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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 Dediere by pope Adryan and Charles of Fraunce was put to flight & died at mischef.]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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[How Dediere by pope Adryan and Charles of Fraunce was put to flight & died at mischef.]

Next to Bochas, with heuy look & cheere,
Kyng of Lumbars shewed his presence,
Callid in his tyme noble Dedieer,
Notable in armys & of gret excellence.
And wher his faddir hadde don offence
To the pope and ful gret duresse,
This kyng caste the damages to redresse.
Agistulphe was his fadris name,
Which to the pope did gret aduersite;
For which his sone to encrece his fame,
Of roial fredam and magnanymyte
And off benigne liberalite,
Gaff to the pope with humble reuerence
A statli cite that callid is Fayence.
Therwith he gaff gret tresour & gret good,
As he that list of freedam nat to spare,
A mihti castel which on Tibre stood
Withynne the boundis & lordship of Ferare,
Which is a cite, pleynli to declare,

945

Of antiquite, myn auctour tellith so,
And stant upon the ryuer of the Po.
This Dedieer regnyng in Lumbardie
Gan wexe famous at his [be]gynnyng,
Hadde gret name vpon ech partie;
But in this eerthe is nothing abidyng:
Al stant on chaung; & Fortune in werkyng
Is founde vnstable & double of hir visage,
Which of this kyng chaunged the corage.
Ther he was first large on eueri side,
Liberal founde in many dyuers wise,
His goodliheed was chaungid onto pride
And his largesse onto couetise.
Of doublenesse he gan anon deuise
To cleyme ageyn, as ye shal vndirstonde,
His seide giftis out of the popis honde.
Which Dedieer hadde made alliaunce,
As the cronicle maketh mencioun,
With kyng Pepyn regnyng tho in France.
Afftir whos deth, to haue pocessioun
And ful lordship of al that regioun,
He gan of newe fallyn at distaunce
Bothe with the pope & with the king of France.
Of presumpcioun thes werris he began
Ageyn his promys, of double variaunce;
Pope in tho daies was hooli Adrian,
Which to stynte this trouble & gret myschaunce,
Requered helpe of the king of Fraunce.
And grete Charlis, in Bochas as I reede,
Cam to the pope to helpyn in this neede.
Charlis that tyme was trewe protectour
To hooli cherche, ther pauys and diffence;
Which of hool herte and dilligent labour
With Dedieer be manli violence
He mette in Tuscan, of kingli excellence;
Hadde a bataile to preeve ther bothe myht:
Charlis victor; Dedier put to fliht.

946

As I fynde, he fledde into Pavie;
Worthi Charlis leide his siege afforn,
Constreyned hem upon ech partye,
For lak of vitaile thei wer almost lorn;
Thei wanted[e] licour, greyn and corn.
Be sodeyn constreynt & gret aduersite
To kyng Charlis thei yald up the cite.
Kyng Dedieer was sent into Fraunce,
With myhti cheynis fetrid in prisoun;
Lik a wrech, in sorwe & in penaunce,
Deide at myscheef; ther geyned no raunsoun,
Which hadde afforn so gret pocessioun.
Aftir whos day, as be old writyng,
Among Lumbardis was neuer crownid kyng.