DEFEAT OF THE TROJANS. But what fortherit the fight of po fell maidyns, nowmbers? 11140 There murtherit were mony of the mayn troiens: X. M.nd, full proly, in the prepe endit. 11144 pan flagh all in fere, & the feld leuyt; Turnyt vnto toune with tene at þere hert. All the worthy pere were, wemen & other, The yates with yomeryng 3epely þai stake, 11148 Barrit hom full bigly on hor best wyse, Neuer in purpos with prise to pas at hom efte, 363 Book XXVII. The Trojans are outnumbered: 10,000 are cut down: they retreat to The only hope of the Trojans is in guarding the city walls. (fol. 170 b.) Only famine The xxviij Boke: of the Counsell of Eneas and Antenor. Of the treason of the Cite. Now pe troyens, with tene, all þe toun zatys 11152 Keppit full cloyse, with care at hor hertes ; Withouten hope of any helpe holdyn hom with-in, Or any socour to be send out of sere londys. 11156 Wacchemen for to wale, wacches to kepe, ffor the heght is so hoge of the hegh touris, þat no werriour hit wyn may to be worldes end, 11164 pat offendit pere fos with hir fyne strenght. ffor to bery in the burgh, hor bale was the more, The grekes gedrit full grymly to be gret yates, THE TREASON OF ANTENOR AND ENEAS. 11172 Of sure men in soppes sadly enarmyt, The close for to kepe, when care was on hand, ha no freike vpon fote forther shuld pas. The corse pan pai comaund of þe clene qwene, 11176 To be cast vnto curres and to kene fowles. But Pirrus pat purpos pertly with-stode, Bade bery the burd on hir best wise, As was due to the dede, to delue in þe erthe. 11180 Dyamede the derfe demyt non othir. "Hit is vnsytting," he said, "pat hit so be, ffor the worthy, þat wicche hase wastid to dethe, Of our grekes on ground, & to grem broght; 11184 Let hir bones with baret abide in this aire, As a caren vncleane, for hir curst dedis." pan the gret of the grekes agreit hom all, The corse for to cast in a clere terne, 11188 Vndur a syde of the Cité, & synke hit perin,— A stanke full of stynke standyng besyde. When the troiens in þe toune were tyrnet þerin, With myche wandreth & wo in wer of hor hele, 11192 Antenor & Eneas, with paire avne sons, Serchid by hom-seluyn in sauyng hor lyues, ffor deiryng with dethe of the derfe grekes : And yf po weghes on no wise might of wo pas, 11196 The toune to be-tray, truly, þai thoght. And the gome to be-gyle, þat the ground aght, The kyng for to counsell in the case so, 11200 ffor to proffer hom pes or he payne polet; 365 Book XXVIII. The Greeks propose to cast the body of Penthesilea to the dogs: Pyrrhus resists. They agree to sink it in a pond. Antenor, Æneas, and their sons plot to save their lives by betraying the city. (fol. 171 a.) They conclude to advise Priam to make peace with the Greeks, And to Restore pem stithly all the store harmes, and to restore With the deire þat was done by the Duke Paris, In Sytheria, for-sothe, at Sesyng of the qwene; 11204 And the lady to hir lord delyuer agayne. If po gret wold agre for þat grym dede! Helen. Book XXVIII. All the disasters that befell Troy and the Trojans might have been avoided had Priam made peace at first. A true proverb. But will the Greeks now consent to peace? (fol. 171 b.) The traitors advise Priam to treat with the Greeks. But happy were pat hede kyng, & he haue might This acord in the case with-outen care more. 11208 ffor all the deth and the dere of his dere sons, 3et the lord in his lond might lyue in his age, With his worthy wiff, & his wale doghtur, And his noble sonnes naturell, þat hym next were, 11212 With souerains of the Cité & other sad pepull ! And tenydon hade takon, as I told haue! tours, Vnder proffer of pes, pryam to lose; Hor Cité to dissaiue in sauyng hor lyuis, And all Troy to be-tray, and the triet londis. And other bold of the burgh, þat aboute were. How the best was fro bale his burgh for to kepe, PRIAM AND THE TRAITORS. ffor to trete for a trew, or we tene pole, And to proffer hom pes, or we payn dregh. "I will haue counsell in this case, & comyn Sertan days for doute, er I do more, On all wise in this world, & wirke to be best." 11248 Kantly, to þe kyng, þen carpis Antenor:— "If pou will mel of this mater, mene hit till vs; And if pou hold hom not holsom, herkyn an- 11252 þen þe kyng full of care carpyt agayne :— 367 Book XXVIII. He suspects their designs. "I repreue not 3our purpos, ne 30ur prise Priam will listen And, as 3e demyn, to do, if hit be one best. 11256 And if hit be not pe best, but to bale worth, 11268 pat noght wilnen in word, ne waytyn to haue, And we, no folke of defense, ne no fyn stuf to their advice if it be good. Antenor represents the power of the Greeks, and their determination to take the city: (fol. 172 a.) |