor no mercy geyne
Of noon estat, wiþ-oute excepcioun.
And after þat, vn-to Tenedoun
Þe Grekis went, and it be-set aboute,
Þat Troyan noon myȝt eskapen oute.
And whan þei had þe bolewerkis wonne,
To skale þe wal after þei be-gonne,
And made assaut manfully and ofte.
And Troyens, as þei stood a-lofte,
Putte hem of, þat entre þei ne myȝt,
With cast of stoon and quarel[e]s briȝt,
With bowe turkeys & schot of arblasteris,
And her gonners stondynge at corners,
Wiþ lym also, and cast of wylde fyre,
Of Irous hate ful hot in her desire,
Lik manly men hem silf[e] þei diffende.
And ay þe Grekis, as þei vp ascende,
Cruelly þei putte to þe grounde;
Til þei with-oute an ordinaunce han founde,
What with gynnys deuised for þe nonys,
And gonnys grete, for to cast[e] stonys,
Bent to þe touris, riȝt as any lyne,
And large sowis lowe for to myne—
And somme of hem vp-on þe wallis gon,
Þat were so þikke made of lyme & ston;
And to entre þei many wayes seke,
Sette her bastiles and her hurdois eke
Rounde aboūte to þe harde wal,
And skalyng ladderis for sautis marcial
Þei gan vp cast, wiþ hokis for to holde.
And vp ascende þe sturdy Grekis bolde,
Til Troyens from þe crestis caste
Þe grete stonys, whil þei wolde laste,
And Callyoun eke Grekis to oppresse,
And wonder manly dide her besynes
In her diffence, and made hem plounge lowe
With caste of quarel, & with schoot of bowe
Þoruȝ olietis, that of necessite
Þei put hem of, it may noon oþer be,
And broke her neckis & her schulder bonys,
As þei falle, with þe square stonys,
And leyen ded, pitous pale of hew.
But Grekis ay gan her saut renewe,
Wiþ multitude Troyens to assaille,
To withstonde þat þei gan [to] faille
And wexe feble, for reskus cam þer non;
And so of force þe Grekis ben y-gon
Þoruȝ þe wallys whan þei han hem broke,
And on Troyens so cruelly be wroke,
Þat fynally þei lefte noon alyue,
But sle and kylle; and after þat as blive,
On þe wallis her baners þei han set,
And ȝonge & olde—it myȝt[e] be no bet—
Al goth to wrak vp-on Troye side.
And after þat, þei nyl no lenger byde,
But tresour, gold, & what þat þei may fynde
Þei cast on hepe, & to-gydre bynde,
And made spoile of al þat was with-Inne;
And þanne in haste þe wallis þei be-gynne—
Pynacle & tour, and also þe dongoun
To brenne & hewe, and to bete doun;
And with þe soil þei made al euene & pleyn.
And with gret pray anoon þei went a-geyn
To her schippes, glad & liȝt of chere,
Whan þat þe fuyr with his flawmes clere
Þe castel had conswmyd & y-brent.
And after þat, avise and prudent,
Þe manly man, worþi Agamenoun,
Lete make anon a convocacioun
Of þe Grekis, & bad þei schuld[e] bringe
Gold and tresour, with-oute more tariyng,
With al þe pray þei wan at Tenedoun,
To his presence, for þis conclusioun:
Þat he may make destribucioun
Amongis hem, with-oute excepcioun,
Like her decert—vn-to pore & riche
He departiþ to euery man y-liche,
But moste to swiche as dide best disserue,
For to hym silf hym list no þing conserue;
For he hath leuer hertis þan þe good,
Of swiche as had spent her owne blood
So manfully þe castel for to wynne:
For who þat can with larges first be-gynne,
Ne failleþ nat after wel to spede
Þoruȝ help of men, whan þat he haþ nede:
For loue folweþ fredam comounly.
And after þis, þe kyng lete make a crye,
Þat alle þe kynges & lordis of his hoste,
Dukis, erlys com from euery coste,
The nexte morwe to-forn hym to apere.
Þe nyȝt y-passed, Phebus gan to clere
Her emyspyrie, aftir þe larke song,
Whan þat þe kyng, among þe Grekis strong,
Vp-on þe pleyn, in his se royal,
And fast[e] by, most chef & principal
Of his lordis were set in her degre—
And whan þe kyng sawe oportunyte,
Þat þer was made silence euerywhere,
His liges stondyng enviroun here & þere,
Þe kyng of chere sadde & eke Iocounde,
As he þat was of speche ful facounde,
Be-gan his tale with sobre contenaunce,
Þeffect of whiche was þis in substaunce: