2220 The more the greuaunce is grete & to gref turnys. If we desyre no redresse of dedis before, We may boldly vs byld with bostis out of Reason. Now, dere fader, in faithe of all my fre brether, 2224 Non is holdyn so highly the harme for to venge, Of my graunsers grefe so gretly as I: 2228 ffor I am Eldest and heire after hym belyue, On right hond shall hom reue pe rest of pe 2232 That my graunser with greme gird vnto dethe, Brittoned to bale dethe, and þere blode shed. 2236 I aske of you O thing,-but angurs you noght, Lettis mene to your mynde at þis mene tyme, 2240 Ne no torfer betyde, ne no tene after. What wull falle of pe first furthe to pe middis; Ne not holsom, I hope, pat hedis to be first, after. 2248 What proffet any prowes with a prowde entre, To begyn any goode, on a ground febill, And fortune it faile, and haue a fowle ende? Hit is wit for to wayue soche a wilde counsell, 2252 And put of a purpos, þat enpaire might, Or þat wayueris in wer what shall worthe of; A WARNING. Licker at þe last end in langore to bide, A PROUERBE. 2256 A blisfull begynnyng may boldly be said, I Say not this, sothely, to ses of your wille, folow, And eschew soche a chaunse pat cheuys to noght. Ye wetyn pis full wele, worshipfull fader! ffull wise men of wer, and war of hor dedys. 2272 As the Grekes may gedur & get when hom likes. Yff we wackon vp werre with weghes so fele, Book VI. 75 as more likely to turn to sorrow than to joy. 'That only is a good beginning which hath a fair issue.' You know full well O father! that all Africa and Europe, and many other lands, are under the power of the Greeks; (fol. 37 b.) therefore if we waken up war with them, we may come to joy. 2276 Hit may negh vs with noy, but neuer to our ioye. grief, but never to 2280 ffull stithe of astate, & stondyng at ese. Why couet we combraunse, or cachyng of harme, why covet we goodes, And to put vs fro pes payne for to thowle? 2284 Sothely your suster sittes vs not so harde, cumbrance or Book VI. Indeed it seems unjust to put us all in peril for one, who was long ago taken captive. I carp not thus through cowardice or fear. 'To chaunge for hir choisly the cheuyst of vs here; Or all so myght Aunter to atter for euer. To seke pis, in certayn, hit 2288 And put vs all in perell for semys not euyn; pyne for hir one, pat long sythen was laght & out of lond broght, And mey be drepit with dethe in yeres a few; And all the 30meryng for yeten in yeres A lyte. 2292 Now hoope ye not, hynde fader, ne in hert thinke, That I carpe thus for cowardys, & be course ferde, Or for the sake of my selfe in sauyng alone; But I doute it for destany, and drede at pe ende, I dread the loss of 2296 ffor lure and for losse of the londe hole; the whole land, and of yourself. While we may, let us put off a purpose that can lead only to harm." (fol. 38 a.) Now, most faithful father! suffer me to speak. Who shall be afraid, since we are prosperous, have abundance of everything? Bothe of soile & of Septor, soueraynly of you;— And put of a purpos of a proude sute, bat harmes at pe hynder ende & heuy to beire." 2304 When Ector hade answaret & endet his tale, He enclynet the Kyng & closit his mowthe. 2308 THE COUNSELL OF PARIS ALEXAUNDER. Than parys aprochyt And put hym to say, I shall put you to purpos and plesauns at ende. 2312 Who might faithfully be ferde, or fortune to dred? Syne we are put in prosperite & pepull so fele, And Riches so Rife, and Reames beside; With a Cite full sure, and set for the werre ; 2316 With Armure, and all things abill to fight. PARIS URGES IT. We might say this for certen, & suppose it in Syn we are put in prosperite, and pepull so fele, rewme. 2320 Therfor, faithfull ffader, fclow your wille; Send furthe a soume All of sure knightes; Let hom gird into Grise with a grym fare, ffight with your foos, fonge of thaire goodes, 2324 That vs harmyt so highly, & our hede sloghe; Our pepull to pyne, pild all our londe. And yff it like your Aliegiaunce, pat I, your lefe son, Be sent from your seluon with sure men of Armys, 2328 An aioynet to pis Jorney with iuste men & sure I am siker, for sothe, it shall vs wele like, Worship to wyn, and our wille haue. ffor my goddis me grauntid, & of grace lent, 2332 The Grekes for to grefe, & of grem bryng; Confound of hor cuntres, kylle of hor pepull, And the lustist lady in hor lond wyn; Bryng hur to pis burghe, & no bale suffer, ; 2336 That be chaunget by chaunse for your choise 2340 Sister. And yf ye wilne for to witte how hit worthe shulde, I shall telle you the trewthe how me tyde euyn; THE VISYON OF PARIS. Book VI. 77 Therefore, faith- I shail rejoice to be sent on this journey; for my gods have granted me gra e to vex the Greeks, and to win the lustiest lady in their land. "Hit is not meuyt of mynde ne mony day past, Not long ago, Syn I was leut in a londe, þat is lefe ynde, Your biddyng to obey, as my blithe ffader. In the season of somer, er the sun rose, 2344 As it come into canser, and be course Entred, while I was in a land called Inde, (fol. 38 b.) Book VI. I went into the wood on a Friday to hunt with my people. Till midday we found nothing: but when evensong was past, I beheld a hart feeding on a plain all alone. Fast from my fellows I rode, and soon left them all behind. On through the wood I worked till I came to a dusky place and lost the deer. dismounted. Hit fell me on a fryday to fare vppon huntyng. With myrthe in the mornyng & mony other pepull, All went we to wod the wilde for to cacche; 2348 And laburt full long, laytyng Aboute. Till mydday and more myght we not fynde, ffor to wyn as for waithe in þat wode brode; Tyll hit entrid to euyn, & euynsong was past. 2352 Then it fell me by fortune, fer on a playne, As I beheld þurgh a holte, a hert for to se, pat pastured on a playn pertly hym one: And I cast me be course to cum hym before. 2356 ffast fro my felowes & fuersly I rode, Euper lede hade I lost, & left me behynde, Till I drogh to a derke, and the dere lost. He prong into picke wodes, pester with in, Then I ceased and 2364 Than I sesit of my sute, & softly doun light, All weary I became; and seizing the reins, I bound my horse to a bough: All 2368 And dropis as dew or a danke rayne. Bound vp my blonke to a bogh euyn ; then stretched me 2372 And graithed me to grounde as me gode liked, on the ground under the bright trees; and placing my bow and quiver In a shadow of shene tres & of shyre floures, Ouer hild for pe hete hengyng with leues. My bow þat was bigge, & my bright qwyuer, as a pillow, I soon 2376 Arowes and other geire atled I anon, fell asleep. Pight as a pyllow, put vnder my hede; And sleghly on slepe I slypped be lyue. |