PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE. 1132 With all the fere pat hym folowes, furse men of And Armys; зе Book IV. and Peleus command the sothely your-selfe, þat soueran are here, one; and that With your company clene as ye come hider. Jason full iustly aioynet to my-seluon, 1136 With a soume of soudiours assignet vs with, 1140 Lurke vnder leuys logget with vines Till tithaundes in toune be told to be kyng, knightes; Vnwar of our werkes wete vs not pere. bat oper part of our pupull put we in thre; Nestor with a nombur of noble men all, 1148 ffare shall before the forward to lede: Castor with his company come next after, We shall found by my feith, or ellis fay worthe: 1156 To werke on this wise and our wille haue, 1164 Armet at all peces abull to fight; Wonen vp wynly vppon wale horses, 39 they, along with Jason and himself and their soldiers, should form an ambush under the city walls, while the other band, under Nestor, Castor, and Pollux, should wait near the ships to engage the enemy. The council adopt (fol. 20 b.) Book IV. The two bands are arranged: the ambuscade is set. At sunrise Laomedon is informed that the Greeks have landed and are in battle array. He summons his troops and prepares to meet the enemy. The Greeks under Nestor are the first to meet the Trojans. (fol. 21 a.) 1168 Silen to the Citie softly and faire; Lurkyt vnder lefe-sals loget with vines, Busket vndur bankes on bourders with-oute. pes oper batels at the banke abidyng full stille, The kyng for to kepe and pere course holde. And whiles pese renkes pus rest þan rises þe sun, 1172 Bredis with his beames all þe brode vales. Hit was noiset anon þat a noumbur hoge Of Grekes were gedret & pe grounde hade. 1176 pat the Citye samyn were assemblet In haste, The kyng depertid his pupull, put hom in twyn, Duke Nestor anon, nobli arayed, Countres the kyng with a cant pupull: 1192 Bothe batels on bent brusshet to-gedur; armys, Shildes throgh shote shalkes to dethe; Speires vnto sprottes sprongen ouer hedes, 1196 So fuerse was the frusshe when pai first met. When helmes and hard stele hurlet to-gedur; LAOMEDON ENCOUNTERS NESTOR. 1200 Sum swalt in a swym with-outen sware more, Mony perysshet in pe plase er pe prise endit. The Troiens were tydé, & tid pere pe bettur, Book IV. 41 Many perish on both sides. And the grekes on pe ground were greatly as The Greeks fall toynet. 1204 pen Castor the kyng comys vpponone, Restoris hom with strenght þat distroyet were. ben þe crie wax kene, crusshyng of wepyns, And the fight so felle of pe fresshe knightes, 1208 be Troiens were torne tynte of perc folkes. Lamydon, þat hom led, as a lion fore, Bare don mony bolde & brittonede to dethe; So fuersly he fore with his felle dynttes, 1216 Brusshit into batell & moche bale wroght; Mony bolde buerne on þe bent the bold king Mony turnyt with tene topsayles ouer, 1220 þat hurlet to be hard vrthe & pere horse leuyt. Lamydon at the laste lokit besyde, Segh his folke so fare & his fos kene, ffor wothe of þe worse & of weirdis feble, 1224 He with-drogh hym A draght & a dyn made, Gedrit all his gynge And his grounde held. into confusion: are restored by Castor. The Trojans are sore pressed: Laomedon rushes to their aid: the Greeks give way. Pollux brings up fresh troops and does much damage. (MS. has (fol. 21 b.) Nestor resolves to attack hat he was prinse of pe pepull & pe power led, Laomedon. 1228 He left all his ledis & a launse caght, Launches euyn to Lamydon with a light wille. be king consayuit his come, keppit hym swithe, Ricchis his reynys & th Reenke metys: 1232 Girden to-gedur with pere grete speires. They meet, and Book IV. the shield of Nestor; the spear is shivered, and he is hurled to the ground. Nestor, unhorsed by a young knight Sedar, is at the mercy of Laomedon. The rescue. (fol. 22 a.) Castor, seeing Nestor wounded, rushes upon Sedar. The king share thrugh his shild with pe sharpe ende, And the rod all-to roofe right to his honde; The Duke had dyed of pe dynt doutles anon, Gaffe hym a great wounde in his grete face. couth, 1252 But a gret nowmbur of Grekes gedrit hym vmbe, That Nestor with noy was nolpit to ground, 1260 To deyre hym with a dynt for pe Dukes sake. 1264 His shafte all-to sheuerit the shalke was unhurt, wondyt, CASTOR AND POLLUX. A Sore dynt in the syde at the same coursse. be shilde away share vnto the shyre necke, fase, 1272 Bare hym ouer backeward to pe bare vrthe. When pe freke was fallen & on foote light, He laid vppon lyuely & no lede sparit, . 3ald hym not get for 3ynernes of hert. 1276 pan pollux full pertly aprochet in hast With seuyn hundrithe sad men assemblit hym with, ffrochit into pe frount & a fray made; Bere backeward the batell & his brother toke, 1280 Horsit hym in haste, halpe hym olofte; And pollux with a proude wille prickit to an- One Eliatus, a lede, and hym o liue broght. The kynges son of Cartage & a knight noble, 1284 Aliet vnto Lamydon by his lefe suster, Cosyn to the kyng, & he his kyde Em, þat the shire water shot ouer his shene chekys. 1288 Myche woo hade þe wegh for þe wale knight, And assemblit his sad men on a soppe hole, With a horne pat he hade, in a hond while, ffor to dere for the dethe of his dere cosyL. Gird euyn to the Grekes with a grym fare; grounde; Book IV. 43 Sedar fights with Castor, and wounds him. Pollux with seven hundred men comes to the rescue. (Alyattes, king of Lydia.) (fol. 22 b.) The Trojans are rallied, and drive the Greeks to their ships. |