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 Philip la Bele kyng of Fraunce was slayn with
a wilde boor and of his thre sones and theire weddyng.] |
|
|
 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[How Philip la Bele kyng of Fraunce was slayn with a wilde boor and of his thre sones and theire weddyng.]
Whan Bochas hadde write of pacience
And comendid the vertu of suffraunce,
Phelipp la Bele cam to his presence,
Fiffte of that name crownid kyng of France,
Gan compleyne his vnhappi chaunce
And on Fortune, of custum þat kan varie,
Which was to hym cruel aduersarie.
And comendid the vertu of suffraunce,
Phelipp la Bele cam to his presence,
Fiffte of that name crownid kyng of France,
Gan compleyne his vnhappi chaunce
And on Fortune, of custum þat kan varie,
Which was to hym cruel aduersarie.
Woundid he was, [&] with a greuous soor
Gan his compleynt to Bochas determyne,
How he was slay[e]n of a wilde boor
In a forest which callid is Compigne;
Tolde how he was disclaundrid [&] al his lyne;
Onis in Flaundris, with many a worþi kniht,
Venquisshed of Flemmynges & felli put to fliht.
Gan his compleynt to Bochas determyne,
How he was slay[e]n of a wilde boor
In a forest which callid is Compigne;
Tolde how he was disclaundrid [&] al his lyne;
Onis in Flaundris, with many a worþi kniht,
Venquisshed of Flemmynges & felli put to fliht.
Proceedyng ferther gan touche of his lynage,
How in his tyme he hadde sonys thre:
Lowis, Phelipp & Charlis yong of age,
The fourte Robert; a douhtir also had he
Callid Isabell, riht excellent of beute.
Seide Robert, the stori is weel kouth,
Which that deide in his tendre youth.
How in his tyme he hadde sonys thre:
Lowis, Phelipp & Charlis yong of age,
The fourte Robert; a douhtir also had he
989
Seide Robert, the stori is weel kouth,
Which that deide in his tendre youth.
To this stori who list haue good reward,
The circumstaunce wisli to discerne,
His douhtir Isabell was weddid to Edward
Carnervan, the book so doth vs lerene.
This yonger Phelipp weddid in Nauerne
The kynges douhtir, a statli mariage,
Callid Iane, whil she was tendre of age.
The circumstaunce wisli to discerne,
His douhtir Isabell was weddid to Edward
Carnervan, the book so doth vs lerene.
This yonger Phelipp weddid in Nauerne
The kynges douhtir, a statli mariage,
Callid Iane, whil she was tendre of age.
The same Phelipp aftir crownyd kyng
Of Nauerne, his fadir of assent,
Fyue sonis he hadde in his lyuyng;
Of which[e] fyue, as in sentement,
Thre in noumbre be riht pertynent
To the mateer, who-so list to look,
And the processe of this same book.
Of Nauerne, his fadir of assent,
Fyue sonis he hadde in his lyuyng;
Of which[e] fyue, as in sentement,
Thre in noumbre be riht pertynent
To the mateer, who-so list to look,
And the processe of this same book.
The eldest sone callid was Lowis,
To whom his fadir gaf pocessioun
Of Nauerne, because that he was wis
For to gouerne that noble regioun.
Phelipp his brothir for his hih renoun
Was aftirward be iust enheritaunce
And rihtful title crownid kyng of France.
To whom his fadir gaf pocessioun
Of Nauerne, because that he was wis
For to gouerne that noble regioun.
Phelipp his brothir for his hih renoun
Was aftirward be iust enheritaunce
And rihtful title crownid kyng of France.
The thridde brothir was be title of riht
Maad Erl of March, and namyd was Charlis.
Euerich of hem in the peeplis siht
Wer famous holde & passyng of gret prys.
And for thei wern riht manli and riht wis
Phelipp and Charlis took in tendre age
The erlis douhtren of Burgoyne in mariage.
Maad Erl of March, and namyd was Charlis.
Euerich of hem in the peeplis siht
Wer famous holde & passyng of gret prys.
And for thei wern riht manli and riht wis
Phelipp and Charlis took in tendre age
The erlis douhtren of Burgoyne in mariage.
But as the stori remembreth in certeyne,
To ther noblesse Fortune had envie;
And bi a maner of malis and disdeyne
Brouht in be processe vpon the partie
Of ther too wyues froward auoutrie,
Causyng the deth of alle thes princis thre,
Whan thei most floured in ther felicite.
To ther noblesse Fortune had envie;
And bi a maner of malis and disdeyne
Brouht in be processe vpon the partie
Of ther too wyues froward auoutrie,
Causyng the deth of alle thes princis thre,
Whan thei most floured in ther felicite.
990
Aftir thes thre princis glorious,
Tofor Bochas to shewen his entent,
A mihti duk, notable and riht famous,
Cam to compleyne, Charlis of Tharente,
Which in his tyme to Florence wente
To make pes in his roial estat
Tween Guerff and Gemelius stonding at debat.
Tofor Bochas to shewen his entent,
A mihti duk, notable and riht famous,
Cam to compleyne, Charlis of Tharente,
Which in his tyme to Florence wente
To make pes in his roial estat
Tween Guerff and Gemelius stonding at debat.
The saide Charlis, born of the blood of France,
A manli kniht, the stori doth deuise,
Bi whos vnhappi froward fatal chaunce
In the werris atween Florence & Pise,
On hors[e]bak sittyng in knihtli wise,
Hurt with an arwe, fill lowe doun to grounde,
Wherbi he kauhte his laste fatal wounde.
A manli kniht, the stori doth deuise,
Bi whos vnhappi froward fatal chaunce
In the werris atween Florence & Pise,
On hors[e]bak sittyng in knihtli wise,
Hurt with an arwe, fill lowe doun to grounde,
Wherbi he kauhte his laste fatal wounde.
A man of armys beyng a soudiour
With the Pisauns, wer it wrong or riht,
Of fals disdeyn that day did his labour
To trede on Charlis in the peeplis siht,
Whan he lay gruff; wherfor he was maad kniht
Be ther capteyn for a maner pride,
Which gouerned the Gibelynes side.
With the Pisauns, wer it wrong or riht,
Of fals disdeyn that day did his labour
To trede on Charlis in the peeplis siht,
Whan he lay gruff; wherfor he was maad kniht
Be ther capteyn for a maner pride,
Which gouerned the Gibelynes side.
And in his studie with ful heuy cheer
Whil Iohn Bochas abood still in his seete,
To hym appeered & gan approche neer
Daunte of Florence, the laureat poete,
With his ditees and rethoriques sueete,
Demure of look, fulfilled with pacience,
With a visage notable of reuerence.
Whil Iohn Bochas abood still in his seete,
To hym appeered & gan approche neer
Daunte of Florence, the laureat poete,
With his ditees and rethoriques sueete,
Demure of look, fulfilled with pacience,
With a visage notable of reuerence.
Whan Bochas sauh hym, vpon his feet he stood,
And to meete hym he took his pas ful riht,
With gret reuerence aualed capp and hood,
And to hym seide with humble cheer & siht:
“O cleerest sonne, daysterre and souereyn liht
Of our cite, which callid is Florence,
Laude onto the, honour and reuerence!
And to meete hym he took his pas ful riht,
With gret reuerence aualed capp and hood,
And to hym seide with humble cheer & siht:
“O cleerest sonne, daysterre and souereyn liht
Of our cite, which callid is Florence,
Laude onto the, honour and reuerence!
Thou hast enlumyned Itaile & Lumbardie
With laureat dites in thi flouryng daies,
Ground and gynner of prudent policie,
Mong Florentynes suffredist gret affraies;
As gold purid, preeued at al assaies,
In trouthe madest meekli thi-silue strong
For comoun proffit to suffre peyne & wrong.
With laureat dites in thi flouryng daies,
991
Mong Florentynes suffredist gret affraies;
As gold purid, preeued at al assaies,
In trouthe madest meekli thi-silue strong
For comoun proffit to suffre peyne & wrong.
O noble poete, touching this mateer,
How Florentynes wer to the vnkynde,
I wil remembre and write with good cheer
Thi pitous exil and put heer in mynde.”
“Nay,” quod Daunte, “but heer stant oon behynde,
Duk of Athenis; turne toward hym þi stile,
His vnkouth stori breefli to compile.
How Florentynes wer to the vnkynde,
I wil remembre and write with good cheer
Thi pitous exil and put heer in mynde.”
“Nay,” quod Daunte, “but heer stant oon behynde,
Duk of Athenis; turne toward hym þi stile,
His vnkouth stori breefli to compile.
And yif thou list to do me this plesaunce,
To descryue his knihtli excellence,
I wil thou putte his lyff in remembrance,
How he oppressid be myhti violence
This famous cite [which] callid [is] Florence;
Be which[e] stori ful pleynli thou shalt see,
Which wer freendis & foon to that cite,
To descryue his knihtli excellence,
I wil thou putte his lyff in remembrance,
How he oppressid be myhti violence
This famous cite [which] callid [is] Florence;
Be which[e] stori ful pleynli thou shalt see,
Which wer freendis & foon to that cite,
And which wer hable for to been excusid,
Yif the trouthe be cleerli apparceyued;
And which wer worthi for to be refusid,
Be whom the cite ful falsli was deceyued,
The circumstaunces notabli conceyued,
To rekne in ordre upon eueri side,
Which sholde be chacid & which shold abide.”
Yif the trouthe be cleerli apparceyued;
And which wer worthi for to be refusid,
Be whom the cite ful falsli was deceyued,
The circumstaunces notabli conceyued,
To rekne in ordre upon eueri side,
Which sholde be chacid & which shold abide.”
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |