Book XVIII. Achilles slays the 7640 king of Larissa. Hector slays Diomedes slays Antiphus. Epistrophus and 7648 Tedius set upon Hector. Agamynon the grete, [&] þe goode duke of Athens. hat he droffe hym to dethe with the dynt of a Antoneus on Ector full egerly met, But, er he past fro the prinse, he was pale ded. 7652 'Since you love fliting so well; go, flite on the dead!' Tedius summons a thousand knights to avenge the death of Epistrophus. (fol. 119 a) Eagerly they follow Heetor over the field, 7656 THE DETHE OF EPHISTAFUS BY ECTOR SLAYNE. Ector, wrathed at his wordis, waynit at the kyng, Go dresse þe to dedmen, & dyn pere a while.” 7664 7668 ffor the dethe of pat dere doublit his sorow. And laited aftur þe lede with a light wille; THE FIFTH BATTLE. Saght þai the sure prinse thurgh the syde batell. fforsit hym with fight, fellyn hym aboute, 7672 Vnhorset hym in hast, hade hym to fote. Tedius, the tore kyng, in a tene yre, fflappit at hym felly with a fyne swerde, The worthy to wound, & warp vnto dethe. 7676 Then auntrid þat Ector aurthwert beheld The stroke of pe stith; with a strenght arme He keppit the caupe on his clene sheld, And britnet the bold with a breme dynt : 249 Book XVIII. and at last surround him. Tedius aims a blow at Hector, which is caught on his shield. Hector cuts off the right arm of 7680 The right arme, with a rappe, reft fro þe shul- Tedius; hurls durs; Hurlit hym to hard erthe, hue hym to dethe. Eneas to Amphimak angurdly drof, And the lede with a launse out of lyue broght! 7684 Then the grekes full grymly gedrit in somyn, Menelay the mighty with a maine batell! The Duke of Athens full derf, & Dyamede the kyng, Telamon the tydé, & tristy Vlixes; 7688 Archillaus also, Agamynon hym selfe, And Machaon þe mighty, meuit hym with. All pes bold with pere batels brochet in swithe, 7692 Buernes vpon bothe halues brittoned full mony! him to the earth; and slays him. The Greek leaders (fol. 119 b.) The Trojans flee. Achilles slays Book XVIII. Hector slays Encouraged by Hector and their leaders, the Trojans rally and drive back the Greeks. Epistrophus comes from the city with 3000 knights, and the Monster Archer,-half horse, half man. ("fell," skin.) Having the face of a man, yet all over haired and neighing like a horse, and with flaining eyes, he terrified the Greeks. THE DETHE OF AMPHENOR AND DURIWS BY ECTOR SLAYNE. There-at Ector was angry, & out of his wit! 7704 Two kynges he kyld of the kene grekes, Amphenor the fuerse, and the freike Durius; And wonderfully wroght at the wode stoure. Thurgh pouer of the prinse & his pert knightes, 7708 The Troiens turnyt in full tyte, tokyn the fild, ffoghtyn full fuersly, fell mony grekes, Beron hom abacke with a breme wille. Then kyng Bisshop the bold fro the burghe come 7712 With thre thowsaund pro knightes, prong into batell, All wight men in wer, willy to fight, And boldly the bekirt, britnet pere fos. There come with this kyng a coynt mon of shappe, 7716 ffellist in fight, and a fyn archer : ffro the Nauell netherward he was an able horse, 7724 Without harness, 7728 No hawberke he hade, ne harnes of mayle, and having only (fol. 120 a.) a bow and quiver, he goes to battle. 7732 But bare into batell with a bowe stronge, A MONSTER ARCHER. Thurghe the birre of his bowe & his big Arme, 7736 Mony woundit the wegh to be wale dethe, And myche greuit the grekes with his grym fare. 251 Book XVIII. He sorely afflicts the Greeks. 7740 THE DETHE OF POLEXENAS BY ECTOR SLAYNE. Ector faght in the fild felle of his Enmys. 7744 With the Troiens so tore, tydé men alse, Hector slays Polyxenus. His skill and prowess, the horror of the monster archer, and the bravery drive the Greeks to their tents. That myche greuit the grekes, gird hom abacke. of the Trojans, 7748 Thaire Enmys hom after angardly sore, Oppressit hom with payne & with pale strokes. 7756 Wold haue wonen away & of woche p st, There met hym pis Ma vl own, þat was o Euyn forne in his face, as he fle wold. 7760 He myght no wise away for wothe of his dethe, He se his fomen so felle and fuerse at his backe, encounters the Monster. (fol. 120 b.) The Trojans are behind; this Monster before him; there is no 7764 And if he turnyt hade tyte, pen hym tyde shuld, escape. The warlagh with a wicked arowe woundit hym behynd. He auntrid on this Vnbest angardly fast. Book XVIII. Diomedes attacks 7768 and kills the fierce Archer. The Greeks rally, and drive back the Trojans. Hector and both fall. Achilles captures Hector's horse. Hector calls on his knights to pursue and recapture it. Antenor slays many of the Gree s: (fol. 121 a.) As the shalke shuld haue shot at the shene kyng, Dyamede with a dynt dang hym to ground, ffrusshet out felly, and the ffild toke; 7772 Bore backward the batell of pe bold troiens; Kyld of hor knightes and kene men of armys! Ector to Achilles angardly rode; And he keppit hym full kenely, pai caupit togedur, 7776 That bothe were backward pere borne of pere horses, And light on the lond the lordes in fere. But Achilles aftir auntrid to rise, Highet to his horse in a hote yre, 7780 Grypit vnto galathe, þat was the gode stede Of honerable Ector, & etlit away. Ector cryed on his knightes with a kant wille, Bade hom hast hom in hygh, and his horse take. 7784 pen highet furth in haste of his hede knightes, ffelyn vmbe the fuersse kyng, foghtyn full hard. His nobill brether naturell naitly pai strekyn, Gird downe of the grekes, grippit pe roile, 7788 Raft hym the Renke with a roide fare, Restorit pe stithe horse to be stuerne prinse ! Oppressit hom with payne, put hom to ground, And mony deghit pat day purgh dynt of his hond. 7796 Antenor the auntrus angardly faght! Thurghe might of his manhode mony distroyed, |