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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[An exclamacioun of Bochas ageyn al proude men/
shewyng how god may them and theire pride
whan him best list by many dyuers menes and wayes punysshe & chastise.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[An exclamacioun of Bochas ageyn al proude men/ shewyng how god may them and theire pride whan him best list by many dyuers menes and wayes punysshe & chastise.]
Ye all proude, most royall in your flouris,
Which that most truste for to regne longe,
Dressith up your rochis & your touris,
And ageyn God make your-siluen stronge,
And lat your power proudli vndirfonge
Your-silff with pride for to magnefie,
Ageyns the heuene to holden chaumpartie.
Which that most truste for to regne longe,
Dressith up your rochis & your touris,
And ageyn God make your-siluen stronge,
And lat your power proudli vndirfonge
Your-silff with pride for to magnefie,
Ageyns the heuene to holden chaumpartie.
Beeldith your castellis, reiseth hem vp on heihte
Off adamantis [with iren] stronge Ibounde,
With squar[e] stonys, large & huge off weihte,
Reise up your wallis, most myhti and profounde,
And shet your dongouns with myhti cheynys rounde,
Let men off armys, who-euer wake or sleepe,
Nyht & day your wacch so streihtli keepe,
Off adamantis [with iren] stronge Ibounde,
With squar[e] stonys, large & huge off weihte,
Reise up your wallis, most myhti and profounde,
And shet your dongouns with myhti cheynys rounde,
Let men off armys, who-euer wake or sleepe,
Nyht & day your wacch so streihtli keepe,
As God nor man, in your opynyouns,
Your forteressis ne myhte nat assaile,
Your castellis nor your stronge dongouns
Stuffid with men and plente off vitaile,
Lik to stonde euere and neuere for to faile,
As God nat myhte a-geyn your fals puissaunce
Whan-euer hym list off riht to do vengaunce!
Your forteressis ne myhte nat assaile,
Your castellis nor your stronge dongouns
Stuffid with men and plente off vitaile,
Lik to stonde euere and neuere for to faile,
As God nat myhte a-geyn your fals puissaunce
Whan-euer hym list off riht to do vengaunce!
Settith afforn your eyen that be blynde
The monstruous werk off grete Babiloun;
The pride off Nembroth ther was put behynde,
Maugre his myht, and his tour smet doun:
For al the crafft off werkman or masoun
Destroied was with a sodeyn leuene,
Tauenge his pride sent a-doun fro heuene.
The monstruous werk off grete Babiloun;
The pride off Nembroth ther was put behynde,
Maugre his myht, and his tour smet doun:
For al the crafft off werkman or masoun
Destroied was with a sodeyn leuene,
Tauenge his pride sent a-doun fro heuene.
For thouh your strengthes so assurid be,
That noon engyn may therto atteyne,
Gunne nor bumbard bi no subtilite,
Shot off arblast nor touch off dundeyne;
Yit God that is lord and souereyne,
Which lich desertis can bothe spille and saue,
Mai al confounde with an erthe-quaue.
That noon engyn may therto atteyne,
Gunne nor bumbard bi no subtilite,
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Yit God that is lord and souereyne,
Which lich desertis can bothe spille and saue,
Mai al confounde with an erthe-quaue.
Myn auctour axith, what castel or what tour
May be so strong[e] maad in any wise,
But that be mene off sum fals tretour,
Or be sum weie that he can deuise,
It may be lost or sold for couetise
And delyuered, for al ther stronge bondis,
Into the power off enmyes hondis.
May be so strong[e] maad in any wise,
But that be mene off sum fals tretour,
Or be sum weie that he can deuise,
It may be lost or sold for couetise
And delyuered, for al ther stronge bondis,
Into the power off enmyes hondis.
Or bi sum other sodeyn auenture,
Castellis, citees and many a riche toun
Han been lost; thei myhte hem nat assure
For to resiste a-geyn[e]s fals tresoun:
Summe ha be lost eek bi rebellioun;
And alle these menys, the trouthe to be-gynne,
Ys but punshyng which God sent for synne.
Castellis, citees and many a riche toun
Han been lost; thei myhte hem nat assure
For to resiste a-geyn[e]s fals tresoun:
Summe ha be lost eek bi rebellioun;
And alle these menys, the trouthe to be-gynne,
Ys but punshyng which God sent for synne.
God hath a thousand handis to chastise,
A thousand dartis off punycioun,
A thousand bowes maad in vnkouth wise,
A thousand arblastis bent in his dongoun,
Ordeyned echon for castigacioun;
But where he fynt meeknesse & repentaunce,
Mercy is maistresse off his ordynaunce.
A thousand dartis off punycioun,
A thousand bowes maad in vnkouth wise,
A thousand arblastis bent in his dongoun,
Ordeyned echon for castigacioun;
But where he fynt meeknesse & repentaunce,
Mercy is maistresse off his ordynaunce.
Ye that be wise, considreth how the roote
Off vicis alle is pride, ye may weel see;
Pullith hym doun and put hym vndir foote
And tak your counseil off humilite:
And yff ye list [to] stonde in surete,
Beeldith in herte for mor sekirnesse
A tour off vertues groundid on meeknesse,
Off vicis alle is pride, ye may weel see;
Pullith hym doun and put hym vndir foote
And tak your counseil off humilite:
And yff ye list [to] stonde in surete,
Beeldith in herte for mor sekirnesse
A tour off vertues groundid on meeknesse,
Whos masonrie is off no costage,
Off vertues ground and souereyne,
Blast off wyndis and off wedris rage,
Nor no tempest hasti nor sodeyne,
Pompe nor bost, thouh thei doon her peyne,
This vertu meeknesse for to vndirmyne,—
Thei be to feeble to make hire for tenclyne.
Off vertues ground and souereyne,
Blast off wyndis and off wedris rage,
Nor no tempest hasti nor sodeyne,
Pompe nor bost, thouh thei doon her peyne,
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Thei be to feeble to make hire for tenclyne.
For wher meeknesse is groundid verraily,
Thouh he sumwhile feele aduersite,
He passith ouer and suffreth paciently
And venguisshith al maner enmite,
Thassaut also and the contrariouste
Off infortune, and off worldli trouble,
And off victory conquereth a palme double.
Thouh he sumwhile feele aduersite,
He passith ouer and suffreth paciently
And venguisshith al maner enmite,
Thassaut also and the contrariouste
Off infortune, and off worldli trouble,
And off victory conquereth a palme double.
And thouh meeknesse a-myd the flodis flowe
Off worldli myscheeff and persecucioun,
Whil Pacience in hir boot doth rowe,
Thouh froward wawes posse hir up & doun,
A calm shal folwe off consolacioun,
Whan sterne wyndis ther blastis ha[ue] leid lowe,
The name off meeknesse shal shewe & be knowe.
Off worldli myscheeff and persecucioun,
Whil Pacience in hir boot doth rowe,
Thouh froward wawes posse hir up & doun,
A calm shal folwe off consolacioun,
Whan sterne wyndis ther blastis ha[ue] leid lowe,
The name off meeknesse shal shewe & be knowe.
She may be troublid, but ouercome neuere;
But for a tyme she may suffer werre,
But atte eende she venquisshith euere,
On londe and se, wher she be nyh or ferre:
To the hauene off lyff she was our lodesterre,
I take record on the humylite
Off Mary, so blissid mut she be.
But for a tyme she may suffer werre,
But atte eende she venquisshith euere,
On londe and se, wher she be nyh or ferre:
To the hauene off lyff she was our lodesterre,
I take record on the humylite
Off Mary, so blissid mut she be.
The roote off meeknesse flourith up so faire,
Whos beute dredith no tribulaciouns;
In somer, wyntir his flouris nat appaire,
And hir frut last in al maner sesouns:
Pride may assaile with his bostful souns,
But fynaly for hir encres off glorie,
With humblesse she wynnith the victorie.
Whos beute dredith no tribulaciouns;
In somer, wyntir his flouris nat appaire,
And hir frut last in al maner sesouns:
Pride may assaile with his bostful souns,
But fynaly for hir encres off glorie,
With humblesse she wynnith the victorie.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |