The Poems of Henry Howard :: :: University of Virginia Library

They whisted all, with fixed face attent,
When prince Aeneas from the royal seat
Thus gan to speak: “O Quene! it is thy wil
I should renew a woe cannot be told,
How that the Grekes did spoile and ouerthrow
The Phrygian wealth and wailful realm of Troy:
Those ruthfull things that I my self beheld,
And whereof no small part fel to my share.
Which to expresse, who could refraine from teres:
What Myrmidon? or yet what Dolopes?
What stern Ulysses waged soldiar?
And loe! moist night now from the welkin falles;
And sterres declining counsel vs to rest.
But sins so great is thy delight to here
Of our mishaps and Troyes last decay,
Though to record the same my minde abhorres
And plaint eschues, yet thus wil I begyn.

The Grekes chieftains all irked with the war,
Wherin they wasted had so many yeres
And oft repulst by fatal destinie,
A huge hors made, hye raised like a hill,
By the diuine science of Minerua;
Of clouen fir compacted were his ribbs;
For their return a fained sacrifice,
The fame wherof so wandred it at point.
In the dark bulk they closde bodies of men
Chosen by lot, and did enstuff by stealth
The hollow womb with armed soldiars.

There stands in sight an isle, hight Tenedon,
Rich, and of fame, while Priams kingdom stood;
Now but a bay, and rode vnsure for ship.
Hether them secretly the Grekes withdrew,
Shrouding themselues vnder the desert shore.

116

And wening we they had ben fled and gone,
And with that winde had fet the land of Grece,
Troye discharged her long continued dole.
The gates cast vp, we issued out to play,
The Grekish camp desirous to behold,
The places void and the forsaken costes.
Here Pyrrhus band, there ferce Achilles pight;
Here rode their shippes; there did their batteils ioyne.
Astonnied, some the scathefull gift beheld,
Behight by vow vnto the chast Minerue,
All wondring at the hugenesse of the horse.

And fyrst of all Timoetes gan aduise
Wythin the walles to leade and drawe the same,
And place it eke amidde the palace court;
Whether of guile, or Troyes fate it would.
Capys, wyth some of iudgement more discrete,
Wild it to drown, or vnderset with flame
The suspect present of the Grekes deceit,
Or bore and gage the hallowe caues uncouth.
So diuerse ranne the giddy peoples minde.
Loe! formest of a rout that followd him,
Kindled Laocoon hasted from the towre,
Crieng far of: ‘O wreched citezens,
What so great kind of frensie freteth you?
Deme ye the Grekes our enemies to be gone?
Or any Grekish giftes can you suppose
Deuoid of guile? Is so Ulysses known?
Either the Grekes ar in this timber hid,
Or this an engin is to anoy our walles,
To view our toures, and ouerwhelme our towne.
Here lurkes some craft. Good Troyans, geue no trust
Unto this horse, for, what so euer it be,
I dred the Grekes; yea! when they offer gyftes!’
And with that word, with all his force a dart
He launced then into that croked wombe;
Which tremling stack, and shoke within the side,
Wherwith the caues gan hollowly resound.
And, but for Faites and for our blind forcast,
The Grekes deuise and guile had he discried;
Troy yet had stand, and Priams toures so hie.

117

Therwyth behold, wheras the Phrigian herdes
Brought to the king with clamor, all vnknown
A yongman, bound his handes behinde his back;
Whoe willingly had yelden prisoner,
To frame his guile, and open Troyes gates
Unto the Grekes; with courage fully bent,
And minde determed either of the twaine,—
To worke his feat, or willing yeld to death.
Nere him, to gaze, the Troyan youth gan flock,
And straue whoe most might at the captiue scorne.
The Grekes deceit beholde, and by one profe
Imagine all the rest.
For in the preasse as he vnarmed stood,
Wyth troubled chere, and Phrigian routes beset,
‘Alas!’ quad he, ‘what earth nowe, or what seas
May me receyue? catif, what restes me nowe?
For whom in Grece doth no abode remayne;
The Troians eke offended seke to wreke
Their hainous wrath, wyth shedying of my bloud.’
With this regrete our hartes from rancor moued.
The brute appeasde, we askte him of his birth,
What newes he brought, what hope made hym to yeld.

Then he, al dred remoued, thus began:
‘O King! I shall, what euer me betide,
Say but the truth; ne first will me denie
A Grecian borne, for though fortune hath made
Sinon a wretche, she can not make him false.
If euer came vnto your eares the name,
Nobled by fame, of the sage Palamede,
Whom traitrously the Grekes condemd to dye,
Giltlesse, by wrongfull dome, for that he dyd
Dyssuade the warres,—whose death they nowe lament;
Underneth him my father, bare of wealth,
Into his band yong, and nere of his blood,
In my prime yeres vnto the war me sent.
While that by fate his state in stay did stand,
And when his realm did florish by aduise,
Of glorie, then, we bare som fame and brute.
But sins his death by false Ulyssez sleight
—I speak of things to all men wel beknown—,

118

A drery life in doleful plaint I led,
Repining at my gyltlesse frends mischaunce.
Ne could I, fool! refrein my tong from thretes,
That if my chaunce were euer to return
Victor to Arge, to folowe my reuenge.
With such sharp words procured I great hate;
Here sprang my harm. Ulysses euer sithe
With new found crimes began me to affray;
In common eares false rumors gan he sowe;
Weapons of wreke his gylty minde gan seke.
Ne rested ay till he by Calchas meane—
But whereunto these thanklesse tales in vaine
Do I reherse, and lingre fourth the time,
In like estate if all the Grekes ye price?
It is enough ye here rid me at ones.
Ulysses, Lord! how he wold this reioise!
Yea, and either Atride would bye it dere.’

This kindled vs more egre to enquire,
And to demaund the cause; without suspect
Of so great mischef thereby to ensue,
Or of Grekes craft. He then with forged words
And quiuering limes, thus toke hys tale again.

‘The Grekes oft times entended their return
Ffom Troye town, with long warrs all ytired,
For to dislodge; which, would God! they had done.
But oft the winter storms of raging seas,
And oft the boisteous winds did them to stay;
And chiefly, when of clinched ribbes of firre
This hors was made, the storms rored in the aire.
Then we in dout to Phebus temple sent
Euripilus, to wete the prophesye.
From whens he brought these woful news again:
‘With blood, O Grekes! and slaughter of a maid,
Ye pleasd the winds, when first ye came to Troy.
With blood likewise ye must seke your return:
A Grekish soule must offred be therefore.’

‘But when this sound had pearst the peoples eares,
With sodein fere astonied were their mindes;
The chilling cold did ouerrunne their bones,
To whom that fate was shapte whom Phebus wold.

119

Ulysses then amid the preasse bringes in
Calchas with noyse, and wild him to discusse
The gods intent. Then some gan deme to me
The cruell wrek of him that framde the craft,
Foreseing secretly what wold ensue.
In silence then, yshrowding him from sight,
But dayes twise fiue he whisted, and refused
To death, by speche, to further any wight.
At last, as forced by false Ulyssez crye,
Of purpose he brake fourth, assigning me
To the altar; whereto they graunted all,
And that, that erst eche one dred to himself,
Returned all vnto my wretched death.
And now at hand drew nere the woful day;
All things preparde wherwyth to offer me:
Salt, corne, fillets my temples for to bind.
I scapte the deth, I graunt, & brake ye bands,
And lurked in a marrise all the nyght
Among the ooze, while they did set their sailes;
If it so be that they in dede so dyd.
Now restes no hope my natiue land to see,
My children dere, nor long desired sire,
On whom, parchaunce, they shall wreke my escape:
Those harmlesse wights shal for my fault be slayn.

‘Then, by the gods, to whom al truth is known,
By fayth vnfiled, if any any where
Wyth mortal folke remaines, I thee beseche,
O king, thereby rue on my trauail great;
Pitie a wretch that giltlesse suffreth wrong.’
Life to these teres, wyth pardon eke, we graunt.
And Priam first himself commaundes to lose
His gyues, his bands, and frendly to him sayd:

‘Whoso thou art, learn to forget the Grekes;
Hencefourth be oures; and answere me with truth:
Whereto was wrought the masse of this huge hors?
Whoes the deuise? and wherto should it tend?
What holly vow? or engin for the warres?’

Then he, instruct with wiles and Grekish craft,
His loosed hands lift vpward to the sterrs:
‘Ye euerlasting lampes! I testifye,

120

Whoes powr diuine may not be violate;
Thaltar and swerd,’ quod he, ‘that I haue scapt;
Ye sacred bandes! I wore as yelden hoste;
Leful be it for me to breke mine othe
To Grekes; lefull to hate their nacion;
Lefull be it to sparcle in the ayre
Their secretes all, whatsoe they kepe in close;
For free am I from Grece and from their lawes.
So be it, Troy, and, saued by me from scathe,
Kepe faith with me, and stand to thy behest;
If I speak truth, and opening thinges of weight,
For graunt of life requite thee large amendes.

‘The Grekes whole hope of vndertaken war
In Pallas help consisted euermore.
But sith the time that wicked Diomede,
Ulysses eke, that forger of all guile,
Auenturde from the holly sacred fane
For to bereue dame Pallas fatall forme,
And slew the watches of the chefest toure,
And then away the holly statue stale,—
That were so bold with handes embrued in blood
The virgin goddesse veiles for to defile—,
Sith that, their hope gan faile, their hope to fall,
Their powr appeir, their goddesse grace withdraw,
Whych with no doutfull signes she did declare.
Scarce was the statue to our tentes ybroughte,
But she gan stare with sparcled eyes of flame;
Along her limes the salt sweat trickled downe;
Yea, thrise her selfe—a hideous thinge to tell—
In glaunces bright she glittered from the ground,
Holding in hand her targe and quiuering spere.
Calchas by sea then bade vs hast our flight,
Whoes engins might not break the walles of Troy,
Unlesse at Grece they wold renew their lottes,
Restore the god that they by sea had brought
In warped keles. To Arge sith they be come,
They pease their godds, and war afresh prepare,
And crosse the seas vnloked for eftsones
They will return. This order Calchas set.

‘This figure made they for thagreued god

121

In Pallas stede, to clense their hainous fault.
Which masse he willed to be reaed hye
Toward the skies, and ribbed all with oke,
So that your gates ne wall might it receiue;
Ne yet your people might defensed be
By the good zele of old deuotion.
For if your hands did Pallas gift defile,
To Priams realm great mischef shold befall;
Which fate the gods first on him self return!
But had your owne handes brought it in your town,
Asie should passe, and carrie offred war
In Grece, euen to the walles of Pelops town,
And we and oures that destenie endure.’

By such like wiles of Sinon, the forsworne,
His tale with vs did purchace credit; some,
Trapt by deceite; some, forced by his teres;
Whom neither Diomede, nor great Achille,
Nor ten yeres war, ne a thousand saile could daunt.

Us caitifes then a far more dredful chaunce
Befell, that trobled our vnarmed brestes.
Whiles Laocon, that chosen was by lot
Neptunus priest, did sacrifice a bull
Before the holy altar, sodenly
From Tenedon, behold! in circles great
By the calme seas come fletyng adders twaine,
Which plied towardes the shore—I lothe to tell—
With rered brest lift vp aboue the seas;
Whose bloody crestes aloft the waues were seen.
The hinder part swame hidden in the flood;
Their grisly backes were linked manifold.
With sound of broken waues they gate the strand,
With gloing eyen, tainted with blood and fire;
Whoes waltring tongs did lick their hissing mouthes.
We fled away, our face the blood forsoke;
But they with gate direct to Lacon ran.
And first of all eche serpent doth enwrap
The bodies small of his two tender sonnes,
Whoes wrectched limes they byt, and fed theron.
Then raught they hym, who had his wepon caught
To rescue them; twise winding him about,

122

With folded knottes and circled tailes, his wast;
Their scaled backes did compasse twise his neck,
Wyth rered heddes aloft and stretched throtes.
He with his handes straue to vnloose the knottes,
Whose sacred fillettes all be sprinkled were
With filth of gory blod, and venim rank,
And to the sterres such dredfull shoutes he sent,
Like to the sound the roring bull fourth loowes,
Which from the halter wounded doth astart,
The swaruing axe when he shakes from his neck.
The serpentes twain with hasted traile they glide
To Pallas temple, and her towres of heighte;
Under the feete of which the goddesse stern,
Hidden behinde her targettes bosse they crept.
New gripes of dred then pearse our trembling brestes.
They sayd Lacons desertes had derely bought
His hainous dede, that pearced had with stele
The sacred bulk, and throwen the wicked launce.
The people cried with sondry greeing shoutes
To bring the horse to Pallas temple bliue,
In hope thereby the goddesse wrath tappease.
We cleft the walles and closures of the towne,
Whereto all helpe, and vnderset the feet
With sliding rolles, and bound his neck with ropes.
This fatall gin thus ouerclambe our walles,
Stuft with armed men; about the which there ran
Children and maides, that holly carolles sang;
And well were they whoes hands might touch the cordes.
With thretning chere thus slided through our town
The subtil tree, to Pallas temple ward.
O natiue land! Ilion! and of the goddes
The mansion place! O warrlik walles of Troy!
Fowr times it stopt in thentrie of our gate;
Fowr times the harnesse clattred in the womb.
But we goe on, vnsound of memorie,
And blinded eke by rage perseuer still:
This fatal monster in the fane we place.

Cassandra then, inspired with Phebus sprite,
Her prophetes lippes, yet neuer of vs leeued,
Disclosed eft; forespeking thinges to come.

123

We wretches, loe! that last day of our life
With bowes of fest the town and temples deck.

With this the skie gan whirle about the sphere;
The cloudy night gan thicken from the sea,
With mantells spred that cloked earth and skies,
And eke the treason of the Grekish guile.
The watchemen lay disperst, to take their rest,
Whoes werried limes sound slepe had then opprest.
When, well in order comes the Grecian fleet
From Tenedon, toward the costes well knowne,
By frendly silence of the quiet moone.
When the kinges ship put fourth his mark of fire,
Sinon, preserued by froward destinie,
Let forth the Grekes enclosed in the womb;
The closures eke of pine by stealth vnpind,
Whereby the Grekes restored were to aire.
With ioy down hasting from the hollow tree,
With cordes let down did slide vnto the ground
The great captaines: Sthenel, and Thesander,
The fierce Ulisses, Athamas, and Thoas;
Machaon first, then king Menolae;
Opeas eke that did the engin forge;
And streight inuade the town yburied then
With wine and slepe. And first the watch is slain;
Then gates vnfold to let their fellowes in;
They ioyne themselues with the coniured bandes.
It was the time when, graunted from the godds,
The first slepe crepes most swete in wery folk.
Loe! in my dreame before mine eies, me thought
With rufull chere I sawe where Hector stood,
Out of whoes eies there gushed streames of teares,
Drawn at a cart as he of late had be,
Distained with bloody dust, whoes feet were bowlne
With the streight cordes wherwith they haled him.
Ay me, what one! that Hector how vnlike,
Which erst returnd clad with Achilles spoiles;
Or when he threw into the Grekish shippes
The Troian flame! so was his beard defiled,
His crisped lockes al clustred with his blood,
With all such wounds, as many he receiued

124

About the walls of that his natiue town!
Whome franckly thus me thought I spake vnto,
With bitter teres and dolefull deadly voice:
‘O Troyan light! O only hope of thine!
What lettes so long thee staid? or from what costes,
Our most desired Hector, doest thou come
Whom, after slaughter of thy many frends,
And trauail of the people, and thy town,
Alweried, lord, how gladly we behold!
What sory chaunce hath staind thy liuely face?
Or why see I these woundes, alas! so wide?’
He answeard nought, nor in my vain demaundes
Abode, but from the bottom of his brest
Sighing, he sayd: ‘Flee, flee, O goddesse son,
And saue thee from the furie of this flame!
Our enmies now ar maisters of the walles,
And Troye town now falleth from the top.
Sufficeth that is done for Priams reigne.
If force might serue to succor Troye town,
This right hand well mought haue ben her defense.
But Troye now commendeth to thy charge
Her holy reliques, and her priuy gods.
Them ioyne to thee, as felowes of thy fate.
Large walles rere thow for them; for so thou shalt,
After time spent in thouerwandred flood.’
This sayd, he brought fourth Vesta in his hands,
Her fillettes eke, and euerlasting flame.

In this meane while, with diuerse plaint the town
Throughout was spred; and lowder more and more
The din resouned, with rattling of armes;
Although mine old father Anchises house
Remoued stood, with shadow hid of trees.
I waked; therwith to the house top I clambe,
And harkning stood I; like as when the flame
Lightes in the corne, by drift of boisteous winde;
Or the swift stream, that driueth from the hill,
Rootes vp the feldes, and presseth the ripe corne
And plowed ground, and ouerwhelmes the groue,
The silly herdman all astonnied standes,
From the hye rock while he doth here the sound.

125

Then the Grekes faith, then their deceit appered.
Of Deiphobus the palace large and great
Fell to the ground, all ouerspred with flash;
His next neighbour Ucalegon afire;
The Sygean seas did glister all with flame.
Upsprang the crye of men, and trompettes blast.
Then, as distraught, I did my armure on,
Ne could I tell yet whereto armes auailde.
But with our feres to throng out from the preasse
Toward the toure, our hartes brent with desire.
Wrath prickt vs fourth, and vnto vs it semed
A semely thing to dye, armd in the feld.

Wherewith Panthus, scapte from the Grekish dartes,
Otreus sonne, Phebus prest, brought in hand
The sacred reliques and the vanquisht gods,
And in his hand his litle nephew led;
And thus, as phrentik, to our gates he ran.
‘Panthus,’ quod I, ‘in what estate stand we?
Or for refuge what fortresse shall we take?’
Scarse spake I this, when wailing thus he sayd:
‘The later day and fate of Troye is come;
The which no plaint or prayer may auaile.
Troyans we were, and Troye was somtime,
And of great fame the Teucrian glorie erst;
Fierce Joue to Grece hath now transposed all.
The Grekes ar lordes ouer this fired town.
Yonder huge horse that stands amid our walles
Sheds armed men; and Sinon, victor now,
With scorne of vs doth set all things on flame.
And, rushed in at our vnfolded gates
Are thousands moe than euer came from Grece.
And some with weapons watch the narrow stretes,
With bright swerdes drawn, to slaughter redy bent.
And scarse the watches of the gate began
Them to defend, and with blinde fight resist.’

Through Panthus words & lightning of the gods,
Amid the flame and armes ran I in preasse,
As furie guided me, and wher as I had heard
The crye greatest that made the ayre resound.
Into our band then fell old Iphytus,

126

And Rypheus, that met vs by moonelight;
Dymas and Hypanis ioyning to our side,
With yong Chorebus, Mygdonius son;
Which in those dayes at Troye did ariue,
Burning with rage of dame Cassandraes loue,
In Priams ayd and rescue of his town.
Unhappy he! that wold no credit geue
Unto his spouses woords of prophecie.

Whom when I saw assembled in such wise,
So desperatly the battail to desire,
Then furthermore thus sayd I vnto them:
‘O ye yong men, of courage stout in vaine,
For nought ye striue to saue the burning town.
What cruel fortune hath betid, ye see;
The gods out of the temples all ar fled,
Through whoes might long this empire was mainteind;
Their altares eke are left both wast and voyd.
But if your will be bent with me to proue
That vttermost that now may vs befall,
Then let vs dye, and runne amid our foes;
To vanquisht folk, despeir is only hope.’

With this the yongmens courage did encrease,
And through the dark, like to the rauening wolues
Whom raging furie of their empty mawes
Driues from their den, leauing with hungry throthes
Their whelpes behinde, among our foes we ran,
Upon their swerdes, vnto apparant death;
Holding alway the chiefe strete of the town,
Couerd with the close shadowes of the night.

Who can expresse the slaughter of that night,
Or tell the nomber of the corpses slaine,
Or can in teres bewaile them worthely?
The auncient famous citie falleth down,
That many yeres did hold such seignorie.
With senslesse bodies euery strete is spred,
Eche palace, and sacred porch of the gods.
Nor yet alone the Troyan blood was shed.
Manhood oft times into the vanquisht brest
Returnes, wherby some victors Grekes ar slain,
Cruel complaintes, and terror euery where,

127

And plentie of grisly pictures of death.

And first with vs Androgeus there met,
Fellowed with a swarming rout of Grekes,
Deeming vs, vnware, of that feloship,
With frendly words whom thus he cald vnto:
‘Hast ye, my frendes, what slouth hath taried yow?
Your feers now sack and spoile the burning Troy;
From the tall ships where ye but newly come!
When he had sayd and heard no answer made
To him againe, wherto he might geue trust,
Finding himself chaunced amid his foes,
Mazde, he withdrew his foote back with his word.
Like him that wandring in the bushes thick
Tredes on the adder with his rechlesse foote,
Rered for wrath, swelling her speckled neck,
Dismayd, geues back al sodenly for fere;
Androgeus so, feard of that sight, stept back,
And we gan rush amid the thickest rout;
When, here and there we did them ouerthrow,
Striken with dred, vnskilfull of the place.
Our first labor thus lucked well with vs.

Chorebus then, encouraged by this chaunce,
Reioysing sayd: ‘Hold fourth the way of health,
My feers, that hap and manhod hath vs taught.
Change we our shields; the Grekes armes do we on.
Craft or manhod with foes what reckes it which?
The slaine to vs their armure they shall yeld.’
And with that word Androgeus crested helme
And the rich armes of his shield did he on;
A Grekish swerd he girded by his side.
Like gladly Dimas and Ripheus did;
The whole youth gan them clad in the new spoiles,
Mingled with Grekes, for no good luck to vs,
We went, and gaue many onsets that night,
And many a Greke we sent to Plutoes court.
Other there fled and hasted to their ships,
And to their costes of sauegard ran againe.
And some there were, for shamefull cowardrie,
Clambe vp againe vnto the hugie horse,
And did them hide in his wellknowen womb.

128

Ay me! bootelesse it is for any whight
To hope on ought against will of the gods.
Loe! where Cassandra, Priams daughter dere,
From Pallas chirch was drawn with sparkled tresse,
Lifting in vain her flaming eyen to heuen;
Here eyen, for fast her tender wrestes were bound.
Which sight Chorebus raging could not bere,
Recklesse of death, but thrust amid the throng;
And after we through thickest of the swerdes.

Here were we first ybatred with the dartes
Of our owne feers, from the hye temples top;
Wherby of vs grete slaughter did ensue,
Mistaken by our Grekish armes and crestes.
Then flockt the Grekes moued with wrath and ire
Of the virgin from them so rescued;
The fell Aiax, and either Atrides,
And the great band cleped the Dolopes.
As wrastling windes, out of dispersed whirl,
Befight themselues, the west with southern blast,
And gladsom east proud of Auroraes horse;
The woods do whiz; and fomy Nereus,
Raging in furie, with three forked mace
From bottoms depth doth weltre vp ye seas;
So came the Grekes. And such, as by deceit
We sparkled erst in shadow of the night,
And draue about our town, appered first.
Our fained shields and weapons then they found,
And, by sound, our discording voice they knew.
We went to wreck with nomber ouerlayd.
And by the hand of Peneleus first
Chorebus fel before the altar dead
Of armed Pallas; and Rhipheus eke,
The iustest man among the Troians all
And he that best obserued equitie.
But otherwyse it pleased now the gods.
There Hipanis, and Dimas, both were slaine,
Thoughpearced with the weapons of their feers;
Nor thee, Panthus, when thou wast ouerthrown,
Pitie, nor zele of good deuocion,
Nor habit yet of Phebus hid from scathe.

129

Ye Troyan ashes, and last flames of mine,
I cal in witnesse, that at your last fall
I fled no stroke of any Grekish swerd,
And if the fates wold I had fallen in fight,
That with my hand I did deserue it wel.
With this from thense I was recuiled back
With Iphytus and Pelias alone;
Iphytus weke, and feble all for age,
Pelias lamed by Ulissez hand.
To Priams palace crye did cal vs then.
Here was the fight right hideous to behold,
As though there had no battail ben but there,
Or slaughter made els where throughout the town.
A fight of rage and furie there we saw.
The Grekes toward the palace rushed fast
And, couerd with engines, the gates beset,
And rered vp ladders against the walles;
Under the windowes scaling by their steppes,
Fenced with sheldes in their left hands, whereon
They did receiue the dartes; while their right hands
Griped for hold thembatel of the wall.
The Troyans on the tother part rend down
The turrets hye and eke the palace roofe;
With such weapons they shope them to defend,
Seing al lost, now at the point of death.
The gilt sparres and the beames then threw they down,
Of old fathers the proud and royal workes.
And with drawn swerds some did beset the gates,
Which they did watch, and kepe in routes full thick.
Our sprites restorde to rescue the kings house,
To help them, and to geue the vanquisht strength.

A postern with a blinde wicket there was,
A common trade to passe through Priams house,
On the back side wherof wast houses stood;
Which way eftsithes, while that our kingdome dured,
Thinfortunate Andromache alone
Resorted to the parentes of her make,
With young Astyanax, his grandsire to see.
Here passed I vp to the hyest toure,
From whense the wretched Troyans did throw down

130

Darts, spent in waste. Unto a turret then
We stept, the which stood in a place aloft,
The top wherof did reache wellnere the sterres,
Where we were wont all Troye to behold,
The Grekish nauie, and their tentes also.
With instrumentes of iron gan we pick,
To seke where we might finde the ioyning shronk
From that high seat; which we razed, and threw down;
Which falling, gaue fourthwith a rushing sound,
And large in breadth on Grekish routes it light.
But sone an other sort stept in theyr stede;
No stone vnthrown, nor yet no dart uncast.

Before the gate stood Pyrrhus in the porche
Reioysing in his dartes, with glittring armes;
Like to the adder with venimous herbes fed,
Whom cold winter all bolne hid vnder ground,
And shining bright, when she her slough had slong,
Her slipper back doth rowle, with forked tong
And raised brest lift vp against the sun.
With that together came great Periphas;
Automedon eke, that guided had somtime
Achilles horse, now Pyrrhus armure bare;
And eke with him the warlike Scyrian youth
Assayld the house, and threw flame to the top.
And he an axe before the formest raught,
Wherwith he gan the strong gates hew and break.
From whens he bet the staples out of brasse,
He brake the barres, and through the timber pearst
So large a hole, wherby they might discerne
The house, the court, the secret chambers eke
Of Priamus and auncient kings of Troy,
And armed foes in thentrie of the gate.

But the palace within confounded was
With wayling, and with rufull shrikes and cryes;
The hollow halles did howle of womens plaint;
The clamor strake vp to the golden sterres.
The frayd mothers, wandring through the wide house,
Embracing pillers, did them, hold and kisse.
Pyrrhus assaileth with his fathers might,
Whom the closures ne kepers might hold out.

131

With often pushed ram the gate did shake;
The postes beat down, remoued from their hookes;
By force they made the way, and thentrie brake.
And now the Grekes let in, the formest slew,
And the large palace with soldiars gan to fill.
Not so fercely doth ouerflow the feldes
The foming flood, that brekes out of his bankes,
Whoes rage of waters beares away what heapes
Stand in his way, the coates, and eke the herdes,
As in thentrie of slaughter furious
I saw Pyrrhus and either Atrides.

There Hecuba I saw, with a hundred moe
Of her sons wyues, and Priam at the altar,
Sprinkling with blood his flame of sacrifice.
Fiftie bedchambers of his childrens wyues,
With losse of so great hope of his ofspring,
The pillers eke proudly beset with gold
And with the spoiles of other nations,
Fell to the ground; and whatso that with flame
Untouched was, the Grekes did all possesse.

Parcase yow wold ask what was Priams fate?
When of his taken town he saw the chaunce,
And the gates of his palace beaten down,
His foes amid his secret chambers eke,
Thold man in vaine did on his sholders then,
Trembling for age, his curace long disused,
His bootelesse swerd he girded him about,
And ran amid his foes, redy to dye.

Amid the court, vnder the heuen, all bare,
A great altar there stood, by which there grew
An old laurel tree, bowing therunto,
Which with his shadow did embrace the gods.
Here Hecuba, with her yong daughters all,
About the altar swarmed were in vaine,
Like doues that flock together in the storme;
The statues of the gods embracing fast.
But when she saw Priam had taken there
His armure, like as though he had ben yong,
‘What furious thought, my wretched spouse,’ quod she,
‘Did moue thee now such wepons for to weld?

132

Why hastest thow? This time doth not require
Such succor, ne yet such defenders now;
No, though Hector my son were here againe.
Come hether; this altar shall saue vs all,
Or we shall dye together.’ Thus she sayd.
Wherwith she drew him back to her, and set
The aged man down in the holy seat.

But loe! Polites, one of Priams sons,
Escaped from the slaughter of Pyrrhus,
Comes fleing through the wepons of his foes,
Searching, all wounded, the long galleries
And the voyd courtes; whom Pyrrhus, all in rage,
Followed fast to reache a mortal wound;
And now in hand, well nere strikes with his spere.
Who fleing fourth till he came now in sight
Of his parentes, before their face fell down
Yelding the ghost, with flowing streames of blood.
Priamus then, although he were half ded,
Might not kepe in his wrath, nor yet his words,
But cryeth out: ‘For this thy wicked work,
And boldnesse eke such thing to enterprise,
If in the heauens any iustice be
That of such things takes any care or kepe,
According thankes the gods may yeld to thee
And send thee eke thy iust deserued hyre,
That made me see the slaughter of my childe,
And with his blood defile the fathers face.
But he, by whom thow fainst thy self begot,
Achilles, was to Priam not so stern.
For loe! he, tendering my most humble sute
The right and faith, my Hectors bloodlesse corps
Rendred, for to be layd in sepulture,
And sent me to thy kingdome home again.’
Thus sayd the aged man, and therewithall
Forcelesse he cast his weak vnweldy dart,
Which, repulst from the brasse where it gaue dint,
Without sound hong vainly in the shieldes bosse.
Quod Pyrrhus: ‘Then thow shalt this thing report:
On message to Pelide my father go,
Shew vnto him my cruel dedes, and how

133

Neoptolem is swarued out of kinde.
Now shalt thow dye,’ quod he. And with that word,
At the altar him trembling gan he draw,
Wallowing through the blodshed of his son;
And his left hand all clasped in his heare,
With his right arme drewe fourth his shining sword,
Which in his side he thrust vp to the hilts.
Of Priamus this was the fatal fine,
The wofull end that was alotted him.
When he had seen his palace all on flame,
With ruine of his Troyan turrets eke.
That royal prince of Asie, which of late
Reignd ouer so many peoples and realmes,
Like a great stock now lieth on the shore;
His hed and shoulders parted ben in twaine,
A body now without renome and fame.

Then first in me entred the grisly feare;
Dismayd I was. Wherwith came to my minde
The image eke of my dere father, when
I thus beheld the king of equal age
Yeld vp the sprite with wounds so cruelly.
Then thought I of Creusa left alone,
And of my house in danger of the spoile,
And the estate of young Iulus eke.
I looked back to seke what nomber then
I might discern about me of my feeres,
But weried they had left me all alone.
Some to the ground were lopen from aboue,
Some in the flame their irked bodies cast.

There was no moe but I left of them all,
When that I saw in Uestaes temple sit
Dame Helen, lurking in a secret place,—
Such light the flame did giue as I went by,
While here and there I cast mine eyen about.
For she in dred least that the Troians shold
Reuenge on her the ruine of their walles;
And of the Grekes the cruel wrekes also,
The furie eke of her forsaken make;
The common bane of Troy and eke of Grece,
Hateful she sate beside the altars hid.

134

Then boyld my brest with flame and burning wrath
To reuenge my town, vnto such ruine brought;
With worthy peines on her to work my will.
Thought I: ‘Shall she passe to the land of Spart
All safe and see Mycene her natiue land,
And like a quene returne with victorie
Home to her spouse, her parentes, and children,
Folowed with a traine of Troyan maides,
And serued with a band of Phrigian slaues;
And Priam eke with iron murdred thus,
And Troy town consumed all with flame,
Whoes shore hath ben so oft forbathed in blood?
No! no! for though on wemen the reuenge
Unsemely is, such conquest hath no fame,
To geue an end vnto such mischief yet
My iust reuenge shal merit worthy praise;
And quiet eke my minde for to be wroke
On her which was the causer of this flame,
And satisfie the cinder of my feers.’

With furious minde while I did argue thus,
My blessed mother then appeard to me,
Whom erst so bright mine eyes had neuer seen,
And with pure light she glistred in the night,
Disclosing her in forme a goddesse like,
As she doth seme to such as dwell in heuen.
My right hand then she took and held it fast,
And with her rosie lips thus did she say:
‘Son, what furie hath thus prouoked thee
To such vntamed wrath? what ragest thow?
Or where is now become the care of vs?
Wilt thow not first go see where thow hast left
Anchises, thy father fordone with age?
Doth Creusa liue, and Ascanius thy son?
Whom now the Grekish bands haue round beset,
And were they not defensed by my cure,
Flame had them raught and enmies swerd ere this.
Not Helens beautie hatefull vnto thee,
Nor blamed Paris yet, but the gods wrath
Reft yow this wealth, and ouerthrew your town.
Behold,—and I shall now the cloude remoue,

135

Which ouercast thy mortal sight doth dim,
Whoes moisture doth obscure all thinges about;
And fere not thow to do thy mothers will,
Nor her aduise refuse thow to performe—
Here, where thow seest the turrets ouerthrown,
Stone bet from stone, smoke rising mixt with dust,
Neptunus there shakes with his mace the walles
And eke the loose foundations of the same,
And ouerwhelms the whole town from his seat.
And cruell Iuno with the formest here
Doth kepe the gate that Scea cleped is,
Nere wood for wrath, whereas she standes, and calls
In harnesse bright the Grekes out of their ships.
And in the turrets hye behold where standes
Bright shining Pallas, all in warlike wede,
And with her shield, where Gorgons hed apperes.
And Iupiter, my father, distributes
Auayling strength and courage to the Grekes;
Yet ouermore, against the Troyan powr
He doth prouoke the rest of all the gods.
Flee then, my son, and geue this trauail end;
Ne shall I thee forsake, in sauegard till
I haue thee brought vnto thy fathers gate.’
This did she say and therwith gan she hide
Herself in shadow of the close night.

Then dredfull figures gan appere to me,
And great gods eke agreued with our town.
I saw Troye fall down in burning gledes;
Neptunus town, clene razed from the soil.
Like as the elm forgrown in mountaines hye,
Rond hewen with axe, that husbandmen
With thick assaultes striue to teare vp, doth threat;
And hackt beneath trembling doth bend his top,
Till yold with strokes, geuing the latter crack,
Rent from the heighth, with ruine it doth fall.

With this I went, and guided by a god
I passed through my foes, and eke the flame;
Their wepons and the fire eke gaue me place.
And when that I was come before the gates
And auncient building of my fathers house,

136

My father, whom I hoped to conuey
To the next hils and did him thearto treat,
Refused either to prolong his life,
Or bide exile after the fall of Troy.
‘All ye’, quod he, ‘in whom yong blood is fresh,
Whose strength remaines entier and in ful powr,
Take ye your flight.
For if the gods my life wold have proroged,
They had reserued for me this wonning place.
It was enough, alas! and eke to much,
To see the town of Troy thus razed ones;
To have liued after the citee taken.
When ye haue sayd, this corps layd out forsake;
My hand shall seke my death, and pitie shal
Mine enmies moue, or els hope of my spoile.
As for my graue, I wey the losse but light,
For I my yeres, disdainfull to the gods,
Haue lingred fourth, vnable to all nedes,
Sins that the sire of gods and king of men
Strake me with thonder and with leuening blast.’
Such things he gan reherse, thus firmly bent.
But we besprent with teres, my tender son,
And eke my swete Creusa, with the rest
Of the houshold, my father gan beseche
Not so with him to perish all at ones,
Nor so to yeld vnto the cruel fate;
Which he refused, and stack to his entent.

Driuen I was to harnesse then againe,
Miserably my death for to desire.
For what aduise or other hope was left?
‘Father! thoughtst thow that I may ones remoue,’
Quod I, ‘a foote, and leaue thee here behinde?
May such a wrong passe from a fathers mouth?
If gods will be that nothing here be saued
Of this great town, and thy minde bent to ioyne
Both thee and thine to ruine of this town,
The way is plaine this death for to atteine.
Pyrrhus shall come besprent with Priams blood,
That gored the son before the fathers face
And slew the father at the altar eke.

137

O sacred mother! was it then for this
That you me led through flame and wepons sharp,
That I might in my secret chaumber see
Mine enmies; and Ascanius my son,
My father, with Creusa my swete wife,
Murdred, alas! the one in thothers blood?
Why, seruants, then, bring me my armes againe;
The latter day vs vanquished doth call.
Render me now to the Grekes sight againe,
And let me see the fight begon of new;
We shall not all vnwroken dye this day.’

About me then I girt my sword again,
And eke my shield on my left sholder cast,
And bent me so to rush out of the house.
Lo! in my gate my spouse, clasping my feet,
Foregainst his father yong Iulus set.
‘If thow wilt go,’ quod she, ‘and spill thy self,
Take vs with thee in all that may betide.
But as expert if thow in armes haue set
Yet any hope, then first this house defend,
Whearas thy son, and eke thy father dere,
And I, somtime thine owne dere wife, ar left.’
Her shrill loud voice with plaint thus filled the house,
When that a sodein monstrous maruel fell.
For in their sight, and woefull parents armes,
Behold a light out of the butten sprang
That in tip of Iulus cap did stand;
With gentle touch whoes harmlesse flame did shine
Upon his heare, about his temples spred.
And we afraid, trembling for dredfull fere,
Bet out the fire from his blasing tresse,
And with water gan quench the sacred flame.

Anchises glad his eyen lift to the sterres;
With handes his voice to heauen thus he bent:
‘If by praier, almighty Iupiter,
Inclined thou mayst be, beholde vs then
Of ruth at least; if we so much deserue,
Graunt eke thine ayd, father, confirm this thing.’

Scarse had the old man said, when that the heuens
With sodein noise thondred on the left hand;

138

Out of the skie, by the dark night there fell
A blasing sterre, dragging a brand or flame,
Which, with much light gliding on the housetop,
In the forest of Ida hid her beames;
The which, full bright cendleing a furrow, shone,
By a long tract appointing vs the way;
And round about of brimstone rose a fume.

My father vanquist, then beheld the skies,
Spake to the gods, and tholly sterre adored:
‘Now, now,’ quod he, ‘no longer I abide;
Folow I shall where ye me guide at hand.
O native gods! your familie defend;
Preserue your line. This warning comes of you,
And Troy stands in your protection now.
Now geue I place, and wherso that thou goe,
Refuse I not, my sonne, to be thy feer.’

This did he say; and by that time more clere
The cracking flame was heard throughout the walles,
And more and more the burning heat drew nere.
‘Why then, haue done, my father dere,’ quod I,
‘Bestride my neck fourthwith, and sit thereon,
And I shal with my sholders thee susteine,
Ne shal this labor do me any dere.
What so betide, come perill, come welfare,
Like to vs both and common there shal be.
Yong Iulus shall beare me company,
And my wife shal follow far of my steppes.
Now ye, my seruantes, mark well what I say:
Without the town ye shall find, on an hill,
An old temple there standes, wheras somtime
Worship was don to Ceres the goddesse;
Biside which growes an aged cipresse tree,
Preserued long by our forefathers zele.
Behind which place let vs together mete.
And thou, father, receiue into thy handes
The reliques all, and the gods of the land,
The which it were not lawfull I should touch,
That come but late from slaughter and blodshed,
Till I be washed in the running flood.’

When I had sayd these wordes, my sholders brode

139

And laied neck with garments gan I spred,
And theron cast a yellow lions skin;
And therupon my burden I receiue.
Yong Iulus, clasped in my right hand,
Followeth me fast with vnegal pace;
And at my back my wife. Thus did we passe
By places shadowed most with the night.
And me, whom late the dart which enemies threw
Nor preasse of Argiue routes could not amaze,
Eche whispring wind hath power now to fray
And euery sound to moue my doutfull mind,
So much I dred my burden and my feer.

And now we gan draw nere vnto the gate,
Right well escapte the daunger, as me thought,
When that at hand a sound of feet we heard.
My father then, gazing throughout the dark,
Cried on me, ’Flee, son! they ar at hand.‘
With that bright sheldes and shene armours I saw.
But then, I knowe not what vnfrendly god
My trobled wit from me biraft for fere,
For while I ran by the most secret stretes,
Eschuing still the common haunted track,
From me catif, alas! bereued was
Creusa then, my spouse—I wote not how,
Whether by fate, or missing of the way,
Or that she was by werinesse reteind,
But neuer sithe these eies might her behold;—
Nor did I yet perceiue that she was lost,
Ne neuer backward turned I my mind,
Till we came to the hill wheras there stood
The old temple dedicate to Ceres.

And when that we were there assembled all,
She was only away, deceiuing vs,
Her spouse, her son, and all her compainie.
What god or man did I not then accuse,
Nere wood for ire, or what more cruell chaunce
Did hap to me, in all Troies ouerthrow?
Ascanius to my feeres I then betoke,
With Anchises, and eke the Troian gods,
And left them hid within a valley depe.

140

And to the town I gan me hye againe,
Clad in bright armes, and bent for to renew
Auentures past, to search throughout the town,
And yeld my hed to perils ones againe.

And first the walles and dark entrie I sought
Of the same gate wherat I issued out,
Holding backward the steppes wher we had come
In the dark night, loking all round about.
In euery place the vgsome sightes I saw;
The silence selfe of night agast my sprite.
From hense againe I past vnto our house,
If she by chaunce had ben returned home.
The Grekes were there, and had it all beset.
The wasting fire blown vp by drift of wind
Aboue the roofes, the blazing flame sprang vp,
The sound wherof with furie pearst the skies.
To Priams palace and the castel then
I made; and ther at Iunous sanctuair,
In the void porches, Pheniz, Ulisses eke,
Sterne guardens stood, watching of the spoile.
The richesse here were set, reft from the brent
Temples of Troy: the table of the gods,
The vessells eke that were of massy gold,
And vestures spoild, were gatherd all in heap.
The children orderly, and mothers pale for fright,
Long ranged on a rowe stode round about.

So bold was I to showe my voice that night,
With clepes and cries to fill the stretes throughout,
With Creuse name in sorrow, with vain teres,
And often sithes the same for to repete.
The town restlesse with furie as I sought,
Thunlucky figure of Creusaes ghost,
Of stature more than wont, stood fore mine eyen.
Abashed then I woxe; therwith my heare
Gan start right vp; my voice stack in my throte.
When with such words she gan my hart remoue:
‘What helps to yeld vnto such furious rage,
Swete spouse?’ quod she. ‘Without wil of the gods
This chaunced not. Ne lefull was for thee
To lead away Creusa hense with thee;

141

The king of the hye heuen suffreth it not.
A long exile thou art assigned to bere,
Long to furrow large space of stormy seas;
So shalt thou reach at last Hesperian land,
Wher Lidian Tiber with his gentle streme
Mildly doth flow along the frutfull felds.
There mirthful wealth, there kingdom is for thee;
There a kinges child preparde to be thy make.
For thy beloued Creusa stint thy teres,
For now shal I not see the proud abodes
Of Myrmidons, nor yet of Dolopes,
Ne I, a Troyan lady, and the wife
Unto the sonne of Uenus, the goddesse,
Shall goe a slaue to serue the Grekish dames;
Me here the gods great mother holdes.
And now farwell, and kepe in fathers brest
The tender loue of thy yong son and myne.’

This hauing said, she left me all in teres
And minding much to speake; but she was gone,
And suttly fled into the weightlesse aire.
Thrise raught I with mine armse taccoll her neck,
Thrise did my handes vaine hold thimage escape,
Like nimble windes, and like the flieng dreame.
So night spent out, returne I to my feers.
And ther wondring I find together swarmd
A new nomber of mates, mothers, and men,
A rout exiled, a wreched multitude,
From eche where flockke together, prest to passe,
With hart and goods, to whatsoeuer land
By sliding seas me listed them to lede.
And now rose Lucifer aboue the ridge
Of lusty Ide, and brought the dawning light.
The Grekes held thentries of the gates best;
Of help there was no hope. Then gaue I place,
Toke vp my sire, and hasted to the hill”

143

[_]

This text also includes a different version of the following poem which appears in Tottel's Songes and Sonnettes, 1557. It has been omitted here.