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Thus seith the wilde unwise tonge
Of hem that there weren yonge。 1800
Bot Nestor； which was old and hor；
The salve sih tofore the sor；
As he that was of conseil wys：
So that anon be his avis
Ther was a prive conseil nome。
The lordes ben togedre come；
This Demephon and Athemas
Here pourpos tolden； as it was；
Thei sieten alle stille and herde；
Was non bot Nestor hem ansuerde。 1810
He bad hem； if thei wolde winne；
They scholden se； er thei beginne；
Here ende； and sette here ferste entente；
That thei hem after ne repente：
And axeth hem this questioun；
To what final conclusioun
Thei wolde regne Kinges there；
If that no poeple in londe were；
And seith； it were a wonder wierde
To sen a king become an hierde； 1820
Wher no lif is bot only beste
Under the liegance of his heste；
For who that is of man no king；
The remenant is as no thing。
He seith ek； if the pourpos holde
To sle the poeple； as thei tuo wolde；
Whan thei it mihte noght restore；
Al Grece it scholde abegge sore；
To se the wilde beste wone
Wher whilom duelte a mannes Sone： 1830
And for that cause he bad hem trete；
And stinte of the manaces grete。
Betre is to winne be fair speche；
He seith； than such vengance seche；
For whanne a man is most above；
Him nedeth most to gete him love。
Whan Nestor hath his tale seid；
Ayein him was no word withseid；
It thoghte hem alle he seide wel：
And thus fortune hire dedly whiel 1840
Fro werre torneth into pes。
Bot forth thei wenten natheles；
And whan the Contres herde sein
How that here kinges be besein
Of such a pouer as thei ladde；
Was non so bold that hem ne dradde；
And forto seche pes and grith
Thei sende and preide anon forthwith；
So that the kinges ben appesed；
And every mannes herte is esed； 1850
Al was foryete and noght recorded。
And thus thei ben togedre acorded；
The kinges were ayein received；
And pes was take and wraththe weived；
And al thurgh conseil which was good
Of him that reson understod。
Be this ensample； Sone； attempre
Thin herte and let no will distempre
Thi wit； and do nothing be myht
Which mai be do be love and riht。 1860
Folhaste is cause of mochel wo；
Forthi； mi Sone； do noght so。
And as touchende of Homicide
Which toucheth unto loves side；
Fulofte it falleth unavised
Thurgh will； which is noght wel assised；
Whan wit and reson ben aweie
And that Folhaste is in the weie；
Wherof hath falle gret vengance。
Forthi tak into remembrance 1870
To love in such a maner wise
That thou deserve no juise：
For wel I wot； thou miht noght lette；
That thou ne schalt thin herte sette
To love； wher thou wolt or non；
Bot if thi wit be overgon；
So that it torne into malice；
Ther wot noman of thilke vice；
What peril that ther mai befalle：
Wherof a tale amonges alle； 1880
Which is gret pite forto hiere；
I thenke forto tellen hiere；
That thou such moerdre miht withstonde；
Whan thou the tale hast understonde。
Of Troie at thilke noble toun；
Whos fame stant yit of renoun
And evere schal to mannes Ere；
The Siege laste longe there；
Er that the Greks it mihten winne；
Whil Priamus was king therinne； 1890
Bot of the Greks that lyhe aboute
Agamenon ladde al the route。
This thing is knowen overal；
Bot yit I thenke in special
To my matiere therupon
Telle in what wise Agamenon；
Thurgh chance which mai noght be weived；
Of love untrewe was deceived。
An old sawe is； 〃Who that is slyh
In place where he mai be nyh； 1900
He makth the ferre Lieve loth〃：
Of love and thus fulofte it goth。
Ther while Agamenon batailleth
To winne Troie； and it assailleth；
Fro home and was long time ferr；
Egistus drowh his qweene nerr；
And with the leiser which he hadde
This ladi at his wille he ladde：
Climestre was hire rihte name；
Sche was therof gretli to blame； 1910
To love there it mai noght laste。
Bot fell to meschief ate laste；
For whan this noble worthi kniht
Fro Troie cam； the ferste nyht
That he at home abedde lay；
Egistus； longe er it was day；
As this Climestre him hadde asent；
And weren bothe of on assent；
Be treson slowh him in his bedd。
Bot moerdre； which mai noght ben hedd； 1920
Sprong out to every mannes Ere；
Wherof the lond was full of fere。
Agamenon hath be this qweene
A Sone； and that was after sene；
Bot yit as thanne he was of yowthe；
A babe； which no reson cowthe；
And as godd wolde； it fell him thus。
A worthi kniht Taltabius
This yonge child hath in kepinge；
And whan he herde of this tidinge； 1930
Of this treson； of this misdede；
He gan withinne himself to drede；
In aunter if this false Egiste
Upon him come； er he it wiste；
To take and moerdre of his malice
This child； which he hath to norrice：
And for that cause in alle haste
Out of the lond he gan him haste
And to the king of Crete he strawhte
And him this yonge lord betawhte； 1940
And preide him for his fader sake
That he this child wolde undertake
And kepe him til he be of Age；
So as he was of his lignage；
And tolde him over al the cas；
How that his fadre moerdred was；
And hou Egistus； as men seide；
Was king； to whom the lond obeide。
And whanne Ydomeneux the king
Hath understondinge of this thing； 1950
Which that this kniht him hadde told；
He made sorwe manyfold；
And tok this child into his warde；
And seide he wolde him kepe and warde；
Til that he were of such a myht
To handle a swerd and ben a knyht；
To venge him at his oghne wille。
And thus Horestes duelleth stille；
Such was the childes rihte name；
Which after wroghte mochel schame 1960
In vengance of his fader deth。
The time of yeres overgeth；
That he was man of brede and lengthe；
Of wit； of manhod and of strengthe；
A fair persone amonges alle。
And he began to clepe and calle；
As he which come was to manne；
Unto the King of Crete thanne；
Preiende that he wolde him make
A kniht and pouer with him take； 1970
For lengere wolde he noght beleve；
He seith； bot preith the king of leve
To gon and cleyme his heritage
And vengen him of thilke oultrage
Which was unto his fader do。
The king assenteth wel therto；
With gret honour and knyht him makth；
And gret pouer to him betakth；
And gan his journe forto caste：
So that Horestes ate laste 1980
His leve tok and forth he goth。
As he that was in herte wroth；
His ferste pleinte to bemene；
Unto the Cite of Athene
He goth him forth and was received；
So there was he noght deceived。
The Duc and tho that weren wise
Thei profren hem to his servise；
And he hem thonketh of here profre
And seith himself he wol gon offre 1990
Unto the goddes for his sped；
As alle men him yeven red。
So goth he to the temple forth：
Of yiftes that be mochel worth
His sacrifice and his offringe
He made； and after his axinge
He was ansuerd； if that he wolde
His stat recovere； thanne he scholde
Upon his Moder do vengance
So cruel； that the remembrance 2000
Therof mihte everemore abide；
As sche that was an homicide
And of hire oghne lord Moerdrice。
Horestes； which of thilke office
Was nothing glad； as thanne he preide
Unto the goddes there and seide
That thei the juggement devise；
How sche schal take the juise。
And therupon he hadde ansuere；
That he hire Pappes scholde of tere 2010
Out of hire brest his oghne hondes；
And for ensample of alle londes
With hors sche scholde be todrawe；
Til houndes hadde hire bones gnawe
Withouten eny sepulture：
This was a wofull aventure。
And whan Horestes hath al herd；
How that the goddes have ansuerd；
Forth with the strengthe which he ladde
The Duc and his pouer he hadde； 2020
And to a Cite forth thei gon；
The which was cleped Cropheon；
Where as Phoieus was lord and Sire；
Which profreth him withouten hyre
His help and al that he mai do；
As he that was riht glad therto；
To grieve his mortiel enemy：
And tolde hem certein cause why；
How that Egiste in Mariage
His dowhter whilom of full Age 2030
Forlai； and afterward forsok；
Whan he Horestes Moder tok。
Men sein； 〃Old Senne newe schame〃：
Thus more and more aros the blame
Ayein Egiste on every side。
Horestes with his host to ride
Began； and Phoieus with hem wente；
I trowe Egiste him schal repente。
Thei riden forth unto Micene；
Wher lay Climestre thilke qweene； 2040
The which Horestes moder is：
And whan sche