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Howe worthy Ector devyded his batayls vpon A large playne within the Cite, and howe he put the wardis doscretly to be vnder þe ledynge of his brethere and other worthy kynges.

Whan Aurora, with hir pale liȝt,
Vnder þe mantel of þe mirke nyȝt
And þe curtyn of her hewes fade
I-schroudid was in þe dirk[e] schade,
Abasched rody, as I can diffyne,
Only of fer þat is femynyne,
For a-schamyd durst[e] nat be seyn
Be-cause sche had so longe a-bedde leyn
With fresche Febus, hir owne chose knyȝt,
For whiche sche hidde hir sothly out of siȝt
Til his stede þat callid is Flegonte
Enhasted hym aboue oure oriȝonte;
And Appollo with his bemys clere
Hath recounforted hir oppressid chere—
Þis to seyne, aftir þe dawenyng
Whan Titan was in þe est rysyng,
Of his hete atempre and riȝt softe
Her emyspery for to glade a-lofte,—
Þe same hour, þe Troyan champioun,
Gouernour of werris of þe toun,
Worþi Ector, whiche in þe cite
Next Priam had of alle souereinte
Þe toun to guye be knyȝtly excellence,
For his manhod and his sapience
Of Troyan knyȝtes lord & eke chefteyn,
Whiche hath commaunded, in a large pleyn,
To hiȝe and low, he exceptyng noon,
Kynges, princes, and lordis euerychon,
Þe same morwe for to mete I-fere,
In hir array to moustre and appere,
Like as þei were of name & of estate,
Besyde a temple whilom consecrate
To þe goddes þat callid is Dyane,
Moste honoured in þat riche fane—
Þer to arraye hem, in al þe haste þei can,
Lik þe devis of þis knyȝtly man.
And þis playn, passyng fair to se,
Was sette amyd Troye þe cite,
Smoþe and riȝt fair, & ful of fresche floures,
W[h]ere alle þe worþi noble werriours
Of Troye toun to-gydre assemblid be,
And many oþer to be-holde and se
Þe famus knyȝtes arme hem in þat place.
And some of hem gan ful streite lace
Her doublettis made of lyne cloth,
A certeyn fold þat a-boute hem goth;
And some also dempte most surest
To armen hem for bataille of arest,
And dide on firste, aftir her desires,
Sabatouns, grevis, cusschewis, & voideris—
A peire breke, aldirfirst, of maille;
And some þer wer eke þat nolde faille
To han of maille eke a peir[e] bras,
And þer-with-al, as þe custom was,
A peir Gussetis on a petycote,
Garnyssched with gold vp on-to the þrote,
A paunce of plate, whiche of þe silf be-hinde
Was schet and clos, and þer-on, as I finde,
Enviroun was a bordure of smal maille.
And some chose, of þe newe entaille,
For to be sure myd of al her foos,
An hol brest-plate with a rere-doos
By-hynde schet, or ellis on þe side.
And on his armys, rynged nat to wyde,
Þer wer woiders frettid in þe maille,
With cordis rounde, & of fresche entaille,
Vauntbras with wynges, & rerebras þer-to,
And þer-on set wer besagus also;
Vp-on þe heed a basenet of stele,
Þat with-Inne lokked was ful wele,
A crafty siȝt wrouȝt in þe viser.
And some wolde haue of plate a bavier,
Þat on þe brest fastnyd be a-forn,
Þe canel-pece more esy to be born—
Gloues of plate of stele forgid briȝt.
And some wold armyd be more liȝt
In þikke Iackys curid with satyn;
And some wele haue, of maille, wrouȝt ful fyn,
An haberioun, al of but cassade,
Þat with weiȝte he be nat ouer-lade,
Hym silfe to welde lik a lifly man.
And some wil haue, of chose geseran,
On his dublet but an haberioun,
And some only but a sure gepoun
Ouer his poleyns, rechyng to þe kne,
And þat þe slevis eke so longe be
Þat his vaunbras may be curid ner—
A prikyng palet, of plate þe cower.
And some wil haue also no viser
To saue his face, but only a naser;
And some wil haue a peir[e] platis liȝt
To welde hym wel, whan þat he schal fiȝt.
And some wiln han a target or a spere,
And some a pavis, his body for to were,
And some a targe, makyd strong to laste;
And some wil haue dartes for to caste,
Some a pollex, heueded of fyn stele,
And piked square, for to laste wel;
And some a swerd his enemy for to mete.
And some wil haue a bow[e] for to schete,
Somme an arblast, to stonden out a-syde;
And some on fote and some for to ride
Arraie hem silf, her fomen for to assaile;
And many on was besy for to naille
His felawis harneis, for to make it strong,
And to dresse it, þat it sete nouȝt wrong,
With pointes, tresses, and oþer maner þing,
Þat in swyche cas longyth to armyng.
I haue no konnyng euery þing to telle,
And vn-to ȝow it were to long to dwelle—
Where I faile, ȝe mote haue me excusid;
For in swiche crafte I am litel vsid,
And ignoraunce doþe my penne lette,
In her ordre my termys for to sette.
And oft chaungeth swiche harneis & devis;
And ȝe þat ben þer-in experte & wys,
Disdeyneth nat þat I speke in þis place
Of her armyng: for al is in ȝour grace,
Riȝt at ȝour luste to correcte euerydel.
And whan Ector sawe þat al was wel,
And euery man armed and arrayed,
Þis worþi knyȝt no lenger hath delaied
Avisely his wardis for to make,
And prudently bad þei schuld[e] take
Her grounde in haste, to put al in certeyn,
And stonde in ordere endelong þe pleyn
So þat no man were founde reccheles.

Ector devydede his feld in-to xj wardys.

And þe gate, callid Dardanydes,
With-oute abood Ector made vnschette,
And after bad [þat] men schuld[e] fette
To his presence, þat it were don in haste,
Cyncynabor, his broþer born in baste,
And to hym, firste of euerychon,
And to a lord þat namyd was Glaucoun,
Þe kynges sone of Licye and his eyr,
With many baner displeyed in þe eir—
To þis two Hector gaf þe guarde
And gouernaunce of þe firste warde,
In whiche he hath a þousand knyȝtes set,
With speris rounde & swerdis kene whet,
And on her brest ful many riche scheld;
And þei wer chose oute in al þe feld
Among þe best þat endure myȝt
Ageyn[es] Grekis manly for to fiȝt.
And vn-to hem Hector bad anoon,
In Goddis name, þat þei schuld[e] gon
Oute at þe gate, sothly, as I rede.
And list þei fel in meschef or in nede,
He assigned, in þe silve place,
With manly chere, to þe kyng of Trace,
Wysly on hem to ben awaytyng,
A þousand knyȝtes to han at his ledyng,
In a wyng knyȝtly for to a-bide,
To awaite on hem vp-on euery side.
And with hym was his sone Achilogus,
Of his age a man riȝt vertuous
To fulfille þat longeth to a knyȝt;
For boþe he had, hert & also myȝt.
And next to hem, Hector gan devise
Þe nexte warde to þe kyng of Fryse,
In his tyme callid Ȝantipus;
And vn-to hym, ȝong, strong, & desyrous,
He assigned, to [a]waite on his baner,
Þre þousand knyȝtes armyd briȝt and cler.
With whiche warde kyng Althomus also
Of Hector was commaundid for to go,
And to his byddyng he mekely dide obeie.
And ful knyȝtly þei han take her weye
Oute at þe ȝate, passyngly arrayed,
Toward Grekis with baneris fresche displaied,
And her penouns vnrollid euerychon.
And after, Hector assigned hath anon
To þe noble, ȝong[e], lusty, fre,
His broþer Troylus, so fresche vp-on to se,
Whiche in knyȝthod had al suffisaunce,
Þe þridde warde to haue in gouernaunce
With þre þousand knyȝtes, ȝong of age,
Flourynge in force, hardy of corage,
Swiche as he was of custom wont to lede.
To whom Hector of verray broþerhede
Ful goodly seide at his departyng:
“Broþer,” quod he, “myn herte is so lovyng
Towardis þe of verray kyndenes,
Þat þouȝe I haue in party gret gladnes
Of þi manhod, þat so fer is kouth,
And þe knyȝthod of þi grene ȝouthe,
Ȝit dout[e]les, in my fantasie,
Ful oft a-day I stonde in iuparte,
Of pensifhed and inward besy drede,
Whan I remembre vppon þi manhede,
Liste þi corage be to violent,
Of þi lif to be to necligent,
Þi silfe to put to fer in auenture,
Of surquidie so moche for tassure,
In þi force knyȝtly to asterte
Euery pereil in þi manful herte,
Hauyng no reward, in swiche mortal strife,
Of wilfulnes, nouþer to deth nor life,
Nor aduertence to þi sauacioun.
But as Fortune turneth vp & doun
Her whel mevable, hiȝe and aftir lowe,
In Martis Ire as þe wynde doþe blowe,
Whiche causeth me ful ofte siȝe and þinke,
And to wake whan I schuld[e] wynke,
Reuoluyng ay þin hasty wilfulnes:
But, gentil broþer, for any hardynes,
Þis ilke day, vppon euery side,
I praie þe so wysly to prouide,
For hate or Ire, þi foos purswyng,
Nat to excede more þanne is sittyng;
But late prudence kepe þe in a mene,
And wisdam eke holden aȝen þe rene
Of þin hert & þi ferce corage,
Þat fired han þi grene tendre age,
Deuoide of drede eche peril to endure,
Þat oure enmys of þi mysauenture
Reioysshe nat, myn ovne broþer dere.
And myȝty Mars I pray, of hert entere,
Þilke day on Troyanysche grounde,
From her hondys þe to kepe sounde,
Like as I wolde þat he dide me.”
To whom anon, with al humilite,
In manly wyse þis ȝonge, lusty knyȝt,
Þis worþi Troylus, of hert[e] fresche & liȝt,
Answerd ageyn, & seide with glad chere:
“Myn owne lord, and my broþer dere,
And God to-forn, I fully schal obeie
To fulfille what ȝe liste to seye
Now vn-to me of ȝoure gentilnes,
And nat declyne þoruȝ no reklesnes
In any point from ȝoure comaundement;
But with hool herte, in al my best entent,
I schal take hede, and pleinly do non oþer
Þan ȝe han seide, myn owne lord & broþer,
So loth me were offende ȝow or greue.”
And in þis wyse he lowly toke his leue;
And forþe he rod, so like a manly knyȝt,
Þat to be-holde it was a noble siȝt,
Amonge his men he haueth hym so wele—
Þre þousand knyȝtes armyd in briȝt stele
Enviroun rod with Troylus in þe feld.
And þilke day he bare in his schelde,
Passaunt of gold, þre lyouns richely,
Þe chaump of aȝour wrouȝt ful craftely.
And be þe gate he issed oute anon,
And with hym ladde his knyȝtes euerychon,
To þe Grekis holdyng þe nexte weye.
And Hector hasteth, al þat euer he may,
Prudently his wardis to ordeyne;
And to þe noble worþi breþre tueyne,
To kyng Hupon and to Ardelaus,
He assigned, þe stori telleth [þ]vs,
Þe fourþe warde to guyen & to wysse.
And in þe lond þat callid was Larisse,
Þe breþer two had[de] regnyd longe;
And kyng Hupon passyngly was strong,
And of stature like a champioun;
And, saue Hector, in al Troye toun,
Was noon to hym egal as of myȝt,
More deliuere, nor a better knyȝt,
And on his fon passyng dispitous—
Whiche, with his broþer, callid Ardelaus,
Foure þousand knyȝtes had[de] for to lede,
And seuene hundrid, sothly, as I rede.
And to hem eke, lyke as writ Guydo,
Worþi Hector assygned hath also
Oon of his brether, callid Brymarchus,
A noble knyȝt, in armys riȝt famus,
And had in manhod passyng excellence.
And of Hector þei taken han licence,
And rood her way amonges al þe pres
Þoruȝ þe gate of Dardanydes.
Þe fyfþe warde to han at his ledyng,
Was by Hector comytted to þe kyng
Þat of Cesoyne lord and prince was,
And to his broþer, callid Pollydamas.
And Cysones wern of hiȝe stature,
And myȝt in armys passyngly endure
—Vp-on whom many man behilde—
And her kyng bare no þing in his scheld
But a feld of goulis, as I fynde,
Of oþer sygne Guydo makeþ no mynde.
And forþe þei rood a ful sterne pas,
Þis noble kyng and Pollydamas,
Whan þei had of Hector leve take,
Whiche euer in on besy was to make
Þe sixte warde, with al his dilligence.
And to þe kyng, callid Pretemense,
Þat was ful worþi, boþe in wer & pes,
And to a duke þat hiȝte Sterepes,
Whiche was also ful worþi of his hond,
He toke þe folke of Panonye lond,
Hem to gouerne in þe feld þat day—
Þe whiche peple hath in custom ay
With-oute plate, haberioun, or maile,
On swifte hors her fomen [for] to assaile,
With myȝty bowes & arowes scharp[e] grounde
Þoruȝ an harneis mortally to wounde.
And with þis folke, of Hector eke also
Dephebus assygned was to go,
In þe feld to guye hem an[d] to lede,
And on her wey þei fast[e] gan hem spede.
But or þei passe be Dardanydes,
Ful discretly Hector for hem ches
Paviseris, clad in mail and plate,
Hem comaundyng, at issyng of þe ȝate,
With þe archeris in þe feld to gon,
And many worþi, wel armyd euerychon,
To awaite on hem þat þei wer nat lore:
For þis folke, þat I of spake to-fore,
Of Panonye, had[de] non armure.
But prudent Hector, for to make hem sure,
Oute of Agreste, þe myȝty regioun,
Hath chosen out, ful worþi of renoun,
Þe beste knyȝtes of hem euerychon,
And with two kynges, Esdras & Phion,
Assygned hem for to taken hede
To þe foot-men, whan þat þei haue nede.
Þe whiche Phion, made ful rychely,
Rood in a chaar al of yvory,
Of whiche þe whelles, wrouȝt ful corious,
Wern of a tre y-callid Ebanus,
Þe whiche tre groweth fer in Ynde,
Blak of hewe; and also, as I fynde,
Whan it is corve, þis tre wil wexe anon,
Of his nature, hard as any stoon—
Whan it is graue ouþer rounde or square.
And of pure gold roued was þis chare,
Fret with perle and many riche stonis,
Þat swiche a-noþer [I trowe] nowher noon is
In al þis world, if I schal nat feyne.
And it was lad of myȝti knyȝtes tweyne,
Men of armys, with-Inne and with-oute
Armyd in stele, ridyng rounde aboute
Þis worþi kynges, Esdras & Phion.
And Hector hath callyd to hym anon
On of his breþre, what-so þat be-falle,
To be guyde and leder of hem alle—
Þe name of whom was Pictagoras.
And to þe grete Troyan, Eneas,
Of whom to-forn made is menciun,
Hector by good deliberaciun
Þe seuenþe ward assigned hath to kepe,
And vp-on stedis lusty for to lepe,
Of swiche as wern vsaunt most to ride,
Ful man[l]y knyȝtes to haue be his syde,
Whiche with Ewphronye vn-to Troye toun
Comen so fer from her regioun,
To fosteren hem for Hectoris sake.
And whan þei had of hym leve take,
Þei rood ful proudly forþe with Eneas,
Out at þe gate a wonder knyȝtly paas,
Þe brode feld til þei haue atteyned.
And in þis while Hector haþe ordeyned,
Like myn auctor as I can reherse,
Þe eiȝte warde of þe folke of Perce,
Worþi knyȝtes, manly and riȝt wys,
Þe whiche wern comitted to Parys,
On hym þat day to awaite besyly;
To whom Hector ful benygnely
Spak and seide at his departyng:
“O broþer myn, in al maner þing,
Whan þou arte passed be Dardanydes,
Þis day to fer put þe nat in pres
Among[es] Grekis, nor in iupartie,
Liste þat þi foon in meschef þe espie,
To whom þei haue, of old & newe date,
In her hertis ful fresche & mortal hate,
Þe furie of whiche her brest haþ so enbracid,
Þat it were hard out to ben arracid;
Wherfor, broþer, loke þat þou be
In al wyse nat to fer fro me,
But kepe þe neȝe, þat no mysauenture
Falle vp-on þe, so þat I may socure
Þis day to þe, myn owne broþer dere.”
To whom Paris, with ful humble chere,
Answerid and seide, þat in euery þing
He wolde obeie vn-to his biddyng,
And rood his weye anon with his meyne
In-to þe felde oute at þe cite.
And Hector ay dide his besynes
Þe nynþe warde in ordre for to dres,
Whiche he þouȝt hym silf[e] for to lede,
In whiche he put, sothly, as I rede,
Five þousand knyȝtes born of Troye toun,
Þe worþiest and grettest of renoun,
And passyngly famous in knyȝthod,
Born be discent of Troyanysche blod.
And of his breþer he toke with hym ten,
Swiche as he knew for most manly men,
Þat wer foreyn fro stok of regalye,
Oute of þe lyne born in bastardrie,
Whom Hector hadde in gret cher[i]te
For þe knyȝthod he koude in hem se.
And whanne he had, be knyȝtly puruyaunce,
Alle his wardis sette in gouernaunce,
Liche Mars hym silf fast[e] gan him spede
With-oute abood for to take his stede,
Whiche was in bokis callid Gallathe,
Of alle hors havyng þe souereynte,
As fer as men ride in any coost—
Of whom Dares maketh so gret a boost,
Of schap, of hiȝte, and also of fayrnes,
Of strengþe, of loke, and of gret swiftnes,
So lik an hors parformed oute & oute—
And with a wyre men myȝt hym turne aboute,
Lik as Dares maketh mencioun.
On whom Hector rood þoruȝ Troye toun,
Armed at al, þat cam hym wonder wel,
From foot til hed, ful richely & wel,
Þat schon as briȝt as sonne on someres day;
And to Priam he helde þe riȝt[e] way.
And whan þat he was comyn to þe kyng,
He reherseth in ordre euery þing
How he hath done, and all his ordinaunce,
And lowly seide, “so it be plesaunce
To ȝoure noble royal excellence,
I haue chosen with besy dilligence
A þousand knyȝtes, ful of suffisaunce,
With fyve hundrid, to han attendaunce
On ȝour persone alweye where ȝe be,
With alle foot-men þat ben in þe cite,
Þat schal await on ȝou euere in on.
Wherfore, my lord, as fast as we ar goon,
Lowly I praye to ȝoure worþines
To sewen vs, be good avisenes,
Out at þe toun, and alwey eke þat ȝe
To-gidre kepe ȝour knyȝtes and meyne:
Þis I beseche with al my fulle myȝt,
With-Inne þe boundis where as we schal fiȝt
Þat ȝe suffre noon of hem to pace,
But kepe ȝow hool in þe silf[e] place
Atwixe vs and þis stronge cite,
Ȝif we haue nede, þat ȝe may ay se,
Vs to releue kepyng ȝow a-side,
And specially þer for to abide
Where most is likly oure party to sustene;
For euer among þer schal men go be-twene
Of our expleit þe trouþe to reporte,
[For] Whiche part Mars list þe feld to sorte,
Of his power, þis ilke day fatal:
For ȝe schal ben oure castel & oure wal,
And oure refuge to saue vs from al smert.
And specialy o þing ȝe aduerte,
Þat no deceit, fraude, nor tresoun
Compassyd be behynde to þe toun
Of oure foon þoruȝ oure reklesnes,
Whiles þat we don oure besynes
Ageyn[e]s hem in þe feld to fiȝte:
In al wyse her-to hath a syȝt,
Þat no þing turne [vn-]to oure damage
Þoruȝ her engyn, but werkyth as þe sage,
With victorie þat we may conclude,
So þat Grekis with fraude vs nat delude
By non engyn of vnwar violence,—
Hopyng alwey þat it is non offence
To ȝoure hiȝnes þat I haue here saide.”
And with þat word, Priamus abraide,
Benygnely of chere and contenaunce,
And seide: “Hector, my sothfaste suffisance,
My final trust and supportacioun,
In þi wyse disposicioun
Hoolly I putte, as þou liste ordeyne:
For nexte goddis—ȝif I schal nat feyne—
My feith, my hope, & al my sikernes,
And my welfare, in verray sothfastnes,
Comytted ben hool in-to þin honde,
And gouernaunce, playnly, of my londe:
As þou ordeynest, it most nedis be;
And þis praier I make now for þe
To þe goddis a-boue celestial,
Þe to preserue, in party and in al,
From eche meschef and aduersite,
Þat þou maiste hom to þis cite
Repeire in honour with laude & victorie,
So þat þe pris, renoun, and memorie
Of þi name be putte in remembraunce,
Perpetuelly þin honour to avaunce!—
And fare now wel, myn owne sone dere.”
And Hector þo, wiþ ful humble chere,
His leue toke, and forþe he rood anoon
Among his lordis & knyȝtes euerychon,
As he þat was rote of al noblesse,
Of knyȝthod grounde, of strengþe & hardines
Þe verray stok, and þer-to invincible.
For-as-moche as it was possible
Þat Nature myȝt hym graunt or kynde,
Touching manhod, in bokis as I fynde,
He had in hym souereine excellence,
And gouernaunce medlid with prudence,
Þat nouȝt asterte him, he was so wis & war.
And in his scheld, I fynde, þat he bar
Vp-on his brest, þis Troyan champioun,
Þe chefe of gold, of goulys a lyoun
Depeint þer-in, and in his baner bete
Þe silfe same; and so amyd þe strete
He toke þe weye to Dardanydes,
Þat to beholde huge was þe pres,
Noise of trompetis and of clariouns,
Baners vnrollid, & longe fresche penouns
Of rede and whyte, grene, blew, & blake.
And in þis wyse Hector hath y-take
Þe feld with-oute, with hert & hool entent,
As Mars hym silf had[de] be present.
And þei þat he, as Guydo maketh mynde,
Rood with—þe warde þat last[e] was be-hynde—
Of his manhod he nolde nat abide,
But smet his stede scharply in þe side—
Of fel corage he hath his hors so peyned,
Þe first[e] warde þat he hath atteyned,
Be vale & hil to-forn in þe frounters,
Not astonyd of þe felle cheris
Of þe Grekis, nor platly nat aferd;
But liche a knyȝt, euene a-forn her berd,
He gan prese in, as her fo mortal.
And in þis while, vp-on Troye wal,
In sondry place on þe hiȝe touris,
As fresche be-seyn as May is with his flouris,
Þe ladies þen ascendid of þe toun—
So fair, so ȝonge, stondyng enviroun
Þe quene Eleyne, passyng fair to sene,
Þe kynges douȝters, & goodly Pollycene,
And many oþer, whiche of wommanhede
In hert[e] wern ful of besy drede,
Inly a-gast, and of fere affrayed
Whan þei behilde in þe feld displaied
Þe brode baners,—þat some of tendernes,
Somme of loue, and somme of kyndenes,
Pale and dredful for her lordis were;
And somme her facis hydden [eke] for fere,
Þat were nat bold to liften vp her siȝt
To be-hold þe armure clere and briȝt,
So gliteryng ageyn þe son[n]e schene—
Her hertis tendre myȝt[e] nat sustene;
And in her drede þus I lete hem dwelle.
And of Grekis furþe I wil ȝow telle,
Ȝif so be ȝe list abide a whyle;
For now most I my for-dullid stile
Ageyn directe to Agamenoun.
Wel may I make an exclamacioun
On ignoraunce, þat stant so in my liȝt,
Whiche causeth me with a ful cloudy siȝt
In my makynge to speken of þe werre—
For lak of termys I mote nedis erre,
Connyngly my wordis for to sette;
Cruel Allecto is besy me to lette,
Þe nyȝtes douȝter, blindid by dirknes,
Be craft of armys þe trouþe to expresse,
In ordre due a feld to discryue:
And Chaucer now, allas! is nat alyue
Me to reforme, or to be my rede,
For lak of whom slouȝer is my spede—
Þe noble Rethor þat alle dide excelle;
For in makyng he drank of þe welle
Vndir Pernaso, þat þe Musis kepe,
On whiche hil I myȝt[e] neuer slepe—
Onneþe slombre—for whiche, allas, I pleyne;
But for al þis, þer is no more to seyne.
Þouȝ my wede be nat polymyte,
Colourles, forþe I wil endyte
As it cometh euene to my þouȝt,
Pleinly to write how þe kyng haþ wrouȝt,
Þe manly knyȝt, gret Agamenoun,
Lyk as þe latyn maketh mencioun.

Howe Agamenon ordeynyde syx and twenty warddys, and assygnede theme tyle kyngis, princes, and lordys of his Oste; and howe worthi Ector, at þe first encounterynge, departede Patroclus atwyne.

What! trowe ȝe, þat he in his entent
Was founde slouȝe, ouþer necligent
On Grekis half his wardis for to make?
Nay, nay, nat so; for hym list to wake
Þat tyme more, sothly, þan to slepe,
Ful lik a kyng þat day þe feld to kepe.
No necligence myȝt his hert[e] fade:
For [in] þat day, I fynde, þat he made
Six and twenty wardis by and by,
So wel deuised, and so prudently
Þat no man myȝt amende his ordinaunce.
And of þe first he ȝaf gouernaunce
To þe manful noble Patroclus,
Þat with hym ladde (myn auctour telleþ þus)
Mirundones, so myȝti and so stronge,
With alle þe folke þat to Achilles longe,
Besyde þilke þat wern of his meyne
Whiche þat he brouȝt out of his contre
At his comyng to þe sege of Troye;
And he rood furþe with hem on his woye
In-to þe feld, and made no delaye.
Now, fille it so on þe same day
Þat Achilles kepte hym in his tente,
And for seknes þat day oute ne wente;
For his lechis made hym to abstene,
For his woundes fresche wern & grene
Þat he kauȝt on þe day to-fore;
Whiche for to hele of her akyng sore,
He be counseil kepte hym silf[e] cloos,
And from his bed þat day nat ne roos,
In hope only þe bettre to endure
Whan þat he was restored vn-to cure.
But alle his men he toke to Patroclus,
Whiche was in armys passyngly famus,
And be discent come of gret kynrede,
And was also—of hym as I rede—
Habundaunt of gold and of riches,
And fer comendid for his gentilles,
And hadde a name of hiȝe discrecioun.
Now was þer euere swiche affeccioun
Of entere loue, trouþe, & feithfulnes,
So gret desyre and inward kyndenes,
Besy þinkyng, & so gret feruence,
So moche frendeschip & þouȝtful aduertence,
So huge brennyng, passyng amerous,
Betwixe Achilles & þis Patroclus,
Þat her hertis were lokkid in o cheyne;
And what-so-euer, if I schal nat feyne,
Þe ton hath wrouȝt, as broþer vn-to broþer,
In hert it was confermyd of þe toþer:
For wil and godys, boþe were commvne,
And to þe deth þei euere so contvne,—
With-oute chaunge her loue so abood.
And Patroclus furþe anoon hym rood
In-to þe feld with Myrundones,
And in his tent abideth Achilles.
Þe secounde warde to kynge Meryoun
Assigned was by Agamenoun;
And to þe worþi kyng Ydwme[n]e,
And to a duke þat hiȝt[e] Meneste,
Þre þousand knyȝtes in stele armyd clene,
With alle þe folke þat cam fro Athene,
Assygned werne with hem for to go.
Þe þrid[de] ward to kyng Astalapho,
And to his sone, þat hiȝt[e] Philomene,
Wiþ þe knyȝtes þat cam fro Kwmene;
Þe fourþe warde, with-oute more lettyng,
To Archelaus, þe noble worþi kyng,
To Prothenor, and to Securidan,
Whiche in his daies was so strong a man,
Assigned was holy to þese þre,
And alle þe knyȝtes with hem for to be
Of Boece, þe grete lond famous.
Þe fyfþe warde to kyng Menelaus,
With alle þe folke of þe regioun
Callid Spartence, of ful hiȝe renoun,
And of þe Iles þat wern adiacent—
Alle þese with þe baner went
Of Menelay, fresche and coraious.
Þe sixte warde to kyng Epistrofus
Was assigned, and to þe kyng Elyde,
With many worþi ridyng be his side
Of þe prouynce and þe famous Ile
Þat callid is in Guydo Fordesyle.
Þe seuenþe warde to Thelamonyus,
Callid Aiax, þe grete kyng famous,
Was assigned, schortly to termyne,
Wiþ þe folkis þat fro Salomyne
He with hym brouȝt, & many anoþer mo;
And foure erlis with him went also:
Theseus and eke Amphimacus,
And þe þridde I-callid Darius,
And þe fourþe namyd Polysarie.
Þe eiȝte ward, ȝif I schal nat tarie,
Be good avis þat day assigned was
Vn-to þe kyng þat callid was Thoas.
Aiax Cileus þe ny[n]þe warde ladde,
And þe tenþe þe kyng of Philete hadde;
And to þe kyng þe xi [he] dide assigne,
Þat sothly was, boþe of birþe & lyne,
So renomed, & of so gret encres,
Þe myȝty kyng callid Pallamydes,
Kyng Naulus sone, hiȝest born of blood.
And duke Nestor, ful famus in kn[y]ȝthood,
Þe twelþe warde ladde on Grekis side,
Malencolik and surquedous of pride.
And kyng Honux, sone of on Mabente,
In-to þe feld, pleinly, whan he wente,
In ordre hadde of wardis þe þrittene,
Proudly mowsteryng endelong þe grene,
Ageyn[e]s Troyens redy for to fiȝt.
And eke þe kyng þat Vilixes hiȝt
Ladde with hym þe fourtenþe, as I rede;
And Humerus þe kyng eke dide lede
Þe fiftenþe, myn auctor writeth þus;
And a duke, callid Curibulus,
Þe xvi. ladde vp-on that day,
In whiche þe knyȝtes of kyng Prothesylay
Assigned wern by gret ordinaunce,
Tenforsen hem for to do vengaunce
Vp-on þe deth of her worþi kyng,
By Hector slawe at Grekis arivyng.
And kyng Royda ladde þe seuentene;
And he þat was kyng of Octymene,
Þe xviii warde had at his ledyng;
And Ȝantipus, þat was of Lyde kyng,
Hadde to kepe, committed to his garde,
On Grekis side þe nyntenþe warde.
And þe twenty, myn auctor lereþ vs,
Hadde þe kyng callid Amphimacus,
Lik a knyȝt to guye hem & to wisse;
And Philocetes, þat was kyng of Larisse,
Þe oon & twenty had eke, as I rede.
Þe two & twenty had[de] Dyomede;
And Heneus, kyng of Cypary,
Þat was whilom so noble & so worþi,
Þe þre & twenty had in gouernaille.
And þe Troyens proudly for to assaille
Þe xxiiiiti, with swerd, spere, and schelde,
Kyng Prothaylus ladde in-to þe felde;
And Carpenor, of Carpadie kyng,
In werre expert & riȝt wys in wirchyng,
Þe five & twenty, riche & wel be-seyn,
On Grekis syde brouȝt in-to þe pleyn.
Þe sixe & twenti, sothly, and þe laste,
As he þat coude sen a-forn an[d] caste
Euery þing be good inspeccioun,
Þe wyse kyng, þe grete Agamenoun,
Had with hym, þis prudent werriour,
As he þat was ordeyned emperour
Of Grekis host, as wysest of echon.

Howe bothe the wardys of þe Troyans and of þe Grekys fyrst ioynede in the felde.

And in þis wise forþe þe Grekis goon
In-to þe feld, with pompe ful royal,
With thensygnes and tokenes marcial,
Han take her ground, passingly arrayed;
And on her stondardis, richely displaied,
Brode baners an[d] many fresche penoun—
Ageyn þe wynde þat made a hidous soun,
And riȝt dredful, pleinly, for to here—
And þer men seie many crestis clere,
And many tuft of gold & siluer schene,
Meynt with feþris rede, white, & grene,
And deuyses wonder merueillous,
And of folkis þat wern amerous
Þe tokenes born to schewen openly
How þei in loue brenten inwardly
Som hiȝe emprise þat day to fulfille.
And þer wer herd þe loude noyses schrille
Fer in þe feld, and þe dredful sownes
Boþe of trompettis and of clariouns,
Þat be kalendys of schedyng oute of blood.
And with þe noyse al-most for rage wood,
Þe fomy bridelis & þe mouþes blede,
And furious neying of many [bastard] stede—
Praunsynge of hors vp-on ouþer side,
With alle þensygnes þat myȝt ben of pride
On Grekis part[y], and on Troye also:
In knyȝtly wyse for to haue a-do,
Eueryche warde stondynge in his place.
Þe first, a-sondre but a litel space,
Be-gan to approche with al her ful entent,
And Hector þo, ful inpacient,
Formest of alle on þe side of Troye,
Þe Ire of whom no man myȝt acoye:
But lik a lyoun in his hungri rage
Issed oute, furious of visage,
Toward Grekis on his myȝti stede,
Þat with his sporis made his sides blede—
His knyȝtly hert so inly was to-torn
Of mortal Ire,—and as he rood to-forn,
Brennynge ful hote in his malencolye:
Þe whiche þing whan Grekis gan espie,
Patroclus, with-oute more abood,
Of surquedie a-fore þe wardis rood,
Oute al to-forn, in boþe hostis siȝt,
For to encontre, pleinly, ȝif he myȝt,
With worþi Hector whan he him saw a-fer;
And as riȝt lyne as is diameter,
Rood vn-to hym in his hatful tene,
And with a spere, scharp[e] grounde & kene,
Þoruȝ-oute his schelde, of envious rage,
He smote Hector, with-oute more damage,
Except only þat þe hed of stele
Þat was to-forn, forged & whet ful wele,
Þoruȝ plate & maile myȝtely gan glace,
But to þe skyn for no þing myȝt his trace—
Al-be it cam of passyng violence—
Ȝit to Hector it dide noon offence,
Out of his sadel onys hym to flitte:
For þouȝ þat he sturdely hym hitte,
He myȝt[e] nat bakward bow his chyne,
Nor on no parti make hym to enclyne;
But fatally to his confusioun,
Þis myȝti man, þis Troyan champioun,
In his Ire ay brennynge more and more,
Vp-on hym þe hate frat so sore,
Lefte his spere, myn auctor writeth þus,
And with a swerd rood to Patroclus,
Avised fully þat he schal be ded;
And furiously gan hamen at his hed,
And rof hym doun, þer was no maner lette,
In-to þe brest þoruȝ his basenet,
As seith Guydo, with so gret a peyne,
Þat with þe stroke he partid hym on tweyne.
His mortal swerde whettid was so kene,
Þat Patroclus myȝt[e] nat sustene
Vp-on his hors, but fil doun to grounde,
As he þat kauȝt his last[e] fatal wounde,
Beyng present his knyȝtes euerychon.
And delyuerly vp-on hym anon,
Worþi Hector from his stede a-doun
Discendid is lik a wode lyoun,
Of hatful Ire brennynge as þe fire,
Havinge in hert inly gret desire
To spoilen hym of his armvure anoon,
In whiche þer was [ful] many riche stoon,
Boþe of rubies and saphiris ynde—
For þilke daies, pleinly, as I fynde,
Kynges, lordis, & knyȝtes (þis no nay)
To bataille went in her best array.
And, sothly, Hector, whan he first gan se
Þe multitude of stonys and perre
On Patroclus, so orient and schene,
Vp-on his arme he hynge his hors[e] rene,
Þe mene while, whil he of hool entent
To cacche his praye was so dilligent,
Of couetyse, in þer alder siȝtes.
Til Merioun, with þre þousand knyȝtes,
Armed in stele, rounde a-boute hym alle,
Is sodeynly vþ-on Hector falle,
Þe dede cors of Patroclus to saue,
Þat his purpos Hector may nat haue,
At liberte þe riche kyng to spoille,
Whiche caused hym in anger for to boille.

Howe Kynge Meryon salutede worthy Ectore as he was aboute for to dyspoyle Kynge Patroclus.

To whom þe kyng, callid Merion,
Irous & wood, seide among echon:
“O gredy lyoun, o wolfe most rauenous,
O hatful tygre, passyng envious,
Of avarice, o beste in-saturable,
And of desire, sothly vnstaunchable,
Vp-on þis pray þou schalt þe nat now fede,
Go ellis-where to swe for þi mede:
For trust[e] well, in conclusioun,
Fifti þousand, to þi distructioun,
Of oon entent, pleinly, wil nat faille
Þin hatful pride attonys for to assaille!”
And sodeinly, with speris scharp[e] whette,
On euery half þei gonne hym be-sette,
Maugre his force, his myȝt, & his manhede
Enforcyng hem tarevid him his stede,
Þat, sothfastly, of gret violence,
He constreyned, for al his strong diffence,
As seith Guydo, to falle vp-on his kne;
But þoruȝ his myȝt & magnanymyte,
He of manhood hath his hors recurid,
And maugre Grekis is so moche assurid
In his strengþe and his gret[e] myȝt,
Þat he recurid lik a worþi knyȝt
His stede ageyn amiddes of his foon.
And riȝt as lyne he rood to Merion,
Ful desyrous on hym avengid to be,
In his furye of hasty cruelte:
For þer-vppon was sette al his delit,
Þat in his mortal blody appetit,
In verray soth, he hadde hym slaw anon,
Saue þat þe kyng, which called was Glacon,
Cam to rescue hym with kyng Theseus,
And his sone, þat hiȝt Archilagus,
As I haue tolde, Merion to rescue.
And þre þousand knyȝtes gan hym swe,
Ful assentid, attonis, in bataille,
For lyf or deth Hector to assaille,
In a-wait vnwar on hym to sette.
But al þis whyle, with whom þat euer he mette,
With his swerde he kylleth & bare doun,
Þat finally þer gayneth no raunsoun:
For any Greke þat durst wyth hym mete,
At departyng felte ful vnswete;
He made a weye aboute hym euery-where,
Þat þei fledde hym as þe deþ for fere,
For where he rod he made a path ful pleyn.
And, as I rede, to Patroclus ageyn
He is repeired to spoille hym ȝif he myȝt,
Amyd þe feld in þe Grekis siȝt,
As he þat wolde his praye nat liȝtly lete.
Til Ydwme, þe myȝty kyng of Crete,
With two þousand clad in plate & maille,
Worþi knyȝtes, Hector to assaille
Whyles þat he was so desirous,
As I haue tolde, to spoille Patroclus—
And new ageyn, to his confusioun,
Lyk as I fynde, cam kyng Merioun;
And or Hector myȝt[e] taken hede,
Þei of force reften hym his stede,
Þat sothly he, þer was noon oþer bote,
Compellid was [for] to fiȝt on fote.
And of knyȝthod his hert[e] he reswmeth;
And with his swerde aboute hym he conswmeth
Al þat wiþ-stood, boþen hors & man;
And furiously þis Troyan knyȝt be-gan
Armys, leggis, schuldris, by þe boon,
To hewen of, amyd his mortal foon,
Þat Grekis myȝt a-forn him nat sustene.
And, as I rede, þat he slowe fiftene
Of hem þat were besy hym to take;
And swiche a slawȝter he gan a-mong hem make,
Þat þei ne durste abide a-forn his face.
And Merion, in þe silfe place,
Þis mene while, toke vp Patroclus,
With hevy chere and face ful pitous,
And on his stede he leide it hym be-forn;
And to his tent [anon] he hath it born—
Alwey Grekis, in her cruel mood,
Aboute Hector, furious and wood,
Felly abood, fiȝtynge vp-on fote.
Of whiche somme felt[e] ful vnswote,
Þat preswmed vp-on hym to prese;
But of manhod þei ne wolde sese
To be-sette hym vppon euery syde,
Havinge a truste, in her grete pride,
Finally at meschef hym to take:
For þei dempte he myȝt[e] nat eskape
Her hondis, schortly, be non aventure,
Nor his stede be lyklyhede recure;
For of force þei casten hym to lette,
And al attonys gan on hym to sette.
And specialy, amonge hem euerychon,
I finde, in soth, how þat þer was oon,
A Grekysche knyȝt of riȝt worþi fame,
And Carion, pleinly, was his name,
Þat him afforcede Hector to oppresse,
Whan he was most in meschef & distresse,
Be-set with Grekys hym envirownynge:
Til of fortune, on hym awaitynge
Þe longe day in þat felle fiȝt,
To his rescus þer cam a Troyan knyȝt,
Myd of Grekis whan he was be-set,
And toke two dartes, scharp & kene whet,
And furiously first he schot þe toon,
And þoruȝ þe hert he smote þis Carion,
Þat þe darte into þe felde gan glide,
By plate & maille, þoruȝ-out oþer syde,
Þat fatally of þat dedly wounde
Þis Carioun glood anoon to grounde,
Amonge an hundrid knyȝtes of his feris,
A-fore conspired with her felle cheris
To haue slayn Hector be some maner woye.
But eft ageyn þis ȝonge knyȝt of Troye
Ful deliuerly rauȝt anoþer spere,
And cast at on þat he sawe a-fere
Avaunce hym silfe on Hector in þe felde,
And þoruȝ his platis, pleinly, & his schelde,
Lyne riȝt, þat he ne schuld asterte,
Of verray myȝt rofe hym þoruȝ þe herte;
And after þat, in al þe haste he coude,
Vp-on Troyens he gan to crie loude
Tenhasten hem knyȝtly to socure
Worþi Hector, þat stood in auenture
Amonge Grekis, havynge no refute,
Sool by hym silfe, of helpe destitute.
At whiche cry, on Grekis al vnwar,
First of alle cam worþi Cyncybar,
Þat broþer was to Hector in bast born;
And hym silfe rydynge al to-forn,
And þe knyȝtes of whiche he was guyde,
Wonder proudly prikynge by his syde,
Sodeinly, bothe oon and alle,
In a frosche be on þe Grekis falle,
Þat hadde Hector rounde be-sette aboute;
And þoruȝ manhod of þis grete route
Þat ben enbosched on hem at þe bak,
Þe hundrid knyȝtes, of whiche þat I spak,
For-a-stonyd gan hem to withdrawe:
But þritti firste cruelly were slawe;
And maugre hem, Hector of manhede
Amydde þe felde taken hath his stede,
And entrid [is] in amonge þe prees.
And he þat day, of knyȝthood pereles,
While he hilde his blody swerde on hond,
Alle þo þat ageyn hym stonde
—Þer was noon help, pleinly, nor no red—
But þat he brak & carfe a-two þe þrede
And þe knot of cruel Antropos:
Only for he was lette of his purpos,
At good leyser to spoile Patroclus.
Þerfore, in Ire wood and furious,
Ful cruelly Grekis quitte her mede,
Whiche from his face faste gan hem spede,
Whos scharp[e] swerde, baþed in her blood,
Was dyed rede: for it dide hym good
Vp-on hem avenged for to be.
For þilke day [þe] lyoun pleyed he,
Vp-on Grekis his manhod for to haunte;
For he her pride so mortally gan daunte,
Þat þei hym fled, where-so þat he rood,
Makyng al hoot þe stremys of her blood
Endelonge to renne vp-on þe grene,
Til þe tyme þe duke of grete Athene,
Þat callid was whilom Menesteus,
With þre þousand knyȝtes ful famous,
Of whiche he was boþe lord & guyde,
Þe feld hath taken vp-on þe left[e] side,
For a deceyt, in ful secre wyse,
Where Troylus was with þe folke of Fryse,
Whiche [haþ] þat day, who-so liste to seke,
By his knyȝthod kylled many Greke:—
Liche a tigre, gredy on his pray,
Troylus bar hym al þe longe day,
Sleynge of Grekis many worþi knyȝt.
And while þat he was besiest in fiȝt
Ageyn his foon, with kyng Antipus
And þe kyng þat hiȝt[e] Alcanus,
Vp-on Grekis elyche fresche and newe,
Makynge her sydes al of blody hewe,
By oon assent, þis þre þoruȝ her manhede—
And specially, vppon his baye stede,
Wher-so-euer þat þis Troylus rood,
Euery Greke þat his swerd abood
Sodeinly he made for to sterve,
Þoruȝ her platis so depe he dide kerue.
And þis contvneth til duke Meneste
Of Troylus saw þe grete cruelte,
And þe slawȝtre þat he on Grekis made—
Of hasty Ire, wiþ face pale and fade,
Hent a spere & þrewe it in þe reste
And Troylus smet euene amyd þe breste
So sternely, þat maugre his renoun,
To þe erþe anon he bare hym doun,
In [þe] myddis of his mortal foon,
Þat cruelly hym be-sette anoon,
And him to treyne leide out hoke & laas
Rounde aboute in maner of compas—
Wiþ spere and darte & swerdis forgid briȝt.
But he hym silf diffendiþ like a knyȝt,
With gret manhod his honour to avaunce,
Al-be his lif was honged in balaunce,
Where he stood, & felte ful vnswete,
In poynt of deth amonge þe hors[e] fete,
With gret await of duke Meneste,
How þis Troylus myȝt haue take be,
Of mortal hate castyng in his þouȝt,
At meschef take þat he eskape nouȝt;—
On euery half he was so be-sette
With swerdis rounde, kene gronde & whette,
Allone, allas! mortally be-stadde—
Þei sesid hym, & furþe þei han hym ladde,
Til Miseres, a worþi knyȝt of Troye,
Gan to crye, as he stood in þe woye,
For-a-bassched, in riȝt furious wyse:
“O ȝe noble worþi men of Fryse!
Manly knyȝtes, ay preued in þe feld,
Most renomed boþe with spere & scheld,
Considereth now vn-to ȝour hiȝe fame,
And aduerteth þe glorie of ȝoure name,
How þis day, þoruȝ ȝoure necligence,
By þe power and myȝti violence
Of þe Grekis Troylus is I-take
Sool in þe feld; for ȝe han hym forsake—
Þat schal rebounde to ȝoure alder schame:
For ȝe, in soth, gretly are to blame,
Ȝif he, þat is of worþines[se] flour,
Be take of Grekis for lak of socour—
Þat, but ȝif ȝe taken hasty wreche,
Schamful report ȝour honour schal apeche
Perpetuelly, and seide þer-of amys,
In ȝoure defaute þat Troylus taken is,
Whiche named be so worþi & famus.”
And with þat word, þe kyng Alcamus
Of malencolye felt his hert[e] ryue,
And in his Ire hent a spere blyve,
And prikynge after, enhasteþ w[h]at he miȝt,
Til he of hem pleinly had a siȝt,
Þat besy wern Troylus for to lede.
And he, ful knyȝtly, sittyng on his stede,
Ran oon þoruȝ, þat he fil doun ded;
And eft ageyn, pale & no þing red,
In his rancour no lenger wold[e] lette,
But a Greke, þe first[e] þat he mette,
Þoruȝ þe body smette he with a spere,
Þat men myȝt[e] se þe poynt a-fere,
By brest and plate þoruȝ þe scholder-bon,
Þat to þe grounde he fil doun ded anoon.
And þer-with-al, þe worþi Freses alle
Cam flokmel doun, and on Grekis falle
So myȝtely, þat, maugre her diffence,
Þei sette vp-on with so gret violence
Þat Troylus is from al daunger fre;
And þoruȝ her knyȝtly magnanymyte
Þei maden hym to recure his stede.
And specially helpyng in þis nede
Was Ȝantipus, þe strong[e] manly kyng,
Whiche of disdeyn, at his in-comyng,
On Meneste gan his spere grate,
And þoruȝ his scheld, mail, & þikke plate,
So sore he smot, þat þis Menestee
Had be ded, nadde his armour be;
Whiche for Ire gan to tremble & schake,
Þat Troylus was from his hondis take,
And eskaped to be prisoner,
Dispit his berd, & maugre his power.
Wherfor he gan of hasti hoot envie
On his knyȝtes furiously to crye,
Þat wer so myȝti, renomed, & stronge,
To peynen hem for to venge his wronge
Vp-on Troyens, to mete hem in þe face.
And þei in hast gan myȝtely enbrace
Her scharp[e] speris, grounde for to bite,
And felly foyne, & to-gidre smyte;
For þo be-gan þe grete mortal werre:
Þe fire brast out, schene as any sterre,
On basenettis and her platis briȝt,
Þat þoruȝ þe feld flawmeþ þe [ferful] liȝt:
[To lyf nor deth þei toke þo non hede;]
[And] Doun þe playn, boþe in lengþe & brede,
Þe wardis gan proudly to avale;
And with lokis of envie pale,
Þei aproche, and assemble I-fere,
In hate brennynge, þat no man may stere,
And gan hurtle with spere, swerd, & darte,
And mortally, vp-on euery parte,
Þe slauȝter gan gretly for to rewe.
And Iliche, alwey newe and newe,
Hector Grekis, þoruȝ his worþines,
Where he rood manly dide oppresse,
And merciles slowe hem & bar doun—
Now here, nowe þere, with-oute excepcioun,
So furiously, þat rowthe was to se.
And þanne of new þe duke Meneste
Repeired is, with envious hert,
From his hondis þat Troylus so asterte,
And for þe slawȝter eke of his meyne,
Þat wher he rood he besy was to sle
Þe Troyan peple, whan he myȝt hem mete;
For tavenge hym, for no þing wold he let.
Til casuelly amonge[s] al þe pres,
A knyȝt he mette, þat hiȝt[e] Miseres,
Whiche, in dispit of þis Meneste,
Had at þe rescus of worþi Troylus be,
And maugre hym put him fro his pray.
And so be-fil [on] þe selue day,
As þei mette ageyn of aventure,
Þat Meneste, by his cote armvre
Marked hym, be armys þat he bar,
And sodeinly, or þat he was war,
Or þat he myȝt taken any hede,
Furiously on his sterne stede,
And with a spere, among þe rengis alle,
Bar him ouer, & made hym for to falle,
Maugre his myȝt, to þe erthe doun.
And panne, I finde, how þe kyng Hupoun
Discendid is, þe story list nat lye,
Two þousand knyȝtes in his companye,
Whiche on Grekis felly gan to sette,
And in þe berd king Prothenor hem mette,
And Archelaus, þe noble werriour,
Of Boece lord and gouernour—
Wiþ helpe only of þis Prothenor,
Lik a tigre or a wylde bore,
Gan Troyens assaille to þe deth,
And many on þilke day he sleth.
But kyng Hupoun, þoruȝ his chiualrie,
Þilk[e] tyme in his malencolye
Ful many Greke ȝaf his deþis wounde:
And þus þei gan eche oþer to confounde,
Swiche mortal hate amonges hem þer was.
Til of fortune a knyȝt, Polydamas,
On Troye side, sone of Anthenor,
With his knyȝtes, and hym silf to-for,
Is on Grekis of envious pride
Mid her wardis fallyn in a-syde,
And gan breke hem, & knyȝtly to disseuere,
Ageyn whos swerd þei myȝt[e] nat perseuere—
He was on hem so inly furious.
And hym to helpe cam þe kyng Remvs,
With a wynge on þe toþer parte,
Brekyng in with many spere & darte
Ageyn[es] Grekis with þre þousand knyȝtes,
Þat to beholde how felly þat he fiȝtes,
It was, in sothe, vn-to hem of Troy
A verray lust and an heuenly Ioye—
To sen how he Grekis brak asondre,
Þat þe noyse, loude as any þondre,
In þe feld of strokis gan a-ryse.
And while Remus, as ȝe han herd deuise,
Vp-on Grekis was so envious,
In-to þe feld cam Menelaus,
With his worþi knyȝtes of Spartense,
Ageyn Remus to make resistence;
And ful proudly, makyng no delay,
Þis worþi Remus & kyng Menelay,
On hors[e]-bak, with scharp[e] speris whette,
Mid þe felde of envie mette,
And þoruȝ her manly prowesse & renoun,
From hors[e]-bak eche bare oþer doun:
For noon þe strok of oþer myȝt[e] schoone.
And in þat while, of Anthenor þe sone,
Polydamas, lusti, fresche, and lyȝt,
As he þat was in his deliuer myȝt,
And desirous to honour to atteyne,
Mette in þe felde þe nevewe of Eleyne,
Þe myȝti duk called Mereus,
Flouring in ȝouthe and riȝt vertuous,
Fresche armed, new and lusti of corage,
And was, in soth, but twenti ȝere of age—
Whiche of so ȝonge was a noble knyȝt,
Riȝt renomed boþe of hert and myȝt.
But of fortune it be-fil, allas!
Þe Troyan knyȝt, daunȝ Polydamas,
With a spere, þoruȝ scheld, maille, & plate
Hitte hym so, þat, by cruel faate,
Amonge Grekis þat he fil doun ded.
Of whiche þing, whan Menelay toke hede,
And sawe hym ly, slay[e]n on þe grene,
In his hert remembringe on þe quene
—Þe quene Eleyne, whos nevew he was:—
For dool of whiche, a ful deliuer paas
To Remvs rood, in his cruelte,
Also fer as he myȝt hym se,
And ful knyȝtly mette hym in þe berd,
And smette at him with his scharpe swerde
Vp-on þe hede, in his hatful tene,
Þat on his stede he myȝt[e] nat sustene:
His wounde was so passyngly mortal,
Þat with þe stroke and þe perlous fal,
His knyȝtes wende ded he had[de] be,
And hent hym vp, and be-gan to fle
To-Troye-ward with hym a gret pas.
But it be-fil þat Pollydamas,
Þe maner of hem whan þat he be-held,
Made hem repeire knyȝtly in-to þe feld—
Excepte þat somme, as þei in biddyng had,
Worþi Remvs hom to Troye ladde,
Pale and ded, with his woundis wide.
And þo cam in on þe Grekis side
Celides, þe lusty fresche kyng,
Of whom Dares seith in his writyng,
And for a soth in his boke list telle,
How Celides alle oþer dide excelle
Boþe in bewte and in semlyhede,
Of schap, of port, and of goodlyhede,
Surmountynge alle, as Dares list discrive,
As in fairnes alle þo a-lyue—
Alle his lymys compact were so clene.
And, as I rede, þe ȝonge fresche quene
Of Femenye, whiche was of bewte flour,
Kyng Celides louede paramour,
Þat vp-on hym was hooly hir plesaunce,
He was so prented in hir remembraunce;
For chef resort, sothly, of hir herte,
Was vp-on hym euery houre to aduerte:
For, finally, he departeþ nouȝt,
Day nor nyȝt nor hour out of hir þouȝt;
For he was ffully al hir owne knyȝt.
But, of fortune, he, lusty, fresche, and liȝt,
Smot his stede scharply in þe syde
Of surquedie, and proudly gan to ride
Of mortal hate a ful furious paas
Riȝt as lyne to Pollydamas,
And with a spere made hym for to flytte
From his sadel, in whiche he dide sitte—
He markyd hym with so gret a myȝt.
But ageynward, þis manly Troyan kn[y]ȝt,
Pollydamas, with a dispitous face,
Or Celydes departeth fro þe place,
With a swerd so smet hym on þe hede,
From his stede þat he fil doun ded,
Whiche to Grekis was gret confusioun.
And al þis tyme, ferser þanne lyoun,
Hector Grekis knyȝtly gan enchase,
And ofte made hem for to lese her place;
Where-euere he rood, of necessite,
A-forn his swerd he made hem for to fle,
Swiche vengaunce he hath on hem take,
Þat þei þe feld were fayn to for-sake,
And to purswe wolde he neuer fyne;
Til a-monge þe peple of Salomyne,
Hector mette þe worþi kyng famous
Þat was hir lord, and hiȝt[e] Thesalus,
Þat many Troyan þat day had[de] slawe.
And, as Hector toward hym gan drawe,
Kyng Teuter, þat was of Grece also,
A manly knyȝt and prudent, boþe two,
Rauȝt a spere, in al þe haste he can,
And vnwarly vn-to Hector ran,
And þoruȝ his scheld, [plate], and mail of stele
—Þe spere-hed forged was so wele,
So scharpe & square, & so kene grounde—
Þat he ȝaf Hector a ful perillous wounde.
But as Hector rene gan his stede,
Proude Teuter to aquite his mede,
He ful wysly, in al þe hast he myȝt,
Was riȝt fer seuery[d] from his siȝt;
Wher-of Hector malencolius,
And of hert wod and furious
For þe akyng of his wounde grene,
In haste to avenge þe constreint of his tene,
What Greke after schortly þat he mette,
Þat was so bold his wey[e] to with-sette,
With-oute mercy, he was his deth anoon.
And, as I rede, he encountrid on,
Whiche of pride wold[e] hym diuerte,
Whom wiþ his swerd he rof to þe hert,
Þoruȝ his harneis, of malencolye.
Þe whiche stroke whan Grekis gan espie,
Þei astonyd, of oon entencioun,
Perllously besette hym enviroun,
And swiche assaut gan aboute him make,
Þoruȝ her manhod ȝif þei myȝt him take;
And of acorde, with gret multitude,
Cruelly þei gan hym to include,
Be liklyhede, in þat mortal strife
He myȝt[e] nat eskape with þe lyf,
On hym þei wern so fel & envious.

Howe A kynge callyde Theseus, of affeccyon warnede Ector to be ware of A iopartdy that he stode In, notwithstondynge this Thesyus was a Greke; and howe Ector raskewyde Pollydamas þe kynge.

Til þat a kyng þat hiȝt[e] Theseus,
On Grekis side, only of gentillesse,
Swiche rouþe kauȝt vp-on his distresse,
To se hym stonde so niȝe vp-on þe wrak,
Þus vn-to hym of manly pite spake:
“O flour of knyȝthod, rote of hardynesse,
Welle of manhood, stok of worþines!
Whi list þe nat to haue noon aduertence,
Þi lif to saue, of knyȝtly prouidence,
But wilfully, where most is to drede,
Þi lif iupartist, and take list noon hede,
In mortal pereil how þou arte be-set,
Amonge so many closed and I-schet,
Allone, allas! deuoide of al socour,
And to þi silfe wilt do no fauour,
But as fortune liketh to ordeyne?—
Þat euery wyȝt owȝt[e] to compleyne
To beholde þat so noble a knyȝt,
Whiche þoruȝ þe worlde cast so clere a liȝt,
In worþines, & wil hym nat with-drawe,
Reklesly þis day to be slawe,
So pitously þi persone for to lese!
With-drawe þin hond, ȝit sith þou maist chese,
Þin hiȝe prowes compelleth me to praye,
At swiche meschef þat þou nat ne deye.”
And whan Hector of hym gan take hede,
He þankid hym of his goodlyhed,
And maugre, sothly, þe power & þe myȝt
Of þe Grekis, lik a worþi knyȝt
He skapid is, myd of alle his foon,
And went his weye þoruȝ hem euerychon,
His blody swerd alweie in his hond.
And in his weie Pollydamas he fonde,
Ful lik a man, with al his besy peyne
Diffende hym silfe ageyn þe kynges tweyne,
Menelay and Thelamonyus,
Whiche vp-on hym were ful furious;
And, with a spere, þis Greke, þis Thelamoun
Pollydamas smot to the erthe doun,
Compellyng hym—þer was non oþer bote—
Ageyn hem two for to fiȝt on fote,
Assentid fully on hym to ben a-wroke.
And first þei han hewen and to-broke
Þe myȝti charnellis of his basenet,
And whan his viser after was of smette,
And his face nakid was and bare,
Þei fil on hym in þat mortal snare,
And token hym, þe stori can deuise,
And sent hym forþe, in ful cruel wise,
Toward Grekis, with many worþi knyȝt.
But whan Hector þer-of had a siȝt,
And sawe þe meschef of Pollydamas,
He cast fully to socur in þis caas,
And priked after, woder þanne lyoun;
And, where he rood, aboute hym enviroun
With his swerd he made a large space,
Til he cam to þe same place
Amonge Grekis, furious and wood,
Pollidamas þe silfe tyme stood,
Socourles from al remedie,
Til þat he on Hector cast his eye,
Þat Grekis made hastily with-drawe.
And þritti, first, of hem he hath slaw,
And seuered hem, maugre al her pride:—
To-forne his swerd þe[i] durst[e] nat abide
Ageyn[e]s hym, nor make noon obstacle;
But of knyȝthod, be verray hiȝe myracle,
Pollydamas, in meschef first awapid,
From Grekis hond frely is eskapid.
But freschely þo, þe kyng Epistrophus,
Menelay, and Thelamonyus,
With alle her knyȝtes to-gidre hol & clos,
Ageyn Troyens to geten hem a loos,
Been of newe entrid in bataille
With gret strengþe & passyng apparaille,
Þat meȝtely Troyens þei compelle,
In her weye þat þei dar nat dwelle,
Nat-with-stondynge her gret worþines,
Nor of Hector þe knyȝtly hiȝe prowes,
Þat fauȝt so manly þat tyme, as I rede,—
But cowardly þei han slawe his stede,
Þat he constreined was to fiȝt on fote,
Þat many Greke felt[e] ful vnswote.
For þer was noon þat aboute him stood,
With his swerd þat he ne schad his blood;
Þouȝ he so þikke aboute was be-leyn,
He voided hem & made a spase pleyn,
In compas rounde, be-hind & eke to-forn;
And on his feet so wel he hath him born
Þilk[e] day, þat Greke was noon, certeyn,
Þat hardy was hond on hym to leyn,
He was so strong, & sturdy as a wal.
And whanne his breþer, callid natural,
Sawe hym on fote, myd of alle his foon,
On a frusche þei fel in euerychon,
And founden hym, þe stori makeþ mynde,
Diffende hym silfe lik a tigre in Ynde;
And hym to help, þoruȝ her hiȝe renoun,
Þei fel[le] firste on kyng Thelamoun,
For he on Hector was so cruel founde:
Þei ȝaf to hym many blody wounde,
Til on of hem, namyd Dyndaron,
Hath so fer amonge þe rengis goon,
And born hym so, only of manhede,
Þat he hath wonne a passynge miȝti stede,
And brouȝt to Hector, sothly, þer he stood,
Amonge Grekis al baþed in her blood.
Þe whiche in hast, ful knyȝtly he be-strood,
And amonge hem, lik Mars hym silf he rood,
Ful many Greke makynge for to sterue;
And with his swerd, whetted for to kerue,
He daunted hath her envious pride:
Til Dephebus entrid in a-syde
In-to þe feld, wiþ a knyȝtly chere,
And with hym brouȝt many good archer
Of Poeme, [which] with her arowis kene,
And with feþeris of pecok, fresche & schene,
Vp-on Grekis han þe feld recured;—
In her schot þei wer so moche assured,
Þat þoruȝ mail and þikke plate of stele
Þei percyd han her harneis euerydel.
And Dephebus, ful like a manly man,
To kyng Teutran on hors[e]-bak þo ran,
And furiously gan his swerd enbrace,
And wounded hym euene amyd þe face
Þoruȝ þe viser—in his felle tene—
On hors[e]-bak he myȝt[e] nat sustene.
And þus Troyens on Grekis arn y-ronne,
Þat þei ageyn han þe feld I-wonne—
Þei wern on hem so Irous and so wood:
But Theseus ful knyȝtly hem with-stood
With þo knyȝtes þat he with hym ladde.
And, as I rede, Hector a broþer hadde,
Þe stori seith, þat hiȝt[e] Quyntylene,
Ȝonge, fresche, & lusty, armyd briȝt & schene,
Whiche with þe kyng callid Modernus
Is proudly falle vp-on Theseus;
And þese tweyne, to-gidre of assent,
Be falle on hym with gret avisement,
Þat, finally, to his vnhappy chaunce,
Þoruȝ her knyȝthod þei brouȝt him to outtraunce,
And cast[e] schortly þat he schal be ded:
Of whos purpos, as Hector gan take hed,
He vn-to hem, of verray genterye,
With al his myȝt loude gan to crye,
Besechyng hem for no þing þat he deye;
And louly þei his biddyng dide obeye,
And hem with-drawe for to do vengance;
For Hector had fully remembraunce
How Theseus, þe same day to-forn,
Toward hym so goodly had hym born,
Whan he hym sawe in meschef & distresse,
And knyȝtly þouȝt quite his gentillesse,
Lik as it longeth to euery gentil-man.
And Theseus ful lowly tho be-gan
To þank[e] Hector, þat he was eskapid.
But kyng Thoas þo hath fast[e] rapid
In-to þe feld, with oþer knyȝtes manye,
And specialy with hem of Calydonye
Cam Philotheas, þe myȝty kyng also,
A-geyn[es] Troyens for to haue a-do.
And, first, Thoas with a spere ran
Furiously to Cassybellan,
Oon of þe sonys of kyng Priamus,
And ȝaf hym þo a wounde so grevous,
With-oute recure þat he fil doun dede;
Of whiche strok, whan Hector gan take hede,
In his herte gan his deth compleyne,
And in al hast dide his besy peyne
On his broþer avenge him ȝif he myȝt;
And many oon he made to a-liȝt,
Þoruȝ his knyȝthood, from his hors[e]-bak,
Þat, sothfastly, al went vn-to wrak
On Grekis side, what cam in his way,
So worþily he bar hym al þat day.
Til duk Nestor is entrid in-to fiȝt
With five þousand in stele armyd briȝt,
Agein[es] Troyens Grekis to socure;
And with hym mette, of verray aventure,
Þe kyng Esdras, so myȝti and so bold,
And kyng Phyon in his char of gold,
With al þe worþi noble chiualrye
Þat from Agresta cam with Ieconye,
Þe kynges sone, of þe same lond,
Ful renomed & worþi of his honde.
And as þei semble, & to-gidre ran,
Þe same tyme, many worþi man
Hath lost his lyf vp-on ouþer syde;
And of slauȝter, with large woundis wide,
Al þe soil, of bodyes þat lay dede,
Lyk a ryuer ran with stremys rede,
With her cheris grisly, pale, and fade,
Þat in þe blod men myȝt goon & wade
To þe ancle: þe slauȝter was so huge.
And kyng Phion, socure and refuge
Vn-to Troyens, so bare hym in þat strife,
Þat many Greke he made lese his life
Þe same day, so wel his swerd was whet;
But he, vnwarly, so sore was be-set
With multitude of Grekis rounde aboute,
Þat of his lyf he pleynly stood in doute:
For lykly was he myȝt[e] nat eskape,
And of Grekis he schuld anoon be take,
Nadde he ben holp of worþi Ieconye,
Þat to Esdras loude gan to crye:
“Allas!” quod he, of routhe and pite,
“Worþi Phion þe kyng schal take be
Amonge Grekis, þoruȝ ȝoure necligence,
But in al hast ȝe do ȝoure dilligence
For to reskue þis noble worþi kyng!”
And alle attonys, with-oute more tariyng,
Maugre alle þo þat made resistence,
From Grekis swerd, be myȝti violence
Þei han reskued þe noble kyng Phion;
And at his large with hem he is goon,
Of his eskape wonder glad and liȝt.
And Hector þanne with many lusti knyȝt
Retourned is, and Dephebus also,
Pollydamas, & many anoþer mo
[Of] Troyan knyȝtes, þat desyre newe
Grekis to make sore for to rewe:
For, of assent, þei fully hem purpose
In swiche meschef Grekis to enclose,
Þat, ȝif þei myȝt, fewe schulde eskape.
And þer-vp-on, knyȝtly þei hem schape,
And hem be-gan freschely for to assaille,
Þat in þe feld Grekis gan to faille
Of her power, and to lese her londe,
Þat, finally, þoruȝ þe myȝti honde,
And þe force of Troyanysche knyȝtes,
Þe Grekis had, maugre al her myȝtes,
Be brouȝt þat day to confusioun.
But Menelay and kyng Thelamoun,
Whan þei hem sawe feblyn and apeire,
Þei of knyȝthod made hem to repeire;
And so lik men þei han hem silf diffendid,
Til Eneas from Troye is discendid
With Ewfremus þe duk, þe manly man;
And with her knyȝtes of newe þei be-gan
Efte ageyn Grekis to oppresse.
And Hector ay, þoruȝ his worþinesse,
Lyk a lyoun, with a sterne face,
Euere in oon so gan hem to enchase,
Þat compellid of necessite
Þei wern echon a-forn his swerd to fle,
And constreyned, riȝt of verray nede.
Of whiche þing whan Aiax gan take hede,
Hadde in herte grete compassioun
To sen þe slauȝter and confusioun
On Grekis side, Guydo maketh mynde,
And gan to loke at his bak be-hynde,
And sawe wher many warde stood a-brod,
And many baner & penoun þat a-bood
Amyd þe feld, hole and nat forbroke,
Þat redy wern attonis to be wroke,
Ȝif nede were, on hem of Troye toun;
In whiche wardis, with-oute excepcioun,
Was hool þe flour of Grekis chiualrie.
To whom, anoon, Aiax gan hym hiȝe,
As he þat was sore in herte agrevid;
And with his crye he hath hem so commevid,
Þat þei enhast hem to com to rescus,
Amongis whom was þere no refus.
And as faste as þei gan assemble,
Of noyse of hors þe erþe gan to tremble,
Furiously as þei to-gidre flinge:
Þere myȝt men þe here ryng
Of speris scharp, þoruȝ þe harneis born,
And þoruȝ scheldis, wrouȝt of stele & horn,
In-to þe brest, sturdy, squar, & brood;
And þer, I finde, how þat Aiax rood
To Eneas, and he to hym also,
So gret envie was a-twixe hem two,
Þat [nat] but deth myȝt her Ire apese:
For in hert nouþer myȝt han ese,
Til with speris scharp[e] grounde & whet,
On hors[e]-bak þei han to-gidre met.
And at coupyng so sore þei han hit,
Þat eueryche oþer to þe erþe smyt,
Þat to beholde was a knyȝtly siȝt.
And after [þat] þei boþe on fote fiȝt,
Be liklyhede, in her wood[e] rage,
Ouþer to falle in ful grete damage
Amonge þe hors, be-cause þat þei stood
Vp-on þe soil, al ouersprad with blood;
But Philoteas is to Aiax come,
And hath hym vp amonge þe hors I-nome,
And knyȝtly fauȝt, as makid is memorie.
And, sothly, ellis Troyens with victorie
Hadde had þe feld, pleinly for to seyne,
Til Philoteas with his wardis tweyne,
Euene in þe face, manly hem with-stood;
And with a spere he first to Hector rood,
And vp-on hym þe schafte, I finde, he brak:
But, sothly, he vp-on his hors[e]-bak
Kepte hym so wel, for al þat fel[le] stroke
Remevinge nat, but sturdy as an oke
Sat in his sadel vp-riȝt with his chyne;
And with a spere, riȝt as any lyne,
In-to body, depe þoruȝ þe schelde,
Philoteas he smote in-to þe felde,
Þat of his lyf his knyȝtes wern in doute.
But þo cam in, with so gret a route,
Kyng Humerus, and Vlixes eke,
And with hem brouȝt many worþi Greke—
Ten þousand knyȝtes, manly men echon,
Þat gan Troyens [for] to assaille anoon;
And cruelly, on euery halfe certeyn,
With multitude þei han hem so be-leyn,
Þat dispeired and disconsolat,
And of longe fiȝt awaped and amat,
Gan with-drawe, faynted in bataille;
And eke her hors, sothly, gonne faille,
Þat on her syde al went vp-so-doun.
But Paris þo, with hem of Troye toun
Is entrid in, in ful manly wyse;
And first he met with þe kyng of Fryse,
Þat to Vlixes was nyȝe of allye,
Whom Paris smot with so gret envie,
Þat he hym slowe; wher-of Grekis were
Sore abavid; and aftir, with a spere,
Vlixes rood to avenge hym ȝif he myȝt.
And, first, whan he of Paris had a siȝt,
In-to þe reste he gan his spere þrowe,
Þat, finally (for he bare to lowe),
Failyng of Paris, sothly, as I rede,
Vnder hym he slowe his myȝti stede,
Þat maugre hym he to grounde is goon.
And he on hym wolde haue falle anoon,
But Troylus þo mette hym in þe berde,
And furiously with his scharpe swerde
He smote Vlixes þoruȝ-out his viser,
Þat lyk a condut or a smal river,
Doun by his face, of blood þe stremys ran.
But Vlixes, lik a manly man,
Of þat strok astonyd nat at al,
But on his stede, stif as any wal,
With his swerde so myȝtely gan race
Þoruȝ þe vmbrere in-to Troylus face,
Þat he hym ȝaf a large mortal wounde:
Of whiche strok, passyngly Iocounde
Þe Grekis wern, supposyng, in her þouȝt,
How þat Troyens finally were brouȝt
Vn-to outtraunce. And sothly so þei hadde,
Saue þat Hector, with knyȝtes which he ladde,
And with hym eke Paris and Dephebus,
And alle his breþer, in knyȝthod most famus,
Troylus also, for al his last[e] wounde,
Þat was alweie so noble a knyȝt I-founde,
Alle attonys, Ioyned in-to oon,
Vp-on Grekis sodeinly be goon.
And worþi Hector aldir-first be-gan
Grekis to enchase, þat a-forn hym ran,
Lik as bestis þat fled fro þe deth;
And euere in on, with his swerde he sleth
Whom he mette, or durst his strok abide;
And on his foon, with fresche woundis wide,
Þe slauȝter he made alweie to renewe.
And þilk[e] day, in blody rosen hewe
He hath her platis & her harneis steyned;
And þouȝ it hadde blood fro heuene reined,
Þe soil reddere myȝt[e] nouȝt a ben:
And ay I-liche, as a swarme of been,
Þe Grekis flokmel fled out of his way.
And Guydo seith, al þat ilke day
Hector hadde, formest on þe plein,
In þe frounter of þe Grekis leyn,
Þat be-hynde, þe knyȝtes of his garde
For lak of hym wern alle out of warde.
Wherfore, whan he hadde fouȝt[e] longe,
And Grekis sawe of newe wexe strong,
To his knyȝtes he is aȝen repeired,
Whiche in hem silf gretly wer dispeired
For his absence; but þo whan þei him sen,
Ful inwardly recomforted ben,
And with glad hert han her lord received.
And her gladnes whan he hath perceiwed,
Spak vn-to hem ful effectuously,
And praied hem ful benygnely,
To remembre knyȝtly in her herte,
And considre wysly, and aduerte,
First, þe wrongis þat Grekis han hem do
Of ȝore ago, and ouermore also
Ȝif Grekis had þilke day victorie,
Far-wel for ay þe honour and þe glorie
Of Troyan blod, in conclusioun:—
“For, finally, we and eke oure toun
Schal mortally tourne to ruyne;
And oure honour, þat was wont to schine
Þoruȝ-oute þe world, & oure worþines,
Eclipse schal, and tourne to dirknes,
But ȝe þis day like as men ȝow quite.
Wherefore I pray, þat no man atwite
Ȝoure hiȝe renoun of any cowardyse,
To sette vp-on in ful manly wyse,
And nat to spare for drede of deth, I pray.”
And þei echon ful lowly gan obeie
To his desire, with-oute lenger tale;
And entringe in by a certeyn vale,
Vp-on Grekis, þese worþi knyȝtes alle,
Folwyng Hector, sodeynly ben falle,
Ful mortally, or þat þei wer ware.
And Hector þo no Greke wolde spare,
But euery-where, to her confusioun,
He killed & slowȝe aboute hym enviroun;
And his knyȝtes, ridyng be his syde,
Made her fomen, maugre al her pride,
To lese her lond, & flen out of her siȝte:
Til þat þe kyng whiche Thoas hiȝt,
On Grekis side, inward gan hym dresse,
And of newe ful knyȝtly oppresse
Hem of Troye, þis kyng, þis manly man,
Þat had a-forn slawe Cassibelan,
Oon of þe sonys of kyng Priamvs.
But as he rood, of fortune it fel þus:
Þat alle þe breþer on a frusche he mette,
Whiche of assent enviroun hym be-sette,
And from his sadil—þat many [Greke] be-hilde—
Amonge þe hors smet hym in-to þe feld;
And of þei rent first his basenet,
And cruelly þei had his hede of smet—
For he vnarmyd al at meschef stood—
Saue þat þe duke, furious and wood,
Of Athenys, rydyng a gret paas,
Reskued hym in þis mortal cas
With his knyȝtes þat aboute him rood.
And hym to helpe, with-oute more abood,
With a spere, scharpe whet and kene,
First of al he fil on Quyntylene,
Þat besy was Thoas to haue slawe;
And þe breþre he made also with-drawe,
Whan Quyntylene of his hors was þrow.
But Paris þo drow vp his myȝti bowe,
And to þis duke lete an harowe glide,
And þoruȝ his platis hit hym in þe side
Vp-on a rib, þat made hym sore blede;
Of whiche strok he ne toke noon hede
Be-cause only þat he so fervent was
Amyd his foon to helpe kyng Thoas,
Amonge þe horse þat was bore to grounde,
In point of deth, with many mortal wounde,
Only for he was naked on þe hede:
But þis duke, ful[ly] deuoide of drede,
Of his knyȝthood in þis perlous cas,
Amyd his foon hath holp[e] kyng Thoas,
And with his lyf made him skape fre.
And Hector ay, of cruel enmyte
I-lyche fresche, for no þing wolde leue
Vp-on Grekis his manhood for to preue,
Enforcyng hym to her distruccioun:
And, as he rood amonge hem vp & doun,
Kyng Humerus hath a bowe take,
And to schete gan hym redy make,
And hatfully þer-in set an arwe;
And to Hector he marked haþ so narwe,
Þat he smote hym euene amyd þe face:
But or he myȝt any ferther pace,
Hector smet hym with so gret a peyne,
Þat with his swerd he rof his hed atweyne.
Þe deth of whom whan þe Grekis knowe,
Myn auctor seith, þei han an horn I-blowe,
Þat vnwarly, with þat dredful sowne,
Seuene þousand knyȝtes cam attonys doun
Aboute Hector, with-oute more abood;
But he of force þoruȝ hem alle he rood,
Maugre her myȝt, þat hym þo with-sette,
And slowe alle þo þat his weie lette,
And stynt[e] nat, pleynly, til he cam
To his fader, þe worþi kyng Priam,
With many worþi, ful famvs of renoun,
Þat with his knyȝtes fast[e] by þe toun
Lay al þe day, with men on hors & fote,
As he þat was of knyȝthod crop & rote,
And kepte hym cloos, of [ful] hiȝe prudence—
Til Hector cam vn-to his presence
And hym besouȝt, in þis grete nede,
With þre þousand þat he wold hym spede
Vp-on Grekis in her felle rage,
To falle on hem at most avauntage.

Howe the Kenge Pryamus of Troye kynghtly enterde in-to þe felde at the requeste of Ectore.

And þanne in haste, þis worþi Priamvs,
With his knyȝtes fresche and desyrous,
Towarde Grekis hath þe weye take,
And swyche a mordre gan vp-on hem make,
Þat many Greke lay ded on þe pleyn:
For Priamus so sore hath hem be-leyn,
On euery half, þoruȝ his grete myȝt,
Þat þei ful fast fled out of his siȝt,
So sore of newe he vp-on hem sette.
And, as I finde, þer to-gidre mette
Hector and Aiax, of verray auenture;
And on her stedis, strong & wonder sure,
Þe story seith, in al þe hast þei konne,
Lyke wode lyouns þei to-gidre ronne
With so gret myȝt, þat, wer þei lefe or loþe,
Vp-on þe pleyn þei wer vnhorsed boþe.
And in þis while, Menelay þe kyng,
Sodeinly, as he cam rydyng,
He slowe of Troye a worþi ameral.
And þus þe slauȝter, passyngly mortal,
Renewed ay: for Celydonas
Þe nevew slow of þe kyng Thoas;
And Madan mette, myn auctor writeþ þus,
A Grekysche kyng callid Cedyus,
Whiche with his swerd swiche a strok him set,
Þat þoruȝ þe vmbrere out his eye he smet;
And Sardellus, þat was of Troye eke,
Þe same while slowe a worþi Greke,
A lord of name, and of hye prowes,
Al-þei Guydo his name nat expres.
And þanne also cam Margaritoun,
On Troye side, ageyn Thelamoun;
And boþe two, inly set a-fire
Of hiȝe disdeyn and of hatful Ire,—
As þei mette on horse-bak y-fere,
Kyng Thelamoun, sothly, as I lere,
Ȝaf vn-to hym a wounde ful cruel.
But þo cam in þe Troyan Phanuel,
And Prothenor smot doun of his stede:
And þus þe sonys, pleynly, as I rede,
Of Priamus, no þing disamaied,
Þe Grekis han on euery part outtraied,
And so knyȝtly al þe day hem born,
Þat many Greke fatally haþ lorn
His lif, in soth, of hate and enmyte.
And kyng Duglas is falle on Meneste,
Of Attenys duke and gouernour;
And with a spere, of Ire and old rancour,
He ran at hym, & smet hym myd þe schelde:
But for al þat, his sadil ȝit he hilde;
And for þe duk spere hadde noon,
He with a swerd to Duglas rood anoon,
And þoruȝ þe vmbrere rof of nyȝe his nase,
Þat he astonyd stood as in a mase,
Whan þat he sawe þe conduit of his blood
So stremyn out; but, for al þat, he rood
Out a-side, fully deuoide of fere,
In-to tyme þat he staunched were.
But Deamor, his owne broþer dere,
Whan he behild his mortal blody chere,
Of hiȝe disdeyn he rood to Meneste,
And hym vnhorseth; but vp anon sterte he,
And or he myȝt fully vp arise,
A-noþer broþer in ful cruel wyse
Is falle on hym, so þat of hem þre
Attonys wern vp-on Meneste,
Fully in purpos he schal lese his lyf.
But he so knyȝtly bar hym in þat strife
Ageyn[e]s hem, þat wonder was to se;
And vp-on hym most cruel of hem þre
Was on Thoras, eldest of echon,
Whiche him to haue slaw was besi euer in on:
For al to-broke þei han his basenet.
But whan þat Teuter saw hym so be-set
—A Grekisch kyng, as made is mencioun,—
Hadde in his herte grete compassioun,
And þouȝt[e], pleinly, of manhod him releve,
And, ȝif he myȝt, his fomen for to greve.
But al for nouȝt was his besy peyne:
For Hector þo fil on boþe tweyne,
Vp-on Teuter and on Meneste,
And had hem slayn, nad[de] Aiax be,
Whiche vn-to Hector ffaste gan hym hiȝe,
A þousand knyȝtes in his companye,
To with-stonde hym, and Meneste to saue
From his hondis, ȝif he myȝt him haue.
But Paris þo, and þe kyng of Perse,
With five þousand, as I can reherse,
Of worþi knyȝtes, & many Troyan mo,
Be vn-to Hector alle attonys go,
In þrifty wyse ridyng on a rowe:
For Paris made a trompet to be blowe,
At whiche þer cam, knyȝtly enbatailled,
Many Troyan, ful wel apparailled,
Whiche in þe feld of Hector wer conueied;
For of oon herte þei fully han obeied
Vn-to þe biddynge of þis Troyan knyȝt,
Al fresche and newe to begynne a fiȝt
Vp-on Grekis, as ferforþe as þei can,
Of whom was slayn many manly man.
And ay þe slauȝtre pitously reneweth,
Þat many Greke sore in herte reweth
Her gret[e] los and distruccioun,
Wrouȝt vp-on hem by hem of Troye toun,
And specially of Hector, as I finde,
Whiche on þat day, as Dares makeþ mynde,
With his hond a þousand knyȝtes slowe,
Þat neuer wern adawed of her swowe:
For Greke dar noon in his weye dwelle;
For with his swerd he koude hem so compelle
To lese her grounde, of necessite,
And like as schepe a-fore þe wolf [to] fle.

Of the Irouse langage that Ectore had to Meryon the Kynge, and howe he sclewe hym.

And, as I rede, amyd of his victorie,
Hector mette vnder a tentorie
Amonge Grekis Merioun þe kyng,
To whom he spake, with-oute more tariyng:
“O þow traytour, þe hour aprocheþ faste,
For þow arte come, sothly, to þi laste,
Þi fatal day hath his cours I-ronne!
For trust[e] wel, or westring of þe sonne
I cast[e], platly, to quite þe þi mede,
And with my swerd [in haste] þi blood to schede:
For þou so bolde were on me to-day
To lettyn me of my riche praye
At þe spoilynge of kyng Patroclus—
Þat for cause þou were presumptuous
Me to distourbe, þou schalt anon be ded.”
And doun he stirte, & smote of first his hed,
And hym to spoille also gan hym haste;
But Meneste cam on hym as faste,
Whan he be-hilde trauerse at his bake,
And with a spere, [in] whiche was no lake,
Smot hym in with grete violence,
With-oute siȝt, or any aduertence
Of worþi Hector, or any takynge hede,
Þe wounde of whom sore gan to blede.
But out he went, and made it faste bynde;
And Meneste stale a-weye be-hynde,
Nat in purpos, sothly, ȝif he may,
To mete Hector of al þat ilke day.
But whan þat he was [y-]bonde sore,
His wounde staunche, þat it bled no more,
More furious þan euere he was to-forn,
Repeired is, with anger al to-torne
(So ay þe Ire on his hert[e] fret),
Þat he bar doun al þat euere he met—
Sleth & kylleth, he was so mercyles,
Alle þo þat put hem silf in pres,
Or hardy wern with hym for to mete.
For in his boke lik as writ Darete,
For verray soth, and in þe stori seith
(Ȝif it be so þat men may ȝeue feyth
And credence of possibilite,
As in Guydo clerly ȝe may se),
Aftir þat he cauȝt his lattre wounde,
Finally Grekis to confounde
—So as it is affermed in certeyn—
A þousand knyȝtes with his hond wer slayn,
With-oute hem þo, þat I spak of rath!
And newe alweye he gan his swerd to baþe
In Grekis blod, þat sodeinly þei be
So ouer-layn þoruȝ his cruelte,
Þat Greke was noon, of hiȝe nor lowe estat,
Þat he ne was a-whaped and amaat,
Of his knyȝthod and manly excellence:
For þer was non to make resistence,
Nor outterly, þat durst[e] take on honde
Of al þat day Hector to with-stonde.
And as it is also made mencioun,
Þilke day kyng Agamenoun,
As seith Guydo, cam nat in[-to] þe felde,
For causes gret his presence he with-helde,
On Grekis side þat al goth vp-so-doun:
Hector on hem so pleyeth þe lyon,
Þat to her tentes þei fled for socours.
And þei of Troye, proudly as victours,
Sued aftir, by tracis of her blood;
And þer þei wan tresour & gret good,
And spoiled hem, in ful gret distresse,
Of her armour and of her richesse,
And felle on hem, or þat þei were ware,
And home to Troye al þe good þei bare.
For, finally, þat day wiþ meschaunce
Grekis had be brouȝt vn-to outtraunce,
With-oute recure, in soth, for euere-more,
On euery parte þei were be-leyn so sore
Þoruȝ þe manhod of Hector, & þe myȝt,
With helpe of many oþer worþi knyȝt,
Þat so felly ageyn Grekis wrouȝt:
For to swiche meschef, pleinly, þei hem brouȝt,
Þat nad[de] ben her owne pitous slouthe,
Of pride only, and of foly routhe,
Þei had of hem, at her volunte,
Þat day for euere hadde þe souereynte,
And recured, þoruȝ her hiȝe renoun,
Lordschip of hem and domynacioun,
Whiche schuld haue laste, & be contynuel,
Victoriously and perpetuel
Haue endurid; saue cruel Fate
Is redy ay with Fortune, to debate
Ageyn þinges þat gynne in wilfulnes,
To make hem fyne ay in wrechidnes,
Þoruȝ her envious disposicioun
Of sodeyn chaunge and reuolucioun,
And vnwar tournyng of hir false whele,
Þat wil nat bide whan a þing is wele—
Allas, freel, deuoide of sikernesse.
Þe cause was dymmed wiþ dirknesse,
Þat hath Troyens þoruȝ false oppinioun
I-blended so in her discresioun,
And specially fordirked so þe siȝt
Of worþi Hector, þe prudent manly knyȝt,
To sen a-forn what schuld after swe,
Be good avis þe meschef to eschewe
Þat folwid hem at þe bak be-hynde.
Allas! þei wern wilfully made blynde,
The same day, whan þei set[e] softe
Be victorie on þe hille a-lofte,
Þat þei nat koude of necligence se
Þe aftir-fal of her felicite—
So put a-bak was her aduertence
For lak of resoun and of hiȝe prudence:
For þei her hap han voided, & her grace,
Þat presently were sette a-fore her face.
For, in a man is nat commendable,
Ȝif Fortune be to hym fauourable
And blaundischinge, with a forhede clere,
To smyle on hym with a plesaunt chere,
Only of fauour for to help hym oute,
Whan he in meschef is be-set aboute—
Ȝif he refuse his hap of wilfulnes,
Fortune avoidynge þoruȝ vnkynd[e]nes
Whan sche mynystreþ to hym of hir grace:
Anoþer tyme he schal hir nat embrace,
Whan he hath nede to hir helpe at al,
To socour hym or he cacche a fal;
But raþer þan, for his ingratitude,
Frowardly, with mowes hym delude,
Whan he best weneþ stond in sikernes.
Fortune is ay so ful of brotulnes,
Remewable, and redy for to flitte
Hir welful hour, þat who list nat amytte
With hir fauour for to ben allied,
Anoþer tyme it schal be denyed,
Whan he wer leuest finde hir fauourable:
For in some hour, sothly, þis no fable,
Vn-to som man sche graunteþ his desires,
Þat wil nat after in a þousand ȝeres,
Parauenture, onys condiscende
Vn-to his wil, nor his lust hym sende,
As it hath falle þis day vnhappily
To worþi Hector, þat so wilfully
Wrouȝt of hede Grekis for to spare,
Fatally whan þei were in þe snare.
For he of hem, like a conqueroure,
With victorie, trivmphe, and honour
Miȝt haue brouȝt, þoruȝ his hiȝe renoun,
Þe palme of conquest in-to Troye toun,
Whiche he þat day reffusid folily.

Howe worthy Ector infortunately lefte the felde at þe requeste of his Cosyne, Thelamonus Aiax.

For, as he rood, þis Hector, cruelly
Amonge Grekis slowe and bar al doun,—
Casuely he mette Thelamoun,
I mene Aiax, nyȝe of his allye,
Þat of hate and cruel hoot envie
To Hector rood, like as he were wood,
Al-be to hym he was [ful] nyȝe of blod;
Ȝit, for al þat, þis ȝong[e] lusty knyȝt
Dide his power & his fulle myȝt,
With-oute feynyng, to haue born hym doun
(Whos fader hiȝt also Thelamoun,
Þat hym be-gat, þe stori telleth þus,
Of Exioun, suster to Priamvs).
And þis Aiax, flourynge in ȝonge age,
Fresche and delyuer, and of gret corage,
Sette on Hector, of knyȝtly hiȝe prowes;
And, as þei mette, boþe in her wodnes,
On her stedis, þis manly champiouns,
Eueryche on oþer lik tigers or lyons
Be-gan to falle, and proudly to assaille,
And furiously seuere plate and maille,—
First with speris, longe, large, & rounde,
And aftirwarde with swerdis kene grounde:
And fiȝtyng þus, longe þei contune.
Til it be-fil of cas or [of] fortune,
Tokne or signe, or som apparence,
Or by Naturis kyndly influence,
Whiche in-to hertis doþe ful depe myne,
Namly of hem þat born ben of o lyne,
Which cause was, paraunter, of þis tweyne,
Naturelly her rancour to restreyne,
And her Ire for to modefie—
Only for þei so nyȝe were of allye,
Vnwist of ouþer, and þer-of vnsure,
Til þei wer tauȝte, only of Nature:
For naturelly blod wil ay of kynde
Draw vn-to blod, wher he may it fynde,
Whiche made Hector kyndly to aduerte,
To be mevid and sterid in his herte,
Bothe of knyȝthod and of gentilnes,
Whan he of Aiax sawe þe worþines—
Spak vn-to hym ful benygnely,
And seide: “cosyn, I seye þe trew[e]ly,
Ȝif þou list Grekis here forsake,
And come to Troye, I dare vndirtake,
To þin allyes and to þi kynrede
Þou schalt be þere, with-outen any drede,
Ful wel receyved, in party & in al,
Of hem þat ben of þe blood royal
Sothly discendid, and hyest of degre,
Þat it of riȝt schal suffise vn-to þe,
And kynd[e]ly be to þe plesaunce
For to repeire to þin allyaunce—
To gentil herte sith no þing is so good
As be confederid with his owne blood;
For I conceyue be þe worþines,
Whiche Nature doth in þe expresse,
Of Troyan blood þat þou arte descendid,
Whiche of Grekis long hath be offendid:
Wherfore, I rede to leue hem outterly.”
And he answered ageyn ful humblely,
Þat sithen he of berthe was a Greke,
And was of ȝouþe amonge hem fostered eke
From þe tyme of his natiuite,
And taken had þe ordre and degre
Of knyȝthood eke amongis hem a-forn,
And, ouer þis, bounde was and sworn
To be trewe to her nacioun,
Makyng of blood noon excepcioun,
He swore he wold conserven his beheste;
And to Hector he made þis requeste:
Þat ȝif þat he of manful gentilnes,
Wolde of knyȝthood and of worþines
Shewe vn-to hym so gret affeccioun,
To make hem þat wer of Troye toun
Only with-drawe Grekis to pursewe,
And fro her tentis make hem to remewe,
And resorte ageyn vn-to þe toun,
Of knyȝtly routhe and compassioun,
With-oute assailyng, or any more affray
Made on Grekis for þat ilke day,
Sith vn-to hem ouȝt I-nowȝ suffice
Þat of þe felde, in so knyȝtly wyse,
Þei were of manhood fully possessours,
And of her fomen finally victours,
Lyk as to-forn fully is diffinyd.
To whos requeste Hector is enclyned
(Allas þe while!) of hasty wilfulnes,
And made anoon, with-oute avysenes,
Mid þe felde a trompet for to blowe,
Wher-by Troyens fully myȝte knowe
Þat be his wil þei schulde hem with-draw—
Aftir þe custom, pl[e]ynly, and þe lawe,
And þe vsaunce, boþe nyȝ and ferre,
Amongis hem þat ben expert in werre—
Whan þei were moste fervent for to fiȝt,
Vp-on Grekis for to preue her myȝt,
And had hem chacid lowe to þe stronde,
Þat þei wer weyke of power to with-stonde:
For þei of Troye, alle of o desire,
Gan settyn on with schot of wyld[e] fire
To brenne her schippis, & of hiȝe meschaunce
Finally to putte hem at outtraunce.
And so þei had, þis þe verray trouthe,
Nadde Hector had vppon hem routh,
Makynge Troyens repeire to þe toun,
Vngraciously, to her confusioun,
As þe story schal aftir specefie.
For þo he putte, allas, in iuparte
Life and deth, whiche myȝt haue be sure,
Þe whiche ageyn þei neuere schal recure.
Þei han mater to compleyne sore:
For fro þat day, fare-wel for euere-more
Victorie & laude fro hem of þe toun,
To hem denyed by disposicioun
Of mortal fate, whiche was contrarie
—In þis mater me liste no lenger tarie—
For þei of Troye ben entrid her cyte,
And schet her gatis for more surete;
For of þat day, [lyk] as made is mynde,
Þis was þe ende, in Guydo as I fynde—
Þei wende haue do, paraunter, for þe beste.
And whan þe sonne was I-go to reste,
Þei toke her ese al þat ilke nyȝt,
Til on þe morwe Tytan, clere & briȝt,
Schadde his bemys on her Emysperye,
Makynge þe day for to schewe myrie,
At whiche tyme Troyens anoon riȝt
—Þei þat wer hool and lusty for to fiȝt—
Gan armen hem in purpos ful þat day
Her foon to mete, platly, ȝif þei may:
For þat was hool her wil & pleyn entent.
And eke þei hadden in commaundement
To-forn of Hector redy hem to make,
Oute of her slepe amorwe whan þei wake,
Of whiche þing þei were nat necligent;
But to Pryam þe Grekis haue I-sent
Her messageris þe same day or prime,
To take trewe, only for þe tyme
Of eiȝt[e] wekes; þe whiche Priamus,
Be assent of Hector, þe story telleth þus,
Hath graunted hem, and by auctorite
Of þe wysest þat wern in þat cite.
In whiche tyme, while þei leiser haue,
Þe Grekis gan [for] to burye and graue
Þe bodyes þat a-forn were slawe,
Lyke þe rytes in her paynym lawe,
With al her myȝt and her besy cure;
For some brent, and by sepulture
Enclosed wern, liche her estat in al:
And þus þei hilde þe feste funeral
Fro day to day duryng ay þe pes,
In whiche space, I fynde, how Achilles
Of Patroclus þe deth hath sore pleined,
As he þat was with teris al be-reined,
So inwardly he loued hym in his herte,
Þat for þe anguysche & þe cruel smerte
He longe abood in lamentacioun,
And dide make, by grete affeccioun,
A large toumbe for a remembraunce,
Mid þe feld, as þo was þe vsaunce
Among Grekis, with grete reuerence,
Liche þe honour and þe excellence
Of royal buriyng: so þis Patroclus
I-graue was, and Protheselaus,
In her toumbes corve of marbil gray;
And nyȝe to-gidre in a plein þei lay,
Þe werke aboute hem richely I-wrouȝt;
And to þe erthe þei wer to-gider brouȝt
Solempnely, liche þe obseruaunces
Of her rytis, with þe circumstaunces
Of Grekis vsid, sothly, in þo dawes,
Fro poynt to point as longeþ to her lawes,
Of swiche as wern of þe estat royal:
So holden was þe feste funeral
Of þis two, whil þe trewe doth laste.
And þei of Troy besied hem ful faste,
With al her myȝt and her besy cure,
Her grene hurtis & woundes for to cure,
Be avis of hem þat wern in surgerie
Ful wel expert to schape remedie,
Her swol[le] soris to soften of her peyne,
Þat in þe space of þis monþis tweyne
Þei wer restored to helþe in euery þing.
In whiche tyme, Priamus þe kyng
Swiche sorwe made for Cassibellan
In his hert, þat no wiȝt ne can.
Hym recounforte of his hevynesse:
For day by day, of inward tendirnesse,
Ful pitously he gan to sobbe & wepe;
And þe body he made for to kepe
Aboue þe erthe for a certeyn space,
Til he had chosen oute a place
To his buriynge and his sepulture.
And, as Guydo vs fully doth assure,
In Venus temple, ryche as any shryne,
He made his werkmen a toumbe for to myne,
In marbil gray and metal rychely,
In whiche he putte ful solempnely
Þe dede cors of þis Cassibellan,
Beynge present ful many manly man,
In þe phane of Cytherea.

Howe Cassandra the prophitesse lamantably tolde þe Troyans þere deststruxion, for þe which þay emprisonde her.

In whiche þing, whan þat Cassandra
With-Inne hir silfe considered & beheld,
And saw vp offrid his helm & his sheld,
His swerd also, and vn-to Mars his stede,
Of inward wo sche felt hir herte blede,
Herynge þe noise and þe pitous crye,
Þe tendre weping & sorwynge outterly
Of hem of Troye, and lamentacioun
Whiche for her frendis, þoruȝ-oute al þe toun,
Þei gan to make, þat wer slawe a-fore:—
With sodeyn rage her herte was to-tore,
So inwardly, sche myȝt hir nat restreyne
Furiously to cryen and compleine,
And seide, “allas!” ful ofte, & “wellawey!”
“O woful wrecchis þat ȝe be þis day,
Vnhappy eke, and graceles also,
Infortunat and inly wo-be-go!—
How may ȝe suffre þe grete harmys kene
Whiche ȝe ar likly her-after to sustene
Durynge þe sege, in þis toun be-loke,
Seynge ȝour foon, redy to be wroke,
Aboute ȝou, beset on euery side,
To be vengid on ȝoure grete pride?
I wot riȝt wel ȝe may hem nat eschewe,
Þat þei ne schal vn-to þe deth pursewe
Ȝou euerychon, be-segid in þis place,
With-oute mercy, pite, or any grace!
Allas! allas! whi nil ȝe besy be,
Ȝe woful wrechis, schet in þis cite,
With þe Grekis for to seken pes,
Or þe swerd of vengance merciles
On hiȝe and lowe do execucioun?—
And or þis noble, worþi, royal toun
Euersid be, and y-brouȝt to nouȝt?
Why list ȝe nat consideren in ȝour þouȝt
How þe modres, with her childre smale,
In stretis schal, with face ded and pale,
Lyn mordred here þoruȝ Grekis cruelte,
And ȝonge maydenes in captiuite
Be-wepen schal, in myserie and in wo,
Her seruytude; and þis toun also,
So famous ryche,—allas, it is pite!—
With Grekis fire schal distroied be
In schort tyme, sothly þis no were.
Eleyne of vs, allas! is bouȝt to dere,
Sith for hir sake we schul euerychon,
Pore & riche, I excepte noon,
An ende make, woful and pitous:
Þe Ire of hem schal be so furious
Vp-on vs alle, þer is noon oþer mene
Sauf only deth vs to go betwene!”
Þis was þe noise and þe pitous cry
Of Cassandra, þat so dredfully
Sche gan to make aboute in euery strete
Þoruȝ þe toun, whom-euer sche myȝt mete,
Lyk as sche had ben oute of hir mynde,
Til Priamus fast[e] made hir bynde,
And schettyn vp—it was þe more rouȝth—
Sche was nat herde, al-be sche seide trouȝ[t]h:
For nouþer wisdam nor discrecioun,
Counseil nor wit, prudence nor resoun,
Trouth nor rede—with-outen any lye,—
Nor þe spirite of trewe proficye,
Availeth nat,—nor al swiche sapience,
In place wher þer is noon audience.
For, be a man inly neuere so wys
In counseillynge, or in hyȝe devys
In werkynge, ouþer in elloquence,
Eche þing to sen in his aduertence
Or it be falle, a-forn in his resoun,
Amyd þe eye of his discreccioun,—
Ȝet for al þis (it is þe more dool),
With-oute fauour, he holde is but a fool:
For vnfavored, wysdam vaileþ nouȝt,
Nouþer trouth, how dere þat it be bouȝt,
Liche as Cassandra, for al hir wyse rede,
Dispised was, & taken of noon hede
Of hem of Troye, to her confusioun,
But cruelly y-þrowen in prisoun,
Where a whyle I wele leue hir dwelle,
And of Grekis furth I wil ȝou telle.

Pallamydes gruchede agayns them that choyes Kynge Agamenon to haue domynacyon of þe Grekis.

And, first of al, how Pallamydes
Gan to gruche ageyn[e]s hem þat ches—
He beynge absent—kyng Agamenoun
To haue lordschip or dominacioun
On hem alle; namly, sith þat he
Was nat worþi to suche dygnyte,
For to gouerne so gret a myȝty host,
Þoruȝ-out þe world come from euery cost,
Of kynges, princes, so worþi of renoun:
For he þer-of had indignacioun,
And seide him silf was of more pouste
Amonge Grekis, and gretter of degre—
Concludynge þat, be no maner weye,
To his power he nolde nat obeye
In pes nor werre, as be subieccioun,
Sith he ne was at his eleccioun—
Platly affermynge how þer wer but þre,
Whan he was chose, kynges of degre,
Where-as þritty wer þat tyme absent;
For whiche he swore, it was nat his entent,
Nor acordynge with his oppinioun,
In any wyse þat Agamenoun
Of Grekis schulde haue swiche gouernaunce.
Lo, what meschef lyth in variaunce
Amonge lordis, whan þei nat accorde
For to drawe fully by o corde:
Envie is cause of swiche diuisioun,
And couetyse of dominacioun,
Þat eueryche wolde surmounte his felaw.
Þis cursid vise ofte hath with-drawe
Hap & grace, in many regioun:
For whan discord & false discencioun
Allied ben in hertis for to strive
Among lordis, þat kyngdam may nat þryve
Til þei reformed ben ageyn to pes
Amonge hem silf—pleinly þis no les.
Of whiche þing Grekis token hede,
And þouȝt[e] nat ferþer to procede
In þe matere þat Pallamydes
I-mevid had amonge[s] alle þe pres,
And þoruȝ her wit þei set al in quiete,
And maden hym his rancour for to lete,
And to accorde fully in his herte.
But now must I my style agein diuerte
Vn-to þe werre, and telle þe manere
After þe trewe how þei mette I-fere.

Howe Agamenon comyttede his wardys to Dyomede and othere. And Ectore prudently, of þe todire syde, was not rekelysse, them to recontyre.

Like as þis stori makeþ mencioun,
Þe worþi kyng, grete Agamenoun,
Whan þe trewes wer passid & I-goon,
In al hast he gan ordeyne anon
With al his myȝt & waker dilligence,
Devoide of slouþe & of necligence,
To sette his wardis ful a-visely;
And to Achille he ful prudently
Þe first[e] ward committeþ for to lede,
And þe secunde vn-to Dyomede,
Þe þridde, also, to kyng Menelay,
And þe fourþe, on þe same day,
Hadde Meneste, þe duk of Athene,
At his ledyng, in stele armyd clene.
And oþer wardes, folwyng by & by,
Agamenoun þe kyng ful manfully
Ordeyned [hath] how þei schal procede,
As he þat was in al his werke & dede
Ful circumspect, boþe in werre and pes.
And worþi Hector was nat rek[e]les
To sette his wardis of hem of þe toun
In knyȝtly wyse, of hiȝe discrecioun;
And to Troylus—so ȝong, so fresche, & lyȝt—
Þe firste warde, with many lusty knyȝt,
He hath assigned, and oþer wardes sette
So prudently, þei myȝt[e] be no bette.
And forþe in haste, hym list no lenger bide,
With many worþi ridyng by his side,
Oute at þe ȝatis he went of þe toun
Towarde Grekis, þis troyan champioun.
And, firste, whan he sawe þe ferse Achille,
He ne koude no lenger kepe hym stille,
But smot his hors felly in þe syde,
And toward hym cruelly gan ryde;
Þe whiche þing, with a dispitous eye,
Whan Achilles, sothly, gan aspye,
Ageyn Hector, of manful hardynes,
With hert envious gan his stede dresse:
And in þe felde to-gydere as þei mete,
With rounde speris, þe pointis kene whette—
At þe encountrynge, of knyȝtly excellence,
Eueryche oþer, þoruȝ gret violence,
Be verray force bar oþer vn-to grounde,
As ful ofte it happeþ, and is founde
Whan stronge doþ mete with his parigal:
Þer is no more, but euery[ch] had a fal.
But Hector first, of strengþe most assurid,
His stede ageyn haþ anoon recurid,
And lefte Achilles þo of gentilnes;
And in gret hast, forþe he gan him dres
Amonge Grekis, & wher-so þat he rood,
He killed & slouȝ al þat hym with-stood:
For with his swerd he made her woundis wide,
And þoruȝ þe brest, & some þoruȝ þe side
He percid haþ, and waged hem for euere,
And brak scheltrons, & made hem to disseuere;
For in his hert he þouȝt it dide hym good
To baþe his swerd in þe Grekis blood.
And þis contuneth til þat Achilles
Cauȝt his stede ageyn amonge þe pres,
And entrid in amongis hem of Troye;
And with his swerd he made large woye,
Slethe and bar doun whom þat euere he mette:
For þer was noon hardy hym to lette,
Til it be-fil, in his malencolye,
Hector he mette ridynge, sodeinly;
And whan þei saw eche oþer come a-fer,
With-oute a-bood eueryche cauȝt a spere,
And ran to-gider, þer was no more arest.
But Hector first smet him in þe brest,
Þat his spere, pleinly (þis no tale),
Al to-schyuered in-to pecis smale,
Þat Achilles of necessite
To grounde goth, it wold non oþer be,
And vn-horsed at þe erþe lay.
And Hector þan, in al þe hast he may,
Enforced hym for to cache his stede,
But many [a] Greke, in þis grete nede,
Cam to reskus of þis Achilles,
And, for his loue, putte hem silfe in pres,
Þorouȝ help of whom his hors he doþ ateyne,
Enhastynge hym with al his myȝt and peyne
To be avenged of his grete Iniurie.
And sodeinly in his wode furie,
With a swerd ful scharp[e] grounde & whet
He smot Hector vp-on þe basenet,
Þat from his sadel he made him to remewe,
Þe whiche stroke he myȝt[e] nat eschewe.
But, for al þat, þis noble worþi knyȝt,
Of verray force, þoruȝ his grete myȝt,
Maugre his foon his sadel haþ recurid,
As he þat was in manhood most assurid;
And sodeinly in hert he wex so wroþe
Þat in a rage to Achilles he goþe,
And with his swerd so smet hym on þe hede
Þoruȝ þe basenet, þat þe blood al rede
Be his face gan to renne doun,
Like a ryuer, his chekis enviroun:
But he hym silfe diffendiþ as a knyȝt.
And þo of newe be-gan þe cruel fiȝt
Atwen hem two, to sen þat it was wonder;
For euery stroke, grete as dent of þonder,
Range in þe eyre, for non wold oþer spare;
And þis þe soth: in her fiȝt þei fare
Like wode tigres, or bores in her rage,
Or sterne bolis, whan þei ben sauage,
Þat it sempte, in verray sothfastnes,
Ȝif þes two, so ful of worþines,
Contune longe in fiȝtynge, & endure,
Þe ton or boþe, of cruel auenture,
Most haue be dede, of necessite:
Þe whiche þing had[de] be pite,
Be-cause þei were worþi knyȝtes boþe.
But while þat þei in fiȝtyng, fel & wroþe,
Most besy wern, þe Grekis þo begynne
With her wardes for to entre Inne;
And þei of Troye, þe story makeþ mynde,
On her party lefte nouȝt be-hynde,
But in þe feld enhaste hem euerychon
In knyȝtly wyse to mete with her foon,
Þat with þe prese, here & also ȝonder,
Þe knyȝtes two seuered wern assonder.
And þo cam in sterne Dyomede
With þe knyȝtes whiche he dide lede,
Ful lustile, in þe silfe place,
With whom haþ mette proudly in þe face
Worþi Troylus on his hors[e]-bake,
Þat neuer had ȝet in manhod lak;
And as þei countre, þe story doth vs lere,
Eueryche vnhorsid knyȝtly hath his fere:
But first his hors recureth Dyomede,
And in al haste faste gan hym spede
Tasaille Troylus, stondynge vpon fote;
And whan he saw þer was non oþer bote,
As knyȝtly ȝet as euere dide man,
Ageyn[e]s hym diffende hym þo be-gan.
But Dyomede, hoot as any fire,
Wonder envious, & hatful of desyre,
With his swerde, of rancour for þe nonis,
Þe riche cercle, ful of ynde stonys,
Þat was þat tyme on Troylus basenet,
Ful cruelly hath racid of and smet;
But Troilus nolde, for al þat, him with-drawe:
For hym diffendynge, he hath þe stede slawe
On whiche sat þat tyme Dyomede,
Þat maugre hym he muste a-liȝt[e] nede.
And whan þei wern on fote boþe tweine,
Þei dide her myȝt & her cruel peyne
Eueryche of hem oþer to assaille
With swerdis scharp; so þat plate & maille
Þei gan to seuere and assonder race,
As wode lyouns, with mortal chere & face,
Til þe Grekis stronge, stoute, & felle,
(As myn auctor in his boke can telle)
Han þoruȝ her myȝt maked Dyomede
Sodeinly to recure a stede;
And Troyan knyȝtes, on þe toþer side,
Han Troilus brouȝt a stede for to ride.
And whan þei wern horsid boþe two,
With-oute more, to-gidre ageyn þei go
With stronge foynes, and I-fere ronne
Eche at oþer, as felly as þei konne,
Til at þe laste, cruel Dyomede
(Liche as ȝe may in myn auctor rede),
Wer it be cas, happe, or auenture,
In whiche no man fully may assure,
Or by Fortune, with hir false visage,
Hadde þat tyme of Troilus avauntage:
For he on hym was falle at meschef.
Þe whiche þing to him was no repref,
Þouȝ he hym toke, amonge so gret a rout,
On euery halfe with Grekis set a-boute;
Sith dotous euer is þe fyn of fyȝt—
Now vp, now doun, now dirke, & after briȝt:
For no wyȝt may ben ay victorious
In pes nor werre, nor ylyche eurous.
Late euery man, sith happe is set in doute,
Taken his torne as it cometh a-boute;
Þouȝ Troilus now was take of Dyomede,
Anoþer tyme he schal him quyte his mede:
For as þe story telleþ in þis place,
Þis Dyomede but a litel space
Troilus lad forþe as prisonere,
Þat to reskus, in stele armyd clere,
Many Troyan cam prikynge in þis nede,
Þat maugre al þe myȝt of Dyomede
Þei Troilus han from his hondis take;
And þo be-gan þe slauȝter for his sake
On euery halfe, þat wonder is to telle,
Of þe Troyans and þe Grekis felle.
Þan in-to þe felde is entrid Menelay,
Whiche on Troyens al þat ilke day
Ful besy was avengid for to be,
To hem he had so cruel enmyte;
And whan Paris saw him in þe felde,
Towardis hym þe riȝt[e] weye he helde,
And of purpos þei her wardis sette
Eche on oþer, til þei to-gidre mette:
And þo [þe] skarmusche & þe slauȝter gan,
On ouþer part, of many manly man.
And al þis while Hector nolde cese
Amongis Grekis cruelly to prese,
And new & new, of hym as I rede,
Iliche fresche þe blood of hem to schede:
For of his swerde þe traces wern [y-]sene,
Þat þe Grekis myȝt[e] nat sustene
To resiste nor stonde a-forn his face;
But where he rood ay þei ȝaf him place,
Til þat a knyȝt, whiche Boetes hiȝt,
Ȝonge of age, whan he hadde a siȝt
How Hector slouȝ þe Grekis mortally,
On euery side hauynge no mercy,
He presed in to encrese his name,
Perpetuelly to purchase hym a fame,
And furiously, in herte nat a-ferde,
He cast hym, platly, to mete him in þe berd.
Þe whiche þing whan Hector gan aduerte,
So hiȝe rancour enbrasid hath his hert,
Þat, with his swerde, of indignacioun
He rofe hym euene to þe nouele doun—
Fro þe crowne—wiþ so gret a peyne,
Þat in þe feld he parted lay in tweyne:
And Hector þo assigned haþ his stede
To a squyer, & bad he schuld it lede
To Troye toun, with-oute more a-bood.
And al þis while furiously he rood
Amonge Grekis, and euer mercyles
He slowe al þo þat putte hem silf in pres,
And schad her blood, of hert[e] dispitous.
Þe whiche þing whan kyng Archilagus,
Rydynge be-side, sawe & gan espie,
How Boetes, his cosyn and allye,
So cruelly was of Hector slawe,
Towardis hym in hast he gan him drawe
Vp-on his deth avengid for to be,
And rood at hym with grete cruelte,
Fully in purpos Hector for to quyte.
And sodeynly, as he gan at hym smyte,
Hector vnwarly hit hym on þe hed
So myȝtely, þat he fil doun ded,
Partid on two by cruel auenture,
Nat-with-stondynge his myȝti stronge armure—
Ageyn his stroke it was of no diffence:
For it was ȝoue with swiche violence,
Þat it halp hym in no maner þinge.
And þan anoon, Prothenor þe kyng
Of hatful Ire and foule hardynes,
Of surquidie and of hastynes,
Of malencolye and indignacioun
Kauȝt in his hert a presumpcioun
Tassaillen Hector, of inward foly pride,
And goth to hym, a-trauers on þe side,
Furiously, with a dispitous herte,
Þat his comynge he myȝt nat aduerte—
Only for he cam at his bak be-hynde,
Al vnwarly, in Guydo as I fynde—
And Hector smot from his hors to grounde,
In whom þer was so moche manhod founde,
Þat he anon, with a knyȝtly herte,
With-oute a-bood in-to his sadel sterte,
And riȝt fersely Prothenor pursueth,
Þat finally his hond he nat escheweþ:
For with his swerd he marked him so wel
Þoruȝ basenet, by his breste of stele,
Þat in-to tweyn, with-outen any faile,
He rofe him doun in-to his paunce of maile;
And he fil doun, in ful pitous wyse,
Of whiche stroke þe Grekis sore a-grise.
And specialy þe hardy ferse Achille,
Whan he behelde liked[e] ful ille—
For Prothenor was his nyȝe cosyn,
And discendid of þe same lyne—
For deth of whom he hath swiche heuynes,
So inward þouȝt, and so grete distres,
In al þis worlde he nyste what to do—
For hym he hadde so moche peyne & wo.
And for þe deth of Archilagus
To ben avengid he was ful desirous,
And in his herte many weye he caste,
And in þe wardis gan to seke faste,
With many Greke, on Hector to haue falle,
Conspired fully, in soth, amonge hem alle,
Of oon entent Hector to assaille;
But al for nouȝt,—it wolde nat availle—
He was þat day so cruel in his rage,
Þei myȝt of hym haue non avauntage.
And Troyan knyȝtes by fauour of fortune
Vp-on Grekis so myȝtely contune,
Þoruȝ conueiynge of Hector, & his myȝt,
Þat þei anon han hem putte to fliȝt,
And to her tentis, maugre who þat strive,
In her pursut for-woundid þei hem dryve,
Þat here & þere þei leien in a swouȝ;
And many Greke mercyles þei slouȝ
Þe longe day, til it drowe to nyȝt.
And sothly, þanne, for verray lak of liȝt
Þis Troyan knyȝtes, ful worþi of renoun,
Abouten Hector repeire to þe toun,
And entren in with honour and with glorie,
Þat day of Grekis havynge þe victorie:
And þus I leue hem in her toun with-Inne,
And forþe of Grekis telle I wil be-gynne.

Howe Kynge Agamenon, with alle the princysse of Grece, compassyd and contryvede the dethe and destruccion of worthy Ector, the which Achilles vnmanly toke on honde.

Whan Esperus, þe faire briȝt[e] sterre,
Ageyn[e]s eve, caste his stremys ferre,
And in þe weste raþest gan appere,
Whan þe twylyȝt, wiþ a pale chere,
In maner morneth þe absence of þe sonne,
And nyȝt aprocheþ with his copis donne—
Þe same tyme, whan Titan toke his leue,
Þat clerkis calle Crepusculum at eve,—
Whiche is nat ellis but þe mene liȝt
Of Phebus absence, and þe dirk[e] nyȝt,
And twyliȝt hatte: for it is a mene
Of day and nyȝt, departinge hem betwene,
Fully nouþer, but of boþe meynt,
Or þe heuene be clustryd and depeynt
With briȝt[e] sterris in þe Euenynge;—
At whiche tyme Agamenoun þe kyng
For his lordis sodeinly hath sent
To come echon anon in-to his tent.
And whan þei wern assemblid alle y-fere,
Triste & hevy, with a sorful chere,
Þe[i] gan þe slauȝter of Hector to compleine,
Affermynge playnly þei myȝt neuer ateyne
Vn-to victorie while he were a-lyue:
Wherefore þei gan to conspire blive
Þe deth of hym, in many sondry woye,
Echon concludynge, while he wer in Troy
It was nat likly Grekis for to wynne;
For he alone of hem þat were with-Inne
Was chef diffence and protectioun,
And souereynly vp-holder of þe toun,
Her myȝty castel and her strong[e] wal,
And vn-to Grekis dedly fo mortal:
For þei ne myȝt his grete force endure,
Nor neuer a-riȝt ageyn her foos be sure,
He stondyng hool (þei seide), in no degre,
Nor whil he floureth in felicite.
Wherfor, echon, of oon entencioun,
Þei-condiscende to þis conclusioun:
Þat be som sleiȝt of a-wait lying,
Whan he were most besy in fiȝtynge,
Amongis hem in meschef or distresse,
Þat Achilles do his besynes,
With al his myȝt vnwarly him to assaille,
Þat hym to slen for no þing þat he faille.
And Grekis alle gan her prayer make
To Achilles for to vndirtake
Of þis emprise fynally þe swt,
Þoruȝ his manhod þat it be execut—
Þe hasty deth of her mortal foo.
And Achilles, with-oute wordis moo,
Her requeste assenteth to parforme,
And to her lust gan holly hym conforme.
Fro þat tyme late hym be war, I rede,
To be to hasty þis Iourne for to spede,
Vp-on Hector his power for to kythe,
List Fortune a-wronge hir face wriþe,
To loke on hym with a froward chere,
Hym to bringe vn-to þe hondis nere,
Þoruȝ sort or hap, of Hector, folily
To put his lif of deth in iuparty,
List vn-to hym it happe euene lyche
To falle hym silfe in þe same dyche
Þat he for Hector compassid haþ & shape:
For it is wonder ȝif þat he eskape,
Sith Hector hadde, with-outen any drede,
As brennyng Ire and as grete hatrede
To Achilles his deth for to purvey,
Ȝif he hym founde or in place sey
Convenient for execucioun—
I trow þer schuld hym gayn[e] no raunsoun,
Nor oþer mede his herte to quyete,
But only deth, whan so þat þei mete:
Þis þe ende & fyn of þis mater,
As in þis boke after ȝe schal here.
And þus Grekis maked han an ende
Of her counseil, and anoon þei wende,
Eueryche of hem, hom to her loggynge,
And toke her reste til þe morw[e]nynge.

Howe Ector, inly desyrous to have ado with the Grekis, entyrde the felde him selff, with C and fyffty thousande of þe best chosyn of the Cite of Troye; and the Grekys of þa same wies.

Whan Aurora, with siluer dropes schene,
Hir teris shadde vp-on þe freshe grene,
Compleynynge ay in wepinge & in sorwe
Hir childis deth, euery somer morwe
—Þis to seyne, whan þe dew so sote
Enbawmed hath þe flour & eke þe rote
With lusty lycour, in April and in May,
Whan þe larke, messanger of day,
Of custom ay Aurora doth salue
With sondry notis, hir sorwe to transmve
Or Phebus ryse to Ioye and gladnes,
Þoruȝ armonye to leue hir heuynes,
Takyng hir leue, with seint[e] Iohn to borwe—
Þe same tyme, Grekis by þe morwe,
With lusty herte, erly dide a-ryse
And armed hem in al her best[e] wyse:
For þei hem caste þat day for to goon
In-to þe felde to metyn with her foon.
And Hector haþ, þe same morwe also,
I-caste hym fully with Grekis haue a-do,
And issed is knyȝtly oute of Troye,
In herte he hath so gret desire & Ioye
Þe same day with Grekis for to fiȝt,
And with hym ladde many lusty knyȝt
Of swiche as wern of þe cite born;
And forþe he rood, hym silfe al to-forn,
And Eneas with many a worþi
Folwede after, wonder fast[e] by,
And Paris þanne, and nexte hym Dephebus,
And sith Troylus, þat was so cor[a]ious,
With alle þe wardis made of Troye toun,
In whiche, as Dares makeþ mencioun
With-Inne his boke, þer wer on Troye syde
Of fyȝtyng men þat wente and dide ride
An hundrid þousand, armyd for to go
In-to þe felde, and fifty þousand mo
Whiche han hem cast þat day or at Eue
Of oon entent Grekis for to greue:—
And so þei mette, stronge on ouþer side,
And gan assemble and to-gedir ride
Ful cruelly, and with gret hatrede.
And with hem þo þat Paris dide lede,
He entrid in ful myȝti stronge archeris
Of Perce londe, & many arblasteris,
Þat with her arwes, filed scharp & rounde,
And with quarelles, square whet & grounde,
Ful many Greke han reued of his lyf.
And [a-]myddes of þis mortal strif
Agamenoun in-to þe felde is come,
Towardis whom Hector haþ I-nome
Þe riȝt[e] weye, & þrewe him of his stede
Amongis his knyȝtes þat he dide lede—
He spared nouȝt, for al þe grete pres.
And þer-with-al, anoon cam Achilles,
Þat in await of Hector hadde leyn;
And sodeinly, with al his myȝt & peyne,
Hector he smote on þe hed [so] sore,
Þat with þe stroke (myn auctor seiþ no more)
His basenet was bowed and y-crasid,—
Of whiche strok, Hector nat amasid,
On Achilles schuld anoon y-falle,
Nadde Eneas, with his knyȝtes alle,
And worþi Troylus come & go by-twene—
Þe whiche tweyne with her swerdis kene
Gan Achilles felly for to assaille,
To hewe his platis & to perce his maille:
And þo be-gan þe slauȝter on euery side
Of men of fote & of hem þat ride—
Liche a condut her woundes gonne blede.
And in þis while cruel Diomede,
Were it be hap, auenture, or caas,
So as he rood hath met with Eneas;
And riȝt anoon, as he hath him founde,
He smet at hym, and ȝaf him suche a wounde,
Þat likly was he schulde nat recure,
But ȝif þer-to be do þe bettre cure.

Howe Dyomede reprevyde Eneas as they met in the Felde, for þe answere þat he had afor in Troye.

And þer-vppon, ful dispitously
Þis Diomede in his malencolye
Repreued hath þis Troyan knyȝt Enee,
And seide to hym: “al heil, for þou art he
Þat whilom ȝaf to Priamus þi kyng
A fel conseil, hasty and bityng,
Me for to haue slaw be sodein violence
Whan I was last at Troye in his presence,
Þat trust me wel, & haue it wel in mynde,
Amyd þis feld if I þe efte fynde,
Þou schalt þi conseil mortally repente,
Ȝif þat Fortune her-after wil assent
To bringe þe a-riȝt vn-to myn honde
At good leyser, here in þin owne londe:
I am ful sette þi labour for to quyte—
And, here my trouþe, þis swerd schal kerue & bite
So kenely þi Troyan blood to schede,
Þat finally deth shal be þi mede,
Þe whiche I bere atwene myn hondis tweyne.”
And with þat word, he myȝt him nat restreyne,
Þis Diomede, but rood al sodeinly
Vp-on Enee, and so furiously
He smote at hym, þis hardy cruel knyȝt,
With swyche a peyne & so gret a myȝt,
Þat from his hors he made hym for to falle,
Maugre þe myȝt of his knyȝtes alle:—
Þe whiche stroke he lyked[e] ful ille.
And in þis while, Hector hath Achille
Assailled so, þat þoruȝ his basenet
He perced hath, & with his swerde hym smet,
And so narowe brouȝt hym to þe point
Of hiȝe meschef, & in swyche disioynt
Constreyned hym, þat of necessite
He had hym take, nadde only be
Sodeyn reskus of hym, chyualrous,
Þat callid is þe sone of Tideus—
I mene þe felle ferse Diomede,
Whiche Achilles haþ holpen in þis nede:
For he þoruȝ force of his armys tweyne
Smot Hector tho, with so gret a peyne,
Þat he hym ȝaf a wounde ful greuous;
But he no þing (myn auctour writeþ þus)
Astonyd was, þis knyȝt, þis manly man,
But with his swerde, in al þe hast he can,
Smot Diomede so furious & wroth,
Þat from his hors to þe erþe he goth,
For al his pride and his surquedie.
Þe whiche anon, as Troylus dide espie,
With-oute abood, doun of his stede aliȝt
With Diomede on fote for to fiȝt,
And eche of hem, in sothfastnes[se], þanne
Aquyt hym silf lik a manly man,
Þat nouþer was, in moche nor in lite,
In no degre of manhod for to wite.
And while þei fauȝt, Hector & Achilles
To-gider mette ageyn a-monge þe pres,
And ran I-fere fersely in her rage
As wode lyons whan þei be ramage—
Riȝt so, in soth, þei ferde in her fiȝtyng.
And in þat tyme Menelay þe kyng
Ful proudly schope hym Troyens for to mete.
Vlixes eke, and also Polimete,
And aftir hym cam Neptalonius,
Pallamydes, and eke Scelenivs,
Duke Meneste, Nestor, and Thoas,
Currunulus, and Philotheas,
And Theseus, as [it] is made mynde,
With his knyȝtes proudly cam be-hynde.
And on þe party of hem of þe toun
Cam alle þe kynges, with-oute excepcioun,
Þat were assemblid in-to her diffence,
Ageyn[e]s Grekis to make resistence,
—Excepte þe knyȝtes whiche Hector ladde,
And þe wardis þat he makid hadde
Þe same day, as seith þe latyn boke,
In knyȝtly wyse þe feld whan þat he toke.
And þo be-gan þe felle mortal fiȝt,
In whiche þat day ful many worþi knyȝt
In Fatis hondis, finally, are falle.
And of fortune, a-monge þe wardis alle,
Agamenoun, þe noble myȝty kyng,
Al sodeinly as he cam ridyng,
Pantisylaus in his weye mette,
Ageyn[e]s whom anoon his hors he sette;
And he to hym ful knyȝtly rood ageyn,
And as þei mette—þer is no more to seyn—
On hors[e]-bak, whiles þei were wrothe,
Of violence þei were vnhorsid bothe.
And Menelay Parys mette of newe,
Þe whiche two wel to-gidre knewe,
Ful desyrous eche oþer for to dere;
But Menelay cauȝte firste a spere,
And hitte Paris with al his inward cure,
But for surnes of his strong armvre
And myȝty platis, his wounde was but smal,
Whiche, in effecte, greued nat at al:
But with þat stroke vn-to þe grounde he goþe.
Of whiche falle Paris wex riȝt wroþe,
Wonder confus, & also red for shame,
List þe report, in hindringe of his name,
Cam to þe eris of þe quene Eleyne,
How he þat day myȝt[e] nat attayne
With Menelay to holden champartie,
Lykly to sowne in-to his vileynye—
Þe whiche at hert greuid hym ful sore.
And Adrastus þe kyng, with-oute more,
So as he rood, þe kyng Vlixes fond,
And knyȝtly boþe þei fouȝten hond of hond;
And as þe[i] fauȝt, doun to þe erþe lowe
From his hors Vlixes haþ hym þrowe,
And ful proudly, in signe of þis victorie,
He sent his hors home to his tentorie.
And in þat tyme, a-monges al þe pres,
Ful sodeinly kyng Pallamydes
Is falle on Hupon, with his lokkis hore,
And in his Ire woundid hym so sore
Þat he fil ded & gruf vn-to þe grounde,
His mortal swerd was so kene grounde:—
Besyde whom Neptolonyus
Assailled hath kyng Archilagus,
Þe whiche hym silf manly gan diffende;
But as þei fauȝt, & many strokes spende
In her diffence—it wolde be noon oþer—
Eueryche of hem hath vnhorsid oþer.
And þo cam in, ridyng on his stede,
Pollydamas, and gan to taken hede
Amonge þe rengis litel hym be-side,
Where as þe kyng Pallamydes doth ride;
And cruelly, so lik a manly man,
He smet his stede, and to hym he ran,
And maugre his myȝt & his worþines
—As þe story pleinly bereth witnes—
Only to venge þe deth of kyng Hupoun,
From his stede he proudly bar him doun,
And in his rancour & his cruel hete
Of þat dispite gan hym to rehete.
And þo be-side þe kyng Scelenus,
Of dedly hate & herte ful Irous,
With kyng Carras be auenture hath mette,
And furiously from his stede smet;
And þanne also þe kyng Philemene
Is on þe duke fallen of Athene,
Þat maugre boþe his manhod & his myȝt,
He hath his hors berafte him in þis fiȝt,
And lad with hym proudly by his side,
Where as hym liste þat it schulde abyde.
And Philotheas, þe worþi kyng also,
Þe silfe tyme with Remus had a-do,
And eueryche oþer, sothly, as I rede,
His felawe hath made to voide his stede;
And Theseus þe kyng, þat was so stronge,
Amyd þe feld so as he rood a-monge
Þe grete pres, hath mette Curyalus,
Þe worþi kyng, of knyȝthod riȝt famus,
And boþe two, in armys wonder stronge,
By hem silf fauȝt at leiser longe,
Til eche oþer, with woundes fresche & grene,
His felawe þrewe endelonge þe grene;
And afterwarde, I finde, how þei two
Vp-on fote knyȝtly hadde a-do—
Þei wern in armys so inly desyrous,
And of manhood passyngly famous.
And al þis whyle þe sonys naturel
Of Priamus bar hem wonder wel,
Amonge Grekis vp and doun ridyng,
And prudently to-gidre abidyng,
Made [a] slauȝter of Grekis ful pitous,
Of kynges, dukes, & lordis riȝt famous.
And, as I rede, how worþi Thelamoun
Þat tyme mette with kyng Sarpedoun;
And with her speres, squared ful sharply,
Euerych haþ oþer wounded mortally
Þoruȝ schilde & plate & haberioun of maille,
Þat, as þe story makeþ rehersaille,
How her harneis wex of blod al red,
And how þei fil al-most boþe ded,
At gret meschef amonge þe horse fet,
Of whos bledyng þe soiel gan wexe wet,
Þoruȝ her harneis as it gan distille.
Whiles kyng Thoas and þe ferse Achille,
As þei þat wern of kyn and allyed,
Amyd þe feld Hector han espied
Where as he fauȝt, be-set amyd his foon;
And vp-on hym of on accorde þei goon,
And mortally, ȝif it wolde availle,
On euery halfe þei gan hym new assaille,
And of hate, in herte born of ȝore,
Þei han be-set þis Troyan knyȝt [so] sore,
Þat þei, allas! from his hed han smet
By violence his riche basenet,
And wounded hym felly on þe hed:
But for al þat, he ne toke noon hed,
Þis worþi man, flour of chiualrye,
But hym diffendynge þo so myȝtely,
Kyng Thoas smot in þe face so,
Þat with a stroke he rofe his nose a-two,
And shortid it by þe haluendel.
At whiche stroke, þe breþer naturel
Of manly Hector fast[e] gan hem hyȝe
To socour hym, whan þei first espie
His grete meschef; and at her in commyng
Þei so manly bare hem in fiȝtynge
Ageyn Grekis, þat Thoas þei han take;
And Thelamoun so þei made a-wake,
With new assaut of sharpe woundis kene,
Þat he was take & left vp-on þe grene,
And of his men born home to his tent.
And kyng Thoas home to Troye is went,
Maugre Grekis, whiche helpe him may no more;
For Dephebus and also Anthenor
Han sent hym forþ to Troye þe cite.
And Menelay þo be-gan to se,
So as he rood, Paris stonde a-side,
And shope him shortly of hate & cruel pride,
Ȝif it wolde fallen on his chaunce,
Sodeinly to ȝeuen hym meschaunce;
But he was war, & kepte him silf so narwe
Þat Menelay he marked with an arwe,
Þe hed of whiche with venym was enoint,
Intoxicat at þe square pointe,
Þat þe kyng, of þat dredful wounde
Al dispeired of his men was founde,
Whiche in gret haste bar hym to his tent.
And he anoon for surgiens haþ sent,
Whiche first þe hede toke out of his wounde
—Al-be it was [y-]percid ful profounde
Þoruȝ his harneis ful depe in-to þe bon—
But konnyngly þei dide her craft echon
To drawe it oute with her instrumentis,
And sotilly, with serteyn oynementis
Þei cerched han þe wounde enviroun
To make it clene fro[m] corrupcioun;
And prudently firste þei token hede,
Þat þe venym ferþer nat procede,
Rounde in compas clensid it a-boute,
And after þat, bonde it sure with-oute,
And defensives made on euery syde.
And Menelay no lenger wolde bide,
But bad in haste bringe forþe his stede,
In purpos ful Paris to quite his mede,
Ȝif he hym finde, þe silfe same day—
Hym list no lenger put it in delay,
What-euere falle of his grene wounde.
And forþe he rood til he haþ him founde,
By auenture vn-armyd in þe felde,
With-oute swerde, polex, spere, or shelde,
Or bowe in hond—were it of reclisnes,
Or to refresche hym after werynes.
And Menelay anoon a spere haþ take,
And in his Ire felly gan it shake
Toward Paris, by gret avisenes,
And schuld haue slawe him, as bi liklines,
Nadde Eneas, whiche al þis þing behilde,
Born of þe stroke with his strong[e] schelde,
To diffende hym in [t]his auenture—
Destitute and naked of armvre,
Paris þat tyme in swiche peril was.
Wherfore, in hast, hath þis Eneas
Ordeyned knyȝtes, armyd briȝt in stele,
Aboute Paris for to kepe hym wele
From al meschef and confusioun,
Hym to conveie vn-to Troye toun,
Riȝt in dispite of kyng Menelay,
Whiche in a-wait so for Paris lay—
Whom Hector had I-take sodeinly,
And vn-to Troye ladde hym outterly,
Nadde Grekis come in his diffence,
Ageyn[e]s hym to make resistence.
Of whiche Hector, as þei cam in his weye,
Ful many Greke made for to deie,
And þe remenaunt put vn-to þe fliȝt,
Þat þoruȝ his manhod þat day, & his myȝt,
Troyens made þe Grekis for to fle
Vn-to her tentis, of necessite,
And hem to sue nolde neuere leue,
But slen & kille til it drowe to eve,
Þat Phebus gan fast[e] for to weste,
To draw hem hom þei þouȝt[e] for þe beste:
For Titan was at his goynge doun
Whan þei gan entre in-to Troye toun,—
Her gatis schette, þei to her loggyng wende;
And of þis day þus þei made an ende.

Howe kynge Pryamus the next day kam to þe felde, & howe he wolde have had kynge Thoas dede, þat was prysonere in Troye.

Til on þe morwe, þat þe rowes rede
Of Phebus carte gonne for to sprede
A-forn his vp-riste in the orient,
At whiche tyme, kyng Priamus haþe sent
For swiche as werne with him moste preve,
And of his counseille inwardly secre;
And specialy he sent[e] for be name,
For worþi Hector, þat grettest was of fame,
For Paris eke, & for Dephebus,
And for Troylus, freshe and desirous,
For Anthenor and [for] Pollydamas,
And for the Troyan called Eneas:
For he þat day cast him nat to goon
In-to þe felde to mete with his foon.
And whan þei wern to his paleis come,
Þis lordis han þe riȝt[e] weye nome
Vn-to þe kyng, with-Inne his closet;
And whan þe hussher haþ þe dore shet,
And eueryche hadde, liche to his degre,
His place take, and his dewe see,
Þis worþi kyng, as made is mencioun,
Gan to declare his hertis mocioun,
And his menynge a-forn hem specifie,
And seide: “sirs, in whom I moste affie,
To ȝow is knowe how kyng Thoas is here
In þis cite taken prisoner,
And is as ȝet be-loken in prisoun,
Whiche euere haþ be vn-to Troye toun
An enmy gret, vn-to his power,
And vs offendid, boþe fer and nere,
In many wyse (al-be we litel reche)
As fer as he his force myȝt[e] streche;
And now with Grekis cam to sege our toun,
As he þat wilneth oure distruccioun,
And [t]here-vppon hath done his besynes:
Wherfore, of doom & of riȝtwysnes,
Boþe of resoun and of equyte,
I seie pleynly, as semeth vn-to me,
So þat it be to ȝow acceptable,
And þat ȝe þink my counseil comendable,
Liche as he hath cast oure deth & shape,
I holde riȝtful þat he nat eskape,
But þat of deth he resseyue his guerdoun:
For riȝt requereth, and also good resoun,
Þat deth for deth is skilful guerdonynge,
Vn-to my wit, and riȝt wel sittynge—
Seth ȝour avis [now] pleinly in þis cas.”
And first of alle þo spake Eneas,
And seide: “lord, so it be noon offence
To ȝoure hiȝnes to ȝeue me audience,
Þoruȝ supporte here of hem þat be ful wys,
I shal reherse pleynly my devys,
What is to werken [as] in þis matere:
Me semeth first, my lege lorde so dere,
Þat ȝoure noble, royal excellence
Consydre shulde, with ful hiȝe prudence,
In euery werke and operacioun
To caste a-forn, in conclusioun,
Þe final ende þat may after swe;
For to a wysman, only is nat dewe
To se þe gynnynge and þe ende noȝt,
But boþe attonis peisen in his þouȝt,
And weien hem so iustly in balaunce
Þat of þe fyn folwe no repentaunce.
Whi I seie þis, &, platly, whi I mene,
Is [for] þat ȝe ouȝten for to sene
How kyng Thoas is oon þe principal
Amonge Grekis, & of þe blood royal—
Ȝif ȝe considre, descendid as be lyn:
Wherfore, ȝif he haue þus foule a fyn,
To be slawe while he is in presoun,
It myȝt happen, in conclusioun,
Þat ȝe and ȝours, þat þer-to assente,
Here-afterwarde sore to repente:
I preue it þus, þat ȝif by auenture,
Or fortune, þat no man may assure,
Some of ȝoure lordis were a-noþer day
Of Grekis take, as it happe may,
Or of ȝoure sonys, so worþi of renoun,
Or of kynges þat ben in þis toun,—
Trusteþ me wel, þat swiche gentilnes
As ȝe schew to hem in her distres,
Þei wil ȝou quyte whan, in cas semblable,
Fortune to hem þei finde fauerable,
Þe whiche no man constreyne may nor binde.
Wherfore, my lorde, haue þis þing in mynde:
For ȝif Thoas, of short avisement,
Shal nowe be ded þoruȝ hasty Iugement,
A-noþer day Grekis wil vs quyte,
And of rigour make her malis byte
On some of ȝouris, who-euere þat it be,
And nouþer spare hiȝe nor lowe degre,
Þouȝ he were paraunter of ȝoure blood;
Þe whiche þing, for al þis worldis good
It myȝt[e] falle, þat ȝe nolde se.
Wherfore I rede, lete kyng Thoas be
Honestly keped in prisoun,
Lyche his estate, stille here in þis toun,
List, as I seide, þat anoþer day
Somme lorde of ȝouris, as it happe may,
Casuelly were take of auenture:
Be eschaunge of hym ȝe myȝt[e] best recure,
With-oute strif, ȝoure owne man ageyn.
In þis mater I can no more seyn,
But finally þis is my ful[le] rede.”
To whiche counseil Hector toke good hede,
And for it was accordynge to resoun,
He hit commendith in his oppinoun.
But Priam, euere of oo entencioun,
Stode alweie fix to þis conclusioun,
Pleinly affermynge: “ȝif Grekis may espie
Þat we þis kyng spare of gent[e]rye,
Þei wil arrette it cowardyse anoon,
Þat we dar nat venge vs on oure foon,
For verray drede havyng noon hardines,
Nor herte nouþer to do riȝtwisnes;
Ȝet, neuerþeles, after ȝoure assent,
Þat he shal leue, I wele in myn entent
To ȝoure desire fully condescende.”
And of þis counseil so þei made an ende,
With-oute more, saue Eneas is go,
And Troylus eke, and Anthenor also,
In-to an halle, excellynge of bewte,
Þe quene Eleyne of purpos for to se,
With whom was eke Eccuba þe quene,
And oþer ladyes goodly on to sene,
And many mayde þat ȝonge & lusti was.
And worþi Troilus with þis Eneas
Dide her labour and her besy peyne
For to counforte þe faire quene Eleyne,
As sche þat stood for þe werre in drede;
But for all þat, of verray wommanhede,
Þilk[e] tyme, with al hir herte entere,
As she wel koude, maked hem good chere,
Havynge of konnynge inly suffisaunce
Boþe of chere and of dalyaunce.
And Eccuba, beyng in þis halle,
Verray exaumple vn-to wommen alle,
Of bounte havynge souereyn excellence,
In wisdam eke, and in elloquence,
Besouȝte hem þo, wonder wommanly,
And counsaillede eke ful prudently,
For any haste, boþe nyȝe and ferre,
Avisely to kepe hem in þe werre,
And nat iuparte her bodies folily;
But to aduerte and caste prudently
In diffence knyȝtly of þe toun,
Hem to gouerne by discrecioun:—
She spake of feith, & koude no þinge feyne.
And þanne of hir, & after of Eleyne
Þei toke leue, and no lenger dwelle,
But went her wey. & forþe I wil ȝou telle
How þe Grekis on þe same morwe
Amonge hem silfe compleyne & make sorwe,
Her harmys grete, in murmur & in rage,
Þe losse, þe costis, and þe grete damage
Þat þei han endured folily,
Lastynge þe werre, & wiste neuer why—
Þe deth, þe slauȝter of many worþi man
Siþen tyme þat þe werre be-gan,
Hunger & þurste, wacche & colde also,
Ful gret vnreste, sorwe, þouȝt, & wo—
And al to-gidre for a þing of nouȝt,
In sothfastnes, ȝif þe grounde be souȝt:
Þis was þe noyse & rumur eke þat ran
Þoruȝ-oute þe hoste þat day fro man to man,
And moste a-monge þe pore sodyours,
Whiche bere þe bront euere of suche shoures,
And þe meschef of werre, comounly;
And þouȝ þei pleyne, þei haue no remedie
Of þinges whiche sitten hem ful vnsofte.

Of the orryble and hydouse tempest, thondre, levene that roos sodeynly vpon the Grekys.

And þus Grekis compleyned han ful ofte
Of many meschef þat haþ on hem falle,
Þe whiche þei myȝt han eschewed alle,
Ȝif þei ne had of foly gonne a werre,
Oute of Grece nat comen halfe so ferre,
To her meschef and confusioun:
Þis was þat day her lamentacioun,
Whiche to encrese, þe same nexte nyȝt
So dirked was, with-oute sterre liȝt,
So cloudy blak, and so þikke of eyr,
Dymmed with skies foule & no þing fair,
So wyndy eke, with tempest al be-leyn,
Almoste for-drenchid with þe smoky reyn,
And in þe felde astonyed here & ȝonder
With sodeyn stroke of þe dredful þonder,
And with openyng of þe hydous levene,
Þat it sempte in þe hiȝe hevene
Þe cataractis hadde bene vn-do;
For þe cloudis and skyes, boþe two,
Sodeynly wexen were so blake,
Liche as þe goddis wolde haue take wrak,
And had of newe assentid ben in oon
Þe londe to drenche of Deucalyon,
And al þis world, with-oute more refuge,
To ouerflowe with a fresche deluge.

The Grekys tentys and pavelones, with stroke of thundure sodeynly wer cast oute of þe felde.

Þe wynde also so sternely gan blowe,
Þat her tentis, stondyng on a rowe,
Forpossid werne, and y-bete doun;
And furiously, to here confusioun,
Þe flodis rauȝt hem from her stondynge place,
And bare hem forþe a ful large space,
Wher-of in meschef and in gret distresse,
In gret labour & hertly hevynes
Þe Grekis biden al þe same nyȝt,
What for þe tempest & for lak of liȝt,—
Til þe flood gan ageyn withdrawe,
Þe wynde tapese, and þe day gan dawe,
And þe heuene gan ageyn to clere,
With-oute cloudis, & freschely to appere;
And Phebus eke with a feruent hete
Hadde on þe soille dried vp þe wete
And þe moysture enviroun on þe pleyn.
And Grekis had her tentis set ageyn,
And wern a-dawed of her nyȝtes sorwe
Þoruȝ þaperyng of þe glade morwe:
Þei hem array, no þing for þe pes,
And in-to þe felde first went Achilles,
As ȝe shal here, of entencioun
Þat day to fiȝte with hem of Troye toun.