PROGNE AND TEREUS. 165 Why suffrest thow that Tereus1 was bore, And as to me, so grisly was hys dede, 2240 Of Trase was he lorde, and kynne to Marte, The cruelle god that stante with blody darte, And wedded hadde he, with blisful chere, King Pandyones faire doghter dere, That hyghte Proygne, floure of hir contree; Thogh Juno luste nat at the feste bee, Ne Ymeneus, that god of weddyng is. But at the feste redy ben, ywys, 2249 The Furies thre, with al hire mortel bronde.3 The owle ai nyght about the balkes wonde,* That prophete ys of woo and of myschaunce. This revel, ful of songe, and ful of daunce, Laste a fourtenyght or lytel lasse. But shortly of this story for to passe, For I am wery of hym for to telle, Fyve yere hys wyfe and he togedir dwelle; The story of Tereus, king of Thrace, and Philomela, daughter uf Pandion, king of Athens, is related in Ovid's Metamorphoses, vi 112-676. 2 Name. 3 Brand 4 Rafters dwelt. 2260 To seen hir suster, that she sawgh not longe, This Tereus let make hys shippes yare,1 Thys olde Pandeon, thys kynge, gan wepe For tendernesse of herte for to leve Hys doghtre goon, and for to give hir leve; To seen hir sustre that hir longeth soo, 1 Ready. Cf. The Tempest, act 1, sc. 1, l. 7. "HIR HERT AGROSSE." 167 That whan that Tereus sawgh hir beaute, 66 'Now, sone," quod he, "that arte to me so dere, 2 I the betake my yonge doghtre dere, That bereth the key of al myn hertes lyfe. 8 And turneth home; no malyce he ne thoghte. 2310 'Goodness. 2 Commit. 8 Chief. Evil. Shuddered And quok for fere, pale and pitously, Ryghte as the lambe that of the wolfe ys byten, Lest hit be hent & eftsones: so sate she. 2320 But utterly hyt may none other be, By force hath this traytour done a dede, Loo, heere a dede of men, and that aryght! Al helpeth nat. And yet this false thefe And with his swerde hire tonge of kerf he, O sely Philomene, woo ys in thyn herte! 1 Dove. Confused. Caught • Note. 5 Escape. 2349 "A KNAVE A RYNGE SHE GAF." 169 And in hyse armes hath hys wyfe ynome,1 And pitously he wepe, and shoke hys hede, And swore hire that he fonde hir suster dede; For whiche the sely Proigne hath suche woo, That nighe hire sorwful herte brake atwoo. And thus in teres lat I Proigne dwelle, And of hir suster forthe I wol yow telle. 2351 This woful lady ylerned had in yowthe, So that she werken and enbrowden kowthe, And weven in stole the radevore,2 As hyt of wymmen hath be woved yore. And, shortly for to seyn, she hath hir fille Of mete and drynke, of clothyng at hire wille, And kouthe eke rede wel ynogh and endyte, But with a penne she kouthe nat write ; But letteres kan she weve to and froo, She hadde woven in a stames laige, 8 How she was broght from Athenes in a barge, And in a cave how that she was broght, And al the thinge that Tereus hath wroght, 4 2361 She wave hyt wel, and wrote the story above, How she was served for hir suster love. And to a knave 5 a rynge she gaf anoon, And prayed hym by signes for to goon She shulde hym geve what she geten myghte. Tapestry. 1 Taken. weaver's warp). Wove. Large piece of cloth (Lat. stamen, & |