8084 BRISEIS AND CALCAS. "Nauther list me my luff lelly the graunt, Ne I refuse the not fully pi frendship to voide To onsware on otherwise, ne ordant perfore!" 8088 At hir wordes, I-wis, the worthy was glad; Hengit in hope, held hym full gayne. At hir fader fre tent fongit hir in armys, And set hir on pe soile softely with hond. 8092 A gloue of pat gay gate he belyue, Drogh hit full dernly the damsell fro: None seond but hir-selfe, pat suffert full well. Hit pleaside hir priuely, playntyde ho noght, 8096 Let hit slip from hyr slyly, slymyt perat. Than Calcas, the clerke, came fro his tent, ffongit hir faire and with fyne chere, Toke hir into tent, talket with hir fast, 8100 And menit of hir maters, as þai in mynd hade. THE WORDYS OF BREISAID TO CALCAS HIR FADER. When the burde in hir boure was broght with hir fader, Thes wordes ho warpet with wateryng of Ene :— 8104 That was so conyng of clergy, & knowen in Troy, Myche louet with the lordes, & the ledis all; 8108 And pou riches full riffe, renttes ynow? Now art pou trewly hor traitour, & tainted for fals! Thy kyn & thy cuntre vnkyndly forsakyn, bat pou shuld faithly defend with a fre hert; 8112 And fro woches haue werit, & pi wit shewed. Hit is cheuit the a chaunse of a choise febull! Leuer forto lyf in a lond straunge, In pouerte & penaunce with thy pale fos, 8116 Then as a lord in þi lond lengit at home. "Why, O father, have you, who were so honoured at Troy, turned her traitor? Why prefer to live in exile among your enemies; when you might be as a lord in Troy." Book XIX. On earth, every one despises you; and in hell you must dwell with fiends. (fol. 126 a.) Thinkest thou the Greeks will trust you? Surely, it was not the god Apollo, but some fiend of hell that advised you." "Daughter, the gods would be against us, if we did not obey them. As thy fall and þi faith is foulé loste, And pe fame of þi filth so fer wilbe knowen. þi kyn, In sum wildurnes wilde, & won þere in lyf, 8128 Then the ledys vpon lyue to laithe with pi shame. Hopis pou fadur, in faith, in þi faint hert, bat pou be takon for treu with thies triet kynges, Or be holdyn in hert of þi hest stable, 8132 bat art founden so fals to pi fre londes? Now appolyn with answare hase euyll the begiled, 8136 And sorily to syn, and þi selfe lose! Hit was neuer appollo the pure god, þat put the in mynd, But sum fend with his falshed, faren out of helle, þat onsward the owkewardly, ordand þe skathe, 8140 fforto set the in sorow, and þi soule tyne !" Thus the lady at the last left of hir speche, With myche sobbyng & sorow, sylyng of teris. Than the bysshop to his barne barely onswart, 8144 And shend to þat shene all in short wordes. "Ne hopis pou noght, hend doghtur, pat our hegh goddes Wold be wrothe at our werkes, & wisshe vs to skathe, If we bowet not hor biddyng, & hor bone kept. 8148 And nomly in þis note, pat noyes to pe dethe, BRISEIS FORGETS TROILUS. Oure seluyn to saue, and oure saule kepe All the grekes were glad of pat gay lady, And comyn in companys, pat comly to se, 8160 All the souerans for sothe, into hir syre tent, And spire at hir specially of hor spede ay,Of the tulkes of Troy, and the toun selfe ; 265 Book XIX. I know that Troy shall be destroyed, and all her people. Therefore we are better here." (fol. 126 b.) The Greeks are pleased with Briseis; she answers their questions about Of the pepull full prest, & pe prise kynges: · 8164 And all the maner of po men the maidon hom Troy and the tolde, ffrely with faire chere, pat thei frayn wold. Trojans. daughter; promise to defend her; and give her rich presents. The kynges full curtesley cald hir pere doughter, They call her, And heght hir to haue all þere helpe pen; 8168 To be worshypt well with welthis ynow; And grete giftes hir gafe all po grete kynges. Er þis day was done, or droghe to pe night, All chaunget the chere of this choise maidon, 8172 And hir leuer to leng in lodge with the grekes, Then turne vnto Troy, or to toun wend. Now, she desires to abide among the Greeks. Now is Troiell, hir trew luff, tynt of hir thoght, Troilus is forgotten. And yomeryng for-yeton, & yettyng of teres. 8176 Lo, so lightly ho left of hir loue hote, And chaunget hir chere for cherisshyng a litle ! And loke vpon lenght, er his loue come! 8180 Here leue we this lady with hir loue new, And turne to oure tale, & take pere we lefte. (fol. 127 a). The truce is ended: the Trojans prepare for battle. Hector, with a division of 15,000, goes forth first: then Troilus with 10,000: then Paris with the Persian The xx Boke. Of the vijnt Batell, and Skarmiches Lastyng xxx dayes Betwene the Towne & the tenttes. 8184 8188 After the monethis were meuyt of pe mene true, 8192 Then Paris put furth, the percians hym with,- Of the Greeks 8200 Three M. thro and thristy of hond, Vppon horses full hoge, hardy men all. Then Deffibus drogh furth, & to pe dede went, And oper kynges full kant, as pere course fell. The sowme of the sowdiouris, that fro pe Cité came, ffor to tell at this tyme of triet men & noble, A C. M. all hoole, herty to stryke! 8204 ffro the tenttes come tyte of the triet grekes, THE SEVENTH BATTLE. Menelay full monly, with a manur pepull, Seuyn M. be sowme assignet for hym. Then meuit with as mony, mighty Dyomydes, Book XX. 267 Menelaus came first with 7000 men: then Diomedes 8208 And Achilles with choise men chosen of the with as many same. Than sought furth Xantippus with sad men a hepe, Thre thowsaund thristy, prong to the fild. Than Agamynon the grete gird on the last, 8212 With a noyus nowmbur, nait men of strenght. The first, pat to fight past, was Philoc the kyng, harde, more: then Achilles, and Xantippus, and Agamemnon. (fol. 127 b.) Hector slays King 8216 That he gird to the ground & the gost past. 8228 Turnit to the Troiens, tenit hom full euill; "The dethe of Xantipus by Ector Slayn." revenge his death. Mony woundit full wickedly, & warpit of horse. 8232 Two Dukes full derne vnto dethe kyld, ffull bold men in batell, & myche bale did. Hit auntrit, þat Ector was angrit full euill, 8236 Woundit full wickedly, wist not of woo, many both with sword and lance. Hector is severely wounded in the face; |