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 Andriscus of lowe birth born hauyng no title
of Macedoyne kyng was taken and deied in prisoun.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[How Andriscus of lowe birth born hauyng no title of Macedoyne kyng was taken and deied in prisoun.]
Bvt of o thyng Fortune is to blame,
That she is so chaungable of corage,
To sette a boy, vnknowe of birthe & fame,
Bi fals errour upon a roial stage:
For oon Andriscus bi surquedous outrage,
Withoute title, be subtil compassyng,
Of Macedoyne took on hym to be kyng.
That she is so chaungable of corage,
To sette a boy, vnknowe of birthe & fame,
Bi fals errour upon a roial stage:
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Withoute title, be subtil compassyng,
Of Macedoyne took on hym to be kyng.
Colour was non his cleym to make stable,
Except that he of cheer & off visage
Was to kyng Phelipp of fetures most semblable,
Wherbi the peeple in ther furious rage
Cauhte oppynyoun, of wilful fals dotage,
Ageyn resoun, [as] Bochas doth descryue,
That kyng Phelipp was rise fro deth to lyue,
Except that he of cheer & off visage
Was to kyng Phelipp of fetures most semblable,
Wherbi the peeple in ther furious rage
Cauhte oppynyoun, of wilful fals dotage,
Ageyn resoun, [as] Bochas doth descryue,
That kyng Phelipp was rise fro deth to lyue,
Whilom fadir to Persa, as I tolde.
And for Andriscus, brouht up in wrechchidnesse,
In presence both of yong & old
Was bold to cleyme be title of rihtwisnesse,
Shewyng no ground but personel liknesse,
Mokkyng the peeple, which bi ther fauour
Of roial dignite resceyueth the honour.
And for Andriscus, brouht up in wrechchidnesse,
In presence both of yong & old
Was bold to cleyme be title of rihtwisnesse,
Shewyng no ground but personel liknesse,
Mokkyng the peeple, which bi ther fauour
Of roial dignite resceyueth the honour.
Thus he that was fostred as a wrech
In miserie and eek in pouerte,
Fro poore bed his hornis dede up strechche
To holde a sceptre of kyngli dignite.
And bi the support of the comounte
He gan wexe pompous and elat,—
Brouht up of nouht, whan he stood in estat.
In miserie and eek in pouerte,
Fro poore bed his hornis dede up strechche
To holde a sceptre of kyngli dignite.
And bi the support of the comounte
He gan wexe pompous and elat,—
Brouht up of nouht, whan he stood in estat.
Nothyng mor cruel, nor nothyng more vengable,
Nor mor hasti to execucioun,
Nor mor deynous, nor mor vntretable,
Than whan a beggere hath domynacioun:
A curre mor froward than a strong leoun.
And semblabli, non so gret cruelte
As whan a wrech is set in dignite.
Nor mor hasti to execucioun,
Nor mor deynous, nor mor vntretable,
Than whan a beggere hath domynacioun:
A curre mor froward than a strong leoun.
And semblabli, non so gret cruelte
As whan a wrech is set in dignite.
This Andriscus in his roial chaieer,
Texecute his hatful cruelte
Gadred peeple in contres ferr & neer
In Macedoyne; & of old enmyte
Began maligne geyn Roome the cite.
But to withsette his froward fals entent,
Oon Iuuencius, a pretour, was doun sent.
Texecute his hatful cruelte
Gadred peeple in contres ferr & neer
In Macedoyne; & of old enmyte
Began maligne geyn Roome the cite.
But to withsette his froward fals entent,
Oon Iuuencius, a pretour, was doun sent.
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But because that he was necligent,
And of despiht[e] took of hym non heede,
He was outraied, & bi Andriscus shent,
With al the peeple that he dede leede.
But the Romeyns, of hope bet to speede,
Han sent Metellus, a ful manli kniht,
To Macedoyne to meete [hym] anon riht.
And of despiht[e] took of hym non heede,
He was outraied, & bi Andriscus shent,
With al the peeple that he dede leede.
But the Romeyns, of hope bet to speede,
Han sent Metellus, a ful manli kniht,
To Macedoyne to meete [hym] anon riht.
This worthi man list nat longe tarie,
Set proudli on in hope it sholde auaille,
Made Macedoyne to Roome tributarie,
Took Andriscus manli in bataille,
Brouht hym to Roome with myhti apparaille,
And made hym lyn fetrid in prisoun
For his outraious fals presumpcioun.
Set proudli on in hope it sholde auaille,
Made Macedoyne to Roome tributarie,
Took Andriscus manli in bataille,
Brouht hym to Roome with myhti apparaille,
And made hym lyn fetrid in prisoun
For his outraious fals presumpcioun.
Thus for his froward vsurpacioun,
That he was hawteyn in his prosperite,
Knew nat hymsilff thoruh fals abusioun,
Blent with a myst of blynd felicite,
List nat remembre of his first pouerte,
Whom to chastise Fortune brouht[e] lowe,
Because he list nat hymselven for to knowe.
That he was hawteyn in his prosperite,
Knew nat hymsilff thoruh fals abusioun,
Blent with a myst of blynd felicite,
List nat remembre of his first pouerte,
Whom to chastise Fortune brouht[e] lowe,
Because he list nat hymselven for to knowe.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |