THE ANSWER OF CASTOR AND POLLUX.

1904 Come to Acaxon pere Castor was lord,

63

Book V.

Castor & Pollux.

And Pollux þe proude, pat was his pure brothir: Achaia to visit
Bothe reynit in pat Rem, as I red first.

To pe courtte of þe kyng come he beliue, 1908 His message for to make, as I mynt haue.

He salut po semly all with sad wordys,

And told furth of his tale, taried no longur,

Of the dole and the dethe of his dere fader,1912 How þe rewme was robbet, redurs ynow,His Sister þat was sesit, his Cite distroyet; And couet pat cleane, as I declaret haue, ffor to lede to his londe vppon lyue home. 1916 All priamus purpos plainly he told,

1920

Of his message by mowthe as I mynt ere.
When Castor hade clanly consayuit his wille,
He onswared hym honestly with onryng a litill;--
"Now frynde, vppon faithe and at sad wordes,
We purpost neuer plainly Priam to wrathe,
Ne offend his frendeship with no felle dedis.
With outen cause of vnkyndnes, þat was kyde
after,

1924 His fader vs forset with his fowle wille,

Did hething and harme to our hede Rewmes; We wrekit vs with woundis & pe wegh slogh, Did our lykyng in his londe as vs leue thoght. 1928 Qwerfore vs qwemes noght now his qwaint

1932

1936

speche ;

We fors not his frendship, ne fere of his hate.
We loue noght his lede, ne his land nowþer;

He arrives at their court, salutes them, and relates the terms of Priam's message.

Castor replies;—

"That Laomedon having forced them to war, they slew him and ravaged his country.

That they desire. not Priam's friendship and

Ne charge noght his chateryng, thogh he chide dread not his hate.

euer.

He loues pe full litull, lede, as me think,
To make pe pis message for to mele here :
And pou hardly no hede of pi hele toke,
Ne thy lyfe was not lefe ne lusty, it semys,
When pou entrid our Ile pis erende to beire.

That his master loves him little, since he sent him on such a inessage :

(fol. 32 b.)

Book V.

that he shall die if he depart not immediately."

He then sails for
Pylos,

and goes to the court of Nestor.

He states his message as he best could.

Nestor foaming with rage, answers,

But loke pat no lettyng ger pe lenge here,
Ne no tarying the tyde for tene pat may folow;
ffor and pou do pou shalt degh, deme pe non oper."
1940 Qwen Antenor pis aunter angerly herd,

He turnyt hym tyte with outen tale more,
Hastit hym hertely, highit into bote,
Wound vp full wightly all his wale Ancres,
1944 Caght in Cablis of pe calme water,

1948

Braid vp a brode saile, hade brethe at his wille, ffore enon to Philon with his feris all:

Aroue pere full radly, rest in a hauyn,

pere Nestor the noble Duke was negh at his
hond,

With a company clene in his close halle.
The man with his message meuys him to,
As legate and lege from his lord comyn.
1952 He mekyt to pat mighty, and with mowthe said
His charge full choise, chefe how he might,

1956

1960

Euyn fairly by fourme, as I firste said.

Nestor anone noyet pere with,

And walt at his wordes into wode yre;
He frothet for folle, and his face chaunget;
His een flammet as þe fyre with a felle loke;
And louret on pe lede with a laithe chere,
Onswaret hym angerly with Awthwert wordis.

Fool and servant

of the devil, how

dare you come into my presence with such words.

(fol. 33 a.)

In spite of your king, I should

THE ONSWARE OF NESTOR TO ANTENOR.

"Thou sot with vnsell, seruand of o þe werst!
How durst pou so dernly pis dede vndertake,
To appere in my presens with so proude wordes,
1964 pat myn eris shuld negh the noise of þi speche?
But for noy of my nobilte & my nome gret,

I shuld tere out þi tunge and þi tethe euyn,
And chop purghe pi chekes for chateryng so
high :-

1968 Spede the to spille in spite of pi kynge,

A STORM AT SEA.

To be hurlet with horses vpon hard stones,
And drawen as a dog & to dethe broght :-
Brittonet pi body into bare qwarters,
1972 And caste vnto curres as caren to ete.

Sile furth of my sight in a sad haste :
And pou tary in þis towne, or any tide lenge,
bou shalt haue pat I hete & pou hence worth."
1976 Antenor arghet with austerne wordes,

Hade doute of the Duke & of his dethe fere,
Left the tyrand in his tene hade, turnyt hym to fle.
He highit full hastely & of his hond past;
1980 Shoke euyn into ship, & the shalke leuyt.

A stithe man to the stere hade, & a stoute wynde,
Were blouen to pe brode se in a bir swithe.

A TEMPAST ON þE SEE.

There a tempest hom toke on pe torres hegh :1984 A rak and a royde wynde rose in hor saile, A myst & a merkenes was meruell to se; With a routond rayn ruthe to be holde, Thonret full throly with a thicke haile ; 1988 With a leuenyng light as a low fyre,

Blaset all the brode see as it bren wold.

The flode with a felle cours flowet on hepis,
Rose vppon rockes as any ranke hylles.

1992 So wode were the waghes & pe wilde ythes,
All was like to be lost, pat no lond hade.
The ship ay shot furth o pe shire waghes,
As qwo clymbe at a clyffe, or a clent hille,—
1996 Eft dump in the depe as all drowne wolde.
Was no stightlyng with stere, ne no stithe ropes,
Ne no sayle, pat might serue for vnsound wedur.
But all the buernes in the bote, as hom best liked,

2000 Besoght vnto sainttes & to sere goddes;

With knelyng & crie to pere kynd halowes,
And with solempne sacrifice to seke pai awowet.

Book V.

drag you with horses over the hard stones, and hang you like a dog."

Autenor, afraid of his life, fled to his ship.

With a stout

breeze he set sail.

The wind becomes furious ;-mist, dark less, rain and hail, thunder and lightning.

The sea flows on heaps like hills.

The ship shoots up and down.

(fol. 33 b.) All on board cry

to saints and gods..

pre dayes proly pai prappit with stormys, 2004 Euer in point for to perysshe in the pale stremys; With daunger and drede duret vnder hacche,

ffor wete of pe waghes þat wastis ouer hed. The furthe day fell all pe fuerse wyndes, 2008 And the wodenes of waghes wightly with droghe; The se wex sober and pe sun clere,

Stormes were stille, Stremes abated,

All calme it be come, comferd þe pepull.

2012 þai kairen to be cordis, knitten vp pe saile,
Atyrit the tacle, tokyn þere herte;

Kachyn on kyndly, & paire course held;

Euyn turnit to Troy, taried no lenger;
2016 Past into port, proude of þere lyues ;—
Lepyn vp to be lond, leuyn þere ship.

Euper buerne all bare, on pere best wise,
Soghten to sainttes & to sere goddys,

2020 As pai heghly hade het in þe hegh stormes.

When pai hade melit with pere mowmettes &
made pere offrond,

Perfourmet pere pilgramage, prayers and all,
Antenor Amyt after anone

2024 To the palis of prise of priam the kyng,

Among Lordys full light & oper les peopull,
ffull glad of pat gest and his gayne come,—
þat hym happint with hele hit vnto londe.

2028 When pe souerain was set pat pe soile aght,
And pe lordes of pe lond, with his lefe children,
Antenor his tale titly began,

And rekont by row all pere rogh speche ;

2032 The proude wordis & pe prise of Pelleus the
kyng;

The tene & the torfor of Telamon after;
The Reprofe and prise of Pollux & Castor;
The noy and þe new grem of Nestor the Duke,

RESULT OF THE EMBASSY.

2036 With the fere and the fare of his fell chere;
And all þe manas of po men he with mowthe
tolde,

As it was said to hym selfe, euyn with sad wordes.
When the kyng hade consayuit all his clere tale,
2040 And pe Authwart answeres, hym angert full sore,
That his message was manast o po men all,
And reproued with prise in pere proude yre;
And of his suster sorili set out of hope,

Book V.

(fol. 34 a.)

When the king

had heard his

story,

67

make no peace with his enemies.

2044 Neuer to haue hir at home, pen his hert chaunget, he determines to And put hym in purpas no pease for to make. Now wackons vp werre as ye shall note after.