Book IV. Laomedon is informed that the Greeks are masters of the city. Sad at heart, he assembles his men and returns to the city. He is attacked in front by the ambuscade, and in rear by the band from the ships. (fol. 23 a.) Hercules strikes terror into the hearts of the Trojans. Wondit of pe wightist, warpide hom vnder; 1300 pere Lamydon þem leuyt, for a lede come With tithynges fro the towne told to the kyng; One Dotes, with dyntes pat dedly was wondyt, Said the Citie was sesit & sad men pere-in, 1304 Of our fos full fell, fuerse men in Armys, A grete nowmber of Grekis, & pe goodes takyn. be kyng for pat care coldit at his hert, And siket full sore with sylyng of teris, 1308 Henttes his horne and hastily blawes; Assemblit his sad men on a sop holle, Left the Grekes on pe ground by the gray water: 1312 Tho pat left were on lyue pogh pai lite were. 1316 He blusshed ouer backeward to pe brode see, He was astonyet full stithly to be stad so, 1320 Betwene the batels on bent & so bare leuyt, A felle fight & a fuerse fell hom betwene. Pricket furthe into prise and full playne made, DEATH OF LAOMEDON. 1332 Gird gomes vnto grounde with vngayn strokes, 1336 Non so derffe to endure a dynt of his hond, THE DETH OF LAMYDON BY ERCULES. Tyll he come to þe kyng in a kene yre, 'Dang hym derffly don in a ded hate, 1340 Grippit hym grymly, gird of his hede, brew it into pronge of his pro pepull; 1344 Sesit was the Citie, socour non pere, paire fomen so felle, and so few other, The Grekes gird hom to grounde & to grym dethe: Of the dite & pe dyn was dole to be-holde. 1348 The Troiens with tene turnyt pe bake, ffleddon in fere and þe filde leuyt, 1352 Quer hilles & hethes into holte woddes, hat left were on lyue with mony laithe hurtes, When the Grekys hade the gre & the grounde wonen. THE TAKYNG OF þE TOWNE. Thai soght into the Cité vpon sere haluys, bur, 1356 Childer full choise and of chere febill, Wyth olde ffolke vnfere ferly to see. All tight to be tempull of pere tore goddes, ffor drede of the dethe, & myche dynne made. 1360 Mony wyues, for woo, of þere wit past, Book IV. 45 He falls upon Laomedon; kills him, and throws his head into the crowd of Trojans. The city is taken, and the Trojans flee to the woods. As the Greeks crowd into the city, the Trojans (fol. 23 b.) old and young, rush to the temple for safety, Book IV. and in their haste leave all their goods behind. The city is plundered and destroyed. The people are killed or taken captive. Hesione, daughter of Laomedon, is given to Telamon, who was the first And pere barnes on brest bere In þere armes, Hyd hom in houles and hyrnys aboute. Maydons for mornyng haue pere mynde loste, 1364 (Soche payne of a pepull was pitie to be-holde) Hurlet out of houses, and no hede toke Of golde ne of garmenttes, ne of goode stonys; 1368 Gemys ne gewellis, ne no ioly vessell, Geton girduls full gay, mony good stonys; Wele wantid no wegh wale what hom liste. Dydden all to the dethe & for ne drede lettyd; 1384 Sesit hom sone in seruage to holde. EXIONA, THE KINGES DOUGHTER LAMYDON. When the pales was put doun of pe prise kyng, pai fonde per a fre faire to be-holde, Euyn of his owne doughter Exiona was callid. to enter the city. 1388 Bannet worthe the bale tyme þat ho borne was, (fol. 24 a.) ffor the care pat pere come because of hir one. Ercules egerly euyn vponone Betoke hir to Telamon, for he the towne entrid, 1392 In reward as by right for his ranke wille. POETA. But caitif unclene, for thy curst dede! DEPARTURE OF THE GREEKS. Syn the fortune felle pat faire into honde, hat was cumly and clene and a kinges doughter, 1396 pou shuld have holdyn þat hynd, had hir þi-selfe, Weddit with worship and to wife holdyn. And pou so doggetly has done in þi derfe hate, ffor to lede in his lechery all his lyfe after. mase, Myche greuaunce shall groo & a gronnd hate; 1404 Wer wakyn & wo for pi wickede dede, Mony boldes for pat bright in batell be kylde. When the toune was ouertyrnyt, takyn þe godys, be Grekes to pe gray water gyrdyn belyue; 1408 Shottyn into shippes all pe shene godis, Launchet furthe lightly & the lond passit, Didyn sacrifice solempne vnto sere goddes. And Lamydon the lege kyng out of lyfe broght, 1420 The kynges doughter caght & out of kythe led, A PROUERBE. A word þat is wrappid, and in wrath holdyn, Book IV. hasty man, lest like a spark unnoticed among ashes, it waken up a dreadful blaze. (MS. has This maiden shall be the cause of much woe to many lands, and all on account of angry words. While she was in bondage, Troy was built and destroyed; (fol. 25 a.) and many kings, knights, and people killed on her account. May feston as a fyre with a fuerse lowe, 1428 Of a sparke unaspied, spred vnder askys, few; Soche a kyng to be kylde, A cuntre distroyed, ffele folke forfaren with a ffeble ende. Gyf an end hade ben now, & neuer noyet efter, 1440 Bothe of lure & of los, & oure lorde wolde, Hit was euyn bot a venture of Angur to come, Right as Lamydon þe lorde was of lyue broght, 1444 ffor he grethit with pe Grekys pat on his ground lay; So pis Maidon shalbe mater of full mekull harme, And mony londes to lure pat euer ho lyffe hade. Lo, how fortune is felle & of fer caste, 1448 pat drawes in a dede hate in a derke wille, 1456 þat was meruelously [made], & mekell to shew, And mony kynges were kyld & knightes perfore. 1460 Now I turne for to telle, whill I tyme haue. |