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 pe 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 þe brest, þat backeward he 3ode, And fuersly of his foole fell to be grounde. he king fayne of pe falle and pe 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 hymn slighly for sleght þat he

couth,

1252 But a gret nowmbur of Grekes gedrit hym vmbe,
And put hym fro purpas pof þai payn þolit:
bai hurlet hym fro horse fete & of hond toke,
Set hym in his sadill þof he vnsound were.
1256 Castor the king conceyuit beliue,

That Nestor with noy was nolpit to ground,
He Richet his Reynes and his roile stroke,
Suet vnto Sedar with a sore wepyn,
1260 To deyre hym with a dynt for pe Dukes sake.
And er he come to the king, so his course fell,
One caupet with hym kenely, a cosyn of Sedars,
And set hym a sad dynt, Secorda he high[t]:

1264 His shafte all-to sheuerit the shalke was unhurt,
And Castor in the caupyng the knight euyll

wondyt,

A Sore dynt in the syde at the same coursse.
Sedar was sory for sake of his cosyn,

1268 Carue euyn at Castor with a kene sworde,

be shilde away share vnto the shyre necke,
And all be haspes of his helme pat pe hede zemyt;
With a swinge of his sworde swappit hym in pe

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 3et for 3ynernes of hert.

1276 ban 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;

And pollux with a proude wille prickit to an-
oper,

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 pat he hade, in a hond while,
(Seuyn thousand be sowme all of sure knightes,)

1292 And charget hom chefely for chaunse vppon
vrthe,

ffor to dere for the dethe of his dere cosy... pen the Troiens full tite tariet no lengur, Gird to the Grekes with a grym euyn fare ; 1296 Slogh hom downe sleghly & slaunge hom to

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.

grounde;

Book IV.

Laomedon is

informed that the

Greeks are masters of the city.

Sad at heart, he assembles his men and returns to the city.

He is attacked in front by the ambuscade, and in rear by the band from the ships.

(fol. 23 a.)

Hercules strikes terror into the hearts of the

Trojans.

Wondit of pe wightist, warpide hom vnder;
Put hom fuersly to flight, folowet hom after
To the banke of the brode see pere botis were
leuit.

1300 pere Lamydon þem leuyt, for a lede come

With tithynges fro the towne told to the kyng;
One Dotes, with dyntes pat dedly was wondyt,
Said the Citie was sesit & sad men þere-in,
1304 Of our fos full fell, fuerse men in Armys,

A grete nowmber of Grekis, & pe goodes takyn.
be kyng for þat care coldit at his hert,

And siket full sore with sylyng of teris,
1308 Henttes his horne and hastily blawes;
Assemblit his sad men on a sop holle,

Left the Grekes on pe ground by the gray water:
Soght to pe Citie on soppes to-gedur

1312 Tho pat left were on lyue pogh pai lite were.
The kyng in his comyng kest vp his egh,
Segh a batell full breme fro pe burghe come
Prickand full prest vppon proude stedys.

1316 He blusshed ouer backeward to pe brode see,
Se the Grekys come girdand with a grym noise,
þat fled were before & pe fild leuyt.

He was astonyet full stithly to be stad so,

1320 Betwene the batels on bent & so bare leuyt,
Vmfoldyng with his fos pat he ne fle might.
hen to batell on bent þai busket anon,

A felle fight & a fuerse fell hom betwene.
1324 But vnmete was the Macche at þe mene tyme :
The Grekes were grym, of a grete nowmber,
And lite of pat other lede, pat on lyue were.
The Troiens full tyte were tyrnyt to be grounde
1328 With batell on bothe halfes, blody beronyn,
Wyde woundes & wete of hor wale dyntes.
Ercules yreful euer vponone,

Pricket furthe into prise and full playne made,

1332 Gird gomes vnto grounde with vngayn strokes,

Bere the batell a-bake, mony buerne qwellid.
The freke was so fuerse, the[y] fled of his gate;
All shodurt as shepe shont of his way,

1336 Non so derffe to endure a dynt of his hond,
ffor all loste pe lyfe pat pe lede touchet.

THE DETH OF LAMYDON BY ERCULES.

Tyll he come to be kyng in a kene yre,
Dang hym derffly don in a ded hate,

1340 Grippit hym grymly, gird of his hede,
brew it into pronge of his pro pepull;

þat moche sorowe for pe sight & sobbyng of teres,
When paire kyng was kylt, hom be course felle.

1344 Sesit was the Citie, socour non pere,

paire fomen so felle, and so few other,

The Grekes gird hom to grounde & to grym

dethe:

Of the dite & pe dyn was dole to be-holde. 1348 The Troiens with tene turnyt þe bake,

ffleddon in fere and þe filde leuyt,

Ouer hilles & hethes into holte woddes,

hat left were on lyue with mony laithe hurtes,

1352 When the Grekys hade the gre & the grounde

wonen.

THE TAKYNG OF DE TOWNE.

Thai soght into the Cité vpon sere haluys,
Streght into stretis and into stronge houses,
There were wemen to wale, A wondurfull nowm-

bur,

1356 Childer full choise and of chere febill,

Wyth olde ffolke vnfere ferly to see.

All tight to be tempull of pere tore goddes, ffor drede of the dethe, & myche dynne made. 1360 Mony wyues, for woo, of pere wit past,

Book IV.

He falls upon Laomedon; kills him, and throws his head into the crowd of Trojans.

The city is taken, and the Trojans flee to the woods.

As the Greeks crowd into the city, the Trojans

(fol. 23 b.) old and young, rush to the temple for safety,

Book IV.

and in their haste

leave all their goods behind.

The city is plundered and destroyed.

The people are killed or taken captive.

Hesione, daughter

of Laomedon, is

given to Telamon,

who was the first

And pere barnes on brest bere In þere armes, Hyd hom in houles and hyrnys aboute. Maydons for mornyng haue pere mynde loste, 1364 (Soche payne of a pepull was pitie to be-holde) Hurlet out of houses, and no hede toke

Of golde ne of garmenttes, ne of goode stonys;
ffongit no florence, ne no fyn pesys,

1368 Gemys ne gewellis, ne no ioly vessell,
But all left in hor loges & lurkit away.
The Grekes were full gredy, grippit hom belyue,
Prayen and pyken mony priuey chambur,
1372 ffongit pere florence and oper fyn gold,

Geton girduls full gay, mony good stonys;
Wele wantid no wegh wale what hom liste.
A monyth on þis maner meuyt no ferre,
1376 But soughton vp the Cité vpon sere haluys,
Grippit vp the grounde, girdyn doun þe wallys,
Prowde pales of prise puttyn to grounde;
Brent vp the byggynges & full bare maden;
1380 The temple ouer-turnyt, tokon þe folke,

Dydden all to the dethe & for ne drede lettyd;
Wemen, wale childur, & other weike pupull,
Madens full mony & of mete Age,

1384 Sesit hom sone in seruage to holde.

EXIONA, THE KINGES DOUGHTER LAMYDON.

When the pales was put doun of pe prise kyng, pai fonde per a fre faire to be-holde,

Euyn of his owne doughter Exiona was callid.

to enter the city. 1388 Bannet worthe the bale tyme þat ho borne was,

(fol. 24 a.)

ffor the care pat pere come because of hir one. Ercules egerly euyn vponone

Betoke hir to Telamon, for he the towne entrid,

1392 In reward as by right for his ranke wille.

POETA.

But caitif unclene, for thy curst dede!