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

Now must I write the grete sodeyn fall
Off myhti Iabyn for his iniquite,
Which onto Iewes was enmy ful mortall,
With sceptre & crowne regnyng in Canane,
And vpon Affrik hadde the souereynte,
Rebel to God, and list hym nat obeye,
But euer redi his peeple to werreye.

The Lord a-boue, seyng the tirannye,
Forbar his hand with ful long suffraunce,
And was nat hasti on his obstynacye,
Lich his desert, for to do vengaunce;
But ay this Iabyn bi contynuaunce
Endured foorth in his cursidnesse,
Til that the suerd off Goddis rihtwisnesse

Was whet ageyn hym, this tirant to chastise.
And to represse his rebellioun,
From his kyngdam, the story doth deuise,
Mid off his pride he was pullid doun,
Texemplefie wher domynacioun
Is founde wilfull trouthe to ouercaste,
God wil nat suffre ther power longe laste.

For this Iabyn, founde alway froward,
Off hih disdeyn list nat the Lord to knowe,
Therfore his power drouh alwey bakward,

And his empire was I-brouht ful lowe;
His roial fame Fortune hath ouerthrowe,
His name eclipsid, that whilom shon so cleer
Off grete Cison beside the ryueer.

Off queen Iocasta Bochas doth eek endite,
Pryncesse off Thebes, a myhti gret cite,
Off hir vnhappis he doolfulli doth write,
Ymagynyng how he dede hir see
To hym appeere in gret aduersite,
Lich a woman that wolde in teres reyne,
For that Fortune gan at hir so disdeyne.

Thouh she were diffacid off figure,
Ther shewed in hir a maner maieste
Off queenli honour, pleynli to discure
Hir infortunys and hir infelicite,
And to declare pleynli how that she
Off all princessis which euer stood in staat,
She was hirselff the moste infortunat.

Which gaff to Bochas ful gret occasioun,
Whan he sauh hir pitous apparaile,
For to make a lamentacioun
Off vnkouth sorwe which dede hir assaile,
With a tragedie to wepyn and bewaile
Hir inportable & straunge dedli striff,
Which that she hadde duryng al hir liff.

He wrot off hir a story large & pleyn,
And off hir birthe first he doth diffyne,
And affermeth in his book certeyn,
She was descendid off a noble lyne;
In flouryng age eek whan she dede shyne,
She weddid was, for hir gret beute,
Onto the kyng off Thebes the cite,

Which in his tyme was callid Layus.
And whan hir wombe bi processe gan arise,
The kyng was glad and also desirous

The childes fate to knowe[n] in sum wise,
And thouhte he wolde go do sacrefise
Onto Appollo, to haue knowyng aforn
Touchyng this child whan that it were born.

What sholde folwen in conclusioun,
He was desirous and hasti for to see,
First bi the heuenli disposicioun,
And bi the fauour, yiff it wolde be,
Off Appollos myhti deite
To haue answere, a-mong his rihtis all,
Off his child what fate ther sholde fall.

His answere, thouh it were contrarie
To his desir, yit was it thus in deede:
Appollo told hym, & list no lenger tarie,
That this child sholde verraili in deede
Slen his fader, & make his sides bleede,
And with his handis; ther was noon othir weie,
But on his swerd he muste needis deie.

The kyng was heuy and trist off this sentence,
Sorful in herte, God wot, and no thyng fayn,
And caste afforn thoruh his prouidence,
That his sone in al haste sholde be slayn,
And that he wolde nat oon hour delayn
Afftir his berthe, but bad his men to goon
Into a forest and sle the child a-noon.

Lik his biddyng the mynystres wrouhte in deede,
Takyng the child, tendre and yong off age;
And in-tafforest with hem thei gan it leede,
To be deuoured off beestis most sauage:
The mooder, allas, fill almost in a rage,
Seyng hir child, so inli fair off face,
Shal thus be ded, and dede no trespace.

Litil wonder thouh she felte smerte!
To all women I reporte me,
And onto moodres that be tendre off herte,

In this mater iuges for to be.
Was it nat routhe, was it nat pite,
That a pryncesse and a queen, allas,
Sholde knowyn hir child deuoured in such cas!

Afftir his berthe Layus took good keep,
Withoute mercy, respit or delay,
That onto oon, which that kepte his sheep,
This yonge child vpon a certeyn day
Shal be delyuered in al the haste he may,
To this entent, it myht nat be socourid,
But that he sholde off beestis be deuourid.

This seid[e] shepperde goth foorth a-noon riht,
The child beholdyng, benygne off look & face,
Thouhte in his herte & in his inward siht,
He sholde doon to God a gret trespace
To slen this child; wherfore he dede hym grace,—
Took first a knyff, & dede his besi peyne
Thoruhout his feet to make holis tweyne.

Took a smal rod off a yong oseer,
Perced the feet, allas, it was pite!—
Bond hym faste, and bi good leiseer
The yonge child he heeng vpon a tre,
Off entent that he ne sholde be
Thoruh wilde beestis, cruel & sauage,
Been sodenli deuoured in ther rage.

Vpon the tre whil he heeng thus bounde,
Off auenture bi sum occasioun,
A straunge shepperde hath the child I-founde,
Which that off routhe & pite took hym doun,
Bar it with hym hoom onto his toun,
Made his wiff for to doon hir peyne
To fostre the child with hir brestis tweyne.

And whan he was brouht foorth & recurid,
And ful maad hool off his woundis sore,
The yonge child, which al this hath endurid,
When he in age gan to wexe more,
And that nature gan hym to restore,
The said[e] shepperde, that loued hym best off all,
Afftir his hurtis Edippus dede hym call.

For Edippus is no more to seyne,
Who that conceyueth thexposicioun,
But feet Ipershid throuhout bothe tweyne,
In that language, as maad is mencioun.
And to Meropa, wyff off kyng Poliboun,
The shepperde, off ful humble entente,
Gan the child ful lowli to presente.

And for she was bareyn off nature,
She and the kyng off oon affeccioun
Took Edippus bothe into ther cure,
As sone and heir bi adopcioun,
To regne in Corynthe bi successioun;
The kyng, the queen off Corynthe the contre
Haddyn the child in so gret cheerte.

Let men considre in ther discrecioun
Sodeyn chaung off euery maner thyng:
This child sent out for his destruccioun,
And now prouydid for to been a kyng;
And thoruh Fortune, ay double in hir werkyng,
He that was refus to beestis most sauage,
Is now receyued to kyngli heritage.

Destitut he was off his kenreede,
Forsake and abiect off blood & off allie,
In tendre youthe his feet wer maad to bleede,
Heeng on a tre and gan for helpe crie;
But God that can in myscheeff magnefie
And reconforte folk disconsolat,
Hath maad this child now so fortunat,

And prouyded to been a kyngis heir,
Off hym that stood off deth in auenture.
Fortune can shewe hir-selff bothe foul & fair,
Folkis brouht lowe ful weel a-geyn recure;
And such as can pacientli endure,
And list nat gruchch a-geyn ther chastisyng,
God out off myscheeff can sodenli hem bryng.

But whan Edippus was growe vp to good age,
Lich a yong prynce encresyng in noblesse,
Lusti and strong, and fresh off his corage,

Off auenture it fill so in sothnesse,
Other be striff or be sum frowardnesse,
Or be sum contek, he hadde knowlechyng
How he was nat sone onto the kyng

As be discent, but a ferr foreyn.
Wherupon ful sore he gan to muse,
And for to knowe and be put in certeyn,
Thouhte he wolde sum maner practik vse;
And to the kyng he gan hymselff excuse,
For a tyme withdrawyn his presence,
Til that he knew bi sum experience

Or bi sum signe how the mateer stood.
Thouhte he wolde doon his dilligence
To knowe his fader, and also off what blood
He was descendid, and haue sum euidence
Touchyng trouthe, how it stood in sentence.
And heerupon to be certefied,
Toward Appollo faste he hath hym hied,

Which in Cirra worsheped was that tyme,
And yaff answeris thoruh his deite
To folk that cam, at euen and at pryme,
Off eueri doute and ambiguite.
And there Edippus, fallyng on his kne,
Afftir his offryng hadde answere anoon,
Toward Greece that he sholde goon

Onto a mounteyn that Phocis bar the name;
And there he sholde off his kenrede heere.
Eek lik his fate the answere was the same:
He sholde slen his owne fader deere,
And afftir that to Thebes drawe hym neere,
Wedde his mooder, off verray ignoraunce,
Callid Iocasta, thoruh his vnhappi chaunce.

He list no lengere tarien nor abide,
This said Edippus, but foorth in haste goth he,
And on his weye he gan [anon] to ride,
Til he the mounteyn off Phocis dede see,
Vnder the which stood a gret contre

Callid Citoiens, which that tyme in certeyn
Werreied hem that were on the mounteyn.

His fader Layus, throuh his cheualrie,
With Citoiens is entrid in bataile;
And Edippus cam with the partie
Off the hillis, armed in plate & maile.
And as thei gan ech other to assaile,
Among the pres at ther encount[e]ryng,
Off auenture Edippus slouh the kyng.

Onknowe to hym that he his fader was,
Hauyng theroff no suspecioun;
Passid his way, platli this the cas,
And eek onknowe he cam onto the toun
Off myhti Thebes, where for his hih renoun
He was receyued with ful gret reuerence,
Because that he slouh in ther diffence

Spynx the serpent, horrible for to see,
Whilom ordeyned bi incantaciouns
For to destroie the toun and the contre
Bi his compassid sleihti questiouns.
Slouh man and child in all the regiouns,
Such as nat koude bi wisdam or resoun
Make off his problem pleyn exposicioun.

Who passid bi, he koude hym nat excuse,
But the serpent hym felly wolde assaile,
With a problem make hym for to muse,
Callid off summe an vnkouth dyuynaile,
Which for texpowne, who that dede faile,
Ther was noon helpe nor other remedie,
Bi the statut but that he muste deie.

And for alle folk ha[ue] nat knowlechyng
Off this demaunde what it was in deede,
I will reherse it heer in my writyng
Compendiousli, that men may it reede.
First this serpent, who that list take heede,
Was monstruous & spak a-geyn nature,
And yiff it fill that any creature,

Man or woman sholde forbi pace,
Hih or low, off al that regioun,
As I seide erst, ther was noon othir grace,
But yiff he made an exposicioun
Off this serpentis froward questioun,
He muste deie and make no diffence.
Which demaunde was this in sentence:

The serpent askid, what thyng may that be,
Beeste or foul, whan it is foorth brouht,
That hath no power to stonde, go nor fle;
And afftirward, yiff it be weel souht,
Goth first on foure, & ellis goth he nouht:
Afftir bi processe, on thre, & thanne on tweyne;
And efft ageyn, as nature doth ordeyne,

He goth on thre and efft on foure ageyn,
Off kyndly riht nature disposith it so.
And in a while it folwith in certeyn,
To the mateer which that he cam fro,
He muste off keende resorte ageyn therto.
And who cannat the menyng cleerli see,
He off this serpent shal deuoured be.

Which Edippus, ful so[b]re in his entent,
Nat to rakell nor hasti off language,
But in his herte with gret auisement,
And ful demur off look & [of] visage,
Considred ferst this pereilous fell passage,
Sauh weel toforn that it was no iape,
And ful prouyded that no woord escape,

At good leiser with hool mynde & memory,
Seyng the ernest off this mortal emprise,
His liff dependyng a-twen deth and victory,
“This beeste,” quod he, “pleynli to deuise,
Is first a child, which may nat suffise,
Whan it is born, the trouthe is alday seene,
Withouten helpe hymseluen to susteene.

Afftir on foure he naturali doth kreepe,
For inpotence and greene tendirnesse,
Norices can telle that doon hem keepe.
But afftirward, vp he doth hym dresse
With his too feet; the thridde to expresse,
Is hand or bench or support off sum wall
To holde hym vp, list he cachche a fall.

And afftirward encresyng off his myht,
To gretter age whan he doth atteyne,
Off his nature thanne he goth vpriht,
Mihtili vpon his leggis tweyne.
Thanne kometh age his power to restreyne,
Crokid and lame, lik as men may see,
With staff or potent to make up leggis thre.

But whan feeblesse or siknesse doon assaile,
On feet and handis he must bowe & loute;
For crossid potentis may nat thanne auaile,
Whan lusti age is banshed & shet oute.
Thanne efft ageyn, heeroff may be no doute,
With foure feet terthe he doth retourne
Fro whens he cam, ther stille to soiourne.”

Al cam from erthe, and [al] to erthe shall;
Ageyn nature is no proteccioun;
Worldli estatis echon thei be mortall,
Ther may no tresor make redempcioun.
Who clymbeth hiest, his fal is lowest doun;
A mene estat is best, who koude it knowe,
Tween hih presumyng & bowyng doun to lowe.

For who sit hiest, stant in iupartie,
Vndir daunger off Fortune lik to fall:
Myscheeff and pouert as for ther partie,
Be lowest brouht among these peeplis all.
Summe folk han sugir, summe taste gall;
Salamon therfore, merour off sapience,
Tween gret richesse and atween indigence

Axed a mene callid suffisaunce,
To holde hym content off competent dispence,
Nat to reioishe off to gret habundaunce,
And ay in pouert to sende hym pacience,
Sobre with his plente, in scarsete noon offence
As off gruchchyng, but atwen ioie and smert
Thanke God off all, and euer be glad off hert.

Erthe is the eende off eueri maner man;
For the riche with gret possessioun
Deieth as soone, as I reherse can,
As doth the poore in tribulacioun:
For deth ne maketh no dyuisioun
Bi synguler fauour, but twen bothe iliche,
Off the porest and hym that is most riche.

This seid problem concludith in this cas,
Which the serpent gan sleihtili purpose,
That whan a child is first born, allas,
Kynde to his dethward anon doth hym dispose;
Ech day a iourne; ther is noon other glose;
Experience can teche in eueri age,
How this world heer is but a pilgrymage.

This said Edippus, first in Thebes born,
Sent to a forest deuoured for to be,
Founde & brouht foorth, as ye han herd toforn,
And afftir, drawyng hom to his contre,
Slouh his fader, so infortunat was he
Off froward happis folwynge al his lyue,
As this tragedie his fortune shal descryue.

But for that he thoruh his hih prudence
Onto the serpent declared euerideel,
He slouh hym afftir be myhti violence,
Mor bi wisdam than armure maad off steel,—
Stace off Thebes can telle you ful weel,—

Which was o cause, yiff ye list to seen,
Wherthoruh Edippus weddid hath the queen

Callid Iocasta, pryncesse off that cite,
His owne mooder, onknowe to hem bothe.
And thouh she were riht fair vpon to see,
With this mariage the goddis were ful wrothe;
For ther alliaunce nature gan to lothe,
That a mooder, as ye shal vndirstonde,
Sholde take hir sone to been hir husbonde.

There was theryn no convenyence,
To be supportid be kynde nor be resoun,
But yiff so be the heuenli influence
Disposid it be thyclynacioun
Off sum fals froward constellacioun,
Causid bi Saturne, or Mars the froward sterre,
Tengendre debat or sum mortal werre.

In this mateer, pleyn[li] thus I deeme
Off no cunnyng but off opynyoun:
Thouh he wer crownyd with sceptre & diademe
To regne in Thebes the stronge myhti toun,
That sum aspect cam from heuene doun,
Infortunat, froward and ful off rage,
Which ageyn kynde deyned this mariage.

He crownyd was bassent off al the toun,
Flouryng a seson be souereynte off pes;
And whil he heeld[e] theer possessioun,
Sones & douhtres he hadde dout[e]les:
The firste sone callid Ethiocles,
Pollynyces callid was the tothir,
As seith Bochas, the seconde brothir.

Also he hadde goodli douhtren tweyne,
The eldest callid was Antigone,
And the seconde named was Ymeyne;
Bothe thei wern riht fair vpon to see:
The queen Iocasta myhte no gladdere be,

Than to remembre, whan thei wex in age,
How goddis hadde encreced her lynage.

It was hir ioie and hir felicite
To seen hir childre, that were so inli faire:
But offte in ioie ther cometh aduersite,
And hope onsured whanhope doth ofte appaire;
Contrarious trust will gladli ther repaire
Wher fals[e] wenyng in hertis is conceyued
Thoruh ignoraunce, which fele folk hath deceyued.

What thyng in erthe is more deceyuable,
Than whan a man supposith verraily
In prosperite for to stonde stable,
And from his ioie is remeued sodenly?
For wher Fortune is founde to hasty
To trise folk, is greuous to endure,
For sodeyn chaungis been hatful to nature.

Vnwar wo that cometh on gladnesse,
Is onto hertis riht passyng encombrous;
And who hath felt his part off welfulnesse,
Sorwe suynge oon is to hym odious.
And werst off all and most contrarious,
Is whan estatis, hiest off renoun,
Been from ther noblesse sodenli put doun.

There is no glory which that shyneth heer,
That fals Fortune can so magnefie;
But whan his laude brihtest is and cleer,
She can eclipse it with sum cloudy skie
Off vnwar sorwe, onli off envie.
Seeth off Edippus an open euydence,
Which bi his lyue hadde experience

Off hih noblesse, and therwith also
Part inportable off gret aduersite.
Is ioie ay meynt with ful mortal wo:
For whil he regned in Thebes his cite,

And Iocasta, with ful gret royalte,
Withynne the contre ther fill a pestilence,
The peeple infectyng with his violence

Thoruh al the land and al the regioun
In eueri age; but most greuousli
On hem echon that were[n] off the toun
Thenfeccioun spradde most speciali.
And off vengaunce the suerd most rigerousli
Day be day [be]gan to bite and kerue,
Off ech estat causyng folk to sterue.

Thus gan encrece the mortalite,
That eueri man stood in iupartie
Off ther lyues thoruhout the contre,
So inportable was ther maladie.
Men myhte heer the peeple clepe & crie,
Disespeired so were thei off ther lyues.
Void off al socour and off preseruatyues,

Thei souhte out herbes & spices in ther coffres,
And gan to seeke for helpe and for socours,
The cause enqueryng off prudent philisophres
And off ther moste expert dyuynours,—
Whi that the goddis with so sharpe shours
Off pestilence, and in so cruel wise,
List hem, allas, so mortali chastise?

But among alle, in soth this is the cas,
Ther was founde oon ful prudent and riht wis,
A prophete callid Tiresias,
Off prophesie hauyng a souereyn pris,
Which that affermed and seide in his auys,—
As onto hym was shewid be myracle,
Phebus hymselff declaryng the oracle,—

Cause off this siknesse and these maladies,
As the goddis pleynli han disposid,
And Senek writ eek in his tragedies,
Thouh the cause be secre and iclosid,
Onto the tyme ther be a kyng deposid,

Which slouh his fader & reffte hym off his liff,
And hath eek take his mooder to his wiff,

Til this be doon and execut in deede,
Ther may be maad[e] no redempcioun;
But pestilence shal multeplie & spreede
Ay mor and mor thoruhout that regioun,
Til onto tyme that he be put doun
From his crowne,—which nat longe a-goon
His fader slouh among his mortal foon,

And hath his mooder weddid eek also,
A-geyn[e]s lawe and a-geyn al riht.
Til that vengaunce vpon this crym be do,
Ther shal be werre, pestilence and fiht,
Sorwe and gret striff, and euery maner wiht
Off vengaunce his neyh[e]bour shal hate;
Brother with brother, & blood with blood debate.

This al and sum; ther may be no socour.
Which brouht the peeple in ful gret heuynesse,
For Tiresia the grete dyuynour,
Bi prophecie tolde hem thus expresse.
And atte laste, bi toknys and witnesse,
Men vndirstood be signes out shewyng,
This pestilence was brouht in bi the kyng.

And thouh the peeple [ne] gaff no credence
To Tiresia, nor to his prophesie,
The queen Iocasta cauhte an euidence,
And in hir herte a ful gret fantasie,
Speciali whan she dede espie
Off kyng Edippus the feet whan she sauh woundid,
How this rumour was vpon trouthe [I]groundid:

Because also there was a dyuynour
Which tolde afforn Edippus sholde be
To Layus in Thebes successour.
Wherbi the kyng, the queen, and the cite
Fill in gret trouble and gret aduersite,—
Weel more than I be writyng can reporte,
For ther was nothyng that myhte hem reconforte.

100

Ful ofte a-day Iocasta gan to swowne,
Kyng Edippus sobbe, crie and weepe,
In salt[e] teris as they wolde hem drowne,
Deth craumpisshyng into ther brest gan creepe,
A-day compleynyng, a-nyht they may nat sleepe,
Cursyng the hour off ther natyuyte,
That thei sholde a-bide for to see

Ther mortal chauns, ther dedli auenture,
Ther fortune also, which gan on hem frowne,
Inpacient and doolful to endure,
Ther froward fate with hir lookis browne.
The kyng for ire cast a-wey his crowne,
And gan tarace, for constreynt off his peyne,
Out off his hed his woful eyen tweyne.

Day and nyht he cried afftir deth,
Hatful to come in any manys siht,
Most desirous to yelden vp the breth,
Woful in herte to come in any liht,
Croked for sorwe, feeble to stonde vpriht;
And speciali in his dedli distresse,
For dreed & shame he dared in derknesse.

The cruel constreynt off his most greuaunce
Was that his sonys hadde hym in despiht,
Which gan his sorwe gretli to auaunce,
For hym to scorne was set al ther deliht;
Was neuer [man] that stood in a wers pliht.
For thus liggyng and destitut off cheer,
Onto the goddis he made this praier,

Besechyng hem with a ful doolful herte
Vpon his wo to haue compassioun,
And that thei wolde, for tauenge his smerte,
Atween his sonys make a dyuysioun,
Ech to brynge other to destruccioun:
This was his praier pleynli in substaunce,
That ech on other take may vengaunce

101

In yeeris fewe for ther onkynd[e]nesse.
Thei herd his praier, as ye han herd deuyse;
The brethre too, thoruh ther cursidnesse,
Euerich gan other mortali despise,
For lak off grace and for fals couetise,
Ech for his parti desirous in deede
Toforn other to regne and [to] succeede.

And thus this brethre most infortunat,
A-tween hemsilff fill at discencioun;
And fynali this vnkynde[ly] debat
Brouht al Thebes onto destruccioun:
Yit was ther first maad a convencioun,
Bi entirchaungyng that ech sholde regne a yeer,
The tother absent, go pleie & come no neer.

This was concludid bi ther bothe assent
And bi accord off al the regioun.
Polynyces rod foorth and was absent,
Ethyocles took first possessioun.
But whan the yeer bi reuolucioun
Was come a-boute, he, fals off his entent,
Onto thaccord denyed to consent.

This was o cause off ther bothe stryues,
Polynyces thus put out off his riht.
Til Adrastus, that kyng was off Argyues,
Which thoruh al Grece grettest was off myht,
Sente onto Thebes Tideus a knyht,
His sone-in-lawe, to trete off this mateere,
And the cause fynali to lere,

Whethir the kyng callid Ethiocles
Wolde condescende off trouthe and off resoun
To stynte werre and to cherisshe pes,
Affter thaccord and composicioun,
Vp to delyuere Thebes the myhti toun

102

Onto his brother, which absent was withoute,
Now that his yeer was fully come a-boute.

But he was fals, & frowardli gan varie,
Ethiocles, from his conuencioun.
For which Adrastus no lenger wolde tarie,
Whan Tideus hadde maad relacioun;
But callid anoon throuhout his regioun
Alle worthi, bothe nyh and ferre,
A-geyn[es] Thebes for to gynne a werre.

For this cause, lich as ye shal lere,
Polynyces, to forsen his partie,
I-weddid hadde the kyngis douhter deere,
I meene Adrastus, flour of cheualrie,
Whan Tideus dede hym certefie
Touchyng the answere off Ethiocles,
And off his trouthe how he was rech[e]les,

Fals off his promys & cursidli forsworn;
For to his trouthe noon aduertence had he,
Nor to thaccord that was maad beforn
Touchyng delyueraunce off Thebes the cite.
But who that list this story cleerli see
Off these too brethre & ther discencioun,
And how Adrastus lay tofor the toun,

And Tideus, thoruh his hih prowesse,
Fauht bi the way[e] goyng on message,
And how off Grece al the worthynesse
With kyng Adrastus wente in this viage,
And off the myscheff that fill in ther passage
For lak of water, til that Ysiphile,
Norice of Ligurgus, so fair vpon to see,

Tauhte Tideus to fynde out a ryueer,
(She that dede in fairnesse so excell,)
Nor how the serpent, most ougli off his cheer,
Off kyng Ligurgus the child slow at a well,
Nor how Amphiorax fill a-doun to hell,—

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Al to declare, me semeth it is no neede,
[For] in the siege of Thebes ye may it reede,

The stori hool, and maad ther mencioun
Off other parti, ther puissaunce & ther myht,
And how Adrastus lay toforn the toun,
And how thei metten eueri day in fiht,
And Tideus, the noble famous knyht
So renommed in actis marciall,
Was slayn, allas, as he fauht on the wall.

And how the brethre mette a-mong the pres,
Lich too tigres or leouns that were wood,
With sharp[e] speris; this is dout[e]les,
Euerich off hem shadde other[s] herte blood:
This was ther fyn, & thus with hem it stood,
Sauf at ther festis callid funerall,
Ther fill a merueile which reherse I shall.

Whan thei were brent into asshes dede,
Off ther envie there fill a [ful] gret wonder:
A-mong the brondes and the coles rede,
Hih in the hair the smokes wente assonder,
The ton [to] oo parti and the tother yonder,
To declare, the story list nat feyne,
The grete hatrede that was atwen hem tweyne.

Thus for ther ire and fals discencioun,
Alle the lordis and al the cheualrie
Were slayn off Grece and also off the toun.
And roote off all, myn auctour list nat lie,
Was fals alliaunce and fraternal envie;
And cheeff ground, with al the surplusage,
Who serche a-riht, was onkyndli mariage.

The queen Iocasta felte hir part off peyne
To seen hir childre ech off hem slen other,
Hir sone hir lord, blynd on his eyen tweyne,
Which to his sonys was fader & eek brother:
Fortune wolde it sholde be noon other,

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Eek Parkas sustre, which been in noumbre thre,
Span so the threed at ther natyuyte.

Eek whan Iocasta stood thus disconsolat,
And sauh off Thebes the subuersioun,
The contre stroied, wast and desolat,
The gentil blood shad off that regioun,
Withoute confort or consolacioun,
Thouhte she myhte be no mor appeired;
But off al hope fulli disespeired,

Trist and heuy, pensiff & spak no woord,
Hir sorwes olde & newe she gan aduerte,
Took the swerd off hym that was hir lord,
With which Edippus smot Layus to the herte,
She to fynisshe all hir peynes smerte,
And fro the bodi hir soule to deuyde,
Roff hir-selff[e] thoruhout eueri side.

She weri was off hir woful liff,
Seyng off Fortune the gret[e] frowardnesse,
How hir diffame & sclandre was so riff,
And off Edippus the gret[e] wrechidnesse,
Eek off hir sones the gret onkynd[e]nesse:
Alle these thyngis weied on hir so sore,
For distresse that she list lyue no more.

Bochas writith, the flour off hir fairnesse,
Constreynt off sorwe causid it to fade;
The famous liht also off hir noblesse
And al the cleernesse off hir daies glade
With vnwar harmys was so ouerlade,
Off verrai angwissh, that she hirselff dede hate,
So inli contrari [disposid] was hir fate.

Thus deth devoureth with his bittir gall
Ioie and sorwe, deuoid off al mercy;
And with his darte he maketh doun to fall

105

Riche and poore, hem markyng sodenly:
His vnwar strook smyt[eth] indifferently,
From hym refusyng fauour & al meede,
Off all estatis he takith so litil heede.

Bet is to deie than lyue in wrechidnesse,
Bet is to deie than euer endure peyne,
Bet is an eende than dedli heuynesse,
Bet is to deie than euer in wo compleyne;
And where-as myscheeff doth at folk disdeyne
Bi woful constreynt off long contynuaunce,
Bet is to deie than lyue in such greuaunce.

Taketh exaumple heeroff and a preeff
Off kyng Edippus, that was so longe a-go,
Off queen Iocasta, that felte so gret myscheeff,
And off ther childre remembrith eek also,
Which euer lyued in envie, sorwe & wo:
Fortune, allas, duryng al ther daies
Was founde so froward to hem at all assaies.

Touchyng Edippus processe fynde I noon
What eende he made in conclusioun,
Sauf Bochas writith, how the kyng Creon,
Cosyn and heir bi successioun,
Exilid hym cheyned ferr out off the toun,
Where he endured in myscheeff, sorwe & dreed,
Till Antropos ontwynid his lyuis threed.