JASON RETURNS TO ÆETES.

944 Delt dynttes full derffe, geuyn depe woundes. These balefull brether batell so longe,

Till none left was alyue ne o lofte stode.

Now thies charmys & enchauntementtes are
cheuit to noght,

948 Dede ys the dragon and the derffe knightes,
The exin left on þe lond vnneth lyfe in,
He past all his perels and no pyne tholed.
By the crafte so coynt þat hym kend were,
952 He glydis forthe gladly to the golde fflese,

Wynnes to the wethir, wroght hym to dethe,
fflypit of the fflese ffoldet it somyn;

Thonkes gretly his goddis pat hym grace lent 956 The flese for to fonge and no fay worthe. Jason was ioly, hade Juels ynogh,

Busket to the bank and the bote tok,

Stird ouer the streame streght to be lond,

960 þere he found all his feris fayne of his werke ;
Ercules and oper pat euer were abyding,

bat fayne were to fonge pat freike vppon lyue.
Jason with ioy and his ioly ffellowes

964 Soghten euen to the Sete of Chetes pe kyng.

968

Book III.

33

they destroy each other.

All the dangers are overcome and Jason obtains the golden fleece.

Jason joins his companions, and they all return to Eetes,

welcome them.

And he as wee full of worship welcomed hom all who pretends to
With a faynyng fare vnder faire chere;

Hade no deynté of the dede but dere at his hert,
Ne of ryches so Riall þat the Renke hade :
He assignet hym a sete by hym-selfe euyen.
The flammyng of pe flese was ferly to see,
3et merueld hym more how Mars was distroyed,

972 Geter of his good and a god holdyn.

Medea the mayden with a mylde chere,

Was Joyfull of Jason, Aioynit hym to,

(fol. 17 b.) Medea rejoices

that Jason has returned in

Kyst hym full curtesly, and of his come fayne. safety.

976 By pat semly he sate as hir syre bade,

Ho prayet hym priuely all with pert wordes,

To bow to hir bede boldly at euyn;

Book III.

Jason proposes to depart immediately. Medea

pleads for delay.

They steal away by night.

Jason and

Hercules cherish vindictive feelings towards

Laomedon, son

of Ilus, king of Troy.

(fol. 18 a.)

And he hir graunted pat gate with a good wille. 980 When it turnyt to pe tyme as I told ere,

He bowes to hir bed pere he ben hade, And lay þere in lustes pe long night ouer, In Solas on soche wise as hom-selfe thoght, 984 And spekyn of hor spede while pai space hade, ffor to fare on þe fome into fer londes ; But Medea mouet hym a moneth to lenge. ben leuyt þai the lond and no leue toke, 988 Stale from þe styth kyng styllé by night;

With pe maiden Medea & myche oper goodes, pai turne into Tessaile with-outen tale more, Hit vp into a havyn all the hepe samyn. 992 Pelleus not prowde hade pyne at his hert, bat Jason of his Jorney Joifully hade sped, And faynet ay faire wordes vnder felle thoghtes, Holy het hom to have pe hestes before.

996 Jason of his Jorney was ioyfull ynoghe, þat he hade fongit pe flese & pe fresshe gold; He hedit not the hestes ne the hegh othes, Ne he keppid no couenaund to pe kynd maydon. 1000 But a Sourdyng with sourgrem sanke in his hert, And a lourekand lust to Lamydon the kyng: Ercules with Enuy was enmy also.

bai comynd in the case, cast hom perfore, 1004 Comyn euyn to the kyng & þe cause tolde

Of dyshoner he did and his derfe wordes,

bat the grettyst of Grise gremyt þerat;
And heghly to helpe heghtyn þai all,

1008 As I shall telle you the treuthe truly hereaftur.

Here begynneth be fourth boke.
Of he dystrucion of he fyrst Troy by
Ercules and Fason.

All charge of þis chaunse, chefe how it will,
Ercules vppon hond hertely has tane;

He sped hym vnto spart, sparit he noght, 1012 þat a cuntre is cald of pe coste of Rome. Tow brether full bold abidyng per-in,

Bothe kynges of pe kythe, Caster was one,
And Pollux, þe proude, pristly pat other.

1016 As poyetis han put, plainly po two
Were getyn by a gode on a grete lady,
be fairest of ffeturs pat euer on fote yode:
And a suster to be same, sothly, was Elyn,
1020 Getyn of þe same god in a goode tyme.

To these kynges he come & his cause tolde,
And to haue of hor helpe hertely dissyred,
And þai graunted hym full goodly with a glad

chere.

1024 pen he lacches his leue and pai lordes ponkit,
Suet forth to (Salame) in a sad haste,

hat gouernet was in gryse by a gome noble,—
One Telamon trewly, as pe text sayse,

1028 þat was kyng in the coste & pe coron hade,-
A bold man in batell & byg in his Rewme.
Ercules of helpe hym hertely besoght,
And he grauntid to goo with a good wille,

Hercules determines to make war with Troy, and seeks the assistance of Castor and Pollux.

(Helena, sister of Pollux.)

(MS. has
"Salerne.")
He goes to
Telamon, king
of Salamis, who
promises to aid
him.

Book IV.

(fol. 18b.)

He goes to
Peleus, king of

Thessaly, and to
Nestor, king of

Pylus, who
promise to

assist him.

The fleets of the

allies of Hercules

1032 With mony bold men in batell and biggest in
Armes.

To Pelleus pertly pen past he agayne,
Assemblid of Soudiours a full sadde pepull,
Of the tidiest of Tessaile, tore men of strenght.

1036 pen to Philon pe freike ferkit in haste,

To a Duke þat was derffe & doughti of honde,
Nestor, A noble man naitest in werre,

þat hade louyt hym of long, & his lefe frynde; 1040 He hight hym full hertely pat he haue sholde ffertheryng to his fight with a fre wille.

ben leues pe lede & of lond paste

To Pelleus pristly, þat puruiaunce hade made 1044 Of twenty shippes full shene, shot on pe depe, All redy to the Roode of pe roghe ythes,

With mony barons full bold & buernes per-in. þen comyn thies kynges fro per kyth evyn,

meet at Thessaly; 1048 Saylyng full sound with seasonable wyndes;

and at the

season of the

year when the

sun enters Aries,

they set sail for Troy.

(fol. 19 a.)

At Tessaile full tyte turnyt into havyn,

ffor to fare to pere ffoos with a ffryke wille.

pus it tyd as I telle pe tyme of þe yere,

1052 he sun in his sercle was set vppon high,
Entrid into Aries vnder a signe,

And euyn like of a lenght þe light & pe derke.
he cloudes wax clere, clensit the ayre;

1056 Wynter away, watris were calme;

Stormes were still, pe sternes full clere,
3eforus softe wyndis Soberly blew ;

Bowes in bright holtes buriont full faire;
1060 Greuys wex grene and pe ground swete;
Swoghyng of swete ayre, Swalyng of briddes ;
Medowes & mounteyns myngit with ffloures,
Colord by course as paire kynd askit.

1064 At Mid Aprille, the mone when myrthes begyn, The season full softe of pe salt water,

And the bremnes abated of the brode ythes,

THE ARRIVAL.

Thies kynges, with knightes in companies grete, 1068 Past fro port, pulled vp þere sailes,

Were borne to pe brode se & the banke leuyt; Sailed fourthe soberly with seasonable windes Till pai comen [to] the cost, as pe course felle, 1072 Of the terage of Troy & turnyt into hauyn, bat sothly was said Segeas to nome.

By thies rialles aryven were, to rest was pe

sun,

And neghed to be night, noy was þe more: 1076 Kaste ancres full kene into þe (cold) water, Cogges with cablis cachyn to londe,

And lay so on lone the long night ouer.
Wen the derke was done & the day sprange,

1080 And lightid o lofte ledis to beholde,

Book IV.

37

At sunset they arrive at Sigeum, and lie at anchor till morning.

(MS. has
"cole.")

The Grekys in hor geyre graithid hom to banke, The Greeks land,
Launchid vp lightly lordis and other.

pitch their tents, and set guards before Laomedon

The kyng had no knawlache, pat the kith aght, is aware of their

1084 Of the folke so furse pat hym affray wold,

ffor-pi vnkeppit were pe costes all þe kythe ouer.

bai hailit vp horses & hernes of maile,

Armur and all thinge euyn as hom liked :

1088 Tild vp pere tentis tomly and faire,

Skairen out skoute-wacche for skeltyng of harme,
Armyn hom at all peces after anon.

Er the sun vp soght with his softe beames,
1092 Pelleus full prestly the peopull did warne
To appere in his presens, princes and dukys.
With-out tarying to his tent tytly pai yode,
And were set all samyn þe souerain before.
1096 When the peopull were pesit he proffert þes
wordes,-

arrival.

Peleus summons

a council of war to meet in his tent.

Sais, "Ye noblist of nome pat neuer man The counsel of adouted,

The worde of your werkes & your wight dedis,

And the prise of your prowes passes o fer!

Peleus.

(fol. 196.)