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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| I. |
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| II. |
| III. |
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| IV. |
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| V. |
[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.] |
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| VII. |
| VIII. |
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| IX. |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |