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(fol. 80 b.)

While the Greeks lay at Tenedos

a council of war was held.

Agamemnon

thus addressed the leaders:

"Noble sirs!

First of all, we must have food for our soldiers;

and to supply
so large an army,
we must have it

in abundance.

Therefore, let us

xiij Boke. How the Grekys sent Achilles and Thelefon for vitaill for the Ost into Messam.

5152 KYNGYS and knyghtes and other kyde Dukes, All the souerayns hade selly, as I said ere,

Of priam, the price Kyng, pat prudly hade saide.

Than gedrit were the grekes on a ground faire, 5156 Besyde tenydon truly, to talke of hor dedis. Ordant by the emperour opunly to holde A counsell in the case, with knowyng to all, And procede on hor purpos, as prise men of wer.

5160

When the souerayns assemblit were, as I said first,

Agamynon, the gouernour, graithit hym to speike,

To po worthy thie3 wordis warpit anone :— "Noble sirs, in this note hit nedis vs to haue 5164 ffode till our folke, the formast of other,

þat no hongur vs happyn to harme in our werre, While our buernes in batell abiden here stille : hat we faint not in fight, ne feble of strenght. 5168 And mykyll is the mete so mony bus haue, If we shall proffet with proues, or any fose wyn: ffor pere as failes the fode, faint is the pepull; And þere hongur is hote, hertis ben febill. 5172 perfore, highly in hast, I hold for pe best,

5180

5184

COUNSEL OF AGAMEMNON.

169

Book XIII.

send to Messana for a supply before we pass hence.

In that province there is

abundance of

every kind of victual; let us send wise and trusty men with a suitable guard, to procure provisions,

(fol. 81 a.) and to forward

If ye deme it in dede, Dukes and other, hat we mightily to Messam our men send, To fecche vs som fode, or we firre passe. 5176 In pat prouyns is plenty all of prise vitell, Of corne, & of catell, & mony kyd Rewme; perfore, sone let vs send sum of our folke, Worthy to wale, & wise of hor dedis, To trie of the trewist, & turne into ship, And set furth to the se with soudiours ynow, Pas to pat prouyns, prese to be londe, And make puruiaunce plentie, while prese lastis, That may cum vs, by course, to comford our ost, And abundantly broght with buernes betwene, them as they may ffor to stall our astate and our strenght hold." When pis counsell was kyd, he carpis no ferr, Was alowet with the lordis, & all pe ledis after. The proposal is By assent of po souerains, & sithen of all, Achilles was chosyn chefe of pis erend; And Thelephus, pat tother, ton to his fere, Was Ercules aune son eldist for sothe. bes assignet for pe se, with soudiours ynogh, And fuerse men in fight a felle nowmber: pes drest for pe dede and droghen to ship, 5196 And merkit vnto Messam with a mekyll nauy. In þat yle was onest, an honerable kyng,

5188

5192

As men told in his tyme, and Teutras his name, þat his countre in kuit hade keppit full longe, 5200 And regnit in rest with riches ynogh.

He hade fightyng folke fele of his owne, And knightes full kene, & konyng of werre. Sum sain it for sothe, and for sure holdyn, 5204 The same yle I said you, Cicill is calt,

Ay abundand of blisse, & bret full of vitaill, And menyt was with men Messan to nome; ffor a cité in the same lond so gat was cald, 5208 Bild on a banke at a brode hauyn,

be required."

accepted, and Achilles with Telephus are chosen for the purpose.

With suitable men and a strong guard they set

sail for Messana.

Some say this island was called Sicily, and also Messana, from a city of that name in the island;

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Achilles and Telephus, with 3000 knights and many ships,

arrive at the

harbour.

The king of

Messana comes to

ffull longe, & large, louely with all,
And a pesable port pight full of shippes,

hat comen for corne to contres aboute;
5212 And because of the corne, cald was it Messan,
pat past fro the port to prouyns o fer.
And sum of hit sain, & for sure holdyn,

hat the Cité was so calld by a sure kyng,

5216 That biggit the burgh bigly hym-seluyn,

And callid it Messan be mowthe, in mynd of

his nome;

But Dares, in his dyting, dewly noght tellus.
Of the Cité, for sothe, ne the selfe lond;

5220 But how po mighty were made to Messan to
wende,

ffode for to fecche to pe felle ost.

Som othir Cicill hit sothly myght be,

hat was geynde to grece, pen the grete yle,
5224 pat ferly was fer be-3ond fele Rewmes.
Into this prouynce past po pepull to-gedur,
Achilles the choise, and his chere felow,

With thre thowsand tristé all of pro knightes, 5228 And mony shippes full shene, shot o pe depe, þat hit into hauyn, houyt not longe,

But bounet to pe bonke po buernys anon.

Then the kyng of pe cuntre, with cumpany grete

oppose them with 5232 Of fell fightyng folke, pat on fote were,

a great army;

and a furious

battle ensues.

Past to be port, pere the prinse lay.

The grekys, þat were gedrit & to grounde comyn,
With all pere cumpany clene of the cloise

shippes,

5236 Segh the kyng of the cuntre cum hom agayne, With fele folke vppon fote, pat hom fray wold. bai wan to pere weppon wightly anon.

In defense of pe folke, pai fuersly were armyt, 5240 And girden to-gedur with mony grym dyntus. Bigge was the batell opon bothe haluys,

THE KING OPPOSES ITS LANDING.

Mony fallyn were fey of pe fell grekes,

But mo of the meny, þat mellit hom with.

5244 pof the grekes were grym & of grete myght,

171

Book XIII.

Many fall on both sides, but the Greeks were unable to

pai hade no strenght to withstonde pe striff of withstand their

þe pepull,

þat were pro men in threpe, & thretyms mo.

enemies, who were three times their number.

pere the grekes hade grymly ben gird vnto dethe, 5248 Hade not Achilles ben cheualrous & choise of Achilles boldly

his dedis.

He shot thurgh the sheltrone & shent of hor

knightes

Mony doughty were ded thurgh dynt of his hond.

All þat warnyt hym þe way he warpet to

ground,

5252 Till he come to þe kyng, be course as hym list,
And flang at hym fuersly with a fyne swerde;
The haspes of his helme heturly brast;
Braid of his basnet to pe bare hede;

5256 Woundid hym wickedly, warpit hym to ground.

He was wode of his wit, wild as a lione,

(fol. 82 a.) rushes to the fray and kills many of the bravest men.

He strikes the king to the ground fearfully wounded;

Wold haue brittonet the bold with a bare swerd. and is about to

Hof vp his hond heturly to strike,

5260 With a fouchon felle to ferke of his hede,

And Thelephus, pe tothir, titly persayuit

That Teutra with torfer shuld tynt haue his liff. He stert vnder the stroke with a store shild, 5264 And keppit by course the caupe of his sword; And Achilles the choise kyng cherly he prayit, To let the lorde haue his lyffe for lewté of hym, That woundit was wickedly to pe wale dethe ;5268 þat he graunt wold godly pat gome for to leue. ben to Thelaphus, þe tore kyng, tomly can say ;"What causes ye, by course, so kenly to pray, This syre for to saue, pat is our sad enmy; 5272 And has wackont vs wer burghe will of hym

seluyn,

kill him with a sword,

when Telephus
starts under the
stroke, receives it
on his shield,
and begs Achilles
to spare the king.

"Why spare the one who has caused this war?

Book XIII.

Since he was

first to begin, let

him be first to fall."

"Once I came into this country a stranger, and

(fol. 82 b.)

he showed me

great kindness:

it would grieve

me to see him put to death."

"Do with him

then as you please."

5280

And harmyt vs hogely with his hond one.
Syn he boldly with bate pis baret began,
Gode faithe will he first fall in his turne."
5276 ben Thelaphus tomly talkyt agayne :-
"He was a frynde to my fader, & a fyn louer,
Worshippit hym on allwise & his will did.
Hit felle me, be fortune, forwith pis tyme,
Into this coste for to come, vnknowen selfe
my
And he worship me worthely, & his weghes all.
With giftes full gay & of his gode mekyll,
Assignet me soueraines, sure men ynogh.
Hit sothely with sorow sounys to my hert,
To se þat doughty be dede & don out of lyue."
pen Achilles to pat chere choisly can say :—
"Take hym here tyt, & tent as ye list,
And wirke with þat worthy, as ye wele likes."
Thus halpe he þat hynd fro hond of Achilles,
And dro hym fro dethe, as for þat due tyme:
So the batell was barly broght to an end.
The grekes hade þe gre & gone into ship,
And Teutra the true kyng was trust on a litter,
Had hom to his halle, halfe out of lyue.

5284

5288

Thus the battle
was brought to an
end, and Teuthas 5292
was carried home

on a litter.

He sank under his wounds; and

as death drew near, he sent for Achilles and Telephus.

5296

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At whose prayer, full prestly, po prise men two
Wentte with pat worthy vnto his won riche,
Receyuit with reuerence & renke of astate,
Honouret with all men onestly & well,

And all daintethes hom dight dere for pe nonyst.
When few dayes faren were pe fre kyng Teutra
Wex weike of his wound & widrit to dethe:
ffeblit full fast of his fyn strenght,

Se his dethe on hym drogh dressit hym perfore. 5304 He sent after, sothely, pe souerain Achilles,

And Thelaphe, pat tothir, vnto his owne chaumbur.

When pai comen to pe kyng, po curtes to-gedur, ben fond þai pat fre febill in his bed.

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