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VENUS, JUNO, AND PALLAS.

I drow into a dreme, & dreghly me thought

Book VI.

I dreamed that

79

2380 That mercury the mykill God, in þe mene tyme, Mercury and the

2384

2388

three goddesses,

(fol. 39 a.)

Venus, Pallas, and Juno, stood

Thre goddes hade gotten goyng hym bye,
That come in his company clere to beholde :-
Venus the worthy, þat wemen ay plesyn;
And Palades, with pure wit pat passes all other; before me.
And Jono, a iustis of ioyes in erthe.
These ladis he lefte a litill besyde,

That Mercury

spoke thus:-
'Paris! I appear
before thee with

And sothely hym seluyn said me thies wordes.
'To the, Paris, I appere with pre prise goddes,
That are stad in a strife here stondyng besyde; these three
And haue put hom full plainly in þi pure wit,
To deme as pe dere thinke & pai in dede holde,
2392 When treuthe is determynet & tried by the.

Thus it be fell hom by fortune, faire as I telle :-
As pai sate in hor solas samyn at a fest,

goddesses, that are stad in a strife, which

you are to decide.

As they sat at a

feast, an apple of

An appull of a new shap, pat neuer man hade sene, a new shape was

2396 Coyntly by crafte was cast hom amonge.

2400

Hit was made of a mater meruell to shew,
With grete letturs of Grece grauyn þere vmbe.
To rede it by reson rankes might se,
That the fairest of po fele shull pat fe haue :
And duly this dome haue pai done o þi selfe,
And put on pi person hor pese for to make.
The is hight for to haue highly by me,

2404 A mede of po mighty to mend the with All,
As in rewarde for to ricche of hir þat right has :
That ye faithfully shall falle & not faile of.

cast among them.

The inscription bore that the fairest should have it.

You must make their peace; and such they promise

as your reward.

Yf pou Juge it to Jono, this ioye shall pou If you adjudge it

haue,

:

to Juno, you shall become the

mightiest on

earth.

2408 To be mightiest on molde, & most of all other :This ho grauntis ye to gyffe of hir good wille. And if pou put it to Palades, as for your prise If to Pallas;

lady,

Thou shalbe wisest of wit,-this wete pou for

thou shalt be the 'wisest of wit.'

sothe,―

Book VI.

If to Venus;

thou shalt have

the fairest lady

in Greece.'

I answered ;

I cannot

determine, unless

I see them

(fol. 39 b.)

naked and all together.'

Mercury said;

Be it as you

desire.'

And all stood

naked before me.

2412 And know all the conyng, þat kyndly is for men.
Iff pou deme it in dede duly to Venus,

Hit shall falle the, to fortune, pe fairest of Grice
To haue and to holde, to pi hegh mede.'

2416 When mercury hade menyt this mater to ende,
And graunt me pise gyftis hit gladit my hert.
I onswaret hym esely euyn vponon :-

'This dome is in dowte to demyng of me,

2420 The certayn to say, but I hom segh naked;
And waited hom wele, po worthy togedur,
The bodies aboute with my bright Ene.

Than shuld I full sone say, as me thought,

2424 And telle you the truthe, & tary no lengur.'
Then mercury with mowthe pus menyt agayne;—

'Be it done euyn in dede as þi dissire is.'
Than nakuet anon full naitly were all,

2428 And broght to me bare :- I blusshet hom on.
I waited hom witterly, as me wele thoght,

All feturs in fere of po fre ladys.

Hit semit me for certayn, & for sothe dom,

Truly, Venus was 2432 pat Venus the vertuus was verely the fairest,

the fairest, and I

awarded her the

apple.

Then I awoke.

I am certain,

that, if I am
sent into Greece,
I shall bring

home the

brightest lady of that land."

Most excelent of other, and onest to wale:
And I duli, be dom, demyt hir the appull.

And ho fayn of þat faire, & frely me het

2436 That the mede shuld be myne, þat mercury saide.
pen wightly pai went. I wackonet with pat,
And grippet my gayre & my gate helde.
Now, howpe 3e not hertely, pat pis hegh goddes
2440 Will faithly fulfille paire forward to ende?
I am certen and sure, be I sent forthe,
The brightiest lady to bryng of po brode londys.
Now, meke fader and mylde! þis message to do,
2444 Ye deme your dere son, & dresse me perfore:
Hit shall glade you full godely agaynes your

gret anger,

And fille you with faynhed, in faithe I you

hete."

2448

2452

THE COUNSEL OF DEIPHOBUS.

When he told hade his tale tomly to the ende,
He enclinet the kyng, and Carpit no more.

THE COUNSELL OF DEFFEBUS.

Book VI.

Then Deffebus drogh negh, dressit hym to say,- (Deiphobus.)
Com before the Kyng, & Carpit on highe:

All soberly, for sothe, & sylens he hade.

"Now, dere fader vppon dese, & our due Kynge!
Suffers your son to say at this tyme :-

And pe dome of yche dede were demyt before,

grepe

Το at þe begynnyng, what may grow 2456 To serche it full suerly, and se to pe ende,

after

With due deleberacion for doutis of Angur; Who shuld hastely on hond an heuy charge take? And he cast be course what shuld come after, 2460 Shuld neuer purpos vnperisshit be putto A yssu ;

2464

81

"Dear father!.
suffer me to
say:-

If the result of
each deed were
known before-
hand,

(fol. 40 a.) who would undertake any heavy charge?

If husbandmen considered how much seed the

Ne neuer no man no note to no end bryng.
Iff tylmen toke tent what shuld tynt worth,
Of sede pat is sawen, be sesyng of briddes,
Shuld neuer corne for care be caste vppon erthe: none should ever
Ne neuer dede shuld be done but drese furth to

noght.

birds destroy,

be sown.

Therfore, fader, it is fairest, þat ye a flete ordan, Therefore, father,

With a nauy full nobill, pis note to begynne;

2468 Puttis it to Parys, & let hym passe furthe,

As he said you hym seluyn, is sothely the best:
No pure man may pertly preue it for other.

send forth a fleet, and give Paris charge.

noble lady,

And if it happon hym to haue any hynde lady, And if he win any 2472 Or any worthy to wyn & Away lede,

Hit may

chese you, be chaunse, to chaunge hir you may choose

agayne,

Your suster to sese and in sound wyn,

hat our fame so defoules, & is in filthe holdyn.”

2476 When Deffebus hade done, he dressit hym to

sit,

By leue of the lordes, pat liket his wordes.

to exchange her for your sister."

Book VI.

(Helenus.)

"Ah! comely king, work not

unwisely in your wild ire!

By the gift of
God, I know all

that will happen:
and you have

found that

all my prophecies

have come to

pass.

(fol. 40 b.)

Put off this

purpose: on no wise let Paris go on this venture.

Else this city shall be taken by the Greeks, and destroyed, &c.

Abstain, then,

lest ye be overwhelmed with woe; you and

your sons slain;

and Hecuba, your

wife, left in misery."

THE COUNSELL OF ELINUS THE BYSSHOP

Then Elinus, eftesones, (was Eldist of birthe
After Deffebus, by destyny) he drest hym to

say;

2480 Come before the kyng, declarit his wit,
And warpet these wordes, as ye wete shall.
"A! comly kyng coronid, pat pis kith aw!
Lot no blyndnes you blenke, ne your blisse faide,

2484 Vnwisely to wirke in your wilde yre.

I know me so konyng in the clene Artis, Thurgh gifte of god, & your goode fyndyng, hat I wot all the wordys, & the wilde Angres, 2488 hat be course are to come, & the cause why. Your seluyn sothely asayet haue before,

I told you neuer tale in tyme pat is past, But ye faithfully haue found it fore as I said. 2492 Therfore, putte of this purpos; Let Paris not go On no wise in this world, for woo þat may happyn.

I say you for certen, & it so worthe,

That Paris be put furthe his purpos to holde,
2496 Gird vp into Grese, & any grem wirke;
This Cite full solempne sesit be pen,

With the Grekes to ground gird vnder fote,
And we exiled for euer: this Aunter shall
falle.

2500 Abstene pen stithly, pat no stoure happon,
þat drawghes to our dethe, vndoyng for euer.
Soche bargens are bytter, þat hafe a bare end.
Turne your entent, lest it tyde after,
2504 hat ye be drepit with dole, and done out of
lyue;

And Ecuba, your owne wife, angur to pole;
Your sones vnsoberly slayne in the place.
All thies cases shall come, I know it full wele,
2508 Yt Paris pas furth, as purpos is takon.

TROILUS URGES IT.

I

This is sothe, pat
say, sir, with your leue:
Now wirkys by wit, as you well likes."

Then he bowet the buerne & busket to syt,

2512 Seyit furth with sory chere, and his sete toke.
When the kyng hade consayuit of his clere wit,
And his wordys full wise, all his wille chaunget;
He was stonyt full stille & in a stody sate,
2516 And ferd of pe felle wordes, þat þe freike saide.
All the buernes aboute abasshet per with,
Be cause of the kyng, þere countenaunse failed:
Was no wee pat a worde warpit þat tyme,
2520 But all stodyn full stille: astoneide pai were
ffor be wordys of wit, þat þe wegh tolde;
And doute of his dome for destyne febill.

Book VI.

83

The king was sat musing;

confounded, and

all were
shocked;

and stood still, silent and astonished.

THE COUNSELL OF TROYLUS.

Troilus then

spoke:

Than Troilus full tyte talkes with mowthe,— 2524 þat was þe yongist of yeris, & a 3epe knight,Brake Sylense belyue, and abrode saide :— "A! nobyll men of nome, what noyes your "Ah!noble men of

hertes?

Why are ye trowblit pis tyme, and your tung

lost?

2528 And meuyt so mykell, for a mad priste,

That neuer colde of no knighthode, but in a

kirke chyde?

Hit is propurté for a preste perellis to drede,
fferd be for fight, and O fer shun it,

2532 Melle hym with mekenes, pat hym most louys,
Delyte hym in Drynke, and oper dere meytes,
Set hym to solas, as hym selfe likes.

Who may tell it for tru, or trust haue perin, 2536 þat any gome shuld be graithe of our goddes

wille,

Or haue knowyng of case for to come after?

name, why so

(fol. 41 a.) troubled and moved by a mad priest who knows no knighthood but scolding in church?

Delight him in drink and other dear meats."

There is no wyse man, I wene, þat will it suppose, No wise man

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