Book XXII. gazes, the more he is wounded. She leaves the temple; and Achilles, with love look, gazes after her. He returns to his tent, and goes to rest; but thoughts of Polyxena keep him awake. "Unworthy wretch that I am! The bravest and sternest in battle, even Hector himself, could not vanquish me: 9156 The sarre woundit he was, & his wille hatter. Lo, so sodainly with sight in a sad hast, A whe may be woundit þurgh wille of hym seluyn ! Thus, Achilles by chaunse is chaltrid in grym, 9160 With loue of this lady, þat ledis to pe dethe. All the care of his cure the kyng has forgeton, And all meuit out of mynd saue the maidon one ! When be day ouerdrogh to be due tyme, 9168 ffolowand on fer, pat fre to beholde, hat was cause of his combranse & his cold dethe: han with langur of lust, & of loue hote, He was stithly astondid, stird into poght. 9172 So he passid the port, & his pale entrid, Turnyt into tent, takon full hard. The buerne into bed busket anon, Seke & vnsound, set out of hele: 9176 Mony thoghtes full pro prang hym within, He feld in his fare, & his fell hert, hat the cause of his combraunse was the clere maidon. 9180 Thies wordes, in his wo, witturly he said, Soberly to hym-selfe, pat no saule here:- haue kyld, 9184 Might non abate of my blysse, ne my ble chaunge. Noght Ector of all other, oddist of knightes, Hade no sleght me to sle, ne to slyng vnder, LOVE FOR POLYXENA. Ne ouercome me by course with his clene strenght. 9188 A ffrele woman me fades, & my fas chaunges, And has gird me to ground, & my gost feblit! Syn ho is cause of my care, & my cold angur, Att what leche vppon lyue might I laite hele ? 9192 There is no medcyn on mold, saue the maiden one, hat my sors might salue, ne me sound make. The whiche pof I loue, & langwisshe to dethe, With prayer, with prise, ne with pure strenght, 9196 Ne for worthines of wer, ne of wale dedis. What wildnes, or worship, waknet my hert 9200 Hir fadur & hir fryndis, fond to distroy, 9204 Of Rent, & of Riches, rankir þan I, And passes of pertnes pure wemen all? 299 Book XXII. but a frail (fol. 142 a.) What hard fate has made me love her who hates me? Or, why should I desire her, so far above me? Hit semith me vnsertain, all serchyng of wayes; But I see no hele!" remedy!" 9208 pen he turnys in his tene, & terys on his chekes He turns on his Ronen full rifely, for his ranke sorow. hen he driet vp the dropes, & dreghly can syle. On all wise in this world he his wit cast, 9212 ffor to wyn to his will, if werdis noght let. þen he rose fro his rest in a Rad hast, Asket water at his weghes, wesshed hym anone, 9216 And dride vp his dropes for dymyng his ene. bed and weeps. Book XXII. Achilles sends a message to Hecuba requesting Polyxena to wife; (fol. 142 b.) and promises The Queen answers the messenger discreetly: "Tell your lord, that I will do what I can to further his suit: but, I must consult with the king and my sons. HOW ACHILLES SENTTO ECUBA FOR HIR DOGHTER POLEXENA. Anon as the night passid, & neghid the day, Yet lastoon the lell tru the lordes betwene, He ordant to Ecuba, the honerable qwene, 9220 A message for the maiden by a mene frynd, Priuely to passe to the prise lady, bat worthy to wilne to his wif euyn, And mell with a mariage & matremony hole, 9224 As a lady to liue to hir lyues end : 9228 On suche couenaund to kepe, yf þat dere wold, Was a seruond full sure of the same kynges. 9232 When he hade told hym pis tale, toght hym to go, He made hym redy full rad, ron to the toun, Esely to Ecuba etlit he anon, And all his charge, to pat chefe, choisly he said. 9236 The worthy, to þat wegh, þat was of wit noble, Depe of discrecioun, in dole pof sho were, : And onswaret hym esely, euyn on this wise : 9240 "ffrend, pou shall fairly fare to þi lord, In þat at menys to me, with my might hole SHE CONSULTS PRIAM AND PARIS. 9248 ffull onsware, in faith I forme pe not here, 301 Book XXII. But come the thrid day, full proly, withoutyn Three days hence prepe more, Sew to my selfe, & I the say wille Vne faithly before, as hit fare shall." 9252 When the messanger hade melit with pe myld qwene, Than he lut to pe lady, & his leue toke, ben comford he caght in his cole hert, 9256 Thus hengit in hope, & his hele mendit : More redy to rest, ricchet his chere. This honerable Ecuba, eft, when hir liked, main kyng. 9264 Doun hengond his hed, herkonyng the qwene : Mony thoghtes full pro prang hym within! Thus onswart pat honerable euyn to his wif: he shall have my answer." (fol. 143 a.) Hecuba recounts the matter to Priam and Paris. Priam is sore perplexed: but at length answers: "A! how hard were my hert, to hold hym as "It is a hard thing frend, 9268 That so highly me hyndret, & my hate seruet ! All the leght has he lost fro my leue ene, ffor whose dethe, vppon dayes, all the derfe grekes 9272 Hertyn hom full hogely, my harmes to encres. But to fle all the offence, & fortune to come, In sauyng of my selffe & my sons als; þat I may lyff in my lond in my last dayes, 9276 Out of batell & baret in my bare eld, I assent to pi sagh, vpon soche wise, hat he pis forward fulfille, & before do, And with no gawdes me begile, ne to greue to hold him as my friend, who has taken away the light of mine eyes. But to eschew further evils, I assent to the proposal, provided that he ferre." On the third day the messenger returns. (fol. 143 b.) Hecuba states that Achilles shall have Polyxena when he performs what he has promised. Achilles rejoices that his suit has been accepted; and plans how he may accomplish what he has promised. 9284 9288 The prise wordes of Priam Paris alowet, So pat his wiffe, o nowise,-worshipfull Elan,— grece, But leng in pat lond to hir lyues end. The prid day, full proly, priuond Achilles "I haue wetyn the wille of my wale kyng, 9292 Bothe assenton to pis sound, sothely, to me, To his maistur of his mater menit anon, All the truthe of the tale, tomly to end. 9304 And now hatnis his hert all in hote loue: In the hete of his hert, for his hegh lust, To proffer soche prise thing, pat passis his might, 9312 And festyn in forward, þat hym for-thinkes after. |