Priam becomes more revengeful, and purposes to send his sons with a great army to harass the Greeks. Here begynnes the Sext Boke: How Kyng Priam toke counsell to Werre on þe Grekys. Now Priam persayuit all þese proude wordes, 2048 The greme of þe Grekys, and þe gret yre, How pai maintene pere malis with manas & pride; Uncertain of his Sister for seyng hir euer, Ne redresse for pe dethe of his dere fader,— 2052 Ne to harmes þat he hade was no hede takyn; Soche a sorow & a sourgreme sanke in his hert, þat his harme, as a hote low, het hym with in More frike to pe fight, feller of wille. 2056 pan he purpost plainly with a proude ost, ffor to send of his sonnes & oper sibbe fryndes, "Tell me truly, O King, what put it into your heart to undertake such a war." ('connse' comse, a beginning.) A PROUERBE. 2060 But say me, sir kyng, what set in þi hede;— What wrixlit þi wit & pi wille chaunget; Or what happont thee so hastely with hardnes of wille, To put pe to purpas, þat pynet þe after. 2064 What meuyt the with malis to myn on þi harme, And to cacche soche a connse, to combir pi rewme 2068 A PROVERB. With daunger and drede of a dede hate, Book VI. (fol. 346.) 69 "The injury was pat wold zepely haue bene forzeton in yeres a few, light and long And neuer menit with mowthe but purgh mishap. And oft happes to hit qwo so hede tas : 2072 2076 past.' "You have forgot the proverbs: "He pat girdis with grete yre his grem for to Vengeance often venge, Ofte shapis hym to shote into shame ferre, With hoge harmes to haue, & his hert sarre." brings greater shame.' high should not stir too quickly.' "He pat stalworthly stondes, stir not too swithe, He that stands And pight has his place on a playn ground, 2080 Hym þar not hede to be hurt with no hegh falle, Ne be lost purgh his lip to pe low erthe. 2084 And þi fall was so fuerse with so fele other. Thow dungen to dethe, and pi dere sonse ;- 2088 Thurgh vnwarnes of wit þat þi wirdis cast, fforto speke of þi spede, & with spell herkyn 2092 Now what felle pe be fortune, & pi fre pepull, Priam by purpos a perlament assignet, 2096 And gedrit all pe grete in his grym yre: 'He that is low needs fear no fall.' But Priam, when in a rage, you determined to exalt yourself, and you lost all." Now to my Priam calls a parliament of his lords. Book VI. (fol. 35 a.) His speech; "The messenger 2100 Then carpes the kyng and his cause tellus, Why the metyng was made at pe mene tyme : ffor to serche of pe sounde & to say ferre. 66 "Now," quod the souerain, as your assent was, sent to the Greeks 2104 The man þat with message meuyt fro vs all, by your advice has returned, and you know the treatment and the answers they gave him. Let us send an army into Greece to waste the country, and to get my sister, or some other great lady instead. We have a strong city, most famous knights, many men, and abund ance of supplies; and the time suits well. (fol. 35 b.) By assent of my selfe, & sythen of þe lordes,— He is comyn to pis courtte, as ye know wele; pere, 2108 Ys knowen to pis company be course of his tale. Thai hede not the hething, ne pe harde greme, Ne the wronges pai wroght, ne wille to amend; But with sklaunder and skorne to skather agayn, 2112 In pere pompe and pere pride & pere pure angur. Our goddes with grace get vs perfro! þat neuer vs happon so hard with hom to be spit. God will noght, y wis, our wirdis enpaire, 2116 Soche dedis to redresse & our dethe voide. Let vs purpos a power pas into grese,-- 2120 And wreke we full wele of weghes full nobill. ffew folke to defende fro a fuerse ost; 2124 And are knightes in our cuntre kyddist in Armys, Wele viteld, y wis, for wintors ynow, 2128 We full of defense, & no faute, haue THE COUNSEL ACCEPTED. Pas into pere prouyus, pray in hor londys, Dyng hom to deth er any dyn ryse; 2136 Er any batell be boune, hom to bale worthe, þat vnwarnyt of our werkes or hom wo happon. ffor to proffer our persons & our pure goodes, That a victor of a victe is vilé ouercomyn:— Book VI. 71 We may crush them before help can be obtained, Fear not the chance of war; for often the conqueror is overcome by the conquered." QWEN the kyng had his counsell declaret to The council adopt the ende, 2148 Hit likit all the legis þat the lorde said; And affirmet it fast with pere fre wille, To proue with pere persons & paire pure goodes. 2152 ponket hom proly, prappit no lengur; ffull glad of the graunt with a great joye, More feruent to fight, fuerser in hert, Myche comforth he caght of paire kynd speche:2156 And pus pertid pe persons & presset to pere ynnes. OFF COUNSELL OF THE KINGES CHILDREN. the proposal, and Priam, glad at heart, thanks them. When the pepull was depertid & the presse The council voidet, having been dismissed, the king consults with his Saue the kyng and pe courtte with his clene court and family. childur, þat he wan on his wiffe, as ye wist ere, 2160 And other sonnes vpon syde all with faire wemen. Book VI. ban Ector was one, as aunter befelle, ffro the parties of payeme present at home, By comaundement of pe kyng þat was his kynd fader. His sons standing 2164 And when pe sons all somyn were the Syre round him, Priam with tears addresses. (fol. 36 a.) "Do not the wrongs of your house sink into your soul? It will be the shame of our life if we do not avenge them. It grieves me, kind children, that you should be sorry for my sake. And thou, Hector, my son, mine heir, ablest and boldest!--thou shouldest 'hede to my harmes and pursew to my purpos vmbe, Euyn stondyng full still, as paire astate askyt, Thus carpes the kyng to his clene childur, With weping and wo, wateryng of ene, 2168 Sobbyng and sikyng, Syling of terys. "Now synkes not in your sowle pe sorow of your graunser, And the dulfull dethe of your dere fryndes, The seruage of Exina, þat is in syn holdyn, 2172 And hade in horedam for hethyng of vs; And we so mighty on molde & of mayne strenght? Hit is lure of our lyues, and we let sholde ffor to wreke vs of wrathe for any wegh oute. 2176 And ye þat are 3epe knightes, & in yowthe alse, Shuld highly take hede in hert for to venge The slaght of pe souerayne, þat was my sure fader; And my wille for to wirke, as ye wele aw. 2180 pat greuys me full gretly, & to ground bringes, Hit shuld come you by course, as of kynd childer, To be sory for my sake, & soner pen I ; And part-taker of my payne with prickyng in hert. 2184 And pou my son, for sothe, sonest of other. TO ECTOR. Ector the eldist, and heire to my selfe,- Boldest in batell, and best of þi hondes ; 2188 Thou shuld hede to my harmes, herkon my wille, |