A COUNCIL OF WAR. Yet hopit he full hertely, for his hegh prowes, 303 Book XXII. He hopes to prevail upon the If he gright with the grekes to graunt hom his Greeks to leave helpe, 9316 pat pai the lond shuld leue & lightly go home. ben Achilles did cherisshe the cheftan of all. Palomydon, the prise, by purpos of hym, All the grete of the grekes gedrit hym somyn, 9320 To a counsell to come for the comyn proffet. When prinses & prise kynges were in pale somyn, the land. At his request, general council. Among tho mighty with mouthe menit Achilles addresses Achilles : "Now, fryndes faithfull, in feliship here! 9324 Kynges, & knightes, & other kyde Dukes, the council: (fol. 144 a.) "Now, faithful friends! what folly and That the charge, & the chaunse hase of pis rashness have choise wer, Thurgh oure might & oure monhod maintene to gedur! What whylenes, or wanspede, wryxles our mynd? 9328 pat for meuyng of a man,-Menelay the kyng,- 9332 Vnto a cuntre vnkynd, with care at oure herttes: hat might haue leuet in hor lond, as lordes at And my selfe, sothely, suffert full hard, Wickedly woundit, wasted my blode. possessed us: that for a woman, we have left our land and all we hold dear; and have exposed ourselves to death. 304 Book XXII. Helen is not of so great price, that our kings should die for her. In every land there are many noble ladies, from And it is no light matter to overcome this people. What we have done may suffice: we may return with honour. And though we leave Helen, have we not Hesiona, the king's sister?" Thoas, Menelaus, and the chief captains oppose such measures. ACHILLES PROPOSES TO RAISE THE SIEGE. 9340 At the dethe of the derfe prince, soche a dynt hade, I wend neuer, witturly, walked on fote. Hit greuys me full gretly, & to ground brynges, prise, 9344 ffor hir, oure Dukes to dethe, & oure derfe kynges. In yche lond, lelly, pat lithe vnder heuen, Are wemen to wale, of worship full mony, pat Menelay may mightily mell hym to haue, 9348 And chose hym a choise, withouten charge heuy; And not so mony be mard, ne on mold ded, Ne all grece for to greve, with no ground harme. Hit is not light for vs lite, pis lond to dystroy, 9352 bat haue a Cité full sure, & Surffetus mony, Bothe of kynges, & knightes, & kid men of armes: And we, the worthiest in wer, haue wastid in dethe, Kyld of oure kynges, and other kyd Dukes. 9356 This suffises, me semys, to ses with oure worship; Kayre to oure cuntre, & couet no more! hof Elan leue in pis lond, & not laght worthe, Hit greues not full gretly, ne no ground harme, 9360 Syn we Exiona, the suster of the sure kynges, At hom holdyn for hir, þat is a hede lady, And more honerable pan Elan, of auncetre grete." When the wegh hade thies wordis warpit to end, 9364 Here he seset full sone, said he no more. FAMINE IN THE GREEK CAMP. 305 Book XXII. Achilles, in a 9368 All the most of po mighty, with a mayn wille, pepull, That no freke to the feld fare shuld to batell; Ne to go with pe grekes, to greue hom with-in. ben hit auntred in the ost of the od grekes, 9376 pat hom failed the fode, and defaute hade: Hongur full hote harmyt hom pen, And fayntid the folk, failet pe strenkith. 9380 And the grete of the grekes gedrit he somyn. 9392 Was welcom I-wis to the weghes all. rage, orders his Myrmidons to withdraw from Famine in the Agamemnon (fol. 145 a.) Palamedes orders Atyrit with takell, & trussyng of Ropes, Ioye! -ley, leisure, liberty, security.) 306 The truce is ended. Deiphobus strikes down Cressus. The Crecks give way. (fol. 145 b.) Diomedes, men, come to the Here Begynnys the xxiij Boke: of the xij and xiij Batell. 9400 The tyme of the tru turnyd to end, 9404 Deffibus derfly drof to a greke, þat Cresseus was cald, kyng of Agresta ; He gird hym thurgh the guttes with a grym speire, hat he light on the lond, & the lyue past. 9408 Myche sorow was pere sene for pe sure kyng, Sore greuyt the grekes for grefe of hym on! All fond to pe fight, febill of hertis, The bold men on bake were borne with the troiens, 9412 And mony kant man kyld with caupyng of swerdes. Then Dyomede, the derfe kyng, drogh into batell, 9416 And xxti M. pro men prang in with thes. The stoure was full stithe, po stuerne men be twene, Mony dyet in pe dale, dole to be-hold! DEIPHOBUS AND PALAMEDES. Hit auntrid, pat Aiax so angardly met. 9424 When Deffibus with dole of pe dede segh, And tachit vppon Thelamon with a tore speire, 9428 Hurlit hym to hard yerth, hurt hym full sore! 307 Book XXIII. Ajax beats down Phorcys, a son of Priam. Deiphobus in revenge rushes on Ajax, and wounds him. THE DETHE OF DEFFIBUS BY PALOMYDON SLAYN. Palomydon persayuit & preset hym to venge, He droffe vnto Deffibus with a dynt felle, Shott þurgh the sheld & pe shene mayle, 9432 Bare hym þurgh the brest with a bright end, þat þe Rod alto Rofe right to his hond: A trunchen of the tre & the triet hed Abode in his body, & in his brest stake. 9436 pan Paris persayuet the pyn of his brother, hat was stad in the stoure & the strong fight, Myche water he weppit, wailyng of sorow. With pyne out of prese, & pité in hert, 9440 Deffebus he drogh furth, & drissit to light: Laid hym on the laund with a laith chere, 9444 As Deffebus, with dole of his depe wound, Deiphobus is severely wounded. Paris drags him from the crowd and stays to tend him. "A! dere brother, er I degh, or droupe in-to helle, Deiphobus 9448 And er þis trunchyn, me tenys, be takon of my brest, Go, buske vnto batell my bone for to venge, dethe; desires him to (fol. 146 a.) avenge his death. |