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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Heer Bochas makith an exclamacion a-geyn the
pride of vommen And thonseurnes of princes. |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
Heer Bochas makith an exclamacion a-geyn the pride of vommen And thonseurnes of princes.
But Bochas heer, I not what he doth meene,
Maketh in his book an exclamacioun
Ageyn[e]s women, that pite is to seene—
Seith how ther lyne, ther generacioun
Been off nature double off condicioun,
And callith hëm eek dyuers and onstable,
Beestis rassemblyng that been insaciable.
Maketh in his book an exclamacioun
Ageyn[e]s women, that pite is to seene—
Seith how ther lyne, ther generacioun
Been off nature double off condicioun,
And callith hëm eek dyuers and onstable,
Beestis rassemblyng that been insaciable.
He meneth off women that be born in Crete,
Nothyng off hem that duelle in this contre:
For women heer, al doubilnesse thei lete,
And ha[ue] no tech off mutabilite,
Thei loue no chaungis nor no duplicite;
For ther husbondis, in causis smal or grete,
What-euer thei seyn, thei can nat countirplete.
Nothyng off hem that duelle in this contre:
For women heer, al doubilnesse thei lete,
And ha[ue] no tech off mutabilite,
Thei loue no chaungis nor no duplicite;
For ther husbondis, in causis smal or grete,
What-euer thei seyn, thei can nat countirplete.
Blessid be God, that hath hem maad so meek,
So humble and feithful off ther condiciouns;
For thouh men wolde cause and mater seek
Ageyn ther pacience to fynde occasiouns,
Thei han refusid al contradicciouns,
And hem submittid thoruh ther gouernaunce,
Onli to meeknesse and womanli suffraunce.
So humble and feithful off ther condiciouns;
For thouh men wolde cause and mater seek
Ageyn ther pacience to fynde occasiouns,
Thei han refusid al contradicciouns,
And hem submittid thoruh ther gouernaunce,
Onli to meeknesse and womanli suffraunce.
I speke off alle, I speke nat off on,
That be professid onto lowlynesse;
Thei may ha[ue] mouthes, but language ha[ue] thei non:
Alle trewe husbondis can bern heroff witnesse;
For weddid men, I dar riht weel expresse,
That haue assaied and had experience,
Best can recorde off wifli pacience.
That be professid onto lowlynesse;
Thei may ha[ue] mouthes, but language ha[ue] thei non:
Alle trewe husbondis can bern heroff witnesse;
For weddid men, I dar riht weel expresse,
That haue assaied and had experience,
Best can recorde off wifli pacience.
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For as it longeth to men to be sturdy,
And sumwhat froward as off ther nature,
Riht so can women suffre paciently,
And alle wrongis humbl[el]i endure.
Men sholde attempte no maner creature,
A[nd] namli women, ther meeknesse for to preue,
Which may weel suffre whil no man doth hem greue.
And sumwhat froward as off ther nature,
Riht so can women suffre paciently,
And alle wrongis humbl[el]i endure.
Men sholde attempte no maner creature,
A[nd] namli women, ther meeknesse for to preue,
Which may weel suffre whil no man doth hem greue.
Eueri thyng resortith to his kynde,
As Bochas writith, sum tyme off the yeer;
And yit, who serchith, bi processe he shal fynde
That trouthe and vertu may neuer fade off cheer:
For rihtwisnesse will alwey shyne cleer;
Trouthe & falsnesse, in what thei ha[ue] to doone,
Thei may no while assemble in o persone.
As Bochas writith, sum tyme off the yeer;
And yit, who serchith, bi processe he shal fynde
That trouthe and vertu may neuer fade off cheer:
For rihtwisnesse will alwey shyne cleer;
Trouthe & falsnesse, in what thei ha[ue] to doone,
Thei may no while assemble in o persone.
Feith and flatrie, thei be so contrarie,
Thei may togidre holde no soiour;
Nor symplesse, which that can nat varie,
May neuer accorde with a baratour,
Nor innocence with a losengour,
Nor chastite can nat hirsilff applie
Hir to confourme onto [no] ribaudie.
Thei may togidre holde no soiour;
Nor symplesse, which that can nat varie,
May neuer accorde with a baratour,
Nor innocence with a losengour,
Nor chastite can nat hirsilff applie
Hir to confourme onto [no] ribaudie.
Crafft and nature sue the professioun
Bi thordynaunce set in ther courage;
And ech man folweth his condicioun,
As off the stok the frut hath his tarage:
Pilgrymes may gon ful ferr in ther passage,
But I dar seyn, how ferr that euer thei go,
Ther bit sum tarage off that that thei cam fro.
Bi thordynaunce set in ther courage;
And ech man folweth his condicioun,
As off the stok the frut hath his tarage:
Pilgrymes may gon ful ferr in ther passage,
But I dar seyn, how ferr that euer thei go,
Ther bit sum tarage off that that thei cam fro.
Bochas maketh an introduccioun
In this chapitle, off the hih noblesse
That pryncis han in ther possessioun;
And bi a maner lawhhyng doth expresse,
How for to sette hem in gret sekirnesse,
Thei han sergauntis vpon hem abidyng,
And men off armys day and nyht waityng.
In this chapitle, off the hih noblesse
That pryncis han in ther possessioun;
And bi a maner lawhhyng doth expresse,
How for to sette hem in gret sekirnesse,
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And men off armys day and nyht waityng.
That no man entre, but yiff he ha[ue] licence,
The froward porteris stondyng at the gate
Putte men a-bak be sturdi violence;
It were ful hard ageyn hem to debate,
Ther wachchis kept erli and eek late;
And hem tassure a-nyhtis whil thei slepe,
The chaumberleyns ther dorys streihtli keepe.
The froward porteris stondyng at the gate
Putte men a-bak be sturdi violence;
It were ful hard ageyn hem to debate,
Ther wachchis kept erli and eek late;
And hem tassure a-nyhtis whil thei slepe,
The chaumberleyns ther dorys streihtli keepe.
Men assigned ther metis to assaie,
To taste ther wynes, list ther were tresoun;
Such mortal dreed these lordis doth affraie;
So is ther seurnesse meynt with suspecioun:
Who fedith hym gladli, that ferith hym off poisoun?
But pore folk fraunchised from such dreed,
[With] such as God sent meryly thei hem feed.
To taste ther wynes, list ther were tresoun;
Such mortal dreed these lordis doth affraie;
So is ther seurnesse meynt with suspecioun:
Who fedith hym gladli, that ferith hym off poisoun?
But pore folk fraunchised from such dreed,
[With] such as God sent meryly thei hem feed.
But poetis that write tragedies,
Ther compleynyng is al off hih estatis,
Rehersyng euer ther pitous iuparties,
Ther sodeyn chaungis & ther woful fatis,
Ther dyuysiouns and ther mortal debatis,
And ay conclude ther dites, who can reede,
Hiest estatis stonde ay most in dreede.
Ther compleynyng is al off hih estatis,
Rehersyng euer ther pitous iuparties,
Ther sodeyn chaungis & ther woful fatis,
Ther dyuysiouns and ther mortal debatis,
And ay conclude ther dites, who can reede,
Hiest estatis stonde ay most in dreede.
And ground & roote off al this mortal trouble,
As writ Bochas and pleynli berth witnesse,
Been these lieres with ther tunges double,
Themsilff afforcyng ay trouthe to oppresse;
With whom flatrie is a cheeff maistresse:
And, werst off all, to ther dreedful sentence,
Is whan pryncis been hasti off credence.
As writ Bochas and pleynli berth witnesse,
Been these lieres with ther tunges double,
Themsilff afforcyng ay trouthe to oppresse;
With whom flatrie is a cheeff maistresse:
And, werst off all, to ther dreedful sentence,
Is whan pryncis been hasti off credence.
Hasti credence is roote off al errour,
A froward stepmooder off al good counsail,
Ground off gret hyndryng, a dreedful deceyuour,
Fair offte off face, with a ful pereilous tail,
Gladli concludyng with ful gret disauail,
Next neyh[e]bour onto repentaunce
To all that truste & haue in hir plesaunce.
A froward stepmooder off al good counsail,
Ground off gret hyndryng, a dreedful deceyuour,
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Gladli concludyng with ful gret disauail,
Next neyh[e]bour onto repentaunce
To all that truste & haue in hir plesaunce.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |