AGAMEMNON RE-ELECTED. Priam a prise towmbe prestly gart make, And the bodyes of po bold buried perin, With solenité & Sacrifice suche as pai vsit: 9616 Couert hom clanly, closet hom to-gedur. 313 Book XXIII. (fol. 148 b.) Myche tene in the tenttes with tulkes was Mourning of the made, With dynnyng & dole for dethe of hor lord. pai broght hym to berynes, po buernes onon, 9624 Syn Palomydon þe prise put was to dethe. Greeks for Agamemnon is again chosen to command the Greeks. 314 The battle is resumed: great slaughter on both sides. A great storm of rain bursts over the field. (fol. 149 a.) The Greeks are driven back to their tents: xxiiij Boke: of the xiiij and xv Batell of þe Cite. 9628 The Secund day suyng, sais me the lyne, All boun vnto batell on hor best wyse, Mony gyrd to be ground and to grym deth; Till the bloberond blode blend with the rayn. 9644 Mony knightes were kyld of pe kene grekes ; withstond, THE GREEKS DRIVEN TO THEIR TENTS. But fled hom in fere, ferd of hor dethe, Turnit to pere tenttes, tenyt full euyll, 9652 Thurgh the rug, & the rayn, þat raiked aboue, All wery for wete, & for wan strokes ; 315 Book XXIV. And ay the troiens with tene tyrnyn hom doun, the Trojans ffelly with fauchons folowet hom after, 9656 Dang hom to dethe in the dym water, Pursewit hom with pyne vnto pere pure tenttes, 9660 Soght vnto the Citie soberly & faire, And entrid full easely, euyn as hom liked. pursue and cut to the city. The next day full naitly, the noble men of Next day the Troy ffore euyn to be fight, & the fild toke ; 9664 And the grekes hom agayne, with a grym fare 9672 With a folke, þat was felle, fightyng men all. Mony knyghtes he kyld, comyns by-dene : 9676 Barons of the best, and of the bold vrles, Deghit þat day with dynt of his weppyn. 9680 And aither syde, after sun, soght to pere holde. Then vij dayes euyn þai semblit in pe felde, battle is renewed; Troilus makes havoc among the Greeks. (fol. 149 .) The battle rages for seven days. Book XXIV. The Greeks, oppressed with the stench of the dead bodies, demand a truce for two months. Agamemnon They reprove him for having urged on the war, and now withdrawn from it. And yche day was pere dede mony derfe hundrith. 9684 ben hit greuit the grekes of the gret murthe, Of the bodies on bent brethit full euyll; The corses, as caryn, corit hom with stynke, ffor the murthe was so mykull in þe meane tyme. 9688 pan to Priam, the prise kyng, prestly the sent ffor a tru to be takon of a tyme short, Two monythes, & no more, paire men for to bery, And to frete hom with fyre, þat were fey worthen. 9692 Hit was grauntid agayn by grement with-in, And affirmyt with faith the frekes betwene. With ithin the tyme of the tru, as pe trety says, Agamynon the gret full gredly did send 9696 Nestor, the noble duke, another-VlyxesAnd Dyomede, the derfe Kyng, to doghty Achilles, Prayond hon full prestly by po prise kynges, ffor to buske hym to batell, & po buernes helpe 9700 In offence of hor fos, and hor fuerse socour, Thurgh might of his monhode & his mayn strenght. 9704 When pai comyn to þe kyng, to kyde men in fere, He welcomyt po worthy with a wille faire, And solast hom somyn syttyng with hym. The first of po fre, þat to pe freike said, Was Vlyxes, the lord, with his lythe wordes:"Ne was hit not your wille, & your weghes all, 9708 With other kynges in company, & kyde men of worship, ffro our prouyns to passe, and our prise londes, With a pouer full preste on Priam to venge; ULYSSES PLEADS WITH ACHILLES. His body to britton, & his burgh take; 9712 All his stid to distroy, and his stith holdis? 317 Book XXIV. (fol. 150 a.) 9716 Syn hit happis vs suche harmes to haue now, They relate the alace : Oure kynges bein kylde, and our kyd dukes; 9720 Oure barges brent vnto bare askes, And other harmes full hoge hent in a whyle? 9724 þat vs hap shuld the herhond haue of our fos, Syn ye honerable Ector auntrid to sle, That all the Troiens trust truly was in. And now Deffibus is dede, deires no more, 9728 pat furse was in fight, and oure folk sloght; So (happeth) paire hope is in hard deth, disasters that have befallen the Greeks; and how much they had hoped to win by his aid. (MS. has Since he has won so great renown, 9732 And oure folke has defendit with 30ur fyn they urge him to strenkith, maintain it and to rouse himself With pe blode of 30ur brest thurgh þe bright again to the war. maille, And oft reskewet oure renkes, or pai ruth polit; If hit like you now, lell sir, lyft vp your hertte, 9736 Mayntene youre manhode & your men helpe, ffaris into fight your folke to releue, bat with-outyn helpe of your hond happis the worse. Therfore hent vp your hert & your high wille, 9740 Meue you with monhode to mar of your fos ; To wyn vs oure worship, & our wille haue : |