Book VI.

at the prophecy of Protheus;

and affirm that Paris pass into Greece.

(fol. 43 a.)

2672

His olde fader fantasi þai filet in hert,
And repugnet po pointtes with a proude wille;
As, lord, gyffe pai leuyt hade for lure pat come
after,

Hit might, by fortune, haue failet of pat foule
end.

But it was desteynid by dome, & for due holdyn
Hit plesit wele the pepull at parys to wende:
Thay affermyt hit fully, & faren to pere Innes.

THE SOROW OF CASSANDRA THE KYNGYS DOUGHTER.

Cassandra, having 2676 Hit come to Cassandra, þat was the kynges

heard what

Paris had under

taken, breaks

forth in

lamentation.

"Ah! noble Troy what destruction is at hand, &c.

Ah! unhappy king, what sufferings, &c.

(defiance)

And thou, O queen, &c.!

Why put not Paris from his purpose?"

2680

doughter,

That, be counsell of the kyng & comyns assent,

Parys was purpost with pouer to wende

Into Grese for a gay, all on grete wise.
All in sikyng & sorow, with syling of teris,
Ho brast out with a birre from hir bale hert,
And all forthly ho fore in hir fyne wittes;
Warpet out wordes wonder to here.

2684 With a carefull crie carping ho sayde :—
"A! nobill Troye, pe noy pat neghis ye at hond!
What vnhappe & hardship hapnes the to!
All pi toures & tildes shalbe tyrnyt vnder;
2688 And thy buyldyng betyn to be bare erthe.
A! vnhappy hegh kyng, what hardship is to the!
Priam, & pi pepull, be put to be dethe;
Vnder seruage set, & sorow for ay.

2692 What defense has pou done to our dere goddes?
And pou qwene, pat vnqwemyt has on sum

qwaint wise,

The angur thee is, Ecuba, entrond on honde !

þat all þi sons shall pou se slayn with pin ene.

2696 Why puttes pou not Parys his purpos to leue? That shall be cause of suche care, þat wull come

after."

FATE MUST BE FULFILLED.

Ho ros pan full radly, & ran to pe kyng.
With teris don trickelyng of hir tore ene,

2700 And a sembland full soure, sorow to be holde,

Book VI,

She runs to the

king,

give up his
purpose.

89

She prayet hym full pitously his purpos to leue. and prays him to As ho þat wise was of wit, & wist it be-fore Thurgh craft of hir conyng & course of pe sternys, 2704 She said hym full sadly with sorowfull wordys, All shuld turne hym to tene, & pe towne lose. But fortune, pat is felle, forthers his tyme; Hastis to vnhappe, having no rewarde; 2708 Ordans an yssew, euyn as hym lyst;

Turnys all entent, þat hym tary wold;

Caches furthe his cold wirdis with cumpas to

ende.

But I may sothely say, & for sure holde,

2712 Hade the counsell ben kept of the knight Ector, And the Ernyst speche Eftward of Elinus the Bysshop,

2716

2720

Cassandras care considret with all,

With the prophesy of Protheus put into hertys,
Troy with pi toures hade bene a toune noble,
And wond in his weile to the worldes ende.
But no man tentes to tene er þe tyme come,
Ne ferd is for fortune till it falle to.
And pof hit chaunses to chefe pat men charge
litill,

To grow into gronnd harme & greuys full sore;
When the tene is be tyde, & turnys to be werst,
Men demyn hit for destyny, & for due holdyn;

2724 And takon yt to pat entent: & here a tale endes.

But fate is unyielding, and turns everything to its own

purpose.

But had all the warnings

(fol. 43 b.) been heeded,

Troy would still have been a noble city, &c.

Spite, that is for ever bent on mischief, rules

uncontrolled in

passionate hearts.

("yades" Hyades.)

("taure," Taurus.)

In the month of May, when meadows are green, &c.

(fol. 44 a.) Paris and his

brother come to court with 3000 knights.

Ships are shot forth,

to the number of twenty-two,

well victualled and manned.

Here begynnes the Seuynt Boke : how Parys went into Grese for Elan.

Envy, pat Euermore ertis to skathe,
Ryxles full Ryfe in her ranke hertes.

This forward was festynit with a felle wille,

2728 And all the purpos plainly with pouer to wende.
Hit betid pus in tyme, as I telle shall,

When sit was [the] Sun pese signes betwene,
Entred in yades, efter as it fell;

2732 And the planet of pliades, with his playn course,
Into taure was turnyt as the tyme asket.

In the moneth of May, when medoes bene grene,
And all florisshet with floures pe fildes aboute;
2736 Burions of bowes brethit full swete,
fflorisshet full faire; frutes were kuyt;
Greuys were grene, & pe ground hilde;
Hit was likyng in Laundys ledys to waike;
2740 Parys the pert knight, And his pure brother,
Comyn vnto courtte with company grete,

Of thre thowsaund pro knightes, priuand in
Armys;

The pruddist of payone, prise men of honde.
2744 Shippes were shot furth on the shyre water,
All boune on the brode see, with botys amonge.
To nem you the mowmber naytely be tale,
There were twenty and too, to twyn hom in
sonder,

PRIAM'S ADDRESS.

2748 Stithe shippes & stoure stuffet with vitell,
All full vpon flote with fyne pepull in.
The kyng comaund to come, & cald hym anon,
Antenor alstite, and Aunteros Eneas,
2752 And Polidamos prist,-a full pert knight,
Antenor Aune son, aldist of yeris;

Bade hom buske & be boun & no bode make,

Book VII.

91

The king calls
Antenor, Æneas,
and Polydamas,
(son of Antenor):

commands them

to make ready to

To pas furthe with parys & hor prise knightes, go with Paris

2756 Bowne on hor best wise in hor bright wedis.
And þai grauntid the grete with a glad chere,
And shope hom to ship in a sharpe haste.
All the pepull to appere Pryam comaundit,

2760 That were purpast to pas on the pale stremys,
And wightly thies wordes warpit hom to,

With a Sembland full sad, er he ses wold :-
"Hit nedys not now our noyes to telle,

immediately.

The people who are to go with Paris appear before the king:

he states the purpose of the

2764 Ne mony wordes to warpe, for it is well knowen. expedition.

All wete ye my wille why ye wend shall,

The Grekes for to grefe, if your grace happe,

And harme with your hond, þat our hede slogh;

2768 To venge of our velany, & our vile grem

And hardlaike we hade of hom in þis londe :
And most is my mynde, & I might haue,

My Sister Exiona fro seruage to brynge.

"To get my sister Hesione out of

bondage is your

2772 That shalbe choisly your charge: chefe & ye may chief work:With all your mightes to mene, & most to

pursew

On hom þat hir holdis, & vs harme dyd.

Wetys hit all wele: with outen any cause 2776 bat pe dayens you derit, & to drede broght;

And for Redur & ranke harme of vnright dedis,

We may tyre vs with truthe to tene hom agayne,
And wreke vs of wrathe & wranges before.

2780 I bid you now barly with besines at all,

(fol. 44 b.)

(Danai, Greeks.)

therefore, do all in your power to

hat ye set you most souerainly my suster to gete. accomplish it. Now is tyme most tore to tente pere aboute,

2784

And to aunter on our Enmys with armes in werre,
Our Knighthode to Kythe, & our clene strenght;
And mene vs with monhode maistry to wyn.
Wetis all wele: & you wont oght,

Or any case to you come comford to haue,
2788 To be suppoueld by selfe & my sad helpe.
And if it falle you be fortune to forther your

wille,

My Syster to sese, or any sure lady,

Ye haue shall my helpe & my hole strenght, 2792 To pas with a power to paire playne londys, þat all the dayens vs doute shall for our derfe

strokes,

And be war vs to wrathe to be worldes end.
Prinse of pis pouer Parys shalbe,

2796 And leder of these ledys & the lefe pepull;
And Deffebus, my dere son, I dem hym þe next;
With counsell & comford of clene men of wit,—
Of Antenor, & Eneas, & other full noble,
2800 pat fare shall in fere & feliship to gedur."

When the Kyng hade declarit all his clene wille,
Than entrid the oste evyn into shippe.
Paris with pyne, & his pure brother,
2804 Toke leue at pere lege with loutyng & teris ;
Shot into ship with shene men of Armys;
Lauset loupis fro the le; lachyn in Ancres ;
Brode sailes vp braid; bonkis þai leuyt.
2808 With Jono, the Juste god Joynet to be see,
And Venus the worthy, pat hom well plesit,
Thay sailed furth soundly with seasonable

2812

wyndes,

Tyll þai comyn of the cost of Caucleda in spase :-
Of the regione of Rene, & rode þere in havyn.
Gayn vnto Grese on pe gray water,

By the Regions of Rene rode pai ferre,
Streit by the stremys of the stithe londys;