"THE SAYLLES COMETH NAT." 175 Over the terme sette betwix us tweyne, But tymes foure the mone hath hid hir face 8 Yet hath the streme of Sithon 3 nat i-broght From Athenes the shippe; yet come hit noght. And yf that ye the terme rekne wolde, As I or other trewe lovers sholde, 2510 I pleyne nat, God wot! beforne my day." By ordre, for hit were to me a charge ; Hir letter was ryght longe, and therto large. But here and there in ryme I have hyt layde, There as me thoghte that she hath wel sayde. 2520 She seyde, "The saylles cometh nat ageyn, Ne to the worde there nys no fey* certeyn; But I wote why ye come nat," quod she ; "For I was of my love to yow so fre. And of the goddys that ye han forswore, That hire vengeaunce fal on yow therfore, Ye be nat suffisaunt to bere the peyne. To much trusted I, wel may I seyne, Upon youre lynage and youre faire tonge, 1 Promise. Cf. Canterbury Tales, 1. 829. was an ancient name of Thrace. Ovid says waves that beat upon the shores of Thrace. 2 Promised. 8 Sithon "Sithonian waves," • Faith And on youre teres falsely out-wronge. How kouthe ye wepe soo be crafte?" quod she; "May there suche teres i-feynede be? Now certes gif ye wolde have in memorye, 2530 To God," quod she, "prey I, and ofte have prayed, That hyt be nowe the gretest prise of alle, 66 6 254C That was his trewe love in thoghte and dede. "But sothely of oo poynt yet may they rede, That ye ben lyke youre fader, as in this; For he begiled Adriane, ywis, With suche an arte, and suche soteltee, As in that poynt, althogh hit be nat feire, 1 Innocent. • Floating. 2 2550 HYPERMNESTRA. 177 And whan this letter was forthe sent anone, And knyw how brotel1 and how fals he was, She for dispeyre fordidde hir-self, allas! Suche sorowe hath she for he beset 2 hire so! Be war, ye wymmen, of youre sotile fo! Syns yet this day men may ensample se, And as in love trusteth no man but me. Explicit Legenda Phillis. Incipit Legenda Ypermystre. In Grece whilom weren brethren twoo Of which that oon was called Danoo, 8 That many a sone hath of hys body wonne, 2560 Among hys sones alle there was oon, That aldermoste he loved of everychone. And whan this childe was borne, this Danoo Shope hym a name, and called hym Lyno. That other brother called was Egiste,* That was in love as fals as ever hym lyste. 2570 To alle goode thewes 5 borne was she, 1 Unsteady. 2 Treated. 8 Danaus. The letter of Hypermnestra io Lynceus or Lynus is the fourteenth epistle in Ovid's Heroides Ægyptus. Qualities. As lykede to the goddes or she was borne, The Wirdes,' that we clepen destanye, And to this woman hyt acordeth wele; That conscience, trouthe, and drede of shame, And I shal after make mensioun Of Danoo and Egistis also. And thogh so be that they were brethren twoo, For thilke tyme nas spared no lynage, Hyt lyketh hem to maken mariage 2601 1 Fates. Sable. See vol. i., Introduction; "Astrologica Terms," p. cvii. • Cf. Canterbury Tales, 1. 2453. 5 Certainly. A MARRIAGE FEAST. 179 The array ys wroght, the tyme ys faste by, And thus Lyno hath of his fadres brother The doghter wedded, and eche of hem hatl other. 2610 The torches brennen, and the lampes bryghte, As thilke tyme was the pleyne usage. Whanne that the house voyded was of alle. "My rygte doghter, tresoure of myn herte, 1 Prepared. Cryseyde, iii. 733. 2630 2 Cf. Canterbury Tales, l. 1566 and Troylus and |