Book IV. In times past, always victorious. Laomedon, the cause of their coming, and of all that may follow. The treasures of an abundant spoil. 1100 Hit was neuer herd, as I hope, sith heuyn was o loft, In any coste where ye come but ye were clene victorius, And happet the herre hond to haue at þe last. Lamydon, þat is lord, has vs ledde hedur, 1104 ffor to wreke vs of wrathe, & pe wegh harme : hat is the cause of the course pat we come hidur. And syn our goddes haue vs graunt þe ground for to haue, Hit is spede-full to speike of our spede fur, 1108 And of gouernaunce graithe at our gret nede, ffor to fillyn our fare & our fos harme; Hald all our hestes, harmles our-seluyn; The tresour to take pat to Troy longes, 1112 þat us abides in the burgh & we þe better haue. hat the tresour of Troy is of tyme olde, 1116 Iff vs fallus in fight þe fairer at ende, We shall haue riches full riffe & red gold ynogh 1120 And speike for our spede while we space haue." Hercules proposes to attack before daybreak, in two bands: (fol. 20 a.) that Telamon ERCULES. Then Ercules the Avntrus onswarid Anon, "Sothely, Sir kyng, ye haue said well, 1124 Iff it be worship & wit wisdom to shewe, And thrugh lemys of light pe lond vs perseyue: PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE. 1132 With all the fere þat hym folowes, furse men of Armys; Book IV. and Peleus command the And 3e sothely your-selfe, þat soueran are here, one; and that With your company clene as ye come hider. 1136 With a soume of soudiours assignet vs with, 1140 Lurke vnder leuys logget with vines Till tithaundes in toune be told to þe kyng, knightes; Vnwar of our werkes wete vs not pere. bat oper part of our pupull put we in thre; Nestor with a nombur of noble men all, 1148 ffare shall before the forward to lede: Castor with his company come next after, We shall found by my feith, or ellis fay worthe: 1156 To werke on this wise and our wille haue, Jason full iustly and Joly knightes moo, With all the here þat þei hade highet belyue, 1164 Armet at all peces abull to fight; Wonen vp wynly vppon wale horses, 39 they, along with Jason and himself and their soldiers, should form an ambush under the city walls, while the other band, under Nestor, Castor, and Pollux, should wait near the ships to engage the enemy. The council adopt (fol. 20 b.) Book IV. The two bands are arranged: the ambuscade is set. At sunrise Laomedon is informed that the Greeks have landed and are in battle array. He summons his troops and prepares to meet the enemy. The Greeks under Nestor are the first to meet the Trojans. (fol. 21 a.) Silen to the Citie softly and faire; Lurkyt vnder lefe-sals loget with vines, pes oper batels at the banke abidyng full stille, Of Grekes were gedret & pe grounde hade. When be kyng hade knowyng he comaund beliue 1176 pat the Citye samyn were assemblet In haste, Iche buerne on his best wise batell to yelde. Comyn to be kyng in companies grete, Mony stithe man in stoure on stedis enarmyt, 1180 All redy for pe rode Arayet for the werre. The kyng depertid his pupull, put hom in twyn, In batels on his best wise for boldyng hym-seluyn. Vnwar of þe weghes pat by the walles lay, 1184 (He knew not the caste of pe curste pepull, Ne dred no dissait þat hym derit after,) He busket to pe banke with a bolde chere, With his freikes in filde to pe fight on pe playne. 1188 pe Grekes hym agayne with a grym ffare, ffaryn to be fight with a frike wille. Duke Nestor anon, nobli arayed, Countres the kyng with a cant pupull : 1192 Bothe batels on bent brusshet to-gedur; With stithe strokes and store, strong men of armys, Shildes throgh shote shalkes to dethe; Speires vnto sprottes sprongen ouer hedes, 1196 So fuerse was the frusshe when þai first met. When helmes and hard stele hurlet to-gedur; LAOMEDON ENCOUNTERS NESTOR. 1200 Sum swalt in a swym with-outen sware more, Mony perysshet in þe plase er þe prise endit. The Troiens were tydé, & tid pere pe bettur, Book IV. 41 Many perish on both sides. And the grekes on pe ground were greatly as- The Greeks fall toynet. 1204 þen Castor the kyng comys vpponone, Restoris hom with strenght þat distroyet were. ben be crie wax kene, crusshyng of wepyns, And the fight so felle of pe fresshe knightes, 1208 be Troiens were torne tynte of þere folkes. Lamydon, þat hom led, as a lion fore, Bare don mony bolde & brittonede to dethe; 1212 Mony woundit we from his weppont paste. 1216 Brusshit into batell & moche bale wroght; Alse wode of his wit as pe wild ffyre, 1220 Mony bolde buerne on þe bent the bold king Mony turnyt with tene topsayles ouer, þat hurlet to pe hard vrthe & pere horse leuyt. Segh his folke so fare & his fos kene, ffor wothe of pe worse & of weirdis feble, 1224 He with-drogh hym A draght & a dyn made, Gedrit all his gynge And his grounde held. Duke Nestor Anon nemly persayuit into confusion: are restored by Castor. The Trojans are sore pressed: Laomedon rushes to their aid: the Greeks give way. Pollux brings up fresh troops and does much damage. (MS. has (fol. 21 b.) Nestor resolves to attack hat he was prinse of pe pepull & pe power led, Laomedon. 1228 He left all his ledis & a launse caght, Launches euyn to Lamydon with a light wille. be king consayuit his come, keppit hym Ricchis his reynys & th Reenke metys: 1232 Girden to-gedur with pere grete speires. They meet, and Book IV. the shield of Nestor; the spear is shivered, and he is hurled to the ground. Nestor, unhorsed by a young knight Sedar, is at the mercy of Laomedon. The rescue. (fol. 22 a.) Castor, seeing Nestor wounded, rushes upon Sedar. The king share thrugh his shild with pe sharpe ende, And the rod all-to roofe right to his honde; The Duke had dyed of pe dynt doutles anon, 1236 But the souerayn hym-seluon was surly enarmyt, And the kyng with the caupe caste to pe ground, With a warchand wounde thurgh his wedis all. He feynyt not for pe fall ne pe felle hurtte, 1240 But stert vp stithly, straght out a swerde And flange at the freike with a ffyn wille. A 30nge knight and a 3epe, 3yneris of hert, High[t] Sedar for sothe, suet to pe Duke 1244 With a bir on pe brest, pat backeward he 30de, And fuersly of his foole fell to be grounde. be king fayne of pe falle and pe freke segh, And bare to be bolde with a bigge sworde. 1248 The bourder of his basnet brestes in sonder, And videt the viser with a vile dynt, Gaffe hym a great wounde in his grete face. He hade slayne hym slighly for sleght þat he couth, 1252 But a gret nowmbur of Grekes gedrit hym vmbe, That Nestor with noy was nolpit to ground, 1260 To deyre hym with a dynt for pe Dukes sake. 1264 His shafte all-to sheuerit the shalke was unhurt, wondyt, |