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Yit was he there natheles

With Phedra, whom to love he ches:

Of Grece ek ther was Thelamon,

Which fro the king Lamenedon

At Troie his doghter refte aweie,

Eseonen, as for his preie,

Which take was whan Jason cam

Fro Colchos, and the Cite nam 2520

In vengance of the ferste hate;

That made hem after to debate,

Whan Priamus the newe toun

Hath mad. And in avisioun

Me thoghte that I sih also

Ector forth with his brethren tuo;

Himself stod with Pantaselee,

And next to him I myhte se,

Wher Paris stod with faire Eleine,

Which was his joie sovereine; 2530

And Troilus stod with Criseide,

Bot evere among, althogh he pleide,

Be semblant he was hevy chiered,

For Diomede, as him was liered,

Cleymeth to ben his parconner.

And thus full many a bacheler,

A thousend mo than I can sein,

With Yowthe I sih ther wel besein

Forth with here loves glade and blithe.

And some I sih whiche ofte sithe 2540

Compleignen hem in other wise;

Among the whiche I syh Narcise

And Piramus, that sory were.

The worthy Grek also was there,

Achilles, which for love deide:

Agamenon ek, as men seide,

And Menelay the king also

I syh, with many an other mo,

Which hadden be fortuned sore

In loves cause. And overmore 2550

Of wommen in the same cas,

With hem I sih wher Dido was,

Forsake which was with Enee;

And Phillis ek I myhte see,

Whom Demephon deceived hadde;

And Adriagne hir sorwe ladde,

For These.s hir Soster tok

And hire unkindely forsok.

I sih ther ek among the press

Compleignende upon Hercules 2560

His ferste love Deyanire,

Which sette him afterward afyre:

Medea was there ek and pleigneth

Upon Jason, for that he feigneth,

Withoute cause and tok a newe;

Sche seide, "Fy on alle untrewe!"

I sih there ek Deijdamie,

Which hadde lost the compaignie

Of Achilles, whan Diomede

To Troie him fette upon the nede. 2570

Among these othre upon the grene

I syh also the wofull queene

Cleopatras, which in a Cave

With Serpentz hath hirself begrave

Alquik, and so sche was totore,

For sorwe of that sche hadde lore

Antonye, which hir love hath be:

And forth with hire I sih Tisbee,

Which on the scharpe swerdes point

For love deide in sory point; 2580

And as myn Ere it myhte knowe,

Sche seide, "Wo worthe alle slowe!"

The pleignte of Progne and Philomene

Ther herde I what it wolde mene,

How Tere.s of his untrouthe

Undede hem bothe, and that was routhe;

And next to hem I sih Canace,

Which for Machaire hir fader grace

Hath lost, and deide in wofull plit.

And as I sih in my spirit, 2590

Me thoghte amonges othre thus

The doghter of king Priamus,

Polixena, whom Pirrus slowh,

Was there and made sorwe ynowh,

As sche which deide gulteles

For love, and yit was loveles.

And forto take the desport,

I sih there some of other port,

And that was Circes and Calipse,

That cowthen do the Mone eclipse, 2600

Of men and change the liknesses,

Of Artmagique Sorceresses;

Thei hielde in honde manyon,

To love wher thei wolde or non.

Bot above alle that ther were

Of wommen I sih foure there,

Whos name I herde most comended:

Be hem the Court stod al amended;

For wher thei comen in presence,

Men deden hem the reverence, 2610

As thogh they hadden be goddesses,

Of al this world or Emperesses.

And as me thoghte, an Ere I leide,

And herde hou that these othre seide,

"Lo, these ben the foure wyves,

Whos feith was proeved in her lyves:

For in essample of alle goode

With Mariage so thei stode,

That fame, which no gret thing hydeth,

Yit in Cronique of hem abydeth." 2620

Penolope that on was hote,

Whom many a knyht hath loved hote,

Whil that hire lord Ulixes lay

Full many a yer and many a day

Upon the grete Siege of Troie:

Bot sche, which hath no worldes joie

Bot only of hire housebonde,

Whil that hir lord was out of londe,

So wel hath kept hir wommanhiede,

That al the world therof tok hiede, 2630

And nameliche of hem in Grece.

That other womman was Lucrece,

Wif to the Romain Collatin;

And sche constreigned of Tarquin

To thing which was ayein hir wille,

Sche wolde noght hirselven