Book VII. Helen replies: "Full well I know I must submit to your will," &c. All daintes to you dight, þat are dere holdyn, And all your ledys deliuert and lose out of 3316 At your comaundement clene all your choise pepull; And lyue in pis lond with lustes at ease, Alse syker and sure als pai set were at home." 3320 And driet the dropis of hir dregh teris:- 3332 And nomely in an unkythe lond nedys hom so. 3328 Hit may happon you in haste haue suche another. Thurgh giftes of our goddys, þat vs grace leuys, We most suffer all hor senndes, & soberly take." Than Parys with plesaunce apperit agayne :— "Dere lady full leell! your lykyng to do, And all your wille forto wirke, yche wegh shall." ben he hent hir by the hond hastely there, And a littyll agayne lust lifte hir vp swithe; He leads her into 3336 Silet furth with pat semly & hir sute leuyt, another room that they may be by themselves. (fol. 55 a.) "Your gods have not sent you here as a punishment; Into a place well appareld all with prise clothes, 3340 Aither vnto other as onesty wolde. pen Parys to pat pure pertly can say : "Hope ye now, hynde Lady, pat your hegh Haue put you to pis prouynse pyne for to thole; PARIS AND HELEN. 3344 And let you be led vnto this lond hydur, febill; And don fro delites depely to angur, Noght abundonet in blis ne blithe in your hert? 3348 Trowe ye not Troy is tore of all godis, Book VII. for Troy has double of the As plaintiouse in yche place as pe prouynse of delights and Achaia, At is doublit of delitis & druris at all? Ne trawes not, tru lady, þat I take wolde 3352 Thy ladyship to losse, ne in lust holde. 3356 Thou shalt haue riches more Rife, & Ranker of han any lady in þi land, leue me for sothe; 3360 pof pou left haue a litle lond lightly at home, gallantries of Achaia. 109 ("druery," love, gallantry.) And I, more powerful than him you had, shall wed thee. þat pou ne hertely shall haue here a well larger, All this larger And pi chaunge to chefe choisly the bettur; 3368 Syn Asia is auenond of yles ynow, 3372 3376 þat are attendant to Troy with tresour ynogh, and better shall bow to thy will. Sorrow not for a master who is not to be compared with me in nobility and doughty deeds. (fol. 53 b.) Book VII. Dry your tears, and be comforted by ine." "Who could restrain their tears, &c. But since it must be, I shall do so " And of hym, þat þou hopis most hertely þe louys, 3380 Wond of pi weping, whipe vp þi teris; This I pray be full prestly with all my pure 3384 pat pou hede me with heryng, & my hest kepe." ELAN. Than answared pat honerable onestly agayne :- But syn hit now bes non other nomly of me, 3392 Ne of power to put of, ne of playn strenght." Paris leaves her. 3396 At supper he serves her. Next day, splendidly arrayed, 3400 And cherisshed hir full choisly with chere of hym seluyn. When the derke was done, & the day comyn, Parys full pristly with preciouse araye, Worshippit þat worthy in wedys full riche, 3404 As qwemet for a qwene & qwaintly atyret, þat Priam hade purueit & to pe place sent. He broght furth pat bright with buernys full nobill. THE PROGRESS TO TROY. To a palfray of prise full prudly arayet; 3408 Set hir in a sadill serklyt with golde, 3412 3416 3420 ffret ouer with fyne perle fresshist of hew, Antenor, Eneas, all other grete, All arayet in a Rowte ryden to be qwene; Soberly a soft pas samyn þai rode, Euyn takand to Troy tomly o pere way. And er þai comyn to courte pis cumpany faire, 3428 3432 And somyn to pe Cité softly pai rode. 111 Book VII. mounted on a palfrey, (fol. 54 a.) and surrounded with a gorgeous company, Paris conducts her to the court of Priam. (Paeonians.) Priam and his knights come forth to welcome her. At the burghe were abyding withoute the brode At the gates of zate Gret plenty of pepull,—all the place full,— So mony on molde was meruell to se; With synging, & solas, and sitals amonge; 3436 With myrthes of mynstralsy, musike with all; Daunsyng of Damsele, Dynnyng of trumpys, With A ledy full lusti & lykyng to here. HERE HE DO TIDE! Priam, the prise kyng, prestly down light, the city the people welcome her with music, minstrelsy, and dances. Priau alights, Book VII. and leads her palfrey into the city, and on to his palace. (fol. 54 b.) He conducts her to her apartments. 3440 And was first vpon fote of all of his fresshe He raght to the reynes of pe riche qwene, Softe into pe Cité hym seluyn with honde Vp into ylion with honour ynogh; 3448 And toke hir full tite into a triet chamber, Rejoicings in the 3452 With myrthes, & melody, & mony gret feste, city. On the second day after, Paris and Helen are married in the temple of Apollo. The citizens are feasted for eight days. ffor ioy of pis iornay and pis gentill lady; And þat Parys in point repairit was home. 3456 And lyuys in hor lykyng be long night ouer. All the grete were gedret, as hom grase felle: 3460 At Appolynes owne tempull after were weddit. out; And double fest þat day derely was holdyn, 3464 With all pe reuell & riolté pat Renkes couthe deuise, hat enduret by-dene with daintes at wille, Aght dayes ouer all after the dede. When Cassandra hade knowyng how pe case stode, 3468 þat the mariage was made po mighty betwene, She brast out in a birre, bale to be-holde. With a mighty noise, noye for to here, Playnond with pytie, no pleasurance at all, |