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 herodes slouh wiff and children
and deied atte mischeff.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
And causeles, as fadir most vnkynde,
Made hem be slayn, in stori thus I fynde.
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
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.
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,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |