Lamech

In one of them, descriptive of antediluvial history, is a painting of Lamech shooting Cain with a bow and arrow.

Both here and in the Squieres Tale we find the allusions to Lamech, and to blue as the colour of constancy; see notes to ll.

“And Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: and he called his name Noah” (28, 29).

Like Lamech (who also might have been defending his own life), he had slain a man to his wounding, and a young man to his hurt.

The chosen people, the Hebrews, were polygamists from the time of Lamech, evidently with the approval of the Deity.