Book VIII. Our kingdoms are strong; and we have many allies. All Greece will rise to our aid, (fol. 57 2.) With a fleet we shall pass to Troy ; Kill the people, and raze the city to the ground. And Paris shall be hanged as a felon. To this end let us seek the aid of all the kings in Greece." 3616 And wreke þe on weghis þat þe wrathed hase. Yow know pat our kyngdomes are of clene strenght, And we haue felowes full fele pat vs faith owe, To wreike vs of wrathe & our wronge ricche. 3620 All Grece, for pis grefe, with pere grete ostis, Wilbe redy to ryse with a ranke pepull;— Euery kyng for to cum with knightes enarmyt, ffull stoutly with strenght to stir on our fos. 3624 With a nauy full nobill, naite for þe werre, We shall tyre vs to Troy tomly to gedur; And if hit tyde vs our tentis tild on þere londe, Hit shalbe hevi & harde, & happi vnlike, 3628 þat any frigies vs fere, or to flete dryue; But it happon hom harder in a hond while, And the dernyst be dede with dynte of our hondes. paire pepull & hor power to pyne as vs liste, 3632 Troy and pe tresoure take at our wille, Bete downe the bildynges to pe bare erthe. And paris, pat is prinsipall of our pure hate, Iff hit happe vs to hent, hongit shalbe 3636 As a felon falsest foundyn with thefte. Hit is sothely to sese of sorow in mynde, And to all the kynges by course, pat knowen are in Grece, Dukes by dene, & other derfe Erles, 3640 Let vs send to hom salus solemli by letre, 3644 When Agamynon the graithe hade geuen pus to red, Menela mightily made for to write A LEADER IS CHOSEN. 119 Book VIII. To all the grete of Grece, fro Agamynon & hym, 3648 By currouris to yche cost, kynges to warne : And all agreit to be gate with a gode wille. The first of po freikes, pat to the fight come, despatched with the message. Was Achilles, a choise kyng & cheuallrus in Achilles. armys, 3652 And Patroculus the proude, a prise mon of werre; Patroclus. And opunly, by one assent þai ordant hom all, Elan fuersly to fecche, and hor fos qwell, 3660 And venge on þere velany & þere vile harme. And for explait of pere spede, pai spekyn in fere To chese hom a cheftayn to be chefe of pem all, To be prinse in pat prise and pe prese haue; 3664 All the ost for to honour & his hest kepe, And be gouernett by this grete by grement of hom. ben by assent of pose souerans somyn, þai yode And walit hom a wegh by wit, as hom thoght. 3668 To Agamynon þai giffen þe gouernaunce hole, ffor worthiest of wit þat worship to haue; And ordant hym Emperour by opyn assent, With power full playn þe pepull to lede, 3672 And obey to pat bolde his biddyng to wirke. 3676 THE DROWNYNG OF POLLUX & CASTOR. Pollux the pert kyng and his pere Castor, ("ilka-dele," every part.) (fol. 57 b.) Agamemnon is chosen to lead the expedition. Castor and Pollux pursue the With a nauy full noble anon by hom seluyn ;- Trojans. Book VIII. A storm bursts over them. (fol. 58 a.) And hor sister to sese, with sailyng þai wend. 3680 þat þai bode not the biddyng of pe buerne But when tithyng was told of hor triet sister, pai fore to pe fome, as I before saide. But how it tide of pat tale this is tru sothe,— 3684 To pe water pai went, po weghis to gedur, Paris to pursew with prise men of Armes. Thai sailit not sounde, sothely to telle, Two dayes by dene, as hom dere felle, 3688 When the heuyn in hast hepit with cloudis, No light but of Laite, pat launchet aboue; Sails and ropes are torn away. 3696 As hilles hit hepit in a hond while. So pe bre and the brethe burbelit to gedur, Hit sundrit pere sailes & pere sad ropis; ("tylude"=tilde, 3704 All pere takyll was tynt, tylude ouer borde; turned, cast.) The ships are shattered on the rocks; Castor The nauy wex nakit; noy was on honde. The shippis with shire wynd shodert in twyn, 3708 The two brether were abidyng bothe in a shippe, warde; Rut on a Rocke, rof all to peces. The bordes all to brast, brusshet in the water; CASTOR AND POLLUX DROWNED. 3712 The Dukes were drounet, & oper dere folke. And syn the dethe was in doute of po dere 3716 Ne non certayn cold say, ne for sothe telle, 3720 Tran[s]late truly into triet ioy. And poites haue put of po prise brethir, ffor the sun vnder zodias settis hym to leng 3728 Mo in his mouyng þen any mone other. But, what is sothely be said of po sure brethur, 3732 Here Darys in his dyting duly anisys ffor to telle in his tale pe tulkes of Grece ; Of pere shap for to shew and pere shene colour, Of the worthiest pere were, to wale hom be nom. 3736 pus he breuyt in his boke of po breme kynges, ffor he segh hom in sight at sembles full ofte, (As in tymes of tru, þaire tentes with in) And waited hom wele; for þe wegh thoght 3740 To myn hom in makyng in maner as pai were. 121 Book VIII. and Pollux and Fables concerning (fol. 58 0.) THE SHAPE AND COLOUR OF THE KYNGES OF GRECE. Agamynon þe gay was of a gode mykull; He was store man of strenght, stoutest in armes, Agamemnon was tall, large-limbed, noble, and free. Book VIII. 3744 Menelaus was of middle size; bold, daring, and determined. Achilles was a large, burly, broad-shouldered man, with crisp hair and project ing eyes. (fol. 59 a.) With lymes full large; light of his will, He was witty per with, & wegh hardy, 3752 3756 3760 Noght so large of his lymes as his lefe brother; A bolde man in batell, & of breme wille. Among the Greeks he had no equal in strength 3764 or in battle. burly, strong man, was well coloured; and had large gray eyes that squinted. Ajax Elius, a very tall, largelimbed man: given to lying. 3772 Borly of brede, & of big strenght; Wele colouret by course, clene of his face, Brode of his brest, byg in his armys; 3776 A large man of lyms, lengest of stature. Noght lowrand with laithe chere lese for to |