# The Legend of Good Women/The Legend of Hypsipyle and Medea
### The Legend of Hypsipyle and Medea

| | PART I. THE LEGEND OF HYPSIPYLE. |
| | Thou rote of false lovers, duk Iasoun! |
| | Thou sly devourer and confusioun |
| 1370 | Of gentil-wommen, tender creatures, |
| | 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 obeissaunce and thy humble chere, |
| | And with thy counterfeted peyne and wo. |
| | Ther other falsen oon, thou falsest two! |
| | O! ofte swore thou that thou woldest dye |
| | For love, whan thou ne feltest maladye |
| 1380 | Save foul delyt, which that thou callest love! |
| | 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; |
| | For they shul have wel better love and chere |
| | That he that hath aboght his love ful dere, |
| | Or had in armes many a blody box. |
| | For ever as tendre a capoun et the fox, |
| 1390 | Thogh he be fals and hath the foul betrayed, |
| | 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. |
| | In Tessalye, as Guido telleth us, |
| | Ther was a king that highte Pelleus, |
| | That had a brother, which that highte Eson; |
| | And, whan for age he mighte unnethes gon, |
| 1400 | He yaf to Pelleus the governing |
| | 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. |
| | After his fader deeth, he bar him so |
| | That ther was noon that liste been his fo, |
| | Bud dide him al honour and companye; |
| | Of which this Pelleus hath greet envye, |
| 1410 | Imagining that Iasoun mighte be |
| | 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 |
| | Withoute slaunder of his compasment. |
| | And at the laste he took avisement |
| | To senden him in-to som fer contree |
| | Ther as this Iasoun may destroyed be. |
| 1420 | This was his wit; al made he to Iasoun |
| | Gret chere of love and of affeccioun, |
| | For drede lest his lordes hti 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, |
| | Beyonde Troye, estward in the see, |
| | That ther-in was a ram, that men mighte see, |
| | That had a flees of gold, that shoon so brighte, |
| | That no-wher was ther swich an-other sighte; |
| 1430 | But hit was kept alway with a dragoun, |
| | And many othere merveils, up and doun, |
| | And with two boles, maked el of bras, |
| | That spitten fyr, and moche thing ther was. |
| | But this wsa eek the tale, nathelees, |
| | That who-so wolde winne thilke flees, |
| | He moste bothe, or he hit winne mighte, |
| | With the boles and the dragoun fighte; |
| | And king Oetes lord was of that yle. |
| | This Pelleus bethoghte upon this wyle; |
| 1440 | That he his nevew Iasoun wolde enhorte |
| | 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, |
| | Hit were to me gret plesaunce and honour; |
| | Than were I holde to quyte thy labour. |
| | And al the cost I wol my-selven make; |
| | And chees what folk that thou wilt with thee take; |
| 1450 | Lat see now, darstow taken this viage?" |
| | 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. |
| | But who-so axeth who is with him gon, |
| | Lat him go reden Argonauticon, |
| | For he wol telle a tale long y-now. |
| | Philoctetes anoon the sail up-drow, |
| 1460 | What that the wind was good, and gan him hye |
| | 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 -- |
| | And of this yle lady was and quene |
| | The faire yonge Isiphilee, the shene, |
| | That whylom Thoas daughter was, the king. |
| | Isipilee was goon in her playing; |
| 1470 | And, roming on the clyves by the see, |
| | 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, |
| | To doon him socour; as was her usaunce |
| | To forthren every wight, and doon plesaunce |
| | Of veray bountee and of curtesye. |
| | This messagere adoun him gan to hye, |
| 1480 | And fond Iasoun, and Ercules also, |
| | 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, |
| | And dide his message, axing hem anoon |
| | Yif they were broken, or oght wo begoon, |
| | Or hadde nede of lodesmen or vitaile; |
| | For of socour they shulde no-thing faile, |
| 1490 | For hit was utterly the quenes wille. |
| | 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, |
| | Til that the wind be better in our weye." |
| | This lady rometh by the clif to pleye, |
| | With her meynee, endelong the stronde, |
| | And fynt this Iasoun and this other stonde, |
| 1500 | In spekinge of this thing, as I yow tolde. |
| | 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, |
| | That hit were gentil-men, of greet degree. |
| | And to the castel with her ledeth she |
| | Thise straunge folk, and doth hem greet honour, |
| | And axeth him of travail and labour |
| 1510 | That they han suffred in the salte see; |
| | 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; |
| | And dide hem honour more then before, |
| | And with hem deled ever lenger the more, |
| | For they ben worthy folk, with-outen lees. |
| | And namely, most she spak with Ercules; |
| 1520 | To him her herte bar, he sholde be |
| | 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, |
| | That han so trewe a man ther nas of love |
| | Under the cope of heven that is above; |
| | And he was wys, hardy, secree, and riche. -- |
| | Of thise three pointes ther nas noon him liche; |
| 1530 | Of freedom passed he, and lustihede, |
| | 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. |
| | He hadde lever him-self to mordre, and dye |
| | Than that men shulde a lover him espye: -- |
| | "As wolde almighty god that I had yive |
| | My blood and flesh, so that I mighte live, |
| 1540 | With the nones that he hadde o-wher a wyf |
| | 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 |
| | To come to hous upon an innocent; |
| | For to be-dote this queen was hir assent. |
| | And Iasoun is as coy as is a maide, |
| | He loketh pitously, but noght he saide, |
| 1550 | But frely yaf he to her conseileres |
| | 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, |
| | With feyning and with every sotil dede. |
| | Ye gete no more of me, but ye wil rede |
| | Thoriginal, that telleth al the cas. |
| | The somme is this, that Iasoun wedded was |
| 1560 | Unto this quene, and took of her substaunce |
| | 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, |
| | And him repreveth of his grete untrouthe, |
| | And preyeth him on her to have som routhe. |
| | And of his children two, she seide him this, |
| | That they be lyke, of alle thing, y-wis, |
| 1570 | To Iasoun, save they coude nat begyle; |
| | 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. |
| | And trew to Iasoun was she al her lyf, |
| | And ever kepte her chast, as for his wyf; |
| | Ne never had she Ioye at her herte, |
| | But dyed, for his love, of sorwes smerte. |
| | PART II. THE LEGEND OF MEDEA. |
| 1580 | To Colcos comen is this duk Iasoun, |
| | 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. |
| | For, to desyren, through his appetyt, |
| | To doon with gentil wommen his delyt, |
| | This is his lust and his felicitee. |
| | Iasoun is romed forth to the citee, |
| 1590 | That whylom cleped was Iaconitos, |
| | That was the maister-toun of al Colcos, |
| | And hath y-told the cause of his coming |
| | Un-to Oetes, of that contre king, |
| | Preying him that he moste doon his assay |
| | To gete the flees of gold, if that he may; |
| | Of which the king assenteth to his bone, |
| | And doth him honour, as hit is to done, |
| | So ferforth, that his doghter and his eyr, |
| | Medea, which that was so wys and fair |
| 1600 | That fairer saw ther never man with ye, |
| | 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, |
| | And goodly of his speche, and famulere, |
| | And coude of love al craft and art plenere |
| | With-oute boke, with everich observaunce. |
| | And, as fortune her oghte a foul meschaunce, |
| 1610 | She wex enamoured upon this man. |
| | "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, |
| | With-outen deeth, but I his helpe be. |
| | But natheles, hit is my wille," quod she, |
| | "To forthren yow, so that ye shal nat dye, |
| | But turnen, sound, hoom to your Tessalye." |
| 1620 | "My righte lady," quod this Iasoun tho, |
| | "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. |
| | Your man am I, and lowly you beseche, |
| | To been my help, with-oute more speche; |
| | But certes, for my deeth shal I nat spare." |
| | Tho gan this Medea to him declare |
| 1630 | The peril of this cas, fro point to point, |
| | And of his batail, and in what disioint |
| | He mote stande, of which no creature, |
| | Save only she, ne mighte is lyf assure. |
| | And shortly, to the point right for to go, |
| | They been accorded ful, betwix hem two, |
| | That Iasoun shal her wedde, as trewe knight; |
| | And term y-set, to come sone at night |
| | Unto her chambre, and make ther his ooth, |
| | Upon the goddes, that he, for leef ne looth, |
| 1640 | Ne sholde her never falsen, night ne day, |
| | To been her husband, whyl he liven may, |
| | As she that from this 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; |
| | For she hath taught him how he shal nat faile |
| | The flees to winne, and stinten his bataile; |
| | And saved him his lyf and his honour; |
| | And gat him greet name as a conquerour |
| 1650 | Right through the sleight of her enchantment. |
| | 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. |
| | For as a traitour he is from her go, |
| | And with her lafte his yonge children two, |
| | And falsly hath betrayed her, allas! |
| | And ever in love a cheef traitour he was; |
| 1660 | And wedded yit the thridde wyf anon, |
| | That was the doghter of the kign 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, |
| | And lafte her fader and her heritage. |
| | And of Iasoun this is the vassalage, |
| | That, in his dayes, nas ther noon y-founde |
| | So fals a lover going on the grounde. |
| 1670 | And therfor in her lettre thus she seyde |
| | 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? |
| | O, haddest thou in thy conquest deed y-be, |
| | Ful mikel untrouthe had ther dyed with thee!" |
| | Wel can Ovyde her lettre in vers endyte, |
| | Which were as now to long for me to wryte. |
| | Explicit Legenda Ysiphile et Medee, Martirum. |