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Book XXVI.

(fol. 159 a.)

Truly, if any

robleness had

been in him, he

could not have

treated Troilus as

he did.

But a M. pro knightes prong hym aboute,
bat noyet pat noble, & naked his hede,

10348 And shamfully a shent mon he shope to the
dethe.

There he found no defens, ne fightyng agayne ;

But as a ded mon to deme, þat deiret no wight.
Neuer hond vnto hond harmyt he nother,
10352 But as a caiteff, a coward, no knighthode at all.
Now, loke if þis lede soche longyng be worthe,
As pou writis in þi wordes, or were to alow
hat so worshipfull a wegh, as þe wight Troilus,
10356 þat was comyn of a kyng, þe clennest on lyue,—
Neuer a bettur of blode borne on pis erthe,-
Shuld traile as a traytor by the taile of his horse.
Hade monhode hym meuyt maynly with-in,

10360 Or gentilnes iugget iustly his werkes,
Sum pytie hade pricket, his purpos to leue,
bat neuer so filthy a fare hade fallyn in his hond.

When Paris persayuit the plit of his brother,

Grief and mourn 10364 How he was dolfully ded, and drawen in the ost, ing for Troilus:

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Ofte he swonet for swym, as he swelt wold;

And myche dole was pat day, pe Duke to behold.
The troiens with tene trauailed full sore,

10368 ffor the body of pat bold with baret was slayne,
The corse to Recouer, & kary to toune.

But the grekes were so grym, þai gird hom abake,
And withstode hom full stithly, stonyt hom

euyll.

10372 The mighty kyng Menon mikill sorow hade; ffor pe dethe of pat dere with dole at his hert,

He chefe to Achilles with a chere felle

And warpit pes wordis in a wild yre :— 10376 "Thou traytor vntru, þat trust was in neuer, ffor shame may pou shunt, as shent of all knightes!

THE BODY OF TROILUS.

How found pou þat filthe in pi fals wille, Of so dogget a dede in pi derf hert, 10380 So worshipfull a wegh, & worthiest of blode, hat is comyn of a kyng, the clennest on lyue, To tegh as a traytor, and traile vpon þe erthe, And hurle at þi horse taile in hethyng of vs?

10384 Leue me now lelly all þi lyfe after,

339

Book XXVI.

Neuer kepis pu pi corse out of cold angur.”

fol. 159 b.)

ben þe kyng at hym caupit with a kene speire, hurls at him with

Hurt hym full hidusly, harmyt hym sore,

10388 pat bisi was þe buerne to bide in his sadill,

Or olofte for to lenge in his large sete.

ben he swange out a sword swicly with pat, Hurlit thurgh þe helme, hade hym to ground: 10392 With a wound þat was wikkid walt of his horse, Half lyueles on the laund light vnder fote. ben pe troiens with tene tokyn pe body

Of Troiell, pe tru knight, & to toun led.

10396 be Mirmydons paire maistur, masit on pe grene,
Lyfton vp lyuely, led hym away,

Horsit hym in haste, hade hym a lofte.
His strenkith restoris stithly agayn,

10400 And he fore to pe fight with a fell wyll,
Machit hym monly to Menon pe kyng

And he keppit hym full kenly: pai caupit to-
gedur.

Menon was myghtier, & met on hym so,

10404 þat he greuit pe greke, and geue hym þe worse.

ben þe batels come bigli vppon bothe haluys,

Sundrit hom sone, þai soghtyn in twyn.

he day wex dym, droupit pe sun,

10408 be lyght wex lasse, and pe laik endit:

Soghtyn to the sité, & sum to pe tentis,

And logget pe long nyght, layd hom to rest.

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his spear;

then with a
swing of his
sword dashes him
to the ground.

The body of Troilus is recovered.

Achilles recovers, and again fights with Memnon.

Night ends the battle.

Book XXVI.

10412 Bateld on bent as hom best likid.

ffell was pe fight po fomen betwene,

And mony derf per was ded er þe daie past!

be vij day sothly, saise me the lyne,

Achilles instructs 10416 Achilles thurgh chaunse was cherit of his wond.

his Myrmidons

to surround

Memnon, and

engage him till

he come up.

(fol. 160 a.)

Combat between
Achilles and
Memnon.

The Myrmidons

surround

Memnon;

and Achilles

steals upon him and cuts him down.

He could not

have slain him single-handed.

King Menon to mare with Malys he poght,

And bounyt into batell with his buernes all. He meuyt to his Mirmydons in maner before, 10420 pe kyng to vmbcast, & close hym with-in; Asaile hym on yche side, til hym selfe come His vilany to venge, and his vile hurt.

ben þe stour was full stithe, sturne men were slayn ;

10424 Buernes on pe bent blody be-ronen;

And mony hathill, in pat hete, of his horse fell.

THE DETHE OF MENON DE KYNG, BY ACHILLES VNMON

FULLY SLAYN.

Achilles hym chefe to pe choise Menon,
And monly þai met with hor mayn speris.

10428 pe dentis of po derfe derit hom so,

þat ayther light on pe laund, leuyt paire horse; Swange out swordys, swappit togedur;

And ffelli on fote fughtyn þai bothe.

10432 pe Mirmydons to Menon myghtily pronge,
Vmbset hym on yche side, sesit hym onon;
Hent hym in hond for no help comes,

Ne no rynk hym to rescow, but his ronk fos.
10436 pen Achilles come chaseond with a choise wepyn,
Segh Menon with his men myghtilé holdyn :
He stroke hym full stithly mony store dynt,
Till he britnet pe buerne, & broght hym to deth.
10440 Hit was not lik pat pe lede, thurgh lust of hym

one,

Schuld haue killit pis kyng with his clen

strenkith;

DESPAIR OF THE TROJANS.

Syn Menon with myght hade marrit hym ofte, bat ffro pe hede to pe hele pe hote blode ran : 10444 And he likkir be lost pen to lyue after.

perfore ses of pi saghis, pou sore homer,

þat writis of hym worchip, þat worthy is non; Neuer kyld no kyng, ne no knight 3et, 10448 pat a-countid was kene, but with cast treson: And if treson with trumen be told as for worchip, ben is pat lede worthe lose for his lichir dedis.

Menelay with myght meuyt in þen,

10452 Diamed pe dughti, and derf Telamonius :

þes gird in full grymli with a grete ost,
ffrusshet to paire fos with a fell sthoure,
Greuit hom gretly, gird hom to fote.

10456 ffull mony were marrit, & maymyt for euer !
þen ffled all in fere, and þe feld leuyt,
Soghtyn to the Cité, with sorow pai hade.

341

Book XXVI.

Menelaus,
Diomedes, and
Telamon with a

great company
drive the Trojans
within the walls.

(fol. 160 b.)

Theire fos on hom folowet, fell hom full thicke, 10460 Hew on with hard stele, hurt of hom þan, And mony kild on þe cliffe vnto cold dethe. bai wan in wightly, warpit to be yates, Barrit hom full bigly with boltes of yerne; 10464 Braid vp the brigges in a breme hast: The tothir to the tenttes turnyt agayne. pan was sorow in the Cité, sobbyng of teres, With Priam the prise kyng, & his pure wyfe; Trojans.

10468 Wailyng of wemen, weping of knightes,

ffor the losse and the lure of pe lele childer,
Honerable Ector, oddist of dedis,

Deffibus the doghty, & the derf Troilus :

10472 Now dem pai no dede but the dethe pole ! pan Priam, the prise kyng, prestly did send To Agamynon the gret, for graunt of a tru: And he assentid full sone, asurit with hond, 10476 And affirmyt hit fast with a fyne othe.

The grief and dismay of the

Priam demands

a truce; which is granted.

Book XXVI.

Sepulchres are
erected for
Troilus and
Memnon.

Within the tyme of þe true, for troiell was made
A Sepulcre Solempne, set full of stones:

ffor Menon, the mighty, was made pere another, 10480 And the corse of pat cleane close[t] perein.

Hecuba plans how to slay Achilles.

She consults with Paris,

(fol. 161 a.)

and advises that he be slain, as he had slain her

sons,

treacherously.

She proposes to
request Achilles
to meet her in the
temple of Apollo:

THE DETHE OF ACHILLES IN THE TEMPLE, BY PARIS
SLAYN.

Within the tyme of pe tru, as the trety sayes,
Honerable Ecuba, Ectors moder,

ffor the dethe of hir dere sonnes moche dole hade,
10484 With sykyng and sorow selly to here.
þat worthy, in hir wit, warly bethoght

On all wise in this world be worthy for to sle,
þat hir greuit so gretly, and to ground broght
10488 All po fuerse men in fight, with his fals cast.
Parys full priuely sho pulled into councell;
Thies words to þat wegh wepyng she said :—
"Dere son, myche vs deres the dethe of pi
brether,

10492 þat falsly in fight are fellit by Achilles.
ffirst, Ector with envy evill he dyssayuet,

Dang hym to dede; & the derfe troilus,
bat my lykyng hase lost, & left but the none
10496 Of all my semly sons, þat my solas was in ;
Therfore, sothely me semes, o þe same wise,
hat he with treason were takyn, & tirnyt to dethe,
And done for to dregh, by domys of right,
10500 Soche wirdes & wo, as he wroght has.

He has sere men send, and sadly me prayed,
And deply desyred my doghter to wed,
Pollexena the pert, by purpos of olde.
10504 I will hete hym full hertely his hest for to kepe,
My doghter full dere to his due wyf.

A sonnd will I send by a sad frynd,

On all wise in this world warn hym fro me, 10508 To Appollo pure temple pertly to come,

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