Lydgate's Fall of Princes Edited by Dr. Henry Bergen ... presented to The Early English Text Society by The Carnegie Institution of Washington |
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[How Eraclyus the Emperour sustened heresye fill
in to dropesy and sikenesse incurabl and so died.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[How Eraclyus the Emperour sustened heresye fill in to dropesy and sikenesse incurabl and so died.]
Afftir Phocas, with gret honour & glorie
Crownid emperour of Roome þe cite,
In whos tyme, lik as seith þe storie,
The Romeyns stood in gret perplexite
Bi them of Perse that roos with Cosdroe,
Which took upon hym to be lord and sire,
As a tiraunt to trouble the empire.
Crownid emperour of Roome þe cite,
In whos tyme, lik as seith þe storie,
The Romeyns stood in gret perplexite
Bi them of Perse that roos with Cosdroe,
Which took upon hym to be lord and sire,
As a tiraunt to trouble the empire.
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Gat many prouynce & many famous rewm
Thoruh al Asie, as the cronicle seith,
Gan approche toward Iherusalem;
Afforn the toun proudli a siege he leith,
As a tiraunt froward to Cristes feyth.
But Eraclius, maugre al his miht,
Smet of his hed & slouh hym lik a knyht.
Thoruh al Asie, as the cronicle seith,
Gan approche toward Iherusalem;
Afforn the toun proudli a siege he leith,
As a tiraunt froward to Cristes feyth.
But Eraclius, maugre al his miht,
Smet of his hed & slouh hym lik a knyht.
And bi grace, which that is dyuyne,
This famous prince, this Eraclius
In his begynning slouh many proud Sarseyn,
Holde in tho daies notable & glorious,
And in his conquest passyng[ly] famous.
Dyuers reliques & the cros he souhte,
And fro tho cuntres many of hem he brouht.
This famous prince, this Eraclius
In his begynning slouh many proud Sarseyn,
Holde in tho daies notable & glorious,
And in his conquest passyng[ly] famous.
Dyuers reliques & the cros he souhte,
And fro tho cuntres many of hem he brouht.
Was non so famous holde in his daies
As Eraclius thempire for to guye,
Nor mor manli founde at al assaies
Of hih prowesse nor in cheualrye.
But whan he gan susteene heresie,
God took from hym, withynne a litil space,
His hap, his weelfare, his fortune & his grace.
As Eraclius thempire for to guye,
Nor mor manli founde at al assaies
Of hih prowesse nor in cheualrye.
But whan he gan susteene heresie,
God took from hym, withynne a litil space,
His hap, his weelfare, his fortune & his grace.
He gan susteene & folwe certeyn rihtis,
Of wilfulnesse and froward fantasie,
Of a sect callid Monachelites,
Which is a sect of froward heresie;
And sith that he drouh to that partie,
The stori tellith, for al his hih estat,
This Eraclius was neuere fortunat.
Of wilfulnesse and froward fantasie,
Of a sect callid Monachelites,
Which is a sect of froward heresie;
And sith that he drouh to that partie,
The stori tellith, for al his hih estat,
This Eraclius was neuere fortunat.
Wher he was first drad on se & lond,
Namli off Sarsyns, for his cheualrie,
Grace & Fortune from hym withdrouh ther hond;
For whan that he fill into heresie,
He was trauailed with suich a dropesie,
And therwithal he hadde a froward lust
Euere to drynk, & euere he was a-thrust.
Namli off Sarsyns, for his cheualrie,
Grace & Fortune from hym withdrouh ther hond;
For whan that he fill into heresie,
He was trauailed with suich a dropesie,
And therwithal he hadde a froward lust
Euere to drynk, & euere he was a-thrust.
In tho daies founde was no leche,
Al-be that thei wer souht on ech partie,
The saide prince that koude wissh or teche,
Hym to releue of his idropesie,
Maad feynt & feeble with a gret palisie:
Thus in siknesse he hath his daies spent,
Be vengaunce slayn with infernal torment.
Al-be that thei wer souht on ech partie,
The saide prince that koude wissh or teche,
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Maad feynt & feeble with a gret palisie:
Thus in siknesse he hath his daies spent,
Be vengaunce slayn with infernal torment.
Of Heraclius this was the woful eende,
As is rehersed, slay[e]n with seeknesse,
Out of this world[e] whan he sholde weende,
Al hool thempire stood in gret distresse,
Force of Sarsyns dide hem so oppresse;
And day be day drouh [vn]to declyn
Be his successour callid Constantyn,
As is rehersed, slay[e]n with seeknesse,
Out of this world[e] whan he sholde weende,
Al hool thempire stood in gret distresse,
Force of Sarsyns dide hem so oppresse;
And day be day drouh [vn]to declyn
Be his successour callid Constantyn,
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |