Toward Colchos. But on the way
What hem befelle is long to fay,
How Lamedon the king of Troy,
Which ought well have made hem joy,
Whan they to rest a while him preide,
Out of his lond he them congeide.
And fo fell the diffention,
Whiche after was deftruction

Of that citee, as men may here.
But that is nought to my matere,
But thus the worthy folke Gregois
Fro that king, which was nought curtois,
And fro his londe with fail updrawe

They went hem forth and many a sawe
They made and many a great manace,
Till ate last into that place,
Which as they foughte, they arrive
And ftriken fail and forth as blive
They fent unto the king and tolden,
Who weren there and what they wolden.
Oetes, which was thanne king,
Whan that he herde this tiding
Of Jafon, which was comen there,
And of these other, what they were,
He thoughte done hem great worship.
For they anone come out of ship
And ftraught unto the king they wente
And by the honde Jafon he hente,
And that was at the paleis gate,
So fer the king came on his gate

Toward Jason to done him chere.
And he, whom lacketh no manere,
Whan he the king figh in presence,
Yaf him ayein fuch reverence
As to a kinges ftate belongeth.
And thus the king him underfongeth
And Jafon in his arme he caught
And forth into the hall he ftraught,
And there they fit and speke of thinges.
And Jafon tolde him tho tidinges,
Why he was come, and faire him preide
To hafte his time, and the kinge faide:
Jafon, thou art a worthy knight,
But it lieth in no mannes might
To done, that thou art come fore.
There hath bene many a knight forlore
Of that they wolden it affaie.

But Jason wolde him nought esmaie
And faide: Of every worldes cure
Fortune ftant in aventure
Paraunter well, paraunter wo.
But how as ever that it go,

It shall be with min honde affaied.

The king tho helde him nought wel paied

For he the Grekes fore dredde,

In aunter if Jafon ne fpedde,
He mighte therof bere a blame,
For tho was all the worldes fame
In Grece, as for to fpeke of armes.
Forthy he drad him of his harmes

And gan to preche and to prey.
But Jafon wolde nought obey,
But faid, he wolde his purpos holde
For ought that any man him tolde.
The king whan he these wordes herde
And figh how that this knight answerde,
Yet for he wolde make him glad,
After Medea gone he bad,

Which was his doughter, and she cam
And Jafon, which good hede nam,
Whan he her figh, ayein her goth.
And fhe, which was him nothing loth,
Welcomed him into that londe
And softe toke him by the honde
And down they fetten bothe fame.
She had herd fpoken of his name
And of his grete worthineffe,
Forthy she gan her eye impreffe
Upon his face and his stature
And thought, how never creature
Was fo welfarend, as was he.
And Jafon right in fuch degre
Ne mighte nought witholde his loke,
But fo good hede on her he toke,
That him ne thought under the heven
Of beaute figh he never her even
With all that felle to womanhede.
Thus eche of other token hede,
Though there no word was of recorde,
Her hertes both of one accorde

Ben fette to love, but as tho

There mighten ben no wordes mo. The king made him great joy and feft, To all his men he yaf an heft,

So as they wolde his thank deserve,
That they shulde alle Jafon ferve,
While that he wolde there dwelle.
And thus the day, fhortly to telle,
With many merthes they dispent,
Till night was come, and tho they went,
Echone of other toke his leve,

Whan they no lenger mighten leve.
I not how Jason that night flepe,
But well I wot, that of the fhepe,
For which he cam into that ile,
He thoughte but a litel while,
All was Medea that he thought,
So that in many wife he fought
His wit wakend, er it was day,
Some time fome time nay,

ye,

Some time thus, fome time fo,
As he was ftered to and fro
Of love and eke of his conqueft,

As he was holde of his behest.
And thus he rose up by the morwe
And toke him self seint John to borwe
And faide, he wolde first beginne

At love, and after for to winne

The flees of gold, for which he come,
And thus to him good herte he nome.

Medea right the same wife
Till day cam, that she must arise,
Lay and bethought her all the night,
How she that noble worthy knight
By any waie mighte wedde.
And wel she wift, if he ne spedde
Of thing, which he had undertake,
She might her self no purpose take.
For if he deiede of his bataile,
She mufte than algate faile

To geten him, whan he were dede.
Thus she began to fette rede
And torne about her wittes all
To loke how that it mighte fall,
That she with him had a leifer
To speke and telle of her defir.
And fo it fell the fame day
That Jason with that fwete may
To-gider fet and hadden space
To speke, and he befought her
And she his tale goodly herde
And afterward fhe him answerde
And faide: Jason, as thou wilt

grace.

Thou might be fauf, thou might be spilt, For wite well, that never man,

But if he couthe that I can,

Ne mighte that fortune acheve,

For which thou comeft. But as I leve,

If thou wolt holde covenaunt

To love of all the remenaunt,