Book XXVI. (fol. 159 a.) Truly, if any robleness had been in him, he could not have treated Troilus as he did. But a M. pro knightes prong hym aboute, þat noyet þat noble, & naked his hede, 10348 And shamfully a shent mon he shope to the dethe. There he found no defens, ne fightyng agayne; But as a ded mon to deme, pat deiret no wight. 10352 But as a caiteff, a coward, no knighthode at all. As pou writis in pi wordes, or were to alow 10360 Or gentilnes iugget iustly his werkes, When Paris persayuit the plit of his brother, Grief and mourn 10364 How he was dolfully ded, and drawen in the ost, ing for Troilus: the Trojans, striving to recover his body, are driven back. King Memnon presses to Achilles: reproaches him for his ignoble conduct: Ofte he swonet for swym, as he swelt wold; And myche dole was pat day, pe Duke to behold. 10368 ffor the body of pat bold with baret was slayne, But the grekes were so grym, þai gird hom abake, euyll. 10372 The mighty kyng Menon mikill sorow hade; ffor pe dethe of pat dere with dole at his hert, He chefe to Achilles with a chere felle And warpit þes wordis in a wild yre :— 10376 "Thou traytor vntru, þat trust was in neuer, ffor shame may pou shunt, as shent of all knightes! THE BODY OF TROILUS. How found pou þat filthe in þi fals wille, Of so dogget a dede in þi derf hert, 10380 So worshipfull a wegh, & worthiest of blode, þat is comyn of a kyng, the clennest on lyue, To tegh as a traytor, and traile vpon þe erthe, And hurle at þi horse taile in hethyng of vs? 10384 Leue me now lelly all þi lyfe after, 339 Book XXVI. Neuer kepis pu pi corse out of cold angur." fol. 159 b.) ben þe kyng at hym caupit with a kene speire, hurls at him with Hurt hym full hidusly, harmyt hym sore, 10388 hat bisi was pe buerne to bide in his sadill, Or olofte for to lenge in his large sete. ben he swange out a sword swicly with pat, Hurlit thurgh þe helme, hade hym to ground: 10392 With a wound þat was wikkid walt of his horse, Half lyueles on the laund light vnder fote. pen þe troiens with tene tokyn þe body Of Troiell, pe tru knight, & to toun led. 10396 be Mirmydons paire maistur, masit on pe grene, Horsit hym in haste, hade hym a lofte. 10400 And he fore to pe fight with a fell wyll, Machit hym monly to Menon pe kyng And he keppit hym full kenly: pai caupit to- Menon was myghtier, & met on hym so, 10404 þat he greuit pe greke, and geue hym þe worse. ben þe batels come bigli vppon bothe haluys, Sundrit hom sone, pai soghtyn in twyn. he day wex dym, droupit pe sun, 10408 be lyght wex lasse, and pe laik endit: Soghtyn to the sité, & sum to pe tentis, Then seuyn daies somyn, sothly þai met, his spear; then with a The body of Troilus is recovered. Achilles recovers, and again fights with Memnon. Night ends tho battle. Book XXVI. 10412 Bateld on bent as hom best likid. ffell was pe fight po fomen betwene, And mony derf þer was ded er þe daie past! be vij day sothly, saise me the lyne, Achilles instructs 10416 Achilles thurgh chaunse was cherit of his wond. King Menon to mare with Malys he poght, his Myrmidons to surround Memnon, and engage him till he come up. (fol. 160 a.) Combat between The Myrmidons surround Memnon; and Achilles steals upon him and cuts him down. He could not have slain him single-handed. And bounyt into batell with his buernes all. He meuyt to his Mirmydons in maner before, 10420 pe kyng to vmbcast, & close hym with-in; Asaile hym on yche side, til hym selfe come His vilany to venge, and his vile hurt. ben þe stour was full stithe, sturne men were slayn ; 10424 Buernes on pe bent blody be-ronen; And mony hathill, in pat hete, of his horse fell. THE DETHE OF MENON DE KYNG, BY ACHILLES VNMON FULLY SLAYN. Achilles hym chefe to pe choise Menon, 10428 he dentis of po derfe derit hom so, bat ayther light on pe laund, leuyt paire horse; Swange out swordys, swappit togedur; And ffelli on fote fughtyn þai bothe. 10432 pe Mirmydons to Menon myghtily pronge, Ne no rynk hym to rescow, but his ronk fos. 10436 pen Achilles come chaseond with a choise wepyn, Segh Menon with his men myghtilé holdyn: He stroke hym full stithly mony store dynt, Till he britnet pe buerne, & broght hym to deth. 10440 Hit was not lik pat pe lede, thurgh lust of hym one, Schuld haue killit pis kyng with his clen strenkith; DESPAIR OF THE TROJANS. Syn Menon with myght hade marrit hym ofte, bat ffro pe hede to pe hele pe hote blode ran : 10444 And he likkir be lost pen to lyue after. perfore ses of pi saghis, pou sore homer, hat writis of hym worchip, þat worthy is non; 10448 pat a-countid was kene, but with cast treson : Menelay with myght meuyt in þen, 10452 Diamed þe dughti, and derf Telamonius: þes gird in full grymli with a grete ost, ffrusshet to paire fos with a fell sthoure, Greuit hom gretly, gird hom to fote. 10456 ffull mony were marrit, & maymyt for euer ! pen ffled all in fere, and pe feld leuyt, Soghtyn to the Cité, with sorow pai hade. 341 Book XXVI. Menelaus, great company (fol. 160 b.) Theire fos on hom folowet, fell hom full thicke, 10460 Hew on with hard stele, hurt of hom þan, And mony kild on þe cliffe vnto cold dethe. hai wan in wightly, warpit to be yates, Barrit hom full bigly with boltes of yerne; 10464 Braid vp the brigges in a breme hast: The tothir to the tenttes turnyt agayne. pan was sorow in the Cité, sobbyng of teres, With Priam the prise kyng, & his pure wyfe; Trojans. 10468 Wailyng of wemen, weping of knightes, ffor the losse and the lure of pe lele childer, Deffibus the doghty, & the derf Troilus : 10472 Now dem þai no dede but the dethe pole ! pan Priam, the prise kyng, prestly did send To Agamynon the gret, for graunt of a tru: And he assentid full sone, asurit with hond, 10476 And affirmyt hit fast with a fyne othe. The grief and dismay of the Priam demands a truce; which is granted. Book XXVI. Sepulchres are Within the tyme of pe true, for troiell was made ffor Menon, the mighty, was made pere another, 10480 And the corse of pat cleane close[t] perein. Hecuba plans how to slay Achilles. She consults with Paris, (fol. 161 a.) and advises that he be slain, as he had slain her sons, treacherously. She proposes to THE DETHE OF ACHILLES IN THE TEMPLE, BY PARIS Within the tyme of þe tru, as the trety sayes, ffor the dethe of hir dere sonnes moche dole hade, 10492 pat falsly in fight are fellit by Achilles. ffirst, Ector with envy evill he dyssayuet, He has sere men send, and sadly me prayed, 10504 I will hete hym full hertely his hest for to kepe, A sonnd will I send by a sad frynd, On all wise in this world warn hym fro me, 10508 To Appollo pure temple pertly to come, |