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We will continue to publish all new editions in print and online, but our new online editions will include TEI/XML markup and other features. Over the next two years, we will be working on updating our legacy volumes to conform to our new standards.
Our current site will be available for use until mid-December 2024. After that point, users will be redirected to the new site. We encourage you to update bookmarks and syllabuses over the next few months. If you have questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us at robbins@ur.rochester.edu.
Troy Book: Book 4
JOHN LYDGATE, TROY BOOK, BOOK 4: NOTES
154 it were no nede. Bergen emends to that it were no nede.
159 How I th'estat. Grammatically parallel with that I have governaunce as direct objects of muse and grucchen.
163 brocage. MS: procage.
196 dewly may. Bergen emends to may dewely.
208 shuld. Bergen emends to shulde.
215 obeied. MS: ben obeied.
220 compleyne. Bergen emends to pleyne.
279 highe. Bergen emends to your highe.
287 a. Bergen emends to the.
301 In Lydgate as in Chaucer, newe usually carries a pejorative sense and represents a self-indulgent wish for novelty rather than stability and proven worth. In politics as much as in love, the poets censure newfongilnes. See note to 1.2090.
317 in every cost. Bergen emends to aboute in every cost, but the couplet remains a metrical problem. One alternative is to emend the next line to The emperour.
553 sothly. MS: soth.
556 unto. Bergen emends to to.
556-57 Achilles's attendance at the rites in Apollo's temple, where he falls in love with Polyxena, recalls Troilus's first sight of Criseyde in the temple at the feast of the Palladium (Troilus and Criseyde 1.161).
561 wer. Bergen emends to was.
564 gadered. Bergen reads gadred.
575 lowe. MS: lawe.
590 to. MS: unto.
592 Of. Accepting Bergen's addition.
603 percyng stremys of hir eyen two. Achilles falls in love with Polyxena in a way that recalls Troilus's falling in love with Criseyde as Love dwells "[w]ithinne the subtile stremes of hir yen" (Troilus and Criseyde 1.305; see also Troilus and Criseyde 3.129). Lydgate repeats the image at 4.673.
612 lyke. Bergen emends to lykly.
619 lovis snare. See Troilus's and Pandarus's descriptions of his predicament (Troilus and Criseyde 1.507 and 663), echoed later by Criseyde in the Greek camp (Troilus and Criseyde 5.748).
622 best to do. See Troilus and Criseyde 1.828 and 2.1485.
629 This to seyn, the sonne wente doun. Typical Chaucerian phrasing in the Canterbury Tales (I.181, I.1839, I.1857), perhaps best exploited for the effect of rhetorical deflation in The Franklin's Tale (V.1017-18).
640-43 See Troilus's taking to bed and making a mirror of his mind in which to see the image of Criseyde (Troilus and Criseyde 1.358-67). Lydgate injects a perhaps unconscious irony by using Troilus as a model for the figure who will dispatch him without pity later in the poem and "Despitously" in Chaucer's poem (Troilus and Criseyde 5.1806).
645 final cause. In Aristotle's analysis of cause, the final cause is the reason for which an action is undertaken, as distinct from the formal, material, and instrumental causes. Lydgate conspicuously modifies Guido, who portrays Polyxena as the efficient cause of Achilles's love sickness.
673 the stremys of hir eyen tweyne. See above, 4.603.
674 corve. Bergen emends to corven; see 2.988.
686 availlen. Bergen emends to availle. or. Bergen emends to nor.
686-701 Once he falls in love with Polyxena, Achilles changes his assessment of Hector's worth.
690 outrage. MS: autrage.
698-701 Once he falls in love with Polyxena, Achilles changes his perception of Hector's worth.
712 provyde. MS: pvyde.
725 fretyng. The term used here to describe Achilles's lovesickness is applied elsewhere to anger; see Peleus's anger toward Jason (1.229) and Lamedon's fury in battle (1.4167).
730 or. Accepting Bergen's emendation for MS: and.
742 mene. See above, 3.4217. Lydgate's allusion to Chaucer's Pandarus plays off his straightforward use of the term earlier (4.709) to signify a course of action.
756 And. Accepting Bergen's addition.
756-84 Lydgate goes beyond Guido's spare account of the messenger's mission and describes his speech as a logical argument, proceeding through an ordered sequence of premises to a necessary conclusion. The messenger proposes that marrying Polyxena to Achilles will end a war caused in part by the loss of Hesione and Paris's abduction of Helen.
761 Effectuously. Bergen emends to Effectuelly.
773 thorugh. Bergen emends to by and avoids repetition with next line, which seems to be the rhetorical aim.
778 performyd. Bergen reads parformyd.
782 him. MS: hem. The emendation reflects the two conditions of the proposal: that the Greeks end the war and Priam (him) live in peace thereafter.
784 knyt up in a cheyne. The same image is used earlier to describe Achilles's relationship with Patroclus (3.611, 3.3835-39).
787 or that. MS: that or.
798 To. MS: For.
for. Accepting Bergen's addition.
817 to. Bergen emends to into.
820 for. Accepting Bergen's addition.
835 how. Bergen emends to that.
881 the treté. Bergen emends to this treté.
907 th'effect of this mater. Chaucerian phrasing (Sir Thopas VII.958 and Troilus and Criseyde 4.890).
914 alway. MS: away.
918 cast. Bergen emends to caste.
920 cruellé. Bergen emends to cruelly.
933 take. MS: toke.
935 a verray impossible. See Aurelius's exclamation at the task Dorigen gives him in The Franklin's Tale: "this were an inpossible" (V.1009).
936 ben so. Bergen emends to ben ay so.
966 flouring yit in fame. Bergen emends to floureth yit the fame for grammar, but the MS phrasing is consistent with Lydgate's style.
974 liften. Bergen emends to lifte.
987 Was. MS: As.
993 desolat; see 3.5487-88.
1017 Bergen (4:223) notes that the phrase refers to Achilles rather than Hector.
1019 yit. Accepting Bergen's addition.
1035 into. MS: to.
1049 gilt. Bergen emends to gilte.
1051 dyvos. Bergen (4:223) notes that Guido does not mention divorce and that Lydgate here moves from canon to Roman law.
1052 knowe. Bergen emends to iknowe.
1089-90 The lines echo the beginning of Book 4 of Troilus and Criseyde, as Fortune withdraws her favor from Troilus: "From Troilus she gan hire brighte face / Awey to writhe, and tok of hym non heede, / But caste hym clene out of his lady grace" (4.8-10).
1095 home that we. Bergen emends to that we home.
1108 to. MS: in.
1109 Whiche. Bergen emends to While.
1111 so. Accepting Bergen's addition.
1119-29 Achilles ironically echoes the argument made earlier by Paris (2.2341-47) that a Greek woman should be taken as recompense for Telamon's seizing Hesione after the fall of Lamedon's Troy.
1134 Repeats the last line of Chaucer's The Franklin's Tale (V.1624).
1142 perturbid. Bergen reads parturbid.
1147 nold. Bergen emends to nolde.
1162 the felde. Bergen emends to felde.
1164 yaf. MS: yaf in.
1170 the. Bergen emends to his.
1197 the request. Bergen emends to request.
1213 mendyn. Bergen emends to amendyn. repeire. Bergen emends to repare to clarify rhyme with spare; see 4.857-58, where contrarie rhymes with apaire.
1221 purpos. Bergen emends to purpose.
2036 That as the deth thei fledde fro his sight. See Chaucer's description of Troilus's martial valor: "the Grekes as the deth him dredde" (Troilus and Criseyde 1.483).
2058 tariyng. Bergen emends to lettyng.
2059 throwe. MS: threwe.
2075 myghty. MS: myghte.
2085 han. Bergen emends to had.
2088 the knyghthod. MS: his knyghthod. the highe. MS: his highe.
2095 ridyng. Bergen emends to hym ridyng, to emphasize that the knights are riding around Agamemnon in an escort.
2103 ther. MS: thei.
2110 hym. Bergen emends to hem. In the MS reading, Agamemnon sees the distress Troilus has inflicted on him and how the Greeks are unable to resist Troilus.
2111 the. Bergen emends to his.
2139 Lydgate adds reminiscences of Criseyde's interviews with Troilus in Book 3 of Troilus and Criseyde; Guido says that Diomede is lying in bed, not that Briseida sits on the side of it.
2144 Lydgate, unlike Chaucer, identifies the point at which Criseyde shifts her love from Troilus to Diomede. The source is Guido, Book 26.
2148 Loo, what pité is in wommanhede. Pearsall (1990), p. 48, relates this passage to Troilus and Criseyde 5.1048-50. See 4.2172, where Criseyde would rather be thought changeable than lacking pity. Lydgate's references to Criseyde's pity offer an ironic comment on Chaucer's repeated assertion in the Canterbury Tales, "pitee renneth soone in gentil herte." See above, 1.4266.
2150 olde. MS: newe.
2151 late slyppe asyde. See Chaucer's description of Criseyde: "Ne nevere mo ne lakked hire pite; / Tendre-herted, slydynge of corage" (Troilus and Crisyde 5.824-25).
2155 Lombard Strete. Lombard merchants settled in London in the twelfth century. In 1318 Langbourn Street changed its name to Lombard Street. The name was in common use in the fourteenth century. From the early years of Edward I's reign onwards, Lombards served as bankers to the English crown. Their influence caused frequent resentment. In 1359, Lombards were attacked during riots. In 1376, the Mayor, Aldermen, and commons of London petitioned the King to forbid Lombards to live in the city or act as brokers in retail sales. Lombards were a target during the Rising of 1377.
2175 to. Accepting Bergen's addition.
2660 And withinne. Bergen emends to Withinne.
2679 worthiest. Bergen emends to worthieste.
2681 I fele myn herte. Bergen emends to myn herte I fele.
2697 of highe. Accepting Bergen's addition to MS: highe.
2726 to lasse and to discres. Bergen emends to gan to lasse and discrese without repairing the meter fully.
2732 at. Bergen emends to under.
2734 worthy. MS: manly.
2741 grounde. Bergen emends to ygrounde.
2748 severed. Bergen emends to severe.
2750 man. Bergen emends to wight.
2763 cruel cursed. Bergen emends to cursed cruel.
2764 thought pleynly. Bergen emends to thoughte platly.
2773-79 Achilles's mistreatment of Troilus's body is the same that he shows Hector's corpse in the Iliad.
2783 that he. Bergen emends to he.
2801 unto. MS: to.
2836 arace. MS: race.
2840 so foule is. MS: is so foule.
2849 for. Accepting Bergen's addition.
3105 with hevy. Bergen emends to ful hevy.
3113 of Troylus. Bergen emends to Troylus.
3121 of right and equyté. Hecuba's justification for plotting Achilles's death is the same that Priam uses earlier (2.1203, 2.1214, 2.1253) to urge retaliation for Hesione's abduction; Hector uses the phrasing in his interview with Achilles (3.3897), and Priam repeats it in arguing that King Thoas should be put to death after his capture (3.3139).
3155 firé. Bergen emends to firy; see Pro.11 and 2.3748
3161 whan. MS: wan.
3171 temple. Bergen emends to the temple.
3190 the. Bergen emends to his.
3191 therwithal. MS: therwith.
3204 body was. MS: bodies wern.
3210-11 See Chaucer's reproval of the pagan world at the end of Troilus and Criseyde (5.1849-55).
3213 knot. See Chaucer's The Squire's Tale: "The knotte why that every tale is toold" (V.401). The term is repeated at 5.2301.
3227 thei. MS: the.
3228 hem. Accepting Bergen's addition.
3766 custom. Bergen emends to custome.
3772 The Amazons' service to Mars is an ironic echo of the service to Venus conventionally offered by chivalric heroes; see, for example, Palamon's wish to die in Venus's service in The Knight's Tale (I.2243).
3835 the. MS: hir.
3843 to. Bergen emends to hir.
3864 famous. MS: grete.
3865 kyng. MS: quene.
3885 Rounde. MS: Ronde.
3888 And. Bergen emends to But.
3896 myght. Bergen emends to myghte.
3905 that. Accepting Bergen's addition.
3908 the. Bergen emends to this.
3941 had. Bergen emends to hadde.
3946 as a sturdy wal. The image used to describe Hector (3.4938) and Troilus as well as Nestor (1.4084) is applied to Diomede. Guido says only that Diomedes offered wondrous resistance to the Amazons (Book 28).
4307 gan. Bergen emends to dide.
4318 maked. MS: maketh.
4326 the Grekis. Accepting Bergen's emendation for MS: Grekis.
4340 The dismemberment of Penthesilea looks forward to Pyrrhus's dismemberment of Polyxena after the fall of Troy (4.6852-57).
4341 so. Bergen emends to to. See 4.4427
4398 al. Bergen reads all.
4414 burie. Bergen emends to burie it, but the syntax suggests that the Trojans want the body to bury and inter (grave).
4429 that. Bergen emends to how.
5121 thei. MS: ye.
5152 ben. Bergen emends to were.
5166 that. MS: that ye.
5193 the. Bergen emends to this.
5198 foreyns. MS: forereyns.
5220 Lydgate here tropes the repeated phrase crop and rote, meaning "the whole."
5221 of. MS: of a.
5236 to holde champartie. In OF champart is the Lord's share in the crop of a tenant's land (MED). "To hold champartie" means "to hold one's own" or "to contend successfully."
5245 though. MS: yough.
5256 that. Accepting Bergen's addition.
5259 with. Bergen emends to by.
5262 also. MS: also of.
5274 Wherfore. Bergen emends to Therfore.
5280 in mewe. Antenor's use of the term contrasts with earlier associations with love and desire; see 1.1901 and 2.3600.
5286 al. Bergen reads all.
5294 pes. Bergen emends to a pes. with. Bergen emends to for.
5553 goddes. MS: goodes.
5575 The clause requires the verb was to be understood.
5579 it in. Bergen emends to in.
5588 ywrought. MS: wrought.
5590 in the Rose. Lydgate refers anachronistically to the story of Pygmalion in the Roman de la Rose, lines 20817-21214.
5596 sent. MS: it sent.
5634 immortal. Bergen reads inmortal.
5636 that. Accepting Bergen's addition.
5638 of. MS: in.
5639 and. Bergen emends to of and glosses "from all assault and danger; dangerous attack."
5670 Bergen (4:224) suggests a colon after dwelle to indicate that the priest will be spoken to privately. Antenor seems, however, to be telling Ulysses to stay calm.
5671 outher. MS: outhe.
5695 and. Bergen emends to to.
5732 as. Bergen emends to that.
5742 And. MS: And to.
5752 in. MS: and.
5756 pleinly. Bergen emends to platly.
5767 ensclaundrid. Bergen emends to esclaundrid.
5768 shal shape. Bergen emends to shape shal.
5775 with. Bergen emends to of.
5783 partener. MS: parcener.
5788 that. Accepting Bergen's addition.
5791 aweye. Bergen reads aweie.
5795 his. MS: to his.
5818 no. Bergen emends to in. There is nothing in Isidore, Pliny, or Trevisa to suggest that gold can penetrate steel and marble; Lydgate seems to suggest that these substances resist gold but the priest does not. See 3.2063 and 4.1529.
5820 shal his purpos. MS: his purpos shal.
5829-30 The verb were must be understood with dismaied and outtraied.
6023 Bysshop Calchas. Lydgate's syntax is convoluted here, but the phrase stands in apposition to hym in the main clause at 4.6038: Recorde of hym.
6028 To. MS: Te.
6045 How. MS: How the.
6047 shal yow. Bergen emends to shal.
6102 of the. Bergen emends to of.
6135 be. Bergen emends to was.
6163 Duringe. MS: Durige.
6185 the. Bergen emends to this.
6202 into. MS: unto.
6212 whiche. MS: the whiche.
6277 Tenedoun. Tenedos is an island off the coast of Troy that the Greeks captured (see summary of Book 2.4896-6576) and used as a mustering point. In their ruse it remains a secure place from which to rally their troops in short order.
6285 he. Accepting Bergen's addition.
6290 to. Accepting Bergen's addition.
6294 On. MS: An.
horsebak. MS: horsbak.
6295 Troye. Bergen reads Troy.
6314 toke. Bergen emends to ne toke.
6331 Now. MS: And now.
6338 Wherof. MS: Wherfore.
6345 her. MS: the.
6347 bareyn and bare ymaked. Bergen emends to bare and bareyne maked.
6356-60 The Greeks' despoiling of the Trojan temples recalls Paris's desecration of the temple at Cythera (2.3809-27).
6365 in. Bergen emends to and.
6366 And. MS: And of.
the. Bergen emends to that.
6376 Mi penne shuld of verray routhe rive. See the narrator's phrase in Troilus and Crisyde: "Thise woful vers, that wepen as I write" (1.7).
6388 on the. Bergen emends to the.
6389 fals. Accepting Bergen's addition.
6400 raught. Bergen emends to raught away.
6402 party. MS: part.
6403 nor. Bergen emends to or.
6418 aside. Bergen emends to beside. In Guido (Book 30) Pyrrhus slays Priam in the sight of Aeneas and Antenor. MS reading gives the sense that the traitors both allow the murder to occur and witness it.
6425 her. Bergen emends to the.
6427 with. Accepting Bergen's addition.
6428 with his. Bergen emends to his.
6458 traitour. MS: troitour.
6460 him. MS: hm.
6488 the. Accepting Bergen's addition.
6500 be so. Bergen emends to so be.
6550 how. Accepting Bergen's addition.
6739 conselit. Bergen emends to conseled.
6747 now that I. MS: that I now.
6748 this. MS: the.
6772 The understood subject "I" must be supplied for this clause.
6779 wrathe. MS: wroth.
6794 bewepe hir virginité. Lydgate appears to echo Jephthah's daughter, another innocent destroyed by men's misguidance (Judges 11.37)
6795 pitous. Bergen emends to this pitous.
6805 unto. MS: to.
6818 me. Bergen emends to here.
6831 the. Accepting Bergen's addition.
6853 Dismembrid. Pyrrhus's vengeance recalls the death of Penthesilea (above, 4.4340-41). In Ovid (Metamorphoses 13.445-48), the ghost of Achilles demands that Polyxena be sacrificed on his tomb. swerd. Bergen reads swerde.
6866 ful. Accepting Bergen's addition. ybe. MS: be.
6880 wisly. Bergen emends to wistly but glosses the line under wysly.
6888 the. Bergen emends to this.
6899 a. Accepting Bergen's addition.
6914 ther men. Bergen emends to men ther.
6929 take. MS: toke.
6931 to. Accepting Bergen's addition.
6938 forget. Bergen emends to forged.
6940 confusioun. MS: conclusioun.
6944 the. MS: to do.
unto. MS: to.
6948 Lydgate's repudiation of the pagan gods, like Chaucer's rejection of "payens corsed olde rites" (Troilus and Criseyde 5.1849), also implies a repudiation of the poetic narratives associated with the gods. See also Lydgate's remarks at 4.7029-31.
6951 Mars, Pallas. MS: Pallas Mars.
6956 Nouther. MS: Nor.
6969-70 Lines transposed in MS.
6975 Genyus the prest. Genius was originally a deity assigned to individuals, but his most important role is as a god connected with the process of birth and regeneration. In this capacity, he appears as a figure in the Cosmographia of Bernardus Silvestris and the De planctu naturae of Alan of Lille. Jean de Meun incorporates and amplifies Alan's portrayal in the Roman de la Rose. Genius is the Lover's confessor in John Gower's Confessio Amantis.
6984-85 See Chaucer's The Wife of Bath's Tale (III.873-75)
6986 fawny. MS: fauner. Bergen emends to fauni. The form fawny appears elsewhere in the MS (2.5652, 2.7702 - not in selections for this text) and in Chaucer (Troilus and Criseyde 4.1544).
6991 the. Accepting Bergen's addition.
7018 exanple. Bergen emends to example, but the MS form is attested elsewhere in Lydgate's works in the sense of instructive narrative (exemplum).
7027 have. Bergen reads han.
7033 May now ought. Bergen emends to What may now.
7035 allas. Accepting Bergen's addition.
7036 The lament for fallen cities is a common topic in classical, biblical, and Near Eastern literatures; one prominent example is the medieval poem Pergama flere volo.
7057 gret. Bergen emends to grete; see 4.2732.
7058 Jeremye. The Book of Lamentations, a sequence of five poems on the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 587 B.C., was commonly ascribed to the prophet Jeremiah.
7062 transmygracioun. MS: transmutacioun. Bergen's emendation fits the historical context. Chaucer uses transmutacioun in something close to Lydgate's sense in The House of Fame when he speaks of "dyvers transmutacions / Of estats, and eke of regions" (lines 1969-70). OED cites a rare late-sixteenth-century usage of the term that means the transmigration of souls from one body to another.
7066 Babilon. MS: Bailon.
7068 he that was departed with a sawe. According to apocryphal tradition, the prophet Isaiah was sawed in two during the reign of Manasseh. St. Paul makes reference in Hebrews 11.37, as does the ninth-century commentator Christianus Stabulensis in his Expositio in Euangelium Matthaei (chs. 4 and 35).
7095 sympelnesse. Bergen emends to symplesse; see Env.63.
7096 blottid. MS: blottid be.
7106 that. Accepting Bergen's addition.
7108 fifthe. MS: fithe.
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Hector thus ded, as ye han herd me seid, And Achilles in his tent ileied With his woundis mortal, freshe, and grene, Upon a morwe, whan the sonne shene Enchasid had away the dirke nyght, Agamenoun, the wyse worthi knyght, In his werkis passingly prudent, Hath in al haste for his lordis sent. [Agamemnon is convinced that Fortune has sealed Troy's doom. He advises that the Greeks wait for Achilles's wounds to heal and seek a two months' truce from Priam to burn the dead and forestall the threat of pestilence. During the truce, Palamedes renews his dispute over Agamemnon's governance. Agamemnon chooses his moment and then confronts Palamedes in open audience with the Greek leaders (lines 9-152).] "Sothly," quod he, "yif ye taken hede, Me semeth pleinly it were no nede, Avisely yif ye list adverte, To muse so nor grucchen in youre herte Of al this hoste that I have governance, Wisly considered every circumstaunce, How I th'estat (whiche no man may denye) Wolde in no maner never occupie By other title than fre elleccioun, Nat interrupt by mediacioun Of brocage, roted upon mede, Ay undermeynt with favour or falshede, Depict with colour of trewe entencioun To support swiche false ambicioun; Of whiche thing here I wil me quyte Tofore yow alle that I am not to wyte In any wyse of so highe offence But stonde clere in my conscience Withoute spot of any swiche veynglorie Touchinge th'estat, whiche is transitorie. Yet nevertheles I have do my cure With al my wit to helpen and procure That everything touching the commounté Persevere myght in prosperité, Havyng the eye of myn inward sight Unto the estat of every maner wyght That were committed to my governance, With gret labour and besy attendaunce, Indifferent unto highe and lowe, To helpe and fostre wher I coude knowe That any stood in meschef or in nede, Day and nyght for to taken hede, As I best koude, by avisenesse, Ay dillygent that nat felle in distresse. For sothfastly, whoso loke aright, Mi daies thinkyng and my wache anight And of myn hert th'inly advertence Withoute fraude, slouth, or necligence Was feithfully with al my fulle myght Me to aquyte to every maner wight, Liche his estat withoute excepcioun; So that no man justly of resoun, Greke nor other that is now alyve, Unto my gilt dewly may ascrive Any falsehed, engyn, or trecherie Of love or hate, favour or flaterie In any cause named in special, But that I have ben eliche egal To oon and alle with al my besy peyne, That no man hath mater to compleyne For his party, of highe nor lowe estat. And to devoide al rancour and debat Amongis yow, I have do my dever In general thing and particuler, That hertoward nothing hath mescheved. And God wot wel, it shuld nat agrevid To my herte t'aset at any prys, Yow t'achose by youre discret avis Som other to this domynacioun And I to have ben in subjeccioun With ese of herte and tranquillité Liche other lordis here of my degré And in my wil fully han obeied - Like on of yow outterly to have deyed In the quarel that we han undirtake, Yif destiné had it so yshape: I seie in soth, me is ful loth to feyne. And overmore also, wher ye compleyne That I was chose withoute your assent, Merveileth nat, sith ye ne were present; Nor longe after, yif ye remembre aright, Toward Troye your weie was nat dight. Yif ye considre, it was after ner Or that ye cam passed ful two yer; And so longe t'abide youre commynge It hadde ben to Grekis gret hyndrynge, Passynge harme, and ful gret damage, And huge lettynge unto oure viage. For yif we had withouten any wene On your comynge taried at Athene, It likly is - ye can nat wel seie nay - To have be there yit into this day. And whereas ye, though it be nat credible, Affermen eke for an impossible That Grekis shuld in any maner wyse Dor take on hem any gret emprise In youre abscence manly to achewe, It is but wynde, nothinge for to leve. For so it be to you noon offence, The Grekis han withoute youre presence Thorugh her force on water and on lond Ful many thing parformed with her hond And acheved thorugh her worthines. And of o thing that in me ye gesse (This to seyne, that of my degré I shulde in herte so rejoisshe me Of this lordshipe and this grete estat, The more to be pompos and elat In chere or port that I it occupie) But me to aquite trewly and nat lye And to devoide al suspecioun, I wil make a resignacioun Tofore yow alle, for to excuse me. Now beth avised discretly for to se Whom ye list han ageyn tomorwe prime Withoute settynge of any lenger tyme, Prolonging forthe, or any more delay." And thus thei made an ende of that day And went her weye only for that nyght Til on the morwe that Titan shadde his light, At whiche tyme a conseil general The Grekis hilde; but moste in special Of lordis was ther congregacioun, As I have tolde, for the eleccioun. And whan thei were alle met ifere, Agamenoun anoon, as ye shal here, Seide evene thus, with sadde countenaunce. "Lo, sirs," quod he, "touchynge governaunce That I have had and domynacioun, I have herto with hool affeccioun And clene entent do my besynes That everything might in welfulnes To youre encres perseveren and contune. Recorde I take of God and Fortune, Whiche han conservid and the cause be You for to floure in felicité, That youre honour and highe noblesse Stant hool and sounde yit in sikirnes. And while your fame is most in flouringe, As semeth me, it is right wel sittinge Myne estat fully to resygne, Specially while Fortune is benygne; For of so many that be now present I am allone insufficient Withoute helpe for to bere a charge: Men with to moche may overlade a barge And namely in tempest and in rage. And sith ye bene so discret and sage, Of my berthene late me be releved So that no man therwith be agrevid; But late us alle of oon entencioun, Withoute strife or dissencioun, Chesen swiche oon that be most acceptable To yow echon and most covenable, Yow to governe by discressioun." And thei echon with hool affeccioun Assentid ben. To speke in general, Here men may se how it is natural Men to delite in thinge that is newe: The trust of peple is feint and untrewe, Ay undiscrete and ful of doubilnes And variable of hir sikernesse, Ay awaitynge in her oppinioun After chaunge and transmutacioun, Selde or never stondyng hool in oon (Today thei love, tomorwe it is gon), In whom ful selde is any sikernes. For only now of newfongilnes That hath enbracid her affeccioun Thei have in stede of Agamenoun Of newe chose, only of favour, Pallamydes to ben her governour, And of Grece, liche as thei desyre, To have the septre of the hool empire, And to be called in every cost Emperour of the Grekis host, Right as toforn was Agamenoun. And this was fyn and conclusioun For thilke day of her parlement. And after that, every man is went To his loggynge, home the righte wey. [After the truce expires, Priam takes the field with one hundred and fifty thousand troops. His old hatred for the Greeks now doubled by Hector's death, he slays many foes. The King of Persia is killed in the fighting, and the next day Priam seeks a truce in order to embalm his body. Meanwhile, the funeral rites for Hector begin, and warriors from the two sides exchange visits. Achilles is taken by a desire to visit Troy (lines 324-550).] And forthe he went on a certein day Toward Troye in al the hast he may, Unarmyd sothly, as myn auctor seith, Withoute assuraunce or any other feith Excepte the trew, whoso be lefe or loth. And first of al unto the temple he goth Of Appollo. Halwed was the feste Thorughoute the toun doun unto the lest, That clepid was the anyversarie, As ye han herde - what shuld I lenger tarie - And many worthi present wer therat Amyd the temple, of highe and lowe estat, Lordis and ladyes of affeccioun From every part gadered of the toun. Now was the cors of this worthi knyght As freshe of colour kepte unto the sight, As lifly eke and as quik of hewe To beholde as any rose newe Thorugh vertu only of the gommys swete And the bawme that gan aboute flete To every joynt and eche extremyté. And at this feste and solempnyté Was Eccuba and yonge Polycene, So wommanly and goodly on to sene, With many other of highe estat and lowe Tofore the cors sittynge on a rowe With heer untressid, clad in wedis blake, That evere in on swich a sorwe make That routhe was and pité for to sene How thei pleyne and the deth bemene Of worthi Hector, of knyghthod grounde and welle. But trowe ye (as Guydo list to telle) That Polycene in al hir woful rage Ichaungid hath upon hir visage Hir natif colour, as fresche to the sight As is the rose or the lillye whight, Outher the freshenes of hir lippes rede, For al the terys that she gan to shede On hir chekis, as any cristal clere? Hir heer also resemblyng to gold wyre, Whiche lay abrood like unto the sight Of Phebus bemys in his spere bright When he to us doth his light avale. And ay she rent with hir fyngeris smale Hir golden here on hir blake wede, Of whiche thing Achilles toke good hede And gan merveille gretly in his thought How God or Kynde ever myght have wrought In her werkis so fair a creature: For he thought he myghte nat endure To beholde the brightnes of hir face, For he felt thorugh his herte pace The percyng stremys of hir eyen two; Cupides brond hath hym markid so For love of hir that in his desire He brent as hoote in soth as any fire, And after sone with sodeyn colde he quoke, And alweye fix on hir he hadde his loke, So that the arwe of the god Cupide Percid hym evene thorugh the syde To the herte and yaf hym swiche a wounde That nevere was lyke for to sounde. And ay in oon his loke on hir he caste, As he durste, and gan to presse faste Toward hir, namly, with his eye, That hym thought he most nedis deye But yif that he founde in hir some grace. Ther was no geyn, for pleinly in that place Of newe he was kaught in lovis snare, That of helth and of al welfare He was dispeired in his herte so That he ne knew what was best to do. Eche other thing, I do yow wel assure, He set at nought and toke of hit no cure; His thought was hool on hir and on no mo. The longe day thus went he to and fro, Til Phebus char lowe gan declyne His golden axtre that so cler doth shine (This to seyne, the sonne wente doun) Whan Eccuba, Quene of Troye toun, And hir daughter Pollycene also Oute of the temple to the paleis go; And ay Achilles on hir hadde a sight While he myght, til for lak of light He may no more have leyser oportune To loke on hir, cursed be Fortune. For whiche in haste he makid hathe his went With his knyghtes home unto his tent, Wher he anon withoute more tariyng To bedde goth, ful trist in compleyning, Ay in hymsilf casting up and doun In his mynde and eke in his resoun From hed to foot hir bewté everydel. And in his hert he felt and knewe ful wel That final cause of his languysshinge Was Polycene, of bewté most passinge: For love of whom so moche peine he felte That with the hete he thought his herte melte, Ay on his bedde walwyng to and fro For the constreint of his hidde wo, For whiche almost him thoughte that he deide; And to himsilfe even thus he seide. "Allas," quod he, "how me is wo begoon, That of my sorwe knowe ende noon, For I suppose, sith the world began Ne was ther nevere a wofuller man: For I that whilom was of so gret myght, So renomed of every maner wyght Thorughoute the world, bothe of highe and lowe, For ther was noon in sothe that koude knowe A man in armys that was more famus Nor iholde more victorius, Tofore this tyme remembrid be no stile Into this day - allas, the harde while - Nouther Hector pleinly nor noon other, Of Polycene that was the worthi brother, That power had whan thei with me mette, For al her myght, me to oversette, Nor in the felde my force for to daunte, Here prively as I me dar avaunte. But now, allas, a mayde of tender age Hath sodeinly me brought in swiche a rage That with the stremys of hir eyen tweyne She percid hath and corve every veyne Of myn hert, that I may nat asterte For to be ded thorugh constreint of my smerte. For who shal now wissen me or teche, Or who, allas, shal now be my leche, Or who shal now helpe me or save? Ther is but deth and after that my grave, For other hope pleinly is ther noon, Save in hir mercy, allas, and that is goon. For nouther prayer, tresour, nor richesse, Force nor myght, nouther highe prowesse, Highnes of blood, birthe, nor kynrede May availlen or helpen in this nede To meven hir, nor my sadde trouthe, Upon my wo evere to have routhe. What newe furie or importune rage Hath brought myn herte into swyche outrage Ageynes whiche I can not debate: To love hir best that dedly doth me hate. And in good feith, who wisly list adverte, Litel wonder though she me hate of herte, Sith I am come hyder fro so ferre On hir kynrede for to make werre, In the whiche to my confusioun Hir knyghtly brother, most worthi of renoun, Have fatally with myn hondis slawe, Whiche in this worlde hadde no felawe Of worthinesse nor of manlyhede. Allas, allas, now may I quake and drede And of my lyf fallen in dispeire, For how shuld I be bold to have repeire Or dorn, allas, comen in hir sight, I woful wreche, I unhappy wyght? Or how shal I ben hardy to appere In the presence of hir eyen clere? Certys, I se non other mene weye But finally that I muste deye, So dispeired I stonde on every syde, Of other helpe I can me nat provyde." And right anoon with profounde sighes depe This Achilles brast oute for to wepe With dedly chere, pale and funeral, And with his face turned to the wal, That routhe was and pité for to sene The hertly furie of his peynes kene. For so oppressed he was in his thought Of lyf nor deth that he roughte nought, And this contuneth til it drow to nyght, That Titan hath withdrawe his clere light. And evere in oon lith this woful man Iliche sike, of colour pale and wan, Withoute slepe, so fretyng was his sorwe, Til Lucifer on the nexte morwe, Tofore the sonne, with his bemys clere Ful lustely gan for to appere In the orient, whan this Achilles, Unpacient, withoute reste or pes, Quakynge evere in his fevere newe (As it was sene pleinly in his hewe), Til he abreide of anguysshe sodeynly And called oon that was with hym prevy And of counseil whom he tristeth wel; And unto hym he telleth everydel From point to point with him how it stood And sent him forthe because he koude his god On his message streight to Troye toun With ful avis and informacioun Of this mater to Eccuba the Quene Thorugh his wisdam for to ben a mene, Yif he myght by his discrecioun Fynde any waye of savacioun Unto his lord that he lovyd so. And to the quene anon he is go And his mater wysly gan conveie Toforn or he of grace wolde preie That she enjoieth to yeve hym audience, For in his tale ther was noon offence: He was no fool or newe for to lere. Wherfore the quene goodly gan hym here Of al that evere hym liketh for to seyn; Ther was no worde ylost nor spoke in veyn, For his tale no man koude amende. And craftely he gan to discende To the substaunce and tolde clerly out, With premisses ful wel brought about, That finally in conclusioun The chefe, he seide, of his entencioun Effectuously, yif it wolde be, Was for to make pes and unité Atwene Grekis and the folke of Troye. To whiche thing he knew no better woye Than of the werre, for her alder ese, By his wit prudently t'apese The mortal strife and the bitter rage By allyaunce only of mariage, Yif that hir liste, this wyse, worthi quene, That hir doughter, faire Pollycene, May weddid be unto Achilles. Wherthorugh ther myght be a final pes, Yif Eccuba thorugh hir discresioun, Thorugh hir wit and mediacioun And hir prudence myght aboute brynge That Priamus were fully assentynge That Achilles myght his doughter wyve, So that it myght performyd ben as blyve (Lyke as I have made mencioun) By covenaunt only and condicioun That the Grekis shal her werre lete And suffre him to lyven in quyete, Yif the mariage of this ilke tweyne Parformed be and knyt up in a cheyne. And whan the quene hath knowen his entent, Ful sobirly, by good avysement, Toforn or that any word asterte, Ful pitously she syghed in hir herte, And at the laste with a sobir chere She seide thus to the messager. "My frend," quod she, "touching thi request, I can no more make the beheste, But at the leste I wil condiscende What lyth in me to bringe to an ende Thi lordis wil with al myn herte entere. But hereupon I muste firste requere The kynges wil, yif he wil yeve assent To the purpos for whiche thou art sent. And overmore I muste wyte also Yif that Parys be willyng eke therto, Of whiche thing with every circumstaunce I wil mysilfe maken enqueraunce Ful feithfully of Priam and Parys The menewhyle, what is her avys, Withoute more withinne dayes thre, At whiche tyme come ageyn to me From Achilles, yif he wil the sende, And finally thou shalt knowe an ende Of this mater and an answere pleyn." And home he goth to Achilles ageyn With ful glad chere, his lord the mor to plese; And for to sette his herte bet at ese, Avisely of highe discrecioun, He hath so made his relacioun And told his tale in so thrifti wyse, As he that koude his wordis so devyse To bringe in hope to his lordis herte With ful reles of his peynes smert, Wherby he made his sorwe to withdrawe. And thus while hope gan for to adawe Amyd his brest, Eccuba the Quene To Priam spak of this Polycene, Touchinge the sonde of this Achilles And of his profre for to make a pes; She tolde hym al and forgat nothinge. Wherof astonyd, Priamus the Kyng Spak nat a word half an oures space But in hymsilfe gan for to compasse Ful prudently what it myghte mene That Achilles wolde have Polycene Unto his wyf, ay wondring mor and more; And at the last, sighynge wonder sore, He discloseth the conceit of his herte And seide, "Allas, how sore it doth me smerte To remembre how I may have no pes - The grete offence of this Achilles Towardis me pleinly whan that he Slowe worthi Hector thoru his cruelté, That hooly was upon every side Th'assuraunce, governour, and guyde Of me and myn platly for to seyne And therwithal of myn eyen tweyne He was allone the verray sothfast lyght, Shelde, and protectour thorugh his grete myght And his manhod ageyn the mortal rage Of Grekis werre in my croked age. But now, allas, to my confusioun He slawen is, so worthi of renoun, Be Achilles, whiche may not out of mynde, That in myn hert I can nevere fynde To ben allyed with my mortal foo, Rote and grounde of al my sorwe and wo. It were ful harde myn herte to apese To loven hym that causeth myn unese On every half, wherthorugh my cruel foon, The proude Grekis, hertid ben echon Ageynes me, now Fortune is contrarie, Torned of newe my quarel to apaire, That causeth Grekis, wood and furious, On me, allas, to be presumptuous Only for Hector is me berafte away. But sithen I noon other chese may, Ageynes herte, though it for anger ryve, In this mater assay I shal to strive, Though me be loth and sitteth me ful sore; Yit to eschewe harmys that ben more, Whiche likly ben hereafter for to falle, And for to save myn other sonys alle, I wil concent that this Achilles, So that he make a trewe final pes Atwene Grekis and also this cité Withoute more pleinly, how that he Have unto wyfe my doughter Polycene. But list that he any tresoun mene, My wil is, first, howso that it wende, Of his beheste that he make an ende Withoute fraude - this is myn avis." To whiche conseil assenteth eke Parys And more rathe in conclusioun, For ther was made noon excepcioun In the treté of the Quene Eleyne, That Menelaye evere shulde atteyne Hir to recure ageyn unto his wyf, For whiche Paris withoute noise or strife Or grucchinge outher unto this entent Withinne hymsilf was fully of assent, Therby hopynge withoute fere or drede Perpetuelly Eleyne to possede Right at his lust and no man shal seie nay. And after this uppon the thridde day Achilles hath, to wyte of this mater, To Eccuba sent his messanger; And she tolde hym the answere of the kyng, Ceriously gynnynge and endynge, And how that he assenteth wel therto And Paris eke and she hirsilfe also, Yif it so were pleynly, she hym tolde, Touchinge the pes that the purpos holde And firste that he his heste bring aboute That thei be sure; thanne him dar not doute That he shal have his purpos everydel, Yif that he wirke prudently and wel. And hereupon with informacioun This messanger oute of Troye toun Withoute abood, in al the haste he may, To Achilles helde the righte way And tolde him hool th'effect of this mater. And he alweie fervent and entere In herte brent hoot as any glede And saw ther was no waye for to spede But only pes, as ye han herd me telle; And ay his brest with sighes gan to swelle For the love of this Polycene And cast alway amonge his peines kene To his purpos a weie for to fynde. And whiles he was besy in his mynde How he shuld his purpos bringe aboute And in hymsilf cast many a doute, Anoon Dispeir in a rage upsterte And cruellé caughte hym by the herte, Whiche hath hym throwe into swiche a were That hym thoughte it nas in his power His beheste to fulfille in dede, Excepte he hadde wel the lasse drede Everything to putten in certeyn, Wenyng no Greke wolde his lust withseyn, From his desire to be variable. And to hymsilf thus was he favourable For to parforme and no thing denye Al that was lusty to his fantasye, As is the maner of lovers everychon, That thei suppose to acheve anon What thing it be that thei take on honde, In what disjoint that the mater stonde, Altheigh it be a verray impossible: In her foly thei ben so credible. And so Achilles trusteth finally To fulfille his hestes outterly, Supposyng ay for his worthines, For his manhod and his highe prowes, In whiche he dide hymsilfe glorifie Somwhat of pride and of surquedie, How the Grekis shulde be dispeired, Bothe of her trust and her myght apeired Upon Troyens to wynnen any londe, Yif it so were he withdrowe his honde To helpen hem, and therwithal also Home into Grece that thei wolde go From the sege only for his sake And her quarel outterly forsake, But it so were this hardy, ferse Achille With hem abood the cité for to spille. For whiche thing the lordis by assent Assemblid wern to heren the entent Amonge hem alle of this Achilles, By the biddynge of Pallamydes. And whan thei wern gadrid alle ifere, Toforn hem alle, like as ye shal here, This Achilles hath his tale gonne And seide: "Sirs, that so moche konne Bothe of wisdam and of highe prudence, So renomed eke of sapience Thorughoute the worlde and of discrecioun, And ben so worthi also of renoun, Kynges, dukis, of whom the rial name From est to west flouring yit in fame, Bothe of knyghthod and of manlihede, To that I seie I praye you taketh hede: This to seyne, yif that ye considere The pleyn entent of oure comynge hider By good avis and discrecioun Had no grounde founded on resoun Nor cause roted on no titel of right, Yif it so be, that ye liften up youre sight And adverten clerly in youre mynde, Ful fer abak wit was sette behynde, Prudent lokynge and avisenesse. For first whan we of foly hastynesse Toke upon us to come fro so ferre Ageynes Troyens for to gynne a werre And to juparde oure lyves everychon For the love of o man allone - Ye weten alle, I trowe, whom I mene, Kynge Menelay, defrauded of his quene, To telle trouthe (me list nat for to feyne) - For ye wel wite only that Eleyne Was grounde and gynnynge of al this debate, For whom so many worthi of estate, Recurles of any remedye, Life and good han putte in jupartie, Oure londis left and oure regiouns, Oure cités eke and oure riche tounes, Whiche by oure absence stonde desolat. Wives and childer eke disconsolat In wo abide, mournynge, and distresse, Whiles that we, the sothe to expresse, Fro day to day beset on every syde, Lyn in the felde and oure deth abide In sorwe and care, in labour and in wo. And with al this ye wete wel also, Sithen tyme that the werre began, Of oure Grekis how many worthi man Hath loste his lyf thorugh dethis fatal wounde, That myght herto have lyved and be sounde At home in Grece assured wel in joye, Yif thei ne hadde comen unto Troye - That to remembre it is ful gret pité. And over this I seie also for me: Amonge Troyens in her cruel mood I have ylost so moche of my blood That hath ful ofte made me pale of hewe. This other day also, grene and newe, I hadde of Hector swiche a mortal wounde With a quarel sharpe whet and grounde Above the thighe - so kene was the hed - The same day aforn that he was ded, Of verray hap as it was yshape, That fro the deth unnethe I myghte eskape. Whiche yit al freshe is uppon me sene Large and wyde and as yit but grene, The smert of whiche sore yit I pleyne. And in good feith, me semeth that Eleyne, Yif ye adverte wysly in your thought, With swiche a pris shulde nat be bought, Wherthorugh oure lyf and oure good yfere And oure honour arn yput in were And dredfully hangen in ballaunce. For yif that ye in youre remembraunce Conceyve aright and casten up and doun The sodeyn chaunge and revolucioun That fallen hath sith the werre gan, The slaughter and deth of many worthi man That for hir sake hath here lost his lyf, Yet the werst of this mortal strif Doth most rebounde into oure damage To disencres and eke disavauntage And likly is to encrese more, Yif ordynaunce be nat made therfore And remedie shape on outher side, By fyn only that Eleyne abide With hem of Troye, stille here in the toun. And late us cast by good inspeccioun For oure ese som other mene way So that the kyng called Menelay Chese hym a wyf in som other lond Lyk his estat be suraunce or be bonde, Under wedlock confermed up of newe, That unto hym wole be founde trewe, Sithen that he withoute gilt or synne May be the law from Eleyne twynne; For of dyvos causis ben ynowe Thorughoute the worlde of every wight knowe Of avoutri for the foule vice. For to lawe is no prejudice, Though Menelay justly hir forsake Whan so hym list and another take That shal him bet bothe queme and plese. And so to us it shal be ful gret ese, Whan the werre is brought to an ende, Whiche likly is many man to shende, Yif it so be that it forthe contune. The grete labour is so inportune That we ne shal no while mowe sustene; For this is soth withouten any wene: Troyens yit ben flourynge in her myght And with hem han ful many worthi knyght To helpen hem, of highe and lowe degré; And therwithal so stronge is her cyté On every parte withouten and withinne That we ar nat likly for to wynne In oure purpos, though we evere abide. Wherfore be wisdam lete us voide pride And wilfulnes, only of prudence To han the eye of oure advertence To oure profyt more than to veynglorie; And while oure honour shyneth by victorie, A wysdam is to withdrawe oure hond, Sith we may nat constreyne by no bond Fortunys whele for to abide stable. Wherfor I rede, or she be mutable, This gery goddes with hir double cher, Let us yeve up swiche thing as lithe in wer Whiles that we mow oure worship save: For of the werre the laude yit we have, Considered wel how by oure manlyhede Oure moste fo, Hector, is now dede. And while that we in oure honour floure, My counseil is, or Fortune loure, As I seide er, to chaunge hir brighte face, While that best we stonde in hir grace, By on assent and oon oppinioun Withouten any contradiccioun Of hert and wil, bothe of on and alle, Or oure honour on any party palle, Into Grece home that we retourne. For yif that we lenger here sojourne On the quarel that we have longe swed, Douteles - it may nat bene eschewed - Ful gret damage - this withoute faile - Or we have don shal folwen at the taile: Wherfore best is oure foly up resigne. And while oure hap is welful and benygne, Most blaundisshinge and of face faire, The tyme is best to maken oure repeire, While that we stonde in party and in al With oure enemyes in honour perigal And fer above pleinly, yif that we Koude han an eye to oure felicité, Whiche that is in his ascenceoun. But list som man wil make objeccioun That we may nat so oure honour save, To repeire pleynly but we have Eleyne ageyn that is cause of al, To whiche thing anoon answer I shal: Yif any man in his fantasie To dishonour or to vyllenye Arrette wolde in any maner kynde We to gon hom and leven hir behynde, Shortly to seyn, I holde it be no shame, Sith that we han on as gret of name As is Eleyne and of berthe as good, Amongis us ycome of kynges blood, Suster to Priam, lord of Troye toun, Exyona, whom that Thelamoun In kepyng hath, yif I shal nat feyne, In Troye toun as Paris hath Eleyne. And sithe now it may bene noon other, Lete the ton be sette ageyn the tother And the surplus of olde enmyté Betwyxen us and Troye the cité. My conseil is, for oure bothen ese, By on assent wysly to appese, This al and som, and that we hennes wende. I can no more; my tale is at an ende." To whom anoon Kyng Menelaus, For verray ire wood and furious, And Kyng Thoas, the duke eke of Athene, As thei that myght no lenger hym sustene (To suffren hym thei were so rekeles), Spak alle attonis unto Achilles. Nat only thei but thorugh inpacience The court, perturbid, withoute providence, With tumult gonne to repreve This Achilles and proudly hem commeve Ageynes hym and hys oppinioun, And seide shortly in conclusioun Unto his reed thei nold nevere assent Nor condescende to nothing that he ment, To be governed by hym in this cas. For whiche thing anoon Achilles was So full of ire and rancour in his hert That sodeinly from his se he sterte, And went his way, as he were in a rage, Triste and pale, and a wood visage, And shortly seide, for hym list nat feyne, That he ne wolde lenger don his peyne To helpen hem, howso that thei spede, Ageynes Troyens for no maner nede, And bad anon, this hardy Achilles, To his knyghtes called Mirmidones That thei no more with spere nor with shelde To helpe Grekis entren into the felde But kepe hem clos at home withinne her tent. Thus in his ire he yaf commaundement To alle his men, as ye han herd devise, Hem to withdrawe at every hyghe emprise, Whansoevere thei goon into bataille. And in this while skarsenes of vitaille Fil in the hoste of fleshe, bred, and wyn, That many Greke brought unto the fyn, For thei ne myght endure for distresse, Constreint of hunger dide hem so oppresse, Til at the last Kyng Pallamydes, As he that was in no thing rekeles, Hath therupon maked purviaunce, Remedie, and redy ordinaunce. And by assent and counseil of echon He hath ysent wyse Agamenoun, The worthi kyng, to Messa there beside, A litel ile, only to provide For the Grekis, yif he myghte spede, Hem to releve in this grete nede. And Thelephus, kyng of thilke lond, Of gentilnes hath put to his hond, As he that was large and wonder fre And renomyd of humanité, To socour hem, commaundinge anoon His purvyours in al haste to goon From every party abouten enviroun Thorugh alle the boundis of his regioun And feithfully to cerchyn every coste To take up vitaille for the Grekis host. And after that ful hastely he made To stuffe her shippes pleinly, and to lade With everything that was necessarie To the Grekis, and be water carie At the request of Agamenoun, Withoute tariynge or dilacioun. And so the kyng with plenté of vitaille Fraught and ylade gan anon to saille Toward the sege, he and his meyné, Ay costeiynge by the Grekysshe se. The wynde was good, and the kyng as blyve With his navie at Troye dide aryve In fewe dayes, and Grekis anon right Of his repeire were ful glad and lyght, Of his expleit and his gode speed, That he so wel hath born hym in this nede. And after this Pallamydes anoon, As seith Guydo, is to his shippes goon For to considre and loken al aboute Wher nede was withinne and withoute, Any of hem to mendyn or repeire, As he that list for no cost to spare In everything, withoute necligence, Touching his charge to don his dilligence, Til the trews fully wern oute ronne And the werris new ageyn begonne, Whiche many man sothly dere abought. And ceriously to write how thei wrought My purpos is pleinly in sentence, Under support of youre pacience. [When the war resumes, Deiphebus, one of Priam's sons, is mortally wounded by Palamedes. He calls on Paris to avenge him, and Paris kills Palamedes with a poisoned arrow, as the Greeks are routed. Only the valor of Ajax Telamon saves them from complete destruction. The Greeks appeal to Achilles for help, but he does nothing, fearing to offend Polyxena. With Palamedes dead, Agamemnon reassumes his role as the Greek leader. Troilus inflicts heavy losses on the Greeks, and they seek a two-month truce from Priam, during which Agamemnon sends Ulysses and others to prevail on Achilles to return to battle. Achilles refuses, and the Greek lords, meeting in council with Agamemnon, are at the point of abandoning the war, until Calchas tells them that they are destined to conquer Troy (lines 1223-2028).] The trewes passid of the monthes tweyne, Into the feld the Grekis hem ordeyne, And thei of Troye ageyn hem issen oute. And worthi Troylus with an huge route The Grekis gan alderfirst assaille, And with his swerd he made first to raile The rede blod thorugh her harnes bright, That as the deth thei fledde fro his sight; For he that day thorugh his cruelté Cast hym fully avenged for to be Upon the deth of Hector, outterly. And as Dares reherseth specially, A thousand knyghtes this Troyan champioun That day hath slayn, ridyng up and doun, As myn auctor, Guydo, list endite, Save after hym I can no ferther write - In his boke he yeveth him swiche a name - That by his manhod and his knyghtly fame The Grekis alle wer put unto the flight Al thilke day, til it drowe to nyght. And on the morwe in the dawenynge, The Grekis han at Phebus uprysynge Iarmed hem with gret dilligence, Ageyn Troyens to stonden at diffence. Amonges whom that day, as I rede, So wel hym bar worthi Diomede That many Troyan thorugh his cruelté Hath loste his lyf, til Troilus gan to se This Diomede in the feld ridyng, To whom anoon withoute more tariyng, With his spere throwe into the reste, This Troilus rod and hit hym oon the breste So myghtely that of verray nede Doun of his hors he smet Dyomede, Albe of wounde he hadde no damage. And furiously Troilus in his rage Of envie gan hym to abreide, Whan he was doun, the love of Cryseide, Of his deceit and his trecherie. And Grekis than faste gan hem hye Amonge the hors in meschef where he lay, To drawe him oute in al the hast thei may; And on a sheld, brosed and affraied, Thei bare him hom, so he was dismaied Of the stroke, home unto his tent. And Menelay the same while hath hent A myghty spere t'avenge Dyomede And to Troilus faste gan hym spede, Fully avysed to unhorsen hym anon. But Troylus first made his stede goon So swyfte a course toward Menelay That he anoon at the erthe lay, So myghtely he hit hym with his spere That shelde and plate myghte hym nat were To saven hym from a mortal wounde. But his knyghtes, anon as thei him founde, Oute of the pres whan thei han hym rent, Thei bar hym hom to his owne tent, The Grekis ay stondyng in distresse Thorugh the knyghthod and the highe prowes Of this Troylus, whiche hath hem so beleyn On every part, where he rod on the pleyn, Til unto tyme that Agamenoun Into the felde is avaled doun With many worthi abouten his baner That shon ful shene ageyn the sonne cler. And with his knyghtes ridyng enviroun, He sore enchased hem of Troye toun, Woundeth and sleth and put hem to the flight, Hymsilfe aquytynge lik a manly knyght; But for al that, withoute more abood Amongis Troyens fersely as he rood, This worthi kyng, grete Agamenoun, With a spere Troylus smet hym doun Maugre his Grekis - ther geineth no socour. And whan thei sawe her lord, her governour, In swyche meschef at the grounde lyende, Thei hent hym up and made hym to ascende Thorugh her manhod on his stronge stede. And he of wyt gan to taken hede And consider wysly in his thought In what disjoynt Troylus had hym brought And how the Grekis, for al her grete pride, Toforn his swerde myghte nat abide. He prudently of highe discrecioun, This noble knyght, Kyng Agamenoun, As he that hadde ay his advertence On governaunce thorugh his providence Whanne he sawe his Grekis gonne faille And wexe feble to stonden in bataille For lak of stuf that shulde hem recounforte, Ful prudently he made hem to resorte, Everyche of hem, to his owne tent. And after that he hath to Priam sent For a trew, to Troye the cité, For sixe monthes, yif it myghte be. And by his conseil Priamus the Kyng Withoute abood granted his axyng, Albe that somme, as Guydo list endite, Were evel apaied so longe to respite Her mortal fon in any maner wyse; But yit his graunt, as ye han herd devise, Stood in his strengthe fully, as I rede. In whiche tyme, of verray womanhede, Cryseyde list no lenger for to tarie, Though hir fader wer therto contrarie, For to visite and to han a sight Of Diomede, that was become hir knyght, Whiche had of Troylus late kought a wounde. And in his tent, whanne she hath hym founde, Benignely upon his beddis syde She set hir doun in the silve tyde, And platly cast in hir owne thought, Touchinge Troylus, that it was for nought To lyve in hope of any more recure, And thought she wolde for no thing be unsure Of purvyaunce nor withoute stoor: She yaf anoon, withouten any mor, Hooly hir herte unto Diomede. Loo, what pité is in wommanhede, What mercy eke and benygne routhe That newly can al her olde trouthe, Of nature, late slyppe asyde Rather thanne thei shulde se abide Any man in meschef for hir sake! The change is nat so redy for to make In Lombard Strete of crowne nor doket: Al paie is good, be so the prente be set. Her lettre of change doth no man abide. So that the wynde be redy and the tyde, Passage is ay, whoso list to passe. No man is lost that list to seke grace; Daunger is noon but counterfet disdeyn; The se is calme and fro rokkis pleyn: For mercyles never man ne deide That soughte grace. Recorde of Cryseyde, Whiche finally hath yoven al hir herte To Diomede in reles of his smerte, And praide hym to be right glad and light, And called hym hir owne man, hir knyght, And hym behight, rather than he deie, In everything how she wolde obeye That were honest, hym to do plesaunce: For levere she had chaunge and variaunce Were founde in hir thanne lak of pité, As sittyng is to femynyté, Of nature nat to be vengable, For feith nor othe but rather mercyable Of mannys lyf stondyng in distresse. [Agamemnon goes himself to prevail on Achilles to return to the war. Achilles refuses but allows his Myrmidons to fight. In the ensuing battle, many of Achilles's men are slain, and he is caught between his love for Polyxena and his grief for his men. After another truce, Troilus attacks the Myrmidons so furiously that their cries and the threat of a Trojan victory finally move Achilles to take the field in anger. He and Troilus meet and wound one another. When his wound heals, Achilles calls his men together and plots Troilus's death (lines 2178-2646).] . . . This felle envious Achilles To his knyghtes, called Mirmidones, Upon Troylus gan hym to compleyne, Besechynge hem for to done her peyne Ageyn this Troylus in the feld that day To cachen hym at meschef yif thei may, And besely to done her dilligence On hym to han her ful advertence, By oon assent, wherso that he ride - Al other thing for to sette asyde And of nought ellis for to taken hede, Sauf finally ageyn hym to procede Yif thei myght cacche hym in a trappe And withinne hemsilf Troilus for to clap, To enclose and sette hym rounde aboute In al wyse that he go nat oute. And whan he were beset amonge hem alle, Nat to slen hym, whatsoevere falle, But thorugh her myght manly hym conserve, Til he hymsilfe come and make hym sterve With his swerd, he and noon other wyght. Lo, here a manhod for to preise aright! Vengaunce of deth, of rancour, and of pride, Compassid tresoun, knyghthod leyde aside! Worthines be envie slawe, Falshed alofte, trouthe abak ydrawe! Allas, in armys that it shulde falle, Of trecherie that the bitter galle Shuld in this world in any knyght be founde, That be to trouthe of her order bounde. Allas, allas, for now this Achilles Conspired hath with his Mirmidones The deth of oon the worthiest wyght That evere was and the beste knyght. Allas, for wo I fele myn herte blede For his sake, this story whan I rede. But whan Fortune hath a thing ordeyned, Though it be evere wailled and compleined, Ther is no geyn nor no remedie Though men on it galen ay and crye, I can no more touchinge this matere But write forthe, lik as ye shal here, How Mirmidones han her lord behight With al her power and her fulle myght To fulfillen his comaundement; And into feld with Grekis thei be went. But Troylus first, in the opposit, Of verray knyghthood hath so grete delit Withoute abood manly hem to mete; He was ybrent with so fervent hete Of hardines and of highe corage, Of worthines and of vasselage That hym ne list no lenger to abide But with his folk in began to ride Amonge Grekis, this stok of highe renoun. And with his swerd he woundeth and bereth doun, Sleth and kylleth upon every halfe So mortally that ther may no salve Her sores sounde; for ther was but deth, Wherso he rood, and yelding up the breth, So furiously he gan hem enchase And made hem lese in a litel space Her lond echon and aforn hym fle: In Troylus swerd ther was swiche cruelté That maugre hem he the feld hath wonne. The same tyme whan the brighte sonne Highe in the south at mydday marke shon, Evene at the hour whan it drowe to noon, Whan Mirmidones, gadred alle in oon, In compasse wyse rounde aboute hym gon And furiously of oon entencioun, Thei made a cercle aboute hym enviroun, Whan thei sawe him of helpe desolaat. But he of hert nat disconsolat Upon no side, thorugh his manlyhede, Lik a lyoun toke of hem noon hede, But thorugh his famus knyghtly excellence As a tigre stondeth at diffence, And manfully gan hem to encombre, And to lasse and to discres her noumbre. And somme he maymeth and woundeth to the deth, And somme he made to yelden up the breth, And somme he laide to the erthe lowe, And somme he made for to overthrowe With his swerd of her blood al wet At gret meschef at his horse fet; Upon his stede sturdy as a wal, This worthy knyght, this man most marcial, Pleyeth his pley amonge Mirmidones, Hymsilf, God wote, allone al helpeles. But tho, allas, what myght his force avail Whan thre thousand knyghtes hym assail On every part, bothe in lengthe and brede? And cowardly first thei slow his stede With her speris, sharpe and square grounde; For whiche, allas, he stont now on the grounde Withoute reskus, refut, or socour, That was that day of chivalrie flour. But, weillawey, thei han hym so beset That from his hed thei smet his basenet, And brak his harneis, as thei hym assaille, And severed of stele the myghti stronge maille. He was disarmyd bothe nekke and hed, Allas the whyle, and no man toke noon hede Of alle his knyghtes longynge to the toun; And yit alweye this Troyan champioun In knyghtly wyse, naked as he was, Hymsilfe diffendeth, til Achilles, allas, Cam ridynge in, furious and wood. And whan he sawe how Troilus nakid stod, Of longe fightyng awaped and amaat And from his folke allone disolat, Sool by hymsilf at meschef pitously, This Achilles wonder cruelly, Behynde unwarly, or that he toke hed, With his swerd smyteth of his hed And cast it forthe of cruel cursed herte; And thought pleynly, it shuld him nat asterte To shewe his malys, this wolfe unmerciable. Ful unknyghtly to be more vengable Upon the body that lay ded and colde - Allas, that ever it shuld of knyght be tolde, Wryte, or rehersed, to do so foule a dede, Or in a boke, allas, that men shuld rede Of any knyght a story so horrible, Unto the eris passingly odible - For this Achille of cruelté, allas, The dede cors toke oute of the taas, And vengably bond it, as I fynde, At the taille of his hors behynde, And hatfully, that every wyght behilde, Drowe it hymsilf endelonge the feld Thorugh the rengis and the wardis alle. But, O allas, that evere it shulde falle A knyght to bene in herte so cruel Or of hatred so dispitous fel To drawe a man after that he were ded. O thou, Omer, for shame be now red And be astonyd, that haldest thisilfe so wyse, On Achilles to setten swiche a pris. In thi bokes for his chivalrie Above echon dost hym magnyfye, That was so sleighty and so ful of fraude - Whi yevest thou hym so highe a pris and laude? Certis, Omer, for al thin excellence Of rethoryk and of eloquence, Thi lusty songes and thi dites swete, Thin hony mouthe that doth with sugre flete, Yet in o thing thou gretly art to blame: Causeles to yeve hym swiche a name, With a title of triumphe and glorie So passingly putte hym in memorie, In thi bokes to seyn and write so, Thorugh his knyghthod he slowe Hectoris two - First hym that was lik unto noon other, And Troilus after, that was his owne brother. Yif thou arte meved of affeccioun, Whiche that thou hast to Grekis nacioun, To preise hym so, for thou canst endite, Thou shuldest ay for any favour write The trouthe pleinly, and ben indifferent, And seie the sothe clerly of entent. For whan he slowe Hector in the felde, He was aforn disarmyd of his shelde And besy eke in spoylyng of a kyng: For yif he had be war of his comyng, He had hym quytte thorugh his chivalrie His fals deceit and his trecherie, That he ne had so lightly from hym gon. Troilus also was naked and allone, Amyd foure thousand closed and beshet Whan Achilles hath his hed of smet, At his bak of ful cruel herte, Whan he no thing his tresoun dide adverte. Was that a dede of a manly knyght, To slen a man forweried in fight, Feynt of travail, al the longe day Amonge so many stondyng at abay, A kynges sone and so highe born, Naked the hed, his armure al totorn, Evene at the deth on the silfe point, At disavauntage, and pleinly oute of joynt, Of his lyf stondyng on the wrak, Whan Achilles cam falsly at the bak, Assaillynge hym whan he was half ded, And lyk a coward smot of thanne his hed, That was toforn hurte and wounded sore? Wherfor, Omer, preise hym now no more. Lat nat his pris thi rial boke difface But in al haste his renoun oute arace: For his name whan I here nevene, Verrailly up unto the hevene (As semeth me) infect is the eyr, The sown therof so foule is and unfair. For yif that he had hadde his advertence, Outher the eye of his providence Unto knyghthod or to worthines, Outher to manhod or to gentilnes, Or to the renoun of his owne name, Or to the report of his knyghtly fame, In any wyse to have taken hede, He hadde never don so foule a dede: So vengably for to have ydrawe A kynges sone after he was slawe - And namly hym, that was so gode a knyght, Whiche in his tyme, whoso loke aright, Passed Achille, I dar it wel expresse, Bothe of manhod and of gentilnes. But for al that, he is now ded, allas. [King Menon reproves Achilles for the treachery of Troilus's death. He wounds Achilles, who is rescued by the Myrmidons. Achilles then plots Menon's death in the same way he earlier contrived to surround and kill Hector and Troilus. All Homer's rhetoric cannot disguise Achilles's fraud and treachery. The Greeks drive the Trojans into the city. Their sorrow at Troilus's death is beyond the power of Boethius, Statius, or Ovid to describe. Priam asks for a truce and builds tombs for Troilus and Menon (lines 2856- 3097).] But I purpose ceriously to telle How Eccuba, as I can endyte, Hir caste fully Achilles to quyte His tyranny, sothly, yif she may. And unto hir she calleth on a day Alysaundre in ful secré wyse And unto hym, as I shal devyse, With wepynge eyen and with hevy chere Seide evene thus, lyk as ye shal here. "Parys," quod she, "allas, sauf Goddis wille, Thou knowest wel how the ferse Achille My sonys hath slayen nyghe echon; Ther is non lefte but thisilf allone: He hath me made (allas, ther is no geyn), Ful cowardly, of children now bareyn, Bothe of Hector and of Troylus eke therto Whiche were to me in every trouble and wo Fully counfort, plesaunce, and solace. Wherfore, I caste pleynly to compasse By som engyn his deth to ordeyne; And lyke as he by tresoun dide his peyne, Traytourly with his swerd to smyte, Right so, I think, with tresoun hym to quyte, As sittyng is of right and equyté. And sith thou wost pleynly how that he Hath sette his herte and his love clene On my doughter, yonge Polycene, To fyn only to haven hir to wyve; For whiche I caste to hym sende blyve For to come and trete of that mater In the temple of Appollo here, In the temple most chef of this cité. Whiche tyme my wil is that thou be Thisilven armyd ther ful prively, With certeyn knyghtes in thi company Armyd also ageyn the same day, That in no wyse he skape nat away From your hondis but that he be ded, As I have seid; and therfor take good hed Unto this thing, with al myn herte, I praie, Fro point to point my biddyng to abeie." And he assenteth with al his hoole herte, Behotyng hir he shulde nat asterte. And with hym toke twenty and no mo Of manly men that wel durste do; And in the temple by ful good avys Thei wern yhyd by byddyng of Paris, While Eccuba, covert in hir entent, Hir messager to Achilles hathe sent, As ye han herde, in conclusioun, To come in haste unto Troye toun After th'effect was of hir message, Only to trete for a mariage. And he in haste cometh at hir sonde, As he that koude no thing undirstonde Hir tresoun hid nor pleinly it adverte: He was so hote marked in his herte With lovys brond and his firé glede, Of lyf nor deth that he toke noon hede But sette aside wit and al resoun, To caste aforn by gode discrecioun What was to do, with lokyng ful prudent. But he in soth was with love blent, Into Troye whan he shulde goon, Lyke as it fareth of lovers everychon: Whanne thei have kaught in herte a fantasie, For no pereil, though thei shulde deye, Thei have no myght nor power to be ware, Til thei unwarly be trapped in the snare: Her maladie is so furious. And thus Achilles and Anthilogus, Nestoris sone, han the weye nome Toward the toun and ben togidre come Into temple, as ye han herd me telle. And Paris tho list no lenger duelle But, unwarly, with his knyghtes alle On Achilles is at meschef falle, Everyche of hem with a swerd ful bright. And somme bokis seyn it was by nyght, Whan his deth, longe aforn desired, By Eccuba and Paris was conspired. But Achilles in this mortal caas, Amonge hem alle naked as he was, Hent oute a swerde in the silve stevene; And like a knyght he slow of hem sevene Of verray force, maugre al her myght. But whan Paris therof hadde a sight, Thre dartes raught that were kene and square, And sodeinly, or that he was ware, Ful secrely hid under the shade, Markyng at hym and no noyse made, Caste at hym evene as evere he can, That hed and shafte thorugh the body ran; And therwithal knyghtes nat a fewe With sharpe swerdis gan upon him hewe And left hym nat til he lay at grounde Ful pale ded, with many mortal wounde. And rightfully, of resoun as it sit, Thus was the fraude and the falshede quit Of Achilles, for his highe tresoun: As deth for deth is skilfully guerdoun And egal mede, withouten any fable, To hem that be merciles vengable. For thilke day, Guydo writeth thus, That Achilles and Anthilogus Of Paris wern in the temple slawe; And afterward the body was out drawe Of Achille fro the holy boundis And cruelly throwen unto houndis To be devourid in the brode strete, The canel rennynge with his wawes wete Withoute pité or any maner routhe. Loo, here the ende of falshed and untrouthe, Loo, here the fyn of swiche trecherie, Of fals deceit compassid by envie. Loo, here the knot and conclusioun, How God quyt ay slaughter by tresoun. Loo, here the guerdoun and the final mede Of hem that so deliten in falsehede: For everything, platly for to seyne, Like as it is, his guerdoun doth atteyne, As ye may se of this Achilles, Whiche on a nyght in the temple les His lyf; for he was ay customable By fraude and tresoun for to be vengable. But it befel at request of Eleyne That the bodies of this ilke tweyne Conservid wern from the hungri rage Of best and foule, gredy and ramage. And yit thei laie amyddes the cité Ful openly, that men myght hem se, To grete gladnes to hem of the toun, Into tyme that Agamenoun To Kyng Priam sent his massageris To have licence to fet hem hom on beris; By graunt of whom thei han the corsis take. For whom Grekis swiche a sorwe make That pité was and routhe for to here. [After Achilles's death, Agamemnon challenges the Greeks to exact vengeance. Ajax Telamon urges them to send for Achilles's son, Pyrrhus, whom prophets say will bring the downfall of the city. Menelaus is dispatched to bring him to Troy. In June, the Greeks take the field. Ajax Telamon rides without armor, carrying only a sword. He has survived many battles, but Fortune now turns against him. Paris shoots him with a poisoned arrow. Ajax, mortally wounded, splits Paris's skull in two. Troy is thrown into shock by the death of the last of Priam's sons, and Helen cannot contain her grief. Priam closes the gates of the city and will not give battle to the Greeks, despite Agamemnon's challenge (lines 3236- 3757).] And yit in soth cause of his tariynge Was for the hardy Quene of Femynye Toward Troye faste gan hir hiye Oute of hir lond, a litel regioun, The whiche, as bokis make mencioun, After the syyt of the firmament Is in the plage of the orient, And called is the regne of Amazonys, Of whiche the custom and the wone ys That only wommen therin shal abide: And thei ar wont armyd for to ryde And han in armys gret experience; For her labour and her dilligence Is finally to haven excersyce Fro day to day in Martis highe servyse. And overmore her custom and usaunce, As to this day is maked remembraunce, Is that no man shal hem nyghe ner, But yif it be thre monthes in the yer: This to seyn, in June, April, and May; And than the wommen han in custom ay Unto an yle a litel therbesyde, Wher as the men by hemsilfe abide Fro yere to yere togidre everychon, Unto the men oute of her lond to gon, And there abide in that regioun Til tyme cometh of concepcioun, Withoute tariynge any lenger while; For thanne anoon home unto her ile Thei repeire oute of that contré Unto tyme that thei delyvered be. And as faste as the childe is born, For lak of kepynge that it be nat lorn, He fostrid is til thre yere be agoon Amonge the wommen; and thanne right anon To the ile besiden adjacent Unto the men the childe in haste is sent, Yif that it be of kynde masculyn. And yif it falle that it be femynyn, With the wommen abide stille it shal Til that it be in actis marcial Ful wel experte and that she can eke knowe To handle a spere or to drawe a bowe, Lyke the statutis of that regioun, The whiche, as bokes make mencioun, Is set betwene Ewrope and Asya. And of this lond was Pantysyllya Whilom lady and governeresse, Ful renomed of strengthe and hardynes Thorughoute the world, bothe in lengthe and brede; And yit in soth to speke of wommanhede, For al her myght she had an huge pris, For bothe she was vertuous and wys, Wonder discret, and had an honest name, Natwithstondynge the excelle of fame Of hir renoun in armys and the glorie: For of conquest and of highe victorie She was most surmountyng out of drede Of any womman that I can of rede; And sothly yit bokes bere witnesse, Of wommanhede and of gentilnesse She kepte hir so that nothinge hir asterte. The whiche loved with al hir hoole herte Worthi Hector and with al her myght, Only for he was so noble a knyght That hir joye and worldly plesaunce, Hir hertly ese and sovereyne soffisaunce, In verray soth, where she wake or winke, Was evere in oon upon hym to thinke, Of verray feith, withouten any slouthe. And unto hym she was be bond of trouthe Confederat of olde affeccioun, That whan she herd how that Troye toun Besegid was of the Grekis felle, This hardy quene liste no lenger dwelle But hasteth hir as fast as evere she may Toward Troye in ful good array With alle the worthi wommen of hir londe, Ful wel expert and preved of her honde, Wel horsed eke and armed richely. And as I fynde, in her company, A thousand maidenes ridinge by her side, This worthi quene, that durste wel abide, She with hir brought in steel armyd bright For love of Hector, hir owne trewe knyght. And on hir weie fast she gan to spede To helpen hym yif she seie nede: For in nothinge she koude hir more delite Thanne towarde hym feithfully hir quyte, For that was al hir lust and hertis joye. But whan that she comen was to Troye And herde telle by relacioun That he was ded, most worthi of renoun, To whom she was so lovinge and so trewe, Anoon she gan to chaungen cher and hewe, And pitously for to wepe and crye, And ferd in soth as she wolde deye For verray wo and hertly hevynes, And thought she wold thorugh hir worthines Avenge his deth platly, yif she may, On the Grekis; and so uppon a day She preieth Priam with gret affeccioun For to oppene the gatis of the toun, And to gon oute with Grekis for to fight, That thei may knowe and be expert aright Of this womman the grete worthines, And of this quene the famous hardines; And so the kyng, hopynge for the beste, Withoute abood graunted hir requeste The nexte morwe, whan Phebus shon ful shene; And al toforn out goth Phylymene, The noble kyng, with hem of Paffaganye; And after hym other knyghtes manye Folwed after with worthi Eneas, The Troyan eke, Daungh Pallydamas. And thanne the Quene Pantasyllya By the gate called Dardanyca Toward Grekis proudly issed oute, With hir wommen ridyng hir aboute. The whiche anoon whan Grekis dide espie, Into the felde gan hem faste hiye: And first of alle worthi Meneste, Pantasillia whanne he dide se, With his sporis made his stede gon, And with a spere rood to hir anoon, Of whom the quene astonyd neveradel, Caught eke a spere that was squarid wel, Rounde the shafte, and the hed wel grounde, Whiche as thei coupe smet him doun to grounde And maugre hym reved him his stede. And thanne in haste in cam Diomede And cruelly to the quene gan ride; And she as faste on the tother side Rood eke to hym in platis bright and shene; And as thei mette with her speris kene, She hitte so this felle Diomede, For al his myght and his manlyhede, That she hym made his sadel for to lese. Ther is no more - he myght tho nat chese. And in dispite of his men echon, She hath his sheld hym beraft anoon And it delyvereth, proudly as she rood, To a maide that uppon hir abood. And like a tigre in his gredinesse Or like, in soth, to a lyounesse, That day she ferde, ridynge up and doun Amonge the Grekis, til that Thelamoun Gan beholde the slaughter that she made, Of highe dispit and rancour overlade, As he that myght for ire not sustene, Gan ren his hors to falle uppon the quene. But whan that she his comynge dide espie, She fil on hym in hir malencolye So mortally, maugre his knyghtes alle, That to the grounde she made him for to falle And Grekis put in so grete disaray, Wherevere she rood al that ilke day; For thei myght aforn hir nat sustene. And thorugh the helpe of Kyng Philymene, As myn auctor recordeth in his boke, Amyd the feld Thelamoun she toke And sent hym forthe thorugh her highe renoun As prisoner toward Troye toun, Til unto rescus cam cruel Diomede, And cruelly on hem that gan him lede He fil unwarly with an huge route Of his knyghtes ridynge hym aboute, And from her hondis, maugre al her myght, He hym delivereth like a manly knyght. At whiche tyme, this hardy quene anon, With hir wommen aboute hir everychon, The Grekis hath aforn hir on the pleyn (As writ Guydo) so mortally beleyn That she hem made of necessité Oute of the feld with her swerd to fle, That verrayly it was incredible And to leve a maner impossible To sene the wommen Grekis so enchase, Whiche myghte nat abide aforn her face Nor in the feld in any wyse stonde: For thei hem dryve to the silfe stronde, Doun to the clyf of the salte se And slowe of hem so huge gret plenté That finally thei had be distroyed For everemore and outterly accloied, Nadde Diomede stonden at diffence And of knyghthod maked resistence: For he that day in parti and in al For Grekis stood as a sturdy wal And was allone her helpe and chef socour. But for al that, with worship and honour Pantasillya, as made is memorie, Repeired is with conquest and victorie, With alle hir wommen into Troye toun Upon the hour of Phebus goynge doun. And by the side of this hardy quene Armyd in stel rood Kyng Phylymene, Whom Priamus hath with gret reverence Knyghtly reseved and dide his dilligence Hem to refreshe with every maner thing That myghte be unto her likyng, As her hertis koude best devyse. And after this, in ful goodly wyse, He thanked hath the noble hardy quene Of hir goodnes that hir lyste to sene To helpyn hym in his grete nede And offrid hir (in Guydo as I rede) Al that he hath, tresour and richesse, Hopynge fully thorugh hir worthines Upon Grekis avengid for to be And for to kepe hym and his cité Maugre Grekis, whiche of hem seye nay. For as I rede, after day be day She stinte nat proudly hem t'assaile, Ageyn whos swerd thei myghte nat availe, So mortally she made her sides blede. [Meanwhile, Menelaus arrives at Troy with Pyrrhus. Agamemnon knights him, and the Myrmidons pledge him their fealty. Pyrrhus carries his father's arms into battle, and he is ashamed when Penthesilea drives the Myrmidons back and reproaches him for Achilles's cowardly murder of Hector. She unhorses Pyrrhus, and the Myrmidons have to rescue him from her. Fighting continues daily for a month, during which a hundred Amazons are slain. Fortune, never stable, begins to turn her favor from Penthesilea (lines 3974-4280).] The fatal hour, harde for to remewe, Of cruel deth, which no man may eschewe Nor in this lyfe finally eskape, Specially whan Parchas han it shape, Aproche gan - it may noon other bene, Allas the while - of this hardy quene, Whiche on a day, furious and wroth, Into the feld oute of Troye goth And gan on Grekis proudly for to sette. And alderfirst Pirrus with hir mette Of mortal hate and indignacioun; And she in haste by the rengis doun Rood unto hym swiftly on hir stede, Whos sporis sharpe made his sides blede. And as thei mette, her speris in the rest, Thei bare so evene, markyng at the brest, That her shaftis, sothly this no tale, Gan to shyvere alle on pecis smale Withoute bowynge outher bak or chyne: For nouther made other to enclyne, Save the hed forged harde of steel Of Pantasillya, that was grounde wel, In Pirrus brest percid hath so depe That plate in soth nor maille myght hym kepe, But the sharpnes of the speris hede Was of his blod in party died rede. The whiche strok whan Grekis gan espie, Forastonyd loude gan to crye And alle attonys for the noise and soun Upon this quene in the feld cam doun, In compas wyse goynge enviroun. But thorugh hir prowesse and hir highe renoun She hir diffendeth, that it was mervaille; But thei, allas, so sore hir gan assaille That al tohewe thei han hir basenet; Amyd Grekis so thikke she was beset That with axes and her swerdis square Hir hed in soth maked was al bare And hir shuldris were nakid eke, allas, The maille hewe of and the rerebras. And Pirrus than, lyke as it is founde, For anguyshe only of his grene wounde, In doute pleynly wher he shulde eskape, Toward this quene faste gan hym rape To be avengid, whatsoevere falle, Amyd the feld amonge the Grekis alle. And whan she sawe that he cam so faste, Of force only to mete him yit she cast And with hir swerd first gan hym assaille; But of hir strok it happed hir to faille, Amonge the pres so narwe she was beset. And Pirrus swerd was so sharpe whet That sodeinly of hir arme he smette. Allas, ther was non armour hym to lette But raceth thorugh al the shulder bon, So that this quene fil doun ded anon. And of malys for to venge hym more, At his hert the ire frat so sore That with a chere of verray angir pale He hath hir hewe al on pecis smale, The whiche was so foule a cruel dede. But evere in on Pirrus so gan blede, Nighe to the deth of his mortal wounde, For lak of blod that he fil to grounde. In a trawnce ful longe gruf he lay, Til his knyghtes in al the haste thei may Han take hym up and leide him on a sheld; And doolfully home oute of the feld Thei han hym born, wounded as he was. And the wommen of the quene, allas, For verray sorwe and inward dedly wo, Whan thei sawe her lady was ago, For to be ded thei were so desirous That in al haste, wood and furious, In a rage, withoute governaile, Grekis thei gan of newe for to assaille - T'avenge her quene thei wer so hertly kynde - That thei slowe, sothly as I fynde, Two thousand Grekes - on hem thei wer so wod. But, O allas, in gret disjoint thei stood, Only for lak thei have no governour; For she was goon that was her chef socour, Whiche was also, to speke of hardynes, Of wommen alle lady and maistresse, As of hir hond that I can of rede. O ye Troyens, ye stonden in gret drede, Amyd the feld al oute of governaunce. The day is come of youre unhappi chaunce, For now have ye leder noon nor gyde: Farwel youre trust now on every side. And Grekes ben upon you so stronge That ye the feld may nat kepe longe; For thei cast hem fully you to quyte This same day, as Dares list endite; For as he writ, homward as thei drawe, Ten thousand Troiens wern of Grekis slawe. For alle her wardis cam attonys doun And mortally, withoute excepcioun, Thei kille and sle al that hem withstood; And moste thei wern on the wommen wood To be avenged, pleinly as I rede, On every halfe and her blood to shede Withoute mercy or remyssioun, Chasyng Troiens home into the toun Oute of the felde; for ther was noon abod, So pitously tho with hem it stood That thei ne can noon other recure caste But kepe her toun and shet her gatis faste, For al her hope clene was agoon Anymore to fighte with her foon. For now her trust of knyghthod was away, Her worthi men slayen, weillaway. Refut was noon but in her cyté To kepe hem clos - it may noon other be. For hem thought thei myght it kepe longe, Her walles wern so myghti and so stronge, Yif thei had plenté of vitaille; Though al the world attonis hem assaille, Thei may be sure while thei kepe hem in Foreveremore that no man shall hem wynne. Yet nevertheles erly and eke late The Grekes made toforn every gate Ful myghti wache and await ful stronge, With pryvy spies goynge in amonge, That of her foon noon eskape away By noon engyn, as ferforthe as thei may. And in this while, withinne Troie toun, More than I can make descripcioun, For the quene ther was so gret a sorwe Of every whight bothe at eve and morwe, That she, allas, was slayen for her mede, Whiche cam so fer to helpe hem in her nede; And aldermost for thei ne myghte have The dede cors to burie and to grave With reverence and with honour dwe, For whiche thei gan to the Grekis swe With gret praier and grete besynes. But al in veyn and in ydelnesse Was her requeste - the Grekis wer so wrothe. And finally, with many sondry othe, Only of malys and of hoot envie, The dede cors to hem thei denye And shortly seide of mortal enmyté That of houndis it shal devoured be - Ther was no geyn - her rancour to compesse. But Pirrus thanne of verray gentilnesse Nolde assent to so foule a dede; But wood and wrothe, cruel Diomede Seide openly that it was fittynge That she faile of hir buriynge, That slayen hadde so many worthi man. And thus the strif amonge the Grekis gan, With grete rumour and altercacioun, Til at the laste under Troye toun Of hir thei han the dede cors ytake, And cruelly in a profounde lake Thei han it cast, where I lete hir lye, And unto Troie ageyn I wil me hye To telle forthe howe thei lyve in pyne. [Lydgate reproves Mars for his delight in murder, death, and dissension. Mars has brought treason and discord to Troy in the conspiracy of Anchises, Aeneas, Antenor, and Polydamas to betray the city. They urge Priam to return Helen and sue for peace, even though they know the Greeks will never accept anything less than the end of Priam's lineage and dynasty. Priam holds a council to discuss the peace proposal. Antenor's loyalty and integrity are publicly disputed, but Aeneas uses his skill at verbal subterfuge to argue for peace. Priam reminds both of them of their own complicity in the events that have led to the war. They leave in rage, while Priam can scarcely contain his grief and sense of doom. He conspires with his son Amphimachus to kill them at a council, but word of the plot escapes, and Aeneas, Antenor, and the others swear their determination to destroy Troy, if the Greeks will spare them and their possessions. When Priam convenes the council again, the conspirators show up in force. Aeneas seizes the initiative to persuade the Trojans to seek peace. Priam must concede and allows Antenor to be the Trojan emissary to the Greeks (lines 4440-5098).] And in this while that Anthenor was oute For to trete with the Grekis stoute, As ye han herde, for a pes final, In the toun aboute on every wal Thei of Troie gan ascende blyve With the braunchis of many freshe olive In tokne of pes; and Grekes eke ageyn Amyd the feld endelonge the pleyn Shewed hem, that alle myghte sene, Eke of olyve lusti bowes grene. And to conferme this fro point to point And that nothing stood in no disjoint, The worthi kyng, grete Agamenoun, Committed hath of highe discrecioun Fully power and auctorité For the Grekis pleinly unto thre First of al for a pes to trete: Unto the wyse worthi Kyng of Crete, To Ulixes, and to Diomede. To chese mo hem thought it was no nede, For what thei do thei wil holde stable And finally nat be variable From the ende platly that thei make. And hereuppon was assurance take Of outher part by bonde of sacrament. And so thei be with Anthenor ywent Oute aside, these worthi lordes thre. And whanne thei wern at her liberté, From al tumulte allone prively, This Anthenor, ful of trecchery, Replet of falsehod and of doubilnesse, Gan his purpos unto hem expresse, Byhotynge hem to traisshe the cité, So thei wolde make hym sureté That first hymsilfe and with hym Eneas Shal fredam han in every maner caas With her allies and goodis everychon, Wher that hem list at large for to goon At her chois or dwellen in the toun With her richesse and posessioun Withouten harme or any more damage, Liche as thei se it be to avauntage Of her personys to voiden or abide. And thei wer sworn on the Grekis side Covenaunt to holde in parti and in al, As was rehersid aforn in special, And as thei werne by her othes bounde, So that ther be no variaunce founde On outher parti platly nor no strif, And thei behighte up pereil of her lyf. And whan he had assuraunce of hem thre, He charged hem to kepen in secré Al that was seid, that nothing be discured Unto tyme that thei ben assured Of the ende, grocid up in dede: For it were good that thei toke hede, List her purpos perturbed were or shent By communynge, withoute avisement, Of this tongis that be so longe and large. Wherfore he gan conjuren hem and charge In alle wyse for to bene prevé, So that no wyght but he and thei thre, Of noon estat, nowther highe nor lowe, Fully the fyn of her entent ne knowe. "And covertly oure purpos for to hide," Quod Anthenor, "upon every side To voide aweie al suspecioun, This myn avys: that to Troye toun The wyse kyng called Taltibyus Shal go with me to Kyng Priamus, For he is hoor and yronne in age, Coy of his port, sleighti and right sage, And therwithal sadde, demwr, and stille. Of whom Troyens nothing shal mysille, But that he come to tretyn for a pes, To ben assured and witen douteles Wher the Troiens agreen wil therto In everything finally to do As Anthenor the Grekis hath behight. Thus shal thei ben devoided anoon right Thorugh his comynge from al suspecioun, Til that we han oure conclusioun, As ye han herde, parformed everydel." Of whiche thing the Grekis like wel And ben apointed upon everything What thei wil do and how this olde kyng With Anthenor shal to Troye goo. And after this, he axede eke also Of Pantasile the body for to have, In the cité that men myght it grave With due honour longynge to hir estat, To voide aweie suspecioun and debat. And Anthenor (for it drowe to eve) Of the Grekis taken hath his leve And with the kyng repeireth into toun. Whereof was made anoon relacioun To Kyng Priam withoute more delay. And he in hast upon the nexte day Made assemble alle his citezeyns, Secrely devoidyng alle foreyns, Where Anthenor in open audience, Thorugh the halle whan maked was silence, His tale gan with sugred wordis swete, Makyng the bawme outward for to flete Of rethorik and of elloquence, Of cher nor word that ther was noon offence; In shewynge oute so circumspect he was That no man koude in no maner cas, Be signe outward nor by countenaunce, Parceive in hym any variance (So harde it was his tresoun to espie), Th'effect declaringe of his embassatrie With cler report of his answer ageyn, In his menyng though he wer nat pleyn. For undernethe he was with fraude fraught, This sleighti wolfe, til he his pray hath kaught: For he was clos and covert in his speche As a serpent, til he may do wreche, Hydinge his venym under floures longe; And as a be that stingeth with the tonge Whan he hath shad oute his hony sote - Sugre in the crop, venym in the rote - Right so in soth with tonge of scorpioun This Anthenor, rote of al tresoun, His tale tolde with a face pleyn, Liche the sonne that shyneth in the reyn, That faire sheweth though the weder be Wonder divers and troubly for to se. So this tigre, ful of doubilnesse, So covertly his tresoun dide expresse, As he nat ment but trouthe to the toun, Fully affermyng in conclusioun How the Grekis myghti were and stronge, And likly eke to abide longe Day be day redy hem t'assaille, And hadde also plenté of vitaille, Concludynge ay ther was no remedie Ageynes hem to holde champartie Nor with hem anymore to stryve. For (he seide) thei had yet alyve Her worthi knyghtes, hardy as lyouns, Her manly men and her champiouns, Whiche here lyves platly to juparte, From the cité caste hem nat departe Til her purpos acheved be in al. "For finally nouther tour nor wal Nor youre gatis of iren though ye shette, The Grekis shal on no side lette, But that thei wiln us wynne at the laste. Wherfor, it nedeth a mene weie to caste, Sithen of myght nor favour of Fortune We may nat longe ageynes hem contwne. Wherfore," quod he, "so ye condescende, I can right wel al this thing amende, Remedien, so that ye nat varie To that I seie for to be contrarie - This to mene, shortly out of doute, Embassatour whan that I was oute With the Grekis last whan ye me sent, Thei seide goodly how thei wold assent Unto a pes with this condicioun: That ye wil make restitucioun Of the harmys and the violencis, The wrongis done, and also the offencis By Paris wrought in Grece at Citheroun, As it is right, me semeth, of resoun. For her request is meint with equité, And we be driven of necessité Unto her lust justly to enclyne, Maugre oure wil the werre for to fyn: For al is now in her elleccioun; We may nat make no rebellioun; Now the mater is so fer ybrought, To strive ageyn, in soth, it helpith nought; It may apeire but nothing availle. Wherfore the beste that I can consaille, As in proverbe it hath be seied of yore, That yif a man be constreyned sore And may nat fle to fallen in a treyne, Lete hym chese the lasse harme of tweyne And the gretter prudently eschewe. And lete oure gold that is kepte in mewe, To save oure lif make redempcioun: For better it is, demeth of resoun, Spoiled to ben only of richesse Than wilfully deyen in distresse. The lyf is bet than gold or any good - Set al at nought in saving of your blood, For foly is a man for his welfare Thorugh covetyse any gold to spare. And now oure lyf dependeth in balaunce, Late gold fare wel and goon with meschaunce; We may hereafter by sort or aventure Gold by grace and good ynowgh recure. And sithen we, as I have yow tolde, May byen pes finally with golde And with oure tresour stinten eke the werre, It were foly pleinly to differre With the Grekis outterly t'acorde: For yif so be I to hem recorde That ye assent withouten variaunce, Ther may of pes be no parturbaunce - It is so lyght now to be recured. For as sone as thei ben assured By just report of youre entenciouns, Thei wil do write obligaciouns Of covenauntis, that nat be byhynde; And that ye shal in hem no faute fynde, Whan assuraunce from outher parte is hadde, Theruppon endenturis shal be made, So that of feith ye mow hem nat repreve. And for that thei fully trust and leve Withoute fraude my relacioun, I wil now make no dilacioun To signefie to hem in certeyn Hooly th'effect of that ye wil seien." [The Trojans accept Antenor's proposal and appoint Antenor, Aeneas, and old King Talthybus to make a final peace. Helen asks Antenor to act as an intermediary and help reconcile her with Menelaus. Antenor goes to talk with the Greeks, while a funeral is prepared for Penthesilea and her corpse is embalmed for the journey to her homeland and final burial. Ulysses, Diomede, and the King of Crete return to Troy with Aeneas. Ulysses asks for a huge quantity of gold as compensation and for the banishment of Amphimachus, the latter at Antenor's suggestion. During the discussion of these terms, a great tumult breaks out. Ulysses and Diomede are frightened, but Antenor hides them. Ulysses suspects treachery on Antenor's part. Antenor then explains one complication in their plan to betray Troy (lines 5315-5551).] "Iwys," quod he, "I take unto witnesse The highe goddes, that everything may se, Withoute feynynge that I have besy be Fro point to point your purpos to acheve; But finally, so it yow nat greve And paciently that ye list to here, There is o thing perturbeth this mater, Whiche that I shal, so it be noon offence, Pleinly remembre here in youre presence: This to seyn, of olde antiquité, First at the bildyng of Troye the cité, That whilom was ycalled Yllyoun - For cause only at his fundacioun Kyng Ylyus, sithen go ful longe, The founder was of the walles stronge, After whom, as made is mencioun, It called was and named Ylyoun - In the whiche with grete and besy charge In Pallas name he made a temple large, That passyngly was hadde in reverence. And whan this phane of most excellence Parformed was by masounri ful wel And, save the rofe, complet everydel, Of myghti stoon the bildynge wel assured - But or it was with led and tymber cured Ageynes tempest for to bene obstacle, Ther fil a wounder only by myracle That I dar wel afferme it in certeyn, Swiche another was there nevere seyn - Whoso list se and considren al - This merveil was so celestial. For ther cam doun from the highe hevene, By Pliades and the sterris sevene And thorugh the eyr holdyng his passage, Like a fairy a merveillous ymage That in this world, though men hadde sought, Ne was ther noon halfe so wel ywrought. For, as it is trewly to suppose, Pigmalyon, remembrid in the Rose, In his tyme hadde no konnyng To grave or peint so corious a thing: For it was wrought with dilligent labour By hond of aungil in the hevenly tour, Thorugh Goddes myght and devyn ordinaunce, And hider sent thorugh his purvyaunce For a relik, only of his grace, And provided to the same place, Ther t'abide for a proteccioun, For a diffence and salvacioun, Perpetuelly whil the world may dure, Ageyn al meschef and mysaventure, Every trouble and tribulacioun, In sustenynge and revelacioun And sovereyn helpe eke of this cité. The whiche never may distroyed be By noon engyn that men may purchase: The goddes han graunted swiche a grace And swiche vertu annexed eke therto, That Troye in soth may never be fordo Til this relik stole be away. And yit in soth ther is no man that may From the place stere it nor remewe, But the prest to whom it is dwe Only of offys to touche it with his hond. So myghtely conservyd is the bond That who attempteth in conclusioun It to remewe of presumpcioun, At the fyn platly he shal fayle: For force noon may him nat availle; For it in soth wil nat remeved be Excepte of hym to whom of dueté It aparteneth, as ye han herde toforn. And overmore ther is no man yit born That rede can nor telle in no degré Verraily wher it be stoon or tre, Nor how it was devysed nor ywrought - Ther is no wyght so sotil in his thought Ceriously to tellen the manere. For Minerva that is so freshe and clere, The sterne goddesse, thorugh hir grete myght, That is so dredful bothe of loke and sight, Whiche on hir brest haveth of cristal Hir shilde Egys, this goddesse immortal, Igraunted hath, in bokes as I lerne, Thorugh hir power whiche that is eterne This holy relik for a memorial To hir temple of bildyng most royal, It to conserve from al assaut and drede And to socour in every maner nede Ageyn her foon unto Troye toun, While it is kept with devocioun: So that alweye by successioun, From kyng to kyng in the lyne doun, By just title lyneally succede, Hereto annexed that thei taken hede, Prudently avoidynge necligence, It to conserve with due reverence, As thei are bounde and yholde of right. Thanne shal noon enmy power have nor myght To do damage in hyndrynge of the toun. And whi it is called Palladyoun, Like as clerkis write of it and seyn, Is for Pallas to make hir toun certeyn, This relyke sent fro the hevene doun; And to conclude shortly my resoun, This is the cause oure purpos is so let." "Than," quod Ulixes, "sith it may be no bet, Oure labour is in ydel and in veyn, Withoute recure, yif it be certeyn, As thou hast seyd, this toun in no degré Thorugh this relyk may not distroied be: It was foly the to undirtake Unto Grekis beheste for to make Withoute this - thou haddest be ful sure." Quod Anthenor, "Yit ther is recure: As I have hight, ye shal have the toun, Altheigh ther be a dilacioun; And the maner anoon I shal telle, Yif it so be ye list a whyle dwelle Withoute noyse outher perturbaunce. The prest, the whiche hath the governaunce Of this relyk, shal be spoke unto By good avys and ytreted so That he shal be ful of oure assent; For he with gold and tresour shal be blent, That he accorde shal to oure purpos, To bringe the relike, whiche is kept so clos, To what place that ye list assigne. Beth stille of port, goodly, and benigne In youre werkis, til I have brought aboute Fully this thing; and beth no thing in doute, I dar mysilfe take it wel on honde." And whan thei had his menyng undirstonde, Thei toke leve and wente oute of the toun. But first to voide al suspecioun, At her goynge Anthenor hath hight How that he wold goon the same nyght To Priamus, "to maken ordinaunce How the bondis and the assuraunce Of the pes shulde ymaked be And for to knowe eke the quantité Of the gold that ye shal receyve: Thus shal I best the purpos aparceyve Of the kyng and knowe it everydel." And thei concent and like wonder wel Everything that Anthenor hath seide; And so thei parte, glad and wel apaide, And wente her way and made no tariyng. And Anthenor goth unto the kyng, Hym counseillynge he make no delay To calle his lordis ageyn the nexte day And his liges to assemble yfere, Finally t'engrosse this matere, As it was sittinge and expedient. And whanne the kyng in open parlement Crowned sat in his regalie, This Anthenor gan to specefie In audience, that men myghte knowe, To eche estat, bothe highe and lowe, The Grekis wille, yif thei agré therto, And what the some was of gold also Whiche thei axe, yif the pes shal stonde: Twenti thousand marke to have in honde Of pured gold, whiche most anon be paid; And of silver, that may nat be delaied, Thei most eke han the same quantité; And over this, as thei accorded be, Certeyn mesours be covenaunt also have Of whete and flour, her lyves for to save In her repeire by the large se, Whan thei saille home to her contré, And that the collect maked be anoon By good avis of hem everychoon, That al be redy be a certeyn day. Ther was no man that durst tho seie nay Nor contrarie that Anthenor hath seide, Wherso thei wer wel or evele apaide, But ful assent in conclusioun. And in al haste thorughoute al the toun The colytours gadrid up the gold, Like the somme as I have you told - Of pore and riche ther wer spared noon. The whiche tyme Anthenor is goon Unto the prest that called was Thonaunte, Yif he myght in any wyse hym daunte: To make his herte fully to enclyne, Ful craftely he leyde oute hoke and lyne, With lusty bait of false covetyse, Excitynge hym in ful secré wyse, That he wolde ben of his assent And condescende unto his entent, To putten hym in pocessioun Of the relik called Palladioun, Withoute abood it may delyvered be; And yaf hym gold an huge quantité; And hym to blende moche more him behyght - And this was don ful prevely by nyght - Shortly concludynge, yif he condescende, That he wolde his estat amende So passyngly that forevermore He and his heires shulde have gold in store, Plenté ynowe, that noon indigence Shulde have power him to done offence. "For unto the, this avow I make," Quod Anthenor, "and pleinly undirtake: Of gold and good thou shalt have suffisance And of tresour passinge habundaunce, That thou shalt in verray sikernesse Al thi kyn excellen in richesse, Yif thou delyvere like to myn axynge Palladioun, whiche is in thi kepynge. And I behote - thou maist treste me - By bond of feith it shal be secré, List it were hindringe to thi name: For yif so be, that thou drede shame To be ensclaundrid of so foule a dede, I shal shape that the thar nat drede Nor ben agast in no maner wyse; For swiche a way in soth I shal devise That no man shal be suspecious To thi persone nor engynyous To deme amys, how this mater goth. For be wel ware, that me were as loth To be diffamed with so false a thing, To knowe therof, or be assentynge In any maner, that thei of the toun Sholde to me have suspecioun. Lat be, lat be - levere I hadde deie. We shal therfor cast another weie, Oure honour save, so that thou and I Shal goon al quyte. I seie the outterly, That nouther shal be holde partener Of this thefte but stonde hool and cler Whatevere falle, withouten any shame: For Ulixes shal beren al the blame Of this dede and this thefte also. For men shal sein, whan that it is go, By his engyn and his sleighti wyle, Thorugh his treynes and his false gyle, That he hath stole aweye Palladioun From the temple in lesyng of the toun, That finally duringe al his lyve Men shal to hym this falshed ascryve, And al the gilt arretten his offence, That thou and I, only of innocence, Thorughoute the world of this iniquité Shal be excused platly and go fre. It nedeth not tarie in this matere. Come of attonys! Lo, thi gold is here! For thou ne shalt lenger delaied be. And sith thou seste that no difficulté Is on no part, pereil nor repref, Shame nor drede, sclaunder nor meschef, Delaie nat to take this thing on honde." And first this prest gan hym to withstonde Ful myghtely and seide, for nothinge, Nouther for praier nor for manacinge, For gold nor good, ne no maner mede He nolde assent to so foule a dede. Thus he answered at the prime face. But ofte sithe it happeth men purchase By gifte of good, to speke in wordis pleyn, That trouthe in povert myght never atteyne: For mede more by falshede may conquere Than title of right, that men in trouthe lere; And giftes grete hertis can encline; And gold, that may no stele and marbil myne, This prestis hert hath so depe grave That Anthenor shal his purpos have, For to possede the Palladioun Thorugh false engyn and conspiracioun Of this prest that called was Tonaunt, Whiche of falshede myght hym best avaunte, That this relik fro the temple rent. And to Ulixes Anthenor it sent Oute of the toun, in al the haste he myght, By a servaunt secrely by nyght: Wherof Troyens mortally dismaied And thorugh tresoun finally outtraied, Wrought by this prest with covetise blent, False Anthenor beynge of assent. [Lydgate complains against the duplicity of Thonant and the covetousness of priests. When the Trojans try to sacrifice to Apollo, the fire will not burn and the entrails of the animals are carried off by an eagle who drops them over the Greek ships. Cassandra explains to them that the first sign means they must purge Apollo's temple of the pollution caused by Achilles's murder there. The second sign, she says, is a token of treason, for Troy and Ilium will surely fall. The Greeks also seek an explanation; Calchas assures them of a good end to the war and advises them to prepare offerings to Pallas (lines 5833-6022).] Bysshop Calchas with his lokkes hore, Traitour forsworn sithen go ful yore, That falsid hath trouthe and his lygaunce, Whom clerkis han putte in remembraunce In her bokis with lettris olde and newe, To exemplifie no man be untrewe - For thaugh yeris passe faste aweye, Ruste of sclaundir lightly wil nat deye; The fret therof is so corosif That it lasteth many mannys lyf And is ful hard to arrace away; Of whos venym ful selde is made alay; Reporte therof blowen is so wyde Perpetuelly that it wil abide, Remembrid new and freshly had in mynde - Recorde of hym that koude a weye fynde. Olde Calchas (evele mote he sterve) Under colour of offringe to Mynerve, To make Grekes entren into toun, This sleighti serpent, fader and patroun And fynder-up of tresoun and of gyle, Compassid hath and yfounde a wyle How Grekis shal the cité wynne and take, Pretendynge hem sacrifise to make Unto Pallas, as I shal yow expresse: For this traitour, merour of falsnesse, The Grekis bad for to do her peyne To Minerva an offeringe to feyne And in al haste that thei shuld hem spede. And of assent thei dide make a stede Large and wyde, of coper and of bras, By crafte of Synoun, that contrived was That it myght resseive large and wel A thousand knyghtes armed bright in stel, Thorugh the sleighte and the compassynge, The sotil wit and merveillous werchinge Of this wyse and crafty Greke Synoun, Whiche thorugh his castynge and discrecioun, Parformed hath this riche stede of bras, As ye han herd, be biddinge of Calchas And by th'avys of Appius the wyse, That halpe also the stede to devyse, To fyn only that of devocioun Grekis myght requeren of the toun, Whan it were made, to graunte hem licence It to present in the reverence Of myghti Pallas, in stele armyd bright, Amyd hir temple, large and ful of light - By the offringe to fynde occasioun To have entré frely into toun, By pilgrimage her vowes to fulfille: In whiche stede daren shal ful stille A thousand knyghtes, as Calchas be devis Ordeyned hath, that was so slighe and wys. By crafte of Synoun and of Appius, This large stede of makynge merveillous, Under pretence of oblacioun, Was complet ful to his perfeccioun Of werkemanshipe, as I tolde afore, The same yere that Troye was forlore, Whan the sege sothly gan to fyne, And the cité was brought to ruyne Thorugh Grekis myght, and the walles stronge Were bete doun - large, thikke, and longe - The whiche yere, as made is mencioun, A lite aforn takynge of the toun, Kynges echon that come fro so ferre Alyve lefte after the mortal werre, Whan thei saw how Priam be covenaunte Unto Grekis hath outterly made graunte Al hast possible to paien his ransoun: Thei toke leve and went oute of the toun. And first I fynde how Kyng Philymene With hym ladde the body of the Quene Pantasillya home to hir contré, Ful richely ther to buried be; And of two thousand knyghtes that this kyng Brought unto Troye first at his comyng, No mo than fifty home with hym he ladde. And of the wommen that the quene eke hadde, Of a thousand, the story seith certeyn, But foure hundrid repeired hom ageyn. And thus whan alle were fro Troie gon, The morwe next Priamus anon With his lordis rood oute of the toun, As was th'acord for confirmacioun Of pes final upon outher syde. And in the feld Grekis hym abide; And on relikes openly yborn, Ther thei wern on outher parti sworn On the forme to yow afore recorded, As Anthenor with Grekis was accorded. And for Grekis firste swore Diomede, Thei of Troie takynge lytel hede How the othe was in condicioun, Cured above under false tresoun, Sithen Grekis tho in her sweryng Ne bounde hemsilfe to no manere thing To stonde to, as in special, But for to holde and kepe in general The poyntes hool engrosid and no mor, In thilke treté that Daungh Anthenor With Grekis helde, this traytour fraudelent. In whiche thei werne ful double of entent - Meint with tresoun, as ye han herd toforn - Whiche to observe only thei wer sworn By fraude of othe and nat by wordis pleyne, Her adversaries to taken in a treyne, Excludyng hem fro her menyng ferre, Pes in the face but in the herte werre, Al openly confermyd with her hond, Inly to tresoun, by assurance of bond. But though the venym be closid with a wal, It was nat hid from him that knoweth al: For certeynly, so as clerkes teche, Who that swereth falsly in his speche, Florisshinge outward by a fair colour For to desseive his trewe neghebour, He is forsworn, whatsoevere he be. The tresoun hid though men may nat se, Howso the word be away yborn, Who swereth by craft is by craft forsworn; Ther may be made noon excusacioun. For God, that knoweth the entencioun, Demeth the herte and the word right nought; For he the wil knoweth and the thought Of every man, nyghe and eke afere: Therfore be war, no man him forswere, As Grekis dide Troiens to deceyve, That the fraude koude nat conceyve, Supposinge that the Grekis hadde be Feithful and trewe of her sureté - But nothing oon thei in herte thought - Whiche in the ende thei ful dere abought, Whan thei founde fully the revers And to her speche the dede so divers. It were but veyn by and by to write Her feyned othes, nor her wordis whyte, Nor the cheris that thei koude feyne. But to conclude with, the Quene Eleyne Duringe the treté, upon the same day, Delyvered was to Kyng Menelay; And after that was payed the raunsoun, Grauntid toforn and gadrid in the toun, Gold and silver, whete and also flour; And to her shippes with dilligent labour, In ful gret hast everything was brought, Wherthorugh the cité after cam to nought. And Grekis thanne by symulacioun, Makyng a colour of devocioun, Thorugh holynes, under ypocrosye, Falsly feyned by fraude and flaterie, The kyng han preied to han liberté Frely to entre into the cité, To make aseth by oblacioun For the thefte of Palladioun And offren up the riche stede of bras To the goddes that called is Pallas - Whan Kyng Priam liketh to assigne - That she to hem be willy and benygne In her repeire, seilynge be the se Home into Grece toward her contré, Whan she is quemed with the large stede. Of whiche, allas, Priam toke noon hede: The tresoun hidde he koude nat adverte But graunted hem with al his hole herte, Whan that hem list to bringe it into toun, By false entising and suggestioun Of Anthenor and also of Enee, Havynge no drede nor ambyguyté In his entent, nor suspecioun Nouther of feynyng nor of fals tresoun, But right frendly, liche to his beheste, Condescendeth unto her requeste, Her avowes that thei myght observe, To offren up this hors unto Minerve. And Grekis tho, with grete dilligence, Ful gret honour and huge reverence Han shapen hem with processioun To bringe the stede into Troie toun, The men of armys being ay therinne, By whom thei cast Troie for to wynne In short tyme, for it stood on the date. And whan this hors brought was to the gate, It was so narwe that ther was no space For the stede into the toun to passe, Albe that thei assaied overal. Wherfore Priam bete adoun the wal To make it large, right at her devys, In whiche thing, allas, he was unwis; For cause chef of his confusioun Was that this hors cam into the toun. [The Greeks make offerings at Pallas's temple. The Trojans are comforted and hopeful, but all too often adversity and misadventure come after gladness. The Greeks leave the horse in the custody of Sinon and tell Priam they wish to go toward Tenedos and thence sail homeward. To save Helen from danger, they advise sending her secretly to Tenedos (lines 6215-75).] And whanne thei had at leiser and good ese Fro Troye seiled unto Tenedoun With her navie, the false Greke Synoun In Troie waker gan to take kepe The hour whan men wern in her first slepe; And in al haste, with his sleighty gyn Many vys and many sotyl pyn In the stede he made aboute goon, The crafty lokkes undoynge everychon; And oute he goth and gan anoon to calle Withinne the hors the worthi knyghtes alle, So secrely no man myght espie; And traitourly he gan hym for to hiye Upon the walles the silfe same nyght And toward Grekis gan to shewe a lyght, Where as thei leye tofore Tenedoun, Redy armyd to falle uppon the toun. And whan thei hadde the sodein light espied, On horsebak anoon thei han hem hyghed Toward Troye, armed clene at al; And in thei went by the same wal Whiche for the hors was but late broke; And mortally, for to ben awroke, The knyghtes eke in the stede of bras Han with hem mette, a ful sterne pas, And gan anoon thorughoute the cité On every half for to kylle and slee With blody swerd upon every side, And made her wondes brode, large, and wyde, While thei, allas, nothing advertinge, At mydnyght hour abedde laie slepynge Ful innocent and thoughte nought but good, Al forbathed in her owne blood, Bothe man and childe withoute excepcioun, The Grekis sparinge no condicioun Of old nor yong, womman, wif, nor maide - That with the cry Priamus abraide Oute of his slepe and sodeynly awoke, Whiche laye al nyght and noon hede toke Of the slaughter and mordre in the toun. But tho he wist that ther was tresoun Falsly compassid unto his cité By Anthenor and also by Enee, Of whos malis he was no mor in doute; For the venym was now broken oute, And now the galle of conspiracioun, That under sugre of symulacioun Hath so longe closid ben and hidde, In dede is now execut and kyd. And now the fraude fully of tresoun, The cast also of false collusioun Be raked oute and abrood yblowe, And the autours openly yknowe. Now hath envie and contrived hate Of her engyn set abrood the gate; Now hath deceit and olde conspiracie And feyned othes, alle of oon allie, Openly shewed her falsnesse And disclosid al hir doubilnesse So fer abrod that now is ther no geyn. For now, allas, the wilde fire is seyn In touris highe with the wynde yblasid, Wherof Priam, astonyd and amasid, Al awaped sterte oute of his bedde And counfortles to the temple is fledde Of Appollo, to save hym yif he myght. And ay the flawme of the fires bright Brent in the toun and conswmeth al The riche bildinge, whilom so royal, That the walles with her roves huge, Covered with leed for a chef refuge, Were now, allas, bareyn and bare ymaked. The Grekis ay with her swerdes naked Mordre and sle whereso that thei go, That twenti thousand thilke nyght and mo Thei kylled han, longe or it was day; And in this slaughter and this grete affray Spoile and robbe and take what thei fynde, Tresour and good, and lefte nat bihinde, Be myghti hond and sturdi violence. And the temples withoute reverence Thei han dispoilled thorughoute al the toun And gredely rent and racid doun Of golde and silver the ornementes alle Tofore the goddes - foule mote hem falle - Kyng Priam ay with a dedly chere To Appollo makyng his praiere Furiously, this hertly woful man, As he in soth that no red ne can But waite his deth in his fatal ewre. And Cassandra, the holy creature, Of inward wo desirous to sterve, Compleynynge ran unto Minerve, Makynge to hir a lamentacioun With other gentilwommen of the toun. And ther, allas, as thei wolde dye, Ful pitously thei sobbe, wepe, and crie. And in her dool ther Y lete hem dwelle; For alle her sorwes yif I shulde telle In this story and her wo descrive, Mi penne shuld of verray routhe rive, Rehersinge eke how in every strete, Her clothes blake, rodi, moiste, and wete, As thei, allas, bothen oon and alle, On her lordes doun aswone falle, With her blod bedewed and yspreint, Wher men may seen the cristal teris meynt Of her wepinge in ther woundes grene, That lay and bledde ageyn the sonne shene, With dedly eyen castinge up the whyte: It were but veyne al her wo to write Nor the maner of her mortal sorwe. But Guydo writ that on the same morwe How Anthenor and with hym fals Enee Conveied han thorughoute the cité The myghti Grekis unto Ylyoun, The royal tour and riche mancioun That whilom was of most excellence; In the whiche thei founde no diffense Of highe nor lowe nor of noon estat, For it was left allone dissolat, With al the gold and richesse of the toun Shet and closed in the chefe dongoun. But for ther was no man that withstood, Thei brake the lokkes and raught the good And the tresour that was shet withinne, Eche for his party that he myghte wynne: Thei yaf no fors who was lef nor loth. And Pirrus after to the temple goth Of Appollo by gret cruelté, And fil on Priam knelynge on his kne, And with his swerd, furious and wood, Tofore the autere shadde there his blood, That the stremys of his woundys rede So highe raught, bothe in lengthe and brede, That the statue of gold bornyd bright Of this Appollo, for al his grete myght, For al his power and his sterne face, Defouled was and pollut al the place - Only by deth of this worthi kynge By Pirrus slayn while he lay knelynge, Of olde hatrede and envious pride, While Anthenor and Enee stod aside, That routhe was and pité to beholde To sen hym lyn on the stonys colde, So pitously toforn the auter blede. Whereof, allas, whan Eccuba toke hede And hir doughter, faire Polycene, With here torent as any gold wyr shene, Inly supprised with sorwe to her herte, Whan thei began considren and adverte The noble kyng, with blody stremys rede Al fordrowned, with his eyen dirke and dede, With Pirrus swerd girt thorugh outher side, For mortal fere thei durste nat abide; But inwardly thorughdarted with the sight, Al in a rage toke hem to the flight. And yit in soth thorughoute the cité Thei wiste never whiderward to fle, Reskus was noon nor no remedie Of kyn nor frend nor of noon allie; With Grekis swerd the toun was so beset. And in her flight this woful quen hath met Eneas, causer of al this wrak, Unto whom, rebukynge, thus she spak: "O thou traitour, most malicious! Thou false serpent, adder envious! Crop and rote, fynder of falsnesse, Sours and welle of unkyndenesse, How myghtestow in thin herte fynde Unto thi kyng to be so unkynde? Gynner and ground, exaumple of tresoun, And final cause of oure destruccioun, How myghtestow, devoide of al pité, Behold, allas, thorugh thi cruelté Of thi kyng to shede so the blood, That evere hath ben so gentil and so good, So gracious lord, specialy to the, And overmore thorugh his highe bounté The honoured and ymagnified Al his lyve - it may nat be denyed - That lith now ded in the temple, allas? Thou wer nat only traitour in this cas But to his deth conspiryng and unkynde, Pirrus conveiyng where he shuld him finde, Toforn Appollo myd of this cité, Where thou sholdest of verray dueté Rather have ben his protectioun, His myghti sheld and savacioun, That hast this cité and this toun ylorn In whiche thou were fostrid and yborn, On the gretest of reputacioun Of alle the lordis dwellyng in this toun, In whiche thou haddest whilom most plesaunce. But al is now oute of remembraunce. Yit in thin herte yif any drope be Of gentilnesse, merci, or pité, In this dedly rage ful of tene, Rewe on my doughter, yonge Polycene, From Grekis swerd hir youthe for to save. Yif thin herte may eny routhe have, Of manly pité on hir maydenhede Diffende hir now and kepe hir oute of drede, Yif thou canst fynde any weye In any wyse that she may nat deye, That herafter, whan men sen and rede The false tresoun and the foule dede That thou hast don unto Troye toun, It may in parti be proteccioun To thi fame, the venym to allaye Of this tresoun. Whan men wiln assaie By just report thi name to accuse, This dede may the helpen to excuse Ageyns tonges that speken of Enee; Than wiln thei seyn thou haddist yit pité On Polycene only of gentilnes, Therwith to sugre al the bitternesse Of thi decert, blowe forthe by fame, By rehersaille of the foule blame That shal of the thorugh the world be born, With sclaunder infect whan thou art al totorn, That thou ne shalt the shame mowe sustene. Than shal my doughter faire Polycene Be thi defence ageyns swiche famus strif, Yif it be so now thou save hir lyf. Of me no fors, though thou make as blive The swerde of Grekis thorugh myn herte rive." And so by praier of this woful quene, This Eneas toke to hym Polycene, Whos traitour hert, for al his cruelté, On hir youthe was mevid of pité, Only of routhe that in his brest aros, And secrely putte hir up in clos, List that Grekis founde occasioun Ageynes hym. And Ajax Thelamoun Toke to his warde Andronemecha, Ectoris wyf and wyse Cassandra Oute of the temple longinge to Minerve, From Grekis swerd her lyves to conserve. And Menelay toke the Quene Eleyne Into his garde, for whom so grete a peyne Bood in his hert many day toforn, By whom, allas, the cité is now lorn. And Grekes ay were besy in her ire To sleen and kylle and cruelly to fire On every side and to bete doun Palais and house and walles of the toun: Thei spare nought, for al goth to the fire. So fervent hate brent in her desire Of olde envie avenged for to be That thei ne lefte withinne the cité Nothing unbrent, and also Ylyoun Was in this rage turned upsodoun. Ther maked wern noon excepciouns, Only outake the possessiouns Of Anthenor (evele mote he fare) And Eneas, whom the Grekis spare, As thei to hem were bounde by her othe. And thus the Grekis, furious and wrothe, Han al that day robbed and ybrent, Til that the Kyng Agamenoun hath sent For his lordis to assemble ifere In Pallas temple, only for to here Her wyse avis uppon thinges tweyne: First, yif thei wolde holde and nat feyne Holy her feith, withoute excepcioun, To hem by whom thei wan first the toun? And overmore he axed hem also, Touching the goodis, what thei wolde do With gold, tresour, and possessioun That thei have wonne thorugh her highe renoun? And thei answerid, withoute more tariyng, Thei wolde her feith kepe in everything As thei wer sworn and her hestis holde; And over this thei seide how thei wold That gold, tresour, and good of the cité, As right requereth and also equyté, Be justly partid by divisioun, To every wyght made distribucioun Liche his merit, of highe and lowe degré; And that the kyng eke of resoun se Eche to rewarde after his labour, So as it longeth to a conquerour, That no man have mater to compleyne. [Ajax Telamon insists that Helen deserves death, while Ulysses tries to save her. Agamemnon asks for Cassandra as his prize; Aeneas and Antenor plead that Helenus be spared for saving Achilles's body from defilement. Helenus, in turn, asks Agamemnon to save the lives of Hector's sons and Hecuba, which he grants. The Greeks prepare to sail, but a storm detains them for a month. Asked by the Greeks to explain the cause of the storm, Calchas falsely says that the gods and furies are still unappeased for Achilles's death. Only the sacrifice of Polyxena, he tells them, will satisfy the deities, since her beauty was the root cause of Achilles's death. Enraged, Pyrrhus searches for her, and Antenor at length betrays her hiding place. Pyrrhus drags her into the presence of Agamemnon, who assigns her to Pyrrhus. Polyxena is led to the place of her execution, Achilles's grave. The Greeks weep in pity and compassion for her, but they are convinced, at Calchas's suggestion, that they will never return home unless she dies. She kneels down and offers her lament to the gods (lines 6560-6730).] "O ye almyghti that this world governe And everything considren and discerne, By whom this world, so huge, large, and rounde, Bothe eyr and see, hevene and eke the grounde At youre devis with a word was wrought, And sothfastly knowen every thought, Right as it is, of every maner wyght, Withoute lettinge, so percynge is youre sight, That nothing is conselit nor ywrye From the beholdyng of youre eternal eye, And everything may attonis se, Upon my soule hath merci and pité. And of youre grace and benigne cure, Upon my wo and pitous aventure Haveth som routhe, now that I shal dye, My woful spirit to leden and conveye Whereas yow list, now that I shal pace. For unto you in this silfe place, I me confesse with al humylyté, That hedertowarde I have in chastité Lad al my lyf and kept my maydenhede In youre servyse, bothe in thought and dede, In port and chere, and in countenaunce, Or forfeture of any dalyaunce, With o mysloke I never yit abreide, So that in soth I deye shal a mayde, As ye wel knowe, of synne al innocent, Though I be now dempte by jugement For to be ded, withoute gilt at al: Witnesse of you that ben inmortal, Clene of entent of that I am accused. And yit, allas, I may nat be excused But that the swerd of vengaunce mote byte Routheles, whiche am no thing to wyte But stonde clere and pure of al offence, And dischargid in my conscience, I dar afferme, and fully gilteles Touchinge the mordre of worthi Achilles, Whiche slowe my brother, and after loved me, And is now cause of myn adversité: And yit in wil, dede, word, nor thought, Unto his deth assentid was right nought But therof was right sory in myn herte, Albe that I may nat now asterte For to be ded, only for his sake. On me allone vengaunce shal be take Withoute merci, in ful cruel wyse, With my blood to make sacrifice To the goddis, her wrathe for to queme. O peple blinde, in soth, amys ye deme; Ageynes me youre herte is to cruel, To merciles, to irous, and to fel, Withoute routhe, to mykel indurat, To sleen a maide, allone disolat. Oute of youre herte, allas, pité is gon - Harder in trouthe than outher stok or stoon And more cruel in youre oppinioun, For lak of pité, than tigre or lyoun. Certis, ye ben gretly for to blame And oughte herof for to have gret shame To assent to so foule a dede, To slen a maide, quakyng in her drede, And graunte hir noon oportunyté For to bewepe hir virginité: That of this cruel and pitous wreche My blood youre gilt herafter shal apeche And accuse also youre grete envie To the goddes, that shal justefie Every unright, bothe of highe and lowe, Ful egally, and make to be knowe The trouthe plein, and spare no degré But maken open that is nowe secré. I seie nat this nor mysilfe compleyne To have redres of my fatal peyne, For deth is now more welcom unto me Than is my lyf and more itake at gré, Sithen my brethere, most worthi of renoun, Be slayen alle and buried in this toun: My fader ded in his unweldy age, And I allone lefte in al this rage, And have abide pitously to se Fynal ruyne now of this cité, Whiche at myn herte sitteth now so sore That levere I have thanne to wepe more Deye attonis in reles of my wo, Sith al my kyn is passed and ago - Lenger to lyve were to me a deth. For bet is me to yelden up the breth Than to be ladde oute of this cité, Amonge straungeris to live in poverté. O deth, welcome, and no lenger lette Thi dredful dart to filen and to whette, My tendre hert therwithal to ryve; Ageyn thi myght I shal never strive. Now is tyme to kythe thi power On me that am of wil and herte entere A clene maide, so as I began, Withoute touche of eny maner man In al my lyf to this same day. This lite avaunte make yit I may, In myn ende, to the goddes alle, After whos helpe now I clepe and calle. And to her merci mekely I commende My woful spirit and praie hem that thei sende To every maide better happe and grace Than I have now and a lenger space In hertly joie and honour to contune, Withoute assaut of any infortwne To lede her lyf in prosperité. And alle maidenes, remembreth upon me To take exaumple how ye shal yow kepe And that ye wolde a fewe teris wepe Whan that ye thinke uppon Polycene, That was of age and of yeris grene Whan she was slayn by cruel aventure. And to the goddes, for to han in cure, My dredful goost hooly I betake Eternally; and thus an ende I make." And with that word hir hed she gan enclyne Ful humblely, whan she shulde fyne, And of hir eyen helde the lydes down. And Pirrus thanne, woder than lyoun, Dismembrid hath with his sharpe swerd This maide yonge, dredful and aferd; And overmore, his cruelté to shewe, On pecis smale he hath hir al tohewe Endelong his fadris sepulture. Allas, how myght his cruel herte endure, Merciles to done so foule a dede? I am astonid sothly whan I rede, After hir deth, how it dide hym good, Like a tiraunte to cast abrood hir blood Or a tigre, that can no routhe have, Rounde enviroun aboute his fadris grave He spreint of hate and of cruelté. O thou Pirrus, thou maist ful wel ybe Achilles sone by lyneal discent; For like to hym of herte and of entent Thou wer in soth devoide of al pité And wers than he yit in o degré: For of thi fader in al his lyvynge Ne redde I nevere yit so foule a thing - Though I wold of hatrede hym abraide - For no rancour that evere he slow a maide. I fynde wel that he hadde his part Whilom in love of Cupides dart, That made hym sore in his lyve smerte, Whan that he was wounded to the hert With the castyng only of an eye, Wenynge therby wisly for to deye - He myghte nat the sodeyn stroke eskape. And afterward, as his fate hath shape, He mordrid was for love of Polycene, Whom thou hast sleyn in thi cruel tene Furiously, withoute routhe or shame: For whiche thing the foule hatful fame Thorugh al the world herafter shal be sprad, Whan the story rehersid is and rad; Than shal be seide how Pirrus routheles Slowe in his ire a maide gilteles And warie shal thi name most odible For this dede passingly horrible, For love only of faire Polycene. The deth of whom whan Eccuba the Quene Hath seyn, allas, as she beside stood, For verray wo gan to wexe wood, And for sorwe oute of hir wit she went, And hir clothes and hir heer she rent Al in a rage, and wot nat what she doth, But gan anoon with hondis and with tothe In her furie cracchen and eke byte, Stonys caste, and with fistes smyte Whom she mette; til Grekis made her binde, And sent hir forthe, also, as I fynde, Into an ile to Troye pertenent, Wher she was slayn only by jugement Of the Grekis and stonyd to the deth. And whan she had yolden up the breth, This woful quene, by cruel aventure, The Grekis dide make a sepulture Coriously of metal and of stoon; And toke the cors and buried it anoon With gret honour and solempnité, That longe after ther men myghte se The riche toumbe, costful and royal, There set and made for a memorial Of Eccuba, whilom of grete fame; And after yaf to that place a name And called it, to be long in mynde, Locus infestus, in Guydo as I fynde. And thus the quene only for sorwe wood, Whan hir doughter hadde shad hir blood, Of Grekis stonyd dide hir ende make, As ye han herde, pleinly for the sake Of Polycene, whilom by Calchas Unto Appollo falsly offrid was, By Pirrus swerd Achilles avengynge, To make the se calm and blawndisshinge, That the goddes take no vengaunce Upon Grekis. That an evele chaunce Come to theis false goddes everychoon And her statues of stokkes and of stoon, In whiche the serpent and the olde snake, Sathan hymsilf, gan his dwellinge make, And fraudently folkes to illude, Ful sotilly kan hymsilfe include In ymagis for to make his hold, That forget bene of silver and of gold - That by errour of false illusioun, He hath ybrought to confusioun Thorugh myscreaunce the worthi kynde of man, Sithen tyme that aldirfirst began The false honour of ydolatrie And the worship unto mawmetrie By sacrifice of bestis and of blood, T'apesen hem whan that thei are wood And to queme, bothe at eve and morwe. I praie to God, yeve hem alle sorwe, Wherso thei ben, withinne or withoute. I noon excepte of the false route - Satorn nor Mars, Pallas nor Juno, Jubiter, Mercurius, nor Pluto, Nouther Flora that doth the floures sprede, Nouther Bachus with grapis whyte and rede, Nor Cupido with his eyen blinde, Nouther Daphne closed under rinde, Thorugh Tellus myght, of the laurer tre, Nor thou Diane with thi chastité, Mighti Venus, nor Cytherea With thi dartis, nor Proserpyna That lady art depe doun in helle, Nor Belides that draweth at the welle, Ixyoun, nor thou Zeziphus, Nor with thin appil, thou cruel Tantalus, Nor the Furies that bene infernal, Nor ye that spynne the lives threde fatal Upon the rokke of every maner man, Nor the Muses that so singen can Atwen the coppis of Nysus and Cirra, Upon the hil beside Cirrea, Nor the, Cibeles, nor Ceres with thi corn, Nor Eolus of whom the dredful horn Is herde so fer, whan thou list to blowe, Nor Janus Bifrons with bak corbed lowe, Nor Priapis, nor Genyus the prest That curseth ay, with candel in his fist, Hem tho echon that froward be to Kynde, Nor Imeneus whos power is to bynde Hertis that ben conjunct in mariage, Til the goddesse of discorde and rage Discevereth hem by divisioun, Nouther Manes that han her mansioun Mid the erthe in derknesse and in wo, Nor theis elves that are wont to go In undermeles whan Phebus is most shene, Nouther fawny in tender grevis grene, Water-nymphes, nor this nayades, Satiry, nouther driades That goddesse bene of wode and wildernes, Nor other goddes - nouther more ne lesse - As Morpheus that is the god of slepe. I holde hym wood that taketh any kepe To done to hem any observaunce: He may nat faille for to have meschaunce At the ende pleinly for his mede. For al swiche feined falsnes, oute of drede, Roos of the devel and first by his engyn And of his sleighti treynes serpentyn, Only mankynde whane he made loute To false ydoles, the whiche, oute of doute, Are but develis. David bereth witnesse In the Sauter, where he writ expresse And confermeth ther as he endites How the goddes of paganysme rytes, On and alle (he excepteth noon), Be made of gold, of silver, and of stoon, Forged of bras, of metal, and of tre, And eyen han and yit thei maye nat se, And alle are fendes, so as David seith: That who in hem haveth any feith, Hope, credence, or in hem delite, It is no drede that thei wil hym quyte With swiche guerdoun as the soule sleth Perpetuelly, so that the fyn is deth Of her servise whan men hennes passe And in her lyf unhap and evele grace, Meschef and wo, and confusioun, As men may sene exanple be this toun, That wende wel assured for ta be And to have stonde in longe prosperité Ageyn her fon thorugh helpe of Appollo, Of Venus eke, and favour of Juno, Thorugh Pallas myght, Diane and Minerve, Whom thei wer wont to honour and to serve With cerymonyes and with sacrifise, As ye toforn han herde me devise, That hem have brought now unto ruyne, By cruel deth maked hem to fyne. Here may ye sen how the venym bites At the ende of swiche olde rytes, By evidence of this noble toun. What may availle now Palladioun? May now ought helpe her frauded fantasie Of al her olde false ydolatrie? Allas, allas, thei bought it al to sore. Now farewel, Troye, farwel for everemore. Farwel, allas. To cruel was thi fal. Of the no more now I write shal. For thi sake in sothe, whan I take hede, Of inward wo myn herte I fele blede, And whan that I remembre in my thought, By ruyne how thou art brought to nought, That whilom were so noble and so riche, That in this world I trowe noon was liche Nor perigal, to speken of fairnesse, To speke of knyghthod and of worthinesse, As clerkis seien that thi bildyng knewe, That al the world oughte for to rewe On thi pitous waste walles wylde, Whilom so rial whan men gan to bilde Thin touris highe and Kyng Priamus The first began, most riche and glorious, And sette his se in noble Ylyoun. O, who can write a lamentacioun Convenient, O Troye, for thi sake? Or who can now wepe or sorwe make, Thi gret meschef to compleyne and crie? Certis, I trowe nat olde Jeremye, That so bewepte the captivité Of thilke noble rial chefe cité Jerusalem and his destruccioun, With al the hole transmygracioun Of the Jewes; nor thou Ezechiel, That were that tyme that the meschef fel Unto the kyng ycalled Sedechie In Babilon and for thi prophesie With stonys were cruelly yslawe; Nor he that was departed with a sawe - Ye bothe two, that koude so compleyne - Nor Danyel that felt so grete peyne For the kynges transmutacioun Into a beste, til thorugh the orisoun Of Daniel he restored was To mynde ageyn and ete no more no gras. Yet verrailly, though ye alle thre With youre weping had alive be And present eke at the destruccioun Of this noble worthi royal toun, To have beweiled the meschef and the wo And the slaughter at the sege do On outher party in ful cruel wyse, Alle youre teris myghte nat suffise To have bewepte her sorwes everychon, Be tresoun wrought, as wel as be her foon. Hereof no more, for it may nat availle. But like as he that gynneth for to saille Ageyn the wynde, whan the mast doth rive, Right so it were but in veyn to strive Ageyn the fate, bitterer thanne galle, By highe vengaunce upon Troye falle Nor to presume her furies, sharpe whette, Ceriously in this boke to sette: So gret a thing I dar nat undirtake But evene here a pitous ende I make Of the sege, after my sympelnesse. And though my stile, blottid with rudenes As of metre, be rusty and unfiled, This ferthe boke, that I have compiled With humble hond, of fer that doth me quake, Unto youre grace holy I betake, Of youre merci no thing in dispeir, So as I can, makyng my repeir To the Grekis and no lenger dwelle, Her aventures of the se to telle In ther resort home to her contré And how that thei there received be, Only of support, so ye not dispise, The fifthe boke shortly shal devise. |
if (see note) Wisely; wish to consider be discontented position; (see note) hindered by means bribery; gifts; (see note) mingled such prove myself innocent to be blamed exerted myself community person Who was distress prudence inner behave According to (see note) stratagem alike Of his part remove duty So that; miscarried knows; cause grief; (see note) to take lightly Your choosing lordship (see note) If; determined I am reluctant (see note) chosen if prepared If; nearly Before would have been; hinderance Surpassing hinderance doubt Dare accomplish believe proud appearance; behavior act be prepared wish; tomorrow at the first hour when held together lordship Call to witness (see note) security it is appropriate burden; (see note) overload a ship especially Choose appropriate (see note) looking for Seldom; steadfast feeling sceptre (see note) before that same (see note) truce; liked it or not (see note) Observed people in lowest social position called (see note) (see note) corpse alive plant resins balm; flow Hecuba; Polyxena (see note) black clothes in unison bemoan know face white Or wire; (see note) sphere; (see note) send downward clothes Nature their pass eyes; (see note) brand gave likely; heal; (see note) the same Unless remedy (see note) (see note) wholly chariot axis (see note) has taken his way immediately sad; (see note) also every detail of her beauty reason; (see note) tossing Who since type of person truth; might held stylus vanquish subdue boast passion (see note) pierced; (see note) escape pain advise physician family (see note) sincere promise grievous extremity; (see note) contend consider Since distress (see note) slain equal return dare person eyes (see note) paid attention to nothing continually Constantly consuming; (see note) the morning star Impatient; (see note) started intimate knew what was good for him knowledge intermediary; (see note) If Before give message inexperienced man hear carefully; (see note) aim In effect, if; (see note) means for both of their advantages If; she wished (see note) quickly; (see note) their war abandon (see note) (see note) consideration Before; might escape; (see note) grant; bidding agree ask give (see note) know If counsel send you proper construct (see note) injury rise; (see note) message astonished ponder thought injury (see note) Slew bent distress By foundation induce foes encouraged cause damage Only because since split try Provided; truly lasting peace lest turn out readily (see note) return possess know In due order If promise (pledge) delay (see note) coal prosper [he] considered always; (see note) (see note) At once; arose (see note) uncertainty was not apprehension make certain Thinking; wish reject in no way renounce desirable (see note) extreme condition (see note) willing to believe; (see note) promises entirely arrogance weakened If it happened overthrow together begun know wisdom (see note) if intention claim (see note) reflect far risk think I do not wish Helen strife; (see note) Without hope (see note) truth know Since otherwise If bolt sharply whetted before chance; (see note) scarcely (see note) injury; lament consider possessions doubt since (see note) detriment means Appropriate to; pledge Since; (see note) separate divorce; enough; (see note) person; (see note) adultery Whenever he wishes gratify destroy continue severe be able to true; doubt do away with foresight Since advise before she changes fickle goddess give; adheres to war honor praise greatest before; frown before; (see note) Before; lessen (see note) pursued in the end fortune return part equal if (see note) (see note) lest (see note) return; unless If Ascribe (see note) Since; have one Hesione the one; the other ease of both of us pacify enmity hence depart (see note) mad tolerate at once (see note) roused advice; (see note) seat dissimulate whatever happened to them (see note) gave; (see note) described they (the Greeks) food (see note) in no way dispatched island if; have success that same generous explore army (see note) delay laden troops sailing along the coast quickly return acquitted (see note) wished was in due order (see note) truce draw into battle formation against them company first of all flow their armor (see note) Proposed utterly describes wishes to write gives that same Armed themselves immediately; (see note) thrust; (see note) off; smote Although upbraid hasten bruised (see note) intending at once on protect troop; taken; (see note) (see note) set upon descended bright around; (see note) drove away delay Despite; (see note) distress took peril; (see note) (see note) thought begin to grow inspire retire truce if delay Although; wishes to write displeased; grant a respite to foes (see note) same time plainly Concerning recovery in no way; (see note) sufficient supply gave at once; further delay (see note) (see note) (see note) distress ducat; (see note) money; impression [on a coin] exchange; wait for wishes Resistance; pretended unobstructed Think given remedy; injury promised she would prefer fitting vengeful; (see note) merciful cruel disadvantage if give heed shut up inside with a bang; (see note) surrounded whatever might happen keep die person Devised by; slain suppressed (see note) (see note) avail exclaim against it promised on the opposite side delay (see note) he did not wish stock (source) side heal drive away lose despite Encircled press on lessen; (see note) distress; (see note) (see note) knows ground at a cutting angle; (see note) shelter set upon smote; headpiece armor (see note) (see note) unprotected stunned and wearied (check-mated) Alone; peril without warning before (see note) fail; (see note) Written ears exceedingly hateful (see note) corpse; heap the length of ranks; divisions pitiless cruelly (see note) Homer astonished value celebrate wily worth Certainly verses flow give (see note) If compose truth in front pillaging if He would have repaid him (Achilles) hemmed in off in no way; foresee Tired out by his effort very in peril near destruction renown erase; (see note) uttered air sound; (see note) if; paid heed drawn; (see note) in due order Hecuba; compose planned; repay if Alexander (Paris) describe (see note) fierce sons remedy (see note) intend; devise stratagem repay (see note) know Polyxena plan; at once secretly escape follow Promising; escape hidden secret negotiate message in no way foresee brand; coal; (see note) intelligence blinded (see note) desire taken (see note) delay unarmed at the very moment despite arrows; seized before Shot (see note) (see note) cut repaid proper recompense equal payment that same slain (see note) precincts wide gutter; waves (of blood) (see note) devised; hatred main point; (see note) requites prize; reward reward lost accustomed happened wild (see note) (see note) permission; biers corpses truth; delay hasten position; sphere of the fixed stars region habit; (see note) (see note) come near them Except for island remain lost past If; nature also laws Penthesilea truth worth she was never indiscreet contentment sleep the same cruel wishes (see note) stand firm (see note) if; saw act openly trained by experience (see note) (see note) delay Philomene Lord hasten at once dismayed cut at the proper angle (see note) met in tilting despite; deprived (see note) the other cruel lose he had no choice; (see note) dispossessed waited acted Telamon (son of Ajax and Hesione) (see note) overflowing bear it turned; (see note) fury despite hold out without warning; troop despite set upon believe drive away shore itself slew (see note) annihilated Had not (see note) Returned received imagine wished; attend Despite stopped escape determined first of all ranks support for a lance came straight aiming truly splinter bend protect dyed (see note) at once; sound encircling cut apart; head armor surrounded sharpened (see note) exposed also armor to protect upper arm and shoulder whether ride hastily whatever might happen (see note) prepared closely; surrounded off stop cut through spite consumed expression cut; into; (see note) (see note) continually prone mad discipline disposed slew peril commander misfortune planned; avenge chose to write slain divisions stood against them insane side delay remedy think of their Protection shut up If at once; (see note) conquer guard secret foes cunning person efforts (reward) most of all inter; (see note) entreat their avail; restrain Would not mad (see note) deep hasten grief negotiate peace quickly along the length of beautiful uncertainty negotiate choose remain steadfast plainly; (see note) oath went intention Promising; betray On condition that possessions wish; freely leave part were bound by their oaths promised revealed (see note) put into effect Lest; ruined conversation beseech; instruct secretive neither aim secretly drive counsel; (see note) grey-haired; advanced Retiring in manner, crafty; wise serious, gentle in disposition suspect negotiate know promised made free achieved agreed Penthesilea inter drive returns; (see note) getting rid of all outsiders; (see note) speech soothing influence; flow appearance By embassy laden crafty; prey hidden; secret take vengeance bee poured out its sweet honey head (of a flower); (see note) (see note) duplicity contend successfully; (see note) risk plan Until (see note) obstruct conquer middle Since continue agree (see note) (see note) (see note) joined their wish; bow Despite our intention cause damage (see note) trap concealment; (see note) Plundered (see note) hangs bad fortune chance recover since purchase peace; (see note) stop also the war delay report easy; regained promises be lagging fault deeds (agreements) might; reject believe Indeed (see note) wish mention Ilius, a long time ago effort temple built [was] made certain; (see note) before; covered (see note) (see note) mentioned; (see note) craft beautifully wrought angel (see note) As peril device power truth; destroyed stir nor remove proper In the end utterly make out In due order shield Aegis; (see note) (see note) (see note) (see note) their foes harming explanation obstructed since remedy; if promise remedy promised delay at once wish; (see note) (see note) entreated blinded guarded you wish to designate quiet of bearing not at all undertake allay promised observe (see note) pleased on together arrange kingship state explicitly immediately quantities return collection intention Whether; pleased; displeased collectors (see note) control (suborn) agree; (see note) delay deceive; promised agree status; change (see note) (see note) true security promise Lest; slander (see note) devise; need not worry; (see note) suspicious (see note) rather plan Shall get off unblamed neither of us; accomplice; (see note) (see note) craft tricks (see note) overthrowing impute to; (see note) Come away at once since; see danger threats bribery would not at once often poverty bribery learn gifts; bend penetrate; (see note) dug into (see note) possess speak boastfully stole (see note) overcome blinded grey; (see note) since long ago betrayed to illustrate by example; (see note) be slain anger wipe out poison; abatement Rumor Remember die deceitful Contrived (see note) set forth; (see note) mirror (paradigm) ordered; endeavor pretend horse contain artfulness workmanship Produced at the ask permission horse lurk construction offering brought to ruin end beaten each one Penthesilea (see note) returned at once agreement In the way Covered Since written down negotiations; Lord Mixed trick their intention by a long way Inwardly; promise (see note) Adorning with rhetoric deceive apprehended Judges afar perceive paid for deed facial expressions conference; (see note) wheat appearance pretended amends goddess to designate [a place] favorable return conciliated; (see note) hidden; foresee according to his promise Agreed undertaken (see note) planned Without further delay; it was time Although; tried broke just as they had planned (see note) destruction (see note) fleet vigilantly; heed subtle craft clasp locks (see note) hasten (see note) before hurried; (see note) properly; (see note) recently; broken down avenged joined, a ferocious maneuver at once anticipating awash circumstance started (see note) knew contrived ill will conspiracy dissimulation covered revealed purpose disclosed; blown originators artfully devised cunning (see note) akin by nature duplicity avail seen blown astonished; terrified; (see note) bewildered Burned once roofs; (see note) protection (see note) that same before disturbance nothing (see note) pillaged torn; cut let evil befall them truth who knows no help destiny; (see note) (see note) die sorrow; I split; (see note) Describing swooning sprinkled mixed fresh against (see note) (see note) palace once Locked up; tower plundered; (see note) (see note) gave no care; (see note) mad altar high reached burnished For (see note) lying upon altar Hecuba Polyxena hair torn; wire bright overcome; (see note) notice (see note) (see note) pierced pierced through fury knew Deliverance set upon destruction spiteful Branch and root, deviser unnaturalness unnatural Beginner beneficence Thee; praised lies (see note) (see note) destroyed One of once if anger Take pity If danger reputation; diminish try you; (see note) punishment, proclaimed; report diseased be able to bear rumored discord (see note) no matter; quickly cleave confinement Lest division Andromache Hector's belonging custody burn Ilium fury except let evil befall him together counsel if (see note) According to As it is appropriate pleasure Without delay concealed; hidden; (see note) at once concern wish; (see note) (see note) behavior; appearance wrongdoing; speech sinful mislooking; raised [my eyes] condemned must Pitiless; not at all to blame Who slew not at all; (see note) Although; escape taken appease; (see note) judge too savage much callous tree lament; (see note) vengeance; (see note) inform on judge equally social rank expose relief (see note) goodwill Since feeble is so distressed rather I would die Since (see note) hold off sharpen; grind split Against make known entirely pure small boast (see note) appeal chance their lives charge fearful spirit; entrust bow die Beheaded; (see note) small bits; cut All along amazed sprinkled (see note) measure accuse pain Thinking; surely; (see note) determined rage rumor recited; (see note) cursed go insane mind hair; tore knew; (see note) strike had her bound belonging to yielded Artfully corpse (see note) once gave mad once inviting (see note) Let misfortune befall (see note) wood trick dwelling forged; (see note) destruction; (see note) misbelief Since; first of all idolatry; (see note) pacify give; (see note) crowd (see note) tree bark; (see note) Sisyphus distaff summits; (see note) you, Sybil wish bent (see note) each one; perverse; Nature joined Separated The spirits of the dead; place (see note) early afternoons; bright fauns; thickets; (see note) Naiads Satyrs (see note) pays any attention misfortune reward cunning tricks bow Psalter; positively writes wood doubt; repay reward end misfortune destruction (see note) thought [itself] foes recount (see note) die anything; baseless fancy; (see note) (see note) (see note) truly once like equal; beauty devastated You throne Fitting misfortune; (see note) Jeremiah; (see note) (see note) (see note) slain (see note) misfortune done lamented By; foes Against; break In due order (see note) writing instrument; faulty; (see note) makes commit not at all returning return (see note) if; disdain set forth; (see note) |
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