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, þe 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; And bade whan he buskyt to the bolde Exin, 808 Ne neuer dere hym a dyse with no dede efte. And pen lacches his leue & his loue kyst, ÆETES' COUNSEL. Enon lurkys to his loge, & laide hym to slepe. By the renke hade hym restid ryses the sun, Brightis all the burghe and the brode valis ; 816 Meuyt ouer the mounteyns men to beholde. Jason feynit with fare as he hade fast sleppit, Book III. company and goes to meet Eetes. 29 And now rapis hym to ryse & rom from his bede. Jason collects his With Ercules and oper mo of his aune men, 820 He sues furth on þe soile to Chethes the kyng, In company of kynges and oper clene burnes. Whan he was ware of þe wegh, welcomed hym faire, And spird at hym specially what his spede were. 824 Than Jason vnioynid to the gentill speche :“Lord, and it like you, longe am I here! He asks permission to Wold ye graunt me your grase goodly to wende, depart. aunter, 828 Yon worthy wethir to wyn, & your wille be." THE COUNSELL OF CHETES TO JASON. The Kyng pan full curtesly karpes agayne: Sais, "Jason, this Jorney is no ioye in, I am ferd, by my faith, of þi frele yowth, 832 pat hit lede pe to losse and þi lyffe tyne, And me harme for to haue of thy hegh wille, To be sclaundret of pi skathe, & pou skape noght. perfore ffrynd, by my faith, vppon faire wise, 836 I counsell be in kyrt, kaire to pi londe, Eetes advises Jason to abandon the enterprise : And put of pis purpos, for perille pat may folowe." but finding him Jason carpes to the kyng, conyngly he said, "Sir I hade counsaill in þis case er I come here, 840 And ye shall boldly be blameles, pof me bale happyn, þat I wilne of my wit & wilfull desyre." determined to proceed, leave. (fol. 15 b.) pan the kyng to pe knight carpes these wordes; he grants him "ffrynd þou shall fully haue fauer to wend, Book III. Jason seeks the island where the fleece is kept. Medea, in terror during his absence, bewails her love. (fol. 16 a.) Jason gets his first view of the oxen that guard the golden fleece. 844 And ouer goddes pe graunt grace of pi hele." He lowted the lege kyng, & his leue toke, Dressit hym for his dede, dose hym to goo. In an yle þat was negh þe noble kynges sete, 848 This clene flese was inclosede all with clere water, Euon a forlong perfro, & fully nomore. 852 Entris with armur & all his other gere, 856 pat Medea pe maiden myldly hym betaght, Mournyng the maiden made in hir thought, To the toppe of a toure, & tot ouer the water ffor to loke on hir luffe, longyng in hert. 864 So ferd was pat fre, & he faile shuld, Sho brast out bright water at hir brode een. And for zenernes for-zete pat pe 3eme shuld; hat I may see thee come sounde to pis sale enys, And me comford of thy coursse, kepe I no more." When the knight was comyn into be cliffe ferre, 876 He waites vmbe hym wightly, & was ware sone Of pe orible oxin, vgsome to see, pat fyre out fnast with a fuerse lowe, HOW JASON WON THE FLEECE. bat no buerne might abide but he brent were; 880 Hit gird from the grym with so gret hete. HOW JASON WAN THE FFLESE OF GOLDE. The tokyn hym taght was of a tru maiden Book III. And anoyntide hym anon with his noble boyste, He anoints 884 Bothe the face and pe fete, & all pe fore perte. 31 himself; sets the sacred image; and reads the His noble ymage at his necke for neghyng of fyre, roll. ffore evyn to be fight with po felle bestes. 888 So pe fuerse by-flamede all with fyre hote, 892 896 spear are burnt. bai brent vp his brode shilde & his bigge speire; His shield and yerne, þat abatede the breme hete, brent it no more. All cold it became & the course helde, Of pe balefull bestes, & hom aboute ladde ; Pight hom into ploghe, pilde vp the vrthe, 904 Braid vp bygly all a brode ffeld: And all the gayre of the ground pere pe gome He casts the liquor and the lips of the monsters are He leads them by the horns: they meekly submit to the yoke, and plough up a broad field. (fol. 16 b.) Drow euyn to the dragon, dressit hym to fight, He attacks the And he gird him agayne with a grym noyse: fierce dragon, as it rushes towards him with flaine 908 Mony slecynges vnslogh throughe hys slote yode. and noise. Book III. Jason hastily clutches his ring; holds it aloft; and overcomes the dragon with the shining of the bright stone. With a sword he deals it some dreadful wounds, then cuts off its head, and sows the teeth. (fol. 17 a.) They start up armed knights, who fight till 912 916 920 With a smorther & a smoke smult through his nase, He rut out roidly with a rede hete, þat all blasit the bent on a breme lowe; And as he tilt out his tung with his tethe grym, And raght to his Ryng in a rad haste, Held it high in his hond, þat he behold might. And with-droghe the deire of his dere attur; pis stone full of strenght, as þe story tellus, 924 Be it smethe owper smert, smaragden hit hat. 928 Ne no beste so bold with no bale atter, 936 He laid on pat loodly, lettyd he noght, With dynttes full dregh, till he to dethe paste, Jason of his iorney was ioyfull ynoghe, |