Lydgate's Fall of Princes Edited by Dr. Henry Bergen ... presented to The Early English Text Society by The Carnegie Institution of Washington |
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[Off Machomet the fals prophete and how he beyng
dronke was deuoured among swyn.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Shewed signes be fals apparence;
Lik Moises, hymsilf he did[e] feyne
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |