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TROILUS URGES IT.

This is sothe, pat I say, sir, with your leue:
Now wirkys by wit, as you well likes."
Then he bowet the buerne & busket to syt,
2512 Seyit furth with sory chere, and his sete toke.
When the kyng hade consayuit of his clere wit,
And his wordys full wise, all his wille chaunget;
He was stonyt full stille & in a stody sate,

2516 And ferd of pe felle wordes, pat pe freike saide.
All the buernes aboute abasshet per with,
Be cause of the kyng, pere countenaunse failed:
Was no wee pat a worde warpit þat tyme,
2520 But all stodyn full stille: astoneide pai were
ffor be wordys of wit, þat þe wegh tolde;
And doute of his dome for destyne febill.

Book VI.

883

The king was sat musing;

confounded, and

all were
shocked;

and stood still, silent and astonished.

THE COUNSELL OF TROYLUS.

Troilus then
spoke:

-

Than Troilus full tyte talkes with mowthe,2524 þat was þe yongist of yeris, & a 3epe knight,Brake Sylense belyue, and abrode saide :— "A! nobyll men of nome, what noyes your “Ah!noble men of

hertes?

Why are ye trowblit pis tyme, and your tung

lost?

2528 And meuyt so mykell, for a mad priste,

That neuer colde of no knighthode, but in a

kirke chyde?

Hit is propurté for a preste perellis to drede,
fferd be for fight, and O fer shun it,

2532 Melle hym with mekenes, þat hym most louys,
Delyte hym in Drynke, and oper dere meytes,
Set hym to solas, as hym selfe likes.

Who may tell it for tru, or trust haue perin,

2536 þat any gome shuld be graithe of our goddes

wille,

Or haue knowyng of case for to come after?

name, why so

(fol. 41 a.) troubled and moved by a mad priest who knows no knighthood but scolding in church?

'Delight him in drink and other dear meats."

There is no wyse man, I wene, þat will it suppose, No wise man

Book VI.

will suppose

that a fool should

be forewise.'
Let Helenus go

to his temple;

and let other men,

that are able, try to wipe out our shame.

Why, father, are you so troubled

at his words?

Command that
a fleet be made
ready, and fully
manned and the

Greeks will grieve
us no more."

bat a foole shuld be forwise soche ferlies to know. 2540 If Elinus be argh, & ournes for ferde,

Let hym tegh to be tempull, talke with his
goddes,

Deuyne seruice to do, and fro drede kepe;
And let other men Aunter, abill perfore,
2544 ffor to shunt vs of shame, shend of our foos,
And venge vs of velany & of vile gremy.
Why fader, in faith, are yo so fer troublet
At his wordys of waste, & his wit febill?

2548 Comaund, sir kyng, þat a clene nauy
Be redy to rode on þe rugh see,

All well for þe werre, with wight men ynogh:
Syne the Grekes with greme may grefe vs no

more,

(MS. 'sororow") 2552 But it syt hom so sore, þat þai sorrow euer."

When Troilus

ended, all felt

glad, and confirmed his

counsel.

The court then rose: the king and his sons and the

lords with joy go

to meat.

When all had partaken, the king calls

(fol. 41 b.)

his sons.

Paris and
Deiphobus appear.

He commissions them to raise an army in Paeonia.

When Troilus hade told, & his tale endit,

Hit blithet all the buernes, pat aboute stode,

Of his wit, & his wille, & wordes full bolde;

2556 And confermyt his counsell by comyn assent. Than comaund the kyng the courtte for to ryse; Askit water wightly, wentton [to] meyte.

Bothe hym selfe and his sonnes, with sere lordes vmb,

2560 Maden all mery, menyt pere speche.

THE ORDINA UNSE FOR PARIS INTO GRESE.

When etyn hade all men & at ese bene,
Bordys away borne, buernes on fote;

The kyng syttyng hym selfe, & his sete helde:
2564 He comaund for to cum of his kynd sons.
Parys apperit, pert Deffebus alse,
Comyn to the kyng, knelit full low,

ffor to wete of his wille; & pe wegh saide :— 2568 "I bid þat ye buske, and no bode make;

Pas into Payone pere prise knightes dwellis,

THE EXPEDITION OF PARIS PROPOSED.

Doughty of dede, derfe men in Armys.

Assemble you soudiours, sure men & nobill, 2572 Shapyn in shene ger, with shippis to wynde, The Grekys to greue, & in grem brynge."

Book VI.

85

They set sail and execute their

pan þai lacchyn hor leue,-lowton hor kyng,— Cayren forthe to pe coste, & hor course helde. 2576 Assemblit soudiours anon, mony sad hundrith; orders. And lengit while þem list, pe lond was pere owne. The secund day, sothely, for to say ferre, When he his sons herde, he somond his lordes 2580 And all the knightes to come, & clene men of

wit,

Το appere in his presens a purpos to take.

When pe souerain was set with sere lordes vmbe, Then carpes the kyng his knightes vntill. 2584 "Now, lordes of my lond, & lege pepull!

The case is well knowen to your clene mynde, How þe Grekes vs greuit, & to ground broght, And put vs, with hor pride, to pouerte full low. 2588 Of our souerans & sib men seruondis to be,

Ay hengis in my hert þe hethyng I thole;
Of my Suster in seruage, & in syn holdyn,
Hit meuys into mynd, & mekill me noyes;
2592 And I sothely haue sent, as ye see all,

Antenor to aske hir, & Angur no more.
He hade not of hom but hethyng & skorne,
Grete wordis & gref, & moche grym prete;
2596 pat doublis my dole, & to dethe bryngis.

Now woundys shalbe wroght, weghes to sorow,
And dyntes full dedly for pe dere sake.
I haue purpast Parys with prise men ynow,
2600 Into Grese for to go, & hom to greme;
Kylle of hor knightes, knocke hom to dethe;
Grype of hor godes, and agayne wyn.

On the second day
after, he summons
his lords,
knights, &c.

He states to them the cruelties of

the Greeks;

his grief and anxiety regarding his sister;

his message by Antenor, and the result;

how he purposes to send an expedition under Paris,

(fol. 42 a.) to kill and plunder the

Hit may chefe hym by chaunce to get som choise Greeks; and to

lady,

seize some lady who may be

Book VI.

exchanged for Hesione.

If they confirm his purpose, he will carry it out: but if they oppose it, he will go no farther.

Protheus, son of Eusebius the philosopher, then addressed the

king.

(Pythagoras.}

"Ah, noble king! simple though I be, give heed to my statement,

which you will find to be true.

2604 Or sum woman to wyn, þat worthy is holdyn, Bryng to this burghe, (& other brode godes,

Our worship to wyn & our will haue,)

That

may chefe by chaunse chaunge for Exiné. 2608 This I will þat ye wete, & your wille shewe ;— If ye deme it in dede, pus I do will;

And pursue on my purpos plainly to ende. And if ye list it be lefte, let me wete sone, 2612 And I will soberly sese, & sue it no ferre.

pof pai touche me with tene, all these tore harmes, All the comyns be course haue cause for to say; ffor it Angurt hom all, & out of ese brought : 2616 And as wise men witnes, & in writ shewes, bat at longis to lenge on a lell comyns,

Shuld propurly be a-preuyt by the pepull hole."

THE COUNSELL OF PROTHEUS.

When tale of the trew was triet to pe ende, 2620 And silens on yche syde sittyng full stille, A stuerne of po stithe were stondyng aboute, A praty man of pure wit, protheus he hight, hat was sothely the son of soueran Ewsebij, A Phylosofer fyne fele yeres past, pat, Ouyd in old tyme oponly tellus,

2624

Had all the crafte & conyng in his clere wit, bat pictagoras the pure god possessiant was of. 2628 This protheus pertly put hym to say,

To the kyng in the court carpis thies wordes :"A! nobill kyng & nomekowthe! notes in your hert,

And suffers me to say, Symple pof I be;

2632 Let mene to your maiesty pe mynde of my tale,

Hedys me with heryng, & in hert kepe:

I will telle myn entend vpon trew wise,

And say you in sertain þat ye mon sure fynde.

A WARNING.

2636 Hit is knowen to you kynd lord & your court

hole,

That my fader was a philisofer, & of fele yeres,

To the nowmber of nene skowre, & his nome
kouthe,-

And fully was enformet of fortune deuyse, 2640 What be course was to cum of care & of ioye. Ofte he said me for sothe, & for sure tolde,

þat if Parys with a pepull past into Grese,

In purpas to pray, or profet to gete,

2644 An wan pere a wife & away led,

Book VI.

87

My father was a
philosopher,
(fol. 42 b.)
who knew every
turn of fortune
that should come.

He told me often, that if Paris

passed into

Greece, &c

be destroyed, &c.

þat grete Troye shuld be tane, & tyrnyt to ground, great Troy should
And all the buyldynges brent into bare askys:
Your selfe & your sons sothely be dede,

2648 With the Grekes in hor grefe ; & pis ground lost.

king, beware!

Wherfore, wheme kyng! for what pat may come, Wherefore, dear Let your lordship lystyn with a loue ere, And wirke after wit, þat worship may folow : 2652 Syn wordys of wise men is no wit to dispise. And nomely in pis note, pat noise not your selfe, Ne hurttes not your hegh Astate, ne no harme

dos;

And persiueraunse of purpos may quit you to lure, 2656 Your landys to lose, & langur for euer.

Why couet ye be course to cum out of ese,—
Your rest into Robery & to ryfe perellis,
Bothe in daunger and drede, & may dryfe of?
2660 Absteyne you stithly, þat no stoure fall;

And endure furthe your dayes at your dere ese,
In lykyng to lyue, & your ledis all,
Withouten heuynes or harme. Hedis to pat,
2664 And puttis of pat purpos; let paris not wend ;
Let anoper do pat note, if hit nede shall.

This is my counsell, sir kyng, carpe I no fer." At Protheus profesi pe pepull made noise, 2668 Myche Rumur & rud speche at his red sonne;

Why leave ease and rest for robbery and perils ?

Put off that
expedition. Let
not Paris go.
Let another do
that mischief,
if it must be."

The people mock

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