AGAMEMNOX RE-ELECTED 313 Book XXIII. (fol. 148 b.) Priam a prise towmbe prestly gart make, With solenité & Sacrifice suche as pai vsit: 9616 Couert hom clanly, closet hom to-gedur. Greeks Myche tene in the tenttes with tulkes wag Mourning of the made, bai broght hym to berynes, po buernes onon, 9620 And closit hym clanly in a clere towmbe. ben to-gedur thai gone, the gret by assent, By assent of hom-selfe a souerain to make, 9624 Syn Palomydon þe prise put was to dethe. By agrement of po grete, & the good Nestor, a Agamemnon 18 again chosen to command the Greeks. xxiiij Boke: of the xiiij and xv Batell of be Cite. The battle is resumed: great slaughter on both sides. A great storm of rain bursts over the field. 9628 The Secund day suyng, sais me the lyne, be Troiens full tymli tokyn þe feld ; And be grekis home agayn gyrdyn with yre. Mony gyrd to be ground and to grym deth; And mony britnet on bent, & blody by-ronnen ! 9636 That day was full derke, dymmyt with cloudes, With a Ropand Rayne rut fro the skewes ; All donkyt the dales with the dym showris. But thrappit full throly, thryngyng thurgh sheldis, Till the bloberond blode blend with the rayn. And the ground, þat was gray, gret vnto red. 9644 Mony knightes were kyld of þe kene grekes ; Mo were bere mart of þe mayn troiens. With a company cleane of cant men of armys. 9648 The freike was so fuerse, & fell of his dynttes, There was no buerne on the bent his birre to withstond, (fol. 119 a.) The Greeks are driven back to their tents : TIIE GREEKS DRIVEN TO THEIR TENTS. 315 But fled hom in fere, ferd of hor dethe, Book XXIV. Turnit to bere tenttes, tenyt full euyll, 9652 Thurgh the rug, & the rayn, þat raiked aboue, All wery for wete, & for wan strokes ; ffelly with fauchons folowet hom after, 9656 Dang hom to dethe in the dym water, compels them to Pursewit hom with pyne vnto pere pure tenttes, to the city. There leuit thay laike, and the laund past : ffor the wedur so wete, and the wan showres, 9660 Soght vnto the Citie soberly & faire, And entrid full easely, euyn as hom liked. pursue and cut them down : but the storm desist and return with a grym The next day full naitly, the noble men of Next day the battle is renewed ; Troy ffore euyn to be fight, & the fild toke; 9664 And the grekes hom agayne, fare Launchit furth to be laund, lepon to-gedur. Speires vnto sprottes sprongyn ouer heddes; Sheldis thurgh shot with the sharpe end ; 9668 Swyngyng out swerdes, swappyn on helmys, Beiton purgh basnettes with the brem egge. Troiell, in þat lyme, turnyt to batell He gird doun the grekes with so grym fare, thowle. Mony knyghtes he kyld, comyns by-dene : 9676 Barons of the best, and of the bold vrles, (fol. 149 ) Deghit pat day with dynt of his weppyn. Thus macchit pose men till the merke night; The store was full stith, pen stynt þai for late, 9680 And aither syde, after sun, soght to bere holde. Then vij dayes euyn þai semblit in þe felde, Troilus makes havoc among the Greeks. The battle rages for seven days. Book XXIV. The Greeks, oppressed with the stench of tho dead bodies, demand a truco for two months. And yche day was pere dedemony derfe hundrith. Of the bodies on bent brethit full euyll; tyme. ffor a tru to be takon of a tyme short, bery, worthen. 9692 Hit was grauntid agayn by grement with-in, And affirmyt with faith the frekes betwene. Agamemnon Within the tyme of the tru, as þe trety says, Agamynon the gret full gredly did send 9696 Nestor, the noble duke, another-Vlyxes And Dyomede, the derfo Kyng, to doghty Achilles, ffor to buske hym to batell, & þo buernes helpe 9700 In offence of hor fos, and hor fuerse socour, Thurgh might of his monhode & his mayn strenght. When þai comyn to be kyng, po kyde men in fere, He welcomyt po worthy with a wille faire, The first of þo fre, þat to be freike said, “Ne was hit not your wille, & your weghes all, 9708 With other kynges in company, & kyde men of worship, ffro our prouyns to passe, and our prise londes, With a pouer full preste on Priam to venge ; They reprove him for having urged on the war, and now withdrawn from it. ULYSSES PLEADS WITH ACHILLES. 317 Book XXIV. disasters that have befallen the His body to britton, & his burgh take; 9712 All his stid to distroy, and his stith holdis ? What will is þere waknet in your wild hert, (fol. 150 a.) To enclyne to pe contrary, & no cause haue, 9716 Syn hit happis vs suche harmes to haue now, They relate the alace : Greeks; Oure tenttes to-torne, takyn oure godes; 9720 Oure barges brent vnto bare askes, And other harmes full hoge hent in a whyle? they had hoped Thurgh prowes of your person, & your prise to win by his aid. dedis, Syn ye honerable Ector auntrid to sle, And now Deffibus is dede, deires no more, 9728 bat furse was in fight, and oure folk sloght; So (happeth) þaire hope is in hard deth, (MS. has And febill in hor fight, faynt in hor hertis. Syn ze alosit ar, of longtym, lusti in armys, 9732 And oure folke has defendit with zour fyn they urge him to strenkith, inaille, If hit like you now, lell sir, lyft vp your hertte, 9736 Mayntene youre manhode & your men helpe, ffaris into fight your folke to releue, worse. Therfore hent vp your hert & your high wille, 9740 Neue you with monhode to mar of your fos ; To wyn vs oure worship, & our wille haue : " that both.) Since he has won so grent renown, maintain it: and to rouse himself |
