Book X. Ere we pass hence, let us (fol. 66 b.) To withstond vs with strenght & stroy of our pupyll, 4228 And paire cuntre to kepe with cumpany grete. Er we passe fro pis port, or pull vp our saylys, inquire of Apollo 4232 Duly to Delphon deuoutly to wende, at Delphos what will be the result of our expedition." All assent to the proposal. Achilles and Patroclus are sent to Delphos. They set sail without delay. Not Delphos, but To the yle pere Appolyn erdis with in, In hast forto herkyn of po hend goddes, What shall falle vs by ffortune, er we ferre pas, 4236 Of þis mater þat vs meuys, & mo of our dedys. his is clerely my counsell; conceyuis hit all." When the souerayn hade said, he sesit anone. This message to make po mighty deuyset Of pere noyus note, & an onsware to haue, 4248 With offeryng at appolyn, if aunter might falle, With out tarying, full tite pai turnyt into hauyn, 4252 And saylet furth soberly as hom selfe lyket ; Vmclosit with a course of the colde ythes, 4256 With a serkle of the se pat soght pere aboute, Not Delphon but Delos sum demyt hit to het, hat is the myddis & pe most of mony smalle yles, Set in a sercle þe same place vmbe, 4260 As pai are fourmet with the flode : fyfté & thre, THE WORSHIP OF APOLLO. To reckon by row, pe rodys is the moste. In þat yle, sais ysidir, euyn on a hylle, 4264 There was foundyt a faire temple of a fyn werke, pere Appollo, the pure god, was principally worshippid. Delos, who demys hit, is duly to say 4268 Shortly to shalkes, a shewyng on opun'; 4272 pat in pat bare yle bothe borne were pai first. Of his mater nomore but meue to our tale.--- 4280 In honour of Appolyn, þat I ere saide. pof it defe were & doumbe, dede as a ston, With errour vnable pat erst hom began, 4284 And worshippit hom wofully, for hom wit lacket ffor lacke of beleue pai light into errour, 4288 And fellen vnto fals goddes, & faithly honourt Book X. (Rhodes.) (fol. 67 a.) 139 Delos signifies open." The sun and the moon sprang from Delos. Idolatry the result of ignorance, and the means by which With worship on all wise as weghis vppon lyue; "ends" deceive hat no pouer hade plainly but of pale fyndes, 4292 Spekand to specyals, þat spede for to aske, Thurgh falshede of fyndes pe folke to dissayue, I wi people. Book X. Through the glorious gift of (fol. 67 b.) Christ all idolatry will pass away. (MS. has "pes.") ་ 'gabs not,”lies not.) ("in Cœlo.") When Christ came into Egypt the false gods fell to the ground. The Jews held that Ishmael was the first who made idols; and the Gentiles, that it was Prometheus. But no one in particular is to be blamed; for all men are naturally given to idolatry. THE WORSHIP OF FALSE GODS. 4296 Of pe fyndyng of false goddes, & the foule vse; How sprittis in hom spake to qwho pat spirre wold, And how fowle þat þai faylit at the ferre end. 4300 That come to our kynde throgh a cleane All maumentre in myddelerthe myrtlit to peses As the gospell of God, pat gabbis not, says. Cryste purgh his curstnes, as pe clause tellus, Sent fro pe souerayn þat in Celé dwelles, 4308 To take the childe for a chaunse & his choise moder, And euyn into Egypt entre on his way. When Criste in pat contre come with his dame, 4312 Bothe Mawhownus & maumettes myrtild in peces. Isai also oponly tellus, When Jesu Egipte Joynit with in, All Symylacres for sothe soghten to ground. 4316 bat was a tokyn, he tellus, fro tyme of his come, pat sacrifice shuld sese vnto ser goddis. pus the Jewes aiugen, & for iust holdyn, þat ysmaiell, of all men erst hom, began 4320 Maumettes to make of moldes & clay. And the gentils aiuggen Justly anoþer, Prometheus, principall of þat pure art, bat folke are fourmyt faithly to gentils. ffor no law in hor lede list hom to holde, But folowit pere foule wille as fyndis hom taght; Nawther cercumsiset sothely in sort with the 4324 Jewes, BEL OR BEELZEBUB. Ne comyn with cristenmen, ne on Criste leuyn; OFF BEALL THE GOD & BELSABUB. 4332 On Delus, a derfe Kyng þat deghit in eld, Nine was his name, & his next heire. 4336 He brought hym to berynes on his best wise, As be-come for a kyng, closit hym faire With solempne sepulcre, sothely wroght. Book X. 141 Ninus, son of (fol. 68 a.) And for his fader shuld faithly be fer in his that he might mynd, 4340 An ymage a noble anon gert he make, All grauyn of gold, & of good stonys, Vne of mesure & mykyll, of his myld fader. 4348 pat the gome was god groundet in blisse. duly honour and commemorate his father, erected a golden image of life size; and commanded the people to worship it as a god. And pen the fynde, with his falshed & his fer The “fiend cast, 4352 Entrid in þat ymage, & onswaret the pepull. Who pat any thing asket after his dissyre, 4356 Sum beall, sum belus, sum bell pe god, Sum belphegor, & belsabub, as hom best likes. entered into this image and answered the people: Book X. The sun was called Apollo, and was so worshipped in Delos. Then the chief planets were called Venus and Mercury; (fol. 68 b.) and the moon was called Diana. (Mesopotamia.) (Faunus.) (Quirinus.) (Paphos.) (Lemnos.) (Vulcan.) At Naxos, At Delphos, In ensample of pat same sithyn other folke Haue feynit mony fals goddes, pat pe fynde plesit, 4360 Did honour to dedemen, & for dere holdyn. And pe sun the saidon sothely a god, hat appollo the pepull put into nome, hat is honouret in the yle, pat I of telle, 4364 Delphon, or Delos, dem as ye list. And pan Venus the worthy is worshippit with sum, hat of planettes of prise has hor pure nome. ben mercury, a mighty god, is most in honour, 4368 þat þai saidon was sun sothely to Jobiter. Then the mone was most made for to please, An in the cuntre of Crete cald vpon Jubiter. The men of Mawsom most honret ymbane, 4376 And pe latyn lede loutid to faawn. At Rome pai Reuerenst vppon riche wise On Volcaun þai worshippit on pere wise most. 4384 At Vaxor þe vayn pepull voidly honourit Bachian, a bale fynde, as a blist god. And at Delphon, duly, for derrest of other, 4388 In yche yle vppon erthe, eftur hor deuise, And honourit ouer all thyng as pere belefe askit. |
