Lydgate's Troy Book A.D. 1412-1420. Edited from the best manuscripts with introduction, notes, and glossary by Henry Bergen |
 |
|
 | I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| III. |
 | Lydgate's Troy Book |  |
Howe by grete crafft ther was a Ryvere called Zanctus conveyede thorough þe Cyte.
And þoruȝ þis toun, so riche & excellent,In þe myddes a large riuer went,
Causyng to hem ful gret commodite;
Þe whiche on tweyne haþ partid þe cite,
Of cours ful swyft, with fresche stremys clere,
And hiȝt[e] Xanctus, as Guydo doþ vs lere.
And as I rede, þat vp-on þis flood,
On eche-asyde many mylle stood,
Whan nede was her grayn & corn to grinde,
Hem to sustene, in story as I fynde.
Þis riuer eke, of fysche ful plenteuous,
Devided was by werkmen corious
So craftely, þoruȝ castyng souereyne,
166
For to areche, as Guydo doth coniecte,
By archis strong his cours for to reflecte
Þoruȝ condut pipis, large & wyde with-al,
By certeyn meatis artificial,
Þat it made a ful purgacioun
Of al ordure & fylþes in þe toun,
Waschyng þe stretys as þei stod a rowe,
And þe goteris in þe erþe lowe,
Þat in þe cite was no filþe sene;
For the canel skoured was so clene,
And deuoyded in so secre wyse,
Þat no man myȝt espien nor deuyse
By what engyn þe filþes, fer nor ner,
Wern born a-wey by cours of þe ryuer—
So couertly euery þing was cured.
Wher-by þe toun was outterly assured
From engenderyng of al corrupcioun,
From wikked eyr & from infeccioun,
Þat causyn ofte by her violence
Mortalite and gret pestilence.
And by example of þis flode þer was
Made Tibre at Rome, and wrouȝt by Eneas,
Þe which also departeth Rome on two,
Myn auctor seith, I not wher it be so.
| Lydgate's Troy Book | |