That the fflese pat is ffreshe flamond of gold I shall spare for no spence & pu spede wele, I will fayne pe [no] faintis vnder faith wordes. When my dayes be done pu shalt be Duke here, And haue pe Crowne to kepe of pis Kyd Realme; 244 And while I liffe in this londe, no less þan my selfe, Halfe for to haue & hold for þi name, And with all weghis to be worshipt to pe worldes ende." Book I. The rewards promised if he should be successful. W HEN PELLEUS his proses hade puplishit on Jason undertakes highe, 248 And all soburly said with a sad wille, Jason was Joly of his Juste wordes, þat in presens of the pepull po profers were made, 252 He hedit not the harme pat in his hert lurkyt, But hooped full hertely it come of hegh loue. 256 pen he trist hym full tyte in his tried strenght, the journey, (fol. 6 a.) and has no suspicion of harm, falsehood, or deceit on the part of his uncle Book I. He therefore accepts the undertaking with heartiness. Thurghe hardynes of hond hopit to spede; Pelias is glad, and hurries on the preparations for the enterprise. He commands which is called Many noble men join the expedition, chief of whom is (fol. 6 b.) PELLEUS Pelleus of the proffer was proude at his hert, And glad of þe graunt before the grete lordys; 264 He ertid to an end egurly fast, hat no tarying shuld tyde ouer a tyme set; And pet ffortune vnderfonges þat he feile shall, And will put hym fro purpos þat he presys after. 268 He consydret pat Calcos was closet in an yle, bat no creature might keuer for course of the see, But with ship pat shapon were for pe shyre waghes. han he comaundet to come of þe crafte noble, 272 A wright þat was wise pis werke for to ende ; And Argus pat after was abill of his crafte, Sone he dressit to his dede & no dyn made, And made vp a mekyll ship, pe most vpon erthe, 276 bat after hym awne selfe Argon was cald. Sum sayn full sure & for sothe holdyn, Hit was þe formast on flete pat on flode past, bat euer saile was on set vpon salt water, Or euer kairet ouer cost to cuntris O fer. No 280 ow ordant was althing onestly pere, And abundantly broght pat hom bild might, With all stuff for pe stremes, þat hom strenght shuld. 284 Mony noble for pe nonest to pe note yode, OFF ERCULES. 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 pe worlde sprange: 296 So mony groundes he for-justede & of ioy broght, That was keper of the close of pat curset In: grete, Mony prouyns and perties were put out of helle. 308 But þe wonders þat he wroght in þis world here, Book I. Hercules, son of who dragged the three-headed dog Cerberus from hell, and set up two pillars at Gades, which were called the Pillars of Hercules. A biatus occurs here in the MS. of perhaps two or three pages. The extent of the obvious gap at the beginning of Book II. 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. Jason allowed to Obtenta ergo a rege Peleo Iason nauigandi licentia nova sulcat maria cum Hercule et suis complicibus navi nova cujus vela dum secundus ventus imbuit et ejus inflat afflatus loca Thesalie cognita deserit valde cito et ad incognita maris loca citius dissilit velocissimo cursu suo. Multis itaque diebus ac noctibus navigantibus illis sub ducto Thesalici Philotete eis discrete notantibus stellarum cursum visibilium existentium juxta polum majoris urse scilicet et minoris que nunquam occidunt. * * * * * Noverat enim Philotetes stellarum cursus et motum si aliquis est in illis tanquam ille qui causa navigationis erat multum expertus. et imo aura secunda perflante tamdiu recto remige navigavit donec ad oras phrigias regni Trojani videlicet pertinentias nova navis applicuit in portum scilicet qui tunc dicebatur ab incolis Simoenta. Liber Secundus. De Grecis applicantibus in pertinencias Troja, et de Laomedonta rege licentiante Iasonem et Herculem de locis illis. The Greeks, tired of the sea, eagerly land, refresh themselves,intend to stay a while, but without harming the inhabitants. A course of mishaps brings ruin upon Troy, its citizens, and their families. News brought to arrival of strangers come to spy out the land. Troy not then so great as latterly. Greci autem maris fatigatione lassati ut pervenerunt in terram in ipsam descendere quietis causa sitienti animo moliuntur et descendentes ibidem recentes aquas a fontibus hauriunt et ibidem pro majoris refrigerationis gratia moram per dies aliquos statuerunt non ut incolis molestiam inferre disponerent nec nociuis dispendiis eos ledere aliquatenus attemptarent. Sed invida fatorum series quæ semper quiete viventibus est molesta ab inopinatis insidiis sine causa inimicitiarum et scandali causas traxit propter quas tante cladis 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. Subsequenter describit historia quod Iasone et Hercule cum suis in portu quiescentibus Simoente de eis ad Laomedontam regem Trojanum fama pervenit, quod gens quædam Trojanis incognita scilicet gens græcorum novo remigi Frigias partes intravit exploratura forte archana regni Trojani vel potius Troja provinciam vastatura. Erat autem diebus illis Troja * * * Book II. King Laomedon sends a mes senger, who tells the king's surprise at the entrance within his realm of strangers unbidden. They must depart the very next day, or be attacked and spoiled. Jason, thoroughly enraged,addresses his companions; 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 Laomedon hujus regni dominus de adventu vestro valde miratur quare terram suam intravistis ab eo licentia non obtenta cujus est intentio sub tranquilla pace eam tenere; hoc instantissime mandat vobis ut incontinente debeatis terram ejus exire ita quod adveniente die sequenti sciat vos ab omnibus terræ suæ 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 legationis audivit totus in ira et dolore cordis exacerbatus intrinsecus 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 otherwise 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 enormæ consilium unseemly consit carissimo pretio redempturus. Deinde continuatis verbis duct. conversus ad nuntium dixit, Amice! legationis tuæ verba He turns to the diligenter audivimus et dona quæ per regem tuum nobis more nobilium sunt transmissa recepimus sicut decet, deos nostros in dei veritate testamur non ex proposito terram tui regis intrasse ut offensam ingereremus in aliquem more predonio violentiam illaturi. Sed cum ad remotiores partes conferre nos 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 tell your king, we lucra sed pressuras et dampna infallibiliter obtinere. Hercules go to-morrow, vero verbis Iasonis non contentus regis nuncio refudit hæc verba. Amice quisquis es secure referas regi tuo quod ad die crastina de terræ suæ statione penitus discedemus, sed sequentis tertii anni dies non erit exitura dic illi quam nos videbit si vivet in terram suam velit nolit anchoras injecisse et de danda nobis tunc recedendi licentia non erit sibi plena libertas cum talis litis ad presens inchoaverit questionem quod priusquam de eo possit superare victoriam ignominiosi dedecoris pondere depremetur. Cujus regis nuncius respondendo sic dixit. Turpe satis est et nobili et precipue strenuo minarum sagittas immittere nec mihi qui sum missus, est commissum a rege ut erga vos litigiosis verbis insistam. Dixi vobis quæ mihi commissa fuerunt, si sapienter agere placet vobis do consilium bonum ut ab hac terra recedere non sit grave priusquam possitis incurrere graviora, cum leve non sit personas perdere quæ se possunt consilio salubri tueri. Et post hæc a Græcis petita licentia suum remeavit ad regem. plus envoy-they had not come to do harm; necessity had forced them to land; they would forthwith but not a day of year the third shall see us anchor or stay." base to threaten- would counsel He returns to the king. |