Kitap 13
Thee to the house of Aeacus a straunger for to bee?
1
And is it reason that you should this armour mee denye
Bycause I former was in armes, and needed not a spye
To fetch mee foorth? Or think you him more woorthye it to have,
That came to warrefare hindermost, and feynd himself to rave,
Bycause he would have shund the warre? untill a suttler head
And more unprofitable for himself, sir Palamed,
Escryde the crafty fetches of his fearefull hart, and drew
Him foorth a warfare which he sought so cowardly to eschew?
Must he now needes enjoy the best and richest armour, whoo
Would none at all have worne onlesse he forced were thertoo?
And I with shame bee put besyde my cousin germanes gifts
Bycause to shun the formest brunt of warres I sought no shifts?
Would God this mischeef mayster had in verrye deede beene mad,
Or else beleeved so to bee: and that wee never had
Brought such a panion unto Troy. Then should not Paeans sonne
In Lemnos like an outlawe to the shame of all us wonne.
Who lurking now (as men report) in woodes and caves, dooth move
The verry flints with syghes and grones, and prayers to God above
To send Ulysses his desert. Which prayer (if there bee
A God) must one day take effect. And now beehold how hee
By othe a Souldier of our Camp, yea and as well as wee
A Capteine too, alas, (who was by Hercules assignde
To have the keeping of his shafts,) with payne and hungar pynde,
Is clad and fed with fowles, and dribs his arrowes up and downe
At birds, which were by destinye preparde to stroy Troy towne.
Yit liveth hee bycause hee is not still in companie
With sly Ulysses. Palamed that wretched knyght perdie,
Would eeke he had abandond beene. For then should still the same
Have beene alyve: or at the least have dyde without our shame.
But this companion bearing (ah) too well in wicked mynd
His madnesse which sir Palamed by wisdome out did fynd,
Appeached him of treason that he practysde to betray
The Greekish hoste. And for to vouch the fact, he shewd streyght way
A masse of goold that he himself had hidden in his tent,
And forged Letters which he feynd from Priam to bee sent.
Thus eyther by his murthring men or else by banishment
Abateth hee the Greekish strength. This is Ulysses fyght.
This is the feare he puttes men in. But though he had more might
Than Nestor hath, in eloquence he shal not compasse mee
