Anon., 1100-1500 (Middle
English Romances): The "Gest Hystoriale" of the Destruction of
Troy:
AN ALLITERATIVE ROMANCE [from The
"Gest Hystoriale" of the Destruction of Troy]
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Now of Troy forto telle is myn entent euyn,
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Of the stoure & ŝe stryffe when it distroyet was.
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Ŝof fele yeres ben faren syn ŝe fight endid,
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And it meuyt out of mynd, myn hit I thinke
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Alss wise men haue writen the wordes before,
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Left it in latyn for lernyng of vs.
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But sum poyetis full prist ŝat put hom ŝerto,
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With ffablis and falshed fayned ŝere speche,
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And made more of ŝat mater ŝan hom maister were:
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Sum lokyt ouer litle and lympit of the sothe.
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Amonges ŝat menye,---to myn hym be nome,---
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Homer was holden haithill of dedis.
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Qwiles his dayes enduret, derrist of other
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Ŝat with the Grekys was gret & of grice comyn.
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He feynet myche fals was neuer before wroght,
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And traiet ŝe truth, trust ye non other.
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Of his trifuls to telle I haue no tome nowe,
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Ne of his feynit fare ŝat he fore with:
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How goddes foght in the filde, folke as ŝai were,
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And other errours vnable ŝat after were knowen,
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That poyetis of prise have preuyt vntrew:
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Ouyde and othir ŝat onest were ay,
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Virgille ŝe virtuus, verrit for nobill,
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Thes dampnet his dedys & for dull holdyn.
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But ŝe truth for to telle & ŝe text euyn
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Of ŝat fight how it felle in a few yeres,
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Ŝat was clanly compilet with a clerk wise,
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On Gydo, a gome, ŝat graidly hade soght,
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And wist all ŝe werks by weghes he hade,
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That bothe were in batell while the batell last,
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And euŝer sawte & assembly see with ŝere een.
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Thai wrote all ŝe werkes wroght at ŝat tyme,
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In letturs of ŝere langage, as ŝai lernede hade:
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Dares and Dytes were duly ŝere namys.
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Dites full dere was dew to the Grekys,
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A lede of ŝat lond & logede hom with:
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The tother was a Tulke out of Troy selfe,
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Dares, ŝat duly the dedys be-helde.
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Aither breuyt in a boke on ŝere best wise,
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That sithen at a Sité somyn were founden
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After at Atthenes as aunter befell;
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The whiche bokes barely bothe as ŝai were,
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A Romayn ouerraght & right hom hym-seluyn,
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That Cornelius was cald to his kynde name.
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He translated it into latyn for likyng to here,
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But he shope it so short ŝat no shalke might
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Haue knowlage by course how ŝe case felle;
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ffor he brought it so breff, and so bare leuyt,
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Ŝat no lede might have likyng to loke ŝerappon,
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Till ŝis Gydo it gate, as hym grace felle,
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And declaret it more clere & on clene wise.
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In this shall faithfully be founden to the fer ende,
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All ŝe dedis by dene as ŝai done were;
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How ŝe groundes first grew, & ŝe grete hate,
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Bothe of torfer and tene ŝat hom tide aftur.
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And here fynde shall ye faire of ŝe felle peopull,
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What kynges ŝere come of costes aboute:
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Of Dukes full doughty, and of derffe Erles,
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That assemblid to ŝe citie ŝat sawte to defend:
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Of ŝe grekys ŝat were gedret how gret was ŝe nowmber,
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How mony knightes ŝere come & kynges enarmede,
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And what Dukes thedur droghe for dedis of were:
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What Shippes ŝere were shene, & shalkes with in,
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Bothe of barges & buernes ŝat broght were fro grese:
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And all the batels on bent ŝe buernes betwene.
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What Duke ŝat was dede throughe dyntes of hond,
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Who ffallen was in ffylde, & how it fore aftur:
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Bothe of truse & trayne ŝe truthe shall ŝu here,
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And all the ferlies ŝat fell vnto the ferre ende.
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ffro this prologe I passe & part me ŝerwith,
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ffrayne will I fer and fraist of ŝere werkes,
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Meue to my mater and make here an ende.
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Dares, the heraud of Troye, sais,
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And Dites that was of the Gregeis,---
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For thei were euery day in the feld
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And alle here dedis thay be-held,---
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And as thei were thei wreten hem bothe;
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Thei nolde not lette, for leef ne lothe,
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The sothe to say with-oute les
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Of gode Ector and Achilles,
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And of alle the gode lordes echon;
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And of alle here dedis schal lakke non.
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And afftir hem come Maister Gy,
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That was of Rome a Notary,
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And fond here bokes In Athenes
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Afftirwardes when it was pes,
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Grew into Latyn,
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And wrot it faire in parchemyn
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In the manere as I schal telle.
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Hende, now herken to my spelle!