Lydgate's Fall of Princes Edited by Dr. Henry Bergen ... presented to The Early English Text Society by The Carnegie Institution of Washington |
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[How the Emperoure Maurycyus his wif and his
childre wer slayne atte Calcedonye.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[How the Emperoure Maurycyus his wif and his childre wer slayne atte Calcedonye.]
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.
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.
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,
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.
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
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.
As appartened to euery nacioun,
Which be crafft sum tokne sholde telle
920
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.
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.
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.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |