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Book XXI.

keep the body of Hector without corruption, and

without sepulture.

They erect a rich tabernacle

on four pillars of gold,

adorned with images of angels,

and gleaming with precious stones.

(fol. 135 b.)

Above the

tabernacle they

8728 He fraynet at po fre, with a fyn wille,

How the korse might be keppit in his kynd

holl,

ffresshe, vndefacede, & in fyne hew,

As a lede vpon lyue, likyng to se;
8732 And not orible, ne vgly of odir to fele.

Then po maisturs gert make a meruelous toumhe,
Honerable & auonand, in Apolyn temple,

At the prayer of Priam, of a prise werke, 8736 Beside Tiberian, þat in Troy was a triet yate, ffoundit full faire fele yeres past.

There set was full solenly besyde the high

aulter,

A tabernacle triet & tristyly wroght,

8740 Of foure pillers vp pight all of pure gold:
Like ymages were all, abill of shap,
Lokend full lyuely as any light angels,
ffro aboue to pe base bright to be-hold,
8744 With full corius korse, & craftely grauen.

Hit was atiryt vmb the top all with triet stones,
Of all kyndes to ken, pat clerkes cold deuyse.
pai lemet so light, þat ledes might se
8748 Aboute midnyght merke as with mayn torches;
And on dayes to deme, as by due sight,

As beamys of bright sun, þat braunchis olofte, This tabernacle tristy was tyrit on hegh, 8752 Vpon cristall full clere, clustrit with greses, As a gate fro the ground to the gay herse: hat weghes might walke & waite perapon. Aboue on pis bright, as the boke sayes,

set a great image 8756 Thos maisturs gert make a meruelous ymage,

of gold,

representing

Hector menacing

the Greeks with

a naked sword.

All grauen of gold, a gret & a longe,

Amyt after Ector, abill of shap,

With a noble sword & a nait naked in his hond,

8760 Vp holdand on high as he þat wold stryke :

Turnyt to the tenttes of the tore grekes,

THE EMBALMING.

With a lyuely loke, ledis to be-hold:

The same fawchon full fell, þat þe freke bere, 8764 þat had greuit mony grekes, & to ground broght, Hit was burnisshed full bright & of blade kene; And in mynd of þat man for manas was holdyn. The body of pat bold, as buerne vppon lyue,

8768 Was full solemly set in a scate vnder,

285

Book XXI.

They set the body of Hector under the tabernacle; and

Ymydward the mayne towmbe with maistres arrange it that

deuyse.

All the feturs of pat fre, fresshe to be-hold,

Iche lede on to loke, lemys & other

8772 All set for to se, saue the fete one,

In soche apparell full pure, as the prince vsit. pan po maisturs gert make, amyddes his hede, A hole purgh his herne-pon hertely by craft; 8776 There-in put was a pipe, with a prise oyntment Of bavme & of balsamom, þat brethede full swete, With oper maters mynget, pat most were of strenght,

Conseruatours by craft, þat cointly were made. 8780 The bavme purghe his brayn all on brod ran, And the forhed before fresshly within;

So hit entrid to pe Ene, & evyn to his nase, And so be craft & by course come to his chekes, 8784 Goyng to his gomys and the ground of his tethe, bat keppit hom be crafte all in clene vertue. So the face of pat freike was fresshe to be-hold, With the here on his hede, pat hogely was

8788

mekyll,

it might seem to be still alive.

They cause a fine ointment to

drop into the

head, and flow

all over the body

to preserve it.

(fol. 130 a.)

By this means

the face and

features of the

hero are kept fresh and life

And grew fro the ground, þat gomys might like.

know,

As a lede vpon lyue; lefe if ye will!

ffro thethen the lycour belyue launchit doun

evyn,

Thurgh the goters of his gorge, & the grete pype, 8792 To the brest of the buerne and the bare shulders;

Book XXI.

So also the arms and hands,

legs and feet.

They set round the body four lamps of gold, whose fire could never be extinguished.

(fol. 133 b.)

To this temple Priam appoints many priests, and rich endowments.

And past so by proces to his prise armys, Bret thurgh the bones and the big senowis, Euer folowand the fell to pe fyngur endys. 8796 So hit soght to the sydes & serchit with-in, And keppit hom full cleane in hor kynd hew,

bat as a lede vpon lyue to loke on þai ware. ben hit sewit furth soberly, & sanke fro aboue, 8800 By the lyndes of the lede, to the leell theghes, Passond by poris into pe pure legges ;

And so, be corse of the craft, com to his fete. In whiche fete pere was formyt fresshly another, 8804 ffull of bawme þat was bright, & of brethe noble. Thus keppit was this corse of the clene prinse, As a lede vpon lyue a full long tyme.

ben pos maisters gert make, all with mayn
crafte,

8808 ffovre lampis full light, ledis to beholde,
þat gay were & grete, all of gold fyne;
ffild vp with fyre, þat fynet not to bren;
hat no watur þen wete in world might hom let,
8812 Ne the light make lesse ne the low fade.
When this taburnacle atyrit was tally to end,
Thai closit hit full clanly, all with clene ambur,
Vmbe the borders aboue, pat no buerne entrid,
8816 With a dore þat was derne, all for dere fryndes
ffor to loke on pat lede, when hom lefe pought,
Or þat soght hym to se in his sete holl.

Then Priam, the prise kyng, puruait to leng 8820 Mony seruondis full solemne in the same

temple,

Of prestes to pray, and pure men of lyffe,
With worship to wale goddis, & wakyng on
nightes.

He gafe Renttes full Rife, & myche Ranke godis, 8824 All po ledis on to lyf, þat longit perto,

Bothe prestes and prise clerkes prudly to fynd.

THE COUNSEL OF AGAMEMNON.

287

THE COUNSAILL OF AGAMINON AFTER THE DETHE OF

8828

ECTOR.

When Ector done was to dethe, & his day past,
Achilles woundit full wothely in were of his

lyffe,

All the grete of the grekes gedrit were sone,
By ordinaunce of the Emperoure, þat after hom

sent.

Thus he spake for his spede his specials vnto :—
"Now fryndes, in faith, vs is faire happont,

Book XXI.

Agamemnon
proposes to his
captains that
they should thank

8832 And proly, me thinke, we thanke shuld oure their gods for

goddes,

þat hase grauntid vs pat grace of pe gome Ector, To be drepit to dethe thurgh dughty Achilles. ffor, while the lede was on lyf, & his lymes holl, 8836 We hade hertely no hope here for to spede, Yonder toun for to take, ne tene hom within, Ne in this lond, at our lust, lykyng to haue.

Hector's death:

ffor he hase kyld of our kynges, to count hom for he had slain

by nome,

8840 Prothesselon, Patroculus, & Policene alse;

Myrion the mighty, & the mayn Sedymon ; Prothenor the pert, & the prinse Xancipun. Alphenor the fuerse flung he to dethe; 8844 Archillagon the choise choppit to ground; Domen the doughty, & derf Polexenas; Isum, also, abill of his dedys.

Polipheten, a prise mon, he put out of lyue;

8848 Letabion on the laund pere left he for ded;
And mony grete of our grekes he to ground

broght.

so many of the Greeks and their allies.

Syn he be destany is dede, what dem þar vs ellus, And now that he
But the Citie to sese, & slyng it to ground;

8852 All the pepull to pyne put, and dethe at oure

lust?

is dead, Troy and the Trojans will be easily taken.

(fol. 137 a.)

Book XXI.

That they should

send to Priam to obtain a truce for two months, that their dead may be buried and their wounded healed.

('Soundismen,'= sondesmen,

messengers.)

8860

And pat shall douteles be done in dayes a few.
And syn vs botis notto batell but vs bale worthe,
Withoutyn the helpe and the hondes of herty
Achilles,

8856 Hit is best þat we byde, barly, me thinke,
Tyll he be hole of his hurt, hast we no ferr.
Let vs puruay to Priam prise men of wit,
ffor to trete of a tru in trist of the bettur,
Till two monethes & more be meuit to end,
ffor to bery pies bodies, pat brittnet are to dethe,
That storis vs with stynke, & our state harmys;
And our hurt men to hele, pat harmys haue kaght."
8864 When his speche was spokyn, & sped to pe last,
All the lordes hit alowet, & lowten perto.
Then sent were pere sone soundismen two,
To Priam, the prise kyng, purpos to hold;

Priam grants the 8868 And he grauntid vngright with a good chere,
And affirmet hit with faith to pe frekis all.

truce.

Palamedes

murmurs against Agamemnou.

Agamemnon replies ;

"I never even

desired the

command of the Greek forces;

nor have I

any profit

thereby.

Within the tyme of þis tru, as the trety sais, Palomydon the proud kyng playnet hym ofte, 8872 Of Agamynons gouernaunce in a grete yre.

And as hit tid on a tyme, pes triet kynges hoole Were somyn at a semly the souerain before, Palomydon put hym full prestly to say, 8876 And meuit of his mater, þat I mynnet are. pan Agamynon, full godely, agayn to hym said, Before po kynges in comyn on a cleane wise:"Now Palomydon, pure ffrende, pertly I aske, 8880 Whethur pou hope it in hert, or hold in þi mynd, That I am glad of pis gouernaunce, to be gyde

here:

Syn I with prayer, ne with pursuet, preset not peraftur,

Ne desyret hit in dede pe dayes of my liffe.

8884 Ne neuer fortherit me a ferthing to fylsy my

goodes;

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