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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Incipit prohemium libri quarti. |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
Incipit prohemium libri quarti.
Frut of writyng set in cronicles olde,
Most delectable of fresshnesse in tastyng,
And most goodli & glorious to beholde,
In cold and heete lengest abidyng,
Chaung of cesouns may doon it non hyndryng;
And wher-so be that men dyne or faste,
The mor men taste, the lenger it wil laste.
Most delectable of fresshnesse in tastyng,
And most goodli & glorious to beholde,
In cold and heete lengest abidyng,
Chaung of cesouns may doon it non hyndryng;
And wher-so be that men dyne or faste,
The mor men taste, the lenger it wil laste.
It doth corages renewe ageyn & glade,
Which may be callid frut of the tre of lyff,
So parmanable that it wil neuer fade.
To the fyue wittis grettest restoratiff,
And to ther plesance most cheef confortatiff;
For of nature whan thei be quik & goode,
Thei of this frut tak ther natural foode.
Which may be callid frut of the tre of lyff,
So parmanable that it wil neuer fade.
To the fyue wittis grettest restoratiff,
And to ther plesance most cheef confortatiff;
For of nature whan thei be quik & goode,
Thei of this frut tak ther natural foode.
Auctours heeron conclude and eek assente,
How that writyng of his kyndeli riht
Doth louid personis & liknessis represente
Of freendis absent, seuered fer from siht;
Dirknesse of absence is clerid with the liht,—
Thus frut of writyng hath his auauntages,
Of folk ferr off to presente the images.
How that writyng of his kyndeli riht
Doth louid personis & liknessis represente
Of freendis absent, seuered fer from siht;
Dirknesse of absence is clerid with the liht,—
Thus frut of writyng hath his auauntages,
Of folk ferr off to presente the images.
Lawe hadde perisshed, nadde be writyng;
Our feith appalled, ner vertu of scripture;
For al religioun and ordre of good lyuyng
Takth ther exaumple be doctryn of lettrure.
For writyng causeth, with helpe of portraiture,
That thynges dirked, of old that wer begonne,
To be remembred with this celestial sonne.
Our feith appalled, ner vertu of scripture;
For al religioun and ordre of good lyuyng
Takth ther exaumple be doctryn of lettrure.
For writyng causeth, with helpe of portraiture,
That thynges dirked, of old that wer begonne,
To be remembred with this celestial sonne.
474
God sette writyng & lettres in sentence,
Ageyn the dulnesse of our infirmyte,
This world tenlumyne be crafft of elloquence;
Canoun, cyuile, philosophie—these thre
Confermed fraunchises of many strong cite,
Couenauntis asselid, trouthis of old assured,
Nadde writyng been, myht nat haue endurid.
Ageyn the dulnesse of our infirmyte,
This world tenlumyne be crafft of elloquence;
Canoun, cyuile, philosophie—these thre
Confermed fraunchises of many strong cite,
Couenauntis asselid, trouthis of old assured,
Nadde writyng been, myht nat haue endurid.
Dilligence, cheef triumphatrice
Of slogardie, necligence & slouthe,
Eek of memorye upholdere and norice
And registreer to suppowaile trouthe,
Hath of old labour (& ellis wer gret routhe)
Brouhte thynges passid, notable in substaunce,
Onli be writyng to newe remembrance.
Of slogardie, necligence & slouthe,
Eek of memorye upholdere and norice
And registreer to suppowaile trouthe,
Hath of old labour (& ellis wer gret routhe)
Brouhte thynges passid, notable in substaunce,
Onli be writyng to newe remembrance.
Writyng is cause that herto is remembrid
Lyf of prophetis & patriarches olde,
How thapostlis and martirs wer dismembrid
For Cristis feith, his baner up to holde.
And writyng sheweth, toforn as I you tolde,
Of confessours the grete stedfastnesse,
And of virgynes the virgynal clennesse.
Lyf of prophetis & patriarches olde,
How thapostlis and martirs wer dismembrid
For Cristis feith, his baner up to holde.
And writyng sheweth, toforn as I you tolde,
Of confessours the grete stedfastnesse,
And of virgynes the virgynal clennesse.
Lik to a tre which euery yeer berth frut,
Shewyng his beute with blosmys & with flours,
Riht so the foode of our inward reffut,
Be dilligence of these olde doctours
And daili frut of ther feithful labours
Han our corages fostred & pasturid
Be writyng onli, which hath so longe endurid.
Shewyng his beute with blosmys & with flours,
Riht so the foode of our inward reffut,
Be dilligence of these olde doctours
And daili frut of ther feithful labours
Han our corages fostred & pasturid
Be writyng onli, which hath so longe endurid.
The Epigrames whilom perisshed hadde
Of prudent Prosper, that was so vertuous,
And of Senec the tragedies sadde,
The Stratagemys of Vigecius,
Rebuk in vicis of noble Percivs,—
Yif in olde writyng hadde be founde a lak,
These said[e] thynges hadde fer be put abak.
Of prudent Prosper, that was so vertuous,
And of Senec the tragedies sadde,
The Stratagemys of Vigecius,
Rebuk in vicis of noble Percivs,—
Yif in olde writyng hadde be founde a lak,
These said[e] thynges hadde fer be put abak.
Writyng caused poetis to recure
A name eternal, the laurer whan thei wan,
In adamaunt graue perpetuelli tendure.
Record I take of Virgile Mantuan,
That wrot the armys & prowesse of the man
Callid Eneas, whan he of hih corage
Cam to Itaill from Dido of Cartage.
A name eternal, the laurer whan thei wan,
In adamaunt graue perpetuelli tendure.
Record I take of Virgile Mantuan,
475
Callid Eneas, whan he of hih corage
Cam to Itaill from Dido of Cartage.
Thre famous bookis this auctour list compile,
Eneidoys first; which that dide excell
In rethorik be souereynte of stile.
He drank swich plente, this poete, as men tell,
Of the stremys that ran doun fro the well
Wrouhte bi tho sustres that be in noumbre nyne,
Prowesse of knihthod most cleerli to termyne.
Eneidoys first; which that dide excell
In rethorik be souereynte of stile.
He drank swich plente, this poete, as men tell,
Of the stremys that ran doun fro the well
Wrouhte bi tho sustres that be in noumbre nyne,
Prowesse of knihthod most cleerli to termyne.
For in that book he cast[e] nat to faill,
With vois mellodious for to descryue ariht
The grete conquest of Rome & of Itaill
Wrouht bi Enee, the manli Troian kniht.
Whos vers notable yif so cleer a liht
Thoruh al the world[e], as in rethorik,
That among poetis was non onto hym lik.
With vois mellodious for to descryue ariht
The grete conquest of Rome & of Itaill
Wrouht bi Enee, the manli Troian kniht.
Whos vers notable yif so cleer a liht
Thoruh al the world[e], as in rethorik,
That among poetis was non onto hym lik.
He wrot also, this poete with his hond
Bi humble stile othir bookis tweyne,
Oon of pasture, the nexte of tilthe of lond,
The vers conveied with feet of metris pleyne.
Bi which thre labours a palme he dide atteyne,
To make his name throuh dites delitable
Aboue poetis to be most comendable.
Bi humble stile othir bookis tweyne,
Oon of pasture, the nexte of tilthe of lond,
The vers conveied with feet of metris pleyne.
Bi which thre labours a palme he dide atteyne,
To make his name throuh dites delitable
Aboue poetis to be most comendable.
Writyng of poetis hath set withynne his cloos
Conquest of knihthod, ther tryumphes & renouns.
Reed of Ouide Methamorphoseos,
The grete wondres, the transmutaciouns,
The moral menyng, [th]vnkouth conclusiouns,
His book de Ponto, & with gret dilligence
Ful many a pistil compleynyng for absence.
Conquest of knihthod, ther tryumphes & renouns.
Reed of Ouide Methamorphoseos,
The grete wondres, the transmutaciouns,
The moral menyng, [th]vnkouth conclusiouns,
His book de Ponto, & with gret dilligence
Ful many a pistil compleynyng for absence.
Of craft of loue a book he hath compiled,
Wheroff Cesar hadde ful gret disdeyn,
Which was cause that he was exilled
Tabide in Ponto, and neuer come ageyn.
And yit he dide his labour in certeyn,
In hope of grace, his wittis to applie
To write a book of louis remedie.
Wheroff Cesar hadde ful gret disdeyn,
Which was cause that he was exilled
Tabide in Ponto, and neuer come ageyn.
And yit he dide his labour in certeyn,
In hope of grace, his wittis to applie
To write a book of louis remedie.
476
Writyng of old, with lettres aureat,
Labour of poetis doth hihli magnefie,
Record on Petrak, in Rome laureat,
Which of too Fortunys wrot the remedie,
Certeyn Ecloogis and his Cosmographie,
And a gret conflict, which men may reede & see,
Of his querellis withynne hymsilff secre.
Labour of poetis doth hihli magnefie,
Record on Petrak, in Rome laureat,
Which of too Fortunys wrot the remedie,
Certeyn Ecloogis and his Cosmographie,
And a gret conflict, which men may reede & see,
Of his querellis withynne hymsilff secre.
He wrot seuene Psalmys of gret repentaunce,
And in his Affrik comendid Scipioun,
And wrot a book of his ignoraunce
Bi a maner of excusacioun,
And sette a notable compilacioun
Vpon the lyff[e] callid solitarye,
To which this world is froward and contrarie.
And in his Affrik comendid Scipioun,
And wrot a book of his ignoraunce
Bi a maner of excusacioun,
And sette a notable compilacioun
Vpon the lyff[e] callid solitarye,
To which this world is froward and contrarie.
And thus be writyng he gat hymsilff a name
Perpetuelli to been in remembraunce,
Set and registred in the Hous of Fame,
And made Epistles of ful hih substaunce
Callid Sine Titulo; & mor hymsilff tauaunce,
Of famous women he wrot thexcellence,
Gresilde preferryng for hir gret pacience.
Perpetuelli to been in remembraunce,
Set and registred in the Hous of Fame,
And made Epistles of ful hih substaunce
Callid Sine Titulo; & mor hymsilff tauaunce,
Of famous women he wrot thexcellence,
Gresilde preferryng for hir gret pacience.
Writyng also remembrid hath how Troye
Destroied was, sith[en] go many a yeer,
The slauhtre of Ector, cheef piler of ther ioie.
And for the parti of Grekis wrot Omer,
Which in his writyng was particuleer;
For Tachille, that wrouhte al be fraude,
Aboue Ector he gaf a synguler laude.
Destroied was, sith[en] go many a yeer,
The slauhtre of Ector, cheef piler of ther ioie.
And for the parti of Grekis wrot Omer,
Which in his writyng was particuleer;
For Tachille, that wrouhte al be fraude,
Aboue Ector he gaf a synguler laude.
Writyng causeth the chaplet to be greene
Bothe of Esope and of Iuuenal;
Dantis labour it doth also meynteene
Bi a report verray celestial,
Sunge among Lumbardis in especial,
Whos thre bookis the grete wondres tell
Of heuene aboue, of purgatorie & hell.
Bothe of Esope and of Iuuenal;
Dantis labour it doth also meynteene
Bi a report verray celestial,
Sunge among Lumbardis in especial,
Whos thre bookis the grete wondres tell
Of heuene aboue, of purgatorie & hell.
Men be writyng knowe the meracles
Of blissid seyntes & of ther hoolynesse,
Medecyne[s], salue & eek obstacles
Geyn mortal woundis and eueri gret seeknesse,
Recreacioun and solace in distresse,
Quiete in labour, in pouert pacience,
And in richesse riht, trouthe and conscience.
Of blissid seyntes & of ther hoolynesse,
Medecyne[s], salue & eek obstacles
Geyn mortal woundis and eueri gret seeknesse,
Recreacioun and solace in distresse,
477
And in richesse riht, trouthe and conscience.
Shortnesse of lyff and foryetilnesse,
The wit of man dul & ay slidyng,
Necligence and froward idilnesse,—
Echon stepmooder to science and konnyng,
That I dar sey[e]n, nadde be writyng
Onli ordeyned for our auauntages,
Ded wer memorie & mynde of passid ages.
The wit of man dul & ay slidyng,
Necligence and froward idilnesse,—
Echon stepmooder to science and konnyng,
That I dar sey[e]n, nadde be writyng
Onli ordeyned for our auauntages,
Ded wer memorie & mynde of passid ages.
And thus in cheef thes causes affor told
Meued the herte of Bochas to writyng,
And to remembre be many story old
Thestat of pryncis, in chaieres hih sittyng,
And for vices ther vnwar fallyng,
Yiuyng exaumple, as I afferme dar,
Of fals Fortune how thei shal be war.
Meued the herte of Bochas to writyng,
And to remembre be many story old
Thestat of pryncis, in chaieres hih sittyng,
And for vices ther vnwar fallyng,
Yiuyng exaumple, as I afferme dar,
Of fals Fortune how thei shal be war.
His firste thre bookis be ful cleer merours,
Fulli acomplisshed, as Bochas vndirtook,
The cause of fallyng of many conquerours,
Onli for trouthe and vertu thei forsook.
For which myn auctour toward his fourte book
Gan sharpe his penne, to his eternal fame,
Onli be writyng to geten hym a name.
Fulli acomplisshed, as Bochas vndirtook,
The cause of fallyng of many conquerours,
Onli for trouthe and vertu thei forsook.
For which myn auctour toward his fourte book
Gan sharpe his penne, to his eternal fame,
Onli be writyng to geten hym a name.
Myn auctour Bochas, that so moche koude,
Begynneth heer to make a processe
Ageyn thoutrage of pryncis that wer proude,
Which wer brouht lowe for ther frowardnesse,
And notabli remembreth how meeknesse,
Which stondeth hool in oon & doth contune,
Is ay fraunchised fro daunger of Fortune.
Begynneth heer to make a processe
Ageyn thoutrage of pryncis that wer proude,
Which wer brouht lowe for ther frowardnesse,
And notabli remembreth how meeknesse,
Which stondeth hool in oon & doth contune,
Is ay fraunchised fro daunger of Fortune.
But he in maner doth recapitle ageyn
The fal of many that sat on hih[e] stages,
How thei for vicis stood ay in noun certeyn,
Cam to myscheef for ther gret outrages.
Remembryng first of Priam the damages,
And how he loste sceptre and regalie
For sustenyng of fals auoutrye.
The fal of many that sat on hih[e] stages,
How thei for vicis stood ay in noun certeyn,
Cam to myscheef for ther gret outrages.
478
And how he loste sceptre and regalie
For sustenyng of fals auoutrye.
The fal rehersyng of Astriages,
That gaf his douhtir whilom in mariage
To oon that was Icallid Cambises,
A poore man bor[e]n of louh lynage,
For he shold[e] ha[ue] non auauntage
In no maner, nouther in riht nor wrong,
Bi rebellioun ageyn hym to be strong.
That gaf his douhtir whilom in mariage
To oon that was Icallid Cambises,
A poore man bor[e]n of louh lynage,
For he shold[e] ha[ue] non auauntage
In no maner, nouther in riht nor wrong,
Bi rebellioun ageyn hym to be strong.
For he tofforn hadde had aveseoun,
How ther shold oon procedyn of his lyne,
Which sholde hym putte out of his regeoun
And cause hym in myscheef for to fyne.
But yit Fortune koude hym vndermyne,
That al his wisdam stood in non auail;
For ageyn God preuaileth no counsail.
How ther shold oon procedyn of his lyne,
Which sholde hym putte out of his regeoun
And cause hym in myscheef for to fyne.
But yit Fortune koude hym vndermyne,
That al his wisdam stood in non auail;
For ageyn God preuaileth no counsail.
It needeth nat his story to reherse,
Nor the maner of his vnhappi chaunce,
Nor the fallyng of Cirus kyng of Perse,
Nor of kyng Tarquyn for his mysgouernaunce,
Thouh Bochas heer put hem in remembraunce.
For as me semeth, it wer a thyng in veyn,
Thyng onys told to telle it newe ageyn.
Nor the maner of his vnhappi chaunce,
Nor the fallyng of Cirus kyng of Perse,
Nor of kyng Tarquyn for his mysgouernaunce,
Thouh Bochas heer put hem in remembraunce.
For as me semeth, it wer a thyng in veyn,
Thyng onys told to telle it newe ageyn.
And he list nat now to be rek[e]les,
Newe ageyn to make rehersaile
Of the kyng callid Artaxerses;
Sithe it is told, what sholde it mor auaile?
But he procedith streiht onto Itaille
To telle ther stories, and begynneth heer
At Marchus Manlius, a Romeyn consuleer.
Newe ageyn to make rehersaile
Of the kyng callid Artaxerses;
Sithe it is told, what sholde it mor auaile?
But he procedith streiht onto Itaille
To telle ther stories, and begynneth heer
At Marchus Manlius, a Romeyn consuleer.
Finis Prologi.
479
Incipit liber quartus.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |