Lydgate's Fall of Princes Edited by Dr. Henry Bergen ... presented to The Early English Text Society by The Carnegie Institution of Washington |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[Here Bochas writeth ayenst hem þat delite in beute & semlynesse, calling to purpos how, A man, born in Tuscan which excellid in beute and fairenesse, and for his beute sholdenot geve othir occasioun to synne he disfigured his visage with many a grete wounde and spotte.]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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,
Vpon their stalkis—ther preef is alday seyn—
Been beten doun with a stormy reyn.
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,
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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.
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.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |