CALCHAS TO THE GREEKS. 149 wait when all are may be some traitors among your deeds. him to collect his allies to withstand you. Is not the cause of your comyng with company Book XI. grete, To turne vuto Troy, þat you tenit has, 4568 And are opunly your enmys, & euermore you noies ? Why tary ye so tomly, & turnys not furthe? Why then do ye tarry so long? And are redy to be rode, & restis bus lenge? Here-as all thing is ordant, hit angris to abide, It is foolish to 4572 Or tary ouer a tyme, when tulkes ben redy. ready. Ne hope ye not highly, þat here are sum fals, Besides, there And aspies your spede with spit þat þai may, you, who may To write to pat wale kyng your werkes by-den? inform Priam of 4576 bis fenyond fare is forthoryng to hom, This delay allows Of kynges & knightes in contres abowte; 4580 Syn ye haue tarit ouer tyme tomly at home, wenge. Mony wekes are went & þis wale somur, Troy. Many 4584 And monythes full meuyt of be mylde aire, by, and months Of seasonable sailyng of þe salt water, Syn winter was went & windes were lithe; The course of the colde see calmyt with all, 4588 Beforus with softe wyndes soberly blew, Planettes in the pure aire pullishet full clene, (fol. 72 a.) Why lose all this 4592 When ye might soberly haue sailet, & set on time ? your fos, And haue flayet the freikes with your felle hast? terror into your When tythandes hade ben tolde of soche a tore delay only pepull, Hit wold haue noyet hom anon pe nomburto here. 4596 Thoche tarying ouer tyme turnys hom to ioy, And hertis hom highly to hold you for faint. You should have gone direct to weeks of this summer are gone of seasonable weather for your fleet. A sudden attack would have struck enemies: but this emboldens them. Book XI, not fulfil their Ne hope ye not hertely be hest of your goddes Your gods will Wilbe faithly fulfilled, & not faile of. promise of success 4600 But if ye tary ouer tyme pai tene hom pereat, if ye tarry: they will turn against And in case to pe contrary cast your auentur ; you. Worse. Therefore take heart; haste to sea, and follow to your foes. Rest no longer." The counsel of Calchas is accepted, and Agamemnon orders that the fleet be made ready to sail. Herfore hefe vp your hertis ; hast you to saile; 4604 Sette furthe to þe se ; sitte no lengur. Has harnes ouer hacche; highes in ancer; yours, This is clerely my counsell, kithe if you list !" Iche lede hym alowet, þat listnet his wordes ; 4612 And his counsell to kepe keston hom all. Agamynon the gret his gomys did warne, fforto pas into port & pull vp hor sailes, All the company enclinet, cairyn to ship; Sesit vp hor sailes in a sad hast; Hokit out of hauyn, all the hepe somyn Sailyn forthe soberly, somyn but a while, The fleet departs from Athens (fol. 72 6.) A STORME ON THE SE. The wind rises ; the clouds are overcast; When sodenly the softe aire vnsoberly rose; Wyndes full wodely walt vp the ythes ; Thunret in the thestur throly with all ; darkness comes down, with thunder and lightning, and a fierce rain. Book XI. all are in terror of their lives. it is the wrath of and counsels that the fleet be steered With a launchant laite lightonyd the water; And a Ropand rayne raiked fro the heuyn. 4632 The storme was full stithe with mony stout The waves rise like hills; and windes, Hit walt vp the wilde se vppon wan hilles. The ffolke was so ferd, þat on flete were, All drede for to drowne with dryft of the se; 4636 And in perell were put all the proude kynges. Then Calcas the curset, þat come out of Troy, Calchas declares the gods; fro sothe. into Aulis, in Into the Ile of Awlida,—all men to gedur, There Diana the dere ys duly honourt, make. holde." All turnyt þaire tacle with trussyng of sailes, followed, and the Into Awlida þe yle, to honour Diana, 4656 bat was fast by the flete but a forlonge. Agamynon in grete hast gird to the lond, Agamemnon Diana, and (fol. 73 a.) To Diana full derely did his honowre, 4660 With Sacrifice full solempne & mony sad gistes, And worshippet þat worthy as a wale goddes. order that Agamemnon may appease Diana. The advice of fleet is steered sacrifices to Book XI. the storm abates. The fleet sails to the coast of Troy, and casts anchor under the castle of Saracbla. The garrison attempts to drive off the Greeks : but in vain. Then the se wex sober, sesit the wyndis; Calme was the course, clensit the aire ; The bremnes abatid ; blusshit the sun. And past fro þat port the pepull in fere ; Sailit on soundly as hom self list, And þere hyt into hauyn as hom happe felle, 4672 Vnder a castell of pe cuntre, þat cald was Sarac bla. There þai fastnet the flete & the furse shippes, ancres, And logget hoin to lenge in þat le hauyn. 4676 The kepars of the castell caghten þere armys, Wentten out wightly the water to kepe; To put of þat pepull pristly pai wend, bai with stode hom a stoure but it stad litle. Swappit hom with swordes till the swalt all. 4688 Comyn to the castell, (vnclose were the yatis, The cuntremen for to kepe as þai cum wold,) And all the fonnet folke fell to the dethe; Robbit pere riches, raght to bere shippes. Betyn doune the buyldynges to the bare erthe; 4696 Tokyn the tresure ; turnyt into hauyn. When bis castell was caght, kylled the pepull, The Greeks swarm to the shore; defeat the Trojaus; (To kepe, to receive,-to admit.) capture the castle ; pillage and destroy it. (fol. 73 6.) Book XI. The fleet then sails to Tenedoe, And all the shalkes to ship with the shene godes, hai past fro þat port with pillage pai hade, 4700 And turnyt vnto tenydon, taryt no lengur. bere arof all the rowte with pere Ranke shippes, Let sailes doune slide ; slippit into botes ; first. At this tenydon truly was a tried castell, where there was a strong castle, Wele wroght for the werre with walles full well garrisoned and supplied. stronge ; 4708 Evyn fild full of folke, fuerse men & noble, And Riches full Rife, Ranke men with in ; (Hit was sothely but sex myle fro the Cité euyn, selfe, The Trojans turn 4716 Wenton out wightly wale men of armys, And bateld hom on the banke as hom best thught. Greeks, who had now landed When the Grekes were gethurt & to ground comen, Mony fightyng folke in a fuerse nowmbur, 4720 The pepull with hor power put hom agayne, And foght with hom felly, þof pai few were. Mony deid by-dene of the derfe grekes; 4724 And Troiens with tеne tynt of hor pepull, But not so fele at þe first as of the ferre side. but the Greeks, enraged at their Oppresset hom with payne & preset þereafter ; loss, and encour4728 ffought full felly, and fele were pere pai slayne : arrival of fresh Of the Troiens pat tyme bands, press the nt were pe mo. Trojans, (fol. 74 a.) out to defend their castle against the A fierce battle ensues, and many fall on both sides; aged by the |