|
PART I. THE LEGEND OF HYPSIPYLE.
|
|
|
Thou rote of false lovers, duk Iasoun!
|
|
Thou sly devourer and confusioun
|
1370 |
Of gentil-wommen, tender creatures,
|
|
Thou madest thy reclaiming and thy lures
|
|
To ladies of thy statly apparaunce,
|
|
And of thy wordes, farced with plesaunce,
|
|
And of thy feyned trouthe and thy manere,
|
|
With thyn obeissaunce and thy humble chere,
|
|
And with thy counterfeted peyne and wo.
|
|
Ther other falsen oon, thou falsest two!
|
|
O! ofte swore thou that thou woldest dye
|
|
For love, whan thou ne feltest maladye
|
1380 |
Save foul delyt, which that thou callest love!
|
|
If that I live, thy name shal be shove
|
|
In English, that thy sleighte shal be knowe!
|
|
Have at thee, Iasoun! now thyn horn is blowe!
|
|
But certes, hit is bothe routhe and wo
|
|
That love with false loveres werketh so;
|
|
For they shul have wel better love and chere
|
|
That he that hath aboght his love ful dere,
|
|
Or had in armes many a blody box.
|
|
For ever as tendre a capoun et the fox,
|
1390 |
Thogh he be fals and hath the foul betrayed,
|
|
As shal the good-man that ther-for hath payed.
|
|
Al have he to the capoun skille and right,
|
|
The false fox wol have his part at night.
|
|
On Iasoun this ensample is wel y-sene
|
|
By Isiphile and Medea the quene.
|
|
|
In Tessalye, as Guido telleth us,
|
|
Ther was a king that highte Pelleus,
|
|
That had a brother, which that highte Eson;
|
|
And, whan for age he mighte unnethes gon,
|
1400 |
He yaf to Pelleus the governing
|
|
Of al his regne, and made him lord and king.
|
|
Of which Eson this Iasoun geten was,
|
|
That, in his tyme, in al that lond, ther nas
|
|
Nat swich a famous knight of gentilesse,
|
|
Of freedom, and of strengthe and lustinesse.
|
|
After his fader deeth, he bar him so
|
|
That ther was noon that liste been his fo,
|
|
Bud dide him al honour and companye;
|
|
Of which this Pelleus hath greet envye,
|
1410 |
Imagining that Iasoun mighte be
|
|
Enhaunsed so, and put in swich degree
|
|
With love of lordes of his regioun,
|
|
That from his regne he may be put adoun.
|
|
And in his wit, a-night, compassed he
|
|
How Iasoun mighte best destroyed be
|
|
Withoute slaunder of his compasment.
|
|
And at the laste he took avisement
|
|
To senden him in-to som fer contree
|
|
Ther as this Iasoun may destroyed be.
|
1420 |
This was his wit; al made he to Iasoun
|
|
Gret chere of love and of affeccioun,
|
|
For drede lest his lordes hti espyde.
|
|
So fil hit so, as fame renneth wyde,
|
|
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,
|
|
That no-wher was ther swich an-other sighte;
|
1430 |
But hit was kept alway with a dragoun,
|
|
And many othere merveils, up and doun,
|
|
And with two boles, maked el of bras,
|
|
That spitten fyr, and moche thing ther was.
|
|
But this wsa 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 Oetes lord was of that yle.
|
|
|
This Pelleus bethoghte upon this wyle;
|
1440 |
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,
|
|
Hit were to me gret plesaunce and honour;
|
|
Than were I holde to quyte thy labour.
|
|
And al the cost I wol my-selven make;
|
|
And chees what folk that thou wilt with thee take;
|
1450 |
Lat see now, darstow taken this viage?"
|
|
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,
|
|
For he wol telle a tale long y-now.
|
|
Philoctetes anoon the sail up-drow,
|
1460 |
What that the wind was good, and gan him hye
|
|
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 daughter was, the king.
|
|
|
Isipilee was goon in her playing;
|
1470 |
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,
|
1480 |
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,
|
1490 |
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,
|
1500 |
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,
|
|
By hir aray, by wordes and by chere,
|
|
That hit were gentil-men, of greet degree.
|
|
And to the castel with her ledeth she
|
|
Thise straunge folk, and doth hem greet honour,
|
|
And axeth him of travail and labour
|
1510 |
That they han suffred in the salte see;
|
|
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;
|
1520 |
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.
|
|
|
This Ercules hath so this Iasoun preysed,
|
|
That to the sonne he hath him up areysed,
|
|
That han so trewe a man ther nas of love
|
|
Under the cope of heven that is above;
|
|
And he was wys, hardy, secree, and riche. --
|
|
Of thise three pointes ther nas noon him liche;
|
1530 |
Of freedom passed he, and lustihede,
|
|
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,
|
1540 |
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,
|
1550 |
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,
|
|
With feyning and with every sotil dede.
|
|
Ye gete no more of me, but ye wil rede
|
|
Thoriginal, that telleth al the cas.
|
|
|
The somme is this, that Iasoun wedded was
|
1560 |
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,
|
1570 |
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.
|
|
1580 |
To Colcos comen is this duk Iasoun,
|
|
That is of love devourer and dragoun.
|
|
As matere appetyteth forme al-wey,
|
|
And from forme in-to forme hit passen may,
|
|
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,
|
|
This is his lust and his felicitee.
|
|
|
Iasoun is romed forth to the citee,
|
1590 |
That whylom cleped was Iaconitos,
|
|
That was the maister-toun of al Colcos,
|
|
And hath y-told the cause of his coming
|
|
Un-to Oetes, of that contre king,
|
|
Preying him that he moste doon his assay
|
|
To gete the flees of gold, if that he may;
|
|
Of which the king assenteth to his bone,
|
|
And doth him honour, as hit is to done,
|
|
So ferforth, that his doghter and his eyr,
|
|
Medea, which that was so wys and fair
|
1600 |
That fairer saw ther never man with ye,
|
|
He made her doon to Iasoun companye
|
|
At mete, and sitte by him in the halle.
|
|
|
Now was Iasoun a semely man with-alle,
|
|
And lyk a lord, and had a greet renoun,
|
|
And of his loke as real as leoun,
|
|
And goodly of his speche, and famulere,
|
|
And coude of love al craft and art plenere
|
|
With-oute boke, with everich observaunce.
|
|
And, as fortune her oghte a foul meschaunce,
|
1610 |
She wex enamoured upon this man.
|
|
|
"Iasoun," quod she, "for ought I see or can,
|
|
As of this thing the which ye been aboute,
|
|
Ye han your-self y-put in moche doute.
|
|
For, who-so wol this aventure acheve,
|
|
He may nat wel asterten, as I leve,
|
|
With-outen deeth, but I his helpe be.
|
|
But natheles, hit is my wille," quod she,
|
|
"To forthren yow, so that ye shal nat dye,
|
|
But turnen, sound, hoom to your Tessalye."
|
|
1620 |
"My righte lady," quod this Iasoun tho,
|
|
"That ye han of my dethe or of my wo
|
|
Any reward, and doon me this honour,
|
|
I wot wel that my might ne my labour
|
|
May nat deserve hit in my lyves day;
|
|
God thanke yow, ther I ne can ne may.
|
|
Your man am I, and lowly you beseche,
|
|
To been my help, with-oute more speche;
|
|
But certes, for my deeth shal I nat spare."
|
|
|
Tho gan this Medea to him declare
|
1630 |
The peril of this cas, fro point to point,
|
|
And of his batail, and in what disioint
|
|
He mote stande, of which no creature,
|
|
Save only she, ne mighte is lyf assure.
|
|
And shortly, to the point right for to go,
|
|
They been accorded ful, betwix hem two,
|
|
That Iasoun shal her wedde, as trewe knight;
|
|
And term y-set, to come sone at night
|
|
Unto her chambre, and make ther his ooth,
|
|
Upon the goddes, that he, for leef ne looth,
|
1640 |
Ne sholde her never falsen, night ne day,
|
|
To been her husband, whyl he liven may,
|
|
As she that from this deeth him saved here.
|
|
And her-upon, at night they mette y-fere,
|
|
And doth his ooth, and goth with her to bedde.
|
|
And on the morwe, upward he him spedde;
|
|
For she hath taught him how he shal nat faile
|
|
The flees to winne, and stinten his bataile;
|
|
And saved him his lyf and his honour;
|
|
And gat him greet name as a conquerour
|
1650 |
Right through the sleight of her enchantment.
|
|
|
Now hath Iasoun the flees, and hoom is went
|
|
With Medea, and tresor ful gret woon.
|
|
But unwist of her fader is she goon
|
|
To Tessaly, with duk Iasoun her leef,
|
|
That afterward hath broght her to mescheef.
|
|
For as a traitour he is from her go,
|
|
And with her lafte his yonge children two,
|
|
And falsly hath betrayed her, allas!
|
|
And ever in love a cheef traitour he was;
|
1660 |
And wedded yit the thridde wyf anon,
|
|
That was the doghter of the kign Creon.
|
|
|
This is the meed of loving and guerdon
|
|
That Medea received of Iasoun
|
|
Right for her trouthe and for her kindenesse,
|
|
That loved him better than her-self, I gesse,
|
|
And lafte her fader and her heritage.
|
|
And of Iasoun this is the vassalage,
|
|
That, in his dayes, nas ther noon y-founde
|
|
So fals a lover going on the grounde.
|
1670 |
And therfor in her lettre thus she seyde
|
|
First, whan she of his falsnesse him umbreyde,
|
|
"Why lyked me thy yelow heer to see
|
|
More then the boundes of myn honestee,
|
|
Why lyked me thy youthe and thy fairnesse,
|
|
And of thy tonge the infinit graciousnesse?
|
|
O, haddest thou in thy conquest deed y-be,
|
|
Ful mikel untrouthe had ther dyed with thee!"
|
|
|
Wel can Ovyde her lettre in vers endyte,
|
|
Which were as now to long for me to wryte.
|
|
|
Explicit Legenda Ysiphile et Medee, Martirum.
|