Book XXI. keep the body of Hector without corruption, and without sepulture. They erect a rich tabernacle on four pillars of gold, adorned with images of angels, and gleaming with precious stones. (fol. 135 b.) Above the tabernacle they 8728 He fraynet at po fre, with a fyn wille, How the korse might be keppit in his kynd holl, ffresshe, vndefacede, & in fyne hew, As a lede vpon lyue, likyng to se; Then po maisturs gert make a meruelous toumhe, At the prayer of Priam, of a prise werke, 8736 Beside Tiberian, þat in Troy was a triet yate, ffoundit full faire fele yeres past. There set was full solenly besyde the high aulter, A tabernacle triet & tristyly wroght, 8740 Of foure pillers vp pight all of pure gold: Hit was atiryt vmb the top all with triet stones, As beamys of bright sun, þat braunchis olofte, This tabernacle tristy was tyrit on hegh, 8752 Vpon cristall full clere, clustrit with greses, As a gate fro the ground to the gay herse: hat weghes might walke & waite perapon. Aboue on pis bright, as the boke sayes, set a great image 8756 Thos maisturs gert make a meruelous ymage, of gold, representing Hector menacing the Greeks with a naked sword. All grauen of gold, a gret & a longe, Amyt after Ector, abill of shap, With a noble sword & a nait naked in his hond, 8760 Vp holdand on high as he þat wold stryke : Turnyt to the tenttes of the tore grekes, THE EMBALMING. With a lyuely loke, ledis to be-hold: The same fawchon full fell, þat þe freke bere, 8764 þat had greuit mony grekes, & to ground broght, Hit was burnisshed full bright & of blade kene; And in mynd of þat man for manas was holdyn. The body of pat bold, as buerne vppon lyue, 8768 Was full solemly set in a scate vnder, 285 Book XXI. They set the body of Hector under the tabernacle; and Ymydward the mayne towmbe with maistres arrange it that deuyse. All the feturs of pat fre, fresshe to be-hold, Iche lede on to loke, lemys & other 8772 All set for to se, saue the fete one, In soche apparell full pure, as the prince vsit. pan po maisturs gert make, amyddes his hede, A hole purgh his herne-pon hertely by craft; 8776 There-in put was a pipe, with a prise oyntment Of bavme & of balsamom, þat brethede full swete, With oper maters mynget, pat most were of strenght, Conseruatours by craft, þat cointly were made. 8780 The bavme purghe his brayn all on brod ran, And the forhed before fresshly within; So hit entrid to pe Ene, & evyn to his nase, And so be craft & by course come to his chekes, 8784 Goyng to his gomys and the ground of his tethe, bat keppit hom be crafte all in clene vertue. So the face of pat freike was fresshe to be-hold, With the here on his hede, pat hogely was 8788 mekyll, it might seem to be still alive. They cause a fine ointment to drop into the head, and flow all over the body to preserve it. (fol. 130 a.) By this means the face and features of the hero are kept fresh and life And grew fro the ground, þat gomys might like. know, As a lede vpon lyue; lefe if ye will! ffro thethen the lycour belyue launchit doun evyn, Thurgh the goters of his gorge, & the grete pype, 8792 To the brest of the buerne and the bare shulders; Book XXI. So also the arms and hands, legs and feet. They set round the body four lamps of gold, whose fire could never be extinguished. (fol. 133 b.) To this temple Priam appoints many priests, and rich endowments. And past so by proces to his prise armys, Bret thurgh the bones and the big senowis, Euer folowand the fell to pe fyngur endys. 8796 So hit soght to the sydes & serchit with-in, And keppit hom full cleane in hor kynd hew, bat as a lede vpon lyue to loke on þai ware. ben hit sewit furth soberly, & sanke fro aboue, 8800 By the lyndes of the lede, to the leell theghes, Passond by poris into pe pure legges ; And so, be corse of the craft, com to his fete. In whiche fete pere was formyt fresshly another, 8804 ffull of bawme þat was bright, & of brethe noble. Thus keppit was this corse of the clene prinse, As a lede vpon lyue a full long tyme. ben pos maisters gert make, all with mayn 8808 ffovre lampis full light, ledis to beholde, Then Priam, the prise kyng, puruait to leng 8820 Mony seruondis full solemne in the same temple, Of prestes to pray, and pure men of lyffe, He gafe Renttes full Rife, & myche Ranke godis, 8824 All po ledis on to lyf, þat longit perto, Bothe prestes and prise clerkes prudly to fynd. THE COUNSEL OF AGAMEMNON. 287 THE COUNSAILL OF AGAMINON AFTER THE DETHE OF 8828 ECTOR. When Ector done was to dethe, & his day past, lyffe, All the grete of the grekes gedrit were sone, sent. Thus he spake for his spede his specials vnto :— Book XXI. Agamemnon 8832 And proly, me thinke, we thanke shuld oure their gods for goddes, þat hase grauntid vs pat grace of pe gome Ector, To be drepit to dethe thurgh dughty Achilles. ffor, while the lede was on lyf, & his lymes holl, 8836 We hade hertely no hope here for to spede, Yonder toun for to take, ne tene hom within, Ne in this lond, at our lust, lykyng to haue. Hector's death: ffor he hase kyld of our kynges, to count hom for he had slain by nome, 8840 Prothesselon, Patroculus, & Policene alse; Myrion the mighty, & the mayn Sedymon ; Prothenor the pert, & the prinse Xancipun. Alphenor the fuerse flung he to dethe; 8844 Archillagon the choise choppit to ground; Domen the doughty, & derf Polexenas; Isum, also, abill of his dedys. Polipheten, a prise mon, he put out of lyue; 8848 Letabion on the laund pere left he for ded; broght. so many of the Greeks and their allies. Syn he be destany is dede, what dem þar vs ellus, And now that he 8852 All the pepull to pyne put, and dethe at oure lust? is dead, Troy and the Trojans will be easily taken. (fol. 137 a.) Book XXI. That they should send to Priam to obtain a truce for two months, that their dead may be buried and their wounded healed. ('Soundismen,'= sondesmen, messengers.) 8860 And pat shall douteles be done in dayes a few. 8856 Hit is best þat we byde, barly, me thinke, Priam grants the 8868 And he grauntid vngright with a good chere, truce. Palamedes murmurs against Agamemnou. Agamemnon replies ; "I never even desired the command of the Greek forces; nor have I any profit thereby. Within the tyme of þis tru, as the trety sais, Palomydon the proud kyng playnet hym ofte, 8872 Of Agamynons gouernaunce in a grete yre. And as hit tid on a tyme, pes triet kynges hoole Were somyn at a semly the souerain before, Palomydon put hym full prestly to say, 8876 And meuit of his mater, þat I mynnet are. pan Agamynon, full godely, agayn to hym said, Before po kynges in comyn on a cleane wise:"Now Palomydon, pure ffrende, pertly I aske, 8880 Whethur pou hope it in hert, or hold in þi mynd, That I am glad of pis gouernaunce, to be gyde here: Syn I with prayer, ne with pursuet, preset not peraftur, Ne desyret hit in dede pe dayes of my liffe. 8884 Ne neuer fortherit me a ferthing to fylsy my goodes; |