LXXXV.
When thou hast kylled Patroclus,
Ware of Achilles, I counsell þe thus,
Yf thou loue me, for thei be all on, |f. 64.|
There goods betweyne theym be comon.
Patroclus and Achilles were felawes togedir and ryght dere freendis, so that there were neuer to[[508]] brethere loued better togedir, and thei and here goodes were comon as all o thyng. And because that Hector slew Patroclus in batayle Achilles had grete hate to Hector, and fro theyns forthe swore his dethe. But because he doutyd meche his grete streynght, he lefte neuer to wayte how he myght fynde hym discouered to betray hym. Therfor Othea seide to Hector, as by profecye of that which was for to come, that, when he hadde sleyne Patroclus, it were nede for hym to be ware of Achilles. That is to vnderstond þat euery man the which hath slayne or mysdoon to anothir mannys trwe freen, his[[509]] felawe will take vengance if he may. Therefor Magdare[[510]] seith, “In what [place] that euer thou be wyth thy ennemye, holde hym euer in suspecte, thow[[511]] that thow be myghtyer than he.”
Where it is seide that, when thow hast sleyne Patroclus thou shulde be ware of Achilles, we may vnderstond that, yf the goode speryte suffir hym by the feend to bowe to synne, he howte[[512]] to dowte euerlastyng dethe. And Solyn seith,[[513]] “This present lyue is but a knyghthode an[d] in tokyn theroff this present lyf is called werre in deference of that aboue, the which is called victorius, for it hath euer of enemyes.” To this purpose the apostil Seynt Poule seith, [“Induite vos armaturam Dei, ut possitis stare adversus insidias diaboli.”][[514]]