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 þrong hym aboute, hat noyet þat 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, Now, loke if his lede soche longyng be worthe, þat so worshipfull a wegh, as þe wight Troilus, 10356 hat was comyn of a kyng, þe clennest on lyue, Neuer a bettur of blode borne on bis erthe,- Hade monhode hym meuyt maynly with-in, Sum pytie hade pricket, his purpos to leue, a driven back, 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 : Ofte he swonet for swym, as he swelt wold; And myche dole was þat day, þe Duke to behold. the Trojans, The troiens with tеne trauailed full sore, striving to recover his body, are 10368 ffor the body of þat bold with baret was slayne, The corse to Recouer, & kary to toune. euyll. King Memnon 10372 The mighty kyng Menon mikill sorow hade; ffor be dethe of þat dere with dole at his hert, He chefe to Achilles with a chere felle And warpit pes wordis in a wild yre :reproaches him 10376 “Thou traytor vntru, þat trust was in neuer, for his ignoble ffor shame may pou shunt, as shent of all knightes ! presses to Achilles : a conduct: THE BODY OF TROILUS. 339 a then with a How found þou þat filthe in þi fals wille, Book XXVI. Of so dogget a dede in pi derf hert, 10380 So worshipfull a wegh, & worthiest of blode, pat is comyn of a kyng, the clennest on lyue, And hurle at þi horse taile in hethyng of vs? 10384 Leue me now lelly all þi lyfe after, Neuer kepis þu þi corse out of cold angur.” fol. 159 b.) hen þe kyng at hym caupit with a kene speire, hurls at him with his spear; Or olofte for to lenge in his large sete. swing of his Hurlit thurgh þe helme, hade hym to ground : sword dashes him to the ground. 10392 With a wound þat was wikkid walt of his horse, Half lyueles on the laund light vnder fote. The body of Of Troiell, pe tru knight, & to toun led. recovered. 10396 be Mirmydons paire maistur, masit on be grene, Lyfton vp lyuely, led hym away, Achilles recovers, and again fights 10400 And he fore to be fight with a fell wyll, with Memnon. Machit hym monly to Menon þe kyng gedur. Menon was myghtier, & met on hym so, ben pe batels come bigli vppon bothe haluys, Night ends the battle. 10408 pe lyght wex lasse, and be laik endit : Soghtyn to the sité, & sum to pe tentis, Troilus is Then seuyn daies somyn, sothly þai met, Book XXVI. to surround he come up. 10412 Bateld on bent as hom best likid. ffell was þe fight þo fomen betwene, derf þer 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 King Menon to mare with Malys he poght, Memnon, and engage him till And bounyt into batell with his buernes all. He meuyt to his Mirmydons in maner before, 10420 De kyng to vmbcast, & close hym with-in; Asaile hym on yche side, til hym selfe come slayn ; And mony hathill, in þat hete, of his horse fell. THE DETHE OF MENON DE KYNG, BY ACHILLES VNMON FULLY SLAYN. Combat between surround Achilles hym chefe to be choise Menon, And monly pai met with hor mayn speris. 10428 De dentis of po derfe derit hom so, hat ayther light on be laund, leuyt þaire horse ; And ffelli on fote fughtyn þai bothe. Vmbset hym on yche side, sesit hym onon; Ne no rynk hym to rescow, but his ronk fos. 10436 ben Achilles come chaseond with a choise wepyn, steals upon him Segh Menon with his men myghtilé holdyn: Till he britnet pe buerne, & broght hym to deth. 10440 Hit was not lik þat þe lede, thurgh lust of hym single-handed. one, Schuld haue killit pis kyng with his clen strenkith; and Achilles and cuts him down. He could not have slain him DESPAIR OF THE TROJANS. 341 Book XXVI. Syn Menon with myght hade marrit hym ofte, þat ffro þe hede to be hele pe hote blode ran : 10444 And he likkir be lost pen to lyue after. Herfore ses of þi saghis, pou sore homer, Neuer kyld no kyng, ne no knight zet, And if treson with trumen be told as for worchip, Telamon with a within the walls. Menelay with myght meuyt in þen, Menelaus, Diomedes, and 10452 Diamed be dughti, and derf Telamonius : great company þes gird in full grymli with a grete ost, drive the Trojans ffrusshet to paire fos with a fell sthoure, Greuit hom gretly, gird hom to fote. hen ffled all in fere, and pe feld leuyt, (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. Barrit hom full bigly with boltes of yerne ; 10464 Braid vp the brigges in a breme hast : The tothir to the tenttes turnyt agayne. dismay of the With Priam the prise kyng, & his pure wyfe; Trojans. 10468 Wailyng of wemen, weping of knightes, ffor the losse and the lure of þe lele childer, Deffibus the doghty, & the derf Troilus : 10472 Now dem þai no dede but the dethe pole! pan Priam, the prise kyng, prestly did send Priam demands a truce; which is To Agamynon the gret, for graunt of a tru: granted. And he assentid full sone, asurit with hond, 10476 And affirmyt hit fast with a fyne othe. а Book XXVI. Sepulchres are Within the tyme of þe true, for troiell was made ffor Menon, the mighty, was made pere another, 10480 And the corse of þat cleane close[t] þerein. THE DETHE OF ACHILLES IN THE TEMPLE, BY PARIS SLAYN. Hecuba plans how to slay Achilles. She consults with Paris, (fol. 161 a.) Within the tyme of þe tru, as the trety sayes, ffor the dethe of hir dere sonnes moche dole hade, 10484 With sykyng and sorow selly to here. hat worthy, in hir wit, warly bethoght bat hir greuit so gretly, and to ground broght 10488 All þo fuerse men in fight, with his fals cast. Parys full priuely sho pulled into councell; brether, ffirst, Ector with envy evill he dyssayuet, þat my lykyng hase lost, & left but the none 10496 Of all my semly sons, þat my sclas was in ; Therfore, sothely me semes, o þe same wise, And done for to dregh, by domys of right, He has sere men send, and sadly me prayed, Pollexena the pert, by purpos of olde. My doghter full dere to his due wyf. On all wise in this world warn hym fro me, and advises that he be slain, as he had slain her song, treacherously. She proposes to |
