University of Virginia Library

In þe regne & lond of Thesalye,
The whiche is now y-named Salonye,
Ther was a kyng callyd Pelleus,
Wys & discrete & also vertuous.
The whiche, as Guydo lyst to specefie,
Helde the lordschipe and the regallye
Of this yle, as gouernour and kyng,
Of whiche [þe] pepil, by record of writyng,
Myrundones were called in tho dawes,
Of whom Ovyde feyneth in his sawes,
Methamorphoseos, where as ȝe may rede
How þis peple sothfastly in dede,
So as myn auctor maketh mencioun,
Were brouȝt echon to destructioun
With sodeyn tempest and with fery levene
By the goddys sent down from þe heuene;
For they of Ire, with-oute more offence,
With the swerde & stroke of pestilence
On this yle whylom toke vengaunce,
Lyche as it is putte in remembraunce.
For this peple distroied were serteyn
With thonder dent and with haiel and reyn,
Ful unwarly, as Guydo list discryve;
For ther was noon of hem lefte a-lyue
In al the lond, that the violence
Escape myȝte of this pestilence
Excepte the kyng, þe whiche went allone
In-to a wode for to make his mone,
Sool by hym silfe, al disconsolate,
In a place that stood al discolat,
Wher this kyng, rooming to and fro,
Compleynynge ay of his fatal woo
And the harmys þat he dide endure—
Til at the laste, of caas or aventure,
Besyde an holt he sawe wher stode a tre
Of ful gret heȝt and large of quantite,
Holwe by the rote, as he kowde knowe,
Wher as he sawe, by the erthe lowe,
Of amptis crepe passyng gret plente,
With whiche syȝte he felle dovn on his kne
And made his preyer in his paynym wyse
To the goddes with humble sacrifyse,
Vp-on his wo and gret aduersite
Only of mercy for to haue pyte,
To turne thise amptis in-to forme of man.
Thus gan he praye, with colour pale and wan,
His lond tenhabite whiche stondeth disolat,
And he alone, awaped and amaat,
Comfortles of any creature,
Hym to releue of that he dide endure.
And, as Ovide maketh mencioun,
That Iubiter herde his orisoun,
And hath swiche rowth on hym at þe laste,
That he anoon fulfilled his requeste,
And of his myȝte, whiche þat is devine,
His grace he made from heuene for to schyne
Benyngnely vn-to the erthe dovn,
That a sodeyn transmutacioun
Was made of amptis to forme of men anon,
Whiche on her feet gonne streȝt to goon
To Thesalye and salue ther the kyng,
And lyche his liges token her dwellynge
With-Inne a cite called tho Egee,
As in Ovide ȝe may beholde and see.
The whiche people for her worthines,
For her strenthe and gret[e] hardynes
Myrundones so longe haue boor the name—
As in the lyfe ȝe reden may the same
Of seynt Mathewe, how thei be called soo,
Where the apostel so mochel hadde a-doo—
Whiche for wisdam & prudent aduertence,
Besy labour and wilful dilligence,
By for-seynge and discrecioun,
As I suppose in myn opinioun,
That this fable of amptis was contreved,
Whiche by her wysdam han so myche achevid
Thoruȝ her knyȝthod, who so list to loke
Her manly dedis thoruȝ-out Troie boke.
In al meschef so wel thei han hem born
That þei ful wysly prouided wern to-forn
Or that it fil, bothe in werre and pees;
For of no slouthe þei wer nat rek[e]les,
But as the ampte teschewen ydelnesse
In somer is so ful of besynesse—
Or wynter com, to sauen hir fro colde
Sche to-forne astored hath hir holde.
But in this mater I holde no sermoun,
I wil no longer make digressioun,
Nor in fables no more as now soiourne,
But there I lefte I wyl agayn retourne,
Of Pelleus ferther to procede:
Wiche kyng, forsothe, in story as I rede,
And as myn auctor lysteth to endyte,
Had a wyf that called was Tedite;
Of whiche two, platly this no les,
The manly man, the hardy Achilles,
So as Guydo lesteth to termyne,
Descended was, sothly as by lyne,
Most renomed of manhood and of myȝt
Amonges Grekis, and the beste knyȝt
I-holde in sothe, thoruȝ-oute al her lond,
In worthines preued of his hond.
Whos cruelte Troiens sore abouȝt,
So passynge Merueilles in armys þer he wrou[ȝ]t
Duryng the sege, as ȝe schal after lere,
Paciently ȝif ȝe liste to here.
But Pelleus, that I spak of a-forne,
A brother hadde of o moder born,
That hyȝte Eson, so fer y-ronne in ȝeris,
That he of luste hath lost al his desyris,
So fer he was y-cropen in-to age,
Þat al his witte was turned to dotage;
For bothe mynde and memorial
For-dulled wern and dirked so at al,
That verrailly his discrecioun
Was hym birafte, in conclusioun.
Wherfor the regne and lond of Thesalye,
Crovne and septre with al the regalye,
He hath resygned his brother for to queme,
Estate royal and also diademe:

By-cause he was croked, lame, & blynde,
And to gouerne loste boþe wit & mynde,
So febled was his celle retentif
And fordirked his ymaginatif,
That lost were bothe memorie and resoun;
For whiche he made a resygnacion
To his brother, next heyr by degre,
And next allye of his affinite.
But as somme auctours in her bokys seyn,
To ȝouthe he was restored new ageyn
By crafte of Medee, the gret sorceresse,
And renewed to his lustynesse;
For with hyr herbes and hir pociouns,
Sotyl wyrchyng[es] of confecciouns,
By que[i]ntyse eke of hir instrumentys,
With hir charmys and enchauntementys,
Sche made a drynke, in bokys as is tolde,
In whiche a ȝerde that was drye and olde
Withoute abod anoon as she it caste
To blosme and budde it be-gan as faste,
Turne grene and fresche for to beholde.
And þoruȝ þis drinke sche hath fro ȝeris olde
Eson restored vn-to lusty age,
And was of witte & resoun eke as sage
As euer he had his lyve ben a-forn.
The whiche Eson, of his wyfe y-born,
Hadde a son, and Iason was his name,
In wirk of whom Nature nas to blame;
For sche hir crafte, platly, and konnyng
Spent vp-on hym hooly in wirkyng,
Whan sche hym made, with hert[e], wil, & þouȝt,
That of hir crafte behynde was ryȝt nouȝt.
To rekne his schap and also his fayrnes,
His strenthe, his bewte, and his lyflynes,
His gentilles and wyse gouernaunce,
How large he was, and of dalliaunce
The most[e] goodly þat men koude knowe,
In al his port bothe to hyȝe and lowe;
And with al þis avise and tretable—
That of konnyng, God wot, I am nat able
For to discryve his vertues by and by.
For as myn auctor telleth feithefully,
He was beloued so of old and ȝonge,
That thoruȝ þe londe is his honour spronge;
But for þat he was but ȝonge and sklender,
Of age also inly grene and tender,
He was committed to the gouernaille
Of Pelleus, to whom with-oute faille
In euery thyng he was as servisable,
As diligent in chambre and at table,
As euere was any childe or man
Vn-to his lorde, in al þat euer he can
Devise in herte of feithful obeyschaunce;
So þat in chere nor in countenaunce,
Inwarde in herte nor outwarde in schewyng,
To his vncle ne was he nat grucchyng;
Al-be he had holly in his hande
The worthi kyngdam and þe riche lande
Of this Iason, and the eritage,
Only for he was to ȝonge of age.
Vn-to whom Pelleus dide his peyne
Ageyn[es] herte falsely for to feyne,
To schewen other þan he mente in herte,
And kepte hym cloos, þat no þing hym asterte,
Lyche an addre vnder flouris fayre,
For to his herte his tonge was contrarie:
Benyngne of speche, of menyng a serpente,
For vnder colour was the tresoun blente,
To schewe hym goodly vn-to his allye;
But inwarde brent of hate and of envie
The hoote fyre, & ȝit ther was no smeke,
So couertly the malys was y-reke,
That no man myȝt as by sygne espie
Toward Iason in herte he bare envie.
And merveil noon, for hit was causeles,
Saue he dradde þat he for his encres
And for his manhood likly was tateyne
For to succede in his faders reigne,
Whiche Pelleus uniustly ocupieth;
And day be day cast and fantasieth
How his venym may be som pursute
Vppon Iason be fully execute.
Her-on he museth euery hour and tyme,
As he þat dradde to sen an hasty pryme
Folowen a chaunge, as it is wont to done,
Sodeynly after a newe moone;
He caste weyes and compasseth sore,
And vnder colour alwey more and more
His felle malys he gan to close and hide,
Lyche a snake that is wont to glyde
With his venym vnder fresche floures;
And as the sonne is hoot a-fore þise schoures,
So of envie hattere bran the glede.
Vp-on a tyme he þouȝte to procede
To execute his menynge euery del,
In porte a lambe, in herte a lyoun fel,
Dowble as a tygre sliȝly to compasse,
Galle in his breste and sugre in his face,
That no man hath to hym suspecioun,
Howe he purveieth the destruccioun
Of his nevewe, and þat with-Inne a whyle,
Pretendyng loue, al-be the fyn was gyle.
His malys was I-schette so vnder keye,
Þat his entent [ther] can no man be-wreye;
It was conceled & closed in secre,
Vnder the lok of pryve Enmyte,
And that in soth greued hym þe more:
Vp-on hym silf þe anger frat so sore,
Abydyng ay til [vn-to] his entent
He fynde may leyser conuenient
Vp-on his purpos platly to procede
For to parforme it fully vp in dede.
Wher-of Iason hath ful lytel rouȝt—
His vncle and he [ne] wer not in o thouȝt—
Of whos menyng was no conuenience,
For malys was coupled with Innocence;
And grownde of al, [so] as I can diuise,
Was the Ethik of false couetise,
Whiche fret so sore, falsly for to wynne,
As crop and rote of euery sorowe and synne,
And cause hath ben, syth[en] goo ful ȝore,
That many a rewme hath a-bouȝt ful sore
The dredful venym of couetyse, allas!
Lat hem be war, þat stonden in this caas,
To thinke a-forne & for to haue in mynde
That al falshed draweth to an ende:
For thouȝe it bide and last a ȝer or two,
The ende in soth schal be sorwe and wo
Of alle þat ben false and envious.
Here-of no more, but forthe of Pelleus
I wil ȝow telle, þat hath so long[e] souȝt
Vp-on þis thing, til þer wer to hym brouȝt
Tidynges newe, & þat so merveillous,
That he astonyed was and alle his hous,
Of a mervaille that new[e]ly was fal
Besyde Troye, the plage oriental:
How in Colchos, as the tydyng cam,
With-Inne an Ile enclosed was a Ram
Whiche bare his flees ful richely of golde;
And for the richesse, it was kepte in holde
With gret avis and gret[e] diligence,
That no man myȝt ther-to doon offence.
And in this Ile ther was a gouernour,
A noble kynge, a worthi weriour,
That Cethes hiȝt: wis, discret, and sage,
Whiche was also [y-]ronne fer in age,
That in his tyme, as bokys can deuise,
Had vnder-fonged many gret emprise
In pes and werre, & moche worschip wonne;
And he was sone also to the sonne,
That ȝaf hym eure to honour to atteyne,
So as poetis lusteth for to feyne.
Touching his line, I leue as now þe grete;
And of this Ram my purpos is tentrete,
That was commytted, I dar ȝow wel assure,
To the kepyng and the besy cure
Of cruel Mars, the myȝty god of werre,
Whiche with þe stremes of his rede sterre
And influence of his deite,
Ordeyned hath, by ful gret cruelte,
This Ram to kepe, bolys ful vnmylde,
With brasen feet, ramegous and wylde,
And ther-with-al ful fel and dispitous,
And of nature wood and furious,
To hurte and sleen euere of o desyre.
Out of whos mouthe leuene & wylde fire,
Lyche a flawme euere blasid oute
To brenne al hem þat stode nyȝ aboute;
Eke of her eyen þe lokys moste orible
To [a] furneis the stremys wer visible.
And who that wolde, [to] encrese his glorie,
This Ram of golde wynnen by victorie,
Firste he moste of verray force and myȝt
Vn-to outraunce with thise bolys fiȝt,
And hem venquysche, aldirfirst of alle,
And make hem humble as any oxe in stalle
Vn-to the ȝoke, and do hem ere þe londe;
Of verray manhood, þis most he take on hond.
And after þat he moste also endure
With a serpent of huge and gret stature,
With-out[e] fauour, pleynly haue a-do,
To outraunce eke, with-oute wordis mo.
Þe wiche serpent, schortly for to telle,
Was lyche a fende comen out of helle,
Ful of venym and of cruel hate;
And with skalys hard as any plate
He armyd was, to sto[n]den at diffence;
And his breth wers than pestilence
Infecten wolde environ al þe eyre
In iche place wher was his repeire.
He was so ful of corrupcioun,
And so dredful of infeccioun,
That deth in sothe, schortly to deuise,
Was the fyn of this hiȝe emprise
To swyche as wolde þis querel take on hond,
I-lyche in oon, bothe to fre and bonde,
But if he koude þe bet hym silf diffende.
And of his conquest þis was eke the ende:
Þat whan he had þe myȝty serpent slawe,
He most anoon, by custom and by lawe,
Out of his hed his tethe echon arace,
And thane sowe hem in the silf[e] place
Where the oxes herid hadde aforn;
Of whiche sede ther sprang a wonder corn:
Knyȝtes armyd, passyng of gret myȝte,
Eueryche with other redy for to fyȝte
Til eche his brother hadde brouȝt to grounde
By mortail fate, & ȝoue his deþis wounde.
This was the ende of hem euerychon;
For in sothnesse of al þer was noon
That lyue myȝt by that fatal lawe
Any lenger in soth than his felawe.
And by þis weye, dredful and perillous,
Who desyreth to be victorious,
He moste passe and manly it endure,
And how so falle take his auenture.
Of noon estat was noon excepcioun,
Chese who so wele; for this conclusioun
He may not skape for fauour ne for mede,
Who euer gynne, avise hym wel I rede:
For by the statute of the kyng he may,
Who so that wele, entren and assay;
But after þat he onys hath by-gonne
He may nat chese til he haue lost or wonne.
Ȝet, as somme of þis Ram expresse,
And of þis flees also bere witnesse,
It was no thyng but golde & gret tresour,
That Cethes kyng, with ful hyȝe labour,
Made kepe it by incantaciouns,
By sorserye and false illucions,
Þat was spoke of in rewmys fer aboute;
For whyche many put her lyf in doute,
Of hyȝe desyr thei hadde for to wynne
Þe gret[e] tresour þat was shette with-Inne
Colchos lond, as ȝe haue herde deuise;
Whos pursute roos oute of couetise,
Grounde & rote of wo and al meschaunce,
By veyn reporte hem silf[e] to avaunce;
For whiche þei put hem silf in Iupartye,
With-out[e] reskuse likly for to dye.
Þer was noon helpe, ne noon sleyȝt of armys
Þat vaille myȝt ageyn þe cursed charmys;
Þei wer so strong and supersticious,
Þat many worthi, in knyȝthood ful famous,
Enhasted werne vn-to her dethe, allas,
Þat list euparten her lyues in þis cas.
And þis lasteth til afterwarde be-fel
Þat Pelleus platly herde tel
Þe gret[e] meschefes and destrucciouns
In Colchos wrouȝt on sondry naciouns,
Þat pursued þe au[n]tres to conquere—
Til Pelleus so ferforthe gan enquere,
Þat he knewe holly how þe treuthe was;
And in his herte anoon he gan compas,
How he myȝt by any sleyȝt[e] make
His nevewe Iason for to vndirtake
Þis hiȝe emprise in Colchos for to wende,
By whiche weye best he myȝt hym schende;
And [gan] pretend a colour fresche of hewe,
I-gilt outward so lusty and so newe,
As þer wer no tresoun hydde with-Inne;
And sawe it was tyme to begynne
On his purpos, þei first he made it queynte,
And gan with asour & with golde to peynte
His gay wordys in sownynge glorious,
Knowyng Iason was ȝonge and desyrous
Vn-to swyche thing, and lyȝtly wolde enclyne.
Therfor he thouȝt þat he nolde fyne
Pleynly to wirke to his confusioun,
And made anoon a conuocacioun
Of his lordys and his baronye,
Aboute enviroun the londe of Thesalye,
For tassemble estates of degre
Of al his rewme with-In þe chefe cite.
For to holde a counseil outterly he caste,
Þer-by tacheve his desire as faste;
And so his court contwneth daies thre;
Til at þe laste his hidde iniquyte
He gan out rake, þat hath ben hid so longe,
For he ne myȝte no lenger forthe prolonge
Þe venym hid, þat frat so at his herte,
In so slyȝe wyse þat no man myȝt aduerte
Vp-on no syde but þat he mente wel.
For þe tresoun was cured euerydel
And curteyned vnder trecherye;
For he this thing so slyȝly gan to guye
At pr[i]me face þat no man myȝt[e] deme
By any worde, as it wolde seme,
In cher, in port, by signe or daliaunce,
But þat he cast knyȝtly for tavaunce
His ȝonge nevewe, as by lyklynesse,
To hiȝe honour of manhood and prowesse.
For of þe entent, of whiche he gan purpose,
Þe tixte was hyd, but no thing þe glose,
Whiche was conueied so with flaterye,
Þat the peple cowde not espye
Lytel or nouȝt of his entent with-Inne.
For whiche anoon to preyse hym þei be-gynne,
Þat he suche honour to his nevewe wolde;
For with swyche cher he be-gan vnfolde
To-forn hem al his entencioun,
Þat he hath voided al suspecioun
From al þat wern assemblid in þe place;
And toward Iason he torne gan his face
Ful lovyngly in countenaunce and chere,
And to hym seide, þat alle myȝten here
Thoruȝ-out þe courte, whan maked was silence,
Þus word by worde platly in sentence:

“Cosyn Iason, take hed what I schal seyn,
For þe I am so inly glad and feyn
And supprised with myrth[e] þoruȝ myn herte,
That it enchaseth & voideth al my smerte,
For to considere in myn inspeccioun
Of þi ȝowthe þe disposicioun,
Þe whiche, schortly for to comprehende,
Saue to vertu to no thyng doth entende,
Vn-to worschip and to gentilnesse,
To manly fredam and to hyȝe largesse,
Þat verraily, wher I wake or wynke,
My Ioye is only ther-on for to thinke.
My silf I holde so passynge fortunat,
And al my londe, of hiȝe and lowe estat,
Þat lykly arn in honour for to flete,
And to lyuen in reste and in quiete
Thoruȝ thi support and þi sowpoaille,
Whos manhod may so mochel vs availle,
By lyklyhed, and so moche amende,
In verray sothe to saue vs and diffende
Agayn al tho, as I can descryue,
Þat of malys wolde ageyn vs stryue
Or rebelle in any maner weye,
Of surqued ye or pride to werreye
Our worthines, assured in tranquille,
From al assaut of hem þat wolde vs ille,
For to perturbe oure noble estat rial,
Ageyn[e]s whom, whan þou art oure wal,
Our myȝty schelde, and proteccioun:
Þus deme I fully in myn oppinioun,
For of þin age, þi witte, þi prouidence,
Þi knyȝtly hert, þi manly excellence,
Reported ben, and þin hyȝe renoun,
In many londe and many regioun
Þis rounde worlde aboute in circuyt;
How myȝt I [þanne] stonde in better plyȝt,
For þin honour, lyche as it is founde,
To my worschip so hiȝly doth rebounde,
Þat I wolde, pleynly, and nat cesse,
Ȝiffe I koude, helpe to encresse
Þin hiȝe renoun y-wis in euery hour,
And ther-vppon spendyn my tresour.
Þis hiȝe desyre, with-outen any faille,
Of enteer loue me doth so sore assaille,
Þat nyȝt nor day I may haue no reste;
And al schal turne I hope for the beste,
For to enhaunce þin honour to þe heuene,
Aboue þe pole and þe sterres seuene.
To whiche þing I haue a weye espied,
As I my witte þer-to haue applied,
Þis is to mene, what schulde I lenger dwelle,
My dere cosyn, as I schal the telle:
Ȝif it so wer by manhood souereyne,
Of þi knyȝthood þat [þou] durst atteyne
Þe flees of gold to conquere be þi strenthe,
Whiche is spoke of so fer in brede and lenthe,
And retourne hom in body safe and sounde;
Ȝif þis conquest myȝt in the be founde,
Þat þou durstest acheuen þis emprise,
More hertes Ioye koude I nat deuise
In al þis worlde; for sothly at the best,
My rewme and I set wer þan in rest:
For, For þi manhod alle wolde vs drede.
Wherfore, cosyn, of knyȝthood and manhed
Take vp-on þe my prayer and requeste,
And here my trouthe, & take it for beheste.
What euer nedeth in meyne or costage,
I wil my silf toward þis viage
Ordeyne I-nowȝ in harneys and array,
Þat nouȝt schal faylen þat is to þi pay;
And, more-ouer, I pleynly the ensure,
Þat ȝif I se þou do þi besy cure,
Þis hiȝe emprise for to bringe aboute,
Þou schalt nat fere nor [I-]be in doute,
After my day, by successioun,
For to be kyng of this regioun,
And holy han septre and regalie.
Wherfor, Iason, lyfte vp þin hertis eye,
Thenke þi name schal longe be recorded
Thoruȝ-oute þe worlde; wherfor be accor[ded]
With-in þi silf, and pleynly nat ne spare
Of þin entent þe somme to declare.”
Whan Iason had his vncle vndirstonde,
He reioyseth for to take on honde
Þis dredful labour, with-out avisement;
He nouȝt aduerteth þe menyng fraudelent,
Þe prevy poysoun vnder sugre cured,
Nor how to galle with hony he was lured,
Þe dirke deceyt, þe cloudy fals engyn,
I-gilt with-oute, but vnder was venym,
Wher-to Iason hath noon aduertence;
Þe kyng, he wende, of clene conscience,
With-out[e] fraude, had al þis þing I-ment;
Wher-for anoon he ȝeveth ful assent
At wordis fewe, and pleynly gan to seie
His vncles wyl þat he wolde obeye;
He was accorded, in conclusioun,
With humble herte and hool intencioun.
Wher-of þe kyng resseyueth swyche gladnesse,
Þat he vnnethe myȝt it out expresse;
But ryȝt as fast dide his besy peyne
For þis Iorney in hast for to ordeyne.
And for as moche as Colchos, þe cuntre,
Enclosed was aboute with a see,
And þat no man, how longe þat he striue,
With-out[e] schip theder may ariue,
To his presence anoon he dide calle
Famous Argus, þat koude most of alle
To make a schip, & first þat art y-founde
To seille with by see fro lond to londe,
Þe whiche hath wrouȝt a schip by sotil craft,
Which was þe first þat euer wawe rauȝt,
To haue entre; and Argon bar þe name.
Gramariens recorde ȝit the same,
Þat eche gret schip, firste for þat mervail,
Is called so, whiche proudly bare hir seil,
As þis boke doth vs specifye,
How it be-fel forth of þis navie.
Whan al was redi, meyne and vitaille,
Þei bide nouȝt but wynde for to saille;
And many worthi was in þat companye,
Of noble byrth, and of gret allye,
In þat viage redy for to goon,
Bothe for loue and worschip of Iason.
Amonges whiche þe grete Hercules,
Of force, of myȝt, of strenthe pereles;
And he begete was vppon Almene,
So inly fayr and wommanly to sene,
Of Iubiter, and þat ful long a-gon,
Takyng lyknesse of Amphytrion;
Down fro heuene, for al his deyete,
He was ravisched þoruȝ lust of hir bewte;
For he hir loued with hert and hool entent.
And of hem two, sothly by discent,
Cam Hercules, þe worthi famus knyȝte,
Most renomed of manhood and of myȝte,
Whiche in his tyme was so merveillous,
So excellent, and so victoryous,
Þat Ouyde lyst recorde hym silue,
Methamorphoseos, his famus dedis twelue,
Whiche ben remembrid ther in special,
In his honour for a memorial.
And to reherse hem in order by and by,
Ȝif ȝe list here, I purpose outterly:
He slouȝe Antheon in þe eyr on heyȝt,
And many geant, what with myȝt & sleiȝte,
He outraide, for al her lymes rude;
Þe serpent Ydre he slouȝ eke in Palude,
And Cerberus þe hownde he bond so sore,
At helle ȝatis þat he barke no more,
And made hym voide his venym in þat strif,
And vpwarde ȝaf hym suche a laxatyf,
Þat al þe worlde his brethe contagyous
Infected hath; it was so venymous.
And with o wynde he wolde renne a stadye;
He fledde arpies, briddes of Archadye,
And slouȝ centauris, þe bestis monstruous;
Þe feerse lyon he byrafte his hous;
Þis [is] to seyen, whan þat he was slawe,
Out of his skyn he hath hym stripte & flawe,
With cruel herte, þoruȝ his hiȝe renoun;
Þe goldene applys he bare fro þe dragoun;
Þe fyry cat he slouȝ with-out[e] more;
And of Archadye, þe cruel tuschy boor;
And at the last, on his schulders square,
Of verray myȝt þe firmament he bare.
But for þat I may not rekne[n] al
His passyng dedis, whiche ben historial,
Redeth Ovide, and þer ȝe schal hem fynde;
Of his trivmphes how he maketh mynde,
Þoruȝ-out þe worlde how he hym honour fette,
And of þe pelers at Gades þat he sette,
Whiche Alysaundre of Macedonye kyng,
Þat was so worthi her in his lyvyng,
Rood in his conqueste, as Guydo lyst to write,
With al his hooste proudly to visite;
Be-ȝownde whiche no land is habitable,
Nor see to saille sothly couenable:
So fer it is by-ȝonde þe occian,
Þat schipman noon ferþer [no] skyl[le] can;
Sibellys streytes Maryners it calle,
And þe boundes, þei named ben of alle,
Of Hercules, for he hym silf hem sette,
As for markys alle other for to lette
Ferther to passe, as Guydo maketh mynde;
And þe place is callyd, as I fynde,
Syracenyca, as fyn of his labour,
Or Longa Saphi, recorde of myn auctour.
Of þis mater more what schulde I seyn;
For vnto Iason I wil retourne a-geyn,
Þat in al haste dothe hym redy make,
Of his vncle whan he hath leue take,
Toward þe see, and Hercules y-fere,
With alle his men, anoon as ȝe schal here.

The tyme of ȝer, whan þe schene sonne
In his spere was so fer vp ronne,
Þat he was passid þe sygne of Gemeny,
And had his chare whirled vp so hyȝ,
Thoruȝ þe drauȝt of Pirous so rede,
Þat he had made in þe crabbis hede
His mansioun, and his see ryal,
Where halved is þe standyng estyval
Of fresche Appollo with his golden wayn;
Whan heerdemen in hert[e] ben so fayn
For [þe] hete to shroude hem in þe schade,
Vnder þis braunchis and þise bowis glade;
Whan Phebus bemys, þat so bryȝt[e] schyne,
Descended ben ryȝt as any lyne,
And cause þe eyre be refleccioun
To ben ful hoot, þat lusty fresche sesoun,
Whan cornys gynne in þe felde to sede;
And þe grasys in the grene mede
From ȝer to ȝer ben of custom mowe,
And on þe pleyn cast and leide ful lowe,
Til þe moystour consumed be a-way,
On holt and heth þe mery somerys day—
At whiche tyme þis ȝong[e] knyȝt Iason
With Hercules is to schip[pe] goon;
And with hem eke, as I reherse can,
Of Grekys eke [ful] many a lusty man,
Schiped echon with ryal apparaille.
And whan þei wer crossed vnder saille,
With-Inne þe schip, whiche þat Argus made,
Whiche was so stawnche it myȝt no water lade,
Þei gan to seille and had[de] wynd at wille;
Þe schip gan breke þe sturdy wawys ille
Vppon þe see, and so bothe day and nyȝte
To Colchos-ward þei helde þe weye ryȝt,
Guying her cours by the lode sterre,
Wher þei seille by costys neȝe or ferre.
For Philotetes was her alder guyde,
Þat koude a-forn so prudently prouide,
Of verray insiȝt to cast a-forn and se
Tempest or wynd, bothe on lond and see,
Or whan ther schulde trouble of stormys fal;
For he was mayster pleynly of hem alle
In schipman crafte, and chose her gouernour,
And koude hem warne aforn of euery shour
That schulde falle, whan sterrys dide apere.
And specialy, as Guydo doth vs lere,
Þis Philotetes, whiche was no fool,
Hadde moste his syȝt erect vn-to þe pool,
His aduertence and clere inspectioun,
To þe sterrys and constellacioun,
Which þe axtre rounde aboute goon,
Þat clerkis calle þe Septemtryon.
For as þe pool y-called Arthicus
Euere in on appereth vn-to vs,
Ryȝt so in sothe, who can loke aryȝt,
Antharticus is schrouded from our syȝt.
But to schipmen þat ben discrete and wyse,
Þat list her cours prudently deuise
Vp-on þe see, haue suffisaunce y-nowe
To guye her passage by Arthouris Plowe;
For it to hem is direccioun
Vn-to þe costis of euery regioun,
With help only of nedle and of stoon,
Þei may nat erre what costys þat þei gon.
For maryners þat ben discrete and sage,
And expert ben of her loodmanage
By straunge costys for to seille ferre,
Guyen her cours only by þe sterre
Whiche þat Arthour compasseth enviroun;
Þe whiche cercle and constellacioun
I-called is the cercle Artofilax:
Who knoweth it nedeth no more to axe.
For it to schipmen on þe sterry nyȝt
Iis suffisaunt, whan þei sen his lyȝt.
And as poetis of þis poolis tweyne
In her bokys lyketh for to feyne,
And in her dytees declaren vn-to vs:
Calixtone and Archadius,
Hir oune sone, wern y-stellefied
In þe heuene and y-deified;
For that Iuno to hir hadde envie,
With Iubiter whan sche dide hir espie.
For whiche sche was in-to a bere turned,
And for hir gilt sche hath in erthe morned,
Til in-to heuene, Naso can ȝow telle,
Sche was translated, eternally to dwelle
Amongis sterrys, wher as sche is stallyd,
And Vrsa Maior is of clerkys callyd;
So as hir sone, for his worthi fame,
Of Vrsa Mynor bereth ȝet þe name.
Of whiche þe course myȝt[e] nat asterte
Philotetes, þat was þe mooste experte
Of alle schipmen þat euer I herde telle;
For of konyng he myȝt bere þe belle.
And whan þe Grekys had[de] long[e] be
Fordryue and cast, seilyng in þe se,
For-weried after [her] trauaille,
Þei cast [t]arive, ȝif it wolde availle,
Hem to refresche and disporte in Ioye,
Vp-on þe boundys of þe lond of Troye.

Howe Iason arryved bysyde Troy withe Hercules for to refresshe him and his menye.

Whan Hercules and Iasoun on his hond,
Out of her schip taken han þe lond,
And with hem eke her knyȝtes euerychon,
Þat fro þe see ben to lond[e] goon,
For-weried after her trauaille;
And þei in sothe come to arivaille
At Symeonte, an hauene of gret renoun,
Þat was a lyte by-syde Troye town—
And þei wer glad to ben in sikirnesse
From storm and tempest after werynesse;
For þei ne ment tresoun, harm, nor gyle,
But on þe stronde to resten hem a while;
To hynder no wyȝt, of no maner age,
Nor in þat Ile for to do damage
To man [n]or beste, wher-euere þat þei goo,
But for to abyde þer a day or two
Hem to refresche, and repeire a-noon
Whan þat þe rage of þe see wer goon.
And whiles þei [vp-]on þe stronde leye,
Þei no thyng dide but disporte and playe,
And bathe & wasche hem in þe fresche ryuer,
And drank watrys þat were swote & clere,
Þat sprange lyche cristal in þe colde welle,
And toke riȝt nouȝt, but it were to selle.
It was no þing in her entencioun
Vn-to no wyȝte to done offencioun,
For to moleste or greuen ony wyȝt;
But þe ordre of Fortunys myȝt
Hath euere envy þat men lyue in ese,
Whos cours enhasteth vnwarly to dissese.
For sche was cause, God wotte, causeles,
Þis gery Fortune, þis lady reccheles,
Þe blynde goddesse of transmutacioun,
To turne her whele by reuolucioun
To make Troyens vniustly for to wene
Þat Grekys werne arived hem to tene.
So þat þe cause of þis suspecioun
Hath many brouȝt vn-to destruccioun.
Ful many worthi of kynges and of princes
Þoruȝ-oute þe worlde, rekned in provinces,
Werne by þis sclawnder vn-to myschief brouȝt,
For thing, allas, þat was neuer thouȝt.
For it was cause and occasioun
Þat þis cite and þis royal town
Distroied was, as it is pleynly fownde,
Whos walles hiȝe were bete down to grounde.
And many [a] man and many [a] worþi knyȝte
Were slawe þer, and many lady bryȝte
Was wydowe made by duresse of þis werre,
As it is kouthe and reported ferre;
And many mayde in grene & tender age
Be-lefte wer sool, in þat grete rage,
Behynd her fadris, allas, it falle schulde!
And for no þing but þat Fortune wolde
Schewen her myȝt and her cruelte,
In vengaunce takyng vp-on þis cite.
Allas, þat euere so worþi of estate
Schulde for lytel fallen at debate!
Whan it is gonne it is not lyȝt to staunche:
For of griffyng of a lytel braunche,
Ful sturdy trees growe[n] vp ful ofte;
Who clymbeth hyȝe may not falle softe;
And of sparkys þat ben of syȝt[e] smale,
Is fire engendered þat devoureth al;
And a quarel, first of lytel hate,
Encauseth flawme of contek and debate,
And of envie to sprede a-brod ful ferre.
And þus, allas, in rewmys mortal werre
[Is] First be-gonne, as men may rede and see,
Of a sparke of lytel enmyte,
Þat was not staunchid first whan it was gonne.
For whan þe fyre is so fer y-ronne,
Þat it enbraseth hertis by hatrede
To make hem brenne, hoot as any glede,
On ouþer party þoruȝ his cruel tene,
Þer is no staunche but scharp[e] swerdys kene,
Þe whiche, allas, consumeth al and sleth;
And þus þe fyne of enmyte is deth.
Þouȝ þe gynnyng be but casuel,
Þe fret abydyng is passyng[ly] cruel
To voide rewmys of reste, pees, and Ioye,
As it fil whilom of þis worthi Troye.
It doth me wepe of þis case sodeyne;
For euery wyȝt ouȝte to compleyne,
Þat lytel gylte schulde haue swyche vengaunce,
Except parcas þoruȝ goddys puruyaunce,
Þat þis mescheffe schulde after be
Folwyng per-chaunse of gret felicite.
For Troy[e] brouȝt vn-to destruccioun,
Was þe gynnyng and occasioun—
In myn auctor as it is specified—
Þat worthi Rome was after edefied
By þe of-spryng of worþi Eneas,
Whilom fro Troye whan he exiled was.
Þe whiche Rome, rede and ȝe may se,
Of al þe worlde was hed and chef cite,
For þe passyng famous worthinesse.
And eke whan Troye was brouȝt in distresse,
And þe wallis cast and broke down,
It was in cause þat many regioun
Be-gonne was, and many gret cite:
For þis Troyan, þis manly man Enee,
By sondri sees gan so longe saille,
Til of fortune he com in-to Ytaille,
And wan þat lond, as bookes tellen vs.
With whom was eke his sone Askanius,
Þat after Enee next be-gan succede
The lond of Ytaille iustly to possede;
And after hym his sone Silvius,
Of whom cam Brute, so passyngly famus.
After whom, ȝif I schal nat feyne,
Whilom þis lond called was Breteyne;
For he of geauntys þoruȝ his manhood wan
Þis noble yle, and it first be-gan.
From Troye also, with þis ilke Enee,
Cam worthi Francus, a lord of hiȝe degre,
Whiche vp-on Rone, tencressen his renoun,
Bilt in his tyme a ful royal tovn,
Þe whiche sothly, his honour to avaunce,
After his name he made calle Fraunce;
And þus be-gan, as I vnderstond,
Þe name first of þat worthi lond.
And Anthenor, departyng from Troyens,
Gan first þe cite of Venycyens;
And Sycanus, with-Inne a lytel while,
Gan enhabite þe lond of Cecyle.
And after partyng of þis Sycanus,
His worthi brother, called Syculus,
So as I fynde, regned in þat yle;
And after hym it called was Cecille.
But Eneas is to Tuscy goon,
It tenhabite with peple riȝt anoon;
And in Cecille he Naplis first be-gan,
To whiche ful many Neopolitan
Longeth þis day, ful riche & of gret myȝt.
And Diomedes, þe noble worþi knyȝt,
Whan Troye was falle with his toures faire,
As to his regne he cast[e] to repaire,
His leges gan to feynen a querele
A-geyn[e]s hym, and schop hem to rebelle;
And of malys and conspiracioun,
Þei hym with-hilde bothe septer & crovn,
Her duete and her olde lygaunce,
And hym denye trouþe and obeissance.
Wher-for a-noon, so as bokes telle,
With al his folke he went[e] for to dwelle
Vn-to Callabre, and gan it to possede.
And [þer] þe knyȝtes of þis Dyomede,
Þat fro Troye han him þider swed,
To forme of briddes wern anon transmwed
By Cyrces crafte, douȝter of þe sonne,
And in þe eyr to fleen anoon þei gonne,
And called ben, in Ysidre as I rede,
Amonges Grekys briddes of Dyomede.
But as som bokys of hem ber witnesse,
Þis chaunge was made be Venus þe goddesse,
Of wrath sche had to þis worthi knyȝte;
Only for sche sawe hym onys fyȝte
With Eneas, hir owne sone dere.
At whiche tyme, as þei fauȝt I-fere,
And Diomede with a darte I-grounde
Gan hame at hym a dedly mortal wounde,
His moder Venus gan anoon hym schroude
Vnder a skye and a mysty cloude,
To sauen hym þat tyme fro meschaunce.
And for þis skyl Venus took vengaunce:
In-to briddes to turne his meyne.
And in þat forme fro ȝer to ȝer þei fle
Vn-to his towmbe, wher as he is graue.
So vp-on hym a mynde ȝit þei haue,
Þat of custom for a remembraunce,
A rite þei holde and an observaunce
At his exequies, þise briddes euerychon,
A dayes space, and þennys nouȝt ne gon.
And ouer-more, as it to hem is dwe,
Þei loue Grekis, and platly þei eschewe
Latyns alle, for ouȝt þat may be-tyde:
For þei present, a-noon þei flen aside;
And eche from other, as bokys vs assure,
Þis briddes knowe, only of nature,
Grekys and Latyns kyndely assonder,
Whan þei hem seen: þe whiche is swiche a wonder
Vn-to my witte, þat I can nouȝt espie
Þe causys hid of swiche sorcerye—
But wel I wot, þouȝ my wit be blent,
Þat rote of al was fals enchauntement.
But of our feithe we ouȝte to defye
Swiche apparencis schewed to þe eye,
Whiche of þe fende is but illusioun—
Her-of no more. & þus whan Troie tovn
Euersed was, and I-brouȝt to nouȝt,
Ful many cite was I-bilt and wrouȝt,
And many lond and many riche tovn
Was edified by thocasioun
Of þis werre, as ȝe han herde me telle.
Whiche to declare now I may not dwelle
From point to point, lyche as bokis seyn,
For to Iason I wil resorte ageyn,
Þat londed is with worthi Hercules
At Symeonte, þe hauene þat he ches,
As I haue tolde, to reste hem & counforte,
And for not elles but only to disporte.
But to þe kyng, regnyng in Troye town,
Þat was þat tyme called Lamedown,
Of fals envy reported was and tolde,
How certeyn Grekis wern of herte bolde
To entre his lond, þe whiche þei nat knewe,
Wel arrayed in a vessel newe.
Whiche to arryve had[de] no lycence,
And hem purpose [for] to doon offence,
Be liklyhed, and his lond to greue:
For þei of pryde, with-outen any leue
Or safcondyte, han þe stronde y-take;
And swiche maistries on þe lond þei make,
As in her power wer alle maner thyng,
Havyng no rewarde pleynly to þe kyng;
Of his estat take þei noon hede.
Of swyche straungeris gretly is to drede,
Ȝiffe men be laches outher necligent
Fully to wit what is her entent,
But furthe prolong, & no pereil caste:
Swiche sodeyn þing wolde be wist as faste,
And nat differrid til þe harme be do;
It wer wisdam þat it were seie to:
Men may to long suffryn and abyde
Of necligence for to lete slyde
For to enqueren of her gouernaunce.
Þis was þe speche and þe dalyaunce,
Eueryche to other by relacioun,
In euery strete thoruȝ-oute Troye tovn.
Somme rovnyng & somme spak a-brood;
And þis speche so longe þer a-bood
From on to a-nother, sothly, þat þe sovn
Reported was to kyng Lamedovn,
As ȝe han herde, þe whiche of wilfulnesse,
With-out[e] counsail or avisenesse,
To hast[i]ly maked hath his sonde,
To wit how þei wern hardy for to londe
Be-syde his leue, of presumpcioun.
Wher-fore he bad, in conclusioun,
With-oute abood sone to remwe,
Or finally þei schulde nat eschewe
To be compellid, mavgre who seith nay.
And so þe kyng, vp-on a certeyn day,
In haste hath sent his embassatour
Vn-to Iason, of Grekys gouernour,
Þat novther thouȝt harme nor vylonye,
But Innocent, with his companye,
Disported hym endelong þe stronde,
And euer hath do sethen he cam to londe.
And of þe charge þat he on hym leyde,
And word by word to Iason how he seide,
As in effecte with euery circumstaunce,
Þis was þe somme pleinly in substaunce:

Howe Kenge Lamedon, by vndiscret councele, sent his messenger to Iason to go owt of his lande.

“The wise, worthi, moste famus of renoun,
Þe myȝty kyng, þe noble Lamedoun,
Hath vn-to ȝow his message sent,
Of whiche theffect, as in sentement,
Is þis in sothe: þat he hath mervaille
In-to his londe of ȝour ariuaille,
Bryngyng with ȝow Grekys nat a fewe,
And haue no condyte with ȝow [for] to schewe,
Proteccioun, pleynly, nor lycence,
In preiudise of his magnificence.
Wherfore he hath on me þe charge leyde,
And wil to ȝow þat it be platly seyde,
Þat ȝe anoon, with-oute more delay,
With-out[e] noyse, or any more affray,
Of Troye lond þe bowndis þat ȝe leve;
Or ȝow and ȝoures he casteth for to greve.
And bet it is with ese to departe,
Þan of foly ȝour lyues to Iuparte,
In any wyse, for lak of prouidence,
Ageyns his wille to make resistence,
Outher of pride or of wilfulnesse,
For to be bolde with-oute avisenesse
To interrupte his felicite;
For he desyreth in tranquillite
To holde his regne, with-oute parturbaunce.
In whos persone is made swyche aliaunce
Atwen his manhood & royal mageste,
Þat þei nyl suffre noon of no degre
Tenpugne his quiete in any maner wyse,
Wherfore I consaille, as ȝe seme wyse,
To taken hede vn-to þat I seye,
And his byddyng noȝt to disobeie,
Liste ȝe offende his kyngly excellence.
For ȝe schal fynde in experience,
With-oute feynyng, sothe al þat I telle;
Take hede, þerfor, I may no lenger dwelle
From poynt to poynt, syth ȝe be wis and sage,
For þis is hool þeffecte of my massage.”
Whan Iason herd of þe massanger
Þise wordes alle, he gan chaunge cher,
And kepte hym cloos, with sobre contenaunce,
And was nat hasty for Ire nor greuaunce;
For no rancour he cauȝte of his tale,
Saue in his face he gan to wexe pale,
Long abydyng or ouȝt he wolde seyn.
And or he spak any worde ageyn
Vn-to hym þat from þe kyng was sent,
He gan disclose þe somme of his entent
Vn-to his foolke stondyng ronde aboute;
For vn-to hem he discurede oute
Þe message hool, firste whan he abreide,
And worde by worde þus to hem he seyde:

Off the Answer of Iason to the messenger of Lamedown.

“Sirs,” he seyth, “to ȝow be it knowe—
Taketh hede, I praye, both hyȝ and lowe—
How Lamedoun, þat is kyng of Troye,
Hath sent to vs a wonderful envoye,
Chargynge in haste to hyȝe oute of his lond;
And axeth how we vp-on þe stronde
For to arive hadden hardinesse,
With-oute leue: seth here his gentillesse,
And his fredam, þe whiche is nat a lite!
How lyche a kyng þat he can hym quite
Vn-to straungerys þat entren in his Ile
For nouȝt, God wot, but for a litel while
Hem to refresche, and departe anoon,
Lyche as ȝe can recorden euerychon,
And bere witnes, bothe alle and somme.
Allas, fredam, wher is it now be-com?
Where is manhood, and gentilnesse also,
Whiche in a kyng to-gidre bothe two
Schulde of custom han her restyng place?
And wher is honour, þat schulde also enbrace
A lordis hert, whiche of knyȝtly ryȝt,
Of manly fredam, with alle his fulle myȝt,
Schulde straungeris refresche and reconforte,
Þat aftir-ward þei myȝt of hym reporte
Largesse expert, manhood, and gentillesse,
Þat þei han founden in his worthinesse.
For ȝiffe noblesse wer of his allye,
And fredam eke knyt with his regalye,
So as longeth to honour of a kyng,
He schulde haue chargid, first of al[le] thing,
His worthi liges, with al þat myȝt[e] plese,
To haue schewed þe comfort and þe ese,
With al hir myȝt and her besy cure,
Vn-to straungeris þat of aventure
Wern in þe see dryuen and dismaied,
And of our comfort nat ben euel [a]payed.
For ȝif þat he in any cas semblable,
Outher by fortune þat is variable,
By sort or happe, þat may not be wiþ-stonde,
Arived had in-to Grekys londe,
More honestly, lyche to his degre,
He schulde of vs haue resseived be,
Lyche as it longeth vn-to genterie.
But syth þat he, for ouȝt I can espie,
Hath fredam, honour, and humanite
Atonys made oute of his courte to fle,
Chose dishonour and late worschip goon—
Þer is no more, but we schal euerychon,
Þat he hath chosen help[e] to fulfille,
Whan power schal nat be lyke his wille;
Þis [is] to seyne, and sothe it schal be founde,
Þat his dede schal on hym silfe rebounde—
Sith of malys he hath þis werke be-gonne—
Paraventure or þe somer sonne
Þe sodiak hath thries gon aboute.
For late hym trust, & no þing ben in doute,
We schal hym serue with swyche as he hath souȝt;
For ȝif I lyue it schal be dere abouȝt,
Al-be þer-of I sette as now no tyde.
And in his lond I nyl no lenger byde
Til I haue leiser better to soiorne.”
And with þat worde he gan anoon to turne
With manly face and a sterne chere
Sodeynly vn-to þe massangere,
Þat fro þe kyng was vn-to hym sent;
And in þis wyse he scheweth his entent:

How Iason and Hercules toke displeasure with Kyng Lamedowne of Troye, gyuyng his messanger knowlege of their next commynge to gyue hym batayle For his vndiscreet commaundement.

“My frende,” quod he, “I haue wel vnderstande
Þe massage hool, þat þou toke on honde,
Of þi kyng to bryng[en] vn-to vs
Riȝt now vnwarly; & syth it standeth þus,
Þat I haue his menyng euerydel
From point to point, & vnderstonde it wel—
For word by worde I haue it plein conseived,
And þe ȝiftes þat we han resseived
On his by-halue in our gret[e] nede,
I wil remembre, and take riȝt gode hede
To euery þing þat þou hast vs brouȝt.
For trust[e] wel þat I forȝete it nouȝt,
But enprente it surly in my mynde;
And with al þis, how goodly þat we fynde
Þe gret[e] bounte in al maner thing,
With-in þis lond of Lamedoun þi kyng:
His wolcomyng and his gret[e] cher,
And goodly sond þat þou bryngist her,
Nat accordyng [vn-]to oure entent;
For God wel wot, þat we neuer ment
Harme vn-to hym, nor pleinly no damage
To noon of his of no maner age.
And her-vppon þe goddis inmortal,
Þat of kynde ben celestial,
Vn-to recorde with al myn hert I take;
And touchyng þis my borwys I hem make,
In witnessyng we ment[e] noon offence,
Ne toke nat, as by violence,
With-in his rewme of womman, child, nor man;
And so þou maist reporte ȝif þou can—
But for þat we, fordriuen in þe se,
Compellid wern of necessite
For to ariue, as þou haste herd me seyn,
Only to reste vs her vp-on þe pleyn,
With-oute more, vn-to a certeyn day,
And after-ward to holde furþe our way
Vp-on our Iorneye, & make no tariyng,
Liche as þou maist recorde to þi kyng—
And seye hym eke he schal þe tyme se
Þat he par-avnter schal mow þanked be,
Whan tyme comyth, by vs or by som other:
Go furthe þi waye, & seie hym þus, my brother.”
And þan anoon, as Iason was in pes,
Þe manly knyȝt, þe worþi Hercules,
Whan he had herd þis þing fro poynt to point,
He was anoon brouȝt in swyche disioint
Of hasty rancour and of sodeyn Ire,
Þe whiche his hert almost set afire,
Þat sodeynly, as he abreyde abak,
Of hiȝ disdeyn euen þus he spak,
With cher askoyn vn-to þe messanger,
And seide, “felaw, be no þing in wer
Of our abidyng, but be riȝt wel certeyn,
Þat or Tytan his bemys reise ageyn,
We schal depart and to schip[pe] goon;
Þat of oure men þer schal nat leuen oon
With-Inne þis lond, &, God to-forn, to-morwe.
And her-vp-on haue her my feith to borwe;
For we no lenger schal holden her soiour,
For elles-wher we schal make our retour
To-morwe erly in þe daw[e]nyng,
Vp peyne of repref; and so go seie þi kyng.
And or thre ȝere, ȝif God vs graunt[e] lyf,
Maugre who gruccheþ or makeþ any strif,
Vn-to þis lond we schal a-geyn retourne,
And caste anker a while to soiourne:
Take hede, þerfore, and note wel þe tyme;
A newe chaunge schal folwen of þis pryme—
And þanne his power schal not so large strecche;
Of his saufconduit lytel schal we recche.
I seie þe platly, as is oure entent,
We wil not haue [vn-]to his maundement
But lytel reward, and we þat day abide;
For takyng leue schal be set a-syde,
Be-cause he hath now be-gonne a play
Which we schal quite—be God, ȝif [þat] I may!—
Þat torne schal in-to his owne schame;
And spare nouȝt to seie þi kyng þe same.”
Þis massanger þan gan ageyn replye,
And seide, “syr, ȝe may me not denye
Of honeste my massage to declare;
A-vise ȝow, for I wil not spare
Þe kynges sonde pleynly for to telle.
And wher-so be ȝe lyst to goon or dwelle,
Ȝe may ȝit chese, who so be lefe or lothe;
Ȝe haue no cause with me to be wroth;
For it sit not vn-to ȝour worthines,
Yffe ȝe take hede be weye of gentilnes,
Of manassyng swiche arwes for to schete;
For more honest it were ȝoure þretyng lete,
And kepe secrete til ȝe ben at ȝour large.
For certeinly no parcel of my charge
Is to striue with ȝow or debate.
But bet it is by-tymes þan to late,
Þat ȝe be war for harme þat myȝt[e] fale.
And for my parte, I saie vn-to ȝow alle,
It were pite þat ȝe distroied were,
Or any man hyndre schulde or dere
So worþi persones, in any maner wise,
Whiche ben so likly to be discret & wise;
And list with wordis as now I do ȝou greue,
I saye no more, I take of ȝow my leue.”

Howe Iason and Hercules departede from the bowndes of Troy towarde Calcos londe.

The nyȝt ypassed, at springyng of þe day,
Whan þat þe larke with a blissed lay
Gan to salue the lusty rowes rede
Of Phebus char, þat so freschely sprede
Vp-on þe bordure of þe orient;
And Aurora, of hert and hool entent,
With þe swetnes of hir siluer schoures
Bedewed had þe fresche somer floures,
And made þe rose with new[e] bawme flete,
Þe sote lillye and þe margarete
For to vnclose her tender leuys white,
Oppressed hertes with gladnes to delyte
Þat drery wern aforn of nyȝtes tene;
And hony-souklis amonge þe buschis grene
Enbamed hadde enviroun al þe Eyr;
Longe or Titan gan maken his repeire,
With þe briȝtnes of his bemys merye
For to reioische al oure Emysperye:
For longe a-forn, or he dide arise,
Þis worthi Iason in ful hasty wyse,
And his felawe Hercules also,
I-charged han hir schipmen haue a-do
To hale vp anker and hem redy make;
And bad in haste euery man to take
Þe riȝt[e] weye vn-to schippe a-noon.
For in sothnes, þis manly man Iason
Þouȝt he was not stuffid of meyne
To gynne a werre on Troye þe cite;
For he was not, schortly to conclude,
Egal in noumbre nor in multitude,
As for þat tyme, a werre to be-gynne.
It was not likly þat he schulde wynne
Victorie as tho, for þei wer but a fewe;
And it is not holsom a man to hewe
Abouen his hed, whan it is ouere hiȝe,
List þe chippis wil fallen in his eye.
Wherfore of Frygye þei leue þe costis blyue;
þei lifte vp sail; þe schip be-gan to driue;
Þe wynde was good; þe goddys fauourable;
Fortune her frende, þouȝ sche be variable.
And þus to Colchos safe þei ben y-come,
And vn-to londe, boþen al and some,
Þei ben arived in a lytel space;
For in þe see þei haue founden grace
Of Neptunus, þat caused hem as blive,
As I seide her, at Colchos for tarive.
Now in þis Ile, and þis litel londe,
Þat Colchos hiȝt, ȝe schal vnderstonde,
How þat þer was a rial chef cite,
In al þat reigne moste of dignyte,
Of worthines, of ryches, and of fame,
And Iachonytos þat tyme bar þe name—
Chevest of alle, to spekyn of bildyng,
And stretes large and corious howsyng,
And þer-with-al dyched wel with-oute,
Strong[e] wallid & toured rounde aboute,
Of huge heiȝte and aboue batailled,
Maskued also, lyst þei wer assailed,
With many palys, staatly and royal,
For [þer] þe sete was most principal,
Þe kyng to abide bet þan elles-wher;
And þat tyme it happed hym be þere.
And he was callyd Cethes, as I rede,
Ful renomed of knyȝthood and manhede,
And had aboute hym a wel beseyn meyne,
Lyche as was sytting vn-to his degre;
And euery-wher, londys enviroun,
Þe fame spradde of his hiȝe renoun.
And al aboute þis myȝti chefe cite,
Wher as Cethes helde his royal se,
Wer fresche ryuers, of whiche þe water clene
Liche cristal schon ageyn þe sonne schene,
Fair[e] playnes, as Guydo bereth witnes,
And holsom hylles ful of lustines,
And many laye and many lusty welle.
And þer wer eke, my auctor can ȝou telle,
Ful many a parke, ful feir and fresche to sene,
And many wode & many medowe grene,
With sondri floures amonge þe herbes meynt,
Whiche on her stalke nature hath depeynt
With sondri hewes, with-Innen and with-oute,
After þe sesoun of somer cam aboute.
For fyschyng, foulyng, & haukyng eke also,
For venerie and huntyng bothe two,
Þe place was inly delittable;
Of corn and greyne passyngly greable,
And plenteuous in al maner thing.
For þer men herde þe briddes freschely syng
In tyme of ȝere in her armonye,
Þat þe noyse and soote melodye
On fresche braunches, ful delicious,
Reioische wolde þise folkis amerous,
Whom louys brond hath fired to þe hert,
And adawen of her peynes smert,
Þat certeinly whan þat grene ver
I-passed were, ay fro ȝer to ȝer,
And May was com, þe monyth of gladnes,
And fresche Flora, of flouris emperes,
Hadde clad þe soile new at her devise,
Þis noble place was like a paradyse.
And Ceres, goddesse of largesse and foysoun,
Swyche plente ȝaf vn-to þat regioun,
Of flesche, fische, vyn, vitaille, and corne,
Þat þe licour of her ful[le] horne
Vp-on þat lond so gan reine and snowe,
Þat alle estatis, bothe hiȝe and lowe,
Ladden her lyf in souereyn suffisaunce,
With al þat Nature coude or myȝt avaunce
Þis litel Ile with her giftes grete,
Lyche as to-forn ȝe haue herde me trete.
For þer was plente, & þer was abundaunce,
And þer was al þat myȝt[e] do plesaunce
To any herte, and al commodite.
And so bifel, that to þis cite
Iason is come, and with hym Hercules,
And after hem foloweth al þe pres,
Ful wel arraied and rially beseyn,
Armys enclosed to-gydre tweyn & tweyn—
A peple chose as it wer for þe nonys;
And þer-with-al of brawnys & of bonys,
Eueryche of hem of makyng and fasioun
Ful wel complete by proporcioun,
Ȝong of age and of good stature,
Of countenaunce sad and ful demwre,
Þat euery wyȝt had[de] gret plesaunce
To sen þe maner of her gouernaunce:
So ȝong, so fresche, hardy [and] meke also.
And al attonys þei to þe paleys goo
With swiche a cher, þat eueryche hath disport
To sen þe maner of her noble port.
So gentilmanly þei demened were,
Þat þe peple gan presen euery-where
To sen þis straungeris, lyche þe Grekis gyse,
Demene hem silfe in so thrifty wyse;
And of desyre þe peple nolde cesse
Abouten hem to gadren and empresse,
And to enquere what þei myȝt[e] be,
Þat of newe with swiche rialte
Ben sodeynly entred in-to towne.
Þus eueryche wolde with his felawe rowne;
Þei wern so rude to staren and to gase,
To gape & loke, as it wer on a mase;
Þis townysche folk do so comownly
On euery þing þat falleth sodeinly.
But how þat Cethes, liche a worthi kyng,
Whanne þat he herde first of her comyng,
Receyveth hem and hooly þe maner,
Ȝiffe þat ȝe liste, anoon ȝe schal [it] here.

Howe Kenge Cethes of Calcos wirshipffully ressavith Iason and Hercules into his Cytee Called Iaconythes, wher þe Flees of golde was.

Whan þat þe kyng hath sothly vnderstonde
How þe Grekis comen wer to londe,
And how Iason was also þer-with-al,
Borne by discent of þe blood roial
Of Thessalye, and likly to ben eyr,
If he by grace haue ageyn repeyr,
Þe aventures acheved of Colchos,
Þe kyng anoon out of his se a-roos
Of gentilnes, in al þe haste he may,
In godely wyse to mete hem on þe way,
And hem receyveth with chere ful benyngne;
And vn-to hem anoon he doth assigne
His offyceris tawayte hem nyȝt and day,
Chargyng hem in al maner way,
Þat what-so-euer may to hem don ese,
Or any þing þat may hem queme or plese,
Þat þei it haue in foysoun and plente,
Eueryche of hem, lyche to his degre.
Þus he comaundeth in al maner þing.
And þan anoon þis noble worthi kyng,
As he þat was of fredam a merour,
Thoruȝ many halle and many riche tour,
By many tourn and many diuerse way,
By many gre made of marbil grey,
Hath hem conveied a ful esy pas,
Til he hem brouȝt þer his chambre was,
Wher he with hem helde his daliaunce.
And þer anoon with euery circumstaunce
Of manly fredam, he made to hem chere;
And in his chambre, englasid briȝt and clere,
Þat schon ful schene with golde & with asure
Of many ymage þat was þer in picture,
He hath commaunded to his officeris,
Only in honour of hem þat were straungeris,
Spicys and wyn, and after þat anoon,
Þe ȝonge fresche, þe lusty man Iason,
As faste gan be lycens of þe kyng
For to declare þe cause of his comyng.
But first þe kyng, with gret rialte,
Ascendid is in-to his royal se,
Clothis of gold hanged enviroun
After þe custom of þat regioun,
Þat to be-holde it was a noble syȝte,
Stondyng aboute many [a] worthi knyȝte
And many squier and many gentil man
Ful wel be-seyn; and þe kyng riȝt than,
Vn-to Iason, stondyng in presence,
Comaunded hath of his magnificence,
With Hercules to sitte dovn by-syde,
And Iason þan no lenger liste abyde
Of his comyng þe cause for to schewe,
Þeffecte of whiche was þis in wordis fewe—
Saue Iason, or he his tale gan,
Ful wel avised, and cherid lyche a man,
Conceyved hath and noted wonder wel
From point to point his mater euerydel,
And nat for-gat a word in al his speche;
But evene lik as rethorik doth teche,
He gan his tale so by crafte conveie
To make þe kyng, to þat he wolde seie,
Condescende, and rather to encline
For tassent þat he myȝt[e] fyne
Of his comyng þe knyȝtly hiȝe emprise,
Þus worde by worde as I schal her deuise:

Howe Iason purposede his instance in þe presence of Kenge Cethes of Colcos to grante him licence to darreyn batel for þe flees of golde.

“Ryȝt worthi prince, present in þis place,
Only with support of ȝour hiȝe grace,
And ȝour goodnes, most excellent and digne,
With pacience of ȝour fauour benigne,
Disple[se] it not þat I may seyn and schewe,
And declare with wordys but a fewe
Þe fynal grounde and cause of my comyng;
So þat ȝe list, whiche ben so noble a kyng,
In goodly wyse, with-oute more offence,
Benygnely to ȝeven audience
To my request, and [þat] ȝe nat disdeyne
Goodly to graunte þat I may atteyne
In þis Ile, ȝif it may availe,
Þe flees of gold frely for tassaile,
As þe goddys in þis auenture
List to ordeyne for my fatal ewere.
In whom lyth al, pleynly, and fortune,
For to gouerne thinges in comowne,
In werre and pees, conquest and victorie,
And of armys þe renoun and þe glorie,
Discomfeture & bringyng to outraunce—
Al lyth in hem to hyndren or avaunce—
Ageynes whos myȝt no mortal man may chese.
But for al þis, wheþer I wynne or lese,
Or life or dethe be fyn of my labour,
Ȝiffe þat ȝe list to done me þis fauour,
To geve me leue and no more delaie,
I am acorded fully for to assaye,
Liche as þe statut maketh mencioun.
Me liste to make noon excepcioun,
Vp-on no syde fauour for to fynde;
But as þe Rytys pleynly make mynde,
What euer falle, I schal hem vnderfonge,
Lawly besechyng þat ȝe nat prolonge
My purpos now, and maketh no delay,
But of ȝour grace setteth me a day
Myn emprise þat I may acheve;
For myn abood stant vp-on ȝour leue—
Seith but a worde of grauntyng at þe leste,
And þan I haue þe fyn of my requeste.”
And whan þe kyng had herd ceryously
Þentent of Iason, seide so manfully,
He stynt a litel, and kepte hym clos a while;
Til at þe laste he goodly gan to smyle
Toward Iason, and seyd[e] to hym þus:
“Iason,” quod he, “þouȝ þou be desyrous
To vnderfonge þis passyng hiȝe emprise,
Mi counsail is, liche as I schal deuise,
Ful pruden[t]ly for to caste a-forne
Þe mortal pereyl, or þat þou be lorne;
For in þis þing þer is a lawe set
Be enchauntement, þat may nat be let
Nor remedied, for fauour nor for mede.
For deth in soth, who so taketh hede,
Is þe guerdoun platly or þei twynne,
Of all þat caste hem þe flees of gold to wynne.
For help is noon in manhod nor fortune;
Þe streyte weye is so importune,
So dredful eke, and so ful of rage,
Þat saue dethe, þer is no passage,
Of victorie þe palme to conquere.
For sothly, Iason, as I schal þe lere,
Founded of old by merueillous wyrkyng
Ben þe statutes of þis mortal þing;
So sore bounde vnder my regalye
Þat þe rigour I may nat modefye.
Wherfore, Iason, or þou þis þing attame,
Liste afterward on me wer laide þe blame
Of þi lesyng or destructioun,
Of feythful hert and trewe entencioun
I warne þe, my siluen for to quite;
So þat no man iustly schal me wyte,
Þouȝe þou of ȝouþe & of wilfulnes
Þi silfe distroye, with-out avisenes,
Syth I aforne, of þis perillous cas,
From point to point haue tolde þe al þe cas.
Be now avised, and put no faute in me,
For þe surplus frely lyth in þe,
Of al þis þing, siþen þou maist chese;
And wher-so [be], þat þou wynne or lese,
No man to me it iustly may arrette:
For þe lawe þat Mars hym silfe sette,
No mortal man of due riȝt may passe;
For hiȝe nor lowe get noon other grace,
Þan þe goddys list for hym ordeyne,
What euere he be þat cast hym to darreyne
Þis diuerse þing, moste furious of drede.
Wherfore, Iason, how-euer þat þou spede,
I haue to þe openly declared
Holly þe pereil, and for no fauour spared,
As fer in sothe as resoun, wil, and riȝt;
For þou wost wel, it lyth nat in my myȝt
For to debarre, or any man to lette,
Þat of manhood knyȝtly cast to sette
Vp-on þis þing, as þou hast herde me telle.
What schulde I lenger in þis mater dwelle,
Iit wer but vayn, for now þou knowest al.
Be war of hir þat turneth as a bal;
For at þis tyme þou gest no more of me—
Do as þou list, I putte þe choyse in the.”
And with þat word the kyng ros vp anoon,
Vp-on þe tyme whan he schulde goon
Vn-to his mete, and Iason by his syde,
As ȝe schal here, ȝif ȝe liste abide.

Howe Kenge Cethes sent for his doughtire Medea to chere his straungers, to his owne damage.

The tyme aprocheþ, & gan to neiȝen faste,
Þat officeris ful besely hem caste
To make redy, with al her fulle cure,
And in þe halle þe bordis for to cure;
For by þe dyal þe hour þei gan to marke,
Þat Phebus southward was reised in his arke
So hiȝe alofte þat it drowe to noon,
Þat it was tyme for þe kyng to goon
Vn-to his mete and entren in-to halle.
And Cethes þanne, with his lordis alle,
And with his knyȝtes aboute hym euerecchon,
With Hercules, and also with Iason,
Is set to mete in his roial se,
And euerych lord, lyche to his degre.
But firste of alle, þis worþi man Iason
Assigned was, by þe kynge anoon,
For to sitten at his owne borde;
And Hercules, þat was so gret a lorde,
Was set also faste by his syde.
And þe marchal no lenger list abide
Tassigne estatis wher þei schulde be,
Liche as þei wern of hiȝe or low degre;
And after þat, on scafold hiȝe a-lofte,
Þe noyse gan, lowde & no þing softe,
Both of trompetis and of clariouneris.
And þer-with-alle þe noble officeris
Ful þriftely serued han þe halle,
Liche as þe sesoun þat tyme dide falle,
With alle deintes þat may rekned be;
Þat sothfastly þe foysoun and plente
Of knyȝtly fredam vn-to hiȝe and lowe,
So fulsomly gan to reyne and snowe,
Þat þoruȝ þe halle was þe manhod preised
Of þe k[i]ng, and his renoun reysed,
Þat can his gestis, sothly for to seye,
Whan þat hym liste, cheren and festeye
So liche a kyng, and in so þrifty wyse,
With al deinte þat man can deuise.
For at þis feste and solempnite,
Þe Grekis myȝt þe grete nobley se
Of kyng Cethes, and þe worthines,
And by reporte þer-of bere witnes
Wher-so þei com, after al her lyue.
I want[e] connynge, by ordre to discrive
Of euery cours þe diuersytes,
Þe straunge sewes and þe sotiltes
Þat wer þat day seruid in þat place.
Hath me excused, þouȝ I liȝtly passe,
Þouȝ I can not al in ordre seyn;
Myn englische is to rude and eke to pleyn
For to enditen of so hiȝe a þing.
But forthe I wil reherse how þe kyng
To schewe his gestis his nobley ouer al,
Hath for his douȝter sent in special,
And bad sche schulde forth anon be brouȝt.
Þe whiche in soth, þouȝ men had[de] souȝt
Þis world þoruȝ-out, I do ȝou plein assure,
Men myȝt haue founde no fairer creature,
More wommanly of port nor of manere,
Nor more demwr, nor sadder of hir chere,
Whos bewte was not likly for to fade.
And whan sche cam þe Grekis for to glade,
Þe halle in soth sche walkyth vp and down,
Of wommanhed and pure affeccioun
To make chere vn-to þe[se] gestis newe.
And þus Medea with hir rosene hewe,
And with freschenes of þe lyle white,
So entermedled of kynde be delite,
Þat Nature made in hir face sprede
So egally þe whyte with þe rede,
Þat þe medelyng, in conclusioun,
So was ennewed by proporcioun,
Þat finally excesse was þer noon,
Of neuer nouþer; for bothe two in oon
So Ioyned wer, longe to endure,
By thempres þat callyd is Nature.
For sche hir made lyke to hir deuise,
Þat to biholde it was a paradys,
In verray soth, bothe to oon and alle,
Of olde and ȝong syttyng in the halle.
Þer-to sche was, as by successioun,
Born to be eyr of þat regioun,
After hir fader, by discent of lyne,
Ȝif sche abide and dure after his fyne;
Syth he ne hadde by riȝt[e] to succede
Non eyr male þat I can of rede.
Sche was also, þe bok maketh mencioun,
Wexe vn-to ȝeris of discrecioun,
Able for age maried for to be;
And not-with-standyng also ek þat sche
Was of bewte and of wommanhede,
On þe faireste þat I can of rede,
Ȝit [n]oon of bothe han hir ȝouthe let,
Þat to clergye hir desire was set
So passyngly, þat in special,
In alle þe artis called liberal
Sche was expert & knowyng at þe beste;
It was hir ewre to konne what hir liste.
Of swyche a womman herde I neuer telle.
At Elicon sche drank so of þe welle,
Þat in hir tyme was þer noon semblable
I-founde in soth, ne noon þat was so able
To conceyve by studie and doctrine.
And of naturis disputen and termyne
Sche koude also, and þe causis fynde
Of alle þinges formed as by kynde;
Sche hadde in lernyng so hir tyme spent,
Þat sche knewe of þe firmament
Þe trewe cours, and of þe sterris alle,
And by her mevyng what þat schulde falle,
So expert sche was in astronomye.
But most sche wrouȝt by nygromauncye,
With exorȝismes and coniurisons;
And vsed also to make illusions
With hir charmys seide in sondri wyse;
And with rytis of diuerse sacrifice,
Encens and rikelis cast in-to þe fire,
To schewe þinges liche to hir desyre—
With gotis hornys and with mylke and blod,
Whan þe mone was equat and stood
In þe fifþe or þe seuenþe hous,
And was fortuned with lokyng gracious,
To chese an hour þat were conuenient
And fortunat, by enchauntement,
To make and werke sondry apparences:
So wel sche knewe þe heuenly influences
And aspectis, bothe wroþe and glade;
For sche by hem alle her þingis made
Þat appartene to swyche experimentis.
For whan hir list, by hir enchauntementis,
Sche koude make þe wyndes for to blowe,
To thondre and liȝte & to hayle and snowe,
And frese also, to greue men with peyne;
And sodeinly sche coude make it reyne,
Schewe what wedir þat hir liste to haue,
And gasten men with sodein erthe-quave,
And turne þe day vnwarly vn-to nyȝt;
And þanne anoon make þe sonne briȝt
Schewe his bemys, ful persyng and ful schene,
With goldene hornys, to voyde nyȝtes tene;
And reyse floodis, with many dredful wowe;
And whan hir list sche koude hem eft with-drawe.
Eke ȝonge trees to sere, rote and rinde,
And afterward make hem, agein[es] kynde,
With lusty braunchis blosme and budde newe;
Also in wynter with flouris fresche of hewe
Araye þe erþe and tapite hym in grene,
Þat to beholde a Ioye it was to sene;
With many colour schewyng ful diuerse,
Of white and rede, grene, ynde, and pers,
Þe day[e]s[y]e with hir riche croune,
And oþer floures, þat wynter made froune,
Vp-on her stalke freschely for tapere.
And sodeinly, with a dedly chere,
Sche koude somer in-to wynter torne,
Causyng þe day with mystes [for] to morne;
And olde men sche koude make ȝong,
And eft ageyn, or any her was sprong,
Sche koude hem schew boþe in hed & berd
Ful hor and grey, in craft sche was so lered.
And trees with frute sche koude make bare
Of rynde and lef, to do men on hem stare;
Clipse þe mone and þe briȝt[e] sonne,
Or naturally þei hadde her cours y-ronne
To hem approprid, whiche þei may not passe;
For ȝif þat Titan his cours by kynde trace,
Whan he meveth vnder þe cliptik lyne,
Þe clips mote folowe, as auctours list diffyne:
So þat þer be, by hir discripcioun,
Of bothe tweyne ful coniunccioun,
And þat þe sonne with his bemys rede
Haue his dwellyng in þe dragoun hede,
And þe mone be set eke in þe tail,
As by nature, þan it may nat feil
Þat þer mote falle Eclips of verray nede,
In sondri bokys liche as ȝe may rede,
Be-cause of certein intersecaciouns
Of diuerse cercles, and reuoluciouns,
Þat maked ben in þe heuene alofte,
Whiche causen vs for to faylen ofte
Of þe fresche comfortable stremys
Þat ben to vs yschad fro Phebus bemys.
For þe mone hath made deuisioun
By hir sodeyn interposicioun,
Þat of oure siȝt þe stremys visual
May nat be-holde, nor I-sen at al,
Nor to oure lust fully comprehende,
How Appollo is in his chare schynende,
As we wer wont a-fornhand for to se.
But of al þis þe grete Tholome,
Kyng of Egypte, telleth þe cause why,
With-Inne his boke ful compendyously,
Bothe of Eclips and coniunccioun,
And whi þei falle by natural mocioun.
But of Medee, þouȝ þis clerke Ouide,
Tencrese hir name vp-on euery syde,
List in his fables swyche þinges telle,
Þouȝ he of poetis was þe spring & welle:
Yit God forbede we schulde ȝif credence
To swyche feynyng, or do so hiȝe offence;
Syth of nature muste be denyed
Al swyche affermyng, and also ben diffied
Of euery cristen stedefast in bileue.
For certeinly it wolde hiȝly greue
Our conscience, in any wise wene,
Ageyn[e]s kynd, whiche is so hiȝe a quene,
Þat any wyȝt or lyvyng creature
Scholde haue power, I do ȝow pleyn assure,
So cursede þinges supersticious
To do or worche, to kynde contrarious.
For God almyȝti, Iuge of Iuges alle,
Hath sette a lawe, [þe] whiche may nat falle,
Amonge planetis perpetuelly tendure,
A-forn ordeyned in his eternal cure,
Þe whiche may nat, as clerkys list termyne,
Vp-on no syde bowe nor decline;
But as þei wern from discord or debat
Eternally yformed and creat,
Thoruȝ þe fynger of his sapience,
Alwey to meve in her intelligence
Lyche as þei ben to his lordschip bovnde.
For neuer ȝit ne was eclips y-fovnde,
Þe mone not beynge in coniunccioun,
As I haue tolde, saue in þe passioun;
Þe whiche eclips was ageyn[e]s kynde;
Nature her knot þat tyme dide vnbynde,
Whan Goddis sone starfe vp-on þe rode.
Þe sonne of life was dirked for oure goode,
Whan heuene and erþe with hiȝe compunccioun
Han signes schewed of lamentacioun,
By erþequaves liȝt turned to dyrknes,
And dede bodies vpward gan hem dresse
From her tombis ageyn fro deth to lyue;
Stoon and roche a-sonder gonne riue;
In þe temple þe veil was kut on two;
And signes many wern I-schewed tho—
Þat for wonder and tokenes merveilous,
Þe grete worþi Dionisius,
Whiche at Athens, as clerkis of hym wryte,
Was called in scolis Ar[y]opagite,
Þat whan he sawe—þis noble famus clerke—
Þe briȝt[e] day sodeynly so derke—
Al-þei he were a paynym in þo dawes,
And was infecte with rytys of her lawes,
As he þat was most chef and principal
Of philisophres, for to rekne al—
Yet þat tyme, astonyed in his mynde,
Seide platly: “ouþer [þe] god of kynde
Suffreth þe dethe, ouþer—out of doute—
Þis rounde worlde whiche is so large aboute
Schal be dissoluid and y-brouȝt to nouȝt
By sodeyn chawnge, hasty as a thouȝt.”
By his clergie he knewe no better skylle.
For God þat may al chaungen at his wille,
And hath power of swiche coaccioun,
Vnder whos myȝt and disposicioun
Is lawe of kynde constreyned, soth to seie,
From point to point lowly to obeye
In euery þing þat hym list ordeyne—
Of elementis he may þe cours restreyne,
As holy writ witnesseþ: ȝe may se
How at þe requeste of worþi Iosue,
Þe briȝt[e] sonne stood at Gabaon
A dayes space in O degre, and schoon,
Schewyng þis tokne to his trewe knyȝt,
Fynally for to ȝeue hym lyȝt,
Þat he myȝt by his hiȝe prowes
His cruel foon manfully oppresse,
Whan þat he fauȝt, þis knyȝt, þis Iosue,
With kingges fyve, reignyng in Amorre:
So longe laste þe pursute and þe chas,
Til þei were take, and for her trespas
Demp[t] to be ded, þe bible can ȝou telle.
Now syth þat God þus hiȝly list fulfille
Of his knyȝt requeste and orisoun,
What wonder wast þouȝ in þe passioun
Of Criste Iesu, incarnat for oure sake,
Þe sonne bemys þouȝ þei wexe blake;
Sith he hath lordschipe of planetis alle,
And as hym list nedis it mote falle.
For of Medea thouȝe Ovidius
In his fables rehersyth and writ þus,
As he þat liste hir name to exalte,
Ȝet from þe trouþe somwhile he doth halte,
Al-be sche were a passyng sorceresse,
And ferþest named of any chanteresse—
I wil passe ouer ageyn to my matere,
And how sche cam to mete ȝe schal here.
Whan hir fader hadde for hir sent,
Sche cam anoon at his comaundement;
But or sche cam, I fynde þat to-fore,
For to make hir bewte semyn more,
In hir closet sche toke hir beste array,
For to encrese al þat [euer] sche may
Natures wirke with royal apparaille.
For þis wommen gladly wil nat feylle,
Whan þei of bewte haue plentevous largesse,
To make it more þei don her besynesse,
With riche attire vppon euery syde;
Ȝif ouȝt be mysse, þei can it close and hide,
For al þe foule schal couertly be wried,
Þat no defaute outward be espied.
But sche was bothe fayre & wel beseyn,
And in hir port [so] wommanly certeyn,
Þat hir comynge gladeth al þe halle;
For it was Ioye vn-to oon and alle
To sen þe maner tho of hir entre.
To whom hir fader bad to take hir see
Be-syde Iason, hym for to disporte
Of wommanhede, and to recomforte.

Howe Medea first lovede Iason, and of þe insaciate change and mutabilite of women.

But o, allas, þer lakked hiȝ prudence,
Discret avis of inward prouidence,
Wisdam also, with pereil caste a-fore,
To trust a maide of tendre ȝeris bore,
Of vnhappy fonned wilfulnes!
For þis kyng, of his gentelnes,
Comaunded hath to his confusioun,
To his dishonour and destruccioun,
His owne douȝter, born to be his eyr,
Þat was also so wommanly and fair,
So sodeynly doune to descende—
Considered nat þe meschef of þe ende.
Allas, why durst he in hir ȝouthe affie,
To make hir sytten of his cortesie,
Wher sche myȝt by casuel mocioun
Ful liȝtly cacche or han occasioun
To don amys; allas, whi dide he so!
Why list hym nat taken hede þer-to,
Nor to aduerte in his discresioun,
Wysly to caste a-forn in his resoun
Þe vnwar chaunge þat is in wommonhed,
Whiche euery [wise] man ouȝt[e] for to drede!
For who was euer ȝit so mad or wood,
Þat ouȝt of resoun conne ariȝt his good,
To ȝeue feith or hastily credence
To any womman, with-oute experience,
In whom is nouther trust ne sikernesse.
Þei ben so double & ful of brotilnesse,
Þat it is harde in hem to assure;
For vn-to hem it longeth of nature,
From her birth to hauen alliaunce
With doubilnes and with variaunce.
Her hertes ben so freel and vnstable,
Namly in ȝouthe, so mevynge and mutable,
Þat so as clerkis of hem liste endite
(Al-be þat I am sori it to write)
Þei seyn þat chawng and mutabilite
Appropred ben to femyn[yn]yte—
Þis is affermed of hem þat were ful sage.
And speciali while þei be tender of age,
In her wexyng, and whan þat þei be ȝonge;
Whos herte acordeth ful selde with her tonge.
For if þe trouthe inwardly be souȝte,
With þe surpluse and remnaunte of her þouȝte,
Men may þer þe trewe patron fynde
Of Inconstaunce, whos flaskisable kynde
Is to and fro mevyng as a wynde,
Þat Hercules wer nat strong to bynde,
Nouther Sampson, so as I bileue,
Wommannes herte to make it nat remeve.
For as þe blase whirleth of a fire,
So to and fro þei fleen in her desire,
Til þei acomplische fulli her delite.
For as matere by naturel appetit,
Kynd[e]ly desyreth after forme,
Til he his course by processe may parforme,
So þis wommen restreyn[en] hem ne can
To sue her lust ay fro man to man.

Howe women be nevere content in lustes Abitite til þai han assaiede þe abitite of þere Eye. And þat is, fro man to man.

Þei wil not cesse til al be assaied;
But wolde God, as mater is apaied
With o forme, and holdeth him content,
Whan of his boundys he hath þe terme went,
And not desyreth ferther to procede,
But stille abitte and wil it nat excede,
Þat by ensa[m]ple alle womme[n] wolde
Resten in on, as duelly thei schulde,
And holde hem peyde and stille þer abide.
But vnsure fotyng doth hem ofte slide;
For þei be nat content with vnite:
Þei pursue ay for pluralite,
So of nature to mevyng þei be thewed;
Al-þouȝ amonge, by signes outward schewed,
Þei pretende a maner stabilnes;
But vnder þat is hid þe dowbilnes
So secretly, þat outward at þe eye
Ful harde it is þe tresoun to espie.
Vnder curteyn and veil of honeste,
Is closed chaunge and mutabilite;
For her desyr is kepte ful cloos in mewe;
And þing þei hadde leuest for to sewe,
Only outward for to haue a laude,
Þei can decline with feynyng and with fraude.
Wherfore, Cethes, þi wit was to bareyne,
Þat þou aforne by prudence naddist seyne
What schulde folwe of þis vnhappy caas.
Whi wer þou bolde for to suffre, allas,
Þin owne douȝter, so fair and fresche of hewe,
With straunge gestis entred but of newe,
So folily for to lete hir dele!
Wher-þoruȝ þin honour, þi worschip, & þin hele
Was lost in haste, and sche to meschef brouȝt,
In straunge londe, with sorwe and myche þouȝt.
Wher as sche to grete sclaunder of þe,
In gret miserie and aduersite
An ende made; and þou wer lefte al sool.
Þou myȝtest wel compleyne and make dool.
Allas þe while, ȝif in þi prudent syȝt
Þou haddest grace to remembre ariȝt,
And to haue cast by discret purvyaunce,
And weied wysely by mesour in balaunce
Þe fraude of wommon, and þe fre[e]lte;
In whom ful selde is any sikerte,
As in [his] latyn Guydo dothe expresse.
Wherfor, þou Cethes, of verray reklesnesse
Þou hast attonys, in augment of þi woo,
With-out recure bothe two for-goo:
Firste þi tresour, and þi douȝter dere,
Þat was to þe so passyngly entere,
And eke þin ayre; for whan þat sche was goon,
As seithe myn auctor, other was þer noon,
After þi day for to occupie
Þi royal septre, nor þi lond to guye.
But what was worþ þe gret[e] prouidence,
Þe wakir kepyng, or besy diligence
Of myȝti Mars, þat god is of bataile—
What myȝt it help, diffende, or availe
Ageyn þe wit of womman, or þe sleiȝte;
Whos fraudes arn of so huge a weiȝte,
Þat as hem list ay þe game gothe,
Her purpos halt, who so be lefe or lothe—
Þei ben so sliȝe, so prudent, and so wyse!
For as þis story plainly doth devise,
Þis Medea by hir engyne and crafte,
From hir fader his tresour hath berafte
Þoruȝ þe werchyng of hir sleiȝty gyle,
As ȝe schal her with-Inne a lityl while.
For as sche sat at mete in þat tyde,
Next hir fader, and Iason by hir syde,
Al sodeinly hir fresche rosen hewe
Ful ofte tyme gan chaunge and renewe,
An hondrid sythe in a litel space.
For now þe blood from hir goodly face
Vn-to hir hert vnwarly gan avale,
And þere-with-al sche wexe ded and pale;
And efte anoon, who þat can take hed,
Hir hewe chaungeth in-to a goodly red.
But euere amonge tennwen hir colour,
Þe rose was meynt with the lillie flour;
And þouȝ þe rose stoundemele gan pase,
Ȝit þe lillie abideth in his place
Til nature made hem efte to mete.
And þus with colde and with sodein hete
Was Medea in hir silfe assailled,
And passyngly vexed and trauailed.
For now sche brent, and now sche gan to colde,
And ay þe more þat sche gan beholde
Þis ȝong Iason, þe more sche gan desyre
To loke on hym, so was sche sette a-fire
With his bewte and his semlynesse;
And euery þing sche inly gan enpresse,
What þat sche sawe, bothe in mynde & þouȝt,
Sche al enprente[t]h, and for-gat riȝt nouȝt;
For sche considereth euery circumstaunce
Bothe of his port, and his gouernaunce:
His sonnysshe here, crisped liche gold wyre,
His knyȝtly loke and his manly chere,
His contenaunce with many noble signe,
His face also, most gracious and benigne,
Most acceptable vn-to hir plesaunce;
For, as sche þouȝt, it was suffisaunce,
With-outen more, vn-to hir allone,
To considre and loke on his persone.
For in þat tyme, with-outen any drede,
Of mete or drinke sche toke but litel hede;
For sche of food hath loste hir appetit,
To loke on hym sche hath so gret delite,
He was so prented in hir remembraunce.
Loue hath hir cauȝt so newli in a traunce,
And y-marked with his firy brond,
Þat sche may nouȝt eskapen fro his hond,
Nor eschewe his strok in special;
For sche was ȝolde body, herte, and al,
Vn-to Iason, platly for to seye,
And euere among on hym sche cast hir eye,
Whan þat sche fonde a leyser oportune.
But of wisdam sche wolde nat contvne
Hir loke to longe, list men dempte amys;
But as þe maner of þis wommen is,
Sche kepte hir cloos and wonderly secree,
Þat by hir chere no man myȝt[e] see
What þat sche ment, by noon occasioun.
Sche put hem out of al suspeccioun;
For openly þer was no tokne sene.
Sche cast[e] rather þat men schulde wene
Þat þenchesoun of hir abstinence,
And why þat sche satte so in silence—
How þat it was only of wommanhede,
Of honest schame, and of chaste drede,
Þat to-gidre in hir hert[e] mette;
Þe whiche tweyn so þis maide lette
Fro mete and drink, as it wolde seme.
Þus of wisdam sche made hem for to deme,
And so to cast in hir opinioun;
And þus sche blent hem by discrecioun;
For hir chere koude euery þing excuse.
Sche ȝaf no mater folis for to muse,
No cher vnbridled þat tyme hir asterte;
For þer was oon enclosed in hir herte,
And another in her chere declared.
For maidenes han ofte sythes spared
To schewen oute þat þei desyre in dede,
As it falleth, who so can take hede;
Þat whil þei flouren in virginite,
And for ȝouthe haue no liberte
To specifie þat her hert[e] wolde,
Þei kepe hem cloos, for þei be nat bolde
To schewen out þe somme of her sentence.
And þus Medea, kepyng ay silence,
Ne lete no worde by hir lippis passe,
But couertly with sobre chere and face,
What sche ment scheweþ with hir Eye
So secretly þat no man koude espie
Þe hoote fire in hir breste y-reke;
And in hir self riȝt þus sche gan to speke,
As sche in sothe þat so moche can:
“So wolde God, þis ȝonge lusty man,
Whiche is so faire and semly in my siȝte,
Assured were to be myn owne knyȝte.
Whiche is to me most plesaunt and entere,
With berd y-sprong, schy[n]ing liche gold were,
So wel I-lemed, and compact by mesure,
Wel growe on heiȝte, and of gode stature;
And lyketh me in euery part so wel,
Þat by assent of Fortune and hir whele,
I ewred were to stonden in his grace.
For as me semeth, on his knyȝtly face
It is to me an heuene to by-holde,
Al-be þer-with myn hert I fele colde;
And ȝit in soth it may noon other be.
Allas! whi nadde he vp-on my wo pite,
Or, at þe leste, he knewe in his entente,
How moche trowth to hym þat I mente!
Of whiche, allas, he taketh no maner hede,
Al-be for hym I brenne as doth þe glede,
And to be ded I dar me not discure.
Alas! my pitous and woful aventure
Is to rewful, and my mortal peyne,
So to be mordred, and dar me not compleyne
To frende nor foo of my chaunce, allas!
To finden help or socour in þis caas.
And trew[e]ly, ȝit as I schal deuise,
I no þing mene but in honest wise,
Liche as it schal openly be fownde;
For I desire to be knet and bounde
With hym in wedlok, & neuer fro hym twynne;
For my menyng is with-owten synne,
Grounded and set vp-on al clennes,
With-oute fraude or any doubilnes—
So clene and pure is myn entencioun!”
Loo, ay þe maner and condicioun
Of þis wommen, þat so wel can feyne,
And schewen on, þouȝ þe[i] þink[e] tweyne;
And couertly, þat no þing be seyn,
With humble chere and with face pleyn,
Enclose her lustis by swyche sotilte,
Vnder [þe] bowndis of al honeste
Of hir entent, þouȝ þe trecherie
With al þe surplus vnder be y-wrye.
And þouȝ þat þei feith a-forn pretende,
And can her fraude with florissyng wel diffende,
And flaterie, only þe worlde to blende,
With dowbilnes enclosed in the ende,
Ȝit ay deceyt is benethe ment,
Vndre þe sugre of feyned clene entent,
As it were soth, in verray existence;
But, trust me wel, al is but apparence.
Þei can schewe on, and another mene,
Whos blewe is liȝtly died in-to grene;
For vnder floures depeint of stabilnes,
Þe serpent dareth of newfongilnes.
So pleyne þei seme with wordis fair[e] glosed,
But vnder-nethe her couert wil is closed;
For what þing be most vn-to þer pay,
Þei wil denye and rathest þer swere nay.
Þus liketh Guydo of wommen for tendite.
Allas, whi wolde he so cursedly write
Ageyn[e]s hem, or with hem debate!
I am riȝt sory in englische to translate
Reprefe of hem, or any euel to seye;
Leuer me wer for her loue deye.
Where-fore I preye hem to take in pacience;
My purpos is nat hem to done offence;
Þei ben so gode and parfyte euerechon,
To rekne alle, I trowe þer be nat on,
But þat þei ben in wille and hert[e] trewe.
For þouȝ amonge þei chese hem lovis newe,
Who considreth, þei be no þing to blame;
For ofte tyme þei se men do þe same.
Þei most hem purveie whan men hem refuse;
And ȝif I koude I wolde hem excuse.
It sitteth nat a womman lyue alone;
It is no stor but þei haue more þan oon.
Preying to hem for to do me grace,
For as I hope, to hem is no trespas
Þouȝ my makyng be þe same in al,
As Guydo wryt in his original—
Where he mysseyth, late hym bere þe wyte;
For it sit wel, þat þe vengaunce byte
On hym þat so þis wommen haþ offendid;
And ȝif I myȝt it schul[de] ben amendid.
He schulde reseyue duely his penaunce;
For ȝif he died with-oute repentaunce,
I am dispeired of his sauacioun,
Howe he schulde euer haue remissioun,
But he were contrite his synne to redresse;
It may not ben, as clerkys bere wytnesse.
And be my trouthe, and he were alyue—
I mene Guydo—and I schulde hym shryue,
So bitter penaunce pleynly he schulde haue,
Þat to þe tyme þat he were I-graue,
He schulde remembre, and platly not asterte
For to repente hym with al his hol[e] herte,
Þat he so spake to his confusioun.
I wil no lenger make digressioun
Fro my matere, but let Guydo be,
And telle forþe þe worching of Medee,
Þat hath licence of hir fader nome,
And to hir chaumbre is allone y-come,
Whan oute of halle with-drawen was þe pres,
And whan Iason, and also Hercules,
Liche as þe kyng after mete bad,
To her chaumbres conveied wern and lad,
Ful rially arrayed and beseyn;
For euery wal was cured in certeyn
With clothe of golde, in ful statly wyse.
And in þis while, as ȝe han herde deuise,
Was Medea to hir chaumbre goon,
Wher by hir silf, compleynyng euer in oon,
Sche ȝaf issu to hir peynis smerte,
Þat hir so sore han wounded to þe herte:
For Loue haþ brouȝt hir in a sodeyn rage,
Þat was not likly sone for taswage;
For in sothenes, þe furious god Cupide
Hath swiche a fir kyndeled in her side,
Þat it was neuer likly hir to lete,
So violent and fervent was þe hete,
Þat mor an[d] mor encresen gan hir peyne.
For in hir breste þer was atwixe tweyne
A gret debate, and a stronge bataille,
So feruently eche other dide assaile;
And þis contek, in ernes and no game,
Iuparted was betwixe Loue and Schame,
Metyng to-gidre þer at vn-set stevene,
Al-be þe felde was nat parted evene.
For Loue in soth, ful of hiȝe renoun,
Was bolde and hardy, liche a fers lyoun,
And was nat ferful of spere, swerde, nor knyf,
But hoot and hasty for to awnter his lif,
Eke surquedous, stout, and ful of pride,
Chefe champioun of þe god Cupide,
Þat causeth ofte, bothe fre and bonde,
Ful many pereil for to take on honde.
And caused hath ful many mannes dethe,
And many on to ȝelden vp þe brethe,
And made her woundes largely to blede;
For of pereil Loue taketh noon hede,
To gete hym honour by excellence of fame.
But in contraire his enmy called Schame,
Liche a coward, feynt and hert[e]les,
As he þat neuer dar put hym self in pres,
For lak of manhod drawiþ hym euer a-bak;
He is so dredful and ferful of þe wrak,
Lyche a childe, ȝong and tender of age;
For he hath nouther herte nor corage
For to assaille, he is so feble of myȝte;
And ȝit ful ofte he hath stonde in þe siȝte
Of many louer, to let hym for to spede,
Þoruȝ fals conspiring of his broþer Drede.
For Drede and Schame, whan þei ben allied,
Of on assent haue pitously denyed
Vn-to Loue, herte and hardines,
Þat he ne durst out a worde expres;
For whan þat Loue of manhod wolde speke,
Þe wode fire out of his brest to vnreke,
Vp-on þe point whan he schulde assey,
Cometh Schame anoon, & outterly seith nay,
And causeth Loue hornys for to schrynke,
To [a]baische his chere & pitously to wynke,
Cowardly his cause to appeire.
And þus is Schame froward and contrayre,
Þoruȝ help of Drede, Lovis folk to fere.
For dowt[e]les ȝif Schame nouȝt ne were—
As it is kouþe, boþe niȝ and ferre—
Love in his lawes often schulde erre,
And wynden out of honeste[e]s cheyne,
Of his boundis bridel breke a reyne,
Ryȝt as an hors out of þe traise at large;
For lite or nouȝt louers wolde charge
To folwe her wille, and her lust to sewe;
But al þe while [þat] Schame is kept in mewe,
Outward in porte Loue bereth hym lowe:
Recorde of wommen, for þei þe sothe knowe.
For ne were Schame, as clerkys han compiled,
Out of her hertis daunger were exiled,
Al straungenes and feyned fals disdeyne.
For ne were Schame pleinly þe wardeyne
Of þis wommen, by writyng of þis olde,
With-out assaut þe castel were y-ȝolde;
It were no nede a sege for to leyn:
For in swyche case longe trete were in veyne;
For of nature þei loue no processe.
But now, allas, Drede & Schamefastnesse
Han daunted Loue, in ful lowe manere,
And maked hym ful humble of port & chere;
And þei han eke by her violence,
For al his manhod, put hym in silence,
And ben gret cause of moring of his peyne.
And amyddes of þis ilke tweyne,
Of Loue and Schame even vp-on þe point,
Stood Medea in ful gret disioynt,
Þat sche ne may þe peyne nat endure,
So hoot sche brent, þis woful creature,
By-twyxe bothe—I mene Loue and Schame.
For whan þat Loue wolde eny þing attame
Of his desires to declare hem oute,
Cam Schame anoon, and put him in [a] doute;
And Drede was redy his lust for to denye.
And þus sche stood in a Iupardye
Of Loue and Schame, in maner of a traunce,
Vn-euenly hanged in balaunce;
For Schame was gret, & Loue ȝit was more,
As sche wel knewe, by hir siȝes sore,
And by hir stormy cruel aventure.
For Drede and Schame durst[e] not discure
Þe fire þat Loue had in hir brest enclosed,
Whiche was ful harde for to be deposed.
And þus sche henge euen atwixe two,
Þat sche ne wist what was best to do;
Til þat Fortune with hir double face
Vnhappily hath wrouȝt to gete hir grace,
With þe whirlyng of hir whele aboute,
Þat causeth wrecches ful lowe doun to loute,
Whan þei best wene to sitten hiȝe alofte—
Be experience, as men may sen ful ofte,
By hir gery reuolucioun.
For þis lady of transmvtacioun,
Ful ofte tyme fals and ful vnstable,
Enhasteth þinges to foolis ful greable,
Whiche in þe ende, to her confusioun,
Can vnder sugre schrowden her poysoun.
For ay Fortune, as hir maner is,
To wrechis scheweth oþir þan it is;
For with fayr chere and face of flaterie—
As sche þat can with a benigne eye
Fully of folis parforme the entent,
Wher-þoruȝ þei be in gret meschef schent
At þe ende, and can no crafte [t]eschewe
Þe vnwar harme þat at hir tail doþ sewe—
Ryȝt as it fel, whilom of Medee,
Gynnyng and grounde of hir aduersite—
For þis lady, þat called is Fortune,
I-graunted hath a leiser opportune
To schewe Iason hooly al hir herte,
Whiche made hir after ful sore wepe and smerte.
For on a day, after meridien,
Whan Appollo with his bemys schene
From þe southe plage gan to wester faste,
Cethes, hir fader, hath y-sent in haste
To Medea to com to hym anoon,
And bad to hir þat sche schulde goon
Vn-to Iason and [to] Hercules,
To make hem chere amongis al þe pres.
And whan sche cauȝte opportune space
To hir desire, and sawe eke in þe place,
Þat hir fader was most occupied,
As sche þat þouȝte not to ben espied,
Apparseyuynge his grete besynesse,
Toward Iason anoon sche gan hir dresse;
And he in haste with a ful kny[ȝ]tly chere,
In curteys wyse gan to drawe nere
Towardis hir, & sawe þer was no lette.
And whan þat þei were to-gidre sette,
Þis Medea with syȝing first abreyde,
And to Iason even þus sche seide:

Howe Medea exorted Iason not to take vpon him þis iopardy to preve his manhode. And howe she delyverde him thre þenges for to distroy Martis ordynaunce.

“Iason,” quod sche, “of þin hiȝe noblesse,
Of þi manhood and þi gentillesse,
Bothe assembled in þi persone y-fere,
And of knyȝthod, first I the requere
In þi conceyte and oppinioune
Nat to arette to presumpcioun,
To doubilnesse nor to inconstaunce
Of wommanhed, nor to variaunce,
Þat I am bold & can for no þing spare
My menyng clerly to ȝow to declare,
With-oute feynyng, in wordis plat & pleyn,
Beseching firste, to þat þat I schal seyn,
With-out[e] more, of ȝoure goodlyhede
Benyng[e]ly for to taken hede,
And paciently to my wordes leste,
And what I seye, to take it for þe beste
In ȝour entent, and no þing ȝou to greue.
For þinges two myn hert[e] sore meve,
Þis to seyne, loue and gentillesse,
What þat I mene clerly to expresse
To ȝour persone, and no þing to concele
Or we parte, liche as ȝe schal fele.
For me semeth, first of curtesye,
In sothefastnes, and of gent[e]rye,
Þat to straungeris euery maner wyȝt
Is bounde and holde of verray due riȝt
To make chere, and trewly as for me,
Be-cause, Iason, þat I in ȝow se
So moche manhod, & so gret worþinesse,
I wil not feyne with al my besynesse
To helpe and forther in al þat may ȝou like.”
And with þat word of herte sche gan to syke,
For his sake, and seide hym ouermore:
“For ȝou I fele ful gret anoy and sore,
Þat meved arn with-oute avisenesse,
Only of ȝouthe and wilful hardinesse
Þe flees of gold to geten ȝif ȝe may;
Þe whiche emprise, who-so-euer assay,
More perillous is pleynly to acheue,
In verray soth, þan ȝe koude leue:
For dout[e]les, I do ȝow wel assure,
Þe final mede of þis auenture
Is nat but deth, saue report of schame;
For þer ȝe wene to gete ȝow a name,
Þe ende pleinly schal turnen in contrarie,
Fro þe gynnyng so þe fyn schal varie.
For wit of man, nouþer engyn nor myȝt,
Þouȝ he be neuer so wel expert in fyȝt,
Or haue in armys passynge excercise,
With alle þe sleȝtes of olde or newe emprise,
Or þouȝ he be best breþed to endure,
Or what deuis þer be of his armvre,
Or what wepne also þat he brynge,
Harded with stele, trenchaunde or persynge,
Ȝit at þe last, whan he hath al souȝt,
With-out[e] me it vaille may riȝt nouȝt.
Wherefore, Iason, I haue compassioun
On ȝour ȝouthe, of pure affeccioun:
Of wilfulnes ȝe schuld[e] þus be lorn,
Þat ben of blood and lyne so hiȝe born;
For certeynly it may noon other be,
But ȝif þat ȝe ȝour conseil take of me,
For noon but I may do ȝow help or ese.
Allas, Iason, whi wil ȝe not appese
Ȝour manly corage, in þis caas I-blent,
And to my counseil ben obedient!
Þan durst I swerne ȝe schulde haue victorie,
Ben remembred and put in memorie
Perpetuelly, and þouruȝ ȝour knyȝthod wynne
Þe flees of gold, þe whiche is ȝond with-Inne,
In þe Ile þat stant here be-syde,
Of whiche þat Mars is gouernour & guyde.
Wherfore attonis in ȝour silfe assent,
To my conseil fully to consent,
At fewe wordis, ȝif ȝe list to spede,
And leue ȝour lust and wirke after my rede.”
To whom Iason with [ful] humble chere,
Answered and seide, “myn owne lady dere,
I thanke ȝow in al my best[e] wise,
Riȝt as ferforth as I may suffise,
And as my power platly may atteyne,
Myn hertis quene and lady souereyne;
Whom þat ȝe may hooly, I ensure,
Al þe while þat my life may dure,
Trusteþ riȝt wel, me list not for to feyne,
To liue or dye, at ȝour lust restreyne,
As hym þat is ȝour owne trewe man,
Ȝow for tobeye in al þat euer I can,
With-oute chaunge or any doubilnes,
While þat I lyve, in verray sothfastnes.
Þat ȝow list of trewe affeccioun,
Vp-on my life to haue compassioun,
Of gentilnes, and [þat] ȝe list to haue
Swiche cherte my body for to saue,
Þat in good feith, of verray due riȝt,
I am y-bounde to be ȝour owne knyȝt
Vn-to myn ende; and þat more specially
Þat of ȝour grace so benygnely
Ȝe liste ȝour silfe of my conseil be,
Þat neuer aforn to ȝow in no degre
Ne dide seruise to ȝoure wommanhed;
And with ȝoure wordis ful of goodlyhed,
Ȝour owne man listeth recomforte.
Þe whiche in soth, so as I can reporte,
A þousand folde be þe more plesaunt,
Þat neuer a-forn no merit gat him graunt,
Ne no decert, requeste, nor prayere;
But more frely, with hert[e] ful entere,
Liste vnrequered on my wo to rewe,
And vndeserued ben to me so trewe,
Þat I ensure vp-on my feith as faste,
In ȝour seruise I schal vn-to my laste
Perseuere, sothly, þat þer schal be no slouthe,
Nor variaunce, and þe[r]-to here my trouþe:
For finally with-outen [any] wene,
At fewe wordes, I seie riȝt as I mene,
Me list not feyne, flatre, nor delude,
For my behest with deth I schal conclude,
Whan þat parchas my lyves thred to-rende;
Þis al and som, and þus I make an ende.”
“Þanne,” quod sche, “ful wysly in ȝour herte
Ȝe moste a-forn consideren and aduerte
Þe auenture, þat ȝe take on honde,
And prudently þe pereil vnderstonde,
And ful warly caste and haue in mynde
Þe mortal harme at þe taiel be-hynde,
Þat is wel more þan it is credible;
For leue me wel, it is an impossible
To gynne [in] honour, & also for to fyne.
For þilke flees be hiȝe power devyne
Preseruyd is, and eke with Martis myȝt,
Þat who-so entreþ þere for to fiȝte,
It wer ful harde [to] hym to eskape
Þe firy flame, whan þe bolis gape,
Þat ben of bras, trapped al in leuene,
More for to drede þan liȝtnyng of þe heuene
To-fore þe dent of þe grete thonder,
Þat seuered hath many tour assondre;
For to assches þei moste a man consume.
Wherfor I rede þat ȝe nat presume
Þe Ram tassaile, lest ȝe ȝour labour lese;
With-drawe ȝour foot ȝit sithen ȝe may chese,
By good avise and discreccioun,
Ȝour honour saue, and ȝour hiȝe renoun.
Wher-so ȝe list of ȝour wilfullnes,
Only of foly and of hastines
To þis emprise of heed to procede,
Or wher ȝe list, liche as I ȝow rede,
Sauen ȝour silfe from wo & al meschaunce,
Liche as ȝe schal, ȝif to myn ordynaunce
Ȝe ȝow committe, and lowly list obeye
With-oute fraude—þer is no more to seie.”
And Iason þan, sittyng at þe borde,
Of Medea enprentyng euery worde,
Wexe for Ire almost inpacient,
And seide, “allas, [and] is þis ȝour entent,
Me to counseile to leue þis emprise?
Certis it were to fowle a cowardyse,
To gynne a thing I myȝt[e] nouȝt acheue;
For euery man wolde me repreue,
And report to my confusioun,
Þat I of pride and presumpcioun
Toke on me, whan I was at my large,
So hiȝe a þing, and so gret a charge,
Þat I ne durst for drede of meschef
Acomplisch it, whan it cam to [þe] pref.
Leuere me were, myn owne lady dere,
For to Iuparte and to putte in were
My life attonys, and, at wordes few,
On smale peces to ben al to-hewe,
Þan I schulde cowardely for-sake
Þilke emprise þat I haue vnder-take,
As ȝe wel knowe, and leue it þus, allas!
Let be ȝoure counseile pleynly in þis cas;
For what-so-euer happe or falle of me,
Trusteþ riȝt wel, it schal noon other be.
For ȝif þat I, of my cowarde herte,
Fro my purpos schulde nowe diuerte,
With-oute laude my life I schulde lede,
And schame eternal schulde be my mede
Þoruȝ-oute þe worlde noted oueral,
In euery lond spoke of in special,
Þat Iason hath so hiȝly vndirtake,
Þat he for fere dar noon ende make.
Þinketh riȝt wel, it schal not betide,
For life nor dethe what meschef I abide;
And þer-vpon my trouthe: I ȝow ensure,
Þat as ferforthe as my life may dure,
I schal parforme þat I haue begonne;
And þouȝ so be, it may not be wonne,
But þat I moste with my dethe it bye,
I wil not leue, for leuer I haue to dye
Þan lyue aschamed of cowardyse & slouthe.
For me semeth, it is to hiȝe a routhe
A man to apere or dore schewe his hede
After tyme whan his worschip is ded,
Or to lyue whan his name is slayn;
For euery man schulde be rather fayn
To dye in honour, þan lyuen as a wreche;
And þouȝ þis þing to my deth now streche,
It is welcom, I schal it wel abide:
Þis al and som, what so of me betide.”
“Þan,” quod sche, “sythen it is so,
Þat ȝe algatis desyre to haue a-do,
Þer is no more by ouȝt I can espie,
But ȝe haue leuer schortly for to dye,
Rather þan lyue and to haue a schame;
And ȝit it is an ernes and no game,
With suche monstres vnwarly for to dele,
Lyche as in dede her-after ȝe schal fele.
Wherfor I am meved of pite,
And gretly stered, þat ȝe of volunte,
With-out avis or discrecioun,
Counseil or good deliberacioun,
List take on ȝow þis merveillous viage;
For ȝour ȝouthe and also ȝour corage
Gouerned ben, as in þis matere,
Al after luste; for bothe two I-fere
Iuparted ben, ȝif ȝe ȝour purpos swe;
For impossible is to ȝow teschewe
A sodeyn deth, for nouþer fre nor bonde
By craft of man hath power to with-stonde.
Wherfor I þinke of herte and good entent
To cast a weye, ȝit or ȝe be schent,
And to ȝour Iorney schape a remedie,
Swiche rauthe I haue þat ȝe shulde dye;
For my fader, whom I loue moste,
Rather þan ȝe schulde þus be loste,
I schal offende, and outerly displese
My frendes alle, so it may do ȝow ese.
For I schal fynde swyche a mene weye,
At þe leste þat ȝe schal nat deye;
For in þis cas, I thinke be ȝour guyde,
So þat for ȝow I schal sette a-syde
My birth[e] first, of þe stoke royal,
And ouermore myn heritage with-al,
And myn honour schal be putte a-bak
Ȝow for to helpe, þat þer schal be no lak
Founden in me, so ȝe wil be kynde,
And þat ȝe liste for to haue in mynde
As I disserue goodly me to quite,
Consyderyng firste þat it is not a lite
To saue ȝour life, þat stant in iupartye
More perlously þan ȝe can espie.
But for al þis, I schal it so ordeyne,
Þoruȝ my crafte, only atwixe vs tweyn,
Þat or we parte I hope al schal be wel:
Vp-on þis point so þat I may fele,
Feithfully for Ioye, wo, or smerte,
With ful acorde of body, wille, and herte,
To my desire þat ȝe condiscende,
I vndirtake to maken a good ende.”
“Ȝis, sothly, lady,” seide Iason tho,
“I am assented, with-oute wordes moo,
For to fulfille with euery circumstaunce
What þat euer may be to ȝow plesaunce.”
“Þanne,” quod sche, “þer is no more to seyn—
But first of al, with feith & herte pleyn,
With al ȝour myȝt, and ȝour besy cure,
And menynge hool, þat ȝe me assure
Þat ȝe her-after schal take me to wyve,
To holde and kepen after al ȝour lyve,
So þat ȝour dede acorde with ȝour heste;
Þis is þe fyn and somme of my requeste:
Excepte only þat ȝe shal ordeyne,
In ȝour repeire to ȝour fadres reigne,
Þat feithfully ȝe schal me with ȝow lede;
And after þat, whan þat ȝe succede
After his day in-to ȝour heretage,
With herte ay oon, and with o corage,
Ȝe schal to me ben y-lyche trewe,
And cherische me for chaunge of any newe,
Liche myn estate, with-oute variaunce,
And while ȝe liue han in remembraunce
My kyndenes in ȝour grete nede.
For þer is noon alyue þat may spede,
Creature þat is here mortal,
For to assaille þe forcys marcial
Of þe dragoune and bolis, bothe I-fere;
But it so be of me þat he lere
Hooly þe maner how he schal hym guye,
Liche as to ȝow I thenke specifie,
Whan it happeth þat we mete ageyn;
For noon but I may helpen, in certeyn,
In þis cas, as platly ȝe schal fynde,
And I not aske but þat ȝe be kynde.”
“Sothly,” quod Iason, “al þis schal be do
As ȝe deuise, I wil þat it be so;
And here my faith, þer-on I ȝow assure,
O goodlieste of any creature
Þat euere ȝet I saie vn-to my paye,
And fairest eke, in soth it is no nay—
And of bounte ȝe ben incomperable;
For of my deth ȝe ben so merciable,
Þat while I live, I seie ȝow be my feith,
Myn hert[e] menyth as my tong[e] seith,
I wil be founde ȝour owne trew[e] man
For life or deth, in al þat euer I can;
So þat of grace it be ȝow plesaunt
For to parforme ȝour hestis and ȝour graunt,
And werche fully to my sauacioun,
As ȝe han seide, in ful conclucioun.
For trewly ȝe, of alle þat bere life,
In bewte han a prerogatyfe,
Passyng echon, me liste not for to glose,
Amongis flouris as doth þe rede rose,
Which in somer amyd þe herbes swote,
After þat ver hath made oute of þe rote
Þe humydyte kyndely tascende,
Þe bareyn soyl to clothen and amende,
And þe braunchis, þat wynter made bare,
With soote blosmys freschly to repare,
And þe medwes, of many sondri hewe,
Tapited ben with diuerse flouris newe,
Of sondry motles, most lusti for to sene,
And holsomm bawme is schad among þe grene—
Riȝt as þe rose is fairest of echon,
Riȝt so Nature sette ȝow allon,
Whan sche ȝow made, first at hir deuys,
Above alle other for to haue a pris,
As ȝe þat be of bewte spring and welle.
Þer-to in bownte sothly ȝe excelle
Alle þat lyven, for no comparysown
Ne may be made; and of discrecioun
Ȝe passen alle, as euery man may se.
And with al þis I fynde ȝow [vn-]to me
Þe most goodly þat euer ȝit was born,
With-out whom I were as now but lorn,
Of helpe and socour fully destitut,
Ne were þat I founde in ȝow refute.
Fro whom al fredam to-me-ward doþ abounde,
In so moche þat I am euer bounde
As ferforthe as my lyfe may streche,
Þat for ȝour sake of deth I ne recche,
Ȝif þer-with-al I myȝt[e] ȝow agreen,
Þat to my helpe so goodly list to seen.
For ȝif þat I of necligence schulde
Any þing refusen þat ȝe wolde,
I myȝt of resoun ful wel marked be,
And noted eke, of wilful nycete
So folily to voyde away my grace.
It were a rage a man from hym to chase
Welful Fortune, whan sche is benigne;
Wherfor as now hooly I resigne
Herte, body, my life, and eke my deth
In-to ȝour hond, while me lasteth brethe,
With alle þe othes þat I afferme may,
For to perseuere to myn endyng day
Ȝour trew[e] spouse, as I haue said and sworne,
And ȝou behested pleynly her-to-forne;
And her-vppon, euery þing obeie
Þat may ȝou plese, til tyme þat I deye.
Þis al and som; what schulde I lenger tarie?
From þis byheste I schal neuer varie.”
And whan sche sawe his grete stedfastnes,
Sche was supprised with so hiȝe gladnes,
With so gret Ioye, pleynly in hir herte,
Þat sche was voide of euery wo and smerte;
For he so lowly to hir luste obeyde.
And or sche went þus to hym sche seyde:
“Iason,” quod sche, “þan I schal ordeyne
A mene weye þat we bothe tweyne
May efte ageyn at leyser mete sone,
For to parforme al þat is to done
In þis mater, liche to oure entent,
Wher schal be made a fynal sacrament
Of oure desire, þat no man schal vnbynde,
Þouȝ now þer-to we may no leyser fynde.
Toward euen, It schal me not eskape,
Trust me ryȝt wel, a tyme for to schape,
Secrely þat we [may] mete y-fere;
For I schal sende a privy chaumberere
To ȝou of myn, whyche schal ȝou conveye
Vn-to my chambre by a privy weye,
A certeyn hour, with-outen any fable,
To oure entent þat be moste greable:
Vp-on þe point whan Phebus with his liȝt
I-westrid is, and þe dirke nyȝt
Hath with þe dymnes of his schadowes blake
Our Emysperie fully ouertake,
Þat ofte ȝeueth by fauour of fortune
Vn-to louers a leyser oportune
For to parforme her lustis and acheve.
And riȝt anoon, as it draweth to eve,
I schal for ȝow to my closet sende,
Of euery þing for to make an ende;
Wher as we schal at good leyser speke
Eueryche with oþer, and our hertis breke,
And declare þe somme of al oure wille.
And whan we han spoken al our fille,
By good leyser, I fully ȝou behete,
We schal ordeyn whan so vs list to mete,
To sette a tyme, who-euer þat seye nay,
Alweye be niȝt, whan passed is þe day.
For myȝti Iove as wysly me socoure,
As hens-forthe I wil ben hoolly ȝoure,
While þat I live, wakyng and a-slepe,
Ȝif it so be þat ȝe ȝour hestis kepe.”
To whom Iason lowly gan tencline,
And seide, “as fer as man may ymagyne,
Or any wit may clerly comprehende,
I wil to ȝou, to my lyves ende,
As a seruaunt feithfully me quyte;
And þouȝ þat I can nat seyn but lite,
My trew[e] herte wilneþ neuer-þe-lesse;
And þouȝ I can not paynt[e] nor compasse
No gay prosses, my souereyn hertis quene,
Til I be ded, trewly I schal mene;
Hath her my trouþe whil I haue life & mynde,
As in þe ende trewly ȝe schal fynde.”
And of her speche an ende þus þei make.
And Medea schope hir for to take
Hir leue anoon amonges al þe pres,
First of hir fader and þan of Hercules,
And bod no lenger, but furþe-with anoon
Vn-to hir chambre in hast[e] sche is goon,
Where vp and down sche made many went,
Noon of hir meyne wetyng what sche ment,
Castynge weyes hir purpos to acheve,
And in hir wittes gan besely to meve,
As sche rometh in hir habitacle,
On any syde ȝif þer were obstacle
Or any lettyng, whiche wolde hir sore greue.
Þis was hir studie til it drowe to eue,
Where I hir leue compleynyng in her wo,
With many a thouȝt, walkynge to and fro.
Þe mydday hour is goon and ouerslide,
Titan so fast hath in his chare I-ride,
Þe dayes arke from est to west compassid,
His fery stedis han almost I-passed
Our oriȝonte, and drawe doun ful lowe
His golden wayn, þat no man myȝt[e] knowe
Where as he hidde his fyry bemys briȝt,
In his discence ful fer out of oure siȝt;
And Herynes, with hir copis myrke,
Þe heuenyng be-gonne for to dirke,
In þe twyliȝt whan þe day gan fade;
And Esperus, with hir stremes glade,
Þat bene so fresche so lusty, and so mery,
Gan recounforte al our emesperie:
Whan Medea by hir silf allone,
Of hiȝe desire gan to make hir mone,
Þat sche so longe abood after hir knyȝt,
Alweye acountyng þe houres of þe nyȝt,
So ful of trouble and so ful of þouȝt,
Which hath ful streytly cerched out & souȝt
A redy weye vn-to hir purpos,
Al-be þat sche kept it in ful cloos
Amyd hir herte, quappyng as a wawe
For drede and fere, til hope gan a-dawe,
And bad sche schulde be riȝt mery and glad,
Til drede a-geyn-warde made hir sober & sad
Liste hir desire troubled were or let.
And þus sche was at a-bay I-set
Amyd of hope and of drede also,
Þat sche ne wyste what was best to do:
For hiȝe desire and affeccioun
So sore brent in hir oppinioun,
Of lust sche hadde to meten with Iason,
And þer ageyn[e]s drede cam in anoon,
And made hir ferful list sche were espied.
But al hir sorowe was holp and remedyed
Only by Fortune and þe dirke nyȝt,
By whiche sche was made ful glad & liȝt.
For recounforted only with þise two,
And with good hope þat made hir glad also,
Sche gan anoon to casten and deuise,
Whanne þat þe mone on heuen wolde aryse,
And whanne þat sche, with hir hornys pale,
Wolde schede hir liȝt vp-on hil and vale,
Sche gan acounte and cast[e] wel þe tyme,
And fonde a quarter was passid after pryme,
As sche þat was wel knowyng in þat arte,
And sawe in soth þat þe ferþe parte
Of þe mone was schad with new[e] liȝt,
And passed was in hir cours ful riȝt,
After þe tyme of coniunccioun,
Thre signes ful by computacioun,
And complete was seuen daies of hir age.
At whiche tyme sche, brynnyng in hir rage,
And þoruȝ-darted with Cupides arowe,
Gan to loke and beholde narwe
At euery dore, and listen besily
Ȝif any wyȝt þat sche myȝt espie
Of al þe courte ouþer walke or goo,
Or any man romyng to and froo,
So sore sche dradde, goyng vp and dovn,
Whan sche herde ouþer noyse or sown,
Or whan sche heryth wispring eny-where;
It was venym sothly in hir ere:
Sche wisched al hadde ben a-bedde.
Þis pitous life þe longe nyȝt sche ledde,
With-out respit, þouȝ no wyȝt koude it knowe,
Til hiȝe mydnyȝt þat þe cokkes crowe;
At whiche tyme, w[h]an al was hust and stille,
For to [a]complische þe remnaunt of hir wille,
And euery-where maked was silence,
Sche cleped anoon vn-to hir presence
An aged vekke, fer in ȝeris ronne,
Þat in swyche crafte mochel help[e] konne,
Thriftely to bring a þing a-boute.
For þei a-forne can casten euery doute;
Of ȝeris passed olde experience
Hath ȝoue to hem so passyng hiȝe prudence,
Þat þei in loue alle þe sleiȝtes knowe;
And sche was made as dogge for þe bowe.
To whom Medea discureth al hir þouȝt
From point to point, & for-gat riȝt nouȝt,
And charged hir, in reles of hir smert,
And recomfort of hir troubled hert,
To hasten hir anoon vp-on hir weye
Vn-to hir chambre Iason to conveye.
And sche anon, not rekles in þis cas,
Is goon for hym a ful softe pas,
As sche þat was of newe nat to lere,
And brouȝt hym forth anoon as ȝe schal here.

Howe Medea sent for Iason to com to Here in þe night, And howe he was sworn to wed here, aftire þe lawe of his panym rite.

Whan þat þe cok, comoun astrologer,
Þe mydnyȝt hour with his vois ful clere
Be-gan to sowne, and dide his besy peyne
To bete his brest with his wyngys tweyne,
And of þe tyme a mynute wil not passe
To warnen hem þat weren in þe place
Of þe tydes and sesoun of þe nyȝt,
Medea to awayte vp-on hir knyȝt
Ful redy was þe entre for to kepe,
As sche þat list ful litel for to slepe,
For þat ne was no parcel of hir þouȝt.
And whan Iason was to hir chambre brouȝt,
With-out espying of eny maner wiȝt,
Þan sche anoon conveyeth hym ful riȝt
In-to hir closet, in al þe hast sche may,
Ful wel beseyn with gret and riche araye,
Where by hir side sche made hym take his se.
And first of alle, þis ilke lees of thre,
By hir þat was moste expert in þis cas,
Was sodeynly turned to a bras;
For þe vekke to stare vp-on þe mone
Is walked out, and [haþ] hem lefte allone.
And whan Medea þe dores hadde schet,
Down by Iason anoon sche hath hir set.
But first I fynde, with al hir besy myȝt,
Aboute þe chamber þat sche sette vp liȝt
Of grete torches and cyrges ful royal,
Aboute on pilers and on euery wal,
Whiche ȝaf a liȝt, liche þe sonne schene.
And to a cheste, wrouȝt of cristal clene,
First of al, sche taketh hir passage,
Out of þe wiche sche toke a rich ymage
Of pured gold, ful lusty to beholde,
Þat by custom of þis rytes olde
To myȝti Iove, eterne and increat,
I-halwed was, and also consecrat.
Þe whiche ymage, deuoutly as sche ouȝte,
With humble herte to Iason first sche brouȝte,
And made hym lowly þer-on take his othe
Vn-to his laste, ouþer for lefe or lothe,
Þat he hir schulde take vn-to his wife
Fro þat day forth duryng al his life,
With hert vnfeyned and feith inviolat,
And cherischen hir liche to hir estat.
For to þat tyme, I fynde how þat sche
Hadde euer floured in virginite;
And as myn auctor wel reherse can,
Ay kepte hir clene from touche of any man,
In þouȝte and dede, and neuer dide amys:
For sche of herte so hool[y] ȝouen is
Vn-to Iason, and þat for euer-mo.
And he anoon hath put his honde þer-to,
And sworne fully, as ȝe han herde me say,
Al hir requestes, with-oute more delay,
To kepen hem whil his life may laste.
But, o allas! how sone he ouer-caste
His heste, his feith, with whiche he was assured,
And hadde his fraude with flaterie y-cured
So couertly þat hir Innocence,
Hir trewe menyng and hir diligence,
And al þat euer sche deuise can,
Deseyved was by falshed of þis man!
And þouȝ þat trouthe was apparent above,
Doubilnes so sliȝly was in schoue,
As þouȝ he hadde sothly ben allied
With trewe menyng, & so no þing espied
Vnder faire chere was feynyng & fallas.
For what myȝt sche ha wrouȝt more in þis cas,
Þan for þi sake, septre and regalye,
And alle þe lordis eke of hir allye
For-soke attonys, and toke of hem noon hede;
And of pite and verray goodlyhede
Loste hir frendes and hir good[e] fame,
Only, Iason, to saue þe fro schame!
And ȝit, more-ouere, forsoke hir heritage—
Sche þat was born of so hiȝe parage,
And schulde haue ben by successioun
Eyre by dissent of þat regioun.
But wommanly for sche wolde hir quite,
Of al y-fere sche sette nouȝt a myte,
But at oon hour al sche hath forsake,
And vn-to þe sche hath hir hooly take;
Only for truste þou schulde[st] haue be kynde,
Riches and honour sche hath y-left by-hynde,
And ches in exil with þe for to goon,
From al hir kyn, þis cely maide allone.
Allas, I wepe for þin vnkyndenes!
What, hath sche nat fro deth and fro distresse
Preserued þe, and ȝit þou takest noon hede,
Þat schust a deyed, nadde sche ben þin rede!
Of þi conqueste sche was þe verray cause!
Þat I may nat, schortly in a clause,
Writen hir bounte nor brefly comprehende,
Effectuelly parformed to the ende,
At wordes fewe it may nat be tolde.
Þoruȝ whom þou hast þe riche flees of golde
Manly conquered, whiche with-oute doute
Vnlikly was the to haue brouȝt aboute;
For whan þou were of helpe destitut,
Sche was þi counfort and singuler refut.
And with al þis, þou maist it nat deneye,
Al erthly honour how sche gan defye
Þe to conserue out of heuenes;
And hir fader sche hath of his riches
So emporisched, þat pite is to here:
Be exavmple of whiche, wommen myȝt[e] lere
How þei schulde truste on any man.
Allas! Medea, þat so moche can
Bothe of sterris and of astronomye!
Ȝet sawe sche nat aforn hir destenye:
Loue hadde hir put out of gouernaille,
Þat al hir crafte ne miȝt her not availle.
Sche was to slowe by calculacioun
To cast a-forn the constellacioun
Of hir birthe, and hir woful fate;
For rekleshed sche sawe it al to late.
But I suppose hir konnynge was fallible;
For dout[e]les, me semeth nat credible,
Þat ȝif sche hadde wist of it to-fore,
So pitously sche hadde nat be lore—
As ȝe schal seen here-after hastely,
So as þe story reherseth by and by,
Howe it be-fel of Iason and Medee.
But first ȝe schul þe ordre & maner se
How sche wrouȝt after he was swore:
Þe same nyȝt, allas, sche hathe forbore
Hir maidenhed, and þat was grete pite.
And ȝet sche ment nat but honeste;
As I suppose, sche wende haue ben his wyfe;
But touching þat, I holde as now no strife.
And ȝit o þing I dar afferme and seyne,
Þat þe menyng of þis ilke tweyne
Ne was nat on, but wonder fer atwene;
For al þat sche trew[e]ly gan mene,
Of honeste þinkyng noon outerage,
Liche a maide Innocent of age,
He to a-complische his fleschely fals delite
And to parforme his foule appetite,
Wrouȝt euery þing to hir entent contrarie.
Allas, þat sche was so debonaire
For to trust vppon his curtesye,
Or to quite hir of hir genterie,
So hastely to rewe vp-on his smerte:
But wommen ben of so tender hert,
Þat þei wil gladly of routhe and pite,
Whan þat a man is in aduersite,
Sauen his life, rather þan he deye.
And so Medea, schortly for to seye,
Castyng no pereil after þat schal falle,
His desyris and his lustis alle
Hooly obeyeth, with al hir ful[le] myȝt;
And þat so longe almost þat þe nyȝt
Hath his cours rounde aboute goon.
At whiche tyme to hir spake Iason,
And lowly seide, “my lady, it is tyme
Þat we arise, for sone it wil be pryme:
Ȝe may se wel þe day begynneth springe,
For we may here how þe briddes singe.
Preying to ȝow in al my best[e] wyse,
How I schal wirke þat ȝe list deuise,
And ceryously euery þing dispose,
I ȝow beseche, O goodly fresche rose,
Myn emprise to bringen to an ende;
And þanne at erst, hen[ne]s wil I wende—
Saue þat I þinke first with ȝou to trete
In what wyse þis contre ȝe schal lete,
And in-to Grece repeire ageyn with me,
Whiche is a londe of gret felicite.
For trusteth wel, & beth no þing in drede,
In-to þat regne with me I schal ȝou lede,
After my conquest, ȝif so be þat I wynne.
Wherfore, I praye ȝou goodly to begynne,
How I schal werke, in al þe hast ȝe may,
For in good feith anoon it wil be day.”
To whom sche spake, seying as ȝe schal here:

Howe Medea declarede to Iason the vertue of here relikis, and deliuerde þem to Iasone.

“Myn owne Iason, vn-to me more dere
Þan is my silfe, as in conclusioun,
I am assented, with ful affeccioun
Of my wittes, and [al] myn hool[e] herte,
Ȝou to enforme how ȝe schal asterte
Euery daunger of þe litel Ile,
Ȝif it so be ȝe list abide a while.”
And vp sche ros, in al þe hast sche may,
And to a cofre where hir tresour ley
Sche went anoon, & brouȝt him in her honde
A riche ymage of siluer þat sche fonde,
Whiche sothly was of merueillous entaille,
Whos power was and vertu to availle,
Effectuelly to her bothe entent,
Ageyn magyk and al enchaunt[e]ment,
And to with-sitte þe force of sorcerye.
For it was made be astronomye,
In houre chose & equat for þe nonys,
By clerkis olde; for ful longe a-goon is,
Whilom whan þei were flouryng in her ages,
Þat þei vsede to make suche ymages,
As dide þe kyng called Tholome.
And so to Iason commaunded hath Medee
To bere þis ymage on hym pryuely,
As ȝe han herd, to werche effectuelly
In euery þing, as sche dide assygne.
And þan sche toke to hym a medecyne
Made in maner of an oyntement,
To enoynte hym with, þat he be nat brent,
Þat was more riche & precious þan bame
Ageyn þe malis of euery fire and flame.
And after þat sche toke to hym anoon
A riche ring, where-in was sette a stoon
Þat vertu hadde al venym to distroye,
Þat on no syde it myȝt hym nat anoye.
Þe whiche stoon hadde also þis myȝt,
Þat ȝif a man coude it bere a-riȝt,
With-Inne his honde next þe skyn enclosed,
Þe strengþe of siȝt schulde be deposed
Of hem þat wolde gasen or biholde;
For who-so-euer in his hond hit holde,
By þe vertu þat was infallible,
Þe story seith, he schulde be invisible.
Þe whiche stoon wyse clerkis calle
Achates, moost vertuous of alle;
And it is founde sothly in Cecile.
Of whiche stoon whilom wrot Virgile,
How þat Venus to Eneas it sent
First whan [þat] he in-to Cartage went.
And after þis, sche to Iason toke
A certeyn bille, writen liche a boke,
Þat to his Iornay myȝt[e] moche availle;
And bad hym wisly þat he nat ne faille,
Ȝif he cast hym graciously to spede,
Firste of alle, þe scripture þat he rede,
Or he þe Ram touche in any wyse;
Hym chargyng eke, a-fore þis hiȝe emprise,
With humble herte and deuocioun,
Þat he knelyng seye þat orisoun,
Þat vp and doun was writen on þe bille,
Preying þe goddys lowly to fulfille
His request, and mercy for to haue,
Of verray pite from meschef hym to saue.
And after þat, for his chefe socour,
Sche toke to hym a viol with licour,
And bad hym manly with-oute fere or drede,
Whan he come vn-to þe boles rede,
Ȝif he hym schape knyȝtely to eskape,
Þat as faste as he seth hem gape,
In-to her goles þat he þe licour caste.
Þan dar hym not but litel of hem gaste;
For her Iowes to-gidre it schal glewe,
Þat on no syde þei schal not eschewe
Tobeye his luste in what hym list constreyne.
For, dout[e]les, maugre al her peyne,
He schal hem so daunte & make tame,
Þat wher hym liste, in ernest or in game,
He myȝt hem make louten and encline,
And don hem bowe boþe bak and chyne:
Þe licour schal her chawlys so coharte,
Þat asonder þei schal nat departe,
For to offende or noyen any wyȝt.
And whan sche hadde þus vn-to hir knyȝt
In euery þing ȝoue instruccioun,
Pleyn doctrine, and informacioun
How he schal skape þe daungeris by & by,
Ȝif he tak hede and werke avisely,
And þanne acorded, þei þouȝt[e] for þe beste
For to parte, or men out of hir reste
A-waked werne, for it drow to day,
As þei wel seie by þe morwe graye.
And list men hadde to hem suspecioun,
Of hyȝe prudence and discrecioun,
Atwen þe tweyliȝt and þe rody morwe
Þe[i] toke her leue, with seynt[e] Iohn to borwe,
With ofte kyssyng, as louers whan þei twynne;
And so he went, and sche [is] lefte with-Inne,
Beyng in hope to mete ageyn som day.
And Iason þanne, as faste as euer he may,
Gan ordeyn hym his Iorney to acheue,
And þouȝt he wolde anon go take his leue.
And in what wyse, with-in a litel while,
After þe maner of my rude stile,
Mi purpos is, sothly, and nat spare,
With ȝour support pleinly to declare.

Howe Iason requirede þe Kenge Cethes withoute delay to graunt hym to do his Armes in vinqwesshinge, if he myght, þe Flees of golde wrought by Martis ordynaunce.

Whan þat þe rowes and þe raies rede
Estward to vs ful erly gonne sprede,
Evene at þe tweyliȝt in þe daw[e]nyng,
Whan þe larke of custom gynneth syng,
For to salue in hir heuenly lay
Þe lusty goddesse of þe morwe gray:
I mene Aurora, þe whiche a-for þe sonne
Is wont tenchase þe blake skies donne,
And þe dirknes of þe dymme nyȝt;
And fresche Phebus, with comfort of his liȝt,
And the briȝtnes of his bemys schene,
Hadde ouer-gilt þe hiȝe hilles grene;
And floures eke ageyn þe morwe-tyde
Vp-on her stalke gan splaie her levis wyde,
Whan þat Iason with al his companye
Toward þe kyng ful fast[e] gan hym hyȝe.
Whom þat he fonde, liche to his estate,
With septer in hond, ful pompus and elate,
Hiȝe in [þe] se of his regallie,
Sittyng ful kyngly amyd his chiualrie,
And his lordys abouten enviroun.
At whiche tyme þis ȝong[e] champioun,
Vnder a vowe stondyng of þe Ram,
With sterne face to-fore þe kyng in cam,
Beseching hym of his magnificence
Þe same day to graunten hym licence
To don his armys, and make no delaies,
Concludyng playnly, þat at al assaies
He wil þat day in þe felde be founde
For to acheue, lyche as he was bounde
Of olde beheste, and nat a poynt declyne,
For lif nor deth, til he parforme and fyne
Hooly þe auntres, vn-to þe fles þat longe,
Þe kyng requeryng no lenger hym prolonge,
But goodly graunt þe fyn of his emprise.
And þanne þe kyng, in ful sobre wyse,
Consideryng þe somme of his demaunde,
To Iason spak and seide he schal commaunde
Þat his requeste parformed be in haste—
“Al-be,” quod he, “I am ful sore a-gaste,
Of wilfulnes þou schust distroied be,
List men þi deth arretten vn-to me,
And þer-vppon wolde a blame sette,
Of royal power þat I nat ne lette
Þi manly ȝouthe from swiche iupartie;
Whiche were in soth a gret vilonye
And preiudise to myn estat and name,
Þat afterwarde men putte me in blame
Þoruȝ false reporte & wrong oppinioun,
Þat I withstod not þi destruccioun.
Wherefore, I rede ȝit þou be avised,
And my counseil lat nat be dispised;
For bet it is, with honour in certeyn
In-to þi contre to repeire ageyn,
Þan wilfully for to take on honde
A mortal þing þat no man may with-stonde.
Þis is my rede, and fully myn avis,
Take hede þer-to, sith [þat] þou art wys,
List þou repente whan it is to late;
And ȝif so be þat þou wilt algate
Þi purpos holde, and nat don as I rede,
Almyȝti Mars I pray[e] þe to spede,
Þe for to guye, what-so-euere falle;
And eke I pray to þe goddis alle,
Saffe and sounde þi body to restore—
Þis al and som, of me þou gest no more.”
And whan Iason had[de] herde þe kyng,
Nat dismaied nor stonyed in no þing,
In knyȝtly wise dide hym reuerence,
Þankyng hyȝly his royal excellence,
Þat of his grace and benignite
Vp-on his deth hym list to haue pite;
Fully concludyng, touching his bataille,
Þat nouþer red nor counseil may auayle,
In no wyse his purpos to withdraw;
But liche þe statute, pleynly, & þe lawe,
Riȝt as ferforth as Fortune wil hym Ewre,
What so be-tide of his aventure,
Settyng a-side euery fere and drede,
Seide platly þat he wil procede
For to parforme þat he hath vndertake—
It wer in ydel mo skeles for to make,
Or to allege more þer ageyn.
And Iason þan, ful opunly and pleyn,
Touching þe surplus of þis dredful þing,
At his departyng seid[e] to þe kyng,
In audience of his lordis alle:
“What-so-ouer of me now be-falle,
Or who-so-euer of malis þer-on mvse,
To alle þe worlde, first, I ȝow excuse,
And to þe goddis platly ȝow to quite,
Thouȝ I deye, ȝe be no þing to wyte,
Ne no man schal [a]rette it ȝow of skele;
For þat I wirke is frely at my wille,
Ageyn þe avise of ȝour hyȝe prudence,
And lif and deth, here in ȝour presence,
Holy of herte, and neuer for to flitte,
To þe goddys and Fortune I committe,
So as hem list for me to ordeyne,
Ageyns whos wille I schal neuer pleyne,
Nor hem nor ȝou putten in no blame
What so betide, honour, Ioy, or schame,
And of þis þing þus an ende I make,
And for þis tyme of ȝou my leue I take,
And of all tho þat aboute ȝou stonde.”
And on by on he toke hem by þe honde.
And [in] what wise forthe he gan hym dresse,
To ȝou anoon I þinke to expresse.

Howe Iason, aftire his leve take of þe Kenge, enterde þe Ille of þe golden Flees.

Whan Titan had, with his feruent hete,
Draw up þe dewe from þe levis wete,
Toward mydmorwe, as I can diffyne,
Vpon þe hour whan þe cloke is nyne,
Iason ful manly and ful lyke a knyȝt,
Armed in steel, of chere ful glad & lyȝt,
Gan dresse him forth, what hap þat euer falle,
And seide adieu vn-to his feris alle,
He in þe bot and þei vp-on þe stronde.
And al allone, whan he cam to londe,
And in þe water had his vessel lafte,
He first of al remembring on þe crafte
Of Medea, with al þe circumstaunces,
And how he schulde kepe his obseruaunces
In euery þing, and had it wel in mynde—
And þanne anoon ful manly, as I fynde,
He schope him forþe & wente a knyȝtly pas
Toward þe bolis, þat forged wer of bras.
But at þe point whan he his Iorne gan,
For hym Medea wexe ful pale & wan,
So sore agast þat no þing myȝt hir glade—
A routh it was to se wat wo sche made:
For þe teris on hir chekis tweyne,
Ful pitously doun distille and reyne,
Þat al for-dewed wern hir wedis blake.
And ay þis sorwe sche made for his sake,
Liche a womman ferful and in doute,
While he his armys ful manly brouȝt aboute.
To sobbe & syȝe sche can not ben in pees,
List he for hast were ouȝt rek[e]les,
From point to point to don liche as sche bad.
Þis was þe life þat sche for hym hath lad.
And for to seen how he schulde hym defende,
Sche gan anoon by greces to ascende,
Of a tour in-to a hiȝe pynacle,
Wher as sche myȝt haue noon obstacle,
Nor lettyng nouther, for to han a siȝte
Of hym þat was hir owne chose knyȝte.
And euer among with wordis out sche brak,
And stoundemel þus to hir silf sche spake:
“O þou Iason, my souereyn hertis hele,
Ȝif þou knewe what wo for þe I fele,
Sothly, I trowe, it schul[d] þe nat asterte
For to be trewe with al þin hool[e] herte,
And God, I praye, þis Iourne at þe leste
May þis tyme tornen for þe beste,
And kepe þe sauf & sounde in euery membre,
And ȝif þe myȝt ffulli to remembre,
As I þe tauȝt, and in þe same forme,
Euery þing fully to parforme,
Only þis day þin honour to avaunce,
Whiche for to sen wer al myn hool plesance:
For certis, Iason, ȝif þe fil ouȝt amys,
Fare-wel myn helþe & al my worldly blis,
And fare-wel þanne my myrthe & my solace,
And my welfare, my fortune, and my grace,
And al attonys, myn hertly sufficiance!”
Lo, þis for him was hir gouernaunce,
From þe tyme þat he þe lond hath nome.
And first of al, whan þat he was come
Where as þe bolis, fel and dispitous,
Out caste her fire & flawme furious
At her mowþes, wonder large and huge,
Ageyn [þe] whiche, for his chefe refuge,
Hym to saue þat he wer nat brent,
He was enoynt with an oignement
On his body, þat kepte hym fro damage
Of þilke fire, þat was so ful of rage,
And þe smokys, dirke and ful horrible,
Whiche to eskape was almost impossible
For any man, of what estat he be,
With-oute comfort and conseil of Medee—
By whos doctrine Iason can so wirke,
Þat he is skapid from þe mystis dirke
Of þe fire with his blases blake,
Þat al þe eyre so cloudy dide make.
Sche had hym made so discrete & sage,
Only by vertu of þilke ymage,
Which þat he aboute his nek[ke] bare,
Wher-by he was so prudent & so war,
Þat whan þe bolis han most fersly gaped,
He hath her malis avisely eskapid.
For thenfeccioun of hir troubled eyr
He hath venquesched & was in no dispeire;
For in effecte, ageyn þe foule fvme,
Þat wolde a man vn-to þe deth consvme,
Þe ymage was a preseruatif,
Hym to defende and to saue his life.
And more surly to kepe hym oute of drede,
Ful ofte sythe þe writ he dide rede;
For þe vertu of þat orisoun
Was vn-to hym ful proteccioun,
Þat he nat fil in-to no distresse.
And after þat, for more sikernesse,
Hym to preserue in þis mortal caas,
He toke þe licour þat in þe viol was,
And þer-with-al, ful like a manly man,
Al attonis, he to þe bolys ran,
And for-gat nat so warly it to caste;
And þer-with-al her chaules wer made faste,
And by þe vertu so myȝtely englewed,
Þat he þer-þoruȝ hath outterly eschewed
Þenfeccioun of þe smoky leuene.
And whan þe eyr gan cleryn, & þe heuene,
And þe mystis wern waftid hym to-forn,
With manly hert he rauȝt[e] by þe horn
Þe sterne bolis, and by violence
He drowe hem forþe, in whom was no diffence,
And ȝoketh hem, so as þe maner was,
And with þe plowe he made hem gon a pas,
Nowe vp, now doun, and to ere þe lond.
And at his lust so buxvm he hem fonde,
Þat þe soil, smoþe, bare, and pleyn,
Þei maked han redy to bere greyn,
And on rengis it torned vp-so-dovn:
For þo in hem was no rebellioun,
But humble and meke & redy at his wille,
Alle his desires pleynly to fulfille.
And Iason þanne, liche a champioun,
Gan hym enhaste towarde þe dragoun,
Þat was a beste gret and monstruous,
Foule and horrible & riȝt venymous,
And was enarmed in skalis large and þikke,
Of whom þe brethe more perillous and wikke
Was þan þe eyr of any pestelence;
For his venym was of swiche violence,
Þat it was ful dedly and mortal.
And at his þrote þer issed oute with-al
A flawme of fire, as of a fournes mouthe,
Or liche þe leuene þat dovn by þe southe
Out of þe est is wont in tempest smyte:
Riȝt so þe dragoun, sothly for to write,
Out of his mouthe had a flawme blasid.
Wher-of Iason first a litel masid
Was in his hert of þat dredful þing,
But whan þat he remembrid on his ring,
Al fer and drede was leide a-syde & goon;
For in þat ring þe[r] was sette a stoon,
Ful riche and noble and riȝt vertuous,
Þe whiche, as techith gret Ysydorus,
And myn auctor also, as I fynde,
Most comovnly cometh out of Ynde,
And mot be kepte chast & wonder clene,
And of colour surmounteth euery grene.
Whos vertu is al venym to distroye,
And to withstonde þat it may nat [a]noye,
Of dragoun, serpent, adder & of snake.
And specialy, ȝif þat it be take
And yholden in þe opposyt
Of any werm, even ageyn þe syȝt,
With-oute abood, in sothe, he may not chese,
Of his venym þe force he most[e] lese,
How strong it be or violent of rage.
But to þe stoon it doth ful gret damage;
For whan he hath his vertu don, as blyue
On pecis smale it gynnyth al to rive,
And in it silf hool a-bit no while.
For in þe londe þat called is Cecyle,
Þer is a worme þat Bufo bereth þe name;
And whan men wil of malis make him tame,
And his venym outerly represse,
Þei take a squille, myn auctor bereth witnes,
Whan þei wil wirke, or a large canne,
And in þe ende þis ston þei sette þanne,
And lyne riȝt a-geyn þe wormes hed
Þei holden it, til þat he be ded.
For þat is sothly his vertu of nature,
Þat no venym may lasten nor endure
In þe presence of þis rich[e] stoon.
And as I fynde, þis Bufo riȝt a-noon,
Þoruȝ myȝt þer-of bresteth even on tweyne,
Only by kynde, whiche no man may restreyne.
For þe goddesse þat called is Nature,
Whiche nexte hir lord hath al þing in cure,
Hath vertu ȝoue to herbe, gras, and stoon,
Whiche no man knoweth but hir silf allon;
Þe causis hid ben closed in hir honde,
Þat wit of man can not vnderstonde
Openly þe myȝt of hir wirkynge.
And so Iason, by vertu of þis ring,
And þoruȝ his ston, þat myȝt him most avaunce,
Hath þe dragoun brouȝt vn-to vttraunce.
In whom he fonde no maner resistence
Hym to wit[h]stonde, force nor diffence,
Nouther be venym nor noon oþer strif;
Wherfor he hath berefte hym of hys life
In manly wise, & in þe felde outraied.
And Iason þan, ful glad & wel apaied,
Hath with his swerd spent on him many [a] stroke,
And leied on him as men hewe on an oke—
His briȝt[e] squamys wern so harde & dure,
Þat wel onethe he ne myȝt endure
Hym to dismembre & smyten of his hed.
And þan anoon, in þe stede of sed,
He gan his teth out of his hed arrace,
And riȝt forþe-with, in þe silfe place,
He gan hem sowe, liche as men do corn,
Vp-on þe lond þat ered was a-forn.
Of whiche sede þer sprang a wonder greyn,
Briȝt armed knyȝtes stondyng on þe pleyn,
Þe whiche anon, with scharp[e] swerdis grounde,
Eueryche gan oþer for to hurte and wounde,
Til eche his felawe hath cruelly y-slawe:
Þis of hir fate was þe fynal lawe,
Þat noon of hem schulde be victorie
Þe deth reioische of other by memorie;
For alle y-fere þus þei made an ende.
And after þis, Iason gan to wende
Vn-to þe Ram with al his dilligence,
In whiche he fonde no power nor diffence,
No maner strife nor rebellioun,
And myȝtely þe Ram he draweth dovn,
And sette on hond [vp-]on euery horn,
And slowe it first, and þan he hath it schorn
Out of his flees of gold so passyng riche,
Þat in þis world þer was no tresour liche.
And after þat he made no delay
To take his bote in al þe hast he may,
And roweth forthe in-to þe tother yle,
Wher Hercules, al þe mene while,
Vp-on þe brinke, with many another mo,
Abod Iason til he hadde do.
And euerychon I fynde þat as blive,
Only for Ioye whan he dide aryve,
Þei gan to þanke to her goddes alle,
So graciously þat it hath y-falle,
And þat þe flees he hath so knyȝtly wonne,
Þat schon as clere as þe somer sonne,
Whiche þat he brouȝt with hym vn-to londe,
His feris alle abyding on þe stronde.

Howe, aftire his conqueste, Iason was ressauide of Kenge Cethes with feynide chere into his Cyte.

And whan Appollo of his daies arke
Had in the west almost ronne his marke,
And fast[e] gan downward to declyne,
And on þe wawes ful watery gan to schyne;
Ȝet or he was passed the Occian,
Iason is comme with many a manly man
Of his feris to þe presence of þe kyng,
As he þat had acheved euery þing
Whiche þat longeth to conquest of þe Ram.
And Cethes þan, as sone as euer he cam,
To make hym chere outward haþ him payned,
Al-be in herte þat it was but feyned;
For he was sori, with-outen any drede,
Of þe expleyt and þe good[e] spede
Of þis Iason, þat he þe flees hath wonne.
But liche in soth as þees feyners conne,
Whan þat hem list craftely compace
To schewe outward a feithful trewe face,
And þe venym enclosen hool with-Inne,
As in menyng þere wer no maner synne,
Riȝt so þe kyng with looke & forhed clere
Made vn-to Iason outward riȝt good chere,
And gan to hym speke in wordis fewe,
Of frendlyhed many signe[s] schewe,
As þei he had his conqueste euerydel
From point to point liked wonder wel,
And ben ful glad þat he was so fortuned,
Vn-to þe ende þat he hath contuned,
And reioiseth in speche and countenaunce,
Þat Fortune list hym so avaunce,
And to his paleis gan goodly hym conveye,
And day be day ful richely festeye—
Al-be þat it was no þing do of herte.
For þis no lees, he felt[e] ful gret smerte,
Þat of his tresour he was dispoiled so,
And þat he hath þe riche flees for-go
To his damage and confusioun.
And þus þer was a gret diuisioun
A-twexe his chere and menyng of his þouȝt,
As it fareth ofte ȝif it be wel souȝt,
Þat many man, in menyng fals and double,
Can with þe calme curen so þe trouble
Of hiȝe malis hid in his desire,
And rake falsly þe wikked couert fire,
Ful hoot[e] brennyng inward of envye.
So wel wer him þat coude hem oute espie,
And knewe her menyng false & fraudelent,
Wher-þoruȝ, allas, ful many an Innocent
Deseyved is, þat wote not what þei mene;
And namly swiche þat nat but trouþe wene;
And euery chere þat men to hem make,
Of Innocence for þe beste take,
And in no wise þenke nouȝt but wel:
Riȝt so certeyn þis Iason euerydel
Hath take in gre what þe kyng hath wrouȝt,
Not aduertyng þe grucching of his þouȝt;
For dout[e]les it sat þe kyng ful sore,
Þat he þe Ram hath lost for euere-more.
But whan þat he hath outterly yseyn,
Þouȝ he gruche, þat þer was no geyn,
But finally, of necessite,
At þat tyme it myȝt noon other be,
And pleynly sawe þat he may not chese,
But þat algate þe flees he mot[e] lese,
Wheþer it were þat he were lefe or lothe,
He feyneth chere, as he wer not wrothe;
For only he, of his gentilnes,
No signe outward of gruching dide expresse,
But day be day of verray curtesye
He cherith Iason and his companye.
At whiche tyme, abouten environ
From euery party of his regioun,
Þe peple cam to staren and to gase
Vp-on þe Ram, as it were a mase;
Þei loke & wondre & deme what hem liste,
On whos domys is but litel triste:
Þey ofte varie and torne to and fro,
Þat, who þat wisly taketh hede þer-to,
Þe comoun peple chaungeth as a phane,
To-day þei wexe and to-morwe wane,
As doth þe mone, þei be so flaskysable,
Who trusteth hem schal fynd hem ful vnstable.
For somme wer glad þat Iason hath sped wel,
And some sory, and like it neuer a del,
And somme seide þei wonder how he myȝt
Ageyn þe dragoun or þe bolis fiȝt,
Or how þat he ageyn þe force of Marte
Out of þe yle alyue myȝt[e] parte.
A-nother seide þat parauenture
By crafte was wrouȝt þis discomfeture,
Outher by charme or som sorserye:
Þus eche of hem after her fantasie
Gan deme of hym al þe longe day.
But at þe last, makyng no delay,
Ful glad and liȝt Medea doun descendeth
From hir chambre, & outwarde pretendeth
Sadnes of chere, as sche no þing ne knewe.
Men koude nat conseyve by hir hewe
Hir secre menyng, for sche so wommanly
Demened hir, and so prudently,
Þat sche avoyded by discrecioun
Al fantasye and suspecioun,
Þat no man koude of hir wirkyng deme
No þing but wel; for as it dide seme,
By port & chere þer was no cause why.
And so by processe sche drowe hir priuely
Toward Iason, for sche was not to lere,
And secrely bad hym in hys ere,
In al wyse þat he not ne leue
To hir chambre for to come at eue;
For maters þei hadde for to trete,
Whiche he schal know at leiser whan þei mete.
And so anoon, whan entred was þe niȝt,
Sool by hym silfe, with-oute torche or liȝt,
To Medea he hath þe weye take,
And sche abood sleples for his sake,
Wonder deuoutly desyryng, as I gesse,
With hym to trete of som holynes,
Touching maters of contemplacioun;
For sche was smete with a deuocioun
Of fresche Venus to holden a memorie
With hym allone in hir oratorie—
Not openly as ypocrites preye
In diuers angles Ioynyng on þe weye,
Of þe peple [for] to be comendid;
But þei not so han þe nyȝt dispendid
For veynglorie nor noon ydel laude,
But by hem silfe, þinkyng on no fraude,
Secrely þis ilke tweyne allone,
With-oute liȝt ouþer of sonne or mone,
Þe long[e] nyȝt han lad with-oute reste:
For as hem þouȝt it was not for þe beste
To speke of slepe til þat it was prime,
For þei hem cast to lose as þo no tyme.
And þus þe nyȝt to-gidre þei dispende,
Þat I am dul for to comprehende
Þe obseruaunce of swiche religious,
Prolix in werkyng & not compendious—
Demeth ȝour silfe, ȝe gete no more of me,
For wel ȝe wote, in euery faculte
Who hath knowyng and experience,
Men wil to hym raþest ȝif credence.
Wherfore I seie, ȝe þat be wyse and can,
Axeth not me, whiche am so rude a man,
To deme a þing, & namly whan þat it
Passyth my knowyng also and my witte;
For-dullid is myn ymagynatif,
To deme in practik or in speculatif,
Where-fore I passe and late it ouer slyde,
And forþe I þink, ȝif ȝe list abide,
Pleynly tellen of Iason and Medee.
Þe whiche acorded and assented be,
Þat sche with hym schal in-to Grece wende
Whan þat he goth, schortly þis þe ende,
Vnwist hir fader & euery other wyȝt
Saue he allone, þat hath his trouþe pliȝt
For to be trewe, boþe in wele and wo,
Vn-to his laste, to hir and to no mo.

Howe Iason stalle away by nyght withe Medea and here Faderes tresure & Richees.

And whan Iason after his Iourne,
Ful richely, liche to his degre,
Refresched was in Colchos of þe kyng
With al þat myȝt[e] ben to his likyng,
And a moneth passed was and goon,
He with his Grekys assented in-to oon,
Purposed hath, schortly ȝif he myȝt,
With Medea to stele a-weye be nyȝt,
With moche tresour and þe riche flees,
And ful acorde also of Hercules.
But o Medea! þou hastest al to faste,
Þou wer to slowe wysly for to caste
What schulde falle, whan þou þi Iourne toke!
For how þat he in meschefe þe forsoke,
And how þat he was false and eke vnkynde,
For alle his othes to þe, as I fynde,
And how þat þou, bothe at eve and morwe,
Þi fatal chaunce and þi pitous sorowe
By-weptist after, & gan þi silf to rende,
Til deth of al made a woful ende—
It wer but veyn to makyn rehersaille;
I wote no þing þat it myȝt availle,
Nor how Iason vnkynde for þe nonys,
Resseived hath penam tallionis
Of þe goddis for his disnaturesse;
For he in meschef and in wrechednesse
Made eke an ende þoruȝ þe cruel hate
Of fel[le] Mars: lo here þe mortal fate
Of þis tweyn þat made her ende so!
But as I trowe, liche as write Guydo,
For her gynnyng was nat vertuous,
An ende folweth ful contagious.
Allas! þei hadde take hedde a-forne,
Þan had þei nat in meschef ben so lorne.
But who wil not a-forn his meschef se,
May not eschewe to haue aduersite
In þe ende, platly to devyne;
For euene liche as a medicine
Availeth nat, whan þe seke is ded:
For what may helpen þe stomak or þe hed
Letuarie, emplastre, or pocioun,
Or any receyt or confeccioun,
Herbe or stoon, or al þat leches knowe,
Whan þat þe cors is leied in erþe lowe,
Or whan a beest is torned to carein!
Myn auctor seiþ, þat it is but veyn,
For his recure, vp-on any halve,
To his ere for to leyn a salve:
For verraily, after his fantasye,
It helpeth nat, nor doth no remedie;
For þing parformed in his due date
More vertu haþ þan whan it commeþ late.
Riȝt so in cas, verraily semblable,
Of worldly trust, fals & ful mutable,
Who cast no pereil til þat it be-falle,
In-stede of sugre ofte tasteth galle:
Blendid with lust, whiche þat is present,
Of þe future slouth and necligent
Þat hem ne liste a-forn no meschef caste,
Til in þe snare þei ben englued faste;
For to provide þei ben graceles,
Ful vnprudent and wilful rek[e]les.
To caste pereil or þat it be-tyde:
Þei swe her luste, her reson goth a-syde,
As it be-fil whilom of þis two,
Of Medea and [of] Iason also.
But how-so-euere of Iason þat it be,
I fynde pleynly þe harme allone had sche,
Þe grete damage and þe final smerte,
For lak of wisdam þat sche nolde aduerte
What schul[de] falle, whan sche her Iourne toke,
And hir fadir folily forsoke;
But sith sche wrouȝt only of wilfulnes,
With-oute conseil or avysenes,
Me list no more hir harmes to be-wayle,
For lite or nouȝt it myȝt[e] now avayle.
Late hir allone complayne hir damage:
For wel I wote touching hir passage,
It was not take in good plite of þe mone,
Of hastines sche began to sone,
Chesyng an hour þat was nat fortunat;
For sche allone of frendys desolat
Colchos forsoke, and is to schyp[pe] goon;
And in al haste be byddyng of Iason,
Hercules and al his companye,
Þat with him com oute of Thesalye,
With-oute tariynge, at onys at a worde,
I-entred ben with-Inne [þe] schippes borde,
Only for cause þat þe wynd was good
And euery þing at her lust tho stood.
And so be assent, þei stele a-wey be nyȝt
With al þe tresour þat þei cache myȝt,
And with hem had plente of vitaille;
And forthe anoon þei be-gonne to seile
By many coste & many sondry Ile,
Toward[es] Grece; and al þis mene while
Was Medea glad and of good chere,
Sche and Iason sittyng bothe I-fere.
And Hercules, of verray gentilnes,
Hir to comfort dide his besynes,
Al feyni[n]gly, for þe maner sake,
As þis louerys ful queynt can it make,
Til þei han had hooly her plesaunce;
Her lust fulfilled, þan entreþ variaunce,
As it was preved by Iason outerly,
Þat hathe for-sake ful vnkyndely
Þis Medea, in peyne, sorwe, and wo.
Of hir Guydo writ no wordis mo,
Ne maketh of hir non other mencioun,
By-cause, I trow in myn opinioun,
Þat hir sorwes, ende and euerydel,
Rehersed ben ful openly and wel
Methamorphoseos, & wryte þer ful pleyn:
Wher as Naso recordeth in certeyn
Hir deth nat only, nor hir heuynes,
But parcel eke of þe vnkyndenes
Of þis Iason, and telleth pleynli how
Medea hir bothe sonys slowe,
For þei wer like her fader of visage;
And telleth eke, þat put hir moste in rage,
How falsely he, I can hym not excuse,
Loued another þat called was Ceruse;
Eke in his pistles, who so taketh hede,
Hir dedly sorwe he may beholde & rede,
And how þat sche hir trouþ abouȝt[e] sore.
Of Medea ȝe gete of me no more
In al þis boke, nor of hir auenture.
But I wil now do my besy cure
Hooly to turne my stile to Iason,
And of þe werre he made on Lamedoun,
Liche as in Guydo is openly discrived,
After þat he in Grece was arived.