Book VII. They land and go to the temple of Venus, whose chief festival was then being held by the people. Worshippers from all parts came to that festival, especially “worthy wemen.” Paris joins a (fol. 46 a.) 2848 Caste ancres full kene with cables to grounde; ffestonit the flete, as hom fayre thoght; Buskys into botys, were borne to be lond, To solas hom a season, as hom selfe liked ; 2852 And waited vppon hor wirdes for wynnyng of godys. In Sythera, for sothe, was a solempne tempull, Of Venus, I wis, þat worthy was holdyn, ffoundet before, fele yeres past, 2856 And enabit of old þere auntres were sene. With Riches full Rife & myche Ranke godys, The yle well enabit & onest with in, And lyuet after law of pe lell gentils, 2860 þat Venus the worthy worshippit for god, 2864 Thus tyd hit pat tyme, as I telle wille, hat the principall & prise fest of pere pure goddys Was holdyn po high dayes with hom pat pere dwelt ; And other folke vpon fer fell thedur thicke, 2868 With mykull prese of pepull of prouynce aboute, Soght to pat solenité sacrifis to make. Worthy wemen to wale, wete ye forsothe, hat prist are of pilgrymes to pas ouer lond 2872 To waite after wondres, & wilfull desyre More Janglyng of Japes pen any Juste werkes, And for solas & sight þen sacrifice to do. When parys persayuit had the pepull anon, 2876 He cacchis a compony clenely arayed, And to the tempull full tyte toke he be gate. ffull mylde on his maner meuit within. On a side he hym set, as semyt for a straungior, 2880 In prayers full prist the pepull beheld. HELEN LONGS TO SEE PARIS. He offert onestly in honour of Venus, A store man & a stoute, full stithe hym be semyt; Book VII. He offers "a gobet of gold." 2888 Wemen waited hym well, hade wondur of He is admired hym one, That of shap for to shew was shene to beholde, And clad as a kyng in clothys full fyne. He was louyt with ladys, lappit in hert. 2892 As course is of kynd & comyn dessire, Ich on fraynet at his fere pe frekys to know, 95 and loved by the women. All wonder and inquire who he Of what lond were po louely hit list hom to wete, is, &c. That Telamon hade takon & with tene held, And set vnder seruage þat hom sore greuyt. 2904 This speche furth sprede & sprange vppo ferre, Ouer all into yles, so aunter befelle, The prishede of parys was praisit so mekyll, 2908 With ferly of his fairnes, & his fre buernes, Sho was lappit in longyng pat louely to se, Helen hears of his arrival, and great beauty; and longs to see him. (fol. 46 b.) Lust impels her to the Temple. Book VII. 2916 (Holardur, fornication.) The shameless ness of women, and what it ends in. Fie on him, who first led such fashions! (fol. 47 a.) Treason, war, and ruin are the fruits. 2920 2924 This ho tolde hir entent, as pe tyme asket, THE POIET. Hit is wondur to wit of wemen dissyre, To glogh vppon gomes at gedering of folke, Puttes hom to purpos pat pynes hom after. 2932 With Sossyngs, & Sotelte, Settyng of cases, 2936 To falle vpon foly & hor fame lose : 2940 Gers maidnes be mart, mariage for done; lose; And ertes ay to euyll ende & ernyst by the last. Throgh whiche treason betydes, & ternys vmqwhile 2944 Bolde men to batell and biker with hond: bat draghes vnto dethe, & deris full mony. ON IMMODESTY. Therfore saintes to seche and to sere halowes, And turne vnto Templis atyrit with pride, 2948 pof it be laifull to ladys and oper les wemen, 3et it ledis vnto laithnes and vnlefe werkes ; And shotis into shame as shene has ben ofte. Book VII. 97 But thou, Helen, But pou Elan, þat haldyn was hede of all ladys, first of all ladies, 2952 And the fairest of feturs formyt in erthe, What wrixlit þi wit & pi wille chaunget, In absens of þi souerayne, for saghes of pepull, þat might faire haue refraynit with pi fre wille; Hade pou holdyn þe at home, hedit pin astate, 2960 And not cayret fro court pere company was gedurt, To waite aftur wondurs for a worde light. Hit were sittyng for sothe, & semly for wemen, what evil spirit possessed thee, &c. It becomes women to abide at home, and strive to preserve paire houses to haunt & holde hom with in; 2964 Kepe hom from company & comonyng of folke; their honour. And, ouer all, pere onesty attell to saue, Whethir a ship, þat is shot on þe shire wawes, 2968 Halyt into havyn, harlit with ropes. Ne a woman, I wis, þat wisely will gouerne, Thou dissyret full depely, dame Elan, þi seluon But, dame Helen, 2972 To pas fro pi palis & þi priuey chamber, And seche to Sytheria with solempne Avowe; In colour of pi cause pou couet to se bat straunge, þat was stoute & stare hym vppon; 2976 So pou light in vnlefulnes, pat lefully semyt, Thurgh pi Licrus lust þat Lurkit in pi hert. ffor pe sight of þat semely, sotheli, was venum, bat enfecte pi faire loue to pe fairist of Grise, 2980 And mony Greke with grem vnto grounde broght under pretence (fol. 47 b.) what disasters followed. Book VII. Servants and horses are made ready for the pilgrimage to Cythera. offers gold and precious stones. All the frigies vnfaire vnder fight endit. Sho assemblid hir seruandes with a sad wille, 2984 Hade hom radly arayed for pe rode furth; Bryng horses to grounde and hernes anon, To seche to Sitheria for solempne avowe; And Venus to worship, as hir wele awe, 2988 As ho heghly hade het for helping before. This Sitheria, for sothe, from þe same yle Of Menelay pe mighty was but a mene spas, And he souerain hym selfe & pe soile aght. 2992 Tite, with outyn tariyng, atirit were all, Horses in haste & to hond brought ; The lady full louely was lifte vppon on, A palfray of prise, prudly atyrit, 2996 And glod on full gayly, pe gaynist to the bonke. And were set ouer soundly into the same yle At the temple she 3000 In hir atire to be tempull tomly ho yode, Tidings of her arrival reach Paris: he enters the temple, (fol. 48 a.) and is entranced with her beauty. 3004 Ho segh not pat semly, pen set hir to ground And proffert hir prayers to pe prise goddes. These tythandes full titely told were to Parys, bat honerable Elan was entrid in þe tempull, 3008 Menelay mody wife þat he most louyt. He araiet hym full riolly with a route noble, And past thurgh pe prese into pe proud tempull He was enformyt before of þat fre lady, 3012 bat ho to Castor pe kyng accounttid was euon, And to Pollux: pure suster pristly to bothe. Of hir fairehede feltymes hade pe freike herd. ffro he be semly hade sene he set so his egh, |