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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[[O]ff Grisiton þat hes membres ete for hunger.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
49
[[O]ff Grisiton þat hes membres ete for hunger.]
What shal I write off the cas horrible
Off Erisiton, with hungir so constreynyd,
That his liff was to hymsilff odible,
In Thesalie with indigence peynyd;
And pitousli his fame was disteynyd,
Whan he solde his douhter in seruage,
Liriope, which was but yong off age,
Off Erisiton, with hungir so constreynyd,
That his liff was to hymsilff odible,
In Thesalie with indigence peynyd;
And pitousli his fame was disteynyd,
Whan he solde his douhter in seruage,
Liriope, which was but yong off age,
Beschaung off gold to purueie hym vitaile,
Off verray neede he was so wo-begon;
He hadde no thyng that myhte his thrust auaile,
Nor staunche his hungir with gnawyng on a bon,
Wherfore he eet his membris oon bi oon.
A prynce, allas, was it nat pite
To seen hym deie in such aduersite!
Off verray neede he was so wo-begon;
He hadde no thyng that myhte his thrust auaile,
Nor staunche his hungir with gnawyng on a bon,
Wherfore he eet his membris oon bi oon.
A prynce, allas, was it nat pite
To seen hym deie in such aduersite!
We han eek rad, ful many a day tofor,
The grete baneshyng and proscripcioun,
Off Argyuois how kyng Gelanor
Was crueli put from his regeoun;
And his lieges, off indignacioun,
In his place thei sette oon Danaus,
Sone and eek heir onto the god Belus.
The grete baneshyng and proscripcioun,
Off Argyuois how kyng Gelanor
Was crueli put from his regeoun;
And his lieges, off indignacioun,
In his place thei sette oon Danaus,
Sone and eek heir onto the god Belus.
The peeple off malis dede hym so encoumbre,
Tencrece his sorwe and his aduersite,
And fifti douhtren he hadde also in noumbre,
And Egistus his brother, eek parde
Hadde fifti sones, the story ye may see,
Atween the which bi surete off hond
In mariage there was maad a bond,
Tencrece his sorwe and his aduersite,
And fifti douhtren he hadde also in noumbre,
And Egistus his brother, eek parde
Hadde fifti sones, the story ye may see,
Atween the which bi surete off hond
In mariage there was maad a bond,
Vndir which compassid was tresoun,
Couertli thouh thei dede it hide.
But yiff ye list han cleer inspeccioun
Off this story vpon eueri side,
Redith the legende of martirs off Cupide,
Which that Chaucer, in ordre as thei stood,
Compiled off women that were callid good.
Couertli thouh thei dede it hide.
But yiff ye list han cleer inspeccioun
Off this story vpon eueri side,
Redith the legende of martirs off Cupide,
Which that Chaucer, in ordre as thei stood,
Compiled off women that were callid good.
50
Touchyng the story off kyng Pandioun,
And off his goodli faire douhtren tweyne,
How Thereus, fals off condicioun,
Hem to deceyue dede his besi peyne,
Thei bothe namyd, off beute souereyne,
Goodli Progne and yong[e] Philomene,
Bothe innocentis and off entent ful cleene.
And off his goodli faire douhtren tweyne,
How Thereus, fals off condicioun,
Hem to deceyue dede his besi peyne,
Thei bothe namyd, off beute souereyne,
Goodli Progne and yong[e] Philomene,
Bothe innocentis and off entent ful cleene.
Ther pitous fate in open to expresse,
It were to me but a presumpcioun,
Sithe that Chaucer dede his besynesse
In his legende, as maad is mencioun,
Ther martirdam and ther passioun,
For to reherse hem dede his besy peyne,
As cheef poete callid off Breteyne.
It were to me but a presumpcioun,
Sithe that Chaucer dede his besynesse
In his legende, as maad is mencioun,
Ther martirdam and ther passioun,
For to reherse hem dede his besy peyne,
As cheef poete callid off Breteyne.
Off goode women a book he dede write,
The noumbre compleet fully off nynteene;
And there the story he pleynli dede endite
Off Tereus, off Progne & Philomeene,
Where ye may seen ther legende, thus I meene,
Doth hem worshepe & foorth ther liff doth shewe
For a cleer merour, because ther be so fewe.
The noumbre compleet fully off nynteene;
And there the story he pleynli dede endite
Off Tereus, off Progne & Philomeene,
Where ye may seen ther legende, thus I meene,
Doth hem worshepe & foorth ther liff doth shewe
For a cleer merour, because ther be so fewe.
I will passe ouer and speke off hem no more,
And onto Cadmus foorth my stile dresse—
Yit in my writyng it greueth me sore,
Touchyng off women off feith or stabilnesse,—
Blessid be God,—I fynde noon excesse;
And for ther been so fewe, as thynkith me,
The goode sholde been had in mor deynte.
And onto Cadmus foorth my stile dresse—
Yit in my writyng it greueth me sore,
Touchyng off women off feith or stabilnesse,—
Blessid be God,—I fynde noon excesse;
And for ther been so fewe, as thynkith me,
The goode sholde been had in mor deynte.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |