¶ Hic Incipit bellum.
Twenti thousandis knyȝtis fre [folio 173a]
Line 11693
In his batayle than hadde he,
I dar right wel & boldely say
That ȝede to fyȝt with him that day
Line 11696
An hundrid & ffyffti thousand
Off myghti men on hors ridand.
DEphebus ferst with his batayle
Ȝede the Grekys [MS. grekys on erasure, by another hand.] for to Assayle;
Line 11700
Afftir him ȝede thanne Paris,
With the kyng of Perce y-wys,
And alle his men that he loued wele—
With-outen Iren, with-outen stele,—
Line 11704
Bowes & arwes the Persays hadde,
Thei wente forth sore a-dradde.
Priamus lad him-selff the thridde
With xxti thousand knyȝtis him amydde;
Line 11708
He bad Eueas scholde lede the fourthe
And leue him not for gode In erthe.
¶ The ffyffthe lad kyng Mennon;
And thus were thei In-sunder gon.
Line 11712
The sixte lad Polidomas.
And other lordes, as her wille was,
Ladd all that other, as he hem bad.
Thei rode forth with semblaunt sad
Line 11716
To hem of Grece that thei aȝeyn stand
Al redy dight with spere In hand
That thanne abode and here comyng:
Hit was gret at her metyng.
Line 11720
¶ Euerychon of hem on other renne,
Thei ferde as it had ben wod menne,
Thei thrilled scheldes & speres brast,
Some were sclayn, & som doun cast
Line 11724
Opon the grounde & lay flat,
Thei ȝaff be-twene hem many a sqwat.
