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.

Here Begynneth the xxij Boke: the Elleuynt Batell of the Citie.

Euery Wegh, þat will wete of this werke ferre, Lengis here a litle, lysten my wordes! Line 8972 When tyme of this tru turnyt was to end,— Two monethes meuyt, as I ment first, Priam, the prise kyng, purpast hym-seluyn ffor to deire for the dethe of his dere son. Line 8976 He bounet hym to batell on his best wise, And assignet hym-self souerains aboute, Tho ledis to lede, as hym lefe thoght. xx. M. thro knightes, þryuond in armys, Line 8980 He assignet for hym-selfe at the same tyme, (As Dares breuyt in his boke, & barly can tell) [folio 139a] & x. M. þro men, þristy of hond; And ffyfty M. fere, fell men of will, Line 8984 Turnyt out of Troy with the triet kyng. Deffibus drogh furth with his derfe pepull, Then Paris with prise put next after, Þen the souerain hym-selfe, the sure kyng Priam; Line 8988 Eneas afterward etlit anone, Þen [Menon], the mighty kyng, meuit to feld: [MS. has Mirion] Polidamas, the pert knight, presit on the last. When thies batels full bold were to bent comyn, Line 8992 Thay hurlit furth hard to the hegh laund, ffrickly þere fos found for to greue.

Palamydon, þat was prinse of the proude grekes, All his Renkes had arayet, as he rede toke, Line 8996 And met hom with mayn, machit to-gedur. ffell was the frusshe, fey were þere mony: Mony kynges were kyld, & kant men of armes! Priam to Palamydon preset so fast, Line 9000 Þat he gird hym to ground of his grete horse: There leuyt he the lede, launchet aboute, And fell in the feld mony fyn knight. Mony woundet þat worthy, & wroght vnto dethe; Line 9004 Mony gird vnto ground, with his grym dynttes. Hit is wonder to wete, in his wode anger, How doghtely he did þat day with his hond; Or þat any freike vpon feld of so fele yeres, Line 9008 So mightely with mayn shuld marre of his fos. Deffibus, the derf knight, dang hom to ground ffuersly & fast, with a fell weppon. Kyng Seppidon, for sothe, a sad mon of strenght, Line 9012 Bounet vnto batell with a brem wille, And to Neptilon anon, a noble mon of Grese, As by stowrnes of strenght, streght on hym met. This Seppidon, for sothe, he set soche a dynt, Line 9016 That he gird with a grone to the ground euyn: [folio 139b] But the freke vpon fote fuersly can wyn, Braid out a big sword, bare to hym sone With a dedly dynt, & derit hym full euyll Line 9020 Throgh the thicke of the thegh, throly with hond. The kyng of Persy came full prest with a proud batell, And Seppidon fro the Soile set vpo lofte. Thurgh the tulkes of Troy, & hor triet helpe, Line 9024 The Duke of Athens drogh in, & derf Menelaus, With a noyus nowmbur, nowble men all, Vmcloset the kyng and his knightes als. The kyng of Persy þai put down vnto pale dethe; Line 9028 Bare the Troiens abacke, & myche bale did.

In defence of his folke, the fuerse kyng Sepidon ffull worthely wroght with his wale strenght. Thedur Priam can prese with his prise knightes, Line 9032 And his noble sons naturell, þat naitly hym folowet, On yche syde for his socour, soght hym aboute. Then the Troiens full tyte, in hor tore angur, Girdon to the Grekes with a grym fare. Line 9036 The noble Priam full prest put hom to ground, Slogh hom doun sleghly with sleght of his hond. Of all the Troiens so tore & tydé of wer, Was non so doughty þat day, ne did halfe so welle, Line 9040 Ne so wight in his werkes, as the wale kyng, Þat for sorow & sorgrym of his sonnys dethe, Restouret hym his strenght as in stuerne yowthe. Then the Grekes by a-grement gedrit hom somyn, Line 9044 Betwene the Troiens & the towne, yf þai turne wold, In companys cleane, knightes full mony, All pight on a playn, þere þai passe shuld. When the grekes with grem girde hom abacke, Line 9048 fforset were þai sone with a sad pepull, Þat faght with hom felly, & mony frekes slogh. Hard hurlyng in hast, highet hom betwene. [folio 140a] Mony buernes on the bent blody beronen! Line 9052 Ne hade Priam the prise kyng preset hom aboute, Þat was feghtyng in the feld on the fer syde, Myche murthe of his men & myschefe hade fallyn; And of his ledis ben lost mony lell hundrith. Line 9056 Parys þen preset in with a prise batell Of noble men, for the nonest, naitist of wille, All with bowes full big, & mony bright arow; Gird euyn to the grekes, greuit hom full sore, Line 9060

Line 9060 Mony birlt on the brest, & the backe þirlet. So greuit were the grekes þurgh the gret shot, Þat þai fled all in fere, & the feld leuit: Turnet to þere tenttes, the Troiens beheld. Line 9064 Was no freke vpon fel[d]e folowet hom after, But soghten to þe Citie with a softe pas, And entrid in Easely efter þere wille: And all worshiptin the werke of þe worthy kyng Priam, Line 9068 As for best of the batell, boldest of hond.

The secund day suyng, when the sun rose, The Troiens to the tenttes tristy men send, ffor a tru to be tan, as the trety sais: Line 9072 (Whethur long, othir littull, list me not tell, ffor no mynd is þere made in our mene bokes, Ne noght put in our proses by poiettes of old.) Within the tyme of þis tru, the Troiens did aske Line 9076 The corse of the kyng, [that] come out of Pers, [MS. has 'to'] ffor to bery in the burghe on hor best wise. ffor whom mournyng was made mekill ynogh, And prinsipall of Paris, that the prinse louit, Line 9080 Þat of faith & afinytie were festnet to-gedur; Þat ordant on all wise after his dethe, The souerain to send into his soile hom; On a bere to his burgh broght hym belyue, [folio 140b] Line 9084 To be entiret trietly in a toumbe riche, As bi-come for a kyng in his kythe riche, In presens of his prise sonnes, as the prose tellus, That shuld be ayres after him auenond of lyue. Line 9088

THE SOLEMPNITE OF THE OBIT OF ECTOR, AND HOW ACHILLES FELL IN ÞE MOMURDOTES FOR LUFF.

Duryng the dayes of this du pes,

The prise kyng Priam prestly gert ordan A gret solenité, for sothe, all the cité thurgh, Xj dayes to endure, as for dere holy, Line 9092 In honour of Ector oddist of knightes, With Sacrifice & solenité vnto sere goddes. When thies dayes were done of the du fest, Þen ordant was on,—oddist of all, Line 9096 A ffynerall fest, þat frekes þen vset, Þat become for kynges, & for kyd prinses, That most were of might & of mayn state. That in tymes of the tru the Troiens might wende, Line 9100 In-to the tentis by tymes, and tary while þem list; And the grekes, agayne, go to the toune, To sporte hom with speciall, & a space lenge. Achilles hade appetite, & angardly dissiret, Line 9104 The Citie for to se, and the solemne fare At the entierment full triet of þe tru prinse. Þan vnarmyt he entrid, euyn to þe citie; To Appollo pure temple passit anon, Line 9108 There the body of the bold blithly was set, Of honerable Ector, as I ere said. There were plenty of pepull, prise men & noble, And worthy wemen to wale weping with teris, Line 9112 In sykyng & sorow syttyng aboute. The taburnacle titly vntild was aboue, On yche syde, as I say, who þat se wold, Þere the body was aboue of the bold prinse, Line 9116 In his sete, as I said, sittyng full hoole, Þat arayet was full richely, as I red haue, With bame & with balsaum, þat brethid full swete. [folio 141a] At the fete of þat fre was his faire moder, Line 9120 Honerable Ecuba, oddist of ladys, And Polexena the pert, þat was his prise suster,

With mony worshipfull wemen to wale in þe towne, The here of þere heddes hynging on brede, Line 9124 On backe & on brest bare for to shew; With remyng, & rauthe, & myche rife sorow, Sobbyng & sourcher soght fro þere herttes. Polexena the pert pairet of hir hew, Line 9128 All facid hir face with hir fell teris, Þat was red as the Roses, richest of coloure, Hit was of hew to behold with hend men aboute. The teris þat trickilt on her tryet chekes, Line 9132 As pure watur pouret vn polishet yerin, Þat blaknet with bleryng all hir ble qwite. The faire heris of þat fre flammet of gold, All abouen on hir brest & hir bright swire, Line 9136 Þat sho halit with hond, hade it in sonder, And puld hit with pyn, pité to be-hold. When the hond of þat hend to þe hede yode, Hit semyt by sight of sitters aboute, Line 9140 As the moron mylde meltid aboue, When ho hasted with hond þe hore for to touche. When Achilles the choise maidon with chere can behold, He hade ferly of hir fairhede, & fell into thoght. Line 9144 To hym-seluyn he said in his saule þen, Þat neuer wegh in this world of woman kynd, Hade fairnes so fele, ne so fyne shap, Ne so pleasaund of port, ne of pure nurtur. Line 9148 As Achilles this choise in chapell beheld, A fell arow in his frunt festnet of loue, Woundit hym wickedly by will of hym-seluyn; And lurkid doun lagher to his low brest, Line 9152 All hatnet his hert, as a hote fyre, Made hym langwys in Loue & Longynges grete. [folio 141b] Ay the more on þat maidon the mighty beheld,

The sarre woundit he was, & his wille hatter. Line 9156 Lo, so sodainly with sight in a sad hast, A whe may be woundit þurgh wille of hym seluyn! Thus, Achilles by chaunse is chaltrid in grym, With loue of this lady, þat ledis to þe dethe. Line 9160 All the care of his cure the kyng has forgeton, And all meuit out of mynd saue the maidon one! When þe day ouerdrogh to þe due tyme, Ecuba the honerable, & hir awne doghter, Line 9164 Turnyt from the temple and to toune yode; Wentton hom wightly, weppit nomore. The lede loked hir after with a loue egh, ffolowand on fer, þat fre to beholde, Line 9168 Þat was cause of his combranse & his cold dethe: Þan with langur of lust, & of loue hote, He was stithly astondid, stird into þoght. So he passid the port, & his pale entrid, Line 9172 Turnyt into tent, takon full hard. The buerne into bed busket anon, Seke & vnsound, set out of hele: Mony thoghtes full þro þrang hym within, Line 9176 And was laburt full long in his lefe saule. He feld in his fare, & his fell hert, Þat the cause of his combraunse was the clere maidon. Thies wordes, in his wo, witturly he said, Line 9180 Soberly to hym-selfe, þat no saule here:— "Now wrecche full vnworthy, wo mot I þole, Þat mony stalworth in stoure, & stuerne men haue kyld, Might non abate of my blysse, ne my ble chaunge. Line 9184 Noght Ector of all other, oddist of knightes, Hade no sleght me to sle, ne to slyng vnder,

Ne ouercome me by course with his clene strenght. A ffrele woman me fades, & my fas chaunges, Line 9188 And has gird me to ground, & my gost feblit! Syn ho is cause of my care, & my cold angur, Att what leche vppon lyue might I laite hele? [folio 142a] There is no medcyn on mold, saue the maiden one, Line 9192 Þat my sors might salue, ne me sound make. The whiche þof I loue, & langwisshe to dethe, With prayer, with prise, ne with pure strenght, Ne for worthines of wer, ne of wale dedis. Line 9196 What wildnes, or worship, waknet my hert ffor to hap her in hert, þat hates my-seluyn? In hir cuntre to come, & hir kyn sle, Hir fadur & hir fryndis, fond to distroy, Line 9200 And hir brother haue britnet, þe best vpon erthe? On what wise in this world wilne shuld I hir, Most exilent of other, onerable of kyn, Of Rent, & of Riches, rankir þan I, Line 9204 And passes of pertnes pure wemen all? Hit semith me vnsertain, all serchyng of wayes; Ys stokyn vp full stithly, shuld streche to my hele!" Þen he turnys in his tene, & terys on his chekes Line 9208 Ronen full rifely, for his ranke sorow. Þen he driet vp the dropes, & dreghly can syle. On all wise in this world he his wit cast, ffor to wyn to his will, if werdis noght let. Line 9212 Þen he rose fro his rest in a Rad hast, Asket water at his weghes, wesshed hym anone, Refresshing his face for facyng of teres, And dride vp his dropes for dymyng his ene. Line 9216

Line 9216

HOW ACHILLES SENTTO ECUBA FOR HIR DOGHTER POLEXENA.

Anon as the night passid, & neghid the day, Yet lastoon the lell tru the lordes betwene, He ordant to Ecuba, the honerable qwene, A message for the maiden by a mene frynd, [folio 142b] Line 9220 Priuely to passe to the prise lady, Þat worthy to wilne to his wif euyn, And mell with a mariage & matremony hole, As a lady to liue to hir lyues end: Line 9224 On suche couenaund to kepe, yf þat dere wold, He shuld procour the prinse, & the prise grekes, To pas fro þat prouyns, payre hom nomore; And nought tary on the towne, ne no tene wirke, Line 9228 Withoute condiscoun, or cause, for to come after. The mon, þat this message meuit for to do, Was a seruond full sure of the same kynges. When he hade told hym þis tale, toght hym to go, Line 9232 He made hym redy full rad, ron to the toun, Esely to Ecuba etlit he anon, And all his charge, to þat chefe, choisly he said. The worthy, to þat wegh, þat was of wit noble, Line 9236 Depe of discrecioun, in dole þof sho were, Sho herknet hym full hyndly, & with hert gode, And onswaret hym esely, euyn on this wise:— "ffrend, þou shall fairly fare to þi lord, Line 9240 And say hym vpon sewertie thy-seluyn with mouthe, In þat at menys to me, with my might hole I shall filsyn þis forward, in faith, þat I can; But, I will say the, my son, or þou sew ferre, Line 9244 I most wete all the wille of my wale kyng, And my sonnes, for sothe, or I say more, Yf þai graunt will þis grace, with a goode wille.

ffull onsware, in faith I forme þe not here, Line 9248 But come the thrid day, full þroly, withoutyn þrepe more, Sew to my selfe, & I the say wille Vne faithly before, as hit fare shall." When the messanger hade melit with þe myld qwene, Line 9252 Than he lut to þe lady, & his leue toke, [folio 143a] Meuit to his maistur, & the mater told. Þen comford he caght in his cole hert, Thus hengit in hope, & his hele mendit: Line 9256 More redy to rest, ricchet his chere. This honerable Ecuba, eft, when hir liked, Preset vnto Priam, and Paris hir son; Caght hom in counsell, & hir cause told,— Line 9260 All the maner of the message from þe main kyng. When Priam persayuit the proffer of þe greke, Long he stode in a stody, or he stir wolde, Doun hengond his hed, herkonyng the qwene: Line 9264 Mony thoghtes full þro þrang hym within! Thus onswart þat honerable euyn to his wif:— "A! how hard were my hert, to hold hym as frend, That so highly me hyndret, & my hate seruet! Line 9268 All the leght has he lost fro my leue ene, Thurgh slaght of my son, þat my sore ekys! ffor whose dethe, vppon dayes, all the derfe grekes Hertyn hom full hogely, my harmes to encres. Line 9272 But to fle all the offence, & fortune to come, In sauyng of my selffe & my sons als; Þat I may lyff in my lond in my last dayes, Out of batell & baret in my bare eld, Line 9276 I assent to þi sagh, vpon soche wise, Þat he þis forward fulfille, & before do, And with no gawdes me begile, ne to greue ferre."

The prise wordes of Priam Paris alowet, Line 9280 And demet to be don, as the duke said, So þat his wiffe, o nowise,—worshipfull Elan,— Shuld be sent to hir souerain, ne seche vnto grece, But leng in þat lond to hir lyues end. Line 9284 The þrid day, full þroly, þriuond Achilles Sent his message, full mekely, to þe myld qwene. He past to hir priuely, and the pert fond, And asket of þat onerable onsware to haue. Line 9288 Thus said hym þat souerain with a softe speche:— [folio 143b] "I haue wetyn the wille of my wale kyng, And of Paris, my pure son, prestly also: Bothe assenton to þis sound, sothely, to me, Line 9292 On suche couenaunt to kepe, þat the kyng shall All þo forwardes fulfill, first, of hym-seluyn. All ys holly in hym, hold yf hym lyst, ffor to sew hit hym-seluyn, say hyt fro me: Line 9296 So hit keppit be in cource, carpit no ferre, Tyll yssu be ordant, after his deuyse." Þen be leue of þe lady, the lede on his way Past at the port, & the pale entrid: Line 9300 To his maistur of his mater menit anon, All the truthe of the tale, tomly to end. Achilles was choise fayne, cherit hym the bettur, And now hatnis his hert all in hote loue: Line 9304 Myche myndit the mater, in the mene tyme, And to bryng hit aboute besit hym sore. Hit heuet his hert of his hegh proffer, Þat passit his pouer, to Priam the kyng; Line 9308 ffor hit longis to a louer soche a light vice, In the hete of his hert, for his hegh lust, To proffer soche prise thing, þat passis his might, And festyn in forward, þat hym for-thinkes after. Line 9312

Line 9312 Yet hopit he full hertely, for his hegh prowes, And doghtenes of dede with his dregh strokes, If he gright with the grekes to graunt hom his helpe, Þat þai the lond shuld leue & lightly go home. Line 9316 Þen Achilles did cherisshe the cheftan of all. Palomydon, the prise, by purpos of hym, All the grete of the grekes gedrit hym somyn, To a counsell to come for the comyn proffet. Line 9320

When prinses & prise kynges were in pale somyn, Among tho mighty with mouthe menit Achilles:— "Now, fryndes faithfull, in feliship here! [folio 144a] Kynges, & knightes, & other kyde Dukes, Line 9324 That the charge, & the chaunse hase of þis choise wer, Thurgh oure might & oure monhod maintene to gedur! What whylenes, or wanspede, wryxles our mynd? Þat for meuyng of a man, —Menelay the kyng,— Line 9328 And the wille of a woman, as ye weton all, Oure londes haue leuyt, & oure lefe godys, Our childur, oure choise folke, & chefen fro hom Vnto a cuntre vnkynd, with care at oure herttes: Line 9332 Oure godys, oure gold vngaynly dispendit, And oure persons be put vnto pale dethe. Oure kynges are kyld, & oure kyd Dukes: Oure buernes with baret britnet in feld, Line 9336 Þat might haue leuet in hor lond, as lordes at hame. And my selfe, sothely, suffert full hard, Wickedly woundit, wasted my blode.

At the dethe of the derfe prince, soche a dynt hade, Line 9340 I wend neuer, witturly, walked on fote. Hit greuys me full gretly, & to ground brynges, Whethur Elan be so honerable, or of so hegh prise, ffor hir, oure Dukes to dethe, & oure derfe kynges. Line 9344 In yche lond, lelly, þat lithe vnder heuen, Are wemen to wale, of worship full mony, Þat Menelay may mightily mell hym to haue, And chose hym a choise, withouten charge heuy; Line 9348 And not so mony be mard, ne on mold ded, Ne all grece for to greve, with no ground harme. Hit is not light for vs lite, þis lond to dystroy, Þat haue a Cité full sure, & Surffetus mony, Line 9352 Bothe of kynges, & knightes, & kid men of armes: And we, the worthiest in wer, haue wastid in dethe, Kyld of oure kynges, and other kyd Dukes. This suffises, me semys, to ses with oure worship; Line 9356 Kayre to oure cuntre, & couet no more! Þof Elan leue in þis lond, & not laght worthe, Hit greues not full gretly, ne no ground harme, Syn we Exiona, the suster of the sure kynges, Line 9360 At hom holdyn for hir, þat is a hede lady, And more honerable þan Elan, of auncetre grete."

When the wegh hade thies wordis warpit to end, Here he seset full sone, said he no more. Line 9364 Þan Toax, the tore kyng, talkys agayne, With Menelay & mo, mighty of astate, Gright with the gret & agayne stode:

All the most of þo mighty, with a mayn wille, Line 9368 Dyssaisent to the dede, demyt hit for noght. Achilles at tho choise men cheuert for anger, Vne wrothe at hor wordes, & wightly he send To all the Mermydons, his men, and his mayn pepull, Line 9372 That no freke to the feld fare shuld to batell; Ne to go with þe grekes, to greue hom with-in. Þen hit auntred in the ost of the od grekes, Þat hom failed the fode, and defaute hade: Line 9376 Hongur full hote harmyt hom þen, And fayntid the folk, failet þe strenkith. Palomydon a perlement puruait anon, And the grete of the grekes gedrit he somyn. Line 9380 Þan ordant thei all men Agamynon the kyng, With mony shippes full shene shapon þerfore, To fecche hom som fode, & filsyn hor strenght. Agamynon, full goodly, by grement of all, Line 9384 Meuyt vnto Missam with mayn shippes fele, & rofe þere full radly, raiket to the kyng. And Thelaphon hym toke with a triet chere; ffylde all his fyne shippes, & his fraght made; [folio 145a] Line 9388 Stuffit hym with store, þat hom strenght might. Toke leue at þe lord, and the land past; Sailet hom soundly to the sure tenttes; Was welcom I-wis to the weghes all. Line 9392 ffayne were þo freikes of þe fre kyng! Palomydon, the prise kyng, prestly gart ordan All the shippes full shene shapyn to rode; And all the navy full noble, naitly aray, Line 9396 Atyrit with takell, & trussyng of Ropes, To be Redy for the Rode, yf þai Red toke. And so þai lyue þere in legh: oure lord gyf us Ioye!