Lydgate's Fall of Princes :: :: University of Virginia Library

To Franceis Petrak as Bochas vndertook,
In eschewing of slouthe & idilnesse,
As he began taccomplissh up his book,
Assuraunce maad to doon his besynesse;
Which thing remembrid gan his penne dresse,
The Nyhnte Book, so God wold send hym grace,
It to parfourme yif he had lyff & space.

At the gynnyng sothli of his labour,
In his studie to hym ther did appeere
Mauricivs, the mihti emperour,
Which gan compleyne, rehersing the maneere
How he bi Phocas, cruel of look & cheere,
Destroied was—wiff, childre & kynreede—
The slauhtre kouth, who list ther stori reede.

The said[e] Maurice, as writ Bochas Iohn,
Was be Phocas brouht to destruccioun,
His wiff, his childre slay[e]n euerichon
At Calcedoyne, as maad is mencioun,
Aftir whos deth he took pocessioun.
The said[e] Phocas, as put is in memorie,—
Gaf Panteoun onto Seynt Gregorie,

Which was a temple of old fundacioun,
Ful of idoles upset on hih[e] stages.
Ther thoruh the world of eueri nacioun
Wer of ther goddis set up gret images,
To eueri kyngdam direct wer ther visages,
As poetis & Fulgence be his lyue
In bookis olde pleynli doth descryue.

Eueri image hadde in his hand a belle,
As appartened to euery nacioun,
Which be crafft sum tokne sholde telle

920

Whan any kyngdam fill in rebellioun
Or gan maligne ageyn[es] Roome toun;
Swich to redresse with strong & mihti hond
Sent a prince to chastise al that lond.

The saide temple bilt of lym & ston,
Pope Boniface, bookis specefie,
Wher it was first callid Pantheon,
Set up crossis upon ech partie,
Halwid it to martirs & Marie,—
Yeer be yeer[e] gynnyng off Nouembre
The feeste holde, the martiloge doth remembre.

In Asie this emperour Maurice was slayn,
In the cite that callid is Calcidonye,
Al his houshold and many good Romayn
Bi Phocas and Perciens, as had is in memorie.
And Phocas afftir, for al his veynglorie,
Slayn be Eraclivs, thouh he was emperour
Foure and twenti wyntir and cheef gouernour.

[Off Machomet the fals prophete and how he beyng dronke was deuoured among swyn.]

Afftir the deth of Phocas, as I tolde,
That Eraclius to regne first began,
Cam Machomeet, in his tyme Iholde
A fals prophete and a magicien,
As bookis olde weel reherse can.
Born in Arabia but of low kynreede,
Al his lyue an idolastre in deede.

And whan that he greuh to gretter age,
Deceyuable in many sondri wises,
With chamelis vsid first cariage:
Wente to Egipt [to] fette marchaundises,
Fals and double, sotil in his deuises;
To Iewes & Cristene sondry tymes sent,
Lerned the Olde a[nd] Newe Testament.

921

As bookis olde recorde in that partie,
This Machomeet, this cursid fals[e] man,
Out of Egipt faste gan hym hie
Toward a contre callid Corozan,
With a ladi that hihte Cardigan,—
Thoruh his sotil fals[e] daliaunce
Be crafft he fill into hir aqueyntaunce.

He wrouhte [so] be his enchauntementis
And be fals menis off nigromauncie,
Hir enclynyng toward his ententis;
For bothe he koude riht weel flatre & lie.
Saide openli that he was Messie,
Iewes abidyng vpon his comyng,
As grettest prophete and ther souereyn kyng.

Thus the peeple he brouht in gret errour
Bi his teching & his fals doctryne;
He wex among hem a gret gouernour.
The saide ladi he dede also enclyne,
As to a prophete which that was deuyne
Sent from aboue, as she did vndirstonde;
For which she took hym vnto hir husbonde.

His lynage [be]gan at Hismael;
Hadde a siknesse, fil ofte sithes doun,
In his excus[e] seide that Gabriel
Was sent to hym from the heuenli mansioun
Be the Hooli Goost to his instruccioun:
For the aungel shewed hym so sheene,
To stonde upriht he myhte nat susteene.

On his shuldre[s] wer ofte tymes seyn,
Whan he to folk[is] shewed his presence,
Milk whit dowes, which that piked greyn
Out of his eris; affermyng in sentence
Thei cam be grace of goostli influence
Hym to visite, to shewe & specefie
He was the prophete that callid was Messie.

Newe lawes he did also ordeyne,
Shewed signes be fals apparence;
Lik Moises, hymsilf he did[e] feyne

922

A prophete of most excellence.
And therupon to shewe an euidence,
Smale pottis with milk & hony born,
Of a gret bole wer hangid on ech horn.

Made the peeple yiue credulite
To his doctryne and [his] froward teching:
Be mylk & hony figurid was plente,
Be the merit of his gostli werking.
And thus he was at his begynnyng
Take of Sarsyns, as thei gan to [hym] drawe,
Which bi fals errour bond hem to his lawe.

A clerk of his, callid Sergius,
Wrot his lawes & thes myracles thre:
First of the dowes, how thei cam to hym thus,
As heer-toforn rehersid was by me,
How milk & hony wer tokne[s] of gret plente,
And of the bole, afforn be crafft maad tame,
Bi fals deceitis to getyn hym a name.

Of Arabiens & Sarsyns, as I reede,
And of Turkis maad prince & gouernour,
With Hismaelites & folk of Perse & Mede
He gadred peeple, gan wexe a werreiour,
Ageyn Heraclius, the mihti emperour,
And vsurped to ride in tho cuntres,
Gat Alisaundre with many mo cites.

Of tho parties desirous to be kyng,
Of that purpos whan he was set aside,
To the peeple falsli dissymulyng,
Told he was sent prophetis to prouide
For tho contrees, for to been ther guide.
And for he was lecherous of corage,
He made of Venvs sette up an image.

Made Sarsyns to worshep the Friday,
Semblabli his stori doth expresse,
So as Iewes halwe the Satirday,—
Al his werkis concludyng on falsnesse.
Whan he drank wyn [he] fill in dronk[e]nesse;
Bad the peple, lik a fals propheete,
Drynk[e] watir, & good wyn to lete.

923

As I seide, the heretik Sergivs,
With hym of counsail froward & contrarie,
Foon to our feith, he and Nostorivs,
From hooli chirch[e] gretli thei gan varie.
On whos errours Bochas list nat tarie
Mor to write[n] of this Machomeete,
A nigromancien & a fals prophete.

Who list to seen his lawes euerichon
Youe to Sarsyns, his book can ber witnesse,
As thei be set in his Alkeroun,
Echon in ordre groundid on falsnesse.
Lik a glotoun deied in dronk[e]nesse,
Bi excesse of mykil drynkyng wyn,
Fill in a podel, deuoured among swyn.

This was the eende of fals[e] Machomeete,
For al his crafftis of nigromancie,
The funeral fyn of this seudo prophete,
Dronklew of kynde, callid hymsilf Messie,
Whom Sarsyns so gretli magnefie.
Iohn Bochas let be for a queen of Fraunce,
Mor of his errours to putte in remembraunce.

[How Brounchild / queene of Fraunce slouh hir kyn / brought the londe in diuisioun, and aftir was honged / and hewen in pecys smale.]

She cam arraied nothing lik a queen,
Hir her vntressid; Bochas took good heed,
In al his book he had afforn nat seen
A mor woful creature in deede.
With weeping eyen, totorn[e] was hir weede,
Rebuking Bochas, he had lefft behynde
Hir wrechidnesse for to putte in mynde.

Vnto myn auctour she sodenli abraide,
Lik a woman that wer with wo chekmaat.
First of alle thus to hym she saide:
“Sumtyme I was a queen of gret estat
Crownid in Fraunce; but now al desolat

924

I stonde in soth. Brunnechild[e] was my name,
Which to reherse I haue a maner shame.

Thou wer besi to write the woful caas
Withynne thi book off Arsynoe,
Dist seruise to queen Cleopatras,
Of Rosymounde thou writ also parde;
And among alle thou hast forgete me,
Wherbi it seemeth thou dost at me disdeyne,—
List no parcel to writen of my peyne.”

Whan Bochas herd, of cheer he wex riht sad,
Knowyng nothing of that she ded endure.
“I-wis,” quod he, “afforn I haue nat rad
In no cronicle nor in no scripture
Of your woful froward auenture.”
“No?” quod she, “I pray you tak good heede,
So as thei fille I wil reherse in deede.”

Bochas with Brunnechilde gan debate anon:
“Sothli,” quod he, “this the condicioun
Of you wommen almost euerichon;
Ye haue this maner, withoute excepcioun,
Of your natural inclynacioun,
Of your declaryng this obseruaunce to keepe:
Nothyng to seyn contrarye to your worshepe.

Nature hath tauht you al that is wrong texcuse,
Vndir a courtyn al thyng for to hide;
With litil greyn your chaff ye can abuse;
On your diffautis ye list nat for to bide:
The galle touchid, al that ye set aside;
Shewe rosis fresshe; weedis ye leet passe,
And fairest cheer[e] wher ye most trespace.

And yiff ye shal telle your owne tale,
How ye be fall[e] fro Fortunis wheel,
Ye will vnclose but a litil male,
Shewe of your vices but a smal parcel:
Brotil glas sheweth brihter than doth steel;
And thouh of vertu ye shewe a fair pretence,
He is a fool that yiueth to you credence.”

925

Quo[d] Brunnechild, “I do riht weel espie
Thou hast of wommen a fals oppynyoun,
How that thei can flatre weel & lie
And been dyuers of disposicioun;—
Thou myhtest haue maad an excepcioun
Of hih estatis & them that gentil been,
Namli of me, that was so gret a queen.”

“Your hih estat boff Kynde hath no poweer
To chaunge in nature nouther cold nor heete:
But let vs passe and leue this mateer,
Theron tabide or any mor to plete;
Of your compleynt seith to me the grete.
Be weie of seruise to you I shal me quite,
As ye declare take my penne & write.”

“Tak heed,” quod she, “& with riht good auis
Fro the trouthe bewar that thou nat varie!
Whilom in France regnid kyng Clowis,
Hadde a sone that namyd was Clotarye,
Clothair an heir which callid was Lotarie;
And this Lotarie, namyd the secounde,
Hadde sonis foure, in stori it is founde.

To the cronicle who can taken heed,
As it is I put in remembraunce,
Whan ther fadir, the myhti kyng, was ded,
Atween thes foure partid was al France,
Ech be hymsilff[e] to haue gouernaunce,
Be oon assent, as brothir onto brothir,
Weryng her crownis, ech quit hem onto othir.

The same tyme, I, callid Brunnechild,—
Me list nat varie fro the old writyng,—
Hadde a fadir namyd Leuychild,
Of al Spayne souereyn lord and kyng.
My saide fathir, to ful gret hyndryng
Of bothe rewmys (the fame ronne ful ferre),
Tween Spaigne & Fraunce gan a mortal werre.

The brethre foure, in Fraunce crownid kynges,
Ageyn my fadir made strong diffence,
Of marcial pride & fortunat chaungyngis,

926

Whan thei mette be mortal violence,
Of sodeyn slauhtre fill suich pestilence
On outher parti, the feeld lik a gret flood
With the terrible effusioun of blood.

To bothe reumys the werris wer importable,
Causid of deth[e] passyng gret damage;
Souhte menys, wex be assent tretable,
Of blood sheedyng tappese the woful rage.
Bi oon accord I was youe in mariage
To Sigibert, regnyng tho in Fraunce,
Tueen bothe rewmys to maken alliaunce.”

“Nay, nay,” quod Bochas, “I deeme it is nat so;
Tween you & me ther mut begynne a striff.
Beth auised; taketh good heed herto:
The first assuraunce of mariage in your lyff,
Of Chilperik ye wer the weddid wiff,
Cronicles seyn, what-euer ye expresse,
In this mateer wil bere with me witnesse.”

“Thouh summe bookis reherse so & seyn,
Lik as ye haue maad heer mencioun,
Ther rehersaile stant in noun certeyn;
For be thassent of outher regioun,
Spayne and Fraunce in ther conuencioun
Ordeyned so in my tendre age,
To Sigibert I was youe in mariage.

Ymenivs was nat ther present,
Whan we took our chaumbre toward niht;
For Thesiphone, hir sustren of assent,
Infernal goddessis bar the torchis liht.
And as the torchis shewid dirk or briht,
Therbi the peeple present, oon & alle,
Dempte of the mariage what sholde befalle.

This custum vsid of antiquite:
Fro ther templis of goddis & goddessis,
At mariages of folk of hih degre
Torchis wer born, of whom men took witnessis,
As thei wer dirk or shewed ther brihtnessis,
The difference seyn in ech estat,
Yif it wer toward or infortunat.

927

Of this mariage short processe for to make,
The torchis brente, & yit thei wer nat briht,—
Shewed out komerous smokes blake;
Of consolacioun lost was al the liht.
Thus in dirknesse wastid the firste niht:
Ther vers, ther songis of goddis & goddessis
Wer al togidre of sorwe and heuynessis.

Thes wer the toknis the niht of mariage,
Pronostiques of gret aduersite;
Yit of nature I hadde this auauntage
Of womanheed and excellent beute;
And lik a queen in stonis & perre
I was arraied, clad in purpil red,
With a crowne of gold upon myn hed.

Solempneli crownid queen of Fraunce,
Which for to seen folk faste gan repaire.
Of al weelfare I hadde suffisaunce,
Clomb of Fortune ful hih vpon the staire.
A sone I hadde, which callid was Clotaire,
Be Sigibert, be record of writyng,
Thridde of þat name in Fraunce crownid kyng.

So wolde God the day whan he was born
He hadde be put in his sepulture,
In sauacioun of blood shad heer-toforn:
Caused the deth of many creature,
As dyuers bookis recorden in scripture,
Ground and gynnyng, as maad is mencioun,
Withynne this lond of gret deuysioun.

He with his brethre, of whom I tolde late,
At hym begonne the first occasioun”—
“Nat so,” quod Bochas, “ye faillen of your date.
Who was cheef cause of [this] discencioun?”
“Sothli,” quod she, “to myn oppynyoun,
Amon[g] hem-silff, I dar weel specefie,
The cheef gynnyng was fraternal envie.”

“Keep you mor cloos; in this mateer ye faille.
Folwyng the tracis of your condicioun,
Ye halte foule in your rehersaille:
For of your owne imagynacioun
Ye sewe the seed of this discencioun

928

Among thes kynges, yif ye taken heed,
Bi which in France many man was ded.”

Than Brunnechild[e] gan to chaunge cheere;
To Bochas seide with face ful cruel,
“Nat longe agon thou knew nat the maneer
Of my lyuyng but a smal parcel;
Me seemeth now thou knowest euerideel,
So that ye may withoute lenger striff
Sitte as a iuge, that knowe so weel my lyff.

Whan thes brethre stoden at discord,
Ech ageyn other bi mortal violence,
Vndir colour to tretyn of accord
With a maner feyned dilligence,
Chilperik ther beyng in presence,
Whilom brothir to Sigibert the kyng,
Was slayn among hem be fals conspiryng.

On whos deth auengid for to be,
As Sigibert did[e] hymsilff auaunce,
Among the pres he slay[e]n was parde . . .”
“Nat so,” quod Bochas, “but of fals gouernaunce,
Of your mysleuyng fill this vnhappi chaunce,
That Sigibert was moordred in sothnesse
Oonli be occasioun of your doubilnesse.

Folwyng the traces of newefangilnesse,
Geyn Sigibert ye wrouht[e] ful falsli,
Whan ye loued of froward doubilnesse
Landrik the erl of Chaumpayne & of Bry;
For bi your outrage & your gret foly
The kyng was slay[e]n, and ye did assente,
In a forest on huntyng whan he wente,

Which callid was the forest of Compyne.”
“Alas!” quod she, brak out in compleynyng,
“Bochas, Bochas, thou dost sore vndermyne
Alle the surfetis doon in my lyuyng!
Thou knowest the slauhtre of Sigibert the king,
Which that was wrouht, alas, be myn assent,—
How knowist thou it, that wer nat ther present?

929

Of thes debatis and of al this werre,
With rebukis rehersed heer in veyn,
In rehersaille gretli thou dost erre;
For which I caste—be riht weel certeyn—
In my diffence to replie ageyn.
It was nat I; for she that thou dost meene
Was Fredegundus, the lusti yonge queene.

This Fredegunde, thou shalt [weel] vndirstonde,
Riht womanli and fair of hir visage,—
Chilperik was whilom hir husbonde;
For hir beute took hir in mariage.
Bi hir treynys & hir gret outrage
He was aftir, the stori who list reede,
At myscheef slayn; thou shalt so fynde in deede.”

“Thouh ye be langage make strong diffence
In thes mateeres, which cause me to muse,
I haue ageyn you lost my pacience,
That so sotilli wolde yoursilf excuse.
Contrariousli your termys ye abuse;
For Clotaire, I haue so rad, parde,
Was nat engendred of Sigibert nor of the.

I remembre ful weel that I haue rad
That Childepert, thouh ye therat disdeyne,—
Record of auctours that prudent been & sad,—
How he in trouthe was gendrid of you tweyne,
Which in his deyng (me list nat for to feyne)
Lefft sonis two, the story ye may reede,—
Theobart & Thederik to succeede.”

“Bochas,” quod she, “thouh thou turne vp-so-doun
Thes said[e] stories, rehersid heer in deede,
Folwyng of malis thyn own oppynyoun,
Maugre thi wil[le], foorth I wil proceede
As I began; tak therto good heede:
First Theodorik, thou shalt vndirstonde,
Cosyn germyn was to myn husbonde,

930

Kyng of Burgoyne that tyme, and non other.
He of hatreede and indignacioun
Slouh Theobart, which that was his brother,
His wiff, his childre, for short conclusioun,
Which in the myhti famous regioun
Of Autrasie regnid as lord & kyng.
What-euer thou seist, this soth & no lesyng.”

“Nay,” quod Bochas, “it was al otherwise;
I may nat suffre how ye go ther among.
Al this langage of newe that ye deuise,
Brouht to a preef, concludeth vpon wrong.
What sholde we lenger this mateer drawe along?
Yoursilf wer cause, wher ye be lothe or fayn,
Be Theodorik that Theobart was slayn.

The ground heerof gan parcel of envie,
Bi your froward brennyng couetise,
Which that ye hadde onli to occupie,
To reule the lond aftir your owne guise.
And yif I shal pleynli heer deuise
Of thes myscheeuys rehersed, God do boote,
Ye wer your-silff[e] ground, cheef cropp & roote.”

Quod Brunnechild, “I conceyue wel & se,
Ye for your part haue lost al reuerence,
Your-silf enarmed to shewe your cruelte
Ageyn[e]s me, touchyng the violence
Of too slauhtris rehersed in sentence:
First how Theodorik his brothir slouh in deede,
Callid Theobart, a pitous thyng to reede;

Hymsilff[e] aftir stranglid with poisoun,
His wiff, his childre hewe on pecis smale . . .”
“As ye,” quod Bochas, “mak heer mencioun,
Sum part is trewe, but nat al your tale;
For I suppose ye sholde wexe pale
For shame of thyng which ye canat excuse,
Whan Theodorik begynneth you taccuse.

He put on you the crym of fals tresoun;
Ye slouh his wiff and his childryn also;
Hymsilf also ye moordred with poisoun:

931

I wolde wete what ye can seyn herto?”
“Alas,” quod she, “alas, what shal I do!
Was neuer woman, in hih nor louh estat,
Al thyng considred, mor infortunat!

Fortune of me set now but litil prys,
Bi hir froward furious violence
Turnyng hir wheel & visage of malys,
Causeth to me that no man yeueth credence,
Had in despiht, void of al reuerence,
And thoruh Fortunys mutabilite
Sool [and] abiect and falle in pouerte.

O Bochas Iohn, for short conclusioun,
Thou must ageyns me þi stile now auaunce.
I haue disserued to haue punicioun,
And alle the princis & barouns now in France
Crie out on me & axe on me vengaunce;
Refuge is non nor recure in this thing,
Thouh that Clotaire my sone be crownid kyng.

For my defautis foul & abhomynable,
Tofor the iuges of al the parlement
I was foriugid & founde also coupable,
Of euery crym convict be iugement,
Myn accusours ther beyng present,
Of oon & othir stondyng a gret route,
Markid with fyngris of folk þat stood aboute.

For verray shame I did myn eyen close,
For them that gaured & cast on me þer siht;
But as folk may be toknys weel suppose,
Myn eris wer nat stoppid half ariht.
Taken be force & lad forth with myht,
Be the hangman drawe ouer hill & vale,
Dismembrid aftir & hewe on pecis smale.

With my blood the pament al bespreynt,
Thanked be Fortune, such was myn auenture,
The soule partid, my bodi was so feynt.
Who radde euer of any creature
That mor wo or torment did endure!”—

932

Praied Bochas to haue al thyng in mynde,
Write hir lyff & leue nothyng behynde.

Lenvoye.

This tragedie of Brunnechild the queen,
To hir stori who list yiue attendaunce,
Froward to reede, contagious to seen,
And contrarie to al good gouernaunce,
Born in Spayne, crownid queen of Fraunce,
Double of hir tunge, vpfyndere of tresoun,
Caused al that lond stonde at dyuisioun.

From hir treynys ther koude no man fleene,
Sours & hedspryng of sorwe & myschaunce;
Shad hony first, stang aftir as doon beene,
Hir myrre medlid with sugrid fals plesaunce.
What she saide includid variaunce,
Maistresse of moordre & of discencioun,
Caused al that lond stonde at dyuysioun.

Princis of Gaule myhte nat susteene
Gret outrages nor the gret gouernaunce
Nor the surfetis doon in hir yeeris greene,
Brouht that kyngdam almost to vttraunce;
Alle of assent cried on hir vengaunce.
The fame aroos, how al that regioun
Bi hir falsnesse stood at dyuisioun.

The knyff of moordre grounde was so keene
Bi hir malys of long contynuaunce,
Hir corage fret with infernal teene,
Spared nouther kyn nor alliaunce.
Peised hir surfetis & weied in ballaunce,
As Bochas writ, she was thoccasioun
Which made al Fraunce stonde at dyuisioun.

Here Bochas in maner excusith the vorrching of Brunnechild.

Bochas astonid, gan inwardli meruaile,
Fill in a maner of ambiguite
Of Brunnechildis merueilous rehersaile,—

933

How any woman of resoun sholde be
So ful of malis & froward cruelte,
To slen hir kyn & setten at distaunce
Be dyuysioun al the rewm of France.

Bochas dempte it was nat credible
That a woman sholde be so vengable,
In hir malis so venymous or terrible
Of slauhtre or moordre [for] to be coupable.
The stori suspect, heeld it but a fable,
Onli except that she did hym excite
With gret instaunce hir story for to write.

Hir cry on Bochas was verray importune,
To sette in ordre hir felicites
With hir vnhappi chaunges of fortune,
Hir disclaundres and gret aduersites,
With hir diffame reportid in contres;
No verray grounde founde in bookes olde,
But of confessioun that she hirsiluen tolde,

That myn auctour with solempne stile
Reherse sholde hir deedis disclaundrous,
Hir flouryng yeeris also to compile,
Medlid with hir daies that wer contrarious,
Hir fatal eende froward & furious,—
Wherof encoumbred of verray weerynesse,
Toward Eraclyus he gan his penne dresse.

[How Eraclyus the Emperour sustened heresye fill in to dropesy and sikenesse incurabl and so died.]

Afftir Phocas, with gret honour & glorie
Crownid emperour of Roome þe cite,
In whos tyme, lik as seith þe storie,
The Romeyns stood in gret perplexite
Bi them of Perse that roos with Cosdroe,
Which took upon hym to be lord and sire,
As a tiraunt to trouble the empire.

934

Gat many prouynce & many famous rewm
Thoruh al Asie, as the cronicle seith,
Gan approche toward Iherusalem;
Afforn the toun proudli a siege he leith,
As a tiraunt froward to Cristes feyth.
But Eraclius, maugre al his miht,
Smet of his hed & slouh hym lik a knyht.

And bi grace, which that is dyuyne,
This famous prince, this Eraclius
In his begynning slouh many proud Sarseyn,
Holde in tho daies notable & glorious,
And in his conquest passyng[ly] famous.
Dyuers reliques & the cros he souhte,
And fro tho cuntres many of hem he brouht.

Was non so famous holde in his daies
As Eraclius thempire for to guye,
Nor mor manli founde at al assaies
Of hih prowesse nor in cheualrye.
But whan he gan susteene heresie,
God took from hym, withynne a litil space,
His hap, his weelfare, his fortune & his grace.

He gan susteene & folwe certeyn rihtis,
Of wilfulnesse and froward fantasie,
Of a sect callid Monachelites,
Which is a sect of froward heresie;
And sith that he drouh to that partie,
The stori tellith, for al his hih estat,
This Eraclius was neuere fortunat.

Wher he was first drad on se & lond,
Namli off Sarsyns, for his cheualrie,
Grace & Fortune from hym withdrouh ther hond;
For whan that he fill into heresie,
He was trauailed with suich a dropesie,
And therwithal he hadde a froward lust
Euere to drynk, & euere he was a-thrust.

In tho daies founde was no leche,
Al-be that thei wer souht on ech partie,
The saide prince that koude wissh or teche,

935

Hym to releue of his idropesie,
Maad feynt & feeble with a gret palisie:
Thus in siknesse he hath his daies spent,
Be vengaunce slayn with infernal torment.

Of Heraclius this was the woful eende,
As is rehersed, slay[e]n with seeknesse,
Out of this world[e] whan he sholde weende,
Al hool thempire stood in gret distresse,
Force of Sarsyns dide hem so oppresse;
And day be day drouh [vn]to declyn
Be his successour callid Constantyn,

[How Constantyne the sone of Eraclyus supportyng errour and heresye was moordred in a stewe.]

Which was his sone, as maad is mencioun.
In whos tyme thoruh his gret folie
Sarsyns dide gret oppressioun,
Spoillyng the contres of al Lumbardie.
And Constantyn, of wilful slogardie,
Wasted his daies til that he hath brouht
Al thempire almost onto nouht.

Geyn Cristes feith in especial
He gan of malys his wittis to applie,
And was therto enmy ful mortal,
As cheeff supportour of fals heresie.
And toward Roome faste he gan hym hie,
Spoilled templis of many riche image,
And be water took aftir his passage.

To Constantynople he hasted hym ful blyue,
Be Cecile the weie was most meete;
At Siracuse I fynde he did aryue,
And for the sesoun was excessiff of heete,
Which in his labour made hym for to sueete,
And secreli he gan hymsilf remewe
To be bathed in a preue stewe.

936

Of enmyte ther he was espied;
His owne knihtes, lik as it is founde,
Be conspiracioun, certeyn of them allied,
Fill upon hym with sha[r]pe swerdis grounde.
And merciles, with many mortal wounde,
Thei slouh hym ther, on hym thei wer so wood,
Amyd the stewe, nakid as he stood.

Aftir whos deth thei did hemsilf auaunce
To chese a kniht bor[e]n in Armenye,
Of thempire to take the gouernaunce
And to supporte falsli ther partie.
But Constantyn, succeedyng of allie,
Beyng next heir, the trouthe for to sue,
To hym that was moordred in the stue,

Callid Constantyn, as his fadir was,
Riht notable in actis marciall,
Mor wisli gouerned, stood in othir caas:
Lik a prince, be iugement roial,
Of manli herte and corage natural
The conspiratours first of alle he sleth,
That wer assentid to his fadris deth.

To gret encres of his famous renoun,
Grace of God dide hym enlumyne,
Constantynople, in that roial toun
Olde heresie[s] to cessen and to fyne.
Too hundrid bisshoppis [eihty] & eek nyne
He made assemble, thoruh manli prouidence,
Of Cristes feith to stonde at diffence.

He was eek besi cherchis to restore,
Al heretikes manli to withstonde,
Ther oppynyouns examyned weel before,
And whan the trouthe was weel vndirstonde,
Lik Cristis kniht list for no man wonde
To pun[ys]shen hem ius[t]li be rigour,
Withoute excepcioun of persone or fauour.

Of hym in Bochas litil mor I reede,
Nor of his empire I fynde non oþer date,—
Spared non heretik, nouther for gold nor meede,

937

Constantynople he passid into fate;
Whan Bulgarience gan with hym debate,
A froward peeple, wilful & rekles,
Gaff hem a tribut, he for to lyue in pes.

[How Gisulphus was slayn, and his wif ended mischeuesly in lecherye.]

Next cam Gisulphus to Bochas on þe ryng,
A famous duk & notable in his lyff,
With weeping eyen pitousli pleynyng,
With whom also cam Rymulde his wiff,
Which þat lyueden euere in sorwe & striff.
Yit was she bothe of berthe & of lynage
Riht excellent, & fair of hir visage.

Sixe childre hadde this famous queen
Bi Gisulphus begetyn in mariage,
Wonder semli and goodli on to seen,
And fortunat be processe of ther age,
Al-be ther fadir felte gret damage
Be the werris he hadde in his lyuyng
With Cathanus that was of Narroys kyng.

This Cathanvs with many strong bataille
Is descendid, and took the weie riht
Of duk Gisulphus the londis to assaile;
Togidre mette in steel armyd briht;
Gisulphe slayn; his peeple put to fliht.
And Cathanus with strong & myhti hond
Took pocessioun, conquered al his lond.

Aftir whos deth Romulde the duchesse,
Gretli astoned, pale of hir visage,
To the castel off Forgoil gan hir dresse
With hir knihtis of strong & fel corage.
Cathanus made aftir his passage,
Leide a siege, caste hym to iuparte
His lyff, his bodi rather than departe.

938

Aboute the castel armyd as he rood,
Lik a prince sat knihtli on his steede,
Vpon the wallis as Romuldus stood,
Fresshli beseyn[e] in hir purpil weede,
And of the seege gan to taken heede,
Hir look, vnwarli, as she cast a-side,
And sauh the kyng tofor the castel ride,

So lik a prince and a manli kniht;
She gan on hym looke wondir narwe:
The god of loue persed thoruh hir siht,
Vnto hir herte markid hir with his arwe;
The firy tyndis of his brennyng harwe
Made the soil so pliaunt of hir thouht,
That of hir castel she set almost riht nouht.

And for tacomplisshe the hool entencioun
Of hir fals lust in al maner thyng,
She is agreed be composicioun
To yeeld the castel in haste onto the kyng,
She for to come withoute mor tarieng,
Lik a duchesse hirsiluen to presente,
Wher-as the kyng sat armyd in his tente.

The peeple withynne prisoneeres take,
Hir foure sonis took hem to the fliht;
Loue caused that she hath forsake
Hir blood, hir kyn, wher it wer wrong or riht.
And Romulde the space but of a niht
With Cathanus hadde al hir deliht,
And euere aftir he hadde hir in despiht.

And bi the kyng whan she was refusid,
Tuelue in noumbre that duelled in his hous
Most frowardli hir beute haue abusid,
Of hir nature she was so lecherous.
Al to reherse it is contagious,
How she wex afftir so abhomynable
To been aqueynted with gromys of þe stable.

It wer but veyn to tarie on this mateere
Or any long processe for to make,
Hir stori is contagious [for] to heere.

939

But fynalli at myscheef she was take,
For a spectacle fichched on a stake,
Set up alofte, myn auctour tellith so,
Deide in distresse for constreynt of hir wo.

[Off Iustynyan the fals extorcioner exiled by Patrycyan / after bothe nose & eien kut from his hede.]

By exaumple, so as fressh armure
Thoruh long[e] resting leseth his brihtnesse,
Fret with old rust, gadreth gret ordure,
Is diffacid of his fressh cleernesse,
Semblabli the Romeyns hih prowesse
Gan for tappalle, alas, & that was routhe!—
Whan thei hem gaff to necligence & slouthe.

Who in knihthod list haue experience
Must eschewe riotous idilnesse,
Be prouident with enteer dilligence,
Large with discrecioun, manli with gentilesse,
To hih emprises his corage dresse,
And be weel war, upon ech partie,
Hym to preserue fro rust of slogardie.

The which[e] vice gretli hath appeired,
As is remembrid of old antiquite,
Caused ofte Romeyns be dispeired,
Be froward lustis hyndred ther cite
And appallid ther old prosperite;
For which defautis cam to pleyne blyue
To Iohn Bochas emperour[e]s fyue.

As many kynges of the same noumbre,
Which be slouthe wern afforn oppressid,
Whom that slouthe whilom did encoumbre,
Ther names heer bi and bi expressid,
To myn auctour thei han her cours Idressid
Lik ther degrees to speke in wordes fewe:
Iustynyan first did his face shewe,

Nat Iustynyan whilom so vertuous,
And of prudent gouernaunce so notable,
But Iustynyan Temerarivs,

940

Double of his deedis, fals & deceyuable,
Of his promys dyuers & vnstable,
Whilom exilid be Patrician
For extorsiouns that he in Roome gan.

His nase, his eyen Patrician gaf in charge
To be kut of, be furious cruelte.
And of thempire þat was so wide & large,
Leoncius next gouernid the cite;
And thoruh Fortunis mutabilite
The same Leonce be Tiberie was cast doun,
His eien put out, deied afftir in prisoun.

Tiberius afftir seruid on the same,
His nose kut of, from his see put doun;
For a rebuk and a perpetuel shame,
To a cite that callid was Cersoun,
Withoute merci, fauour or raunsoun
Exilid he was, prisowned as a theeff,
Bi long[e] turment deide at myscheef.

[How Philip the Emperour died at myschef.]

Next to Bochas cam Phelipp on the ring,
Whos empire no while did endure.
Lik an heretik cursid of lyuyng
And odious to eueri creature,
Beet doun images & many fressh picture
Of hooli seyntes, which in ther templis stood,
Wherbi Romeyns dempte that he was wood.

Pursuid he was bi a manli kniht
Callid Anastaise, and put out of his place;
And in Cicile, of verray force & myht
He did his eyen out of his hed arace,
Be iugement his visage to difface,
Semblabli as he be gret outrages
Of Cristes cherch diffaced the images;

Deide at myscheeff dirkid with blyndnesse.
Than Anastaise took posessioun,
In whos tyme, bookis ber witnesse

941

And cronicles make mencioun,
Of thempire was maad dyuisioun:
That first was oon, partid [was] on tueyne
Wherof myn auctour in maner doth compleyne.

Bochas in maner compleynyth of þingis deuidid in too.

As he reherseth in his oppynyoun
And therupon doth a ground deuise,
Cause & rote of ther deuisioun
Took origynal of fals couetise;
And ceriousli he tellith heer the guise,
Into the cherch whan richesse brouht in pride,
Al perfeccioun anon was set aside.

The poore staf and potent of doctryne,
Whan it wer chaungid & list nat for tabide
In wilful pouert, but gan anon declyne,
On statli palfreyis & hih hors to ride,
Sharp heires wer[e]n also leid aside,
Tournid to copis of purpil & sangwyn,
Gownis of scarlet furrid with hermyn.

Slendre fare of wyn & water cleer,
With abstinence of bred maad of whete
Chaungid tho daies to many fat dyneer,
With confect drynk of ipocratis sueete;
And sobirnesse dide his boundis lete,
Scarsnesse of foode leffte his olde estat,
With newe excesse gan wexe delicat.

Gostly lyuyng in the cherche appallid,
Caused Greekis withdrawe hem in sentence
From the pope, in Petris place stallid,
And list to hym do non obedience.
Fals auarice caused this offence,
That the Grekis dide hemsilf deuide
Fro the Romeyns for ther gret[e] pride.

942

Thus coueitise and [fals] ambicioun
Did first gret harm among the spiritual,
Brouht in discord and dyuysioun
Among princis in ther estat royal.
Who clymbeth hiest, most pereilous is his fall,
Record I take of forseid Anastase,
Be Theodosie put out of his place.

This Theodosie dide his besi peyne
On Anastace suich werre for to make,
That maugre hym he did hym so constreyne,
That he was fayn thempire to forsake.
For feer and dreed he did upon hym take
The oordre of preest from the imperial see,
Content with litil, lyued in pouertee.

[How the hede of Lupus kyng of Lumbardie was smet of by Grymaldus.]

Afftir thes chaunges remembrid be writingis,
Lik as I haue told heer in partie,
Cam to Bochas foure myhti kingis
Regnyng echon of old in Lumbardie.
Afftir the maner and guise of barbarie
Thei wern arraied, & in ther passage
With her forgrowen bodi and visage.

Ther berdis rauhte ouer ther nouele doun;
Ther garnementes of colours manyfold,
With brode baudrikis enbracid enviroun,
Large bokelis & pendauntis of fyn gold.
Ther brech enbrowdid aftir the guise of old,
Fret with perle, leg stukkid to the kne,
Pleynyng to Bochas of ther aduersite.

Ther shon wer racid fresshli to the ton,
Richeli transuersed with gold weer,
And theron sette many a straunge ston,
Geyn Phebus liht that shon ful briht & cleer.
Thes Lombard kynges gan tapproche neer,

943

And first of alle the proude kyng Lupus
Vnto Bochas gan his compleynt[e] thus:

“Bochas,” quod he, “as for my partie,
For to reherse be short conclusioun,
On Grymaldus, a prince of Lumbardie,
Hath me enchacid out of my regioun
And cruelli me cheynid in prisoun.
And aftir that he did a sergaunt sende,
Smet of myn hed, and ther I maad an eende.”

[How the hede of Alexyus was smet of by Compertoun.]

Aftir this eende rehersed of Lupus,
For to declare his mortal heuynesse,
Next in ordre ther cam Alexius,
A Lombard kyng famous of richesse,
Which took on hym of surquedous prowesse
For to compasse the destruccioun
Of a prince Icallid Compertoun,

Which wered also a crowne in Lumbardie.
Atwixe bothe was werre & gret distaunce,
But al the peeple and lordis of Pauye
With myhti hond and marcial gouernaunce
The saide Alex brouhte to myschaunce;
And Compertoun, escapid from al dreed,
Of mortal vengaunce leet smyten of his hed.

[How Arypertoun was drowned with his rychesse.]

Aftir whos deth pitousli pleynyng,
Tofor Iohn Bochas cam Aripertoun,
Of Lumbardie whilom lord & kyng,
Which, lik a fool, of hih presumpcioun
Al causeles took occasioun
Of volunte, ther is no mor to seye,
Ageyn the duk off Bagorois to werreye.

944

Thes princis tweyne taken haue the feeld,
Of Ariperton the parti gan appeire;
His aduersaire anon as he beheeld,
His coward herte gan to disespeire.
Into Pauye for feer he gan repeire,
Took his tresour in purpos anon riht,
For verray dreed to take hym to the fliht.

Took a vessel and entrid is the se,
With sodeyn tempest assailed & dirknesse,
His barge pershid bi gret aduersite
And he was drownid with al his gret richesse.
Loo, heer the fyn of worldli wrechidnesse,
Namli of them, to gete gret tresours
That gyne werre ageyn ther neih[e]bours.

[How Dediere by pope Adryan and Charles of Fraunce was put to flight & died at mischef.]

Next to Bochas, with heuy look & cheere,
Kyng of Lumbars shewed his presence,
Callid in his tyme noble Dedieer,
Notable in armys & of gret excellence.
And wher his faddir hadde don offence
To the pope and ful gret duresse,
This kyng caste the damages to redresse.

Agistulphe was his fadris name,
Which to the pope did gret aduersite;
For which his sone to encrece his fame,
Of roial fredam and magnanymyte
And off benigne liberalite,
Gaff to the pope with humble reuerence
A statli cite that callid is Fayence.

Therwith he gaff gret tresour & gret good,
As he that list of freedam nat to spare,
A mihti castel which on Tibre stood
Withynne the boundis & lordship of Ferare,
Which is a cite, pleynli to declare,

945

Of antiquite, myn auctour tellith so,
And stant upon the ryuer of the Po.

This Dedieer regnyng in Lumbardie
Gan wexe famous at his [be]gynnyng,
Hadde gret name vpon ech partie;
But in this eerthe is nothing abidyng:
Al stant on chaung; & Fortune in werkyng
Is founde vnstable & double of hir visage,
Which of this kyng chaunged the corage.

Ther he was first large on eueri side,
Liberal founde in many dyuers wise,
His goodliheed was chaungid onto pride
And his largesse onto couetise.
Of doublenesse he gan anon deuise
To cleyme ageyn, as ye shal vndirstonde,
His seide giftis out of the popis honde.

Which Dedieer hadde made alliaunce,
As the cronicle maketh mencioun,
With kyng Pepyn regnyng tho in France.
Afftir whos deth, to haue pocessioun
And ful lordship of al that regioun,
He gan of newe fallyn at distaunce
Bothe with the pope & with the king of France.

Of presumpcioun thes werris he began
Ageyn his promys, of double variaunce;
Pope in tho daies was hooli Adrian,
Which to stynte this trouble & gret myschaunce,
Requered helpe of the king of Fraunce.
And grete Charlis, in Bochas as I reede,
Cam to the pope to helpyn in this neede.

Charlis that tyme was trewe protectour
To hooli cherche, ther pauys and diffence;
Which of hool herte and dilligent labour
With Dedieer be manli violence
He mette in Tuscan, of kingli excellence;
Hadde a bataile to preeve ther bothe myht:
Charlis victor; Dedier put to fliht.

946

As I fynde, he fledde into Pavie;
Worthi Charlis leide his siege afforn,
Constreyned hem upon ech partye,
For lak of vitaile thei wer almost lorn;
Thei wanted[e] licour, greyn and corn.
Be sodeyn constreynt & gret aduersite
To kyng Charlis thei yald up the cite.

Kyng Dedieer was sent into Fraunce,
With myhti cheynis fetrid in prisoun;
Lik a wrech, in sorwe & in penaunce,
Deide at myscheef; ther geyned no raunsoun,
Which hadde afforn so gret pocessioun.
Aftir whos day, as be old writyng,
Among Lumbardis was neuer crownid kyng.

[Off pope Iohn a woman with child and put doun.]

Afftir thes princis rehersed heer-toforn,
Drownid in teres cam a creature,
Lik a bisshop roundid & Ishorn;
And as a prest she had a brod tonsure,
Hir apparaille outward & vesture,
Beyng a woman, wherof Bochas took heed,
Lik a prelat shapyn was hir weede.

She was the same that of yore agon
Vnworthily sat in Petris place;
Was afftirward callid Pope Iohn,
A berdles prelat, non her seyn on hir face.
Of hir berthe namyd was the place,
Mayence, a cite stondyng in Itaille,
Vpon the Reen, ful famous of vitaille.

In hir youthe and in hir tendre age
Forsook hir kyn, and in especiall
Caste she wolde for hir auauntage

947

Yiue hir to konyng, bodi, herte & all.
And [in] the science[s] callid liberall,
In alle seuene, bi famous excellence,
Bi gret studie she hadde experience,

Hir name kouth in many dyuers lond.
To shewe hir cunnyng first whan she began,
Serchyng prouynces cam to Ing[e]lond,
No wiht supposyng but that she was a man;
Cam to Roome, hir stori telle can,
Tauhte gramer, sophistre [and] logik,
Redde in scoolis openli rethorik.

In the tyme of emperour Lotarie,
Afftir the deth, as maad is mencioun,—
Fro myn auctour yif I shal nat varie,—
That the pope which callid was Leoun,
The saide woman be eleccioun
Istallid was, supposyng no wiht than
Be no tokne but that she was a man.

The book of sortis aftir that anon,
Of auenture tournid up-so-doun;
She was callid & namyd Pope Iohn,
Of whos natural disposicioun
Fill bi processe into temptacioun:
Quik with childe, the hour cam on hir than;
Was delyuered at Seynt Ihon Lateran.

Afftir put doun for hir gret outrage,
I wil on hire spende no more labour,
But passe ouer al the surplusage
Of hir lyuyng and of hir gret errour;
Tourne my stile to themperour
Callid Arnold, & write his pitous chaunce,
Sone to Charlis, the grete kyng of Fraunce.

[How arnold son to Charles of Fraunce was eten with lys and so died.]

To this Charlis, as bookis determyne,
He was sone nat born in mariage,
But begetyn of a concubyne;

948

Took upon hym of surquedous outrage,
Withoute title of berthe or lynage,
To succeede be fraude and fals labour
Among Romeyns to regne as emperour.

He was vngracious sittyng in that estat,
In myscheeff spente his daies euerichon,
With lees and wermys maad infortunat,
Thoruh skyn and flessh fret onto þe bon.
Crafft of medecyne nor socour was ther non,
So deepe [he] was fret in his entraille;
Deide in distresse; no leche myhte auaille.

Thauctour geyn the pride of Princis.

Myn auctour Bochas stynt heer for a while,
Sharped his penne of entencioun,
Gan of angre to transport his stile
To write off tirauntis for ther transgressioun,
Moor wood & fell than any scorpioun,
Them counseillyng, whan thei be most bold,
For to remembre on this proude Arnold.

He ne was nat in his pride assailed,
Nat with wolues, tigres nor leouns,
With rauynous beres nor wilde boor trauailed,
Nowthir with othir myhti champiouns,
Which haue conquered many regiouns;
But with wermys engendrid of his kynde
The saide Arnold was moordrid, as I fynde.

In suich disioynt the sayd[e] Arnold stood,
With lees and wermys fret ageyn nature,
That was so nih[e] born of Charlis blood,
Impotent the peyne to endure.
Which was in sooth an vnkouth auenture,
That a prince myht nat be socourid
Of smale wermys for to be deuourid.

A gret exaumple, who list considre & see,
To princis alle for tabate ther pride.
Lat hem considre ther fragilite,

949

To seen an emperour [for] to abide
Thassaut of wermys—& ley ther bost aside,
In this Arnold wisli aduertise
How God hath poweer ther pompe to chastise.

Deth of Arnold dide my penne encoumbre
For the gret abhomynacioun.
Than onto Bochas cam the tuelue in noumbre,
Callid Pope Iohn, as maad is mencioun,
Entryng be fraude and fals eleccioun,
To Goddis lawe froward & contrarie,
Nat lik a pastor but a mercenarie.

[Howe pope Iohn the xijthe for lechery & vicious lif was put doun.]

Callid afforn he was Octauyan,
Nothing resemblyng Petris gouernaunce.
Fro the tyme in Roome that he began
To sitte as pope, he gaf his attendaunce
To folwe his lust & his flesshli plesaunce,—
In haukyng, huntyng stood his felicite,
And among women conuersaunt to bee.

Vnto surfet, riot, glotonye
He gaff hym hooli; took of God non heede;
Gretli disclaundrid he was of lecherie;
Kepte in his court, withoute shame or dreed,
A noumbre of wommen, in cronicle as I reed.
Too cardinales of purpos did entende
His vicious lyff to correcte & amende.

And of entent thes cardynalis too
The cherch esclaundrid cast hem to redresse;
Made lettres, sent hem to Otto,
Duk of Saxonye, that he sholde him dresse
Toward Roome, and of [his] hih noblesse

950

On hooli cherche to haue compassioun,
Make of this myscheef iust reformacioun.

This Pope Iohn, whan he hath parceyued
Of his cardynales the maner of writyng,
And how the duk the lettres hath resceyued,
He to do vengaunce made no tarieng;
Bood no lenger, this iugement yiuyng:
Kitt of the nose felli of the ton,
Hond of the tothir; and ech was callid Iohn.

The emperour did[e] his lettres sende
To this pope of hool affeccioun,
Of his defautis he sholde hym amende.
But ther was fou[n]de no correccioun;
For which he was deposid & put doun
Bi cardynalis for his cursidnesse;
Me list no mor write of his wrechidnesse.

For his defautis & his gret outrage
This Iohn put doun, as ye haue herd deuise,
Myn auctour aftir kauht a gret corage,
Seyng this myscheef in many sondri wise,
In hooli cherch[e] which that did arise
Among prelatis, cast hymseluen blyue
Ther diffautis openli descryue,

Of ther pride and ther presumpcioun.
And whil he gan studie in this mateer,
He gan remembre anon in his resoun
Vpon a vers write[n] in the Sauteer:
“Touche nat my prophetis, ne neih hem nat to ner,
Nor ageyn hem, be[th] war in deed & thouht,
In no wise that ye maligne nouht.”

For this cause, as ye shal vndirstonde,
Touchyng this mateer, pleynli as I reede,
Myn auctour [Bochas] gan withdrawe his honde,
Lefft his purpos, and foorth he gan proceede,—
To whos presence, or that he took heede,
Cam a prince, Duk Charlis of Loreyne;
Hym besouhte to write his greuous peyne.

951

[Off Charles of Loreyn confounded with hunger.]

This duk of Loreyne, as ye shal conceyue,
Hadde werre with the kyng of Fraunce
Callid Hewe Capet; and, as I apparceyue,
An archebishop, the kyng to do plesaunce,
Of hatreede made his ordenaunce
[A]geyn this duk, await upon hym kepte,
That he hym took abedde whil he slepte.

The said bisshop gan falsli vndermyne
This worthi duk, bi ful fals tresoun,
Which, as I fynde, was callid Ancelyne;
And he was bisshop that tyme of Leoun.
Which be fraude & fals collusioun
Took this prince that was duk of Loreyne,
And to the kyng he brouht hym bi a treyne.

Bi whom he was delyuered to prisoun,
To Orlyanes, and with cheynis bounde.
What was his eende is maad no mencioun;
But in a pet horrible & profounde,
Mischeeff with hunger did hym so confounde,
That, I suppose, this duk of Loreyne
Consumyd was for constreynt of his peyne.

[How kyng Salamon whilom kynge of Hungery was put to flight.]

Afftir to Bochas in noumbre þer cam doun
Princis foure; and ech for his partie
Ther greuys tolde; and first king Salamon,
Which that whilom regned in Hungrie,
Bothe fool & coward, bookis specefie,
Void of resoun, noised of ignoraunce,
And, at a poynt, koude no purueiaunce.

Fortune also did at hym disdeyne;
For he was nouther manli nor coraious.
Ageyn[es] whom wer worthi princis tweyne;

952

Zerta was oon, with Laudisalus,
Famous in armys, notable and vertuous;—
Bothe attonis geyn Salamon cam doun
And made hym fleen out of his regioun.

Thoruh his vnhappi froward cowardise,
Ther was in hym founde no diffence;
Fliht was his sheelde, list nat in no wise
Geyn his enmyes make resistence;
Failled herte to come to presence
To saue his lond, he dradde hymselue so sore,
Of whom Bochas writ in his book no more.

[How Petro kyng of Hungery was slayn.]

Anothir kyng heer put in remembrance
Callid Petro, regnyng in Hungrye,
For his defautis ageyn the kyng of France
Icallid Charlis, of malis & folie,
Be indignacioun, this was his tormentrie:
His eyen put out,—ther was no bet socour—
And aftir slayn be doom of themperour.

[How Diogenes the emperour was take and eiene put out.]

Afftir to Bochas ther cam tweyne on þe ryng,
Duk of Sweue, Hermest, as I reede,
Geyn themperour first maliciousli werki[n]g,
Herry themperour regnyng tho in deede.
But for his malis, this was his fatal meede:
Banshed to duelle among beestis most sauage,
Slayn in a forest for his gret outrage.

Whan Constantyn departed from this lyff,
Which of al Grece was lord and gouernour,
Be mariage of hire that was his wiff,
A kniht Diogenes was maad emperour;
Fortune to hym dide so gret fauour,

953

Constantynople holdyng in his hond,
As souereyn prince of al Grekis lond.

Yet ther wer summe that gruchched þerageyn
And hadde of hym gret indignacioun.
The kyng of Perse, Belset Tarquemayn,
From hym be force took many a regioun;
Mesopotanye to his pocessioun
Took be strong hand, thoruh his cheualrie,
Maugre Diogenes, & al-most al Surrie.

Belset Tarquemayn made hymself so strong,
Bi manli force Diogenes tassaile;
And for Diogenes thouhte he did hym wrong,
He gan ordeyne gret stuff & apparaile;
A day assigned, thei mette in bataile,—
Diogenes of froward auenture
He and his knihtis brouht to disconfiture.

Take he was and brouht be gret disdeyn,
In whom as tho ther was no resistence,
To kyng Belset callid Tarquemayn.
And whan he cam onto his presence,
Ageyn[e]s hym was youe this sentence:
To lyn doun plat, and the kyng Belsette
Sholde take his foot and on his throte it sette.

This was doon for an hih[e] despiht,
Diogenes brouht foorth on a cheyne,
Withoute reuerence, fauour or respiht,
At gret[e] feestis assigned was his peyne;
And aldirlast put out his eye[n] tweyne.
The wheel of Fortune tourneth as a ball;
Sodeyn clymbyng axeth a sodeyn fall.

[How Robert duk of Normandie fauht with turkes was named to the crowne of Ierusalem & died at mischef.]

A worthi prince spoke of in many rewm,
Noble Robert, duk of Normandie,
Chose to the crowne of Iherusalem;

954

But for cause he dide it denye,
Fortune ay hadde onto hym enuye.
The same Robert next in order was
That cam to pleyne his fall onto Bochas.

For Cristis feith this myhti champioun,
This Duk Robert, armyd in plate & maile,
With manli Godfrey, Godfrey Bollioun,
Ageyn[es] Turkis fauht a gret bataille,
For Cristes feith that it sholde auaille
To susteene his lawe in ther entent
To alle the kyngis of the occident.

Of Turkis, Sarsyns was so gret a noumbre,
Geyn Cristis lawe gadred a puissaunce,
The feith of Crist falsli to encoumbre:
But ther wer maad[e] hasti ordenaunce
Be kynges of Inglond, Normandie & Fraunce;
First to socoure did his besi peyne
Godfrey Bollioun, that was duk of Loreyne,

Which on Sarsyns made a disconfiture,
Maugre Turkis, for al ther cruel myht.
In which bataille Crist made hym to recure
The feeld that day for to supporte his riht,
Wher said Robert was founde so good a kniht,
That for his noblesse, be report of writyng,
Of Iherusalem was namyd to be kyng.

Assentid nat onto the eleccioun,
Because of newe that he did vndirstonde
His elder brothir, for short conclusioun,
Icallid William was ded in Inglond;
Knowyng hymsilf[e] next heir to that lond,
Forsook Iherusalem, and lik a manli kniht
Cam to Inglond for to cleyme his riht.

And yit or he cam he hadde knouleching,
His yonger brothir, [that] callid [was] Herry,
Had take upon hym to be crownid kyng;
Told his lordis and princis fynalli
He was next heir; entrid rihtfulli
As enheritour to succeede in that rewm,
His brother beyng kyng of Iherusalem.

955

God wot the cas stood al in oþer wise:
The said[e] Duk Robert of Normandie
Purposed hym be marcial emprise
From his brother to take the regalie.
Took his princis and his cheualrie;
Thouhte he wolde, lik a manli kniht,
Arryue in Inglond and reioysshe his riht.

Bothe in o feeld assemblid on o day,
The brethre tweyne, ech with strong partie
To darreyne, and make no delay,
Euerich with othir to holde chaumpartie.
But whan the lordes this mischeef did espie,
Thei besied hem and wer nat rek[e]les
Atween the brethre to refourme pes.

The said[e] brethre wer fulli condescendid
Vpon this poynt, for short conclusioun,
As in thaccord was iustli comprehendid:
Herry to holde and haue pocessioun
Duryng his lyff of al this regioun,
And Robert sholde haue for his partie
A summe of gold with al Normandie.

Thre thousand pound, put in remembrance,
Ech yeer to Robert sent fro this regioun,
Of which[e] pay to make ful assuraunce
Was leid hostages, as maad is mencioun.
But yit of newe fill a discencioun
Atwixe the brethre, of hatreede & envie,
For certeyn castellis that stood in Normandie,

Which castel[lis] longed of heritage
Vnto the kyngis iurediccioun,
Of which the duk took his auauntage,
Maugre the kyng, & heeld pocessioun—
Torned aftir to his confusioun.
And whan the kyng did this thing espie,
With strong[e] hond cam into Normandie,

Wher the duk was leid a siege aboute.
Made ordenaunce to recure his riht;
Gat the castel; took his brother oute;

956

Emprisowned hym of verray force & myht;
Lefft hym allone out of mennys siht
Fourteene yeer, the cronicle writ so;
Ther he deide in myscheeff and in wo.

Whil Bochas was besi in his labour
His book tacomplissh with gret dilligence,
To hym appeered the grete emperour
Callid Herry, shewyng his presence;
Gan compleyne of the grete offence
Doon to hym, the myscheeff and distresse,
Bi his sonys gret vnkyndenesse.

The which[e] sone was callid eek Herry,
Gretli accusid of ingratitude,
Cause he wrouhte so disnaturalli:
Took his fadir with force & multitude,
Bounde and cheynid, shortli to conclude;
And aftirward, ther geyned no raunsoun,
At gret myscheef deied in prisoun.

[How Iocelyne prince of Rage for pride slouthe & lecherie died in pouert.]

Next in ordre, with trist & ded visage,
Vnto Bochas to shewe his heuynesse
Cam Iocelyn, lord & prince of Rage,
Which is a cite famous of richesse.
And this prince, myn auctour berth witnesse,
Was gretly youe to slouthe & slogardie,
And al his lust he sette in lecherie.

Lefft his lordship out of gouernaunce,
For lak of wisdam & discrecioun;
In flesshli lust[es] set al his plesaunce;
And to the contres aboute hym enviroun
He was nat had in reputacioun:
Certeyn princis, myn auctour doth descryue,
Of his lordship cast hym to depryve.

Amongis which the prince of Alapie,
Callid Sangwyn, the stori who list see,
To Iosalyn hauyng gret envie,

957

Leide a siege to Rages his cite,
He beyng absent ferr fro that contre.
And thus for slouthe & wilful necligence,
Rages was take be myhti violence.

And Iosalyn comaundid to prisoun;
To hym Fortune was so contrarious:
Lost his lordship and domynacioun.
Loo, heer the fyn of folkis vicious;
Slouh, delicat, proud and lecherous,
Deide in pouert, in myscheef & in neede;
Of vicious princis, loo, heer the fynal meede!

[How the Emperour Andronycus slouh all that were of the blood Roial cherysshed vicious peple and aftir was honget.]

As verray heir and trewe successour
Bi eleccioun and also bi lynage,
Cam Andronicus, as lord & emperour,
Constantynople, crownid yong of age,
Next to Bochas, with trist & pale visage,
Besechyng hym to doon his besi cure
To remembre his woful auenture.

Among Grekis, be stori and scripture,
This Andronicus gouernid nat ariht;
Ageyn[es] lawe & eek ageyn nature,
Founde with his sustir flesshli on a niht;
Bothe of assent[e] took hem to the fliht,
Ageyn[es] hym his cosyn was so fell,
Lord of that contre callid Emanvell.

For a tyme stood as a man exilid
For his discenciouns and many vnkouth stryff;
Bi his princis afftir reconciled,
Stondyng in hope he sholde amende his lyff.
But in the tyme that he was fugitiff,
He was maad lord, & stood so for a while
Regnyng in Pontus, of Asie a gret ile.

In this while Emanuel was ded,
Fall in gret age, the stori tellith thus,

958

Hauyng a child, & he, who list take heed,
Whil he duelled in his fadris hous
Among Grekis callid Alexivs;
And the tutour he was assigned too
Icallid was Alexivs also.

The same that was assigned his tutour,
Took upon hym al the gouernaunce
And ful poweer as lord & emperour,
Hadde al thempire vndir his obeissaunce;
Princis, lordis gaff to hym attendaunce;
Wher that he was present or absent,
Ech thyng was doon at his comaundement.

I meene as thus: he had al in his hond
Constantynople, cite of gret substaunce;
But for extorsiouns which he did in the lond
On his sogettis, and for mysgouernaunce,
Among the lordis it fill in remembraunce,
Alle of assent in hert[e] gan desire
Calle Andronicus ageyn to his empire.

Bassent restorid and crownid emperour,
Constantynople entryng the cite,
Besied hym be fraudulent labour
Al the blood born of the imperial see
For to be slayn, of vengable cruelte,
Be iugement of this Andronicus,
Except a prince callid Isacivs.

Thus in effect the trouthe was weel seene,
He was vengable last in his old age,
Riht as he was in his yeeris greene,
Felli gouerned, ful off fals outrage,
Last of alle, malicious of corage.
Took to counsail, in Grece he was thus namyd,
Al suich as wern disclaundrid or diffamyd.

Homycides he hadde in his housholde,
Tirauntis that wrouhte ageyn[es] rihtwisnesse;
Cherisshed all that hardi wern and bolde
Widwes, wyues & maidenes to oppresse;
Ribaudie was callid gentilesse;
Spared nouther, he was so lecherous,
Women sworn chast nor folk religious.

959

Hadde also no maner conscience
To pile his sogettis falsli be rauyne;
Took what hym list be iniust violence;
To alle vices his youthe he did enclyne.
And alle that wer[e]n of the roial lyne
Wer slayn echon, except Isacivs,
As I told erst[e], bi Andronicvs.

As I fynde, for hym in haste he sente,
For this purpos to come to his presence,
To moord[e]ren hym, this was his entente;
Be dyuers toknes and many euidence,
And fully knew the fyn of his sentence,
He lik a prince list [to] come no neer;
Smet of the hed[e] of the massageer.

And afftir that, of manli prouidence,
Mid the cite shewed hym lik a kniht;
Praied lordis to yiue hym audience,
Princis, iuges for to doon hym riht,
That he myht declaren in ther siht
Gret iniuries, damages outragious
Wrouht bi themperour callid Andronicus.

“O citeseyns, that knowen al the guise
Of your emperour callid Andronicus;
Nat emperour, so ye list aduertise,
But a tiraunt cruel & furious,
A fals moordrer, vengable, despitous,
Hath of newe, of frowar[d] fals corage
Slayn of thempire hooli the lynage.

Ther is alyue left non of the blood
Sauf I allone of the roial lyne;
For Andronicus lik a tiraunt wood
Hath slay[e]n echon, breeffli to termyne;
His suerd of vengaunce thei myhte nat declyne.
Now purposeth of mortal tirannye,
Slen me also that am of ther allie.

Requeryng you in this consistorie,
O citeseyn[e]s that heer present bee,
To remembre and calle to memorie
How this famous imperial cite
Hath ay be redi to doon equite,

960

Besi also of ther hih noblesse
Wrong of tirauntes manli to represse.

Philisophres and poetis eek deuise,
In ther sawes prudent and notable,
Blood of tirauntis is noble sacrefise
To God aboue, whan thei be vengable.
And sith ye bee rihtful, iust & stable,
In your werkis void of variaunce,
Weieth this mateer iustli in ballaunce.”

The peeple echon, alle of oon assent,
For outrages of this Andronicus
Put hym doun be rihtful iugement,
In whos place set up Isacius.
The said tiraunt, froward & furious,
Gan maligne and hymsiluen dresse
In his diffence to take a forteresse.

It halpe hym nat to make resistence,
So as he stood[e] void of al fauour;
Segid he was, and be violence,
Maugre his myht[e], rent out of that tour;
Spoilled cruelli; fond no bet socour,
Stood al nakid, quakyng in his peyne;
And first rent out oon of his eien tweyne.

And ouermor he hadde this reward,
Withoutyn help[e], socour or respiht,
Rood on an asse, his face set bakward,
The assis tail holdyng for despiht.
Whom to beholde the peeple hath deliht;
To poore and riche thoruhout the cite
Hym to rebuke was grantid liberte.

Afftir al this, in a carte sette
And vengabli lad out off the toun,
Be doom Ihangid on an hih gibet.
The peeple on hym, to his confusioun,
Made [a] clamour and terrible soun,
Wolde neuer fro the galwes weende
Til in myscheeff bi deth he made an eende.

961

Lenvoye.

In this tragedie, ageyn Andronicus
Bochas maketh an exclamacioun,
And ageyn alle princis vicious,
Whil thei haue poweer and domynacioun
Be tirannye vse extorsioun,
Concludyng thus: that ther fals lyuyng
Of riht requereth to haue an euel eendyng.

Indifferentli this tiraunt lecherous
Of wyues, maidenes maad non excepcioun,
Folwyng his lust, froward & disclaunderous,
Spared no womman of religioun.
Made widwes breke ther professioun
Be violence; peise weel al this thyng,
Of riht requereth to haue an euel eending.

Most in [m]ordre he was contagious,
Of innocent blood to make effusioun;
Vengable also ageyn al vertuous;
Ageyn his kynreede souhte occasioun
To slen the lyne fro which that he cam doun.
Which considered, al suich fals werkyng
Of riht requereth to haue an euel eending.

Bochas manaceth princis outraious,
Which be ther proud hatful ambicioun,
To God & man of wil contrarious,
Hauyng in herte a fals oppynyoun,
Al tho that been in ther subieccioun
Thei may deuoure, ther poweer so strechching,
Which shal nat faille to haue an euel endyng.

Noble princis, ye that be desirous
To perseuere in your domynacioun,
And in al vertu to been victorious,
Cherissheth trouthe, put falsnesse doun,
Beth merciable, mesurid be resoun,
Of Andronicus the surfetes eschewyng,
That ye bi grace may haue a good eending.

962

[Off Isacyus made blynde & taken at mischeff.]

As is rehersed, whan Isacivs
Had al thempire in pocessioun,
Tauenge the deth[e] of Andronicus,
Constantynople, in that roial toun,
A brother of his be force ther cam doun
With a bacyn, brennyng briht as gleede,
Made hym blynde; of hym no mor I reede,—

Except Isacivs was taken at myscheeff
Of hym that wrouhte to his destruccioun;
Liggyng await as doth a preue theeff,
Took themperour, put hym in prisoun,
Vengabli dide execusioun,
As is remembrid, with a bacyn briht,
Brennyng red hot; and so he loste his siht.

A sone he hadde callid Alexivs,
Tendre of age, cast hym to succeede.
Bi his tutour, fals and contrarious,
Moordred he was at myscheef, as I reede;
The same tutour purposyng in deede
Of thempire, be fals collusioun,
Be fraude & meede to haue pocessioun.

In this chapitle of hym no mor I fynde
Rehersed heer in ordre be writyng;
But to myn auctour, þe processe maketh mynde,
Ther cam in hast Sangot of Egipt kyng,
And with hym cam pitousli weepyng
Mihti princis, soudanys [bothe] tweyne,
Regnyng in Damas, ther fallis to compleyne.

Of Allapie Salech was the ton,
Regnyng in Damas of his deu[e] riht;
Cathabadyn ther beyng eek soudon,
Which in tho daies was holde a manli kniht
And riht notable in eueri mannys siht.
And for the soudon of Babilon a-ferre
Callid Saladyn oppressid was with werre,

963

For socour sente to thes princis tweyne,
To come in haste with al ther cheualrie
Hym to supporte, and doon ther besi peyne
Enforce ther miht to susteene his partie.
Whos request thei list nat [to] denye;
Abood no lenger, but made hemsiluen strong
To stonde with hym, wher it wer riht or wrong.

Of this mateer the substaunce to conclude,
Thes princis cam, Salech & Cadabadyn;
For ther gverdoun thei fond ingratitude
In this forseid soudon Saladyn;
Founde hym vnkynde; pleynli this þe fyn,
From ther estat, as it was aftir knowe,
Disgraded hem, brouht hem doun ful lowe.

Of hym in soth thei hadde non oþer meede
For ther labour nor for ther kyndenesse.
What fill aftir, in Bochas I nat reede;
For he foorþwith leueth this processe,
And vnto Robert doth his stile dresse,
Callid Ferentyn regnyng in Tarence,
Loste his lordshep be sodeyn violence:

This to seyne, he regned but a while;
This saide Robert loste his gouernaunce.
Next to Bochas cam Guilliam of Cicile,
Kyng of that contre, a lord of gret puissaunce;
Loste his kyngdam thoruh Fortunis variaunce,
His eyen tweyne rent out of his hed;
Afftir deide in myscheef & in dreed.

Which Guylliam regnyng in Cecile
Was be discent[e] born nih of allie
To Robert Guiscart, as bookis do compile,
That whilom was duk of Normandie,
Which of his manhoode & gret policye,
With his brothir, ful notable of renoun,
Brouhte al Naples to ther subieccioun.

His brother name callid was Roggeer,
Which hadde a sone to been enheritour,
Callid Tancret, as seith the cronicleer;

964

Which took on hym to regne as successour.
Thus in Cecile Tancret was gouernour,
Ageyn[e]s whom, be title souht a-ferre
Of alliance began a mortal werre

For a maide that callid was Constaunce,
That douhtir was to this duk Rogeer,
Which was set of spiritual plesaunce
To be religious, of hool hert & enteer.
And be record off the cronicleer,
This Constaunce hath the world forsake
And to religioun hath hir bodi take.

Of this Constaunce, the silue same yeer
That she was born, as maad is mencioun,
Ther was a clerk, a gret astronomeer,
Tolde of hir birthe be calculacioun,
She sholde cause the desolacioun
Of that kyngdam bi processe of hir age,
Bi the occasioun oonli of mariage.

Summe that wern to Tancret gret enmy,
Be ther vngoodli excitacioun
Meued themperour that callid was Herry
To take Constaunce from hir religioun.
And bi the popis dispensacioun
She weddid was; themperour bi his myht
Bi title of hire put Tancret from his riht.

With a gret noumbre of Italiens
Themperour entrid into that regioun;
But be fauour off Siciliens,
Tancret long tyme stood in pocessioun:
But thoruh Fortunys transmutacioun,
The same tyme, to conclude in sentence,
The saide Tancret deide of pestilence.

His sone Guilliam, that was but yong in deede,
With Siciliens cast hym nat to faille
To keepe his lond and his riht posseede;
Meete themperour with statli apparaille,
Made hym reedi with hym to haue bataile.
But themperour to gretter auauntage
Caste otherwise of fraude in his corage.

965

Feynyngli duryng this discord,
Themperour caste another wile,
Bi a fals colour to fallen at accord,
And yonge Guilliam vngoodly to beguyle;
Vnder trete taken in Cecile,
Falsli depryued off his regioun,
Sent to Itaille and throwe in prisoun,

Be weie of trete, the stori who list see;
Al concluded vndir fals tresoun.
With Guilliam take wer his sustres thre,
He perpetueli dampned to prisoun,
His eien put out for mor confusioun,
Deied in pouert, lost his enheritaunce:
Loo, heer the fyn of worldly varyaunce!

Ferther to write as Ihon Bochas began,
Aftir that Guilliam was put from his rewm,
To hym appeered Guyot Lycynyan,
Chose afforn kyng of Iherusalem,—
Whos knihtli fame shon like the sonne-bem,—
Which bi his noblesse he whilom did atteyne,
Godfrey present, that was duk of Loreyne.

But bi the soudon namyd Saladyn
He was enchacid out of that dignite—
Al worldli pompe draweth to declyn!—
So for the constreynt of his aduersite,
The yeeris passid of his prosperite,
Wente into Cipre as a fugityff;
What fill afftir, I reede nat in his lyff.

To make his compleynt afftir hym cam oon
Which hadde stonde in gret perplexite,
Erl of Bryenne, & was callid Ihon,
Which aftirward was kyng of the cite
Callid Iherusalem, and [had] also parde
A fair[e] douhtir, yong & tendre of age,
Ioyned aftir to Frederik in mariage.

Beyng that tyme lord and emperour,
Was desirous aboff al othir thyng
Of Iherusalem to be gouernour

966

And of Cecile to be crownid kyng;
Which aldirlast, for his sotil werkyng
Constreyned was, doun fro that partie,
To be a capteyn for soud in Lumbardie.

[Off Herry the eldest sone of Frederyk the secounde myscheued by his Fadir.]

Next to Bochas, crokid, halt & sik,
Oon callid Herry cam for to compleyne,
The eldest sone onto Frederik,
Which bi seeknesse hadde felt gret peyne,
Megre and pale, contract in eueri veyne,
Of whos langour the cheef occasioun
Was that he lay so long tyme in prisoun.

Al his disese and gret aduersite
Icausid was, for short conclusioun,
Bi his fadris froward cruelte,
As Bochas aftir maketh mencioun.
And this Herry bi generacioun
Sone to Frederik, lik as it is founde,—
I meene Frederik callid the secounde.

This saide Herry be discent of lyne
Of Cicile first was crownid kyng,
And of Iherusalem, whos renoun dide shyne
Thoruh many a lond[e] at his begynnyng;
And Fortune also in hir werkyng
Was to this Herry, passyngli notable
In al his werkis, inly fauourable.

Off his persone had this auauntage:
To al the peeple he was riht acceptable,
Weel comendid in his flouryng age,
Of cheer and face and look riht amiable,
And of his port verray demuer & stable,
Callid in his gynnyng, such fauour he hath wonne,
Of princis alle verray liht & sonne.

But ofte it fallith, that a glad morwenyng,
Whan Phebus sheweth his bemys cleer & briht,
The day sumtyme, therupon folwyng,

967

With sum dirk skie is clipsid of his liht;
And semblabli, thoruh Fortunys myht
This saide prince, bi hir fals variaunce
Fond in hir wheel ful noious fell greuaunce.

Who may the furies of Fortune appese,
Hir troubli wawes to make hem calm & pleyn;
Wher men most truste thei fynde most disese,
Wher double corages stonde in noun certeyn,
A shynyng day is ofte meynt with reyn:
Thus of Frederik the grete vnstabilnesse
Hath brouht his sone in myscheef & distresse.

This Frederik set up in gret fauour
Be the popis dilligent bisynesse,
Vnto thestat lefft up of emperour;
But thoruh his hatful froward vnkyndenesse,
Of couetise fill into suich excesse,
Took upon hym patrymonye to guie,
Of Cristes cherch that part to occupie.

Fill in the popis indignacioun,
Counsail nor trete myhte not auaile,
But of malis and [fals] presumpcioun
Caste with the pope to haue a gret bataile.
The saide Herry his fadir gan counsaille,
Ageyn the cherch to do no violence
But hym submytte with humble obedience.

This striff enduryng atween thes gret estatis,
Frederik made his sone be accusid
To hym of crym, Illese Magestatis,
Wolde nat suffre he sholde been excusid;
But lik a man maliciousli refusid,
Be his fadris cursid fals tresoun
He was comaundid to deien in prisoun.

Summe bookis sey[e]n he was take & brouht
To his fadir of doom to ha[ue] sentence,
But lik a man passid sorwe & thouht,
Which to his lyff hadde non aduertence,
Furiousli and with gret violence,

968

As he was lad, alas, on hors[e]bak,
His hors fill doun & so his nekke he brak.

Summe bookis reherse of hym & seyn,
His fadir took geyn hym occasioun;
And whan he hadde longe in cheynis leyn,
At gret myscheeff he deied in prisoun.
And summe sey[e]n [how] that he fill doun
Of a bregge, Bochas reherseth heer,
And drownid was in a deep ryueer.

Bochas makith a comendacion of trewe love a-tween kynrede.

Next in ordre myn auctour did his cure
To make a special comendacio[u]n
Of swich as been disposid be nature
An[d] bi ther kyndli inclynacioun,
As blood requereth and generacioun,
Taquite hymsilff in thouht, in will, in deede,
Withoute feynyng onto ther kynreede.

Specialli that non vnkynd[e]nesse
Be founde in them for non aduersite;
To considre, of naturel gentilesse
To them approprid is merci & pite;
And tauoide the fals duplicite
That was in Frederik, which so vnkynd[e]li
Leet slen his sone that callid was Herry.

Pite is approprid to kynreede,
Fader and mooder be disposicioun
To cherisshe ther childre & [eke] feede
Til seuene yeer passe, lawe maketh mencioun,
As thei are bounde of nature and resoun.
That tyme passid, ther tendirnesse tenclyne
Vnto fourtene to vertuous disciplyne.

969

Than afftirward in ther adolescence,
Vertuousli to teche hem & chastise,
Norissh hem in doctryne & science,
Fostre in vertu vices to despise,
To be curteis, sad, prudent & wise;
For whan thei gynne with vertu in that age,
Gladli aftir, thei do non outrage.

As it longeth to euery gentil lyne,
And blood roial, be kyndli influence,
To fader, mooder shewe hymsilf benigne,
Of humble herte don hem reuerence,
Ay to remembre in ther aduertence
On sexe princis wrouhte the contrarie,
For which Fortune was ther aduersarie.

Euerich to other founde was vnkynde;
In cursid blood may be no kyndenesse;
Of oon tarage sauoureth tre & rynde,
The frut also bert[h] of the tre witnesse;
And semblabli the fadris cursidnesse,
With mortal suerd, in nature repreuable,
Ageyn the child is ofte seyn vengable.

Among[es] which Brutus is reknid oon,
Next in ordre folweth Manlius,
Slouh ther childre be record euerichon;
Phelipp Manlius & also Cassius,
And cruel Heroude, fell and malicious;
Frederik also most vengabli
Slouh his sone that callid was Herry.

This Frederik beyng ay contrarye
Toward his sone, nat gracious nor benigne,
From hooli cherche vngoodli he gan varie
And therageyn[es] frowardli maligne;
And lik a man obstynat & vndigne
Deied a-cursid thoruh mysgouernaunce,
Withoute confessioun outher repentaunce.

970

[How Manfroy kyng of Poyle was slayn.]

Nexte to Bochas of Poille cam þe kyng,
Began his fall and compleynt specefie,
Callid Manfroy; and for his fals werking
Put doun & slayn, cause of his tirannye.
Loo, what auailleth sceptre or regalie
To a tiraunt, which of violence
List to Godward haue non aduertence!

[How Encys kyng of Sardany died in prisoun.]

With look[e] doun-cast, dedli pale of cheere,
Of Sardania Encis next cam doun;
Kyng of that lond, to telle the maneere
How he werreied ageyn the mihti toun
Callid Bononia, to his confusioun;
Be them venquisshed, & with cheynys rounde,
Deied in prisoun, so long he lay ther bounde.

[a water makith theves blynde & trewe men to see.]

Folwyng myn auctour callid Bochas Iohn,
In Sardynia, as he maketh mynde,
Serpent nor wolff in al that lond is non,
Hauyng a welle, which of veray kynde
Theuys eyen the watir maketh blynde;
To trewe folk, as he doth diffyne,
Water therof is helthe and medecyne.

[An erbe who tastith it shal die lauhyng.]

Ther groweth also an herbe, as bookis seie,
Which that is so dyuers of nature,
Who tasteth therof lauhhyng he shal deie,
No medecyne may helpe hym nor recure;
The touch therof stant eek in auenture,—

971

Yiff it entre his mouth in any side,
He shal alyue for lauhtre nat abide.

[Another Frederyk was slayn bi Iugement of his brothir.]

Ther was anothir froward Frederik,
Sone to Alfonce, that was kyng of Castile,
Of corage wood and [also] fren[e]tik;
His owne brothir falsli to begile,
Began a werre lastyng but a while,
Whos purpos was his brother to deceyue
And the crowne of Castile to resceyue.

This Frederik cam with a gret bataile
Ageyn his brother for the same entent;
Off his purpos yit he dide faille:
God nor Fortune wer nat of assent.
Take in the feeld[e] and be iugement
Of his brothir, for his gret trespace
Slay[e]n openli; gat no bettir grace.

[How Manymettus and Argones died at mischef.]

Manymettus, of Perce lord and kyng,
Cam next in pres, distressid with gret peyne,
Vpon Fortune pitousli pleynyng,
His aduersite did hym so constreyne;
For ther was oon which did at hym disdeyne
Callid Argoones, void of title or lyne,
Geyn Manymet[tus] proudli gan maligne.

Which Argones for his presumpcioun
Take at mischeef be sodeyn violence,
His doom was youe to deien in prisoun,
Of noun poweer to make resistence;
But Fortune, that can no difference
In hir chaunges atwixen freend & foo,
Caused hem to deie at myscheef bothe two.

972

[How Charles kyng of Jerusalem and of Cecile for Auaryce and avoutrie died at mischef.]

Afftir thes forseid, rehersed in sentence,
As Bochas procedeth in his stile,
Kam noble Charlis unto his presence,
Kyng of Iherusalem and also of Cicile;
Of whos comyng myn auctour a gret while
Astonid was, to seen his knihtli face
With so good cheere com into the place.

For bi his port, who that beheeld hym weel,
Considred first his look & his visage,
It sempte he trad upon Fortunys wheel,
And of his noble marcial corage
Hadde of hir poweer getyn auauntage,
Shewyng hym-silf so fressh on ech partie,
Hir and hir myht did vttirly diffye.

First to comende his roial hih lynage,
And of his vertuous famous allyaunce,
As be writyng and preisyng with langage
The name of hym specialli tauaunce,
Seith he was bor[e]n of the blood of Fraunce;
And to encrece mor souereynli his prys,
Writ he was brother onto Seynt Lowis.

Gaff to France this comendacioun:
So as Phebus passeth ech othir sterre,
Riht so that kyngdam in comparisoun
Passeth eueri lond, bothe nih & ferre,
In policie, be it of pes or werre;
For it transcendith, in pes be prouidence,
And in werre be knihtli excellence.

Thes woordis be nat take out of myn auctour,—
Entitled heer for a remembraunce
Bi oon Laurence, which was a translatour
Of this processe, to comende Fraunce;
To preise that lond set al his plesaunce,

973

Seith influence of that roial lond
Made Charlis so worthi of his hond.

Of whos noblesse Pope Vrban hadde ioie,
Hym to encrece for vertuous lyuyng,
Which that tyme was duk of Aungoie,
Aftir chose of Cicile to be kyng.
Of Pope Vrban requered be writyng,
Toward Rome that he shold hym dresse
Of kyng Manfroy the tirannye toppresse.

Ageyn the pope and hooli cherchis riht
This same Manfroy dide gret extorsioun.
Noble Charlis, as Goddis owne kniht,
Cam with strong hond up to Roome toun;
Which in his komyng gaf pocessioun
To Guyot Maunfort for to haue the garde
In his passage and gouerne the vaunwarde.

Toward Roome with gret ordenaunce
Thei passed ouer the boundis of Itaille;
This manly kniht, this Charlis born in France,
Ladde with hym many strong bataille
The popis enmy manli for tassaille.
But al this while, to stonden at diffence
The said[e] Charlis fond no resistence.

Entryng Roome to be ther protectour,
Ful weel resceyuyd at his first entryng,
Chose and preferrid for cheef senatour
Bi the pope, most glad of his komyng;
Of Cicile was aftir crownid kyng,
And of Iherusalem, as maad is mencio[u]n,
Graunted to hym fulli pocessioun.

Which in his gynnyng bar hym tho so weel,
Entryng that lond with knihtly apparaille,
Of Cassyne gat first the strong castel,
At Bonnevente hadde a gret bataille
With kyng Manfroy, whos parti did[e] faille.
To reherse shortli his auenture,
Charlis on hym made a disconfiture.

974

In which[e] bataile kyng Manfroy was slayn;
And noble Charlis took pocessioun,
Wherof Romeyns wer ful glad & fayn.
Yit in Cicile ther was rebellioun,
But their wer brouht onto subieccioun.
Than Coradyn, record of old writing,
Sone of Conrade cleymed to be kyng.

Gan make hym strong, proudli took his place
At Aligate, a famous old cite.
Noble Charlis with knihtli cheer & face
Fill upon hym, made hym for to flee.
And to sette reste in the contre,
Tauoide trouble & make al thing certayn,
Gaff iugement Coradyn to be slayn.

Among kinges notable and glorious,
Charlis was put, as maad is mencioun,
Lik a prince strong and victorious
In ful pesible and hool pocessioun
Of Cicile and al that regioun,
Ageyn[e]s whom was non dissobeissaunce,
Yolde of hool herte to his gouernaunce.

Be title also off his alliaunce,
Fortune gretli did hym magnefie;
For as it is Iput in remembraunce,
The noble princesse that callid was Marye,
Douhtir to Steuene regnyng in Hungrye,
Iioyned was and knet in mariage
To Charlis sone, tencres of his lynage.

The same Charlis be auctorite
Of the pope, so as hym list ordeyne,
Was eek maad kyng of the gret cite
Callid Iherusalem, of touns most souereyne;
Be which[e] title he bar crownis tweyne.
His brothir Lowis, olde bookis seye,
The same tyme in Egipt gan werreye.

Gat al the contrees abouten enviroun,
Which that Sarsyns did falsli occupie;

975

Brouht hem ageyn[e] to subieccioun
Of Iherusalem, that lond to magnefie:
Cartage in Affrik, with al ther regalie,
And alle the contrees beyng afforn contrarye,
To kyng Charlis becam tributarye.

Thus while he sat hiest in his glorie,
Lik Phebus shynyng in his mydday speere,
With many conquest and many gret victorie,
Whan his noblesse shon most briht & cleere,
The same tyme, with a frownyng cheere,
Fortune gan from Charlis turne hir face
And hym berafte his fauour and his grace.

This lady Fortune doth seelde in oon contune,
She is so gerissh of condicioun,
A sorceresse, a traitour in comune,
Caste a fals mene to his destruccioun,
Oon of his sonys slay[e]n with poisoun,
Which did eclipse, myn auctour doth expresse,
A ful gret part of [al] his old gladnesse.

He was disclaundrid of the grete vice
Which apparteneth onto tirannye,
I meene the vice of froward auarice,
Which is contrarie gretli to cheualrie;
Diffamed also of fals auoutrie,
Which was susteened thoruh his meyntenaunce
Withynne that lond[e] be a kniht of Fraunce.

The same kniht abidyng in his hous,
Al Cicile troublid with that deede:
The grete offence was so disclaundrous,
Thoruh al the regioun that it began to spreede;
For thilke woman, pleynli as I reede,
Was wyff to oon which suffred this offence
And to be vengid dide his dilligence.

Iohn Prosithe pleynli was his name,
Which cast hym fulli auengid for to be,
That kyng Charlis sholde ber the blame,
Slen al Frensh-men that bood in that contre,
Withoute grace, merci or pite.

976

And for to doon ful execucioun
Requered was the kyng of Arragoun.

Loste of Cicile al hool the regioun
With the obeissaunce of many gret cite,
And of Iherusalem the pocessioun;
Fill be processe in gret aduersite,
And last, constreyned with greuous pouerte,
To God most meekli, with ful heuy cheere,
Soone to be ded[e]; this was his praieere.

Supprised he was with sorwe in his corage;
Loste his force; fill into malladie;
Languisshed foorth til he gan falle in age,
Ageyn Fortune fond no remedie.
And be thoccasioun of fals auoutrie
Fill to myscheeff; and for sorwe & dreed
This Charlis deide; no mor of hym I reede.

Lenvoye.

Lyk as Phebus in sum fressh morwenyng
Aftir Aurora þe day doth clarefie,
Fallith ofte that his briht shynyng
Idirkid is with sum cloudi skie:
A liknesse shewed in this tragedie,
Expert in Charlis, the stori doth weel preeue,
Youthe & age reknid ech partie,
The faire day men do preise at eue.

The noble fame of his fressh gynnyng,—
To Seyn[t] Lowis he was nih of allie,—
Riht wis, riht manli, riht vertuous of lyuyng,
Callid of knihthod flour of cheualrie,
Til meyntenaunce of auout[e]rie
Cam into his court to hurte his name & greue,
His lyff, his deth[e] put in iupartie:
The faire day men do preise at eue.

Lik desertis men haue ther guerdonyng:
Vertuous lyff doth princis magnefie;
The contrarie to them is gret hyndryng,—

977

Folk expert the trouthe may nat denye.
Cerche out the reward of cursid lecherye:
Where it is vsed, the houshold may nat preue;
In this mateer to Charlis hath an iye,
The faire day to preise toward eue.

Noble Princis, all vices eschewyng,
Your hih corages lat resoun modefie;
Withdrawe your hand fro riotous wachching;
Fleeth flesshli lustis and vicious companye;
Oppressith no man; doth no tirannye;
Socoure the needi; poore folk doth releeue;
Lat men reporte the prudent policie
Of your last age whan it draweth to eue.

[Off Hugolyne erle of Pyse slayn in prisoun.]

Off Charlis story rad þe woful fyn,
As ye haue herd þe maner & the guise,
To Ihon Bochas appeered Hugolyn,
Callid whilom the noble Erl of Pise,
Til the Pisanys gan ageyn hym rise;
Most vengably, cruel & vnkynde,
Slouh hym in prisoun; no mor of hym I fynde,—

[Athon kyng of Ar[me]nye / put from his ri[ght] by his brothire.]

Sauff his childre, of hatreede and envie,
Wer moord[e]rid eek in a deep prisoun.
Next with his compleynt the kyng of Armenye
Cam tofor Bochas, that callid was Achoun,
A Cristene prince ful famous of renoun;
For our feith, from which he list nat erre,
Geyn Tartarynes long tyme he heeld gret werre.

978

This manli kyng, in knihthod ful famous,
It was shewed, his stori who list reede,
Hadde a brother fell and despitous
Callid Sabath, desirous to succeede,
Stede of his brother the kyngdam to posseede;
Be fals[e] tresoun reued hym of his riht,
Kept hym in hold[e] and put out his siht.

This Sabath loste bothe happ & grace,
His other brother, as maad is mencioun,
Be strong hond[e] put hym from his place,
Chacid hym out of that regioun.
Take be force and fetrid in prisoun,
Deide ther; no man list hym visite:
Loo, how God can tresoun and moordre quite!

[How pope Boneface the viijthe. was take by the Lynage de Columpnys / ete his hondes & died in prisoun.]

Among thes woful froward princis thre
Which shewed hem so ougli of þer chere,
Pope Boneface be gret aduersite,
Eihte of that name, gan taproche neer.
A thousand thre hundred acountid was þe yeer
Fro Cristes berthe be computacioun,
Whan that he made his lamentacioun.

This same pope kauhte occasioun,
Which vndir Petir kepte gouernaunce,
To interdicte al the regioun,
Tyme of kyng Phelipp regnyng þer in France;
Directe bollis doun into Constaunce
To Nicholas, maad[e] be Boneface,
Archidekne of the same place.

Off hooli cherche the prelatis nih echon,
Bisshoppis of Fraunce felli haue declarid,
Preuyng be poyntis many mo than oon
In a gret seen[e] pleynli & nat spared,

979

Be hym the cherche was hurt & nat reparid;
Put on hym crymes of gret misgouernaunce,
Denouncid hym enmy to al the lond of France.

Put [up]on hym many gret outrage,
Wrongli how he hadde doon offence
To a cardynal born of the lynage
De Columpnis, a kynreede of reuerence;
For which[e] cause he kept hym in absence
Out of the court, drouh wher he was born;
Be which occasioun the pope his lif hath lorn.

De Columpnis the lynage hath so wrouht:
Took Boniface for his old cruelte;
With gret poweer & force thei haue hym brouht
Into a castel which stood in the cite,
Callid Sancti Angeli; gaf auctorite
To a cardynal, & be commyssioun
Poweer to doon ful execusioun.

Of thes mateeris hangyng in ballaunce
Atween parties, wer it riht or wrong,
Bothe of Romeyns, prelatis eek of France,
The pope ay kept withynne the castel strong,
Of auenture, nat bidyng ther riht long,
Fill in a flux, and aftirward for neede,
For hunger eet his hondis, as I reede.

Hour of his deyng, it is maad mencioun,
Aboute the castel was merueillous lihtnyng,
Wher the pope lay fetrid in prisoun,—
Non such afforn was seyn in ther lyuyng.
And whil Bochas was besi in writyng,
To write the fall[e] of this Boniface,
The Ordre of Templeris cam toforn his face.

[How the ordre of Templers was founded and [Iaques] with other of the ordre brent.]

Croniclers the trouthe can recorde,
Callyng to mynde the first fundacioun,
And olde auctours therwithal accorde,

980

Of thes Templeeris how the religioun
Gan thilke tyme whan Godfrey Bollioun
Hadde wonne, that noble knihtli man,
Iherusalem, that ordre first began.

Bi certeyn knihtis which did her besi peyne,
Whan the said[e] cite was first wonne
Be noble Godfrey, duk whilom of Loreyne,
Ther crownid kyng, this ordre thei begonne,—
Olde bookis weel reherse konne,—
Takyng a ground of pouert & meeknesse,
To founde this ordre did her besynesse.

Ther begynnyng cam of deuocioun,
The ground Itake of wilful pouerte;
And made first ther habitacioun
Be the temple, nat ferr fro the cite,
In tokne of clennesse sworn to chastite,
Of the temple lik to ther desirs
Took that name & callid wer Templeeris.

Pope Honorie gaff hem auctorite,
Of hooli cherche beyng that tyme hed;
A whiht habit thei bar for chastite;
Eugenivs afftir gaf hem a cros of red.
And to diffende pilgrymes, out of dreed,
Geyn Saresyn[e]s thoruh ther hih renoun,
This was cheef poynt of ther professioun.

Whil thei lyuede in wilful pouerte,
Thes crossid knihtis in mantlis clad of whiht,
Ther name spradde in many ferr contre;
For in perfeccioun was set al ther deliht.
Folk of deuocioun kauht an appetiht
Them for tencrece, gaf hem gret almesse,
Bi which thei gan encrece in gret richesse.

Bi processe withynne a fewe yeeris,
The noumbre gret of ther religioun;
And the fame of thes seid Templeeris
Gan spreede wide in many regioun.
Ther sodeyn risyng, of ther pocessioun,
With touns, castellis, thei gaf hem to delices,
Appalled in vertu, which brouht in many vices.

981

It wer to longe for to rekne hem alle;
But among other I fynde ther was oon,
A manli kniht, folk Iaques did hym calle,
Gret of auctorite among hem euerichon,
As cronicles remembre of yore agon.
The which[e] Iaques in the rewm of France
Was born of blood to gret enheritaunce.

The same Iaques, holde a manli kniht
In his gynnyng, fressh, lusti of corage,
Hadde a brother, be elder title of riht
Occupied al hool the heritage,
Because Iaques yonger was of age,
Which myht[e] nat be no condicioun
Nothyng cleyme of that pocessioun.

His elder brother occupied al,
Whil this Iaques was but of low degree,
Wonder desirous with hym to been egal,
Alway put bak be froward pouerte.
And to surmounte, yif it wolde bee,
Fond out a mene lik to his desirs,
Was chose maister of thes Templeeris.

Was promootid be free eleccioun
Bi them that sholde chesyn hym of riht;
Wherbi he hadde gret domynacioun,
Richesse, tresour, gret poweer & myht.
Of his persone was eek a manli kniht,—
The same tyme, put in remembraunce,
Phelipp Labele crownid kyng in France.

Which hadde of Iaques gret indignacioun,
To alle the Templeris and al ther cheualrie,
Caste weies to ther destruccioun,
Gaf auctorite his lust to fortefie,
Doun fro the pope, bookis specefie,
Clement the Sexte, concludyng yif he may,
Alle the Templeeris destroie hem on a day.

982

For certeyn crymes horrible to heere,
Alle attonis wer set in prisoun,
Bi ther freendis touching this mateere
Counseilled to axe merci & pardoun,
That thei sholde be pleyn confessioun
Requere mercy, knelyng on a rowe,
And as it was ther trespas been aknowe.

Iaques was take, and with hym othir thre,
Kept in holde and [in]to prisoun sent.
And the remnaunt for ther iniquite
Ordeyned wern be open iugement
To myhti stakes to be teied and brent.
The kyng in maner lik to doon hem grace,
So thei wolde confesse ther trespace.

But al for nouht; thei wer so indurat,
Alle of accord[e] and of o corage
To axe mercy verray obstynat.
The fire reedi, al with o langage,
Whan the flawme approched ther visage,
Ful pleynli spak [&] cried pitousli,
Of ther accus how thei wer nat gilti.

Fro ther purpos list nat to declyne;
But with o vois echon[e] an[d] o sown
Fulli affermed til thei did[e] fyne,
How ther ordre and ther religioun
Igroundid was upon perfeccioun,
And how ther deth, verraili in deede,
Compassid was of malis & hatreede.

The saide Iaques, of whom I spak toforn,
Brouht to a place which callid was Leoun,
Tofor too legatis, or that his lyff was lorn,
Al openli made his confessioun:
He was worthi, for short conclusioun,
For to be ded be rihtful iugement.
This was his eende; to asshes he was brent.

983

Here Bochas makith a comendacion of thre Philisophris for their pacience.

Yiuyng a pris to philisophres thre,
Bochas comendith with gret dilligence
How ech of hem was in his contre
Souereynli be vertuous excellence
Off old comendid for ther pacience,
Which may be set and crownid in his stall
As emperesse among vertues all.

Mong Siciliens first Theodorus,
For pacience hadde in gret reuerence;
Among Grekis, the stori tellith vs,
Anaxerses for his magnificence,
Bi force of vertu groundid on pacience,
Because he was [both] vertuous & wis,
For suffraunce gat hym a souereyn pris.

Among[es] Romey[n]s put in remembrance,
S[c]euola, bothe philisophre & kniht,
For his marcial hardi strong constaunce,
Whan that he heeld amyd the flawmys liht
Hand and fyngres aboue the coles briht,
Til the ioyntes, fallyng heer & yonder,
From the wirste departid wer assonder.

First Theodorus, born in the famous ile,
Be pacience gret peynes enduryng,
Cheeff philisophre callid of Cicile,
With cheynys bounde upon the ground liggyng,
On his bodi leid gaddis red brennyng,
Suffryng this peyne, list it nat refuse,
Bi kyng Iherom, the tiraunt Siracuse.

For comoun proffit suffrid al [t]his peyne,
Long tyme afforn[e] liggyng in prisoun;
Which bassent of mo than on or tueyne

984

Was the most cheef be conspiracioun
To brynge the tiraunt to his destruccioun;
For no peyne that he myhte endure,
The coniuracioun he wold nat discure.

Rather he ches in myscheeff for to deie,
Than the name openli declare
Of hym that slouh the tiraunt, soth to seie.
Thouhte of riht no man sholde spare,
For comoun proffit, helthe and weelfare
To slen a tiraunt, deemyng for the beste,
Alle a regioun for to sette at reste.

For which[e] title, he list to suffre deth,
Al [t]his torment took most pacientli
Theodorus, til he yald up the breth,
Gruchched nat with noise nor loude cry;
Amyd whos herte rootid [so] feithfulli
Was comoun proffit, Bochas writ the same,
Among Siciliens to getyn hym a name.

Grekis also comende aboff the sterris
Anaxerses and gretli magnefie,
Cause that he to stynte mortal werris
List nat spare taquiten his partie
In rebukyng manli the tirannye
Of Nicocreoun, tiraunt ful mortall,
Regnyng in Cipre in his estat roiall.

Spared nat nouther for deth nor dreed
Hym to rebuke bi vertuous langage.
The tiraunt badde kutte [out] of his hed
His tunge in haste; but he with strong corage
Saide he sholde haue non auauntage
Of that membre, which, maugre al his miht,
Hadde tolde hym trouthe in [the] peeplis siht.

Off his manace sette litil tale,
Boot of his tunge, of hardi strong corage,
Chewed it al on pecis smale;
Of manli herte thouhte it no damage;
Spit it out into the visage

985

Of the tiraunt; gat so the victorie,
To putte his name euermor in memorie.

And S[c]euola, egal to thes tweyne,
For comoun proffit, be iust comparisoun,
Put hym in pres[e]; did his besi peyne
To slen Porsenna, enmy to Roome toun.
For tacomplisshe his entencioun
Took a strong dart, riht passyngli trenchaunt,
With al his myht[e] cast at the tiraunt.

Of his marke cause he dide faille
To slen his enmy aftir his entente,
Which in Tuscan with many strong bataille
[A]geyn[es] Romeyns with his knihtis wente,
This S[c]euola his owne hande brente,
Cause that he failled of his art,
To slen Porsenna be casting of his dart.

To declare the force of his manheede
Vpon hymsilff auengid for to bee,
As I haue told, in briht[e] coles rede
His hand he brente for loue of his cite,
Onli taquite his magnanymyte,
Of feruent loue his cite for tauaille,
To slen the tiraunt cause he did[e] faille.

Thus for to putte the marcial suffrance
Of thes notable philisophres thre
In perpetuel mynde and remembraunce,
How thei hem quite ech lik his degre
For ther purparti vnto the comounte,
Cause al ther ioie and ther inward deliht
Was for avail of the comoun proffit.

First Theodorus put hymsilf in pres
For Ciciliens to deien in prisoun;
And for Grekis noble Anexerses,
His tunge torn, felt gret[e] passioun;
And S[c]euola for Romeyns & ther toun
Suffred his hand, be short auisement,
Tokne of trouthe, in colis to be brent.

A martirdam it was, in ther maneer
Of ther corage to haue so gret constaunce;

986

Wer so stable of bodi, hert and cheer,
For comoun proffit, of face & contenaunce,
Vnto the deth withoute variaunce;
Gat the tryumphe be souereyn excellence,
With laureer crownid for ther pacience.

Lik as Phebus passeth a litil sterre,
Hiest vpreised in his mydday speere,
So this vertu, in trouble, pes & werre,
Cald pacience most fresshli doth appeere
Among vertues to shewe his bemys cleere;
For pacience knet with humylite,
Wher thei abide ther may non erour bee.

Tirauntis hertis this vertu doth appese,
Modefieth ther cruel fell woodnesse.
Rage of leouns, who list lyue in ese,
Of folk prostrat his malis doth represse.
Al our ioie began first with meeknesse;
For of Iuda the hardi strong leoun
A maidnes meeknesse from heuene brouht doun.

In bataille & myhti strong sheltrouns,
Avys with suffraunce wynneth the victorie;
Pacience venquissheth champiouns;
Lownesse in vertu be many old historie,
And meeknesse, perpetuel of memorie,—
Al to conclude, groundid on resoun,—
A maidnes meeknesse wrouhte our redempcioun.

A Comendacion of pacience in stede of a Lenvoy.

Vertu of vertues, o noble Pacience,
With laureer crownid for vertuous constaunce,
Laude, honour, prys and reuerence
Be youe to the, pryncesse of most plesaunce,
Most rennommed be anxien remembraunce;
Of whom the myhti marcial armure
Geyn al vices lengest may endure.

Ground and gynnyng to stonden at diffence
Ageyn Sathanis infernal puissaunce;

987

Laureat queen, wher thou art in presence,
Foreyn outrages haue no gouernaunce;
Conduit, hedspring of plentevous habundaunce,
Cristal welle, celestial of figure,
Geyn alle vices whiche lengest may endure.

Cheef founderesse be souereyn excellence
Of goostli beeldyng and spiritual substaunce,
Emperesse of most magnificence,
With heuenli spiritis next of alliaunce,
With lyff euerlastyng thi tryumphes to auaunce,
And ioie eternal thi noblesse to assure
In the aureat Throne perpetueli tendure,

Thre iherarchies ther beyng in presence,
With whom humylite hath souereyn aqueyntaunce,
Wher osanna with deuout dilligence
Is sung of aungelis be long contynuaunce,
Tofor the Throne keepyng ther obseruaunce
Syng Sanctus Sanctus, record of scripture,
With vois memorial perpetueli tendure,

The brennyng loue of Cherubyn be feruence,
Parfit in charite, dilligent obeissaunce;
And Seraphyn with humble obedience,
And Ordres Nyne be heuenli concordaunce,
Domynaciones with vertuous attendaunce,
Affor the Trynyte syng fresshli be mesure,
With vois memorial perpetueli tendure.

Suffraunce of paynemys hath but an apparence,
Doon for veynglorie, hangyng in ballaunce;
But Cristis martirs, in verray existence
List ageyn tirauntes make repugnaunce;
Rather deie than doon God displesaunce,
Shewed in no merour liknesse nor picture,
Take full pocessioun for euere with Crist tendure.

Suffraunce for vertu hath the premynence
Of them that sette in God ther affiaunce;
Record on Steuene, Vincent and Laurence;
Blissid Edmond bi long perseueraunce
Suffred for our feith victorious greuaunce,

988

Kyng, maide and martir, a palme to recure,
In the heuenli court perpetuelli tendure.

And for to sette a maner difference,
In Bochas book told eueri circumstaunce,
How for our feith be ful gret violence
Dyuers seyntis haue suffrid gret penaunce,
Stable of ther cheer, visage and contenaunce,
Neuer to varye for non auenture;
Lik Cristis champiouns perpetueli tendure.

Whos fundacioun bi notable prouidence,
Groundid on Crist ther soulis for tauaunce,
Graue in ther hertis & in ther conscience,
Voidyng al trouble of worldli perturbaunce,
Chaungis of Fortune with hir double chaunce;
Loued God & dradde, aboff ech creature,
In hope with hir perpetueli tendure.

[How Philip la Bele kyng of Fraunce was slayn with a wilde boor and of his thre sones and theire weddyng.]

Whan Bochas hadde write of pacience
And comendid the vertu of suffraunce,
Phelipp la Bele cam to his presence,
Fiffte of that name crownid kyng of France,
Gan compleyne his vnhappi chaunce
And on Fortune, of custum þat kan varie,
Which was to hym cruel aduersarie.

Woundid he was, [&] with a greuous soor
Gan his compleynt to Bochas determyne,
How he was slay[e]n of a wilde boor
In a forest which callid is Compigne;
Tolde how he was disclaundrid [&] al his lyne;
Onis in Flaundris, with many a worþi kniht,
Venquisshed of Flemmynges & felli put to fliht.

Proceedyng ferther gan touche of his lynage,
How in his tyme he hadde sonys thre:
Lowis, Phelipp & Charlis yong of age,
The fourte Robert; a douhtir also had he

989

Callid Isabell, riht excellent of beute.
Seide Robert, the stori is weel kouth,
Which that deide in his tendre youth.

To this stori who list haue good reward,
The circumstaunce wisli to discerne,
His douhtir Isabell was weddid to Edward
Carnervan, the book so doth vs lerene.
This yonger Phelipp weddid in Nauerne
The kynges douhtir, a statli mariage,
Callid Iane, whil she was tendre of age.

The same Phelipp aftir crownyd kyng
Of Nauerne, his fadir of assent,
Fyue sonis he hadde in his lyuyng;
Of which[e] fyue, as in sentement,
Thre in noumbre be riht pertynent
To the mateer, who-so list to look,
And the processe of this same book.

The eldest sone callid was Lowis,
To whom his fadir gaf pocessioun
Of Nauerne, because that he was wis
For to gouerne that noble regioun.
Phelipp his brothir for his hih renoun
Was aftirward be iust enheritaunce
And rihtful title crownid kyng of France.

The thridde brothir was be title of riht
Maad Erl of March, and namyd was Charlis.
Euerich of hem in the peeplis siht
Wer famous holde & passyng of gret prys.
And for thei wern riht manli and riht wis
Phelipp and Charlis took in tendre age
The erlis douhtren of Burgoyne in mariage.

But as the stori remembreth in certeyne,
To ther noblesse Fortune had envie;
And bi a maner of malis and disdeyne
Brouht in be processe vpon the partie
Of ther too wyues froward auoutrie,
Causyng the deth of alle thes princis thre,
Whan thei most floured in ther felicite.

990

Aftir thes thre princis glorious,
Tofor Bochas to shewen his entent,
A mihti duk, notable and riht famous,
Cam to compleyne, Charlis of Tharente,
Which in his tyme to Florence wente
To make pes in his roial estat
Tween Guerff and Gemelius stonding at debat.

The saide Charlis, born of the blood of France,
A manli kniht, the stori doth deuise,
Bi whos vnhappi froward fatal chaunce
In the werris atween Florence & Pise,
On hors[e]bak sittyng in knihtli wise,
Hurt with an arwe, fill lowe doun to grounde,
Wherbi he kauhte his laste fatal wounde.

A man of armys beyng a soudiour
With the Pisauns, wer it wrong or riht,
Of fals disdeyn that day did his labour
To trede on Charlis in the peeplis siht,
Whan he lay gruff; wherfor he was maad kniht
Be ther capteyn for a maner pride,
Which gouerned the Gibelynes side.

And in his studie with ful heuy cheer
Whil Iohn Bochas abood still in his seete,
To hym appeered & gan approche neer
Daunte of Florence, the laureat poete,
With his ditees and rethoriques sueete,
Demure of look, fulfilled with pacience,
With a visage notable of reuerence.

Whan Bochas sauh hym, vpon his feet he stood,
And to meete hym he took his pas ful riht,
With gret reuerence aualed capp and hood,
And to hym seide with humble cheer & siht:
“O cleerest sonne, daysterre and souereyn liht
Of our cite, which callid is Florence,
Laude onto the, honour and reuerence!

Thou hast enlumyned Itaile & Lumbardie
With laureat dites in thi flouryng daies,

991

Ground and gynner of prudent policie,
Mong Florentynes suffredist gret affraies;
As gold purid, preeued at al assaies,
In trouthe madest meekli thi-silue strong
For comoun proffit to suffre peyne & wrong.

O noble poete, touching this mateer,
How Florentynes wer to the vnkynde,
I wil remembre and write with good cheer
Thi pitous exil and put heer in mynde.”
“Nay,” quod Daunte, “but heer stant oon behynde,
Duk of Athenis; turne toward hym þi stile,
His vnkouth stori breefli to compile.

And yif thou list to do me this plesaunce,
To descryue his knihtli excellence,
I wil thou putte his lyff in remembrance,
How he oppressid be myhti violence
This famous cite [which] callid [is] Florence;
Be which[e] stori ful pleynli thou shalt see,
Which wer freendis & foon to that cite,

And which wer hable for to been excusid,
Yif the trouthe be cleerli apparceyued;
And which wer worthi for to be refusid,
Be whom the cite ful falsli was deceyued,
The circumstaunces notabli conceyued,
To rekne in ordre upon eueri side,
Which sholde be chacid & which shold abide.”

[How Duk Gaultere of Florence for his tyrannye Lecherye and couetise ended in mischef.]

And whan Bochas knew al thentencioun
Of seide Daunte, he cast hym anon riht
Tobeie his maister, as it was resoun;
Took his penne; and as he cast his siht
A lite a-side, he sauh no maner wiht
Sauf Duk Gaulteer, of al that longe day;
For Daunt vnwarli vanshed was a-way.

992

This saide Gaulteer, breeffli to proceede,
Lik as it is Iput in remembraunce,
Touchyng his lyne an[d] his roial kynreede,
He was discendid of the blood of France.
Bi long processe and knihtli purueyaunce
His fadir first, be dilligent labour,
Of Athenys was lord and gouernour.

Stood but a while in cleer pocessioun,
Grekis to hym hadde ful gret envie,
Caste of assent[e] for to putte hym doun
And depryve hym of his famous duchie;
To ther entent a leiseer did espie,
Took hym at myscheef, &, quaking in his dreed,
Of hih despiht in hast smet of his hed.

Vpon whos deth auengid for to bee
The saide Gaulteer with myhti apparaille
Caste he wolde asege that cite;
But of his purpos longe he dide faille.
And in this while, with many gret bataile,
Too myhti princis wer come doun of Pise,
Leid a siege to Luk in knihtli wise.

Florentynes to Luk wer fauourable;
And to delyuere the siege fro the toun,
With multitude almost innumerable
Made ordynaunce; & knihtli thei cam doun,
Which turned aftir to ther destruccioun:
For it fill so of mortal auenture,
On Florentynes fill the disconfiture.

The noise and fame of this gret bataile
Gan spreede ferr bi report of langage
In Lombardie and thoruh[out] al Itaile
Mong soudiour[e]s lusti of corage;
And among othir, feynyng a pilgrimage,
The saide Gaulteer be vnwar violence
Cam fro Naplis doun into Florence.

The Florentynes heeld first a parlement
For the sauacioun and garde of her cite,
Be gret prudence and gret auisement

993

Of suich as wer[e]n hiest of degre;
Bi oon assent thei gaff the souereynte
Them to gouerne, hoping to ther encres,
With statutis made bothe for werre & pes.

The gret estatis, reulers of the toun,
Callid magnates tho daies in sothnesse,
To Gaulteer gaff this domynacioun,
Of entent the comouns to oppresse
And marchauntes to spoille of ther richesse,
Streyne men of crafft be froward violence
Ageyn the libertes vsid in Florence.

The peeple alway in a-wait liggyng
To be restorid onto ther liberte,
Gan gruchche sore, among hemsilf pleynyng
For gret extorsiouns doon to ther cite;
The grete also, of most auctorite,
Hadde leuere to suffre Gaulteer regne,
Than ther exacciouns to modefie or restreyne.

The saide Gaulteer in ful sotil wise,
Be a fals maner of symulacioun,—
Enmy in herte vnto ther fraunchise;
Al that he wrouhte, for short conclusioun,
Was doon oonli to ther destruccioun,
With a pretence feyned of freendliheed,
To his promys ay contrarie was the deed,—

Clamb up be processe to ful hih estat
Be feyned speche and sotil flaterie;
In his herte wex pompous & elat,
His werking outward no man koude espie;
Lite and litil drouh to his partie,
That to conclude, shortli for to seie,
Al Florence his lustis did obeie.

Gan sotilli plese the comounte,
For to acomplissh falsli his desirs,
Made promys tencrece ther liberte
To suich as wer[e]n froward of maneeres;
Made an oth to stroie ther officeeres,
But thei wolde of ther fre volunte
Graunte onto hym larger liberte,

994

Gretter poweer and domynacioun
Tencrece his miht upon eueri side.
Gan manace the grettest of the toun
And day be day encresen in his pride;
Felli began, felli [he] did abide;
Wherupon, kept cloos in ther entraille,
The Florentynes gretli gan meruaille.

In this while was ther oon Reyneer,
Of gret auctorite and of gret reuerence,
A mihti seruaunt and a gret officeer,
To whos biddyng obeied al Florence,
Which with Gaulteer acorded in sentence,
With soudiours hadde stuffid ech hostrye
For to susteene of Gaulteer the partie.

And traitourli for to fortefie
Thentent of Gaulteer, fel & ambicious,
To haue thestat onli be tirannye,
As ther cheeff lord, froward & surquedous,
To regne in Florence; the cas was pereilous,
Whan too tirauntis be bothe of oon assent
With multitude tacomplisshe ther entent.

Which thyng considred bi ther gouernours
And magnates callid in the cite,
Whan that thei fond among hem no socours
To remedien ther gret aduersite;
Fill to accord[e] of necessite,
Gaff ther assent withoute variaunce,
That Gaulter sholde haue al the gouernaunce.

And condescendid thei wer to this issu,
That Gaulteer sholde in al his beste wise
Vpon the bodi be sworn of Crist Iesu,
Them to restore onto ther fraunchise
Vsid of old, and for no couetise
From ther promys, for lyff nor deth declyne,
As be conuencioun [the court] list determyne.

Heerupon was blowen a trompet
For tassemble thestatis of the toun;
A parlement holde, Gaulter first was set;

995

And to pronounce the convencioun,
With euery parcel entitle[d] be resoun,
Lik ther accord declaryng anon riht,
Stood up a vocat in the peeplis siht.

With men of armys in steel armid briht
Vnto ther paleis cheef and princepall
The saide Gaulteer conveied anon riht,
Set in a seete most statli and roiall.
And the peeple with vois memoriall
Gan crye loude, concluding this sentence:
Gaulteer for euere, cheef lord of Florence—

So to perseuere duryng al his lyff.
Took in the paleis ful pocessioun;
Ther durste non ageyn it make striff;
Graunted to hym the domynacioun
Of alle the castellis aboute enviroun,—
Tuscan, Areche and castel Florentyn,
With alle lordshipis to Mount Appenyn.

As ye haue herd[e], Gaulteer thus began.
Bi his owne furious dyuynaille,
Saide he was born to be lord of Tuscan,
With a gret parti also of Itaille;
Tolde he was lad, conueied be a quaile,
Saide ouermor[e], wer it riht or wronge,
That was the sentence of the birdis songe.

The same brid first brouht hym to Florence,
Al the weie afforn hym took his fliht;
With soote syngyng did hym reuerence,
Hih in the hair of corage glad and liht;
Wolde neuer parte out of his siht;
Gaff hym tokenes to sette his herte affire,
That of Florence he shold be lord & sire.

The same bird he bar in his deuises
Ful richeli enbroudid with perre;
Took upon hym many gret emprises
As cheef lord of Florence the cite;
Sat in iugement; gouernid the contre;

996

Drouh to hym flaterers & folk þat koude lie,
Baudis, ribaudis wher he myht hem espie.

Of that cite took merueillous truages;
Crocheth to hym richessis of the toun;
Of lecherye vsid gret outrages,
Of maidnes, wyues maad non excepcioun.
Voide of mercy, grace and remyssioun,
Fond quarelis for to be vengable,
That to reherse it is abhomynable.

Wher he hateth merciles he sleth;
Brak fraunchises and old libertes.
The peeple pleynid, desiryng sore his deth,
Cried vengaunce aboute in ther citees
For tiranye doon in the contrees,
Which was cause of gret discencioun
And of ther cite almost subuersioun.

Thus thei wern among hemsilff deuided
For ther sodeyn greuous oppressioun;
Lak of forsiht, that thei wer nat prouided
To seen myscheeuys that sholde falle in þe toun.
This verray soth: wher is dyuysioun,
Be witnesse and record of scripture,
May no kyngdam nor cite long endure.

For which thei gan compleyne oon & all,
Bothe the grete and al the comounte;
And of accord among themsilff thei fall
To refourme the hurt of ther cite.
And fynalli the[i] condescendid bee
Bi a maner fell coniuracioun
To proceede to his destruccioun.

Vpon a day, thei armed in steel briht,
Magnates first, with comouns of the toun,
Alle of assent thei roos up anon riht,
Gan to crie & make an hidous soun:
“Lat sle this tiraunt! lat vs pulle hym doun!”
Leide a siege be myhti violence
Afforn his paleis, wher he was in Florence.

997

Swich as wern enclyned to Gaulteer,
Amyd the paleis, the stori doth vs lerne,
Teschewe the seege, with ful heuy cheere
Ordeyned hemsilf to fleen awey ful yerne
Out of the strengthe bi a smal posterne,
Whan Florentynes dide ther labour
To vndermyne round aboute the tour.

Of which[e] thing whan Gaulteer gan take heed,
This massage he sente onto the toun,
Nat of trouthe, but feynyngli for dreed,
Made promys be fals collusioun
For to make ful restitucioun
Of ther fredamys, as thei list deuise;
Sent hem out [oon] Guyllamyn Dassise,

Which to the cite was preeuid vttir foo;
Hadde afforn[e] doon hem gret damage.
With Guillamyn to them he sent also
His sone and heir to stynte al ther rage,—
Wers than his fadir of wil and of corage.
Bothe attonis wer hangid anon riht
Tofor the paleis in Gaulteres siht.

Another also, that callid was Herry,
Which hadde afforn[e] youe instruccioun
Vnto Gaulteer and was eek gret enmy
To steren hym ageyn that noble toun,
Gynner and ground of ther dyuisioun,—
Which tofor Gaulteer, his iugement to shewe,
With sharp[e] suerdis he was al to-hewe.

Thexecucioun doon upon thes thre
In Tuscan born, the rancour did appese
Of Florentynes, to staunche the[r] cruelte
Ageyn Gaulteer, and to his lyff gret ese.
He glad tescape out of his disese,
Fledde away in ful secre wise,
The toun restorid ageyn to þer franchise.

Thus he loste be his insolence
Al his poweer and domynacioun
Bothe of Tuscan and also of Florence;

998

And as myn auctour maketh mencioun,
Fro Lumbardie he is descendid doun,
Drouh to kyng Iohn regnyng tho in France,
And of berthe ful nih of alliaunce.

As I fynde he was on that partie
With kyng Iohn, this Gaulteer, lik a kniht;
Whan that the kyng with al his cheualrie
Was take hymsilf, his lordis put to fliht,
Into Inglond lad aftir anon riht,—
The saide Gaulteer, hauyng no reward
To his disworshep, fledde lik a coward.

Mette in his fliht with dyuers soudiours
Of Lumbardie abidyng with kyng Iohn,
Which that tyme as brigavntis & pillours
Took this Gaulteer, ledde hym foorth anon,—
His force, his corage, his herte was agon:
Of auenture a certeyn Florentyn
Smet of his hed; this was his fatal fyn.

[Off Philip Cathenoise born of lowe birthe cam to grete estat / & aftir she hir son & doughtir were brent.]

Bespreynt with teres, & [with] a woful noise,
Tofor Bochas quakyng in sorwe & dred,
Next in ordre cam Phelipp Cathenoise,
Poore of degre, born of louh kynreede,
Which roos aftir to gret estat in deede.
Gan with gret sorwe a compleynt ful mortall,
Ceriousli to telle hir woful fall.

Touchyng hir berthe, dirk was hir lynage,
Of poore bed[de] born on outher side;
Bochas was loth to spende gret langage
On hir historie, long theron tabide,
Purposed hym nothyng for to hide
Of the substaunce, but telle al the grete,
And superfluite of the remnant lete.

999

Which was rehersed to hym in his youthe
Whan he was toward Robert of Cicile,
Kyng of Iherusalem, the stori is nat kouth;
Yit in his book he list it to compile
And it reherse be ful souereyn stile,
Lik in that court as it was [to] hym told
Bi oon Bulgar clad in a slaueyn old.

The saide Bulgar was a maryneer,
With whom also was a Calabrien
Callid Constantyn, which ful many a yeer
Trauailled hadde & sondry thynges seen
In dyuers contres ther he hadde been.
Mong other thinges seyn in ther daies olde,
This was a stori which[e] Bulgar tolde.

Duk of Calabre, Robert be his name,
Bi his fadir Charlis, the myhti kyng,
Hadde in comaundement, his stori seith þe same,
Geyn Frederik to make a strong ridyng;
Which be force proudli vsurping,
Took upon hym to be lord of that ile,
Which callid was the kyngdam of Cicile.

Drepanne in soth[e] callid was the toun
Wher Duk Robert his pauylouns pihte,
Redi armyd, thoruh his hih renoun
Geyn Frederik for that lond to fihte
And withstonde hym pleynli yif he myhte.
And so befill, the morwe tofor prime
The dukis wiff of childyng bood hir tyme.

Violaunt men dide that ladi call,
In hir tyme a famous gret duchesse;
Destitut of other women all,
Whan hir child was born in that distresse,
To yiue it souke, the stori doth expresse,
Saue fro myscheeff Philipot was brouht neer,
Of Cathenoise, the dukis cheef lauendeer.

Bi a fisshere, which was hir husbonde,
A child she hadde, lyuyng be ther trauaile,

1000

Which fro the se onto the court be londe
Day be day caried vitaile.
And in this caas, because it myhte auaile,
Philipot was brouht, in this gret streihtnesse,
To be norice onto the duchesse.

Wher she was cherisshed aftir hir desirs,
Ech thyng reedi whan that euer she sente.
With the duchesse mong other chaumberers
Into Naples I fynde that she wente,
Til Antropos, froward of entente,
Made of this child, ther is no mor to seyne,
The lyues threed[e] for to breke in tweyne.

With kyng Charlis, of whom I spak toforn,
As myn auctour remembrith in his book,
Was oon Raymond of Chaumpayne born,
Which with the kyng was callid maister cook.
And on a day his iourne he took
Toward the se; a pirat, as I fynde,
Sold hym a child which was born in Ynde.

Lik Ethiopiens was his colour;
For whom this cook Raymond hath deuysed,
Be his notable [&] dilligent labour,
Made hym cristene; & so he was baptised;
Gaff hym his name, & hath also practised
Hym to promoote, that he vpon hym took
Bi his doctryne to be maister cook;

For he soone afftir took the ordre of kniht.
The Ethiopien wex a good officeer,
Gat suich grace in the kyngis siht,
To be aboute hym [was brouht up] mor neer;
Be processe he was maad wardropeer;
And thouh he was blak of his visage,
To Cathenoise was ioyned in mariage.

Wex malapert, and of presumpcioun
To be maad kniht the kyng he gan requeere,
Which of fredam and gret affeccioun
Is condescendid to graunten his praieere.
But to declare pleynli the maneere,

1001

In this tyme Violaunt the duchesse,
Affor remembred, deide of seeknesse.

Aftir whos deth, the book doth certefie,
How Duk Robert of Naples the cite
Weddid a ladi that callid was Sansie,
To whom Philipot, as fill to hir degre,
With dilligence and gret humylite
To plesen hire did so hir deueer,
That of hir counsail ther was non so neer.

Euere redi at hir comaundement,
Wrouhte atires plesaunt of deliht,
With holsum watres that wer redolent
To make hir skyn bi wasshyng soote & whiht,
Made confecciouns to serue hir appetiht.
Bi hir husbonde, the stori who list see,
The same Philipot hadde childre thre.

She was kunnyng & of hir port prudent;
Chose be fauour for to be maistresse
To faire Iane, yong and innocent,
Which douhtir was to the gret duchesse
Of Calabre; and ferthermor texpresse,
Hir husbonde Thethiopien with-al
Of Charlis houshold was maad senescall.

“O Lord!” quod Bochas, spak of hih disdeyn,
“What meueth this Fortune for to make cheere,
With hir fauour to reise up a foreyn
Vpon hir wheel, with brihte fethres cleere;
But of custum it is ay hir maneere
Fairest tappeere with cheer and contenaunce,
Whan she wil brynge a man vnto myschaunce.

For he that was a boy the laste day,
An Ethiopien broun and horrible of siht,
And afor-tyme in the kechyn lay
Among the pottis with baudi cote aniht,
Now [he] of neue hath take the ordre of kniht,
With kyng Charlis now is he senescall:
Swich sodeyn clymbyng axeth a sodeyn fall.”

1002

He and Philipot, his wiff, fro pouerte
Been enhaunsid and rise to gret richesse;
Tweyne of ther sonis statli maried bee;
And for fauour mor than worthynesse
Took ordre of kniht; & in his most hihnesse
Ther fader deide, whos feeste funerall
Was solempnised and holde ful roiall.

Thus can Fortune chaungen as the moone,
Hir brihte face dirked with a skie:
His eldest sone deide aftir soone;
The secounde lefft up his clergie,
To be maad kniht gan hymsilf applie,
Stede of his fader, pleynli as I reede,
In his offis be fauour to succeede.

Thus be processe fro Philipot anon riht,
Deth of hir husbonde & [of] hir sonis tweyne,
Fortune in parti eclipsed hath the liht
Of hir weelfare & gan at hir disdeyne.
Yit euene lik, as whan that it doth reyne,
Phebus aftir sheweth mor cleernesse,
So she fro trouble roos to mor noblesse.

I meene as thus, rehersing no vertu
In hir persone that men koude espie,
But onli this, be title of this issu:
Whan Charlis douhtir Iane on that partie
Was to the kyng weddid of Hungrie,
Callid Andree, a man of gret corage,
His saide wiff but riht tendre of age,

The same Iane, nat al withoute vice,
As is rehersed sumwhat be myn auctour,
To whom Philipot whilom was norice,
As ye haue herd, and be ful gret labour
Of saide Iane, Robert made gouernour,
Sone of Philipot, for a gret reward,
Made of Scicile & of that lond stiward.

This fauour doon to Philipot Cathenoise
Caused in that lond gret indignacioun,
Whos douhtres weddyng caused eek gret noise,

1003

Maried to Charlis the gret erl of Marchoun,
Which gaff to folk gret occasioun
To deeme amys aboute in ech contre,
That al that lond was gouerned be tho thre,

Be queen Iane and Philipot Cathenoise
And saide Robert, stiward of Cicile,
Sone to Philipot; this was the comoun voise:—
The queen and Robert be ther sotil wile
Hadde of assent vsed a long[e] while
The hatful synne of auout[e]rie,—
Roos in Cicile & went up to Hungrie.

For queen Iane began no maner thing
But Cathenoise assentid wer therto;
Thexecucioun and fulli the werking
Brouht to conclusioun, be Robert al was do.
And in this title roos a stryf also,
A disclaundrous and a froward discord
Atween the queen & hym that was hir lord.

Hard to proceede upon suspecioun,
Sclaundre is swifft, lihtli taketh his fliht;
For which men sholde eschewe thoccasioun
Of fame and noise, & euery maner wiht
Bi prouidence remembre in his forsiht,
Whan the report is thoruh a lond Ironne,
Hard is to stynte it whan it is begonne.

Withstonde principles, occasiouns to declyne,
List vnwarli ther folwe gret damage;
To late kometh the salue and medecyne
To festrid soris whan thei be incurable.
And in caas verray resemblable,
Teschewe slaundre list nat for to spare,
May nat faillen to fallen in the snare.

Thus for a tyme the sclaundre was kept cloos,
Al-be-it so it did a while abide,
Another mischeef than pitousli aroos,
Which afftirward spradde abrood ful wide:
Auoutrye to moordre is a guide,—
Set at a preeff, myn auctour doth recorde,
The kyng Andree was stranglid with a corde.

1004

Out of his chaumbre reised a gret heihte
Bi a coniected fals conspiracioun,
He was entreted, brouht doun be a sleihte,
Afftir stranglid, as maad is mencioun.
Whos deth to pun[i]she be commyssioun,
Huhe Erl of Auelyn be a patent large
To be iuge took on hym the charge.

Of this moordre roos up a gret noise,
Be euidencis ful abhomynable,
Philipot [I]callid Cathenoise,
Hir sone, hir douhtir, that thei wer coupable;
Doom was youe be iuges ful notable;
And to conclude shortli ther iugement,
With cheynis bounde to stakis thei wer brent.

[Lenvoye.]

This tragedie afforn rehersed heer
Tellith the damages of presumpcioun,
Bexperience declaryng þe maneer,
Whan beggers rise to domynacioun,
Is non so dreedful execucioun
Of cruelte, yif it be weel souht,
Than of such oon that cam up of nouht.

Record on Philipot, that with humble cheer
Bi sodeyn fauour and supportacioun,
Which was tofor a symple smal lauendeer
Of no valu nor reputacioun,
Be Fortunys gery mutacioun,
Shad out hir malis, testat whan she was brouht,
List nat considre how she cam up of nouht.

Wher mor disdeyn or wher is mor daungeer,
Or mor froward comunycacioun,
Mor vengable venym doth appeere,
Nor mor sleihti fals supplantacioun,
Nor mor conspired vnwar collusioun,
Nor vndermynyng doon couertli & wrouht,
Than of such folk that komen up of nouht?

1005

Fortunys chaunges & meeuynges circuleer,
With hir most stormy transmutacioun,
Now oon set up ful hih in hir chaieer,
Enhaunceth vicious, vertuous she put doun;
Record on Philipot, whos venymous tresoun
Compassid afforn[e] in hir secre thouht,
The deede brak out, whan she cam up of nouht.

Noble Princis, with your briht eien cleer
Aduertiseth in your discrecioun,
That no flaterer com in your court to neer
Be no fraude of fals decepcioun,
Alwey remembryng afforn in your resoun
On this tragedie, and on the tresoun wrouht
Bi fals flaterers that cam up of nouht.

[How kyng Sausys was slayn by his Cosyn whiche was brothir to the kyng of Arrogon.]

The tyme kam that of his [gret] trauaile
Bochas dempte, holdyng for þe beste,
This noble poete of Florence & Itaile,
To make his penne a while for to reste,
Closed his book & shette it in his cheste;
But or he mihte spere it with the keie,
Kam thre princis and meekli gan hym preye,

Amongis othre remembrid in his book
Ther greuaunces breeffli to declare.
Wherwith Bochas gan cast up his look,
And of compassioun beheeld her pitous fare,
Thouhte he wolde for no slouthe spare
To ther requestis goodli condescende,
And of his book so to make an eende.

And he gan first reherse be writyng,
And his compleynt ful pitousli he made,
Touchyng the fall[e] of the grete kyng
Icallid Sause, which his soiour hade,
The place namyd was Astrosiade;

1006

And, as he writ, a litil ther beside
Was a smal isle callid Gemaside.

Bothe thes isles togidre knet in oon,
Wher Sausis hadde his domynacioun,
Lyuyng in pes; enmy hadde he non;
In long quiete heeld pocessioun.
Whos kyngdam hool, as maad is mencioun,
In that vulgar, myn auctour writ þe same,
Of Malliogres pleynli bar þe name.

Ther is also another smaller isle
Callid Maillorge; & of bothe tweyne
The seid[e] kyng was lord a gret[e] while,
Keeping his stat notable and souereyne.
Hauyng a cosyn, gan at hym disdeyne,
Which brother was, as maad is mencioun,
Vnto the kyng that tyme of Arragoun.

In thes isles, remembrid be writyngis,
Whan the peeple went into bataile,
Was the vsage founde up first of slyngis,
With cast of stoon ther enmyes to assaile;
Thei hadde of shot non othir apparaile
In that tyme; arblast nouther bowe
Parauenture was tho but litil knowe.

Alle thes contres wer callid but o lond,
Wher that Sausis heeld pocessioun,
Til his cosyn with strong & myhti hond
[And] with gret poweer sodenli cam doun;
Brouhte peeple out of Arragoun,
Fill on kyng Sausis, feeble in his diffence,
Gat that kyndam be knihtli violence.

The ballaunce was nat of euene peis
Atween thes cosyns, who that list take heed;
For in his conquest this Arogoneis
Of cruelte bad smyten of the hed
Of kyng Sausis, quakyng in his dreed.
Thouh it stood so thei wer nih of allie,
Ther was that day shewed no curteisie.

1007

[How Lowes kyng of Jerusalem & Cecile was put doun.]

Afftir this storie told in woordes fewe,
And of kyng Sausis slayn be tirannye,
Þer cam a prince, & gan his face shewe,
Callid Lowis lord of Trynacrye,
The same isle [w]as in that partie
Callid Cicane, the stori tellith thus,
Aftir the name of kyng Siculus.

Trynacrye, a contre merueillous,
Took first his name of famous hilles thre:
The cheeff of hem is callid Pellorus,
The next Pachinvs, the thridde Lillibe,
Nat fer from Ethna the saide hille[s] be,
Beside a se ful pereilous and ille,
With too daungeeris Karibdis and eek Scille.

This saide Lowys, kyng of Iherusalem
And of Sicile, the book maketh mencioun,
Which was enchasid & put out of his rewm
Bi another Lowis and put doun,
Eendid in pouert, for short conclusioun.
This laste Lowis of pite did hym grace,
Til he deide to haue a duellyng place.

[How kyng John of fraunce at Peyters was take prisonere by Prynce Edward & brouȝt in to Englond.]

Next of alle and laste of euerichon,
Cursyng Fortune with al hir variaunce,
Makyng his compleynt to Bochas, cam Kyng Iohn:
Tolde his mischeeff, how he was take in France
Bi Prince Edward, for al his gret puissaunce;
And aftir that, with strong & myhti hond,
He was fro Peiteres brouht into Inglond.

Afforn destroied his castellis & his touns,
And ouerthrowen manli in bataile,

1008

His princis slayn, ther baneres nor penouns
Nor brode standardis mihte hem nat auaile;
The tras out souht, spoilled of plate & maile.
Maugre his miht kyng Iohn was prisoneer,
In Inglond aftir abood ful many a yeer,

Set aftirward onto ful gret raunsoun;
The worthi slay[e]n on the Frenssh partie.
The same tyme in Brutis Albioun
Ther floured in soth noblesse of cheualrie,
Hihe prowesse and prudent pollicie;
Mars and Mercurie aboue ech nacioun
Gouerned that tyme Brutis Albioun.

Mars for knihthod, ther patroun in bataille,
And Mynerua gaff hem influence,
Meynt with the brihtnesse of shyning plate & maile,
To floure in clergie and in hih prudence,
That Prince Edward be marcial violence,
That day on lyue oon the beste kniht,
Brouht hom King Iohn, maugre al his miht.

Thouh Bochas yaff hym fauour bi langage,
His herte enclyned onto that partie,
Which onto hym was but smal auauntage:
Woord is but wynd brouht in be envie.
For to hyndre the famous cheualrie
Of Inglissh-men, ful narwe he gan hym thinke,
Lefft spere and sheeld[e], fauht with penne & inke.

Thouh seide Bochas floured in poetrie,
His parcial writyng gaf no mortal wounde;
Kauht a quarel in his malencolie,
Which to his shame did aftirward rebounde,
In conclusioun, lik as it was founde,
Ageyn King Iohn a quarell gan to make,
Cause that he wolde of Inglissh-men be take.

Heeld hem but smal of reputacioun
In his report, men may his writing see;

1009

His fantasie nor his oppynioun
Stood in that caas of non auctorite:
Ther kyng was take; ther knihtis dide flee;
Wher was Bochas to helpe at such a neede?
Sauff with his penne he made no man to bleede.

Of rihtwisnesse euery cronicleer
Sholde in his writyng make non excepcioun;
Indifferentli conueie his mateere;
Nat be parcial of non affeccioun,
But yiue the thank of marcial guerdoun,
His stile in ordre so egali obserued,
To euery parti as thei haue disserued.

Laude of Kyng Iohn was that he abood,
In that he quit hym lik a manli kniht;
His lordes slay[e]n; somme awey thei rood;
Most of his meyne took hem to the fliht.
This iourne take for Kyng Edwardis riht;
The feeld I-wonne; hath this in memorie:
Treuthis title hath gladli the victorie.

Of Kyng Iohn what sholde I write more?
Brouht to this lond with othir prisoneeris,
Vpon which the rewm compleyned sore.
Bi rehersaile of old cronicleeris,
Deied in Inglond; withynne a fewe yeeris
Lad hom ageyn; afftir ther writyngis,
Lyþ at Seyn[t] Denys with othir worthi kingis.

Lenvoye.

Off Bochas book the laste tragedie
Compendiousli put in remembrance,
How Prince Edward with his cheualrie
Fauht at Peiteres with King Iohn of France;
And thoruh his mihti marcial puissaunce
Grounded his quarel upon his fadres riht,
Took hym prisoneer ful lik a manli kniht.

Bi collusioun King Iohn did occupie,
Set out of ordre the roial alliaunce;
Sceptre, crowne, with al the regalie

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Was doun descendid to Edward in substaunce,
Conueied the branchis be lyneal concordaunce,
For which[e] title groundid upon riht,
Prince Edward fauht ful lik a manli kniht.

His cleym, his quarel mor to fortefie,
In tokne that God his quarel wolde auaunce,
Disconfiture was maad on that partie,
Vpon King Iohn be violent vttraunce,
An heuenli signe be influent purueiaunce
Sent from aboue to shewe Edwardis riht,
For which the Prince fauht lik a manli kniht.

Noble Princis, your hertis doth applie
Iustli to weie this mateer in ballaunce.
Alle thynges peised, ye may it nat denye,
Yiff ye considre euery circumstaunce,
In rihtful iuges may be no variaunce:
The feeld darreyned, deemeth who hath riht,
For which Prince Edward fauht lik a manli kniht.

A thyng bassent[e] put in iupartie
And commytted to Goddis ordenaunce,
Ther may been afftir no contrauersie
Atween parties, quarelis nor distaunce,
Who shal reioisshe; and in this caas stood France:
Fyn take at Peiteres, declaryng who hath riht;
For which Prince Edward fauht lik a manli kniht.

Finis libri Bochasij.