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

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.

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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.

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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,