Lydgate's Fall of Princes :: :: University of Virginia Library

This stori eendid, last of þe sixte book,
Bochas weri, thouhte for the beste,
Of gret trauaile oppressid in his look,
Fill in a slombre lenyng on a cheste,
Fulli in purpos to haue take his reste.
But euene as he sholde his reste haue take,
Cam a gret pres & made hym to a-wake.

First of that felashipe cam the sone & heir
Of Antonye, with blood spreynt al his weede,
Callid eek Antonye, falle in gret dispeir
Cause Octoyuan bar to hym hatreede,
Whos suerde he fledde, quakyng in his dreede,
To an old temple socour for to haue,
Trustyng fro deth the place sholde hym saue.

In that temple Cesar was deified,
Of whom be Romeyns set up a gret image;
But whan he sauh [that] he was espied,
He ran to Iulius hih upon the stage,
Gan hym tenbrace in his pitous rage,—
He, rent awey be sodeyn violence,
Vnwarli slayn; ther geyned no diffence.

Next in ordre cam Cesarius,
Of whom ther fill a wonder pitous caas,
Whilom begete of Cesar Iulius
Vpon the yonge faire Cleopatras,
Slayn in his youthe, thus writeth Bochas,
As Octouyan dide hymsilff assigne,
For he geyn Romeyns sholde nat maligne.

776

Folwyng in ordre, Iulia began
Hir greuous compleynt to Bochas specefie,
Whilom douhtir to grete Octouyan,
With weepyng eyen gan to houle & crie,
Which bi hir fadir to punshe hir lecherie
Exilid was out of hir contre,
For lak of socour deide in pouerte.

Hir sone Agrippa, yong & tendre of age,
Born off hih blood[e], Bochas doth expresse,
Cam next in ordre, pale of his visage,
Which spent his tyme in slombre & idilnesse,
Froward to vertu; & for his wrechidnesse
Octovyan, which was gret[e] routhe,
Suffrid hym deie at myscheeff for his slouthe.

Afftir Agrippa cam forth anon riht
Cassius of Parme, a famous gret contre,
Which in Itaille was holde a manli knyht,
With Marc Antonye weel cherisshed & secre,
Bood in his court, & therwithal parde
Gretli allowed, first for his cheualrie,
And for his notable famous poisye.

And therwithal he hadde in existence
A riht gret name & stood in gret fauour
For his knihthod & for his hih prudence.
Afftir accusid vnto the emperour
Octouyan for a coniuratour,
He sholde haue bee of froward fals entent
To Iulius deth fulli of assent.

For which be biddyng of Octouyan
Take he was, beyng but yong of age;
And as myn auctour weel remembre can,
Brouht tofor Iulius hih upon a stage,
Ther offrid up onto his ymage
Be cruel deth, the stori tellith thus,
For the fals moordre of Cesar Iulius.

777

Aftir the deth of saide Cassius,
Another cam of Roome the cite,
Which, as I reede, callid was Galbus,
Of a pretour hauyng the dignite;
And for suspecioun slay[e]n eek was he,
His eyen first out of his hed wer rent,
For Iulius deth than into exil sent.

Toward his exil bi brigauntes he was slayn.
And aftir that, withyne a litil while,
Of his labour nouther glad nor fayn,
Bochas began to direct his stile
To gret Herodes, breeffli to compile
His greuous fall & hooli the maneere
To sette in ordre heer next, as ye shal heere.

[How the tiraunt herodes slouh wiff and children and deied atte mischeff.]

Remembryng first in Iurie he was kyng,
Antipater his fadir, who list see,
In Arabia myhtili regnyng
Ouir the prouynce callid Ydumee.
This same Herodes, gard[e]yn of Gallile,
Ordeyned was, [first] for his hih prudence,
And for his notable knihtli excellence.

Famous in manhod, famous of his lyne,
Famous also bi procreacioun,
I reede also he hadde wyues nyne;
And among alle, as maad is mencioun,
To his plesaunce and his oppynyoun,
Maister of stories reherseth ther was oon
Mariannes, fairest of euerichon.

Bi whom she hadde worthi sones tweyne,
Alisaundre and Aristobolus.
But for his sustir dide at hir disdeyne,
Callid Saloma, the stori tellith thus,
He vnto hir wex suspecious,
Because she was accusid of envie
Bi Saloma touchyng auoutrie.

778

Ageyn[e]s hire of rancour sodenli
He gan of herte greuousli disdeyne;
With rigerous suerd he slouh hir furiousli.
But as the stori doth vs acerteyne,
He for hir deth felt aftirward gret peyne,
Euere whan it cam to his remembraunce,
Hir port, hir cheer, hir womanli plesaunce.

Loo, what it is a prince to be hasti,
To eueri tale of rancour to assente,
And, counsailles, proceede wilfulli
To execucioun, of froward fals entente;
For Herodes so sore dede hym repente
That he for thouht[e] fill into anoye
Of hertli sorwe & malencolie.

Reste hadde he non novther day nor niht,
Troublid with furye that he wex frentik,
With dremys vexid & many an vnkouth siht;
Of cheer nor colour to no man he was lik,
And eueri moneth onys lunatik.
A gret[e] while he hadde this woful lyff
For sorwe onli he hadde slayn his wiff.

And as the stori weel reherse can,
In the Capitoile mid Roome the cite,
Bi Antonye and bi Octouyan
He crownid was & maad kyng of Iude,
Bi the Senat maad theron a decre,
And registred that he and his kynreede
Sholde in that lond lynealli proceede.

In Roome was maad the confirmacioun
To this Herodes, bookis specefie,
Beyng a foreyn the translacioun
Was maad of Iuda & of Iuerye,
Sceptre, crowne, with al the regalie
Bi hym vsurpid, as ye haue herd toforn,
Vpon the tyme whan Crist Iesus was born.

779

This same Herodes bi procuracioun
Of Antonye did also occupie,
Bi Augustus plener commyssioun
The grete estat[e] callid Tetrarchie
In too kyngdames, with al the regalie:
Of Traconytides, Iturye eek also,
Bi the Romeyns maad lord of bothe too.

Maister of stories reherseth of hym thus:
For comendacioun in especiall
In Ascalon he bilt a statli hous
Of riht gret cost, a paleis ful roiall,
Was non so riche, for to reknyn all.
Aftir which, myn auctour doth so write,
He callid was Herode Ascolonyte.

This same Herodes, cruel of nature,
Of cheer & port passyng ambicious,
Ay to be uengid dide his besi cure
On al that wern to hym contrarious.
His wyues brothir Aristobolus,
In Iherusalem cheeff bisshop, as I reede,
Falsli he slouh of malis & hatreede.

Vniustli regnid, born heuy thoruh his reum,
His herte fret & kankrid with envie.
Another bisshop in Iherusalem,
Callid Hircanvs, myn auctour list nat lie,
This same Herodes in his malencolie
Slouh hym vnwarli be rancour ful vengable,
Sittyng at dyneer at his owne table.

Ther was no man of corage mor cruell
Nor mor desirous to be magnefied;
To make his name also perpetuell
Foure statli cites he hath edefied,
Of which the names been heer specefied:
Cesaria, Sebasten, cites souereyne,
Antipadra, Cipre, the othir tweyne.

He hadde also a fals condicioun:
He truste[d] non that was of his kynreede,
His sonis tweyne hadde in suspecioun,
Ther purpos was to slen hym of hatreede,
Whan he wer ded[e] hopyng to succeede.

780

And causeles, as fadir most vnkynde,
Made hem be slayn, in stori thus I fynde.

In al his werkyng he was founde double,
A gret[e] tiraunt holde thoruh his rewm,
Neuer thyng so gretli dede him trouble,
As whan thre kynges kam to Iherusalem,
Iesus to seeke, that was [born] in Bethlem,
Boldli affermyng, cause of ther komyng
Was to worshepe that blissid yonge king.

The which[e] thyng whan he did aduertise,
Prophecies remembryng & writyngis,
Withynne hymsilff a mene he gan deuise
First to destroye thes hooli famous kynges;
Namli, whan he knew of ther offrynges,
Imagynyng, gan suppose blyue
The child was born that sholde hym depryue,

Newli descendid from Dauid doun be lyne,—
Cast almost Herodes in a rage;
Of cursid herte gan frowardli maligne,
Lik a tiraunt of venymous outrage
Slouh al the childre withynne too yeer age
Aboute Bethlem a ful large space;
He spared non for fauour nor for grace.

On of his childre beyng at norcerye,
As the stori put in remembraunce,
Of auenture or thei koude it espie
His knihtes slouh; I trowe it was vengaunce.
Ech tiraunt gladli eendith with myschaunce,
And so must he that wex ageyn Crist wood,
Which for his sake shadde innocentes blood.

The noumbre of childre that wer slayn in deede
Aboute Bethlem & in tho parties,
An hundrid fourti four thousand, as I reede,
Too yeer of age souht out be espies
Of Herodes; & for the prophecies
Of Cristes berthe mencioun did[e] make,
Thei wer echon slay[e]n for his sake.

781

Fro that day forth, as maad is mencioun,
He fill in many vnkouth malladie;
His flessh gan turne to corrupcioun,
Fret with wermys upon ech partie,
Which hym assailed bi gret tormentrie:
His leggis suell[e], corbid blak gan shyne;
Wher vengaunce werkith, a-dieu al medecyne.

Of his seeknesse the stench was so horrible,
Tawaite on hym no man myhte abide;
Vnto hymsilff his careyn wex odible,
So sore he was troublid on ech side.
Lechis for hym did a bath prouyde,
But al for nouht; in such myscheeff he stood,
Of greuous constreynt he sodenli wex wood.

In tokne he was weri of his liff,
So importable was his mortal peyne,
To pare an appil he axed a sharp knyff,—
His malladie did hym so constreyne,—
Fulli in purpos to kutte his herte in tweyne.
The knyff he rauhte, leiser whan he fond;—
Oon stood beside, bakward drouh his hond.

For peyne vnnethe his wynd he myhte drawe,
Gaff al his freendis in comaundement
Bi a decre & a furious lawe,
That al the worthi of parties adiacent,
Which that wer fayn or glad in ther entent
Of his deth, he, void of al pite,
The same day thei sholde slay[e]n bee.

This cursid wrech, this odious caitiff,
I reede of non stood ferther out of grace,
In sorwe & myscheeff eendid hath his liff.
Ech man was glad[e] whan he shold[e] pace.
And for his stori doth this book difface
With woful clauses of hym whan I write,
Therfor I caste no mor of hym tendite.

Explicit.

782

[Lenvoye.]

Off Herodes the vnwar cursid fall,
The lyff vngracious of hym & his kinreede,
Euere vengable in his estat roiall,
His wiff, his childre slouh of old hatreede;
Innocentis he made in Bethlem bleede,
Regnyng in Iuda, born of a foreyn lyne,
The firste tiraunt (ye may the Bible reede)
Which ageyn Crist gan frowardli maligne.

His suerd of rigour, cruell & mortall,
Ay reedi whet to do vengaunce in deede,
Hasti, fumous with furies infernall
Of wilful malis innocent blood to sheede.
Dide execucioun also in womanheede,
Slouh his allies, which was a cursid signe,—
Was the firste cause he stode in dreede,—
Which ageyn Crist gan frowardli maligne.

He wolde that non wer to hym egall
That day alyue in Israel to succeede;
The berthe of Crist dradde in especiall,
Cause fro Iesse his lyne gan floure & seede.
He but a foreyn, cam in be fraude & meede,
Withoute title, to that estat vndigne,
The firste also, who list take heede,
Which ageyn Crist gan frowardli maligne.

Noble Pryncis, that gouerne all
This large world[e] bothe in lengthe & breede,
Whan ye sit hiest in your roial stall,
Doth nat the peeple oppresse nor ouerleede.
Vpon Herodes remembreth, as ye reede,
In what myscheeff that tiraunt dide fyne,
To shewe that non shal in his purpos speede,
Which ageyn Crist doth frowardli maligne.

[Off Antipas exilid bi Octavian and of Achelaus son of herodes the secounde.]

Compendiousli as ye haue herd þe fall
Of Herodes remembrid be Bochas,
How bi his testament set in especiall
To succeede was Herode Antipas;

783

In hast exilid, of hym this was the caas,
Bi Octovian to Vyenne, as I reede,
Archelaus ordeyned to succeede,

Sone of Herodes callid the secounde,
Which in effect took pocessioun,
In Iherusalem regned, as it is founde,
Of whom myn auctour, for short conclusioun,
Maketh in his book but smal mencioun:
Hym and his brothir set sodenli aside;—
Of them to write no lenger list abide.

Sauff that he writ how forseid Antipas
At Vyenne, a myhti gret cite,
In [his] exil soone aftir slay[e]n was.
Archelaus, succeedyng in Iudee,
With Herodias, the stori who list see,
Bi Agrippa to Tiberie accusid,
Of certeyn crymes koude nat been excusid.

A certeyn tyme comaundid to prisoun,
Of themperour koude neuer gete grace;
Ban[y]shed hym [ferr] from his regeoun
Into Spayne for a certeyn space.
And his worshepe breeffli to difface,
Fortune causid to his fynal repreff,
He deide ther in pouert & myscheeff.

The fatal eende rehersid of thes tweyne,
In what distresse that thei dide fyne,
Myn auctour aftir gan his penne ordeyne
To write the caas be many a woful lyne,
Vpon the striff atween[e] Messalyne
And othir tweyne stondyng bi hir side,
Tofor Iohn Bochas how thei dide chide.

Tofor Bochas thei cam al thre to pleyne,
Messalyne, wiff onto Claudius,
Ageyn[e]s whom ther wer othir tweyne,
Calligula and Tiberius,
In whos tyme was slay[e]n Crist Ihesus.
Touchyng debat that was among thes thre,
Suende the processe, heer folwyng ye shal see.

784

[Off the striff / betwene, Calligula, Tiberius & messalyne.]

This emperesse namyd Messalyne,
As I haue told, was wif to Claudius,
Successour, as bookis determyne,
To Calligula callid Gayus.
And, as I fynde, that Tiberius
With Calligula, bothe wood for teene,
Stood affor Bochas, & Messalyne atweene,

Meetyng al thre with furious look & cheere.
Gayus Calligula, callid be his name,
Gan first reherse, anon as ye shal heere,
Withoute reuerence or any maner shame,
With an exordie to diffame,
Bochas present, felli gan abraide
To Messalyna, & euene thus he saide:

“Thou sclaundrid woman, noised in lecherie
Thoruh al the world, as folk thi name atwite,
And reportid for thyn auoutrie,
What dost thou heer in thi murnyng habite?
I trowe thou komest of purpos to visite
In this place thunhappi women fyve,
Touchyng disclaundre that euer wern alyue.

The firste of hem callid Amylia,
And Lepida was named the secounde,
Lyuia, Plaucia, & the fifte Elia,
Diffamed echon in deede, as it was founde.
In tokne wheroff the lecherye to confounde
Off Emylia, in auoutry take,
Was bi the lawe of hir lord forsake.

Bi the whilom was knowe that Drusus
Istranglid was and moordred be poisoun;
Lik to Claudia, douhtir of Claudius,
Which bi hir lord, the book makth mencioun,
Was throwen out, to hir confusioun,
For hir defautis founde in auoutrie
Sclaundrid for euere; ther was no remedie.

785

Thou koudest whilom mak thi lord to slepe,
With certeyn drynkis to cast hym in a rerage,
Bi which he was maad his bed to keepe,
To gete leiseer in thi flouryng age,
For to mysuse of fals lust thyn outrage,
Anihter tyme took upon a weede,
At the bordel dist amys for meede.

Thyn appetit was verray vnstaunchable;
It is a shame to write it or expresse.
Thyn hatful lyff was so abhominable,—
Tiberi and I can bern heerof witnesse.”
And with that woord anon she gan hir dresse,
Whan she had herd[e] al ther fel langage,
Gaff hem this ansuere with a sad visage:

“Certis,” quod she, “I koude neuer keepe
To saue my-silff, a woful creature,—
I haue gret cause to compleyne & weepe
My sclaundrous lyff, which I may nat recure.
But I suppose I hadde it of nature
To be such oon; for be daies olde
An astronomyen so my fadir tolde,

At my berthe takyng the ascendent,
Tolde longe afforn of my mysgouernaunce:
The sunne, the moone toward thorient
Wer in the signe that bereth the ballaunce;—
And saide also, mor for assuraunce,
The same signe hadde be descripcioun
His foot in Virgyne, armys in the Scorpioun.

Amyd the heuene was Venus exaltat,
With Mars conioyned, þe book makth mencioun;
And Iubiter was also infortunat
To my saide disposicioun,
Withynne the Fissh heeld tho his mansioun:
Thus be the lordship pleynli of Venvs
I was disposed for to be lecherous.”

In hir excus the saide Messalyne
Gan alegge hir constellacioun;
But prudent clerkis pleynli determyne,
Of the heuenly cours the disposicioun

786

Is obeissaunt & soget to resoun,
That eueri man which weel gouernid is,
Is nat constreyned of force to doon amys,—

Nor bynt no man of necessite
Vicious lustis frowardli to sue.
A vertuous man stant at liberte
Fals inclynaciouns be prudence to remewe;
Euery man be grace may eschewe
All thyng to vertu that founde is contrarie:
For ther is no synne but it be voluntarie.

Yit for al this, the saide Messalyne
In hire excus[e] wolde nat been in pes:
“The heuene,” quod she, “as poetis determyne,
Was born up whilom be myhti Hercules,
Yit coude he neuere of nature ha[ue] reles,
For al his knihthod & his cheualrie,
To ouercome the vice of lecherie.

But thou Calligula and thou Tiberius,
What-euer ye seyn I take therof non heede;
For thou Calligula, callid eek Gayus,
Thi-silff diffoulid with lecherie in deede,
To rebuke othir thou sholdest stonde in dreede,
But thi rebukis in parti for to quyte;
Who is diffoulid non othir sholde atwite.

Bi Fames trumpet this sclaundre is out blowe,
Thoruh al the world reportid shamfullie,
Thi thre sustren fleshli thou dest hem knowe,—
Wex red for shame; and for thi partie,
For the vice of hatful lecherie
Duryng thi liff put me no mor in blame,
Which art thi-silff diffoulid in the same.

It sittith nat in no maner wise
A theef for theffte to sitte in iugement;
A lecherous man a lechour to chastise,
Nor he that hath al his lyff Ispent
In wast & riot, forfetid & myswent,
To been a iuge othre to redresse,
Nor leprous lechis to cure men of seeknesse.

787

I wolde ha suffrid and take [in] pacience
Yiff of Affrik the chast[e] Scipioun
Hadde me rebukid for my gret offence:
I wolde haue suffrid his yerde of iust resoun.
Or yif the famous prudent old Catoun
Hadde ageyn me in swich cas maad abraid,
I wolde haue suffrid what-euere he hadde said.

Or yif Lucrese for my correccioun
Hadde seid to me, for vertuous doctrine,
Alle my surfetis myd of Roome toun,
I wolde haue bowed [bothe] bak & chyne,
To have obeied onto hir disciplyne.
Shame for a crepil, to stonde that hath no miht,
To rebuke othir for thei go nat vpriht!

Ageyn[e]s the also I may replie,
Many another fals conspiracioun
Touchyng mateeres of nigromancie,
And many another contreued fals poisoun
Founde in too bookis, Bochas makth mencioun,
Oon callid Pugio, most supersticious,
And the secounde Inamyd Gladius,

Hable al this world tenvenyme & encloie;
Ageyn thre statis duellyng in Roome toun,
Ther namys write of them thou cast destroie,
Which to remembre is gret abusioun.
A chest also fulfilled of poisoun,
Aftir thi deth cast in the se, I reede,
Bi which an hundred thousand fisshes wer dede” . . .

(On this mateer is tedious for tabide,
Namli to princis born of hih estat;
It sittith nat gentil blood to chide,
Bi furious rancour to stonde at debat.
And for thes mateeres been infortunat,
I wil passe ouer & no mor of hem write,
Sauff of ther eende compendiousli tendite.)

788

“To the Tiberye I haue sumwhat to seyn:
Knowe and reportid be many a creature,
How in Chaumpayne folk hadde of the disdeyn
For thi most hatful lecherous ordure,
In thilke vice which is ageyn nature,
Which tacomplissh, void of al hap & grace,
Thyn abidyng was in suspecious place.

To swich fals lustis duryng al thi lyff,
List nat forber[e]n in thi latter age,
Thou vsist many riche restoratiff
In suiche vnthrifft tencrece thi corage,
Of ribaudi thou fill in such dotage,—
How maist thou thanne rebuke me? For shame!
Which in such caas art blottid with diffame.

I dide amys, but it was in my youthe,
Horrible thynges, which Gayus heer hath told,
But thyn outrage, the report is yit kouthe,
Thou dist hem vse bothe yong & old.
And for tafforce your vices manyfold,
Thou & Calligula, in al swich ribaudie,
Dide grettest surfet in froward glotonie.

Also Tiberye, thou beyng emperour,
Cruel causeles, & most malicious,
Dist moordre in Roome the famous oratour
Callid in his tyme prudent Asynyus,
Which thoruh thempire, Romeyns tolde thus,
Was liht & lanterne founde at al assaies,
Of rethorik[e] callid in his daies.

Thou wer eek cause that worthy Nonomus,
Kyng of Parthois, thoruh thi cruelte
Exilid was, thou wer so coueitous
To haue pocessioun of his tresour, parde,—
Deide in myscheeff and in pouerte.
Be sham[e]fast any wiht taccuse,
Which in such caas thi-silf canst nat excuse!

To Agripyne thou dist ful gret outrage,
As Romeyn stories weel reherse can,
Whan she for socour to the gret image
Ran to be sauyd of Octouyan,
Mid the temple a place callid than,

789

Which halp hir nat þat she list thidir weende:
Put out be force; for hunger made an eende.

Thyn owyn brothir callid Germanicus,
Which in his tyme was so good a kniht,—
Thi brothir also named eek Drusus,—
Bothe wer poisowned & slayn ageyn[es] riht
Bi fals conspiryng of thyn imperial myht.
Texcuse the moordre, thi-siluen at the leste
Wer clad in blak, at ther funeral feeste.

I haue no kunnyng, speche nor langage
To reherse nor make mencioun
Specialli of the gret outrage
And sacrilege thou dist in Roome toun,
Be violence whan thou drouh[e] doun
The image of Ianus, & aftir in al hast
Into Tibre madest hym to be cast.

And thou Calligula, among thi vices all,
Of surquedie and fals presumpcioun
Woldest that men a god the sholde call,
Tueen Pollux Castor to haue thi mansioun.
Fro whiche place thou art now throwe doun,
Which heeld thi-silff among the goddis seuene
Egal with Iubiter for to sitte in heuene.

Ansuere to me, heer beyng in presence,
Which of thes foure, Mars, Ianus, Mynerue,
Or Mercurie, god of elloquence,
Hath rent the doun, as thou dist disserue,
Fro Iubiter in myscheef for to sterue?
That thou heer-aftir, wher-so thou lauh or frowne,
Shalt haue no fauour mor with hym to rowne.

With these defautis & many another
Affor[n] rehersid in hyndryng of thi name—
How thou ordeynest first to slen thi brothir
With men of armes, which was to the gret shame;
To Tholome thou dist also the same,
Sone & heir to kyng Iubatoun;
And many a senatour thou slouh in Roome toun.

790

Shettist up myd Roome the cite
Ther gerneris, which neuer afforn was seyn;
Wherbi enfamyned was the comounte,—
Pite to heere; this [is] plat & pleyn,—
Of necessite constreyned in certeyn
(Shame to reherse or put [it] in scripture)
Eet ther membris, a thyng ageyn nature.

Iubiter nor Iuno the goddesse
Gaff no such counsail, I suppose, onto the;
But it was Venus, to flatre thyn hihnesse,
And furious Mars, bi froward cruelte
To slen senatours grettest of that cite;
Thi-silff soone aftir, wherof the toun was fayn,
Bi thi seruauntes moordrid were & slayn.

And for tabate thyn outrage & [thi] pride,
Which[e] thou hast vsid al thi liff,
Lefft up thyn hed, looke on thi lefft[e] side,
Thou fyndere up of moordre & of striff!
Slouh thou nat Cesonia thi wiff?—
Thi douhtir aftir, that callid was Drusill,
Of cursid entent thi malis to fulfill?

I haue merueile how any of you tweyne,
Thou Calligula or thou Tiberius,
Be nat ashamed any thyng to seyne
Ageyn[e]s me, with visage despitous
Me for tatwite that I was lecherous!
Of a smal mote ye can abraide me,
But in your eye a beem ye cannat see.

Wher haue your soules take þer herbergage,
That been contrarie with me for to stryue?
I trowe that Caron hath maad your passage
Vp at the stronde in helle for taryue,
Ther ye abide, thus I [can] descryue,
Wher dredful Stix, callid þe infernal flood,
Of custum renneth with furious wawes wood.

791

Radamantus, oon of the iuges tweyne,
With kyng Mynos hath youe a iugement,
Perpetueli ye shal abide in peyne;
And Eacus hath ordeyned your torment:
In Flegeton, the flood most violent,
Ye shal be drowned & an eende make,
Euere for tabide among the stremys blake.

I may you calle of emperours the refus,
Ye sholde be shamfast to shewe out your visages,
Verray astoned, dreedful and confus
To haue to me so vncurteis langage!”
Thus Messalyne daunted ther corage
With hir femynyn crabbid elloquence.
Thei durste no lenger abide in hir presence.

[Off the most vicious tiraunt Nero that slouh Petir and Paule and atte laste himself.]

This hatful stori with many a woful lyne
Of Calligula and Tiberius,
Touching þe strif tueen hem & Messalyne,
Shamful rebukis, froward & odious,
Bi them rehersed with cheer most furious,
As ye haue herd, heer eendeth ther chidyng;
Nero the tirant kometh next onto þe ryng.

Oon most cursid in comparisoun
That euer was, of hih or louh degre,
Most disnaturel of condicioun
Bi gret outrages of cursid cruelte,
That euere regned in Roome the cite.
His fadir callid, bookis determyne,
Domycius, his moodir Agripyne.

This Agripyna bi hir subtilite,—
And blynde Fortune beyng fauourable,
That set up tirauntes of froward volunte
(Be ther demeritis thouh thei be nat hable)

792

To estat imperial, famous & notable.
What thing mor dredful, who can vnderstonde,
Than cruel tirauntes with bloodi suerd on honde!

Whan this Nero of age was twelue yeer
He was ordeyned in especiall,
Afftir he hadde lernid his grameer
And the seuene artis callid liberall,
Vnto a maister in al vertu morall,
Callid moral Senec, which did al his peyne
From all vices his youthe to restreyne.

He kepte hym euere, this Senec, as I reede,
Maugre his fatal disposicioun,
Bi a constreynt & a maner dreede
From al outrage and dissolucioun.
Conseyued weel his inclynacioun
To be vicious as of his nature,
Which to restreyne he dede his besi cure.

At oon & tuenti wyntir of his age,
Cronicleers rehersen of hym thus:
How he that tyme took in mariage
Octovia, douhtir off Claudius,—
Al this while beyng vertuous,
Whil Senec hadde hym vndir disciplyne,—
His moodir-in-lawe callid Messalyne.

The saide Senec made hym to desire
To pursue kunnyng bi dilligent labour;
At entryng in first of his empire,—
I meene whan he was crownid emperour,—
Of alle the Senat hadde gret fauour;
And be report, as clerkis of hym write,
In prose and metre he koude riht weel endite.

In Iohn Bochas as it is maad[e] mynde,
He dide excelle gretli in poetrye,
Made in tho daies also, as I fynde,
A book notable of straunge poisie,
Lik as myn auctour of hym doth specefie,
The title therof callid[e] Lusce,
Ageyn a pretour Clodius Polle.

793

Excelled in musik & in armonye,
Crownid with laureer for the beste harpour
That was that tyme; & he did edefie
In Roome a paleis, with many a riche tour,
Which in beeldyng coste gret tresour,
The circuit beyng thre thousand pas;
And Transitorie that paleis callid was.

For this cause, as put is in memorie,
The said[e] paleis aftirward was brent,
Therfor it was callid Transitorie;—
But aftir that, Nero in his entent
Leet beelde an hous, bi gret auisement,
To recompence the tothir that was old,
And callid it the riche hous of gold.

In al this world[e] was non to it liche,
Wher that euer men did ride or gon,
Tables of iuor fret with perre riche,
Pileres of cristal garnished with many a ston,
Saphirs, rubies & topazion,
Crisolitis & emeraudis greene,
With plate of gold tiled that shon ful sheene.

To bodili lust and delectacioun
This said[e] Nero set al his desires;
Gardyns, conduitis for recreacioun
He dide ordeyne tendure many yeeris.
With nettis of gold fisshed in his ryueeris,
His garnementis of golde & Ynde stonis,
And neuer he wolde haue hem on but onys.

In his begynnyng, the stori doth deuise,
Lord & emperour in Roome the cite,
To senatours he gaf ful gret fraunchise,
Graunted comouns many gret liberte;
But in his most imperial dignite,
Of froward wil lefft al good policie,
And al attonis gaf hym to ribaudie.

794

Of Grece and Egipt with dyuers io[n]glours,
And among vileyns hymsilf[e] disporting,
Lefte the presence of olde senatours
And among ribaudis he wold harp & synge,
Made comedies dishonestli sownyng,
At the bordel dide hymsilf auaunce
With comoun women openli to daunce.

Thus be processe, to al vertu contrarie,
Be gret excesse he fill in glotonye,
And aftir that list no lenger tarye,—
As euery vice to othir doth applie,—
Surfet & riot brouht in lecherie;
And ground of al, as cheef[e] porteresse,
Texile vertu was froward idilnesse.

Aboute the cite callid Hostience,
Beside Tibre & othir fressh ryuers
Dide ordeyne bexcessiff expence
Tentis for riot, kookis, tauerneeris,
And al the niht reuel aboute the feeris.
Ladies komen, that wer afforn weel namyd,
Bi suich fals riot wer aftirward diffamed.

The same Nero be fals abusioun,
It is reportid, his stori who list see,
Bi violence from ther religioun,
Suich as hadde auowed chastite
And wer professid to virgynyte
In the temple of Vesta the goddesse,—
Of froward lust he dide hem oppresse.

Amongis which Rubria was oon:
Maugre hir wil, she durste [it] nat denye,
From the temple bilt of lym & ston
Sacrid to Vesta, myn auctour list nat lie,
He rente hir out to vse his lecherie;
Natwithstandyng she was religious,
Made hir tabide at the bordel-hous.

Be my writyng men shal neuer reede,
The mateer is so foul & outragous
To be rehersed, & the horrible deede
Which Nero vsid whilom on Sporus
And on another callid Ompharus:

795

Bothe male childre, as bookis telle can,
Them to transffoorme to liknesse of [wo]man.

Somme bookis of hym determyne,
Lik a ribaude horrible & detestable,
He mysusid his moodir Agripyne,
And lik a tiraunt cruel & vengable,—
Which to remembre it is abhominable,—
He made hir wombe be korue upon a day
To seen the place nyne monethes wher he lay.

Of disnaturel hatful cruelte,
To God nor vertu hauyng no reward,
And of the vice of prodigalite
He was accusid, in knihthod a coward,
And to al vertu contrarie & froward,—
Of whos woodnesse good heed whan I took,
I was ashamed to sette hym in this book.

He hated alle that wer vertuous
And to hem hadde specialli envie;
His brethre, his wiff, this tiraunt despitous,
He falsli slouh in his malencolie;
His maister Senec, auctours specefie,
Ay whan he sauh hym, hauyng a maner dreede,
In an hot bath to deth he made hym bleede.

Cristis feith[e] first he gan werreye,
Of emperours, in his froward entent;
Petir & Poule in Roome he made deie
Vpon a day; ther legende doth assente.
Half the cite of Roome, I fynde, he brente;
And senatour[e]s wol nih euerichon
This Nero slouh; spared almost neueroon.

To Pollifagus, a wood man most sauage,
Which that fedde hym most with flessh of man,
Nero took men, olde & yong of age,
To fynde hym vitaille in streetis wher he cam.
Cursid at his eende, cursid whan he gan,
Whan he did offre innocentes blood
To be deuoured of hym that ran so wood.

796

Made his mules be shod with siluer shoone
Of surquedie, whan he shold[e] ride;
The cite brent. Romeyns aftir soone
Pursued hym upon eueri side;
And from a subarbe wher he dide abide,
Tween Salaria & Numentana riht,
Ther stant a path whidir he took his fliht.

Bi a deep maris as Nero took his fliht,
Whan he sauh he myht[e] nat asterte,—
He was [so] pursued bi a Romeyn kniht
To fynde socour he myht[e] nat dyuerte,—
Rooff hymsilff anon [un]to the herte
With a sharp dagger, a cursid eende, loo!
Of the fals tiraunt that callid was Nero.

Lenvoye.

Off this Nero to write[n] a Lenvoye,
Nor of his deedis to make mencioun,
To reede þe processe no prince shold haue ioye,
For al concludeth on moordre and on tresoun,
On auoutrye, excesse & poisoun,
Riot, glotonye, lecherie, vengaunce,
Slauhtre of hymsilff[e]; eendid with myschaunce.

Yif that I myhte, I wolde race his name
Out of this book, that no man sholde reede
His vicious lyf, cheef merour of diffame.
Set hym aside; let no wiht take[n] heede
For to remembre so many a cruel deede,
Sauf onli this, to thynken in substaunce,
How eueri tiraunt eendith with mischaunce.

Of hym I caste to write now no more,
And what I seie is seid but in repreeff
Of the vices that he wrouht of yore
Duryng his empire, concludyng for a theeff.
Al tirannye shal eende with myscheeff,
Record on Nero, which for mysgouernaunce,
As ye haue herd[e], eendid with myschaunce.

797

[How Eleazerus a Iewe born / for extorcioun and robbery / was brouht in prisoun and there ended.]

Afftir Nero cam Eleazarus,
A Iew of berthe, a prince of robberie,
An extursioneer cruel & despitous;
For his outrages doon in that partie,
To redresse his hatful tirannye,
A myhti pretour sent fro Roome doun,
Callid Phelix, into that regeoun.

Be force of Phelix take he was & bounde,
Maugre his myht[e], onto Roome sent,
Strongli fetrid with massif cheynis rounde,
Suffred in prisoun many gret torment.
At the laste, this was his iugement,
Ther tabide because he was a theeff;
For euermore eendid in myscheeff.

[How the hede of Galba was smyten of filled full of gold / and offred atte the Sepulcre of Nero.]

Tofor Bochas next cam Galba doun,
Which in Spayne did many knihtli deede.
Afftir the deth rehersed of Neroun
He stode in hope, this Galba, as I reede,
In thempire iustli to succeede,
Parcel for knihthod, he hath hym so weel born,
And for gret mariage which he had had beforn.

I fynde in Bochas rehersed in sentence,
He was disclaundrid of hatful vices thre;
He was cruel, contrarye to clemence,
Streiht in keepyng, geyn liberalite,
Vengable of herte, geyn mercy & pite,—
A thyng nat sittyng onto cheualrie,—
Of custom youe to slouthe & slogardie.

798

To occupie thempire he began,
Among[es] Romeyns took pocessioun,
Cleymyng a title bi oon Licynyan
That was his sone bi adopcioun.
But [anone] aftir for his presumpcioun,
Oon callid Oththo, a ful manli kniht,
Smet of his hed, wher it wer wrong or riht.

This said[e] Galba, myn auctour writeth thus,
From his empire vnwarli pullid doun,
Hadde an emny callid Patrabolus,
The hed of Galba took in pocessioun,
Filde it with golde, made an oblacioun
At the sepulchre of Nero therwithal
To alle the goddis & goddessis infernal.

[How Ottho and Vitellius / for glotony lechery ribaudrie and cruelte / ended in mischeef.]

And after that this offryng was ful do,
As ye haue herd[e], to Iohn Bochas than
To make his compleynt in ordre cam Piso,
Affor surnamyd iustli Licynyan,
Sone adoptiff, to telle as I began,
Of saide Galba, cleymyng to succeede,
Slayn anon aftir bi Ottho, as I reede.

Than was themp[i]re partid into thre:
Ottho took Roome vnto his partye;
And Vitellius to regne in the contre,
Ouer the boundis of al Germanye;
And Vespasian regned in Surrye.
But first this Ottho, surnamyd Siluyus,
Cam to compleyne, cruel and despitous.

Of al thempire this same Siluyus
Be slauhtre, rauyne & extorsioun,
Bi moordre, deth & deedis outraious
With myhti hond took ther pocessioun.
And ther began a gret deuysioun,

799

Which was occasioun of gret sorwe & wo,
Atween Vitellius and this seid Ottho.

It is rehersed, that in Germanye
In sondri placis thei hadde batailes thre,
In the which Ottho with his partie
Venquisshed the feeld & maad his foon to flee.
But thoruh Fortunys mutabilite,
The fourte tyme, pleynli this the caas,
Maugre his myht discounfited þer he was.

Tofor Bedrye, a myhti strong cite
Of Germanye was this disconfiture.
Aftir which of froward cruelte
The said[e] Ottho, seeyng his auenture,
With wo supprised miht[e] nat endure
Of his constreynt thymportable peyne;
Took a sharp suerd & roof his herte on tweyne.

Vitellius hauyng the victorye,
With his poweer, as maad is mencioun,
Of surquedie & fals[e] veynglorie,
Cam with his host[e] into Roome toun.
But Bochas heer maketh a descripcioun,
Rehersyng shortli his berthe & eek his lyne,
And how that he of blood was Saturnyne.

This to seyne, Saturnyus, kyng of Crete,
Chacid bi Iubiter out of his regioun,—
And Ianus hadde in Itaille take his seete
Vpon a mount callid Ianiculun,
Wher now of Roome is bilt the large toun,—
Ianus resceyuyng of liberalite
Whan Saturn fledde, into his cite.

Toforn the komyng of Satvrn, this no faille,
Rud & boistous, & bestial of resoun
Was al the peeple abidyng in Itaille;
Lond was non sowe nor turnid up-so-doun,
Nor marchaundise vsid in no toun
Til Saturn tauhte the maner of lyuyng,
Of tilthe & labour to Ianus that was kyng.

800

Afforn whos comyng, tofor as I you told,
Craft was non vsid be no creature,
Nor no beeldyng of housis newe [n]or old,
But lyued as beestis the[r] lyflode to recure,
Lik as thei wern Ilernid of Nature.
Thei koude tho daies make no cloth nor shape,
Off frosti wedris the greuous cold tescape.

Thei wer nat besi be costful apparaille
Of sondry metis and confecciouns,
Off dyuers drynkes & manyfold vitaille
To be corious to ther refecciouns.
Marketis wer none in cites nor in touns;
No man with othir bouhte nouther solde
Til Saturn cam & them the maner tolde.

And whan he hadde tauhte them þe maneere
And set an ordre of ther gouernaunce,
The symple peeple, as bookis doth vs lere,
Lich as to God dide ther attendaunce,
With certeyn rihtes to doon þer obseruaunce,
Worsheped hym, & aftir dide hym calle
Saturn, most myhti of ther goddis all.

[Aftyr this Saturne was made a pe-degre,
To sett an ordre conveied from his lyne
Descendyng doun, the maneer who list see,
To oon Latynus and so foorth to Lavyne,
Which was his douhtir, as poetis determyne.
Thus bi discent from Saturne and Funus,
Born off ther bloode cam Vitellius,]

The firste kniht bor[e]n of that lynage.
Because he was manli & riht famous,
Hadde in armys prowesse & gret corage,
He callid was Vitill[i]us Publius;
And of hym cam Vitell[i]us Lucius,
Fadir to hym, myn auctour doth expresse,
Of whom that I haue gunne this processe.

801

Dyuers stories remembre & pleynli tell,
Dvryng his youthe & stood at liberte,
How þis forseid, that callid was Vitell,
Was the most vicious that owher myhte be,
Youe to ribaudie & al dishoneste,
Because of which chaungid was his name,
Callid Spyntoire, a name of gret diffame.

I fynde that he was an hazardour,
In al his werkis passyng riotous,
For his surfetis gret with the emperour
That whilom was callid Claudius.
And for his deedis & maneeres outraious,
For his gret wast and prodigalite
Of gret dispence he fill in pouerte.

Among his riotis [&] surfetis mo than oon
Which he dide in contres heer & ther,
I fynde that he for neede solde a ston
Which his mooder bar whilom at hir ere.
For be old tyme was vsid, who list lere,
Women that wern that tyme of hih degre
Bar at ther eris stonis & perre.

And bi the sellyng of that riche ston,
For which that he resceyued gret tresour,
Be sotil werkyng & sleihtis mo than oon
He gat hym freendis & was maad emperour.
And therwithal he dide eek his labour
To resceyue another dignite,
To be cheef bisshop in Roome the cite.

And in short tyme this Vitellius
Of thempire took on hym al thestat,
The suerd resseyued of Cesar Iulius,
Vsed a garnement that was purpurat,
Dempte of hymsilff he was most fortunat,
Natwithstonding mor boldli þat tyme atte leste
Of Aliensois holden was the feeste.

802

Aliensois was a solempnite
Among[es] Romeyns kept be daies olde,
In Frenssh myn auctour recordeth thus, parde,—
And in that tyme of custum no man sholde,
Nor be statut bounde was nor holde
To do no maner occupacioun
That touched vertu or religioun.

Duryng this feeste he sholde haue his axyng,
Bi a custum vsid in that cite.
And Vitellius, as emperour & kyng,
Axed that tyme another dignite,
To be cheef bisshop & haue auctorite
Of that estat, with poweer hool & pleyn;
No man so hardi to replie ther ageyn.

From al vertu Vitelli dide varye,
Set at nouht al wisdam & science,
Thouhte onto hym was nat necessarye
Kunnyng, knihthod, manhod nor prouidence;
Gaf hym onli to slouhthe & necligence,
To glotonye, folwyng his desir[e]s,
Wach al niht with drynk & reresoper[e]s.

Beyng a bisshop of ther paynym lawe,
Lik Romeyn rihtis doyng þer seruise
Tofor the goddes; he wolde hymsilf withdrawe
And cast aside censer and sacrefise
And calle a boy in ful vngoodli wise,
A kichen boy, tofor the hih aulteer,
And hym comaundid to brynge hym his dyneer!

Beyng arrayed in his pontificall,
For the maner void of deuocioun,
Lik a ribaude, or lik a wood menstrall
Euer dronclew, & out of al sesoun,
Gorge upon gorge, this excessif glotoun,
Moste idropik, drank ofte ageyn[es] lust:
The mor he drank the mor he was a-thrust.

803

This was a bisshop sacrid for Sathan,
And an emperour crownid with myschaunce:
Mor lik in poorte a beeste than a man.
Vsed al his poweer in slauhtre & in vengaunce;
To sheede blood was set al his plesaunce,
Takyng non heed nouther of wrong nor riht;
And thus he wex hatful to eueri wiht.

His soudiours forsook hym nih echon,
In al parties bi hym wher thei wer sent;
Thoruh al the contres of Septemptrion
And in al Surrye toward thorient,
Of oon accord & alle of oon assent
Echon forsook hym; with hym bood nat a man,
And becam seruauntes to Vespasian.

Vitellius sauh it wolde be non othir,
And he for-feeble [of] dronknesse & outrage,—
And sauh the poweer gan faillen of his brothir,
Whan he had sett and signed the viage
Ageyn Vespasian to holden his passage:
But al for nouht, bakward wente his partie,
Stood disespeired of euery remedie.

Thus Vitellius vnhappi to the werris,
Lik a fordronke vnhappi gret glotoun,
Whos booste afforn[e] rauht up to the sterris,
Now al his pride in myscheef is come doun,
Fayn for taccorde to this conuencioun:
For litil tresour, which men sholde hym assigne,
To Vespasian thempire to resigne.

This was his promys, but he heeld it nouht:
What he saide, his woord was neuer stable;
Certeyn flatereres chaungid hadde his thouht,
And certeyn comouns, that euer be chaungable,
Gaff hym counsail, saide hymsilf was hable
To gouerne thestat imperial,
And non so hable for to reknen al.

804

First of Almayne he sent out soudiours,
And of presumpcioun a newe werre he gan.
Thouhte that he was among othir werreyours
Hable to fihte ageyn Vaspasian.
And of auenture it befill so than,
In thes werris Vespasyanis brothir
I-slay[e]n was; it wolde be non othir.

This froward man callid Vitellius,
Vngracious euere founde in his entente,
Smet of the hed of seide Fabius,
Brothir of Vespasian, & it to Roome sente,
And aftir that the Capitoile [he] brente.
But suyng on, withynne a litil space
Among Romeyns he loste bothe hap & grace.

Of his riot what sholde I mor entrete?—
For except riot of hym nothyng I reede.
His cook, his pastleer, folk that wer most meete
To serue his lust & appetites to feede,
Forsook hym nat, but went with hym in deede
Toward Champayne riht as any lyne
Vp to an hill[e] callid Auentyne.

Stondyng in hope, but that was but in veyn,
Of Vespasian the fauour to recure,
Euene to Roome retournid is ageyn,
The paleis entrid; & ther hymsilff tassure,
Hauyng with hym non othir creature,
The gatis shet, which was to hym gret shame;
Take at the laste, forsook his owne name.

Halff naked he was & haluendel Iclad,
Al allone lik as he was founde.
So in the cite affor the peeple lad;
Bothe his hondis behynde his bak wer bounde
With myhti cheynys & with ropis rounde.
Lik a wood man of look & of visage,
The peeple to hym hauyng this langage:

805

“O thou olde lecherous foul glotoun,
A verray coward, to al vertu contrarie,
Cruel, vengable of thi condicioun,
To euery goodman cruel aduersarye,
To all cursid benigne & debonaire,
Roote of al surfetis, hauyng ay delit
To sewe & folwe thi lecherous appetit!”

With such rebukis & castyng of ordure,
With donge & clay was blottid his visage.
In the presence of many a creature,
With cordes drawen he was be gret outrage
Vnto a place callid in ther langage,
Ther most cheeff rakkes or galwes of þe toun,
Wher is of custum doon execucioun.

Summe remembre he slay[e]n was in haste,
With sharp[e] suerdis dismembred on þe ground,
His careyn aftir into Tibre cast
With a large hook of iren, sharp & round,—
No mor reuerencid than was a stynkyng hound.
Remembryng heer myn auctour seith also
Of this Vitellius, Galba & Ottho,

Affermyng thus, as for ther partie,
Thei be namyd among the emperours,
For a tyme thestat did occupie;
And first this Galba, be record of auctours,
Deide at myscheeff, void of al socours,
Eihte monethes regned as lord & sire,
And aftir that cast out of his empire.

The thridde moneth, as maad is mencioun,
Ottho deide, proude & ambicious.
And, as I fynde, the domynacioun
Laste eihte monethes of Vitellius.
And for thei wern proud ribaudes lecherous,
Cruel, vengable, born of cursid lyne,
In wrechchidnesse echon thei dide fyne.

806

Bochas dampnyth þe Vice of Glotonye.

Heer Iohn Bochas seyng the gret offense
Of this forseid froward companye,
Took his penne of enteer dilligence,
And in his studie gan hymsilff applie
To dampne the vice of hatful glotonye,
Fro which[e] synne, record[e] of Adam,
Al our myscheeuys & sorowis cam.

Be the outrage of disobeissaunce,
Our said[e] fadir beyng in paradis,
Tween hym and vertu ther roos a gret distaunce,
Cleerli conceyued, he that was so wis,
Aboue creatures be resoun bar the pris,
Til [he] of foli wrongli gaff assent
To be gouernid bi a fals serpent.

His innat vertues did hym anon forsake
For his assentyng, & did in hast retourne
Ageyn to heuene, whan the infernal snake
In stede of vertu did with man soiourne.
For which we han gret mateer for to mourne,
Sith that we been difffourmyd in certeyn,
Be vicious lyuyng of vertu maad bareyn.

And thus cam in the domynacioun
Of vices alle, & heeld a gret bataille,
The retenv sent from thynfernal dongoun,
Vs woful wrechchis in erthe for tassaille,
Strechchyng ther poweer, & proudli gan preuaille
Thoruh al the world[e] & pocessioun took,
For our demerites whan vertues vs forsook.

Thes said[e] vertues comprised in the noumbre
Of foure reknid: Prudence, Attemperaunce,
Of vicious lyff tadawed vs fro the slombre,
Rihtwisnesse taue holde the ballaunce,
And Fortitudo of ther alliaunce;
Whan thei forsake mankynde to gouerne,
Than of al vertu was clipsed the lanterne.

807

Thus thoruh dirknesse vices wer made bold,
The multitude almost innumerable.
Amonges all reknid of newe or old,
Ther be foure pereilous & reprouvable:
Slouthe, Lecherye, & most abhominable,
Fals Auarice bi a gredi desir,
With Glotonye, cheef kyndeler of ther fyr.

Nature in soth with litil is content;
And as myn auctour abidith heer a while,
And to remembre was sumwhat dilligent
To write, whan Saturn regned in þe ile
Callid Crete, the prophetesse Cibile,
In hir tyme, bi gret auctorite,
The world deuyded prudentli in thre.

[A Chapitle descryuyng the golden worlde, that is to say whan attemperaunce had hooly the gouernaunce.]

The olde world, whan Saturn was first kyng,
Regnyng in Crete in his roial estat,
Noe, Abraham be vertuous lyuyng
Caused erthli folk to be most fortunat,
The world tho daies callid Aureat;
For sobirnesse and attemperaunce
Hadde in that world hooli the gouernaunce.

Ther was that tyme no wrong nor violence,
Envie exiled from eueri creature,
Dissolucioun & dronken insolence,
Ribaudie & al swich foul ordure,
Froward surfetis, contrarye to nature,
Ibanshed wern, because attemperaunce
Hadde in that world hooli the gouernaunce.

Youthe was bridled vndir disciplyne,
Vertuous studie floured in myddil age,
Dreed heeld the yerde of norture & doctrine,
Riot restreyned from surquedous outrage,
Hatful detraccioun repressid his langage,

808

Kouth was charite, because attemperaunce
Hadde in that world hooli the gouernaunce.

Fortitudo stood tho in his myht,
Diffendid widwes & cherisshed chastite,
[Knyhthod in prowesse gaff out so cleer a liht,]
Girt with his suerd of trouthe & equyte,
Heeld up the cherch in spiritual dignite,
Punshed heretikes, because attemperaunce
Had in that world hooli the gouernaunce.

Rihtwisnesse chastised al robbours
Be egal ballaunce of execusioun,
Fraude, fals meede put bakward fro iorours,
Trewe promys holde made no dilacioun,
Forsueryng shamyd, durste entre in no toun,
Nor lesyngmongers, because attemperaunce
Hadde in that world hooly the gouernaunce.

That golden world coude loue God & dreede,
Alle the seuene deedis of mercy for to vse;
The riche was redi to do almessedeede:
Who asked herborwe, men dide hym nat refuse.
No man of malis wolde othir tho accuse,
Diffame his neihbour, because attemperaunce
Hadde in that world hooli the gouernaunce.

The trewe marchaunt be mesour bouhte & solde,
Deceit was non in the artificeer,
Makyng no balkis, the plouh was treuli holde,
Abak stood idilnesse ferr from laboreer,
Discrecioun marchall at dyneer & sopeer,
Content with mesour, because attemperaunce
Hadde in that world hooli the gouernaunce.

Of wast in clothyng was that tyme non excesse,
Men myhte the lord from his soget knowe,
A difference maad tween pouert & richesse,
Tween a princesse & othir statis lowe,
Of hornyd beestis no boost was than Iblowe,
Nor countirfet feynyng, because attemperaunce
Hadde in that world hooli the gouernaunce.

809

This goldene world long while did endure,
Was non allay in that metal seene,
Til Saturn cesid, be record of scripture;
Iubiter regned, put out his fadir cleene,
Chaunged Obrison into siluer sheene,
Al up-so-doun, because attemperaunce
Was set aside and lost hir gouernaunce.

Of Martis myneral the metal is so strong,
Inflexible and nat malliable,
Be sturdynesse to do the peeple wrong
With rigerous suerd, fureous & vengable,
The merciful gold [of] Phebus nat plicable
To haue compassioun, because attemp[e]raunce
Was set aside & lost hir gouernaunce.

Leed, of philisophres, is callid gold leprous,
Tyn of Iubiter, crasshyng & dul of soun,
Fals and fugitiff is mercurivs,—
The moone is mutable of hir condicioun.
The goldene world is turnid up-so-doun
In ech estat, sith[en] attemperaunce
Was set aside and lost hir gouernaunce.

Be Cibilis exposicioun,
Tak of this metal the moralite:
The goldene world was gouerned be resoun,
The world of iren was furious cruelte;
The moone is mutable, ful of duplicite,
Lik to this world, because attemp[e]raunce
Is set aside and hath no gouernaunce.

Venus, of loueres emperesse & queene,
Of vicious lustis lady and maystresse,
Hir metal coper, that wil ternyssh grene,
A chaungable colour, contrarye to sadnesse,
A notabil figur of worldli brotilnesse,
Lik gery Venus, because attemp[e]raunce
Was set aside & lost hir gouernaunce.

810

Myn auctour Bochas gan pitousli compleyne
On the disordynat comerous glotonye
Of Vitellius & his felawes tweyne,
Alle thre diffoulid with horrible lecherye,
Diffamed be sclaundre, noised for ther ribaudie,
Contrarious enmyes echon tattemperaunce,
Banshed fro ther court[es], myhte haue no gouernaunce.

Of glotonie & riotous excesse,
Wach & reuel & drynkyng al the niht
Kometh vnkouþ feueres & many gret accesse,
Membres potagre mak[th] men thei go nat riht,
Goutes, mormalles horrible to the siht,
Many infirmytes, because attemperaunce
Was nat of counsail toward ther gouernaunce.

Out of ther court ban[y]shed was prudence,
Fortitudo had non interesse
Geyn vicious lyuyng to make resistence,
Cried woluis hed was vertuous sobirnesse;
Trouthe durst nat medle, abak stood rihtwisnesse,
Put out of houshold was attemperaunce,
With these thre emperours koude haue no gouernaunce.

Sone of the prophete callid Zacharie,
The patriark, the holi man Seynt Iohn,
Victorious champioun of gredi glotonye,
Lyued in desert, deyntes hadde he non,
Et mel siluestre, lay on the colde ston,
Locustas gadred; his cook was temp[e]raunce
And of his houshold had al the gouernaunce.

Of kamel heris was wouen his clothyng,
Record the Gospell that kan the trouthe tell,
Honysokeles his moderat feedyng,
Mong wilde beestis whan he dide duell;
To staunche his thrust drank watir of þe well,
This blissid Baptist, roote of attempraunce,
Set for cheeff merour of al good gouernaunce.

811

Of his diete catour was scarsete,
His costful foode was vertuous abstinence,
Rootis of desert his delicat plente,
His riche pymentis, [his] ipocras of dispense
Heeng nat in costretis nor botelis in þe spence,—
Nat excessiff, because attemperaunce
Hadde of his houshold hooli þe gouernaunce.

Thus Baptist Iohn bi his moderat foode
The cheef tryumphe of abstynence hath begunne,
This patriark[e] rekned oon the goode,
Content with litil, al suffisaunce hath wonne,
As Diogenes in his litil tonne
Heeld hym appaied, because attemperaunce
Hadde of his houshold al the gouernaunce.

His tonne to hym was receit & houshold;
And yif I sholde booste of his celeer,
Ther wer no cuppis of siluer nor of gold;
His costful vyntage cam fro the ryueer:
Weel tymed mesour was for his mouth botleer,
And his tastour was attemperaunce,
Which of his houshold had al þe gouernaunce.

His conquest was mor souerayn of degre
Than Alisaundris, for al his hih renoun;
For he conquered his sensualite,
Made hym soget & seruaunt to resoun,
Daunted of prudence ech foreyn passioun,
His clerk of kechene callid attempraunce,
Which of his diete had al þe gouernaunce.

Of superfluite, of slouthe & of sleepe
This Diogenes stood euer among in dreede;
Of worldli fauour he took no maner keepe;
Strauh was his liteer, a symple russet weede:
Turnid his tonne ageyn the wynd in deede,
Tween hot and cold[e], that attemperaunce
In somer & wyntir had hool the gouernaunce.

812

Lenvoye.

Noble Princis, of prudence takith heed
This litil chapitle breefli to comprehende:
The goldene world is turnid into led;
Praieth to God his grace doun to sende
Of his hih mercy, that it may soone amende,
And that this princesse callid attemperaunce
May of your housholdis han the gouernaunce.

Cheefli for loue, parcel eek for dreed,
In your estat whan ye be most shynende,
For your encres & your most gracious speed,
To his preseptis doth dilligentli attende,
Of olde emperour[e]s reedeth the legende:
Whil thei wer reuled be attemperaunce
In long prosperite stood ther gouernaunce.

Of worldli kyngdames Roome is callid hed,
Whos roial boundis ferthest out extende
In marcial actis, bothe in lengthe & breed,
Rem Publicam bi prowesse to diffende,
No foreyn enmy hardi to offende
Ther hih noblesse, whil attemp[e]raunce
With hir thre sustren hadde ther gouernaunce.

[How the kynrede of Iacob was destroied / Crist born and deied / Ierusalem destroied, & xjc. Ml. slayn bi suerde, hunger, fire & pestilence.]

The stoori eendid of Vitellyus,
Of his too feeris Galba & Ottho,
How his careyn horrible & hidous,
Drownid in Tibre, was possid to & fro.
Afftir the[r] stori [a]complisshed was & do,
Cam gret noumbre to Bochas, as I reede,
Echon descendid of Iacobis hih kynreede.

In tokne of compleynt & of heuynesse,
Lik folk dismaied, clad in moornyng weede,
For the constreynt of ther wrechidnesse,

813

Bespreynt with teres, quakyng in þer dreede,
Cunnyng no recour in so streit a neede,
Resemblyng folk be toknis ful mortall
That wer toward sum feeste funerall.

Ther ougli cheeris pitous to beholde,
As thei gan aprochen the presence
Of Iohn Bochas to telle ther sorwes olde,
Ther woundis bleedyng, be marcial violence,
Oppressid with hunger, thrust, sodeyn pestilence,
Be foreyn suerd ther lyuys manacyng,
Vpon the deth as beestis abidyng,

That wer enclosed narwe in a folde,
Disespeired socour to recure,
To passe ther boundis for dreed thei wer nat bold,
Withynne enfamyne[d], bareyn of al pasture;—
This woful stori remembrid in scripture,
How that of Iacob the generacioun
Was vengabli brouht to dest[r]uccioun.

This patriark callid whilom Israel,
Most rennommed among al naciouns
And most famous, the Bible can weel tell,
Ther lyne out reknid thoruhout al regiouns,
Be goddis beheste took ther pocessiouns,
Maugre Egipciens & Pharaoes pride,
Whan duk Moises be God was maad þer guide.

With dreye feet thei passed the Rede Se,
Conueyed be Moises & also be Aaron.
Ther lawe was write, the Bible who list see,
Vpon Syna in tables of hard ston.
And thoruh desert as thei dide gon,
With aungelis mete callid manna, as I reede,
Fourti wyntir ther he did hem feede.

Afftir Moises, lad be Iosue
Into the lond[e] of promyssioun,
The tuelue lynages of Iacob ther, parde,
He leet make a distribucioun,
And to ech lyne he gaff his porcioun,
Bi promys maad afforn to Habraham,
To Isaak, Iacob, whan thei thidir cam.

814

Bi patriarkes [&] prophetis that wer sad,
Maugre ther enmyes & ther mortal foon,
Be mihti dukes & iuges thei wer lad,
Gat al the regiouns wher thei dide gon,
Til at the laste, of pride thei echon
Lik othir naciouns wolden haue a kyng.
Saul was chose; God grauntid þer askyng.

Thus be patriarkes & be ther allies,
From Abraham the gen[e]alogie,
Tolde be prophetis & be ther prophesies,
Conueied to Dauid, which in his regalie
Heeld of Iewes al hool the monarchie,
Of whos kynreede bi processe, thus it stood,
Was Crist Iesu born of that roial blood.

Sent from his fader, as prophetis determyne,
Took flessh & blood for our sauacioun,
Be the Hooli Goost born of a peur virgyne,
Hadde among Iewes gret tribulacioun,
Vndir Herodes suffrid passioun,
And as the Gospell treuli doth descryue,
The thridde day [he] roos fro deth to lyue.

This blissid Lord, this Lord of most vertu,
Eende of Decembre born [sothly] in Bethlem,
And be the aungel namyd was Iesu,
Shewed to thre kynges bi a sterre bem,—
This same Ihesus in Iherusalem
Bi conspiracioun of Iewes thoruh envie,
Be Pilat dempt to deie on Caluarie.

Thus onto Ihesu Iewes wer vnkynde,
For which thei wern destroied nih echon.
Crist prophecied, the Gospel maketh mynde,
How of ther cite ther shold nat leue a ston
Vpon another; for ther mortal foon
Shold hem besege, he told hem so certeyn,
And make Iherusalem with the soil al pleyn.

With weepyng eyen Crist told hem so beforn
Of ther ruyne and destruccioun;
Synne was cause sothli that thei wer lorn:
For thei nat knew, to ther confusioun,

815

Tyme of ther notable visitacioun,
Whan Crist cam doun, born heer in erthe lowe
For ther sauacioun,—thei list hym nat to knowe.

Thretti yeer ful cronicleeres write
And sumwhat mor, aftir his passioun,
Among the Iewes, pleynli to endite,
Withynne hem-silff fill a dyuysioun.
Moordrers ros up withynne ther owne toun,
So gret a noumbre, with many an homycide,
That in ther cite no man durst weel abide.

Ther presidentis regnyng in Iude
Seyng this horrible foul rebellioun
And of moordreris the mortal cruelte
That long endured in that regeoun,—
Which for tappese Romeyns sente doun
Vespasian with many a manli kniht,
Which into Gallile took his weie riht.

And to chastise tho moordreris & robbours,
Brente ther contre as he rood up & doun,
So contynued with his soudiours
Til onto tyme the contres enviroun
Of Iherusalem entred be the toun
With ther oblaciouns in many sondri wise,
As Pask requered, to do ther sacrefise.

Tofor tho daies was Iherusalem
Hadde in gret worshep of al naciouns,
Callid princesse of eueri othir rewm,
Whos fame strechid thoruhout al regiouns,
Ther tresor gret and ther pocessiouns,
Double wallid, of beeldyng most notable,
Dreedyng non enmy, for it was imprenable.

Among Romeyns was many a manli man
Willyng echon of oon affeccioun,
Thoruh the knihthod of Vespasian,
Echon to laboure to the destruccioun
Of Iherusalem; for gret dyuysioun
Among hem-silf was gunne in the cite
Bi certeyn capteyns wer in noumbre thre.

816

Symon, Iohn and Eleazarus,
Horrible tirauntes oppressyng þe poraille,
Of gouernaunce froward and outraious,
Falsli deuided ech othir dide assaille,
Among hem-silf had many gret bataille:
Werre withoute & werre was withynne;
Thus of vengaunce myscheef dide gynne.

Vespasian nat beyng rek[e]les,
For his partie lik a prudent kniht
Be notable menys excited hem to pes;
But al for nouht; blente ther owne siht;
To cheese the beste thei koude nat seen ariht.
And in this while, this noble werreyour
Vespasian was chosen emperour.

Bi Alisandre to Roome he went ageyn,
Resceyued ther thymperial dignite.
His sone Titus he made his cheef capteyn,
His procuratour, to gouerne in Iude,
Besette enviroun Iherusalem the cite,
With men of armys seged it so aboute
That non myhte entre nor non myhte issen oute.

Stopped ther conduites & ther watris cleer,
Enfamyned hem for lakkyng of vitaille.
A certeyn woman, thus seith the cronicleer,
Rosted hir child whan vitaile did[e] faille,—
She hadde of stoor non othir apparaille,—
Theron be leiseer hirsilf she dide feede,
Which in a woman was to horrible a deede!

Ther myhti wallis with gunnes wer cast doun,
Too stronge tour[e]s take of ther cite,
Resistence gan faillen in the toun,
Thei stood of hunger in swich perplexite.
Titus of knihthod and magnanymyte,
Thoruhout the tour callid Antonyan
Is entrid in lik a knihtli man.

817

The peeple in streetis lay for hunger ded,
To beye nor selle no lyfflode in the toun;
Ther was no socour nouther of drynk nor bred
In peyne of deth born nouther up nor doun.
Vomyt of oon was the refeccioun
Vnto another; ther was such scarsete,
Who redeth Iosephus, the trouthe he may þer see.

Brent was the temple maad first be Salamon,
Which had endured, thus writ the cronicleer,
That was so roial bilt of riche ston,
Fulli a thousand & too hundred yeer.
Romeyns entred maugre ther porteer
With spere, pollex & suerdis sharp[e] whette,
Lik wode leouns slouh whom that thei mette.

Ther riche gatis curid with plate of gold
Wer brente and molte withoute excepcioun;
The siluer images that forgid wer of old,
The violent feer made hem renne doun.
Noble Titus hadde compassioun,
His marcial dukis spared nothyng certeyn,
List of presumpcioun thei wolde rebelle ageyn.

Eleuene hundrid thousand wer ther slayn
Bi suerd, bi hunger, fyr and pestilence;
Stynk of kareyns that in streetis layn
Caused of deth most sodeyn violence;
And Titus gaff among hem this sentence
—I meene of them that dide alyue duell—
For a peny men sholde thretti sell.

So as Iudas sold Crist for thretti pens,
Titus ageyn thouhte of equite,
Of marchaundise to make recompense,
Thretti Iewes founde in the cite
For a peny, & for no mor, parde,
Thei to be sold for ther gret outrage,
Euer among Sarsyns to lyuen in seruage.

Of the temple a preest that was ful olde,
Too statli lanternis, that wer ful briht & sheene,
Tables, basynes, violes of briht golde
He presented; & thus he dede meene:

818

That ther tresour sholde weel be seene
Of the temple & shewed to Titus
In tokne it was whilom so glorious.

To shewe eek ther he dede his besi cure,
Silk, synamome, franc-ensens withal,
For sacrefise the purpurat vesture,
With Thymyame, the riche pectoral,
Which ordeyned wern in especial
For the solempne place of placis all,
Sancta sanctorum, & so men dide it call.

Of the cite a prince callid Iohn
To Titus cam & shewed his presence,
Pale for hunger; ther cam also Symon,
Brouht be a duk that namyd was Terence,
Clad in purpil, brouht be violence,
Resceyued of Titus whan this noble toun,
Castellis, tours & wallis wer smet doun.

Into a castell callid Mazadan
Eleazarus hadde take his fliht.
Besegid of Scilla or he the castel wan,
This Eleazar lik a furious kniht
Withynne the castell the silue same niht
Sterid eueri man, fadir, child & brothir,
With sharp[e] suerdis ech man to slen othir.

Thus was this cite, most statli of beeldyng,
That whilom was of this world cheef toun,
Wher Melchisedek regned, preest & kyng,
Be daies olde, as maad is mencioun,
Restorid be Dauyd, bilt newe of Salamoun,
Princesse of prouynces, was nowher such anoþer;
Now is it abiect and refus of al othir.

Vnto the Iewes Crist Iesus gaf respiht,
Full thretti yeer[e] or he took vengaunce,
In tokne the Lord hath ioie & gret delite,
Whan that synneres dispose hem to penaunce
Be contricioun and hertli repentaunce.
This blissid Lord, this Lord most merciable
Lengest abideth or he list be vengable.

819

He was to them so gracious & benigne,
Bood that thei sholde to hym conuerte soone,
Shewed onto hem many an vnkouth signe:
Duryng tuelue daies eclipsed was the moone;
The peeple astoned, knew nat what was to doone,
But indurat in ther froward entent,
Lik folk abasshed wist nat what it mente.

Affor the siege, or Titus gan the werre,
Ouer the cite, wherof thei wex afferd,
Ther appeered a comeete & a sterre.
The sterre was shape lich a large suerd;
Touchyng the comeete, ther was neuer herd
Of swich another, so fyri, briht and cleer,
Which endured the space of al a yeer.

Ther festyual day halwid in Aprill,
Ther preestis besi to make oblacioun,
So gret a liht the temple dide fill,
That al the peeple stondyng enviroun
Thouhte it so briht in ther inspeccioun,
Passyng the sunne, as it dide seeme;
But what it mente no man koude deeme.

As the preestis dide ther besi cure
To offre a calff, anon or thei took heede,
The same calff—a thyng ageyn nature—
Brouht foorth a lamb, the same tyme I reede;
An ougli tokne, which put hem in gret dreede,
A contrarie pronosticacioun,
Shewed onto them of ther subuersioun,

With othir toknis froward & contrarye
The same tyme wer shewed euer among;
The brasen dores of the inward seyntuarye,
With iren barres shet, that wer most strong,
Brood of entaille, round and wonder long,
That myht nat meue with thretti mennys miht,
Opned by hymsilff twies on o niht.

820

Ther wer seyn also charis in the hair,
Men of armes with briht suerdes cleere,
Of plate and maile [ther] armure was so fair,
Briht as Phebus wher thei dide appeere.
And as the stori also doth vs lere,
With ther sheltrouns & ther apparaill,
A proffre maad Iherusalem for tassaill.

To the Iewes it dide signefie
A pronostik of ther destruccioun.
Preestis to the temple as thei dide hem hie
Vpon a niht to doon oblacioun,
Amyd the temple was herd a dreedful soun;
Of which[e] noise this was the feerful eende:
“Rys up echon, & let vs hen[ne]s weende.”

And ful foure yeer tofor the siege gan
Oon Ananyas, yong & tendre of age,
Of his berthe sone of a rud[e] man,
Be disposicioun dul of his corage,
Lich as he hadde fallen in a rage
Ran in the cite bamaner frenesie,
Spared nat with open mouth to crie.

Vnto this noise was maad[e] non obstakle,
But obstynat euere in his entent,
Day of the feeste holde in the Thabernacle,
“A vois,” quod he, “out of the orient,
Vois fro the south, fro north & occident,
Vois fro foure wyndis that blowe so brod & wide,
Vois geyn Iherusalem crieth out on euery side!

Vois geyn the temple, ageyn the peeple also,
Vois ageyn husbondis, vois ageyn þer wyues:
Wo to Iherusalem with a treble wo
Of hunger, thrust & leesyng of þer lyues,—
Of suerd & fyr, and many sodeyn stryues!”
This was the wrecchid lamentacioun
Which Anany cried thoruhout the toun.

821

Bete he was for his affray ful ofte,
Whippid, scoorgid eendlong & upriht,
Al-wer-it so he felte [it] ful vnsofte,
Was bi betyng maad feynt & feeble of myht,
He stynte nat to crie so day & niht,
A pronostik shewyng to the cite,
How that riht soone it sholde destroied be.

Be rehersaile also of Carnotence,
With that cite for synne it stood so tho,
That yif Romeyns be marcial violence
Hadde nat komen & doon hem al this wo,
The erthe sholde han opnid & ondo,
Deuoured the peeple, void of al refuge,
Or drowned the toun be sum sodeyn deluge.

Breefli to passe, this vengaunce most terrible
Doon upon Iewes for ther transgressioun,
For ther demerites the punshyng most horrible,
Of Iherusalem fynal subuersioun,
Of the temple, tabernacle & toun,
In Iosephus, who list seen al the deede,—
De bello Iudaico, the surplus he may reede.

Explicit liber Septimus.