Book XXV. through the prowess of Troilus they are put to flight. They are rallied by Ajax. (fol. 155 a.) Again put to flight by Troilus, who captures one hundred of the nobles. Hard was the hurtelyng tho herty betwene, Woundit hom wickedly, walt hom to ground; 10068 As breuyt is in boke, & moche bale wroght: ffull sharpe was the shoute, shent were pere mony, Of knightes and comyns & other kyd lordes. Troilus so toilus with his triet strenght, 10072 Marit of the Mirmydons meruell to wete, Breke purgh the batels with his bronnd fell, And mony gret of þe grekes vnto ground broght, With the might of his monhode & his mayn swerd. 10076 So wonderfully be wegh wroght at þat tyme, The grekes flowen in fere & the feld leuyt, And turnyt to pere tenttes tenyt full euyll. There Troiell with his troiens myche tene wroght, 10080 ffolowet on hom fuersly, frunt hom to ground, ffel hom with fawchons, foynet hom þurgh. A hundreth hede men he with hond toke, And sent to pe Cité with sure men to kepe; 10084 pan leuit the laike for late of pe night, Aither pertie full prist preset to pere hold. ACHILLES STILL LOVE-BOUND. The mirmydons with mournyng meuit to Achilles, With woundis full wete & wofully dight: 10088 Thai told hym full tite, pe tene pat þai polet, And the murthe of his men purgh the main Troiell : There were fellit in the feld, founden of hom, A hundreth with hond hewen to dethe. 10092 The chere of Achilles chaunget with pat, ffor care of his knightes, þat were cold dede. As hit come hym by course of pe kynd night, 10096 And lay in his loge, litill he sleppit, But wandrit & woke for woo of his buernes. Mony thoghtes full pro prappit in his hert, And gird hym in grefe his grem for to venge; 10100 ffor his men, þat were mart, meuyt hym so, hat he was frike to the fight his fos to anoye. But Pollexena the pert, with hir pure loue, Enforce so þat fre in his felle angur, 10104 Abated the bremnes in his bale yre, And stoppet the strif of his strong hert; 10112 To Priam in priuete, and his prise qwene, HERE AI FAGHT VIJ DAYES TO-GEDUR, AT YS NOT 10116 Than the Troiens on a tyme tokyn the feld, 329 Book XXV. The Myrmidons, sad at heart, relate to Achilles the disasters that have befallen them. Overcome with grief he cannot sleep: he longs to avenge the death of his friends. His love for Polyxena soon cools his anger. (fol. 155 b.) He remembers Book XXV. And the grekes hom agayn with a grym fare: Achilles overcome with love still abides in his tent. Agamemnon demands a truce: only time to bury the dead is granted. Mony doghty with dynt vnto dethe yode, 10120 And mony in the mene tyme marrit of the grekes. Yet the lede in his loge with his loue hote, Neuer bownet vnto batell, ne to bright armys, But in thoghtes full pro prappit with hym-seluyn, 10124 As a mon out of mynd, maset full euyll. pan Agamynon the grete, by grement of all, To the toun for a trew tristy men sent; ffor the murthe was so mykull of pe mayn grekes, 10128 ben dut hym the Duke for destany felle; But the troiens full tite of the trew hym denyet, Any tyme for to tary, for tene pat might happyn, But a space for his spilt men spedely to graue, 10132 And bryng hom to berynes, and barly no more. The rrbj Boke: of the (xx) Batell of the Cite. When paste was the pes, parties were gedirt 10136 Andina stoure, bat was stith, stuernly pai foghtyn. (MS. has xviij.) (fol. 156 a.) Jousting between That bothe were pai backeward borne of pere Paris, horses, With the lippe of pere launsis so launchet pai somyn. 10140 Polydamas the pert preset to Vlixes, With the caupe of a kene swerd kerue on his helme. The freike with a fauchon fendit hym well, And faght with the fuerse knight felly agayne. 10144 Menestaus the mighty with a mayn dynt, Antenour in angur angardly stroke, Unhorset the here, hade hym to ground, With the lip of a launse, pof hym lothe were. 10148 Philmen the fuerse kyng with a fyne speire, Gird to Agamynon, & the gome hit; Greuit hym full gretly, gert hym to stoupe, 10152 Telamon come tyte, & the tother met, Bare hym ouer backeward with a big dynt, Polydamas and Mnestheus and Pylæmenes and Book XXVI. Antilochus and Troilus avenges the death of Bianor; (fol. 156 b.) kills and wounds many of the Myrmidons, and at last puts them to flight. to their tents, and Woundit hym wickedly, & the we halpe. 10168 Than Troilus with tene turnyt hym swithe, 10172 His dynttes so dedly durit so longe, hat all the Mirmydons men meuit hym fro, He pursues them 10176 Troiell with the troiens turnyt hom after, cuts them down. (MS. has "skrew.") The clash and And mony at the mene tyme murtherit to dethe. 10180 The clamour was kene, crying of pepull, ffor the murthe was so mykill amonge the grekes, The (skiew), for pe skrykyng & skremyng of folke, Redoundet with dyn drede for to here. 10184 The noyes noise neghit to Achilles, As he lay in his loge, of ledis were hurt : |