Chapter 26

Nou schalt thou hiere a wonder wyle: 2980 This queene, which the moder was Of Achilles, upon this cas Hire Sone, as he a Maiden were, Let clothen in the same gere Which longeth unto wommanhiede: And he was yong and tok non hiede, Bot soffreth al that sche him dede. Wherof sche hath hire wommen bede And charged be here othes alle, Hou so it afterward befalle, 2990 That thei discovere noght this thing, Bot feigne and make a knowleching, Upon the conseil which was nome, In every place wher thei come To telle and to witnesse this, Hou he here ladi dowhter is. And riht in such a maner wise Sche bad thei scholde hire don servise, So that Achilles underfongeth As to a yong ladi belongeth 3000 Honour, servise and reverence. For Thetis with gret diligence Him hath so tawht and so afaited, That, hou so that it were awaited, With sobre and goodli contenance He scholde his wommanhiede avance, That non the sothe knowe myhte, Bot that in every mannes syhte He scholde seme a pure Maide. And in such wise as sche him saide, 3010 Achilles, which that ilke while Was yong, upon himself to smyle Began, whan he was so besein.

And thus, after the bokes sein, With frette of Perle upon his hed, Al freissh betwen the whyt and red, As he which tho was tendre of Age, Stod the colour in his visage, That forto loke upon his cheke And sen his childly manere eke, 3020 He was a womman to beholde. And thanne his moder to him tolde, That sche him hadde so begon Be cause that sche thoghte gon To Lichomede at thilke tyde, Wher that sche seide he scholde abyde Among hise dowhtres forto duelle.

Achilles herde his moder telle, And wiste noght the cause why; And natheles ful buxomly 3030 He was redy to that sche bad, Wherof his moder was riht glad, To Lichomede and forth thei wente. And whan the king knew hire entente, And sih this yonge dowhter there, And that it cam unto his Ere Of such record, of such witnesse, He hadde riht a gret gladnesse Of that he bothe syh and herde, As he that wot noght hou it ferde 3040 Upon the conseil of the nede. Bot for al that king Lichomede Hath toward him this dowhter take, And for Thetis his moder sake He put hire into compainie To duelle with Deïdamie, His oghne dowhter, the eldeste, The faireste and the comelieste Of alle hise doghtres whiche he hadde.

Lo, thus Thetis the cause ladde, 3050 And lefte there Achilles feigned, As he which hath himself restreigned In al that evere he mai and can Out of the manere of a man, And tok his wommannysshe chiere, Wherof unto his beddefere Deïdamie he hath be nyhte. Wher kinde wole himselve rihte, After the Philosophres sein, Ther mai no wiht be therayein: 3060 And that was thilke time seene. The longe nyhtes hem betuene Nature, which mai noght forbere, Hath mad hem bothe forto stere: Thei kessen ferst, and overmore The hihe weie of loves lore Thei gon, and al was don in dede, Wherof lost is the maydenhede; And that was afterward wel knowe.

For it befell that ilke throwe 3070 At Troie, wher the Siege lay Upon the cause of Menelay And of his queene dame Heleine, The Gregois hadden mochel peine Alday to fihte and to assaile. Bot for thei mihten noght availe So noble a Cite forto winne, A prive conseil thei beginne, In sondri wise wher thei trete; And ate laste among the grete 3080 Thei fellen unto this acord, That Protheus, of his record Which was an Astronomien And ek a gret Magicien, Scholde of his calculacion Seche after constellacion, Hou thei the Cite mihten gete: And he, which hadde noght foryete Of that belongeth to a clerk, His studie sette upon this werk. 3090 So longe his wit aboute he caste, Til that he fond out ate laste, Bot if they hadden Achilles Here werre schal ben endeles. And over that he tolde hem plein In what manere he was besein, And in what place he schal be founde; So that withinne a litel stounde Ulixes forth with Diomede Upon this point to Lichomede 3100 Agamenon togedre sente. Bot Ulixes, er he forth wente, Which was on of the moste wise, Ordeigned hath in such a wise, That he the moste riche aray, Wherof a womman mai be gay, With him hath take manyfold, And overmore, as it is told, An harneis for a lusti kniht, Which burned was as Selver bryht, 3110 Of swerd, of plate and ek of maile, As thogh he scholde to bataille, He tok also with him be Schipe. And thus togedre in felaschipe Forth gon this Diomede and he In hope til thei mihten se The place where Achilles is.

The wynd stod thanne noght amis, Bot evene topseilcole it blew, Til Ulixes the Marche knew, 3120 Wher Lichomede his Regne hadde. The Stieresman so wel hem ladde, That thei ben comen sauf to londe, Wher thei gon out upon the stronde Into the Burgh, wher that thei founde The king, and he which hath facounde, Ulixes, dede the message. Bot the conseil of his corage, Why that he cam, he tolde noght, Bot undernethe he was bethoght 3130 In what manere he mihte aspie Achilles fro Deïdamie And fro these othre that ther were, Full many a lusti ladi there.

Thei pleide hem there a day or tuo, And as it was fortuned so, It fell that time in such a wise, To Bachus that a sacrifise Thes yonge ladys scholden make; And for the strange mennes sake, 3140 That comen fro the Siege of Troie, Thei maden wel the more joie. Ther was Revel, ther was daunsinge, And every lif which coude singe Of lusti wommen in the route A freissh carole hath sunge aboute; Bot for al this yit natheles The Greks unknowe of Achilles So weren, that in no degre Thei couden wite which was he, 3150 Ne be his vois, ne be his pas. Ulixes thanne upon this cas A thing of hih Prudence hath wroght: For thilke aray, which he hath broght To yive among the wommen there, He let do fetten al the gere Forth with a knihtes harneis eke,— In al a contre forto seke Men scholden noght a fairer se,— And every thing in his degre 3160 Endlong upon a bord he leide. To Lichomede and thanne he preide That every ladi chese scholde What thing of alle that sche wolde, And take it as be weie of yifte; For thei hemself it scholde schifte, He seide, after here oghne wille.

Achilles thanne stod noght stille: Whan he the bryhte helm behield, The swerd, the hauberk and the Schield, 3170 His herte fell therto anon; Of all that othre wolde he non, The knihtes gere he underfongeth, And thilke aray which that belongeth Unto the wommen he forsok. And in this wise, as seith the bok, Thei knowen thanne which he was: For he goth forth the grete pas Into the chambre where he lay; Anon, and made no delay, 3180 He armeth him in knyhtli wise, That bettre can noman devise, And as fortune scholde falle, He cam so forth tofore hem alle, As he which tho was glad ynowh. But Lichomede nothing lowh, Whan that he syh hou that it ferde, For thanne he wiste wel and herde, His dowhter hadde be forlein; Bot that he was so oversein, 3190 The wonder overgoth his wit. For in Cronique is write yit Thing which schal nevere be foryete, Hou that Achilles hath begete Pirrus upon Deïdamie, Wherof cam out the tricherie Of Falswitnesse, whan thei saide Hou that Achilles was a Maide. Bot that was nothing sene tho, For he is to the Siege go 3200 Forth with Ulixe and Diomede.

Lo, thus was proved in the dede And fulli spoke at thilke while: If o womman an other guile, Wher is ther eny sikernesse? Whan Thetis, which was the goddesse, Deïdamie hath so bejaped, I not hou it schal ben ascaped With tho wommen whos innocence Is nou alday thurgh such credence 3210 Deceived ofte, as it is seene, With men that such untrouthe meene. For thei ben slyhe in such a wise, That thei be sleihte and be queintise Of Falswitnesse bringen inne That doth hem ofte forto winne, Wher thei ben noght worthi therto. Forthi, my Sone, do noght so.

Mi fader, as of Falswitnesse The trouthe and the matiere expresse, 3220 Touchende of love hou it hath ferd, As ye have told, I have wel herd. Bot for ye seiden otherwise, Hou thilke vice of Covoitise Hath yit Perjurie of his acord, If that you list of som record To telle an other tale also In loves cause of time ago, What thing it is to be forswore, I wolde preie you therfore, 3230 Wherof I mihte ensample take.

Mi goode Sone, and for thi sake Touchende of this I schall fulfille Thin axinge at thin oghne wille, And the matiere I schal declare, Hou the wommen deceived are, Whan thei so tendre herte bere, Of that thei hieren men so swere; Bot whan it comth unto thassay, Thei finde it fals an other day: 3240 As Jason dede to Medee, Which stant yet of Auctorite In tokne and in memorial; Wherof the tale in special Is in the bok of Troie write, Which I schal do thee forto wite.

In Grece whilom was a king, Of whom the fame and knowleching Beleveth yit, and Peleüs He hihte; bot it fell him thus, 3250 That his fortune hir whiel so ladde That he no child his oghne hadde To regnen after his decess. He hadde a brother natheles, Whos rihte name was Eson, And he the worthi kniht Jason Begat, the which in every lond Alle othre passede of his hond In Armes, so that he the beste Was named and the worthieste, 3260 He soghte worschipe overal. Nou herkne, and I thee telle schal An aventure that he soghte, Which afterward ful dere he boghte.

Ther was an yle, which Colchos Was cleped, and therof aros Gret speche in every lond aboute, That such merveile was non oute In al the wyde world nawhere, As tho was in that yle there. 3270 Ther was a Schiep, as it was told, The which his flees bar al of gold, And so the goddes hadde it set, That it ne mihte awei be fet Be pouer of no worldes wiht: And yit ful many a worthi kniht It hadde assaied, as thei dorste, And evere it fell hem to the worste. Bot he, that wolde it noght forsake, Bot of his knyhthod undertake 3280 To do what thing therto belongeth, This worthi Jason, sore alongeth To se the strange regiouns And knowe the condiciouns Of othre Marches, where he wente; And for that cause his hole entente He sette Colchos forto seche, And therupon he made a speche To Peleüs his Em the king. And he wel paid was of that thing; 3290 And schop anon for his passage, And suche as were of his lignage, With othre knihtes whiche he ches, With him he tok, and Hercules, Which full was of chivalerie, With Jason wente in compaignie; And that was in the Monthe of Maii, Whan colde stormes were away. The wynd was good, the Schip was yare, Thei tok here leve, and forth thei fare 3300 Toward Colchos: bot on the weie What hem befell is long to seie; Hou Lamedon the king of Troie, Which oghte wel have mad hem joie. Whan thei to reste a while him preide, Out of his lond he hem congeide; And so fell the dissencion, Which after was destruccion Of that Cite, as men mai hiere: Bot that is noght to mi matiere. 3310 Bot thus this worthi folk Gregeis Fro that king, which was noght curteis, And fro his lond with Sail updrawe Thei wente hem forth, and many a sawe Thei made and many a gret manace, Til ate laste into that place Which as thei soghte thei aryve, And striken Sail, and forth as blyve Thei sente unto the king and tolden Who weren ther and what thei wolden. 3320 Oëtes, which was thanne king, Whan that he herde this tyding Of Jason, which was comen there, And of these othre, what thei were, He thoghte don hem gret worschipe: For thei anon come out of Schipe, And strawht unto the king thei wente, And be the hond Jason he hente, And that was ate paleis gate, So fer the king cam on his gate 3330 Toward Jason to don him chiere; And he, whom lacketh no manere, Whan he the king sih in presence, Yaf him ayein such reverence As to a kinges stat belongeth. And thus the king him underfongeth, And Jason in his arm he cawhte, And forth into the halle he strawhte, And ther they siete and spieke of thinges, And Jason tolde him tho tidinges, 3340 Why he was come, and faire him preide To haste his time, and the kyng seide, “Jason, thou art a worthi kniht, Bot it lith in no mannes myht To don that thou art come fore: Ther hath be many a kniht forlore Of that thei wolden it assaie.” Bot Jason wolde him noght esmaie, And seide, “Of every worldes cure Fortune stant in aventure, 3350 Per aunter wel, per aunter wo: Bot hou as evere that it go, It schal be with myn hond assaied.” The king tho hield him noght wel paied, For he the Grekes sore dredde, In aunter, if Jason ne spedde, He mihte therof bere a blame; For tho was al the worldes fame In Grece, as forto speke of Armes. Forthi he dredde him of his harmes, 3360 And gan to preche him and to preie; Bot Jason wolde noght obeie, Bot seide he wolde his porpos holde For ought that eny man him tolde. The king, whan he thes wordes herde, And sih hou that this kniht ansuerde, Yit for he wolde make him glad, After Medea gon he bad, Which was his dowhter, and sche cam. And Jason, which good hiede nam, 3370 Whan he hire sih, ayein hire goth; And sche, which was him nothing loth, Welcomede him into that lond, And softe tok him be the hond, And doun thei seten bothe same. Sche hadde herd spoke of his name And of his grete worthinesse; Forthi sche gan hir yhe impresse Upon his face and his stature, And thoghte hou nevere creature 3380 Was so wel farende as was he. And Jason riht in such degre Ne mihte noght withholde his lok, Bot so good hiede on hire he tok, That him ne thoghte under the hevene Of beaute sawh he nevere hir evene, With al that fell to wommanhiede. Thus ech of other token hiede, Thogh ther no word was of record; Here hertes bothe of on acord 3390 Ben set to love, bot as tho Ther mihten be no wordes mo. The king made him gret joie and feste, To alle his men he yaf an heste, So as thei wolde his thonk deserve, That thei scholde alle Jason serve, Whil that he wolde there duelle. And thus the dai, schortly to telle, With manye merthes thei despente, Til nyht was come, and tho thei wente, 3400 Echon of other tok his leve, Whan thei no lengere myhten leve. I not hou Jason that nyht slep, Bot wel I wot that of the Schep, For which he cam into that yle, He thoghte bot a litel whyle; Al was Medea that he thoghte, So that in many a wise he soghte His witt wakende er it was day, Som time yee, som time nay, 3410 Som time thus, som time so, As he was stered to and fro Of love, and ek of his conqueste As he was holde of his beheste. And thus he ros up be the morwe And tok himself seint John to borwe, And seide he wolde ferst beginne At love, and after forto winne The flees of gold, for which he com, And thus to him good herte he nom. 3420

Medea riht the same wise, Til dai cam that sche moste arise, Lay and bethoughte hire al the nyht, Hou sche that noble worthi kniht Be eny weie mihte wedde: And wel sche wiste, if he ne spedde Of thing which he hadde undertake, Sche mihte hirself no porpos take; For if he deide of his bataile, Sche moste thanne algate faile 3430 To geten him, whan he were ded. Thus sche began to sette red And torne aboute hir wittes alle, To loke hou that it mihte falle That sche with him hadde a leisir To speke and telle of hir desir. And so it fell that same day That Jason with that suete may Togedre sete and hadden space To speke, and he besoughte hir grace. 3440 And sche his tale goodli herde, And afterward sche him ansuerde And seide, “Jason, as thou wilt, Thou miht be sauf, thou miht be spilt; For wite wel that nevere man, Bot if he couthe that I can, Ne mihte that fortune achieve For which thou comst: bot as I lieve, If thou wolt holde covenant To love, of al the remenant 3450 I schal thi lif and honour save, That thou the flees of gold schalt have.” He seide, “Al at youre oghne wille, Ma dame, I schal treuly fulfille Youre heste, whil mi lif mai laste.” Thus longe he preide, and ate laste Sche granteth, and behihte him this, That whan nyht comth and it time is, Sche wolde him sende certeinly Such on that scholde him prively 3460 Al one into hire chambre bringe. He thonketh hire of that tidinge, For of that grace him is begonne Him thenkth alle othre thinges wonne.

The dai made ende and lost his lyht, And comen was the derke nyht, Which al the daies yhe blente. Jason tok leve and forth he wente, And whan he cam out of the pres, He tok to conseil Hercules, 3470 And tolde him hou it was betid, And preide it scholde wel ben hid, And that he wolde loke aboute, Therwhiles that he schal ben oute. Thus as he stod and hiede nam, A Mayden fro Medea cam And to hir chambre Jason ledde, Wher that he fond redi to bedde The faireste and the wiseste eke; And sche with simple chiere and meke, 3480 Whan sche him sih, wax al aschamed. Tho was here tale newe entamed; For sikernesse of Mariage Sche fette forth a riche ymage, Which was figure of Jupiter, And Jason swor and seide ther, That also wiss god scholde him helpe, That if Medea dede him helpe, That he his pourpos myhte winne, Thei scholde nevere parte atwinne, 3490 Bot evere whil him lasteth lif, He wolde hire holde for his wif. And with that word thei kisten bothe; And for thei scholden hem unclothe, Ther cam a Maide, and in hir wise Sche dede hem bothe full servise, Til that thei were in bedde naked: I wot that nyht was wel bewaked, Thei hadden bothe what thei wolde. And thanne of leisir sche him tolde, 3500 And gan fro point to point enforme Of his bataile and al the forme, Which as he scholde finde there, Whan he to thyle come were.

Sche seide, at entre of the pas Hou Mars, which god of Armes was, Hath set tuo Oxen sterne and stoute, That caste fyr and flamme aboute Bothe at the mouth and ate nase, So that thei setten al on blase 3510 What thing that passeth hem betwene: And forthermore upon the grene Ther goth the flees of gold to kepe A Serpent, which mai nevere slepe. Thus who that evere scholde it winne, The fyr to stoppe he mot beginne, Which that the fierce bestes caste, And daunte he mot hem ate laste, So that he mai hem yoke and dryve; And therupon he mot as blyve 3520 The Serpent with such strengthe assaile, That he mai slen him be bataile; Of which he mot the teth outdrawe, As it belongeth to that lawe, And thanne he mot tho Oxen yoke, Til thei have with a plowh tobroke A furgh of lond, in which arowe The teth of thaddre he moste sowe, And therof schule arise knihtes Wel armed up at alle rihtes. 3530 Of hem is noght to taken hiede, For ech of hem in hastihiede Schal other slen with dethes wounde: And thus whan thei ben leid to grounde, Than mot he to the goddes preie, And go so forth and take his preie. Bot if he faile in eny wise Of that ye hiere me devise, Ther mai be set non other weie, That he ne moste algates deie. 3540 “Nou have I told the peril al: I woll you tellen forth withal,” Quod Medea to Jason tho, “That ye schul knowen er ye go, Ayein the venym and the fyr What schal ben the recoverir. Bot, Sire, for it is nyh day, Ariseth up, so that I may Delivere you what thing I have, That mai youre lif and honour save.” 3550 Thei weren bothe loth to rise, Bot for thei weren bothe wise, Up thei arisen ate laste: Jason his clothes on him caste And made him redi riht anon, And sche hir scherte dede upon And caste on hire a mantel clos, Withoute more and thanne aros. Tho tok sche forth a riche Tye Mad al of gold and of Perrie, 3560 Out of the which sche nam a Ring, The Ston was worth al other thing. Sche seide, whil he wolde it were, Ther myhte no peril him dere, In water mai it noght be dreynt, Wher as it comth the fyr is queynt, It daunteth ek the cruel beste, Ther may no qued that man areste, Wher so he be on See or lond, Which hath that ring upon his hond: 3570 And over that sche gan to sein, That if a man wol ben unsein, Withinne his hond hold clos the Ston, And he mai invisible gon. The Ring to Jason sche betauhte, And so forth after sche him tauhte What sacrifise he scholde make; And gan out of hire cofre take Him thoughte an hevenely figure, Which al be charme and be conjure 3580 Was wroght, and ek it was thurgh write With names, which he scholde wite, As sche him tauhte tho to rede; And bad him, as he wolde spede, Withoute reste of eny while, Whan he were londed in that yle, He scholde make his sacrifise And rede his carecte in the wise As sche him tauhte, on knes doun bent, Thre sithes toward orient; 3590 For so scholde he the goddes plese And winne himselven mochel ese. And whanne he hadde it thries rad, To opne a buiste sche him bad, Which sche ther tok him in present, And was full of such oignement, That ther was fyr ne venym non That scholde fastnen him upon, Whan that he were enoynt withal. Forthi sche tauhte him hou he schal 3600 Enoignte his armes al aboute, And for he scholde nothing doute, Sche tok him thanne a maner glu, The which was of so gret vertu, That where a man it wolde caste, It scholde binde anon so faste That noman mihte it don aweie. And that sche bad be alle weie He scholde into the mouthes throwen Of tho tweie Oxen that fyr blowen, 3610 Therof to stoppen the malice; The glu schal serve of that office. And over that hir oignement, Hir Ring and hir enchantement Ayein the Serpent scholde him were, Til he him sle with swerd or spere: And thanne he may saufliche ynowh His Oxen yoke into the plowh And the teth sowe in such a wise, Til he the knyhtes se arise, 3620 And ech of other doun be leid In such manere as I have seid.

Lo, thus Medea for Jason Ordeigneth, and preith therupon That he nothing foryete scholde, And ek sche preith him that he wolde, Whan he hath alle his Armes don, To grounde knele and thonke anon The goddes, and so forth be ese The flees of gold he scholde sese. 3630 And whanne he hadde it sesed so, That thanne he were sone ago Withouten eny tariynge.

Whan this was seid, into wepinge Sche fell, as sche that was thurgh nome With love, and so fer overcome, That al hir world on him sche sette. Bot whan sche sih ther was no lette, That he mot nedes parte hire fro, Sche tok him in hire armes tuo, 3640 An hundred time and gan him kisse, And seide, “O, al mi worldes blisse, Mi trust, mi lust, mi lif, min hele, To be thin helpe in this querele I preie unto the goddes alle.” And with that word sche gan doun falle On swoune, and he hire uppe nam, And forth with that the Maiden cam, And thei to bedde anon hir broghte, And thanne Jason hire besoghte, 3650 And to hire seide in this manere: “Mi worthi lusti ladi dere, Conforteth you, for be my trouthe It schal noght fallen in mi slouthe That I ne wol thurghout fulfille Youre hestes at youre oghne wille. And yit I hope to you bringe Withinne a while such tidinge, The which schal make ous bothe game.”

Bot for he wolde kepe hir name, 3660 Whan that he wiste it was nyh dai, He seide, “A dieu, mi swete mai.” And forth with him he nam his gere, Which as sche hadde take him there, And strauht unto his chambre he wente, And goth to bedde and slep him hente, And lay, that noman him awok, For Hercules hiede of him tok, Til it was undren hih and more. And thanne he gan to sighe sore 3670 And sodeinliche abreide of slep; And thei that token of him kep, His chamberleins, be sone there, And maden redi al his gere, And he aros and to the king He wente, and seide hou to that thing For which he cam he wolde go. The king therof was wonder wo, And for he wolde him fain withdrawe, He tolde him many a dredful sawe, 3680 Bot Jason wolde it noght recorde, And ate laste thei acorde. Whan that he wolde noght abide, A Bot was redy ate tyde, In which this worthi kniht of Grece Ful armed up at every piece, To his bataile which belongeth, Tok ore on honde and sore him longeth, Til he the water passed were.