PARIS AND HELEN. 3344 And let you be led vnto this lond hydur, þat suche a chaunge shuld you chefe to a choise 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, Thou shalt haue riches more Rife, & Ranker of for Troy has double of the As plaintiouse in yche place as pe prouynse of delights and gallantries of Achaia. Achaia, At is doublit of delitis & druris at all? Ne trawes not, tru lady, pat I take wolde 3352 Thy ladyship to losse, ne in lust holde. han any lady in þi land, leue me for sothe; And more likandly lyf & þi lust haue, 3356 Bothe in weile & in worship, as a wee noble. 109 And me, pat am mete & of more power ben hym pat pou hade and held for pi lorde, Wyuly to weld; & I the wed shall, 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, bat pou ne hertely shall haue here a well 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 pe dayes in his lyue, And I in longing am Laght & Lappit full sore 3376 With hete of þi hegh loue, þat my hert warmys; Book VII. ("druery," love, gallantry.) And I, more powerful than him you had, shall wed thee. All this larger and better kingdom shall bow to thy will. Sorrow not for a 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" At supper he serves her. Next day, splendidly arrayed, And of hym, þat pou hopis most hertely be louys, 3380 Wond of pi weping, whipe vp pi teris; Mene pe to myrthe, & mournyng for-sake, This I pray be full prestly with all my pure hert, 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, hat 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, At the prayer of Parys and his prise wordys. Paris leaves her. 3396 The lorde toke leue with full lowe speche, I shall appres me with pyne your prayer to here ; Syn me botis not barly your biddyng with stonde, 3392 Ne of power to put of, ne of playn strenght." ben ho sesit of sykyng, sobirt hir chere, And went fro þat worthy his weghis vntill. 3400 And cherisshed hir full choisly with chere of When the derke was done, & the day comyn, 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; Polidamas pe pert, & payones ynow, Euyn takand to Troy tomly o pere way. And er þai comyn to courte pis cumpany faire, To be lady, pat lege kyng, with a light wille, 3428 Past full pertly all with prise wordys; zate So Gret plenty of pepull, all the place full,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, 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.) Obeit þat bright all with blithe chere; With worship & wyn welcomyt pe grete; 3432 At the burghe were abyding withoute the brode At the gates of the city the people welcome her with music, minstrelsy, and dances. Priam and his knights come forth to welcome her. 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. On the second day after, Paris and Helen are married in the temple of Apollo. bere seruaundes full subiecte assingnet hir to: Rejoicings in the 3452 With myrthes, & melody, & mony gret feste, city. ffor ioy of þis iornay and pis gentill lady ; The citizens are feasted for eight days. 3440 And was first vpon fote of all of his fresshe knightes. He raght to the reynes of pe 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, -3456 And lyuys in hor lykyng þe long night ouer, The secund day suyng, sais me the lyne, All the grete were gedret, as hom grase felle: 3460 At Appolynes owne tempull after were weddit. pere made was pat mariage with myrthes ynow, With solempnite & sacrafice pe Cite thurghe 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, When Cassandra hade knowyng how pe case stode, 3468 pat the mariage was made po mighty betwene, THE WAIL OF CASSANDRA. 3472 With sykyng & sorow said on this wise :— turne. 3476 With hardlayke & harme, pat happyn shall Book VII. Cassandra's lamentation, and forebodings. after, Ye dowtles mun degh for dedes of po two ; (fol. 55 a.) matrons, 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, Wyues made wedowys, & wayling for euer. A! Troy, þat is tore with toures full hegh, Myche baret shall pou bide, & betyn to ground, Troy and its 3484 And be stithly destroyet, & pi strenght lost! A! Modris so mylde, what myschefe is to you! Moche care is to come to your cold hertys; Moche baret on your birthe you bese for to se ;— 3488 Dyssmembrit as marters, & murtheret to dethe, And the bowels out braide of hire bare sydes. A! Ecuba, pat euermore easely hase leuyt, What gretyng & gremy growes vnto pe? 3492 To se pi sones be slayne in sight of þin ene, And the blode of po blithe blent with the erthe! A balefull buernes, & full blynd pepull, The hard dethe is you dight, þat ye doute litle ! 3496 Why wrought ye so wantonly in your wilde yre? fforto rauysshe vnrightwisely þis 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? 113 Hecuba and her children, the people, |