A storre man of strenght & of stuerne will,
That wilnes for to wyn this wethur of gold,
540 And puttes you to perell in pointis of armes,
And likly for litle your lyffe for to tyne.

She pities Jason,
and promises to

I haue pittye of your person & your pert face, And 3enernes of 30wthe, pat 30mers in my hert, assist him to win 544 pat causes me with counsell to caste for your

the golden fleece,

helpe,

And put you in plite your purpos to wyn,
In sound for to saile home & your sute all,

Both the whethir & pe wolle a-way for to lede,
548 On a forward before, pat 3e me faith make,
In dede for to do as I desyre wille,
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 pat comly can clip in his close armes.

He onswared hir onest[1]y opynond his hert,—
"Now louely and leell, for your lefe specho

I thanke you a thowsaund tymes in my thro
hert,

556 þat ye kythe me suche kyndnes withouten cause

MEDEA.

560 Than saide pat semely to be sure knyght,

Book II.

if he will do as she desires.

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,

19

why;

And here I put me full plainly in your pure and submits to her

·་ pure will."

wille,

To do with me, damsell, as your desyre thynke,
ffor this gloriose graunt glades me mekyll."

Jason thanks her a thousand times,

(fol. 11 a.)

"Sir, wete ye not the wochis pat this wethir Unless he is

thoroughly acquainted with all the difficulties

he has

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,
Syn it is gate with a gode & no gome ellis,

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,
And Swiftly to pat swete swagit his yre.
"A! damsell full dere, with your derffe wordys,
What lure is of my lyfe & I lyffe here:

I hope ye found me to fere & my faith breike;
And if destyny me demys, hit is dere welcum
584 Or it were knowen in my contry & costis aboute,
That I faintly shuld fle and þe fight leue;
Among knightes accounted coward for euer,
Me were leuer here lefe & my life tyne,
588 pan as a lurker to lyue in (ylka) lond after.

I wole put me to perell and my payne thole, Do my deuer yf I dar, & for no dethe wonde. ffor yche wise man of wit, þat wilfully hetis 592 Any dede for to do, and dernly avowes,

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 :

AND JASON.

596 "It is playnly your purpos to put you to dethe,
With suche fyndes to fight till ye fay worthe:
I haue pitie full playn of your proude wille,
And I shall fonge you to forther, & my faith
holde.

600 I will shunt for no shame of my shene fader,
Ne no hede to my heale, pat I thee helpe shall;
But this forward to fille, first ye me sweire,
And with no gaudys me begyle, ne to grem
brynge;

604 But in dede for to do, as I desyre wille."

JASON.

"Moste worshipfull woman, wisest on erthe,

the offer.

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."

620

MEDEA.

ben Medea with mowthe motys þus agayne:66 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,

her, she will help
him to get the
fleece, and to
overcome all his
dangers.

I hete you full hertely, pat I you helpe shall
The flese for to fecche, and ferke it away;
And withstond all the stoure pat it strait yemys;
616 Ouercome hom by crafte, and no care tho

I haue only pat aunter of all þat are quycke,
The mightes of Mars make to distroy,
And hir keping by crafte out of cours bryng.”

JASON.

That

ye

"Ah! this glorius gyste & this grete mede, hete me so hyndly to haue at my wille ! (Your-selfe, pat is sothely the semliest on lyue, And þe fresshist and fairest fed vpon erthe; -624 As the Roose in his Radness is Richest of floures,

Book II.

him determined, promises to aid him on one condition.

21

(fol. 12 a.)

Jason praises
Medea, and

promises to fulfil all her desires.

In the moneth of May when medowes are grene,
So passis pi propurty perte wemen all)
And help me to haue pat I hidur seche;
Out of daunger & drede deliuer me too :
I wot me vnworthy pis wirdis to ffall.
He pat sadly for-soke soche a sure proffer,
And so gracius a gyste, þat me is graunt here,
632 He might faithly for-fonnet be a fole holdyn.
Wherfore I beqwethe me to your qweme spouse,
To lyue with in lykyng to my lyfes ende;

As wyfe for to wede in worship and Joye:
636 And þis forward, in faith, I festyn with hond."

628

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 pat pu 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."

AND JASON.

JASON.

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 pen hir leue tase, ffirst at hir fadir and other fre buernes,

Past to hir priue chamber: & here a pas endis.