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That alle thing hath time and stede；
The cherche serveth for the bede；
The chambre is of an other speche。
Bot if thou wistest of the wreche； 7190
Hou Sacrilege it hath aboght；
Thou woldest betre ben bethoght；
And for thou schalt the more amende；
A tale I wole on the despende。
To alle men； as who seith； knowe
It is； and in the world thurgh blowe；
Hou that of Troie Lamedon
To Hercules and to Jasoun；
Whan toward Colchos out of Grece
Be See sailende upon a piece 7200
Of lond of Troie reste preide；…
Bot he hem wrathfulli congeide：
And for thei founde him so vilein；
Whan thei come into Grece ayein；
With pouer that thei gete myhte
Towardes Troie thei hem dyhte；
And ther thei token such vengance；
Wherof stant yit the remembrance；
For thei destruide king and al；
And leften bot the brente wal。 7210
The Grecs of Troiens many slowe
And prisoners thei toke ynowe；
Among the whiche ther was on；
The kinges doughter Lamedon；
Esiona； that faire thing；
Which unto Thelamon the king
Be Hercules and be thassent
Of al the hole parlement
Was at his wille yove and granted。
And thus hath Grece Troie danted； 7220
And hom thei torne in such manere：
Bot after this nou schalt thou hiere
The cause why this tale I telle；
Upon the chances that befelle。
King Lamedon； which deide thus；
He hadde a Sone； on Priamus；
Which was noght thilke time at hom：
Bot whan he herde of this； he com；
And fond hou the Cite was falle；
Which he began anon to walle 7230
And made ther a cite newe；
That thei whiche othre londes knewe
Tho seiden； that of lym and Ston
In al the world so fair was non。
And on that o side of the toun
The king let maken Ylioun；
That hihe Tour； that stronge place；
Which was adrad of no manace
Of quarel nor of non engin；
And thogh men wolde make a Myn； 7240
No mannes craft it mihte aproche；
For it was sett upon a roche。
The walles of the toun aboute；
Hem stod of al the world no doute；
And after the proporcion
Sex gates weren of the toun
Of such a forme； of such entaile；
That hem to se was gret mervaile：
The diches weren brode and depe；
A fewe men it mihte kepe 7250
From al the world； as semeth tho；
Bot if the goddes weren fo。
Gret presse unto that cite drouh；
So that ther was of poeple ynouh；
Of Burgeis that therinne duellen；
Ther mai no mannes tunge tellen
Hou that cite was riche of good。
Whan al was mad and al wel stod；
King Priamus tho him bethoghte
What thei of Grece whilom wroghte； 7260
And what was of her swerd devoured；
And hou his Soster deshonoured
With Thelamon awey was lad：
And so thenkende he wax unglad；
And sette anon a parlement；
To which the lordes were assent。
In many a wise ther was spoke；
Hou that thei mihten ben awroke；
Bot ate laste natheles
Thei seiden alle； 〃Acord and pes。〃 7270
To setten either part in reste
It thoghte hem thanne for the beste
With resonable amendement；
And thus was Anthenor forth sent
To axe Esionam ayein
And witen what thei wolden sein。
So passeth he the See be barge
To Grece forto seie his charge；
The which he seide redely
Unto the lordes by and by： 7280
Bot where he spak in Grece aboute；
He herde noght bot wordes stoute；
And nameliche of Thelamon；
The maiden wolde he noght forgon；
He seide； for no maner thing；
And bad him gon hom to his king；
For there gat he non amende
For oght he couthe do or sende。
This Anthenor ayein goth hom
Unto his king； and whan he com； 7290
He tolde in Grece of that he herde；
And hou that Thelamon ansuerde；
And hou thei were at here above；
That thei wol nouther pes ne love；
Bot every man schal don his beste。
Bot for men sein that nyht hath reste；
The king bethoghte him al that nyht；
And erli； whan the dai was lyht；
He tok conseil of this matiere；
And thei acorde in this manere； 7300
That he withouten eny lette
A certein time scholde sette
Of Parlement to ben avised：
And in the wise it was devised；
Of parlement he sette a day；
And that was in the Monthe of Maii。
This Priamus hadde in his yhte
A wif； and Hecuba sche hyhte；
Be whom that time ek hadde he
Of Sones fyve； and douhtres thre 7310
Besiden hem； and thritty mo；
And weren knyhtes alle tho；
Bot noght upon his wif begete；
Bot elles where he myhte hem gete
Of wommen whiche he hadde knowe；
Such was the world at thilke throwe：
So that he was of children riche；
As therof was noman his liche。
Of Parlement the dai was come；
Ther ben the lordes alle and some； 7320
Tho was pronounced and pourposed；
And al the cause hem was desclosed；
Hou Anthenor in Grece ferde。
Thei seten alle stille and herde；
And tho spak every man aboute：
Ther was alegged many a doute；
And many a proud word spoke also；
Bot for the moste part as tho
Thei wisten noght what was the beste；
Or forto werre or forto reste。 7330
Bot he that was withoute fere；
Hector； among the lordes there
His tale tolde in such a wise；
And seide； 〃Lordes； ye ben wise；
Ye knowen this als wel as I；
Above all othre most worthi
Stant nou in Grece the manhode
Of worthinesse and of knihthode；
For who so wole it wel agrope；
To hem belongeth al Europe； 7340
Which is the thridde parti evene
Of al the world under the hevene；
And we be bot of folk a fewe。
So were it reson forto schewe
The peril； er we falle thrinne：
Betre is to leve； than beginne
Thing which as mai noght ben achieved；
He is noght wys that fint him grieved；
And doth so that his grief be more；
For who that loketh al tofore 7350
And wol noght se what is behinde；
He mai fulofte hise harmes finde：
Wicke is to stryve and have the worse。
We have encheson forto corse；
This wot I wel； and forto hate
The Greks； bot er that we debate
With hem that ben of such a myht；
It is ful good that every wiht
Be of himself riht wel bethoght。
Bot as for me this seie I noght； 7360
For while that mi lif wol stonde；
If that ye taken werre on honde；
Falle it to beste or to the werste；
I schal miselven be the ferste
To grieven hem； what evere I may。
I wol noght ones seie nay
To thing which that youre conseil demeth；
For unto me wel more it quemeth
The werre certes than the pes；
Bot this I seie natheles； 7370
As me belongeth forto seie。
Nou schape ye the beste weie。〃
Whan Hector hath seid his avis；
Next after him tho spak Paris；
Which was his brother； and alleide
What him best thoghte； and thus he seide：
〃Strong thing it is to soffre wrong；
And suffre schame is more strong；
Bot we have suffred bothe tuo；
And for al that yit have we do 7380
What so we mihte to reforme
The pes； whan we in such a forme
Sente Anthenor； as ye wel knowe。
And thei here grete wordes blowe
Upon her wrongful dedes eke；
And who that wole himself noght meke
To pes； and list no reson take；
Men sein reson him wol forsake：
For in the multitude of men
Is noght the strengthe； for with ten 7390
It hath be sen in trew querele
Ayein an hundred false dele；
And had the betre of goddes grace。
This hath befalle in many place；
And if it like unto you alle；
I wolde assaie； hou so it falle；
Oure enemis if I mai grieve；
For I have cawht a gret believe
Upon a point I wol declare。
This ender day； as I gan fare 7400
To hunte unto the grete hert；
Which was tofore myn houndes stert；
And every man went on his syde
Him to poursuie； and I to ryde
Began the chace； and soth to seie；
Withinne a while out of mi weie
I rod； and nyste where I was。
And slep me cauhte； and on the gras
Beside a welle I lay me doun
To slepe； and in a visioun 7410
To me the god Mercurie cam；
Goddesses thre with him he nam；
Minerve； Venus and Juno；
And in his hond an Appel tho
He hield of gold with lettres write：
And this he dede me to wite；
Hou that thei putt hem upon me；
That to the faireste of hem thre
Of gold that Appel scholde I yive。
With ech of hem tho was I schrive； 7420
And echon faire me behihte；
Bot Venus seide； if that sche mihte
That Appel of mi yifte gete；
Sche wolde it neveremor foryete；
And seide hou that in Grece lond
Sche wolde bringe unto myn hond
Of al this Erthe the faireste；
So that me thoghte it for the beste；
To hire and yaf that Appel tho。
Thus hope I wel； if that I go； 7430
That sche for me wol so ordeine；
That thei matiere forto pleigne
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