THE ANSWER OF CASTOR AND POLLUX.

63

Achaia to visit
Castor & Pollux.

the terms of

1904 Come to Acaxon þere Castor was lord,

Book V. And Pollux þe proude, þat was his pure

brothir: Bothe reynit in þat Rem, as I red first.

To be courtte of þe kyng come he beliue, 1908 His message for to make, as I mynt haue. He arrives at their

court, salutes He salut po semly all with sad wordys,

them, and relates And told furth of his tale, taried no longur, Priam's message.

Of the dole and the dethe of his dere fader, 1912 How be rewme was robbet, redurs ynow,

His Sister þat was sesit, his Cite distroyet;
And couet þat cleane, as I declaret haue,

ffor to lede to his londe vppon lyue home. 1916 All priamus purpos plainly he told,

Of his message by mowthe as I mynt ere.
When Castor hade clanly consayuit his wille, Castor replies ;-

He onswared hym honestly with onryng a litill;1920 “ Now frynde, vppon faithe and at sad wordes,

We purpost neuer plainly Priam to wrathe,
Ne offend his frendeship with no felle dedis.
With outen cause of vnkyndnes, þat was kyde

after,
1924 His fader vs forset with his fowle wille,

" That Laomedon

having forced Did hething and harme to our hede Rewmes ; them to war, they We wrekit vs with woundis & pe wegh slogh, aged his country.

Did our lykyng in his londe as vs leue thoght. 1928 Qwerfore vs qwemes noght now his qwaint

speche;
We fors not his frendship, ne fere of his hate. That they desire.
We loue noght his lede, ne his land nowþer; friendship and
Ne charge noght his chateryng, thogh he chide dread not his hate.

slew him and ray

not Priam's

,

euer.

1932 He loues pe full litull, lede, as me think,

To make pe pis message for to mele here :
And pou harılly no hede of þi hele toke,

Ne thy lyfe was not lefe ne lusty, it semys, 1936 When pou entrid our Ile pis erende to beire.

That his master loves him little, since he sent him on such a mes. sage:

(fol. 82 b.)

Book V.

that he shall die if he depart not immediately."

He then sails for
Pylos,

and goes to the court of Nestur.

But loke þat no lettyng ger þe lenge here,
Ne no tarying the tyde for tene þat may folow;

ffor and pou do pou shalt degh, deme pe non oper." 1940 Qwen Antenor pis aunter angerly herd,

He turnyt hym tyte with outen tale more,
Hastit hym hertely, highit into bote,

Wound vp full wightly all his wale Ancres,
1944 Caght in Cablis of be calme water,

Braid vp a brode saile, hade brethe at his wille, ffore enon to Philon with his feris all :

Aroue þere full radly, rest in a hauyn,
1948 Here Nestor the noble Duke was negh at his

hond,
With a company clene in his close halle.
The man with his message meuys him to,

As legate and lege from his lord comyn.
1952 He mekyt to þat mighty, and with mowthe said

His charge full choise, chefe how he might,
Euyn fairly by fourme, as I firste said.

Nestor anone noyet þere with,
1956 And walt at his wordes into wode yre;

He frothet for folle, and his face chaunget;
His een flanimet as þe fyre with a felle loke;

And louret on þe lede with a laithe chere,
1960 Onswaret hym angerly with Awthwert wordis.

He states his mes sage as he best could.

Nestor foaining with rage, answers,

THE ONSWARE OF NESTOR TO ANTENOR.

"Fool and servant of the devil, how dare you come into iny presence with such words.

(fol. 33 a.)

“ Thou sot with vnsell, seruand of o þe werst ! How durst þou so dernly pis dede vndertake,

To appere in my presens with so proude wordes, 1964 þat myn eris shuld negh the noise of pi speche?

But for noy of my nobilte & my nome gret,
I shuld tere out þi tunge and þi tethe euyn,
And chop þurghe pi chekes for chateryng so

high :-
1968 Spede the to spille in spite of þi kynge,-

In spite of your king, I should

Book V.

To be hurlet with horses vpon hard stones,

drag you with And drawen as a dog & to dethe broght :- horses over the Brittonet pi body into bare qwarters,

hard stones, and

hang you like a 1972 And caste vnto curres as caren to ete.

dog."
Sile furth of my sight in a sad haste :
And þou tary in þis towne, or any tide lenge,

bou shalt haue þat I hete & bou hence worth." 1976 Antenor arghet with austerne wordes,

Autenor, afraid of

his life, fed to his Hade doute of the Duke & of his dethe fere, skip Left the tyrand in his tene hade, turnyt hym to fle.

He highit full hastely & of his hond past ; 1980 Shoke euyn into ship, & the shalke leuyt.

A stithe man to the stere hade, & a stoute wynde,
Were blouen to be brode se in a bir swithe.

With a stout breeze he set sail.

a

The wind becomes

a

The sea flows on

A TEMPAST ON HE SEE. There a tempest hom toke on þe torres hegh :1984 A rak and a royde wynde rose in hor saile,

furious ;-mist, A myst & a merkenes was meruell to se;

dark ress, rain and

hail, thunder and With a routond rayn ruthe to be holde,

lightning.
Thonret full throly with a thicke haile ;
1988 With a leuenyng light as a low fyre,

Blaset all the brode see as it bren wold.
The flode with a felle cours flowet on hepis,

heaps like hills. Rose vppon rockes as any ranke hylles. 1992 So wode were the waghes & þe wilde ythes,

All was like to be lost, þat no lond hade.
The ship ay shot furth o be shire waghes, The ship shoots

up and down. As qwo clymbe at a clyffe, or a clent hille,– 1996 Eft dump in the depe as all drowne wolde.

Was no stightlyng with stere, ne no stithe ropes,
Ne no sayle, þat might serue for vnsound wedur. (fol. 83 6.)
But all the buernes in the bote, as hom best liked, All on board cry

to saints and gods.. 2000 Besoght vnto sainttes & to sere goddes ;

With knelyng & crie to pere kynd halowes,
And with solempne sacrifice to seke pai awowet.

Book V.

For three day's they struggle with the storm.

On the fourth day
the sea waxes
" sober."

The sailors repair dainages and take heurt.

hre dayes þroly þai prappit with stormys, 2004 Euer in point for to perysshe in the pale stremys;

With daunger and drede duret vnder hacche, ffor wete of þe waghes þat wastis ouer hed.

The furthe day fell all be fuerse wyndes,
2008 And the wodenes of waghes wightly with droghe;

The se wex sober and þe sun clere,
Stormes were stille, Stremes abated,

All calme it be come, comferd be pepull.
2012 pai kairen to be cordis, knitten vp be saile,

Atyrit the tacle, tokyn þere herte;
Kachyn on kyndly, & þaire course held ;

Euyn turnit to Troy, taried no lenger;
2016 Past into port, proude of þere lyues ;-

Lepyn vp to be lond, leuyn þere ship.
Euper buerne all bare, on pere best wise,

Soghten to sainttes & to sere goddys,
2020 As þai heghly hade het in be hegh stormes.

Holding on their course they soon arrive at Troy.

When their vows are paid, Antenor goes to the palace of Priam,

and all the courtiers rejoice at his safe arrival.

When þai hade melit with þere mowmettes &

made pere offrond,
Perfourmet þere pilgramage, prayers and all,

Antenor Amyt after anone
2024 To the palis of prise of priam the kyng,

Among Lordys full light & oper les peopull,
ffull glad of þat gest and his gayne come,-

bat hym happint with hele hit vnto londe.
2028 When þe souerain was set þat þe soile aght,

And be lordes of be lond, with his lefe children,
Antenor his tale titly began,

And rekont by row all þere rogh speche ;-
2032 The proude wordis & be prise of Pelleus the

kyng;
The tene & the torfor of Telamon after ;
The Reprofe and prise of Pollux & Castor;
The noy and þe new grem of Nestor the Duke,

Antenor relates the several answers of

Peleus,

Télamon,

Castor and
Pollux, and
Nestor,

RESULT OF THE EMBASSY.

67

Book V.

had heard his

2036 With the fere and the fare of his fell chere;

And all þe manas of po men he with mowthe (fol. 34 a.)

tolde,
As it was said to hym selfe, euyn with sad wordes.

When the kyng hade consayuit all his clere tale, When the king 2040 And þe Authwart answeres, hym angert full sore, story,

That his message was manast o po men all,
And reproued with prise in þere proude yre;

And of his suster sorili set out of hope, 2044 Neuer to haue hir at home, ben his hert chaunget, he determines to

make no peace And put hym in purpas no pease for to make. with his enemies. Now wackons vp werre as ye shall note after.