Of his wit & his wordes & his wise speche,
In dede thus to do þai demyt it all. [folio 30a]
When Priam hade persayuit all þere pure wille,
He chese hym a chere man the charge for to beire.
Line 1772
Antenor he toke for his triet wit;
He was gret, & graithe, & a gome noble,
Wisest of wordes and willé þerto.
He spake to hym specially, þat he spede shuld
Line 1776
With fauer and fair wordes his frenship to haue.
And he lowted his lege with a low chere,
And grauntid to go with a goode wille.
HOW ANTENOR WENT ON MESSAGE TO THE GREKYS.
Then he shope hym to ship in a sharp haste,
Line 1780
And dressit for þe depe as hym dere þught;
Halit into havyn in a hond while,
Shippit hym full shortly & his shene folke;
Grippit vp a gret sayle, glidis on þe water,
Line 1784
Sailet on soberly and þe se past;
Teght into Tessaile, turnyt into hauyn,
There Pelleus þe proude was a prise kyng.
At Mansua for mirth in þe mene tyme,
Line 1788
A hauyn toun, as hap was, þere þe hind lay,
Antenor not tariet ne no tome hade,
But went to the wale kyng on his way sone,
Hailsit hym hendly, & he his honde toke,
Line 1792
And welcomyt hym worthely as a wegh noble,
And fraynit hym with frendship qwat the fre wold.
Antenor full tite told of his wille:—
"ffro Priam full prist put am I hider,
Line 1796
As a messynger made at þis mene tyme.
Thus he sent me to say to your will euyn,
ffor to mene to your mynde, as I most nede,
The harmys and þe heuenys hym happit of yow.
Line 1800
ffirst of his fader, in fight was distroyet
