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‘Of which； as olde bokes tellen us；
Ther roos a contek and a greet envye；
And of this lord descended Tydeus 1480
By ligne； or elles olde bokes lye；
But how this Meleagre gan to dye
Thorugh his moder； wol I yow not telle；
For al to long it were for to dwelle。'
＇Argument of the 12 Books of Statius' 〃Thebais〃＇
Associat profugum Tideo primus Polimitem；
Tidea legatum docet insidiasque secundus；
Tercius Hemoniden canit et vates latitantes；
Quartus habet reges ineuntes prelia septem；
Mox furie Lenne quinto narratur et anguis；
Archimori bustum sexto ludique leguntur；
Dat Graios Thebes et vatem septimus vmbria；
Octauo cecidit Tideus； spes； vita Pelasgia；
Ypomedon nono moritur cum Parthonopeo；
Fulmine percussus； decimo Capaneus superatur；
Vndecimo sese perimunt per vulnera fratres；
Argiuam flentem narrat duodenus et igneum。
She tolde eek how Tydeus； er she stente； 1485
Un…to the stronge citee of Thebes；
To cleyme kingdom of the citee； wente；
For his felawe； daun Polymites；
Of which the brother； daun Ethyocles；
Ful wrongfully of Thebes held the strengthe； 1490
This tolde she by proces； al by lengthe。
She tolde eek how Hemonides asterte；
Whan Tydeus slough fifty knightes stoute。
She tolde eek al the prophesyes by herte；
And how that sevene kinges； with hir route； 1495
Bisegeden the citee al aboute；
And of the holy serpent； and the welle；
And of the furies； al she gan him telle。
Of Archimoris buryinge and the pleyes；
And how Amphiorax fil through the grounde； 1500
How Tydeus was slayn； lord of Argeyes；
And how Ypomedoun in litel stounde
Was dreynt； and deed Parthonope of wounde；
And also how Cappaneus the proude
With thonder…dint was slayn； that cryde loude。 1505
She gan eek telle him how that either brother；
Ethyocles and Polimyte also；
At a scarmyche； eche of hem slough other；
And of Argyves wepinge and hir wo；
And how the town was brent she tolde eek tho。 1510
And so descendeth doun from gestes olde
To Diomede； and thus she spak and tolde。
‘This ilke boor bitokneth Diomede；
Tydeus sone； that doun descended is
Fro Meleagre； that made the boor to blede。 1515
And thy lady； wher…so she be； y…wis；
This Diomede hir herte hath； and she his。
Weep if thou wolt； or leef； for； out of doute；
This Diomede is inne； and thou art oute。'
‘Thou seyst nat sooth；' quod he； ‘thou sorceresse； 1520
With al thy false goost of prophesye！
Thou wenest been a greet devyneresse；
Now seestow not this fool of fantasye
Peyneth hir on ladyes for to lye？
Awey！' quod he。 ‘Ther Ioves yeve thee sorwe！ 1525
Thou shalt be fals； paraunter； yet to…morwe！
‘As wel thou mightest lyen on Alceste；
That was of creatures； but men lye；
That ever weren； kindest and the beste。
For whanne hir housbonde was in Iupartye 1530
To dye him…self； but…if she wolde dye；
She chees for him to dye and go to helle；
And starf anoon； as us the bokes telle。'
Cassandre goth； and he with cruel herte
For…yat his wo； for angre of hir speche； 1535
And from his bed al sodeinly he sterte；
As though al hool him hadde y…mad a leche。
And day by day he gan enquere and seche
A sooth of this； with al his fulle cure；
And thus he dryeth forth his aventure。 1540
Fortune； whiche that permutacioun
Of thinges hath； as it is hir committed
Through purveyaunce and disposicioun
Of heighe Iove； as regnes shal ben flitted
Fro folk in folk； or whan they shal ben smitted； 1545
Gan pulle awey the fetheres brighte of Troye
Fro day to day； til they ben bare of Ioye。
Among al this； the fyn of the parodie
Of Ector gan approchen wonder blyve；
The fate wolde his soule sholde unbodie； 1550
And shapen hadde a mene it out to dryve；
Ayeins which fate him helpeth not to stryve；
But on a day to fighten gan he wende；
At which； allas！ He coughte his lyves ende。
For which me thinketh every maner wight 1555
That haunteth armes oughte to biwayle
The deeth of him that was so noble a knight；
For as he drough a king by thaventayle；
Unwar of this； Achilles through the mayle
And through the body gan him for to ryve； 1560
And thus this worthy knight was brought of lyve。
For whom； as olde bokes tellen us；
Was mad swich wo； that tonge it may not telle；
And namely； the sorwe of Troilus；
That next him was of worthinesse welle。 1565
And in this wo gan Troilus to dwelle；
That； what for sorwe； and love； and for unreste；
Ful ofte a day he bad his herte breste。
But natheles； though he gan him dispeyre；
And dradde ay that his lady was untrewe； 1570
Yet ay on hir his herte gan repeyre。
And as these loveres doon； he soughte ay newe
To gete ayein Criseyde； bright of hewe。
And in his herte he wente hir excusinge；
That Calkas causede al hir taryinge。 1575
And ofte tyme he was in purpos grete
Him…selven lyk a pilgrim to disgyse；
To seen hir； but he may not contrefete
To been unknowen of folk that weren wyse；
Ne finde excuse aright that may suffyse； 1580
If he among the Grekes knowen were；
For which he weep ful ofte many a tere。
To hir he wroot yet ofte tyme al newe
Ful pitously； he lefte it nought for slouthe；
Biseching hir that； sin that he was trewe； 1585
She wolde come ayein and holde hir trouthe。
For which Criseyde up…on a day； for routhe；
I take it so； touchinge al this matere；
Wrot him ayein； and seyde as ye may here。
‘Cupydes sone； ensample of goodlihede； 1590
O swerd of knighthod； sours of gentilesse！
How might a wight in torment and in drede
And helelees； yow sende as yet gladnesse？
I hertelees； I syke； I in distresse；
Sin ye with me； nor I with yow may dele； 1595
Yow neither sende ich herte may nor hele。
‘Your lettres ful； the papir al y…pleynted；
Conceyved hath myn hertes pietee；
I have eek seyn with teres al depeynted
Your lettre； and how that ye requeren me 1600
To come ayein； which yet ne may not be。
But why； lest that this lettre founden were；
No mencioun ne make I now； for fere。
‘Grevous to me； god woot； is your unreste；
Your haste； and that； the goddes ordenaunce； 1605
It semeth not ye take it for the beste。
Nor other thing nis in your remembraunce；
As thinketh me； but only your plesaunce。
But beth not wrooth； and that I yow biseche；
For that I tarie； is al for wikked speche。 1610
‘For I have herd wel more than I wende；
Touchinge us two； how thinges han y…stonde；
Which I shal with dissimulinge amende。
And beth nought wrooth； I have eek understonde；
How ye ne doon but holden me in honde。 1615
But now no fors； I can not in yow gesse
But alle trouthe and alle gentilesse。
‘Comen I wol； but yet in swich disioynte
I stonde as now； that what yeer or what day
That this shal be； that can I not apoynte。 1620
But in effect； I prey yow； as I may；
Of your good word and of your frendship ay。
For trewely； whyl that my lyf may dure；
As for a fre