Lydgate's Fall of Princes Edited by Dr. Henry Bergen ... presented to The Early English Text Society by The Carnegie Institution of Washington |
 |
|
| I. |
|
| II. |
| III. |
|
| IV. |
|
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
|
| IX. |
[How the ordre of Templers was founded and
[Iaques] with other of the ordre brent.] |
|
|
 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[How the ordre of Templers was founded and [Iaques] with other of the ordre brent.]
Croniclers the trouthe can recorde,
Callyng to mynde the first fundacioun,
And olde auctours therwithal accorde,
Of thes Templeeris how the religioun
Gan thilke tyme whan Godfrey Bollioun
Hadde wonne, that noble knihtli man,
Iherusalem, that ordre first began.
Callyng to mynde the first fundacioun,
And olde auctours therwithal accorde,
980
Gan thilke tyme whan Godfrey Bollioun
Hadde wonne, that noble knihtli man,
Iherusalem, that ordre first began.
Bi certeyn knihtis which did her besi peyne,
Whan the said[e] cite was first wonne
Be noble Godfrey, duk whilom of Loreyne,
Ther crownid kyng, this ordre thei begonne,—
Olde bookis weel reherse konne,—
Takyng a ground of pouert & meeknesse,
To founde this ordre did her besynesse.
Whan the said[e] cite was first wonne
Be noble Godfrey, duk whilom of Loreyne,
Ther crownid kyng, this ordre thei begonne,—
Olde bookis weel reherse konne,—
Takyng a ground of pouert & meeknesse,
To founde this ordre did her besynesse.
Ther begynnyng cam of deuocioun,
The ground Itake of wilful pouerte;
And made first ther habitacioun
Be the temple, nat ferr fro the cite,
In tokne of clennesse sworn to chastite,
Of the temple lik to ther desirs
Took that name & callid wer Templeeris.
The ground Itake of wilful pouerte;
And made first ther habitacioun
Be the temple, nat ferr fro the cite,
In tokne of clennesse sworn to chastite,
Of the temple lik to ther desirs
Took that name & callid wer Templeeris.
Pope Honorie gaff hem auctorite,
Of hooli cherche beyng that tyme hed;
A whiht habit thei bar for chastite;
Eugenivs afftir gaf hem a cros of red.
And to diffende pilgrymes, out of dreed,
Geyn Saresyn[e]s thoruh ther hih renoun,
This was cheef poynt of ther professioun.
Of hooli cherche beyng that tyme hed;
A whiht habit thei bar for chastite;
Eugenivs afftir gaf hem a cros of red.
And to diffende pilgrymes, out of dreed,
Geyn Saresyn[e]s thoruh ther hih renoun,
This was cheef poynt of ther professioun.
Whil thei lyuede in wilful pouerte,
Thes crossid knihtis in mantlis clad of whiht,
Ther name spradde in many ferr contre;
For in perfeccioun was set al ther deliht.
Folk of deuocioun kauht an appetiht
Them for tencrece, gaf hem gret almesse,
Bi which thei gan encrece in gret richesse.
Thes crossid knihtis in mantlis clad of whiht,
Ther name spradde in many ferr contre;
For in perfeccioun was set al ther deliht.
Folk of deuocioun kauht an appetiht
Them for tencrece, gaf hem gret almesse,
Bi which thei gan encrece in gret richesse.
Bi processe withynne a fewe yeeris,
The noumbre gret of ther religioun;
And the fame of thes seid Templeeris
Gan spreede wide in many regioun.
Ther sodeyn risyng, of ther pocessioun,
With touns, castellis, thei gaf hem to delices,
Appalled in vertu, which brouht in many vices.
The noumbre gret of ther religioun;
And the fame of thes seid Templeeris
Gan spreede wide in many regioun.
Ther sodeyn risyng, of ther pocessioun,
With touns, castellis, thei gaf hem to delices,
Appalled in vertu, which brouht in many vices.
981
It wer to longe for to rekne hem alle;
But among other I fynde ther was oon,
A manli kniht, folk Iaques did hym calle,
Gret of auctorite among hem euerichon,
As cronicles remembre of yore agon.
The which[e] Iaques in the rewm of France
Was born of blood to gret enheritaunce.
But among other I fynde ther was oon,
A manli kniht, folk Iaques did hym calle,
Gret of auctorite among hem euerichon,
As cronicles remembre of yore agon.
The which[e] Iaques in the rewm of France
Was born of blood to gret enheritaunce.
The same Iaques, holde a manli kniht
In his gynnyng, fressh, lusti of corage,
Hadde a brother, be elder title of riht
Occupied al hool the heritage,
Because Iaques yonger was of age,
Which myht[e] nat be no condicioun
Nothyng cleyme of that pocessioun.
In his gynnyng, fressh, lusti of corage,
Hadde a brother, be elder title of riht
Occupied al hool the heritage,
Because Iaques yonger was of age,
Which myht[e] nat be no condicioun
Nothyng cleyme of that pocessioun.
His elder brother occupied al,
Whil this Iaques was but of low degree,
Wonder desirous with hym to been egal,
Alway put bak be froward pouerte.
And to surmounte, yif it wolde bee,
Fond out a mene lik to his desirs,
Was chose maister of thes Templeeris.
Whil this Iaques was but of low degree,
Wonder desirous with hym to been egal,
Alway put bak be froward pouerte.
And to surmounte, yif it wolde bee,
Fond out a mene lik to his desirs,
Was chose maister of thes Templeeris.
Was promootid be free eleccioun
Bi them that sholde chesyn hym of riht;
Wherbi he hadde gret domynacioun,
Richesse, tresour, gret poweer & myht.
Of his persone was eek a manli kniht,—
The same tyme, put in remembraunce,
Phelipp Labele crownid kyng in France.
Bi them that sholde chesyn hym of riht;
Wherbi he hadde gret domynacioun,
Richesse, tresour, gret poweer & myht.
Of his persone was eek a manli kniht,—
The same tyme, put in remembraunce,
Phelipp Labele crownid kyng in France.
Which hadde of Iaques gret indignacioun,
To alle the Templeris and al ther cheualrie,
Caste weies to ther destruccioun,
Gaf auctorite his lust to fortefie,
Doun fro the pope, bookis specefie,
Clement the Sexte, concludyng yif he may,
Alle the Templeeris destroie hem on a day.
To alle the Templeris and al ther cheualrie,
Caste weies to ther destruccioun,
Gaf auctorite his lust to fortefie,
Doun fro the pope, bookis specefie,
Clement the Sexte, concludyng yif he may,
Alle the Templeeris destroie hem on a day.
982
For certeyn crymes horrible to heere,
Alle attonis wer set in prisoun,
Bi ther freendis touching this mateere
Counseilled to axe merci & pardoun,
That thei sholde be pleyn confessioun
Requere mercy, knelyng on a rowe,
And as it was ther trespas been aknowe.
Alle attonis wer set in prisoun,
Bi ther freendis touching this mateere
Counseilled to axe merci & pardoun,
That thei sholde be pleyn confessioun
Requere mercy, knelyng on a rowe,
And as it was ther trespas been aknowe.
Iaques was take, and with hym othir thre,
Kept in holde and [in]to prisoun sent.
And the remnaunt for ther iniquite
Ordeyned wern be open iugement
To myhti stakes to be teied and brent.
The kyng in maner lik to doon hem grace,
So thei wolde confesse ther trespace.
Kept in holde and [in]to prisoun sent.
And the remnaunt for ther iniquite
Ordeyned wern be open iugement
To myhti stakes to be teied and brent.
The kyng in maner lik to doon hem grace,
So thei wolde confesse ther trespace.
But al for nouht; thei wer so indurat,
Alle of accord[e] and of o corage
To axe mercy verray obstynat.
The fire reedi, al with o langage,
Whan the flawme approched ther visage,
Ful pleynli spak [&] cried pitousli,
Of ther accus how thei wer nat gilti.
Alle of accord[e] and of o corage
To axe mercy verray obstynat.
The fire reedi, al with o langage,
Whan the flawme approched ther visage,
Ful pleynli spak [&] cried pitousli,
Of ther accus how thei wer nat gilti.
Fro ther purpos list nat to declyne;
But with o vois echon[e] an[d] o sown
Fulli affermed til thei did[e] fyne,
How ther ordre and ther religioun
Igroundid was upon perfeccioun,
And how ther deth, verraili in deede,
Compassid was of malis & hatreede.
But with o vois echon[e] an[d] o sown
Fulli affermed til thei did[e] fyne,
How ther ordre and ther religioun
Igroundid was upon perfeccioun,
And how ther deth, verraili in deede,
Compassid was of malis & hatreede.
The saide Iaques, of whom I spak toforn,
Brouht to a place which callid was Leoun,
Tofor too legatis, or that his lyff was lorn,
Al openli made his confessioun:
He was worthi, for short conclusioun,
For to be ded be rihtful iugement.
This was his eende; to asshes he was brent.
Brouht to a place which callid was Leoun,
Tofor too legatis, or that his lyff was lorn,
Al openli made his confessioun:
He was worthi, for short conclusioun,
For to be ded be rihtful iugement.
This was his eende; to asshes he was brent.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |