HIS ANSWER. Pursew to my purpos, present myn astate; As storest of strenght to stightill thy foose, Book VI. Thy brothers shall obey thee, 73 and all the knights And soche tyrandes to tame, pat vs tene wirkes. With hardynes of hond, & with hole might, 2196 Ger hom bowe as a berslet & pi blithe seche. I Aioyne thee this iorney with ioy for to take, And the charge of pe chaunse, chef as pou thee as chief; and may. This burthen pou beire shall, bigger pen I, I graunt thee pe gouernaunse of his gret mode, THE ONSUARE AND THE COUNSELL OF ECTOR TO PRIAM HIS FFADER. When Priam hade his prologe preched to ende, 2208 Ector hym answarede esely and faire, With wordys full wise vnto his wale kyng, 2212 Hit is kendly by course & custome of men, ffor to wreke in hor wrathe of wranges before. I commit this undertaking to thou shalt bear the burden of it!" (fol. 36 b.) "Most worshipful father! men who have any hardship, or cause for shame, seek revenge. And if we, þat are worthy, & wight men in And if we, who Armys, are worthy, take an insult from any 2216 Take harme, other hethyng, or hurtys vnzoldyn, equal on earth, it Of any erdyng in erthe euenyng to vs, would be, indeed, a shame. Book VI. Now, dear father! I am most concerned to avenge my grandsire's calamity, and I desire the opportunity to do BO. But, faithful father and noble king, I (fol. 37 a.) Ponder every step from first to last and consider what may happen. That is not a counsel to follow or to call wise, which notes only the beginning. It is wisdom to wave such a wild counsel, 2220 The more the greuaunce is grete & to gref turnys. If we desyre no redresse of dedis before, We may boldly vs byld with bostis out of Reason. Now, dere fader, in faithe of all my fre brether, 2224 Non is holdyn so highly the harme for to venge, Of my graunsers grefe so gretly as I: 2228 ffor I am Eldest and heire after hym belyue, my hert, With my body to by, and my byg strokes. On right hond shall hom reue pe rest of pe saule, 2232 That my graunser with greme gird vnto dethe, Brittoned to bale dethe, and þere blode shed. 2236 I aske of you O thing,-but angurs you noght,- 2240 Ne no torfer betyde, ne no tene after. What wull falle of pe first furthe to pe middis; Ne not holsom, I hope, pat hedis to be first, 2248 What proffet any prowes with a prowde entre, To begyn any goode, on a ground febill, And fortune it faile, and haue a fowle ende? Hit is wit for to wayue soche a wilde counsell, 2252 And put of a purpos, pat enpaire might, Or þat wayueris in wer what shall worthe of; A WARNING. Licker at pe last end in langore to bide, A PROUERBE. 2256 A blisfull begynnyng may boldly be said, I Say not this, sothely, to ses of your wille, And eschew soche a chaunse pat cheuys to noght. Ye wetyn pis full wele, worshipfull fader! 2264 pat all Auffrike & Europe are vnder pere power,— Sittyn to hom subiecte, & mony syde londes, þat fild are all full of fuerse men of Armys; Of Knightes full kene, & cant men of wille, 2268 And of comyns to count out of course mony, ffull wise men of wer, and war of hor dedys. 2272 As the Grekes may gedur & get when hom likes. Yff we wackon vp werre with weghes so fele, Book VI. 75 as more likely to turn to sorrow than to joy. 'That only is a good beginning which hath a fair issue.' You know full well O father! that all Africa and Europe, and many other lands, are under the power of the Greeks; (fol. 37 b.) therefore if we waken up war with them, we may come to 2276 Hit may negh vs with noy, but neuer to our ioye. grief, but never to Lakys to our lyving, and likyng we haue Of pes & of prowes our prouyns aboute; Of Riches full ryfe, of rest at our wille; 2280 ffull stithe of astate, & stondyng at ese. joy. Why couet we combraunse, or cachyng of harme, why covet we goodes, And to put vs fro pes payne for to thowle? 2284 Sothely your suster sittes vs not so harde, cumbrance or Book VI. Indeed it seems unjust to put us all in peril for one, who was long ago taken captive. I carp not thus tarough cowardice or fear. To chaunge for hir choisly the cheuyst of vs here ; Or all so myght Aunter to atter for euer. 2292 Now hoope ye not, hynde fader, ne in hert thinke, I dread the loss of 2296 ffor lure and for losse of the londe hole; the whole land, and of yourself. While we may, let us put off a purpose that can lead only to harm." Bothe of soile & of Septor, soueraynly of you;— 2300 While we may stithly absteyne, & stond at our ese, And put of a purpos of a proude sute, pat harmes at þe hynder ende & heuy to beire." 2304 When Ector hade answaret & endet his tale, He enclynet the Kyng & closit his mowthe. (fol. 38 a.) "Now, most faithful father! suffer me to speak. Who shall be afraid, since we are prosperous, have abundance of everything? 2308 THE COUNSELL OF PARIS ALEXAUNDER. Than parys aprochyt And put hym to say, I shall put you to purpos and plesauns at ende. 2312 Who might faithfully be ferde, or fortune to dred? Syne we are put in prosperite & pepull so fele,, And Riches so Rife, and Reames beside; With a Cite full sure, and set for the werre; 2316 With Armure, and all things abill to fight. PARIS URGES IT. We might say this for certen, & suppose it in Syn we are put in prosperite, and pepull so fele, rewme. 2320 Therfor, faithfull ffader, fclow your wille; 2328 2332 2336 And yff it like your Aliegiaunce, pat I, your lefe son, Be sent from your seluon with sure men of Armys, An aioynet to pis Jorney with iuste men & sure; Sister. And yf ye wilne for to witte how hit worthe shulde, I shall telle you the trewthe how me tyde euyn; 2340 2344 THE VISYON OF PARIS. "Hit is not meuyt of mynde ne mony day past, Not long ago, Syn I was leut in a londe, þat is lefe ynde, while I was in a laud called Inde, (fol. 38 b.) |