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 Stillicon and othir of lik condicion ended in myscheff.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[How Stillicon and othir of lik condicion ended in myscheff.]
Afftir whos deth to Bochas ther cam oon,
Swich another lik of condicioun,
Afforn remembrid, callid Stellicon,
Whos sone Euterius, as maad is mencioun,
Purposed hym to haue pocessioun
Of thempire hool; pleynli thus he thouhte,
And bi what mene the weie his fadir souhte.
Swich another lik of condicioun,
Afforn remembrid, callid Stellicon,
Whos sone Euterius, as maad is mencioun,
Purposed hym to haue pocessioun
Of thempire hool; pleynli thus he thouhte,
And bi what mene the weie his fadir souhte.
Compendiousli to tellyn of thes tueyne,
Fro dyuers contres toward Septemptrioun
To gadre peeple, thei dide her besi peyne,
Of many dyuers straunge nacioun.
Ageyn Honorivs thei cam togidre doun,
[And] as thei mette, Fortune made hem faille,
Bothe attonys slay[e]n in bataille.
Fro dyuers contres toward Septemptrioun
To gadre peeple, thei dide her besi peyne,
Of many dyuers straunge nacioun.
Ageyn Honorivs thei cam togidre doun,
[And] as thei mette, Fortune made hem faille,
Bothe attonys slay[e]n in bataille.
886
Ther gynnyng cursid hadde a wengable fyn;
Aftir whos deth I reede of othir tweyne:
Of oon Constans, his fadir Constantyn,
Which Constantyn took on hym in certeyne
To regne in Gaule, and aftir that ordeyne,
In that contre to be gouernour,
Ther to contynve as lord and emperour.
Aftir whos deth I reede of othir tweyne:
Of oon Constans, his fadir Constantyn,
Which Constantyn took on hym in certeyne
To regne in Gaule, and aftir that ordeyne,
In that contre to be gouernour,
Ther to contynve as lord and emperour.
His sone Constans kaute a deuocioun
Of conscience, and forthwith anon riht
Was shaue a monk, & made his professioun.
His fadir aftir of verray force & myht
Leet take hym out, gaf hym the ordre of kniht;
Both of assent gan make hemsiluen strong
Toppresse the contre & do the peeple wrong.
Of conscience, and forthwith anon riht
Was shaue a monk, & made his professioun.
His fadir aftir of verray force & myht
Leet take hym out, gaf hym the ordre of kniht;
Both of assent gan make hemsiluen strong
Toppresse the contre & do the peeple wrong.
This said[e] Constans, as myn auctour seith,
Was confederat, of hatful cruelte,
With oon Herencivs, assuraunce maad & feith,
As brethre suorn for mor auctorite.
And for to make the noumbre up of thre,
Constantyn was sworrn with hem also
To been al oon in what thei hadde ado.
Was confederat, of hatful cruelte,
With oon Herencivs, assuraunce maad & feith,
As brethre suorn for mor auctorite.
And for to make the noumbre up of thre,
Constantyn was sworrn with hem also
To been al oon in what thei hadde ado.
Thes said[e] thre sworn and Iioyned thus,
Conquered in Spaigne many gret cite;
But in this while this seid Herencivs,
Traitour and fals, ful of duplicite,
His fellawe slouh ageyn his oth, parde.
Thus was Constans thoruh fals collusioun
Of Herencivs moordred be tresoun.
Conquered in Spaigne many gret cite;
But in this while this seid Herencivs,
Traitour and fals, ful of duplicite,
His fellawe slouh ageyn his oth, parde.
Thus was Constans thoruh fals collusioun
Of Herencivs moordred be tresoun.
Herencivs aftir lyued but a while;
Be his owne knihtis he slay[e]n was also.
Fraude for fraude; deceit is quit with gile;
It folweth euer & gladli cometh therto:
Men resceyue ther guerdouns as thei doo.
Lat men alwey haue this in remembraunce,
Moordre of custum wil eende with myschaunce.
Be his owne knihtis he slay[e]n was also.
Fraude for fraude; deceit is quit with gile;
It folweth euer & gladli cometh therto:
Men resceyue ther guerdouns as thei doo.
Lat men alwey haue this in remembraunce,
Moordre of custum wil eende with myschaunce.
Among suich othir, thus eending in myscheef,
Cam Attalus and oon Eraclyan;
For no prowesse, but to ther gret repreeff
Remembrid heer; ther stori telle can,
Ageyn Romeyns whan thei rebell[e] gan,
Be Honorivs afforn maad officeeres
And of thempire callid cheef vikeres.
Cam Attalus and oon Eraclyan;
For no prowesse, but to ther gret repreeff
887
Ageyn Romeyns whan thei rebell[e] gan,
Be Honorivs afforn maad officeeres
And of thempire callid cheef vikeres.
First Attalus for his tirannye,
Whan he in Gaule was maad [a] gouernour,
Went into Spaigne with a gret companye,
Did his peyne and fraudulent labour
Be fals sleihte to be maad emperour.
Take and bounde, exilid for falsnesse,
His hand smet of, eendid in wrechidnesse.
Whan he in Gaule was maad [a] gouernour,
Went into Spaigne with a gret companye,
Did his peyne and fraudulent labour
Be fals sleihte to be maad emperour.
Take and bounde, exilid for falsnesse,
His hand smet of, eendid in wrechidnesse.
Off Eraclyan the ende was almost lik,
Yit was he promoot to gret prosperite,
Maad gouernour & lord of [al] Affrik,
Of consuleer roos to the dignite,
Rood thoruh Libie and many gret contre,
With thre thousand shippes gan to saille
And with seuene hundrid taryue [vp] in Itaille.
Yit was he promoot to gret prosperite,
Maad gouernour & lord of [al] Affrik,
Of consuleer roos to the dignite,
Rood thoruh Libie and many gret contre,
With thre thousand shippes gan to saille
And with seuene hundrid taryue [vp] in Itaille.
Swich noumbre of shippis neuer afforn was seyn,
Lik as it is acountid be writyng;
His naue passed the naue in certeyne
Of myhti Xerses, that was of Perse kyng,
Or Alisaundre; but yit in his comyng,
Toward Itaille whan he sholde aryve,
The se and Fortune gan ageyn hym stryve.
Lik as it is acountid be writyng;
His naue passed the naue in certeyne
Of myhti Xerses, that was of Perse kyng,
Or Alisaundre; but yit in his comyng,
Toward Itaille whan he sholde aryve,
The se and Fortune gan ageyn hym stryve.
At his arryuaile he hadde a sodeyn dreed,
Cause Honorius had sent doun a capteyn,
Constancivs callid, gouernour and hed
Of al the Romeyns, to meete hym on the pleyn;
For which Eraclyan tournid is ageyn,
As I fynde, gan take his passage
Toward the cite that callid is Cartage.
Cause Honorius had sent doun a capteyn,
Constancivs callid, gouernour and hed
Of al the Romeyns, to meete hym on the pleyn;
For which Eraclyan tournid is ageyn,
As I fynde, gan take his passage
Toward the cite that callid is Cartage.
Thus Fortune list hir poweer shewe:
Or he cam fulli to that noble toun,
With sharp[e] suerdis he was al to-hewe
Among his knihtis thoruh fals occasioun
As thei fill at a discencioun.
Of intrusioun began first this quarell,
Ageyn Romeyns whan that he gan rebell.
Or he cam fulli to that noble toun,
With sharp[e] suerdis he was al to-hewe
Among his knihtis thoruh fals occasioun
As thei fill at a discencioun.
888
Ageyn Romeyns whan that he gan rebell.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |