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To Colcos comen is this duc Jasoun,
That is of love devourer and dragoun.
As mater apetiteth forme alwey
And from forme into forme it passen may,
Or as a welle that were botomles,
Ryght so can false Jason have no pes.
For to desyren thourgh his apetit
To don with gentil women his delyt,
This is his lust and his felicite.

Jason is romed forth to the cyte
That whilom cleped was Jaconitos,
That was the mayster-toun of al Colcos,
And hath ytold the cause of his comyng
Unto Oetes, of that contre kyng,
Preyinge hym that he moste don his assay
To gete the fles of gold if that he may;
Of which the kyng assenteth to his bone,
And doth hym honour, as it was to done,
So fer forth that his doughter and his eyr,
Medea, which that was so wis and fayr
That fayrer say there nevere man with ye,
He made hire don to Jason companye
At mete, and sitte by hym in the halle.

Now was Jason a semely man withalle,
And lyk a lord, and hadde a gret renoun,
And of his lok as real as a leoun,
And goodly of his speche, and familer,
And coude of love al craft and art pleyner
Withoute bok, with everych observaunce.
And, as Fortune hire oughte a foul myschaunce,
She wex enamoured upon this man.

"Jason," quod she, "for ought I se or can,
As of this thyng the whiche ye ben aboute,
Ye han youreself yput in moche doute.
For whoso wol this aventure acheve,
He may nat wel asterten, as I leve,
Withouten deth, but I his helpe he.
But natheles, it is my wylle," quod she,
"To fortheren yow so that ye shal nat die,
But turnen sound hom to youre Tessalye."

"My ryghte lady," quod this Jason tho,
"That ye han of my deth or of my wo
Any reward, and don me this honour,
I wot wel that my myght ne my labour
May nat disserve it in my lyves day.
God thanke yow there I ne can ne may!
Youre man I am, and lowely yow beseche
To ben my helpe, withoute more speche;
But, certes, for my deth shal I nat spare."

Tho gan this Medea to hym declare
The peril of this cas from poynt to poynt,
And of his batayle, and in what disjoynt
He mote stonde, of which no creature
Save only she ne myghte his lyf assure.
And shortly to the poynt ryght for to go,
They been acorded ful bytwixe hem two
That Jason shal hire wedde, as trewe knyght;
And terme set to come sone at nyght
Unto hire chamber and make there his oth
Upon the goddes, that he for lef or loth
Ne sholde nevere hire false, nyght ne day,
To ben hire husbonde whil he lyve may,
As she that from his deth hym saved here.
And hereupon at nyght they mette in-feere,
And doth his oth, and goth with hire to bedde;
And on the morwe upward he hym spedde,
For she hath taught hym how he shal nat fayle
The fles to wynne and stynten his batayle;
And saved hym his lyf and his honour;
And gat hym a name ryght as a conquerour,
Ryght thourgh the sleyghte of hire enchauntement.

Now hath Jason the fles, and hom is went
With Medea, and tresor ful gret won;
But unwist of hire fader is she gon
To Tessaly with Duk Jason hire lef,
That afterward hath brought hire to myschef.
For as a traytour he is from hire go,
And with hire lafte his yonge children two,
And falsly hath betraysed hire, allas,
As evere in love a chef traytour he was;
And wedded yit the thridde wif anon,
That was the doughter of the kyng Creon.

This is the mede of lovynge and guerdoun
That Medea receyved of Jasoun
Ryght for hire trouthe and for hire kyndenesse,
That lovede hym beter than hireself, I gesse,
And lafte hire fader and hire herytage.
And of Jason this is the vassellage,
That in his dayes nas ther non yfounde
So fals a lovere goinge on the grounde.
And therfore in hire letter thus she seyde
Fyrst, whan she of his falsnesse hym upbreyde:
"Whi lykede me thy yelwe her to se
More than the boundes of myn honeste?
Why lykede me thy youthe and thy fayrnesse,
And of thy tonge, the infynyt graciousnesse?
O, haddest thow in thy conquest ded ybe,
Ful mikel untrouthe hadde ther deyd with the!"
Wel can Ovyde hire letter in vers endyte,
Which were as now to long for me to wryte.