Ho ros pan full radly, & ran to pe kyng. 2700 And a sembland full soure, sorow to be holde, Book VI, She runs to the king, give up his She prayet hym full pitously his purpos to leue. and prays him to As ho þat wise was of wit, & wist it be-fore Thurgh craft of hir conyng & course of pe sternys, 2704 She said hym full sadly with sorowfull wordys, All shuld turne hym to tene, & pe towne lose. But fortune, þat is felle, forthers his tyme; Hastis to vnhappe, having no rewarde; 2708 Ordans an yssew, euyn as hym lyst; Turnys all entent, þat hym tary wold; Caches furthe his cold wirdis with cumpas to ende. But I may sothely say, & for sure holde,— 2712 Hade the counsell ben kept of the knight Ector, And the Ernyst speche Eftward of Elinus the Bysshop, Cassandras care considret with all, With the prophesy of Protheus put into hertys, 2720 And pof hit chaunses to chefe pat men charge To grow into gronnd harme & greuys full sore; 2724 And takon yt to pat entent: & here a tale endes. But fate is unyielding, and turns everything to its own purpose. But had all the warnings (fol. 48 b.) been heeded, Troy would still have been a noble city, &c. 90 Spite, that is for ever bent on mischief, rules uncontrolled in passionate hearts. ("yades"== Hyades.) ("taure," Taurus.) In the month of May, when meadows are green, &c. (fol. 44 a.) Paris and his brother come to court with 3000 knights. Ships are shot forth, to the number of twenty-two, well victualled and manned. Here begynnes the Seuynt Boke: how Parys went into Grese for Elan. Envy, þat Euermore ertis to skathe, This forward was festynit with a felle wille, 2728 And all the purpos plainly with pouer to wende. When sit was [the] Sun pese signes betwene, 2732 And the planet of pliades, with his playn course, In the moneth of May, when medoes bene grene, And all florisshet with floures pe fildes aboute; 2736 Burions of bowes brethit full swete, fflorisshet full faire; frutes were kuyt; Greuys were grene, & pe ground hilde; Of thre thowsaund pro knightes, priuand in The pruddist of payone, prise men of honde. 2748 Stithe shippes & stoure stuffet with vitell, Bade hom buske & be boun & no bode make, Book VII. The king calls commands them to make ready to To pas furthe with parys & hor prise knightes, go with Paris 2756 Bowne on hor best wise in hor bright wedis. 2760 That were purpast to pas on the pale stremys, immediately. The people who are to go with Paris appear before the king: he states the purpose of the 2764 Ne mony wordes to warpe, for it is well knowen. expedition. All wete ye my wille why ye wend shall, 2768 To venge of our velany, & our vile grem My Sister Exiona fro seruage to brynge. pursew ye may On hom þat hir holdis, & vs harme dyd. Wetys hit all wele: with outen any cause 2776 þat þe dayens you derit, & to drede broght; And for Redur & ranke harme of vnright dedis, 2780 I bid you now barly with besines at all, "To get my sister Hesione out of bondage is your chief work: (fol. 44 b.) (Danai, Greeks.) therefore, do all in your power to hat ye set you most souerainly my suster to gete. accomplish it. Now is tyme most tore to tente pere aboute, Book VII. All your wants shall be supplied. Paris shall be leader of this expedition; Deiphobus, next in command, with such nobles as Antenor, Æneas, &c." When the king had ended, the host take ship. They set sail. They reach the (fol. 45 a.) They make for And to aunter on our Enmys with armes in werre, 2784 Our Knighthode to Kythe, & our clene strenght; And mene vs with monhode maistry to wyn. Wetis all wele & you wont oght, Or any case to you come comford to haue, 2788 To be suppoueld by selfe & my sad helpe. wille, My Syster to sese, or any sure lady, Ye haue shall my helpe & my hole strenght, 2792 To pas with a power to paire playne londys, hat all the dayens vs doute shall for our derfe strokes, And be war vs to wrathe to be worldes end. 2796 And leder of these ledys & the lefe pepull; When the Kyng hade declarit all his clene wille, Tyll þai comyn of the cost of Caucleda in spase :2812 Of the regione of Rene, & rode pere in havyn. Gayn vnto Grese on pe gray water, By the Regions of Rene rode pai ferre, 2816 Ay boun to the banke, when hom best thoght, ffor to light on pe londe, & leng on hor ese. Now it felle hom by fortune, as pai fere so, Monolay for to mete, the mightiest of Grese, 2820 Come sayland by syde & the see held; Purpost vnto Pyle by prayer of Nestor, To solas hym a season, & soiourne with the Duke. This Menelay, þat I mene, the mighty before, 2824 To Agamenon the graithe was a gay brother; And had weddit, I wis, & to wif held Elan, þat afturward angert hym sore. Of hir feirehede & feturs is ferly to here, 2828 I shall telle you, when I tyme haue, tomly her aftur. Ho was suster for sothe, as I said ere, To Pollux the pert kyng, & his pere Castor, hat soiournet the same tyme at the Cite Emscor, 2832 As legis in hor owne londes, a louely hom with,Ermonia, a Maydon þat þai moche louyt, A doghter full dere of dame Elan the quene. Book VII. Menelaus passes the fleet on his way to Pylos. (MS. has Pirej He was brother of Agamemnon, and husband of Helen. She was sister of When the Grekes se the grete nauy, þai girdon The Greeks keep o rowme, 2836 And meuyt fro pere metyng at the mene tyme. Nawther company by course hade Kennyng of other, But past to pere purpos & no prise made, And sailet vpon syde vnto sere costys. 2840 Parys and his pepull past by the stremys, hauntyn, Sytrinos forsothe, with Sailers to nome. away from the fleet. Paris and his company, with favourable winds, reach Cythera, now Cerigo. (fol. 45 b.) |