And sche, which wolde hir loud defende, Hir oghne Sone ayein him sende,[1272] Which the defence hath undertake. Bot he desconfit was and take; 3450 And whan this king him hadde in honde, He wol no mercy understonde, (3650*) Bot dede him slen in his presence. The tidinge of this violence[1273] Whan it cam to the moder Ere, Sche sende anon ay wydewhere To suche frendes as sche hadde, A gret pouer til that sche ladde. In sondri wise and tho sche caste Hou sche this king mai overcaste; 3460 And ate laste acorded was, That in the danger of a pass, Thurgh which this tirant scholde passe, Sche schop his pouer to compasse[1274] With strengthe of men be such a weie[1275] That he schal noght eschape aweie. And whan sche hadde thus ordeigned, Sche hath hir oghne bodi feigned, For feere as thogh sche wolde flee Out of hir lond: and whan that he 3470 Hath herd hou that this ladi fledde, So faste after the chace he spedde, That he was founde out of array. For it betidde upon a day, Into the pas whanne he was falle, Thembuisschementz tobrieken alle[1276] [Sidenote: =P. iii. 209=] And him beclipte on every side, That fle ne myhte he noght aside: So that ther weren dede and take Tuo hundred thousend for his sake, 3480 That weren with him of his host. And thus was leid the grete bost Of him and of his tirannie:[1277] It halp no mercy forto crie[1278] To him which whilom dede non; For he unto the queene anon Was broght, and whan that sche him sih, This word sche spak and seide on hih: ‘O man, which out of mannes kinde Reson of man hast left behinde 3490 And lived worse than a beste, Whom Pite myhte noght areste, The mannes blod to schede and spille Thou haddest nevere yit thi fille. Bot nou the laste time is come, That thi malice is overcome: As thou til othre men hast do, Nou schal be do to thee riht so.’ Tho bad this ladi that men scholde A vessel bringe, in which sche wolde 3500 Se the vengance of his juise, Which sche began anon devise; (3700*) And tok the Princes whiche he ladde, Be whom his chief conseil he hadde, And whil hem lasteth eny breth,[1279] Sche made hem blede to the deth [Sidenote: =P. iii. 210=] Into the vessel wher it stod: And whan it was fulfild of blod, Sche caste this tirant therinne, And seide him, ‘Lo, thus myht thou wynne[1280] 3510 The lustes of thin appetit. In blod was whilom thi delit, Nou schalt thou drinken al thi fille.’ And thus onliche of goddes wille, He which that wolde himselve strange To Pite, fond mercy so strange,