Book XXI. 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.) truce. And pat shall douteles be done in dayes a few. 8856 Hit is best þat we byde, barly, me thinke, Then sent were pere sone soundismen two, Priam grants the 8868 And he grauntid vngright with a good chere, Palamedes murmurs against Agamemnon. Agamemnon replies; "I never even desired the command of the Greek forces; nor have I any profit thereby. Within the tyme of pis tru, as the trety sais, Palomydon the proud kyng playnet hym ofte, 8872 Of Agamynons gouernaunce in a grete yre. And as hit tid on a tyme, þes 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: 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; PALAMEDES AND AGAMEMNON. But oft wandrit, & woke, & in my wit caste; ffor thes lordes pat I lede, and the ledis all, 8888 And my suete all somyn, sound for to kepe Out of daunger and dole, & fro dethe hold. And yf this power be putto any prise kyng, 289 Book XXI. (fol. 137 b.) And I shall be well pleased to be Or And be gouernyt by that graithe, as his degre Wele I hope in my hert, & heghly Suppose, I haue not errit in anythyng of all my tyme yet, 8896 In any cas to acount, þat comyn is before, government of another. bat hase skapet vs to skathe, ne to skyre harme. hade, Meruell the not mekell, ne in mynd haue; 8900 ffor pou apperit not in presens, ne preuyt not pi wit, Ne entrid not the ost till after two yeres. If we barly hade abiden with oure buernes hole, Somen, 8904 And not past out of port, ne oure purpos haldyn. werre. Ne, þi self may not say, ne for sothe telle, 8912 Without assent of all somyn, sothely till now, þat any dede has be don, or to dom past, years before you joined us. Had we waited your coming we would still have been at Athens. I shall rejoice if another commander be chosen : and you cannot point to a single deed which has been done without the consent of the But pou in person aprevit, & all oure prise leaders, and of yourself among the rest." Book XXI. Agamemnon calls a council of the leaders, (fol. 138 a.) and thus addresses them : "Till this day, I have acted as And by agrement of the gret, & pe graunt hoole." 8916 When the souerain hade said, pen he sest here; And of this mater no more was menyt at pat tyme. The 8920 Somond all po souerains somyn to appere, ben be worthy pes wordes warpit hom too :- your commander; 8928 I haue ben chargit as cheftain, be chaunse of and, through the help of our gods, everything has prospered. It is proper that you discharge me, and elect another to be your chief." our goddes; And haue traueld with tene, oft turnyt my wit, All oure wayes to wale, pat worship might folow; þat the grete on this ground, & paire gomys hole, 8932 Might suerly be sauyt, & paire sute haue. Hit has happont me hiderward, thurgh help of our goddes, þat all oure fare & oure fortune hath fallyn to þe best. Syn hit is Reason & right, pat renkes so mony, 8936 Noght ay obaye to on buerne, ne his bone kepe, hat are so mony, & mighty, & more of astate; Now is tyme in this tru, or any toile rise, To discharge me as cheftain, & chaunge my lif, 8940 That have maintenede with monhode mony yere past. Let sum kyng of oure company, or sum clene prinse, PALAMEDES IS CHOSEN. By assent of all somyn, set hym þerto, 291 Book XXI. And gouerne vs with graithnes & with gret wit, 8944 To be charget as cheftain by choise of vs all." ben assentid full sone souerain & other, And were glad of þe graunt, þat the grete said; assent to the ffor hit is couyt by a comyn, by corse of pere wit, 8948 Ay hor cheftain to chaunge, þof hit chefe wors; And ay fayne of the freike in his first tyme, pof hit worthe to be worse: wete ye for sothe. 8952 To chese hom a cheftan with charge of hom all, When cause of thies kynges was comyn to an The leaders are pleased, and proposal. Palamedes is All turnyt to pere tenttes, when the tyme asket. 8960 Then hit chaunsit þat Achilles of pe choise herd, Achilles is That Palomydon was prinse, & put doun the the choice; tother: Hit heuet hym hogely of pat hard chaunce. Hit was vnfittyng, he said, pere souerain to voide; 8964 ffor the graithnes of Agamynon, & the gret wit, Was passand Palomydon & the prinses all; And a choise shuld in chaunge be chosen for the bettur. But it comyn was be course of comyn assent, dissatisfied with 8968 And confirmit by the kynges, he keppit hit for but submits to it. goode : No more in the mater mellit hym as then, But past furth to his pale, & here a pase endis. To avenge the death of Hector, Priam himself arranges the Trojan forces, and leads them to battle. (fol. 139 a.) First Deiphobus leads forth his division; then Paris, then Priam ; then Eneas, Memnon, and Polydamas. (MS. has Mirion) Here Begynneth the xxij Boke: the Elleuynt Batell of the Citie. Euery Wegh, þat will wete of this werke ferr, 8972 Lengis here a litle, lysten my wordes! When tyme of this tru turnyt was to end,- Priam, the prise kyng, purpast hym-seluyn 8980 8984 And ffyfty M. fere, fell men of will, Turnyt out of Troy with the triet kyng. Deffibus drogh furth with his derfe pepull, 8988 pen the souerain hym-selfe, the sure kyng Priam ; ben [Menon], the mighty kyng, meuit to feld: Polidamas, the pert knight, presit on the last. 8992 When thies batels full bold were to bent comyn, Thay hurlit furth hard to the hegh laund, ffrickly pere fos found for to greue. |