The Knight was curtas, & kendly he said :— As Past to hir priue chamber: & here a pas endis. Jason consents, and Medea passes to her chamber. Medea longs for night. (fol. 13 a.) She sends a widow to guide Jason to her chamber. Third Boke: how Medea enformed Lason to get the mese of Golde. Here tellus pe tale, woso tentis after, The grete goldyn flese with a greke noble, Sone the day ouerdroghe & the derke entrid, And all buernes vnto bed as hom best liked. Medea full myldly movede aboute, 676 Waynet up a window, the welkyn beheld, Persauyt pertly, with hir pure artis, When the dregh was don of pe derke night, þat all sad were on slepe, seruond & other. 680 ffayn was pat fre and forper ho went, Waknet vp a wydow, pat hir with dwellit, And sent to pat semly, as ho said first. He busket from his bede & pe burde folowid, 684 Till he come thurghe a cloyster to a clene halle, pere Medea the mylde met hym hir one, And with myrthe at pere metyng mowthet to gethir; ben suet pai with solas into a sure chamber. JASON PROMISES TO WED MEDEA. 688 The old wedo on hir way wendys belyue, And po louers ho leuyt lightly to-gedur. Medea the maidon meuyt to pe dore, Barret it bygly on hir best wise; 692 pan she brought forth þe bold to hir bedde syde In solas full soberly he set hym þeron. She went from þat worthy into a wale chambur, A triet Image she toke all of true golde, 696 Halowet was hertly in a highe nome Of Joue, pat gentillis held for a iust god, 700 Of suergys semly, þat set were aboute. ban wightly thies wordes to pat worthy ho "Here I aske you hertely þat ye may het here, and asks Jason to With a solemne sacrement on this sure gode, 704 All þe forward to fulfille, pat ye first made, And po couenaundes to kepe with a clene hert; And for your felow & fere me faithfully hold, Euer from this owre to the ende of your lyffe ; 708 ffor no chaunce, pat may cheue, chaunge your wille : And I heghly shall holde, I het you before." swear that he will fulfil all his promises. (fol. 13 b.) (MS. has THE POETE. But vnfaithfull freke, with pi fals cast, All þi wille for to wirke, pi worship to saue: On the falsity and dishonour of Jason. Book III. To mar such a maiden, who forsook all for thee, shame on thee, Jason! Thou art mansworne; and a foul end awaits thee! (fol. 14 a.) And thou, Medea, where was then thy foresight, and skill in the arts? They pass into an inner chamber. 720 Soche a maiden to mar þat þe most louet, When the soile & pe Septur was sothely hur awne, And pe tresure she toke vntruly for thee; 724 Auntrede hir to Exile euer for þi sake; Wan be thy worship & wilfull desire : Keppit þe fro combraunse & fro cold deth, Storet thee to strenght & pi stythe londes, 728 And dawly hir distitur of hir dere fader. With shame may pou shunt fro þi shire othes, So fals to be founden, & þi faithe breike, To betraut soche a trew, pat pe trust In: 732 And þi god has pou greuit with pi grete filth. Wete for pi werke þat þe shall wo happyn, And myschefe full mekill, pou art mansworne : pou failes not in faith of a fowle end. 736 And pow Medea so mad, what myndes had pou þen ? Syn pou wist thurgh wit werdis to come, What seruit it your sciense of pe seuon artes, That pou sogh not your sorow, þat thee suet after? 740 But pou sothely may say þat your sight failed, And pow loket not large, for lust þat þe blyndit. And oft in astronamy hit auntres to falle, þat domes men dessauis & in doute bringes. 744 ffor hit passis pe power of any pure mon, 748 All þe course for to know, pat is to cum after: When he swiftly hade sworne to pat swete maidon, bai entrid full evyn into an Inner chamber, 752 MEDEA INSTRUCTS JASON. bai solast hom samyn, as hom-seluon liket, bat pe me faithfully informe, & let me fare 761 My deuer for to do & my deth voide; þat I might lede pe with luff into my londe home, Medea to pat mighty myldly answarit :— Book III. 27 At daybreak I have mynde of youre mater most of all other: I will fully enforme yow or ye fare hethyn, How ye dewly shall do, & no drede haue. 772 Ryse we now full radly, rest here no longer, And I shall tell you full tyte, & tary no thing." Than þai cladde hom clenly vppon clese wise : The burd bowet from pe bede, broght hym in Medea brings to haste 776 An ymage full nobill, þat he naite shulde, bat qwaint was & qwem, all of white siluer, holde. Hit was wroght all by wit & wiles to helpe, 780 And myghty suche mawmentry made to distroy: Sho bade hym kepe it full close on his clene body. (fol. 14 b.) him a charmed image, and bids him wear it next his heart. An oyntment þat was noble, anon she hym set, A noble ointment |