Prolicionycion [sic]

¶Abessa / ¶ Capitulum 24

ABessa of Bethlem was Iugge in Israel seuen yere in his second yere priamus kyng of Frigia that is kyng of Troy sente Anthenor to the grekes and sayd that he wold gladly for yeue all trespasses that they had doo bifore· yf they wold sende ayen his sister hesiona that they had rauesshyd / The grekes wold not priamus arayed for the bataylle and made his oldest sonne hector leder of other men / Alysaunder that heet paris also hectors brother assenteth herto and sayth / that whan he hunted somty∣me in the woode called Ida / he slept and dremed that mercurius brought bifore hym Iuno venus and mynerua for he shold deme whiche of hem were fairest & minerua biheete hym wysedome / Iu∣no worship and venus behete hym the fareyst wyf of the worlde yf he wold deme that she were the fayrest / helen{us} the other broder prophecyed the contrary & sayd that yf that alisander that heet pa¦ris toke a wif of grece / the grekes wold come & destroye yliū that is troy· that woman cassandra prophecied the same netheles ship¦pes were arayed and paris with Anthenor were sente in to grece and when th•• men came in to the Ilande Citheria to the feste of Iuno helena kynge menelaus wyf came for to see the fayrenes

of Paris and paris rauesshyd hir and toke hir with hym in to Troy Than was Priamus glad ynow wenyng therby reco∣uer his sister hesiona / Than menelaus kyng of lacedomonia ma¦de greet and greuous playnte to his brother agamenon kynge of mescenes of the rauesshynge of his wyf / and gadred passynge strong men Achylle Patroclus vlyxes Aiax Nestor with other stalworth men seuen and fourty and hadde shippes redy in the ha¦uen in nombre a thousand and two honderd and hadde answer of Appolyn Delphicus / that Ilium that is troye shold be destro¦yed in the tenth yere ¶ The grekes toke vp theyr ankres and saylled on the see and toke grete proyes and torned home ayene

¶In the mene tyme Agamenon sent messagers vlixes and Dyomedes to kynge pryam to wytt yf he wolde yelde vp heleyn. and sende hir home agayne Pryam bythought hym and hadde anone in mynde the wronge of the Argonantes. the deth of his fader the rauesshynge of his sister / the despysyng of his messager Anthenor· therfore he forsoke pees / and ordeyned for the warre

¶ Than whan the hooste was gadred on eyther side / Hector slough Protheselaus / and slough and felled to the ground ma¦ny men til that this Cosyn Esiona sonne Aiax The lamomus knowleched kynrede bytwene hem / and soo lett hym of his rees The mene tyme trewes was taken for two yere· that they might burye her men that were slayn but after two yere they receyued a strōg batail in the which batail· hector slough .x / stalworth dukis & achilles on the other side slough / iiij. stalworth men & noble / & the batayll dured four score dayes continuelly in hard fyghtyng & strong. & after that was trewes taken for thre yere & aft{er} that trewes they receyued and appoynted to fyghte. & slough many men on eyther syde. And andromach hectors wyf warned hector by hir dreame that he shold not that day wende in to the batayll ¶ Netheles Hector wente to bataylle and was slayne of achil¦les / And whan Hector was buryed were trewes taken for an yere And whan Hectors mynd day was holden. Achilles was there at & loued right hertely policena kyng priamus doughter & axed to haue hir to wyf & withdrewe hym from the bataylle· & said that it was euyll done to destrouble al Europa for the ra∣uesshynge of Eleyne. But atte. laste he wente forth atte prayer of the Grekes and was wounded of Troylus that hadde slayn many Grekes. therfore he was angrye and wroth and slough Troylus and menon also ¶Than was Hecuba wonder wroth

Priamus wyf and bythought hir of gyle and sette Achylles a daye whan he sholde come and fetche home his wyf polixena that was hir own doughter. and whan the day was comen alysandre otherwyse callyd paris slough Achilles gylefully. therfore they hadde answer of goddes that the grekes shold haue the vyctorye by achilles lignage ¶Neoptholonius Achilles sone wente forth in to batayll· in the whiche batayll Paris and Aiax were woū∣ded to deth eyther of other Thenne the seuenth yere of the siege came pantasilea quene of Amosons in helpe and socour of the tro¦yans and brake the siege of the Grekes and brent many of their shippes / Netheles she was slayne of Neoptholomus that she had wounded· ¶ After that Antenor and eneas counseilled for to delyuer heleyne / and for to desire peas. Priamus toke grete indignacion of theyr counseylle and sayd they shold dye. yf euer they were so wood to counseylle that eftsones / Therfor they toke grete indygnacion and sente Polidamas to the grekes and pro¦ferd to bitray the cyte for her owne sauacion / The grekes graun∣ted peas to these thre to Anthenor eneas and polidamas / and to alle theyr retinue. and the cyte was opened by nyght to the gre∣kes / Than pryamus fledde to thautres of their goddes and neop¦tholomus pursued hym and slough hym ¶ Eneas hidde polixe∣na at his owne fader Anchises atte prayer of helene. andramach had fredom graunted to seke polixena and was long sought and atte last founde and slayne of neoptholomus at hir fader tombe Eneas for he had hidde polixena was y hote to be a goo. The lond was left to Anthenor / heleyn went home ayene with menelaus This siege of troye dured ten yere and six monethes and were slayne of the Troyans er the Cyte was bytrayd six honderd thousand thre score and sixtene / And whan the cyte was bytraid thre score and echten thousand / were slayne / Than Eneas wente oute of countrey with foure and twenty shippes and with hym thre thousand men and thre honderd· and with Anthenor thre thousand with Andromach & elenus two thousand