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 Gisulphus was slayn, and his wif ended mischeuesly in lecherye.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Or any long processe for to make,
Hir stori is contagious [for] to heere.
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For a spectacle fichched on a stake,
Set up alofte, myn auctour tellith so,
Deide in distresse for constreynt of hir wo.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |