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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| IX. |
A chapitle of Fortune compilid howe she hath hir
quytt to al wordly pepill. |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
1011
A chapitle of Fortune compilid howe she hath hir quytt to al wordly pepill.
Lat folk of wisdam considre in þer wit,
Gadre up, a-somme & counte in þer resoun,
To all estatis hou Fortune hath hir quit,
To popis, prelatis, gynne first in Roome toun,
To cardynalis most souereyn of renoun,—
Whan thei sat hiest, koude hem nat diffende
Ageyn Fortune bi no prouisioun;
But with a tourn she made hem to descende.
Gadre up, a-somme & counte in þer resoun,
To all estatis hou Fortune hath hir quit,
To popis, prelatis, gynne first in Roome toun,
To cardynalis most souereyn of renoun,—
Whan thei sat hiest, koude hem nat diffende
Ageyn Fortune bi no prouisioun;
But with a tourn she made hem to descende.
Afftir in ordre cal to remembrance
Thestat imperial of famous emperours,
Which as Appollo thoruh ther mihti puissaunce
Ther fame up blowe to Iubiteris tours,
And forget nat thes olde conquerours
Aboue Mercurye cast hem to assende,
Til that Fortune with hir froward shours
Most sodenli made hem to descende.
Thestat imperial of famous emperours,
Which as Appollo thoruh ther mihti puissaunce
Ther fame up blowe to Iubiteris tours,
And forget nat thes olde conquerours
Aboue Mercurye cast hem to assende,
Til that Fortune with hir froward shours
Most sodenli made hem to descende.
Kynges, princis of dyuers regiouns,
In Asie, Europe, Affrik & Cartage,
Of Ethiopie the marcial champiouns,
Monstres of Ynde, hidous of visage,
Athlas, Hercules, in ther most furious rage,
Ageyn whos myht no man koude hym diffende,—
What folwed aftir? From ther hiest stage
Fortune vnwarli made hem to descende.
In Asie, Europe, Affrik & Cartage,
Of Ethiopie the marcial champiouns,
Monstres of Ynde, hidous of visage,
Athlas, Hercules, in ther most furious rage,
Ageyn whos myht no man koude hym diffende,—
What folwed aftir? From ther hiest stage
Fortune vnwarli made hem to descende.
Preestis, prelatis and weel-fed fat parsownis,
Richeli auaunced, and clerkis of degre,—
Rekne up religious, with al ther brode crownis,
And patriarkes that haue gret souereynte,—
Bisshoppis, abbottis confermed in ther see,
Seculeer chanouns, with many gret prebende;
Behold of Fortune the mutabilite,
How sodenli she made hem to descende.
Richeli auaunced, and clerkis of degre,—
Rekne up religious, with al ther brode crownis,
And patriarkes that haue gret souereynte,—
Bisshoppis, abbottis confermed in ther see,
Seculeer chanouns, with many gret prebende;
Behold of Fortune the mutabilite,
How sodenli she made hem to descende.
1012
Al that is write, is write to our doctrine:
Oon courbith lowe, another goth upriht;
Summe be vicious, summe in vertu shyne;
Phebus now clipsid, somtyme his bemys briht,
Sumtyme cloudi, sumtyme a sterry niht;
Sum folk appeire, summe doon amende,
Shewe off Fortune the poweer & the myht:
Oon goth upward, another doth descende.
Oon courbith lowe, another goth upriht;
Summe be vicious, summe in vertu shyne;
Phebus now clipsid, somtyme his bemys briht,
Sumtyme cloudi, sumtyme a sterry niht;
Sum folk appeire, summe doon amende,
Shewe off Fortune the poweer & the myht:
Oon goth upward, another doth descende.
Sum man hooly encreseth in vertu,
A-nother rekles, of froward wilfulnesse;
Oon is parfit and stable in Crist Iesu,
A-nother braideth upon frowardnesse;
Oon encreseth with tresour & richesse,—
Who list thryue, to labour must entende,—
Maugre the world, Fortunis doubilnesse
Doth oon arise, another to discende.
A-nother rekles, of froward wilfulnesse;
Oon is parfit and stable in Crist Iesu,
A-nother braideth upon frowardnesse;
Oon encreseth with tresour & richesse,—
Who list thryue, to labour must entende,—
Maugre the world, Fortunis doubilnesse
Doth oon arise, another to discende.
Oon is besi and set al his labour
Erli tarise his good to multeplie;
Another spendeth, & is a gret wastour;
Sum tre is bareyn, sum doth fructefie;
Oon kan seyn soth, another can weel lie;
Oon kan gadre, another kan dispende,—
Vnto Fortune this mateer doth applie:
She maketh oon rise, a-nother to dissende.
Erli tarise his good to multeplie;
Another spendeth, & is a gret wastour;
Sum tre is bareyn, sum doth fructefie;
Oon kan seyn soth, another can weel lie;
Oon kan gadre, another kan dispende,—
Vnto Fortune this mateer doth applie:
She maketh oon rise, a-nother to dissende.
Al thes mateeres rehersed here to forne,
Of which this book maketh mencioun,
Voideth the weed, of vertu tak the corn,
As resoun techeth in your discrecioun.
And for to sette a short conclusioun,
In a breeff somme this book to comprehende:
Fortunis wheel bi reuolucioun
Doth oon clymbe up, another to discende.
Of which this book maketh mencioun,
Voideth the weed, of vertu tak the corn,
As resoun techeth in your discrecioun.
And for to sette a short conclusioun,
In a breeff somme this book to comprehende:
Fortunis wheel bi reuolucioun
Doth oon clymbe up, another to discende.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |