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.

The xxxv Boke: Of Pyrrus and of his passyng ffrom Troy.

Now, of Pirrus by proses I purpos to telle, [folio 205a] Line 13388 When he turnyt fro Troy how hym tyd after. To Achilles the choise he was a chere sun, And Dyamada doutles his own du moder. She was a doghter full dere of the derf kynge, Line 13392 Lycomede, a lord þat he louyt wele. Two worthy had the wegh to his wale graunsers, Bothe, kynges in hor kythe with corone anoyntted. This Lycomede by lyne was a leue ayre Line 13396 To Ascatus the skir, þat skathill was in elde: He was of winturs, I-wis, waxen full mony, Ournonde in Elde, eger of wille. He hade hate in his hert to þe hed kyn Line 13400 Of Pirrus progeny, and prestly to hym. What causet the kyng to his cleane yre, Tellis not the trety, ne trespas of olde. This Ascatus with skathe skerrit of his rewme Line 13404 Pelleus, with pouer, þat the prouyns held Of Thessaile truly, as the treté sais; And a-waited with wyles þe wegh at his come, Pirrus with pouer to put vnto dethe. Line 13408

After the takyng of Troy and the tried godes, Pirrus passed furth to þe pale ythes.

He was stithly be-stad with stormes on þe sea, And for wothe of the worse warpet ouer-burde Line 13412 Mikill riches & relikes reft fro the toune. With long labur, at the last he light in a hauyn, Þat Melaus the men of the marche callyn, With his shippes alto-shent, sheuerit the helmys, Line 13416 And the takill to-torne, tynt of hor godes. There lengit he a litill his ledis to refresshe, His cogges & his cables of crakkyng to ricche, And his tacle to a-tyre, þat he tynt had. Line 13420 There hym happit to here of his harme first, How his graunser with greme was gird fro his right, [folio 205b] Pelleus, with pité þat persit his hert; And how he purpost hym plainly Pirrus to sle Line 13424 By his speciall espies, if he spede might. Pirrus heivet in hert for his hegh chaunse, And myche dut hym for deth of his derf graunser. Pirrus hym purpost to pas in the night, Line 13428 Þat no wegh shuld be war, ne his werk know. When Pelleus of his prouyns put was by strenght, And skapit fro Askathes, þat hym skathe did, ffor-ferd of the freike and his felle sones, Line 13432 He went till a wildernes, & wond þere full longe. This Askathes, the skathill, had sket sones thre: The first was Lycomede the lord, and his leue ayre, Þat was graunser in degre to the gode Pirrus. Line 13436 And suster, for-sothe, of þe same Lycomede, Hight Tetide, as I told haue tomly before, Þat Pelleus in his pride purchest to wyue, And was moder to the mon, mighty Achilles. Line 13440 There were sones vpposyde, semly men two,

To Askathes full skete, skethill of hor hond: The ton freike of the fre, Philmen was cald; The tothir mon of þo mighty, Menalipes heght. Line 13444 Thies keppit hom in company with knightes full mony, Till þaire cosyn wold come fro contre of troy; And put hom þan prestly Pirrus to sle. ffro the cite, the same tyme, sothely to tell, Line 13448 Of the toune of thessaill, as the tale shewes, Was a buyldyng on a banke, busshes with-in, By a syde of the sea, set in a holt. Betwene the biggyng on þe (burne) & þe burgh riche, [MS. has "buerne."] Line 13452 Was a wildernes wide, & wild bestes in, Thedur kynges wold come, by custom of olde, ffor to hunt at the hert by the holt sydes: Hit was of long tyme beleft, & no lede there, Line 13456 Ouergrowen with greues, & to ground fallyn. There was Kaues, by course, of þe kid walles, And mony holes in the howses with hurdes aboue, Ouergrowen with greues and with gray thornes, [folio 206a] Line 13460 Euyn thestur and thicke, thricchet of wode, With an entre full n[o]yous, narow olofte, Goand downe by a grese thurgh the gray thornes. In þis logge, with his lady, lurkit Pelleus, Line 13464 Euer in doute of his dethe durst not appere. Oft went þat wegh to the water syde, The Sea for to serche, if he se might Pirrus with his pepull & his prise shippes, Line 13468 Come by the coste to the kyd rewme. When Pirrus with his pray, & his prise knightes, Hade mightely at Melapsa mendit his geire, He turnyt vnto Thessaile, his tene for to venge, Line 13472

Line 13472 Of the skaith & the skorne Ascatus hym did. His beayell aboue on þe burne syde, On his modur halfe, þe myld, þat I mynt first, Wisly to wirke he his wit preuyt. Line 13476 Two spies full spedely he sped hym to gete, Triet men & tru, tristy with-all: Thos he sent to Assandra, a sure mon of olde, A trew mon of Thessaile, þat he trist mekyll, Line 13480 A ffreike þat his fader faithfully louet, And mekyll was of might in the mayn towne. [MS. has "of a might."] There þai wist all the werke & the wild craft, How the purpos was put Pirrus to sle. Line 13484 Þan þai lurked to þe lord lyuely agayne, Made hym wise of the werke, þat þai wiste hade. Þan Pirrus full prestly presit into shippe, To turne vnto Thessaile, truly he thoght; Line 13488 But a tempest hym toke o the torrit ythes, Þat myche laburt the lede er he lond caght. Þan hym happit in haste, thurgh helpe of his goddes, To hit into havyn with his hoole flete, Line 13492 ffro the towne of Thessaile, to telle hit full evyn, Eght furlong, I fynd, & fully no more. The hauyn, þat he hit to, was hard by the cave, There Pelleus in pouert priuely lay. [folio 206b] Line 13496 Pirrus, wery of the water & the wild ythes, Launchet vp to þe laund to laike hym a qwile. Romyng on the Roces in the rough bankes, fforto sport hym a space, er he sped ferre, Line 13500 Hit happit hym in hast the hoole for to fynd, Of the cave & the clocher, þere the kyng lay. Þan he glode þurgh the greues & the gray þornes, To the hed of the hole on the hext gre, Line 13504 Sore longet the lede lagher to wende, Sum selkowth to se the sercle with-in. When he come to the cave þen the kyng rose,

Wele his cosyn he knew, & kaght hym in armys. Line 13508 By the chere of Achilles he chese hym onone: So lyke was the lede to his lefe fader. ffuersly the freike fongit him in hond. (With) myche wepyng & waile, wo for to here, [MS. has "whiche."] Line 13512 Þan he told hym full tite þe tene þat he þolet, And the skathe of Aschates, þat he skapt fro. Pirrus heivet in hert for his hede graunser, And so þai past fro the pitte to þe pure bonke. Line 13516

Pirrus full priuely persayuit onon, By a spie, þat especially sped for to wete, Þat hys Emes full egurly etlit to wode, fforto hunt in the holtes, & hent of þe dere:— Line 13520 Menalphes the mon, & his mayn brother, Policenes, full prest, prati men bothe,— To Askathes the skathell þai were sket sons. Þan Pirrus full prestly put of his clothes; Line 13524 Toke a Roket full rent, & Ragget aboue, Cast ouer his corse, couert hym þerwith; Gird hym full graidly with a grym swerd: With-outen whe to þe wod went all hym one. Line 13528 As he glode thurgh the gille by a gate syde, There met he tho men, þat I mynt first, The sones of the same, þat hym sle wold. [folio 207a] Thai fraynet at hym freckly who the freike was: Line 13532 Whedur he welke in the wode, wete hom to say. Pirrus said hom full sone hym-selfe was of grece, With his company carefull comyn out of troy, Wold kaire to his cuntre & his kythe hom; Line 13536 And þere ship was to-shent in the shyre wawes, ffast by at the banke of the bare Ile, And all drownet in the depe, saue duly hym|selfe, ffyue hundreth in flete with the flode lost. Line 13540

Line 13540 "Thus I skope fro the skathe with skyrme of my hondes, And with wawes of the water wagget to bonke: Halfe lyues on londe light I myn one. The salt water sadly sanke in my wombe, Line 13544 Þat I voidet with vomettes by vertu of goddes, And wayuerand, weike, wan to the lond, Thurgh the slicche and the slyme in þis slogh feble, There tynt haue I truly myche tried goode. Line 13548 And now me bus, as a beggar, my bred for to thigge At doris vpon dayes, þat dayres me full sore: Till I come to my kyth, can I non othir. Iff ye haue ferkit any fode to þis frith now, Line 13552 Bes gracius, for goddes loue, ges me som part!" "ffolow vs þan furth," þo fre to hym saide, "Thou shalt haue meite for a mele to mirth the with-all." Þan se þai besyde, in the same tyme, Line 13556 A grete herte in a grove, goond hym one. Menalpes full mightely meuit hym after, Left Pirrus in playne with his prise brother. There the freike on his fowle folowet the hert, Line 13560 Thurgh the londes on lenght with a light wille. His broder, þat abode with the bold Pirrus, ffell vnto fote, & his fole esyt, And hym-selfe on the soile set hym onone. Line 13564 Þan Pirrus full prestly puld out his swerd, And the lede on the launde out of lyue broght. Than tite come the tothir, and no trayn thoght: [folio 207b] Pirrus gird hym to ground & to grym deth. Line 13568 Thus britnet þat bold the brethir, his Emes, And went on full wightly, & his way held. Þan he met with a mon of the mayn kynges,

And fraynet at hym fuersly where the freike was. Line 13572 "Here at hond is þat hery," the hend to hym saide: Þen he gird to þe gome with a grym swerde, And slogh hym downe sleghly by sleght of his hond. Pirrus full prestly þen past to his shippe, Line 13576 Araiet hym full riolly all in ryche clothis, And come, in his course, þe kyng forto mete. Þen he fraynet at þe freke in his fresshe wede, Wat whe þat he was, wete hym to say. Line 13580 Pirrus to the prise kyng pertly onswart;— "I am a pure son of Priam, þe prinse out of troy, Prisoner to Pirrus, þat pertly me toke." Aschatus fraynet þe freke on his faith þen, Line 13584 "Were is Pirrus, þat proude, þat prowes has done?" "He is wery of þe whaghis," þe whe to hym sayde, "And here romys on þe rocis to rest hym a qwyle," Þen þai drogh to þe dike, þer þe duk lay, Line 13588 And comyn by course to þe caue euyn. Pirrus swappit out his sword, swange at þe kyng, Wold haue britnet þe bu[e]rne in hys breme yre. Þen come Tetid full tit, toke hym in armys, Line 13592 His graundam full graidly grippit hym onone, Modur to þe mon, myghti Achilles, Wyf, as I wene, to worthé Pelleus, And doghter to þe duke, þat he dere wold. Line 13596 Þes wordis scho warpit þat worthy vnto:— "Dere cosyn and derfe, withdraw now þi hond, Þow has britnet my brether in þis brode wod,

Þat were þin emys full nobill, nayt men of will; Line 13600 And now Aschatus with skath wold skirme to þe deth, Þat is my fader so fre, and þi first graunser." Þen Pirrus full pertly to þat prise saide:— [folio 208a] "Has not þi fader full foule flemyt myn ayell, Line 13604 Pelleus, of his promys, þin awne prise husbond. Let cal vs þe kyng fro þe caue sone, If he will spare hym to spill, I spede me þerto." Pelleus come prestly, praid for þe kyng:— Line 13608 "Hit suffis," he saide, "þe slagh of his childur, Þe bold, þat were britnet on þe bent syde." Þen acord was þer knyt þo kyngis betwene, ffull frenchip and fyn festnyt with hond. Line 13612 Þer þai setyn on þe soile, þo souerans togedur, The two kyngis full kant, and þe clene qwene, And Pirrus, þe pert knyght, prudly besyde. Aschatus þen skepe furth with his skire wordis, Line 13616 Þat was kyng of þe cost by conquest til þen:— "I am febyll and vnfere fallyn into elde, Any rem forto rewle, or to ryde furth: My sons now are slayn, & slungyn to ground, Line 13620 Þat I had purpost þis prouyns playnly to haue. Now lengis þer no lede, þat by lyne aw, Þe soile and þe septur sothly to weld, But Pirrus, of prowes pertist in armys. Line 13624 Dernyst & derne, myn awne dere cosyn, I releshe þe my ryght with a rank will, And graunt þe þe gouernanse of þis grete yle." Pelleus hit plesit, & playnly he saide:— Line 13628 "And my ryght I renonse to þat rynk sone, ffor it was playnly my purpos þat Pirrus schuld haue, Þe terrage of tessayle and þe tryed corone." Þen ros þai full radly, raght vnto horse, Line 13632 Wanen vp wightly, wentyn to towne.

Pirrus full prestly a prati mon sende, Bade his nauy come nere, negh into hauyn. [folio 208b]

OFF THE CORONYNG OF PYRRUS AND OF HIS DETHE.

The souerayn hym-selfe, when he segh tyme, Line 13636 Aschatus, to all men afterward send Thurgh the cité fro hym-selfe, & the syde lond, Þat yche lede to þe lord lyuely shuld come, With honour & homage, (as þe right ayre,) [MS. has "after þai were."] Line 13640 Proffer vnto Pirrus, as þaire prise lorde. ffayne were þo freikes and the folke all, And swiftly þai swere, swagit þere herttes, To be lell to þe lord all his lyf tyme. Line 13644 The secund day suyng, as said is of olde, He was coroned to kyng in þat kithe riche, By assent of the seniours & the sure knightes, In þat souerain cité, with septur in hond. Line 13648 Þan be fauer & frenship, þat fell to hym after, He enhaunset his hede heghly aboue All the londis and the lordship, þat longed to Gryse; And his cuntre keppit in couert & pes Line 13652 To the last of his lyf, as a lord shuld.

Here I turne from my tale, & tary a qwile, Till hit come me be course to carpe of hym ferre. When Idumius was ded, doghty of hond, Line 13656 Þat I told of tomly in tymis before, Two sones of hym-selfe suet hym after, In his realme for to reigne, as his right ayres: Merion, a myld & mighty, was one, Line 13660 And Laertus by lyne was his leue brother. This Merion hade maistri but a meane qwile, The lond to Laerte he leuyt as kyng, And after course of our kynd closit his dayes. Line 13664 Telamecus, the tall son of tryet Vlixes, [folio 209a]

Þat Nausica had, þat noble nam vnto wife, Doghter of the du kyng, doghty Antenor, He gate on þat gay vne a gode sone, Line 13668 Þat Dephebus duly was demyt to nome. Now I pas will to Pirrus by proses agayne, Of his dedis to deme, & his dethe after. Ascatus þe skete, for skath of his sones, Line 13672 Miche water he weppit of his wan chekis, Gert bryng hom to burgh, birit hom faire In a precius plase, so Pirrus comaundit.

THE POETE: OF FORTUNE.

Wen a mon is at myght, & most of astate, Line 13676 Clommbyn all þe Clif to þe clene top, Has riches full ryfe, relikis ynow, All þe world at his will, weghis to serue, Þen fortune his fall felli aspies, Line 13680 Vnqwemys his qwate, & þe qwele turnys; Lurkis in lightly with lustis in hert, Gers hym swolow a swete, þat swellis hym after.

So Pirrus was prise, pruddest of kyngis, Line 13684 Had welth at his will, þe worthiest of grice. A longyng vnleffull light in his hert, Gert hym hast in a hete, harmyt hym after. Ermonia, þe myld, þat myghté dissiret, Line 13688 Elanes aune doghter, abill of chere, Þat Orestes þe rynke richeli had weddit, By mariage of Menelay, as I mynt haue. So he sped hym by spies, & spense of his gode, Line 13692 Þat þe lady fro hir lord lyuely he stale, Toke hir to tessail fro hir tru maister, Orestes þe riche, that regnyt hir with. Pirrus with that proude presit to þe temple, Line 13696 Weddit þat worthi, & as wif held. Þen Orestes full ryfe had myche rank sorow,

Schamyt with þe schalke, that schent of his wife, And so dernely hym did dere & dispit. Line 13700 He had playnly no power Pirrus to harme, To his reme forto ride & reue hym þe qwene; But he cast hym by course, if a case fell, [folio 209b] To venge of his vilany & his vile schame. Line 13704 Þen Pirrus by purpos prestly con wend Into delphon a day, as þe dule bad, In honour of apolyn, þat abill to seche, And worchip with wyn, as a wale god, Line 13708 With sacrifice solemne & othir sere halows, ffor offens of his fadur, þat felli was slayne With Paris, þe pert knyght, as preuyt is before. In aparell of prise, on a proud wyse, Line 13712 He dight hym to delphon with dukis & othir. In his palais of prise prudly he leuyt Worthi Ectors wif, þat þe whe had, Andromoca, in drede, and her dere son Line 13716 Lamydon þe litill, þat ho left neuer, And ho boundyn with barne with þe bold Pirrus: And Ermonia þe myld maynly was ther, Þat he had weddit to wyue, & in wrong held. Line 13720 Wen Pirrus was past, þis proud in hir yre, A mon vnto Menelay myghtily sende, Bad hym turne vnto tessail in a tore hast, Andromaca to dere, & to deth put; Line 13724 ffor Pirrus of þat pert was pristly enamurt, He had no daynté with dalianse his doghter to loue. Þe whe, at þe wordis of his wale doghter, Turnet vnto tessale with a tore ffare. Line 13728 He wold haue britnet þe burd with a bare sword, And schunt for no schame, but hit schope faire. Andromaca, for drede of þe derf kyng, Lamydon hir litill sun laght in hir armes, Line 13732 Hyghet out of halle into hegh strete,

Made an ugsom noyse, þat noyet þe pepull, With wepyng and waile wo to beholde. Þe folk, for þe fray, fel to þaire armur, Line 13736 Cayrit after þe kyng in a cant hast. Þen fled he for fere, fell to his schip; Past to his prouyns, of purpos he sailet. [folio 210a]

THE DETHE OF PIRRUS, BY ORESTES SLAYNE.

Orestes full radly of the Renke herd, Line 13740 Þat Pirrus by purpos was past into delphon: He assemblit of soudiors mony sad hundrith, And met hym with mayn in the mekill Ile: There Pirrus with payne he put vnto dethe, Line 13744 Slogh hym full sleghly, & slange hym to ground, And britnet þat bold with a bigge sword. Then Pirrus the proude was pute vnto graue, Orestes by right raght to his wife, Line 13748 And led furth the lady to his lond hom. Pelleus full prestly and his pure qwene, Tetid, full tite tokyn Andromaca, Hir litill sonne Lamydon leddon hir with. Line 13752 Þai turnet out of tessaile for torfer of other, To melapsa þat menye mevyt to-gedur, Was a Cité full sure, þere soiornet þai long, Till the lady was deliuer of a loue sone. Line 13756 Andromaca þat dere þat duly conceyuit Of Pirrus the prise kyng, as his pure wife. The child with chere men Achilides was cald. Wex & wele threvan in winturs a few, Line 13760 The corone & the kyngdome kyndly he gaffe To Lamydon the lord, þat was his leue brother, The abill sone of Ector, heire vnto Troy, And in Thessaile he was takyn for a tru kyng. Line 13764 Thus Achillis achevit his awne choyse frendes, Thurgh his prokuryng prestly all the pure Troiens,

Þat the grekes hade getton at the great toune, Were deliuert yche lede, & lause at hor willne. Line 13768 And thus hit turnyt, as I tell, in a tyme short, Now is Lamydon lord, & the laund hase, Bothe the corone & the kyth, and a kyng noble [folio 210b] Of Tessaile truly, þere the toyle rose, Line 13772 Þat by Eritage of Auncetry ayre vnto troy. Here the prosses of Pyrrus I putto an end, Of other maters to mene, þat in mynd falles.

HERE YE A MERUAYLE OF A LADY BY NYGRAMANSY.

When Troylus, the tru knight, was turnyt to ground Line 13776 By Achilles, as chaunset of þat choise kyng, As ye fynd may before in the— & xx boke, The mighty kyng Menon mainly Achilles Gird to þe ground with a grym hurt, Line 13780 Þat the Myrmydons þaire maistur masit þai toke, And bare to his bastell on a brode shelde, As for ded of þe dynt, dressit to lye. Þan hit happont in a hond qwile this hed kyng be slayne, Line 13784 By the myrmydons vnmonly murtherit to dethe, Whose body, as the boke sais, was beriet in the toune By Troiellus truly in a toumbe riche. This Menon the mighty hade a mayn suster, Line 13788 The fairest on fold þat any folke knew; Ho soght to þe Cité sythen hur one, To the toumbe of þat tried truly ho yode, Toke the bones of hir brother, as the boke sais, Line 13792 Closit hom full clanly in a clere vessell, All glyssononde of gold & of gay stonys; Evyne ymyddes all men, meruell to se, Waynyt vp to the welkyn, as a wan clowde, Line 13796

Line 13796 And neuer apperit to the pepull in þat place efte. The folke, for þat ferly, faithly hur holdyn A Goddes full glorius, for grace þat hir fell, Or a doghter, þay demyt, of a due god. Line 13800 So thies gentillis a-iugget, & for iuste held?