258

LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. MS. Gg. 4. 27, CAMB.

These straunge folk & doth hem gret honour

1508

And axeth hem of trauayle & labour

That they han suffered in the salte se

So that with-inne a day or two or thre

Sche knew by folk that in his shepis be
That it was Iason ful of renone

1512

This Ercules hath so this Iason preysid
That to the sunne he hath hym vp areysid
That so trewe a man there nas of loue

1524

Vndyr the cape of heue that is aboue

And he was wis hardy secre & ryche

1528

Of these thre poyntis there nas no man hym liche

Of fredom passede he & lustyhede

Alle tho that lyuyn & been dede

Therto so gret a gentilman was he

1532

And of thessalye likly kyng to be

There nas no lak but that he was agast
To loue & for to speke shamefast

Hym selue to mordere & deye

Than that men shude a louere hym espye
As wolde god that þat I hadde zeue
Myn blod & flesch so that I myghe leue
With nonys so that he hadde a wif

ffor hyse estat for whiche a lusty lyf
Sche shulde lede with this lusty knyght
And al this was compassid in the nyght

LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN.

MS. Gg. 4. 27, CAMB.

259

1544

By-twixe hym Iason & this Ercules
Of these two here was a shrewede lees
To come to house vp-on an Innocent
ffor to be-dote this queen was here assent
And Iason is as coy as is a mayde

1548

He lokyth pitously but nought he sayde

But frely 3af he to hire conseylerys

3iftys grete & to hire offiserys

As wolde god I leyser hadde & tyme

1552

By proces al his wowyng for to ryme
But in this hous If ony fals louere be
Ryth as hym self doth rygh so dede he
With feynynge & with euery subtyl dede
3e gete na more of me but ze wele rede
Thorigynal that tellyth al the cas

1556

The somme is this that Iason weddit was
Vn-to this queen & tok of it substaunce
What so hym leste onto his puruyaunce
And vp-on hire be-gat he childeryn two
And drow his sayl & saw hym neuere mo
A lettere sente she to hym serteyn
Whiche were to longe to wryte & to sen
And hym reprevith of his ontrouthe

1560

1564

That she that hadde hire herte I-raft hire fro

1572

Muste fyndyn hym ontrewe also

And that sche muste bothe hire chylderyn spylle [leaf 465, back]

And alle tho that sufferede hym his wille

And trewe to Iason was she al hire lyf

And euere kepte hire chast/ as for his wif

Ne nevere hadde she Ioye at hire herte
But devede for his loue / of sorwe smerte

1576

260

LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. MS. Gg. 4. 27, CAMB.

That was the mayster toun I-clepid Colcos
And hath I-told the cause of his comyng
Vn-to Oetes of that cuntre kyng

1592

Preyinge hym that he muste don his assay
To gete the fles of gold If that he may
Of whiche the kyng assentede to his bone
And doth hym honour as it was to done
So fer forth that his doughter & his ayr

1596

And coude of loue al the craft & art pleyner

With oute bok & eueryche obseruaunce

1608

And as fortune hire oughte a foul myschaunce

Sche wex enamourrid vp-on this man

Iason quod sche for oughte I se or can

As of this thyng of whiche 3e ben a-boutyn [leaf 466] 1612

3e han zoure self put in meche doute ffor ho so wele this auenture acheue He may nat wel astertyn as I leue

LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. MS. Gg. 4. 27, CAMB.

261

With-outyn deth but I his helpe be
But natheles it is myn wylle quod sche

1616

To fortheryn 30w so that ze schal nat die
But turnyn sound hom / to 30ure tessalye
Myn ryght lady quod this Iason tho
That 30 han of myn deth or of myn wo
Any reward & don me this honour

1620

Tho

I wot wel that myn mygh ne myn labour
May nat disserue it in myn lyuys day
God thanke 30w there I ne can ne may
3oure man I am & louely 30w be-seche
To ben myn helpe with-oute more speche
But sertis for myn deth schal I nat spare
gan this Media to hym declare

1624

1628

The peril of this cas from poynt to poynt
And of his batayle & in what disioynt
He muste stonde of whiche no cryature
Saue only she ne myghte his lyf assure

1632

And shortely to the poynt ryght for to go
They been acordit ful by twixe hem two

That Iason shal hire wedde as trewe knyght
And terme set to come sone at nyght
Vn-to hire chambir & make there hise oth
Vp-on the goddys that he for lef or loth

1636

Ne shulde neuere hire false nyght ne day
To ben hire husbonde whil he lyue may

1640

As she that from his deth hym sauyth here
And here vp a nyght they mette in feere

And doth his oth & goth with hire to bedde

1644

And on the morwe vpward he hym spedde

ffor she hath taught hym how he shal nat fayle

The fles to wynne & stynted his batayle

And sauede hym his lyf & his honour

1648

And gat hym a name ryth as a conquerour

Rygh thour the sleyte of hire enchau[n]tement [leaf 466, back] Now hath Iason the fles & hom is went

Gg. 4. 27

And with hire lafte hire 3ynge childere two
And falsely hath be-traysede hire allas
As euere in loue a thef & traytour he was
And weddyth 3it the thredde wif a-non
That was the doughtyr of the kyng Creon
This is the mede of louynge & guerdoun
That Medya receyuyth of Iason

1660

Rygh for hire treuthe & for hire kyndenesse

1664

That louede hym betere than hire self I gesse

And lafte hire fadyr & hire erytage

And of Iason this is the vassellage

That in hise dayis nas ther non I-founde
So fals a louere goinge on the grounde

1668

And of thyn tunge the infynyt graciousnesse
O haddist thow in thyn conquest ded I-be
fful meche ontrouthe hadde deyed with the
Wel can ouyde hire lettere in vers endyte
Whiche were as now to longe for me to wryte

1676