In a Cronique write I finde。 2960
The Goddesse of the See Thetis；
Sche hadde a Sone； and his name is
Achilles； whom to kepe and warde；
Whil he was yong； as into warde
Sche thoghte him salfly to betake；
As sche which dradde for his sake
Of that was seid in prophecie；
That he at Troie scholde die；
Whan that the Cite was belein。
Forthi； so as the bokes sein； 2970
Sche caste hire wit in sondri wise；
Hou sche him mihte so desguise
That noman scholde his bodi knowe：
And so befell that ilke throwe；
Whil that sche thoghte upon this dede；
Ther was a king； which Lichomede
Was hote； and he was wel begon
With faire dowhtres manyon；
And duelte fer out in an yle。
Nou schalt thou hiere a wonder wyle： 2980
This queene； which the moder was
Of Achilles； upon this cas
Hire Sone； as he a Maiden were；
Let clothen in the same gere
Which longeth unto wommanhiede：
And he was yong and tok non hiede；
Bot soffreth al that sche him dede。
Wherof sche hath hire wommen bede
And charged be here othes alle；
Hou so it afterward befalle； 2990
That thei discovere noght this thing；
Bot feigne and make a knowleching；
Upon the conseil which was nome；
In every place wher thei come
To telle and to witnesse this；
Hou he here ladi dowhter is。
And riht in such a maner wise
Sche bad thei scholde hire don servise；
So that Achilles underfongeth
As to a yong ladi belongeth 3000
Honour； servise and reverence。
For Thetis with gret diligence
Him hath so tawht and so afaited；
That； hou so that it were awaited；
With sobre and goodli contenance
He scholde his wommanhiede avance；
That non the sothe knowe myhte；
Bot that in every mannes syhte
He scholde seme a pure Maide。
And in such wise as sche him saide； 3010
Achilles； which that ilke while
Was yong； upon himself to smyle
Began； whan he was so besein。
And thus； after the bokes sein；
With frette of Perle upon his hed；
Al freissh betwen the whyt and red；
As he which tho was tendre of Age；
Stod the colour in his visage；
That forto loke upon his cheke
And sen his childly manere eke； 3020
He was a womman to beholde。
And thanne his moder to him tolde；
That sche him hadde so begon
Be cause that sche thoghte gon
To Lichomede at thilke tyde；
Wher that sche seide he scholde abyde
Among hise dowhtres forto duelle。
Achilles herde his moder telle；
And wiste noght the cause why；
And natheles ful buxomly 3030
He was redy to that sche bad；
Wherof his moder was riht glad；
To Lichomede and forth thei wente。
And whan the king knew hire entente；
And sih this yonge dowhter there；
And that it cam unto his Ere
Of such record； of such witnesse；
He hadde riht a gret gladnesse
Of that he bothe syh and herde；
As he that wot noght hou it ferde 3040
Upon the conseil of the nede。
Bot for al that king Lichomede
Hath toward him this dowhter take；
And for Thetis his moder sake
He put hire into compainie
To duelle with Dei5damie；
His oghne dowhter； the eldeste；
The faireste and the comelieste
Of alle hise doghtres whiche he hadde。
Lo； thus Thetis the cause ladde； 3050
And lefte there Achilles feigned；
As he which hath himself restreigned
In al that evere he mai and can
Out of the manere of a man；
And tok his wommannysshe chiere；
Wherof unto his beddefere
Dei5damie he hath be nyhte。
Wher kinde wole himselve rihte；
After the Philosophres sein；
Ther mai no wiht be therayein： 3060
And that was thilke time seene。
The longe nyhtes hem betuene
Nature； which mai noght forbere；
Hath mad hem bothe forto stere：
Thei kessen ferst； and overmore
The hihe weie of loves lore
Thei gon； and al was don in dede；
Wherof lost is the maydenhede；
And that was afterward wel knowe。
For it befell that ilke throwe 3070
At Troie； wher the Siege lay
Upon the cause of Menelay
And of his queene dame Heleine；
The Gregois hadden mochel peine
Alday to fihte and to assaile。
Bot for thei mihten noght availe
So noble a Cite forto winne；
A prive conseil thei beginne；
In sondri wise wher thei trete；
And ate laste among the grete 3080
Thei fellen unto this acord；
That Prothes； of his record
Which was an Astronomien
And ek a gret Magicien；
Scholde of his calculacion
Seche after constellacion；
Hou thei the Cite mihten gete：
And he； which hadde noght foryete
Of that belongeth to a clerk；
His studie sette upon this werk。 3090
So longe his wit aboute he caste；
Til that he fond out ate laste；
Bot if they hadden Achilles
Here werre schal ben endeles。
And over that he tolde hem plein
In what manere he was besein；
And in what place he schal be founde；
So that withinne a litel stounde
Ulixes forth with Diomede
Upon this point to Lichomede 3100
Agamenon togedre sente。
Bot Ulixes； er he forth wente；
Which was on of the moste wise；
Ordeigned hath in such a wise；
That he the moste riche aray；
Wherof a womman mai be gay；
With him hath take manyfold；
And overmore； as it is told；
An harneis for a lusti kniht；
Which burned was as Selver bryht； 3110
Of swerd； of plate and ek of maile；
As thogh he scholde to bataille；
He tok also with him be Schipe。
And thus togedre in felaschipe
Forth gon this Diomede and he
In hope til thei mihten se
The place where Achilles is。
The wynd stod thanne noght amis；
Bot evene topseilcole it blew；
Til Ulixes the Marche knew； 3120
Wher Lichomede his Regne hadde。
The Stieresman so wel hem ladde；
That thei ben comen sauf to londe；
Wher thei gon out upon the stronde
Into the Burgh； wher that thei founde
The king； and he which hath facounde；
Ulixes； dede the message。
Bot the conseil of his corage；
Why that he cam； he tolde noght；
Bot undernethe he was bethoght 3130
In what manere he mihte aspie
Achilles fro Dei5damie
And fro these othre that ther were；
Full many a lusti ladi there。
Thei pleide hem there a day or tuo；
And as it was fortuned so；
It fell that time in such a wise；
To Bachus that a sacrifise
Thes yonge ladys scholden make；
And for the strange mennes sake； 3140
That comen fro the Siege of Troie；
Thei maden wel the more joie。
Ther was Revel； ther was daunsinge；
And every lif which coude singe
Of lusti wommen in the route
A freissh carole hath sunge aboute；
Bot for al this yit natheles
The Greks unknowe of Achilles
So weren； that in no degre
Thei couden wite which was he； 3150
Ne be his vois； ne be his pas。
Ulixes thanne upon this cas
A thing of hih Prudence hath wroght：
For thilke aray； which he hath broght
To yive among the wommen there；
He let do fetten al the gere
Forth with a knihtes harneis eke；…
In al a contre forto seke
Men scholden noght a fairer se；…
And every thing in his degre 3160
Endlong upon a bord he leide。
To Lichomede and thanne he preide
That every ladi chese scholde
What thing of alle that sche wolde；
And take it as be weie of yifte；
For thei hemself it scholde schifte；
He seide； after here oghne wille。
Achilles thanne stod noght stille：
Whan he the bryhte helm behield；
The swerd； the hauberk and the Schield； 3170
His herte fell therto anon；
Of all that othre wolde he non；
The knihtes gere he underfongeth；
And thilke aray which that belongeth
Unto the wommen he forsok。
And in this wise； as seith the bok；
Thei knowen thanne which he was：
For he goth forth the grete pas
Into the chambre where he lay；
Anon； and made no delay； 3180
He armeth him in knyhtli wise；
That bettre can noman devise；
And as fortune scholde falle；
He cam so forth tofore hem alle；
As he which tho was glad ynowh。
But Lichomede nothing lowh；
Whan that he syh hou that it ferde；
For thanne he wiste wel and herde；
His dowhter hadde be forlein；
Bot that he was so oversein； 3190
The wonder overgoth his wit。
For in Cronique is write yit
Thing which schal nevere be foryete；
Hou that Achilles hath begete
Pirrus upon Dei5damie；
Wherof cam out the tricherie
Of Falswitnesse； whan thei saide
Hou that Achilles was a Maide。
Bot that was nothing sene tho；
For he is to the Siege go 3200
Forth with Ulixe and Diomede。
Lo； thus was proved in the dede
And fulli spoke at thilke while：
If o womman an other guile；
Wher is ther eny sikernesse？
Whan Thetis； which was the goddesse；
Dei5damie hath so bejaped；
I not hou it schal ben ascaped
With tho wommen whos innocence
Is nou alday thurgh such credence 3210
Deceived ofte； as it is seene；
With men that such untrouthe meene。
For thei ben slyhe in such a wise；
That thei be sleihte and be queintise
Of Falswitnesse bringen inne
That doth hem ofte forto winne；
Wher thei ben noght worthi therto。
Forthi； my Sone； do noght so。
Mi fader； as of Falswitnesse
The trouthe and the matiere expresse； 3220
Touchende of love hou it hath ferd；
As ye have told； I have wel herd。
Bot for ye seiden otherwise；
Hou thilke vice of Covoitise
Hath yit Perjurie of his acord；
If that you list of som record
To telle an other tale also
In loves cause of time ago；
What thing it is to be forswore；
I wolde preie you therfore； 3230
Wherof I mihte ensample take。
Mi goode Sone； and for thi sake
Touchende of this I schall fulfille
Thin axinge at thin oghne wille；
And the matiere I schal declare；
Hou the wommen deceived are；
Whan thei so tendre herte bere；
Of that thei hieren men so swere；
Bot whan it comth unto thassay；
Thei finde it fals an other day： 3240
As Jason dede to Medee；
Which stant yet of Auctorite
In tokne and in memorial；
Wherof the tale in special
Is in the bok of Troie write；
Which I schal do thee forto wite。
In Grece whilom was a king；
Of whom the fame and knowleching
Beleveth yit； and Peles
He hihte； bot it fell him thus； 3250
That his fortune hir whiel so ladde
That he no child his oghne hadde
To regnen after his decess。
He hadde a brother natheles；
Whos rihte name was Eson；
And he the worthi kniht Jason
Begat； the which in every lond
Alle othre passede of his hond
In Armes； so that he the beste
Was named and the worthieste； 3260
He soghte worschipe overal。
Nou herkne； and I thee telle schal
An aventure that he soghte；
Which afterward ful dere he boghte。
Ther was an yle； which Colchos
Was cleped； and therof aros
Gret speche in every lond aboute；
That such merveile was non oute
In al the wyde world nawhere；
As tho was in that yle there。 3270
Ther