Chapter 27

Whan he cam to that yle there, 3690 He set him on his knes doun strauht, And his carecte, as he was tawht, He radde, and made his sacrifise, And siththe enoignte him in that wise, As Medea him hadde bede; And thanne aros up fro that stede, And with the glu the fyr he queynte, And anon after he atteinte The grete Serpent and him slowh. Bot erst he hadde sorwe ynowh, 3700 For that Serpent made him travaile So harde and sore of his bataile, That nou he stod and nou he fell: For longe time it so befell, That with his swerd ne with his spere He mihte noght that Serpent dere. He was so scherded al aboute, It hield all eggetol withoute, He was so ruide and hard of skin, Ther mihte nothing go therin; 3710 Venym and fyr togedre he caste, That he Jason so sore ablaste, That if ne were his oignement, His Ring and his enchantement, Which Medea tok him tofore, He hadde with that worm be lore; Bot of vertu which therof cam Jason the Dragon overcam. And he anon the teth outdrouh, And sette his Oxen in a plouh, 3720 With which he brak a piece of lond And sieu hem with his oghne hond. Tho mihte he gret merveile se: Of every toth in his degre Sprong up a kniht with spere and schield, Of whiche anon riht in the field Echon slow other; and with that Jason Medea noght foryat, On bothe his knes he gan doun falle, And yaf thonk to the goddes alle. 3730 The Flees he tok and goth to Bote, The Sonne schyneth bryhte and hote, The Flees of gold schon forth withal, The water glistreth overal.

Medea wepte and sigheth ofte, And stod upon a Tour alofte: Al prively withinne hirselve, Ther herde it nouther ten ne tuelve, Sche preide, and seide, “O, god him spede, The kniht which hath mi maidenhiede!” 3740 And ay sche loketh toward thyle. Bot whan sche sih withinne a while The Flees glistrende ayein the Sonne, Sche saide, “Ha, lord, now al is wonne, Mi kniht the field hath overcome: Nou wolde god he were come; Ha lord, that he ne were alonde!” Bot I dar take this on honde, If that sche hadde wynges tuo, Sche wolde have flowe unto him tho 3750 Strawht ther he was into the Bot.

The dai was clier, the Sonne hot, The Gregeis weren in gret doute, The whyle that here lord was oute: Thei wisten noght what scholde tyde, Bot waiten evere upon the tyde, To se what ende scholde falle. Ther stoden ek the nobles alle Forth with the comun of the toun; And as thei loken up and doun, 3760 Thei weren war withinne a throwe, Wher cam the bot, which thei wel knowe, And sihe hou Jason broghte his preie. And tho thei gonnen alle seie, And criden alle with o stevene, “Ha, wher was evere under the hevene So noble a knyht as Jason is?” And welnyh alle seiden this, That Jason was a faie kniht, For it was nevere of mannes miht 3770 The Flees of gold so forto winne; And thus to talen thei beginne. With that the king com forth anon, And sih the Flees, hou that it schon; And whan Jason cam to the lond, The king himselve tok his hond And kist him, and gret joie him made. The Gregeis weren wonder glade, And of that thing riht merie hem thoghte, And forth with hem the Flees thei broghte, 3780 And ech on other gan to leyhe; Bot wel was him that mihte neyhe, To se therof the proprete. And thus thei passen the cite And gon unto the Paleis straght.

Medea, which foryat him naght, Was redy there, and seide anon, “Welcome, O worthi kniht Jason.” Sche wolde have kist him wonder fayn, Bot schame tornede hire agayn; 3790 It was noght the manere as tho, Forthi sche dorste noght do so. Sche tok hire leve, and Jason wente Into his chambre, and sche him sente Hire Maide to sen hou he ferde; The which whan that sche sih and herde, Hou that he hadde faren oute And that it stod wel al aboute, Sche tolde hire ladi what sche wiste, And sche for joie hire Maide kiste. 3800 The bathes weren thanne araied, With herbes tempred and assaied, And Jason was unarmed sone And dede as it befell to done: Into his bath he wente anon And wyssh him clene as eny bon; He tok a sopp, and oute he cam, And on his beste aray he nam, And kempde his hed, whan he was clad, And goth him forth al merie and glad 3810 Riht strawht into the kinges halle. The king cam with his knihtes alle And maden him glad welcominge; And he hem tolde the tidinge Of this and that, hou it befell, Whan that he wan the schepes fell.

Medea, whan sche was asent, Com sone to that parlement, And whan sche mihte Jason se, Was non so glad of alle as sche. 3820 Ther was no joie forto seche, Of him mad every man a speche, Som man seide on, som man seide other; Bot thogh he were goddes brother And mihte make fyr and thonder, Ther mihte be nomore wonder Than was of him in that cite. Echon tauhte other, “This is he, Which hath in his pouer withinne That al the world ne mihte winne: 3830 Lo, hier the beste of alle goode.” Thus saiden thei that there stode, And ek that walkede up and doun, Bothe of the Court and of the toun.

The time of Souper cam anon, Thei wisshen and therto thei gon, Medea was with Jason set: Tho was ther many a deynte fet And set tofore hem on the bord, Bot non so likinge as the word 3840 Which was ther spoke among hem tuo, So as thei dorste speke tho. Bot thogh thei hadden litel space, Yit thei acorden in that place Hou Jason scholde come at nyht, Whan every torche and every liht Were oute, and thanne of other thinges Thei spieke aloud for supposinges Of hem that stoden there aboute: For love is everemore in doute, 3850 If that it be wisly governed Of hem that ben of love lerned.

Whan al was don, that dissh and cuppe And cloth and bord and al was uppe, Thei waken whil hem lest to wake, And after that thei leve take And gon to bedde forto reste. And whan him thoghte for the beste, That every man was faste aslepe, Jason, that wolde his time kepe, 3860 Goth forth stalkende al prively Unto the chambre, and redely Ther was a Maide, which him kepte. Medea wok and nothing slepte, Bot natheles sche was abedde, And he with alle haste him spedde And made him naked and al warm. Anon he tok hire in his arm: What nede is forto speke of ese? Hem list ech other forto plese, 3870 So that thei hadden joie ynow: And tho thei setten whanne and how That sche with him awey schal stele. With wordes suche and othre fele Whan al was treted to an ende, Jason tok leve and gan forth wende Unto his oughne chambre in pes; Ther wiste it non bot Hercules.

He slepte and ros whan it was time, And whanne it fell towardes prime, 3880 He tok to him suche as he triste In secre, that non other wiste, And told hem of his conseil there, And seide that his wille were That thei to Schipe hadde alle thinge So priveliche in thevenynge, That noman mihte here dede aspie Bot tho that were of compaignie: For he woll go withoute leve, And lengere woll he noght beleve; 3890 Bot he ne wolde at thilke throwe The king or queene scholde it knowe. Thei saide, “Al this schal wel be do:” And Jason truste wel therto.

Medea in the mene while, Which thoghte hir fader to beguile, The Tresor which hir fader hadde With hire al priveli sche ladde, And with Jason at time set Awey sche stal and fond no let, 3900 And straght sche goth hire unto schipe Of Grece with that felaschipe, And thei anon drowe up the Seil. And al that nyht this was conseil, Bot erly, whan the Sonne schon, Men syhe hou that thei were agon, And come unto the king and tolde: And he the sothe knowe wolde, And axeth where his dowhter was. Ther was no word bot Out, Allas! 3910 Sche was ago. The moder wepte, The fader as a wod man lepte, And gan the time forto warie, And swor his oth he wol noght tarie, That with Caliphe and with galeie The same cours, the same weie, Which Jason tok, he wolde take, If that he mihte him overtake. To this thei seiden alle yee: Anon thei weren ate See, 3920 And alle, as who seith, at a word Thei gon withinne schipes bord, The Sail goth up, and forth thei strauhte. Bot non espleit therof thei cauhte, And so thei tornen hom ayein, For al that labour was in vein.

Jason to Grece with his preie Goth thurgh the See the rihte weie: Whan he ther com and men it tolde, Thei maden joie yonge and olde. 3930 Eson, whan that he wiste of this, Hou that his Sone comen is, And hath achieved that he soughte And hom with him Medea broughte, In al the wyde world was non So glad a man as he was on. Togedre ben these lovers tho, Til that thei hadden sones tuo, Wherof thei weren bothe glade, And olde Eson gret joie made 3940 To sen thencress of his lignage; For he was of so gret an Age, That men awaiten every day, Whan that he scholde gon away. Jason, which sih his fader old, Upon Medea made him bold, Of art magique, which sche couthe, And preith hire that his fader youthe Sche wolde make ayeinward newe: And sche, that was toward him trewe, 3950 Behihte him that sche wolde it do, Whan that sche time sawh therto. Bot what sche dede in that matiere It is a wonder thing to hiere, Bot yit for the novellerie I thenke tellen a partie.

Thus it befell upon a nyht, Whan ther was noght bot sterreliht, Sche was vanyssht riht as hir liste, That no wyht bot hirself it wiste, 3960 And that was ate mydnyht tyde. The world was stille on every side; With open hed and fot al bare, Hir her tosprad sche gan to fare, Upon hir clothes gert sche was, Al specheles and on the gras Sche glod forth as an Addre doth: Non otherwise sche ne goth, Til sche cam to the freisshe flod, And there a while sche withstod. 3970 Thries sche torned hire aboute, And thries ek sche gan doun loute And in the flod sche wette hir her, And thries on the water ther Sche gaspeth with a drecchinge onde, And tho sche tok hir speche on honde. Ferst sche began to clepe and calle Upward unto the sterres alle, To Wynd, to Air, to See, to lond Sche preide, and ek hield up hir hond 3980 To Echates, and gan to crie, Which is goddesse of Sorcerie. Sche seide, “Helpeth at this nede, And as ye maden me to spede, Whan Jason cam the Flees to seche, So help me nou, I you beseche.” With that sche loketh and was war, Doun fro the Sky ther cam a char, The which Dragouns aboute drowe: And tho sche gan hir hed doun bowe, 3990 And up sche styh, and faire and wel Sche drof forth bothe char and whel Above in thair among the Skyes. The lond of Crete and tho parties Sche soughte, and faste gan hire hye, And there upon the hulles hyhe Of Othrin and Olimpe also, And ek of othre hulles mo, Sche fond and gadreth herbes suote, Sche pulleth up som be the rote, 4000 And manye with a knyf sche scherth, And alle into hir char sche berth. Thus whan sche hath the hulles sought, The flodes ther foryat sche nought, Eridian and Amphrisos, Peneie and ek Spercheïdos, To hem sche wente and ther sche nom Bothe of the water and the fom, The sond and ek the smale stones, Whiche as sche ches out for the nones, 4010 And of the rede See a part, That was behovelich to hire art, Sche tok, and after that aboute Sche soughte sondri sedes oute In feldes and in many greves, And ek a part sche tok of leves: Bot thing which mihte hire most availe Sche fond in Crete and in Thessaile.

In daies and in nyhtes Nyne, With gret travaile and with gret pyne, 4020 Sche was pourveid of every piece, And torneth homward into Grece. Before the gates of Eson Hir char sche let awai to gon, And tok out ferst that was therinne; For tho sche thoghte to beginne Such thing as semeth impossible, And made hirselven invisible, As sche that was with Air enclosed And mihte of noman be desclosed. 4030 Sche tok up turves of the lond Withoute helpe of mannes hond, Al heled with the grene gras, Of which an Alter mad ther was Unto Echates the goddesse Of art magique and the maistresse, And eft an other to Juvente, As sche which dede hir hole entente. Tho tok sche fieldwode and verveyne, Of herbes ben noght betre tueine, 4040 Of which anon withoute let These alters ben aboute set: Tuo sondri puttes faste by Sche made, and with that hastely A wether which was blak sche slouh, And out therof the blod sche drouh And dede into the pettes tuo; Warm melk sche putte also therto With hony meynd: and in such wise Sche gan to make hir sacrifice, 4050 And cride and preide forth withal To Pluto the god infernal, And to the queene Proserpine. And so sche soghte out al the line Of hem that longen to that craft, Behinde was no name laft, And preide hem alle, as sche wel couthe, To grante Eson his ferste youthe.

This olde Eson broght forth was tho, Awei sche bad alle othre go 4060 Upon peril that mihte falle; And with that word thei wenten alle, And leften there hem tuo al one. And tho sche gan to gaspe and gone, And made signes manyon, And seide hir wordes therupon; So that with spellinge of hir charmes Sche tok Eson in bothe hire armes, And made him forto slepe faste, And him upon hire herbes caste. 4070 The blake wether tho sche tok, And hiewh the fleissh, as doth a cok; On either alter part sche leide, And with the charmes that sche seide A fyr doun fro the Sky alyhte And made it forto brenne lyhte. Bot whan Medea sawh it brenne, Anon sche gan to sterte and renne The fyri aulters al aboute: Ther was no beste which goth oute 4080 More wylde than sche semeth ther: Aboute hir schuldres hyng hir her, As thogh sche were oute of hir mynde And torned in an other kynde. Tho lay ther certein wode cleft, Of which the pieces nou and eft Sche made hem in the pettes wete, And put hem in the fyri hete, And tok the brond with al the blase, And thries sche began to rase 4090 Aboute Eson, ther as he slepte; And eft with water, which sche kepte, Sche made a cercle aboute him thries, And eft with fyr of sulphre twyes: Ful many an other thing sche dede, Which is noght writen in this stede. Bot tho sche ran so up and doun, Sche made many a wonder soun, Somtime lich unto the cock, Somtime unto the Laverock, 4100 Somtime kacleth as a Hen, Somtime spekth as don the men: And riht so as hir jargoun strangeth, In sondri wise hir forme changeth, Sche semeth faie and no womman; For with the craftes that sche can Sche was, as who seith, a goddesse, And what hir liste, more or lesse, Sche dede, in bokes as we finde, That passeth over manneskinde. 4110 Bot who that wole of wondres hiere, What thing sche wroghte in this matiere, To make an ende of that sche gan, Such merveile herde nevere man.

Apointed in the newe Mone, Whan it was time forto done, Sche sette a caldron on the fyr, In which was al the hole atir, Wheron the medicine stod, Of jus, of water and of blod, 4120 And let it buile in such a plit, Til that sche sawh the spume whyt; And tho sche caste in rynde and rote, And sed and flour that was for bote, With many an herbe and many a ston, Wherof sche hath ther many on: And ek Cimpheius the Serpent To hire hath alle his scales lent, Chelidre hire yaf his addres skin, And sche to builen caste hem in; 4130 A part ek of the horned Oule, The which men hiere on nyhtes houle; And of a Raven, which was told Of nyne hundred wynter old, Sche tok the hed with al the bile; And as the medicine it wile, Sche tok therafter the bouele Of the Seewolf, and for the hele Of Eson, with a thousand mo Of thinges that sche hadde tho, 4140 In that Caldroun togedre as blyve Sche putte, and tok thanne of Olyve A drie branche hem with to stere, The which anon gan floure and bere And waxe al freissh and grene ayein. Whan sche this vertu hadde sein, Sche let the leste drope of alle Upon the bare flor doun falle; Anon ther sprong up flour and gras, Where as the drope falle was, 4150 And wox anon al medwe grene, So that it mihte wel be sene. Medea thanne knew and wiste Hir medicine is forto triste, And goth to Eson ther he lay, And tok a swerd was of assay, With which a wounde upon his side Sche made, that therout mai slyde The blod withinne, which was old And sek and trouble and fieble and cold. 4160 And tho sche tok unto his us Of herbes al the beste jus, And poured it into his wounde; That made his veynes fulle and sounde: And tho sche made his wounde clos, And tok his hond, and up he ros; And tho sche yaf him drinke a drauhte, Of which his youthe ayein he cauhte, His hed, his herte and his visage Lich unto twenty wynter Age; 4170 Hise hore heres were away, And lich unto the freisshe Maii, Whan passed ben the colde shoures, Riht so recovereth he his floures.

Lo, what mihte eny man devise, A womman schewe in eny wise Mor hertly love in every stede, Than Medea to Jason dede? Ferst sche made him the flees to winne, And after that fro kiththe and kinne 4180 With gret tresor with him sche stal, And to his fader forth withal His Elde hath torned into youthe, Which thing non other womman couthe: Bot hou it was to hire aquit, The remembrance duelleth yit.

King Peleüs his Em was ded, Jason bar corone on his hed, Medea hath fulfild his wille: Bot whanne he scholde of riht fulfille 4190 The trouthe, which to hire afore He hadde in thyle of Colchos swore, Tho was Medea most deceived. For he an other hath received, Which dowhter was to king Creon, Creusa sche hihte, and thus Jason, As he that was to love untrewe, Medea lefte and tok a newe. Bot that was after sone aboght: Medea with hire art hath wroght 4200 Of cloth of gold a mantel riche, Which semeth worth a kingesriche, And that was unto Creusa sent In name of yifte and of present, For Sosterhode hem was betuene; And whan that yonge freisshe queene That mantel lappeth hire aboute, Anon therof the fyr sprong oute And brente hir bothe fleissh and bon. Tho cam Medea to Jason 4210 With bothe his Sones on hire hond, And seide, “O thou of every lond The moste untrewe creature, Lo, this schal be thi forfeture.” With that sche bothe his Sones slouh Before his yhe, and he outdrouh His swerd and wold have slayn hir tho, Bot farewel, sche was ago Unto Pallas the Court above, Wher as sche pleigneth upon love, 4220 As sche that was with that goddesse, And he was left in gret destresse.

Thus miht thou se what sorwe it doth To swere an oth which is noght soth, In loves cause namely. Mi Sone, be wel war forthi, And kep that thou be noght forswore: For this, which I have told tofore, Ovide telleth everydel.

Mi fader, I may lieve it wel, 4230 For I have herde it ofte seie Hou Jason tok the flees aweie Fro Colchos, bot yit herde I noght Be whom it was ferst thider broght. And for it were good to hiere, If that you liste at mi preiere To telle, I wolde you beseche.

Mi Sone, who that wole it seche, In bokes he mai finde it write; And natheles, if thou wolt wite, 4240 In the manere as thou hast preid I schal the telle hou it is seid.

The fame of thilke schepes fell, Which in Colchos, as it befell, Was al of gold, schal nevere deie; Wherof I thenke for to seie Hou it cam ferst into that yle. Ther was a king in thilke whyle Towardes Grece, and Athemas The Cronique of his name was; 4250 And hadde a wif, which Philen hihte, Be whom, so as fortune it dihte, He hadde of children yonge tuo. Frixus the ferste was of tho, A knave child, riht fair withalle; A dowhter ek, the which men calle Hellen, he hadde be this wif. Bot for ther mai no mannes lif Endure upon this Erthe hiere, This worthi queene, as thou miht hiere, 4260 Er that the children were of age, Tok of hire ende the passage, With gret worschipe and was begrave.

What thing it liketh god to have It is gret reson to ben his; Forthi this king, so as it is, With gret suffrance it underfongeth: And afterward, as him belongeth, Whan it was time forto wedde, A newe wif he tok to bedde, 4270 Which Yno hihte and was a Mayde, And ek the dowhter, as men saide, Of Cadme, which a king also Was holde in thilke daies tho. Whan Yno was the kinges make, Sche caste hou that sche mihte make These children to here fader lothe, And schope a wyle ayein hem bothe, Which to the king was al unknowe. A yeer or tuo sche let do sowe 4280 The lond with sode whete aboute, Wherof no corn mai springen oute; And thus be sleyhte and be covine Aros the derthe and the famine Thurghout the lond in such a wise, So that the king a sacrifise Upon the point of this destresse To Ceres, which is the goddesse Of corn, hath schape him forto yive, To loke if it mai be foryive, 4290 The meschief which was in his lond. Bot sche, which knew tofor the hond The circumstance of al this thing, Ayein the cominge of the king Into the temple, hath schape so, Of hire acord that alle tho Whiche of the temple prestes were Have seid and full declared there Unto the king, bot if so be That he delivere the contre 4300 Of Frixus and of Hellen bothe, With whom the goddes ben so wrothe, That whil tho children ben therinne, Such tilthe schal noman beginne, Wherof to gete him eny corn. Thus was it seid, thus was it sworn Of all the Prestes that ther are; And sche which causeth al this fare Seid ek therto what that sche wolde, And every man thanne after tolde 4310 So as the queene hem hadde preid.

The king, which hath his Ere leid, And lieveth al that evere he herde, Unto here tale thus ansuerde, And seith that levere him is to chese Hise children bothe forto lese, Than him and al the remenant Of hem whiche are aportenant Unto the lond which he schal kepe: And bad his wif to take kepe 4320 In what manere is best to done, That thei delivered weren sone Out of this world. And sche anon Tuo men ordeigneth forto gon; Bot ferst sche made hem forto swere That thei the children scholden bere Unto the See, that non it knowe, And hem therinne bothe throwe.

The children to the See ben lad, Wher in the wise as Yno bad 4330 These men be redy forto do. Bot the goddesse which Juno Is hote, appiereth in the stede, And hath unto the men forbede That thei the children noght ne sle; Bot bad hem loke into the See And taken hiede of that thei sihen. Ther swam a Schep tofore here yhen, Whos flees of burned gold was al; And this goddesse forth withal 4340 Comandeth that withoute lette Thei scholde anon these children sette Above upon this Schepes bak; And al was do, riht as sche spak, Wherof the men gon hom ayein. And fell so, as the bokes sein, Hellen the yonge Mayden tho, Which of the See was wo bego, For pure drede hire herte hath lore, That fro the Schep, which hath hire bore, 4350 As sche that was swounende feint, Sche fell, and hath hirselve dreint; With Frixus and this Schep forth swam, Til he to thyle of Colchos cam, Where Juno the goddesse he fond, Which tok the Schep unto the lond, And sette it there in such a wise As thou tofore hast herd devise, Wherof cam after al the wo, Why Jason was forswore so 4360 Unto Medee, as it is spoke.

Mi fader, who that hath tobroke His trouthe, as ye have told above, He is noght worthi forto love Ne be beloved, as me semeth: Bot every newe love quemeth To him which newefongel is. And natheles nou after this, If that you list to taken hiede Upon mi Schrifte to procede, 4370 In loves cause ayein the vice Of covoitise and Avarice What ther is more I wolde wite.

Mi Sone, this I finde write, Ther is yit on of thilke brood, Which only for the worldes good, To make a Tresor of Moneie, Put alle conscience aweie: Wherof in thi confession The name and the condicion 4380 I schal hierafterward declare, Which makth on riche, an other bare.