University of Virginia Library

“Peraventur of Priamus wald ȝe speir
Quhou tyd the chance. Hys fait, gif ȝe lyst, heir:
Quhen he the cite saw takyn and downbet,
And of his palyce brokyn euery ȝet,
Amyd the secret closettis eik hys fays,
The auld grayth, al for nocht, to hym tays
Hys hawbryk quhilk was lang furth of vsage,
Set on his schulderis trymlyng than for age;
A sword but help about hym beltis he
And ran towart hys fays, reddy to de.
Amyd the closs, vnder the hevyn al bayr,
Stude thar that tyme a mekil fair altare,
Neyr quham thar grew a rycht ald lawrer tre
Bowand towart the altare a litill wie,
That with his schaddow the goddis dyd ourheld.
Hecuba thyddir with hir childer for beild
Ran al invane and about the altare swarmys,
Brasand the godlyke ymage in thar armys,
As for the storm dowis flokkis togidder ilkane.
Bot quhen scho saw how Priamus has tane
His armour, so as thocht he had beyn ȝyng:
‘Quhat fulych thocht, my wrachit spowss and kyng,
Movis the now syk wapynnys forto weld?
Quhidder hastis thou?’ quod sche. ‘Of na sik beld
Haue we now mystir, nor syk diffendouris as the,
The tyme is nocht ganand tharto we se,
In cace Hectour war present heir, my son,
He mycht nocht succur Troy, for it is won,
Quharfor I pray the syt doune and cum hydder
And lat this altare salue wss al togidder,
Or than atanys al heir lat ws de.’
Thus said scho and with sik sembland as mycht be
Hym towart hir has brocht, but ony threte,
And set the auld doune on the haly sete.
Bot lo, Polytes, ane of Priamus sonnys
Quhilk from the slauchter of Pyrrus away run is,
Throw wapynnys fleyng and his ennemyss all,
Be lang throwgangis and mony voyd hall;
Woundit he was, and come to seik reskew.
Ardently Pyrrus gan him fast persew,
With grondyn lance at hand so neir furthstrekit,
Almaist the hed hym twichit and arekit,
Quhil at the last, quhen he is cummyn, I weyn,
Befor his faderis and his moderis eyn,
Smate hym down ded in thar sycht quhar he stude,
The gaist he ȝald with habundans of blude.
Priamus than, thocht he was halfdeill ded,
Mycht nocht conteyn his ire nor wordis of fed,
Bot cryis furth: ‘For that cruell offens
And owtragyus fuyl hardy violens,
Gif thar be piete in the hevin abone
Quhilk takis heid to this at thou has done,
The goddis mot condyngly the forȝeld,
Eftir thi desert rendring sik gaynȝeld,
Causit me behald myne awyn child slane, allace,
And with hys blude fylit the faderis face.
Bot he quhamby thou fenys thi self byget,
Achil, was not to Priam sa hard set,
For he, of rycht and faith eschamyt eik,
Quhen that I come hym lawly tobeseik,
The ded body of Hector rendrit me,
And me convoyit hame to my cite.’
Thus sayand the ald waykly, but forss or dynt,
A dart dyd cast, quhilk with a pyk gan stynt
On his harness, and in the scheild dyd hyng
But ony harm or other dammagyng.
Quod Pyrrus, ‘Sen always thou saist swa,
To Pellyus son, my fadir, thou most ga.
Beir hym this message, ramembir weil thou tell
Him al my warkis and dedis sa cruell—
Schaw Neoptolemus is degenerit cleyn.
Now salt thou de.’ And with that word in teyn
The ald trymlyng towart the altare he drew,
That in the hait blude of his son, sched new,
Fundrit; and Pyrrus grippis hym by the hayr
With his left hand, and with the tother albayr
Drew furth his schynand swerd, quhilk in his syde
Festynnyt, and onto the hyltis dyd he hyde.
Of Priamus thus was the finale fait—
Fortone heir endit his gloryus estait,
Seand Ilion albyrn in fryis brown
And Troys wallis fall and tumlyt down.
That ryal prince, vmquhile our Asya
Apon sa feil pepil and realmys alswa
Ryngnyt in welth, now by the cost lyis ded
Bot as a stok and of hakkit his hed,
A corps but lyfe, renown or other fame,
Onknawyn of ony wight quhat was his name.”