CAPTURE OF ANTENOR. Then the grekes on hym gedrit in so grete nowmber, 253 Book XVIII. is captured and led away. 7800 Oppressit hym with pyne, & with pale strokes, Polydamas attempts to rescue him; but 7804 Myche sorow for his syre sothely did make ; ffor the day wex dym, doun was the sun, Night ends the battle. xix Boke. Of the vj Batell. At sunrise the battle begins: is continued until night. The Trojans suffer more than the Greeks. (fol. 121 b.) On the second Lystenes a lyttyll of pis laike more, 7812 How hit happit in hast of thes hed kynges! Sone as pe sonne rose & set vppon hegh, 7816 per was fyghtyng full fell pe fuerse men betwene, 7820 Mony knyghtis wer kyld of the kene grekys, 7828 Sent to pe Cite soueran men two,— 7832 To be grauntid of pe grete by grement of all. A derf mon to dem, & Delon his nome. 7836 7840 THE GREEKS DESIRE A TRUCE. 255 Book XIX. He was borne in þe burgh a bold mon of hond, of wit, By Assent of Seniours, & sum of my knightys; He was ymyddis pe mete with men of astate, 7844 Kyngis in his cumpany, & knyghtis full nobill. pen gedrit were pe grete to be gay kyng, 7848 Saue Ector pe honerable, pat egerly with-stod, 7852 7856 7860 All paire tretyng of tru turnys vs to harme. Priam promises to consult with All assent save who declares that the Greeks are faint for lack of food; and, under pretence of burying their dead, they seek a And lighyng, by my lewte, now lakkys hom pe truce, that they fode. pai wold stuf hom full stithly, strenkyth hom agayn, With mete in þe meneqwile, & mony othir thinges; And we oure store schall distroi, & stynt of oure sped. We are folke full fele; in pis fre hold, Of Lordis, and Ladies, and other lesse pepull, And pof we maitles marre, may we no fer." may obtain (fol. 122 a.) But syn the souerain assentid, with other sad Because the king lordes, He agreet to the grete, & grauntid with all 7864 ffor pere-as men are so mony, & of might grete, and his lords had assented to the truce, Hector does not oppose it. Book XIX. A truce for three months is granted: and prisoners of war are exchanged. Thoas is exchanged for Antenor. Calcas pleads with request Priain (fol. 122 b.) to send Briseis his daughter. And of wit for to wale, wisest of other, All put in a purpos with a plain wille ; pof the syngle mon say, & it sothe be, 7868 Hit is demyt for dulle, & done out of heryng. Syn it is sothely said, & for sure holdyn, hof a yong mon be 3epe, & of yeres lite, His wit shuld be waled of wise men in age: 7872 So the prinse to pere purpos prestly assent, pof hit worche to be worse, pat wist be hym seluyn. Then takyn was the true, and with trauthe fest, Thre monethes & no more, po mighty betwene, 7876 By assurans full sad vpon suche wise, þat non offens shuld pere fall po freikes betwene; But yche kyng & knight comyn with other, Bothe in tent & in towne, while the true last. 7880 Than pai spekon in spase of hor spede after, Made a chaunge by chaunse of hor choise lordes. Toax, fro Troy, was turnyt to the grekes, ffor Antenor aunterous, þat aftur was takyn : 7884 Deliuert were po lordes, lawsit of prisone, ffro ayther syde by assent, & suet to pere fryndes. 7896 And sent to pat souerain for þe same cause, With Speciall speche to spede at the tyme. HECTOR IN THE GREEK CAMP. But the triet men of Troy traitur hym cald, 7900 And mony pointtes on hym put for his pure shame, bat disseruet full duly þe dethe for to haue. Priam, at the prayer of po prise kynges, 7904 In eschaunge of po choise, pat chaped before,— In the tyme of the true, as pe trety saith, 7908 ffro the burghe to pe batells of pe bold grekes, 257 Book XIX. Priam delivers Briseis with the other prisoners. During the time of the truce, Hector goes to the tents of the ffor to sport hym a space, & speike with po Greeks. kynges, To se the maner of po men, & mirth hym a stound. Achilles, the choise kyng, with a chere faire, ffor his body was bare out of bright wedes. 7916 ffraynet at the freike of his fell dedis: And as pai spekon of pere spede in hor spell þere, : Achilles welcomes him, and takes him to his tent. THE WORDES BETWENE ACHILLES AND ECTOR IN THE TENTE. "Now Ector, in ernyst, I am euyn fayn 7920 Of pe sight of pi Self, to se þe vnarmyt; egge. « I have great pleasure to see thee unarmed. (fol. 123 a.) I know that thou art very strong, for I have often proved it. |