He takth his cours and comth him hom； 1470
Where as he fond Penolope；
A betre wif ther mai non be；
And yit ther ben ynowhe of goode。
Bot who hir goodschipe understode
Fro ferst that sche wifhode tok；
Hou many loves sche forsok
And hou sche bar hire al aboute；
Ther whiles that hire lord was oute；
He mihte make a gret avant
Amonges al the remenant 1480
That sche was on of al the beste。
Wel myhte he sette his herte in reste；
This king； whan he hir fond in hele；
For as he couthe in wisdom dele；
So couthe sche in wommanhiede：
And whan sche syh withoute drede
Hire lord upon his oghne ground；
That he was come sauf and sound；
In al this world ne mihte be
A gladdere womman than was sche。 1490
The fame； which mai noght ben hidd；
Thurghout the lond is sone kidd；
Here king is come hom ayein：
Ther mai noman the fulle sein；
Hou that thei weren alle glade；
So mochel joie of him thei made。
The presens every day be newed；
He was with yiftes al besnewed；
The poeple was of him so glad；
That thogh non other man hem bad； 1500
Taillage upon hemself thei sette；
And as it were of pure dette
Thei yeve here goodes to the king：
This was a glad hom welcomyng。
Thus hath Uluxes what he wolde；
His wif was such as sche be scholde；
His poeple was to him sougit；
Him lacketh nothing of delit。
Bot fortune is of such a sleyhte；
That whan a man is most on heyhte； 1510
Sche makth him rathest forto falle：
Ther wot noman what schal befalle；
The happes over mannes hed
Ben honged with a tendre thred。
That proved was on Uluxes；
For whan he was most in his pes；
Fortune gan to make him werre
And sette his welthe al out of herre。
Upon a dai as he was merie；
As thogh ther mihte him nothing derie； 1520
Whan nyht was come； he goth to bedde；
With slep and bothe his yhen fedde。
And while he slepte； he mette a swevene：
Him thoghte he syh a stature evene；
Which brihtere than the sonne schon；
A man it semeth was it non；
Bot yit it was as in figure
Most lich to mannyssh creature；
Bot as of beaute hevenelich
It was most to an Angel lich： 1530
And thus betwen angel and man
Beholden it this king began；
And such a lust tok of the sihte；
That fain he wolde； if that he mihte；
The forme of that figure embrace；
And goth him forth toward the place；
Wher he sih that ymage tho；
And takth it in his Armes tuo；
And it embraceth him ayein
And to the king thus gan it sein： 1540
〃Uluxes； understond wel this；
The tokne of oure aqueintance is
Hierafterward to mochel tene：
The love that is ous betuene；
Of that we nou such joie make；
That on of ous the deth schal take；
Whan time comth of destine；
It may non other wise be。〃
Uluxes tho began to preie
That this figure wolde him seie 1550
What wyht he is that seith him so。
This wyht upon a spere tho
A pensel which was wel begon；
Embrouded； scheweth him anon：
Thre fisshes alle of o colour
In manere as it were a tour
Upon the pensel were wroght。
Uluxes kneu this tokne noght；
And preith to wite in som partie
What thing it myhte signefie； 1560
〃A signe it is；〃 the wyht ansuerde；
〃Of an Empire：〃 and forth he ferde
Al sodeinly； whan he that seide。
Uluxes out of slep abreide；
And that was riht ayein the day；
That lengere slepen he ne may。
Men sein； a man hath knowleching
Save of himself of alle thing；
His oghne chance noman knoweth；
Bot as fortune it on him throweth： 1570
Was nevere yit so wys a clerk；
Which mihte knowe al goddes werk；
Ne the secret which god hath set
Ayein a man mai noght be let。
Uluxes； thogh that he be wys；
With al his wit in his avis；
The mor that he his swevene acompteth；
The lasse he wot what it amonteth：
For al his calculacion；
He seth no demonstracion 1580
Al pleinly forto knowe an ende；
Bot natheles hou so it wende；
He dradde him of his oghne Sone。
That makth him wel the more astone；
And schop therfore anon withal；
So that withinne castel wall
Thelamachum his Sone he schette；
And upon him strong warde he sette。
The sothe furthere he ne knew；
Til that fortune him overthreu； 1590
Bot natheles for sikernesse；
Wher that he mihte wite and gesse
A place strengest in his lond；
Ther let he make of lym and sond
A strengthe where he wolde duelle；
Was nevere man yit herde telle
Of such an other as it was。
And forto strengthe him in that cas；
Of al his lond the sekereste
Of servantz and the worthieste； 1600
To kepen him withinne warde；
He sette his bodi forto warde；
And made such an ordinance；
For love ne for aqueintance；
That were it erly； were it late；
Thei scholde lete in ate gate
No maner man； what so betydde；
Bot if so were himself it bidde。
Bot al that myhte him noght availe；
For whom fortune wole assaile； 1610
Ther mai be non such resistence；
Which mihte make a man defence；
Al that schal be mot falle algate。
This Circes； which I spak of late；
On whom Uluxes hath begete
A child； thogh he it have foryete；
Whan time com； as it was wone；
Sche was delivered of a Sone；
Which cleped is Thelogonus。
This child； whan he was bore thus； 1620
Aboute his moder to ful age；
That he can reson and langage；
In good astat was drawe forth：
And whan he was so mochel worth
To stonden in a mannes stede；
Circes his moder hath him bede
That he schal to his fader go；
And tolde him al togedre tho
What man he was that him begat。
And whan Thelogonus of that 1630
Was war and hath ful knowleching
Hou that his fader was a king；
He preith his moder faire this；
To go wher that his fader is；
And sche him granteth that he schal；
And made him redi forth withal。
It was that time such usance；
That every man the conoiscance
Of his contre bar in his hond；
Whan he wente into strange lond； 1640
And thus was every man therfore
Wel knowe； wher that he was bore：
For espiaile and mistrowinges
They dede thanne suche thinges；
That every man mai other knowe。
So it befell that ilke throwe
Thelogonus as in this cas；
Of his contre the signe was
Thre fisshes； whiche he scholde bere
Upon the penon of a spere： 1650
And whan that he was thus arraied
And hath his harneis al assaied；
That he was redy everydel；
His moder bad him farewel；
And seide him that he scholde swithe
His fader griete a thousand sithe。
Thelogonus his moder kiste
And tok his leve； and wher he wiste
His fader was； the weie nam；
Til he unto Nachaie cam； 1660
Which of that lond the chief Cite
Was cleped； and ther axeth he
Wher was the king and hou he ferde。
And whan that he the sothe herde；
Wher that the king Uluxes was；
Al one upon his hors gret pas
He rod him forth； and in his hond
He bar the signal of his lond
With fisshes thre； as I have told；
And thus he wente unto that hold； 1670
Wher that his oghne fader duelleth。
The cause why he comth he telleth
Unto the kepers of the gate；
And wolde have comen in therate；
Bot schortli thei him seide nay：
And he als faire as evere he may
Besoghte and tolde hem ofte this；
Hou that the king his fader is；
Bot they with proude wordes grete
Begunne to manace and threte； 1680
Bot he go fro the gate faste；
Thei wolde him take and sette faste。
Fro wordes unto strokes thus
Thei felle； and so Thelogonus
Was sore hurt and welnyh ded；
Bot with his scharpe speres hed
He makth defence； hou so it falle；
And wan the gate upon hem alle；
And hath slain of the beste fyve；
And thei ascriden als so blyve 1690
Thurghout the castell al aboute。
On every syde men come oute；
Wherof the kinges herte afflihte；
And he with al the haste he mihte
A spere cauhte and out he goth；
As he that was nyh wod for wroth。
He sih the gates ful of blod；
Thelogonus and wher he stod
He sih also； bot he ne knew
What man it was； and to him threw 1700
His Spere； and he sterte out asyde。
Bot destine； which schal betide；
Befell that ilke time so；
Thelogonus knew nothing tho
What man it was that to him caste；
And while his oghne spere laste；
With al the signe therupon
He caste unto the king anon；
And smot him with a dedly wounde。
Uluxes fell anon to grounde； 1710
Tho every man； 〃The king！ the king！〃
Began to crie； and of this thing
Thelogonus； which sih the cas；
On knes he fell and seide； 〃Helas！
I have min oghne fader slain：
Nou wolde I deie wonder fain；
Nou sle me who that evere wile；
For certes it is right good skile。〃
He crith； he wepth； he seith therfore；
〃Helas； that evere was I bore； 1720
That this unhappi destine
So wofulli comth in be me！〃
This king； which yit hath lif ynouh；
His herte ayein to him he drouh；
And to that vois an Ere he leide
And understod al that he seide；
And gan to speke； and seide on hih；
〃Bring me this man。〃 And whan he sih
Thelogonus； his thoght he sette
Upon the swevene which he mette； 1730
And axeth that he myhte se
His spere； on which the fisshes thre
He sih upon a pensel wroght。
Tho wiste he wel it faileth noght；
And badd him that he telle scholde
Fro whenne he cam and what he wolde。
Thelogonus in sorghe and wo
So as he mihte tolde tho
Unto Uluxes al the cas；
Hou that Circes his moder was； 1740
And so forth seide him everydel；
Hou that his moder gret him wel；
And in what wise sche him sente。
Tho wiste Uluxes what it mente；
And tok him in hise Armes softe；
And al bledende he kest him ofte；
And seide； 〃Sone； whil I live；
This infortune I thee foryive。〃
After his other Sone in haste
He sende； and he began him haste 1750
And cam unto his fader tyt。
Bot whan he sih him in such plit；
He wolde have ronne upon that other
Anon； and slain his oghne brother；
Ne hadde be that Uluxes
Betwen hem made acord and pes；
And to his heir Thelamachus
He bad that he Thelogonus
With al his pouer scholde kepe；
Til he were of his woundes depe 1760
Al hol； and thanne he scholde him yive
Lond wher upon he mihte live。
Thelamachus； whan he this herde；
Unto his fader he ansuerde
And seide he wolde don his wille。
So duelle thei togedre stille；
These brethren； and the fader sterveth。
Lo； wherof Sorcerie serveth。
Thurgh Sorcerie his lust he wan；
Thurgh Sorcerie his wo began； 1770
Thurgh Sorcerie his love he ches；
Thurgh Sorcerie his lif he les；
The child was gete in Sorcerie；
The which dede al this felonie：
Thing which was ayein kynde wroght
Unkindeliche it was aboght；
The child his oghne f