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Sche tolde hire ladi what sche wiste；
And sche for joie hire Maide kiste。 3800
The bathes weren thanne araied；
With herbes tempred and assaied；
And Jason was unarmed sone
And dede as it befell to done：
Into his bath he wente anon
And wyssh him clene as eny bon；
He tok a sopp； and oute he cam；
And on his beste aray he nam；
And kempde his hed； whan he was clad；
And goth him forth al merie and glad 3810
Riht strawht into the kinges halle。
The king cam with his knihtes alle
And maden him glad welcominge；
And he hem tolde the tidinge
Of this and that； hou it befell；
Whan that he wan the schepes fell。
Medea； whan sche was asent；
Com sone to that parlement；
And whan sche mihte Jason se；
Was non so glad of alle as sche。 3820
Ther was no joie forto seche；
Of him mad every man a speche；
Som man seide on； som man seide other；
Bot thogh he were goddes brother
And mihte make fyr and thonder；
Ther mihte be nomore wonder
Than was of him in that cite。
Echon tauhte other； 〃This is he；
Which hath in his pouer withinne
That al the world ne mihte winne： 3830
Lo； hier the beste of alle goode。〃
Thus saiden thei that there stode；
And ek that walkede up and doun；
Bothe of the Court and of the toun。
The time of Souper cam anon；
Thei wisshen and therto thei gon；
Medea was with Jason set：
Tho was ther many a deynte fet
And set tofore hem on the bord；
Bot non so likinge as the word 3840
Which was ther spoke among hem tuo；
So as thei dorste speke tho。
Bot thogh thei hadden litel space；
Yit thei acorden in that place
Hou Jason scholde come at nyht；
Whan every torche and every liht
Were oute； and thanne of other thinges
Thei spieke aloud for supposinges
Of hem that stoden there aboute：
For love is everemore in doute； 3850
If that it be wisly governed
Of hem that ben of love lerned。
Whan al was don； that dissh and cuppe
And cloth and bord and al was uppe；
Thei waken whil hem lest to wake；
And after that thei leve take
And gon to bedde forto reste。
And whan him thoghte for the beste；
That every man was faste aslepe；
Jason； that wolde his time kepe； 3860
Goth forth stalkende al prively
Unto the chambre； and redely
Ther was a Maide； which him kepte。
Medea wok and nothing slepte；
Bot natheles sche was abedde；
And he with alle haste him spedde
And made him naked and al warm。
Anon he tok hire in his arm：
What nede is forto speke of ese？
Hem list ech other forto plese； 3870
So that thei hadden joie ynow：
And tho thei setten whanne and how
That sche with him awey schal stele。
With wordes suche and othre fele
Whan al was treted to an ende；
Jason tok leve and gan forth wende
Unto his oughne chambre in pes；
Ther wiste it non bot Hercules。
He slepte and ros whan it was time；
And whanne it fell towardes prime； 3880
He tok to him suche as he triste
In secre； that non other wiste；
And told hem of his conseil there；
And seide that his wille were
That thei to Schipe hadde alle thinge
So priveliche in thevenynge；
That noman mihte here dede aspie
Bot tho that were of compaignie：
For he woll go withoute leve；
And lengere woll he noght beleve； 3890
Bot he ne wolde at thilke throwe
The king or queene scholde it knowe。
Thei saide； 〃Al this schal wel be do：〃
And Jason truste wel therto。
Medea in the mene while；
Which thoghte hir fader to beguile；
The Tresor which hir fader hadde
With hire al priveli sche ladde；
And with Jason at time set
Awey sche stal and fond no let； 3900
And straght sche goth hire unto schipe
Of Grece with that felaschipe；
And thei anon drowe up the Seil。
And al that nyht this was conseil；
Bot erly； whan the Sonne schon；
Men syhe hou that thei were agon；
And come unto the king and tolde：
And he the sothe knowe wolde；
And axeth where his dowhter was。
Ther was no word bot Out； Allas！ 3910
Sche was ago。 The moder wepte；
The fader as a wod man lepte；
And gan the time forto warie；
And swor his oth he wol noght tarie；
That with Caliphe and with galeie
The same cours； the same weie；
Which Jason tok； he wolde take；
If that he mihte him overtake。
To this thei seiden alle yee：
Anon thei weren ate See； 3920
And alle； as who seith； at a word
Thei gon withinne schipes bord；
The Sail goth up； and forth thei strauhte。
Bot non espleit therof thei cauhte；
And so thei tornen hom ayein；
For al that labour was in vein。
Jason to Grece with his preie
Goth thurgh the See the rihte weie：
Whan he ther com and men it tolde；
Thei maden joie yonge and olde。 3930
Eson； whan that he wiste of this；
Hou that his Sone comen is；
And hath achieved that he soughte
And hom with him Medea broughte；
In al the wyde world was non
So glad a man as he was on。
Togedre ben these lovers tho；
Til that thei hadden sones tuo；
Wherof thei weren bothe glade；
And olde Eson gret joie made 3940
To sen thencress of his lignage；
For he was of so gret an Age；
That men awaiten every day；
Whan that he scholde gon away。
Jason； which sih his fader old；
Upon Medea made him bold；
Of art magique； which sche couthe；
And preith hire that his fader youthe
Sche wolde make ayeinward newe：
And sche； that was toward him trewe； 3950
Behihte him that sche wolde it do；
Whan that sche time sawh therto。
Bot what sche dede in that matiere
It is a wonder thing to hiere；
Bot yit for the novellerie
I thenke tellen a partie。
Thus it befell upon a nyht；
Whan ther was noght bot sterreliht；
Sche was vanyssht riht as hir liste；
That no wyht bot hirself it wiste； 3960
And that was ate mydnyht tyde。
The world was stille on every side；
With open hed and fot al bare；
Hir her tosprad sche gan to fare；
Upon hir clothes gert sche was；
Al specheles and on the gras
Sche glod forth as an Addre doth：
Non otherwise sche ne goth；
Til sche cam to the freisshe flod；
And there a while sche withstod。 3970
Thries sche torned hire aboute；
And thries ek sche gan doun loute
And in the flod sche wette hir her；
And thries on the water ther
Sche gaspeth with a drecchinge onde；
And tho sche tok hir speche on honde。
Ferst sche began to clepe and calle
Upward unto the sterres alle；
To Wynd； to Air； to See； to lond
Sche preide； and ek hield up hir hond 3980
To Echates； and gan to crie；
Which is goddesse of Sorcerie。
Sche seide； 〃Helpeth at this nede；
And as ye maden me to spede；
Whan Jason cam the Flees to seche；
So help me nou； I you beseche。〃
With that sche loketh and was war；
Doun fro the Sky ther cam a char；
The which Dragouns aboute drowe：
And tho sche gan hir hed doun bowe； 3990
And up sche styh； and faire and wel
Sche drof forth bothe char and whel
Above in thair among the Skyes。
The lond of Crete and tho parties
Sche soughte； and faste gan hire hye；
And there upon the hulles hyhe
Of Othrin and Olimpe also；
And ek of othre hulles mo；
Sche fond and gadreth herbes suote；
Sche pulleth up som be the rote； 4000
And manye with a knyf sche scherth；
And alle into hir char sche berth。
Thus whan sche hath the hulles sought；
The flodes ther foryat sche nought；
Eridian and Amphrisos；
Peneie and ek Sperchei5dos；
To hem sche wente and ther sche nom
Bothe of the water and the fom；
The sond and ek the smale stones；
Whiche as sche ches out for the nones； 4010
And of the rede See a part；
That was behovelich to hire art；
Sche tok； and after that aboute
Sche soughte sondri sedes oute
In feldes and in many greves；
And ek a part sche tok of leves：
Bot thing which mihte hire most availe
Sche fond in Crete and in Thessaile。
In daies and in nyhtes Nyne；
With gret travaile and with gret pyne； 4020
Sche was pourveid of every piece；
And torneth homward into Grece。
Before the gates of Eson
Hir char sche let awai to gon；
And tok out ferst that was therinne；
For tho sche thoghte to beginne
Such thing as semeth impossible；
And made hirselven invisible；
As sche that was with Air enclosed
And mihte of noman be desclosed。 4030
Sche tok up turves of the lond
Withoute helpe of mannes hond；
Al heled with the grene gras；
Of which an Alter mad ther was
Unto Echates the goddesse
Of art magique and the maistresse；
And eft an other to Juvente；
As sche which dede hir hole entente。
Tho tok sche fieldwode and verveyne；
Of herbes ben