[Sidenote: [The seuende Met{ur}.]]
++ÞE wrekere attrides ¶ þat is to seyne agamenon þat wrouȝt[e] {and}
continued[e] þe batailes by ten ȝere recouered[e] {and} p{ur}ged[e] in
wrekyng by þe destrucc{i}ou{n} of troie þe loste chambres of mariage of
hys broþer þis is to seyn þat [he] agamenon wan aȝein Eleine þat was
Menelaus wif his broþer. In þe mene while þat þilke agamenon desired[e]
to ȝeuen sailes to þe grekyssh{e} nauye {and} bouȝt[e] aȝein þe wyndes
by blode. he vncloþed[e] hym of pite as fad{er}. {and} þe sory p{re}st
ȝiueþ in sacrifiynge þe wreched kuyttyng of þrote of þe douȝter. ¶ þat
is to sein þat agamenon lete kuytte{n} þe þrote of hys douȝter by þe
prest. to maken alliaunce wiþ hys goddes. {and} for to haue wynde wiþ
whiche he myȝt[e] wende to troie. ¶ Itakus þat is to sein vlixies
bywept[e] hys felawes ylorn þe whiche felawes þe fiers[e] pholifem{us}
ligginge in his grete Caue had[de] freten {and} dreint in hys empty
wombe. but naþeles polifem{us} wood for his blinde visage ȝeld to
vlixies ioye by hys sorowful teres. þis is to seyn þat vlixes smot oute
þe eye of poliphem{us} þat stod in hys forhede. for whiche vlixes hadde
ioie whan he saw poliphem{us} wepyng {and} blynde. ¶ Hercules is
celebrable for hys hard[e] trauaile he dawntede þe proude Centauris half
hors half man. {and} he rafte þe despoylynge fro þe cruel lyou{n} þat is
to seyne he slouȝ þe lyou{n} {and} rafte hy{m} hys skyn. he smot þe
brids þat hyȝte{n} arpijs [in þe palude of lyrne] wiþ certeyne arwes. he
rauyssed[e] applis fro þe wakyng dragou{n}. {and} hys hand was þe more
heuy for þe golde[ne] metal. He drouȝ Cerberus þe hound of helle by hys
treble cheyne. he ouer-comer as it is seid haþ put an vnmeke lorde fodre
to hys cruel hors ¶ þis is to sein. þat hercules slouȝ diomedes {and}
made his hors to etyn hym. and he hercules slouȝ Idra þe serpent {and}
brend[e] þe venym. and achelaus þe flode defouled[e] in his forhede
dreint[e] his shamefast visage in his strondes. þis is to sein þat
achelaus couþe transfigure hym self in to dyuerse lykenesse. {and} as he
fauȝt wiþ orcules at þe laste he t{ur}nid[e] hym in to a bole and
hercules brak of oon of hys hornes. {and} achelaus for shame hidde hym
in hys ryuer. ¶ And [he] hercules cast[e] adou{n} Antheus þe geaunt in
þe strondes of libye. {and} kacus apaised[e] þe wraþþes of euander. þis
is to sein þat hercules slouȝ þe Monstre kacus {and} apaised[e] wiþ þat
deeþ þe wraþþe of euander. ¶ And þe bristled[e] boor marked[e] wiþ
scomes þe sholdres of hercules. þe whiche sholdres þe heye cercle of
heuene sholde þreste. {and} þe laste of his labo{ur}s was þat he
sustened[e] þe heuene vpo{n} his nekke vnbowed. {and} he deserued[e]
eftsones þe heuene to ben þe pris of his laste trauayle ¶ Goþ now þan ȝe
stronge men þere as þe heye weye of þe grete ensample ledeþ ȝou. ¶ O
nice men whi nake ȝe ȝoure bakkes. as who seiþ. ¶ O ȝe slowe {and}
delicat men whi fley ȝe aduersites. {and} ne fyȝte{n} nat aȝeins hem by
vertue to wynnen þe mede of þe heuene. for þe erþe ouer-come{n} ȝeueþ þe
sterres. ¶ þis is to seyne þat whan þat erþely lust is ouer-comen. a man
is maked worþi to þe heuene.