Book XV. Hector then bows to his father, and passes forth to battle. He was the bravest, the wisest, the strongest in battle. (fol. 98 a.) Though the last to leave the city, he was foreinost in the fight. From the walls, the honourable women of Troy, with the king's daughters, watch the departure of the troops. Helen, too, was there, thoughtful, sad, and desponding. Agamemnon divided his army into 26 battalions. Patroclus led the first battalion, which was composed of his own men, and those of Achilles, who was suffering 6284 Past furthe to hys pepull, & hys pas held. Euer frike to pe fyght, fayntid he neuer. Agamynon hys grekys graythyt to feld: Twenty batels full bold of byg men of armys, other moo. Achylles choise men cheuyt hym with ; from his wounds. 6316 Hym-selfe fore to no fyght for hys fel wondys, But lay in hys loge, lechit hys sores. AGAMEMNON ARRAYS THE GREEKS. his patroclus, pe proud kyng, was full pure ryche, 6320 Wel manert & meke, myghti of pupull. Achylles, pe choise kyng, cherist hym mekill, bay were so festenyt with faythe, & wyth fyn loue, 6324 pat bothe paire saulis & paire self were set on a wyll And qwat so tendit to pe totheris was all. 205 Book XV. The second To Merion, a mody kyng, þat mekull couth of battalion, were, consisting of 3000 knights, and the Athenians under 6328 With pre thousond pro knyghtis, prepond in Mestheus, was Armys, And Menestaus the mighty, with his men of Attens. To Atholapo, a tore kyng, takyn was the prid, And Philmene, his faire son, fre in his hond, 6332 With all the company clene of comaynes pepull,― Wise men in wer, wight of hor dedes. The ffourthe batell in feld, he fourmet to leng led by Merion. (fol. 98 b.) The third battalion was under the command of Ascalaphus and his son Philomenes. The fourth was assigned to Arcesilaus and 6336 And Prothenor, a prise kyng, with his pepull Prothenor holl : In the same was Segurda, with sad men & noble. The fyfte, þat was fourmit of po fuerse batell, Was Menelay the mighty, with his men all, 6340 With the pepull of his prouynse, & his pert knightes. The Sext of pat sort, þat soght to be fild, with it went Segurda. The fifth was led by Menelaus. The sixth was led by the bishop Was kyng bysshop the bold, with his buernes king, felle; And Selidis, for sothe, soght in his honde, 6344 With all the here, pat he hade, highet hym with. Epistrophus; and Book XV. The seventh was led by Telamon, who had under him Theseus, Amphimachus, Diores, and Polisarius. The eighth was led by Thoas. The ninth was led by Ajax Oileus; The Seuent of the soum, þat I said ere, And on Domys, the doghty, doutid in fild, and the tenth by 6356 Was Aiax Oelius, with od men to wale. Philoctetes. The eleventh was led by Nestor, and the twelfth by Henex. (fol. 99 a.) The thirteenth was led by Ulysses; the fourteenth by Arestes; and the fifteenth by Eumelus. The sixteenth was led by Protesilaus; the seventeenth by Podalirius and Machaon; and the eighteenth by the king of Rhodes (Tlepolemus). The nineteenth was led by Gumplius; the twentieth by Polypoetes; and the twenty-first by Amphimachus. The twentysecond was led by And Philoc, the fell kyng, fore with the tenth. 6360 The xij vnthwyuond, þat twyet not in fight, armys. 6364 The xiiij to pe fight fore with Arestes. Humelius, the hasty, highit with the fyftene. Protessalous proud son presit with the sextene, ffor to dere for the dethe of his dere fader. 6368 Polidarius, the porknell, and his pere Machaon, Suet with the xvij, sad men & noble. The riche kyng of the Rodes raiked with the xviij, With fell men in fight to the fild past, 6372 The xix of the nowmbur a nobill mon toke, One Gumplius a gome, pat mony grekes led. 6376 With xxj auntrid abill men two,— Amphimas, a fre kyng, and his fere Cepton. THE SECOND BATTLE. Dyomede, the derfe kyng, and doughty Celernis. 6380 Eneus, the nobill kyng, pat neghit fro Sypris, With xxiij priuond, pronge to the playne. 6384 Cupenor, a cant man, come with the next,— The xxvj of the soume, pat I said first, 6388 Led Agamynon the grete, with grekes full mony, When the batell on bothe haluys were to bent comyn, ffor to fight in the fild, all po fuerse pepull, 6392 Ector the auntrus, ablist of knightes, Was the first in the fild, pat to fight entrid, 6396 ffrusshet to the forward, felly anon. THE DETH OF PATROCLUS, BY ECTOR SLAYN. 207 Book XV. Diomedes: the twenty-third by Eneus (Guneus); and the twentyfourth by Procholus. The twenty-fifth was led by Agapenor; and the twenty-sixth by Agamemnon. (fol. 99 b.) Hector was the first to begin the battle. Patroclus saw him dash towards the Greeks, and rushing on him with a great spear, pierced Patroclus persayuit, þat the pepull led, þat was formast in fight with a felle speire. He auntrid vpon Ector, atlit hym a dynt, 6400 With all the forse of his fole & his fuerse arme; through shield He shot prough the shild & the shene maile, His speire into sprottes sprongyn was before, bat he dusshet, of pe dynt, dede to be ground. and mail; still Hector was unhurt. Book XV. Hector dismounts and attempts to despoil the king of his armour. (fol. 100 a.) Merion, with his company, rushes up to prevent him. They drive him back, and try to capture his horse; but he baffles them. In a rage he makes towards Merion, and is THE FFOLY DESYRE OF ECTOR. When the kyng was kyld, cast to þe grene, The gay armur to get of the gode hew, And come to be kyng, pere the corse lay, Wold haue Robbit the Renke of his riche wede. 6420 With the ton hond in the toile tyrnyt it offe: But Merion the mighty with a mayn pepull, With pre thousaund pro men prong hym vnto. In defence of the freike, pat on fild lay, 6424 To Ector in ernyst full angurdly said: : "Nay, warloghe wolfe, in þi wode hongur, hat neuer of forray art full, with pi foule vse, The tydis not to taste of pis triet meite! 6428 ffor-bode the firke pi fode forto wyn! Sone shall pou se in a sad hast, A C thousaund on horse highand pe to, Thyn hede forto haue, & hew pe to dethe, 6432 And put þe fro purpos, pi payn to encres!" Sone, by the same kyng & his sad helpis, He was borne fro pe body, backward agayn. Till þe knight, vndur knappis, vppon knes fell. might, Was on hys wight horse, for wepyn or other. 6440 ffor all the grefe of po grekes, & pe grete pronge, Was no led might hym let, pof hom lothe were. |