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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| VII. |
[Off Antonye son and heire to grete Antonye, and of
Cesarius, Iulia, Agrippa, Cassius, and Galbus.] |
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| IX. |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[Off Antonye son and heire to grete Antonye, and of Cesarius, Iulia, Agrippa, Cassius, and Galbus.]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |