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 |  |
[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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |