To my matere therupon

Telle in what wife Agamenon

Through chaunce, which may nought be

Of love untrewe was deceived.

An olde fawe is: who that is fligh

[weived,

And with the leifer, whiche he hadde,
This lady at his will he ladde.
Climeftre was her righte name,
She was therof greatly to blame
To love there it may nought laste,
But fell to mischefe ate laste.
For whan this noble worthy knight
Fro Troie came the firfte night,
That he at home a bedde lay
Egiftus longe er it was day,
As this Climeftre him had affent,
And weren bothe of one affent,
By trefon flough him in his bed.
But morder, which may nought ben hed,
Sprong out to every mannes ere,
Wherof the lond was full of fere.

lencio trucidabat, cuius mortem filius eius Horeftes tunc junioris etatis poftea diis admonitus crudeliffima feveritate vindicavit.

Agamenon hath by this quene
A fone, and that was after fene.
But yet as than he was of youth,
A babe, which no refon couth.
And as god wolde, it felle him thus,
A worthy knight Taltibius

This yonge childe hath in keping.
And whan he herde of this tiding,
Of this trefon, of this misdede,

He

gan within him felf to drede In aunter if this false Egiste Upon him come er he it wiste

To take and morther of his malice
This child, whiche he hath to norice,
And for that cause in alle hafte
Out of the londe he gan him haste
And to the kinge of Crete he ftraught
And him this yonge lorde betaught
And praid him for his faders fake,
That he this child wolde undertake
And kepe him till he be of age,
So as he was of his lignage,
And told him over all the cas,
How that his fader morthred was,
And how Egiftus, as men faide,

Was king, to whom the londe obeide.
And whan Ydomeneus the kinge
Hath understonding of this thinge,
Which that this knight him hadde told,
He made forwe many fold

And toke the childe unto his warde

And faide he wolde him kepe and warde, Till that he were of fuch a might

To handle a fwerde and ben a knight

To vengen
And thus Horeftes dwelleth ftill.
Such was the childes righte name,
Whiche after wroughte mochel shame
In vengeaunce of his faders deth.
The time of yeres overgeth,

him at his owne will.

That he was man of brede and lengthe,
Of wit, of manhode and of strengthe,
A fair perfone amonges alle.
And he began to clepe and calle
As he, which come was to man,
Unto the kinge of Crete than
Praiende, that he wold him make
A knight and power with him take,
For lenger wolde he nought beleve,
He faith, but praith the kinge of leve
gone and claim his heritage

Το
And vengen him of thilke oultrage,
Which was unto his fader do.

The kinge affenteth well therto

With

great honour and knight him maketh

And great power to him betaketh.

And gan his journe for to caste,

So that Horeftes ate lafte
His leve toke and forth he goth
As he, that was in his hert wroth.

His firfte pleinte to bemene

Unto the citee of Athene

He goth him forth and was received,
So there was he nought deceived.
The duke and tho that weren wise
They profren hem to his fervice,
And he hem thonketh of her proffer
And faith him self he wol gone offer
Unto the goddes for his fpede,
And alle men him yive rede.
So goth he to the temple forth,
Of yiftes, that be mochel worth,
His facrifice and his offringe
He made. And after his axinge
He was answerde, if that he wolde
His ftate recover, than he sholde
Upon his moder do vengeaunce
So cruel, that the remembraunce
Therof might evermore abide,
As fhe, that was an homicide
And of her owne lord mordrice.
Horeftes, whiche of thilke office
Was nothing glad, as than he praide
Unto the goddes there and faide,
That they the jugement devife,
How she shall take the juife.
And therupon he had anfwere,
That he her pappes fhulde of-tere
Out of her breaft his owne hondes
And for enfample of alle londes

And whan Horeftes hath all herde,
How that the goddes have answerde,
Forth with the ftrengthe, whiche he lad,
The duke and his power he had
And to a citee forth they gone,
The which was cleped Cropheone,
Where as Phoicus was lord and fire,
Which profreth him withouten hire
His helpe and all that he may do
As he, that was right glad therto
Το
his mortal enemy
greve
And tolde him certain cause why,
How that Egifte in mariage
His doughter whilom of full age
Forlay and afterward forfoke,
Whan he Horeftes moder toke.
Men fain: olde fin newe shame.
Thus more and more arose the blame
Ayein Egiste on every fide.

Horeftes with his host to ride
Began, and Phoicus with him wente,
I trowe Egift him shall repente.
They riden forth unto Micene,
There lay Climeftre thilke quene,
The whiche Horeftes moder is.
And whan fhe herde telle of this,