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 flayn was pat fre and forper ho went, Waknet vp a wydow, þat 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;

pen suet pai with solas into a sure chamber.

JASON PROMISES TO WED MEDEA.

688 The old wedo on hir way wendys belyue,
And po louers ho leuyt lightly to-gedur.
Medea the maidon meuyt to be 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 pe beddis syde,
With light that was louely lemyng per-In
700 Of suergys semly, pat set were aboute.

pan wightly thies wordes to pat worthy ho
said:-

704 All pe 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 :

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,

swear that he will

fulfil all his
promises.

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,

THE POETE.

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

Book III.

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.

25

(fol. 13 b.)

(MS. has
"Shete.")

On the falsity
and dishonour
of Jason.

720 Soche a maiden to mar pat pe most louet,
pat forsec hir fader & hir fre londe,

When the soile & pe Septur was sothely hur

awne,

And þe tresure she toke vntruly for thee; 724 Auntrede hir to Exile euer for þi sake;

Wan þe thy worship & wilfull desire :
Keppit be 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 pat pe 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?

Syn pou wist thurgh wit werdis to come,

What seruit it your sciense of pe scuon artes,

That pou sogh not your sorow, þat thee suet after? 740 But pou sothely may say pat your sight failed,

And pow loket not large, for lust þat þe blyndit.
And oft in astronamy hit auntres to falle,
pat domes men dessauis & in doute bringes.

744 ffor hit ssis pe power of any pure mon,

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

748 When he swiftly hade sworne to pat swete

maidon,

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

MEDEA INSTRUCTS JASON.

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;

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 :—

768 "A! my lord & my loue, more lefe pan my

seluyn,

Book III.

haste

776 An ymage full nobill, þat he naite shulde,

27

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

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

772 Ryse we now full radly, rest here no longer,
And I shall tell you full tyte, & tary no thing."
Than pai cladde hom clenly vppon clese wise :

The burd bowet from pe bede, broght hym in Medea brings to

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

(fol. 14 b.)

bat 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.

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

Book III.

she then gives to destroy venom and fire:

and a ring with
a rich stone to
destroy all poison
or deadly power:

and a large roll which he must read:

and a glass containing liquor to be cast into the mouths of the monsters.

(fol. 15 a.)

He then takes leave of Medea,

784

Toke hit hym full tyte & tolde hym these wordes:

"This strongly distroy shall be strenght of pe

venym,

And fade all the ffyr and pe furse lowe."

Than ho raught hym a ring with a riche stone, hat no poison enpaire might, pe power is soche: 788 And if it borne were in batell on his bare flesshe, He shulde slyde forth sleghly & vnslayn worthe. Achates it calde is with clene men of wit, And in Cicill forsothe sene was it first:

792 Eneas it name & in note hade,

Whan he to cartage come vnknowen with sight. And pan ho broght hym a bref all of brode letres, hat was comly by crafte a clerke for to rede; 796 And enformyt him fayre how he fare shuld,

When he [h]is deuer hade done & drow to pe whethir,

ffor to knele on his knes to the cold erth, And grete all his goddes with a good chere; 800 And the rolle for to rede or he rest thry,

As with sacrifice to shew & seruice to goddes, þat hym grauntede of grace pat gifte for to haue, hat he might worthely it welde, & away beire. 804 And pan sho gafe hym a glasse with a good

lycour,

And bade whan he buskyt to the bolde Exin,
To werke it with mesure, & in hor mouthe caste,
And pai clappe shall full clene, & neuer vnclose
aftur,

808 Ne neuer dere hym a dyse with no dede efte.
Thus enfourmet ho pat fre of þe fete euyn,
How he wyn shuld his worship, & his woche

pas:

And pen lacches his leue & his loue kyst, 812 Past furth priuely and pat pert leuyt,