1132 With all the fere pat hym folowes, furse men of Armys; Book IV. and Peleus command the And 38 sothely your-selfe, þat soueran are here, one; and that With your company clene as ye come hider. 1136 With a soume of soudiours assignet vs with, Wyn us to be wallis, wacche pere vndur, 1140 Lurke vnder leuys logget with vines knightes; Vnwar of our werkes wete vs not pere. bat oper part of our pupull put we in thre; 1148 ffare shall before the forward to lede: Castor with his company come next after, We shall found by my feith, or ellis fay worthe: 1156 To werke on this wise and our wille haue, they, along with Jason and himself and their Boldiers, 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 (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; pes oper batels at the banke abidyng full stille, Of Grekes were gedret & pe grounde hade. 1176 pat the Citye samyn were assemblet In haste, The kyng depertid his pupull, put hom in twyn, He busket to pe banke with a bolde chere, 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. When helmes and hard stele hurlet to-gedur;' Book IV. Many perish on both sides. 1200 Sum swalt in a swym with-outen sware more, 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 pe Troiens were torne tynte of þere folkes. Lamydon, þat hom led, as a lion fore, Bare don mony bolde & brittonede to dethe; 1212 Mony woundit we from his weppont paste. 1216 Brusshit into batell & moche bale wroght; Mony bolde buerne on pe bent the bold king Mony turnyt with tene topsayles ouer, 1220 þat hurlet to be hard vrthe & pere horse leuyt. Lamydon at the laste lokit besyde, Segh his folke so fare & his fos kene, ffor wothe of þe 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 hat he was prinse of pe pepull & pe power led, 1228 He left all his ledis & a launse caght, Launches euyn to Lamydon with a light wille. Ricchis his reynys & th Reenke metys: 1232 Girden to-gedur with pere grete speires. H 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 (fol. 21 b.) Nestor resolves to attack Laomedon. They meet, and Book IV. the shield of Nestor; the spear is shivered, and he is hurled to the ground. Nestor, unhorsed by a young knight Sedar, is at the mercy of Laomedon. The rescue. (fol. 22 a.) Castor, seeing Nestor wounded, rushes upon Sedar. The king share thrugh his shild with pe sharpe ende, And the rod all-to roofe right to his honde; The Duke had dyed of pe dynt doutles anon, 1236 But the souerayn hym-seluon was surly enarmyt, And the kyng with the caupe caste to pe ground, With a warchand wounde thurgh his wedis all. He feynyt not for þe fall ne pe felle hurtte, 1240 But stert vp stithly, straght out a swerde And flange at the freike with a ffyn wille. A 3onge knight and a 3epe, 3yneris of hert, High[t] Sedar for sothe, suet to pe Duke 1244 With a bir on pe brest, þat backeward he 30de, And fuersly of his foole fell to be grounde. be king fayne of pe falle and be freke segh, And bare to be bolde with a bigge sworde. 1248 The bourder of his basnet brestes in sonder, And videt the viser with a vile dynt, Gaffe hym a great wounde in his grete face. He hade slayne hym slighly for sleght þat he couth, 1252 But a gret nowmbur of Grekes gedrit hym vmbe, 1256 Castor the king conceyuit beliue, That Nestor with noy was nolpit to ground, 1260 To deyre hym with a dynt for pe Dukes sake. 1264 His shafte all-to sheuerit the shalke was unhurt, wondyt, A Sore dynt in the syde at the same coursse. 1268 Carue euyn at Castor with a kene sworde, be shilde away share vnto the shyre necke, fase, 1272 Bare hym ouer backeward to pe bare vrthe. When pe freke was fallen & on foote light, He laid vppon lyuely & no lede sparit, 3ald hym not get for 3ynernes of hert. 1276 pan pollux full pertly aprochet in hast With seuyn hundrithe sad men assemblit hym with, ffrochit into pe frount & a fray made; Bere backeward the batell & his brother toke, 1280 Horsit hym in haste, halpe hym olofte ; One Eliatus, a lede, and hym o liue broght. The kynges son of Cartage & a knight noble, 1284 Aliet vnto Lamydon by his lefe suster, Cosyn to the kyng, & he his kyde Em, Pité of pat pert knight persit his hert, hat the shire water shot ouer his shene chekys. 1288 Myche woo hade pe wegh for pe wale knight, And assemblit his sad men on a soppe hole, With a horne þat he hade, in a hond while, 1292 And charget hom chefely for chaunse vppon ffor to dere for the dethe of his dere cosy. Gird euyn to the Grekes with a grymn fare; 1296 Slogh hom downe sleghly & slaunge hom to grounde; Book IV. Sedar fights with Castor, and wounds him. Pollux with seven hundred men comes to the rescue. (Alyattes, king of Lydia.) (fol. 22 b.) The Trojans are rallied, and drive the Greeks to their ships. |