The story of England

¶ Lege per totum vlterius.

Hereþ [Here.] now of a quynte wyle, [quante gyle.] [Lambeth folio 2b:1] How eche of þo þoughte oþer gyle. [how alle þre thoght a wyle.] Line 540 Ar þat day com þat þey set, Iuno wiþ sire Parys met: " Paris," scheo seyþ, "y schal ȝow [scho said .I. sall þe.] seye " A priuete by-twixte vs beye: [tueye.] Line 544 " We þre ladies han [haf.] ordeyned so " Þat alle þre schulle come þe to, " & take þe a bal, & preye þe " To gyue hit þe fairest of vs þre; Line 548 " & wham þou gyue [whom þou gyffes.] hit, ys oure deuis, " Scheo schal [scho sall.] for euere bere þe prys.

" & ȝif y myghte biseke þe so, " Þou woldest [wild.] gyue hit me, Iuno; Line 552 " I schal þe [I sall.] graunte þorow my power, " In Troye schold neuere [ne suld.] be þy per." Parys seide, "dame, graunt mercy! Right as þou wilt, al so wil y." [als þou wilt þan will .I.] Line 556 Whan scheo was gon, cam Pallas ffor þat same þat Iuno was; Scheo preied Parys, als scheo had seyd, Þat þe bal were til hure y-leyd: Line 560 " Of wysdam y schal gyue þe grace " Ouer alle oþer in ilk a place." Parys seide, þat was curteys, " Hit may be, lady, ȝyt as þou seys." Line 564 ¶ Whan scheo was gon, cam dame Venus, [com Venus.] & to Parys scheo seide [scho said.] al þus: " Parys," scheo seide, [scho said.] "we ladies are " Þre in gret þought & in care; Line 568 " & þou may bate al þat gilt [abate þat gylte.] " Of vs alle ȝif þat þou wylt. " Y am," scheo seide, [scho said.] "on of þo " þat ys in þought to þe to go. Line 572 " A day we set to þe to come, " ffor to stonde al at þy dome; " A bal," scheo seide, [scho said.] "we schul [sall.] þe brynge, " & preie þe vpon alle þynge Line 576 " Þou gyue hit hure þat fairest semes, " ffor þy dom vs alle quemes. " & ȝif þou gyue hit me, Parys, " I schal [sall.] þe gyue a loue of pris, Line 580 " Þe fairest lady þat now lyues, " ffor þe bal, ȝif [&.] þou hit me gyues." [to hir layd.] [Petyt folio 4b:1]

¶ Parys þoughte, & stod þen stille; To þat loue turnd al his wille; Line 584 He seide, "Iuno hyghte [hett.] me poer; " Þerof," he seid, "ys no mester; " Kynges [kyng.] sone y am, & lord schal be; " Poer ynow schal come to me. Line 588 " & Pallas highte me gret wysdam; " In Troye nis wyser þan y am; [wisere of troie es ne yan .I. am.] " Of þyse gyftes ys no ned; " To loue þat lady ys al my sped." Line 592 To þat gift his herte gaf al: " Venus," he saide, "þou getes þe bal " ȝyf þou me hold þat þou hast het, [kalde þat þou has hette.] " Þou getest [getes.] þe bal at ȝoure day set." Line 596 Þey graunted boþe atter [at þer.] pay, & com alle þre at þer day, & bytok [betaght.] Parys þe bal; At his dom þey stoden [þai stode.] al. Line 600 Parys tok þe bal in his hand: [Lambeth folio 2b:2] [in hande.] " So faire ladies ar none lyuand; [ere non lyffande.] " Bot me þynkes [thynk.] of ȝow þre " Dame Venus semes fairest to be. Line 604 " Haue here þe bal, dame Venus; " ffairest to be, me þynkeþ ryght [thynk reght.] þus." Þys lady Venus was al glad, Þe oþere [toþer.] were for wrayth al mad; Line 608 Venus held [was.] wiþ hym certeyn, Þe oþere boþe were hym ageyn; Poer & wysdam he forsok; & womman loue, þer-til he tok. Line 612

Line 612 ¶ Dame Venus seide to [said till.] sire Parys, " Þou schalt don at myn auys: [sall do at my deuys.] " Puruey þe," scheo seide, "veir & grys, " ffaire iueles, & pourpre [purpure.] & bys; Line 616 " Do dight a schip wiþ sail & ore " Ryght as þou a marchaund wore; " Of alle queyntise þat þou may se, " Haue [haf.] vn-to þy schip wyþ þe; Line 620 " Do make þerinne a fol fair bed, [a full fayre bedde.] " Wiþ cloþes of gold hit be al [gold be it all.] spred; " Þy schip wiþoute be fol fair [full faire.] dight, " Lykynge to þat lauedy [likand to þat lady.] sight. Line 624 " Þerinne [MS. þerime.] to Grece schalt [sall.] þou wende; " In an hauene schalt [sall.] þou lende " Þer þe kynge ys, & þe Quene; " & whan scheo haþ þe schip al [scho has þi schippe.] sene, Line 628 " Scheo schal ȝerne [Scho sall ȝern.] on alle wyse " ffor to se þy marchaundise; " Bot loke þou schewe non of þo, " Bot scheo wile in to þy schip [in to schippe.] go; Line 632 " & whan scheo heres þat tydynge, [tiþing.] " Scheo schal praie ful faste [Scho sall pray full fast.] þe kynge " To gyue hire leue to se þy ware, " To bye þerof þat so riche are. Line 636 " ¹⁶Loke þou schewe noman nought " Til þat sche first be hider brought,¹⁶ [^16-16

luke þou schew no man nought of þebot he will in to þe schippe go.

] " ffor out of wyt wommen [witte woman.] ȝernes " þat men forbedes hure, & wernes. Line 640

Line 640 " & whan scheo his brought vnto [bot when is broght in to.] þy schip, " By þe hand redy þou hure kyp, [kippe.] " & curteysly þat scheo be led, " & set hure faire opon [it be.] þy bed; Line 644 " Do cortine hit al aboute " Þat scheo se nought wyþynne ne [scho se no thyng.] wyþoute, " & whan scheo ys on þy bed set, " Loke wel þat þy schip be get; Line 648 " Lat non come vnder þy telde " Mo þan þou may lightly welde; " Loke þy schip be [it be.] vnfest, " & þy folk be al [all.] prest; Line 652 " And what þynge þat sche wil craue, " Do hit hure redy for to [redy to.] haue, " Þat scheo tende to no þynge elles " Bot til þat ware þat þou hure selles. Line 656 " Whan redy ys þyn apparail, " Lat þy men haue vp þe sayl, [þat þi men haf vp þi saile.] " & loke [at.] þou be to myle or þre " Ar scheo wite [Or scho (no wite).] wyþynne þe se; Line 660 " & do þenne þat lady to wyte " How þy iueles wyl hure syte." Parys dide as Venus kende, [Lambeth folio 3a:1] & dighte þe schip,—wel he [his schippe wele .I.] [Petyt folio 5a:1] wende,— Line 664 Wyþ alle queintyse þat was [were.] gay, & aryued vp [on.] þer þe kinge lay. Menlaus highte þe kynge; He sente to wyte what maner þynge Line 668 Was in þe schip for to selle. " Riche iueles," þey gan him telle, [vp omitted.]

" Bot non ne mighte for gold ne [no.] fe " Out of þe schip gete ought to se." Line 672 Þat herde telle þe quene Heleyne, Nyght & day sche dide [scho did.] hire peyne, Of þe kynge to haue grauntyse To se þat ylke marchaundyse. Line 676 What wyþ wel oþer [wele or.] wyþ wo, Leue scheo gat [scho gate.] þyder to go.