Book VI.

This is sothe, þat I say, sir, with your leue :
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, The king was

confounded, and And his wordys full wise, all his wille chaunget; sat musing;

He was stonyt full stille & in a stody sate, 2516 And ferd of þe felle wordes, þat þe freike saide. All the buernes aboute abasshet per with,

shocked; Be cause of the kyng, þere countenaunse failed :

Was no wee þat a worde warpit þat tyme, 2520 But all stodyn full stille : astoneide pai were

ffor þe wordys of wit, þat þe wegh tolde;
And doute of his dome for destyne febill.

all were

and stood still, silent and astonished.

THE COUNSELL OF TROYLUS.

Troilus then
spoke :

Than Troilus full tyte talkes with mowthe, 2524 Dat was be yongist of yeris, & a zepe knight,

Brake Sylense belyue, and abrode saide
“A! nobyll men of nome, what noyes your “Ah!noble men of

name, why so
hertes ?
Why are ye trowblit pis tyme, and your tung (fol. 41 a.)

troubled and lost?

moved by a mad

priest who knows 2528 And meuyt so mykell, for a mad priste,

no knighthood That neuer colde of no knighthode, but in a

but scolding in

church?
kirke chyde?
Hit is propurté for a preste perellis to drede,

fferd be for fight, and O fer shun it,
2532 Melle hym with mekenes, þat hym most louys,
Delyte hym in Drynke, and oper dere meytes,

Delight him in

drink and other Set hym to solas, as hym selfe likes. Who may

tell it for tru, or trust haue perin, 2536 bat any gome shuld be graithe of our goddes

wille,
Or haue knowyng of case for to come after ?
There is no wyse man, I wene, þat will it suppose, No wise man

dear meats."

Book VI.

will suppose

a fleet be made

manned: and the

bat a foole shuld be forwise soche ferlies to know.

2540 If Elinus be argh, & ournes for ferde, that a fool should be forevise.'

Let hym tegh to be tempull, talke with his Let Helenus go to his temple;

goddes,

Deuyne seruice to do, and fro drede kepe; und let other men,

And let other men Aunter, abill perfore, that are able, try to wipe out our 2544 ffor to shunt vs of shame, shend of our foos, shame,

And venge vs of velany & of vile gremy. Why, father, are Why fader, in faith, are yo so fer troublet you so troubled at his words?

At his wordys of waste, & his wit febill ? Command that 2548 Comaund, sir kyng, þat a clene nauy ready, and fully

Be redy to rode on þe rugh see,
Greeks will grieve

All well for be werre, with wight men ynogh :
Syne the Grekes with greme may grefe vs no

more, (MS. ' sororow") 2552 But it syt hom so sore, þat þai sorrow euer."

When Troilus hade told, & his tale endit, ended, all felt glad, and con

Hit blithet all the buernes, pat aboute stode,

Of his wit, & his wille, & wordes full bolde ; 2556 And confermyt his counsell by comyn assent.

Than comaund the kyng the courtte for to ryse; rose : the king and

Askit water wightly, wentton (to] meyte. lords with joy go to meat.

Bothe hym selfe and his sonnes, with sere lordes

vmb,
2560 Maden all mery, menyt þere speche.

us no more."

When Troilus

firmed his counsel.

The court then

his sons and the

THE ORDIN A UNSE FOR PARIS INTO GRESE.

When all had partaken, the king calls

(fol. 41 b.) his sons.

:

Paris and
Deiphobus appear.

When etyn hade all men & at ese bene,
Bordys away borne, buernes on fote;

The kyng syttyng hym selfe, & his sete helde : 2564 He comaund for to cum of his kynd sons.

Parys apperit, pert Deffebus alse,
Comyn to the kyng, knelit full low,
ffor to wete of his wille ; & þe wegh saide :-

;
2568 “I bid þat ye buske, and no bode make;

into Payone pere prise knightes dwellis,

He cominissions them to raise an army in Paeonia.

THE EXPEDITION OF PARIS PROPOSED.

85

Book VI.

execute their

after, he summons

the cruelties of

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.”
ban pai lacchyn hor leue,-lowton hor kyng, -
Cayren forthe to be coste, & hor course helde.

They set sail and 2576 Assemblit soudiours anon, mony sad hundrith; orders.

And lengit while þem list, þe lond was þere owne.
The secund day, sothely, for to say ferre,

On the second day
When he his sons herde, he somond his lordes

his lords,

knights, &c. 2580 And all the knightes to come, & clene men of

wit,
To appere in his presens a purpos to take.
When þe souerain was set with sere lordes vmbe,

He states to them Then carpes the kyng his knightes vntill. 2584 “Now, lordes of my lond, & lege pepull !

the Greeks;
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,

his grief and Ay hengis in my hert þe hethyng I thole;

anxiety regarding

his sister;
Of my Suster in seruage, & in syn holdyn,
Hit

meuys into mynd, & mekill me noyes ; 2592 And I sothely haue sent, as ye see all,

his message by

Antenor, and Antenor to aske hir, & Angur no more.

the result; He hade not of hom but hethyng & skorne,

Grete wordis & gref, & moche grym þrete; 2596 bat doublis my dole, & to dethe bryngis.

Now woundys shalbe wroght, weghes to sorow,
And dyntes full dedly for pe dere sake.

how he purposes I haue purpast Parys with prise men ynow, 2600 Into Grese for to go, & hom to greme;

expedition under Kylle of hor knightes, knocke hom to dethe ; (fol. 42 a.) Grype of hor godes, and agayne wyn.

plunder the

Greeks; chefe hym by chaunce to get som choise

to send an

Paris,

to kill and

Book VI.

exchanged for Hesione.

I they confirm his purpose, he will carry it out: but if they oppose it, he will go no farther.

2604 Or sum woman to wyn, þat worthy is holdyn,

Bryng to this burghe, (& other brode godes,
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;
And pursue on my purpos plainly to ende.

And if ye list it be lefte, let me wete sone,
2612 And I will soberly sese, & sue it no ferre.

Hof pai touche me with tеne, 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,

pat at longis to lenge on a lell comyns,
Shuld propurly be a-preuyt by the pepull hole."

Protheus, son of Eusebius the philosopher, then addressed the king.

(Pythagoras.)

THE COUNSELL OF PROTHEUS.
When

hen tale of the trew was triet to be 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,

Dat 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,

pat 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,
And say you in sertain þat ye mon sure fynde.

"Ah, noble king! simple though I be, give heed to my statement,

Book VI.

who knew every turn of fortune that should come.

that if Paris

2636 Hit is knowen to you kynd lord & your court

hole,
That
my fader was a philisofer, & of fele yeres,-

My father was a

philosopher, To the nowmber of nene skowre, & his nome (fol. 42 b.)

kouthe,

And fully was enformet of fortune deuyse, 2640 What be course was to cum of care & of ioye. Ofte he said me for sothe, & for sure tolde,

He told me often, bat if Parys with a pepull past into Grese, passed into

Greece, &c. In purpas to pray, or profet to gete, 2644 An wan pere a wife & away led, þat grete Troye shuld be tane, & tyrnyt to ground, great Troy should

be destroyed, &c. And all the buyldynges brent into bare askys :

Your selfe & your sons sothely be dede, 2648 With the Grekes in hor grefe; & þis ground lost. Wherfore, wheme kyng! for what þat may come, Wherefore, dear

king, beware! Let your lordship lystyn with a loue ere,

And wirke after wit, þat worship may folow: 2652 Syn wordys of wise men is no wit to dispise.

And nomely in pis note, þat noise not your selfe,
Ne hurttes not your hegh Astate, ne no harme

dos;

And persiueraunse of purpos may quit you to lure,
2656 Your landys to lose, & langur for euer.
Why couet

yo
be course to cum out of ese, - Why leave ease

and rest for
Your rest into Robery & to ryfe perellis, robbery and

perils Bothe in daunger and drede, & may dryfe of ? 2660 Absteyne you stithly, þat no stoure fall; And endure furthe your daye your

dere ese, In lykyng to lyue, & your ledis all,

Withouten heuynes or harme. Hedis to pat, 2664 And puttis of þat purpos; let paris not wend ;

expedition. Let Let anoþer do þat note, if hit nede shall. This is my counsell, sir kyng, carpe I no fer."

that mischief, At Protheus profesi pe pepull made noise, 2668 Myche Rumur rud speche at his red sonne; The people mock

Put of that

not Paris go. Let another do