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.

xix Boke. Of the vj Batell.

Lystenes a lyttyll of þis laike more, How hit happit in hast of thes hed kynges! Line 7812 Sone as þe sonne rose & set vppon hegh, Bothe þe grekis on þe grene, & þe grym troiens, Mettyn with mayne þaire myghtis to kythe: Þer was fyghtyng full fell þe fuerse men betwene, Line 7816 All þat day, with dole, to þe derk nyght. Mony lyueles lede leuyt on þe bent, And mony wondyt whe þat away past; Mony knyghtis wer kyld of the kene grekys, Line 7820 But mo were þere mard of the mayn troiens. Þe grekys fellyn in fyght þe feghur þat day, And þe bigger in batell, as þe boke saise. [folio 121b] When þe nyght come anon þe nobill depertid, Line 7824 And bounet fro batell vppon bothe haluys. The secund day suyng, as says vs the story, Þe grekys by agrement of þe grete all, Sent to þe Cite soueran men two,— Line 7828 Dyamed, þe derf kyng, & dughty Vlixes. Þai past furth to Priam pertly to-gedur, Of a tru forto trete in þe triet Cité, To be grauntid of þe grete by grement of all. Line 7832 Þes Messangers met with a mayn knight, A derf mon to dem, & Delon his nome.

He was borne in þe burgh a bold mon of hond, Went with þo worthy, & þe way taght; Line 7836 Present hom to Priam, þat was prise lord: Þere menyt þai þaire message & with mouthe told. Priam to þe prise men prestly onswart:— "I wyll haue counsell in þe case of clene men of wit, Line 7840 By Assent of Seniours, & sum of my knightys; And of oure wyll in þis werk, I wete ȝow say." He was ymyddis þe mete with men of astate, Kyngis in his cumpany, & knyghtis full nobill. Line 7844 Þen gedrit were þe grete to þe gay kyng, And assentid full sone, somyn to þe dede. All affermyt hit fast with a fyn wyll, Saue Ector þe honerable, þat egerly with-stod, Line 7848 Disasent to þe dede, & dernely he sayde:— "Hit is falshed in faythe & of fer cast! All þaire tretyng of tru turnys vs to harme. Þai colowrne hom coyntly with a cause febill, Line 7852 fforto beri þe bodys of hor bold frendys; And lighyng, by my lewte, now lakkys hom þe fode. Þai wold stuf hom full stithly, strenkyth hom agayn, With mete in þe meneqwile, & mony othir thinges; Line 7856 And we oure store schall distroi, & stynt of oure sped. We are folke full fele; in þis fre hold, Of Lordis, and Ladies, and other lesse pepull, [folio 122a] Assemblit in this Cité oure seluyn to kepe Line 7860 And þof we maitles marre, may we no fer." But syn the souerain assentid, with other sad lordes, He agreet to the grete, & grauntid with all ffor þere-as men are so mony, & of might grete, Line 7864

Line 7864 And of wit for to wale, wisest of other, All put in a purpos with a plain wille; Þof the syngle mon say, & it sothe be, Hit is demyt for dulle, & done out of heryng. Line 7868 Syn it is sothely said, & for sure holdyn, Þof a yong mon be ȝepe, & of yeres lite, His wit shuld be waled of wise men in age: So the prinse to þere purpos prestly assent, Line 7872 Þof. hit worche to þe worse, þat wist be hym seluyn. Then takyn was the true, and with trauthe fest, Thre monethes & no more, þo mighty betwene, By assurans full sad vpon suche wise, Line 7876 Þat non offens shuld þere fall þo freikes betwene; But yche kyng & knight comyn with other, Bothe in tent & in towne, while the true last. Than þai spekon in spase of hor spede after, Line 7880 Made a chaunge by chaunse of hor choise lordes. Toax, fro Troy, was turnyt to the grekes, ffor Antenor aunterous, þat aftur was takyn: Deliuert were þo lordes, lawsit of prisone, Line 7884 ffro ayther syde by assent, & suet to þere fryndes. Than Calcas the clerke, þat come out of Troy, Hade a doughter full dere,—a damsell faire,— Þat bright was of ble, and Breisaid she hight: Line 7888 So cald was the clere with comyns and other, Within the Cité forsothe, þere hir-selfe dwellit. This Calcas to the kyngis contynually prayet, Bothe Agamynon the grete, & the grekes all, Line 7892 That þai Priam shuld pray for this prise lady, [folio 122b] To be sent to hir Sir, if he so lyked; And þai the bysshoppis bone bainly haue graunted, And sent to þat souerain for þe same cause, Line 7896 Dessirond full depely delyuerans of hir, With Speciall speche to spede at the tyme.

But the triet men of Troy traitur hym cald, And mony pointtes on hym put for his pure shame, Line 7900 Þat disseruet full duly þe dethe for to haue. Priam, at the prayer of þo prise kynges, Deliuert the lady with a light wille, In eschaunge of þo choise, þat chaped before,— Line 7904 Toax þat I told and þat tothir duke.

In the tyme of the true, as þe trety saith, Ector with other egurly went ffro the burghe to þe batells of þe bold grekes, Line 7908 ffor to sport hym a space, & speike with þo kynges, To se the maner of þo men, & mirth hym a stound. Achilles, the choise kyng, with a chere faire, Welcomyt þat worthy, as a whe noble! Line 7912 He hade solas of þe sight sothely of hym, ffor his body was bare out of bright wedes. He toke hym to his tent, talket with hym fast; ffraynet at the freike of his fell dedis: Line 7916 And as þai spekon of þere spede in hor spell þere, Thies wordes to þat worthy warpit Achilles:—

THE WORDES BETWENE ACHILLES AND ECTOR IN THE TENTE.

"Now Ector, in ernyst, I am euyn fayn Of þe sight of þi Self, to se þe vnarmyt; Line 7920 Syn þat fortune before fell me neuer ere, To se þi body all bare out of bright wedis. But it shall sitte me full sore with sorow in hert But the happyn of my hond hastely to degh, [folio 123a] Line 7924 Thurgh strenght of my strokes in our stoure enys, And I thi bane for to be with my brond egge. I haue feld of þi forse, & þi felle dynttes; Thy might & þi monhode mykell hath me greuit. Line 7928

Line 7928 My body hath þou brisit, & my blode shed, With thy strokes full store of þi stithe arme! Þof my wille be so wilde to waite on þin end, ffor the sake of my selfe and othir sib fryndes, Line 7932 More feruent in faith þi falle I dessyre, ffor Patroclus, my pure felow, þou put vnto dethe. I louet hym full lelly, no les þen my seluyn; And þou partid our presens with þi prise wepyn, Line 7936 Þat with faith and affynité [were] festinyt to|gedur; [MS. has 'where.'] And dang hym to dethe þat deires me full euyll. But trust me for tru, and þis tale leue, Er hit negh to an end of this next yere, Line 7940 The dethe of þat doughty shalbe dere yolden With the blode of þi body, baldly me leue! And in so myche, for sothe, I say ye ȝet ferre, Þat I wot the in witte to waite on myn end, Line 7944 My wonsped to aspie in dispite ay, And to deire me with dethe yche day new."

THE ANSWARE OF ECTOR TO ACHILLES.

Than Ector hym answared Esely agayn; With wordis full wise vnto the wegh said:— Line 7948 "If auntur be, sir Achilles, I am the to sle, And hate þe in hert, as my hede foo, Withouten couenable cause, or cast for þi dethe; Thow might meruell the mykell of my misrewle, Line 7952 But þat wottes in thi wit by wayes of right, Þat þere longes no loue ne lewte to ryse, To hym þat dressis for my dethe with a ded hate, And pursewis to my prouyns my pepull to sle. Line 7956 ffor of werre by no way wackons þere loue, Ne neuer charité be cherisst þurghe a chele yre: [folio 123b] Luff ingendreth with ioye, as in a iust sawle, And hate in his hote yre hastis to wer. Line 7960

Line 7960 Now, I will þat þou wete, þi wordes me not feryn, Ne thy boste me abaistes with þi bold speche; But I hope with my hond & my hard strokes, Thurgh might of oure mykell goddes, & of mayn strenght, Line 7964 Thy body to britton vnto bale dethe; And all the grete of þe grekes, þat on oure ground lyun, ffor to fell in the feld fay with my hond! Grete folie, by my faithe, fell in your hedis, Line 7968 ffor to hent vppon hand soche a hegh charge, That passes youre pouer, & proffettes no more, But the losse of your lyues, & your ledis all. This wot I full well, bewar if þe lyste, Line 7972 Þou bes ded of my dynttes, & þi day past, Er hit hap the with hond my harmys to forther, To deire me with daunger, or to dethe put. And if þou hopys in hert, with þi hegh pride, Line 7976 To oppresse me with power, & to payn bring, Get graunt of the grekes, & the grete all, Of kynges, & knightes, & other kyd dukes, Þat all the deire of the ded be done on vs two, Line 7980 To vttranse & yssue vne at this tyme, Withouten meuyng of moo, or marryng of pepull. And if hap the þe herre hond to haue in the plase Of me, thurgh þi might, by maistry of hond, Line 7984 I shall fast the þis forward all with fyne othes, All the londis to leue, þat longyn to Troy, And our ground to þe grekes graunt as for right; And we exiled for euer-more our easement to laite, Line 7988 All our prouyns & parties put in your wille. And if it falle me by fortune the feirer to haue, Make vs sekur, on the same wise, oure soile for to leue,

Of our prouyns to pas, & paire vs no more, Line 7992 Ne neuer dere vs in dede, ne oure due londes." Achilles was angret angardly sore; [folio 124a] Wrathet at his wordes, warmyt in yre; Chaunget his chere, chauffit with hete, Line 7996 That the droupes, as a dew, dankit his fas. He approchet to þe prinse, presit hym ner, And affyrmit with faithe & with fyn chere, All þo couenaundes to kepe with his cleane trauthe: Line 8000 This he sadly assurit at the same tyme. Ector toke hit full tyd with a triet wille, More dessyrous to the dede, þen I dem can. But Agamynon was gayn at þis gret dyn, Line 8004 With other kynges in company comyn to the tent, Þat hasted for the high noise, & hopit in haste Of þo mighty full mony the mater to here. When the knewen all the cause, þo kynges by|dene, Line 8008 All denyede it anon;—no mon assentid, Þat Achilles in chaunse shuld be chosen for hom all, With þat fuerse for to fight þurgh folye of hym seluyn; Ne so mony & so mighty men of astate, Line 8012 ffor to coupull of hor cause on a knight one, Bothe of londes & lyffe for lure þat might happon. And the Troiens, on the tothir syde, torely with stode,— Dysasent to þe dede, Dukes & other; Line 8016 Saue Priam, the prise kyng, þat the prinse knew, Bothe his strenght & his stuerne wille stondyng in hert, Wold haue put hym to þe plit for perell of all, ffor þe will & þe worship of his wale strenght: Line 8020 But for so mony & mighty menit þere agaynes,

He put of his purpos, & passis þerfro. Þen tho prinse at the prise kynges prestly toke leue, Turnit fro the tenttes and to toune yode: Line 8024 Past to his palais, & his pale entrid.

THE SOROW OF TROILUS FOR BREISAID HIS LOUE.

When hit tolde was Troilus the tale of his loue, [folio 124b] How þat faire, by his ffader, was fourmet to wende To the grekes, by graunt of þo grete kynges, Line 8028 ffor Bresaide the bright vnblithe was his chere; ffor he louit hir full lelly, no lesse þen hym seluyn, With all the faithe and affection of hys fyn hert. Myche sykyng and sorow sanke in his brest; Line 8032 He was tourment with tene, tynt was his hew; All wan was the weghe for his wete teres; With lamentacion & langour vnlusty to se; Was no knight in the court kouthe comford hym oght, Line 8036 Ne ses hym of sorow sothely þat tyme! And Bresaid, the bright, blackonet of hew; With myche weping & waile, waterid hir ene; All fadit that faire of hir fyn coloure, Line 8040 With shedyng of shire water of hir shene chekes; All-to tugget hir tresses of hir triet here; Hir faire fyngurs with forse femyt of blode, And all-to rafet the rede chekys, ruthe to be holde, Line 8044 That the blode out brast, & on brest light; And ay swonit in swyme, as ho swelt wold In þere hondes, þat hir helde & halp hir to stond; And þes wordes ho warpit as hir wo leuit:— Line 8048 "I hade leuer my lyf leue in this place, Than any lengur to lyffe & my luff tyne!" No lengur of thies louers list me to carpe,

Ne of the feynit fate of þat faire lady; Line 8052 Who-so wilnes to wit of þaire wo fir, Turne hym to Troilus, & talke þere ynoghe!

Hit is a propertie apreuit, & put hom of kynd. To all wemen in the world, as þe writ saythe, Line 8056 To be vnstable & not stidfast, styrond of wille: ffor yf the ton ee with teres trickell on hir chekes, The tothur lurkes in lychernes, & laghes ouer|thwert! So full are þo faire fild of dessait, [folio 125a] Line 8060 And men for to mad is most þere dessyre, There is no hope so vnhappy, þat hastes to noght, Ne so vnsikur at a say, as to set vppon wemen! A foole is þat freike in his frele yowthe, Line 8064 And myche more þat man is meuyt into age, That in wordes of wemen wastyn þere hope, Or in faire hotes of þo fre fully will trust.

This Breisaid, the burde, by byddyng of þe kyng, Line 8068 In apparell full prowde purpost to wend; Troilus, the true knight, with triet men other, ffro the Cité with þat semely soghtyn on þe gate. Then the grekes com girdond fro the gay tentes, Line 8072 Resayuit hir with Reuerense, & Riden furthe somyn; And the Troiens to the towne turnyt agayne. The derf kyng Diamede drughe the lady ner, Beheld hur full hertely, het hir in loue; Line 8076 With venus woundit, I-wis, in his wild hert, He rode to þat Riall, and the Reyne toke. Then he said to þat semly all on soft wise, All his corage by corse of his cold hert, Line 8080 With full speciall speche to spede of his erend. Then Breisaid, the bright, bainly onswart, ffor to hold hym in hope & hert hym the bettur:—

"Nauther list me my luff lelly the graunt, Line 8084 Ne I refuse the not fully þi frendship to voide; ffor my hert is not here holly disposit, To onsware on otherwise, ne ordant þerfore!" At hir wordes, I-wis, the worthy was glad; Line 8088 Hengit in hope, held hym full gayne. At hir fader fre tent fongit hir in armys, And set hir on þe soile softely with hond. A gloue of þat gay gate he belyue, Line 8092 Drogh hit full dernly the damsell fro: None seond but hir-selfe, þat suffert full well. Hit pleaside hir priuely, playntyde ho noght, [folio 125b] Let hit slip from hyr slyly, slymyt þerat. Line 8096 Than Calcas, the clerke, came fro his tent, ffongit hir faire and with fyne chere, Toke hir into tent, talket with hir fast, And menit of hir maters, as þai in mynd hade. Line 8100

THE WORDYS OF BREISAID TO CALCAS HIR FADER.

When the burde in hir boure was broght with hir fader, Thes wordes ho warpet with wateryng of Ene:— "How fader, in faithe, failet þi wit, That was so conyng of clergy, & knowen in Troy, Line 8104 Myche louet with the lordes, & the ledis all; And worshippit of yche we as a wale god! All the gret of þe ground gouernit by the, And þou riches full riffe, renttes ynow? Line 8108 Now art þou trewly hor traitour, & tainted forfals! Thy kyn & thy cuntre vnkyndly forsakyn, Þat þou shuld faithly defend with a fre hert; And fro woches haue werit, & þi wit shewed. Line 8112 Hit is cheuit the a chaunse of a choise febull! Leuer forto lyf in a lond straunge, In pouerte & penaunce with thy pale fos, Then as a lord in þi lond lengit at home. Line 8116

Line 8116 As thy fall and þi faith is foulé loste, And þi worship is went & wastid for euer, Of shame & shenship shent bes þou neuer: Euery lede will þe lacke and þi lose file, Line 8120 And þe fame of þi filth so fer wilbe knowen. Ne hopis þou not hertely, for þi hegh treason, If men laith with þi lyf, lyffyng in erthe, That the shall happon in helle hardlaikes mo, Line 8124 ffor thy filthe & þi falshed with fyndes to dwelle? Hit were bettur the to byde with buernes of þi kyn, In sum wildurnes wilde, & won þere in lyf, [folio 126a] Then the ledys vpon lyue to laithe with þi shame. Line 8128 Hopis þou fadur, in faith, in þi faint hert, Þat þou be takon for treu with thies triet kynges, Or be holdyn in hert of þi hest stable, Þat art founden so fals to þi fre londes? Line 8132 Now appolyn with answare hase euyll the begiled, And belirt þe with lesynges þi lose forto spille; Gert the fall fro þi fryndes, & þi faire godis, And sorily to syn, and þi selfe lose! Line 8136 Hit was neuer appollo the pure god, þat put the in mynd, But sum fend with his falshed, faren out of helle, Þat onsward the owkewardly, ordand þe skathe, fforto set the in sorow, and þi soule tyne!" Line 8140 Thus the lady at the last left of hir speche, With myche sobbyng & sorow, sylyng of teris. Than the bysshop to his barne barely onswart, And shend to þat shene all in short wordes. Line 8144 "Ne hopis þou noght, hend doghtur, þat our hegh goddes Wold be wrothe at our werkes, & wisshe vs to skathe, If we bowet not hor biddyng, & hor bone kept. And nomly in þis note, þat noyes to þe dethe, Line 8148

Line 8148 Oure seluyn to saue, and oure saule kepe Out of daunger & drede, & oure dethe voide. This wot I full well, thurgh wisshyng of hom, That þis sorow wilnot sese, ne the saute leue, Line 8152 Tyll the toun be ouerturnyt, & tumblid to ground; All the folke, with þere fos, frusshet to dethe, And the wallis ouerwalt into þe wete dyches. Therfore bettur is a-byde in þis bare fild, Line 8156 Than be murthert with malis, & to mold put."

All the grekes were glad of þat gay lady, And comyn in companys, þat comly to se, [folio 126b] All the souerans for sothe, into hir syre tent, Line 8160 And spire at hir specially of hor spede ay,— Of the tulkes of Troy, and the toun selfe; Of the pepull full prest, & þe prise kynges: And all the maner of þo men the maidon hom tolde, Line 8164 ffrely with faire chere, þat thei frayn wold. The kynges full curtesley cald hir þere doughter, And heght hir to haue all þere helpe þen; To be worshypt well with welthis ynow; Line 8168 And grete giftes hir gafe all þo grete kynges. Er þis day was done, or droghe to þe night, All chaunget the chere of this choise maidon, And hir leuer to leng in lodge with the grekes, Line 8172 Then turne vnto Troy, or to toun wend. Now is Troiell, hir trew luff, tynt of hir thoght, And yomeryng for-yeton, & yettyng of teres. Lo, so lightly ho left of hir loue hote, Line 8176 And chaunget hir chere for cherisshyng a litle! Tristly may Troiell tote ouer the walle, And loke vpon lenght, er his loue come! Here leue we this lady with hir loue new, Line 8180 And turne to oure tale, & take þere we lefte.