Thies kynges, with knightes in companies grete, 1068 Past fro port, pulled vp pere sailes,

Were borne to pe brode se & the banke leuyt; Sailed fourthe soberly with seasonable windes Till pai comen [to] the cost, as pe course felle, 1072 Of the terage of Troy & turnyt into hauyn,

bat sothly was said Segeas to nome.

By thies rialles aryven were, to rest was pe

sun,

And neghed to be night, noy was þe more: 1076 Kaste ancres full kene into pe (cold) water, Cogges with cablis cachyn to londe,

And lay so on lone the long night ouer.
Wen the derke was done & the day sprange,

1080 And lightid o lofte ledis to beholde,

Book IV.

At sunset they arrive at Sigeum, and lie at anchor till morning.

(MS. has
"cole.")

The Grekys in hor geyre graithid hom to banke, The Greeks land,
Launchid vp lightly lordis and other.

pitch their tents, and set guards before Laomedon

The kyng had no knawlache, þat the kith aght, is aware of their

1084 Of the folke so furse pat hym affray wold,

ffor-pi vnkeppit were pe costes all pe kythe ouer.

hai hailit vp horses & hernes of maile,

Armur and all thinge euyn as hom liked:

1088 Tild vp pere tentis tomly and faire,

Skairen out skoute-wacche for skeltyng of harme,
Armyn hom at all peces after anon.

Er the sun vp soght with his softe beames,
1092 Pelleus full prestly the peopull did warne
To appere in his presens, princes and dukys.
With-out tarying to his tent tytly þai yode,
And were set all samyn þe souerain before.

1096 When the peopull were pesit he proffert þes

wordes,

arrival.

Peleus summons

a council of war to meet in his tent.

Sais, "Ye noblist of nome pat neuer man The counsel of

adouted,

The worde of your werkes & your wight dedis,

And the prise of your prowes passes o fer!

Peleus.

(fol. 19b.)

1100 Hit was neuer herd, as I hope, sith heuyn was o loft, In any coste where ye come but ye were clene

victorius,

And happet the herre hond to haue at þe last. Lamydon, þat is lord, has vs ledde hedur, 1104 ffor to wreke vs of wrathe, & þe wegh harme : þat is the cause of the course þat we come hidur. And syn our goddes haue vs graunt þe ground for to haue,

Hit is spede-full to speike of our spede fur, 1108 And of gouernaunce graithe at our gret nede, ffor to fillyn our fare & our fos harme;

Hald all our hestes, harmles our-seluyn ;

The tresour to take pat to Troy longes,

1112 þat us abides in the burgh & we þe better haue.
Hit is knowen in cuntres & costis o fer,

hat the tresour of Troy is of tyme olde,
Out of nowmber to nem & nedefull to vs;

1116 Iff vs fallus in fight þe fairer at ende,

We shall haue riches full riffe & red gold ynogh
Our ffyne shippes to fille and our fraght make:
Now fraist we before how fairest wille be,

1120 And speike for our spede while we space haue."

Hercules proposes to attack before

daybreak, in two bands:

(fol. 20 a.)

that Telamon

ERCULES.

Then Ercules the Avntrus onswarid Anon,—
"Sothely, Sir kyng, ye haue said well,
Wise wordes I-wis & of wit noble ;

1124 Iff it be worship & wit wisdom to shewe,
Hit [is] sothely more soueran to see it in werke.
I will say for myself, sauyng a bettur,
As me thinkes full throly with-outyn threp more.
1128 Let us dres for our dede er þe day springe,

And thrugh lemys of light be lond vs perseyue:
Part we vs pertly þe pupull in two,

In the ton shall be Telamon, þat is a tore kyng,

1132 With all the fere pat hym folowes, furse men of

Armys;

Book IV.

and Peleus command the

And 3e sothely your-selfe, þat soueran are here, one; and that

With your company clene as ye come hider.
Jason full iustly aioynet to my-seluon,
1136 With a soume of soudiours assignet vs with,
Draw furthe in the derke er þe day springe,
Wyn us to be wallis, wacche pere vndur,
Vmset all the Citie er pe sun rise;

1140 Lurke vnder leuys logget with vines

Till tithaundes in toune be told to þe kyng, Of our come to pis coste, and pe case wist. He will aray hym full rad with a route noble, 1144 And shape hym to our shippes with his shene knightes;

Vnwar of our werkes wete vs not pere.

bat oper part of our pupull put we in thre; Nestor with a nombur of noble men all, 1148 ffare shall before the forward to lede:

Castor with his company come next after,
Pollux with his pupull pursu on the laste.
These batels on the banke abide now here,
1152 ffeght with hym fuersly and his fell pupull;
The Citie to sese in þe same tyme,

We shall found by my feith, or ellis fay worthe:
So may we sonyst the souerain distrye.

1156 To werke on this wise and our wille haue,
I hope it shall happon in a hond w[h]ile."
Hit likit well be lordes pat pe lede said,
And plainly the pupull purpast perfore.
1160 Then Telamon full tyte with a triet pupull,
Pelleus with a power, & pe prise Ercules,
Jason full iustly and Joly knightes moo,
With all the here þat þei hade highet belyue,

1164 Armet at all peces abull to fight;
Wonen vp wynly vppon wale horses,

they, along with Jason and himself and their soldiers, should form an ambush under the city walls,

while the other band, under Nestor, Castor, and Pollux, should wait near the ships to engage the enemy.

The council adopt
the plan, and
prepare to
execute it.

(fol. 20 b.)

Book IV.

The two bands are arranged:

the ambuscade

is set.

At sunrise

Laomedon is

informed that

the Greeks have

landed and are in

battle array.

He summons his troops and

prepares to meet the enemy.

The Greeks under

Nestor are the

first to meet the Trojans.

(fol. 21 a.)

Silen to the Citie softly and faire; Lurkyt vnder lefe-sals loget with vines, 1168 Busket vndur bankes on bourders with-oute. pes oper batels at the banke abidyng full stille, The kyng for to kepe and pere course holde. And whiles pese renkes pus rest pan rises pe sun, 1172 Bredis with his beames all pe brode vales. Hit was noiset anon þat a noumbur hoge

Of Grekes were gedret & pe grounde hade.
When pe kyng hade knowyng he comaund
beliue

1176 pat the Citye samyn were assemblet In haste,
Iche buerne on his best wise batell to yelde.
Comyn to be kyng in companies grete,
Mony stithe man in stoure on stedis enarmyt,
1180 All redy for pe rode Arayet for the werre.

The kyng depertid his pupull, put hom in twyn,
In batels on his best wise for boldyng hym-seluyn.
Vnwar of þe weghes pat by the walles lay,
1184 (He knew not the caste of pe curste pepull,
Ne dred no dissait þat hym derit after,)
He busket to pe banke with a bolde chere,
With his freikes in filde to be fight on pe playne.
1188 pe Grekes hym agayne with a grym ffare,
ffaryn to pe fight with a frike wille.
Duke Nestor anon, nobli arayed,

Countres the kyng with a cant pupull :

1192 Bothe batels on bent brusshet to-gedur;

With stithe strokes and store, strong men of

armys,

Shildes throgh shote shalkes to dethe;

Speires vnto sprottes sprongen ouer hedes,

1196 So fuerse was the frusshe when pai first met.
All dynnet þe dyn the dales Aboute,

When helmes and hard stele hurlet to-gedur;
Knightes cast doune to be cold vrthe.

1200 Sum swalt in a swym with-outen sware more, Mony perysshet in pe plase er þe prise endit. The Troiens were tydé, & tid pere pe bettur,

Book IV.

Many perish on

both sides.

And the grekes on pe ground were greatly as- The Greeks fall

toynet.

1204 pen Castor the kyng comys vpponone,

Restoris hom with strenght þat distroyet were. ben þe crie wax kene, crusshyng of wepyns, And the fight so felle of pe fresshe knightes, 1208 be Troiens were torne tynte of pere folkes.

Lamydon, þat hom led, as a lion fore,

Bare don mony bolde & brittonede to dethe; Mony kilde the kyng to be cold vrthe, 1212 Mony woundit we from his weppont paste. So fuersly he fore with his felle dynttes, þat þe Grekes with gremy geuyn hym way. ben Pollux aperit with pepull ynogh,

1216 Brusshit into batell & moche bale wroght;
Alse wode of his wit as pe wild ffyre,

Mony bolde buerne on þe bent the bold king
(slogh),

Mony turnyt with tene topsayles ouer,

1220 þat hurlet to pe hard vrthe & pere horse leuyt. Lamydon at the laste lokit besyde,

Segh his folke so fare & his fos kene,

ffor wothe of pe worse & of weirdis feble,

1224 He with-drogh hym A draght & a dyn made, Gedrit all his gynge And his grounde held.

Duke Nestor Anon nemly persayuit

into confusion:

are restored by Castor.

The Trojans are sore pressed: Laomedon rushes to their aid: the Greeks give way.

Pollux brings up fresh troops and does much damage.

(MS. has
shogh.")

(fol. 21 b.)

Nestor resolves

to attack

bat he was prinse of þe pepull & pe power led, Laomedon.

1228 He left all his ledis & a launse caght,

Launches euyn to Lamydon with a light wille.

be king consayuit his come, keppit hym

swithe,

Ricchis his reynys & th Reenke metys:

1232 Girden to-gedur with pere grete speires.

They meet, and
Laomedon pierces