PARIS AND HELEN. 3344 And let you be led vnto this lond hydur, þat suche a chaunge shuld you chefe to a choise febill; And don fro delites depely to angur, Noght abundonet in blis ne blithe in your hert? 3348 Trowe ye not Troy is tore of all godis, Book VII. for Troy has double of the As plaintiouse in yche place as pe prouynse of delights and Achaia, At is doublit of delitis & druris at all? Ne trawes not, tru lady, þat I take wolde 3352 Thy ladyship to losse, ne in lust holde. Thou shalt haue riches more Rife, & Ranker of han any lady in þi land, leue me for sothe; And more likandly lyf & pi lust haue, 3356 Bothe in weile & in worship, as a wee noble. 3360 To lede with pi lyf as a leale spouse. This I purpos me plainly in pleasauns of goddes, Vnder Sacramen solempne, your souerain to be; And so lede pe with likyng to my lyues end. 3364 Suppos not þi seluyn, ne for sothe holde, hof pou left haue a litle lond lightly at home, gallantries of Achaia. 109 ("druery," love, gallantry.) And I, more powerful than him you had, shall wed thee. þat þou ne hertely shall haue here a well larger, All this larger And pi chaunge to chefe choisly the bettur; 3368 Syn Asia is auenond of yles ynow, þat are attendant to Troy with tresour ynogh, Ne of dedis so doughti þe dayes in his lyue, 3376 With hete of pi hegh loue, pat my hert warmys; and better shall bow to thy will. Sorrow not for a master who is not to be compared with me in nobility and doughty deeds. (fol. 53 b.) Book VII. Dry your tears, and be comforted by ine." "Who could restrain their tears, &c. But since it must be, I shall do so" And of hym, pat pou hopis most hertely be louys, 3380 Wond of þi weping, whipe vp pi teris; This I pray pe full prestly with all my pure 3384 pat pou hede me with heryng, & my hest kepe." ELAN. Than answared pat honerable onestly agayne:— "Who might stithly absteyne, or stable of teris, bat prestly were pricket with paynes so fele, 3388 And with sorow ouerset sothely as I? But syn hit now bes non other nomly of me, 3392 Ne of power to put of, ne of playn strenght." At the prayer of Parys and his prise wordys. When pat semely was sesit & sorow for-yetyn, Paris leaves her. 3396 The lorde toke leue with full lowe speche, And went fro þat worthy his weghis vntill. At supper he serves her. Next day, splendidly arrayed, When yt seyit to Sopertyme he seruyt hir well 3400 And cherisshed hir full choisly with chere of When the derke was done, & the day comyn, Parys full pristly with preciouse araye, Worshippit þat worthy in wedys full riche, 3404 As qwemet for a qwene & qwaintly atyret, þat Priam hade purueit & to pe place sent. He broght furth pat bright with buernys full nobill, THE PROGRESS TO TROY. To a palfray of prise full prudly arayet; 3408 Set hir in a sadill serklyt with golde, ffret ouer with fyne perle fresshist of hew, With a bridell full bright, bothe of a sewte. Other tulkes, þat were takyn, atiret were alse 3412 Hastely on horses, as hor astate askit, A company clene of knightes hom with; 3416 Antenor, Eneas, all other grete, Polidamas pe pert, & payones ynow, All arayet in a Rowte ryden to be qwene; Worshippit þat worthy & wenton all samyn. 3420 Turnet fro tenydon, taryt no lengur, Soberly a soft pas samyn þai rode, And er þai comyn to courte pis cumpany faire, 3424 Priam full prudly with mony pert knightes, To welcom to pat worthy went on pere gate, Obeit þat bright all with blithe chere ; With worship & wyn welcomyt þe grete; 111 Book VII. mounted on a palfrey, (fol. 54 a.) and surrounded with a gorgeous company, Paris conducts her to the court of Priam. (Paeonians.) Priam and his knights come forth to welcome her. 3432 At the burghe were abyding withoute the brode At the gates of zate Gret plenty of pepull, all the place full,— So mony on molde was meruell to se; With synging, & solas, and sitals amonge; 3436 With myrthes of mynstralsy, musike with all ; Daunsyng of Damsele, Dynnyng of trumpys, With A ledy full lusti & lykyng to here. HERE HE DO TIDE! Priam, the prise kyng, prestly down light, the city the people welcome her with music, minstrelsy, and dances. Priau alights, Book VII. and leads her palfrey into the' city, and on to his palace. (fol. 54 b.) He conducts her to her apartments. 3440 And was first vpon fote of all of his fresshe knightes. He raght to the reynes of þe riche qwene, Softe into pe Cité hym seluyn with honde Vp into ylion with honour ynogh; 3448 And toke hir full tite into a triet chamber, Rejoicings in the 3452 With myrthes, & melody, & mony gret feste, ffor ioy of pis iornay and pis gentill lady; city. On the second day after, Paris and Helen are married in the temple of Apollo. The citizens are feasted for eight days. And þat Parys in point repairit was home 3456 And lyuys in hor lykyng þe long night ouer, All the grete were gedret, as hom grase felle: 3460 At Appolynes owne tempull after were weddit. out; And double fest þat day derely was holdyn, 3464 With all pe reuell & riolté þat Renkes couthe deuise, hat enduret by-dene with daintes at wille, Aght dayes ouer all after the dede. When Cassandra hade knowyng how pe case stode, 3468 pat the mariage was made po mighty betwene, She brast out in a birre, bale to be-holde. With a mighty noise, noye for to here, THE WAIL OF CASSANDRA. 3472 With sykyng & sorow said on this wise : "A! fonnet folke, why fare thus now, With solas full sore, and sanges of myrthe, At the weddyng of the weghes, pat shall to wo turne. 3476 With hardlayke & harme, pat happyn shall after, Ye dowtles mun degh for dedes of po two; And your fryndes full fey fallyn to ground, Your sonys be slayne in sight of your ene; 3480 Your husbandes hewen with hondys in pesis, Book VII. Cassandra's 113 lamentation, and forebodings. (fol. 55 a.) Wyues made wedowys, & wayling for euer. A! Modris so mylde, what myschefe is to you ! The hard dethe is you dight, þat ye doute litle ! 3496 Why wrought ye so wantonly in your wilde yre? fforto rauysshe vnrightwisely pis riche out of Grece, ffro a man þat neuer mys did to pis mene lond. Why haste ye not heturly to haue hir agayne, 3500 And restore hir stithly to hir strenght hom, To hir lorde pat is lell & no lede harmys? Venions and vile dethe to voide fro pis Rewme, Er ye with swerdis in swym be swongon to ground. matrons, Hecuba and her children, the people, |