PYRRHUS AND THE SONS OF ACASTUS. "Thus I skope fro the skathe with skyrme of And with wawes of the water wagget to bonke : 13544 The salt water sadly sanke in my wombe, hat I voidet with vomettes by vertu of goddes, 13548 There tynt haue I truly myche tried goode. 443 Book XXXV. that he had lost everything, and And now me bus, as a beggar, my bred for to must now beg thigge At doris vpon dayes, þat dayres me full sore: 13552 Iff ye haue ferkit any fode to pis frith now, part !" his way home. He beseeches them for food: som they bid him follow them. "ffolow vs pan furth," po fre to hym saide, with-all." 13556 pan se pai besyde, in the same tyme, A hart appears before them: Melanippus pursues it, leaving his brother to A grete herte in a grove, goond hym one. 13564 And hym-selfe on the soile set hym onone. Thus britnet pat bold the brethir, his Emes, accompany Pyrrhus slays him. (fol. 207 b.) Melanippus returning is also slain. Book XXXV. Pyrrhus hastens Pyrrhus tries to slay Acastus: Thetis prevents him, and intercedes for his life. 13572 And fraynet at hym fuersly where the freike was. "Here at hond is pat hery," the hend to hym saide: pen he gird to be gome with a grym swerde, And slogh hym downe sleghly by sleght of his 13576 Pirrus full prestly pen past to his shippe, And come, in his course, pe kyng forto mete. þen he fraynet at þe freke in his fresshe wede, 13580 Wat whe þat he was, wete hym to say. Pirrus to the prise kyng pertly onswart ;- Prisoner to Pirrus, pat pertly me toke." "He is wery of pe whaghis," pe whe to hym sayde, "And here romys on pe rocis to rest hym a 13588 þen þai drogh to pe dike, per pe duk lay, Pirrus swappit out his sword, swange at þe Wold haue britnet pe bu[e]rne in hys breme yre. Wyf, as I wene, to worthé Pelleus, 13596 And doghter to pe duke, þat he dere wold. ACASTUS SAVED BY PELEUS. 13600 þat were pin emys full nobill, nayt men of will; And now Aschatus with skath wold skirme to pe deth, hat is my fader so fre, and þi first graunser." pen Pirrus full pertly to pat prise saide :— 13604 "Has not þi fader full foule flemyt myn ayell, 445 Book XXXV. (fol. 208 a.) Pyrrhus promises to spare his life if Peleus Pelleus, of his promys, þin awne prise husbond. desires him to If he will spare hym to spill, I spede me perto." 13608 Pelleus come prestly, praid for pe kyng: "Hit suffis," he saide, "pe slagh of his childur, be bold, þat were britnet on þe bent syde." pen acord was per knyt po kyngis betwene, 13612 ffull frenchip and fyn festnyt with hond. per pai setyn on pe soile, po souerans togedur, 13620 My sons now are slayn, & slungyn to ground, 13624 But Pirrus, of prowes pertist in armys. Dernyst & derne, myn awne dere cosyn, I releshe þe my ryght with a rank will, And graunt pe pe gouernanse of pis grete yle." 13628 Pelleus hit plesit, & playnly he saide: do so. Peleus pleads for Acastus. Peace is concluded, and they become friends. Acastus, now that his sons are slain, yields his realm to Pyrrhus. Peleus also resigns the government of "And my ryght I renonse to pat rynk sone, haue, be terrage of tessayle and pe tryed corone." 13632 pen ros pai full radly, raght vnto horse, Wanen vp wightly, wentyn to towne. Pyrrhus. Book XXXV. (fol. 208 b.) Pirrus full prestly a prati mon sende, Bade his nauy come nere, negh into hauyn. Acastus commands his subjects to acknowledge Pyrrhus as their king. (MS. has "after pai were.") Pyrrhus is crowned king of OFF THE CORONYNG OF PYRRUS AND OF HIS DETHE, 13636 The souerayn hym-selfe, when he segh tyme, Aschatus, to all men afterward send Thurgh the cité fro hym-selfe, & the syde lond, The secund day suyng, as said is of olde, pan be fauer & frenship, þat fell to hym after, All the londis and the lordship, pat longed to Gryse; 13652 And his cuntre keppit in couert & pes To the last of his lyf, as a lord shuld. Here I turne from my tale, & tary a qwile, Till hit come me be course to carpe of hym ferre. Idomeneus, king 13656 When Idumius was ded, doghty of hond, of Crete, dies, and is succeeded by his sons, Merion and Laertes. (fol. 209 a.) pat I told of tomly in tymis before, Two sones of hym-selfe suet hym after, In his realme for to reigne, as his right ayres: 13660 Merion, a myld & mighty, was one, And Laertus by lyne was his leue brother. 13664 And after course of our kynd closit his dayes. THE ABDUCTION OF HERMIONE. bat Nausica had, þat noble nam vnto wife, Doghter of the du kyng, doghty Antenor, 13668 He gate on þat gay vne a gode sone, bat Dephebus duly was demyt to nome. Now I will to Pirrus by proses agayne, pas Of his dedis to deme, & his dethe after. 13672 Ascatus pe skete, for skath of his sones, Miche water he weppit of his wan chekis, Gert bryng hom to burgh, birit hom faire In a precius plase, so Pirrus comaundit. 447 Book XXXV. Telemachus and Nausicaa and their son Ptoliporthus. THE POETE: OF FORTUNE. 13676 Wen a mon is at myght, & most of astate, All þe world at his will, weghis to serue, 13680 pen fortune his fall felli aspies, Vnqwemys his qwate, & pe qwele turnys; 13684 So Pirrus was prise, pruddest of kyngis, Had welth at his will, be worthiest of grice. bat Orestes pe rynke richeli had weddit, Pyrrhus becomes enamoured of Hermione, wife of Orestes. 13692 So he sped hym by spies, & spense of his gode, He causes her to pat pe lady fro hir lord lyuely he stale, Orestes pe riche, that regnyt hir with. 13696 Pirrus with that proude presit to be temple, Weddit þat worthi, & as wif held. pen Orestes full ryfe had myche rank sorow, elope with him to Thessaly, and there weds her. |