Book VI. will suppose 'that a fool should be forewise.' to his temple; and let other men, that are able, try to wipe out our shame. Why, father, are you so troubled at his words? Command that a fleet be made ready, and fully manned: and the Greeks will grieve us no more." bat a foole shuld be forwise soche ferlies to know. 2540 If Elinus be argh, & ournes for ferde, Let hym tegh to be tempull, talke with his Deuyne seruice to do, and fro drede kepe; 2548 Comaund, sir kyng, þat a clene nauy All well for þe werre, with wight men ynogh: more, (MS. 'sororow') 2552 But it syt hom so sore, þat þai sorrow euer." When Troilus hade told, & his tale endit, When Troilus ended, all felt glad, and confirmed his counsel. The court then rose: the king and his sons and the lords with joy go to meat. When all had partaken, the king calls (fol. 41 b.) his sons. Paris and He commissions them to raise an army in Paeonia. Hit blithet all the buernes, pat aboute stode, Of his wit, & his wille, & wordes full bolde; 2556 And confermyt his counsell by comyn assent. Than comaund the kyng the courtte for to ryse; Askit water wightly, wentton [to] meyte. Bothe hym selfe and his sonnes, with sere lordes vmb, 2560 Maden all mery, menyt pere speche. THE ORDINA UNSE FOR PARIS INTO GRESE. When etyn hade all men & at ese bene, The kyng syttyng hym selfe, & his sete helde: : Pas into Payone pere prise knightes dwellis, THE EXPEDITION OF PARIS PROPOSED. Doughty of dede, derfe men in Armys. Book VI. 85 They set sail and execute their Assemble you soudiours, sure men & nobill, 2572 Shapyn in shene ger, with shippis to wynde, The Grekys to greue, & in grem brynge." ban pai lacchyn hor leue,-lowton hor kyng,— Cayren forthe to pe coste, & hor course helde. 2576 Assemblit soudiours anon, mony sad hundrith; orders. And lengit while pem list, pe lond was þere owne. The secund day, sothely, for to say ferre, When he his sons herde, he somond his lordes 2580 And all the knightes to come, & clene men of wit, To appere in his presens a purpos to take. When pe souerain was set with sere lordes vmbe, Then carpes the kyng his knightes vntill. 2584 "Now, lordes of my lond, & lege pepull! The case is well knowen to your clene mynde, How þe Grekes vs greuit, & to ground broght, And put vs, with hor pride, to pouerte full low. 2588 of our souerans & sib men seruondis to be, Ay hengis in my hert þe hethyng I thole; Of my Suster in seruage, & in syn holdyn, Hit meuys into mynd, & mekill me noyes; 2592 And I sothely haue sent, as ye see all, Antenor to aske hir, & Angur no more. He hade not of hom but hethyng & skorne, Hit On the second day He states to them the cruelties of the Greeks; his grief and anxiety regarding his sister; his message by Antenor, and the result; how he purposes to send an expedition under Paris, (fol. 42 a.) to kill and plunder the Greeks; and to may chefe hym by chaunce to get som choise seize some lady lady, who may be Book VI. exchanged for Hesione. If they confirm his purpose, he will carry it out: but if they oppose it, he will go no farther. Protheus, son of Eusebius the philosopher, then addressed the king. (Pythagoras.) "Ah, noble king! simple though I be, give heed to my statement, which you will find to be true. 2604 Or sum woman to wyn, þat worthy is holdyn, Bryng to this burghe, (& other brode godes, Our worship to wyn & our will haue,) That may chefe by chaunse chaunge for Exiné. 2608 This I will þat ye wete, & your wille shewe ;If ye deme it in dede, pus I do will; And pursue on my purpos plainly to ende. And if ye list it be lefte, let me wete sone, 2612 And I will soberly sese, & sue it no ferre. pof pai touche me with tene, all these tore harmes, All the comyns be course haue cause for to say; ffor it Angurt hom all, & out of ese brought : 2616 And as wise men witnes, & in writ shewes, bat at longis to lenge on a lell comyns, Shuld propurly be a-preuyt by the pepull hole." THE COUNSELL OF PROTHEUS. When tale of the trew was triet to pe ende, 2620 And silens on yche syde sittyng full stille, A stuerne of po stithe were stondyng aboute, A praty man of pure wit, protheus he hight, hat was sothely the son of soueran Ewsebij, 2624 A Phylosofer fyne fele yeres past, pat, Ouyd in old tyme oponly tellus, Had all the crafte & conyng in his clere wit, hat pictagoras the pure god possessiant was of. 2628 This protheus pertly put hym to say, To the kyng in the court carpis thies wordes :"A! nobill kyng & nomekowthe! notes in your hert, And suffers me to say, Symple pof I be ; 2632 Let mene to your maiesty pe mynde of my tale, Hedys me with heryng, & in hert kepe: I will telle myn entend vpon trew wise, And say you in sertain þat ye mon sure fynde. A WARNING. 2636 Hit is knowen to you kynd lord & your court hole, Book VI. 87 That my fader was a philisofer, & of fele yeres, My father was a To the nowmber of nene skowre, & his nome kouthe, And fully was enformet of fortune deuyse, 2640 What be course was to cum of care & of ioye. Ofte he said me for sothe, & for sure tolde, hat if Parys with a pepull past into Grese, 2644 An wan þere a wife & away led, philosopher, He told me often, that if Paris passed into Greece, &c., bat grete Troye shuld be tane, & tyrnyt to ground, great Troy should And all the buyldynges brent into bare askys: Your selfe & your sons sothely be dede, 2648 With the Grekes in hor grefe ; & pis ground lost. be destroyed, &c. king, beware! Wherfore, wheme kyng! for what pat may come, Wherefore, dear And wirke after wit, þat worship may folow: dos; And persiueraunse of purpos may quit you to lure, 2656 Your landys to lose, & langur for euer. Why couet ye be course to cum out of ese,— Bothe in daunger and drede, & may dryfe of? 2660 Absteyne you stithly, pat no stoure fall; And endure furthe your dayes at your dere ese, Withouten heuynes or harme. Hedis to pat, 2664 And puttis of pat purpos; let paris not wend; Let anoper do pat note, if hit nede shall. This is my counsell, sir kyng, carpe I no fer." At Protheus profesi þe pepull made noise, 2668 Myche Rumur & rud speche at his red sonne; Why leave ease and rest for robbery and perils ? Put off that The people mock Book VI. at the prophecy of Protheus ; and affirm that Paris pass into Greece. (fol. 43 a.) Cassandra, having heard what Paris had undertaken, breaks forth in lamentation. "Ah! noble Troy what destruction is at hand, &c. Ah! unhappy king, what sufferings, &c. (deflance) And thou, O queen, &c.! Why put not Paris from his purpose?" His olde fader fantasi þai filet in hert, And repugnet po pointtes with a proude wille; As, lord, gyffe pai leuyt hade for lure pat come after, 2672 Hit might, by fortune, haue failet of pat foule But it was desteynid by dome, & for due holdyn THE SOROW OF CASSANDRA THE KYNGYS DOUGHTER. 2676 Hit come to Cassandra, þat was the kynges doughter, That, be counsell of the kyng & comyns assent, Into Grese for a gay, all on grete wise. 2680 All in sikyng & sorow, with syling of teris, 2684 With a carefull crie carping ho sayde:- 2692 What defense has pou done to our dere goddes? qwaint wise, The angur thee is, Ecuba, entrond on honde ! þat all þi sons shall pou se slayn with pin ene. 2696 Why puttes pou not Parys his purpos to leue? That shall be cause of suche care, þat wull come after." |