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 |  |
[Lenuoye.]
This may be weel callid a tragedie,
Be discripcioun takyng auctorite;
For tragedie, as poetes spesephie,
Gynneth with ioie, eendith with aduersite:
From hih estat [men] cast in low degre,
Exaumple taken, this story seyn ariht,
Of Iugurta, that was first a good kniht.
Be discripcioun takyng auctorite;
For tragedie, as poetes spesephie,
Gynneth with ioie, eendith with aduersite:
From hih estat [men] cast in low degre,
Exaumple taken, this story seyn ariht,
Of Iugurta, that was first a good kniht.
At his gynnyng famous in cheualrie,
Gat Numentaigne, of Spaigne a gret cite;
But in repeiryng hom to that partie,—
I meene whan he cam hom to his contre,—
He chaunged knihthod into cruelte,
With couetise so bleendid was the siht
Of Iugurta, that was first a good kniht.
Gat Numentaigne, of Spaigne a gret cite;
But in repeiryng hom to that partie,—
673
He chaunged knihthod into cruelte,
With couetise so bleendid was the siht
Of Iugurta, that was first a good kniht.
His witte, his poweer he hooli dede applie
To hatful moordre, fraude & subtilite,
Bextort title hymsilff to magnefie
Slouh rihtful heires, refft hem ther liberte,
Bi fals intrusioun clamb up to ther see,
And gaff no fors, wher it wer wrong or riht,
A thyng contrary to eueri worthi kniht.
To hatful moordre, fraude & subtilite,
Bextort title hymsilff to magnefie
Slouh rihtful heires, refft hem ther liberte,
Bi fals intrusioun clamb up to ther see,
And gaff no fors, wher it wer wrong or riht,
A thyng contrary to eueri worthi kniht.
Noble Princis, lefft up your hertis eye,
Withyne your-silff remembreth & doth see
Off this moordre[r] the hatful tirannye,
With oppressiouns doon to the comounte:
His gynnyng good; a cursid eende had he.
Moordre crieth vengaunce day & niht,—
A thyng contrary to eueri worthi kniht.
Withyne your-silff remembreth & doth see
Off this moordre[r] the hatful tirannye,
With oppressiouns doon to the comounte:
His gynnyng good; a cursid eende had he.
Moordre crieth vengaunce day & niht,—
A thyng contrary to eueri worthi kniht.
Explicit liber quintus.
Incipit liber vjtus.
675
PART III
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |