Book VII.

this or pass on ?"

Priam, our prise kyng, may prestly suppose
His suster to sese, sent by eschaunge,

And his couetyng to cacche because of pat
bright.

Shall we attempt 3184 Lokys now lyuely! what list you to do?
To melle in pis mater, or to meue ferre?
And assai if we suffise our seluyn of might,

All assent.

They arm and proceed to the temple, which they surround.

Yf we put vs to pillage, er we pyne pole."

3188 At pe last, when the lede hade left of his speche, ffele of pe folke febull it thughten;

But yche lede by the last aliet perto,

And assentid to his saw, & suet his rede.

3192 When counsell was kaght of knightes & oper,
And all things examynt, so aunter befell,
The neght drow negh anon vppon þis,

And the mone in the merke myghtely shone,
3196 As come it by course, & cast a gret light.
pai armyt hom at all peces abill to werre;
To the tempull full tite token þere gate,
Prayen & piken all the pure godes;

3200 Affrayet the folke fuersly by dene,
Sesit & slogh, slongen to ground;

Grippit the godys and the gay ladys,
And all the company clene closit hom within.

Paris seizes Helen 3204 Parys pen presit to pe proude qwene,

and carries her to

his ship.

(fol. 51 a.)

Returning to the temple, he aids in the pillage.

(MS. has 'uppon none")

And sesit hir sone, as hir assent was;
Led hir furth lyuely, lefte hir in shippe

Vnder sight of sure men set hir to kepe:

3208 And to the tempull full tyte turnyt agayne,
To rob of pe Riches, and Renkes to helpe.
Clamour & crie was Comyns amonge,
Hoge noise for pe nonest in night for to here;
3212 Lelly of the ladies, pat leuer were degh
þan be led out of lande, lowde was þe noise.
The noise vpponone neghit to pe Eris
Of Soudiours besyde in a sure castell,

THE RAVISHING OF HELEN.

3216 That the tempull was taken & tulkes perin,
And sum þat were slayne & slungen to ground.
By frekys pat fled for ferd to pe holde,
Distracte were pai stithly, & stonyt by dene,
3220 And braid to pere bright gere, buskit hom furthe:

105

Book VII.

The soudiours by assent soghten to be tempull. Soldiers to the
In the castell were a cumpany, kyd men of

Armys,

þat enfourmet were of fyght, & the fet couthe 3224 bai turnyt to the troiens, tarit hom longe,

ffoghten with hom felly, frusshit hom abake; Hopit with hondis to hew hom to dethe, Prisoners to pike, & the pray lyuer. 3228 ffell was þe fight po fuerse men betwene,

;

Mony derfe pere deghit, & dungen to ground; But the Troiens were Torer & tentymes moo, And greuit the Grekes gretly with strokys; 3232 Oppressit hom with pyne, put hom to flight, ffolowed hom fuersly, felle hom with swerdys, Till pai come to pere castell & caght hade pere strenght.

Then turnyt the Troiens, tariet no lengur, 3236 And went vnto water with pere wale godys : Lefte noght vnlaght þat lykyng was in. Myche Riches full Rife and relikes ynow, bai shot into shippe: the sheltrun to-gedur, 3240 þat fild were with folke & fyne gold to wale,

Sesit vp pere sailes, set hom to wyndes.
Cairet on the colde ythes cogges & other,
Aght dayes be-dene & the derke nightes,
3244 Till pai comyn by course to the cuntre of Troy;
Hit hom into hauyn, as hom hap shope,

At the castell, pat cald was kyndly by name,
Tenydon, and tomly tariet pere in;

3248 pat sothely was sex myle fro the cité euyn.

rescue.

The Trojans victorious pursue them to their castle.

The Trojans return to their ships;

(fol. 51 b.)

collect their

spoil; and set sail,

They arrive at
Tenedos.

Book VII.

Paris sends a message to the king.

There arofe all the Rowte & restid a whyle,
And were welcom, I wis, as weghes to pere owne;
Honourt with all men, as pere astate wolde.

3252 Parys full pristly puruait a message,

And sent to his souerain in a sad haste,

Of thies tithandes to telle how hom tyde hade.
The messanger maynly meuyt to the kyng

3256 To Troy, or he turne wolde, and told hym in
haste,

bat his sons were in sound & hor sute holl
At Tenydon; and told how hom tyde hade,
As hym seluyn hade sene, þat sothely was pere.

Priam, "proud of 3260 Pryam was proude of these pert dedis,—

these pert deeds,"

calls the nobles to

a feast.

(MS. has "hym")

Helen and her ladies bewail their fate.

(fol. 52 a.)

3264

The fainest freike in faithe pat on fote yode,—
And gedrit with gamyn the grettist of Troye,
And sum of the Citizens assemblit with all;
ffestid hom faire frely with hym,

And tolde hom pose tythinges tomly to end:
All maden þai mery & mekyll ioye haden.
As Parys and his pepull were in hor pride samyn,
3268 At Tenydon pat tyme talkyng to gedur,

Hit Auntrid þat Elan, with other of hir lede
þat were takon in the tempull, as I tolde first,
Were sorowfull sobbyng with syling of Teres;
3272 All tourniet with tene, tremblit in hert,
Wailyng & weping, wringyng of hondys.
Hit was pité to the pepull the pyn pat ho polet,
And said in hir sikyng with a softe speche:-
3276 "A! my husband full hynd, & my hede brother!
My Doughter, my Derlynge, & my dere rewme!
Whethur I se you in solas or in sound euer."

TO LATE.

pus bemournet full mekull & no meite toke, 3280 But with care & complaint, comford away. Parys hade pyté hir payne for to se,

PARIS AND HELEN.

On pat lady, his loue, with langour & wo.

107

Book VII.

comfort her; but

He kairet to pat comly with comfortable wordys, Paris tries to 3284 And menyt hir in maner hir mournyng to voide; in vain. Yet sesit not hir sorow for solas of hym.

Ne noght glad of pat geste, but greatly anoyet, Paris greuit at þat grete & gird out in yre; 3288 Saide hir full soberly sittyng these wordes :— "What lyffe is pis, lady, to lede on þis wise? Noght sesyng of sorow, & sobbyng vnfaire

On dayes to Endure, with drouping on nightes. 3292 Who sothely might suffer pe sorow pat pou

mase,

With care & with complaint comynly ay:

Lamentacoun & langour the long night ouer?
Thus tourment with tene, & tides non end,

3296 Ne hopis pou not it harmys, & thy hew chaunges;
And enpaires thy person, & proffettes no more?"

THE WORDES BETWENE PARYS & ELAN AT TENYDON

IN THE CASTELL.

In faithe the burde fell of falling of terys."And pou drunkyn hade dewly as mony du sopis, 3300 As shottes of shire water has shot fro pin ene, Thou faithfully were fillid vnto pi faire swyre. Therfore, lady, & it like you, lighten your chere; Comford you kyndly, kacches sum rest ;

3304 ffor in this riall Reme of my riche fader,

Ne faute shall ye ffynde, ne your fre buernes.
Tho truly þat are takon and temyn to you,

He then chides her for such

grief.

("swyre," the neck.)

(fol. 52 b.)

("temyn to you,” that belong to

Shalbe plesit with plenty at pere playne wille, your suite.)

3308 And haue riches full ryfe: red ye non oþer.

How great and honoured she

And ye sothely, your selfe, souerain of all,
Shalbe worshipped worthely & your wille haue, will be.

And honouret of all men as your astate shuld ; 3312 To be gouernet in your grettenes, most godely

of other,

Book VII.

Helen replies:—

"Full well I know I must

subinit to your

will," &c.

3316

All daintes to you dight, þat are dere holdyn,
Plaintiouse in yche place, as a prise qwene;
And all your ledys deliuert and lose out of
bandys;

At your comaundement clene all your choise
pepull;

And lyue in pis lond with lustes at ease,

Alse syker and sure als pai set were at home.” pen onswared Elan easely agayne,

:

3320 And driet the dropis of hir dregh teris :-
"I wot, sir, witterly, will I or noght,
Your wille I moste wirke, waite I non other;
Syn weikenes of wemen may not wele stryve,
3324 Ne haue no might tawardes men maistries to
fend :

And nomely in an unkythe lond nedys hom so.
And what daunger or dysese þat done is vs here,
Auther me or to myne at this myschefe,
3328 Hit may happon you in haste haue suche another.
Thurgh giftes of our goddys, þat vs grace leuys,
We most suffer all hor senndes, & soberly take."
Than Parys with plesaunce apperit agayne :-
"Dere lady full leell! your lykyng to do,
And all your wille forto wirke, yche wegh shall."
ben he hent hir by the hond hastely there,
And a littyll agayne lust lifte hir vp swithe;
He leads her into 3336 Silet furth with pat semly & hir sute leuyt,

another room that

they may be by

themselves.

(fol. 58 a.) "Your gods

have not sent you

here as a punishment;

3332

Into a place well appareld all with prise clothes, And moche onestly ordainit for esmint of hir: pat po souerains by hom selfe might say what hom liket,

3340 Aither vnto other as onesty wolde.

:

pen Parys to pat pure pertly can say :-
'Hope ye now, hynde Lady, pat your hegh

goddis

Haue put you to pis prouynse pyne for to thole;