* * * * *
_Iamque domos patrias, Scithice post aspera gentis_
_Prelia, laurigero, &c._
[Statius, _Theb._ xii. 519.]
Whylom, as olde stories tellen us,
Ther was a duk that highte Theseus; 860
Of Athenes he was lord and governour,
And in his tyme swich a conquerour,
That gretter was ther noon under the sonne.
Ful many a riche contree hadde he wonne;
What with his wisdom and his chivalrye, 865
He conquered al the regne of Femenye,
That whylom was y-cleped Scithia;
And weddede the quene Ipolita, (10)
And broghte hir hoom with him in his contree
With muchel glorie and greet solempnitee, 870
And eek hir yonge suster Emelye.
And thus with victorie and with melodye
Lete I this noble duk to Athenes ryde,
And al his hoost, in armes, him bisyde.
QUOTATION; _so in_ E. Hn. Cp. Pt. Ln. 865. E. Hl. That; _rest_
What. 868. Cp. Hl. weddede; Slo. weddide; _rest_ wedded. 871. E.
faire; Pt. yenge; _rest_ yonge.
And certes, if it nere to long to here, 875
I wolde han told yow fully the manere,
How wonnen was the regne of Femenye
By Theseus, and by his chivalrye; (20)
And of the grete bataille for the nones
Bitwixen Athenës and Amazones; 880
And how asseged was Ipolita,
The faire hardy quene of Scithia;
And of the feste that was at hir weddinge,
[27: T. 886-921.]
And of the tempest at hir hoom-cominge;
But al that thing I moot as now forbere. 885
I have, God woot, a large feeld to ere,
And wayke been the oxen in my plough.
The remenant of the tale is long y-nough. (30)
I wol nat letten eek noon of this route;
Lat every felawe telle his tale aboute, 890
And lat see now who shal the soper winne;
And ther I lefte, I wol ageyn biginne.
876. Hl. han told ȝow; E. yow haue toold; _rest_ haue toold
(told). 880. Tyrwhitt _inserts_ the _after_ and; _but see_ 968, 973,
1023, &c. 889. Hl. lette eek non of al; _rest_ letten, _and omit_
al. 892. Hl. agayn; E. Hn. Cp. Pt. ayeyn.
This duk, of whom I make mencioun,
When he was come almost unto the toun,
In al his wele and in his moste pryde, 895
He was war, as he caste his eye asyde,
Wher that ther kneled in the hye weye
A companye of ladies, tweye and tweye, (40)
Ech after other, clad in clothes blake;
But swich a cry and swich a wo they make, 900
That in this world nis creature livinge,
That herde swich another weymentinge;
And of this cry they nolde never stenten,
Til they the reynes of his brydel henten.