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Wher lay Climestre thilke qweene； 2040
The which Horestes moder is：
And whan sche herde telle of this；
The gates weren faste schet；
And thei were of here entre let。
Anon this Cite was withoute
Belein and sieged al aboute；
And evere among thei it assaile；
Fro day to nyht and so travaile；
Til ate laste thei it wonne；
Tho was ther sorwe ynowh begonne。 2050
Horestes dede his moder calle
Anon tofore the lordes alle
And ek tofor the poeple also；
To hire and tolde his tale tho；
And seide； 〃O cruel beste unkinde；
How mihtest thou thin herte finde；
For eny lust of loves drawhte；
That thou acordest to the slawhte
Of him which was thin oghne lord？
Thi treson stant of such record； 2060
Thou miht thi werkes noght forsake；
So mot I for mi fader sake
Vengance upon thi bodi do；
As I comanded am therto。
Unkindely for thou hast wroght；
Unkindeliche it schal be boght；
The Sone schal the Moder sle；
For that whilom thou seidest yee
To that thou scholdest nay have seid。〃
And he with that his hond hath leid 2070
Upon his Moder brest anon；
And rente out fro the bare bon
Hire Pappes bothe and caste aweie
Amiddes in the carte weie；
And after tok the dede cors
And let it drawe awey with hors
Unto the hound and to the raven；
Sche was non other wise graven。
Egistus； which was elles where；
Tidinges comen to his Ere 2080
How that Micenes was belein；
Bot what was more herd he noght sein；
With gret manace and mochel bost
He drowh pouer and made an host
And cam in rescousse of the toun。
Bot al the sleyhte of his tresoun
Horestes wiste it be aspie；
And of his men a gret partie
He made in buisshement abide；
To waite on him in such a tide 2090
That he ne mihte here hond ascape：
And in this wise as he hath schape
The thing befell； so that Egiste
Was take； er he himself it wiste；
And was forth broght hise hondes bounde；
As whan men han a tretour founde。
And tho that weren with him take；
Whiche of tresoun were overtake；
Togedre in o sentence falle；
Bot false Egiste above hem alle 2100
Was demed to diverse peine；
The worste that men cowthe ordeigne；
And so forth after be the lawe
He was unto the gibet drawe；
Where he above alle othre hongeth；
As to a tretour it belongeth。
Tho fame with hire swifte wynges
Aboute flyh and bar tidinges；
And made it cowth in alle londes
How that Horestes with hise hondes 2110
Climestre his oghne Moder slowh。
Some sein he dede wel ynowh；
And som men sein he dede amis；
Diverse opinion ther is：
That sche is ded thei speken alle；
Bot pleinli hou it is befalle；
The matiere in so litel throwe
In soth ther mihte noman knowe
Bot thei that weren ate dede：
And comunliche in every nede 2120
The worste speche is rathest herd
And lieved； til it be ansuerd。
The kinges and the lordes grete
Begonne Horestes forto threte
To puten him out of his regne：
〃He is noght worthi forto regne；
The child which slowh his moder so；〃
Thei saide； and therupon also
The lordes of comun assent
A time sette of parlement； 2130
And to Athenes king and lord
Togedre come of on accord；
To knowe hou that the sothe was：
So that Horestes in this cas
Thei senden after； and he com。
King Menelay the wordes nom
And axeth him of this matiere：
And he； that alle it mihten hiere；
Ansuerde and tolde his tale alarge；
And hou the goddes in his charge 2140
Comanded him in such a wise
His oghne hond to do juise。
And with this tale a Duc aros；
Which was a worthi kniht of los；
His name was Menestes；
And seide unto the lordes thus：
〃The wreeche which Horeste dede；
It was thing of the goddes bede；
And nothing of his crualte；
And if ther were of mi degree 2150
In al this place such a kniht
That wolde sein it was no riht；
I wole it with my bodi prove。〃
And therupon he caste his glove；
And ek this noble Duc alleide
Ful many an other skile； and seide
Sche hadde wel deserved wreche；
Ferst for the cause of Spousebreche；
And after wroghte in such a wise
That al the world it oghte agrise； 2160
Whan that sche for so foul a vice
Was of hire oghne lord moerdrice。
Thei seten alle stille and herde；
Bot therto was noman ansuerde；
It thoghte hem alle he seide skile；
Ther is noman withseie it wile；
Whan thei upon the reson musen；
Horestes alle thei excusen：
So that with gret solempnete
He was unto his dignete 2170
Received； and coroned king。
And tho befell a wonder thing：
Egiona； whan sche this wiste；
Which was the dowhter of Egiste
And Soster on the moder side
To this Horeste； at thilke tide；
Whan sche herde how hir brother spedde；
For pure sorwe； which hire ledde；
That he ne hadde ben exiled；
Sche hath hire oghne lif beguiled 2180
Anon and hyng hireselve tho。
It hath and schal ben everemo；
To moerdre who that wole assente；
He mai noght faille to repente：
This false Egiona was on；
Which forto moerdre Agamenon
Yaf hire acord and hire assent；
So that be goddes juggement；
Thogh that non other man it wolde；
Sche tok hire juise as sche scholde； 2190
And as sche to an other wroghte；
Vengance upon hireself sche soghte；
And hath of hire unhappi wit
A moerdre with a moerdre quit。
Such is of moerdre the vengance。
Forthi； mi Sone； in remembrance
Of this ensample tak good hiede：
For who that thenkth his love spiede
With moerdre； he schal with worldes schame
Himself and ek his love schame。 2200
Mi fader； of this aventure
Which ye have told； I you assure
Min herte is sory forto hiere；
Bot only for I wolde lere
What is to done； and what to leve。
And over this now be your leve；
That ye me wolden telle I preie；
If ther be lieffull eny weie
Withoute Senne a man to sle。
Mi Sone； in sondri wise ye。 2210
What man that is of traiterie；
Of moerdre or elles robberie
Atteint； the jugge schal noght lette；
Bot he schal slen of pure dette；
And doth gret Senne； if that he wonde。
For who that lawe hath upon honde；
And spareth forto do justice
For merci； doth noght his office；
That he his mercy so bewareth；
Whan for o schrewe which he spareth 2220
A thousand goode men he grieveth：
With such merci who that believeth
To plese god； he is deceived；
Or elles resoun mot be weyved。
The lawe stod er we were bore；
How that a kinges swerd is bore
In signe that he schal defende
His trewe poeple and make an ende
Of suche as wolden hem devoure。
Lo thus； my Sone； to socoure 2230
The lawe and comun riht to winne；
A man mai sle withoute Sinne；
And do therof a gret almesse；
So forto kepe rihtwisnesse。
And over this for his contre
In time of werre a man is fre
Himself； his hous and ek his lond
Defende with his oghne hond；
And slen； if that he mai no bet；
After the lawe which is set。 2240
Now； fader； thanne I you beseche
Of hem that dedly werres seche
In worldes cause and scheden blod；
If such an homicide is good。
Mi Sone； upon thi question
The trowthe of myn opinion；
Als ferforth as my wit arecheth
And as the pleine lawe techeth；
I woll thee telle in evidence；
To rewle with thi conscience。 2250
The hihe god of his justice
That ilke foule horrible vice
Of homicide he hath forbede；
Be Moi5ses as it was bede。
Whan goddes Sone also was bore；
He sende hise anglis doun therfore；
Whom the Schepherdes herden singe；
Pes to the men of welwillinge
In erthe be among ous here。
So forto speke in this matiere 2260
After the lawe of charite；
Ther schal no dedly werre be：
And ek nature it hath defended
And in hir lawe pes comended；
Which is the chief of mannes welthe；
Of mannes lif； of mannes helthe。
Bot dedly werre hath his covine
Of pestilence and of famine；
Of poverte and of alle wo；
Wherof this world we blamen so； 2270
Which now the werre hath under fote；
Til god himself therof do bote。
For alle thing which god hath wroght
In Erthe； werre it bringth to noght：
The cherche is brent； the priest is slain；
The wif； the maide is ek forlain；
The lawe is lore and god unserved：
I not what mede he hath deserved
That suche werres ledeth inne。
If that he do it forto winne； 2280
Ferst to acompte his grete cost
Forth with the folk that he hath lost；
As to the wordes rekeninge
Ther schal he finde no winnynge；
And if he do it to pourchace
The hevene mede； of such a grace
I can noght speke； and nath