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.

About this Item

Title
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.
Author
Colonne, Guido delle, 13th cent.
Publication
London,: Pub. for the Early English Text Society, by N. Trübner & Co.,
1869-1874.
Rights/Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact [email protected]. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected].

DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

Subject terms
Troy (Extinct city) -- Legends
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/APE7380.0001.001
Cite this Item
"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." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/APE7380.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 8, 2025.

Pages

Page 35

Scan of Page  35
View Page 35

Here begynneth þe ffourth boke. Of þe dystrucion of þe fyrst Troy by Ercules and Iason.

All charge of þis chaunse, chefe how it will, Ercules vppon hond hertely has tane; He sped hym vnto spart, sparit he noght, Þat a cuntre is cald of þe coste of Rome. Line 1012 Tow brether full bold abidyng þer-in, Bothe kynges of þe kythe, Caster was one, And Pollux, þe proude, pristly þat other. As poyetis han put, plainly þo two Line 1016 Were getyn by a gode on a grete lady, Þe fairest of ffeturs þat euer on fote yode: And a suster to þe same, sothly, was Elyn, Getyn of þe same god in a goode tyme. Line 1020 To these kynges he come & his cause tolde, And to haue of hor helpe hertely dissyred, And þai graunted hym full goodly with a glad chere. Þen he lacches his leue and þai lordes þonkit, Line 1024 Suet forth to (Salame) in a sad haste, [MS. has "Salerne."] Þat gouernet was in gryse by a gome noble,— One Telamon trewly, as þe text sayse, Þat was kyng in the coste & þe coron hade,— Line 1028 A bold man in batell & byg in his Rewme. Ercules of helpe hym hertely besoght, And he grauntid to goo with a good wille,

Page 36

Scan of Page  36
View Page 36
With mony bold men in batell and biggest in Armes. Line 1032 To Pelleus pertly þen past he agayne, Assemblid of Soudiours a full sadde pepull, [folio 18b] Of the tidiest of Tessaile, tore men of strenght. Þen to Philon þe freike ferkit in haste, Line 1036 To a Duke þat was derffe & doughti of honde, Nestor, A noble man naitest in werre, Þat hade louyt hym of long, & his lefe frynde; He hight hym full hertely þat he haue sholde Line 1040 ffertheryng to his fight with a fre wille. Þen leues þe lede & of lond paste To Pelleus pristly, þat puruiaunce hade made Of twenty shippes full shene, shot on þe depe, Line 1044 All redy to the Roode of þe roghe ythes, With mony barons full bold & buernes þer-in. Þen comyn thies kynges fro þer kyth evyn, Saylyng full sound with seasonable wyndes; Line 1048 At Tessaile full tyte turnyt into havyn, ffor to fare to þere ffoos with a ffryke wille. Þus it tyd as I telle þe tyme of þe yere, Þe sun in his sercle was set vppon high, Line 1052 Entrid into Aries vnder a signe, And euyn like of a lenght þe light & þe derke. Þe cloudes wax clere, clensit the ayre; Wynter away, watris were calme; Line 1056 Stormes were still, þe sternes full clere, Ȝeforus softe wyndis Soberly blew; Bowes in bright holtes buriont full faire; Greuys wex grene and þe ground swete; Line 1060 Swoghyng of swete ayre, Swalyng of briddes; Medowes & mounteyns myngit with ffloures, Colord by course as þaire kynd askit. At Mid Aprille, the mone when myrthes begyn, Line 1064 The season full softe of þe salt water, And the bremnes abated of the brode ythes, [folio 19a]

Page 37

Scan of Page  37
View Page 37
Thies kynges, with knightes in companies grete, Past fro port, pulled vp þere sailes, Line 1068 Were borne to þe brode se & the banke leuyt; Sailed fourthe soberly with seasonable windes Till þai comen [to] the cost, as þe course felle, Of the terage of Troy & turnyt into hauyn, Line 1072 Þat sothly was said Segeas to nome. By thies rialles aryven were, to rest was þe sun, And neghed to þe night, noy was þe more: Kaste ancres full kene into þe (cold) water, [MS. has "cole."] Line 1076 Cogges with cablis cachyn to londe, And lay so on lone the long night ouer. Wen the derke was done & the day sprange, And lightid o lofte ledis to beholde, Line 1080 The Grekys in hor geyre graithid hom to banke, Launchid vp lightly lordis and other. The kyng had no knawlache, þat the kith aght, Of the folke so furse þat hym affray wold, Line 1084 ffor-þi vnkeppit were þe costes all þe kythe ouer. Þai hailit vp horses & hernes of maile, Armur and all thinge euyn as hom liked: Tild vp þere tentis tomly and faire, Line 1088 Skairen out skoute-wacche for skeltyng of harme, Armyn hom at all peces after anon. Er the sun vp soght with his softe beames, Pelleus full prestly the peopull did warne Line 1092 To appere in his presens, princes and dukys. With-out tarying to his tent tytly þai yode, And were set all samyn þe souerain before. When the peopull were pesit he proffert þes wordes,— Line 1096 Sais, "Ye noblist of nome þat neuer man adouted, The worde of your werkes & your wight dedis, And the prise of your prowes passes o fer! [folio 19b]

Page 38

Scan of Page  38
View Page 38
Hit was neuer herd, as I hope, sith heuyn was o loft, Line 1100 In any coste where ye come but ye were clene victorius, And happet the herre hond to haue at þe last. Lamydon, þat is lord, has vs ledde hedur, ffor to wreke vs of wrathe, & þe wegh harme: Line 1104 Þat is the cause of the course þat we come hidur. And syn our goddes haue vs graunt þe ground for to haue, Hit is spede-full to speike of our spede fur, And of gouernaunce graithe at our gret nede, Line 1108 ffor to fillyn our fare & our fos harme; Hald all our hestes, harmles our-seluyn; The tresour to take þat to Troy longes, Þat us abides in the burgh & we þe better haue. Line 1112 Hit is knowen in cuntres & costis o fer, Þat the tresour of Troy is of tyme olde, Out of nowmber to nem & nedefull to vs; Iff vs fallus in fight þe fairer at ende, Line 1116 We shall haue riches full riffe & red gold ynogh Our ffyne shippes to fille and our fraght make: Now fraist we before how fairest wille be, And speike for our spede while we space haue." Line 1120
ERCULES.
Then Ercules the Avntrus onswarid Anon,— "Sothely, Sir kyng, ye haue said well, Wise wordes I-wis & of wit noble; Iff it be worship & wit wisdom to shewe, Line 1124 Hit [is] sothely more soueran to see it in werke. I will say for myself, sauyng a bettur, As me thinkes full throly with-outyn threp more. Let us dres for our dede er þe day springe, Line 1128 And thrugh lemys of light þe lond vs perseyue: [folio 20a] Part we vs pertly þe pupull in two, In the ton shall be Telamon, þat is a tore kyng,

Page 39

Scan of Page  39
View Page 39
With all the fere þat hym folowes, furse men of Armys; Line 1132 And ȝe sothely your-selfe, þat soueran are here, With your company clene as ye come hider. Jason full iustly aioynet to my-seluon, With a soume of soudiours assignet vs with, Line 1136 Draw furthe in the derke er þe day springe, Wyn us to þe wallis, wacche þere vndur, Vmset all the Citie er þe sun rise; Lurke vnder leuys logget with vines Line 1140 Till tithaundes in toune be told to þe kyng, Of our come to þis coste, and þe case wist. He will aray hym full rad with a route noble, And shape hym to our shippes with his shene knightes; Line 1144 Vnwar of our werkes wete vs not þere. Þat oþer part of our pupull put we in thre; Nestor with a nombur of noble men all, ffare shall before the forward to lede: Line 1148 Castor with his company come next after, Pollux with his pupull pursu on the laste. These batels on the banke abide now here, ffeght with hym fuersly and his fell pupull; Line 1152 The Citie to sese in þe same tyme, We shall found by my feith, or ellis fay worthe: So may we sonyst the souerain distrye. To werke on this wise and our wille haue, Line 1156 I hope it shall happon in a hond w[h]ile." Hit likit well þe lordes þat þe lede said, And plainly the pupull purpast þerfore. Then Telamon full tyte with a triet pupull, Line 1160 Pelleus with a power, & þe prise Ercules, Jason full iustly and Joly knightes moo, [folio 20b] With all the here þat þei hade highet belyue, Armet at all peces abull to fight; Line 1164 Wonen vp wynly vppon wale horses,

Page 40

Scan of Page  40
View Page 40
Silen to the Citie softly and faire; Lurkyt vnder lefe-sals loget with vines, Busket vndur bankes on bourders with-oute. Line 1168 Þes oþer batels at the banke abidyng full stille, The kyng for to kepe and þere course holde. And whiles þese renkes þus rest þan rises þe sun, Bredis with his beames all þe brode vales. Line 1172 Hit was noiset anon þat a noumbur hoge Of Grekes were gedret & þe grounde hade. When þe kyng hade knowyng he comaund beliue Þat the Citye samyn were assemblet In haste, Line 1176 Iche buerne on his best wise batell to yelde. Comyn to þe kyng in companies grete, Mony stithe man in stoure on stedis enarmyt, All redy for þe rode Arayet for the werre. Line 1180 The kyng depertid his pupull, put hom in twyn, In batels on his best wise for boldyng hym-seluyn. Vnwar of þe weghes þat by the walles lay, (He knew not the caste of þe curste pepull, Line 1184 Ne dred no dissait þat hym derit after,) He busket to þe banke with a bolde chere, With his freikes in filde to þe fight on þe playne. Þe Grekes hym agayne with a grym ffare, Line 1188 ffaryn to þe fight with a frike wille. Duke Nestor anon, nobli arayed, Countres the kyng with a cant pupull: Bothe batels on bent brusshet to-gedur; Line 1192 With stithe strokes and store, strong men of armys, [folio 21a] Shildes throgh shote shalkes to dethe; Speires vnto sprottes sprongen ouer hedes, So fuerse was the frusshe when þai first met. Line 1196 All dynnet þe dyn the dales Aboute, When helmes and hard stele hurlet to-gedur; Knightes cast doune to þe cold vrthe.

Page 41

Scan of Page  41
View Page 41
Sum swalt in a swym with-outen sware more, Line 1200 Mony perysshet in þe plase er þe prise endit. The Troiens were tydé, & tid þere þe bettur, And the grekes on þe ground were greatly as|toynet. Þen Castor the kyng comys vpponone, Line 1204 Restoris hom with strenght þat distroyet were. Þen þe crie wax kene, crusshyng of wepyns, And the fight so felle of þe fresshe knightes, Þe Troiens were torne tynte of þere folkes. Line 1208 Lamydon, þat hom led, as a lion fore, Bare don mony bolde & brittonede to dethe; Mony kilde the kyng to þe cold vrthe, Mony woundit we from his weppont paste. Line 1212 So fuersly he fore with his felle dynttes, Þat þe Grekes with gremy geuyn hym way. Þen Pollux aperit with pepull ynogh, Brusshit into batell & moche bale wroght; Line 1216 Alse wode of his wit as þe wild ffyre, Mony bolde buerne on þe bent the bold king (slogh), [MS. has "shogh."] Mony turnyt with tene topsayles ouer, Þat hurlet to þe hard vrthe & þere horse leuyt. Line 1220 Lamydon at the laste lokit besyde, Segh his folke so fare & his fos kene, ffor wothe of þe worse & of weirdis feble, He with-drogh hym A draght & a dyn made, [folio 21b] Line 1224 Gedrit all his gynge And his grounde held. Duke Nestor Anon nemly persayuit Þat he was prinse of þe pepull & þe power led, He left all his ledis & a launse caght, Line 1228 Launches euyn to Lamydon with a light wille. Þe king consayuit his come, keppit hym swithe, Ricchis his reynys & th Reenke metys: Girden to-gedur with þere grete speires. Line 1232

Page 42

Scan of Page  42
View Page 42
Line 1232 The king share thrugh his shild with þe sharpe ende, And the rod all-to roofe right to his honde; The Duke had dyed of þe dynt doutles anon, But the souerayn hym-seluon was surly enarmyt, Line 1236 And the kyng with the caupe caste to þe ground, With a warchand wounde thurgh his wedis all. He feynyt not for þe fall ne þe felle hurtte, But stert vp stithly, straght out a swerde Line 1240 And flange at the freike with a ffyn wille. A ȝonge knight and a ȝepe, ȝyueris of hert, High[t] Sedar for sothe, suet to þe Duke With a bir on þe brest, þat backeward he ȝode, Line 1244 And fuersly of his foole fell to þe grounde. Þe king fayne of þe falle and þe freke segh, And bare to þe bolde with a bigge sworde. The bourder of his basnet brestes in sonder, Line 1248 And videt the viser with a vile dynt, Gaffe hym a great wounde in his grete face. He hade slayne hym slighly for sleght þat he couth, But a gret nowmbur of Grekes gedrit hym vmbe, Line 1252 And put hym fro purpas þof þai payn þolit: Þai hurlet hym fro horse fete & of hond toke, Set hym in his sadill þof he vnsound were. Castor the king conceyuit beliue, Line 1256 That Nestor with noy was nolpit to ground, He Richet his Reynes and his roile stroke, [folio 22a] Suet vnto Sedar with a sore wepyn, To deyre hym with a dynt for þe Dukes sake. Line 1260 And er he come to the king, so his course fell, One caupet with hym kenely, a cosyn of Sedars, And set hym a sad dynt, Secorda he high[t]: His shafte all-to sheuerit the shalke was unhurt, Line 1264 And Castor in the caupyng the knight euyll wondyt,

Page 43

Scan of Page  43
View Page 43
A Sore dynt in the syde at the same coursse. Sedar was sory for sake of his cosyn, Carue euyn at Castor with a kene sworde, Line 1268 Þe shilde away share vnto the shyre necke, And all þe haspes of his helme þat þe hede ȝemyt; With a swinge of his sworde swappit hym in þe fase, Bare hym ouer backeward to þe bare vrthe. Line 1272 When þe freke was fallen & on foote light, He laid vppon lyuely & no lede sparit, Ȝald hym not ȝet for ȝynernes of hert. Þan pollux full pertly aprochet in hast Line 1276 With seuyn hundrithe sad men assemblit hym with, ffrochit into þe frount & a fray made; Bere backeward the batell & his brother toke, Horsit hym in haste, halpe hym olofte; Line 1280 And pollux with a proude wille prickit to an|oþer, One Eliatus, a lede, and hym o liue broght. The kynges son of Cartage & a knight noble, Aliet vnto Lamydon by his lefe suster, Line 1284 Cosyn to the kyng, & he his kyde Em, Pité of þat pert knight persit his hert, Þat the shire water shot ouer his shene chekys. Myche woo hade þe wegh for þe wale knight, Line 1288 And assemblit his sad men on a soppe hole, With a horne þat he hade, in a hond while, (Seuyn thousand be sowme all of sure knightes,) [folio 22b] And charget hom chefely for chaunse vppon vrthe, Line 1292 ffor to dere for the dethe of his dere cosyn. Þen the Troiens full tite tariet no lengur, Gird euyn to the Grekes with a grym fare; Slogh hom downe sleghly & slaunge hom to grounde; Line 1296

Page 44

Scan of Page  44
View Page 44
Line 1296 Wondit of þe wightist, warpide hom vnder; Put hom fuersly to flight, folowet hom after To the banke of the brode see þere botis were leuit. þere Lamydon þem leuyt, for a lede come Line 1300 With tithynges fro the towne told to the kyng; One Dotes, with dyntes þat dedly was wondyt, Said the Citie was sesit & sad men þere-in, Of our fos full fell, fuerse men in Armys, Line 1304 A grete nowmber of Grekis, & þe goodes takyn. Þe kyng for þat care coldit at his hert, And siket full sore with sylyng of teris, Henttes his horne and hastily blawes; Line 1308 Assemblit his sad men on a sop holle, Left the Grekes on þe ground by the gray water: Soght to þe Citie on soppes to-gedur Tho þat left were on lyue þogh þai lite were. Line 1312 The kyng in his comyng kest vp his egh, Segh a batell full breme fro þe burghe come Prickand full prest vppon proude stedys. He blusshed ouer backeward to þe brode see, Line 1316 Se the Grekys come girdand with a grym noise, Þat fled were before & þe fild leuyt. He was astonyet full stithly to be stad so, Betwene the batels on bent & so bare leuyt, Line 1320 Vmfoldyng with his fos þat he ne fle might. Þen to batell on bent þai busket anon, A felle fight & a fuerse fell hom betwene. But vnmete was the Macche at þe mene tyme: [folio 23a] Line 1324 The Grekes were grym, of a grete nowmber, And lite of þat other lede, þat on lyue were. The Troiens full tyte were tyrnyt to þe grounde With batell on bothe halfes, blody beronyn, Line 1328 Wyde woundes & wete of hor wale dyntes. Ercules yreful euer vponone, Pricket furthe into prise and full playne made,

Page 45

Scan of Page  45
View Page 45
Gird gomes vnto grounde with vngayn strokes, Line 1332 Bere the batell a-bake, mony buerne qwellid. The freke was so fuerse, the[y] fled of his gate; All shodurt as shepe shont of his way, Non so derffe to endure a dynt of his hond, Line 1336 ffor all loste þe lyfe þat þe lede touchet.
THE DETH OF LAMYDON BY ERCULES.
Tyll he come to þe kyng in a kene yre, Dang hym derffly don in a ded hate, Grippit hym grymly, gird of his hede, Line 1340 Þrew it into þronge of his þro pepull; Þat moche sorowe for þe sight & sobbyng of teres, When þaire kyng was kylt, hom be course felle. Sesit was the Citie, socour non þere, Line 1344 Þaire fomen so felle, and so few other, The Grekes gird hom to grounde & to grym dethe: Of the dite & þe dyn was dole to be-holde. The Troiens with tene turnyt þe bake, Line 1348 ffleddon in fere and þe filde leuyt, Ouer hilles & hethes into holte woddes, Þat left were on lyue with mony laithe hurtes, When the Grekys hade the gre & the grounde wonen. Line 1352
THE TAKYNG OF ÞE TOWNE.
Thai soght into the Cité vpon sere haluys, Streght into stretis and into stronge houses, There were wemen to wale, A wondurfull nowm|bur, Childer full choise and of chere febill, Line 1356 Wyth olde ffolke vnfere ferly to see. [folio 23b] All tight to þe tempull of þere tore goddes, ffor drede of the dethe, & myche dynne made. Mony wyues, for woo, of þere wit past, Line 1360

Page 46

Scan of Page  46
View Page 46
Line 1360 And þere barnes on brest bere In þere armes, Hyd hom in houles and hyrnys aboute. Maydons for mornyng haue þere mynde loste, (Soche payne of a pepull was pitie to be-holde) Line 1364 Hurlet out of houses, and no hede toke Of golde ne of garmenttes, ne of goode stonys; ffongit no florence, ne no fyn pesys, Gemys ne gewellis, ne no ioly vessell, Line 1368 But all left in hor loges & lurkit away. The Grekes were full gredy, grippit hom belyue, Prayen and pyken mony priuey chambur, ffongit þere florence and oþer fyn gold, Line 1372 Geton girduls full gay, mony good stonys; Wele wantid no wegh wale what hom liste. A monyth on þis maner meuyt no ferre, But soughton vp the Cité vpon sere haluys, Line 1376 Grippit vp the grounde, girdyn doun þe wallys, Prowde pales of prise puttyn to grounde; Brent vp the byggynges & full bare maden; The temple ouer-turnyt, tokon þe folke, Line 1380 Dydden all to the dethe & for ne drede lettyd; Wemen, wale childur, & other weike pupull, Madens full mony & of mete Age, Sesit hom sone in seruage to holde. Line 1384
EXIONA, THE KINGES DOUGHTER LAMYDON.
When the pales was put doun of þe prise kyng, Þai fonde þer a fre faire to be-holde, Euyn of his owne doughter Exiona was callid. Bannet worthe the bale tyme þat ho borne was, Line 1388 ffor the care þat þere come because of hir one. Ercules egerly euyn vponone Betoke hir to Telamon, for he the towne entrid, In reward as by right for his ranke wille. [folio 24a] Line 1392
POETA.
But caitif unclene, for thy curst dede!

Page 47

Scan of Page  47
View Page 47
Syn the fortune felle þat faire into honde, Þat was cumly and clene and a kinges doughter, Þou shuld have holdyn þat hynd, had hir þi-selfe, Line 1396 Weddit with worship and to wife holdyn. And þou so doggetly has done in þi derfe hate, Þrast hir vnder þraldam with þi þro hert, To a kyng þat is curst, of vnclene lyfe, Line 1400 ffor to lede in his lechery all his lyfe after. Thurgh vnhappe of þat hynde, þat þou a hore mase, Myche greuaunce shall groo & a gronnd hate; Wer wakyn & wo for þi wickede dede, Line 1404 Mony boldes for þat bright in batell be kylde.
When the toune was ouertyrnyt, takyn þe godys, Þe Grekes to þe gray water gyrdyn belyue; Shottyn into shippes all þe shene godis, Line 1408 Launchet furthe lightly & the lond passit, Girdon ouer the grym waghes into grece samyn. All þere lordes were light þat þai lyffe hade, ffayne of þere fortune & þere fine relikes, Line 1412 Didyn sacrifice solempne vnto sere goddes. All þere Rewmes wax riche, hade relikes ynowe, And long tyme with hom last & þere lefe children. When the Cité was sesit, as I said ere, Line 1416 And Lamydon the lege kyng out of lyfe broght, Wemyn & wale children vnto wo put, Set vnder seruage, sorow for euer, The kynges doughter caght & out of kythe led, Line 1420 And in horedam holdyn, harme was þe more. Se now the sorow þat þere suet after; And yche wegh þat is wise & of wit stable, Light harmes Let ouer-passe, Lap noght in yre [folio 24b] Line 1424 ffor foly þat may falle of a felle hert.
A PROUERBE.
A word þat is wrappid, and in wrath holdyn,

Page 48

Scan of Page  48
View Page 48
May feston as a fyre with a fuerse lowe, Of a sparke unaspied, spred vnder askys, Line 1428 May feston vp fyre to mony freike sorow; So lurkes with lordes of a light wrathe, Þat growes into gronnd harme, greuys full sore. (Happye) is þe here In no hate lengis, [MS. has "happyn."] Line 1432 Ne letis bele in his brest wherof bale rises, Ne mynnes no malis þat is of mynd past; As yt happes here harme for to come, And wreke to be wroght for wordes a few; Line 1436 Soche a kyng to be kylde, A cuntre distroyed, ffele folke forfaren with a ffeble ende. Gyf an end hade ben now, & neuer noyet efter, Bothe of lure & of los, & oure lorde wolde, Line 1440 Hit was euyn bot a venture of Angur to come, And a Sesyn of sorow þat þere suet after. Right as Lamydon þe lorde was of lyue broght, ffor he grethit with þe Grekys þat on his ground lay; Line 1444 So þis Maidon shalbe mater of full mekull harme, And mony londes to lure þat euer ho lyffe hade. Lo, how fortune is felle & of fer caste, Þat drawes in a dede hate in a derke wille, Line 1448 And of a litill hath likyng a low for to kyndull, Þat hepis into harme in a hond while! By þis mater I meane what myschefe befell, Þere no cause was to ken but vnkynd wordes. Line 1452 And while þis Lady was on lyffe in a lond fer, And all thies maters in mynde, þat I mene here, Grete Troy was vp tild with mony toures vmbe, Þat was meruelously [made], & mekell to shew, [folio 25a] Line 1456 And Sesyt was sython & to sorow broght, And mony kynges were kyld & knightes þerfore. What ledys were lost & of lyue done, Now I turne for to telle, whill I tyme haue. Line 1460

Page 49

Scan of Page  49
View Page 49
Line 1460
OFF KING PRYAM & HIS CHILDREN.
This Lamydon, þat was lord, hade a lefe son, A pert man þat was prinse, & priam he hight; A man witty & wise, wight, wildist in Armes. Hit felle hym [by] fortune at his fader dethe, Line 1464 He was faryn to fight in a fer londe, To riche hym of Rebelles þat of þe rewme held; To cache a castell þat was kene holdyn, And to wyn it with werre, went þere a while Line 1468 With his houshold hole, & here þat he walt. He hade a woman to wyue worthy & noble, Onest & abill & Ecuba she hight: By þat same hade he sonnes, semly men all, Line 1472 ffyue þat were faire & fuerse men of armes, And þree doghter by-dene þat were dere holden. Of his sonnes to say or I sew ferre, Ector was oldist & heire to hym seluyn; Line 1476 And most is in mynd for his mykyll strenght. The secund of his sonnes sothely was parys, Or Alisaunder ewther was his other name; He was fairest of þe freikes & a fyne archer, Line 1480 A bowman of þe best & a buerne wise. The þrid was a þro knight, þrivand in Armys, Deffebus þe doughty on a derfe stede. The fourth was a philosoffer, a fyne man of lore, Line 1484 In þe Syense full sad of þe seuyn Artes. The fyfte of the fre, þat I first nemyt, [folio 25b] Was Troylus the true, tristy in wer, That mykell worship wan, witnes ye of story. Line 1488 Of his Deghter by dene, þat were dere holdyn, One Creusa was cald kyndly by nome, Þat Eneas afterward Elit to wed, Þat spokyn is of specially in our spede after, Line 1492 And Virgill of his werkes writis also, After takyng of þe toune how hym tid þen. The secund of þe suster for to say ferre,

Page 50

Scan of Page  50
View Page 50
Cassandra was cald, clennest of wytte, Line 1496 Þat Enformet was faire of þe fre artis, And hade knowyng by course of þe clere sternys. The last of þos lefe children was a lysse faire, Polexena the pert, prise of all other; Line 1500 Of hir ffeturs & fairhed is ferly to telle, Alse noble for þe nonyst as nature cold deuyse Bothe of colour & clennes, to declare all. This prise kyng Priam hade of pert childer, Line 1504 Thretty sonnes besydes, als other wemen, Þat he gate on his gamen, goode men of Armys, And felle men in fight, as we shall fynd after. Now I turne to my tale & tary here a while. Line 1508
Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem? Please contact us.