Lydgate's Troy Book A.D. 1412-1420. Edited from the best manuscripts with introduction, notes, and glossary by Henry Bergen |
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Howe Atastus enquyred of Pirrus if he knewe ought
of Pirrus governance, and Pirrus made him a
synge to þe Cave wher Pelle was, to thentent
to scley hym in lokenge thidere. |
 | Lydgate's Troy Book |  |
Howe Atastus enquyred of Pirrus if he knewe ought of Pirrus governance, and Pirrus made him a synge to þe Cave wher Pelle was, to thentent to scley hym in lokenge thidere.
Atastus þo, of entencioun,After many oþer questioun,
Enquered of hym in his daliaunce,
Ȝif he knewe ouȝt of Pirrus gouernaunce,
Or ȝif þat he koude ouȝt vnderstonde
Wher he hym kepte sith he cam to londe.
“I-wis,” quod he, “ȝif ȝe list hym haue,
846
Amonge bruskaile with a shrouded face,”—
Makyng a signe to þe same place.
And al was doon for an ydel maȝe:
For while þe kyng þedirward gan gaȝe,
Hasti Pirrus gan his swerd oute drawe
In purpos ful Atastus to haue slawe;
But wonderly, þe story can ȝow lere,
Quene Thetides dide anoon appere,
Al be-reyned with terys on hir face,
And gan þe swerd of Pirrus to embrace,
Preiyng him his dedly hond restreyne.
“Hastow nat slayn my ȝong[e] breþer tweyne?—
And now, allas! my fader, hoor and gray,
Merciles fro me wilt take a-way?
Put vp þi swerde! & no blood ne shede!
And haue pite vp-on þi kynrede,
And aduerte clerly to þe fyn,
How þou art come of þe same lyne,
And hatful is, who-so loke a-riȝt,
Vnkynde blood in euery mannys siȝt.”
And Pirrus þo, as any tigre wroþe,
Gan afferme, with many ful gret oþe,
Þat who-so grucche or a-geyn[e]s pleyne,
He shal hym sleen with his hondis tweyne:
“For hath nat he be fals extorcioun
Put Pelleus oute of his regioun,
Whiche is ȝour lord, & ȝe his trewe wif?—
Þat finally he shal lese his lyf,
And here anoon of myn hondis deye;—
In þis mater þer is no more to seye.”
But Pelleus, darynge in þe cave,
Of grace only list his lif to saue—
Al oþer help platly is for nouȝt.
And Pelleus was anoon forþe brouȝt,
Croked & olde, vnweldy eke to se,
And to-fore Pirrus fil doun on his kne,
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At his request taken hym to grace,
And þat he wold in his manly herte
Goodly considre þe dedly wo & smerte
Of Atastus, and þe mortal peyne
Þat he hadde for his sonys tweyne,
Whiche laie ded to-forn hym on þe grene,
“Slayn with ȝour swerde þat is so sharp & kene,
Whiche he ne may recuren in no wyse,
Þe sorwe of whiche ouȝt I-now suffyse,
Þouȝ ȝe on hym do no more vengaunce:
Al þis peised iustly in balaunce;
Sith he is hooly submitted to ȝour myȝt,
Takeþ now hym to merci anoon riȝt,
And late ȝoure swerd his age not consume—
Þis my request, as I dar presume.”
And þanne Pirrus, shortly for to seyn,
Whan he hadde put vp his swerd ageyn,
Seynge merci myȝt[e] most availe,
With-oute wordis or any rehersaile,
First of al, to-forn hem euerychon,
Þe kynges made accorden in-to oon,
By his wisdam, concluding vp in dede,
Þat eche of hem shulde his riȝt possede
In Thesalye, parted in-to tweyne,
Þat nouþer hadde mater to compleyne,
Eueryche to regne in his dewe se.
And while þei were to-gidre alle þre,
Oute of presence of any oþer man,
Atastus first þus his tale gan:
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