DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.30698#0214
186
BOOKS PRINTED BY [.Histories of Troy;
very interesting extract, describing the first meeting of Paris and
Helen, and the carrying off of the latter. The prophetic ravings of
Cassandra, in consequence, are thus described:
gentilmanliest wyse tliat he coude and his companye And wente in to tlie temple. For he
had longe tyme before herd speke of her grete heaulte. And than as he was comen and
sawe her, He was gretly esprised witli her loue And began strongly to beholde lier. And to
desire to see the facion of lier body That was so fayr and weli shapen in all tliinges, and in
suche wise tliat hit seemed propeiiy to them that sawe her, That nature had made her to be
behoiden & beseyn. For in her was no thing but that hit seruyd to encrece alle the beaulte
y* myght be founden in a woman, wherefore parys miglit not forbere to beholde her, sayng in
hym self that he had neuer seen ne herde speke of ony so fayre and so well fourmed And as
he liehelde lier, In like wyse lielayne behelde hym also rnany times and ofte. and her semed
that he was more fayrer a grete dele than had ben reportect to her. And well sayd in her
self that she sawe neuer man of' so grete beaulte, Ne that plesid her so well to beholde And
so she leftc alle her deuocion and alle other thoughtes And gaf no fors ne raught of no thing
than, saue only for to beliolde parys. Whan parys knewe and sawe this he had grete joye,
and behelde her swetly more and more and she hym, By whiche sighte they shewycl ynowlie
of theyr desires, that one to that other, And thoughte gretly by what occasion tliey myght
speke to gyder, And so longe they behelde eche other tliat by semblaunt, Helayne made a
token or signe to parys that he approchid to her, And anone parys satte doun beside lier,
whilis that tlie peple played in the temple And spack to her wy th a softe voys ryght swetely
and slie to hym, And exposid eche to otlier how they were surprysid of the loue of tliat one
and of that other, And how they myght come to the ende after her desire, And whsn they
had spoken ynowgh of theyr hote loue, Parys toke leue of her And yssued out of tlie temple,
He and his felawshipp, And helayne sente after hym her eyen al so fer as slie myghte. 5
[Paris addresses his Companions, and plots the manner of can'ying off Helen.']
• [n]Ow hit happend that the nyght was come, and the mone was nyghe goon doun
The troians armed tlicm the rnoste secrete wise that they cowde And lefte some of them
for to kepe theyr shippys, And the other wente preuyly vnto the temple. And entryd
therin so armed as they were And with lityll deffence toke alle them that they fonde
in the temple and alle the rychesses that were therin. And parys witlr his owen hande
toke helayne and tliem of the yr companye And broughte in to theyr shippes alle the
beste and put hit in sure garde, And after retorned to the proye, Tho began the noyse
passing grete with in the temple of the prysonners, And of the some tliat liad leuer suffre
to he slayn than for to be take prysonners, tlie noyse was herd ferre In suche wyse tliat they
of the castell tliat stode therby herde hit, and incontynent they aroose and armed hem
and cam to assaylle tlie troians as vayllyant as they were, Tho began the medle ryglit fyers
and mortalle. But the troiaris that were foure ayenst one slewe many of them And the
other fledde and reentryd in to theyr castell, And than the troians toke as moche as they
coude fynde of good, And bare liit vnto theyr sliippis. And entryd in to them, And drew
vp theyr sayllys And sayllyd so longe that on the seuenth day tliey cam and arryuyd at the
porte of troye theyr shippes full of good prisonners and of good Rychesses And they abood
at the porte of thenedon that was but thre myle fro Troye, And there were they receyuyd
wyth grete joye, And tlian parys sente a propre messanger vnto liis fader the kynge pryant
to lete hym haue knowleche of his comynge and of alle tliat, that he had doon in grece of
these tidynges the kynge was gretly reyoyssyd and commanded in alle tlie cyte to make
feste solempnly for these tidynges.’ &c. Fol. 263-4.
BOOKS PRINTED BY [.Histories of Troy;
very interesting extract, describing the first meeting of Paris and
Helen, and the carrying off of the latter. The prophetic ravings of
Cassandra, in consequence, are thus described:
gentilmanliest wyse tliat he coude and his companye And wente in to tlie temple. For he
had longe tyme before herd speke of her grete heaulte. And than as he was comen and
sawe her, He was gretly esprised witli her loue And began strongly to beholde lier. And to
desire to see the facion of lier body That was so fayr and weli shapen in all tliinges, and in
suche wise tliat hit seemed propeiiy to them that sawe her, That nature had made her to be
behoiden & beseyn. For in her was no thing but that hit seruyd to encrece alle the beaulte
y* myght be founden in a woman, wherefore parys miglit not forbere to beholde her, sayng in
hym self that he had neuer seen ne herde speke of ony so fayre and so well fourmed And as
he liehelde lier, In like wyse lielayne behelde hym also rnany times and ofte. and her semed
that he was more fayrer a grete dele than had ben reportect to her. And well sayd in her
self that she sawe neuer man of' so grete beaulte, Ne that plesid her so well to beholde And
so she leftc alle her deuocion and alle other thoughtes And gaf no fors ne raught of no thing
than, saue only for to beliolde parys. Whan parys knewe and sawe this he had grete joye,
and behelde her swetly more and more and she hym, By whiche sighte they shewycl ynowlie
of theyr desires, that one to that other, And thoughte gretly by what occasion tliey myght
speke to gyder, And so longe they behelde eche other tliat by semblaunt, Helayne made a
token or signe to parys that he approchid to her, And anone parys satte doun beside lier,
whilis that tlie peple played in the temple And spack to her wy th a softe voys ryght swetely
and slie to hym, And exposid eche to otlier how they were surprysid of the loue of tliat one
and of that other, And how they myght come to the ende after her desire, And whsn they
had spoken ynowgh of theyr hote loue, Parys toke leue of her And yssued out of tlie temple,
He and his felawshipp, And helayne sente after hym her eyen al so fer as slie myghte. 5
[Paris addresses his Companions, and plots the manner of can'ying off Helen.']
• [n]Ow hit happend that the nyght was come, and the mone was nyghe goon doun
The troians armed tlicm the rnoste secrete wise that they cowde And lefte some of them
for to kepe theyr shippys, And the other wente preuyly vnto the temple. And entryd
therin so armed as they were And with lityll deffence toke alle them that they fonde
in the temple and alle the rychesses that were therin. And parys witlr his owen hande
toke helayne and tliem of the yr companye And broughte in to theyr shippes alle the
beste and put hit in sure garde, And after retorned to the proye, Tho began the noyse
passing grete with in the temple of the prysonners, And of the some tliat liad leuer suffre
to he slayn than for to be take prysonners, tlie noyse was herd ferre In suche wyse tliat they
of the castell tliat stode therby herde hit, and incontynent they aroose and armed hem
and cam to assaylle tlie troians as vayllyant as they were, Tho began the medle ryglit fyers
and mortalle. But the troiaris that were foure ayenst one slewe many of them And the
other fledde and reentryd in to theyr castell, And than the troians toke as moche as they
coude fynde of good, And bare liit vnto theyr sliippis. And entryd in to them, And drew
vp theyr sayllys And sayllyd so longe that on the seuenth day tliey cam and arryuyd at the
porte of troye theyr shippes full of good prisonners and of good Rychesses And they abood
at the porte of thenedon that was but thre myle fro Troye, And there were they receyuyd
wyth grete joye, And tlian parys sente a propre messanger vnto liis fader the kynge pryant
to lete hym haue knowleche of his comynge and of alle tliat, that he had doon in grece of
these tidynges the kynge was gretly reyoyssyd and commanded in alle tlie cyte to make
feste solempnly for these tidynges.’ &c. Fol. 263-4.