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.

xiij Boke. How the Grekys sent Achilles and Thelefon for bitaill for the Ost into Messam.

KYNGYS and knyghtes and other kyde Dukes, [folio 80b] Line 5152 All the souerayns hade selly, as I said ere, Of priam, the price Kyng, þat prudly hade saide. Than gedrit were the grekes on a ground faire, Besyde tenydon truly, to talke of hor dedis. Line 5156 Ordant by the emperour opunly to holde A counsell in the case, with knowyng to all, And procede on hor purpos, as prise men of wer. When the souerayns assemblit were, as I said first, Line 5160 Agamynon, the gouernour, graithit hym to speike, To þo worthy thieȝ wordis warpit anone:— "Noble sirs, in this note hit nedis vs to haue ffode till our folke, the formast of other, Line 5164 Þat no hongur vs happyn to harme in our werre, While our buernes in batell abiden here stille: Þat we faint not in fight, ne feble of strenght. And mykyll is the mete so mony bus haue, Line 5168 If we shall proffet with proues, or any fose wyn: ffor þere as failes the fode, faint is the pepull; And þere hongur is hote, hertis ben febill. Þerfore, highly in hast, I hold for þe best, Line 5172

Line 5172 If ye deme it in dede, Dukes and other, Þat we mightily to Messam our men send, To fecche vs som fode, or we firre passe. In þat prouyns is plenty all of prise vitell, Line 5176 Of corne, & of catell, & mony kyd Rewme; Þerfore, sone let vs send sum of our folke, Worthy to wale, & wise of hor dedis, To trie of the trewist, & turne into ship, Line 5180 And set furth to the se with soudiours ynow, Pas to þat prouyns, prese to þe londe, And make puruiaunce plentie, while prese lastis, That may cum vs, by course, to comford our ost, [folio 81a] Line 5184 And abundantly broght with buernes betwene, ffor to stall our astate and our strenght hold." When þis counsell was kyd, he carpis no ferr, Was alowet with the lordis, & all þe ledis after. Line 5188 By assent of þo souerains, & sithen of all, Achilles was chosyn chefe of þis erend; And Thelephus, þat tother, ton to his fere, Was Ercules aune son eldist for sothe. Line 5192 Þes assignet for þe se, with soudiours ynogh, And fuerse men in fight a felle nowmber: Þes drest for þe dede and droghen to ship, And merkit vnto Messam with a mekyll nauy. Line 5196 In þat yle was onest, an honerable kyng, As men told in his tyme, and Teutras his name, Þat his countre in kuit hade keppit full longe, And regnit in rest with riches ynogh. Line 5200 He hade fightyng folke fele of his owne, And knightes full kene, & konyng of werre. Sum sain it for sothe, and for sure holdyn, The same yle I said you, Cicill is calt, Line 5204 Ay abundand of blisse, & bret full of vitaill, And menyt was with men Messan to nome; ffor a cité in the same lond so gat was cald, Bild on a banke at a brode hauyn, Line 5208

Line 5208 ffull longe, & large, louely with all, And a pesable port pight full of shippes, Þat comen for corne to contres aboute; And because of the corne, cald was it Messan, Line 5212 Þat past fro the port to prouyns o fer. And sum of hit sain, & for sure holdyn, Þat the Cité was so calld by a sure kyng, That biggit the burgh bigly hym-seluyn, [folio 81b] Line 5216 And callid it Messan be mowthe, in mynd of his nome; But Dares, in his dyting, dewly noght tellus Of the Cité, for sothe, ne the selfe lond; But how þo mighty were made to Messan to wende, Line 5220 ffode for to fecche to þe felle ost. Som othir Cicill hit sothly myght be, Þat was geynde to grece, þen the grete yle, Þat ferly was fer be-ȝond fele Rewmes. Line 5224 Into this prouynce past þo pepull to-gedur, Achilles the choise, and his chere felow, With thre thowsand tristé all of þro knightes, And mony shippes full shene, shot o þe depe, Line 5228 Þat hit into hauyn, houyt not longe, But bounet to þe bonke þo buernys anon. Then the kyng of þe cuntre, with cumpany grete Of fell fightyng folke, þat on fote were, Line 5232 Past to þe port, þere the prinse lay. The grekys, þat were gedrit & to grounde comyn, With all þere cumpany clene of the cloise shippes, Segh the kyng of the cuntre cum hom agayne, Line 5236 With fele folke vppon fote, þat hom fray wold. Þai wan to þere weppon wightly anon. In defense of þe folke, þai fuersly were armyt, And girden to-gedur with mony grym dyntus. Line 5240 Bigge was the batell opon bothe haluys,

Mony fallyn were fey of þe fell grekes, But mo of the meny, þat mellit hom with. Þof the grekes were grym & of grete myght, Line 5244 Þai hade no strenght to withstonde þe striff of þe pepull, Þat were þro men in threpe, & thretyms mo. Þere the grekes hade grymly ben gird vnto dethe, Hade not Achilles ben cheualrous & choise of his dedis. Line 5248 He shot thurgh the sheltrone & shent of hor knightes [folio 82a] Mony doughty were ded thurgh dynt of his hond. All þat warnyt hym þe way he warpet to ground, Till he come to þe kyng, be course as hym list, Line 5252 And flang at hym fuersly with a fyne swerde; The haspes of his helme heturly brast; Braid of his basnet to þe bare hede; Woundid hym wickedly, warpit hym to ground. Line 5256 He was wode of his wit, wild as a lione, Wold haue brittonet the bold with a bare swerd. Hof vp his hond heturly to strike, With a fouchon felle to ferke of his hede, Line 5260 And Thelephus, þe tothir, titly persayuit That Teutra with torfer shuld tynt haue his liff. He stert vnder the stroke with a store shild, And keppit by course the caupe of his sword; Line 5264 And Achilles the choise kyng cherly he prayit, To let the lorde haue his lyffe for lewté of hym, That woundit was wickedly to þe wale dethe;— Þat he graunt wold godly þat gome for to leue. Line 5268 Þen to Thelaphus, þe tore kyng, tomly can say;— "What causes ye, by course, so kenly to pray, This syre for to saue, þat is our sad enmy; And has wackont vs wer þurghe will of hym seluyn, Line 5272

Line 5272 And harmyt vs hogely with his hond one. Syn he boldly with bate þis baret began, Gode faithe will he first fall in his turne." Þen Thelaphus tomly talkyt agayne:— Line 5276 "He was a frynde to my fader, & a fyn louer, Worshippit hym on allwise & his will did. Hit felle me, be fortune, forwith þis tyme, Into this coste for to come, vnknowen my selfe; Line 5280 And he worship me worthely, & his weghes all. [folio 82b] With giftes full gay & of his gode mekyll, Assignet me soueraines, sure men ynogh. Hit sothely with sorow sounys to my hert, Line 5284 To se þat doughty be dede & don out of lyue." Þen Achilles to þat chere choisly can say:— "Take hym here tyt, & tent as ye list, And wirke with þat worthy, as ye wele likes." Line 5288 Thus halpe he þat hynd fro hond of Achilles, And dro hym fro dethe, as for þat due tyme: So the batell was barly broght to an end. The grekes hade þe gre & gone into ship, Line 5292 And Teutra the true kyng was trust on a litter, Had hom to his halle, halfe out of lyue. At whose prayer, full prestly, þo prise men two Wentte with þat worthy vnto his won riche, Line 5296 Receyuit with reuerence & renke of astate, Honouret with all men onestly & well, And all daintethes hom dight dere for þe nonyst. When few dayes faren were þe fre kyng Teutra Line 5300 Wex weike of his wound & widrit to dethe: ffeblit full fast of his fyn strenght, Se his dethe on hym drogh dressit hym þerfore. He sent after, sothely, þe souerain Achilles, Line 5304 And Thelaphe, þat tothir, vnto his owne chaumbur. When þai comen to þe kyng, þo curtes to-gedur, Þen fond þai þat fre febill in his bed

All in point for to pas with paynes of dethe. Line 5308 Then Teutra þo triet men tretid o þis wise:— "Ye worshipfull weghes, well be you euer, And gode hele mot ye haue with hop of your lyues! I say you now sothely, as my sad fryndes, Line 5312 My lif is not long lastand in erthe. Done are my dayes, I draw to an end; And non eire of myn own neuer yet I hade, Þat I my londes might leue, lyuely to kepe, Line 5316 That I getton haue & gate with moche gret trauell, [folio 83a] And holdyn of hard, & with my hond werit Vnto now, þat with noy is myn end comyn. The whiche lond I hade lost long tymes past, Line 5320 Hade not helpe ben of hym, was hardiest of othir, Most doughty of dedis, dreghist in armys, And the strongest in stoure, þat euer on stede rode,— Ercules, þat honerable, edist of my knightes. Line 5324 He was þi fader so fuerse, þat me faithe eght, Þat preset at my prayer to this pure rewme, In hast me to helpe with his hede strenght, When my fos were so fell, & fuerse me agayn, Line 5328 Þat þai occupiet ouer all, euyn as hom list, And I vncertayn, for-sothe, to sese it on lyue. But he sothely, hym-selfe, of his sad strenght, Thurgh hardynes of hond & helpe of hym one, Line 5332 All my fos in fight felly distroyit; Breke all þere batells, britned hom to dethe, And so rid he this rewme of my ranke fos, Euer sythen, for sothe, to þis same tyme, Line 5336 And deliuert me þis lond, & left it in pes. Thus the septur & the soile sithyn haue I ȝemyt,

Noght sothely þurgh my selfe, ne my sad dedis, But þurghe ffrendship of þi fader, & his fre helpe. Line 5340 Now son, I will say the, as my sad frynd, Syn þi fader in fuerse with his fre will, Rid me þis Rewme out of ronke Enmys, And wan it full worthely with worship hym|seluyn, Line 5344 Hade he lyuyt in lede, he hade ben lorde here, Duly after my day, be domys of right. And syn our goddis wold not graunt grace to be so, This soile & the septur þi seluyn shall haue, Line 5348 ffor to reigne in this rewme by right of þi fader: Thus our goddes the graunttes of hor grace now. Here qwemly I beqwethe þe to be qwem kyng Of all my londes full large, & my lefe godis, Line 5352 ffor to gouerne & to get, as ye good þinke: Þis I take the be testament, as my trew aire. And bryng me to berenes on þi best wise, [folio 83b] As be comys for a kyng in his kyde rewme; Line 5356 And honour me with obit as ogh myn astate." He wrote thus his wille, & wightly asselit, And deght þen full dawlily, as destyny wold. And Thelaphus a toumbe trietly gart make, Line 5360 A riche & a riall, with mony ronke stonys. On a worshipfull wise warpit hym þerin, With all the princes of þe prouyns, & other prowde folke, And sacrifices full solemne, soche as þai vsit. Line 5364 He puruait a proude stone of a prise hoge, His course for to couer clenly aboue. Þus the wegh gert write vmbe the wale sides, With letturs full large, ledis to be-holde:— Line 5368 "Teutra, the true kyng, here in tombe lis, Þat Achilles, with a chop, chaunsit to sle; Þat to thelaphon betakis all his triet Rewme,

Bothe septur & soile, as souerain to haue." Line 5372 When þes dedis were done, & the dede leuyt, All the lordes of the londe, & the lege pepull, Thurgh the Citis dyd send, and þe soile ouer, ffor to come to the coronyng of þe kyde lord, Line 5376 With honour & homage, as aght hom of right; And to call hym as kyng in cuntres aboute, Þat before, þurghe his fader right, fell to be duke,— So cald in his cuntre be course of his londes,— Line 5380 Now coronyd is the kyng this cuntre to weld; Hade homage of all men, & honour full grete, And began for to gouerne, as gome in his owne. Þan fild þai with fraght all þere fuerse shippes, Line 5384 And stuffe of all maner store, þat hom strenght might; With corne, & with clene flowre, & othir kid vitaill. Achilles, with choise men, chefe into shipp, And thelaphon, the tothir, wold haue turnyt after, Line 5388 Agayne to the grekes with his grete folke, [folio 84a] In batell to byde, as a buerne noble; And be course to his cuntre comyn agayne. Þen the choise kyng Achilles chaunget his wille, Line 5392 Spake to hym specially for sped of hom all, In his lond for to long with his lege pepull, And puruay for the pure oste plenty of vitaill. Here at talaphon he toke leue, & turnyt to ship, Line 5396 And halet to the hegh se in a hond while, Wan þurgh the waghis, had wind at his ese; Sailet on soundly, & the se past; To þe gret Navy of þe Grekes graidly he comes. Line 5400 At tenydon, full tomly, turnyt into hauyn, Lept into a litle bote, launchit to bonke; To Agamynon gay tent gos on his way,

In company clene of mony kyde lordes. Line 5404 All the gret to hym gedrit with a good chere, And welcomth þat worthy the weghes ychon, As derrest bi-dene to þe dukes all. And he tomly hom told þe tale to þe end, Line 5408 All the maner in Messan, how þo men ferd. ffirst, how þai faght fuersly to-gedur, And how thelaphus tide to be treu kyng; And of the cariage of corne comyn by ship, Line 5412 Þat no wegh suld want while the werre laste, Ne no fode for to faile, but the fulthe haue, Sent fro the same lond by þe selfe thelaphon. All worshippit the wegh for his wale dedis, Line 5416 And he turnyt to his tent tomly & faire, To the Mirmydouns his men, þat mekill ioy hade, And fayuer of þat fre, þen any folke ellis.

NOW here will I houe a litle hond qwhile, Line 5420 Or any maters mo into mynd fall, Of the Troiens to telle, & þere triet helpe, [folio 84b] After Dares indityng, as I did first, Of the Grekes, þat gedrit to the grete nauy. Line 5424 Sone will I say, & in the same kynd, What kynges þere come of countres aboute; What Dukes by-dene, & other derfe Erles, Þat soght to þe Citie with hor sad helpis, Line 5428 ffor to comford the kyng with hor cant pepull. Here nem will I now the nomes by-dene, And the soume of the soudiours, er I sue ferre.

OF THE KYNGES ÞAT COME TO TROY FOR SOCUR OF PRIAM.

Of the worthy to wale, as the writ shewes, Line 5432 The kynges þere come out of kyde londys, Þat holdyn were of hom, as þere hede lordes,

With thre thowsaund þro men, þriuound in armys. Pendragon the pert, pristly was on, Line 5436 And Thabor, þat tother, a tor man of strenght; Adasthon the doghte, þat derfe was the þrid. And of a cuntre, was cald Colophon to nome, Þat faire was & full all of fre townes, Line 5440 ffoure kynges þere come with a cant pepull, With ffyve thowsaund full, all of fyn knightes. To acounte of þe kynges,—Caras was on, And Nestor, another, to neuyn of þo same; Line 5444 The thrid Ymasus, yrfull, egor of wille, And Amphymacus, þe fourt, a felle mon in werre. Out of Licé come lyuelé þe lege kyng Glaucon, With his son Serpidon, a sad mon of strenght, Line 5448 Þat to Priam was pure sib, a prise mon of dedes, And þre thousaund thro knightes þrifty in armys. Out of Lachan, a lond, come a light kyng, Euphymus the fuerse, fell of his hondes, Line 5452 And Capidus þe kene,—kynges were bothe With a thousaund þro men þrifte in armys, [folio 85a] And fyue hundrith ferre all of fyn knightes. There come of a cuntre, cald was Tebaria, Line 5456 On Baunus, a bold kyng, and broght with hym|seluyn Þre thousaund þro knightes, þriuound in werre: And seven Erles, sothely, in his sort were, And foure Dukes dughty, & of dede nobill, Line 5460 Þat to Priam the prise kyng all were pure syb. All hor colouris to ken were of clene yalow, Withouten more in the mene, or mellit with other, To be knowen by course thurghe the clene ost, Line 5464 As bold men in batell, and of breme will.

Out of Trasy þere come þe tru kyng, with a triet pepull, Philon the fuerse, with fele men of armys, Þat is out in the Orient, honerable faire; Line 5468 And a Duke þat was derfe & of dede felle, With a thousand þro men, & þrifty of hond, And a hundrith hole all of his knightes. Out of Payuon com prist Pricomysses the kyng, Line 5472 And a Duke, þat was derfe, & his dere cosyn, Þat stithe was & store, & Stupex he heght, With þre thowsaund þristé, þrepond in werre. ffor his kyngdom was clene clustrit with hilles, Line 5476 All merkyd with mounteyns, & with mayn hylles, And no playne in no place, ne plentie of vales, Þere auntrid hom oft aunsware to haue Of mowmenttes in þe merke, þurghe might of þe fynd, Line 5480 Þat with gomes of þe ground, goddes were cald, And mony meruell to mete, & mysshapon bestes. Out of Beyten broght bold men two, Þat were kynges in the coste, and also kyd brether,— Line 5484 On Boetes, þat was bigge, & his brother Ephistrus. And in hor company come knightes a thowsaund. That is out in the orient the vtmast syde: [folio 85b] ffull is þat fre lond all of fyne spices. Line 5488 Out of Pafflegon,—þat pight is in the playn est, And is set on a syde þere þe sun ryses, And so ferre out of folke, þat no freke sese,— Come the richest renke, þat reigned in Erthe, Line 5492 On philmene, a freke full of fyn gold, Bothe of gemmes & Juellis, Joly for þe nonest, Þat fonden are in Evfraton & þe flode Tyger, Þat passyn out of peradis þurghe the playn Rewme. Line 5496

Line 5496 He broght to þe burghe, all of bold knightes, Two thowsand þristie & þro men of wille. Iche shalke hade a shild shapyn of tre, Wele leddrit o lofte, lemond of gold, Line 5500 Pight full of prise stonys vmbe the pure sydes. This Philmen, þis fre, was a fuerse man of shape, Of largenes & lenght no lesse þen a giaund. Of More Ynde come Merion, a mighty kyng alse, Line 5504 With Perses, a proude kyng, and a pert knight, With Dukes full doughty, and derfe Erles mo, Þat subiect were sothely to þe same Perses, With þre thowsaund þro knightes, þrepond in wer; Line 5508 And Symagon, sothely, com with the same kyng, Þat was mighty & monfull Merions brother. Out of Tire come Theseus, tristé of hond, And Archillacus also, þat was his aune son, Line 5512 With knightes in hor company, clene men a thowsaund:— He was cosyn, by course, to the kyng Priam. Two kynges þere come of a clene yle, Þat Agestra, þe ground geuyn is to nome. Line 5516 (Of þo kynges, þat I carpe, know I no nomes; ffor in þis boke, of þo bold, breuyt are none) Þai broght to þe burghe, buernes a thowsaund, And two hundrith by tale, all of triet knightes. Line 5520 There come of a kyngdome, callid is Delissur, Of an yle be-ȝonde Amysones, an abill mon of wit,— [folio 86a] A discrete man of dedis, dryuen into age, And a sad mon of sciens in the seuyn artis,— Line 5524 Epistaphus, to preue, was his pure nome: He broght to þe bate of bold men a thowsaund, And an archer an ugly, þat neuer mon hade sene. He was made as a mon fro þe myddell vp, Line 5528 And fro the nauyll by-neithe, vne an abill horse,

And couert as a capull, all the corse ouer, ffro þe hed to þe hele, herit full thicke. His Ene flammet as the fire, or a fuerse low, Line 5532 fferfull of fase, & hade a felle loke, Þat þe Grekes oft greuit & to grem broght. Mony woundit þat wegh & warpit to dethe, ffor he was boumon of the best, & bold of his dedis. Line 5536 The nowmbur of þes noble men, þat I nemmyt haue, Þat come with thes kynges and other kyde Dukes, Withoute Priams pouer of his prise rewme, Were thretty thowsaund þro knightes þriuond in armys Line 5540 And two, for to tell, þat to þe toune soght, ffor to comford þat kyng & his cause forþer. Syn þe world was wroght, & weghis þerin, Was neuer red in no Romans, ne in ronke bokes, Line 5544 So fele fightyng folke in hor fuerse yowthe, Of knightes & clene men comyn to-gedur, Of tried men & trusty, þat to Troy come. And of the grekes, þat were gedrit in a grym ost, Line 5548 Of knighthede to count þere was the clene floure, ffor to wale þurghe the world, as þe writ tellis. Wo so staris on þis story, or stodis þerin, Take hede on þe harmys & the hard lures! Line 5552 What mighty were marrit, & martrid to dethe;— Of kynges, & knightes, & oþer kyde Dukes, That þaire lyues here lost for a light cause! [folio 86b] Hit is heghly to haue, & of hert dryue Line 5556 Soche sklaundur & skorne, þat skathis to mony; And mene vnto mekenes for þe more harme!