Imatges de pàgina
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Ther was swich tyding over-al and swich los,
That in an yle that called was Colcos,
Beyonde Troye, estward in the see,

That ther-in was a ram, that men mighte see,
That had a flees of gold, that shoon so brighte,

1425

(60)

That no-wher was ther swich an-other sighte;
But hit was kept alway with a dragoun,
And many othere merveils, up and doun,
And with two boles, maked al of bras,

1430

That spitten fyr, and moche thing ther was.
But this was eek the tale, nathelees,
That who-so wolde winne thilke flees,

He moste bothe, or he hit winne mighte,
With the boles and the dragoun fighte;
And king Oëtes lord was of that yle.

This Pelleus bethoghte upon this wyle;
That he his nevew Iasoun wolde enhorte
To sailen to that lond, him to disporte,
And seide, 'Nevew, if hit mighte be
That swich a worship mighte fallen thee,
That thou this famous tresor mightest winne,
And bringen hit my regioun with-inne,

1435

(70)

1440

1445

Hit were to me gret plesaunce and honour;
Than were I holde to quyte thy labour.

(80)

And al the cost I wol my-selven make;

And chees what folk that thou wilt with thee take;
Lat see now, darstow taken this viage?'

1450

Iasoun was yong, and lusty of corage,

And under-took to doon this ilke empryse.

Anoon Argus his shippes gan devyse;

With Iasoun wente the stronge Ercules,
And many an-other that he with him chees.
But who-so axeth who is with him gon,
Lat him go reden Argonauticon,

1455

(90)

1427. F. Tn. Th. B. ther; rest therin. C. may se. 1433. T. Th. moche;

F. muche; C. meche othir.

C. T. A. Add. a; rest om.

1443.

1438. C. Oetes; rest Otes (Otys). 1444. T. A. C. mightest; rest myghte. 1445

C. T. bryngyn; rest brynge (bring). 1448. C. T. A. Add. cost; rest costes. A. ches; F. Tn. T. B. chese; Th. chose; C. Schis (!). 1452. C. T. Add. om. ilke.

1449. C. om. And.

C. A. that; rest om.

rest om. C. ryde; rest rede; better reden.

1457. T. A. Add. go;

For he wol telle a tale long y-now.

Philotetes anoon the sail up-drow,

Whan that the wind was good, and gan him hye

1460

Out of his contree called Tessalye.

So long he sailed in the salte see

Til in the yle Lemnoun aryved he-
Al be this nat rehersed of Guido,
Yet seith Ovyde in his Epistles so-
And of this yle lady was and quene
The faire yonge Isiphilee, the shene,
That whylom Thoas doghter was, the king.
Isiphilee was goon in her playing;
And, roming on the clyves by the see,
Under a banke anoon espyed she
Wher that the ship of Iasoun gan aryve.

Of her goodnesse adoun she sendeth blyve
To witen yif that any straunge wight
With tempest thider were y-blowe a-night,
To doon him socour; as was her usaunce
To forthren every wight, and doon plesaunce
Of veray bountee and of curtesye.

This messagere adoun him gan to hye,
And fond Iasoun, and Ercules also,
That in a cogge to londe were y-go
Hem to refresshen and to take the eyr.
The morwening atempre was and fair;
And in his wey the messagere hem mette.
Ful cunningly thise lordes two he grette,
And dide his message, axing hem anoon
Yif they were broken, or oght wo begoon,
Or hadde nede of lodesmen or vitaile;
For of socour they shulde no-thing faile,

1465

(100)

1470

1475

(110)

1480

1485

(120)

1460. C. T. Add. that; rest om. Th. Lemnon; A. Lennoun; C. lenoun (for lēnoun lemnoun); F. Tn. B. leonoun; T. Add. lenon (= lemnon). 1471. F. brake (!); A. bonk; rest banke. 1472. So C. T. A. Add.; F. Tn. Th. B. Wher lay the shippe, that Iasoun (no sense). 1476. C. F. B. hem; rest him.

1463. All insert of after yle (needlessly).

1483. F. atempree.

1481. C. A. cog; 1486. C. T. A. Add.

1489. C. T. A. Add. of;

T. Add. boote; rest cogge.
axinge; rest askynge. 1487. F. B. om. oght.

rest om.

For hit was utterly the quenes wille.
Iasoun answerde, mekely and stille,
'My lady,' quod he, 'thanke I hertely
Of hir goodnesse; us nedeth, trewely,
No-thing as now, but that we wery be,
And come for to pleye, out of the see,
Til that the wind be better in our weye.'
This lady rometh by the clif to pleye,
With her meynee, endelong the stronde,
And fynt this Iasoun and this other stonde,
In spekinge of this thing, as I yow tolde.

This Ercules and Iasoun gan beholde

How that the quene hit was, and faire her grette
Anon-right as they with this lady mette;
And she took heed, and knew, by hir manere,

1490

1495

(130)

1500

By hir aray, by wordes and by chere,

1505

That hit were gentil-men, of greet degree.

And to the castel with her ledeth she

(140)

Thise straunge folk, and doth hem greet honour,

And axeth hem of travail and labour

That they han suffred in the salte see;

1510

So that, within a day, or two, or three,

She knew, by folk that in his shippes be,
That hit was Iasoun, ful of renomee,
And Ercules, that had the grete los,
That soghten the aventures of Colcos;
And dide hem honour more then before,
And with hem deled ever lenger the more,
For they ben worthy folk, with-outen lees.
And namely, most she spak with Ercules;
To him her herte bar, he sholde be
Sad, wys, and trewe, of wordes avisee,
With-outen any other affeccioun
Of love, or evil imaginacioun.

1515

(150)

1520

1490. F. Tn. B. omit this line.

F. endlonge. 1499. C. F. Add. these
C. Tn. Th. B. it; T. A. Add. they.

1498. C. endelong (as in Kn. Tale); other; rest this other. 1506. F. hit; 1512. F. Tn. Th. B. by the (for by).

1519. F. (only) she spake moste; Add. om. most. 1523. C. euyl; A. euill; rest any othir (caught from l. 1522).

This Ercules hath so this Iasoun preysed,
That to the sonne he hath him up areysed,
That half so trewe a man ther nas of love

1525

Under the cope of heven that is above;
And he was wys, hardy, secree, and riche.-

(160)

Of thise three pointes ther nas noon him liche;

Of freedom passed he, and lustihede,

1530

Alle tho that liven or ben dede;

Ther-to so greet a gentil-man was he,

And of Tessalie lykly king to be.

Ther nas no lak, but that he was agast
To love, and for to speke shamefast.
He hadde lever him-self to mordre, and dye
Than that men shulde a lover him espye :—
'As wolde almighty god that I had yive
My blood and flesh, so that I mighte live,
With the nones that he hadde o-wher a wyf
For his estat; for swich a lusty lyf
She sholde lede with this lusty knight!'

And al this was compassed on the night
Betwixe him Iasoun and this Ercules.
Of thise two heer was mad a shrewed lees
To come to hous upon an innocent;
For to be-dote this queen was hir assent.
And Iasoun is as coy as is a maide,

He loketh pitously, but noght he saide,
But frely yaf he to her conseileres
Yiftes grete, and to her officeres.
As wolde god I leiser hadde, and tyme,

By proces al his wowing for to ryme.
But in this hous if any fals lover be,
Right as him-self now doth, right so dide he,

1535

(170)

1540

1545

(180)

1550

1555

1524. C. T. A. Add. so;

rest om.

1525. C. T. A. Add. him; rest hyt (it).

C. areysid; rest reysed.

1526. C. om. half.

1527. C. cape; rest cope. 1538. A. almychti; rest om.

1545. T. made; rest omit;

1536. F. A. B. Add. He; rest Him (badly). 1540. C. With nonys; read With th' nones. but sense and metre require it. 1547. C. T. Add. assent; B. intente (which will not rime); rest entent (but Chaucer uses entente). 1548. F. Thise; B. As; rest And.

1550. F. B. om. he.

wolde god. C. T. Add. I; rest that I.

1552. F. B. god wolde; rest

With feyning and with every sotil dede.
Ye gete no more of me, but ye wil rede
Thoriginal, that telleth al the cas.

(190)

The somme is this, that Iasoun wedded was

Unto this quene, and took of her substaunce

What-so him liste, unto his purveyaunce;
And upon her begat he children two,
And drow his sail, and saw her never-mo.
A lettre sente she to him certein,
Which were to long to wryten and to sein,
And him repreveth of his grete untrouthe,
And preyeth him on her to have som routhe.
And of his children two, she seide him this,
That they be lyke, of alle thing, y-wis,
To Iasoun, save they coude nat begyle;
And preyed god, or hit were longe whyle,
That she, that had his herte y-raft her fro,
Moste finden him to her untrewe al-so,
And that she moste bothe her children spille,
And alle tho that suffreth him his wille.
And trew to Iasoun was she al her lyf,
And ever kepte her chast, as for his wyf;
Ne never had she Ioye at her herte,
But dyed, for his love, of sorwes smerte.

PART II. THE LEGEND OF MEDEA.
To Colcos comen is this duk Iasoun,
That is of love devourer and dragoun.

1560

1565

(200)

1570

1575

(210)

1580

As matere appetyteth forme al-wey,

And from forme in-to forme hit passen may,

1585

(220)

Or as a welle that were botomlees,
Right so can fals Iasoun have no pees.
For, to desyren, through his appetyt,
To doon with gentil wommen his delyt,

1559. C. T. somme; A. text; rest sothe (soth). om. to. 1569. F. B. (only) om. they.

1564. F. Tn. Th. B.

1573. C. Th. Muste; F. Tn. 1578. F. And; rest Ne. 1582. F. nature;

B. Most; T. A. Myght.
C. matier; Tn. Th. B. matire; T. A. matyr. C. apetitith; T.
rest appeteth (!). 1583. F. Tn. Th. B. to
this false; rest om. this. F. Th. B. om. fals.

(for in-to).

Add. appetyteth ; 1585. A. (only)

(Accent Right.)

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