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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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[Off Iustynyan the fals extorcioner exiled by Patrycyan / after bothe nose & eien kut from his hede.]
By exaumple, so as fressh armure
Thoruh long[e] resting leseth his brihtnesse,
Fret with old rust, gadreth gret ordure,
Is diffacid of his fressh cleernesse,
Semblabli the Romeyns hih prowesse
Gan for tappalle, alas, & that was routhe!—
Whan thei hem gaff to necligence & slouthe.
Thoruh long[e] resting leseth his brihtnesse,
Fret with old rust, gadreth gret ordure,
Is diffacid of his fressh cleernesse,
Semblabli the Romeyns hih prowesse
Gan for tappalle, alas, & that was routhe!—
Whan thei hem gaff to necligence & slouthe.
Who in knihthod list haue experience
Must eschewe riotous idilnesse,
Be prouident with enteer dilligence,
Large with discrecioun, manli with gentilesse,
To hih emprises his corage dresse,
And be weel war, upon ech partie,
Hym to preserue fro rust of slogardie.
Must eschewe riotous idilnesse,
Be prouident with enteer dilligence,
Large with discrecioun, manli with gentilesse,
To hih emprises his corage dresse,
And be weel war, upon ech partie,
Hym to preserue fro rust of slogardie.
The which[e] vice gretli hath appeired,
As is remembrid of old antiquite,
Caused ofte Romeyns be dispeired,
Be froward lustis hyndred ther cite
And appallid ther old prosperite;
For which defautis cam to pleyne blyue
To Iohn Bochas emperour[e]s fyue.
As is remembrid of old antiquite,
Caused ofte Romeyns be dispeired,
Be froward lustis hyndred ther cite
And appallid ther old prosperite;
For which defautis cam to pleyne blyue
To Iohn Bochas emperour[e]s fyue.
As many kynges of the same noumbre,
Which be slouthe wern afforn oppressid,
Whom that slouthe whilom did encoumbre,
Ther names heer bi and bi expressid,
To myn auctour thei han her cours Idressid
Lik ther degrees to speke in wordes fewe:
Iustynyan first did his face shewe,
Which be slouthe wern afforn oppressid,
Whom that slouthe whilom did encoumbre,
Ther names heer bi and bi expressid,
To myn auctour thei han her cours Idressid
Lik ther degrees to speke in wordes fewe:
Iustynyan first did his face shewe,
Nat Iustynyan whilom so vertuous,
And of prudent gouernaunce so notable,
But Iustynyan Temerarivs,
Double of his deedis, fals & deceyuable,
Of his promys dyuers & vnstable,
Whilom exilid be Patrician
For extorsiouns that he in Roome gan.
And of prudent gouernaunce so notable,
But Iustynyan Temerarivs,
940
Of his promys dyuers & vnstable,
Whilom exilid be Patrician
For extorsiouns that he in Roome gan.
His nase, his eyen Patrician gaf in charge
To be kut of, be furious cruelte.
And of thempire þat was so wide & large,
Leoncius next gouernid the cite;
And thoruh Fortunis mutabilite
The same Leonce be Tiberie was cast doun,
His eien put out, deied afftir in prisoun.
To be kut of, be furious cruelte.
And of thempire þat was so wide & large,
Leoncius next gouernid the cite;
And thoruh Fortunis mutabilite
The same Leonce be Tiberie was cast doun,
His eien put out, deied afftir in prisoun.
Tiberius afftir seruid on the same,
His nose kut of, from his see put doun;
For a rebuk and a perpetuel shame,
To a cite that callid was Cersoun,
Withoute merci, fauour or raunsoun
Exilid he was, prisowned as a theeff,
Bi long[e] turment deide at myscheef.
His nose kut of, from his see put doun;
For a rebuk and a perpetuel shame,
To a cite that callid was Cersoun,
Withoute merci, fauour or raunsoun
Exilid he was, prisowned as a theeff,
Bi long[e] turment deide at myscheef.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |