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 goodly Isis, Wiff to Apys kyng of Argyue slayn bi his broþer Tyffeus.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[Off goodly Isis, Wiff to Apys kyng of Argyue slayn bi his broþer Tyffeus.]
We haue eek rad in stories heer-tofforn,
How that Ysis to Egipt took hir fliht
Out off Grece, the trewe douhter born
Off Promotheus, a ful manly knyht;
And this Ysis in euery mannys siht
So fressh, so goodli, weddid bi hir lyue
To worthi Apis, that was kyng off Argyue.
How that Ysis to Egipt took hir fliht
Out off Grece, the trewe douhter born
Off Promotheus, a ful manly knyht;
And this Ysis in euery mannys siht
So fressh, so goodli, weddid bi hir lyue
To worthi Apis, that was kyng off Argyue.
The which Ysis, excellyng off beute,
Afftyr tyme hir fadir was Igraue,
She was I put for mor surete
With hir vncle, that sholde keepe & saue
This seid[e] maide, that no man sholde hir haue;
And hir vncle, in Ouyde ye may see,
Lik as he writ, was callid Epymethe.
Afftyr tyme hir fadir was Igraue,
She was I put for mor surete
With hir vncle, that sholde keepe & saue
This seid[e] maide, that no man sholde hir haue;
And hir vncle, in Ouyde ye may see,
Lik as he writ, was callid Epymethe.
And flouryng up in hir tendir age,
This seid Ysis so plesant was & meete,
Off semlynesse, off look & off visage,
That Iubiter, the myhti kyng off Creete,
Was enamerid with hir for to meete;
And she, excitid off femynyte,
Enclynyd hir herte onto his deite.
This seid Ysis so plesant was & meete,
Off semlynesse, off look & off visage,
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Was enamerid with hir for to meete;
And she, excitid off femynyte,
Enclynyd hir herte onto his deite.
And for she was off hir entent so cleene,
Obeieng hym in most lowli wise,
Off Argyuois he maad hir to be queene.
Because that she was smet in couetise,
Ageyn Argus a werre she gan deuise,
And for he was vnweeldi off his age,
Hir to withstonde he fond non auauntage.
Obeieng hym in most lowli wise,
Off Argyuois he maad hir to be queene.
Because that she was smet in couetise,
Ageyn Argus a werre she gan deuise,
And for he was vnweeldi off his age,
Hir to withstonde he fond non auauntage.
But yit Fortune gan vp[on] hir frowne,
And kyng Argus thoruh his subtilite,
With his counseil so prudentli gan rowne,
That she was take bi ful gret cruelte,
And hir soudeours were eek made to fle;
And bi Argus, ther geyned no ransoun,
She fetrid was & put in strong presoun.
And kyng Argus thoruh his subtilite,
With his counseil so prudentli gan rowne,
That she was take bi ful gret cruelte,
And hir soudeours were eek made to fle;
And bi Argus, ther geyned no ransoun,
She fetrid was & put in strong presoun.
But hir sone, the god Mercurius,
Riht fressh, riht lusti & ful off hardynesse,
And off his herte inli coraious,
Ageyn[es] Argus gan his power dresse,
And so entierli dede his besynesse
That he was slay[e]n, in conclusioun,
And Ysis afftir delyuerid fro prisoun.
Riht fressh, riht lusti & ful off hardynesse,
And off his herte inli coraious,
Ageyn[es] Argus gan his power dresse,
And so entierli dede his besynesse
That he was slay[e]n, in conclusioun,
And Ysis afftir delyuerid fro prisoun.
Off hir sleihtis afftirward nat feynt,
She took a ship and into Egipt wente,
In which[e] ship ther was a cow depeynt;
And Mercury, whom Iupiter eek sent,
Is gon with hir, bothe off oon entent,
To make a mariage afftir a-noon riht
Twen hir and Apis, a prynce off ful gret myht.
She took a ship and into Egipt wente,
In which[e] ship ther was a cow depeynt;
And Mercury, whom Iupiter eek sent,
Is gon with hir, bothe off oon entent,
To make a mariage afftir a-noon riht
Twen hir and Apis, a prynce off ful gret myht.
She was riht wis boue othir creatures,
Secret off cunnyng, weel expert in science,
She tauhte first lettres and figures
To Gipciens be pleyn experience,
Gaff hem cunnyng and intelligence
To tile ther land, tauhte ther laboreris
To sowe ther greyn & multeplie bi yeris.
Secret off cunnyng, weel expert in science,
She tauhte first lettres and figures
To Gipciens be pleyn experience,
Gaff hem cunnyng and intelligence
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To sowe ther greyn & multeplie bi yeris.
And in Egipt hir fame and hir renoun
Gan day be day wexe and hir worthynesse,
Holde off cunnyng and reputacioun
Be signes shewed, nat onli a pryncesse,
But she was holde a-mong hem a goddesse,
And with worshepis which that were dyuyne
And sacrefises, to hir thei dede enclyne.
Gan day be day wexe and hir worthynesse,
Holde off cunnyng and reputacioun
Be signes shewed, nat onli a pryncesse,
But she was holde a-mong hem a goddesse,
And with worshepis which that were dyuyne
And sacrefises, to hir thei dede enclyne.
But to declare pleynli at a woord,
A-myd[des] al hir gret prosperite,
Myhti Apis, hir husbonde and hir lord,
Prynce off Egipt and duk off that cuntre,
Sone off Iubiter and off Nyobe,
Which Nyobe, bi lynage descendyng,
The douhter was off Phoroneus the kyng—
A-myd[des] al hir gret prosperite,
Myhti Apis, hir husbonde and hir lord,
Prynce off Egipt and duk off that cuntre,
Sone off Iubiter and off Nyobe,
Which Nyobe, bi lynage descendyng,
The douhter was off Phoroneus the kyng—
And Phoroneus first the lawes fond
To which al Grece stant vndir obeissaunce,
And the statutis off that myhti lond
Were establisshid bi his ordynaunce—
But for to write the vnhappi chaunce
Off kyng Apis, as it is remembrid,
He slay[e]n was and pitousli dismembrid
To which al Grece stant vndir obeissaunce,
And the statutis off that myhti lond
Were establisshid bi his ordynaunce—
But for to write the vnhappi chaunce
Off kyng Apis, as it is remembrid,
He slay[e]n was and pitousli dismembrid
Bi his brother callid Tiffeus,
Sumwhat off hatrede, but mor for couetise;
For Tiffeus was inli desirous
To reioishe in ful mortal wise
The myhti kyngdam, as ye han herd deuise,
Off Argyuoys to haue possessioun,
Preferrid be moordre & fals successioun.
Sumwhat off hatrede, but mor for couetise;
For Tiffeus was inli desirous
To reioishe in ful mortal wise
The myhti kyngdam, as ye han herd deuise,
Off Argyuoys to haue possessioun,
Preferrid be moordre & fals successioun.
And whan that Ysis fond hir lord so ded,
Off entent that he were magnefied,
First off wisdam she gan takyn heed,
Ordeyned a mene that he were deified,
Hih a-mong goddis to be stellefied,
In Egipt templis maad hym to be stallid,
And god Serapis afftir he was callid.
Off entent that he were magnefied,
First off wisdam she gan takyn heed,
Ordeyned a mene that he were deified,
Hih a-mong goddis to be stellefied,
In Egipt templis maad hym to be stallid,
And god Serapis afftir he was callid.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |