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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| IX. |
[How Constantyne the sone of Eraclyus supportyng
errour and heresye was moordred in a stewe.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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,
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.
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.
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.
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,
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.
Nor of his empire I fynde non oþer date,—
Spared non heretik, nouther for gold nor meede,
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Whan Bulgarience gan with hym debate,
A froward peeple, wilful & rekles,
Gaff hem a tribut, he for to lyue in pes.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |