With which a wounde upon his side
Sche made； that therout mai slyde
The blod withinne； which was old
And sek and trouble and fieble and cold。 4160
And tho sche tok unto his us
Of herbes al the beste jus；
And poured it into his wounde；
That made his veynes fulle and sounde：
And tho sche made his wounde clos；
And tok his hond； and up he ros；
And tho sche yaf him drinke a drauhte；
Of which his youthe ayein he cauhte；
His hed； his herte and his visage
Lich unto twenty wynter Age； 4170
Hise hore heres were away；
And lich unto the freisshe Maii；
Whan passed ben the colde shoures；
Riht so recovereth he his floures。
Lo； what mihte eny man devise；
A womman schewe in eny wise
Mor hertly love in every stede；
Than Medea to Jason dede？
Ferst sche made him the flees to winne；
And after that fro kiththe and kinne 4180
With gret tresor with him sche stal；
And to his fader forth withal
His Elde hath torned into youthe；
Which thing non other womman couthe：
Bot hou it was to hire aquit；
The remembrance duelleth yit。
King Peles his Em was ded；
Jason bar corone on his hed；
Medea hath fulfild his wille：
Bot whanne he scholde of riht fulfille 4190
The trouthe； which to hire afore
He hadde in thyle of Colchos swore；
Tho was Medea most deceived。
For he an other hath received；
Which dowhter was to king Creon；
Creusa sche hihte； and thus Jason；
As he that was to love untrewe；
Medea lefte and tok a newe。
Bot that was after sone aboght：
Medea with hire art hath wroght 4200
Of cloth of gold a mantel riche；
Which semeth worth a kingesriche；
And that was unto Creusa sent
In name of yifte and of present；
For Sosterhode hem was betuene；
And whan that yonge freisshe queene
That mantel lappeth hire aboute；
Anon therof the fyr sprong oute
And brente hir bothe fleissh and bon。
Tho cam Medea to Jason 4210
With bothe his Sones on hire hond；
And seide； 〃O thou of every lond
The moste untrewe creature；
Lo； this schal be thi forfeture。〃
With that sche bothe his Sones slouh
Before his yhe； and he outdrouh
His swerd and wold have slayn hir tho；
Bot farewel； sche was ago
Unto Pallas the Court above；
Wher as sche pleigneth upon love； 4220
As sche that was with that goddesse；
And he was left in gret destresse。
Thus miht thou se what sorwe it doth
To swere an oth which is noght soth；
In loves cause namely。
Mi Sone； be wel war forthi；
And kep that thou be noght forswore：
For this； which I have told tofore；
Ovide telleth everydel。
Mi fader； I may lieve it wel； 4230
For I have herde it ofte seie
Hou Jason tok the flees aweie
Fro Colchos； bot yit herde I noght
Be whom it was ferst thider broght。
And for it were good to hiere；
If that you liste at mi preiere
To telle； I wolde you beseche。
Mi Sone； who that wole it seche；
In bokes he mai finde it write；
And natheles； if thou wolt wite； 4240
In the manere as thou hast preid
I schal the telle hou it is seid。
The fame of thilke schepes fell；
Which in Colchos； as it befell；
Was al of gold； schal nevere deie；
Wherof I thenke for to seie
Hou it cam ferst into that yle。
Ther was a king in thilke whyle
Towardes Grece； and Athemas
The Cronique of his name was； 4250
And hadde a wif； which Philen hihte；
Be whom； so as fortune it dihte；
He hadde of children yonge tuo。
Frixus the ferste was of tho；
A knave child； riht fair withalle；
A dowhter ek； the which men calle
Hellen； he hadde be this wif。
Bot for ther mai no mannes lif
Endure upon this Erthe hiere；
This worthi queene； as thou miht hiere； 4260
Er that the children were of age；
Tok of hire ende the passage；
With gret worschipe and was begrave。
What thing it liketh god to have
It is gret reson to ben his；
Forthi this king； so as it is；
With gret suffrance it underfongeth：
And afterward； as him belongeth；
Whan it was time forto wedde；
A newe wif he tok to bedde； 4270
Which Yno hihte and was a Mayde；
And ek the dowhter； as men saide；
Of Cadme； which a king also
Was holde in thilke daies tho。
Whan Yno was the kinges make；
Sche caste hou that sche mihte make
These children to here fader lothe；
And schope a wyle ayein hem bothe；
Which to the king was al unknowe。
A yeer or tuo sche let do sowe 4280
The lond with sode whete aboute；
Wherof no corn mai springen oute；
And thus be sleyhte and be covine
Aros the derthe and the famine
Thurghout the lond in such a wise；
So that the king a sacrifise
Upon the point of this destresse
To Ceres； which is the goddesse
Of corn； hath schape him forto yive；
To loke if it mai be foryive； 4290
The meschief which was in his lond。
Bot sche； which knew tofor the hond
The circumstance of al this thing；
Ayein the cominge of the king
Into the temple； hath schape so；
Of hire acord that alle tho
Whiche of the temple prestes were
Have seid and full declared there
Unto the king； bot if so be
That he delivere the contre 4300
Of Frixus and of Hellen bothe；
With whom the goddes ben so wrothe；
That whil tho children ben therinne；
Such tilthe schal noman beginne；
Wherof to gete him eny corn。
Thus was it seid； thus was it sworn
Of all the Prestes that ther are；
And sche which causeth al this fare
Seid ek therto what that sche wolde；
And every man thanne after tolde 4310
So as the queene hem hadde preid。
The king； which hath his Ere leid；
And lieveth al that evere he herde；
Unto here tale thus ansuerde；
And seith that levere him is to chese
Hise children bothe forto lese；
Than him and al the remenant
Of hem whiche are aportenant
Unto the lond which he schal kepe：
And bad his wif to take kepe 4320
In what manere is best to done；
That thei delivered weren sone
Out of this world。 And sche anon
Tuo men ordeigneth forto gon；
Bot ferst sche made hem forto swere
That thei the children scholden bere
Unto the See； that non it knowe；
And hem therinne bothe throwe。
The children to the See ben lad；
Wher in the wise as Yno bad 4330
These men be redy forto do。
Bot the goddesse which Juno
Is hote； appiereth in the stede；
And hath unto the men forbede
That thei the children noght ne sle；
Bot bad hem loke into the See
And taken hiede of that thei sihen。
Ther swam a Schep tofore here yhen；
Whos flees of burned gold was al；
And this goddesse forth withal 4340
Comandeth that withoute lette
Thei scholde anon these children sette
Above upon this Schepes bak；
And al was do； riht as sche spak；
Wherof the men gon hom ayein。
And fell so； as the bokes sein；
Hellen the yonge Mayden tho；
Which of the See was wo bego；
For pure drede hire herte hath lore；
That fro the Schep； which hath hire bore； 4350
As sche that was swounende feint；
Sche fell； and hath hirselve dreint；
With Frixus and this Schep forth swam；
Til he to thyle of Colchos cam；
Where Juno the goddesse he fond；
Which tok the Schep unto the lond；
And sette it there in such a wise
As thou tofore hast herd devise；
Wherof cam after al the wo；
Why Jason was forswore so 4360
Unto Medee； as it is spoke。
Mi fader； who that hath tobroke
His trouthe； as ye have told above；
He is noght worthi forto love
Ne be beloved； as me semeth：
Bot every newe love quemeth
To him which newefongel is。
And natheles nou after this；
If that you list to taken hiede
Upon mi Schrifte to procede； 4370
In loves cause ayein the vice
Of covoitise and Avarice
What ther is more I wolde wite。
Mi Sone； this I finde write；
Ther is yit on of thilke brood；
Which only for the worldes good；
To make a Tresor of Moneie；
Put alle conscience aweie：
Wherof in thi confession
The name and the condicion 4380
I schal hierafterward declare；
Which makth on riche； an other bare。
Upon the bench sittende on hih
With Avarice Usure I sih；
Full clothed of his oghne suite；
Which after gold makth chace and suite
With his brocours； that renne aboute
Lich unto racches in a route。
Such lucre is non above grounde；
Which is noght of tho racches founde； 4390
For wher thei se beyete sterte；
That schal hem in no wise asterte；
Bot thei it dryve into the net
Of lucre； which Usure hath set。
Usure with the riche duelleth；
To al that evere he beith and selleth
He hath ordeined of his sleyhte
Mesure double and double weyhte：
Outward he selleth be the lasse；
And with the more he makth his tasse； 4400
Wherof his hous is full withinne。
He reccheth noght； be so he winne；
Though that ther lese ten or tuelve：
His love is al toward himselve
And to non other； bot he se
That he mai winne suche thre；
For wher he schal oght yive or lene；
He wol ayeinward take a bene；
Ther he hath lent the smale pese。
And riht so ther ben manye of these 4410
Lovers； that thogh thei love a lyte；
That scarsly wolde it weie a myte；
Yit wolde thei have a pound again；
As doth Usure in his bargain。
Bot certes such usure unliche；
It falleth more unto the riche；
Als wel of love as of beyete；
Than unto hem that be noght grete；
And； as who seith； ben simple and povere；
For sielden is whan thei recovere； 4420
Bot if it be thurgh gret decerte。
And natheles men se poverte
With porsuite and continuance
Fulofte make a gret chevance
And take of love his avantage；
Forth with the help of his brocage；
That maken seme wher is noght。
And thus fulofte is love boght
For litel what； and mochel take；
With false weyhtes that thei make。 4430
Nou； Sone； of that I seide above
Thou wost what Usure is of love：
Tell me forthi what so thou wilt；
If thou therof hast eny gilt。
Mi fader； nay； for ought I hiere。
For of tho pointz ye tolden hiere
I wol you be mi trouthe assure；
Mi weyhte of love and mi mesure
Hath be mor large and mor certein
Than evere I tok of love ayein： 4440
For so yit couthe I nevere of sleyhte；
To take ayein be double weyhte
Of love mor than I have yive。
For als so wiss mot I be schrive
And have remission of Sinne；
As so yit couthe I nevere winne；
Ne yit so mochel； soth to sein；
That evere I mihte have half ayein
Of so full love as I have lent：
And if myn happ were so wel went； 4450
That for the hole I mihte have half；
Me thenkth I were a goddeshalf。
For where Usure wole have double；
Mi conscience is noght so trouble；
I biede nevere as to my del
Bot of the hole an halvendel；
That is non excess； as me thenketh。
Bot natheles it