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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[Here Bochas writeth of the rebellions and sedicions
in Rome, betwixt Tribunys and comouns.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[Here Bochas writeth of the rebellions and sedicions in Rome, betwixt Tribunys and comouns.]
Folwyng myn auctour in stories merveilous,
I mut now write the strong rebelliouns
Of Gaivs first & of Tiberius,
And of ther grete hatful sediciouns
Meued in Roome tween tribuns & comouns;
And bi ther stryues how thei gan conspire
For tatteyne falsli to thempire.
I mut now write the strong rebelliouns
Of Gaivs first & of Tiberius,
And of ther grete hatful sediciouns
Meued in Roome tween tribuns & comouns;
And bi ther stryues how thei gan conspire
For tatteyne falsli to thempire.
The yeer sixe hundred be computacioun,
Gayus Graccus maad tribun in that age,
Aftir the cites first fundacioun,
Which turnyd aftir to ful gret damage
Of comoun proffit; for bi the mortal rage,
Tumulte & noise of comouns in the toun,
Caused a gret part of ther destruccioun.
Gayus Graccus maad tribun in that age,
Aftir the cites first fundacioun,
Which turnyd aftir to ful gret damage
Of comoun proffit; for bi the mortal rage,
Tumulte & noise of comouns in the toun,
Caused a gret part of ther destruccioun.
For in departyng of chaumpayne heritages
Atwen the worthi & poore of the cite
Bi egal porciouns, Graccus with fair langages
Hadde gretli meued al the comounte.
Bi which occasioun, in stori men may see,
Anothir Graccus, callid the secounde,
Was slayn in Roome & lowe leid on grounde.
Atwen the worthi & poore of the cite
Bi egal porciouns, Graccus with fair langages
Hadde gretli meued al the comounte.
Bi which occasioun, in stori men may see,
Anothir Graccus, callid the secounde,
Was slayn in Roome & lowe leid on grounde.
657
Aftir this deth of Graccus, as I reede,
Was chose a tribun callid Munycius,
Which fordede the lawes alle in deede
Of olde Graccus callid[e] Gayus.
But he that was named Tiberius,
With help of Flaccus, tribuns of estat,
In the Capitoile began a gret debat.
Was chose a tribun callid Munycius,
Which fordede the lawes alle in deede
Of olde Graccus callid[e] Gayus.
But he that was named Tiberius,
With help of Flaccus, tribuns of estat,
In the Capitoile began a gret debat.
Thei wer supported bi the comounte,
Bi vois of peeple, the woord of no man knowe;
For Graccus parti hih upon a tre
A trompet stood & proudli gan to blowe,
Which slay[e]n was, & fro the tre doun throwe,
Bi which[e] slauhtre, the book makth rehersaile,
Graccus wex feeble; his parti gan to faille:
Bi vois of peeple, the woord of no man knowe;
For Graccus parti hih upon a tre
A trompet stood & proudli gan to blowe,
Which slay[e]n was, & fro the tre doun throwe,
Bi which[e] slauhtre, the book makth rehersaile,
Graccus wex feeble; his parti gan to faille:
For dreed he fledde into the teritorie
Of Ianus temple, ran up to a tour.
Whan Tiberius, as put is in memorie,
Sauh in the cite he hadde no fauour,
Disespeired knew no bet socour,
Swerd set at brest [in] presence of Mynerue,
Fulli purposed afforn hir for to sterue.
Of Ianus temple, ran up to a tour.
Whan Tiberius, as put is in memorie,
Sauh in the cite he hadde no fauour,
Disespeired knew no bet socour,
Swerd set at brest [in] presence of Mynerue,
Fulli purposed afforn hir for to sterue.
Ther stood on bi & drouh his hand abak;
Fro that purpos made hym to declyne.
Thus Graccus parti goth day be day to wrak,
And Flakkus took the temple of Lucyne,—
His sone, his freendis [&] almost al his lyne,—
Thei kept them strong; but maugre þer diffence
Thei wer ther slayn be sturdi violence.
Fro that purpos made hym to declyne.
Thus Graccus parti goth day be day to wrak,
And Flakkus took the temple of Lucyne,—
His sone, his freendis [&] almost al his lyne,—
Thei kept them strong; but maugre þer diffence
Thei wer ther slayn be sturdi violence.
Whil Graccus freendis fauht for his partie,
And he hymsilff constreyned was for dreed
To preye a boy of his cumpanye,
To take a suerd & smyte[n] of his hed.
Set on a spere with the blood maad red,
Sent it his mooder, compleynyng in hir teene,
Into hir castel that callid was Misseene.
And he hymsilff constreyned was for dreed
To preye a boy of his cumpanye,
To take a suerd & smyte[n] of his hed.
Set on a spere with the blood maad red,
Sent it his mooder, compleynyng in hir teene,
Into hir castel that callid was Misseene.
658
Namyd Cornelia his moder was in deede,
Whilom douhtir to grete Scipioun.
Hir children alle slay[e]n, as I reede,
And Graccus goodis achetid to the toun.
Therof afftir maad a dyuysioun
Bi iugement thoruhout[e] the cite,
Wher most was neede among the comounte.
Whilom douhtir to grete Scipioun.
Hir children alle slay[e]n, as I reede,
And Graccus goodis achetid to the toun.
Therof afftir maad a dyuysioun
Bi iugement thoruhout[e] the cite,
Wher most was neede among the comounte.
Of Graccus side fyue hundred slayn & twain
Vpon an hill[e] callid Auentyne.
And Oppynyus, a consul, dede his peyne
Of ther conspiryng the ground to serche & myne.
And Flaccus parti to brynge to ruyne,
He slouh too thousand bi hasti iuggement,
Amongis which was many an innocent.
Vpon an hill[e] callid Auentyne.
And Oppynyus, a consul, dede his peyne
Of ther conspiryng the ground to serche & myne.
And Flaccus parti to brynge to ruyne,
He slouh too thousand bi hasti iuggement,
Amongis which was many an innocent.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |