Book XXVIII.

that Priam has
now no means
to prevent them,
nor hope of
succour,

a

evils choose the

a traitor :

Haue in this holde fro barmys to were ;
11272 Ne so derfe of oure dedis on dayes fro now,

Any port fforto pas, or to put opyn ;
Ne
30w

sechis no socour, ne no sad helpe
Of no lede vppon lyue fro no lond straunge ;
11276 Ne no conford to cache of no kyngis once.

Syn 3our sones ar slayn, & zour sure helpes,
And your pupull all perichit vnto pale deth ;

Syn vs cheuys this chaunse of a choise febill, Therefore, of two 11280 Þe les euyll forto laite, and leng þer-vppon; less;

Er we degh in this daunger, & to dol passe, make peace with the enemy:

Let vs proffer hom pes & hor prise qwene;

hat myld vnto menelay, as make to restore, 11284 hat myche dere has vs done for hir dede one,

Syn Paris, hire pure loue, is pertid of lyue,

pat hir walt as his wyf, qwil wirdis hym demyt." Amphimachus

Hen Amphimacus fursly vppon fote rose, declares Antenor

11288 A nobill sone naturyll of þe nayt brether,

Wrathit at his wordis, & wightly he saydo
To be traytur full tit, all in tru wyse :-

“Qwat hope may we haue of þi helpe now, 11292 pat pi kyng and his cumpany castyn to dissayue ;

bi cité and þi sib-men settis by-hynd,
hat pou loue schuld with lewté, and þi lyf

spend?

Now we se be be set on a sliper ground, 11296 Of þi fotyng to faile, and þi faith breke,

And þi nome, þat was nobill, noiet for euer.

ffull hard is þe heryng of þi high wordis, (fol. 172 b.)

And the tale, pat pou tellis, of þi trist feble. that 20,000 men 11300 xxti M. full thro shall in threpe end,

Er hit pas to the plyt þi purpos is in.
ffor no luff hit is, lelly, pou lappis thies tales,

But for treason & trayn, trust we non other.”

11304 Eneas efter pis egurly said, they have failed

Refraynit Amphimacus of his frike wille :

shall fall before such advice be followed

Æneas declares

THE TRAITORS REPROVED BY PRIAM.

369

Priam reproves

“ Agaynes the grekes to go, vs gaynes no more,

Book XXVIII. To no fight in the feld, ne oure fos mete, 11308 Ne to pas of þis place, ne no port opun.

Hit nedis vs another way now for to laite,
And proffer hom pes oure pepull to saue.”
The kyng at his karping cast was in Ire,

them, and replies, 11312 To Eneas & Antenor Egurly said :

that he had never

moved in the “How may ye pus meane you with malis, for matter without shame!

their advice: Youre dedis me dullis, & dos out of hope ; And all coldes my comford, by cause of your

willes.
11316 Syn I did neuer dede, duly to tell,

Ne plainly no purpos put vnto ende ;
Ne neuer comynd in his case vnknowing to

you;
And ay wroght by your wittee, witnes your-

seluyn.
11320 Truly, Antenor, þes tales you knowes :

that Antenor had

been one of the When þi-selfe for Exiona soght into grese, most urgent for

the raid into Made on a message in mene fro vs all,

And come fro þat countre vnto court home, 11324 Thy councell was kenely kyddest of other,

That Paris by purpos shuld pas ouer the se
The grekes to greue, and get if he might

Sum lady of the londe, & lede into troye. 11328 The cast, ne the couytise, come not of me,

In pes & prosperitie to put me to wer,
But of falsyng & flatery with bi fer cast,

And þi curset counsell, þat comburt vs ofte. 11332 And þou, Eneas also, angardly fast,

that Æneas had

been one of the Of all buernes in his burgh byset perfore, most active in

carrying it out: When pou passit with Paris tho parties vnto,

And ertyd hym egurly Elan to bryng, 11336 Hade pou counceld the contrary, & comynd hit (fol. 173 a.)

þan,

Greece:

Book XXVIII.

therefore, their present counsel was the vilest treason; and he would not follow it.

Shuld neuer lady of þat lede vnto þis lond

comyn.
And now, after the dethe & deire of

my

dere sones,

Thou rises as a rebell to my ranke harmys ! 11340 Syche counsell, as pou kythes, kepe I none of,

bat will lede me to losse, & my lond hoole : Neuer of shame to be shunt when shalke is on

lyue."

Eneas with envy egurly Rose,
11344 And kantly to be kyng karpis agayne ;

Mony wordis in wrathe warpes full loude :
And so parted the prise all in pale angur.

Æneas replies with much anger:

the council is broken up.

HERE THE KING COUNSELD HIS SON TO SLE ENEAS AND

ANTENOR.

The grief of
Priam :

he resolves to cut off the traitors.

The prise kyng Priam was prickit with sorow, 11348 And myche water he weppit of his wale ene ;

ffor he se hit him-seluyn, the sorow was the more, The trayn of po traytours, pat truly were fals.

He purpost hym plainly, for perell to come, 11352 Tho faitours with falsyng to fonge yf he might.

He said to his son, on a sad wise,
Amphymake, the fre þat hym faith aght:-

“Dere sun, I haue doute pat dethe vs depart, 11356 þat of lyue & of loue are lappit to-gedur!

Syn I am fourmyt þi fader, & pou my fre child,
Let us suffer our-self with sufferaunce of goddes.

I wotte hit full wele, thies wicked men bothe 11360 Haue purpost hom plainly to perisshe our londes,

Our cité to sell, & our-selfe alse.
Hit is nedefull for noy, pat neghis on hond,

þat þai droppe in the dike pai deghit have for vs. 11364 I haue takon intent po traytours to sle,

Er þai begyle vs with gawdis, & ger vs to degh.
To morn when po men are meuyt to counsell,

They must fall into the pit they have digged for their king,

Amphimachus is instructed to assassinate th n:

ANTENOR AND NEAS ARE WARNED.

371

he consents.

warned :

I will pou be wise, & wirke as I bid :

Book XXVIII. 11368 Kepe ye in couert with knightes a few,

(fol. 173 b.) Of ledis, þat vs loues, of lewté to forther; Kacche hom þan kenly, & bryng hom to ground."

He assentid full sone the sagh to perfourme, 11372 And to kepe hit as in councell kenely assurit.

But oftsythes hit is sene, & sum men hath feld,
hat spokyn is in speciall, spredes o fer.
In yche company is comynly a claterer of

mowthe,
11376 pat no councell can kepe, ne no close talis.

To þes traytours was told the entent of þe kyng, The traitors are
On what wise in this world, no writ me declaris.

bai assemblit full sone of assent other, 11380 bat knew of hor cast, & comynt to-gedur. All sweire bai, full swiftly, vpon swete haloues, and resolve to

go to the council Neuer to councell to come, but in cleane armes, with an armed

With a pouer of pepull purpos perfore,
11384 If euer the souerain hym-self sent for hom efte.

This Eneas, of abell men was angardly grete,
Of kyn and of cosyns, & kydmen of strenght:

He hade fryndes full fele, fild of all goodis, 11388 And as plentuus of pepull as Priam hym-seluyn.

Antenor also was abill of fryndes,
Large of aliaunce, louet within:

A Riche mon of Renttes, Relikes ynow, 11392 And fele of affynité, pat folowet hym after. Thies curset of pe case hade comynt with the They had already

engaged to betray grekes,

the city. Hom-seluyn to saue & hor sad fryndes,

Hor renttes, hor Riches, hor relikes also, 11396 ffor daunger, or deire, depely assurit.

escort.

council:

Þan the kyng vnto councell comaund hom bothe, Priam calls a
To appere in his presens pat purpos to end,
ffor to trete of a trew qwill the tyme hade,

a

Book XXVIII.

assent,

11400 And to dere hom with dethe, yf destany wold.

ban þai comyn to þe kyng with company grete,

Of armyt men all somen, abill to fight. (fol. 174 a.)

This Priam persayuet of the prise hoge, The assassination 11404 And sent to his son to ses at þat tyme. is delayed.

The next day anone, the noble kyng Priam
Somond all the cité

somyn

to appere, To carpe of a councell, & kyth hym hor wit,

11408 And to mell in the mater with his men all. Æneas advises

When thei comyn were to courtte, this curset the citizens to sue for peace :

Eneas
fferkit vppon fote and to be folke said :-

“Now, sirs, hit is sothely, me semes, for þe best 11412 ffor to proffer hom pes, and purvey perfore."

, ignorant of the

All his citizens, sothely, assentid þerwith, treason, they

ffor þai knew not the caste of the curset chefe.

The kyng to the komyns carpit agayne;
11416 To put of þat purpos he paynet hym sore.

Eneas with Envy egurly saide :-
“Sir kyng, of this case

pe pou no ferre!
We wull treate of a trew, I tell the for sotle,
11420 Whether þou will, or þou wilnot, wit þou for-

sothe!" Priain, finding he Than Priam persayuit all the pepull hertis, eannot prevent the treaty,

And feld well hit fortherit not the freike to

with-stond:

Hym was leuer to the ledis lelly assent,
11424 Than grucche pere agayne, & greue hym þe farre.

He said hom full soberly with a sore hert,
“Dos of þis dede as you dere thinke,

I assent for my-selfe, and sadly afferme." 11428 pan þai comynd in the cas, castyn hor wittes,

And with charge of bat choise erend chosyn to treat with the Greeks.

Antenor,
As grettist by agrement, with the grekes to trete,
And pursew for pes: this purpos pai tokyn.

submits.

Antenor is chosen