Peneie and ek Spercheidos.

Peneie and eke Spercheidos.

To hem sche wente and ther sche nom1

Bothe of the water and the fom,

The sond and ek the smale stones,
Whiche-as sche ches 2 out for the nones;
And of the Rede See a part
That was behovelich to hire art
Sche tok, and after that aboute
Sche soughte sondri sedes oute
In feldes and in many greves,
And ek a part sche tok of leves;
Bot thing which mihte hire most availe
Sche fond in Crete and in Thessaile.

In daies and in nyhtes nyne,
With gret travaile and with gret pyne,
Sche was pourveid of every piece,
And torneth homward into Grece.
Before the gates of Eson

Hir char sche let awai to gon,

And tok out ferst that was therinne;
For tho sche thoghte to beginne
Suche thing as semeth impossible,
And made hirselven invisible,
As sche that was with air enclosed
And mihte of noman be desclosed.
Sche tok up turves of the lond
Withoute helpe of mannes hond,
Al heled with the grene gras,
Of which an alter mad ther was
Unto Echates, the goddesse

5

Of art magique and the maistresse,
And eft an other to Juvente,

As sche which dede hir hole entente.7
Tho tok sche fieldwode and verveyne
Of herbes ben noght betre tueine; 8
Of which anon withoute let
These alters ben aboute set.
Tuo sondri puttes faste by
Sche made, and with that hastely

A wether which was blak sche slouh,10
And out ther-of the blod sche drouh "1

9

And dede 12 into the pettes 9 tuo; Warm melk sche putte also therto With hony meynd; 13 and in such wise Sche gan to make hir sacrifice.

And cride and preide forth withal

To Pluto, the god infernal,

And to the queene Proserpine.

And so sche soghte out al the line Of hem that longen to that craft, Behinde was no name laft,11

14

3

.

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Nine days and nights had passed before,
With labour great and pain full sore,
She was purveyed with every piece,
And turneth homeward unto Greece.
At Eson's gates then did she stay,
And let her chariot go away;
But took out first what was therein,
'For then her plan was to begin
Such things as seemed impossible,
And made herself invisible,

As she that was with air enclosed
And might to no man be disclosed.
She took up turfs from off the land,
Without the help of human hand,
All covered with the growing grass,
Of which an altar made she has
To Hecate, who was the goddess
Of magic art and the mistress,

With which anon, without delay,
She set these altars in array.
Two sundry pits quite near thereby
She made, and with that hastily,
A wether which was black she slew,
And out thereof the blood she drew,
And cast in the pits without ado;
And warm milk added she thereto
With honey mixed; and in such wise
Began to make her sacrifice.
And cried and prayed aloud also

To Pluto, god of all below,

And to the queen's self, Proserpine. And so she sought out all the line Of those that to that craft belong Forgot she none of all the throng

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So that with spellinge of hir charmes Sche took Eson in both hire armes, And made him forto slepe faste, And him upon hire herbes caste. The blake wether tho sche tok, And hiewh the fleissh, as doth a cok; On either alter part sche leide, And with the charmes that sche seide A fyr doun fro the sky alyhte And made it forto brenne lyhte. Bot whan Medea sawh it brenne, Anon sche gan to sterte and renne 5 The fyri aulters al aboute.

6

Ther was no beste which goth oute More wylde than sche semeth ther: Aboute hir schuldres hyng hir her, As thogh sche were oute of hir mynde And torned in an other kynde.7 Tho 2 lay ther certein wode cleft, Of which the pieces nou and eft 3 Sche made hem in the pettes wete, And put hem in the fyri hete, And tok the brond with al the blase, And thries sche began to rase Aboute Eson, ther-as he slepte; And eft with water, which sche kepte, Sche made a cercle aboute him thries, And eft with fyr of sulphre twyes. Ful many an other thing sche dede, Which is noght writen in this stede.10 Bot tho 2 sche ran so up and doun, Sche made many a wonder soun, Somtime lich 11 unto the cock, Somtime unto the laverock,12

Somtime kacleth as a hen,

Somtime spekth as don the men;
And riht so as hir jargoun strangeth,13
In sondri wise hir forme changeth,
Sche semeth faie 14 and no womman;
For with the craftes that sche can
Sche was, as who seith, a goddesse.

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And prayed them all, as she well could, To grant Eson his young manhood. This old Eson was brought forth, lo! Away she bade all others go, On peril of what might befall; And with that word then went in all, And left out there alone those two. Gasping and pacing, with much ado, She made her signs full many a one, And said her magic words thereon; So that with spelling of her charms She took Eson in both her arms, And caused him to sleep full fast, And on the herbs him sleeping cast. The wether black then next she took, And hewed the flesh as doth a cook; On either altar part she laid, And with the charms that she hath said A fire down from the sky did light And made the flesh to burn full bright. But when Medea saw it burn,

Anon she leaped and ran in turn

The fiery altars all about.

There was no beast which goeth out

More wild than she herself seemed there; About her shoulders hung her hair, As though she were out of her mind And turned into another kind. There certain wood lay cleft in twain, Of which the sticks, now and again, She made them in the pits full wet, And in the fiery heat them set; And took the brand with all the blaze, And thrice with it, as in a race, Ran about Eson as he slept, And then with water which she kept She made a circle round him thrice, And then with fire of sulphur twice. And other things she did, I wot, Which in this place are written not. But, running up and down the ground, She made full many a wondrous sound; Sometimes like unto the cock, Sometimes like the laverock, Sometimes cackleth as a hen, Sometimes speaketh as do men. And as she made her jargon strange, Her form in sundry wise did change, She seemed no woman but a fay; For with the crafts she did assay She was, as one might say, goddess.

Б

7

nature now and again

run hung 9 where 10 place 11 like

12 lark 13 becomes strange

8

14 fairy

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And what hir liste, more or lesse, Sche dede, in bokes as we finde, That passeth over manneskinde.1

Bot who that wole of wondres hiere,
What thing sche wroghte in this matiere,
To make an ende of that sche gan,2
Such merveile herde nevere man.
Apointed in the newe mone,
Whan it was time forto done,
Sche sette a caldron on the fyr,
In which was al the hole atir,3
Whereon the medicine stod,
Of jus, of water, and of blod,
And let it buile in such a plit,
Til that sche sawh the spume whyt;
And tho sche caste in rynde 5 and rote,
And sed and flour that was for bote,6
With many an herbe and many a ston,
Whereof sche hath ther many on.
And ek Cimpheius the serpent
To hire hath alle his scales lent,
Chelidre hire yaf his addres skin,
And sche to builen caste hem in;
A part ek of the horned oule,

The which men hiere on nyhtes houle;
And of a raven, which was told
Of nyne hundred wynter old,

Sche tok the hed with al the bile; 7
And as the medicine it wile,
Sche tok therafter the bouele 8
Of the seewolf, and for the hele 9
Of Eson, with a thousand mo
Of thinges that sche hadde tho,
In that caldroun togedre as blyve 10
Sche putte; and tok thanne of olyve
A drie branche hem with to stere,"
The which anon gan floure and bere
And waxe al freissh and grene ayein.
Whan sche this vertu hadde sein,
Sche let the leste drope of alle
Upon the bare flor doun falle;
Anon ther sprong up flour and gras,
Where-as the drope falle was,
And wox anon al medwe 12 grene,
So that it mihte wel be sene.
Medea thanne knew and wiste
Hir medicine is forto triste,13
And goth to Eson ther 14 he lay,
And tok a swerd was of assay
With which a wounde upon his side
Sche made, that therout mai slyde

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1 that surpasses human nature 2 began 3 equipment 4 boil 5 bark 6 remedy 7 bill intestine

And whatso pleased her, more or less,
She did, as we in books may find,
Deeds that pass skill of human kind.
But whoso will of wonders hear,
What things she wrought by magic clear
To make an end of all her spell,

Of crafts like hers heard no man tell.

Just as the moon had changed to new, When it was time her task to do,

She laid a cauldron on the fire,

In which was placed the mass entire
Wherein the magic virtues stood
Of juice, of water, and of blood,
And let it boil therein aright
Till she could see the bubbles white;
And then she cast in bark and root,
And seed and flower both to boot,
With many a herb and many a stone,
Whereof she hath there many a one.
And eke Cimpheius, the serpent,
To her hath all his scales now lent,
Chelidre, the adder, gave his skin,
And she to the boiling cast them in;
A part too of the horned owl,
The which men hear at night-time howl;
And of a raven which had told
His full nine hundred winters old
She took the head with all the bill;
And as the medicine it will,
Of sea wolf she the bowel took,
And for the healing did it cook
Of Eson; and a thousand more
Of things that she had still in store
Within that cauldron cast full quick.
Of olive then a withered stick
She took, to stir that mixture rare.
And lo, the stick did flower and bear,
And waxed again all fresh and green!
When she this virtue well had seen,
She let the smallest drop of all
Upon the barren earth down fall;

At once there sprang up flower and grass,
Just where the falling drop did pass,
And waxed at once all meadow-green,
So that it clearly might be seen.
Medea then full surely knew
Her medicine was strong and true;
And goes to Eson where he lay,
And took a sword of good assay,
With which a wound within his side
She made, that so thereout may slide

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1

The blod withinne, which was old And sek and trouble and fieble and cold. 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 hand, and up he ros.

And tho sche yaf 2 him drinke a drauhte, Of which his youthe ayein he cauhte,

His hed, his herte and his visage

3

Lich unto twenty wynter age;

Hise hore heres were away,

And lich unto the freisshe Maii,

Whan passed ben the colde schoures, Riht so recovereth he his floures.

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The blood within him, which was old And sick and troubled and feeble and cold. And then she took unto his use Of all the herbs the potent juice, And poured it all into his wound, That made his veins all full and sound; And then she made his wound to close; And took his hand, and he rose. up A draught to drink she gave him then, From which his youth he caught again, His head, his heart, and his visage, Like unto twenty winters' age; His hoary hairs vanished away;

And like unto the lusty May,

When passed are all the chilling showers,
Right so recovereth he his flowers.

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And neigh the dore, ay under shames drede, Simple of atyr, and debonaire of chere, With ful assured loking and manere.

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This Troilus, as he was wont to gyde His yonge knightes, ladde hem up and doun In thilke1 large temple on every syde, Biholding ay the ladyes of the toun, Now here, now there, for no devocioun Hadde he to noon, to reven 2 him his reste, But gan to preyse and lakken 3 whom him leste.4

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7

And in his walk full fast he gan to wayten
If knight or squyer of his companye
Gan for to syke, or lete his eyen bayten
On any woman that he coude aspye;
He wolde smyle, and holden it folye,
And seye him thus, "God wot, she slepeth softe
For love of thee, whan thou tornest ful ofte.

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"I have herd told, pardieux, of your livinge, Ye lovers, and your lewede observaunces, And which a labour folk han 10 in winninge Of love, and in the keping which doutaunces; 11

5 meadow

not

16

12 greatest more dearly 17

13

yea peerless 14 every one 18

especrowd 15 garment 19 space

was

5

And whan your preye is lost, wo and pen

aunces;

nyce

verrey foles! 12 and blinde be ye; 202 Ther nis 13 not oon can war 14 by other be."

1 that same observe sigh 7 feast 8 silly

11 perplexities 12 foolish 13 is not 14 cautious

606

And wex somdel 18 astonied in hir thought,
Right for the newe cas; but whan that she
Was ful avysed,19 tho 20 fond she right nought
Of peril, why she oughte afered be.
For man may love, of possibilitee,
A womman so his herte may to-breste,21
And she nought love ayein, but-if hir leste.22

1as if to say 2 cruel 3 planned 4 avenged 5 made known 6 pluck 7 purpose 8 result overweening 10 constantly 11 I did not expect 12 food 13 fellows 14i.e. Pandarus 15 happy 16 delayed 17 her 18 somewhat 19 had considered thoroughly 20 then 21 burst 22 unless it please her

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