Book II. She sits beside Jason; and while the company are eagerly listening to Hercules, the lovers are left to themselves. MEDEA 508 And he assignet hir a seite, þat hir-selfe liket, With chere for cherys the chiualrus Knightes, As maner was of Maidones, with hir myld chere. His comaundment to kepe sho hir course held, 512 And Joynet by Jason iustly to sit; And he welcomed þat worthy as he well kouthe: ffor to mele with pat maidyn & hir mode here. 516 The Kyng with other knightes hade comford to speike Ercules of armes, & auntres to telle Of chiualry & chaunce, pat cheuyt hym before, pat no lede was lelly po louers betwene, 520 But þai might say by hom-self all þere sad wille. Medea excuses herself to Jason for speaking to him so freely, (fol. 10 b.) Such courtesy is due to him as a stranger. MEDEA. The woman was war þat no wegh herd, And vnder shadow of shame shewid forth hir ernd, With a compas of clennes to colour hir speche. 524 In sauyng hir-seluen and serche of his wille, "Now frynd," quod pat faire, "as ye bene fre holden, 528 Will ye suffer me to say, and the sothe telle? Voidis me noght of vitius, [ne] vilaus of tunge; Ne deme no dishonesty in your derfe hert, hof I put me pus pertly my purpos to shewe. Hit sittes, me semeth, to a sure knyghte, bat ayres into vnkoth lond auntres to seche, 532 To be counseld in case to comfford hym-seluyn, Of sum fre pat hym faith awe, & pe fete knoweth ; This curtysy he claymes as for, clere det, And be chaunce may chere hym & cheue to pe bettur. 536 I wot ssir, ye are wight & a wegh nobill, Auntrus in armes, & able of person; 540 A storre man of strenght & of stuerne will, Book II. She pities Jason, and promises to I haue pittye of your person & your pert face, 544 pat causes me with counsell to caste for your helpe, And put you in plite your purpos to wyn, And my wille for to wirke, if I wele serue." TH[E] ONSUARE OF JASON TO MEDEA. Jason was full ioly of hir iuste wordys, 552 And þat comly can clip in his close armes. He onswared hir onest[1]y opynond his hert,-- I thanke you a thowsaund tymes in my thro 556 þat ye kythe me suche kyndnes withouten cause why; the golden fleece, if he will do as she desires. Jason thanks her a thousand times, And here I put me full plainly in your pure and submits to her wille, To do with me, damsell, as your desyre thynke, MEDEA. 560 Than saide pat semely to be sure knyght,— ** pure will." (fol. 11 a.) "Sir, wete ye not the wochis pat this wethir Unless he is zemes, The keping in case is vnknowen to yowe, And the truthe of the tale vntold to your ere? 564 The perlouse pointtes pat passe you behoues, thoroughly acquainted with all the difficulties lie ᏂᏗs Book II. to overcome, she advises him to abandon the enterprise. Jason rejects such advice: were he to follow it he would for ever be accounted a coward. (MS. has "ylke a") (fol. 11 b.) Medea, on finding Hit is vnlike any lede with his liffe pas, And ye may strive with no stuerne but of your strenght nobill. 568 Wo shuld pas out of perell fro po proude exin, bat with flamys. of fyre han so furse hete? Woso bydis pere bir is brent into askys. Or þat dragon so derfe, as pe deuyll felle? 572 There is no gome vnder gode, þat hym greue may. And if ye highly haue het in your hote yowthe, And folily be ffaryn out of fer londes, 3et turne your entent, & betyme leue; 576 Wirkes as a wise man, & your wille chaunge, ffor pere is doutles no dede but pe dethe thole." 580 TH[E] ONSUARE OF JASON TO MEDea. The wegh at hir wordes wrathit a litill, I hope ye found me to fere & my faith breike; Shuld chose hym by chaunce to chaunge out of lyue, Ere he fayne any faintes & be fals holdyn." MEDEA. Medea full myldly vnto pe mon said :— 596 "It is playnly your purpos to put you to dethe, And I shall fonge you to forther, & my faith 600 I will shunt for no shame of my shene fader, Ne no hede to my heale, pat I thee helpe shall; 604 But in dede for to do, as I desyre wille." JASON. "Moste worshipfull woman, wisest on erthe, Book II. him determined, promises to aid him on one condition. What-euer ye deme me to do, & my days laste, Jason accepts I hete you full highly with hert to fulfille, 608 And your wille for to wirke: wittenes our goddes." MEDEA. pen Medea with mowthe motys pus agayne:— the offer. "And ye wede me with worship & to wiffe holde, If he will wed Lede me with likyng into your lond home; 612 No gatis me begyle, ne to grem brynge, I hete you full hertely, pat I you helpe shall I haue only pat aunter of all þat are quycke, JASON. her, she will help him to get the fleece, and to overcome all his dangers. (fol. 12 a.) 620 "Ah! this glorius gyste & this grete mede, Jason praises Medea, and promises to fulfil all her desires. Book II. He counts himself unworthy of such offers. In the moneth of May when medowes are grene, MEDEA. Medea was mery at this mene graunt, And to pat souerayn full soberly said o this wise: "ffrynd, I am ffayne of þis faire heste, 640 And wele I hoope pu will holde þat þu here said : More suerty, for sothe, yet I sue fore; Yow swiftly shall sweire vppon swete goddes, This couenaunt to kepe & for no case chaunge. 644 But this tyme is so tore & we no tome haue, We will seasse till, now sone, the sun be at rest, All buernes into bede on hor best wise, And yche lede, as hym list, lullit on slepe. 648 I wull send to you sone by a sure maydon: Bes wakond and warly; wyn to my chamber, here swiftly to sweire vpon swete (haloghes), All this forward to fulfill ye fest with your hond: 652 So may ye surely & sounde to my-selfe come, With daliaunce to dele as your dere wyffe. I will you faithfully enforme how ye fare shall, Your worship to wyn and be wethur haue: 656 All your gate and your gouernaunse graidly to telle." |