Book XVIII. Agamynon the grete, [&] be goode duke of Athens. Achilles slays the 7640 With the kyng of Larris full cantly caupit king of Larissa. Hector slays Diomedes slays Epistrophus and Hector. Achilles, bat he droffe hym to dethe with the dynt of a speire. Antoneus on Ector full egerly met, But, er he past fro the prinse, he was pale ded. 7644 Then Diomede, the derfe kyng, deghit out of lyue Xantipus, þe same tyme, þat was a sure kyng. Two kynges pere come, þat were kyde brether,— Ephistafus hym presit with his proude wordes, 'Since you love fliting so well; go, flite on the dead!' Tedius summons a thousand knights to avenge the death of Epistrophus. (fol. 119 a) Eagerly they follow Hector over the field, THE DETHE OF EPHISTAFUS BY ECTOR SLAYNE. Ector, wrathed at his wordis, waynit at the kyng, 7656 þat he gird to pe ground and the gost yald: ben warpid he pes wordis in his wild hate :"ffor pou of flytyng was fuerse with frekes vppon lyue, Go dresse pe to dedmen, & dyn pere a while." He bade hom full boldly, for bale vpon erthe, And laited aftur þe lede with a light wille; THE FIFTH BATTLE. Saght pai the sure prinse thurgh the syde batell. fforsit hym with fight, fellyn hym aboute, 7672 Vnhorset hym in hast, hade hym to fote. Tedius, the tore kyng, in a tene yre, fflappit at hym felly with a fyne swerde, The worthy to wound, & warp vnto dethe. 7676 Then auntrid þat Ector aurthwert beheld The stroke of pe stith; with a strenght arme He keppit the caupe on his clene sheld, And britnet the bold with a breme dynt : 7680 The right arme, with a rappe, reft fro pe shul durs; Hurlit hym to hard erthe, hue hym to dethe. And the lede with a launse out of lyue broght! Telamon the tydé, & tristy Vlixes; 7688 Archillaus also, Agamynon hym selfe, And Machaon pe mighty, meuit hym with. All pes bold with pere batels brochet in swithe, 7692 Buernes vpon bothe halues brittoned full mony! 7700 ffor oppressing with payne, & of pale strokes ; 249 Book XVIII. and at last surround him. Tedius aims a blow at Hector, which is caught on his shield. Hector cuts off The Greek leaders (fol. 119 b.) The Trojans flee. Achilles slays Book XVIII. Hector slays Encouraged by Hector and their leaders, the Trojans rally and drive back the Greeks. Epistrophus comes from the city with 3000 knights, and the Monster Archer,-half horse, half man. ("fell," skin.) Having the face of a man, yet all over haired and neighing like a horse, and with flaming eyes, he terrified the Greeks. THE DETHE OF AMPHENOR AND DURIWS BY ECTOR SLAYNE. There-at Ector was angry, & out of his wit! 7704 Two kynges he kyld of the kene grekes, Amphenor the fuerse, and the freike Durius; And wonderfully wroght at the wode stoure. Thurgh pouer of the prinse & his pert knightes, 7708 The Troiens turnyt in full tyte, tokyn the fild, ffoghtyn full fuersly, fell mony grekes, Beron hom abacke with a breme wille. Then kyng Bisshop the bold fro the burghe come 7712 With thre thowsaund pro knightes, prong into batell, All wight men in wer, willy to fight, And boldly the bekirt, britnet pere fos. There come with this kyng a coynt mon of shappe, 7716 ffellist in fight, and a fyn archer : ffro the Nauell netherward he was an able horse, And euyn made as a man fro the medill vp. The fell of pat freike, fuerse to beholde, 7720 ffro pe hede to pe hele herit as a capull! Thof his face was fourmyt as a fre mon, Hyt was colourt by course as a kowlt red. His Ene leuenaund with light as a low fyn, 7724 With stremys full stithe in his stepe loke. He was a ferfull freke, in fas to beholde ; Without harness, 7728 No hawberke he hade, ne harnes of mayle, and having only (fol. 120 a.) a bow and quiver, he goes to battle. But bare into batell with a bowe stronge, A MONSTER ARCHER. Thurghe the birre of his bowe & his big Arme, 7736 Mony woundit the wegh to pe wale dethe, And myche greuit the grekes with his grym fare. 251 Book XVIII. He sorely afflicts the Greeks. THE DETHE OF POLEXENAS BY ECTOR SLAYNE. Ector faght in the fild felle of his Enmys. 7740 He dang to the dethe with his derfe weppon, 7744 With the Troiens so tore, tydé men alse, Hector slays Polyxenus. His skill and prowess, the horror of the monster archer, and the bravery drive the Greeks to their tents. That myche greuit the grekes, gird hom abacke. of the Trojans, Diamede, the derfe kyng, þat don was to flight, Diomedes 7756 Wold haue wonen away & of woche p st, There met hym pis Ma vl own, þat was o Euyn forne in his face, as he fle wold. 7760 He myght no wise away for wothe of his dethe, But auther aunter vppon hym, or angardly moue. He se his fomen so felle and fuerse at his backe, encounters the Monster. (fol. 120 b.) The Trojans are bebind; this Monster before him; there is no 7764 And if he turnyt hade tyte, pen hym tyde shuld, escape. The warlagh with a wicked arowe woundit hym behynd. He auntrid on this Vnbest angardly fast. Book XVII. As the shalke shuld haue shot at the shene kyng, Diomedes attacks 7768 Dyamede with a dynt dang hym to ground, and kills the fierce Archer. The Greeks rally, and drive back the Trojans. Hector and both fall. Achilles captures Hector's horse. Hector calls on his knights to pursue and recapture it. Antenor slays many of the Gree s: (fol. 121 a.) With a swap of his swerd he swalt in the place. Then the grekes with grym there gedurt pere hertes, ffrusshet out felly, and the ffild toke; 7772 Bore backward the batell of pe bold troiens; Kyld of hor knightes and kene men of armys! Ector to Achilles angardly rode ; And he keppit hym full kenely, pai caupit togedur, 7776 That bothe were backward pere borne of pere horses, And light on the lond the lordes in fere. But Achilles aftir auntrid to rise, Highet to his horse in a hote yre, 7780 Grypit vnto galathe, pat was the gode stede Of honerable Ector, & etlit away. Ector cryed on his knightes with a kant wille, Restorit pe stithe horse to pe stuerne prinse ! Oppressit hom with payne, put hom to ground, And mony deghit pat day purgh dynt of his hond. 7796 Antenor the auntrus angardly faght! Thurghe might of his manhode mony distroyed, |