HECTOR CHALLENGES ACHILLES. Now, I will pat pou wete, pi wordes me not feryn, Ne thy boste me abaistes with pi bold speche; my But I hope with 7964 Thurgh might of oure mykell goddes, & of mayn strenght, Thy body to britton vnto bale dethe; And all the grete of pe grekes, þat on oure ground lyun, ffor to fell in the feld fay with my hond! 7968 Grete folie, by my faithe, fell in your hedis, ffor to hent vppon hand soche a hegh charge, That passes youre pouer, & proffettes no more, 7972 This wot I full well, bewar if þe lyste, pou bes ded of my dynttes, & pi day past, 7976 And if pou hopys in hert, with pi hegh pride, Of kynges, & knightes, & other kyd dukes, 7980 pat all the deire of the ded be done on vs two, To vttranse & yssue vne at this tyme, Withouten meuyng of moo, or marryng of pepull. 259 Book XIX. Thy words do to slay thee with What folly it is, to undertake what you cannot accomplish. If you think you And if hap the pe herre hond to haue, in the plase If you vanquish 7984 Of me, thurgh þi might, by maistry of hond, And our ground to pe grekes graunt as for right; 7988 And we exiled for euer-more our easement to laite, All our prouyns & parties put in your wille. me, this land shall belong to Greece: And if it falle me by fortune the feirer to haue, and if I shall Make vs sekur, on the same wise, oure soile for to leue, vanquish you, assure us that the Greeks will depart and Book XIX. trouble us no more." (fol. 124 a.) Achilles, chafed with these words, accepts the challenge and the terms. Agamemnon and other Greek Of the Trojan leaders, all but Priam refuse the terms. 7992 Of our prouyns to pas, & paire vs no more, Ne neuer dere vs in dede, ne oure due londes." Wrathet at his wordes, warmyt in yre; 7996 Chaunget his chere, chauffit with hete, That the droupes, as a dew, dankit his fas. He approchet to pe prinse, presit hym ner, And affyrmit with faithe & with fyn chere, 8000 All po couenaundes to kepe with his cleano trauthe: This he sadly assurit at the same tyme. 8004 But Agamynon was gayn at þis gret dyn, With other kynges in company comyn to the tent, hat hasted for the high noise, & hopit in haste Of po mighty full mony the mater to here. 8008 When the knewen all the cause, po kynges bydene, All denyede it anon;-no mon assentid, bat Achilles in chaunse shuld be chosen for hom all, With pat fuerse for to fight þurgh folye of hym 8012 Ne so mony & so mighty men of astate, 8016 Dysasent to pe dede, Dukes & other; Saue Priam, the prise kyng, pat the prinse knew, in hert, Wold haue put hym to pe plit for perell of all, 8020 ffor pe will & pe worship of his wale strenght: But for so mony & mighty menit þere agaynes, TROILUS AND BRISEIS. He put of his purpos, & passis perfro. 261 Book XIX. ben tho prinse at the prise kynges prestly toke The combat is leue, 8024 Turnit fro the tenttes and to toune yode : Past to his palais, & his pale entrid. put off. Hector returns to Troy. THE SOROW OF TROILUS FOR BREISAID HIS LOUE. When hit tolde was Troilus the tale of his loue, 8028 To the grekes, by graunt of po grete kynges, (fol. 124 b.) ffor Bresaide the bright vnblithe was his chere; 8032 Myche sykyng and sorow sanke in his brest; Briseis: is overcome with grief to be returned to her father. He was tourment with tene, tynt was his hew; because she is 8036 Was no knight in the court kouthe comford Ne ses hym of sorow sothely pat tyme! With shedyng of shire water of hir shene chekes; holde, That the blode out brast, & on brest light; And ay swonit in swyme, as ho swelt wold In pere hondes, pat hir helde & halp hir to stond; 8048 And þes wordes ho warpit as hir wo leuit :-"I hade leuer my lyf leue in this place, Than any lengur to lyffe & my luff tyne !" No lengur of thies louers list me to carpe, Briseis pines and droops; tears her hair and her cheeks; and swoons again and again. Book XIX. Whoever desires more about these lovers, turn to the story of Troilus. All women are fickle. If one eye weeps, the other laughs. (fol. 125 a.) A fool is that youth, and a greater fool is that old man, who relies on the word of a woman. Brisels is convoyed to the Grecian camp by others. Diomedes, captivated by Briseis, makes love to her: 8052 Ne of the feynit fate of pat faire lady; Hit is a propertie apreuit, & put hom of kynd. 8056 To all wemen in the world, as þe writ saythe, To be vnstable & not stidfast, styrond of wille: ffor yf the ton ee with teres trickell on hir chekes, The tothur lurkes in lychernes, & laghes ouerthwert! 8060 So full are po faire fild of dessait, And men for to mad is most pere dessyre, And myche more pat man is meuyt into age, 8068 This Breisaid, the burde, by byddyng of þe kyng, In apparell full prowde purpost to wend; Troilus, the true knight, with triet men other, ffro the Cité with pat semely soghtyn on pe gate. 8072 Then the grekes com girdond fro the gay tentes, Resayuit hir with Reuerense, & Riden furthe somyn; And the Troiens to the towne turnyt agayne. The derf kyng Diamede drughe the lady ner, 8076 Beheld hur full hertely, het hir in loue; With venus woundit, I-wis, in his wild hert, He rode to pat Riall, and the Reyne toke. Then he said to pat semly all on soft wise, 8080 All his corage by corse of his cold hert, With full speciall speche to spede of his erend. 8084 BRISEIS AND CALCAS. "Nauther list me my luff lelly the graunt, 263 Book XIX. Ne I refuse the not fully pi frendship to voide; which Briseis ffor my hert is not here holly disposit, To onsware on otherwise, ne ordant perfore!" 8088 At hir wordes, I-wis, the worthy was glad ; Hengit in hope, held hym full gayne. At hir fader fre tent fongit hir in armys, And set hir on þe soile softely with hond. 8092 A gloue of pat gay gate he belyue, Drogh hit full dernly the damsell fro: None seond but hir-selfe, pat suffert full well. Hit pleaside hir priuely, playntyde ho noght, 8096 Let hit slip from hyr slyly, slymyt þerat. Than Calcas, the clerke, came fro his tent, ffongit hir faire and with fyne chere, Toke hir into tent, talket with hir fast, And menit of hir maters, as pai in mynd hade. 8100 encourages. At her father's tent she is lifted from horseback by Diomedes. He pulls off one of her gloves. (fol. 125 b.) Calcas receives her with great joy. THE WORDYS OF BREISAID TO CALCAS HIR FADER. When the burde in hir boure was broght with hir fader, Thes wordes ho warpet with wateryng of Ene :— 8104 That was so conyng of clergy, & knowen in Troy, Myche louet with the lordes, & the ledis all; 8108 And pou riches full riffe, renttes ynow? 8112 8116 Now art pou trewly hor traitour, & tainted for fals! "Why, O father, have you, who were so honoured at Troy, turned her traitor? Why prefer to live in exile among your enemies; when you might be as a lord in Troy." |