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 the tiraunt Euergetes weddid queen Cleopatras
slouh hir eldist son, exilid his wif, weddid hir douhter.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[How the tiraunt Euergetes weddid queen Cleopatras slouh hir eldist son, exilid his wif, weddid hir douhter.]
Afftir whos fall, pitous to reede & seen,
Off Epiphanes the grete Tholome
Cam the douhtir, Cleopatras þe queen,
Gan compleyne hir gret aduersite.
Hir furious sorwe diffacid hir beute,
Hir cheekis white, of blood & teris meynt,
Rent with hir handis, wer pitousli bespreynt.
Off Epiphanes the grete Tholome
Cam the douhtir, Cleopatras þe queen,
Gan compleyne hir gret aduersite.
Hir furious sorwe diffacid hir beute,
Hir cheekis white, of blood & teris meynt,
Rent with hir handis, wer pitousli bespreynt.
To Philometer she weddid was afforn,
Whilom sone to Tholome the kyng;
And bi hir lord, in trewe wedlok born,
Too sonys she hadde, as be olde writyng.
Afftir whos deth anon vp[on] suyng,
To Euergetes, a prince yong of age,
She was ageyn ioyned in mariage.
Whilom sone to Tholome the kyng;
And bi hir lord, in trewe wedlok born,
Too sonys she hadde, as be olde writyng.
Afftir whos deth anon vp[on] suyng,
To Euergetes, a prince yong of age,
She was ageyn ioyned in mariage.
Be title of hir in Egipt lord & sire,
Kyng of that lond, cruel & despitous,
Whos stori sheweth no kyngdam nor empire
May of themsilff make no man vertuous;
For lik a tigre this tiraunt furious,
Hir eldest sone, day of ther mariage,
Born to been heir, he slouh of mortal rage.
Kyng of that lond, cruel & despitous,
Whos stori sheweth no kyngdam nor empire
May of themsilff make no man vertuous;
For lik a tigre this tiraunt furious,
Hir eldest sone, day of ther mariage,
Born to been heir, he slouh of mortal rage.
Nat aftir longe this extort cruelte,
Al-be thei hadde childre atween hem tweyne,
Out of Egipt he made hir for to flee,
And of malis gan at hir disdeyne.
I trowe she hadde mateer for to pleyne!
He took hir douhtir whan that she was gon,
Ageyn nature, & weddid hire anon.
Al-be thei hadde childre atween hem tweyne,
Out of Egipt he made hir for to flee,
And of malis gan at hir disdeyne.
667
He took hir douhtir whan that she was gon,
Ageyn nature, & weddid hire anon.
She callid was Cleopatras also;
But Euergetes, to shewe hym mor vengable
Ageyn hir mooder, that was fro Egipt go,
The cite which was to hir fauourable
The peeple exiled, he, wood & vntretable,
In hir despiht[e] gaff that noble toun
Of hatful malis to straunge nacioun.
But Euergetes, to shewe hym mor vengable
Ageyn hir mooder, that was fro Egipt go,
The cite which was to hir fauourable
The peeple exiled, he, wood & vntretable,
In hir despiht[e] gaff that noble toun
Of hatful malis to straunge nacioun.
But whan he knew[e] thoruh his cruel deedis
And gan conceyue how he was coupable,
Sauh ageyn hym the manyfold hatreedis
And conspiraciouns of statis honourable,
He at large to be mor vengable,
Geyn Cleopatras to gynne an vnkouth striff,
Wente into exil with his newe wiff.
And gan conceyue how he was coupable,
Sauh ageyn hym the manyfold hatreedis
And conspiraciouns of statis honourable,
He at large to be mor vengable,
Geyn Cleopatras to gynne an vnkouth striff,
Wente into exil with his newe wiff.
Gadred peeple his olde wiff tassaille,
On hir childre to shewe mor vengaunce,
A day assigned, heeld with hir bataille:
But which of hem was dryuen to vttraunce,
Myn auctour pleynli put nat in remembraunce.
But suyng after, thus of hym I reede,
How of malis he wrouhte a cruel deede,
On hir childre to shewe mor vengaunce,
A day assigned, heeld with hir bataille:
But which of hem was dryuen to vttraunce,
Myn auctour pleynli put nat in remembraunce.
But suyng after, thus of hym I reede,
How of malis he wrouhte a cruel deede,
Which to reherse is nouther good nor fair
But terrible & abhomynable:
He dismembred hir sone & his heir
On pecis smale, this tiraunt most vengable.
And whan the moodir sat at hir roial table,
With bodi & hed, at a solempnite,
Leet hir be serued of froward cruelte.
But terrible & abhomynable:
He dismembred hir sone & his heir
On pecis smale, this tiraunt most vengable.
And whan the moodir sat at hir roial table,
With bodi & hed, at a solempnite,
Leet hir be serued of froward cruelte.
Wheroff al Egipt hadde indignacioun;
And for tauenge this cruel gret outrage
Thei took his platis, basnet, haberioun,
And his cotearmour wrouht of gret costage,
Fro ther templis rent out his image,
In tokne he was a tiraunt most atteynt,
Ech thyng diffacid that was of hym depeynt.
And for tauenge this cruel gret outrage
Thei took his platis, basnet, haberioun,
And his cotearmour wrouht of gret costage,
Fro ther templis rent out his image,
In tokne he was a tiraunt most atteynt,
Ech thyng diffacid that was of hym depeynt.
668
Whos hatful story, repleet of wrechchydnesse,
Ful of vengaunce & froward myscheeuys,—
Therfore I deeme Bochas list nat expresse
Mor of his lyff, fulfilled of al repreuys;
Off Cleopatra writ nat the fynal greeuys
In this chapitle, what fatal weie she took,
List the mateer sholde difface his book.
Ful of vengaunce & froward myscheeuys,—
Therfore I deeme Bochas list nat expresse
Mor of his lyff, fulfilled of al repreuys;
Off Cleopatra writ nat the fynal greeuys
In this chapitle, what fatal weie she took,
List the mateer sholde difface his book.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |