[Athemas and Demephon.]
Whan noble Troie was belein
And overcome, and hom ayein
The Gregois torned fro the siege,
Hic ponit Confessor exemplum contra illos qui nimio furore
accensi vindictam Ire sue vltra quam decet consequi affectant. Et
narrat qualiter Athemas et Demephon Reges, cum ipsi de bello Troiano
ad propria remeassent et a suis ibidem pacifice recepti non fuissent,
congregato aliunde pugnatorum excercitu, regiones suas non solum
incendio vastare set et omnes in eisdem habitantes a minimo vsque ad
maiorem in perpetuam vindicte memoriam gladio interficere feruore
998
iracundie proposuerunt. Set Rex Nestor, qui senex et sapiens fuit, ex
paciencia tractatus inter ipsos Reges et eorum Regna inita pace et
concordia huiusmodi impetuositatem micius
999 pacificauit.
The kinges founde here oghne liege 1760
In manye places, as men seide,
That hem forsoke and desobeide.
Among the whiche fell this cas
1000To Demephon and Athemas,
That weren kinges bothe tuo,
And bothe weren served so:
Here lieges wolde hem noght receive,
1001So that thei mote algates weyve
To seche lond in other place,
For there founde thei no grace. 1770
Wherof they token hem to rede,
And soghten frendes ate nede,
P. i. 339
And ech of hem asseureth other
To helpe as to his oghne brother,
To vengen hem of thilke oultrage
And winne ayein here heritage.
And thus thei ryde aboute faste
To gete hem help, and ate laste
Thei hadden pouer sufficant,
And maden thanne a covenant, 1780
That thei ne scholden no lif save,
Ne prest, ne clerc, ne lord, ne knave,
Ne wif, ne child, of that thei finde,
Which berth visage of mannes kinde,
So that no lif schal be socoured,
Bot with the dedly swerd devoured:
In such Folhaste here ordinance
Thei schapen forto do vengance.
Whan this pourpos was wist and knowe
Among here host, tho was ther blowe 1790
Of wordes many a speche aboute:
Of yonge men the lusti route
Were of this tale glad ynowh,
Ther was no care for the plowh;
As thei that weren Folhastif,
Thei ben acorded to the strif,
And sein it mai noght be to gret
To vengen hem of such forfet:
Thus seith the wilde unwise tonge
Of hem that there weren yonge.
1002 1800Bot Nestor, which was old and hor,
The salve sih tofore the sor,
P. i. 340
As he that was of conseil wys:
So that anon be his avis
Ther was a prive conseil nome.
The lordes ben togedre come;
1003This 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:
1004 1830And for that cause he bad hem trete,
And stinte of the manaces grete.
1005P. i. 341
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.
Confessor.
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.
[Homicide.]
P. i. 342
And as touchende of Homicide
Which toucheth unto loves side,
Fulofte it falleth unavised
Thurgh will, which is noght wel assised,
1008Whan 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.
[Tale of Orestes.]
Of Troie at thilke noble toun,
Whos fame stant yit of renoun
1009Hic ponit Confessor exemplum contra illos qui ob sue
concupiscencie desiderium homicide efficiuntur. Et narrat qualiter
Climestra vxor Regis Agamenontis, cum ipse a bello Troiano domi
redisset, consilio Egisti, quem adultera peramauit, sponsum suum in
cubili dormientem sub noctis silencio trucidabat; cuius mortem filius
eius Horestes tunc minoris etatis postea diis admonitus seueritate
crudelissima
1011 vindicauit.
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.
P. i. 343
This thing is knowen overal,
1010Bot 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:
1012Climestre 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
1013Fro Troie cam, the ferste nyht
1014That 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.
P. i. 344
Agamenon hath be this qweene
A Sone, and that was after sene;
1015Bot 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,
1016 1930Of 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
1017This 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
1018And 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 understondihge of this thing, 1950
Which that this kniht him hadde told,
He made sorwe manyfold,
P. i. 345
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,
1019Preiende 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:
1020So that Horestes ate laste 1980
His leve tok and forth he goth.
As he that was in herte wroth,
P. i. 346
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
1021And 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.
1022Horestes, which of thilke office
Was nothing glad, as thanne he preide
1023Unto 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
P. i. 347
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,
1024Which 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:
1025And whan sche herde telle of this,
1026P. i. 348
The gates weren faste schet,
And thei were of here entre let.
1027Anon this Cite was withoute
Belein and sieged al aboute,
1028And evere among thei it assaile,
Fro day to nyht and so travaile,
Til ate laste thei it wonne;
Tho was ther sorwe ynowh begonne. 2050
Horestes dede his moder calle
Anon tofore the lordes alle
And ek tofor the poeple also,
To hire and tolde his tale tho,
And seide, ‘O cruel beste unkinde,
How mihtest thou thin herte finde,
1029For eny lust of loves drawhte,
That thou acordest to the slawhte
Of him which was thin oghne lord?
Thi treson stant of such record, 2060
Thou miht thi werkes noght forsake;
So mot I for mi fader sake
Vengance upon thi bodi do,
As I comanded am therto.
Unkindely for thou hast wroght,
Unkindeliche it schal be boght,
The Sone schal the Moder sle,
For that whilom them seidest yee
To that thou scholdest nay have seid.’
And he with that his hond hath leid 2070
Upon his Moder brest anon,
And rente out fro the bare bon
P. i. 349
Hire Pappes bothe and caste aweie
Amiddes in the carte weie,
And after tok the dede cors
And let it drawe awey with hors
Unto the
hound and to the raven;
1030Sche was non other wise graven.
Egistus, which was elles where,
Tidinges comen to his Ere 2080
How that Micenes was belein,
Bot what was more herd he noght sein;
1031With gret manace and mochel bost
He drowh pouer and made an host
And cam in rescousse of the toun.
Bot al the sleyhte of his tresoun
Horestes wiste it be aspie,
And of his men a gret partie
He made in buisshement abide,
To waite on him in such a tide 2090
That he ne mihte here hond ascape:
And in this wise as he hath schape
The thing befell, so that Egiste
Was take, er he himself it wiste,
And was forth broght hise hondes bounde,
As whan men han a tretour founde.
And tho that weren with him take,
Whiche of tresoun were overtake,
Togedre in o sentence falle;
Bot false Egiste above hem alle
1032 2100Was demed to diverse peine,
The worste that men cowthe ordeigne,
P. i. 350
And so forth after be the lawe
He was unto the gibet drawe,
Where he above alle othre hongeth,
As to a tretour it belongeth.
Tho fame with hire swifte wynges
1033Aboute flyh and bar tidinges,
And made it cowth in alle londes
How that Horestes with hise hondes 2110
Climestre his oghne Moder slowh.
Some sein he dede wel ynowh,
And som men sein he dede amis,
Diverse opinion ther is:
That sche is ded thei speken alle,
Bot pleinli hou it is befalle,
The matiere in so litel throwe
In soth ther mihte noman knowe
Bot thei that weren ate dede:
And comunliche in every nede 2120
The worste speche is rathest herd
And lieved, til it be ansuerd.
The kinges and the lordes grete
Begonne Horestes forto threte
To puten him out of his regne:
‘He is noght worthi forto regne,
The child which slowh his moder so,’
Thei saide; and therupon also
The lordes of comun assent
A time sette of parlement, 2130
And to Athenes king and lord
Togedre come of on acord,
P. i. 351
To knowe hou that the sothe was:
So that Horestes in this cas
Thei senden after, and he com.
King Menelay the wordes nom
And axeth him of this matiere:
And he, that alle it mihten hiere,
Ansuerde and tolde his tale alarge,
1034And hou the goddes in his charge 2140
Comanded him in such a wise
His oghne hond to do juise.
And with this tale a Duc aros,
Which was a worthi kniht of los,
His name was Menesteüs,
And seide unto the lordes thus:
‘The wreeche which Horestes dede,
It was thing of the goddes bede,
And nothing of his crualte;
And if ther were of mi degree 2150
In al this place such a kniht
That wolde sein it was no riht,
I wole it with my bodi prove.’
And therupon he caste his glove,
And ek this noble Duc alleide
Ful many an other skile, and seide
Sche hadde wel deserved wreche,
Ferst for the cause of Spousebreche,
And after wroghte in such a wise
That al the world it oghte agrise, 2160
Whan that sche for so foul a vice
Was of hire oghne lord moerdrice.
P. i. 352
Thei seten alle stille and herde,
Bot therto was noman ansuerde,
It thoghte hem alle he seide skile,
Ther is noman withseie it wile;
1035Whan thei upon the reson musen,
Horestes alle thei excusen:
1036So that with gret solempnete
He was unto his dignete 2170
Received, and coroned king.
And tho befell a wonder thing:
Egiona, whan sche this wiste,
Which was the dowhter of Egiste
And Soster on the moder side
To this Horeste, at thilke tide,
Whan sche herde how hir brother spedde,
1037For pure sorwe, which hire ledde,
That he ne hadde ben exiled,
Sche hath hire oghne lif beguiled 2180
Anon and hyng hireselve tho.
It hath and schal ben everemo,
To moerdre who that wole assente,
He mai noght faille to repente:
This false Egiona was on,
Which forto moerdre Agamenon
Yaf hire acord and hire assent,
So that be goddes juggement,
Thogh that non other man it wolde,
Sche tok hire juise as sche scholde; 2190
And as sche to an other wroghte,
Vengance upon hireself sche soghte,
P. i. 353
And hath of hire unhappi wit
A moerdre with a moerdre quit.
Such is of moerdre the vengance.
Confessor.
Forthi, mi Sone, in remembrance
Of this ensample tak good hiede:
For who that thenkth his love spiede
With moerdre, he schal with worldes schame
Himself and ek his love schame. 2200
Amans.
Mi fader, of this aventure
Which ye have told, I you assure
Min herte is sory forto hiere,
Bot only for I wolde lere
What is to done, and what to leve.
1038Hic queritur quibus de causis licet hominem
1039 occidere.
And over this now be your leve,
That ye me wolden telle I preie,
If ther be lieffull eny weie
Withoute Senne a man to sle.
1040Confessor.
Mi Sone, in sondri wise ye. 2210
What man that is of traiterie,
Of moerdre or elles robberie
Atteint, the jugge schal noght lette,
Bot he schal slen of pure dette,
And doth gret Senne, if that he wonde.
For who that lawe hath upon honde,
[Lawful Homicide.]
And spareth forto do justice
For merci, doth noght his office,
That he his mercy so bewareth,
Seneca.
1041 Iudex qui parcit
1042 vlcisci, multos improbos facit.
Whan for o schrewe which he spareth 2220
A thousand goode men he grieveth:
With such merci who that believeth
P. i. 354
To plese god, he is deceived,
Or elles resoun mot be weyved.
Apostolus. Non sine causa Iudex gladium portat.
1043The lawe stod er we were bore,
How that a kinges swerd is bore
In signe that he schal defende
His trewe poeple and make an ende
Of suche as wolden hem devoure.
Lo thus, my Sone, to socoure 2230
The lawe and comun riht to winne,
A man mai sle withoute Sinne,
And do therof a gret almesse,
So forto kepe rihtwisnesse.
And over this for his contre
In time of werre a man is fre
Himself, his hous and ek his lond
Defende with his oghne hond,
And slen, if that he mai no bet,
After the lawe which is set. 2240
Amans.
Now, fader, thanne I you beseche
Of hem that dedly werres seche
In worldes cause and scheden blod,
If such an homicide is good.
1045Confessor.
Mi Sone, upon thi question
The trowthe of myn opinion,
Als ferforth as my wit arecheth
And as the pleine lawe techeth,
1046I woll thee telle in evidence,
To rewle with thi conscience. 2250
The hihe god of his justice
Hic loquitur contra motores guerre, que non solum homicidii set
vniversi mundi desolacionis mater existit.
That ilke foule horrible vice
Of homicide he hath forbede,
Be Moïses as it was bede.
Whan goddes Sone also was bore,
He sende hise anglis doun therfore,
1047Whom the Schepherdes herden singe,
Pes to the men of welwillinge
In erthe be among ous here.
1048So forto speke in this matiere 2260
After the lawe of charite,
Ther schal no dedly werre be:
And ek nature it hath defended
And in hir lawe pes comended,
Which is the chief of mannes welthe,
Of mannes lif, of mannes helthe.
Bot dedly werre hath his covine
Of pestilence and of famine,
Of poverte and of alle wo,
Wherof this world we blamen so, 2270
Which now the werre hath under fote,
Til god himself therof do bote.
For alle thing which god hath wroght
In Erthe, werre it bringth to noght:
The cherche is brent, the priest is slain,
The wif, the maide is ek forlain,
The lawe is lore and god unserved:
I not what mede he hath deserved
P. i. 356
That suche werres ledeth inne.
If that he do it forto winne, 2280
Ferst to acompte his grete cost
Forth with the folk that he hath lost,
As to the worldes rekeninge
Ther schal he finde no winnynge;
And if he do it to pourchace
The hevene mede, of such a grace
I can noght speke, and natheles
1049Crist hath comanded love and pes,
And who that worcheth the revers,
I trowe his mede is ful divers. 2290
And sithen thanne that we finde
That werres in here oghne kinde
Ben toward god of no decerte,
1050And ek thei bringen in poverte
Of worldes good, it is merveile
Among the men what it mai eyle,
That thei a pes ne conne sette.
I trowe Senne be the lette,
Apostolus. Stipendium peccati mors est.
1051And every mede of Senne is deth;
So wot I nevere hou that it geth: 2300
Bot we that ben of o believe
Among ousself, this wolde I lieve,
That betre it were pes to chese,
Than so be double weie lese.
I not if that it now so stonde,
Bot this a man mai understonde,
Who that these olde bokes redeth,
That coveitise is on which ledeth,
P. i. 357
And broghte ferst the werres inne.
At Grece if that I schal beginne, 2310
Ther was it proved hou it stod:
To Perce, which was ful of good,
Thei maden werre in special,
And so thei deden overal,
Wher gret richesse was in londe,
So that thei leften nothing stonde
Unwerred, bot onliche Archade.
Nota, quod Greci omnem terram fertilem debellabant,
set tantum Archadiam, pro eo quod pauper et sterilis fuit,
pacifice dimiserunt.
For there thei no werres made,
1052Be cause it was bareigne and povere,
Wherof thei mihten noght recovere; 2320
And thus poverte was forbore,
He that noght hadde noght hath lore.
Bot yit it is a wonder thing,
Whan that a riche worthi king,
Or other lord, what so he be,
Wol axe and cleyme proprete
In thing to which he hath no riht,
Bot onliche of his grete miht:
For this mai every man wel wite,
That bothe kinde and lawe write 2330
Expressly stonden therayein.
Bot he mot nedes somwhat sein,
Althogh ther be no reson inne,
Which secheth cause forto winne:
For wit that is with will oppressed,
Whan coveitise him hath adressed,
And alle resoun put aweie,
He can wel finde such a weie
P. i. 358
To werre, where as evere him liketh,
Wherof that he the world entriketh, 2340
That many a man of him compleigneth:
Bot yit alwei som cause he feigneth,
And of his wrongful herte he demeth
1053That al is wel, what evere him semeth,
Be so that he mai winne ynowh.
For as the trew man to the plowh
1054Only to the gaignage entendeth,
Riht so the werreiour despendeth
His time and hath no conscience.
And in this point for evidence 2350
Of hem that suche werres make,
Thou miht a gret ensample take,
How thei her tirannie excusen
Of that thei wrongfull werres usen,
And how thei stonde of on acord,
The Souldeour forth with the lord,
The
povere man forth with the riche,
As of corage thei ben liche,
To make werres and to pile
For lucre and for non other skyle: 2360
Wherof a propre tale I rede,
As it whilom befell in dede.