Book V.

the houses.

(fol. 27 b.)

built on a riverthe Tiber.

With all maister men þat on molde dwellis, 1600 Onestly enabit in entris Aboute.

Thurgh myddis pe mekill toune meuyt a water, The river Xanthus And disseuert pe Cite, pat Xanthus hight. flowed through the city, under

There were bild by the bankes of be brode

stremes,
1604 Mylnes full mony, made for to grynde,

ffor solas of the Cite pat suet hom to.
The water by wisshyng went vnder houses,

Gosshet through Godardys & other grete vautes, 1608 And clensit by course all be clene Cite

Of filth and of feum, throughe fletyng by nethe. In imitation of

In Ensample of this Cite, sothely to telle, Troy, Rome was

Rome on a Riuer rially was set, 1612 Enabit by Eneas after full longe,

Tild vpon Tiber after Troy like. Prlam caused all

Priamus pertly the peopull ylkon, his people to settle in Troy.

pat longit to his lond & logit O fer,
1616 Gert sue to pe Cite sothely to dwelle,

And fild it with folke fuerse was pe nowmber,
Of lordes of pe lond and oper lesse peopull.

In þat Cite for sothe, as saith vs the story, Many games wero 1620 Mony gaumes were begonnen þe grete for to solas. invented there such as chess,

The chekker was choisly pere chosen be first, draughts, dice,

The draghtes, the dyse, and oper dregh gaumes. backgammon, magic, and May

Soche soteltie pai soght to solas hom with ;
1624 The tables, the top, tregetre also,

And in the moneth of may mekill þai vsit,
With floures and fresshe bowes fecchyng of

games.

somer:

Somur qwenes, and qwaintans, & oper qwaint

gaumes, 1628 There foundyn was first, & yet ben forthe haunted.

THE MAKYNG OF YLION.

Priam by purpos a pales gert make

a

Priam caused &

to be built for himself, and called it Ilion.

а

Its towers were

Within the Cite full Solempne of a sete riall,

Book V. Louely and large to logge in hym seluyn,

splendid palace 1632 ffull worthely wroght & by wit caste,

And euyn at his etlyng Ylion was cald ;
Closit with a clene wall crustrit with towres,

Euyn round as a ryng richely wroght,1636 ffyue hundrith fete fully the heght :Withoute, toures full tore torret aboue,

(fol. 28 a.) Dat were of heght so hoge, as I here fynde,

bat the clowdes hom clede in vnclene ayre. 1640 In þe heghest to houe and beholde ouer,

All the lond for to loke when hym lefe thought.
To all the prouyns þai apperit & pertis ofer,

seen from all parts With mekyll solas to se in mony syde londis :

of the province. 1644 Of crafty colours to know, all in course set,

Made all of marbyll with mason deuyse,
With ymagry full honest openly wroght.

In cornols by course clustret o lofte.
1648 The windowes, worthely wroght in a mesure,

It had beautifully

wrought windows Shapyn full shene all of shyre stones,

of carved crystal,

set within pillars. Caruen in Cristall by crafte of Entaile,

Pight into pilers prudly to shewe 1652 The bases & bourdurs all of bright perle.

Within this palis of prise was a proude halle, The palace hall bat large was of lenght & louely to shewe, gold, draped with

a royal dais: it Painted full prudly with pure gold ouer,

cedar-wood, set 1656 Drapred by dene with a dese riall.

There were bordis full bright aboute in þat sale,
Set in a sercle, of Sedur tre fyn,

Gret vp fro pe ground vppon gray marbill. 1660 With a flore þat was fret all of fyne stones,

The fluor was of

mosaic work.
Pauyt prudly all with proude colours,
Made after musycke, men on to loke.
In the cheffe of pe choise halle, chosen fur þe

was overlaid with

had tables of

on marble.

kyng,

1664 Was a grounde vp graid with gresis of Marbill,

Book V.

At one end of the hall was a raised platform for the king; a table of Ivory, bordered with amber, and a throne.

a

was an altar set

a

And a tabill atyret, all of triet yuer,
Bourdurt about all with bright Aumbur,

bat smelt is & smethe, smellis full swete,
1668 With taste for to touche the tabull aboute.

ffor the souerayn hym selfe was a sete rioll, (fol. 28 6.)

Pight full of perrieris & of proude gemys,

Atyret with a tabernacle of Eyntayill fyn. at the other end 1672 At the tother hede of þe halle was, hegh vppolofte, with precious

A wonderfull werke weghes to beholde; stones and pearls.

With preciose stones of price & perlles ynogh,

An auter enournet in nome of a god, 1676 Goond vp by a grese all of goode stones,

Twenty pase vp pight all of pure cristall,

hat were shynyng full shene shalkes to deuyse. On the altar stood

Vne oppon pe Auter was amyt to stond an image of pure gold set with

1680 An ymage full noble in þe nome of god, diamonds.

ffyftene cubettes by course all of clene lenght,
Shynyng of shene gold & of shap nobill,
Dubbed ouer with dyamondes, þat were dere

holdyn,
1684 þat with lemys of light as a lamp shone :-

Of Jubiter pe iust god, þat pe ioy weldis,
In qwhom Priam prinsipally put his beleue

In sauyng his Citie and hym selfe alse;
1688 With long dayes to endure & fro dethe kepe.

When the city was completed, Priaun began to think of his past misfortunes.

THE CONSELL FOR THE RESTITUCION OF DE GREKES.

Qwhen this Citie was set & full sure made,
As Priam hade purpost all with pure wit,

Then meuyt to his mynde, as yt most nede,
1692 bat his Cite was sure of hym selfe wroght;

With mekyll pepull of prise & proude men of

Armys,
Riches full ryfe & relikes ynow;

All abundaunt in blisse blent with his folke, 1696 Dat wele wantid no wegh, ne worship in vrthe.

Book V.

whole city.

Hector was
absent

ban a sorow full sodenly sanke in his hert,
A Remorec of maters, þat hym mys lyket;

How þe Grekes hym greuyt and to ground put,
1700 His fader & his fryndis ferkit out of lyue,
And his suster into seruage, þat hym sore noyet.

(fol. 29 a.) Then he somond all þe Cite vppon sere haluys, He called a

To a counsell to come for a cause hegh, 1704 And his wille for to wete as hom wele aght.

When the grete were gedurt & þo graithe all,
With his semly sonnes, þat hym sate next, Of his sons, only

Saue Ector,—was oute, as aunter befelle,
1708 In a countre by coursse þat of þe coron helde,

Assignet by his souerayne & certen hym with,
ffor play or for purpos :—pas we perfro.

When þe souerayne was set in a sete rioll, 1712 As become for a kyng in counsell with lordes; All pese vmbe pe plase, pepull were stille, Bilence having

been gained, the Be comaundement of þe kyng, as be come well ; king opened his

subject. Den he menyt of pe mater all with mylde wordes, 1716 And touchet his entent, as I telle shall.— “Now lordys of my lond & other lefe pepull,

Priam's speech to

the council; he Hit is knowen to his court and oper kyd fryndes, recalls to mind Of þe harmys þat we haue, & be hoge lose ;

had inflicted on 1720 That the Greker in horgremy vs to grefe broght,- the country.

Bothe to me & to myne mykull vnright,
And to yow & also yours zomeryng for euer.

How our faders before falsly were slayne, 1724 And my suster Exiona in seruage is holdyn,

bat is comen of soche kyn, coldes my
Your susters for sothe & oper sik fryndes,

Wyues & wale children, pai away led, 1728 bat ben set vnder seruage & sorow for

ay.
And our Cite for sothe, þat sum tyme was here,
Brent & betyn downe to pe bare vrthe;

Our golde & our godys gripped in hond; 1732 Robbet our riches, our renttes distroyet;

the harm and long that the Greeks

hert;

Book V.

To redress these wrongs by their advice and aid

proper

means :

and the time suits.

Token all our tresoures, trussit into grise ; (fol. 296.)

Kyld all oure kynnesmen into colde dethe ;

And other wrongis vs wroght & to wo put. 1736 Thes redurse to riche by rede of you

all, Hit were sittyng, me semys, & to sue fore. seems right and

We haue a Cite full sure, & sad pepull in;

Well wroght for the werre, wallis full high ;
1740 ffolke of defence, and to fight able ;

Mony knightes full kant, & kyd men of Armys.
We haue riches full rife, red gold fyn;

Clothes full comly, and other clene Juellis ;
They have the

1744 Armur and all thing abill perfore.

Well viteld, I wis, for wynturs ynow;
ffele fryndes and fauer out of fer londys,

With a liaunse full large of other lege kyngis, 1748 þat we to helpe vs may haue in a hond whyle:

And now tyme, by my trauthe, to take it on hond,
To mene vs with manhode & our mys wreke.

But the fortune of feghters may be fell chaunse, war might be Against them, and 1752 And siker were to sit and solas vs here: to enjoy them

But be harme and the hethyng of my kynd suster, selves at home.

bat is set vnder seruage, & in syn holdyn,

Greuys me so gretly & my greme ekys, 1756 Dat it reuys me my rest & my right hele.

But it likis you lordis, at a lite wordys, Aend a message to Thus gate to begyn er we goo ferre ; the Greeks, asking

bat I send for my suster on a softe wise bis sister, and to

1760 To be Grekes, for to goo with a goode wille quarrels.

And restore withoutyn strife into pis stide home,
My sister Exina soberly & faire ;

To qwit claym all querels, & be qweme fryndes. 1764 Of all our dures þai vs did & daunger for euer,

All account and Enuy after to voide,
Neuer to deire for þat dede pe dayes in our lyue.'

When the souerain hade said, ben sesit he here, 1768 And it liket well the lordys & þe ledis all :

But the fortune of

it would be safer

If the council think so, he will

them to restore

forget old

The council agree to the messa