ABSTRACT
Whan the kyng herde Helenus thus speke he was all abasshid and began to countrepeyse and thynke, and helde his peas and spake not of a grete whyle. And so dyde aIle the other. Than arose upon his feet Troylus, the yongest sone of kynge Pryant, and began to speke in this manyere: '0 noble men and hardy, how be ye abasshid for the wordes of this coward preste here.2 Is hit not the custome of prestes for to drede the bataylles by pusillanymyte and for to love the delyces and to fatte and encrasse hem & fyIle their belyes with good wynes and v.ryth good metys? Who is he that belevyth that ony man may knowe the thynges to come but yf the goddes shewe hit hem by revelacion? Hyt is but folye for to tarye upon thys or to beleve suche thynges. Yf Helenus be a ferd, late hym goo in to the temple and synge the dyvyne servyce. And late the other take vengeance of their injuryes by force of armes. 0 ryght dere fader and lord, wherfore art thou so troublid for these wordes? Sende thy shippis in to Grece and thy knyghtes wyse and hardy, that may rendre to the Grekes theyr injuryes that they have doon to us.' All they that herde Troylus thus speke, they alowed hym sayng that he had well spoken. And thus they fynysshid their parlament and wente to dyner. [Despite the prophecies of a knight named Pantheus it was resolved to send Paris against Greece.]
Whan this conclusion was comen to the knowleche of Cassandra, the doughter of kynge Pryant, she began to make so grete sorowe as
she had be folyssh or oute of her mynde, and began to crye an hyghe, sayng, 'Ha, ha, right noble cyte of Troye, what fayerye hath mevyd the to be brought to suche paryllis, for whiche thou shalt in shorte tyme be beten doun and thyne hyghe tourys ben demolisshid and destroyed unto the ground.l Ha, ha, quene Hecuba, for what synne hast thou deservyd the deth of thy children whiche shall be cruell and horrible. Wherfore detournest not thou Paris fro goyng in to Grece, whiche shall be cause of this evyIl aventure?' And whan she had so cryed, she wente to her fader the kynge. And with wepyng, drowned in terys, prayd hym that he shold deporte hym and leve his empryse, and that she wiste by her scyence the grete evyllis and harmes that were comyng by this cause. But never for the dissuacions of Hector ne the monyssions ne warnynges of Cassandra, the kyng wold not change his purpoos, ne for Helenus his sone, ne for Pantheus &c.
