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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[A Chapitle descryuyng the golden worlde, that is
to say whan attemperaunce had hooly the gouernaunce.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[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.
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.
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,
Kouth was charite, because attemperaunce
Hadde in that world hooli the gouernaunce.
Vertuous studie floured in myddil age,
Dreed heeld the yerde of norture & doctrine,
Riot restreyned from surquedous outrage,
Hatful detraccioun repressid his langage,
808
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |