[Sidenote: =P. iii. 55=] Bot natheles for sikernesse, Wher that he mihte wite and gesse A place strengest in his lond, Ther let he make of lym and sond A strengthe where he wolde duelle; Was nevere man yit herde telle Of such an other as it was. And forto strengthe him in that cas,[856] Of al his lond the sekereste Of servantz and the worthieste, 1600 To kepen him withinne warde, He sette his bodi forto warde;[857] And made such an ordinance, For love ne for aqueintance, That were it erly, were it late, Thei scholde lete in ate gate No maner man, what so betydde, Bot if so were himself it bidde. Bot al that myhte him noght availe, For whom fortune wole assaile, 1610 Ther mai be non such resistence, Which mihte make a man defence; Al that schal be mot falle algate. This Circes, which I spak of late, On whom Uluxes hath begete A child, thogh he it have foryete, Whan time com, as it was wone, Sche was delivered of a Sone, Which cleped is Thelogonus. This child, whan he was bore thus, 1620 [Sidenote: =P. iii. 56=] Aboute his moder to ful age, That he can reson and langage, In good astat was drawe forth: And whan he was so mochel worth To stonden in a mannes stede, Circes his moder hath him bede That he schal to his fader go, And tolde him al togedre tho What man he was that him begat. And whan Thelogonus of that 1630 Was war and hath ful knowleching[858] Hou that his fader was a king, He preith his moder faire this, To go wher that his fader is; And sche him granteth that he schal, And made him redi forth withal. It was that time such usance, That every man the conoiscance Of his contre bar in his hond, Whan he wente into strange lond; 1640 And thus was every man therfore Wel knowe, wher that he was bore: For espiaile and mistrowinges They dede thanne suche thinges, That every man mai other knowe.[859] So it befell that ilke throwe Thelogonus as in this cas; Of his contre the signe was Thre fisshes, whiche he scholde bere Upon the penon of a spere: 1650 [Sidenote: =P. iii. 57=] And whan that he was thus arraied And hath his harneis al assaied, That he was redy everydel, His moder bad him farewel, And seide him that he scholde swithe His fader griete a thousand sithe. Thelogonus his moder kiste And tok his leve, and wher he wiste His fader was, the weie nam, Til he unto Nachaie cam, 1660 Which of that lond the chief Cite Was cleped, and ther axeth he Wher was the king and hou he ferde. And whan that he the sothe herde,