4700

4704

TENEDOS ASSAULTED.

And all the shalkes to ship with the shene godes,
pai past fro þat port with pillage þai hade,
And turnyt vnto tenydon, taryt no lengur.
here arof all the rowte with pere Ranke shippes,
Cast ancres with cables pat kene were of byt;
Let sailes doune slide; slippit into botes;
ffestnet with fuerse Ropis the flete in pe hauyn;
And buskit vnto banke, the boldist ay first.
At this tenydon truly was a tried castell,

Book XI.

153

The fleet then sails to Tenedos,

where there was

a strong castle,

Wele wroght for the werre with walles full well garrisoned

stronge;

4708 Evyn fild full of folke, fuerse men & noble,

4712

4716

4720

4724

4728

And Riches full Rife, Ranke men with in;
Wele viteld, I-wisse, for winturs ynoghe.
(Hit was sothely but sex myle fro the Cité euyn,
As I told haue tomly in a tale here before.)
The folke in þat fuerse hold were ferde of hom
selfe,

Arait hom full radly, right to the werre.
In defense of hor fos, þat on flete lay,
Wenton out wightly wale men of armys,

and supplied.

The Trojans turn out to defend

their castle
against the

And bateld hom on the banke as hom best thught. Greeks, who had

When the Grekes were gethurt & to ground

comen,

Mony fightyng folke in a fuerse nowmbur,
The pepull with hor power put hom agayne,
And foght with hom felly, pof pai few were.
Bold was pat biker opon bothe haluys.
Mony deid by-dene of the derfe grekes;
And Troiens with tene tynt of hor pepull,
But not so fele at pe first as of the ferre side.
The Grekes full greatly greuyt þerat,

Oppresset hom with payne & preset pereafter;
ffought full felly, and fele were pere pai slayne:
Of the Troiens pat tyme tynt were pe mo.
The fresshe was so felle of the furse grekes,

now landed.

A fierce battle ensues, and many fall on both sides;

but the Greeks, enraged at their

loss, and encour

aged by the

arrival of fresh

bands, press the Trojans,

(fol. 74 a.)

Book XI.

and put them to flight.

They then sur

round and attack

the castle.

('glayue,' a broadsword.)

(alblast, or

alblaster, an

engine for

shooting arrows.) ('wharle' =

quarrel, an arrow

for the cross-bow or alblast.)

('were,' defend.)

The Trojans stoutly defend themselves; and the Greeks

attempt to scale the walls.

Many of them are dashed to the ground and killed.

The Trojans are worn out; and the Greeks press the

escalade, seize the towers, and put the men to death.

And the nowmber so noyous, pat neghed in hast, 4732 That the ffrigies floghen and the fild leuyt; Turnyt vnto Troy, and the toune entrid.

And po at fore not to flight, ne of forse were,
The grekes gird hom to grounde with hor grym
swerdes,

4736 And brittenit on the bent, pat abide wold.
Comyn to the castell, vnclosit it aboute,
ffoghten with the folke, pat defens made.
Shottyn vp sharply at the shene wallis

4740 With glayues; & gomes girdyn doun toures;
Dryuen vp dartes, gyffen depe woundes.
With alblasteris also amyt full streght,
Whappet in wharles, whellit the pepull.
4744 With speris full dispitiously spurnit at the yates,
Dongen on dernly with mony dede hurtes,
In diffens of pe folke, þat affroi made.

But the wallis the[y] were for all the wo yet,

4748 And fele of hor fos fellyn with out.

ben gone forthe the grekes, graithet engynes,

Batold hom all abrode vmbe the bare walles; Layn ladders alenght & oloft wonnen. 4752 At yche cornell of pe castell was crusshyng of

weppon;

ffell was the feght po fuerse men amonge;

Mony grekes in pere gremy gird on the hed,
Till pai lept of the ladder, light in the dyke,
4756 The brayne out brast & the brethe leuyt ;
And mony dongen to dethe with dynttes of honde.
The Troiens full tit were tirghit for fight,
Wondit & weré þat þai were noght;

4760 And the grekes in so grete nowmber gedrit hom

till,

Wonyn on the wallis wightly with ladders,

At wyndous on yche syde-wise a wondurfull

nombur,

CAPTURED AND DESTROYED.

The grete toures pai toke, tirnyt the pepull : 4764 Was no lede opon lyfe þat a lofte stode.

The[y] chefe into chambers & oper chere hallis,
And yche freke, þat þai found, felly þai slogh,
Old men & other, with ournyng to dethe,
4768 Tyll no lede of þat lynage vpon lyfe was.

All the caves in the castell clenely pai sought,
Robbit the Riches & the Rife goodes;

Prayet & piket pat proffet was in,

4772 And wonnyn it wightly the wallis withoute,
Till all was bare as a bast, to pe bigge woghes.
Mynours then mightely the moldes did serche,
Ouertyrnet the toures, & the tore walles.
4776 All dusshet into the diche, doll to be-holde;
Betyn doun the buyldynges & brent into erthe,
Tyll the place was playne & out of plite broght;

And hegh Tenydon with tourys tyrnyt all vnder.

Book XI.

(fol. 74 b)

155

The castle is then pillaged and com pletely destroyed,

4780 When pai hade wasted the won & wonen the gre, won,' =wone. a All the tresour thay toke & turnyt to ship.

This fight is the first and firre vs behouus.

dwelling.)

The Greeks rejoice

over their victory.

Agamemnon orders all the booty taken at the castle to be brought to him

that it may be fairly divided. (fol. 57 a.)

The boldest in battle gets the best share.

rijth Boke.

4784

How the Grekys sent two

Kinges in Message to Kyng Priam
ffor Restitucion of paire harme.

ROBBET

was pis ronke hold & ryuyn to ground; All the kepars kild vnto cold dethe.

ffull glad were the grekes the godis to fonge,

And þat hom happit so hastely the haldes to

distroy.

Mery was the menye & maden gret Joye, 4788 As pai houyt in hauyn holly to gedur.

Then Agamynon graidly, paire gay Emperour, Chargit hom as cheften all his choise pepull, þat any godis hade goten at the gret hold, 4792 ffor to bryng it belyue & no bode make;

And cum wightly perwith the weghes hom selfe, To a place pat was playne on pe pure ground. And pai obeyt his boue. The buernes anon, 4796 Past to the playne pere prince vntill:

Yche gome with his gode pat he gotyn hade. pai comyn forth clenly with clothes & other, And pight it on a playne in a place faire. 4800 pan the souerain hym seluon soberly deuidet Tho godes to his gomes, as hym graith thoght, And depertid the pray to his prise folke.

To the weghes pat hom wan with woundes before, 4804 And put hom in perell, depertid pai were:

He, pat boldist was in batell, the best for to haue.

THE COUNSEL OF AGAMEMNON.

When pis duly was done by dom of þe lorde,

The cheftayn full choisly chargit the gret,4808 All the kynges of his company & his kyde Dukes, Erles & all men pat of astate were,—

The secund day suyng or the sun Rose,

To appere in a place pertly hom seluon, 4812 ffor a counsell to carpe & comyn to gedur,

And to speke of hor spede whill the[y] space hade. When the derk was don & the day sprange; Gedrit were the grete & to pe ground comyn 4816 On a place þat was playne, plenty of Setis ; Euyn set in a serkyll þe soferan before,

And pes in yche place, princes were stille; Agamynon, the gouernour, godely did say 4820 These wordis full wisely to his weghes all.

THE COUNSELL OF AGAMINON AFTER DE

TAKYNG TENYDON.

"Ye frendes faithfull, pat fuerse ben in armys! Princes & prise kynges, preuyt of Astate! That are gedrit on the ground, & fro grece comyn. 4824 The pouer of our pepull is plainly full hoge,

Book XII.

157

Agamemnon calls the leaders to a council of war.

"Ye faithful friends, princes, and kings!

(fol. 75 b.) Our forces are numerous, and, by the grace of our gods, there are not in all the

And the fame of our fuersnes fares abrode.
The word of our werkes thurgh the world springes! world warriors of

Is not accountid of kynges, ne kyde men of

armys,

4828 Thurgh the world for to wale so worthy of dedis,

so great fame.

By the grace of our goddes, as grekes are now!

And no pride in our pepull for our prise werkes,

That happis vs to haue purgh our kynd goddes.

4832 Hom proly we thanke pan thrive we pe bettur, For this we

And put away pride fro our prise hertes;

ffor it knowen by course & custome to all,

thank our gods, and put away all pride of heart, which is the source of so many

What harmys & vnhap has hastid purghe pride, evils.

4836 And what cumbraunse & care, in mony kyde

londes.