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 knightys and gentylmen chese Aleryk kyng /
and comouns chese Radagasus whiche ended in myschef.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
882
[How knightys and gentylmen chese Aleryk kyng / and comouns chese Radagasus whiche ended in myschef.]
It is remembrid of antiquite,
In the Bible, aftir Noes flood,
How bi dissent[e] of his sonis thre,
Of ther lynage pleynli and ther blood
Al kynreedis dilatid been abrod;
And [in] myn auctour, as it is maad[e] mynde,
Of Iaphet cam seuene naciouns, as I fynde.
In the Bible, aftir Noes flood,
How bi dissent[e] of his sonis thre,
Of ther lynage pleynli and ther blood
Al kynreedis dilatid been abrod;
And [in] myn auctour, as it is maad[e] mynde,
Of Iaphet cam seuene naciouns, as I fynde.
The peeple first of Gaule & Galathe,
Of Magoth Gothes & folkis of Itaile,
Tire, Sithia, with many gret contre
Stondyng in Asia, as be rehersaile;
But in Europe stant Trace, it is no faile.
Gothes, Sithiens of purpos did ordeyne
Among hemsilff[e] gouernour[e]s tweyne:
Of Magoth Gothes & folkis of Itaile,
Tire, Sithia, with many gret contre
Stondyng in Asia, as be rehersaile;
But in Europe stant Trace, it is no faile.
Gothes, Sithiens of purpos did ordeyne
Among hemsilff[e] gouernour[e]s tweyne:
Knihtis, gentilmen chose Alericus
To be ther prince and haue the souereynte,
Wher the comouns chose Radagasus.
The Gothes first, for grettest surete,
With kyng Alerik been entred þe cite,
Into Roome to fynde ther socour,
That tyme Honorius beyng emperour.
To be ther prince and haue the souereynte,
Wher the comouns chose Radagasus.
The Gothes first, for grettest surete,
With kyng Alerik been entred þe cite,
Into Roome to fynde ther socour,
That tyme Honorius beyng emperour.
Be graunt of whom, al the hool contre
Youe to Alerik, of Gaule, Spaigne & France,
Ther for tabide & holde ther his see,
Gothes, Spay[g]nolffs vndir his obeissaunce,
Takyng on hym al the gouernaunce,
Til Stillicon out of the occident
To meete with them was doun fro Roome sent,
Youe to Alerik, of Gaule, Spaigne & France,
Ther for tabide & holde ther his see,
Gothes, Spay[g]nolffs vndir his obeissaunce,
Takyng on hym al the gouernaunce,
Til Stillicon out of the occident
To meete with them was doun fro Roome sent,
That tyme Honorie beyng emperour.
Stillicon gan Allerik enchace
With many a proud[e] sturdi soudeour,
For to fihte thei chose haue ther place;
But Allerik stood so in the grace
Of Fortune, that be verray myht
Stillicon he putte vnto the fliht.
Stillicon gan Allerik enchace
With many a proud[e] sturdi soudeour,
For to fihte thei chose haue ther place;
883
Of Fortune, that be verray myht
Stillicon he putte vnto the fliht.
Radagasus and Alerik of assent
Haue concludid and ful accordid be
Thoruh Itaille for to make her went
Toward Roome, and entre that cite,
Maugre Romeyns to haue the souereynte.
Tofor ther entring gan the toun manace,
The name of Rome to chaungen & difface.
Haue concludid and ful accordid be
Thoruh Itaille for to make her went
Toward Roome, and entre that cite,
Maugre Romeyns to haue the souereynte.
Tofor ther entring gan the toun manace,
The name of Rome to chaungen & difface.
For euermor the toun to doon a shame
Ther purpos was, as ye haue herd deuise;
First of alle to chaungen the touns name,
Dempt themsilff hable to that emprise.
But Fortune thouhte al othirwise,
Lik hir maneeres to do most damage,
Whan she to men sheweth fresshest hir visage.
Ther purpos was, as ye haue herd deuise;
First of alle to chaungen the touns name,
Dempt themsilff hable to that emprise.
But Fortune thouhte al othirwise,
Lik hir maneeres to do most damage,
Whan she to men sheweth fresshest hir visage.
Hir condiciouns be nat alwey oon;
Stoundemeel of custum she can varie;
For she was first froward to Stillicon,
And to Radagasus eft ageyn contrarie:
In o poynt, she list[e] neuer tarie,
To Radagasus hir fauour did faille,
Be Stillicon he venquisshid in bataille.
Stoundemeel of custum she can varie;
For she was first froward to Stillicon,
And to Radagasus eft ageyn contrarie:
In o poynt, she list[e] neuer tarie,
To Radagasus hir fauour did faille,
Be Stillicon he venquisshid in bataille.
Al his pride myht nat make hym speede;
Fortune list[e] so for hym ordeyne,
That he was fayn, at so streiht a neede,
To flee for socour to an hih mounteyne,
Of al vitaille nakid & bareyne,
Wher for hunger he felte so gret greef,
Nih al his peeple deide at myscheeff.
Fortune list[e] so for hym ordeyne,
That he was fayn, at so streiht a neede,
To flee for socour to an hih mounteyne,
Of al vitaille nakid & bareyne,
Wher for hunger he felte so gret greef,
Nih al his peeple deide at myscheeff.
Of al socour destitut and bareyn,
Sauh no remedie, took hym to þe fliht;
Be the Romeyns he was so ouerleyn,
Take at myscheef, & maugre al his myht
In cheynis bounde & dampned anon riht
For to be ded; his peeple, as it is told,
Many on slayn, summe take & summe wer sold.
Sauh no remedie, took hym to þe fliht;
Be the Romeyns he was so ouerleyn,
Take at myscheef, & maugre al his myht
In cheynis bounde & dampned anon riht
For to be ded; his peeple, as it is told,
Many on slayn, summe take & summe wer sold.
884
Ther was no[n] proudere nor mor surquedous
In thilke dayes, pleynli to descryue,
Than was this said[e] kyng Radagasus,
Which took on hym with Romeyns for to stryue.
His poweer short, was ouertourned blyue;
For Fortune of malys hadde a lust
To slen this tiraunt with hunger & with thrust.
In thilke dayes, pleynli to descryue,
Than was this said[e] kyng Radagasus,
Which took on hym with Romeyns for to stryue.
His poweer short, was ouertourned blyue;
For Fortune of malys hadde a lust
To slen this tiraunt with hunger & with thrust.
Among[es] othir proud[e] princis alle
Reioysshed hymsilf bamaner [of] veynglorie,
Because that men in contres ded hym calle
Kyng of Gothes; short is the memorie
Of hym rehersid or writyn in historie,—
To yiue exaumple, in deede men may fynde
The name of tirauntes is soone put out of mynde.
Reioysshed hymsilf bamaner [of] veynglorie,
Because that men in contres ded hym calle
Kyng of Gothes; short is the memorie
Of hym rehersid or writyn in historie,—
To yiue exaumple, in deede men may fynde
The name of tirauntes is soone put out of mynde.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |