University of Virginia Library

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.—

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.

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.

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.

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,

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.

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.

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.