Anon beholde the wele in Medee.
Medee was on of the konnyngest women of sorserye that euer |f. 42.| was and hade most kunnyng; and þat stories seith. Notwythstondyng she suffred hire witte to be enorted at the owne will for to fullfylle hire delyte, as in lewde love she suffyrd hyre to be maystyrde, so þat she sette hire herte opon Jason and yaffe hym worchip, body and goodes; ffor the which after that he yaffe hire a full evyll rewarde. Wherefor Othea seith that the good knyght shulde not suffre reson to be ouercome wyth lewde delyte in no maner cas, iff he will vse of the vertue of streynght. And Platon seyth that a man of lyghte corage is sone meved[[373]] wyth that the which he louede.
That a man shulde not suffre his wytte to be ennorted to lewde delyte may be vnderstondyn that the goode sperit shulde not suffre his propir will to haue dominacion; for, yf propir will of dominacion cesyd not, there shulde be noon hell ne the fyer off hell shuld haue no dominacion but opon the person that sufferyth his propir will to be lorde of hym, ffor propir will feythyt ayens God and enprideth the selfe. That is the which dispoilleth Paradyse and clothit hell and voydeth the valu of the blode of Cryst Jhesu and submyttyth the worlde to the tharledom of the feend. To this purpose the wyse man seyth, [“Virga atque correptio tribuit sapientiam; puer autem qui dimittitur voluntati suæ confundit matrem suam.”][[374]]
LIX.
Iff thou be soget to god Cupido,
The wood[[375]] giant looke thou kepe the fro,
That the harde roche in no wyse may put be
Opon Acis and opon Galatee.[[376]]
Galatee was a fayre godesse, the which had a yong ientilman that she loued and he was dede.[[377]] There was a gyant of a fowle stature that loued hir, but she lyste not to loue hym; but he aspied hir so besily that he perceyued theyme bothe in the creues of a roche. Thanne were they ouerleyde[[378]] with a sodeyne rage, and the roche trembled in syche wyse that it holy brak and raffe asownedyr. But Galatee, the which was a fayrye,[[379]] dressyd hir into the see[[380]] and askapid therby. This is to vndirstond that the good knyght shulde be ware in sich case to be ouerleyde with sich as hath myght and wyll to greve hym.
How he shuld be ware of the gyant, the which is yoven to Cupido, itt is to vnderstond that the good speryte [shuld] be wele ware that he hath non ymagenacion to the worlde ne to no thynge |f. 43.| þerof, but euer thynke that all woordly thynges may litell while endure. For Seynt Jerom seyth opon Jeremye that there is no thyng may be noysed long emong those thynges which shalle haue ende; so all owre tyme is as of litell regarde to the euerlastyng terme. To this purpose the wyse man seyth, [“Transierunt omnia illa tanquam umbra et tanquam nuntius percurrens”].[[381]]