OFF KING PRYAM & HIS CHILDREN. This Lamydon, þat was lord, hade a lefe son, Book IV. When his father away in a far land waging war with rebels. A pert man þat was prinse, & priam he hight; slain, Priam was To riche hym of Rebelles pat of pe rewme held; 1468 And to wyn it with werre, went pere a while 1472 By þat same hade he sonnes, semly men all, 1476 Ector was oldist & heire to hym seluyn; The prid was a pro knight, privand in Armys, By his wife Hecuba he had five sons and three daughters. His sons were, Paris, or Alexander, a famous archier. Deiphobus, 1484 The fourth was a philosoffer, a fyne man of lore, Helenus, a In þe Syense full sad of þe seuyn Artes. The fyfte of the fre, þat I first nemyt, Was Troylus the true, tristy in wer, 1488 That mykell worship wan, witnes ye of story. Of his Deghter by dene, pat were dere holdyn, One Creusa was cald kyndly by nome, bat Eneas afterward Elit to wed, 1492 þat spokyn is of specially in our spede after, After takyng of pe toune how hym tid þen. Boothsayer, (fol. 25 b.) and Troilus. The daughters were, Creusa, wife of Eneas, Book IV. 1496 Cassandra was cald, clennest of wytte, Cassandra, a prophetess, beautiful. hat Enformet was faire of pe fre artis, and Polyxena, the 1500 Polexena the pert, prise of all other; Besides these, Priam had thirty sous and other daughters, by concubines. Alse noble for be nonyst as nature cold deuyse 1504 This prise kyng Priam hade of pert childer, þat he gate in his gamen, goode men of Armys, And felle men in fight, as we shall fynd after. 1508 Now I turne to my tale & tary here a while. Here beginnys the Fyfte Boke: Of the Foundyng of New Troye and of the Qwerell of Kyng Priam for his flader dethe. (fol. 26 a.) As Priam lay he was informed about the destruction of Troy, and at once returned home. Now as pis kyng vmbe the Castell lay closit abute, With his folke all in fere & his fyn childur, He was enformyt of pe fare & of his fader dethe; 1512 How his towne was takon and tirnyt to grounde; before the castle His Suster sesyd and soght into syde londis; His knightes downe kylde vnto cold vrthe. Soche sikyng and sorow sanke in his hert, 1516 With pyté and complaint pyne for to here, He toke vp his tentes & the towne leuyt, Teght hom vnto Troy with tene pat he hade, Segh the buyldynges brent & beton to ground. 1520 Soche wo for þat werke pan þe wegh thowlit, þat all his wongys were wete for weping of teres, Thre dayes proly, with thriccing of hondys, And drowpet of dole as he degh wold. 1524 pen he sesit of sychen & his sorow voidet, 1532 Mynors of marbull ston & mony oper thinges. The ruins of the city overwhelmed him with sorrow. But after three days he resolves to build a greater and stronger city. Book V. The new city, built in the name of Neptune, was three days Journey in circumference. (fol. 26 b.) The walls were 20 cubits high, Sone he raght vpon rowme, rid vp þe dykis, And byld vp a bygge towne of þe bare vrthe, 1536 In the nome of Neptune þat was a noble god. THE DISCRIPCION OF TROYE. This Cite was sothely, to serche it aboute, pre iorneys full iointly to ioyne hom by dayes: Was neuer sython vnder son Cite so large, 1540 Ne neuer before, as we fynd, fourmyt in vrthe, Nonso luffly on to loke in any lond oute. The walles vp wroght, wonder to se, With grippes full grete was þe ground takon 1544 Bothe Syker & Sad, þat selly were pik ffro the vrthe vpward vne of a mesure. Of the walle for to wete to be wale top, xx Cubettes be coursse accounttid full euyn, built of marble of 1548 pat of marbill was most fro pe myddes vp, different colours from the middle upward. Of diuers colours to ken craftely wroght. hat were shene for to shew & of shap noble, Mony toures vp tild þe toune to defende, 1552 Wroght vp with the walle as þe werke rose, One negh to Anoper nobly deuyset. Large on to loke, louely of shap, In the Sercle of the Cite were sex faire 3ates, 1556 ffor entre & yssue & ease of pe pepull. The furst and the fairest fourmet was Dardan, 1560 With grete toures vmb-tilde & torettis aboute, Of beste and babery breme to be holde, 1564 Bost out of þe best þe byg toures vmbe. With depe dikes and derke doubull of water. Within the Citie, for sothé, semly to ken, 1568 Grete palis of prise, plenty of houses, Wele bild all aboute on the best wise. The werst walle for to wale, pere any wegh Was faurty cubettes by coursse, to count fro the vrthe, 1572 And all of marbill was made with meruellus bestes, Of lions & Libardes & other laithe wormes. 1576 By the sydes for sothe of sotell deuyse, Was archet full Abilly for aylyng of shoures, 1580 There were stallis by pe strete stondyng for There were stalls peopull, Werkmen into won, and paire wares shewe, Taliours, Telers, Turners of vesselles ; Wrightes, websters, walkers of clothe; 1588 Armurers, Arowsmythis with Axes of werre; Marchandes, Monymakers, Mongers of fyche; 1592 Bochers, bladsmythis, baxters amonge; 1596 Cokes, condlers, coriours of ledur; Carpentours, cotelers, coucheours fyn; With barburs bigget in bourders of the stretes; too for workmen of every kind. |