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 Galeryus oppressid martirs & cristys feith
and mischeuesly ended.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[How Galeryus oppressid martirs & cristys feith and mischeuesly ended.]
Next tofor Bochas cam Galerivs,
A man disposid to riot & outrage,
Euele entechchid, froward, vicious.
Ther is no stori speketh of his lynage,
Yit was he set ful hih upon the stage
Of worldli dignite, roos up to hih estat;
Yit in his gyn[n]yng he was nat fortunat.
A man disposid to riot & outrage,
Euele entechchid, froward, vicious.
Ther is no stori speketh of his lynage,
Yit was he set ful hih upon the stage
Of worldli dignite, roos up to hih estat;
Yit in his gyn[n]yng he was nat fortunat.
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He was sent out bi Dioclisian,
And maad emperour bi his auctorite,
Ageyn Narseus, the proude knihtli man,
Regnyng in Perse & lord of that contre,
Which heeld[e] werre with Roome the cite,—
For which Galerius took on hym this emprise,
With mihti hand his pride to chastise.
And maad emperour bi his auctorite,
Ageyn Narseus, the proude knihtli man,
Regnyng in Perse & lord of that contre,
Which heeld[e] werre with Roome the cite,—
For which Galerius took on hym this emprise,
With mihti hand his pride to chastise.
Galerius entred into Perse-lond;
Kyng Narseus mette hym of auenture;
Hadde a strong bataille, fauht þer hond of hond;
On Galerius fill the discomfiture,
His fortune suich he myht[e] nat endure.
Clad in purpre, as maad is mencioun,
Of Dioclisian resceyued this guerdoun:
Kyng Narseus mette hym of auenture;
Hadde a strong bataille, fauht þer hond of hond;
On Galerius fill the discomfiture,
His fortune suich he myht[e] nat endure.
Clad in purpre, as maad is mencioun,
Of Dioclisian resceyued this guerdoun:
At ther meetyng, anon or he was war,
Dioclisian made hym for tabide,
To his confusioun, sittyng in his chaar,
To walke on foote be the charis side.
With many rebuk abatid was his pride,
That Galerius for the gret[e] shame
Gan seeke a mene ageyn to gete his name.
Dioclisian made hym for tabide,
To his confusioun, sittyng in his chaar,
To walke on foote be the charis side.
With many rebuk abatid was his pride,
That Galerius for the gret[e] shame
Gan seeke a mene ageyn to gete his name.
Gan for tassemble his olde soudiours,
Made his ordenaunce be dilligent werking,
Ches out the beste preeuid werreyours;
With a gret host to Perse he cam ridyng
And efft ageyn fauht ther with the kyng,
That the Persiens, maugre al ther myht,
Wer be Galerius that day put to fliht.
Made his ordenaunce be dilligent werking,
Ches out the beste preeuid werreyours;
With a gret host to Perse he cam ridyng
And efft ageyn fauht ther with the kyng,
That the Persiens, maugre al ther myht,
Wer be Galerius that day put to fliht.
The feeld was his, gat ther gret richesse,
Robbed ther tentis, wan ther gret pillage.
In his resort resceyued in sothnesse
With gret noblesse, because of that viage—
Thus can Fortune chaungen hir visage!—
Of Dioclisian, wher he stood in disdeyn,
With newe triumphe resortid is ageyn.
Robbed ther tentis, wan ther gret pillage.
In his resort resceyued in sothnesse
With gret noblesse, because of that viage—
Thus can Fortune chaungen hir visage!—
Of Dioclisian, wher he stood in disdeyn,
With newe triumphe resortid is ageyn.
This cloudi queen stant euer in noun certeyn,
Whos double wheel quauereth euer in doute,
Of whos fauour no man hath be certeyn:
Ther oon hath grace, anoþer is put oute.
Lat eueryman as it cometh aboute
Take his tourn & neuere in hir assure;
Faillyng in armys is but an auenture!
Whos double wheel quauereth euer in doute,
Of whos fauour no man hath be certeyn:
850
Lat eueryman as it cometh aboute
Take his tourn & neuere in hir assure;
Faillyng in armys is but an auenture!
Thus Galerius aftir his bataill
On Persiens gan wexen glorious,
Gouernid Affrik & lordshipp of Itaille,
Thoruh al thorient wex victorious,
Til he for age gan wexen tedious,
His laste daies maligned, as men seith,
Of fals hatreede ageyn[es] Cristis feith.
On Persiens gan wexen glorious,
Gouernid Affrik & lordshipp of Itaille,
Thoruh al thorient wex victorious,
Til he for age gan wexen tedious,
His laste daies maligned, as men seith,
Of fals hatreede ageyn[es] Cristis feith.
And hym to helpen in thes fals mateeris,
It is remembrid to his confusioun,
In his empire he sette too vikeris,
The lawe of Crist toppresse & put doun.
Gaff hem poweer in euery regioun
To punshe martirs & putte hem to þe deþ;
And in this while ful many on he sleth.
It is remembrid to his confusioun,
In his empire he sette too vikeris,
The lawe of Crist toppresse & put doun.
Gaff hem poweer in euery regioun
To punshe martirs & putte hem to þe deþ;
And in this while ful many on he sleth.
Bi this saide cruel Galerivs,
Which of thempire had al the gouernaunce,
Of cursid herte & corage despitous,
Be his vsurpid imperial puissaunce
Gaf auctorite for to do vengaunce
Vnto tweyne, Seuerus & Maxence,
On al Cristen bi mortal violence.
Which of thempire had al the gouernaunce,
Of cursid herte & corage despitous,
Be his vsurpid imperial puissaunce
Gaf auctorite for to do vengaunce
Vnto tweyne, Seuerus & Maxence,
On al Cristen bi mortal violence.
A certeyn space, bothe of oon accord,
Thestat of emperour chose was Maxence,
Til Seuerus & he fill at discord.
Anon aftir bi vengable pestilence,
Withynne a cite of notable premynence
Callid Rauenne, Seuerus ther was slayn,
Of which Galerius, God wot, was nothyng fayn.
Thestat of emperour chose was Maxence,
Til Seuerus & he fill at discord.
Anon aftir bi vengable pestilence,
Withynne a cite of notable premynence
Callid Rauenne, Seuerus ther was slayn,
Of which Galerius, God wot, was nothyng fayn.
For which in haste this Galerivs,
Hym to supporte & stonde in his defense,
Ches out of Denmark a kniht Licinius
To been emperour, thoruh knihtli excellence
For to withstonde & fihte ageyn Maxence.
But Maxence, of Romeyn knihtis all,
Was chose emperour & set up in his stall.
Hym to supporte & stonde in his defense,
Ches out of Denmark a kniht Licinius
To been emperour, thoruh knihtli excellence
For to withstonde & fihte ageyn Maxence.
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Was chose emperour & set up in his stall.
With which eleccioun Gallerius wex wood,
Fill in a maner froward frenesie,
His entrailles brent[e], corupt wex his blood,
And of his froward vengable malladie
In euery membre gan rote & putrefie,
That al the hair aboute hym enviroun
To all that felte it was venym & poisoun.
Fill in a maner froward frenesie,
His entrailles brent[e], corupt wex his blood,
And of his froward vengable malladie
In euery membre gan rote & putrefie,
That al the hair aboute hym enviroun
To all that felte it was venym & poisoun.
Lik a lazeer, coorbid bak & chyne,
In this while on Cristen most vengable,
To hym auailed no maner medecyne.
But ther was oon in Cristes feith ful stable
That spak to hym with langage ful notable,
In woordes fewe concludyng in substaunce,
“The grete Iub[i]ter hath take on the vengaunce.”
In this while on Cristen most vengable,
To hym auailed no maner medecyne.
But ther was oon in Cristes feith ful stable
That spak to hym with langage ful notable,
In woordes fewe concludyng in substaunce,
“The grete Iub[i]ter hath take on the vengaunce.”
And ouermor, for short conclusioun,
With a bolde spirit to hym began abraide:
“It is nat Iubiter worsheped in this toun,
In the Capitoile set,” sothli as he saide,—
“But Iubiter that was born of a maide,
Which wil nat suffre, of that thou dost endure,
That ony medicyne sholde the recure.
With a bolde spirit to hym began abraide:
“It is nat Iubiter worsheped in this toun,
In the Capitoile set,” sothli as he saide,—
“But Iubiter that was born of a maide,
Which wil nat suffre, of that thou dost endure,
That ony medicyne sholde the recure.
Lik a tiraunt be vengaunce furious,
At myscheef deieth, as olde bookis telle,
Perpetueli with cruel Cerberus
Vpon the wheel of Ixion to duell.”—
For his demerites with Tantalus in hell,
Ther to resceyue his fynal last guerdoun
Which coude on martirs haue no compassioun.
At myscheef deieth, as olde bookis telle,
Perpetueli with cruel Cerberus
Vpon the wheel of Ixion to duell.”—
For his demerites with Tantalus in hell,
Ther to resceyue his fynal last guerdoun
Which coude on martirs haue no compassioun.
It was his ioye for to sheede her blood,
Sent out [his] lettres to dyuers regiouns,
Lik a slih wolff, rauynous & wood,
To slen martirs be dyuers passiouns.
Lik his desert resceyued his guerdouns;
Horrible deth first dide hym heer confounde,
With Furies infernal lith now in hell[e] bounde.
Sent out [his] lettres to dyuers regiouns,
Lik a slih wolff, rauynous & wood,
To slen martirs be dyuers passiouns.
Lik his desert resceyued his guerdouns;
Horrible deth first dide hym heer confounde,
With Furies infernal lith now in hell[e] bounde.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |