Book IV. hasty man, lest like a spark unnoticed among ashes, it waken up a dreadful blaze. (MS. has This maiden shall be the cause of much woe to many lands, and all on account of angry words. While she was in bondage, Troy was built and destroyed; (fol. 25 a.) and many kings, knights, and people killed on her account. May feston as a fyre with a fuerse lowe, 1428 Of a sparke unaspied, spred vnder askys, Ne letis bele in his brest wherof bale rises, Gyf an end hade ben now, & neuer noyet efter, 1440 Bothe of lure & of los, & oure lorde wolde, Hit was euyn bot a venture of Angur to come, Right as Lamydon pe lorde was of lyue broght, 1444 ffor he grethit with pe Grekys pat on his ground lay; So pis Maidon shalbe mater of full mekull harme, And mony londes to lure pat euer ho lyffe hade. 1448 pat drawes in a dede hate in a derke wille, 1456 hat was meruelously [made], & mekell to shew, And mony kynges were kyld & knightes perfore. 1460 Now I turne for to telle, whill I tyme haue. PRIAM'S FAMILY. OFF KING PRYAM & HIS CHILDREN. This Lamydon, þat was lord, hade a lefe son, Book IV. 49 When his father away in a far land waging war with rebels. A pert man þat was prinse, & priam he hight; slain, Priam was To riche hym of Rebelles pat of pe rewine held; 1468 And to wyn it with werre, went pere a while He hade a woman to wyue worthy & noble, 1472 By þat same hade he sonnes, semly men all, 1476 Ector was oldist & heire to hym seluyn; By his wife Hecuba he had five sons and three daughters. His sons were, Paris, or Alexander, a famous archer. Deiphobus, 1484 The fourth was a philosoffer, a fyne man of lore, Helenus, a In þe Syense full sad of þe seuyn Artes. The fyfte of the fre, þat I first nemyt, 1488 That mykell worship wan, witnes ye of story. bat Eneas afterward Elit to wed, 1492 pat spokyn is of specially in our spede after, After takyng of pe toune how hym tid pen. soothsayer, (fol. 25 b.) and Troilus. The daughters were, Creusa, wife of Eneas, Book IV. Cassandra, a prophetess, 1496 and Polyxena, the 1500 beautiful. Besides these, Priam had thirty sous and other daughters, by concubines. Cassandra was cald, clennest of wytte, And hade knowyng by course of pe clere sternys. Of hir ffeturs & fairhed is ferly to telle, Alse noble for þe nonyst as nature cold deuyse Bothe of color & clennes, to declare all. 1504 This prise kyng Priam hade of pert childer, Thretty sonnes besydes, als other wemen, þat he gate in his gamen, goode men of Armys, And felle men in fight, as we shall fynd after. Now I turne to my tale & tary here a while. 1508 Here beginnys the Fyfte Boke: Of the Foundyng of New Troye and of the Qwerell of Kyng Priam for his flader dethe. 1512 (fol. 26 a.) As Priam lay he was informed about the destruction of Troy, and at once returned home. Now as pis kyng vmbe the Castell lay closit abute, 1524 ben he sesit of sychen & his sorow voidet, Qwariours qweme, qwaint men of wit; 1532 Mynors of marbull ston & mony oper thinges. The ruins of the city overwhelmed him with sorrow. But after three days he resolves to build a greater and stronger city. Book V. The new city, built in the name of Neptune, was three days journey in circumference. (fol. 26 h.) The walls were 20 cubits high, 1536 Sone he raght vpon rowme, rid vp þe dykis, THE DISCRIPCION OF TROYE. This Cite was sothely, to serche it aboute, pre iorneys full iointly to ioyne hom by dayes: Was neuer sython vnder son Cite so large, 1540 Ne neuer before, as we fynd, fourmyt in vrthe, Nonso luffly on to loke in any lond oute. The walles vp wroght, wonder to se, With grippes full grete was pe ground takon 1544 Bothe Syker & Sad, pat selly were pik ffro the vrthe vpward vne of a mesure. Of the walle for to wete to be wale top, xx Cubettes be coursse accounttid full euyn, hat of marbill was most fro pe myddes vp, Of diuers colours to ken craftely wroght. built of marble of 1548 In the walls there were six gates, called Dardan, Tricerda, Thetas, Trojana, Anchinordes, and Hylias, sur rounded by towers. hat were shene for to shew & of shap noble, Mony toures vp tild þe toune to defende, 1552 Wroght vp with the walle as þe werke rose, One negh to Anoper nobly deuyset. 1556 Large on to loke, louely of shap, In the Sercle of the Cite were sex faire zates, ffor entre & yssue & ease of pe pepull. The furst and the fairest fourmet was Dardan, Tricerda, Thetas, Troiana, po foure; 1560 With grete toures vmb-tilde & torettis aboute, 1564 Of beste and babery breme to be holde, With depe dikes and derke doubull of water. |