THE RAVISHING OF HELEN.

103

Book VII.

her up,

and we are too

him.

3148 And is fuerser of folke by a felle nowmber,

will not give
And lappis in hir loue, þat leue hir he nyll
But with strenght of strokys, or with store fight;
And we ledis to lyte pat lady to wyn,

few to compel 3152 Or any Cité to sese by a sawte now,

bere pepull are so plaintiose, & placis of

strenght.
And, sers, syn he so is be souerans of goddis,

Vs may falle here by fortune a fulfaire gifte,
3156 bat shuld lelly be laght, as me leue thinke.
Here is a tempull atyret all with triet godys, But here is a

rich temple, And the grettist of Grise gedrit þerin,

wherein the

noblest ladies of As of wemen to wale, worthy & nobill,

the land are

now at worship: 3160 And prise of his prouynse are in yond proude one of them

is the lovely wife yle.

of Menelaus.
The most of tho mighty is menelai wife,
Lady of his lond, full louely to shew,

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,

And godis full grete of gold & of syluer ;
3168 ffor the tempull is atyret all with tryet clothes,

Bassons of bright gold, & oper brode vessell,
Chaundelers full chefe, & charbokill stones,
And other Riches full Rife þat we may rad

haue :
3172 What fairer shuld vs falle and we fer soght.

(fol. 50 b.) Yf ye deme it to do be deuyse of you all, Hit sittes, me semes, sone in the night

We arme vs at all peces, & aunter þere on 3176 The temple to take and all the triet ladys. Let us seize it

and the ladies, Golde and oper goodes gripe it by dene,

the gold and And shote into our shippes, shake on our way: jewels, and, abovo

And Elan of all thing we aunter vs to take. 3180 Yf we þat luffy may lacche & lede vnto troy,

carry off all

all, Helen,

Book VII.

All assent.

Priam, our prise kyng, may prestly suppose
His suster to sese, sent by eschaunge,
And his couetyng to cacche because of pat

bright.
Shall we attempt 3184 Lokys now lyuely ! what list you to do?
this or pass on?"

To melle in pis mater, or to meue ferre ?
And assai if we suffise our seluyn of might,

Yf we put vs to pillage, er we pyne pole.”
3188 At pe last, when the lede hade left of his speche,

ffele of be folke febull it thughten;
But yche lede by the last aliet þerto,

And assentid to his saw, & suet his rede.
3192 When counsell was kaght of knightes & oper,

And all things examynt, so aunter befell,
The neght drow negh anon vppon pis,

And the mone in the merke myghtely shone,

3196 As come it by course, & cast a gret light. They arm and

bai armyt hom at all peces abill to werre; proceed to the

To the tempull full tite token þere gate, temple, which they surround.

Prayen & piken all the pure godes;
3200 Affrayet the folke fuersly by dene,

Sesit & slogh, slongen to ground;
Grippit the godys and the gay ladys,

And all the company clene closit hom within. Paris seizes Helen 3204 Parys ben presit to be proude qwene, and carries her to his ship.

And sesit hir sone, as hir assent was ; (fol. 51 a.)

Led hir furth lyuely, lefte hir in shippe

Vnder sight of sure men set hir to kepe:
Returning to the 3208 And to the tempull full tyte turnyt agayne,
temple, he aids in
the pillage.

To rob of þe Riches, and Renkes to helpe.
Clamour & crie was Comyns amonge,

Hoge noise for þe nonest in night for to here; 3212 Lelly of the ladies, þat leuer were degh

han be led out of lande, lowde was pe noise. (MS, bas 'uppon

The noise vpponone neghit to be Eris
Of Soudiours besyde in a sure castell,

105

THE RAVISHING OF HELEN.

Book VII.

rescue.

3216 That the tempull was taken & tulkes perin,

And sum þat were slayne & slungen to ground.
By frekys þat fled for ferd to be holde,

Distracte were pai stithly, & stonyt by dene, 3220 And braid to bere bright gere, buskit hom furthe :

The soudiours by assent soghten to þe tempull. Soldiers to the
In the castell were a cumpany, kyd men of

Armys,

bat 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. 3228 ffell was be fight þo fuerse men betwene,

Mony derfe pere deghit, & dungen to ground;
But the Troiens were Torer & tentymes moo,

The Trojans

victorious pursue And greuit the Grekes gretly with strokys; them to their 3232 Oppressit hom with pyne, put hom to flight,

ffolowed hom fuersly, felle hom with swerdys,
Till þai come to þere castell & caght hade pere

strenght.

castle.

The Trojans return to their ships ;

(fol. 51 6.)

collect their spoil; and set sail.

Then turnyt the Troiens, tariet no lengur, 3236 And went vnto water with þere wale godys :

Lefte noght vnlaght þat lykyng was in.
Myche Riches full Rife and relikes ynow,

hai shot into shippe: the sheltrun to-gedur, 3240 bat fild were with folke & fyne gold to wale,

Sesit vp þere sailes, set hom to wyndes.
Cairet on the colde ythes cogges & other,

Aght dayes be-dene & the derke nightes,
3244 Till þai comyn by course to the cuntre of Troy ;

Hit hom into hauyn, as hom hap shope,
At the castell, þat cald was kyndly by name,

Tenydon, and tomly tariet þere in;
3248 bat sothely was sex myle fro the cité euyn.

They arrive at
Tenedos

Book VII.

Paris sends a message to the king.

these pert deeds," calls the nobles to

There arofe all the Rowte & restid a whyle,
And were welcom, I wis, as weghes to bere owne ;

Ι
Honourt with all men, as þere astate wolde.
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.

The messanger maynly meuyt to the kyng
3256 To Troy, or he turne wolde, and told hym in

haste,
bat his sons were in sound & hor.sute holl
At Tenydon; and told how hom tyde hade,

As hym seluyn hade sene, þat sothely was pere. Priam, “ proud of 3260 Pryam was proude of these pert dedis, —

The fainest freike in faithe pat on fote yode, a feast,

And gedrit with gamyn the grettist of Troye,

And sum of the Citizens assemblit with all ;

3264 ffestid hom faire frely with hym, (MS. has "hym") And tolde hom pose tythinges tomly to end :

All maden þai mery & mekyll ioye haden.

As Parys and his pepull were in hor pride samyn, 3268 At Tenydon pat tyme talkyng to gedur,

Hit Auntrid þat Elan, with other of hir lede hat were takon in the tempull, as I tolde first,

Were sorowfull sobbyng with syling of Teres ; (fol. 52 a.) 3272 All tourniet with tеne, tremblit in hert,

Wailyng & weping, wringyng of hondys.
Hit was pité to the pepull the pyn þat ho polet,

And said in hir sikyng with a softe speche :3276 “A! my husband full hynd, & my hede brother !

My Doughter, my Derlynge, & my dere rewme !
Whethur I se you in solas or in sound euer.”

Helen and her ladies bewail their fate.

TO LATE.

bus bemournet full mekull & no meite toke, 3280 But with care & complaint,-comford away.

Parys hade pyté hir payne for to se,

Book VII.

On þat lady, his loue, with langour & wo.
He kairet to þat comly with comfortable wordys, Paris tries to

comfort her; but 3284 And menyt hir in maner hir mournyng to voide; in vain.

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 þis, lady, to lede on bis wise ? He then chides

her for such Noght sesyng of sorow, & sobbyng vnfaire grief.

On dayes to Endure, with drouping on nightes. 3292 Who sothely might suffer þe sorow þat þou

mase,

With care & with complaint comynly ay :
Lamentacoun & langour the long night ouer ?

Thus tourment with tеne, & tides non end,
3296 Ne hopis pou not it harmys, & thy hew chaunges;

And enpaires thy person, & proffettes no more?”

THE WORDES BETWENE PARYS & ELAN AT TENYDON

IN THE CASTELL.

neck.)

In faithe the burde fell of falling of terys. —

“ And þou drunkyn hade dewly as mony du sopis, 3300 As shottes of shire water has shot fro pin ene, Thou faithfully were fillid vnto pi faire swyre.

("suryre," the Therfore, lady, & it like you, lighten your chere;

Comford you kyndly, kacches sum rest; 3304 ffor in this riall Reme of my riche fader,

(fol. 62 b.) Ne faute shall ye ffynde, ne your fre buernes. Tho truly þat are takon and temyn to you,

("lem yn to you,"

that belong to Shalbe plesit with plenty at bere playne wille, your suite.) 3308 And haue riches full ryfe: red ye non oper. And ye sothely, your selfe, souerain of all,

How great and Shalbe worshipped worthely & your wille haue, will be.

And honouret of all men as your astate shuld; 3312 To be gouernet in your grettenes, most godely

of other,

honoured she