[Sidenote: =P. ii. 381=] As me belongeth forto seie. Nou schape ye the beste weie.’ (7550*) Whan Hector hath seid his avis, Next after him tho spak Paris, Which was his brother, and alleide What him best thoghte, and thus he seide: ‘Strong thing it is to soffre wrong, And suffre schame is more strong, Bot we have suffred bothe tuo; And for al that yit have we do 7380 What so we mihte to reforme The pes, whan we in such a forme[658] Sente Anthenor, as ye wel knowe. And thei here grete wordes blowe Upon her wrongful dedes eke; And who that wole himself noght meke To pes, and list no reson take, Men sein reson him wol forsake:[659] For in the multitude of men Is noght the strengthe, for with ten 7390 It hath be sen in trew querele[660] Ayein an hundred false dele, And had the betre of goddes grace. This hath befalle in many place; And if it like unto you alle, I wole assaie, hou so it falle, Oure enemis if I mai grieve; For I have cawht a gret believe Upon a point I wol declare. This ender day, as I gan fare[661] 7400 [Sidenote: =P. ii. 382=] To hunte unto the grete hert, Which was tofore myn houndes stert, And every man went on his syde[662] Him to poursuie, and I to ryde Began the chace, and soth to seie,[663] Withinne a while out of mi weie I rod, and nyste where I was. And slep me cauhte, and on the gras Beside a welle I lay me doun To slepe, and in a visioun[664] 7410 To me the god Mercurie cam; Goddesses thre with him he nam, Minerve, Venus and Juno, And in his hond an Appel tho He hield of gold with lettres write: And this he dede me to wite, Hou that thei putt hem upon me,[665] That to the faireste of hem thre Of gold that Appel scholde I yive.[666] With ech of hem tho was I schrive, 7420 And echon faire me behihte; Bot Venus seide, if that sche mihte (7600*) That Appel of mi yifte gete, Sche wolde it neveremor foryete, And seide hou that in Grece lond Sche wolde bringe unto myn hond Of al this Erthe the faireste; So that me thoghte it for the beste, To hire and yaf that Appel tho. Thus hope I wel, if that I go, 7430 [Sidenote: =P. ii. 383=] That sche for me wol so ordeine, That thei matiere forto pleigne Schul have, er that I come ayein. Nou have ye herd that I wol sein: Sey ye what stant in youre avis.’ And every man tho seide his, And sundri causes thei recorde, Bot ate laste thei acorde That Paris schal to Grece wende, And thus the parlement tok ende. 7440