The hystorye, sege and dystruccyon of Troye
Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451?, Colonne, Guido delle, 13th cent. Historia destructionis Troiae., Benoît, de Sainte-More, 12th cent. Roman de Troie.
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¶How the Grekes sente Achylles / and Pyrro des into the yle of Delos for to haue answere of the god Appollo / how they shulde spede in their Iourney. Capitulo. xvij.
[illustration]
AFter the tyme / that AgamenonConcluded hath / fully his reason
As ye haue herde / & his sentence fyned
The Grekes be of herte / ful enclyned
And with one voyce / accorded playnely thus
That Achylles / and also Pirrodus
For comyn profyte / sythe they were sage
Shall take on them / the charge of this message
To Appollo / for answere for to gone
And to shyppe / they them haste anone
And sayle forthe / by the large see
Towarde Deluos / and in prosperytee
They be aryued / and ycome to lande
The whiche yle / as I vnderstande
And as myn Auctor / sayth without les
Hath his syght / amonges Cyclades
Where men with rockes haue so moche ado
Amyd the sec / called Helespontico
Of whiche yle / to make descripcyon
I muste a whyle / make disgressyon
Fro my mater / as myn Auctor doth
For in this yle / Isydorus in soth
Reherseth playnly / how Latona the quene
Appollo firste / and Dyane the shene
I childed hath by Iubyter hir lorde
Whan he and Iuno / were at discorde
As wryte Ouyde / for alytell whyle
And so befylle / in this lytell Yle
There was a Temple / whylom dedycate
Vnto Appollo / and also consecrate
In his worshyp / of olde foundacyon
That was honoured / by great deuocyon
Bycause Appollo / with his bemes clere
After the flood / firste there dyde appere
To shewed his hornes / rather there and soone
And Dyane eke / that called is the moone
Of whiche shewynge / this yle bereth the name
Into this day / that is of so great fame
Oonly be apperynge / of this ylke twayne
For Delos / is in greke / no more to sayne
Than a shewynge / or an apparence
And thus began / the great reuerence
To Appollo firste / and the honour eke
To hym Idone / of so many greke
And to his suster / that called is Dyane
The pale moone / that can so waxe and wane
And called is / of Paynems a goddesse
That whylom was / in wod an hunteresse
And this lady / with the sonne hir brother
Of this yle hath lordshyp / and none other
Oonly for they / at theyr natyuyte
Shewed theyr lyght / firste in that countre
The whiche yle / Grekes also calle
Ortygya / in theyr langage alle
Bycause Curlewes / were there firste Iseyne
For Otygyas / is no more to seyne
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Than a Curlewe / in Grewe I vnderstande
For they were firste / engendred in that lande.
¶And Appollo / is called eke Titan
That in his tyme / so moche worshyp wan
Longe afore / or he was made a sterre
With Iubyter / whan that he helde werre
And he also / ycalled is Phebus
And of some / ynamed Phycius
For of Pheton / he had the victorye
Whan he hym stewe / to his encrease of glorye
The great serpent / here in erthe lowe
With his arowes / and his myghty bowe
Of whiche conqueste / the great god Cupyde
Hadde enuye / and euen thorugh the syde
He wounded hym / depe to the herte
With y• arowe of gold / yt made hym sore smerte
And of Pheton / that Phebus made fyne
Came Phetonysses / that can so deuyne
I mene women / that be deuyneresses
Thorugh dede men / these false sorceresses
As one / whylom reysed Samuel
For loue of Saule / the byble can you tell
And in his temple / large longe and olde
There was a stature / all of pured golde
Full great and hye / and of huge weyghte
And therin was / thorugh the deuylles sleyghte
A spirite vnclene / by false illusyon
That gaue answere / to euery questyon
Nat the Ydoll / dombe as stocke or stone
And thus the people / deceyued euerychone
Were by the fende / brought in great errour
To do worshyppe / and suche false honour
With sacryfyce / and cursed mawmentrye
And in this wyse / began Ydolatrye
As in this place / to telle I me caste
And how longe / it abode and laste
Compendyously / I purpose to descryue
Gynnynge and ende / as ye shall here blyue
Without any / Ambygnyte
For at the byrthe / and natyuyte
Of criste Ihesu / at the Incarnacy owne
All the Ydolles / braste and fell a downe
And vanysshed / and were brought to nought
Whan herodes / the blesfull childe sought
Thorugh his malys / and cruelte horryble
As holy wrytte recordeth / and the byble
For whiche pursuyte / and persecucion
There dyde apere / by auysion
An hooly aungell / to Ioseph as he slepe
And bad hym ryse / and also take kepe
Vnto the childe / and also to marye
And go his waye / or Herode hym aspye
Into Egipt / the great regyon
Lyke as the Gospell / maketh mencyon
And right anone / as he came to that lande
There was none Ydoll / yt vpright myght stāde
But to shyuered / vnto peces smale
This holy wrytte / playnely and no tale
And was recorded / friste of Isaye
How that our lorde / on an esy skaye
Ascende shulde / and holde forthe his weye
Towarde Egipt / and therwith shulde deye
All mawmetrye / and no longer dwelle
But as the Iewes / recorde of Ysmaelle
That he was firste / that mawmetrye fonde
And made of claye / an Ydoll with his honde
And as Paynems / wryte and telle vs
That alder firste / was Promotheus
That founde Ydolles / shortly to conclude
For symulacrum / cometh of symylitude
That is no thynge / playnely but lyknesse
Made after man / his ymage to expresse
Vnto whiche / paynems in theyr gyse
With false honour / and cursed sacryfyse
Begonne firste this ryte / for drede of man
And some saye / how Belus firste began
Suche false worshyp / and suche mawmettye
In theyr bokes / as clerkes specefye.
That of assirye / was lorde and gouernour
After whose deth / his sone in his honour.
That Nynus hyghte / an ymage dyde make
To be worshypped / oonly for his sake
All of brent golde / by false affeccion
And sette it vp / for consolacion
And for a mynde / and a memoryall
Vnto the whiche / with herte wyll and all
Of ignoraunce / and of flesshely loue
He dyde honour / as to god aboue
In his temples / moste of excellence
And made his people / to do reuerence
And sayde in heuen / he was deyfyed
That of no man / durste be denyed
Tyll after soone / but a lytell whyle
A wycked spyryte / folkes to begyle
In this ydoll / entrede to abyde
And gaue answere / vpon euery syde
To the people / of what them lyste demaunde
And they agayne / what he wyll cōmaunde
Obeye fully / the folke of all Assyrye
Whiche vnto god / dyde great iniurye
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Makynge the people / in suche errour falle
And some Belus / and some Bell hym calle
And some Balym / and some Belphegore
And felle in errour / alway more and more
And Belzebub / he named was also
Whiche name is made / of wordes two
Of bel and zebub / that thus signefye
For bel is god / and zebub is a flye
Than Belzebub / togydre specyfyes
Ioyned in one / the great god of flyes
And of this fayned / false ydolatrye
Gan all the worlde / worshyp mawmetrye
¶For some Saturne / god of goddes all
Gan in theyr errour / falsely for to call
That was whylom / the myghtykyng of Crete
And gaue hym name / after the planete
That in heuen / hath so large a spere
And as Poetes / in theyr fables lere
That he before / thorugh his sapyence
Sawe / in his dyuyne prouydence
How a sone / shulde of hym descende
¶And of Iuno / the goddes / as he wende
That shulde hȳ playnely / fro his reigne expelle
And suffre hym / no lenger for to dwelle
In his kyngdome / whan he came to age
Wherof Saturne / fyll in suche arage
That he wyll shape / remedye therfore
Byddynge his wyfe / whan y• childe were bore
That she to hym / shulde it brynge anone
In stede wherof to hym she brought a stone
To saue hir childe / she dyde hir besynesse
And this Saturne / thorugh his gredynesse
The stone deuoureth / in his melancolye
And thus Saturne / but if bokes lye
Hadde sones thre / a doughter and no mo
Iubyter Neptunus / and Pluto
But Iubyter grettest / was of the name
Moste renowmed / and worthyest of fame
Amonge Paynems / as it is veryfyed
For they so hye / haue hym magnefyed
That they hym calle / god of fyre and eyre
Nert to Saturne / borne for to be heyre
And nert to hym / in bokes as I rede
Is god of batayle / myghty Mars the rede
And next Appollo / so clere / so shene & bryght
The dayes eye / and voyder of the nyght
Cheryssher of fruyte / herbe / floure and corne
The whiche god / lyke as is sayde toforne
In Delos / is worshypped / and honoured
And after venus / that often hath socoured
Many louer / the fayre lusty quene
And them aledge / of theyr woundes grene
That firste was hurte with hir firy bronde
As she that is goddesse / of many londe
And all the worlde / hath in hir demeyne
Faste enbraced / in hir firy cheyne
I mene the lady that called is venus
And next in ordre / is Mercurius
That in speche / hath moste excellence
Of rethoryke / and sugred eloquence
Of musyke / songe and Armonye
He hath lordshyp / and hole the regalye
Next the Moone / that wexe can and wane
Called Lucyna / and also eke Dyane
That in Delos / hath hir mancyon
Lyke as tofore / is maked mencyon
Now full of myght / now horned pale is she
Lady of chaunge / and mutabylyte
That selde in one / halte hir any tyme
And so fare they / that be borne in hir clyme
That aye delyte / in thynges that be newe
Whose herte is cladde / in many sondry hewe
So they be dyuers / in theyr affeccyons
And in this wyse / in sondry regyons
Of mawmetrye / is in the venym ronne
Lyke as clerkes / well deuyse konne
For as I fynde / the Maurycyens
Worshyp Iulam / and Egipcyens
Honoure y• sis / after theyr konnynge
Whylom doughter / of ynachus the kynge
That taughte thē / first theyr lōde to ere & sowe
And also letters / for to rede and knowe
And in lecture / to sette theyr besynesse
For whiche thynge / they calle hir a goddesse
And Iubyter / honoured is in Crete
Where he whylom / helde his souerayne sete
And on them leyde / many dyuerse charge
With egles beten / in his baner large
And he was lorde / of eyre londe and see
His royall kyngdome / deuydynge into thre
In the hyest / hymselfe doth contune
And hole in the see / he gaue vnto Neptune
And laste the erthe / to holde his see royall
He gaue to Pluto / that god is infernall
And alder laste / whan he was stellyfyed
This Iubyter / was moste magnyfyed
Of them of Crete / aboute ouer all
To whom they made / for a memoryall
A large tombe / and a statue a lofte
And hym honoured / in theyr rytes ofte
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With encens / and other sacryfyse
And of this mater / ferther to deuyse
The larynes / with besy dylygence
In theyr rytes / dyde reuerence
To the goddes / if it be credyble
y• called fawny / that be muysyble
And haue hered wellynge / in the wodes grene
Albe that men / theyr fygure may nat sene.
And of Romayns / further to deuyne
They moste ī honour / haue theyr god quyryne
The whiche whylom / as bokes telle vs
Amonges them / was called Romulus
That bylte firste / the walles of the towne
And from an herde / he came to suche renowne
Thorugh his manhode / and his worthynesse
The spere of whom / as bokes sayne expresse
As he the hede / pytched in the grounde
It gan anone / lyke as it is founde
To florysshe and floure / and budde by myracle
And of nature / hadde none obstacle
To wexe grene / with fresshe blomes newe
And for the manhode / that men in hym knewe
For his knyghthode / and his great fame
¶The worthy knyght{is} / of Romebare ye name
After hym / and were Quyryte called
Hye in heuen / whan that he was stalled
Amonge the goddes / and ydeyfyed
And thus Romeyns / haue hym glorifyed
As for theyr god / & with golde & great expenses
And as I rede / the Athenyenses
Of hole herte / chosen for to serue
To the goddesse / that called is Mynerue
And Pallas eke / with hir cristall shelde
That with Neptunus / euen amyd the felde
Helde champartye / with women on theyr syde
And he with men / full surquedous in pryde
Defendeth hym / for gyuynge of the name
Of Athenes / a Cyte moste of fame
This is to sayne / whether he or she
Shulde of right / name the Cyte
Tyll it befell / as they gan stryue
Sodeynly there sprange / a fayre Olyue
For Pallas / part / grene & fayre blossomynge
And there agayne / a welle gan to sprynge
For hym Pluto / with water large and depe
Of whiche thynge / Appollo toke good kepe
Whiche in his dome / was nat reckeles
And for the Olyue / tokeneth loue and pes
Water trouble / contek werre and stry fe
He gaue sentence / anone diffynytyfe
How Pallas / shulde / that called is Mynerue
The palme playnely / of this stryue discerue.
And she anone / gaue name to the towne
And called it / by hye discrecyowne
Athenes / the whiche in speeyall
Is to sayne / a Cyte inmortall
For wyldome firste there began to floure
And for this skyll / this Cyte dyde honoure
Myghty Pallas / goddesse of scyence
And hir aye moste hadde / in reuerence.
And they of Paue / in all theyr regyon
Whorshyp moste / the quene of Cytheron
I mene venus / full of doubylnesse
Of whom afore / somwhat I dyde expresse
And in hir temple / full solempnely
They sette hir hyest / and moste rychely
With gold and asure / hir statue they do paynte
And other coloures / that may neuer faynte
And sette hir vp / in the hyest see
Of all the temple / that all men may se
And she stant naked / in a wawy see
Aboute hir / with goddesses thre
That be assigned / with besy attendaunce
To awayte on hir / and do hir obseruaunce
And floures fresshe / blewe / rede / and whyte
Be hir aboute / the more for to delyte
And on hir hede / she hath a chapelet
Of roses rede / full pleasauntly yset
And from the hede / downe vnto hir fote
With sondry gōmes / and oyntemer{is} sore
She is ennoynte / swetter for to smelle
And enuyron / as Poetes telle
By dowues whyte / flyenge / and eke sparowes
And besyde Cupyde / with his arowes
Hir blynde sone / for to hurte and dere
And loseth ofte / and smyte / he wote nat where
As he must nedes / bycause he is blynde
And thus honoured / and most had in mynde
Amonge this people / is venus the goddesse
And Naxyens / do theyr besynesse
To serue Bachus / the myghty god of wyne
Whose lycour is / moste precyous and fyne
To recomforte hertes / and to glade
And to refresshe / hewes that be fade
In faces pale / and maketh wyttes sharpe
Loseth tunges / and make them loude to carpe
And causeth / them to walke at lyberte
And to discure thynge / that was secree
Without aduyse / or discrecyon
For where / as wyne hath domynacyon
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No secretnesse may / be kept in mewe
And some of them / that Bachus serue & sewe
Amonge to hym / haue suche deuocion
That they some whyle / are voyde of all reason
Hasty and wood / and without all drede
And some also / so toty in theyr hede
That they are voyde / of power and of myght
And haue no foot / for to stande vp ryght
And yet they be / as Iargaunt as a pye
Pale chered with a glasy eye
Full of reason / tyll his wynde be spent
For man or woman / that is vyolent
Is veryly a beest / vnresonable
And to my dome / I holde them eke vnable
To be accepted / in any companye
Whan that theyr tunge / wadeth on the lye
That they ne may / brynge forthe a worde
And thus Bachus / the stronge myghty lorde
For ofte causeth / folkes for to erre
To debate / and to make werre
Of hastynesse / where as is no nede
Wherfore it is / wysdome / that men drede
His sleyghty werkynge / or they falle in y• snare
And feble braynes / by mesure for to spare
Or they vnwarely / arested be and take
And or Bachus / make them for to shake
In a feuer / worse than tercyen
If it of custome / be cotydyen
Alterat with Bachus / myghty Ious
And affered / of tournynge of the hous
And fordreynt / on the drye lande
Whan he hath loste / bothe foot and hande
And with a strawe / playeth lyke an ape
And deuoutely / gynneth for to gape
And •oddeth ofte / with his Iowsy hede
As he hadde on / an heuy cappe of lede
And who that be of this condycyon
He entre maye / the relygyon
Of myghty Bachus / for habylyte
The whiche lorde / hath the soueraynte
Both of hony / and of mylke therto
And of bawme / that is so ryche also
And lordshyp hath / of hye power deuyne
Bothe of grapes / and of euery vyne
To gyue them nourysshynge / by his influence
Of whom the honour / and the reuerence
Is reysed moste / as I vnderstande
Amonge vynters / in euery maner lande
Bycause he is / to them so gracyous
And they of lymme / worshyp vulcanus
The god of fyre / Iubyters smythe
The whiche forgeth / on his blacke slythe
The great thonder / hydous and horryble
And the leuenes / that whylom be vysyble
Into the west / out of the oryent
And gasteth vs / with his dredefull dent
This smotry smythe / this swarte vulcanus
That whylom in herte / was so Ialous
Towarde venus / that was his wedded wyfe
Wherof there rose / a dedely mortall stryfe
Whan he with Mars / gan hir firste espye
Of hye malys / and cruell false enuye
Thorugh y• shynȳge / of Phebus bemes bryght
Lyenge a bedde / with Mars hir owne knyght
For whiche in herte / he brente as any glede
Makynge the sclaundre / all a brode to sprede
And gan theron / falsely for to muse
As god forbede / that any man accuse
For •o lytell / any woman euer
Where loue is lette / harde is to disseuer
For though they do / suche thynge of gentyllesse
Passe ouer lyghtly / and bere none heuynesse
Lest that thou be / to women odyous
And yet this smythe / this false vulcanus
All be that he / hadde them thus espyed
Amonge Paynems / yet was he deyfyed
And for that he / so falsely them a woke
I haue hym sette / laste of all my boke
Amonge to goddesse / of false mawmetrye
And in this wyse / gan ydolatrye
As ye haue herde / thorugh oppynyons
Of people errynge / in theyr affeccyons
That all is false / who the trouthe cerche
For by techynge / of all holy chirche
The holy doctryne / and tradycyons
We shall despyse / suche oppyons
Whiche of the fende / were founde nat oflate
For whan aungelles / in heuen were create
He that of all / hadde prelacye
Of whom the prophete / called ysaye
Wryteth right thus / how the cedres grene
Of paradyse were nat / so fayre to sene
Planys nor fyr / in heyghte sothe to sayne
To his hyghnesse / myght nat attayne
Nor all the trees / so delycyous
Of Paradyse / were natso precyous
Nouther in syght / nor in semelynesse
To be egall to hym / in fayrenesse
But thorugh his pryde / and his surquydrye
Whan he sayde / to god that sytte so hys
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He wyll be lyke / and also set his see
Hye in the northe / passynge his degree
He was caste downe / with all his relygyons
From the fayre / heuenly mansyons
All sodaynely / into the pytte of helle
Perpetuelly / there for to dwelle
Of whom was sayde / whan he fylle so ferre
How fylle thou so / O thou morowe sterre
From the myddes / of the stones bryght
That be so persynge / and firy of theyr lyght
That whylom were / for thy great bryghtnesse
Called Lucyfer / of whom criste sayth expresse
In his gospell / how he sawe fro heuene
Sathan descende / lyke the firy leuene
The olde serpent / that is solowe falle
Whom heebre• / in theyr tunge calle.
¶Bemoth / that doth in latyn playne expresse
A beest rude / full of cursednesse
The vyle serpent / he leuyathan
Whom Isydre / well descryue can
Whiche of kynde / is neuer conuersaunte
In welles trouble / & hath moste his haunte
Amonges watres / in the large see
Of whom sayth Dauyd / lyke as ye may se
In the Sauter / makynge mencyon
Of the snake / the monstruous dragon
Full of venym / and of harde grace
Whiche in the see / large and great of space
With foule adders / hath his mansyon
Vnto mankynde / to do illusyon
Whom whylom sawe / ye holy monke Brādan
As he sayled / by the Occyan
Thorowe and de•ecte / in apytte horryble
More foule and hydous / than it is credyble
There to abyde / this tortuous serpent
Vnto the daye / playnely of Iugement
That of malys / enuyed so mankynde
Whiche wt his gynnes / & sleyghtes as I fynde
Came to our faders / firste in paradyse
And to deceyue / the bet at his deuyse
More couertly / this worme in his passage
Toke of a serpent / the lyknesse and ymage
That is of chere / of loke and countenaunce
Lyke a mayde / and hath resemblaunce
Of a woman / as recordeth Bede
In his deceytes / rather for to spede
I mene the oonly / and nat elles
For behynde / so as clerkes telles
Lyke a serpent / of wombe / backe and tayle
He was / whan he gan hym to assayle
And towarde Eue / whan he gan to glyde
He firste enquereth / as he hir roke a lyde
Why god forbade them / eten of the tree
Whiche if they ete / sothly shulde be
Lyke to goddes / knowynge good and yll
And right forthwith as they gan sulfyll
The fendes heste / theyr eyen were vnclosed
And for theyr gylte / sodaynely deposed
From Paradyse / into wretchydnesse
To lyue in laboure / sorowe and distresse
And thus the fende / firste whan that hetoke
Forme of a snake / and a womans loke
And made the tunge / in hir hede to meue
By false engyne / mankynde for to greue
So as he doth in them / that be trauayled
With wycked spirites / vaxed and assayled
To meue he tunges / falsely out to breke
Into blasphemye / what thynge y• they speke
The same serpent / he leuyathan
Contunynge aye / falsely as he gan
In cursed yools / dombe▪ v•fe▪ and blynde
Full ofte speketh / be spirites as I fynde
Whiche are but fendes / Dauid wryte certayne
The goddes all / whom folkes so in vayne
Honour with rytes / supersticious
As whylom was / Appollo Delphicus
Lyke as tofore / ye haue herde deuyse
Whiche as for now / ought Inough suffyse
And as I trowe / the very cause why
That myn Auctor / reherseth by and by
Grounde and gynnynge / of Idolatrye
This the cause / for ought I can espye
For that he sawe / the mater was nat knowe
I lyche well / bothe to hye and lowe
Perauenture / you to do plesaunce
He hath the grounde / put in remembraunce
Of false goddes / and of mawmetrye
And moste for them / that can no poysye,
ANd to y• storye / resorteth soone agayne
How achilles / as ye haue herde me saye
And Pirrodus / haue the waye ynome
To the temple and thyder be ycome
To haue answere / of theyr embassatrye
Of great Appollo / whiche may nat lye
Of the prestes / they haue theyr counsayle take
In the temple / to praye and to wake
Tyll they may fynde / vnto theyr entent
To haue answere / at houre conuenyent
To theyr purpose / and leyser opportune
Page [unnumbered]
¶And of one herte / so longe they contune
In prayenge fastynge / and oblacyons
With sacrifyse and sondry orysons
Tofore the god / awaytynge alway faste
Tyll he to them / answered at laste
With 〈◊〉 voyce / and sayde Achilles twye
Home to Grekes / faste that thou the hye
From whom thou were / hyder to me sente
And say them sothely / the sūme of theyr entent
Shalbe fulfylled / without wordes mo
And how that they shall / to Troye go
And there abyde / many stronge batayle
But at the laste / without any fayle
At ten yere daye / they wynne shall the towne
And brynge it playnely / to destrucciowne
Walle and toures / shall falle to ruyne
And with all this / theyr purpose for to fyne
Kynge Pryamus / and Ecuba his wyfe
And theyr sones / in this mortall stryfe
Shall there be slayne / brother after brother
This is the fyne / for it may be none other
For there shall none / escape in the place
But suche as Grekes / lyketh vnto grace
Of very routhe / and of mercy take
This all & some / and thus an ende I make.
OF whiche answere / Achilles glad & lyght
Was in his herte / & with all his myght
Thanketh Appollo / of this blesfull eure
And sodaynely / of sort or aduenture
The selfe tyme / befyll a wonder thynge
For out of Troye / fro Pryamus the kynge
Was sent a bysshop / for the same cas
To haue answere / whose name was Calcas
And he came in sool / without pres
The same houre / whyle that Achilles
Was there present / a man of great scyence
I mene Calcas / and hadde experyence
Specyally / of calculacion
Of sort also / and dyuynacion
And lerned was / in astronomye
And whan that he his tyme dyde espye
To haue answere / most conuenyent
Of Appollo / lyke to his entent
As tofore / maked is memorye
He entred is in the oratorye
Doynge his rytes / and his obseruaunces
Lyke the custome / with the circumstaunces
And besely gan / to knele and praye
And his thynges / deuoutely for to saye
And to the god / crye and calle ful stronge
And for Appollo / wolde nat prolonge
Sodaynely his answere / gan attame
¶And sayde Calcas / twyes by his name
Be right well ware / thou ne tourne agayne
To Troye towne / for that were but in vayne
For fynally / lerne this of me
In shorte tyme / it shall destroyed be
This is in sothe / whiche may nat be denyed
Wherfore I wyll / that thou be allyed
With the grekes / and with Achilles go
To them anone / my wyll is it beso
For they shall haue / as I haue disposed
Victorye and honour / that may be disposed
For it is fatall / and ne may nat varye
And thou to them / shalt be necessarye
In counseylynge / and in yeuynge rede
And be right helpynge / to theyr good spede
And with that worde / rose hym vp Calcas
And to Achilles / he went an easy pas
And whan that he came / to his presence
With great honour / and moche reuerence
He was receyued / lyke to his estate
And after soone / they were confederate
Swore togydre / be bonde and assuraunce
To be all one / without varyaunce
And than in haste / they togydre gone
To theyr shyppes / and shope them forth anone
With Pirrodus / goynge by theyr syde
They hale vp the anker / and no lenger byde
But sayle forthe / Calcas and they twayne
Towarde Grece / them nedeth nat complayne
On wynde and wawe / tyll they aryued be
At Athenes / that stode vpon the see
A large Cyte / of olde foundacion
And Achilles / to kynge Agamenon
Hath Calcas brought / and also Pirrodus
And whan the grekes / the story telleth vs
Assembled were / they togyder went
Tofore the kynge / and Calcas represent
To all the lordes / and no lenger dwell
And right anone / Achilles gan to tell
Without abode / in Delos how they mette
Tofore Appollo / where they answere fette
And how the god / hath playnely determyned
The grekes purpose / how it shalbe fyned
Vpon Troyans / and bad Calcas also
In no wyse / that he to Troye go
But with grekes that he abyde stylle
Tyll they theyr purpose / fynally fulfylle
Page [unnumbered]
Of whiche thynge / the grekes glad of chere
Calcas accepte / with herte full entere
For one of them / confederat be bonde
To be all one / on water and on londe
Without chaunge / or any varyaunce
The othe is made / and put in remembraunce
And they agayne / fully hym assure
To cherysshe hym / whyle theyr lyfe may dure
For wele or wo / and so they made an ende
And after parte / and to theyr lodgynge wende.
Tȳll on the morowe / after y• sterry nyght
Whan Aurora / was gladded wt ye lyght
Of Phebus vemes / the grekes vp aryse
And to theyr goddes / with many sacryfyse
They do honour / in what they can or maye
And deuoutly / holdynge a feste daye
After theyr rytes / meynt with loue and drede
In remembraunce / of the good spede
And of the answere / yt goddes haue them sent
So agreable / vnto theyr entent
By Pirrodus / and by Achilles
And after this / amonges all the pres
Is Calcas come / tofore Agamenon
All his lordes / syttynge enuyron
Lyke theyr estates / eche in his place dewe
And humbly / gan them to salewe
Vpon his knees / with sobre coūtenaunce
And prayed them / it be no displesaunce
To stynte a whyle / and gyue hym audyence
And right anone / as made was sylence
Amonge them all / Calcas gan abrayde
And euen thus / full soberly he sayde.
OSyres quod he / and my lordes dere
Kynges / Prynces / & dukes that be here
Sonoble echone / worthy and famous
And eke so manly / and so vertuous
Whiche in this place / be now here present
Is nat the fyne / and chefe of your entent
And cause also / why that ye echone
Assembled be / to Troye for togone
With this power / and this great strengthe
Your purpose is / to longe drawe a lengthe
And differred forthe / fro day to daye
To your damage / platly this no naye
For to longe / ye soiourne in this yle
And trowe ye nat / that Pryam in this whyle
Hath his espyes / amonge you pryuelye
I wote it wele / I saye you faythfullye
To knowe the fyne / of our gouernaunce
And he there whyles / may make purueaunce
Hym to defende / whyle ye m ydell reste
Me semeth sothly / ye do nat for the beste
For in abydynge / and in suche delayes
Great harme may fall / certayne this no nay is
I preue it thus / for playnely whyle that ye
To your enmyes / graunte lyberte
Them to puruey / they may with myghty hāde
Enforce them / your power to withstande
With theyr frendes / and theyr allyaunce
And at leyser / make theyr ordynaunce
It is folye / that ye so differre
Syth ye be redy / for to make a werre
On your ennemyes / with euery circūstaunce
For no thynge may / a quarell so auaunce
As hasty suyte / it wyll the sharper byte
The Iren hoote / tyme is for to smyte
And nat abyde / tyll that it be colde
For nouther than / it plye wyll nor folde
Go sette vpon / all of one accorde
And to shyppe / anone within borde
Enhaste you / for tyme is to remewe
With all your myght / your quarell to pursewe
Agaynst them / that haue to you trespassed
How many dayes / be of somer passed
And many monthes / ronne and ouer slyde
And Titan ofte / with his chare hath ryde
From eest to west / and in the wawes depe
His stremes bathed / whyle ye haue leyne aslepe
And spent your tyme / in this place thus
Whyle that the wynde / called zephyrus
Benyngnely enspyred / hath a lofte
The a tempre eyer / the wether fayre & softe
The calme see / from wawes stylle and playne
Whyles ye waste / your dayes here in vayne
That whan your foon / therto take hede
They wyll suppose / that it be for drede
And be more bolde / to sette of you but lyte
Truste forsothe / for I wyll me quyte
Trewely to you / lyke as I am bounde
And thynke how ye / haue the goddes founde
There towarde / benyngne and fortunat
Your honour saued / in hye and lowe estat
And so shall forthe / if your ingratytude
Prouoke them nat / your purpose to delude
Wylfully to slouthe / your fortune
No wonder is / though they nat contune
Towardes you / for to shewe theyr grace
Wherfore I rede / hense for to pace
Page [unnumbered]
Demynge the grekes / playnely of the see
For weryed / and faynted / hadde be
With longe saylynge / parbraked and forbroke
Wherfore they caue / on them haue be wroke
All sodaynely / and sette on the hede
And put themselfe / in aduenture and drede
Of rakelnesse / vn aduysely
Wherof to them selfe / vnhappely
It befell / whan they the grekes mette
With speres longe / and swerdes sharpe whette
Eche on other / manhode for to shewe
But for cause / Troyans were to fewe
To yssue out / they dyde folylye
The felde was / nat parted egallye
For the grekes were / innumerable
That them to mete / Troyans were nat able
For that tyme / they myght nat suffyse
They toke on them / to passynge hye empryse
And yet they ne wold / for no thyng thē wdrawe
Tyll that they were / wounded and yslawe
And ouerlayne / of grekes vtterly
Now here / now there / bore downe cruelly
Mercyles / as Guy do dath reporte
That them behoueth / home agayne resorte
Of very nede / and necessytee
And all attones / gan for to flee
I mene suche / as were lefte a lyue
To the castell / they has•ed them full blyue
For they ne myght / no lenger holde felde
Agaynst grekes / with spere nor with shelde
They were to feble / shortly to conclude
To abyde / so great a multytude
And as they flee / the grekes a great pase
Ne cease nat / to sewe on the chase
Full hastely to the castell gate
And entre in / and by cruell fate
They kyll and slee / both hye and lowe
They spare none / ne lyste no wyghte to knowe
Of none estate / but felly hym oppresse
And what they fonde / golde and eke rychesse
Vnto shyppe they caryed anone
And of the castell / they lefte nat a stone
Aboue another / but turned vp so downe
Both walle & toure / and the chefe donge owne
That no thynge stode / so they vnder myne
And whan all / was brought vnto ruyne
Grekes anone / to theyr shyppes haste
Of one assent / and purpose as faste
Without abode / of one wyll and herte
Fro that hauen / playnely to dyuerte
And to sayle / Towarde Tenedowne
A stronge castell / whiche fro Troye towne
In distaunce / but sixe myle stode
Full of Tresoure / of rychesse and of gode
Replenysshed / of all habundaunce
And whan that they / with theyr ordynaunce
ysayled haue / bothe safe and sounde
And fro the see / taken haue the grounde
To theyr pleasaunce / wonder agreable
And of syght / a place delytable
Holsome of eyre / the soyle right fayre and grene
And lusty playnes / goodly on to sene
And was also habundaunt / of vytayle
Replenysshed / of all that may auayle
To osteynge / and to sowgyoures
For firste the lande / full of fresshe floures
Was plenteuous / bothe of corne and grayne
Of wyne and fruyt / that no thyng lay barayne
Of beste and foules / passyngly plente
And faste by / stode also the see
Full habundaunt of fysshe / as I fynde
After the season / of euery maner kynde
And whan that they / within the castell were
The grekesse londed / from a fere
Without abode / they arme them & went oute
And vpon them / make an hydous shoute
Stuffyng the castell / wt meyne strong behynde
And toke theyr way / in Guydo as I fynde
Towarde theyr foon / and knyghtly set vpon
And right forthe / with grekes eke anon
Mette with them / vpon the other syde
Full surquydous / and right full of pryde
Clenly armed / in harneys all ofstele
Fresshe arayed / and besene so wele
For the felde as thycke / as sworme of been
On eche syde / men may beholde and seen
Spradde all the playne / downe vnto y• stronde
Tyll at the laste / they mette honde to honde
And assemble / with square speres grounde
And hurtle yfere / with many blody wounde
There was no good day / nor no saluynge
But strokes felle / that men herde rynge
On bassenettes / the strokes rounde aboute
So cruelly / that the fyre sprange oute
Amonge the tuftes / brode / bryght and shene
Of foyle of golde / & fethers whyte and grene
Eke into brestes / perced many shelde
And besagues / fleed a brode in the felde
And many men / ley that mortall founde
Full dedely pale / lawe by the grunde
Page [unnumbered]
With face gruf / and blody stremes wyde
And aldermost / vpon the grekes syde
The slaughter was / and the discomfyture
So myghtely / the Troyans dyde endure
Tyll at the laste / for they were so sewe
With multytude / the grek{is} on thē hewe
For mo than forty / were agaynst one
Of very force / abacke they muste gone
No thyng for lacke of manhode / dare I sayne
But for so many / haue them ouer layne
They may no lenger / in the felde soiourne
But to theyr Castell / home agayne retourne
In full great haste / suche as myght escape
Away a lyue / and some of them for rape
And drede of deth / toke them to flyght
On horse backe / to Troye towne full ryght
No wonder was / though they haste faste
For to the gates / the chace of grekes laste
So cruelly / after they pursewe
And some of them / that myght nat remewe
On Troye syde / forweryed of fyght
The grekes slewe / with all theyr full myght
Now here now there / who they myght attayne
There may no raunsome / nor no mercy gayne
Of none estate / without excepcyowne
And after that / vnto Tenedowne
The grekes went / and it be sette aboute
That Troyan none / myght escape out
And whan they hadde / the bulwerkes wonne
To skale the walle / after they begonne
And made a saute / manfully and ofte
And Troyans / as they stode a lofte
Put them of / that entre they ne myght
With caste of stone / and quarell bryght
With bowe turkeys / and shote of Arbalasteres
And theyr gonners / standynge at corneres
With hym also / and caste of wylde fyre
Of yrous hate / full hote in theyr desyre
Lyke manly men / them selfe / they diffende
And aye the grekes / as they vp ascende
Cruelly they put / to the grounde
Tyll they without / an ordynaūce haue founde
What with gynnes / deuysed for the nones
And gonnes great / for to caste stones
Bent to the toures / right as any lyne
And large sowes / lowe for to myne
And some of them / vpon the walle gone
That were so thycke / made of lyme and stone
And to entre / they many wayes seke
Sette theyr bastyles / and theyr hurdeys eke
Rounde aboute / to the harde walle
And skalynge ladders / for saw•es marcyalle
They gan vp caste / with hokes for to holde
And vp ascende / the sturdye grekes bolde
Tyll Troyans / from the crestes caste
The great stones / whyle they wolde laste
And Callyowne / eke grekes to opresse
And wonder manly / dyde theyr besynesse
In theyr diffence / and made plonge them lowe
With caste of quarell / and with shote of bowe
Thorugh Olyettes / that of necessyte
They put them of / it may none other be
And broke theyr neckes / & theyr shuldre boues
As they felle / with the square stones
And lye dede / pyteous pale of hewe
But Grekes aye / gan the saute renewe
With multytude / Troyans to assayle
To withstande / that they gan to fayle
And wexe feble / for rescuse came there none
And so of force / the grekes be in gone
Thorugh ye walles / whan they haue thē broke
And on Troyans / so cruelly be wroke
That fynally / they lefte none a lyue
But slee and kylle / and after that as blyue
On the walles / theyr baners they haue sette
And yonge and olde / it myght be no bette
All goth to wracke / vpon Troye syde
And after that / they ne wyll no lenger byde
But treasoure golde / and what they may fynde
They caste an hepe / and togyder bynde
And make spoyle / of all that was within
And than in haste / the walles they begyn
Pynacle and toures / and also the dungeowne
To brenne and hewe / and to bete downe
And with the soyle / they made euen & playne
And with great pray / anone they went agayne
To theyr shyppes / glad and lyght of chere
Whan the fyre / with his flawmes clere
The castell had / consumed and ybrent
And after that / auyse and prudent
The manly man / the worthy Agamenon
Let make anone / a conuocacyon
Of the grekes / and bad they shulde brynge
Golde and treasour / without more tariynge
With all the praye / they wanne at Tenedowne
To his presence / for this conclusyowne
That he may make / distribucyon
Amonges them / without excepcyon
Lyke theyr desert / vnto pore and ryche
Page [unnumbered]
He departeth / to euery man a lyche
But moste to suche / as dyde beste disserue
For to hymselfe / hym lyste no thynge conserue
For he hath leuer / theyr hertes than the gode
Of suche as hadde / spente theyr owne blode
So manfully / the castell for to wynne
For who that can / with largesse firste begynne
Ne fayleth nat / after well to spede
Thorugh helpe of men / whan that hath nede
For loue foloweth / fredome comenly.
