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.

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,
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, pat I mynt have,
Was chosyn into chamber, & on hir charge thoght,
Of hir Janglyng with Jason & hir iuste wordys,
672 Hit neght to pe night & the none past:

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,
hat 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.

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 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, pat gentillis held for a iust god,
And broght to the buerne on þe beddis syde,
With light that was louely lemyng per-In

700. Of suergys semly, pat set were aboute.

ban wightly thies wordes to pat worthy ho

said:

Book III.

Medea brings an image of pure gold,

"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."
Jason grauntede full goodly with a glad chere,
And swiftly he sware on pat (Shene) god;
712 All tho couenaundes to kepe, & for no cause let,
Whill hym lastes the lyffe: he laid on his hond.

swear that he will fulfil all his promises.

(fol. 13 b.)

(MS. has
"Shete.")

THE POETE.

But vnfaithfull freke, with pi fals cast,
bat such a lady belirt with pi lechur dedes,
716 þat put hur so plainly pi power vnto,

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

On the falsity and dishonour of Jason.

720

724

Soche a maiden to mar þat þe most louet,

hat forsec hir fader & hir fre londe,

When the soile & pe Septur was sothely hur

awne,

And pe tresure she toke vntruly for thee;
Auntrede hir to Exile euer for þi sake;
Wan þe 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 pi shire othes,
So fals to be founden, & pi 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 pen?

740

744

748

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?
But pou sothely may say þat your sight failed,
And pow loket not large, for lust pat pe blyndit.
And oft in astronamy hit auntres to falle,

pat domes men dessauis & in doute bringes.

ffor hit passis þe power of any pure mon,

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

Whe

hen he swiftly hade sworne to pat swete
maidon,

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

752

pai 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,
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,

bat pe me faithfully informe, & let me fare
hethyn,

761 My deuer for to do & my deth voide;

768

772

hat I might lede pe with luff into my londe home,
Wede ye with worship, and to wiffe hold."
Medea to pat mighty myldly answarit :-
"A! my lord & my loue, more lefe pan my
seluyn,

I have myude of youre mater most of all other:
I will fully enforme yow or ye fare hethyn,
How ye dewly shall do, & no drede haue.

Ryse we now full radly, rest here no longer,
And I shall tell you full tyte, & tary no thing."

Book III.

At daybreak
Jason bids Medea
tell him how he
is to win the
fleece.

(fol. 14 b.)

Than pai 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,

pat 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.

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

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