A STORY OF HERCULES.

11

OFF ERCULES.

Book I.

Hercules, son of
Jupiter and
Alcmene, wife of
Amphitryon,

who dragged the three-headed dog Cerberus from hell,

288 There was honerable Ercules egur of wille,

As poyetes haue pricked of his prise fader:
He was getton of a god on a gret lady,

hat ajoinet was Iobeter to his iuste nome,
292 And his moder full mylde Almena was clepid :

She was wyffe as I wene to worthy Amphitrio.
This Ercules euermore egur & nobill,
The worde of his werkes thurghe þe worlde

sprange :
296 So mony groundes he for-justede & of ioy broght,

That no tung might hom telle pof it tyme hade.
Hit is tolde in his tyme, wo þat trawe lyst,

In his hastines he highyt vnto helle yates, 300 A þre hedet hounde in his honnd coght,

That was keper of the close of þat curset In:
So dang he þat dog with dynt of his wappon,

þat þe warlag was wete of his wan atter,
304 And thurgh voidyng of venym with vomettes

grete,
Mony prouyns and perties were put out of helle.
All þat poites haue pricket of his prise dedis,

I haue no tome for to telle ne tary no lengur. 308 But be wonders þat he wroght in þis world here,

In yche cuntré ben knowen vnder Criste euyn.
Tow pyllers he pight in a place lowe,

Vppon Gades groundes, þat he gotton hade : 312 Too whiche pyllers priste as prouyt is before,

The mighty Massidon Kyng maister of All,
The Emperour Alexaunder Aunterid to come :
He wan all the world & at his wille aght.

and set up two pillars at Gades, which were called the Pillars of Hercules,

A hiatus occurs here in the MS. of perhaps two or three pages. The extent of the obvious gap at the beginning of Book 11. was not suspected, till it was ascertained that the work was a translation from Guido de Colonna. The following extracts, from the Strasburg edition, 1489, continue the story.

Book I.

Obtenta ergo a rege Peleo lason nauigandi licentia nova

sulcat maria cum Hercule et suis complicibus navi nova cujus Jason allowed to

vela dum secundus ventus imbuit et ejus inflat afflatus loca go, with Hercules and company,

Thesalie cognita deserit valde cito et ad incognita maris loca sails away from citius dissilit velocissimo cursu suo. Multis itaque diebus ac the shores of

noctibus navigantibus illis sub ducto Thesalici Philotete eis Thessaly, and

discrete notantibus stellarum cursum visibilium existentium speedily reaches unknown seas,

juxta polum majoris urse scilicet et minoris que nunquam under the conduct occidunt. of Philotetes, a Noverat enim Philotetes stellarum cursus et motum si skilful pilot. They reach the

aliquis est in illis tanquam ille qui causa navigationis erat sho.eg of Troy,

multum expertus. et imo aura secunda perflante tamdiu recto and land at the remige navigavit donec ad oras pbrigias regni Trojani videlicet port of Simois.

pertinentias nova navis applicuit in portum scilicet qui tunc dicebatur ab incolis Simoenta.

Liber Secundus.

De Grecis applicantibus in pertinencias Troja, at de Laomedonta rege licentiante Iasonem et llerculem de locis illis.

but without

A course of

The Greeks, tired

Greci autem maris fatigatione lassati ut pervenerunt in of the sea, eagerly terram in ipsam descendere quietis causa sitienti animo land, refresh

moliuntur et descendentes ibidem recentes aquas a fontibus themselves, intend to stay a while,

hauriunt et ibidem pro majoris refrigerationis gratia moram

per dies aliquos statuerunt non ut incolis molestiam inferre harning the disponerent nec nociuis dispendiis cos ledere aliquatenus atinhabitants.

temptarent. Sed invida fatorum series quæ semper quiete mishaps brings

viventibus est molesta ab inopinatis insidiis sine causa inimiruin upon Troy,

citiarum et scandali causas traxit propter quas tante cladis its citizens, and diffusa lues orbem terrarum infecerit ut tot reges et principes

bellicosa nece succumberent et tanta et talis civitas qualis extitit magna Troja versa fuisset in cinerem tot viduatis mulieribus viris suis orbatis parentibus et tot pueris et tot puellis et

demum jugo servitutis addictis. News brought to

Subsequenter describit historia quod Jasone et Hercule cum Laomedon of the suis in portu quiescentibus Simoente de eis ad Laomedontam arrival of

regem Trojanum fama pervenit, quod gens quædam Trojanis strangers come to spy out the land. incognita scilicet gens græcoruin novo remigi Frigias partes

intravit exploratura forte archana regni Trojani vel potius Troy not then 60

Troja provinciam vastatura. Erat auten; diebus illis Troja great is latterly.

their families.

THEIR RECEPTION BY LAOMEDON.

13

Book 1.

King Laomedon sends a messenger, who tells

be attached and spoiled.

comments on the

non tantæ magnitudinis qualis fuit postmodum de novo firmata, et in ea regnabit tunc rex predictus Laomedon nomine qui sumpto damnoso consilio quod utinam non fuisset legatum suum in comitia multorum ad Iasonem destinavit; quo ad Iasonem veniente legationem suum explicat in hæc verba. Rex the king's surprise Laomedon hujus regni dominus de adventu vestro valde miratur at the entrance quare terram suam intravistis ab eo licentia non obtenta cujus within his realm est intentio sub tranquilla pace eam tenere; hoc instantissime unbidden. They mandat vobis ut incontinente debeatis terram ejus exire ita must depart the quod adveniente die sequenti sciat vos ab omnibus terræ suæ very next day, or finibus recessisse ; quod si mandatorum suorum sentiet vos contemptores pro certo noveritis ipsum jubere suis in offensionem vestram irruere et depopulationem rerum et vestrarum finale dispendium personarum. Postquam Iason totam seriem lega. Jason, thoroughly tionis audivit totus in ira et dolore cordis exacerbatus intrin- enragel, addresses

his companions ; secus antequam ad legationis dicta verba mutuata retorqueret, conversus ad suos sic locutus est eis. Laomedon rex hujus insulting disregni dominus mirabilis dedecoris injuriam nobis infert cum missal. absque alicujus offensionis causa nos ejici a sua terra mandavit. Itaque si eum regia nobilitas animasset nos mandare debuisset honorari. Nam si casus similis illum in Græciam Laomedon would adduxisset scivisset sibi illatum a Græcis non dedecus sed ho- have been other

wise treated in norem. Sed ex quo magis sibi dedecus quam honor applausit,

Greece;-will yet nos etiam applaudimus ut illi et ab ejus regni finibus recedamus dearly 'abide his cum posset contingere et leve sit quod ejus enorma consilium unscemiy consit carissimo pretio redempturus. Deinde continuatis verbis duct. conversus ad nuntium dixit, Amice! legationis tuæ verba He turns to the

envoy :--they had diligenter audivimus et dona quæ per regem tuum nobis more not come to do nobilium sunt transmissa recepimus sicut decet, deos nostros in harm; necessity dei veritate testamur non ex proposito terram tui regis intrasse had forced them ut offensam ingereremus in aliquem more predonio violentiam would forthwith illaturi. Sed cum ad remotiores partes conferre pos nuperrime be gone-others intendamus necessitas in hunc locum divertere necessario nos might avenge coegit. Dic ergo regi tuo nos de sua terra sine mora postposita

their ill treatment. recessuros scituro pro certo quod etsi non per nos poterit forte Hercules adds his

say. “Friend, per alios qui presentem injuriam nobis illatam audierint non

your king, we lucra sed pressuras et dampna infallibiliter obtinere. Hercules vero verbis Iasonis non contentus regis nuncio refudit hæc but not a day of verba. Amice quisquis es secure referas regi tuo quod ad plus

the third year

hence will pass die crastina de terræ suæ statione peni discedemus, sed

ere, it' living, le sequentis tertii anni dies non erit exitura dic illi quam nos shall see us anchor videbit si vivet in terram suam velit nolit anchoras injecisse et on his shores, de danda nobis tunc recedendi licentia non erit sibi plena

with no power libertas cum talis litis ad presens inchoaverit questionem quod or stay." priusquam de eo possit superare victoriam ignominiosi dede- The envoy coris pondere depremetur. Cujus regis nuncius respondendo repliesit is sic dixit. Turpe satis est et nobili et precipue strenuo minarum

not sent to bandy sagittas immittere nec mihi qui sum missus, est commissum a

words, he had rege ut erga vos litigiosis verbis insistam. Dixi vobis quæ delivered his mihi commissa fuerunt, si sapienter agere placet vobis do con- message, and silium bonum ut ab hac terra recedere non sit grave priusquam thein to depart in possitis incurrere graviora, cum leve non sit personas perdere peace ere worse quæ se possunt consilio salubri tueri. Et post hæc a Græcis happened. petita licentia suum remeavit ad regem.

tell
go to-morrow,

then to bid us go

base to threaten

Book II. Iason vero et Hercules nulla mora protracta Philotete vocato

jubet anchoram a mari subtrahi et omnia colligere quæ in Jason and Hercules forth

terram adduxerant causa quietis. Sciebant enim si voluissent with weigh

in Phrigios insultare non esse eis in congressu pares vel equales anchor; knowing in viribus nec in potentia fortiores. Ergo Argon ascendunt et that they could elevatis velis diis ducibus Frigia deserunt littora et sulcantes not cope with the maria ventis afflantibus prosperis non post multos dies in Phrygians, they set sail, and soon

Colcos insulam salvi perveniunt et desideratum feliciter portum reach their de- intrant. In insula igitur Colcos erat tunc temporis quædam sired haven-the civitas nomine laconites caput regni pro sua magnitudine conisland of Colchos.

stituta,

316 That was Jocund and Joly and Jacomede' hight,

Hit was þe souerayne Citie of the Soyle euer,
Of lenght & largenes louely to see,

Well wallit for werre, watrit aboute.
320 Grete toures full toure all þe toune vmbe,

Well bilde all aboute, & mony buernes In,
With proude pals of prise & palys full noble.

There was the souerayne Cytie of Shetes þe kyng, 324 With his baronage bolde & buernes full noble ;

Mony Knightes in his courtte & company grete.
Ther were fyldes full faire fast þere besyde,

With grete medoes & grene, goodly to showe, 328 With all odour of herbis þat on vrthe springes ;

The bourderis about abasshet with leuys,
With shotes of shire wode shene to beholde :

Grete greues full grene, grecfull of dere,
332 Wilde bestes to wale was pere enow:

Herdes at þe hond ay by holte sydes,
Vppon laundes þai lay likyng to see.

Vmbe the sercle of the Citie was sothely A playne, 336 ffull of floures fresshe fret on pe grounde,

With lefs-ales vppon lofte lustie and faire,
ffolke to refresshe for faintyng of hete,

With voiders vnder vines for violent sonnes. 340 There was wellit to wale water full nobill,

In yche place of the playne with plentius stremes,

All round the
city was a plain
full of fresh
flowers, and leafy

(or lef-sales.)
shades, " folk to
refresh for faint-
ing of heat."

· Probably for Æa, the capital of Colchis.

THE ARGOXACTS AT COLCHIS.

13*

Book II.

be heard the murmur of streams and the

As Jason and his company are on their way to the palace,

With a swonghe anıl a swetnes sweppit on þe
grounde,

All around might And all fowles in ffether fell þere vppon, 344 ffor to reckon by right þut to ryuer haunttes.

songs of birds. Small bridder aboue in þe bright leuys With shrikes full shrille in the shire bowes ;

The noise was full noble of notes to here, 318 Thurgh myrth & melody made vppon lofte.

(fol. 7 b.) To this souerayne Citie pat yet was olofte, Jason [alioynid and his iust fferis,

Steppit vp to a streite streght on his gate.
352 As þai past on the payment pe pepull beheld,

Haden wonder of the weghes, & wilfulde desyre
To know of þere comyng and the cause wete,

the people won

dering ask them bat were so rially arait & a rowte gay.

whence an i why

they have come. 356 So faire freikes vppon fote was ferly to se,

zonge and so yepe, zy nerus of wille, ffolke fraynide fast at tho fre buernes,

Of what cuntre pai come & the cause why. 360 Was no wegh þat A word warpid hom too,

But sewid furthe to the sale of Chethes the kyng :
þai bowet to the brode yate or þai bide wold.

The Kyng of his curtessy Kayres hom vnto, King Æetes 364 Silet furthe of his Citie seriaunttes hym with, his palace.

Mony stalworth in stoure as his astate wold ;
Than he fongid þo freikes with a fine chere,

With hailsyng of hed bare, haspyng in armys, 368 And led hom furthe lyuely into a large halle,

Gaid vp by a grese all of gray marbill,
Into a chamber full choise (chefe) on pere way, (MS. Has“ chese.")

bat proudly was painted with pure gold oner, 372 And þan sylen to sitte vppon silke wedis,

Hadyn wyn for to wale & wordes ynow.

So

welcomes them to

JASON

Then Jason to be Just King (Joyuely) can say