THE DEATH OF ACHILLES. hat we may speike of our spede specially pere. Thus I will þat pou wirk, wete pou for sothe: Sure knightes of assent assemble pe to, 10512 Turnys into the temple trystily enarmyt; Kepis you in couer, cleane out of sight, Tyll the kyng and his company by comyn within; ffallys on hym fuersly, frap hym to dethe, 10516 That he pas not your pouer for prayer ne other!" 343 Book XXVI. and that Paris should have knights ready to slay him. The knight, at þe comaundement of his kene Paris assents: moder, With sykyng & sorow asentid perto. He dressit for pe dede, by dom of þe qwene, 10520 xxti knightes full kene of his kyd fryndes. Choise of his chere men, chargit hym-selfe His councell in couert to kepe for the tyme. pan Paris and his pepull past to the temple, 10524 Keppit hom in couert, aclosit hom perin, Armyt at all pesis, abill to fight, And a-bode till þe buerne vnto burgh come. 10528 Sent to pat souerain by a sad frynde; Spake to hym specially to spede of his erend, 10532 Laburd with loue, pat lodly dissayuis, And mony worthy and wise hase to wo broght, he selects a band of knights; and goes to the temple. Hecuba sends a messenger to Achilles. (fol. 161 b.) Along with Archilochus he temple: 10536 The noble sun and next heire of Nestor the Duke, goes to the sle. Swordis out swiftly pai swappit belyue, And vmset hymn full sore vpon sere halfes. is attacked by Paris and his knights, and slain. Book XXVI. Paris orders the bodies of Achilles and Archilochus to be thrown to the dogs and vultures. (fol. 162 a.) Achilles braid out a brand with a brem wille, 10544 And fast vmbe his fist foldit his mantill. All bare was the buerne, out of bright wedis, Yet seuyan of þat sorte he slew with his hond. Parys cast at the kyng with a kene will, 10548 pre darttes noght dole, and dedly hym woundit. There kyld was the kyng, & the knight bothe, And by treason in the temple tirnyt to dethe. pan Paris to the pepull prestly comaundit 10552 The bodies of po bold to britton onone, And cast hom to curres & to kene foghles, On pere flesshe hom to fede on a foule wise. The corses of po kant men were kast into strete, 10556 Iche lede on to loke, as pai lust hade. ffayne of þat fare were the felle troiens: To se pe corse of þat kyng, þat hom care wroght, Be dongen to dethe for deiryng of other. 10560 Agamynon the gret, by grement of all, To Priam, by prise men, pertly he send, The bodies of po bold to bery as hom liked. 10564 Archilagon, the choise knight, was chere to his fader, The noble Duke Nestor, pat noyet full sore. Priam allows the 10568 The kyng graunttyd po grekes po grete for to Greeks to carry off the dead bodies. haue, The bodies to pe bastell barly to lede. ffor the choise kyng Achilles pai cherit hom euill, With mych dole for his dethe, and drede of hom more. 10572 pai hopid full hertely, for þat hed losse, A COUNCIL OF WAR. Neuer the cite for to sese, ne hor Sute haue. ffor the losse and the lure of pat lele kyng, Myche water pai weppit, þat worthy to mysse. 10576 pan þai puruait of prise, with precious aray, A Sepulcre solempne, set full of stonys: Praying to Priam, po prise men all, Within the Cité to be set, with sufferans of hym. With Jemmes, & iuwells, & other ioly stonys. agayn. 10588 pan Agamynon all the gret gedirt onon, Kynges into counsell, & oper kyd dukes, Erles, & all men oght of astate. Thies wordis to po worthy warpit þe prise : 10592 "Lokes now, lordes, our lure is full hoge, 345 Book XXVI. Achilles is buried at the Thymbræan gate: a gorgeous sepulchre is erected. Agamemnon calls a council, On the mysse & the murthe of pe mighty and asks whether Achilles. Whethur is bettur in batell abide in this lond, 10596 Iche whe, in pis werke, has for wit kast, Sum frike to be fare pere fryndes to se. 10600 O sythen, po souerains were of asent hole, the siege is to be continued, or raised. All determine to continue the siege, (fol. 162 b.) 10604 paire goddis will not gab, þat grauntid hom first and rely on the The cité to sese, as hom selfe lyked: Troy with his touris tyrne vnto ground, promise of the gods. Book XXVI. Ajax proposes to send for the son of Achilles,Neoptolemus, for without him they could not succeed. Menelaus is sent to fetch him from king Lycomedes. (MS. has (MS. has xxt) The summer solstice. (fol. 163 a.) And hewyn vppon hom, þat þe hold kepis. 10608 þan Aiax the Auntrous atlet to say, In myddes of po mighty meuit to stond ;"Lordes, yf hit like you, lystyn my wordis, And hedis me with heryng, herkyn a litle ! 10612 pof auntrus Achilles, abill of dedis, Be drepit with dethe, and done fro our helpe; 10628 He was graunser of þat grete, & for graith OFF THE (XXII) BATELL. Now hit tide for to tell pe tyme of þe yere. At þe poynt forto passe, & put into canser; THE TROJANS ARE LED BY PARIS. The sextene day sothely, sais me the lyne, 10640 The boldmen to bent bounet full picke, Sadly on aither syde soghtyn to ffild. 347 Book XXVI. The grekes hom greithed, the grettist & other, The Greeks are Dyomede the doughty, & derf Menestaus; 10644 Agamynon also auntrid hym with; Menelaus among meuit to ffeld. All buskes hor batels on hor best wise, And past furth to the pase, po pouer togedur. 10648 pan Priam, the prise kyng, puruait onon His knightes in companyes cantly to wend, Vndur gouernaunce graithe how pai go shuld, And assignet hom hym-selfe, as souerain & lord. 10652 Moche dole and doute po doghty men hade, Syn hom lacked the lede of the lorde Ector, hat was stithist of stoure, stabill of hert, And the wit, pat hom wantid, of the worthy Deffibus, 10656 With the truthe and the trist of Troiell the knight. In defaute of tho fuerse, the fyne Duke Paris Myche watur he weppit of his wale ene, 10660 Ouer-flowet his face, fell on his brest, With streamys out straght þurgh his stithe The murmur was mykill of his mayn knightes, 10668 Eneas also after hom went; All the ledis to the listes on the laund past. led by Diomedes, The Trojans are disheartened by the loss of Hector, Deiphobus, and Troilus. Paris leads them, weeping as he goes: Polydamas, |