DESCRIPTION OF TROY. Within the Citie, for sothe, semly to ken, 1568 Grete palis of prise, plenty of houses, Wele bild all aboute on the best wise. The werst walle for to wale, pere any wegh Was faurty cubettes by coursse, to count fro the vrthe, 1572 And all of marbill was made with meruellus bestes, Of lions & Libardes & other laithe wormes. 1576 By the sydes for sothe of sotell deuyse, Was archet full Abilly for aylyng of shoures, Book V. Within the city 53 were a rich (fol. 27 a.) The streets were straight, broad, and open, and had covered side walks. 1580 There were stallis by pe strete stondyng for There were stalls peopull, Werkmen into won, and paire wares shewe, Of all pe craftes to ken as pere course askit :— 1584 Goldsmythes, Glouers, Girdillers noble; Sadlers, souters, Semsteris fyn; Taliours, Telers, Turners of vesselles ; Wrightes, websters, walkers of clothe; 1588 Armurers, Arowsmythis with Axes of werre ; Marchandes, Monymakers, Mongers of fyche; 1592 Bochers, bladsmythis, baxters amonge; 1596 Cokes, condlers, coriours of ledur; Carpentours, cotelers, coucheours fyn; With barburs bigget in bourders of the stretes; too for workmen of every kind. Book V. The river Xanthus flowed through the city, under the houses. (fol. 27 b.) In imitation of Troy, Rome was built on a riverthe Tiber. Priam caused all his people to settle in Troy. With all maister men pat on molde dwellis, Thurgh myddis þe mekill toune meuyt a water, There were bild by the bankes of pe brode 1604 Mylnes full mony, made for to grynde, The water by wisshyng went vnder houses, Gosshet through Godardys & other grete vautes, 1608 And clensit by course all þe clene Cite Of filth and of feum, throughe fletyng by nethe. 1612 Enabit by Eneas after full longe, hat longit to his lond & logit O fer, Many games were 1620 Mony gaumes were begonnen þe grete for to solas. invented there, such as chess, draughts, dice, backgammon, magic, and May games. The chekker was choisly pere chosen þe first, And in the moneth of may mekill þai vsit, somer: Somur qwenes, and qwaintans, & oper qwaint gaumes, 1628 There foundyn was first, & yet ben forthe haunted. THE MAKYNG OF YLION. Priam by purpos a pales gert make THE PALACE OF PRIAM. Within the Cite full Solempne of a sete riall, Louely and large to logge in hym seluyn, 1632 ffull worthely wroght & by wit caste, And euyn at his etlyng Ylion was cald; Closit with a clene wall crustrit with towres, Euyn round as a ryng richely wroght,— 1636 ffyue hundrith fete fully the heght: Withoute, toures full tore torret aboue, þat were of heght so hoge, as I here fynde, hat the clowdes hom clede in vnclene ayre. 1640 In þe heghest to houe and beholde ouer, 1644 All the lond for to loke when hym lefe thought. 1648 The windowes, worthely wroght in a mesure, Shapyn full shene all of shyre stones, 1652 The bases & bourdurs all of bright perle. 1656 Drapred by dene with a dese riall. There were bordis full bright aboute in þat sale, Gret vp fro pe ground vppon gray marbill. 1660 With a flore þat was fret all of fyne stones, Pauyt prudly all with proude colours, Made after musycke, men on to loke. In the cheffe of pe choise halle, chosen for þe kyng, 1664 Was a grounde vp graid with gresis of Marbill, Book V. Priam caused a splendid palace to be built for himself, and called it Ilion. (fol. 28 a.) 55 Its towers were seen from all parts of the province. It had beautifully wrought windows of carved crystal, set within pillars. The palace hall was overlaid with gold, draped with a royal dais; it had tables of cedar-wood, set on marble. The floor was of mosaic work. Book V. At one end of the (fol. 28 b.) And a tabill atyret, all of triet yuer, þat smelt is & smethe, smellis full swete, 1668 With taste for to touche the tabull aboute. ffor the souerayn hym selfe was a sete rioll, Atyret with a tabernacle of Eyntayill fyn. at the other end 1672 At the tother hede of pe halle was, hegh vppolofte, was an altar set with precious stones and pearls. On the altar stood an image of pure gold set with diamonds. When the city was completed, Prisin began to think of his past misfortunes. A wonderfull werke weghes to beholde; With preciose stones of price & perlles ynogh, 1676 Goond vp by a grese all of goode stones, Dubbed ouer with dyamondes, þat were dere holdyn, 1684 hat with lemys of light as a lamp shone :— In qwhom Priam prinsipally put his beleue 1688 With long dayes to endure & fro dethe kepe. THE CONSELL FOR THE RESTITUCION OF DE GREKES. Riches full ryfe & relikes ynow; All abundaunt in blisse blent with his folke, 1696 þat wele wantid no wegh, ne worship in vrthe. PRIAM RECOUNTS HIS MISFORTUNES. ban a sorow full sodenly sanke in his hert, A Remorec of maters, þat hym mys lyket; How þe Grekes hym greuyt and to ground put, 1700 His fader & his fryndis ferkit out of lyue, And his suster into seruage, pat hym sore noyet. Book V. (fol. 29 a.) Then he somond all pe Cite vppon sere haluys, He called a 1704 And his wille for to wete as hom wele aght. council of the whole city. 57 Of his sons, only absent. Silence having been gained, the 1712 As become for a kyng in counsell with lordes; All pese vmbe þe plase, pepull were stille, Be comaundement of pe kyng, as be come well; king opened his ben he menyt of pe mater all with mylde wordes, 1716 And touchet his entent, as I telle shall. subject. Priam's speech to the council; he "Now lordys of my lond & other lefe pepull, the harm and loss that the Greeks had inflicted on 1720 That the Grekes in horgremy vs to grefe broght, the country. Bothe to me & to myne mykull vnright, And to yow & also yours 30meryng for euer. 1724 And my suster Exiona in seruage is holdyn, bat is comen of soche kyn, coldes my hert; 1728 pat ben set vnder seruage & sorow for ay. Our golde & our godys gripped in hond; 1732 Robbet our riches, our renttes distroyet; |