Ther myhte no peril him dere；
In water mai it noght be dreynt；
Wher as it comth the fyr is queynt；
It daunteth ek the cruel beste；
Ther may no qued that man areste；
Wher so he be on See or lond；
Which hath that ring upon his hond： 3570
And over that sche gan to sein；
That if a man wol ben unsein；
Withinne his hond hold clos the Ston；
And he mai invisible gon。
The Ring to Jason sche betauhte；
And so forth after sche him tauhte
What sacrifise he scholde make；
And gan out of hire cofre take
Him thoughte an hevenely figure；
Which al be charme and be conjure 3580
Was wroght； and ek it was thurgh write
With names； which he scholde wite；
As sche him tauhte tho to rede；
And bad him； as he wolde spede；
Withoute reste of eny while；
Whan he were londed in that yle；
He scholde make his sacrifise
And rede his carecte in the wise
As sche him tauhte； on knes doun bent；
Thre sithes toward orient； 3590
For so scholde he the goddes plese
And winne himselven mochel ese。
And whanne he hadde it thries rad；
To opne a buiste sche him bad；
Which sche ther tok him in present；
And was full of such oignement；
That ther was fyr ne venym non
That scholde fastnen him upon；
Whan that he were enoynt withal。
Forthi sche tauhte him hou he schal 3600
Enoignte his armes al aboute；
And for he scholde nothing doute；
Sche tok him thanne a maner glu；
The which was of so gret vertu；
That where a man it wolde caste；
It scholde binde anon so faste
That noman mihte it don aweie。
And that sche bad be alle weie
He scholde into the mouthes throwen
Of tho tweie Oxen that fyr blowen； 3610
Therof to stoppen the malice；
The glu schal serve of that office。
And over that hir oignement；
Hir Ring and hir enchantement
Ayein the Serpent scholde him were；
Til he him sle with swerd or spere：
And thanne he may saufliche ynowh
His Oxen yoke into the plowh
And the teth sowe in such a wise；
Til he the knyhtes se arise； 3620
And ech of other doun be leid
In such manere as I have seid。
Lo； thus Medea for Jason
Ordeigneth； and preith therupon
That he nothing foryete scholde；
And ek sche preith him that he wolde；
Whan he hath alle his Armes don；
To grounde knele and thonke anon
The goddes； and so forth be ese
The flees of gold he scholde sese。 3630
And whanne he hadde it sesed so；
That thanne he were sone ago
Withouten eny tariynge。
Whan this was seid； into wepinge
Sche fell； as sche that was thurgh nome
With love； and so fer overcome；
That al hir world on him sche sette。
Bot whan sche sih ther was no lette；
That he mot nedes parte hire fro；
Sche tok him in hire armes tuo； 3640
An hundred time and gan him kisse；
And seide； 〃O； al mi worldes blisse；
Mi trust； mi lust； mi lif； min hele；
To be thin helpe in this querele
I preie unto the goddes alle。〃
And with that word sche gan doun falle
On swoune； and he hire uppe nam；
And forth with that the Maiden cam；
And thei to bedde anon hir broghte；
And thanne Jason hire besoghte； 3650
And to hire seide in this manere：
〃Mi worthi lusti ladi dere；
Conforteth you； for be my trouthe
It schal noght fallen in mi slouthe
That I ne wol thurghout fulfille
Youre hestes at youre oghne wille。
And yit I hope to you bringe
Withinne a while such tidinge；
The which schal make ous bothe game。〃
Bot for he wolde kepe hir name； 3660
Whan that he wiste it was nyh dai；
He seide； 〃A dieu； mi swete mai。〃
And forth with him he nam his gere；
Which as sche hadde take him there；
And strauht unto his chambre he wente；
And goth to bedde and slep him hente；
And lay； that noman him awok；
For Hercules hiede of him tok；
Til it was undren hih and more。
And thanne he gan to sighe sore 3670
And sodeinliche abreide of slep；
And thei that token of him kep；
His chamberleins； be sone there；
And maden redi al his gere；
And he aros and to the king
He wente； and seide hou to that thing
For which he cam he wolde go。
The king therof was wonder wo；
And for he wolde him fain withdrawe；
He tolde him many a dredful sawe； 3680
Bot Jason wolde it noght recorde；
And ate laste thei acorde。
Whan that he wolde noght abide；
A Bot was redy ate tyde；
In which this worthi kniht of Grece
Ful armed up at every piece；
To his bataile which belongeth；
Tok ore on honde and sore him longeth；
Til he the water passed were。
Whan he cam to that yle there； 3690
He set him on his knes doun strauht；
And his carecte； as he was tawht；
He radde； and made his sacrifise；
And siththe enoignte him in that wise；
As Medea him hadde bede；
And thanne aros up fro that stede；
And with the glu the fyr he queynte；
And anon after he atteinte
The grete Serpent and him slowh。
Bot erst he hadde sorwe ynowh； 3700
For that Serpent made him travaile
So harde and sore of his bataile；
That nou he stod and nou he fell：
For longe time it so befell；
That with his swerd ne with his spere
He mihte noght that Serpent dere。
He was so scherded al aboute；
It hield all eggetol withoute；
He was so ruide and hard of skin；
Ther mihte nothing go therin； 3710
Venym and fyr togedre he caste；
That he Jason so sore ablaste；
That if ne were his oignement；
His Ring and his enchantement；
Which Medea tok him tofore；
He hadde with that worm be lore；
Bot of vertu which therof cam
Jason the Dragon overcam。
And he anon the teth outdrouh；
And sette his Oxen in a plouh； 3720
With which he brak a piece of lond
And sieu hem with his oghne hond。
Tho mihte he gret merveile se：
Of every toth in his degre
Sprong up a kniht with spere and schield；
Of whiche anon riht in the field
Echon slow other； and with that
Jason Medea noght foryat；
On bothe his knes he gan doun falle；
And yaf thonk to the goddes alle。 3730
The Flees he tok and goth to Bote；
The Sonne schyneth bryhte and hote；
The Flees of gold schon forth withal；
The water glistreth overal。
Medea wepte and sigheth ofte；
And stod upon a Tour alofte：
Al prively withinne hirselve；
Ther herde it nouther ten ne tuelve；
Sche preide； and seide； 〃O； god him spede；
The kniht which hath mi maidenhiede！〃 3740
And ay sche loketh toward thyle。
Bot whan sche sih withinne a while
The Flees glistrende ayein the Sonne；
Sche saide； 〃Ha； lord； now al is wonne；
Mi kniht the field hath overcome：
Nou wolde god he were come；
Ha lord； that he ne were alonde！〃
Bot I dar take this on honde；
If that sche hadde wynges tuo；
Sche wolde have flowe unto him tho 3750
Strawht ther he was into the Bot。
The dai was clier； the Sonne hot；
The Gregeis weren in gret doute；
The whyle that here lord was oute：
Thei wisten noght what scholde tyde；
Bot waiten evere upon the tyde；
To se what ende scholde falle。
Ther stoden ek the nobles alle
Forth with the comun of the toun；
And as thei loken up and doun； 3760
Thei weren war withinne a throwe；
Wher cam the bot； which thei wel knowe；
And sihe hou Jason broghte his preie。
And tho thei gonnen alle seie；
And criden alle with o stevene；
〃Ha； wher was evere under the hevene
So noble a knyht as Jason is？〃
And welnyh alle seiden this；
That Jason was a faie kniht；
For it was nevere of mannes miht 3770
The Flees of gold so forto winne；
And thus to talen thei beginne。
With that the king com forth anon；
And sih the Flees； hou that it schon；
And whan Jason cam to the lond；
The king himselve tok his hond
And kist him； and gret joie him made。
The Gregeis weren wonder glade；
And of that thing riht merie hem thoghte；
And forth with hem the Flees thei broghte； 3780
And ech on other gan to leyhe；
Bot wel was him that mihte neyhe；
To se therof the proprete。
And thus thei passen the cite
And gon unto the Paleis straght。
Medea； which foryat him naght；
Was redy there； and seide anon；
〃Welcome； O worthi kniht Jason。〃
Sche wolde have kist him wonder fayn；
Bot schame tornede hire agayn； 3790
It was noght the manere as tho；
Forthi sche dorste noght do so。
Sche tok hire leve； and Jason wente
Into his chambre； and sche him sente
Hire Maide to sen hou he ferde；
The which whan that sche sih and herde；
Hou that he hadde faren oute
And that it stod wel al aboute；
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 t