A PROVERB. With daunger and drede of a dede hate, Book VI. (fol. 345.) 69 "The injury was 2068 hat wold 3epely haue bene forzeton in yeres a few, light and long 2072 2076 And neuer menit with mowthe but purgh mishap. And oft happes to hit qwo so hede tas :— past." "You have forgot the proverbs: "He pat girdis with grete yre his grem for to Vengeance often venge, Ofte shapis hym to shote into shame ferre, With hoge harmes to haue, & his hert sarre. brings greater shame.' high should not stir too quickly.' 'He that is low needs fear no fall.' "He þat stalworthly stondes, stir not too swithe, He that stands Lest he faile of his fotyng and a falle haue;" ffor he pat set is full sad on a soile euyn, And pight has his place on a playn ground, 2080 Hym þar not hede to be hurt with no hegh falle, Ne be lost purgh his lip to pe low erthe. But pou put þe, priam, to so proude Aunter, ffor to heuyn on þi harme in a hegh yre; 2084 And þi fall was so fuerse with so fele other. Thy Cité and pi soile sesit of þi hond; Thow dungen to dethe, and þi dere sonse;— 2088 Thurgh vnwarnes of wit pat pi wirdis cast, 2092 Now what felle pe be fortune, & pi fre pepull, Priam by purpos a perlament assignet, 2096 And gedrit all pe grete in his grym yre : But Priam, when in a rage, you determined to exalt yourself, and you lost all." Now to my Priam calls a parliament of his lords, Book VI. 2100 2104 2108 Then carpes the kyng and his cause tellus, Ys knowen to pis company be course of his tale. Ne the wronges pai wroght, ne wille to amend; But with sklaunder and skorne to skather agayn, 2112 In pere pompe and pere pride & pere pure angur. Our goddes with grace get vs perfro! hat neuer vs happon so hard with hom to be spit. God will noght, y wis, our wirdis enpaire, 2116 Soche dedis to redresse & our dethe voide. Let vs purpos a power pas into grese,-- 2120 And wreke we full wele of weghes full nobill. ffew folke to defende fro a fuerse ost; 2124 And are knightes in our cuntre kyddist in Armys, Wele viteld, y wis, for wintors ynow, THE COUNSEL ACCEPTED. Pas into pere prouyns, pray in hor londys, þat vnwarnyt of our werkes or hom wo happon. ffor to proffer our persons & our pure goodes, 2140 To venge of our velany and our vile harme, And our state to restore with strokes of hond. That a victor of a victe is vilé ouercomyn :— Book VI. 71 We may crush them before help can be obtained. Fear not the chance of war; for often the conqueror is over come by the conquered." QWEN the kyng had his counsell declaret to The council adopt the ende, 2148 Hit likit all the legis þat the lorde said; And affirmet it fast with pere fre wille, To proue with pere persons & paire pure goodes. 2152 ponket hom proly, prappit no lengur ; ffull glad of the graunt with a great joye, More feruent to fight, fuerser in hert, Myche comforth he caght of paire kynd speche:2156 And pus pertid pe persons & presset to pere ynnes. OFF COUNSELL OF THE KINGES CHILDREN. the proposal, and Priam, glad at heart, thanks them. When the pepull was depertid & the presse The council voidet, having been dismissed, the king consults with his Saue the kyng and pe courtte with his clene court and family. childur, bat he wan on his wiffe, as ye wist ere, 2160 And other sonnes vpon syde all with faire wemen. Book VI. His sons standing 2164 round him, Priam with tears addresses. (fol. 36 a.) "Do not the wrongs of your house sink into your soul? It will be the shame of our life if we do not avenge them. It grieves me, kind children, that you should be sorry for my sake. And thou, Hector, my son, mine heir, ablest and boldest!--thou shouldest 'hede to my harmes and pursew to my purpos,' ban Ector was one, as aunter befelle, ffro the parties of payeme present at home, And when pe sons all somyn were the Syre Euyn stondyng full still, as paire astate askyt, 2168 Sobbyng and sikyng, Syling of terys. 2172 "Now synkes not in your sowle pe sorow of your graunser, And the dulfull dethe of your dere fryndes, strenght? Hit is lure of our lyues, and we let sholde mayne ffor to wreke vs of wrathe for any wegh oute. 2176 And ye þat are 3epe knightes, & in yowthe alse, Shuld highly take hede in hert for to venge The slaght of pe souerayne, þat was my sure 2180 pat greuys me full gretly, & to ground bringes, Hit shuld come you by course, as of kynd childer, To be sory for my sake, & soner þen I; 2184 2188 And part-taker of my payne with prickyng in hert. And pou my son, for sothe, sonest of other. TO ECTOR. Ector the eldist, and heire to my selfe,— HIS ANSWER. Pursew to my purpos, present myn astate; 2196 Book VI. 73 Thy brothers As storest of strenght to stightill thy foose, may. This burthen pou beire shall, bigger þen I, I graunt thee pe gouernaunse of his gret mode, THE ONSUARE AND THE COUNSELL OF ECTOR TO PRIAM When Priam hade his prologe preched to ende, 2208 Ector hym answarede esely and faire, With wordys full wise vnto his wale kyng, Vnder shadow of shame shewed in his chere."Most worshipfull fader, & my fre kyng! 2212 Hit is kendly by course & custome of men, þat any hardlaike has, or a hede shame, ffor to wreke in hor wrathe of wranges before. Armys, 2216 Take harme, other hethyng, or hurtys vnzoldyn, Of any erdyng in erthe euenyng to vs, Hit were shortly a shame & a shire greme. I commit this undertaking to thou shalt bear the burden of it!" (fol. 36 b.) "Most worshipful father! men who have any hardship, or cause for shame, seek revenge. And if we, who are worthy, take an insult from any equal on earth, it would be, indeed, a shame. |