Digital Index of Middle English Verse: No. 4900

DIMEV 4900

IMEV 3139

NIMEV 3139

Sith that God this world wrought

The Siege [or Battle] of Troy — in couplets

Title(s): The Siege [or Battle] of Troy

Subjects: Troy, legends of

Versification: — two-line — aa

Manuscript Witnesses:

1.Source: London, British Library Egerton 2862 [olim Sutherland, Trentham Hall], f. 111v

Note: 1828 lines.

Editions:

Barnicle, Mary Elizabeth, ed. The Seege or Batayle of Troye. EETS o.s. 172 (1927); repr. 1971.

2.Source: London, British Library Harley 525, f. 1

Note: 1922 lines.

Editions:

Barnicle, Mary Elizabeth, ed. The Seege or Batayle of Troye. EETS o.s. 172 (1927); repr. 1971.

Zietsch, A. “Zwei mittelenglische Bearbeitungen der Historia de excidio Trojae des Phrygiers Dares.” Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen 72 (1884): 11-58: 11.

Wager, Charles Henry Adams, ed. The Seege of Troye. New York and London: Macmillan, 1899.

Hibler-Lebmannsport, Leo, ed. Das mittelenglische Versgedicht, The Siege of Troy. 2 vols. Graz: Ulr. Mosers Buchhandlung, 1928.

3.Source: London, College of Arms, Arundel 22, ff. 1ra-8rb

First Lines:

Syth god tyhys worle had wroȝt
Heuen & Erþe al þyng of noȝt
Ffele aventures hauet be falle
We þat now leuyn con noȝt telle
And þerfor wyl þat y alyue dwelle
Of þe batayle of troy wol y telle
But y ne may ham telle owte
Thay were so ffale & so stowte…

Last Lines:

With gamen & wyt grete solemnyte
thay ferden mery & so mot we
Amen amen pur charyte

Note: Black (1829)

XBlack, William Henry. Catalogue of the Arundel Manuscripts in the Library of the College of Arms. Unpublished, 1829

, p. 31 notes that in comparison with usual Siege of Troy MSS this one does not divide into ten ‘battayles’ and that only the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 7th and 8th of that longer work are described in this shorter one. Here it serves as a verse introduction to a prose English translation of Geoffrey of Monmouth.

4.Source: London, Lincoln’s Inn Hale 150, ff. 90v-108v

First Lines:

[S]ythen god hade þis world wrouȝt
heouene and eorþe and al of nouȝt
Mony auturis han by falle
Þat we no knowen heom nouȝt alle…

Last Lines:

…Such a batail as hit was oon
Neuer buþ no neuer schal beo noon

Note: 1988 lines. Guide letter for unexecuted initial ‘S’.

Attributed Title: þe batayle of troye (f. 108v); Bellum Troianum (added by later hand, f. 90v)

Editions:

Barnicle, Mary Elizabeth, ed. The Seege or Batayle of Troye. EETS o.s. 172 (1927); repr. 1971.

Zietsch, A. “Zwei mittelenglische Bearbeitungen der Historia de excidio Trojae des Phrygiers Dares.” Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen 72 (1884): 11-58: 11.

priven: verb To deprive (sb.) of (sth.), deny (sb. sth.); ppl. prived, bereaved, bereft of, deprived of; without; (b) ~ of (from), to deprive (sb. of sth.), deny (sth. to sb.), exclude (sb. from sth.); prived of (from), deprived of (sth.), bereft of; lacking, without; ben of god priving, be a robber of goods; (c) to depose (sb.), dismiss; ~ of (from), deprive (sb.) of (power, kingdom, etc.), remove or dismiss (sb.) from (office or position); (d) to take (sth.) away; prevent (sth.), deny, oppose; weaken (the body); -- also without obj. MED