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| XXXII. |
| XXXIII. |
 | Barbour's des Schottischen Nationaldichters Legendensammlung nebst den Fragmenten seines Trojanerkrieges |  |
217
Die Fragmente des Trojanerkrieges von Barbour.
[_]
The source for the whole of the first fragment and lines 1–1562 of the second fragment is Ms. Camb. Univ. Lib. Kk V, 30 fol. 1–9a. The source for lines 1563–3118 and the epilogue of the second fragment is Bodley Ms. Douce 148.
Fragment I.
218
[OMITTED]
Ande Dyomedes byrdes þai ware
Callit thare-eftre mony a ȝhere;
He tellis als amange þe laiff
That (þai) of kynde gud knawlege haue
Quhilk is a mane of latyne lande
Besyde a grek, ande þai hyme fande;
Tharfor þe grekes þai luf & kene,
Ande ay eschewis fra latyne mene.
Bot quhethire þis be suth or noutht,
It is doutouse to mannes thought.—
Callit thare-eftre mony a ȝhere;
He tellis als amange þe laiff
That (þai) of kynde gud knawlege haue
Quhilk is a mane of latyne lande
Besyde a grek, ande þai hyme fande;
Tharfor þe grekes þai luf & kene,
Ande ay eschewis fra latyne mene.
Bot quhethire þis be suth or noutht,
It is doutouse to mannes thought.—
Now to our text agane we ga,
That one þis maner tellys sa:
That, while Jasone & Hercules
Ine Symonent þame restande wes
Ande dyde no-thinge bot ete & drank
Ande payit þarfor with mekle thank:
Of þar affere come tythinge
Sone to Lleamedone þe kinge:
That syk strangeres ine hys cuntre
War cummyne, for to spye ande see
The pryvateis of hys kynryk—
Till vthire thinges it was notht lyk—
So þat thay mytht with staluart hande
Repare agayne and stroye þe lande.
For Troye was notht ine-to þat tyde
Be ferre sa mekile ne sa wyde
As eftre þe syrst distructioune,
Quhene Pryame biggyt agane þe toune.
Ine Troye þis tyme, þat I of tell,
Lleamedone þis kyng cane duelle:
The quhilk tuk wpone hande
That skaithfull was — as eftre he fande:
Ande furth he sende hys legate sone —
Bot walde gode it hade bene wndone! —
To Hercules ande to Jasone. [OMITTED]
Ande quhene he come befor thame twa,
Ine the presence of mony ma
That with hyme (come) fra þe Cite,
Hys message þus pronowncyt he:
That one þis maner tellys sa:
That, while Jasone & Hercules
Ine Symonent þame restande wes
Ande dyde no-thinge bot ete & drank
Ande payit þarfor with mekle thank:
Of þar affere come tythinge
Sone to Lleamedone þe kinge:
That syk strangeres ine hys cuntre
War cummyne, for to spye ande see
The pryvateis of hys kynryk—
Till vthire thinges it was notht lyk—
219
Repare agayne and stroye þe lande.
For Troye was notht ine-to þat tyde
Be ferre sa mekile ne sa wyde
As eftre þe syrst distructioune,
Quhene Pryame biggyt agane þe toune.
Ine Troye þis tyme, þat I of tell,
Lleamedone þis kyng cane duelle:
The quhilk tuk wpone hande
That skaithfull was — as eftre he fande:
Ande furth he sende hys legate sone —
Bot walde gode it hade bene wndone! —
To Hercules ande to Jasone. [OMITTED]
Ande quhene he come befor thame twa,
Ine the presence of mony ma
That with hyme (come) fra þe Cite,
Hys message þus pronowncyt he:
»Leamedone, þat aw þis lande
As kynde lorde all-weldande,
Of ȝoure commynge has gret ferly:
That ȝe enterit so sodanly
To sogeourne here ine hys cuntre
With-out leue of hys Ryalte.
For hys entent is ande hys will
Ine pece to kepe hys kynryk still.
Quharfor he bade me to ȝow say:
That ȝe ine hast halde hyne ȝour way,
That we may be none to-morne see
That ȝhe quytly withdrawine be.
Ande gif he fyndys þat ȝe ne will
Hys biddynge as I saide fulfill,
Hys folk he will gif mandement to
To ryse ine ȝour offence ande do
So, þat ȝoure gudys all be tane
As plane eschete, & ȝhe ilkane
Withoutene mercy done to dede,
But ony Raunsone or remede.«
Quhene Jasone of this messinger
Hade herde þe wordes quhat þai wer,
All wrath ande angry ine hys hert
Stude studeande a litill stert,
Ande, or he to þe messyngere
Maide ony wordes of answere,
Till Hercules ande hys menȝhe
He turnyt the face & þus saide he:
As kynde lorde all-weldande,
Of ȝoure commynge has gret ferly:
That ȝe enterit so sodanly
To sogeourne here ine hys cuntre
With-out leue of hys Ryalte.
For hys entent is ande hys will
Ine pece to kepe hys kynryk still.
Quharfor he bade me to ȝow say:
That ȝe ine hast halde hyne ȝour way,
That we may be none to-morne see
That ȝhe quytly withdrawine be.
Ande gif he fyndys þat ȝe ne will
Hys biddynge as I saide fulfill,
Hys folk he will gif mandement to
To ryse ine ȝour offence ande do
So, þat ȝoure gudys all be tane
As plane eschete, & ȝhe ilkane
Withoutene mercy done to dede,
But ony Raunsone or remede.«
Quhene Jasone of this messinger
Hade herde þe wordes quhat þai wer,
All wrath ande angry ine hys hert
Stude studeande a litill stert,
Ande, or he to þe messyngere
Maide ony wordes of answere,
Till Hercules ande hys menȝhe
He turnyt the face & þus saide he:
»Leamedone, þat hyast kinge
Ande lorde of mony ryall thinge,
Me think dois till ws grete Iniure,
That but occasioune settis hys cure
To exile ws out of hys lande,
Ande namly, sene he neuir fande
Ine worde ne werk, sene we come here,
Cause ws to move one þis manere;
Bot, hade he bene with ryaltee
Rytht lyk as syk a kynge sulde be,
He sulde haue gert ws honorabilly
Haue bene demanyt ande curtaslye;
For, hade he commyne ine Grece, as we
Ar commyne here ine hys cuntre,
I dar weill say, he sulde haf bene
Esyt ande honouryt, þat mene hade sene.
Bot sene hyme lykis erare to be
Carlyche þane curtase, ordane we
With meknes for to leue hys lande;
For it mytht happyne sone one hande
Thruth wike counsele & wilfulnes
To lede ws ine-to syk distres
As tellis ws þe messyngere.
Me lest no langare soiourne here.«
Quhane he hade endyt one þis wise
Thyre wordes as I here devise,
Thane to þe messynger ine hye
He turnyt ande saide hyme semblely:
»The affecte of thy message, frende,
We haue consauit welle to ende;
Ande þe fare gyftes, to ws sent
As gentryce walde, be our entent
We haf ressauit ine the maner
As skill walde þai ressauit were.
Bot at our goddes neuirtheles
We tak wytnesse of suthfastnes
That we come neuir ine purpos here
Ȝour kingis lande to stroye no stere,
Ne to do wrange ne wiolence,
Ne yhit to do þe peple offence,
Bot one our wayage furth to pas
Ine gude pece, as our purpos was,
Ine othyr landis, quhar þat we
With help of gode ritht sone may be;
And þoth we come ine-to þis stede,
We hade no motyf bot of nede,
Thrutht contrare wynde & wedderis wode
That draf ws hydder attour þe flode.
That mytht haf happynnit, or ȝhet may,
To some of ȝhoures ane othere day,
To come ine Grece: quhar þis may be
Rewardit ine-to lyk degre.
Bot neuir-the-lese say to thy kynge:
We sall fulfill all hys byddinge
With all the hast þat euire we may.
Bot alsua þow may to hyme say
That, gif it happynnis notht þat we
May qwyt hyme þis Iniquite,
Some othire frendes per aventure,
That eft may here of this Iniure,
May qwyt it wele ynough sume day
For ws, þoght we be hyne away.«
Thane Hercules, þat was (notht) payde
Of the wordes þat Jasone sayde,
Spak to þe kingis messyngere
Thyre wordis & saide one this manere:
»Frende, þow may say to thy kynge
That we to-morne ine þe mornynge
At the fyrst flude sall fare our way.
Bot a thing to hyme tell þow may:
That, or thre ȝere be cummyne & gane —
Of langar termes tell I nane, —
Ine-to this lande he sall ws se
One syk wyse, gif he lyffande be,
That mawgre hys wpone hys lande
We sall sett ankeres one the sande,
Quhene he sall be of na powere
To strenȝhe ws one syk manere
To leue hys lande, for all þat he
May do thar-to or done gert be.
Sene he has this debate bygonnyne,
Per awenture, or it all be ronnyne,
Als gret defoule may fall hyme till
As we haue sustenyt, but skill
Ande ek but cause, þat I may se,
Bot of þat wrangwise wenynge he
Informyt is, ande felle counselle —
That eftyrwart may litill awaile —
Has gert hyme do this willany
Till ws; — gode qwyt it hyme for-thy,
And we sall help ane vthir day
To mak rewarde, &, quhene we may,
Withine the terme — þat þow sall se —
As I haf saide, of ȝeris thre.«
Thane saide þe messingere mekly:
»It sittis ȝow notht full honestly —
So worthy me think ȝe sulde be —
To manace ine-to this degre
A kinge withine hys awne lande,
Quhare ȝe ne may for ȝour worde stande;
Ne to me als as messingere
Afferis notht ne may affere
To stryve with wordes ȝow agane.
Bot my message notht-þane all plane,
As me was biddyne, so I saide;
Ande me think, ȝe sulde halde ȝow payd
Gyf þat I gyf ȝow counsele gude:
It nedis ȝe sete ȝour schype to flude
And at ȝour larges þar ȝe be —
It ware mar ese to ȝow, think me,
Ne byde ine danger of oure kynge,
That will do bot hys awne likinge.
(Gif þat ȝe t)hink þis tretys harde,
(It) may worth fer ware eftyrwarde
Gyf þat ȝe lat ȝoure bodyis spill,
That now may sauf ȝow, gif ȝe will,
Ande out of dangere lithtly fare.«
Her-with þe messynger but mare
At þe gregeois hys leue has lautht
Ande to þe goddes heme betaught.
Thane Jasone but langar delay
Callit Phylotes ande couth hyme say
That he ger ankeres rasit be
Ande smertly set thame to þe see;
Ande Phylotes ritht wondre sone,
As Jasone bade, belyf has done.
Thare harnes all to schype þai bare
That þai for eese hade landit thare.
Thai walde fane þat þai myt haf wrot
Some skaith, or þai to see hade southt:
Bot þai war notht of syk powere,
For-quhy to few of folk þai were.
In-to þar schype sone enteryt þai;
The wynde was gude, þai went þar way,
And sone þe cost of Frygea
With craft of course þai saillit fra.
And throw mytht of þar goddes gret
Be contrare wedder thame to thret,
A likande wynde thame sett to lande
At Colkas softly one þe sande.
Quhar þai þar shype gert hastely
(Be) herbreyt at oportunyte
Right happely ine hawynnynge gude—
So fayrly Fortune with thame ȝhude.—
Ande lorde of mony ryall thinge,
Me think dois till ws grete Iniure,
That but occasioune settis hys cure
To exile ws out of hys lande,
Ande namly, sene he neuir fande
Ine worde ne werk, sene we come here,
Cause ws to move one þis manere;
Bot, hade he bene with ryaltee
Rytht lyk as syk a kynge sulde be,
He sulde haue gert ws honorabilly
Haue bene demanyt ande curtaslye;
For, hade he commyne ine Grece, as we
Ar commyne here ine hys cuntre,
I dar weill say, he sulde haf bene
Esyt ande honouryt, þat mene hade sene.
Bot sene hyme lykis erare to be
Carlyche þane curtase, ordane we
With meknes for to leue hys lande;
For it mytht happyne sone one hande
220
To lede ws ine-to syk distres
As tellis ws þe messyngere.
Me lest no langare soiourne here.«
Quhane he hade endyt one þis wise
Thyre wordes as I here devise,
Thane to þe messynger ine hye
He turnyt ande saide hyme semblely:
»The affecte of thy message, frende,
We haue consauit welle to ende;
Ande þe fare gyftes, to ws sent
As gentryce walde, be our entent
We haf ressauit ine the maner
As skill walde þai ressauit were.
Bot at our goddes neuirtheles
We tak wytnesse of suthfastnes
That we come neuir ine purpos here
Ȝour kingis lande to stroye no stere,
Ne to do wrange ne wiolence,
Ne yhit to do þe peple offence,
Bot one our wayage furth to pas
Ine gude pece, as our purpos was,
Ine othyr landis, quhar þat we
With help of gode ritht sone may be;
And þoth we come ine-to þis stede,
We hade no motyf bot of nede,
Thrutht contrare wynde & wedderis wode
That draf ws hydder attour þe flode.
That mytht haf happynnit, or ȝhet may,
To some of ȝhoures ane othere day,
To come ine Grece: quhar þis may be
Rewardit ine-to lyk degre.
Bot neuir-the-lese say to thy kynge:
We sall fulfill all hys byddinge
With all the hast þat euire we may.
Bot alsua þow may to hyme say
That, gif it happynnis notht þat we
May qwyt hyme þis Iniquite,
Some othire frendes per aventure,
That eft may here of this Iniure,
May qwyt it wele ynough sume day
For ws, þoght we be hyne away.«
Thane Hercules, þat was (notht) payde
Of the wordes þat Jasone sayde,
Spak to þe kingis messyngere
Thyre wordis & saide one this manere:
»Frende, þow may say to thy kynge
That we to-morne ine þe mornynge
At the fyrst flude sall fare our way.
Bot a thing to hyme tell þow may:
That, or thre ȝere be cummyne & gane —
Of langar termes tell I nane, —
Ine-to this lande he sall ws se
One syk wyse, gif he lyffande be,
That mawgre hys wpone hys lande
We sall sett ankeres one the sande,
Quhene he sall be of na powere
To strenȝhe ws one syk manere
To leue hys lande, for all þat he
May do thar-to or done gert be.
Sene he has this debate bygonnyne,
Per awenture, or it all be ronnyne,
Als gret defoule may fall hyme till
As we haue sustenyt, but skill
Ande ek but cause, þat I may se,
Bot of þat wrangwise wenynge he
221
That eftyrwart may litill awaile —
Has gert hyme do this willany
Till ws; — gode qwyt it hyme for-thy,
And we sall help ane vthir day
To mak rewarde, &, quhene we may,
Withine the terme — þat þow sall se —
As I haf saide, of ȝeris thre.«
Thane saide þe messingere mekly:
»It sittis ȝow notht full honestly —
So worthy me think ȝe sulde be —
To manace ine-to this degre
A kinge withine hys awne lande,
Quhare ȝe ne may for ȝour worde stande;
Ne to me als as messingere
Afferis notht ne may affere
To stryve with wordes ȝow agane.
Bot my message notht-þane all plane,
As me was biddyne, so I saide;
Ande me think, ȝe sulde halde ȝow payd
Gyf þat I gyf ȝow counsele gude:
It nedis ȝe sete ȝour schype to flude
And at ȝour larges þar ȝe be —
It ware mar ese to ȝow, think me,
Ne byde ine danger of oure kynge,
That will do bot hys awne likinge.
(Gif þat ȝe t)hink þis tretys harde,
(It) may worth fer ware eftyrwarde
Gyf þat ȝe lat ȝoure bodyis spill,
That now may sauf ȝow, gif ȝe will,
Ande out of dangere lithtly fare.«
Her-with þe messynger but mare
At þe gregeois hys leue has lautht
Ande to þe goddes heme betaught.
Thane Jasone but langar delay
Callit Phylotes ande couth hyme say
That he ger ankeres rasit be
Ande smertly set thame to þe see;
Ande Phylotes ritht wondre sone,
As Jasone bade, belyf has done.
Thare harnes all to schype þai bare
That þai for eese hade landit thare.
Thai walde fane þat þai myt haf wrot
Some skaith, or þai to see hade southt:
Bot þai war notht of syk powere,
For-quhy to few of folk þai were.
In-to þar schype sone enteryt þai;
The wynde was gude, þai went þar way,
And sone þe cost of Frygea
With craft of course þai saillit fra.
And throw mytht of þar goddes gret
Be contrare wedder thame to thret,
A likande wynde thame sett to lande
At Colkas softly one þe sande.
Quhar þai þar shype gert hastely
(Be) herbreyt at oportunyte
Right happely ine hawynnynge gude—
So fayrly Fortune with thame ȝhude.—
How Jason and Hercules enterit in the Ile of Colkas.
Thus ine Colkas, the nobile Ile,Is enterit Jasone, the gentile,
With hys falow, schyr Hercules.
Ine-to þat Ile þat tyme þar was
A fare Cite, baith ryche & witht:
Jaconites þai callit it rytht;
It wes þe cheef of þat kynrik,
222
Of mekilnes ande of bewte,
With towris ande wallis fare to se;
Castellis ande palais mony one
þar-ine was wrought of marbile-stone;
The stretis ware strautht & wynly maide,
Ritht lufly, bath lange & brade;
The housses in the frount before
All of a hight, baith lesse & more,
With fannys ande banneres wpone hight
Aboue standande, of golde so bright:—
Baith lordis ande marchantes of renowne
Hade þar thare habitacioune,
With mony ryche rentis & feis —
As it efferis for syk Citeis.
Ine this Cite, þat I of telle,
That tyme Oethes kynge couth duelle
Rytht ryally with hys barowns:
Dukis of gret possessions,
And Erlis, þat war mekle of myt,
With othire mony nobile knytht,
That with hyme þat tyme soiournyt þare.
For nere-hande by þe Cite ware
Fare forestis ande parkis wyde;
Ande of huntynge þat ilk tyde
As I tell, was þe sessoune sette
With syk delitis to Intremett;
Ande for þai woddys warnyst were
Ine-to haboundance of wylde dere,
It wes þe cause wherfore þe kynge
llay þar as þane ine soiournynge.
Thare was alsua about þe toune
Without þe wallis enwyroune
A playne ritht fare, ewine ande braide;
Ande ine it for delyt war maide
Ȝardes for herbys ande for virgerys,
That fruyt ine grew of sere maneris;
Fresche wellis fare & suet spryngande,
Ande byrdes one þe trees syngande,
That þidderwarde maide þar repare
For suetnes of þat nobile ayre.
Fra þe wellis of wattere clere
The stryndes ine dyuerse places were
Rynnande throw gravaile quhyt & clene;
Whar-throw þe herbis quhyt & grene
Maide moistour ay ine ilk sessoune,
As hevine-gevine Inundacioune,
That is to say: quhene þe suet rane
Of out descendis o(ne) hill ande plane
And fresche ande wele flowande flude
Reconfortis all grene growande gude,
As cornys, treys, herbys ande fruyttis,
Throw course of kynde & sindry suyttis,
To mannys delitt, as gode throw grace
Has grauntyne ws ine dyuerse place.
For thar delittis, as I herde are,
Wyld fowlis feill reparit thare,
As of Ryvere ande vthyr kynde
As ine syk places mene may fynde.
Quhar-throw of halkinge ande of huntinge
Haboundanly thar hade þe kynge:
The quhilk gaue hyme occasioune
That tyme to soiourne ine-to þat toune.—
To þis Cite, as I ȝow say,
Come Jasone ine with ryche aray,
With hercules ande þar menȝhe,
Ilk mane arayit ine þar degre.
The quhilk, quhene þai come throw þe strete—
That was to see one fare & suete,
One baith þe sydys so sembly maide,
llevalyt ine lyk, with frountys braide:
Thai likinge hade þar-one to luk;
223
Thar movinge was so mesurably
That þe commowns hade gret ferly
Of sa buyrly a companye
Ande ferlyit one thame gretumly:—
Thai saw sa mony kynglyk wede
And sa fayr folk ine thar ȝouthede
Ine flurysande as of ane elde.
Thay stude ande thame hertly byhelde—
So stalwart ine-to þar passynge,
Thare contynance ande þar steringe,
And so fayr thewis cane appere
Ine thame, þat þai one wonderit sere;
The commowns, as þai one thame gowyt,
Attour all thinge þar hawynge lowyt.
Quharfor þe peple ythandly
Speryt at othire besely
Amanges thame ine pryuate:
Quhene come thyr lordis, quhat may þai be,
Or quhat wes cause of þar commynge,—
As commowns carpe will of all thinge.
Bot for no thinge þat mene mytht spere
Mytht no-mane witt quhat þai were
Ne quhy þai come so strange wais;
Quhill þai come to þe kingis palais
And sende ine worde þat þai war thare.
The noble kinge, þat neuir-mare
Forȝhet walde hys Inborne gentryce:
Quhene þat he herde one quhatkyne wyse
They lordes of Grece war at hys place,
Fra kyngis siege ritht sone he race,
And with a ryall companye
Of dukis ande Erles þat war humbly
He mete thame, & with forhede blith,
With Joyous chere resauit thame swyth
And hys lange armes twa betuene
Enbrassit þame, as þai hys hade bene;
And gyf thay maide hyme fare hailsinge,
He maide thame als fare welcommynge,
And with suete wordys hambly
Reconfortit thame rytht hertly
Ande hytht thame frendschipe endurande,
The quhylis þai restyt ine hys lande.
Thus ine þe palais enteryt þai,
Ascendande wp þe greces gray,
Rith merely maide of marble-stane—
Mare crafty saw þai neuir nane.
Quhene þai war cummyne wp to þe hight,
Thane enterit þai ine chambris wight,
That with paithment & with payntry
Enlumynit war delitabily,
Of golde þat was burnyst so britht
That it semyt a hewynnis sytht;
Quhar-ine the benkis war but weyne
Oure-sprede with goldine claithis cleyne—
So ryche, þat they saw neuir swylke:
For thar was notht bot golde ande sylke,
Anournyt with sere coloures clere,
As for syk thinge nedefull were.
Ande quhene the kinge of gret nobillay
Hade gert þame sytt, as I ȝow say,
Jasone ine hys hert tuk kepe
How he was cummyne for wourschepe,
Walde notht put ine delay the thinge,
Bot with suete ande fare schawinge
Talde to þe kynge rytht opinly
With sett wordes full ritht knythtly
The cause quharfor þat he come þare
Fra ferre out oure þe fludys bare:
That was, þe goldyne flees to wynne,
That was enclosede þat Ile withine,
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Eftre þe law as to thame lay,
With hys applesaunce he walde do,
Ande prayit the kynge of leue þar-to.
Ande he, þat herde welle hys entent,
Delyuerly gaf hys assent
Ande saide: »schyr, sene it is ȝour will,
As now we say notht nay thar-till.« —
Be this was commyne tyme of mete:
Braide burdis war wpborne ande sete
Ande coveryt syne with clathis dere,
Cowpis out brought of golde sa clere,
One towalle burdys arayit & drest,
As for syk thingis accordit best.
The kinge, ȝarnynge ine alkyne wyse
Throw grete habundance of gentryce
To plese þe strangeres all at rytht,
Sende eftre Medea, the bright,
Hys doughtre derrest ande hys ayre,
Ande bade hyr to the hall repare —
Ine entent, þat hys fest sulde be
Maide with the mare solempnyte,
To glade hys new ghesteȝ, þat ware
Ressauit with hyme with noble fare.
Thys Medea, the maydene schene,
Was þane þe wlonkast witht but wene
Of all the kynrik of Colkas,
Ande the kyngis A douthtyre was
Ande syne hys ayre eftre hys day,
Suete ande debonare & trew of fay,
Ande ek of age maryit to be.
Bot, þoth scho to maturyte
Of bede was cummyne, neuirtheles
Wp of a childe formyt scho wes
So wele ine all þe science sewene,
That nane was wisser vndre the hewene
Ne Medea ine hyr dais,
Ne mare of wertues to praise.
Bot a science our the laif
That nature gaf hyr hape to haif,
Sho hade ine daynte maist elyk:
The buk is callit Methamatyk.
Ine the science scho hade sic slytht,
That throw þe science & the myght
Of hyre exorȝiȝaciouns
Ande enchauntyt coniuraciouns
Scho couth turne ine-to myrknes light
Ande sodanly raise wyndis one hight
Ilowde ande horrible hie one loft,
Quhar-throw watteris ande wedderis soft
Walde all perwerte, ande wedderis styth
Baith ger fall rayne ande haile so swith,
That it war lyk all thinge sulde brast
Ande no-thinge byde wndre þat blast.
Scho couth gere rayne ine sic foysoune
Fall sodanly fra hevine doune
Ande fle fra oure fayre walays,
That scho fere our þe hillis walde rays
The fludys ande drowne the landis brayde
Our-all quhar þat scho hattrende hayde.
Hyr Innymyis als ine-to þe see
Quhene scho mytht witt þat þai walde be
Ine thar wayage ande ine þar fare,
Scho walde rase wedderis one thame thare
So wode with wykkede wyndis blast,
That sulde þame contrary so fast
Ande trawaile so dispituisly,
That all sulde peryse hastely —
Baith lyffys ande gudis behuffyt þaime tyne
Ande of dede wndyrly þe pyne.
225
That þai walde trawaile, quhene scho lyst,
Outhyre be lande or yhit be see,
Scho walde gere ine prosperyte
That thinge be spede, forout lattynge
Or Incombrance of ony thinge.
Scho couth als gere þe woddis grene
That spoilyt hade ine wynter bene
Throw wickede blastes ande fellone schoures
Baith of the lewes ande of the floures,
Notht agane standande þe sessoune
Of kindely chele — as is ressoune
Ine wyntre-tyde þat it sa be —
Flouris againe ine sic bownte
As it with-ine þe tyme hade bene
Of þe sommere, þat is soft & schene.
Ande mene þat eilde hade ourdrevyne,
That war fra delitis gevyne,
Scho couth restore agane ine deide
To the suete Joye of thar ȝouththede.
Ande quhene hyr list to gamyne & play,
Als well one nytht as one þe day
Scho walde horribile erdinge ger be,
Ande hydwisly wp raise the see
To weltyre ine wawis, without wynde,
All playne, agane the course of kynde,
That it walde seme to mannys syght
That watter & hillis war of a hight; —
Quhar-throw gret rygour oft scho wrought
To the comown̄s, þat knew it nought; —
Ande syne walde scho mak tranquillite
Ande Input scylence to þe see,
The horrible erdynge witt away.
Ande quhene hyr lyst, ane vthyr day
Scho couth rase thundre-blastis hye
Ande fyre-flauthtis our þe feldes flee
Ine syk fladda(n=)is & flambys britht,
That mene mytht see wpone þe nytht
Hillis ande waillis fere & nere
Als brytht as sonne wer schynande clere.
All thyre merwalis ande mony ma
Scho will do, ande other alsa,
That mene lest notht þe teynde to here
For yrknes of this matere,
For at þar is so lange procese.
Ȝhit will I tell ȝow neuirtheles
Somwhat mare of þat maidene fre,
Rytht as my buk Informis me.
A folk, þat quhilome callit were
Gentillis, as my buk sais here,
Opynioune helde of Medea
That scho þe mekile lythtys twa
That gode has ine-to heuene done,
That we þe sonne call & þe moone,
Walde ger Eclyps be throw hyre cure
Agane þe course of nature.
For because of Astrologye —
Ine þe quhilk science certanly
Scho was maist wise ine-to hyr dais —
The Auctore tretys herof ande sais,
Ande þat is for to wndrestande:
The sonne wndre Eclyps turnande
With course contynuale, neuir-mare
May tak eclyps, bot gif it ware
Ine the coniunctioune of þe moone:
Ande þat behuffit to be done
Owthire ine þe tayle or ine the hewide,
Ritht as þe wheill about is wryde;—
This hede ande taill ar for to say
A myddle scherynge ine þe way
Of a cercle þat turnys ine hevene
One some ane of þe planetes sevene.
For, quhene þe moone be-twene our sight
226
It lettis ws þane of fare sone
To se þe body, as we war wone.
Of this þe gret Protholomeus,
This wise clerk, wrait & sais þus
Of þis Eclyps as I say here:
That othyre-wayis be na manere
Mytht fall Eclyps þat he couth fynde,
Bot gif it war agaynis kynde.
Notht-þane throw þe strenth & þe myt
Of hyre enchauntement & hyr slytht,
The poete sais þat scho feill syse
Gerte fall Eclyps one wondre wyse,
Notht be coniunctioune naturale,
Bot by hyr science collaterale, —
As Ovyde ine hys poetrye
Wrait of hyr & saide opinly
That scho couth alkyne thingis do.
Bot na gude cristene mane her-to
Sulde gif credence — þat I defende —
Bot as Ovyde coude hyr commend
Ine hys fabile, so sall we trow it —
It is notht elles to be alowit.
For-quhy þe lestande gode of mytht,
That all thinge has ine-to hys sytht,
That ine hys wisdome ande hys sone
Of hevinly thingis has wroutht & done,
As of the planetes þe ladys (!),
Ande set thame be sertane asyse,
Ande stabillis thame at biddinge so
That they may neuir it our-go.
Tharfor it is to witt but wene
That Eclyps was neuir sene
Agane twa kindely coursys to fall
Bot quhene þat he, þat of mytht maide all,
Mekly for our saluacioune
lleit put hys sonne to passioune;
The quhilk quhene he apone þe Croice
The spyrit yhalde with piteous voice,
Thane tok þe sonne ine-to þat houre
Eclyps — bot all againe nature
Of hys kindely coniunctioune,
The moone notht standinge ine randoune;
Ine the temple the wall was schorne —
Bot nane couth tell how it was torne;
The erde tremblede full horribily,
Ande dede folk, þat couth gravyne lye
Before þat day gane mony ȝere,
Rase of thare graves & couth appere
To mony peple ine the Cite
Of Jerusaleme, as mene mytht se.
Quhar-throw Denys ine þai dais,
That hethyne was, þe storye sais,
Ine Athenes was duellande þane:
Þotht he was notht a cristene mane,
Quhene þat he saw one syk a wise
The sone Eclyps as I devise,
Agaynis ordre (&) course of kynde,
Thyr wordis saide, as writtine I fynde:
»Owthire ane Tholis gode of nature,
Or ellis now withine þis houre
The mekile engyne shall lowsit be
Of all þis warlde, as mene may se« —
Thyr war þe wordys of Denyse
Quhene þat he saw againe þe syse
The sonne Eclyps, as I saide ayre;
Tharfor ane alter maide he þare
Ine the honour of »gode wnkende«
That couth syk signeȝ schaw & sende
Anerly throw hys mekle myght,
Aganys course of kindely right.
227
Ne, gode of myght baith may & kane
All kindely thingis þat he will
Ger pas at will or halde þam̄e still,
Als wele baith erde, ayer, & wynde;
Ande all the planettes, as we fynde,
As he þame maide fyrst of hys mytht
To kepe þar kindely course at rytht,
He may thame louse & lete go by —
For he is endles almythty. —
Ande þus of Medea fynde I
Recordit ine all poetrye.
Bot quhethire it be suth or lese —
The werray storye sais scho wes
Mast perfyt ine Astronomye
Ande ek ine-to gramantye
Of all þat lyffyt ine hyr quhill;
So soueranly scho was subtill
That þar was neuir nane hyr lyk
Ne neuir sall be, pure no ryk.
Her endis barbour and begynnis þe monk.
228
Fragment II.
229
Ine hys hall pryvely ryght sone
Enteryt, ande ine-to full mony
Of weete teres ryght sorowfully
Brest out, for rytht moche dysese
Ande doloure, ine hys hert þat wese;
Inne-to hys thought haffande þat whyles
Of tratorye the wyckede wyles
Of Anthenore ande Eneas
Inne-to þat wofull wyckede case,
Ande þat hys sonnes all hath he
Tynt, þat war of gret bounte,
Ande also he hath mekle skaithes;
And now one neide, þat hyme more lath is:
The thyng so frawarde with hyme stondys,
It byhuffyt hyme frome þar hondes
Redempe hyme the which to hyme dyde
So gret dysese ande slaughtre kyde,
Ande þar for hys redempcioune,
As by skill ande ageynes resoune,
230
That he gadrede hath mony day,
Ande at the last he, spoylit all
Of hys goodes, both gret & small,
Inne-to depnes of povertee
Byhuffyt hyme dyrenyt to be;
Bot gode, seyde he ine-to þat stryve,
Myght (he) be mayde sekyre of hys lyve!
And so longe Pryame wyst rytht nought
What he myght do: so was it wrought—
Sene of Necessyte he streyngnede
Was, to folow þare wyles feynede
Which yharnyt hys wndoynge
With þar strenthes ine alkyne thynge.—
The queyne Eleyne, þat wyst how so
Troyiens the tretty with (!) to mo
As lykede þe gregeois, for to pas
To pees, ande how þat Eneas[OMITTED]
Wyth Anthenore, sche ine the nyght,
Whene away was the dayes lyght,
Went to Anthenore full pryvely
Ande preyede hyme right tentyfly
That he for hyr walde trete þe pece
With Menelayus, þat whyle wes
Hyre lorde, þat for hys gret renowne
He by Reconsylyacioune
Walde mak of hyr for þe mercye
Of hys grete pitte anerly
She myght of hyme atteyne of pees
Grace, of the anent hyre sece (!).
Which thing Anthenor thonkfully
Hyght for hyre to trete fullely.
Ande so Heleyne hyr leue has tone
And to hyr kynges palace gone.—
Ine meyne-tyme Glawcus honorabily,
The kynges sone, they gert burye.
Of the corps of Pantysylya
231
That it sholde not þar erdyt be
Bot sholde be sende ine hyr cuntre,
Eftre þat þe pece tretyt were,
Honorabilly for to be there
Buryede, as þe bodye of a queyne; —
Ande that thrught kynge Phylymeyne
Was þane so ordanyt for to be,
With hole consent of the Cite. —
Anthenore þane ande Eneas
To þe gregeois castris gane pas:
Wher with they thre þat chosene were,
Of thynges of the Cite there
They haue tretede rytht secretly,
As forspokene was holely;
(&) of the Reconsyliacioune
Of queyne Eleyne, was ine þe toune,
Frome Menelay, hyr lorde, perfaye
Grace at lykyng obtenyt thay.
Wherfore gregeois has Vlixes
Statute ande als Dyomedes,
With Anthenor ande Enea
As legates to þe toune to ga.
Which bene entrede ine the toune:
Thrught all þe rewes wp ande doune
The peple Joye ande solace maide,
Eftere ine it thay entrede hade,
For-why, sene they war kynges two
Ande ryght wondre discreit also,
They trowede all of the Cite
The pees for to completet be.
Wpone þe morow ine the dawynge,
At maundement of Pryame kynge
Inne the palais all þe troyiens
For speche generaly come attones:
Where Vlixes hys sermoune
232
He seyde, þe gregeois thynges two
Askede: ande þe furst was of tho
The Restauracioune of skaithes,
To heme throw troyiens done, & wathes,
Inne wondre mekill quantyte
Of golde ande syluer for to be;
Ande þat Amphymacus for-thy
Of the bourghe be perpetualy
Bannyst for-out Retourne ageyne.
Ande this Anthenor ine-to certeyne
Procurede throw hys wykede wyle,
Threw goode Amphymacus throw gyle,
For þat he with all pyth & peyne
Resistede þane hys sawes ageyne
Whene furst he ande Eneas spok
With kyng Pryame þat he sholde mok
With gregeois pece, if þat he myght,
Sene he ne force hath for to fyght. —
A, what to þe wys mane rytht wele
It geynes to haue þe cawteile
That he be not the forspekere,
All-þought þat he thar were,
Inne the tyme of Turbacions
Ande dissawande condicions,
Ande þat of such maner he do
That he myght put kepynge to (!).
For such, this prelocucioune
War shamfull harsk & rytht felloune
To Amphymacus, þe worthy,
That bannyst sholde be ythandly!
And Anthenor þis exilynge
To hyme-seluene of bannysshynge
Procurede nought. — but almyghty
Gode, þat ryghtwise is, soothly,
Revenges oft with samyne peyne
Ande punysys þe mane ine-to certeyne
The quhilk to othere procurede he
Ageynes skill to gevene be;
For-why this ilk Anthenore,
233
Was bannyst for ay of the lande,
Whene þat Eneas was tretande, —
As folowynge of thys storye
Present declare shall sone clerly. —
Inne the palais Dyomedes
With hys fere beande, Vlixes,
Amonge þe troyiens euerychone,
For spek to-gyddre Junct ine one:
A ferlyfull sowne sodeynly
Amonge heme maide was hydwisly,
That the voceferacions
Of the gret glamoures & þe sownes
War herde ine entryng of þe place
Wher þe forsaide spek tretede was.
Wherfor gretly Vlixes
Was fleyt ande Dyomedes,
Because þat for þe mekile crye
The peple walde rusche sodeynly
One thame & sley thare ine þar teyne.
Ande vther wende þat it hade beyne
The kynges sonnes, þat came so
The two legattes þar for to to
Because of Religacioune
Of Amphymacus of renowne.
Bot the cause they sperede besely
Of þar gret noyse ande þat crye,
Wpone no maner mytht be thar
Perseyvede wele what at þai war.
Wherfor þe spek endyt of Ichone
Frome the kynges palace bene gone.
Anthenor ande Dyomedes
Inne secre place, ande Vlixes,
Thame drew, whare they myght pryvely
Spek what they wolde ande secrely
Of pryvateis of þar falss gyles.
234
To-gydder anerly but more,
Vlixes seyde to Anthenore:
»Why drawis þow ine-to delay
The thynge þat þow kane to ws say,
That þow it to effecte gerrys nought,
As þow has hyght to ws, be brought?«
Anthenor answerde sone hyme till
Ande seyde: »the goddes wote my will
That I me besye ine no-thynge,
Ande Eneas, without lesynge,
Bot to þat thynge hight haue we
To ger ine hast fulfillede be.
Bot þar is one Impedyment
That lattis ws ine our entent:
Heyre is one ferlyfull relyk,
That ine no londe I trow is syk,
Of þe goddes; of which ȝow till
I shall ȝow sey, if þat ȝe will.«
Dyomedes seyth þat it pleseth,
»And is thonkfull to ws ande eseth.«
Anthenor seyde þat »wndoutabile
It is ande rytht certeyne, but fabile,
That kynge Ylyus ine þis toune,
Which þat furst foundede Ilioune,
Whome-of Ilioune foundede was,
With all þe duellares ine þat place
Statut ine-to þe honoure
Of Pallas (a) tempile full stoure
Ande mekill als, ine þis Cite,
That is rytht semblyche wnto se.
Ande whene þe walles all was mayde,
Befor þat it the coveringe hade,
A ferly tokene of the hevene
Inne-to it doune descendede evene,
O thynge full mekill wirteous
Ande for to seyne ryght precious,
Ande ryght bysyde the hye altere,
Not ferre one lenth but it full nere,
235
Stakke þe seluene ine þe wall.
Ande sene þat whyle now, certeynly,
It has stondene þar ythandly,
And it woll lat no-mane it to
The place awey, where it is, fro,
But anerly of the keperes.
And now allone but ony feres
It is not kepte, sooth to seye,
But of o prest, þe which þat ay
It kepte with ryght crafty cure
And diligence with all honoure.
The mater of it is of tree, —
But which kynde of tree þat it be,
Impossibile is mane to wytt;
Ande how ine fourme which þat It
Is mayde, none ine thys lyve wyt may,
þought all hys lyftyme he assaye.
Pallas, of whois benefice
Thys thynge to troyiens gettene Is,
Seyde, þat þis tokene of walue
Hade ine-to it such a wirtue,
That, at it with-Ine myght be,
The tempile, or yhit the Cite,
The walles neuire of þis toune
Shall tone be with þar foes felloune,
Nor þe troyiens þe toune shall tyne
Whyle at þat tokene is with-Ine,
Ne superioryte of the (!)
Troyes kynges of the Cite
Shall tyne, þe tokene þar beande,
Nor yhitt þar aeres folowande.
Forsooth, þis is þe hope certane
Where-thrught þe troyia(n=)s euirilkane
Inne thought ay sekyre ar lyffande
And of the Cite not dredande
The distructioune of Ruyne,
Whyle they this tokene haue þare-Inne.
Ande thys tokene palladinore has
236
The goddes, it sholde gevene bene,
As ine this Cite all kane wene.«
To þat answerde Dyomedes,
That ine hys thought astoyned wes,
Ande seyde: »frende, if þat it so be
As þow rehersede heyre to me
Of the palladinar, soothly,
We travaile ine wayne wttrely,
Sene throw it may notht þe Cite
Inne anny maner tokene be.«
Anthenor answerde & gane say:
»Yf ȝhe ferly of the delay
Why þat to ȝow now our hyghtynge
Is not fulfillede at byddynge:
Thys is þe cause I tolde to ȝow,
Why it delayede is whyl now.
But now with besynes haue I
Of the palladinar soothly
With þe prest tretyt of the place
Which it ine-to hys kepinge has,
For of golde a gret quantite,
Which to þat prest is hight thrught me,
He gyffande thiftely ws till
The palladinar at our will.
Wherfor wnfalȝeande ar we
Maide rytht certeyne þat it shall be.
Ande whene þat we obtene it may,
We shall it ȝow sende but delay,
Ande tho shall all fulfillede be
Ȝoure will, as to ȝow hight haue we.«
Ande so þane endede was but more
Amonges heme the counsale yhore.
Ande before they gane pas þar way,
Anthenore þus to heme gane say:
»Dere frendes, at þis counsele here
Present, holdene ine þis maner,
Be not suspect (i)ne the hydynge
237
Pryame ande sey hyme fenȝeandly
That with ȝow tretede heyr haue I,
Of ȝow to haue the certeynte
Which þat shall be the quantyte
Of it ȝhe ettille for to to
Of the kyng ande of hys also.«
And so Ichone þare leve has tane,
And Anthenor, or þat he fane,
Inne hye went to Pryame þe kynge,
To certefye hyme of this thynge.
Her Anthenor stalle the palladiner, & throw hyme & Eneas the toune was betresit & distroyede.
Quhen
e
to þe castres Vlixes
Was went ande als Dyomedes,
Anthenore seyth to Pryame kynge
That he sulde byde come ine spekynge
All the Citeȝenes hyme before.
The which commene, Anthenore
Inne the mater of hys sermoune
As he furth mayde prelacioune,
Inne certeyne signifyede he
With þe gregeois to tretede be,
Ande þat, for to holde sekyrnes
Ande of the weres for to cesse,
That they wolde haue twenty thousande
Of markes of golde awenande,
And alsmekile of syluere fyne,
Ande one thousande also syne
Of horss chargede of full goode quhet.
Þarfor thyr thynges for to get . . . .
»The which hath ine to foysioune,
Inne to þar assignacioune
Of sekyrnes þane of the pees
Fra gregeois þat shall ay but lese
Be holdene ay wnfenȝeandly,
Ande the cauteles shall sekyrly
Thrught thame þat woll exponede be
Of þar ryght gret securyte.«
Ande whyle þe troyiens gadrande were
The quantytees as we seyde ere,
Anthenor to þe prest kane pas
The which hath to name Thoas,
Of the palladinar kepere,
Berande gret charges with hyme there
Of golde ine mekill quantyte.
Ande whene to hyme comene was he,
He it to hyme proffrede has.
Ande they sam̄yne ine-to one place
Beynge ine-to gret prevate,
(Anthenor now said has he:)
»Thoas, gret quantyte her lo
Of golde now haue I brought þe to,
Of which þow ande thyne ayres may
Inne-to ryches habounde for ay;
Tak þis gret sowme of golde the till
Ande gyf me, yf it be thy will,
The palladinar which þat þow
Havyth ine-to kepynge now!
For it shall wittynge be of none
But of ws two now here allone
Whethyre it shall be sent, soothly.
And as þow ettlyth, so do I,
Inne all thynge to eschue þe fame
Of þe troyiens ande all the schame;
Me hath levere thole peyne of dede
Dispituously without remede
Thane such trespas ageynes me
Frome ony troyiene put sholde be.
I propone, if þow will þis do,
It for to sent sone some mane (!) to,
Anentes whome, ryght certanly,
Whene it is wittene, anerly
To Vlixes shall all þe blame
Of it be Inscribit ande shame:
For-quhy it sall be seyde but lese
That of þe tempile Vlixes
Stall it away; ande so shall we
Of cryme of it excusede be.«
Thys prest Thoas now all the nyt
To the sawes ande to þe slight
But (!) Anthenore resistit fast;
But he, gyrnede syne atte last
Inne ȝharnynge of the golde so rede,
Full wilfully ine-to þat stede
Hath grauntede þe subtractioune
Of þat relyk of gret renowne
To Anthenor. þe which he hade
Of the tempile forout abade,
Ande hath it syne þat ilk nyght,
Before þat anny day dew lyght,
Ryght to þe grekes oost it sende
With one messyngere þat wele kende.
The which Relyk assignede wes
Inne the kepynge of Vlixes.
Ande eftere syne was sende, soothly,
The same endyttynge, publisly:
That Vlixes hath thrught hys wytt
Frome þe troyiens þane wonnene It. —
Bot, o gode, sene þe prest Thoas,
That one þis maner blyndede was,
Hath lever peryse the Cite
Of hys tratory, which-Ine he
Was norysshede wp, þane he wolde tyne
The golde hyme gewyne, þat was fyne:
Which stede may trust or sekyre be
Yf holynes so for to se
Inne the self wncorruptibile
Corrupt is, ande so not abile?
Forsooth, ine prestes is not new
Yf þat of oulde it seyde for trew:
Inne the which dame Aueryce
Festenede hyre rotes at devyce,
Þat moder is of alkyne wice,
Ande hyre fere, yharnede cowatyse;
Forsoth, no wyckydnes may be
So wykede ne so felle to se
Thane ine to shynyng of golde lyt
Ryght so forsuth prestes throw it
Resaue shall sodeynly blyndnes,
As knowene is with more & lese.
Of Aueryce tempile bene thay
And of yharnynge þe rote perfay.—
Was went ande als Dyomedes,
Anthenore seyth to Pryame kynge
That he sulde byde come ine spekynge
All the Citeȝenes hyme before.
The which commene, Anthenore
Inne the mater of hys sermoune
As he furth mayde prelacioune,
Inne certeyne signifyede he
With þe gregeois to tretede be,
Ande þat, for to holde sekyrnes
Ande of the weres for to cesse,
That they wolde haue twenty thousande
Of markes of golde awenande,
And alsmekile of syluere fyne,
238
Of horss chargede of full goode quhet.
Þarfor thyr thynges for to get . . . .
»The which hath ine to foysioune,
Inne to þar assignacioune
Of sekyrnes þane of the pees
Fra gregeois þat shall ay but lese
Be holdene ay wnfenȝeandly,
Ande the cauteles shall sekyrly
Thrught thame þat woll exponede be
Of þar ryght gret securyte.«
Ande whyle þe troyiens gadrande were
The quantytees as we seyde ere,
Anthenor to þe prest kane pas
The which hath to name Thoas,
Of the palladinar kepere,
Berande gret charges with hyme there
Of golde ine mekill quantyte.
Ande whene to hyme comene was he,
He it to hyme proffrede has.
Ande they sam̄yne ine-to one place
Beynge ine-to gret prevate,
(Anthenor now said has he:)
»Thoas, gret quantyte her lo
Of golde now haue I brought þe to,
Of which þow ande thyne ayres may
Inne-to ryches habounde for ay;
Tak þis gret sowme of golde the till
Ande gyf me, yf it be thy will,
The palladinar which þat þow
Havyth ine-to kepynge now!
For it shall wittynge be of none
But of ws two now here allone
Whethyre it shall be sent, soothly.
And as þow ettlyth, so do I,
Inne all thynge to eschue þe fame
Of þe troyiens ande all the schame;
239
Dispituously without remede
Thane such trespas ageynes me
Frome ony troyiene put sholde be.
I propone, if þow will þis do,
It for to sent sone some mane (!) to,
Anentes whome, ryght certanly,
Whene it is wittene, anerly
To Vlixes shall all þe blame
Of it be Inscribit ande shame:
For-quhy it sall be seyde but lese
That of þe tempile Vlixes
Stall it away; ande so shall we
Of cryme of it excusede be.«
Thys prest Thoas now all the nyt
To the sawes ande to þe slight
But (!) Anthenore resistit fast;
But he, gyrnede syne atte last
Inne ȝharnynge of the golde so rede,
Full wilfully ine-to þat stede
Hath grauntede þe subtractioune
Of þat relyk of gret renowne
To Anthenor. þe which he hade
Of the tempile forout abade,
Ande hath it syne þat ilk nyght,
Before þat anny day dew lyght,
Ryght to þe grekes oost it sende
With one messyngere þat wele kende.
The which Relyk assignede wes
Inne the kepynge of Vlixes.
Ande eftere syne was sende, soothly,
The same endyttynge, publisly:
That Vlixes hath thrught hys wytt
Frome þe troyiens þane wonnene It. —
Bot, o gode, sene þe prest Thoas,
That one þis maner blyndede was,
Hath lever peryse the Cite
Of hys tratory, which-Ine he
240
The golde hyme gewyne, þat was fyne:
Which stede may trust or sekyre be
Yf holynes so for to se
Inne the self wncorruptibile
Corrupt is, ande so not abile?
Forsooth, ine prestes is not new
Yf þat of oulde it seyde for trew:
Inne the which dame Aueryce
Festenede hyre rotes at devyce,
Þat moder is of alkyne wice,
Ande hyre fere, yharnede cowatyse;
Forsoth, no wyckydnes may be
So wykede ne so felle to se
Thane ine to shynyng of golde lyt
Ryght so forsuth prestes throw it
Resaue shall sodeynly blyndnes,
As knowene is with more & lese.
Of Aueryce tempile bene thay
And of yharnynge þe rote perfay.—
And
e
quhill troyiens ine þe Cite
For to gader þe quantyte
Of golde ande syluer & of quhet
And besye war þame for to get,
Inne-to þe tempile of Mynerve
Sulde put heme thar for to conserve:
To þe gode, clepeth Appolyne,
That tempile þat was honourede Ine,
It plesede heme one þar best wyse
To mak solempne sacrifice,
Whar-to they put alway þar peyne
The multytude of bestes sleyne.
And as thyre forsaide bestes were
Lleyde to be brent one the altere,
And to thame fyre put, forto mo
Thys sacrifice: myraculis two
Hapnede amonges thame sodeynly.
The furst of þame was þis soothly:
That they þe fyre of no-kyne wyse
Myght kendle to þe sacrifice —
Ande tene tymes assayede thay,
Ande ay it ȝheide qwyt out away
But ony byrnynge ine one smek,
Ande nought apperede but one rek
That ine-to gret hast away went;
So þat troyiens, for ought they ment,
For sacrifice no fyre myght haue,
Þought þat they all, both knytht & knafe,
Thare besynes þar-to þane dyde.
The tothyre myrakle þus was kyde:
That, whene þe Inwarde bowelles were
Of þe bestes, we seyde of ayere,
Grathede & leyde one þe altere
To sacrifice, one þare maner:
One herne, out of the ayere fleande,
Inne clamour of þe voice sownande
Ryght sodeynly descendet þar
Ande russhande wpone þe altare
With hys ryvande ande sharpe tallons,
That for to se war rytht fellons,
The forsayde bowelles euerychone
He tok, ande syne away is gone,
Inne-to þe shippes but abayde
Of the gregeois ine hast þame hade.
Ryght gretumly þe troyien̄s were
Of þat thame þane fallene þare
Abayssede; ande ine multytude
They persavede, þat þane þai stude,
By þe fyrst tokene soothfastly
Of the furst myracle for-thy —
That they myght not kendile þe fyre:
The goddes ageyne heme ine-to Ire
Provokede certanly to be,
As was by lyklynes to se.
Ande for þir sayde myraclis both,
Sacrifice (!) to haue full Roth,
The counsale þai askede ine hye
Of Cassandra diligently,
That ine hyr witt was wondre wyse.
The which Cassandra of Empryse
The fyrst tokene seyde but were
That Appolyne ine gret manere
Was wroth, »bycause thrught ȝow hys place,
That is to say, hys tempile, was
Fylede ine the effusioune
Of mannys blude, maide right felloune,
Sene þat ine-to it Achilles
Thrught troyiens cruelly slayne was.
Wherfore spedfull war þane, thynk me,
That to Achilles grave go ȝhe,
Ande þar aforne to kendile gret lyght;
Of the quhilk lyght kendlit so bryght
Inne of þar maide so sacrifice
The lyght extinguede be no wyse (!).«
The which thinge withoutene hone
Inne-to all hast they gert be done.
(Of) the toþir myracle also
Affermede soothly Cassandro:
That tretede was prodicioune
Of the Cite of gret renowne
With þe gregeois, þat ware ritht stout,
Full certanly withoutene dout.
Whene of this thinge bischop Calchas
Frome þe gregeois demaundede was,
He seyde, þe scycounde syngne sothly
The tokyne for to signifye
Inne-to schort tyme for þe Cite
Thrught þe gregeois & þare pouste.
Inne þe meyne-tyme þis fals Calchas
With þe prest Cressys one gane pas
To gregeois ande gaue conselyne
That they to þe gode Appolyne
Thare sacrifice solempne sholde mo.
Ande at þare biddinge they dyde so.—
Syne eftere sacrifice þane maide,
The prest Cressys withoutene bayde
Counsalede of þe gregeois þe grettest
Of all the oost ande þe myghtyest
By thame-seluene ine prevate,
That they ine hast sholde ger maide be
Inne of one horss, symilitude
A brassyng horss, mekile ande rude,
Inne whome myght wele a thousande knyghtes
Be stedede, forcye for all fyghtes.
»The which horss they maide (!) vttrely
As of hyme determyne shall I—
For-why of all goddes þe will
But dout is contendande þar-till.
Thys horss shall maide be thrught mastrye
Of arte of þe wysemene crafty;
Inne þe which maide he (!) sere stekynges
Ryght craftely with wyse engynes,
And so subtelly to be wrought
That they of out-part appere nought
Ne maide oppyne to mannys sight—
They sey be maide thrught craft & flyght;
Thrught þe which closoures at þar will
The knyghtes, stedede hyme ine-till,
May Ische ine tyme & place gaynande,
They haue at lykynge awenande.
The which horss maide & ine it done
The thousande knyghtes, they right sone
Sall ask syne at Pryame the kynge
That ȝhe hyme ine the Cite may brynge
That horss ine honoure of Pallas,
Ande ine hys temple, wher-of was
The palladinar tokene away,
To sett it, þare to be for ay;
Pretendande þat occasioune
That ine the Recompensioūne
Of the palladinar haue ȝhe
Ordeynede þat ilk horss to be.«
At the counselle of þe prest Cressys
Ande þis provisioune ande devyse,
Thrught craft with all þare most laboure
Ande besynes þar-to ande cure
The horss completede was & mayde,
As Cressys forow ordeynede hade,
Ande ine the ȝhere of the Capcioune
Of þe Cite of gret renowne.
The kynges þat ine the helpynge
Of Troye come ande of Pryame kynge—
Of quhilkes mencioune haue we
Maide ine þis buk, who will it se—
Persavande þe connaund ine deide
So wele (!) þat kynge Pryame ine ȝeide
With þe gregeois, þai euerychone
Frome Troye to þar kynrykes bene gone,
With all þar folk þat with þame ware,
Pryame ine the toune levande þare.
For which thyng þe kyng Phylymene,
With twa thousande knyghtes kene
Come to Troye, went away, soothly,
But with two hundreth ande fyfty,
And of the madynnes companye
Ande Pantysylya þe bodye,
That, whene they come, a thousande were,
And now but fourhundreth but mare;
And so longe went þai one þare way
Inne Journeis, whill þat home come thay.
For to gader þe quantyte
Of golde ande syluer & of quhet
And besye war þame for to get,
Inne-to þe tempile of Mynerve
Sulde put heme thar for to conserve:
To þe gode, clepeth Appolyne,
That tempile þat was honourede Ine,
It plesede heme one þar best wyse
To mak solempne sacrifice,
Whar-to they put alway þar peyne
The multytude of bestes sleyne.
And as thyre forsaide bestes were
Lleyde to be brent one the altere,
And to thame fyre put, forto mo
Thys sacrifice: myraculis two
241
The furst of þame was þis soothly:
That they þe fyre of no-kyne wyse
Myght kendle to þe sacrifice —
Ande tene tymes assayede thay,
Ande ay it ȝheide qwyt out away
But ony byrnynge ine one smek,
Ande nought apperede but one rek
That ine-to gret hast away went;
So þat troyiens, for ought they ment,
For sacrifice no fyre myght haue,
Þought þat they all, both knytht & knafe,
Thare besynes þar-to þane dyde.
The tothyre myrakle þus was kyde:
That, whene þe Inwarde bowelles were
Of þe bestes, we seyde of ayere,
Grathede & leyde one þe altere
To sacrifice, one þare maner:
One herne, out of the ayere fleande,
Inne clamour of þe voice sownande
Ryght sodeynly descendet þar
Ande russhande wpone þe altare
With hys ryvande ande sharpe tallons,
That for to se war rytht fellons,
The forsayde bowelles euerychone
He tok, ande syne away is gone,
Inne-to þe shippes but abayde
Of the gregeois ine hast þame hade.
Ryght gretumly þe troyien̄s were
Of þat thame þane fallene þare
Abayssede; ande ine multytude
They persavede, þat þane þai stude,
By þe fyrst tokene soothfastly
Of the furst myracle for-thy —
That they myght not kendile þe fyre:
The goddes ageyne heme ine-to Ire
Provokede certanly to be,
As was by lyklynes to se.
Ande for þir sayde myraclis both,
Sacrifice (!) to haue full Roth,
The counsale þai askede ine hye
242
That ine hyr witt was wondre wyse.
The which Cassandra of Empryse
The fyrst tokene seyde but were
That Appolyne ine gret manere
Was wroth, »bycause thrught ȝow hys place,
That is to say, hys tempile, was
Fylede ine the effusioune
Of mannys blude, maide right felloune,
Sene þat ine-to it Achilles
Thrught troyiens cruelly slayne was.
Wherfore spedfull war þane, thynk me,
That to Achilles grave go ȝhe,
Ande þar aforne to kendile gret lyght;
Of the quhilk lyght kendlit so bryght
Inne of þar maide so sacrifice
The lyght extinguede be no wyse (!).«
The which thinge withoutene hone
Inne-to all hast they gert be done.
(Of) the toþir myracle also
Affermede soothly Cassandro:
That tretede was prodicioune
Of the Cite of gret renowne
With þe gregeois, þat ware ritht stout,
Full certanly withoutene dout.
Whene of this thinge bischop Calchas
Frome þe gregeois demaundede was,
He seyde, þe scycounde syngne sothly
The tokyne for to signifye
Inne-to schort tyme for þe Cite
Thrught þe gregeois & þare pouste.
Inne þe meyne-tyme þis fals Calchas
With þe prest Cressys one gane pas
To gregeois ande gaue conselyne
That they to þe gode Appolyne
Thare sacrifice solempne sholde mo.
Ande at þare biddinge they dyde so.—
Syne eftere sacrifice þane maide,
243
Counsalede of þe gregeois þe grettest
Of all the oost ande þe myghtyest
By thame-seluene ine prevate,
That they ine hast sholde ger maide be
Inne of one horss, symilitude
A brassyng horss, mekile ande rude,
Inne whome myght wele a thousande knyghtes
Be stedede, forcye for all fyghtes.
»The which horss they maide (!) vttrely
As of hyme determyne shall I—
For-why of all goddes þe will
But dout is contendande þar-till.
Thys horss shall maide be thrught mastrye
Of arte of þe wysemene crafty;
Inne þe which maide he (!) sere stekynges
Ryght craftely with wyse engynes,
And so subtelly to be wrought
That they of out-part appere nought
Ne maide oppyne to mannys sight—
They sey be maide thrught craft & flyght;
Thrught þe which closoures at þar will
The knyghtes, stedede hyme ine-till,
May Ische ine tyme & place gaynande,
They haue at lykynge awenande.
The which horss maide & ine it done
The thousande knyghtes, they right sone
Sall ask syne at Pryame the kynge
That ȝhe hyme ine the Cite may brynge
That horss ine honoure of Pallas,
Ande ine hys temple, wher-of was
The palladinar tokene away,
To sett it, þare to be for ay;
Pretendande þat occasioune
That ine the Recompensioūne
Of the palladinar haue ȝhe
Ordeynede þat ilk horss to be.«
244
Ande þis provisioune ande devyse,
Thrught craft with all þare most laboure
Ande besynes þar-to ande cure
The horss completede was & mayde,
As Cressys forow ordeynede hade,
Ande ine the ȝhere of the Capcioune
Of þe Cite of gret renowne.
The kynges þat ine the helpynge
Of Troye come ande of Pryame kynge—
Of quhilkes mencioune haue we
Maide ine þis buk, who will it se—
Persavande þe connaund ine deide
So wele (!) þat kynge Pryame ine ȝeide
With þe gregeois, þai euerychone
Frome Troye to þar kynrykes bene gone,
With all þar folk þat with þame ware,
Pryame ine the toune levande þare.
For which thyng þe kyng Phylymene,
With twa thousande knyghtes kene
Come to Troye, went away, soothly,
But with two hundreth ande fyfty,
And of the madynnes companye
Ande Pantysylya þe bodye,
That, whene they come, a thousande were,
And now but fourhundreth but mare;
And so longe went þai one þare way
Inne Journeis, whill þat home come thay.
Apone the next folowinge day,
Alssasly it was maide perfay,
Of the pees to holde & swere,
Inne myddes of the feldes were
Without þe walles of þe toune
The relykes ordeynede of renowne.
The kynge Pryame of þe Cite
Ysshede with a full gret menȝhe,
And he, and þe gregeois, trewly
The pece for to holde sekyrly,
Eftre þe fourme of sacrament
Swore ine olde tyme withoutene stent.
Dyomede has furst sworne, þe pees
Wnfenȝheandly to holde but lese,
Inne maner as schyre Anthenore
Amonges thame disponede wore (!);—
Ande whene eftre þe gregeois brok
The connande, þare þat they gane mok,
They seyde: þat they war not man-sworne,
Because with Anthenor aforne
They tretyt the prodicioune
And fenȝheandly þe pece of þe toune;—
The which is sooth, syth as it is
Inne-to proverbe seyde oft I-wyss:
That he þat swerys craftely,
Mansweris craftely for-thy.—
And as þis Dyomedes sware,
The gretest of gregeois swar þare.
The kynge Pryame not fenȝeandly,
But absolute and lelelye,
Wnwittande he dissavede was,
With all hys troyiens swore þe pees.
Thyre athys mayde one þis manere,
The kynge Pryame, þat wende, but were,
The athis, þe gregeois hade maide,
No frawde ne gyle ine-to thame hade,
To þe kynges of Grece ageyne
Restorede þane þe queene Heleyne
And with humble ande meke prayeres,
To thame maide ine-to gude maneres,
Commendede hyre, þat they sholde nought
Suffre for ought, was done or thought,
Anny Iniure to hyre be done.
The which þe gregeois feigneande sone
Grauntede it, with visage blyth,
Because þare falshede sholde not kyth.
Gregeois, yharnande with mayne & mude
The wachingis for to execude
Of þare fraudfull gyle but delay,
For-thy þe kynge Pryame they pray
That he walde latt ine þe Cite
Thare horss of brasse stedede be
Ande before the tempile Mynerue,
Contynualy þare to conserue
Inne-to þe honoure of Pallas,
Because the palladinar was
Out of þe tempile tone thyftely;
Inne recompensioune for-thy
Of it to Pallas þare offerande
They wolde mak þar & þat pressande
(G)yf to Pallas, at þare retoure
Inne þar cuntre with þar honoure
That skaithles they myght pas þe se
To þar owne londe ine sawyte.
Ande þought Pryame to þar askynge
Ande (!) þare preyere maide answeringe,
Eneas ande schyre Anthenore,
That all the gyle wist wele before,
Seyde thame thought was for to do,
Enfermande certeynly þar-to
That þe presende of the Cite
Sulde ine-to Ithande fayrnes be.
Forsuth þane all aganys hys will
The kynge Pryame grauntede þare-till,
That Eneas heme grauntede hade
And Anthenore, fraudefully maade.
Inne þe meyne-tyme Gregeois ine-fere
The syluer ande þe golde so clere,
Was hight thame frome Pryame, they ta,
Ande the charges of whet alsua,
And to þar shippes hade it syne
And with it chargede thame with-Inne.
Alssasly it was maide perfay,
Of the pees to holde & swere,
Inne myddes of the feldes were
Without þe walles of þe toune
The relykes ordeynede of renowne.
The kynge Pryame of þe Cite
245
And he, and þe gregeois, trewly
The pece for to holde sekyrly,
Eftre þe fourme of sacrament
Swore ine olde tyme withoutene stent.
Dyomede has furst sworne, þe pees
Wnfenȝheandly to holde but lese,
Inne maner as schyre Anthenore
Amonges thame disponede wore (!);—
Ande whene eftre þe gregeois brok
The connande, þare þat they gane mok,
They seyde: þat they war not man-sworne,
Because with Anthenor aforne
They tretyt the prodicioune
And fenȝheandly þe pece of þe toune;—
The which is sooth, syth as it is
Inne-to proverbe seyde oft I-wyss:
That he þat swerys craftely,
Mansweris craftely for-thy.—
And as þis Dyomedes sware,
The gretest of gregeois swar þare.
The kynge Pryame not fenȝeandly,
But absolute and lelelye,
Wnwittande he dissavede was,
With all hys troyiens swore þe pees.
Thyre athys mayde one þis manere,
The kynge Pryame, þat wende, but were,
The athis, þe gregeois hade maide,
No frawde ne gyle ine-to thame hade,
To þe kynges of Grece ageyne
Restorede þane þe queene Heleyne
And with humble ande meke prayeres,
To thame maide ine-to gude maneres,
Commendede hyre, þat they sholde nought
Suffre for ought, was done or thought,
Anny Iniure to hyre be done.
The which þe gregeois feigneande sone
246
Because þare falshede sholde not kyth.
Gregeois, yharnande with mayne & mude
The wachingis for to execude
Of þare fraudfull gyle but delay,
For-thy þe kynge Pryame they pray
That he walde latt ine þe Cite
Thare horss of brasse stedede be
Ande before the tempile Mynerue,
Contynualy þare to conserue
Inne-to þe honoure of Pallas,
Because the palladinar was
Out of þe tempile tone thyftely;
Inne recompensioune for-thy
Of it to Pallas þare offerande
They wolde mak þar & þat pressande
(G)yf to Pallas, at þare retoure
Inne þar cuntre with þar honoure
That skaithles they myght pas þe se
To þar owne londe ine sawyte.
Ande þought Pryame to þar askynge
Ande (!) þare preyere maide answeringe,
Eneas ande schyre Anthenore,
That all the gyle wist wele before,
Seyde thame thought was for to do,
Enfermande certeynly þar-to
That þe presende of the Cite
Sulde ine-to Ithande fayrnes be.
Forsuth þane all aganys hys will
The kynge Pryame grauntede þare-till,
That Eneas heme grauntede hade
And Anthenore, fraudefully maade.
Inne þe meyne-tyme Gregeois ine-fere
The syluer ande þe golde so clere,
Was hight thame frome Pryame, they ta,
Ande the charges of whet alsua,
And to þar shippes hade it syne
And with it chargede thame with-Inne.
247
Forsooth, þe gregeois euerychone,
To-gyddere commandede heme ine one,
With effecte of deuocioune
And with gret processioune
Of þare prestes, with cordes sere
And vthere thynges necessere
The horss they drew, whill to þe gate
They brought, ande syne hyme set þare-at.
The port, forsooth, of the Cite
Was nought of so gret quantyte
The horss myght entre gaynandly.
One nede they huffyt it (!) for-thy
To brek þe wall one eueryche syde
Ande the port als to mak it wyde,
And of the hight to brek also,
Whill þat þare (!) myght entre þare mo.
Thys done, troyiens ine þis Cite—
Was nought of so gret quantyte—
Whene opene maide was þe entre,
They dressede thame, as best myght be,
They drew þe horss with moche Joye
Withine þe gret Cite of Troye.
For it is nought new certanly
Ilast Joye þat sorow occupye:—
Sene þat þe troyiens cyteȝanis
Ande þe grettest of thame certanys
Of blynde wachingis blynde ware maide,
Nought þe horss þe drawynge hade,
þought þat þe dedys as of þe corps
Statut lyknes of ane horss,
But errare of thame of þat stede
Inne hys bowalles to dolfull dede
That Impressede, þe sooth to say,—
As kende was eftre by assay.
Inne-to þis sayde horss of gret fame
The gregeois put ane, to name
Hate Symeone, the whome they thare
The keyes of this horss he bare (!)
They assignede; ande whene þat he
Saw tyme ande oportunyte
Ande persavede troyiens slepande
Inne þare Innes & þare restande,
He sholde þane oppyne þe closoures
That stekyt war thrught crafty cures,
Ande they withine out to go,
And syne one fyre with tokene mo,
That þe gregeois ine þe Cite
They lyghtlyere myght haue entre
Ande more abile myght mak to dede
The troyiens slepande ine þat stede.
The gregeois gylfully þat day
Seyde to Pryame þat pas walde þai
To Thenadone all holely,
Whare they hade statut, pryvely
For to receyve þe queene Eleyne,
For they drede gretly ine-to certeyne
That, gif ine Troye ressauit war scho,
For anny thynge þat they myght do
Scho walde be put to felloune dede,
That none þare-ine myght set remede,
Whene noyse ine-to þe oost so ryse
She ware ressauit one syk wyse.
It plesede to Pryame þe kynge,
As wnwittande þar purposinge,
Of þe gregeois falss spekynges,
Thame reputande leile ine-to all thingis.
Wherfore ascendande þe gregeois
Thar shippes with gret myrth & noyse,
Ande saylede one frome Troyes stronde,
All hole þe troyiens thame seande,
That þar-of war rytht wondre blyth.
At Thenadone the Gregeois swyth
Aryvede weill with all þare thynge
A litill foroweth þe evynnynge,
And slepede þare ine gret blythnes.
And whene of the nyght þe myrknes
Was one commyne, one þare best wyse
Inne þare armoure they thame warnyse,
And ine gret scylence of the nyght
To the Cite of Troye went ryght.
To-gyddere commandede heme ine one,
With effecte of deuocioune
And with gret processioune
Of þare prestes, with cordes sere
And vthere thynges necessere
The horss they drew, whill to þe gate
They brought, ande syne hyme set þare-at.
The port, forsooth, of the Cite
Was nought of so gret quantyte
The horss myght entre gaynandly.
One nede they huffyt it (!) for-thy
To brek þe wall one eueryche syde
Ande the port als to mak it wyde,
And of the hight to brek also,
Whill þat þare (!) myght entre þare mo.
Thys done, troyiens ine þis Cite—
Was nought of so gret quantyte—
Whene opene maide was þe entre,
They dressede thame, as best myght be,
They drew þe horss with moche Joye
Withine þe gret Cite of Troye.
For it is nought new certanly
Ilast Joye þat sorow occupye:—
Sene þat þe troyiens cyteȝanis
Ande þe grettest of thame certanys
Of blynde wachingis blynde ware maide,
Nought þe horss þe drawynge hade,
þought þat þe dedys as of þe corps
Statut lyknes of ane horss,
But errare of thame of þat stede
Inne hys bowalles to dolfull dede
That Impressede, þe sooth to say,—
As kende was eftre by assay.
Inne-to þis sayde horss of gret fame
The gregeois put ane, to name
Hate Symeone, the whome they thare
The keyes of this horss he bare (!)
248
Saw tyme ande oportunyte
Ande persavede troyiens slepande
Inne þare Innes & þare restande,
He sholde þane oppyne þe closoures
That stekyt war thrught crafty cures,
Ande they withine out to go,
And syne one fyre with tokene mo,
That þe gregeois ine þe Cite
They lyghtlyere myght haue entre
Ande more abile myght mak to dede
The troyiens slepande ine þat stede.
The gregeois gylfully þat day
Seyde to Pryame þat pas walde þai
To Thenadone all holely,
Whare they hade statut, pryvely
For to receyve þe queene Eleyne,
For they drede gretly ine-to certeyne
That, gif ine Troye ressauit war scho,
For anny thynge þat they myght do
Scho walde be put to felloune dede,
That none þare-ine myght set remede,
Whene noyse ine-to þe oost so ryse
She ware ressauit one syk wyse.
It plesede to Pryame þe kynge,
As wnwittande þar purposinge,
Of þe gregeois falss spekynges,
Thame reputande leile ine-to all thingis.
Wherfore ascendande þe gregeois
Thar shippes with gret myrth & noyse,
Ande saylede one frome Troyes stronde,
All hole þe troyiens thame seande,
That þar-of war rytht wondre blyth.
At Thenadone the Gregeois swyth
Aryvede weill with all þare thynge
249
And slepede þare ine gret blythnes.
And whene of the nyght þe myrknes
Was one commyne, one þare best wyse
Inne þare armoure they thame warnyse,
And ine gret scylence of the nyght
To the Cite of Troye went ryght.
Quhen
e
Symeon persavede wele
The troyiens all euire-ilk deill
One slepe and all the toune pryve,
Inne hye of hys horss ysshede he,
The stekynges oppynnede, ande syne þe fyre
He gert ascende byrnnande full schyre,
Ande so to gregeois one commande
The tokene gave, was awenande.
That ine-contynent thrught þe wall
Of the brokyne port entrede all;
Ande þe knyghtes out commande þare
Of the horss, whare ine stedede ware,
One þe troyiens russhede rigorously,
That ine þar Innes, sekyrly,
Inne-to þare beddes lay slepande,
Of syk assawtes not dredande.
The gregeois apone ilk syde
The ȝattes felonly þat tyde
Of þare Innes brok ande full sone
Inne-to þar Innes entrede but hone
And slew all thame, they Ine fonde,
Rytht na discrecioune havande
Of oulde folk, barnys, nore wyffes,
That they felly reft heme þe lyffes;
And all þare ryches preciouse,
They fonde ine byggynge or ine house,
They exponyt ine reffe ande praye
Ande preciouse thynges all hade away.
So þat, or ony day dew lyght
That dyde awaye myrknes of nyght,
Of mene twenty thousande & mare
They slew þat nyght with dole & care;
The tempiles of þe toune spolȝeande
Full cruelly thrught strenth of hande.
The clamoure gret was ine þe toune
Of þe gret occisioune
Of woices of thame deande,
Inne tyme gregeois war sleyande.
Ande whene kinge Pryame sodeynly
So gret clamour herde, & crye,
He wyst ine hye ine-to þat cace
Of Anthenore ande Eneas
Hyme traytourly to be bytradyt;
For-thy of hys bede he hyme rasyt,
Inne-to hys thought full rytht angry
Ande (in) of teres full gret copye,
Ande ine hys clothes sone hyme clede
That he fonde redy ine-to þat stede,
And syne descendede sodeynly
Of hys chalmeres all anerly
Ande ine the tempile Appolyne,
That was stondynge hys palaas Ine,
He entrede, wenande but remede
Of hys foes sone to be dede—
For of hys lyf all hope away
Frome hyme excludede was for ay.
He ley before þe gret altere
One gruff, makyng soroufull chere,
Inne of mony teres gretande (!)
Wndoutandly þe dede bydande.
Cassandra flede wauerande as wode
Ande ine-to tempile Mynerve stoode
And grevously þe slaughtre þar
Of hyrris, þat sleyne war, sorowede yhare.
The laif of the nobile wemene
Inne þe kynges palaas war thene,
Inne fele teres ande ine doloure,
Remanande still, ande ine langoure.
And whene þe day was dawyne lyght
And þat place maide of lyght all bright,
Gregeois ritht sone ine the morowynge
Wnder Anthenoris ledynge
And Eneas þat was hys fere—
Quhilkes publickis traytoures were
Of þare londe—ine gret Illioune,
The kynges palaas of the toune,
Russhede, quhar they defence fande nane.
For-thy they haue sone entre tane
Inne it, and sleuth all þat they fonde
Dispiteously with dynt of honde.
Inne the forsaide tempile Appolyne
Pyrrus ine all hast entrede syne,
Whare þat kynge Pryame ine þat stede
Was abydyng hys propre dede;
One hyme he russhede with all hys mayne,
With swerde ine-to hys honde all drawyne;
Inne sight of wyckede Anthenore
Ande Eneas, þat came before,—
That of þe gregeois lederes were,—
Full fellounly he slew hyme there.
He felle before þe altere doune,
Inne ryght mekile effusioune
Of bloode þat of hys corps kane pas,
So þat maide wete þe most part was
Of the gret altere of hys bloode
That streymande out hys body yhoode.
The quene forsooth þane, Eccuba,
Ande hyr doughter Pollycena
Thame gaue to flyght—but wheþir þai
Sulde flee, they wist nought, sooth to say.
Ande neuiretheles thay þus fleande,
The troyiens all euire-ilk deill
One slepe and all the toune pryve,
Inne hye of hys horss ysshede he,
The stekynges oppynnede, ande syne þe fyre
He gert ascende byrnnande full schyre,
Ande so to gregeois one commande
The tokene gave, was awenande.
That ine-contynent thrught þe wall
Of the brokyne port entrede all;
Ande þe knyghtes out commande þare
Of the horss, whare ine stedede ware,
One þe troyiens russhede rigorously,
That ine þar Innes, sekyrly,
Inne-to þare beddes lay slepande,
Of syk assawtes not dredande.
The gregeois apone ilk syde
The ȝattes felonly þat tyde
Of þare Innes brok ande full sone
Inne-to þar Innes entrede but hone
And slew all thame, they Ine fonde,
Rytht na discrecioune havande
Of oulde folk, barnys, nore wyffes,
That they felly reft heme þe lyffes;
And all þare ryches preciouse,
They fonde ine byggynge or ine house,
They exponyt ine reffe ande praye
Ande preciouse thynges all hade away.
So þat, or ony day dew lyght
That dyde awaye myrknes of nyght,
Of mene twenty thousande & mare
250
The tempiles of þe toune spolȝeande
Full cruelly thrught strenth of hande.
The clamoure gret was ine þe toune
Of þe gret occisioune
Of woices of thame deande,
Inne tyme gregeois war sleyande.
Ande whene kinge Pryame sodeynly
So gret clamour herde, & crye,
He wyst ine hye ine-to þat cace
Of Anthenore ande Eneas
Hyme traytourly to be bytradyt;
For-thy of hys bede he hyme rasyt,
Inne-to hys thought full rytht angry
Ande (in) of teres full gret copye,
Ande ine hys clothes sone hyme clede
That he fonde redy ine-to þat stede,
And syne descendede sodeynly
Of hys chalmeres all anerly
Ande ine the tempile Appolyne,
That was stondynge hys palaas Ine,
He entrede, wenande but remede
Of hys foes sone to be dede—
For of hys lyf all hope away
Frome hyme excludede was for ay.
He ley before þe gret altere
One gruff, makyng soroufull chere,
Inne of mony teres gretande (!)
Wndoutandly þe dede bydande.
Cassandra flede wauerande as wode
Ande ine-to tempile Mynerve stoode
And grevously þe slaughtre þar
Of hyrris, þat sleyne war, sorowede yhare.
The laif of the nobile wemene
Inne þe kynges palaas war thene,
Inne fele teres ande ine doloure,
Remanande still, ande ine langoure.
And whene þe day was dawyne lyght
251
Gregeois ritht sone ine the morowynge
Wnder Anthenoris ledynge
And Eneas þat was hys fere—
Quhilkes publickis traytoures were
Of þare londe—ine gret Illioune,
The kynges palaas of the toune,
Russhede, quhar they defence fande nane.
For-thy they haue sone entre tane
Inne it, and sleuth all þat they fonde
Dispiteously with dynt of honde.
Inne the forsaide tempile Appolyne
Pyrrus ine all hast entrede syne,
Whare þat kynge Pryame ine þat stede
Was abydyng hys propre dede;
One hyme he russhede with all hys mayne,
With swerde ine-to hys honde all drawyne;
Inne sight of wyckede Anthenore
Ande Eneas, þat came before,—
That of þe gregeois lederes were,—
Full fellounly he slew hyme there.
He felle before þe altere doune,
Inne ryght mekile effusioune
Of bloode þat of hys corps kane pas,
So þat maide wete þe most part was
Of the gret altere of hys bloode
That streymande out hys body yhoode.
The quene forsooth þane, Eccuba,
Ande hyr doughter Pollycena
Thame gaue to flyght—but wheþir þai
Sulde flee, they wist nought, sooth to say.
Ande neuiretheles thay þus fleande,
But whare they sulde pas notht witt-ande,
It happende thame to mete per cas
Ageynes thame fals Eneas.
To whome Eccuba ine-to wodnes—
Ryght gret sklandere ine hyre wes—
Seyde to hyme with full yrous chere
Such-lyche wordes in þis maner:
»O felloune traytoure ine-to deide,
How myght such wyckydnes procede
Of so rytht felloune cruelte,
As now procedede is of the:
That þe kyng Pryame, whome-of þow
Toke so gret gyftes of waleue
And was so hyede to honoure
Of hyme thrught hys gret valoure,
That þow þus wpone honde sulde to
To lede hys foes hyme for to slo—
The which þow aught wele thrught Resoune
To saue ine thyne protectioune?
Thy contre þow bytradit has
The which þow Ine borne was,
Inne þe which þow ine tyme so longe
Was gloriouse troyiens amonge—
Ande þow vggis notht þe Inbrynginge
Of it ne yhit þe doune-ryvynge—
With which byrnnynge now it rekys,
As wele apperes by þe smekes!
Now atte last þow pete ta
Of þis wreche here, Pollycena,
Ande þat thy wyckede thought for-thy
Dingne of hyre to haue mercye,
That thy wyckede & (!) hyre spare,
She be not combrede ine-to more care;
That amonge Illes sa mony,
Quhilkes þow done has wickedly,
That þow þis litill goode walde do,
And at þe lest mytht be the to
Reputede wirtue, to assay
Her fore to help, if þat þow may,
Or þat scho fall handes ine-till
That hyr defoule or hyr sla will.«
At þe wordes of Eccuba
Eneas was amevede sua
Inne-to hyme-seluene of pitte,
That fayre Pollicena tok he
And wnknawine with hyme hyre lede
And put hyr ine o pryvee stede.
Schyre Thelamonyus ine hye
Of tempile Mynerve þe lusty
Hectoris wyf, A(n)dromatha,
He dreugh, ande als Cassandra.
Menelayus þe kynge full blyth
Out of the kynges hall dreuth swyth
Away with hyme þe queyne Eleyne,
And of þat thinge was wondre feyne.
But gregeois, ine þare wodnes
Perseverande, ine thar wyckydnes
All the gret palaas Illioune,
That was of so gret renoune,
They studyit ine-to þare entent
It till oure-tyrve of fundement;
The Cite they sett all ine fyre,
That thrught byggyngis brent full schyre,
And so with sindry kyndelingis
Thrught felloune lowes & byrnnyngis
They exponede all vterly
The Cite to be byrnt holy.
Wharfore fayre Troye frome place to place
Inne full blak smek our-rekande was.
Of the which byrnynge, þe sooth to tell,
The palaas of the rewes fell,
That doune fallynge war one þe landis,
Peryst ande brent all ine-to brandis—
Outtane the houses ine tho houres
The which warene of tho traytoures.
It happende thame to mete per cas
Ageynes thame fals Eneas.
252
Ryght gret sklandere ine hyre wes—
Seyde to hyme with full yrous chere
Such-lyche wordes in þis maner:
»O felloune traytoure ine-to deide,
How myght such wyckydnes procede
Of so rytht felloune cruelte,
As now procedede is of the:
That þe kyng Pryame, whome-of þow
Toke so gret gyftes of waleue
And was so hyede to honoure
Of hyme thrught hys gret valoure,
That þow þus wpone honde sulde to
To lede hys foes hyme for to slo—
The which þow aught wele thrught Resoune
To saue ine thyne protectioune?
Thy contre þow bytradit has
The which þow Ine borne was,
Inne þe which þow ine tyme so longe
Was gloriouse troyiens amonge—
Ande þow vggis notht þe Inbrynginge
Of it ne yhit þe doune-ryvynge—
With which byrnnynge now it rekys,
As wele apperes by þe smekes!
Now atte last þow pete ta
Of þis wreche here, Pollycena,
Ande þat thy wyckede thought for-thy
Dingne of hyre to haue mercye,
That thy wyckede & (!) hyre spare,
She be not combrede ine-to more care;
That amonge Illes sa mony,
Quhilkes þow done has wickedly,
That þow þis litill goode walde do,
And at þe lest mytht be the to
Reputede wirtue, to assay
Her fore to help, if þat þow may,
Or þat scho fall handes ine-till
That hyr defoule or hyr sla will.«
At þe wordes of Eccuba
253
Inne-to hyme-seluene of pitte,
That fayre Pollicena tok he
And wnknawine with hyme hyre lede
And put hyr ine o pryvee stede.
Schyre Thelamonyus ine hye
Of tempile Mynerve þe lusty
Hectoris wyf, A(n)dromatha,
He dreugh, ande als Cassandra.
Menelayus þe kynge full blyth
Out of the kynges hall dreuth swyth
Away with hyme þe queyne Eleyne,
And of þat thinge was wondre feyne.
But gregeois, ine þare wodnes
Perseverande, ine thar wyckydnes
All the gret palaas Illioune,
That was of so gret renoune,
They studyit ine-to þare entent
It till oure-tyrve of fundement;
The Cite they sett all ine fyre,
That thrught byggyngis brent full schyre,
And so with sindry kyndelingis
Thrught felloune lowes & byrnnyngis
They exponede all vterly
The Cite to be byrnt holy.
Wharfore fayre Troye frome place to place
Inne full blak smek our-rekande was.
Of the which byrnynge, þe sooth to tell,
The palaas of the rewes fell,
That doune fallynge war one þe landis,
Peryst ande brent all ine-to brandis—
Outtane the houses ine tho houres
The which warene of tho traytoures.
That thrught tokynnes, heme gevine þare,
Frome þe byrnynge reseruede ware.
The Cite one þis maner brent
Ande oure-tyrvede of fundement.—
The kynge forsuth, Agamenone,
Inne tempile Mynerve of renowne
Maide of the oost þe grettest all
Of þe gregeois before hyme call.
The which þare commyne, besely
Agamenone sperede ine hye
Of two thynges, furst to sey
That: if þat holdene sholde (be) þe fey
To thame whare-thrught gregeois ware maide
Of the burghe lordes & it hade,
That is to say: to Eneas
And to Anthenore, þat hys fere was;
Ande ine what forme & maner syne
War to holde þe distrybruyne
Of the ryches of þat Cite,
Thrught spoillinge tane, how it sulde be.
The answere of the gregeois was:
To Anthenore ande Eneas
For to kepe goode feyth & connande,
Thrught quhilkes they þe ouirhande
Hade of the burghe ande of it were
Ilordes at þare willes þare;
Of all þe ryches of þat toune
That gottene ware, sholde ine commowne
And all to-gyddere ine-to one,
The seyde ryches sulde to Ichone
Eftre þe estate & meryte
Amonge heme be distrybut tyt.
But Aiax Thelamonyus
Eftre þar ordynaunce, maide þus,
Seyde: Heleyne sholde be done to dede,
Thrught whome such slaughtre & such fede
Ande so moche ewill þe gregeois hade
Ande ek so moche dispenses made,
The which wronges they hade so lonnge
Suffrede ine tyme gone thame amonge.
Fele of the kynges to hys will
Ande hys counsele anerdyt till;
That kynge Agamenone vnnese,
Ne Menelay þat hyr lorde wes,
Frome þe dede Heleyne myght defende,
Sene mast part to þe lattere ende
Of Heleyne the kynges Ichone
Consentede nere forsooth ine one.
But kynge Vlixes ine-to contrare
Of thame þat þane ageynes hyre ware,
Inne sermoune maide thrught eloquence,
Ande so declynande þar sentence,
That he with hys fayre sermonynges
Enducede so þe forsayde kynges
That of thame changede þe sentence
Gevine to Helenys offence
Ande ine hyre liberacioune
All has consentede ine o sowne.
Agamenone maide such preyere
Anence thyre forsaydes kynges here,
That ine rewarde of hys laboure
Cassandra of rytht gret honoure
To hyme they grauntede haue frely—
Ande he þar-of was blyth for-thy.
Neuirtheles or þe spekynges
Of hyre amonge þir forsaide kynges
Was endyt, þane as ine þat place
Come Anthenore ande Eneas
Ande tolde how þat Andromatha,
The kynge Priamys sone alsua
Heleyne, counselede þe troyiens
Ageynes gregeois notht for to pres
And to eschue ine all degre
Of thame alwey þe ennymyte;
Thrught whois trety also wes
The corps frely of Achilles
Gevine with full gret honoure
To a ryche ande nobile sepulture;
Wharfore they askede thame to be,
As worthy, of all thrillege fre.
Which frome þe kynges liberaly
Ware grauntede ande debonarly.
Elenus for þe sonnes twa
Of Hector ande A(n)dromatha
Preyede þe kynges right humbly,
To graunt heme fredome & mercye.
And it was grauntede at þar request,
Sene they thought it was honest;—
But Pyrrus, þat ine hys kepynge
Thame hade, furst ine-to mekile thynge
Ageyne-stoode & seyde: to þe dede
They war to do for cause of fede.
That all þat ware nobile wemene,
They statut alss amonges heme þene,
The quhilkes frome gyrnes of dede
Ware eschapede ine-to þat stede,
Sulde haue fredome hole at þare will
To pas or þane to duell þar still.
And eftre syne disponede they
Inne hye frome Troye to pas away.
(Bot) of the see þe gret tempest,
That was amevede thrught wyndes blest,
Enforcede was so fellonly
That o longe moneth certeynly
Because of it they sayle myght nought,
For ought þare-to þat they do mought.
Ande sene þat so þe see-tempestes
Ilownyt not nor yhet toke restes,
Gregeois þe cause besely
Frome þe bischope Calchas for-thy
Sperede of þat Impedyment,
Ande preyede to say heme hys entent
Why þe cause of such blame grevous
Procedede, Indurande yrous.
Inne hye thame answerde þane Calchas
Ande seydene: þat for cause it was
That assyth was not maide at will
The soule of schyre Achilles till,
Which ine the temple Appolyne
Was sleyne dispiteously longe syne;
»Sacrifice it is to mo
Of hyre whome thrught þat he was so
Sleyne, þat yhit one lyve remanys.«
Whene Pyrrus wyst þat ine certeynis,
Diligently he speryt sone
What of Pollycena was done
That for such cause Impulsyve wes
Of the felloune deth of Achilles,
And sene þat it was kende to none
Whe þir þat sche war dede or tone,
That all Ichone was affermande
Comownly sche was lyffande.
And kynge Agamenone herfore
Demaundede hath schyre Anthenore;
And he hyre nyt. wherfor ine hye
Agamenone full fellounly
Put ageyne Anthenore ine stryve
Wher sche sholde be ande sche one lyve.
And Anthenore, þat wele gane se
Hyme of Agamenone to be
Impungnede, ande of vtheres sere
Of gregeois, as lych was but were,
And willande hys perdicioune
All to compleyne (!), þat was felloune,
He travalede þane ritht wilfully
Full feile dayes ande ythandly
And besely also ande fast,
Whill he hyre fande syne at þe last
Inne one depe place alanerly.
Of one oulde toure rytht pryvely.
To whome he passede, or he fayne,
Ande by þe armes hyre has tayne
Wiolently, fro he hyre knew,
Ande frome þe saide tour he hyre drew,
Ande present hyre ine-contynent,
Fro scho was tayne, or he wolde stent,
To kyng Agamenone. ande he
Maide hyr to Pyrrus sone sende be.
Whare-of Pyrrus was wondre feyne
Ande bade sone þat scho sulde be sleyne
One the sepulture where-ine wes
Hys fader buryede, Achilles.
Frome þe byrnynge reseruede ware.
The Cite one þis maner brent
254
The kynge forsuth, Agamenone,
Inne tempile Mynerve of renowne
Maide of the oost þe grettest all
Of þe gregeois before hyme call.
The which þare commyne, besely
Agamenone sperede ine hye
Of two thynges, furst to sey
That: if þat holdene sholde (be) þe fey
To thame whare-thrught gregeois ware maide
Of the burghe lordes & it hade,
That is to say: to Eneas
And to Anthenore, þat hys fere was;
Ande ine what forme & maner syne
War to holde þe distrybruyne
Of the ryches of þat Cite,
Thrught spoillinge tane, how it sulde be.
The answere of the gregeois was:
To Anthenore ande Eneas
For to kepe goode feyth & connande,
Thrught quhilkes they þe ouirhande
Hade of the burghe ande of it were
Ilordes at þare willes þare;
Of all þe ryches of þat toune
That gottene ware, sholde ine commowne
And all to-gyddere ine-to one,
The seyde ryches sulde to Ichone
Eftre þe estate & meryte
Amonge heme be distrybut tyt.
But Aiax Thelamonyus
Eftre þar ordynaunce, maide þus,
Seyde: Heleyne sholde be done to dede,
Thrught whome such slaughtre & such fede
Ande so moche ewill þe gregeois hade
Ande ek so moche dispenses made,
The which wronges they hade so lonnge
Suffrede ine tyme gone thame amonge.
Fele of the kynges to hys will
255
That kynge Agamenone vnnese,
Ne Menelay þat hyr lorde wes,
Frome þe dede Heleyne myght defende,
Sene mast part to þe lattere ende
Of Heleyne the kynges Ichone
Consentede nere forsooth ine one.
But kynge Vlixes ine-to contrare
Of thame þat þane ageynes hyre ware,
Inne sermoune maide thrught eloquence,
Ande so declynande þar sentence,
That he with hys fayre sermonynges
Enducede so þe forsayde kynges
That of thame changede þe sentence
Gevine to Helenys offence
Ande ine hyre liberacioune
All has consentede ine o sowne.
Agamenone maide such preyere
Anence thyre forsaydes kynges here,
That ine rewarde of hys laboure
Cassandra of rytht gret honoure
To hyme they grauntede haue frely—
Ande he þar-of was blyth for-thy.
Neuirtheles or þe spekynges
Of hyre amonge þir forsaide kynges
Was endyt, þane as ine þat place
Come Anthenore ande Eneas
Ande tolde how þat Andromatha,
The kynge Priamys sone alsua
Heleyne, counselede þe troyiens
Ageynes gregeois notht for to pres
And to eschue ine all degre
Of thame alwey þe ennymyte;
Thrught whois trety also wes
The corps frely of Achilles
Gevine with full gret honoure
To a ryche ande nobile sepulture;
256
As worthy, of all thrillege fre.
Which frome þe kynges liberaly
Ware grauntede ande debonarly.
Elenus for þe sonnes twa
Of Hector ande A(n)dromatha
Preyede þe kynges right humbly,
To graunt heme fredome & mercye.
And it was grauntede at þar request,
Sene they thought it was honest;—
But Pyrrus, þat ine hys kepynge
Thame hade, furst ine-to mekile thynge
Ageyne-stoode & seyde: to þe dede
They war to do for cause of fede.
That all þat ware nobile wemene,
They statut alss amonges heme þene,
The quhilkes frome gyrnes of dede
Ware eschapede ine-to þat stede,
Sulde haue fredome hole at þare will
To pas or þane to duell þar still.
And eftre syne disponede they
Inne hye frome Troye to pas away.
(Bot) of the see þe gret tempest,
That was amevede thrught wyndes blest,
Enforcede was so fellonly
That o longe moneth certeynly
Because of it they sayle myght nought,
For ought þare-to þat they do mought.
Ande sene þat so þe see-tempestes
Ilownyt not nor yhet toke restes,
Gregeois þe cause besely
Frome þe bischope Calchas for-thy
Sperede of þat Impedyment,
Ande preyede to say heme hys entent
Why þe cause of such blame grevous
Procedede, Indurande yrous.
Inne hye thame answerde þane Calchas
Ande seydene: þat for cause it was
257
The soule of schyre Achilles till,
Which ine the temple Appolyne
Was sleyne dispiteously longe syne;
»Sacrifice it is to mo
Of hyre whome thrught þat he was so
Sleyne, þat yhit one lyve remanys.«
Whene Pyrrus wyst þat ine certeynis,
Diligently he speryt sone
What of Pollycena was done
That for such cause Impulsyve wes
Of the felloune deth of Achilles,
And sene þat it was kende to none
Whe þir þat sche war dede or tone,
That all Ichone was affermande
Comownly sche was lyffande.
And kynge Agamenone herfore
Demaundede hath schyre Anthenore;
And he hyre nyt. wherfor ine hye
Agamenone full fellounly
Put ageyne Anthenore ine stryve
Wher sche sholde be ande sche one lyve.
And Anthenore, þat wele gane se
Hyme of Agamenone to be
Impungnede, ande of vtheres sere
Of gregeois, as lych was but were,
And willande hys perdicioune
All to compleyne (!), þat was felloune,
He travalede þane ritht wilfully
Full feile dayes ande ythandly
And besely also ande fast,
Whill he hyre fande syne at þe last
Inne one depe place alanerly.
Of one oulde toure rytht pryvely.
To whome he passede, or he fayne,
Ande by þe armes hyre has tayne
Wiolently, fro he hyre knew,
Ande frome þe saide tour he hyre drew,
258
Fro scho was tayne, or he wolde stent,
To kyng Agamenone. ande he
Maide hyr to Pyrrus sone sende be.
Whare-of Pyrrus was wondre feyne
Ande bade sone þat scho sulde be sleyne
One the sepulture where-ine wes
Hys fader buryede, Achilles.
And
e
whene þe fayre Pollycena
To sacrifice be lede sulde swa,
The kynges all to-gyddere rane,
Ande þe commons als, to se hyre þane,
That ine fourme of so gret fayrnes
For to tyne, as scho þat wes
For-outene cause or anny wyme
Committede to be dede þat tyme,
They sorow all þare commonly
Ande of hyre pytte has for-thy;
Ande of þe handes sone hade þai
Forsuth of Pyrrus tane away
Hyre ande delyuerede hade frely,
Hade notht Calchas bene certanly,
That seyde: scho ine-to lyf beande,
The retoure gregeois to þar lande
May notht be mayde fre faculte
Oppyne to thame to sayle þe see.
Pollycena, þat stondande wes
Before þe graue of Achilles,
With humble wordes hyre excusede
Of hys dede whene scho was accusede,
She seyde, sche was gretly anoyede
Of hyme þat was so distroyit,
Ande þat kynges ande prynces dere
That ine þat place present were
Tholys a wirgyne Innocent
Ageynes all rithtwise Jugement
To be peryst withoutene blame
And but cause makynge of defame—
Nought at the deth sche wggis there,
Sene þat hyre lyf is ferre hardere
To hyre be fere þane is the dede
That sche sholde ressaue ine þat stede,
As virgyne of such Nobilite
Thane lat of hyre virgynite
The closoures vnlefsumly
To be brokene ande wnskilfully,
And the hole clernes of hyr schame
And but cause makynge of diffame
Quhilkes ware of such ryalte (!)
Inne anny wyse sulde fylede be,
And of thame þat full cruelly
Hyre fader sleuth, þat was worthy,
Ande hyre doughty brethyre also
Thrught foes hattrent they coude to;
Wherfore sche seyde þat ine-to dede
To hyre is bettre to succede
Inne-to þare owene cuntre (!)
Thane thrught exile for to be
Inne othere provynces lyvinge,
Inne poverte hyr lyf ledynge.
Wherfore the dede come one and It,
She seyde, thankfull sche wolde admytt,
Sene sche is clere & pure virgyne;
Ande hyre virgynite sche syne
To all the goddes of Empryse
And to dede, to mak sacrifice,
She offrede wp ine-to þat stede;
Syne helde hyre still, bydyng hyre dede.
Whene cessyde hade Pollycena
Of hyre sermoune she seyde alsua,
Pyrrus with nakede swerde ine hande—
Hyre moder Eccuba seande—
Russhede one hyre rytht hastely
Ande hyre bodye full cruelly
Hewit ine peces, ande, þat ek done,
Hys fadres grave he wete rytht sone
Inne gret copye one eueryche syde
Of wyrgyne bloode þat blede þat tyde.
Whene þat Eccuba þe queyne
Saw sleyne Pollycena, þe scheyne,
So right felly hyre before,
Sho worthede out of all memore
For gret doloure haue sche ne mynde (!)
Hade of hyre owene womene-kynde—
For scho worthede wode wttrely;
And ine hyre wodnes hastely
Sho rane wauerande as desolate,
Tokynge no heede to hyre astate,
Ande bayte ine-to houndes manere
All þat scho myght, þat ware hyre nere;
She hurt als sere with stones cast
Of gregeois, which so wondre fast
Sho stonede thame ine offendande (!)
Rytht gretumly ande not cessande.
For þat wnsouerable (!) scho was so
Rytht noyfull tho þe gregeois to;
Ande þarfor gregeois, or they fayne,
Gert hyre dispiteously be tayne,
Ande bade þat scho sulde stanede be
Inne one Ile nere by þe Cite,
That to þe name hade Alada.
Inne which Ile whene Eccuba,
With stones sleyne, þe sooth to say,
Thare closede hade hyre lattere day,
Ande a herde grave gregeois gert ma
To þe bodye of Eccuba,
Whare at hyr bodye buryede was;
Of which to þis day ine þat place
The mak apperis wele at ryght,
Ande knowene ek to mannys sight,
One altere put ine-to þat place
Inne Eccuba as memore was (!),
The which place callede is commonly
A place of noye ande fellounye—
The which name yhit whill to þis day
To þat ilk stede remanede ay.—
The auctor (now) reherses to ws
The deth of Thelamonyus,
Ande Exilinge of Eneas
Ande (how) Anthenore bannyst was,
Inne one & thretty book folowande
Thyre seyde thinges determynande.
To sacrifice be lede sulde swa,
The kynges all to-gyddere rane,
Ande þe commons als, to se hyre þane,
That ine fourme of so gret fayrnes
For to tyne, as scho þat wes
For-outene cause or anny wyme
Committede to be dede þat tyme,
They sorow all þare commonly
Ande of hyre pytte has for-thy;
Ande of þe handes sone hade þai
Forsuth of Pyrrus tane away
Hyre ande delyuerede hade frely,
Hade notht Calchas bene certanly,
That seyde: scho ine-to lyf beande,
The retoure gregeois to þar lande
May notht be mayde fre faculte
Oppyne to thame to sayle þe see.
Pollycena, þat stondande wes
Before þe graue of Achilles,
With humble wordes hyre excusede
Of hys dede whene scho was accusede,
She seyde, sche was gretly anoyede
Of hyme þat was so distroyit,
Ande þat kynges ande prynces dere
That ine þat place present were
Tholys a wirgyne Innocent
Ageynes all rithtwise Jugement
To be peryst withoutene blame
259
Nought at the deth sche wggis there,
Sene þat hyre lyf is ferre hardere
To hyre be fere þane is the dede
That sche sholde ressaue ine þat stede,
As virgyne of such Nobilite
Thane lat of hyre virgynite
The closoures vnlefsumly
To be brokene ande wnskilfully,
And the hole clernes of hyr schame
And but cause makynge of diffame
Quhilkes ware of such ryalte (!)
Inne anny wyse sulde fylede be,
And of thame þat full cruelly
Hyre fader sleuth, þat was worthy,
Ande hyre doughty brethyre also
Thrught foes hattrent they coude to;
Wherfore sche seyde þat ine-to dede
To hyre is bettre to succede
Inne-to þare owene cuntre (!)
Thane thrught exile for to be
Inne othere provynces lyvinge,
Inne poverte hyr lyf ledynge.
Wherfore the dede come one and It,
She seyde, thankfull sche wolde admytt,
Sene sche is clere & pure virgyne;
Ande hyre virgynite sche syne
To all the goddes of Empryse
And to dede, to mak sacrifice,
She offrede wp ine-to þat stede;
Syne helde hyre still, bydyng hyre dede.
Whene cessyde hade Pollycena
Of hyre sermoune she seyde alsua,
Pyrrus with nakede swerde ine hande—
Hyre moder Eccuba seande—
Russhede one hyre rytht hastely
Ande hyre bodye full cruelly
Hewit ine peces, ande, þat ek done,
260
Inne gret copye one eueryche syde
Of wyrgyne bloode þat blede þat tyde.
Whene þat Eccuba þe queyne
Saw sleyne Pollycena, þe scheyne,
So right felly hyre before,
Sho worthede out of all memore
For gret doloure haue sche ne mynde (!)
Hade of hyre owene womene-kynde—
For scho worthede wode wttrely;
And ine hyre wodnes hastely
Sho rane wauerande as desolate,
Tokynge no heede to hyre astate,
Ande bayte ine-to houndes manere
All þat scho myght, þat ware hyre nere;
She hurt als sere with stones cast
Of gregeois, which so wondre fast
Sho stonede thame ine offendande (!)
Rytht gretumly ande not cessande.
For þat wnsouerable (!) scho was so
Rytht noyfull tho þe gregeois to;
Ande þarfor gregeois, or they fayne,
Gert hyre dispiteously be tayne,
Ande bade þat scho sulde stanede be
Inne one Ile nere by þe Cite,
That to þe name hade Alada.
Inne which Ile whene Eccuba,
With stones sleyne, þe sooth to say,
Thare closede hade hyre lattere day,
Ande a herde grave gregeois gert ma
To þe bodye of Eccuba,
Whare at hyr bodye buryede was;
Of which to þis day ine þat place
The mak apperis wele at ryght,
Ande knowene ek to mannys sight,
One altere put ine-to þat place
Inne Eccuba as memore was (!),
261
A place of noye ande fellounye—
The which name yhit whill to þis day
To þat ilk stede remanede ay.—
The auctor (now) reherses to ws
The deth of Thelamonyus,
Ande Exilinge of Eneas
Ande (how) Anthenore bannyst was,
Inne one & thretty book folowande
Thyre seyde thinges determynande.
262
The argument betuix Thelamonius ande Vlixes.
After
e
Troyes distructioune
And all þe toures cassene doune
And the slaughtre of þe Citeȝanis
Ande tokyng of þar goode thrught manys,
The gregeois frome Troye myght not pas,
For gret tempest, ine see þat was.
Thane Aiax Thelamonyus,
As þe tempest endurede þus,
Before þe kynge Agameno(n=)e
And vthere prynces of renowne
Apponede ageynes Vlixes,
Seyande þus: þat it ordeynede was
That ine-to distribucioune
Of goodes gottene ine þe toune
That fourme aw for to kepede be
That by meryt ande dignyte
And the laboure of Iche mane
Prerogatyve holdyne be thane;
That ine palladinar grauntynge
Was not holdene þat ordeynynge,
Sene þat palladinar tho wes
Grauntede ande gevine Vlixes
The which for þe rewarde soothly
Wpone no maner was worthy,
And (he) sulde faile it þat be fere,
As he seyde, (wes) more worthyere;
»Ande whene þe gregeois oost gane faile
The expenses oft-syse ande wittaile
Thrught gret falt, of my worthynes
Ande my laboure ande my stoutnes
And thrught strenght of my mekile myght
Ourcommyne troyiens ine-to fyght,
The seyde oost relevede I
Inne welth of wittaile gret copye;
Consideringe ay thrught myght & mayne
The gregeois þare felle foes agayne;
Sene þat (I) the kyng Polymistres
Slew, ine-to whois kepynge wes
Pollydorus of gret fame,
That sone was of kynge Pryame,
That ine hys yhemsale hade & cure
Wnnowmerabile fayre tresoure
Of kynge Pryame: þe which holy,
Whene sleyne Pollydorus hade I,
I to þe oost of Grece gert brynge,
The which oost ay was but faylinge
Inne-to expenses haboundande,
Whill before Troye they war lyande.
I slew also the kynge of Fryse,
And hys goode als one þe same wise
To gregeois oost brought. (&) yhet more,
Kynrykes sere about Troye wore,
That frome it lay not serre one lenth,
Thrught my stodye & thrught my strenth
I ekede to þe grekes lordschipe,
Which furst troyiens hade to kepe:
As Gargarus, Arysdyas,
Ceprissyne ande Arrissas;
Ande all landes þat nyghboures were
To Troye, or about it nere,
To þe walles of þe Cite,
To gregeois lordschip gert I be,
That none was outwith of waloure
Thrught myght þe troyiens to succoure.
And I also with Achilles,
The forcye, þat rytht worthy wes,
Obtenede victoures full mony—
Sett at þe victoures holely
To Achilles reseruede ware,
Yhit with hyme certes I was þare—
Wherfore þat for (!) I oure-sett now
Passynge away as superflue.
Ande Vlixes, wauntynge ine deide
All wourschipe of worthy knyghthede,
But alanerly ine the facoune
Of hys slyghtfull ande slee sermoune
He our-commys ande Ine glutherynges
And thrught arte fallas of spekynges;
Ande syne he sais, thrught hyme þat we
Ar mayde lordes of thys Cite,
Of wourschipe þat procedede nought,
But of traytoury, thrught hyme wrought,
And of falss wordes thrught shame;
For swych with smyt of gret defame
Perpetualy diffamede ar we
Amonge all folk, ande ay sall be,
That the troyiens, which with myght
We ought to haue our-commyne with fyght,
We our-come with fraude & gyle
Ande Machynacions ande wyle.«
And all þe toures cassene doune
And the slaughtre of þe Citeȝanis
263
The gregeois frome Troye myght not pas,
For gret tempest, ine see þat was.
Thane Aiax Thelamonyus,
As þe tempest endurede þus,
Before þe kynge Agameno(n=)e
And vthere prynces of renowne
Apponede ageynes Vlixes,
Seyande þus: þat it ordeynede was
That ine-to distribucioune
Of goodes gottene ine þe toune
That fourme aw for to kepede be
That by meryt ande dignyte
And the laboure of Iche mane
Prerogatyve holdyne be thane;
That ine palladinar grauntynge
Was not holdene þat ordeynynge,
Sene þat palladinar tho wes
Grauntede ande gevine Vlixes
The which for þe rewarde soothly
Wpone no maner was worthy,
And (he) sulde faile it þat be fere,
As he seyde, (wes) more worthyere;
»Ande whene þe gregeois oost gane faile
The expenses oft-syse ande wittaile
Thrught gret falt, of my worthynes
Ande my laboure ande my stoutnes
And thrught strenght of my mekile myght
Ourcommyne troyiens ine-to fyght,
The seyde oost relevede I
Inne welth of wittaile gret copye;
Consideringe ay thrught myght & mayne
The gregeois þare felle foes agayne;
Sene þat (I) the kyng Polymistres
264
Pollydorus of gret fame,
That sone was of kynge Pryame,
That ine hys yhemsale hade & cure
Wnnowmerabile fayre tresoure
Of kynge Pryame: þe which holy,
Whene sleyne Pollydorus hade I,
I to þe oost of Grece gert brynge,
The which oost ay was but faylinge
Inne-to expenses haboundande,
Whill before Troye they war lyande.
I slew also the kynge of Fryse,
And hys goode als one þe same wise
To gregeois oost brought. (&) yhet more,
Kynrykes sere about Troye wore,
That frome it lay not serre one lenth,
Thrught my stodye & thrught my strenth
I ekede to þe grekes lordschipe,
Which furst troyiens hade to kepe:
As Gargarus, Arysdyas,
Ceprissyne ande Arrissas;
Ande all landes þat nyghboures were
To Troye, or about it nere,
To þe walles of þe Cite,
To gregeois lordschip gert I be,
That none was outwith of waloure
Thrught myght þe troyiens to succoure.
And I also with Achilles,
The forcye, þat rytht worthy wes,
Obtenede victoures full mony—
Sett at þe victoures holely
To Achilles reseruede ware,
Yhit with hyme certes I was þare—
Wherfore þat for (!) I oure-sett now
Passynge away as superflue.
Ande Vlixes, wauntynge ine deide
All wourschipe of worthy knyghthede,
265
Of hys slyghtfull ande slee sermoune
He our-commys ande Ine glutherynges
And thrught arte fallas of spekynges;
Ande syne he sais, thrught hyme þat we
Ar mayde lordes of thys Cite,
Of wourschipe þat procedede nought,
But of traytoury, thrught hyme wrought,
And of falss wordes thrught shame;
For swych with smyt of gret defame
Perpetualy diffamede ar we
Amonge all folk, ande ay sall be,
That the troyiens, which with myght
We ought to haue our-commyne with fyght,
We our-come with fraude & gyle
Ande Machynacions ande wyle.«
And
e
eftre Thelamonyus
Of hys spek hade maide endynge thus,
Ageynes hys wordes Vlixes,
As he þat not abaysede wes,
Answerde, ande þat rytht hardely,
Sayande: of hys wourschip holy
Troyes oost to haue venquest bene
Ande put to such tynsale ande tene,
Ande thrught hys wytt & hys forsyght;
For, hade he nought bene, yhet ine myght
Remanede hade þe toune of Troye,
Inne sekyrnes ande ine gret Joye,
And the statut (!) of the Citeȝanes
Inne strenth, þat now tholys gret peynes.
»Forsooth, schyre Thelamone, þow trow,
Nought wonnyne was thrught thy wirtue
The palladinar now, soothly,
But errare thrught my gret studye.
To þe troyiens of the Cite,
What þe palladinar myght be,
Was nought knawyne, nor yhit þe myght
Ne the wirtue, ine it was ryght;
But I throw spering besely
Fonde, thrught þat relyk holely
Of the Cite the Capcioune
Maide ws þe Retardacioune,
Sene ine wirtue of it allone
Consistit Troye not to be tone
Whill it withine þe walles were,
As now is kende with lese & moere;
Wherfor to Troye I went lystly
And tretyt it so studiously
That I þat relyke brought away:
Thrught which, who so þe sooth will say,
The lordschipe all of the Cite
At oure lykynge obtenede we.«
Ande so hys spekynge Vlixes
Endyt ande of hys saw kane sesse.
But Thelamonyus wittrely
With prowde wordes full fellonly
Vlixes manasede; and ageyne
Vlixes yhaldede hyme certeyne
Such lyche manasses with sturdy fayre
As he to hyme hade manassede þare.
Wherfore the forspek one þis wyse
Worthede capitale ennymyes,
Ande Thelamonyus publisly
Affermande þat he cruelly
Of hys hondes sulde thole þe dede,
That ine it sulde be no remede.
Syne to determynacioune
Of it, þe kynge Agamenone
Ande Menelayus, who sholde haue
The relyk wherfore at they straue,
They thame submyttede wttrely.
Quhilkes determynande fynaly
The relyk þat ryght nobile wes
For to remayne with Vlixes,
And so decretyt þe lordschepe
Of it to Vlixes to kepe;—
Perchaunce þat they amevede were
Bycause þat ine-to goode manere
And thrught þare contemplacioune
He Heleyne frome þe dede felloune
Frome Thelamonyus hondes,
Vlixes, delyuerede out of bandes,
And sere kynges of renowne,
He Heleyne (!) frome þe dede felloune.
For such provisions maide þus,
Folowede (!) Thelamonyus,
For of the oost all þe gretest
Affermede Thelamonyus best
And worthyer befere also
Ne Vlixes, ȝha or such two,
Ande Thelamonyus our þe laif
Determynande þat relyk to haif.
Agayne Agamenone þarfore
Thelamonyus with gret schore
Put furth gret repreve ine spekynge,
And ageyne Menelay þe kynge,
Berande full angyrly hys thought,
Affermande ine þat at he mought
Of thame capitale ennymye
Hyme for to be perpetualy.
Because of which thyre brethyre two
The which hade determynede so,
And Vlixes, with full mony
Of knyghtes ine þare companye
Procurede with rytht gret cauteles
Thame for to kepe ine-to tho whyles.
Ande eftere gone was dayes lyght
And one cummande myrknes of nyght
Ande of the day next þe dawynge,
Wprysinge makynge þe morowynge,
Ande day next eftre folowande
With lyght illumynit þe lande:
Thelamonyus sleyne fonde they
Inne-to hys bede, quhare þat he ley,
With fele woundes sere and mony,
Ande all to-hewit hys body.
Thrught all þe oost gret was þe crye
Of Thelamonyus þe doughty,
For whois dede all sorowede nere
Commonly ine the oost þat were;
And as ine-to þe werray tournynge,
The blame of hyme (!) both olde & yhinge
That for to do was rytht felloune,
Imput to kynge Agamenone
Ande Menelay, hys broder was,
But errare wnto Vlixes.
Of hys spek hade maide endynge thus,
Ageynes hys wordes Vlixes,
As he þat not abaysede wes,
Answerde, ande þat rytht hardely,
Sayande: of hys wourschip holy
Troyes oost to haue venquest bene
Ande put to such tynsale ande tene,
Ande thrught hys wytt & hys forsyght;
For, hade he nought bene, yhet ine myght
Remanede hade þe toune of Troye,
Inne sekyrnes ande ine gret Joye,
And the statut (!) of the Citeȝanes
Inne strenth, þat now tholys gret peynes.
»Forsooth, schyre Thelamone, þow trow,
Nought wonnyne was thrught thy wirtue
The palladinar now, soothly,
But errare thrught my gret studye.
To þe troyiens of the Cite,
What þe palladinar myght be,
266
Ne the wirtue, ine it was ryght;
But I throw spering besely
Fonde, thrught þat relyk holely
Of the Cite the Capcioune
Maide ws þe Retardacioune,
Sene ine wirtue of it allone
Consistit Troye not to be tone
Whill it withine þe walles were,
As now is kende with lese & moere;
Wherfor to Troye I went lystly
And tretyt it so studiously
That I þat relyke brought away:
Thrught which, who so þe sooth will say,
The lordschipe all of the Cite
At oure lykynge obtenede we.«
Ande so hys spekynge Vlixes
Endyt ande of hys saw kane sesse.
But Thelamonyus wittrely
With prowde wordes full fellonly
Vlixes manasede; and ageyne
Vlixes yhaldede hyme certeyne
Such lyche manasses with sturdy fayre
As he to hyme hade manassede þare.
Wherfore the forspek one þis wyse
Worthede capitale ennymyes,
Ande Thelamonyus publisly
Affermande þat he cruelly
Of hys hondes sulde thole þe dede,
That ine it sulde be no remede.
Syne to determynacioune
Of it, þe kynge Agamenone
Ande Menelayus, who sholde haue
The relyk wherfore at they straue,
They thame submyttede wttrely.
Quhilkes determynande fynaly
The relyk þat ryght nobile wes
267
And so decretyt þe lordschepe
Of it to Vlixes to kepe;—
Perchaunce þat they amevede were
Bycause þat ine-to goode manere
And thrught þare contemplacioune
He Heleyne frome þe dede felloune
Frome Thelamonyus hondes,
Vlixes, delyuerede out of bandes,
And sere kynges of renowne,
He Heleyne (!) frome þe dede felloune.
For such provisions maide þus,
Folowede (!) Thelamonyus,
For of the oost all þe gretest
Affermede Thelamonyus best
And worthyer befere also
Ne Vlixes, ȝha or such two,
Ande Thelamonyus our þe laif
Determynande þat relyk to haif.
Agayne Agamenone þarfore
Thelamonyus with gret schore
Put furth gret repreve ine spekynge,
And ageyne Menelay þe kynge,
Berande full angyrly hys thought,
Affermande ine þat at he mought
Of thame capitale ennymye
Hyme for to be perpetualy.
Because of which thyre brethyre two
The which hade determynede so,
And Vlixes, with full mony
Of knyghtes ine þare companye
Procurede with rytht gret cauteles
Thame for to kepe ine-to tho whyles.
Ande eftere gone was dayes lyght
And one cummande myrknes of nyght
Ande of the day next þe dawynge,
268
Ande day next eftre folowande
With lyght illumynit þe lande:
Thelamonyus sleyne fonde they
Inne-to hys bede, quhare þat he ley,
With fele woundes sere and mony,
Ande all to-hewit hys body.
Thrught all þe oost gret was þe crye
Of Thelamonyus þe doughty,
For whois dede all sorowede nere
Commonly ine the oost þat were;
And as ine-to þe werray tournynge,
The blame of hyme (!) both olde & yhinge
That for to do was rytht felloune,
Imput to kynge Agamenone
Ande Menelay, hys broder was,
But errare wnto Vlixes.
Pyrrus, þat right effectuisly
Thelamonyus ande trewly
llouet, ageyne schyre Vlixes
Boustous wordes, or he walde ses,
Put manasande ine fele manerese,
And ageyne all hys presoneres (!)
Of hys dede. wherfor Vlixes,
That of hys dede he syttande (!) wes,
Inne-to gret myrknes of o nyght
With all hys shippes kane hyme dyght
And frome Troye is passede thiftfully
With all thame of hys companye,
To þe depe see ande committande,
Ande þe palladinar levande
To hys dere frende Dyomedes,
Inne-to þe oost þat still þane wes.
Pyrrus gert buryede (!) be þe body
Of Thelamonyus ine hye,
And, of it askes maide euerilkdele,
He gert ine o goldyne wesshele
Thyr asshes wele enclosede be,
For to be hade ine hys cuntre.
Agamenone, with kynges sere
That to hys will anerdande were,
Ande hys broder Menelayus
Ageynes þe wachynge of Pyrrus
Ande anerdande to hys party
Thame kepit ay right wylely,
For Pyrrus sett hyme thame ageyne,
And (þai) ageynes hyme with all meyne.
But resormede Anthenores (!) pese
Amonges thame, or he walde sese,
And of gregeois all the grettest
Of all the oost ande worthyest
Ande (!) rytht moche solempnyte
To one gret fest callede hath he;
Which ine-to diuersitees gret
He thame refresshede with goode mete,
Syne honouryt thame at departynge
And (!) of goode gyftes gret gevynge.—
Thelamonyus ande trewly
llouet, ageyne schyre Vlixes
Boustous wordes, or he walde ses,
Put manasande ine fele manerese,
And ageyne all hys presoneres (!)
Of hys dede. wherfor Vlixes,
That of hys dede he syttande (!) wes,
Inne-to gret myrknes of o nyght
With all hys shippes kane hyme dyght
And frome Troye is passede thiftfully
With all thame of hys companye,
To þe depe see ande committande,
Ande þe palladinar levande
To hys dere frende Dyomedes,
Inne-to þe oost þat still þane wes.
Pyrrus gert buryede (!) be þe body
Of Thelamonyus ine hye,
And, of it askes maide euerilkdele,
He gert ine o goldyne wesshele
Thyr asshes wele enclosede be,
269
Agamenone, with kynges sere
That to hys will anerdande were,
Ande hys broder Menelayus
Ageynes þe wachynge of Pyrrus
Ande anerdande to hys party
Thame kepit ay right wylely,
For Pyrrus sett hyme thame ageyne,
And (þai) ageynes hyme with all meyne.
But resormede Anthenores (!) pese
Amonges thame, or he walde sese,
And of gregeois all the grettest
Of all the oost ande worthyest
Ande (!) rytht moche solempnyte
To one gret fest callede hath he;
Which ine-to diuersitees gret
He thame refresshede with goode mete,
Syne honouryt thame at departynge
And (!) of goode gyftes gret gevynge.—
The gregeois with gret pyth & peyne
Thrught þar effectioune (!) certeyne
Ageynes Eneas fellonly
Put ande seyde: he hade falsly
Brokyne hys feyth ande all hys bonde
Of hys ooth anēnce þar connande,
Because þat he Pollicena,
Gylty to deth, hath helede sua,
Thrught which occasioune sleyne wes
The worthy mekile Achilles.
And þarfor, thrught counsale was tone
Of the gregeois grettest Ichone,
That (!) hyme decretede to disseuire
Frome Troye, and bannyst be for euere.
Ande he, at þar commandynge
Myght not ganstande ine-to no thinge,
The gregeois preyede right humbly
That at þe lest they graciously
Walde denȝhe thame to graunt hyme till,
Yf it emplesede to thare will,
The which shippes Paryse Inne went
To Grece, whene tone was Heleyne gent—
That two ande twenty were but were;
Ande syne þat refections sere
Thame nedede, he of refetyne
Thame preyede space to graunt heme syne.
The gregeois þane liberaly
The space of foure moneth holely
Grauntede to þe Refectioune
Of tho shippes, & hyme to boune.—
Anthenore, ine Troye not willande
To duelle ne soiourne ine þat lande,
With some shippes he gottene hade,
Of hys will syne away hyme maide
And with full mekile quantyte
Of troyiens dyde hyme to þe see—
But whyne he went, or what he thought,
The storye heyre declareth nought.
Ageynes Anthenore Eneas
Full odyous ine hys hert he was,
Because þat for hys deide so he
Frome Troye for ay sholde bannyst be
And Anthenore myght at hys will
Both come ande go þe Cite till;
And he for to be bannyst so,
Inne-to hys hert he was full wo
And wmbethought hyme how he myt,
By ony coloure or by slyght,
That he Anthenore myt gere be
Out of the londe & þe Cite
Of Troye bannyst perpetualy,
Away to be put holely
The faculte of hys commynge
To Troye ande away goynge.
Wherfor Eneas gert call thare
To counsale all þat lyvande ware
Of þe troyiens ine Troye; syne he
One þis wyse schewede hys gule:
»Felawes ande brethere, as ȝe wate,
Thrught frawarde fortune to þis state
As ȝhe see, ȝe ar commyne now,
Ande here attoure ȝe wate, I trow,
Of at (!) may not without counsale
Of some goode governoure awaile
Heelfully ȝoure dayes to lede;
Tharfore to ȝow, me think, it spede,
That, I passande frome ȝow away,
Of some defendoure ȝhe purwaye.
For, if ȝhoure nyghboures heres recorde
Ȝow left but governoure ande lorde,
That bene to ȝow rytht nere marcheande,
They shall alsone tak apone hande
To come one ȝow without delay
Ande skaith ȝow all þat euire they may.
Ande I say for me, me thynk best
Yhe sende for Anthenore but fyrst,
Ande giffis hyme all the governaile,
So þat ȝe may with hys counsale
Ageynes ȝoure foes ȝow defende.»
And they also gane condescende
To do hys counsale, ande þarfore
They sende message for Anthenore.
They fonde hyme & hime brought ageyne.
Inne whois offensioune with all peyne
Eneas rose, for he was þene
Inne Troye fere myghtyere of mene
Thane Anthenore. but þe troyiens
Preyede Eneas all attones
That he of hys purpos walde sese,
Ande they sholde ger ryt wele but lese
All thynges be refourmede ageyne
Withoutene battaile or bargeyne.
Ande Eneas, þat mevede was,
Seyde: »who may (be) lede by meknes
That so wykede o traytoure
He may spare ine anny houre,
Thrught whois tressone Pollicene,
The kynges doughtre, virgyne clene,
Was sleyne wpone Achilles grave,
Of whois dede þe cause he gave?
Ande I ame bannyst for euire
Frome ȝow, & mone fro ȝow disseuire,
The which ȝharnys attour all thynge
With ȝow ine teres ande gretynge
To meyne vthyre mekle skaithis ay
And for to spek (!) þe grathest way
How consolacioune we myght gett
Inne our sorow, some help to sett! «
Thrught þar effectioune (!) certeyne
Ageynes Eneas fellonly
Put ande seyde: he hade falsly
Brokyne hys feyth ande all hys bonde
Of hys ooth anēnce þar connande,
Because þat he Pollicena,
Gylty to deth, hath helede sua,
Thrught which occasioune sleyne wes
The worthy mekile Achilles.
And þarfor, thrught counsale was tone
Of the gregeois grettest Ichone,
That (!) hyme decretede to disseuire
Frome Troye, and bannyst be for euere.
Ande he, at þar commandynge
Myght not ganstande ine-to no thinge,
270
That at þe lest they graciously
Walde denȝhe thame to graunt hyme till,
Yf it emplesede to thare will,
The which shippes Paryse Inne went
To Grece, whene tone was Heleyne gent—
That two ande twenty were but were;
Ande syne þat refections sere
Thame nedede, he of refetyne
Thame preyede space to graunt heme syne.
The gregeois þane liberaly
The space of foure moneth holely
Grauntede to þe Refectioune
Of tho shippes, & hyme to boune.—
Anthenore, ine Troye not willande
To duelle ne soiourne ine þat lande,
With some shippes he gottene hade,
Of hys will syne away hyme maide
And with full mekile quantyte
Of troyiens dyde hyme to þe see—
But whyne he went, or what he thought,
The storye heyre declareth nought.
Ageynes Anthenore Eneas
Full odyous ine hys hert he was,
Because þat for hys deide so he
Frome Troye for ay sholde bannyst be
And Anthenore myght at hys will
Both come ande go þe Cite till;
And he for to be bannyst so,
Inne-to hys hert he was full wo
And wmbethought hyme how he myt,
By ony coloure or by slyght,
That he Anthenore myt gere be
Out of the londe & þe Cite
Of Troye bannyst perpetualy,
Away to be put holely
271
To Troye ande away goynge.
Wherfor Eneas gert call thare
To counsale all þat lyvande ware
Of þe troyiens ine Troye; syne he
One þis wyse schewede hys gule:
»Felawes ande brethere, as ȝe wate,
Thrught frawarde fortune to þis state
As ȝhe see, ȝe ar commyne now,
Ande here attoure ȝe wate, I trow,
Of at (!) may not without counsale
Of some goode governoure awaile
Heelfully ȝoure dayes to lede;
Tharfore to ȝow, me think, it spede,
That, I passande frome ȝow away,
Of some defendoure ȝhe purwaye.
For, if ȝhoure nyghboures heres recorde
Ȝow left but governoure ande lorde,
That bene to ȝow rytht nere marcheande,
They shall alsone tak apone hande
To come one ȝow without delay
Ande skaith ȝow all þat euire they may.
Ande I say for me, me thynk best
Yhe sende for Anthenore but fyrst,
Ande giffis hyme all the governaile,
So þat ȝe may with hys counsale
Ageynes ȝoure foes ȝow defende.»
And they also gane condescende
To do hys counsale, ande þarfore
They sende message for Anthenore.
They fonde hyme & hime brought ageyne.
Inne whois offensioune with all peyne
Eneas rose, for he was þene
Inne Troye fere myghtyere of mene
Thane Anthenore. but þe troyiens
Preyede Eneas all attones
272
Ande they sholde ger ryt wele but lese
All thynges be refourmede ageyne
Withoutene battaile or bargeyne.
Ande Eneas, þat mevede was,
Seyde: »who may (be) lede by meknes
That so wykede o traytoure
He may spare ine anny houre,
Thrught whois tressone Pollicene,
The kynges doughtre, virgyne clene,
Was sleyne wpone Achilles grave,
Of whois dede þe cause he gave?
Ande I ame bannyst for euire
Frome ȝow, & mone fro ȝow disseuire,
The which ȝharnys attour all thynge
With ȝow ine teres ande gretynge
To meyne vthyre mekle skaithis ay
And for to spek (!) þe grathest way
How consolacioune we myght gett
Inne our sorow, some help to sett! «
Thus throw þe spek of Eneas
The sere counsale ordanyt was
Ande decretede þat Anthenore
Sholde bannyst be for euirmore,
Ande neuir to retourne to þat place,
As þane, to pas grauntede hyme grace.
The which sone is done ine deide.
And Anthenore to schipe he ȝheide,
And mony troyiens with hyme hade,
Sone entrede ine the se but bayde
And so long rowede ine the see
Whill at þe last hys shipe & he
Felle ine þe hondes of thame of Pyre (!),
That one hys mene maide felle martyre:
The sere counsale ordanyt was
Ande decretede þat Anthenore
Sholde bannyst be for euirmore,
Ande neuir to retourne to þat place,
As þane, to pas grauntede hyme grace.
The which sone is done ine deide.
And Anthenore to schipe he ȝheide,
And mony troyiens with hyme hade,
Sone entrede ine the se but bayde
And so long rowede ine the see
Whill at þe last hys shipe & he
Felle ine þe hondes of thame of Pyre (!),
That one hys mene maide felle martyre:
273
Ande spullede þare goodes alsua.
But frome þe hondes at þe last
He has chapede, & so long past
Thrught þe wylde sees wauerandly,
Whill he was commyne happely
Of þat ilk provynce of one place
That Gerbyndya callit was:
Inne-to þe which o kyng was þane
That was ane goode & rythtwiss mane
And to hys name hate Tytydes,
Ande helde þat provynce ine gret pres.
Inne-to þis kynges londe for-thy
Anthenore with smalle companye
Aryvede and toke londe þat tyde,
Whar hye brayes one ilk syde
Was lyande both one lenth & breide;
The which brayes endlonge he ȝheide.
Thus as they hye brayes he sought,
He fonde a fayre pleyne, wher he thought
Was awenande a towne to set;
And þan withoutine longer let
He foundit ane gret cite thore
With þe troyans þat with him wore,
And quhene þat It was foundit all,
Corthire Melone gart It call.
The quhilk in-to schort tyme was made
With sikker walles, hie & braide,
And mony towres and turet,
About vpone þe walles set.
And quhene þat It was knawine to tho
That in Troy gane duelling mo,
That he had gart ane cite stabile
274
The most part of þaime come but baid
To hime; quhar-throw þe towne was maid,
Quhat of þaime & of vþeris seire,
Richt populus one gret manere.
Than to þe said kynge Tytides
Was tolde, of quhois provynce wes
That towne, þat Anthenor was in þane,
A richt-wyss, discrete, worthy mane;
So þat throw sic relacioune
The kinge in gret effectioune
Resavit hime in speciall grace,
And all þe troyans, with him was.
Quharfor gretlie he Is maid blyth
Of þe kyngis loue, and alswyth
Throw his wit and governynge
He Is secund best nixt þe kinge. —
Cassandra, quhilk þat ȝit remanys
In Troy, with mony bitter panes,
Of stanynge of hire moder schene
And of hire sistere Polexene,
And ȝet out teres in fussioune
With angry lamentacioune.
Bot at þe last hire rany teres
Dryed a litill, and hire feres
Sobrand, þocht sche had nocht maid ende,
The grekes tuke purposs to wende
Fro Troye and prayit hire to tell þaime some
Of thingis þat ware to þame to cume.
Quhom-to Cassandra said: þat þai
Suld haue gret Ill be mony way,
Or þat þai come in þare cuntre;
And to Agamenone said: þat he
Suld be slane with þe folk þat were
Ine-to his houss famyliere.
And as It eftir to þaime fell,
Richt as Cassandra gane þaime tell,
The present story sall declaire,
Quho list to luke It forthiremare. —
Kyng Thelamone þat richt pryvely
Was slane, as before talde I,
Hade two sonnes with-outine mo,
Gottine vpone his wyffes two:
Of þe quhilkis first Ermeydes
One Glausta þe quene gottine wes,
The toþir Antissatus allswa
Gottyne one þe queyne Thimissa.
And þire two sonnes, quhene þai ware ȝinge,
War gevine ine tutory and kepinge
To kinge Teuteus, to kepe and weilde,
Quhill þai ware cummyne to parfyte elde
And quhill þai ware abile to bere
Armes and tuke knychthed in were. —
Agamenone and Menelay
At grekes askit leif þat þai
Mycht pass home in þare awne lande.
And þe grekes þat was bydande
At Troye, walde scantly gif þaime leve,
For þai had þame in-to misleve
And suspecte In-to mekile thinge
Of Thelamonyus murtheringe —
Quhill Vlixes stall thiftuisly
275
For qulk þai war suspecte þe less;
And at þe last þaime grauntede wes
Half gruchandly, to go þar way.
And passand one frome Troy sone þai
Enterede in schippis, he & he,
And þaime committed to þe se.—
This tyme, quhene þat herwist hade
In law places his coursses maide
And was passede vttraly,
And wyntir, his nixt nychtboure by,
Throw-out þe warlde ine syndry placis
Command with strenth of his slaw paces;
And had þe treis dispulȝeit
Of þare faire flouris and disfulȝeit
And had gevine scilence alss, but weire,
To þe swete sang of foules seire,
And with his austrene wyndis blast
Richt bustuously blawande and fast
Was cummand frome his lurkand laire
With his rigoure, þe plesand aire
Puttand away frome all brichtness,
With clowdy gaddering of myrkness
Clethande hime, In-to copye
Of schouris, þat giffis ythandly
Encressing helpe and nurisinge
To fludes In-to mekile thinge
And frome hicht of þe sumiteis
Descendand amongis þe waleis
With his richt coursses þe waleis mais
All wete and scowres all þe brais:
In þis same tyme, þat grekes was
Ameved throw so gret lichtness
Throw a blynd fulische desyre
That þare hartis as birnand fyre
Ameved, to pass In-to þare lande,
With eger willis and scaldande,
Strenȝeand þare thocht so þat quhile
That þai thocht one no parrile,
Nouþir þe tempest of þe seis
Ne of þe tyme þe qualiteis,
Bot gaif þaime to þat ȝarnande gate. —
For quhilk It happinnis oft, god wate,
And is richt suth withoutine dreid
That of fule haist cummis no speid;
For quho so haistis hime richt folely
To pass a gait oure-hastely,
He sall haue let and perchaunce he
Sall neuir cume quhare he wolde be. —
Thus quhene throw suche desyre birnande
The grekes had tone vpone hande
In þare awne cuntre for to torne
Frome Troye, withoutine more sudiorne,
Thai passit to þare schippis ine hy,
Quhare þare was ritches gret copy
That þai had wonnyne Ine-to þe towne.
Thus to þe se þai maid þaime bowne,
In-to þe holl of wyntir richt
Vpone a soft day and a bricht
Thai put þaime out ine þe depe se
And halit wp þare salis hie,
That bowsummit with þe wyndis blast.
So happely foure dayis þai past
And foure nycht þar-to but hone.
276
As þai war throw þe se passand,
Of þe soft aire richt blyth beand,
Thinkand þaime ine full sikerness:
All sodanely þe soft aire wes
Oure-coverit with cluddis blak,
That cane a suddane myrkness mak,
Qutȝettand sic copy of rayne,
And of thondere sic noyes agayne
And of fyre-flaucht sic flawis fleand
That It signifyed þe se birnand,
Betuix þe mirkness and þe licht
That It semed quhilis day, quhylis nycht;
Eurus, Nothus and Affricus,
Loussede and sende frome Eolus,
Ourtirvis þe depe se in wallis,
That now as hillis hie It schawis
Now set laich with ane noþir skift,
That þai may se nocht bot þe lift;
And þarwith raynand euir in one.
So þat þe grekes schippes Ilkone,
Throw þe fell tempest nocht togiddir,
Bot dryvand thiddir quhylis and hiddir,
That þai mycht halde no certane traid,
Bot rewyne all þar salis braid —
For noþir takile, rape nor mast
In-to þat fell tempest mycht last —
Thus all þe day continuede owt.
Bot at þe nycht þe tempestis stout
Dowblede and worthit ay more & more,
So þat þe schippes, þat scaled wore,
Draif ine one heipe, dyngande one vþir,
Nouþir sparand for schip nor ruthire;
And þarwith all þe fell fyre-flaucht
Come frome þe hewine with so gret maucht,
That It kendillit fyre naturaly
And of þare schippes brint mony;
And þai disparit and all hope tynt —
So mony with þe fyre ware brynt,
And mony drownede ine þe se,
So þat þai had no savite.
Thare was full mony grekes drownede;
And mony gret ritches renownede
That out of Troy þai with þaime had,
That gredy flude swelled but baide.
Oylus Aiaxe, certanely,
That with schippes two & thretty
That ine þat Ilk tempest couth fall,
His schippis brynt were and drownede all,
And he hime-self in-to þe flude
Flatterand amange þe wawes wode
With gret force of his armes gane swyme,
Quhill þe tempest had cassyne hime,
Bolnede with wattere, nere deande,
All naked vpone þe sande.
Quhare þare all nycht stone-still he lay,
Quhill one þe morne, þat It was day,
Trowand none vþir thing bot deide.
277
Quhare he was lyand, vpone case
Sume of his mene þat liffand was,
Amange þe wallis fast swymmand
Richt as he did, come to þe land,
All nakit. quhene þat þai ware þaire
Sumquhat refettyd, þai gane faire
To seike þare lord and luke gif he
Throw ony case mycht liffand be:
And fande hime richt as aire said I.
Than þai tuke hime wp hastely
And comforted hime with wordis meikly;
Bot þare was no clathis, suthly,
Nor ȝit no mete nor vþire thinge,
To mak hime ony comfortinge.
And sume mene sayis, þis mischeif all
Becauss of þis Aiax cane fall:
For agane hime þe god Mynerve
Gane o richt bittire Ire conserve,
That one hime sche walde wengede be
And one þaime all, becauss þat he
The kingis douchtir Cassandra
Dreuch violently hire tempile fra.
Þocht It be said þat þai sulde tak
The payne þat þe trespass gane mak,
Bot It Is nocht of new certane
That oft happinnit for gilt of ane
A thousand þat trespassit nocht
To be pvnist for It, he wrocht. —
And now forsuth of þire gregois
And lordis passand þus frome Troyes
And hastand to þare awne cuntre,
Of all þire parrellis in þe se
And contrare casis mony-falde,
Ine-to þis nixt buke sall be talde. —
This Ilk tyme þat we of reid,
In Grece þar was withoutine dreid
A king þat Naulus to naime hade,
That had a kynryk longe & braide;
The qulk kynrik strekit throw-out
A gret arme of þe se but dout,
One Ilk syde with craggis hie—
Richt hidowis apone for to se —
And þe wynde wallis duschande ay
Vpone þe craggis nycht & day,
And mony sandy brayis lyande
Outwith þe craggis one þe lande.
And þis kinge Naulus in þe tyde
That grekes one þe sege gan byde,
Had two sonnes withoutine less:
Of þe quhilkis þe eldest Pallamydes
Was called — þe story telleth þus —
And þe othire eke Otheus.
This Pallamydes was richt wicht
And oft wane gret worschipe in ficht,
And flurisand in-to knychthed.
He to þe grekes ost but dreid
Come with schippes gret copy
And mony knychtis in company
And with richt mychti apparele —
For na king in-to Grece but fale
Had so gret kynrike as his was,
Ne so haboundand of ritchess.
This Pallamydes grekes maide
Emperoure of all þe oist but baide
And gud Agamenone þe kinge
Removede, þat had first governynge.
And þis Pallamydes was
In one gret battell slane throw case,
As ȝe haue herd before all how —
So þat It may suffice rycht as now.
Bot sume folk, þat has ony plesaunce
Of vtheris sorow and mischaunce
And has Joye of þare awne malyce,
To kynge Nawlus one vþir wyss
Ande to his sone Oetus alss
Tolde a foule fenȝeit fortoune falss
Of Pallamydes queyntly
With sleked wordis subtelly:
Thai said forsuth Pallamydes
Not slane in-to þe battall wes,
Bot thiftuislie murdred but dreide
Throw Vlixes and Diomeide
Throw counsall of þe grekes hale.
And for to fluriss wele þare tale
And gare þaime haf more ferme credence,
With richt subtell eloquence
Tolde all þe maner how It wes:
Thai said richt þus: (þat) Vlixes
And Dyomeid and Menelay
And Agamenone gart purwey
Two falss lettres fenȝeandly,
Quhilkis contunede þat privaly
Pallamides was hole purpost
For to betraiss þe grekis oist
And þarupone with troyens hade
All trety and full connande maide,
And þai for þis thinge gif hime sulde
A certane quantite of golde;
And þire lettres þai gart be þane
lleyde at þe syde of one deid mane;
And syne þe sowme of golde also
That þe lettres said hime to
Frome þe troyens of þe cite,
Vlixes þe said quantite
Of golde tuke & helde one but mare
To Pallamydes secretare
And þare with him he tretit so,
That with þat golde he gart him go
Richt to Pallamydes tent
And þare withoutine longere stent
Hid It vndere his bedhed sone.
And to Vlixes, quhene he had done,
He tolde how he had hid It þare.
And þan Vlixes foroutine mare
Gert þe secretare pryvely
Be slane for his meid wikkitly.
Sone thire falss lettres, þai gane mak,
Ware schawede; þat grekes gane tak
In-to þare hartis suspicioune
Of Pallamydes falss tressoune,
And helde vnto his tent in hy
To se þe maner certanely
Of þe golde at þe lettere saide,
And socht his bed and fand þare laide
The samyne wecht of gold but more
That þe lettres spak of before.
Thane þai, þat ware before in dout,
Gaf full credence þar-to all-out
And roiss aganis Pallamydes,
As he þat ane falss tratour wes.
And Pallamydes manfully
Aganis þaime & richt stoutly
Profferit hime for to defend,
Aganis quhome evire wolde pretend,
Be battell, he was clene but let
Of þat falss cryme þai one hime set,
And so to purge him by battell.
And quhene his foes saw but fale
That none wald in þat quarell ficht
And so offende hime nocht þai mycht,
Vlixes þane with sle quentyss
Sermoned þe pepill one suche wyss,
Sayand: at þat suspicioune
And all þat falss presumpcioune
That þai one Pallamydes hade,
Was all of cruell malice maide;
So þat It semed Vlixes
Was full frend to Pallamides,
And Pallamydes ȝit ryngande
And hole governour all beande.
And ȝit þire learis to Naulus
Ekit maire to þis & said þus:
That nocht eftire þis thinge full lange
Vlixes and Diomede couth gange
To Pallamydes secretly
And said: It was talde þaime treuly
That in ane alde draw-well, was by,
Thare was a gret hurde, certanely,
That throw þaime mycht þan be lichtly hade,
And full fallow þarof hime maide;
Thare-for, gif It þat lykande was
With þame þe nixt nycht for to pas
To get þat golde and tak hime sume,
Thai said he suld be richt welcume.
And Pallamydes persavande
No fraude, bot fermely þame trowande,
At nycht to þe well with þaime past.
And quhene þai come þare, kest richt fast
Quhilk of þaime thre suld first discend.
Than Pallamydes, þat nocht wende
Bot treuth, tuke of baith hoiss & schone
And syne his vmast clath richt sone,
And lyflie to þe well cane founde.
And quhene þai saw hime at þe grounde
Of þe draw-well, þai boith attones
Kest downe vpone him mony stones
And slewe hime and left hime richt þare;
Syne to þare tentes gane þai faire
That Ilk nycht, but noyiss or sovne. —
This was þe falss relacioune
Of Pallamydes, and mony vthir,
Boith to his fader & his broþire,
And gart þaime trow þat It was þus.
Boith king Naulus & Oetus
Tharfor richt besely þai socht
How to rewenge come þai mocht
Of his deid and raiss michtely
Aganis þe grekis oist holy.
And þai herd say þe grekes ost
In þat Ilk wyntir ware purpost
In þare cuntre to pass but dreid;
And Naulus wist þaime worthide neid
Pass by costes of his londe.
Tharfor his mene he gaf commande
That Ilk nycht þai suld walkand be,
And one þe craggis besyd þe se
He bad Ilk nycht þai fyre sulde haif,
And so þe grekes to dissaif,
That, gif þai come þare vpone nycht,
Thai suld throw þe fyres bricht,
That þar suld seme plane land war by
Quhare þai mycht halde þare courss saifly,
Tharfor with topsall all & sume
Vpone þe craggis sulde cume,
Quhare þare schippes sall periss all
And eke þai drownede gret & small.
And in deid It was done richt so.
For wele two hundreth schippis & mo
And all þe mene þat ine þaime were
Was drowned throw þe fyres thare.
Bot þe laif of þe schippes syne,
That followit nixt in þe navyne,
Come salande to þe samyne place
And herd þe gret ruschinge þat was
Of þe schippes þat ware brekande,
And cryes of þaime þat ware deande:
Persauit þare parrell to be,
Tharfor ine haist to þe rowme se
Thai tornede and helde one þar way.
Amangis þe quhilkis Menelay,
Diomeide and Agamenone
Eschewed þe parrell & passede one. —
This Ilk forsaid Oetus,
That was alss callit Peleus,
Sone to þis forsaid Naulus kynge,
Kest ine his hart saire compassynge:
For to vndo þire two in deide,
Agamenone and Diomeide,
And ine his thocht kest mony way
How he mycht do to þaime, gif þai
Happinnit to cume ine þare cuntre.
And for þat reull (!) purposs he
Gart specialie lettres mak but weire
And by ane subtell messingeire
To Cletemistra send belyve,
That was Agamenonis wyve,
Affermand suthly for certane
That kynge Agamenone had tane
A douchtere quhile of king Pryame
To wyf and was bringand hire hame
And Cletemistra wolde depryve;
Tharfor with counsall attentive
He counsalit hire to seike remeide,
To saif hire-self frome felloune deide.
Cletemistra gaif trowynge
To Oetus and gret tokynnynge (!)
Of his counsall, & privaly
It kepit, & socht besely
How sche mycht (saf) hire frome suche thinge.
Thane sone Agamenone þe king,
Fra all parrell of se maid quyte,
Come home to his kynryk tyte.
And Cletemistra þat was blyth,
Fenȝeand faire chere, met hime rycht swyth
With gret blythnes — bot ȝit scho had
Ane buschement for his slauchtir made.
And þis Cletemistra, þai recorde,
In-to þe absence of hire lorde
Had defouled hire mariage:
For also sone eftir his passage
Sche tuke one Egistus in deide,
Forȝettand all hire womanhede.
And þis Egestus one hire gat
A douchtere, þat Gyrgona hate;
Quhome to þe kynrike hole sche hicht.
This Ilk Egestus was one knycht,
Bot nocht cummyne of duke nor kynge,
Ne was not of so hie ofsprynge. —
Bot It Is said soth langtyme syne:
Quhene womene settis þaime for sic cryme
As for to defoull þare bodyis,
Thai tuke eftir of mony wyss
A semplere, as we may oft se,
Na þare lord & of less degre,
And luffis þe bettir & takkis þe wer,
Settand all schame behynd full fere,
Declynand ay frome honeste,
Takand þe war to such wylte;
Bot me think þat þai sulde of skill
Desyre þe gud ere þan þe Ill,
For to þe warld It war less schame
And less disclander to þare name.
Bot þai may nouþir resonabilly
Exterss (!) þare wikkit adultry,
And namely þat þai sulde not slo
Thare husbandis for þare foull lust so. —
This Ilk quene Cletemistra
With Egestus gane sic trety ma:
Þat þe first nycht þat þe king was cummyne
And in his bed his first slepe nummyne,
Schortlie to say, þis Egestus
Slew hime. and quhene he (ded) was þus,
To sepulture þai gart hime bringe.
And nocht lange eftir his erdinge
This said Egistus tuke to wyf
Cletemistra; and sche belyf
Gaif hime all hole þe governynge
Of þe kynryk and maid hime kyng.
Now þis Agamenone, we of reid,
Had o sone gottine of his seide
One þis queyne and Cletemistra richt,
That to his name Arestes hicht,
And was with-ine elde ȝit suthly.
Quhom to þe king Calabus ine hy,
His cosing, dredand þat with trayne
He sulde be throw Egistus slayne,
Staw hime away & send hime has
To king Ydomeus, þat was
Kyng of Crete and was cosyne
To hime. and þocht he of fer lyne
Was and fer sib to Orestes,
This Ilk Ydomeus but les,
And his wyf eke, Tyrasyse,
Resaued hime thankfully & wyss,
And gart hime with all besyness
Be kepit alswele and no less
Thane Clemana, þare douchtere faire,
That was þare nixt apperande aire;
And ine his kynrik helde hime þane,
Quhill he was to þe elde of mane. —
This Ilk Oetus alswa,
King Naulus sone, to Egra,
Þe qulk was Diomeidis wyf,
Wrote ine lyke maner, to raiss stryf,
That he to Cletemistra wrote:
Effectuislie tellinge quhat-gote
That Diomeid had weddit ane
Of Pryamis douchteris, in certane;
And bad hire trow It out of dreide.
Now was þat Egra in deide
Douchtere to kinge Polemyte,
Kinge of Argew; and alss-tyte
As hir forsaid fadere was deid,
He left behynd him in his steid
This Egra — þe buke sayis þus —
And a sone, callit Assandrus;
And eftir þar faderis deces
The kynrik of Argew but les
Betuix þaime þai couth ewyne depart;
And þis Egra with hire part
To husband tuke Diomedes.
And quhene þis Diomeid bowne wes
And to þe grekes ost to go,
This Ilk Assandrus also
Passed with hime in company
Aganis þe troyens michtely.
Bot or þai to þe ost cume mycht,
In-to one place, þat Berclame hicht,
Thai come, quhare þai purposede to byde
For recreacioune Ine þat tyide.
Bot þe kinge Thelaphus, þat was
Lorde of þat Ilk province, rass
And yrously apone þaime come
With armed mene, as out of home (!),
And ruschit one þaime but abaid.
And þai, seand þai mistere had
For to defend þaime, faucht agayne,
And þis Assandrus fell has slayne
Of þe kinge Thelaphus best mene.
The king Thelaphus, persavand þene
That he mycht nocht sustene þat scaith,
In hand he tuke a gret spere raith
And gane agane Assandrus ryde,
And stroik hime so ine-to þe syde
That he hime woundit thrō þe corps
And straik hime deid downe frome his hors
Diomeide, seand in þat steid
Assandrus, his gud-broþir, deid,
As wode out of his wit, but les,
Gane rusche in-to þe thikkest pres,
Woundand, menȝeand & slaande ay,
Quhill he come quhare Assandrus lay,
And drew him out frome þe horss feit,
In fell teres þat he gane grete;
Syne with his mene tornede agane.
Thus was he slane in-to certane.
Bot It was nocht rehersit þus
To Egera of Assandrus,
Bot It was tolde hire but lesinge
That throw Dyomedis compassinge
Hire broþir was slayne, so þat he
Throw his decess mycht haf all fre
Throw þe richt of his wyf all hale
All þe kynryk but halfyndale.
And þis Egra certanely
Louede hire broþire so tenderly,
That sche had fere levere forgo
Hire owne part & his also
Ne be deprivit of hire broþire.
So, quhat of þis tale & þe toþir
That Oetes also gane tell,
Sche tuke so cruell hart and fell
Aganis þis Diomeide one-ane,
That all þe argives euerilkane
Sche tretede so, þat Diomeide
Suld nocht be thare resaued in deide;
And send hime worde & said þat he
Suld nocht presume in þat degre
To duell a quartare of a day.
And so he strenȝeit passing his (!) way,
Nocht wittinge quhar for to declyne.
And so throw fortoune happinnit syne
In Salamyne to cume percase,
That Tewtere rengand þare was,
Thelamonyus brothire, þai recorde,
And of þe province was hole lorde.
And quhene þat he herd Diomedes
Had conspyred with Vlixes
In Thelamonis his broþeris deide,
And was so cummyne in his steide:
He commandit he sulde be tone.
Bot Diomeid, or euir he fone,
Eschapand his gyrne slichtfully,
And flede and left his land quytly. —
Demephone ande king Aganas
Frome handes of kyng Tewter has (!)
Eschapede out of gret perrile,
That frome þare handes in exile
War put, as Diomeid before;
And to Cartace to Duke Nestore
Come, þat þame richt curtasly
Resauede. and þane In-to hy
Thire two kynges tuke purposs thare
That þai walde in þare cuntreis faire
With armede honde richt michtely,
To fecht ande wyne þare lond wichtly,
To mak one þaime fell martyre
That so agane þaime gane conspyre.
Bot Duke Nestor commendit nocht
Thare counsale, bot said þat hime thocht
Better þat þai send first to trete
With faire wordis and hechtis grete.
And þai haue (done) richt so but hone.
Quharfor all there liegis sone
With meike hartis, boith pure & ryke,
Resauede þame in þare kynryke. —
Eneas, ȝit þat maid delay
At Troy, with all þe haist he may
Maid redy his schippis to faire.
Bot þe meyne-tyme þat he baid þaire,
He persavede and wist but dowt
That syndry folk duelland about
Of þare nychtbouris bownde (!) to anoy
The fewe folk þat remanede ine Troy.
Tharfor he counsalede þaime: sene he
In þare helpe mycht nocht abyde nor be,
That þai for Diomede walde sende,
That was richt wicht, as he wele kende:
Sene he was þane in-to exile,
That he walde cume In-to þe meyne-quhile
And be with þaime in þare subsyde.
And þai did so In-to schort tyde
And eftir Diomeide send richt.
And he with all þe helpe he mycht
Purchesss one all syde besely,
Come vnto Troy richt manfully.
And quhene he come to Troy, he fande
Thame all as ine a sege luckande,
And Eneas ȝit þaime among,
That was blyth; and þai boith gane gonge
Richt hardely with þe troyens,
For battell ordanit all attones,
And sex dayes contynewally
Faucht. quhare þat Diomeid stoutly
Throw his provess richt mony slais
And tuke mony of troyens fais,
And all þat evir he tuke, but let
Gart hangit be one a gibbet.
The auchtane day fechtande richt fast
He provit sa, quhill at þe last
Thai tornede þare bakis ande to go (!);
And he gane mony of þaime slo,
And all þat mycht be tone, Ilkane
Gert þaime be hangit, in certane.
Than vþeris nychtbouris, þat gan duell
About þe towne or in castell,
Herand how þai ware vndone
That þaime assegeit þan, þai alsone
Sesit frome all wexacioune
Of þe troyens. þarfor þe towne
Was in-to pece — gif It mycht be
Said pece ine suche aduersite. —
Eneas, quhene þis was done,
His schippis redy maid but hone
And with þe troyens, þat left was,
And with his fadere Anchises
Enterede in schippes but sudiorne,
To pass in exile but retorne
As þe gregeois hade ordanit It,
And to þe se gane hime commit,
As vnknowene quhare fortoune wolde
That he and his suld resting holde [OMITTED]
In Grece þar was withoutine dreid
A king þat Naulus to naime hade,
That had a kynryk longe & braide;
The qulk kynrik strekit throw-out
A gret arme of þe se but dout,
One Ilk syde with craggis hie—
Richt hidowis apone for to se —
And þe wynde wallis duschande ay
Vpone þe craggis nycht & day,
And mony sandy brayis lyande
Outwith þe craggis one þe lande.
And þis kinge Naulus in þe tyde
That grekes one þe sege gan byde,
Had two sonnes withoutine less:
Of þe quhilkis þe eldest Pallamydes
Was called — þe story telleth þus —
And þe othire eke Otheus.
This Pallamydes was richt wicht
And oft wane gret worschipe in ficht,
And flurisand in-to knychthed.
He to þe grekes ost but dreid
Come with schippes gret copy
And mony knychtis in company
And with richt mychti apparele —
278
Had so gret kynrike as his was,
Ne so haboundand of ritchess.
This Pallamydes grekes maide
Emperoure of all þe oist but baide
And gud Agamenone þe kinge
Removede, þat had first governynge.
And þis Pallamydes was
In one gret battell slane throw case,
As ȝe haue herd before all how —
So þat It may suffice rycht as now.
Bot sume folk, þat has ony plesaunce
Of vtheris sorow and mischaunce
And has Joye of þare awne malyce,
To kynge Nawlus one vþir wyss
Ande to his sone Oetus alss
Tolde a foule fenȝeit fortoune falss
Of Pallamydes queyntly
With sleked wordis subtelly:
Thai said forsuth Pallamydes
Not slane in-to þe battall wes,
Bot thiftuislie murdred but dreide
Throw Vlixes and Diomeide
Throw counsall of þe grekes hale.
And for to fluriss wele þare tale
And gare þaime haf more ferme credence,
With richt subtell eloquence
Tolde all þe maner how It wes:
Thai said richt þus: (þat) Vlixes
And Dyomeid and Menelay
And Agamenone gart purwey
Two falss lettres fenȝeandly,
Quhilkis contunede þat privaly
Pallamides was hole purpost
For to betraiss þe grekis oist
And þarupone with troyens hade
All trety and full connande maide,
And þai for þis thinge gif hime sulde
A certane quantite of golde;
And þire lettres þai gart be þane
lleyde at þe syde of one deid mane;
And syne þe sowme of golde also
That þe lettres said hime to
Frome þe troyens of þe cite,
Vlixes þe said quantite
Of golde tuke & helde one but mare
To Pallamydes secretare
And þare with him he tretit so,
That with þat golde he gart him go
Richt to Pallamydes tent
And þare withoutine longere stent
Hid It vndere his bedhed sone.
And to Vlixes, quhene he had done,
He tolde how he had hid It þare.
And þan Vlixes foroutine mare
Gert þe secretare pryvely
Be slane for his meid wikkitly.
Sone thire falss lettres, þai gane mak,
279
In-to þare hartis suspicioune
Of Pallamydes falss tressoune,
And helde vnto his tent in hy
To se þe maner certanely
Of þe golde at þe lettere saide,
And socht his bed and fand þare laide
The samyne wecht of gold but more
That þe lettres spak of before.
Thane þai, þat ware before in dout,
Gaf full credence þar-to all-out
And roiss aganis Pallamydes,
As he þat ane falss tratour wes.
And Pallamydes manfully
Aganis þaime & richt stoutly
Profferit hime for to defend,
Aganis quhome evire wolde pretend,
Be battell, he was clene but let
Of þat falss cryme þai one hime set,
And so to purge him by battell.
And quhene his foes saw but fale
That none wald in þat quarell ficht
And so offende hime nocht þai mycht,
Vlixes þane with sle quentyss
Sermoned þe pepill one suche wyss,
Sayand: at þat suspicioune
And all þat falss presumpcioune
That þai one Pallamydes hade,
Was all of cruell malice maide;
So þat It semed Vlixes
Was full frend to Pallamides,
And Pallamydes ȝit ryngande
And hole governour all beande.
And ȝit þire learis to Naulus
Ekit maire to þis & said þus:
That nocht eftire þis thinge full lange
Vlixes and Diomede couth gange
To Pallamydes secretly
And said: It was talde þaime treuly
That in ane alde draw-well, was by,
Thare was a gret hurde, certanely,
That throw þaime mycht þan be lichtly hade,
And full fallow þarof hime maide;
Thare-for, gif It þat lykande was
With þame þe nixt nycht for to pas
To get þat golde and tak hime sume,
Thai said he suld be richt welcume.
And Pallamydes persavande
No fraude, bot fermely þame trowande,
At nycht to þe well with þaime past.
And quhene þai come þare, kest richt fast
Quhilk of þaime thre suld first discend.
Than Pallamydes, þat nocht wende
Bot treuth, tuke of baith hoiss & schone
And syne his vmast clath richt sone,
And lyflie to þe well cane founde.
And quhene þai saw hime at þe grounde
280
Kest downe vpone him mony stones
And slewe hime and left hime richt þare;
Syne to þare tentes gane þai faire
That Ilk nycht, but noyiss or sovne. —
This was þe falss relacioune
Of Pallamydes, and mony vthir,
Boith to his fader & his broþire,
And gart þaime trow þat It was þus.
Boith king Naulus & Oetus
Tharfor richt besely þai socht
How to rewenge come þai mocht
Of his deid and raiss michtely
Aganis þe grekis oist holy.
And þai herd say þe grekes ost
In þat Ilk wyntir ware purpost
In þare cuntre to pass but dreid;
And Naulus wist þaime worthide neid
Pass by costes of his londe.
Tharfor his mene he gaf commande
That Ilk nycht þai suld walkand be,
And one þe craggis besyd þe se
He bad Ilk nycht þai fyre sulde haif,
And so þe grekes to dissaif,
That, gif þai come þare vpone nycht,
Thai suld throw þe fyres bricht,
That þar suld seme plane land war by
Quhare þai mycht halde þare courss saifly,
Tharfor with topsall all & sume
Vpone þe craggis sulde cume,
Quhare þare schippes sall periss all
And eke þai drownede gret & small.
And in deid It was done richt so.
For wele two hundreth schippis & mo
And all þe mene þat ine þaime were
Was drowned throw þe fyres thare.
Bot þe laif of þe schippes syne,
That followit nixt in þe navyne,
Come salande to þe samyne place
And herd þe gret ruschinge þat was
Of þe schippes þat ware brekande,
And cryes of þaime þat ware deande:
Persauit þare parrell to be,
Tharfor ine haist to þe rowme se
Thai tornede and helde one þar way.
Amangis þe quhilkis Menelay,
Diomeide and Agamenone
Eschewed þe parrell & passede one. —
This Ilk forsaid Oetus,
That was alss callit Peleus,
Sone to þis forsaid Naulus kynge,
Kest ine his hart saire compassynge:
For to vndo þire two in deide,
Agamenone and Diomeide,
And ine his thocht kest mony way
How he mycht do to þaime, gif þai
Happinnit to cume ine þare cuntre.
And for þat reull (!) purposs he
281
And by ane subtell messingeire
To Cletemistra send belyve,
That was Agamenonis wyve,
Affermand suthly for certane
That kynge Agamenone had tane
A douchtere quhile of king Pryame
To wyf and was bringand hire hame
And Cletemistra wolde depryve;
Tharfor with counsall attentive
He counsalit hire to seike remeide,
To saif hire-self frome felloune deide.
Cletemistra gaif trowynge
To Oetus and gret tokynnynge (!)
Of his counsall, & privaly
It kepit, & socht besely
How sche mycht (saf) hire frome suche thinge.
Thane sone Agamenone þe king,
Fra all parrell of se maid quyte,
Come home to his kynryk tyte.
And Cletemistra þat was blyth,
Fenȝeand faire chere, met hime rycht swyth
With gret blythnes — bot ȝit scho had
Ane buschement for his slauchtir made.
And þis Cletemistra, þai recorde,
In-to þe absence of hire lorde
Had defouled hire mariage:
For also sone eftir his passage
Sche tuke one Egistus in deide,
Forȝettand all hire womanhede.
And þis Egestus one hire gat
A douchtere, þat Gyrgona hate;
Quhome to þe kynrike hole sche hicht.
This Ilk Egestus was one knycht,
Bot nocht cummyne of duke nor kynge,
Ne was not of so hie ofsprynge. —
Bot It Is said soth langtyme syne:
Quhene womene settis þaime for sic cryme
As for to defoull þare bodyis,
Thai tuke eftir of mony wyss
A semplere, as we may oft se,
Na þare lord & of less degre,
And luffis þe bettir & takkis þe wer,
Settand all schame behynd full fere,
Declynand ay frome honeste,
Takand þe war to such wylte;
Bot me think þat þai sulde of skill
Desyre þe gud ere þan þe Ill,
For to þe warld It war less schame
And less disclander to þare name.
Bot þai may nouþir resonabilly
Exterss (!) þare wikkit adultry,
And namely þat þai sulde not slo
Thare husbandis for þare foull lust so. —
This Ilk quene Cletemistra
282
Þat þe first nycht þat þe king was cummyne
And in his bed his first slepe nummyne,
Schortlie to say, þis Egestus
Slew hime. and quhene he (ded) was þus,
To sepulture þai gart hime bringe.
And nocht lange eftir his erdinge
This said Egistus tuke to wyf
Cletemistra; and sche belyf
Gaif hime all hole þe governynge
Of þe kynryk and maid hime kyng.
Now þis Agamenone, we of reid,
Had o sone gottine of his seide
One þis queyne and Cletemistra richt,
That to his name Arestes hicht,
And was with-ine elde ȝit suthly.
Quhom to þe king Calabus ine hy,
His cosing, dredand þat with trayne
He sulde be throw Egistus slayne,
Staw hime away & send hime has
To king Ydomeus, þat was
Kyng of Crete and was cosyne
To hime. and þocht he of fer lyne
Was and fer sib to Orestes,
This Ilk Ydomeus but les,
And his wyf eke, Tyrasyse,
Resaued hime thankfully & wyss,
And gart hime with all besyness
Be kepit alswele and no less
Thane Clemana, þare douchtere faire,
That was þare nixt apperande aire;
And ine his kynrik helde hime þane,
Quhill he was to þe elde of mane. —
This Ilk Oetus alswa,
King Naulus sone, to Egra,
Þe qulk was Diomeidis wyf,
Wrote ine lyke maner, to raiss stryf,
That he to Cletemistra wrote:
Effectuislie tellinge quhat-gote
That Diomeid had weddit ane
Of Pryamis douchteris, in certane;
And bad hire trow It out of dreide.
Now was þat Egra in deide
Douchtere to kinge Polemyte,
Kinge of Argew; and alss-tyte
As hir forsaid fadere was deid,
He left behynd him in his steid
This Egra — þe buke sayis þus —
And a sone, callit Assandrus;
And eftir þar faderis deces
The kynrik of Argew but les
Betuix þaime þai couth ewyne depart;
And þis Egra with hire part
To husband tuke Diomedes.
And quhene þis Diomeid bowne wes
And to þe grekes ost to go,
This Ilk Assandrus also
Passed with hime in company
Aganis þe troyens michtely.
Bot or þai to þe ost cume mycht,
In-to one place, þat Berclame hicht,
Thai come, quhare þai purposede to byde
For recreacioune Ine þat tyide.
283
Lorde of þat Ilk province, rass
And yrously apone þaime come
With armed mene, as out of home (!),
And ruschit one þaime but abaid.
And þai, seand þai mistere had
For to defend þaime, faucht agayne,
And þis Assandrus fell has slayne
Of þe kinge Thelaphus best mene.
The king Thelaphus, persavand þene
That he mycht nocht sustene þat scaith,
In hand he tuke a gret spere raith
And gane agane Assandrus ryde,
And stroik hime so ine-to þe syde
That he hime woundit thrō þe corps
And straik hime deid downe frome his hors
Diomeide, seand in þat steid
Assandrus, his gud-broþir, deid,
As wode out of his wit, but les,
Gane rusche in-to þe thikkest pres,
Woundand, menȝeand & slaande ay,
Quhill he come quhare Assandrus lay,
And drew him out frome þe horss feit,
In fell teres þat he gane grete;
Syne with his mene tornede agane.
Thus was he slane in-to certane.
Bot It was nocht rehersit þus
To Egera of Assandrus,
Bot It was tolde hire but lesinge
That throw Dyomedis compassinge
Hire broþir was slayne, so þat he
Throw his decess mycht haf all fre
Throw þe richt of his wyf all hale
All þe kynryk but halfyndale.
And þis Egra certanely
Louede hire broþire so tenderly,
That sche had fere levere forgo
Hire owne part & his also
Ne be deprivit of hire broþire.
So, quhat of þis tale & þe toþir
That Oetes also gane tell,
Sche tuke so cruell hart and fell
Aganis þis Diomeide one-ane,
That all þe argives euerilkane
Sche tretede so, þat Diomeide
Suld nocht be thare resaued in deide;
And send hime worde & said þat he
Suld nocht presume in þat degre
To duell a quartare of a day.
And so he strenȝeit passing his (!) way,
Nocht wittinge quhar for to declyne.
And so throw fortoune happinnit syne
In Salamyne to cume percase,
That Tewtere rengand þare was,
Thelamonyus brothire, þai recorde,
And of þe province was hole lorde.
And quhene þat he herd Diomedes
Had conspyred with Vlixes
In Thelamonis his broþeris deide,
284
He commandit he sulde be tone.
Bot Diomeid, or euir he fone,
Eschapand his gyrne slichtfully,
And flede and left his land quytly. —
Demephone ande king Aganas
Frome handes of kyng Tewter has (!)
Eschapede out of gret perrile,
That frome þare handes in exile
War put, as Diomeid before;
And to Cartace to Duke Nestore
Come, þat þame richt curtasly
Resauede. and þane In-to hy
Thire two kynges tuke purposs thare
That þai walde in þare cuntreis faire
With armede honde richt michtely,
To fecht ande wyne þare lond wichtly,
To mak one þaime fell martyre
That so agane þaime gane conspyre.
Bot Duke Nestor commendit nocht
Thare counsale, bot said þat hime thocht
Better þat þai send first to trete
With faire wordis and hechtis grete.
And þai haue (done) richt so but hone.
Quharfor all there liegis sone
With meike hartis, boith pure & ryke,
Resauede þame in þare kynryke. —
Eneas, ȝit þat maid delay
At Troy, with all þe haist he may
Maid redy his schippis to faire.
Bot þe meyne-tyme þat he baid þaire,
He persavede and wist but dowt
That syndry folk duelland about
Of þare nychtbouris bownde (!) to anoy
The fewe folk þat remanede ine Troy.
Tharfor he counsalede þaime: sene he
In þare helpe mycht nocht abyde nor be,
That þai for Diomede walde sende,
That was richt wicht, as he wele kende:
Sene he was þane in-to exile,
That he walde cume In-to þe meyne-quhile
And be with þaime in þare subsyde.
And þai did so In-to schort tyde
And eftir Diomeide send richt.
And he with all þe helpe he mycht
Purchesss one all syde besely,
Come vnto Troy richt manfully.
And quhene he come to Troy, he fande
Thame all as ine a sege luckande,
And Eneas ȝit þaime among,
That was blyth; and þai boith gane gonge
Richt hardely with þe troyens,
For battell ordanit all attones,
And sex dayes contynewally
Faucht. quhare þat Diomeid stoutly
Throw his provess richt mony slais
And tuke mony of troyens fais,
285
Gart hangit be one a gibbet.
The auchtane day fechtande richt fast
He provit sa, quhill at þe last
Thai tornede þare bakis ande to go (!);
And he gane mony of þaime slo,
And all þat mycht be tone, Ilkane
Gert þaime be hangit, in certane.
Than vþeris nychtbouris, þat gan duell
About þe towne or in castell,
Herand how þai ware vndone
That þaime assegeit þan, þai alsone
Sesit frome all wexacioune
Of þe troyens. þarfor þe towne
Was in-to pece — gif It mycht be
Said pece ine suche aduersite. —
Eneas, quhene þis was done,
His schippis redy maid but hone
And with þe troyens, þat left was,
And with his fadere Anchises
Enterede in schippes but sudiorne,
To pass in exile but retorne
As þe gregeois hade ordanit It,
And to þe se gane hime commit,
As vnknowene quhare fortoune wolde
That he and his suld resting holde [OMITTED]
287
»Thai leif all vþire besynes;
So þam emplesit þat swetness
That of þaime-self þai haf na thocht,
Of mete and drink rekande richt nocht,
Bot throw þare swete songe fallis one slepe.
The mermadynnis thane takine (!) kepe,
Seis þaime slepand, þane cummis roth
And drownes þame and þare schippes bath.
Amange þire mermadynnis come we.
And I, dredand my mene suld be
Merrit with þare sle fantasye,
Gart þame þare eris stop In hy
With my craft: so þai herd þaime nocht;
With hole cast syne vpone þaime soucht
And a thousand of þaime cane slo;
And so þat parrell we passit fro.
Thus passede we and tho parrellis left.
Vnhappely þan we fell eft
In-to Carybdis In-to schort quhile,
And wele more of þaime fyftene myle[OMITTED]
That swelt half of my schippis has
Suellede ande all þat in þaime was.
And with þe toþir half away
I gat, bot I gat a fell fray,
And to Phynit come saland þane.
Quhare I fande wikkit tyrand-mene,
That ruschit one my folk & me
And slew most part of my menȝe
And left bot fewe of þaime one lyve,
Syne spulȝeit has my schippis belyve,
And me and þe quheyne folk þat ware
Liffand, tuke and in presoune þare (!).
Bot, throw will of þe goddis, syne
Thai deliuerede out me and myne;
Bot þai restorit nocht of our gud.
Frome thyne in poverte furth we ȝude,
Quhill þat we come to þis cuntre,
Richt misterfull, as ȝe may se.
Now haf I talde ȝw myne anoye
That I had, sene I come fro Troy,
And all þe awenturis I hade.«
Ande so ende of his speche he maide.
The king Ydoneus, þat herde
Vlixes tane how þat he ferde,
Has in his hart of hime pite;
Tharfore oucht þat mycht plesand be
To him in þe kynryke of Crete
He gart hime haue with honour grete.
That, quhene It lykede Vlixes
To pass frome Crete, þe king but less
Gart gif hime two schippes in hy,
And golde and siluere richt plentuously,
To suffice hime in his wayage:
Ande prayede hime at his passage
To þe king Anthenor to wende,
That ȝarnede him to se as frende.
With leif to his schippes þarfore
He passede, and come to Anthenore:
That hime resauit with blyth cheire
And honorede him vpone gret manere.
Vlixes harde þar tell belyve
How þat Penolope, his wyf,
With gret men was assayede in deide
And kepit ay hire womanheide;
And also he was certefyede
That folk his kynryk occupyede
Incontrare of his wyffis will.
And þare come alswa þar him till
Thelamocus, his sone þat was,
That tolde þe certane suthfastness.
Vlixes, þat þis thing herde tolde,
Prayed king Anthenor he wolde
With him In-to his cuntre ga.
And Anthenor said blythlie ȝha,
And, with his knychtis, with hime ȝeide
To schip. and so þai gan proceide,
That Vlixes with subtilte
Come vpone nycht to his cite.
And at þe traytouris he begynnis
And enteris first in-to þare Innes,
And fande þaime fast slepand Ilkone,
And slewe þaime all — eschapit none.
Syne, quhene þe day was dawyne licht,
In his palace he enterit richt
With þe kinge Anthenor: quhare he
Was resauit as kyng sulde be.
O, how blyth was Penolope
That longe desyred sicht to se!
O, how in haist þe citeȝanis
Come for to se þare kynge attanes,
Brynging so mony giftis ryke!
And hime agane to his kynryke
Thai gane richt hartfully restore.
Thane tretit he with Anthenore
That Thelamocus, his sone, cane ta
To wyf his douchter Nausica;
And maid a ryall brydale sone.
Kynge Anthenor, quhene þis was done,
Passed home agane, & Vlixes
Bode in his lande with rest & pece. —
So þam emplesit þat swetness
That of þaime-self þai haf na thocht,
Of mete and drink rekande richt nocht,
288
The mermadynnis thane takine (!) kepe,
Seis þaime slepand, þane cummis roth
And drownes þame and þare schippes bath.
Amange þire mermadynnis come we.
And I, dredand my mene suld be
Merrit with þare sle fantasye,
Gart þame þare eris stop In hy
With my craft: so þai herd þaime nocht;
With hole cast syne vpone þaime soucht
And a thousand of þaime cane slo;
And so þat parrell we passit fro.
Thus passede we and tho parrellis left.
Vnhappely þan we fell eft
In-to Carybdis In-to schort quhile,
289
That swelt half of my schippis has
Suellede ande all þat in þaime was.
And with þe toþir half away
I gat, bot I gat a fell fray,
And to Phynit come saland þane.
Quhare I fande wikkit tyrand-mene,
That ruschit one my folk & me
And slew most part of my menȝe
And left bot fewe of þaime one lyve,
Syne spulȝeit has my schippis belyve,
And me and þe quheyne folk þat ware
Liffand, tuke and in presoune þare (!).
Bot, throw will of þe goddis, syne
Thai deliuerede out me and myne;
Bot þai restorit nocht of our gud.
Frome thyne in poverte furth we ȝude,
Quhill þat we come to þis cuntre,
Richt misterfull, as ȝe may se.
Now haf I talde ȝw myne anoye
That I had, sene I come fro Troy,
And all þe awenturis I hade.«
Ande so ende of his speche he maide.
The king Ydoneus, þat herde
Vlixes tane how þat he ferde,
Has in his hart of hime pite;
Tharfore oucht þat mycht plesand be
To him in þe kynryke of Crete
He gart hime haue with honour grete.
That, quhene It lykede Vlixes
To pass frome Crete, þe king but less
Gart gif hime two schippes in hy,
And golde and siluere richt plentuously,
To suffice hime in his wayage:
Ande prayede hime at his passage
To þe king Anthenor to wende,
That ȝarnede him to se as frende.
With leif to his schippes þarfore
He passede, and come to Anthenore:
That hime resauit with blyth cheire
And honorede him vpone gret manere.
Vlixes harde þar tell belyve
How þat Penolope, his wyf,
With gret men was assayede in deide
And kepit ay hire womanheide;
And also he was certefyede
That folk his kynryk occupyede
Incontrare of his wyffis will.
And þare come alswa þar him till
Thelamocus, his sone þat was,
That tolde þe certane suthfastness.
Vlixes, þat þis thing herde tolde,
290
With him In-to his cuntre ga.
And Anthenor said blythlie ȝha,
And, with his knychtis, with hime ȝeide
To schip. and so þai gan proceide,
That Vlixes with subtilte
Come vpone nycht to his cite.
And at þe traytouris he begynnis
And enteris first in-to þare Innes,
And fande þaime fast slepand Ilkone,
And slewe þaime all — eschapit none.
Syne, quhene þe day was dawyne licht,
In his palace he enterit richt
With þe kinge Anthenor: quhare he
Was resauit as kyng sulde be.
O, how blyth was Penolope
That longe desyred sicht to se!
O, how in haist þe citeȝanis
Come for to se þare kynge attanes,
Brynging so mony giftis ryke!
And hime agane to his kynryke
Thai gane richt hartfully restore.
Thane tretit he with Anthenore
That Thelamocus, his sone, cane ta
To wyf his douchter Nausica;
And maid a ryall brydale sone.
Kynge Anthenor, quhene þis was done,
Passed home agane, & Vlixes
Bode in his lande with rest & pece. —
The thre and thretty buke alss fast
How þat Pirrus frome þe feist past (!);
And also how Vlixes was
With his awne sone slane vpone case. —
Of Pirrus, sone to Achilles,
Syne þat frome Troy he cummyne wes,
The story ȝit maid no memore;
Bot now we dress our graith þarfore. —
Vpone his faderis syde Pirrus
Has his grant-ssir Peleus:
This Peleus Achilles gat
One his wyf, Tytides þat hate,
And Achilles Pirrus alswa
Gat one his wyf Dyamira,
Douchtir to kinge Lycomeid;
So has he two grantssiris in deid:
Peleus one his faderis syde,
And one his moderis Licomede.
Kyng Licomeide to Acastrus
Was sone, forfadere to Pirrus.
This Acastrus was ȝit liffand.
For he for old scantlie mycht stande.
He hatit þis Pirrus dedly,
And all his faderis kyne holy,
And scaithit þaime all þat he mocht —
Causs quhy, þe story tellis nocht.
Bot It rehersit þus but less:
Acastrus, þat forfadere wes
To Pirrus, his graunschire put out,
Peleus, out of his land but dout
Of Thesaly, and schope also
With hid quentyss Pirrus to slo.
Pirrus, þat frome þe sege was cummyne,
Be se homwarde þe way has nummyne,
Quhare he In-to gret parrell gane fall
And of his gud þe most part all
He kest out with his awne hande,
To saif his folk þat ware passande.
Thus with his schippes dryvande þane,
He aryvede ine Melapsane,
And gart supple his schippis thare
That with þe tempest schakene war.
Thare tolde þai him how Acastrus,
His (for)fader, put out Peleus,
His granschire, out of Thesaly,
His kynryk, & how besely
He kest engyne Pirrus to slo.
Pirrus was of þat thing richt wo,
And mor of his grantschire in deid
Nor of hime self, — for Lycomeid,
His grantssir of his moderis lyne
And sone to kyng Acastrus syne,
Hade norysede hime in his barnage
And brocht hime wp of tender age. —
This kinge Acastrus prevaly
Has put Peleus so queyntly
Frome his cuntre, þat one no syde
Ine-to a part he durst abyde
For hime and his sonnes also —
For Acastrus has sonnes two:
The tone was callede Philistynes,
And þe toþir Mynellopes;
And one douchter he hath þarto,
And Tetides to nome has scho —
Peleus durst nocht in apert
Abyde, bot helde hime in covert,
Quhill-tyme þat Pirrus sulde come home,
That, he thocht, sulde revenge his schome; —
And he was richt sikker þat he
Frome Troye suld cume home fro þe se.
Now frome þe cite bot VIII myle
Of Thesaly a wod was quhyle,
And in It one olde mansioune,
That þane for eld was fallyne dovne.
The kingis of Thesaly ware wount
In-to þat forrest for to hount,
And to herbery In þat manere —
For þare was gret plente of deire;
Bot þat place þane was falȝeit all,
So þat men mycht nocht kene no wall.
Bot It had vnder erd but weire
Standande woltis & cavis seire,
With thornes all our-growine without;
And has bot one small hole but dout
In-to þat thorne-rone, richt secre,
Quhare þare was wounder strate entre;
Bot fra a mane had entred ones,
It was a faire rowme, wasty wones.
And þis place nere þe se gane stande.
In It Peleus was lurkande,
And quhylis walde cume out prevely
To þe se-syd and encrely
Behold, gif he Pirrus mycht se
Cume with his schippes home by se.—
Pirrus, þat was in Menelapsa,
Gart graith his schippes for to ga
In Thesaly for rewengeaunce
Of his grantssir disturbaunce,
Peleus, vpone Acastrus,
That frome his kynryk kest hime þus,
And for to kepe hime-selfine to.
Tharfor, þe more wyslie to do,
He gart two secre spyes come,
Crissypus and one Adastrume,
And to Thesaly þaime sende
To Assandrus, þat he wele kende
Was to him stedfast & secre
And was one burges Ine Thesalie,
To speire how all thingis stud þare.
And þai helde one þar way but maire
And to Assandrus come; & he
Told þaime alhole þe certente.
And þai agane come to Pirrus
And tolde as þaime tolde Assandrus.
Than Pirrus to his schippes ȝeid,
In Thesalie to pass but dreid.
And one þe se a fell tempest
Hime tuke, þat thre dayes gane lest.
Bot throw þe goddes favorande,
The wynd in tempest ȝit blowande,
In-to one port he drevyne was
That þai callit Sepelias.
This port was frome þe towne standande
Of Thesaly aucht myle nere-hande,
And to þe olde place was richt neire
Quhare þat Peleus was but weire.
Pirrus, all wery for trawale,
Come to þe londe, and syne but fale
Walked one fut wp frome þe port,
In þat forest hime to disport,
And throw ane ferlyfull fortoune
Happinnit to þat Ilk hole but hone
To cume, of þat olde mansioune
That we eire of maid mencioune.
Bot so þe hole oure-coverit was
With thornes, breres and with gras,
That he of It had no-kyne wit
And sodanly fell ine-to It,
And fell dovne tene steppis but frist,
Or euir he mycht tak arrest.
Thane gat he wp and saw a grece,
And walked one Inwart a pece,
To se quhat thing þar-ine be may:
And come quhare þat Peleus lay.
[OMITTED]
And lukede: and he beheld Pirrus
And knew richtwele Pirrus he was
And was full lyke to Achilles.
And fro he kend him be his feris,
He kest him sone with grety teris,
And tolde him his disseiss & caire, —
The quhilk Pirrus regratit þare.
Than come þai wp togiddir boith
And downe to þe schippes come roith.
Thare gat Pirrus certane wittering:
Twa sonnes of Acastrus kynge,
Menalippus and Pelestenes,
To hount in-to þat forest but les.
Thane, quhene Pirrus herd þis tything,
He put hime sone of his awne clething
And clede hime In-to sempile weid,
And syne furth to þe forest ȝeid
Bot with ane swerde all him-allone,
And left his mene still euerilkone.
Ande sone he met twa as he was
That sperit at him quhat he was
And quhyne he come and quhare he went.
And he answerd Incontynent
And said: he was of Grece but le,
And frome þe sege of Troy be se
He come with vþir ine company;
»Bot sic a tempest sodanly
Ourtuke ws and so sore gane smyte,
That five hundreth ware drowned quyte
Of my fallowis þat ware with me;
And I allone with þe wod se
As deid was cassyne to þe lande,
Boldnede with salt wattere lyande.
Bot þe watter throw goddis will
I devoded; syne come me till
Sic spreitis, þat I couth recovire.
Bot all my gudis, ȝe assovire,
Was tynt, & I left seike & pure.
Tharfor biggand frome dure to dure
I pass, quhill in my land I come.
Quharfor I pray ȝw, gif me some
Of ȝour mete, gif ȝe ony haif,
That I þarewith my lyve may saif,
And of sume-quhate do grace me till!«
And þai bad hime byde with þaime still.
Thane with þat come a mekile hart,
Richt spedely rynnand outwart.
The quhilk hart suthly Menalippus
Followit ine haist, & left Pirrus
And his brodere withoutine mo,
Quhill he was richt fere passit hime fro.
Pilestenes þane lichtede sone
Becauss of rest, with-outine hone.
Thane Pirrus drew his swerd ine hy
And slew hime þare richt cruelly.
Menalippus sone eftir þis
Retorned frome þe hart Iwis:
Quhom Pirrus at his agane-cummyng
Slew hastely but taryinge.
And þus Pirrus his enemys (!) two,
Brethire to Tetides also,
His grandame one Acastrus syde,
Slewe cruelly Ine-to þat tyide.
Frome þar slauchtere as he gan pass,
With one mete he, callit Cynaras,
Was famile to Acastrus kinge.
Pirrus him askit but mor lesing:
Quhare þat Acastrus was but weire.
And he said he was cummand neire.
Than Cynaras Incontinent
He slewe; syne to his schippes went
And him arayed richely.
Syne to Acastrus hastely
He went and met hime with blyth chere.
And Acastrus sperit but weire
At Pirrus, quhat he was. & he
Answerit agane in þis degre:
»Of Pryamis sonnis I ame one,
And ame þusgatis throw Pirrus tone.«
Than kyng Acastrus answerd þus,
Nocht knawand hime: »quhare is Pirrus?«
And he said: »heire downe at hond,
All wery Is cummyne to þe lond
And to ȝone dyche Is gone but maire«
And with his honde he schewed quhaire.
Than with þat he his swerd drew out,
To sla Acastrus king, but dout.
Than with þat Thetis come belyve,
That was to king Peleus wyve
And douchter to Acastrus was
And modere alss to Achilles,
Grandame to Pirrus. þus said scho:
»Cosing, what etlis þow to do?
Bird It not suffice in certane
That þou my two brethire has slane,
Thy enemys þocht? þow sla nocht heire
Thyne eld-fadere, mi fadere dere!«
And with þat sche to Pirrus rane
And his arme, þat was strekit þane
One loft with drawine swerd, to slo
Hire fadere, sche helde still richt þo.
Than Pirrus said to hire in hy:
»The kyng, þi fadere, cruelly
Put kynge Peleus, þine husbande,
Dispituouslie out of his lande;
And alss fer as he did hime scaith,
Me think he (þe) offendit baith.
Lat Peleus cume, and, gif þat he
Will grant him lyve, I will for me.«
Than come Peleus hastely
And prayit Pirrus tenderly
To spaire Acastrus in þat steide,
Syne he of his two sonnes deide
Was anoyit in so gret thinge.
And he left of at his biddinge.
And so þe pece reformede was
Betuix þaime two Ine-to þat place.
Acastrus þane and Peleus,
And with (þaime) Tetes and Pirrus,
To trete of þe kynryke begane.
The kinge Acastrus, þat had þane
Of Thesaly þe governale,
Saide one þis wyss to þaime but fale:
»I ame now so strikine in elde,
That I þe kynryk may nocht welde;
And my sonnes of lyve be brocht
That eftir me to regne I thocht;
And none Is now one lyve but dreide
That aw of law for to succeide,
Bot Pirrus, my swet cosing deire;
Tharfor now of þis kynryke heire
I dispulȝe me wilfully,
And grauntis hime It alluterly
And giffis hime heire state heretabile.«
Peleus said heire: »I but fabile
All richt þat I haf ine þis thinge,
I gif It hime; for my ȝarnynge
Was þat Pirrus oure all þe laif
Of Thesalie suld sceptour haif.«
Thane þis king þus confermed þare,
Thai lap one horss and furth þai faire
To Thesaly Incontinent,
And Pirrus gaif commandement
That his schippes ine hast suld be
Brocht Ilkone to Thesalie.
Thus þai to Thesalie cummande,
Acastus gart charge sone one hande:
All þo of Thesaly Ilkone
Sulde cume & mak homage anone
To Pirrus. and þai, þat ware blyth
Tharof, maid homage to him swyth;
And one þe followande day nixt roth
Acastrus and Peleus boith
Of Thesaly gane Pirrus crowne.
Quhilk, sittand in sege of renoune,
His diademe held with honour,
And ine schort tyme throw his favour
He governede his hie estate
That Thesaly was exaltate
Aboue all Grece, as kynryke best.
And king Pirrus in pece & rest
Kepit his kynryk wele but stryve
Richt to þe last end of his lyve.—
Idumerus, of Crete þe kinge,
Is deid, and left of his ofspringe
Behynd hime liffand sonnes twa:
Schire Mereone ande Leorta.
Bot Mereone richt sone but le
Deit eftir his fadere couth de,
And þe kinryk of Crete he left
To Leorta, his broþir, eft:
That governede It richt happely
And gart his brothire erd richely.
Vlixes sone, Thelamocus,
Gat a sone, callit Deyphebus,
One Nausica, his wyf, but les,
To Anthenor þat douchtere wes.—
Bot to Pirrus now oure story
Tornes agane, to tell trewly
Of all his process withoutine weire,
And how he deyed and quhat manere.
The king Acastrus richt gretly
Of his sonnes was maid sory
That was (slane) as before herde ȝe,
And þare bodyis In Thesalye
He gart haue honorabile erdinge,
Throw þe king Pirrus commandinge.
Fortoune, þat in hie happynes
Settis seire mene, ȝit neuirþeles
With hid enbuschementis waitis ay
How mene frome happy state sche may
Cast ine-to wnhap and caire,
Schawand þaime first richt plesand faire (!)
And syne with ane suddane downe-fall
Tham castis In-to mischeif all.
Pirrus, þus ryngande happely,
Was in loue gyrnede subtelly
With faire Hermonia but layne,
Menelayus douchtere & Elene,
And was Orestes wyf. þar-till
Set all trast to assyth his will,
And dide so þat Hermonia
He staw quietlie Orestes fra
Of þe kynryke of Matenase,
In quhilk Orestes ryngand was,
And brocht ine Thesaly belyve
And maryed hire & held for wyve.
Orestes in his hart was wroith
Of suche welany done him scaith;
Bot he was nocht to wyte (!) but weyne
Agane Pirrus weire to manteyine;
Bot he helde It stilly in thocht,
So þat, gif throw chaunce happine mocht[OMITTED]
So happinnit eftir ine-to schort quhyle,
Pirrus bowned to Delphos yle,
To thank þe hie gode Appollo,
And vthire seire goddis þarto,
Of þe rewengeaunce gret þat was
Tone of his fadere Achilles
Of Paris longe befor þat day.
For quhilk Pirrus in riche array
To Delphos passede one his wayes,
Leveand behynd ine his palais
Hectoris wyf, A(n)dromatha,
And his sone alss, Lamendonta,
That scho consaved of Hector,
As ȝe haue herd reherss before;
And sche with child was þane alswa
With Pirrus, quhene he furth cane ga;
And alss he left Armona þare.
And scho, quhene he was past, but mare
To Menelay, hire fader, sende
A grevouss pleynt, makande hime kende
That sche was nocht In-to deynte
Haldine, as scho thocht scho sulde be:
For Pirrus Andromatha lufit
Bettere þan hire & more luf prufit,
And hire in no deynte couth holde;
Tharfor sche prayed þat he wolde
Cum to Thessaly but hone
For to slo Andromatha sone,
And Lamendonta, hire sone, to.
And Menelay richt so gane do:
Maid with hir wordis wroith,
Come vnto Thessaly full roith,
All schame and nobilnes put away
And one Andromatha but delay
Ruschit. bot sche, þat was agast,
Hynt wp hire child & fled fast
Throwout þe streit affrayitly,
Gretand richt fast gane hiely cry
That þe pepill sulde helpe þat sche
Ware nocht slayne and hire child þarto.
Thane þe pepill Incontinent
To armes rane with hole assent
And followit all one Menelay,
And set him in so hard affray
That for dreid of þe pepill he
Was fayne to his kynryk to fle.—
Orestes, þat wist þat Pirrus
Was ine þe Ile of Delphos þus,
Of knychtis gat gret company
And come one Pirrus suddanly
And with his awne hand cane him slo,
And so gane hertlie wengeance mo.
Thus was Pirrus slayne ine þat place,
Ande ine þat Ilk Ile erdit was.
And syne his wyf recouerede he
And brocht hire home in his cuntre.
Kyng Peleus þane and Thetyss
Passed frome Thessalie, Iwiss,
To þe cite of Melapsa
And tuke with þaime Andromatha,
That was (with child) with Pirrus ȝit,
And Lamendonta, hire sone swete.
And thore a sone sche bure but baide
That Pirrus one hire gottine had,
That was callit Achillydes;
That grewe to werteu & proves.
And quhen he come to eld, but weire,
Lamendonta, his brodere deire,
He crowned king of Thessalye—
þocht aire þarof of richt was he.
And for his brotheris fauour maire
He bad all troyens þat tone ware
In Grece, sulde haue fre liberte,
And frome all thrillege be maid fre.—
Thar-to here ekis þis story,
As was said longe before gone by
In-to þe sext & tuenty buke,
How Achilles þe body tuke
Of Troyulus, þe worthy knycht,
And to his horss tale fessynnit richt
And drewe throw þe hole oist þat Ilk;
In þe recoweraunce of þe qulk
The kyng Menone (come) with gret force
And stroke Achilles frome his horss
And hurt so felly In þat steide
That he was borne away as deide;
Syne how Achilles king Menone
Gert his Myrondones enwyroune,
And quhene he was supprysed so,
How tratourly he gan him slo,
And syne how þe king Pryamus
Gart erd hime besyde Troylus.
Now tellis þis story successive
That þis king Menone had a wyf
Richt faire, and scho come opinly
To Menonis graif and apertly
Gart opyne It and furth has tone
Kyng Menonis bones euerilkone
And in one weschell of gold fyne
Thame put, and, all folk seand syne,
With þe weschell and þe bones
Frome þare sicht wanyst all-attones
Richt as one cloude, ande (n)euir syne seyne.
For quhiche sume sayis þat sche but weyne
Was wplifted as one goddes,
Or þane one goddess douchtere wes,
And vþeris said sche was, I trow,
A werde-sistere — I wait neuir how.—
How þat Pirrus frome þe feist past (!);
And also how Vlixes was
With his awne sone slane vpone case. —
Of Pirrus, sone to Achilles,
Syne þat frome Troy he cummyne wes,
The story ȝit maid no memore;
Bot now we dress our graith þarfore. —
Vpone his faderis syde Pirrus
Has his grant-ssir Peleus:
This Peleus Achilles gat
One his wyf, Tytides þat hate,
And Achilles Pirrus alswa
Gat one his wyf Dyamira,
Douchtir to kinge Lycomeid;
So has he two grantssiris in deid:
Peleus one his faderis syde,
And one his moderis Licomede.
Kyng Licomeide to Acastrus
Was sone, forfadere to Pirrus.
This Acastrus was ȝit liffand.
For he for old scantlie mycht stande.
He hatit þis Pirrus dedly,
291
And scaithit þaime all þat he mocht —
Causs quhy, þe story tellis nocht.
Bot It rehersit þus but less:
Acastrus, þat forfadere wes
To Pirrus, his graunschire put out,
Peleus, out of his land but dout
Of Thesaly, and schope also
With hid quentyss Pirrus to slo.
Pirrus, þat frome þe sege was cummyne,
Be se homwarde þe way has nummyne,
Quhare he In-to gret parrell gane fall
And of his gud þe most part all
He kest out with his awne hande,
To saif his folk þat ware passande.
Thus with his schippes dryvande þane,
He aryvede ine Melapsane,
And gart supple his schippis thare
That with þe tempest schakene war.
Thare tolde þai him how Acastrus,
His (for)fader, put out Peleus,
His granschire, out of Thesaly,
His kynryk, & how besely
He kest engyne Pirrus to slo.
Pirrus was of þat thing richt wo,
And mor of his grantschire in deid
Nor of hime self, — for Lycomeid,
His grantssir of his moderis lyne
And sone to kyng Acastrus syne,
Hade norysede hime in his barnage
And brocht hime wp of tender age. —
This kinge Acastrus prevaly
Has put Peleus so queyntly
Frome his cuntre, þat one no syde
Ine-to a part he durst abyde
For hime and his sonnes also —
For Acastrus has sonnes two:
The tone was callede Philistynes,
And þe toþir Mynellopes;
And one douchter he hath þarto,
And Tetides to nome has scho —
Peleus durst nocht in apert
Abyde, bot helde hime in covert,
Quhill-tyme þat Pirrus sulde come home,
That, he thocht, sulde revenge his schome; —
And he was richt sikker þat he
Frome Troye suld cume home fro þe se.
Now frome þe cite bot VIII myle
Of Thesaly a wod was quhyle,
And in It one olde mansioune,
That þane for eld was fallyne dovne.
The kingis of Thesaly ware wount
In-to þat forrest for to hount,
And to herbery In þat manere —
For þare was gret plente of deire;
Bot þat place þane was falȝeit all,
So þat men mycht nocht kene no wall.
292
Standande woltis & cavis seire,
With thornes all our-growine without;
And has bot one small hole but dout
In-to þat thorne-rone, richt secre,
Quhare þare was wounder strate entre;
Bot fra a mane had entred ones,
It was a faire rowme, wasty wones.
And þis place nere þe se gane stande.
In It Peleus was lurkande,
And quhylis walde cume out prevely
To þe se-syd and encrely
Behold, gif he Pirrus mycht se
Cume with his schippes home by se.—
Pirrus, þat was in Menelapsa,
Gart graith his schippes for to ga
In Thesaly for rewengeaunce
Of his grantssir disturbaunce,
Peleus, vpone Acastrus,
That frome his kynryk kest hime þus,
And for to kepe hime-selfine to.
Tharfor, þe more wyslie to do,
He gart two secre spyes come,
Crissypus and one Adastrume,
And to Thesaly þaime sende
To Assandrus, þat he wele kende
Was to him stedfast & secre
And was one burges Ine Thesalie,
To speire how all thingis stud þare.
And þai helde one þar way but maire
And to Assandrus come; & he
Told þaime alhole þe certente.
And þai agane come to Pirrus
And tolde as þaime tolde Assandrus.
Than Pirrus to his schippes ȝeid,
In Thesalie to pass but dreid.
And one þe se a fell tempest
Hime tuke, þat thre dayes gane lest.
Bot throw þe goddes favorande,
The wynd in tempest ȝit blowande,
In-to one port he drevyne was
That þai callit Sepelias.
This port was frome þe towne standande
Of Thesaly aucht myle nere-hande,
And to þe olde place was richt neire
Quhare þat Peleus was but weire.
Pirrus, all wery for trawale,
Come to þe londe, and syne but fale
Walked one fut wp frome þe port,
In þat forest hime to disport,
And throw ane ferlyfull fortoune
Happinnit to þat Ilk hole but hone
To cume, of þat olde mansioune
That we eire of maid mencioune.
Bot so þe hole oure-coverit was
With thornes, breres and with gras,
That he of It had no-kyne wit
And sodanly fell ine-to It,
293
Or euir he mycht tak arrest.
Thane gat he wp and saw a grece,
And walked one Inwart a pece,
To se quhat thing þar-ine be may:
And come quhare þat Peleus lay.
[OMITTED]
And lukede: and he beheld Pirrus
And knew richtwele Pirrus he was
And was full lyke to Achilles.
And fro he kend him be his feris,
He kest him sone with grety teris,
And tolde him his disseiss & caire, —
The quhilk Pirrus regratit þare.
Than come þai wp togiddir boith
And downe to þe schippes come roith.
Thare gat Pirrus certane wittering:
Twa sonnes of Acastrus kynge,
Menalippus and Pelestenes,
To hount in-to þat forest but les.
Thane, quhene Pirrus herd þis tything,
He put hime sone of his awne clething
And clede hime In-to sempile weid,
And syne furth to þe forest ȝeid
Bot with ane swerde all him-allone,
And left his mene still euerilkone.
Ande sone he met twa as he was
That sperit at him quhat he was
And quhyne he come and quhare he went.
And he answerd Incontynent
And said: he was of Grece but le,
And frome þe sege of Troy be se
He come with vþir ine company;
»Bot sic a tempest sodanly
Ourtuke ws and so sore gane smyte,
That five hundreth ware drowned quyte
Of my fallowis þat ware with me;
And I allone with þe wod se
As deid was cassyne to þe lande,
Boldnede with salt wattere lyande.
Bot þe watter throw goddis will
I devoded; syne come me till
Sic spreitis, þat I couth recovire.
Bot all my gudis, ȝe assovire,
Was tynt, & I left seike & pure.
Tharfor biggand frome dure to dure
I pass, quhill in my land I come.
Quharfor I pray ȝw, gif me some
Of ȝour mete, gif ȝe ony haif,
That I þarewith my lyve may saif,
294
And þai bad hime byde with þaime still.
Thane with þat come a mekile hart,
Richt spedely rynnand outwart.
The quhilk hart suthly Menalippus
Followit ine haist, & left Pirrus
And his brodere withoutine mo,
Quhill he was richt fere passit hime fro.
Pilestenes þane lichtede sone
Becauss of rest, with-outine hone.
Thane Pirrus drew his swerd ine hy
And slew hime þare richt cruelly.
Menalippus sone eftir þis
Retorned frome þe hart Iwis:
Quhom Pirrus at his agane-cummyng
Slew hastely but taryinge.
And þus Pirrus his enemys (!) two,
Brethire to Tetides also,
His grandame one Acastrus syde,
Slewe cruelly Ine-to þat tyide.
Frome þar slauchtere as he gan pass,
With one mete he, callit Cynaras,
Was famile to Acastrus kinge.
Pirrus him askit but mor lesing:
Quhare þat Acastrus was but weire.
And he said he was cummand neire.
Than Cynaras Incontinent
He slewe; syne to his schippes went
And him arayed richely.
Syne to Acastrus hastely
He went and met hime with blyth chere.
And Acastrus sperit but weire
At Pirrus, quhat he was. & he
Answerit agane in þis degre:
»Of Pryamis sonnis I ame one,
And ame þusgatis throw Pirrus tone.«
Than kyng Acastrus answerd þus,
Nocht knawand hime: »quhare is Pirrus?«
And he said: »heire downe at hond,
All wery Is cummyne to þe lond
And to ȝone dyche Is gone but maire«
And with his honde he schewed quhaire.
Than with þat he his swerd drew out,
To sla Acastrus king, but dout.
Than with þat Thetis come belyve,
That was to king Peleus wyve
And douchter to Acastrus was
And modere alss to Achilles,
Grandame to Pirrus. þus said scho:
»Cosing, what etlis þow to do?
Bird It not suffice in certane
That þou my two brethire has slane,
Thy enemys þocht? þow sla nocht heire
Thyne eld-fadere, mi fadere dere!«
And with þat sche to Pirrus rane
And his arme, þat was strekit þane
One loft with drawine swerd, to slo
Hire fadere, sche helde still richt þo.
295
»The kyng, þi fadere, cruelly
Put kynge Peleus, þine husbande,
Dispituouslie out of his lande;
And alss fer as he did hime scaith,
Me think he (þe) offendit baith.
Lat Peleus cume, and, gif þat he
Will grant him lyve, I will for me.«
Than come Peleus hastely
And prayit Pirrus tenderly
To spaire Acastrus in þat steide,
Syne he of his two sonnes deide
Was anoyit in so gret thinge.
And he left of at his biddinge.
And so þe pece reformede was
Betuix þaime two Ine-to þat place.
Acastrus þane and Peleus,
And with (þaime) Tetes and Pirrus,
To trete of þe kynryke begane.
The kinge Acastrus, þat had þane
Of Thesaly þe governale,
Saide one þis wyss to þaime but fale:
»I ame now so strikine in elde,
That I þe kynryk may nocht welde;
And my sonnes of lyve be brocht
That eftir me to regne I thocht;
And none Is now one lyve but dreide
That aw of law for to succeide,
Bot Pirrus, my swet cosing deire;
Tharfor now of þis kynryke heire
I dispulȝe me wilfully,
And grauntis hime It alluterly
And giffis hime heire state heretabile.«
Peleus said heire: »I but fabile
All richt þat I haf ine þis thinge,
I gif It hime; for my ȝarnynge
Was þat Pirrus oure all þe laif
Of Thesalie suld sceptour haif.«
Thane þis king þus confermed þare,
Thai lap one horss and furth þai faire
To Thesaly Incontinent,
And Pirrus gaif commandement
That his schippes ine hast suld be
Brocht Ilkone to Thesalie.
Thus þai to Thesalie cummande,
Acastus gart charge sone one hande:
All þo of Thesaly Ilkone
Sulde cume & mak homage anone
To Pirrus. and þai, þat ware blyth
Tharof, maid homage to him swyth;
And one þe followande day nixt roth
Acastrus and Peleus boith
Of Thesaly gane Pirrus crowne.
Quhilk, sittand in sege of renoune,
His diademe held with honour,
And ine schort tyme throw his favour
He governede his hie estate
That Thesaly was exaltate
Aboue all Grece, as kynryke best.
And king Pirrus in pece & rest
296
Richt to þe last end of his lyve.—
Idumerus, of Crete þe kinge,
Is deid, and left of his ofspringe
Behynd hime liffand sonnes twa:
Schire Mereone ande Leorta.
Bot Mereone richt sone but le
Deit eftir his fadere couth de,
And þe kinryk of Crete he left
To Leorta, his broþir, eft:
That governede It richt happely
And gart his brothire erd richely.
Vlixes sone, Thelamocus,
Gat a sone, callit Deyphebus,
One Nausica, his wyf, but les,
To Anthenor þat douchtere wes.—
Bot to Pirrus now oure story
Tornes agane, to tell trewly
Of all his process withoutine weire,
And how he deyed and quhat manere.
The king Acastrus richt gretly
Of his sonnes was maid sory
That was (slane) as before herde ȝe,
And þare bodyis In Thesalye
He gart haue honorabile erdinge,
Throw þe king Pirrus commandinge.
Fortoune, þat in hie happynes
Settis seire mene, ȝit neuirþeles
With hid enbuschementis waitis ay
How mene frome happy state sche may
Cast ine-to wnhap and caire,
Schawand þaime first richt plesand faire (!)
And syne with ane suddane downe-fall
Tham castis In-to mischeif all.
Pirrus, þus ryngande happely,
Was in loue gyrnede subtelly
With faire Hermonia but layne,
Menelayus douchtere & Elene,
And was Orestes wyf. þar-till
Set all trast to assyth his will,
And dide so þat Hermonia
He staw quietlie Orestes fra
Of þe kynryke of Matenase,
In quhilk Orestes ryngand was,
And brocht ine Thesaly belyve
And maryed hire & held for wyve.
Orestes in his hart was wroith
Of suche welany done him scaith;
Bot he was nocht to wyte (!) but weyne
Agane Pirrus weire to manteyine;
Bot he helde It stilly in thocht,
So þat, gif throw chaunce happine mocht[OMITTED]
So happinnit eftir ine-to schort quhyle,
Pirrus bowned to Delphos yle,
To thank þe hie gode Appollo,
And vthire seire goddis þarto,
297
Tone of his fadere Achilles
Of Paris longe befor þat day.
For quhilk Pirrus in riche array
To Delphos passede one his wayes,
Leveand behynd ine his palais
Hectoris wyf, A(n)dromatha,
And his sone alss, Lamendonta,
That scho consaved of Hector,
As ȝe haue herd reherss before;
And sche with child was þane alswa
With Pirrus, quhene he furth cane ga;
And alss he left Armona þare.
And scho, quhene he was past, but mare
To Menelay, hire fader, sende
A grevouss pleynt, makande hime kende
That sche was nocht In-to deynte
Haldine, as scho thocht scho sulde be:
For Pirrus Andromatha lufit
Bettere þan hire & more luf prufit,
And hire in no deynte couth holde;
Tharfor sche prayed þat he wolde
Cum to Thessaly but hone
For to slo Andromatha sone,
And Lamendonta, hire sone, to.
And Menelay richt so gane do:
Maid with hir wordis wroith,
Come vnto Thessaly full roith,
All schame and nobilnes put away
And one Andromatha but delay
Ruschit. bot sche, þat was agast,
Hynt wp hire child & fled fast
Throwout þe streit affrayitly,
Gretand richt fast gane hiely cry
That þe pepill sulde helpe þat sche
Ware nocht slayne and hire child þarto.
Thane þe pepill Incontinent
To armes rane with hole assent
And followit all one Menelay,
And set him in so hard affray
That for dreid of þe pepill he
Was fayne to his kynryk to fle.—
Orestes, þat wist þat Pirrus
Was ine þe Ile of Delphos þus,
Of knychtis gat gret company
And come one Pirrus suddanly
And with his awne hand cane him slo,
And so gane hertlie wengeance mo.
Thus was Pirrus slayne ine þat place,
Ande ine þat Ilk Ile erdit was.
And syne his wyf recouerede he
And brocht hire home in his cuntre.
Kyng Peleus þane and Thetyss
Passed frome Thessalie, Iwiss,
To þe cite of Melapsa
And tuke with þaime Andromatha,
That was (with child) with Pirrus ȝit,
And Lamendonta, hire sone swete.
And thore a sone sche bure but baide
That Pirrus one hire gottine had,
298
That grewe to werteu & proves.
And quhen he come to eld, but weire,
Lamendonta, his brodere deire,
He crowned king of Thessalye—
þocht aire þarof of richt was he.
And for his brotheris fauour maire
He bad all troyens þat tone ware
In Grece, sulde haue fre liberte,
And frome all thrillege be maid fre.—
Thar-to here ekis þis story,
As was said longe before gone by
In-to þe sext & tuenty buke,
How Achilles þe body tuke
Of Troyulus, þe worthy knycht,
And to his horss tale fessynnit richt
And drewe throw þe hole oist þat Ilk;
In þe recoweraunce of þe qulk
The kyng Menone (come) with gret force
And stroke Achilles frome his horss
And hurt so felly In þat steide
That he was borne away as deide;
Syne how Achilles king Menone
Gert his Myrondones enwyroune,
And quhene he was supprysed so,
How tratourly he gan him slo,
And syne how þe king Pryamus
Gart erd hime besyde Troylus.
Now tellis þis story successive
That þis king Menone had a wyf
Richt faire, and scho come opinly
To Menonis graif and apertly
Gart opyne It and furth has tone
Kyng Menonis bones euerilkone
And in one weschell of gold fyne
Thame put, and, all folk seand syne,
With þe weschell and þe bones
Frome þare sicht wanyst all-attones
Richt as one cloude, ande (n)euir syne seyne.
For quhiche sume sayis þat sche but weyne
Was wplifted as one goddes,
Or þane one goddess douchtere wes,
And vþeris said sche was, I trow,
A werde-sistere — I wait neuir how.—
Bot leif we now suche fantasy
And torne we to þe trewe story,
The quhiche oure graith Is now directe
For to tell planely þe effecte
Of Vlixes, how he gane dye.
It tellis þus: þat one nycht he,
As he to slepe was lyande downe,
He saw ane ferlyfull visioune:
He thocht þat he one figure sawe
Of ȝonge forme & richt faire gane schawe,
That him thocht It ware lykare þane
One gode na be porturede a mane —
Sche was so plesande a figure;
So þat he ȝarned oure mesoure
For to haue had hire, gif he mocht.
Bot sche eschewede, as he thocht,
Sum-quhat abak, & syne drewe neire
And asked quhat his willis were.
And he sayis: »þat I desyre þat þow
Cume and ly heire besyde me now,
So þat I may haf dale with þe.«
Sche said: »þat ware hard thing to be,
And is one parrellouss asking,
That I with þe sulde haf Joynynge:
For þat Joynyng ware wnhappy,
And of þat Joynyng, certanely,
The tone of ws mone de but more.«
Hime thocht þat þat ymage bore
In-to hire hande a spere, but les,
And in þe poynt of þat spere wes
Ane tunyk(l=)e, þat richt Joly
Was of fifches maid craftely.
Than thocht hime at þat ymage gay
Bowned to pass frome hime away,
And said hime þus, quhen sche was bowne:
»This Is signe of disiunctioune
In tyme tocume ws two betwene.«
Wlixes with þat woke but weyne,
And of his dreme had gret ferly,
And in his wit socht besely
Quhat þat his dreme betakine micht.
And with dawande þe day licht
His dewynouris he gart but hone
Be callede, and talde þaime his dreme sone,
And bad þaime tell þe qualite
Of It. and þai said þus: þat he
Throw It, þat dreme cane signefy,
Sulde with his sone (to) exile trewly
With-out falȝe (or) to deid be done.
And he, þat dred þusgat his sone,
Thelamocus (gart) In hy be tone
And put ine strait keping anone.
And syne gart cheiss ane ganand stede
Quhare he sickere his lyf mycht leide,
And gart close It with wallis hie,
Quhare fewe lele folk war his secre,
And syne gaif stratlie commanding
That none to hime sulde haf entryng
Bot (he) þat his secre was there,
And none vþire, þat euir lyve baire.—
Now has þe said kyng Vlixes
Ane sone gottine one Circes,
And Thelagonyus to nome has;
Bot he wist nocht quhois sone he was —
Outtane þat he wist vttrely
That Circes bure hime, certanely.
And quhene he was of fyvetene ȝere,
At his moder he gane Inquere
Quho was his fader vndowtande,
And quhare he duelt & in quhat lande.
Bot sche long tyme gane It deny.
Bot at þe last so Increly
He maide at hire Inquisicioune,
That throw hire sonnes affectioune
Sche tolde him certanely but weire
That Vlixes was his getteire,
And tolde him quhare his kynryke was.
And he þarof had gret blythnes.
Ȝarnyng him gretlie for to se
And for to be in-to his cuntre,
With his moderis leif but delay
Thane Thelagonyus to þe way
Bownede to pass one but sudgeourne,
That prayit hime sone to retorne.
And he Jornaide be dayis sa,
Quhill he come In-to Achya.
And thare he gat all hole tything
Quhare þat Vlixes maid duelling;
And to þat place helde hastely.
Ande one a mouneday tymely
He come sone to þe brig but more,
Quhare þat þe entre was. & thore
The keparis of þe brig fande he,
And prayit þame with wordis fre
To lat him entre throw þat way,
For to speike with þe king. bot þai,
Kepand þe bidding of þe kynge,
Denyede to grant him þat thing.
And he requyrit þaime It to do,
And þai maid stout answere hime to
And In-to sumpart bustuously,
And bade him go furth & stand by.
Than Thelogonius, þat micht nocht
Thole sic Iniures, as hime thocht,
One one of þe keparis gane rusche
Ande gaif hime sic a sodane dusche
With his closs neif one þe nek so,
That he his crage straik ewyne ine two
And to þe erde deid laid hime plat.
The laif of þe keparis with þat
He constrenȝeit so manfully,
That of þe brig dispituisly
And to þe dike he kest þaime dovne;
That þe cry roiss ine þe towne.
Quharfor mony to armes rane
And vpone Thelagonius þane
Ruschede in hy to sla but dreide.
And Thelagonius, þat saw neide,
Ruschit one ane of þaime ine thra
And his swerd smertlie reft hime fra,
Syne tornede to þe laif agane
And has of þaime sone fyftene slane;
And he richt grevously was woundede.
With þat þe gret noyss holy soundede.
That þe woce of suche clamoure þane
Vlixes roiss, wenande sume mane
Of his famele Thelamocus,
His sone, he gart be kepit þus,
Had lattine stape out of presoune,
And in his deliberacioune
Has one his keparis maid martyre.
Tharfore with one dart in-to Ire
Come quhare was þe cry, hastely:
And of his mene saw sa mony
Slane with ane strange mane, þat with payne,
In rewengeaunce of his was slane,
He schot ane dart at hime in hy
And hurt him, bot nocht full gretly.
Thane Thelagonius þe dart he tuke
And felly at Vlixes schuke,
Nocht wenand It was Vlixes,
And with þat Ilk dart but les
That he schot first, he smot hime so,
That to þe erth he maid him go
With one deidly wounde, wirkand wyide
Among þe ribbes ine þe syide,
So þat one fut he mycht nocht stand.
And þan Vlixes, persavande
That of þat hime worthit de,
With drawand woce a litill we,
Richt fast falȝeand In-to strenth,
With law wordis drawynge one lenth
At Thelagonius all waikly
Sperede: quhat at he was; suthly
Redusand to his fresche memore
His deidly dreme, he saw before.
Than Thelagonius spered but dout
At þame, was standing hime about:
»Quho Is ȝone, mais me suche askinge?«
Thaye said: »Vlixes, but lesing.«
Than Thelagonius, at þat herde,
As wryande out of wit he ferde,
And said: »allace, wo Is to me,
That come my fader for to se
Levand, to comfort me blythly,
And now causs of his deth am I!«
With þat for sorowe fell he downe
Vpone þe pathment In-to swoune;
Than rysing wp, as in one rage
Raif his clathis and his wisage,
And loutheris frome his hed cane ryf
Of his faire ȝallow haire belyf,
Syne fell downe to Vlixes fete
With sobbing, sighing & with grete,
Sayand: he Thelagonius wes,
His sone wnhappy of Circes,
»Throw þe gottine vnhappely.
And gif þow de, fader, scry
That þe goddis sic grace me gif
That eftire þe not longe I lif.«
Vlixes, þat kend hime with þat
His sone þat he one Circes gat,
Maid hime richt faire cheire, certanely,
And in febilness of his body
With brokine speche and with waik feris
Hime prayit to ceiss of his gret teris
And of his sorow to mak ende.
Thane he for Thelamocus sende.
And quhene he come, withoutine more
He rusched one his broþir thore,
Thelagonius, In-to þat steid,
For to revenge his faderis deid.
Bot Vlixes, as he mycht speike,
Forbade hime he his hond suld streike
Aganis hime, bot in frendschip to
As his broþire: for he was so.
Than Vlixes, þat deid was neire,
To Achaia þai had but weire:
Quhare he thre dayis liffand baide
And one þe ferde day ending maide.
And þai In Achaia hime erde
With kyngis honour, as efferde.
Thus quhen þat Vlixes was gone,
Thelamocus his sone was tone
And in his steid crownede as kinge.
That to his broþir In-to gret thing,
Thelagonus, did gret fauoure,
And a ȝeire In-to gret honoure
Helde hime with hime, & maide hime knycht,
And tretit hime all þat he mycht
To byde with hime still for þe bettir.
Bot Circes has hime send a lettir,
That arted him sone to retorne;
That he one na wyss wald sudiorne,
Bot half aganis his broþeris will
He passede. and he gaif hime till
At his passage richt largely
Richt riche giftis and vnnomerabily,
And gaif hime all þe apparele
That to his passage nedis hale.
Than passit furth Thelagonus
Frome his broþire Thelamocus—
Quhare mony teres ware flowand
Vpone Ilk syid — and so passand
The Ile of Allydeme come to
Till his modere Circes. & scho
Was of his cummyng home agane
Attoure mesour richt woundere fane.
And not lang eftire þis Circes
Tuke a richt sodane gret seiknes,
And gan so fellonly encress
That sche hire last day closit but less.
Than Thelagonius was maid kynge
And tuke þe land In governynge,
And It in pece and rest helde he
Wele sexty ȝeris, and syne gane de.
Thelamocus regnede wysly
In Achaia ȝeris sevynty,
That ine tyme of his governaunce
It ekede In-to gret suffisaunce.
Vlixes liffede alss but wene
A hundreth ȝere hole and threttene
And syne maid endinge happely
In his kynryke, as heire said I.—
And torne we to þe trewe story,
The quhiche oure graith Is now directe
For to tell planely þe effecte
Of Vlixes, how he gane dye.
It tellis þus: þat one nycht he,
As he to slepe was lyande downe,
He saw ane ferlyfull visioune:
He thocht þat he one figure sawe
Of ȝonge forme & richt faire gane schawe,
That him thocht It ware lykare þane
299
Sche was so plesande a figure;
So þat he ȝarned oure mesoure
For to haue had hire, gif he mocht.
Bot sche eschewede, as he thocht,
Sum-quhat abak, & syne drewe neire
And asked quhat his willis were.
And he sayis: »þat I desyre þat þow
Cume and ly heire besyde me now,
So þat I may haf dale with þe.«
Sche said: »þat ware hard thing to be,
And is one parrellouss asking,
That I with þe sulde haf Joynynge:
For þat Joynyng ware wnhappy,
And of þat Joynyng, certanely,
The tone of ws mone de but more.«
Hime thocht þat þat ymage bore
In-to hire hande a spere, but les,
And in þe poynt of þat spere wes
Ane tunyk(l=)e, þat richt Joly
Was of fifches maid craftely.
Than thocht hime at þat ymage gay
Bowned to pass frome hime away,
And said hime þus, quhen sche was bowne:
»This Is signe of disiunctioune
In tyme tocume ws two betwene.«
Wlixes with þat woke but weyne,
And of his dreme had gret ferly,
And in his wit socht besely
Quhat þat his dreme betakine micht.
And with dawande þe day licht
His dewynouris he gart but hone
Be callede, and talde þaime his dreme sone,
And bad þaime tell þe qualite
Of It. and þai said þus: þat he
Throw It, þat dreme cane signefy,
Sulde with his sone (to) exile trewly
With-out falȝe (or) to deid be done.
And he, þat dred þusgat his sone,
Thelamocus (gart) In hy be tone
And put ine strait keping anone.
And syne gart cheiss ane ganand stede
Quhare he sickere his lyf mycht leide,
And gart close It with wallis hie,
Quhare fewe lele folk war his secre,
And syne gaif stratlie commanding
That none to hime sulde haf entryng
Bot (he) þat his secre was there,
And none vþire, þat euir lyve baire.—
Now has þe said kyng Vlixes
Ane sone gottine one Circes,
And Thelagonyus to nome has;
Bot he wist nocht quhois sone he was —
300
That Circes bure hime, certanely.
And quhene he was of fyvetene ȝere,
At his moder he gane Inquere
Quho was his fader vndowtande,
And quhare he duelt & in quhat lande.
Bot sche long tyme gane It deny.
Bot at þe last so Increly
He maide at hire Inquisicioune,
That throw hire sonnes affectioune
Sche tolde him certanely but weire
That Vlixes was his getteire,
And tolde him quhare his kynryke was.
And he þarof had gret blythnes.
Ȝarnyng him gretlie for to se
And for to be in-to his cuntre,
With his moderis leif but delay
Thane Thelagonyus to þe way
Bownede to pass one but sudgeourne,
That prayit hime sone to retorne.
And he Jornaide be dayis sa,
Quhill he come In-to Achya.
And thare he gat all hole tything
Quhare þat Vlixes maid duelling;
And to þat place helde hastely.
Ande one a mouneday tymely
He come sone to þe brig but more,
Quhare þat þe entre was. & thore
The keparis of þe brig fande he,
And prayit þame with wordis fre
To lat him entre throw þat way,
For to speike with þe king. bot þai,
Kepand þe bidding of þe kynge,
Denyede to grant him þat thing.
And he requyrit þaime It to do,
And þai maid stout answere hime to
And In-to sumpart bustuously,
And bade him go furth & stand by.
Than Thelogonius, þat micht nocht
Thole sic Iniures, as hime thocht,
One one of þe keparis gane rusche
Ande gaif hime sic a sodane dusche
With his closs neif one þe nek so,
That he his crage straik ewyne ine two
And to þe erde deid laid hime plat.
The laif of þe keparis with þat
He constrenȝeit so manfully,
That of þe brig dispituisly
And to þe dike he kest þaime dovne;
That þe cry roiss ine þe towne.
Quharfor mony to armes rane
And vpone Thelagonius þane
Ruschede in hy to sla but dreide.
And Thelagonius, þat saw neide,
Ruschit one ane of þaime ine thra
And his swerd smertlie reft hime fra,
Syne tornede to þe laif agane
And has of þaime sone fyftene slane;
And he richt grevously was woundede.
With þat þe gret noyss holy soundede.
301
Vlixes roiss, wenande sume mane
Of his famele Thelamocus,
His sone, he gart be kepit þus,
Had lattine stape out of presoune,
And in his deliberacioune
Has one his keparis maid martyre.
Tharfore with one dart in-to Ire
Come quhare was þe cry, hastely:
And of his mene saw sa mony
Slane with ane strange mane, þat with payne,
In rewengeaunce of his was slane,
He schot ane dart at hime in hy
And hurt him, bot nocht full gretly.
Thane Thelagonius þe dart he tuke
And felly at Vlixes schuke,
Nocht wenand It was Vlixes,
And with þat Ilk dart but les
That he schot first, he smot hime so,
That to þe erth he maid him go
With one deidly wounde, wirkand wyide
Among þe ribbes ine þe syide,
So þat one fut he mycht nocht stand.
And þan Vlixes, persavande
That of þat hime worthit de,
With drawand woce a litill we,
Richt fast falȝeand In-to strenth,
With law wordis drawynge one lenth
At Thelagonius all waikly
Sperede: quhat at he was; suthly
Redusand to his fresche memore
His deidly dreme, he saw before.
Than Thelagonius spered but dout
At þame, was standing hime about:
»Quho Is ȝone, mais me suche askinge?«
Thaye said: »Vlixes, but lesing.«
Than Thelagonius, at þat herde,
As wryande out of wit he ferde,
And said: »allace, wo Is to me,
That come my fader for to se
Levand, to comfort me blythly,
And now causs of his deth am I!«
With þat for sorowe fell he downe
Vpone þe pathment In-to swoune;
Than rysing wp, as in one rage
Raif his clathis and his wisage,
And loutheris frome his hed cane ryf
Of his faire ȝallow haire belyf,
Syne fell downe to Vlixes fete
With sobbing, sighing & with grete,
Sayand: he Thelagonius wes,
His sone wnhappy of Circes,
»Throw þe gottine vnhappely.
And gif þow de, fader, scry
That þe goddis sic grace me gif
That eftire þe not longe I lif.«
Vlixes, þat kend hime with þat
302
Maid hime richt faire cheire, certanely,
And in febilness of his body
With brokine speche and with waik feris
Hime prayit to ceiss of his gret teris
And of his sorow to mak ende.
Thane he for Thelamocus sende.
And quhene he come, withoutine more
He rusched one his broþir thore,
Thelagonius, In-to þat steid,
For to revenge his faderis deid.
Bot Vlixes, as he mycht speike,
Forbade hime he his hond suld streike
Aganis hime, bot in frendschip to
As his broþire: for he was so.
Than Vlixes, þat deid was neire,
To Achaia þai had but weire:
Quhare he thre dayis liffand baide
And one þe ferde day ending maide.
And þai In Achaia hime erde
With kyngis honour, as efferde.
Thus quhen þat Vlixes was gone,
Thelamocus his sone was tone
And in his steid crownede as kinge.
That to his broþir In-to gret thing,
Thelagonus, did gret fauoure,
And a ȝeire In-to gret honoure
Helde hime with hime, & maide hime knycht,
And tretit hime all þat he mycht
To byde with hime still for þe bettir.
Bot Circes has hime send a lettir,
That arted him sone to retorne;
That he one na wyss wald sudiorne,
Bot half aganis his broþeris will
He passede. and he gaif hime till
At his passage richt largely
Richt riche giftis and vnnomerabily,
And gaif hime all þe apparele
That to his passage nedis hale.
Than passit furth Thelagonus
Frome his broþire Thelamocus—
Quhare mony teres ware flowand
Vpone Ilk syid — and so passand
The Ile of Allydeme come to
Till his modere Circes. & scho
Was of his cummyng home agane
Attoure mesour richt woundere fane.
And not lang eftire þis Circes
Tuke a richt sodane gret seiknes,
And gan so fellonly encress
That sche hire last day closit but less.
Than Thelagonius was maid kynge
And tuke þe land In governynge,
And It in pece and rest helde he
Wele sexty ȝeris, and syne gane de.
Thelamocus regnede wysly
In Achaia ȝeris sevynty,
That ine tyme of his governaunce
It ekede In-to gret suffisaunce.
303
A hundreth ȝere hole and threttene
And syne maid endinge happely
In his kynryke, as heire said I.—
In-to þis place Cornelyus
And Dares alss maid ending þus;
The laif was In-to Dytes buke,
All-þocht þat Dares one hond he tuke
To tell no more of þis process
Bot quhare þe cite takine was.
The laif in Dytes buke was all,
That thocht he wolde mak end fynall.
Tharfor It, þat was ekit last,
I afferme nocht to be suthfast,
Bot erare be fenȝeit I-wiss.
Neuirþeles Dares & Dytis,
That in all tyme of þare battale
Was among þaime withoutine fale,
Couth ine þare talis ay accorde
And almost couth no-thing discorde.
And þai accord wele in o case:
That Anthenore and Eneas
Ware mowaris of þe tresoune falss.
And Dares þarto ekis alss
That Pollydamas one þe nicht,
To Anthenor sone, passit richt
To þe grekes and þare gan trete
The tokene of þe cite grete,
And a kend tokine to þaime gaif
In Ylioune entered þai haif (!);
And þe grekis, he sayis with-all,
Entered nocht at þe brokine wall
As throw þe horsss occasioune—
For of þe horss no mencioune
He maid — bot he said þe entre
In-to Troye at one port suld be
Of þe towne, quhare-aboue was set
Of marbill ane horss-hed but let.
Bot Vergill of þe horss of brass
As Dytes seis, he sais It was.
Bot Dares sayis þat (at) þis ȝet
Aboue quhare þe horss-hed was set,
Anthenor and Eneas
And with þaime Pollydamas
Tuke in þe grekes tkrow tressoune,
Syne led þaime to gret Ilioune
And gaif þaime entre þare ine haist;
And at þe entre was formast
Neptolomus, sone to Nestore,
That entered his fallowis before.
And þat Ilk Dares (sais) alsa:
Eneas tuk Polixena
And Eccuba, hire modere, roith
All pryvaly to hyde þaime boith,
And for þat causs syne to exile
He was condampnede In-to schort quhile;
Bot of þe deid of quene Eccuba
He gan no manere mencioune ma.
Than In his werk at þe endinge.
Of quhiche eftir Is bot litill thing,
[Saue þis Dytes maketh mencioune
And Dares alss maid ending þus;
The laif was In-to Dytes buke,
All-þocht þat Dares one hond he tuke
To tell no more of þis process
Bot quhare þe cite takine was.
The laif in Dytes buke was all,
That thocht he wolde mak end fynall.
Tharfor It, þat was ekit last,
I afferme nocht to be suthfast,
Bot erare be fenȝeit I-wiss.
Neuirþeles Dares & Dytis,
That in all tyme of þare battale
Was among þaime withoutine fale,
Couth ine þare talis ay accorde
And almost couth no-thing discorde.
And þai accord wele in o case:
That Anthenore and Eneas
Ware mowaris of þe tresoune falss.
And Dares þarto ekis alss
That Pollydamas one þe nicht,
To Anthenor sone, passit richt
To þe grekes and þare gan trete
The tokene of þe cite grete,
And a kend tokine to þaime gaif
In Ylioune entered þai haif (!);
And þe grekis, he sayis with-all,
Entered nocht at þe brokine wall
As throw þe horsss occasioune—
For of þe horss no mencioune
He maid — bot he said þe entre
In-to Troye at one port suld be
Of þe towne, quhare-aboue was set
Of marbill ane horss-hed but let.
Bot Vergill of þe horss of brass
As Dytes seis, he sais It was.
Bot Dares sayis þat (at) þis ȝet
Aboue quhare þe horss-hed was set,
Anthenor and Eneas
And with þaime Pollydamas
Tuke in þe grekes tkrow tressoune,
Syne led þaime to gret Ilioune
And gaif þaime entre þare ine haist;
304
Neptolomus, sone to Nestore,
That entered his fallowis before.
And þat Ilk Dares (sais) alsa:
Eneas tuk Polixena
And Eccuba, hire modere, roith
All pryvaly to hyde þaime boith,
And for þat causs syne to exile
He was condampnede In-to schort quhile;
Bot of þe deid of quene Eccuba
He gan no manere mencioune ma.
Than In his werk at þe endinge.
Of quhiche eftir Is bot litill thing,
Of þe novmere slayne at þe towne
Lesting þe sege, affermyng out of dreid
Echt hundreth thousand & sex ware þare deid
One grekis syid wpricht in þe feilde;
And as Dares also þare behelde,
One Troy party In þe weire keyne
Six hundreth thousande sevinty & sextene (!)
Was slane þare, in Guydo ȝe may se,
With þam þat come to helpe þe cite
Fro mony cost and mony regioune
In defence and rescourss of þe towne.
And full tene ȝere, so as I cane cast,
And sex monethis þe myti sege last,
Or It was gottine, Dares wrytis hime-self,
And oure-more compleit dayes tuelf,
Or grekes had full possessioune
Be falss engyne of þe greke Synone—
Lyke as tofore rehersit was bot late.
I haf no more of latyne to translait
Efter Dares, Dytes nor Guydo;
And me to ad ony more þarto
Than myne auctoris specefy & sayene,
The occupacioune suthly ware in wayne,
Lyke a maner of presumpcioune.
And tyme complete of þis translacioune
Be Just rekynnyng and a-countis clere
Was a thousand and foure hundreth ȝere
And twenty neire, I know It out of dreid,
Eftire þat Crist resauit our manhede
Of hire þat was empryce and queyne
Of hewyne & hell, & a madine clene.
To quhome I teche all our saullis in cure,
And þus I execute þe fyne of my lauboure.
Wnto all þat sall þis story see
With humbile hart and all humilite,
This litill buke lawly I betake
It to support, and þus ane end I mak.]
Heire endis þe sege of Troye, writtine
& mendit at þe Instance of ane honl
chaplane ssir Thomas ewyne in Edinburgh.
| Barbour's des Schottischen Nationaldichters Legendensammlung nebst den Fragmenten seines Trojanerkrieges | |