Sith he reigneth so freshly in his flours,
Surmounting all his predecessours,

By new encrease, through fortunes might:
Wherfore in herte I am right glad and light,
Fully trusting, if I had nede,

To his helpe, that without drede,
Like a brother, that I should him find
To me ward faithfull, true, and kind,
Supposing plainely euermore,

Of this reigne he set but little store,
Nor casteth him not for so short a while,
As for a yeare his brother to exile,
To liue in pouerty, and in great distresse,
He will not suffer it of his high noblesse,
It were no token of no brotherbede,
But a signe rather of hatrede,
To interrupt my possession
Of this little poore region."

All that he spake, who so coud aduert,
Of very scorne rooted in his herte,

As hem seempt, the story can you teach,
By the surplus soothly of his speach,
He might no lenger him restreine,
But plainely said, "As betwene vs tweine,
I meane thus, Polimite and me,
There is no bond nor surete,

Ne faith ymade, that may him auaile,
As he claimeth, to yeue the gouernaile
Of this city, neither yeare ne day,.
For I shall let him, soothly if I may,
That he shall not by title of his bond,
Enjoy in Thebes halfe a foot of lond,.
Let him keepe that he hath wonne,
For I purpose, as I haue begonne,
To reigne in Thebes henceforth all my liue,
Maugre all hem that thereayen striue,
And in despite of his friends all,
Or the counsaile that him list to call,
Let him besure, and know this right wele,
His manacing I drede neuer a dele,
And sikerly, as to my deuise,
It sheweth well that thou art not wise,
But suppressed with a manere of rage,
To take on thee this surquedous message,
And presumest to doe so high offence,
So boldely to speake in my presence,
But all in fere, auaile shall right nought,
For the tithings that thou hast brought
Shall vnto him be disencreace,

He better were to haue been in peace,
Than of folly and presumption,
Ayenst me to seech occasion,

For I liue, and thereto here mine hond,
As I said erst, he winneth here no lond,
While the wall of this toun may stond,
For plainely I doe thee to vnderstond,
That they shull first be beat down full low,
And all the toures to the earth ythrow,
Ere he in Thebes haue any thing ado,
Lo here is all, retourne and say him so."
Whan Tideus saw the feruent ire
Of the king with anger set on fire,
Full of despite, and of melancolie,
Conceiuing eke the great fellonie
In his apport, like as he were wood,
This worthy knight a little while stood
Sad and demure, ere he would ought seine,
But at last thus he said ayeine.

The knightly answer that Tideus yaue ayeine to the king.

"Certes" (quod he) "I conceiue of new,
About thee thy counsaile is vntrew,

I dare it saine, and vow it at best,
Ne thou art not faithfull of thy behest,
Stable of thy word that thou hast said toforne,
But deceiuable, and falsely eke forsworne,
And eke perjurate of thine assured oth:
But whether so be that thou be lefe or wroth,
I say thee shortly, hold it for no fage,
All this shall tourne vnto thy damage,
Trist it well, and in full cruell wise
All Greekes lond shall vpon thee arise,
To be auenged, and manly to redresse
The great vntrouth and the high falsenesse
Which that thou hast ayen thy brother wrought,
It shall full dere after this be bought,
And verily indeed, as thou shalt lere,
King Adrastus will meddle in this matere,
And all the lords about him enuiron,
That bounden be to his subjection,
Princes, dukes, and many a noble knight,
In susteining of thy brothers right,
Shall on a day with spere and with shield
Ayenst thee be gadred in a field,
Knightly to preue all by one assent,
That thou art fals, and double of entent,
Of thy promise atteint, and eke outrayed,
And leue me well, it shall not be delayed,
But in all hast execute in deede :

Like thy desert, thou shalt haue thy meede,
For God aboue and his rightwisenesse,
Such open wrong shall in hast redresse,
And of his might all such collusion
Reforme ayeine, and all extortion,
For this the fine, falshood shall not vaile,
Ayenst trouth in field to holden battaile,
Wrong is crooked, both halt and lame,
And here anone in my brothers name,
As I that am his next allie,

At his querele, shortly I defie,
Fully auised, with all mine hole entent,
And ye lords, that been bere present,
I you require of your worthinesse,
To say trouth and beare witnesse
Whan time commeth, justly to record,
How your king falsely gan discord
From his hest of false variaunce,

And thinke on, how ye of faith and ligeaunce
Are bound echone, ye may not go therefro,
For to obey and serue both two
This next yeare, now anone following,
As to your lord, and to your true king
Polimite, though he be now absent,
By just accord made in Parliament,
At your deuise, which sitten here a row,
Engrossed was vp, as it is well know,
And enrolled onely for witnesse
In your registers to void all falsenesse,
That none of you vary may of new
From that I say, but if he be vntrew,
For which I rede your selfe to acquite,
Let no time lenger lie in respite,
But at ones without more tarrying,
Of manly force fet home your king,
Maugre your fone, like as ye are bound,
And let in you no slouth be found

To put him justly in possession,
This is my counsaile in conclusion."

How manly Tideus departed from the king.
Whan Tideus had his message saied,
Like to the charge that was on him laied,
As he that list no lenger there sojourne,
Fro the king he gan his face tourne,
Not astonied, nor in his herte aferde,
But full proudely layed hond on his swerde,
And in dispite, who was lefe or loth,
A sterne pace through the hall he goth
Through the court, and manly toke his stede,
And out of Thebes fast gan him spede,
Enbasting him, till he was at large,
And sped him forth toward the lond of Arge.
Thus leaue I him riding forth a while,
Whiles that I retourne ayeine my stile
Unto the king, which in the hall stood
Emong his lords, furious and wood,
And his herte wroth, and euill apaied
Of the words that Tideus had saied,
Specially hauing remembrance
On the proud dispitous defiance,
Whiles that he sat in his royall see,
Upon which he would auenged bee
Full cruelly, what that euer befall,
And in his ire he gan to him call
Cheefe constable of his chiualrie,
Charging him fast for to hie,

With all the worthy choise of his houshold,
Such as he knew most manfull and bold,
In all hast Tideus for to sue,
Tofore or he out of his lond remue,
Up peine of life, and lesing of hir head,
Without mercy anone that he be dead.

How falsely Ethiocles laid an ambushment in the way to have slain Tideus in his repair.

And of knights fifty were in number,
Mine author saith, vnwarely him to comber,
Armed echone in maile and thicke stele,
And therewithall yhorsed wonder wele,
At o posterne forth they gonne to ride,
By a gein path, that lay out aside,
Secretly, that no man hem aspy,
Onely of treason, and of fellony,
They hast hem forth all the long day
Of cruell mallice, for to stop his way,
Through a forrest, all of one assent,
Full couertly for to lay a bushment
Under an hill at a strait passage,
To fallen on him at more auantage,
The same way that Tideus gan draw,

At thilke mount where the Sphinx was slaw,
He nothing ware in his opinion,
Of the compassed conspiration,
But innocent, like a gentle knight,
Rode aye forth, till it drow to night,
Sole by himself without companie,
Hauing no man him to wise or gie,
But at last, lifting vp his hede,
Toward eue he gan to take hede,
Mid of his way, right as any line,
Thought he saw ayenst the Moone shine
Shields fresh, and plates burned bright,
The which enuiron, cast a great light,
Imagining in his fantasie,
There was treason or conspiracie

Wrought by the king, his journey for to lette,
And of all that he nothing sette,
But well assured in his manly herte,
List not ones aside to diuert,

But kept his way, his shield vpon his brest,
And cast his spere manly in the rest:

How worthy Tideus outrayed fifty knights, lying in await for to slaen him.

And the first platly that he mette,
Through the body proudly he him smette,
That he fell dead, cheefe maister of hem all,
And than at ones they vpon him fall,
On euery paas, by compasse enuiron,
But Tideus through his high renoun,
His bloody swerde let about him glide,
He sleeth and killeth vpon euery side,
In his ire and his mortall tene,

That meruell it was how he might so sustene,
Ayenst hem all on euery halfe beset,
But his swerde was so sharpe whet,
That his fomen found it full vnsoot,
But he alas was made light on foot,
By force grounded in full great distresse,
But of knighthood and of high prowesse
Up he rose, maugre all his fone,

And as they came, he slough hem one by one,
Like a lion rampant in his rage,

And on this hill he found a narrow passage,
Which that he tooke, of full high prudence,
And liche a bore stonding at his defence,
As his fomen proudely him assaile,
Upon the plein hir blood he made to raile,
All enuiron, that the soile waxe redde,
Now here, now there, as they fellen dedde,
That here lay one, and there lay two or three,
So mercilesse in his crueltee

Thilke day he was vpon hem found,
And at ones his enemy did confound,
Where as he stood, this mighty champion,
Beside he saw with water tourned doun,
An huge stone, large, round and square,
And sodainly ere that they were ware,
As it had lien there for the nones,
Upon his foen he rolled it at ones,
That ten of hem wenten unto wracke,
And the remenauut amased, drew abacke,
For one by one they went to mischance:
Thus finally he brought to outrance
Hem euerychone, Tideus as bliue,
That none but one left of hem aliue,
Himselfe yhurt and ywounded kene,
Through his harneis bleeding on the grene,
The Theban knights in compas round about,
In the valley slaine all the whole rout,
Which pitously againe the Moone gape,
For none of hem shortly might escape,
But dead echone, as they haue deserued,
Saue one except, the which was rescrued
By Tideus, of this entention
To the king to make relation,
How his knights haue on hir journey sped,
Euerich of hem his life left for a wed,
And at meting how they haue hem borne,
To tellen all, he assured was and sworne,
To Tideus, fully lowly on his knee,
By which ensample openly ye may see,

The siluer dew vpon the hearbes round,

victory of falshood.

Ayens trouth falshood hath no might,
Figh on querels, not grounded vpon right,
Without which may be no victory,
For euery man haue this in memory,
That great power shortly to conclude,
Plenty of good, or great multitude,
Sleight or engine, force or fellony,
Arne too feeble to hold a champarty
Ayenst trouth, who that list take heed
For at end falshood may not speed
Tendure long, ye shall find it thus,
Record I take of worthy Tideus,
That arted his hond throgh troths excellence,
Fifty kuights slough in his defence,
But one except as I late told,

Sworne and assured, with his hand vphold,
The king tenforme how they were atteint:
And Tideus of bleeding was wonder feint,
Mate and weary, and in great distresse,
And ouerlayd of very feeblenesse,
But as he might tho himselfe sustene,
He tooke his horse stonding on the grene,
Worthed vp, and forth he gan to ride
An easie paas, with his wounds wide,
And soothly yet, in his opinion,
He was alway aferde of treason,
But anguishous, and full of busie peine,
He rode him forth, till he did atteine
Into the bounds of Ligurgus lond,
A worthy king, and manly of his hond,

At vprist of the shene Sunne,

And stoundmcale his greene wounds runne Round about, that the soile depeint

Was of the greene with the red meint.

How Ligurgus doughter found Tideus sleeping in the herber, all forwounded.

And euery morrow, for holesomnes of aire,
Ligurgus doughter did make her repaire
Of custome aye emong the floures new
In the garden, of many a diuers hew,
Such joy had she for to take hede,
On her stalkes for so seene hem sprede,
In the alures walking to and fro:
And whan she had a little while go,
Her selfe alone casting vp her sight,
She beheld where an armed knight
Lay to rest him on the hearbes cold,
And him beside she gan eke behold
His mighty stede walking here and there,
And she anon fell in a manner fere,
Specially whan she saw the blood
Sprad on the greene, about there she stood,
But at last she caught hardinesse,
And womanly gan her for to dresse
Toward the knight, hauing a manner drede,
And great doubt least that he were dede:
And of her will soothly this was chiefe,
That she thought for to make a priefe,
How that it stood of this man full oft,
And forth she goeth, and toucheth him soft,

And he full pale onely for lacke of blood,

Tideus saw where a castle stood,

Strong and mighty, built vpon a rocke,
Toward which fast he gan approche,
Conueighed thider by clerenesse of the stone,
That by night ayens the Moone shone,
On high toures, with crestes marciall,
And joyning almost to the wall,
Was a gardein, little out beside,
Into which Tideus gan to ride
Of aduenture, by a gate small,
And there he found, for to reken all,
A lusty erber, vnto his deuise,
Sweet and fresh, like a paradise,
Very heauenly of inspectioun,
And first of all he alight adoun,

The goodly place whan that he beheld,

And from his necke he voided hath his sheld,
Drew the bridle from his horse hede,
Let him go, and tooke no manner hede,
Through the garden that enclosed was,
Him to pasture on the soot gras,
And Tideus more heauy than is ledde,
Upon the hearbes greene, white, and redde,
As him thought that time for the best,
He layd him downe for to take his rest,
Of wearinesse, desirous to sleepe,
And none await his body for to keepe,
And with dreames grudged euer emong,
There he lay till the larke song
With notes new, high vp in the aire,
The glad morrow rody and right faire,
Phebus also casting vp his beames,
The high bils gilt with his streames,

And with a face deadly bleike and pale,
Liche as a man adawed in a swough,
He vp stert, and his swerde drough,
Not fully out, but put it vp ayeine,
Anone as he hath the lady seine,
Beseeching her onely of her grace,
To haue pity on his trespace,
And rew on him of her womanhede,
For of a fray he was fall in drede,
Least he had been assayled of new
Of the Thebanes, preued full vntrue,
For drede of which he was so rechlees,
Full humbly him yeelding to the pees,
Trist in himselfe, that he passed had his bounds.
And whan that she saw his mortall wounds,
She had routh, of very gentillesse,

Of his disease and his distresse,

And bad he should be nothing dismaied,

Nor in herte sorrifull nor affraied,

Discomfort him in no manner thing,

"For I" (quod she)" am doughter to the king Called Ligurge, which greatly me delite Euery morrow this garden to visite,

It is to me so passingly disport,

Wherefore" (quod she)" beth of good comfort:

How womanly the lady acquit her to Tideus in his disease.

For no wight here touching your voyage,
Shall hinder you, ne doe you no damage,
And if ye list of all your auenture
The plaine trouth vnto me discure,
I will in sooth doe my businesse,
To reforme your greeuous heauinesse,

With all my might, and whole my diligence,
That I hope of your great offence,
Ye shall haue helpe in your aduersite,
And as ferreforth as it lieth in me,
Trusteth right well, ye shall no faut find:
And whan he saw that she was so kind,
So womanly, so goodly and benigne,
In all her port by many a diuers signe,
He vnto her by order will not spare,
His auentures fully to declare
In Thebes first touching his message,
And at hill of the woody rage,
Of his wounds and of his hurts sore,
It were but vaine to rehearse it more,
By and by he told it euerydele,

The which in sooth she liked neuer adele,
But had routh and compassion

Of his mischeefe, wrought by false treason,
Riding in hast, that he should her sue,
And womanly, as her thought due,
To a chamber she led him vp aloft,

Full well beseine, there in a bed right soft,
Richly abouten apparrailed,

With cloth of gold all the floure irailed
Of the same, both in length and brede,
And first this lady, of her womanhede,
Her women did bid, as goodly as they can,
To be attendant vnto this wounded man,
And whan he was vnarmed to his shert,
She made first wash his wounds smert,

How Tideus was refreshed in the castle of the lady.

And serch hem well with diuers instruments,
And made fette sundry ointments,
And leeches eke, the best she coud find,
Full craftely to staunch him and to bind :
And euery thing that may done him ease,
To suage his peine, or his wo tapease,
Was in the court and in the castle sought,
And by her bidding to her chamber wrought,
And for his sake, she hath after sent
For such deinties as were conuenient,
Most nutritife by phisickes lore,
Hem that were seke or wounded to restore,
Making her woman eke to taken keepe,
And await on him on nights whan he sleepe,
And bee well ware that nothing astart,
That was or might be lusty to his herte.

And with all this, she prayed him abide,
Till he were strong and mighty for to ride,
In the castle to play him and disport,
And at leiser home ayeine resort,
Whan he might by welde him at his large,
But all for naught he will home to Arge,
Tooke his leaue on the next day,
Without abode to hast him on his way,
Lowly thanking vnto her goodnesse,
Of her freedome and bounteous largesse,
So womanly, that her list take heed
Him to refresh in his great need,
Behoting her with all his full might,

He would be her seruant and her true knight
While he liueth, of what she will him charge,
And forth he rode till he come to Arge,

How Tideus repeired is home to Arge.

In full great hast, and would no where dwell, But what should I rehearse, either tell

Of his repaire, the coasts or the pleines,
The great rockes or the high mounteines,
Or all the manere of his home comming,
Of the meeting, nor the welcomming,
Nor the joy that Adrastus made,
Nor how his suster or his wife were glade,
Nor how that they, whereto should I write,
Enbraced him in hir armes white,

Nor the gadering about him, or the prees,
Nor the sorrow that Polimites

Made in himselfe, to see him sore wounded,
His greeuous hurts, his sores eke vnsounded,
His deadly looke, and his face pale,
Of all this to ginne a new tale,

It were in sooth a manner idlenesse
Nor how himselfe in order did expresse,
First how that he in Thebes hath him borne,
Ne how the king falsely was forsworne,
Nor of thawait nor treason that he sette,
Whan fifty knights on the way him mette,
As ye haue heard all the manere how,
Without which my tale is long ynow:
But Adrstus made men to seach

In euery coast for many a diuers leach,
To come in hast, and make no tarrying
Upon a peine, by bidding of the king
To done hir craft, that he were recured,
And of his force in euery part assured.
And they echone so hir cunning shew,
That in space of a dayes few

He was all whole made of his sicknesse,
There was tho joy, and than was ther gladnesse,
Throughout the court and through al the toun,
For euery man hath such opinioun
In Tideus, for his gentillesse,

For his manhood, and his lowlinesse,
That he was hold the most famous knight,
And best beloued in euery mannes sight,
Throughout Greece in euery region.
But now must I make a digression,
To tell shortly, as in sentement,

Of thilke knight that Tideus hath sent,
Into Thebes, onely to declare

Of the great mischeefe and the euill fare,
Unto the king, how it is befall,

The open trouth of his knights all,
How Tideus hath slaine hem euerychone,
That saue himselfe, there escaped none,
Which was reserued from sheding of his blood,
The king to tell plainely how it stood:
And whan he had rehearsed euery poynt,
Ethiocles stood in such disjoynt,

How Ethiocles sore was astonied, whan he heard the death of his knights.

Of hatefull ire he wext nigh wood,
And in his teene and in his fell mood,
Of cruell mallice to the knight he spake,
And felly seid, that it was for lacke
Onely of manhode, and through hir cowardise,
That they were slaine in so mortall wise,
"And hanged be he high by the necke,
That of your death or of your slaughter reck,
Or you compleine, eyther one or all,
Of the mischeefe that is you befall,
I doe no force that none of you astert,
But sigh vpon your false coward herte,
That o knight hath through his renoun
Brought you all to confusioun,

Full gracelesse and full vnhappy to:"
"Nay" (quod this knight) "it is nothing so.
It is thine vnhap plainly, and not ours,
That so many worthy warriours,
Which all hir life neuer had shame,
Except this querele, taken in thy name,
That grounded was, and rooted on falsenesse,
This was cause in very soothnesse,

Of our vnhap, I wot wele, and none other,
With thine vntrouth done vnto thy brother,
And that thou were so openly forsworne,
And percell cause, why that we were lorne,
Was fals breaking of thine assured oth."
And tho the king, mad almost for wroth,
In purpose was for to slea this knight,
Onely for be said vnto him right,

The which alas, both at eue and morrow,
Suppressed was with a deadly sorrow,
Renning aye in his remembraunce,
With the pitous and vnhappy chaunce
Of the great mischeefe and misauenture,
Touching the death and discomfiture
Of his freres, and of himselfe also,
That the shamefast importable wo

So was on him, with such a mortall strife,
That he was weary of his owne life,
Hent he hath a swerd, and aside stert,
And roue himself euen to the herte,
The king himselfe being tho present:
And the rumour and the noise is went
Through Thebes of the wood rage,
By such as weren joyned by linage
To the knightes, slaine at hill,.
That all at ones of one herte and will,
They would haue arisen throughout the citie,
Upon the king auenged for to be,

Which of hir death was cheese occasioun :
But the barons and lords, of the toun
Ful busie were this rumour and disease,
Of high prudence, to stint and appease,
In quiete euery thing to sette:

And after that the bodies home they fette
Of the knights, like as ye haue herd
Afore yslaine, with the bloody swerd
Of Tideus, full sharpe whet and ground,
And in the field, so as they hem found,
Onely of loue, and of affectioun,
Solemnely they brought hem to the toun,
And like the manere of the rites old,
They were first brent into ashes cold,
And each one yburied, like to his degre,
Lo here the kalends of aduersite,
Sorrow vpon sorrow, and destruction,
First of the king, and all the region,
For lacke onely, like as I you told,
That behests truly were not hold:
The first ground and root of this ruine,
As the story clerely shall determine,
And my tale hereafter shall you lere,
If that you list the remnaunt for to here.

FINITUR PARS SECUNDA,SEQUITUR PARS TERTIA.

O CRUELL Mars, full of melancoly,
And of thy kind, hote, combust, and dry,
As the sparkles shewen from so ferre,

By the streames of the red sterre,
In thy sphere as it about goth,

What was cause that thou were so wroth

With hem of Thebes, throgh whos feruent ire
The city brent, and was set on fire,
As bookes old well rehearse conne,
Of cruell hate, rooted and begonne,
And engendred, the story maketh mind,
Onely of blood corrupt and vnkind,
By infection, called originall,

Causing a strife dredefull and mortall,
Of which the mischeef through al Grece ran,
And king Adrastus alderfirst began,
Which hath him cast a conquest for to make
Upon Thebes, for Polimites sake,

In knightly wise there to preue his might,
Of full entent to recure his right.
And first of all he sette a parlement,
And hath his letters and messengers sent
Through Greece, to many sundry kings,
Hem to enhast, and make no lettings,
And round about, as made is mention,
He sent also to many a region
For princes, dukes, earles, and barons,
To taken vp in cities and in tounes,
And to chesen out the most likeliest,
And such as weren preued for the best,
As of manhood, and send hem vp ech one,
And in hir hond receiue hir pay anone,
With Adrastus to Thebes for to ride,
And tho lords that with him abide

The great purveyaunce of king Adrastus toward the city of Thebes.

In houshold still, haue hir leaue take
To riden home, hir retourne to make
In hir countries, as they were of degre,

To sustene hem, to take vp meine,

And to make hem strong with knights and squeres,
With speres, bows, and arbalasteres,
In all the hast possible that they may,
And to returne in hir best array,
At tearme set, full manly to be seine
Toforne Arge moustren in a pleine :

The kings and princes that come to Adrastus.
And as I rede full worthy of degre,
Thider come first Prothonolope,
The which was by record of writing,
Of Archade, sonne vnto the king,
And full prudent found in warre and pees:
There came also the king Gilmichenes,
As I find, full famous of renoun,
Thider came eke the king Ipomedoun :
And passing all of knighthood and of name,
And excelling by worthinesse of fame
The noble king, called Campaneus,
Came eke to Arge, the story telleth thus,
Proued full wele, and had riden fer:
And thider come the king Meleager,
King Genor eke, that held his royall see,
Mine author saith, in the lond of Greece:
King Locris, and king Pirrus,

And eke the king called Tortolonus,
And renouned in many a region,
There come the king called Palenon,
Oft assayed, and found a manly knight,
That with him broght in stele armed bright,
Full many worthy out of his countre,
And Tideus most knightly for to see,
That noble man, that worthy werriour,
As he that was of worthinesse the flour,