Lydgate's Fall of Princes :: :: University of Virginia Library

Heer Iohn Bochas scorneth & hath disdeyn
Of thre maner folk he dide see
Heer in þis world[e], which þat in certeyn
Set al ther ioie and ther felicite
For texelle in fairnesse & beute,
Natwithstandyng, as he weel telle can,
It hath vndoon ful many worthi man.

Record he taketh of Demetrius,
Which in his tyme was fairest in certeyn,
Which caused hym to be contrarious
To al vertu; his stori ye haue seyn.
But of tho folk Bochas hath most disdeyn,
That besi been to conquere & recure
Beute bi crafft, which kometh nat of nature.

The thridde is he that gruchcheth ageyn Kynde
For lak of stature or of semlynesse:
And alle thes thre be ignoraunt & blynde,
And ageyn resoun ther corages thei up dresse.
Yit aboue beute vertu is maistresse;
And litil worth is fairnesse in certeyn
In a persone wher no vertu is seyn.

586

Vnto purpos he tellith of a man
That excelled al other in fairnesse,
Callid Spurnya, & born was in Tuscan.
And folkis hadde ioie and gret gladnesse
To beholde hym for his semlynesse,
Whos beute brouht[e] women in dotage,
Whan thei caste ther look on his visage.

Wyues, maydnes duellyng in that contre
Presed faste on hym to beholde,
Bi thoccasioun of his gret beute,
Nat onli yonge, but summe that wer olde.
With louis accesse now wer thei hoot, now colde:
Thus was his beute to many creature
Founde in effect a [ful] pereilous lure.

Husbondis olde kauhte a fantasie
And hadde in maner a suspecioun,
Stered bi the serpent of fals ielousie,
Toward Spurnya, as maad is mencioun;
But for tauoide al euel occasioun
Of any peeple that such malis thouhte,
Ye shal heere how wisli that he wrouhte.

To put a-wey fals delectacioun
And alle occasiouns of Cupidis rage,
He of prudence and discrecioun
With many wounde diffaced his visage;
For he dempte it was a gret damage,
That bi thenchesoun of excellent beute
Any creature hyndred sholde be.

Philisophres & poetis that wer wise
Gaff vnto hym gret comendacioun,
That he koude so notabli deuise,
To fynde a weie withynne his resoun,
To sette aside al occasioun
Of such vnleefful fless[h]li fantasie,
That myhte stere women to lecherie.

He knew afforn & sauh bexperience,
That al beute shal waste a-wey & fade
Lik somer flours in ther most excellence,
That growe on hillis & lowe doun in the shade:
The rose, the lilie, whan thei be most glade,

587

Vpon their stalkis—ther preef is alday seyn—
Been beten doun with a stormy reyn.

And semblabli in eueri creature
Of louh degre or of hih estat,
Beute abit nat, nor lenger doth endure
Than youthes sesoun; with age is ful chekmaat.
Who thynketh heron, I holde hym fortunat,
And can afforn[e] in his resoun caste,
No worldli beute in erthe may alway laste.

Lenvoye.

Ye worldli folk that reio[i]she in beute,
Seeth with the eien of your aduertence
How with a smal sodeyn infirmyte,
Whan deth & age list shewen ther presence,
Disteyne al fresshnesse with vnwar violence,
Ageyn whos myht ther is non other grace:
Processe of yeeris al beute doth difface.

Thouh Demetrius was fair vpon to see,
As ye han herd rehersid in sentence,
Geyn lawe & riht he loued Arsynoe,
Thoccasioun founde bi hir fals insolence,
Because resoun made no resistence,
Nat aduertyng how eueri hour & space
Processe of yeeris al beute doth difface.

Ful horrible was ther iniquite,
And tofor God hatful ther offence.
For thoruh fals lust of sensualite,
Lost was the bridil of inward prouidence.
Sharp mortal suerd made the recompence,
Drownid in teres, whan she dide hym enbrace,
With bloodi woundis disfigured al his face.

O noble Princis, lat this stori bee
A cleer merour to your magnificence,
Theryn considerid the fals fragilite
Of worldli fairnesse, which is but apparence
And transitorie, but so be that prudence
Gouerne the passage vicious lust tenchace:
Processe of yeeris al beute doth difface!

588

[How the too brethern, Seleuchus and Anthiochus eche desirous to excellen other fel at discord ended in mischeff.]

Ther is no man þat can in stori reede
Of mor myscheef nor of mor debat,
Than of debat þat is atween kynreede,
Tween blood & blood, geyn kynde infortunat;
Namli in personys which been of hih estat,
As it fill onys, the stori berþ record,
Atween to brethre that wer at discord.

The ton Seleuchus, Antiochus the tothir,
As the stori heeraftir shal deuise:
Ech desirous for texcellen othir
In worldli worshep; & wonderli thei wer wise.
And bothe blent bi worldli couetise
For to clymben up to hih estat,
Which caused hem to been at debat.

Bothe mihti kyngis, Bochas makth mencioun,
And of o wombe sothli thei wer born,
Vndir a cursid fell constellacioun:
Of froward seed may growe no good[e] corn.
And thoruh couetise bothe thei wer lorn
And destroied bi the mortal werre
That was atween hem, in Asie nih & ferre.

It is to me verray contagious
To reede the batailles & the discenciouns,
The false promyses of Antiochus,
With his deceitis & conspiraciouns.
Brethre of berthe & off condiciouns,
Contrarious weies euer thei dede weende,
Froward ther gynnyng [&] froward was ther eende.

Ther mooder was callid Laodices,
And in Asia Seleuchus was regnyng,
Euer at werre, koude nat lyue in pes;
And in Surrie Antiochus was kyng.
And among robbours thei made þer eendyng:
Wher-euer thei fauht, outher in wrong or riht,
Thei neuer abod but took hem to the fliht.

589

Thouh Seleuchus was at his gynnyng
Shynyng in glorie & in hih prowesse,
And of Asie he was lord & kyng,
With gret diffame was dirked his noblesse,
Because that he of gret vnkyndenesse
Ful falsli slouh, withoute iugement,
His yonger brother, that was innocent.

And bi the biddyng of Laodices,
Which was his mooder, of hatful cruelte
Falsli to moordre the queen Beronices,
Wiff to the kyng callid Tholome,
Regnyng in Egipt; but it stood that he,
For al his poweer, failed of his pray,
Because that she was war & fledde a-way.

Yit aftirward, of old hate & envie,
This Seleuchus, bi ful fals tresoun,
Moordred Beronices bi conspiracie,
Hir sone also, as maad is mencioun.
The sclaundre aros thoruh many a regioun
And was reportid onto his diffame,
Wherthoruh he loste his worshep & his name.

And on this moordre auengid for to bee,
For thorrible gret abusioun,
The kyng of Egipt, the said[e] Tholome,
Gan make hym strong, & cam with peeple doun.
But for ther was so gret discencioun
Thoruh al his lond, the stori seith certeyn,
He was constreyned to retourne hom ageyn.

Seleuchus thanne maad a strong arme,
Gadred shippis, stuffed hem with vitaile,
Toward Asie he taken hath the se,
But such tempest gan his peeple assaile,
That ther hertis and poweer gan to faile,
With thundryng, lihtnyng vengabli distreyned,
To take the lond of neede he was constreyned.

The peeple of Asie seyng this myscheeff,
Hadde of Seleuchus gret compassioun;
And ther socour to setten at a preeff,
Thei hym resceyued into that regeoun,

590

Thouh it [so] stood, as maad is mencioun,
That affor-tyme for his cruel deede
Thei hadde his persone in ful gret hatreede.

And for he fond Fortune fauourable,
Nat considryng hir mutabilite,
He cast of rancour for to be vengable,
And gynne a werre ageyn[es] Tholome.
His men outraied, he was maad to flee;
Knew no refuge nor socour of non othir,
But for gret myscheeff sente to his brothir,—

I meene his brothir callid Antiochus,
Behestyng hym for to crowne hym kyng
Of al Asie, his stori tellith thus,—
Took treus this while, be sotil fals werkyng,
With Tholome for ten yeer enduryng;
And whan his brother cam with his poweer,
Falsid his promys, double of herte & cheer.

Thus of newe thei fillen at debat;
Euerich gan other myhtili werreie.
Fals couetise tencrecen ther estat
Caused that nouther list other to obeie.
Mette in a feeld, ther is no mor to seie,
Fauht hand of hand ther hostis bothe too;
Seleuchus fledde, as he was wont to doo.

Thus a fals werre of hatreede fraternall
Ageyn nature set hem at discord,
Ech bisi was in especiall,
As ther stori remembreth be record,
Neuer ther lyue to been of oon accord.
But whan Seleuchus was thus put to fliht,
The peeple off Surrie gan deemen anon riht,

That he that day was outher taken or ded;
And Gallocrecs, a peeple of gret pouste,
Of couetise gan haste hem ful gret speed
Tentre Asie, & spoille al that contre.
To Antiochus thei hadde eek enmyte,
That he was fayn for his sauacioun
To paie to them a ful gret raunsoun.

591

Ther herte was youe onli to pillage,
Takyng of hym of gold gret quantite,
And he, seyng of robbyng the outrage,
Drouh to the pillours; & oon of them was he.
And thoruh al Asie thei robbed ech contre;
For Seleuchus thei gan so purchace,
That he nat durste abiden in no place.

Than Antiochus drouh to Tholome,
Void of sauffconduit or any assuraunce,
Thouh that atween hem was gret enmyte
For a sesoun, as maad is remembraunce,
Tafounde socour in his gret greuaunce.
But al for nouht; for in conclusioun
Tholome hym took & cast in derk prisoun.

Ther constreyned of necessite,
Knowyng no mene to make[n] his raunsoun,
Bi a woman that lyued in pouerte
He was holp out of that merk prisoun.
Loo, heer of Fortune a fals condicioun,
That koude make a kyng withoute peere
Of a woman to stonden in daungeere!

To proude folk this may be a merour,
To seen a prince thus sodeynli brouht lowe,
That shon in richesse lik an emperour,
Which of disdeyn[e] list no man to knowe.
Now is he cast; now is he ouerthrowe;
Now hath he cause to pleyne, weepe & mourne,
Knowyng no freend for socour hym to tourne.

He was afferd to holden his passage
Bi hih-weies, or for to kome in siht;
Fill among theues; & thei be gret outrage
Al merciles thei slouh hym anon riht.
And his brother, for al his gret[e] myht,
Callid Seleuchus, which was a gret[e] wonder,
Fill from his courseer & brak his nek assonder.

592

[How the noble quene Leodomia was in the temple slayn, and vengeaunce taken/vpon him that slouh hir.]

Sixe of estatis, princis & princessis,
Shewed hem to Bochas pitousli pleynyng,
To hym declaryng ther mortal heuynessis;
And first of alle ther cam to hym weepyng
The noble queen, hir sorwes rehersyng,
Cald Laodomya, which with ful heuy cheere
Compleyned the myscheef of hir sustir deere,

Callid Nereis, yong & tendre of age,
That weddid was of Cicile to the kyng.
And on the day of that gret mariage,
Ther fill a stryff & a gret meuyng
Among the comouns bamaner of risyng;
That whan the queen[e] therof hadde a siht,
To Dians temple anon she took hir fliht.

The peeple was parti, & roos ageyn the kyng;
For which[e] rumour & the sodeyn striff,
Laodomya, ful feerfulli quakyng,
Ran to the temple for to saue hir lyff,
Supposyng in hyr ymagynatiff,
That for the templis chast[e] reuerence
Men wolde spare to do ther violence.

But ther was oon bi whom the striff began,
And was first ground of this gret mocioun,
Callid Milo, a fals Cicilian,
Void of al reuerence & deuocioun.
Ran to the temple fersere than leoun,
And wher the queen the auter dede enbrace,
With a sharp suerd[e] slouh hir in the place.

This sacrilege was punshed be vengaunce;
Goddis wer wroth with this gret offence.
And Diana bi ful gret displesaunce
Made in the contre a sodeyn pestilence;
And Milo was bi vnwar violence
Turnid bestial, maad wood in that affray,
And slouh hymsy[l]ff suyng the tuelfte day.

593

[How Cleomens ky[ng] of Macedoyne was slayn with his wif and childre.]

Afftir this vengaunce taken on Milo,
Cam Cleomenes of Macedoyne kyng;
And to Bochas gan shewe his dedli wo,
His gret iniuries of enmyes assailyng,
His hih emprises, his kyngdam defendyng,
And aldirlast how he in his cite
Was bi the sone slayn off Tholome.

First in his contre, the stori doth deuise,
Ageyn his enmyes he hadde a gret bataile,
Of his peeple deffendyng the fraunchise
Of knihtli prowesse, as he that list nat faile
For his riht to fiht in plate & maile,
His lieges echon beyng of assent
To lyue and deie with hym in ther entent.

Men and women, & childre yong of age
Wern of oon herte as in this mateere,
Which made hem strong & gaff gret auauntage,
That vndeuided thei stood echon ifeere
Off o corage, off o will & o cheere,
Gretli assurid in ther oppynyoun,
Because among hem was no dyuysioun.

Ther comoun proffit thei dede mor preferre
Than thei dede tresour, lyff or good;
For ther fredam ay redi to the werre,
Nat afferd to spende ther owne blood.
And fynali togidre so thei stood,
That of o thouht ech gan hym redi make,
To lyue and deie for his brothres sake.

Thei hadde an enmy born of that regeoun,
The name of whom was Antigonus;
And he had weddid, the book makth mencioun,
The olde queen of kyng Demetrius,

594

And hadde hir sone, the stori tellith thus,
Callid Phelipp, for youthe in his keepyng,
Therbi pretendyng a title to be kyng.

Off Lacedemonois cleymed ageyn riht
Ther to regne & take pocessioun,
Lik a tiraunt vsurpyng of gret myht,
For to be crowned in that regeoun.
But for al his fals presumpcioun
He was put of and Iset a-ferre,
Thouh he with hem heeld a [ful] mortal werre.

And Cleomenes that was rihtful kyng
Was in the feeld[e] armyd eueri day,
Hardi as leoun, dradde hym [in] nothyng,
Geyn his enmyes he stood so at a-bay,
That from the feeld he maad hem fleen away:
His dreedful suerd grounden was so keene,
That tabide hym [thei] myhte nat susteene.

And on a day diffendyng his cite,
Heeld in the feeld[e] a ful strong bataille;
With litil peeple made his foon to flee,
Retournyng hom ful weri of trauaille,
Thouhte in his herte that it sholde auaille
To stynte the werre hangyng in noun certeyn,
Til that his peeple refresshid wer ageyn.

Set ordenaunce thoruh al the contre
Geyn al enmyes to make resistence;
And into Egipt he goth to Tholome,
With wiff & childre withdrawyng his presence.
Ther resceyued with gret benyuolence
Lich his estat, out of care & dreed,
And ther abood til Tholome was ded.

But the sone of kyng Tholome,
Which regnid aftir bi successioun,
Of fals envie & vengable cruelte
Slouh Cleomenes in that regeoun,
His wiff & childre, void of compassioun.
Alas, it was to straunge a cruel thyng,
Withynne his kyngdam to moordre so a kyng.

595

[Of kyng Yero, Cornelie, and Hanybal.]

Afftir whos deth þus wrouht bi violence,
[As] the stori remembreth proceedyng,
Foorth cam Yero & shewed his presence,
Of Siracuse the myhti stronge kyng,
Tofor Bochas ful pitousli pleynyng,
Besechyng hym with a ful pitous cheere
Of his myscheef to writen the maneere.

The which Yero, wilful & furious,
List to presume of fals rebellioun
For to debate with Appius Claudius,
And to maligne ageyn[es] Rome toun.
But he anon for his presumpcioun
Constreyned was, in al his moste pride,
Lik a coward to fleen & nat abide.

No mor of hym myn auctour writeth heer,
But in his book[e] as he doth proceede,
Ther cam Cornelie, of Rome a consuleer,
Hymsilff compleynyng of the gret falsheede
Which onto hym acomplisshed was in deede,
Bassuraunce broke, of olde Hanybal,
Which of Cartage was cheeff admyral.

To this Cornelie Hanybal was sworn
With the Affricanes bamaner flaterie,
To socoure hym, as I ha[ue] tolde toforn,
With the Romeyns to holde up his partie.
But whan thei mette, the book doth specefie,
Corneli take & fetrid in prisoun,
At myscheeff deied; ther geyned no raunsoun.

Than Hanybal entred of entent
With his knihtis inta gret cite
Of Cicile callid Agrigent,
Wher Iulius Silua, of old enmyte,
Leid a siege with a gret meyne,
That he constreyned the saide Hanybal
For verray hunger to lepe ouer the wal.

Bi a posterne he took hym to the fliht,
Gadred shippis & took the Large Se.
And Iulius Silua, lik a manli kniht,

596

Fauht with hym, & made hym for to flee,
Vpon the watir; [&] anon aftir he
Was of his knihtes stoned to the deth,
And so constreyned he yald up the breth.

[Off the Duk zantipus/cast in to see.]

Afftir that Hanybal was slay[e]n thus
And put to flih[t], as maad is mencioun,
Tofor Bochas cam worthi Zantipus,
A famous duk, ful notable off renoun.
And he was lord of the strong regioun
Lacedemoyn, & was com from a-ferre
Into Cartage to help hem in the werre.

Bi whos prowesse, to his encres of glorie,
The proud[e] Romeyns wer put to the fliht;
Cartagynensis hadde of them victorie.
And ther was take the wise manli kniht
Marchus Regulus, & brouht anon riht
Into Cartage, & lad as prisoneer
Bi Zantipus, as Bochas writeth heer.

This noble duk, for al his hih prowessis
Doon in Cartage & shewed to ther toun,
And for al his notable kyndenessis,
Thei most vnkyndeli quit hym his guerdoun;
For sailyng hom toward his regioun,
In a shipp stuffid of ther contre,
Of fals envie thei cast hym in the se.

To his noblesse and famous cheualrie,
Whan he of knihthod sat hiest in his flours,
Thei of Cartage of hatreede & envie
Maligned ageyn hym, cheeff sonne of ther socours,
Taclipsed his lih[t]: but therageyn auctours
Han be writyng perpetueli set his name
And it registred in the Hous of Fame.

597

[How Marchus Regulus, of his fre wil deied for the comon wele.]

Who can reherse or telle the ground of werris,
The firste cause of such mortal outrage—
Wher it began bynfluence of sterris
Tween man and man, or of wilful rage,
As atween Romeyns & folkis of Cartage,
To gret hyndryng, considered the maneere,
Of bothe parties, as bookis doth us lere.

Italiens therwith wer greued ofte,
Namli whan Fortune was ther aduersarie.
And Affrican[e]s felte ful vnsofte,
Whan she to them list to be contrarie,—
Whos cours of custum stoundemeel doth varie,
Bexperience it hath be preued weel,
In the ouerwhelmyng of hir vntrusti wheel.

The moste worthi & the moste famous,
Afforn remembrid upon ech partie,
Fortune to-day made hem victorious,
And to-morwe she dede ther myht deffie.
Now up, now doun; al stood in iupartie,
Lik as she list them fauoure, nih or ferre,
Ther losse, ther wynnyng callid fortune of werre.

To summe weelwillid, happi & eurous,
To summe also ful straunge of aqueyntaunce;
Rekne among othir Marcus Regulus,
On Romeyn parti a prince of gret substaunce,
To be preferrid & put in remembraunce,
Oon the most worthi & trewe founde in deede
Of knihtli policie that I can of reede.

To comoun proffit was ay his aduertence,
Tween loue & hate stondyng so vpriht,
To nouther side declyned the ballaunce
Of his doomys, for fauour of no wiht,
Til that the eie off his inward siht
Conceyued hadde wher the trouthe stood:
Than gaff he sentence; & theron he abood.

598

In al this world ther was no bettir kniht,
Bettir named & born of good lynage,
A semli persone, delyuer & of gret myht,
Hardi as leoun, riht manli off visage,
Wal of the Romeyns, sharp yerd to Cartage,
Demure, nat hasti, seyng al thyng toforn;
And in Papynia I fynde that he was born.

And for he hadde so gret discrecioun,
This worthi kniht, this Marcus Regulus,
Chosen he was a consul of the toun,
And hadde a felawe callid Manlius,
In armys manli, wis and vertuous.
Which for ther expert notable hih constaunce
Of Romeyn werris hadde the gouernaunce.

Ther shippis stuffed, maad a gret arme,
Ful prudentli with knihtli apparaille
Thes princis tweyne taken han the se;
First with Sicilians hadde a gret bataille,
Discounfited hem, & at ther arryuaille
Outraied Amulchar, the stori is no fable,
That was of Affrik capteyn & constable.

Gat in that contre castellis many on,
Took prisoneres, stuff & gret richesse;
And al that pray to Roome he sente anon
Bi Manlius, the stori berth witnesse.
And the Romeyns for his worthynesse,
Alle of assent, because he was so wis,
Prolongid han the terme off his offis.

Off knihtli noblesse was non onto hym lik,
Nouthir in armys nor politik ordenaunce;
And for the conquest off Cartage & Affrik,
To hym thei gaff of bothe the gouernaunce.
Brouht citees, toun[e]s to the obeissaunce
Of the Romeyns, this noble worthi kniht,
Wher-euer he rood, maugre ther foos myht.

Be his feithful laborious dilligence
Gat al the contres to Cartage toun,

599

Til tidyngis cam vnto his presence,
Beside a ryuer ther was a gret dragoun,
So horrible, as maad is mencioun,
That al the contre of hym stood in such doute,
No man durste neihhe hym ferre aboute.

An hundred feet & tueyne was his lengthe,
Lik as writeth Titus Lyuyus.
Was non so hardi, nor no man of such strengthe
That durste approche; he was so venymous.
But bi the manhod of Marchus Regulus
Islay[e]n was this monstruous serpent,
And for a merueil the skyn to Rome sent.

Thus in conquest whil he dede his peyne
To gete castellis & myhti stronge touns,
Geyn hym wer sent Astruballis tweyne,
Callid of Affrik the hardi champiouns,
With al the poweer of ther regiouns.
But as the stori maketh rehersaile,
Thei wer discounfited bothen in bataile.

Amulchar aftir cam with spere & sheeld
In diffence of Affrik & Cartage;
And he was also distrussed in the feeld
With al his host[e], maugre his visage.
Thus Marchus hadde alway thauauntage,
Makyng the Romeyns, this kniht most vertuous,
Thoruh hih prowesse to be victorious.

And wher that he in his tendre age
List to laboure & tile his owne lond,
For exercise & vertuous auauntage
To holde the plouh & leede it with his hond,
Auoidyng slouthe, as ye shal vndirstond,—
Now thoruh al Affrik with many worthi kniht
He rideth armed in steel & mailles briht.

600

This noble Mark, what-euer he hadde ado,
He was in armys soueryn synguleer;
And in the temple at Rome of Appollo
For hym was kept a crowne of fressh laureer,
Forgid of gold, fret ful of stonis cleer:
And in the temple of Iouis was reserued
A robe of victorie, which he hath disserued.

To these goddis, who can considre weel,
Of old custum ther rihtis to meynteene,
As for a thyng beyng perpetuel,
Which fadeth neuere of nature, thus I meene,
Isacrid is the fressh[e] laureer greene:
For causis tweyne grauntid to conquerours,
In marcial actis bi conquest maad victours.

For the noblesse of this tre dyuyne
Sheweth [bi] his odour in wisdam excellence;
Bi the grennesse, which neuer doth declyne,
Long abidyng of vertuous prudence;
The rounde crowne betokneth prouidence,
In signe onli, al knihtli gouernaunce
Taketh his guerdoun of long contynuaunce.

Ther strengthe onli graunteth hem nat the crowne,
Nor a proud gynnyng stablissheth nat þer glorie,
But perseueraunce, who list muse or rowne,
Graunteth to them & putteth in memorie
The triumphe & palme of ther victorie,
The crowne of laureer, in stori it is told,
And of Iubiter the riche robe of gold.

Who can disserne, of alle thes giftes thre,
Most apparteneth onto cheualrie,
Manli prowesse, wisdam, anon lat see,
Strengthe, hardynesse, conquest, policie?—
For the Romeyns kauhte a fantasie,
For his meritis notable & glorious
To magnefie this Marcus Regulus.

601

For this Marcus duryng his lusti yeeris
Prynce of the werris geyn Affrik & Cartage,
Took alle ther yonge knihtis prisoneeris,
Sent hem to Rome for comoun auauntage.
But O, alas! whan he was falle in age,
The geri goddesse, among hir chaunges alle,
Ageyn this prince hir fauour made appalle.

For to withstonde the prowesse of this kniht,
In helpe of Affrik, as maad is mencioun,
Cam Zantipus, of whom I spak now riht,
A myhti duk, the which[e] was sent doun
Fro Lacedemoyn; which thoruh his hih renoun,
Whan the poweer of Marchus gan to faille,
His mene slay[e]n, took hym in bataille,—

Into Cartage sent hym prisoneer;
And ther he lay in stronge cheynys bounde.
Loo, how Fortune chaunge can hir cheer,
Falsest of trust whan she is most iocounde;
First fauourable, aftir froward founde:
This hir maner with hir double face,
Folk that sit hiest to chaunge hem fro ther place.

For he that whilom hadde in subieccioun
Almost al Affrik, & Cartage the cite,
Now lith he bounde & fetrid in prisoun,
Whilom in glorie, now in aduersite,
Cast in miserie from hih prosperite.
Fortunis fauours be maad, who looke weel,
Of brotel glas rather than of steel.

This manli kniht, al-be that he lay cheyned,
Which had brouht Rome to so hih encres,
That thei of Affrik & Cartage wer constreyned
Vnto the Romeyns to pursue for a pes;
And for tacomplisshe this mateer dout[e]les,
Vndir assuraunce made in Cartage toun,
Thei took[e] Marcus anon out of prisoun.

Bounde bi his oth, ther is no mor to seyn,
He to be chaungid for Affrik prisoneris;
Ther for tabide, & thei to come ageyn,
The yonge knihtis, fressh lusti of ther cheeris.

602

So that Marchus, feeble & old of yeeris,
Bi Affrican[e]s was to Rome sent,
Bi oth assured, tacomplisshe ther entent.

For the Romeyns hadde in such deynte
This noble Mark for manhod & prudence,
And for the foorthryng of ther comounte,
Thei hadde his persone for wisdam in reuerence,
Cald of that toun ther wal & ther diffence,
Hadde in mor cheerte for knyhthod in that age
Than al ther prisoneris of Affrik & Cartage.

Romeyns gretli reioisshed of his comyng,
And specialli for his delyueraunce;
Alle attonis, of herte & trewe menyng,
Saide, “wolcom hom, our ioie, our suffisaunce,
Wolcome, merour of knihtli gouernaunce!”
This was ther vois & this was ther langage
At his repair from Affrik & Cartage.

And thus resceyued lik to his estat
And conveied thoruh al the cite,
Nobli presentid up to the senat,
Began his tale, anon as ye shal see,
As he that hadde mor in cheer[i]te
The comoun proffit than his delyueraunce,
Saide onto them these woordes in substaunce:

“Sires, be thauys of you echon present,
First bi thestatis, next bi the comounte,
As prince & consul to Affrik I was sent;
And, as ye knowe, seuene yeer I haue ther be
To chastise rebellis of that contre,
And bi the fauour & helpe of Goddis myht,
To your cite aquit me lik a kniht.

In this mateer it needeth nat to tarie,
Ye knowe yoursilff I am now wexen old,
And Fortune is to me contrarie,
Wherbi your enmyes in Affrik be maad bold.
And thei desire me for to be sold
In eschaung, bi short conclusioun,
For prisoneres which ye haue in the toun.

603

And bi the fauour of goddis hih in heuene,
And bi my felawes wis mediacioun,
Contrees, provynces, mo than sixe or seuene
I haue in Affrik maad subiect to this toun,
Maugre ther myht & ther rebellioun,
And them constreyned, lik as ye desire,
For tobeie vnto your empire.

To make your lordship mor statli glorious,
And tencrece the boundis of your cite,
Whilom bi grace I was victorious,
Venquisshed your enmyes wher-euer I dede hem see;
Now thoruh Fortunis mutabilite
Maad vnhappi & desolat of cheer,—
Sumtyme a prince & now a prisoneer.

Afforn, my poweer bi Fortune was fraunchised,
Now am I thrall & fetrid in prisoun;
Myn olde triumphes be neweli now disguised,
And [my] victories oppressid & bor doun.
With this considered the transmutacioun
Of youthe passid & myn vnweeldi age,
Litil wonder thouh dul be my corage.

Yit ther is a thyng that draweth along my lyff,
Which in myn herte hath sette gret gladnesse:
To your encres how in this mortal striff
Bi my labour & knihtli bisynesse
The marcial princis, famous in worthynesse,
With al the knihtis most soueryn of renoun
Souht thoruh Affrik, be now in your prisoun.

Bi whos absence feeblid is Cartage;
The contre porisshed, brouht to disencres.
Seyng that I am dul and falle in age
Geyn Affricans to put my-silff in pres,
Causyng your enmyes [to] pursue for the pes
Beschaung of me, that may but smal auaile,
For Affrik knihtis most expert in bataille.

604

Thei stonde in hope of ther delyueraunce
Beschaung of me, now sent out of prisoun,
Of entent tencrecen ther puissaunce,
Of newe to gynne a werre upon your toun.
Now taketh good heed, & of discrecioun
Peiseth of prudence this thyng that I haue told,
Ther youthe considred, & I am feeble & old.

I am consumyd & wered in the werris;
Fortune contrarie, I feeble to bere armure:
Thei lusti fressh, ther name spredde ful ferr is,
And in the feeld thei able to endure.
I vnweldi, & lik a creature
Mor sembl[abl]e to drawe hom to my graue,
Than to be armyd this cite for to saue.

And in effect, I haue mor cheer[i]te,
Of verray feith withoute variaunce,
Vnto the proffit of your comounte
Than to the mateer of my delyueraunce;
Too thynges peised & weied in ballaunce:
Of Affrik knyhtis thexpert worthynesse,
In me the constreynt off agis feebilnesse.

And to conclude upon this mateer,
I myhte neuere, as semeth onto me,
As of knihthod disseruen the laureer
Nor the tryumphe in this famous cite,
Bet than deie tencrece the comounte,
And thus auised, of herte & hool corage
Yeld up the sperit of myn vnweeldi age.”

In this purpos, he, stedfast as a wall,
Of o will and oon perseueraunce,
Hymsilff comendyng to goddis inmortall,
Ches for to deie off politik constaunce,
And to preferre bi notable purueyaunce
The comoun proffit: this was his motiff,—
Set aside good, tresour and his lyff.

Riht weel cheerid, stable of his visage,
Of parfit loue he hadde onto the toun,
He is repaired ageyn onto Cartage,

605

Tharticles kept and the condicioun
At the departyng from Affrik regioun:
This to seyne, texpleite ther lust certeyne,
Or prisoneer he to resorte ageyn.

At his departyng the Romeyn senatours
Gan wexe pale off compassioun,
To seen the pauys of al ther old socours
As prisoneer departe out of the toun.
Princessis, ladies fill a-swowne doun;
Childre wepte & cried for pite,
“Farweel upholdere, cheeff wal of our cite!”

Was euer founde any trewer kniht?
Which of his owne feithful mocioun,
Wher he was free, & poweer hadde & myht,
Taue stonde at large bi his eleccioun,
To keepe his promis repaired to prisoun!
What shal I write of his noblesse or shewe?—
To fynde oon lik hym, I reede but of a fewe!

And whan he cam ageyn with his massage,
Knowyng thentent of this worthi knyht,
Most furiousli the peeple of Cartage,
In the presence of euery maner wiht,
Ordeyned han a torment anon riht.
First the liddis of his eien tweyne,
Thei kutte hem of to encrece his peyne,

That he nat sholde slepen in prisoun,
But euer wachche with peyne intollerable,
And for the constreynt of his passioun
Crie & compleyne with sihhis lamentable.
And aftir this, thei token a pleyn table,
Fret ful of nailles sharp[e] whet & grounde,
And therupon naked thei hym bounde.

Another table thei leide on hym aloffte,
Nailed also; and atween thes tweyne
Thei couchid hym; his bed was ful vnsoffte,
Most importable, so hidous was the peyne;
The blood ran out of eueri senew & veyne.
This was his torment, alas, a cruel deth!—
Of worthi Marchus til he yald up the breth.

606

Who radde in bookes or euer dede see
Of any princis so stedfast & so stable
As whilom wern in Rome the cite,
Or in ther conquest so longe perdurable,
On vertu foundid, of corage vnchaungable!
Rekne up alle that euer wer in that toun,
And to this Marchus mak no comparisoun.

Rekne Kamylles, Papires, Scipiouns,
Notable worthi for many gret victorie;
Rekne up alle ther othir champiouns,
Cursius, Fabricus famous of memorie.
But this Regulus eclipseth al ther glorie
And surmounteth, bi report of renoun,
Al thes forsaide in comparisoun.

Rekne up the foure that whilom wer so riche,
The firste of them callid Lucius,
Other tweyne of condicioun liche,
As was Scavrus & Gayus Delius;
And forget nat the grete Emelius,—
But for al ther gret pocessioun,
Make to Marchus no comparisoun.

Remembre on Crassus, of whom it is told,
The Assiriens to staunche his couetise
Pored in his throte, strangled hym with gold;
So he deide, the stori doth deuise.
And thouh thes foure wendyn ha be wise,
Gretli comendid thoruh fals oppynyoun,
Of them to Marchus mak no comparisoun.

Touchyng this Mark, lat men beholde & see:
He leffte his tresour, his fredam & richesse,
And for the proffit of the comounte
Forsook his freendis, Bochas berth witnesse;
To foorthre his toun deied in distresse,
To keepe his feith resorted to prisoun,—
Mak of non othir to hym comparisoun.

607

Myn auctour heer put in remembraunce
Summe that hadde gold, stonis & perre,
Summe that hadde of richesse habundaunce,
And of othir that stood in dignite,
And summe that hadde worldli prosperite,—
Set al aside, & conclude on resoun,
Tween them & Marchus is no comparisoun.

Princis may lyue aftir ther ententis,
Aftir ther lustis, after ther delices,
Of gold & purpure were riche garnementis,
Aftir ther poweer frowardli in vices,
Graunte ther mynistris in cites gret offices,—
Tween al ther pompe & veyn ambicioun
And atween Mark mak no comparisoun.

Alle these thynges remembred in certeyn,
Weel considred & Iput in mynde,
Ther wer in Rome but fewe such[e] seyn,
To comoun proffit that founde wer so kynde.
And, til I may such another fynde
In al this book[e], turnyng up-so-doun,
I will to hym make no comparisoun.

[Lenvoye.]

This tragedie, who þat can take heede,
Is entermedlid with wo & gladnesse:
Ioie for [the] worshep & synguler manhede
That was in Mark bi excellent noblesse;
To reede his fall it is gret heuynesse,
Which ches to deie, wher-as he stood[e] fre,
Onli for proffit of the comounte.

To keepe his oth, pleynli, as I reede,
Maad in Cartage, ther beyng in distresse,
This noble prince constreyned off no neede,
But of fre will, myn auctour doth expresse,
Fro Rome ageyn[e] thidir gan hym dresse
To suffre torment, off his free volunte,
Onli for proffit of the comounte.

608

This stori sholde crowned been in deede
With golden lettres, for to bern witnesse,
How [the] seid Mark, hauyng of deth no dreede,
To sette Rome fro werre in sekirnesse,—
Whos hih renoun, most souereyn of prowesse,
May neuer eclipse bi non antiquite,
Which ches to deie to foorthre the comounte.

He disserued for to han the meede
Of tryumphe and marcial worthynesse,
And of Iubiter to were the purpil weede,
Fret ful of stonis, most heuenli of brihtnesse,
The laureat crown conseruyng his grennesse,
Graunted to victours, who list considre & see,—
Which ches to deie to foorthre the comounte.

Noble Princis, which that gouerne & leede
Al worldli peeple, taketh heed in your hyhnesse
To this stori, trewe as is the creede,
Takyng exaumple, doth your bisynesse
Ay to supporte & meynteene rihtwisnesse,
And lat Marchus to you a merour be,
Which ches to deie to foorthre the comounte.

[How Tholome kyng of Egipt callid Philopater slouh fader & moder & his wif in lechery spende his lif & mischeuesly ended.]

Next to Bochas in ordre compleynyng,
Vicious of lyff, ther cam Tholome
Cald Philopater, & was of Egipt kyng.
In tendre age borrible cruelte
Slouh fader, mooder & suster, ye may see,
He to be crownid, it is maad mencioun,
To regne allone in that regeoun.

He was disposed onto eueri vice,
Froward to vertu & to al doctryne,
Slouh his wiff callid Erudice,
Lefft his spouse, took a concubyne,
Wasted his lyff, gan hymsilf enclyne
To al riot, surfet & outrage;
And in this wise he spent his yonge age.

609

Thus was disclaundred his roial mageste,
In lecherous lustis wachched al [the] niht,
A-bedde til noon, ageyn al honeste,
Of fals excesse shoop hym anon riht,
Whan he aroos, to drynke ageyn[e]s myht
Gorge upon gorge tafforce his lecherie.
The longe day he spente in glotonye.

I wexe weri the processe for to write
Of this tiraunt, vicious and wood.
It is contagious the processe to endite,
Because thexaumple doth harm & no good.
And of vengaunce thus with hym it stood:
Of sodeyn myscheeff I reede he dide fyne,
Enbracid in armys of his concubyne.

Agothodia pleynli was hir name,
And hadde a sone callid Agathodes,
Vicious bothe & sclaundrid bi diffame,
Noised by report, thei wer so rek[e]les.
Bothe attonis take in a sodeyn pres,
With ther allies alle attonis fett,
And bi iust doom lad to the gibett.

[How Abithomarus & viridomarus dukis of Fraunce, aftir grete batailes bi Romayns were slayn.]

Next Philopater, callid Tholome,
Þer cam in ordre a worthi duk of Fraunce,
Abitomarus; & out of that contre
Rood into Grece with a gret puissaunce.
And first he gan to make his ordenaunce
Ageyn Romeyn[e]s, al-be thei wer ferre,
Proudli with them for to gynne a werre.

But thei of Rome to ther confusioun,
Bi ther bisshoppis & preestis gan deuise
To vse a cursid fals supersticioun:
Vnto ther goddis in ful cruel wise
To offre up men banewe sacrefise,

610

And burie hem quyk, in Bochas thus I reede,
Bi a fals hope thei better for to speede.

Of Fraunse & Grece thei took[e] ten in noumbre,
Halff men & women, togidre tweyne & tweyne;
And bi fals moordre thei dede hem encoumbre,
Buried hem quik—ther deth was ful sodeyne.
At this sacrefise the goddis gan disdeyne,
And to the Romeyns wex contrarious
For ther fals rihtis supersticious.

And bi record of olde cronicleres,
The yeer fyue hundred fro ther fundacioun
And on & twenti, tho beyng consuleris
Thre in noumbre, as maad is mencioun,
Which gouernyd & reuled al the toun.
The firste callid Lucius Emylius,
And the secounde Catulus Gaius,

Attilius Regulus the thridde consuleer.
Bi al the senat ordeyned wer thes thre,
As I haue told, the silue same yeer
For to gouerne & reule ther cite,
And to preserue hem from al aduersite
Ageyn too peeplis, of Gaule & Lumbardie,
Which than werreied of malis & envie.

Of which[e] werre the Romeyns stood in doute,
The senatours & alle the citeseyns,
Because ageyn them ther cam so gret a route
Of Lumbardis bi this halff the mounteyns,
Ioyned togidre with many fell foreyns,
Which stood departid, as maad is remembraunce,
Fro them of Rome & fro ther obeissaunce.

The peeple rud[e], bestial & vnstable,
Togidre assemblid, wood & furious,
Of multitude verray innumerable,
Vengable of herte, of corage despitous,
Void of al resoun, sodenli furious,
As seith Bochas, I can no ferther gon;—
Ther soudiours bar gisarmys euerichon.

611

And Gisarmes of Gisarme thei wer callid,
Toward Rome them hastyng day be day,
Of gret labour the footmen sore appallid;
But al ther trust on multitude lay.
Of whos komyng Roome stood in affray,
And specialli the consuleris thre,
That out wer sent to fihte for the cite.

Foure score thousand, as writ the cronycleer,
Mihti [men] to stonden at diffence,
In his felasheepe hadde ech consuleer.
And of the Gysarmeȝ noumbred in sentence,
Thre hundred thousand, bi sturdi violence
Goyng on foote, I fynde that thei hadde,
Eihte thousand ouer, that al the feeldis spradde.

I rekne nat them that rood on hors[e]bak,
Which sexe & thretti thousand wer in noumbre,
Sixe hundred ouer, purposed for the wrak,
Fynalli the Romeyns to encoumbre.
The shadwe of them gaff so gret an oumbre,
That on the soil, which afforn was greene,
Ther was vnnethe any sonne seene.

Ther capteyn was Abithomarus,
A manli man & a ful worthi kniht.
And with hem wente Virydomarus,
A-nother capteyn, in steel armyd briht.
Tween them and Romeyns longe laste the fiht;
But on the parti of Rome the cite
Was slayn a consul that was oon of the thre.

Aftir whos deth, of fortune anon riht,
On the parti of them of Rome toun
Eihte hundred thousand took hem to the fliht.
And thus began the fame & the renoun
Of Abithomarus, as maad is mencioun,
Of which victorie his herte was maad fayn.
And on his parti wer thre thousand slayn.

612

But the Romeyns resorted been ageyn;
And aftir that hadde a strong bataille.
And in the feeld so manli thei wer seyn,
And so proudli ther enmyes dide assaille,
That, as myn auctour mak[e]th rehersaille,
Of the Gisarmes, longe or it was niht,
Fourti thousand wer slayn in that fiht.

The thridde tyme, with helpe of them of France
Ioyned to Lombardes & folk of Gaule also,
Thei fauht ageyn, al out off ordenaunce,
Beside the ryuer that callid is the Poo,
Wher bothe batailles togidre hadde adoo.
And, as I fynde, consuleris tweyne
The Romeyn sheltrouns knihtli did ordeyne.

Manlius Torquat callid was the ton;
Flamynus Flakkus was with hym ifeere:
And with the Romeyns togidre forth thei gon
Toward that ryuer with a ful manli cheere;
In which bataille, the stori doth vs lere,
Nyne and fourti thousand slayn on that day
Of ther enmyes, that non ne wente away.

Abithomarus was take prisoneer,
In tokne of tryumphe brouht to Rome toun,
To the Capitoile, with a ful pale cheer,
Lad bounde in cheynis, ther geyned no raunsoun:
Thus hath Fortune appallid his hih renoun.
And in tokne of his disconfiture,
Offrid to goddis was his cote armure.

Thus Lachesis his lyues threed gan drawe
Til Antropos it brak with ful gret peyne.
Viridomarus, that was his fellawe,
Slayn in the feeld bi Romeyns in certeyne.
And of thes [noble] worthi princis tweyne,
This was the eende & the mortal fall,
The feeste accomplisshed callid funerall.

613

And in the tyme of thes mortal werris
Atween thes dukes & them of Rome toun,
Many toknis wer shewed in the sterris,
Merueilous lihtnyngis fro the heuene doun,
And many an vnkouth constellacioun;
Sondri cometes dide in the walkyn appeere,—
Who seeth ther stories may the trouthe lere.

The water of Pitene, that renneth in Itaille,
Which in that contre is a famous flood,
The same hour & tyme of ther bataille,
As seith the stori, was turnid into blood.
Fires in the hair, most furious & wood,
That mihti tours wer with the flawmes brent;
Thre moonys appeeryng in the orient.

The peeple for feer fledde into lowe kauis,
For dreed wex pale & dedli of ther cheer;
And in thre daies wer thre erthe-quauis.
Duryng thes werris and in the same yeer,
Of gret Appollo fill doun the pilleer
Of marbil whit, large and of gret strengthe,
That sexti cubitis acountid was the lengthe.

And in that tyme, the stori seith nat nay,
Of Rome a consul with a gret puissaunce,
Callid Claudius, slouh upon a day
Thretti thousand, & brouht hem to myschaunce,
Of the soudiours that cam out of Fraunce.
And ther was slayn, with many a capteyn lorn,
Viridomarus, of whom I spak toforn.

To his gret shame and confusioun,
As it is remembred be scripture,
The Romeyns made a gret oblacioun
Vp to Iubiter of his cote armure.
And in tokne of his disconfiture,
Withynne that temple, of gold betyn cleer,
To his despiht thei heng up his baneer.

614

[How Siphax of Munedie kyng was take & deied in prisoun.]

Heer Bochas breeffli for a remembrance
Writeth of werris, debatis & batailes
That wer þat tyme in Itaille & France,
In Spaigne, Chaumpayne, with marcial apparailles.
And among othir in his rehersailles,
He tellith in Affrik the gret[e] discencioun
Atween Hanybal & worthi Scipioun.

He touchith ther namys & abit nat longe;
Vpon ther stories he bit nat but a while,
Heer nat rehersyng ther myhti werris stronge,
Nor of ther stryues he doth heer nat compile,
But doun descendyng, directeth foorth his stile
For to reherse & telle be writyng
The fall of Siphax in Munedie kyng.

This said[e] Siphax batailles hadde tweyne,
Oon with kyng Gabba, [&] he of verray myht
Hadde eek another, in which he dede his peyne
To meete Masmyssa afftir anon riht.
And bothe kynges he putte to the fliht.
And of Messulie, I fynde be writyng,
How Masmyssa was gouernour & kyng.

This said[e] Siphax thoruh his cheualrie
Maad Masmyssa to fleen his regioun,
Constreynyng hym to lyue be robberie,
To walke in forestis with beestis up & doun.
And for diffaute, as maad is mencioun,
To saue his liff he fond no bet reffut,
But fedde hymsilff on rootes & on frut.

Out of his reum Masmyssa was enchaced,
And constreyned to fleen from his contre;
Fro mynde of folk his name was out raced,
For no man wiste wher he sholde be.
His liegemen & folk of his cite,
Thoruh al Affrik knew no bettir reed
Off his persone, but dempte that he was ded.

615

Thus of kyng Siphax encrece gan the glorie,
Which bi force too kynges hath outraied,
And upon them wonnen the victorie,
Put hem to fliht & the peeple affraied;
That Rome & Cartage wer of hym dismaied.
And ech of them dede ther labour
Of ther werris to make hym gouernour.

Vnto [this] Siphax, out of Rome toun,
As it is write for a memoriall,
To Numedie was sent Scipioun
For this mateer in especiall.
Out of Cartage was sent Hastruball;
And at the castell wher Siphax lay,
Bothe tweyne arryued at o day.

And be pleyn writyng as I haue conceyued,
And as the stori remembreth in sentence,
At ther comyng bothe wer resceyued
Of kyng Siphax with gret[e] reuerence.
And thoruh his notable manli dilligence,
As it is Iwrityn be record,
He made thes capteyns hertili of accord,

That thei togidre lay the same niht,
Thei hadde of Siphax so gret surete,
Be promys maad, as he was trewe kniht,
That nouther of them sholde deceyued be.
But ther was founde ful gret duplicite
Folwyng afftir, who-so can take heede,
Lik as this storie shal deuise in deede.

For bi the fraude & falsnesse most mortall
Compassed befor[e]n, it is thus befalle,
That bi the sleihte of this Hastruball,—
As Affrican[e]s be nih double alle,
Vnder sugre can hide weel ther galle,—
So Hastruball bi fals decepcioun
Vnder fair cheer deceyued Scipioun.

He brouht in Siphax bi fals sotilte,
And bi his sleihti peynted fair langage,
That he sholde with hym allied bee,
Be ful assent to hauen in mariage

616

Sophonisba, a maiden of Cartage,
Which was douhtir, yong & fa[i]r withal,
As seith Bochas, to this Hastrubal.

The which[e] thyng be crafft was brouht aboute
And acomplisshe[d] verraily in deede.
And bi this mene, pleynli out of doute,
Ther first began rancour & hatreede,
Symulacioun, feynyng & falsheede,
That atween Siphax & Hastrubal, alas,
Scipioun was deceyued in this caas.

And aftir that doon was this mariage,
Siphax ful enmy vnto Sipioun,
With Hastrubal rood into Cartage
And gan werreie ageyn[e]s Roome toun.
And in this while, as maad is mencioun,
Kyng Masmyssa out of wildirnesse
Toward Scipioun in al haste gan hym dresse.

With his peeple gan to make hym strong
Thoruh help of Scipioun & of Bellius,
Wente ageyn Siphax, & abood nat long,
His herte ageyn hym was so envious.
And on a day, the stori tellith thus,
With Affricanys & folkis of Cartage,
Siphax the Romeyns mette in the visage.

Of Masmyssa the peeple wer so wood
Vpon Siphax auengid for to bee,
Thoruh ther batailles cam to hym ther he stood,
And maugre hym and [al] his cruelte,
Of verray manhod—space was non to flee—
Thei brouhte hym hom thoruh ther hih renoun
Into the handis of worthi Scipioun.

Siphax was take thus or he was war,
Vndir his baneer, maugre al his myht,
And into Rome lad afforn the chaar
Off Scipioun, the noble worthi kniht,
That wan the tryumphe, grauntid hym of riht.
And Sophonisba, afforn to Siphax wiff,
Weddid to Masmysse at theende of al this striff.

617

Loo, how Fortune chaunge can hir tides!
To oon this day she can be fauourable,
Make capteyns & thes grete guides,
Which wende ha founde hir wheel ferme & stable.
But that she is ay froward & chaungable,
Freendli to-day, to-morwe at discord,—
Yiff this be trewe, Siphax can ber record.

This Siphax was sent out of the toun
In cheynys bounde withoute mor tarieng,
And at Tiburny lay fetrid in prisoun,
Deied at myscheeff, made ther his eendyng.
And for because that he was a kyng,
The Romeyns made, of marcial pite,
Hym to be buried withynne ther cite.

[How Nabyn hauyng no title but bi tirannye took on him to be kyng of Macedoyne was slayne.]

Next cam Nabyn, ful pitousli weepyng,
Tofor Iohn Bochas, which be tirannye
Off Macedoyne took on hym to be kyng,
Hauyng no title sauff title of robberie,
Onli bi force hymsilf to magnefie;
Which with strong hand took fals pocessioun
For to be crownyd in thilke regioun.

This Macedoyne, as be old writyngis,
Whilom was had in ful gret reuerence,
Because onli it floured in too thynges,
Bothe in knihthod & souereyn sapience;
Mars ther bi manhod, Pallas be prudence:
And whil thes tweyne hadde gouernaunce,
Of al weelfare thei hadde suffisaunce.

And whil the noblesse of thes thynges tweyne,
That is to seyne, the flour of hih clergie,
The hih renoun most famous & souereyne
Of marcial prowesse & of cheualrie,
Gouerned that lond bi prudent policie,
Than stood that kyngdam, auctours reherse konne,
Among the Greekis lik an heuenli sonne.

618

But at the laste eclipsed was the liht
Bothe of knihthod and philosophie,
Whan couetise gan entren ageyn riht
For to vsurpe upon the regalie,
By intrusioun of fals[e] tirannye,
And bextort force made ther entrynges,
Hauyng no title ther to regne as kynges.

This was cheef cause, for short conclusioun,
That the noblesse of Grece was brouht[e] bas,
And Macedoyne brouht to confusioun
Be couetise, that set hem in such caas,
Wherby ther knihthod fulli translatid was
And ther policie, in cronicle ye may see,
Out of Grece to Rome the cite.

And among other, bi cleer remembra[u]nce,
Of such tirauntis bi ordre rehersyng,
Nabyn was oon, that hadde gouernaunce
In Macedoyne, & was ther crownyd kyng,
Withoute title falsli ther regnyng.
And for his froward contagious cruelte
He was behatid of Rome the cite.

The Romeyns sente a myhti consuleer,
Titus Flaminius, of ther werris guide;
To Macedoyne he gan approche neer,
Toward Argos wher Nabyn dede abide,
Of entent[e] for tabate his pride.
But whil Nabyn stood hiest in estat,
Of Grece his lieges wer with hym at debat.

A duk Icallid P[h]ilopomones,
With the peeple that duellid in Grece-lond,
To stryue with Nabyn put hymsilf in pres,
Disconfited hym, fihtyng hond of hond;
And at gret myscheeff, ye shal vndirstond,
Alexamenes, a kniht of that contre,
Slouh this Nabyn, the cronicle ye may see.

619

[Here Bochas reherceth the mortal werrys betwix Romayns & Affricanys.]

Afftir this Nabyn, Bochas doth proceede
To telle the werris & the mortal stryues
Tween Romeyns & Affricanys in deede,
Wherbi ful many loste ther her lyues.
Caused wydwes, maydnes & eek wyues
To weepe and waile, in such disioynt thei stood,
On outher parti to seen the losse of blood.

For the parti of them off Roome toun
Wer maad capteyns & dyuers officeres,
Which into Affrik with peeple wer sent doun.
And specialli ther wer too consuleeris,
Notable in armys and famous in tho yeeris:
Marcus Manlius, born of the Romeyn lyne;
The tothir callid Lucyus Consoryne.

With them was sent a tribun ful notable,
Of whom tofforn I made mencioun,
For the werris most worthi & most hable,
I meene of Rome prudent Scipioun,
Which of ther cite was cheuest champioun,
Of hool entent thaffricanys tanoye,
And specialli Cartage to destroye.

And nih be Cartage ther was a cite strong,
Mihtili bilt, & stood upon the se,
The wallis thikke, round[e], squar & long,
Cheeff diffense callid of that contre,
To saue & keepe hem from al aduersite.
And fourti cubitis, with crestis marcial,
Lik as I fynde, of heihte was the wal.

And in the frount, reised for the werre,
Of stonis squar[e] was an hih dongoun
Callid Birsa; fro which wonder ferre
Men myhte beholde the contres enviroun.
And, as I reede, for ther sauacioun
Thaffricanys of purpos did ordeyne
For ther capteyns Hastrubalis tweyne.

620

The said[e] dongoun, myhtili batailed,
Ageyn al sautis to stonden & endure:
But worthi Scipioun, for al that, hath nat failed
For taproche & doon bi besi cure,
With his engynes myhti, strong & seure;
So that be force, this kniht most marciall,
A gret quantite brak doun of the wall.

And Lucyus, callid Sensoryne,
Departid is with Marcus Manlius,
And bi the counsail of Scipioun & doctryne,
Bothe of assent, in armis vertuous,
Thei took ther way, myn auctour tellith thus,
With Hastrubal, sothli & thei myhte,
Wher as he lay that same day to fihte.

Thes consuleris assailled the cite
Callid Cirie, & beet adoun the wall,
Slouh fourti thousand, the cronicle ye may see,
Of Affricannys be vengaunce ful mortall.
And ther constable callid Hastruball
Was slayn that day bi them, it is no doute,
That he most trustid & next wer hym aboute.

And in this while, most manli of corage,
The worthi tribun, Publius Scipioun,
Bi verray force is entrid in Cartage;
And sixe daies, as maad is mencioun,
He and his knihtis constreyned so the toun,
That disespeired, with ther dedli cheeris,
Thei of the toun yald[e] hem prisoneeris,

Meekli requeryng vnto Scipioun,
To resceyue hem in this mortal rage;
That men & wommen duellyng in that toun
With the citeseyns, yong & old of age,
Mihte abide & lyuen in seruage
Vnder the Romeyns, ther was no bet reffut,
And yeer bi yeer paie hem a tribut.

621

And of Affrik the tothir Hastruball,
Which among hem afforn was crownid kyng,
Lefft his estat and his poweer roiall,
Yald hym prisoneer, humbeli knelyng.
And his wiff most pitousli weepyng,
Whan that she sauh hir lord was take so,
Ran inta fire & brent hirsilff for wo.

Sixe and twenti thousand, as I fynde,
Wer lad of wommen into captyuyte;
Thretti thousand of men cam behynde,
Take prisoneres in gret aduersite.
And seuenteene daies brente that cite,
That in ther wallis was non so harde ston,
But into pouder it was brent anon.

And this was doon, breeffli to conclude,
Bi the prowesse of Publius Scipioun.
Sold in seruage was a gret multitude;
Ther old[e] lordis lad fetrid to prisoun.
This was of Cartage fynal destruccioun,—
To write ther compleyntis Bochas abit no while,
But into Grece turneth ageyn his stile,

[How kyng Perseus bi Romayns was outraied & after taken.]

In Lacedemoyne remembryng o[f] a kyng
Callid Perseus, a ful proud werreiour,
Cleymyng a title, upon hym vsurpyng
For to succeede as trewe enheritour
To grete Alisandre, most myhti conquerour,
Fulli affermyng, ageyn a certeyn day
He wil be crowned maugre who seith nay.

And his name to putte in memorie,
Caste in his persone renewe the prowesse
Of kyng Alisaundre, & tencrece his glorie,
To folwe his tracis in knihthod & noblesse.
And first of alle, of hasti wilfulnesse,
That his conquest myhte spreede ferre,
Gan of purpos with Romeyns to haue werre.

622

But aftir this he was bet auised,
Whan he parceyued the marcial apparaille
Of the Romeyns, wheroff he was agrised,
Wex afferd ther noblesse to assaille,
Which ay wer founde victorious in bataille.
And wher he had afforn be rek[e]les,
Sent enbassatours with them to trete of pes.

Thei hadde apparceyued his presumpcioun,
And how he was proud and surquedous.
Sent a consul with a gret poweer doun,
The name of whom was Sulpicius,
Which dedli hatid the said[e] Perseus,
Thoruh hertli rancour ageyn hym wex soleyn,
Of his ambassiat hauyng but disdeyn.

And ther parti for to fortefie
With the said consul Sulpicius,
Thei sent another, expert in cheualrie,
A consul also, Paulus Emylius,
Among Romeyns notable & famous.
And folwyng aftir, the silue same niht,
The moone eclipsed fulli of his liht.

A cleer tokne, as maad is mencioun,
That kyng Perseus should haue a sharp[e] shour,
And that his lordshepe & his regeoun
Sholde been oppressid, void of al socour,
And that Macedonoys shold haue no fauour
Ageyn the Romeyns togidre whan thei mette
With round[e] speris & suerdis sharpe whette.

The day of bataille, to his encres of glorie,
For the parti of them off Rome toun,
Ther was a kniht that caused the victorie,
Yong, fressh and lusti, & callid was Catoun,
Which brouht ther enmyes to confusioun;
For Macedonoys thoruh his gret[e] myht
Outraied wern, & Perseus put to fliht.

But Emylius, the noble consuleer,
Sente a capteyn callid Octauyus
To pursue afftir in coostis ferr & neer
The proude kyng, this said[e] Perseus.

623

And he was take, for ther was no rescus,
With his sonis, that wer in noumbre tweyne,
Phelipp, Alisaundre, the stori is certeyne.

Myn auctour heer tellith of kynges manye,
Thretti in noumbre: the firste Geramus,
Which haue regned withyne Macedonye;
And laste of alle was this Perseus.
The noumbre of yeeris, Bochas writeth thus,
Was nyne hundrid, as is remembred heer,
Space of ther regnyng, with foure & tuenti yeer.

Aftir translatid was the regeoun,
With al ther iles, vnto thobeissaunce
Of them of Rome, withoute excepcioun;
The grete lordis that wer of most puissaunce
Abood[e] ther long vndir gouernaunce,
And Perseus, disconsolat of cheer,
Duryng his lyff abood ther prisoneer.

[How the peple of Achaia, with ther cheef Cite Corynthe by Romayns was destroied.]

Thus the lordshepe wered out & spent
Of Macedoyne, as maad is mencioun.
Ther wer too contres therto adiacent,
The ton Achaia, a litil regeoun,
And Spartanoys goyng enviroun,
Mihti of peeple and of gret substaunce,
In oon confederat & of oon alliaunce.

Thei wer conioyned & bothe maad al oon
Bi a maner feithful convencioun.
And when the Romeyns knew hem for ther foon,
Hauyng ther frenshipe in suspecioun,
Thei caste to make a disiunccioun
Atween thes londis, in breede & eek in lengthe;
For thyng disseuered is menusid of his strengthe.

Ordeyned cites and toun[e]s heer & yonder,
Wheron the Romeyns gan make a decre,
That ther lordshepes sholde be sette assonder,

624

Which made the peeple in eueri gret cite,
Whan thei knew ther fals subtilite,
To rise attonys, most cruel of ther cheeris,
And wolde ha slayn the Romeyn massageris.

And fynalli bi this occasioun
Romeyns ageyn hem gan wexen furious,
Took hardynesse off ther dyuisioun;
And a consul callid Munius,
A manli kniht, in armis ful famous,
Into Achaia was fro Roome sent
It to destroye bi gret auisement.

Thei of Achaia bi ther necligence,
And bi ther froward wilful reklesnesse,
Of verray pride list make no diffence;
Thouhte themsilff, withoute auisynesse,
Off poweer able, & strenger in sothnesse
Than wer[e] Romeyns, veraili in deede:
Thus wer thei stroied afforn or thei took heede.

Thei stood in hope in ther sturdynesse
Bi that bataille to haue had gret pillage,
Of the Romeyns to ha[ue] won[n]e gret richesse.
And for a pompe, of wilful fals dotage
Thei took ther wyues and wommen yong off age,
And set hem up on an hih mounteyn,
That ther manhod myhte in the feeld be seyn.

Whan the Romeyns mette hem in bataille,
Thei dispurueied and out off ordenaunce,
Slayn lik beestis, ther poweer gan to faille,
Of froward pride & rekles gouernaunce,
That Achaia was brouht to myschaunce;
Wommen and childre, for sorwe almost mad,
To lyue in seruage wer to Rome lad.

Corynthe that tyme was ther cheef cite,
Destroied be Romeyns & brouht vnto ruyne,
Which among citees, in Bochas ye may see,
Aboue alle othir dide in honour shyne;
Of alle sciences ther floured the doctrine,
And of crafftis artificeres most wise,
Rekne al the world, ther was cheef marchaundise.

625

Thus vnwarli in ther most noblesse,
Sittyng of Fortune on the [hihest] stage,
Thei wer destroied of tresor & richesse,
Brouhte to nouht bi slauhtre & pillage,
Ther wallis broke in that cruel rage.
And in that brennyng, Bochas seith, the leuene
Rauht a gret part upward to the heuene.

Pleyn with the erthe the wallis broke doun,
The peeple slayn merciles, yong & old;
And ther was maad a gret dyuisioun:
Summe lad in seruage, & somme of them wer sold.
Images of coper, of syluer & of gold
Wer sodenli, in al that violence,
Togidre molte, so hoot was the feruence.

Of which metal thus afftir it is fall,
Gold, siluer, coper, medlid into oon,
Coper of Corynthe men sothli dede it call,
Thoruh al the world of custum euerichon.
Fame of which metal is so ferr Igon,
That the vessellis forgid of the same
Corynthoise Icallid is by name.

Afftir Corynthe was thus brent to nouht,
A prynce callid Philipp Philermene
To Iohn Bochas hath his compleynt brouht,
In whos face and cheer it was weel seene,
The woful constreynt of his mortal teene.
And he was whilom, Bochas doth specefie,
Lord of a cite callid Vallaquye.

Marcus Actilius took hym prisoneer,
Brouht hym to Roome, list hym nat respite.
Next to [Iohn] Bochas, with an heuy cheer,
Appeerid a duc callid Democrite.
Of Etholis, myn auctour doth so write,
He was cheeff lord; but he & his contre
Translatid wern to Roome the cite.

626

This duk was cast and cheyned in prisoun,
Escapid onys, in stori as I fynde,
Take ageyn, throwe in a derk dongoun,
Ther for sorwe wente out of his mynde,
Slouh hymsilff at myscheeff ageyns kynde—
Loo, hou thes princis proud & rek[e]les
Haue shamful eende, which cannat lyue in pes!

[How grete Anthiocus vsyng riot and viciuos lyuyng/ bi marchus Actilius was outraied & deied sodenly.]

Touchyng þe stori in ordre heer folwyng
Of Seleuchus & gret Anthiochus,
Off his mooder Laodices & þe ryng,
With other toknes & signes merueillous,
And how also the famous Seleuchus
Hadde in his theih, as writen is heer-toforn,
Preent of an anker the day whan he was born,

And al the childre bi successioun
Hadde be discent, bor[e]n of his lynage,
Preent of an anker, as maad is mencioun,
The fourte book, with al the surplusage
Of othir toknis ther told in pleyn langage.
And of the seide same Seleuchus
Cam be discent the saide Antiochus.

Whos herte was set of hih[e] couetise
To folwe his lustis and delectacioun[s];
And specialli he caste gan & deuise
To wynne in Grece dyuers regiouns.
And of the peeple he cauhte occasiouns,
Bi ther fauour to conquere that contre
And to rebelle ageyn Rome the cite.

With multitude & gret apparaille
He gat in Grece castellis & eek touns
Longyng to Roome, conquered be bataille;
Took upon hym in his presumpciouns
Falsli to folwe the inclynaciouns
Of his berthe, whil he dede abide
In a cite that callid was Calcide.

627

For cause of slouthe he leffte his cheualrie,
Forsook[e] Mars & took hym to Cupide,
Restyng the wyntir, he spente in lecherie,
In wach and riot, ches Venus to his guide:
Sensualite maad resoun stonde aside;
And bi thes menys, for short conclusioun,
He was conveied to his destruccioun.

And whan that wyntir with his frostis colde
Ipassid was and al his stormys keene,
In riot spent and wastid, as I tolde,
And ver cam in with his newe greene,
And fressh[e] Flora, which is of flouris queene,
Off custum gynneth hir motles out to dresse,—
In which[e] sesoun, as auctours alle expresse,

Kynges, princis, with marcial apparaille,
Tyme whan Phebus in the Ram doth shyne,
Thei hem dispose to gon out to bataille,
For exersise of marcial disciplyne.
And doun fro Roome, expert in that doctryne,
Descendid is Marchus Actilius
Ageyn this vicious proude Anthiochus.

This noble Mark, preued in armis weel,
Which in his tyme was soo good a kniht,
With al his hoost[e], armyd in briht steel,
Ageyn Antiochus cam to the feeld doun riht,
Vpon a morwe whan Phebus shon ful briht.
Set his wardeyns be capteyns that he ches
Vpon an hill callid Termophiles.

Antiochus upon the tothir side,
Whom glotonye & riot dede oppresse,
And dronke Bachus, which with hym dide abide,
With Morpheus wiff, of slombre cheeff goddesse,—
Which caused hym thoruh slouthe & idilnesse
That prouidence out of his court was gon,
Causyng that day the slauhtre of many on.

Whan the consul, Marchus, the worthi knyht,
His aduersaries proudli gan assaille,
Thei vnpurueied, took hem to the fliht;
Disaraied thei myhte nat auaile.
Thus Anthiochus fledde out of bataille;

628

For ageyn Romeyns he myht nat endure:
Therfore on hym fill the disconfiture.

Thus rebukid fledde to Ephesie,
Ferr in Grece, and ther to duelle he ches,
Sente Romeyns a gret embassatrie
With said[e] Marchus for to trete of pes.
But his embassiat, this verray dout[e]les,
Whan thei atteyned of Marchus the presence,
Wer refusid & hadde non audience.

Of which Antiochus gretli was a-shamed,
Caste ageyn Roome of hate & enmyte
To reise a poweer, & hath of newe attamyd
To gadre shippis & make a gret arme,
Gynne a werre ageyn hem on the se,
Hauyng an hope, vndir a coward dreede,
Bet on the watir than on the lond to speede.

Made his shippis be stuffed with vitaille,
And his capteyns han the lond forsake;
But whan the Romeyns gan hym of newe assaille,
His shippis brent & al his stuff was take.
And lik myn auctour compendiousli doth make,
Thries on the se the Romeyns werreyng,
He was outraied, the stori witnessyng.

Yit efft ageyn to his confusioun
Vpon the lond[e] he gan make hym strong,
Mette with Cornelie callid Scipioun,
With waynes, cartes maad for the werre long,
Shod with hard iren, sharp sithes set among
In trauers wise bi gret ordenaunce;
But for al that, he was brouht to myschaunce.

With olyfauntis & castellis on the[r] bak
That day was slayn many a worthi kniht,
Vpon his host so cruel was the wrak,
That he constreyned took hym to the fliht,
Forsook the contre, fledde out of mennys siht.
To the Romeyns, he coude it nat delaie,
Ech yeer constreyned a tribut for to paie.

629

But he of fraude, because of his tribut
For couetise feyned sore pouerte,
Gadred robbours, & be fals pursut
Oppressid marchauntis, spoilled the contre,
Robbed templis, of hatful cruelte,
And fro Iubiter callid Dodonyan
Took alle the reliques, the story telle can.

Dide sacrilege & entrid in that cloos
Withoute reuerence or any obseruaunce,
For which the temple ageyn[es] hym aroos,
And, as it is put in remembraunce,
Bi the goddis ther fill a gret vengaunce
Vpon this tiraunt, quakyng in his dreed,—
Al sodenli he fill to grounde ded.

Lenvoye.

This tragedie of Anthiochus,
Who list in ordre his froward stori see,
First to al vertu he was contrarious,
And rebel euer to Roome the cite,
Iustli accusid of vicious thynges thre:
Of pride, slouthe and of glotonye,
And of disordynat superfluite,
Of niht excesse, riot and lecherie.

On hym the Romeyns wer victorious
Twies on the lond [and] onis on the se,
He was nat hardi, but malicious;
In eueri bataile his custum was to flee.
Wher vices regne ther may no grace bee;
To al surfetis his lust he dede applie,
Noised and disclaundred thoruhout his contre
Of niht excesse, riot and lecherie.

Among his lieges wood & despitous,
And for a coward knowe in the feeld was he;
The poore toppresse a wolff most furious,
And be deceit a fox for subtilite:
No man mor froward, of hih nor louh degre,
Nor mor delityng in falsheed nor flatrie.

630

What was his eende? a sodeyn deth, parde,
For his outrages of pride & lecherie.

Noble Princis, of prudence ful famous,
In al your grettest roial mageste,
Remembreth pleynli, yif ye be vertuous,
Ye shal perseuere in long prosperite,
Wher the contrarie causeth aduersite,
As this stori afforn doth specefie
Of Anthiochus, cast from his dignite
For his gret pride, riot & lecherie.

Explicit.

[How Ieronimus of Ciracuse kyng was slayn, and how Scipio Affrican that labored for common wele of Romayns was exilid bi them and so deied.]

Afftir the deth of this Antiochus,
Ther cam a prince to Bochas compleynyng,
Which that callid was Ieronimus,
Of Siracuse whilom lord & kyng.
Which of his lieges, he nothyng trespacyng,
Islay[e]n was with his thre sustren deere
Of hatrede, myn auctour writ so heere.

Siracusanys hadde a condicioun,
Thoruh chaunges newe ay to been vnstable,
Of wilful malis void of al resoun
On ther kynges for to be vengable;
Thei loued nat to han hem perdurable,
But eueri yeer of custum, this is trewe,
Them to gouerne to han a prince newe.

And for ther chaunges & ther vnkouth stryues,
With variaunce of ther condiciouns,
Because no frut is founde in ther lyues,
Nor in ther stories nor ther successiouns,
I will passe ouer & speke of Scipiouns,
And first to write of the worthi man
Callid in his tyme Scipio Affrican.

631

A famous kniht in al[le] naciouns
For his conquest, shortli to conclude,
Which hadde brouht ful many regiouns,
Mor be wisdam than be multitude,
Tobeie the Romeyns; but for ingratitude,
Which that he fond in hem, as I reede,
How he wrouhte to telle I wil proceede.

It is remembrid of his worthynesse,
Whil that he was flouryng in yong age,
How Roome was maad[e] ladi and maistresse
Of many a lond[e], to ther auauntage.
And specialli al Affrik & Cartage
Bi his prowesse, as maad is mencioun,
Wer brouht of Romeyns vndir subieccioun.

But thei ageynward wer to hym vnkynde,
Bi accusacioun[s] founde out bi ther falsnessis,
Saide ageyn hym, as it is put in mynde,
Be record of many fals witnessis,
That he shold haue besiled the richessis
Of Cartage & Affrik the contre,
Which appartened to Roome the cite.

But ageynward this noble Affrican
Proudli gaff ansuere to his accusours:
He neuer withheeld fro tyme that he began
Toward hymsilf no part of ther tresours,
Sauf as the maner is of conquerours,
For to conserue his worshep & his name,
As most was proffit to the toun[e]s fame.

This is to meene, pleynli & nat tarie,
He neuer acrochid tresour nih nor ferre
Toward hymsilf, but that was necessarie
For ther worshep to meynteene with the werre.
And yit that tyme he was ther lodesterre,
Tencrece ther boundis, & fulli his delit
Was al hool set to the comoun proffit.

632

He took non heed of al the surplusage
Of ther tresours nor ther gret richesse,
The name reserued of Affrik & Cartage
To his knyhthod and his hih noblesse.
But ther malicious expert vnkyndenesse
Was in cause, breeffli to compile,
His bodi fro them perpetueli texile.

Cast hym neuer withynne Roome toun
Aftir that day among hem to be seyn,
Vnkyndenesse gaff hym occasioun
Tabsente his persone, & of hih disdeyn
Texile hymsilff & neuer come ageyn,
But for tabide in a smal village
Callid Lynterne, whan he was falle in age.

And for men sholde mynde vpon hym haue
Bi a maner of indignacioun,
An epitaphie he sette upon his graue,—
Which seide thus to them of Roome toun:
“O peeple vnkynde, vnkynde ageyn resoun,
My funerall asshes nor my bonis dede
In thi wallis thou neuer shalt posseede.

In thyn vnkynde froward teritorie
My bonys shal nat resten nor abide;
But thyn vnkyndenesse to putten in memorie,
The remembraunce shal be rad ful wide
Of thes lettres graue, on eueri side,
Be report onli of this smal scripture,
Which heer is set upon my sepulture.

Loo, heer the cause, be breef descripcioun
Set on my graue for a memoriall,
Whi that my bonys out of Roome toun
Been buried heer lowe vndir this wall,
In exil holde my feeste funerall,—
Vnkyndenesse me droff from that cite,
That wrouhte so moche for the comounte.”

633

[How Scipio Asian lord of Asie þat labored euer for the comon wele was mordred.]

Aftir the eende of this Affrican,
Callid in his tyme worthi Scipioun,
Cam next his brothir, Scipio Asian,
Which in Asie hadde domynacioun.
Geyn whom was made an accusacioun
To al the senat, that he vntreuli sholde
Certeyn tresours toward hymsilff withholde,

Which that he in Asia hadde wonne
In his conquest be many strong bataille.
Which accusacioun falsli was begonne
Of old envie, causeles, this no faile;
Whos worthynesse ful mekil dede auaille
To comoun proffit, be thes too conquerours,
Bi gret richesse encresyng ther tresours.

The ton in Affrik, as ye haue herd me tell,
Bi his wisdam & his cheualrie,
The tothir in Asia, which dede excell
In hih prowesse, as bookes specefie.
Falsli hyndred of hatreede & envie,
Bi compassyng of oon Anthiochus,
Hym to destroie he was so desirous.

Natwithstondyng thes tweyne Scipiouns
Hadde in ther tyme, be manyfold batailles,
Brouht into Roome so many regiouns
Tobeie ther cite, with marcial apparailles,
And euermor[e] to ther gret auailles
Brouht in tresours tencrece with ther toun,
Yit han thei wrouhte to ther destruccioun.

The ton in exil, as maad is mencioun,
Deied, alas, whan that he was old;
The second was moordred in prisoun:
Ther bothe stories remembrid heer & told
To yiue exaumple to princis manyfold,
That who that laboureth for a comounte
Leseth ofte his thank, be Scipiouns ye may see.

634

[How the Duk philopomones was take, put in prisoun, aftir drank poison and so deied.]

Afftir the processe of thes too Scipiouns,
Atween too peeplis wilful & rekles
Began in Grece newe discenciouns,
Tween Acheois & Etholois dout[e]les.
And a gret duk Philopomones,
A prince that tyme of ful gret puissaunce,
Hadde of Messoneys hooli the gouernaunce.

This said[e] prince Philopomones,
Leedyng his host upon a ful fair pleyn,
As he rood armed, & put hymsilff in pres
Mid his peeple as gouernour & wardeyn,
Folk out of reule for to calle ageyn,
Vpon his steede, as he gan hem fette,
In deu ordre his wardes for to sette.

And this prince, of port most marcial,
In the pursut which that he gan make,
Among his enmyes he hadde a sodeyn fall,
Void of al rescus vnwarli he was take,
Of al his freendis lik a man forsake,
Among his enmyes brouht into prisoun,
Ther maad an eende be drynkyng of poisoun.

Of Philopomones this was the fatal cas,
Out of gouernaunce, his peeple desolat,
Except a capteyn callid Ligorias,
Which in the werris was wonder fortunat,
Of Acheois took on hym the estat,
Them to gouerne & the peeple leede,
Of hym no mor in Bochas I do reede.

[Off the thirde Scipion Nasica that euer wrouht moche for the comonte.]

Myn auctour heer maketh a digressioun,
And reherseth for a memorial
Of the thridde worthi Scipioun,
Callid Nasica, which in especiall

635

Be disposicioun verray naturall
Hold among Romeyns, bi report of langage,
Passyng al othir in wisdam & corage,

Old of discrecioun & but yong of yeeris.
For a myracle, myn auctour doth expresse,
Whan senatours sente massageris
Into Frigia bi gret auisynesse
For Berosynthia, most famous goddesse,
Whan she was brouht bi them that ded hir guide,
In hous nor temple she wolde nat abide,

Sauf in the paleis of this Scipioun,
To putte his name mor in remembraunce.
The which also, thoruh his hih renoun,
Gallobois he brouhte to vttraunce,
A peeple off Grece, ferr out of gouernaunce;
But Scipioun gan hem so werreie,
Maugre ther malis the Romeyns for to obeye.

Wherbi his name was put in memorie,
And ful gret thank in Roome he hath disserued,
Because onli of this gret victorie,
For which the tryumphe was to hym reserued.
But at the laste ful falsli he was serued
Of the Romeyns aftir ther old maneer,
In this tragedie anon as ye shal heer.

Aftir he hadde aumentid ther tresours,
Conquered in Asie many regiouns,
Caused of ther foon that thei wer victours,
Appesid of Graccus the fals occasiouns,
Compassed of malis be newe discenciouns
Atween the peeple & also the senat,—
He of hih wisdam hath stynt al that debat.

Trustyng the Romeyns, Scipioun was begiled,
Loste ther fauour, & offendid nouht;
Be them vnwarli banshed & exiled,
Cleene forgetyn; put out of ther thouht
For comoun proffit al that he hath wrouht.
The guerdoun lost, thouh princis canat see,
Of al that doon for any comounte.

636

Lik a blase for a w[h]ile liht,
Which sheweth [ful] cleer & is neuir aftir seyn,
Or lik a sonne for a moment briht,
Vnwarli shroudid with a cloude of reyn,
Riht so the wyndi fauour bloweth in veyn,
May resemble for a mutabilite,
Of them that doon for any comounte.

The peeple folweth ther owne oppynyouns,
In ther conceitis thei be so wonderful;
Will halt the bridil of ther discreciouns:
Ther hasti deemyng so bestial is & dull,
On blynde Baiard thei braiden at a pull,
To quite the guerdouns of marcial bounte
Of them that doon for any comounte.

This day a prince stant in the peeplis grace,
Lik as thei wolde his name deifie
Aboue the sterris in Iubiteris place,
With Mars & Phebus his name to stellefie;
But be to-morwe ther komth a sodeyn skie,
Shewyng ther is a ful feynt surete
Of them that doon for any comounte.

And for tafferme that it is treuli so,
Calle thre Scipiouns [un]to remembraunce:
First of Affrik & Asie, bothe too;
Note in cronicles ther knihtli gouernaunce,
Ther restles labour Romeyns for tauaunce,
Rekne ageynward how thes princis thre
Wer ful vngoodli quit bi the comounte.

Lenvoy.

This tragedie of thre Scipiouns,
[That wer] so worthi in knyhthod & notable,
Made so many famous regiouns
Subiect to Roome (this stori is no fable),
Wher the Romeyns, double & deceyuable,
Shewed ageynward to thes princis thre,

637

The thank[e] lost & guerdoun couenable
Of hym that doth for any comounte.

Rekne up in Affrik the cites & the touns,
Grete Cartage with castellis deffensable;
Rekne in Asie the gret pocessiouns
With reuenus verray innumerable;
Rekne ther tryumphes of pris incomparable,
Which considred, ye may a merour see,
How the guerdouns be fals & flaskisable
Of them that doon for any comounte.

Thei wer whilom the Romeyn champiouns,
Off senatours to sette the honour stable,
Tauoid discord & al discenciouns
Atween the comouns & statis honourable;
But she that is of custum ay chaungable,
Fortune, in whom may be no surete,
Sheweth in hir wheel the guerdouns most mutable
Of them that doon for any comounte.

Noble Princis, peiseth in your resouns,
Al worldli thyng in erthe is transmutable,
Feynt & vnseur your domynaciouns,
Chartre is ther non to make hem perdurable.
Sorwe at departyng your bodies corumpable,
A thyng rassemblyng that neuer hadde be,
Record on Scipiouns be guerdouns rassemblable
Off them that doon for any comounte.

Trusteth neuer in your oppynyouns,
But that your poweer is ech day remeuable.
Beeth nat maad blynd in your discreciouns,
But considreth bexaumples resonable
The pley of Fortune lik hasard retournable
With sodeyn chaung of fals felicite,
Vnto the guerdouns daili comparable
Of them that doon for any comounte.

Explicit lenvoye.

638

[How Duk Hanyball aftir many victorious dedes moordred himsilf with poison.]

Next [in ordre] to Bochas, as I reede,
Out of Affrik & Cartage, þerwithal
Ther cam a duk þat hadde most hatrede
Ageyn the Romeyns in especiall,
This famous prince callid Hanyball,
Bi whos prowesse, as it is weel knowe,
The seid Romeyns wer dauntid & brouht lowe.

And among othir worthi dukes alle,
As olde cronicles make mencioun,
Of Hanybal the fate is so befalle,
At his berthe bi disposicioun,
That of his natural constellacioun
Set in the heuene, that he sholde bee
Perpetueli enmy to Roome the cite.

As the stori of hym doth deuise,
Whil his fader, duk whilom of Cartage,
Callid Amulchar dede onys sacrifise
To his goddis, & he nyne yeer of age,
Swor & avowed, of herte & of corage,
Duryng his lyff withoute excepcioun
Euer to been enmy vnto Roome toun.

This Martis child, this lusti yonge kniht
Was to Cartage the strong[e] myhti wall,
Which succeedid in his fadris riht
Afftir the deth of worthi Hastruball.
First he made a werre ful mortall
Geyn Saguntynoys, as it is specefied,
Cause with Romeyns that thei wer allied.

A drem he hadde; & was thus in sentence:
That he sholde conquere in bataille,
Maugre al tho that stoden at diffence,
Too myhti contrees, first Spaigne & than Itaille,
Doun descendyng with gret apparaille,
Passyng the famous ryueer Iberius,
And wher he rood alway victorious.

639

With hym of Affrik many cheuenteyns
Rood thoruh Gaule, fond no resistence,
Of Pirenes bi the hih mounteyns
To shewe the rigour of his magnificence,
Ouer the Alpies be sturdi violence,
Natwithstondyng the passage was ful wikke,
Of slidyng frostis & of snowis thikke.

A gret[e] parti of his men he loste
Bi the constreynt of that fell passage,
Hors, olefauntis, that many besaunt coste,
Fond gret daunger off them in his cariage.
Assaut of brigauntis, whan thei fond auauntage;
And as Bochas put in remembraunce,
Felte gret losse of al his ordenaunce.

The Alpies passid with trauaile & gret wo,
This Hanybal with al his cheualrie
Approched is the ryueer off the Poo,
Cam to a toun that callid is Cursie,
Which stant upon the cite of Pauye,
Wher a consul named Scipioun
Gaff hym bataille euene affor the toun.

The same consul, Gneus Scipioun,
Which bi prowesse of manli Hanyball
Was disconfited, as maad is mencioun,
Tofor Pauye hadde a riht foul[e] fall:
The first victorie in especiall
That he hadde beyounde the mounteyns,
Whan he purposed tassaile the Romeyns.

Sempronyus, a-nother consuleer,
That was felawe to said[e] Scipioun,
Sent eek fro Roome with a ful proud cheer
Geyn Hanyball; but in his comyng doun
Tofor Tresbie, a large myhti toun,
Outraied was bi fatal auenture
And aftir neuer myhte his fall recure.

640

Off too consuleris this was the wooful fyn,
Sempronyus & Gneus Scipioun.
Ouer the mounteyn callid Appenyn
Wente Hanybal, thoruh his hih renoun,
To gret damage & gret confusioun
Of his peeple that passid the mounteyns,
Destroied with cold, gret snowh & hidous reyns.

Loste his knihtis, his tresours & his goodis,
Ther myht as tho be maad[e] no diffence;
His grete steedes drowned in the floodes
Bi the watris myhti violence,
Fond for the tyme no bettir resistence,
Sauf he eskaped fro that sodeyn wrak,
Of an olyfaunt, he ridyng on the bak.

So importable was his greuous peyne,
Onli born up of marcial corage,
Yit ther he lost oon of his eyen tweyne,
Kept of knihthod o cheer & o visage.
Thoruh Itaille heeld alwey his passage,
Slouh a consul callid Flamynyus;
Thus in thre batailles he was victorious.

But in this while, as seith myn auctour,
Quyntus Fabius, subtil & deceyuable,
Which was in Roome a famous dictatour,
And he apparceyued be toknes ful notable,
No Romeyn capteyn was in tho daies able,
As it was shewed be experience,
Geyn Hanybal to make resistence.

Yit in his conceit he subtili gan serche;
To fynde a weie he dede his besi peyne,
Day be day gan felli theron werche,
Outher be fraude or sum compassid treyne
To ligge await & secreli ordeyne
Enbusshmentis to his auauntages,
Of Hanybal to stoppe the passages.

641

But al his treynys seruid hym of nouht;
For Hanybal, this worthi Affrican,
In his conquest so prudentli hath wrouht,
So lik a prince & a knihtli man,
Fro thilke tyme that he werris gan
Ageyn the Romeyns, bothe on se & lond,
That thei wer feeble his poweer to withstond.

This Quintus Fabius kept hym alway cloos,
Liggyng await to falle on Hanyball;
And of assent eek to his purpos
Ther was oon Varo, manli & wis withal.
And so thes tweyne in especial,
Withynne Poile, a large gret contre,
Fauht with Hanybal at Kannes the cite.

As the stori maketh rehersaile,
The Romeyn parti, of worthi werreiours
Wer fourti thousand slay[e]n in bataille:
Emylius Paulus, thretti senatours,
Twenti in noumbre that hadde be pretours,
And thre hundred capteyns of estat,
Slayn be Hanybal in that mortal debat.

And bi the slauhtre of Emilius,
The noble consul, Romeyns disespeired.
And Hanybal, that day victorious,
To his loggyng is ageyn repeired,
His foon outraied & mortalli appeired,
Knew no refut ageyn this manli kniht,
But at myscheeff took hem to the fliht.

The which[e] day, yiff that Hanybal
Hadde hem folwed proudli to the toun,
Bi the counseil of oon Marthabal,
A manli kniht, a prince of hih renoun,
He sholde haue had ful pocessioun
That day of Roome, lik to his entente,—
But I suppose Fortune list nat assente.

In this processe, pleynli, as I reede,
This Hanybal wex proud & riht pompous,
Of foure victories dempte hymsilf in deede

642

Aboue al othir to be most glorious,
Of his corage most inli surquedous.
But, o alas, a litil slouthe & pride,
For lak of pursut, his conquest set aside.

Yit in his conquest, of knihtis that lay ded,
Of consuleris old & yong of age,
With senatours, the processe who list reed,
Slayn in the feeld[e] in that mortal rage,
Duk Hanybal sente to Cartage,
Of cleene gold, be record of writyngis,
Out of the feeld thre busshel ful of ryngis.

Aftir foure victories heer remembrid,
Bi and bi, the processe who list see,
In which[e] many worthi was dismembrid,
Bothe of Affrik & Roome the cite,
Abate gan the gret prosperite
Of Hanybal be froward auenture:
Set onys bak, hard fortune to recure.

Aftir the flouris of his felicite,
His noblesse drouh to declynacioun.
To Capue he wente, a myhti strong cite,
Ther to soiourne, as maad is mencioun,
Al the tyme of wyntres cold sesoun,
Wher to his lust & bodili plesaunce,
Off al vitaille fond gret habundaunce.

Which made his knihtis slouh vnto the werre;
For wyn, wommen and plente of vitaile
Ful offte sithe cause men to erre,
Make hem feeble ther enmyes to assaille:
Gorges agroteied, enboced ther entraille,
Disposeth men rather to reste & slepe,
Than of ther enmyes for to taken keepe.

But whan wyntir with his frostis colde
Was ouergon in thilke regioun,
Hanybal gan his purpos holde,
To leyn a siege vnto Roome toun.
But so gret reynys fill from heuen doun,
So gret[e] tempest vpon eueri side,
For the constreynt he myht[e] nat abide.

643

To fortefie, the said[e] Hanybal,
Ageyn his enmyes wher he hadde a-doo,
Sente lettres vnto Hastrubal,
In riht gret haste for to come hym too.
But Fortune hir wheel hath turnid so,
That Hastrubal, wher he was loth or fayn,
Be Salynator venquisshed was & slayn.

Of which[e] myscheeff & disconfiture
Hanybal gan dulle in his corage,
Compleyned sore of this mysauenture,
Knew no refut ageyn this mortal rage,
Herd eek seyn that Affrik & Cartage
Were of newe, to his confusioun,
Strongli werreyed be worthi Scipioun.

Siphax also of Numedie kyng,
Which ageyn Romeyns gan a werre make,
Maugre his myht & al his fel werkyng
Was bi force of Scipioun Itake,
Wherthoruh his corage gretli gan a-slake.
And how Cartage, cheeff of that regeoun,
Beseged was also be Scipioun.

Thus Hanybal constreyned was of neede
Hom to repeire for rescus off Cartage,
And was also, in bookis as I reede,
The same tyme falle ferre in age,
And at myscheeff & gret disauauntage
Ageyn Scipioun ful lite[l] myht auaille,
Bi whom he was sconfited in bataille.

Cartage constreynid of necessite,
Them to submitte vnto Roome toun;
And for ther mor hard aduersite,
Gneus Seruilius was fro Rome sent doun,
Onli of purpos for this conclusioun:
For to procure in especiall
Fynal destruccioun & deth off Hanyball.

Afftir al his marcial labours,
His old felicite wex froward & vnmeete,
In holuh images put al his tresours,

644

Took his passage into the lond of Creete,
Found Fortune contrarie & vnsueete,
Made officeeris keepyn his richesse
In the temple of Diane the goddesse.

Sumwhat for trust & parcel eek for dreede,
To fynde socour he wente [un]to the kyng
Of Bithynye to helpe hym in his neede,
Callid Prusias; but of his komyng
The sleihti Romeyns hadde knowlechyng:
To Bithynye doun ther lettres sente,
“Yif Hanybal scape, echon ye shal repente.”

The lettres radde, the kyng the same day
Made his peeple besege the dongoun
Wher duk Hanybal of truste allone lay.
Al destitut whan he knew this tresoun,
Tescape his enmyes drank wilfulli poisoun,
Ches rather so, sith othir escap was noon,
Than in the handis to fallyn of his foon.

Toforn his deth[e] saide this orisoun,
To alle the goddis deuoutli doun knelyng,
That thei wolde of this fals tresoun
Take vengaunce on Prusias the kyng,
Which was cause, bi his fals werkyng,
Of [the] destruccioun and the deth fynall
Of this riht famous worthi Hanyball.

[Lenvoy.]

This tragedie froward to write or reede
Of this forseid manli Hanyball,
My penne quook, myn herte I felte bleede,
For to beholde the woful pitous fall
Of hym that was the diffensable wall
Of Cartage, the stronge myhti toun,
Which slouh hymsilff be drynkyng of poisoun.

645

It was to hym, he thouhte, mor manheede
To slen hymsilff be vengaunce most mortall,
Than his enmyes be constreynt sholde hym leede
In cheynys bounde, he to be [ther] thrall.
So gret despiht he hadde of hem at all,
That leuer he hadde, than bide in ther prisoun,
To moordre hymsilf be drynkyng off poisoun.

As me seemeth, in this horrible deede
He rassembled the furies infernal;
Of cruel Pluto I trowe he took his meede,
Voide off resoun, [he] becam bestiall.
At whos terrible feste funerall,
Goddesse Proserpyna cam with manes doun,
The same tyme whan he drank poisoun.

Noble Princis, considreth & take heede,
Leuyng the surplus his deedis marciall,
Knihtli remembreth, & hath in herte hatreede
Of his empoisownyng in especiall,
Abhomynable to God & man withal,
That a prince so famous of renoun
Sholde moordre hymsilff be drynkyng of poisoun.

[How Prusias kyng of Bethenye betraied Hanybal and wolde haue disherite his sone & heir went a beggyng in straunge landys.]

Folwyng in ordre ther cam to Bochas
Of Bithynye the grete myht[y] kyng,
Which in his tyme was cal[li]d Prusias,
Gretli slaundred & noised of o thyng,
That he was fals & double in werkyng,
Ageyn the noblesse of his estat roiall,
Because that he betraisshed Hanyball.

This defaute dirked the brihtnesse
Of his fame & his knihtli renoun,
And eclipsed his passid old prowesse
Bi report in many a regeoun.
Alas, that euer the condicioun
Of doubilnesse bi falsnesse or feynyng,
Sholde be founde, a[nd] namli in a kyng!

646

Off this Prusias ferther to proceede,
Which geyn Hanybal wrouhte this tresoun,
A sone he hadde callid Nichomeede,
Born to been heir be iust successioun.
But his fader bi fals collusioun
Purposed hym, for he was yong of age,
To putte hym out of his heritage.

In this mateer ther greuh up a gret striff
Bi Prusias [a]geyn this Nichomeede,
Cause that he bi his seconde wiff
Hadde a yong sone, in bookis thus I reede,
Whom he purposeth to preferre in deede,
For which he caste, bi short conclusioun,
Off Nichomeede the destruccioun.

And for tacomplisshe this froward fals mateer,
Bi ful gret deliberacioun
Kyng Prusias gan shewen heuy cheer
Geyn Nichomeede, seekyng occasioun
To depryue hym off pocessioun,
Afftir his day, bi sotil fals werkyng,
In Bithynye he shal nat regne as kyng.

The peeple seyng this gret iniquite
Wrouht bi the kyng geyn good[e] conscience,
Thoruh al the lond, of hih & louh degre,
To Nichomeede, alle of o sentence,
Gaff ther good will and ther benivolence,
For eueri lord and eueri gret baroun
Stood hool with hym thoruh al the regioun.

Thus bi iust title he was crowned kyng.
Prusias for shame & heuynesse
In straunge contrees lyued be beggyng,
Al desolat cried for almesse.
Loo, heer the eende of tresoun & falsnesse!—
Laft at myscheeff, myn auctour seith the same,
Of pouerte forsook his owne name.

Seeth heer too thynges, & taketh riht good heede,
Of Prusias thunwar sodeyn myschaunce,
The disherityng doon to Nychomeede,

647

Aftir folwyng on hym the grete vengaunce,
As the stori put in remembrance,
For tresoun doon odible & mortal
Ageyn the forseid famous Hanybal.

[Ho[w] Persa of Macedoyne kyng that enpoisoned his brothir/was bi Emylyus outraied & deied in prisoun.]

Bespreynt with teris, pitousli weping,
As Bochas sat in his studie allone,
Next cam Persa, of Macedoyne kyng,
And mortalli he gan sihhe & grone
And furiousli for to make his mone,
That he whilom was of so hih renoun,
Constreyned afftir to deien in prisoun.

This said[e] Persa of nature was froward,
Euel disposed eek of condicioun.
Thouh he of berthe was but a bastard,
He compassid bi fals collusioun
Afftir his fader to haue pocessioun,
As myn auctour remembreth be writyng,
Of Macedoyne to be crowned kyng.

His fader Phelipp, the stori tellith thus,
Hadde a sone which was yong of age,
Wis & redi, callid Demetrius,
Born & begete treuli in mariage.
But Persa caste bi furious outrage
Hym to destroie & moordre be poisoun,
He of that kyngdam to haue pocessioun,—

Falsli compassed to his auauntage,
In his entent Demetrius to depriue
Of Macedoyne, which was his heritage.
And therupon he lettres gan contryue
To preeue hym tre[i]tour whil he was alyue.
Wherof kyng Phelipp gretli was annoyed,
That he & Persa sholde be destroied

648

Be Demetrius, that thouhte no damage,
Mente non harm in his oppynyoun;
Yit his fader, suspecious of corage,
As Persa gaff hym fals enformacioun,
Made hym be slayn be drynkyng of poisoun
Vpon a day, a thyng abhomynable,
Sittyng at mete at his fadris table.

Kyng Phelipp aftir, whan he knew the trouthe,
Hadde of his deth[e] gret compassioun,
But al to late; & that was ful gret routhe.
Which caused aftir his owne destruccioun,—
For sorwe deide; and of presumpcioun,
Persa afftir, falsli vsurpyng,
In Macedoyne was c[o]rownid kyng.

With dyuers contrees made his alliaunce,
In Grece, & Trace gat freendes nih & ferre,
And of pride & wilful gouernaunce
Caste with Romeyns for to holde werre.
Vngrace & youthe made hym for to erre,
Til a consul sente fro Roome toun
Brouhte this Persa to destruccioun.

Callid Emilius was this consuleer,
Sent ageyn Persa to haue a gret bataille.
Seyng his douhtir heuy of hir cheer,
Whan he wente oute his enmyes to assaille,
Made vnto hire this vnkouth apposaille:
“Whi weepe ye so? What thyng doth you greeue,
At my departyng takyng of me leue?”

“Fader,” quod she, “& ye taken heed,
A whelpe I hadde that dede me gret plesaunce,
Callid Persa, the which riht now is ded,
And this cheef cause onli of my greuaunce.”
Hir fader thanne gan chaungen contenaunce:
“This a tokne, to myn encres of glorie,
That I of Persa shal hauen the victorie.”

649

In Macedoyne he & Persa mette,
And quit hym ther lik a manli kniht,
Conquereth the lond, non myht[e] hym withsette,
And manli putte Persa to the fliht;
Afftir to Trace he took the weie riht.
Of which[e] conquest short processe to make,
With his too sonys Persa was ther take.

Emelius aftir this victorie
Axeth the tryumphe vnto his guerdoun;
And as it is remembred in historie,
Persa folweth his char thoruh Rome toun,
Condempned aftir to deien in prisoun.
The which[e] deth he dede weel disserue,
For he be poisoun made his brother sterue.

Thus can Fortune, erli & eek late,
Doun from hir wheel & hir hih[e] stage
Of proude princis the surquedie abate.
Whan to hir lust she seeth most auauntage,
She frowardli can turnen hir visage,
And sodenli thestat of hem consume,
Aboue ther offis that wrongli list presume.

Amongis which, a kyng of Israel,
Ageyn the presept and lawe of Moises,
Callid Ozias, the Bible kan weel tel,
Of presumpcioun wilful & rek[e]les,
To sacrefise put hymsilff in pres,
Lik a bisshop in the temple arraied;
But or he passid he gretli was affraied,

Lost his speche, [and] smet with meselrie
Duryng his lyff: loo, heer a gret vengaunce!—
Off his crowne & his regalie
Inpotent to vse the gouernaunce,
Parcel for pride & disobeissaunce;
For he list nat meekli the lawe obeie,
For which at myscheef he dede a lepre deie.

650

[How Amonyus a prince of Antioche delityng in pillage and robbery, with other vicious lyuyng, fledde in womannes wede aftir taken and slayn.]

Next in ordre, compleynyng his distresse,
Cam Amonyus, a notable werreiour,
To Iohn Bochas to shewe his heuynesse,
In Antioche prince & gouernour.
Of which contre whil he was pocessour,
Hadde in custum, & this was his trauaile,
To robbe the riche & spoille the poraile.

Spared nouther old nor yong off age,
Took fro marchauntes tresour & richesse,
And in delites of lecherous outrage
Was al his lust, with wach & dronkenesse.
Will in his court of resoun was maistresse,
Causyng the peeple thoruh al the regioun
To rise ageyn hym bi rebellioun.

Contrarie he was to al good disciplyne;
The peeple aros ageyn hym on a day,
And he for feer, in habite femynyne,
Lik a wrechch fledde cowardli away.
Take at myscheeff, was made no delay,
Falsli confessed, heeryng many a man,
Ageyn nature that he was a woman.

The trouthe knowe and the sclaundre riff,
Alle of assent the peeple Antiocheene
Ros attonys; and so he loste his lyff,
Thei wer so woode ageyn hym in ther teene.
Thus of Fortune the chaunge is alwey seene,
Fro bet to wers she can so weel transmue
Thestat of them that wil no vertu sue.

[How Andriscus of lowe birth born hauyng no title of Macedoyne kyng was taken and deied in prisoun.]

Bvt of o thyng Fortune is to blame,
That she is so chaungable of corage,
To sette a boy, vnknowe of birthe & fame,
Bi fals errour upon a roial stage:

651

For oon Andriscus bi surquedous outrage,
Withoute title, be subtil compassyng,
Of Macedoyne took on hym to be kyng.

Colour was non his cleym to make stable,
Except that he of cheer & off visage
Was to kyng Phelipp of fetures most semblable,
Wherbi the peeple in ther furious rage
Cauhte oppynyoun, of wilful fals dotage,
Ageyn resoun, [as] Bochas doth descryue,
That kyng Phelipp was rise fro deth to lyue,

Whilom fadir to Persa, as I tolde.
And for Andriscus, brouht up in wrechchidnesse,
In presence both of yong & old
Was bold to cleyme be title of rihtwisnesse,
Shewyng no ground but personel liknesse,
Mokkyng the peeple, which bi ther fauour
Of roial dignite resceyueth the honour.

Thus he that was fostred as a wrech
In miserie and eek in pouerte,
Fro poore bed his hornis dede up strechche
To holde a sceptre of kyngli dignite.
And bi the support of the comounte
He gan wexe pompous and elat,—
Brouht up of nouht, whan he stood in estat.

Nothyng mor cruel, nor nothyng more vengable,
Nor mor hasti to execucioun,
Nor mor deynous, nor mor vntretable,
Than whan a beggere hath domynacioun:
A curre mor froward than a strong leoun.
And semblabli, non so gret cruelte
As whan a wrech is set in dignite.

This Andriscus in his roial chaieer,
Texecute his hatful cruelte
Gadred peeple in contres ferr & neer
In Macedoyne; & of old enmyte
Began maligne geyn Roome the cite.
But to withsette his froward fals entent,
Oon Iuuencius, a pretour, was doun sent.

652

But because that he was necligent,
And of despiht[e] took of hym non heede,
He was outraied, & bi Andriscus shent,
With al the peeple that he dede leede.
But the Romeyns, of hope bet to speede,
Han sent Metellus, a ful manli kniht,
To Macedoyne to meete [hym] anon riht.

This worthi man list nat longe tarie,
Set proudli on in hope it sholde auaille,
Made Macedoyne to Roome tributarie,
Took Andriscus manli in bataille,
Brouht hym to Roome with myhti apparaille,
And made hym lyn fetrid in prisoun
For his outraious fals presumpcioun.

Thus for his froward vsurpacioun,
That he was hawteyn in his prosperite,
Knew nat hymsilff thoruh fals abusioun,
Blent with a myst of blynd felicite,
List nat remembre of his first pouerte,
Whom to chastise Fortune brouht[e] lowe,
Because he list nat hymselven for to knowe.

[How Alisaundre ballas kyng of Surre for extorcioun pride and vnkyndenesse deied atte mischeef.]

Thus kan this ladi pleyen hir paient
Bi a maner of deynous mokerie,
Hir entermes forth serue hem of entent,
To folk that truste hir onli of folie.
And to purpos,—whilom of Surrie
Ther was a kyng, lik as writ Bochas,
Callid Alisaundre, whos surname was Ballas.

Of which Ballas to telle the processe,
First of his risyng & aftir of his fall:
Anthiochus, the stori berth witnesse,

653

Callid Eupater, which in especiall
Cleymed title to thestat roiall,
Afftir his fader named Anthiochus
Epiphanes, the stori tellith thus.

Afftir whos deth the kyngdam of Surrye
Sholde longe be successioun
To Eupater; & eek for his partie
Demetrius, hostage in Roome toun,
Cleymed a title to that regeoun
Of Surrye, because Epiphanes
Was brothir to hym, this stori is no les.

Demetrius fro Roome is come doun
Into Surrye to cleyme his heritage,
Resceyueth the crowne [&] took pocessioun,
Gan wexe proud, presumptuous of corage.
Thus Eupater, that was but yong of age,
Excludid was in Surrie to succeede.
Of Demetrius ferther thus I reede:

Outraious he was aboue mesure,
Riht vengable & ful of cruelte,
Hatful also to eueri creature,
And heuy born of worthi kynges thre;
First in Egipt of worthi Tholome,
And off Attilius in Asie tho regnyng,
And Arirarches in Capadoce kyng,—

Alle of assent ageyn hym han conspired,
Fond a weie Demetrius to depryue,
His vndoyng so sore thei ha[ue] desired.
And ther entent texecute blyue,
Thei gan a fable of purpos to contryue,
As ye shal heere, togidre as thei wente,
To which al Surrye attonys dede assente.

Thei took a galaunt born of louh lynage,
Callid Ballas, of ther aqueyntaunce,
And affermede, al of o corage,
How he was sone & iust heir in substaunce
To Epiphanes, & next heir in alliaunce,
To succeede, bi toknis affermyng,
Next in Surrye to be crownid kyng.

654

Alisaundre of purpos thei hym calle,
Because thei thouhte of persone he was able;
Set hym up in his roiall stall,
Maugre Demetrius, cruel & vengable.
And Fortune was to them fauourable,
Made ther purpos fynalli tauaille,
With whom Demetrius hadde a gret bataille.

This Alisaundre, which namyd was Ballas,
Be Demetrius, as put is in memorie,
First ouercome; but aftir fill this caas,
He of Demetrie hadde the victorie,
An[d] to encres of his roial glorie,
Of fortune be sodeyn auenture
Ballas the feeld dede on hym recure.

Thus be promocioun of thes kynges thre,
Whan he was crownid kyng of al Surrye,
To fals extorsioun & hatful cruelte
This Alisaundre his wittis dede applie,
To robbyng, pillage and eek tirannye,
And despised, shortli to conclude,
The said[e] kynges of ingratitude.

He hadde forget his staat of pouerte,
Knew nat hymsilff, of fals ambicioun
Weddid the douhtir of myhti Tholome,
Callid Cleopatra, as maad is mencioun.
And al his labour in conclsioun
Was onli this, in Bochas as I reede,
Al the kyngdam[ys] aboute hym to posseede.

Who al coueiteth, sumtyme al doth leese;
Oon ageyn alle hath seelde souereynte.
And for Ballas frowardli gan cheese
To holde werre with kyng Tholome,
And with the forseid worthi kynges thre,
Alle off assent[e] haue such weies souht,
That be ther werkyng he was brouht to nouht.

First Tholome from hym took his wiff,
Cleopatra, & gaf hir in mariage
To oon Demetrie, causyng ful gret striff,

655

For he that tyme was but yong of age;
But Ballas aftir, be ful gret outrage,
With al his poweer, gadred nih & ferre,
Geyn Demetrie gan to holde werre.

Togidre mette proudli in bataille,
Ballas constreyned cowardli to flee;
And whan he sauh his poweer dide faile,
In Arabie, a myhti strong contre,
Zabidus, a prince of gret pouste,
Took hym be force, he quakyng in his dreed,
To kyng Tholome sent anon his hed.

Men may too thynges considren in this caas:
Pride pun[y]shed and vnkyndenesse,
And presumpcioun, in this man Ballas,
Withoute title or cleym of rihtwisnesse
Maad kyng of Surrie, set in gret worthynesse.
What was his eende? ye get no mor of me,—
His hed smet of & sente to Tholome.

Lenvoye.

This tragedie doth naturalli compleyne
Vpon this vice callid vnkyndenesse,
Which to pun[y]she is torment non nor peine,
Rigour condigne, flagelle nor duresse,
Enprisownyng nor non erthli distresse,
That may suffise, breeffli to conclude,
Ageyn the vice of ingratitude.

Alle creaturis on this vice compleyne,
Lawe, nature decrees rihtwisnesse;
This monstre in kynde doth the liht desteyne,
Of eueri vertu dirketh the brihtnesse.
Alisaundre can bern herof witnesse,
Which to his foorthris, he of techchis rude
Shewe[d] ageynward gret ingratitude.

656

Of Herberus thynfernal treble cheyne,
Nor of Tantalus hunger nor thrustnesse,
Of Ixion or Ticius, bothe tweyne,
Rekne the[r] turment, remembre ther sharpnesse;
Al wer to litil to chastise or redresse
The hatful vice of them that can delude
Ther freendis olde bi fals ingratitude.

Noble Princis, which in your demeyne
Han gouernaunce of al worldli richesse,
Geyn folk vnkynde looke that ye disdeyne,
Suffre hem nat haue non interesse
For taproche to your hih noblesse;
For ther is no vice mor hatful to conclude,
Than is the vice of ingratitude.

[Here Bochas writeth of the rebellions and sedicions in Rome, betwixt Tribunys and comouns.]

Folwyng myn auctour in stories merveilous,
I mut now write the strong rebelliouns
Of Gaivs first & of Tiberius,
And of ther grete hatful sediciouns
Meued in Roome tween tribuns & comouns;
And bi ther stryues how thei gan conspire
For tatteyne falsli to thempire.

The yeer sixe hundred be computacioun,
Gayus Graccus maad tribun in that age,
Aftir the cites first fundacioun,
Which turnyd aftir to ful gret damage
Of comoun proffit; for bi the mortal rage,
Tumulte & noise of comouns in the toun,
Caused a gret part of ther destruccioun.

For in departyng of chaumpayne heritages
Atwen the worthi & poore of the cite
Bi egal porciouns, Graccus with fair langages
Hadde gretli meued al the comounte.
Bi which occasioun, in stori men may see,
Anothir Graccus, callid the secounde,
Was slayn in Roome & lowe leid on grounde.

657

Aftir this deth of Graccus, as I reede,
Was chose a tribun callid Munycius,
Which fordede the lawes alle in deede
Of olde Graccus callid[e] Gayus.
But he that was named Tiberius,
With help of Flaccus, tribuns of estat,
In the Capitoile began a gret debat.

Thei wer supported bi the comounte,
Bi vois of peeple, the woord of no man knowe;
For Graccus parti hih upon a tre
A trompet stood & proudli gan to blowe,
Which slay[e]n was, & fro the tre doun throwe,
Bi which[e] slauhtre, the book makth rehersaile,
Graccus wex feeble; his parti gan to faille:

For dreed he fledde into the teritorie
Of Ianus temple, ran up to a tour.
Whan Tiberius, as put is in memorie,
Sauh in the cite he hadde no fauour,
Disespeired knew no bet socour,
Swerd set at brest [in] presence of Mynerue,
Fulli purposed afforn hir for to sterue.

Ther stood on bi & drouh his hand abak;
Fro that purpos made hym to declyne.
Thus Graccus parti goth day be day to wrak,
And Flakkus took the temple of Lucyne,—
His sone, his freendis [&] almost al his lyne,—
Thei kept them strong; but maugre þer diffence
Thei wer ther slayn be sturdi violence.

Whil Graccus freendis fauht for his partie,
And he hymsilff constreyned was for dreed
To preye a boy of his cumpanye,
To take a suerd & smyte[n] of his hed.
Set on a spere with the blood maad red,
Sent it his mooder, compleynyng in hir teene,
Into hir castel that callid was Misseene.

658

Namyd Cornelia his moder was in deede,
Whilom douhtir to grete Scipioun.
Hir children alle slay[e]n, as I reede,
And Graccus goodis achetid to the toun.
Therof afftir maad a dyuysioun
Bi iugement thoruhout[e] the cite,
Wher most was neede among the comounte.

Of Graccus side fyue hundred slayn & twain
Vpon an hill[e] callid Auentyne.
And Oppynyus, a consul, dede his peyne
Of ther conspiryng the ground to serche & myne.
And Flaccus parti to brynge to ruyne,
He slouh too thousand bi hasti iuggement,
Amongis which was many an innocent.

[How the wif of Hastrubal brent hirsilf & hir childre.]

Heer Iohn Bochas in especiall
List to remembre how Cartage newe ageyn
Destroied was, & how [duc] Hasdruball
Cam to myscheeff; the trouthe was weel seyn.
Which to reherse of newe it wer but veyn,
Sith heer-toforn is maad cleer mencioun
Bothe of ther brennyng & ther destruccioun.

Sauff heer he tellith how Hastruballis wiff,
Onli teschewen to lyuen in seruage,
Ches with hir childre for to lese hir lyff,
And wilfulli, of furious corage,
She and hir sonys, tendre & yong of age,
Among the flawmys & the colis rede
Consumyd were into asshes dede.

Dido the firste that bilte that cite
And made touris & the stronge wall,
Which was betrasshed falsly of Enee,
Afforn remembred the fires funerall,—
And aftir longe the wif of Hasdruball
Ches rather deie with hir childre tweyne,
Than among Romeyns for to lyue in peyne.

659

[Off Machabeus Ioathas taken bi the kyng of Surre.]

In order suyng, vnto Iohn Bochas
Ther appeered an heuy man of siht,
Machabeus the worthi Ioathas,
Whiche ocupied for wisdam & for myht
Offis of prynce, [of] preesthod & of kniht;
Be title of Iuda of werris took themprise,
Be cleym of Leuy, as preest dede sacrefise.

The lawe of Iewes manli to diffende
With al the Lond[e] of Promyssioun,
This Ioathas ful knihtli dede entende
Ageyn al enmyes aboute hem enviroun.
Til of Surrye the fals[e] kyng Tryphoun
Be treynys compassed & promys falsli holde
Took Ioathas, of whom riht now I tolde.

Machabeorum is rehersid all,
Of his knihthod & his worthynesse,
With al the tresouns in especiall
Wrouht be Tryphon be many gret falsnesse:
His subtil sleyhtis and his doubilnesse,—
Them to reherse, ye gete no mor of me;
For in the Bible the stori ye may see.

[How Demetrius the secounde lost at last his hede.]

Bvt I will turne to Demetrius
That callid was Demetrius þe secounde,
Which bi descent cam from Anthiochus,
And bi his manhod, as it was weel founde,
Dede the pride of kyng Ballas confounde,
Callid Alisaundre, which bi gret outrage
Hadde putte his fader from his heritage.

This Demetrius, famous & notable,
Vpon Parthois hadde many gret victorie,
Til kyng Arsacides, double and deceyuable,
Hymsilff delityng gretli in veynglorie,

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Bi his sleihti fraudis deceptorie,
Vndir a shadwe of feynyng & fals cheer
Took Demetrius vnwarli prisoneer.

And to gret sclaundre & hyndryng of his name,
Arsacides bamaner moquerye
Made Demetrius, for despiht & shame,
Poorli arraied, of hate & gret envie
For to be lad thoruhout al Surrye;
Made hym aftir, bi gret auisement,
To wedde his douhtir ageyn his owne entent.

This Demetrius was kept out of pres,
That but fewe hadde of hym [a] siht,
Vnto tyme that Arsacides
Was ded & passed, for al his gret[e] myht.
Than he caste tescape awey be fliht;
And secreli tacomplisshe his entent,
He gat hym counsail that was of his assent.

Gallymandrus, a lord of that contre,
Which that was of his assent in deede,
In ther fliht to keepe hem mor secre
Made Demetrius for to chaunge his weede,
And preuy weies foorth he dede hym leede.
But al for nouht; his fliht was but in veyn,
For bi strong pursut he was take ageyn.

Afftir bi constreynt presentid to the kyng,
That he gan wexe weri of his lyff,
Kept mor streihtli, folk on hym waityng,
And maugre hym presentid to his wiff,
With hir tabide ful heuy and pensyff.
But whan thei hadde childre atween hem tweyne,
To go mor large loosnyd was his cheyne.

And thus he hadde space & fre licence
To gon and comen at his auauntage;
For whil his wiff heeld with hym residence,
Thei dempte his childre wer suffisaunt hostage.
But he was euere vnstable of his corage,
With Gallymandrus the forseid[e] kniht
Thre tyme take & brouht ageyn be fliht.

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And for he was so dyuers manyfold,
Kyng Fraactes, in tokne he was vnstable,
Sent hym thre dees forgid squar of gold,
To pleye raket as a child chaungable,—
His disposicioun was so variable.
But for to restreyne his condicioun,
He was efft take & fetrid in prisoun.

But whan Fortune hadde youen hym a pull,
Bi many dyuers stra[u]nge aduersite,
To punshe hym mor Pharactes wexeth dull.
And Demetrius of prisoun was maad free,
Ful restored ageyn to his contre,
Wex proud ageyn, of newe it is so fall,
That he was hated of his lieges all.

Cleopatra, his mooder, that was queen
Of al Egipt & wiff to Tholome,
Was with hir lord at striff, who list to seen,
Which turnid aftir to gret aduersite.
But to strengthe hir parti thus wrouht she,
Made hir sone for to take on honde
For hir to fihte ageyn[es] hir husbonde.

But Tholomeus callid Euergetes,
Geyn Demetrius diffendyng his contre,
Made Zebenna to putte hymsilf in pres,
Sone of a marchaunt, born of low degre,
To make a cleym bi fals subtilite,
Of al Surrye to haue pocessioun,
For hym aleggyng title of adopcioun.

He to be sone to [old] Anthiochus,
Cleymyng therbi the kyngdam of Surrye,
Onli texclude the said Demetrius.
And Tholomeus, to susteene the partie
Of Zebenna, with al his cheualrie
Gadrid in Egipt & contrees enviroun,
Ageyn Demetrius proudli is come doun.

And Fortune with hir double face
Caused the cuntre bi rebellioun,
That Demetrius stood cleene out of grace;
Wherbi the peeple of al that regeoun

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Wer hool ageyn hym in ther oppynyoun:
That be Tholomes wonderful werkyng
Zebenna ther resceyued was as kyng.

Thus Zebenna, bi fals intrusioun,
Of al Surrie was maad[e] lord & kyng;
Title was ther non, but collusioun,
Texclude Demetrius bi subtil compassyng.
Yit as I fynde, his parti defendyng,
How Demetrius Zebenna gan assaille,
Ther quarel dareyned with a gret bataille.

Gret peeple slay[e]n vpon outher side,
Demetrius put from his regeoun
And ouercomen, for [al] his gret[e] pride,
At gret myscheeff to his confusioun,
Hauyng no socour nor consolacioun;
But with a fewe chose of his meyne
Fledde be watir to Tire the cite,

Lik as he wolde haue luyed ther in pes,
Bi a feynt maner of perfeccioun,
Withynne the temple of myhti Hercules
Vnder a shadwe of religioun.
But sodeynli at his comyng doun
Into Tire & at his arryuaille,
His hed smet of; what myht his pride [a]vaille!

[How zebenna kyng of Surre bi intrusioun entryng had mischeuys endyng.]

Touchyng Zebenna, of whom I spak toforn,
Poorli brouht up & of louh lynage,
And of kynreede but a begger born,
Cam tofor Bochas trist off his visage,
Sore weepyng, muet of langage,
Gan compleyne his woful auenture,
Vnwar & sodeyn, impossible to recure.

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His condiciouns sumwhat dul & rude,
First in pouert, proud & presumptuous,
Appechid afftir of gret ingratitude
Shewed in his lyff to kyng Anthiochus,
His firste forthere[r], the stori tellith thus:
For which Anthiochus gretli was anoyed,
Caste a mene bi whiche he was destroied.

Ther was a cosyn that callid was Grispus
To Anthiochus, & of the same lyne,
Which be title off Demetrius
Cleymeth as heyr, be many vnkouth signe,
To regne in Surrye, & proudli gan maligne
Ageyn Zebenna, whos parti to supporte,
Stood Anthiochus cheeff, as I can reporte.

This said[e] Grispus, yong & tendre of age,
Bi the foorthryng & supportacioun
Off Anthiochus, hadde in mariage
His owne douhtir, with gret pocessioun,
That Zebenna, for short conclusioun,
Compellid was, for al his grete myht,
To Anthioche for to take his fliht.

And ther he fill in so gret pouerte,
Failed moneye for to paie wages
The soudiour[e]s, which in that contre
Abide vpon hym of al maner ages,
Straunge folk & sondry of langages,
Theuys, moordrers, mansle[e]rs & pillours,—
First off Iubiter assailyng the tresours

To his disclaundre, perpetuel of memorye,
The diffame aroos so manyfold.
In Iouis temple the baneer of victorie
He took a-way, that was of massiff gold,
With a gret ymage which stood ther of old,
Of gold also, with othir mo tresours,
With which pillage he paied his soudiours.

Of sacrilege hauyng no conscience,
Tescape awey he entrid is the se;
But Eolus bi gret[e] violence
With wynd & tempest as he dede flee

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Dede vnto hym ful gret aduersite.
And al his meyne forsook hym of entent;
And he was take & to Grispus sent,

Kyng of Surrye, to whom whan he was brouht,
Gaff on hym be iuggement this sentence:
For sacrilege that he hadde wrouht,
Spoillyng templis be gret violence,
Doyng to goddis no maner reuerence,—
For which Grispus comaundid hath as iuge
That he be slayn; ther was no bet refuge.

Of berthe a boy, clamb up to roial stage,
Brouht up of nouht, & set in dignite,
Knew nat hymsilff, wex cruel of corage,
Aroos fro pouert to gret prosperite.
But thoruh Fortunys mutabilite,
That blynde ladi so made hir poweer strechche,—
As he began, so ended as a wrechche.

Reknid thestatis of worldli regalie,
Noumbre of men, gold, tresour & richesse,
Statli castelis, paleis on ech partie,
Conquest bi Fortune clymbyng to hih noblesse,
Cruel suerd conveied be wilfulnesse,
Poweer extort wiþ couetise oppressyng,
Cause destruccioun of many erthli kyng.

But in contrarie, who list hymsilf to knowe,
And is be grace enclyned to meeknesse,
Thouh he fro pouert in streihtnesse brouht up lowe
And is be vertu reised to worthynesse,
With sceptre of pes & suerd of rihtwisnesse
Indifferentli his doomys demenyng,—
Such oon is able to be cleped a kyng.

What is cheef cause, grounde & occasioun
That princis offte stonde in iupartie
Of worldli chaungis in soch dyuysioun,
Regnyng among hem the serpent of envie,
Symulacioun, feynyng, flaterie,
The sooth out serched, who-so list to look,
Be many tragedie expert in this book.

665

[How Bitynctus kyng of Auergnatis bi the Romayns was taken and deied in prisoun.]

Bytinctus next, of Auergnatis kyng,
Cam tofor Bochas gynnyng his compleynt,
Of his distresse the ordre rehersyng,
And how that he was maad feeble & feynt,
Ageyn the Romeyns myscheuousli atteynt,
Natwithstandyng, to meynteene his quarell
He cast of pride ageyn hem to rebell.

But it is first put in remembraunce,
How Auergnatis is a nacioun
Hangyng on Gaule, longyng vnto Fraunce,
Of which Bytynct stood in pocessioun,
Hauyng despiht in his oppynyoun
To the Romeyns any wise tobeie,
But proudli caste ageyn hem to werreie.

His labour was to stonden in fraunchise
And been at large from ther subieccioun.
Gan of pride ther lordshipe to despise,
Gadred peeple of presumpcioun,
Whom for to meete Fabius was sente doun,
A myhti consul, which knihtli took on honde
For that parti Bituitus to withstonde.

Of whos comyng Bituitus took disdeyn,
Because the folk which Fabius dide leede
Wer but fewe; & whan he hath hem seyn,
He seide of scorn: “this peeple, who taketh heede,
May nat suffise myn houndis for to feede
Whan thei be slayn; to fewe thei been in noumbre,
With multitude that I shal hem encoumbre.”

An hundred thousand in his vaunwarde he hadde,
That passe sholde of Auuerne the ryueer;
And foure score thousand beside that he ladde.
The consul Fabius mette hym with good cheer
Whan he was passid of Rodamus the daunger,
Fauht al the day til it drouh to niht;
The Romeyns wan; ther foon wer put to fliht.

666

At the ryuer, lik as seith the book,
Ther wer drownid & brouht to myschaunce
Fiffti thousand, as thei the watir took,
Thoruh Fortunys froward variaunce.
And bi a treyne, tencres of his greuaunce,
Bituitus take was of the Romeyns,
Dampnid to prysoun ther to deye in cheyns.

[How the tiraunt Euergetes weddid queen Cleopatras slouh hir eldist son, exilid his wif, weddid hir douhter.]

Afftir whos fall, pitous to reede & seen,
Off Epiphanes the grete Tholome
Cam the douhtir, Cleopatras þe queen,
Gan compleyne hir gret aduersite.
Hir furious sorwe diffacid hir beute,
Hir cheekis white, of blood & teris meynt,
Rent with hir handis, wer pitousli bespreynt.

To Philometer she weddid was afforn,
Whilom sone to Tholome the kyng;
And bi hir lord, in trewe wedlok born,
Too sonys she hadde, as be olde writyng.
Afftir whos deth anon vp[on] suyng,
To Euergetes, a prince yong of age,
She was ageyn ioyned in mariage.

Be title of hir in Egipt lord & sire,
Kyng of that lond, cruel & despitous,
Whos stori sheweth no kyngdam nor empire
May of themsilff make no man vertuous;
For lik a tigre this tiraunt furious,
Hir eldest sone, day of ther mariage,
Born to been heir, he slouh of mortal rage.

Nat aftir longe this extort cruelte,
Al-be thei hadde childre atween hem tweyne,
Out of Egipt he made hir for to flee,
And of malis gan at hir disdeyne.

667

I trowe she hadde mateer for to pleyne!
He took hir douhtir whan that she was gon,
Ageyn nature, & weddid hire anon.

She callid was Cleopatras also;
But Euergetes, to shewe hym mor vengable
Ageyn hir mooder, that was fro Egipt go,
The cite which was to hir fauourable
The peeple exiled, he, wood & vntretable,
In hir despiht[e] gaff that noble toun
Of hatful malis to straunge nacioun.

But whan he knew[e] thoruh his cruel deedis
And gan conceyue how he was coupable,
Sauh ageyn hym the manyfold hatreedis
And conspiraciouns of statis honourable,
He at large to be mor vengable,
Geyn Cleopatras to gynne an vnkouth striff,
Wente into exil with his newe wiff.

Gadred peeple his olde wiff tassaille,
On hir childre to shewe mor vengaunce,
A day assigned, heeld with hir bataille:
But which of hem was dryuen to vttraunce,
Myn auctour pleynli put nat in remembraunce.
But suyng after, thus of hym I reede,
How of malis he wrouhte a cruel deede,

Which to reherse is nouther good nor fair
But terrible & abhomynable:
He dismembred hir sone & his heir
On pecis smale, this tiraunt most vengable.
And whan the moodir sat at hir roial table,
With bodi & hed, at a solempnite,
Leet hir be serued of froward cruelte.

Wheroff al Egipt hadde indignacioun;
And for tauenge this cruel gret outrage
Thei took his platis, basnet, haberioun,
And his cotearmour wrouht of gret costage,
Fro ther templis rent out his image,
In tokne he was a tiraunt most atteynt,
Ech thyng diffacid that was of hym depeynt.

668

Whos hatful story, repleet of wrechchydnesse,
Ful of vengaunce & froward myscheeuys,—
Therfore I deeme Bochas list nat expresse
Mor of his lyff, fulfilled of al repreuys;
Off Cleopatra writ nat the fynal greeuys
In this chapitle, what fatal weie she took,
List the mateer sholde difface his book.

[How Iugurta by intrusioun of Munedy Kyng slouh rightful heires and aftir himsilf was drowned.]

Afftir this woful dedli auenture
Off Cleopatras, whos stori is ful old,
Cam Iugurta, þe manli man, to lure,
And to Iohn Bochas hath his tale told
Of his conquestis & deedis manyfold;
Subtil off wit, & as myn auctour seith,
Gaff litil force for to breke his feith.

But in ordre the stori to conveie
Of Iugurta & of his kynreede,—
Masmyssa kyng of Munedie, soth to seie,
His vnkle was; & also, as I reede,
The seid[e] kyng hadde a sone in deede,
Callid Misipsa, eldest be writyng,
Afftir his day born to regne as kyng.

This Masmyssa ordeyned aftirward,
Toforn his deth, off hool entencioun,
Because Iugurta was born a bastard,
To depruye [hym] off al successioun,
In his testament; but in conclusioun,
His sone Misipsa, aftirward maad kyng,
Was to Iugurta freendli & louyng.

Misipsa hadde too sonys, as I fynde;
The ton of hem callid Herbales,
The seconde, the stori maketh mynde,
Was that tyme namyd Hiemsales.

669

With whom Iugurta put hymselff in pres,
For tabide & duelle in speciall,
Lik as ther cosyn in ther court roiall.

Cherisshed ful weel because that he was wis
And riht likli of disposicioun,
Chose afftirward for a synguler pris
To gon to Spaigne to helpe Scipioun
Geyn Numentaynes, a famous myhti toun.
And ther Iugurta so knihtli hath begonne,
That bi his noblesse the toun anon was wonne.

And to remembre his knihthod of entent,
His worthynesse & his hih renoun,
To Micipsa lettres wer doun sent
Bi the forseid worthi Scipioun;
Which gaff so gret a comendacioun
To Iugurta, hym callyng in that werre
Of manli prowesse the yong[e] lodesterre.

Off kyng Micipsa receyued notabli,
Callid hym sone bi adopcioun;
The kynge ded soone, Iugurta traitourli
Slouh Hiemsales, heir be successioun,
He of that rewm to haue pocesseoun.
This was his custum, how-euer his title stood,
Bi slauhtre & moordre for to gete good.

He list to goddis do no reuerence,
Of his nature wilful & rekles,
Hauyng nouther remors nor conscience
Touchyng the slauhtre of Hiemsales,
Falsli practised for his owne encres.
For which[e] moordre Romeyns han sent doun
A consuleer to doon correccioun,

Calipurnyus callid, that was sent
Onli to pun[y]she that horrible deede;
But with tresour his eien wer so blent,
Of execusioun that he took non heede.
The Romeyn[e]s ouercome with meede

670

Gaff to Iugurta, bi collusioun,
Off this moordre a coloured fals pardoun.

Bi which he took a maner hardynesse
Of tirannye in hym weel exercised,
Gadred peeple, of hatful cursidnesse,
And in hymsilff gan crueli deuise
Texecute the silue same guise
Of fals[e] moordre,—I meene now non othir,—
To slen Herbales, the seconde brothir,

That he allone bi fals intrusioun
Of Numedie myhte be lord & kyng.
Thus of his cruelte, moordre & fals tresoun
The noise was born by langage & writyng,
Of which the griffis, falsli abrod spreedyng,
Brouht[e] foorth in hyndryng of his name
Frut of disclaundre & report of diffame.

Mortal tresoun was curid vndir flours,
To saue hymsilff bi sum subtilite,
And specialli with his gret tresours
Tappese the senat, yiff it wolde ha bee;
But ther ageyn[e]s al the comounte
Made ageyn hym a coniuracioun,
On his fals moordre to do correccioun.

Foure thousand men of armys wer doun sent
With a pretour Icallid Actilius;
The which[e] pretour sette al his entent
To gadre tresour; for he was coueitous:
And couetise is contrarious
Vnto knihthod, as auctours alle expresse,
And stepmooder vnto worthynesse.

A siege he leide aboute a myhti tour,
Wheryn Iugurta put al his richesse.
The siege was leid for loue of that tresour
Mor than for worshepe or for worthynesse;
Wherbi he loste his name & his noblesse.
Ther discounfited, brouht vnto myschaunce,
Afftir for meede made his alliaunce

671

With Iugurta, to his encres of shame,
Caused Affrik thoruh fals[e] cheuisaunce,
Thei togidre disclaundrid be diffame,
Them to withdrawe fro thobeissaunce
Of the Romeyns; & mor themsilff tauaunce,
To ther purpos, coruptid with tresour
Many tribun & many senatour.

Of newe ageyn, al the comounte
Fro Roome sente Gayus Marrius,
For the moordres & horrible cruelte
Wrouht bi Iugurta, the tiraunt furious.
Which to refourme the said Gayus,
A consuler, of purpos was sent doun,
A manli knyht & famous of renoun.

Ful notabli the werris he began,
Wrouht euery thyng of hih[e] prouidence;
And Fortune, which helpeth hardi man,
Gaff hym gret fauour bi hir influence.
And aldirfirst he dede his dilligence
From hym tauoide al that wer vicious,
Delicat peeple & folkis lecherous.

A day was set & taken of bataille;
But Iugurta bi fals subtilite
Proffreth gret good, which myht[e] nat auaille,
To haue corupt, yif it wolde haue be,
The said Marius; but euer in o degre
He stood ay stable, vpriht as a wall,
And took non heed to his proffre attall.

Than Iugurta, in parti disespeired,
Gretly astonid withynne hymsilff musyng,
Ful lik a man hyndred & appeired,
He gan purpose anon a newe thyng:
Of Mauritayne he wente to the kyng
To gete helpe, which callid was Boccus,
Hym to socoure ageyn[es] this Gayus.

672

Tween hem was maad of newe an alliaunce,
The whiche laste but a litil space;
For kyng Boccus gan falle in repentaunce,
Caste he wolde resorte to the grace
Off the Romeyns & no mor trespace.
And to parfourme this entencioun,
He made to Gayus this mediacioun:

Ther was oon Scilla, callid a questour,
Of Gayus hoost[e] hadde gouernaunce;
For kyng Boccus he was mediatour,
That ther was new[e]li accordaunce
Tween hym & Gayus; & bi the purueiaunce
Off this Boccus Iugurta anon was hent,
Maugre his myht, & to Gayus sent.

And al his kyngdam withoute resistence
Geyn to Romeyns cam vnder obeissaunce.
And Marius forgaff them ther offence,
Resceyueth hem vndir assuraunce,
That he shal nat be doom do no vengaunce,
To punshe the trespacis which thei dede afforn,
The space acountid fro tyme thei wer born.

Iugurta taken, almost for anger mad,
Brouhte to Roome & fetrid in prisoun,
To Tarpeia an hih hill he was lad,
Iugement youe for his fals tresoun,
Bounde to a ston & aftir throwe doun
Fro the place, ful hih[e] ther he stood,
Withoute merci into Tibre flood.

[Lenuoye.]

This may be weel callid a tragedie,
Be discripcioun takyng auctorite;
For tragedie, as poetes spesephie,
Gynneth with ioie, eendith with aduersite:
From hih estat [men] cast in low degre,
Exaumple taken, this story seyn ariht,
Of Iugurta, that was first a good kniht.

At his gynnyng famous in cheualrie,
Gat Numentaigne, of Spaigne a gret cite;
But in repeiryng hom to that partie,—

673

I meene whan he cam hom to his contre,—
He chaunged knihthod into cruelte,
With couetise so bleendid was the siht
Of Iugurta, that was first a good kniht.

His witte, his poweer he hooli dede applie
To hatful moordre, fraude & subtilite,
Bextort title hymsilff to magnefie
Slouh rihtful heires, refft hem ther liberte,
Bi fals intrusioun clamb up to ther see,
And gaff no fors, wher it wer wrong or riht,
A thyng contrary to eueri worthi kniht.

Noble Princis, lefft up your hertis eye,
Withyne your-silff remembreth & doth see
Off this moordre[r] the hatful tirannye,
With oppressiouns doon to the comounte:
His gynnyng good; a cursid eende had he.
Moordre crieth vengaunce day & niht,—
A thyng contrary to eueri worthi kniht.

Explicit liber quintus. Incipit liber vjtus.

675

PART III