2192 HIS ANSWER. Book VI. 73 Thy brothers shall obey thee, and all the knights of my realm shall follow thy counsel. Pursew to my purpos, present myn astate; To lede all my legis with likyng in werre. Thy brether obey shall thy biddyng vnto ;— All þe Renkes of my rewme will pi red folowe, As storest of strenght to stightill thy foose, And soche tyrandes to tame, pat vs tene wirkes. With hardynes of hond, & with hole might, 2196 Ger hom bowe as a berslet & þi blithe seche. I Aioyne thee this iorney with ioy for to take, And the charge of pe chaunse, chef as pou thee as chief; and may. This burthen pou beire shall, bigger þen I, 2204 THE ONSUARE AND THE COUNSELL OF ECTOR TO PRIAM 2208 2212 2216 HIS FFADER. When Priam hade his prologe preched to ende, With wordys full wise vnto his wale kyng, ffor to wreke in hor wrathe of wranges before. I commit this undertaking to thou shalt bear the burden of it!" (fol. 36 b.) "Most worshipful father! men who have any hardship, or cause for shame, seek revenge. And if we, þat are worthy, & wight men in And if we, who are worthy, take an insult from any Armys, Of any erdyng in erthe euenyng to vs, would be, indeed, a shame. 2220 The more the greuaunce is grete & to gref turnys. We may boldly vs byld with bostis out of Reason. 2228 ffor I am Eldest and heire after hym belyue, On right hond shall hom reue pe rest of pe 2232 That my graunser with greme gird vnto dethe, 2236 I aske of you O thing,—but angurs you noght, - 2240 Ne no torfer betyde, ne no tene after. What wull falle of pe first furthe to be middis; Ne not holsom, I hope, pat hedis to be first, 2248 What proffet any prowes with a prowde entre, To begyn any goode, on a ground febill, And fortune it faile, and haue a fowle ende? Hit is wit for to wayue soche a wilde counsell, 2252 And put of a purpos, pat enpaire might, Or þat wayueris in wer what shall worthe of; A WARNING. Licker at þe last end in langore to bide, A PROUERBE. 2256 A blisfull begynnyng may boldly be said, bat ffolow to pe fer end and hath a faire ffull witty to wale & worshipfull Kyng! yssue. I Say not this, sothely, to ses of your wille, 2260 Ne put you fro purpos, ne plainly for fere; But to wisshe you with wit, þat worship might And eschew soche a chaunse pat cheuys to noght. Ye wetyn pis full wele, worshipfull fader! 2264 pat all Auffrike & Europe are vnder pere power,— Sittyn to hom subiecte, & mony syde londes, þat fild are all full of fuerse men of Armys;Of Knightes full kene, & cant men of wille, 2268 And of comyns to count out of course mony, ffull wise men of wer, and war of hor dedys. There are not in Asia, to Ame all the pepull, So fele fightyng folke be a fuerse nowmber, 2272 As the Grekes may gedur & get when hom likes. Hit semes more sertain, sothely, to me, Yff we wackon vp werre with weghes so fele, That are bigger in batell, boldest in Armys, Book VI. 75 as more likely to turn to sorrow than to joy. That only is a good beginning which hath a fair issue.' You know full well O father! that all Africa and Europe, and many other lands, are under the power of the Greeks; (fol. 37 b.) therefore if we waken up war with them, we may come to 2276 Hit may negh vs with noy, but neuer to our ioye. grief, but never to Lakys to our lyving, and likyng we haue Of pes & of prowes our prouyns aboute; 2280 ffull stithe of astate, & stondyng at ese. 2284 joy. Why couet we combraunse, or cachyng of harme, why covet we In enpayryng of our persons & pyllyng our goodes, And to put vs fro pes payne for to thowle? Sothely your suster sittes vs not so harde, cumbrance or catching of harm? Book VI. Indeed it seems unjust to put us all in peril for one, who was long ago taken captive. I carp not thus through cowardice or fear. To chaunge for hir choisly the cheuyst of vs here; Or all so myght Aunter to atter for euer. To seke pis, in certayn, hit semys not euyn; 2288 And put vs all in perell for pyne for hir one, þat long sythen was laght & out of lond broght, And mey be drepit with dethe in yeres a few ; And all the 30meryng for yeten in yeres A lyte. 2292 Now hoope ye not, hynde fader, ne in hert thinke, That I carpe thus for cowardys, & be course ferde, Or for the sake of my selfe in sauyng alone; But I doute it for destany, and drede at pe ende, ffor lure and for losse of the londe hole; Bothe of soile & of Septor, soueraynly of you;— That we falle into forfet with our fre wille, And chese vs a chaunse pat cheuys to noght. 2300 While we may stithly absteyne, & stond at our ese, Hit is leifull to leue syche lykynges in hele; I dread the loss of 2296 the whole land, and of yourself. While we may, let us put off a purpose that can lead only to harm." (fol. 38 a.) "Now, most faithful father! suffer me to speak. Who shall be afraid, since we are prosperous, have abundance of everything? And put of a purpos of a proude sute, bat harmes at þe hynder ende & heuy to beire." 2304 When Ector hade answaret & endet his tale, He enclynet the Kyng & closit his mowthe. 2308 THE COUNSELL OF PARIS ALEXAUNDER. Than parys aprochyt And put hym to say, I shall put you to purpos and plesauns at ende. 2312 Who might faithfully be ferde, or fortune to dred? Syne we are put in prosperite & pepull so fele,, And Riches so Rife, and Reames beside; With a Cite full sure, and set for the werre ; 2316 With Armure, and all things abill to fight. PARIS URGES IT. We might say this for certen, & suppose it in Syn we are put in prosperite, and pepull so fele, rewme. 2320 Therfor, faithfull ffader, fclow your wille; 2328 And yff it like your Aliegiaunce, þat I, your lefe son, Be sent from your seluon with sure men of Armys, An aioynet to pis Jorney with iuste men & sure; ffor my goddis me grauntid, & of grace lent, 2336 That be chaunget by chaunse for your choise Sister. And yf ye wilne for to witte how hit worthe shulde, I shall telle you the trewthe how me tyde euyn; Book VI. 77 Therefore, faithful father, follow your own will. Send a band of sure Knights into Greece, and let them work their will on your enemies. I shall rejoice to be sent on this journey; for my gods have granted me gra e to vex the Greear, and to win the lustiest lady in their land. 2340 THE VISYON OF PARIS. "Hit is not meuyt of mynde ne mony day past, Not long ago, Syn I was leut in a londe, þat is lefe ynde, Your biddyng to obey, as my blithe ffader. In the season of somer, er the sun rose, 2344 As it come into canser, and be course Entred, while I was in a laud called Inde, (fol. 38 b.) |