THE MISFORTUNES OF ULYSSES. With-in a yere, full yeuerly, þat yepe was with child, 13232 Consayuit of my-selfe, & a son hade. han I purpast to passe with pepull a few, 433 Book XXXIV. She bears him a son, and employs all her charms (fol. 202 a.) and wiles to leaving the Of me be worthy was war, & my wille knew, 13236 And sped hir full specially my sped for to let, With wiles & wicchecraft my way for to hindur; prevent him But my-self of þat sciens somwhat I can, Well enformet of the feate, & hir fare marret ; 13240 And all hir note of Nigromansy naitly distroyet. han I wan fro the woman with wyles ynow; With a lite, pat me left were, launchit to see; Past ouer the pale ythes, & perellis full mony, By means of counter charms he escapes from Circe and sails to the country of Calypso. 13244 Into the cuntre of Calaphe cast with a storme, There the qwene with hir qwaintis qwaitid me The queen falls to cacche: Held me with hir, & my hede knightes, Alse longe as hir list, with hir loue bounden. 13248 But hit noyet me noght for hir noble chere, 13252 Hir craft & hir conyng by course I distroyet, 13260 At pat orribill I asket angardly myche, Of dethe, & of deire, as destyny willes ; There spird I full specially in spede for to here, 13264 When dethe hade vs drepit, & our day comyn, in love with him. (fol. 203 a. See Note.) He escapes and He inquires regarding death, and the state of souls after death. Book XXXIV. He sets sail and passes to the island of the Sirens, who are half fish, half woman, Their music is If the passing sailor listens to it, he is lulled asleep; and the Sirens sink his ship beneath the waves. (fol. 203 b.) Ulysses and his companions are beset by the Sirens; but they resist and overcome them. And we went of this world, what worthe of our saules. To all thing he answarit abilly me thoght, The myrthe of paire mowthes musyk was like, 13280 þat heron the melody, so mekill are masit in hert, Lettyn sailis doun slyde, & in slym fallyn: Nowthir stightill pai stere, ne no stithe ropes. So synkes in hor sawle the song of po bestis, 13284 Thai have no dainty of drynk, ne of dere meites, But derkon euon down on a depe slomur. bai wyn to the wale ship, & walton all vnder; With my felowes in fere, & my few shippes; 13292 And with crafte of my conyng I keppit vs wele, hat no wegh, pat I wist, hade wille for to slepe. dethe; THE MISFORTUNES OF ULYSSES. 435 13296 And noght hedit hom with heryng for harme of Book XXXIV. oure-selfe. ffro thies perels I past, & no payne tholit! But me happit full hard in a honde whyle! ffull swift to the swalgh me swinget the flode, 13300 But fyftene forlong failit I perof, ffele of my fraght were before past, Draghen into the depe, drownet belyue. The more halfe of my men & my mayn shippis, 13304 There tynt I full tite & turnyt away. pan I soght by the sea to Senyse I come, pai toke vs full tite, teghit oure hondes, 13312 All the godes pai grippit of the gret vessell, Having passed the perils of Sirens about fifteen furlongs, half his men and ships are lost. He next sails to Trinacria, where the natives rob him and murder most of his men : then cast him and the other survivors into prison. At the last pai me lausit, by leue of our goddes, At last they are With a few of my felowes, þat me fore with. 13316 No gode pai me gaf but graunt of my lyff, With myche baret all aboute the bourders of Iude. 13320 At the last, in this lond light am I here, Naked, & nedefull, as pou now sees. 13324 Idimius the du kyng, þat his dole herde, Hade pité of his pouert & plesit hym mykell. Moche gode he hym gaf of his gold red, And refresshit his fflete with a fyn wille. liberated, and sent away. After many comes to Idomeneus, pitying Ulysses, (fol. 20 a.) entertains him: and on his departure gives 13328 When the kyng oute of Crete cast hym to fare, him two ships Book XXXIV. well found, and sufficient money for the voyage. Departing from Crete he visits king Alcinous, who receives him joyfully. He is told how faithful Penelope had been. His son visits him, and tidings: he informs him regarding the state of his realm. (MS. has "kym.”) At the request of Ulysses, the king assists him to drive out his enemies. Two shippes full shene shot full of godys, And of syluer a sowme, sothely with-all, The kyng of the cost kyndly hym gaffe, 13332 þat might Suffise the syre forto saile home. han he prayet hym full prestly, þat he passe wold To Antenor on all wise, pat ay had dessyred, þat was a kyng in his coste, & couet full 13336 Vlixes, of long tyme, on lyue forto se. To Anthenor the tore kyng turnyt belyue. 13340 And he, war of þat worthy, welcomet hym faire, Mykell cherissht the choise kyng with a chere noble, And welcomd þat worthy, as he wele couthe. There were tythynges hym told of his triet realme, 13344 And of Penolope, his owne pure wyf, þat had keppit hir full cloise as a cleane lady, With myche worship & wyn, þat hym wele lyked. Thelamoc, his tru sun, tythinges had herd, 13348 pat his fader in fere was ferkit to lond With Antenor the tru: he trussit hym thedur, And all tythinges hym told of his tried moder. How Enmyes were egurly entrid his rewme, 13352 ffor to hold hit with hond, & with hole strenght. pan Vlixes full lyuely the lege (kyng) prayet, To kaire in his company with knightes a few, His fomen to fell with his fyne helpe: 13356 And he assenttid full sone, sowmet his pepull, Hade wind at þere wille, & the watur calme, ULYSSES WELCOMED HOME. 13360 Euery lede to the lond laghtyn þere gayre. pan hurlet into howses all the hed knightes, By the ledyng of a lede, þat the land knew, When the fomen were fast fallyn vppon slepe. 13364 There brittnet pai the buernes in hor bed naked, And none left vpon lyue, pat hom lothe were. Whan the day vp drogh, & the derke voidet, han the past to the palas of the prise kyng. 13368 Bothe the souerayn hym-selfe & his syb frynd, And were welcom, I-wis, on a wise faire ! 437 Book XXXIV. (fol. 204 b.) They reach the palace. A! what wise was Penolope proude at hir hert, The joy and 13372 pat ho had depely dessyret on dayes before In sound for to se, mony sad winttur! welcome of The pepull of the prise toun presit full thicke, The people flock ffor to loke on hor lord longit full sore. 13376 Gret gyftes þai hym gaffe of gold & of Syluer, And moche worsshippet the wegh all his wale pepull. He was enhaunsyt full high in his hed toune, to the palace to welcome their lord, with gifts of gold and silver. And so treated with Antenor, pat Thelamoc Ulysses takes his son, 13380 Nauca, the noble doghter naitly can wed Of Tyde Antenor, as the tale saise. There fourmyt þai a fest on a faire wise, ffele dayes to endure, as hom dere thoght. 13384 Antenor full tyte pan turnyt to his rewme, And Vlixes with lykyng leuyt at home. Mony dayes he endurit, all in due pes, And had rest in his rewme right to his dethe. Nausicaa, daughter of Alcinous, to wed his own son Telemachus. The joy and feasting that followed. Alcinous returns home. Ulysses spends the rest of his days in peace. |