Lydgate's Fall of Princes Edited by Dr. Henry Bergen ... presented to The Early English Text Society by The Carnegie Institution of Washington |
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[How Cleomens ky[ng] of Macedoyne was slayn with his wif and childre.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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,
And hadde hir sone, the stori tellith thus,
Callid Phelipp, for youthe in his keepyng,
Therbi pretendyng a title to be kyng.
The name of whom was Antigonus;
And he had weddid, the book makth mencioun,
The olde queen of kyng Demetrius,
594
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |