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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[How Atreus Kyng of Messene wrouȝt ayenst his
brothir Thiestes/slouh his iij. childre dismembrid
hem in pecys made Thiestes to ete of ther flessh and drynke of ther blood.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[How Atreus Kyng of Messene wrouȝt ayenst his brothir Thiestes/slouh his iij. childre dismembrid hem in pecys made Thiestes to ete of ther flessh and drynke of ther blood.]
Bochas the poete, auctour off this book,
Hym purposyng to-gidre to compile
Dyuers stories, anoon his penne he took,
Hym remembryng withynne a litil while,
In this chapitle gan direct his stile
To write the story, and be compendious,
Afforn all othre off Duk Theseus,
Hym purposyng to-gidre to compile
Dyuers stories, anoon his penne he took,
Hym remembryng withynne a litil while,
In this chapitle gan direct his stile
To write the story, and be compendious,
Afforn all othre off Duk Theseus,
Lord off Athenys, a famous gret cite,
Ryht strong and myhti vpon eueri side,—
But at his bak Bochas dede oon see,
Which cried loude & bad he sholde a-bide:
“Bochas,” quod he, “fro the me list nat hide
My woful cas, nor in no wise spare
My pitous compleynt to the to declare!
Ryht strong and myhti vpon eueri side,—
But at his bak Bochas dede oon see,
107
“Bochas,” quod he, “fro the me list nat hide
My woful cas, nor in no wise spare
My pitous compleynt to the to declare!
I am Thiestes, be-spreynt al with wepyng,
Drownyd in teris, as thou maist weel see,
Whilom sone off the myhti kyng
Philistynes, and born also parde
Off queen Pellopia, excellyng off beute;
And for thou art desirous for tendite
Off peeple onhappi, & ther wo to write,
Drownyd in teris, as thou maist weel see,
Whilom sone off the myhti kyng
Philistynes, and born also parde
Off queen Pellopia, excellyng off beute;
And for thou art desirous for tendite
Off peeple onhappi, & ther wo to write,
My will is this, that thou anon proceede
To turne thi stile, and tak thi penne blyue,
Leue Theseus, tak now off hym non heede,
But my tragedie first that thou descryue.
For I suppose that in al thi lyue,
That thou sauh neuer a thyng mor dolerous,
Mor onhappi, mor froward nor pitous
To turne thi stile, and tak thi penne blyue,
Leue Theseus, tak now off hym non heede,
But my tragedie first that thou descryue.
For I suppose that in al thi lyue,
That thou sauh neuer a thyng mor dolerous,
Mor onhappi, mor froward nor pitous
Than is, allas, my mortal auenture,
Incomparable, the sorwe surmountyng
Off queen Iocasta, most woful creature,
Or off Edippus, his fate ay compleynyng:
For my compleynt haueth non endyng,
But lastith euere, & bereth me witnesse,
No wo rassemblith onto myn heuynesse.”
Incomparable, the sorwe surmountyng
Off queen Iocasta, most woful creature,
Or off Edippus, his fate ay compleynyng:
For my compleynt haueth non endyng,
But lastith euere, & bereth me witnesse,
No wo rassemblith onto myn heuynesse.”
And with that woord John Bochas stille stood,
Ful sobirly to yiue hym audience;
And in the place demeurli he a-bod
To heere the substaunce off his mortal offence,
Which thus began to shewen his sentence.
“O Iohn,” quod he, “I pray the take good heed
My wo to write that men may it reed.
Ful sobirly to yiue hym audience;
And in the place demeurli he a-bod
To heere the substaunce off his mortal offence,
Which thus began to shewen his sentence.
“O Iohn,” quod he, “I pray the take good heed
My wo to write that men may it reed.
Allas! my brother, roote off onkynd[e]nesse,
Attreus callid, off tresoun sours & well,
And fyndere out off tresoun & falsnesse,
And all other in fraude doth precell,
Whos couert hate is more than I can tell—
I supposyng, off verray innocence,
In hym no malice, deceit, nor offence,
Attreus callid, off tresoun sours & well,
And fyndere out off tresoun & falsnesse,
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Whos couert hate is more than I can tell—
I supposyng, off verray innocence,
In hym no malice, deceit, nor offence,
But as a brother sholde his brother triste,
I trusted hym off herte, will & thouht;
Bi apparence non othir cause I wiste,
For in his persone I supposid nouht
That euer he koude so fals a thyng ha wrouht.
But who may soner a-nother man deceyue,
Than he in whom no malice men conceyue?
I trusted hym off herte, will & thouht;
Bi apparence non othir cause I wiste,
For in his persone I supposid nouht
That euer he koude so fals a thyng ha wrouht.
But who may soner a-nother man deceyue,
Than he in whom no malice men conceyue?
I dempte off hym as off my trewe brother,
Wenyng he hadde feithful been to me;
I sauh no signe, nor I kneuh non other,
In hym supposyng no duplicite.
But, o allas, how myhte it euer be,
Or who dede euer in any story fynde
Blood onto blood to be so onkynde!
Wenyng he hadde feithful been to me;
I sauh no signe, nor I kneuh non other,
In hym supposyng no duplicite.
But, o allas, how myhte it euer be,
Or who dede euer in any story fynde
Blood onto blood to be so onkynde!
I will passe ouer to telle the worthynesse,
Touchyng thestatis off our progenytours,
Off our kynreede, and the gret noblesse,
I telle no thyng, nor off our predecessours,
Nor off my youthe how passid been the flours—
I leue al this, and onto mynde call
The wrechidnesse that I am in fall.
Touchyng thestatis off our progenytours,
Off our kynreede, and the gret noblesse,
I telle no thyng, nor off our predecessours,
Nor off my youthe how passid been the flours—
I leue al this, and onto mynde call
The wrechidnesse that I am in fall.
My brothir fond a fals occasioun
A-geyn[e]s me, and gan a cause feyne
To ban[y]she me out off our regioun,
And gan at me off hatrede so disdeyne,
Vpon me affermyng in certeyne,
In our kyngdam, which callid is Missene,
I sholde haue ley[e]n bi his wiff the queene.
A-geyn[e]s me, and gan a cause feyne
To ban[y]she me out off our regioun,
And gan at me off hatrede so disdeyne,
Vpon me affermyng in certeyne,
In our kyngdam, which callid is Missene,
I sholde haue ley[e]n bi his wiff the queene.
This he compassid ful falsli off malis,
Hymsilff weel knowyng that it was nat so,
Ay founde onkynde, and in his auys
Nat lik my brother, but my dedli fo;
And to encrece gret parcell off my wo,
Bi long processe in his entencioun
He ymagined my destruccioun.
Hymsilff weel knowyng that it was nat so,
Ay founde onkynde, and in his auys
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And to encrece gret parcell off my wo,
Bi long processe in his entencioun
He ymagined my destruccioun.
And his cheeff cause was fals[e] couetise,
Touchyng this thyng which he dede on me feyne;
And yit this kyngdam, treuli to deuise,
Shold haue be partid of riht atwen vs tweyne:
But a-geyn trouthe he dede so ordeyne
Me to exile out off that regioun,
Hymsilff allone to haue possessioun.
Touchyng this thyng which he dede on me feyne;
And yit this kyngdam, treuli to deuise,
Shold haue be partid of riht atwen vs tweyne:
But a-geyn trouthe he dede so ordeyne
Me to exile out off that regioun,
Hymsilff allone to haue possessioun.
Yit in his herte he caste a-nother wile
To myn ondoyng and desolacioun:
To the place where he me dede exile,
Vnder a shadwe off fals collusioun
To make a maner reuocacioun,
Off brethirheed shewyng a pretense,
Me to resorte a-geyn to his presence,
To myn ondoyng and desolacioun:
To the place where he me dede exile,
Vnder a shadwe off fals collusioun
To make a maner reuocacioun,
Off brethirheed shewyng a pretense,
Me to resorte a-geyn to his presence,
To be accepted, as a brother sholde,
With ful accord stille with hym tabide,
All iniuries, off which afforn I tolde,
On outher part forgete & set a-side,
That nothyng afftir sholde our loue deuyde;
But of oon will and oon entencioun
Leede al our liff withoute dyuysioun.
With ful accord stille with hym tabide,
All iniuries, off which afforn I tolde,
On outher part forgete & set a-side,
That nothyng afftir sholde our loue deuyde;
But of oon will and oon entencioun
Leede al our liff withoute dyuysioun.
Wheroff the peeple was ful glad and liht
Thoruhout Missene the myhti regioun,
At my resortyng fyndyng euery wiht
Redi off herte and hool affeccioun
Me to receyue into that noble toun;
And noon so redy, bi signes out shewyng,
To make me cheer, in soth, as was the kyng.
Thoruhout Missene the myhti regioun,
At my resortyng fyndyng euery wiht
Redi off herte and hool affeccioun
Me to receyue into that noble toun;
And noon so redy, bi signes out shewyng,
To make me cheer, in soth, as was the kyng.
There is no damage in comparisoun,
That may be likned, bi no rassemblaunce,
To feyned trouthe and symulacioun,
Whan fraude is hid with a fair contenaunce,
Pretendyng trouthe outward bi disseyuaunce,
And vndirnethe, off most fals entent,
Off doubilnesse darith the serpent.
That may be likned, bi no rassemblaunce,
To feyned trouthe and symulacioun,
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Pretendyng trouthe outward bi disseyuaunce,
And vndirnethe, off most fals entent,
Off doubilnesse darith the serpent.
As vnder floures is shroudid the dragoun,
For to betraisshe bi sodeyn violence
Such folk as haue no suspecioun,
But treuli meene in ther peur innocence,
Til thei be cauht dispurueied off diffence,
As is a fissh with bait off fals plesaunce,
The hook nat seyn, to brynge hym to myschaunce.
For to betraisshe bi sodeyn violence
Such folk as haue no suspecioun,
But treuli meene in ther peur innocence,
Til thei be cauht dispurueied off diffence,
As is a fissh with bait off fals plesaunce,
The hook nat seyn, to brynge hym to myschaunce.
Thus semblabli, at myn hom comyng
I was receyued with eueri circumstaunce,
Lich as halff heir and brother to the kyng;
And he, pretendyng, as bi contenaunce,
That he hadde so inli gret plesaunce
Off my repair, off trouthe he tolde so,
For, reioisshyng, saide he wolde go
I was receyued with eueri circumstaunce,
Lich as halff heir and brother to the kyng;
And he, pretendyng, as bi contenaunce,
That he hadde so inli gret plesaunce
Off my repair, off trouthe he tolde so,
For, reioisshyng, saide he wolde go
Onto his goddis to doon sum obseruaunce
For this accord, and humble sacrefise,
Made his mynystris with feithful attendaunce
Tawaite on me in al ther beste wise;
It nedith nat to tellyn nor deuise,
Nor in writyng in bookis for to sette
Halff the ioie he made whan we mette.
For this accord, and humble sacrefise,
Made his mynystris with feithful attendaunce
Tawaite on me in al ther beste wise;
It nedith nat to tellyn nor deuise,
Nor in writyng in bookis for to sette
Halff the ioie he made whan we mette.
First how freendli he dede me embrace
Off hertli gladnesse withynne his armis tweyne,
And how for ioie the teris on his face
Ful entierli gan doun distill & reyne,
That, for my part, I koude me nat restreyne,
But that I muste off frenshipe fraternall
Weepe as dede he in his estat roiall.
Off hertli gladnesse withynne his armis tweyne,
And how for ioie the teris on his face
Ful entierli gan doun distill & reyne,
That, for my part, I koude me nat restreyne,
But that I muste off frenshipe fraternall
Weepe as dede he in his estat roiall.
The wili wolff that cast hym to deuoure
The celi lamb, which can no diffence,
Nor non helpe hymseluen to socoure,
So feeble he is to make resistence,
Which demeth trouthe off fals apparence—
What wonder ist the fraude nat conceyued,
Thouh such lambes onwarli be deceyued?
The celi lamb, which can no diffence,
Nor non helpe hymseluen to socoure,
So feeble he is to make resistence,
Which demeth trouthe off fals apparence—
What wonder ist the fraude nat conceyued,
Thouh such lambes onwarli be deceyued?
111
Thouh that roses at mydsomer be ful soote,
Yit vndirnethe is hid a ful sharp spyne;
Summe fressh[e] floures han a ful bittir roote,
And lothsum gall can sugre eek vndermyne;
In dreedful stormys the sonne among doth shyne,
And vnder a shadwe off feyned freendliheed,
Ther is no frenship so pereilous for to dreed.
Yit vndirnethe is hid a ful sharp spyne;
Summe fressh[e] floures han a ful bittir roote,
And lothsum gall can sugre eek vndermyne;
In dreedful stormys the sonne among doth shyne,
And vnder a shadwe off feyned freendliheed,
Ther is no frenship so pereilous for to dreed.
Thus remembryng the feithful woordis stable
Off my brother shewed onto me,
At our meetyng the kyssyng amyable,
Thassurid couenantis off our fraternite—
But offte tyme men may beholde and see
That lelies growe among these netlis thikke,
And flourdelis amyd these weedie wikke.
Off my brother shewed onto me,
At our meetyng the kyssyng amyable,
Thassurid couenantis off our fraternite—
But offte tyme men may beholde and see
That lelies growe among these netlis thikke,
And flourdelis amyd these weedie wikke.
Thus whil I restid in the kyngis hous,
Nothyng aduertyng his dedli cruelte,
His olde hatreed was so venymous
And so odible to destroie me,
Hymsilff tauenge he took my childre thre,
And secreli—is it nat a wonder?—
He kutte her throtes with a knyf assonder.
Nothyng aduertyng his dedli cruelte,
His olde hatreed was so venymous
And so odible to destroie me,
Hymsilff tauenge he took my childre thre,
And secreli—is it nat a wonder?—
He kutte her throtes with a knyf assonder.
For he thouhte that it dede hym good
Hem to dismembre into pecis smale,
And in a vessel for to gadre ther blood,
Whil thei lay still & loked on hym ful pale.
This was his deede in a desert vale,
Withynne a kaue, that no man sholde espie
Tresoun conspired off his fals tirannye.
Hem to dismembre into pecis smale,
And in a vessel for to gadre ther blood,
Whil thei lay still & loked on hym ful pale.
This was his deede in a desert vale,
Withynne a kaue, that no man sholde espie
Tresoun conspired off his fals tirannye.
This was the substaunce off his sacrefise,
To sle my childre & do ther throtis bleede!
I trowe the goddis theroff dede agrise,
Off his fals offryng whan thei token heede.
He dede ther membris afftir roste & seede,
And with this viaunde most abhomynable
He made me be serued at the table.
To sle my childre & do ther throtis bleede!
I trowe the goddis theroff dede agrise,
Off his fals offryng whan thei token heede.
He dede ther membris afftir roste & seede,
And with this viaunde most abhomynable
He made me be serued at the table.
112
In couert cruses, also thus it stood,
To staunche my thrust, thoruh his cruel vengaunce
He made me vnknowne to drynke ther blood.
Was nat this thyng to goddis displesaunce?
Yis, I dar sey[e]n; for bi demonstraunce,
Vpon this deede, withoute mor obstacle,
The sonne in heuene shewed a myracle.
To staunche my thrust, thoruh his cruel vengaunce
He made me vnknowne to drynke ther blood.
Was nat this thyng to goddis displesaunce?
Yis, I dar sey[e]n; for bi demonstraunce,
Vpon this deede, withoute mor obstacle,
The sonne in heuene shewed a myracle.
Which sore agrisid myht[e] nat beholde
With his bemys theron to caste his siht,
For displesaunce his clernesse gan withholde,
And for vengaunce to withdrawe his liht,
The day turnyng for horrour onto nyht,
Whan he shon brihtest in his mydday speer,
Shrowded his face and wolde nat appeer.
With his bemys theron to caste his siht,
For displesaunce his clernesse gan withholde,
And for vengaunce to withdrawe his liht,
The day turnyng for horrour onto nyht,
Whan he shon brihtest in his mydday speer,
Shrowded his face and wolde nat appeer.
But I, allas, vpon this cas horrible,
That koude nat ymagyne nouther thynke
On ony mater that was so odible,
Eet off ther flessh & off ther blood dede drynke,
Which so sore doth in myn herte synke,
That I may nat, touchyng this auenture,
The circumstaunces for constreynt to discure.
That koude nat ymagyne nouther thynke
On ony mater that was so odible,
Eet off ther flessh & off ther blood dede drynke,
Which so sore doth in myn herte synke,
That I may nat, touchyng this auenture,
The circumstaunces for constreynt to discure.
It nedith me nat to make rehersaile
Touchyng myn exil, off alle maner thynges,
Off dyuers sorwes that me dede assaile,
My woful sihhes, nor my greuous wepynges,
Nor vpon nyhtes my dolorous wakynges,
My pouert[e], nor how I stood in dreed
To lese my liff; wheroff, Bochas, tak heed,
Touchyng myn exil, off alle maner thynges,
Off dyuers sorwes that me dede assaile,
My woful sihhes, nor my greuous wepynges,
Nor vpon nyhtes my dolorous wakynges,
My pouert[e], nor how I stood in dreed
To lese my liff; wheroff, Bochas, tak heed,
And remembre alle [the] circumstaunces:
Yiff euer thou sauh, off hih or low degre,
Mor contrari or mor onhappi chaunces,
Than thou herd remembrid heer off me.
Weie in ballaunce my sorwes, and lat see
Yiff any sorwe or myscheuys onrecurid
May countirpeise to that I haue endurid!
Yiff euer thou sauh, off hih or low degre,
Mor contrari or mor onhappi chaunces,
Than thou herd remembrid heer off me.
Weie in ballaunce my sorwes, and lat see
Yiff any sorwe or myscheuys onrecurid
May countirpeise to that I haue endurid!
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Myn infortunyes, I fond hem ay so fell,
Withoute fauour & socour dispurueied,
My brother euer on me so cruell,
That I ful offte desired to haue deied;
For to this day my sperit hath be conveied
With sorwe and wo, deuoid off al refuge,
Wherfore I pray, O Bochas be my iuge,
Withoute fauour & socour dispurueied,
My brother euer on me so cruell,
That I ful offte desired to haue deied;
For to this day my sperit hath be conveied
With sorwe and wo, deuoid off al refuge,
Wherfore I pray, O Bochas be my iuge,
And in thi writyng leff me nat behynde,
Nor in thi book[e] that thou nat disdeyne
Among tho folk that thou ha[ue] me in mynde,
Which that for sorwe weepe, waile & pleyne.”
And thus Thiestes, rehersyng al his peyne,
Lich as he wolde hymsilff on pecis reende,
Maad onto Bochas off his tale an eende.
Nor in thi book[e] that thou nat disdeyne
Among tho folk that thou ha[ue] me in mynde,
Which that for sorwe weepe, waile & pleyne.”
And thus Thiestes, rehersyng al his peyne,
Lich as he wolde hymsilff on pecis reende,
Maad onto Bochas off his tale an eende.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |