Book XV. must not blame his fortune when evil befalls. On that day great Hector had the better of his enemies, and (fol. 110 b.) might have vanquished them : but unfortunately Telamon-Ajax encountered him. Hector recognizes him as his cousingerman. Rejoiced at the meeting, he raises his visor, and invites Ajax to visit his cousins in Troy. Ajax excuses himself for the time, but begs Hector to show that his love for him is real, by Wite not his wirdis, pof hym woo happyn! And he pat kepis not kyndly the course of his heale, But sodanly forsakes pat sent is of god, 7072 Hit shalbe gricchit hym þat grace in his grete So happit hit here to pis hed prinse, That holly the herhond hade at his wille, 7080 þat the sun of Exiona, þat was his sib mon, And Telamon, pe triet kyng, þat was his true fader, hat cald was be course of the kynges syde, Telamonius Aiax truly to nome, 7084 That a mon was of might & of mayn strenght, He auntrid hym to Ector ernystly with fight. The stoure was full stithe of po stuerne knightes! As pai fughtyn in fere with pere felle swerdis, 7088 Hit auntrid þat Ector, be ame of his speche, Knew hym for his cousyn comyn of his Aunt, And syb to hym-selfe, sewyng of blode. He was glad of the gome, & o goode chere And said to pat semly all in sad wordis, He denyet hym anon with a nait wille; His ledis for to leue hym list not as pen. But he prayet the prinse with his pure hert, 7100 Iff he louyt hym, as he let to leue for pe tyme, THE TROJANS ARE WITHDRAWN. bat pe troiens in hor tenttes shuld tene hom no more, Ne dere hom with dinttes whille þat day last, Ne folow hom no furre, ne felle of hor pepull. 7104 ben vnhappely hys hest he hastid to do, þat angart hym after angardly sore, Turnyt hym to tene & all the tit Rewme. With the tuk of a trump, all his tore knightes 7108 He assemblit full sone, & sad men of armys, And comaundit hom kyndly, kynges & all, To go bake fro pe batell, & buske vnto troy, 229 Book XV. putting an end to the battle. Hector grants the request; and, assembling his forces, commands them to retire within the city. (fol. 111 a.) 7112 The Troiens paire tore shippis hade turnyt on The Trojans had ffyre, Wold haue brent hom barly, botis & other; Haue grippit the goodis, & the gomes qwellet, And no lede vpon lyue left in þe fild. 7116 But at the biddyng of þe bold, þat þe buernes led, hai were assemblit full sone, & myche sorow hade, Wentton to be wale toun wailyng in hert, Entrid with angur, and to pere Innes 30de. 7120 Thus curstly pat knighthode for a cause light, Voidet pere victory for vanité of speche, hat neuer auntrid hom aftur so ably to wyn; But þurgh domys of destany dreuyt to noght, 7124 And ay worth vnto werre, as ye shall wete aftur. set fire to the Greek ships and would have consumed them, had Hector not recalled them. Sad and angry, the Trojans enter the city. In the morning the Trojans arm to assail the Greeks. (fol. 111 b.) But the Greeks demand a truce for two months: which is granted. The Greeks collect their dead: rbj Boke. Of a Trew Takyn two Monethes: And of the thrid Batell, Wen en fortun wyth fell angur feftis on hond, ffull tid in hire tene turnys he be qwell! Wen þes ffounet folk were faryn to toune, After settyng of pe Sun pai Seyn to þe zates, And make an end of pere note naitly pai But the grekes, in the gray day, graidly did send 7144 Of Priam, & the prinse, & the pert Dukes. DURING THE TRUCE. Thai gird into graves pe grettist of astate, 7148 And beriet hom bairly on hor best wise. All the Remnond and Roke radly pai broght, And brent vp the bodies vnto bare askis,- 7152 As the custome was comynly in cuntres of grece. ffor Patroclus, his pere, pat put was to dethe: 7156 And lamentacioun full long for loue of hym one. And Merion, the mighty, into mold put 7164 With soche worshipfull werkes, as pe weghis vsit. 231 Book XVI. some are buried, and some are burned. Achilles bewails the death of Patroclus. He causes the bodies of Patroclus and Protesilaus tc be laid in gorgeous tombs. All the Troiens, on the tother side, while the The Trojans tru last, Helit þere hurt men þurgh helpis of leches. By two monethes were myldly mouit to end, 7168 Iche freike was fyn hole of þere fell hurttes. Care hade the kyng for Cassibilon his son, ffor he was noblist & next of his naite children, ffull tendurly with teris tynt myche watur, 7172 And mournet full mekull, for he þe mon louyt. In Venus temple þe worthy, in a wale toumbe He bereit that bold on his best wise. Cassandray, the kynges doughtur, consayuit the dole, 7176 Weping and woo, pat pe weghis made, attend to their wounded. (fol. 112 a.) Priam mourns Cassandra bewails the sad fate of the Trojans, and urges them to Sho brast out in a birre, & to pe bold said :- Book XVI. the Greeks or worse will befall them. By Priam's order she is shut up in prison. Palamedes murmurs against Agamemnon; and thinks that he himself is more worthy to be commander. (fol. 112 b.) Agamemnon arrays the Greeks 7180 With care for to come, & cumbrans to all? 7184 Ouertyrnet with tene, temple and oper; Modris pere myld childer with mournyng behold, 7192 Palomydon, the proud kyng, prise of the 7196 Made murmur full mekyll in the mene tyme, To beire the charge as cheftan of po choise kynges. More syttyn he saide hym seluyn to haue, 7200 As Richer of Renttes, & Riollier of astate; Held hym for no hede, ne wold his hest kepe, ffor he Chargyt was for no cheftain, ne chosyn by hym Ne of xxxti other pro kynges, pat priuond were all; 7204 Was non assentyd to pat souerain sothely but thre, Without ordinaunce of other only or assent: But of pat mater was meuit nomore at pat tyme. When the tyme was ourtyrnyt, and þe tru vp, 7208 Agamynon pe grekys gedrit in pe fild, |