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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Here Bochas repreuyth all thunstabilnes of
Princis & oþir persones þat ȝeve hasti credence
to euery report with-out preef. |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
Here Bochas repreuyth all thunstabilnes of Princis & oþir persones þat ȝeve hasti credence to euery report with-out preef.
Althouh so be, in eueri maner age
Folkis be dyuers off condiciouns,
To turne, plie & chaunge in ther corage,
On outher parti with sodeyn mociouns,
And for to bowe bi transmutaciouns
With eueri wynd, as doon thunstable leuys,
Which hange on trees in forestis and in greuys.
Folkis be dyuers off condiciouns,
To turne, plie & chaunge in ther corage,
On outher parti with sodeyn mociouns,
And for to bowe bi transmutaciouns
With eueri wynd, as doon thunstable leuys,
Which hange on trees in forestis and in greuys.
But off alle chaungis, that chaung is most to dreede,
And most feerful is that variaunce,
Whan that pryncis, which may the peeple leede,
Be founde vnstable in ther gouernaunce:
For ther noblesse and ther hih puissaunce
Assureth hem, bi a maner [of] fourme,
What-euer hem list taccomplisshe and parfourme.
And most feerful is that variaunce,
Whan that pryncis, which may the peeple leede,
Be founde vnstable in ther gouernaunce:
For ther noblesse and ther hih puissaunce
Assureth hem, bi a maner [of] fourme,
What-euer hem list taccomplisshe and parfourme.
To comoun profit thei may most auaile,
Whan thei be reulid bi wisdam and resoun;
And to the peeple thei may most disauaile,
Whan thei lakke wit and discrecioun:
Thus atwen tweyne, in eueri regioun,
The peeple draweth, who that can discerne,
To good or badde, as pryncis hem gouerne.
Whan thei be reulid bi wisdam and resoun;
And to the peeple thei may most disauaile,
Whan thei lakke wit and discrecioun:
Thus atwen tweyne, in eueri regioun,
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To good or badde, as pryncis hem gouerne.
Thei may nat be to hasti nor sodeyne,
But doon all thynge bi good auysement,
Keepe hem from tunges that parted been on tweyne,
Nat be to rakill to yiue no iugement,
And off no folkis, whan thei been absent,
Leue no talis nor yiue no credence,
Till that the parti may come to audience.
But doon all thynge bi good auysement,
Keepe hem from tunges that parted been on tweyne,
Nat be to rakill to yiue no iugement,
And off no folkis, whan thei been absent,
Leue no talis nor yiue no credence,
Till that the parti may come to audience.
Sumwhile hath happid, how that slouh credence
Hath in sum cas be founde ful noious;
But hasti credence, I dar sey in sentence,
A thousend fold is more pereilous;
For onauysid al haste is odious:
For haste ful offte, for lakkyng off resoun,
Off moch[e] peeple hath be destruccioun.
Hath in sum cas be founde ful noious;
But hasti credence, I dar sey in sentence,
A thousend fold is more pereilous;
For onauysid al haste is odious:
For haste ful offte, for lakkyng off resoun,
Off moch[e] peeple hath be destruccioun.
There is no damage that men can purpose,
Mor to be drad nor mor lamentable,
Than a prynce his eris to onclose
To eueri tale and to eueri fable;
It is a tokne ther hertis be nat stable,
Whan thei to flatereris ther eris do applie,
Namli to such that can weel forge and lie.
Mor to be drad nor mor lamentable,
Than a prynce his eris to onclose
To eueri tale and to eueri fable;
It is a tokne ther hertis be nat stable,
Whan thei to flatereris ther eris do applie,
Namli to such that can weel forge and lie.
Folkis be dyuers, summe fals and summe trewe,
In dyuers studies doon ther besynesse;
Summe can studie to fynde out talis newe,
And summe for lucre can meyntene weel falsnesse
And holde up quarelis ageyn[e]s rihtwisnesse,
Pretendyng trouthe vnder a fals entent
To hyndre folkis which that been innocent.
In dyuers studies doon ther besynesse;
Summe can studie to fynde out talis newe,
And summe for lucre can meyntene weel falsnesse
And holde up quarelis ageyn[e]s rihtwisnesse,
Pretendyng trouthe vnder a fals entent
To hyndre folkis which that been innocent.
Men to suppose it were a gret foli,
That folkis sholde in ther oppynyoun
Speke or pronounce alle on o parti,
Or holde o weie in ther entencioun;
For semblabli as there is dyuysioun
Off corages, off hih or low degre,
So is ther treuli a gret dyuersite
That folkis sholde in ther oppynyoun
Speke or pronounce alle on o parti,
Or holde o weie in ther entencioun;
For semblabli as there is dyuysioun
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So is ther treuli a gret dyuersite
In rehersaile or report off a thyng,
For to his parti ech man is fauourable:
Sum man can sey weel in his rehersyng,
Sum man is double, & sum man deceyuable,
Sum men sey trouthe, and summe be variable;
Wherfore a prynce off riht, as it doth seeme,
Sholde weel examyne afforn or that he deeme.
For to his parti ech man is fauourable:
Sum man can sey weel in his rehersyng,
Sum man is double, & sum man deceyuable,
Sum men sey trouthe, and summe be variable;
Wherfore a prynce off riht, as it doth seeme,
Sholde weel examyne afforn or that he deeme.
For there is noon mor dreedful pestilence
Than a tunge that can flatre and fage;
For with his cursid crabbid violence
He enfectith folk off eueri maner age.
Wo to tunges froward off ther language,
And wo to tunges fals, furious and wood,
Which off no persone neuer can sey good.
Than a tunge that can flatre and fage;
For with his cursid crabbid violence
He enfectith folk off eueri maner age.
Wo to tunges froward off ther language,
And wo to tunges fals, furious and wood,
Which off no persone neuer can sey good.
Bochas rehersith, it is riht weel sittyng
That eueri man other do comende,
And sey the beste alwey in reportyng;
For in weel-seieng may no man offende.
Where men sey weel, God will his grace sende;
Afftir men been, men mut the pris vpreise,
Lich ther meritis allowe hem or dispreise.
That eueri man other do comende,
And sey the beste alwey in reportyng;
For in weel-seieng may no man offende.
Where men sey weel, God will his grace sende;
Afftir men been, men mut the pris vpreise,
Lich ther meritis allowe hem or dispreise.
But wher a thyng is vttirli onknowe,
Lat no man ther been hasti off sentence;
For rihtful iuges sittyng on a rowe,
Off ther wisdam and off ther hih prudence
Will of trouthe haue first sum euydence—
I meene such as gouerned be bi grace—
Or any doom forbi ther lippis pace.
Lat no man ther been hasti off sentence;
For rihtful iuges sittyng on a rowe,
Off ther wisdam and off ther hih prudence
Will of trouthe haue first sum euydence—
I meene such as gouerned be bi grace—
Or any doom forbi ther lippis pace.
A prynce sholde assemble thyngis tweyne
Withynne hymsilff: [afforn] ful prudently
Shet up his doomys betwixe lokkis tweyne,
On off the soule, resoun for that party,
Prudence chose out, and riht for the body;
And atween bothe, or he yiue a sentence,
To counseil calle trouthe and good conscience.
Withynne hymsilff: [afforn] ful prudently
Shet up his doomys betwixe lokkis tweyne,
On off the soule, resoun for that party,
Prudence chose out, and riht for the body;
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To counseil calle trouthe and good conscience.
First to considre with eueri circumstaunce,
Dilligentli doon theron his labour,
Off discrecioun to take the ballaunce,
And first weie out who is thaccusour,
And whethir that he for falsnesse or fauour
In his processe list for to proceede;
Heroff a prynce must off riht take heede.
Dilligentli doon theron his labour,
Off discrecioun to take the ballaunce,
And first weie out who is thaccusour,
And whethir that he for falsnesse or fauour
In his processe list for to proceede;
Heroff a prynce must off riht take heede.
He muste also considre bi and bi,
What that he is, which is to hym accusid,
And whethir thaccusour be freend or enmy,
Or whethir he shal been accepte or refusid
In his accus—this muste affor be musid—
And whethir he be, bi report off his name,
A man weel noised or sclaundrid bi diffame.
What that he is, which is to hym accusid,
And whethir thaccusour be freend or enmy,
Or whethir he shal been accepte or refusid
In his accus—this muste affor be musid—
And whethir he be, bi report off his name,
A man weel noised or sclaundrid bi diffame.
Yiff Theseus hadde be thus auysed,
And considred off resoun the maner,
He hadde nat so hastili deuysed
His sonys deth, lich as ye shal ler:
For yiff ther hadde assemblid been I-feer
In his persone prudence and resoun,
He sholde ha[ue] seyn in his discrecioun,
And considred off resoun the maner,
He hadde nat so hastili deuysed
His sonys deth, lich as ye shal ler:
For yiff ther hadde assemblid been I-feer
In his persone prudence and resoun,
He sholde ha[ue] seyn in his discrecioun,
Be knowlechyng off long experience,
Off his wiff the gret onstedfastnesse,
Which thoruh hir froward compassid eloquence
Was redi euere to brynge folk in distresse,
As in his writyng Bochas berth witnesse,
Off ther nature women can flatre and fage,
And been sumwhile to copious off language.
Off his wiff the gret onstedfastnesse,
Which thoruh hir froward compassid eloquence
Was redi euere to brynge folk in distresse,
As in his writyng Bochas berth witnesse,
Off ther nature women can flatre and fage,
And been sumwhile to copious off language.
Also off wisdam, this duk Theseus
Shold ha[u]e considred afforn in his entent,
How that his sone, callid Ypolitus,
Off al onclennesse was founde ay innocent;
And how that he off custum made his went
Into forestis duryng his yong age,
To hunte at beestis which that were sauage.
Shold ha[u]e considred afforn in his entent,
How that his sone, callid Ypolitus,
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And how that he off custum made his went
Into forestis duryng his yong age,
To hunte at beestis which that were sauage.
Rennyng on foote, as ye shal vndirstonde,
On hillis, valis teschewen idilnesse,
Mooder off vicis, with his bowe in honde,
Diane to serue off huntyng cheeff goddesse.
Sumtyme to hauke he dede his besynesse;
Eek onto fisshyng he gretly was applied,
So that his youthe was neuer onocupied.
On hillis, valis teschewen idilnesse,
Mooder off vicis, with his bowe in honde,
Diane to serue off huntyng cheeff goddesse.
Sumtyme to hauke he dede his besynesse;
Eek onto fisshyng he gretly was applied,
So that his youthe was neuer onocupied.
Thus he lyued in wodis solitarie,
And off Venus despised the seruyse;
A-mong[es] women he wolde neuer tarie,
Ther felashipp he dede alwey despise:
For he dempte, be sentence off the wise,
Who touchith pich, bassay men may see,
It failith nat he shal defouled be.
And off Venus despised the seruyse;
A-mong[es] women he wolde neuer tarie,
Ther felashipp he dede alwey despise:
For he dempte, be sentence off the wise,
Who touchith pich, bassay men may see,
It failith nat he shal defouled be.
Ypolitus sauh weel this thyng afforn,
Kept hym at large from such contrariouste;
His greene youthe he wolde nat haue it lorn,
To be diffoulid for lak off chastite:
For he lyued euer in virgynyte,
And neuer dede, Bochas wil nat varie,
Nothyng that was onto God contrarie.
Kept hym at large from such contrariouste;
His greene youthe he wolde nat haue it lorn,
To be diffoulid for lak off chastite:
For he lyued euer in virgynyte,
And neuer dede, Bochas wil nat varie,
Nothyng that was onto God contrarie.
Thus off entent he kepte his bodi cleene
Duryng his liff, bothe in thouht & deede,
Whos mooder was Ypolita the queene
Off Amazones, in Ouyde ye may reede.
But, o allas, that Theseus took heede,
For a tale off Phedra ful off gile,
Withoute gilt his sone to exile.
Duryng his liff, bothe in thouht & deede,
Whos mooder was Ypolita the queene
Off Amazones, in Ouyde ye may reede.
But, o allas, that Theseus took heede,
For a tale off Phedra ful off gile,
Withoute gilt his sone to exile.
Afftir whos deth[e], summe poetis seyn,
How that Diana, for his chastite,
Restorid hym onto lyue ageyn
Bi Esculapius, and gaff hym liberte
In hir forestis to hunten and go fre.
For which restoryng, as writ Ouidius,
As twies a man, men callid hym Virbius.
How that Diana, for his chastite,
Restorid hym onto lyue ageyn
Bi Esculapius, and gaff hym liberte
In hir forestis to hunten and go fre.
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As twies a man, men callid hym Virbius.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |