Book I.

Jason, son of Aeson, seeks his father's throne.

Pelias devises the plan of sending Jason in search of the golden fleece.

(fol. 4 b.)

Where and how the golden fleece vas kept.

(MS. has "as.")

By crafte bat she kouth of hir coint artys.
Eson, þat elde man þat I er said,

Hade a son of hym-selfe semly to wale,

128 And Jason, þat gentill aioynet was to name : A faire man of feturs, & fellist in armys, -As meke as a Mayden, & mery of his wordis. This Jason for his gentris was ioyfull till all, 132 Well louit with be lordes & the londe hole; All worshipped bat worthy inwones aboute, No les ban be lege pat hom lede shuld:

And he as bainly obeyede to the buerne his Eme,

136 As pof his syre hade the soile & septure to yeme.
Pelleus persayuit the people anone,
That the londe so hym louede, lorde as he were,
And ay drede hym on dayes for doute pat might
falle,

140 Lest he put hym from priuelage & his place take,
Of Tessaile, as truthe wold, to be trew kyng.
Thus Pelleus with payne was pricket in hert,
ffull egurly with enuy, & euer hym bethoght,
144 With a course of vnkyndnes he caste in his
thoghte,

The freike vpon faire wise ferke out of lyue,
And he no daunger nor deire for pat dede haue.
He bethoght hym full thicke in his throo hert,

148 And in his wit was he ware of a wyle sone,
Of a fame pat fer in fele kynges londes,
And borne was a brode for a bare aunter.
Out in the Orient Orible to here,

152 In a cuntre was cald Colchos by name,
Was (an) aunter in a nyle þat I nem shall,
Beyonde the terage of Troy as be trety sayse,
There was a wonderfull wethur weghes to be-holde,

156 With a flese pat was fyne, flamond of gold;
And be Kyng of pat coste callid was by name
Chethes, for sothe, as souerayne & lord:

He was mighty on molde & mekull goode hade, 160 His pride well ouerput, past into elde.

This whethur and be wole were wonderly keppit
By the crafte & the cure & conyng of Mars,
That with charmes & enchauntementes was chefe
god.

164 Thus coyntly it kept was all with clene art,
By too oxen oribull on for to loke,
And a derfe dragon drede to be-holde.
These balfull bestes were, as be boke tellus,
168 ffull flaumond of fyre with fuastyng of logh,
That girde thurgh ther gorge with a grete hete
A nelue brode all Aboute, pat no buerne might
ffor the birre it abide, but he brente were.

Book I.

Æetes, king of
Colchis.

The wether guarded by two oxen and a fiery dragon.

172 And wo this wethur shuld wyn bude wirke as Whoever would

I say,

win the fleece must seize the

oxen, enter them in the yoke and plough up the

Ayre enyn to be Oxen, entre hom in yoke,
With striffe or with stroke till þai stonde wold; pad

Aftur ayre vp the erthe on ardagh wise.

176 Sythen drawe to be dragon, & pe derfe qwelle,
Girde out the grete teth of the grym best,
And alse sede in be season sowe it on be erthe,
Than a ferlyfull frute shall he fynde after:

He must then

quell the dragon; tear out his teeth and sow them like seed.

The teeth will turn into armed knights, who will fight till they destroy each

180 The tethe shall turne tite vnto knightes
Armyt at all peses, able to were
Thai to falle vpon fight as fomen belyue,
With depe woundes and derfe till all be dede other.

euyn.

184 All thes perels to passe with-outen payne other,
That the flese wold fecche & ferke yt away.
Of this wonderfull wethur for to here more,
Why it kept was by craft on so coynt wyse;

188 Hit was said oft sythes and for sothe holden,
That Chethes the same Kyng had a som hoge
Of grete gobbottes of gold in the ground hid,
And so kepid it with craft of his coynt artys:

(fol. 5 a.)

Why the fleere
was so carefully
guarded. Eetes
had a great sum
of money hid
in the earth, and
thus kept it.

Book I.

Pelias plans get Jason away from Iolcus.

At a great feast arranged for the purpose,

he entices him to go to Colchis for the golden fleece.

(fol. 5 b.)

192 And for to get of this gold & the grete sommys,
ffor couetous pere come knightes full ofte,
And endit in Auerys to ay lastand sorowe.
This Pelleus with pyne printed in hert

196 Iff he might sleghly be sleght & sletyng of wordes,
Gar Jason with any gyn the iorney vndertake :
He were seker as hym semyd for sight of him

euer,

And most likly be loste & his los keppit.

200 He purpast hym plainly in his pure wit
ffor to tyse hym perto, if it tyde might,
To take it hertely on hond in a high pride,
And be way for to wylne with wilfull desyre.
204 He cast hym full cointly be cause of this thyng,
In a Cité be-syde to somyn a fest,
With princes and prelates & prise of the lond,
Thre dayes to endure with daintes ynogh.
208 The iija day throly he thoght in his hert

212

ffor to mele of this mater, þat he in mynde hade : He cald Jason in his Japis with a Joly wille. Before the baronage at ther burde thus pe buerne said,

"Cosyn, it is knowen þat I am Kyng here, And mekyll comfordes me the crowne of this kyde realme;

But more it Joyes me, Jason, of bi just werkes, bat so mighty & meke & manly art holdyn: 216 Now þi fame shall go fer & pu furse holdyn, And all prouyns & pertes pi pes shall desyre. To tessayle a tresure tristy for euer, Thy selfe to be sene and in suche fame,

220 By bi name bus anoisyt & for noble holden, Whyle you rixlis in this Reame no riot we drede, But all fferd be perfore and frendship dyssire. Hit wold sothely me set as souerayne in Joye, 224 Iff our goddes wold graunt pat bu grace hade,

That the fflese bat is ffreshe flamond of gold
Were brought throw bi boldness into þis byg yle
And pat wold doutles be done & no dere In,
228 Wold þu afforce be perfore and be fight take,
Be of gouernance graithe & of good wille.
Yiff pu puttes be pristly bis point for to do,
Thou shall arayit be full ryolle with a route noble

232 Of my Baronage bolde & my best wise.
I shall spare for no spence & bu spede wele,
And do þi deuer duly as a duke nobill:
Thou shalt haue holly my hert & my helpe alse,

236 And be lappid in my luffe all my lyffe after.
bu may be glad for to get such a good name,
And haue for pi hardynes a full hegh mede:
Leve bis for lell, me list it perfourme,

240 And to hold it with hert þat I hete nowe,

I will fayne be [no] faintis vnder faith wordes. When my dayes be done bu shalt be Duke here, And haue be Crowne to kepe of bis Kyd Realme; 244 And while I liffe in this londe, no less þan my selfe,

Halfe for to haue & hold for bi name,
And with all weghis to be worshipt to be worldes
ende."

WHEN
PELLEUS his proses hade puplishit on
highe,

248 And all soburly said with a sad wille,
Jason was Joly of his Juste wordes,
pat in presens of the pepull po profers were made,
And mony stythe of astate stonding aboute.

252 He hedit not the harme pat in his hert lurkyt,
-Ne the ffalshed he faynit vnder faire wordes ;
He drede no dissayet of his dere vncle,

But hooped full hertely it come of hegh loue. 256 pen he trist hym full tyte in his tried strenght,

Book I.

The rewards promised if he should be successful.

Jason undertakes 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.

Pelias is glad, and hurries on the preparations for the enterprise.

He commands Argus, a son of Danaus, to build a great ship, which is called Argo.

Thurghe hardynes of hond hopit to spede;
He put noght vnpossible pelleus wordes,
Ne the kynges couetous cast not before:
260 ben he grauntis to go with a grete chere,

And all thies fferlyes to fraist he fursly awouet.

PELLEUS

Pelleus of the proffer was proude at his hert,
And glad of be graunt before the grete lordys;

264 He ertid to an end egurly fast,

bat 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 bat Calcos was closet in an yle, bat no creature might keuer for course of the

see,

But with ship pat shapon were for be shyre waghes.

ban he comaundet to come of be crafte noble,
272 A wright þat was wise bis werke for to ende;
And Argus þat after was abill of his crafte,
Sone he dressit to his dede & no dyn made,
And made vp a mekyll ship, be most vpon erthe,

276 pat after hym awne selfe Argon was cald.
Sum sayn full sure & for sothe holdyn,
Hit was be formast on flete pat on flode past,
bat euer saile was on set vpon salt water,
280 Or euer kairet ouer cost to cuntris O fer.

Now ordant was althing onestly pere,
And abundantly broght þat hom bild might,
With all stuff for be stremes, þat hom strenght

shuld.

284 Mony noble for be nonest to be note yode,
Tryed men bat were taken of tessayle rewme,
To this Journey with Jason, as the gest tellus :
All entred into Argon after anon.