Book V.

The river Xanthus flowed through

the city, under the houses.

(fol. 27 b.)

In imitation of Troy, Rome was built on a riverthe Tiber.

Priam caused all

his people to

settle in Troy.

invented there,

such as chess,

1600

With all maister men pat on molde dwellis,
Onestly enabit in entris Aboute.

Thurgh myddis pe mekill toune meuyt a water,
And disseuert þe Cite, pat Xanthus hight.

There were bild by the bankes of pe brode
stremes,

1604 Mylnes full mony, made for to grynde,
ffor solas of the Cite pat suet hom to.
The water by wisshyng went vnder houses,
Gosshet through Godardys & other grete vautes,
1608 And clensit by course all pe clene Cite

Of filth and of feum, throughe fletyng by nethe.
In Ensample of this Cite, sothely to telle,
Rome on a Riuer rially was set,

1612 Enabit by Eneas after full longe,
Tild vpon Tiber after Troy like.
Priamus pertly the peopull ylkon,

hat longit to his lond & logit O fer,

1616 Gert sue to pe Cite sothely to dwelle,
And fild it with folke fuerse was þe nowmber,
Of lordes of pe lond and oper lesse peopull.
In þat Cite for sothe, as saith vs the story,

Many games were 1620 Mony gaumes were begonnen þe grete for to solas.
The chekker was choisly pere chosen þe first,
The draghtes, the dyse, and oper dregh gaumes.
Soche soteltie pai soght to solas hom with ;

draughts, dice, backgammon,

magic, and May games.

1624 The tables, the top, tregetre also,

And in the moneth of may mekill þai vsit,
With floures and fresshe bowes fecchyng of

somer:

Somur qwenes, and qwaintans, & oper qwaint

gaumes,

1628 There foundyn was first, & yet ben forthe haunted.

THE MAKYNG OF YLION.

Priam by purpos a pales gert make

THE PALACE OF PRIAM.

Within the Cite full Solempne of a sete riall, Louely and large to logge in hym seluyn, 1632 ffull worthely wroght & by wit caste, And euyn at his etlyng Ylion was cald; Closit with a clene wall crustrit with towres, Euyn round as a ryng richely wroght,— 1636 ffyue hundrith fete fully the heght :—

Withoute, toures full tore torret aboue,

bat were of heght so hoge, as I here fynde,
bat the clowdes hom clede in vnclene ayre.

1640 In pe heghest to houe and beholde ouer,

All the lond for to loke when hym lefe thought.
To all the prouyns þai apperit & pertis ofer,
With mekyll solas to se in mony syde londis:
1644 Of crafty colours to know, all in course set,
Made all of marbyll with mason deuyse,
With ymagry full honest openly wroght.
In cornols by course clustret o lofte.

1648 The windowes, worthely wroght in a mesure,

Shapyn full shene all of shyre stones,
Caruen in Cristall by crafte of Entaile,
Pight into pilers prudly to shewe

1652 The bases & bourdurs all of bright perle.
Within this palis of prise was a proude halle,
bat large was of lenght & louely to shewe,
Painted full prudly with pure gold ouer,
1656 Drapred by dene with a dese riall.

There were bordis full bright aboute in pat sale,
Set in a sercle, of Sedur tre fyn,

Gret vp fro pe ground vppon gray marbill.

1660 With a flore pat was fret all of fyne stones,

Pauyt prudly all with proude colours,

Made after musycke, men on to loke.

In the cheffe of pe choise halle, chosen for pe

kyng,

1664 Was a grounde vp graid with gresis of Marbill,

The palace hall was overlaid with gold, draped with a royal dais; it had tables of cedar-wood, set on marble.

The floor was of mosaic work.

Book V.

At one end of the hall was a raised platform for the king; a table of ivory, bordered with amber, and

a throne.

(fol. 28 b.)

And a tabill atyret, all of triet yuer,
Bourdurt about all with bright Aumbur,

hat smelt is & smethe, smellis full swete,

1668 With taste for to touche the tabull aboute.

ffor the souerayn hym selfe was a sete rioll,
Pight full of perrieris & of proude gemys,

Atyret with a tabernacle of Eyntayill fyn.

At the other end 1672 At the tother hede of pe halle was, hegh vppolofte,

was an altar set

with precious

stones and pearls.

On the altar stood an image of pure gold set with diamonds.

When the city was completed, Priam began to think of his past misfortunes.

A wonderfull werke weghes to beholde;

With preciose stones of price & perlles ynogh,
An auter enournet in nome of a god,

1676 Goond vp by a grese all of goode stones,
Twenty pase vp pight all of pure cristall,
hat were shynyng full shene shalkes to deuyse.
Vne oppon þe Auter was amyt to stond
1680 An ymage full noble in þe nome of god,—
ffyftene cubettes by course all of clene lenght,
Shynyng of shene gold & of shap nobill,

Dubbed ouer with dyamondes, þat were dere

holdyn,

1684 bat with lemys of light as a lamp shone :-
Of Jubiter pe iust god, þat þe ioy weldis,
In qwhom Priam prinsipally put his beleue
In
sauyng his Citie and hym selfe alse;
1688 With long dayes to endure & fro dethe kepe.

THE CONSELL FOR THE RESTITUCION OF DE GREKES.
Qwhen this Citie was set & full sure made,
As Priam hade purpost all with pure wit,
Then meuyt to his mynde, as yt most nede,
1692 pat his Cite was sure of hym selfe wroght;
With mekyll pepull of prise & proude men of

Armys,

Riches full ryfe & relikes ynow;

All abundaunt in blisse blent with his folke,

1696 bat wele wantid no wegh, ne worship in vrthe.

PRIAM RECOUNTS HIS MISFORTUNES.

pan a sorow full sodenly sanke in his hert, A Remorec of maters, þat hym mys lyket; How be Grekes hym greuyt and to ground put, 1700 His fader & his fryndis ferkit out of lyue,

And his suster into seruage, pat hym sore noyet.

Book V.

(fol. 29 a.)

Then he somond all pe Cite vppon sere haluys, He called a
To a counsell to come for a cause hegh,

1704 And his wille for to wete as hom wele aght.
When the grete were gedurt & po graithe all,
With his semly sonnes, þat hym sate next,

Saue Ector, was oute, as aunter befelle,

1708 In a countre by coursse pat of pe coron helde, Assignet by his souerayne & certen hym with, ffor play or for purpos :-pas we perfro.

1712

1716

When be souerayne was set in a sete rioll,

As become for a kyng in counsell with lordes;
All pese vmbe pe plase, pepull were stille,

council of the whole city.

57

Of his sons, only
Hector was

absent.

Silence having been gained, the

subject.

Be comaundement of þe kyng, as be come well; king opened his
ben he menyt of pe mater all with mylde wordes,

And touchet his entent, as I telle shall.—
"Now lordys of my lond & other lefe pepull,

Priam's speech to the council; he

Hit is knowen to pis court and oper kyd fryndes, recalls to mind

Of pe harmys þat we haue, & pe hoge lose; 1720 That the Grekes in horgremy vs to grefe broght,

Bothe to me & to myne mykull vnright, And to yow & also yours 30meryng for euer. How our faders before falsly were slayne, 1724 And my suster Exiona in seruage is holdyn, bat is comen of soche kyn, coldes my hert; Your susters for sothe & oper sik fryndes, Wyues & wale children, pai away led, 1728 pat ben set vnder seruage & sorow for ay. And our Cite for sothe, pat sum tyme was here, Brent & betyn downe to pe bare vrthe;

Our golde & our godys gripped in hond; 1732 Robbet our riches, our renttes distroyet;

the harm and loss that the Greeks had inflicted on the country.

Book V.

(fol. 29 b.)

To redress these wrongs by their advice and aid seems right and proper.

They have the

means:

and the time suits.

But the fortune of

war might be

Token all our tresoures, trussit into grise;
Kyld all oure kynnesmen into colde dethe;
And other wrongis vs wroght & to wo put.
1736 Thes redurse to riche by rede of you all,
Hit were sittyng, me semys, & to sue fore.
We haue a Cite full sure, & sad pepull in ;
Well wroght for the werre, wallis full high;
1740 ffolke of defence, and to fight able;

Mony knightes full kant, & kyd men of Armys.
We haue riches full rife, red gold fyn;
Clothes full comly, and other clene Juellis ;

1744 Armur and all thing abill perfore.

Well viteld, I wis, for wynturs ynow;
ffele fryndes and fauer out of fer londys,
With a liaunse full large of other lege kyngis,

1748 bat we to helpe vs may haue in a hond whyle:
And now tyme, by my trauthe, to take it on hond,
To mene vs with manhode & our mys wreke.
But the fortune of feghters may be fell chaunse,

against them, and 1752 And siker were to sit and solas vs here:

it would be safer

to enjoy them

selves at home.

If the council
think so, he will
send a message to
the Greeks, asking
them to restore
his sister, and to
forget old
quarrels.

The council agree

to the message.

But be harme and the hethyng of my kynd suster,
hat is set vnder seruage, & in syn holdyn,
Greuys me so gretly & my greme ekys,

1756 pat it reuys me my rest & my right hele.
But it likis you lordis, at a lite wordys,
Thus gate to begyn er we goo ferre ;-

hat I send for my suster on a softe wise
1760 To pe Grekes, for to goo with a goode wille
And restore withoutyn strife into pis stide home,
My sister Exina soberly & faire ;

To qwit claym all querels, & be qweme fryndes. 1764 Of all our dures pai vs did & daunger for euer, All account and Enuy after to voide,

Neuer to deire for pat dede pe dayes in our lyue."

When the souerain hade said, þen sesit he here, 1768 And it liket well the lordys & pe ledis all: