It schal noght fallen in mi slouthe That I ne wol thurghout fulfille Youre hestes at youre oghne wille. And yit I hope to you bringe Withinne a while such tidinge, The which schal make ous bothe game.’ Bot for he wolde kepe hir name, 3660 [Sidenote: =P. ii. 250=] Whan that he wiste it was nyh dai, He seide, ‘A dieu, mi swete mai.’ And forth with him he nam his gere, Which as sche hadde take him there, And strauht unto his chambre he wente,[166] And goth to bedde and slep him hente, And lay, that noman him awok, For Hercules hiede of him tok,[167] Til it was undren hih and more.[168] And thanne he gan to sighe sore 3670 And sodeinliche abreide of slep;[169] And thei that token of him kep, His chamberleins, be sone there, And maden redi al his gere, And he aros and to the king He wente, and seide hou to that thing For which he cam he wolde go. The king therof was wonder wo,[170] And for he wolde him fain withdrawe, He tolde him many a dredful sawe, 3680 Bot Jason wolde it noght recorde, And ate laste thei acorde. Whan that he wolde noght abide, A Bot was redy ate tyde, In which this worthi kniht of Grece Ful armed up at every piece, To his bataile which belongeth, Tok ore on honde and sore him longeth,[171] Til he the water passed were. Whan he cam to that yle there, 3690 [Sidenote: =P. ii. 251=] He set him on his knes doun strauht,[172] And his carecte, as he was tawht, He radde, and made his sacrifise, And siththe enoignte him in that wise, As Medea him hadde bede; And thanne aros up fro that stede, And with the glu the fyr he queynte, And anon after he atteinte The grete Serpent and him slowh. Bot erst he hadde sorwe ynowh, 3700 For that Serpent made him travaile So harde and sore of his bataile, That nou he stod and nou he fell: For longe time it so befell, That with his swerd ne with his spere[173] He mihte noght that Serpent dere.[174] He was so scherded al aboute, It hield all eggetol withoute, He was so ruide and hard of skin, Ther mihte nothing go therin; 3710 Venym and fyr togedre he caste, That he Jason so sore ablaste, That if ne were his oignement, His Ring and his enchantement, Which Medea tok him tofore, He hadde with that worm be lore; Bot of vertu which therof cam Jason the Dragon overcam. And he anon the teth outdrouh, And sette his Oxen in a plouh,[175] 3720 [Sidenote: =P. ii. 252=] With which he brak a piece of lond And sieu hem with his oghne hond. Tho mihte he gret merveile se: Of every toth in his degre