Lydgate's Siege of Thebes :: :: University of Virginia Library

Lydgate's Siege of Thebes

Edited from all the known manuscripts and the two oldest editions, with introduction, notes, and a glossary, by Axel Erdmann

Lydgate, John (1370?-1451?)

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The Siege of Thebes.
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[MS. Mus. Brit. Bibl. Arundel 119.]

Incipit Prologus.

Whan briȝte phebus / passëd was þe ram

Phebus in ariete.

Myd of Aprille / and in-to bolë cam,
And Satourn old / with his frosty face

Saturnus in virgine.

In virgynë / taken had his place,
Malencolik / and slowgh of mocioun,
And was also / in thoposicioun
Of lucina / the monë moyst and pale,
That many Shour / fro heuene made avale;
whan Aurora / was in þe morowe red,
And Iubiter / in the Crabbëes Hed

Iubiter in capite cancri.

Hath take his paleys / and his mansioun;
The lusty tyme / and Ioly fressh Sesoun
whan that Flora / the noble myghty quene,
The soyl hath clad / in newë tendre grene,

with her flourës / craftyly ymeynt,
Braunch and bough / wiþ red and whit depeynt,
Fletinge þe bawme / on hillis and on valys:
The tyme in soth / whan Canterbury talys
Complet and told / at many sondry stage
Of estatis // in the pilgrimage,
Euerich man / lik to his degrè,
Some of desport / some of moralitè,
Some of knyghthode / loue and gentillesse,
And some also of parfit holynesse,
And some also in soth / of Ribaudye
To makë laughter / in þe companye,
(Ech admitted / for non wold other greve)

The Cook, the Millere, And the Reve,

Lich as the Cook / þe millere and the Reve
Aquytte hem-silf / shortly to conclude,
Boystously / in her teermës Rude,
whan þei hadde / wel dronken of the bolle,
And ek also / with his pyllëd nolle

Pardonere,

The pardowner / beerdlees al his Chyn,
Glasy-Eyed / and face of Cherubyn,
Tellyng a tale / to angre with the frere,

As opynly // the storie kan ȝow lere,
word for word / with euery circumstaunce,
Echon ywrite / and put in remembraunce
By hym þat was / ȝif I shal not feyne,

Chaucer,

Floure of Poetës / thorghout al breteyne,
Which sothly haddë / most of excellence
In rethorike / and in eloquence
(Rede his making / who list the trouthë fynde)
Which neuer shal / appallen in my mynde,
But alwey fressh / ben in my memorye:
To whom be ȝouë / pris / honure / and glorye
Of wel seyinge / first in oure language,
Chief Registrer / of þis pilgrimage,
Al þat was tolde / forȝeting noght at al,
Feynëd talis / nor þing Historial,
With many prouerbe / diuers and vnkouth,
Be rehersaile / of his Sugrid mouth,
Of eche thyng / keping in substaunce
The sentence hool / with-outë variance,
Voyding the Chaf / sothly for to seyn,

Enlumynyng / þe trewë pikëd greyn
Be crafty writinge / of his sawës swete,
Fro the tymë / that thei deden mete
First the pylgrimes / sothly euerichon,

At þe tabarde in Suthwerk,—

At the Tabbard / assembled on be on,
And fro suthwerk / shortly forto seye,
To Canterbury / ridyng on her weie,
Tellynge a tale / as I rehercë can,

The Hoste.

Lich as the hoste / assignëd euery man.
None so hardy / his biddyng disobeye.

And this whilë / that the pilgrymes leye
At Canterbury / wel loggëd on and all,
I not in soth / what I may it call,
Hap / or fortune / in Conclusioun,
That me byfil / to entren into toun,
The holy seynt / pleynly to visite
Aftere siknesse / my vowës to aquyte,
In a Cope of blak / and not of grene,

Discryving of the Monk.

On a palfrey / slender / long / and lene,
wiþ rusty brydel / mad nat for þe sale,
My man to-forn / with a voidë male;
which of Fortunë / took myn Inne anon

Wher þe pylgrymes / were loggëd euerichon,
The samë tyme / Her gouernour, the host,
Stonding in halle ; ful of wynde and bost,
Lich to a man / wonder sterne and fers,

The wordes of the host to the Monk.

Which spak to me / and seide anon, “daun Pers,
Daun Domynyk / Dan Godfrey / or Clement,
Ȝe be welcom / newly into kent,
Thogh ȝoure bridel / haue neiþer boos ne belle;
Besechinge ȝou / þat ȝe wil me telle
First ȝoure name / and of what contrè
With-outë morë . shorte-ly that ȝe be,
That loke so pale / al deuoyde of blood,
Vpon ȝoure hede / a wonder thred-bar hood,
Wel araiëd / for to ridë late.”

I answerde / ‘my namë was Lydgate,

Lydgate

Monk of Bery / nyȝ fyfty ȝere of age,

Monk of Bery,

Come to this toune / to do my pilgrimage,
As I haue hight / I haue therof no shame.’
“Daun Iohn,” quod he / “wel brokë ȝe ȝoure name!

The wordes of þe host.

Thogh ȝe be soul / beth right glad and light!
Preiyng ȝou / soupë with vs to-nyght,
And ȝe shal hauë / mad at ȝoure devis,

A gret puddyng / or a rounde hagys,
A Franchëmole / a tansey / or a froyse.
To ben a Monk / Sclender is ȝoure koyse;
Ȝe han be seke / I dar myn hede assure,
Or latë fed / in a feynt pasture.
Lift vp ȝoure hed / be glad, tak no sorowe!
And ȝe shal hom ridë with vs to-morowe!
I seyë, whan ȝe rested han ȝour fille.
Aftere soper / Slepe wil do non ille.
Wrappe wel ȝoure hede / with clothës rounde aboute!
Strong notty ale / wol makë ȝou to route.
Tak a pylow / þat ȝe lye not lowe!
Ȝif nedë be / Sparë not to blowe!
To holdë wynde /, be myn opynyoun,
Wil engendre / Collikes passioun
And makë men to greuen / on her roppys,
whan thei han filled / her mawës and her croppys.
But toward nyght / ete some fenel Rede,

Annys / Comyn / or coriandre sede!
And lik as I / pouer haue / and myght,
I Chargë ȝow / rise not at Mydnyght,
Thogh it so be / the moonë shynë cler.
I wol my-silf / be ȝoure Orloger
To-morow erly / whan I se my tyme,
For we wol forþ / parcel a-forë Pryme,
A company / pardè / Shal do ȝou good.
What! look vp, Monk / for, by kokkis blood,
Thow shalt be mery / who so þat sey nay.
For to-morowe, anoon / as it is day,
And that it gynne / in þe Est to dawe,
Thow shalt be boundë / to a newë lawe,
Att goyng oute of Canterbury toune,
And leyn a-sidë / thy professioun.
Thow shalt not chesë / nor þi-silf withdrawe,
Ȝif eny myrth / be founden in thy mawe,
Lyk the custom / of this Compenye;
For non so proude / that dar me denye,
Knyght nor knauë / Chanon / prest / ne nonne,

To telle a talë / pleynly as thei konne,
Whan I assigne / and se tyme opportune.
And for that we / our purpoos wil contune,
We wil homward / the samë custome vse,
And thow shalt not / platly the excuse.

How oure host spak to Daun Iohn.

Be now wel war / Stody wel to-nyght!
But, for al this . / be of hertë liȝt!
Thy wit shal be / þe Sharper and the bet.”

And we anon / were to Soper set,
And seruëd wel / vnto oure plesaunce;
And sone after / be good gouernaunce
Vnto bed goth euery maner wight.
And touarde morowe / anon as it was light,
Euery Pilgryme / bothë bet and wors,
As bad oure hostë / toke a-non his hors,
Whan the sonnë / roos in the est ful clyere,
Fully in purpoos / to come to dynere
Vnto Osspryng / and brekë þer our faste.

And whan we weren / from Canterbury paste
Noght the space / of a bowë draught,
Our hoost in hast / haþ my bridel rauht,
And to me seide // as it were in game,
“Come forth, daun Iohn / be ȝour Cristene name,
And lat vs make / some manere myrth or play!

Shet ȝoure portoos / a twenty deuelway!
It is no disport / so to patere and seie.
It wol make ȝoure lippës / wonder dreye.

How oure host bad Daun Iohan telle a tale,

Tel some tale / and make ther-of a Iape!
For be my Rouncy / thow shalt not eskape.
But preche not / of non holynesse!
Gynne some tale / of myrth or of gladnesse,
And noddë not / with thyn heuy bekke!
Telle vs some thyng / that draweþ to effecte
Only of Ioyë /! make no lenger lette!”

And whan I saugh / it woldë be no bette,
I obeyëd / vnto his biddynge,
So as the lawë / me bonde in al thinge;
And as I coudë / with a palë cheere,
My tale I gan / anon / as ȝe shal here.

Explicit Prologus. Incipit Pars Prima. Per &c.

1. Prima Pars.

Sirs ; quod I / sith of ȝour curtesye
I entred am / in-to ȝour companye,
And admitted / a talë for to telle
By hym þat haþ pouer to compelle,
I mene our hoste, gouernour and guyde
Of ȝow echon / ridyng her be-side;
Thogh that my wit / barayn be and dul,
I wol reherce / a story wonderful,
Towchinge the siege / and destruccioun
Of worthy Thebees / the myghty Royal toun,
Bylt and begonne / of olde antiquitè,
Vpon the tyme / of worthy Iosuè,
Be dyligence / of kyng Amphioun,
Chief causë first / of his fundacioun,
For which his fame / which neuere shal away,
In honure floureth / ȝit vnto this day,
And in story / remembred is and preised.

But how the wallys / weren on heghte reised,
It is wonder / and merveil forto here.

But if ȝe list / I shal ȝow platly lere
The maner hool / shortly in sentence,
Vnder support / of ȝoure pacience,
As writ myn auctour / and bochas both two,
Rede her bookes / and ȝe shal fynde it so,
How this kyng / thys prudent Amphyoun,

How kyng Amphyoun was þe first þat bilt the Cyte of Thebes be þe swetnesse of his soune.

With the swetnesse / and melodious soun
And armonye / of his swetë song
The Cytè bylt / that whilom was so strong,
Be vertue only / of the werbles sharpe
That he made / in Mercuries harpe,
Of which the strengës / were not touchëd softe,
Wherby the wallës / reisëd weren a-lofte,
With-outë craft / of eny mannys hond,
Ful ȝoor agon / myd of Grekës lond;
which is a þing / of Poetës told,
Neuere yseyn / neither of ȝong nor old.

But, as Bochas / list to specifie,
Cler expownyng / this derkë poysye,

The exposicioun of Iohn Bochas vpon þis derk poysie.

Seith Mercurye / god of Eloquence,
ȝaf, be the myght / of heuenly influence,
Vnto this kyng / at His natiuitè
Thorgh glade aspectës /, that he shuldë be
Most excellent / be craft of Rethorik,
That in this world / was non to hym lik;
Which signyfieth / to hem that ben prudent,

The significacioun of þe harpe of Mercure.

The Musycal / the lusty instrument,

I mene the harpë / most melodious,
yovë to this kynge / be Mercurius,
And his song / this auctour can ȝow teche,
was no thyng / but the crafty speche
Of this kyng / ycallëd Amphioun;
Wher-by He made / the contrès envyroun
To han such lust / in his wordës swete,
That were so plesaunt / fauourable, and mete

In her Eerys / that shortly ther was noon

How kyng Amphion, be mediacion of his soft spech, wan þe loue & þe hertes of the puple.

Disobeysaunt / with the kyng to goon,
Wher so euere / that hym list assigne.
His cheer / his port / was outward so benygne,
That thorgh his styring / and exortacioun
With hym they went / to byldë first this toun,
And forsook / ecch man his contrè,
Be on assent / to makë this Cytè
Royal and riche / that lich was nowher noon.
And thus the wallis / made of lym and stoon,
Were Reysëd first / be syngyng of this kyng,
lich as Poetys / feyne in her writyng,
Passyng Rich / and Royal of entaille.

Her may ȝe See / how myche may avaylle
The goodlihed / and lownesse of a kyng,

And specealy / in cher and in spekyng,
To his lyeges / and to bern hym fayre

Nota.

In his apport / and shewe hym debonayre,

What availeþ to a kyng or to a prince to ben goodly and benygne of his port to his puple.

And nat to bene / to straungë ne soleyn
In contenaunce / outward / be disdeyn;
Which causeþ ofte /, who that Can aduerte,
Grete hatred / in the puples herte,
And ther-vpon . / priuely wol rowne,
Whan a pryncë / doth vp-on hem frowne,
Shortly deme / for al his excellence,
Among hem-silf / out of his presence,
Euerych concludë / lich his fantasye.
And thus ful ofte / gendred is Envye
In folkës hertes / of soleyntè and pryde,
For swich as list / nat onys loke a-syde
To Reward hem / whan they lowë loute.

And ageyn kynde / it is . out of doute,
That eny hed / be recorde of the wyse,
Shuld the foot / of disdeyn despyse
Which bereþ hym vp /, who so can takë hede,

How þe poor puple supporten and beren vp þe estat of a kyng.

And Susteneth / in his mostë nede
As his Pyler / and his sowpowayle.

For fynaly /, ne werë the porayle
her berer vp / and Supportacioun,
Farwel lordshyp / and domynacioun
Thorgh-oute the world / of euery hegh estat!
Wherfor me semeþ / mor is Fortunat
Of Mercurye / þe sootë sugred harpe
Than Mars / swerd / whetted kene and sharpe,

Nota.

Mor accepted / wiþ asspectis goode

What the goodlihede of a prince avaylleth to wynne the hertes of his puple.

Than is this god / with his lokës woode.
For humble speche / wiþ glad contenaunce
May a pryncë / sothly mor avaunce
Among his puple / Hertës forto wynne
Of inward louë / which that wol not twynne,
Than gold / rychessë / pride / or tyranye,
Outher disdeyne / daunger / or surquedye.
For of lordes /, as Clerkës can reporte,
But that loue / her crownë do supporte,
The fyn ys noght / in conclusioun.

Ensample of kyng Amphioun.

I Takë record / of kyng Amphyoun,
That byltë Thebës be his elloquence
Mor than of Pride / or of violence,
Noble and riche / that lik was nowher non,
And thus the wallës / mad of lym and stoon
Were reisëd first / be syngyng of this kyng,
lich as Poetës / feyn in her wryting.

How aftere the opynyoun of some auctours

But sothly ȝit / Some expositours,
Groundyng hem / vpon olde auctours,

Seyn that Cadmvs / the famous olde man,

Cadmus bilt first þe Cite of Thebes.

Ful longe afor / this Citè first began
And the ground / of the bieldyng sette,
And the boundës / be compas out-mette
With thong out-korve / of a boolys hyde,
Whych envyroun / strecchë myghtë wyde
To get Inne londe / a ful largë space
Wher-vp-on to byld / a dwellyng place,
And callëd was the Soyle / þus geten Inne,

How þe contre of Boece toke first his name of a bolys skyn, After called Thebes.

Whylom Boece / of the bolys skynne.
The name after / into Thebës turned.

But Cadmus ther / hath longe not soiourned,
lik in Story / as it is compyled;
For shortly he from thennys was exiled,

How kyng Cadmus was exiled out of Thebes be prowesse of kynge Amphyoun.

Neuer after to dwellen in this toun,
Be the knyghthode of this Amphioun,
Which vp parformeth / riche for the noonys
The Citè Thebes / of myghty squarë stonys,
As I ȝow tolde / a litil here to-forn;

And Cadmus þus / hath his kyngdam lorn,
Sceptre and crowne / and his powere Royal.

Now have I told / vnto ȝou / ground of al,
That ȝe wel knowe / be Informacioun
Cleerly the pith / and exposicioun
Of this mater / as clerkës can ȝou telle.
It were but veyn / lenger for to dwelle,
To tary ȝow / as in this matiere,
Sith my talë / which that ȝe shal here,
Vpon oure waie / wil lasten a longe while,
The space / as I suppose / of vii. myle.
And now ȝe knowë / first how Amphyoun
Bylt and began / this Citè and this toun,
Regnyng ther / long aftere, as I rede.

Of hym no morë /; for I wil procede
To my purpoos / that I first began:

How þe lyne of Amphioun be discent was conveied to kyng layus.

Not tellyng here / how the lynë Ran
From kyng to kyng / be successioun,
Conveying doun / þe stok of Amphyoun
Cereously be lyneal discent;
But leue al this /, pleynly of entent
To tellë forth /, in bookës as I rede,

How layus be processe / gan succede
To bere the Croune / in this myghty Lond,

Kyng Layus and Iocasta hys wiff.

holdyng the Sceptre of thebës in his hond,
Manly and wys / duryng al his liff.

And Iocasta / callëd was his wyff,
Ful wommanly / the story seith certeyn,
For a tymë / thogh she were bareyn,
Tyl Layus / in ful humble wise
To haue a child / didë Sacrifise,
Fyrst to apollo / in his char so briȝt,
And Iubiter / that haþ so gret a myght,
Besechyng hem / with deuout reuerence,
To graunt only / thorgh her influence,
That his request / may excecuted be;
And specially / to Goddesses thre,
He besoughte / Pallas and Iuno
And Dyanë / forto helpe also
That he be not defrauded of His bone.

And his preyere / accepted was ful sone,
That fynaly / thorgh his ryytys olde,
Evene lik / as his hertë wolde,
The queene Iocasta / hath anon conceyued;
Which whan the kyng / fully hath perceyued
He made in hast /, hym lyst not to abide,
Thorgh hys kyngdom / Massagerës ryde
Fro Coost to Coost / the story can devyse,
For dyvynoures / and phylosophres wise,
For such as weren / famous physiciens
And wel expert / Astronomyens,
To Come in hast / vnto his presence
To fynden out / shortly in sentence,

By Craft only / Of Calculacioun,
The Chyldës fate / and disposicioun;
And ther-vpon / to ȝeve / a Iugëment,

How the astronomyens and the phylisophres of Thebes calked out þe fate of Edyppus.

The Root ytaken / at the ascendent,
Trewly sought out / be mynut and degrè
The silfë houre / of his natyvytè,
Not forȝete / the heuenly mansiouns
Clerly Cerched / be smalë fracciouns,
First be Secoundës / tiers and ekë quartes,
On Augrym stoonës / and on white caartes
ypreuëd out / be diligent labour,
In tables correcte / devoyde of al errour
Iustly soght / and founde / out bothe twoo,
The ȝeerës collecte / and expance also,
Consydred ek / be good inspeccioun
Euery hour / and constellacioun
And eche aspecte / and lookës ek dyuers,
Which were good / and which also pervers,

Nota.

Wher they were touard / or ellys at debat,

The cursed Constellacioun and indisposicioun of þe heuene in þe natiuyte of Edyppus.

happy, welful / or infortunat.
And fynaly / in conclusyoun,
They founde satourn / in the Scorpioun,
Hevy-chered / malencolik / and loth,

And woodë Mars / furious and wroth,
holdyng his Sceptre / in þe Capricorn,
The samë hourë / whan this chyld was born,
Venus deiecte / and Contrarious

Nota.

And depressëd / in Mercuryes hous;

How the fate of Edippus disposed that he shulde sleen his owne fadere.

That the dome / and Iugëment fynal
Of thies Clerkes /, to speke in special,
Be Fatal sort / which may not be wiþdrawe,
That with his swerd / his fader shal be slawe;
Ther may no man helpe it / nor excuse.

On whiche thyng / the kyng gan sorë muse,
And cast he wolde / on that other side
Agayn her doom / for hym-silf provide,
Shape a way / and remedy to-forn,
Biddyng the queenë / whan the chyld were born,
With-oute Mercy / or moderly pytè
That he be ded /: it may non other be.
And in al hast / lik as he hath sent,
She obeyëd / his comaundëment.
With wooful herte / and a pitous loke
And facë pale / her ȝonge sone she toke,
Tendre and grenë / both of flessh and bonys,
To certeyn men / ordeynëd for þe noonys
From poynt to poynt / in al maner þing
To execute / the biddyng of the kyng.

They durste not delay it / nor abide,
But to a Forest / that stood fer besyde,
They took Her wey and faste gan hem spede
The kyngges wille / to parforme in dede,
Havyng therof / passyng hevynesse.
But whan that they / beheelden the fairnesse
Of the Chyld / and excellent beautè,
In her hertë / they hadde grete pytè,
And pleynly cast /, among hem was no stryf,
That the child / shuldë han his lif.
And anon ful hygh / vpon a tre,
In a placë / that no man myght se,
They henge hym vp / the story kan reherce.
But first his feet / þorgh / they gan to perce,
And on bowës tendre / tough, and smale,
They knet hym vp / shortly þis is no tale,
Hym to preserue / from bestys wild and Rage.
And after that / they token her viage
Toward Thebës / in alle the hast they may.

But of fortunë / thilke samë day
with her houndës / serchyng vp and doun,
The huntës went / of kyng poliboun
Thorgh the forest / gamë forto fynde,
Some aforn / and somë / cam behynde,

And gan serch / and sekë wonder sore
Among the hillës / and the holtës hore.
And as they Reenge / the trenchis by and by,
They herde a noyse / and a pitous cry

How the huntys of kyng Poliboun fonde the chyld in þe forest / and presented hym to þe kynge.

Of thys chyld / hangyng on the tre;
And all at onys / drowë forto se,
And lefte not til they han hym founde;
And toke hym doune / and his fete vnbounde,
And bare hym hom / vnto Polyboun,
Kyng of Archadye / the famous Regioun.
And whan that he / first þe chyld gan See,
Of his woundës / he hadde grete pytè,
To beholde / his tender fete / so blede;
And callëd hym / Edippus / as I rede,
which is to seyn /, platly this no phage,
Borëd the feete / as in that langage.

And first the kyng in his Royal halle
Made his men / an norys for-to calle,
This ȝonge chylde to foster and to kepe
With her Milk / that he nat ne wepe;
And his leches / he chargëd ek also,
Til he were Hool / Her deuer forto do:
Fully in purpoos / for the child was fair,
After his day / to maken hym his hayr;
For cause only /, who so taketh hede,
Sone hadde he noon / be lynë to succede;

And Whether that he had / a wif or noon,
I fyndë not / and therfor lat it goon.

But by processe / of dayës and of ȝeeris,
This Edyppus / among his pleying feeris
was in his port / passyng ful of pride,
That non with hym / myght in pees abide.
In hert he was / so Inly Surquydows,
Malencolik / and Contrarious,
Ful of despyt / and of hegh disdeyn,
That no wight durstë / shortly hym with-seyn;
Til on a day / he gan with oon debate
To whoom he haddë / specyaly grete hate,
Which of Rancour / and of hasty tene,
As he that myght / His pridë not sustene,
Gan vpon hym / cruelly abrayde,
And vnto hym felly / thus he saide:
“wherto,” quod he / “artow so proude of port,
Contrarie also / euer / in oure disport,
Froward and felle / lastyng euere in oon,
As thow were lord / of vs euerichon,
And presumest fully in wyrchyng,
Lik as thow were sone / vnto the kyng,
And descended / of His Royal blood?

But wher so be / thow be wroth or wood,
Thow art no thing /, and thow list takë hede,
Appartenyng / vnto his kynrede,
But in a Forest / founden and vnknowe,
whan thow were ȝonge /. therfor bere the lowe!
And vttrely remembre, ȝif the lyst,
Thy byrth and blood / ar bothe two vnwist.
This the fyne / shortly / of my tale.

Wherwith Edippus / gan to wexë pale,
And chaunge also cheer and contenaunce,
And gan a-point / in his remembraunce
Word be word / and forgat right nouȝt,
And felly / musëd / in his ownë thouȝt,
And cast he wold / with-oute more tarying
The trouth enquere / of poliboun the kyng.
And whan he saugh / opportunë space,
And the kyng / in a sycrè place,
He hym bysoghte / lowly on his kne
To his request // benignëly to se,
And that he woldë / pleynly / and not spare
Of his byrth / the trewë ground declare,
And make hym sure / of this thyng anon
ȝif he were / his verrey sone or non.

And Polyboun / only of gentilles,
whan he beheeld / the gretë hevynesse
Of Edippus / and the wooful peyne,
he gan dissimule / and in manere feyne,
lik as he had be / verrely his heyre.
But mor and more / he falleth in dispeir,
And doune on kneës / eft a-geyn gan falle,
Hym coniuring / be the goddës alle
To tellë trouth / and no thyng to hide;
Affermyng ek / he woldë nat abide
Lenger with hym / but ryden and enquere,
Til tyme he may / the verrey sothe lere
In eny part of hap or of fortune.

And for that he / was so inportune
In his desire, the kyng with-out abood
Ceriously / tolde hym how it stood,
In a Forest first / how he was founde
Vpon a tre / be the feet ybounde,
And how he caste, in conclusioun,
To make hym kyng / of that regioun
Aftere his day / shortly forto telle.

But Edippus / wil no lenger dwelle,
But took lieve / and in hast gan ryde
To a temple / faste ther be-syde

Of Appollo / in storie as is tolde,
Whos statue / stood / in a char of golde
On whelës four / boornyd bright and shene;
And with-In a spirit / ful vnclene,
Be fraude only / and fals collusioun,
Answere gaf / to euery questioun,
Bryngyng the puple in ful gret errour,
Such as to hym dyden fals honour
Be Rytys vsëd in the oldë dawes
Aftere custome / of paganysmes lawes.
And Edyppus / with ful humble chere,
To Appollo makëd His preiere,
Besechyng hym on his kneës lowe,
Be some signë / that he myghte knowe,
Thorg Evidencë Shortly comprehendyd,
Of what kynredë / that he was discendyd.

And whan Edyppus be gret deuocioun,
Fynysshëd hath / fully his orysoun,
The fend anon / with-Innen Invisyble,
With a vois dredful and horrible,
Bad hym in hast / taken his viage
Toward Thebës / wher of his lynage
He herën shal / and be certefied.

And on his way / anon he haþ hym hyed,
by hasty Iournè / so his hors constreyned

Day be day / til he haþ atteyned
Vnto a castel / Pylotës ycalled,
Rich and strong / and wel aboute walled,
Adiacent / be syyt of the contrè
And perteynent to Thebes the Cytè:

kyng Layvs / beyng ther present,
For-to holde a maner tornement
With his knyghtës / ȝong and coraious,
And other folkës / that were desyrous
To preue hem-silf /, shortly for-to telle,
Who by force / other myght excelle,
Or gete a namë / thorgh his hegh prouesse.
Euerich of hem / dyd his bysynesse
On hors-bak / and also ek on foote,
Al be that somë founde ful vnsoote,
Rather a pley of werrë / than of pees;
Wher Edyppus put hym-silf in prees,
As he that was / ay redy to debat,
Enforsyng hym / to entren at the gate,

How Edippus slogh his fader of ignoraunce at þe castel.

Maugrè all tho / that hym woldë lette.

And in the pres / of aventure he mette
Kyng layvs / and cruelly hym slogh,
Thow the story / writ not the maner howh,
Ne no wight can / of alle the companye

Be no signë / verrely espye
By whos hond / that the kyng was slawe;
For Edyppus in hast / gan hym with-drawe
And kept hym Coy / of entencioun.
Gret was the noyse / and the pitous soun
In the Castel / for slaughter of the kyng,
Dooel and compleynt / sorowe and wepyng.

But for they segh / hevynesse and thoght
Ageynës deth . vayleth lit or noght,
They ordeyne with Ryytys ful Royal
For the feste / callëd / Funeral.
And lik the custom / of the dayës olde,
The corps they brent / into asshes colde,
And in a vessel / rounde, mad as a bal,
They closëd hem in gold and in metal.
And after that did her bysy Cure
In Thebës to make a sepulture,
And richëly, hem list no lenger lette,
The asshen didë they enclose and shette.

Of this matere / ther ys no mor to seyn.
But to Edippus / I wil retourne ageyn,
Which hym enhasteþ / ay fro day to day
Towardës Thebes / in al that euere he may,
Brennyng in herte / hoot as eny fire,
The fyn to knowe / of his fatal desire.

But, for that he failëd / of a Guyde,
Out of his way / he wente fer be-side,

How Edippus passed by the hyll wher the monstre lay that was called Spynx.

Thorgh a wylde / and a waast contrè,
By a mounteyn / that stood vpon the see,
Wher that monstres / of many dyuers kynde
Were conuersaunt / in story as I fynde;
Amongës which / sothly ther was on,
So Inly cruel / that no man durst gon,
For drede of deth / forby that passage.

The descripcioun of the foule Monstre.

This monstre was so mortal in his rage,
which hadde also /, be descripcioun,
Body and feet / of a fers lyoun;
And lik a mayde in soth was hede and face,
Fel of his look / and cruel to manace,
And odyous of countenaunce and sight;

And as I redë /, Spynx / this monstre hight,
Wors than Tygre / dragon / or serpent.
And I supposë / by enchauntement
He was ordeynëd / on the hyl tabyde,
To sleen all tho / that passëden be-syde,
And specially / all that diden fayle
To expowne / his mysty dyvynaile,
His problem ek / in wordës pleyn and bare
With-oute avys / opynly to declare,
Or with the lif / he myghte not eskape.
This verray soth platly and no Iape.

And ȝif that he, be declaracioun,
Ȝaf ther-vpon / cleer exposicioun,
He shuld in hast / there was non oþer mene,

Sleen this monstre / for al his cruel tene.
Ther may of mercy / be / non oþer graunte.

But of al this Edyppus ignoraunte,
This dredful hill / stondyng on a roche,
Er he was war / gan ful nygh approche,
More perilous platly / than he wende.
And sodeynly / the monster gan descende,
To stoppen his way / and letten his passage,
Thus abraydyng . with a fel corage:

“I haue in herte Inly gret disport
That fortune / haþ broght the to my sort,
To make a preef / ȝif thow mayst endure,
The fatal ende / of this auenture,
Set at a fyn / sothly be daiës olde.”
And by and by / al the caas hym tolde,
Charging hym to be wel war and wise,
Gete the palme / and bere away the pryse
Touchyng this thyng / sette a-twene vs tweyn,
with lyf or deth / which we shal dareyn.

And this Monstre / with a despitous chere
his problem gan / thus as ȝe shal here.

“Ther is a beest merveilous to se,
The which in soth at his natiuyte
Is of his myght / so tender and so grene,

Of the problem that Spynx putte to Edippus.

That he may hym-siluë nat sustene
Vpon his fete / thogh he hadde it sworn,
But ȝif that he / be / of his moder born.

And afterwardës / be processe of age,
On fourë fete / he makeþ his passage;
After on thre / if I shal not feyne,
And alderlast / he goþ vpright on tweyne;
Dyuers of port / and wonderful of cherys:
Til, be length / of many sondry ȝeeres,
Naturely / he goth aȝeyn on thre,
And sith on foure, it may non oþer be,
And Fynaly / this the trouthë pleyn,
he retourneth / kyndëly ageyn
To the matere / which that he kam fro.

loo / her is al / . my problem is I-do.
Muse her-vpon / with-outë werre or stryff
It to declare / or ellis lese thy lyff.”

And whan Edyppus / gan this þing aduerte,
Wel assurëd in his manly herte,
Gan in his wytt cerchen vp and doun,
And of prudencë / cast in his resoun,
Be grete avis / what thyng this may be;
Seyng also / that he may not flee,
and how ther was / counsel noon ne rede,
But tellë trouth / or ellys to be dede.

And be ful good / deliberacioun
Thus he answerd / in conclusioun,
‘Thowe Spynx’ quod he / ‘fals and fraudulent!
Thow foulë Monstre / thow dragon, thow serpent!
which on this hyl / lich as I conceyve,
lyst in a-waite / folkës to deceyue,

But truste wel / for al thy sleghty wit,
Thy falsë fraude / shal anon be qwyt.
Me list not nowe whisper neither rowne,
But thy problem / I shal anon expowne
So opynly / thow shalt not go ther-fro.

How Edippus expounded the problem that Spynx put to hym.

loo! this it is /. tak good hede therto!

Thilkë best thow spak of herto-forn,
Is euery man / in this world yborn,
Which may not gon / his lymës be so softe,
Bot as his moder / bereth hym alofte
In her armes / whan he doth crye or wepe.
And after that / he gynneth forto crepe
On fourë feet in his tendre ȝouth,
Bexperience / as it is oftë kouth,
A-forn yrekned / his hondës bothë two.
And by processe / thow mayst consider also
With his two fete / for al thy fellë tene,
He hath a staf / hym-seluen to sustene,
And than he goth / shortly vpon thre.
And alther-last / as it most nedës be,
Voyding his staf / he walkeþ vpon tweyn:
Til it so be / thorgh agë / he atteyn,
That lust of ȝouthe wasted be and spent;
Than in his hond / he taketh a potent,
And on thre feet / thus he goth ageyn,

I dar afferme / thow maist it not withseyn,
And sone aftere / thorgh his vnweldy myght,
By influence / of naturys right,
Bexperience / as euery man may knowe,
Lich a child / on foure he crepeth lowe.
And for he may no whylë here soiourne,
To erth ageyn / he most in hast retourne,
Which he kam fro /, he may it not remewe.
For in this world / no man may eschewe,
This verray soth / shortly and no doute,
Whan the wheel of kyndë cometh aboute,
And naturely hath his cours y-Ronne
Be circuete / as doth the shenë sonne,
That man and chyld / of hegh and lowe estat,
It geyneth nat / to makë / mor debat,
His tymë sette / that he mostë fyne,
Whan Autropos / of malice doth vntwyne
His lyvës thred / by Cloto first compowned.
Loo / her thy problem / fully is expowned,
At oure metynge / as I took on honde,
To the lawe / that thow most nedës stonde
And in al hast / of myn hondës deye,
But of reson / thow can it ought withseye.’

And so this Spynx / awapyd and amaat,

Stood / disamayëd / and dysconsolaat,
With Chier doune-cast / Muët, pale, and ded.
And Edippus anon smote of the hed
Of this fende / stynkyng and vnswete,
And the Contrè sette holy in quyete;
Wherby he hath / such a pris ywonne
That his fame is euery cost yronne
Thorgh al the londe / that he the monstre hath slawe.

And lynë-right / to Thebës he gan drawe,
Wel receyuëd / for his worthynesse,
For his manhode / and his grete prouesse.
And for they segh / he was a semly knyght,
Wel fauourëd / in euery mannys sight,
And sawh also Thebës the myghty toun,
Not only they / but al the Regioun,
Weren destitut / of a gouernour,
Aȝeynst her foon / hauyng no socour
Hem to defendë / but the quene allon;
Among hem-self / makyng ful gret mon,
For heire was non / as bookës specifie,
The Sceptre / or crownë forto occupie:
For which the lordës all be on assent
with-Inne the toun / set a parlement,
Shortly concludyng / if it myghte ben,

Prudently to trete with the quene,
Namëly they / that helde hem-silf most sage,
To condescende / be way of Mariage,
She to be Ioynëd to this manly knyght,
Passing prudent / and famous ek of myght,
Most likly man /, as they can discerne,
The worthy Cytè / to kepen and gouerne.

And thorgh counsayl / of the lordës alle
To her desyre / pleynly / she is falle,
And accorded / with-oute mor tarying,
That of Thebës / Edippus shal be kyng,
By ful assent /, was non that seidë nay.
And tymë set / ageyn a certeyn day
Among hem-silf / and finaly devysed,
The weddyng was / in Thebës solempnyzed
Ful ryally, which nedës most vnthryve,
Only for he his moder / toke to wyve,
Vnwist of bothë / he was of her blode,
And ignoraunt /, shortly, how it stode,
That he to-forn hadde his fadere slawe,
For which this weddyng was ageyn the lawe.

And to-for god / is neiþer feire ne good,
Nor acceptable / blood to touche blood:
Which cause hath ben of gret confusioun
In many londe / and many Regyoun,
Grounde and roote / of vnhap and meschaunce,
The fyn concludyng / alway with vengeaunce,
As men han seie / by cleer experience;

And holy writ / recordeth in sentence
How herodës / falsly in his lyff
By violencë toke his brother wyf,
For she was faire / and plesaunt to his sight,
And kepte her stille / be forcë / þorgh his myght,
Al be to her / he haddë / title non;
And for her sake / the holy man seynt Iohn
For his trouth / in prison lost his hede.

Therfor I rede / euery man take hede,
Wherso he be Pryncë, lorde, or kyng,
That he be war teschewë such weddyng,
Er that the swerde / of vengeaunce hym manace,
lest he lesë / hap, fortune, and grace;
Takyng ensample / in al manere thynge
Of Edyppus / in Thebës crownëd kyng;
Al be that he wroght of ignoraunce,
Ful derk and blynde / of his woful chaunce.
And ȝif vnwist / he of Innocence,
As ȝe han herde, fil in such offence,
For which he was punishëd and brought lowe,
What ar they worthy that her errour knowe,
And fro the knottë / list not to abstene
Of such spousale / to god and man vnclene?
I can not seyn / nor mor therof devise.
Demeth ȝour-silf that prudent ben and wise,
And Edippus / hath among in mynde,

Of whom the weddyng, lik as ȝe may fynde,
Vnhappy was / and passing odious,
Infortunëd / and vngracious.

I am wery mor therof to write.
The hatful processe / also to endyte
I passe ouer, fully of entent;
For ymenëus / was not ther present,
Nor lucyna / list not ther to shyne,
Ne ther was none / of the musys nyne
By on accord / to makë melodye;
For ther song not be heuenly Armonye
Neither Clyo / nor Calyopë,
On of the sustren / in nombre thriës thre,
As they dydë whan philolegye
Ascendid vp hegh aboue the skye
To be weddid / this lady vertuous
Vnto hir lord / þe god mercurius;
As Marcian ynamëd / de Capelle,
In his book of weddyng can ȝou telle,
Ther concludyng in this mariage
The poete, that whilom was so sage,
That this lady, callëd sapience,
I-wedded was vnto eloquence;
As it sat wel, by heuenly purueaunce,
hem to be ioyned / be knot of Aliaunce.

But bothë two, sothly, of entent

At the weddyng / in Thebës were absent;
That causëd after / grete aduersitè.
For fynal eende / of that solempnytè
was sorowe / and woo / and destruccioun,
Vtter ruyne / of this Royal toun.
Ther may no man helpe it nor socoure,
For a tyme / in Ioyë / thogh they floure.

But at this weddyng /, platly forto telle,

The Infortunat folk þat weren at þe weddynge.

was Cerberus / Chief porter of helle,

Cerberus

And herebus / Fader to hatrede,

Herebus

was ther present with his hool kynrede,
His wiff also / with her browës blake,
And her doghtren / sorow forto make,

Nyght & her thre doghtren

hydous-chered / and vggely forto see,
Megera / and Thesiphonee,
Allecto ek / with labour and envie,
Drede and fraude / and fals trecherie,

Drede Fraude Trecherie

Tresoun . pouerte / Indigence, and nede,

Tresoun Pouerte Indygence Nede

And cruel deth / in his Rentë Wede,

Deth

Wrechednesse / compleynt / and eke Rage,
Fer ful palë / derknesse / crokëd age,
Cruel mars / as eny Tygre wood,

Cruel Mars

Brennyng Ire / of vnkyndë blood,
Fraternal hatë / depë sett the rote,

Alle þise folk weren at the wedding of Edyppus and Iocasta

Saue only deth / that ther nas no bote,

Assuryd othës / at the fyn vntrewe:
All thise folk / werën / at this weddyng newe,
To make the towne / desolat and bare,
As the story / after shal declare.

But ay in Thebës / with his wallës stronge
Edyppus regneth / many day and longe.
And as myn autour writ / in wordys pleyn,
By Iocasta he had sonës tweyn,
Ethyocles and also Polymyte
And, in bokes / as sondry clerkës write,
Doghtres two / ful goodly on to se,
Of which the ton hight Antygonë,
And that other / callëd was ymeyne,
Of her beautè / Inly souereyn.

Edyppus ay devoyde / of werre and strif,
with Iocasta ladde a mery lyf
Tyl fortune / of her iniquytè
Hadde envie / of his prosperitè.
For whan he shon / most riche in his renoun,
From her wheel / she plongëd hym a-doun
Out of his Ioye / into sodeyn wo,
As she is wonte / frowardly to do,
And namely hem / that setten her affiaunce
Of erthly trust / in her variaunce.

For whan this kyng / passing of gret myght,
Sat with the quene / vpon a certeyn nyght,
Casuelly whan his folk echon
Out of his Chambre sodeynly wer gon,

Or he was war / Iocasta gan byholde
The Carectys of his woundës olde,
Vpon his fete / enprented wonder depe;
Turnyng her facë / brast out forto wepe
So secrely / he myght it not espie.
And she anon / fille intö a fantasie,
Ay on thys thyng / musyng mor and more,
And in her bed / gan to sighe sore.

And whan the kyng / conceyueth her distresse,
He gan enquere / of her hevynesse
Fully the cause / and occasioun;
For he wil wite / in conclusioun,
What her eileþ / and why she ferde so.

“My lorde,” quod she / “withoute wordës mo,
Parcel cause / of this sodeyn rage
Is for that I in my tender age
had a lorde / I-named Layus,
kyng of this toune / a man riȝt vertuvs,
Be whom I hadde / a sonë / wonder-fair,
likly tabene / his successour and hair:
But by causë / his dyvynours tolde
At his birthe / sothly that he sholde,
Ȝif he haue lyf / be fatal destanyè,
Sleen his fader / it may non oþer be;
For which the king / his fatë to eschewe,
Bad me in hast / as hym thoghte dewe,
To sle the childe / and haue therof no routh:
And I anon bad with-outë slouth

Certeyn men / vp peyne of Iugëmente,
To executë / the comaundëmente
Of the king / as I gaf hem in charge.
And forth they gon / to a forest large,
Adiacent / vnto this contrè,
Percen his fete / and honge hym on a tre,
Nat parfourmyng / thexecucioun.
On hym they haddë / such compassioun.
lefte hym ther / and hom resort ageyn,
Beyng in doute / and in non certeyn,
At theyre repeire / as they tolden alle,
Of this childe / what afterward is falle;
Saue they saidë / huntys han hym founde,
Which lad hym forth / and his feet vnbounde;
But to what coost / they coudë not declare.
Which parcel is of myn evel fare,
Grounde and cause / of myn hevy chere,
Considred ek the woundës that appere
Vpon ȝoure fete /, and woot not what they mene.
And on thyng / ay / is at myn herte grene,
My lord, allas / but of newë date:
kyng Layus / slayën was but late

At a Castel / nygh by this contrè,
vpon ȝoure comyng / into this Citè.
Al this yweied / and rekned into on,
Maketh myn hertë / hevy as a ston,
So that I can counsel / non / nor Rede.”

And with that word the kyng lift vp his hede,
And abrayd / with sharpë sighës smerte,
And al this thing be ordre / gan aduerte,
Ceriously / be good avisëment;
And by signës / cleer and evident
Conceyueth wel /, and sorë gan repente,
It was hym-silf / that Iocasta mente.

And whan the Quene / in manere segh hym pleyn,
By her goddes / she gan hym to constreyne
To shewën out the cause of his affray,
And it expowne / and makë no delay,
Crop and root / shortly, why that he
Entred first / into that contrè,
Fro when he kam / and fro what regioun.

But he hir put / in dilusioun,
As he haddë done it for the nonys.
Til at the laste / he brak out atonys
Vnto the queene / and gan a processe make
First how he was / in the forest take,
wounded the feet / and so forþ euery thyng,
Of his Chershing / with Polyboun the kyng,
And hool the causë / why he hym forsoke,

And in what wisë / he the weyë toke
Toward Thebës / as Appollo bad,
And of fortunë / how that he was lad
Wher that Spynx / kepte the mounteyn,
And how that he slough also in certeyn
kyng Layus at the castel gate,
Towardës nyght whan it was ful late,
And how to Thebës that he gan hym spede
To fynden oute / the stok of his kynrede:
which vnto hym gan to wexë couth;
For by processe / of his grenë ȝouth
he fonde out wel, be reknyng of his lif,
That she was both / his moder and his wif.

So that al nyght and sving on þe morow
A-twene hem two / gan a newë sorowe:
Which vnto me were tedious to telle;
For ther-vpon / ȝif I shulde dwelle,
A long space it woldë occupie.

Tragedia Senece de Edippo Rege thebarum.

But ȝe may reden in a Tragedye
Of Moral Senyk fully his endynge,
His dool, his meschief / and his compleynyng,
How with sorow / and vnweldy age
This Edippus / fille into dotage,
lost his wit / and his worldly delit,
And how his sonës / had hym in despit,
And of disdeyn / tok of hym no kepe.
And bookës seyn / his eyën out he wepe.

And as myn auctour liketh to devise,
As his sones rebuke hym and dispise,
Vpon a day / in a certeyn place
Out of his hede / his eyën he gan race,
And Cast at hem /, he can non other bote,
And of malice / they trad hem vnder fote,
Fully devoidë / both of loue and drede.

And whan Edippus / for meschief was thus dede,
with-Inne a pytte / made in the erthë lowe,
Of crueltè / his sonës / han hym throwe,
Wers than serpent / or eny tigre wood.
Of Cursid stok / cometh vnkynde blood,
As in story / ȝe may rede her to-forn;
Al be the Roosë / grow / out of a thorn.
Thus of Edippus /, whan he was blynd and old,
The wrecched ende / I haue ȝou pleynly told.

For which shortly / to man and child I rede

Nota.

To be wel war / and to taken hede

How euery man oght of dieute to do reuerence to Fader and modere.

Of kyndely riȝt / and of conscience
To do honur // and duë reuerence

Or ellis ther wil folowe vengeaunce

To fader and moder / of what estat thei be,
Or certeyn / ellis / they shul neuere the.

For who that is not to hem debonayr
In spech, in port / for to trete hem fair,
Hem to obeye / in honestè and drede,
And to cherissh / of what they han nede,
I dar afferme / exceptyng non astat,
That he shall first be infortunat
In alle his werk / both on see and lond,
And of what thyng that he take on hond
Fortunë froward / to hym and contrayre,
Waast of his good /, pleynly and appaire,
Fyndë plentè / of contek / werre, and striff,
Vnhappy ende / and shortnesse of liff,
And gracëlees / of what he hath to do,
Hatrede of god / and of man also.

Therfor no man / be herof rekkëlees,
But make ȝoure myrour of Ethiocles
And his brother / callëd Polymyte,
Which in such thyng / gretly were to wite,
As ȝe shal here / of hem how it fil.
And whan we ben / descendid doune this hil
And ypassëd / her / the lowë vale,
I shal begynne the remnant of my tale.

Explicit Prima pars istius Codicilli. Incipit Secunda Pars Eiusdem. Secunda pars.

2. Secunda Pars.

Passëd the throp / of Bowtoun on þe ble,
By my chilyndre / I gan anon to se,
Thorgh þe sonnë / þat ful cler gan shyne,
Of þe clok that it drogh to nyne;
And saugh also þe siluer dropës shene
Of þe dewe / lich peerlys / on þe grene,
Vapourëd vp in-to the eire alofte,
whan zephyrus / with his blowing softe
þe wedere madë lusty / smoth / and feir,
And right attemprè / was the hoolsom eir;
The samë hour / all the hoolë Route
Of the pylgrymes / rydyng round aboute,
In my talë / whan I gan procede,
Rehercyng forth / as it was in dede,
Whan Edippus / buryed was and graue,
How his sones / the kyngdam for to haue,
Among hem-silf / be ful mortal hate

For the crownë / gonnë to debate
which of hem / Iustly / shal succede,
And the Sceptre / of the toune possede;
Advertyng nought / neither to right ne wronge,
But eche of hem / to make her partie stronge,
And his querele / proudely to sustene:
From whoos hertës / was devoyded clene
Of brotherhode / the faithful alliaunce.
Fals Couetise / so made hem at distaunce,
Fully worchyng into destruccioun
And Ruyne / of this noble toun.
So hootë brente the hatred and envie
Of bothe two / thorgh pompous Surquedye,
That nowther woldë / pleynly in a poynt
Other forbern /, they stod in such disioynte
as thow they hadde / of berthë be foreyns.
Tyl of the toune / the noble Citezeyns,
knyghtës, Barounes / with many worþi lord,
Shope a way / to mak hem of accord,
And to set hem / in quyete / and in pees.

But for his part / this Ethiocles
Aleggë gan that he was first yborn;

For which he oght of resoun go to-forn
In the Citè / to be crownëd kyng,
Sith be lawë / ther was no lettyng.

The controuercy of the breþeren.

For vnto hym / longeth / the heritage
Be discent / and be title of age.

But polymyte / of ful hegh disdeyn,
Al opynly gan replie ageyn
And for his part / seide, in special,
Reson was non / that he shuld haue alle
Regaly and domynacioun,
And the lordship hooly of the toun,
And he right nought /, out of the Cytè
But lyve in exile / and in pouertè,
Ful concludyng, with-oute feer and dred,
Rather than suffre that /, he wil be ded.
And thus, allas / thorgh her envious strif,
At the ende / euerich loste his lif,
At gret mischief / as ȝe shal after here.

But thylkë tyme the lordës al yfere
Ful bysily did her dyligence,
By gret avis / and ful high prudence,
To setten hem in quyete and in Reste;
Conseylyng hem pleynly for the beste,
To leve her strif / of wisdam and resoun,
And condescende / to some conclusioun

Which to bothë / myghte most availe;
That fynaly / thorgh her gouernaile,
The lordës allë / beyng tho present,
They han hem broght / to be of on assent,
Of on hert / as brother vnto brother,
Euerich of hem / to regnen after other,
ȝeer be ȝeer / as it cam aboute,
So that the ton / shal absent hym oute
Fully that ȝeer, and hym-siluen guye
Be his manhode / and his chyualrye,

The conuencion of the breþeren.

haunte hym-self / in Dedys marcyal;
whil his brother / in his See Royal
Holdeth his sceptre / the Citè to gouerne;
And whan the ȝeer / his cours haþ ronnë ȝerne
And is come out /, he shal haue repair
To Regne in Thebës / lik as lord and hair,
There to receyue / fully his dignytè;
whil the tother voideth the Citè,
Paciently / taking his auenture
Til he ageyn / his honure may recure.

Thus entrechaunge euery ȝere they shal:
The ton ascendeth / that other haþ a fal.
They most obeye of hert / and take it wel,
lich as the tourn / resorteþ of the whel.
For this was hool / the composicioun
A-twene the bretheren / and conuencioun,

Ful knet vp / be gret avisëment,
To-for the goddys / be oth of sacrament,
Neuer after to grochë ne to varye,
But a-complisshen Shortly / and not tarye,
lich as thaccord / enrollëd in the toune,
From poynt to poynt / madë mencioun.

But alderfirst / be reson of his age,
Ethyocles / haddë thauauntage
To regne aforn / and to were a croune,
Polymytë / hym hastyng out of toune
Duryng that ȝeer /, it may non other be,
Whil his brother / sat in his Royal See
Ful richëly vpon fortunës wheel;
And rode hym forth / armëd briȝt in stele,
This Polymyte / sothly as I rede,
Hym-silf allone / on a Ryal Stede,
With-oute guyde / al the longë day,
Beyng aferd / to kepe the heghë way,
In his herte / hauyng suspecioun
To his brother / of malice and tresoun,
lest he pursued / thorgh fals vnkyndë blood
To haue hym ded / for couëtise of good,
That he allon / myght haue possessioun

Duryng his lif / fully of the toun.
For which in hast /, havyng no felawe,
Polymytë a-sidë gan hym drawe
By a forest / Ioynyng to the See,
knowyng right nought the syyt of the contrè,
Ful of hillës / and of hegh mounteyns,
Craggy Rochës / and but fewë playns,
wonder dredful and lothsom of passage,
And ther-with-al / ful of beestis rage;
holdyng his way of hertë no thyng light,
Maat and wery / til it drowe to nyght.

And al the day / beholdyng enviroun,
He neyther saugh castel, toure, ne toun;
The whiche þing / greuëd hym ful sore.
And sodeynly / the se began to Rore,
wynde and tempest / hidously tarise.
The Reyn doune bete / in ful grisly wise,
That man and beest / therof were adrad,
And negh for ferë / gan to wexë mad,
As it semptë / by the wooful sownes
Of Tygres / berës / boorës / and lyounes,
which for refut / hem-siluë forto saue,
Euerich in hast / drogh vnto his Caue.

But Polymyte / in this tempest huge,
Allas the whilë / fyndeth no refuge,

Nor hym to schrowde / saugh nowher no socour
Til it was passëd / almost mydnyght hour
A largë spacë / that the sterrës clere,
The clowdës voyde /, in heuene did appere;
So that this knyght / out of the forest large

How Polymytes cam into the lond of Arge.

Gan approchen / to the londe of arge,
Seyng a palays myghty of beeldyng,

Of which Adrastus / callëd was the kyng,
A manly man / riche and wonder sage,
And ronnë was / somdel / into age,
Born of the Ile / which callëd is Chysoun,
And whylom sone / of the kyng Chaloun;
And for his witt /, in story as is kouth,
he chosen was / in his tendre ȝouth,
Of alle Argë / to be crownëd kyng,
Chief of alle Grece / by record of wryting,
Not be dissent / nor successioun,
But al only / of fre eleccioun
To holde of Arge / the sceptre in his hond,
As most worthy / of alle grekës lond,
louëd and drad / for wisdam and Iustice.

And as the story / pleynly can devise,
This worthy kyng haddë doghtres two,

Passyng fair / and right good also.
It were to longe / her beautè to discryve.
And the eldest / callëd was Argyve,

Deyphyle

Dëyfylë ynamëd the seconde.

Adrastus

And Adrastus, lich as it is founde,
This worthy kyng / haddë sonë non,
To succede / after he be gon;
For which he was duryng al his lyff
Trist in hert / and passingly pensif.
But hool his trust / and his hopë stod,
Be Aliaunce / of some worthy blood
Brouȝt Inne by mene / of his doghtres tweyn,
That he shal be relesëd / of his peyne,
Thorgh recomfort / of some hie mariage.

The drem of kyng Adrastus of A bor and A lyoun.

And sothly yet ful high in his corage
He troubled was be occasion
Of a sweuen and a vision,
Shewëd to hym / vpon a certeyn nyght.
For as hym thoght / in his inward sight
whyl he slept /, by cleer inspeccioun,
A wyldë boor / and a fers lyoun
Possedë shal, thise bestës in her Rage,
His doghtres two / be bond of mariage
In shorte tyme / with-In a certeyn day;
which broght his herte / in ful grete affray.
But þing in soth / that destinè hath shape,

Her in this world / ful hard is to eskape;
Eke merveylous / a man teschewe his faate.

And Polymyte / of whom I spak late,
With the tempest / bete / and al be-reyned
Be grace only / the Citè hath atteyned,

Wher Adrastus / ful statly of degrè,
Thilkë tymë / helde his Royal see.
The troubly nyght / myrk, and ful obscure,
hath brought this knyght / only be auenture
Thorgh the Citè, enclosëd with a wal,
Vnto the paleys / chief and principal,
Wher as the kynge / in his chambre alofte
lay in his bed / and slepte wonder softe.
Eke alle his folk / hadde her chambres take,
lik as Fortune / peraunter haddë shape,
The silfë tyme / be-cause it was so late;
And Casuelly / no porter / at the gate,
As it haddë be right for the nonys.
And in a porchë / bilt of squarë stonys,
Ful myghtëly enarchëd envyroun,
wher the domys / and plees of the toun
weren execut / and lawës of the kyng,
And ther this knyght / without mor tarying,
Wery and maat / from his stede alight,

Hangynge the rene / in al the hast he myght,
vppon his arme / surer hym to kepe,
And leyde hym doune / and gan anon to slepe,
As hym semptë / that tyme for the beste.

And whil that he lay thus forto reste,
Of aventure / ther cam / a knyght ryding,
The worthiest in this world lyvyng,
Curteys, lowly / and right vertuous,
As seith myn autour / Callëd Tidyus,
Eurous in Armes / and manly in werkyng,
Of his byrthe / sone vnto the kyng
Of Calydonye / a londe of gret renoun.
And he, allas / out of that Regioun
Exilëd was / for he his brother sclowe,
As Stace of Thebës / writ the manere howe,
Al be that he / to hym no malys mente.
For on a day / as they on huntyng wente
In a forest / for herte / and for hynde,
So as he stod vnder a grenë lynde,
And Casuelly / lete his Arow Slippe,
he slough his broder / callëd Menalippe,
Thorgh mortal sort / his honde was begyled:
For which / he was / banishëd and exiled,
As the lawë / narowe / sette his charge.

And for this caas / he cam first to Arge,

Into the porche / wher polymytë slepe,
Of auenture / ere he toke eny kepe,
The samë nyght hidously beseyn
With the tempest / of thonder / wynde / and reyn;
And filt also / anoy / and gret damage,
Thorgh the Forest holding his passage,
As Polymytë haddë do to-forn,
In peryl oftë / likly to be lorn,
With beestës ragë / set on euery side,
Til of grace with-outen eny guyde
He rode thorgh Arge / the grete myghty toun,
Streght to the paleys / and the chief dongoun,
Lich as I tolde / wher polymytë lay;
And at his comyng / made a gret affray,
For he was blynde / þorgh derknesse of the nyght,
And hym to gwyë / he ne fonde no liȝt
whan he cam Inne / of priket nor of torche,
Til he vnwarly / entred the porche,
And wold han takë ther / his herbygage.

But Polymytë / stert vp in a rage,
Sodeynly awakëd / as I rede,
with the nyinge / of his proudë stede.
And first of al / whan that he byhelde
A knyght y-armed / vpon his brest a shelde,

And gan the maner / of his aray aduerte,
Of verrey Ire / vpon his hors he sterte,
And cruelly gan tydingës enquere
Whennys he cam / or what he dedë there,
And bad in hast / his answer to devise.
And Tydeus, in ful humble wise,
Answerd ageyn / of verrey gentillesse,
And seid in soth / that of hegh distresse,
Of the tempest / and the derke nyght,
he dryven was / lich an erraunt knyght,
Of nede only / and of necessitè
And high constreynt / of his adversitè,
To takë loggyng / wher so that he myght;
And in that courte / therfor he alight
With-outë morë, thenkyng non outrage
Nor to no wight / noyeng ne damage.

Than Polymyte / of malys / and hegh pride
Tolde hym shortly / he shuldë not abide,
Nor loggë ther / thogh he had it sworn.
“For I,” quod he / “toke it vp to-forn
And wil it kepë during al this nyght,
I seie the platly / maugrè al thy myght.”

Quod Tydeus / ‘that is no curtesie

Me to deuoyde / but rather vileynye,
ȝif ȝe take hede / that seme a gentil knyght.
And I suppose / ȝe han / no title of right
To this loggyng / be way of heritage,
More than haue I, for alle ȝoure fellë rage.
And pardè / ȝit it shal be no desese,
Til to morowe thogh ȝe do me ese,
Of gentillesse / only with ȝoure leve;
To suffre me / it shal litil greue.’

But ay the morë Tydeus spak faire,
Polymytë was froward / and contrayre,
And shortly seide / it geyneth not to stryve;
That of force he shal devoidë blyve,
Or vttrely / a-twen hem bothe two
This thyng to Trië / he most haue ado.

And Tydeus, seyng / no bettre mene,
Ful lik a knyght / in steel y-armëd clene,
With-out abood / faste gan hym spede
Wonder lyvely / forto take his stede,
And thus thies knyghtës / pompous and ellat,
For litil causë / fillen at debat.
And as they ranne to-gider on horsbak,
Euerich on other / first his sperë brak.

How Tydeus and Polymyte strif for her loggyng.

And after that / ful surquedous of pride,
With sharpë swerdës / they to-gyder ryde
Ful yrously / thise myghty champiouns,
In her fury / lik Tygres or lyouns.

And as they hurtle / that all þe paleis shoke,
kyng Adrastus / out of his slep awoke,
And made in hast his chamberleynës calle,
And þorgh the courte / his worthy knyghtes alle,
Comaundyng hem to descende and se,
And reporte / what it myghte be,
This wonder noyse / in his courte be nyght.
And whan they saugh two straungë knyghtës fight
In platys bright / and in thikkë maile,
with-outë Iugë /, they hadde grete mervaile;
And disamayëd / of this vnkouth þing,
As they fond / toldë to the kyng.

And Adrastus / for derknesse of the nyght,
From his Chambre / with many torchë light
Into the courte / is discended doun,
All his meynè / stondyng en-vyroun,
Of thyes knyghtës having ful gret wonder.
And of manhode / he put hem first a-sonder,
Hem comaundyng / lich a gentil kyng,
To leuen her strif and sesen of her fighting;
And entred Inne with a knyghtly loke,
And first fro hem / her swerdës both he took,

Affermyng ek, as to his fantasie,
It was a Rage / and a gret folye
So wilfully / her lyvës / to Iuparte,
with-outë Iuge / her querel to departe,
And specialy / in the derkë nyght
Whan neither myght of other han no sight,
Charging hem vpon peyne of her lif
To disseuer and styntyn of her strif.

And Tydeus in al the hast he myght,
Ful humblely from his stede alight,
And right mekely / with cheer and contenance
Put hym hooly in the gouernance
Of Adrastus / in al maner þing.
And Polymyte / mad ek no tarying
To light also / and woldë not wiþsey
The kyngges biddyng / lowly to obey,
So as hym ought / with duë reuerence.
And as thei stoodë / both in his presence,
He gan enquerë first / of her estaat,
The cause also why they weren at debat,
Of her cuntrees / sothly and her age,
I-axed ek / touching her lynage,
Be discent of what stok þei were born.

And Tydeus his answer / gaf to-forn;
Toldë pleynly / and madë no lesyng,

How that he was / sonë to the kyng
Of Caledoyn / and riȝtful heir therto;
And of his exile / the soth he told also,
As ȝe han herde / in the storye rad.

And Polymyte / with cheer and facë sad,
vnto þe kyng / touching his contrè,
Seyde he was born / in thebës þe Citè,
And Iocasta, the gretë famous quene,
his moder was / with-outen eny wene.
But of his fader / whilom kyng and lord,
For verray shamë he spak not a word,
Only for he / ȝif I shal not feyne,
his fader was / and brother bothë tweyne:
The which, in soth / he was ful loth to telle.
And eke the kyng / wold hym not compelle
Of gentillesse / but bad, with-oute blame,
Of his birthë / forto haue no shame;
For hool the caas / and maner euery dell,
Touchyng his kynne / he knewe þe ground ful wel,
lich as it was, by ful clier report;
Enforsyng hym forto do comfort,
with all his myght / and his bysy peyne,
This manly kyng / to the knyghtes tweyne,
And to hem seide / aforn hym as they stood,
He wiste wel / þat of ful worthy blood
They were dyscended / touchyng ther kynrede.
And made in hast / his officerës lede

The straungë knyghtës / beyng at debat,
Thorgh his paleys / to chambres of estat,
Eche by hym-silf / forto take his ese.
And euery þing, in soth, that myght hem plese,
was offred hem / lich to her estates.

And whan they weren / disarmëd of her platis,
Cusshewës / Greuës / and her sabatons,
her harneys voyded / and her habergons,
Tweynë mantels / vnto hem wer broght,
Frett with peerle / and richë stonys, wroght
Of cloth of golde / and veluyt cremysyn,
Ful richëly furrëd with hermyn,
To wrap hem Inne / ageyn the colde morowe,
After the rage / of her nyghtës sorowe,
To take her reste / til þe sonne arise.

And than þe kyng / in ful prudent wise,
First of alle / was not rekkëles
Þe knyghtës hertës / for to sett in pees,
that euer after, I dar afferme it wel,
Eche was to other trew as eny stele
During her lif / both in word and dede,
vnder a knottë / bounde of broþerhede.

And Adrastus / þe worthy kyng famous,
A feeste madë / riche and plenteuous,

To thise knyghtës /, hym-silf ther-at present.
And after mete / ful goodly he haþ sent,
This noble kyng / for his doghters dere,
Of gentyllessë / forto makë chere
To the knyghtës / comë fro so ferre.
And lik in soth / as lucyfer the sterre
Gladeth the morow / at his vprysing,
So thoo ladies / at her In-comyng,
With the stremës / of her eyën clere,
Goodly apport / and wommanly manere,
Contenaunce / and excellent fayrnesse,
To alle the court / broghten In gladnesse.
For the fresshnesse / of Her heuenly cheres
So agreable was to the straun-gers,
At her Entrè / that in especial
hem thoght it lik a thyng Celestial;
Enhastyng hem / in ful knyghtly wise
ageynës hem / goodly to arise.
And as they mette / with humble contenaunce,
Ful konyngly / did her obseruaunce,
Hem conveying / to her sitting-place.

But sothly I haue leyser non nor space
To reherce / and put in remembraunce,
Hooly the maner / of her daliaunce.
It were to longe / for ȝou to abide.

But wel I woot / that the god Cupide,
By influence / of his myghty hond
And the feruence / of his firy brond,
Her metyng first / fortunëd hath so wel,
That his arowes / of gold, and not of stiel,
Ipercëd han / the knyghtës hertës tweyn,
Thorgh the brest / with such a lusty peyn
That ther abood / sharpe / as spere or launce,
Depe yfichëd / the poynt of remembraunce,
which may not / lightly / racëd ben away.
And thus in Ioye / they dryvë forth þe day
In Play and Reuel / for the knyghtës sake.
And towardes nyght / they her chambres take
At duë tyme / as her fader bad,
And on her way / the knyghtës han hem lad
Reuerently vp be many staire;
Takyng lievë / gan anon repaire
To her logging / in a ful statly toure,
Assignëd hem / be the harberioure.

And after spicës / pleynly, and the wyn
In Coppës gretë / wroght of gold ful fyn,
With-oute tarying / to beddë streght they gon.
Touchyng her reste /, wher thei slepte or non,
Demeth ȝe louers / that in such maner thing
Bexperience han fully knowlecchyng;

For it is nat declarëd / in my boke.

But as I fyndë / the kyng al nyght woke,
Thoghtful in herte / the story specifies,
Musing sore / and ful of fantasies;
First aduerting / þe gretë worthynesse
Of this knyghtës / and the semlynesse,
Her lusty ȝouth / her force / and her manhode,
And how thei weren y-come of Royal blode.
Al this he ganne / to reuolue aboute,
Ay in his herte / hauyng a maner doute,
A-twenë two / hangyng / in balaunce
where he shuldë / maken an aliaunce
A-twene his doghtren / and the knyghtës tweyn.
For on thyng / ay / his hertë gan constreyn,
The remembrance / of his avisioun,
Of which to-forn / I madë mencioun,
Touchyng / þe lyon / and the wilde boor,
It nedeth nat / to reherce it mor,
Casting alway / in his Fantasie,
What it myghte / cleerly signyfie,
This dirke dreme /; this was hid and cloos.

But on the morowe / Adrastus vp aroos,
And to the temple / the riȝte way he took,
And gan preie / deuoutly on his book
To the goddes / his dreme to specefie.
And they hym bad homward forto hye,
And to beholde / in the knyghtës sheldys

The fellë beestys / peynted in the feeldys;
Which shal to hym /, be cleer inspeccioun,
Ful pleynly / makë declaracioun
Of his dreme / which he hadde in the nyght.
And Adrastus / enhasted hym ful riȝt
In her Sheldës wisly to beholde.
Wher that he saugh / as the goddës tolde,
In the Sheldës / hangyng vpon hokys,
The beestës ragë / with her mortal lokys.
And to purpos, lik as writ Bochas,
Polymytë / ful streght enbracëd was
In the hyde / of a feerce lyoun.
And Tydeus / abouen his haberioun
A Gypon haddë / hidous / sharpe and hoor,
wroght of the bristels / of a wylde boor.
The whichë beestis / as the story lerys,
wer wroght / and bete / vpon her banerys,
Displaiëd broodë / whan they shulde fight.
wherof the kyng / whan he hadde a sight
Att hys repeir / in herte was ful glad,
And with a facë / ful demur and sad
with his lordes, that he about hym hadde,
To the temple / he thys knyghtës ladde.

And whan they haddë / with all circumstaunces
Of Rytys oldë / don her obseruaunces,

Hom to the court / they resort ageyn.
And in an hallë / riche and wel beseyn,
This worthy kyng of herte lyberal,
Made a feeste / solempne and Royal,
Which in deyntees / surly dyd excelle.
But it were veyn / euery cours to telle,
her straungë sewës / and her sotyltees,
Ne how they sat / lik to her degrees;
For lak of tyme I lat it ouerslyde.

And after mete / Adrastus toke a-syde
The knyghtës two / and lik a prudent man
In sykrè wisë / thus his tale he gan.

“Sirs,” quod he / “I ne doute it nouȝt
Þat it is fressh / and grene / ay in ȝour thoȝt
How that first / by goddys ordynaunce,
And after next / thorgh fatys purveaunce,
And be workyng / of fortunës hond,
How that ȝe werën brouȝt into this lond
Bothë tweyn / But now this lastë nyght:
Of whoos comyng / I am ful glad and light
First in my-self /, shortly to expresse,
whan I considre / and se the liklynesse
Of ȝour personys / with the Circumstancys
And hool the maner / of ȝour gouernancys;
Seyng ful wel /, wherto shuld I feyne,
Ȝe likly be her-after to atteyn

To grete estat / and habundaunce of good,
Thorgh ȝoure birth / and ȝour Royal blood;
Ȝe may not faylë / but ȝe hauë wrong,
For ȝe are bothë manly / and right strong.
And forto sette ȝoure hertës mor at reste
My purpoos is / I hopë for the beste,
So that in ȝou be no variance,
To make a knotte / as be allyaunce,
Atwixë ȝow and my doghtres two,
Ȝif ȝoure hertes / accorde wel therto.

And for I am fully in dyspeyr
To succedë for to han an heir,
Therfor ȝe shal han possessioun,
Duryng my lyf / of half this Regioun,
Forthwith in hond / and hool after my day.
Ther is no man / that therto shal sey nay.
And sothly after / whan that I am graue,
Eche of ȝow / shal his party haue
Of this kyngdam, as I haue provided;
This to seyn / it shal be devyded
A-twen ȝow two, euerich to be crowned,
Ȝoure pourparties / be equytè compowned
So egally / in euery mannys sight,
That ech of ȝow / reioysë shal his ryght.
And by ȝour wit / ȝe shul the lond amend,
And of manhode / knyghtly it diffend
Ageyn oure enmyes / and oure mortal fon.

And for the daiës / passëd ben and gon
Of my desyrës / and my lusty ȝouth,
I am ful set / forto makë kouth
That ȝe shal han / lik myn opynyoun,
The gouernaunce / of this Regioun.
To this entente / me semeth for the beste,
Ȝe to gouerne / and I to lyve in reste,
Fully to folowe / the lust of my desyris,
Hunte and hauke / in wodës and Ryvèrys
whan so euer / I hauë therto plesaunce,
And for to han / non other attendance
Vnto no thing / but vnto myn ese.
For which shortly / ȝif it agrè and plese
That I haue seid / to ȝou / that be so wis,
And be according / vnto ȝoure avis,
Delaieth not / but in wordës pleyn,
What ȝow semeth / gif answere ageyn.”

And whan Adrastus / hadde his talë fyned,
Tydeus / with hed / ful lowe enclyned,
As he that was / a verray gentyl knyght,
With al his power / and his fullë myght
Ful humblely / thankëdë the kyng
Touchyng his profre of so high a thyng.
And for his parte / seide he wolde assente
Fully of hertë /, neuere to repente,
To all that euer the kyng haþ sayd.

And Polymyte / was also wel apayd,
In the story / as it is conprehendid.
And so they ben / bothë / condescendyd
The kynggës willë / to fulfille in dede
From poynt to poynt / and ther-vpon procede,
wherso euer / that they wynne or lese.

And Tydeus / made / his brother chese,
Of gentillesse and of curtesye,
which that was / most / to his fantasye
Of the sustren / for to han to wive.
And he in soth / chosen hath argyve,
which eldest was / ful wommanly to se.
And Tydeus / tok than Dëyphylee,
Of her beautè / most souereyn excellent.

And Adrastus / thorgh-oute his lond hath sent
For his lordës / and his baronage,
To be present / at the mariage
Of the knyghtës / and make no lettyng.
And they echon . cam at his bidding,
In goodly wysë / meke and ful benygne,
Ageyn the day / that he dide assigne.
And thyder cam ful many lusty knyght,
Ful wel beseyn / and many lady briȝt,
From euery Coost / and many frecssh sqwyer,
Þe Story seith / and many comunere,

To byholde the gretë Ryaltè
And the maner / of thys solempnytè.

But to telle / all the circumstances
Of Iustës / Reuel / and the dyuers daunces,
The feestës riche /, and the gyftës grete,
The pryvè sighës / and the feruent hete
of louys folk / brennyng as the glede,
And devyses / of many sondry wede,
The touches stole / and the amerous lookes,
By sotyl craft / leyd oute lyne and hokes,
The Ialous folk / to traysshen and begyle
In their awayt / with many sondry wile:
Al this in soth / descryven I ne can.

But wel wote I / the newë famë ran,
This menë whilë / with ful swift passage
Vnto Thebës / of this mariage.
And by report trewe and not yfeyned,
The soune therof the eerës hath atteyned,
Myn auctour writ /, of Ethyocles,
Touchyng thonour / and the gret encres
Of Polymytë / heghly magnyfied,
And how that he / newly was allyed
With Adrastus / in the londe of Arge.
The whiche thyng / he gretly gan to charge,

Dredyng Inly / that this mariage
Shal after turne / vnto his damage,
Sorë musyng / and castyng vp and doun
The grete pouer / and the hegh renoun
Of Adrastus / the which of grekës land
Hadde al the power / soget to his hand:
Lest that he / for Polymytës sak
wold vpon hym / a newë werrë make,
But ȝif that he, lik the conuencioun,
At tymë sette / delyuerëd the toun
To his broder / by bond of oth I-sworn,
Be couenauntes / assurëd her to-forn,
Ȝif ȝe remembre / late as I ȝou told:
which he was nat / in purpos forto hold,
But from his heste / Caste forto varye.
And ther-vp-on list no lenger tarye,
Lich his desire / to shapë remedyes.

And first he sente for his next allies
In whoom he haddë / most his affiaunce,
For his lordës / that hadde gouernaunce
Of his kyngdom / to come to hym anon.
And whan they werën present euerichon,
he seidë pleynly /, wenyng for his best,
That his hert / shal neuer lyve in rest,
But in sorowe / and in a maner drede,

Tyl his brother / outrely be dede;
That he in Thebës / in his Royal sete
Myght allonë / regnën in quiete;
he mente hym-silf / shortly, and non other,
Vnperturbed / of Polymyte his brother.

And at this counsayl / diuers of entent,

I fyndë writ / thre folkës were present.
Some in soth / that feithful were and trewe,
And some also / that can chaunge of newe,
And other ek / that be-twixë tweyn
Couertly kowde / vnder colour feyn.

The firste seide, abouen allë thyng

Comendacioun of Trouthe.

Trouthë shuldë / longë to a kyng,
Of his word / not be variable,
But pleyn / and hool / as a Centre stable.

For trouthë first / with-outen eny wene,
Is Chief Pyler / that may a kyng sustene,

Nota.

In Ioye and honour / for to lede his lyff.

how trouth is preferred in the book of Esdre / aforn kyngges / wymmen and wyn.

For trouth whilom / hadde a prerogatiff,
As of Esdre / the book can specyfie,
Record I take / of Prudent Neemye,
That worthy kyngges / for al her grete pride,
Wyn / and wymmen / ben ek set a-syde,

With all her pouer / and domynacioun,
havyng reward / in comparisoun
To trouthës myght / and trouthës worthynesse.
For as Esdre / pleynly / doth expresse,
Who taketh hede /, in the samë place,
Be the Influencë / sothly / and the grace
Of trouthe allon / this oldë Neemye
Gat hym licencë / to rëedifie
The wallys newe / of Ierusalem.
Which trouth is tresour / chief of euery rewme,
For Salamon writ / how that thyngës tweyne,

Trouth and mercye preseruen a kyng from al aduersyte.

Trouth / and mercy / lynkëd in a cheyne,
Preserve a kyng / lik to his degrè,
From al meschief / and aduersitè.
Allas therfor / that eny doublenesse,

Chaunge nor doublenesse shal not be in a kyng.

Variaunce or vnsicrenesse,
Chaunge of word / or mutabilitè,
fraude / or deceyte / or vnstabiletè,
Shuld in a kyng / han domynacioun,
To causen after / his destruccioun.
Of kynggës / redeth the story doune be rowe,
And seth / how many / han ben ouerthrowe
Thorgh her falshede / fro fortunes whel.
For vnto god / it pleseth neuer a del,
A kyng to ben / double of entent;
For it may happë / that the world is blent

Ful oftë sith / be sleght of her werkyng.

But this the trouthë / god seeþ euery thyng
Right as it is / for ther may be no cloude
To-forn his sight / trouthë forto shrowde.

It may be clipsed / and derkëd be disceyte,
By fals engyne / liggyng in a-weyte,
As a serpent / forto vndermyne;
But at the last / it wol clerly shyne,
Who that seith nay /, shew his briȝte bemes.
For it in soth / of kyngdames and of Reawmes
Is berer vp / and conseruatrice
From al Meschief / sothfast mediatrice
To god abouë / who so list to se,
To kepe a kyng / in Prosperitè
On euery side / as I afferme dar.

For which ȝe kyngges and lordës beth wel war
Ȝour bihestës / Iustly forto holde!
And thenk how Thebës / with his wallës olde
Distroiëd was / platly / this no les,
For doublenesse / of Ethiocles,
Which his puple / after sore abouht:
Only for he nat by counsell wroght
Of hem that wern / bothe trewe and wis:

hym lyst nat worchen / after her devys;
But lefte trouthe / and sette his fantasye
To be gouernëd / by fals flaterye,

That bad hym thenkë / how he was a knyght,

the counsayl of Flatareres.

And to holde of forcë /, morë than of right,
Duryng his lyf / lordship of the toun,
And not to lesë his possessioun
For no bond / nor heestës mad toforn;
But lete his brother / blowën in an horn,
Wher that hym lyst / or pypen in a red.
This was the counsail / platly and þe Reed
Of swich as liste nat / to seyn the soth,
But falsly flater / with her wordës smoth.

And whan they haddë / hool her talë fyned,
Ethyocles / fully is enclynyd,
Who so euer ther-at / laugh or wepe,
lik her counsayl . possessioun to kepe,
who that sey nay / or gruche ther-ageyn;
hym to contrarye / he thoght was but veyn.

How the ȝeer was come out that Ethiocles regnyd.

But in this whylë hath the shenë sonne
The tweluë signës / round aboutë Ronne
Sith Ethiocle / be Iust rekenyng,
In Thebës was crownëd / lord and kyng,
holdyng the sceptre / and the dyademe;
That be resoun / as it wolde seme,
The tymë was ful complet / and the space,

Of couenaunte / he shulde voide his place,
And Polymytë ek / his iournè make
Toward Thebës /, pocessioun to take
Of duë title / But he haddë wronge:
Which thoght in soth / the ȝeer was wonder longe
Of his Exil / er it kam aboute.

And for he hadde / in hert a manere doute
Lest in his broder / ther wer falshed found
Taquyte hym-silf / lik as he was bound,

To Adrastus / he gan declar his herte,
Beseching hym / this mater to aduerte,
And ther-vpon / to ȝiue a counsayl sone,
Touchyng his right / what was best to done,
wher it was bet to gon / or to abyde,
Or liche a knyght manfully to Ryde
hym-silf allone / and makë no massage,
For to Chalaunge / his rightful heritage
with-Inne Thebës / outher be pees or stryf,
And ther-vpon / to Iuparte his lif.
Thus was he set / for al his fercë brother.

But Adrastus / sothly / thoght a-nother
Bet was to sendë / than hym-silf to gon
Lest he were trapped among his mortal fon;
Havyng his brother / suspecte in this cas
That be fraude / or be some fallas,
He woldë werk / to his destruccioun,

Ȝif he wer hardye to entren in-to toun.
For which he bad hym / prudently tak hede,
Ful concludyng / how it was mor spede
That some other be / to Thebës sent,
To apparceyvë fully the entent

Of Ethiocle / outward / be some signe,
And wher that he / his crounë wil resigne
For thilke ȝeer /, lik as he made his ooth:
And whan he knewe / how his purpoos goþ
Ther-vpon to werken / and procede.

Thus Adrastus / wisely gan hym rede.

And whil they trete / vpon this matere,
Tydeus with a manly chere

Tydeus took vpon hym to don þe massage of Polymyte.

Saide vttrely / for his broder sake,
This massagë / he wold vndertake
with hool thempris / of thenbassyat,
wer it wilful / or infortunat:
He wil not sparë / what so that betide.

But Adrastus / on the toþer syde,
And Polymyte / in conclusioun,
Weren contrarye / to that opynyoun,
And seidë sothly / as hem thoghte right,
Sith that he was / so wel / a preuëd knyght
And discended of so worthy blood,

That they nolde / for non erthly good,
For all Thebës / with the regalye,
Put his body / in such Iupartie.

But all this thyng / auaylëd hem riȝt noȝt;
For he wol forth / how dere that it be boȝt,
Takyng lievë / first of all thestatys,
And armëd hym in Mayle / and surë platys,
And Shope hym forth / vpon his Iournè.

The sorowe of Deyphile whan Tideus went toward Thebes.

who madë sorowe / but Dëyphylë,
with bitter teerës / dewëd al her face,
Ful ofte sith / swownyng in the place,
Trist and mournyng / in her blakë wede,
Whan she saugh / that he took his stede;
So inwardly gan encres her mone,
Seyng her lord / so ridë forth allone
Vpon his way / this worthy Tydeus.

And in al hast, the story telleth vs,
He spedde hym so, makyng no delayes,
That in space / of a fewe daies
The heghe toures of Thebës / he gan se,
And entred is / into the Citè,
Wisly enqueryng / wher the Paleys stood;
And lik a knyght / thidere streght he rood,
Markyd ful wel / in many mannys sight,
lich Mars / hym-silf /, in stiel y-armëd bright,
Til he atteynëd hath the chief dongoun,
wher as the kyng / helde his mancyoun.
And thorgh the paleys / with a knyghtly look
Into the hall / the righte way he took,

From his stedë / whan he lighte doun,
Not afered / but hardy as lyoun,
Wher as the kyng / with lordës a gret route
In the hallë sittyng / rounde aboute,
he entred Inne / most manful of corage,
To execute / the fyn of his massage.
And as hym thouȝt / conuenient and due
Ful konnyngly / he gan the kyng salue
Requiring hym /, of kyngly excellence,
In goodly wise / to ȝeve hym audience,
And not disdeyne / neither in port ne cheer,
Sith he was Come / as a massagere
From Polymyte / his ownë brodere dere;
Gynnyng his talë / thus, as ȝe shal here.
“Sir,” quod he, “vnto ȝour worthynesse
My purpoos is breefly to expresse
Theffecte only, as in sentement,

how wisly and how knyghtly

Of the massagë why that I am sent.

Tideus did his massage.

It were in veyn / longe processe forto make.
But of my mater / the verrey ground to take,
In eschewyng of prolixitè,
And voyde away / al superfluytè,
Sith ȝoure-silf best ought to vnderstond
The causë fully / that we han on hond,
And ek conceyve / þentent of my menynge,
Of rightwisnessë / longgyng to a kynge:
First considred /, ȝif that ȝe tak hede,

whan Edippus / the oldë kyng was dede,
how that ȝour-silf / and ȝoure brother blyve
For the croune / contagiously gan stryve
As mortal foon / by ful gret hatrede,
which of ȝow two / shulde first succede:
Til that ȝe were / be meenys reconcyled,
Ȝe to regne / and he to be exiled
Out of this towne / for a ȝeerës space,
And than ageyn / resorte to his place,
To regne as kyng, and ȝe to voyden oute,
So as ȝour tourne / be processe kam aboute;
Euerich of ȝow / paciently tendure
Thenterchaungyng / of his Auenture,
Who were put out / or stood in his estat,
Ther-vpon to makë no debat,
Lich the Couenaunt / and conuencioun,
Enrollëd vp / by lordys of this toun,
Which of reson may not be denyed.

The request þat Tideus mad in þe name of Polymyt vnder the title of þe Conuencioun.

And sith ȝe han / a ȝeer / y-occupied,

Polimytës / requereþ ȝow of riȝt,
Taqwite ȝou / lik a trewë knyght,
In eschewyng of mortal werre and strif;
Sith ȝe han had / a Prerogatif
As eldest brother / forto regne aforn:
And thenketh eke / how that ȝe ar sworn
ȝour oth to kepe / and make no tarying,
Holy aduerting / lich a prudent kyng,
That trouth is mor / in conparisoun,

Than all the tresour / of ȝour Regyoun,
Mor acceptable / vnto god and man
Than all richessë / that ȝe rekne kan.
Wherefor in hast / and lat ther be no slouthe,
Quyteth ȝour-silf / Iustly of ȝour trouthe
Vnto ȝoure brother / avoyding this Cytè,
And lat hym regnen / in his Ryaltè,

The croune of Thebes / a ȝeer to occupie.
Than wol al Grecë / preise and magnyfie
ȝoure hegh renoun / and may sey non other
But ȝe han quytt ȝou / Iustly to ȝour brother.
This hool theffecte / of al that I wil seyn,
Answer expectaunt / what ȝe list sende ageyn.”

Whan Tydeus / haddë told his tale,
Ethiocles, trist / and wonder pale,
his conceyt first in maner hath refreyned,
Dyssimulyng / vnder colour feyned,
Shewyng a cheer / in maner debonayre,
To his entent / wonderly contrayre,
Inward in hertë / wood and furious,
Turnyng his facë / towarde Tydeus,
he gan abraid / and at the last out-brak,

The answer of Ethiocles.

And euen thus / vnto hym he spak.

“I haue gret mervaile /” quod he, “in my thoght
Of the massagë / which that thow hast broght,
That my brother / as thow hast expownyd,

Desyreth so / in Thebës to be crownyd,
Havynge reward / to the habundance,
The grete plentè / and the suffisaunce
That he hath nowe / with the kyng of Arge:
That me semeth / he shuld lityl charge
To han lordship / or domynacioun
In the boundis / of this lytyl toun,
Sith he regneth / so fresshly in his flours,
Surmountyng / all his predecessours
Be newe encres / thorgh fortunis myght;
wherof in hert / I am right glad and light:
Fully trustyng / ȝif I haddë nede
To his helpë, that with-outë drede
lik a brother than I shuld hym fynde
To meward feithful, trewe, and kynde:
Supposing pleynly euermor
Of this regne / he set / but lityl stor,
Nor cast hym not / for so short a while
As for a ȝeer, his brother to exile,
To lyve in pouertè / and gret distresse.
he wol not suffre it / of his high noblesse.
It were no token as of brotherhede,
But a signë rather of hatrede,
To interruptë my possessioun
Of this litil porë Regioun.”

Al that he spak /, who that couth aduerte,
Of verrey scorn, Rooted in his herte;

As it sempte /, the story can ȝou teche,
By the surplus / sothly of his speche:

He myghte nat no lenger hym refreyne
But platly seide / “as a-twene vs tweyne,
I menë thus / Polymytes and me,
Ther is no bonde / nor no surëtè,
Nor feith y-made / that may hym avaylle,
As he cleymeth / to haue the gouernaylle
Of this Citè, nowther ȝere nor day.
For I shal lette hym, sothly, ȝif I may,
That he shal not be title of no bond,
Reioysse in Thebës / half a foot of londe.

late hym kepe all that he hath wonne!
For I purpoos / as I haue begonne,
To regne in Thebës / enforth al my lyve,
Maugrè al hem / that ther-ageynës stryve,
And in despit / of his frendës all,
Or the counsaylle / that hym list to calle.
lat hym be sur /, and knowë this right wel,
his manacyng I dredë neuer a del.

And sikerly, as to my devis,

It scheweth wel / that thow were not wis,
But supprisëd with a manere rage,
To take on the / this surquedous massage,
And presume / to do so hegh offence,
So boldëly / to speke in my presence.
But al yfere / avaylë shal right noght.
For the tyding / that thou hast ybroght,
Shal vnto hym / be but disencrees.
He better werë / to ha ben in pees,
Than of foly / and presumpcioun
Ageynës me / to seke occasioun.
For whil I lyve / and thereto her myn hond,
As I seide erst / he wynneth her no lond,
whyl the walles / of this toune may stond.
For Fynaly I do the vnderstond
That they shal first / be betë doune ful lowe,
And alle the tourës / to the erth ythrowe,
Er he in Thebës / haue eny thynge ado.
Lo! her is al / . retourne and sey him so!”

Whan Tydeus saugh the feruent Ire
Of the kyng / with angre set a-fire,
Ful of despit / and malencolye;
Conceyuyng eke / the grete felonye

In his apport, lik as he wer wood;
This worthy knyght a lityl whilë stood,
Sad and demur / or oght he wolde seyn.
But at the laste thus he spak ageyn.

“Certës,” quod he / “I conceyve of newe
Aboute the, thy counsel is vntrewe,
I dar it seyn and vowën at the best,
Nor thow art not feithful of thy behest,
Stable of thy word / that thow hast seid to-forn,

The knyghtly answere ageyn of Tydeus.

But deceyveable / and falsly ek forsworn,
And ek periur / of thyn assurëd ooth.

“But wher so be / that thow be lief or loth,
I seye the shortly / hold it for no fage,
Al shal turn / vnto thy damage,
Trust it wel / and in ful cruel wyse.
Alle Grekës londe / shal vpon the ryse,
To ben avenged / and manly to redresse
The gret vntrouth / and the hegh falsnesse
Which that thow hast / ageyn thy brother wroght.
It shal ful dere / after this be bought.
And verrely in dede, as thow shalt lere,
kyng Adrastus / wil medle in this matere,
And alle the lordes / about hym envyroun,
That boundë ben / to his subieccioun;
Prynces / Dukës / and many a noble Knight,
In sustenyng / of thy brotheres right,
Shal on a day / with sper and with sheld,
Ageynës the be gadered in a feld,

knyghtly to preue / al be on assent,
That thow art fals / and double of entent,
Of thy promys / atteynt and ek outrayed.
And leue me wel it shal not be delayed,
But in al hast / execute in dede.
lik thi desert / thow shalt haue thy mede.
For god aboue / of his rightwisnesse,
Swich open wrong / shal in hast redresse,
And of his myght / al such collusioun
Reforme ageyn / and al extorsioun.
For this the fyn / falshede shal not availe,
Ageynës trouth / in feeld to hold batayle.
Wrong is croked / bothen halt and lame.
And here anon / in my brotheres name,
As I that am next of his alye
In his querel / I shortly the deffye,
Fully avysed / with al myn hool entent.
And ȝe lordës / that ben her present,
I ȝow requere / of ȝour worthynesse,
To sayë trouth / and to ber wittnesse,
whan tymë comëþ / Iustly to recorde
How ȝour kyng / falsly can discorde
From his heest / of fals variaunce.
And thenk how ȝe / of feith and lygaunce
Ar bounde echon / ȝe may not go ther-fro,

Forto obeye / and seruë, bothë two,
This nexte ȝeer / now anon folowyng,
As to ȝour lord / and ȝour trewë kyng,

Polemytes / thogh he be now absent,
By Iust accord / maad in parlement,
At ȝoure devis / which sitten her a-rowe,
Engrosëd vp / as it is wel knowe,
And enrollëd / only for witnesse
In ȝoure regestres / to voyden al falsnesse,
That non of ȝou / vary may of newe
Fro that I sayë . / but he be vntrewe.
For which I redë / ȝour-silf to acquyte.
Lat no tymë / lenger / ȝou respit,
But at onys / with-oute mor tarying,
Of manly forcë / fetteth hom ȝour kyng,
Maugrè his foon /, lik as ȝe ar bounde,
And lat in ȝow / slouthë non be founde,
To put hym Iustly in pocessioun
This my consayl in conclusioun.”

Whan Tydeus / hadde his massagë saide,
lik to the chargë / that was on hym laide:
As he that list / no lenger / ther soiourne,
Fro the kyng / he gan his facë tourne,
Nat astouned / nor in his hert afferde;
But ful proudly / leyde hond on his swerde,

How manly Tydeus departe[d] from þe kyng.

And in despit / who that was lief or loth,
A sternë pas / thorgh the halle he goth,
Thorgh-out the courte / and manly took his stede,
And out of Thebës / faste gan hym spede,
Enhastyng hym / til he was at large,
And sped hym forth / touard the londe of arge.

Thus leue I hym / ridë forth a while,
whilys that I retourne ageyn my style
Vnto the kyng which in the hallë stood
Among his lordës / furious and wood,
In his hertë / wroth / and euel apayd
Of the wordes that Tydeus had said;
Specialy / havyng remembraunce
On the proude dispitous diffiaunce
Whilys that he sat in his Royal See;
Vpon which he wil auengëd be
Ful cruelly, what euere that befalle.
And in his Irë / he gan to hym calle
Chief constable / of his Chyualrye,
Chargyng hym / fastë for to hye
with al the worthy Choys of his housholde,
which as he knewe most manful and most bolde,
In al hast Tydeus to swe
To-forn or he out of his lond remwe,

Vp peyn of lyf / and lesyng of her hede,
With-oute mercy / anon that he be dede.
And of knyghtës / fyfty weren in nombre,
Myn autour seith /, vnwarly hym tencombre
Armed echon in mayle and thikkë stiel,
And ther-with-al // yhorsëd wonder wiel.
At a Posterne / forth they gan to ryde

How falsly Ethyocles leyde a busshment in the way to haue slayn Tydeus.

By a geynpath / that ley oute a-side,
Secrely / that no man hem espie,
Only of tresoun / and of felonye.
They haste hem forth / al the longë day,
Of cruel malys / forto stoppe his way,
Thorgh a forest / all of on assent,
Ful couartly to leyn a busshement
Vnder an hill / at a streite passage,
To falle on hym at mor auauntage,
The samë way / that Tydeus gan drawe,
At thylke mount / wher that Spynx was slawe.
He nothing war / in his opynyoun,
Of this conpassëd / conspiracioun,
But Innocent / and lich a gentyl knyght,
Rood ay forth / til that it drowe to nyght,
Sool by hym-silf / with-outë companye,
havyng no man / to wisse hym or to gye.

But at the laste / liftyng vp his hede,

Toward Euë / he gan taken hede;
Mid of his way . riȝt as eny lyne,
þoght he saugh / ageyn þe monë shyne
Sheldës fressh / and platës bornëd bright,
The which environ / casten a gret lyght;
ymagynyng / in his fantasye

How Tydeus outrayed fifty knyghtes þat lay in a-wayt for hym.

Ther was treson / and conspiracye
wrought by the kyng / his iournè forto lette.

And of al that / he no thyng ne sette,
But wel assurëd / in his manly herte,
list nat onys / a-sydë to dyuerte,
But kepte his way /, his sheld vpon his brest,
And cast his sperë / manly in the rest.
And the firste platly / that he mette,
Thorgh the body / proudely he hym smette,
That he fille ded . chief mayster of hem all;
And than at onys / they vpon hym falle
On euery part / be compas envyroun.
But Tydeus / thorgh his hegh renoun,
His blody swerde / lete / about hym glyde,
Sleth and kylleth / vpon euery side
In his Ire and his mortal tene,
That mervaile was he myghte so sustene
Ageyn hem all / in euery half besette.
But his swerde was so sharpë whette,

That his foomen fonde ful vnsoote.
But he, allas! / was mad / alight a-foote,
Be forcë grounded in ful gret distresse;
But of knyghthod and of gret prouesse
Vp he roos, maugrè all his foon,
And as they cam, he slogh hem oon be on,
lik a lyoun / rampaunt in his rage.
And on this hille / he fond a narow passage,
which that he took / of ful high prudence;
And liche a boor stondyng at his diffence,
As his foomen / proudly hym assaylle,
vpon the pleyn / he made her blode to Raylle
Al enviroun, that the soyl wex rede,
Now her now ther / as they fillë dede,
That her lay on / and ther lay two or thre.
So mercyles / in his crueltè
Thilke day he was vpon hem founde.

And attonys / his enemyes to confounde,
wher as he stood / this myghty champioun,
Be side he saugh / with water turnëd doun,
An hugë ston / largë / rounde and squar;
And sodeynly / er that thei wer war,
As it haddë leyn / ther for the nonys,
Vpon his foon / he rollëd it at onys,
That ten of hem / wenten vnto wrak,

And the remnaunt amasëd drogh a-bak;
For on / by on / they wente to meschaunce.
And fynaly / he broghte to outraunce
Hem euerychon / Tydeus, as blyve,
That non but on / was left of hem alyue;
hym-silf yhurt / and ywounded kene,
Thurgh his harneys / bledyng on the grene.
The theban knyghtes / in compas rounde aboute
In the vale / lay slayën, all the route,
which pitously / ageyn the monë gape;
For non of hem, shortly, myght eskape,
But dede echon / as thei han deserued,
Saue on excepte / the which was reserued
By Tydeus / of intencioun,
To the kyng / to make relacioun
how his knyghtes / han on her iournè sped,
Euerich of hem / his lyf left for a wed,
And at the metyng / how they han hem born:
To tellen al / he surëd was and sworn
To Tydeus / ful lowly on his kne.

By which ensample / ȝe opynly may se
Ageynës trouthë / falshed hath no myght.
Fy on querilis / nat grounded vpon riȝt,

with-outë which / may be no victorye.
Therfor ech man / haue this in memorye,
That gret pouer / shortly to conclude,
Plentè of good / nor mochë multitude,
Scleight or engyne / fors / or felonye,
Arn to feble / to holden Chanpartye
Ageynës trouthë / who that list take hede.
For at the ende falshede may not spede
Tendurë longe / ȝe shul fynde it thus.
Record I take of worthy Tydeus,
which with his hand / thorgh trouthës excellence,
Fyfty knyghtës / slogh in his dyffence,
But on except / as I late tolde,
Sworn and assurëd with his honde vpholde,
The kyng tenformë / how they wern atteynt.

And Tydeus, of bledyng wonder feynt,
Maat and wery / and in gret distresse,
And ouerleyd / of verray feblenesse;
But as he myght / hym-siluë tho sustene,
He took his hors / stondyng on the grene,
Worthëd vp / and forth he gan to ryde
An esy pas / with his woundës wyde.
And Sothly / ȝit in his opynyoun
he was alway / afferëd of tresoun.
But anguysshous / and ful of bysy peyne
He rode hym forth / til he did atteyne
Into the boundës / of lygurgus lond,
A worthy kyng / and manly of his hond.

And he ful paal / only for lak of blood,
Tydeus saugh / wher / a castel stood,

How Tydeus, al forwounded, cam into ligurgus lond.

Strong and myghty / belt vpon a roche,
Touard which / he faste gan approche,
Conveyëd thider / be clernesse of the ston,
That be nyght ageyn the moonë shon,
On heghë toures / with crestës marcyal.
And Ioyneaunt / almost to the wal
was a gardyn / lityl out be syde,
Into which / Tydeus gan ride,
Of aventurë / be a gatë smal.
And ther he fond / forto rekne al,
A lusty herbere / vnto his devis,
Soote and fressh / lich a paradys,
Verray heuenly / of inspeccioun.

And first of al / he alyghte doun,
The goodly placë / whan that he byheld,
And fro his nek / he voyded hath his sheld,
Drogh the brydyl / from his horses hede,
let hym goon /, and took no maner hede,
Thorgh the gardyn / that enclosëd was,
Hym to pasture / on the grenë gras.

And Tydeus / mor hevie than is led,
Vpon the herbës / grenë, whit, and red,
As hym thoughte / that tyme for the best
he leid hym doune / forto tak his rest,
Of werynessë / desirous to slepe,
And non awayt / his body forto kepe;
And with dremës / grocchëd euer among,
Ther he lay / til the larkë song
with notës newë / hegh vp in the ayr,
The gladë morowe / rody and right fayr,
Phebus also, casting vp his bemes,
The heghë hyllës / gilte with his stremes,
The syluer dewe / vpon the herbës rounde;
Ther Tydeus lay vpon the ground,
At the vprist / of the shenë svnne,
And stoundëmele / his grenë woundës rvnne
Round about / that the soyl was depeynt

Hou Ligurgus doghter fond Tydeus sleping in the herber, al forwounded.

Of the grenë / with the redë meynt.

And euery morowe / for hoolsomnesse of eyre,
Lygurgus doghter / makëd her repeyr,
Of custom ay / among the flourës newe
In this gardyn / of many dyuerse hwe,
Swich Ioyë haddë /, forto taken hede,
On her stalkës / forto sen hem sprede,
In the Allurës / walking to and fro.

And whan she hadde a litil whilë goo

her-self allonë / casting vp her sight,
She byheld / wher an armëd knyght
lay to rest hym / on the herbës colde;
And hym besydë / she gan ek byholde
his myghty stedë / walkyng her and ther.
And she anon / fille in a maner fer,
Speceally whan she saugh the blood
Sprad al the grene / aboute ther she stood.

But at the laste / she kaught hardynesse,
And wommanly / gan her forto dresse
Toward this knyght, havyng a manere drede
And gret doute lest that he were dede.
And of her willë / sothly this was chief,
That she thoughte forto mak a prief
how that it stood / of this man, ful ofte.

And forth she gooth / and touchëd hym ful softe,
Ther as he lay / with her hondes smale.
And with a facë dedly / bleyk, and pale,
lich as a man adawëd / in a swogh,
Vp he stert / and his swerd he drogh,
Nat fully out / but put it vp ageyn
Anon as he hath the lady seyn,
Beseching hir / only of her grace,
To han pitè / vpon his trespace,
And rewe on hym of her wommanhede.
For of affray / he was falle in drede
lest he hadde / assaylëd ben of newe
Of the thebans / preuëd ful vntrewe;

For dred of which he was so rekkëles,
Ful humblely / hym ȝelding to the pes,
Tryst in hym-silf / he passëd hadde his boundes.

And whan that she saugh his mortal woundes,
She haddë routh / of verrey gentyllesse
Of his desese / and of his distresse,
And bad he shulde / no-thing be dismayd,
Nor in herte sorouful nor affrayd,
Disconfort hym in no maner thing.
“For I,” quod she / “am doghter to the kyng,
Callyd lygurge / which gretly me delyte
Euery morowe / this gardyn to visyte;
It is to me so passingly disport.”

How wommanly the lady acquyt hir to Tydeus in his desese.

“Wherfor,” quod she / “beth of good comfort;
For no wight her / touchyng ȝour viage,
Shal hynder ȝou / nor do ȝow no damage.
And ȝif ȝe list / of al ȝour auenture
The pleynë trouth / vnto me discure,
I wil in soth / do my bysynesse
To reforme / ȝoure greuous hevynesse
with al my myght / and hool my dylygence;
That I hope of ȝoure gret offence
ȝe shal han helpe in ȝour aduersitè.
And, as ferforth / as it lith in me,

Trusteth right wel / ȝe shul no fautë fynde.”

And whan he saugh / that she was so kynde,
So wommanly / so goodly, and benygne
In al her poort / be many dyuers signe,
He vnto hir / be ordre wold not spare
his auenturis / fully to declare,
In Thebës first touching his massage,
And at the hil / of the woodë Rage,
Of his woundës / and his hurtës sore
(It were but veyn / to reherce it mor)

Hou Tydeus was refresshed in the castel of the lady.

By and by he told her euery del,
The which in soth / she likëd neuere a del,
But haddë routh and compassioun
Of his meschief / wroght be fals tresoun:
Byddyng in hast / that he shuld hir swe,
And wommanly /, as her thoghte dwe,
To a chambre / she ladde hym vp alofte,
Ful wel beseyn /, ther-in a bed right softe
Richëly abouten apparayled
With cloth of gold /, al the floor yrayled
Of the samë / both in length and brede.

And first this lady / of her wommanhede,
hir wymmen badde / as goodly as they kan,
To be attendaunt on this wounded man.
And whan he was vnarmëd to his sherte,

She madë first wassh his woundës smerte,
And serche hem wel / with dyuers instrumentes,
And madë fette / sondry oynëmentes,
And leches ek / the beste she koude fynde,
Ful craftëly to staunche hem / and to bynde.
And euery thing / that may do hym ease
Taswage his peyn / or his woo tapese,
Was in the courte / and in the Castel sought,
And by her byddyng / to his chambre brought.
And for his sakë / she hath after sent
For swich deyntees / as wern conuenyent,
Moost nutrityf / be phisikës lore,
hem that wern syk / or wounded / to restore,
Makyng her wymmen / ek to taken kep
And wayt on hym / anyghtës whan he slep,
And be wel war / that no thing asterte
That was or myght be / lusty to his herte.

And with al this / she preiëd hym abyde
Til he were strong / and myghty forto ride,
In the castel to pley hym / and disporte,
And at leysere / hom ageyn resorte
whan he myght bywelde hym at his large.

But al for nought /: he wil hom to Arge,
Toke his lyeve on the nexte day,
With-out abood / to hast hym on his way,
lowly thonkyng / vnto her goodnesse

100

Of her fredam / and bountëvous largesse,
So wommanly that hir list taken hede
Hym to refressh in his grete nede,
Beheestyng hir / with al his fullë myght,
He woldë be hir seruaunt / and hir knyght,
Whyl he leueth, of what she wold hym charge.

Hou Tydeus repeyred hym to Arge al forwoundyd.

And forth he rood / til he cam to Arge
In ful gret hast / and woldë nowher dwelle.
But what shuld I rehercen owther telle
Of his repeir / the coostës or the pleyns,
The craggy Roches / or the hegh mounteyns,
Or al the maner / of his hoom-commynge,
Of the metyng / or the welcomynge,
Nor the Ioyë / that Adrastus made,
Nor how his sustre / and his wif were glade?
Nor how that they /, wherto shuld I write,
Enbracëd hym / in her Armës white,
Nor the gadryng / about hym / and the pres
Nor of the sorowe / that Polymytës
Mad in hym-silf / to sen hym so forwounded,
his greuous hurtes / his soorys / ek vnsounded,
His dedly look / and his facë pale?
(Of alle this / to gynne a newë tale
It were in soth / a maner ydylnesse)

101

Nor how hym-silf in ordre did expresse
First how that he in Thebës hath hym born,
Nor how the kyng / falsly was forsworn,
Nor of the awayt / nor tresoun that he sette,
whan fyfty knyghtës / on the way hym mette,
As ȝe han herd / al the manere howe,
With-oute which / my tale is long ynowe.

But Adrastus / madë men to seche
In euery Coost / for many diuerse leche,
To come in hast / and make no tarying,
Vpon a peyne / be biddyng of the kyng,
To don her craft / that he wer recured
And of his force / in euery part assured.
And they echon / so her konnyng shewe
That, in space / of a daiës fewe,
He was al hool / maad of his siknesse.
Tho was ther Ioye / and tho was ther gladnesse
Thorgh-out the courte / and thorgh-out al the toun.
For euery man / hath swich opynyoun
In Tydeus / for his gentyllesse,
For his manhood and his lowlynesse,
That he was holde / the moste famous knyght
And best byloued / in euery mannys sight
Thorgh-oute grece / in euery Regioun.

But now most I / make a digressioun,
To tellë shortly / as in Sentement,
Of thilke knyght / that Tydeus hath sent
Into Thebës / only to declare
The grete meschief / and the euel fare

102

Vnto the kyng / how it is befalle,
The opyn trouth / of his knyghtës alle,
how Tideus hath slayn hem euerychon,
That, sauf hym-silf / ther eskapëd non:
which was reserued / from sheding of his blood,
The kyng to tellë pleynly how it stood.
And whan he hadde rehersëd euery poynt,
Ethiocles stood / in such disioynt
Of hatful Irë that he wex nye wood.
And in his tene / and his fellë mood,
Of cruel malys / to the knyght he spak,
And felly seidë / that it was for lak
Only of manhood / thorgh her cowardys,

How Ethiocles was asstonyed whan he herd þe deth of his knyghtes.

That thei wern slayn / in so mortal wyse.
“And hangëd be he / highë by the nekke
That of ȝour deth / or of ȝour slaughter Rekke,
Or ȝou compleyn / outher on or all,
Of the meschief / that is ȝowe befall.
I do no force / that non of ȝou asterte.
But fye vpon ȝour falsë couard herte,
That on kynght hath, thorgh his hegh renoun,
Brought ȝow all into confusioun,
Ful gracëles / and ful vnhappy to.”

“Nay,” quod this knyght, “it is no-thing so.

103

It is thyn vnhappe / pleynly, and not oures,
That so many worthy werreoures,
Which al her lif / neuer haddë shame,
Except this quarel / taken in thy name,
That grounded was / and rooted on falssenesse:
This was cause / in verray sikernesse,
Of our vnhappe / I woot wel, and non other,
And the vntrouthë / don vnto thy brother,
And that thow were / so opynly forsworn:
A parcel causë why that we wer lorn
was fals brekyng / of thyn assurëd oth.”

And tho the kyng / almost mad for wroth,
In purpoos was forto slee this knyght,
Oonly for he seidë to hym right,
The which allas / both at eue and morowe,
Supprisëd was / with a dedly sorowe,
Renewëd ay, in his remembraunce,
With the pitous / and vnhappy chaunce
Of the meschief / and mysauenture,
Touching the deth / and disconfiture
Of his feeres / and of hym-silf also:
That the shamfast / in-portable wo
So frat on hym / with such a mortal stryf
That he was wery / of his ownë lif;
Hent a swerd / and a-sidë sterte,
And rove hym-silf euen to the herte,

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The kyng hym-silf / beyng tho present;
That the rumour / and the noys is went
Thorgh-outë Thebës / of the woodë rage,
Be swich as werën / Ioynëd by lynage
To the knyghtës / slayën at the hille;
That all atonys / of oon herte and wille,
They wold han rysë / thorgh-out the Citè,
Vpon the kyng / avengëd forto be,
Which of her deth / was chief occasioun.

But the barouns / and lordës of the toun
Ful busy wern / this Rumour to dysesse,
Of high prudence / to stynten and appese,
In quyete / euery thyng to sette.

And after that the bodyes hom they fette
Of the kynghtës / lik as ȝe han herde,
Aforn yslawë / with the blody swerde
Of Tydeus / ful sharpë whet and grounde.
And in the felde / so as they hem founde,
Only of loue / and affeccioun,
Solempnëly they broght hem into toun.
And, lik the maner / of her rytis olde,
They weren first brent / into Asshes colde,
Euerich buryed / lich to his degrè.

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Lo her kalendys / of aduersitè,
Sorowe vpon sorowe / and destruccioun,
First of the kyng / and all the Regyoun;
For lak oonly / lik as I ȝow tolde,
That biheestës / trewly wern not holde:
þe Firste grounde / and Roote of this Ruyne,
As the story / shal clerly determyne,
And my tale / her-after shal ȝow lere,
ȝif that ȝow list / the remenaunt for to here.

Explicit Secunda pars Joh Lydgate Incipit pars Tercia

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3. Tercia Pars.

O cruel Mars / ful of malencolye,
And of thy kynde hoot / combust, and drye,
(As the sperkles / shewën fro so ferre,
By the stremës / of þi redë sterre,
In thy spere / as it aboute goth)
what was causë / that thow were so wroth
with hem of Thebës? / thorgh whoos feruent Ire
The Citè brent and was sette a-fyre,
As bookës oldë / wel rehercë konne,
Of Cruel hatë / rooted and begvnne,
And engendred /, the story maketh mynde,
Oonly of blood / corrupt and vnkynde,
Bynfeccioun / callëd Orygynal,
Causyng a strif / dredful and mortal,
Of which the meschief / thorgh al grecë Ran.

And kyng Adrastus / alderfirst began,
which hath hym cast / a conquest for to make
vpon Thebës / for polymytës sake,
In knyghtly wisë / ther to preve his myght,
Of ful entent / to recure his right.
And first of al he sette a parlement,

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And hath his lettres / and massagerës sent
Thorgh-outë Grece / to many sondry kyngges,
hem to enhast / and makë no lettyngges.
And rounde about /, as maad is mencioun,
he sent also / to many Regyoun
For Pryncës / Dukës / lordys, and barouns,
To taken vp / in Citees and in touns,
And chesen out / the moste liklyest,
And swich as werën / preuëd for the best
As of manhode / and sende hem vp echon,
And in her honde / receyve her pay anon,
with Adrastus to Thebës forto ryde.

And tho lordës / that with hym abyde

The grete purueaunce of kyng Adrastus touard Thebes.

In houshold stillë / han her levë take,
To ryden hom / her retenue to make
In ther contrees / as they wern of degrè,
To stuffen hem / and taken vp meynè
And make hem stronge / with knyghtës and squyers,
with sperës / bowës / and with ablasters,
In al the hast possible / that they may,
And to retourne / in their best aray,
At termë sette, ful manly to be seyn,

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To-forn Argë / mostren in a pleyn.

And as I rede / ful worthy of degrè
Thider cam first / protonolopë,
The which was, be recorde of wryting,
Of Archada / sonë to the kyng.

And ful prudent found in werre and pees
Ther came also / the kyng Cylmythenës.

And as I fynde / ful famous of renoun
Thyder cam ek / the kyng ypemedoun.

And passing all / of knyghthode and of name,
And excellyng / by worthynesse of fame,
The noble kyng / callyd Campaneus,
kam ek to Argë / the story telleth vs,
Prouëd ful wel / and haddë ryden ferre.

And thider kam the kyng Melleager,

Kyng Genor ek / that helde his Royal sete,
Myn Autour seiþ / in the lond of Crete;

Kyng Laëris and the kyng Pyrrus,

The kyngges and princes that cam with Adrastus.

And ek the kyng / callëd Tortolanus.
And renomed in many regyoun

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Ther cam the kyng / ynamëd palemoun,
Oft assayed / and found a manly knyght,
That with hym broght / in steel y-armëd bright,
Ful many worthy / out of his cuntrè.

And Tideus / most knyghtly forto se,
That manly man / that noble werreyour,
As he that was / of worthynessë flour,
Maister and myrour / by prouesse of his hond,
hath sent also into the myghty lond
Of Calcedoyne / of which he was hayr,
That is a kyngdam / bothë riche and fayr,
Chargyng his counsale / and officers also,
In al the hast / that it may be do,
To seken out / the beste werreyours,
Of famous knyghtes / and preuëd sawdyours,
Thorgh al the lond / and layde on hem this charge
With-oute aboode / forto come to arge.
And they obeye / ful lowly his biddyng,
Enhastyng hem / and madë no lettyng,
But spedde hem fast / vppon her iournè.

And fro Thebës / the myghty strong Citè,
kam doune knyghtes / with many another man,
Maugrè the kyng / to helpë what they Can,
Considred first / his falshed and tresoun,
Ymeued only / of trouth and of resoun,

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Polymytës / as they were sworn of ȝore,
To his Croune / Iustly to restore:
And whan they weren at large out of the toun,
Vnto Argë / they be descendid doun,
And, lik her oth / and her assuraunce,
As they wern bounde / only of lygeaunce,
To hym they Cam / in ful lowly wise,
Redy to don / what hym list devise.

And whan he hadde / her trouthë ful conceyued,
He hath to gracë / goodly hem receyued,
Assignyng hem / her placë mydde the hoste,
Assembled ther / from many diuerse coste:
That fynaly / in this companye
ygadred was / the floure of Chyvalrye
Ychosen out of al grekës lond
The most knyghtly / and manful of her hond:
That I trowë, sith the world began,
Ther was not seyn / so many manly man,
So wel horsëd / with sper and with sheld,
To-gydre assembled / sothly, in a feld.

Ther men may see many straungë guyses
Of Armyng newe / and vncouth devyses,
Euery man / after his fantasye;
That ȝif I shuld / in ordre specifie
Euery pes / longyng to armure,
And ther-vpon / do my bysy cure,
It wer in soth / almost a dayës werk;

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And the termës also ben to derk,
To reherce hem clerly and to Ryme:
I passe ouer / only for lak of tyme.

And telle I wil / forth of her loggyng,
How Adrastus / the noble worthy kyng,
Hath euery lord / lik to his degrè,
Receyuëd wel / with-Innen his Cytè:
And ther they haddë / lik to her plesaunce,
Of what nedeth / fulsom habundaunce,
For man and hors / plentè of Vitaylle;
Comaundyng / that no thyng ne faylle
That alle thise noble worthy werreoures,
Both high and lough . and poorë soudeoures,
Iseruëd weren of that they haddë nede.
For Adrastus / prudently took hede,

What vayleth a kyng to payen his puple trewly her sowde.

Ful lik a kyng / touching her termë-day,
That thei to-forn / wer seruëd of her pay.
He was so free / hym list no thyng restreyn;
And no man haddë causë to compleyn
For hunger / thrust / nor for Indygence.

And in a prince / it is ful gret offence,
As clerkës seyn / and a gret repreef,
Suffre his puple / lyven at mescheef.
It is ful hevy / and greuous in her thoght
Ȝif he habound / and they han right noght.
he may not both / possedë good and herte,
He to be riche / and Seen his puple smerte.

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He may the body / of power wel constreyne,
But her hertë / hath a ful long Reyne,
Maugrè his myght / to louen at her large.
Ther may no kyng / on hertës sette a charge,
Nor hem coarten / from her lybertè.
Men seyn ful oftë / how that thouht is fre.
For which eche princë / lord / and gouernour,
And specialy euery Conquerour,
Lat hym be war / for al his hegh noblesse,
That bountè, Fredom / plentè, and largesse,
Be on accord / that they his brydel lede,
Lest of his puple / whan he hath most nede,
He be defrauded / ; whan he is but allone,
Than is to latë forto make his mone.
But in his courte / lat hym first devise
To exile scarshed and couetise;

Hou Loue Vayleþ mor a kyng than gold or gret richesse.

Than is he likly / with fredam ȝif he gynne,
loue of his puple / euermore to wynne,
To regnë long in honure, and contune
Ay to encresse / be fauour of fortune,
And his ennemyes manly to oppresse.
For loue is mor / than gold or gret richesse;
Gold faileth oftë / louë wol abyde

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For lyf or deth / be a lordys syde;
And the tresour / shortly, of a kyng
Stondeth in loue / abouen allë thyng.
Farwel lordshipe / bothë morowe and Eve
Specially / whan louë taketh his leve!
And who so list / a merour forto make
Of kyngly fredam / lat hym ensample take
Of Adrastus / the manly kyng famous,
So liberal and so bountevous
Vnto his puple / at al tymës found:
Which mad hym strong / his foomen to confound;
And loue only / his enmyes to werreye,
Alle grecë made his bidding to obeye,
Of oon accord / knyghtly be his side,
Al attones / to Thebës forto ryde,
For tavengë / sith they were so strong,
The gret Iniurye / and the inportable wrong
Don to his sone / and his next allye,
As ȝe to-forn / han herd me specifie.

But whilë Grekës / rest a whil in pees,
I will resort / vnto Ethiocles:
which in Thebës warly hath espied,
Be his frendes / as he was certefied,
Of the Grekys / hooly the ordinaunce,
Her purpoos ek / and her purueaunce,
And therof had in herte a manere drede.
And first he took his counsayle and his rede

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Of the lordis / and barons / of the toun,
And of the wisest / of his Regioun,
How he myghte maken resistence,
Manfully / to stonden / at diffence,
To be so strong / that ther wer no doute.

How Ethiocles made hym strong ageyn þe comyng of þe Grekes.

And in the contrees / adiacent aboute,
And ek also in foreyn Regiouns,
He hath withhold / all the Champiouns;
And ther-vpon / he sent out his espies
And his frendës and his next allies
And alle the worthy / dwellyng enviroun,
Ȝong / fressh / and lusty / he gadred into toun;
Maskowede his wallys / and his heghë tours,
And stuffëd hem / with manly sowdëours.
Round aboute / he settë many Gonnys,
Grete and smale / and somë large as tonnys;
And, in his hasty / passing feruent hete,
He spent his tresour / and gaf giftës grete
Vnto knyghtes / and worthy men of name;
And ouermorë / to encres his fame,
he ȝaf to lordes / Iuellis many-fold,
Clothës of Veluet / of Damask, and of gold,
To gete hym hertës / sothly, as I rede,
To helpe hym now in his grete nede.
And prudently purveiëd / hym to-forn
Of flessh and fissh / and of wyn and corn.

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Sette his Capteyns / erly / and ek late
with ful gret stuf strong at euery gate.
And mad also be werkmen / that were trewe,
Barbykans / and bulwerkës newe,
Barreris / cheynys / and dichës wonder depe;
Makyng his Vouh the Citè forto kepe
Whil he lyueþ / despit of all his foon.
And by his goddys of metal and of ston,
Ful ofte he swoor / both of herte and thouht,
That it shal first / ful derë be abouht,
And many a man with pollex, swerd, and knyff
To-for this toune / shal first lese his liff,
And ther shal ek / many sydës blede,
Or his brother pessibly possede
The toune in pees / lich as Grekës wene.
But at the ende / the trouthë shal be sene,
lat hym be war and wel to-forn provyde!

For Adrastus / on that other side,
For his party was not necligent,
But on a day / helde a parlement,
All his lordës sittyng enviroun,
To dryvë shortly / a pleyn conclusioun
And vp tapoynt / the fyn of ther entent.

But somë thoughte / ful expedient,
Or they procede / to wirkë be thavice

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Of on that was ful prudent and right wyce
And circumspecte / in his werkës alle,
A worthy bisshop / into agë falle,
And Callëd was, sothly / by his name
Amphiorax / of whom the grete fame

How the bysshope Amphiorax was sent for to come to þe Grekes.

Thorgh al the londe / bothen est and south,
Amongës Grekës / passingly was kouth;
A man, in soth / of olde antiquytè
And most acceptid of auctoritè,
First be resoun of his high estat
And ek for he was so fortunat
In his werkes, and was also secrè
with the goddys, knowyng her pryvetè:
By graunt of whom / as bookës specifye,
He hadde a spirit / of trewë prophecye,
And cowde aforn ful opynly dyvyne
Thynggës begonnë / how they shuldë fyne,
And eke, be craft / of Calculacioun,
Ȝiue a dome / of euery questioun;
And hadde in magik / grete experience,
And fyndë cowde / be heuenly influence
And by mevyng / of þe heghë sterrys,
A fynal doome of Contek and of Werrys;
And wistë wel, as his goddys tolde,
that, ȝif Grekës / forth her iournè holde,
It turnë shuldë platly /, this no fage,

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To gret meschief / and to gret damage
Of hem ychon /; and in especial
The moste parte / of the blood Royal

The proph[e]cie of Amphiorax.

Thorgh al Grece, it may not be withdrawe,
In this viagë shortly shal be slawe;
And ȝif hym-silf / with the Grekës wente,
Who that euer wepte hym / or bymente,
This was the fyn / and may nat be socoured,
Of the erth / he shuldë be deuoured,
Quyk as he was, he knewe it in certeyn.

And for he saugh ther was non oþer geyn
To saue his lif / nor no bet diffence,
Than vttrely withdrawën his presence;

Preying his wiff / for hym to provide,
Ȝif he wer sought / that she wold hym hide,
And wommanly / for to kepe hym cloos,
And of trouth concelen his purpoos;
For al his trust / touchyng his greuaunce,
was fully sette / in hir purvyance.
I hope to god / that he thar not drede
Of no deceyt / in hir wommanhede.
She was so trewe / as wommen ben echon,
And also cloos / and mwët as a ston,
That she ne wold / as the matier stood,
Discurën hym / for no worldly good.

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But fynaly / the Grekës, of entent,
In al his drede / han for this bisshop sent;
Thogh it was long / er they myght hym fynde,
For cause his wif / was to hym so kynde,
That ful seurly / hath lokkëd vp his cors.
But for she hadde a maner of remors
In hir-silf / grevyng her conscience,

How the wif of Amphiorax of conscience to saue her hoth discured her husbond.

Dreding to falle / in ful grete offence,
Lest her soulë / were in peryl lorn,
whan she be oth / compellëd was and sworn;
They requeryng / ȝif she coudë telle
wher her lord the bisshop shuldë dwelle:
Which to discure / hir herte was ful loth,
Til tyme she gan / remembren on her oth,
And coude a trouth / of Custom not denye
And hadde also gret conscience to lye,
Wonder hevy / with a sorowful face,
Maugrè hir lust / taught hem to the place
wher as he was / shet vp in a toure,
Al alonë / havyng no socour.
They falle on hym / or that he was war,
And sette hym vp / in a ful richë Char.

A fool he was / to Iupard his lif
Forto discure his counsel to his wif;
And ȝit she was ful sory for his sake,
Specially / whan she saugh hym take.
Bot I hopë / that her hevynesse

119

Gan asswage ful sonë, by processe,
In short tymë / whan that he was gon.
Ther is no tempest / may last euere in on.

But this bisshope / be verrey force and myght,
Vnto Grekes / conveyëd was ful right,
This hoorë gray / in his char syttyng.
And they ful gladë / wern of his comyng,
havyng a trust / and ful opynyoun
That, thorgh cause and occasioun
Of his wisdam / and his sapience
And by vertue / of his hegh presence,
They shuld eschewe / al aduersitè
Possible to falle / as in her Iournè.

And, as the story / fully hath devised,
Ful circumspect / and riht wel avised,
he hath pronouncëd / in the Parlement,
To-forn the lordës / and the president,
his Cleer conceyte / in verray sikernesse,
Nat entrykëd with no doublenesse,
her dysemol daiës / and her fatal houres,
Her auenturys / and her sharpë shoures,
The froward soort / and the vnhappy stoundys,
The compleyntës / of her dedly woundys,
The wooful wrath / and the contrarioustè
Of fellë Mars / in his crueltè,
And howe, by mene / of his gery mood,

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Ther shal be shadde / al the worthy blood
Of the Grekes / it may not ben eschewed,
If her purpoos be execute / and swed.
“Ther is no morë / this shal be the fyn:
The hegh noblesse shal drawë to declyne
Of Grekës blood / in meschief, sorowe, and woo:
And with al this / I my-silf also,
As my fatë hath a-forn disposyd,
Depe in the grounde / I shal be enclosed,
And lokkëd vp / in the dirkë vale
Of cruel deth.” / lo! this was the tale
That the bisshope / to Adrastus tolde,
Hym counsayllyng / his purpos to withholde,
In eschuyng of mor meschief and sorowe.
For alle his goddis he took vnto borowe,
Ȝif þe Thebans / and þe grekës mete,
The fyn þerof shal be so vnswete
Þat alle grece after shal it rewe;
warnyng hem / ȝif þei the meschief knewe
That shal folowe/ which no man may lette,
Thei wold abstene / a siegë forto sette
Vnto Thebës / and her purpoos leve.

with whos wordes / the lordës gan hem greve,
And ther-Inne haddë / but ful smal delit,
And euerechon / of hertly hegh despit,
They abrayde / and seide he was vntrewe,
A controover / of propheciës newe,
And ek also / for al his longe berde,

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An olde Dotard / a coward, and aferde;
And of Rancour / gonnë to diffye
Both his kalkyng / and his astronomye,
And shortly seide / þei took therof non hede,
Ne wil no-thyng / gouerne hem after his rede.
This was the clamour / and noyse, in euery cost,
Of hegh and lough / þorgh-out all the hoost,
And specialy / of the sowdëours,
And of lordës / regnyng in her flours,
And of thestates / effectuely, I mene,
which of agë / were but tendre and grene,
That han not hadde / by martys Influence,
Of the werrë / gret experience.

her, ȝif ȝe list / ȝe may considre and Se
Of conceytes ful grete diuersytè,
How that ȝouth / no peril cast a-forn
Til he by meschief / sodeynly be lorn,
Wher as age / provydeth / euery thing
Or he bygynne / to casten the endyng.

ȝouth is gouernyd / be a largë Reyne

How age and ȝouth ben of diuerse opynyons

To rennë forth, / and can hym not reffreyn,
But of hede / set on al attonys,
As he that hurtleth / ageynës hardë stonys

122

Broseth hym-silf / vnwarly and parbraketh.
But age experte / no thyng vndertaketh
But he to-forn / be good discrecioun,
Make a due examynacioun
How it wil tourne / outher to badde or good.

But ȝouth, as fast / as sterëd is the blood,
Taketh emprises of hasty wilfulnesse,
Ioye at the gynnyng / the ende is wrechednesse.

The oldë, prudent / in al his gouernaunce,
Ful longe a-forn / maketh purueaunce;
But ȝouth allas be counsail wil not wyrke,
For which ful ofte / he stumbleth in the dyrke.
Thus selde is seyne / the trouthë to termyne,
That age and ȝouthë / drawë be o lyne.

And wher that foly hath domynacioun,
Wisdam is putte / into subieccioun,
lik as this bysshop /, with al his hegh prudence,
For cause he myghte haue / no audience,

How that wisdam wiþ-oute supportacioun avayleþ lit or noȝt.

All his wisdam / and his profecye
Of the Grekes / was holden but folye.
For thogh Plato / and wisë Socrates,
Moral Senek / and Diogenes,
Albumasar / and prudent Tholomee,
And Tullius / that haddë souereyntè

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whylom in Rome / as of elloquence:
Thogh all thise /, shortly in sentence,
were a-lyve / most konnyng and experte,
And no man list / her counsel to aduerte,
Nor of her sawës / forto taken hede,
What myght availle / and it cam to nede?
For wher prudence / can fyndë no socour
And prouidencë / haueth no favour,
Farwel wisdam / farwel discrecioun,
For lakke only / of supportacioun.
For vnsupported / with his lokkës hore,
Amphiorax / sighën / gan ful sore
With hede enclynyd / and many evyl thouht,
whan that he sauhe his counsayl stood for nought.
For vttrely / the grekës, as I tolde,
han fully cast / her Iournè for to holde,
Made hem redy / and gonnen to hosteye
Toward Thebës / the Cytè to werreye;
And in Grecë / wil no lenger tarye,
And forth with hem / Amphiorax they carye,
Sette in his Char / with a doolful herte,
Whan he wist / he myghte not asterte
Of his fate / the disposicioun.
And hosteying / into the Regioun
Of lygurgus / Grekës gan approche
A sondy londe / with many Craggy roche.

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But al the way, sothly, þat þei gon,
For hors nor man / water was þer non:
So dryë weren the valës and the pleynys.
For al þat ȝeere / they hadden had no reynys
But ful gret drouht / as mad is mencioun;
And al the londe / Cerchyng enviroun

þe grete meschief þat Grekes hadde for watere.

They nowther fondë / wellë nor Ryver
hem to refressh / nor water that was cler,
That they allas / no refut ne konne.
So inportable / was the shenë sonne,
So hoot on hem / in feldës wher they leye,
That for meschief / man and hors gan deye,
Gapyng ful drye / vpward into south;
And somë putten / her swerdës in her mouth
And sperys hedes /, in story as is told,
Taswage her thirst / with the yren cold;
And of his lif / ful many on dispeyred
In this meschief / and hom ageyn repeyred:
Tyl on a day / worthy Tydeus,
And with hym ek the kyng Campaneus,
Of purpoos rood / þorgh-oute the contrè
ȝif they myght eny water See,
Fro Coost to cost / bothë fer and ner;
Til of fortune / they entred an herber,
with treës Shadowed for the sonnë Shene,
Ful of flourës / and of herbës grene,

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Wonder hoolsom / both of syyt and ayr;
Ther-Inne a lady / which passingly was fayr,
Sittyng as tho / vnder a laurer tre;
And in her Armes / a litil child hadd she,
Ful gracious / of loke and of visage,
And was also / wondre tendre of age,
Sone of the kyng / born forto succede,
Callëd ligurgus / in story as I rede,
Whoos hertly Ioye / and worldly ek disport,
Al his myrthë / plesaunce, and confort
Was in this child / of excellent fayrnesse.

And this lady / Myrour of semlynesse,
Al sodeynly as she cast vp her sight
And on his stedë / sauh an armëd knyght,
Gretely abasshëd / gan anon remwe.

how Tideus compleyned to þe lady in the herber for water.

But Tideus after gan to swe
And seydë / “sustir / beth no-thyng dismayed,
In ȝoure-silf displesëd nor affrayed!
For we ar come / only to þis place
ȝow to biseche / of mercy and of grace,
Vs to socour / in oure grete nede,
Declaring ȝou how it stont in dede:
her faste by / almost / at the hand,
The worthiest of al Grekës land,
Kyngges, Prynces / be loggëd in the feld,

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And many other / with pollex / speer and sheld,
which in meschief / peryl, and gret dred,
For want of water / ar likly to be ded.
For ther was non / of hegh nor lowgh degrè
In all our host /, now passëd daiës thre,
That drank allas / excepting non estat;
Our viage / is so infortunat:
Preying ȝow / of wommanly pytè,
Benygnëly / and graciously to se
how of Grece all þe Chyualrye
Of her lyuës / stont in Iupartie;
That ȝe wold / of wommanhedë telle
ȝif ȝe knowë Ryver / spryng, or welle,
Specially / now in al oure Care,
Of gentillesse vnto vs declare.
lo; her is alle / ȝif ȝe list to here,

How the ladye taught Tydeus to the welle.

That I wol seyn / myn ownë suster dere.”

And whan this lady / Inly vertuous,
The conpleynt herde / of worthy Tydeus,
Of verrey pytè / chaungeth cher and hewe,
And in her herte / vpon her woo gan rewe,
And ful goodly / seyng his distresse,
Seyde vnto hym ; in al his hevynesse,
“Certës,” quod she / “ȝif I were at large
Touching this child / of which I hauë charge,
I shuld in hast / of al that doth ȝow greve

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To my pouer / helpen to releve,
Only of routh / and compassioun,
And leue / al other / occupacioun,
Conveyë ȝowe / and be ȝoure trewë guyde
To a Ryver / but lityl her be syde.
But I dar not / so moche me assure
This litil child / to put in auenture.
I am so ferdful / from it to departe.
But for ȝoure sakë / yet I shal iuparte
My lif, my deth / of trewe affeccioun,
To provyde / for ȝour sauacioun.”
Took the child / and laide it in her lappe,
And richëly in clothës / gan it wrappe,
And Couchëd it / among the herbës soote,
And leyde aboutë / many hoolsom roote
And flourës ek / bothë blewe and rede.
And supprisëd / with a maner drede
with Tideus / forth / anon she wente,
As she in trouthë / that no treson mente,
And on hir way / woldë neuere dwelle
Til she hym brouht / to a right faire welle
And ta Ryvere / of water ful habounde.

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But who was glad / and who was tho Iocounde
But Tydeus / Seyng the Ryver!
which in al hast / sente his messager
To Adrastus / and bad hym nat abide,
But doune descendë / to the Ryver-syde
with al his host / recur forto haue
At this Ryver / her lyuës forto saue.
And þei enhast hem / makyng non abood,
All attonys / to the Ryver rood
Forto drynkë /; þei hadde so gret lust
Of appetit / forto staunche her thrust.
And somë dronk / and fonde it did hem good;
And somë wern / so feruent and so wood
Vppon the water / that in sikernesse,
Thorgh vndiscret / and hasty gredynesse,
Out of mesur / the watere so þei drynke
That they fille ded / euene vpon the brynke;
And somë naked / into þe Ryvere ronne,
Only for hete / of the somer sonne,
To bathen hem /, the water was so cold;
And some also / as I haue ȝow told,
I menë tho that prudent wern and wise,
The water drank / in mesurable wyse,
That of þe thrust / they haue to-forn endured
They were refresshëd / fully and recured.

And Grekës than / of hegh and lowe degrè,

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For high profit / and gret commoditè,
Compas the Ryuere / cristalyn of sighte,
Of oon accorde / they her tentys pyhte
To rest hem ther / in relees of her peyne,
Only the space / of a day or tweyne.

And whylys Grekes / vpon the Ryuer lay,
This Tydeus / vpon the same day
Ful knyghtly / hath don his diligence,
This ȝonge lady / with gret reverence,
To Adrastus / goodly to presente:
At whoos comyng / þe kyng hym-silvë wente
Ageynës hir / she fallyng doun on knees,
All thestatës present and degrees
Of Grekës lond /, absent was nat on;
And in his Armës / took hir vp anon,
Thanking hir / of her bysynesse,
Of hir labour / and her kyndënesse,
Behotyng hir / lik as he was holde,
If eny thyng pleynly that she wolde
That he may don / she shuld it redy fynde.
And Grekës all /, the story maketh mynde,
Of thestatys / beyng tho present,
Thankëd hir / with al her hool entent,
For refresshyng / don to many Grek;
And for her part / they biheght her ek,
With her body / and goodës bothë two,
What her list / comaunde hem forto do,

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To be redy platly / and nat faille.

And her myn autour / makeþ rehersaille
That þis lady / so faire vpon to se,
Of whom þe namë was Isyphilè,
To Adrastus told /, as ȝe may rede,
Lynealy / the stok / of her kynrede,
Whilom how she / a kyngges doghter was:
Rehersyng hym / hooly al the cas,
First why þat she / out of her contrè wente,
Shortly for she woldë not assente
To execute / a conspiracioun,
Mad by the wymmen / of that Regioun,
A thyng contrayr / and ageyn al right,
That eche of hem / vpon a certeyn nyght,
Be on accord / shal warly taken kepe,
Fader / brother / and husbond in her slepe,
With knyvës sharpe / and rasourës kene
Kytt her throtës / in that mortal tene;
Vnto this fyn /, as bochas tellë can,
In al that londe / be not founde a man,
But slayn echon / to þis conclusioun
That wymmen / myght han domynacioun
In þat kyngdam / to regne at libertè
And on no partie / Interrupted be.

But for þis lady / passing debonayre,
To þis mordre / was froward and contrayre,
Kept her fader / þat he was not slawe
But fro þe deth / preseruëd and wiþdrawe,

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For which, allas! / she fleddë þe contrè,
And of a pyrat / taken in the see,
To kyng lygurgus / brouht In al her drede.
And for her trouþ / and her wommanhede
To hir he took / his ȝonge child to kepe,
which in the herber / allonë she left slepe
whan Tydeus / she broghte to the welle.

And by Iason / somë bookis telle

Iason.

That this lady / haddë sonës two,
whan that he / and hercules also
Toward Colchos / by hir contrè Cam
For tacomplyssh / þe conquest of the Ram.

Hercules. ysyphyle.

But who that lyst / by and by to se
The story hool / of this ysyphylè,
Hir fadres name / of which also I wante,
Thouh somë seyn / he namëd was Thoante,
And somë bokës . vermes ek hym calle:
But to knowe / þe auenturës alle
Of þis lady . Isyphilè the faire,
So feithful ay / and inly debonayre,
Lok on the book / that Iohn Bochas made
Whilom of wommen / with rethorikës glade,
And directe / be ful souereyn style
To fayrë Ianë / the queen of Cecile.
Rede ther the rubrich / of ysiphylè,

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Of her trouth / and her hegh bountè,
Ful craftily conpilëd for her sake.

And whan that she haþ her lieuë take
Of Adrastus /, homward in her weye
Tydeus gan hyr to conveye,
To the gardyne / til she is repeyred.
But now, allas! my mater disespeyred
Of alle Ioye / and of alle welfulnesse,
And destitut / of myrth and alle gladnesse,
For now of woo / gynnë þe sharpë shoures.
For this lady / fond among the floures

How þe child was slayn wiþ the Serpent.

her litil child / turnëd vp þe face,
Slayn of a serpent / in þe seluë place,
hyr tailë burlyd / with skalis siluer-shene.
The Venym / was / so persyng and so kene,
So perilous ek / the mortal violence
Causëd, allas! / thorgh her long absence:
She was to slouh / homward forto hie.
But now can she / but wepe, wayle, and crye;
Now can she nouht / but sighen and compleyn
And wofully wryng her handys tweyn,
Dedly of look / pal of face and chere;
And gan to rende / her giltë tresses clere,

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And oftë sith she gan to seyn, “allas!
O wooful wrech / vnhappy in this cas,
What shal I don / or whider may I tourne?
For þis the fyn / ȝif I her soiourne,
I woot right wel / I may it not eskape
The pitous fatë / þat is for me shape.
Socour is non / nor ther may be non red,
lich my desert / but that I mot be ded;
For thorhe my slouth / and my neclygence
I haue, allas! don so gret offence
That my gilt /, I may it nat excuse,
Shal to the kyng / of treson me accuse.
Thorgh my defaute / and slouthë bothë two,
His sone is ded / and his heir also,
which he louëd mor than al his good:
For tresour non / so nygh his hertë stood,
Nor was so depë / graue / in his corage:
That he is likly to fallen in a Rage
whan it is so, myn odyous offence
Reported be vnto his audience;
So inportable shal be his hevynesse.

And wel woot I / in verrey sothfastnesse,
That, whan the quenë / hath this þing espied,
To myn excus / It may nat be denyed,

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I doutë it not / ther geyneth no pytè,
With-out respit / she wil avengëd be
On me, allas! / as I ha deserued;
That fro the deth / I may not be preserued
Nowther be bille / ne supplicacioun;
For the rage / of my transgressioun
Requereth deth / and non other mede.”

And thus, allas! she, quaking in her drede,
Non other helpe / nor remedyë kan,
But dreynt in sorow / to þe Grekës Ran,
Of hertly woo / face and chere disteyned
And her chekes with wepyng al bereynyd,
In hir affray / distracte and furious.
To-forn alle / she cam to Tydeus,
And fille on knees / and gan her compleynt mak,
Toldë pleynly / that for grekës sake
She mot be ded / and shortly in substaunce
Rehersing hym the grete of her greuaunce:
First how be traynys of a fals serpent
The child was slawë / whil she was absent;
In what disioynte / and peril that she stood.

And whan that he her meschief vnderstood,
Vnto hire ful knyghtly he behiht
To help and forther / al that euere he myght,
hir pitous woo / to stynten and appese.
And forto fynde / vnto hir dissesse
Hasty confort, he went a ful gret pas

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To Adrastus / and told hym al the cas
Of þis vnhappy / wooful aventure,
Beseching hym to don his bysy cure,
As he was bound / of equytè and riȝt,
And aduerten / and to han a siȝt
How she qwit her to Grekës her to-forn
whan they wer likly / forto haue be lorn,
The socour voide of her wommanhede:
For which he most of knyghthod taken hede
To remedien þis vnhappy thing.

And Adrastus / lik a worthy kyng
Taquyt hym-silf /, the story makeþ mynd,
To thys lady wille nat be found vnkynd,
Neither for cost / nor for no travaylle,
But bysy was / in al þat myght availle
To hir socour / considered alle þingges,
And by thavice / of alle þe worthy kyngges
Of Grekës lond / þei be accorded thus,
Prynces, Dukës / and worthy Tydeus,
To hold her way / and al at onys ryde
To lygurgus / dwelling ther be-syde,
Of on entent / ȝif they may purchace
In eny wisë / forto getë grace
For this lady, Callëd ysiphilè;
They wold assayë ȝif it myghte be.

And to his paleys ful ryal bylt of ston,

136

The worthy Grekes / cam ryding euerichon,
Euery lord ful fresshly on his stede.
And lygurgus / example of manlihede,
Anon as he knewe of her comyng,
Taquyt hym-silf / lich a gentil kyng,
Ageyn hem went / to mete hem on the way,

How Adrastus and all thestatis of Grekis praiden lygurgus for þe lif of ysyphile.

Ful wel byseyn / and in ful good array,
Receyvyng hem with a ful kyngly chere.
And to Adrastus seid, as ȝe shul here,

“Cosyn,” quod he / and gan hym to enbrace,
“Ȝe be welcome / to ȝoure ownë place,
Thankyng hertly to ȝour hegh noblesse
That so goodly / of ȝour gentillesse
Towardës me / ȝe list ȝou to acquite,
Ȝoure-silf þis day / ȝour cosyn to visite,
In this castel to takë ȝoure loggyng;
That neuer ȝit / I was so glad of thyng
In al my lif / and therto her my trouth.
And ouermorë / ther shal be no slouth
That the Chambres / and the largë tours
Shal be delyuered / to ȝour herberiours;
That euery lord / as he is of degrè,
Vnto his loggyng / shal assignëd be.
Ȝoure officerës / lat hem-silf devise

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Ȝif the howsyng / may largëly suffise
To ȝow and ȝourës / strecchen and atteyn,
That non estaat / haue causë to compleyn.
And alle ȝour hoost / loggëd her be-syde,
which in Tentys / vpon ȝou abide,
lat hem fette / be myn auctoritè,
Vitayle ynoh / her in my Citè.
And alle that may socour hem or saue,
And, at a word /, al that euere I haue
Is ful and hool / at ȝour comaundëment.”

Quod Adrastus / “that is nat our entent,
Nor on no parte / cause of oure comyng.
For we be come al for anoþer thyng,
A certeyn gift / of ȝou to requere,
Benygnëly / ȝif ȝe list to here,
which may Grekës / passyngly availle,
Of our request / ȝif that ȝe nat ne faille,
which we dar not / opynly expresse,
with-outë that ȝe wold / of gentillesse,
Ȝoure graunt aforn / conferme and ratefye.
Than wer we bold / it to specifye.”

138

Quod lygurgus / “what-euer thyng it be,
Nouht exceptid / but only þinggës thre:

The first is this / it touchë nat my lif,
My ȝonge sonë, pleynly, nor my wyf;
Take al my good / or what ȝe list provyde
Of my tresour / and sette þies thre a-syde,
Al the surplus / I count nat at a myte.”

Than Adrastus / astounyd was a lyte
whan lygurgus / in conclusioun,
Of his sonë / made excepcioun.
And whilis they / entreten þus yfere,
Ther cam forth on / with a wooful chere,
Of face and look / pal and no-thing rede,
A-lowdë crieth / “the kyngës sone is dede,
Allas the whyl! / that whilom was so fayr,
After lygurgus / born forto ben hayr;
The which, allas! / hath ȝolden vp the breth,
Of a Serpent / stonge to the deth
And with his woundë / newë, fressh and grene,
In therber lith / that pitè is to sene,
And hath so leyne / almost al this day;”

139

That whan lygurgus / herdë this affray,
And wist his child was ded and hath no mo,
Lytil wonder / thogh that he were wo.
For sodeynly / the inportable smerte
Ran anon / and hent hym by the herte
That, for constreynt / of his dedly peyne,
Throgh-oute he felte koruen euery veyne.

The sorow þat þe kyng ligurgus made for the deth of his child and the lamentacioun of the quene.

The ragë gan myne in hym so depe
That he can not but sighë / sobbe, and wepe.

And with the noyse / and lamentacioun
The qwen distrauht / is descendid doun.
And whan she knewe / the ground of al this sorowe,
hit neded her no teerës / forto borowe
But twenty tymë ny vpon a rowe
A-swoune she fille / vnto þe grounde lowe;
And stoundë-melë / for this hegh meschaunce,
Stille as ston / she lyggeth in a Traunce.

And whan the child / into the courte was brouht
To-fore lygurgus / allas! I wite hym nought,
Vpon the cors / with a mortal face,
he Fil atonys / and gan it to embrace,

140

Soorë Grype / and ageyn vpsterte;

That whan Adrastus / gan this thyng aduerte,
Of kyngly routh / and compassioun
From his eyen / the teerës fillë doun
Ek kyngges / Dukës, that aboutë stood,
Only of pitè / which is in gentyl blood,
No power hadde / the water to restreyn
That on her chekës / doune bygan to reyn.

But al a day / woldë not suffise
Alle her sorowes / in ordre to devise,
First of the kyng / and of the quene also:
To tellen all / I shuldë neuer ha do,
Not in the space / almost of an hour.
But whan the stormës / and þe sharpë shour
Of her wepyng / was somwhat ouergon,
The lytil cors / was grauen vnder ston.

And Adrastus / in þe samë tide
lygurgus took / a litil out aside,
And ful wisely / with his prudent spech,
The qwenë present / gan hym forto tech
That so to sorowe / avayllë may right noght,
To mordre hym-silf / with his ownë thouht,

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Sith loos of deth / no man may recure
Thogh he in woo / perpetuelly endure;
Al helpeth nat / whan the soule is go.

Ageynes deth may be no recur. that our life is but a pilgrimage;

“And our lif her, who taketh hed ther-to,
Is but an exile / and a pilgrymage,
Ful of torment / and of bitter Rage,
Lich a See . rennyng to and fro,
Swyng an ebbë / whan the flood is do,
Lytil space abidyng at the fulle:
Of whos soiour / the popë ȝeueþ no bulle.
For kyng is non, nor duk, nor Emperour,
That may hym shroude / ageyn þe fatal shour
Of cruel deth / whan hym list manace
To marke a man with his mortal mace.
Than geyneþ nat to his sauacioun
Neyther Fraunchysë / nor proteccioun,
And lit / or noght / may helpen in this caas
Sauffecondit / or Supersedyas.
For in this world / who so look a-right,
Is non so gret / of power nor of myght,
Noon so richë / shortly / nor so bold
But he mot dey / outher ȝong or old.
And who in ȝouthë / passeth þis passage,
he is eskapëd / al the woodë Rage,
Al sorowe and trouble / of this present lyff,

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Repleneshëd with contek / werre and stryff,
which seeld or neuere / stont in Suertè.
Wher-for best is, as semeth vnto me,
No man gruchë / but, of hegh prudence,
The sonde of goddis / tak in pacience.
And ȝe that ben so wis / and manly to,
ȝoure-silf to drowne in torment and in woo
For loos of thyng / ȝif that ȝe list to se,
which in no wisë may recurëd be,
Is gret foly and vndiscreccioun.”

And thus Adrastus / hath conveyëd doun
The substaunce hool / of that he wolde seye:
Til that he fond / a tymë forto preye
Conuenyent / for ysyphilee,
Bysechyng hym forto han pitè
Of þat she hath offended his highnesse,
Not wilfully / but of reklesnesse:
First þat he wold / his doomës so dyvide,
Mercy preferre / and settë right a-side,
At the request and preier of hem alle,
Of this vnhappe / and meschief that is falle

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By hasty Rigour / nat to do vengeaunce,
But thynk aforn / in his purvyaunce,
who to wrechës / doth mercy / in her drede,
Shal mercy fyndë / whan he hath most nede:
And sith he hath power, myght, and space,
Lat hym tak this lady / to his grace,
For lak of routhë / that she nat ne dye.

But tho the quenë / gan agayn replye

How the quen wil algate han þe serpent dede.

And platly seide / as in this matere,
Avayleth not requeste / nor preyere,
Pytè, Mercy / nor remyssyoun,
But ȝif it be / by this condicioun
That the serpent, cause of al þis sorowe,
Thorgh her labour / lay his hed to borowe.
This is fynal / and vtter recompense
To fyndë gracë / for her gret offence,
Or ellis Shortly / sheedë blood for blood.

And whan Grekys her answer vnderstood,
Al of accord / in her beste wise,
Took on hem / this auenturous emprise,
For loue only / of Ysyphylee;
And gan to ryde / envyron þe contrè,
By hillës, valës / Rochës, and ek Cauës,

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In dychis dirk / and in oldë gravis,
By euery cooste / cerchyng vp and doun:
Til at the last / ful famous of renoun,

How parthonolope saugh þe Serpent.

The worthy knyght / parthonolopè
was the first / that happëd for to Se
This hydous Serpent / by a Ryver-side,
Gret and horrible / stern and ful of pride,
Vndere a Rocchë / by a banke lowe;
And in al hast / he bent a sturdy bowe,
And ther-In sette an arowe fylëd kene,
And thorgh the body / spotted blew and grene,
Ful myghtily he made it forto Glyde,
Hent out a swerde / hongyng be his syde,
Smoot of his hede / and anon it hent
And ther-with-al gan the Quene present,
wherthorgh her sorowe parcel gan aswage.

And thus, of prowesse / and of hegh corage,
This manly man / parthonolopè
hath reconcilëd faire Isyphilee
Vnto gracë / fully of þe Quene,
Hir Ire avoided / and her oldë tene.
And by Adrastus mediacioun,
Kyng lygurgus / graunted a pardoun
To this lady, that from al daunger fre,
She was restorëd to her libertè,

145

In his paleys / al her lif to dwelle.
Thogh Iohn Bochas / þe contrarie telle:
For this autour affermeþ /, out of dred
That, whan this child / was by the serpent ded,
She durste not / for her gret offence
Neuer after comen in presence
Of lygurgus /, but of intencioun
Fledde anon / out of that Regioun;
Att herte she took / the childës deth so sore.
what fille of hir / I fyndë can no more
Than ȝe han herd / aforn me specifye.

And the kyngdam / but ȝif bookys lye,
Of lygurgus / was ycallëd Trace.

Nota de Ligurgo Rege traccee.

And, as I rede in an other place,
He was þe samë myghty Champioun,
To Athenes / that kam with Palamoun
Ageyne his brother / that callëd was arcyte,
Lad in his chaar / with fourë boolys whyte,
Vpon his hed / a wreth of gold ful fyn.
And I fynd ek / how bachus, god of wyn,

Bachus deus vini.

with this kyng / was whilom at debat,
Only for he / pompous and Elat,
Destruccioun / didë to his vynys,

146

And for he first / sett allay on wynys,
Meyntë water / whan they were to strong.
And this Bachus / for the grete wrong
Brak his lymys / and dreynt hym in þe See.
Of lygurgus / ȝe gete no more of me.

Nota de xii arboribus in libro Bochacii de genealogia deorum.

But the trouth / ȝif ȝe lyst verryfie,
Rede of goddës / the Genologye,
lynealy / her kynrede be degrees,
I-braunchëd out / vpon tweluë trees,
Mad by Bochas / decertaldo called,
Among Poetys / in ytaillë stalled,
Next Fraunceys Petrak / swyng in certeyn.

Now vnto Grekys / I wil retourne ageyn,
To tellë forth shortly, ȝif I konne,
Of her Iournè / that they haue begonne:
how Adrastus / hath his lievë take
Of ligurgus / with his browës blake;
And departyng, with seynt Iohn to borowe,
Mad his wardës / on the nexte morowe
So wel beseyn / so myghty, and so strong,
Wonder erly / whan þe larkë song,
With a trompet / warnëd euery man
To be redy / in al the hast they kan,
Forto remwe / and no letting make.

147

And so they han / the righte way I-take
Touard Thebës / the grekës euerychon,
That such a nombre / gadred into on,
Of worthy knyghtës neuere aforn was seyn,
whan they in ferë / monstred in a pleyn.
And they ne stynt by non occasioun
Til they be come euen a-for the toun,
And pight her tentys / proudly, as I rede,
Vnder the wallys / in a grenë mede.

And whan the thebans / were besette aboute,
The manly knyghtës / wold han yssyd oute
And haue scarmosshëd / in her lusty pride,
With her foomen / on the toþer side.
But be byddyng / of Ethiocles
Alle þilkë nyght / þei kepte hem-silf in pes,
Be cause only / that it was so late,
With gret awayt / set at euery gate,
Men of Armys / al the nyght wakyng
On the wallys / be byddyng of þe kyng,
Lest þer werë / treynys or tresoun.
And on the tours / and in the Chief Dongoun
he sette vp men / to makë mortal sowns
with brasyn hornys / and loudë Clarions,
Of ful entent / þe wacchës forto kepe,
In his wardë / that no man ne slepe.

And Grekys proudly / al þe longe nyght
kyndled fyrys / and maad ful gret lyght,

148

Sette vp loggyng / vpon euery Syde
lik as they shuld / euer ther abyde,
Compas the toune / ther was no voidë space
But al besette / her foomen to manace.

And whilys they afor þe Citè laye,
On euery cost / they sent out to forraye,

The Forey þat þe Grekis made in þe contre about Thebes.

Brente townës / thorpës and vilages,
with grete ravyn makyng theyr pillages,
Spoyle / and robbe / and brouȝtë hom vitaille
And al maner soortes / of bestaylle,
Shep / and neet / and in her cruel rage
with houndës slowe / al that was sauage,
Hert and hyndë / bothë buk and doo,
The blake beer / and þe wilde Roo,
The fatte swyn / and þe tusshy boor,
Karying al hom / for the grekës stoor,
whete and wyn / for her auauntage,
Hay and Otys / fodder / and forage.

With þis kalendis / as hem thynkë dwe,
Grekys gan / the thebans to Salwe,

149

Mynistring hem / occisionës felle,
Þe sege settë /, shortly forto telle,
Of ful entent / in their hatful pryde,
For lif or deth / ther-vpon tabide,
who so euer / ther-with be a-greued,
Til they fully / her purpoos haue acheued;
Ther may therof / be makëd no relees.

And of al this / ful war / Ethiocles
Gan in party / gretly to mervaille
whan that he saugh / þe grete apparaylle
Of the Grekes / þe Citè rounde aboute;
And in hym-silf hadde a maner doute,
Now at the poynt / what was best to do.
For thilkë tyme / it stood with hym so
That to some abidyng in þe toun
he hadde in hertë / gret suspecioun
list toward hym / that they were vnstable,
And to his brother / in party fauorable;

The variaunce in Thebes among hem-silf.

For in the Citè / ther was variance,
which vnto hym was a gret meschaunce;
For in his nedë / shortly / he ne wiste
Vpon whoom / þat he myghte triste;
For they wer not / alle of on entent:
For which he hath / for his counsale sent,

150

Al his lordës / and the oldë Quene,
which as he demptë / werë pur and clene,
Hool of on herte / and not variable,
Of old expert / and alway founde stable;
Requeryng hem / be-causë they were wys,
Al openly to tellen . / ther avis
Wher it was bet / pleynly, in her sight,
With his brother / to treten or to fight.

And somë gaf / a ful blunt sentence,
which hadde / of werrë / non experience:
Seyde it was best /, and nat ben afferd,
To trye his right / manly with þe Swerd.
And some also / that wer moor prudent,
Spak vnto hym / by good avisëment
And list nat sparë / but their conceyte tolde
how hit was best / his couenaunt forto holde,
And to parforn / his heeste mad to-forn
To his brother / lich as he was sworn;
So that his word /, the wors to mak hym spede,
Be nat foundë / variant fro the dede,

Nota

For non hatred / rancour, neyther pryde.

The word of þe qwene Iocasta to Ethiocles.

And tho / the queenë / took hym out aside,
Tolde hym pleynly / it was ful vnsittyng
Swich doublenesse / to fynden in a kyng,

151

And seide hym ek / al-thoh he were strong,
To his brother / how he didë wrong,
“As al the toune / wil record, in dede,
And berë witnesse / ȝif it kam to nede.
Wherfor lat vs shape another mene
In this materë / whil that it is grene,
Or this quarel /, gonne of voluntè,
Turne / in the fyn / to mor aduersitè.
For ȝif it be / darreynëd be bataylle,
who tresteth most / may ful likly faille.
And it is foly / be short avisëment,
To putte a strif / in martys Iugëment.
For hard it is / whan a Iuge is wood,
To tret aforn hym / with-out loos of blood.

How perilous it is to be governyd by (short auisement in) any querel.

And ȝif we put our mater / hool in Marte,
which with the swerd / his lawës doth coarte,
Than may hit happe / wher ȝe be glad or loth,
Thow and thy brother / shal repente both;
And many a-noþer / that is her present,
Of ȝoure trespas / that ben Innocent,
And many thousand / in cas shal compleyn
For the debat / only of ȝow tweyn,
And for ȝour strif / shal fyndë ful vnsoote.

“And for thow art gynnyng, ground, and Roote

152

Of this Iniurie / and this gret vnright,
To the goddys / that herof han a sight,
Thow shalt accountys / and a reknyng make
For alle tho / that persshyn for þi sake.
And now the causë / dryven is so ferre,
Sodeyn pees / outher hasty werre
Moot folwe anon /; for the fatal chaunce
Of lif and deth / dependeth in balaunce.
And no man may / be no craft restreyne
That vpon on / platly of this tweyne
The soort mot fallë / lik as it doth tourne,
Who so euer lawgh / or ellys mourne.
And thow art dryve / so narowë to þe stake
That thow mayst nat / moo delayës make,
But fight or tret / this quarel forto fyne;
By non engyn / thow canst / it not declyne.
And hasty cas /, as folk seyn that be wys,
Redresse / requereth by ful short avys:
For trete longe / now avaylleth noght.
For to the poynt / sothly thou art brouht,
Outher to kepë thy pocessioun
Or in al haste / devoyde / out of this toun,
wher thow therwith / be wroth or wel apayd.”

“Now notë wel / al that I haue sayd,
And by my counsayl / wisly condescende
Wrong, wrouht of olde / newly to amende.

153

The tyme is come / it may be non other.
wherfor in haste / trete with thi brother
And ageyn hym / make no resistence,
But to thy lordys / fully ȝiue credence:
By whoos counsayl / sith they be so sage,
late Polymyte / reioyse his heritage.
And that shal turnë / most to thyn avail.
loo! her is hool / the fyn of our counsail.”

And shortly tho / for verrey Irë wroth,
Thouh he therto / froward was and loth,
Accorded is /, heryng al the prees,
ȝif he algate shal trete for a pes,
It moste be / by this condicioun
That he wol han / the domynacioun
First in chief / to hym-silf reserued,
As hym thouht / he haddë wel disserued,
And saue to hym / hool the souereyntè;
And vnder hym / in Thebës þe Citè
he to grauntë / with a right good cher,
Polymytës / to regnë for a ȝer,
Than tavoyde / and not resoort ageyn:
For mor to cleymë / was nat but In veyn.
This wold he don / only for her sake,
And other-wise / he wil non endë make
with the Grekys / what fortune euere falle.

And fynally / among his lordys alle
Ther was not on / of hih nor lowgh estat,

154

That woldë gon / on this ambassyat
Out of the toune / nouther for bet nor wors;
Til Iocasta / madë sadyl her hors,
And cast her-silf / to gon for this tretè,
To make an endë / ȝif it woldë be.

And this was don / the morowe right be tyme,
Vpon the hourë / whan it droh to pryme.
And with hyr went / hyr ȝonge dohtres tweyne,
Antygonè / and the feyr ymeyne,
Of hyr meynè / ful many on aboute,
At the gate / she was conveyëd oute,
And of purpos / she madë first hir went
On hors-bak / to kyng Adrastus tent,
He and his lordys / beyng al yffere.
And they receyve hyr / with a right glad chere,
Shewyng hyr / lik to hir degrè,
On euery half / ful gret humanytè,
Polymytës / rysyng fro his place,
And humblely / his moder gan enbrace,
Kyssede hyr / and than Antigonè,
And ek ymeyne / excellyng of bewtè.
And for that they / passyngly were faire,
Gret was the pres / concours, and repaire
Of the ladyes forto han a sight.

And Iocasta / procedeth anon ryght

155

To Adrastus / hir mater to purpose,
And gan to hym / opynly disclose
Thentent and will of Ethiocles,
And by what menë he desireth pes,
To hym reserued /, as she gan specifie,
The honour hool / and the regalye,
with Sceptre and Crounë fro hym not devyded,
But hool to hym / as he hath provided;

And Polymyte, be this condicioun,
Vnder hym to regnen / in the toun
As a Soget, be suffraunce of his brother.

But the Grekës / thouhten al another,
And Specyaly worthy Tydeus,
Pleynly affermyng it shuld nat be thus:

The answer of Tydeus.

For he wil hauë / no condiciouns,
But sette a-Syde / all excepciouns,
Nothyng reservid / as in special,
But hool the lordship, Regalye, and al,
Polymytës it fully to possede,
In Thebës Crownëd / verrayly in dede,
As Rightful kyng / putte in pocessioun,
lich the Couenauntys and conuencioun
Imad of olde / assuryd, and asselyd,
“which shall not now of nwë be repelyd,
But stable and hool / in his strengthë stonde.
And lat hym so platly vndyrstonde!
And first that he devoyde hym out of toun,

156

And delyuere the Sceptre / and the Croun
To his brother / and mak therof no more.
And shortly ellys It shal be bouht ful sore
Or this mater brought be to an ende.
For Grek is non / that shal hennys wende
Or that our right / which is vs denyed,
with lif or deth / darreynëd be and tryed:
we wil not arst fro this towne remewe.

“And ȝif hym lyst / al this thyng eschwe
And al meschief / styntyn and appese,
To either part / he may do gret ese:
Thus I menë / for his auauntage,
Delyuer vp hool / the trewë herytage
To his brother / for a ȝeer tendure.
And Grekys shal fully hym assure,
By what bonde that hym list devise,
The ȝeer complet /, in our beste wise
To hym delyuer / ageyn pocessioun
with-outë strif / or contradiccioun.
And to this fyn / Iustly hold vs to.

“And ȝif it fallë / that he wil nat so,
Lat hym not wayte / but only after werre.
The hour is come / we wil it not differre.

lo! her is al / and thus ȝe may reporte
To hym ageyn / whan that ȝe resorte;
Fro which apoynt / we cast vs not to varye.”

157

And ȝit to hym / Amphiorax contrarye
Ful pleynly saide, in conclusioun,
This fyn shal cause a destruccioun
Of hem echon / ȝif it forth procede
To be parfourmed / and execute in dede.
But thilke tyme for al his elloquence
He had in soth / but lytyl audience.
For wherso euer / he ment / good or ille,
kyng Adrastus / bad hym to be stille.

And tho Iocasta / as wisdom did hyr tech,
humble of her port / with ful softe spech,
Gan sekë menys / in hyr fantasye
ȝif she myght the Irë modefye
Of the Grekes / to make hem to enclyne
In eny wise / hyr rancour forto fyne.
She dyd hyr dever / and hir bysy cure.

But tho byfel a wonder aventure,
Cause and ground / of gret confusioun,
Grekys perturbyng / and also ek the toun,
And it to tellë / may me not asterte.
For which a whil / my styell I mot dyuerte,
And shortly tellë /, by descripcioun,
Of a Tigre dwellyng in the toun,
which fro a kyngdam / besyden adiacent,
Out of Egipte / was to Thebës sent:
the whichë beest by record of scripture

158

Is most swift / as of his nature,
And of kynd also most sauage,
And most cruel / whan he is in his rage,
And, as Clerkys makë mencioun,
He of body / resembleth the lyoun,
And lik a greyhound / the mosel and the hed,
And of Eyen / as eny fyret red,
Ek of his Skyn /, wryten as I fynde,
lich a panter / conuersant in ynde,
with al maner hwys and colours;
And is ful oft / disceyued with merours
By fraude of huntys / and fals apparence
Shewyd in glas / with-outen existence,
whan his kyndles / arn be sleight ytake,
And he deceyuëd / may no rescus make.

And lik a lombe / was this Tygre tame,
Ageynys kynde /, myn autour writ the same.

And this beest, mervaillous to se,
was sent to ymeyne and antigonè:
which vnto hem / didë gret confort,
And Cowdë playe / and makë good disport,
lik a whelp / that is but ȝong of age;
And to no wight didë no damage,
No mor in soth / þan doth a litil hound;
And it was worth many hundred pound
Vnto the kyng /, for ay in his greuaunce

159

Ther was no þing / did hym mor plesaunce,
That for no tresour / it myght not be bought.
For whan that he was pensif or in thought,
It putt hym out of his hevynesse.

And thilkë tyme /, the story doth expresse,
That Iocasta treted for a pes,
This tamë Tygre / in party rekkëles,
Out at the gates / in sight of many a man,
Into the felde / wildëly out ran,
And Casuelly rennyng to and fro,
In and oute, as doth a tamë Roo;
Grekys wenyng that wer ȝong of age,
That this Tygre / haddë be sauage,
And Cruelly besettyng al the place
Round aboutë / gan hym to enchace
Til he was ded / and slayën in the feld.
The slauhter of whom whan þat they byheld,
The proude Thebans / which on the wallys stood,
They ronnë doune ful furious and wood,
wenyng he had / be slayën of despit.
Takyng her hors / with-outë mor respit,
Fully in purpos / with Grekys forto fighte,
The Tigres deth / tavengen ȝif they myghte.
And out they rood / with-outë gouernaylle,
And ful proudly / Grekës gan assaylle,
And of hatred / and ful hegh desdayne

160

Fyl vpon hem / that han the tygre slayne,
And cruelly qwitten hem her mede,
That many Greke / in the grenë mede,
By the force / and the grete myght
Of her Foomen, lay slayën in þis fight.
The Tigres deth / so derë they aboughte,
So mortally the Thebans on hem wroughte
That al the host, in the feld liggyng,
was astounyd / of this sodeyn thyng.

And in this whil, of Rancour rekkëles,
Out of Thebës rood Ethiocles,
And with hym ek / the worthy kyng Tremour,
Of his hond a noble werreour,
That madë Grekës to forsak her place,
And to her tentys / gan hem to enchace.
And myd the feld / as þei to-gyder mette
On hors-bak / with sperës sharpë whette
Of verray hate / and of envious pryde,
Ful many on was ded on outher syde.

The manhod of Tydeus.

The whichë thyng / whan Tideus espieth,
wood as lyoun / to hors-bak he hieth,
As he that was neuer a del afferd;
But ran on hem / and met hem in the berd,
And Maugrè hem / in his crueltè,
he made hem fleen / hom to her Citè,
hem pursuyng / of ful dedly hate,

161

That many on / lay slayën at the gate,
Gapyng vprightys / with her woundys wyde;
That vttrely / they durste not abyde
To-for the swerd of this Tydeus.
he was on hem so passing furius,
So many theban / he roof vnto the herte
That whan Iocasta / the slauhtre gan aduerte,

Polymytës / she gan prey ful fayre
To makë Grekis / hom ageyn repayre,
And that they wolden styntyn to assaylle
For thilkë day / and cessen her bataylle.
At whoos requeste / pleynly and preyere,
And at Reuerence / of his moder dere,
Polymytës, her herte to conforte,
Grekës madë / hom ageyn resorte
And Tydeus to stynten of his chas.

And they of Thebës hasting a gret pas,
Ful trist and hevy / ben entred into toun.
And for the Tygre, in conclusioun,
As ȝe han herd / first began this stryff,
That many theban / that day lost his lyff
And recurlees / hath ȝolden vp the breth,
In thavengyng / of the tygres deth.

And al this while / duëly as she ought,
þe quene Iocasta / humblely besought

162

Kyng Adrastus / only of his grace,
Some menë way / wisly to purchace
To make a pees / atwene the bretheren tweyn,
And the tretè / so prudently ordeyne,
On eiþer party / that no blood be shad.
And this Adrastus / avisè and riȝt sad,
For Grekis party / answer gaf anon,
That other endë / shortly gete she non,
lich as the lordis / fully ben avisyd,
Than Tydeus hath aforn devisyd.

And whan she saugh it may non oþer be,
She lievë tok / and hom to the Cytè
She is repeirëd /, hauyng to hyr Guyde
Polymytës Rydyng be her syde.
And Tideus ladde Antigonè,
And of Archadye / prothonolopè,
The worthy kyng, did his bysy peyne
To ben attendaunt / vpon fair ymeyne,
Whos hert she hath / to her servisë luryd:
And he ageyn hath purtraied and fyguryd
Myd of his brest /, which lightly may not passe,
Hooly the feturis / of her fresshly face.
Hym thouht she was so faire a creature;
And though that he durst hym not discure,
Ȝit in his hert / as ferforth as he kan,
He hath avowed / to ben her trwë man,
vnwist to hir / pleynly and vnknowe

163

How he was markëd with Cupidës bowe,
with his Arwë / sodeynly werreyed.
And to the ȝatë / the ladyes conueyed
Ben entred In / for it drow to eve,
Grekys of hem taking tho her leve;
Thogh some of hem wer sory to departe,
ȝit of wisdam / they durste not iuparte
Vnder a conduit / to entren into toun,
lest it turned to her confusion.

Thouh somë bookës / the contrarye seyn:
But myn Autour / is platly ther-ageyn,
And affermeth / in his opynyoun,
That Tydeus / of hegh discrecioun,
Of wilfulnessë / nor of no folye,
Ne wold as tho put in Iupartie
Nowther hym-silf / nor non of his ferys.

And the ladyes / with her heuenly cherys,
Angelik / of look / and contenance,
Lich as it is / put in remembrance,
At her entryng from Grekys into toun,
Polymytës / of gret affeccioun,
The quen bysouhte / thilkë nyght not fyne
For tasseyë ȝif she myght enclyne
Ethiocles, of conscience and ryght,

164

To kepë couenaunt / as he hath behight
Ful ȝore agon / with the surplusage,
List the contrarie / tournë to damage,
First of hym-silf / and many an þer mo.

And thus fro Thebës / grekys ben ago
To her Tentys / and rest hem al that nyght.
And Lucyna / the monë shon ful bright
with-Innë Thebës / on the chief dongoun,
whan Iocasta made relacioun
Vnto the kyng / and told hym al the Guyse,
How that Grekys vttrely despyse
his profre made be fals collusioun;
Only excepte / the conuencioun,
Of old engrocyd by gret purvyance,
which is enrollyd / and put in remembrance,
Vpon which they fynaly wil reste:
hym counsaillinge /, hir thouhte for the beste,
To conforme hym / to that he was bounde,
lyst in the fyn / falsnesse hym confounde.

But al hir counsayl / he set it at no prys,
he dempt hym-silf / so prudent and so wys;
For he was wilful / and he was indurat,
And in his hert / of malyce obstynat,
And outtrely / avisëd in his þouht,
with-Innë Thebes / his brother get right nouht.

165

And in his Errour / þus I lete him dwelle.

And of Grekis / forth I wil ȝou telle,
which al that nyght kepte hem-siluë cloos.
And on the morow / whan Tytan vp aroos,
They armyd hem / and gan hem redy make,
And of assent / han the felde I-take,
With the Thebans / that day, out of doute,
Forto fighten / ȝif they yssen oute.

And Adrastus / in ful thrifty wise,
In the feld / his wardys / gan devise,
As he that was / of all deceytës war.
And richëly I-armyd / in his char
Amphiorax cam with his meynè,
Ful renomyd of antiquitè,
And wel expert / be-causë he was old.
And whil that Grekys, as I haue ȝou told,
wer bysiest her wardys to ordeyne,
Myd of the feld / bifyl a cas sodeyne,
Ful vnhappy / lothsom, and odyble;

How Amphiorax fil doune into hell.

For liche a thing / þat wer invisible,
This oldë bisshop / with char and hors certeyn
Disaperyd / and no mor was seyne.
Only of fate / which no man can repelle,
þe erth opnede / and he fille doun to helle,
with all his folk / þat vpon hym abood.
And sodeynly / the grounde on which he stood
Closyd ageyn / and to-gydre shette,

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þat neuer after Grekis with hym mette.
And thus the devel / for his old outrages,
lich his decert, paiëd hym his wages.
For he ful lowe / is discendid doun
Into the dirk and blakë Regyoun
wher that Pluto / is crownyd and ystallyd
with his quene / proserpina I-callyd.
with whom this bisshop / haþ made his mansioun
Perpetuelly / as for his guerdoun.

lo here the mede / of ydolatrie,
Of Rytys old / and of fals mawmetrye.
lo / what auayllen Incantaciouns
Of exorsismës / and coniurisouns;
what stood hym stede his Nigromancye,
Calculacioun / or astronomye;
what vayllëd hym / the heuenly manciouns,
Diuerse aspectis / or constellaciouns?
The ende / is nat / bot sorowe and meschaunce,
Of hem þat setten / her outre affiaunce
In swichë werkës supersticious,
Or trist on hem /: he is vngracious.

Record I takë, shortly forto telle,
Of this bysshop / sonken doun to helle,
whos wooful ende / about in euery cost
Swich a Rumour / hath makëd in the host

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That the noys / of this vnkouth thyng
Is yronne / and comë to the kyng,
how this vengeaunce / is vnwarly falle.
And he anon / made a trumpet calle
Alle his puple / out of the feld ageyn;
And euerychon / assembled on a pleyn
To-fore the kyng / and also rounde aboute.
Euery man / of his lyf in doute,
Ful pitously / gan to frowne and loure,
list that the grounde hem alle wil deuoure
And Swalowen hem / in his dirkë kave;
And they ne can / no recur hem to save.
For nouther force / nor manhode may availle
In swiche meschief / the valewe of a maylle.
For he that was wisest / and koudë most
To serche and sekë / thorgh-out al the host,
Amphiorax / whan that he lest wende,
To helle is sonken / and coude hym not diffende,
(To hym the tyme vnknowen and vnwist)
In whom whilom was al þe Grekis trist,
her hoolë confort / and her affiaunce.

But all attonys / for this sodeyn chaunce
And this meschief / they gan hem to dispeire,

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Hom to Grecë / that they wil repeyre.
This was the purpoos / of hem euerichon.

And on the wallys / of Thebës lay her fon,
Reioysing hem / of this vnhappy eure,
wenyng therby / gretly to recure.
And on her tourës / as they loken oute,
They on Grekys / enviously gan shoute,
And, of despit / and gret enmytè,
Bad hem foolys / gon hom to her contrè,
Sith they han lost / her confort and socour,
her false prophete / and her dyvynour:
wherthorgh / her partie / gretly is apeyryd.
And in this wisë / Grekys disespeyryd,
Demptë pleynly / be tokens evidente,
This cas was falle / by som enchauntëment,
By wichëcraft / or by fals sorcerye,
Ageynës which may be no remedye,
Tristy diffencë / helpë, nor socour.

And whan Adrastus herde this clamour,
he bysy was ageyn this perturbaunce
To provyde / some maner chevysaunce.
And to hym calleth / such counsayl as he wiste,
For lyf or deth / that he myghte tryste,
Requeryng hem / but in wordys fewe,
In this meschief / her mocioun to shewe,

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And declare by good avisëment
What to Grekys / was most expedient,
To remedyen /, and makë no delay,
The vncouth noyse / and the gret affray
That Grekys made / with clamour inportune,
And newe / and newe / euere in on contune.

And they that wern / most manly and most wise,
Shortly saide / it wer a cowardyse,
The hegh emprise / that they han vndirtake
For dred of deth / so sodeynly forsake.
It wer to hem / a perpetuel shame
And outre hyndryng / vnto grekys name;
And better it wer / to euery werreyour
Manly to deye / with worship and honour,
Than lik a coward / with the lyf endure.
For onys shamyd / hard is to recure
his name ageyn / of what estat he be.
And sith Grekes / of old antiquytè,
As of knyghthode /, who so list tak hed,
Ben so famous / and so renomëd,
Ȝif now of newe / the shyning of her Fame
Eclipsid were / with eny spotte of blame,
It were a thyng vncouth forto here,

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Of whoes renoun / the bemës ȝit ben clere
Thorgh al the world / wher as they han passyd,
And ben not ȝit / dyrkyd nor diffacyd,
By no report / nouther on se ne londe
thyng to forsakë / that they tok on honde.
“And by example / of our progenitours,
Þat whilom wern / so manly conquerours,
To-forn that we into Grecë wende,
Of thyng bygon / lat vs make an ende,
And parte nat / nor Seuere from this toun
Til it be brouht to destruccioun,
wallys / tourrës / Crestyd and batailled
And for werrë strongly apparaylled,
Be first doune betë / that no thyng be seyn,
But al to-gyder / with the erthë pleyn
Be lowë leyde / or that we resorte:
That afterward / men may of vs reporte,
That we bygan / we knyghtly han achieuyd
Vpon our foon /, with worship vnrepreuyd.”

This was the counsaylle / shortly, and thavis
Of the Grekys that manly wern and wys,
That neuere aforn wer markyd with no blame,
And specialy / swich as dredë Shame,
And fully caste / what fortune euer tyde,
On her purpoos / to the ende abyde,
That on no part / her honure not apalle.

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And to this counsaille / Grekys, on and alle,
Ben condescendyd / and, for mor happy sped,
In sted of hym / that was so latë ded,
Amphiorax / buryed / depe in helle,
That koudë whilom / to the Grekys telle
Of thynggës hid / how it shal falle, aforn:
In stede of whom / now they han hym lorn,
They casten hem / wisly to purchace

How Grekes chosen hem / a new dyvynour in stede of Amphiorax.

Some prudent man / to occupye his place,
That in swich thyng / myght hem most availle
Thorgh mystery of his dyvynaylle,
By craft of sorte / or of profecye,
ȝif eny swich they couden out espye.

And among al /, her purpoos to atteyne,
As I fyndë / they han chosyn tweyne,
Most renomed / of hem euerychon.
And Menolippus / callyd was the ton,
And Terdymus / ek the tother highte.
And for he hadde most fauour in her sighte,
This Terdymus / was chosen and preferryd.
And in her choys / Grekys han not erryd;
For whilom he / lernyd / his emprise
Of his maister / Amphiorax the wyse,
And was disciple / vndyr his doctrine.
And of entent / that he shal termyne
Vnto Grekys / thyngës that shal falle,
As a bisshop mytred in his stalle,

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They don for him / in many vncouth wyse
In the temple / to goddys sacrifise;
And thus confermed / and stallyd in his Se,
A fewë dayës / stood / in his degrè,
After his mayster / with ful gret honour,
Of Grekys chosë / to be successour.

And al this tyme /, in story as is told,
Ful gret meschief / of hungre, thrust, and cold;
And of Thebans / as they issen oute,
lay many on / slayën in the route
On outher part /, of fortune as they mette:
her mortal swerdys / wer so sharpë whette.

And Tydeus among hem of the toun
Fro day to day / pleyeth þe lyoun
So cruelly, wher so that he rood,
That Theban non / aforn his face abood.
He made of hem, thorgh his high renown,
So gret slaughter / and occisioun
That as the deth / fro his swerd they fledde,
And who cam nexte / leid his lyf to wedde.
He qwitte hym-sylf / so lik a manly knyght
That wher he went / he putte hem to the flight,
And maugrè hem, in his crueltè
He droff hem hom / into her Citè,
hem purswyng / proudly to the gate:

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That vnto hym / they bar so dedly hate
That they hem caste / by sleyht or some engyn,
To bryngyn hym / vnwarly to hys fyn;
And leyde awayt / for hym day and nyght.
But O. allas! / this noble manly knyght,
Vpon a day / as he gan hem enchace,

How pitously Tydeus was slayn with a quarell.

And mortally / made hem lese her place
And sued hem / almost to the toun,
That causë was of his destruccioun.
For on, allas! / that on the wallys stood,
which al that day / vpon hym abood,
With a quarel / sharpe heded for his sake,
Markede hym with a bowe of brake,
So cruelly, makynge non arest
Tyl it was passyd bothë bak and brest.
Wherthorgh, allas! / ther was non oþer red
Nor lechë-craft / but that he mot be ded,
Ther may therof be makëd non delayes.
And ȝit was he / holdyn / in his dayes
The beste knyght / and most manly man,
As myn Autour / wel rehercë kan.
But for al that was ther no dyffence
Ageyn the strok / of dethys violence.
And Bochas writ / er he was fully ded,
he was by Grekys / presentyd with þe hed
Of hym that gaf / his laste fatal wounde:
And he was callyd /, lik as it is founde,
Menolippus /, I can non other telle.

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But thilkë day / Thebans wex so felle

He that slogh Tydeus was callyd Menolippus.

Vpon Grekys / that vnder her Cytè
The manly kyng Parthanolopè
Islayën was / euene afor the gatys;
And ther also, Armyd bright in platys,
The famous kyng / callyd ypomedoun,
The samë day /, as mad is mencioun,
On hors-bak / manly as he faught,
At the briggë / euene vpon the draught,
Besette with pres / casuelly was drownyd.
And thus fortunë / hath on Grekys frownyd
On euery sydë / thilk vnhappy day.
But al the maner / tellen I ne may
Of her fightyng / nor her slaughter in soth,
Mor to declarë / than myn Autour doth.

But thilkë day / I fynde / as ȝe may sen,
whan Phebus / passyd was merydyen
And fro the south / westward gan hym drawe,
his gylte tressys / to bathen in the wawe,

The Theban kyng / felle Ethyocles,
Rote of vnreste / and causer of vnpes,
The slauhter of Grekys / whan that he beheld,
Armyd in steel / he kam out in-to feld,
Ful desirous / in that sodeyn hete
Polymytës / at good leyser to mete,

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Syngulerly / with hym to han ado.
For in this world / he hatede no man so;
he sat so nygh / emprented in his herte.
whoos comyng out / his brother gan aduerte
Vpon his stede / in the opposit,
And hadde ageynward / also gret delyt
To meten hym / ȝif fortune assente.
Thenvious fyr / so her hertys brente
with haate Cankered / of vnkyndë blood.
And lik two Tygres / in her ragë wood,
with speerys sharpë / groundë for the nonys,
So as they ranne / and mettë both attonys,
Polymytës / thorgh platys, mayle, and sheeld

How euerich of the Theban bretheren slogh other to-forn þe Cyte.

Roof hym thorgh-out / and smette hym in-to feld.
But whan he sauh / the stremys of his blood
Raylle about / in maner of a flood,
Al sodeynly / of compassioun,
From his coursere / he alighte doun,
And brotherly, with a pitous face,
To saue his lyf / gan hym to vnbrace,
And from his wounde / of newe affeccioun,
Ful bysy was / to pulle out the trunchoun,

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Of loue only / handlyng hym ryght softe.
But O / allas! whil he lay alofte,
Ful yrously / Ethiocles the felle,
Of al this sorowe / verraye sours and welle,
with a dagger / in al his peynys smerte,
his brother smoot vnwarly to the herte:
which al her lyf / haddë be so wrothe.
And thus the Thebans / were yslawë bothe
At the entrè / euene aforn the toun.

But Grekys / tho / ben availled doun
Out of the feld / the worthy knyghtys alle.
And in Thebës / loud / as eny shalle,
The Cry aroos / whan her kyng was ded.
And to the gatys / armyd foot and hed,
Out of the toun / cam many proud Theban.
And some of hem / vpon the wallys ran
And gan to shoute / that pitè was to here.
And they with-out / of her lyf in were,
with-oute confort // or consolacioun,
Disespeyrëd / ronne hom to the toun
And Grekys folowen after at the bak,
That many on / that day / goth to wrak.

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And as her foomen / proudely hem assaylle
Ful many Grek / thorgh platys and thorgh maylle
was shette thorgh-out, pressyng at the wallys,
And betyn of / with grete roundë ballys,
That her lay on / and another ȝonder.
And the noysë, hydouser than thonder,
Of gonnë-shot and of Arblastys ek,
So loude out-ronge / that many worthy grek
Ther lost his lyf /; they wern on hem so felle.

And at the gatys /, shortly forto telle,
As Grekys prees / to entren þe Cytè,
They of Thebës / in her Crueltè
with hem mette / ful furious and wood,
And mortally / as they ageyn hem stood,
Men myghte sen / sperys Shyuere a-sonder,
That to byhold / it was a verray wonder
how they foyne / with daggers and with swerdys,
Thorgh the vyser / amyng at the berdys,
Percyng also / thorgh the rownde Maylles,
Rent out peces / of ther aventaylles,
That nouht availleth / the myghty Geseran,

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Thorgh brest / and nekkë / that the sperys Ran.
her wepnys wern / so sharpë grounde and whet,
In ther armurë / that ther was no let.
For ther laye on / troden vnder foote,
And ȝonder / on / percyd to the herte roote.
Her lith on ded / and ther another lame.
This was / the play / and the mortal game
Atwenë Thebans / and the Grekys proude,
That the swowys / and the cryës loude
Of hem that lay / and ȝolden vp the goost,
was herd ful fer / aboute in many cost.

How al the gentyl blood of grece and Thebes was distroyed on / o . / day.

And at the gatys / and sayllyng of þe wal
Islayën was / al the blood Royal,
Both of the toun / and of Grekys lond,
And all the worthy knyghtys of her hond.
And of lordys /, ȝif I shal not feyne,
On Grekys syde / alyvë wer but tweyne,
Kyng Adrastus / and Campaneus.
That day to hem / was so vngracius.

And for Titan / westryd was so lowe
That no man myght vnnethys other knowe,
Tho of the toun / shet her gatys faste

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with barrys rounde / makëd forto laste,
In which no wight kervë may nor hewe.

And Adrastus / with a grekys fewe
Repeyrëd is hom vnto his Tent,
And al that nyght / he wastyd hath and spent
For his vnhappe / in sorowe compleynyng.

And they in Thebes / the nexte day swyng
her devoyre did / and her bysy cure,
To ordeyne and make / a sepulture
For her kyng / yslayën in the feeld;
And offred vp his baner and his sheld,
His helme / his swerd, and also his penoun,
Ther-Inne of gold / I-betyn a dragoun,
high in the temple / that men myghte sen.

And Iocasta / that infortunyd quene,
her sonës deth / soorë gan compleyne;
And also ek / her ȝonge doghtres tweyne,
Both ymeyne / and Antigonee,
Cryden and wepte / that pytè was to se.
But to her sorowes / that was non refut.
And thus the Citè / bar / and destitut,
havyng no wight to gouern hem ne guye:
For ded and slayn / was al the Chyualrye,
And no wight left almost in þe toun

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To regne vpon hem / by successioun.

But for they saugh / and tokyn also hed,
with-outë þis / that they hadde an hed
In the Cytè / þei may not durë longe:
For though so be Comownerys be stronge
with multitude / and have no gouernaylle
Of an hed /, ful lytyl may avaylle:
Therfor they han vnto her socour
ychosyn hem a newë gouernour,

How creaunt þe olde Tyraunt was chosen kyng of Thebes.

An olde Tyraunt / þat callyd was Creon,
Ful acceptable / to hem euerichon,
And crownyd hym / with-oute mor lettyng,
To regne in Thebës / and to ben her kyng,
Al-thogh he hadde no title by discent
But by fre choys / made in parlement.
And ther to hym, lik as it is founde,
By her lygeaunce / of newë they wer bounde,
For to be trewë / whyl the Citè stood,
To hym only / with body and with good.
Thus they wer sworn / and suryd euerichon;
And he ageynward / to saue hem from her foon,
And hem dyffende / with al his fullë myght,
And meynten hem / in al manere ryght.
This was thacord / as in sentement.

And in this whilë hath Adrastus sent

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From the Siege of Thebës the Cytè
A woundyd knyght hom to his contrè,
Thorgh al Grecë / pleynly to declare
Al þe slaughter and the evyl fare
Of worthy Grekys, ryght as it is falle,
And how that he hath lost his lordys alle
Att mor meschief / þan eny man can mouth.

And whan this thyng / was in grecë couth,
Fyrst to Argyve / and Deyphylee,
And to the ladies / ek in the contrè
And of provynces / aboute hem adiacent,
They comë doun /, al be on assent,
Worthy queenys / and with hem ek duchessys,
And other ek / that callyd were contessys,
And alle the ladyes / and wymmen of degrè
Ben assembled / in Argë the Cytè,

How alle þe ladyes of Grece Arayde hem toward Thebes.

lik as I rede /, and alle in clothës blake;
That to byhold / the sorowe that they make,
It were a deth / to eny man alyve.

And ȝif I shuldë / by and by descryve
Ther tendre wepyng and ther wooful sownys,
her complayntys / and lamentacions,
her ofte swounyng / with facys ded and pale,
Ther-of I myghte make a newë tale,

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Almost a day / ȝow to occupye.

And as myn Autour / doth clerly certifie,
Thurgh-outë Grece / from all þe Rigiouns
Out of Cities / and of Royal touns
Cam alle the ladies / and wymmen of estat,
Ful hevy-cheryd / and disconsolat,
To this assemblè /, aforn as I ȝou tolde,
In purpoos fully / her Iournè forto holde
Toward Thebës / thys sorwful creaturys,
Ther to bywaylle / her wooful auenturys,
Taquyte hem-silf / of trouth in wommanhede
To her lordys / which in the feld lay dede.

And as the story / liketh to declare,
Al this Iournè / they went on foote bare,
lik as they haddë / gon on pylgrymage,
In tokyn of mournyng / barbyd þe visage,
Wympled echon / and in burnet weedys.
Nat in charys / drawën forth with stedys,
Nor on palfreys blakë nowther white,
The Sely wymmen koude hem not delite
To hold her way / but barfote forth they wente,
So feithfully / euerichon they ment,
Thorgh hevynesse / diffacyd of her hwe.
And as I fyndë, they weryn alle trwe.

Now was not þat / a wonder forto se

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So many trewe / out of a cuntrè,
Attonys gadryd / in a companye,
And feithful allë /, bookys can not lye,
Both in her port / and inward in menyng?
Vnto my doom / it was an vncouth thyng,
Among a thowsand wymen outher tweyne
To fynden noon / that kowde in hertë feyne.
It was a mervaylle / nat ofte seyn aforn.
For seelde / in feldys / groweth eny corn
But ȝif some wede / spryng vp þer-among.
Men allaye wynys / whan they be to strong;
But her trouth was meynte wiþ non allayes,
They were so trewë / founde at alle assayes.

And they ne stynt / vpon her iournè
Tyl that they cam þer as they wolde be,
wher Adrastus /, wrytyn as I fynde,
lay in his Tent / al of colour ynde;
Gretly mervaylyd / whan that he biheld
The nombre of hem / sprad thorgh al þe feld,
Clad all in blak / and barfoot euerychon.
Out of his Tent / he dressyd hym anon,
Vpon his hand / the kyng Campaneus;
Ful trist in herte / and facë right pitous,

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Ageyn the wommen / forth they went yfere.

And to byhold / the wooful hevy chere,
The wooful cryës / also, whan they mette,
The sorful sighys / in her brestys shette,
The teerys newe / distillyng on her facys,
And the swownyng / in many sondry placys,
whan they her lordys / alyvë not ne founde,
But in the feeld / thorgh-girt with many wounde,
lay stark vpriȝtës /, pleynly to endite,
with dedly eyën / tournyd vp the white,
who madë sorowe / or felt her hertë Ryve
For hir lorde / but the faire Argyve?
who can now wepë / But Deyphylee
Tydeus / for she ne myghte se?
whoos constreyntys were so fel and kene
That Adrastus myghte not sustene

How creon wil not suffre the bodies nowther to be buryed nor brent.

To byholde the ladyes so compleyne,
wisshing his herte / parted wer on tweyne.

And ȝit, allas! / bothen eve and morowe,
O thyng ther was / that doubled al her sorowe,
That Old Creon / fader of fellonye,
Ne woldë suffre, thorgh his Tyrannye,
The dedë bodies / be buryed nowther brente,

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But with beestis and houndys to be rente.
he made hem all / vpon an hepe be leyde.
wherof the wymmen trist and evyl apeyde,
For verray dool, as it was no wonder,
her hertys felt almost ryve a-sonder.

And as my mayster Chaucer list endite,
Al clad in blak / with her wymples whyte,
With gret honour / and duë reuerence,
In the temple / of the goddesse Clemence
They abood the space / of fourtënyght
Tyl Theseus / the noble worthy knyght,
Duk of Athenys / with his Chyvalrye
Repeyrëd hom / out of Femynye,
And with hym ladde / ful feir vpon to sene,
Thorgh his manhod / ypolita the quene,
And her suster / callyd Emelye.

and whan thies wommen / gonnë first espye
This worthy Duk / as he cam rydynge,
Kyng Adrastus /, hem alle conveyinge,
The wommen brouht vnto his presence,
which hym bysought / to ȝive hem audience.
And all attonys swownyng in the place,
Ful humblely / preiden hym of grace
To rewe on hem / her harmys to redresse.
But ȝif ȝe list / to se the gentyllesse
Of Theseus / how he hath hym born,

186

Ȝif ȝe remembre / ȝe han herde it to forn
wel rehersyd / at Depforth in the vale,
In the bygynnyng / of the knyghtys tale:

How the fynal destruccioun of Thebes is compendeously rehersyd in þe knyghtes tale.

First how that he / whan he herd hem speke,
For verray routhë felt his hertë / breke;
And her sorowys / whan he gan aduerte,
From his courser / doun anon he sterte,
Hem confortyng in ful good entente,
And in his Armys he hem all vp hente.
The knyghtys tale / reherseth euery del
Fro poynt to poynt / ȝif ȝe lookë wel,
And how this Duk / with-oute more abood,
The samë day / toward Thebës rood,
Ful lik in soth / a worthy conquerour,
And in his hoost / of Chyualrye the flour.
And fynally, to spekyn of thys thing,
with old Creon / that was of Thebës kyng,
how that he faught / and slough hym lik a knyght,
And all his host / putte vnto the flyght.

ȝit, as some auctours makë mencioun,
Or Theseus entred into toun,
The women first with pikkeys and with mallys,
with gret labour / betë doun the wallys.
And in her writyng also as they sayn,
Campaneus / was on the wallys slayn,
with cast of ston / he was so ouerlade;
For whom Adrastus / such a sorowe made
That no man myght reles hym of his peyne.
And Iocasta /, with her doghtres tweyne,

187

Ful woofully oppressyd of her cherys,
To Athenës wer sent as prysonerys.
What fil of hem more / can I not seyn.

But Theseus /, myn Autour writ certeyn,
Out of the feld / or he fro Thebës wente,
He bete it downe / and the howsys brente,
The puple slough / for al her crying loude,
Maad her wallys / and her towrys proude
Rounde aboute /, euene vpon a rowe,
with the Soyle / to be laide ful lowe
That nouȝt was left / but the soyle al bare.
And to the wommen / in reles of her care,
The bonys of her lordys / that were slayn
This worthy duk / restoryd hath agayn.

How Duk Theseus delyuered to the ladies the bodyes of her lordys.

But what shuld I / any lenger dwelle
The oldë Ryytys / by and by to telle,
Nor thobsequies / in ordre to devise;
Nor to declare / the manere and the Guyse
how the bodyes / wer to Asshes brent,
Nor of the gommës / in the flaumbë spent,
To make the ayre / swetter of relees,
As fraunc encence / Mirre and Aloës;
Nor how the wommen / round aboutë stood,
Somë with mylk / and some also with blood,
And some of hem with vrnës made of gold,
whan the asshes fully weren made cold,
Tenclosyn hem of gret affeccioun
And bern hem hom / into her Regioun;

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And how that other / ful dedly of her loke,
For loue only / of the bonys tooke,
Hem to kepë / for a remembraunce:
That to reherce / euery obseruaunce
That was don / in the fyrës bright,
The wakë-playës / duryng al the nyght,
Nor of the wrastlyng / to telle poynt be poynt,
Of hem that werën / nakyd and enoynt,
how eueriche other luggë gan and shake;
Nor how the wommen han her levë take
Of Theseus / with ful gret humblesse,
Thankyng hym of his worthynesse
That hym lyst vpon her woo to rewe;
And how that he, his fredam to renewe,
with the wommen, of his hegh largesse,
ypartyd hath / ek of his Richesse;

And how this Duk Thebës ek forsoke
And to Athenys / the righte wayë tooke,
with laurer crownyd / in signe of victorye,
And the palme of conquest and of glorye,
Did his honur / duëly to marte;
And how the wymmen wepte whan they departe
with kyng Adrastus / hom ageyn to Arge:

Kyng Adrastus with the ladyes repeyred hom ageyn to Arge.

To tellyn al, it wer to gret a charge,

And ek also, as ȝe shal vnderstonde,
At the gynnyng I took no mor on honde
Be my promys, in conclusioun,
But to rehercë the destruccioun

189

Of myghty Thebës / shortly, and no more.

And thus Adrastus, with his lokkys hore,
Stille abood in Argë his Cytè
Vnto his ende /: ȝe gete no more of me,
Sauf, as myn auctour / liketh to compyle,
After that he lyuëd but a while;
For he was old er the siegë gan,
And thought and sorowe so vpon hym ran;
The which in soth shortyd hath his dayes.
And, tymë sette, deth makeþ no delayes,
And al his Ioyë / passid was and gon,
For of his lordys / alyvë was not on
But slayn at Thebes /, ȝe knowën al the cas.

and whan this kyng / in Argë buryed was
Ful Ryaly / with gret solempnytè,
It was acountyd /, in bookys ȝe may Se,

Four hundred ȝeer /, as mad is mencioun,
To-foor the beelding / and fundacioun

CCCC ȝere to-fore þe fundacioun of Rome was Thebes destroyed.

Of gret Rome / so Ryal and so large,
whan the ladies / departyden from Arge
To her contrès / ful trest and desolat.
lo / her the fyn / of contek and debat.
Lo / her the myght of Mars the froward sterre.
Lo / what it is / for-to gynne a werre.

How it concludeth / ensample ȝe may se
First of Grekys / and next of the Cytè:

190

For owther parte / hath matere to conpleyne.
And in her strif / ȝe may se thynggës tweyne:

The worthy blood of Grece was distroyed at the siege and the Cyte fynaly brouht to nought.

The worthy of blood of grecë spilt,
And Thebës ek /, of Amphion first bylt,
With-oute Recur / brouht vnto Ruyne
And with the soyle made pleyn as a lyne,
To wyldernessë turnyd / and desert,
And Grekys ek / falle into pouert,
Both of her men / and also of her good;
For fynaly / al the gentyl blood
was shad out ther /, her woundys wer so wyde,
To los fynal vnto outher syde.

For in the werre is non excepcioun
Of hegh estat / nor lowh condicioun,
But as fortune / and fatë, both yffere,
List to disposë / with her double chere,

Bellona is goddesse of bataill.

And Bellona / the goddes in hir char
Aforn provydeth /; wherfor ech man be war
Vnavysed / a werrë to bygynne.
For no man woot who shal lese or wynne.
And hard it is whan eyther party leseth.
And doutëles / nowther of hem cheseth
That they most / in al swich mortal rage,
Maugrè her lust /, felyn gret damage.
It may nat be by mannys myght restreyned.
And werre in soth / was neuer first ordeyned

191

But for synne folkis to chastyse.

And as the byble / trewly kan devyse,

How that werre byganne in heuene by the pride and surquedye of Lucyfer.

Hegh in heuene / of Pryde and Surquedye,
Lucyfer, fader of Envie,
The olde Serpent /, he levyathan,
Was the first / that euer werrë gan:
Whan Michael /, the heuenly Champioun,
with his Feerys / venqwisshyd the Dragoun,
And to hellë / cast hym downe ful lowe.
The whiche serpent hath the Cokkyl sowe

lollium

Thorgh al erth / of envye and debat,
That vnnethys / is ther non estat,
with-outë stryf / can lyve in Charitè.
For euery man / of hegh and lough degrè,
Envyeth now / that other shulde thryve.

And ground and causë / why that men so stryve,
Is coveytise / and fals Ambicioun,
That euerich wold han domynacioun
Ouer other, and trede hym vndyr foote:
which of al sorowe / gynnyng is and Roote.
And Crist recordyth /—red luk and ȝe may se—
For lak of love / what meschief þer shal be.

Surget gens contra gentem, Luce xxio.

For .O. puple / as he doth devyse,
Agayn anoþer / of hatë shal aryse.
And after tellith what dyvisions

192

Ther shal be / atwixë regyouns,
Eueriche bysy / other to oppresse.
And al swich strif /, as he berth wytnesse,
Kalendys ben /, I take his word to borowe,
And a gynnyng / of meschief and of sorowe:
Men haue it foundë / be experience.

But the venym / and the violence
Of strif, of werre / of contek, and debat,
That makeþ londys bare and desolat,
Shal be proscript and voyded out of place,
And Martys swerd / shal no more manace,
Nor his sperë / greuous to sustene,
Shal now no morë / whettyd be so kene,
Nor he no morë / shal his hauberk shake.
But loue and pees / in hertys shal awake,
And charitè /, both in length and brede,
Of newë shal her bryghte beemys sprede
Thorgh grace / only / in dyuers naciouns,
Forto reforme / a-twixë Regyouns
Pees and quyet / concord and vnytè.
And he that is / both on / and two / and thre,
Ek thre in on / and souereyn lord of pes,
Which in this exil / for our sakë ches,
For loue only / our troubles to termyne,
For to be born / of a pur virgyne:

And lat vs prey / to hym that is most good,

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Which for mankynde shadde his hertë blood,
Thorgh byseching / of that heuenly quene,
Wyff and moder and a Maydë clene,
To sende vs pes / her in this lyf present,
And of oure synnys / parfit amendëment,
And Ioye eternal / whan we hennës wende.
Of my talë / thus I make an ende.

Explicit.

Here endeth the destruccioun of Thebes.

University of Virginia Library

The Siege of Thebes.[_] Some paragraphs in this text are signified by markers. The paragraphs have been captured, but the markers ignored.

Incipit Prologus.

1. Prima Pars.

2. Secunda Pars.

3. Tercia Pars.

The Siege of Thebes.
[_]

Some paragraphs in this text are signified by markers. The paragraphs have been captured, but the markers ignored.