THE RAVISHING OF HELEN. 3148 And is fuerser of folke by a felle nowmber, 3152 Or any Cité to sese by a sawte now, here pepull are so plaintiose, & placis of Vs And, sers, syn he so is be souerans of goddis, may falle here by fortune a fulfaire gifte, 3156 pat shuld lelly be laght, as me leue thinke. Here is a tempull atyret all with triet godys, And the grettist of Grise gedrit perin, As of wemen to wale, worthy & nobill, 103 Book VII. will not give her up, and we are too few to compel him. But here is a rich temple, wherein the noblest ladies of the land are now at worship: 3160 And prise of pis prouynse are in yond proude one of them yle. The most of tho mighty is menelai wife, The grettist of grese and a gai qwhene. 3164 Yf we take this full tite, & tary no lengur, Bothe pepull & pilage, & put into ship, Hit is a proffitable pray of persons me thinke, 3168 ffor the tempull is atyret all with tryet clothes, haue : 3172 What fairer shuld vs falle and we fer soght. is the lovely wife of Menelaus. (fol. 50 b.) Let us seize it and the ladies, carry off all the gold and all, Helen. And shote into our shippes, shake on our way: jewels, and, above And Elan of all thing we aunter vs to take. 3180 Yf we pat luffly may lacche & lede vnto troy, Book VII. this or pass on ?" Priam, our prise kyng, may prestly suppose And his couetyng to cacche because of pat Shall we attempt 3184 Lokys now lyuely! what list you to do? All assent. They arm and proceed to the temple, which they surround. 3188 At pe last, when the lede hade left of his speche, ffele of pe folke febull it thughten; But yche lede by the last aliet perto, And assentid to his saw, & suet his rede. 3192 When counsell was kaght of knightes & oper, And the mone in the merke myghtely shone, 3200 Affrayet the folke fuersly by dene, And all the company clene closit hom within. Paris seizes Helen 3204 Parys pen presit to be proude qwene, and carries her to his ship. (fol. 51 a.) Returning to the temple, he aids in the pillage. (MS. has 'uppon none') And sesit hir sone, as hir assent was; Led hir furth lyuely, lefte hir in shippe Vnder sight of sure men set hir to kepe: 3208 And to the tempull full tyte turnyt agayne, THE RAVISHING OF HELEN. 3216 That the tempull was taken & tulkes perin, By frekys pat fled for ferd to pe holde, 3220 And braid to pere bright gere, buskit hom furthe: 3228 Book VII. 105 The soudiours by assent soghten to þe tempull. Soldiers to the Armys, hat enfourmet were of fyght, & the fet couthe; 3224 bai turnyt to the troiens, tarit hom longe, ffoghten with hom felly, frusshit hom abake; Hopit with hondis to hew hom to dethe, Prisoners to pike, & the pray lyuer. ffell was pe fight po fuerse men betwene, Mony derfe pere deghit, & dungen to ground; But the Troiens were Torer & tentymes moo, And greuit the Grekes gretly with strokys; 3232 Oppressit hom with pyne, put hom to flight, ffolowed hom fuersly, felle hom with swerdys, Till pai come to pere castell & caght hade pere strenght. 3236 Then turnyt the Troiens, tariet no lengur, bai shot into shippe: the sheltrun to-gedur, 3240 þat fild were with folke & fyne gold to wale, Sesit vp pere sailes, set hom to wyndes. Aght dayes be-dene & the derke nightes, 3244 Till þai comyn by course to the cuntre of Troy ; At the castell, pat cald was kyndly by name, 3248 þat sothely was sex myle fro the cité euyn. rescue. The Trojans victorious pursue them to their castle. The Trojans return to their ships; (fol. 51 b.) collect their spoil; and set sail. They arrive at Book VII. Paris sends a message to the king. There arofe all the Rowte & restid a whyle, 3252 Parys full pristly puruait a message, And sent to his souerain in a sad haste, Of thies tithandes to telle how hom tyde hade. 3256 To Troy, or he turne wolde, and told hym in bat his sons were in sound & hor sute holl At Tenydon; and told how hom tyde hade, Priam, "proud of 3260 Pryam was proude of these pert dedis,— these pert deeds,' calls the nobles to a feast. (MS. has "hym") Helen and her ladies bewail their fate. (fol. 52 a.) The fainest freike in faithe pat on fote yode,- 3264 ffestid hom faire frely with hym, And tolde hom pose tythinges tomly to end: Hit Auntrid þat Elan, with other of hir lede TO LATE. bus bemournet full mekull & no meite toke, 3280 But with care & complaint,-comford away. Parys hade pyté hir payne for to se, PARIS AND HELEN. On þat lady, his loue, with langour & wo. He kairet to pat comly with comfortable wordys, 3284 And menyt hir in maner hir mournyng to voide; Yet sesit not hir sorow for solas of hym. Ne noght glad of þat geste, but greatly anoyet, Paris greuit at þat grete & gird out in yre; 3288 Saide hir full soberly sittyng these wordes :"What lyffe is pis, lady, to lede on his wise? Noght sesyng of sorow, & sobbyng vnfaire : On dayes to Endure, with drouping on nightes. 3292 Who sothely might suffer pe sorow pat pou mase, With care & with complaint comynly ay: Lamentacoun & langour the long night ouer? THE WORDES BETWENE PARYS & ELAN AT TENYDON In faithe the burde fell of falling of terys.- 3304 ffor in this riall Reme of my riche fader, 107 Book VII. Paris tries to in vain. comfort her; but He then chides her for such grief. ("swyre," the neck.) (fol. 52 b.) ("temyn to you,” that belong to your suite.) Ne faute shall ye ffynde, ne your fre buernes. of other, How great and honoured she |