TENEDOS ASSAULTED. And all the shalkes to ship with the shene godes, 4700 And turnyt vnto tenydon, taryt no lengur. pere arof all the rowte with pere Ranke shippes, 4704 ffestnet with fuerse Ropis the flete in pe hauyn; Book XI. 153 The fleet then sails to Tenedos, where there was a strong castle, Wele wroght for the werre with walles full well garrisoned stronge; 4708 Evyn fild full of folke, fuerse men & noble, And Riches full Rife, Ranke men with in; Arait hom full radly, right to the werre. 4716 Wenton out wightly wale men of armys, and supplied. The Trojans turn their castle And bateld hom on the banke as hom best thught. Greeks, who had When the Grekes were gethurt & to ground comen, Mony fightyng folke in a fuerse nowmbur, now landed. Book XI. and put them to flight. They then sur round and attack the castle. ('glayue,' a broadsword.) (alblast, or alblaster, an engine for shooting arrows.) ('wharle' = quarrel, an arrow for the cross-bow or alblast.) ('were,' defend.) The Trojans stoutly defend themselves; and the Greeks attempt to scale the walls. Many of them are dashed to the ground and killed. The Trojans are worn out; and the Greeks press the escalade, seize the towers, and put the men to death. And the nowmber so noyous, pat neghed in hast, 4732 That the ffrigies floghen and the fild leuyt; Turnyt vnto Troy, and the toune entrid. And po at fore not to flight, ne of forse were, 4736 And brittenit on the bent, þat abide wold. ffoghten with the folke, pat defens made. But the wallis the[y] were for all the wo yet, 4748 And fele of hor fos fellyn with out. ben gone forthe the grekes, graithet engynes, Batold hom all abrode vmbe the bare walles; Layn ladders alenght & oloft wonnen. 4752 At yche cornell of pe castell was crusshyng of weppon; ffell was the feght po fuerse men amonge; Mony grekes in þere gremy gird on the hed, Till pai lept of the ladder, light in the dyke, 4756 The brayne out brast & the brethe leuyt; And mony dongen to dethe with dynttes of honde. 4760 And the grekes in so grete nowmber gedrit hom Wonyn on the wallis wightly with ladders, At wyndous on yche syde-wise a wondurfull nombur, 4764 CAPTURED AND DESTROYED. The grete toures pai toke, tirnyt the pepull: All the caves in the castell clenely pai sought, Prayet & piket þat proffet was in, 4772 And wonnyn it wightly the wallis withoute, And hegh Tenydon with tourys tyrnyt all vnder. Book XI. (fol. 74 b) 155 The castle is then pillaged and com pletely destroyed, 4780 When pai hade wasted the won & wonen the gre, ('won,'=wone, a All the tresour thay toke & turnyt to ship. This fight is the first and firre vs behouus. dwelling.) The Greeks rejoice over their victory. Agamemnon orders all the booty taken at the castle to be brought to him that it may be fairly divided. (fol. 57 a.) The boldest in battle gets the best share. xijth Boke. How the Grekys sent two Kinges in Message to Kyng Priam ffor Restitucion of paire harme. ROBBET was pis ronke hold & ryuyn to ground; 4784 All the kepars kild vnto cold dethe. ffull glad were the grekes the godis to fonge, And pat hom happit so hastely the haldes to distroy. Mery was the menye & maden gret Joye, 4788 As pai houyt in hauyn holly to gedur. Then Agamynon graidly, paire gay Emperour, Chargit hom as cheften all his choise pepull, hat any godis hade goten at the gret hold, 4792 ffor to bryng it belyue & no bode make; And cum wightly perwith the weghes hom selfe, To a place pat was playne on þe pure ground. And pai obeyt his boue. The buernes anon, 4796 Past to the playne pere prince vntill: Yche gome with his gode pat he gotyn hade. pai comyn forth clenly with clothes & other, And pight it on a playne in a place faire. 4800 pan the souerain hym seluon soberly deuidet Tho godes to his gomes, as hym graith thoght, And depertid the pray to his prise folke. To the weghes pat hom wan with woundes before, 4804 And put hom in perell, depertid pai were: He, pat boldist was in batell, the best for to haue. THE COUNSEL OF AGAMEMNON. When pis duly was done by dom of pe lorde, The cheftayn full choisly chargit the gret,4808 All the kynges of his company & his kyde Dukes, Erles & all men pat of astate were,— The secund day suyng or the sun Rose, To appere in a place pertly hom seluon, 4812 ffor a counsell to carpe & comyn to gedur, And to speke of hor spede whill the[y] space hade. When the derk was don & the day sprange; Gedrit were the grete & to pe ground comyn 4816 On a place þat was playne, plenty of Setis; Euyn set in a serkyll þe soferan before, And pes in yche place, princes were stille; Agamynon, the gouernour, godely did say 4820 These wordis full wisely to his weghes all. THE COUNSELL OF AGAMINON AFTER DE TAKYNG TENYDON. 157 Book XII. Agamemnon calls the leaders to a council of war. "Ye frendes faithfull, pat fuerse ben in armys! "Ye faithful Princes & prise kynges, preuyt of Astate! That are gedrit on the ground, & fro grece comyn. 4824 The pouer of our pepull is plainly full hoge, friends, princes, and kings! (fol. 75 b.) Our forces are numerous, and, by the grace of our gods, there are not in all the And the fame of our fuersnes fares abrode. Is not accountid of kynges, ne kyde men of armys, 4828 Thurgh the world for to wale so worthy of dedis, so great fame. By the grace of our goddes, as grekes are now! And no pride in our pepull for our prise werkes, That happis vs to haue þurgh our kynd goddes. 4832 Hom proly we thanke pan thrive we pe bettur, For this we And put away pride fro our prise hertes; ffor it knowen by course & custome to all, thank our gods, and put away all pride of heart, which is the source of so many What harmys & vnhap has hastid purghe pride, evils. 4836 And what cumbraunse & care, in mony kyde londes. |