Book XI.

and put them to flight.

They then surround 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, The grekes gird hom to grounde with hor grym swerdes,

4736 And brittenit on the bent, þat abide wold.
Comyn to the castell, vnclosit it aboute,
ffoghten with the folke, pat defens made.
Shottyn vp sharply at the shene wallis
4740 With glayues; & gomes girdyn doun toures;
Dryuen vp dartes, gyffen depe woundes.
With alblasteris also amyt full streght,
Whappet in wharles, whellit the pepull.
4744 With speris full dispitiously spurnit at the yates,
Dongen on dernly with mony dede hurtes,
In diffens of pe folke, pat affroi made.

But the wallis the[y] were for all the wo yet, 4748 And fele of hor fos fellyn with out.

þen 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 pere 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.
The Troiens full tit were tirghit for fight,
Wondit & were þat þai were noght;

4760 And the grekes in so grete nowmber gedrit hom

till,

Wonyn on the wallis wightly with ladders,

At wyndous on yche syde-wise a wonderfull

nombur,

CAPTURED AND DESTROYED.

The grete toures pai toke, tirnyt the pepull: 4764 Was no lede opon lyfe pat a lofte stode.

The[y] chefe into chambers & oper chere hallis,
And yche freke, þat þai found, felly þai slogh,
Old men & other, with ournyng to dethe,

4768 Tyll no lede of pat lynage vpon lyfe was.
All the caves in the castell clenely pai sought,
Robbit the Riches & the Rife goodes;

155

Book XI.

(fol. 74 b.)

The castle is then pillaged and completely destroyed,

Prayet & piket pat proffet was in,

4772 And wonnyn it wightly the wallis withoute,
Till all was bare as a bast, to be bigge woghes.
Mynours then mightely the moldes did serche,
Ouertyrnet the toures, & the tore walles

4776 All dusshet into the diche, doll to be-holde;
Betyn doun the buyldynges & brent into erthe,
Tyll the place was playne & out of plite broght;
And hegh Tenydon with tourys tyrnyt all vnder.

4780 When pai hade wasted the won & wonen the gre, 'won,'=wone, a

dwelling.)

All the tresour thay toke & turnyt to ship.

This fight is the first and firre vs behouus.

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.

156

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 þat 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, bat any godis hade goten at the gret hold, 4792 ffor to bryng it helyue & no bode make;

And cum wightly perwith the weghes hom selfe, To a place þat was playne on pe 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. þai 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 þai were:

He, pat boldist was in batell, the best for to haue.

THE COUNSEL OF AGAMEMNON.

When pis duly was done by dom of þe 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.

"Ye frendes faithfull, pat fuerse ben in armys!
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,
And the fame of our fuersnes fares abrode.
The word of our werkes thurgh the world springes!
Is not accountid of kynges, ne kyde men of

157

Book XII.

Agamemnon calls the leaders to a council of war.

"Ye faithful friends, princes, and kings!

(fol. 75 b.) Our forces are numerous, and, by the grace of our gods, there are not in all the

world warriors of so great fame.

armys,

4828 Thurgh the world for to wale so worthy of dedis,
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 purgh 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 þurghe pride, evils. 4836 And what cumbraunse & care, in mony kyde

londes.

Book XII.

The gods hate it;

it spoils the best

plans;

Ye all know, that

this great host has come hither to avenge us for the misdeeds of Priam.

and proud men in 4840 ffor proude men in price haue playnly no fryndes,

einprize have no friends.

(fol. 76 a.) (ournyt, roused, enraged.)

('erted,' emboldened.)

Assuredly he is
forewarned, and
has collected great
forces; but they
know not our
movements.
If all his forces
are ready we may
pay dearly for our

invasion.

Syn it haten thies hegh goddes & hogely withstondyn,

And ay the purpas enpayres with pride is be

Let us therefore walk wisely in

Let vs waive now wisely in our werkes all,

this undertaking, and be ruled by righteousness,

And nomly in þis note, pat now is in honde, hat no pride fro our purpos put vs abacke;

that no fault may 4848 And rule vs by rightwisnes in our Ranke dedis,

be found with us.

gonen,

Hit is wit for to wayue or vs worse happon;

4852

But euery mon with enuy ertis hom skathe;
And who-so frend is & felow to pat foule vise,

Myche hate on hym highes & harmys with all, 4844 And makes fos of his frendes & fele pat hym

louys.

With a lyue of lewte, þat as a laump shynes,

hat no fawte with vs founden be, ne fylyng of
pride.

Now wete ye right well, þat all þis wale pepull
Are comyn to this cost with cumpany grete,
And pursuyt to pis prouynse in purpos to venge
Of harmys & hegh grem, with hethyng full
mekull,

hat Priam and his pepull hath plainly vs done. 4856 Syn we arofe in pis Rewme in a rad haste, We haue ournyt hym with angur, ertid hym mykill,

Yf he were fully our foo forwith this tyme, To hate vs in hert, now here is our cause. 4860 This wot I full well, pai warnyt are before, And haue gedrit of gyngys mony grym batell. But pai wete not our werkes, ne our wilde fare; hat we be neghit so negh, ne noy pat is fallyn. 4864 ffor if þai might be so mony, & of mayne strenght,

We mut bye it full bitterly pe baret we make. pai haue a Cité for sothe, a sure & a noble,