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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[Howe pope Iohn the xijthe for lechery & vicious lif was put doun.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[Howe pope Iohn the xijthe for lechery & vicious lif was put doun.]
Callid afforn he was Octauyan,
Nothing resemblyng Petris gouernaunce.
Fro the tyme in Roome that he began
To sitte as pope, he gaf his attendaunce
To folwe his lust & his flesshli plesaunce,—
In haukyng, huntyng stood his felicite,
And among women conuersaunt to bee.
Nothing resemblyng Petris gouernaunce.
Fro the tyme in Roome that he began
To sitte as pope, he gaf his attendaunce
To folwe his lust & his flesshli plesaunce,—
In haukyng, huntyng stood his felicite,
And among women conuersaunt to bee.
Vnto surfet, riot, glotonye
He gaff hym hooli; took of God non heede;
Gretli disclaundrid he was of lecherie;
Kepte in his court, withoute shame or dreed,
A noumbre of wommen, in cronicle as I reed.
Too cardinales of purpos did entende
His vicious lyff to correcte & amende.
He gaff hym hooli; took of God non heede;
Gretli disclaundrid he was of lecherie;
Kepte in his court, withoute shame or dreed,
A noumbre of wommen, in cronicle as I reed.
Too cardinales of purpos did entende
His vicious lyff to correcte & amende.
And of entent thes cardynalis too
The cherch esclaundrid cast hem to redresse;
Made lettres, sent hem to Otto,
Duk of Saxonye, that he sholde him dresse
Toward Roome, and of [his] hih noblesse
On hooli cherche to haue compassioun,
Make of this myscheef iust reformacioun.
The cherch esclaundrid cast hem to redresse;
Made lettres, sent hem to Otto,
Duk of Saxonye, that he sholde him dresse
Toward Roome, and of [his] hih noblesse
950
Make of this myscheef iust reformacioun.
This Pope Iohn, whan he hath parceyued
Of his cardynales the maner of writyng,
And how the duk the lettres hath resceyued,
He to do vengaunce made no tarieng;
Bood no lenger, this iugement yiuyng:
Kitt of the nose felli of the ton,
Hond of the tothir; and ech was callid Iohn.
Of his cardynales the maner of writyng,
And how the duk the lettres hath resceyued,
He to do vengaunce made no tarieng;
Bood no lenger, this iugement yiuyng:
Kitt of the nose felli of the ton,
Hond of the tothir; and ech was callid Iohn.
The emperour did[e] his lettres sende
To this pope of hool affeccioun,
Of his defautis he sholde hym amende.
But ther was fou[n]de no correccioun;
For which he was deposid & put doun
Bi cardynalis for his cursidnesse;
Me list no mor write of his wrechidnesse.
To this pope of hool affeccioun,
Of his defautis he sholde hym amende.
But ther was fou[n]de no correccioun;
For which he was deposid & put doun
Bi cardynalis for his cursidnesse;
Me list no mor write of his wrechidnesse.
For his defautis & his gret outrage
This Iohn put doun, as ye haue herd deuise,
Myn auctour aftir kauht a gret corage,
Seyng this myscheef in many sondri wise,
In hooli cherch[e] which that did arise
Among prelatis, cast hymseluen blyue
Ther diffautis openli descryue,
This Iohn put doun, as ye haue herd deuise,
Myn auctour aftir kauht a gret corage,
Seyng this myscheef in many sondri wise,
In hooli cherch[e] which that did arise
Among prelatis, cast hymseluen blyue
Ther diffautis openli descryue,
Of ther pride and ther presumpcioun.
And whil he gan studie in this mateer,
He gan remembre anon in his resoun
Vpon a vers write[n] in the Sauteer:
“Touche nat my prophetis, ne neih hem nat to ner,
Nor ageyn hem, be[th] war in deed & thouht,
In no wise that ye maligne nouht.”
And whil he gan studie in this mateer,
He gan remembre anon in his resoun
Vpon a vers write[n] in the Sauteer:
“Touche nat my prophetis, ne neih hem nat to ner,
Nor ageyn hem, be[th] war in deed & thouht,
In no wise that ye maligne nouht.”
For this cause, as ye shal vndirstonde,
Touchyng this mateer, pleynli as I reede,
Myn auctour [Bochas] gan withdrawe his honde,
Lefft his purpos, and foorth he gan proceede,—
To whos presence, or that he took heede,
Cam a prince, Duk Charlis of Loreyne;
Hym besouhte to write his greuous peyne.
Touchyng this mateer, pleynli as I reede,
Myn auctour [Bochas] gan withdrawe his honde,
Lefft his purpos, and foorth he gan proceede,—
To whos presence, or that he took heede,
Cam a prince, Duk Charlis of Loreyne;
Hym besouhte to write his greuous peyne.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |