Jason consents, and Medea passes to her chamber,

The Knight was curtas, & kendly he said :-
“ Most louesom lady, your lykyng be done !

As ye wilne for to wirke & your wille folowe, 660 In dede be it done, as ye deuysede haue."

The lady with loutyng þen hir leue tase,
ffirst at hir fadir and other fre buernes,
Past to hir priue chamber : & here a pas endis.

Third Boke: how Medea enformed Eason to

get the filese of Golde.

Medea longs for night.

(fol. 13 a.)

Here tellus pe tale, woso tentis after,
How the wethir was wonen,

&
away

borne
The grete goldyn flese with a greke noble,
668 Thurghe wyles of [a] woman, þat þe wegh louet.

Whan Medea the maidon, þat I mynt have,
Was chosyn into chamber, & on hir charge thoght,

Of hir Janglyng with Jason & hir iuste wordys, 672 Hit neght to be night & the none past :

Sone the day ouerdroghe & the derke entrid,
And all buernes ynto 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 þe derke night,

þat all sad were on slepe, seruond & other.
680 ffayn was pat fre and forper ho went,

Waknet vp a wydow, þat hir with dwellit,
And sent to þat semly, as ho said first.

He busket from his bede & þe burde folowid, 684 Till he come thurghe a cloyster to a clene halle,

bere Medea the mylde met hym hir one,
And with myrthe at þere metyng mowthet to

gethir ;
pen suet pai with solas into a sure chamber.

She sends a widow to guide Jason to her chamber.

JASON PROMISES TO WED MEDEA.

25

Book III.

688 The old wedo on hir way wendys belyue,

And po louers ho leuyt lightly to-gedur.
Medea the maidon meuyt to be dore,

Barret it bygly on hir best wise;
692 Þan she brought forth be 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, þat gentillis held for a iust god,
And broght to the buerne on pe beddis syde,

With light that was louely lemyng þer-In 700

Of suergys semly, þat set were aboute.
ban wightly thies wordes to þat worthy ho

Medea brings an image of pure gold,

said :

“Here I aske you hertely þat ye may het here, and asks Jason to

swear that he will With a solemne sacrement on this sure gode, fulfil all his

promises. 704 All be forward to fulfille, þat ye first made,

And þo 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 ; (fol. 13 b.) 708 ffor no chaunce, but may cheue, chaunge your

wille :
And I heghly shall holde, I het you before.”
Jason grauntede full goodly with a glad chere,
And swiftly he sware on þat (Shene) god;

(MS. has

« Shete.”) 712 All tho couenaundes to kepe, & for no cause let,

Whill hym lastes the lyffe: he laid on his hond.

THE POETE.

On the falsity and dishonour of Jason.

But vnfaithfull freke, with pi fals cast,

pat such a lady belirt with þi lechur dedes, 716 bat put hur so plainly þi power vnto,

All þi wille for to wirke, pi worship to saue :
And þow hedis not the harme of þat hend lady,
Ne tentes not thy trouth þat þou tynt has.

Book III.

a

To mar such a maiden, who forsook all for tl'te,

720 Soche a maiden to mar þat þe most louet,

hat forsec hir fader & hir fre londe,
When the soile & þe Septur was sothely hur

awne,
And þe tresure she toke vntruly for thee;
724 Auntrede hir to Exile euer for þi sake;

Wan þe thy worship & wilfull desire :
Keppit pe fro combraunse & fro cold deth,

Storet thee to strenght & þi 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, & pi faithe breike,

To betraut soche a trew, þat þe trust In:
732 And þi god has pou greuit with pi grete filth.

Wete for þi werke þat þe shall wo happyn,
And myschefe full mekill, pou art mansworne :

Hou failes not in faith of a fowle end.
736 And þow Medea so mad, what myndes had pou

shame on thee, Jason! Thou art

man sworne ; and a foul end awaits thee!

pen?

(fol. 14 a.) And thou, Medea, where was then thy foresight, and skill in the arts ?

Syn pou wist thurgh wit werdis to come,
What seruit it your sciense of þe seuon artes,

That pou sogh not your sorow, þat thee suet after ?
740 But þou sothely may say þat your sight failed,

And þow 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 þe power of any pure mon,

All be course for to know, þat is to cum after :
Saue God, þat all gouernes with grase of his honde.
Now turne to our tale, take bere we lefte.

They pass into an inner chamber.

748 When he swiftly hade sworne to þat swete

maidon,
pai entrid full evyn into an Inner chamber,
bat was rially arayed with a riche bede;
And bothe all bare busket þere-in.

MEDEA INSTRUOTS JASON.

27

Book III.

tell him how he is to win the fleece,

752 bai solast hom samyn, as hom-seluon liket,

With venus werkes, þat hom well pleasid :
bat sorily dessauis, & men to sorow bringes.

Whan þe day vp droghe & the dym voidet, 756 Thus Jason full ioyfull to pat gentill said :“ Hit is best þat we buske & of bede rise,

At daybreak

Jason bids Medea Lest þe day vs be-daghe & our dedes knowen,

And we founden in fere & oure fame loste; 760 And I vnformet in faith how I fare shall,

Of my dedes to do, as ye me dere heght.
Iff þe any thing have amyt abill me to,
þat þe me faithfully informe, & let me fare

hethyn,
76! My deuer for to do & my deth voide;

bat I might lede be with luff into my londe home,
Wede ye with worship, and to wiffe hold."

Medea to pat mighty myldly answarit :-
768 “A! my lord & my loue, more lefe þan my

seluyn,
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." (fol. 14 6.)
Than þai cladde hom clenly vppon clese wise :
The burd bowet from þe 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,
Charmet with enchauntment, & chargit hym to

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. An oyntment þat was noble, anon she hym set, A noble ointment

him a charmed image, and bids him wear it next his heart.