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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[Off pope Iohn a woman with child and put doun.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[Off pope Iohn a woman with child and put doun.]
Afftir thes princis rehersed heer-toforn,
Drownid in teres cam a creature,
Lik a bisshop roundid & Ishorn;
And as a prest she had a brod tonsure,
Hir apparaille outward & vesture,
Beyng a woman, wherof Bochas took heed,
Lik a prelat shapyn was hir weede.
Drownid in teres cam a creature,
Lik a bisshop roundid & Ishorn;
And as a prest she had a brod tonsure,
Hir apparaille outward & vesture,
Beyng a woman, wherof Bochas took heed,
Lik a prelat shapyn was hir weede.
She was the same that of yore agon
Vnworthily sat in Petris place;
Was afftirward callid Pope Iohn,
A berdles prelat, non her seyn on hir face.
Of hir berthe namyd was the place,
Mayence, a cite stondyng in Itaille,
Vpon the Reen, ful famous of vitaille.
Vnworthily sat in Petris place;
Was afftirward callid Pope Iohn,
A berdles prelat, non her seyn on hir face.
Of hir berthe namyd was the place,
Mayence, a cite stondyng in Itaille,
Vpon the Reen, ful famous of vitaille.
In hir youthe and in hir tendre age
Forsook hir kyn, and in especiall
Caste she wolde for hir auauntage
Yiue hir to konyng, bodi, herte & all.
And [in] the science[s] callid liberall,
In alle seuene, bi famous excellence,
Bi gret studie she hadde experience,
Forsook hir kyn, and in especiall
Caste she wolde for hir auauntage
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And [in] the science[s] callid liberall,
In alle seuene, bi famous excellence,
Bi gret studie she hadde experience,
Hir name kouth in many dyuers lond.
To shewe hir cunnyng first whan she began,
Serchyng prouynces cam to Ing[e]lond,
No wiht supposyng but that she was a man;
Cam to Roome, hir stori telle can,
Tauhte gramer, sophistre [and] logik,
Redde in scoolis openli rethorik.
To shewe hir cunnyng first whan she began,
Serchyng prouynces cam to Ing[e]lond,
No wiht supposyng but that she was a man;
Cam to Roome, hir stori telle can,
Tauhte gramer, sophistre [and] logik,
Redde in scoolis openli rethorik.
In the tyme of emperour Lotarie,
Afftir the deth, as maad is mencioun,—
Fro myn auctour yif I shal nat varie,—
That the pope which callid was Leoun,
The saide woman be eleccioun
Istallid was, supposyng no wiht than
Be no tokne but that she was a man.
Afftir the deth, as maad is mencioun,—
Fro myn auctour yif I shal nat varie,—
That the pope which callid was Leoun,
The saide woman be eleccioun
Istallid was, supposyng no wiht than
Be no tokne but that she was a man.
The book of sortis aftir that anon,
Of auenture tournid up-so-doun;
She was callid & namyd Pope Iohn,
Of whos natural disposicioun
Fill bi processe into temptacioun:
Quik with childe, the hour cam on hir than;
Was delyuered at Seynt Ihon Lateran.
Of auenture tournid up-so-doun;
She was callid & namyd Pope Iohn,
Of whos natural disposicioun
Fill bi processe into temptacioun:
Quik with childe, the hour cam on hir than;
Was delyuered at Seynt Ihon Lateran.
Afftir put doun for hir gret outrage,
I wil on hire spende no more labour,
But passe ouer al the surplusage
Of hir lyuyng and of hir gret errour;
Tourne my stile to themperour
Callid Arnold, & write his pitous chaunce,
Sone to Charlis, the grete kyng of Fraunce.
I wil on hire spende no more labour,
But passe ouer al the surplusage
Of hir lyuyng and of hir gret errour;
Tourne my stile to themperour
Callid Arnold, & write his pitous chaunce,
Sone to Charlis, the grete kyng of Fraunce.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |