<County: Lancashire>
<Code: L0411>
<MS reference: Glasgow University Library, Hunter 388, Hand A>
<Text: Alliterative Destruction of Troy >


<Tranche 1>

<fol. 19r>and the bremnes abated of the brode ythes
Thies kynges wt knightes in Companies grete
Past fro port pulled vp yere sailes
Were borne to ye brode se & the banke leuyt
Sailed fourth soberly wt seasonable windes
Till yai comen the cost as ye course felle
Of the terage of . Troy . & turnyt into hauyn
Yat sothly was said Segeas to nome
By thies rialles aryven were to rest was ye sun
And neghed to ye night noy was ye more
Kaste ancres full kene into ye cole water
Cogges wt cablis cachyn to londe
And lay so on lone the long night ouer
Wen the derke was done & the day sprange
And lightid o lofte ledis to beholde
The Grekys in hor geyre graithis hom to bonke
Launchid vp lightly lordis and other
The kyng had no knawlache yt the kith aght
Of ye folke so furse yt hym affray wold
For-yi vnkeppit were all ye costes all ye kyth ouer
Yai hailit vp horses & hernes of maile
Armur and all thinge euyn as hom liked
Tild vp yere tentis tomly and faire
Skairen out skoute-wacche for skeltyng of harme
Armyn hom at all peces after anon
Er the sun vp soght wt his softe beames
Pelleus full prestly the peopull did warne
To appere in his presens princes and dukys
Wt-out tarying to his tent tytly yai yode
And were set all samyn ye souerain before
When the peopull were pesit he proffert yes wordes
Sais ye noblist of nome yt neuer man adouted
The worde of yor werkes & your wight dedis
<fol. 19v>And the prise of your prowes passes o fer
Hit was neuer herd as J hope sith heuyn was o loft
Jn any coste where ye come but ye were cleane victoures
And happet the herre hond to haue at ye last
Lamydon yat is lord has vs ledde hedur
For to wreike vs of wrathe & ye wegh harme
Yat is the cause of the course yt we come hidur
And syn our goddis haue vs graunt ye ground for to haue
Hit is spede-full to speike of our spede fur
And of gouernaunce graith at our gret nede
For to fillyn our fare & our fos harme
Hald all our hestes harmles our-seluyn
The tresour to take yat to Troy longes
Yat vs abides in the burgh & we ye better haue
Hit is knowen in cuntres & costis o fer
Yat the tresour of Troy is of tyme olde
Out of nombur to nem & nedefull to vs
Jff vs fallus in fight ye fairer at ende
We shall haue riches full riffe & red gold ynogh
Our Fyue shippes to fille and our fraght make
Now fraist we be-fore how fairest wil+be
And speike for our spede while we spase haue
Ercules
Then Ercules the Avntrus onswarid Anon
Sothely Sir kyng ye haue said well
Wise wordes J-wis & of wit noble
Jff it be worship & wit wisdom to shewe
Hit sothely more soueran to se it in werke
J will say for my-self sauyng a bettur
As me thinkes full throly wt-outyn threp more
Let vs dres for our dede er ye day springe
And thrugh lemys of light ye lond vs perseyue
<fol. 20r>Part we vs partly ye pupull in two
In the ton shal+be Telamon yt is a tore kyng
Wt all the ferd yat hym folowes furse men of Armys
And 3e sothely your-selfe yt souerain are here
Wt your company clene as ye come hider
Jason full iustly aioynet to my-seluon~
Wt a soume of soudiours assignet vs wt
Draw furthe in the derke er ye day springe
Wyn us to ye wallis wacche yere vndur
Vmset all the Citie er ye sun rise
Lurke vndur leuys logget wt vines
Till tithaundes in toune be told to ye kyng
Of our come to yis coste / and ye case wist
He will aray hym full rad wt a route noble
And shape hym to or shippes wt his shene knightes
Vnwar of our werkes wete vs not yere
Yat oyer part of our pupull put we in thre
Nestor wt a nombur of noble men all
Fare shal+be-fore the forward to lede
Castor wt his company come next after
Pollux wt his pupull pursu on ye laste
These batels on the banke abide now here
Feght wt hym fuersly and his fell pupull
The Citie to sese in ye same tyme
We shall found by my feith or ellis fay worthe
So may we sonyst the souerain distrye
To wirke on this wise and our wille haue
J hope it shall happon in a hond-wile
Hit liket well ye lordes yt ye lede said
And plainly the pupull purpost yerfore
Then Telamon full tyte wt a triet pupull
Pelleus wt a power & ye prise Ercules
<fol. 20v>Jason full iustly and Joly knightes moo
Wt all the here yat yei hade highet belyue
Armet at all peces abull to fight
Wonen vp wynly vppon wale hestes horses
Silen to the Citie softly and faire
Lurkyt vnder lefe-sals loget wt vines
Busshit vndur bankes on bourders wt-oute
Yes oyer batels at the banke abidyng full stille
The kyng for to kepe and yere course holde
And whiles yese renkes yus restyn rises ye . sun
Bredis wt his beames all ye brode vales
Hit was noiset anon yt a+noumbur hoge
Of Grekes were gedret & ye ground hade
When ye kyng hade knowyng he comaund beliue
Yat the Cite samyn were assemblet Jn haste
Jche buerne on his best wise batell to yelde
Comyn to ye kyng in companies grete
Mony stith man in stoure on stedis enarmyt
All redy for ye rode Arayet for the werre
The kyng departid his pupull put hom in twyn
Jn batels on his best wise for beldyng hym-seluyn
Vnwar of ye weghes yt by the walles lay
He knew not the caste of ye curste pepull
Ne dred no dissait yt hym derit after
He busket to ye banke wt a bolde chere
Wt his Freikes in filde to ye fight on ye playne
Ye Grekes hym agayne wt a grym Fare
Faryn to ye fight wt a frike wille
Duke Nestor anon nobli arayed
Countres the kyng wt a cant pupull
Bothe batels on bent brusshet to-gedur
<fol. 21r>Wt stith strokes and gret store stronge men of armys
Shildis throgh shote shalkes to dethe
Speires vnto sprottes sprongen ouer hedes
So fuerse was the frusshe when yai first met
All dynnet ye dyn the dales Aboute
When helmes and hard stele hurlet to-gedur
Knightes ˆ [cast] doune to ye cold vrthe
Sum swalt in a swym wt-outen sware more
Mony perysshet in ye plase er ye prise endit
The Troiens were tyde & tid yere ye bettur
And the grekes on ye ground were gretly astoynet
Yen Castor the kyng comys vppon+one
Restoris hom wt strenght yt distroyet were
Yen ye Crie wax kene crusshyng of wepyns
And the fight~ so felle of ye fresshe knightes
Ye Troiens were torne tynte of yere folkes
Lamydon yt hom led as a lion fore
Bare don mony bolde & brittoned to dethe
Mony kild the kyng to ye cold vrthe
Mony woundit we / from his weppont paste
So fuersly he fore wt his felle dynttes
Yat ye Grekes wt gremy geuyn hym way
Yen Pollux aperit wt pepull ynogh
Brusshit into batell & moche bale wroght
Alse wode of his wit as ye wild fyre
Mony <5 letters> buerne on ye bent the bold king shogh
Mony ternyt wt tene topsayle ouer
Yat hurlet to ye hard vrth & yere horse leuyt
Lamydon at the laste lokit besyde
Segh his folke so fare & his fos kene
For wo<?>he of ye worse & of weirdis feble
<fol. 21v>He wt-drogh hym A draght & a dyn made
Gedrit all his gynge And his ground held
Duke Nestor Anon nemly persayuit
Yat he was prinse of ye pepull & ye power led
He left all his ledis & a launse caght
Launches euyn to Lamydon wt a light wille
Ye kyng consayuit his come keppit hym swithe
Ricchis his reynys & ye Renke metys
Girden to-gedur wt yere gret speires
The kyng share thrugh his shild wt ye sharpe ende
And the rod all-to-roofe right to his honde
The Duke hade dyed of ye dynt doutles anon
But the souerayn hym-seluon was surly enarmyt
And the kyng wt the caupe caste to ye ground
Wt a warchand wounde thurgh his wedis all
He feynyt not for ye fall ne ye felle hurtte
But stert vp stithly straght out a swerde
And flange at the freike wt a Fyn wille
A 3onge knight and a 3epe 3yueris of hert
High Sedar for sothe suet to ye Duke
Wt a bir on ye brest yt backeward he 3ode
And fuersly of his foole fell to ye grounde
Ye kyng fayne of ye falle and ye falle ˆ [freke]segh segh
And bare to yt bolde wt a bigge sworde
The bourder of his basnet brestes in sonder
And videt the viser wt a vile dynt
Gaffe hym a great wounde in ˆ [his] grete face
He hade slayne hym slighly for sleght yt he couth
But a gret nowmbur of Grekes gedrit hym vmbe
And put hym fro purpas yof yai payn yolit
Yai hurlet hym fro horse fete & of hond toke
Set hym in his sadill yof he vnsound were
Castor the kyng conceyuit beliue
That Nestor wt noy was nolpit to ground

<Tranche 2>

<fol. 57v>Wt grym ost for to go & a grete nauy
Elan fuersly to focche and hor fos qwell
And veng on yere velany & yere vile harme
And for explait of yere spede yai spekyn in fere
To chese hom A cheftayn to be chefe of yem all
To be prinse in yt prese and ye prise haue
All the ost for to honour & his hest kepe
And be gouernet by the grete by grement of hom~
Yen by assent of yose souerans somyn yai yode
And walit hom A wegh by wit as hom thoght
To Agomynon yai giffen ye gouernaunce hole
For worthiest of wit yat worship to haue
And ordant hym Emperor by opyn assent
Wt power full playn ye pepull to lede
And obey to yat bolde his biddyng to wirke
The drownyng of pollux & Castor
Pollus the pert kyng and his pere Castor
When hor sister was sesit saies me the story
In hope for to hent hir highit to ye se
Wt a nauy full noble anon by hom seluyn
The Troiens to take was yere intent euyn
And hor sister to sese wt sailyng yai wend
Sum tellyn yis tale & for true holdyn
Yat yai bode not the biddyng of ye buerne Menelay
But when tithyng was told of hor triet sister
Yai fore to ye fome as J before saide
But how it tid of yt tale yis is tru sothe
To ye water yai went yo weghis to-gedur
Paris to pursew wt prise men of Armes
Thai sailit not sounde sothely to telle
Two dayes by dene as hom dere felle
When the heuyn in hast hepit wt cloudis
A Storme
Wex merke as ye mydnight mengit ye ayre
<fol. 58r>No light but of Laite yat launchet aboue
Thunret full throly thrappit the windes
Sodenly yo sailes were sorely bestad
Wt a ropand rayne rugh was ye se
The wyndes full wodely wackont anon~
Rut vp the rughe se on rokkes aboute
As hilles hit hepit in a hond while
So ye bre & the brethe burbelit to-gedur
Yat hit spirit vp spitiously fyue speire lenght
Wt walter and wawes yat ye wynd dryues
All fore as A fyre ye firmament ouer
Wt an+ugli noise noye for to here
Hit sundrit yere sailes & yere sad ropis
Cut of yere cables were caget to-gedur
All yere takyll was tynt tylu<ill><2 letters></ill> ouer-borde
The nauy wex nakit noy was on hond
The shippus wt shire wynd shodert in twyn
Dryuen furth on the depe dole to be-holde
The two breyer were abidyng bothe in A shippe
Yat was stird wt the storme streght out of warde
Rut on A Rocke rof all to peces
The bordes all to-brast busshet in the water
The Dukes were drounet & oyer dere folke
All the sort yt hom suet sunkyn to ground
A-brode in the breime se barges & other
And syn ye dethe was in doute of yo dere kynges
Ne non certayn cold say ne for sothe telle
What worth of yo wight in the wilde se
The gentils aiuges hom two iuste goddis
Lyuond in the lefte wt lordships in heuyn~
Tranlate truly into triet ioy
And poites haue put of yo prise brethir
Yat yai Rauichit were radly into ye red Ayre
And set in a seigne yat zodias is callid
<fol. 58v>That demyt is to yis day duly wt clerkes
Gemini Aiugget in yere iuste artis
For the sun vnder zodias settis hym to leng
Two dayes betwene & dryues no ferre
Mo in his meuyng yen any mone other
But what as sothely be said of yo sure brethur
For ye sute of yere suster somyn were yai drounyt
Let Poyetis go play hom & passe to or tale
Here Darys in his dyting duly auisys
For to telle in his tale ye tulkes of Grece
Of yere shap for to shew and yere shene colour
Of the worthiest yere were to wale hom be nom
Yus he breuyt in his boke of yo brem kynges
For he segh hom in sight at sembles full ofte
As in tymes of tru yaire tentes wt-in
And waited hom wele for ye wegh thoght
To myn hom in makyng in maner as yai were
The shape and colour of the kynges of grece
Agamynon ye gay was of a gode mykull
His colour of yat kyng all of clene qwite
He was stere mon of strenght stoutest in Armes
Wt lymes full large light of his will
Meke as a maidon mery wt all
Wode in his wrathe wild as A lion
He was witty yer-wt & wegh hardy
And of facund full faire fre of his speche
Menelay the mighty was of meane shap
Noght so large of his lymes as his lefe brother
Jn mesure was made of A medull sise
Betwene the large & the litill likyng of colour
Auntrus in armys eger of wer
A bolde man in batell & of breme wille
Achilles the choise was of chere faire
Likyng & luffly a large man wt all
<fol. 59r>Lykand & louely A large mon wt all
Crispe horit was the kyng colouret as gold
Stokyn ene out stepe wt a streight loke
His loke was full louely when ledys were opyn
Wt a brest yat was brode byg of his shulders
Grete armys in the gripe growen full rounde
A large man~ of lenght wt lindis<?> full brode
A stythe man~ in stoure storest of wille
Was no greke on~ yat grounde of so great strenght
Ay bowne vnto batell boldist in Armys
Godely of giftes grettist in expense
Ay furse on his fos and to fight Redy
Tantelus the tore kyng was a tulke hoge
Borly of brede & of big strenght
Wele colouret by course clene of his face
Rede roikond in white as ye Roose fresshe
Wt grete Ene & gray gleyit A litill
Meke of his maners & manly in werre
Aiax oelius was outrage grete
Brode of his brest byg in his armys
A large man of lyms lengest of stature
Costius clothyng ay ye kyng weiret
Noght lowrand wt laithe chere lefse for to speike
Telamon truly was a tulke f<ill><2 letters></ill> faire
Blake horit aboue breghis and other
Serklyt of hom-seluyn semly wt all
A Sotell man~ of song wt musike & myrthes also
He was doghty of dedys derfe of his hond
Pompe and proude wordis ay ye prinse hated
Vlexes the lefe kyng was loueliest of other
He was the feirest by ferre of all the felle grekes
And falsist in ˆ [his] fare and full of disseit
Vndurtaker of treyne of talkyng but litull~
Neuer myrth in his mouthe meuyt wt tong
<fol. 59v>Sad of his semblaund sober of chere
And of facound fairest wt A fre speche
He hade no make of yo men in meuyng of wordys
Dyamede ye doughty was a dere kyng
Stronge of his stature stithe in his armys
Brode in his brest byg in his shulders
Wt a loke yat was laithe like out of wit
Fals of his forward felle of his hond
A derffe mon in dede dyssirus of batell~
Vnsober wt seruaundes sorofull in hert
Dredfull in dole for dissait yt he vsit
Lusty to lechery vnlell of his trouthe
And mony harmes ˆ [hepit] for hete of his loue
Off Duke Nestor to deme doughty in werre
He was long & large wt lemys full grete
A Freike yat was fre and a feire speiker
Wise in his wordys witte of counsaille
Tru of his trowthe tristy to leue
Meke of his maners malise to pese
And if he walte into wrathe wode as a lyon
But he lengit not long in his lothe hate
Faithfull of frendship to frekys yat he louyt
The hertiest to helpe of All the high kynges
Protheselus the pert kyng was of pure shap
Semely for sothe & of Syse faire
Doughty of dedis derfe of his hondes
None wighter in werre ne of wille bettur
Neptolon nobill was non of ye lest
A store man~ of stature stabill of chere
His hore was hard blake on his hede stode
Grete Ene and gray wt a grym loke
Rounde sydes for sothe sober of wille
His shulders were shapon of a clene brede
Bytill-browet was the buerne yt aboue met
And stutid full stithly yat stynt hym to speke
But he was lernyd of ye lawe & in his lond wise
<fol. 60r>For to comyn in A case hade A clere wit
Palomydon the pure he was prinse faire
Naulus son ye nobill kyng & his next childe
Vne made of a mene in the medyll shap
Large of a lenght lyuely & small
Noght borely ne brode but as hym best semyt
A stythe man of his stature stirond of wille
Meuyt hym to mony thinges & of mynd gode
Nobill talker wt tales tretable alse
Curtas & kynd curious of honde
Polidarius was pluccid as a porke fat
Ful grete in the grippe all of grese hoge
So bolnet was his body yt burthen hade ynogh
The fete of yat freke to ferke hym aboute
Or stond vppe streght for his strong charge
Aparty was he proude presit after seruys
He wold not glally be glad ne glide into myrthe
But euermore ymaginand & entrond in thoghtes