The "Gest hystoriale" of the destruction of Troy: an alliterative romance tr. from Guido de Colonna's "Hystoria troiana." Now first ed. from the unique ms. in the Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow, with introduction, notes, and a glossary, by ... Geo. A. Panton, and David Donaldson, esq.

Eght Boke. Of the Counsell of the Grekys fior Recoueryng of Elayne.

Sone after þis saute, sothely to telle, Line 3532 Þat the Troiens in the Temple tokyn þe qwene, And the riches hade Robbed with relikes ynow, Er þai tenydon hade takon & turnyt into hauyn, The speche of hom sprange & spred into Grise, Line 3536 And gret noise of þere noie naitly ouer all. Vnto Menelay, the mene tyme, mowthly was told Of the rape vnrightwis of his Riche qwene, And he stythely astonyt stroke into sorowe. Line 3540 Ȝit present at pilé with the proude Duke, The pité of his pepull pricket hym so sore; The murther of his men & his mylde qwene, The robbyng of his Riches & his riall temple, Line 3544 Of his subiectes sesit, in seruage to dwelle ffor tene & for torfer, of his triet lady, Þat he luffit so lelly no lesse þen hym seluyn; Thes harmes so heterly hepit in his mynde Line 3548 With sorow so sodainly, þat his sight failet; ffainted for febull, and felle to þe ground [folio 56a] In a swyme & a swogh, as he swelt wold. When he past of his payne & his pale hete, Line 3552 And resort to hym selfe & his sight gate, He plainted full pitiously, was pyn for to here,

Of the harmes & the hethyng hym happont to thole. And for his worshipfull wife, that hym worst liket, Line 3556 Þat faren was ouer the fome, & hir fame loste; And other freikes shuld fonge in a fer londe With þat semly to solas, hit sate in his hert. And of delites full dere, þat dight were at home, Line 3560 Lest hir lackit suche lustis in a londe straunge, Þoche mones he made & mournyng ynoghe, With wailyng & weping, wo for to here; Þat it neght to non end þe noie þat he tholet. Line 3564 Vnto Nestor anon þis naytly was tolde, Of þe mornyng & myscheffe to Menelay was comyn; Vnto þat worthy he went wisly anon, With sorow for þat syre & sylyng of teris. Line 3568 He comford þat kyng with his clene speche, To sober hym somwhat & sese of his chere, Þen hyet he with haste home to his rewme. And Nestor anon, with a nowmber grete Line 3572 Of knightes & cant men, cairyt him with Lyuely to his londe, & leuyt hym noght; And by assent of hym sone sent for his brother, Agamynon þe graithe, in a gret haste, Line 3576 By a message on molde þat he mekyll triste; In his cause for to cum with counsell of wit, As he þat was helply and highest of other. To Pollux the proude & his pere Castor, Line 3580 Þat all highit in haste, houyt no lengur; But comyn to þe kyng, þat the care tholit, To helpe hym in haste & here of his noye.

THE COUNSELL OF AGAMYNON TO MENELAY.

When agamynon the grete the greuaunce behelde, Line 3584

Line 3584 And the bale of his brother, þus the buerne saide:— "Why dreghis þou þis dole, & deris þi seluyn? Lefe of þis Langore, as my lefe brother, [folio 56b] Þat puttes þe to payne and peires þi sight. Line 3588 If þu has cause for to care for vnkynde werkes, And with sykyng ouerset, & sorow at þi hert, Hit were wit, as I wene, to were it ffro noise, And fro knowyng of comyns & of course opun; Line 3592 ffor a sorow þat is sene on a sib frynde, Mas þe mournyng more of men þat hym luffes: Mikull comfordes his care all his kene fos, And engendres þaire ioy all his iuste sorow. Line 3596 ffayne euer feire chere in þi felle anger. Whan sorow is most sad, set all at litle; Lete of it lightly, þat no lede wete, Þi sorow & þi sikyng set all at noght. Line 3600 And in maters þat meuys þe with might for to stir, There is no worship in weping, ne in wan teres; But desyre þi redresse all with derfe strokis: With þi swerde is to swinke & not with swym thoghtes. Line 3604 ffor in sorow may be sene who is sad wise; ffull propurly to preue in his pale angre, When hym comys by course contrary thinges;— He þat opressit not with payne his prinsepall wittes, Line 3608 Ne ouersettes not his saule with sorow full hoge. Þerfore wackon þi wille into wight dedis, And þere as sikyng & sorow slees the within, Þat þe harme þat þou has, and hethyng with all, Line 3612 Pas noght vnponisshed for pité ne other, But þe dedes þat vs deirus be full dere boght. Þerfore sobbyng & sorow ses at þis tyme,

And wreke þe on weghis þat þe wrathed hase. Line 3616 Yow know þat our kyngdomes are of clene strenght, And we haue felowes full fele þat vs faith owe, To wreike vs of wrathe & our wronge ricche. All Grece, for þis grefe, with þere grete ostis, Line 3620 Wilbe redy to ryse with a ranke pepull;— Euery kyng for to cum with knightes enarmyt, ffull stoutly with strenght to stir on our fos. [folio 57a] With a nauy full nobill, naite for þe werre, Line 3624 We shall tyre vs to Troy tomly to gedur; And if hit tyde vs our tentis tild on þere londe, Hit shalbe hevi & harde, & happi vnlike, Þat any frigies vs fere, or to flete dryue; Line 3628 But it happon hom harder in a hond while, And the dernyst be dede with dynte of our hondes. Þaire pepull & hor power to pyne as vs liste, Troy and þe tresoure take at our wille, Line 3632 Bete downe the bildynges to þe bare erthe. And paris, þat is prinsipall of our pure hate, Iff hit happe vs to hent, hongit shalbe As a felon falsest foundyn with thefte. Line 3636 Hit is sothely to sese of sorow in mynde, And to all the kynges by course, þat knowen are in Grece, Dukes by dene, & other derfe Erles, Let vs send to hom salus solemli by letre, Line 3640 Praiand hom prestly with all our pure hertis, To helpe vs in hast our harmys to venge, And dyshonour and daunger done to our rewmes."

When Agamynon the graithe hade geuen þus to red, Line 3644 Menela mightily made for to write

To all the grete of Grece, fro Agamynon & hym, Vnder sailes of those souerains, samyn to wend By currouris to yche cost, kynges to warne: Line 3648 And all agreit to þe gate with a gode wille. The first of þo freikes, þat to the fight come, Was Achilles, a choise kyng & cheuallrus in armys; And Patroculus the proude, a prise mon of werre; Line 3652 With Diomed, a doughti mon & dernist of hond,— A stronge man in stoure & stuernist in fight. Sone the cause was declaret with a clene wit, Of the dede, ilke-a-dele, to þo derfe kynges; Line 3656 And opunly, by one assent þai ordant hom all, With grym ost for to go & a grete nauy, [folio 57b] Elan fuersly to fecche, and hor fos qwell, And venge on þere velany & þere vile harme. Line 3660 And for explait of þere spede, þai spekyn in fere To chese hom a cheftayn to be chefe of þem all, To be prinse in þat prise and þe prese haue; All the ost for to honour & his hest kepe, Line 3664 And be gouernett by this grete by grement of hom. Þen by assent of þose souerans somyn, þai yode And walit hom a wegh by wit, as hom thoght. To Agamynon þai giffen þe gouernaunce hole, Line 3668 ffor worthiest of wit þat worship to haue; And ordant hym Emperour by opyn assent, With power full playn þe pepull to lede, And obey to þat bolde his biddyng to wirke. Line 3672

THE DROWNYNG OF POLLUX & CASTOR.

Pollux the pert kyng and his pere Castor, When hor sister was sesit, saies me the story, In hope for to hent hir, highit to þe se With a nauy full noble anon by hom seluyn;— Line 3676 The Troiens to take was þere intent euyn,

And hor sister to sese, with sailyng þai wend. Sum tellyn þis tale, & for true holdyn, Þat þai bode not the biddyng of þe buerne Menelay; Line 3680 But when tithyng was told of hor triet sister, Þai fore to þe fome, as I before saide. But how it tide of þat tale this is tru sothe,— To þe water þai went, þo weghis to gedur, Line 3684 Paris to pursew with prise men of Armes. Thai sailit not sounde, sothely to telle, Two dayes by dene, as hom dere felle, When the heuyn in hast hepit with cloudis, Line 3688 Wex merke as þe mydnight; mengit þe ayre; No light but of Laite, þat launchet aboue; [folio 58a] Thunret full throly; thrappit the windes; Sodenly þo sail[er]es were sorely bestad. [MS. has "sailes."] Line 3692 With a ropand rayne rugh was the se. The wyndes full wodely wackont anon, Rut vp the rughe se on rokkes aboute; As hilles hit hepit in a hond while. Line 3696 So þe bre and the brethe burbelit to gedur, Þat hit spirit vp spitiously fyue speire lenght With walter and wawes, þat þe wynd dryues All fore as a fyre þe firmament ouer. Line 3700 With an ugli noise noye for to here, Hit sundrit þere sailes & þere sad ropis; Cut of þere cables were caget to gedur. All þere takyll was tynt, tylude ouer borde; Line 3704 The nauy wex nakit; noy was on honde. The shippis with shire wynd shodert in twyn, Dryuen furth on the depe dole to be-holde. The two brether were abidyng bothe in a shippe, Line 3708 Þat was stird with the storme streght out of warde; Rut on a Rocke, rof all to peces. The bordes all to brast, brusshet in the water;

The Dukes were drounet, & oþer dere folke. Line 3712 All the sort þat hom suet sunkyn to ground A brode in the breme se, barges & other. And syn the dethe was in doute of þo dere kynges, Ne non certayn cold say, ne for sothe telle, Line 3716 What worth of þo wight in the wilde se; The gentils aiuges hom two iuste goddis, Lyuond in the lofte with lordships in heuyn, Tran[s]late truly into triet ioy. Line 3720 And poites haue put of þo prise brethir, Þat þai Rauichit were radly into þe red ayre, And set in a seigne þat zodias is callid; That demyt is to þis day duly with clerkes, [folio 58b] Line 3724 Gemini Aiugget in þere iuste artis. ffor the sun vnder zodias settis hym to leng Two dayes betwene, & dryues no ferre Mo in his mouyng þen any mone other. Line 3728 But, what is sothely be said of þo sure brethur, ffor þe sute of þere sister somyn were þai drounyt. Let Poyetis go play hom, & passe to our tale.

Here Darys in his dyting duly auisys Line 3732 ffor to telle in his tale þe tulkes of Grece; Of þere shap for to shew and þere shene colour, Of the worthiest þere were, to wale hom be nom. Þus he breuyt in his boke of þo breme kynges, Line 3736 ffor he segh hom in sight at sembles full ofte, (As in tymes of tru, þaire tentes with in) And waited hom wele; for þe wegh thoght To myn hom in makyng in maner as þai were. Line 3740

THE SHAPE AND COLOUR OF THE KYNGES OF GRECE.

Agamynon þe gay was of a gode mykull; His colour of þat kyng all of clene qwite. He was store man of strenght, stoutest in armes,

With lymes full large; light of his will, Line 3744 Meke as a maiden, mery with all; Wode in his wrathe, wild as a lion, He was witty þer with, & wegh hardy, And of faciund full faire, fre of his speche. Line 3748 Menelay the mighty was of meane shap, Noght so large of his lymes as his lefe brother; In mesure was made of a medull size, Betwene the large & the litill; likyng of colour Line 3752 Auntrus in armys, eger of wer, A bolde man in batell, & of breme wille. Achilles the choise was of chere faire, Likyng & luffly, a large man with all. Line 3756 Crispe herit was the kyng, colouret as gold. Stokyn ene out stepe with a streught loke; [folio 59a] His loke was full louely, when ledys were opyn. With a brest þat was brode, byg of his shulders; Line 3760 Grete armys in the gripe, growen full rounde; A large man of lenght with limis full brode. A stythe man in stoure, storest of wille, Was no greke on þat grounde of so great strenght, Line 3764 Ay bowne vnto batell, boldist in armys, Godely of giftes, grettist in expense, Ay furse on his fos, and to fight Redy. Tantelus the tore kyng was a tulke hoge, Line 3768 Borly of brede, & of big strenght; Wele colouret by course, clene of his face, Rede roicond in white, as þe Roose fresshe; With grete Ene & gray, gleyit a litill; Line 3772 Meke of his maners, & manly in werre. Aiax oelius was outrage grete, Brode of his brest, byg in his armys; A large man of lyms, lengest of stature. Line 3776 Costius clothyng ay þe kyng weiret; Noght lowrand with laithe chere lese for to speike.

Telamon truly was a tulke full faire, Blake horit, aboue breghis and other Line 3780 Serklyt of hom seluyn, semly with all. A Sotell man of song with mony sere notys, And mellit hym with musike & myrthes also. He was doughty of dedys, derfe of his hond; Line 3784 Pompe and proude wordis ay þe prinse hated. Ulexes the lefe kyng was loueliest of other, He was the fairest by ferre of all the felle grekes, And falsest in his fare, and full of disseit. Line 3788 Vndertaker of treyne, of talkyng but litill, Neuer myrth in his mouthe meuyt with tong: Sad of his semblaundes, sober of chere. [folio 59b] And of facound fairest with a fre speche, Line 3792 He hade no make of þo men in meuyng of wordys. Dyamede þe doughty was a dere kyng, Stronge of his stature, stithe in his armys, Brode in his brest, byg in his shulders, Line 3796 With a loke þat was laithe like out of wit. ffals of his forward, felle of his hond, A derffe man in dede, dyssirus of batell. Vnsober with seruaundes, sorofull in hert, Line 3800 Dredfull in dole for dissait þat he vsit. Lusty to lechery, vnlell of his trouthe, And mony harmes hepit for hete of his loue. Off Duke Nestor to deme, doughty in werre, Line 3804 He was long & large, with lemys full grete. A ffreike þat was fre, and a feire speiker, Wise in his wordys, witté of counsaille; Tru of his trowthe, tristy to loue, Line 3808 Meke of his maners malise to pese; And if he walte into wrathe, wode as a lyon, But he lengit not long in his lothe hate; ffaithfull of frendship to frekys þat he louyt, Line 3812 The hertist to helpe of all the high kynges. Protheselus the pert kyng was of pure shap,

Semely for sothe, & of Syse faire. Doughty of dedis, derfe of his hondes, Line 3816 None wighter in werre, ne of wille bettur. Neptolon nobill was non of þe lest: A store man of stature, stabill of chere. His here was hard blake, on his hede stode. Line 3820 Grete Ene and gray, with a grym loke. Rounde sydes for sothe, sober of wille; His shulders were shapon of a clene brede. Bytell browet was the buerne, þat aboue met; Line 3824 And stutid full stithly, þat stynt hym to speke; But he was lernyd of þe lawe, & in his londe wise; ffor to comyn in a case hade a clere wit. [folio 60a] Palomydon the pure, he was prinse faire; Line 3828 Naulus son þe nobill kyng, & his next childe. Vne made of a mene in the medyll shap, Large of a lenght, lyuely & small, Noght borely ne brode, but as hym best semyt. Line 3832 A stythe man of his stature, stirond of wille, Menyt hym to mony thinges, & of mynde gode; Nobill talker with tales, tretable alse, Curtas & kynde, curious of honde. Line 3836 Polidarius was pluccid as a porke fat, ffull grete in the grippe, all of grese hoge. So bolnet was his body, þat burthen hade ynoghe The fete of þat freke to ferke hym aboute, Line 3840 Or stond vppo streght for his strong charge. Aparty was he proude, presit after seruys, He wold not gladly be glad, ne glide into myrthe; But euermore ymaginand & entrond in thoghtes. Line 3844 Machaon the mody kyng was of a mene stature, Noght to long ne to litle, lusty to se, Proude & presumptius, prouyt of wille, Ballit was the buerne with a brode face; Line 3848 Neuer slept þat slegh for slouthe vppon day.

Dares in his dytyng duly þus tellus, Þat for the helpe of these hende, & hertely of oþer, Of Perse come the proude kyng with pepull full mony, Line 3852 And a company of knightes comly to se, Þat tellis his Atyre & his triet strenght. He was large, & long, & of lene shap, With a face somwhat fat, fellist of colour. Line 3856 The here of þat hathell was huet as þe fire, Bothe o berde & aboue all of bright rede.

Of the tulkes of Troy telle we now ferre, Bothe of mesure & mykyll whille I mynde haue, Line 3860 As breuyt is in boke and aboue set, ffull duly by Dares endited of olde. [folio 60b] Priam þe prise kyng was of pure shap, A large man & a longe, liuely & small. Line 3864 A faire man in feturs & hade of furse steuyn. Wight in his werkes & of wit redy; Delited to the deuer on dayes be tyme. Noght ferfull, ne furse, faueret full wele, Line 3868 Louet he no lede þat lustide in wrange; He rulet hym by Reason & the right spake. Songis of solemnite and songes of myrthe He wold herkon full hertely in his high wit. Line 3872 Was neuer kyng vnder cloude his knightes more louet, Ne gretter of giftes to his goode men, Ne lellier louyt ledys of his aune, Ne with Riches so Rife rewardet his pepull. Line 3876 Of all his sones for sothe, þat semely were holdyn, Non was so noble, ne of nait strenght, As Ector, þe eldist, & aire to hym seluyn. He was truly in his tyme tristiest of other Line 3880

Line 3880 Þat leuit in any londe, & a litle he stotid. This prinse with his pure strenght plainly auer|come All Auntres in Armys, þat he euer raght: Non so stuerne þat withstode a stroke of his honde. Line 3884 He was massy & mekull, made for þe nonest, Neuer Troy no tyme soche a tulke bred, So graithe, ne so good, ne of so gret myght. Ruly & rightwise, a roghe man of hors, Line 3888 He spake neuer dispituosly, ne spiset no man; Ne warpit neuer worde of wrang with his mowthe. Ne sagh, þat was vnsemond, slipped hym fro, But ay meke as a maydon, & mylde of his speche. Line 3892 Neuer hatfull to hym to hygh into batell, Neuer wery of þat werke, ne of wegh fferde, He swat neuer for þat swynke, ne in swayme felle. [folio 61a] Was neuer red in no Romanse of Renke vpon erthe Line 3896 So well louyt with all ledys, þat in his lond dwelt. Parys was pure faire, and a pert knighte; Here huet on his hede as haspis of silke, And in sighkyng it shone as the shyre golde. Line 3900 He was bowman O þe best, bolde with a speire, A wilde man to wale, wode on his fos; ffull siker at asaye, & a sad knight, Of hunters he was hede, & hauntyd it ofte. Line 3904 Deffebus was doughty & derfe of his hond, The þrid son of þe sute, & his sure brother Elenus, the eldist euyn after hym. Þo freikes were fourmet of feturs [a]like, Line 3908 Bothe of hyde & of hew to hede of a mykell; ffor, to loke on þe ledys with a light egh,

The ton fro þe tother was tore for to ken In sight at þat sodan, somyn & þai were. Line 3912 The fourme of þo freikes was, faithfully to se, Right suche as the syre, þat I said first; Vndifferent to deme fro þere dere fader, Saue Priam the prise was past into eld, Line 3916 And þai of yeris full yong, ȝeuerus of wille. The ton was a triet knight, tristy in armys, A wight man for to wale, & wise of his dedis; The tother, sotele of syense to seke in a lond, Line 3920 And a corius clerke with a clene wit. Troilus þe tru was full tore mekull, ffull massely made, & of mayn strenght; And yet hoger of hert & of her wille, Line 3924 He demenyt well his maners, & be mesure wroght. Amirous vnto Maidens, & mony hym louyt, [folio 61b] And delited hym in dole with damsels ofte; But he mesuret his maners, þof he þe myrth vsid, Line 3928 Þat it impairyt not his person, ne his purpos lettid. In strenght ne in stryfe þere strokes were delte, He was Ector eftsones, or ellis soche another. In all the kyngdome & cuntre, þat to þe coron longit, Line 3932 Was no yong man so ȝepe, ne ȝenerus of dedis, Ne so hardy of hond holdyn in his tyme. Eneas was euermore eger of wille, Brode in his brest, & of body litill. Line 3936 Wise in his werkes, & of wordys sober, A faire speiker in a spede, speciall of wit, A clene man of counsell, with a cloise hert, Of litterure & langage lurnyt ynoghe. Line 3940 A man full of mekenes & mery of his chere. ffaire Ene hade þe freike, & of fyn colour, Glemyt as þe glasse and gliet a little. Of all the tulkes of Troy, to telle þem by name, Line 3944

Line 3944 Was non so riche of Renttes, ne of renke godes, Of castels full close, & mony clene tounes. Antenor also was abill man of wit, Long man & large, lyuely & small. Line 3948 Mony wordys hade the wegh, wise of his dedis, In fele thinges forwise, & a fer caster. Wele louyt of his lege, delited hym in myrthe, Bourdfull among buernes, blithe of his wordis, Line 3952 Hethyngfull to hathels, but it harmyt not. Polidamas þe pert þat was his prise son, ffull ȝener and ȝepe, and a yong knight, ffaire man of fassure, & of fyn strenght, Line 3956 Worshipfull in wer, wise of his dedis; A large man of lenght, delyuer, & small, Euyn fourmyt as his fader of feturs & other. A full strong man in stoure, sturnyst in Armys, Line 3960 Wrothe with a worde & away sone: [folio 62a] His colour blent was in blake, with a blithe chere. Merion the mighty kyng was massely shapen, A faire man of fourme, & a fre knight. Line 3964 Grete sydes to gripe growen full sad, Brode shulders aboue, big of his armys, A hard brest hade þe buerne, & his back sware. Crispe heris & clene, all in cours yelowe, Line 3968 All the borders blake of his bright ene. A felle man in fight, fuerse on his enimys, And in batell full bigge, & myche bale wroght: Grete worship he wan while the wer laste. Line 3972 Ecuba, the onest & onerable qwene, Was shewyng in shap of a shene brede, Massily made as a man lyke. She hade a wonderfull wit a woman to bene, Line 3976 Alse sad in þe syens as semyt for a lady Wele norisshed þerwith; wise of hir dedis, Meke of hir maners, myldest of chere; Onest ouerall, as aght hir astate, Line 3980

Line 3980 An delited hir deply in dedis of charité. Andromaca, auenonde abill of person, Worthy Ector wyfe, was a we faire. Long body hade the burdde, bright of hir colour. Line 3984 Ho was mesurably made, as þe mylke white. Hir ene flamyng fresshe, as any fyne stones. Rud as þe Roose roikede in hir chekes. Hir lippes were louely littid with rede. Line 3988 Gilde hores hade þat gay, godely to se. Most onest of other euer in hir tyme, And all hir dedis full duly done by a mesure. Cassandra the clere was a Clene Maydon, [folio 62b] Line 3992 Semely of a Sise, as the silke white, Womonly wroght, waike of hir colour, Godely of gouernaunce, and gleyit a litle. Of wemen werkes wilnet ho none, Line 3996 Most was hir mynde hir maidonhede to kepe. Mony cas for to cum ho be course wiste, By artys of astronomy, & ame of hir wit,— By staryng on the sternys thurgh hir stithe lore. Line 4000 Polexena the pert was prise of all other, Of feturs & fourme the fairest on lyue; ffull tendur of hir tyme, triet of hewe. Of hir fairnes fele may no freike telle, Line 4004 Ne no wegh has wit ne wordys þerfore, ffor to labur so longe of hir lefe shap; But truly I telle as þe text sais, Ho was of bewte aboue all borne in hir tyme, Line 4008 To wale þurgh the world of wemen bydene, Alse noble for þe nonest as natur cold deuyse, To paint in yche place thurgh his pure study, (Þat errit not in anythyng of abilté þer, Line 4012 Saue he demyt hir dedly, when hir day come.) And ay cheriste hir chastité with a choise wille, To þat abundaunse of bewte ho was best norisshed. Witté to wale, wantid no thewes; Line 4016

Line 4016 Voidet all vanities, & virtus dissyret. Þus Dares in his dyting deuyses þe shap Of þese freikes in fere, þat I before tolde; Of kynges & knightes & oþer clene ladies; Line 4020 Of Dukes by-dene, þat were dere holden; Of the gretist of Grece, & of gret Troy, Þat he hade comyng with in company, & knew well þe persons, As the worthiest to wale & wildest in Armys. [folio 63a] Line 4024 Of these nomly to neuyn, & nobill men other, How þai bere hom in batell, I buske me to say; And telle how hom tyde, whill I tyme haue.— Stir fuorth to our story, & stynt here a while. Line 4028