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 kyng Amarycyus / and how Gracyan and
Theodosie destroied temples of fals goddis / &
how gracyan was put to flight.] |
| IX. |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[Off kyng Amarycyus / and how Gracyan and Theodosie destroied temples of fals goddis / & how gracyan was put to flight.]
Aftir Valence, to God contrarious,
In al his werkis most froward of lyuyng,
Tofor Bochas cam Amaricus,
Which of Gothes was whilom lord & kyng,
Of his gret age pitousli pleynyng,
Inflat and bolle, list make no delaies,
Slouh hymsilf to shorte his greuous daies.
In al his werkis most froward of lyuyng,
Tofor Bochas cam Amaricus,
Which of Gothes was whilom lord & kyng,
Of his gret age pitousli pleynyng,
Inflat and bolle, list make no delaies,
Slouh hymsilf to shorte his greuous daies.
Than cam to Bochas the brother of Valence,
The myhti emperour callid Gracian,
Which hadde afforn[e] had experience
First with his vncle Valentynyan
In thempire, as bookis telle can;
And aftirward Theodosie & he
Hadde gouernaunce of Roome the cite.
The myhti emperour callid Gracian,
Which hadde afforn[e] had experience
First with his vncle Valentynyan
In thempire, as bookis telle can;
And aftirward Theodosie & he
Hadde gouernaunce of Roome the cite.
Theodosie and Gracian of assent
Destroied templis as in that partie
Of false goddis; thei haue also doun rent
The grete idoles & al suich maumetrye,
And ful deuoutli gan chirchis edefye.
And in this while, as Fortune list ordeyne,
On Maxymvs was vikeer in Breteyne.
Destroied templis as in that partie
Of false goddis; thei haue also doun rent
The grete idoles & al suich maumetrye,
And ful deuoutli gan chirchis edefye.
And in this while, as Fortune list ordeyne,
On Maxymvs was vikeer in Breteyne.
An hardi kniht, al-be he did[e] varie
From his promys maad be sacrement;
In Breteyne list no lenger tarie,
But into Gaule of hert & hool entent
Geyn Gracian he sodenli is went.
And as it fill, set be ther bothe auys,
Thei hadde a bataille nat ferr out of Parys.
From his promys maad be sacrement;
In Breteyne list no lenger tarie,
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Geyn Gracian he sodenli is went.
And as it fill, set be ther bothe auys,
Thei hadde a bataille nat ferr out of Parys.
This Gracian was ther put to fliht
Bi the prowesse of a proud capteyn
Callid Merobandus, was an hardi kniht,
Which with his poweer hath so ouerleyn,
That Gracian was constreyned in certeyn,
Whan his poweer myhte nat availe
Geyn Maxymvs, to fleen out of Itaille.
Bi the prowesse of a proud capteyn
Callid Merobandus, was an hardi kniht,
Which with his poweer hath so ouerleyn,
That Gracian was constreyned in certeyn,
Whan his poweer myhte nat availe
Geyn Maxymvs, to fleen out of Itaille.
This Maxymvs of pride gan desire
In his herte be fals ambicioun
To regne allone, & of the hool empire
In his handis to haue pocessioun.
But in what wise Fortune threw hym doun
With suich othir, that be in nou[m]bre fyue,
In this chapitle Bochas doth descryue.
In his herte be fals ambicioun
To regne allone, & of the hool empire
In his handis to haue pocessioun.
But in what wise Fortune threw hym doun
With suich othir, that be in nou[m]bre fyue,
In this chapitle Bochas doth descryue.
Ageyn this same tiraunt Maxymvs,
Whan that he hadde slay[e]n Gracian,
The noble emperour Theodosius
To venge his deth a werre in hast began,
Because also that Valentynyan
Was wrongli banshed thoruh the cruelte
Of Gracian ful ferr from his contre.
Whan that he hadde slay[e]n Gracian,
The noble emperour Theodosius
To venge his deth a werre in hast began,
Because also that Valentynyan
Was wrongli banshed thoruh the cruelte
Of Gracian ful ferr from his contre.
With Maxymvs to holde up his partie
Was Andragracian, a ful notable kniht,
Which was maad prince of his cheualrie,
That took upon hym of verray force & myht
To keepe the mounteyns, that no maner wiht
With Theodose, armyd in plate & maile,—
No man sholde ouer the Alpies of Itaile.
Was Andragracian, a ful notable kniht,
Which was maad prince of his cheualrie,
That took upon hym of verray force & myht
To keepe the mounteyns, that no maner wiht
With Theodose, armyd in plate & maile,—
No man sholde ouer the Alpies of Itaile.
Theodose maad a gret arme,
Be grace of God and marcial corage
Leide a seege to Aigle, a gret cite,
And wan the toun, maugre his visage;
Took the tiraunt, and for his gret outrage
Berafft hym first his roial garnement
And slouh hym aftir be rihtful iugement.
Be grace of God and marcial corage
Leide a seege to Aigle, a gret cite,
And wan the toun, maugre his visage;
Took the tiraunt, and for his gret outrage
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And slouh hym aftir be rihtful iugement.
Whan Andragracian knew that Maximus,
That was his lord, was slay[e]n in swich wise,
Anon for sorwe, the stori tellith thus,
He drowned hymsilf, as Bochas doth deuise.
Thus can Fortune make folk arise
To thestat of emperours atteyne,
With vnwar strok yiue hym a fal sodeyne.
That was his lord, was slay[e]n in swich wise,
Anon for sorwe, the stori tellith thus,
He drowned hymsilf, as Bochas doth deuise.
Thus can Fortune make folk arise
To thestat of emperours atteyne,
With vnwar strok yiue hym a fal sodeyne.
This Maximvs, of whom I spak tofor,
Tofore his deth[e] made an ordynaunce,
That his sone, which callid was Victor,
Sholde aftir hym gouerne Gaule & Fraunce,
Whom Arbogastes hadde in gouernaunce—
A gret constable with Valentynyan—
Slouh this Victor to regne whan he began.
Tofore his deth[e] made an ordynaunce,
That his sone, which callid was Victor,
Sholde aftir hym gouerne Gaule & Fraunce,
Whom Arbogastes hadde in gouernaunce—
A gret constable with Valentynyan—
Slouh this Victor to regne whan he began.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |