# Chaucer's Works (ed. Skeat) Vol. III/Hypsipyle

IV. THE LEGEND OF HYPSIPYLE AND MEDEA.
Incipit Legenda Ysiphile et Medee, Martirum.
Part I. The Legend of Hypsipyle.
Thou rote of false lovers, duk Iasoun! Thou sly devourer and confusioun Of gentil-wommen, tender creatures, 1370 Thou madest thy reclaiming and thy lures To ladies of thy statly apparaunce, And of thy wordes, farced with plesaunce, And of thy feyned trouthe and thy manere, With thyn obeisaunce and thy humble chere, 1375 And with thy counterfeted peyne and wo. Ther other falsen oon, thou falsest two! (10) O! ofte swore thou that thou woldest dye For love, whan thou ne feltest maladye Save foul delyt, which that thou callest love! 1380 If that I live, thy name shal be shove In English, that thy sleighte shal be knowe! Have at thee, Iasoun! now thyn horn is blowe! But certes, hit is bothe routhe and wo That love with false loveres werketh so; 1385 For they shul have wel better love and chere Than he that hath aboght his love ful dere, (20) Or had in armes many a blody box. For ever as tendre a capoun et the fox, ​Thogh he be fals and hath the foul betrayed, 1390 As shal the good-man that ther-for hath payed. Al have he to the capoun skille and right, The false fox wol have his part at night. On Iasoun this ensample is wel y-sene By Isiphile and Medea the quene. 1395 In Tessalye, as Guido telleth us, Ther was a king that highte Pelleus, (30) That had a brother, which that highte Eson; And, whan for age he mighte unnethes gon, He yaf to Pelleus the governing 1400 Of al his regne, and made him lord and king. Of which Eson this Iasoun geten was, That, in his tyme, in al that lond, ther nas Nat swich a famous knight of gentilesse, Of freedom, and of strengthe and lustinesse. 1405 After his fader deeth, he bar him so That ther nas noon that liste been his fo, (40) But dide him al honour and companye; Of which this Pelleus hath greet envye, Imagining that Iasoun mighte be 1410 Enhaunsed so, and put in swich degree With love of lordes of his regioun, That from his regne he may be put adoun. And in his wit, a-night, compassed he How Iasoun mighte best destroyed be 1415 Withoute slaunder of his compasment. And at the laste he took avisement (50) To senden him in-to som fer contree Ther as this Iasoun may destroyed be. This was his wit; al made he to Iasoun 1420 Gret chere of love and of affeccioun, For drede lest his lordes hit espyde. So fil hit so, as fame renneth wyde, ​Ther was swich tyding over-al and swich los, That in an yle that called was Colcos, 1425 Beyonde Troye, estward in the see, That ther-in was a ram, that men mighte see, (60) That had a flees of gold, that shoon so brighte, That no-wher was ther swich an-other sighte; But hit was kept alway with a dragoun, 1430 And many othere merveils, up and doun, And with two boles, maked al of bras, That spitten fyr, and moche thing ther was. But this was eek the tale, nathelees, That who-so wolde winne thilke flees, 1435 He moste bothe, or he hit winne mighte, With the boles and the dragoun fighte; (70) And king Oëtes lord was of that yle. This Pelleus bethoghte upon this wyle; That he his nevew Iasoun wolde enhorte 1440 To sailen to that lond, him to disporte, And seide, 'Nevew, if hit mighte be That swich a worship mighte fallen thee, That thou this famous tresor mightest winne, And bringen hit my regioun with-inne, 1445 Hit were to me gret plesaunce and honour; Than were I holde to quyte thy labour. (80) And al the cost I wol my-selven make; And chees what folk that thou wilt with thee take; Lat see now, darstow taken this viage?' 1450 Iasoun was yong, and lusty of corage, And under-took to doon this ilke empryse. Anoon Argus his shippes gan devyse; With Iasoun wente the stronge Ercules, And many an-other that he with him chees. 1455 But who-so axeth who is with him gon, Lat him go reden Argonauticon, (90) ​For he wol telle a tale long y-now. Philotetes anoon the sail up-drow, Whan that the wind was good, and gan him hye 1460 Out of his contree called Tessalye. So long he sailed in the salte see Til in the yle Lemnoun aryved he— Al be this nat rehersed of Guido, Yet seith Ovyde in his Epistles so— 1465 And of this yle lady was and quene The faire yonge Isiphilee, the shene, (100) That whylom Thoas doghter was, the king. Isiphilee was goon in her playing; And, roming on the clyves by the see, 1470 Under a banke anoon espyed she Wher that the ship of Iasoun gan aryve. Of her goodnesse adoun she sendeth blyve To witen yif that any straunge wight With tempest thider were y-blowe a-night, 1475 To doon him socour; as was her usaunce To forthren every wight, and doon plesaunce (110) Of veray bountee and of curtesye. This messagere adoun him gan to hye, And fond Iasoun, and Ercules also, 1480 That in a cogge to londe were y-go Hem to refresshen and to take the eyr. The morwening atempre was and fair; And in his wey the messagere hem mette. Ful cunningly thise lordes two he grette, 1485 And dide his message, axing hem anoon Yif they were broken, or oght wo begoon, (120) Or hadde nede of lodesmen or vitaile; For of socour they shulde no-thing faile, ​For hit was utterly the quenes wille. 1490 Iasoun answerde, mekely and stille, 'My lady,' quod he, 'thanke I hertely Of hir goodnesse; us nedeth, trewely, No-thing as now, but that we wery be, And come for to pleye, out of the see, 1495 Til that the wind be better in our weye.' This lady rometh by the clif to pleye, (130) With her meynee, endelong the stronde, And fynt this Iasoun and this other stonde, In spekinge of this thing, as I yow tolde. 1500 This Ercules and Iasoun gan beholde How that the quene hit was, and faire her grette Anon-right as they with this lady mette; And she took heed, and knew, by hir manere, By hir aray, by wordes and by chere, 1505 That hit were gentil-men, of greet degree. And to the castel with her ledeth she (140) Thise straunge folk, and doth hem greet honour, And axeth hem of travail and labour That they han suffred in the salte see; 1510 So that, within a day, or two, or three, She knew, by folk that in his shippes be, That hit was Iasoun, ful of renomee, And Ercules, that had the grete los, That soghten the aventures of Colcos; 1515 And dide hem honour more then before, And with hem deled ever lenger the more, (150) For they ben worthy folk, with-outen lees. And namely, most she spak with Ercules; To him her herte bar, he sholde be 1520 Sad, wys, and trewe, of wordes avisee, With-outen any other affeccioun Of love, or evil imaginacioun. ​This Ercules hath so this Iasoun preysed, That to the sonne he hath him up areysed, 1525 That half so trewe a man ther nas of love Under the cope of heven that is above; (160) And he was wys, hardy, secree, and riche.— Of thise three pointes ther nas noon him liche; Of freedom passed he, and lustihede, 1530 Alle tho that liven or ben dede; Ther-to so greet a gentil-man was he, And of Tessalie lykly king to be. Ther nas no lak, but that he was agast To love, and for to speke shamefast. 1535 He hadde lever him-self to mordre, and dye Than that men shulde a lover him espye:— (170) 'As wolde almighty god that I had yive My blood and flesh, so that I mighte live, With the nones that he hadde o-wher a wyf 1540 For his estat; for swich a lusty lyf She sholde lede with this lusty knight!' And al this was compassed on the night Betwixe him Iasoun and this Ercules. Of thise two heer was mad a shrewed lees 1545 To come to hous upon an innocent; For to be-dote this queen was hir assent. (180) And Iasoun is as coy as is a maide, He loketh pitously, but noght he saide, But frely yaf he to her conseileres 1550 Yiftes grete, and to her officeres. As wolde god I leiser hadde, and tyme, By proces al his wowing for to ryme. But in this hous if any fals lover be, Right as him-self now doth, right so dide he, 1555 ​With feyning and with every sotil dede. Ye gete no more of me, but ye wil rede (190) Thoriginal, that telleth al the cas. The somme is this, that Iasoun wedded was Unto this quene, and took of her substaunce 1560 What-so him liste, unto his purveyaunce; And upon her begat he children two, And drow his sail, and saw her never-mo. A lettre sente she to him certein, Which were to long to wryten and to sein, 1565 And him repreveth of his grete untrouthe, And preyeth him on her to have som routhe. (200) And of his children two, she seide him this, That they be lyke, of alle thing, y-wis, To Iasoun, save they coude nat begyle; 1570 And preyed god, or hit were longe whyle, That she, that had his herte y-raft her fro, Moste finden him to her untrewe al-so, And that she moste bothe her children spille, And alle tho that suffreth him his wille. 1575 And trew to Iasoun was she al her lyf, And ever kepte her chast, as for his wyf; (210) Ne never had she Ioye at her herte, But dyed, for his love, of sorwes smerte.
Part II. The Legend of Medea.
To Colcos comen is this duk Iasoun, 1580 That is of love devourer and dragoun. As matere appetyteth forme al-wey, And from forme in-to forme hit passen may, Or as a welle that were botomlees, Right so can fals Iasoun have no pees. 1585 For, to desyren, through his appetyt, To doon with gentil wommen his delyt, (220) ​This is his lust and his felicitee. Iasoun is romed forth to the citee, That whylom cleped was Iaconitos, 1590 That was the maister-toun of al Colcos, And hath y-told the cause of his coming Un-to Oëtes, of that contre king, Preying him that he moste doon his assay To gete the flees of gold, if that he may; 1595 Of which the king assenteth to his bone, And doth him honour, as hit is to done, (230) So ferforth, that his doghter and his eyr, Medea, which that was so wys and fair That fairer saw ther never man with yë, 1600 He made her doon to Iasoun companye At mete, and sitte by him in the halle. Now was Iasoun a semely man with-alle, And lyk a lord, and had a greet renoun, And of his loke as real as leoun, 1605 And goodly of his speche, and famulere, And coude of love al craft and art plenere (240) With-oute boke, with everich observaunce. And, as fortune her oghte a foul meschaunce, She wex enamoured upon this man. 1610 'Iasoun,' quod she, 'for ought I see or can, As of this thing the which ye been aboute, Ye han your-self y-put in moche doute. For, who-so wol this aventure acheve, He may nat wel asterten, as I leve, 1615 With-outen deeth, but I his helpe be. But natheles, hit is my wille,' quod she, (250) 'To forthren yow, so that ye shal nat dye, But turnen, sound, hoom to your Tessalye.' 'My righte lady,' quod this Iasoun tho, 1620 'That ye han of my dethe or of my wo Any reward, and doon me this honour, I wot wel that my might ne my labour ​May nat deserve hit in my lyves day; God thanke yow, ther I ne can ne may. 1625 Your man am I, and lowly you beseche, To been my help, with-oute more speche; (260) But certes, for my deeth shal I nat spare.' Tho gan this Medea to him declare The peril of this cas, fro point to point, 1630 And of his batail, and in what disioint He mote stande, of which no creature, Save only she, ne mighte his lyf assure. And shortly, to the point right for to go, They been accorded ful, betwix hem two, 1635 That Iasoun shal her wedde, as trewe knight; And term y-set, to come sone at night (270) Unto her chambre, and make ther his ooth, Upon the goddes, that he, for leef ne looth, Ne sholde her never falsen, night ne day, 1640 To been her husbond, whyl he liven may, As she that from his deeth him saved here. And her-upon, at night they mette y-fere, And doth his ooth, and goth with her to bedde. And on the morwe, upward he him spedde; 1645 For she hath taught him how he shal nat faile The flees to winne, and stinten his bataile; (280) And saved him his lyf and his honour; And gat him greet name as a conquerour Right through the sleight of her enchantement. 1650 Now hath Iasoun the flees, and hoom is went With Medea, and tresor ful gret woon. But unwist of her fader is she goon To Tessaly, with duk Iasoun her leef, That afterward hath broght her to mescheef. 1655 ​For as a traitour he is from her go, And with her lafte his yonge children two, (290) And falsly hath betrayed her, allas! And ever in love a cheef traitour he was; And wedded yit the thridde wyf anon, 1660 That was the doghter of the king Creon. This is the meed of loving and guerdon That Medea received of Iasoun Right for her trouthe and for her kindenesse, That loved him better than her-self, I gesse, 1665 And lafte her fader and her heritage. And of Iasoun this is the vassalage, (300) That, in his dayes, nas ther noon y-founde So fals a lover going on the grounde. And therfor in her lettre thus she seyde 1670 First, whan she of his falsnesse him umbreyde, 'Why lyked me thy yelow heer to see More then the boundes of myn honestee, Why lyked me thy youthe and thy fairnesse, And of thy tonge the infinit graciousnesse? 1675 O, haddest thou in thy conquest deed y-be, Ful mikel untrouthe had ther dyed with thee!' (310) Wel can Ovyde her lettre in vers endyte, Which were as now to long for me to wryte.
Explicit Legenda Ysiphile et Medee, Martirum.
1370. A. T. Add. tender; rest repeat gentil. C. has tendere wemen gentil. 1373. A. C. farced; F. Tn. Th. farsed; B. forsed; P. filled; T. versyd. 1375. P. A. thy; rest om. 1377. Here MS. P. ends. 1386. C. T. A. Th. Add. love and; F. Tn. B. and gretter. 1387. C. A. abought; rest bought. C. T. A. Add. his; rest om. 1389. C. et (= eteth); rest eteth (etith). 1391. C. hath; rest om. (badly). 1392. C. T. Add. Al haue he; F. Alle thof he haue. 1396. F. Tn. B. and; rest as. C. Guido; T. A. Guydo; Add. Gwydo; F. Tn. Th. B. Ouyde. 1397. F. Tn. B. knyght; rest kyng (see l. 1401); see note. 1405. So C.; rest Of fredom, of strength, and of lustynesse. 1409. C. T. Add. hadde. 1418. C. To syndyn; T. Add. To send; Tn. Th. B. That to senden; F. That to selden (!). 1427. F. Tn. Th. B. ther; rest therin. C. may se. 1433. T. Th. moche; F. muche; C. meche othir. 1438. C. Oetes; rest Otes (Otys). 1443. C. T. A. Add. a; rest om. 1444. T. A. C. mightest; rest myghte. 1445. C. T. bryngyn; rest brynge (bring). 1448. C. T. A. Add. cost; rest costes. 1449. C. om. And. A. ches; F. Tn. T. B. chese; Th. chose; C. Schis (!). C. A. that; rest om. 1452. C. T. Add. om. ilke. 1457. T. A. Add. go; rest om. C. ryde; rest rede; better reden. 1460. C. T. Add. that; rest om. 1463. All insert of after yle (needlessly). Th. Lemnon; A. Lennoun; C. lenoun (for lēnoun = lemnoun); F. Tn. B. leonoun; T. Add. lenon (= lemnon). 1471. F. brake (!); A. bonk; rest banke. 1472. So C. T. A. Add.; F. Tn. Th. B. Wher lay the shippe, that Iasoun (no sense). 1476. C. F. B. hem; rest him. 1481. C. A. cog; T. Add. boote; rest cogge. 1483. F. atempree. 1486. C. T. A. Add. axinge; rest askynge. 1487. F. B. om. oght. 1489. C. T. A. Add, of; rest om. 1490. F. Tn. B. omit this line. 1498. C. endelong (as in Kn. Tale); F. endlonge. 1499. C. F. Add. these other; rest this other. 1506. F. hit; C. Tn. Th. B. it; T. A. Add. they. 1512. F. Tn. Th. B. by the (for by). 1519. F. (only) she spake moste; Add. om. most. 1523. C. euyl; A. euill; rest any othir (caught from l. 1522). 1524. C. T. A. Add. so; rest om. 1525. C. T. A. Add. him; rest hyt (it). C. areysid; rest reysed. 1526. C. om. half. 1527. C. cape; rest cope. 1536. F. A. B. Add. He; rest Him (badly). 1538. A. almychti; rest om. 1540. C. With nonys; read With th' nones. 1545. T. made; rest omit; but sense and metre require it. 1547. C. T. Add. assent; B. intente (which will not rime); rest entent (but Chaucer uses entente). 1548. F. Thise; B. As; rest And. 1550. F. B. om. he. 1552. F. B. god wolde; rest wolde god. C. T. Add. I; rest that I. 1559. C. T. somme; A. text; rest sothe (soth). 1564. F. Tn. Th. B. om. to. 1569. F. B. (only) om. they. 1573. C. Th. Muste; F. Tn. B. Most; T. A. Myght. 1578. F. And; rest Ne. 1582. F. nature; C. matier; Tn. Th. B. matire; T. A. matyr. C. apetitith; T. Add. appetyteth; rest appeteth (!). 1583. F. Tn. Th. B. to (for in-to). 1585. A. (only) this false; rest om. this. F. Th. B. om. fals. (Accent Right.) 1590. C. T. Iaconitos; A. Iacomitos; F. Tn. Th. B. Iasonicos; (Latin Iaconites). 1593. F. Vnto tho (!). C. Oetes; Add. Cetes; T Cytees (!); rest Otes. 1599. F. Tn. B. Add. and so feyre. 1605. C. T. Th. B. Add. as a leoun (lyoun). 1613. C. han; T. A. Add. haue; rest and (!). 1626. T. A. Th. lowly; F. louly; B. loulye; C. louely; Tn. lowe. 1631. C. T. A. Add. And; rest om. F. Tn. om. in. 1634. C. T. A. Add. to the point right; rest ryght to the poynt. 1642. C. T. sauyth; rest saued. F. B. there; rest here. 1643. F. Tn. B. omit; C. has And here vp a nyght, &c. 1649. C. T. gat; A. gatt; Add. Th. gate; rest gete. F. B. (only) om. him. T. gret; Add. grete; A. om.; rest a. C. ryth as; T. A. ryght as; Add. lyke as; rest as. 1652. F. Tn. Th. B. tresoures; C. tresor; T. A. Add. tresour. 1657. T. A. his; C. hire; rest om. 1659. C. thef and (for cheef). 1661. C. A. the; rest om. 1667. F. (only) om. the. 1668. C. T. A. Add. ther; rest neuer. 1671. C. Fyrst of his falsenesse whan she hym vpbreyde.