Now wirkys by wit, as you well likes." Then he bowet the buerne & busket to syt, 2512 Seyit furth with sory chere, and his sete toke. When the kyng hade consayuit of his clere wit, And his wordys full wise, all his wille chaunget; He was stonyt full stille & in a stody sate, 2516 And ferd of pe felle wordes, pat pe freike saide. All the buernes aboute abasshet per with, Be cause of the kyng, þere countenaunse failed: Was no wee pat a worde warpit þat tyme, 2520 But all stodyn full stille: astoneide pai were ffor pe wordys of wit, þat þe wegh tolde; And doute of his dome for destyne febill. THE COUNSELL OF TROYLUS. The king was sat musing; confounded, and all were and stood still, silent and astonished. Troilus then spoke : Than Troilus full tyte talkes with mowthe,2524 þat was þe yongist of yeris, & a 3epe knight, Brake Sylense belyue, and abrode saide :— "A! nobyll men of nome, what noyes your "Ah!noble men of hertes? Why are ye trowblit pis tyme, and your tung lost? 2528 And meuyt so mykell, for a mad priste, That neuer colde of no knighthode, but in a kirke chyde? Hit is propurté for a preste perellis to drede, 2532 Melle hym with mekenes, þat hym most louys, wille, Or haue knowyng of case for to come after? name, why so (fol. 41 a.) troubled and moved by a mad priest who knows no knighthood but scolding in church? 'Delight him in drink and other dear meats, There is no wyse man, I wene, þat will it suppose, No wise man Book VI. will suppose that a fool should be forewise.' Let Helenus go to his temple; and let other men, that are able, try to wipe out our shame. Why, father, are you so troubled at his words? Command that (MS. 'sororow') When Troilus ended, all felt glad, and confirmed his counsel. The court then rose: the king and his sons and the lords with joy go to meat. When all had partaken, the king calls (fol. 41 b.) his sons. Paris and He commissions them to raise an army in Paeonia. 2540 2544 bat a foole shuld be forwise soche ferlies to know. If Elinus be argh, & ournes for ferde, Let hym tegh to be tempull, talke with his Deuyne seruice to do, and fro drede kepe; All well for þe werre, with wight men ynogh: more, 2552 But it syt hom so sore, pat pai sorrow euer." Bothe hym selfe and his sonnes, with sere lordes 2560 Maden all mery, menyt pere speche. THE ORDINA UNSE FOR PARIS INTO GRESE. When etyn hade all men & at ese bene, The kyng syttyng hym selfe, & his sete helde: ffor to wete of his wille; & pe wegh saide :- Pas into Payone pere prise knightes dwellis, THE EXPEDITION OF PARIS PROPOSED. Doughty of dede, derfe men in Armys. Assemble you soudiours, sure men & nobill, 2572 Shapyn in shene ger, with shippis to wynde, The Grekys to greue, & in grem brynge." Book VI. 85 They set sail and execute their ban pai lacchyn hor leue,-lowton hor kyng,Cayren forthe to pe coste, & hor course helde. 2576 Assemblit soudiours anon, mony sad hundrith; orders. And lengit while þem list, pe lond was pere owne. The secund day, sothely, for to say ferre, When he his sons herde, he somond his lordes 2580 And all the knightes to come, & clene men of Το wit, appere in his presens a purpos to take. 2584 "Now, lordes of my lond, & lege pepull! The case is well knowen to your clene mynde, How þe Grekes vs greuit, & to ground broght, And put vs, with hor pride, to pouerte full low. 2588 Of our souerans & sib men seruondis to be, Ay hengis in my hert þe hethyng I thole; Antenor to aske hir, & Angur no more. Kylle of hor knightes, knocke hom to dethe; On the second day He states to them the cruelties of the Greeks; his grief and anxiety regarding his sister; his message by Antenor, and the result; how he purposes to send an expedition under Paris, (fol. 42 a.) to kill and plunder the Hit may chefe hym by chaunce to get som choise Greeks; and to lady, seize some lady who may be Book VI. exchanged for Hesione. If they confirm his purpose, he will carry it out: but if they oppose it, he will go no farther. Protheus, son of Eusebius the philosopher, then addressed the king. (Pythagoras.) "Ah, noble king! simple though I be, give heed to Dy statement, which you will find to be true. 2604 Or sum woman to wyn, þat worthy is holdyn, Our worship to wyn & our will haue,) That may chefe by chaunse chaunge for Exiné. 2608 This I will þat ye wete, & your wille shewe;— If ye deme it in dede, pus I do will; 2612 And pursue on my purpos plainly to ende. And if ye list it be lefte, let me wete sone, And I will soberly sese, & sue it no ferre. pof pai touche me with tene, all these tore harmes, All the comyns be course haue cause for to say; ffor it Angurt hom all, & out of ese brought: 2616 And as wise men witnes, & in writ shewes, bat at longis to lenge on a lell comyns, Shuld propurly be a-preuyt by the pepull hole." THE COUNSELL OF PROTHEUS. When tale of the trew was triet to pe ende, 2620 And silens on yche syde sittyng full stille, A stuerne of po stithe were stondyng aboute, A praty man of pure wit, protheus he hight, hat was sothely the son of soueran Ewsebij, 2624 A Phylosofer fyne fele yeres past, pat, Ouyd in old tyme oponly tellus, Had all the crafte & conyng in his clere wit, bat pictagoras the pure god possessiant was of. 2628 This protheus pertly put hym to say, To the kyng in the court carpis thies wordes :"A! nobill kyng & nomekowthe! notes in your hert, And suffers me to say, Symple pof I be; 2632 Let mene to your maiesty pe mynde of my tale, Hedys me with heryng, & in hert kepe : I will telle myn entend vpon trew wise, 2636 2640 A WARNING. Hit is knowen to you kynd lord & your court That my fader was a philisofer, & of fele yeres,― And fully was enformet of fortune deuyse, hat if Parys with a pepull past into Grese, Book VI. 87 My father was a He told me often, that if Paris passed into Greece, &c. be destroyed, &c. þat grete Troye shuld be tane, & tyrnyt to ground, great Troy should 2648 With the Grekes in hor grefe ; & pis ground lost. king, beware! Wherfore, wheme kyng! for what pat may come, Wherefore, dear And wirke after wit, þat worship may folow: dos; And persiueraunse of purpos may quit you to lure, 2656 Your landys to lose, & langur for euer. Why couet ye be course to cum out of ese,— 2668 Why leave ease and rest for robbery and perils F Put off that The people mock |