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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[Off Constantyne and Crispus & how Dalmacyus was slayn.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[Off Constantyne and Crispus & how Dalmacyus was slayn.]
To Constantyn, of whom I spak toforn,
Thei wer sonys, Constantyn & Crispus.
The same tweyne, of o mooder born,
Cam tofor Bochas; his book reherseth thus.
With hem cam eek oon Lycynyvs,
Sone to Licynyus which in Roome toun
Afforn was slayn for his rebellioun.
Thei wer sonys, Constantyn & Crispus.
The same tweyne, of o mooder born,
Cam tofor Bochas; his book reherseth thus.
With hem cam eek oon Lycynyvs,
Sone to Licynyus which in Roome toun
Afforn was slayn for his rebellioun.
Constantyn his werris to gouerne
Made hem vikeres, the silue same thre.
Echon riht wis, & koude weel discerne
What myhte auaille most to ther cite,
Tencrece the proffit of the comounte.
Ther namys tolde, Constantyn & Crispus,
Tofor remembrid, with hem Licynyvs.
Made hem vikeres, the silue same thre.
Echon riht wis, & koude weel discerne
What myhte auaille most to ther cite,
Tencrece the proffit of the comounte.
Ther namys tolde, Constantyn & Crispus,
Tofor remembrid, with hem Licynyvs.
Whil these thre vikeris vndir themperour
Gouernid Roome, as knihtis riht famous,
In Alisaundre roos up a gret errour
Bi a fals preest Icallid Arryus,
To our beleue a thyng contraryous.
And for he dide ageyn our feith so werche,
Bi a decre he was put out of cherche.
Gouernid Roome, as knihtis riht famous,
In Alisaundre roos up a gret errour
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To our beleue a thyng contraryous.
And for he dide ageyn our feith so werche,
Bi a decre he was put out of cherche.
Bi a scen at Bithynye ful notable,
In Nicea, a famous gret cite,
This errour was preuid ful dampnable:
Thre hundred bisshopis wer present ther, parde,
And eihtene, the cronicle who list see.
And alle thes clerkis of o sentence ilik
Preeuyd Arryvs a fals[e] heretik.
In Nicea, a famous gret cite,
This errour was preuid ful dampnable:
Thre hundred bisshopis wer present ther, parde,
And eihtene, the cronicle who list see.
And alle thes clerkis of o sentence ilik
Preeuyd Arryvs a fals[e] heretik.
This same tyme, bookis specefie
How Constantyn of hasti cruelte,
The saide vikeres, nih of his allie,
Feyned a cause to slen hem all[e] thre.
No cause rehersid nor told of equite,
Saf onli this, in which he gan proceede,
To make his cosyn Dalmacivs to succeede.
How Constantyn of hasti cruelte,
The saide vikeres, nih of his allie,
Feyned a cause to slen hem all[e] thre.
No cause rehersid nor told of equite,
Saf onli this, in which he gan proceede,
To make his cosyn Dalmacivs to succeede.
But his fauour was nat fortunat
Toward Dalmacius, nor gracious in sentence,
Among whos knihtes fill a sodeyn debat,
Constantyn ther beyng in presence.
Dalmacius, withoute reuerence,
With sharpe suerdis, to speke in woordes fewe,
Vnto the deth was woundid & Ihewe.
Toward Dalmacius, nor gracious in sentence,
Among whos knihtes fill a sodeyn debat,
Constantyn ther beyng in presence.
Dalmacius, withoute reuerence,
With sharpe suerdis, to speke in woordes fewe,
Vnto the deth was woundid & Ihewe.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |