A COUNCIL OF WAR. Yet hopit he full hertely, for his hegh prowes, 303 Book XXII. He hopes to prevail upon the If he gright with the grekes to graunt hom his Greeks to leave helpe, 9316 pat pai the lond shuld leue & lightly go home. When prinses & prise kynges were in pale somyn, Among tho Achilles : the land. At his request, Palamedes calls a general council. mighty with mouthe menit Achilles addresses "Now, fryndes faithfull, in feliship here! 9324 Kynges, & knightes, & other kyde Dukes, the council: (fol. 144 a.) "Now, faithful friends what folly and That the charge, & the chaunse hase of pis rashness have choise wer, Thurgh oure might & oure monhod maintene to gedur! What whylenes, or wanspede, wryxles our mynd? 9328 pat for meuyng of a man,-Menelay the kyng,— hom 9332 Vnto a cuntre vnkynd, with care at oure herttes: Oure godys, oure gold vngaynly dispendit, 9336 Oure buernes with baret britnet in feld, bat might haue leuet in hor lond, as lordes at hame. And my selfe, sothely, suffert full hard, Wickedly woundit, wasted my blode. possessed us : that for a woman, we have left our land and all we hold dear; and have exposed ourselves to death. 304 Book XXII. Helen is not of so great price, that our kings should die for her. In every land there are many noble ladies, from And it is no light matter to overcome this people. What we have done may suffice: we may return with honour. And though we leave Helen, have we not Hesiona, the king's sister?." Thoas, Menelaus, and the chief captains oppose such measures. ACHILLES PROPOSES TO RAISE THE SIEGE. 9340 At the dethe of the derfe prince, soche a dynt hade, I wend neuer, witturly, walked on fote. Hit greuys me full gretly, & to ground brynges, prise, 9344 ffor hir, oure Dukes to dethe, & oure derfe kynges. In yche lond, lelly, pat lithe vnder heuen, Are wemen to wale, of worship full mony, þat Menelay may mightily mell hym to haue, 9348 And chose hym a choise, withouten charge heuy; And not so mony be mard, ne on mold ded, Ne all grece for to greve, with no ground harme. Hit is not light for vs lite, pis lond to dystroy, 9352 þat haue a Cité full sure, & Surffetus mony, Bothe of kynges, & knightes, & kid men of armes: And we, the worthiest in wer, haue wastid in dethe, Kyld of oure kynges, and other kyd Dukes. 9356 This suffises, me semys, to ses with oure worship; Kayre to oure cuntre, & couet no more! pof Elan leue in pis lond, & not laght worthe, Hit greues not full gretly, ne no ground harme, 9360 Syn we Exiona, the suster of the sure kynges, At hom holdyn for hir, þat is a hede lady, And more honerable pan Elan, of auncetre grete." When the wegh hade thies wordis warpit to end, 9364 Here he seset full sone, said he no more. FAMINE IN THE GREEK CAMP. 9368 All the most of po mighty, with a mayn wille, Dyssaisent to the dede, demyt hit for noght. Vne wrothe at hor wordes, & wightly he send 305 Book XXII. Achilles, in a rage, orders his Myrmidons to withdraw from 9372 To all the Mermydons, his men, and his mayn the Greeks, pepull, That no freke to the feld fare shuld to batell; Ne to go with pe grekes, to greue hom with-in. ben hit auntred in the ost of the od grekes, 9376 pat hom failed the fode, and defaute hade: Hongur full hote harmyt hom pen, And fayntid the folk, failet pe strenkith. 9380 And the grete of the grekes gedrit he somyn. 9392 Was welcom I-wis to the weghes all. ffayne were po freikes of pe fre kyng! Palomydon, the prise kyng, prestly gart ordan All the shippes full shene shapyn to rode; 9396 And all the navy full noble, naitly aray, Atyrit with takell, & trussyng of Ropes, To be Redy for the Rode, yf þai Red toke. Famine in the Agamemnon with a number of vessels, goes to King Telephus for victuals. (fol. 145 a.) Palamedes orders And so pai lyue pere in legh: oure lord gyf us "logh” = loy, Iove! leisure, liberty, security.) The truce is ended. Deiphobus strikes down Cressus. The Greeks give way. (fol. 145 b.) Diomedes, Ajax, with 20,000 Here Begynnys the xxiij Boke: of the xij and xiij Batell. 9400 The tyme of the tru turnyd to end, Vnto batell pai busket vppon bothe haluys: ffuersse was the folke, pat to feld came, And with a stoure, þat was stronge, stryken togedur. 9404 Deffibus derfly drof to a greke, bat Cresseus was cald, kyng of Agresta ; He gird hym thurgh the guttes with a grym speire, þat he light on the lond, & the lyue past. 9408 Myche sorow was pere sene for pe sure kyng, Sore greuyt the grekes for grefe of hym on! All fond to be fight, febill of hertis, The bold men on bake were borne with the troiens, 9412 And mony kant man kyld with caupyng of swerdes. Then Dyomede, the derfe kyng, drogh into batell, 9416 And xxti M. pro men prang in with thes. The stoure was full stithe, po stuerne men betwene, Mony dyet in pe dale, dole to be-hold! DEIPHOBUS AND PALAMEDES. Hit auntrid, þat Aiax so angardly met 9420 On Forson, a fyn knight, with a fell dynt,— 9424 When Deffibus with dole of þe dede segh, And tachit vppon Thelamon with a tore speire, 9428 Hurlit hym to hard yerth, hurt hym full sore! 307 Book XXIII. Ajax beats down Phorcys, a son of Priam. Deiphobus in revenge rushes on Ajax, and wounds him. THE DETHE OF DEFFIBUS BY PALOMYDON SLAYN. Palomydon persayuit & preset hym to venge, He droffe vnto Deffibus with a dynt felle, Shott purgh the sheld & pe shene mayle, 9432 Bare hym þurgh the brest with a bright end, þat þe Rod alto Rofe right to his hond: A trunchen of the tre & the triet hed 9436 pan Paris persayuet the pyn of his brother, Deiphobus is severely wounded. Paris drags him from the crowd and stays to tend him. 9440 Deffebus he drogh furth, & drissit to light : brest, Go, buske vnto batell my bone for to venge, dethe; desires him to (fol. 146 a.) avenge his death. |