I drow into a dreme, & dreghly me thought Book VI. I dreamed that 2380 That mercury the mykill God, in pe mene tyme, Mercury and the Thre goddes hade gotten goyng hym bye, That come in his company clere to beholde :- three goddesses, (fol. 39 a.) Venus, Pallas, and Juno, stood 2384 And Palades, with pure wit pat passes all other; before me. That Mercury spoke thus:- goddesses, that are stad in a strife, which And sothely hym seluyn said me thies wordes. you are to decide. As they sat at a feast, an apple of An appull of a new shap, þat neuer man hade sene, a new shape was 2396 Coyntly by crafte was cast hom amonge. Hit was made of a mater meruell to shew, 2400 That the fairest of po fele shull þat fe haue : 2404 A mede of po mighty to mend the with All, cast among them. The inscription bore that the fairest should have it. You must make their peace; and such they promise as your reward. Yf pou Juge it to Jono, this ioye shall pou If you adjudge it haue,― to Juno, you shall become the mightiest on 2408 To be mightiest on molde, & most of all other :- earth. This ho grauntis ye to gyffe of hir good wille. Thou shalbe wisest of wit,-this wete pou for thou shalt be the 'wisest of wit.' sothe, Book VI. If to Venus; thou shalt have the fairest lady in Greece.' I answered ; 'I cannot determine, unless I see them (fol. 39 b.) naked and all together.' Mercury said; 'Be it as you desire.' And all stood naked before me. 2412 And know all the conyng, þat kyndly is for men. Iff pou deme it in dede duly to Venus, Hit shall falle the, to fortune, pe fairest of Grice 2416 When mercury hade menyt this mater to ende, 2420 The certayn to say, but I hom segh naked ; The bodies aboute with my bright Ene. Than shuld I full sone say, as me thought, 2424 And telle you the truthe, & tary no lengur.' Then mercury with mowthe pus menyt agayne;— 'Be it done euyn in dede as þi dissire is.' Than nakuet anon full naitly were all, 2428 And broght to me bare :— I waited hom witterly, as me wele thoght, All feturs in fere of po fre ladys. Hit semit me for certayn, & for sothe dom, Truly, Venus was 2432 pat Venus the vertuus was verely the fairest, the fairest, and I awarded her the apple. Then I awoke. I am certain, that, if I am I shall bring home the brightest lady of that land." Most excelent of other, and onest to wale : 2436 That the mede shuld be myne, þat mercury saide. Now, howpe ze not hertely, pat pis hegh goddes 2440 Will faithly fulfille paire forward to ende ? I am certen and sure, be I sent forthe, The brightiest lady to bryng of po brode londys. Now, meke fader and mylde! pis message to do, 2444 Ye deme your dere son, & dresse me perfore: Hit shall glade you full godely agaynes your gret anger, And fille you with faynhed, in faithe I you hete." When he told hade his tale tomly to the ende, Book VI. 2448 He enclinet the kyng, and Carpit no more. THE COUNSELL OF DEFFEBUS. Then Deffebus drogh negh, dressit hym to say,- (Deiphobus.) All soberly, for sothe, & sylens he hade. 2452 "Now, dere fader vppon dese, & our due Kynge! "Dear father! Suffers your son to say at this tyme :— suffer me to If the result of And pe dome of yche dede were demyt before, 2456 To serche it full suerly, and se to pe ende, With due deleberacion for doutis of Angur; Who shuld hastely on hond an heuy charge take? And he cast be course what shuld come after, 2460 Shuld neuer purpos vnperisshit be putto A yssu; hand, (fol. 40 a.) who would undertake any heavy charge ? If husbandmen considered how much seed the birds destroy, Ne neuer no man no note to no end bryng. Iff tylmen toke tent what shuld tynt worth, Of sede pat is sawen, be sesyng of briddes, 2464 Shuld neuer corne for care be caste vppon erthe: none should ever Ne neuer dede shuld be done but drese furth to noght. be sown. Therfore, fader, it is fairest, þat ye a flete ordan, Therefore, father, With a nauy full nobill, þis note to begynne; 2468 Puttis it to Parys, & let hym passe furthe, As he said you hym seluyn, is sothely the best: send forth a fleet, and give Paris charge. And if it happon hym to haue any hynde lady, And if he win any 2472 Or any worthy to wyn & Away lede, noble lady, Hit may chese you, be chaunse, to chaunge hir you may choose agayne, Your suster to sese and in sound wyn, pat our fame so defoules, & is in filthe holdyn." 2476 When Deffebus hade done, he dressit hym to sit, By leue of the lordes, pat liket his wordes. Book VI. (Helenus.) "Ah! comely king, work not unwisely in your wild ire! By the gift of that will happen: and you have found that all my prophecies have come to pass. (fol. 40 b.) Put off this purpose: on no wise let Paris go on this venture. Else this city shall be taken by the Greeks, and destroyed, &c. Abstain, then, lest ye be overwhelmed with woe; you and your sons slain; and Hecuba, your wife, left in misery." THE COUNSELL OF ELINUS THE BYSSHOP Then Elinus, eftesones, (was Eldist of birthe say; 2480 Come before the kyng, declarit his wit, 2484 Vnwisely to wirke in your wilde yre. I know me so konyng in the clene Artis, Thurgh gifte of god, & your goode fyndyng, þat I wot all the wordys, & the wilde Angres, 2488 bat be course are to come, & the cause why. Your seluyn sothely asayet haue before, I told you neuer tale in tyme þat is past, But ye faithfully haue found it fore as I said. 2192 Therfore, putte of this purpos; Let Paris not go On no wise in this world, for woo pat may happyn. I say you for certen, & it so worthe, That Paris be put furthe his purpos to holde, With the Grekes to ground gird vnder fote, 2500 Abstene pen stithly, pat no stoure happon, 2504 þat ye be drepit with dole, and done out of lyue; 2508 And Ecuba, your owne wife, angur to pole; This is sothe, pat I say, sir, with your leue: Then he bowet the buerne & busket to syt, 2516 And ferd of pe felle wordes, þat þe freike saide. THE COUNSELL OF TROYLUS. Than Troilus full tyte talkes with mowthe,— 2524 þat was pe yongist of yeris, & a 3epe knight,— Brake Sylense belyue, and abrode saide : Book VI. The king was sat musing; confounded, and all were and stood still, silent and astonished. Troilus then spoke : "A! nobyll men of nome, what noyes your "Ah!noble men of hertes ? Why are ye trowblit pis tyme, and your tung lost? 2528 And meuyt so mykell, for a mad priste, That neuer colde of no knighthode, but in a kirke chyde? Hit is propurté for a preste perellis to drede, 2532 Melle hym with mekenes, þat hym most louys, Who may tell it for tru, or trust haue perin, 2536 þat any gome shuld be graithe of our goddes wille, Or haue knowyng of case for to come after? name, why so (fol. 41 a.) troubled and moved by a mad priest who knows no knighthood but scolding in church? 'Delight him in drink and other dear meats,' There is no wyse man, I wene, þat will it suppose, No wise man |