THE SEVENTEENTH BATTLE. The grekes out gird pere grem for to venge, And the Troiens full tyte, on the tother halue: 9888 ffull mekill was the murthe, & meruell to here! The derf kyng Dyomede, pat doghty was ay, ffore with his fos as a fuerse lyon: Mony britnet the buerne of the bold troiens; 9892 Mony lede out of lyue with his launse broght. Troiell pat torfer titly beheld, Kayres euyn to the kyng, þat he knew well, 9896 He tachit on the tulke with a tore dynt, And he keppit the caupe with a kant wille. Halfe-lyueles along on the laund felle, 9904 Of Bresaid, the bright, with his breme wordes. The shalke on his sheld shoke to his tent, Troiell keppit the kyng with a kant wille, 9916 The men of pat mighty paire maistur can take, Agamynon the grem of pe grekes beheld, 323 Book XXV. Diomedes cuts down the Trojans right and left. Troilus dashes on him; shivers a lance on The Greeks raise him on his shield, and carry him to his tent. Menelaus, to avenge the death of Diomedes, attacks Troilus: but is dashed to the earth. Agamemnon with a company comes 9920 Segh his weghis be woundit, & pe worse haue: to the rescue; He cald hym a company of knightes full noble, Book XXV. And fell to the frigies fuersly anon, Greuit hom full gretly, and to ground broght: kills and wounds 9924 Woundit hom wickedly warppit hom doun, many Trojans; but is severely wounded by Troilus. (fol. 153 a.) A truce for six months is granted by Priam. During the truce, to the tent of Diomedes. Having no hope of obtaining Troilus, she determines to accept Diomedes. And myche harme with his hond happit to do. Gird hym to ground, & greuit him euill; 9928 Woundyt hym wickedly, but no woth in, 9932 bat he light on the laund, þof hym lothe were. pan he hasted to horse thurgh helpe of his knightes, ffore out of fight, and his folke hoole ; ffor the day ouer drogh, dymmet the skewis, And all the buernes of the burgh busket to rest. Than to Priam, pe prise kyng, prestly þai sent ffor a tru to be taken with treatyng of mowthe: 9936 Sex monethes, and no more, po mighty dessyret, All parties in pes for to put ouer : 9940 Of his pe kyng and his councell carpit to-gedur. In tyme of the tru, as tretis þe boke, Breisaid the burd, vnbidyn of hir fader, 9944 ffull duly to Dyamede dressit to wend, 9948 9952 hat abode in his bed of his bale wound: ACHILLES STILL LAPT IN LOVE. 325 9956 Neuer the grete for to grutche, ne the greke Book XXV. werne, All his lust & his lykyng, as hyme lefe thught: So hatnet hir hert in his hegh loue, And all 30meryng for-yeton of hir yore dedes. 9960 Agamynon the gret, and the good Nestor, And he welcomyt po worthy on a wise faire, (MS. has "chose.") Agamemnon and Nestor again plead with Achilles to assist 9964 With full speciall speche pai spake to þe kyng, the Greeks, ffor to force hym to fight, & his feris help; But his hert was so hardonet all in hote loue He still refuses to join them, but He wold not mene to his mynd, ne pe men here. promises 9968 But for lewtie of longtyme, þat þe lede hade To Agamynon the gret, growen of old, He hight hym full hertely to haue at his wille 9972 pan he pankit hym þicke in his pro hert, Toke leue at the lord, lengit no more, OF XVIIJ AND þE XIX BATELL. When the dayes were don of the du pes, 9976 Agamynon with his grekes graithed to feld. to send his Myrmidons. (fol. 153 b.) The truce is ended, and the Greeks take the field. The All the Mirmydons men were mightyly arayed, Myrmidons of By charge of Achilles, þat was pere cheffe lord. 9980 As dropis of dew droppyng of Rede, In hor colours to ken all ouer care wise, As Remyng with Ruthe by right of hor hede, bat lappit was in luf, longit full sore: 9984 So pai lutton paire lord & pere leue toke, ffore euyn to pe fight, & the fild entrid With soft pas all somyn in a sop Achilles accompany them. Book XXV. The Duke of Athens is borne down by Troilus, The Myrmidons suffer severely. Night ends the battle. Thoas is captured: (fol. 154 a.) but is soon rescued by the Myrmidons. Troilus is sur rounded by the Myrmidons. 9988 pan þe Troiens with tene tachit on þe grekes, And oppressid hom with payn, put hom to ground. The Duke of Attens full derf, doghty of hond, ffaght with hom felly, & hor foes noyet. Troiell the tru knight turnyt to be Duke, 9992 And bare hym ouer backeward, he bult on þe erth; Gird to pe grekes, & myche grem wroght; Mard of pe Mirmyden with his mayn strenght; Woundit hom wickedly, walt hom of horse; 9996 Myche harmyt the hede men with his hond one. Thus pai laiket o pe laund the long day ouer, Till the sun in his sercle set vndernethe: Then perted the pepull, presit to pere hold, 10000 And loget the long night till the larke sang. The secund [day] suyng, sais me the lyne, 10004 Blode flemyt o fer in flattes aboute! Hew hom doun heterly, hade hom to ground; With mony hidious hurt harmyt hom mekill. pai presit vmbe the prise knight prestly onon, 10016 And the horse of þat hathell hewen to dethe; Wold haue fongit the freike with hor fyne strenght, And haue led the lede the lystis vnto. NINETEENTH BATTLE. 327 Book XXV. pan Paris the prise knight preset in swithe, 10020 With his noble brethir naturell, nait men of werr. Paris and his pai met on the Mirmydons, macchit hom hard, On Swargadon þai slogh, a sure mon of armys, The noblest of pe naturell, þat noiet hom all. Troye, Mony warchond wound wroght at pat tyme. 10036 The Mirmydons were mony & of mayn strenght, Wise men in werr, wight of hor dedis, Graithe of hor gouernaunce, grym in a feld, Of all fetis enfourmyt, þat to fight longit: 10040 Thai segh the troiens so tore & tentymys moo; pai hade no might, ne no mayn, pe men to withstonde, But assemblit on a sop sadly to-gedur, And ay droghen o dregh, as hom deirit lest. 10044 On nowise in this world weir hom pai might; And Diomede the doughtie, pat duly was hole, All gird in full grymly with a gret pepull, 10052 Restorit the stith fight stuernly agayn. brothers to the rescue. Troilus and (fol. 154 b.) Agamemnon and Menelaus succour the Greeks: |