Lydgate's Fall of Princes :: :: University of Virginia Library

Whan Iohn Bochas was most dilligent
To considre the successiouns
Off lynages, with all his hool entent,
In his writyng and descripciouns
To compile the generaciouns
Of many noble, famous off estat—
I meene off such as were infortunat,—

In his serchyng he fond nat a fewe
That were vnhappi founde in ther lyuyng;
To his presence a-noon ther gan hem shewe
A multitude ful pitousli wepyng,
A-mongis which, ful doolfully pleynyng,
Cam first Oetes, and hath his compleynt gunne,
Kyng off Colchos and sone onto the sunne.

For off Phebus, which is so briht & cleer,
Poetis write that he was sone and heir,
Because he was so myhti off poweer,
So fressh, so lusti, so manli [and] so feir;
But off Fortune he fill in gret dispeir,
Cursyng his fate and his destyne,
Whan Iason first entrid his cuntre,

Be Pelleus sent fro Thesalie,
Ther for taccomplisshe be dilligent labour
The grete emprises thoruh his cheualrie,

Yiff God and Fortune list doon to hym fauour,
That he myhte wynnen the tresour:
This is to meene, that he were so bold
The ram tassaile which bar the Flees of Gold.

This said Iason thoruh counseil off Mede,
Bi sorcery and incantacioun
The boolis slouh, horrible for to see,
And venquysshid the venymous dragoun,
The kyng despoilid off his possessioun,
Accomplisshid with carectis & figures
Off Colchos the dreedful auentures.

And afftirward, whan he his purpos hadde,
He leffte Oetes in ful gret dispair,
And Medea foorth with hym he ladde
And hir brother, which was the kyngis hair.
But as I fynde, how in his repair,
Out off Colchos whan thei gan remue,
Kyng Oetes afftir hem gan sue.

Vpon Iason auenged for to be,
Withoute tarieng, he folwid hem proudly;
The which[e] thyng whan Iason dede see,
This Medea gan shape a remedy:
She took hir brothir & slouh hym cruely,
And hym dismembrid, as bookis make mynde,
And pecemeel in a feeld behynde

She gan hym caste, al bespreynt with blood.
Wheroff his fader whan he hadde a siht,
Ful pale off cheer, stille in the feeld he stood,
Whil she and Iason took hem onto fliht—
I trowe that tyme the moste woful wiht
That was a-lyue, whan he dede knowe
His child dismembrid and abrood Isowe!

Which cause was, allas and wellaway!
That he so stynte, as man disconsolat,
Whil that Iason fro Colchos went a-way.
And Medea, most infortunat,
Was ground and roote off this mortal debat:

For who sauh euer or radde off such a-nothir,
To saue a straunger list to slen hir brothir?

Forsook hir fader, hir contre & kynreede,
The lond enporished thoruh hir robberie;
Off hir worshep she took noon othir heed,
Loue had hir brouht in such a fantasie.
And whil that she a-bood in Thesalie
And with Iason dede ther soiourne,
She made Eson to youthe to retourne.

A yerde she took, that was drie and old,
And in hir herbis and commixciouns
She made it boile, in Ouide it is told,
And bi carectis and incantaciouns,
And with the crafft off hir coniurisouns
The yerde be-gan [to] budde & blosme newe
And to bere frut and leuys fresh off hewe.

And semblabli with hir confecciouns
His olde humours she hath depurid cleene,
And with hir lusti fresh[e] pociouns
His empti skyn, tremblyng & riht leene,
Pale and wan, that no blood was seene,
But as it were a dedli creature—
Al this hath she transfformyd bi nature.

Made hym lusti and fressh off his corage,
Glad off herte, liffli off cheer and siht,
Riht weel hewed and cleer off his visage,
Wonder delyuer bothe off force & myht,
In all his membris as weeldi & as lyht
As euer he was, and in the same estat,
Bi crafft off Mede he was so alterat.

Afftir al this, a-geyn kyng Pelleus
She gan maligne, vncle onto Iason;
And off envie she procedith thus:
The kyngis douhtren she drow to hir anoon,
Hem counsailid that thei sholde goon
Onto ther fadir & pleynli to hym seyn,
Yiff he desirid to be yong a-geyn.

Ful restored his force to recure
And therwithal in lusti age floure,
She behihte to doon hir besi cure
Lik his desir to helpyn and socoure,
And in this mateer so crafft[i]li laboure,
Fynali stonde in the same caas
To be maad yong, lik as his brothir was.

Touchyng which thyng, for mor euydence
This Medea hath to the douhtren told,
Off entent to yeue the mor credence,
She bad hem take a ram that wer riht old,
And with a knyff for to be so bold
To sleen this beeste afforn hem ther he stood,
And in a vessel drawe out his olde blood,

Fulli affermyng lik as it wer trewe,
That he sholde been a lamb a-geyn.
For she be crafft wolde his blood renewe
In such wise be euidence pleyn
That off elde no tokne shal be seyn—
In al his membris as lusti and enteer
As was a lamb euyd off o yeer.

And therupon in ful sleihti wise
She gan a processe off ful fals tresoun,
The sustre made vpon this ram practise,
Drouh out his blood lik her entencioun;
And she bi crafft off fals illusioun
Blent her eyen bi apperence in veyn
The olde ram to seeme a lamb a-geyn.

Thus Medea be sleihte compassyng,
Off envie and venymous hatreede,
Excitid hath the sustre in werkyng,
A-geyn ther fadir mortali to proceede.
With sharp[e] knyuis thei made her fader bleede,
Mid the herte thoruhout euery veyne,
Supposyng, the celi sustren tweyne,

That Pelleus renewed sholde be
To youthe a-geyn off force & off substaunce.
But fynali bi tresoun off Mede

He lost his liff, such was his woful chaunce;
For she it wrouhte onli off vengaunce,
As roote & ground off this cruel deede,
A-geyn the nature off al womanheede.

Supposyng in hir opynyoun,
How that the deth gretli sholde plese
Off Pelleus onto hir lord Iasoun,
Thoruh gret encres sette his herte at ese;
But it rebounded into his disese,
That fynali Iason hir forsook
For hir offence, and he his weye took

Into Corynthe, toward the kyng Creon,
Whos douhter Creusa, for hir gret beute,
Was afftirward iweddid to Iason.
But whan this weddyng was knowe to Mede,
Caste she wolde theron auengid be,
Gan to conspire off malis and envie,
And thoruh hir magik and [hir] sorcerie,

In ful gret haste gan [for] to ordeyne
A litil coffre, onli off entent;
And bi hir yonge faire sonys tweyne,
With othre iewelis, she hath the coffre sent,
Onto Creusa makyng a present,
Which off malis she list so dispose,
That whan Creusa the coffre dede onclose,

The fir brast out a ful large space,
Brent Creusa bi ful gret violence,
Set a-fire pleynli al the place
Benchauntement; ther was no resistence—
Al wente affire that was in hir presence,
Bi vengance dede ful gret damage.
But whan Iason the fir sauh in his rage,

And considred the malis off Mede,
Thouhte he wolde doon execucioun
For to punshe the gret iniquite
A-geyn[e]s hym compassid off tresoun;
For she off vengance, a-geyn[es] al resoun,

Afftir that Creusa consumed was & brent,
Hir owne sonys, which she hadde sent,

Withoute routhe or womanli pite,
She falsli moordred—the childre that she bar—
Lik a stepmooder auenged for to be,
Cutte ther throtis or that thei wer war,
A-geyn nature, ther was noon othir spaar,
But for hatreede she hadde onto Iason.
Afftir this moordre she fledde hir way a-noon,

So escapyng his indignacioun.
Be crafft off magik she wente at liberte
To Athenys, and in that regioun
She weddid was onto the kyng Egee.
Nat longe afftir bi hym a sone had she,
The which[e] child, myn auctour tellith thus,
Afftir Medea callid was Medus.

Afftir whos name the famous regioun
I-named was, which is callid Meede.
But folwyng ay hir olde condicioun,
This Medea, void off shame & dreede,
Compassid hath off wilful fals hatreede,
That Theseus, the sone off kyng Egee,
With newe poisoun shal deuoured be.

But Theseus, ful lik a manli knyht,
In repairyng hom to his contre,
Off hih prudence espied a-noon ryht
The mortal vengance, the gret[e] cruelte
Off his stepmooder, which off enmite
Concludid hath in hir entencioun
Hym to destroie onwarli with poisoun.

Hir herte off malis, cruel & horrible,
As she that was with tresoun euer allied,
Whan that she sauh hir purpos most odible
Be kyng Egeus fulli was espied,
She hath hir herte & wittis newe applied,
As in ther bookis poetis han compiled,
A-geyn to Iason to be reconsiled.

She fledde away for dreed off Theseus,
List he hadde doon on hir vengaunce,
And fynali, as writ Ouidius,

And moral Senec concludith in substaunce,
In his tragedies makyng remembraunce,
How Medea, lik as poetis seyn,
Onto Iason restored was a-geyn.

Touchyng the eende off ther furious discord,
Poetis make theroff no mencioun
Nor telle no mene how thei fill at accord,
But yiff it were bi incantacioun,
Which so weel koude turne up-so-doun
Sundry thyngis off loue & off hatreede.
And in Bochas off hir no mor I reede,

Sauff whan she hadde fulfillid hir purpos,
Myn auctour tellith, that Iason & Mede
Resorted han a-geyn onto Colchos
Hir fadir Oetes, & from his pouerte
Brouht hym a-geyn into his roial see,
And to his crowne bi force thei hym restore:
Touchyng his eende, off hym I fynde no more.

Thus his fortune hath turnyd to and fro,
First lik a kyng hauyng ful gret richesse,
Afftir lyuyng in pouert and in wo,
Sithen restorid to his worthynesse:
Thus ay is sorwe medlid with gladnesse,
Who can aduerte, in al worldli thyng,
Record off Mynos, the noble worthi kyng.

To whom I muste now my stile dresse,
Folwen the tracis off Bochacius,
The which[e] Mynos, as Ouide doth expresse,
Touchyng his birthe writ[eth] pleynli thus,
That he was manli, wis and vertuous,
Sone bi discent off Iubiter the grete,
And off Europa born to been heir in Crete.

Off his persone wonder delectable,
Ful renommed off wisdam and science,
Bi dyuers titles off laude comendable
Off birthe, off blood, off knyhthod & prudence;
For bi his study and enteer dilligence
He fond first lawes groundid on resoun,
Wherbi off Crete the grete regioun

Gouernyd was and set in stabilnesse.
Alle iniuries and wrongis to refourme,
Made statutis extorsiouns to represse,
Off rihtwisnesse thei took ther firste fourme,
And that ech man sholde hymselff confourme
Lik ther degrees, subiect and souerayne,
That no man hadde no mater to complayne.

He made his liges to lyuen in quieete,
Cleer shynyng in his roial noblesse,
With suerd and sceptre sittyng in his seete;
And whil he floured in his worthynesse
He took a wiff off excellent fairnesse,
Douhter to Phebus, in Bochas ye may see,
And she was callid faire Pasiphe.

And hir fadir, bi record off writyng,
In his tyme was holden ful famous;
Off thile off Rodis he was crownyd kyng,
And in his daies off port ful glorious,
Riht proud in armis and victorious,
Takyng witnesse Methamorphoseos.
His douhter hadde thre childre be Mynos,

The firste a sone callid Androgee,
And afftirward ful faire douhtren tweyne,
Riht womanli and goodli on to see;
But, as Fortune for hem dede ordeyne,
Thei felte her lyue gret trouble & [gret] peyne—
Callid Adriana, and Phedra was the tothir,
Folwyng ther fate, it myhte be noon othir.

Androgeus bi kyng Mynos was sent,
For he sholde profityn in clergie,
To Athenys off vertuous entent
There to stodien in philosophie;
And for he gan tencrece & multeplie
And passe all othir bi studi in lernyng
And to excelle his felawes in cunnyng,

Thei off envie and fals malis, allas,
Made a-geyn hym a conspiracioun,
And from a pynacle sacrid to Pallas,

Off ful gret heihte, made hym tumble doun.
For which iniurie, Bochas maketh mencioun,
His fadir Mynos auengid for to be,
Leide a gret power a-boute the cite.

He caste hym fulli that no man sholde hym lette,
But that he wolde doon crueli vengaunce;
And round a-boute so sore he hem besette
With men off armys & with his ordynaunce,
That fynali he brouht hem to vttraunce,
And them constreynyd, withynne a litil space,
Ther liff, ther deth submyttyng to his grace.

But whil thei made ageyn hym resistence,
Supposyng his power to withstonde,
Nisus, that was kyng off Megarence,
A-geyn Mynos ther parti took on honde:
And offte tymes, as ye shal vndirstonde,
Whan kyng Mynos the cite dede assaile,
Nisus withynne, with myhti apparaile

Vpon the wal stood in his diffence—
Whan that Mynos, ful lik a manli knyht,
Fauht withoute with sturdi violence,
Lich Mars hymsilff in steel armyd briht.
Wheroff whan Scilla onys hadde a siht,
Douhtir to Nisus, aduertyng his prowesse,
A-noon for loue she fill in gret distresse.

She was supprisid with his hih noblesse;
His manli force, expert many-fold,
Set[te] Scilla in gret heuynesse:
For loue off Mynos, off poetis it is told,
Made hir herte presumen and be bold,
First hir-silff to putte in iupartie,
Hir fadris liff, the cite, the clergie.

From hir herte loue hath set a-side,
A-geyn nature, hir blood & hir kynreede;
And al frenshipe from hire she gan deuyde,
And off hir worship took no maner heede:
Loue maad hir cruel, a-geyn al womanheede,
First hir herte so sore sette affire,
Hir fadres deth falsli to conspire.

For kyng Mynos beyng a straunger
Was so enprentid in hir opynyoun,
Off creatures ther stood noon so neer;
And for his sake, bi ful fals tresoun,
She compassid the destruccioun
First off hir fadir and off the cite—
So straunge a thyng, allas, how myhte it be,

That a woman off yeris yong and tendre
Koude ymagyne so merueilous a thyng!
But offte it fallith, that creatures sclendre,
Vnder a face off angelik lokyng,
Been verrai wolues outward in werkyng.
Eek vnder colour off ther port femynyne,
Summe be founde verray serpentyne,

Lambis in shewyng, shadwid with meeknesse,
Cruel as tigres, who doth to hem offence,
Off humble cheer pretendyng a liknesse.
But, o allas! what harm doth apparence,
What damage doth countirfet innocence,
Vndir a mantil shrowdid off womanheed,
Whan feyned falsnesse doth ther bridil leed!

For this Scilla, the kyngis douhter deere,
In whom he sette hool his affeccioun,
His hertis ioie, his plesaunce most enteere,
His worldli blisse, his consolacioun,—
But she al turned to his confusioun,
Nat lich a douhter, but lik a sorceresse
His deth compassid, the story berth witnesse.

Hir fadir hadde a fatal her that shon
Brihtere than gold, in which he dede assure
Manli to fihte a-geyn his mortal fon;
For on his hed[e] whil it dede endure,
He sholde venquysshe bi manhod, & recure,
And thoruh his knyhthod, to his encres off glory,
In euery quarell wynnen the victory.

But whil hir fadir kyng Nisus lay & sleep,
Vpon a nyht, parcel affor day,
Ful secreli, or that he took keep,
The her off gold this Scilla kit away;
And onto Mynos, armyd wher he lay,

She it presentid thoruh hir ordynaunce,
Off fals entent hym for to do plesaunce.

But in this mateer, lik as writ Ouide,
Methamorphoseos, who-so taketh heed,
Hir fadir slepyng, she knelyng bi his side,
Took a sharp knyff withoute feer or dreed,
Whil he lay nakid, she karff a-too his hed,
Stal hir way[e] off ful fals entent,
And to kyng Mynos the hed she doth present.

And in hir comyng onto his presence,
Hir fadris hed whan she afforn hym laide,
No-thyng a-shamed off hir gret offence,
Onto Mynos thus she dede abraide,
And with bold cheer[e] euene thus she saide:
“Mi lord,” quod she, “with support off your grace,
Yeueth to my tale leiser tyme and space;

Certis, my lord, loue hath excitid me
And constreynyd to this cruel deede,
To slen my fader, destroien my cite,
Forgete my worshep, forsaken womanheede,
And maad me hardi to make my fader bleede—
Thynges horrible thus I haue vndertake
For tacomplisshe onli for your sake.

Mi-silff disheritid for loue off your persone,
Callid in my contre a fals traitouresse,
Disconsolat stole a-wey a-lone,
Off newe diffamed, named a maistresse
Off fals moordre, I brynge a gret witnesse,
Mi fadres hed and his dedli visage,
A-geyn nature to forthren your viage.

Wherfore, I praie that ye list aduertise,
And considreth lich a gentil knyht
How I, for loue toward your gret emprise,
And to gret fortheryng also off your ryht,
Haue first my fader depryued off his myht,
Rafft hym his liff, dispoiled his richesse
To do plesaunce to your hih noblesse.

And no-thyng axe onto my guerdoun
Nor to my reward that myhte me auaile,
But that I myhte haue ful possessioun

Off your persone, most worthi in bataile;
For ther is no tresor that myhte countiruaile
To my desir, as that ye wolde in deede
Goodli accepte me and my maidenheede.

Ye may me saue & spille with a woord,
Make most glad and most dolerous;
I nat requere off you, my souereyn lord,
But that ye wolde be to me gracious:
For blood and kyn, and my fadres hous
Al lefft behynde, yiff ye list aduerte,
And vndepartid youe to you myn herte.

Which to your hihnesse auhte inouh suffise,
All thynge considred, in your roial estat,
Conceyued also in how vnkouth wise
For your loue I stonde desolat,
Sauff off your mercy fulli disconsolat.
Heere is al and sum, your loue I beie to sore,
But ye do grace; I can sey you no more.”

And whan she hadde hir tale told knelyng,
With a maner pretense off womanheed,
Off al hir tresoun a poynt nat concelyng,
The kyng astonyd off hir horrible deed,
Bi gret auys peised and took heed,
It was not sittyng to prynce nor to no kyng
To do fauour to so froward a thyng.

With troublid herte and with a face pale,
His look vpcast, [he] seide, “God forbeede,
That euer in cronycle, in story or in tale,
That any man sholde off Mynos reede,
How he supported so venymous a deede—
Fauoure a woman, allas and wellaway!
Which slouh hir fader whan he a-bedde lay.

But for your hatful and vnkyndli rage,
I pray the goddis echon and Saturne
To take vengaunce on your fals outrage:
For euery-wher, wher ye do returne,
And eueri place wher-as ye soiourne,

Lond and se, shortli to expresse,
Thei been infect with your cursidnesse.

Your owne mouth your outrage doth accuse;
And your accus is so abhomynable,
That your gifftis I fulli do refuse,—
Thei be so froward and repreuable.
And your persone, disnaturel & vnstable,
Withynne my court, it were a thyng nat fayr,
That ye sholde a-bide or haue repair.

Ye be so hatful vpon eueri side
And contrarious off condicioun,
I praie Tellus, which off the erthe is guide,
And to Neptunus I make this orisoun:
As ferr as strecchith ther domynacioun
Vnder the boundis off ther regalie,
A duellyng-place that thei to you denye!”

Whan Mynos hadde his answer thus deuised,
On resoun groundid and on equite,
And Scilla sauh how she was despised,
Knew no parti, passage nor contre
To fynde socour whedir she myhte fle,
But disespeired as a traitouresse,
Toward the se a-noon she gan hir dresse

Tentre the water pleynli yiff she myhte,
For verrai shame hirseluen for to shrowde;
And whan the goddis theroff hadde a syhte,
Thei turned hire, as thei that myhte & kowde,
In-ta quaile for to synge lowde.
Hir fader Nisus thei dede also transmue
In ta sperhauk, the quaile to pursue.

This was the eende off Nisus & off Scille.
And afftirward off Athenes the toun
Was yolden vp to stonden at the wille
Off kyng Mynos, withoute condicioun;
Euery thre yeer bi reuolucioun
Thei off the cite sholde nat dellaie
Nyne off ther childre for a tribut paie.

This was bi Mynos thymposicioun
Vpon Athenys; and off verrai dreed
Thei obeied, as maad is mencioun,
And ther childre yeer bi yeer thei leed
Into Crete the Mynotaur to feed,
Onto this monstre ordeyned for repast,
Which at ther comyng deuoured wer in hast.

But or that I ferthere do proceede
In this mater, I will do my cure
To declare, yiff ye list take heede,
Off this monstre to telle the engendrure,
Vnkouth to heere and a-geyn nature;
For bi the writyng off Ouidius,
This ougli beeste was engendrid thus,

Methamorphoseos, the maner ye may see:
Mynos hadde a bole off gret fairnesse,
Whit as mylk; and the queen Pasiphe
Loued hym so hote, the story berth witnesse,
And Dedalus dede his besynesse
[Bi sotil craft, & made his gynnys so,
That ayenst kynde with hir he had to do,

And conceyued a beest[e] monstruous,
That was departid, halfe bole, half man;
And as the poete bi wrytyng techith vs,
Off Mynotaurus thus the name began.
And Dedalus, not long aftir whan]
That this monstre was bi the queen forth brouht,
This subtil werkman hath an hous Iwrouht

Callid Laboryntus, dyuers and vnkouth,
Ful off wrynkles and off straungenesse,
Ougli to knowe which is north or south,
Or to what part a man sholde hym dresse;
Folk were ther blent with furious derknesse,
Who that entred, his retourn was in veyn,
Withoute a clue for to resorte a-geyn.

Off Mynotaurus this was the habitacle,
Lik a prisoun maad for tormentrie,
For dampnyd folk a peynful tabernacle;
For all that lay ther in iupartie,
The monstre muste deuoure hem & defie:
And speciali was ordeyned this torment
For all that wern doun from Athenys sent.

But in this mater summe bookis varie,
And afferme how queen Pasiphe
Off kyng Mynos loued a secretarie
Callid Taurus, in Bochas ye may see;
And thus the kyng, for al his rialte,
Deceyued was, for who may any while
Hymsilff preserue wher women list begile?

For bi this Taurus, Bochas berth witnesse,
Queen Pasiphe hadde a child ful fair,
Mynos nat knowyng bi no liklynesse
But that the child was born to been his hair.
His trust was good, he fill in no dispair;
For some husbondis, as poetis han compiled,
Which most assure [hem] rathest been begiled.

Innocentis can nat deeme a-mysse,
Namli off wyues that be founde trewe;
Clerkis may write, but doutles thus it isse,
Off ther nature thei loue no thynges newe:
Stedfast off herte, thei chaunge nat her hewe;
Hawkes best preued, sumwhile a chek can make,
Yit for o faute the foul is nat forsake.

Off these materes write I will no more.
But ay the tribut & seruage off the toun
Procedith foorth, thei constreyned wer so sore,
Lich as ther lott turned up and doun;
For ther was maad[e] non excepcioun
Off hih nor louh, nothir for sour nor swete,
But as it fill, thei were sent into Crete.

The statut was so inli rigerous,
Thei took ther sort as it cam a-boute,
Til atte laste it fill on Theseus,
That he mut gon foorth a-mong the route,
Kyng Eges sone, beyng in gret doute
Touchyng his liff, which myht nat be socoured,
But that he muste with othre be deuoured.

Which Theseus, for his worthynesse,
And off his knyhthod for the gret encres
Thoruh manly force, & for his hih prowesse
Whilom was callid the seconde Hercules,
Mong Amazones put hymselff in pres,
Weddid Ypolita, as bookis specefie,
The hardi queen [callid] off Femynye.

And afftirward to Thebes he is gon,
Halp there the ladies in especiall,
Which that compleyned vpon the kyng Creon,
Which hem destourbed, lik ther estat roiall
To holde and halwe the festis funerall
Off ther lordis, as queenys & pryncessis,
Off wifli trouthe to shewe ther kyndenessis.

For whan this Duk the maner hadde seyn,
And off Creon the grete iniquite,
To the ladies he made delyuere a-geyn
Ther lordis bonys, off routhe & off pite.
Yit in his youthe out off his cite
He was delyuered, bi statut ful odible,
To be deuoured off this beeste horrible.

He goth to prisoun, for al his semlynesse,
As the statut felli dede ordeyne;
But off routhe and off gentilesse,
Hym to preserue from that dedli peyne,
Off kyng Mynos the goodli douhtren tweyne,
Adriane shoop off a remedie,
And faire Phedra, that he shal nat die.

Thoruh ther helpe he hath the monstre slayn,
That was so dreedful & ougli for to see;
Bi hem he scapid, wheroff he was ful fayn,

Lad hem with hym, toward his contre.
And bi the weie, deuoid off al pite,
Adriane he falsli hath forsake
A-geyn his surance, & Phedra he hath take.

Amyd the se [he] lefft hir in an ile,
Toward no parti she knew no declyn;
She crieth, wepith, allas, the harde while!
For off hir fate this was the mortal fyn,
That for pite Bachus, the god off wyn,
Took hir to wyue, whos crowne of stonys fyne
Doth now in heuene with the sterris shyne.

Thus off Theseus ye may beholde and see
To Adryane the gret onstedfastnesse,
The grete ontrouthe, the mutabilite,
The broke assurance and newfangilnesse;
But celi women keepe ther stedfastnesse
Ay ondefouled, sauff, sumwhile off ther kynde,
Thei must hem purueie, whan men be founde onkynde.

Off Theseus I can no more now seyn
In this mater to make off hym memorie,
But to kyng Mynos I will resorte a-geyn
To tell how Fortune, ay fals & transitorie,
In what poyntis diffacid hath his glorie.
First off echon Bochas doth specefie
Off Pasiphe the foule aduout[e]rie,

Which was his wiff, and stood weel in his grace,
To his plesance she was most souerayne;
But a cloude off [a] smal trespace
Made hir lord at hir to disdeyne:
But he off wisdam bar preuyli his peyne,
For in this cas, this is my sentence,
Lat prudent husbondis take hem to pacience.

On other thyngis Mynos gan compleyne,
Hauyng in herte theroff ful gret greuaunce,
That he so loste his faire douhtren tweyne,

And Mynotaurus slay[e]n with myschaunce.
Eek onto hym it was a gret penaunce
That Theseus was gon at liberte,
And from al tribut delyuered his cite.

It greued hym eek in contenance & cheer,
That Theseus Adriane forsook,
It liked hym nat also the maneer
Onto his wiff that he Phedra took;
And yit this Phedra, lich as seith my book,
Hadde too sonys bi this Theseus,
First Demephon & next Anthilocus.

Eek Theseus afftir gan hym drawe
Toward Cecile, in steel armyd cleene,
With Pirotheus, in armys his felawe,
For to rauysshe Proserpyna the queene.
But off entent Phedra ful oncleene,
Loued hir stepsone callid Ypolitus.
But for he was to hire daungerous,

And to hir lust froward and contrarie,
In his apport nat goodli nor benigne,
Off fals entent anon she gan to varie,
And a-geyn hym ful felli to maligne,
With a pretence off many tokne & signe
Off womanhed, she gan hym accuse,
Hire auoutry falsli to excuse.

Who seith that women can nat ymagyne
In ther diffence talis ful vntrewe,
To ther desir yiff men list nat enclyne
Nor on ther feyned fals[e] wo to rewe,
Anon thei can compasse[n] thynges newe,
Fisshe and fynde out in ther entencioun
A couert cloude to shadwe ther tresoun.

She hath accusid yonge Ypolitus
Off fals auoutri in his tendre age,
Tolde & affermed to duk Theseus,
With ful bold cheer[e] & a pleyn visage,
How he purposed in his furious rage

Onli bi force hir beute to oppresse,
Hir lord besechyng to refourme & redresse

The grete iniurie doon onto his wiff
Whil he was absent for thyngis that bar charge.
Wyues off talis been sumwhile inuentiff
To suffre ther tunges falsli fleen at large;
But folk that list off daunger hem discharge,
Off such accusyng ne take thei noon heed
Til the trouthe be tried out in deed.

I meene nothyng off wyues that been goode,
Nor off women that floure in innocence;
For God forbeede, and the Hooli Roode,
But men sholde do deu reuerence
To ther noblesse and ther excellence,
Declare ther bounte and ther vertu shewe,
And more them cherisshe be-cause ther be so fewe.

Touchyng thaccusyng ageyn Ypolitus,
Thouh it so were that it was fals in deede,
Yit he for shame and feer off Theseus,
As in the story ye may beholde and reede,
In his herte he cauhte a maner dreede,
That he, allas! this cely yonge knyht,
Fledde & withdrouh hym out off his fadris siht,

His indignacioun pleynli to eschewe,
Thouh bi desert in hym ther was no lak.
Off hasti dreed as he gan remewe
Other in a chaar or vpon hors[e]bak,
His hors affraied, ther fill a sodeyn wrak
Doun from a roche pendant, as ye shal lere—
He and his chaar wer drownyd bothe Ifeere.

Thus ongilti, in his most lusti youthe
He was conueied to his destruccioun;
The sclandre conspired, as it is weel kouthe,
Bi fals[e] Phedra: but in conclusioun
The sclandre turned to hir confusioun;
For whan she wiste Ypolitus was ded
Thoruh hir defaute, anon for shame & dreed

She took a swerd, ful sharp[e] whet & grounde,
And therwithall she rooff hir herte on tweyne.
Loo, how that vengaunce will euer a-geyn rebounde
On hem that falsli doon ther bisi peyne
To sclandre folk; for lik as thei ordeyne
With ther defautis othir folkis tattwite,
God atte laste ther malice can acquite!

Yit summe bookis off Phedra do recorde
That she, a-shamyd & confus off this deede,
Heeng hirsilff up ful hih[e] with a corde.
Loo, how fals sclandre can quite folk ther meede!
Wherfore, I counseile eueri man tak heede,
In such materis as stonde in noun certeyn,
From hasti doomys his tunge to restreyn.

Among these stories woful for to reede,
Al bespreynt with teris in his face,
Ful sodenli, Iohn Bochas gan take heede,
A-myd the pres Zizara cam in place—
And how that Fortune gan eek to manace
This proude duk, ful myhti & notable,
Off kyng Iabyn callid the grete constable.

Off his hoost ledere and gouernour,
To Israel verray mortall fo;
With peeple he rood lich a conquerour,
And wher that euer his meyne dede go,
The erthe quook, peeplis drad hym so,
Fledde from his face wher-as he cam a-ferre.
Nyne hundred waynes he hadde for the werre,

Strongli enarmed with hookes made lyk sithes,
Who that approched to mayme hym & to wounde.
For this tirant off custum offte sithes

Hadde gret delit the Iewes to confounde;
And alle tho that his swerd hath founde,
Kyng Iabyn bad, the prynce off Canaan,
In Israel to spare child nor man.

This Zizara was sent to been ther scourge,
Bi Goddis suffrance ther synnes to chastise,
Ther olde offences to punshen & to pourge,
As a flagelle, in many sundry wise;
But whan off resoun thei gan hem bet deuyse,
And for ther trespacis to falle in repentaunce,
God gan withdrawe the hand off his vengaunce.

For in ther myscheef thei gan the Lord to knowe,
Felyng the prikke off his punycioun;
And mercy thanne hath vnbent the bowe
Off his fell ire and castigacioun:
To God thei made ther inuocacioun,
And he hem herde in ther mortal dreede.
In Iudicum the story ye may reede,

How in the while that this Zizara
Shoop hym off newe Iewes to oppresse,
In ther diffence God sent hem Delbora,
A prophetesse, the story berth witnesse,
To yeue hem counsail ther harmys to redresse,
And bi the sperit off hir prophecye
For to withstonde the grete tirannye

Off Zizara, which was descendid doun
With a gret hoost into the feeld repeired.
But Delbora, of hih discrecioun,
Whan that she sauh the Iewes disespeired,
And for to fihte ther corages sore appeired,
She made hem first deuoutli in ther dreed
To crie to God to helpe hem in ther need.

She was ther iuge and ther gouerneresse,
Cheeff off ther counsail; & off custom she,
Causis dependyng, bi gret avisynesse,
That stood in doute, bi doom off equite
She tried hem out vnder a palme tre,

And was nat hasty no mater to termyne
Til she the parties affor dede examyne.

And whan she knew & herde off the komyng
Off Zizara with ful gret puissaunce,
That was constable off the myhti kyng
Callid Iabyn, with al his ordenaunce,
Vpon Iewes for to doon vengaunce,
This Delbora gan prudentli entende
The Iewes parti bi wisdam to diffende.

She bad Barach, hir husbonde, anon riht
Off Neptalym ten thousend with hym take,
Geyn Zizara to fihten for ther riht,
And that he sholde a gret enarme make.
But he for dreed this iourne gan forsake,
And durste nat a-geyn hym tho werreye
But she were present, and list hym to conveye.

“Weel weel,” quod she, “sithe it stondith so,
That off wantrust ye haue a maner dreed,
I will my-silff[e] gladli with you go,
You to supporte in this grete need;
But tristith fulli, as ye shal fynde in deed,
That a woman, with laude, honour & glorye,
Shal fro you wynne the pris off this victorye.”

It folwid afftir sothli as she saide.
Auysili she made hir ordynaunce,
And the cheeff charge on hirsilff she laide,
As pryncesse off Iewes gouernaunce,
And prudentli gan hirsilff auaunce,
With God conueied & support off his grace,
With Zizara to meetyn in the face.

And specialli touchyng this viage,
God took a-way the sperit and the myht
Fro Zizara, his force and his corage,
That he was ferfull tentren into fyht,
Kepte his chaar & took hym onto flyht,
Knowyng no place seurli in tabide,
Til that Iahel, a woman, dede hym hide

Withynne hir tente, almost ded for dreed,
Vnder a mantell desirous for to drynke.
She gaff hym mylk; the slep fill in his hed,
And whil that he for heuynesse gan wynke
And sadli slepte, she gan hir to be-thynke;
Thouhte she wolde for Zizara so shape,
That with the liff he shulde nat escape.

She took a nail that was sharp & long,
And couertli gan hirsilff auaunce;
With an hamer myhti, round & strong
She droff the nail—loo, this was hir vengaunce!—
Thoruhout his hed: seeth heer þe sodeyn chaunce
Off tirantis that trusten on Fortune,
Which wil nat suffre hem longe to contune

In ther fals vsurped tirannye
To holde peeplis in long subieccioun.
She can hem blandissh with hir flat[e]rye
Vnder a colour off fals collusioun,
And with a sodeyn transmutacioun
Fortune hem can, that pore folkis trouble,
Reuerse ther pride with hir face double.

What sholde I lengere in this mater tarye?
Thouh that lordshep be myhti & famous,
Lat Zizara been your exaumplarye,
It nat endureth but it be vertuous.
Conquest, victory, thouh thei be glorious,
Onto the world, yiff vertu be behynde,
Men nat reioise to haue ther name in mynde.

For Fortune thoruh hir frowardnesse
Hath kyngis put out off ther regiouns,
And she hath also thoruh hir doubilnesse
Destroied lynages, with ther successiouns:
Made she nat whilom hir translaciouns
Off the kyngdam callid Argyuois,
To be transportid to Lacedemonois?

The same tyme whan Zizara the proude
Gan Goddis peeple to putte vnder foote,
Famys trumpe bleuh his name up loude

With sugred sownys semyng wonder soote;
But al his pride was rent up bi the roote,
Whan that his glori was outward most shewyng;
But who may truste on any worldli thyng!

Folk han afforn seyn the fundacioun,
Bi remembraunce off old antiquite,
Off myhti Troye and off Ylioun,
Afftir destroied bi Grekis that cite,
To vs declaryng the mutabilite
Off fals Fortune, whos fauour last no while,
Shewyng ay trewest whan she will begile.

So variable she is in hir delites,
Hir wheel vntrusti & frowardli meuyng,
Record I take off the Madianytes,
Ther vnwar fall ful doolfully pleynyng,
Which shewed hemsilff [ful] pitousli wepyng
To Iohn Bochas, as he in writyng souhte
How that Fortune a-geyn ther princis wrouhte,

Which that gouerned the lond off Madian,
Trustyng off pride in ther gret puissaunce;
And a-geyn Iewes a werre thei be-gan,
Purposyng to brynge hem to vttraunce:
But God that holdeth off werre the balaunce,
And can off pryncis oppresse the veynglory,
Yeueth wher hym list conquest & victory,

Nat to gret noumbre nor to gret multitude,
But to that parti where he seeth the riht;
His dreedful hand, shortli to conclude,
So halt up bi grace and yeueth liht
The hiere hand, where he caste his siht;
List his power and his fauour shewe,
Be it to many or be it onto fewe.

The wrong[e] parti gladli hath a fall,
Thouh ther be mylliouns many mo than oon:
I take witnesse off Ieroboall,

Which is also callid Gedeon,
That with thre hundrid fauht a-geyn the foon
Off Israell, the Bible can deuyse,
Whan he to God hadde doon his sacrefise.

Shewyng to hym a signe merueilous,
Whan the flees with siluer deuh ful sheene
Was spreynt and wet, the story tellith thus,
And round a-boute the soil and al the greene
Was founde drie, and no drope seene,
In tokne onli, this duk, this knyhtli man,
Shold ha[ue] victory off al Madian.

Thus Gedeon took with hym but a fewe,
Thre hundred chose, which laped the ryuer,
God onto hym such toknys dede shewe
And euydencis afforn that wer ful cleer,
That he sholde been off riht good cheer
And on no parti his aduersaries dreede,
For no prowesse nouthir [for] manheede.

Where God a-boue holdith chaumpartie,
There may a-geyn hym be makid no diffence;
Force, strengthe, wisdam nor cheualrie
A-geyns his myht ar feeble off resistence.
This was weel preued in experience,
Whan thre hundred with Gedeon in noumbre
So many thousandis bi grace dede encoumbre.

This said[e] peeple, deuyded into thre,
With ther trumpis, vpon the dirk[e] nyht,
Bi Gedeon, that hadde the souereynte,
With void[e] pottis & laumpis therynne lyht;
And thus arraied thei entred into fyht.
But onto hem this tokne was first knowe:
Whan Gedeon his trumpe dede blowe,

Thei bleuh echon & loude gan to crie,
Brak ther pottis and shewed anon riht,
As the story pleynli doth specefie,

Ther laumpis shewed with a ful sodeyn liht,
Wheroff ther enmyes, astonyd in ther siht,
Were so troublid vpon euery side,
That in the feeld thei durst[e] nat a-bide.

The cri was this off hem euerichon:
“Thank to the Lord most noble & glorious,
Pris to the suerd off myhti Gedeon,
Which vs hath causid to be victorious,
Maad our enmyes, most malicious,
Thoruh influence onli off his grace,
For verray feer to fleen afforn our face!”

Thus can the Lord off his magnyficence
The meeke exalte & the proude oppresse,
Lich as he fyndeth in hertis difference,
So off his power he can his domys dresse,
Merci ay meynt with his rihtwisnesse,
His iugementis with long delay differrid;
And or he punshe, pite is ay preferrid.