Book XXI. keep the body of Hector without corruption, and without sepulture. They erect a rich tabernacle on four pillars of gold, adorned with images of angels, and gleaming with precious stones. (fol. 135 b.) representing 8728 He fraynet at po fre, with a fyn wille, Hit was atiryt vmb the top all with triet stones, Of all kyndes to ken, þat clerkes cold deuyse. pai lemet so light, þat ledes might se 8748 Aboute midnyght merke as with mayn torches; As beamys of bright sun, þat braunchis olofte, 8752 Vpon cristall full clere, clustrit with greses, Above the tabernacle they set a great image 8756 Thos maisturs gert make a meruelous ymage, of gold, All grauen of gold, a gret & a longe, ffresshe, vndefacede, & in fyne hew, Then po maisturs gert make a meruelous toumhe, There set was full solenly besyde the high aulter, A tabernacle triet & tristyly wroght, 8740 Of foure pillers vp pight all of pure gold: Amyt after Ector, abill of shap, With a noble sword & a nait naked in his hond, 8760 Vp holdand on high as he þat wold stryke : Turnyt to the tenttes of the tore grekes, THE EMBALMING. With a lyuely loke, ledis to be-hold: The same fawchon full fell, þat þe freke bere, 8764 pat had greuit mony grekes, & to ground broght, Hit was burnisshed full bright & of blade kene ; And in mynd of þat man for manas was holdyn. The body of pat bold, as buerne vppon lyue, 8768 Was full solemly set in a seate vnder, Ymydward the mayne towmbe with maistres deuyse. All the feturs of þat fre, fresshe to be-hold, 8772 All set for to se, saue the fete one, In soche apparell full pure, as the prince vsit. ban po maisturs gert make, amyddes his hede, A hole purgh his herne-pon hertely by craft; 8776 There-in put was a pipe, with a prise oyntment Of bavme & of balsamom, þat brethede full swete, With oper maters mynget, þat most were of strenght, Conseruatours by craft, þat cointly were made. 8780 The bavme þurghe his brayn all on brod ran, And the forhed before fresshly within; So hit entrid to pe Ene, & evyn to his nase, And so be craft & by course come to his chekes, 8784 Goyng to his gomys and the ground of his tethe, bat keppit hom be crafte all in clene vertue. So the face of pat freike was fresshe to be-hold, 8788 And grew fro the ground, þat gomys might know, As a lede vpon lyue; lefe if ye will! ffro thethen the lycour belyue launchit doun evyn, Thurgh the goters of his gorge, & the grete pype, 8792 To the brest of the buerne and the bare shulders; 285 Book XXI. They set the body of Hector under the tabernacle; and arrange it that it might seem to be still alive. They cause a fine ointment to drop into the head, and flow all over the body to preserve it. (fol. 136 a.) By this means the face and features of the hero are kept fresh and lifelike. Book XXI. So also the arms and hands, legs and feet. They set round the body four lamps of gold, whose fire could never be extinguished. (fol. 133 b.) To this temple Priam appoints many priests, and rich endowments. And past so by proces to his prise armys, And keppit hom full cleane in hor kynd hew, þat as a lede vpon lyue to loke on þai ware. ben hit sewit furth soberly, & sanke fro aboue, 8800 By the lyndes of the lede, to the leell theghes, Passond by poris into pe pure legges ; And so, be corse of the craft, com to his fete. In whiche fete pere was formyt fresshly another, 8804 ffull of bawme pat was bright, & of brethe noble. Thus keppit was this corse of the clene prinse, As a lede vpon lyue a full long tyme. ben pos maisters gert make, all with mayn crafte, 8808 ffovre lampis full light, ledis to beholde, When this taburnacle atyrit was tally to end, Thai closit hit full clanly, all with clene ambur, Vmbe the borders aboue, pat no buerne entrid, 8816 With a dore þat was derne, all for dere fryndes ffor to loke on pat lede, when hom lefe pought, Or þat soght hym to se in his sete holl. Then Priam, the prise kyng, puruait to leng 8820 Mony seruondis full solemne in the same temple, Of prestes to pray, and pure men of lyffe, With worship to wale goddis, & wakyng on nightes. He gafe Renttes full Rife, & myche Ranke godis, 8824 All po ledis on to lyf, pat longit perto, Bothe prestes and prise clerkes prudly to fynd. THE COUNSEL OF AGAMEMNON. THE COUNSAILL OF AGAMINON AFTER THE DETHE OF When Ector done was to dethe, & his day past, 8828 All the grete of the grekes gedrit were sone, 287 þat hase grauntid vs pat grace of pe gome Ector, To be drepit to dethe thurgh dughty Achilles. ffor, while the lede was on lyf, & his lymes holl, 8836 We hade hertely no hope here for to spede, Yonder toun for to take, ne tene hom within, Book XXI. sent. Thus he spake for his spede his specials vnto :- Agamemnon "Now fryndes, in faith, vs is faire happont, 8832 And proly, me thinke, we thanke shuld oure their gods for proposes to his captains that they should thank Hector's death: goddes, so many of the Greeks and their allies. ffor he hase kyld of our kynges, to count hom for he had slain by nome, 8840 Prothesselon, Patroculus, & Policene alse; Myrion the mighty, & the mayn Sedymon; Prothenor the pert, & the prinse Xancipun. Alphenor the fuerse flung he to dethe; 8844 Archillagon the choise choppit to ground; Domen the doughty, & derf Polexenas; Isum, also, abill of his dedys. Polipheten, a prise mon, he put out of lyue ; 8848 Letabion on the laund pere left he for ded; And mony grete of our grekes he to ground broght. Syn he be destany is dede, what dem þar vs ellus, And now that he But the Citie to sese, & slyng it to ground; 8852 All the pepull to pyne put, and dethe at oure is dead, Troy and lust? Book XXI. And pat shall douteles be done in dayes a few. 8856 Hit is best þat we byde, barly, me thinke, Priam grants the 8868 And he grauntid vngright with a good chere, truce. And affirmet hit with faith to pe frekis all. And as hit tid on a tyme, pes triet kynges hoole pan Agamynon, full godely, agayn to hym said, Before po kynges in comyn on a cleane wise :"Now Palomydon, pure ffrende, pertly I aske, 8880 Whethur pou hope it in hert, or hold in pi mynd, That I am glad of pis gouernaunce, to be gyde here: That they should send to Priam to obtain a truce for two months, that their dead may be buried and their wounded healed. (Soundismen,'= sondesmen, messengers.) Palamedes murmurs against Agamemnon. Agamemnon replies; "I never even desired the command of the Greek forces; nor have I any profit thereby. 8860 Syn I with prayer, ne with pursuet, preset not peraftur, Ne desyret hit in dede pe dayes of my liffe. 8884 Ne neuer fortherit me a ferthing to fylsy my goodes; |