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,

"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

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,

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,

1948 here 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,

Euyn fairly by fourme, as I firste said.
Nestor anone noyet pere with,

1956 And walt at his wordes into wode yre;

He frothet for folle, and his face chaunget;
His een flammet as pe fyre with a felle loke ;
And louret on þe lede with a laithe chere,
1960 Onswaret hym angerly with Awthwert wordis.

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 þi kynge,—

-

To be hurlet with horses vpon hard stones,
And drawen as a dog & to dethe broght :-
Brittonet þi body into bare qwarters,
And caste vnto curres as caren to ete.
Sile furth of my sight in a sad haste:
And pou tary in pis 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.

1972

A STORM AT SEA.

A TEMPAST ON HE 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,-
Eft dump in the depe as all drowne wolde.
Was no stightlyng with stere, ne no stithe ropes,
Ne no sayle, þat 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.

1996

65

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 hal, thunder and lightning.

The sea flows on heaps like hills.

The ship shoots up and down.

(fol. $3 b.)

All on board cry to saints and gods.

Book V.

pre dayes proly pai prappit with stormys,

For three

they struggle with 2004 Euer in point for to perysshe in the pale stremys;

the storm.

With daunger and drede duret vnder hacche, ffor wete of þe waghes þat wastis ouer hed. The furthe day fell all be fuerse wyndes,

2008 And the wodenes of waghes wightly with droghe;

On the fourth day the sea waxes sober."

The sailors repair damages and take heart.

Holding on their course they soon arrive at Troy.

When their vows are paid, Antenor goes to the palace of Priam,

and all the courtiers rejoice

at his safe arrival.

Antenor relates the several answers of

Peleus,

Telamon,

Castor and
Pollux, and
Nestor.

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 þe 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 pere 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 þat þe 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; noy and þe new grem of Nestor the Duke,

The

RESULT OF THE EMBASSY.

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

Book V.

(fol. 34 a.)

67

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,

2044 Neuer to haue hir at home, pen his hert chaunget, he determines to

And put hym in purpas no pease for to make.

make no peace with his enemies.

Now wackons vp werre as ye shall note after.

When the king

had heard his

story,

Priam becomes more revengeful, and purposes to send his sons with a great army to harass the Greeks.

"Tell me truly,
O King, what put
it into your heart

to undertake such
a war."

(connse' comse, a beginning.)

68

Here begynnes the Sext Boke: How Kyng Priam toke counsell to Werre on he Grekys.

Now Priam persayuit all þese proude wordes, 2048 The greme of pe Grekys, and þe gret yre,

How þai maintene pere malis with manas & pride;

hir euer,

Uncertain of his Sister for seyng Ne redresse for pe dethe of his dere fader,2052 Ne to harmes pat he hade was no hede takyn;

Soche a sorow & a sourgreme sanke in his hert,
þat his harme, as a hote low, het hym with in
More frike to pe fight, feller of wille.

2056 pan he purpost plainly with a proude ost,
ffor to send of his sonnes & oper sibbe fryndes,
The Grekes for to greve, if hom grace felle;
To wreke hym of wrathe & his wrong riche.

A PROUERBE,

2060 But say me, sir kyng, what set in þi hede;—

What wrixlit þi wit & pi wille chaunget;

Or what happont thee so hastely with hardnes

of wille,

To put pe to purpas, þat pynet pe after.

2064 What meuyt the with malis to myn on þi harme,

And to cacche soche a connse, to combir pi

rewme