THE TROJANS ARE WITHDRAWN.

229

Book XV.

the battle.

them to retiro

hat pe troiens in hor tenttes shuld tene kom no
more,

putting an end to Ne dere hom with dinttes whille þat day last,

Ne folow hom no furre, ne felle of hor pepull. 7104 ben vnhappely hys hest he hastid to do, Hector grants the

request; and, pat angart hym after angardly sore,

assembling his

forces, commands Turnyt hym to tene & all the tit Rewme.

within the city. With the tuk of a trump, all his tore knightes 7108 He assemblit full sone, & sad men of armys,

And comaundit hom kyndly, kynges & all,
To go bake fro pe batell, & buske vnto troy,

And mene hym no more, ne hor men kylle. (fol. 111 a.) 7112 The Troiens paire tore shippis hade turnyt on The Trojans had ffyre,

Greek ships and Wold haue brent hom barly, botis & other;

consumed them, Haue grippit the goodis, & the gomes qwellet,

And no lede vpon lyue left in þe fild.
7116 But at the biddyng of þe bold, þat þe buernes led,

pai were assemblit full sone, & myche sorow hade,
Wentton to be wale toun wailyng in hert,

the Trojans enter Entrid with angur, and to þere Innes zode.

the city, 7120 Thus curstly þat knighthode for a cause light,

Voidet pere victory for vanité of speche,
hat neuer auntrid hom aftur so ably to wyn ;

But þurgh domys of destany dreuyt to noght, 7124 And ay worth vnto werre, as ye shall wete aftur.

set fire to the

would have

had Hector not recalled them,

Sad and angry,

230

xbj Boke. Of a Trew Takyn two Monethes:

And of the thrid Batell,

In the morning the Trojans arm to assail the Greeks,

(fol. 111 b.)

Wen fortun wyth fell angur feftis on hond, ffull tid in hire tene turnys he þe qwell !

Wen þes ffounet folk were faryn to toune,
7128 And entryd full Esely erdyng in sorow.

After settyng of pe Sun þai Seyn to be zates,
Braidyn vp þaire briggis, barrit hom fast;

Iche Rink to paire rest Richit hom seluyn,
7132 And esit hom all nyght after paire deuyse.

Wen þe day vp drogh, & pe dym voidit,
All pe troiens full tit tokyn þaire armys,

That were hoole and vnhurt hastid to ffild,
7136 By the ordinaunce of Ector erly at morow,

To fare to be fight þere fos to distroy,
And make an end of þere note naitly þai,

thoght.

But the grekes, in the gray day, graidly did send. 7140 A message full myldly to be maistur of Troy,

Of a true for to trete of a tyme short,-
Two monethes, and no more, po mighty dessirit.

Hit was grauntid agayn of po grete all ;
7144 Of Priam, & the prinse, & the pert Dukes.

Then the grekes were glad, gedrit þere folke,
That were brittnet in batell, broght hom to-

gedur.

But the Greeks demand a truce for two months :

which is granted.

The Greeks collect their dead;

Book XVI.

and some are burned,

Achilles bewails the death of Patroclus,

He causes tho bodies of Patroclus

tombs,

Thai gird into graves be grettist of astate, 7148 . And beriet hom bairly on hor best wise.

some are buried, All the Remnond and Roke radly þai broght, And brent vp the bodies onto bare askis,

Consumet the corses for vnclene aire,
7152 As the custome was comynly in cuntres of grece.

Achilles, the choise kyng, was of chere febill,
ffor Patroclus, his pere, pat put was to dethe:

Myche weping & wo, waylyng of teris,
7156 And lamentacioun full long for loue of hym one.

He araiet for þat Rioll, all of Riche stones,
A faire toumbe & a fresshe all of fre marbill,

and Protesilaus to

be laid in gorgeois There closet he the kyng vppon cleane wise, 7160 With Sacrifice and solempnite vnto sere goddes;

And Prothessalon, the pert kyng, put in another,
Wroght for þat worthy vppon wise faire ;

And Merion, the mighty, into mold put
7164 With soche worshipfull werkes, as þe weghis

vsit.
All the Troiens, on the tother side, while the The Trojans

tru last,
Helit þere hurt men þurgh helpis of leches.

By two monethes were myldly mouit to end, 7168 Iche freike was fyn hole of bere fell hurttes.

Care hade the kyng for Cassibilon his son,
ffor he was noblist & next of his naite children,

(fol. 112 a.) ffull tendurly with teris tynt myche watur, 7172 And mournet full mekull, for he pe mon louyt. Cassibelan, who is In Venus temple be worthy, in a wale toumbe

Temple of Venus.
He bereit that bold on his best wise.
Cassandray, the kynges doughtur, consayait the

dole,
7176 Weping and woo, þat þe weghis made,
Sho brast out in a birre, & to be bold said

Cassandra bewails “A! wrecches ynwar, woo ys

in hond !

Trojans, and Why Sustayn ye bat sorow, þat Sewes for euer, make peace with

attend to their wounded,

Priam mourns for his son

buried in the

the sad fate of the

our

Book XVI.

the Greeks or worse will befall them.

By Priam's order she is shut up in prison.

7180 With care for to come, & cumbrans to all ?

Why proffer ye not pes, or ye payne thole,
And be done to be dethe with dynttes of swerdes ?

This Cité and be soile be sesit you fro,
7184 Ouertyrnet with tеne, temple and oper;

Modris pere myld childer with mournyng behold,
Be set vnder seruage & sorow to byde !

Elan was neuer honour auenant so mykell,
7188 Ne so precious of prise to pay for vs all !

So
mony

to be martrid for malice of hir!
All our lyuys to lose for lure of hir one !”

When the kyng had consayuit Cassandra noise, 7192 IIe comaundet hir be caght, & closit full hard :

In a stithe house of ston stake hir vp fast;
There ho lengit full longe, as þe lyue says.
Palomydon, the proud kyng, prise of the

Grekes,
7196 Made murmur full mekyll in the mene tyme,

Agamynon the grete was of no gre chere
To beire the charge as cheftan of po choise

kynges.

More syttyn he saide hym seluyn to haue, 7200 As Richer of Renttes, & Riollier of astate;

Held hym for no hede, ne wold his hest kepe, ffor he Chargyt was for no cheftain, ne chosyn

by hym Ne of xxxti other pro kynges, pat priuond were

Palamedes murmurs against Agamemnon;

and thinks that he himself is more worthy to be commander.

all;

(fol. 112 6.)

Was non assentyd to pat souerain sothely but

thre, Without ordinaunce of other only or assent : But of þat mater was meuit nomore at þat

tymo.

Agamemnon arrays the Greeks

When the tyme was ourtyrnyt, and þo tru vp, 7208 Agamynon pe grekys gedrit in þe fild,

HECTOR AND ACHILLES.

233

Book XVI.

under the command of Achilles, Dioinedes, Menelaus, and Mnestheus.

Hector arrays the Trojans, and gives Troilus command of the first division.

Armyt at all peses abill to fyght,
Araiet on a rout redy to batell.

Achilles the choise chargit to batell,
7212 And Diomede the derfe drogh next aftur ;

Monelay the mighty meuit with the prid ;
The Duke of Athens after auntird with the iiij.

bus ordant were all men angardly mony, 7216 In batels full big all boune to be werre,

ffaire yche furde folowand on other,
And past furth prudly into be plaine feld.

Ector, on the other side, egor hym selfe, 7220 Dressit for be dede, deuydyt his pepull.

Troiell, the tru knight, betakon was the first,
In his company to kayre mony kene buerne ;

Other batels full bigge, with bold men to ride, 7224 He araiet full Riolly by rede of hym seluyn.

Then the prinse with his power past to the lond,
And gird furth on his gate with a grym chere.

He met hom full monly with his mayn dynttes, 7228 And gird hom to ground & to grym dethe.

Ector to Achilles amyt hym sone,
hat he knew well be course was his kene fo;

And he keppit hym kenely, and coupid to-gedur, 7232 That bothe went bakward & on bent lay.

But Ector the honerable erst was on fote,
Lepe on a light horse, leuyt Achilles,

Breke purgh batels, britnet the grekes, 7236 Kyld mony knightes, kest hom to ground.

Mony hurlet to be hard erthe & bere horse leuyt;
Mony woundit wegh fro his wepyn past !

So he hurlit hom on hepis with his hard dinttes, 7240 Till he was blody of pe buernes, & his bright

wedis.
Achilles also afterward rose,
Hit on his horse, hurlit into fight,
Mony Troiens ouertyrnyt, tumblit to dethe,

Hector and Achilles meet in battle: both are unhorsed.

Hector remounts, and leaves Achilles on the ground.

(fol. 113 a.)