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

Lydgate's Fall of Princes

Edited by Dr. Henry Bergen ... presented to The Early English Text Society by The Carnegie Institution of Washington

Lydgate, John (1370?-1451?)

PART I

THE FALL OF PRINCES

[Greneacres A Lenvoye vpon John Bochas.]

APPENDIX.

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PART I

THE FALL OF PRINCES

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Square brackets denote editorial insertions or emendations.

BOOK I.

PROLOGUE.

[Here begynneth the book callyd I. Bochas descriuyng the falle of Pryncys pryncessys and othir nobles translatid in to Inglissh bi Iohn Ludgate Monke of the Monastery of seynt Edmundes Bury atte commaundement of the worthi prynce Humfrey duk of Gloucestre begynnyng at Adam & endyng with kyng Iohne take prisonere in Fraunce bi Prynce Edward.]

He that whilom dede his dilligence
The book of Bochas in Frensh to translate
Out of Latyn, he callid was Laurence;
The tyme trewli remembrid and the date,
The yere whan kyng Iohn thoruh his mortal fate
Was prisoner brouht to this regioun,
Whan he first gan on this translacioun.

In his prologe affermyng off resoun,
Artificeres hauyng exercise
May chaunge and turne bi good discrecioun
Shappis, formys, and newli hem deuyse,
Make and vnmake in many sondry wyse,
As potteres, which to that craft entende,
Breke and renewe ther vesselis to a-mende.

Thus men off crafft may off due riht,
That been inuentiff & han experience,
Fantasien in ther inward siht
Deuises newe thoruh ther excellence;
Expert maistres han therto licence
Fro good to bettir for to chaunge a thyng,
And semblabli these clerkis in writyng,

Thyng that was maad of auctours hem beforn,
Thei may off newe fynde and fantasie,

Out of old chaff trie out ful cleene corn,
Make it more fressh and lusti to the eie,
Ther subtil witt and ther labour applie,
With ther colours agreable off hewe,
Make olde thynges for to seeme newe.

Afforn prouydid that no presumpcioun
In ther chaungyng haue noon auctorite,
And that meeknesse haue dominacioun,
Fals Envie that she not present be;
But that ther ground with parfit charite
Conueied be to ther auauntage,
Trewli rootid a-myd of ther corage.

Thus Laurence fro hym envie excludid,
Thouh toforn hym translatid was this book,
Withynne hymsilff he fulli hath concludid,
Vpon that labour whan he caste his look,
He wolde amende it; but first he forsook
Presumpcioun, and took to hym meeknesse,
In his prologe as he doth expresse.

In which processe, lik as I am lerid,
He in his tyme off cunnyng dede excelle
In ther language, therfore he was requerid
Off estatis, which gan hym eek compelle,
A-mong hem holde off rethorik the welle,
To vndirfonge this labour they hym preie,
And ther request he lowli dede obeie.

Ful weel he felte the labour was notable,
The fall of nobles, with eueri circumstaunce,
From ther lordshippes, dreedful and vnstable,
How that thei fill to putte in remembraunce,
Therin to shewe Fortunys variaunce,
That othre myhte as in a merour see
In worldly worshepe may be no surete.

Bi exaumple, as there is no rose
Spryngyng in gardeyns, but ther be sum thorn,
Nor fairer blosme than Nature list dispose,
Than may ther beute, as men ha[ue] seyn toforn,
With bittir wyndes be fro ther braunchis born,

Nor noon so hih in his estat contune
Fre fro thawaityng & daunger of Fortune.

Wherfore Bochas for a memoriall,
Consid[e]ryng the grete dignitees
Off worldli pryncis in ther power roiall,
Grete emperours, estatis and degrees,
How Fortune hath cast hem from ther sees;
Namly such as koude hemsilff nat knowe,
Ful sodenly to make hem lyn ful lowe.

This said auctour, auise and riht sad,
Hath gadred out, with rethoriques sueete,
In dyuers bookes which that he hath rad,
Off philisophres and many an old poete,
Besied hym bothe in cold and hete
Out to compile and writen as he fond
The fall of nobles in many dyuers lond.

Vpon whos book in his translacioun
This seid Laurence rehersith in certeyn,
And holdith this in his opynyoun,
Such language as open is and pleyn
Is more acceptid, as it is offte seyn,
Than straunge termys which be nat vndirstande,
Namly to folkis that duellyn vp-on lande.

And he seith eek, that his entencioun
Is to a-menden, correcten and declare;
Nat to condempne off no presumpcioun,
But to supporte, pleynli, and to spare
Thyng touchid shortly off the story bare,
Vndir a stile breeff and compendious,
Hem to prolonge whan thei be vertuous:

For a story which is nat pleynli told,
But constreynyd vndir woordes fewe
For lak off trouthe, wher thei be newe or old,
Men bi report kan nat the mater shewe;
These ookis grete be nat doun ihewe
First at a strok[e], but bi long processe,
Nor longe stories a woord may not expresse.

For which, pleynli, this noble translatour
Caste off purpos these stories for to write,
And for to doon his dilligent labour
As thei fill in ordre to endite,
That men afftir myhte hemsilff delite,
Auentures, so as thei fill in deede,
Off sundry pryncis to beholde & reede,

And haue a maner contemplacioun,
That thynges all, wher Fortune may atteyne,
Be transitory of condicioun;
For she off kynde is hasti & sodeyne,
Contrarious hir cours for to restreyne,
Off wilfulnesse she is so variable,
Whan men most truste, than is she most chaungable.

And for hir chaung and for hir doubilnesse,
This Bochas biddith that men sholde enclyne
Sette ther hertis, void off vnstabilnesse,
Vpon thynges which that been deuyne,
Where-as ioie perpetueli doth shyne
Withoute eclipsyng in that heuenli see,
Void off all cloudis off mutabilite.

Among, this Bochas writith off suetnesse
And off materes that lusti been and glade,
And sumwhile he writt off wrechidnesse,
And how Fortune kan floure & afftir fade—
Ioie vndir cloude, prosperite in the shade,
Entirchaungyng off euery maner thyng,
Which that men feele, heer in this world lyvyng.

And in his processe, who-so list beholde,
Off alle estatis, off hih and louh degre,
And off pryncis bothe yong and olde,
Fro the begynnyng, which in this world ha be,
Lyuyng in ioie or in aduersite,
Fro the firste he descendith doun
Off ther fortune be pleyn descripcioun.

Off the most noble he ne spareth noon,
But settith hem in ordre ceriously,
Gynnyth at Adam & endith at kyng Iohn,

Ther auentures rehersyng by and by,
Off this kyng Iohn concludyng fynaly,
How that he was, for al his gret puissance,
Off prynce Edward take prisoner in France.

This seid[e] Bochas, auctour off this book,
Which off stories hadde gret intelligence,
Summe he leffte [and] summe also he took,—
Such as he leffte was off no necligence,
Supposyng and demyng off credence,
Alle the stories which that comoun be,
Other knew hem also weel as he.

And lest that folk wolde haue had disdeyn,
Thynges comoun to put in memorie,
Therfore Bochas thouhte it was but veyn,
To his name noon encres off glorie,
To remembre no cronycle nor historie,
But tho that wern for ther merit notable,
Auctorised, famous and comendable.

In his labour hauyng a delit,
That the mater gretli myhte auaile,
Do plesance to the comon profit,
Off noble stories to make rehersaile,
Shewyng a merour how al the world shal faile,
And how Fortune, for al ther hih renoun,
Hath vpon pryncis iurediccioun.

The which[e] thyng, in ful sobre wise,
He considred in his inward entent,
In his resoun gan to aduertise,
Seyng off princis the blynd entendement,
With worldli worshep how that thei be blent,
As thei sholde euer ther estatis keepe,
And as Fortune were I-leid to sleepe.

As thei hadde off Fortune the maistry,
Here enchauntid with ther pociouns
Bi sum craft off newe sorcery,
Or bi power off incantaciouns,
To make stable ther domynaciouns
With iren cheynys for to laste longe,
Lokkid to rokkis off adamantis stronge.

Supposyng[e] in ther surquedie
Ther estatis sholde be durable;
But Fortune kan frowardli denye,
Pleynli preue that thei be chaungable,
And to pryncis, for thei be nat stable,
Fortune ful offte, for al ther gret estat,
Vnwarli chaungith & seith to hem chekmat.

For lordis summe in ther magnificence
Off roial power sette off God riht nouht,
Thei nat considre his long pacience,
Nor aduertise his power in ther thouht,
But in ther hertis, yiff it were weel souht,
How he is meek and pacient to a-bide,
Thei wolde off resoun ther pompe leyn a-side.

But for ther tarieng and ther necligence,
That thei to hym wil nat resorte a-geyn,
Yit off his mercy and benyuolence,
Withoute vengance, rigour or disdeyn,
As a meek fadir, in alle his werkis pleyn,
Assaieth his yerde off castigacioun,
So for to brynge hem to correccioun.

Summe he can ful fadirli chastise,
Where he loueth, be punshyng off siknesse,
And off his mercy in many a-nother wise
Baduersite off sum worldli distresse;
And he nat askith, for his kynd[e]nesse,
Off hih nor low, who-so can aduerte,
Noon othir tresor but a mannys herte.

And as myn auctour list to comprehende,—
This Iohn Bochas, bi gret auctorite,—
It is almesse to correct and a-mende
The vicious folk off euery comounte,
And bi exaumplis which that notable be
Off pryncis olde, that whilom dede fall,
The lowere peeple from ther errour call.

Bi smale whelpis, as summe clerkis write,
Chastised is the myhti fers leoun,
And whan the suerd off vengaunce eek doth bite

Vpon pryncis for ther transgressioun,
The comon peeple in ther opynyoun,
For verray dreed[e] tremble don & quake,
And bi such mene ther vices thei forsake.

And such also as ha be defoulid
In ther vicis bi long contynuaunce,
Or in ther synnys rustid and Imowlid,
Bi good example may come to repentaunce:
Who hym repentith, the Lord will hym auaunce,
And hym accepte, in hih and louh estat,—
The meek preserue, punyshe the obstynat.

This said[e] mater, touchyng such[e] thyngis,
Myn auctour Bochas heerafftir shal declare
Bexaumple off pryncis & off myhti kyngis,
What was ther fyn, & nat the trouthe spare;
And theih my stile nakid be and bare,
In rethorik myn auctour for to sue,
Yit fro the trouthe shal I nat remue,

But on the substance bi good leiser abide,
Afftir myn auctour lik as I may atteyne,
And for my part sette eloquence aside,
And in this book bewepen and compleyne
Thassaut off Fortune, froward and sodeyne,
How she on pryncis hath kid her variaunce
And off her malice the dedli mortal chaunce.

But, o allas! who shal be my muse,
Or onto whom shal I for helpe calle?
Calliope my callyng will refuse,
And on Pernaso here worthi sustren alle;
Thei will ther sugre tempre with no galle,
For ther suetnesse & lusti fressh syngyng
Ful ferr discordith fro materis compleynyng.

My maistir Chaucer, with his fresh comedies,
Is ded, allas, cheeff poete off Breteyne,
That whilom made ful pitous tragedies;
The fall of pryncis he dede also compleyne,
As he that was of makyng souereyne,
Whom al this land sholde off riht preferre,
Sithe off oure language he was the lodesterre.

Senek in Rome, thoruh his hih prudence,
Wrot tragedies of gret moralite;
And Tullius, cheeff welle off eloquence,
Maad in his tyme many fressh dite;
Franceis Petrak, off Florence the cite,
Made a book, as I can reherce,
Off too Fortunys, welful and peruerse.

And ageyn bothe wrot the remedies,
In bookis tweyne made a divisioun,
A-mong rehersyng many fressh stories.
The firste book is thus conueied doun,
A dialoge twen Gladnesse and Resoun;
The seconde can ber me weel witnesse,
Maad atwen Resoun & Worldli Heuynesse.

The mater is wondirful delectable,
Thouh wo with ioie haue an interesse;
And Iohn Bochas wrot maters lamentable,
The fall of pryncis, where he doth expresse
How fro ther ioie thei fill in gret distresse;
And all these writers, thoruh ther famous renoun,
Gret worshipe dede vnto ther nacioun.

And semblabli as I ha[ue] told toforn,
My maistir Chaucer dede his besynesse,
And in his daies hath so weel hym born,
Out off our tunge tauoiden al reudnesse,
And to refourme it with colours of suetnesse;
Wherfore lat us yiue hym laude & glory
And putte his name with poetis in memory.

Off whos labour to make mencioun,
Wherthoruh off riht he sholde comendid be,
In youthe he made a translacioun
Off a book which callid is Trophe
In Lumbard tunge, as men may reede & see,
And in our vulgar, longe or that he deide,
Gaff it the name off Troilus & Cresseide.

Which for to reede louers hem delite,
Thei ha[ue] theryn so gret deuocioun.
And this poete, hymsilff also to quite,

Off Boeces book, The Consolacioun,
Maad in his tyme an hool translacioun.
And to his sone, that callid was Lowis,
He made a tretis, ful noble & off gret pris,

Vpon thastlabre in ful notable fourme,
Sette hem in ordre with ther dyuysiouns,
Mennys wittis tapplien and confourme,
To vndirstonde be ful expert resouns
Be domefieng off sundry mansiouns,
The roote out-souht at the ascendent,
Toforn or he gaff any iugement.

He wrot also ful many day agone,
Dante in Inglissh, hymsilff so doth expresse,
The pitous story off Ceix and Alcione,
And the deth eek of Blaunche the Duchesse,
And notabli dede his bisynesse,
Bi gret auys his wittis to dispose,
To translate the Romaunce off the Rose.

Thus in vertu he sette al his entent,
Idilnesse and vicis for to fle;
Off Foulis also he wrot the Parlement,
Theryn remembryng of roial Eglis thre,
How in ther chois thei felte aduersite,
Tofor Nature profred the bataile,
Ech for his parti, yiff it wolde auaile.

He dede also his dilligence & peyne
In our vulgar to translate and endite
Origen vpon the Maudeleyne,
And off the Leoun a book he dede write;
Off Anneleyda and of fals Arcite
He made a compleynt, doolful & pitous,
And off the broche which that Vulcanus

At Thebes wrouhte, ful dyuers of nature,
Ouide writith, who theroff hadde a siht,
For hih desir he shulde nat endure
But he it hadde, neuer be glad nor liht;
And yiff he hadde it onys in his myht,

Lich as my maistir seith and writ in deede,
It to conserue he sholde ay lyue in dreede.

This poete wrot, at request off the queen,
A legende off parfit hoolynesse,
Off Goode Women to fynde out nynteen
That dede excelle in bounte and fairnesse;
But for his labour and [his] bisynesse
Was inportable his wittis to encoumbre,
In al this world to fynde so gret a noumbre.

He made the book off Cantirburi Talis,
Whan the pilgrymis rood on pilgrymage
Thoruhout Kent bi hillis and bi valis,
And alle the stories told in ther passage,
Enditid hem ful weel in our language:
Summe off knyhthod, summe off gentilesse,
And summe off loue & summe off parfitnesse,

And summe also off gret moralite,
Summe off disport, includynge gret sentence.
In prose he wrot the Tale off Melibe,
And off his wiff, that callid was Prudence,
And off Grisildis parfit pacience,
And how the Monk off stories newe & olde
Pitous tragedies be the weie tolde.

This said poete, my maistir in his daies,
Maad and compiled ful many a fressh dite,
Compleyntis, baladis, roundelis, virelaies
Ful delectable to heryn and to see,
For which men sholde, off riht and equite,
Sithe he off Inglissh in makyng was the beste,
Preie onto God to yiue his soule good reste.

And these poetis I make off mencioun,
Were bi old tyme had in gret deynte,
With kyngis, pryncis in euery regioun,
Gretli preferrid afftir ther degre;
For lordis hadde plesance for to see,
To studie a-mong, and to caste ther lookis
At good[e] leiser vpon wise bookis.

For in the tyme off Cesar Iulius,
Whan the tryumphe he wan in Rome toun,
He entre wolde the scoole off Tullius
And heere his lecture off gret affeccioun;
And natwithstandyng his conquest & renoun,
Vnto bookis he gaff gret attendaunce
And hadde in stories ioie and gret pleasunce.

Eek in this land, I dar afferme a thyng:
There is a prynce ful myhti off puissaunce,
A kyngis sone and vncle to the kyng
Henry the Sexte, which is now in Fraunce,
And is lieftenant, and hath the gouernaunce
Off our Breteyne, thoruh whos discrecioun
He hath conserued in this regioun,

Duryng his tyme, off ful hih prudence,
Pes and quiete and sustened riht,
Yit natwithstandyng his noble prouidence,
He is in deede proued a good[e] knyht,
Eied as Argus with resoun and forsiht;
Off hih lettrure, I dar eek off hym telle,
And treuli deeme that he doth excelle

In vndirstondyng alle othir off his age,
And hath gret ioie with clerkis to comune:
And no man is mor expert off language,
Stable in study alwey he doth contune,
Settyng a-side alle chaungis of Fortune;
And wher he loueth, yiff I shal nat tarie,
Withoute cause ful loth he is to varie.

Duc off Gloucestre men this prynce calle,
And natwithstandyng his staat & dignite,
His corage neuer doth appalle
To studie in bookis off antiquite,
Therin he hath so gret felicite
Vertuously hymsilff to ocupie,
Off vicious slouthe to haue the maistrie.

And with his prudence and with his manheed,
Trouthe to susteene he fauour set a-side,
And hooli chirch[e] meyntenyng in deed,

That in this land no Lollard dar abide—
As verray support, vpholdere and eek guide
Sparith noon, but maketh hymsiluen strong
To punysshe all tho that do the chirch[e] wrong.

Thus is he bothe manli and eek wis,
Chose off God to been his owyn knyht,
And off o thyng he hath a synguler pris,
That heretik dar noon come in his siht,
In Cristis feith he stant so hool vpriht,
Off hooli chirche diffence and champioun,
To chastise alle that do therto tresoun.

And to do plesaunce to our lord Iesu,
He studieth euere to haue intelligence;
Reedyng off bookis bryngith in vertu,
Vices excludyng, slouthe and necligence,
Makith a prynce to haue experience,
To knowe hymsilff, in many sundri wise,
Wher he trespasith his errour to chastise.

And a-mong bookis, pleynli this the cas,
This said[e] prynce considred off resoun,
The noble book off this Iohn Bochas
Was, accordyng in his opynyoun,
Off gret noblesse and reputacioun,
And onto pryncis gretli necessarie
To yiue exaumple how this world doth varie.

And for this cause, as in his entent,
To shewe thuntrust off al worldli thyng,
He gaff to me in comaundement,
As hym sempte it was riht weel sittyng,
That I shulde, afftir my cunnyng,
This book translate, hym to do plesaunce,
To shewe the chaung off worldli variaunce.

And with support off his magnificence,
Vndir the wyngis off his correccioun,
Thouh that I haue lak off eloquence,
I shal procede in this translacioun,
Fro me auoidyng al presumpcioun,
Lowli submyttyng eueri hour & space
Mi reud language to my lordis grace.

And as I haue o thyng weel in mynde,
He bad me I sholde in especiall,
Folwyng myn auctour, writen as I fynde,
And for no fauour be nat parciall—
Thus I meene to speke in generall,
And noon estat syngulerly depraue,
But the sentence off myn auctour saue.

Al this conceyuyd, I gan my stile dresse,
Thouhte I wolde in my mater proceede;
And for the mater abraid on heuynesse,
Off fressh colours I took no maner heede,
But my processe pleynli for to leede,
As me sempte it was to me most meete
To sette apart all rethoriques sueete.

Dites of murnyng and off compleynynge
Nat appertene onto Calliope,
Nor to the Muses, that on Parnaso synge,
Which be remembrid in noumbre thries thre;
And onto materes off aduersite,
With ther sugred aureat licour
Thei be nat willi for to doon fauour;

But off disdeyn me settyng ferr a-bak
To hyndre me off that I wolde endite,
Hauyng no colours but onli whit & blak,
To the tragedies which that I shal write.
And for I can my-silff no bet acquite,
Vndir support off all that shal it reede,
Vpon Bochas riht thus I will proceede.

Explicit prologus.

Incipit Liber Primus.

[How adam and Eue for theire inobedience were putout of paradis lyued in sorowe and woo/thei and theire of spryng.]

Whan Iohn Bochas considred hadde & souht
The woful fall off myhti conquerours,
A remembraunce entrid in his thouht,
Reknyng the noumbre off our predecessours,
And first to mynde cam the progenitours

Off al mankynde, ferre Ironne in age,
And toward hym holdyng the passage,

As hym thouhte in his inward siht,
In ther comyng ful pitousli tremblyng,
Quakyng for age and for lak off myht,
Ther gret feeblesse be signes out shewyng;
And oon off hem, first at his comyng—
Our fadir Adam—sodenli abraide,
And to myn auctour euene thus he saide:

[How Adam & Eue stondyng/naked before Bochas desired him to put theire woful fall first in remembraunce.]

“Cosyn Bochas, I will weel that thou lere,
Thou that art besi to serche ouer all
Off infortune the maner to enquere,
Hir sodeyn chaung, turnyng as a ball,
Off erthli pryncis from ther estat roiall—
It is most sittyng, or we assundir twynne,
At vs tweyne thi processe to be-gynne.

Considre first, the Lord in his auis,
Whan he us made onto his liknesse,
He putte vs bothe into Paradis,
There talyued in parfit stabilnesse—
Til the Serpent dede his besynesse
Off fals envie to make us lese our grace,
Perpetueli texile us fro that place.”

And whan Iohn Bochas nakid hem beheeld,
Withoute the hand fourmyd off Nature,—
Off slym off therthe in Damascene the feeld
God made hem fairest a-boue ech creature;
And for thei sholde perpetueli endure,
Bi discrecioun for a prerogatiff
He endued hem with a soule off liff.

Parfit off age as man off thretti yeer,
Putte hem afftir in possessioun
Off Paradis, a place most enteer,

And off delicis a chose mansioun,
Where Adam made an imposicioun
To fissh and foul, and to thes beestis all,
Off verray resoun what men sholde hem call.

Out off a rib, whil that Adam sleep,
Eue was drawe, ful fair off hir visage,
Al sodenly or that he took keep,
Afftir to hym ioynyd in mariage
For his disport and his auantage,
So as the Lord first wyues dede ordeyne
Outher for helpe or for encres off peyne.

God onto hem gaff the souereynte
Off Paradis and dominacioun,
A place fulfellid off al felicite,
The frutis all in ther subieccioun,
Sauff that off oon was maad excepcioun,
Which God forbad, the Bible can deuise,
That thei sholde touche it in no wise.

All delices off that heuenli place
God gaff to hem and put in her kepyng,
To vsen hem eueri hour and space
To ther most ese, as was to hem likyng—
Bloomys, blosmys, ther fairnesse ay hauyng,
And the frutis alway off o fresshnesse,
For wyntir stormys myht do hem no duresse.

The soil enbroudid ful off somer floures,
Wher weedis wikke hadde noon interesse;
For God and Kynde with fresshnesse off coloures
And with ther tapitis & motles off gladnesse
Had maad that place habounde in al suetnesse;
And fressh[e] Flora, which is off floures queene,
Hir lyuere made off a perpetuel greene.

The trees rauhten almost to the heuene,
Which cast a-boute a ful plesant shade,
That storm nor reyn, thundir, wynd nor leuene
No power hadde ther leuys for to fade:

For euer thei wern Ilich[e] fressh and glade;
And whan thei list, ther thei myhte see
Mid off that gardyn off liff the holsum tre,

Which vertu hadde ageyn al maladie
Folk to preserue off youthe in ther fresshnesse,
Who eet theroff sholde neuer deie,
But lyuen euere in ioie and in gladnesse,
And nouther feele trouble nor siknesse,
But in that place haue alwey hertis ese
And suffisaunce off al that myht hym plese,

Euer endure and neuer falle in age,
For which it was callid the tre off liff.
But whan Adam was fallyn in dotage
And ageyn[es] God gan holdyn striff,
Thoruh excityng off hir that was his wiff,
And wilfulli gaff to hir assent
To breke the precept & comandement

Off God the Lord, thoruh wilful necligence,
Taproche the tre, which that bar the name,
The tre off cunnyng and also off science:
For off the frut who that dede attame,
He sothli sholde, the Bible seith the same,
Off good & euell haue cunnyng in his thouht,
Where-as tofforn off euyl he knew riht nouht.

Thus hadde thei first off euyl experience,
Where-as toforn thei knew no wikkidnesse;
Presumpcioun and inobedience
Brouht hem fro ioie into wrechidnesse:
For afor-tyme, myn auctour berth witnesse,
Helthe and goodnesse wer callid verray liff,
Euyl namyd siknesse, first roote of al our striff.

In Paradis, myn auctour seith certeyn,
Thre ryuers wern, so orient and fyne,
Lich quyksiluyr vpboilyng on the pleyn,
And in ther rennyng verray cristallyne,
Which from a welle heuenli and deuyne

In ther vpspryngyng and ther aualyng doun
Off al plesance gaff so soote a soun,

That it wolde rauysshe a corage,—
Whos bawmy licour endued al the place,
And with the fresshnesse & cours off his passage
The holsum hair hertis dede embrace,—
Ther was such plente off plesance & off grace,
That eueri spice, herbe, greyn and roote
Wer founde growyng in that gardeyn soote.

Ther was also a delectable soun
Off song off birdis in ther armonye,
The hair was cleene from al corupcioun,
For ther engendrid was no maladie;
Ther was al merthe, ther was al melodie,
Off ioie and blisse souereyn suffisance,
With al that may to hertis do plesance.

And off clerkis lik as it is told
In ther bookis, as thei determyne,
How in his speer the sonne manyfold
Was off mor vertu & mor cleer dede shyne
Than it doth now in his mydday lyne,
The moone whittere with hir bemys cleer,
And euery sterre brihtere dede appeer.

Euery thyng was there more vertuous
Than thei be now, who can beholde and see;
For in that place ther was nothyng noious,
But parfit gladnesse knet onto surete,
Perpetuel pes, ioie and prosperite,
And in that blisse to makyn hem mor strong,
To ther confort God spak with hem a-mong.

Off his goodnesse he bar hem cumpanye,
Shewed onto hem his gracious presence,
Angelis also ther staat to magnefie
A-mong to serue hem dede ther dilligence
In dyuers offices with humble reuerence,
And Nature wrouhte for the nonys
Off roial purpill and off riche stonys

Tissues off gold and othir ornamentis
For tenvirowne ther bodili beute,

Shapyng to hem such maner garnementis
As angelis vsen in ther felicite—
Nakid thei wer[e]n fairest on to see;
For whil thei stood in staat off innocence,
Thei hadde off clothyng noon experience.

And off ther blisse to make mencioun,
And off ther ioies that were celestiall,
Ther may be maad[e] no comparisoun
Off no ioie which is temporall,
Which sholde ha been lastynge & inmortall,
Euer talyued in merthe and in gladnesse,
Sauff ageyn resoun, off verray wilfulnesse

Thei banshid hemsilff out of that blisful liff,
Whan Adam gaff credence to a snake
And wrechidli gan trustyn on his wiff,
Which gan thappill off the Serpent take,
And plesantli dede a present make
Onto Adam, as she that ferst began
Deth to deuyse and poisoun onto man.

But as ther ioie was incomparable,
Grettest ther lordship aboue al ertheli thyng,
So ther fall was to he[m] importable;
For he that was all other surmountyng,
In Paradis regnyng as a kyng—
Was it nat a dedli mortal peyne
Fro thilke place to haue a fall sodeyne!

For thilke sorwe surmountith euery sorwe,
Which next folwith afftir felicite;
No wo mor greuous at eue nor at morwe,
As is in deede sodeyn aduersite
Which cometh onwarli afftir prosperite,
Nor nothyng more may hertis disauaunce
Than off old ioie newe remembraunce.

Takith exaumpil off Adam and off Eue,
Makith off hem a merour in your mynde,
Wher of resoun it dede hem gretli greue
For to be put, allas, so ferre behynde

Out off that blisse, thei and al ther kynde,
Chaungyng thestat off inmortalite
And becam subiect to deth and pouerte.

Ther sodeyn chaung & ther onwar myscheeff
And ther onhappi transmutacioun,—
It was to hem ful vnkouth and vnleeff
For to departe fro thilke mansioun
That was so full off delectacioun,
Fro such delicis sodenli to goo
Into this world which is so full off woo.

There is delit, and heer is sorwe [&] care,
There is ioie, and heer is heuynesse,
There is plente, and heer is euel fare,
There is helthe, and heer is gret siknesse,
Heer trouble ay meynt with onseur gladnesse,
Ther is ay blisse and eternal glorie,
And heere no merthe but fals & transitorie.

Allas, how thei wer blyndid in ther siht
Thoruh veynglorie and fals ambicioun!
Thei wente wrong, thei lokid nat a-riht,
Fals couetise was ther confusioun,
Wherthoruh thei loste the dominacioun
Off Paradis, and wex bothe poore & thrall,
Ther fredam leffte and becam mortall.

Onto God thei wolde ha be semblable,
Lik onto hym good and euel to knowe,
And in ther trust for thei wer nat stable,
From ther estat thei were brouht ful lowe:
And thus, allas, the seed was first isowe,
The roote plantid off disobeissaunce,
Which brouht our lynage to sorwe & myschaunce.

Thus cam in first thoruh inobedience,
As bi a gate, pouerte and neede;
And at ther bak folwed indigence,
Sorwe, siknesse, maladie and dreede,
Exil, banshyng and seruitute, in deede,
Which causid man longe to contune
Vndir the lordshipe & daunger off Fortune.

Thus cam in eek maladie and deth
To dispoile mankynde off his beute,
Long siknesse and pestilence that sleth
Bi sodeyn strok which no man may fle;
For onto Adam and his posterite
Deth was annexid bi successioun
For his offence, and so conueied doun

Fro man to man in eueri maner age.
For who list knowe, synne brouht in shame,
Man to be feeble and feynt in his passage,
And be processe to wexen halt and lame—
Onto Adam this was an vnkouth game,
To be constreynyd from riche apparaile
In bareyn erthe to sekyn his vitaile.

In hungir [and] thrust heere he ladde his liff,
With soot, with labour and tribulaciouns,
Endured also many mortal striff,
Off hot and cold riht straunge passiouns,
Off elementis sodeyn mutaciouns,
Wynd, hail and reyn feerfulli fallyng,
And onwar strokis off thundir & lihtnyng.

Thei stood also in daunger and in dreed
Off cruel beestis, tigres and leouns,
Off tusshi booris, who-so taketh heed,
And in gret feer off these fell dragouns,
Thassaut off serpentis and off scorpiouns;
For thilke beestis that toforn were mylde,
Afftir ther synnyng ful rage wex and wilde.

Wher thei stood[e] first in sekirnesse,
Off ioie and blisse euer in oon lastyng,
Out off ther reste thei fill in onseurnesse,
In sorwe and sihhyng, & dolorous pleynyng;
And fro ther eyen contynueli wepyng,
The bittir teris day be day distille,
In this desert for wantyng off ther wille.

And whethir wer thei sorweful or fayn,
Long tyme afftir ther desolacioun,
Whan thei fond Abel ther owyn sone slayn

Be cruel Caym to his confusioun,
The same Caym, as maad is mencioun,
Afftir that tyme wilde and vacabounde
Til blynde Lamech gaff hym his dethis wounde.

Adam nor Eue affor that ilke tyme
Hadde neuer seyn no feste funerall,
Off chaung it was to hem a newe pryme,
For to beholde a thyng disnaturall,
Brethre off o wombe be hatred fraternall,
The toon off herte so feer hymselff deuyde,
Off fals malis to been an homicide.

And was it nat a peyne whan thei stood,
For to beholde ther sone pale and ded
Ligge on the ground[e], bathid in his blood,
And al the soil where he lay was red,
That whan Adam and Eue tooken heed,
It was to hem ful gret aduersite
The newe slauhtre to beholde and see.

And euer a-mong ther sihhes harde and sore,
Ther bittir wepyng and sorwes to auaunce,
Or thei wer war, ther heris wexyn hore,
And age gan ther beute disauaunce;
Ther youthe also be ful gret displesaunce
Gan tappalle, or thei it coude espie,
Be cruel constreynt and force of maladie.

And whan off youthe fallyn was the flour
Bi the processe of many hundrid yeris,
And bi the duresse off many gret labour
Thei wex onlusti and ougli off ther cheris—
Off age and deth, these be the daungeris,
To seyn chekmat, in nature it is kouth,
Onto beute and greene lusty youth.

For whan the yeris fulli passid be
Off flouryng age, lastyng a sesoun,
Be processe, at eie men may see,
Beute declynyth, his blosmys falle doun;
And lite and litil be successioun

Cometh croked elde onwarli in crepyng,
With his potent ful poorli manasyng.

Thus to our fadir, that callid was Adam,
Off creatures fairest off alle faire,
Afftir gret age, bi processe deth in cam,
And gan onwarli ascende vpon the staire
With his potent, and caste hym to repaire
With Antropos, which affor shal goon
For tuntwyne his lyuys threed anoon.

And in Ebron was maad his sepulture,
Ther afftir bilt a myhti gret cite,
Bi whos story and record off nature
I may conclude, who-so list to see,
That neuer man hadde liberte,
Sithen that Adam our Lord gan disobeye,
Ageyn[e]s deth, but that he muste deye.

The compleynt off Bochas vpon the fall off Adam.

In compleynyng, myn auctour Iohn Bochas
Ful pitousli in his aduertence
Bewepith, wailith, & offte seith allas,
In an appel ther was so gret offence,
That for a tast off inobedience,
Adam, allas, sholde ha[ue] so gret a fall,
So sodenli to deie and be mortall!

Which exaumpil ouhte I-nouh suffise,
In al this world[e] thouh there were no mo,
Texemplefie to folkis that be wise,
How this world is a thoruhfare ful off woo,
Lich fals Fortune, which turnyth to and fro
To make folkis, whan thei most cleerli shyne,
In ther estatis onwarli to declyne.

For thouh that thei her hedis leffte a-loffte
Hih as Phebus shynyth in his speer,
Thynke them-silff[e], as it fallith offte,
Ther renoun rechith aboue the sterris cleer,
And how ther fame surmountith euery speer—

Ther trust corrupt hath a ful sodeyn fall,
For to declare how thei be mortall.

O worldli folk, aduertisith off entent,
What vengaunce and what punycioun
God shal taken in his iugement
For your trespas and your transgressioun,
Which breke his preceptis a-geyn al resoun!
Ye han forgoten, how with his precious blood
You for to saue he starff vpon the rood.

For yiff Adam for his disobeissaunce
Was bi the Lord, as hym list ordeyne,
Maad first & formyd with euery circumstaunce
Off creatures to be most souereyne,
Yiff that he was enbraced in the cheyne
Off seruitute, with thraldam ouerseyn,
What shal I thanne off othir folkis seyn,

That lyuyn heer in this desert off sorwe,
In this exil off plesance desolat,
And in this world[e], both at eue & morwe,
Off hertili ioie stonde disconsolat,
Al destitut and eek infortunat,
And forpossid with wo off worldli trouble,
Ay variable and ful off chaungis double?

Ye nat entende but to fals couetise,
To fraude, baret and extorsioun,
Geyn God and trouthe in many dyuers wise,
Geyn your neihbour be fals collusioun
To doon [him] wrong and oppressioun,
And werst off all, ye rechch[e] nat be synne
To sle your soule, worldli good to wynne.

And yiff it falle your power be but small
Taccomplisshe your auarice in deede,
Your synful will assentith ouerall
Thyng to desire off which ye may nat speede;
And thus fals lust doth your bridil leede,
Thrust off hauyng so sore you doth assaile,
Falsli afferd the world you sholde faile.

And yiff that God, benigne and debonaire,
With his yerde off castigacioun
Chastise you but esili and faire,
Ye grucch ageyn[es] his correccioun,
Nothyng aduertyng in your discrecioun,
How God nat bad us, who can taken heed,
Nat for to stryue nor to wrastle in deed,

Nouther our strengthe nor our myht tapplie
Vpon the beeste monstruous and sauage,
Which callid is the Chymere off Licie—
Speciali whan he is in his rage,
Which monstre hadde to his auauntage
Hed off a leoun, as bookis determyne,
Wombe off goot, and tail serpentyne,

Which was outraied off Bellofforon,
As olde poetis make mencioun.
Nor God bad nat that men sholde gon
Into Colchos to conquere with Iason
The Flees off Gold, which in that regioun
With firi bolis off metal maad and bras,
And bi a dragoun ful streihtli kepid was.

God bad us nat our cuntrees for to lete
To vndirfonge thynges inpossible,
The Minotaur for to slen in Crete,
Halff man, halff bole, yiff it be credible,
Which was a monstre hatful and odible,
Whilom brouht foorth, in bookis ye may see,
Bi Minos wiff, callid Pasiphe,

Whos story techith, yiff ye list to lere,
This ougli beeste cruel and monstruous,
Thoruh Adriane, the kyngis douhter deere,
Was whilom slay[e]n be duc Theseus
Withynne a caue maad be Dedalus.
God bit us nat, pleynli, for his sake,
So gret emprises for to vndirtake.

He bit us nat to been so rek[e]les
In pereilous deedis that been marciall
Vs to iuparte as dede Hercules,

Which bi the biddyng in especiall
Off Euristeus, the myhti kyng roiall,
Lord off Athenys, to make his honour shyne,
Lernyd off armys the famous disciplyne.

Off his preceptis yiff we han a siht
And remembre off his hih bounte,
He vs comaundith thyngis that been liht
For taccomplisshe with al humilite,
From our corage tauoide al vanite,
And from our hertis texcludyn idilnesse
And the fals chaung off al worldli gladnesse.

For on-taman that parfit is and stable,
Bi good resoun myn auctour doth well preue,
There is no thyng mor fair nor agreable
Than fynali his vicious liff to leue,
On verray God rihtfully beleue,
Hym loue and worshepe a-boue al ertheli thinges;
This passith victory off emperours and kynges.

The Lord bit eek, who that can discerne,
Off enteer loue to doon our labour
In this liff heer so oursilff gouerne,
To fadir & moodir that we do dieu honour,
And in ther neede to doon to hem socour,
And in al vertu our frendis to conforte,
And to our power in myscheeff hem supporte.

For in this world is no thyng mor parfit,
Nor taccomplisshe thyng off mor plesance,
Than a man for to haue delit
In litil good to hauen suffisance,
And be content in his gouernance,
Voide auarice and thynkyn euer a-mong,
To his neihbour that he do no wrong.

Nat to coueite his goodis in no wise,
Hymsilff gouerne lik to his estat,
Nat excede, but fleen and eek despise

Al maner loue which is disordynat,
Hymsilff preseruyng from contek & debat,
And speciali teschewen, it is good,
Slauhtre, moordre & shedyng eek off blood.

Fleen from his synne and hatyn for to lie,
Off olde offencis a-mong ha[ue] repentance,
And teschewe al scorn and moquerie,
Ageyn vicis doon almesse and penance,
And to haue most souere[y]nli plesance
To sue the pathes of our Lord Iesu,
Trewe exaumplaire off grace and al vertu.

Which for our sake and our redempcioun
And for our loue was nailid to a tre,
Suffrid peyne and cruel passioun,
And nothyng axeth, off hih nor low degre
Recompensid ageynward for to be,
But that we sette al hooli our ententis
For to fulfille his comaundementis.

And off his grace heer in this mortal liff,
As we precelle in wisdom and resoun,
And off his giffte han a prerogatiff
Toforn all beestis bi discrecioun,
Therfore lat us off hool entencioun,
As we off resoun beestis ferr exceede,
Lat us forn hem be, be woord, exaumple and deede.

Grounde us first vpon humilite,
Our pompous eien meekli to vnclose,
Enclyne our hedis, and to conceyue and see
Al worldli welthe shal fadyn as a rose,
And off meek herte lat us oursilff dispose,
Bi this tragedie to ha[ue] knowlechyng
Off our myscheeff how roote and eek gynnyng

Was the vice off inobedience,
Surquedie and fals disobeissaunce,
As myn auctour hath shewid in sentence,
Enprentith it weel in your remembraunce,
Be-war the serpent with his disseyuaunce,

The flessh, the world, your enmies, alle thre,
Thoruh ther treynys ye nat deceyued be.

Your beste sheeld to make resistence
Ageyn ther power sothli is meeknesse,
Your haberioun most myhti off diffence,
The feendis myht to venquysshe and oppresse,
Is to remembre deuoutli with lownesse,
How meekli Crist to paien our ransoun
Suffred on a crosse deth and passioun.

Wherbi men may, that prudent been & wis,
The ioies cleyme which been eternall,
And entre ageyn into Paradis,
Fro when[ne]s whilom Adam hadde a fall;
To which[e] place a-boue celestiall,
O Crist Iesu, so brynge us to that glory,
Which be thi deth hadde the victory!

The lenvoye off this tragedie.

Sodeyn departyng out off felicite
Into miserie and mortal heuynesse,
Vnwar depryuyng of our prosperite,
Chaung off gladnesse into wrechchidnesse,
Long langwisshyng in wo and bittirnesse,
Contynuel sorwe, dreed, dool and pestilence
Were first brouht in bi inobedience.

Adam and Eue losten ther liberte,
Ther fraunchise and ther blissidnesse,
Put into exil and captyuyte
To lyue in labour, in wo and pensifnesse,
Thoruh fals desirs off pompous wilfulnesse,
To the Serpent whan thei gaff credence,
The Lord mistristyng thoruh inobedience.

But, o allas, where-as thei were fre,
Off ioie eternal stood in sekirnesse,
Thei were to blynde—allas, it was pite!—
To leue ther reste and lyue in werynesse,
Al ther offspryng to bryngyn in distresse,
Drawyng fro God his due reuerence
Thoruh fals consentyng to inobedience.

Wherfore, ye Pryncis, auisili doth see,
As this tragedie in maner berth witnesse,
Where-as wantith in any comounte
Subieccioun, for lakkyng off meeknesse,
And with pouert pride hath an interesse,
Ther folwith afftir thoruh froward insolence
Among the peeple fals inobedience.

And, noble Pryncis, which han the souereynte
To gouerne the peeple in rihtwisnesse,
Lik as ye cherisshe hem in pes and vnyte,
Or frowardli destroie hem or oppresse,
So ageynward ther corages thei will dresse
Lowli tobeie to your magnyficence,
Or disobeie bi inobedience.

[How Nembroth bilt the toure of babilone to saue him from noyous flodis which for his pride was put fro his magnificence and his toure with sodeyne levene smyten doun.]

Myn auctour Bochas, as he that vndirstood
The vengaunces & myscheuis huge
Which that God took with Noes Flood,
Whan he sente an vniuersel deluge,
Ageyn[e]s which there was no refuge,
Sauf eihte personis in that mortal wo
Withynne a ship were sauyd and no mo.

Wherfore myn auctour lihtli ouergoth,
Makith off that age no special remembraunce,
But passeth ouer from Adam to Nembroth,
Consid[e]ryng how in that dedli chaunce
The Lord for synne took so gret vengaunce,
That be writyng off cronique nor historie,
Off hih nor low was lefft[e] no memorie.

For ther was lefft cronicle noon nor book
Afftir the Flood, that made mencioun
Off noon auctour, who-so list to look;

For al was brouht to destruccioun
Bi a deluge, withoute excepcioun,
For which myn auctour transportid hath his stile,
And off that tyme list nothyng compile.

He fond no mater wheron he myht founde
Nor sette his foot, bi noon auctorite,
Nor no trouthe his purpos on to grounde
Off old[e] writyng that he coude see;
For which hym thouhte, off necessite
The surplusage off al that tyme lete,
And afftir Adam with Nembroth for to meete.

And certis, lich as Bochas in this book
Remembrith first off Adam the storye,
So next in ordre he the story took
To speke off Nembroth and his surquedie,
Which heere in erthe, as bookis specefie,
Afftir the Flood his wawes gan asswage,
Was maad a lord to gouerne in that age.

For whan the floodis begonne to discrese,
And God his vengaunce gan to modefie,
Withdrouh his hand, the watir tho gan cese,
Vpon the mounteyns hie off Armenye
The shipp gan reste, the Bible can nat lye;
And in that age, callid the secounde,
Lynage off man be-gan a-geyn tabounde.

Tencrese ageyn and to multeplie,
And bi discent, in bookis ye may see
Specefied the genealogie,
How that oon Chiris, cosyn to Noe,
A man that tyme off gret auctorite,
Onto this Nembroth, the story doth assure,
The fadir was, as bi engendrure.

This Nembroth wex myhti, large and long,
Excellyng othre as off his stature,
Surquedous, hardi and riht strong,
And in his tyme gret labour myht endure,
And in his force so moche he dede assure,

That ther was noon on watir nor on lond
Which durste presume his power to withstond.

And his noblesse mor to magnefie
In worldli worshepe, bi report off his glorie,
He was callid cheeff prynce off venerie,
Desirous euer for to han victorie
Off beestis wilde, to be put in memorie
And haue a pris amongis these champiouns,
Tigres to daunte, bores and leouns.

Ther was no beeste in wodes so sauage
That durste ageyn hym make resistence;
His furious ire so mortal was and rage,
The erthe quook for feer off his presence,
Til atte laste in his aduertence,
As a prynce deuoidid off al grace,
Ageyn[e]s God he gan for to compace.

He made a maner coniuracioun,
This froward geant, and a conspiracie,
Took his counseil bi fals collusioun,
His myht, his power for to magnefye,
And his estat for to glorefie,
Thouhte he wolde off his entent nat faile
God and the heuene proudli to assaile.

That maugre God, which [that] gouernyth all,
He thouhte he wolde proudli take on honde,
Ageyn deluges, yiff any falle shall,
Off prouidence pleynli hem withstonde,
Hymsilff tassure & make a place on londe
That sholde hym keepe & been to hym diffence
Bothe a-geyn God and watris violence.

And that thei myhte acomplisshe ther entent
Lich ther desir, thei dedyn ther labour,
Took ther counseil al be oon assent,
Chose Nembroth ther duc, ther gouernour
Hem to conveie and doon to hem socour,
To been ther guide, afforn as thei were war,
Toward a contre which callid is Sennar,

In compas wise round a-boute closid
With a gret flood namyd Eufrates.
Ther straunge foli which thei han purposid,
For to fulfille thei wer nat rek[e]les:
This to seyne, thei put hemsilff in pres,
So hih a tour for to edefie,
Which that sholde surmounte a-boue the skie,

That thei sholde greued be no more,
With no deluge brouht to destruccioun,
Nor that watres may nat greue hem sore,
This was the fyn off ther entencioun.
And off that tour & myhti strong dongoun,
Geyn God and floodis hemsiluen to assure,
The heihte and largesse were off o mesure.

Thus off Nembroth encresen gan the name;
And in the peeplis reputacioun,
Off gold and richesse he hadde so gret a fame,
Thei callid hym god in ther opynyoun,
Most eurous, most myhti off renoun,
The world al hool vndir his obeissaunce,
As god and lord he took the gouernaunce.

Vndir whos myht the peeple gan proceede,
He as a lord hauyng inspeccioun,
Pershyng the bowell[s] off the erthe in deede
To make myhti ther fundacioun;
And off fals glory and veyn ambicioun,
This proude Nembroth in his appetit,
To seen hem werke hadde ful gret delit.

His ioie was and his inward gladnesse
To beholde so gret a cumpanye
Percen the erthe bi so gret depnesse,
To make the ground[e] strong bi masounrye,
The werk vpward for to fortefie,
With many a ston, huge & large off weihte,
Thei han it reisid vp in the heir off heihte.

And fynali bi mediacioun
Off this gret werk Nembroth wex famous,
Takyng in herte gret consolacioun,

That be report he was so glorious,
Off so gret myht & off port so pompous,
That he was so myhti, riche and strong
To reise a tour, so wid, so large, so long.

For to this day touchyng the grete myht
Off this tour, which Babel yit men call,
Men fro ful ferr may han therof a syht,
For it surmountith othir touris all.
Off which[e] werk thus it is befall,
Off serpentis and many a gret dragoun
It is now callid cheeff habitacioun,

That no man dar, as ferr as thei it see,
For wikkid heir and for corrupcioun,
Bi a gret space and bi a gret contre
Approche no neer that merueilous dongoun,
So venymous is that mansioun
And so horrible, no man dar approche,
Lik to a mounteyn bilt off a craggi roche.

And as men seyn that haue had ther repair,
This tour atteynyth onto the sterris cleer,
And transcendith the regioun off the hair.
The ston, the syment wer maad off such mateer,
And the ioynyng so stedfast and enteer,
Thouh fir and watir bothe it dede assaile,
Ful lite or nouht ther power sholde auaile.

It was maad so myhti to endure,
So weel assurid be disposicioun,
That in this world no lyuyng creature
Sauh neuer noon lik in comparisoun;
Whos reryng up was cheeff occasioun,
And the richesse off the masounrye,
Wherthoruh Nembroth off pride and surquedie

Dempte proudli, as in his auys,
He transcendid all othre in noblesse,
Thouhte hymsilff most myhti & most wis,
Felawe to God, as be liklynesse.
But God, that can al worldli pride oppresse,
And make pryncis eclipsen in ther glory,
Such as truste in thyngis transitory—

The same Lord off his eternal myht,
This tour which Nembroth list to edefie,
He made with thondir & with leuene liht

Theroff to falle a ful gret partie;
The boistous wyndis and the rage skie,
And Goddis power on the tother side,
Gan thus a-bate a parcel off his pride.

And in discence and fallyng off the stonys,
Off the werkmen ful many a man was ded,
And oppressid, ther bak Ibroke and bonys,
The masounry with ther blood was red:
Yit proude Nembroth, that of this werk was hed,
With al these signes his Lord ne list nat knowe,
For which his pompe was afftir brouht ful lowe.

But in his errour procedith forth off newe,
Thouhte he wolde gete hymselff a name,
Off malencolie gan chaunge look and hewe,
And gan also attempten and attame,
For to encrece and magnefie his fame,
A newe tour to edefie a-geyn,
Lik as God hadde be blynd & nothyng seyn.

He wolde haue rauht up to the sterris seuene
Bassent off hem that gan hym first counsaile,
Robbid God, & from hym rauht the heuene;
But who presumeth the Lord aboue tassaile,
It were no resoun that he sholde auaile:
Pryncis may weel ageyn hym crie loude,
But his power may clipse with no cloude.

For in the middis off his grete emprises,
This proude Nembroth makyng his masouns
For to compasse and castyn there deuises,
Gemetriens in ther dyuysiouns,—
But God that hath his inspecciouns,
Seyng thentent off eueri ertheli man,
As he that is most myhti and best can

Ageyn ther malis make resistence,
Ther worldli power, ther domynacioun
Off his onchaungable & most magnificence

He can chastise and ouerwhelme doun—
The pride off pryncis in eueri regioun,
Bexaumple off Nembroth, a-noon as ye shal heer,
Whos pompe rauhte a-boue the sterris cleer.

For whan his werkmen stood at auauntage,
And most were besi to his entencioun,
And to-fortyme spak al o language,
Al sodenli be transmutacioun
Ther was off tunges maad a dyuysioun,
That in ther werkyng as thei gan abraide,
No man wiste what that othir saide.

And it is likli accordyng with resoun,
So as the chaung was maad off ther languages,
So off ther hertis was maad dyuysioun,
Bothe off ther will, and off ther corages;
And in descendyng off ther werkyng stages,
Ther was such chaung off brother onto brother,
Lik straungers noon knew thentent off other.

Myn auctour trowith that this dyuersite
Was for ther gilt causid be vengaunce,
And ellis God off riht and equite
Disposid hath in his ordenaunce
To been a-mong hem so gret a variaunce,
That thoruh the world thei sholde hemself deuyde,
And from Nembroth disseuere & nat a-bide.

Thei gan a-noon a-mong hemsilff disdeyne
To accepte this Nembroth for ther kyng;
Yit a-mong hem, in soth ther wer nat tweyne
Oon off a-nother that hadde cleer knowyng,
Nor off ther speche that knew the pleyn menyng:
For which the contre off Sennar thei forsook,
And ech off hem a sondri contre took.

Thei departid, made no lengere spacis,
Folwyng the fortune off ther dyuysioun,
And gan to chese hem newe duellyng placis
In the parties off many a regioun;
And thus Nembroth was pryued & put doun,
And off Babel, the myhti famous tour,
He was no lengere callid possessour:

For a-geyn the pride off this Nembroth
Froward Fortune gan hir cours to varie,
And God also was in maner wroth,
Off surquedie that he was so contrarie;
And for the place was wilde and solitarie
Off this Sennar, furious and sauage,
Nembroth gan feeble & falle into gret age.

And yit summe bookis off hym specefie,
He wix froward off his condicioun,
And was first ground off ydolatrie
And fyndere up off fals relegioun,
Causyng peeplis to haue openyoun
Goddis to worshepe in paganysme wise,
Foundour off rihtis and off fals sacrefise.

Toward Perce he ches his duellyng-place,
Which contre is in the orient;
That his lordship sholde strecch a gret[e] space,
He bounded hym into the occident:
For Perce-lond haueth his extent
Toward the parties of the Rede Se;
And this land Perce, who-so list [to] see,

As bookis olde remembre and put in mynde—
How that Perce costeieth enviroun
Septemtrion and the grettere Inde
And many a-nothir myhti regioun,
Wher Nembroth first hadde domynacioun,
Which extendith, as bookis specefie,
Out off Mede into Germanye.

But in lordshipes, as myn auctour seith,
Withoute that vertu be ther trewe guide,
In hem ther is suraunce noon nor feith—
Thyng that passith, which may no while abide;
Wherfore Bochas, in despit off pride
And in rebukyng off all folkis proude,
Makyng his compleynt crieth to hem ful loude:

The mater ageyn þe pride of princis.

[An exclamacioun of Bochas ageyn al proude men/ shewyng how god may them and theire pride whan him best list by many dyuers menes and wayes punysshe & chastise.]

Ye all proude, most royall in your flouris,
Which that most truste for to regne longe,
Dressith up your rochis & your touris,
And ageyn God make your-siluen stronge,
And lat your power proudli vndirfonge
Your-silff with pride for to magnefie,
Ageyns the heuene to holden chaumpartie.

Beeldith your castellis, reiseth hem vp on heihte
Off adamantis [with iren] stronge Ibounde,
With squar[e] stonys, large & huge off weihte,
Reise up your wallis, most myhti and profounde,
And shet your dongouns with myhti cheynys rounde,
Let men off armys, who-euer wake or sleepe,
Nyht & day your wacch so streihtli keepe,

As God nor man, in your opynyouns,
Your forteressis ne myhte nat assaile,
Your castellis nor your stronge dongouns
Stuffid with men and plente off vitaile,
Lik to stonde euere and neuere for to faile,
As God nat myhte a-geyn your fals puissaunce
Whan-euer hym list off riht to do vengaunce!

Settith afforn your eyen that be blynde
The monstruous werk off grete Babiloun;
The pride off Nembroth ther was put behynde,
Maugre his myht, and his tour smet doun:
For al the crafft off werkman or masoun
Destroied was with a sodeyn leuene,
Tauenge his pride sent a-doun fro heuene.

For thouh your strengthes so assurid be,
That noon engyn may therto atteyne,
Gunne nor bumbard bi no subtilite,

Shot off arblast nor touch off dundeyne;
Yit God that is lord and souereyne,
Which lich desertis can bothe spille and saue,
Mai al confounde with an erthe-quaue.

Myn auctour axith, what castel or what tour
May be so strong[e] maad in any wise,
But that be mene off sum fals tretour,
Or be sum weie that he can deuise,
It may be lost or sold for couetise
And delyuered, for al ther stronge bondis,
Into the power off enmyes hondis.

Or bi sum other sodeyn auenture,
Castellis, citees and many a riche toun
Han been lost; thei myhte hem nat assure
For to resiste a-geyn[e]s fals tresoun:
Summe ha be lost eek bi rebellioun;
And alle these menys, the trouthe to be-gynne,
Ys but punshyng which God sent for synne.

God hath a thousand handis to chastise,
A thousand dartis off punycioun,
A thousand bowes maad in vnkouth wise,
A thousand arblastis bent in his dongoun,
Ordeyned echon for castigacioun;
But where he fynt meeknesse & repentaunce,
Mercy is maistresse off his ordynaunce.

Ye that be wise, considreth how the roote
Off vicis alle is pride, ye may weel see;
Pullith hym doun and put hym vndir foote
And tak your counseil off humilite:
And yff ye list [to] stonde in surete,
Beeldith in herte for mor sekirnesse
A tour off vertues groundid on meeknesse,

Whos masonrie is off no costage,
Off vertues ground and souereyne,
Blast off wyndis and off wedris rage,
Nor no tempest hasti nor sodeyne,
Pompe nor bost, thouh thei doon her peyne,

This vertu meeknesse for to vndirmyne,—
Thei be to feeble to make hire for tenclyne.

For wher meeknesse is groundid verraily,
Thouh he sumwhile feele aduersite,
He passith ouer and suffreth paciently
And venguisshith al maner enmite,
Thassaut also and the contrariouste
Off infortune, and off worldli trouble,
And off victory conquereth a palme double.

And thouh meeknesse a-myd the flodis flowe
Off worldli myscheeff and persecucioun,
Whil Pacience in hir boot doth rowe,
Thouh froward wawes posse hir up & doun,
A calm shal folwe off consolacioun,
Whan sterne wyndis ther blastis ha[ue] leid lowe,
The name off meeknesse shal shewe & be knowe.

She may be troublid, but ouercome neuere;
But for a tyme she may suffer werre,
But atte eende she venquisshith euere,
On londe and se, wher she be nyh or ferre:
To the hauene off lyff she was our lodesterre,
I take record on the humylite
Off Mary, so blissid mut she be.

The roote off meeknesse flourith up so faire,
Whos beute dredith no tribulaciouns;
In somer, wyntir his flouris nat appaire,
And hir frut last in al maner sesouns:
Pride may assaile with his bostful souns,
But fynaly for hir encres off glorie,
With humblesse she wynnith the victorie.

[Lenvoy.]

O folkis all that this tragedie reede,
Haueth to meeknesse a-mong your aduertence,
Off proude Nembroth also takith heede,
How that he fill from his magnificence,
Onli for he be sturdi violence
List off malis the myhti Lord assaile,
But in such caas what myht his pride auaile?

Noble Pryncis, which that this world posseede,
Ye that be famous off wisdam and prudence,
And han so many subiectis, that you dreede,
In gouernaunce vndir your excellence,
Lat your power with meeknesse so dispence,
That fals[e] pride oppresse nat the poraile,
Which to your noblesse so moche may auaile.

Pride of Nembroth dede the bridil leede,
Which hym conueied to gret insolence;
Pride apperteneth nothyng to manheede,
Sauf in armys to shewen his presence—
Wherfore honour, laude and reuerence
Be to meeknesse, that hath the gouernaile
Off alle vertues man may most auaile.

[How many yeres was betwixt Adam and Nembroth and betwixt Nembroth and Cadmus and of other kynges.]

These olde poetis with ther sawes swete
Ful couertli in ther vers do feyne,
How olde Saturne was whilom kyng of Crete,
And off custum dede his besy peyne,
Off his godhed list for to ordeyne
That he sholde, as off his nature,
Echon deuoure as by his engendrure.

In this mateer shortli to soiourne,
To vndirstonde off poetis the processe,
Thei meene pleynli that this woord Saturne
Doth in it-silff nothyng but tyme expresse;
And philisophres bere also witnesse,
That as in tyme, foorth euery thyng is brouht,
So tyme ageynward bryngith euery thing to nouht.

Clerkis recorde eek in ther writyng,
Vndir support as I dar reherse,
How that fir wastith euery thyng,
And iren hard doth nesshe thynges perse;
Yiff auht a-bitt that they may nat transuerse,
Yit comyth tyme, and bi contynuaunce,
And al consumeth with his sharp[e] launce.

His sharp[e] toth of consumpcioun
In stille wise doth his besi cure
For to anentise, in conclusioun,
Alle thynge that is brouht foorth bi Nature,
Bi long abidyng thei may hem nat assure;
For olde thyngis deuourid men may see,
Fer out off mynde, as thei neuer had be.

Who can or may remembre in any wise
The glorious prowesse off these pryncis olde,
Or the noblesse of philisophres wise,
Or off poetis the feynyng to onfolde:
Processe off yeris, allas! as I you tolde,
Deuoured hath ther fame and ther noblesse,
Derkid ther renoun bi foryetilnesse.

Thus off ther namys is lefft no memory,
Tyme with his rasour hath doon so gret vengance,
Shauen a-wey the honour and the glory
Off many a noble, ful myhti off puissance,
That there is lefft now no remembrance
Off pryncis, poetis, nor off philisophres;
For whan that deth nailed hem in ther cofres,

Kam tyme vpon, and bi processe off yeeris
Ther memory hath duskid and ther mynde,
And reuolucioun off the heuenli speeris,
Bi offte turnyng ther glory hath lefft behynde:
Thus euery thyng which subiect is to Kynde,
Is in this liff withoute mor auauntage
Wastid with tyme and processe off long age.

In the firste age from Adam to Noe,
Prudent listres, which list in bookis reede,
Fynde off Fortune no mutabilite,
Nor off hir chaungis took[e] tho noon hede;
But from Adam ther reknyd been in deede
Onto Nembroth, bi turnyng off the heuene,
A thousand yeer, seuene hundrid and elleuene.

In which[e] space, who that considreth weel,
Ther be no thyngis write in special,
Digne off memorie nor spoke off neueradeel,

Which that be notable nor historial;
But fro the tyme Nembroth hadde a fal,
Onto Cadmus the yeeris to contene,
Thei were a thousand, foure hundrid & fourtene.

Touchyng [this] Cadmus, as Bochas list tendite,
It is rehercid bi rethoriciens,
How oon Vixoses, in bookis as thei write,
Was maad first kyng off the Egipciens,
Where philisophres & nygromanciens
Gan first tabounde ther renoun to auaunce,
Nachor that tyme hauyng the gouernaunce

Off the Hebreus, as maad is mencioun—
Afftir Nembroth, bi trewe rehersaile,
Thre hundred yeer bi computacioun,
Four score & tuelue, which tyme, it is no faile,
That Vixorses gan to werre & eek bataile
Off volunte geyn straunge naciouns,
And to conquere citees, burwes [&] touns.

Bi force onli, withoute title off riht,
He wan al Egipt to encrece his name;
But for al that, who list to haue a siht,
There is now lefft no report off his fame,
Sauf Bochas writ, how he first dede attame
His myhti conquest off entencioun
That the glory and the hih renoun

Ascryued were onto his worthynesse,
And the residue and the surplusage
Off gold, off tresor, off good & off richesse
Turne sholde to comoun auauntage
Off al his peeple, that euery maner age
Reporte myhte, it was to hym mor nerre
Boue syngulerte his comoun to preferre.

Eek Thanaus off Cithie first kyng,
Whan Saruch was duk & souereyne
Ouer the Iewes, be record off writyng,—

Too hundred yeer, sexti and eek tweyne
Afftir Nembroth, this Tanaus gan ordeyne
A myhti power and a strong bataile
Hem off Cithie proudli to assaile,

Conqueryng fro thens onto the ile
Callid Ponto, in ful cruel wise:
And thouh his lordship last nat but a while,
Al that he wan, it was for couetise;
And as Bochas doth off these folk deuise,
Processe off yeris, for al ther gret puissaunce,
Hath put ther namys out off remembraunce.

Zorastres eek, for al his grete myht,
Off Bactrians kyng and possessour,
Lord off Trace and a ful manli knyht,
Off all his dedis and off his gret labour,
Off his conquest nor off his gret honour
Is nothyng lefft, off writyng us beforn,
Sauf that he louh the hour whan he was born.

He began ful soone to be merie,
With sodeyn lauhtir at his natyuyte;
And worthy Nynus, that was kyng off Assirie,
Expowned his lauhtre to gret felicite,
The which[e] Nynus wan many a straunge cuntre,
And day be day his power gan encrese,
For which he wolde off his conquest nat cese.

For this the maner off these conqueroures:
Whan thei haue had in armis o victorie,
Thei do ther myht, ther peyne & ther laboures
With newe emprises to be put in memorie;
For ther corages, supprisid with veynglorie,
Can nat be stille content in ther estat
Til her parodie sey to hem chek-maat.

Fortune off armys, in bookis ye may reede,
With a fals lauhtre on folkis thouh she smyle,
She froward euere, or thei can takyn heede,
Off hir nature will falsly hem be-gyle;
Conquest bi werre lastith but a whyle,

For who bi deth doth sturdi violense,
God will bi deth his vengaunce recompense.

This worthy Nynus gan myhtili preuaile
A-geyn Zorastres, off whom I spak tofore;
For he with hym fauht last in bataile,
In which Nynus hath hym so weel Ibore,
That Zorastres hath the feeld Ilore.
And he was auctour, as bookis specefie,
Off fals magik and off nygromancie.

He fond the nature off euery element,
Ther kyndeli werkyng & ther mutaciouns,
The cours off sterris & off the firmament,
Ther influencis, ther disposiciouns,
Ther aspectis and ther coniuncciouns,
Wrot in peleris deuised off metall
The seuene sciencis callid liberall.

Eek in pilers off brik ful harde Ibake,
Which were up set, longe, large & huge,
He gan eek write hem & to vndirtake
To make hem seur, as for ther refuge,
That thei sholde be flood nor [no] deluge
Diffacid been, as off ther scripture,
But in ther grauyng perpetueli endure.

But thouh Zorastres this crafft first out fond,
Ful lite or nouht to hym it myhte auaile;
And thouh he were a good knyht off his hond,
He was off Nynus slay[e]n in bataile,
Loste his rewm and royal apparaile;
And Nynus deide withynne a litil throwe,
But in what wise the story is nat knowe.

Eek Moides kyng off Sodomee,
I fynde off hym no memory be writyng,
Sauff in a story, as men may reede and see,
He and his peeple were fre in ther lyuyng;
But he that was off Assiriens kyng,
Thoruh fals Fortune, that can so offte varie,
To Babiloyne made hem tributarie.

We han eek sey[e]n and rad also
The vengaunces and the pestilence
Doon in Egipt to kyng Pharao,
For that he made a maner resistence
Ageyn[e]s God, off wilful necligence;
Therfore his peeple vpon a day and he
Were dreynt echon amyd the Rede Se.

The peeplis off God lad be Moyses,
Withoute trouble off any maner wawe,
Wente echon sauf in quiete & in pes;
And Pharao, as he gan afftir drawe
Hem to pursue, bi a ful mortal lawe,
In his pursut froward and atteynt,
A-mong the wawes with his host was dreynt.

In Exodo ben the menciouns
Ceriousli put in remembraunce,
The twelue plages and persecuciouns
In Egipt doon, bi ful gret vengaunce;
And off ther tresor & ther gret substaunce
Thei were dispoilid bi Hebreus, it is told,
Off ther vesselis off siluer & off gold.

And out off Egipt ful gret tresor thei ladde,
Such as thei thouhte myhte hem most auaile;
And Pharao, I fynde that he hadde
Too hundrid charis enarmyd for bataile,
Hem to pursue and proudli to assaile,
And fifti thousand, in whom ther was no lak,
Off men off armys folwyng on horsbak.

Too hundred thousand off footmen hym aboute,
And off Egipt al this cheualrie;
And Pharao with al [t]his gret[e] route
Gan Israel pursuen off envie,
But for his pride and fals surquedie,
He and his peeple wer drownyd euerichon,
Off al his noumbre ther was lefft nat oon.

His froward herte a-geyn God indurat,
Fulfillid off malis and obstynacie,
And [in] his purpos proud and obstynat:

These foule vicis, or he koude hem espie,
From his glory and his regalie
He was cast doun, thouh he tofforn was crownyd,
A-myd the se a-mong his peeple drownyd.

[Off Oggigus, kyng of Thebes.]

A-nothir prynce callid Oggigus,
Kyng off Thebes, as bookis determyne,
And foundour was, thus Bochas tellith us,
Off a cite callid Eleusyne,
Which stant in Grece, whos power to declyne
Ther fill a flood in that regioun,
Which ouerflowed ful many a royal toun.

And in Achaia it dede most damage,
Tyme off Iacob, the patriark notable;
And this deluge with his wawes rage
Slouh lordis manye, & pryncis honurable:
For dame Fortune is so deceyuable,
That she sumwhile, whan she list disdeyne,
Can folk assaile with a flood sodeyne.

This flood also, where it dede assaile,
Wastid cornys bothe crop and roote,
Causid also scarsete off vetaile,
That many a man felte ful vnsoote;
The pore nat wiste wher to fynde boote,
For ther pryncis supprisid were with dreed,
Thoruh lak off vitaile in that grete need.

[Off a grete Flood in Tessalie.]

Anothir flood there was in Thessalie,
In the tyme whan kyng Amphioun
Heeld the sceptre and the regalie
Vpon Thebes the myhti stronge toun,
Beside the kyngdam off Semalioun,
This same tyme, this flood, ful dout[e]les,
Whan Goddis peeple was lad be Moises.

With this flood the land hadde be deuourid
Off Thessalie, and al that regioun,
But on Pernaso the peeple was socourid,

And on the rochis that stoden enviroun
Fond ther refut, to ther sauacioun,
And gret socour, til the flodis rage
Gan disencrece, withdrawen & asswage.

In olde stories ye may also see,
Whan Cicraps hadde first possessioun
Off Athenes the myhti strong cite,
An heete ther fill in that regeoun,
Be influence that descendid doun
From all the bodies aboue celestiall,
Which likli was for to deuouren all.

And this hete engendrid off the sunne,
In dyuers cuntrees, bothe in lengthe & breede,
Hath his cours so myhtili begunne
That many folkis fillyn in gret dreede—
Ryuers, wellis, who that list taken heede,
Consumed were and dreied up echon,
The hete callid then bracyng off Pheton.

[Off goodly Isis, Wiff to Apys kyng of Argyue slayn bi his broþer Tyffeus.]

We haue eek rad in stories heer-tofforn,
How that Ysis to Egipt took hir fliht
Out off Grece, the trewe douhter born
Off Promotheus, a ful manly knyht;
And this Ysis in euery mannys siht
So fressh, so goodli, weddid bi hir lyue
To worthi Apis, that was kyng off Argyue.

The which Ysis, excellyng off beute,
Afftyr tyme hir fadir was Igraue,
She was I put for mor surete
With hir vncle, that sholde keepe & saue
This seid[e] maide, that no man sholde hir haue;
And hir vncle, in Ouyde ye may see,
Lik as he writ, was callid Epymethe.

And flouryng up in hir tendir age,
This seid Ysis so plesant was & meete,
Off semlynesse, off look & off visage,

That Iubiter, the myhti kyng off Creete,
Was enamerid with hir for to meete;
And she, excitid off femynyte,
Enclynyd hir herte onto his deite.

And for she was off hir entent so cleene,
Obeieng hym in most lowli wise,
Off Argyuois he maad hir to be queene.
Because that she was smet in couetise,
Ageyn Argus a werre she gan deuise,
And for he was vnweeldi off his age,
Hir to withstonde he fond non auauntage.

But yit Fortune gan vp[on] hir frowne,
And kyng Argus thoruh his subtilite,
With his counseil so prudentli gan rowne,
That she was take bi ful gret cruelte,
And hir soudeours were eek made to fle;
And bi Argus, ther geyned no ransoun,
She fetrid was & put in strong presoun.

But hir sone, the god Mercurius,
Riht fressh, riht lusti & ful off hardynesse,
And off his herte inli coraious,
Ageyn[es] Argus gan his power dresse,
And so entierli dede his besynesse
That he was slay[e]n, in conclusioun,
And Ysis afftir delyuerid fro prisoun.

Off hir sleihtis afftirward nat feynt,
She took a ship and into Egipt wente,
In which[e] ship ther was a cow depeynt;
And Mercury, whom Iupiter eek sent,
Is gon with hir, bothe off oon entent,
To make a mariage afftir a-noon riht
Twen hir and Apis, a prynce off ful gret myht.

She was riht wis boue othir creatures,
Secret off cunnyng, weel expert in science,
She tauhte first lettres and figures
To Gipciens be pleyn experience,
Gaff hem cunnyng and intelligence

To tile ther land, tauhte ther laboreris
To sowe ther greyn & multeplie bi yeris.

And in Egipt hir fame and hir renoun
Gan day be day wexe and hir worthynesse,
Holde off cunnyng and reputacioun
Be signes shewed, nat onli a pryncesse,
But she was holde a-mong hem a goddesse,
And with worshepis which that were dyuyne
And sacrefises, to hir thei dede enclyne.

But to declare pleynli at a woord,
A-myd[des] al hir gret prosperite,
Myhti Apis, hir husbonde and hir lord,
Prynce off Egipt and duk off that cuntre,
Sone off Iubiter and off Nyobe,
Which Nyobe, bi lynage descendyng,
The douhter was off Phoroneus the kyng—

And Phoroneus first the lawes fond
To which al Grece stant vndir obeissaunce,
And the statutis off that myhti lond
Were establisshid bi his ordynaunce—
But for to write the vnhappi chaunce
Off kyng Apis, as it is remembrid,
He slay[e]n was and pitousli dismembrid

Bi his brother callid Tiffeus,
Sumwhat off hatrede, but mor for couetise;
For Tiffeus was inli desirous
To reioishe in ful mortal wise
The myhti kyngdam, as ye han herd deuise,
Off Argyuoys to haue possessioun,
Preferrid be moordre & fals successioun.

And whan that Ysis fond hir lord so ded,
Off entent that he were magnefied,
First off wisdam she gan takyn heed,
Ordeyned a mene that he were deified,
Hih a-mong goddis to be stellefied,
In Egipt templis maad hym to be stallid,
And god Serapis afftir he was callid.

[[O]ff Grisiton þat hes membres ete for hunger.]

What shal I write off the cas horrible
Off Erisiton, with hungir so constreynyd,
That his liff was to hymsilff odible,
In Thesalie with indigence peynyd;
And pitousli his fame was disteynyd,
Whan he solde his douhter in seruage,
Liriope, which was but yong off age,

Beschaung off gold to purueie hym vitaile,
Off verray neede he was so wo-begon;
He hadde no thyng that myhte his thrust auaile,
Nor staunche his hungir with gnawyng on a bon,
Wherfore he eet his membris oon bi oon.
A prynce, allas, was it nat pite
To seen hym deie in such aduersite!

We han eek rad, ful many a day tofor,
The grete baneshyng and proscripcioun,
Off Argyuois how kyng Gelanor
Was crueli put from his regeoun;
And his lieges, off indignacioun,
In his place thei sette oon Danaus,
Sone and eek heir onto the god Belus.

The peeple off malis dede hym so encoumbre,
Tencrece his sorwe and his aduersite,
And fifti douhtren he hadde also in noumbre,
And Egistus his brother, eek parde
Hadde fifti sones, the story ye may see,
Atween the which bi surete off hond
In mariage there was maad a bond,

Vndir which compassid was tresoun,
Couertli thouh thei dede it hide.
But yiff ye list han cleer inspeccioun
Off this story vpon eueri side,
Redith the legende of martirs off Cupide,
Which that Chaucer, in ordre as thei stood,
Compiled off women that were callid good.

Touchyng the story off kyng Pandioun,
And off his goodli faire douhtren tweyne,
How Thereus, fals off condicioun,
Hem to deceyue dede his besi peyne,
Thei bothe namyd, off beute souereyne,
Goodli Progne and yong[e] Philomene,
Bothe innocentis and off entent ful cleene.

Ther pitous fate in open to expresse,
It were to me but a presumpcioun,
Sithe that Chaucer dede his besynesse
In his legende, as maad is mencioun,
Ther martirdam and ther passioun,
For to reherse hem dede his besy peyne,
As cheef poete callid off Breteyne.

Off goode women a book he dede write,
The noumbre compleet fully off nynteene;
And there the story he pleynli dede endite
Off Tereus, off Progne & Philomeene,
Where ye may seen ther legende, thus I meene,
Doth hem worshepe & foorth ther liff doth shewe
For a cleer merour, because ther be so fewe.

I will passe ouer and speke off hem no more,
And onto Cadmus foorth my stile dresse—
Yit in my writyng it greueth me sore,
Touchyng off women off feith or stabilnesse,—
Blessid be God,—I fynde noon excesse;
And for ther been so fewe, as thynkith me,
The goode sholde been had in mor deynte.

Lenvoy.

This tragedie bereth to you witnesse,
How Saturnus bi disposicioun,
Maliciousli of his frowardnesse
Causith in Iune ful gret infeccioun,
She off nature conveieth the venym doun,
The hair infect, which no man may socoure,
Kometh deth a-noon, & all thynge doth deuoure.

Tyme from Adam, myn auctour doth expresse,
Doun to Nembroth bi successioun,
His stile conueied bi gret auysynesse,
From Zorastres to kyng Pharaoun;
Off too deluges he maketh mencioun,
In Thesalie the vengaunce gan laboure,
And in Achaia Thebes to deuoure.

Ye haue off hetis herd the gret excesse,
Off pryncis, pryncessis ful gret destruccioun,
Off Egistus the gret[e] wrechidnesse,
The furie off Tereus, the wo off Pandioun,
Off the too sustren the confusioun,
And how ther fate gan vpon hem loure,
Ther felicite vnwarli to deuoure.

Pryncis, Pryncessis, your eyen doth up dresse—
I meene the eyen off your discrecioun—
Seeth off this world the chaung, the doubilnesse,
The gret onseurnesse, the variacioun,
And aduertisith, for al your hih renoun,
Fortunes dewes, whan thei most suetli shoure,
Than is she falsest, your glorie to deuoure.

[How Iubiter rauisshed Europe, and how Cadmus was sent/to seke hir in diuers Regiouns.]

Be rehersaile off many an old poete,
Be discent the lyne conueied doun,
Next Saturnus, the myhti kyng off Crete,
Ioue was crownyd bi successioun,
As next heir bi procreacioun,
Afftir his fadir the lond to enherite,
Regned in Crete, as poetis list to write.

Sone off the lynage, as I you tolde afforn,
Off the goddis most souereyn and enteere,
Yit thouh he was off blood so hih I-born,
He ches Europa for to been his feere,
And doun descendid from his heuenli speere,
As he that was, for al his deite,
Supprisid in herte with hir gret beute.

And she was douhter to the myhti kyng
Callid Agenor, by lyneal discent,
Whos myhti kyngdam & roial fair duellyng
Was in Phenice toward the orient;
And to Arabie his land was adiacent,
Ferre be south, as ye may reede and see,
Toward the parties of the Rede Se.

But Iubiter, whan he dede aduerte
Off Europa the gret[e] semlynesse,
Hym thouhte he was woundid thoruh the herte
Onto the deth, beholdyng hir fairnesse,
And for his constreynt, & his mortal distresse,
Seyng she was so fair founde in his siht,
He rauesshid hire off veray force & myht.

But Agenor, hir owyn fadir deere,
Gan on this cas ful pitously compleyne,
Whan she, allas, most goodli and enteere,
Was hym berafft, which doublid al his peyne;
Recur was noon, thouh he dede pleyne,
Til he, remembrynge in his regalie,
Thouhte he wolde senden to espie

His sone Cadmus hir to recure ageyn,
For to serche hire in many a regeoun,
Wherso his labour were fructuous or in veyn.
His fadir sette hym a fell condicioun,
Nat to retourne bi noon occasioun,—
And therupon maad hym to be bounde,—
Til that he hadde the kyngis douhter founde.

He took his shippis bi gret auysynesse,
And gan to saile be many a straunge se,
Dede his labour and his besynesse,
With many a worthi that were with hym preue;
But whan that he off resoun dede see,
Ther was no mene for which that he was sent,
For tacomplisshe the fyn off his entent,

With glad[e] herte, deuoid off al gruchyng,
Seyng the cas froward and contraire,
Humble off [his] cheer[e] took his exilyng,

And off manhod list nat hymsilff dispaire,
But with his meyne knyhtli gan repaire
Toward Grece, & proudli ther to londe,
Off Appollo for to vndirstonde,

To what parti that he myhte drawe.
He praied the god to wissyn hym & reede,
Sum tokne shewe or sum maner lawe,
Onto what ile that he myhte hym speede;
Or that he wolde graciously hym leede
Where-as he myhte bilden a cite,
That were accordyng for hym & his meyne.

And to Appollo he dede sacrefise,
And maad to hym his oblacioun,
The god requeryng goodli to deuise,
To what lond or to what regeoun
For his duellyng and habitacioun
He sholde drawe, withoute mor obstacle,
For hym and hise to make his habitacle.

And Cadmus thus tofforn Appollo stood,
Knelyng a-mong with ful gret reuerence,
And in the temple off Delphos stille a-bod,
With humble attendaunce & deuout dilligence
Meekli besekyng, bi woord or sum sentence,
That Appollo to hym wolde onclose,
To what parti he sholde hymsilff dispose.

This was his answere in conclusioun,
As the statue to hym dede expresse:
To goon and serche contrees enviroun,
And til he fond, doon his besynesse,
A bole that were excellyng of fairnesse,
Which, bi precept off Appollos lawe,
Hadde neuer afforn in no yok Idrawe.

And where that euer sekyng that he fond
A bole stonde stille in his pasture,
Appollo bad vpon the same lond,
Where-as he sauh this sihte off auenture,
That he sholde doon his besi cure
To bilde a cite, he and his folkis all,
And Boecia, afftir the bole, it call.

And whan that Cadmus the precept vndirstood,
And in serchyng dede his besynesse,
He fond a place where-as a bole stood
Fedyng hymselff, which as bi liklynesse
Was a place ful plesant off largesse,
Wher-as he stynte and gan a cite reise,
Which that poetis gretli comende & preise.

And that his bildyng myhte the more auaile,
Alle tho foreyns that dede a-boute hym duelle,
Ful lik a knyht, be force and be bataile
Out off that cuntre he dede hem expelle,
Reisyng a cite which that dede excelle,
And as Ouide recordeth eek the same,
Into this day off Thebes berith the name.

And he was nat onli glorefied
For reryng up off this grete cite,
But he was also gretli magnefied
For his manhod and magnanymyte,
And most comendid, yiff ye list to see,
For the surmountyng famous excellence
Which that he hadde in wisdam & science.

For as myn auctour list off hym endite,
Thoruh his noble prudent purueiance
He tauhte figures & lettris for to write,
And made lawes off ful gret ordynance
A-mong the Grekis, and sette gouernance
Ther vicious liff bi vertu to restreyne;
And who outraied was punshid with the peyne.

And off entent tencrecen his lynage,
And his cite also to multeplie,
He took a wiff, that was but yong off age,
And she was callid, as bookis specefie,
Hermyone; and touchyng hir allie,
Thouh that she were born off roial blood,
She was also bothe inly fair and good.

And this was doon, as writith myn auctour,
Afftir the deth of worthi Iosue,
Gothonyel beyng his successour,

Hauyng the ledyng and the souereynte
Off Israel whan Thebes the cite
Was foundid first in tho daies olde
Bi kyng Cadmus, tofforn as I you tolde.

Foure douhtren he hadde be his lyue,
Ful faire echon and goodli on to see;
And ther names to rehersen blyue,
Semele was eldest, and next Authonoe,
The thridde in order was callid Ynoe,
And Agaue was yongest off hem all,
Off which[e] douhtres thus [it] is be-fall:

Thei were echon off port & off maneer
Ful weel fauoured in euery manys siht,
Riht womanli and heuenli of ther cheer;
And for ther beute, ther fadir anoon riht,
As it was sittyng, with al his ful[le] myht,
Lik ther estatis, ther berthe & eek ther age,
Maad hem be weddid & ioyned in mariage

To worthi pryncis, his lynage to auaunce.
And thei encreced bi procreacioun,
Wheroff the kyng hadde ful gret plesaunce
And gret reioishyng in his opynyoun
To seen his lyne bi generacioun,
With his nevewes & cosyns off allie,
Fro day to day so wexe and multeplie.

And this encreced his felicite,
Whan he considred verrali in deede
The riche bildyng off his roial cite,
And how Fortune dede his bridil leede
To gret richesse, in bookis as I reede,
To gret noblesse, hauyng residence
In his cite off most magnyficence.

His douhter Semele, record off myn auctour,
Thouh she descendid were off the blood roiall,
To Iubiter she was paramour,
And bi his power aboue celestiall,
She conceyued in especiall,
As poetis list off hire tendite,
Hym that is god off grapis rede & white,

Callid Bachus, which hath the gouernaunce
Off wynis alle and the regalie.
Wheroff afftir ther fill ful gret vengaunce:
[For] whan Iuno dede first espie
Off Iubiter the grete auoutrie,
Off gret hatrede and envious desir,
She made Semeles be brent with sodeyn fir,

Bi descendyng off a sodeyn leuene,
Wherthoruh hir paleis was into asshes brent—
The vnwar strook cam doun fro [the] heuene,
And on Semeles the vengaunce is doun went;
And or the flawme consumed was & spent,
Ther was off hir lefft no remembraunce,
But off hir eende the woful mortal chaunce.

Eek Antheon, sone off Authonoe,
To gret[e] myscheeff and infortune born,
Whos fadir was callid Eristee,
Come off the kynrede that I you tolde afforn;
With cruel houndis, allas, he was to-torn,
For that he sauh, as bookis off hym tell,
Diane nakid bathe hire in a well.

And as poetis remembryn atte leste,
Whan the ladies off Thebes the cite
Heeld off Bachus solempneli the feste,
The yongest suster, callid Agaue,
Douhter to Cadmus,—allas, it was pite!—
Ageyn Pantheus, hir owyn sone deere,
She wex so wood & mortal off hir cheere,

Moordryng hym in ful cruel wise,
In hir rage she was so furious:
For he louh[e] at the sacrefise
In Thebes doon bi women to Bachus;
The which[e] sone was callid Pantheus,
Whom that she slouh with a ful sharp[e] dart,
In hir woodnesse, as she hym fond a-part.

These grete myscheuys fellyn in the lyne
Off kyng Cadmus thoruh his onhappi chaunce;
Fortune his noblesse gan to vndirmyne,

And thouhte she wolde his glory disauaunce.
Al worldli gladnesse is medlid with greuaunce,
Experience in Cadmus ye may see,
So importable was his aduersite.

For whil he sat most hiest in his glory,
No parti clipsed off his prosperite,
His briht renoun and his roial memory
In rewmis sprad and many ferr cuntre,
And he most welful in his kyngli see
Sat with his lynage, most hih in his noblesse,
Than cam Fortune, the fals enchaunteresse,

Off wilfulnesse, and fond occasioun
A-geyn this Cadmus, & maad his renoun dulle,
And off his kynrede, bi fals collusioun,
She gan a-wey the brihtest fethres pulle;
And whan his shynyng was wexe up to the fulle,
Afftir the chaung off Fortunys lawe,
His glory gan discrecen and withdrawe.

It was mor greuous to his dignite,
A sodeyn fall from his hih noblesse,
Than yiff that he neuer hadde be
Set in thestat off [so] gret worthynesse;
For the furious mortal heuynesse
Off his kynreede, withoutyn any more,
Wolde haue greued a poore man ful sore.

And a-mong his sorwes euerichon,
To reherse pleynli as it was,
I dar afferme how that there was oon,
Most horrible & dreedful in such cas;
For Cadmus sone, callid Athamas,
His sone-in-lawe, thoruh fals malencolie
Fill sodenli into a frenesie.

Off whom the wiff was callid Ynoe,
Cadmus douhter, as ye han herd expresse,
Which thoruh the constreynt off his infirmite,
In his rage and furious woodnesse
Thouhte that his wiff was a leonesse,
And in his wilde ymagynaciouns,
That his too childre were also too leouns.

And vpon hem ful loude he gan to crie,
Toward his wiff in haste he ran anon,
And from hir armys, ther was no remedie,
The child he rente, and on a craggi ston
He gan to brose it and breke it eueri bon.
The which[e] child, Bochas writith thus,
Ful tendir and yong, was callid Learchus.

And off this woful sodeyn auenture
Off his rage, whan that [s]he took heed,
As most sorweful off any creature,
Hir othir child she hente anoon for dreed;
For off socour she knew no betir speed,
So as she myhte gan haste out off his siht.
But wellaway, as she took hir to fliht,

Hir husbonde cam afftir pursuyng
Lich a wood leoun in his cruelte;
Doun from a mounteyn, which was dependyng,
She and hir child fill into the se.
Was it nat routhe, was it nat pite,
A kyngis douhter, hir lord in Thebes crownyd,
He to be wood and she for feer so drownyd!

Loo, heer the fyn off Cadmus euerideel,
His childre slayn and his allies all,
And he hymsilff[e] fro Fortunys wheel,
Whan he lest wende, ful sodenli is fall,
His litil sugir temprid with moch gall:
For a-mong[es] all his mortal peynes,
His liege-men, off Thebes citeseynes,

Made ageyn hym a conspiracioun,
Put hym in exil and his wiff also,
His sonys, his douhtris brouht to destruccioun;
And to thencrecyng off his dedli wo,
He and his wiff compellid bothe too
For verray pouert and verray indigence
In ther last age to purchace ther dispence.

Thus [of] Cadmus the sorwes to descryue
And his myscheeff to putte in remembraunce,
He banshid was twies bi his lyue,

First bi his fadris cruel ordynaunce
Off his suster to maken enqueraunce,
And althirlast in his vnweeldi age
He was compellid to holden his passage

Out off Thebes, his wiff and he allone,
In sorwe & wepyng taccomplissh up ther daies.
Into Illirie to-gidre thei be gone,
Ther pacience put at fell assaies,
Whos bittirnesse felte noon allaies.
Eek off ther eende nor ther vnhappi fate,
Nor off ther deth I fynde noon other date,

Sauff that Ouide maketh mencioun,
And Iohn Bochas the poete excellent
Seith that the brethre, Zeto & Amphioun,
Out off Thebes, bothe bi oon assent,
Haue this Cadmus into exil sent,
His wiff also, afftir ther hih noblesse,
To eende her liff in sorwe and wrechidnesse.

But the goddis, off merci and pite,
Whan thei hem sauh bi Fortune so cast doun
From ther estatis into pouerte,
Hauyng off hem ful gret compassioun,
Thei made a-noon a transformacioun
Off bothe tweyne, hem yeuyng the liknesse
Off serpentis, to lyue in wildirnesse.

Lenvoye.

O what estat may hymsilff assure
For to conserue his liff in sekirnesse?
What worldli ioie may heer long endure,
Or wher shal men now fynde stabilnesse,
Sithe kyngis, pryncis from ther hih noblesse—
Record off Cadmus—been sodenli brouht lowe
And from the wheel off Fortune ouerthrowe?

Who may susteene the pitous auenture
Off this tragedie be writyng to expresse?
Is it nat lik onto the chaunteplure,
Gynnyng with ioie, eendyng in wrechidnesse?—
Al worldli blisse is meynt with bittirnesse,

The sodeyn chaung, no man theroff may knowe;
For who sit hiest is sonest ouerthrowe.

Was in this world yit neuer creature,
Rekne up pryncis, for al ther hih noblesse
Fortune koude recleyme hem to hir lure
And emporisshe thoruh hir frowardnesse.
Wherfore, ye Lordis, for al your gret richesse,
Beth war afforn or ye daunce on the rowe
Off such as Fortune hath from hir wheel throwe.

[A processe of Oetes kyng of Colchos, Iason, Medee, Theseus, Scilla Nisus, and other moo.]

Whan Iohn Bochas was most dilligent
To considre the successiouns
Off lynages, with all his hool entent,
In his writyng and descripciouns
To compile the generaciouns
Of many noble, famous off estat—
I meene off such as were infortunat,—

In his serchyng he fond nat a fewe
That were vnhappi founde in ther lyuyng;
To his presence a-noon ther gan hem shewe
A multitude ful pitousli wepyng,
A-mongis which, ful doolfully pleynyng,
Cam first Oetes, and hath his compleynt gunne,
Kyng off Colchos and sone onto the sunne.

For off Phebus, which is so briht & cleer,
Poetis write that he was sone and heir,
Because he was so myhti off poweer,
So fressh, so lusti, so manli [and] so feir;
But off Fortune he fill in gret dispeir,
Cursyng his fate and his destyne,
Whan Iason first entrid his cuntre,

Be Pelleus sent fro Thesalie,
Ther for taccomplisshe be dilligent labour
The grete emprises thoruh his cheualrie,

Yiff God and Fortune list doon to hym fauour,
That he myhte wynnen the tresour:
This is to meene, that he were so bold
The ram tassaile which bar the Flees of Gold.

This said Iason thoruh counseil off Mede,
Bi sorcery and incantacioun
The boolis slouh, horrible for to see,
And venquysshid the venymous dragoun,
The kyng despoilid off his possessioun,
Accomplisshid with carectis & figures
Off Colchos the dreedful auentures.

And afftirward, whan he his purpos hadde,
He leffte Oetes in ful gret dispair,
And Medea foorth with hym he ladde
And hir brother, which was the kyngis hair.
But as I fynde, how in his repair,
Out off Colchos whan thei gan remue,
Kyng Oetes afftir hem gan sue.

Vpon Iason auenged for to be,
Withoute tarieng, he folwid hem proudly;
The which[e] thyng whan Iason dede see,
This Medea gan shape a remedy:
She took hir brothir & slouh hym cruely,
And hym dismembrid, as bookis make mynde,
And pecemeel in a feeld behynde

She gan hym caste, al bespreynt with blood.
Wheroff his fader whan he hadde a siht,
Ful pale off cheer, stille in the feeld he stood,
Whil she and Iason took hem onto fliht—
I trowe that tyme the moste woful wiht
That was a-lyue, whan he dede knowe
His child dismembrid and abrood Isowe!

Which cause was, allas and wellaway!
That he so stynte, as man disconsolat,
Whil that Iason fro Colchos went a-way.
And Medea, most infortunat,
Was ground and roote off this mortal debat:

For who sauh euer or radde off such a-nothir,
To saue a straunger list to slen hir brothir?

Forsook hir fader, hir contre & kynreede,
The lond enporished thoruh hir robberie;
Off hir worshep she took noon othir heed,
Loue had hir brouht in such a fantasie.
And whil that she a-bood in Thesalie
And with Iason dede ther soiourne,
She made Eson to youthe to retourne.

A yerde she took, that was drie and old,
And in hir herbis and commixciouns
She made it boile, in Ouide it is told,
And bi carectis and incantaciouns,
And with the crafft off hir coniurisouns
The yerde be-gan [to] budde & blosme newe
And to bere frut and leuys fresh off hewe.

And semblabli with hir confecciouns
His olde humours she hath depurid cleene,
And with hir lusti fresh[e] pociouns
His empti skyn, tremblyng & riht leene,
Pale and wan, that no blood was seene,
But as it were a dedli creature—
Al this hath she transfformyd bi nature.

Made hym lusti and fressh off his corage,
Glad off herte, liffli off cheer and siht,
Riht weel hewed and cleer off his visage,
Wonder delyuer bothe off force & myht,
In all his membris as weeldi & as lyht
As euer he was, and in the same estat,
Bi crafft off Mede he was so alterat.

Afftir al this, a-geyn kyng Pelleus
She gan maligne, vncle onto Iason;
And off envie she procedith thus:
The kyngis douhtren she drow to hir anoon,
Hem counsailid that thei sholde goon
Onto ther fadir & pleynli to hym seyn,
Yiff he desirid to be yong a-geyn.

Ful restored his force to recure
And therwithal in lusti age floure,
She behihte to doon hir besi cure
Lik his desir to helpyn and socoure,
And in this mateer so crafft[i]li laboure,
Fynali stonde in the same caas
To be maad yong, lik as his brothir was.

Touchyng which thyng, for mor euydence
This Medea hath to the douhtren told,
Off entent to yeue the mor credence,
She bad hem take a ram that wer riht old,
And with a knyff for to be so bold
To sleen this beeste afforn hem ther he stood,
And in a vessel drawe out his olde blood,

Fulli affermyng lik as it wer trewe,
That he sholde been a lamb a-geyn.
For she be crafft wolde his blood renewe
In such wise be euidence pleyn
That off elde no tokne shal be seyn—
In al his membris as lusti and enteer
As was a lamb euyd off o yeer.

And therupon in ful sleihti wise
She gan a processe off ful fals tresoun,
The sustre made vpon this ram practise,
Drouh out his blood lik her entencioun;
And she bi crafft off fals illusioun
Blent her eyen bi apperence in veyn
The olde ram to seeme a lamb a-geyn.

Thus Medea be sleihte compassyng,
Off envie and venymous hatreede,
Excitid hath the sustre in werkyng,
A-geyn ther fadir mortali to proceede.
With sharp[e] knyuis thei made her fader bleede,
Mid the herte thoruhout euery veyne,
Supposyng, the celi sustren tweyne,

That Pelleus renewed sholde be
To youthe a-geyn off force & off substaunce.
But fynali bi tresoun off Mede

He lost his liff, such was his woful chaunce;
For she it wrouhte onli off vengaunce,
As roote & ground off this cruel deede,
A-geyn the nature off al womanheede.

Supposyng in hir opynyoun,
How that the deth gretli sholde plese
Off Pelleus onto hir lord Iasoun,
Thoruh gret encres sette his herte at ese;
But it rebounded into his disese,
That fynali Iason hir forsook
For hir offence, and he his weye took

Into Corynthe, toward the kyng Creon,
Whos douhter Creusa, for hir gret beute,
Was afftirward iweddid to Iason.
But whan this weddyng was knowe to Mede,
Caste she wolde theron auengid be,
Gan to conspire off malis and envie,
And thoruh hir magik and [hir] sorcerie,

In ful gret haste gan [for] to ordeyne
A litil coffre, onli off entent;
And bi hir yonge faire sonys tweyne,
With othre iewelis, she hath the coffre sent,
Onto Creusa makyng a present,
Which off malis she list so dispose,
That whan Creusa the coffre dede onclose,

The fir brast out a ful large space,
Brent Creusa bi ful gret violence,
Set a-fire pleynli al the place
Benchauntement; ther was no resistence—
Al wente affire that was in hir presence,
Bi vengance dede ful gret damage.
But whan Iason the fir sauh in his rage,

And considred the malis off Mede,
Thouhte he wolde doon execucioun
For to punshe the gret iniquite
A-geyn[e]s hym compassid off tresoun;
For she off vengance, a-geyn[es] al resoun,

Afftir that Creusa consumed was & brent,
Hir owne sonys, which she hadde sent,

Withoute routhe or womanli pite,
She falsli moordred—the childre that she bar—
Lik a stepmooder auenged for to be,
Cutte ther throtis or that thei wer war,
A-geyn nature, ther was noon othir spaar,
But for hatreede she hadde onto Iason.
Afftir this moordre she fledde hir way a-noon,

So escapyng his indignacioun.
Be crafft off magik she wente at liberte
To Athenys, and in that regioun
She weddid was onto the kyng Egee.
Nat longe afftir bi hym a sone had she,
The which[e] child, myn auctour tellith thus,
Afftir Medea callid was Medus.

Afftir whos name the famous regioun
I-named was, which is callid Meede.
But folwyng ay hir olde condicioun,
This Medea, void off shame & dreede,
Compassid hath off wilful fals hatreede,
That Theseus, the sone off kyng Egee,
With newe poisoun shal deuoured be.

But Theseus, ful lik a manli knyht,
In repairyng hom to his contre,
Off hih prudence espied a-noon ryht
The mortal vengance, the gret[e] cruelte
Off his stepmooder, which off enmite
Concludid hath in hir entencioun
Hym to destroie onwarli with poisoun.

Hir herte off malis, cruel & horrible,
As she that was with tresoun euer allied,
Whan that she sauh hir purpos most odible
Be kyng Egeus fulli was espied,
She hath hir herte & wittis newe applied,
As in ther bookis poetis han compiled,
A-geyn to Iason to be reconsiled.

She fledde away for dreed off Theseus,
List he hadde doon on hir vengaunce,
And fynali, as writ Ouidius,

And moral Senec concludith in substaunce,
In his tragedies makyng remembraunce,
How Medea, lik as poetis seyn,
Onto Iason restored was a-geyn.

Touchyng the eende off ther furious discord,
Poetis make theroff no mencioun
Nor telle no mene how thei fill at accord,
But yiff it were bi incantacioun,
Which so weel koude turne up-so-doun
Sundry thyngis off loue & off hatreede.
And in Bochas off hir no mor I reede,

Sauff whan she hadde fulfillid hir purpos,
Myn auctour tellith, that Iason & Mede
Resorted han a-geyn onto Colchos
Hir fadir Oetes, & from his pouerte
Brouht hym a-geyn into his roial see,
And to his crowne bi force thei hym restore:
Touchyng his eende, off hym I fynde no more.

Thus his fortune hath turnyd to and fro,
First lik a kyng hauyng ful gret richesse,
Afftir lyuyng in pouert and in wo,
Sithen restorid to his worthynesse:
Thus ay is sorwe medlid with gladnesse,
Who can aduerte, in al worldli thyng,
Record off Mynos, the noble worthi kyng.

To whom I muste now my stile dresse,
Folwen the tracis off Bochacius,
The which[e] Mynos, as Ouide doth expresse,
Touchyng his birthe writ[eth] pleynli thus,
That he was manli, wis and vertuous,
Sone bi discent off Iubiter the grete,
And off Europa born to been heir in Crete.

Off his persone wonder delectable,
Ful renommed off wisdam and science,
Bi dyuers titles off laude comendable
Off birthe, off blood, off knyhthod & prudence;
For bi his study and enteer dilligence
He fond first lawes groundid on resoun,
Wherbi off Crete the grete regioun

Gouernyd was and set in stabilnesse.
Alle iniuries and wrongis to refourme,
Made statutis extorsiouns to represse,
Off rihtwisnesse thei took ther firste fourme,
And that ech man sholde hymselff confourme
Lik ther degrees, subiect and souerayne,
That no man hadde no mater to complayne.

He made his liges to lyuen in quieete,
Cleer shynyng in his roial noblesse,
With suerd and sceptre sittyng in his seete;
And whil he floured in his worthynesse
He took a wiff off excellent fairnesse,
Douhter to Phebus, in Bochas ye may see,
And she was callid faire Pasiphe.

And hir fadir, bi record off writyng,
In his tyme was holden ful famous;
Off thile off Rodis he was crownyd kyng,
And in his daies off port ful glorious,
Riht proud in armis and victorious,
Takyng witnesse Methamorphoseos.
His douhter hadde thre childre be Mynos,

The firste a sone callid Androgee,
And afftirward ful faire douhtren tweyne,
Riht womanli and goodli on to see;
But, as Fortune for hem dede ordeyne,
Thei felte her lyue gret trouble & [gret] peyne—
Callid Adriana, and Phedra was the tothir,
Folwyng ther fate, it myhte be noon othir.

Androgeus bi kyng Mynos was sent,
For he sholde profityn in clergie,
To Athenys off vertuous entent
There to stodien in philosophie;
And for he gan tencrece & multeplie
And passe all othir bi studi in lernyng
And to excelle his felawes in cunnyng,

Thei off envie and fals malis, allas,
Made a-geyn hym a conspiracioun,
And from a pynacle sacrid to Pallas,

Off ful gret heihte, made hym tumble doun.
For which iniurie, Bochas maketh mencioun,
His fadir Mynos auengid for to be,
Leide a gret power a-boute the cite.

He caste hym fulli that no man sholde hym lette,
But that he wolde doon crueli vengaunce;
And round a-boute so sore he hem besette
With men off armys & with his ordynaunce,
That fynali he brouht hem to vttraunce,
And them constreynyd, withynne a litil space,
Ther liff, ther deth submyttyng to his grace.

But whil thei made ageyn hym resistence,
Supposyng his power to withstonde,
Nisus, that was kyng off Megarence,
A-geyn Mynos ther parti took on honde:
And offte tymes, as ye shal vndirstonde,
Whan kyng Mynos the cite dede assaile,
Nisus withynne, with myhti apparaile

Vpon the wal stood in his diffence—
Whan that Mynos, ful lik a manli knyht,
Fauht withoute with sturdi violence,
Lich Mars hymsilff in steel armyd briht.
Wheroff whan Scilla onys hadde a siht,
Douhtir to Nisus, aduertyng his prowesse,
A-noon for loue she fill in gret distresse.

She was supprisid with his hih noblesse;
His manli force, expert many-fold,
Set[te] Scilla in gret heuynesse:
For loue off Mynos, off poetis it is told,
Made hir herte presumen and be bold,
First hir-silff to putte in iupartie,
Hir fadris liff, the cite, the clergie.

From hir herte loue hath set a-side,
A-geyn nature, hir blood & hir kynreede;
And al frenshipe from hire she gan deuyde,
And off hir worship took no maner heede:
Loue maad hir cruel, a-geyn al womanheede,
First hir herte so sore sette affire,
Hir fadres deth falsli to conspire.

For kyng Mynos beyng a straunger
Was so enprentid in hir opynyoun,
Off creatures ther stood noon so neer;
And for his sake, bi ful fals tresoun,
She compassid the destruccioun
First off hir fadir and off the cite—
So straunge a thyng, allas, how myhte it be,

That a woman off yeris yong and tendre
Koude ymagyne so merueilous a thyng!
But offte it fallith, that creatures sclendre,
Vnder a face off angelik lokyng,
Been verrai wolues outward in werkyng.
Eek vnder colour off ther port femynyne,
Summe be founde verray serpentyne,

Lambis in shewyng, shadwid with meeknesse,
Cruel as tigres, who doth to hem offence,
Off humble cheer pretendyng a liknesse.
But, o allas! what harm doth apparence,
What damage doth countirfet innocence,
Vndir a mantil shrowdid off womanheed,
Whan feyned falsnesse doth ther bridil leed!

For this Scilla, the kyngis douhter deere,
In whom he sette hool his affeccioun,
His hertis ioie, his plesaunce most enteere,
His worldli blisse, his consolacioun,—
But she al turned to his confusioun,
Nat lich a douhter, but lik a sorceresse
His deth compassid, the story berth witnesse.

Hir fadir hadde a fatal her that shon
Brihtere than gold, in which he dede assure
Manli to fihte a-geyn his mortal fon;
For on his hed[e] whil it dede endure,
He sholde venquysshe bi manhod, & recure,
And thoruh his knyhthod, to his encres off glory,
In euery quarell wynnen the victory.

But whil hir fadir kyng Nisus lay & sleep,
Vpon a nyht, parcel affor day,
Ful secreli, or that he took keep,
The her off gold this Scilla kit away;
And onto Mynos, armyd wher he lay,

She it presentid thoruh hir ordynaunce,
Off fals entent hym for to do plesaunce.

But in this mateer, lik as writ Ouide,
Methamorphoseos, who-so taketh heed,
Hir fadir slepyng, she knelyng bi his side,
Took a sharp knyff withoute feer or dreed,
Whil he lay nakid, she karff a-too his hed,
Stal hir way[e] off ful fals entent,
And to kyng Mynos the hed she doth present.

And in hir comyng onto his presence,
Hir fadris hed whan she afforn hym laide,
No-thyng a-shamed off hir gret offence,
Onto Mynos thus she dede abraide,
And with bold cheer[e] euene thus she saide:
“Mi lord,” quod she, “with support off your grace,
Yeueth to my tale leiser tyme and space;

Certis, my lord, loue hath excitid me
And constreynyd to this cruel deede,
To slen my fader, destroien my cite,
Forgete my worshep, forsaken womanheede,
And maad me hardi to make my fader bleede—
Thynges horrible thus I haue vndertake
For tacomplisshe onli for your sake.

Mi-silff disheritid for loue off your persone,
Callid in my contre a fals traitouresse,
Disconsolat stole a-wey a-lone,
Off newe diffamed, named a maistresse
Off fals moordre, I brynge a gret witnesse,
Mi fadres hed and his dedli visage,
A-geyn nature to forthren your viage.

Wherfore, I praie that ye list aduertise,
And considreth lich a gentil knyht
How I, for loue toward your gret emprise,
And to gret fortheryng also off your ryht,
Haue first my fader depryued off his myht,
Rafft hym his liff, dispoiled his richesse
To do plesaunce to your hih noblesse.

And no-thyng axe onto my guerdoun
Nor to my reward that myhte me auaile,
But that I myhte haue ful possessioun

Off your persone, most worthi in bataile;
For ther is no tresor that myhte countiruaile
To my desir, as that ye wolde in deede
Goodli accepte me and my maidenheede.

Ye may me saue & spille with a woord,
Make most glad and most dolerous;
I nat requere off you, my souereyn lord,
But that ye wolde be to me gracious:
For blood and kyn, and my fadres hous
Al lefft behynde, yiff ye list aduerte,
And vndepartid youe to you myn herte.

Which to your hihnesse auhte inouh suffise,
All thynge considred, in your roial estat,
Conceyued also in how vnkouth wise
For your loue I stonde desolat,
Sauff off your mercy fulli disconsolat.
Heere is al and sum, your loue I beie to sore,
But ye do grace; I can sey you no more.”

And whan she hadde hir tale told knelyng,
With a maner pretense off womanheed,
Off al hir tresoun a poynt nat concelyng,
The kyng astonyd off hir horrible deed,
Bi gret auys peised and took heed,
It was not sittyng to prynce nor to no kyng
To do fauour to so froward a thyng.

With troublid herte and with a face pale,
His look vpcast, [he] seide, “God forbeede,
That euer in cronycle, in story or in tale,
That any man sholde off Mynos reede,
How he supported so venymous a deede—
Fauoure a woman, allas and wellaway!
Which slouh hir fader whan he a-bedde lay.

But for your hatful and vnkyndli rage,
I pray the goddis echon and Saturne
To take vengaunce on your fals outrage:
For euery-wher, wher ye do returne,
And eueri place wher-as ye soiourne,

Lond and se, shortli to expresse,
Thei been infect with your cursidnesse.

Your owne mouth your outrage doth accuse;
And your accus is so abhomynable,
That your gifftis I fulli do refuse,—
Thei be so froward and repreuable.
And your persone, disnaturel & vnstable,
Withynne my court, it were a thyng nat fayr,
That ye sholde a-bide or haue repair.

Ye be so hatful vpon eueri side
And contrarious off condicioun,
I praie Tellus, which off the erthe is guide,
And to Neptunus I make this orisoun:
As ferr as strecchith ther domynacioun
Vnder the boundis off ther regalie,
A duellyng-place that thei to you denye!”

Whan Mynos hadde his answer thus deuised,
On resoun groundid and on equite,
And Scilla sauh how she was despised,
Knew no parti, passage nor contre
To fynde socour whedir she myhte fle,
But disespeired as a traitouresse,
Toward the se a-noon she gan hir dresse

Tentre the water pleynli yiff she myhte,
For verrai shame hirseluen for to shrowde;
And whan the goddis theroff hadde a syhte,
Thei turned hire, as thei that myhte & kowde,
In-ta quaile for to synge lowde.
Hir fader Nisus thei dede also transmue
In ta sperhauk, the quaile to pursue.

This was the eende off Nisus & off Scille.
And afftirward off Athenes the toun
Was yolden vp to stonden at the wille
Off kyng Mynos, withoute condicioun;
Euery thre yeer bi reuolucioun
Thei off the cite sholde nat dellaie
Nyne off ther childre for a tribut paie.

This was bi Mynos thymposicioun
Vpon Athenys; and off verrai dreed
Thei obeied, as maad is mencioun,
And ther childre yeer bi yeer thei leed
Into Crete the Mynotaur to feed,
Onto this monstre ordeyned for repast,
Which at ther comyng deuoured wer in hast.

But or that I ferthere do proceede
In this mater, I will do my cure
To declare, yiff ye list take heede,
Off this monstre to telle the engendrure,
Vnkouth to heere and a-geyn nature;
For bi the writyng off Ouidius,
This ougli beeste was engendrid thus,

Methamorphoseos, the maner ye may see:
Mynos hadde a bole off gret fairnesse,
Whit as mylk; and the queen Pasiphe
Loued hym so hote, the story berth witnesse,
And Dedalus dede his besynesse
[Bi sotil craft, & made his gynnys so,
That ayenst kynde with hir he had to do,

And conceyued a beest[e] monstruous,
That was departid, halfe bole, half man;
And as the poete bi wrytyng techith vs,
Off Mynotaurus thus the name began.
And Dedalus, not long aftir whan]
That this monstre was bi the queen forth brouht,
This subtil werkman hath an hous Iwrouht

Callid Laboryntus, dyuers and vnkouth,
Ful off wrynkles and off straungenesse,
Ougli to knowe which is north or south,
Or to what part a man sholde hym dresse;
Folk were ther blent with furious derknesse,
Who that entred, his retourn was in veyn,
Withoute a clue for to resorte a-geyn.

Off Mynotaurus this was the habitacle,
Lik a prisoun maad for tormentrie,
For dampnyd folk a peynful tabernacle;
For all that lay ther in iupartie,
The monstre muste deuoure hem & defie:
And speciali was ordeyned this torment
For all that wern doun from Athenys sent.

But in this mater summe bookis varie,
And afferme how queen Pasiphe
Off kyng Mynos loued a secretarie
Callid Taurus, in Bochas ye may see;
And thus the kyng, for al his rialte,
Deceyued was, for who may any while
Hymsilff preserue wher women list begile?

For bi this Taurus, Bochas berth witnesse,
Queen Pasiphe hadde a child ful fair,
Mynos nat knowyng bi no liklynesse
But that the child was born to been his hair.
His trust was good, he fill in no dispair;
For some husbondis, as poetis han compiled,
Which most assure [hem] rathest been begiled.

Innocentis can nat deeme a-mysse,
Namli off wyues that be founde trewe;
Clerkis may write, but doutles thus it isse,
Off ther nature thei loue no thynges newe:
Stedfast off herte, thei chaunge nat her hewe;
Hawkes best preued, sumwhile a chek can make,
Yit for o faute the foul is nat forsake.

Off these materes write I will no more.
But ay the tribut & seruage off the toun
Procedith foorth, thei constreyned wer so sore,
Lich as ther lott turned up and doun;
For ther was maad[e] non excepcioun
Off hih nor louh, nothir for sour nor swete,
But as it fill, thei were sent into Crete.

The statut was so inli rigerous,
Thei took ther sort as it cam a-boute,
Til atte laste it fill on Theseus,
That he mut gon foorth a-mong the route,
Kyng Eges sone, beyng in gret doute
Touchyng his liff, which myht nat be socoured,
But that he muste with othre be deuoured.

Which Theseus, for his worthynesse,
And off his knyhthod for the gret encres
Thoruh manly force, & for his hih prowesse
Whilom was callid the seconde Hercules,
Mong Amazones put hymselff in pres,
Weddid Ypolita, as bookis specefie,
The hardi queen [callid] off Femynye.

And afftirward to Thebes he is gon,
Halp there the ladies in especiall,
Which that compleyned vpon the kyng Creon,
Which hem destourbed, lik ther estat roiall
To holde and halwe the festis funerall
Off ther lordis, as queenys & pryncessis,
Off wifli trouthe to shewe ther kyndenessis.

For whan this Duk the maner hadde seyn,
And off Creon the grete iniquite,
To the ladies he made delyuere a-geyn
Ther lordis bonys, off routhe & off pite.
Yit in his youthe out off his cite
He was delyuered, bi statut ful odible,
To be deuoured off this beeste horrible.

He goth to prisoun, for al his semlynesse,
As the statut felli dede ordeyne;
But off routhe and off gentilesse,
Hym to preserue from that dedli peyne,
Off kyng Mynos the goodli douhtren tweyne,
Adriane shoop off a remedie,
And faire Phedra, that he shal nat die.

Thoruh ther helpe he hath the monstre slayn,
That was so dreedful & ougli for to see;
Bi hem he scapid, wheroff he was ful fayn,

Lad hem with hym, toward his contre.
And bi the weie, deuoid off al pite,
Adriane he falsli hath forsake
A-geyn his surance, & Phedra he hath take.

Amyd the se [he] lefft hir in an ile,
Toward no parti she knew no declyn;
She crieth, wepith, allas, the harde while!
For off hir fate this was the mortal fyn,
That for pite Bachus, the god off wyn,
Took hir to wyue, whos crowne of stonys fyne
Doth now in heuene with the sterris shyne.

Thus off Theseus ye may beholde and see
To Adryane the gret onstedfastnesse,
The grete ontrouthe, the mutabilite,
The broke assurance and newfangilnesse;
But celi women keepe ther stedfastnesse
Ay ondefouled, sauff, sumwhile off ther kynde,
Thei must hem purueie, whan men be founde onkynde.

Off Theseus I can no more now seyn
In this mater to make off hym memorie,
But to kyng Mynos I will resorte a-geyn
To tell how Fortune, ay fals & transitorie,
In what poyntis diffacid hath his glorie.
First off echon Bochas doth specefie
Off Pasiphe the foule aduout[e]rie,

Which was his wiff, and stood weel in his grace,
To his plesance she was most souerayne;
But a cloude off [a] smal trespace
Made hir lord at hir to disdeyne:
But he off wisdam bar preuyli his peyne,
For in this cas, this is my sentence,
Lat prudent husbondis take hem to pacience.

On other thyngis Mynos gan compleyne,
Hauyng in herte theroff ful gret greuaunce,
That he so loste his faire douhtren tweyne,

And Mynotaurus slay[e]n with myschaunce.
Eek onto hym it was a gret penaunce
That Theseus was gon at liberte,
And from al tribut delyuered his cite.

It greued hym eek in contenance & cheer,
That Theseus Adriane forsook,
It liked hym nat also the maneer
Onto his wiff that he Phedra took;
And yit this Phedra, lich as seith my book,
Hadde too sonys bi this Theseus,
First Demephon & next Anthilocus.

Eek Theseus afftir gan hym drawe
Toward Cecile, in steel armyd cleene,
With Pirotheus, in armys his felawe,
For to rauysshe Proserpyna the queene.
But off entent Phedra ful oncleene,
Loued hir stepsone callid Ypolitus.
But for he was to hire daungerous,

And to hir lust froward and contrarie,
In his apport nat goodli nor benigne,
Off fals entent anon she gan to varie,
And a-geyn hym ful felli to maligne,
With a pretence off many tokne & signe
Off womanhed, she gan hym accuse,
Hire auoutry falsli to excuse.

Who seith that women can nat ymagyne
In ther diffence talis ful vntrewe,
To ther desir yiff men list nat enclyne
Nor on ther feyned fals[e] wo to rewe,
Anon thei can compasse[n] thynges newe,
Fisshe and fynde out in ther entencioun
A couert cloude to shadwe ther tresoun.

She hath accusid yonge Ypolitus
Off fals auoutri in his tendre age,
Tolde & affermed to duk Theseus,
With ful bold cheer[e] & a pleyn visage,
How he purposed in his furious rage

Onli bi force hir beute to oppresse,
Hir lord besechyng to refourme & redresse

The grete iniurie doon onto his wiff
Whil he was absent for thyngis that bar charge.
Wyues off talis been sumwhile inuentiff
To suffre ther tunges falsli fleen at large;
But folk that list off daunger hem discharge,
Off such accusyng ne take thei noon heed
Til the trouthe be tried out in deed.

I meene nothyng off wyues that been goode,
Nor off women that floure in innocence;
For God forbeede, and the Hooli Roode,
But men sholde do deu reuerence
To ther noblesse and ther excellence,
Declare ther bounte and ther vertu shewe,
And more them cherisshe be-cause ther be so fewe.

Touchyng thaccusyng ageyn Ypolitus,
Thouh it so were that it was fals in deede,
Yit he for shame and feer off Theseus,
As in the story ye may beholde and reede,
In his herte he cauhte a maner dreede,
That he, allas! this cely yonge knyht,
Fledde & withdrouh hym out off his fadris siht,

His indignacioun pleynli to eschewe,
Thouh bi desert in hym ther was no lak.
Off hasti dreed as he gan remewe
Other in a chaar or vpon hors[e]bak,
His hors affraied, ther fill a sodeyn wrak
Doun from a roche pendant, as ye shal lere—
He and his chaar wer drownyd bothe Ifeere.

Thus ongilti, in his most lusti youthe
He was conueied to his destruccioun;
The sclandre conspired, as it is weel kouthe,
Bi fals[e] Phedra: but in conclusioun
The sclandre turned to hir confusioun;
For whan she wiste Ypolitus was ded
Thoruh hir defaute, anon for shame & dreed

She took a swerd, ful sharp[e] whet & grounde,
And therwithall she rooff hir herte on tweyne.
Loo, how that vengaunce will euer a-geyn rebounde
On hem that falsli doon ther bisi peyne
To sclandre folk; for lik as thei ordeyne
With ther defautis othir folkis tattwite,
God atte laste ther malice can acquite!

Yit summe bookis off Phedra do recorde
That she, a-shamyd & confus off this deede,
Heeng hirsilff up ful hih[e] with a corde.
Loo, how fals sclandre can quite folk ther meede!
Wherfore, I counseile eueri man tak heede,
In such materis as stonde in noun certeyn,
From hasti doomys his tunge to restreyn.

Among these stories woful for to reede,
Al bespreynt with teris in his face,
Ful sodenli, Iohn Bochas gan take heede,
A-myd the pres Zizara cam in place—
And how that Fortune gan eek to manace
This proude duk, ful myhti & notable,
Off kyng Iabyn callid the grete constable.

Off his hoost ledere and gouernour,
To Israel verray mortall fo;
With peeple he rood lich a conquerour,
And wher that euer his meyne dede go,
The erthe quook, peeplis drad hym so,
Fledde from his face wher-as he cam a-ferre.
Nyne hundred waynes he hadde for the werre,

Strongli enarmed with hookes made lyk sithes,
Who that approched to mayme hym & to wounde.
For this tirant off custum offte sithes

Hadde gret delit the Iewes to confounde;
And alle tho that his swerd hath founde,
Kyng Iabyn bad, the prynce off Canaan,
In Israel to spare child nor man.

This Zizara was sent to been ther scourge,
Bi Goddis suffrance ther synnes to chastise,
Ther olde offences to punshen & to pourge,
As a flagelle, in many sundry wise;
But whan off resoun thei gan hem bet deuyse,
And for ther trespacis to falle in repentaunce,
God gan withdrawe the hand off his vengaunce.

For in ther myscheef thei gan the Lord to knowe,
Felyng the prikke off his punycioun;
And mercy thanne hath vnbent the bowe
Off his fell ire and castigacioun:
To God thei made ther inuocacioun,
And he hem herde in ther mortal dreede.
In Iudicum the story ye may reede,

How in the while that this Zizara
Shoop hym off newe Iewes to oppresse,
In ther diffence God sent hem Delbora,
A prophetesse, the story berth witnesse,
To yeue hem counsail ther harmys to redresse,
And bi the sperit off hir prophecye
For to withstonde the grete tirannye

Off Zizara, which was descendid doun
With a gret hoost into the feeld repeired.
But Delbora, of hih discrecioun,
Whan that she sauh the Iewes disespeired,
And for to fihte ther corages sore appeired,
She made hem first deuoutli in ther dreed
To crie to God to helpe hem in ther need.

She was ther iuge and ther gouerneresse,
Cheeff off ther counsail; & off custom she,
Causis dependyng, bi gret avisynesse,
That stood in doute, bi doom off equite
She tried hem out vnder a palme tre,

And was nat hasty no mater to termyne
Til she the parties affor dede examyne.

And whan she knew & herde off the komyng
Off Zizara with ful gret puissaunce,
That was constable off the myhti kyng
Callid Iabyn, with al his ordenaunce,
Vpon Iewes for to doon vengaunce,
This Delbora gan prudentli entende
The Iewes parti bi wisdam to diffende.

She bad Barach, hir husbonde, anon riht
Off Neptalym ten thousend with hym take,
Geyn Zizara to fihten for ther riht,
And that he sholde a gret enarme make.
But he for dreed this iourne gan forsake,
And durste nat a-geyn hym tho werreye
But she were present, and list hym to conveye.

“Weel weel,” quod she, “sithe it stondith so,
That off wantrust ye haue a maner dreed,
I will my-silff[e] gladli with you go,
You to supporte in this grete need;
But tristith fulli, as ye shal fynde in deed,
That a woman, with laude, honour & glorye,
Shal fro you wynne the pris off this victorye.”

It folwid afftir sothli as she saide.
Auysili she made hir ordynaunce,
And the cheeff charge on hirsilff she laide,
As pryncesse off Iewes gouernaunce,
And prudentli gan hirsilff auaunce,
With God conueied & support off his grace,
With Zizara to meetyn in the face.

And specialli touchyng this viage,
God took a-way the sperit and the myht
Fro Zizara, his force and his corage,
That he was ferfull tentren into fyht,
Kepte his chaar & took hym onto flyht,
Knowyng no place seurli in tabide,
Til that Iahel, a woman, dede hym hide

Withynne hir tente, almost ded for dreed,
Vnder a mantell desirous for to drynke.
She gaff hym mylk; the slep fill in his hed,
And whil that he for heuynesse gan wynke
And sadli slepte, she gan hir to be-thynke;
Thouhte she wolde for Zizara so shape,
That with the liff he shulde nat escape.

She took a nail that was sharp & long,
And couertli gan hirsilff auaunce;
With an hamer myhti, round & strong
She droff the nail—loo, this was hir vengaunce!—
Thoruhout his hed: seeth heer þe sodeyn chaunce
Off tirantis that trusten on Fortune,
Which wil nat suffre hem longe to contune

In ther fals vsurped tirannye
To holde peeplis in long subieccioun.
She can hem blandissh with hir flat[e]rye
Vnder a colour off fals collusioun,
And with a sodeyn transmutacioun
Fortune hem can, that pore folkis trouble,
Reuerse ther pride with hir face double.

What sholde I lengere in this mater tarye?
Thouh that lordshep be myhti & famous,
Lat Zizara been your exaumplarye,
It nat endureth but it be vertuous.
Conquest, victory, thouh thei be glorious,
Onto the world, yiff vertu be behynde,
Men nat reioise to haue ther name in mynde.

For Fortune thoruh hir frowardnesse
Hath kyngis put out off ther regiouns,
And she hath also thoruh hir doubilnesse
Destroied lynages, with ther successiouns:
Made she nat whilom hir translaciouns
Off the kyngdam callid Argyuois,
To be transportid to Lacedemonois?

The same tyme whan Zizara the proude
Gan Goddis peeple to putte vnder foote,
Famys trumpe bleuh his name up loude

With sugred sownys semyng wonder soote;
But al his pride was rent up bi the roote,
Whan that his glori was outward most shewyng;
But who may truste on any worldli thyng!

Folk han afforn seyn the fundacioun,
Bi remembraunce off old antiquite,
Off myhti Troye and off Ylioun,
Afftir destroied bi Grekis that cite,
To vs declaryng the mutabilite
Off fals Fortune, whos fauour last no while,
Shewyng ay trewest whan she will begile.

So variable she is in hir delites,
Hir wheel vntrusti & frowardli meuyng,
Record I take off the Madianytes,
Ther vnwar fall ful doolfully pleynyng,
Which shewed hemsilff [ful] pitousli wepyng
To Iohn Bochas, as he in writyng souhte
How that Fortune a-geyn ther princis wrouhte,

Which that gouerned the lond off Madian,
Trustyng off pride in ther gret puissaunce;
And a-geyn Iewes a werre thei be-gan,
Purposyng to brynge hem to vttraunce:
But God that holdeth off werre the balaunce,
And can off pryncis oppresse the veynglory,
Yeueth wher hym list conquest & victory,

Nat to gret noumbre nor to gret multitude,
But to that parti where he seeth the riht;
His dreedful hand, shortli to conclude,
So halt up bi grace and yeueth liht
The hiere hand, where he caste his siht;
List his power and his fauour shewe,
Be it to many or be it onto fewe.

The wrong[e] parti gladli hath a fall,
Thouh ther be mylliouns many mo than oon:
I take witnesse off Ieroboall,

Which is also callid Gedeon,
That with thre hundrid fauht a-geyn the foon
Off Israell, the Bible can deuyse,
Whan he to God hadde doon his sacrefise.

Shewyng to hym a signe merueilous,
Whan the flees with siluer deuh ful sheene
Was spreynt and wet, the story tellith thus,
And round a-boute the soil and al the greene
Was founde drie, and no drope seene,
In tokne onli, this duk, this knyhtli man,
Shold ha[ue] victory off al Madian.

Thus Gedeon took with hym but a fewe,
Thre hundred chose, which laped the ryuer,
God onto hym such toknys dede shewe
And euydencis afforn that wer ful cleer,
That he sholde been off riht good cheer
And on no parti his aduersaries dreede,
For no prowesse nouthir [for] manheede.

Where God a-boue holdith chaumpartie,
There may a-geyn hym be makid no diffence;
Force, strengthe, wisdam nor cheualrie
A-geyns his myht ar feeble off resistence.
This was weel preued in experience,
Whan thre hundred with Gedeon in noumbre
So many thousandis bi grace dede encoumbre.

This said[e] peeple, deuyded into thre,
With ther trumpis, vpon the dirk[e] nyht,
Bi Gedeon, that hadde the souereynte,
With void[e] pottis & laumpis therynne lyht;
And thus arraied thei entred into fyht.
But onto hem this tokne was first knowe:
Whan Gedeon his trumpe dede blowe,

Thei bleuh echon & loude gan to crie,
Brak ther pottis and shewed anon riht,
As the story pleynli doth specefie,

Ther laumpis shewed with a ful sodeyn liht,
Wheroff ther enmyes, astonyd in ther siht,
Were so troublid vpon euery side,
That in the feeld thei durst[e] nat a-bide.

The cri was this off hem euerichon:
“Thank to the Lord most noble & glorious,
Pris to the suerd off myhti Gedeon,
Which vs hath causid to be victorious,
Maad our enmyes, most malicious,
Thoruh influence onli off his grace,
For verray feer to fleen afforn our face!”

Thus can the Lord off his magnyficence
The meeke exalte & the proude oppresse,
Lich as he fyndeth in hertis difference,
So off his power he can his domys dresse,
Merci ay meynt with his rihtwisnesse,
His iugementis with long delay differrid;
And or he punshe, pite is ay preferrid.

Lenvoye.

Mihti Princis, remembre that your power
Is transitory & no while a-bidyng,
As this tragedie hath rehersid heer
Bi euidencis ful notable in shewyng,
And bexaumples, in substaunce witnessyng,
That all tirantis, platli to termyne,
Mut from ther staat sodenli declyne.

Phebus is fresshest in his mydday speer,
His bemys brihtest & hattest out spredyng;
But cloudi skies ful offte approche neer
Teclipse his liht with ther vnwar comyng:
Noon ertheli ioie is longe heer abidyng,
Record off Titan, which stound[e]meel doth shyne,
Yit toward nyht his stremys doun declyne.

Whan that Fortune is fairest off hir cheer
Bi apparence, and most blandisshyng,
Thanne is [she] falsest ech sesoun off the yeer,
Hir sodeyn chaungis now vp now doun turnyng;
The nyhtyngale in May doth fresshli syng,

But a bakwynter can somer vndermyne
And al his fresshnesse sodenli declyne.

Al ertheli blisse dependith in a weer,
In a ballaunce oneuenli hangyng,—
O Pryncis, Pryncessis most souereyn & enteer,
In this tragedie conceyueth be redyng,
How that estatis bi ful vnwar chaungyng,
Whilom ful worthi, ther lyues dede fyne,
Whan fro ther noblesse thei wer maad to declyne.

[Of mighty Iabyn Kyng of Canane, of quene Iocasta/ and how Thebes was destroied.]

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,—

103

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,

104

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.

Lenvoye.

In this tragedie foure thinges ye may see,
The pride off Iabyn & fals presumpcioun,
Off queen Iocasta the gret aduersite,
Off kyng Edippus thynclynacioun
To vices all, and the deuysioun
Off the too brethre, pleynli vs tassure,
Kyngdamys deuyded may no while endure.

106

For who sauh euer kyngdam or contre
Stonde in quyeet off ther possessioun,
But yiff ther wer pes, riht and equyte
And iust accord, withoute discencioun,
Void off ontrouthe and fals collusioun,
Pleynli declaryng bexaumple & bi scripture,
Kyngdamys deuyded may no while endure.

Seeth heer exaumple off Thebes the cite,
And how that noble myhti regioun,
Thoruh ther froward [fals] duplicite
With werre brouht to ther destruccioun;
Ther promys brokyn, and ther couert tresoun,
Shewed bi the[r] harmys, impossible to recure,
Kyngdamys deuyded may no while endure.

Pryncis, Pryncessis, which han the souereynte
Ouer the peeple and domynacioun,
Yiff ye list lyue longe in felicite,
Cherisshith your subiectis, doth noon extorsioun,
And aduertisith off wisdam and resoun,
As this tragedie doth to you discure,
Kyngdamys deuyded may no while endure.

[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,

Lord off Athenys, a famous gret cite,
Ryht strong and myhti vpon eueri side,—
But at his bak Bochas dede oon see,

107

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!

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,

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

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.”

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.

Allas! my brother, roote off onkynd[e]nesse,
Attreus callid, off tresoun sours & well,
And fyndere out off tresoun & falsnesse,

108

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,

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 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!

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.

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.

This he compassid ful falsli off malis,
Hymsilff weel knowyng that it was nat so,
Ay founde onkynde, and in his auys

109

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

There is no damage in comparisoun,
That may be likned, bi no rassemblaunce,
To feyned trouthe and symulacioun,

110

Whan fraude is hid with a fair contenaunce,
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.

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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!

113

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,

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.

[How Atreus accusid himsilf of mordre and his brothir vpon auoutry don with Europa the quene.]

Atreus afftir, with a ful pale cheer,
And off envie ful ded in his visage,
Onto Iohn Bochas gan approche neer,
Lich as he hadde be fallen in a rage,
And furiousli abraid in his langage,
“How may this be, that lik a man wer wood,
Thiestes hath his venym sowe a-brod,

And lik a rebaude falsli me accusid,
Nat-withstandyng that I ful cleerli see
Myn infortunyes, which may nat be refusid,
So sore, allas, thei werke ageyn[e]s me!
And thouh Thiestes fals & ontrewe be,
And to the, Bochas, with a face pale
Ageyn[e]s me hath forged heer a tale

Which in effect shal be founde ontrewe,
Yiff I ha[ue] space my compleynt to declare.
For I purpose to telle a tale newe
Fro poynt to poynt, & for no man to spare,

114

How he was roote & ground off al my care,
And euene lik as it is befall
Reherse the gynnyng off my sorwes all.

Whilom whan I regned in Messene,
Off age lusti, flouryng in my fresshnesse,
With my wyff Europa, that was queene,
Most renommed that tyme off hir fairnesse,
Thiestes thanne, ground off al falsnesse,
As a traitour his tyme dede espie,
Thoruh his fals fraude & his flat[e]rie

Compassid a mene withynne my cite
Bi sleihti wilis that were incomparable,
To corrupte my wyuys chastite,
Mi bed defoulyng, a thyng intollerable,
And to the goddis verray abhomynable—
Vsyng the queen to his flesshli plesaunce,
Til onto tyme that bi continuaunce

She bi hym hadde sonys too or thre,
Echon brouht forth in fals auout[e]rye.
Deemyng euer that thei hadde be
Myn owne childre, til that I dede espie,
How that this swyn thoruh his fals lecherie,
This Thiestes, afftir Europa,
Lay bi his douhter callid Pellopia.

And bi processe foorth a child she brouhte,
Callid Egistus, which whan he cam to age,
As seith Bochas, ful gret tresoun he wrouhte;
For bi his malice and his gret outrage
Destroied was al hooli the lynage
Off Tantalus, which bi his lyuyng
In Frigia regned as lord and kyng.

But this Egistus, off whom I spak afforn,
Falsli begote, myn auctour writ the same,
Off Pelopia, anon as he was born,
To hide the sclaundre & also the diffame
Off Thiestes, and for to saue his name,

115

Whan that he was but a day off age,
He was out cast to beestis ful sauage

To be deuoured, the story is weel kouth.
A mylch[e] goot God list for hym prouyde,
To fostren hym in his tendre youth,
He day & nyht liggyng bi hir side.
Withynne the forest thus he dede abide
Onto tyme that he gan growe in age;
Thanne to the court he holdeth his passage,

As onknowe to eueri maner wiht,
Wher he herde, abidyng in houshold,
Off his kenreede, & how, ageyn al riht,
Thiestes was presumptuous and bold,
Bi his deceytis compassid manyfold,
With Europa my wiff to haue a-do,
And on Pelopia begat a child also,

Which was hymsilff, as he dede vndirstonde
Bi euydencis many mo than on.
Wherfore off malice he took on honde,
On me, his vncle, tauengid been anon.
For Thiestes, cheuest off all my fon,
Myn owne brothir, made Egistus blyue
To make a suerd thoruhout myn herte ryue.

Thus bi this moordre, conspired bi tresoun,
On me Atreus, liggyng pale and ded,
Cam Thiestes to haue possessioun,
And sette a crowne oniustli on his hed.
He nouther hadde conscience nor dreed,
Routheles to see my woundis bleede,
With this that he myhte in my land succeede.

This same Egistus, ful falsli in his liff,
As a yong braunche spronge out off tresoun,
Lay bi Clymestra, which that was the wiff
Off the noble worthi kyng Agamenoun,
Liggyng a-siege toffor Troie toun.
And this Egistus, which is a thyng nat fair,
Moordred hym also in Grece at his repair.

116

Wherfore, O Bochas, off herte I pray[e] the,
Which off these stories is now most terrible?—
Off Edippus, Iocasta, or off me?
Telle on anon, yiff it be possible,
Which off ther sorwes is founde most penyble,
Off Theban brethre, most ful off wo & teene,
Or off vs tweyne brethern off Missene?

I am a-knowe, as for my partie,
Off vengaunce I dede a cruel deede:
I slouh his childre off malice & envie
And rosted hem, whan that thei wer dede,
Onli because, yiff thou list take heede,
That he begat hem, as roote off al this striff,
Vpon Europa, which that was my wiff.

Such hatful thyngis echman sholde lothe,
Which appertene to moordre and to tresoun:
Thus may I seyn, we been vnhappi bothe,
He first bi trespas off fornycacioun
Doon bi the queen withynne my regioun,
And I, disclaundrid, on the tothir side,
Off hasti vengaunce to been an homycide.

My bed he fouled bi his auoutrie,
To God & man a thyng most detestable;
And I off malice and fals malencolie
Slouh his childre & serued hem atte table.
Thus entirchaungyng, yiff it be comendable,
Ech was desirous, thoruh our vnhappi chaunce,
Vpon other for to do vengaunce.

Our gret hatreede, most odious founde att all,
Our cruel deedis wrouht on outher side,
Senech rehersith hem in especiall
In his tragedies; and ther he doth deuyde
Our compleyntis, our malice & our pride,
Our fatal eende in sorwe & myscheeff fyned,
Whan Antropos our lyuys threed hath twyned.”

117

Whan Iohn Bochas fulli hadde espied
Off these too brethre thaccusaciouns,
And how thei hadde maliciousli replied
Ech ageyn other in ther discenciouns,
He gan dulle to heere ther mociouns,
Put vp his penne, & wrot nat mor a woord
Off the[r] furie nor off ther fals discord.

[Lenvoy.]

This tragedie sheweth a figure,
A maner ymage & also a liknesse,
How contrari it is onto nature,
Blood onto blood to shewe onkynd[e]nesse.
This woful story can ber [ful] weel witnesse,
All such debatis been, as ye shal fynde,
Hatful to God and contrary onto kynde.

For there is non mor dreedful auenture,
Than in kynredis to fynde frowardnesse,
Nor no damage mor pereilous to endure,
Than in frenshepes whan there is straungenesse
A maner parti; bexaumple I dar expresse,
To seen the tre debate ageyn the rynde,
To God were hatful and contrary onto kynde.

Eueri beeste and eueri creature
Loueth his semblable, off kyndli riht, I gesse;
And whan on trouthe tweyne hertis assure,
Vndepartid, off verray parfitnesse,
It were a vicious froward cursidnesse,
Ther loue so knet, to losne it or onbynde,
Hatful to God and contrari onto kynde.

Pryncis, Pryncessis, doth your besi cure
Fro you tauoide striff, fraude & doubilnesse,
Remembrith you vpon thunhappi eure
Off these too brethre & off ther wrechidnesse,
And off ther bothe malicious wilfulnesse,
And how ther stryues—hath this weel in mynde—
To God was hatful and contrary onto kynde.

118

[Off Duk Theseus and Adriane þat saued his liff in the Caue/and how he lik a forsworn man forsook hir and weddid faire Phedra/whiche aftirward slouh hirsilf.]

Athenes whilom, whan it was in his floures,
Was callid norice of philisophres wise,
Princesse off poetis & expert oratoures,
Sonne off all sciences, as clerkis can deuise,
Whens al cunnyng most cleerli dede arise,
Named off Grece the lanterne and the liht,
Which thoruh al erthe shadde his beemys briht.

With noble titles, which been out off noumbre,
In eueri coost his renoun dede shyne,
The fame theroff was clipsed with non oumbre,
All other scooles it dede so enlumyne;
For in that cite, pleynli to termyne,
Off the seuene artis, as doun from on hedspryng,
Ther ran out ryuers and stremys off al cunnyng.

These sciences were callid liberall,
Onli off fredam, fraunchise and liberte;
For off a stok that were preued thrall,
Ther sholde no braunche studie in that cite,
But thilke blood that were founde fre,
Bothe be discent & lyneal hih noblesse,
Ther to scoleie sholde haue interesse.

This cite was sacrid to Mynerue,
For ther wisdam and ther sapience;
Off Mercurie the feestis thei obserue,
For rethorik and for eloquence;
And myhti Mars gaff hem influence
With glade aspectis, ther parti to a-mende,
Noblesse off knyhthod ther clergie to diffende.

This toun was nobleied be title of other thynges,
And most glorious reknyd in that age
Be successioun off dukes and off kynges,

119

A-mong[es] which duk Theseus bi lynage,
Sone off Egistus, ful fressh off his corage,
Excellyng alle of prudence & manheede
That euer dede the crowne ther posseede.

For to that cite, thoruh his hih noblesse,
In ther diffencis such trust, such [af]fiaunce
He gaff to hem bi his expert prowesse,
Off his triumphes so gret habundaunce,
And speciali ther renoun to auaunce,
He made hem fre ther truage for to lete
Ageyn Mynos the myhti kyng off Crete.

For bi his force, the story is weel kouth,
Them to fraunchise and al that regioun,
The Mynotaur he slouh in tendre youth;
And afftirward he off deuocioun,
Taquite hymsilff[e] lik a champioun,
Theroff made solempne sacrefise
To Iubiter in most humble wise;

And in a theatre callid Maratoun,
Duk Theseus hadde this victorie.
Afftir he wente to Colchos with Iasoun,
Cheeff off counseil, as makid is memorie,
And bi processe to augmente his glorie,
With Hercules his brother to conveie,
Geyn Amazones he wente to werreie,—

Conquered hem, his manhod was weel seene,
His force, his noblesse in that mortal stryff.
And afftir that, Ypolita the queene
This Theseus took onto his wiff.
And for his brother he list iuparte his liff,
Duk Pirotheus, whan he dede vndirtake
The centaures to outraie for his sake.

This centaures poetis specefie,
And Seruyus maketh mencioun,
How thei were whilom engendrid on a skie,
Whan first ther fadir, callid Yrion,
Was enamourid, ful many day agon,

120

Vpon Iuno, because she was so fair,
Gouerneresse and goddesse off the hair.

This Yrion was hir secretarie,
And for hir fairnesse & excellent beute,
Loued hir ful hote, al-be she was contrarie
To his desir, in Bochas ye may see.
Hym to delude, he writith, how that she
Hirsilff transfourmyd, as she [that] myhte & koude,
Into the liknesse off an heuenli cloude,

This Yrion pleynli supposyng
It was hirsilff, and euene thus he wrouhte,
The cloude enbracyng, withoute mor tarieng,—
Off his foli the goddesse there he souhte;
And with ther medlyng atwen hem foorth thei brouhte
The centauris, these beestis merueilous,
Which off nature be founde monstruous.

Halff man, halff hors, [de]partid thus on tweyne,
And wonderful bi ther descripcioun,
Off fals[e] malice dede hemselff ordeyne
On Pirotheus to make invasioun,
And hym to putte out off possessioun
Off his wiff, callid Ypodamen,
And hir to rauysshe, maugre all his men.

Ther were off hem an hundred [as] in noumbre,
Swifft as the wynd in ther cours rennyng,
Which off malice cast hem to encoumbre
Duk Pirotheus the day off his weddyng,
And to rauysshe his wiff at ther comyng,
Yiff for his parti ther were no diffence
Ageyn ther power to make resistence.

But Theseus list nat to delaie
Pirotheus his brother to diffende.
First the centaures he knyhtli dede outraie
So mortalli, thei durste hym nat offende;
Afftir this conquest to helle thei descende,

121

Duk Pirothe and worthi Theseus,
Maugre the daunger off cruel Cerberus.

There thei rauysshe in ther mortal teene,
Thoruh ther knyhthod, yiff ye list to lere,
Despiht off Pluto, Proserpyna the queene,
Which off Iubiter was the douhter deere.
And Pirotheus fond first the manere
Off wilful force, thoruh his hih renoun,
Rewmys to conquere and holde possessioun.

But bi writyng sothli off Ouyde,
He pleynli tellith how duk Theseus
Arested was in hell, and muste abide,
Bi the force off cruel Cerberus;
And Pluto was to hym contrarious,
Til Pirotheus, to fynden a reles,
The cas declared onto Hercules.

Which off his knyhthod a remedi fond,
To helpe his freend [he] dede his besi peyne;
First bi his prowesse Cerberus he bond
At helle gatis with a treble cheyne,
And off his manhod he dede so ordeyne,
Duk Theseus from daunger to discharge,
Maugre Pluto for to gon at large.

Thei were in armys brethre bothe tweyne,
Louede as brethre bothe in werre and pes,
That nouther koude onto other feyne,
Ther liff to iuparte & putte hemsilff in pres.
And bothe as brethre wer callid Hercules,
To signefie, poetis can weel tell,
This name in conquest all other doth excell.

Bi old[e] tyme thei that were pereles
For ther noblesse in dyuers regiouns,
All thei for manhod wer namyd Hercules,
Such as were noised for famous champiouns,
Tigres to daunte, boores and leouns,
And renommed among hem euerichon,
Bookis afferme, that Theseus was on.

122

First, as I saide, bi his knyhtli trauaile,
Whan Athenes stood in dyuysioun
A-mong hemsilff bi werre and bi bataile,
Bi his wisdam and his discrecioun,
He sette accord withynne that noble toun:
Them that were exilid & stood in nouncerteyn,
He off his knyhthod made hem resorte ageyn;

He gaff hem lawes wherbi thei sholde hem gie,
Noble statutis foundid on resoun,
Sette among hem so prudent policie,
In ther lyuyng that no discencioun
Sholde arise bi non occasioun
A-mong hemsilff, in hih or low estat,
Prouydyng euere that there were no debat.

Thus gan the cite encrece and multeplie,
To wexe famous off wisdam and richesse;
Ther sprang the welle first off philosophie;
Ther first off knyhthod ros the hih noblesse,
Bi Theseus, Bochas bereth witnesse:
Thus thynges too, lik as it is founde,
Clergie and knyhthod dede there habounde.

And for to sette the cite in quieete,
He made pes thoruh al that regioun;
And off knyhthod he manli dede meete
The cruel tiraunt that callid was Creoun,
Maugre hym made restitucioun
Off lordis bonys, that were at Thebes slayn,
To the ladies, wheroff thei were ful fayn.

Thus thoruh Grece abrod his renoun spradde;
His knyhtli fame gan gretli multeplie,
And longe in ioie thus his liff he ladde,
Whil that Fortune list hym magnefie:
But ay hir gladnesse is meynt with sum envie,
For she, froward, list no mor soiourne
With Theseus, but gan hir face tourne

123

Awey from hym, wex peruers and froward,
Off his glorie ongoodli gan to dulle,
Doun from hir wheel she made [him] go bakward,
Off his good fame she gan the fethres pulle;
Whan his noblesse was hiest at the fulle—
I meene the fulle off his felicite—
Ther folwed an ebbe off gret aduersite.

And, morouer, hir frowardli to quite,
His onhappis rehersyng on bi on,
On the firste, as Bochas list endite,
Was whan he lay in Crete among his fon,
And out off prisoun sholde into Grece gon,
Repeiryng homward & hymsilff withdrawe,
The Mynotaur whan he hadde slawe.

The firste emprise that he vndirtook,
Was whan he scaped thymportable peyne
Off Mynotaurus, lik as seith my book,
And with hym ladde the kyngis douhtren tweyne,
That he off malice falsli list disdeyne
Geyn Adriane, which that dede hym saue
From the deth, whan he lay in the caue.

Sholde ha be slayn, hadde nat hir socour be,—
In his repair he took theroff non heed;
He leffte hir sool in gret aduersite
Withynne an yle, in myscheeff, sorwe & dreed.
And fair[e] Phedra with hym he dede leed,
Weddid hir, lik a forswore man:
Thus with ontrouthe his myscheeff first began.

How Phedra quit hir,—the story is weel knowe—
In his absence, Bochas writith thus,
Whan that she, withynne a litil throwe,
Loued ageyn kynde his sone Ypolitus;
But he to hire was contrarious,

124

Nolde [not] assente to so foul a deede;
For shame he fledde, & parcel eek for dreede,

To his fader for she hym dede accuse,
As ye toforn ha[ue] the story sayn.
And for he dede hir cumpany refuse,
He wente his way & cam neuer agayn;
For ye haue herd[e] how that he was slayn
Withynne a char, thoruh his vnhappi chaunce,
And how Phedra throuh myscheeff & vengaunce

Slouh hirselff, ageyn al womanheed—
Heer in this book toforn as I you tolde.
Of which[e] thyng, whan Theseus took heed,
Thouhte it was vengaunce for his offencis olde;
For he nat quit hym lik as he was holde
To Adriane, which sholde ha been his wiff,
Bi whos socour he scaped with the liff.

This infortune and this vnhappi chaunce
Was to his noblesse ful contrarious.
The deth also was to hym a vengaunce
Off his sone callid Ypolitus,
For sorwe off whom, this duk Theseus
With salte teris sore gan compleyne
At the exequies off these ilke tweyne.

I trowe also it dede hym sore greue,
Duk Pirotheus whan he sauh li ded,
Slayn with a beeste, & myht[e] nat releue,—
Kyng Orchus hound, which hadde a treble hed,
Whos teth horrible off his blood were red.
Which infortunye, whan he gan beholde,
Onto the deth he felte his herte colde.

And for to rekne the grete wrechidnessis,
Thunhappi chaunces that fill hym in his liff,
Amongis alle his other gret distressis,
Was non so mortal nor so ful off striff
As whan that he gaff credence to his wiff,

125

Phedra callid, which off entencioun
Compassid ontreuli an accusacioun

Vpon Ypolitus, off hatreed and envie,
Because he nolde do so gret offence
As for tassente to hir lecherie;
Therfore off deth he felte the violence.
And for his fader to soone gaff credence,
Bochas forbit husbondis al ther lyues,
Withoute preeff, nat leeue to soone her wyues,

Nor be [to] hasti talis for to leeue
Off flaterers in chaumbre nor at table;
Forgers of lesyngis, myn auctour doth weel preeue,
Tabide with lordis that thei be nat able.
Heeron he maketh a chapitle ful notable,
And off his writyng, this was the cause whi:
That pryncis sholde examyne ech parti,

Off wisdam also and off discrecioun,
Withoute a preeff nat be parciall;
For to a prynce it is confusioun,
Yiff atween parties he be nat founde egall,
Causid many on for to haue a fall;
God suffred such nat longe to contune,
Withdrouh ther grace & hyndred ther fortune.

Thus Theseus for his hastynesse,
His happ, his grace discrecid day be day,
The fame appallid off his worthynesse,
And froward Fortune in a-wait eek lay,
For his diffautis to hyndre hym yiff she may;
Caste she wolde his noblesse disauaunce.
And thanne his kyngdam bi disobeisaunce

From hym withdrouh honour and reuerence,
Ful frowardli thoruh al his regioun.
Thei off Athenys, bi cruel violence,
Fill ageyn hym in rebellioun,
That he was fayn to fleen out off the toun:

126

Thus hath Fortune dirked the brihtnesse
Off al his nobley, and cast hym in distresse.

This was the eende bi gret contrariouste
Off Theseus, afftir his daies glade,
Whan the fressh floures off old felicite,
Fortune aduerse made hem for to fade;
Ech thyng mut bowwe whan it is ouer-lade,
Worshepis & honouris, whan thei brihtest shyne,
With vnwar chaunges than rathest doun declyne.

[Lenvoy.]

The onseur gladnesse, the ioie transitorie,
Thunstable seurnesse, the transmutaciouns,
The cloudi brihtnesse, the fals eclipsid glorie
Off erthly pryncis which han possessiouns,
Monarchies and dominaciouns—
Ther sodeyn chaung declareth to vs all,
Ther pompous sugre is meynt with bittir gall.

This blynde goddesse in hir consistorie,
With hir plesaunce medlith discenciouns,
Afftir tryumphes, conquest and victorie,
Reueth fro pryncis ther sceptres & ther crouns,
Troubleth the peeple with fals rebelliouns:
Seeth bi these dukis, which from her wheel be fall,
Al worldli sugre is meynt with bittir gall.

This tragedie maketh a memorie
Off dukis tweyne, & off ther hih renouns;
And off ther loue writ a gret historie,
And how thei conquered dyuers regiouns,
Gouerned cites, contres and eek touns,
Til Fortune ther prowesse dede appall,
To shewe ther sugre was meynt with bittir gall.

127

Pryncis, Pryncessis, seeth how deceptorie
Been alle these worldli reuoluciouns,
And how Fortune in hir reclynatorie,
With hir triacle tempreth fals poisouns:
So merueilous been hir confecciouns,
Off frowardnesse she will, what-so be-fall,
Ay with hir sugre off custum tempre gall.

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.

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.

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,

128

The peeple draweth, who that can discerne,
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.

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.

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.

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.

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

129

Off corages, off hih or low degre,
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 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.

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.

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.

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;

130

And atween bothe, or he yiue a sentence,
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.

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.

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,

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.

Also off wisdam, this duk Theseus
Shold ha[u]e considred afforn in his entent,
How that his sone, callid Ypolitus,

131

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

132

For which restoryng, as writ Ouidius,
As twies a man, men callid hym Virbius.

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.

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.

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.

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.

133

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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

134

Thei han sergauntis vpon hem abidyng,
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.

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.

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.

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.

Hasti credence is roote off al errour,
A froward stepmooder off al good counsail,
Ground off gret hyndryng, a dreedful deceyuour,

135

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.

Lenvoye.

Pryncis, considreth, how in eueri age
Folkis be dyuers off ther condicioun
To plie & turne & chaunge in ther corage;
Yit is ther non, to myn opynyoun,
So dreedful chaung nor transmutacioun,
As chaung off pryncis to yiue a iugement,
Or hasti credence, withoute auisement.

It is weel founde a passyng gret damage,
Knowe and expert in eueri regioun,
Thouh a tale haue a fair visage,
It may include ful gret decepcioun:
Hid vndir sugre, galle and fell poisoun,
With a fresh face off double entendement—
Yit yiueth no credence withoute auisement.

Let folkis alle be war off ther language,
Keep ther tunges from oblocucioun,
To hyndre or hurte bi no maner outrage,
Preserue ther lippis from al detraccioun,
Fro chaumpartie and contradiccioun;
For list that fraude wer founde in ther entent,
Ne yiueth no credence withoute auisement.

Pryncis, Pryncessis, off noble and hih parage,
Which ha[ue] lordshipe and domynacioun,
Voide hem a-side, that can flatre and fage;
Fro tunges that haue a tarage off tresoun,
Stoppith your eris from ther bittir soun;
Beth circumspect, nat hasti but prudent,
And yiueth no credence withoute auisement.

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[Off Quene Althea, and how Hercules by women was brouht to confusioun.]

Whan Bochas hadde shewed his sentence,
And declared his opynyoun
Geyn hem that wer[e]n hasti off credence,
He gan anon make a digressioun
Fro that mater, and off entencioun
To serche out mo, his purpos to contune,
That were doun cast & hyndred bi Fortune.

And, as he thouhte, he sauh a cumpanye
Off many worthi, which to hym dede appeere;
And a-mong alle first he dede espie
Queen Althea, as she gan neihhe hym neere,
Al bedewed hir face and eek hir cheere
With salt[e] teris, that pite was to seene,
Which whilom was off Calidonye the queene.

She was the douhter off kyng Testius,
Weddid to Oene off Calidoyne kyng,
Off cheer and face apperyng ful pitous,
Hir her to-torn and frowardli liggyng;
And in tokne also off compleynyng,
As writ Bochas, wheroff he took [good] heed,
Blak was hir habite, and al to-rent hir weed.

A sone she hadde, Mell[e]ager he hihte;
In erthe was ther non fairere for to see,
Riht weel fauoured in eueri manys sihte;
And, as I fynde, at his natyuite
Present wern the Fatal Sustren thre
With ther rokke, and gan to spynne faste,
And took a brond and into fir it caste.

And in that hour this was her language:
“Touchyng this child, we ful accorded be,
And han disposid the terme eek off his age,

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The space concludid off his destyne,
As long[e] tyme, who-so list to see,
Til this brond among the coles rede
Be ful consumed into asshes dede.”

But whan Althea espied ther entente,
And conseyued the fyn off ther sentence,
She ros hire up, and the brond she hente
Out off the fir with gret dilligence,
Queynt anon the fires violence;
The doom off Parcas she gan thus disobeie,
The brond reseruyng vnder lok and keie.

Touchyng the fader off this Mell[e]ager,
Oeneus, off hym thus I reede,
How he wente and souhte nyh and fer
Goddis and goddessis, who-so list take heede,
In hope onli for to ha[ue] gret meede;
For to hem alle, poetis thus deuise,
Sauf to Diana, he dede sacrefise.

Wheroff she cauhte an indignacioun;
Caste she wolde on hym auengid be;
Sente a boor into his regioun,
Ful sauage and ful off cruelte,
Which deuoured the frut off many a tre
And destroied his cornys and his vynes,
That such scarsete off vitaile and off wynes

Was in his land vpon euery side,
That the peeple off necessite
Compellid wern a-mong hem to prouide
Sum mene weie to saue ther contre.
And at the laste thei condescendid be,
That Mell[e]ager, lusti off his corage,
Shold chese with hym folk fresh & yong off age,

This dreedful boor myhtili tenchace.
And foorth thei wente, echon deuoid off dreed,
With rounde speris thei gan hym to manace,
But Mell[e]ager made first his sides red,
And with a suerd[e] thanne smet off his hed;

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Wheroff the contre was ful glad & fayn,
And in this wise the tusshi boor was slayn.

Summe bookis telle off this huntyng,
That a ladi, which was born in Arge,
Callid Athalanta, douhter to the kyng,
To sle this boor took on hire the charge,
And with an arwe made his wounde large.
Eek in Ouide lik as it is founde,
Because that she gaff the firste wounde,

Mell[e]ager anon for a memorie,
As he that was hir owne chose knyht,
Gaff hir the hed in tokne off this victorie.
But his tweyne vncles, ageyn al skile & riht,
Rafft hir the hed, off verray force & myht,
Hauyng despiht that she, in ther auys,
Off this victorie sholde bere awey the prys.

With which iniurie Mell[e]ager was wroth,
And ageyn hem proudli gan disdeyne;
Pullith out a suerd and vpon hem he goth,
And thoruh his manhod slouh his vncles tweyne,
And afftir that dede his besi peyne
To take the hed, and with ful humble entente,
To Athalante ageyn it to presente.

On off his vncles was callid Flexippus,
A manli knyht, and but yong off age;
The tother brother named Thesyus.
But whan ther suster herde off this outrage,
How thei were slayn, she gan in hir visage
Wexe ded [&] pale, allas, for lak off blood,
Whan she espied the cause how it stood.

She hadde no mater, God wot, to be fayn,
Queen Althea, to stonden and beholde
Hir brethre tweyne off hir sone slayn
At the huntyng, off which toforn I tolde.
First thyngis too she gan peise & onfolde:

139

Off hir brethre the loue and nyh kenrede,
And off hir sone the hasti cruel deede.

And remembryng, she castith in ballaunce,
Off hertli wo that she dede endure,
Thouhte yiff she dede vpon ther deth vengaunce,
To slen hir sone it were ageyn nature.
Thus in a weer longe [time] she dede endure,
Hir dedli sorwe peisyng euerideel,
Whethir she shal be tendre or cruel.

Thus tendre, I meene, hir sone for to spare,
Or punshe the deth off hir brethre tweyne.
Thus counfortles, al destitut and bare,
In langwisshyng shendureth foorth hir peyne;
And remedie can she non ordeyne,
Sauf fayn she wolde auenge hir, yiff she may,
But thanne cam nature foorth and seide nay.

It was hir sone, a-geyn al kyndli riht
On whom she caste auenged for to be:
To women alle an ougli straunge siht,
That a mooder, deuoid off al pite,
Sholde slen hir child so merciles parde.
Nay nay, nat so, nature wil nat assente;
For yiff she dede, ful sore she shal repente.

But O allas, al fatal purueiaunce
Kepith his cours, as summe clerkis seyn;
But the writyng off doctours, in substaunce,
And these dyuynes replie ther ageyn,
And afferme thoppynyoun is in veyn
Off hem that truste on fate or destyne:
For God aboue hath the souereynte,

And off Fortune the power may restreyne,
To saue and spille lik as folk disserue;
Ageyn his will thei may nothyng ordeyne
Off necessite, what cours that thei conserue.
But this mateer al hooli I reserue

140

Onto deuynys to termyne and conclude,
Which apparteneth to no folkis rude.

But Althea, off Calidoyne queen,
Gan sore muse, and heeng in a ballaunce:
Hir brethre ded, whan she dede hem seen,
Thanne was she meued anon to do vengaunce
Vpon hir sone bi ful gret displesaunce;
But as poetis list for to compile,
Nature made hire withdrawe hir hand a while.

Thus atwen ire and twen affeccioun
She heeld hir longe, on nouther parti stable,
Till that she cauhte in hir opynyoun
A sodeyn rancour, which made hire be vengable;
And hasti wrathe, which is nat comendable,
Ageyn hir sone, maad hire with hir hond
Out off hire chest to take the fatal brond.

And sodenli she cast it in the fir,
And wex cruel, ageyn al womanheede,
To execute hir venymous desir.
The fatal brond among the flawmys rede
Consumed was into asshes dede;
And furiously in hir malencolie,
The vengaunce doon, thus she gan to crie:

“O ye Parchas, froward sustre thre,
Which off Ioue keepe the librarie,
And off childre at ther natyuyte
Waite his sentence, which [that] may nat varie,
Wherso it be welful or contrarie,
Vpon his doomys takyng alway heed,
How that ye shal dispose the fatal threed.

Thou Cloto first takest thi rokke on honde,
And Lachesis afftir doth begynne,

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Bi gret auys, who can vndirstonde,
The threed on lengthe to drawen & to spynne;
But whan the sperit shal fro the bodi twynne,
Thou Attropos doost thi cruel peyne
Ful frowardli to parte the threed on tweyne.

I may weel pleyne on such departisoun,
Nat for a day, but, o allas, for euere!
Ye han ontwynyd and maad dyuysioun
Off my too brethre, [and] causid hem disseuere,
That heer a-lyue I shal seen hem neuere.
And I off haste, allas, whi dede I so!
Tauenge ther deth ha[ue] slayn my sone also.

O ye thre douhtren off Herberus the felle,
Whos ougli mooder was the blake nyht,
Al your kynreede and lynage lith in helle;
And for tauenge the wrong and gret onriht
Which that I haue accomplisshid in your siht,
I will with you perpetueli compleyne,
Lich my desert endure sorwe & peyne!”

And whil she gan thus with hirself[e] stryue
Vpon hir sorwes, that were eend[e]les,
She made a suerd thoruhout hir herte ryue,
Off hir liff heer she was to rech[e]les.
And Bochas affter, amonges al the pres,
Sauh, as hym thouhte, with a ful hidous cheer,
Ded off visage, Hercules appeere,

Whos fader was Iubiter the grete,
His mooder douhter off kyng Amphitrion,
Callid Alcumena, whilom born in Crete.
And as poetis rehersyn oon bi oon,
So excellent was ther neuer noon,

142

To speke off conquest, [of] victorie and [of] fame,
Heer in this world that hadde so gret a name.

Dreedful of look he was, and riht terrible,
His berd eek blak, which heeng ful lowe doun,
And al his her as bristlis wer horrible,
His robe also, ful merueilous off facioun,
Was off the skyn off a fers leoun,
Which [from his bake] of verray force he rente,
With-in a forest alone whan he wente.

In his hand he bar a maas off steel,
Which to beholde was wonder large & huge
Bi apperence, as Bochas felte weel;
Dempte off resoun, as a rihtful iuge,
That Hercules hadde to his refuge
Wisdam with force, for tencrece his fame,
Alle beestis wilde for to make hem tame.

And onto Bochas he gan loude crie,
“Tak riht good heed[e], for it is no fable,
I for my meritis, to speke off cheualrie
And noble triumphes, am most comendable,
To be preferrid most worthi and most hable,
Which haue accomplisshid al that may excelle
Thoruh hih prowesse, that any tunge can telle.

Eek off my berthe, in heuene ful yore ago
Fulli conceyued my constellacioun,
Mihti Ioue saide onto Iuno,
On such a day, in such a regioun,
Oon shal be born, most myhti off renoun,
Noblest off nobles bothe in werre and pes,
Off whom the name shal be Hercules.

143

The which[e] doom whan Iuno vndirstood,
Off Iubiter conceyuyng the entente,
And knew my fate sholde be so good,
To Lucynya hir messager she sente.” . . .
But summe seyn, how doun hirselff she wente
To this goddesse, goddesse off childyng,
And hir besouhte to graunte hire hir askyng:

That she wolde from Hercules translate
The influence off his natyuyte,
Helpe to reuerse his fame and eek his fate,
And graunte it hooli to yong Euristee;
And that Lucynya present wolde be
The same hour bi Iubiter prouyded,
It to posseede al hool and ondeuyded.

Thus to the mooder off [this] Euristee,
Iuno the goddesse grauntid hir fauour,
Therbi disposyng that he sholde be
Mihti off puissaunce lik an emperour;
But off his noblesse the conquest & labour,
And off his manhod the prowesse and pursut
Bi Hercules was fully execut.

Thus Hercules hadde the trauaile,
And Euristeus bar awey the name;
Eek Hercules fauht in plate & maile,
And hih emprises proudli dede attame:
But the report off his noble fame
To Euristeus was fynali ascryued;
Thus off his thank was Hercules depryued.

Ful offte in armys sum man doth riht weel,
And offte causith that the feeld is wonne;
And off a-nother that dede neueradeel,
The price out-spredith lich a sheene sonne.
And offte it happith, that he that best hath ronne
Doth nat the spere lich his desert posseede,
Wher fals fauour yeueth eueri man his meede.

144

Fame in hir paleis hath trumpes mo than oon,
Summe off gold that yeuen a ful fressh soun;
Sum man hath laude, that deserueth non,
And summe ha[ue] been ful worthi off renoun,
Nothyng preferrid bi comendacioun,
As bi report off statis hih and lowe,
So frowardli Famys trumpe hath blowe.

Touchyng armys, the poore nor the riche
Be nat echon off herte coragous;
Nor alle men may nat been iliche,
Nor off ther name egal nor gracious.
And thouh the poore ha[ue] be victorious,
Off auenture to do ful weel sum day,
Other ha[ue] pynchid to take his thank away.

Oon sleth the deer with an hokid arwe,
Whos part is non yit off the venysoun;
Oon bet the bussh, another hath the sparwe,
And alle the birdis in his possessioun;
Oon draweth his nettis in ryuers vp & doun,
With sundri baitis cast out lyne and hook,
And hath no part off al that euer he took.

An euidence heeroff ye may see,
Ful notable to be put in memorie,
Off Hercules and [of] Euristee;
For Hercules gat ay the victorie,
And Euristeus receyued hath the glorie.
Thus ther palme partid was on tweyne;
The ton reioisshid, the tother bar the peyne.

Euristeus was a prynce off Athene,
Sone and hair be discent off lyne
Onto the kyng that callid was Stillene,
Vnder whos myht, as Bochas doth termyne,
Hercules thoruh knyhtli disciplyne
Profitid so, most manli and most wis,
That from all othre he bar awey the pris.

145

But O allas, that euer it sholde fall,
So noble a knyht, so manli, so notable,
That any spotte sholde his pris appall
Or cause his corage for to been onstable,
Which is a thyng doolful and lamentable,
From his knyhthod, which is a thyng to straunge,
That euer a woman sholde his herte chaunge!

I will excuse hem, because ther nature
Ys to chaungen hertis and corages;
A-geyn ther power no force may endure,
For ther flatrie and sugrid fair language,
Lich Sirenes, fressh off ther visage,
For tenchaunge off pryncis the noblesse,
Mo than Hercules can bern heeroff witnesse.

Thus Hercules, astoned and ashamed,
Onto Bochas shewed his presence,
Seide, “allas! my knyhthod is diffamed
Bi a ful fals amerous pestilence,
So sore constreyned bi mortal violence,
Wherbi, allas, my manhod was applied,
Be sleihte off women oppressid & maistried,

To take ther habite & clothe me in ther weede,
To shaue my berd and farse my visage
With oynementis, ageyn[es] al manheede,
To make it souple, & chaungid my language;
And to compleyne mor off myn outrage,
Vpon my fyngris, fyue twies told,
I hadde ryngis richeli wrouht off gold.

Thus was my corage chaungid femynyne
For loue off oon callid Yole,
Off condiciouns thouh she were serpentyne,
Me thouhte she was so fair vpon to see,
That al my ioie was with hire to be;
And that non sholde apparceyue my trespace,
I chaungid bothe habite, look and face,

146

And was a woman outward in apparence,
Off entent to haue mor liberte
To vse my lustis, and haue experience
Off appetitis which that onleefful be.
Wheroff the sclaundre reboundeth onto me,
That I dar seyn, myn outragous trespace
Doth al my knyhthod & my prowesse difface.

Wherfore, O Bochas, I pray the tak good heede
For to descryue in termys pleyn and cleer
Myn infortunye, riht as it was in deede,
That whan other conceyue the maneer
Off myn onhappis, contagious for to heer,
Thei may bexaumple off me doon ther peyne,
From vicious liff ther hertis to restreyne.

For these foolis that al wisdam despise,
And be contrarie to vertuous disciplyne,
May yiue exaumple to folkis that be wise,
And been to hem a lanterne off doctryne,
Vices teschewe and prudentli declyne
Fro flesshli lustis; for it is tauht in scoolis,
That wise men been alday war be foolis.”

Whan Bochas hadde conceyued the compleynt
Off Hercules in his appeeryng,
And how his noblesse bi women was atteynt
Thoruh his pitous disordynat lyuyng,
He thouhte anon, hymselue remembryng,
It hadde be routhe for taput in mynde
His vicis alle, and vertues lefft behynde.

Considred also it was inpertynent,
Outher bi language to write, ageyn al riht,
Any thyng that sholde in sentement
The fame amenuse off so noble a knyht,
Or to discrece in ony manys siht
His glorious prowesse, sith poetes for his werris
Reisen his renoun so hih aboue the sterris.

147

For he was bothe knyht and philisophre,
And for his strengthe callid a geaunt;
For comoun profit he proudli gan eek profre,
Off manli corage yaff therto ful graunt,
Tentre in Egipt & slen ther the tiraunt
Callid Busiris, which off ful fals entente
Slouh all straungers that thoruh his kyngdam wente.

For vnder a colour off liberalite,
To his paleis he gladli wolde calle
Straungers echon that cam thoruh his contre,
And sollempneli receyue hem oon and alle,
And lich a kyng, bothe in chaumbre and halle
Make hem such cheer in alle maner thyng,
As appertened onto a worthi kyng.

But whil his gestis lay a-nyht and sleep,
This fals[e] tiraunt, in ful cruel wise,
Moordred hem echon or thei toke keep;
And afftir that—this was eek his gise—
With ther blood to make a sacrefise
To Iubiter, god off that contre,
Off hool entent to plese his deite,

That in his kyngdam, on frutis & on greyn
The land tencrece bi gret[e] habundaunce,
Doun from heuene he wolde sende hem reyn.
This mene he made and this fals cheuysaunce,
To moordre and slen he hadde so gret plesaunce;
For off alle thynge hym thouhte it dede him good
To slayen straungers and to sheede ther blood.

But whan this moordre off Busiris was kouth,
That no straunger myht passe his lond in pes,
This manli knyht, yit flouryng in his youth,
This noble famous, this worthi Hercules,
Amonges other put hymsilff in pres,
And lich a gest outward in shewyng
Cam to the paleis off Busiris the kyng,

148

Rebuked hym off his gret outrage
Doon to his gestis bi cruel violence.
And for to make pesible that passage,
And for to auenge his inportable offence,
And off his moordre to make recompence,
This Hercules slouh Busiris in deede,
And took the blood which he dede bleede,

Offrid it vp Iubiter to plese,
For this victorie hym to magnefie;
And al Egipt thus was set in ese:
Ther lond, ther frutis gan also multeplie,
Ther greyn encrece a-boute on ech partie
And to habounde bi influence off reyn,
Which affortyme off vitaile was bareyn.

Another geaunt callid Antheus,
Kyng off Libie, and gouerned al that lond,
Whom Hercules, most strong & coraious,
Whilom outraied [&] slouh hym with his hond;
For as thei wrastlid, bexperience he fond,
Touchyng therthe this geaunt, it is trewe,
His force, his myht dede alwey renewe.

But whan Hercules the maner dede espie,
How his strengthe renewed ageyn so offte,
Ther ageyns he shoop a remedie:
Hie in the hair he reised hym vp a-loffte;
And with his armys, hard & nothyng soffte,
Bak and bonys so sore he dede enbrace,
That he fill ded toforn hym in the place.

But summe bookis off this geaunt telle,
Withynne his kyngdam who dede hym assaile,
He wolde off newe his cheualrie compelle
Efft ageyn to meete hym in bataile;
And in this wise ful seelde he dede faile
Tafforce off newe, as folk shal vndirstonde,
His strengthe, his myht al enmyes to withstonde.

But Hercules off hih discrecioun,
The feeld on hym manli to recure,
Hadde hym be sleihte out off his regioun;
And as thei mette theer off auenture,
The said Antheus myht[e] nat endure,

149

But was disconfited bi Hercules anon,
Maugre his myht, he and his men echon.

Afftir this conquest Hercules is gon,
For exercise his prowesse for to vse,
Ageyn the myhti stronge Gerion,
Kyng off Spaigne, off Malliagre & Ebuse,
The which[e] tirant myhte hym nat excuse,
That al his labour, as poetis do compile,
Was fro these rewmys his peeple to exile.

His tirannye ne myht nat longe endure;
For Hercules, the noble worthi knyht,
Made vpon hym a gret disconfiture,
And slouh the tirant as thei mette in fiht.
And afftir that, he, thoruh his grete myht,
Off his prowesse and magnanymyte
Slouh Cerberus with his hedis thre.

The famous boole off the lond off Crete,
Which that destroied al that regioun,
He slouh also whan thei dede meete;
And in Nemea he slouh a fers leoun,
And for a record off his hih renoun,
Off manli force his skyn away he took,
And to his bodi a coote theroff he shoop:

To all his enmyes to shewe hym mor dreedful,
Therfore he werid that hidous garnement.
And for in armys he neuer was founde dull,
But euer ilich[e] fressh in his entent,
Into a mounteyn he made anon his went,
Callid Erimantus; and ther in his passage
He slouh a boor, most wilde & most sauage.

Beside a ryuer callid Stiphalus,
Off furious birdis he slouh a gret[e] noumbre;
Withynne the kyngdam off kyng Fyneus
Al the contre for thei dede encoumbre:
For with ther shadwe & outraious oumbre,
On seed or frutis whereuer thei aliht,
Al was deuoured in eueri manys siht.

Vpon the mounteyn callid Auentyne,
Which is nat ferr fro Rome the cite,
Ther is a wode, as cronycles determyne,

150

Riht fressh off siht and goodli on to see.
And Hercules passyng bi that contre,
Fro Spayneward goyng be Ytaile,
Cachus the geaunt dede hym ther assaile.

Whil Hercules among the leues greene
Leide hym to slepe, off sodeyn auenture,
And his beestis ageyn the sonne sheene,
Whil that he slepte, wente in ther pasture,
Cam Cachus foorth, ful hidous off stature,
Thouhte he wolde these beestis with hym haue,
Stal hem echon and hid hem in a caue.

And lik a theeff he made hem go bakward,
That no man sholde the tracis off hem knowe,
Nor off ther passage haue no reward;
For bi ther tailis he ladde hem on a rowe
Into his caue, which that stood ful lowe.
And for thei wern off excellent fairnesse,
To keepe hem cloos he dede his besynesse.

Out off his slep whan Hercules awook
And aparceyued his oxes were away,
He roos hym up, and caste aboute his look,
Gan tespie in al the haste he may
To what parti the tracis off hem lay.
And whil he stood thus musyng in the shade,
[He] herde lowyng that his oxes made.

And bi ther lowyng he gan anon approche
Toward the parti wher thei were kept ful cloos,
Fond the caue vndir a myhti roche;
And proude Cachus, which hadde hem in depoos,
Geyn Hercules he sturdili aroos:
But for al that, he myht hymsilff nat saue,
For he hym slouh at thentre off the caue.

And thus his beestis he hath ageyn recurid,
That sempte afforn irrecuperable.
Afftir the mounteyn be force he hath assurid,

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Which for brigantis aforn was ful doutable;
But bi his manhod it was maad habitable,
That men myhte, for dreed off any fo,
Whan euer thei wolde freli come or go.

Touchyng his conquest vpon Femynye,
Geyn Amazones with Theseus he wente,
The queen Ypolita thoruh his cheualrie,
For his parti anon to hym he hente.
And Ypolita off ful trewe entente
Gaff onto hym in tokne off victorie
Off gold a girdil to haue hir in memorie.

Afftir to Affrik he wente a ful gret pas,
Onli off purpos the gardeyn for to see,
Which appertened to [the] kyng Athlas,
That brothir was to kyng Promothe,
In astrologie ful weel expert was he.
And in this gardeyn, off which I ha[ue] you told,
The riche braunchis and applis were off gold,

Thoruh magik maad bi gret auisement,
Ful streihtly kept and closid enviroun,
And Iwachchid with a fell serpent,
That no man entred that riche mansioun.
But Hercules, most myhti off renoun,
The serpent slouh throuh his manli pursuit,
And fro that gardeyn he bar awey the fruit.

This seid Athlas, as bookis specefie,
And poetis eek off hym endite,
He was ful cunnyng in astronomie
And theryn dede ful gretli hym delite;
And many a book he made & dede write
With gret labour and gret[e] dilligence
In his tyme vpon that science,

The which[e] wern mor precious than gold,
And mor riche in his opynyoun.
But Hercules, in soth as it is told,

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Gat alle the bookis thoruh his hih renoun,
Bar hem bi force out off that regioun;
And into Grece, lich a conquerour,
With hym he brouhte for a gret tresour.

Off Trace he slouh the tirant outraious
That whilom was callid Diomede,
Which moordred al that cam in[to] his hous,
And with ther flessh his hors he dede feede.
And thoruh his witt, labour and manheede,
Off Achelaus, which was a gret[e] wonder,
He made the stremys for to parte assonder;

And bi his wisdam dede hem so deuide,
In too parties disseueryng his passage:
For tofortyme no man myhte abide
Off his cours the furious fell outrage;
For in contrees it dede so gret damage,
Turnyng vpward, ther was noon othir boote,
Where it flowed, off trees cropp and roote.

A gret emprise he dede eek vndirtake,
Whan that the [wor]mees, hidous & horrible,
Aryued up off Archadie in the lake
Callid Lerne, the beestis ful odible,
Which with ther teeth & mouthes ful terrible
Frut, greyn and corn dede mortali deuoure;
But Hercules, the contre to socoure,

Cam lik a knyht ther malice for to lette;
And bi his prudence destroied hem euerichon.
Withynne the lake the wermys up he shette,
Sauff among alle behynde was lefft on;
And ageyn hym this Hercules anon
Off knyhthod cauhte so gret auauntage,
That to the contre he dede no mor damage.

Thus al that euere may rehersed be
Touchyng knyhthod, prowesse or prudence,
Glorious fame or long felicite,
This knyhtli man hadde most excellence,
And in armys lengest experience.

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For his tryumphes and actis marciall
Sette up pilers for a memoriall,

Which remembrid his conquestis most notable,
And his deedis bi grauyng dede expresse—
Beyonde which no lond is habitable,
So ferr abrod spradde his hih noblesse.
But as the sonne lesith his brihtnesse
Sumwhile whan he is fresshest in his speer,
With onwar cloudis that sodenli appeer,

Semblabli the noblesse and the glory
Off Hercules in this onstable liff
Eclipsid was and shadwid his memory
Bi Deianira, that whilom was his wiff:
For bi hir fraude cam in the mortal striff,
As ye shal heere the maner and the cas,
Wherbi that he loste his liff, allas.

Yit for hir sake, this most manli man
Fauht, as I fynde, a synguler bataile
With Achelous, sone off the occian,
Lik as poetis make rehersaile.
And as ech other proudli dede assaile,
This Hercules, off knyhthod souereyne,
Rente from his hed oon off his hornys tweyne.

Off kyng Oene she was the douhter deere,
To Hercules ioyned in mariage;
And as thei cam to a gret ryuere
With sturdi wawes, wher was no passage,
Nessus, the geaunt, ougli off visage,
To Hercules profred his seruise,
And ful falsli ageyn hym gan deuise.

Made his promys to Hercules in deede,
To putte his liff in gret auenture,
Ouer the strem Deianire to leede,
Because he was large off his stature.
And for she was a riht fair creature,
Whan thei were passid and Icome to londe,
Nessus falsli wolde vpon the stronde

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Ha[ue] knowe hir flesshli, lik as writ Ouide,
Hercules hauyng theroff a siht,
As he abood vpon the tother side.
And for tauenge hym off his grete onriht,
Took his bowe and bente it anon riht,
And with an arwe, filid sharp & grounde,
Gaff to Nessus his dedli fatal wounde.

Lich a conduit gusshed out the blood,
And whan he sauh that he muste deie,
To Deianire afforn hym ther she stood,
With al his herte hire he gan to preie,
That in o thyng his lust she wolde obeie,
To take his sherte, and be nat rech[e]les,
With blood disteyned, and sende it Hercules,

Therwith to hym to be reconcilid.
And she the sherte to hym anon hath sent,
Thoruh whos venym, allas, he was begilid!
For what be touchyng, & what benchauntement,
His flessh, his bonys furiousli were brent,
And among his dedli peynes alle,
Into a rage he sodenli is falle.

[And] as a beeste furiousli he ran
On valis, hillis among the craggi stonys,
Semblabli as doth a wood[e] man,
Pullid up trees & rootis al attonys,
Brak beestis hornys, & al tognew ther bonys.
Was it nat pite that a knyht so good
Sholde among beestis renne sauagyne & wood!

Thus ouerwhelmyd was al his worthynesse,
And to declyn wente his prosperite.
And cause & roote off al his wrechidnesse,
Was for that he sette his felicite
To truste so moche the mutabilite
Off these women, which erli, late & soone
Off ther nature braide vpon the moone.

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Allas, allas! al noblesse & prudence,
Prowesse off armys, force & cheualrie,
Forsihte off wisdam, discrecioun & science,
Vertuous studie, profityng in clergie,
And the cleer shynyng off philosophie,
Hath thoruh fals lustis been heeraforn manacid,
Be sleihte off women dirkid and diffacid!

O Hercules, my penne I feele quake,
Myn ynke fulfillid off bittir teris salte,
Thi[s] pitous tragedie to write for thi sake,
Whom alle poetis glorefie and exalte;
But fraude off women made thi renoun halte,
And froward muses thi tryumphes al toreende,
For to descryue, allas, thi fatal eende.

[Lenvoye.]

The soote venym, the sauouri fals poisoun,
The dreedful ioie, the dolerous plesaunce,
The woful gladnesse, with furious resoun,
Feith disespeired, ay stable in variaunce,
Vertu exilyng, where lust hath gouernaunce,
Thoruh fals luxurie diffacen al noblesse,
As this tragedie can bere ful weel witnesse.

Wher froward Venus hath dominacioun,
And blynde Cupide his subiectis doth auaunce,
And wilful lust thoruh indiscrecioun
Is chose iuge to holden the ballaunce,
Ther chois onlefful hath thoruh onhappi chaunce
Dirked off pryncis the famous hih prowesse,
As this tragedie can bere ful weel witnesse.

O thou Hercules, for al thyn hih renoun,
For al thi conquest and knyhtli suffisaunce,
Thou were thoruh women brouht to confusioun
And thoruh ther fraude thi renommed puissaunce
Disclaundred was and brouht onto myschaunce.

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I were ashamed to write it or expresse,
Except this tragedie can bere me weel witnesse.

Pryncis, Pryncessis, off hih discrecioun
This thyng enprentith in your remembraunce;
Off othres fallyng make your proteccioun,
You to preserue thoruh prudent purueiaunce;
Afforn prouyded, that your perseueraunce
Be nat perturbid bi no fals sorceresse,
As this tragedie off other berth witnesse.

[A processe, of Narcisus, Biblis, Mirra and of othir ther onfortunys to Bochas compleynyng.]

Narcisus, Biblis & Mirra, alle thre
Tofor Bochas dede pitousli appeere,
Ther infortunyes, ther infelicite
To hym compleynyng with a dedli cheere.
And off ther comyng to telle the manere,
Narcisus first, with sorwe & dool atteynt,
Gan first off alle declaren his compleynt.

He was [the] sone off Cephesus the flood,
And his mooder callid Liriope,
And bi discent born off gentil blood,
Off creatures fairest on to see;
And, as I fynde, at his natyuite
Tiresias, be sperit off prophesie,
Touchyng his fate thus gan specefie:

The goddis han prouydid hym a space
To lyue in erthe, and so longe endure
Til that he knowe & see his owne face;
And for his sake ful many creature,
Bi ordynaunce off God and off Nature,
Whan thei hym seen shal feelyn ful gret peyne,
Yiff thei in loue his grace may nat atteyne.

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But he shal be contrarie & daungerous,
And off his port ful off straungenesse,
And in his herte [riht] inli surquedous,
Bi thoccasioun off his natif fairnesse;
And, presumyng off his semlynesse,
Shal thynke no woman so fresh nor fair of face,
That able were to stonden in his grace.

And for thexcellence off his gret beute,
He hym purposid in his tendre age,
Neuer in his liff weddid for to be—
He thouhte hymsilff so fair off his visage.
For which he cast hym, throuh his gret outrage,
Ageyn all lustis off loue to disdeyne,
To hunte at beestis alone and be soleyne.

And in this while that he kepte hym so
In forestis and in wildirnesse,
A water goddesse, that callid was Echcho,
Loued hym ful hoote for his gret fairnesse;
And secreli dede hir besynesse
To folwe his steppis riht as any lyne,
To hir desirs to make hym to enclyne.

He herde hir weel, but he sauh hir nouht,
Wheroff astonyd, he gan anon tenquere,
As he that was amerueilid in his thouht,
Saide euene thus, “is any wiht now heere?”
And she ansuerde the same, in hir manere,
What-euer he saide, as longeth to Echcho,
Withoute abod she seide the same also.

“Come neer,” quod he, and began to calle.
“Come ner,” quod she, “my ioie & my plesaunce.”
He lokid aboute [among] the rokkis alle
And sauh nothyng beside nor in distaunce;
But she abraide, declaryng hir greuaunce,
And to hym seide, “myn owyn herte deere,
Ne be nat straunge, but late us duelle ifeere.”

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“Nay, nay,” quod he, “I will nothyng obeie
To your desirs, for short conclusioun;
For leuere I hadde pleynli for to deie,
Than ye sholde haue off me possessioun;
We be nothyng off on opynyoun,
I heere you weel, thouh I no figure see,
Goth foorth your way & spek no mor to me!”

And she ashamed fledde hir way anon,
As she that myhte off hym no socour haue.
But disespeired, this Echcho is foorth gon
And hidde hirsilff in an ougli caue
Among the rokkis, as beried in hir graue.
And thouh so be that men hir vois may heere,
Afftir that tyme she neuer dede appeere.

And thus Narcisus thoruh daunger and disdeyn
Vpon this lady dede crueli vengaunce.
But whan the goddis his cruelte han seyn,
Towardis hym thei fill in gret greuaunce,
Off his vnmerci thei hadden displesaunce;
And riht as he merciles was founde,
So with onmerci he cauhte his dedli wounde.

For al daunger displesith to Venus,
And al disdeyn is lothsum to Cupide:
For who to loue is contrarious,
The God of Loue will quite hym on sum side,
His dreedful arwis so mortali deuyde
To hurte & mayme alle that be rech[e]les,
And in his seruise founde merciles.

And for Narcisus was nat merciable
Toward Echcho, for his gret beute,
But in his port was founden ontretable,
Cupide thouhte he wolde auengid be,
As he that herde hir praier off pite,
Causyng Narcisus to feele & haue his part
Off Venus brond and off hir firi dart.

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And on a day whan he in wildirnesse
Hadde afftir beestis ronne on huntyng,
And for long labour gan falle in werynesse,
He was desirous to ha[ue] sum refresshyng;
And wonder thrustleuh afftir trauailyng,
Miht nat endure lengere ther to duelle;
And atte laste he fond a cristal welle,

Riht fressh spryngyng & wonder agreable,
The watir lusti and delectable off siht:
And for his thrust was to hym inportable,
Vpon the brynkis he fill doun anon riht,
And be reflexioun, myd off the watir briht
Hym thouhte he sauh a passyng fair ymage
To hym appeere, most aungelik off visage.

He was enamoured with the semlynesse,
And desirous theroff to stonde in grace;
And yit it was nat but a likenesse,
And but a shadwe reflectyng off his face,
The which off feruence amerousli tenbrace,
This Narcisus with a pitous compleynt
Sterte into the welle & hymseluen dreynt.

And thus his beute, allas, was leid ful lowe,
His semlynesse put ful ferre a-bak;
Thus whan that he gan first hymsilff to knowe
And seen his visage, in which ther was no lak,
Presumptuous pride causid al to gon to wrak:
For who to moch doth off hymsilff presume,
His owne vsurpyng will sonest hym consume.

And fynali, as poetis telle,
This Narcisus, withoute mor socour,
Afftir that he was drowned atte welle,
The heuenli goddis dede hym this fauour,
Thei turned hym into a fressh[e] flour,

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A watir-lelie, which doth remedie
In hote accessis, as bookis specefie.

Afftir Narcisus was at the well[e] dreynt,
And to Iohn Bochas declared hadd his wo,
Biblis appered, with teris al bespreynt,
And toward hym a gret pas she gan go;
And hir brother Caunus cam also,
And off o wombe as gemellis tweyne;
But she toforn hir fate gan compleyne.

She in hir loue was nat vertuous,
For ageyn God and Kyndis ordynaunce,
She loued hir brother that callid was Caunus;
And whan he sauh hir froward gouernaunce,
He onto hire gaff non attendaunce,
Thouh she off sleihte tacomplisshe hir entent,
In secre wise a pistil to hym sent.

She seide it was an inpossible thyng
Withoute his grace hirseluen for to saue,
[And] but he were to hire assentyng,
She ellis pleynli may non helthe haue
But onli deth, and afftirward hir graue.
Thus in hir writyng, to hym she dede attame;
And to be couert she ne wrot no name.

But whan this pistil cam to his presence,
Vertuousli therat he gan disdeyne,
And gaff therto no maner aduertence,
Nor took non heed off hir furious peyne,
But suffred hir eternali to pleyne
Til that she was, as Ouide can weel telle,
With offte wepyngis transformed to a welle.

Next cam Mirra with face ful pitous,
Which that whilom loued ageyn nature
Hir owne fadir callid Cinarus,

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For whos sake gret peyne she dede endure.
But she ne durste hir sorwe nat discure,
Til hir norice be signes dede espie
The hertli constreynt off hir maladie.

For hir norice, off which that I ha[ue] told,
Conceyued hath, bi open euidence,
As she that koude bothe off newe and old
In such materis al hool thexperience,
That thoruh long labour & sleihti diligence,
Dyuers meenes & weies out she souhte,
To hir fadres bed that she Mirra brouhte.

With whom she hadde hir lust & hir plesaunce;
For she onknowe lay with hym al nyht:
He was deceyued bi drunkleuh ignoraunce,
And on the morwe, longe or any liht,
She stal awey and went out off his siht.
With hir norice kepte hir longe cloos,
Til onto tyme that hir wombe aroos.

But hir fadir, that was off Cipre kyng,
Which, as I tolde, was callid Cinarus,
Whan he the trouthe espied off this thyng:
That bi his douhter he was deceyued thus,
She wex to hym lothsum and odious,
Fledde from his face, so sore she was afferd,
And he pursued afftir with his suerd.

In Arabie, the hoote myhti lond,
Kyng Cinarus hath his douhter founde,
And crueli he gan enhaunse his hond,
With his suerd tayouen hir a wounde;
But the goddis, off merci most habounde,
Han fro the deth[e] maad hire [to] go fre,
And thoruh ther power transfourmed to a tre.

Whiche afftir hire berith yit the name,
Callid Mirra, as she was in hir liff.
Out off which, as auctours sey the same,
Distillith a gomme, a gret preseruatiff,
And off nature a ful good defensiff,

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To keepe bodies from putrefaccioun
And hem fraunchise from al corrupcioun.

Bi influence off the sonne-bemys
Mirre is engendrid, distillyng off his kynde
With rounde dropis ageyn[es] Phebus stremys,
And doun descendith thoruh the harde rynde.
And thoruh the rifftis, also as I fynde,
The said[e] Mirra hath a child foorth brouht,
In al this world, that yiff it be weel souht,

Was non so fair[e] fourmed bi nature;
For off his beute he was pereles.
And as poetis recorden bi scripture,
He callid was the faire Adonydes;
And to his worshep and his gret encres—
For he off fairnesse bar awei the flour—
Venus hym ches to been hir paramour.

The which[e] goddesse gaff to hym in charge,
That he sholde in his tendre age,
In forestis whil he wente at large,
Hunte at no beestis which that were sauage;
But he contrary, to his disauauntage,
Thoruh wilfulnesse—I can sey you no mor—
Was slayn onwarli off a tusshi bor,

At the whiche he felli dede enchace,
But off foli in veyn was his labour;
For he lay slayn, ful pale off cheer & face,
Whom Venus turned to a ful fressh[e] flour
Which was as blood, lich purpil off colour,
A budde off gold with goodli leuys glade
Set in the myddis, whos beute may nat fade.

And whan [that] Mirra fro Bochas was withdrawe,
And hadde declarid hir gret aduersite,
And off hir fate told the mortal lawe,
Cam Orpheus, ful ougli on to see,
Sone off Appollo and off Calliope,

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And appered with a ful doolful face,
Whilom brouht foorth and iborn in Trace.

Ful renommed in armys and science,
Famous in musik and in melodie,
And ful notable also in eloquence.
And for his soote sugred armonie,
Beestis, foulis, poetis specefie,
Wodes, flodes off ther cours most strong,
Stynt of ther cours to herkne his soote song.

An harpe he hadde off Mercurius,
With the which Erudice he wan;
And to Bachus, as writ Ouidius,
Sacrifises ful solempne he began,
And onto helle for his wiff he ran,
Hir to recure with soote touchis sharpe
Which that he made vpon his heuenli harpe.

But whan that he this labour on hym took,
A lawe was maad[e] which that bond hym sore,
That yiff that he bakward caste his look,
He sholde hire lese & seen his wiff no more:
But it is seid[e] sithen gon ful yore,
Ther may no lawe louers weel constreyne,
So inportable is ther dedli peyne.

Yiff summe husbondis hadde stonden in the cas
Ta lost her wyues for a look sodeyne,
Thei wolde ha[ue] suffred and nat seid allas,
But pacientli endured al ther peyne,
And thanked God, that broken was the cheyne
Which hath so longe hem in prisoun bounde,
That thei be grace han such a fredam founde.

To lyn in prisoun, it is a ful gret charge,
And to be stokked vndir keie and lok;
It were weel meriere a man to gon at large,

164

Than with irenes be nailed to a blok:
And there is o bond, which callid is wedlok,
Fretyng husbondis so sore, that it is wonder,
Which with no file may nat be broke assonder.

But Orpheus, fadir off armonye,
Thouhte Erudice, which was his wiff, so fair,
For hir sake he felte he muste deie,
Because that he, whan he made his repair,
Off hir [in] trouthe enbracid nothyng but hair.
Thus he lost hire, there is no mor to seyne;
And for the constreynt off his greuous peyne,

At his herte hir partyng sat so sore,
The greene memorie, the tendre remembraunce,
That he neuer wolde wyuen more,
So faire he was escapid his penaunce;
For wedlok is a liff off most plesaunce.
But who hath onys infernal peynys seyn,
Will neuer his thankis come in the snare ageyn.

This Orpheus gaff counseil ful notable
To husbondis that han endurid peyne,
To such as been prudent and tretable:
Oon hell is dreedful, mor pereilous be tweyne;
And who is onys boundyn in a cheyne,
And may escapen out off daunger blyue—
Yiff he resorte, God let hym neuer thryue!

On this sentence women wer vengable,
And to his writyng ful contrarious,
Seide his counseil was nat comendable.
At the feste thei halwed to Bachus,
Thei fill echon vpon this Orpheus;
And, for alle his rethoriques suete,
Thei slouh, allas, this laureat poete.

165

And off his harpe yiff ye list to lere,
The god Appollo maad a translacioun
Among the ymages off the sterris cleere,
Wheroff men may haue yit inspeccioun.
But Fortune, to his confusioun,
Denyed hym, froward off hir nature,
Whan he was slayn fredam off sepulture.

Next Orpheus, ther dede appeere also
Off Amazones worthi queenys tweyne,
Marpesia and hir suster Lampedo,
Which in conquest dede ther besi peyne,
And gret worship in armys dede atteyne,
Namyng hemsilff, be writyng nyh and ferr,
Douhtren to Mars, which is the God off Werr.

Marpesia rood out in regiouns
And conquered ful many a gret cite,
For couetise off gret possessiouns,
Tencrece hir lordshepe, yiff it wolde be.
And hir suster kepte surli ther contre
From alle enmyes, that ther was no doute,
Whil Marpesia rood with hir host aboute.

But whil she was in conquest most famous
And hir enmyes proudli dede assaile,
Fortune anon wex contrarious,
And causid she was slay[e]n in bataile.
Loo, what conquest or victory may auaile,
Whan that Fortune doth at hem disdeyne;
Seeth heer exaumple bi these queenys tweyne.

Lenvoye.

This tragedie remembrith thynges fyue:
Off Narcisus thexcellent beute,
And off Biblis doth also descryue
The grete luxur[y]e and dishoneste,
Mirra diffamed, turned to a tre,

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Texemplefie that lecherie and pride
Been from al vertu set ful ferr a-side.

How Orpheus endured in his lyue
Ioie entirmedlid with aduersite;
In his youthe whan he dede wyue
He felte in wedlok ful gret felicite,
His worldli blisse meynt with duplicite,
As Fortune hir chaungis gan deuyde,
Which from al vertu be set ful ferr a-side.

Marpesia, for hir list to stryue
With wilful werris tencrecen hir contre,
But hir pompe was ouerturned blyue,
Whan in bataile vnwarli slayn was she:
For off al werre deth is the fyn parde,
So furious Mars can for his folk prouide,
Which from al vertu is set ful ferr a-side.

Ye myhti Pryncis, lat wit and resoun dryue
Your hih noblesse to considre and see
How Fortune estatis can depryue
And plunge hem doun from ther prosperite.
Pride and luxure, I counsaile, that ye fle,
Fals auarice ne lat nat be your guide,
Which from al vertu is set ful ferr a-side.

[Off Priamus kyng of Troye, and how the monke of Bury translatour of this book wroot a boke of the siege of Troye callid Troye book.]

Afftir these compleyntis & lamentaciouns,
Which [that] Bochas dede in his book compile,
Medlid among with transformaciouns
Set in Ouide be ful souereyn stile,
Whan he on hem hadde musid a long while,
Seyn the maner bothe off ther sorwe & ioie,
He gan remembre on Priamus off Troie.

167

First off his berthe and off his kenreede,
How among kynges he was most famous;
And as poetis recorde off hym in deede,
He descendid of worthi Dardanus,
Which, as his lyne declareth onto vs,
From Iubiter was lyneali come doun
Onto his fader callid kyng Lamedoun.

Off olde Troie this Lamedoun was kyng;
Destroied bi Grekis he and his contre.
Afftir whom, [this] Priamus regnyng,
Made there ageyn a myhti strong cite,
Where he ful longe in ful gret rialte,
With wiff and childre, most worthi of renoun,
With sceptre & crowne heeld possessioun.

Gouerned his cite in pes and rihtwisnesse,
And Fortune was to hym fauourable;
For off al Asie the tresour and richesse
He dede assemble, this kyng most honourable.
And in armys he was so comendable,
That thoruh the world as ferr as men may gon,
Off hih noblesse the renoun off hym shon.

This Priamus hadde childre many on,
Worthi pryncis, & off ful gret myht;
But Ector was among hem euerichon
Callid off prowesse the lanterne & the lyht;
For ther was neuer born a bettir knyht.
Troilus in knyhthod so manli eek was founde,
That he was named Ector the secounde.

But yiff I shulde reherse the manheede
Off kyng Priam & off his sonys all,
And how his cite besieged was in deede,
And al the story to remembraunce call,
Tween hym & Grekis how it is befall,
The circumstaunces rehersyng vp & doun,
To sette in ordre the firste occasioun

Off the siege, whi it was first laid
Bi Hercules and also bi Iason,—
The maner hool in Troie Book is said,

168

Reudli endited off my translacioun,
Folwyng vpon the destruccioun
Callid the seconde, which, bi acountis cleer,
Fulli endured the space off ten yeer,—

For, as me semeth, the labour were in veyn.
Treuli also I not to what entent,
That I shold[e] write it newe ageyn;
For I hadde onys in comaundement,
Bi hym that was most noble & excellent
Off kynges all[e], for to vndirtake
It to translate and write it for his sake.

And yiff ye list to wetyn whom I meene,
Henry the Fiffte, most myhti off puissaunce,
Gaff me the charge off entent most cleene,
Thyng off old tyme to putte in remembraunce,
The same Henry, for knyhtli suffisaunce,
Worthi for manhod, reknyd kynges all,
With nyne worthi for to haue a stall.

To hooli chirch he was chieff defensour;
In alle such causes Cristes chosen knyht.
To stroie Lollardis he sette al his labour,
Loued alle vertues, and to sustene riht,
Thoruh his noblesse, his manhod & his myht,
Was dilligent & dede his besi peyne
To ha[ue] set pes atween[e] rewmys tweyne,—

I meene, in sooth, twen Ing[e]land & Fraunce,
His purpos was taue had a pes fynall,
Souhte out menys with many circumstaunce,
As weel be trete as actis marciall,
Theron iupartid goodis, liff and all.
But, o allas, ageyn deth is no boone!
This lond may seyn he deied al to soone.

For a-mong kynges he was oon the beste,
So alle his deedis conueied were with grace.
I pray to God, so yiue his soule good reste,
With hooli seyntis in heuene a duellyng-place.
For heere with vs to litil was the space

169

That he abood; off whom the remembraunce
Shal neuer deie in Ingland nor in Fraunce.

This worthi kyng gaff to me in charge,
In Inglissh tunge make a translacioun
Out off Latyn, withynne a volum large,
How longe the Grekis lay afor the toun,
And how that Paris first at Citheroun
In Venus temple slili dede his peyne
Ther to rauesshe the faire queen Heleyne.

In which[e] book the processe ye may see:
To hym how she was weddid in the toun,
And off the siege leid to the cite
Be Menelay and kyng Agamenoun,
And many another ful worthi off renoun
On outher party, which that in bataile
Fro day to day ech other dede assaile.

What sholde I telle, or wherto sholde I write
The deth off Ector or off Achilles?
Or wherto sholde I now off newe endite
How worthi Troilus was slayn among the pres?—
The eende off Paris or off Pallamydes,
Or the slauhtre off manli Deiphebus,
Or how his brother, callid Helenus,

Told afforn how it was gret folie
That Paris sholde wedde the queen Heleyne;
And how Cassandra in hir prophecie
On this weddyng sore gan compleyne,
And for the constreynt off hir hertly peyne,
How she wex mad and ran aboute the toun
Til she was cauht and shet up in prisoun.

Alle these materis ye may beholde in deede
Set bi and bi withynne Troie Book,
And how Cressaide loued Diomeede,

170

Whan worthi Troilus she wilfulli forsook:
Off hir nature a quarel thus she took,
Tassaie bothe, yiff neede eek wer, to feyne
To take the thridde, & leue hem bothe tweyne.

I [wil] passe ouer and telle off hir no more;
Nor bi what menys Grekis wan the toun—
How Eneas, nor how that Anthenore
Ageyn kyng Priam conspired fals tresoun,
Nor how Vlixes gat Palladioun—
The deth off Priam nor Heccuba the queene,
Nor how that Pirrus slouh yonge Polliceene.

Nor heer to write, it is nat myn entent,
Repair off Grekis hom to ther contre,
Afftir the cite and Ylioun was brent,
Nor off ther myscheuys thei hadde in the se,
Nor how Vlixes fond Penolope
A trewe wiff, thouh he were longe hir fro;—
Thoruhout al Grece I can reede off no mo.

Off these materes thus I make an eende:
What fell off Grekis afftir ther viage,
To Troie Book the folk echon I sende,
Which haue desir to seen the surplusage,
How Grekis first maden ther passage
Towardis Troie, besegyng the cite—
Redith the story;—ye gete no mor off me.

Bochas ageyn þe surquedous pride of hem that trusten in her riches.

Ye proude folkis that sette your affiaunce
In strengthe, beute or in hih noblesse,
Yff ye considre Fortunys variaunce,
And coude a merour affor your eyen dresse

171

Off kyng Priam and off his gret richesse,
To seen how he and [how] his children all
From ther noblesse so sodenli be fall!

Ector off knyhthod callid sours and well,
Sad and demur & famous off prudence,
Paris also in beute dede excell,
And Helenus in parfit prouidence;
Troilus in armys hadde gret experience,
Eek Deiphebus preued manli on his fon:
Yit in the werre thei wer slayn euerichon.

Hadde nat this kyng, eek as I can deuise,
Noble Eccuba, which that was the queene,
A douhter callid Cassandra the wise,
Hir yonge suster faire Polliceene?—
Allas, allas! what may such pride meene!
For al-be-it ther renoun sprang ful ferre,
Yit were these women deuoured in the werre.

Was he nat myhti & strong in all[e] thynges,
And hadde also off his alliaunce
Riht worthi princis, & many riche kynges,
And nyh al Asie vndir obeisaunce?—
Holde in his tyme most famous off puissaunce,
Most renommed off richesse and tresours,
Til that Fortune with hir sharp[e] shours,

Whan that he sat hiest on hir wheel,
This blynde goddesse gan hym to assaile.
Hir froward malice, he felte it ful weel:
His gold, his tresour first thei gan to faile,
And dirke gan his roial apparaile.
Be which exaumple all proude men may see
The onseur trust, the mutabilite,

Which in this world is seyn & found alday.
Mid off estatis in ther magnyficence,
Ebbe afftir flowe maketh no delay,

172

But halt hir cours; there is no resistence:
The tide abit nat for no violence;
Ech man that standith off chaunges heer in doute
Mut take his turn as it cometh a-boute.

Let Priam been to you a cleer merour,
Ye proude folkis, that sette your affiaunce
In such veyn glorie, which fadith as a flour,
And hath off beute heer noon attendaunce.
The world to you cast a ful bittir chaunce:
For whan ye wene sitte hiest atte fulle,
Than will she rathest your briht[e] fethres pulle.

Ye han warnyngis for to taken heed
Bexaumple off other, cleer & riht visible,
How worldli blisse is medlid ay with dreed.
And yiff your resouns and wittis be sensible,
Thyng seyn at eye is nat incredible;
And al this doctryn is to you in veyn,
Yiff in your tyme ye ha[ue] no chaunges seyn.

Wherfore Bochas onto your auail
Ful prudentli put you at this issu:
First of all he yeueth you this counsail,
To leue your vices & take you to vertu,
And sette your trust al hooli on Iesu;
For he may best in myscheeff helpe, & neede,
Off worldli chaunges that ye thar nat dreede.

The preis of Bochas & suerte that stondith in pouert.

These grete lordshipes, these hih[e] dignites,
Cheeff thyng annexid onto ther regalie,
Whan thei sitten hiest in ther sees,
And round aboute stant ther cheualrie,
Dreed entreth in, pereil and envie,
And onwar chaung[e], which no man may knowe,
The hour whan Fortune will make hem loute lowe.

173

Thei may weel holden a statli gret houshold,
With a veyn trust ther power sholde ay laste,
Clad in ther mantles off purpil, perle & gold,
And on the wheel off Fortune clymbe up faste—
Lich as she myhte neuer doun hem caste;
But ay the hiere ther clymbyng is att all,
Allas, the sorere is ther onhappi fall.

The fal off Priam and kyng Agamenoun
Ouhte off riht mor to be compleynyd,
Whan Fortune hadde hem pullid doun
And off hir malice hath at hem disdeynyd,
Than yiff thei neuer to worshepe hadde atteynyd;
But ther fallyng was the more greuous
Because thei wern toforn so glorious.

O thou Pouert, meek, humble and debonaire,
Which that kepest the lawes off Nature,
For sodeyn chaunges thou wilt nat disespaire,
So art thou fraunchised fro Fortunys lure;
Alle hir assautis thou lowli doost endure,
That she may haue no iurediccioun
To interupte thi possessioun.

Thou settist litil bi al worldli richesse,
Nor be his tresours which be transitorie;
Thou scornest hem that ther sheltrouns dresse
Toward batailles for conquest and victorie;
Thou despisist al shynyng off veynglorie,
Laude off tryumphes which conquerours ha[ue] souht,
With all ther pillages, thou settist hem at nouht.

Thou dispreisist al superfluite;
Non infortunye may chaunge thi corage:
And the shippis that saile bi the se
With marchaundise among the floodis rage,
Ther auentures and ther pereilous passage—
Lyff, bodi, good, al put in auenture
Onli for lucre, gret richesse to recure—

174

Off al such thyng thou takest litil heede,
Nor off that peeple that maneres do purchace,
Nor off plederes, which for lucre & meede
Meyntene quarelis & questis doon enbrace,
Thou hem beholdest with a ful stille face,
Ther sotil werkyng souht out for the nonys,
And sodenli departe from al attonys.

Thou canst in litil also haue suffisaunce,
And art content with ful smal dispence;
For thi richesse and thyn habundaunce
Withoute gruchchyng is humble pacience.
Yiff any man do to the offence,
Thou foryetist and lihtli canst foryiue;
To the suffisith so [that] thou maist lyue.

The sterrid heuene is thi couerture
In somer sesoun; vnder the leuys greene
Thou makest thi duellyng & doost thiselff assure
Ageyn gret heetis off the sunne sheene:
Content with frutis & watir cristal cleene
To staunche thyn hunger & thi thrustis sore,
Afftir the sesouns, & carest for no more.

Pouert eek liggith the colde wyntris nyht
Wrappid in strauh, withoute compleynynge;
Withoute dreed he go[e]th glad and liht,
And tofor theuys he merili doth synge:
He goth also withoute patisynge
Fro lond to lond among[es] poore & riche;
For freend and fo to hym be bothe aliche.

Moral Senec recordeth be writyng,
Richest off thynges is Glad Pouerte,
Euer off o cheer[e], void off al gruchchyng,
Bothe in ioie and in aduersite:
Thoruh al the world[e] last hir liberte,
And hir fraunchise stant in so gret ese,
That off hir fredam no man will hir displese.

175

She is norice off studie & off doctryne,
In vertuous labour doth hir dilligence;
And off sciences, which that be dyuyne,
She is callid mooder be clerkis, in sentence.
Off philisophres most had in reuerence,
Fortune and she so ferr assonder varie,
That ech to other off custum is contrarie.

Hir hertili ioie is for to lyue in pes,
Hateth tumulte, noise and disturbaunce;
For hir disciple, callid Zenocrates,
In wilful pouert set hooli his plesaunce,
Sobre off his port, thoruh whose attemp[e]raunce
Ful many a man bexaumple off his techyng
Wer brouht to vertu fro vicious lyuyng.

His diete was so mesurable
And deuoid off superfluite,
That his corage he kepte ferme & stable,
Fro flesshli lustis he was so attempre:
Resoun maistred his sensualite,
Desirs onleefful for to sette a-side;
Duryng his liff Pouert was his guide.

His abidyng and conuersacioun
Was in placis that were solitarie;
Mong trees & wellis he bilt hym a donioun,
With multitude he hated for to tarie:
For Pouerte was his secretarie,
Sobre off his cheer & stable off his entent,
And in Athenes first to scoole he went.

He was so myhti off auctorite,
Rihtwisnesse & iustice to obserue,
That rihtful iuges his sentence took at gre:
He coude his mouth & tunge so weel preserue,
That in the temple onys off Mynerue,
Withoutyn oth, onto his sentence,
To that he saide the iuges gaff credence.

176

He axed was among gret audience,
Whi he was soleyn off his daliaunce:
His answere was, that neuer for silence
Thoruh litil spekyng he felte no greuaunce.
Spech onavised causeth repentaunce;
And rakil tunges, for lak off refreynyng,
To many a man hath be ful gret hyndryng.

Diogenes, trewe heir and next allied
To wilful pouert be iust enheritaunce,—
For al richesse he pleynli hath diffied,
It was to hym so gret[e] encumbraunce
With worldli tresour to haue alliaunce.
His duellyng made withynne a litil tunne,
Which turned a-boute with concours off the sunne,

Hymselff refresshyng with hete off Phebus bemys;
For he was content, God wot, with ful lite.
Kyng Alisaundre, that conquered rewmys,
Cam ridyng doun, & gan hymselff delite
This philisophre to seen and visite,
Hymselff sequestred sool from al the pres,
And cam alone to seen Diogenes.

Proffred to hym gret richesse & tresour,
Bad hym aske what thyng that he wolde,
That myhte hym plese or doon to hym socour;
But off al that, he nothyng ne tolde,
But praied hym ful lowli, that he sholde
Nat drawe from hym þat thyng, ageyn al riht,
Which for to yiue lay nat in his myht.

“What thyng is that?” quod Alisaundre ageyn,
“I ha[ue] be conquest al ertheli tresour wonne.”
The philisophre seide he spak in veyn,
“Thou hast,” quod he, “no lordshep off the sonne.
Thi shadwe lettith his bemys fro my tonne;

177

And sithe thou hast no power off his liht,
I pray the freendli, forbarre me nat his siht.”

Thouh Alisaundre was myhti off puissaunce,
And al the world[e] hadde in his demeyne,
Yit was his resoun vnder thobeisaunce
Off flesshli lustis fetrid in a cheyne;
For in his persone will was souereyne,
His resoun bridled be sensualite,
Troublyng the fredam off riht & equite.

For where that will hath dominacioun
In a prynce, which sholde sustene riht,
And parcial fauour oppressith his resoun,
And trouthes title is bor doun with myht,
And egall doom hath lost his cleer[e] lyht:
Thouh for a sesoun thei sitte in hih[e] chaieres,
Ther fame shal fade withynne a fewe yeres.

In this mater mak a comparisoun
Twen Alisaundre and Diogenes:
The ton endured but a short sesoun,
For that he loued werre more than pes;
And for the tother was nat rech[e]les,
But heeld hym content with gifftis off Nature,
Onto gret age his pouert dede endure.

Alisaundre was slay[e]n with poisoun,
In his triumphes whan he dede excell;
But in a tonne that lay ful lowe doun
Diogenes drank watir off the well.
And off ther eende the difference to tell,
Alisaundre with couetise was blent;
The philisophre with litil was content.

Blessid be pouert, that may endure longe,
Maugre the fraude & daunger off Fortune,
Where-as kynges & emperour[e]s stronge
In ther estat no while may contune.
And off all vertues rekned in comune,
Tween indigence and gret habundaunce,
Is a good mene content with suffisaunce.

178

For with gret plente men be nat assurid,
Afftir ther lust alway to lyue in ese;
And thouh that men gret tresour han recurid,
With ther richesse thei feele many disese:
Lordis ha[ue] nat all thynge that may hem plese;
But hertili ioie, philisophres expresse,
Is grettest tresour tween pouert & richesse.

For this chapitle sheweth a figure,
A maner liknesse and demonstracioun,
How Diogenes lengere dede endure
Than myhti Priam or kyng Lamedoun:
Texemplefie, in conclusioun,
Ther is mor trust in vertuous symplesse,
Than in presumyng off vicious fals richesse.

For thauoutrie off Paris and Heleyne
Brouhte al Troye to destruccioun;
Pride & luxure were also menys tweyne
Whi Grekis leide a siege to the toun,
And fynal cause off ther confusioun,
To outher parti losse off many a man,
The ground conceyued whi first the werre gan.

Lenvoye.

This tragedie pitous & lamentable
And dolerous to writen & expresse,
That worthi Priam, of kynges most notable,
Was falle in pouert from his gret richesse,
Fro kyngli honour into wrechidnesse,
Fro sceptre & crowne, & from his regalie
To myschieff brouht thoruh fals auoutrie.

Was nat Fortune froward and deceyuable
For to suffre bi her doubilnesse,
And bi hir cours, which euer is variable,
That worthi Ector, flour off hih prowesse,
Sholde onwarli, most famous off noblesse,
Be slayn allas, cheeff stok off cheualrie,
For a quarell off fals auoutrie?

179

Agamenoun coumptid incomparable
Among Grekis for trouthe & rihtwisnesse,
To gouerne most glorious and hable,—
Withynne his paleis, the story berth witnesse,
His wiff Clymestra thoruh hir cursidnesse
Assentid was to moordre hym off envie,
For thoccasioun off fals auoutrie.

Ye noble pryncis, conceyueth how chaungable
Is worldli honour thoruh onstedfastnesse!
Seeth off kyng Pryam the glori was onstable;
Fix in your mynde this mateer doth inpresse,
And your corages knyhtli doth vp dresse,
Ageyn all titles holdeth chaumpartie
Which appertene to fals auoutrie.

[Off mighty Sampson whiche tolde his counsaile to Dalida wherby he was deceived.]

Who was mor myhti or strong than Sampson?
Non mor delyuer, þe Bible berth witnesse:
Withoute wepne he slouh a fers leoun,
And for his enmyes to hym dede expresse
His vnkouth problem, anon he gan hym dresse
Geyn Philistes, and slouh off hem thretti,
To paie his promys spoiled hem bi and bi.

His problem was, the text thus rehersyng,
Afftir the lettir in veray sothfastnesse:
“Ther cam out mete off a thyng etyng,
And fro the stronge ther wente out suetnesse.”
But his wiff, off froward doubilnesse,
Which euer wrouhte to his disauail,
Off worthi Sampson tolde the counsail:

“What is mor strong than is a leoun,
Or mor soote than hony in tastyng?”—
But women haue this condicioun,
Off secre thynges whan thei haue knowlechyng,
Thei bollyn inward, ther hertis ay fretyng:
Outher thei musten deien or discure,
So brotil is off custum ther nature.

180

This was the cas: the leoun that was ded,
Ageyn the sonne gapyng lay vpriht;
A swarm off been entred in his hed,
Off whom ther cam hony anon riht.
And whan Sampson theroff hadde a siht,
He fantasied in his opynyoun
Ful secreli this proposicioun,

As ye han herd, and gan it foorth purpose,
That Philistes to hym it sholde expowne,
Vnder a peyne the trouthe to hym onclose.
But with his wiff thei preueli gan rowne;
And she on Sampson gan compleyne & frowne,
And feynyngli so longe vpon hym weepe,
That he nat coude his counsail from hir keepe.

Which whan she kneuh, she made no tarieng,
But pleyn and hool she gan it to declare.
Such double trust is in ther wepyng;
To keepe ther tunges wommen can nat spare.
Such wepyng wyues, euel mut thei fare!
And all husbondis, I pray God yiue hem sorwe,
That to hem tell ther counseil eue or morwe.

She told hem hool, she tolde it hem nat halff;
And Sampson thanne gan vpon hem smyle,
“Yiff ye nat hadde herd it in my calff,
Ye sholde nat a founde it a gret while.”
Who may be seur, wher women list begile!—
Thouh bookis Sampson off strengthe so comende,
Yit durste he nat ageyn his wiff offende.

This myhti Sampson dede also his peyne,
Thre hundred foxis onys that he fond,
He took her tailes, knet hem tweyne & tweyne,
And amyd euerich he sette a feer-brond;
And as thei ran in Philistes lond,
So furiousli vp and doun thei wente,
That thei her frutis & ther vynes brente.

Eek be tresoun whan he was onys bounde
With newe cordis as he lay and sleep,
Ther cam thre thousand, which that Sampson founde,

181

Tamoordred hym, or that he took keep:
He brak his bondis, and vp anon he leep,
Off an asse [he] cauhte a chaule-bon,
And a thousand he slouh off hem anon.

He gan to feynte & hadde a sodeyn lust
For to drynke, fadid face and cheer;
And God sente hym to staunche with his thrust
From thassis toth watir cristal cleer,
Which that sprang out large as a ryuer,
Refresshid his sperit, which afforn gan dull,
Til that he hadde off watir drunke his full.

Afftir he wente to Gazam the cite,
Mong all his enmyes, that were off gret myht,
To his plesaunce where he dede see
A ful fair woman, lay with hire al nyht,
And on the morwe, longe or it was lyht,
Maugre the wach, vpon his shuldres squar
The gatis stronge vp to an hill he bar.

And in a vale which callid was Soret
Ful hoote he loued Dalida the faire,
On whom his herte was ful sore set,
She koude hir feyne so meek & debonaire,
Make hym such cheer whan that hym list repaire.
But I dar calle hir Dalida the double,
Cheeff roote & cause off al his mortal trouble.

He neuer drank wynes whiht nor red,
Off Nazarees such is the goueraunce;
Rasour nor sheer touchid neuer his hed,
For in long growyng stondeth ther plesaunce.
And this Sampson, most myhti off substaunce,
Hadde al his force be influence off heuene,
B[y] heris wexyng, that were in noumbre seuene.

It was ful secre in euery manys siht,
Among peeple told for an vnkouth thyng,
Wheroff Sampson hadde so gret myht,
Outward shewed bi force off his werkyng.
But Dalida with hir flateryng

182

Wolde neuer stynte, enqueryng euer among,
Til that she kneuh wherbi he was so strong.

She lich a serpent daryng vnder floures,
Or lik a werm that wrotith on a tre,
Or lich an addere off manyfold coloures,
Riht fressh apperyng and fair vpon to see:
For shrowdid was hir mutabilite
With lowliheed[e] and a fair pretense
Off trewe menyng vnder fals apparence.

He mente trouthe, & she was variable,
He was feithful, and she was ontrewe,
He was stedfast, and she was onstable,
His trust ay oon; she loued thynges newe:
She wered coloures off many dyuers hewe,
In stede off bleu, which stedfast is and cleene;
She loued chaunges off many dyuers greene.

But to the purpos for to condescende,
Whan she off Sampson kneuh al the preuite,
Hir falsheed shortli for to comprehende,
She made hym slepe ful sofftli on hir kne;
And a sharp rasour afftir that took she,
Shoof off his her, large and off gret lengthe,
Wherbi, allas, he loste al his strengthe.

Damage is erthe is non so greuous,
As an enmy which that is secre,
Nor pestilence non so pereilous
As falsnesse where he is preue,
And speciali in femynyte;
For yiff wyues be founden variable,
Wher shal husbondis fynden other stable?

Thus Sampson was be Dalida deceyued,
She coude so weel flatre, forge and feyne,—
Which Philistes, whan thei ha[ue] conceyued,
Onwarli bond hym in a myhti cheyne,
Cast hym in prisoun, put out his eyen tweyne,
And off despiht, afftir, as I fynde,
At ther queernys maad hym for to grynde.

183

Thei made a feste statli and solempne,
Whan thei hadde al this tresoun wrouht;
And to rebuke hym, scorne hym & condempne,
Blynde Sampson was aforn hem brouht:
Which thyng ful sore greued hym in his thouht,
Caste he wolde in his preue mynde
Tauenge his blyndnesse sum maner weie fynde.

And whan he hadde thus bethouht hym longe,
He made a child hym preueli to leede
To tweyne postis, large, squar and stronge,
Enbraced hem, or any man took heede,
And gan to shake hem, withoute feer or dreede,
So sturdili among his fomen all,
That the temple is vpon hem fall.

Thus he was auengid on his foon,
Which that falsli dede ageyn hym stryue,
Slouh in his deieng, God wot, many on
Mo than he dede euer afforn his lyue.
And he was also, the date to descryue,
In Israel, the Bible is myn auctour,
Twenti yeer ther iuge and gouernour.

[Lenvoy.]

This tragedie yeueth in euidence
To whom men shal ther counseil out discure;
For rakell tunges, for lak off prouidence,
Ha[ue] do gret harm to many a creature:
Whan harm is doon, ful hard is to recure.
Beth war be Sampson, your counsail weel to keepe,
Thouh Dalida compleyne, crie and weepe.

Whilom Sampson, for manhod & prudence,
Hadde Israel in gouernaunce and cure,
Daunted leouns thoruh his magnyficence,
Made on a thousand a disconfiture;
But his moste pereilous auenture,
Was whan he lay with Dalida to slepe,
Which falsli coude compleyne, crie and weepe.

Ye noble Pryncis, conceyueth the sentence
Off this story, remembrid in scripture,
How that Sampson off wilful necligence

184

Was shaue & shorn, diffacid his figure;
Keep your conceitis vnder couerture,
Suffre no nyhtwerm withynne your counsail kreepe,
Thouh Dalida compleyne, crie and weepe!

A chapitle of Bochas discryuyng þe malis of wommen.

Myn auctour Bochas reioished in his lyue,
(I dar nat seyn, wher it was comendable)
Off these women the malice to descryue
Generali, and writ—it is no fable—
Off ther nature how thei be variable,
And how ther malice best be euidence
Is knowe to hem that haue experience.

Thei can afforce hem, alday men may see,
Be synguler fredam and dominacioun
Ouer men to ha[ue]n souereynte,
And keepe hem lowe vnder subieccioun.
Ful sore laboure in ther opynyoun,
Bi sotil crafft that thyng to recure,
Which is to hem denyed off Nature.

Bochas affermeth, & halt it for no tale,
Yiff thei wante fresshnesse off colour,
And han ther face iawne, swart & pale,
Anon thei doon ther dilligent labour
In such a neede to helpe and do socour,
Ther reuelid skyn abrod to drawe & streyne,
Froward frounces to make hem smothe & pleyne.

Yiff no rednesse in ther chekis be,
Nor no lelies delectable and white,
Than thei take, tencrece ther beute,
Such oynementis as may most delite;
Wher Kynde faileth the surplusage tacquite,
Thei can be crafft so for hemsilff dispose,
Shewe rednesse thouh ther be no rose.

And for to shewe ther face cleer and briht,
With hoote spices and oynementis soote
Thei can be crafft countirfete a-riht,

185

Take in such cas many an holsum roote:
Wher Kynde faileth, cunnyng can do boote,—
Yiff ther brestis vp to hie hem dresse,
Thei can ful weel thenbosyng doun represse.

And yiff thei been to soffte or to tendre,
Thei ha[ue] cunnyng to make hem hard & rounde.
Ther corsifnesse thei can eek make sclendre
With poynant sausis that been in phesik founde;
Ther sotil wittis in sleihtis so habounde,
Thyng that is courbid or wrong in mennys siht
To make it seeme as it wente vpriht.

Thei han strictories to make ther skyn to shyne,
Wrouht subtili off gommes & off glaire;
Craffti lies to die ther her citryne,
Distillid watres, to make hem seeme faire,
Fumygaciouns to rectefie the aiere,
Stomachers and fressh confecciouns
To represse fals exallaciouns.

Off alle these thynges Bochas hath most despiht,
Whan these vekkes, ferre Ironne in age,
Withynne hemsilff han veynglori and deliht
For to farce and poppe ther visage,
Lich a[s] peyntour[s] on an old ymage
Leyn ther coloures, riche and fressh off hewe,
Wermfrete stokkes to make hem seeme newe.

Ther slak[ke] skyn be craft abrod is streynyd,
Lik an orenge fro the galei brouht;
Riche relikes aboute ther necckis cheynyd,
Gold vpon gold, with perle & stonys wrouht.
And that ther colour outward appeire nouht
With wynd or sonne, which sholde hem steyne or fade,
For onkynde heetis thei vse citrynade.

186

What sholde I write al ther vnkouth desires,
Sumtyme froward, sumtyme debonaire;
Ymagynyng sundry fressh attires,
Contreued off newe many thousand paire;
Dyuers deuyses to make hem seeme faire
In ther apport, be countirfet liknesse
For to rassemble Venus the goddesse.

Off on deuys thei holde hem nat appaied,
Thei mut ech day han a straunge weede;
Yiff any be than othir bet arraied,
Off froward gruchchyng thei feele ther herte bleede:
For euerich thynkith veraili in deede,
Amorwe prieng withynne a merour briht,
For to be fairest in hir owen siht.

Thei can ther eyen and ther lookis dresse
To drawe folk be sleihtis to ther lure;
And sumwhile bi ther frowardnesse
And feyned daunger, thei can off men recure
What-euer thei list, such is ther auenture.
Ageyn whos sleihtis force nor prudence
May nat auaile to make resistence.

With constreynt wepyng & forgid flaterie,
Subtil spech[e] farcid with plesaunce,
And many fals dissemelid maladie—
Thouh in ther hertis thei feele no greuaunce—
And with ther couert sobre daliaunce,
Thouh vndirnethe the double serpent dare,
Ful many a man thei ha[ue] brouht in ther snare.

O suet[e]nesse ful off mortalite!
Serpentyne with a plesaunt visage!
Onstable ioie ful off aduersite;
O most chaungable off herte & off corage!
In thi desirs hauyng this auauntage,
What-euer thou list to daunten and oppresse,—
Such is thi fraunchise, Bochas berth witnesse.

187

Off nature thei can in many wise
Off myhti geauntis the power weel aslake:
What wit off man can compass or deuise,
Ther sleihti wilis dar it vndertake,
And, yiff hem list, theroff an eende make.
Fro this conceit, who-so that discorde,
A thousand stories the reuers can recorde.

Remembre first, how Hercules most strong
Was brouht be women to his destruccioun;
The queen Clymestra dede also gret wrong
To moordre hir lord kyng Agamenoun.
Dalida betraished also Sampsoun;
Amphiorax sanc doun deepe into hell,
Because his wiff his counsail dede out tell.

It nedith nat to make mencioun,
Thouh Phillis deide thoruh inpacience
Off longe abidyng off hir Demephoun,
Nor how that Nisus, kyng off Magarence,
Was bi his douhtres cursid violence
Onwarli moordred, in Ouide it is told,
Whan from his hed she stal the her off gold.

Bochas rehersith off wyues many on,
Which in ther werkyng wer ful contrarious;
But among all, he writith ther was on,
Queen off Assirie and wiff to kyng Nynus,
And be discent douhter to Neptunus,
Semiramis callid in hir daies,
Which off all men wolde make assaies.

She nouther spared straunger nor kynreede;
Hir owne sone was nat set a-side,
But with hym hadde knowlechyng in deede,
Off which the sclaundre wente abrod ful wide.
For with on man she koude nat a-bide,
Such a fals lust was vpon hir fall,
In hir corage to haue a-do with all.

188

And treu[e]li it doth my witt appall
Off this mateer to make rehersaile;
It is no resoun tatwiten women all,
Thouh on or too whilom dede faile.
It sittith nat, nor it may nat auaile,
Hem to rebuke that parfit been & goode,
Ferr out off ioynt thouh sum other stoode.

The riche rube nor the saphir ynde
Be nat appeired off ther fressh beute,
Thouh among stonys men countirfetis fynde;
And semblabli, thouh summe women be
Nat weel gouerned afftir ther degre,
It nat diffaceth nor doth no violence
To hem that neuer dede in ther liff offence.

The white lelie nor the holsum rose,
Nor violettis spred on bankis thikke,
Ther suet[e]nesse, which outward thei onclose,
Is nat appeired with no weedis wikke;
And thouh that breris, and many crokid stykke
Growe in gardyns among the floures faire,
Thei may the vertu off herbis nat appaire.

And I dar seyn, that women vertuous
Been in the[r] vertu off price mor comendable,
That ther be summe reknyd vicious,
And off ther lyuyng founde also onstable.
Goode women auhte nat be partable
Off ther trespas nor ther wikked deede,
But mor comendid for ther womanheede.

What is appeired off Hester the meeknesse,
Thouh that Scilla was sturdi & vengable?
Nor off Alceste the parfit stedfastnesse
Is nat eclipsed, but mor acceptable,
Thouh Clymestra was founde variable;—
Lik as whan cloudis ther blaknesse doun declyne,
Phebus mor cleer doth with his bemys shyne.

189

Ful many on ha[ue] cleene been al ther lyue,
Ondefouled kept ther virgynyte;
And summe coude ageyn alle vices stryue
Hem to conserue in parfit chastite,
Deuoid off chaung and mutabilite:
Thouh sum other ha[ue] therageyn trespacid,
The laude off hem is therwith nat diffacid.

And who that euer off malice list accuse
These celi women touchyng variaunce,
Lat hem remembre, and in ther wittis muse,
Men be nat ay stable in ther constaunce.
In this world heer is no perseueraunce;
Chaung is ay founde in men & women bothe,
On outher parti, be thei neuer so wrothe.

No man sholde the vertuous atwite
In stede off hym that dede the trespace;
Nor for a theeff a trewe man endite,
Nor for the gilti an innocent manace.
Goode and wikked abide in eueri place;
Ther price, ther lak, lat hem be reseruyd
To outher parti as thei han disseruyd.

Thouh Iohn Bochas in his opynyoun
Ageyn[es] women list a processe make,
Thei that be goode off condicioun
Sholde ageyn hym no maner quarel take,
But lihtli passe, and ther sleuys shake;
For ageyn goode myn auctour nothyng made,
Who can conceyue theffect off this balade.

Thexcus of Bochas for his vriting ageyn mysgovern[ed] vommen in stede of lenvoye.

Ye women all, that shal beholde & see
This chapitle and the processe reede,—
Ye that be goode founde in your degre,
And vertuous bothe in thouht and deede,
What Bochas sei[e]th, tak[e] ye noon heede;

190

For his writyng, yiff it be discernyd,
Is nat ageyn hem that be weel gouernyd.

For thouh it fall that oon, or too, or three
Ha[ue] doon amysse, as therfore God forbeede
That other women which stable & feithful be
Sholde be atwited off ther ongoodliheede,
But mor comendid for ther womanheede:
For this scripture, yiff it be concernyd,
Is ageyn hem that be nat weel gouernyd.

A gallid hors, the sooth yff ye list see,
Who touchith hym, boweth his bak for dreede;
And who is knowe ontrewe in his cuntre,
Shrynkith his hornis whan men speke of falsheede.
But goode women ha[ue] ful litil neede
To gruchch or frowne whan the trouthe is lernyd,
T[h]ouh ther be summe which be nat weel gouernyd.

Off Dalida and queen Pasiphe,
Thouh doubilnesse dede ther bridil leede,
Yit off Lucrece and Penolope
The noble fame abrood doth shyne and spreede:
Out off good corn men may sum darnel weede,
Women rebuke, in ther diffautis wernyd,
And nat touche hem that be weel gouernyd.

[Off mighti pirrus that slouh pollicene which for his pride and auoutrye deied in pouerte/slayn atte last bi Horestes.]

Bochas musyng in his remembraunce,
And considred in his fantasie
The onseur trust off worldli variaunce,
Off men & women the chaung and the folie,
The same tyme he sauh a cumpanye

191

Off myhti pryncis, ful pitousli wepyng,
To hym appeere ther fortune compleynyng.

Among other that put hemsilff in pres,
Off myhti Pirrus first he hadde a siht,
That was the sone off worthi Achilles,
Among Grekis the moste famous knyht,
Most comendid off manhod & off myht,
Sone and next heir, [as] bookis specefie,
Off Pelleus kyng off Thesalie.

This Achilles, ful manli off his herte,
Hurt off Ector, and his wounde greene,
Slouh Ector afftir or he dede aduerte.
The which Achilles, for loue off Polliceene,
Bi compassyng off Eccuba the queene,
Vnder trete this Grekis champeoun
Was slayn off Paris withynne Troie toun.

Whos deth tauenge Pirrus in his teene,
Furiousli, with face ded and pale,
Slouh afftirward the said[e] Polliceene,
And dismembrid al on pecis smale,
Which for to heere is a pitous tale,
That a knyht so vengable was in deede
To slen a maide, quakyng in hir dreede.

He koude for ire on hir no merci haue;
But with his suerd, most furious & wood,
Merciles vpon his fadres graue,
Lik a tirant he shadde hir chast[e] blood.
The deede horrible diffacid his knyhthod,
That to this day the sclaundre & the diffame
Be newe report reboundeth on his name.

Poetis seyn, and speciali Ouide
Writ, whan Grekis fro Troie sholde saile,
How ther shippis ban anker dede ride,
Off ther purpos which longe made hem faile.
But in this while, he maketh rehersaile,
Out off therthe, manacyng off cheere,
Off Achilles an ymage dede appeere.

192

To Grekis saide with a dedli face,
“I feele weel myn honour & my glorie,
And my noblesse ful lihtli foorth dooth pace,
Onkynde peeple, out of your memorie,
Which bi me hadde your conquest & victorie.
Your deuer doth Polliceene to take,
And on my graue a sacrefise to make.

With hir blood looke ye spare nouht
To sprynge it round aboute my sepulture;
Thus blood for blood with vengaunce shal be bouht,
And for my deth, the deth she mut endure.”
And hool the maner off this auenture,
And how she deied in hir maydenheed,
Methamorphoseos, the processe ye may reed.

In hasti vengaunce set was al his ioie,
With thrust onstaunchid Troian blood to sheede;
He slouh Priam, the worthi kyng off Troie,
And into Grece with hym he dede leede
Andromecha—the story ye may reede—
Weddid hir, and afftir in certeyne
Be hym she hadde worthi sonys tweyne.

But in repairyng hom to his cuntre,
As Eolus dede his shippis dryue,
I fynde he was a pirat off the se;
And into Grece whan he dede aryue,
Fortune onwarli gan ageyn hym stryue:
Forsook his wiff, leet hir lyue alone,
Took a-nother callid Hermyone.

Which was that tyme ioyned in mariage
To Horestes, sone off Agamenoun;
And he, alas, off wilful louys rage,
Took hir be force to his possessioun.
But off auoutrie folwith this guerdoun,
Sodeyn deth, pouerte or shame,
Open disclaundre, gret myscheeff or diffame.

193

Eek in his tyme this Pirrus, as I reede,
Fill into myscheeff and gret pouerte;
And with such meyne as he dede leede,
He was a rouere, and robbed on the se.
And as poetis reherse, ye may see,
Off such robbyng be sclaundre & diffame
This woord Pirat off Pirrus took the name.

And as the story afftir doth deuise,
The said Horestes gan secreli espie
Wher that Pirrus dede sacrefise
Toforn Apollo, that god to magnefie.
Ful onwarli Horestes off enuie
Took a sharp suerd or Pirrus coude aduerte
Wher that he stood, & roof hym thoruh the herte.

This was the fyn off Pirrus in substaunce,
For al his pride and gret presumpcioun.
Off fals auoutrie folwith this vengaunce:
Losse off sum membre, pouert or prisoun,
Or hatful sclaundre bi sum occasioun,
Or sodeyn deth, shortli in sentence,
Compleet in Pirrus be ful cleer euidence.

[Off Machaire and his suster Canace.]

Afftir this Pirrus cam Canace the faire,
With teres distillyng from hir eyen tweyne,
And hir brother, that callid was Machaire;
And bothe thei gan ful pitousli compleyne,
That Fortune gan at hem so disdeyne,
Hyndryng ther fate be woful auenture
Touchyng ther loue, which was ageyn nature.

He was hir brother and hir loue also,
As the story pleynli doth declare;
And in a bed thei lay eek bothe too,
Resoun was non whi thei sholde spare:
But loue that causith wo and eek weelfare,
Gan ageyn kynde so straungeli deuise,
That he hir wombe made sodenli tarise.

194

And fynali, myn auctour berth witnesse,
A child she hadde bi hir owne brother,
Which excellid in fauour and fairnesse;
For lik to hym off beute was non other.
But off ther loue so guyed was the rother,
That Karibdis, tween wyndis ful contraire,
Hath Canace destroied and Machaire.

For whan ther fadir the maner dede espie
Off ther werkyng, which was so horrible,
For ire almost he fill in frenesie,
Which for tappese was an inpossible;
For the mater was froward & odible:
For which, pleynli, deuoid off al pite,
Vpon ther trespas he wolde auenged be.

The cause knowe, the fadir anon riht
Caste for ther deth off rigour to prouide;
For which Machaire fledde out off his siht,
And from his face his presence gan to hide.
But, o alas! his suster muste abide,
Merciles, for ther hatful trespace
Suffre deth; ther was non other grace.

First hir fader a sharp suerd to hir sente
In tokne off deth for a remembraunce,
And whan she wiste pleynli what he mente
And conceyued his rigerous ordenaunce,
With hool purpos tobeien his plesaunce,
She gruchchith nat, but lowli off entente
Lich a meek douhter to his desir assente.

But or she died she caste for to write
A litil lettre to hir brother deere,
A dedli compleynt compleyne & endite
With pale face and a mortal cheere,
The salt[e] teris from hir eyen cleere,
With pitous sobbyng, fet from hir hertis brynke,
Distillyng doun to tempre with hir ynke.

The lettre of compleynt of Canace to hir brothir Macharie.

Out off hir swouh[e] whan she dede abraide,
Knowyng no mene but deth in hir distresse,
To hir brother ful pitousli she saide:

195

“Cause off my sorwe, roote off myn heuynesse,
That whilom were cheeff sours off my gladnesse,
Whan bothe our ioies be will were so disposid,
Vnder o keie our hertis to be enclosid.

Whilom thou were support and sekirnesse,
Cheeff reioisshyng off my worldli plesaunce;
But now thou art the ground off my siknesse,
Welle off wanhope, off my dedli penaunce,
Which haue off sorwe grettest habundaunce
That euer yit hadde any creature,
Which mut for loue the deth alas endure!

Thou were whilom my blisse & al my trust,
Souereyn confort my sorwes to appese,
Spryng and well off al myn hertis lust;
And now, alas, cheeff roote off my disese.
But yiff my deth myht do the any ese,
O brother myn, in remembraunce off tweyne,
Deth shal to me be plesaunce & no peyne.

Mi cruel fader, most onmerciable,
Ordeyned hath, it needis mut be soo,
In his rigour he is so ontretable,
Al merciles he will that it be doo,—
That we algate shal deie bothe too.
But I am glad, sithe it may been noon other,
Thou art escapid, my best beloued brother.

This is myn eende, I may it nat asterte,
O brother myn, there is no mor to seye,
Lowli besechyng with al myn hool[e] herte
For to remembre speciali I preie,
Yiff it befall my litil sone deie,
That thou maist afftir sum mynde vpon us haue,
Suffre us bothe be buried in o graue.

I holde hym streihtli atwen myn armys tweyne,
Thou and Nature leide on me this charge;
He gilt[e]les with me mut suffre peyne.
And sithe thou art at fredam and at large,
Lat kynd[e]nesse our loue nat so discharge,
But haue a mynde, where-euer that thou be,
Onys a day vpon my child and me.

196

On the and me dependith the trespace
Touchyng our gilte and our gret offence;
But, wellaway, most angelik off face,
Our yonge child in his pur innocence
Shal ageyn riht suffre dethis violence,
Tendre off lymes, God wot, ful gilt[e]les,
The goodli faire that lith heere specheles.

A mouth he hath, but woordis hath he noone,
Cannat compleyne, alas, for non outrage,
Nor gruchith nat, but lith heer al a-loone,
Stille as a lamb, most meek off his visage.
What herte off steel coude doon to hym damage,
Or suffre hym deie, beholdyng the maneer
And look benygne off his tweyne eyen cleer?

O thou, my fader, to cruel is thi wreche,
Hardere off herte than tigre or leoun,
To slen a child that lith withoute speche,
Void off al mercy and remissioun.
And on his mooder hast no compassioun,
His youthe considred, with lippis softe as silk,
Which at my brest lith still & souketh mylk.

Ys any sorwe remembrid be writyng,
Onto my sorweful sihhes comparable?
Or was ther euer creature lyuyng
That felte off dool a thyng mor lamentable?
For counfortles and onrecuperable
Ar thilke hepid sorwes, ful off rage,
Which han with wo oppressid my corage.

Rekne all myscheuys in especiall,
And on my myscheeff remembre & ha[ue] good mynde:
Mi lord my fadir, is myn enmy mortall,
Experience inouh theroff I fynde;
For in his pursuit he hath lefft behynde,
In destruccioun off the, my child and me,
Routhe and al mercy and fadirli pite.

And the, my brother, auoidid from his siht,
Which in no wise his grace maist atteyne,
Alas that rigour, vengaunce & cruel riht

197

Sholde a-boue merci be lord & souereyne!
But cruelte doth at me so disdeyne,
That thou, my brother, my child & also I
Shal deie alas exiled from al mercy.

Mi fader whilom, be many sundri signe,
Was my socour, my supportacioun,
To the and me most gracieux & benygne,
Our worldli gladnesse, our consolacioun.
But loue and Fortune ha[ue] turned up-so-doun
Our grace, alas, our welfare & our fame,
Hard to recure, so sclaundrid is our name.

Spot off diffamyng is hard to wasshe away,
Whan noise and rumour abrod do folk manace;
To hyndre a man ther may be no delay:
For hatful fame fleeth ferr in ful short space.
But off vs tweyne ther is non othir grace
Sauff onli deth, and afftir deth, alas,
Eternal sclaundre off vs; thus stant the cas.

Whom shal we blame, or whom shal we atwite
Our gret offence, sithe we may it nat hide?
For our excus reportis to respite
Mene is ther non, except the god Cupide.
And thouh that he wolde for vs prouide,
In this mateer to been our cheeff refuge,
Poetis seyn he is blynd to been a iuge.

He is depeynt[e] lich a blynd archer,
To marke ariht failyng discrecioun,
Holdyng no meseur, nouther ferr nor neer;
But lik Fortunys disposicioun,
Al upon happ, void off al resoun,
As a blynd archer with arwes sharp[e] grounde
Off auenture yeueth many a mortal wounde.

At the and me he wrongli dede marke,
Felli to hyndre our fatal auentures,
As ferr as Phebus shynyth in his arke,
To make us refus to alle creatures,
Callid us tweyne onto the woful lures
Off diffame, which will departe neuere,
Be newe report the noise encresyng euere.

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Odious fame with swifft wengis fleeth,
But al good fame envie doth restreyne;
Ech man off other the diffautis seeth,
Yit on his owne no man will compleyne.
But al the world out crieth on vs tweyne,
Whos hatful ire bi us may nat be queemyd;
For I mut deie, my fader hath so deemyd.

Now farweel, brother, to me it doth suffise
To deie allone for our bothe sake.
And in my moste feithful humble wise,
Onto my dethward thouh I tremble & quake,
Off the for euere now my leue I take.
And onys a yeer, forget nat, but take heed,
Mi fatal day this lettre for to reed.

So shaltow han on me sum remembraunce,
Mi name enprentid in thi kalender,
Bi rehersaile off my dedli greuaunce;
Were blak that day, & mak a doolful cheer.
And whan thou comest & shalt approche neer
Mi sepulture, I pray the nat disdeyne
Vpon my graue summe teris for to reyne.”

Writyng hir lettir, awappid al in dreede,
In hir riht hand hir penne gan to quake;
And a sharp suerd to make hir herte bleede
In his lefft hand, hir fader hath hir take.
And most hir sorwe was for hir childes sake,
Vpon whos face in hir barm slepyng
Ful many a teer she wepte in compleynyng.

Afftir al this, so as she stood and quook,
Hir child beholdyng, myd off hir peynes smerte,
Withoute abood the sharp[e] suerd she took
And rooff hirselff euene to the herte.
Hir child fill doun, which myht[e] nat asterte,
Hauyng non helpe to socoure hym nor saue,
But in hir blood the silff began to bathe.

And thanne hir fader, most cruel off entent,
Bad that the child sholde anon be take,
Off cruel houndis in haste for to be rent
And be deuoured for his mooder sake.
Off this tragedie thus an eende I make,

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Processe off which, men may reede and see,
Concludith on myscheeff & furious cruelte.

Remembryng first, as maad is mencioun,
How that Pirrus delited hym in deede,
Whan Troie was brouht to destruccioun,
With cruel suerd[e] Troian blood to sheede,
But of such slauhtre, seeth heer the cruel meede,
As riht requereth, bi vnwar violence,
Blood shad for blood is fynal recompence.

Lenvoye.

Whan surquedie oppressid hath pite,
And meeknesse is with tirannie bor doun
Ageyn al riht, & hasti cruelte
To be vengable maketh no dilacioun,
What folweth theroff?—be cleer inspeccioun,
Seeth an exaumple how Pirrus in his teene
Off hatful ire slouh yonge Polliceene.

Kyng Eolus to rigerous was, parde,
And to vengable in his entencioun
Ageyn his childre Machaire & Canace,
So inportable was his punycioun,
Off haste procedyng to ther destruccioun;
Wers in his ire, as it was weel seene,
Than cruel Pirrus, which slouh Polliceene.

Noble Pryncis, prudent and attempre,
Differrith vengaunce, off hih discrecioun;
Til your ire sumwhat asuagid be,
Doth neuer off doom non execucioun:
For hate and rancour perturben the resoun
Off hasti iuges, mor off entent oncleene
Than cruel Pirrus which slouh Polliceene.

Explicit liber primus. Incipit prologus libri secundi.

200

BOOK II

[Prologue.]

To summe folk, parcas, it wolde seeme,
Touchyng the chaunges & mutabilites
Bi me rehersid, that thei myhte deeme,
Off Fortunes straunge aduersites
To pryncis shewed, doun pullid from ther sees,
The tragedies auhte inouh suffise
In compleynyng, which ye han herd deuise.

The stori pitous, the processe lamentable,
Void off ioie, al gladnesse and plesaunce,
A thyng to greuous and to inportable,
Where-as no merthe is medlid with greuaunce,
Al upon compleynt standith thalliaunce,
Most whan Fortune, who that hir cours weel knewe,
Chaungith old ioie into sorwes newe.

For onto hym that neuer wiste off wo,
Remembraunce off his old gladnesse,
Whan his weelfare & plesaunce is ago,
And neuer aforn knew off non heuynesse,—
Such vnwar chaung, such vnkouth wrechidnesse
Causith in pryncis, thoruh newe dedli trouble,
Afftir ther fallyng ther sorwes to be double.

Olde exaumples off pryncis that ha[ue] fall,
Ther remembraunce off newe brouht to mynde,
May been a merour to estatis all,
How thei in vertu shal remedies fynde
Teschewe vices, off such as wer maad blynde,
Fro sodeyn fallyng hemsiluen to preserue,
Longe to contune and thank off God disserue.

The fall off on is a cleer lanterne
To teche a-nother what he shal eschewe;
Pereil off on, is, who can discerne,
Scoole and doctryn from pereil to remewe.
As men disserue such guerdoun ther mut sewe;

201

In vice nor vertu no man may God deceyue,
Lik ther desertis ther meede thei [shal] receyue.

Who folweth vertu lengest doth perseuere,
Be it in richesse, be it in pouerte;
Liht off trouthe his cleernesse kepith euere
Ageyn thassautis off al aduersite.
Vertu is cause off long prosperite;
And whan pryncis fro vertu doun declyne,
Ther fame is shroudid vndir the cliptik lyne.

For fals Fortune, which turneth as a ball,
Off vnwar chaunges thouh men hir wheel atwite,
It is nat she that pryncis gaff the fall,
But vicious lyuyng, pleynli to endite:
Thouh God aboue ful offte hem doth respite,
Longe abidith, and doth his grace sende
To this entent, thei sholde ther liff amende.

For ther weelfare and ther abidyng longe,
Who aduertisith, dependith nat on chaunce.
Good liff and vertu maketh hem to be stronge,
And hem assureth in long perseueraunce;
Vertu on Fortune maketh a diffiaunce,
That Fortune hath no domynacioun
Wher noble pryncis be gouerned be resoun.

But such as list[e] nat correctid be
Bexaumple off othre fro vicious gouernaunce,
And fro ther vices list nat for to fle:
Yiff thei be troubled in ther hih puissaunce,
Thei arette it Fortunys variaunce,
Touchyng the giltes that thei deden vse,
Ther demerites ful falsli to excuse.

Vertu conserueth pryncis in ther glorie
And confermeth ther dominaciouns;
And vicis put ther price out off memorie,
For ther trespacis and ther transgressiouns.
And in alle such sodeyn mutaciouns,
Thei can no refut nor no bet socour,
But ageyn Fortune to maken ther clamour.

202

Make an outcri on hir doubilnesse,
As no gilt were in ther owne deede;
Thus ontreuli thei calle hir a goddesse,
Which lite or nouht may helpe at such a neede.
But yiff thei hadde God in loue & dreede,
Trustid his lordshep in herte, will & thouht,
Thei sholde Fortune pleynli sette at nouht.

Euidencis ful expert and palpable,
Toforn rehersid, told off dyuers ages,
Worldli glorie veyn and ful onstable,
With deceites double off ther visages,
Shewyng to pryncis ferme off ther corages,
Be these exaumples, how and in what wise
By othris fallyng thei shal hemsilff chastise.

Signes shewed and toknes in the heuene,
Dyuers cometis and constellaciouns,
Dreedful thundryng, feerful firi leuene,
Rumour in erthe and gret discenciouns,
Disobeisaunce in sondry regiouns,
Shewen exaumples, ful weel afferme I dar,
To myhti pryncis, hem biddyng to be war,

Ther liff tamende or the Lord do smyte,
Thoruh necligence or it be to late;
And or the suerd off vengaunce kerue & bite,
Into vertues ther vicious liff translate,
Cherisshe rihtwisnesse, ageyn al wrong debate,
With dreed off God make hemsiluen stronge:
Than is no doubte thei shal enduren longe.

Who is nat war bi othres chastisyng,
Othre bi hym shal chastised be:
Hard is is that herte, which for no writyng,
For no dottryn nor non auctorite,
For non exaumple will from his vices flee;
To indurat is his froward entent,
Which wil nat suffre his hardnesse to relent.

The rounde dropis off the smothe reyn,
Which that discende & falle from aloffte

203

On stonys harde, at eye as it is seyn,
Perceth ther hardnesse with ther fallyng offte,
Al-be in touchyng, water is but soffte;
The percyng causid be force nor puissaunce,
But off fallyng be long contynuaunce.

Semblabli, off riht I dar reherse,
Offte reedyng on bookis fructuous
The hertis sholde off prudent pryncis perse,
Synke in ther mynde & make hem vertuous
Teschewe all thynge that is vicious:
For what auaileth thexaumples that thei reede,
To ther reedyng yiff contraire be the deede?

Cunnyng and deede, who can comprehende,
In cleer conceites thei be thynges tweyne;
And yiff cunnyng doth the deede amende,
Than atwen hem is maad a myhti cheyne,
A noble thyng, and riht souereyne:
For thanne off cunnyng the labour is weel spent,
Whan deede folweth, & bothe been off assent.

Thus Iohn Bochas procedyng in his book,
Which in noumbre is callid the secounde,
Gan for to write, and his purpos took
To sette in stories such as he hadde founde,
Off entent alle vices to confounde
Be thexaumples which he dede expresse.
And at the gynnyng off his besynesse,

Myhti Saul to hym dede appeere,
Kyng off Israel, pitousli wepyng,
Dedli off face, and with an hidous cheere,
His vois Ibroke be manyfold sobbyng;
And to myn auctour his sorwe compleynyng,
Requeryng hym, togidre whan thei mette,
First in his book his woful fate to sette.

Anon afftir, I off entencioun,
With penne in hande faste gan me speede,
As I koude, in my translacioun,
In this labour ferthere to proceede,
My lord cam forbi, and gan to taken heede;

204

This myhti prynce, riht manli & riht wis,
Gaff me charge in his prudent auys,

That I sholde in eueri tragedie,
Afftir the processe made mencioun,
At the eende sette a remedie,
With a lenvoie conueied be resoun,
And afftir that, with humble affeccioun,
To noble pryncis lowli it directe,
Bi othres fallyng [thei myht] themsilff correcte.

And I obeied his biddyng and plesaunce,
Vnder support off his magnyficence.
As I coude, I gan my penne auaunce,
Al-be I was bareyn off eloquence,
Folwyng myn auctour in substaunce & sentence:
For it suffised, pleynli, onto me,
So that my lord my makyng took at gre.

Finis prologi libri secundi.

Sequitur liber secundus.

[How Saul, Kyng of Ierusalem born of low degre as long as he dred god was obedient to him/and rewlid by good counsaile had many grete disconfitures/ but atte last/for his pride presumpcioun and grete disobysaunce/he lost his crowne and was slayn by Philestees.]

This said[e] Saul, of whom I spak toforn,
Ful weel compact & large of his stature,
Off the lyne of Beniamyn eek born,
His fader Ceis was callid in Scripture,
Whos assis whilom leffte ther pasture;—
Space off thre daies Saul hadde hem souht,
Loste his labour and ne fond hem nouht.

For thei were gon out so ferr a-stray,
So disseuered he ne koude hem meete,
Til that a child hym suyng al the way
Gaff hym counseil his labour for to lete,
And that he sholde gon to the prophete,
Which was ful famous holde in Israel,
Off whom the name was callid Samuel.

205

Which Saul made in his hous to dyne,
Receyued hym off gret affeccioun;
And be precept & ordenaunce deuyne,
Samuel made no prolongacioun,
But shadde the hooli sacred vnccioun
Vpon the hed off Saul, doun knelyng,
And ful deuoutli off Israel made hym kyng,

Off goddis peeple to ha[ue] the gouernaunce,
With sceptre & crowne, and hool the regalie.
And his noblesse mor myhtili tauaunce,
With meek[e]nesse to reule his monarchie,
God gaff to hym a sperit off prophecie,
Which was gret glorie to his magnyficence,
Off futur thynges to haue prescience.

And whil that he was meek & humble in deede,
Void off pride and fals presumpcioun,
And prudent counsail with hym dede leede,
Hym to gouerne bi good discrecioun,
He fond quiete thoruh al his regeoun;
No foreyn enmy durst hym tho werreye,
Whil he the Lord meekli dede obeie.

Non enmy myhte ageyn[e]s hym recure
Thoruh non enprises, but sore dede hym dreede;—
Made many gret disconfiture
Thoruh his force, knyhthod & manheede
On Philistes, and dauntid eek in deede
Too myhti kynges, the ton off Ammonytes,
And a-nother, that gouerned Moabites.

He was founde eek strong and victorious,
The Palestynes bryngyng to myschaunce;
Geyn Ydumes, so myhti and famous,
Thoruh his knyhtli prudent gouernaunce,
That he ther pride brouhte onto vttraunce,
Outraied hem off wisdam and manheede,—
Primo Regum, as ye may pleynli reede.

He was a sone callid off o yeer,
In Israel whan his regne began,
Stable off herte and benygne off cheer,
Froward nor sturdi to no maner man.
Al that while loue off the peeple he wan,

206

The tyme, I meene, whil he was iust & stable,
And in his werkis nat founde variable.

But whan that pride gan his herte enhaunce,
Wilfulnesse and fals malencolie
Outraied resoun, to ha[ue] the gouernaunce
Off his olde famous policie,
And hadde forgetyn in his fantasie
To knowe the Lord & meekli sue his lawe,
God from his crowne his grace gan withdrawe.

Thonkynde werm off foryetilnesse
In his herte hadde myned thoruh the wall,
Whan he to God, for his kynd[e]nesse,
Gaff no laude nor no thank attall,
Which hadde hym reised onto estat royall
Fro pore degre, mong al his kyn alone,
Be synguler fauour to sette hym in his throne.

What thyng in herte mor froward mai be thouht
Than is the sodeyn fals presumpcioun
Off a wrechche that cam vp off nouht,
To yeue hym lordshepe and dominacioun?
And for to make a pleyn comparisoun,
Men sholde off resoun dreede a leoun lasse
Than the reudnesse off a crownyd asse.

What thyng to God is mor abhomynable
Than pride upreised out off pouerte?
And nothyng gladli is founde mor vengable
Than ar wrechchis set in hih degre:
For from his stok kynde may nat fle;
Ech thyng resortith, how ferr euer it go,
To the nature which that it cam fro.

Frut and apples taken ther tarage
Wher thei first greuh off the same tre,
And semblabli ech kynreede & lynage—
Onys a yeer it will non othir be—
Be tokne or signe, at eye as men may see,
Draweth comounli in eueri creature
Sum tech to folwen afftir his nature.

207

I write nat this in rebuk off pouert;
But for suche onli as that it disserue:
God off his myht, as men be weel expert,
May hem in vertu encresen and conserue,
From al myscheeff a poore man preserue,
Reise hem on heihte to dominaciouns
Thoruh hih noblesse off ther condiciouns.

Be influence God may his grace sheede
Wher he fynt cause onli be meeknesse,
A poore man to reise hym vp in deede
Onto thestat off vertuous noblesse;
For out off vertu cometh al gentilesse,
In poore and riche mak non excepcioun,
But hem comende lik ther condicioun.

A poore man which that is vertuous
And dredith God in his pouerte,
Ech thyng eschewyng that is vicious,
And to his power doth trouthe & equite,—
I dar riht weel, what-euer that he be,
Puttyng no rebuk onto his kynreede,
But calle hym gentil veraili in deede.

But kyng Saul was contrarious,
Disobeisaunt founde in his werkyng,
Whan God made hym to be victorious
On Amalech, where Agag was kyng,
Hym comaundyng to spare no maner thyng,
Man nor woman, beeste nor child socoure,
But that his suerd sholde al quyk thyng deuoure.

But Saul wrouhte al in other wise,
Ech thyng reseruyng that was fair to siht;
And off entent to make a sacrefise,
Afftir his victorie he shoop hym anon riht,
Fattest beestis he ches, & hath hem diht
Toward the fir to maken his offryng,
And fro deth he spared Agag the kyng.

He was repreued afftir of Samuel,
To Godis biddyng for he was contraire,
As abiect to regne in Israel,

208

That al good hope in hym gan disespaire;
His grace, his myht gan pallen & appaire,
His prophecie afftir hath hym failed,
And with a feend he was also trauailed.

Thus from hir wheel Fortune cast hym doun,
Aualed hym from his roial see;
And God also took awey the crown,
Bothe from hym and his posterite,
And set up Dauid for his humilite.
Loo, how the Lord his doomys can deuyde
Tenhaunce meeknesse and tabate pryde!

Saul endured in his frenesie,
A wikked sperit so sore hym dede assaile;
Onto Dauid euer he hadde envie,
That he was hardi tentren in bataile,—
With a stafslynge, void off plate & maile,
Slouh Golias, withoute feer or dreed,
Pulled out his suerd[e] & smet off his hed.

At ther repairyng hom out off the feeld,
Whan Dauid hadde slay[e]n this Golie,
Yonge maidnes whan [that] thei beheeld
The grete victory, thei in ther armonye
In laude off Dauid thus gan synge & crie:
“Saul hath slayn a thousand thoruh his myht,
Dauid ten thousand, the lusty yonge knyht!”

Saul disdeyned and seide frowardli,
“Thei grauntid han a thousand to my name,
And to the sone heer off Ysai
Youe ten thousand to encrece his fame,
Which is to me a rebeuk and a shame.”
Wherupon this Saul, fret with ire,
Off yonge Dauid gan the deth conspire.

In his herte he hadde a fantasie
Off ther syngyng whan that he took heede,
Dempte it was a maner prophecie,
That Dauid sholde preferrid be in deede
And to the crowne afftir hym succeede.
Thouhte his childre, as he gan dyuyne,
Sholde be depryued off the roial lyne.

209

Thus day be day Saul weies souhte
To sle[en] Dauid, pleynli yiff he myhte,
Al-be-it so that he no malice thouhte,
But euer kept hym lowli in his sihte.
Therfore good eure & grace on hym alihte;
For ay the Lord off his magnyficence
Ageyn tirantis preserueth innocence.

And as the Bible pleynli doth us lere,
This Dauid hadde in his tendre age
For his noblesse the kyngis douhter deere,
Callid Michol, ioyned be mariage.
And whan that Saul fill in any rage,
Dauid anon, tasswagen his woodnesse,
Touchid his harpe & brouht him in gladnesse.

Saul ful offte gan Dauid to enchace
And werreie thoruhout all his londis,
Thoruh desertis hym pursue & manace,
Off entent tashet hym up in bondis
Or taslaie hym, yiff he com in his hondis.
But fynali God thoruh his ordynaunce
Preserued his knyht from al maner myschaunce.

Saul ful offte was brouht to myscheeff,
Yit ay fro deth[e] Dauid dede hym saue;
And heeroff this was a special preeff,
Whan Dauid kitte his garnement in the caue.
And mo toknys yiff ye list to haue,
Another tyme Dauid also kepte
The liff off Saul, whan he lay & slepte.

The cas was this: as thei lay hosteieng
Nat ferr assonder, and Saul lay and sleepe,
Al his peeple aboute[n] hym slepyng,
And onpurueied lik a flok off sheepe;
Off which[e] thyng Dauid took good keepe,
Doun descendid, and made no delay,
Cam to the tente wher kyng Saul lay.

The spere off Saul stondyng at his hed,
Dauid took it and wente his way anon;
Off his comyng ther was no man took heed,

210

For Saul slepte and his men echon.
And whan that he vp to the hill was gon,
Toward Saul ageyn he cast his look,
Made a noise that all his knyhtes wook.

First to Abnor, prynce off his cheualrie,
Dauid seide these woordis in sentence:
“Abnor,” quod he, “thou hast doon gret folie,
This day shewed a gret necligence,
To suffre off Saul the magnyficence
In pereil stonde, and non heed [to] take,
Aboute his persone to make his knyhtis wake.

Thou art to blame for thi reklesnesse,
To leue the kyng stonde in so gret a dreede,
In slep to haue mor sauour & suetnesse
Than off his liff [for] to taken heede.
Such necligence requereth for his meede
Deth and torment, be rihtful iuggement,
Aboute a prynce whan folk be necligent.

And yiff thou list to seen an euidence,
How that his liff stood in iupartie,
See heer his spere, & yiff therto credence,
How onprouyded ye were on your partie,—
Saul nor thou, ye may it nat denye,
Your liff, your deth, your power, your puissaunce
This day God put hool in my gouernaunce.

But me taquiten off pur innocence,
As eueri man sholde onto his kyng,
And to declare in me was non offence
Ageyn his noblesse in will nor in werkyng,
As God weel wot, that knoweth euery thyng,
That I neuer be no conspiracie
Wrouhte nor compassid ageyn his regalie.”

Loo, heer exaumple off parfit pacience
Ageyn malice to shewe kynd[e]nesse!
Wher Saul shewed his mortal violence,
Dauid aquit hym with suffraunce & goodnesse,
The tirant venquysshid bi his prudent meeknesse.
Men ageyn trouthe may weel a werre gynne,
But at the eende the palme he doth ay wynne.

211

For off this story yiff that ye take heed,
Saul is falle for his frowardnesse
Into myscheeff and into sodeyn dreed;
For Philistees, the Bible berth witnesse,
With a gret power gan ther wardis dresse
Vpon kyng Saul auenged for to be,
Ther tentis pihte beside Gelboe.

Wheroff kyng Saul, astonyd in his herte,
Hadde lost his sperit off knyhtli hardynesse,
And speciali whan he dede aduerte
Prophete was non his harmys to redresse,
Off futur thynges trouthe to expresse
In Israel, which cast hym in gret dreed,
Because that tyme Samuel was ded.

For Saul hadde cast out alle dyuynes
From Israel and ech dyuyneresse,
Nat-withstandyng [that] the Palestynes
Were rise ageyn, his power to oppresse;
And he ne knew no maner sorceresse
Off whom he myhte any counseil take,
And he off God that tyme was forsake.

In this wise he stood disconsolat,
Counseil off God nor prophete kneuh he non,
But lik a man most infortunat,
Ongraciousli he spedde hym foorth anon,
And secreli this Saul is foorth gon
To a woman that sholde hym reede and wisse,
In Israel callid a phetonysse.

Which is a name, as clerkis writen all,
And office, who that takith heede,
Soulis off men ageyn to clepe & call—
I meene such[e] that toforn wer dede—
Which is a thyng straunge for to reede,
That any woman sholde, who list to lere,
Make soulis of dede men appeere.

212

Vnkouth & straunge is ther opynyoun,
And to my witt a maner inpossible,
Nat accordyng, me semeth, to resoun,
Nor lik a thyng which that is credible,
That a soule, off nature inuisible,
Mihte appeere or shewe visibly
Onto eyen which that be bodily.

But or that I any ferthere flitte,
List I were holde to presumptuous,
To dyuynys this mater I commytte
And wise clerkis that be vertuous,
In ther wittis subtil and corious
To conclude, as it doth hem seeme,
In this mater a trouthe for to deeme,

Whethir it was the soule off Samuel,
Or other sperit, that she dede call,
Which that tolde the kyng off Israel
Off the bataile that sholde afftir fall,
His auenturis and his myscheuys all.
And off his deth he tolde also in deede,
And how Dauid sholde afftir hym succeede,

Because onli off his disobeisaunce,
As it is write, and for his reclesnesse,
On Amalech for he took nat vengaunce.
Thus the sperit bar to hym witnesse.
Whereoff Saul fell in gret heuynesse,
Knowyng no mene tescape out off this doute,
But take his fortune as it cometh aboute.

Tolde hym also his enmyes were so wroth,
The Philistees beside Gelboe,
In that bataile he and his childre both
Sholde deie that day, off necessite;
His cheualrie shal sconfited be,
Off his regne there is no lengere date,
For God from hym his kyngdam will translate.

And thus Saul retourned is agayn,
His meyne afftir brouht to disconfiture.
And whan he sauh al his peeple slayn,
And how ther was no mene to recure
In that dedli woful auenture,

213

He bad his squier take his suerd as blyue,
And thoruh the herte that he sholde hym ryue,

That his enmyes, which were oncircumsised,
Sholde ha[ue] no power, in story it is founde,
To falle vpon hym as thei han deuised,
To yeuen hym his laste fatal wounde,
His hih noblesse at myscheeff to confounde.
But his squyer, for feer of God and dreed,
Wold nat assente to doon so foul a deed;

To slen his lord he gretli was afferd,
A thyng hatful in eueri manys siht.
But Saul took the pomel off his suerd,
And in the ground ful deepe anon it piht;
And in al hast possible that he myht,
Made the poynt, in his furious peyne,
To perce his herte & parte euene on tweyne.

The Philistees, anon as he was ded,
Spoiled hym off his roial armure,
Dismembrid hym and smet off his hed,
And in tokne off ther disconfiture
Took the spoiles with al ther besi cure
And theroff made, in al ther beste entent,
To Astaroth off pride a gret present.

Thus was Saul slay[e]n in sentence
Off Philistees vpon Gelboe,
Forsake off God for inobedience,
Abiect also doun from his roial see:
And thus for lakkyng off humylite,
Off God he was for euere set a-side.
Loo, heer the eende off surquedie & pride!

Lenvoye.

Hath mynde on Saul, which to estat roiall
Fro louh degre was callid for meeknesse;
But presumpcioun made hym haue a fall,
Off God abiect for his frowardnesse,
Loste his crowne, the Bible berth witnesse.
And cause was, for his disobeisaunce;
To Godis biddyng he gaff non attendaunce.

214

God nat axeth no mor off man att all
But hool[e] herte withoute doubilnesse,
For alle the gifftes, which in especiall
He gaff to man off his hih goodnesse;
But he chastisith al onkynd[e]nesse,
Such as be rebel for to do plesaunce,
And to his biddyng ne yeue non attendaunce.

Noble Pryncis, vertu most pryncepall
You to conserue in your hih noblesse,
Is to enprente in your memoriall
Feith, equite, alle wrongis to redresse,
To susteene trouthe and rihtwisnesse,
And tofor God holdeth euenli the balaunce,
And to his biddyng yeueth hool your attendaunce.

The comendacion of Bochas oppon the vertu of obedience.

Vertu off vertues, most off excellence,
Which that hath most souereyn suffisaunce,
Is the vertu off trewe obedience,
Which set all thynge in rihtful gouernaunce:
For ne wer nat this prudent ordenaunce,
Summe tobeie and summe aboue to guie,
Destroied were al worldli policie.

Where that vertu and hih discrecioun
Auoided han from hem al wilfulnesse,
Be title onli off domynacioun,
Trewli lyuyng vpon rihtwisnesse,
Wrong and errours iustli to redresse,
Off trouthe I may riht weel afferme & seie,
The peeple meekli ther biddyng sholde obeie.

This noble vertu off feithful obeisaunce,
Establisshid vpon humylite,
Which includith no double variaunce,
In all regeouns and in ech contre
Causeth weelfare, ioie and prosperite;
And as vertu, cheeff and souereyne,
Al vicious riot it pleynli doth restreyne.

215

Obedience eek, as men may see,
Falsnesse exilith and al rebellioun;
For bi atempraunce, riht and equite
Stant the weelfare off eueri regeoun:
For the meeknesse and low subieccioun
Off comountes halt up the regalies
Off lordshepes & off all monarchies.

And, no doubte, whan lordshepes off entent
Besi been the souereyn Lord to queeme,
To ther subiectis do rihtful iugement,
In conscience as riht and resoun deeme,
Than shal ther crowne and [ther] diadeeme
Vpon ther hed perseuere & fresshli shyne,
And make subiectis to her biddyng enclyne.

Thus obeisaunce pleynli at a woord,
In such as han lordshepe and souereynte,
Doon off entent to ther souereyn Lord,
Shal cause hem regne in long prosperite,
And ther subiectis off humylite,
For ther noble famous gouernaunce,
Ay to be redy vnder ther obeisaunce.

For who that serueth the Lord off Lordis all,
And hath the peeple in his subieccioun,
God will keepe hym that he shal nat fall,
Longe preserue his domynacioun;
But ageynward, whan wisdam and resoun
Been ouermaistried with sensualite,
Farweel the floures off ther felicite!

Obedience bluntith the sharpnesse
Off cruel suerdis in tirantis hondis,
And meeknesse appesith the felnesse
Off hasti vengaunce, brekith atoo the bondis;
Eek pacience set quyete in londis:
And where these thre contune in comountes,
Long pes perseuereth in kyngdames & cites.

Obedience doth also restreyne
Conspiracies and fals collusiouns;
Whan she stant onpartid, nat on tweyne,

216

There is no dreed off no discenciouns:
For she combyneth the trewe opynyouns
In peeplis hertis, ful weel aforn prouyded,
Vnder pryncis to stonde hool ondeuyded.

Wher pryncis be meek, humble & debonaire
Towardis God off hool affeccioun,
Ther subiectis be gladli nat contraire
In ther seruise be no rebellioun;
For ther is founde no deuysioun,
But hed & membris, ech for his partie,
Be so gouerned be prudent policie.

Contrariousli Saul was put doun,
Abiect off God for his obstynacie,
Put from his sceptre, his crowne, his regeoun,
Off Israel loste al the monarchie,
For he list nat make off his alie,
Off frowardnesse and wilful necligence,
This noble vertu callid obedience.

For as it longith in kyngdamys & citees,
Vnder a keye off on benyuolence,
Pryncis, kynges to gouerne [in] ther sees,
So apperteneth deu[e] reuerence
To ther subiectis bi obedience,
Tobeie ther lordis, as thei been off degre,
Be title off riht in eueri comounte.

For obeisaunce, iff it be discernyd
With Argus eyen, who that taketh heed,
As riht requereth is nat weel gouernyd,
Whan the membris presume ageyn the hed,
Off gouernaunce ther is no parfit speed;
From vnyte thei gon a froward weie,
Whan subiectis ther pryncis disobeie.

[How kyng Roboam for gevyng feith to yonge counsaile lost the beneuolence of his peple and deied a fool.]

Onto Iohn Bochas in ordre next ther cam,
With ful gret dool and lamentacioun,
The yonge kyng callid Roboam,

217

Sone and next heir to Salamoun,
Entryng be title off iust successioun,
Besouhte myn auctour to make off his folie
And off his fallyng a pitous tragedie.

First whan he entred into his regeoun,
Twelue tribus gouernyng in deede,
Rewlid hymsilff be will and no resoun,
Kepte his subiectis pleynli, as I reede,
Nat vnder loue but vnder froward dreede;
Off olde wise, to his gret disauail,
He despised the doctryn and counsail.

He demened, as it is weel kouth,
His sceptre, his crowne and his regalie
Be such folk as floured in her youth,
Coude off custum ther wittis weel applie
To bleende hym falsli with ther flat[e]rie,
Which is a stepmooder callid in substaunce
To al vertu and al good gouernaunce.

Alas, it is gret dool and gret pite,
That flat[e]rie sholde haue so gret fauour,
Which bleendith princis that they may nat see,
Mistith the eyen off eueri gouernour,
That thei can nat knowe her owne errour,
Fals hony shad ay on ther sentence.
A fool is he that yeueth to hem credence.

Thei may be callid the deuelis taboureris,
With froward sownys eris to fulfille;
Or off Circes the pereilous boteleris,
Which galle and hony [togedir] doun distille,
Whos drynkes been bothe amerous & ille,
And, as clerkis weel deuise cunne,
Wers than the drynkes off Cirenes tunne.

Eris off pryncis ful weel thei can enoynte
With the soffte oile off adulacioun,
And ther termys most subtili appoynte,
Ech thyng concludyng with fals decepcioun,
Ay blandisshyng with amerous poisoun;

218

And fynali, as the poete seith,
Ther feith off custum concludith with onfeith.

Flourying in woordis, thouh ther be no frut,
Double off herte, plesaunt off language,
Off trewe menyng void and destitut,
In mustryng outward pretende a fair visage:
Who trusteth hem fyndeth smal auauntage,
Be apparence & glorious fressh shewyng
Pryncis deceyuyng & many a worthi kyng.

Roboam can bere ful weel witnesse,
From hym auoidyng folkis that were trewe,
How he was hyndred be flatrie & falsnesse
Be hem that coude forge out talis newe;
Whos counseil afftir sore dede hym rewe,
And with ther feyned fals suggestioun
Gretli abreggid his dominacioun.

He dempte hymsilff off more auctorite,
Off foli youthe and off presumpcioun,
Than was his fader in al his rialte.
And this pompous fals opynyoun
Cam into his conceit bi adulacioun;
For flatereris bar to hym witnesse,
How he excellid his fadres hih noblesse.

He dede gret rigour and oppressioun
Vpon his peeple, as it was weel preued;
And thei to fynde sum mytigacioun
In materis which that han hem greued,
Off ther tributis for to be releued,
Besouhte he wolde relece hem in ther neede:
But al for nouht; he took theroff non heede.

Al old counsail from hym he sette a-side
And refusid ther doctryn and ther lore;
And be fals counsail off folkis ful off pride,
His poore liges he oppressid sore.
And ten kynredis anon, withoute more,
For tirannye and for mysgouernaunce
From hym withdrouh ther trouthe & legeaunce.

219

Thus off the kyng conceyued the rigour,
The peeple anon off indignacioun
Stooned Adoram, which was collectour
Off the tributis in al his regeoun;
From hym departyng bi rebellioun.
Wheroff astonyd, tauenge his gret onriht,
Into Iherusalem took anon his fliht.

And whan thei were partid from Roboam,
The ten kynredis be dyuysioun
Ches hem a kyng callid Ieroboam.
And Roboam, withynne his roial toun,
To been auengid on ther rebellioun
And for to doon on hem cruel iustise,
An hundred thousand he made anon tarise.

With Ieroboam he caste hym for to meete,
And al attonys sette in iupartie;
But Semeias the prophete bad hym lete,
And from the werre withdrawen his partie.
And mor the quarel for to iustefie,
Off his peeplis froward departyng,
It was Godis will doon for a pun[y]shyng.

Touchyng the surplus off his gouernaunce,
His roial beeldyng off many fair cite,
His grete riche famous suffisaunce,
Off wyn and oile hauyng gret plente,
And how his empire encrecid yeres thre,
Eek how that tyme he rihtful was in deede,
In Josephus his story ye may reede.

Off his childre born in the riht[e] lyne,
Eihtene wyues, as maad is mencioun,
I fynde he hadde, and many concubyne,
Sonys and douhtris be procreacioun;
And how his richesse and gret pocessioun
That tyme encreced, as it is weel knowe,
To God a-boue whil that he bar hym lowe.

But, as this auctour maketh rehersaile,
In his encres and augmentacioun,
Meeknesse off herte in hym gan waste & faile,

220

And pride entrid with fals presumpcioun,
Vertu dispisyng and al relegeoun;
Affter whos vices, as seith the same book,
Wikkid exaumple off hym the peeple took.

Affter the maneres, wher thei be good or ille,
Vsid off pryncis in dyuers regeouns,
The peeple is redy to vsen and fulfille
Fulli the traces off ther condiciouns:
For lordis may in ther subiecciouns,
So as hem list, who-so can taken heede,
To vice or vertu ther subiectis leede.

Thus Roboam for his transgressiouns,
In Iosephus as it is deuised,
And for his froward fals opynyouns,
Onli for he al vertu hath despised,
Off God he was rihtfully chastised:
In Ierusalem his cheeff roial toun
Off his enmyes besegid enviroun.

The kyng off Egipt a sege aboute hym laide
With so gret peeple, that socour was ther non,
Al-be-it so that Roboam abraide
And preied God delyuere hym from his fon,
Tauoide off merci his enmies euerichon.
But God list nat to granten his praiere,
But hym chastised, lik as ye shal heere.

First his cite and his noble toun
Delyuered was, he knew no bet socour,
Vnder a feyned fals composicioun;
For at ther entryng, void off al fauour,
Kepyng no couenant, took al the tresour,
Withynne the temple hauyng no pite,
But ladde it hom to Egipt ther contre.

And to reherse, it is a gret[e] dool,
How Roboam, as Iosephus doth declare,
Was inli proud and therwithal a fool,
And off al wisdam destitut and bare,
Onmerciable his peeple for to spare,
Hatyng good counsail, and so in his folie
Regnyng a fool; and so I lete hym deie.

221

[Lenvoye.]

Philisophres concluden and deuise
In ther bookis off old experience,
That counseilour[e]s sad, expert & wise,
Trewe off ther woord, stable off ther sentence,
Hasti nor rakel for no violence,
Keepe & preserue, the trouthe I dar attame,
Noblesse off pryncis fro myscheeff & diffame.

Hasty youthe and rancour in contrari wise,
Which han to will[e] al ther aduertence,
Except hemsilff all othir men despise
Thoruh ther onbridled furious insolence,
Nothyng aqueyntid with wisdam nor prudence,
Brynge ageynward, wheroff thei be to blame,
Noblesse of princis in myscheff & diffame.

Kyng Roboam, ageyn riht and iustise,
To yonge foolis gaff feith & most credence,
Crueli his subiectis to chastise;
Which put his peeple from his benyuolence,
Drouh ten kynredis from his obedience,
Which was to hym, be record, ful gret shame,
Puttyng his noblesse in myscheff & diffame.

Noble Pryncis, doth wisli aduertise,
In preseruyng off your magnyficence,
Off olde expert nat blent with couetise
Taketh your counseil and doth hem reuerence,
Eyed as Argus in ther hih prouidence,
Which conserue be report off good name
Noblesse off pryncis from myscheeff & diffame.

[A Chapitle/descryuyng how prynces beyng hedis of ther comountees sholde haue noble cheualrie true Iuges &c ther commounte to gouerne &c.]

What ertheli thyng is mor deceyuable,
Than off pryncis the pompe & veynglorie,

222

Which weene [to] stonde in ther estatis stable,
As thei the world hadde conquered be victorie—
And sodenli be put out off memorie,
Ther fame cloudid, allas, and ther noblesse
With a dirk shadwe off foryetilnesse!

Wheroff kom[e]th the famous cleer shynyng
Off emperoures in ther consistories?—
Or wheroff komth ther laude in reportyng,
Sauff that clerkis han wreten ther histories?
Or where were now conquestis transitories,
Or ther tryumphes—wher sholde men hem fynde,
Ne had writeris ther prowesse put in mynde?

Rekne up all, and first the worthy nyne,
In hih noblesse which hadde neuer peeris:
Ther marcial actis, which cleerli dede shyne,
Ther fame vorn aboue the nyne speeris
With loude sownys off Famys clariouneris,
Ther glorious palmes, yiff thei be weel peised,
Be low labour off comouns was first reised.

Mak a liknesse off thes gret ymages
Coriousli corue out be entaile,—
Hed, armys, bodi, and ther fressh visages,
Withoute feet or leggis may nat vaile
To stonde vpriht; for needis thei mut faile.
And semblabli subiectis in comountees
Reise up the noblesse off pryncis in ther sees.

As hed and membres in ymages been o ston,
Outher o stok, be cumpas ondeuyded,
And be proporcioun ther feturis euerichon
Set in trewe ordre, as Nature hath prouided,
So that all errours thoruh crafft be circumcided:
The hed set hiest be custom, as men knowe,
The bodi amyd, the feet benethe lowe.

223

Mihti pryncis for ther hih renoun,
As most worthi shal ocupie the hed,
With wit, memorie and eyen off resoun
To keepe ther membris fro myscheeff & dreed,
Lik ther degrees take off hem good heed,
With cleer[e] forsiht off a prudent thouht
Ther feet preserue that thei erre nouht.

Ther mut been handis & armys off diffence,
Which shal this ymage manli keepe & guie
From alle assautis off foreyn violence,
Which shal be named noblesse off cheualrie—
Ther trewe office iustli to magnefie,
Sustene the chirch & make hemsiluen strong
To see that widwes nor maidnes ha[ue] no wrong.

Prudent iuges, as it is skele and riht,
To punshe wrong and surfetis to redresse,
In this ymage shal ocupie the siht:
For loue or hate, bi doom off rihtwisnesse,
For freend or fo his iugementis dresse,
So egali the lawes to susteene,
In ther werkis that noon errour be seene.

Mid this ymage there is a bodi set,
An agregat off peeplis and degrees,
Be parfit pes and vnyte I-knet
Bi thestatis that gouerne comountees,—
As meires, prouostes & burgeis in citees,
Marchauntis also, which seeke sundri londis,
With othir crafftis which lyuen bi ther hondis.

And as a bodi which that stant in helthe
Feelith no greeff off no froward humours,
So eueri comoun contynueth in gret welthe,
Which is demened with prudent gouernours,
That can appese debatis and errours,
The peeple keepe from al contrauersie,
Causyng the[r] weelfare tencrece & multeplie.

224

This bodi must haue a soule off liff
To quyke the membris with gostli mociouns,
Which shal be maad off folk contemplatiff,
The cherche committed to ther pocessiouns,
Which bi ther hooli conuersaciouns
And good exaumple[s] sholde as sterris shyne,
Be grace and vertu the peeple [t]enlumyne.

Vpon the liht off ther condiciouns,
Off this bodi dependith the weelfare;
For in ther techyng and predicaciouns
Thei sholde trouthe to hih & low declare,
And in ther office for no dreed ne spare
Vices correcte, lich as thei ar holde,
Sithe thei been heerdis off Cristes folde.

Folwyng vpon, off entent ful cleene,
Laboreris, as ye han herd deuised,
Shal this bodi bern up and susteene
As feet and leggis, which may nat be despised;
For trewe labour is iustli auctorised,
And ner the plouh vpholden be trauaile,
Off kynges, pryncis farweel al gouernaile.

Thus first yiff pryncis gouerned been be riht,
And knyhthod suffre the peeple to ha[ue] no wrong,
And trouthe in iuges shewe out his cleer liht,
And feith in cites with loue be drawe a-long,
And hooli cherche in vertu be maad strong,
And in his labour the plouh ne feyne nouht,—
Thanne be proporcioun this ymage is weel wrouht.

This mateer hool for texemplefie,
Kyng Roboam for fals oppressioun
And for his wilful froward tirannye
Loste a gret parti off his regeoun;
Wherfore, let pryncis considren off resoun,
God sette the peeple for lordis auauntage,
And nat to been oppressid with seruage.

225

Vpon summe pryncis Bochas doth compleyne,
Such as haue a custum and maneer
Ageyn ther subiectis ongoodli to disdeyne,
And off pride to shewe hem froward cheer;
Counseileth hem to remembre & ler,
As this chapitle doth fynali deuise,
First out off labour al lordshepe dede arise.

[How Mucyus Sceuola slouh an Innocent in stede of Kyng Porcenna that leide siege to Rome.]

Whan kyng Porcenna with his cheualrie
Ageyn Romeyns a werre first began,
The toun besegyng vpon ech partie
With gret puissaunce brouht out off Tuskan,
In the cite ther was a knyhtli man,
Mucius Sceuola, which caste in ther distresse
To breke the siege thoruh his hih prowesse.

Leet arme hymsilff[e] cleene in plate & maile,
For comoun profit, tauauncen his corage
Kyng Porcenna proudli to assaile;
A tyme prouyded to his auauntage,
Thoruh the siege to maken his passage,
And fynali at his in-comyng
Iuparte his persone for to sle the kyng.

But lik as tellith Titus Lyuyus,
Wher Porcenna sat in his roial see,
This senatour, this manli Mucius,
Sauh a prynce off gret auctorite,
The kyng rasemblyng, clad [both] in o lyuere,
Atween discernyng no maner variaunce;
Slouh that prynce off veray ignoraunce.

But whan he knew[e] that he dede faile
To slen Porcenna, enmy to the toun,
And sauh he hadde lost al his trauaile,
He made a pitous lamentacioun,
Because he dede execucioun
Off ignoraunce, ageyn his owne entent,
To spare a tirant and slen an innocent.

226

For which he was with hymsilff ful wroth,
That he was founde so necligent in deede,
And with his hand onto a fir he goth,
Made it brenne briht as any gleede,
Bothe nerff & bon and his flessh to sheede,
His hand consumyng on pecis heer & yonder,
And from his arm made it parte assonder.

And as the story declareth onto vs,
This manli man, this noble senatour,
Afor tyme was callid Mucius,
Which for the comoun dede many gret labour;
And for the vnkouth hasti fell rigour
Doon [vn]to hymsilff, the Romeyns all,
Sceuola thei dede hym afftir call.

As moche to seyne be language off that lond—
Who take ariht the exposicioun—
As a man which is withoute an hond.
And afftir hym bi successioun
Al his offspryng, that wer bor in the toun,
In remembraunce for tencrece his fame,
Off Sceuola bar afftir hym the name.

Be this exaumple and many a-nother mo,
Yiff men list her corages to awake,
Thei sholde seen what pereil & what wo
For comoun profit men haue vndirtake,
As whilom Brutus for Lucrecis sake
Chaced Tarquyn for his transgressioun
And kynges alle out off Rome toun.

Touchyng Lucrece, exaumple off wifli trouthe,
How yonge Tarquyn hir falsli dede oppresse,
And afftir that, which was to gret a routhe,
How she hirsilff[e] slouh for heuynesse,
It nedith nat rehersyn the processe,
Sithe that Chaucer, cheeff poete off Bretayne,
Wrot off hir liff a legende souerayne.

Rehersyng ther among[es] other thynges
Ech circumstaunce and ech occasioun:
Whi Romeyns exilid first ther kynges,

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Neuer to regnen afftir in ther toun,
As olde cronycles make mencioun,
Remembryng also thunkyndli gret outrage
Bi Eneas doon to Dido off Cartage.

Eek othir stories which he wrot his lyue
Ful notabli with eueri circumstaunce,
And ther fatis dede pitousli descryue,
Lik as thei fill put hem in remembraunce,
Wherfore yiff I sholde my penne auaunce,
Afftir his makyng to putte hem in memorie,
Men wolde deeme it presumpcioun & veynglorie.

For as a sterre in presence off the sunne
Lesith his fresshnesse and his cleer[e] liht,
So my reudnesse vnder skies dunne
Dareth ful lowe and hath lost his siht,
To be compared ageyn the bemys briht
Off this poete; wherfore it were but veyn
Thyng seid be hym to write it newe ageyn.

[How Lucrece/oppressid bi Tarquin slouh hirsilf.]

But at Lucrece stynte I will a while,
It were pite hir story for to hide,
Or slouthe the penne of my reud[e] stile,
But for hir sake alle materis set a-side.
Also my lord bad I sholde abide,
By good auys at leiser to translate
The doolful processe off hir pitous fate.

Folwyng the tracis off Collucyus,
Which wrot off hir a declamacioun
Most lamentable, most doolful, most pitous,
Wher he descryueth the dolerous tresoun
Off hir constreyned fals oppressioun,
Wrouht & compassid bi vnwar violence,
The liht ontroublid off hir cleer conscience.

228

Hir fader whilom callid Spurius,
Hir worthi husbonde named Collatyn,
Which bi the luxure & tresoun odious
And vicious outrage of Sextus, proud Tarquin,
Oppressid was & brouht onto hir fyn.
Whos dedli sorwe in Inglissh for to make,
Off pitous routhe my penne I feele quake.

This said Tarquyn, this euel auised knyht,
This sclaundrid man, most hatful for his deede,
Cam lich a theeff, alas, vpon a nyht
With naked suerd, whan no man took non heede,
Vpon Lucrece, she quakyng in hir dreede,
Liggyng abedde ferr from hir folkes all,
And knew no refuge for helpe for to call.

He manacyng in his froward entent,
On hir beholdyng with a furious cheer,
That with his suerd[e], but she wolde assent,
Hire and a boy he wolde prente ifeer,
Such on as was most ougli off maner,
Most onlikli off persone and off fame:
Thus he hir thratte for to sclaundre hir name.

But his entent[e] whan she dede feele,
And sauh no mene ageyn hir woful chaunce,
The morwen afftir she list nothyng concele,
Tolde hir husbonde hooli the gouernaunce,
Hym requeryng for to do vengaunce
Vpon this crym, saide lik a trewe wiff,
She wolde hir herte percen with a knyff.

In this mater this was hir fantasie:
Bet was to deie than to lyue in shame,
And lasse wikke, to putte in iupartie
Hir mortal bodi than hir good[e] fame.
Whan honour deieth, farweel a manys name!
Bet it were out off this liff disseuere,
Than sclaundrous fame to slen a man for euere.

229

But to that purpos hir husbonde seide nay,
Hir fader also was therto contrarie,
Makyng a promys, withoute mor delay,
To do vengaunce how thei wil nat tarie.
To hir declaryng with resouns debonarie,
Vnder these woordis trouthe & riht conserued,
To slen hirsilff she hath nothyng disserued:

[“My dere Lucrece, tempeste the nat at al,
We knowe thy menyng and thy clene entent,
Thy vertu prevyd in especial,
Which yevith to vs a ful pleyn argument,
Vn-to thavoutour thow gaff nevir assent,
And for a more singuleer evydence,
Cryest euere to punysshe his greet offence.

Lyst nat cese, but euere theron abydest,
And al counfort doost fro thy-sylff refuse;
Thyng that was secre, in covert thow nat hydest,
But rygerously thavoutour doost accuse,
Wheer expert vertu thy renoun doth excuse.
Thy wyffly trouthe can bern also witnesse
By cleer repoort to vs of thy clennesse.

For in the eyen of folkys ferre and neer,
The glorye and honour of wyffly chastite
Hath to this day with bryghte beemys cleer
In thy persone enlvmyned this cyte.
For bothe in opyn and also in secre
The fame hath flouryd of thy chaast[e] name,
Fre fro thatwytyng of ony spot of blame.

We can our-sylff recordyn and expresse,
How thy delyght and thyn hertly plesaunce
Was to worshepe wyffly sobirnesse,
And to werreye al chaunge and varyaunce,
Lyk a lanterne set vp of constaunce,
Or lyk a merour, in euery mannys syght,
Off good exaumple to yive al othir lyght.

230

My trewe Lucrece, hastow nat in mynde,
Nat yoore agoon, in verray sekirnesse,
How thavoutour and I the did[e] fynde
Amyd thy women in vertuous besynesse
Occupyed,—a tokne of stedfastnesse,
Therby concludyng of trouthe and of resoun,
Modir of vertu is occupacyoun.

I fond the thanne, as I haue do ful offte,
Among thy maydenys besily sittyng,
To make hem werke vpon wollys soffte,
In ther werkyng hem womanly cherysshyng.
On vicious lust ful smal was thy thynkyng;
Wherfore, thow shuldyst of resoun advertyse,
Tatempre thy dool in more tendir wyse:]

For sodenli and also onauised,
As a foul is trappid in a snare,
Be onwar fraude vpon the practised,
Thou were deceyued, pleynli to declare,
Hauyng this conceit, hard is to repare
The name off hem which falsli be diffamed,
Whan wrong report the[r] hih renoun hath shamed.

Touchyng thi persone, I dar afferme & seyn,
That it were a maner inpossible,
And lik a thyng which neuer yit was seyn,
That thi worshepe was founde coruptible,
But stedfast ay and indyuysible,
Ondepartid in vertu and maad strong,
And now desirous tauenge thi pitous wrong.

On thyn iniurie we shal auengid be,
Considred first the dedli heuynesse
Which thou suffredist bi gret aduersite,
Whan thauoutour thi beute dede oppresse,
And reioishyng bi a fals gladnesse,
Maugre thi will[e], as a theeff be nyht
The encoumbred off veray force & myht.

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But yiff thou woldist leue al thi moornyng
And restreyne thyn inportable wo,
Thou sholdist seen so egal a punshyng
Vpon thi moste froward mortal fo,
To warne alle othre, thei shal no mor do so,
In chastisyng off fals auoutrie,
The and thi renoun off riht to magnefie.

What was diffacyng to thi trewe entent,
Thouh his youthe onbridled wente at large,
So for tafforce a celi innocent?
Whos wikkednesse ouhte to bere the charge,
And we off riht thi conscience discharge.
The ioie onleefful off his fals plesaunce,
With double palme thyn honour doth auaunce.

Conceyue and see, o thou my Lucrece,
How that resoun and good discrecioun
Sholde thi trouble & thi mournyng cese,
Off riht restreyne thyn opynyoun,
So reklesli to do punycioun,
With knyf on honde to slen thisilff, alas!
For othres gilt, and dedist no trespas.

Lat be, Lucrece, lat been al thi dool,
Cese thi compleynt & thi wo restreyne.
Sholde I fro the lyue alone al sool,
And thi deth perpetueli compleyne?
To putte thi fader in inportable peyne,—
Off our weelfare be nat so rek[e]les,
To deie and leue our childre moodirles.

Off prudence eek thou ouhtest for to see
And aduertise onli off resoun,
Thouh off force thi bodi corupt be,
Thi soule inward and thyn entencioun
Fraunchised been from al corupcioun.
Offens is noon, considre in thyn entent,
But will and herte yiue therto ful consent.

Thou were nakid in thi bed liggyng,
Alone, onwar, slepyng and void off myht,
Suspeciounles al off his comyng,

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That tyme namli, because that it was nyht.
A feerful woman, and he an hardi knyht,
Al-be-it so onknyhtli was his deede,
With nakid suerd tassaile thi womanheede.

He myhte thi bodi be force weel oppresse
Be sleihti weies that he hadde souht;
But weel wot I, for al his sturdynesse,
He myhte neuer ha[ue] maistri off thi thouht.
The bodi yolde, the herte yald hym nouht.
Ye wer[en] tweyne, thou feeble & he riht strong,
Thi trouthe afforced, he werkere off the wrong.

Where myhtistou ha[ue] grettere price or laude,
Al riht considred, trouthe and equite:
First countirpeised his force & sleihti fraude,
Thanne to perseuere in femynyte
With thouht onchaungid, & in fragilite
Off womanheed to haue an herte stable,—
What thyng in the myht be mor comendable?

It is weel knowe thou were off herte ay oon,
To all fals lustis contraire in gouernaunce,
Mor lik an ymage korue out off a ston,
Than lik a woman flesshli off plesaunce
The tirant fond the in cheer & contenaunce,
Which euer afftir be womanli victorie
Shal be ascryued to thyn encres off glorie.

Thi fadir Brutus hath the weel excusid,
Misilff also, thi blood & thi kynreede,—
On this mater lat no mor be musid.
To sle thisilff or do thi sidis bleede,
Certis, Lucrece, thou hast ful litil neede;
It were gret wrong be al our iugement
To spare a tirant and slen an innocent.

Thi-silff to moordre, to summe it wolde seeme
Thou were gilti, wher-as thou art cleene.
Dyuers wittis dyuersli wolde deeme,
Reporte thyng thou neuer dedist meene.
For which thou shalt pacientli susteene,

233

Till thi chast[e] wiffli innocence
May seen hym punshed for his violence.

Folk wil nat deeme a persone innocent,
Which wilfulli, whan he is nat coupable,
Yildith hymselff to deth be iugement,
And neuer afforn was off no gilt partable.
His owne doom, vpon hymsilff vengable,
Causeth the peeple, thouh ther report be nouht,
To deeme a thyng that neuer was doon nor thouht.

To been auengid vpon thyn owne liff,
In excusyng off thi dedli diffame,
To shewe thou art a trewe parfit wiff,
Wenyng be deth to gete the a name,—
In this deuys thou art gretli to blame,
Wher thou yit knowest thyn honour cleerli shyne,
To yiue the peeple mater to deuyne.”

And with that woord Lucrece dede abraide,
Ful dedli pale bothe off look and cheer,
To them ageyn, euene thus she saide:
“Lat be, husbonde, lat be, my fader deer,
Spekith no mor to me off this mateer,
List men dempte, in hyndryng off my name,
I dradde deth mor than fals diffame.

Your counsail is, I shal my liff conserue
To sorwe and sclaundre, but to no gladnesse;
But lasse wikke is at an hour to sterue
Than euer langwisshe in sorwe & heuynesse.
Deth maketh an eende off al worldli distresse;
And it was said sithe[n] ful yore ago,
Bet is to deie than euer to lyue in wo.

Whan that worshepe in any creature
Is slayn and ded be sclaund[e]rous report,
Bet is off deth the dreedful peyne endure,
Than be fals noise ay luye in disconfort,
Wher newe & newe diffame hath his resort,

234

Neuer deieth, but quekith be thoutrage
Off hatful tunges & venymous language.

Doth your deuer to halwe & make stable
The chast[e] chaumbres off wifli gouernaunce;
For in this cas yiff ye be variable
On fals auoutri for to do vengaunce,
Ther shal folwe euerlastyng remembraunce,
How trewe spousaile, as ye han herd deuysed,
In your cite was broke and nat chastised.

Yiff ye be founde in such cas necligent
To punysshe auoutours, off riht as is your charge,
Thoruh your slouthe, as ye were off assent,
Luxure onbridled shal renne abrod at large.
Who shal thanne your conscience discharge,
Or what woman stonde in sekirnesse,
Off Lucrece afforced the clennesse?

O deere husbonde, what ioie sholde it be
To thyn estat, in ony maner place,
Lich as thi wiff [for] to cherisshe me,
Or in thyn armys me goodli to enbrace,
The gilt horrible considred and trespace
Be Tarquyn doon—alas and welaway!—
Which in my persone may neuer be wasshe away?

And fader myn, how sholdestou me calle,
Afftir this day, thyn owne douhter deere,
Which am, alas, refus off women alle,
That to thi plesaunce was whilom most enteere,
Withynne thi hous whan I dede lere,
Bi cleer exaumple off manyfold doctryne,
Al that partened to vertuous disciplyne?

Which I haue lost now in my daies olde,
Disespeired it to recure ageyn.
Myn owne childre, I dar hem nat beholde,
Because the wombe in which that thei ha[ue] leyn
Diffouled is and pollut in certeyn,
Which was toforn in chastite conserued.
Chastisith thauoutour, as he hath disserued!

235

And for my part to speke in woordes fewe,
Lenger to lyue I ha[ue] no fantasie;
For wher sholde I out my face shewe,
Or dore appeere in any cumpanye,
Sithe a dirk spotte off fals auoutrie
Shal euer encrece, wher it be fals or trewe,
Into myn hyndryng the sclaundre to renewe?

Lust afforcid hath a fals appetit,
Of freelte includid in Nature;
Maugre the will, ther folweth a delit,
As summe folk seyn, in eueri creature.
Good fame lost, ful hard is to recure;
And sithe I may myn harmys nat redresse,
To you in open my gilt I will confesse.

Al-be I was ageyn my will oppressid,
Ther was a maner constreyned lust in deede,
Which for noun power myht nat be redressid,
For febilnesse I stood in so gret dreede.
For which offence deth shal be my meede,
Sith leuer I haue with sum egge tool
To sle mysilff, than lyue in sclaundre & dool.

O fader myn, spare and ha[ue] pite!
And deere husbonde, rewe on myn offence!
Goddis & goddessis callid off chastite,
To my trespace graunteth an indulgence;
For off my gilt to make a recompence,
Wher that Venus gat in me auauntage,
Deth shal redresse & chastise myn outrage.

For yiff I sholde make a delay
To perce my brest bi sharpnesse off a knyff,
Men wolde deeme and sey fro day to day,
To make my sclaundre mor open & mor ryff,
How that I was mor tendir off my lyff
Than off my worshep, which wer to gret a shame,—
To loue my liff mor than my good[e] name!

236

In this mateer no witnesse is so good,
To putte a-way al fals suspecioun,
As with a knyff to sheede myn herte blood:
I myht nat make a bet purgacioun
To alle folk that ha[ue] discrecioun,
Than fynali be my deth texcuse
The gilt horible, off which men me accuse.

Go foorth my soule, peur & inmortal,
Cheeff[e] witnesse off myn innocence,
Tofor tho iuges which be infernal:
First Mynos, kyng, to deeme my conscience,
With Radamanthus to yeuen a sentence
Lik my desert, that it may be seene,
In wifli trouthe how that I was cleene.

Thou ertheli body, which thoruh thi fairnesse
Were to auoutri ful gret occasioun,
Off thi blood sheede out the red[e]nesse,
And be thi sides late it raile doun;
Stere and excite the peeple off this toun
To doon ther deuer, withynne a litil while,
For loue off Tarquyn, alle kynges to exile.

And first I praie, myn husbonde most enteere,
Off this vengaunce to make no delay;
With helpe & socour off my fader deere
To punysshe thauoutour, in al the haste ye may;
Let hym take his wages and his pay,
Lik as ye seen, and pleynli now conceyue,
For his offence the deth I do receyue.”

And sodenli, or thei myhte aduerte,
She took a knyff, and with gret violence,
Thoruh the brest, euene onto the herte
She made it glide,—ther was no resistence.
Ful pale and ded fill doun in ther presence.
And bi occasioun off this pitous deede,
Tarquyn exilid, and hooli his kenreede.

237

For which[e] cause, be record off writyng,
Was ther neuer in Rome the cite,
Afftir that day no man crownyd kyng,
As in cronycles ye may beholde and see.
Thus for luxur[y]e and ther cruelte,
Ther tirannye and fals extorsioun,
Thei wer exilid out off Rome toun.

[How Rome aftir was gouerned and virginea bi hir fadir slayn.]

Gouerned afftir bi other officeres,
As is remembred in Titus Lyuyus,
Callid decemvir of dyuers cronycleres;
Among[es] which ther was on Appius,
A iuge ontrewe, proud and luxurious,
Which thoruh the cite, the story berth witnesse,
Behatid was for his gret falsnesse.

And onys it fill, as he caste his look
Vpon a maide most inli fair off siht,
A fals desir withynne his herte he took
Hir to disuse, ageyn al skele and riht.
And she was douhter to a worthi knyht,
Ful manli founde in his deedis all,
And Virginius the Romeyns dede hym call.

Whos goodli douhter, the story doth us lere,
Was afftir hym for his noble fame
Virginia callid, most goodli & enteere;
And for this cause she bar the same name.
But Appius ful gretli was to blame,
Which hath conspired thoruh his gret falsnesse,
Yiff that he myhte hir beute to oppresse.

This iuge ontrewe bothe in thouht and deede,
Off lawe onrihtful souhte out occasioun;
Made a sergeant off his to proceede,
Ageyn this maide to take an accioun,
Cleymed hir his seruant bi fals collusioun.
And this was doon be Appius off entent
That he on hir myht yiue a iugement.

238

And be this mene, in his fals delit,
Thouhte he myhte hir beute best disuse,
So for taccomplisshe his flesshli appetit,
She beyng feeble thaccioun to refuse.
Wherupon hir fader gan to muse,
Fulli conceyued off Appius the maner,
In hir diffence wrouhte as ye shal heer.

Whan Appius hadde youe his iugement
Ageyn this maide, which aforn hym stood,
Hir manli fadir, most knyhtli off entent,
Took hir appart, as he thouhte it good,
And with a knyff shadde hir herte blood:
Dempte it bettre to slen hir in clennesse,
Than the tirant hir beute sholde oppresse.

Thus hool conserued was hir chastite
And ondefoulid was hir maydenheede;
For Virginius to keepe hir honeste
Spared no thyng to make hir sides bleede.
But Appius for this horible deede,
And decemvir, thoruh this onhappi chaunce,
Hadde in that cite neuer afftir gouernaunce.

As the story maketh also mencioun,
Appius, ashamed off this deede,
Slouh hymsilff[e] fetrid in prisoun:
Off a fals iuge, loo heer the fynal meede!
And tho tribuni in Rome gan succeede,
Twen riht & wrong treuli to discerne,
And Romayn lawes iustli to gouerne.

Men may heer seen as in a merour cleer,
Estatis chaungid for ther gret offencis;
And be sum poore persone synguleer
Pryncis put doun from ther magnyficencis,
Which nat considre in ther gret excellencis,
How God ordeyneth his yerde [in] sundri wise,
The poore sumwhile the pompous to chastise.

239

Heeron to shewe exaumple anon riht,
Markid in story for a notable thyng,
Pausanias, off Grece a manli knyht,
Off Macedonye slouh Phelipp the kyng
At a table where he was sittyng
Tween Alisandre and Olimpiades,
His wrong tauengen, amyddis al the pres.

Eek Salmator, a knyht off low degre,
For wronges doon in especiall,
Off manli force groundid on equite
Slouh off Cartage the prynce Hastruball,
Which brother was onto Duc Hanyball,
Beside a ryuer, as thei mette in bataile,
Callid Metaure, which renneth in Ytaile.

Wherfore, ye Pryncis, yiff ye list longe endure,
Beth riht weel war, be ye neuer so strong,
In your lordshepis nat to moche assure
Off surquedie the poraile to do wrong,
In your discrecioun conceyuyng euer a-mong,
Grettest dreed is, that may your staat assaile,
Whan subieccioun doth in the peeple faile.

Lenvoy.

This tragedie declareth in partie,
What myscheef folweth of extorsioun,
Eek off spousbrech and of auoutrie
Be Tarquyn doon thoruh fals oppressioun
Onto Lucrece withynne Rome toun;
Kynges exiled for such mysgouernaile
And fals outrages doon to the poraile.

Eek Appius, off wilful tirannye,
Ageyn Virginia took an accioun,
Thoruh a fals lust off froward lecherie,
Blent and fordirked his memorie & resoun,
Which was cheeff cause and occasioun
Whi thestat off dishomme dede faile,
Thoruh fals outrages doon to the poraile.

240

Kyng Phelipp loste sceptre and regalie
Off Macedonye the famous regeoun,
Onwarli slay[e]n, myd his cheualrie
Sittyng at mete withynne his cheeff dongoun.
And grettest cause off his fallyng doun,
Was whan Fortune his pride dede assaile
For fals outrages doon to the poraile.

Duk Hastrubal, whom bokis magnefie
Vp to the heuene for his hih renoun,
Whos tryumphes rauht up to the skie,
And hadde al Cartage in his subieccioun,—
Yit was he slayn onwarli be tresoun,
Be a seruant; loo, what doth disauaile
Treson purposid aforn in the poraile!

Noble Pryncis, your resoun doth applie,
Whiche ouer the peeple ha[ue] dominacioun,
So prudentli to gouerne hem and guie,
That loue and dreed be trewe affeccioun
Preserue ther hertis from fals rebellioun,
Sithe to your hihnesse nothyng may mor preuaile
Than trewe subieccioun expert in the poraile.

[How Ieroboam Kyng of Israel for Idolatrie and disobedience cam to mischeues ende.]

Next these stories, in Bochas as I fynde,
Ther dede appeere onto his presence
Kynges sexe, hym praieng to ha[ue] mynde
Vpon ther fall be onwar violence
From ther estatis off roial excellence.
And toforn alle, I fynde, that ther cam
Off al Israel kyng Ieroboam.

Onto myn auctour he began declare
His dedli compleynt with a pale face,
His gret myscheuys and his euel fare,
And how he fill doun from his kyngli place
Thoruh gret onhappis, which dede his herte enbrace,

241

And, as this story pleynli hath deuysed,
For his offencis how he was chastised.

An ydolatre he was, as it is told,
Reised up auteres, off veray force & myht,
Set therupon too calueren of peur gold,
Dede hem worshepe, ageyn al skele & riht,
Gaff euel exaumple in the peeplis siht,
Whan he dede with fumys and encens
To fals ydoles ondeu reuerens.

Fro the temple he made the peeple gon,
Preestis ordeyned afftir his owne guise,
Forsook the tribe off Leuy and Aaron,
And vpon Bethel his offryng gan deuise.
And whil he dede onleefful sacrefise,
God, that weel knew off hym the fals entent,
Fro Ierusalem a prophete to hym sent.

Which hym rebuked off his mysgouernaunce,
And gan the pereiles to hym specefie;
Told hym aforn[e], for to do vengaunce
Off Dauid[s] kyn ther sholde come on Iosie,
Which sholde his preestis, that falsli coude lie,
Manli destroie, and slen hem alle attonys
And into asshes brenne hem flessh and bonys.

And in tokne off ther destruccioun,
The prophete told among hem all,
How his auteris sholde bowe doun,
And his ydoles from ther stage fall,
Whom that foolis ther goddis falsli call,
Which ha[ue] no power to helpe in no manere,
For thei may nouther feele, see nor heere.

Afftir this prophete, Iadan, hadde told
These said[e] signes pleynli to the kyng,
His auter fill on pecis manyfold,

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And ouerturned bakward his offryng;
For which the kyng, furiousli lokyng,
Put foorth his hand, the story maketh mynde,
Bad his men the prophete take and bynde.

And as he his arm rauht out on lengthe,
Hadde no power it to withdrawe ageyn,
Wex onweeldi, contract and lost his strengthe.
And whan the kyng hath these toknys seyn,
And how the prophete spak no woord in veyn,
Gretli astonyd, koude sey no more,
But prai[e]de Iadan his arm for to restore.

And be his praier and mediacioun,
Off his arm, afftir this vengaunce,
Ther was anon maad restitucioun,
And off his peyne feelith alegaunce.
For which the kyng, with ful gret instaunce,
Requered hym to be so gracious,
That day tabide and dynen in his hous.

But the prophete wolde nat assente,
Nouther with hym to ete nor to drynke;
Took his asse, and foorth anon he wente,
On whose departyng the kyng gan sore thynke,
And fantasies gan in his herte synke,
Speciali whan he taketh heede
Off all his toknys, how thei were trewe in deede.

God bad Iadan in this gret emprise
To Ieroboam first whan he was sent,
Ete nor drynke, in no maner wise,
In that cite whil he was present;
But a-nother prophete off entent,
Ful old and slyh, on the tother side,
Compellid hath this Iadan to abide.

Hym afforcyng be fals collusioun
To resorte ageyn to the cite,
And to make no contradiccioun
With hym to dyne off fraternyte,
To hym affermyng, it may non other be:

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For God sent hym as to his freend and brother,
Tabide with hym & pleynli with non other,

Off freendliheed and trewe affeccioun
Withynne his hous to shewen his presence,
For a repast and a refeccioun:
This Godis will and fulli his sentence.
To whos woordis the prophete gaff credence.
And as thei sat at dyner bothe ifeere,
God onto Iadan seide in this manere:

“For the brekyng off my comaundement,
Thi grete offence and transgressioun,
That thou hast been so wilful necligent,
Thou shalt endure this punycioun,
Been al to-torn and rent off a leoun,
And in thi cuntre thou shalt nat recure,
With prophetis to haue thi sepulture.”

Off which[e] tithyng, this Iadan nothyng fayn,
Gan to departe with a ful heuy thouht:
Off a leoun myd off the weye slayn;
But his asse harmyd was riht nouht.
A ful gret merueile, yiff it be weel souht,
The leoun sittynge as in ther diffence,
And kept hem bothe from al violence.

Alle these toknys myht[e] nat conuerte
Ieroboam from his iniquite;
Godis warnyng hym list nat to aduerte,
Nor be his prophete correctid for to be.
Wherfore, God wolde that he sholde see
Vengaunce folwe, as it fill in deede,
Bothe vpon hym and [on] his kynreede.

A sone he hadde, which fill in gret siknesse,
Callid Abimen, the book doth specefie;
For which the kyng bad the queen hir dresse,
To gon disguised, withoute cumpanye,
Onto a prophete which callid was Achye,
Hym to requere, treuli for to seye
Whethir the child sholde lyue or deye.

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And in his inward sihte contemplatiff,
God shewed hym bi cleer inspeccioun,
Off Ieroboam how she was the wiff,
For al hir sleihti transformacioun.
For nouther fallas nor fals decepcioun
May be to God, but it be parceyued;
For he nys prophetis may nat be deceyued.

She cam to hym in a straunge weede;
At thentryng he callid hir bi hir name:
“Com foorth,” quod he, “for it is no neede
To hide thi-silff[e], as it were for shame;
For the trouthe treuli to attame,
God hath youe me fulli knowlechyng
What thou shalt answere & seyn onto the kyng.

Sey pleynli to hym, & marke it in thi thouht,
In thi repair these woordis rehersyng,
‘Sith God hath maad the, & reised the up off nouht,
From a seruaunt to regnen as a kyng,
Fro Dauidis kyn, most worthi[ly] regnyng,
Partid the kyngdam & youen it onto the,
And thou onkynde theroff canst nothyng see,—

His grete goodnesse is out off remembraunce,
Fulli forgetyn off thi froward pride;
In fals[e] goddis put thyn affiaunce,
God aboue falsli set a-side,
Wherfore from the anon he shal deuyde
Thy kyngdam hool, withoute mor delay,
And fro thi lyne the crowne take away.

And for thou hast to thi confusioun
Thi feith, onfeithful, to false goddis take,
Wrongli refused thi relegeoun
Off God aboue, & pleynli hym forsake,
This thende which that thou shalt make:
The and thi kyn no man may socoure;
Flessh, skyn and bon houndis shal deuoure.

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And at thentryng hom to thi cite,
Thi sone and his, thou shalt fynde hym ded,
Off al his kyn thouh ther was non but he
Founde veray good[e]; tak heeroff good heed.’”
Off which answere the queen fill in gret dreed,
Entryng the cite in especiall,
Hir child was ded, & lay cold be the wall.

Off this warnyng the kyng took non heed,
But made hym redi with ful gret apparaile,—
Fourti thousand with hym he dede leed
Off manli men armed in plate & maile,
With kyng Abias to haue a gret bataile.
The which Abias, that was off Iuda kyng,
Onto his peeple saide at ther meetyng:

“O noble knyhtis, hath o thyng in memorie,
No man venquysshith, platli to conclude,
With gret peeple, nor getith hym victorie
With noumbres hepid nor gret multitude;
Fals ydolatres, God will hem dillude,
Nat suffre his seruauntis that be trewe & sad
Off mescreantis to been ouerlad.

Tryumphe is non founde off newe or old
In these ydoles off ston nor siluer sheene,
Nor in caluere off metal maad or gold,
Youe to that parti which ontreuli meene.
And sithe that God knoweth our quarel cleene,
Ther is non hope, force non nor myht
With hem that grounde hem a cause ageyn[e]s ryht.

Hope off victorie stant on rihtwisnesse,
Off them that caste ther synful liff tamende,
And list forsake wrong and al falsnesse,
And with hool herte onto the Lord entende;
Which shal this day his grace to you sende,

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Our trewe cause iustly to termyne.”
And thus Abias gan his tale fyne.

His preestis gan ther trumpes for to blowe;
And kyng Abias thoruh his hih renoun
Gaff to his peeple, bothe to hih & lowe,
Ful manli confort and consolacioun.
And fifti thousand be computacioun
Wer slayn that day, which ful proudli cam
Vpon the parti off kyng Ieroboam.

And al the parti off Ieroboam,
And al that wer[e]n off his lyne born,
Afftir this bataile onto myscheeff cam,
Whan thei were slayn, with houndis al to-torn,
As the prophete hadde hem told beforn.
But for the kyng took theroff non heed,
With sodeyn vengaunce God quit hym his meed.

[How Zareas Kyng of Ethiope was slayn in bataile.]

Afftir hym to Bochas dede appeere,
Next in ordre pleynli, as I fynde,
On Zareas, with a sorweful cheere.
And he was kyng off Ethiope and Ynde,
Whos eyen wern almost with wepyng blynde,
Praieng myn auctour, his onhappi chaunce
With othre woful to putte in remembraunce,

And that he wolde recorden be scripture
His sodeyn fall and dolorous distresse,
And his diffamous hatful disconfiture,
With the dispoilyng off his gret richesse,
And how kyng Asaph, thoruh his hih noblesse,
Myd his peeple, as he dede hym assaile,
Hath hym venquysshid & slay[e]n in bataile.

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[How Adab kyng of Ierusalem lost sceptre & crowne.]

Off Israel than cam the woful kyng
Callid Adab, ful pitousli wepyng,
Onto Bochas his compleynt rehersyng,
How kyng Basa, be subtil fals werkyng,
With sodeyn slauhtre caused his fallyng,
Whan Fortune gan falsli [on hym] frowne,
And took oniustli from hym sceptre & crowne.

[How the vengeable prince Zambrias set a toure on fire and brent himsilf.]

Next cam Zambrias, a prince [ful] vengable,
Which slouh kyng Helam be fals tresoun,
That fond also Fortune ful onstable;
For this Zambrias off entencioun
Hath moordrid hym withynne the cheeff dongoun
Off his castell, with a ful gret[e] route,
As he onwarli laide a siege aboute.

But Amaryn, a prynce off ful gret myht,
Cam into Tharse, a famous strong cite,
And cast hym pleynli, lik a worthi knyht,
On this Zambrias auenged for to be,
Hym to destroie withoute merci or pite.
But into a tour as Zambrias wente,
Set it affire, and so hymsilff he brente.

[Off Kyng Achab & Iezabel his wiff.]

Wyth sihhes sore & wepyng inportable,
Cam kyng Achab onto Iohn Bochas,
Whos hertli sorwe was incomparable.
And, compleynyng, ful offte [he] seide, alas!
Besechyng hym to write his woful cas,

248

Compile his fallyng and the fate ifeere
Off Athalia his owne douhter deere.

To God aboue most contrarious
This Achab was in al his gouernaunce,
And hadde a wiff cruel and lecherous
Callid Iezabel, which set al hir plesaunce
On Godis prophetis for to do vengaunce:
In the Bible ther malice men may see,
And ydolatres thei were, bothe he and she.

God for ther trespacis, as it was weel seyn,
Afforshewed be trewe prophesie,
Sente thre yeer nouther deuh nor reyn
Vpon the erthe ther greyn to multeplie;
Till efft ageyn, bi praier off Helie,
Holsum watres from heuene gan descende,
Which gaff hem cause ther cursid liff tamende.

But his wiff, that cursid Iezabel,
To ech thyng hatful which that was dyuyne,
An hundred prophetis she slouh in Israel,
Onto Baal for thei ne wolde enclyne;
And she also slouh Naboth for his vyne,
Thoruh whos outrage & fals oppressioun
Achab was brouht to his confusioun.

Off his enmyes outraied in bataile,
With a sharp arwe cauht his fatal wounde,
Till al his blood be bledyng dede raile
Aboute his chaar, with many dropis rounde;
That the woordis wer ful trewe founde
Off Helias, which told hym, as it stood,
That hungri houndis sholde likke his blood.

In a cite, than callid Iezrael,
Doun from a tour ioynyng to the wall,
The said[e] queen, callid Iezabel,
Was ouercast & hadde a dedli fall.
Touchyng these myscheuys, for she was cause of all,

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Bewar ye Pryncis, remembryng al your lyues,
Teschewen fals counsail youen by your wyues.

[Off queene Gatholia for hir tyrannye slayn.]

Next to Achab in ordre dede sue
Gatholia, with doolful contenaunce
Bochas besechyng, as she thouht it due,
Hir sodeyn fall to putte in remembraunce,
Sours and cheff roote off sorwe and myschaunce,
Vsurpacioun and off fals couetise,
Lik as hir story heeraftir shal deuise.

She was vpreised be fauour in thre thynges;
For fader, brother, and also hir husbonde
Wer in that tyme echon crownyd kynges,
With sceptre and suerd, as ye shal vndirstonde,
Many emprises ther daies took on honde;
And how Fortune ther hihnesse dede assaile,
I caste shortli to make rehersaile.

She fill off Fortune in thunhappi boundis,
First whan hir fader was with an arwe ded,
His blood vplikked with cruel hungri houndis,
A-boute his chaar[e] rennyng doun ful red.
His bodi pale lay, who that took heed,
Lik a careyn, naked and dispoiled,
With foul blak erthe myd the feeld isoiled.

Cause of a-nother onhappi heuynesse
And off hir dedli desolacioun,
Was, the peeple felli dede hem dresse
Off Arabie in ther rebellioun
Ageyn hir husbonde, off entencioun
To robbe his tresour to ther auauntage,
And his richesse be outraious pillage.

250

Summe off his meyne thei puttyn in prisoun—
Ther was ageyn hem maked no diffence,—
Spared nouther cite, boruh nor toun,
Slouh man and child be sturdi violence.
Hir lord infect with sodeyn pestilence,
Conceyued fulli bi his maladie,
There was no geyn but he muste [nedis] deie.

Afftir his deth, most wrechchid and odible,
His body corupt, his bowelis fell doun;
Off his careyn the stench was so horible,
Their infect aboute hym enviroun
With so gret horrour and putrefaccioun,
That no man myhte abiden nor endure
To brynge his bodi onto sepulture.

Hir thridde onhapp, wheroff she was ful fayn
That Fortune list hir efft assaile,
Made hir vncle, kyng Ioram, to be slayn
With an arwe, as he fledde in bataile.
She supposyng it gretli sholde auaile,
Lik a woman most furious and wood,
She off kyng Dauid slouh al the roial blood.

Hir purpos was to gouerne al the rewm,
Alone hirsilff ta dominacioun,
To regne in Iuda and Ierusalem,
This Gatholia be vsurpacioun.
And for that cause in hir entencioun,
With mortal suerd she made all tho to fyne
That were descendid from Dauid doun be lyne.

Except on Ioas ther leffte non alyue,
Child off a yeer, sone off kyng Ochosie,
Whom Iosaketh, the story doth descryue,
Off verai pite cauhte a fantasie
The child to saue, that he shal nat deie,
From the malice off Gatholia.
And she was wiff to bisshop Ioiada.

251

She and this bisshop, with hool herte & enteer,
Kepte this child in ful secre wise
Withynne the temple the space off seuene yeer,
And in the seuente, the story doth deuise,
Ioiada took on hym this emprise:
Yonge Ioas withynne a certeyn day
Be iust[e] title to crowne hym yiff he may.

His massageris he sendith out anon,
Off pryncis, tribunes gan a counseil call,
Off preestis eek, and leuytes euerichon.
And whan he hadde discured to hem all
Hool his entent, thus it is befall:
Sworn and assentid, as it was sittyng,
That yonge Ioas shal be crownyd kyng.

“For be promys, which that is dyuyne,”
Quod Ioiada, “yiff ye taken heede,
God hath behestid to Dauid and his lyne,
And assurid onto his kynreede,
In Ierusalem how thei shal succeede;
And thouh Ioas be yong & tendre off myht,
He to the crowne hath neuer-the-lesse ryht.

In this mateer I wil nat that ye slepe,
But to shewe your trewe deligence,
On foure parties the temple for to keepe,
That no man entre be no violence;
And in the myddis, be roial excellence,”
Quod this bisshop, “no man shal us lette,
On Ioas hed a crowne for to sette.”

And whan ech thyng was brouht onto the poynt,
His hih estat tencrece and magnefie,
The peeple anon, whan he was enoynt,
“Viuat rex!” thei began to crie.
And whan Gatholia gan this thyng espie,
For veray ire and the sodeyn wonder,
Off malencoli hir clothes kitte assonder.

Ran to the temple and gan make affray
With hir meyne, and to crie loude,
Bad hem go slen, and make no delay,

252

The yonge kyng, in al the haste thei coude:
Hir venym hid vnder a couert cloude,
Al attonys hir purpos to recure,
Be sodeyn malice she gan that day discure.

The temple kept, entre had she non,
Peeple ordeyned awaityng for the nonys;
And or she myhte any ferthere gon,
Clenli armed, the centurionys
The cruel queen assailed al attonys.
And off hir malice to writen a short tale,
Thei slouh hir afftir off Cedron in the vale.

Loo, heer the eende off moordre and tirannye;
Loo, heer the eende off vsurpacioun;
Loo, heer the eende off fals conspiracye;
Loo, heer the eende off fals presumpcioun!
Born rihtful heires, wrongli to put hem doun.
O noble Pryncis, thouh God hath maad you strong,
To rihtful heires be war ye do no wrong!

Lenvoye.

These tragedies testatis & degrees,
Fulli declareth the decepciouns
Off Fortunys fals mutabilitees
Shewed in provyncis, citees and eek touns.
Pryncis onwarli lost ther posessiouns,
Which from ther synnes, in no maner wise,—
Hadde off God warnyng, and list nat for to rise.

Mihti kynges cast doun from ther sees,
Loste ther lyues and ther regeouns,
Onwarli throwe from ther felicitees:
Ieroboam for his oppressiouns
And for his froward fals oblaciouns
Doon to ydoles, his story doth deuise,
Had off God warnyng, & list nat for to rise.

253

Achab also hadde gret aduersitees
Thoruh fals counsail and exortaciouns
Off Iezabel, roote off iniquitees;
Dede to his peeple gret extorsiouns:
She slouh prophetis, Godis champiouns.
Bothe he and she, most cursid in ther guise,
Had off God warnyng, & list nat for to rise.

Gathalia with hir duplicitees
And conspired fals intrusiouns
Slouh Dauides seed, tentre ther dignitees,
And to possede ther domynaciouns;
But for hir hatful fals collusiouns
Onwarly slayn, for hir gret couetise,
Had off God warnyng, & list nat for to rise.

Pryncis remembreth in your prosperitees,
And seeth aforn in your discreciouns,
Wrong clymbyng up of statis or degrees,
Outher be moordre or be fals tresouns,
Axeth a fall for ther fynal guerdouns;
Namli off them that the Lord despise,
And for his warnyng list nat for to rise.

[How Dido queen of Cartage slouh hirsilf for conseruacion of hir chastite.]

Now must I putte my reud[e] stile in pres,
To queen Dido make my passage:
Hir lord Siche was preest to Hercules,
Hir fadir Belus, falle into gret age,
Kyng off Tire, and she queen off Cartage.
And it is rad in bookis that be trewe,
How first in Tire was founde purpil hewe.

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Cadmus fond first lettres for to write,
Gaff hem to Grekis, as maad is mencioun,
Whos brother Fenix, as clerkis eek endite,
Fond first the colour off vermelioun.
And off Cartage, the famous myhti toun,
This said[e] Dido, hir story doth expresse,
How she was bothe queen and founderesse;

But hir husbonde was cheeff lord and sire,
Callid Sicheus, ful famous off renoun,
Off this noble cite named Tire,
Hadde gret tresour & gret possessioun.
And for envie kyng Pigmalioun,
Brother to Dido, this Siche slouh in deede,
Off fals entent his richesse to posseede.

Dido this slauhtre took greuousli at herte,
Sore compleynyng this onhappi chaunce,
Caste she wolde, yiff she myhte asterte,
Fleen out off Tire and hirsilff auaunce,
With al the tresour and the habundaunce
Behynde lefft whan hir lord was ded,
Hir shippis entryng, went away for dreed.

She knew & dradde the gredi auarice
Off hir brother, kyng Pigmalioun,
And how that hatful onstaunchable vice
Was ground and roote & cheeff occasioun
Whi that hir lord was slay[e]n in that toun.
For whom ful offte she cried welaway,
Whos deth was cause whi she fledde away.

She hadde also this opynyoun,
Which caused most hir hertli heuynesse,
That sithe hir brothir, kyng Pigmalioun,
Hadde slyan hir lord for his gret richesse,
Yiff she abod, that he wolde hym dresse,
Parcel for malice, parcel for couetise,
To haue hir tresour sum tresoun to practise.

255

And for teschewe his malice and tresoun,
For hir nauye she maketh ordenaunce
Bauys off them, in whom, as be resoun,
She sholde off riht sette hir affiaunce.
And thei ful redy hir to do plesaunce,
Be on assent, for nothyng wolde faile,
With faire Dido out off that lond to saile.

In Cipre first was hir arryuaile;
And ther she fond[e] be a ryuer side,
Off yong[e] maidnes, with ful riche apparaile,
Sexti and ten in the same tide,
Which in the temple off Venus dede abide,
Afftir the custom, as I can reporte,
Off Cipriens straungeris to disporte.

And in ther moste feithful humble wise,
Afftir the rihtis off Cipre the cuntre,
Onto Venus ech day do sacrefise,
Them to conserue in ther virgenyte,
Duryng ther liff to lyue in chastite,
Neuer to been ioyned in mariage;
And with queen Dido thei went to Cartage.

In ther passage fill a gret meracle,
As Seruyus maketh mencioun;
For Dido took off Iuno this oracle,
Outher baperyng or bi auisioun,
Off Cartage to beelde that myhti toun.
And at reuerence off that gret goddesse,
She to tho parties faste gan hir dresse,

The said[e] cite statli for to founde.
And hir werkmen, as thei therthe souhte,
An oxes hed off auenture thei founde;
And to queen Dido anon the hed thei brouhte,
Menyng wheroff to serchyn out she thouhte.
And hir clerkis in ther dyuynaile,
Tolde it was tokne off seruage & trauaile.

256

For which she leffte to beeldyn [in] that place,
And gan remeue, as she ouhte off riht;
And fro then[ne]s but a litil space
A soil she fond ful delectable off siht;
And as hir werkmen with ther ful[le] myht
The ground gan serche, anon, or thei took heed,
The stori tellith, thei fond an horsis hed.

And bi expownyng off hir dyuynours,
Fond [that] this beeste gretli myhte auaile
Onto pryncis & myhti conquerours,
Necessarie in werre and in bataile.
And for no wiht hir noblesse sholde assaile,
Cartage she bilte, off so gret excellence,
Geyn all enmyes to stonden at diffence.

Summe bookis declare and specefie,
Dido dede as moche lond purchace
As a skyn in round myhte ocupie
Off an oxe, theron to beelde a place;
The ground cumpasid took a large space,
Which strongli bilt, thus it is befall,
Afftir the skyn men dede it Birsa call.

And whan this cite myhtili was wallid,
Afftir a skyn, wrouht be good curray,
The name take, Carta it was callid,—
Lethir off Birsa, pleynli this no nay,
Took eek his name duryng many a day,—
Carta and Birsa knet in ther language,
As moch to seyne as this woord Cartage.

And in Affrik stant the teritorie
Wher she bilte this cite delectable,
Founded it in laude and in memorie
Off myhti Iuno, the goddesse honourable,
The cite wallid, with tour[e]s strong & stable,

257

Tyme off kyng Dauid myd the fourte age,
As I seide erst, callid it Cartage.

With gret worshepe she regned in that toun,
Euer off purpos to lyue in chastite;
And round aboute floured the renoun
Off hir prudence and hir honeste.
Til the report off hir famous beute
Cam to the eris, which gladli wil nat hide,
Off a kyng that duellid ther beside.

Off Musitan[e]s he was lord and sire,
As poetis pleynli list descryue,
Which in his herte gretli gan desire
The queen Dido bi hir assent to wyue,
Onto hir grace yiff he myhte aryue.
But for she hadde auowed chastite,
She neuer caste maried for to be.

The kyng supprised with loue in his corage
For hir wisdam and hir gret beute,
Sent[e] for the pryncis off Cartage,
On this mater to han a gret trete,
To condescende, yiff it myhte be,
Lich his desir, in al ther beste entent,
Doon ther deuer to make hir to consent.

With his request he gan hem eek manace,
Yiff he failed off his entencioun,
Lik his desir to stonden in hir grace,
Saide he wolde been enmy to ther toun,
Tordeyne be force for ther destruccioun.
Nat fulli sobre, nor fulli in a rage,
This was to hem pleynli his language.

But for thei knew hir gret[e] stedfastnesse,
And hir herte veray inmutable,
Thei were affer[e]d any woord texpresse,
Lest ther answere wer nat acceptable
To his hihnesse, for he was nat tretable.
Eek in ther conceit thei gan also recorde,
To his desir the queen wold nat accorde.

258

With good auys an answere thei purueie
To his purpos in parti fauorable,
Afferd he wolde ther noble toun werreie,
Or off disdeyn vpon hem be vengable.
But queen Dido, in hir entent ay stable,
Caste she wolde, what-euer thei hir tolde,
Hir chast auow feithfulli to holde.

She set a-side off this cruel kyng
His fell manacis & his woordis grete;
And to hir pryncis for ther consentyng,
Which stood in feer off that he dede hem threte,
She onto hem gaff a maner hete,
For thei wer bold tattempten or tattame
To trete off mater reboundyng to hir shame.

“Nay, rather deie,” quod she, “than tassente
To his desirs, which thyng God forbeede,
Or fro the centre off my chast entente
For to remeue, outher in thouht or deede,—
Which were disclaundre to al womanheede,
To condescende for any manacyng
To breke my vow for plesaunce off a kyng.

Touchyng manacis maad to this cite,
For to destroie it with his gret[e] myht,
Withoute cause or title off equite
To grounden hym a quarell ageyn riht,
Onli for he is blyndid in his siht
With froward lust my chast auow tassaile,
Beth riht weel seur how he theroff shal faile.

Yiff ye wer bold and manli off corage,
For comoun profit your cite to defende,
And to withstonde his vicious outrage,
To trete with hym ye wold nat condescende.
But myn entent, platli to comprehende,
Wher it to you be ioie or displesaunce,
In my promys shal be no variaunce.

259

My lord Sicheus, the which, alas, is ded
Onto the world[e], who[-so] list aduerte;
Trustith riht weel, for manacyng nor dreed,
That he shal neuer deien in myn herte,
Nor ye shal neuer myn auow peruerte,
Thus auysed, whil that I stonde fre,
Queen off Cartage to gouerne this cite.

Myn hasti answere, I pray you nat disdeyne,
But that ye list to gyue me liberte,
With your support that I may atteyne
To haue a space graunted onto me:
This to meene, the space off monthes thre,
Mi lordis will taccomplissh off entent,
Which he whilom made in his testament.”

Vnder colour to hir auauntage
She took this space, bookis specefie,
That she myhte hir cite off Cartage
The mene while strongli fortefie
Ageyn hir enmyes, that for no slogardrie,
Off them that wolde hir hih estat confounde,
Onpurueied hir cite nat be founde.

Whan thre monthes passed were & gon,
She afftir wolde, for hir hertli plesaunce,
With sundri rihtes, many mo than on,
To all hir goddis doon sum obseruaunce,
For a special synguler remembraunce
Off hym that was, as folk shal vnderstonde,
Whilom hir lord & best beloued husbonde.

And mor texalte his glorie & his honour,
Heeld his exequies, be due reuerence,
Off al Cartage in the hiest tour,
With brennyng fir, fumys and encence,
Hir pryncis all beyng in presence;
To which she gan declare in compleynyng,
Hir dedli sorwe, doun from hir tour lokyng.

260

“Farweel my freendis, farweel for euermore!
Onto my lord myn husbonde I mut gon,
To hym, I meene, that was my lord off yore:
For off husbondis, God wot, I ha[ue] but on;
Praieng you to reporte euerichon
Afftir my deth, [how] Dido off Cartage
I-ioyned was but onys in mariage.

Seith to the kyng, which hath you manacid,
Mi chast[e] beute that he wolde assaile,—
Go, tellith hym how that I am pacid,
And off his purpos how that he shal faile.
His manacyng shal hym nat auaile.
And seith how Dido deied for the nonys,
For she nat wolde be weddid mor than onys.

Leuere I haue my liff as now to lese,
Rathere than soile my widwes chastite.
Lat hym go ferthere, sum other for to chese;
For in such cas he shal nat speede off me.
And with the tresour off myn honeste,
Which I ha[ue] treuli obserued al my lyue,
I will departe out off this world now blyue.”

And into fir, that brente cleer and briht,
She ran in haste, there is no mor to seyne,
Sauff with a knyff in euery manys siht
Ful sodenli she roff hir herte on tweyne.
Whos pitous deth the cite gan compleyne,
Sore wepyng for wonder and for routhe,
In a woman to fynde so gret a trouthe.

Afftir hir deth thei dede ther besynesse
To holde and halwe a feste funerall;
Worsheped hir lik a chast goddesse,
And hir comendyn[g] in especiall
To heuenli goddis, & goddis infernall.
And widwes all[e], in ther clothes blake,
At this feste weptyn for hir sake.

261

Touchyng Dido lat ther be no striff:
Thouh that she be accusid off Ouide,
Afftir Bochas I wrot hir chast[e] liff,
And the contrary I ha[ue] set a-side;
For me thouhte it was bet tabide
On hir goodnesse, than thyng reherse in deede,
Which myhte resowne ageyn hir womanheede.

To Eneas thouh she was fauourable,
To Ytaile makyng his passage,
Al that she dede, [it] was comendable,
Hym to receyue comyng be Cartage;
Thouh sum folk wern large off ther language,
Amysse texpowne be report, or texpresse
Thyng doon to hym onli off gentilesse.

Ther shal for me be maad no rehersaile
But as I fynde wretyn in Bochas;
For to sey weel may moch[e] more auaile
Than froward speche, in many dyuers cas.
But al Cartage offte seide alas,
Hir deth compleynyng thoruhout ther cite,
Which slouh hirselff tobserue hir chastite.

[Lenvoy.]

O fair[e] Dido, most stable in thi constaunce,
Queen of Cartage, merour off hih noblesse,
Regnyng in glorie & vertuous habundaunce,
Callid in thi tyme cheeff sours off gentilesse,
In whom was neuer founde doubilnesse,
Ay off on herte; and so thou dedest fyne,
With liht off trouthe alle widwes tenlumyne.

Chast and onchaungid in thi perseueraunce,
And inmutable founde in thi goodnesse,
Which neuer thouhtest vpon variaunce,
Force and prudence wardeyns off thi fairnesse,
I ha[ue] no language thi vertues to expresse,
Be newe report so cleerli thei [do] shyne;
With liht off trouthe alle widwes tenlumyne.

262

O lode-sterre off al good gouernaunce,
All vicious lustis be wisdam to represse;
Thi grene youth flouryng with al plesaunce,
Thou di[d]st it bridle with vertuous sobirnesse.
Diane demened so chastli thi clennesse,
Whil thou wer soul[e], pleynli to termyne,
With liht off trouthe alle widwes tenlumyne.

Thi famous bounte to put in remembraunce,
Thou slouh thiselff off innocent peurnesse,
Lest thi seurnesse wer hangid in ballaunce,
Off such as cast them thi chastite toppresse—
Deth was inouh to bere theroff witnesse—
Causyng thi beute to al clennesse tenclyne,
With liht off vertu alle widwes tenlumyne.

Lenvoye direct to wydowis of the translatour.

Noble matrones, which han al suffisaunce
Off womanhed, your wittis doth vp dresse,
How that Fortune list to turne hir chaunce,
Beth nat to rakell off sodeyn hastynesse,
But ay prouideth in your stabilnesse,
That no such foly entre your corage
To folwe Dido, that was queen off Cartage.

With hir maneris hath non aqueyntaunce,
Put out off mynde such foltissh wilfulnesse:
To slen yoursilff[e] wer a gret penaunce!
God off his grace defende you and blesse,
And preserue your variant brotilnesse,
That your trouthe falle in non outrage,
To folwe Dido, that was queen off Cartage!

With couert colour and sobre contenaunce,
Off feithful menyng pretendith a liknesse,
Countirfetith in speche and daliaunce
Alle thynge that sowneth unto stedfastnesse;

263

Off prudence be gret auisenesse
Yoursilff restreyneth, yong & old off age,
To folwe Dido, that was queen off Cartage.

Lat al your port be void off displesaunce;
To gete freendis doth your besynesse,
And beth neuer withoute purueiaunce:
So shal ye best encresen in richesse,—
In on alone may be no sekirnesse;
To your herte beth dyuers off language,
Contraire to Dido, that was queen off Cartage.

Hold your seruauntis vnder obeisaunce,
Lat hem nouther ha[ue] fredam nor largesse,
But vnder daunger doon ther obseruaunce.
Dauntith ther pride, them bridlyng with lownesse,
And whan the serpent off newfangilnesse
Assailith you, doth your auauntage,—
Contraire to Dido, that was queen off Cartage.

[How vicious Sardanapalle kyng of Assirie brent himsilff and his tresour.]

Off Assirie to rekne kynges alle
Which hadde that lond vnder subieccioun,
Last off echon was Sardanapalle,
Most femynyne off condicioun,
Wherfore Fortune hath hym throwe doun:
And compleynyng, most ougli off maneere,
Next afftir Dido to Bochas dede appeere.

To vicious lust his liff he dede enclyne;
Mong Assiriens, whan he his regne gan,
Off fals vsage he was so femynyne,
That among women vppon the rokke he span,
In ther habite disguisid from a man.
And off froward flesshli insolence,
Off alle men he fledde the presence.

First this kyng ches to been his guide
Moodir off vices, callid idilnesse,
Which off custum ech vertu set aside

264

In ech acourt wher she is maistresse.
Off sorwe & myscheeff the firste founderesse,
Which causid onli this Sardanapall,
That to al goodnesse his wittis dede appall.

He fond up first ryot and drunk[e]nesse,
Callid a fadir off lust and lecherie;
Hatful off herte he was to sobirnesse,
Cherishyng surfetis, wach and glotonye,
Callid in his tyme a prynce off baudrie,
Fond rere soperis and fether beddis soffte,
Drynke late, and chaunge his wynes offte.

The air off metis and off baudi cookis,
Which off custum alday roste and seede,
Sauour off spetis, ladlis & flesshhookis
He loued weel, and took off hem gret heede.
And folk that drank[e] mor than it was neede,
Smellyng off wyn for ther gret excesse,
With hem tabide was hooli his gladnesse.

He thouhte also that it dede hym good
To haue aboute hym, ageyn skele and riht,
Boistous bocheris, al bespreynt with blood,
And watry fissheris abood euer in his siht,
Ther kootis poudrid with scales siluer-briht:
Dempte ther odour, duryng al his liff,
Was to his corage best preseruatiff.

For ther nas herbe, spice, gras ne roote
To hym so lusti, as was the bordelhous,
Nor gardeyn non so holsum nor so soote
To his plesaunce nor so delicious,
As the presence off folkis lecherous;
And euer glad to speke off ribaudie,
And folk cherisshe that koude flatre & lie.

Til at the laste God off veray riht
Displesid was with his condiciouns,
Because he was in euery manys siht

265

So femynyne in his affecciouns,
And hooli gaff his inclynaciouns
Duryng his liff to eueri vicious thyng,
Terrible to heere, a[nd] namli off a kyng.

But, as Bochas list to putte in mynde,
Whan Arbachus, a prynce off gret renoun,
Sauh off this kyng the flesshli lustis blynde,
Made with the peeple off that regeoun
Ageyn[e]s hym a coniuracioun,
And to hym sente, for his mysgouernaunce,
Off hih disdeyn a ful pleyn diffiaunce.

Bad hym be war, & proudli to hym tolde,
That he hym caste his vicious liff tassaile,
And in al haste, also, that he wolde
Withynne a feeld[e] meete hym in bataile.
Wheroff astonyd, his herte gan to faile,
Wher among women he sat & made gaudes,
No wiht aboute but flatereres and baudes.

And vp he ros, & gan hymsilff auaunce,
No stuff aboute hym but sergauntis riotous;
Took the feeld withoute gouernaunce,
No men off armys but folkis vicious,
Whos aduersarie, callid Arbachus,
Made hym proudli the feeld to forsake,
That lik a coward his castell he hath take.

And for his herte frowardli gan faile,
Nat lik a knyht, but lik a losengour,
His riche perre, his roial apparaile,
His gold, his ieweles, vesseles & tresour
Was brouht aforn hym doun [out] off a tour,
Mid off his paleis, & gaff his men in charge
Off cole and fagot to make a fir ful large.

In which he caste his tresour and ieweles,
Mor bestial than lik a manli man;
And myd his riche stonys and vesseles,
Into the fir furiousli he ran.
This tryumphe Sardanapallus wan,
With fir consumyd for his fynal meede,
Brent al to asshes among the coles rede.

266

Toforn his deth[e] bad men sholde write
Vpon his graue, the book doth certefie,
With lettres large, this resoun for tendite:
“Mi cursid liff, my froward glotenye,
Myn idilnesse, myn hatful lecherye,
Han causid me, with many fals desir,
My laste daies to be consumpt with fir.”

This epitaffe on his graue he sette,
To shewe how he was in al his lyue
Besi euer to hyndren and to lette
Al maner vertu, & therageyn to stryue.
Who folweth his tras is neuer lik to thryue,
For which, ye Pryncis, seeth for your auail,
Vengaunce ay folweth vices at the tail.

A comendacion of Bochas of vertuous besines rehersing names fondours of diuers sciencis & cunnyngis in reprefe of Idilnes.

Ther wer eek other, þat list falsli prouide
Fals flesshli lustis & dissoluciouns,
Riot, outrage, froward disdeyn & pride,
Vices tenhaunce in ther affecciouns
With many onlefful croked condiciouns,
Resoun auoidyng, as I reherse shall,
Themsilff delityng for to be bestiall.

Tweyne maner folkis to putte in remembraunce,
Off vice and vertu, and sette a difference:
The goode alway han set ther plesaunce
In vertuous labour to doon ther deligence;
And vicious peeple in slouthe & necligence.
And the report off bothen is reserued,
With laude or lak, as thei han disserued.

Men muste off riht the vertuous preferre,
And treuli preise labour and besynesse;
And ageynward, dispreisen folk that erre,
Which ha[ue] no ioie but in idilnesse.
And to compare bamaner off witnesse,
Vertuous folk I will to mynde call
In rebukyng off kyng Sardanapall.

267

The olde wise, callid Pictagoras,
Be soun off hameris, auctours certefie,
Exaumple took[e], and cheeff maister was
That fond out first musik and melodie.
Yit off Tubal summe bookis specefie,
That he be strok of smethis where thei stood,
Fond first out musik tofor Noes flood.

And Iosephus remembreth be scripture,
That this Tubal koude forge weel,
First ymagyned makyng off armure
With instrumentis off iren and off steel,
And ther temprures he fond out euerideel.
Lucyus Tarquyn, in stori as I fynde,
Fond cheynes first, folk to fetryn & bynde.

The childre off Seth, in story ye mai see,
Flouryng in vertu be long successiouns,
For to profite to ther posterite,
Fond first the crafft off heuenli mociouns,
Off sondri sterris the reuoluciouns;
Bequath ther cunnyng, off gret auauntage,
To them that afftir cam off ther lynage.

For ther vertu God gaff hem gret cunnyng,
Touchyng natures bothe off erthe & heuene,
And it remembrid sothli be writyng,
To lasten ay for water or for leuene.
Generaciouns ther wer off hem seuene,
Which for vertu, withoute werre or striff,
Trauailed in cunnyng duryng al ther liff.

And for that Adam dede prophesie,
Twies the world destroied sholde be,
With water onys stonde in iupartie,
Next with fir, which no man myht[e] fle:
But Sethis childre, as thei dede see,
Made too peleris wher men myhte graue,
Fro fir & watir the carectis for to saue.

The ton was maad off tilis hard ibake,
Fro touch off fir to saue the scripture;
Off hard marbil thei dede a-nother make,
Ageyn[es] water strongli to endure,

268

To saue off letris the preent & the figure:
For ther cunnyng afforn gan so prouide,
Geyn fir & watir perpetueli tabide.

Thei dempte ther cunnyng hadde be in veyn,
But folk with them hadde be partable;
And for ther labour sholde afftirward be seyn,
Thei it remembrid be writyng ful notable:
Onto-for God a thyng ful comendable,
To them that folwe, be scripture or writyng
Or that men deie departe ther cunnyng.

For be old tyme folk dyuers crafftis founde
In sundri wise for ocupacioun;
Vertu to cherisshe, vices to confounde,
Ther witt thei sette & ther entencioun
To putte ther labour in execucioun,
And to outrage, this is veray trouthe,
Fro manys liff necligence & slouthe.

Olde Ennok, ful famous off vertu,
Duryng that age fond first off euerichon
Thoruh his prudence lettres off Hebreu;
And in a piler thei wer kept off ston,
Til that the flood off Noe was agon.
And afftir hym, Cam was the secounde
Bi whom off Hebreu lettres wer first founde.

And Catacrismus the firste was that fond
Lettres also, as off that language.
But lettres wreten with Godis owne hond
Moyses first took, most briht off his visage,
Vpon Syna as he heeld his passage,
Which off carectis & namys in sentence
From other writyng hadde a difference.

Eek afftirward, as other bookis tell,
And Seyn[t] Ierom rehersith in his stile,
Vnder thempire off Zorobabell,
Esdras off Hebreu gan lettres first compile;
And Abraham, gon sithen a gret while,
The firste was, in bookis men may see,
That fond lettres off Cire & off Caldee.

269

Ysis in Egipt fond dyuersite
Off sundri lettres, parted into tweyne:
First for preestis, and for the comounte
Vulgar lettres he dede also ordeyne.
And Fenyces dede ther besy peyne
Lettres off Greek to fynde in ther entent,
Which that Cadmus first into Grece sent,

Which in noumbre fulli wer seuenteene;
Whan off Troye was endid the bataile,
Pallamydes, ther language to susteene,
Put thre therto, which gretli dede auaile.
Pidagorus, for prudent gouernaile,
Fond first out Y, a figur to discerne
The liff heer short and liff that is eterne.

First Latyn lettres off our A. B. C.,
Carmentis fond, off ful hih prudence.
Grete Omerus, in Isidre ye may see,
Fond among Grekis crafft off eloquence.
First in Rome, be souereyn excellence,
Off rethorik Tullius fond the flours,
Ple and diffence off subtil oratours.

Callicrates, a grauer most notable,
Off whiht yuor dede his besynesse,
His hand, his eye so iust wer & so stable,
Off an ampte to graue out the liknesse,
Vpon the ground as Nature doth hym dresse.
This crafft he fond, as Sardanapall
Fond idilnesse mooder to vices all.

Off a screueyn Bochas maketh mencioun,
How in a scrowe off litil quantite
Wrot off al Troie the destruccioun,
Folwyng Omerus be gret subtilite:
Which among Grekis is had in gret deynte,
Because he was founde in his writyng,
So compendious the story rehersyng.

270

Mirmecides made a char also
And a smal shipp, with al the apparaile,
So that a bee myhte close hem bothe too
Vnder his weengis, which is a gret meruaile—
And nothyng seyn off al the hool entaile:
This crafft he fond off vertuous besynesse
Teschewe the vice off froward idilnesse.

Pan, god off Kynde, with his pipes seuene,
Off recorderis fond first the melodies.
And Mercurie, that sit so hih in heuene,
First in his harpe fond sugred armonyes.
Holsum wynes thoruhfyned from ther lyes
Bachus fond first, of vynes heuy lade,
Licour off licours corages for to glade.

Perdix be cumpas fond triangle and lyne,
And Euclid first fond geometrie,
And Phebus fond the crafft off medicyne.
Albumasar [first] fond astronomye;
And Mynerua gan charis first to guye.
Iason first sailed, in story it is told,
Toward Colchos to wynne the Flees off Gold.

Ceres the goddesse fond first tilthe off lond;
Dionisius tryumphes transitorie.
And Bellona be force first out fond
Conquest be knyhthod, & in the feeld victorie.
And Martis sone, as put is in memorie,
Callid Etholus, fond speris sharp & keene,
To renne a werre in platis briht and sheene.

Eek Aristeus fond out the vsage
Off mylk & cruddis, & off hony soote.
Piroides, for gret auauntage,
Fro flyntes smet fir daryng in the roote.
And Pallas, which that may to cold do boote,
Fond out weuyng, this is veray soth,
Thoruh hir prudence, off al maner cloth.

271

And Fido first fond out the science
Off mesours and off proporciouns,
And for marchantis dede his deligence
To fynde ballaunces be iust dyuysiouns,
Tauoide al fraude in citees & in touns
On outher parti, pleynli to compile,
Off trewe weihte that ther wer no gile.

Compare in ordre cleerli all these thynges
Founde off old tyme be deligent trauaile,
To the plesaunce off pryncis & off kynges,
To shewe how moch[e] cunnyng may auaile,
And weie ageynward the froward aquitaile,
Contrariousli how Sardanapalle
Fond idilnesse mooder off vices alle.

Lat pryncis alle heeroff taken heed,
What auaileth vertuous besynesse,
And what damage the reuers doth in deed,
Vicious liff, slouthe and idilnesse;
And these exaumples lat hem eek inpresse
Amyd ther herte, and how Sardanapalle
Fond idilnesse mooder off vices alle.

[Lenvoy.]

Noble Pryncis, heer ye may weel see
As in a merour, off ful cleer euydence,
Be many exaumple mo than too or thre,
What harm folweth off slouthe & necligence,
Deepe enprentyng in your aduertence,
How gret hyndryng doth wilful frowardnesse
To your estat thoruh vicious idilnesse.

Whan resoun faileth, and sensualite
Holdeth the bridel off lecherous insolence,
And sobirnesse hath lost his liberte,
And to fals lust is doon the reuerence,
And vice off vertu hath an apparence,—
Misledith pryncis off wilful reklesnesse
To gret errour off froward idilnesse.

272

Ther may to slouthe non other guerdoun be,
Nor non other condigne recompense,
But sorwe, myscheeff and aduersite,
Sodeyn vengaunce and onwar violence,
Whan ye be froward in your magnyficence
To knowe the Lord and bowe be meeknesse
Tobeie his preceptis and eschewe idilnesse.

[How Amazias in Iuda kyng for pride and presumpcioun was venquysshed in bataile & aftir slayn.]

In his studi as Bochas sat musyng,
With many vnkouth soleyn fantasie,
To hym appered many a myhti kyng;
And toforn alle cam worthi Amazie,
His sone also, that callid was Iosie,
Off Dauidis blood descendyng, as I reede,
Ech afftir othir in Iuda to succeede.

First Amazias compleyned on Fortune,
Causyng his greuous gret aduersites,
The traitouresse callid in comune,
These kynges tweyne castyng from ther sees;
Whos ouerturnyng from ther dignites,
Onwar fallyng, dreedful and terible,
Been ceriousli remembrid in the Bible.

Ther pitous eende men may ther reede & see,
How Fortune ther fatis dede entrete.
Wherfore teschewe & fleen prolixite,
Al tedious thyng in this processe to lete,
And in substaunce to glenen out the grete,
Off ther fallyng I purpose nat to spare
Compendiousli the causes to declare.

This Amazias hauyng gouernaunce
Be ful iust title off successioun,
The sceptre off Iuda, with al the hool puissaunce,

273

Ful pesibli in his possessioun,
Til that pride and fals presumpcioun
Most frowardli dede his herte enbrace,
Which al attonys made hym lose his grace.

In herte he hadde a maner veynglorie,
Because that God made hym to preuaile
In his conquest and to have victorie,
Amalechitis to venquysshe in bataile,
Eek Gabanytis, as he them dede assaile,
Purposyng[e] afftir, yiff he myhte,
With Israelitis off pride for to fyhte.

Onto kyng Ioas off Israel he sente,
Hym comaundyng to obeien his biddyng,
And be lik subiect, as wern in ther entente,
His predecessours in al maner thyng,
Whilom to Dauid, the noble worthi kyng.
This was his sonde to Ioas, plat and pleyn,
Which bi a problem thus wrot to hym ageyn:

“The ougli thistil off the valis lowe,
Proudli presumyng aboue[n] his degre,
To make his pride openli be knowe,
Sent his message to the cedre tre,
That his sone myhte weddid be
To his douhter; al-thouh in substaunce
Atwen hem too was a gret discordaunce.

But off the forest the beestis sauagyne
In ther corages hadde theroff disdeyn.
Alle off assent fersli dede enclyne
The thistel leuys abrod vpon the pleyn,
That ther was nouther leff nor prikke seyn.”
This was the problem, which Ioas be writyng
Sent in a pistil to Amazie the kyng.

But Iosephus in his origynal,
The said epistil, as he doth expresse,
Seith off the vale how the pouder smal
Off pride sente to the hih cipresse,
That his douhter, off excellent fairnesse,
Onto his sone, pleynli to descryue,
Myhte be delyuered & hauen hir to wyue.

274

But a fell beeste, which that beside stood,
Off cruel ire and indignacioun,
With feet disdeynyng the pouder caste abrod
Hih in the air aboute hym enviroun.
The which exaumple conceyued off resoun,
Who that attempteth to clymben hih aloffte,
With onwar chaung his fall is ful onsoffte.

Atwen the cedre, off tre[e]s most roiall,
And a sharp thistil is no convenyence,
Nor twen a cipresse, statli founde att all,
And lothsum pouder is a gret difference:
For roial blood sholde ha[ue] non assitence
To be ioyned nor knet in mariage
With such as been brouht foorth off low parage.

The cedre is strong & myhti off substaunce,
In his vpgrowyng riht as any lyne;
And thouh the thistil ha[ue] spottis off plesaunce,
He hath eek prikkis, sharp as any spyne.
And bothe naturis, pleynli to termyne,
The cedre off kynde, who looke[th] weel aboute,
To no thistil sholde his braunchis loute.

Holsum off odour is the fair cipresse,
As bookis telle, and vertuous off kynde;
Dust & pouder, pleynli to expresse,
Troubleth the air & maketh folkis blynde:
For which in spousaile convenyence to fynde,
Lat estatis off ther berthe honurable,
Voide al raskail & wedde ther semblable.

But Amazias wolde nat be war
For no warnyng, nor for no prophecie,
But stille in herte gret hatrede [he] bar
Ageyn kyng Ioas, off malice & envie;
Into a feld brouht al his cheualrie,
Gadred them out, bothe nyh and ferre,
Geyn Godis will on hym to gynne a werre.

275

And kyng Ioas, ful lik a worthi knyht,
Into the feeld[e] faste gan hym speede;
And alle the knyhtis off Iuda anon riht
Wer smet off vengaunce with a sodeyn dreede—
To bidde hem fle, God wot, it was no neede,
And Amazias, for al his gret[e] pride,
Stood destitut and no man be his side.

With hym was non lefft off al his meyne,
So God and Ioas ageyn hym wrouhte.
Off Ierusalem entred the cite,
And Amazie off force with hym he brouhte;
And in the temple the tresour out he souhte,
Gold and siluer, and hooli ther richesse;
And to Samarie hom he gan hym dresse.

And Amazias he leet out off prisoun,
Afftir al this, and suffred hym go fre.
To his myscheeff and his confusioun,
He was delyuered from his captiuite;
For slayn he was in Lachis the cite,
Among his freendis be symulacioun,
His deth conspired vnder ful fals tresoun.

[How god vpon Iosias succedyng kyng next in Iuda toke vengeaunce/smot him with lepre.]

Afftir in Iuda, the myhti regioun,
Next Amazias, Iosias gan succeede,
Wonder manli & famous of renoun,
In alle his werkis ful prouident in deede.
And off his knyhthod venquisshid, as I reede,
The Palestynes, for al ther gret puissaunce,
With al Arabie he brouht onto vttraunce.

Bilte touns and many strong cite,
And onto Egipt he his boundis sette;
Made castelis beside the Rede Se,
And in his conquest, whom that euer he mette,
Off manli pride he ne wolde lette—
I meene alle tho that were his aduersaires—
To his lordshepe to make hem tributaires.

276

He dede his labour also to repare
Ierusalem afftir his ruyne;
The wallis rered, which on the soil lay bare,
Made newe tour[e]s, riht as any lyne,
Fanys off gold ther torettis tenlumyne,
And tafforce hem, leet werkmen vndertake
Squar bastiles & bolwerkis to make.

He delited to make fressh gardynes,
Dyuers greynes & herbis for to knowe,
Reioisshid to plante sundri vynes,
To griffe trees and seedis for to sowe,
And straunge frutis [to] make hem growe arowe.
And with hym hadde, his enmyes to encoumbre,
Thre hundrid thousand manli men in noumbre.

His noble fame gan to sprede wide,
And gret[e]li drad for his hih prowesse,
Wherthoruh his herte corupt was with pride,
Because onli off his gret richesse;
And frowardli he dede his besynesse
For to maligne in his estat roial
Ageyn the Lord, the which is inmortal.

To God aboue he gan wexe obstynat,
That be processe ful smal he dede wynne;
And sauour cauhte in his roial estat
To folwe his fader in onthrift & synne,
That grace and vertu from hym dede twynne.
In most shynyng off his magnyficence,
Fortune proudli assailed his excellence.

Caste she wolde withynne a litil while
His surquedie & froward pride assaile,
And ful onwarli deceyue hym and begile,
To make his power tappallyn & to faile,
Whan that this kyng took on thapparaile
Off a bisshop, off veray frowardnesse,
And into temple proudli gan hym dresse,

Beyng in purpos, on a solempne day,
To take his way up to the hih auter,
Falsli vsurpyng, who-euer seide nay,

277

To sacrefie, holdyng the censer,
Tofor the auter, that shon of gold ful cleer.
For which offence, the Bible seith the same,
Azarias the bisshop dede hym blame.

Gan withstonde hym in the face anon,
Four score preestis beyng in presence,
Off the kynrede descendid off Aaron,
Which forbad hym & made resistence,
That with his hand he sholde putte incence
Vpon the auter, ageyn[es] Godis lawe,
Hym chargyng boldli his presence to withdrawe.

But off despiht he made them holde ther pes,
In peyne off deth began hem to manace;
And sodenli among[es] al the pres,
An erthequaue fill in the same place.
And therwithal in the kynges face,
Off the sonne ther smet a bem so briht,
That al his visage was scorkid with the liht.

He wex a lepre, ful foul and riht horible
For his offence, as God list ordeyne;
To euery man off look he was terible,
And but fewe his myscheeff gan compleyne.
And a gret hill the same hour karff on tweyne,
Nat ferr a-side from the toun withoute,
Cites destroieng that stood round aboute.

On kyng Iosie God took his vengaunce,
For al his lordshepe & his magnyficence,
To punyshe his pride & his froward puissaunce,
And brouht hym lowe for his gret offence:
For his persone was put out off presence
Perpetueli, as Hooli Writ can telle,
Fer from al peeple with lepres for to duelle.

His flessh was troubled with dyuers passiouns,
For his siknesse auoided the cite;
In cri and sorwe and lamentaciouns
His liff he ladde, in gret aduersite.
And so he deied in sorwe and pouerte,
Sympli buried, for al his grete myht,
Withynne an iland that stood ferr out of siht.

278

An exortacion to Princis to be auisid to do ageyn goddis Preceptes.

Lat pryncis all[e] in ther prouidence
Be riht weel war any thyng tattame,
Which onto God sholde been offence,
List that the fyn conclude to ther shame.
Lat them thynke, for al ther noble fame,
But thei repente, God off his iustise
Ther froward pride onwarli will chastise.

Lat hem be war off malice to presume
Ageyn his cherche to doon offencioun;
For God off riht all tirantis will consume
In ful short tyme for ther presumpcioun.
Which wil nat suffre ther dominacioun
To interupte, for al ther grete myht,
Nor breke the fraunchise off hooli cherches ryht.

To prudent pryncis, which that can discerne,
Lat kyng Iosias, considred his offence,
Been in ther mynde a merour & lanterne,
To hooli cherche to do due reuerence;
And conceyue in ther magnificence,
God will off riht, be thei neuer so stronge,
Chastise ther malice, thouh he abide longe.

[How kyng Ozie was taken bi kyng Salmanazar and deied in prisoun.]

Ther was a-nother, that callid was Ozie,
Which whilom regned, as I afferme dar,
In Israel, whom Fortune be envie
Made hym be take or that he was war,
Besegid aboute off kyng Salmanazar;
And in Tassirie vnder his daunger,
The Bible tellith, he was prisoner.

His cites, touns brouht to destruccioun,
And al his peeple vnder long seruage
Wer take and kept in strong[e] Babiloun,

279

Suffred ther gret peyne & gret damage.
And in a presoun, be furious outrage,
This said Ozias, in cheynes bounde sore,
For sorwe deide: off hym write I no more.

[How Senacheryb kyng of Assirie was slayne.]

With these forsaid woful kynges thre,
Senacherib, off Assirie kyng,
Cam to Iohn Bochas, most ougli on to see,
Ful pitousli his fate compleynyng.
And speciali his onwar chaungyng
He gan bewaile, oppressid in his thouht,
From hih noblesse how he was brouht to nouht.

His renoun spradde thoruh many dyuers rewm,
And peeplis all[e] gan hym magnefie;
A siege he laide onto Ierusalem,
In the tyme off kyng Sedechie.
But in his most froward surquedie,
Godis aungel tofor the cite
An hundrid thousand slouh off his meyne.

And the mor to maken hym afferd,
Mid off his peeple, the silue same nyht,
Godis aungel shooff awey his berd
With a sharp suerd that shon cleer & bryht.
Leffte his siege & took hym onto flyht;
And in a temple, his goddis worshepyng,
His sonys slouh hym as he sat knelyng.

[How kyng Sedechie/for fals forsweryng was slayn and made blynde in prisoun.]

Touchyng the compleynt of kyng Sedechie,
And off his sorwes to shewe the maner,
Hooli Writ dooth cleerli specefie,
Wherfore it were but veyn to telle hem heer.
For ther men may the processe pleynli ler,
How Ioachym, kyng off Ierusalem,
His owne brother, was lad out off his rewm.

280

Wheroff in herte he felte ful gret sor,
This Sedechias, as it is ther founde,
Because the kyng Nabugodonosor
His brother heeld, strong in prisoun bounde,
Fulli in purpos the Iewes to confounde;
For this tirant hadde in that mortal striff
His brethre, childre in prisoun, & his wiff.

And yit this tirant in his tirannye
This fauour dede in al his fell[e] rage
Onto this moste woful Sedechie,
To suffre hym regne in his gret[e] age,
Fro yeer to yeer to paie hym a truage,
Be feith and oth and composicioun,
Reised off his peeple & brouht to Babiloun.

Yit Sedechias in especiall,
Be a maner off fals felicite,
Hymselff reioished in his see roiall
To ocupie that noble dignite,
And so forgat the gret aduersite
Off his brother and other freendis all,
Touchyng the myscheeff that thei wer in fall.

Off pride he fill into presumpcioun,
Whan he remembrid his brethre & his lynage,
Considred how fro kyng Salamoun
He was descendid be title off heritage,
Gan disdeyne to paien his truage,
And to maligne, in herte he was so wroth,
And falsli brak his suraunce and his oth.

He hadde a maner indignacioun,
Which he cauhte off old remembraunce,
How tyme passid, to kyng Salamoun,
Be his manli prudent gouernaunce,
Kynges aboute for a recognisaunce
Paied tribut, and durst it nat withseie
Fro yeer to yeer his noblesse to obeie.

Which thyng remembrid off kyng Sedechie,
As he wex gret and strong in his puissaunce,
Off hih disdeyn his tribut gan denye,

281

Sette a-side his feith and assuraunce,
So that his oth stood in no substaunce;
For he ageyn the kyng off Babiloun
Presumptuousli fill in rebellioun.

And his kyngdam to strengthe & fortefie,
Thouhte he wolde to his auauntage
The kyng off Egipt haue on his partie,
Off pride he fill into so gret outrage,
That he no mor wolde paien his truage;
But fynali such weies he hath souht,
That off his oth litil he rouhte or nouht.

But O alas, it is a doolful thyng
To be remembred, in hih or low degre,
That any prynce or any worthi kyng
Sholde false his oth or ontrewe be;
Or that men sholde such variaunce see
In ther corages, which been so hih[e] born,
For any cause falsli to be forsworn.

Be report it doth ther fame trouble,
Infortuneth and clipseth ther noblesse,
Whan a prynce is off his heste double,
And chargith nat, off wilful reclesnesse,
Al-be his promys conclude on doubilnesse.
Thouh God a while suffre hem and respite,
At onset hour ther falsnesse he will quite.

His warnyng offte he sent to them affor,
Because thei lacke prudent policie,
Record I take off Nabugodonosor,
Which cam onwarli on kyng Sedechie,
For he his tribut gan falsli hym denye;
With al his power, as he dede abraide,
To Ierusalem a myhti siege he laide.

Thei withynne constreyned were off neede,
The kyng hymsilff, ther was no bett diffence,
With manys flessh his peeple for to feede,
Whil the Caldeies be myhti violence,
Off verai force, withoute resistence,
On fals forsweryng for to taken wrake,
Ther myhti tour[e]s and ther wallis brake.

282

To slen and kille thei list non for to spare,
Whom-euer thei mette or cam in ther siht;
Sedechias leffte the toun al bare,
But take he was, as he hym took to fliht,
In cheynys bounde and fetrid anon riht,
In whose presence, tencrece his peynes anon,
His yonge childre were slay[e]n euerichon.

His wyues all, most woful off ther cheres,
Which in ther tyme most goodli were and fair,
Delyuered wern in handis off straungeres;
And mor, alas, to putte hym in dispair,
Into his kyngdam neuer to ha[ue] repair,
With sharp[e] tonges, it was to gret a peyne,
Out off his hed wer rent his eien tweyne.

Off Ierusalem his cite was ibrent
Pleyn to the ground into asshes dede.
His gret richesse, his tresour hooli sent
To Babiloun, with stonys bleu and rede;
Vesselis off gold, which richest wer in deede,
Withoute merci or remissioun,
Caldeies took to ther possessioun.

And thus in sorwe and in wrechidnesse
He deied, alas, fetred in prisoun.
Loo, heer the eende off periurie & falsnesse!
Loo, how Fortune can turnen vp-so-doun
Off mortal men the condicioun:
Now richest shynyng in prosperite,
With onwar chaung to hatful pouerte.

Now men lefft up to roial dignites,
Now hih aloffte be fulsum habundaunce:
But what auaileth to sitte in roial sees
To folk that han therin non assuraunce,
Namli whan Fortune holdeth the balaunce,
Which ay off custum onto hih estatis
Hath a fals ioie to shewen hir chekmatis.

Record I take off pryncis mo than on,
Ther woful fatis hanging in iupartie,
Remembrid late, and among echon

283

The woful fal off kyng Amazie,
His sone eek lepre, which callid was Iosie,
And last off all[e], how in Babiloun,
Kyng Sedechias deied in prisoun.

Lenvoye.

Noble Pryncis, considreth the fallas
Off Fortunys froward flat[e]rie;
Seeth hir deceites in many dyuers cas,
How she first mokkid manli Amazie,
Which slay[e]n was for his surquedie
To yeue you warnyng, bexaumple as ye may reede,
Whan ye sit hiest, your fal is most to dreede.

And as it is remembred in Bochas,
Eek in the Bible off the kyng Iosie,
In his tyme how famous that he was
Bothe off richesse and off cheualrie,
Punshed with lepre, bookis specefie,
For his presumyng: remembrith this in deede,
Whan ye sit hiest, your fal is most to dreede.

Al worldli glorie fleeth hens a gret[e] pas,
I take witnesse off kyng Sedechie;
For fals forsweryng he slay[e]n was, alas!
Maad blynd in prisoun; this story cannat lie.
Thus sheweth Fortune, thoruh hir froward envie,
To you, Pryncis, yif ye list taken heede,
Whan ye sit hiest, your fal is most to dreede.

[How kyng Astriages labored to disherite Cirus/but god suffrid his malice not to preuaile.]

Afftir these kynges, on folwed in the pres,
And gan to Bochas his compleynt discure;
And he was callid the grete Astriages,
Which tolde in ordre his vnkouth auenture,
Lord off Asie, as bookis us assure,
And hadde off tresour duryng al his liff
A-boue alle kynges a prerogatiff.

284

Most fortunat in al his gouernaile,
Felte off Fortune non aduersite,
Sauff an heir male, nothyng dede hym faile;
For he most glorious sat in his roial see:
Off worldli welthe he lakked no plente,
Except onli, as clerkis off hym write,
He hadde no sone his kyngdam tenherite,

Which to his welthe was gret disencres,
Lest successioun failed in his lyne.
A douhter had he callid Mundanes,
Out off whos wombe, as bookis determyne,
He drempte a-nyht[e] how he sauh a vyne
In his auesioun, with hym so it stood,
Ouer al Asie his braunchis spredde abrod.

He hadde also a reuelacioun,
Slepyng a-nyht[e] afftir his souper,
Thouh he nat knew thexposicioun,
He thouhte he sauh a cristallyn ryuer,
With lusti watris, as any berell cleer,
Out off hir wombe, with his stremys fressh
The soil of Asie make tendre and nessh.

Touchyng this reuer and this lusty vyne
To hym shewed in his auisioun,
Withynne hymsilff he coud[e] nat termyne,
Theroff to fynde no cleer conclusioun
Withoute sum maner exposicioun
To hym declared be folkis in sentence,
Which off such dremys hadde experience.

To hym he callid his astronomeris,
His philisophres and his dyuynours,
That knew the meuyng off the nyne speeris,
Ymages off sterris, ther houses & ther tours;
And such as wern expert expositours.
And whan thei wern assemblid euerichon,
Touchyng his drem thei corded all in on.

To telle hym trouthe thei wer nat rec[e]les,—
Saide his douhter, fro whom ther cam a vyne,
She that be name was callid Mundanes,
Sholde haue a sone descendyng from his lyne,
Whos noble fame thoruh Asia sholde shyne,
Which sholde [hym] putte, thoruh his hih renoun,
Be force off armys out off his regioun.

285

This was his fate; he myhte it nat refuse,
The heuenli cours but it dede faile.
Wherupon he sore gan to muse,
Such fantasies dede his herte assaile;
Fill in gret doubte off ther dyuynaile,
Thouhte he wolde make purueiaunce
For to withstonde Godis ordenaunce.

Ful hard it is to make resistence
Geyn thyng ordeyned, whan God will that it be;
And namli ther, wher as influence
Off heuene aboue hath shape a destyne:
Sum men recorde that no man may it fle.
The doom off this, wher that it holde or flitte,
Tastronomeris al hooli I committe.

This said[e] kyng, off whom I spak but late,
Caste he wolde, for his auauntage,
The ordenaunce reuersen and the fate
Off the heuene, with al the surplusage,
And yeue his douhter as in mariage
To sum onworthi poore infortunat
That neuer were likli to rise to hih estat.

And in this wise, kyng Astriages
Maried his douhter, as in his entent,
To on onworthi callid Cambises,
Deemyng therbi, be short auysement,
Withynne hymselff that he was riht prudent,
Wenyng that noblesse cam be discent off blood,
And nat be grace, nor as the heuene stood.

In his resoun was nat comprehendid,
How Socrates, maistir off Platoun,
Off ful low bed bi berthe was descendid,
And nat tenherite kyngdam nor regioun,
But for to haue fulli possessioun
Off moral vertu and philosophie,
Duryng his liff his witt he dede applie.

He souhte contrees for wisdam and science,
And secre cunnynges to serch[e] dede his peyne;
And he fond out thoruh his deligence,

286

This philisophre, as bookis acerteyne,
To ioie reserued outher onto peyne,
Be grace off God, which is eternall,
How menys soulis be founde ay inmortall.

The grete Appollo, in bookis it is founde,
Gaff iugement off equite and riht,
That Socrates in vertu most habounde,
And most preferrid in eueri manys siht,
Was callid off wisdam the lanterne & the liht,
And wisest named, at evyn and at pryme,
Off philisophres that wer in his tyme.

The poete also callid Euripides,
Most honourable callid in that age,
Al-be his mooder off liff was rec[e]les
And contagious thoruh vicious outrage:
Yit was this poete, for al his vil lynage,
Most vertuous founden at assaies,
Off alle poetis that wer in his daies.

Callid in his tyme a gret tragician,
Because he wrot many tragedies,
And wolde off trouthe spare no maner man,
But hem rebuken in his poetries,
Touchyng the vices off flesshli fantasies,
Compleyne in pryncis ther deedis most horible,
And ech thyng punshe that was to God odible.

A-nother clerk callid Demostenes,
The moste subtil rethorician,
And most inuentiff among al the pres,
That euer was sithe[n] the world began,
Al-be off berthe he was a poore man,
Yit hadde he most souereyn excellence
Mong philisophres off speche & eloquence.

Be which exaumple, me semeth dout[e]les,
That roial blood, nouther hih lynage
To mennys berthe yeueth but smal encres,
Nor onto vertu but litil auauntage:
For hih noblesse taketh nat his corage
Off riche nor poore, nor statis souereyne,
But off his grace, as God list to ordeyne.

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Wherfore, off foli kyng Astriages,
Contrariousli ageyn al gent[e]rie,
Bad that his douhter callid Mundanes,
First whan folk with childe hir dede espie,
For tacomplishe his froward fantasie,
Whan it wer born, chargyng aboue all thyng,
Off Archanye to bern it to the kyng.

Which in that tyme was callid Arpagus;
And, as I fynde, he dede in vertu floure,
And pite hadde, the story tellith thus,
That beestis sholde the litil child deuoure.
But God that may in myscheeff best socoure,
To keepe the child was nat rek[e]les,
Ageyn the malice off kyng Astriages,

Which hadde comaundid off malice & hatreede,
How that this child, greene & tendre off age,
Bi Arpagus sholde be cast in deede
To be deuoured off beestis most sauage.
But for he dradde to doon so gret outrage,
To his shepperde, hymselff to stonde at large,
The child to slen he fulli gaff the charge.

[How yong Cirus was in to the Forest/cast with bestys to be devoured.]

This heerdeman, albe that he was loth
To execute this woful auenture,
Inta forest foorth with the child he goth,
And gaff to beestis that litil creature;
Whom to fostre, be grace ageyn nature,
A wilde bichche hir whelpis ther forsook,
And to hir pappis the litil child she took.

And with hir mylk she made hym suppe & dyne,
And bisi was fro hym to enchace
Wilde foulis and beestis sauagyne,

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That non ne durste neihhen to that place.
Loo, how that God disposen can his grace,
Innocentis fro myscheeff to preserue
Geyn fals envie, which wolde make hem sterue!

O blood onkynde, founden in kynreede,
For couetise, O blood disnaturall
Off fals malice, O blood ful off hatreede!—
To moordre a child born off the stok roiall!
Wher manys resoun is turned bestiall,
Falsli transfourmed onto cruelte,
To slen a child wher beestis han pite!

The celi heerde hath told his wiff the cas;
And she anon off pite dede arise,
With hir husbonde wente a ful gret pas
Into the forest, beholdyng al the guise,
As heer-tofor[e]n ye han herd deuyse,
Seyng the child, with lippis tendre & soffte,
The bichchis pappis how he sok ful offte.

The said[e] heerde callid Sparagos,
His wiff also, off whom toforn I tolde,
This yonge child took in ther depos;
And in hir armys she sofftli gan it folde.
And he ful goodli hir face gan beholde,
And on his maner in the same while,
In childli wise on hir gan to smyle.

The childes lauhtre whan she dede aduerte,
With al hir hool[e] feithful dilligence
She gan to cherishe it, and with al hir herte
She gaff it souk, with ful gret reuerence,
Albe the bichche made resistence,
Compleynyng stood felli at abay,
The litil child whan she sauh lad away.

Ful pitousli she gan to houle and crie,
At ther departyng doolfully compleyne,
And afftir them ful faste gan to hie,
The child to lete she felte so gret a peyne.
Loo, how that God off merci can ordeyne
A cruel beeste such sorwe for to make,
And so to mourne for a childes sake!

289

But eueri thyng that God will ha[ue] preserued,
Ne may nat faile to stonde in sekirnesse.
His secre doomys been to hymsilff reserued;
Ther can no man expowne hem, as I gesse.
For he shoop first that this shepperdesse,
Off Sparagos the trewe poore wiff,
For to be mene to saue the childes liff.

Hom to hir hous the child she ladde anon,
And it to fostre dede hir besynesse:
Off othir salari, God wot, knew she non,
Sauff that hir herte therto dede hir dresse.
And mor enterli, the story berth witnesse,
She tendrid hym, and with mor besi cure,
Than hym that was hir child born off nature.

And as the story pleynli doth expresse,
This yonge child, as he wex in age,
Fro day to day encreced in noblesse,
Lik for to been riht manli off corage.
Cirus callid he was in that language,
To seyne in Latyn pleynli in substaunce,
A man iborn to gret enheritaunce.

And whan the renoun off his excellence
Bi long processe, and off his gret encres
Cam be report onto the audience
Off his aiel, the grete Astriages,
And how the kyng was founde rech[e]les,
Callid Arpagus, for to do vengaunce
On yonge Cirus, he fill in displesaunce.

This is to meene Astriages was wroth,
That Arpagus was founde merciable
Cirus to saue, and for that he was loth
Ageyn[e]s al riht for to be vengable
To slen a child, a thyng nat comendable,—
Demyng off trouthe in his conscience,
God was nat paied, to moordre innocence.

Astriages caste hym to be wreke
On Arpagus be fals collusioun,
Because that he his biddyng dede breke,
And was contraire to his entencioun
Cirus to slen, ageyn[es] al resoun.
And for that cause Astriages, I reede,
Off Arpagus leet slen the child in deede.

290

This to seyne, be ful fals compassyng
And couert moordre, wrouht bi Astriages,
The sone was slayn off Arpagus the kyng,
And afftir rosted, allas, ful causeles,
And sithe presentid, amongis al the pres,
Toforn his fader, a thyng most lamentable,
With Astriages as he sat at table.

But whan this kyng callid Arpagus
Conceyued hath this moordre most terrible,
And how his sone & heir was slay[e]n thus,
In his ire most furious and odible,
In al the haste that it was possible,
He is repaired hom to his houshold,
And al the cas to Cirus he hath told.

And how his sone was slay[e]n for his sake,
In the most hatful odious cruelte,
Excityng hym with hym to vndirtake
On this fals moordre auengid for to be,
To hym declaryng off trouthe & equite,
How he was bor[e]n be discent in deede,
As riht[e] heir to regne in Perse & Mede.

To hym declaryng the stori bi and bi,
First off the drem off Astriages,
And how that he be fraude ful falsli
Made his douhter, callid Mundanes,
Poorli be weddid onto Cambises,
Which was his mooder, & how in tendre age
He was out cast to beestis ful sauage.

Be a shepperde and a shepperdesse
Fostred he was in gret[e] pouerte,
And brouht fro beestis out off wildirnesse,
Because God wolde he sholde saued be:
For thilke Lord, which euery-thyng may see,
Whan that he hath a thyng aforn disposid,
Nedis it mut fall & may nat be deposid.

This said[e] Cirus, at his natyuyte,
Ordeyned was be reuolucioun
Off the heuenli speeris, in noumbre thries thre,
(So stood that tyme his constellacioun,)

291

That he sholde haue the domynacioun
Ouer al Asie, be influence dyuyne,
Aforn figured be spredyng off the vyne.

What may the fraude off sleihti folk auaile,
Innocentis to putte out off ther riht?
Thouh trouthe be hid amongis the poraile,
Hard brouht foorth, & dar nat shewe his liht,
Yit God will ordeyne that the bemys briht
Shal sum o day shewe out his cleernesse,
Maugre all tho that wolde his title oppresse.

For this Cirus, as clerkis off hym write,
Was bi the title off his mooder side
Born to be kyng al Asie tenherite,
Al-be his aiel from hym wolde it deuide;
But God, that can for trouthe best prouide,
Hath for Cirus be processe so ordeyned,
That he off Asie the lordshep hath atteyned.

Cirus that tyme was growe up weel on lengthe,
Weel proporciownyd off membris & stature,
Wonder delyuer, & passyng off gret strengthe,
Straunge emprises proudli to endure;
And to iuparte & putte in auenture
His owne persone, the fame was off hym so,
Was non mor likli wher men sholde haue a-do.

And bi the counsail off kyng Arpagus,
Whan this Cirus was weel waxe in age,
With Perciens proude & surquedous,
And Archanytes cruel off corage,
For to recure his rihtful heritage
Be go with Cirus, armed in plate & maile,
With Astriages to holden [a] bataile.

And he ageynward gan to taken heede,
And with hym took[e] many worthi knyht,
With al the puissaunce off the lond off Mede
Hath take the feeld the same dai foorth-ryht,
To disherite Cirus off his ryht.
But God and trouthe was atwen hem tweyne
Egal iuge ther quarel to dareyne.

292

The feeld ordeyned, & splaied ther baneris,
On outher parti ful proudli on thei sette,
At thassemblyng lik liouns off ther cheris,
In the face as thei fersli mette
With rounde speris, ful sharp[e] grounde & whette,
Til that Cirus, off grace mor than noumbre,
Off his aiel the parti dede encoumbre.

This myhti Cirus, this yonge champioun,
Thoruhout the feeld gan such a slauhtre make,
With his knyhtis as he wente up and doun,
That as the deth his fomen hym forsake.
Astriages vnder his baner take,
The feeld venquysshid, for al his fals veynglorie,
To shewe that riht hath alwey the victorie.

A man off malice may a thyng purpose
Bi a maner froward prouydence;
But God a-boue can graciousli dispose
Ageyn such malice to make resistence:
Men for a while may suffre violence
And wronges grete, wher-so that thei weende,
But trouthe alway venquysshith at the eende.

Astriages fond ful sooth his drem;
Thouh he ageyn it made purueiance
To haue depryued Cirus off his rem,
He was deceyued in his ordynance:
For wher that God thoruh his myhti puissance
List for heires iustli to prouide,
Sleihte in such cas off man, is leid a-side.

Maugre the myht[e] off Astriages,
Cirus on hym made a disconfiture;
And al Asie reioisshed eek in pes,
Off verai riht, as was his auenture.
And be iust title he dede also recure
The lond off Mede, lik as was his fate,
And into Perse he dede it hool translate.

Ageyn his aiel he was nat vengable,
Which hadde wrouht to his destruccioun,
But was to hym benygne and merciable,
And grauntid hym, off hool affeccioun,
The fourte part off the regioun

293

Off Archanye, off which aforn I tolde,
Hym to sustenyn in his daies olde.

For kyng Cirus wold[e] nat his lyue
Suffre his aiel, off veray gentilesse,
That men sholde hym fynali depryue
Off kyngli honour, for non onkynd[e]nesse,—
To yeue exaumple to pryncis in sothnesse,
Thouh God ha[ue] youe hem power in erthe & myht,
Thei sholde ay merci medle with the ryht.

[Lenvoye.]

Noble Princis, your eris doth enclyne,
And considreth in your discreciouns,
How dremys shewed binfluence dyuyne
Be nat lik sweuenys, but lik auysiouns,
Or resemblable to reuelaciouns,
Which thouh men wolde distourbe & make faile,
God wil nat suffre ther malice to preuaile.

Astriages drempte he sauh a vyne,
Shewed off trouthe and non illusiouns,
From his douhter wombe, riht as lyne,
Spred in Asie ouer the regiouns;
But to disherite be fals collusiouns
Yonge Cirus, the kyng dede his trauaile,
But God nat suffred his malice to preuaile.

Pryncis remembreth, ye that in honour shyne,
Vpon this stori in your entenciouns,
And beth weelwillid, wher God list forthre a lyne
Outher to richesse or dominaciouns,
To fauour them to ther promociouns,—
Be nat contrarie in your acquitaile,
Sithe God will suffre no malice to preuaile.

294

[How Candalus kyng of Lide was made Cokewold/and aftir slayn.]

Whil Iohn Bochas caste his look a-side,
In his studie as he sat writyng,
To his presence cam the kyng off Lide
Callid Candalus, ful pitousli pleynyng,
With salte teris ful lowli besechyng,
That he wolde, tasswagen his greuaunce,
His dedli sorwe to putte in remembraunce.

His compleynt was most off onkynd[e]nesse,
For fals deceit, ageyn al skile and riht,
That wher his trust was most off gentilesse,
He mokkid was, for al his gret[e] myht;
For off his hous ther was a certeyn knyht,
Giges callid, thyng shamful to be told,
To speke pleyn Inglissh, made hym a cokold.

Alas, I was nat auysid weel beforn,
Oncunnyngli to speke such language;
I sholde ha said, how that he hadde an horn,
Or souht sum tee[r]me with a fair visage
Texcuse my rudnesse off this gret outrage,
As in sum land Cornodo men them call,
And summe afferme how such folk ha[ue] no gall.

This was the cas: whan Phebus shon [ful] sheene
The somer sesoun in his ascencioun,
Whan soote braunchis wer clad in newe greene,
Heete inportable hadde domynacioun,
Whan that the queen for recreacioun,
Onprouyded that no man dede hir keepe,
Vpon hir bed lay naked for to sleepe.

And, as clerkis off hir beute write,
Ther was a-lyue no fairere creature,
Nor mor excellyng, lik as thei endite,
Off semlynesse, hir stori doth assure:

295

Callid for beute cosyn to Nature,
And worthi eek, yiff I shal nat feyne,
To be comparid to Griselde or Eleyne.

Kynde in hir forge list nothyng to erre,
Whan she hir wrouhte, bi gret auysynesse,
To make off beute the veray lode-sterre,
And yeue hir fauour, beute & semlynesse;
But for Nature hadde so gret besynesse
To fourme a woman that was so fressh of hewe,
She hadde forgete for to make hir trewe.

Hir eyen wer verai celestiall,
Hir her ontressid, lik Phebus in his speer,—
A thyng rasemblyng that were inmortall,
So angelik she was off look and cheer,
An exaumplaire off port & off maneer,—
Ther was no lak, sauf Nature, thoruh hir slouthe,
Hadde lefft behynde to yeue hir feith & trouthe.

And on a day, as she lay slepyng
Naked a-bedde, most goodli on to siht,
Ful onwarli cam Candalus the kyng
Into the chaumbre, wher Titan shon ful bryht,
And shewed hir beute onto his owne knyht,
Off entent he sholde ber witnesse
How she excellid all othir in fairnesse.

And whan Giges gan in ordre see
Off this queen the gret[e] excellence,
He was enamoured vpon hir beute
Al the while he stood ther in presence,
Gan ymagyne a tresoun in silence,
To slen his lord, withoute long tarieng,
Wynne the queen, and afftir regne as kyng.

This was the eende, doolful and pitous,
To be remembrid hatful and terrible,
Off this noble worthi Candalus;
For off his trust to moche he was credible
Onto Giges, the traitour most odible.
And yit mor foltissh, wherbi he lost his liff,
Outward to shewe the beute off his wiff.

296

Thouh she were fair & goodli on to see,
Ther was no trust nor no sekirnesse,
For other hadde as good[e] part as he,—
Giges koude bere theroff witnesse.
Alas, a queen, or any gret pryncesse
Assente sholde hir fame for to trouble,
But yiff Nature excuse hem to be double.

[How what thing kyng Midas touched was golde/ yitt deied he in misery and wrecchidnesse.]

But who-so-euer was therwith loth or fayn,
Giges was afftir crownyd kyng off Lide,
Whan that his lord was be tresoun slayn.
Off hym the surplus Bochas set a-side.
And in his studi, as he dede abide,
Ther cam off Frige, Midas the riche kyng,
Told myn auctour his compleynt with wepyng.

For ther was neuer, be conquest nor labour,
No kyng aforn that hadde mor richesse,
Nor mor plente off gold nor off tresour.
At whose berthe poetis thus expresse:
A-boute his cradel amptis gan hem dresse,
Whil he slepte, and gan a-boute hym leyn
A ful gret noumbre off purid whete greyn.

Wherupon, most expert dyuynours,
As thei took heed in ther attendaunce,
Such as wer[e]n best expositours,
Saide it was a tokne off habundaunce,
To haue off richesse al maner suffisaunce,
And concludyng, pleynli gan to tell,
How he alle other in tresour sholde excell.

Poetis off hym wrot that were ful olde,
How Bachus gaff hym—the myhti God of wyn,—
What he toucheth shal turnen into golde
As good as that which cam out off the myn,
At all assaies to been as pur and fyn.
This request, as writ Ouidius,
Was onto Midas grauntid off Bachus.

297

He thouhte gold myhte hym most auaile:
What he handlid was gold with touchyng,
But whan hunger his stomak gan assaile,
His bred, his mete was cleer gold in shewyng;
And whan he gan to faile off his fedyng,
And fond in gold no recour to escape,
Besouhte Bachus sum remedi to shape.

Bachus bad hym go bathe in a ryuer
To wasshe a-way the colour aureat,
Wher yit is shewed the goldi grauel cleer.
Which exaumple declareth to ech estat,
That gold alone maketh men nat fortunat:
For what may gold or tresour ther auaile,
Wher men in hunger fynde no vitaile?

Or what is worth gold, perle or stonys red,
Grene emeraudis or saphir[e]s ynde,
Whan men enfamyned ha[ue] no[u]ther greyn nor bred,
Nor in such myscheeff vitaile may non fynde
For to fostre ther nature and ther kynde,—
A barli loff in such a distresse
Mor myhte auaile than al worldli richesse!

This knew Midas, & was expert in deede,
Thouh he off gold hadde so gret plente,
That with metall he myhte hymselff nat feede.
Which caused hym off necessite
To considre and cleerli for to see,
That bred mor vailith for fostryng off nature,
Than al [the] richesse that men may heer recure.

For which this kyng gan haten al richesse;
Gold and tresour he hadde eek in disdeyn,
Leffte his crowne and his roial noblesse,
And ches to keepe sheep vpon a pleyn.
Al worldli worshepe was to hym but veyn.
Off malencolie & froward pouerte,
Endid his liff in gret aduersite.

298

For off ire and inpacience,
Fynally thus with hym it stood:
Furiousli in his gret indigence,
As writ Bochas, how he drank the blood
Off a bole, sauagyne and wood,
With loue enchaufid, made no delaies,
Most bestiali eendid thus his daies.

[Off Balthasar kyng of Babilone and how Danyel expowned, Mane, Techel, Phares.]

Next to Bochas, or that he was war,
As he sat writyng with ful gret labour,
Off Babilon cam grete Baltazar
To declare his sorwe and his langour.
Which had mysusid ful falsli the tresour
And the vesseles brouht fro Ierusalem,
In Babilon cheeff cite off his rewm.

For at a souper with his lordis all,
Whan off the vesselis he drank myhti wynes,
And solempli sat in his roial stall,
And round a-boute all his concubynes,
Philisophres, magiciens and dyuynes,
Ther cam an hand, the Bible doth assure,
And on the wall gan writen this scripture:

Mane techel phares wreten in his siht,
Thouh he the menyng conceyued neueradeel,
Which on the wall shewed cleer & briht,
Fro whos sentence auailed non appel.
But the prophete, hooli Danyel,
Fulli expownyd to Baltazar the kyng
The mysterie off this derk writyng.

299

“This woord Mane, pleynli and nat tarie,
In Latyn tunge betokneth in substaunce,
The daies countid & rekned the noumbrarie
Off thi regnyng & off thi gret substaunce.
And Techel sowneth a weieng in ballaunce,
In tokne thi power & kyngdam be mesure,
God hath hem peised, thei shal no while endure.

Phares also betokneth a brekyng,
In Romayn tunge, into pecis smale;
For thi power & froward rebellyng
Shal from an hih be brouht into the vale,
This Hooli Writ & no feyned tale:
For whan pryncis wil nat ther liff redresse,
God will onwarli ther surquedie represse.

Thou wer be toknys warned longe affor,
Be many exaumple, the story ye may reede,
Bi the fallyng off Nabugodonosor,
And thou theroff took ful litil heede,
The Lord to thanke & haue his name in dreede.
For which thou shalt withynne a litil throwe
Lese sceptre & crowne, & be brouht ful lowe.”

[Lenvoye.]

Lat pryncis all this story haue in mynde,
And for themsilff[e] notabli prouide,
A[nd] namli thei that be to God onkynde,
Ther concubynes for to sette a-side,
And make vertu for to been ther guide,
Voide lecheri and fals presumpcioun,
Which haue so many brouht to destruccioun.

Nabugodonosor hadde repentaunce,
And was restorid to his possessiouns;
But God off riht took sodenli vengaunce
On Balthasar for his transgressiouns.
Wherfore, ye Pryncis, disposith your resouns,

300

Afftir your meritis to ha[ue] God merciable,
For your demeritis to fynden hym vengable.

Geyn hooli chirch[e] taketh no quarelis,
But aduertisith in your inward siht;
For Balthasar drank off tho vesselis
Stole fro the temple off verrai force & myht:
He loste lordshepe and liff vpon a nyht,
So that the kyngdam off Assiriens
Translatid was to Mede & Persiens.

[How Cresus & balthasar were venquisshed bi Cirus and the son of Cresus slayn at huntyng of a boor.]

Next to Iohn Bochas, withynne a litil throwe,
Writyng off princis many pitous fate,
He sauh kyng Cresus, with other on þe rowe,
Lowli besechyng his fallyng to translate;
And how Fortune ageyn hym gan debate,
And off his myscheeff, doolful for to reede,
For to descryue anon he gan proceede.

For as it is remembrid in writyng,
As God and Kynde list for hym ordeyne,
Off Lide he was gouernour & kyng,
And lordshep hadde, the story cannat feyne,
Off many kyngdam mo than oon or tweyne;
Fame in that tyme so dede hym magnefie,
That he was callid flour off al cheualrie.

And he was also in his tyme founde
The most expert in werre & in bataile,
And off richesse was the most habounde,
And most excellyng in conquest to preuaile—
Plente off peeple, with roial apparaile,
And with al this, to his gret auauntage,
Noumbre off childre tenbelishe his lynage.

In the most hiest off his roial see,
And al was weel & nothyng stood amys,
Yit tamenuse his felicite,
A drem he hadde; & trewli that was thys,

301

How that his sone, which callid was Athys,
Was take fro hym, & be mortal outrage
Slayn sodenli in his tendre age.

This woful drem dede hym gret distresse
And putte his herte in ful gret disespeir,
Stondyng in feer & in gret heuynesse
Because his child, tendre, yong & fair,
Which that was bor[e]n for to been his hair,
Sholde causeles in such[e] myscheeff die,
So as his drem afforn dede specefie.

Off this processe to declare moor,
How Cresus drem fulfellid was in deede:
From Olympus ther cam a wilde boor,
Most furious & sauagyne off dreede,
With fomy tusshes, which faste gan hym speede,
Doun descendyng, & nowher list abide
Til that he cam into the land off Lide,

And gan destroie ther fruitis & ther vynes,
Wher-euer he cam in any maner place,
Brak the nettis and the stronge lynes
Off the hunteris, that dede at hym enchace;
But vnder support off the kynges grace,
His sone and heir, off whom I spak tofor,
Gat hym licence to hunten at this boor.

His fader Cresus deemyng off this cas,
Ther was no cause off dreed in no maner,
Thouh his sone wer present at the chas
With other hunteris such game for to ler:
But ay Fortune with hir double cheer
Is reedi euere bi sum fatal treyne
At such disportis sum myscheef to ordeyne.

For oon ther was which hadde gouernaunce
Vpon this child tawaiten and to see,
Chacyng the boor, to saue hym fro myschaunce,
From al damage and aduersite,—
Which many lusti folk off that contre,
With hornys, houndis & sharp speris grounde,
Sekyng the boor til thei han hym founde.

302

And as thei gan fersli this boor enchace,
He that was chargid to been the childis guide,
As with his spere he gan the boor manace,
The hed nat entred, but forbi gan to glide,
And on the child, which that stood beside,
The strook alihte, & or he dede aduerte,
The speris hed rooff hym thoruh the herte.

But off this child, whan the deth was kouth,
Told & reportid hooli the manere
How he was slay[e]n in his tendre youth,
Born to been heir onto his fader deere,
Cresus for sorwe chaunged look & cheere,
And for constreynt off dool, in his visage
He resemblede a verrai ded ymage.

But eueri sorwe, be long continuaunce,
At the laste it sumwhat must aswage;
For ther is noon so furious greuaunce,
Nor so mortal importable rage,
But long processe yeueth hym auauntage:
I meene as thus, ther is noon so gret a sorwe,
But it muste cese, outher eue or morwe.

Philisophres concluden & discerne,
And bi ther resouns recorden in scripture,
Thyng violent may nat been eterne;
Nat in o poynt a-bit noon auenture,
Nor a sorwe alway may nat endure:
For stound[e]meel thoruh Fortunys variaunce
Ther folweth ioie afftir gret greuaunce.

The sorwe off Cresus, thouh it wer intollerable,
And at his herte the greuaunce sat ful sore,
Sith that his dool was irrecuperable,
And mene was non his harmys to restore,
Myn auctour Bochas writ off his wo no more,
But off his fall, how that it fill in deede,
To telle the maner forth he doth proceede.

And for a while he set his stile a-side,
And his processe in parti he forbar
To speke off Cresus, that was kyng off Lide,
And gan resorte to write off Balthazar,
Ageyn rehersyng: or that he was war,

303

How myhti Cirus, off fatal auenture,
Made on hym proudli a disconfiture.

And as it is put in remembraunce,
Off Balthazar to holde up the partie,
Cresus with hym had maad an alliaunce
With al his puissaunce & al his cheualrie,
His liff, his tresour to putte in iupartie,
Sworn in armis as brother onto brother,
Be Cirus venquysshed, the ton afftir the tother.

Ther bothe myscheeff no lenger was delaied,
Al-be that Cresus fauht longe in his diffence,
He fynali be Cirus was outraied
And depryued be knyhtli violence,—
Take in the feeld, ther was no resistence,
And rigorousli, to his confusioun,
With myhti fetris cast in a derk prisoun.

And mor tencrece his gret aduersite,
A sone off his, tendre & yong off age,
That was doumb from his natyuyte
And neuer spak woord in no maner language—
Cirus comaundyng be furious outrage,
That Cresus sholde, be vengable cruelte,
Ba knyht of Perse in prisoun heuedid be,—

And with his suerd as he gan manace,
Cresus taslayn withoute al reuerence,
The doumb[e] child, ther present in the place,
Which neuer had spoke, thus saide in audience:
“Withdrauh thi strok and do no violence
Onto my lord, thi fame for to confounde,
To slen a kyng that lith in prisoun bounde.”

The knyht astonyd, hath his strok forborn,
Gretli abaued in that derk habitacle,
Which herd a child that neuer spak toforn
A-geyn his suerd to maken an obstacle:
Ran & tolde this merueilous myracle
To myhti Cirus, with eueri circumstaunce,
Hopyng therbi tattemprid his greuaunce.

304

But wher-as tirantis be set on cruelte,
Ther crokid malice ful hard is to appese,
So indurat is ther iniquite,
That al in vengaunce is set ther hertis ese,
Themsilff reioisshyng to seen folk in disese,
Lich as thei wer, in ther froward daunger
Clenli fraunchised fro God and his power.

This cruel Cirus, most vengable off desir,
Texecute his fel entent in deede,
Leet make in haste off faget a gret fir,
And gan them kyndle with many colis rede,
And made Cresus, quakyng in his dreede,
For to be take wher-as he lay ful lowe,
And bad men sholde into the fir hym throwe.

But Iubiter, which hath this vengaunce seyn,
How cruel Cirus with malice was atteynt,
From heuene sente a tempest & a reyn,
That sodenli the horrible fir was queynt;
[And] woful Cresus, with dreedful fir maad feynt,
Escapid is his furious mortal peyne—
God and Fortune for hym list so ordeyne.

This auenture, in maner merueilous,
The herte off Cirus gan sumwhat to enbrace,
And caused hym for to been pitous
Ageyn Cresus, & grauntid hym this grace,
To ocupie, whil he hath liff and space,
The lond off Lide; except onli this thyng,
He sholde nat afftir no mor be callid kyng.

And thus off Lide the kyngdam dede fyne,
Which took his gynnyng off oon Ardisius,
And endured the space off kynges nyne,—
Look who will, the bookis telle thus.
Heroff no mor, but forth onto Cirus
I will proceede, with al my wise cure
For to translate his woful auenture.

305

[How the cruel tiraunt Cirus delited euer in slauhtre & shedyng of blood and so ended.]

Heir be discent to gret Astriages,
Poorli brouht forth, as maad is mencioun,
And hadde al Asie to his gret encres,
Holdyng that regne be iust successioun
In long quiete withoute rebellioun,
Til tyme he thouhte, in ful froward wise,
The world was smal to staunche his couetise.

He hadde an etik most contagious
Fretyng vpon hym for desir off good,
A dropesie, hatful and furious,
Off froward rage, that made his herte wood,
A woluysh thrust to sheede manys blood,
Which ouerthwertid, be fals malencolie,
His roial corage into tirannye.

But whan he gan presumptuousli entende
To robbe and reue folk thoruh his pillage,
God & Fortune made hym to descende
Ful sodenli from his roial stage,
Demyng off pride it was a gret vauntage
To wynne londis, off verray force & myht,
Thouh in his conquest ther wer no title off ryht.

To will he gaff hooli the souerynte,
And aduertisid nothyng to resoun,
But preferrid his sensualite
To haue lordshep & domynacioun
A-boue sad trouthe and discrecioun.
Which causith pryncis from ther estat roiall,
Or thei be war, to haue a sodeyn fall.

For the lordshepe off al Asia
Miht nat suffise to Cirus gredynesse,
But thouhte he wolde conquere Cithia,
And ther werreie tencrece his gret richesse,
Thouh he no title hadde off rihtwisnesse,
Sauff a fals lust; wheroff men sholde ha[ue] routhe,
That will in pryncis sholde oppresse trouthe.

306

First this Cirus all pryncis dede excell
Bothe in conquest, victorie and bataile,
Off gold & tresour, as bookis off hym tell:
Kyngdamys to wynne he dede most preuaile;
And yit too vicis dede his herte assaile,
First couetise euere tencrece in good,
With a desir to sheede mennys blood.

With these too vices he brenneth euer in oon,
That neuer myhte from his herte twynne,
Made a gret arme toward Sceptemtrion,
And cast hym proudli to sette on & begynne,
Scithia, the myhti lond, to wynne,
Queen Thamaris ther regnyng, as I fynde,
Whos kyngdam ioyneth to Ethiope and Inde.

Toward the parti which is orientall,
The Se off Surrie floweth ful plenteuous
Doun to the Se callid Occidentall,
And southward renneth toward Coucasus.
And folk off Cithie that been laborious,
Which tile the lond, hanat to ther lyuynge
But onli fruitis which from the erthe sprynge.

The lond off Cithie is riche for the nonys,
For greyn and fruit a lond ful couenable,
Riche off gold, perle and precious stonys,
Riht comodious & wonder delectable;
But a gret parti is nat habitable,
The peeple dreedful to beelde ther mansiouns,
For feer off deth, because off the griffouns.

The noble fame nor the hih renoun
Was nat ferr knowe nor Isprad a-boute
Off Thamaris, queen off that regioun,
Nor off hir noblesse, withynne nor withoute,
Till that kyng Cirus, with a ful gret route,
Into Scithia gan hym proudli dresse,
The hardi queen to spoile off hir richesse.

But she, hir fame mor to magnefie,
Gan in gret haste with ful riche apparaile
Ful prudentli assemble hir cheualrie,
And took a feeld, yiff he hir wolde assaile,

307

Redi with hym to haue[n] a bataile.
And off hir meyne, lich as seith my book,
Onto hir sone the thridde part she took.

And gaff hym charge in the same place,
Hymsilff tacquite that day lik a knyht,
And for to meete Cirus in the face,
And nothyng dreede with hym for to fyht.
But whan kyng Cirus off hym hadde a syht,
Cast hym that day the yong[e] prynce [t]oppresse,
Rather be wilis than manhod or prowesse.

First he leet stuffe his large pauillouns
With gret plente off drynkis delectable,
Duyers metis and confecciouns
Round aboute vpon eueri table;
And in his menyng passyng deceyuable,
Lich as he hadde in maner dreedful be,
Took al his hoost & gan anon to fle.

This yonge prynce, off menyng innocent,
Nothyng demyng as be supposaile,
But that Cirus was with his me[y]ne went
And fledde for feer, he durste hym nat assaile.
And whan he fond such plente off vittaile,
He & his knyhtis thoruh mysgouernaunce,
To ete & drynke set al ther plesaunce.

Thei hadde off knyhthod lost al the disciplyne,
Forsook[e] Mars and put hym out off siht,
And to Bachus ther hedis gan enclyne,
Gorge vpon gorge till it drouh to nyht.
And proude Cirus cam on hem anon riht
With al his hoost, thei out off ther armure,
On bestial folk made a disconfiture.

Cruel Cirus leffte non a-lyue,
Off hih nor low made non excepcioun,
Thei wer to feeble ageyn his myht to stryue:
For cheeff cause off ther destruccioun
Was dronkenesse, which voideth al resoun;
And wise men rehersen in sentence,
Wher folk be dronke ther is no resistence.

308

And whan this slauhtre be relacioun
Reported was and brouht to the presence
Off Thamaris, queen off that regioun,
Onto hir herte it dede ful gret offence.
But off ire and gret inpacience,
Seyng hir sone slayn in tendre age,
For sorwe almost she fill into a rage.

But for al hir woful dedli peyne,
She shewed no tokne off femynyte,
But off prudence hir wepyng gan restreyne,
And caste hir pleynli auengid for to be
Vpon kyng Cirus & on his cruelte.
Sente out meyne tespien his passage,
Yiff she hym myhte fynde at a-vauntage.

And with hir meyne gan feyne a maner fliht
Vp to the mounteyns, dreedful & terrible;
And Cirus afftir gan haste hym anon riht,
In hope to take hir, yiff it wer possible.
Among which hilles, mor than it is credible,
Been craggi roches, most hidous off entaile,
Pereilous off passage & void off al vitaile.

And Cirus ther fill in gret daunger,
Al onpurueied off drogeman or guide;
To fostre his peeple vitaile was non ther,
Erryng as beestis vpon eueri side.
And thei off Scithie gan for hym so prouide,
Wheroff ther queen[e], God wot, was ful fayn,
At gret myscheeff that al his men wer slayn.

Non off alle was take to ransoun,
Nor he hymsilff escapid nat ther boundis,
Such wait was leid to his destruccioun.
And he thoruh perced with many mortal woundis,
On pecis rent, as beris been with houndis,
The queen comaundyng, whan he lay thus totorn,
To hir presence his bodi to be born.

First she hath chargid to smyte off his hed,
Whan she thus hath the victorie off hym wonne.
And in a bath, that was off blood al red,

309

She gan it throwe, withynne a litil tonne.
And off despiht riht thus she hath begonne,
Most tirantli in hir woful rage,
To dede Cirus to hauen this language:

“O thou Cirus, that whilom wer so wood
And so thrustleuh in thi tirannye,
Ageyn Nature to sheede manys blood,
So woluyssh was thyn hatful dropisie,
That merci non myhte it modefie,
Thyn etik ioyned, gredi and onstable,
With thrust off slauhtre ay to be vengable!”

It is an horrour in maner for to thynke
So gret a prynce rebuked for to be
Off a woman, manys blood to drynke,
For to disclaundre his roiall maieste.
But gladli euer vengable cruelte
Off riht requereth, with onwar violence
Blood shad for blood iustli to recompence.

Off myhti Cirus thymperial noblesse
Was bi a woman venquysshid & bor doun;
God made hir chastise his furious woodnesse,
And for toppresse his famous hih renoun:
For wher vengaunce hath dominacioun
In worldli pryncis, pleynli to deuyse,
With onwar strok God can hem weel chastise.

The eende off Cirus can ber ful weel record,
How God withstondith folk that be vengable;
Lordshepe & mercy, whan thei been at discord,
Riht wil nat suffre ther staat to stonde stable.
And for this Cirus was so onmerciable,
He with onmerci punshed was in deede:
Deth quit for deth; loo, heer his fynal meede!

In slauhtre & blood he dede hym most delite;
For in tho tweyne was his repast in deede.
He fond no mercy his vengaunce to respite
Wher he fond mater any blood to sheede,
Such ioie he hadde be deth to see folk bleede;
And for the siht dede hym so mekil good,
His fatal eende was for to swymme in blood.

310

Loo, heer thexequies off this myhti kyng!
Loo, heer the eende off his estat roiall!—
Ther wer no flawmys nor brondis cleer shynyng
To brenne his bodi with fires funerall,
Nor obseruaunces nor offrynges marciall,
Nor tumbe off gold with stonys riche & fyne
Was non ordeyned that day to make his shryne!

Epitaphie ther was non rad nor sunge
Be no poete with ther poetries,
Nor off his tryumphes ther was no belle runge,
Nor no weperis with sobbyng tragedies,—
Non attendaunce, but off his enmyes,
Which off hatrede in ther cruel rage
Cast out his kareyn to beestis most sauage.

Loo, heer off Cirus the fynal auenture,
Which off al Asie was whilom emperour!
Now lith he abiect, withoute sepulture,
Off hih ne low he fond no bet fauour.
Loo, heer the fyn off al worldli labour,
Namli off tirantis, which list nat God to dreede,
But set ther lust in slauhtre, & blood to sheede!

Lenvoye.

Ryht noble Princis, considreth in your siht
The fyn off Cirus, pitous & lamentable,
How God punsheth off equite & riht
Tirantis echon, cruel and vengable:
For in his siht it is abhomynable,
That a prynce, as philisophres write,
In slauhtre off men sholde hymsilff delite.

This said[e] Cirus was a ful manli knyht,
In his begynnyng riht famous & notable,
Nature gaff hym semlynesse & myht;
For in conquest was non seyn mor hable,
Till tirannye, the serpent deceyuable,
Merciles his corage dede atwite,
In slauhtre off men whan he hym gan delite.

311

Wherfore, ye Princis, remembreth day & nyht
Tafforce your noblesse & make it perdurable,
To gete you fauour & loue off euery wyht,
Which shal your statis conserue & keepe stable:
For ther is conquest non so honourable
In gouernaunce, as vengaunce to respite,
Merci preferryng, in slauhtre nat delite.

[How Amilius for couetise slouh his brothir and Remus and Romulus norisshed by a woluesse.]

Afftir kyng Cirus, Bochas dede espie
Too worthi brethre, with facis [ful] pitous,
Born be discent to regne in Albanye,
Bothe off o fadir, the story tellith vs.
The ton off hem callid Amylius,
And to remembre the name [eek] off the tother,
Muniter Icallid was his brother.

Thei hadde a fader, which named was Prochas,
Kyng off that lond, the story doth deuyse.
Afftir whos deth[e], pleynli this the cas,
Amilius for fals[e] couetise
His brother slouh in ful cruel wise,
That he oniustli, be fals[e] tirannye,
Miht ha[ue] the kyngdam alone off Albanye.

This Albania be descripcioun,
Lik as Bochas affermeth in certeyn,
Ys a cite nat ferr fro Rome toun,
Set on an hill beside a large pleyn,
The beeldyng statli, riche and weel beseyn,
Stronge Iwallid, with many riche tour,
And Ascanius was first theroff foundour.

Which callid was in his fundacioun
Albania, for the gret whihtnesse;
Ther kynges afftir be successioun
Named Albanoys, princis off gret noblesse.
And be discent, the story berth witnesse,
Fro kyng Prochas, record on bookis olde,
Cam these too brethre, & Rea, ther suster, tolde.

312

Muniter slayn, as maad is mencioun,
The kyngdam ocupied be Amilius;
And Rea entred into relegioun,
For to be wympled in that hooli hous
Sacred to Vesta, with virgynys glorious,
Ther for tabide and be contemplatiff,
With othre maidnes, duryng al hir liff.

And this was doon whil she was yong off age
Bi hir brother, off fals entencioun,
That she sholde ha[ue] no maner heritage,
Nor cleyme no title in that regioun
Off hir kynreede be non occasioun,
But stonde professid to virgynyte
Tofor Vesta, and lyue in chastite.

Yit natwithstandyng hir virgynal clennesse,
She hath conceyued be natural miracle;
Gan to encrece in hir hoolynesse,
Whos wombe aroos, in Kynde was noon obstacle:
Ageyn such bollyng auaileth no triacle;
But the goddesse for hir so dede ordeyne,
That she attonys hadde sonys tweyne.

The temple off Vesta stood in wildirnesse,
Wher Rea hadde hooli the gouernaunce
Off preestli honour doon to the goddesse,
With many straunge vnkouth obseruaunce.
But bi hir brothris mortal ordenaunce,
Hir yonge sonys myhte nat be socourid,
But cast out to beestis to be deuourid.

But a she-wolff, which whelpid hadde late,
To yeue hem souke dede hir besynesse,
Be God ordeyned, or be sum heuenli fate,
Them to conserue fro deth in ther distresse.
For Hooli Writ pleynli ber[i]th witnesse,
God can diffende, as it is weel kouth,
Childre fro myscheeff in ther tendre youth.

But in this while this said Amilius,
That was ther vncle, as maad is mencioun,
Ageyn his suster froward & furious,
Made hir be shet in a ful derk presoun;

313

And ther compleynyng the destruccioun
Off hir too childre born to hir repreeff,
For veray sorwe deied at gret myscheeff.

These said[e] childre, deuoid off al refut,
Beside a ryuer lay pitousli crieng,
From al socour naked & destitut,
Except a woluesse vpon hem awaityng,
At whos wombe ful stille thei lay sowkyng,
Onto Nature a thyng contrarious,
Childre to souke off beestis rauynous.

But he, this Lord off eueri creature,
Riht as hym list[e] can bothe saue & spille;
And beestis which be rage off ther nature,
He can adaunt & make hem li ful stille,—
Tigres, leouns obeien at his wille.
The same Lord hath maad a fell woluesse
Onto twei childre hir bigges for to dresse.

And whil this woluesse hadde hem in depos,
Ther cam an heerde callid Faustulus,
Beheeld ther sowkyng & sauh hem lyn ful clos,
Which shepperde was off kyng Amilius,
Cauht up these childre, the story tellith thus,
And brouht hem hom with ful gret dilligence
Onto his wiff, that callid was Laurence.

And she for loue dede hir besi peyne
Them to fostre till thei cam to age,
Gaff them sowken off hir brestis tweyne
Fro day to day, off herte and hool corage.
And thei wer callid as in that language,
Afftir the story, the ton off hem Remus,
And the seconde was named Romulus.

Off which[e] brethre, brefli to termyne,
The toun off Rome took his origynall.
Off fals disclaundre first began that lyne,
The roote out souht, ful vicious founde att all,
Cleerli remembred for a memoriall,
Ther gynnyng greuh off such incontinence
As clerkis call incestus in sentence.

314

Incestus is a thyng nat fair nor good,
Afftir that bookis weel deuise cunne,
As trespasyng with kyn or with blood,
Or froward medlyng with hir that is a nunne.
And thus the lyne off Rome was begunne:
For slauhtre, moordre & fals robberie
Was cheeff gynnyng off al ther auncetrie.

Off couetise thei took ther auauntage,
Liggeris off weies & robbours openli,
Moordrers also off ther owne lynage,
And strengest theuys gat to ther cumpany,
Spoilyng all tho that passed hem forby;
Vnder shadwe off kepyng ther beestaile,
Al maner peeple thei proudli dede assaile.

To slen marchantis, thei had no conscience,
And for to moordre folk off eueri age,
Women toppresse off force and violence,
In al that cuntre this was ther vsage:
Wher thei abood ther was no seur passage;
And these too brethre, lik as it is founde,
Fond first the maner off speris sharp Igrounde.

A spere in Greek[e] callid is quiris,
And for that cause, the said[e] Romulus,
As bookis seyn, and sothli so it is,
He afftirward was callid Quirinus.
Which with his brother, that namyd was Remus,
Was in alle thynge confederat & partable,
That tofor God was vicious & dampnable.

And as it was accordyng to ther liff,
For lak off vertu thei fill in gret diffame;
And atwen hem ther was an vnkouth striff,
Which off bothe sholde yeue the name
Onto the cite, atwen ernest & game,
Afftir ther namys Rome to be callid.
Thus fill the cas afforn or it was wallid.

And therupon ful longe last ther stryues,
Which sholde off hem ha[ue] dominacioun,
Shewyng ther titles & prerogatyues,

315

Who sholde off hem yeue name to the toun
And regne as kyng in that regioun.
Ther was no resoun who sholde go beforn,
Because thei wer[e]n bothe attonys born.

But to fynysshe ther fraternal discord,
Thei han prouyded atwen hem anon riht;
Thus condescendyng to put hem at accord
Nouther be force, oppressioun nor myht,
That which off hem first sauh grettest fliht
Off briddes fleen hie vpon an hill,
Sholde name the cite at his owne will.

Off this accord for to ber witnesse,
Thei with hem ladde a ful gret multitude,
Theron to yeue a doom off rihtwisnesse,
Bothe off wise and off peeplis rude,
All attonys this mateer to conclude.
And vp tan hill[e] callid Auentyne,
Thei been ascendid this mateer for to fyne.

And birdis sexe to Remus dede appeere,
Bi augurie as thei gan proceede,
Callid vultures, ful fers in ther manere.
But the noumbre in double dede exceede,
That Romulus sauh, whan he took good heede.
Wheroff ther fill a gret contrauersie,
Which off hem sholde preuaile on his partie.

Thus first off all[e] Remus hadde a siht
Off sexe birdis callid vultures,
And for tauaunce and preferre his riht,
He ful proudli put hymsilff in pres.
But Romulus was nat rek[e]les,
His brothres cleym pleynli to entrouble,
Afforced his title with the noumbre double.

Yit off his purpos on off hem mut faile,
Thouh it so be that thei euer stryue;
But Romulus gan fynali preuaile,
And to the cite foorth he wente blyue.
And, as auctours list echon descryue,

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And in ther bookis as thei rehersen all,
Afftir his name Rome he dede it call.

And all foreyn[e]s for texcluden oute,
And ageyn hem to make strong diffence,
First he began to walle it round aboute,
And made a lawe ful dreedful in sentence:
Who clamb the wall be any violence,
Outward or inward, there is no mor to seie,
Be statut maad, he muste needis deie.

This was enact be ful pleyn ordynaunce,
In peyne off deth, which no man breke shall.
But so befill, Remus off ignoraunce,
Which off the statut kneuh nothyng att all,
Off auenture wente ouer the wall.
For which a knyht ordeyned in certayn,
The said[e] Remus with a pekeis slayn.

His brother list nat in no maner wise
Ageyn the lawe to be fauourable,
But assentid, parcel for couetise,
Vpon Remus to be mor vengable,
Off this entent, to make his regne stable,
That he alone myhte gouerne & non other,
Be no claym founde nor brouht in bi his brother.

And that the peeple sholde hem mor delite,
Ther tabide and ha[ue] possessioun,
As olde auctours off Romulus do write,
Withynne the boundis off the same toun,
That he deuysed, bi gret prouisioun,
In cumpas round, so cronycles compile,
A teritorie that callid was Asile.

This Asilum be Romulus deuised,
Was a place off refuge and socours,
Lik a theatre, with libertes fraunchised,
For to resseyue all foreyn trespassours,
Theuys, moordreris, weiliggeris & robbours,
Be gret resort, withynne the wallis wide,
To fostre all bribours that nowher durste abide.

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And with fled peeple fro dyuers regiouns,
The cite gan tencrece & multeplie;
And banshed folk off straunge naciouns
To fynde refuge thedir gan hem hie.
And thus be processe gan ther cheualrie
First thoruh tirantis, rekles off werkyng,
Till al the world obeied ther biddyng.

Off wilfull force withoute title off riht
Thei brouht al peeple vnder subieccioun.
A cleym thei made be violence & myht,
And took non heed off trouthe nor resoun.
And the first auctour off ther fundacioun
Was Romulus, that gadred al this route
Withynne the cite, & wallid it round aboute.

And many day, as maad is mencioun,
He hadde that cite in his gouernaunce;
And was the firste kyng crownyd in that toun,
And regned ther be contynuaunce
Ful many yeris, till the variaunce
Off Fortune, thoruh hir fals envie,
In Campania made hym for to die

Vpon a day whan it gan thundre loude,
His name for euere to be mor magnefied.
Summe bookis seyn, he was rapt in a cloude,
Hih up in heuene to be stellefied,
With othre goddis estatli deified,
Ther to be stallid be Iubiteris side,
Lik for his knyhtis as Mars list prouide.

Loo, heer off paynymys a fals opynyoun,
To Cristes lawe contrarie and odious,
That tirantis sholde for fals oppressioun
Be callid goddis or named glorious,
Which bi ther lyue wer founde vicious:
For this pleyn trouthe, I dar it riht weel tell,
Thei rathere be feendis ful deepe in hell.

For but in erthe ther dominacioun
Conveied be bi vertuous noblesse,
And that ther power & ther hih renoun

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Be set on trouthe and on rihtwisnesse,
Lich ther estatis, in prynce or in pryncesse,
I dar afferme off them bothe tweyne,
For vicious lyuyng thei mut endure peyne.

But whan thei been feithful off entent,
Riht and trouthe iustli to meynteene,
And in ther roial power be nat blent,
Wrongis redressyng & poore folk susteene,
And so contynue, with conscience most cleene,
Such liff, mor rathe than pompe of worldli werris,
Shal make hem regne in heuene aboue the sterris.

For which lat pryncis vndirstonde attonys,
And worldli princesses, with al ther gret richesse,
That ther hih hornys, fret with riche stonys,
Toward heuene ther passage doth nat dresse.
But vertuous liff, charite and meeknesse,
Whan thei list pride out off ther herte arace,
That causeth hem in heuene to wynne a place.

Ther is no mor straunge abusioun,
Nor tofor God grettere ydolatrie,
Than whan pryncis list cachche affeccioun
Creaturis falsli to deifie,
Be collusioun brouht in be sorcerie.
Now God diffende alle princis weel disposid,
With such fals crafft neuer to been enosid!

And that ther eyen bi non illusiouns
Be nat englued nouther with hook nor lyne,
Nor be no baites off fressh inspecciouns,
Wrouht bi Cirenes, be drynk or medicyne,
Which off ther nature resemble to a shryne,
Thoruh richesse outward & beute souereyne,—
And, who looke inward, be lik a foul kareyne.

God off his grace amende al such outrage
In noble pryncis, & saue hem fro such werre,

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And hem enlumyne, disposyng ther corage
In such fals worshepe that thei no mor ne erre;
Lik to Argus that thei mai seen a-ferre,
That no fals fagyng cause hem to be blynde,
Goddis nor goddessis to worshepe ageyn kynde.

And thouh that Romeyns dede worshepe & honour
To Romulus, bi a constreynt[e] dreede,
Lat no man take exaumple off ther errour,
But to that Lord whos sides were maad rede
To saue mankynde, and on a crosse was dede,—
Lat men to hym in cheeff ther loue obserue,
Which can hem quite bet than thei can disserue.

[How Mecyus kyng of Albanoys beyng fals of his othe and assuraunce/was drawen in to pecys.]

Next Romulus, with teris al bespreynt
Onto Iohn Bochas appered Mecius,
Off cheer & look, & off his port ful feynt,
His fall declaryng, froward and despitous.
And he was callid eek Suffecius,
Louh off birthe, and symple in vpgrowyng,
Off Albanoys till Fortune made hym kyng.

Ageyn whos pride the Romayns gan werreie,
Ful myhtili oppressyng his cuntre;
And for kyng Mecius list hem nat obeie,
Thei caste hem fulli auengid for to be,—
Because his berthe was but off low degre,
And was rise up onto estat roiall,
Thei hem purpose yeue hym a sodeyn fall.

Hasti clymbyng off pouert set on heihte,
Whan wrong[e] title maketh hym to ascende,
With onwar peis off his owne weihte,
A sodeyn fall maketh hym to descende,
Whan he list nat off surquedie entende
Fro whens he cam, nor hymsilff to knowe,
Till God & Fortune his pompe hath ouerthrowe.

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For this Mecius off presumpcioun
Thouhte ageyn Romeyns his pride myhte auaile,
Gan werre ageyn hem be rebellioun,
Was nat feerful ther noblesse to assaile,
Till on a day was signed a bataile,
Bothe ther hoostis withynne a feeld to meete,
To take ther part, were it off sour or sueete.

That tyme in Rome regned Hostilius,
A manli man and a ful worthi knyht;
Tween hym concludid and kyng Mecius,
Thei tweyne to meete in steel armed bryht,
For bothe batailes to trien out the ryht
Be iust accord, and therfro nat varie,
The parti venquysshid to be tributarie,

And hooli put hym in subieccioun,
Withoute entretyng or any mor delay.
And fynali, for short conclusioun,
Kyng Hostilius the tryumphe wan that day,
That Albenoys ne koude nat sey nay,
But that Romeyns, as put is in memorie,
Be synguler bataile hadde wonne the victorie.

Thus hadde Romayns first possessioun
Off Albanoys tobeie hem & to dreede,
Mecius yolde, and sworn onto the toun
Neuer to rebell, for fauour nor for meede.
But for he was double founde in deede
Off his assuraunce, & fals to ther cite,
He was chastised, anon as ye shal see.

Geyn Fidenates, a cuntre off Itaile,
Kyng Hostilius, for ther rebellioun,
Caste he wolde meete hem in bataile
For comoun profit and for diffencioun
Bothe off his cite & off his roial toun.
And for tafforce his parti in werkyng,
Off Albanois he sente onto the kyng,

To come in hast with his hool cheualrie,
And tarie nat in no maner wise,
But make hym strong to sustene his partie
Lich his beheste, as ye han herd deuise.

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But kyng Mecius ful falsli gan practise
A sleihti tresoun and a couert wile,
Ageyn his promis the Romeyns to begile.

Yit he, outward pretendyng to be trewe,
Cam to the feeld with a ful gret meyne,
Lyuyng in hope to see sum chaungis newe,
That he on Rome myhte auengid be,
And speciali that he myhte see
Kyng Hostilius, off froward [fals] envie,
That day outraied with al his cheualrie.

First whan he sauh the Romeyns enbatailed,
And Fidynates on that other side,
Ther wardis redi for to haue assailed,
He couertli dede on an hill abide,
And to nor fro list nat go nor ride,
Nor his persone putte in iupartie,
But who was strengest, to holde on that partie.

Wheroff the Romayns fill in suspecioun
Off kyng Mecius whan thei token heed,
Till Hostilius off hih discrecioun,
Thoruh his knyhthod put hem out off dreed,
And gan dissymyle off Mecius the falsheed;
And to conforte his knyhtis off entent,
Seide what he dede was doon bi his assent.

He was ful loth that his cheualrie
Sholde knowe theffect off Mecius tresoun,
Which cause myhte, in al or in partie,
Ful gret hyndryng be sum occasioun,
To deeme in hym falsnesse or tresoun;
Yit off trouthe, the story berth witnesse,
Al that he mente was ontrouthe & falsnesse.

Thus off manhod and off hih prudence
He to his knyhtis gaff herte & hardynesse,
Made hem sette on be so gret violence,
That he the feeld[e] gat off heih prowesse,
On Fidynates brouht in so gret distresse,
And so outraied off force on eueri side,
Tofor Romayns that thei ne durste abide.

322

And whan Mecius sauh hem thus outraied,
Bi a maner off feyned fals gladnesse,
Lik as he hadde in herte be weel [a]paied,
To Hostilius anon he gan hym dresse,
Hymsilff reioisshyng bacountirfet liknesse:
And for his menyng pleynli was conceyued,
So as he cam, riht so he was receyued.

Thus whan Mecius stood in his presence
With a pretense off feithful stabilnesse,
And al thapport off trouthe in apparence,
He shadwed hath his expert doubilnesse—
Under soote hony, couert bittirnesse,
Freendli visage, with woordis smothe & pleyne,
Thouh mouth & herte departed wer on tweyne.

But Hostilius hath al his fraude espied
And his compassed falsnesse and tresoun,
And therupon hath iustli fantasied
A peyne accordyng, Ipeised off resoun,
Hym to pun[y]she badouble passioun;
This to meene, lik as he was deuyded,
A double torment for hym he hath prouyded.

This was his doom and his fatal peyne,
Be Hostilius contryued off iustise:
His feet, his armys tween chariettis tweyne,
Naked and bare, the story doth deuise,
To be bounde and knet in trauers wise,
Contrariousli the hors to drawe & hale
Till al his bodi wer rent on pecis smale.

And riht as he was cause off ful gret trouble,
Founde ay in deede most ful off variaunce,
Therfor his peyne was maad in maner double,
Riht as hymsilff was double in gouernaunce:
Fals off his oth, off heste and assuraunce,
And double in menyng as he hath perseuerid,
So at his eende his membris wer disseuered.

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His feet wer drawe from the hed assonder,
Ther was no ioynt with other for tabide:
Heer was a legg, and an arm lay yonder;
Thus ech membre from other gan deuide.
And for he koude holde on outher side,
Be fals pretense to outher parti trewe,
Hym to chastise was founde a peyne newe.

Bochas ageyn doubilnes and fals symulacion.

Lo, heer the eende off double fals menyng,
Whan woord & herte be contrarious,
Oth & beheste fals founden in a kyng,
Off Albanoys as was this Mecius!
O noble Pryncis, prudent and vertuous,
Lat neuer story afftir mor recorde,
That woord & deede sholde in you discorde.

For kyng Mecius variaunt off corage,
Whos inward menyng was euer on tresoun set,
Treynes contreuyng with a fair visage,
His thouht, his herte with double corde fret,
Be Bochas called deceit and fals baret,
Which vice descryuyng, concludeth off resoun,
Fraude off all fraudes is fals decepcioun.

For with a face flatryng and pesible,
Pretendyng trouthe vnder fals plesaunce,
With his panteris pereilous & terrible
Trappeth innocentis with granys off myschaunce,—
I meene deceit, that with hir c[o]untenaunce
Folkis englueth, symple and rek[e]les,
And them werreieth vnder a face off pes.

Puissaunce off pryncis famous & honourable
Hath be deceyued bi this traitouresse,
And folk most prudent in ther estat notable
Ha[ue] be distourbled be such fals doubilnesse;

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And many a knyht victorious off prowesse
Hath been entriked, for al his hih renoun,
Be treynes founde off deceit and tresoun.

Deceit deceyueth and shal be deceyued,
For be deceit[e] who is deceyuable,
Thouh his deceitis be nat out parceyued,
To a deceyuour deceit is retournable;
Fraude quit with fraude is guerdoun couenable:
For who with fraude fraudulent is founde,
To a diffraudere fraude will ay rebounde.

[Off kyng Hostilius that first wered purpill hewe consumpt with firy Levene.]

What sholde I mor off deceit endite,
Touchyng the fraude of kyng Mecius?
For I me caste now fynali to write
The fatal eende off kyng Hostilius,
Which was the firste, as seith Valerius,
In Rome cite that auctour[e]s knewe,
Among kynges, that wered purpil hewe.

But afftir al his tryumphal noblesse
And many vnkouth knyhtli hih emprise,
Fortune tappalle the pris off his prowesse,
Made hym to be, in ful froward wise,
Rekles and slouh[e] to do sacrifise
To Iubiter; for which, sent from heuene,
He was consumpt with sodeyn firi leuene.

Heer men mai seen the reuoluciouns
Off Fortunys double purueiaunce:
How the most myhti off Romayn champiouns
Haue sodenli be brouht onto myschaunce;
And ther outrages to put in remembraunce,
Grete conquestis turned to wo fro ioie,
For a rebuk I sende hem this lenuoie.

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[Lenuoie.]

Rome, remembre off thi fundacioun,
And off what peeple thou took[e] thi gynnyng:
Thi bildyng gan off fals discencioun,
Off slauhtre, moordre & outraious robbyng,
Yevyng to vs a maner knowlechyng,—
A fals begynnyng, auctours determyne,
Shal be processe come onto ruyne.

Wher be thyn Emperours, most souereyn off renoun?
Kynges exiled for outraious lyuyng?
Thi senatours, with worthi Scipioun?
Poetis olde thi tryumphes rehersyng,
Thi laureat knyhtis, most statli ther ridyng,
Thyn aureat glorie, thy noblesse tenlumyne,
Is be long processe brouht onto ruyne.

Wher is now Cesar, that took possessioun
First off thempire, the tryvmphe vsurpyng?
Or wher is Lucan, that maketh mencioun
Off al his conquest be cerious writyng?
Octovian most solempneli regnyng?
Wher is become ther lordshepe or ther lyne?
Processe off yeris hath brouht it to ruyne.

[Where is the palace or royall mancion,
With a statue clere of golde shining
By Romulus wrought & set on that dongeon?
Where is thy temple of christal bright shewing,
Made half of gold, most rich[e]ly moustryng
Þe heauenly spheres, by compasse wrought & line,
Which that long processe hath brought vnto ruine?]

Wher is Tullius cheeff lanterne off thi toun,
In rethorik all other surmountyng?
Moral Senek or prudent sad Catoun,
Thi comoun proffit alwei preferryng,

326

Or rihtful Traian, most iust in his demyng,
Which on no parti list nat to declyne?
But long processe hath brouht al to ruyne.

Wher is the temple off thi proteccioun
Maad be Virgile, most corious off beeldyng?
Ymages erect for eueri regioun,—
Whan any land was founde rebellyng,
Toward that part a smal belle herd ryngyng,
To that prouynce thymage dede enclyne,—
Which bi long processe was brouht onto ruyne.

Wher is also the grete extorsioun
Off consuleris and prefectis oppressyng?
Off dictatours the fals collusioun?
Off decemvir the froward deceyuyng?
And off tribunys the fraudulent werkyng?
Off alle echon the odious rauyne
Hath be processe the brouht onto ruyne.

Wher is become thi dominacioun?
The grete tributis thi tresours enrichyng?
The world al hool in thi subieccioun,
The suerd off vengaunce all peeplis manacyng,
Euer gredi tencrece in thi getyng,
Nothyng be grace, which that is dyuyne,
Which hath the brouht be processe to ruyne.

In thi most hiest exaltacioun,
Thi proude tirantis provyncis conqueryng,
To God contraire be long rebellioun,
Goddis, goddessis falsli obeieng,
Aboue the sterris bi surquedous clymbyng,
Till [olde] vengaunce thi noblesse dede ontwyne
With newe compleyntis to shewe thi ruyne.

Ley doun thi pride and thi presumpcioun,
Thi pompous boost, thi lordshepis encresyng,
Confesse thyn outrage, & lei thi boost a-doun,
Alle false goddis pleynli diffieng!
Lefft up thyn herte onto that heuenli kyng,

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Which with his blood, thi sorwes for to fyne,
Hath maad thi ransoun to saue the fro ruyne!

From olde Saturne drauh thyn affeccioun,
His goldene world[e] fulli despisyng;
And fro Iubiter make a digressioun,
His siluerene tyme hertili dispreisyng.
Resorte ageyn with will and hool menyng
To hym that is Lord off thordres nyne,
Which meekli deide to saue the fro ruyne.

Thouh Mars be myhti in his ascencioun,
Be influence victories disposyng,
And brihte Phebus yeueth consolacioun
To worldli pryncis, ther noblesse auaunsyng,—
Forsake ther rihtis and thi fals offryng,
And to that Lord bowwe doun thi chyne,
Which shadde his blood to saue the fro ruyne!

Wynged Mercurie, cheeff lord and patroun
Off eloquence and off fair spekyng,
Forsak his seruise in thyn opynyoun,
And serue the Lord that gouerneth all thyng—
The sterrid heuene, the speeris eek meuyng,
Which for thi sake was crownyd with a spyne,
His herte eek perced to saue the fro ruyne!

Cast up off Venus the fals derisioun,
Hir firi brond, hir flatries renewyng,
Off Diana the transmutacioun,
Now briht, now pale, now cleer[e], now drepyng,
Off blynde Cupide the fraudulent mokkyng,
Off Iuno, Bachus, Proserpina, Lucyne:
For non but Crist may saue the fro ruyne!

Voide off Circes the bestiall poisoun,
Off Cirenes the furious chauntyng;
Lat nat Medusa do the no tresoun,
And fro Gorgones turne thi lookyng;
And lat Sinderesis ha[ue] the in kepyng,

328

That Crist Iesu may be thi medicyne
Geyn such raskaile to saue the fro ruyne!

Off fals ydoles mak abiuracioun,
To Simulacres do no worshepyng;
Mak thi resort to Cristes passioun,
Which may be merci redresse thyn erryng,
And be his grace repare thi fallyng,
So thou obeie his vertuous disciplyne,
Truste that he shal restore thi ruyne.

His merci is surmountyng off foisoun,
Euer encreceth withoute amenusyng,
Ay at the fulle ech tyme and ech sesoun,
And neuer waneth be non eclipsyng.
Whan men list make deuoutli ther reknyng,
To leue ther synne & kome to his doctryne,
He redi is to keepe hem fro ruyne.

O Rome, Rome, al old abusioun
Off cerimonies falsli disusyng,
Ley hem a-side, and in conclusioun,
Cri God merci, thi trespacis repentyng!
Truste he wil nat refuse thyn axyng,
The to receyue to laboure in his vyne,
Eternali to saue the fro ruyne.

O noble Pryncis, off hih discrecioun
Seeth in this world ther is non abidyng,
Peiseth conscience atwen will and resoun
Whil ye ha[ue] leiser, off herte ymagynyng,
Ye ber nat hen[ne]s but your disseruyng:
Lat this conceit ay in your thouhtis myne,
Bexaumple off Rome how al goth to ruyne!

Explicit liber Secundus. Sequitur prologus libri tercij.

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PART II

BOOK III.

[Prologue.]

Lik a pilgrym which that goth on foote,
And hath non hors to releue his trauaile,
Hot, drie [&] wery, & fynde may no boote
Off welle cold, whan thrust hym doth assaile,
Wyn nor licour, that may to hym auaile,
Riht so fare I, which in my besynesse
No socour fynde my rudnesse to redresse.

I meene as thus: I ha[ue] no fressh licour
Out off the conduitis off Calliope,
Nor thoruh Clio in rethorik no flour
In my labour for to refresshe me,
Nor off the sustren, in noumbre thries thre,
Which with Cithera on Pernaso duell,—
Thei neuer me gaff drynk onys off ther well!

Nor off ther sprynges cleer & cristallyne,
That sprang be touchyng off the Pegase,
The fauour lakkith my makyng tenlumyne,
I fynde ther bawme off so gret scarsete,
To tame ther tunnys with sum drope of plente;
For Poliphemus thoruh his gret blyndnesse
Hath in me dirked off Argus the brihtnesse.

Our liff heer short, off wit the gret dulnesse,
The heuy soule troublid with trauaile,
And off memorie the glacyng brotilnesse,—
Dreed & onkunnyng ha[ue] maad a strong bataile
With werynesse my sperit to assaile,
And with ther subtil crepyng in most queynte
Ha[ue] maad my sperit in makyng for to feynte.

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And ouermor, the feerful frowardnesse
Off my stepmooder callid oblyuyoun,
Hath maad a bastile off foryetilnesse,
To stoppe the passage & shadwe my resoun,
That I myht haue no cleer direccioun
In translatyng off newe to quikke me,
Stories to write off old antiquite.

Thus was I set, and stood in double werre
At the meetyng off feerful weies tweyne.
The ton was this, who-euer list to lere,
Where-as good[e] will gan me constreyne,
Bochas taccomplisshe for to do my peyne,
Cam Ignoraunce with a maas off dreede
Mi penne tarreste; I durst[e] nat proceede.

Thus be my-selff remembryng on this book,
It to translate how I hadde vndirtake,
Ful pale off cheer, astonyd in my look,
Myn hand gan tremble; my penne I felte quake,
That disespeired, I hadde almost forsake
So gret a labour, dreedful & inportable,
It to parfourme I fond my-silff so onable.

Twen the residue off this gret iourne
And litil part theroff that was begunne,
I stood chekmaat for feer whan I gan see
In my weie how litil I hadde runne;
Lik taman that failed day & sunne,
And hadde no liht taccomplisshe his viage,
So ferr I stood a-bak in my passage.

The nyht cam on, dirked with ignoraunce,
Mi witt was dull be cleernesse to discerne
In rethorik for lak off suffisaunce,
The torchis out, & queynt was the lanterne.
And in this caas my stile to gouerne,
Me to forthre I fond non other muse
But, hard as ston, Pierides and Meduse.

Support was non my dulnesse for to guie;
Pouert approchid; in stal crokid age:
Mercurie absent and Philologie;
Mi purs ay liht and void off al coignage.

331

Bachus ferr off to glade my corage;
An ebbe off plente; scarsete atte fulle,
Which of an old man makth the sperit dulle.

But hope & trust to putte away dispair
Into my mynde off newe gan hem dresse;
And cheeff off all to make the wethir fair,
Mi lordis fredam and bounteuous largesse
Into myn herte brouht in such gladnesse,
That thoruh releuyng off his benygne grace,
Fals Indigence list me no mor manace.

A, how it is an hertli reioishyng
To serue a prynce that list to aduertise
Off ther seruauntis the feithful iust menyng,
And list considre to guerdone ther seruise.
And at a neede list hem nat despise,
But from al daunger that sholde hem noye or greue
Been euer redi to helpe hem and releue.

And thus releued be the goodliheed,
And thoruh the noblesse off this most knyhtli man,
Alle mystis cleerid off disespeir & dreed,
Trust, hope and feith into myn herte ran;
And on my labour anon forthwith I gan:
For be cleer support off my lordis grace,
Al foreyn lettyng fro me I dede enchace.

Folkis that vse to make grete viages,
Which vndirfonge long trauaile & labour,
Whan thei ha[ue] doon gret part off ther passages,
Off werynesse tasswagen ther rigour,
Ageyn feyntise to fynde sum fauour,
Looke offte ageyn, parcell to be releued,
To seen how moch ther iourne is a-cheued.

Cause whi thei so offte looke ageyn,
Bakward turne look and eek visage,
Is onli this: that it may be seyn
To them how moch is doon off ther viage.
Eek weri folk that gon on pilgrymage
Reste hem sumwhile a ful large space,
Laborious soot to wipen from ther face.

332

Ther heuy fardell among thei caste doun
At certeyn boundis to do ther bakkis ese,
At wellis colde eek off entencioun
Drynke fressh watris ther greuous thrust tapese,
Or holsum wynes ther appetit to plese,
Reknyng the miles be computaciouns,
Which thei ha[ue] passid, off castellis & off touns.

It doth hem ese the noumbre for to knowe
Sithe thei began off many gret iournees,
Off hih[e] mounteyns and off valis lowe,
And straunge sihtes passyng be cuntrees,
Thunkouth bildyng off burwes & citees,
Countyng the distaunce fro toun[e]s & the spacis:
This ther talkyng at ther restyng placis.

The residue and the surplusage
Thei rekne also off ther labour komyng,
Thynke it is a maner auauntage
To haue & seen a cleer[e] knowlechyng
Off thynges passid & thynges eek folwyng;
For to ther hertis it doth ful gret plesaunce,
Whan al such thyng is put in remembraunce.

And semblabli Iohn Bochas, as I fynde,
Gan turne his bak, look and c[o]untenaunce,
And to remembre, apoyntyng in his mynde
To the stories rehersed in substaunce
In his too bookis off sorwe & displesaunce,
Hymsilff astonyd, merueilyng a gret deel
The fall off pryncis fro Fortunys wheel.

Off ther onhapp, as he doth reherce,
Toward hemsilff the cause doth rebounde;
Ther clymbyng up the heuenes for to perce,
In worldli richesse tencrecen and habounde,
Ther gredi etik doth hemsilff confounde;
And ther thrust off hauyng onstaunchable
Causeth ther noblesse to be so variable.

Hih clymbyng up, off resoun who can see,
Dulleth off braynes the memoriall,
Blunteth the sihte, in hih & low degre,
Which from a-loffte makith hem haue a fall.

333

Men seyn off old, who that coueitith all,
At onset hour suchon shal nat chese,
But al his gadryng attonys he shal lese.

For worldli folk which so hih arise
With the gret peis off worldli habundaunce,
And with the weihte off froward couetise,—
Namli wher Fortune holdeth the ballaunce,—
With onwar turn off sum onhappi chaunce,
This stormy queen, this double fals goddesse,
Plungeth hem doun from al ther gret richesse.

Wherfore Bochas heeroff to make a preeff
Sheweth to purpos a sentence ful notable,
A cleer exaumple off onwar such myscheeff,
Write off an auctour be maner off a fable,
Al-be the menyng be ful comendable,
And weel accordyng in conclusioun
To the cleer purpos off this entencioun.

Finis Prologi.

[Incipit liber Tercius]

[How Andalus doctor of Astronomye concludith/ how princys sholdenot atwite constellacions nor fortune of theire vnhappy fallyng but theire owne demeritys and vicious lyuyng.]

At Naples whilom, as he doth specefie,
In his youthe whan he to scoole went,
Ther was a doctour off astronomie,
Famous off cunnyng & riht excellent.
Off hym rehersyng, shortli in sentement,
His ioie was most to studyen and to wake;
And he was callid Andalus the blake.

He radde in scoolis the meuyng off the heuene,
The kynde off sterris and constellaciouns,
The cours also off the planetis seuene,
Ther influencis and ther mociouns,
And heeld also in his opynyouns,
The fall off pryncis, the cause weel out souht,
Cam off themsilff & off Fortune nouht.

334

Nor the sterris wer nothyng to wite,
Be ther meuyng nor be ther influence,
Nor that men sholde off riht the heuene atwite
For no froward worldli violence:
For this clerk ther concluded in sentence,
How men be vertu longe may contune
From hurt off sterris outher off Fortune.

Ther owne desert is cheeff occasioun
Off the onhap, who-so taketh heede,
And ther demeritis onwarli put hem doun,
Whan vicious liff doth ther bridil leede.
Cours off Fortune nor off the sterris rede
Hyndrith nothyng geyn ther felicite,
Sithe off fre chois thei ha[ue] ful liberte.

God punsheth synne in many maner wise;
Summe he chastisith for ther owne auail:
Men may off resoun in such cas deuise,
Synne ay requereth vengaunce at his tail.
God off Fortune taketh no counsail,
Nor from hir meuyng no man is mor fre,
As clerkis write, than is Glad Pouerte.

And onto purpos, this auctour ful notable,
To his scoleris ther beyng in presence,
Ful demurli gan reherse a fable,
With many a colour off sugred eloquence;
Theron concludyng the summe off his sentence
Touchyng a striff, which he dede expresse,
Atwen Glad Pouert & this blynd goddesse.

[A disputacion between fortune & glad pouert.]

Qvod Andalus: “Whilom off fortune
In a streiht place ther sat Glad Pouerte,
Which resemblid off look & figure
A rekles woman, most ougli on to see,
At a naruh meetyng off hih-weies thre,
Al totorn, to-raggid and to-rent,
A thousend pachchis vpon hir garnement.

335

She was hidous bothe off cheer and face,
And in semyng void off sorwe and dreed.
And bi that way as Fortune dede pace,
And off Glad Pouert sodenli took heed,
She gan to smyle & lauhhe at hir in deed,
Bi a maner scornyng in certeyn,
Off hir array she hadde so gret disdeyn.

Whos froward lauhtre, whan Pouert dede espie
How she off hir hadde indignacioun,
She roos hire up off hih malencolie,
Pleynli to shewe hire entencioun,
Withoute good day or salutacioun,
Doyng to Fortune no maner reuerence,
Vnder these woordis declaryng hir sentence:

‘O thou Fortune, most fool off foolis all,
What cause hastow for to lauhhe at me,
Or what disdeyn is in thyn herte fall?
Spare neueradeel, tell on, lat me see,
For I ful litil haue a-do with the;
Off old nor newe I ha[ue] noon aqueyntaunce
Nouther with the nor with thi gouernaunce.’

And whan Fortune beholdeth the maneer
Off Glad Pouert in hir totorn[e] weede,
And kneuh also be contenaunce & cheer,
How she off hire took but litil heede,
Lik as she hadde to hir no maner neede,—
The which[e] thynges conceyued and Iseyn,
To Pouerte she ansuerde thus ageyn:

‘Mi scornful lauhtre pleynli was for the,
Whan I the sauh so megre, pale and leene,
Nakid and cold, in gret aduersite,
Scabbid, scuruy, scallid and oncleene
On bak and body, as it is weel seene.
Many a beeste walke in ther pasture,
Which day be day off newe thou doost recure.

336

Hauyng nothyng to wrappyn in thyn hed
Sauff a brod hat, rent out off nattis olde,
Ful offten hungri for defaute off bred,
Slepyng on straw[e] in the frostis colde.
And wher thou comest, as men may weel beholde,
For feer off the, childre them withdrawe,
And many a dogge hath on thi staff ignawe.

To alle estatis thou art most odious,
Men with the will ha[ue] no daliaunce,
Thi felaship is so contrarious,
Wher thou abidest ther may be no plesaunce.
Folk hate so dedli thi froward aqueyntaunce,
That fynali, I dar conclude off the,
Wher-euer thou comest thi felaship men fle!’

Whan Glad Pouert gan pleynli vndirstonde
These rebukes rehersed off Fortune,
The rud[e] resouns that she took on honde,
Which frowardli to hire she dede entune,
As Pouert were a refus in comune,
Bi the repreuis that Fortune on hir laide;
For which Pouert replied ageyn & saide:

‘Fortune,’ quod she, ‘touchyng this debat,
Which off malice thou doost ageyn me take,
Be weel certeyn, touchyng my poore estat,
I off fre will thi fauour ha[ue] forsake.
And thouh folk seyn thou maist men riche make,
Yit I ha[ue] leuere be poore with gladnesse,
Than with trouble possede gret richesse.

For thouh thou seeme benygne & debonaire
Bi a maner countirfet apparence,
Fat & weel fed, with rounde chekis faire,
With many colours off trouthe as in pretence,
As ther off feith wer werrai existence,—
But vnder all thi floures off fresshnesse
The serpent glidith, off chaung & doubilnesse.

And thouh thi clothyng be of purpil hewe,
With gret awaityng off many chaumbereris,
Off gold & perle ech dai chaunges newe,
Clothes off gold & sondry fressh atiris,
And in thyn houshold ful many officeris,—

337

Yit I dar weel putte in iupartie,
With the to plete and holde chaumpartie.’

Thus Glad Pouert gan wexen inportune,
Off cheer contraire, off look & off language,
Ageyn this ladi which callid is Fortune,
That off disdeyn she fill into a rage:
‘Behold,’ quod she, ‘off Pouert the corage,
In wrechidnesse standyng disconsolat,
How ageyn me she is now obstynat!

She cannat see, how she stant outraied,
Fer from the fauour off my felicite,
Yit off pride she is nat disamaied,
Nor list nat bowwe for tobeie me,
Thouh she be cast in mendicite,
Ferthest a-bak, I do you weel assure,
In myscheeff set off any creature.

But treuli, Pouert, for al thi truaundise,
Maugre thi pride and thi gret outrage,
I shal the pun[y]she in ful cruel wise,
To make the loute vnder my seruage.
Which resemblest a dedli pale ymage,
That were off newe rise out off his graue,
And yit off pride darst ageyn me raue.’

But whan Fortune hadde these woordis said,
Glad Pouert gan falle in gret gladnesse,
And ageyn Fortune with a sodeyn braid,
She gan hir conceit out shewe & expresse:
‘Fortune,’ quod she, ‘thouh thou be a goddesse
Callid off foolis, yit lerne this off me,
From thi seruage I stonde at liberte.

But yiff I shal algatis haue a-doo
With the in armis, most cruel & vengable,
Touchyng the quarel that is atwen vs too,
Ther is o thyng to me riht confortable,
That thi corage is flekeryng & onstable;
And wher an herte is in hymsilff deuyded,
Victorie in armys for hym is nat prouyded.

338

Me list[e] nouther flatre the nor fage,
Nor the tenoynte be adulacioun,
Thouh flat[e]rie & feyned fals language
Approprid be to thi condicioun;
And in despit off thi presumpcioun,
I ha[ue] forsake off my fre volunte
All the tresours off worldli vanite.

Whilom I was, as thou hast deuised,
Seruant to the, and onto thi tresours;
But fro thi daunger now that I am fraunchised,
Sekyng off the nouther helpe nor socours,
Manace kynges & myhti emperours:
For Glad Pouert, late nouther soone,
With thi richessis hath nothyng to doone.

For thouh thou haue enbracid in thi cheyne
Worldli pryncis & goodes transitorie,
And riche marchantis vndir thi demeyne,
Yeuest to knyhthod conquest and victorie,
The fadyng palme off laude & veynglorie,—
But whan echon thi fauour han recurid,
Than is Glad Pouert fre fro thi lure assurid.

All thi seruantis standen vnder dreede,
Quakyng for feer[e] off thi doubilnesse;
For nouther wisdam, force nor manheede,
Fredam, bounte, loue nor ientilesse
Mai in thi fauour ha[ue] no sekirnesse;
Thei be so possid with wyndis in thi barge,
Wher-as Glad Pouert goth freli at his large.

Thi manacyng doth me no duresse,
Which worldli pryncis dredyn euerichon.
Thei may weel quake for losse off gret richesse;
But I, Glad Pouert, theroff desire non,
As flowe & ebbe al worldli thyng mut gon;
For afftir flodis off Fortunys tyde,
The ebbe folweth, & will no man abide.

339

Flowe and ebbe be to me bothe aliche;
I dreede nothyng thi mutabilite,
Mak whom thou list[e] outher poore or riche;
For I nothyng will requere off the,
Nouther lordshepe nor gret prosperite:
For with thi gifftes who that hath to doone,
Off chaunges braideth offter than the moone.

Out off pouert cam first these emperours
That were in Rome crownyd with laurer;
Fredam & largesse made hem first victours,
Causyng ther fame to shyne briht and cleer,
Till couetise brouht hem in daunger,
Whan thei off foli, in ther most excellence,
To thi doubilnesse dede reuerence.

For whan fredam a prynce doth forsake,
And couetise put awei largesse,
And streihtnesse is into houshold take,
And negardship exilith ientilesse,
Than is withdrawe from ther hih noblesse
The peeplis herte; and, pleynli to deuise,
Off ther seruauntis farweel al good seruise.

Al such sodeyn chaungis in comune
In this world vsid now fro day to day,
Echon thei come be fraude off fals Fortune;
Experience hath put it at assay,
Loue, trouthe & feith be gon [so] ferr away.
And yiff that trust with pryncis wil nat tarie,
Litil merueile thouh the peeple varie.

For thoruh thi chaungis off fraudulent fairnesse,
Ther is now vsid in eueri regioun
Glad cheer out shewed with couert doubilnesse,
Vnder the courtyn off symulacioun.
So secre now is adulacioun,
That in this world may be no sur[e]te,
But yiff it reste in Glad Pouerte.

Yit off thi pereilous froward variaunce
I sette no stor, treuli as for me;
For al thi frenship concludeth with myschaunce,
With sodeyn myscheeff off mutabilite,
Which yeueth me herte to haue a-do with the:

340

For suffisaunce in my poore estaat
Shal to thi chaunges seyn sodenli chekmaat.’

Fortune almost with anger disespeired,
Off these woordis took ful gret greuaunce.
‘Pouert,’ quod she, ‘which maist nat been apeired!
But I now shewe ageyn the my puissaunce,
Men wolde litil accounte my substaunce,
O myhti Pouert! O stronge Hercules!
Which ageyn[s] me puttest thi-silff in pres!

Supposest thou it sholde the auaile,
Outher be force or be hardynesse
To haue a-do with me in bataile,
Which am off conquest & off hih prowesse
In armys callid ladi and pryncesse?
For ther is non so myhti conquerour,
That may preuaile withoute my fauour.’

Off these woordis Pouert nothyng afferd,
Ansuerde ageyn, thus pleynli in sentence:
‘Thouh heer I ne haue spere, sheeld nor suerd,
Nor chosen armour to stonden at diffence,
Pollex nor dagger to make resistence,
But bare and naked, anon it shal be seyn,
Wher thou with me darst wrastlen on this pleyn.

Which shal be doon vnder condicioun
That non off vs shal hymsilff withdrawe,
But stille abide off entencioun,
Till he that venquysshe ordeyned hath a lawe,
Such as hym likith, ageyn[e]s his felawe.
The which[e] lawe shal nat be delaied
To be acomplisshid on hym that is outraied.’

Off whos woordes Fortune ageyn gan smyle,
That Pouert proffred so proudli to assaile.
And vpon this she stynte a litil while,
And to Pouert she putte this opposaile:
‘Who shal,’ quod she, ‘be iuge off this bataile,
Or yeue a doom iustli atwen vs tweyne
Off this quarell which we shal darreyne?

341

I axe also a-nother questioun
Touchyng thi profre off furious outrage:
Wher-as thou puttest a condicioun
And a lawe with ful proud language,—
Wher shaltow fynden pleggis or hostage
To keepe the promys which thou doost ordeyne,
Theroff tabide the guerdoun or the peyne?

I meene as thus: yiff ther be set a lawe
Atween vs too or a condicioun
Be sur[e]te, which may nat be withdrawe,
As vnder bond or obligacioun;
But there is nouther lawe nor resoun
May bynde a beggere, yiff it be weel souht,
Whan it is preued that he hath riht nouht.

Thi sect off pouert hath a proteccioun
From all statutis to gon at liberte,
And from al lawe a pleyn exempcioun:
Than folweth it, yiff thou bounde the
To any lawe that may contreuid be,
It wer fraude, pleynli to endite,
Which hast riht nouht thi parti to aquite.

Thou art so feeble, yiff it cam therto,
That thou were brouht onto vttraunce,
For noun power, whan al that wer do,
Thou sholdist faile to make thi fynaunce,
Bothe destitut off good and off substaunce;
And sithe no lawe thi persone may coarte,
It wer foli with suchon to iuparte.

Yiff I wolde compulse the to wrak,
Taxe off the the tresour off kyng Darie,
On that parti thou stondest ferr abak,
Mi paiement so longe sholde tarie,
Indigence wolde make the to varie.
And yiff I wolde thi persone eek compare
To Alisandre,—thi sides been ful bare!

And fynali thou stondest in such caas
Off miserie, wrechidnesse and neede,
That thou myhtest off resoun seyn allas,
Bothe forsake off frenshipe & kenreede,
And ther is non dar plegge the for dreede:

342

Yit lik a fool supprisid with veynglorie,
Hopest off me to wynne the victorie.’

Quod Glad Pouert, ‘I doute neueradeel
That the victorie shal passen on my side.
Plegge & hostages, lat hem go farweel!
I axe no mor off al thi grete pride,
But to the eende that thou wilt abide.
Plegge thi feith, al-be that sum men seith,
To truste in Fortune ther is ful litil feith.

And for my part, in this hih emprise,
Sithe I ha[ue] pleggis nouther on nor tweyne,
Mor sur hostage can I nat deuise,
But yiff so be the victorie thou atteyne,
Than yelde my bodi bounden in a cheyne,
Perpetueli, lik the condicioun,
With the tabide fettrid in prisoun.’

Than Fortune louh mor than she dede afforn,
Whan she sauh Pouert so presumptuous;
In hir arrai al ruggid and totorn,
And hadde nouther rente, lond nor hous.
‘It is,’ quod she, ‘a thyng contrarious
Onto nature, who that can aduerte,
To a beggere to haue a sturdi herte.

And yiff that I the venquisshid in bataile,
It were to me no worshepe nor auauntage,—
What sholde thi bodi onto me auaile,
The tenprisowne streihtli in a cage?
It sholde been a charge and a costage,
Thyn empti wombe ech day to fulfill,
Yiff thou myhtest haue vitaile at thi will!

And yiff I wolde my-silff to magnefie,
Tokne off tryumphe afftir my char the leede,
Men wolde deeme it a maner moquerie,
And seyn in scorn: ‘tak off that fool good heede,
How he a beggere hath ouercome in deede,
Fauht with hym for to encrece his name,
Which conquest turneth to his disclandre & shame!’

343

Yit whan I haue brouht the to vttraunce,
Mi power shewed and my grete myht,
And thyn outrage oppressid bi vengaunce,—
Afftir al this, as it is skile and riht,
It shal be kouth in eueri manys siht,
Out declarid the gret[e] difference
Twen thi feblesse & my gret excellence.

Than to represse thi surquedie attonys,
Cruel Orchus, the teidogge infernall,
Shal reende thi skyn assonder fro thi bonys,
To shewe my power, which is imperiall,
And to declare in especiall,
Pouert recleymed onto Pridis lure,
With me to plete may no while endure.’

And sodenli, or Glad Pouert took heed,
Fortune proudli first began tassaile;
And onwarli hent hire bi the hed,
Demyng off pride, that she may nat faile
Thoruh hir power to venquysshe this bataile.
But it may falle a dwery in his riht
Toutraie a geaunt, for al his grete myht.

God taketh non heed to power nor to strengthe,
To hih estaat[e] nor to hih noblesse,
To squar[e] lemys, forged on breede or lengthe,
But to quarelis groundid on rihtwisnesse;
For out off wrong may growe no prowesse.
For wher that trouthe holdeth chaumpartie,
God will his cause be grace magnefie.

Wherfor Pouert, strong in hir entent,
Liht and delyu[e]re, auoid off al fatnesse,
Riht weel brethed, & nothyng corpulent,
Smal off dieete surfetis to represse,
Ageyn Fortune proudli gan hir dresse,
And with an ougli, sterne cruel face,
Gan in armys hir proudli to embrace.

344

Pouert was sclendre & myhte weel endure;
Fortune was round[e], short off wynd and breth.
And wombes grete oppressid with armure,
For lak off wynd the grete stuff hem sleth;
And many a man bryngeth to his deth:
For ouermekil off any maner thyng
Hath many on brouht to his ondoyng.

A mene is best, with good[e] gouernaunce;
To mekil is nouht, nor ouer-gret plente:
Gretter richesse is founde in suffisaunce
Than in the flodis off superfluyte.
And who is content in his pouerte
And gruchchith nat, for bittir nor for soote,
What-euer he be, hath Fortune vndir foote,

Coueitise put hym in no dispeir,—
Wherfor Pouert, off herte glad and liht,
Leffte Fortune ful hih up in the heir,
And hir constreyned off verai force & myht.
For Glad Pouert off custum and off riht,
Whan any trouble ageyn hir doth begynne,
Ay off Fortune the laurer she doth wynne.

Maugre Fortune, in the hair aloffte
Constreyned she was be Wilful Pouerte,
That to the erthe hir fal was ful onsoffte:
For off Pouert the bony sharp[e] kne,
Sclendre and long & leene vpon to see,
Hitte Fortune with so gret a myht
Ageyn the herte, she myht nat stande vpriht:—

To signefie that Pouert with gladnesse,
Which is content with smal possessioun
And geueth no fors off tresour nor richesse,
Hath ouer Fortune the dominacioun,
And kepith hir euer vnder subieccioun,
Wher worldli folk, with ther riche apparaile,
Lyue euer in dreed Fortune wolde faile.

The poore man affor the theeff doth synge
Vnder the wodis with fresh notis shrille;
The riche man, ful feerful off robbynge,

345

Quakyng for dreed[e], rideth foorth ful stille.
The poore at large goth wher hym list at wille,
Strongli fraunchised from al debat and striff;
The riche afferd alwei to lese his liff.

Thus Glad Pouert hath the palme Iwonne,—
Fortune outraied, for al hir doubilnesse.
Vpon whom Pouert in haste is ronne,
And streyned hir with so gret duresse,
Till she confessid & pleynli dede expresse
With feith & hand, in al hir gret[e] peyne,
Tabide what lawe Pouert list ordeyne.

And in haste afftir this disconfiture,
Fortune began to compleyne sore.
But Glad Pouert, which all thynge myhte endure,
Charged Fortune scornen hire no more.
For it was said[e] sithen go ful yore,
He that reioishith to scorne folk in veyn,
Whan he wer lothest shal scorned been ageyn.

‘Yit,’ quod Pouert, ‘thouh thou were despitous,
Woordis rehersyng which wer nat faire,
Straunge rebukis ful contrarious,
And repreuys many thousend paire,
Thou shalt me fynde ageynward debonaire:
For thouh a tunge be sclandrous & vengable,
To sclandre ageyn is nothyng comendable.

Thou must considre, touchyng our bataile
The ordynance and imposicioun,
That which off vs in conquest do preuaile
To brynge his felawe to subieccioun,
He shal obeie the statut off resoun,
And acomplisshe, off verai due dette,
What lawe the victour list vpon hym sette.

For which thou shalt the said[e] lawe obeie,
With circumstaunces off the condicioun
Bi me ordeyned, and nothyng ageyn seie,—
Make no gruchchyng nor replicacioun.
Considred first the fals opynyoun
Off hem that seyn, al worldli auenture
Off good and badde abide vnder thi cure,—

346

Summe poetis and philisophres also
Wolde in this caas make the a goddesse,
Which be deceyued, I dar seyn, bothe too;
And ther errour and foli to redresse,
I shal withdrawe in verai sekirnesse
Onhappi Auenture away fro thi power,
That she no mor shal stonde in thi daunger.

This lawe off newe vpon the I make,
That first thou shalt, al open in sum pleyn,
Euel Auenture bynden to a stake,
Or to sum peler wher she mai be seyn,
To shewe exaumple to folkis in certeyn,
That no man shal loosne hire nor discharge,
But such as list with hire to gon at large.

Heeroff to make a declaracioun,
Touchyng thi myht off Euel Auenture,
Thou shalt forgon thi dominacioun
To hyndre or harme any creature,
But onli foolis, which in thi myht assure.
Thei off ther foli may feele gret damage,
Nat off thi power, but off ther owne outrage.’

For thilke foolis, which that list onbynde
This wrechche callid Onhappi Auenture,
Off witt & resoun thei make hemseluen blynde,
Lich as the world stood in Fortunys cure,
As thouh she myhte assure hem & onsure,
And hem dispose to welthe or wrechchidnesse,—
In ther errour hir callyng a goddesse!

Such wilful wrechchis that hemsilff betake
To putte ther fredam in hir subieccioun,
Off God aboue the power thei forsake,
And hem submitte, ageyn[e]s al resoun,
Vnder Fortunis transmutacioun,
Ther liberte ful falsli for to thrall,
Namli whan thei a goddesse list hir call.

With a dirk myst off variacioun
Fortune hath cloudid ther cleer natural liht,
And ouershadwed ther discrecioun,
That thei be blent in ther inward siht
For to considre and to beholde ariht,

347

How God aboue put vnder mannys cure
Fre chois off good, his resoun to assure.

The Lord enlumyned off his bounteuous largesse
With mynde and witt his memoriall,
Toward al vertu his steppis for to dresse,
Endued his resoun for to be naturall,
Off frowardnesse till he wex bestiall,
To bynde hymsilff contrariousli in deede
To serue Fortune, atwixen hope and dreede.

Thus bestiall folk made hire a goddesse,
Falsli wenyng she myhte hem most auaile
With hir plentes off habundant richesse;
And summe demen in ther supposaile,
With onwar chaung she dar the grete assaile,
Whos trust[e] alwei medlid is with trouble,
And hir plesaunce includith menyng double.

And summe afferme that she mai auaunce
Conquestis grete and disconfitures,
And how [it] lith also in hir puissaunce
To forthre & hyndre all maner creatures,
And calle hir pryncesse off fatal auentures,
The riche tenhaunce be roial apparaile,
And be disdeyn to hyndre the poraile.

Whan she maketh most fulsumli hir profres,
Hir blaundisshyng is farsid with falsheed;
Whan hir richessis be stuffid up in coffres,
Thei been ay shet vnder a lok off dreed.
Wherfore, ye riche, off o thyng takith heed,
As your gadryng cam in with plesaunce,
Riht so your losse departeth with myschaunce.

Your gredi thrust tresour to multeplie
Causith an etik off nounsuffisaunce,
In you engendryng a fals ydropisie,
With a sharp hunger off worldli habundaunce,
Makyng off you a maner resemblaunce

348

With Tantalus,—whan ye deppest synke,
Than is your nature most thrustleuh for to drynke.

Who clymbeth hiest on Fortunys wheel
And sodenli to richesse doth ascende,
An onwar turn, afforn seyn neueradeel,
Whan he leest wenyth makith hym descende.
Fro such chaungis, who may hymselff defende,
But thei that be with Pouert nat dismaied,
And can with litil holde hemsilff appaied.”

[How kyng hostilius worshippyng fals goddis/was consumpt with firy Levene.]

And whil Bochas gan muse in this mateer,
Considred first al worldli thyng mut faile,
With wepyng eien [to hym] ther dede appeer
Pryncis that whilom wer famous in Itaile,
Which gan ther fall ful pitousli bewaile:
For mor contrarie was ther fallyng lowe,
That thei toforn hadde [of] no myscheeff knowe.

For mor vnkouth is thilke aduersite,
Namli to pryncis, whan it is sodeyne,
Which euer ha lyued in prosperite,
Hauyng on Fortune no mater to compleyne,
Than off a wrechche, that lyueth ay in peyne,—
Off custom causeth, conceyued the sentence,
Off ioie and sorwe a ful gret difference.

Off ioie passid the newe remembraunce,
Whan folk be falle from ther felicite,
In treble wise it doth hem gret greuaunce;
Thonwar turn from ther tranquillite,
Thonsur trust and mutabilite
In worldli power, which that thei ha[ue] founde,
Onto ther hertis yeueth a greuous wounde.

But a wrechche, which in wrechchidnesse
Hath euer lyued, and neuer was partable
Off no weelfare nor off welfulnesse,

349

Nor neuer fo[u]nd[e] Fortune fauourable,—
His sorwe, his myscheeff been so custumable,
That off his peynys long contynuaunce
Doth to his greuys a maner allegaunce.

But to pryncis, which sat so hih aloffte,
A sodeyn fall is most contrarious,
And ther descendyng weel the more onsoffte,
In ther tryumphes that thei wer glorious.
Record I take off kyng Hostilius,
Which in Rome from his roial stalle,
Whan he sat crownyd, most sodenli is falle.

It is remembrid off old and nat off newe,
Off al Rome that he was lord and sire;
The firste off kynges that wered purpil hewe,
And off that cite gouerned the empire,
Hadde off Fortune al that hym list desire,
Till that he fill, in all his regalie,
Into a froward dedli maladie.

And off his peynes to fynden allegaunce,
To the temples he wente on pilgrymage,
His offryng made with deuout obeisaunce,
Wherbi sumdeel his peynes gan asswage;
And when he was restored off corage,
Felt hymsilff[e] that he dede amende,
To comoun proffit ageyn he gan entende.

Vpon Thalbanys, regnyng in his glorie,
To gret auail off Rome the cite,
Thoruh his knyhthod he hadde a gret victorie,
Afftir the which, be ful gret cruelte,
He beraffte hem fraunchise and liberte,
And made hem afftir, thoruh his hih renoun,
To been to Rome vnder subieccioun.

Afftir this conquest, the stori doth deuyse,
In his noblesse ful staatli and roial,
He gan make a riche sacrifice
To queeme and plese for a memorial,
Affter the rihtes cerymonyal,

350

To Iubiter, be ful gret reuerence,
Aforn his auteres with fires & encence.

But for that he in his inward entent,
Be circumstaunces off his oblacioun,
Was rechles founde and also necligent,
Be sum froward fals affeccioun,
The goddis kauhte an indignacioun;
And sodenli descendyng frothe from the heuene,
He was consumpt with a firi leuene,—

His false goddis myhte hym nat auaile,
Iubiter, Saturnus nor Venus.
Lat al Christene defie such rascaile;
For to our feith thei be contrarious.
And among goddis, a thyng most outraious,
Ys, whan that pryncis, blent in ther folie,
List ertheli thynges falsli deifie.

For onto God is hatful and odible
A withdrawyng off his reuerence,
To magnefie thynges coruptible
With ondue honour, be fals concupiscence.
Wherfor, ye Pryncis, beth war, off hih prudence,
List God onwarli pun[y]she your noblesse,
Maak you in erthe no fals god nor goddesse.

[How Anchus kyng of Rome was moordred by Lucynyo, bi thassent of his wiff.]

Thynkith on Anchus, kyng off Rome toun,
Which was so noble shynyng in his glorie,
Wered a crowne, ful famous off renoun,
Next Hostilius, as put is in memorie,
Wan the palme off many gret victorie;
But for al that, with a ful sharp[e] knyff
He moordred was bassentyng off his wyff.

He loued hir best aboue ech creature,
Considred nat hir flatrie nor falsnesse,
Hir double menyng vnder couerture
Falsli blent this pryncis worthynesse.
To robbe and reue hym off his gret richesse

351

Was hir labour, with countirfet plesaunce,
In hir entent to brynge hym to myschaunce.

This Anchus hadde a gret affeccioun,
Onto his goddis to make sacrifises,
And to augmente the religioun
Off paganysme, maad in sundri wises.
Thoruh his manhod and circumspect deuyses,
Vpon Latynes, rebel to his cite,
For comoun profit he made a gret arme.

Oon off ther cites, callid Politorie,
He knyhtli wan, maugre al ther myht;
And whan he hadde off hem ful victorie,
He abod no lenger, but anon foorth ryht
Made al the peeple, in eueri mannys siht,
As prisoneris, this Romayn champioun,
Be brouht aforn hym bounde into the toun.

Eek, as I fynde, this Anchus nolde cese,
For comoun proffit in his affeccioun,
Ther teritories taugmenten and encrese
In all the cuntres abouten enviroun
Toward the ryuer wher Tibre renneth doun;
At which[e] place he leet[e] edefie
A ful strong cite, which callid is Ostie.

But natwithstandyng al his worthynesse,
He was depryued, the story tellith so,
Off his kyngdam and his gret richesse
Bi a foreyn callid Lucynyo.
His wiff Tarquild assentid was therto,
Bi whos outrage and gredi couetise
Anchus was moordred in ful cruel wise.

[How Lucynyo that mordred Anchus was aftir mordred.]

Thus fro the wheel of Fortune he is fall;
Lucynio in Rome is crownyd kyng,
And the Romayns afftir dede hym call
Tarquyn the olde, be record off writyng.

352

Which hath atteyned, be fraudulent werkyng,
And bi his subtil forged eloquence
Onto thestat off roial excellence.

He first ordeyned in his estat roial
Turneis, iustes in castell[s] and cites,
And other pleies callid marcial,
With many famous gret solempnites,
Sessiouns for statis and degrees.
This Tarquyn eek, was first that dede his peyne
In open stretis tauernys to ordeyne.

Eek to preserue his cite out off doubte,
Yiff ther enmyes list them to assaile,
He was the first that wallid Rome aboute
With myhti tours, onlikli for to faile,
And hadde also many strong bataile
With the Sabynes in ther rebellioun,
And made hem subiect onto Rome toun.

But for he was assentid to depryue
Worthi Anchus from his estat roial,
And afftir that took Tarquyld [on]to wyue,
Which slouh hir lord be tresoun ful mortal,
God wolde off riht that he sholde haue a fal:
The Lord wil nat, which euery thyng may see,
Suffre moordre longe to be secre.

For Lucynio, for his gret offence,
Touchyng the moordre off the kyng Anchus,
Islay[e]n was be sodeyn violence
Off too shepperdis, the stori tellith thus,
Which off entent[e] wer contrarious
Atwen hemsilff[e] be a feyned striff,
To fynde a weie to reue hym off his liff.

For whil the kyng sat in iugement
Upon ther quarel for to do iustise,
Ful sodenli, thei beyng off assent,
Fill vpon hym in ful cruel wise,
And with an ax, the story doth deuise,
Oon off hem, or any man took heed,
On too parties roff the kynges hed.

353

This thyng was doon bi the procuryng
Off too childre, sonys to Anchus,
Which were exilid be fals compassyng
Off Lucinio, ageyn hem most irous,—
To hym ther presence was so odious.
But thei hem shoop, thouh thei were out off siht,
Ther fadres deth tauengen yiff thei myht.

For off nature blood will vengid be,
To recompense the wrong off his kynreede,
In this chapitle, lik as ye may see,
Blood shad for blood: thus bothe dede bleede.
Be which exaumple, lat pryncis taken heede,
How moordre doon for supplantacioun
Requereth vengaunce for his fynal guerdoun.

[Lenvoye.]

This tragedie be cleer inspeccioun
Openli declareth in substaunce,
How slauhtre of princis causith subuersioun
Off rewmys, cites put out off ordynaunce,
Off mortal werre long contynuaunce.
Blood be supplantyng shad off kynges tweyne,
Bexaumple heer shewed, fals moordre to restreyne,

The fyn declaryng off moordre & fals tresoun:
The deede horrible crieth ay vengaunce
To God aboue to caste his eien doun,
To punshe this synne thoruh his myhti puissaunce;
For it is mooder off myscheeff & myschaunce.
Wherfor, ye Pryncis, doth sum lawe ordeyne,
Withynne your boundis thre vices to restreyne:

The vice off sclaundre, moordre and poisoun.
Wher-euer these thre hauen aqueyntaunce,
Thei brynge in sorwe and desolacioun,
Put at a preeff be newe remembraunce
Off falsheed vsed vnder fair cuntenaunce.
Wherfor, ye Pryncis, doth your besi peyne,
Withynne your boundis these vices to restreyne.

354

God diffende this noble regioun
With these thre vices to haue alliaunce:
For sclaundre first deuoureth hih renoun,
And sleth good fame thoruh fals dalliaunce.
Harm doon, to late folweth repentaunce,
Wherfor, ye Pryncis, doth a lawe ordeyne
To punshe ther malice, fals tunges to restreyne.

God hath off moordre abhominacioun,
And fals poisoun doth to hym displesaunce;
Ther is no peyen in comparisoun
Condigne to moordre, peised in ballaunce.
Wherfor, ye Pryncis, makith an ordynaunce,
Withynne your boundis off sum dedli peyne
Bi du[e] punshyng fals moordre to restreyne.

O noble Pryncis, prouydeth off resoun
Ageyn these vices to make purueiaunce,
Off rigour sheweth due execucioun
With al your labour & your hertli instaunce.
Lat deth be guerdoun for ther fynal penaunce,
To warne all othre, be constreynt off ther peyne,
Fro these thre vices ther corages to restreyne.

[How for the offence don to Lucrece by Tarquyn was never aftir crowned kyng in Rome.]

Touching this Tarquyn, of whom I now[e] tolde,
As myn auctour maketh mencioun,
He callid was Tarquinius the olde,
Which longe in Rome hadde dominacioun,
Till his kynreede and generacioun,
For thoffence doon onto Lucrece,
Caused off kynges the name [for] to cese.

For his sone, which afftir gan succeede,
For his outrages and his extorsiouns,
And for many a-nother cruel deede,

355

For his haatful vsurpaciouns,
His froward liff and fals condiciouns,
Among the peeple, bothe stille and loude,
He callid was Tarquinius the proude.

Ful obstynat he was in his entent,
Ambicious tacroche gret richesse,
Till that Fortune wex inpacient
Ageyn[e]s hym, in al his gret noblesse.
Gan hir snares and hir crokes dresse,
Thouhte she wolde, but he kept hym weel,
Al sodenli cast hym from hir wheel.

A sone he hadde, ful vicious, as I fynde,
To all vertu most contrarious—
To be froward it cam to hym off kynde—
And off nature proud and despitous,
Ageyn the peeple fell and malicious,
Nat louyd but drad; for tirannye off riht
Is thyng most hatid in the peeplis siht.

This proude Tarquyn, the story is weel kouth,
Ageyn Lucrece dede a gret outrage,
Oppressid hir beute in his onbridled youth,
Hir trouthe assailyng in a furious rage.
For which his fader, he, and his lynage
Exilid wern, and for this hatful thyng
Ther was neuer afftir in Rome crownyd kyng.

Hir bodi corupt, she cleene off herte & thouht,
Be force assailed was hir innocence,
Oppressid hir beute, but hir sperit nouht,
Hir chaast[e] will dede non offence;
But entred is into hir conscience
A gret remors, for al hir wifli trouthe,
To slen hirsilff, which was to gret a routhe.

And for that Bochas remembreth pitousli
Hir dedli sorwe and lamentacioun,
Writ hir compleynt in ordre ceriousli,
Which that she made for hir oppressioun,
I folwe muste and make mencioun,
Afftir myn auctour parcel rehersyng,
Touchyng hir woordis said in hir deieng.

356

Al-be-it so, be biddyng off my lord,
Rehersed haue in my translacioun
Afftir Pierius heer and ther a woord
Off a ful doolful declamacioun
Be hym remembred off entencioun,
For hir sake men myhte seen and rede
What wifli trouthe was in hir womanheede.

And Iohn Bochas list nat sette a-side,
But that he wolde rehersen in sentence
Hir woful compleynt, & therupon abide,
Off wrongis doon onto hir innocence.
And thouh I cannat folwe his eloquence,
I shal sue the trouthe off rehersyng
As in substaunce theffect off his writyng.

The morwe next afftir this foule deede,
Lucrece vproos with a ful dedli cheer.
Out off hir face gon was al the rede,
And dirked wern hir heuenli eien cleer,
Al clad in blak[e] afftir the maneer
Off thilke folk which in especiall
Ar wont to gon to feestis funerall.

All hir freendis beyng in presence,
Husbonde, fader, with other eek also,
Bi and bi rehersyng in sentence
The circumstaunces off hir hertli wo.
And or that I any ferther go,
Vnder hope my lord will me supporte,
What that she saide I will to you reporte.

[The greuous compleynt of Lucrece vpon hir oppressioun.]

For-asmoche,” quod she, “as I Lucrece
Am be the lawe ioyned in mariage
To the, my lord, whos loue shal ay encrece
Towardis the, with al the surplusage
Off wifli trouthe tenduren al myn age,
As humble subiect with feithful obeisaunce
Vnder thi lordshipe and thi gouernaunce,

357

O Colatyn, my lord and trewe husbonde,
Best beloued off hool affeccioun,
I will no mor no quarell take on honde
Nor in no wise make non accioun,
Withoute that thou list enclyne doun
Goodli thyn eris to yiue me audience
To that I shall reherse in thi presence.

Iniurie doon or any maner wrong
Ageyn my worshepe or myn honeste,
Bi the lawe my sentence is maad strong,
It touchet[h] you also weel as me,
I am so hooli yolden onto the,—
Thou art myn hed, who cleerli can discerne,
Lord and husbonde my bodi to gouerne.

Parcial causes in sooth ther may non be
Atwen vs tweyne nor no disseueraunce:
For soote and bittir, ioie and aduersite,
We must hem weie bothe in o balaunce,
Countirpeise our sorwes [&] our plesaunce,
Entirmedle all thynge that is in doubte,
Receyue our fortune as it komth aboute.

Ther may atwen vs be no menyng double,
But oon herte, o will and o corage.
And as [a] woman that stondeth now in trouble,
Withoute polishyng off any fair language,
I mut disclose to you the gret outrage
Doon onto me, and pleynli it discure,
Which to redresse lith hooli in your cure.

For the mater, to speke in woordes pleyne,
A-riht out serchid and the trouthe out founde,
As a iust cause, ondifferent to tweyne
Toward vs bothe the quarell doth rebounde.
And mor strongli our mater for to grounde,
Reherse I will, so that ye sauff it vouche,
A mortall wrong which the & me doth touche.

358

In a castell which callid is Collace,
Off which my lord heer hath the gouernaunce,
Tarquyn the yonge cam into that place.
I, full diswarre to make purueiaunce
Ageyn his comyng or any ordenaunce,
Toforn nat warnyd off his officeris,
Sat onpurueied among my chaumbereris.

Off entent teschewen idilnesse,
We sat and span vpon wolles soffte;
For she off vices is a cheeff maistresse
Wher she is cherisshid & iset aloffte:
But off custum as I haue do ful offte,
I and my women duli as we ouhte,
Tauoide slouthe ful bisili we wrouhte.

His ent[e]ryng was meek and debonaire,
Benygne off port, off look & off visage,
With a pretence off many woordes faire,
In whos menyng was ful gret outrage,
His cheer contrarie onto his corage.
In this wise ther he was receuyed,
Wherbi, alas, I falsli was deceyued!

At pryme face, as me thouhte it due,
I hym receyued at his in comyng:
Roos up meekli and gan hym to salue,
As appertened in alle maner thyng
Onto the sone off a worthi kyng.
And treuli Tarquyn, for which I seie alas,
Me to be-traisshe stood in the same caas.

A kynges sone sholde off du[e]te
Been to wommen wall and proteccioun,
Preserue and keepe hem in al surete,
That no man sholde, off no presumpcioun,
Doon hem no wrong nor oppressioun,

359

Rather deie than seen hem suffre onriht,
Aduertisynge thoffice off a knyht.

But in contraire off knyhthod he hath wrouht,
Be fals outrage doon ageyn[e]s me.
Wrong[e] weies and crokid menys souht
Off lawes tweyne to breke the liberte,
And difface the auctorite
Off lawe ciuyle & natural also,
In my persone offendyng bothe too.

First be his fals[e] subtil compassyng
He gan espie thestris off the place;
And whan a-bedde alone I lay slepyng,
Lik a leoun, ful sterne off look and face,
With his lefft hand my throte he dede enbrace,
And in his other heeld ageyn al lawe
Me for toppresse a naked suerd idrawe.

Thus afforcyng my wifli chastite,
Ageyn knyhthod he dede this gret offence,
Mi liff, my worshepe put in perplexite,
Hauyng no myht to make resistence,—
Me manacyng be dedli violence,
The ton off tweyne: to deie in his entente,
Or to auoutri falsli to consente.

Thus I stood sool atwen deth & diffame,
Mi bodi corupt, my sperit abood[e] cleene;
Mi spousaile broke, & my good[e] name
For euer disclaundred, that whilom shon ful sheene.
Euel fame off custum will alwei wexe greene,
Neuer deie, the peeple so hem disporte
The werste off thynges gladli to reporte.

Alas, alas! among my sorwes all,
This oon the moste that doth myn herte agrise;—
I am nat worthi that men me sholde call,
Or haue the name in no maner wise,
For thoffence which ye han herd deuise,
To be callid, in this wrecchid liff,
Off Collatyn from hen[ne]sfoorth the wiff.

360

Myn eien also be blyndid with derknesse,
Onli for shame to lefften vp ther siht,
Outher ther stremys or bemys vp to dresse,
Off the cleer heuene to looke vpon the liht.
Nor I mai neuer been off the noumbre off riht,
Off trewe matrones, among hem ferr nor neer,
For to be rekned in ther kalendeer.

Lat myn Iniurie and this mortal cryme
Be so pun[y]shed off riht and equite,
Withoute delay off any lenger tyme,
That euer afftir it may exaumple be
Thoruh al the world and eek in this cite,—
With such a peyne therupon deuised,
That all auoutours may be therbi chastised.

And yiff it seeme in your opynyoun,
In this caas I sholde been onpure,
I will receyue iust punycioun
And the peyne pacientli endure,
Yiff it so stonde that parauenture
Ye deeme off resoun, that be so iust & stable,
In this mateer that I be coupable.”

Hir tale told. Whan thei longe hadde musid
On this compleynt in ther inward siht,
Off trouthe echon thei heeld hir ful excusid,
Made all beheste, with al ther ful[le] myht
Tauenge hir wrong; and Lucrece anon riht
Took a sharp knyff, or thei myhte aduerte,
And rooff hirsilff euene thoruh the herte.

The Compleynt of Bochas Oppon þe luxurie of Princis by examplis of diuers myschevis.

Bochas in herte brennyng hoot as fir
Off verai ire and indignacioun
Ageyn tho princis, which in ther desir
Han fulli set ther delectacioun,
Ther felicite and ther affeccioun
To folwe ther lustis off fals lecherie,
Froward spousbreche and off auoutrie.

361

He writ ageyn hem that seeke occasiouns,
Places off lust to han ther libertees
For to fulfille ther delectaciouns;
And for tacomplisshe ther gret dishonestees,
Deuyse out tauernes in burwes & citees,
And sittyng ther among ther cumpanye,
Afftir the deede thei booste off ther folye.

Yiff any man pynche at ther outrage,
Or them rebuke for ther tran[s]gressiouns,
Thei will ansuere with froward fals language,
And for ther parti allegge gret resouns:
First how it longeth to ther condiciouns
Be riht off Nature, as it is weel kouth,
Freli to vse lecheri in youth;

Afferme also, how lawe of Kynde is fre,
And so afforce hem to sustene ther partie
Bexaumple off Dauid, which that took Bersabe,
And for hir sake how he slouh Vrie,
Dede manslauhtre and fals auoutrie,—
For hem aleggyng, ageyn riht and resoun,
For Dalida the luxure off Sampsoun.

The stori also thei frowardli applie,
How for a woman prudent Salamoun,
The Lord offendyng, dede ydolatrie.
And in diffence off ther opynyoun,
Reherse these storyes for excusacioun
Off ther errour, therbi a pris to wynne,
As tofor God lecheri wer no synne.

Thei nat considre in ther entencioun
Off these stories eueri circumstaunce:
First off kyng Dauid the gret contricioun,
Nor vpon Sampson how God took gret vengaunce;
First how he loste his force & his puissaunce
For his offence—thei ha[ue] nat this in mynde,
Nor how that bothe his eien wer maad blynde.

Nor ther resouns thei list nat to enclyne
For to conceyue in ther discrecioun,
The sperit off wisdam, heuenli & dyuyne,
Was take away fro prudent Salamoun
In chastisyng for his transgressioun.

362

And summe doctours affermen ouermore,
How Salamon repentid hym ful sore.

The play off youthe folk calle it lecherie,
Seyn that it is a gamen off Nature,
And to sustene and bern vp ther partie,
How it sit weel, be record off scripture,
Onto euerich liffli creature
That stant in helthe and is coraious,
Off verrai kynde for to be lecherous.

Vicious report thei han in remembraunce,
But vertuous thyng is ferr out off mynde;
Flesshli lustis and lecherous plesaunce
In ther desirs be nat lefft behynde.
Auauntyng, lieng thei can off newe out fynde;
And now-adaies thei holde curtesie
Othes horrible, flatryng and ribaudie.

In ther auys thei taken litil heede
Onto the doctryn off noble Scipioun,
Which comaundid, in story as I reede,
To Masmissa, ful famous off renoun,
Nat to touche be no condicioun
Sophonisba, fairest off visage,
But yiff it were be weie off mariage.

Thouh she wer born off the blood roiall,
Hir youthe was set to al honeste,
Douhter and hair to noble Hastruball,
Duc off Cartage, the story ye may see;
And for hir vertues off femynyte,
She weddid was, off berthe as she was lik,
To kyng Siphax, which regned in Affrik.

And for to preue the grete liberte
Which is in vertu conveied be resoun,
And the fals thraldam off dishoneste,—
Off bothe to make a pleyn comparisoun,
Afftir the doctryn off Censoryn Catoun,
Shewid be hym to folkis in comune,
That vertu neuer is subiect to Fortune:

363

Vertu conserueth mesour and resoun,
Considreth thynges aforn or thei befall,
Takith non enprises but off discrecioun,
And on prudence foundeth hir werkes all;
Ay to hir counsail attempraunce she doth call,
Warli prouydyng in hirsilff withynne
The eende off thynges toforn or she begynne.

This was the doctryn tauht foorth off Catoun,
Lecherous lustis to put hem vndir foote,
Grauntyng to vertu the domynacioun,
Plukke up vices, braunche, cropp & roote.
Frut off goodnesse groweth up so soote,
Whan it is plauntid off youthe in a corage,
It neuer appalleth in helthe off his tarage.

Catoun with vertu was a cheeff officer,
Preferryng euer comoun commodites
Tofor profites that wer synguler;
Tenhaunce the comoun in kyngdames & citees,
Ther wittis peised and ther habilitees,
Personys promotyng, in whom it was supposid,
That thei in vertu wer natureli disposid.

Manli off herte he was ay to susteene
Indifferentli trouthe and al iustise;
Flesshli delites off folk that wer oncleene
He was ay redi be rigour to chastise,
And sette lawes in ful prudent wise
For to punshe flaterers and lechours
And such as wern openli auoutours.

He hadde off wommen non opynyoun
With hem to dele for lust nor for beute,
But yiff it were for procreacioun,—
So stable he was founde in his degre,
The book reedyng off inmortalite
Which Plato made, the trouthe weel out souht,
Therin concludyng, how soulis deie nouht,

But lyueth euer outher in ioie or peyne.
Thus wrot Plato in his orygynall:
Men may the body be deth ful weel constreyne,

364

But the soule abit ay inmortall.
For which this Catoun, stedfast as a wall,
For comoun profit to deie was nat afferd,
Whan he hymsilff slouh with a naked suerd.

But to Fortune aforn his deth he saide,
“O thou pryncesse off worldli goodes veyne,
To thi flatereris I neuer dede abraide,
Thi fauour is so fals and oncerteyne
That neuer I fauht no fraunchise to atteyne
As for my-silff, nor parcial syngulerte,
But al for profit touchyng the comounte.

A-geyn Cesar I made resistence,
To conquere fredam to me & to the toun,
Freli teschewe his mortal violence,
This world despisyng in myn opynyoun,—
Our fraunchise thrallid vnder subieccioun,
Iustli forsakyng the variaunce off this liff,
Mi soule conveied to be contemplatiff.”

This philisophre, this prudent old Catoun,
Tendryng in herte comoun comoditees,
Toforn his deth wrot off compassioun
To them that sat in roial dignitees,
Which hadde off vertu lost the libertees,
Pryncis besechyng, that wer luxurious,
To take exaumple and folwe kyng Drusus.

The which[e] Drusus, be successioun
Heir to Augustus, was next hym emperour,
Sett al in vertu his affeccioun,
And it to cherishe dede hooli his labour.
To lust onleefful he neuer gaff fauour;
And touchyng loue, duryng all his liff,
He neuer hadde lust but onli to his wiff.

And in his paleis, myd off his roiall see,
Off noble pryncis duellyng in Rome toun
He axed was, for al his dignite,
What maner corage or temptacioun,
Or what feruence or delectacioun

365

Withynne hymsilff he hadde off louys play,
Sool bi his wiff whan he a-bedde lay.

And lik a prynce fulfillid off hih noblesse,
Ansuerde ageyn with sobre cuntenaunce,
“Touchyng such lust as folweth flesshlynesse,
Lik as Nature me put in gouernaunce,
In oon alone is set al my plesaunce:
For with non other for no concupiscence,
Sauff with my wiff I neuer dede offence.”

Pryncis echon folwe nat the traas
Off noble Drusus, as ye shal vndirstonde;
For summe ha[ue] stonde al in a-nother caas,—
Such as can holde too or thre on honde,
Now heer, now ther, as botis home to londe,
Nat considryng ther cres nor disauail,
Whan newfangilnesse bloweth in ther sail.

Eek Bochas writith, sum princis ha[ue] be founde,
Which viciousli ha[ue] do ther besy peyne,
Vertuous wommen be flatrie to confounde,
And tendre maidnes to bryngen in a treyne,
Such manacis & tormentis to ordeyne,
Them to transfourme from ther perseueraunce
And interrupte ther virgynal constaunce.

But off such folk that yeue no fors off shame,
Nor dreede God such treynes to deuise,
Husbondmen in soth ar most to blame
With foreyn women to trespase in such wise:
I trowe ther wyues may hem inouh suffise;
For many ar feeble ther dettis for to quyte,
Thouh thei in chaung themsilff falsli delite.

Summe afferme, for themsilff alleggyng,
To such outrage that thei ha[ue] licence
Freeli off Nature to vse ther owne thyng,
And in such caas to no wiht doon offence.
But froward is ther errour in sentence,
Fro bond off wedlok, whan thei be so onstable,
And tofor God most hatful and dampnable.

366

For she that is thoruh hir hih noblesse
Namyd off clerkis, which cleerli can concerne,
Douhter off God, ladi and pryncesse,
Resoun callid, to guye man and gouerne,
Tween good and euel iustli to discerne,—
She hath departid, pleynli to conclude,
The liff off man fro liff off beestis rude.

This ladi Resoun, sithen go ful yore,
Gaff onto man witt and discrecioun,
Tauhte hym also bi hir souereyn lore
Twen vice and vertu a gret dyuysioun,
And that he sholde in his eleccioun
Onto al vertu naturali obeie,
And in contraire al vicious liff werreie,—

And to enprente in his memorial,
How off luxure the gret dishoneste
Difforme a man & make hym bestial,
And disfigure, off what estaat he be:
For whan that resoun, in hih or low degre,
Is fled away, folk may afferme than,
He is lik a beeste rather than a man.

Wherfor lat pryncis that ha[ue] be defectiff
To folwe ther lustis off sensualite,
Shape hem be resoun for tamende ther liff
And to conserue and keepe ther chastite,
Bothe off virgines and wiffli honeste,
And to pun[y]she all tho that list laboure
The honest fame off wommen to deuoure.

For whan a lechour be force or be maistrie
Defoulid hath off virgynes the clennesse,
Widwes oppressid, and be auoutrie
Assailed wyues that stood in stabilnesse,
Who mai thanne ther sclaundrous harm redresse,
Whan ther good name is hurt be such report?—
For fame lost onys can neuer haue his resort.

367

A theeff may robbe a man off his richesse
And be sum mene make restitucioun;
And sum man may disherite & oppresse
A poore man from his possessioun,
And afftir[ward] make satisfaccioun;
But no man may restore in no degre
A maide robbid off hir virgynyte.

A man mai also bete a castell doun,
And beelde it afftir mor fresshli to the siht,
Exile a man out off a regioun
And hym reuoke, wher it be wrong or riht;
But no man hath the poweer nor the myht
For to restore the paleis virgynal
Off chastite, whan broken is the wal.

Men mai also put out off seruise,
And officeres remeue from ther place,
And at a day, whan Fortune list deuise,
Thei mai ageyn restored been to grace;
But ther is nouther tyme set nor space,
Nor neuer in story nouther rad nor seyn,
That maidenhed lost recurid was ageyn.

For which men sholde haue a conscience,
Rewe in ther herte and repente sore,
And ha[ue] remors off ther gret offence,
To rauysshe thyng which thei may nat restore.
For it is said and hath be said ful yore,
The emeraud greene off parfit chastite,
Stole onys away may nat recurid be.

And hard it is to rauysshe a tresour
Which off nature is nat recuperable;
Lordshipe may nat, off kyng nor emperour,
Refourme a thyng which is nat reformable:
Rust off diffame is inseparable,
And maidenheed[e] lost off newe or yore,
No man alyue mai it ageyn restore.

368

Romeyns olde thoruh ther pacience
Suffrede tirantis in ther tirannyes,
And in ther cite to do gret violence,
The peeple toppresse with ther robberies;
But to pun[y]she thei sette streiht espies
On fals auoutours, as it is weel kouth,
Widwes to rauysshe & maidnes in ther youth.

Vpon this mateer the stori berth witnesse,
Touchyng thexil off kyng Tarquynyus,
Afforn rehersed be writyng ful expresse
The hatful deth off Appius Claudius
For his trespas doon to Virgynyus,
The iugementis rehersed and the peyne;
And fro ther office depryued bothe tweyne.

Was nat the cite whilom desolat
Off Synachites for the ribaudie
Off oon Sychem, which gan a gret debat
To haue acomplisshed his foul lecherie,
Whan yonge Dyna, as bookis specefie,
Wente rek[e]lesli walkyng vp and doun
To seen the maidnes off that roial toun?

But whan Sichem this Dyna dede espie
Sool bi hirselff[e] walke in the cite,
He gan anon assaile hir be maistrie,
And for tafforcen hir virgynyte,
Because she hadde no leiser for to fle.
Whos gret offence and transgressioun
The cite brouhte onto destruccioun.

Hir fadir Iacob & hooli hir kynreede
Ageyn this Sichem gan inwardli disdeyne;
Whan the furie off Mars was most to dreede,
To be vengid thei dede ther besy peyne.
And speciali hir worthi brethren tweyne
Fill on the cite, Symeon and Leuy,
Tauenge ther suster & stroie it fynaly.

369

So mortalli thei gan with hem stryue,
With ther suerdis grounde sharp & keene,
Off male childre thei leffte non alyue,
Thei wer so vengable in ther furious teene.
The Sichanytes myhte nat susteene
That dai ageyn hem to stonden at diffence,
So importable was ther violence.

For wher that God list punshe a man off riht
Bi mortal suerd, farweel al resistence:
Whan grace faileth, awey goth force & myht,
Feblith off pryncis the magnyficence,
Chaungeth ther power into inpotence,
Reuersith the kynges ther statli regalie,
Exaumple in Sichem, for his fals ribaudie.

It was an hard dreedful punycioun,
That, O Pryncis, trespas in lecherie
Caused afor God that al a regioun
Destroied was withoute remedie.
This story told[e] for texemplefie,
Whan noble pryncis to wommen them submitte,
Grace and al fauour anon doth fro them flitte.

Off this stori what sholde I write mor?
In Genesis the residue ye may reede,
The deth off Sichem and off kyng Emor,
And how ther kyngdam destroied was in deede.
Off Sichanites, loo, heer the fynal meede,
Off lecherie and off his fals plesaunce,
Which many a rewm hath brouht onto myschaunce!

What sholde I efft reherse ageyn or write
The fals auoutri off Paris and Heleyne?
Ther woful fall Guido dede endite;
Poetis echon dede eek ther besi peyne
To declare, how onli bi these tweyne
The worthi blood, for short conclusioun,
Off Troie and Grece cam to destruccioun.

370

But offte it fallith that mekil habundaunce
Off worldli good, with gret ese and richesse,
In folkis that sette al hooli ther plesaunce
To folwe ther lustis off froward wilfulnesse,
Hath caused in londes gret myscheeff & distresse,
Whan vicious liff ther corages dede encoumbre,
Destroied kyngdames & peeplis out off noumbre.

For whan the peeple thoruh fals obstynacie
Is indurat tamende hem and correcte,
And wil nat turne hem from ther lecherie,
But ay ar redi ther soules to infecte,—
And onto purpos my stile I will directe,
Texemplefie how Gabaa the toun
Was for his synne brouht to confusioun.

Whilom this peeple callid Gabanytes,
From Beniamyn descendid in ther lyne,
Wer ai disposid to folwe ther delites,
And off custum ther wittis dede enclyne
In worldli plente to flouren & to shyne,
And dempte alwai, to them it was most due
Off wilfulnesse ther lustis for to sue.

In lecherie was set al ther plesaunce,
And in that vice thei ladde most ther liff,
Wherbi thei wer[e]n brouht onto myschaunce,
And many on slayn be ful mortal striff,
Whan the Leuite cam forbi with his wiff,
Ful excellent off fetures and beute,
And took his loggyng withynne that gret cite.

He was ful old, and she was inli fair,
He inpotent and she but tendre off age,
Thoruh Gabaa makyng ther repair.
The citeseyns off inportune rage,
Shewing the furie off ther gret outrage,
So longe that nyht hir beute dede assaile,
Till liff and breth attonys dede faile.

371

Contagious was the sclaundre & diffame,
In Iudicum the story ye mai reede,
Which to reherse is a maner shame,
To heere thabusioun off that foule deede;
And how the Leuite amorwe gan take heede
With pitous cheer, & sauh his yonge wiff
Tofor the gate depryued off hir liff.

He hente hir up & leid hir on his asse;
To noise this crym vpon eueri side,
Thouhte in such caas he myhte do no lasse,—
Took a sharp suerd, & list no lenger bide,
On twelue parties he gan hir to deuide,
And to ech Tribe off Jacob he hath sent
A certeyn parti, to seen ther iugement.

Which thyng to hem was hatful & terrible,
And in ther siht ful abhomynable.
And in al haste likli and possible,
Alle off o will and o corage stable,
On Gabonites for to be vengable
Thei gadred han, shortli to conclude,
Tassaile that toun a ful gret multitude.

Whan thei first mette, atwen hem thus it stood:
The twelue Tribus wer twies put to fliht,
On outher parti gret quantite off blood
Was shad among hem in that mortal fiht;
For sexti thousand, who that counte ariht,
Wer slay[e]n ther, the stori wil nat lie,
Tauenge the sclaundre off fals avoutrie.

Loo, heer the guerdoun off the froward firis
In lecherous folk, that wil nat staunchid be,
That brente so hoote thoruh bestial desiris
In Gabaa the myhti strong cite,
Which was destroied for his iniquite,
And almost brouht off Beniamyn the lyne
Thoruh this offence to eternal ruyne.

372

Eek for his feruent dronken lecherie
Oloffernes be Iudith loste his hed;
And al his host and al his cheualrie
Leffte the feeld & fledde awei for dreed,
And he lai bathed in his blood al red.
Thus thoruh this vice, yiff it be weel souht,
Ful many a prynce hath be brouht to nouht.

These said[e] stories ouhte inouh suffise,
Yiff men wolde considre & taken heede,
The grete vengaunces in many sundri wise
Which God hath take for this synne in deede,
As in ther bookis thei may beholde & reede
Warnynges afforn, ful offte put at preeff,
How thei hemsilff shal saue fro myscheef.

Lenvoye.

This tragedie yeueth vs a gret warnyng,
Be cleer exaumples of manyfold resoun,
How many a prince for ther mysleuyng,
And many riche, roial, myhti toun,
Many a cite and many a regioun
Ha[ue] been euersid, ful notable & famous,
For synne off pryncis that wer lecherous.

The chose off God, Dauid the worthi kyng,
Prophete off prophetis, most souereyn off renoun,
On Bersabe for a sodeyn lokyng
To slen Vrie cauhte occasioun,
For which he suffred gret punycioun,
Chastised off God, he and al his hous,
For cause onli that he was lecherous.

Gret repentaunce he hadde & gret sorwyng,
And made psalmis off gret contricioun,
With woful teris & manyfold wepyng
To make a-seeth for his transgressioun,
Yeuyng to pryncis ful cleer direccioun
For to eschewe the flatri odious
And the fals fraude off wommen lecherous.

373

Wher was ther euere off science or cunnyng
So renommed as was kyng Salamoun?
Yit wommen made hym, thoruh [ther] fals flateryng,
To foreyn goddis doon oblacioun,
Which clipsid his honour & brouht his fame doun,
That was in wisdam whilom most vertuous,
Til he thoruh wommen fill to be lecherous.

Is it nat eek remembrid be writyng,
Off Israel how the cheeff[e] champioun,
Which goddis peeple hadde in his ledyng,
I meene the famous, myhti, strong Sampsoun,
That thoruh his force to-rente the lyoun,—
But Dalida with teres plenteuous
His grace berafft hym & made hym lecherous.

Sichem was slayn eek for the rauasshyng
Off yong Dyna, as maad is mencioun;
His fader Emor brouh[t] to his eendyng,
Lost his richesse in that discencioun,
And his kyngdam brouht to destruccioun.
Loo, heer the fyn off pryncis vicious,
Which them dispose for to be lecherous!

It is in erthe oon the moste pereilous thyng,
A prynce to been off his condicioun
Effemynat, his wittis enclynyng,
Be fals desirs off flesshli mocioun,
To put hymselff vnder subieccioun,
And thralle his resoun, tresour most precious,
To onleeful lustis, hatful & lecherous.

This is the sentence ful pleynli in menyng:
Wher women haue the dominacioun
To holde the reyne, ther hookis out castyng,
That sensualite ha[ue] iurediccioun
To entre on resoun bi fals intrusioun,
Werre ageyn vertu most contagious,
To be venquysshid off lustis lecherous,—

It taketh fro men ther cleernesse off seyng,
Causeth gret siknessis and corrupcioun,
And to al vertu it is grettest hyndryng,

374

Maketh men seeme old, as be inspeccioun,
Appallith ther mynde and disposicioun,
Shorteth ther daies, thyng dreedful & pitous,
Whan thei dispose hem for to be lecherous.

Noble Pryncis, in your ymagynyng
Conceyueth off wommen the fals decepcioun,
Namli off them that loue but for wynnyng,
And laboure ay for your possessioun,
Whos sugred flatrie is fals collusioun,
Lik to Sirenes with vois melodious
Enoynte your eres to make you lecherous.

[How Cambises assentyng to the moordre of his brothir Mergus at last slouh himsilf.]

Afftir the deth of myhti kyng Cirus,
Next cam his sone callid Cambises,
Heir be successioun ful victorious,
Which tofor Bochas put hymselff in pres
And gan his compleynt—this is dout[e]les,—
That thei off Egipt, in many vnkouth wise,
To sundri goddis dede sacrifise.

First onto Apis thei dede reuerence,
Callid Serapis, ther grettest god off all,
Regnyng in Egipt off most excellence,
And god of goddis foolis dede hym call.
And off his noblesse thus it is befall,
Slayn bi his brother, which is a gret wonder,
Seuered on pecis & ful ferr cast assonder.

And thei off Egipt made ther ordynaunces,
Vp peyne off deth in ther statutis olde,
A god to calle hym, & doon ther obseruaunces
Withynne his templis, lik as thei wer holde.
Wheroff Cambises, toforn as I you tolde,
Alle the templis off that regioun
Cast hym be force for to throwe doun.

375

The temple off Iubiter to robbe it be rauyne,
Callid Amon, withoute excepcioun,
His knyhtis sente to brynge it to ruyne.
But thei echon for ther presumpcioun,
With sodeyn leuene wer smet & bete doun.
Wheroff Cambises, in Asie tho regnyng,
Hadde this drem as he lai slepyng.

He drempte his brother, that called was Mergus,
Sholde in the kyngdam afftir hym succeede.
Wheroff in herte he wex so envious,
That he purposed, off rancour and hatreede,
Bi sum mene to make his sides bleede;
And that his purpos sholde take auail,
A magicien he took to his counsail.

And he was holde a ful gret philisophre,
Callid Cometes, ful sleihti and cunnyng,
To whom Cambises made a large proffre
Off gold and tresour to make hym assentyng
To execute this horrible thyng;
And that he wolde in most cruel wise
The moordre off Mergus compassen & deuise.

And whil Cambises ordeyned this tresoun,
To slen Mergus, his owne brother deere,
God from aboue caste his eien doun,
Hym to pun[y]she in ful cruel manere:
For he wex wood[e], who-so list to lere,
Cauht a sharp suerd, & roff his thih on tweyne;
And sodenli he deied for the peyne.

For too causes God took on hym vengaunce,
As myn auctour Bochas doth expresse:
For his presumptuous fals disobeisaunce,
Spoilyng the goddis off her gret richesse,
And for the froward gret onkynd[e]nesse
To yeue assent to the contagious caas,
Whan that Mergus his brother moordred was.

376

The deth off whom was cheeff occasioun
Off ful gret werre, stryues and debat,
Eek fynal cause whi al the regioun
Off myhti Perse stood disconsolat:
For heir was non, off hih nor low estat,
Be title off riht, thoruh this onhappi chaunce,
To been ther kyng and ha[ue] the gouernaunce.

For the magicien callid Cometes,
Which slouh Mergus, as ye haue herd expresse,
Took his brother callid Oropastes,
And made hym kyng, the stori berth witnesse,
Because that he resembled in liknesse
Onto Mergus off face and off stature,
To crowne hym kyng therfore he dede his cure.

The deth off Mergus outward was nat knowe
Nor pleynli publisht in that regioun;
His bodi buried and cast in erthe lowe.
Off whom the moordre and fraudulent tresoun,
The pitous slauhtre wrouht be collusioun,
And al the maner, bi processe was espied
So openli it myhte nat be denyed.

And in what wise the noise gan out spreede
Touchyng this moordre odious for to heere:
Whan that Orapastes ocupied in deede
The crowne off Perse, the stori doth vs lere,
Ther was a prynce ful notable & enteere,
Callid Hostanes, that gan his witt applie,
Off hih prudence this moordre out tespie.

Whil that Orapastes, vnder a fals pretence,
Off Perciens was resseyued as for kyng,
The said[e] prynce dede his deligence,
Bi inquisicioun to ha[ue] knowlechyng,
Be what engyn or be what sleihti thyng
The said Orapastes cauhte occasioun
In stede off Mergus to ocupie the croun.

377

On this mateer he hadde a coniecture,
That his title was nouther hool nor cleer.
The trouthe to trie he dede his besi cure,
And to serche out hooli the maneer,
He souht[e] so ferr that he cam riht neer,
And in this caas lettid for no slouthe,
Till that he hadde founden out the trouthe.

The cas was this, pleynli to termyne:
He hadde a douhter, ful fair off hir visage,
Which off the kyng was cheuest concubyne,
Bi whom he thouhte to cachchen auauntage.
And onto hir he hath sent his massage,
Secreli tenqueren how it stood,
Wher that the kyng wer come off Cirus blood.

And bad she sholde secreli taken heed,
Whil that he slepte to doon hir besi peyne
With hir handis for to feele his hed,
And to grope afftir bothe his eris tweyne.
And yiff it fill—ther is no mor to seyne—
Vpon his hed that she non eris founde,
To telle hir fadir, off trouthe as she was bounde.

This myhti prynce Hostanes knew[e] weel,
Riht as it is recorded be scripture,
Touchyng this caas how it stood euerideel,
How kyng Cambises off sodeyn auenture,
Bi his lyue for a forfeture,
Made off Orapastes, the stori seith nat nay,
Bothe his tweyne eris to be kit away.

And heerupon to be certefied,
He was desirous ta[ue] ful knowlechyng.
Which be his douhter whan it was espied,
Vpon a nyht liggyng bi the kyng,
Gropyng his hed[e] as he lai slepyng,
Ful subtili felte and took good heed,
How he non eris hadde vpon his hed.

And to hir fadir anon she hath declarid
The secrenesse off this auenture.
And for no feer nor dreed he hath nat sparid,

378

How that it stood[e] pleynli to discure.
And first off all he dede his besi cure,
Alle the pryncis off Perse-lond ifeere
To counseil calle tentrete off this mateere.

And whan thei wern assemblid euerichon,
Off Orapastes he told hem al the chaunce,
And how that Mergus was moordred yore agon,
As heer-toforn is put in remembraunce.
Wherupon to sette an ordynaunce
And to redresse these wronges doon toforn,
Off Perse-lond wer seuene pryncis sworn.

Off oon assent in ther entencioun,
Bi bond off oth thei made ther assuraunce,
And a ful secre coniuracioun
To putte Orapastes from his roial puissaunce,
Which hadde al Perse vnder his gouernaunce
Bi a ful fals pretens off heritage,
For he was lik to Mergus off visage.

These seuene pryncis, off which toforn I tolde,
Alle off oon herte, & bi ther oth ibounde,
Prudent and manli and off yeris olde,
Han souht a tyme Orapastes to confounde.
And with ther suerdis sharp[e] whet & grounde,
Wonder couert in ther apparaile,
Cam off entent Orapastes to assaile.

And in the paleis whom-euer that thei mette
Or ageyn hem made resistence,
Alle off accord thei fersli on hym sette.
But the magicien, that was ther in presence,
Cam ageyn hem be sturdi violence,
And at thencountre gan hem so constreyne,
That off the pryncis thei haue islay[e]n tweyne.

[Oropastes occupyeng the crowne of Perce bi iniust title was moordred.]

But fynali the tother pryncis fyue,
Whan that thei sauh ther tweyne feeris bleede,
In al the paleis thei leffte non alyue.

379

And kyng Orapastes, quakyng in his dreede,
Ful onwarli, or that he took heede,
Was slay[e]n ther, guerdoned for al his myht,—
Off pretens kynges which regne & ha[ue] no riht.

[How Dary obteynyng the kyngdam of perce be sleiht eended with shame.]

Afftir the deth of this magiciens
Was lefft no kyng to ha[ue] the gouernaunce,
Nor for to reule the lond off Perciens,
Sauff pryncis fyue, ful famous off puissaunce,
Which made a statut and an ordynaunce
Off oon accord, be record off writyng,
Theron concludyng who sholde be chose kyng.

Ther sort, ther happe and al ther auenture
Was youe to Fortune off this eleccioun,
As thus: that prynce the crowne shal recure
Among these fyue, be ther convencioun
For to gouerne the myhti regioun
And in that lond to regne & contune,
Lik as the fauour list ordeyne off Fortune.

This was the statut: vpon a morwenyng,
Alle attonys erli for to ride
Atwen Aurora and Phebus vprisyng,
Vp to an hill to houe[n] and abide,
Al rancour & discord set a-side,
Whos hors among hem was first herd neieng,
Withoute gruchchyng sholde be crownyd kyng.

Vpon this mateer what sholde I lenger tarie?—
Heeron was maad an oth in sekirnesse.
Among these pryncis ther was on callid Darie,
A prynce off Perse excellyng off noblesse,
Which hadde a seruaunt, the stori berth witnesse,
That kept his hors, & thouhte in verrai deede
He wolde his lord preferre at such a neede.

380

The said seruant, ful sleihti in werkyng,
His deligence list nothyng to spare.
The dai toforn[e] set off ther meetyng,
At a place smothe, pleyn and bare,
His lordis hors he made lepe a mare.
And on the morwe whan the pryncis mette
On hors[e]bak, there his lord he sette.

And whan the hors thedir cam ageyn,
Nature anon afforced his corage
To neie loude vpon the same pleyn,
Wher-as the mare had vsid hir passage.
Kynde in such caas hadde gret auauntage.
Be which[e] sleihte, pleynli to reherse,
The said[e] Dary was crownyd kyng off Perse.

The pryncis alle, lik ther convencioun,
Or Phebus shewed his firi bemys briht,
Withoute striff or contradiccioun
From ther hors sodenli aliht;
And onto Dari, as lowli as thei myht,
Saide in Greek[e] or thei vp aros,
“Policronitudo Basileos!”

Which is in Latyn, to speke in wordes pleyn,
And in Inglissh, bexpownyng off scripture,
Afftir the Greek, as moche for to seyn
As, “long[e] tyme mote the kyng endure,”—
And lyue in helthe with good auenture,
Bi the grace and fauour off Fortune
Vpon al Perse to regnen and contune.

Who list considren eueri circumstaunce,
It is a merueil nat groundid on prudence,
Bi such a sleihte a kyng tagouernaunce,
Thoruh title or cleym as off iust euidence,
So to be reised to kyngli excellence.
But whan Fortune fauoureth such assay,
Till that she chaunge, ther can no man sei nay.

381

Thus was kyng Darie, born off louh lynage,
Set up be sleihte in estaat honurable.
Thouhte that he wolde for his auauntage,
To make his kyngdam & his regne stable,
Wedde such a wiff as to hym was most hable,
Demyng off trouthe his cleym wer weel amendid,
Off Cirus lyne yiff she were descendid.

To wedde suchon was al his couetise,
Stable for to regne vpon the Persiens.
And, as I fynde, in ful cruel wise,
Bi the counseil off fals magiciens
A werre he gan vpon the Egipciens.
Eek folili he gan for to werreie
Them off Athenys, which list hym nat obeie.

And, as myn auctour maketh rehersaile,
He for his pride and fals presumpcioun
Was disconfited twies in bataile,
And neuer afftir, as maad is mencioun,
He was nat had in reputacioun,
Mong Persiens so gan his honour fade.
With sleihte he gan; with shame an eende he made.

[How Corolian bi Romayns exilid gan werre ayenst hem and how aftir thei sent out his moder with othir for pees, which had, thei eft him exilid & aftir was slayn.]

Afftir this Darie, as I reherse can,
And myn auctour likith to conclude,
To Iohn Bochas cam Corolian,
The moste woful off al that multitude.
Which gan compleyne vpon thyngratitude
Off the Romeyns, how thei whilom in deede
Exilid his persone, off rancour & hatreede.

Which in his tyme wolde neuer cese,
Thoruh his noblesse and his hih renoun,
Ther comoun profit tawmente and encrese,
And for to brynge to ther subieccioun
Many a cite and many a noble toun.

382

Yit thei ageynward, for al his cheualrie,
Han hym exilid off malice and envie.

But whan this Marcus, callid Corolian,
Sauh off Romeyns the gret onkynd[e]nesse,
Toward a cuntre that callid was Tuskan
Off hih disdeyn anon he gan hym dresse,
And hem entretid, off manli fell prowesse
To gynne a werre, sithe thei so manli be,
Thoruh his conveieng geyn Rome the cite.

And for to put hem mor in assuraunce,
To ha[ue] victorie thoruh ther hih renoun,
He tolde hem pleynli off a gret distaunce,
Off a fals striff and a discencioun
That was off newe falle in Rome toun;
Wherfor thei shulde, yiff it be prouided,
Conquere hem lihtli, because thei were deuided.

Bi ther assent he made a gret arme,
With stuff for werre richeli apparailed,
Pihte his tentis tofor that strong cite,
And in the feeld stood proudli [en]batailed.
But the hertis off Romeyns han hem failed,
And durst nat passe the gatis off ther toun,
Ther was among hem so gret deuysioun.

Ther cite stood that tyme destitut,
With feer supprised for lak off gouernaunce.
Them to diffende thei fond[e] no refut,
So ferr enfeeblisshid was ther old puissaunce.
For euer gladli, wher striff & variaunce
In any kyngdam haue an interesse,
Touchyng diffence, a-dieu al hardynesse!

Withynne hemsilff[e] thei stood at debat;
Afforn ther enmyes redi for tassaile;
Confort was non in hih nor low estat:
For wher discord is, what counsail mai auaile?
Ther foon withoute, withynne hemsilff bataile,
Brouht in, alas, to ther confusioun,
Bi the fals serpent off discencioun.

383

But at the laste afforced and constreyned,
Thei were coact[e] afftir pes to seeke.
The caas stood so: off nede thei wer peyned,
Maugre ther myht, ther hertis for to meeke.
And ther myscheeff mor tencrece and eeke,
In awmentyng off ther cruel fatis,
Thei sauh ther enmyes briht armed at ther gatis.

Thei sent out first preestis off the toun
With ther enmyes for tentrete off pes,
With humble proffres & low subieccioun;
But Corolian, this is dout[e]les,
Ageyn the Romeyns was so merciles,
That grace non myht in his herte myne
To ther request his eris to enclyne.

Thanne the Romeyns, the stori telle can,
To Venturia made ther praier,
Which was the mooder off Corolian,
And to Volumia, his feithful wiff enteer,
That thei sholde bothe gon ifeer
Onto that prynce, besechyng at the leste,
Benygneli to heryn ther requeste.

His mooder first ful prudentli abraide,
Onto hir sone makyng this questioun,
At ther meetyng to hym thus she saide:
“Shal I,” quod she, “for short conclusioun,
Off feithful herte and trewe affeccioun
To thi presence declare fynali,
Be now receyued as mooder or enmy?

Afftir thyn answere I mut myselff dispose
And my wittis speciali applie,
Cause off my komyng cleerli to onclose,
And telle theffect of myn ambassiatrie,
And my speche so gouerne and guie,
Afftir I am receyued to thi grace,
Mi-silff declaryng, yiff I ha[ue] tyme and space.

For lik thi mooder yiff thou receyue me
And me accepte onto thi presence,
I mut therafftir so gouerned be
To telle my tale pleynli, in sentence,—
So that thou yiff me freendli audience.
And yiff I be nat receyued in such wise,
Mor straung[e]li my tale I mut deuise.”

384

This noble prynce, this Corolian,
Whan that he herde his mooder thus compleyne,
Ful lik a lord and a knyhtli man
Gan hir enbracen in his armis tweyne
In lowli wise, ther is no mor to seyne,—
Sauff lik a sone, off due and off riht,
To hire he saide ful lik a ientil knyht:

“Madame,” quod he, “be it to your plesaunce
To heere my conceit as in this mater.
With feithful herte and humble attendaunce
I you receyue as for my mooder deer;
But, & ye like benygneli to heer,
Thyngratitude, doon in most cruel wise
To me off Romayns, I purpose to chastise.”

“A sone,” quod she, “touchyng ther offence
Doon to thi noblesse and ther gret outrage,
Thei shal be menys ther trespas recompence.
And thynk[e] thou art born off ther lynage,
And suffre that merci thi rigour mai asswage,
And thynk off nature thou maist nat weel withseie
Thyng for the which thi mooder doth now preie.

Thou shalt nat close thyn entrailes off pite
To the requestis off me and off thi wiff,
Nor gynne a werre ageyn[e]s thi cuntre,
To stroie thi lyne bi newe mortal striff,
Thi childre and me to make vs lose our liff.
Weie in ballaunce to Romayns thyn hatreede
Ageyns the loue off me and thi kenreede.

Send hom ageyn thi straunge soudiours,
Which be so redi the Romayn blood to sheede;
Lat stonde in pes our wallis and our tours;
Suffre thi grace thi rancour to exceede,
So that thi pite mai putte awai al dreede,
And condescende to receyue for hostage
Me to be plegge for ther gret outrage.

Behold the wombe in which that thou wer born,
And see also my naked brestes tweyne,
Bi which thou were fostred heer-toforn:

385

Yiff ther was lak, thou woldest crie & pleyne.
Remembre theron, and at me nat disdeyne,
But onto merci receyue this cite
At the request heer off thi wiff & me.

Whilom my mylk thi cherisshyng was & foode
To stynte thi cri whan thou dedist weepe,
Ther soote dropis ful holsum wer & goode,
Thi tendre youthe for to preserue and keepe.
And lik a mooder to brynge the a-sleepe,
I wook ful offte, to the I was so kynde,—
Wherfor, deere sone, on my request ha[ue] mynde.

Yiff that thou list this cite now tormente,
Ther demerites be rigour recompense,
Pun[y]she me for them, and I will assente
To ber the gilt off ther gret offence.
But, deere soone, lat thi magnyficence
Suffre off knyhthod that merci mai in deede
Attempre thi riht, or thou to doom proceede.

Suffre Romayns to lyuen in quiete,
Graunt hem pes ageyn ther gret outrage,
Sum drope off pite lat in thyn herte fleete,
And thynk[e] thou art born off ther lynage.
Looke vpon hem with merciful visage,
Which offre hemsilff[e], as thei shal fulfille,
Ther liff, ther deth, al hooli at thi wille.

Remembre off nature how that the leoun
Set a-side his rage and his woodnesse
To them that meekli aforn hym falle doun;
His roial kynde will doon hem no duresse.
Texemplefie to thi knyhtli noblesse,
With rigerous suerd thou shalt no mor manace
Them that be lowli, yolde onto thi grace.”

And whan this prynce, this Corolian,
Had herd al that his mooder list to seyne,
He goth to hire in al the haste he can,
Bespreynt with teris that on his chekis reyne,
And hire enbracid in his armis tweyne,

386

And saide, “mooder, ther mai be no lettyng,
Me off hool herte to graunte your axyng.”

The siege he made for tauoide awai,
And to repaire hom to her cuntre;
And with his mooder & wiff he was that dai
With gret[e] gladnesse and solempnite
Anon receyued into that cite,
Lik as Fortune wolde hym neuer haue failed.
But she soone afftir off newe hath hym assailed.

The geri Romayns, stormy and onstable,
Which neuer in oon stille koude abide,
Ageyn this prynce, most knyhtli and notable,
For to conspire off newe thei gan prouyde,
And ban[y]shed hym to Tuskan ther beside,
Wher he was slayn withynne a litil space,
For he the Romayns took affor to grace.

[How Melciades duk of Athenys with smal noumbre venquysshed vjc. Ml. perciens, and aftir bi his comonte that ay of custum desireth a chaunge of princes newe he was cheyned in prisoun and so deied.]

Among other that put hemsilff in pres
For to bewaile ther greuous heuynesse,
Cam off Athenys duc Meltiades,
Which thoruh his manhod & famous hih prowesse,
And thoruh his knyhtli renommed noblesse,
Lich as auctours his tryumphes list comende,
Fauht many a bataile his cite to diffende.

And off [his] victories, as it is compiled,
For comoun profit off that noble toun,
Fauht with a tirant that was toforn exiled,
Callid Hippias, which be fals tresoun

387

Hadde to kyng Darie maad a suggestioun,
Vpon Athenys, in al the haste he myhte,
To reise al Perse ageyn that toun to fihte.

Sexe hundred thousand acountid was the noumbre
Off Persiens, armed in plate and maile,
Them off Athenys be force to encoumbre,
Echon assemblid them proudli to assaile.
But this duc for nothyng wolde faile,
Meltiades, but knyhtli took his place:
With ten thousand he met hem in the face.

For bothe he was riht manli and riht wis,
And off his handis proued a good knyht.
Set vpon them with so prudent auys,
That thei off Perce, for al ther grete myht,
Wer foure tymes put onto the flyht
Bi thilke duc, yiff I shal nat feyne,
And bi the noblesse off other knyhtis tweyne.

Themystodes icallid was the ton,
Which off his hand, as auctours list descryue,
Was in a feeld[e] prouyd on his fon
The manli[est] knyht in his tyme alyue.
Which thilke dai so proudli dede stryue
Geyn them off Perse, & such a slauhter make,
That fynali the feeld thei ha[ue] forsake.

Cynegirus, a knyht eek off ther toun,
The same dai thoruh his cheualrie,
With bloodi suerd, as he wente vp & doun,
Withoute noumbre in his malencolie,
Slouh Persiens, [as] bookis specefie,
That for the tyme thei no refut cunne,
Sauff to ther shippis for dreed off deth thei runne.

388

And ther he wrouhte a straunge gret mervail,
As writ Bochas, affermyng in certeyne,
The grettest shipp that bar [the] largest sail,
With his riht hand he gan it so restreyne,
Lik as it hadde be fastned with a cheyne,
Maugre Perciens, which dede hem sore greue,
That be no crafft thei koud nat make it meue.

But whan that thei non other refut wiste,
Freli tescape[n] out off his daungeer,
Till thei his riht hand heuh off bi the wriste.
But with his lefft hand he gan approche neer,
And heeld it stille, an vnkouth thyng to heer,
That he hadde force so gret a shipp to lette.
But than, alas, his lefft hand off thei smette!

Yit maugre them, whan he ther malice seeth,
Al-were-it so that he hadde lost ech hand,
The shipp he heeld stille with his teeth,
That thei ne myhte departe fro the land,
Lik as ther vessel hadde falle vpon a sand,—
Causere that day, myn auctour doth reherse,
Too hundred thousand wer slayn off them off Perse.

And whan this synguler myhti champioun,
Cynegirus, most vnkouth off corage,
Had doon this meruail, as maad is mencioun,
Off verrai angwissh he fill into a rage:
Lik a beeste furious and sauage
Ran a-boute, alas, for lak off mynde!—
In Bochas book no mor off hym I fynde.

But in this processe afftir I beheeld
Ay how that Fortune can hir freendis faile:
For Meltiades, ledere off that feeld
And gouernour off al that gret bataile,
Causyng victoire, as maad is rehersaile,—
Yit his peeple off malice and off ire
Ageyn his noblesse falsli gan conspire.

Thei off Athenys set hym in prisoun,
And in cheynys myhtili hym bounde,
Onkynd[e]li thei gaff hym this guerdoun,

389

For al the knyhthod [that] thei in hym founde.
Yit had he suffred many mortal wounde
In ther diffence and for ther libertees,
To saue ther lyues, ther toun & ther cuntrees.

This was the eende off duc Meltiades,
Thoruh the constreynt off his stronge bondis.
Eek thei exilid the knyht Themystodes
Out off ther toun to lyue in straunge londis,
That was so worthi preued off his hondis:
To shewe the chaung and mutabilite
Founde in Fortune and eueri comounte!

[Lenvoye.]

The stormy trust off eueri comounte,
Ther geri corages & troublid constaunce,
In this tragedie men mai beholde & see,
Now vp, now doun, as Fortune cast hir chaunce.
For thei off custum ha[ue] ioie & most plesaunce,
In ther desirs onstedfast and ontrewe,
To seen ech day a chaung off pryncis newe.

Corolian off Rome, a cheeff cite,
Was ther protectour thoruh his myhti puissaunce:
Venquisshid ther enmies, set hem in surte,
Brouht in rebellis to ther obeisaunce.
But thei ageynward, off wilful variaunce
Ban[y]shed hym twies, & no cause knewe,
Sauff for to seen a chaung off pryncis newe.

The knyhtli noblesse, the magnanymyte,
The policie, the prudent gouernaunce
Off Meltiades, duc off the cuntre,
Wher that Athenys is cheeff toun in substaunce,—
Whan he ther comoun gan most to auaunce,
The mor onkyndli, in honour that thei grewe,
Most thei wer besi to chaunge hym for a newe.

390

Themystodes, hauyng the souereynte
Off knyhtis alle that bar spere or launce,
Duryng his tyme,—I tak no mor on me,
For comparisouns doon offte gret greuaunce,—
Sexe hundred thousand he putte to vttraunce,
Onto Athenys neuer founde ontrewe;
Yit thei conspired his exil for a newe.

What thyng mai heer floure in felicite,
Or stonde stable be long contynuaunce
In hih estatis outher in low degre?—
Now flowe, now ebbe, now ioie, now myschaunce,
Afftir Fortune holdeth the ballaunce.
And speciali, fals, feynyng and ontrewe,
Comouns desir a chaung off pryncis newe.

Noble Pryncis, in your prosperite,
On sodeyn chaungis set your remembraunce,
Fresshnesse off floures, off braunchis the beute
Haue ai on chaung a tremblyng attendaunce,
In trust off comouns is no perseueraunce:
As wynter [&] somer be dyuers off ther hewe,
So be thei dyuers in chaung off pryncis newe.

[Ho[w] xerses kyng of Perce, for his ravyne and couetise was dismembrid in smale pecys.]

Un-tofor Bochas, ful pitousli wepyng,
For to declare his dedli heuynesse,
Cam Xerses next, that was of Perse kyng,
And gan compleyne his dool and his distresse.
Which in thre thynges, his stori berth witnesse,
And as the cronycle cleerli can vs telle,
All othir pryncis in erthe he dede excelle:

In hih estat was non so gret as he,
Nouther in richesse nor worldli habundaunce,
Nor non that tyme off so gret dignite;
For as it is iput in remembraunce,
He hadde al Perse vnder his obeisaunce,
Nor neuer prynce, as auctours do conclude,
Hosteied attonys with such a multitude.

391

Space off fyue yeer he made his ordenaunce,
Seuene hundred thousand peeple he dede reise;
Dempte off fals pride ageyn his gret puissaunce
Non ertheli power myhte countirpeise.
But summe auctours alowe hym nat nor preise,
Because that he, peeplis to encoumbre,
Set al his trust to conquere with gret noumbre.

But manli pryncis han this opynyoun:
In multitude stondeth nat victorie;
For knyhtli prowesse off eueri champioun,
Which manli cast hem in armys to ha[ue] glorie,
Enprentid hath fix in his memorie,
Marcial tryumphes God ne doth nat shewe
In noumbres grete no rather than in fewe.

This said[e] Xerses, be record off auctours,
Had also, in cronycles as I reede,
Thre hundred thousand straunge soudiours,
Withoutyn othir, that wern off Perse & Mede.
Which gan the erthe for to cure and sprede,
Dried ryuers wher thei dede atteyne,
Karff doun hillis and made valis pleyne.

This was cheeff conceit off his fantasies,
To haue al erthe vnder subieccioun;
Thouhte his power rauhte aboue the skies,
Off surquedie and fals presumpcioun:
For as he dempte in his opynyoun,
How in his poweer pleynli that it lai,
Fro God aboue the heuene to take awai.

But thilke Lord that can the meeke enhaunse,
And from ther sees the proude putte doun,
A[nd] namli them that ha[ue] no remembraunse
To aduertise off wisdam and resoun,
To knowe the Lord, most myhti off renoun,—
The Lord off Lordis, which, pleynli to compile,
Will suffre tirantis to regne but a while.

And oon the merueile that euer I dede reede,
Grettest and vnkouth pleynli onto me,
Is how Xerses, kyng off Perse and Mede,
For to shewe a special syngulerte,

392

Out off Asie, ouer the Grete Se,
As seith myn auctour, whom I dar alegge,
Into Europe made a myhti bregge.

Sum men paraunter will therat disdeyne,
And seyn it is a merueile nat credible;
Yit crafft in cas to such thyng mai atteyne,
Which bi nature semeth an inpossible:
And, as to me, it is a thyng odible,
Thynges tenpugne, awtentik and olde,
Which notable clerkis in ther daies tolde.

These newe men that han but litil seyn,
Nouther expert in crafft nor in nature,
For lak off resoun holde al such thyng veyn,
Thouh that it be remembred in scripture.
For eueri meruail and eueri auenture
Is straunge to hym, as I reherse can,
That lakketh the cause wherof the ground began.

This said[e] Xerses hadde eek possessioun,
Be the title off his fader Darie,
Off al Egipt, as maad is mencioun;
But thei off Grece were to hym contrarie:
Wherfor he caste no lenger for to tarie,
This proude prynce, but myhtili werreie
Lacedemonoys, which wolde hym nat obeie.

But oon that was callid Demaratus,
Which off that cuntre hadde aforn be kyng
And was exilid, the stori tellith thus,
That tyme with Xerses in houshold abidyng,
Which loued that lond, for al his exilyng,
Gaff them warnyng, to saue hem fro myschaunce,
Off Xerses poweer and al his ordenaunce.

He wrot hem lettres grauen in a table,
All themprises off Xerses, out off doute,
Off al his stuff and peeple incomparable,
And off his noumbre and his gret[e] route.

393

The which[e] table curid was withoute
Ful subtili with wex iplanyd pleyn,
That off his sonde ther was no lettre seyn.

Thus was thentent off Xerses first discurid
Onto the Grekis, and al his fel werkyng.
But in o thyng thei gretli wer assurid,
Off trust thei hadde bi expert knowlechyng
In Leonidas, ther noble famous kyng,
Which among Grekis, off prowesse & forsiht,
Was in tho daies holde on the beste knyht.

Off cheualrie callid the lode-sterre,
The sunne off knyhthod, that shon so briht & sheene,
The berere up, bothe in pes and werre,
And strengest piler his parti to meynteene,
The Grekis riht hand ther noblesse to susteene,
Charboncle off armys, merour off policie,
And surest capteyn a feeld to reule & guie.

And as myn auctour remembreth in his book,
How in this cas he was nat rech[e]les,
But in al haste foure thousand men he took,
To lette the weies and comyng off Xerses.
And bi an hill callid Termophiles,
Wher Persiens began first ther viage,
He knyhtli caste to stoppe ther passage.

And secreli espieng the comyng
Off kyng Xerses with strong apparaile,
He, lik a knyht, made no tarieng,
Ches out sexe hundred, armed in plate & maile,
Which in such cas myhte most auaile,
And in diffence and helpe off ther cuntre
Wolde rather deie than from the feeld to fle.

And couertli thei took[e] ther loggyng,
And kept hem cloos, till it drouh to nyht.
And at ther dyner themsilff refresshyng,
So as thei sat, in steel armed briht,
The kyng abraide lik a manli knyht,

394

Into the feeld aforn thei shulde gon,
Riht thus he saide among hem euerichon:

“Sires,” quod he, “now dyneth merili,
And with good wyn afforceth your corage,
Lik goode knyhtis in purpos fynali,
For liff nor deth nat turnyng your visage,
But off assent, cast in your passage,
As ye heer dyne now in especiall,
To suppe at nyht with goddis infernall.

This is to meene, ye shul your liff iuparte,
As hardi knyhtis, proudli to prouide
Withynne the feeld assonder nat departe,
But keep you cloos, & for no dreed deuide.
Desir off worshepe make to be your guide,
Your expert noblesse eternali tauaunce
Be quyk report off newe remembraunce.

And hath this dai nothyng in memori[e],
Nouther your richesse, your blood nor your kenreede,
Sauff onli hope and good trust off victorie,
And hardi prowesse you to conducte and leede.
And thynkith knyhtli what shal be your meede,
With marcial palmys your renoun & your name
In the hiest place set in the Hous off Fame.

And thouh ye been but a fewe in noumbre,
Lat in your hertis o thyng be fantasied:
Whil dyuysioun doth you nat encoumbre,
Victorie in armys mai you nat be denyed;
For nothyng is to conquest mor applied
Than trewe accord among your-silff to shewe,
Thouh ye in noumbre be [founde] but a fewe.”

By this counseil syngulerli notable,
And be this kynges knyhtli good language,
Thei reconforted heeld themsiluen able
Ageyn ther fomen to holden ther passage.
And first off all, off hertli proud corage,

395

The Perciens mor mortali to greue,
Withynne ther tentis thei fill on hem at eue.

Thei off Perce idrownyd were with wyn;
This to seyen, thoruh ther gret excesse
Thei lai and slepte lik as dronke swyn,
Ther wach nat kept: loo, how that dronkenesse
Causeth offte, off verrai reklesnesse,
Ful many a man, that wil nat take keep,
For to be moordred anyhtis in ther sleep.

And as this kyng dede his knyhtis leede,
The Percien tentis assailyng sodenli,
Or thei wer war or token any heede,
Them for taffraie thei made an hidous cri.
Diffence was noon vpon ther parti;
For men mai knowe bi olde experience,
In folkis dronke mai be no resistence.

Out off noumbre thei slowen off ther foon,
And cesed nat off al the longe nyht,
Till on the morwe that the sunne shoon,
That to beholde it was an ougli siht.
And proude Xerses put anon to fliht—
Euer the laste that wolde his foon assaile,
And ay the firste that fledde in bataile!

In his fliht so faste awei he ran,
For theryn was hooli al his trust!—
And off gret trauaile anon this Xerses gan
Off coward dreed to han so gret a thrust,
So drie he was, off salt sond and off dust.
And bi the weie serchyng ferr nor neer,
He nouther fond welle nor reuer.

Off auenture a meri ground he fond,
The water trouble and bloodi off colour;
And Xerses ther drank water with his hond,
Hym to refresshe in his dedli labour.
And, as he thouhte, he neuer drank licour
To hym mor holsom, so streiht[e] stood the caas,
Confect with spices, pyment nor ypocras.

396

This was the firste myscheeff and the dreed
In which that Xerses, the myhti prynce, stood.
Heer men mai see, such as list take heed,
How geri Fortune, furious and wood,
Wil nat spare, for richesse nor for good,
Mihti pryncis, which list nat God to knowe,
From ther estatis to brynge hem doun ful lowe.

O hatful serpent of hih presumpcioun,
Ay onstaunchable with gredi vsurpyng,
Be newe trouble, off fals sedicioun,
Which list off pride receyue no warnyng:
For now Xerses, off Perse & Mede kyng,
Purposid hath with odious apparaile
The temple off goddis contagiousli tassaile.

For as hym thouhte, it myhte nat suffise,
To gret exaumple off his outraious pride,
How heer-toforn God dede hym chastise
Bi manys hand, to sette his pompe a-side.
But now off newe he gan ageyn prouide,
Bi sacrilege his myhti hand to dresse,
To spoile Appollo and reue hym his richesse.

Ther was in Delos a temple thilk[e] dai,
Most statli bilt and set up be masouns,
Gret ymages, reliques, riche arai
Off gold and stonys in sundri mansiouns;
And ther Appollo to sundri questiouns
Gaff redi answere, the stori tellith thus,
And he was callid Appollo Delphicus.

Foure thousand men Xerses thedir sente,
Bi his auys chose out for the nonys,
Ful clenli armed; & as thei thedir wente
To spoile the temple off gold and riche stonys,
With sodeyn leuene thei wer brent, flessh & bonys,
With tempest, thunder, hail & hidous reyn
Consumpt echon and neuer afftir seyn.

The grete Appollo, which shyneth briht in heuene,
Hadde off this Xerses gret indignacioun,
Which made his peeple be consumpt with leuene,

397

In cruel punshyng off his presumpcioun.
Yit he purposed, to his confusioun,
Sithe on the lond he nothyng myhte wynne,
Vpon the se a werre to begynne.

Gan to make so gret an ordenaunce,
That his naueie couered al the se:
Yit Neptunus thouhte hym nat tenhaunce,
Withynne his boundis to ha[ue] no liberte;
For Themystodes with a smal meyne,
Beside a cite callid Salamyne,
Hym & his shippis brouhte onto ruyne.

Yit, as I fynde, this proude kyng Xerses
Hadde on his parti Themydora, the queene
Off Halcarnois, which put hirselff in pres,
Armed in platis that shon ful briht and sheene.
And thenarme off Xerses to susteene,
This womman fauht[e] lik a fell woluesse,
And many Greek that dai she dede oppresse.

It was a straunge merueil for to heere,
To seen a woman so sturdi off visage;
Yit men expert aldai may seen and lere,
Thei be bi nature ful cruel off corage,
And no cowardis founde off ther language.
Sett at assai, and thanne it shal be seene,
Wher thei be feerful ther quarel to susteene!

Thei mai off meeknesse shewe a fair pretense,—
Sum serpent is off colour siluer sheene,
And summe floures, ful fressh off apparense,
Growe on thistles rouh[e], sharp and keene,
And summe that been angelic to seene,
And verai heuenli, with ther golden tressis,
Been at a preeff[e] verrai leonessis.

To seyn the sothe, a poore man mai be shent,—
I dar no mor[e] speke off this mateere. . . .
But kyng Xerses, for al his proude entent,
Al his naueie and his peeple ifeere
Wer put to fliht & outraied off ther cheere.

398

Ther shippis drownyd among the wawes rude,
That non abod off al that multitude.

Kyng Xerses hurt and woundid mortali,
Onnethe he myhte the grete peyne endure;
His quakyng herte quit hym so cowardli,—
On se and lond such was his auenture.
And yit ageyn his damages to recure,
Thre hundred thousand off fihteres he gan call,
Vpon Grekis off newe for to fall.

A myhti duc callid Mardonyus
Was capteyn maad his peeple for to leede;
But Themystodes, myn auctour tellith thus,
Knowyng off Xerses the cowardise & dreede,
A lettre made for to be sent in deede,
Enfourmyng hym, bi Grekis gret outrage
How off his bregge was broken the passage.

Off which[e] merueil whan ther cam tidyng
To kyng Xerses, he afftir anon riht,
As he that was aferd[e] off ech thyng,
Ful lik a coward took hym to the fliht.
Fledde in a boot, lik a coward knyht,
Off al his peeple ther wer no mo iseyn
Tawaite vpon hym, sauff a chaumberleyn.

Al his peeple departed heer and yonder,
Stondyng in myscheeff and gret indigence;
To many a coost thei wente and rood asonder,
Pyned with hunger, lakked ther dispence,
Punshed also with onwar pestilence,
Feeble off trauaile myhte nat endure
For impotence to karien ther armure.

Alas ech wai[e] lai ful off careynes;
The soil with blood[e] steyned & the greene;
The hair terrible off pathes & off pleynes,
That no man myhte endure it nor susteene,
The sauour was so odious and oncleene.

399

Raueynous foulis, ful homli in ther siht,
Themsilff to feede vpon the corps aliht.

Thre hundred thousand off Perciens wer slayn,
Which Mardonyus aforn ful proudli ladde.
Off which[e] tidyng kyng Xerses was nat fayn,
But for distresse and sorwe gan to madde.
An[d] oon the laste myscheeff that he hadde,
Was whan Thymon, a noble Grekissh knyht,
Xerses disconfited & put his men to fliht.

This Thymon was sone to Meltiades,
His fadir whilom off Athenes kyng,
Which last off all outraied hath Xerses,—
Sauff off his eende ther fill a-nother thyng:
Artabanus, ful sleihti in werkyng,
Which to Xerses was nat suspect in deede,
Compassid his deth, in Bochas as I reede.

This Artaban was prouost off his hous
And an officer most especial,—
With his seuene sonys strong & despitous,
Vpon a nyht furious and fatal,
Fill vpon Xerses in his paleis roial.
And in his stori as it is remembrid,
On pecis smale thei han hym al dismembrid.

This was off Xerses the laste fynal meede,
Off his hih pride the funeral guerdoun;
From his too kyngdamys off Perse & [eek] Mede
Froward Fortune hath hym plukked doun.
What mai auaile the dominacioun
Off such pryncis as holde hemseluen evene
For to been egal with goddis hih in hevene?

Men list nat knowe such chaunges for no preeff,
A[nd] namli pryncis in ther gret puissaunces.
Geyn ertheli pereiles & al worldli myscheeff
Thei can prouide hem & set ordynaunces,
As thei that dreede Fortunis variaunces;
But to Godward thei take litil heede,
For the gret richesse which thei do possede.

400

Yiff thei mai heren off an erthe-quaue
Toforn it falle, or any tokne see,
Than will thei gon anon themsilff to saue
Out off ther houses, & from ther toun[e]s flee,
To putte ther liff the mor in surete,
List ther beeldyng, maad off gret costage,
Fill vpon hem in that mortal rage.

Or yiff an hors ronne out off his stable,
Breke his coleer thikke, double & long,
Men will ordeyne a lok off iren able
To keepe hym in, be he neuer so strong.
And thus men can redressyn eueri wrong
Touchyng the bodi, bi gret avisynesse;
Sauff for the soule thei will nothyng redresse.

Whan a ryuer passeth ferr his boundis,
Boilith vpward, fynt no resistence,
Wynneth land & ouerfloweth groundis,
Drowneth toun[e]s with his violence,—
Yit men will trauaile to fynden a diffence;
To turne his cours sum weie shal be souht,
But toward God men thynke lite or nouht.

Ageyn siknesse men seeke medicynes,
Letuaries and dyuers pociouns,
Serche in phesik sundri disciplynes
Them to diete in ther transgressiouns,
Restoratyves and eek confecciouns,
But onto Godward, in this present liff,
Men nat trauaile for no confortatiff.

Men ther bodies will putten in distresse
Off fals desir and coueitous feruence,
Onli tacroche and wynne gret richesse,
Suffre cold, labour and violence,
And nouther spare for gold nor for dispence
To vndirfonge pereilles off veynglorie,
Onli for thynges that be transitorie.

Thei passe mounteyns & many hidous roche,
In hope it sholde to ther entent auaile,
To many mortal monstre thei approche,

401

And be many vnkouth se thei saile,
Iuparte ther liff in werre and in bataile,
Be many daunger & many streiht thei ride
For worldli tresour, which shal no while abide.

But toward goodis that be perdurable,
Ful lite or nouht ther hertis thei enclyne;
Nor to the heuenli cuntre most notable,
Thei wil nat lefft up nouther hed nor chyne,—
Toward the speeris off Phebus & Lucyne,
Castyng ther stremys to vs fro so ferre,
Which to considre all worldli men doon erre.

What myhte auaile the grete couetise
Off kyng Xerses in [his] estaat roial?
Or the gret peeple, which ye han herd deuise,—
Ten hundred thousand;—the peeple was nat smal.
But, for al that, he hadde an hidous fal,
Whan that he was, as is toforn remembrid,
On pecis smale pitousli dismembrid.

Lenvoye.

This tragedie put vs in remembraunce
Off thonsekir flatryng & blyndnesse
Bothe off Fortune & off hir variaunce,
And off hir ougli froward doubilnesse,
In Xerses shewed, for al his gret richesse,—
To vs declaryng, pleynli in figure,
A raueynous prynce mai no while endure.

Kyng Xerses hadde vnder his obeisaunce
Al Perse & Mede, the stori berth witnesse;
Thouhte al erthe to litil in substaunce
To staunche the etik off his gredynesse,
A frett off hauyng put hym in such distresse.
Whos fyn declarid, bi record off scripture,
A raueynous prynce mai no while endure.

He made also an odious ordenaunce,
Off surquedie his poweer for to dresse,
To robbe the goddis, maugre ther puissaunce,
And spoile ther templis, off froward wilfulnesse,

402

Take ther tresours ageyn al rihtwisnesse.
But thei hym shewed, off sodeyn auenture,
A raueynous prynce mai no while endure.

Grete Appollo took on his men vengaunce
With onwar tempest, for al ther sturdynesse,
Leuene and thunder brouht hem to myschaunce,
Guerdoun most hable ageyn ther gret falsnesse,—
In pryncis hertis, pleynli to expresse.
Who be raueyne richessis will recure,
God wil nat suffre hym longe to endure.

Noble Pryncis, stable in your constaunce,
Ye that desire to stonde in sekirnesse,
Remembreth offte vpon the fatal chaunce
Off proude Xerses and his cursidnesse,
Your-silff disposyng in your hih noblesse,
Yiff that ye list your statis to assure,
Escheweth raueyne & ye shal longe endure!

[How Artabanus moordred kyng xerses and how aftir himsilf was moordred.]

Next these tragedies, wepyng & dolerous,
Whil Bochas stynte, & wolde ha been in pes,
A knyht appered callid Artabanus,
Which hadde aforn[e] moordred kyng Xerses;
And gan his compleynt for to putte in pres,
Ful concludyng, to speke in wordes pleyn,
Who vseth moordre, bi moordre he shal be slayn.

This Artabanus, be record off writyng,
With Xerses prouost whilom, as I reede,
Falsli conspired be sleihte off his werkyng,
For to be kyng bothe off Perse & Mede,
Hauyng seuene sonys, which that wer in deede
Worthi knyhtis, manli and riht strong,
Al-be ther fader was set to do gret wrong.

For he presumed bi vsurpacioun,
In Perse and Mede to quench the cleer[e] liht,
And trouble the lyne off iust successioun:

403

For so as he off force and nat off riht,
Nothyng rasemblyng to a trewe knyht,
The moordre off Xerses falsli dede ordeyne,
Riht so he caste to moordre his sonys tweyne.

And to conclude pleynli and nat tarie,
The said[e] kyng that callid was Xerses,
Hadde too sonys, the yongest callid Darie,
And the tother named Artaxerses,
Which, as the stori reherseth dout[e]les,
Wer be discent bor[e]n for to succeede,
Afftir ther fader to regne in Perse & Mede.

The moordre off Xerses outward was nat knowe,
Nor how Artabanus hadde the tresoun wrouht,
Till afftirward withynne a litil throwe
He hadde off newe forged out & souht
Fals odious treynes that wer neuer thouht:
Tolde Artaxerses, as he gan with hym rowne,
How Darie caste to ocupie the crowne,

And how the deth off Xerses was ordeyned
Onli be Darie and be noon othir wiht.
Wherupon, which auhte be compleyned,
Artaxerses prouyded anon riht
The slauhtre off Darie; & so, ageyn al riht,
This yonger brother in his innocence
Was falsli slayn, and dede non offence.

Ye wete, be whom this tresoun was compassid,
Twen brethre tweyne to make dyuysioun,
The yonger slayn, & nothyng hath trespasid,
Most redi were to the destruccioun
Off Artaxerses; for in conclusioun,
Whan the brethre moordred wer in deede,
Artabanus thouhte to succeede.

But Artaxerses, be pleyn instruccioun
Off oon that callid was Baccar[i]us,
Be toknys kneuh the couert fals tresoun

404

Off this forsaid double Artabanus,
And how that he be treynes outraious
Hadde Xerses slayn, as ye han herd toforn,
And Darie appechid, wherbi that he was lorn.

But off this vnkouth straunge tresoun wrouht,
Whan Artaxerses hadde knowlechyng,
Bi gret auys weies he hath souht,
Artabanus to brynge to rek[e]nyng.
But speciali he dradde hym off o thyng:
He feeble was to brynge this thyng aboute,
Off his seuene sonys he stood in so gret doute.

But for tacomplisshe fulli his entent
Ful secreli, this was his ordenaunce:
To all the worthi he hath his lettres sent,
Duellyng in Perse vnder his obeisaunce,
Withoute excus or lenger attendaunce,
Armed echon, and in especial
To come in haste onto his court roial.

Cause off ther komyng was to hem nat knowe,
The kynges purpos was holden so secre
And kept so cloos, bothe from hih & lowe,
That to his menyng no man was pryve,
Except the kyng saide he wolde see
What noumbre off men, yiff it cam to neede,
In his diffence he myht[e] gadre and leede.

And among other cam Artabanus
Onto the court, and list nat for to faile,—
A man that was cruel and coraious,
Ful off sleihtis in al his gouernaile,
Which thilke tyme armyd was in maile;
For he with hym non other armour ladde,
Sauff on his bak an haberioun he hadde.

Thanne Artaxerses, beyng in his strengthe,
To hym abraide off fals affeccioun:
“For that my maile wantith off his lengthe,
I wolde with the chaunge myn haberioun.”
The tother hauyng noon euel suspeccioun,
Ongirt hymsilff[e], wolde no lenger bide,
Bothe suerd & dagger cast hem ferr a-side.

405

And whil that he threuh off his haberioun,
And with the maile stoppid was his siht,
He beyng naked, for short conclusioun,
The kyng out pullith a suerd[e] keene & briht;
And thoruh the herte he rooff hym anon riht.
And afftir that, off indignacioun
Took his seuene sonys & cast hem in prisoun.

Off ther eende what sholde I mor endite,
Nor off ther deth make a digressioun?
God mai his vengaunce a while weel respite,
But moordre will out, & al such fals tresoun.
And for Artaban hadde a condicioun,
Falsli to moordre, as ye toforn ha[ue] seyn,
With onwar moordre he guerdonyd was ageyn.

Thus euer moordre requereth for his wages
Sclaundre inportable, odious for to heere,—
A woord diffamous, most foul in al languages,
The soun horrible bi report to appeere,
A clips duryng, whos dirknesse may nat cleere;
For this woord moordre, most ougli & onfair,
Bi a rehersyng infectith al the hair.

[Off duk Palantus, and Spartenois werred them of Missene for rauysshing theire maidenes.]

Afftir the deth[e] and [the] fatal cas
And pitous moordre off Artabanus,
Next in ordre appered to Bochas
A myhti duc, callid Palantus,
Sone off a knyht Inamed Arathus.
Which was exiled, thouh he no tresoun mente,
Out off his cite, that callid was Tarente.

Vpon his exil he sore gan compleyne,
Besechyng Bochas to getyn hym a space
Withynne his book, to write his greuous peyne,
Al-be that he whilom stood in grace

406

Be glad aspectis off Fortunys face;
For she hym reised be fauour off hir myht
To dukis estat from a ful poore knyht.

But ceriousli this mater to conveie,
How he was maad[e] duk & gouernour,
Whan Sparteyns gan mortali werreie
Geyn Messeniens, as seith myn auctour,
With gret costage and deligent labour.
And cause was this; for thei with myhti hond
Rauesshid be force all maidenys off that lond.

For this peeple, now named Spartenoys,
As the stori cleerli can deuise,
Wer callid aforn[e] Lacedemonoys,
In armis preued, manli and riht wise.
And whil thei dede a solempne sacrefise
Onto ther goddis, the peeple off Messenye
Rauesshid ther maidenys, or thei it koude espie.

On which[e] wrong for to do vengaunce,
The Spartenois kauhte indignacioun;
And off assent, with al ther hool puissaunce,
Thei leide a siege round aboute the toun.
And off o will and oon affeccioun
Thei made a vow the siege whan thei begunne,
Neuer to departe til the toun wer wonne.

[[H]ow Spartenois lay ten yere atte sege and how their wyves displesid with their longe absence sent hem a message vt infra.]

Afor the toun fulli ten yeer thei lai,
And fro the siege, as thei hadde maad ther oth,
Thei nat departed nouther nyht nor dai,
But stille abood and nat assonder goth.
Theroff ther wyues beyng at hom wer wroth;
To ther husbondis a massager thei sente,
Vnder these woordis declaryng ther entente.

407

Saide it was nat accordyng with resoun,
Thei lik widwes to lyue disconsolat,
Withoute confort or consolacioun,
Ferr from ther husbondis to stonde al desolat,
Myscheuys considred, that fall in ech estat
Be long absence, which ech man sholde dreede,
Thoruh duyers siknesse that fall in womanheede.

“The tid abit nat for no maner man,
Nor stynt his cours for no creature;
And hard it is, as we reherse can,
Thyng to withstonde that kom[e]th off nature.
Harm doon be kynde is froward to recure;
And ther is founde ful litil sekirnesse,
Wher-as nature afforceth brotilnesse.

This litil sonde auhte inouh suffise,
To declare damage that mai fall
Be long absence, folkis that be wise.
Sumtyme departed, ageyn men may nat call;
That seelde is seyn, in loue doth appall;
And nothyng mor maketh wyues erre,
Than disseueraunce off folk that be in werre.”

This was theffect, pleynli in substaunce,
Sent to ther husbondis, which at the siege lai,
Compleynyng thei hadde had no plesaunce
Space off ten yeer, as in louys plai;
But desolat, in sorwe and gret affrai,
Ther liff thei ladde, affermyng in sentence,
Cause off ther constreynt was ther long absence.

And whan the lettres wer at the siege rad
Toforn the cite in al ther mortal stryues,
Thei wer astonyd and gan to wexe sad,
And verrai weri almost off ther lyues,
For to considre the compleynt off ther wyues.
Till ther capteyn a remedie out souht,
Be whos counsail euene thus thei wrouht:

First olde knyhtis that hadde the siege sworn
It for tacomplisshe, and cast hem to be trewe,
His counsail was, as thei hadde hiht beforn,
To holde ther promys & theroff nothyng rewe;
But yonge knyhtis, that wer come off newe,

408

Mihte as thei list[e], freli at ther will,
Chese wher thei wolde go or bide still.

And heerupon for ther most auail,
In haste ther capteyn, as maad is remembraunce,
Off hih prudence gaff hem this counsail:
That knyhtis olde, lich ther assuraunce,
Sholde off the siege haue the gouernaunce,
And yonge knyhtis, most fressh & weel beseyn,
Sholde from the siege hom be sent ageyn.

Thei made among hem a ful straunge ordenaunce
At ther hom comyng: withoute difference
To entirchaunge ther wuyes for plesaunce,
And take hir first that cam to ther presence.
This was thaccord among hem in sentence,
Most redi weie, to ther opynyoun,
To engendrure and procreacioun.

Ther was among hem quarel nouther striff
In this mateer, nor no variaunce;
For eueri man mysused othres wiff
To ther desirs as was to hem plesaunce.
And thus childre thoruh this ordenaunce
That wer engendrid, the cas is thus befall,
Parthenois men dede hem afftir call.

Which in our tunge, to speke in woordes pleyne,
Afftir the Greek, who list considre and see,
Is no mor[e], platli for to seyne,
Than thilke childre which engendrid be
In auoutrie: wherfor, in that cuntre,
Parthenois off custum thei wer namyd,
Born off wombes which that wer diffamyd.

The fals occasioun off this auoutrie
Caused afftir gret myscheeff & damage,
That no man koude, as for his partie,
Be successioun, whan he cam to age,
Be title off riht cleyme his heritage;
For wher a lyne falsli doth proceede,
Hard is to knowe be riht who shal succeede.

409

The disturbaunce off fals successioun
And titles cleymed, afforced with gret myht,
Wher that auoutrie hath domynacioun
And is supportid off will & nat off riht,
And cleym off trouthe hath lost his cleer[e] liht,—
Thouh ther parties myhti been and stronge,
God wil nat suffre thei shal endure longe.

And Spartennois peisyng all these thynges,
How fals assurance was in ther lynage,
The ientil blood troublid first off kynges;
For no man knew, off hih nor low parage,
His owne fader be liknesse off visage,—
Nor fader non, bi his gret errour,
Koude yeue no title to his successour.

Wherupon folwed a gret myschaunce,
Hatful to heere: thoruhout the cuntre
Ech man troubled in his cuntenaunce,
Who sholde cleyme be any liberte
To entre his lond or to stonde fre,
Such doubte thei hadde, ech man for his partie;
So importable was the[r] auoutrie!

This grete myscheeff, who-so taketh heed,
Be long processe made hem to knowe & see
How thei wer able, as be likliheed,
For ther outrages to fall in pouerte.
And off assent thei cast hem for to fle,
Vnder a capteyn, be strong & myhti hond,
Fro that cuntre to wynne sum other lond.

And, as I reede, thei ches duk Palantus,
Off whom I spak, to gouerne ther passage,
Takyng no leue, the stori tellith thus,
At ther departyng, begynnyng ther viage,
Thei wer so confus off cheer & off visage:
For ther was noon off al that grete route,
To chese his fader but that stood in doute.

410

Thei heeld hemsilff[e] verrai[ly] ashamed,
And for shame out off that lond thei wente,
Lik a peeple disclaundred & diffamed
Thoruh thauoutrie, to which thei dede assente.
And to a cite that callid was Tharente,
Which stant in Poile, a myhti strong cuntre,
This duk Palantus cam with his meyne.

And ther he putte, thoruh his gret[e] myht,
The citeseyn[e]s out off that cite,
And gat Tharente ful lik a manli knyht,
And ther abood in long prosperite
As gouernour & duk off that cuntre,
Till that his peeple be fals collusioun
Hym to depryue souht out occasioun.

Thei hym exilid whan he was fall in age.
Loo, what it is in comouns to assure!
Stormy off herte, onseur off ther corage,
That seelde or neuer ther frenship doth endure.
Men mai to-dai ther fauour weel recure,
And tomorwe lat set it at a preeff:
Thei rathest hyndre whan men stonde at myscheeff.

[Off Ceson Quincius exiled and Graccus take prisonere.]

I can no mor reherse off Palantus,
Duk & ledere off Parthennois;
But I will tell how Ceson Quincius
Cam tofor Bochas, with a ful pitous vois
His tale gan, and Graccus prince off Equois,—
Bothe attonys gan ther song entune,
Most doolfulli to pleyne vpon Fortune.

This myhti prince Ceson Quincius
Compleyned first, as maad is mencioun,
How thei off Rome wer contrarious
And felli wrouhte to his destruccioun,
And ful oniustli banshed hym the toun,

411

And natwithstandyng he was a dictatour,
Hym to confounde thei dede ther labour.

Cause off his exil compassid, as I reede,
That he was slouh, thei saide, & necligent
Hym to defende touchyng apel in deede,
[Which] that ageyn hym was wrouht off fals entent.
Yit Cincinnatus, his fader, be assent
Paide for amendis, as seyn cronycleris,
Met out off lond drauht off thre arblasteris.

Yit his enmyes wolde nat be content,
But proceded that he was exiled,
Dede execucioun off his iugement,
As in his story ful pleynli is compiled,
He afftir neuer myht be reconciled,
Which I ha[ue] pite to put in remembraunce,—
So litel offence sholde ha[ue] so gret vengaunce!

Graccus off Rome, callid Cloellius,
Prynce off Equoys, myn auctour seith the same,
Was in his tyme notable and glorious,
And a gret duk, ful renommed off fame.
But how the peeple of Equois first took name,
Vnder support, that no man ha[ue] disdeyn,
I will the processe declare heer in certeyn.

Iohn Bochas seith, ther is a nacioun
Which that first[e] wer callid Hunois,
And secondli also bi successioun
Off ful long tyme named Anathois;
And aldirlast men callid hem Equois,
Lich as I trowe myn auctour seith the same,
Off hors most swifft thei took[e] first the name.

And as it is remembred in sentence,
Bi ther manheed and famous hardynesse,
Geyn Alisandre thei made a strong diffence
On hors[e]bak thoruh ther gret swiftnesse.

412

Beside the hill[e], pleynli to expresse,
Which in cronycles is callid Caucasus,
This peeple off Equois were victorious.

To ther noblesse, pleynli as I fynde,
Nothyng in erthe was mor expedient
In ther conquest off Ethiope and Inde,
As hors most swifft, seruyng ther entent,
Therbi conqueryng al the orient.
So gret prowesse was in ther passage,
That Equois brouhte al Egipt in seruage.

Thus wher-euer Equois dede ride,
Thei gat gret good to ther possessioun.
And Graccus was ther gouernour & guide,
Which bi his steryng and fals suggestioun
Ageyn the Romeyns fill in rebellioun;
But to withstonde hym thei sent out anon riht
Cyncynatus, preued a ful good knyht.

He was weel trusted and knowe in the toun,
And for his prudence chose a dictatour.
His liflode smal and his possessioun,
Al-be he was a worthi werreiour,
Which hath venquysshid be his knyhtli labour
The said[e] Graccus, for al his gret poweer,
And hom to Rome brouht hym prisoneer.

Cyncynatus in [his] char was set,
Callid Quincius, for this gret victorie,
And most solempneli with senatours met,
Which gaff to hym, for tencrece his glorie,
Laude off tryumphe, to putte hym in memorie.
And Graccus afftir, for his rebellioun,
With cheynys bounde, cast in a derk prisoun.

And ther he deide in ful gret myscheeff,
Afftir his conquestis first famous & notable.
An euidence to vs and a gret preeff,
How that Fortune is ai fals & onstable,
Euer double, froward and deceyuable,
The fall off Graccus declare can ful weel,
That whilom sat so hih vpon hir wheel.

413

[Here Bochas rehercith the tirannye of Apius and falsnesse of Iuges.]

Natwithstandyng Bochas aforn hath told
Off Appius the falsnesse importable,
And his outrages & surfetis manyfold,
To be remembred hatful and repreuable,
Yit as hym thouhte, it was heer couenable,
To mor rebuk and spottyng off his name,
Newe to reherse his sclaundre & his diffame.

The grete offencis off this Appius
And oppressiouns that he vpon hym took,
Made hym to growe so inli coueitous,
Thoruh his rauyne that al the peeple quook,
As ye mai seen in the seconde book,
Wher myn auctour doth cleerli specefie
His fraude in doomys, & his fals lecherie.

Eek off this tirant remembred ye mai reede
Cheeff iuge he was, with other officeris,
Callid decemvir; & thoruh his pride in deede,
Ageyn the custum of them that wern his feeris,
He made be born standardis & baneris
In other wise, off hih presumpcioun,
Than vsid was aforn in Rome toun.

These iuges hadde a custum & maneer,
Lik ther estatis in ther gouernaunce,
Ech afftir other to ha[ue] born a baneer
Wher thei wente, such was thordynaunce,
Be twelue sergauntis noumbred in substaunce.
But Appius off pride and gret outrage
I-chaungid hath that custum and vsage.

He ferst ordeyned ech sholde in his place
Off decemvir haue a baner born,
In ther walkyng, the peeple to manace,
An hundred men off armys them toforn,
And twenti ouer, bi a statut sworn.

414

Wherbi the cite bar gret cost in deede,
And al the peeple wer put in feer & dreede.

To seen the sergantis walke in plate & maile,
Thei thouhte it was a merueilous werkyng,
Iuges to gon with such[e] apparaile
In ther procedyng, as ech had been a kyng.
And hool thentent off Appius menyng,
Was that he sholde, off power & off myht,
Doon what hym list, wher it wer wrong or ryht,

The rihtful pun[y]she and the gilti spare,
Fauoure wrong for bribes & for meede.
The peeple oppressid stood in sorwe & care,
Fond no socour to help hem in ther neede;
Lawe was ther non, for resoun lai be dreede,
Will was iuge and plesaunce equite,
And thus be maistri was gouerned the cite.

And as it is remembred be Bochas,
Appius was lecherous off nature,
And cauht a quarel, as ye han herd the caas,
Ageyn Virgynea, a maide cleene & pure.
And for he sholde in hir nothyng recure
Touchyng his lust, hir fader in that striff
With a sharp suerd made hir lose hir liff.

And for this tiraunt be fals ribaudie
Caused hir deth be hasti violence,
And for he sholde hir beute nat maistrie,
Deieng a maide in hir chast innocence,
Therfor he was demed in sentence,
As is toforn maad cleer[e] mencioun,
For to be cheyned and deien in prisoun.

Eek decemvir losten ther power,
And neuer in Rome afftir bar no name,
Nor off that sect was maad non officer;
And among all Appius bar the blame,
Whos crym reboundeth to his eternal shame,
As ye han herd[e], who that can discerne,—
And thanne tribunys wer chose for to gouerne.

415

And in Bochas lik as it is founde,
The said[e] iuges in myscheeff dede fyne;
Whil Appius lay in prisoun bounde,
Exiled wer[e]n all the tother nyne.
The good, the tresour off them & off ther lyne
Achetid was, for short conclusioun,
To comoun profit & encres off the toun.

Lenvoye.

This litil tragedie doth shortli heer deuise,
What myschef folweth for the grete onriht
Vsid be iuges in many sundri wise:
For whan that fauour bleendid hath ther siht,
And innocence is bor doun with myht,
And in his quarel pouert may nat proceede,
Because that trouthe oppressid is with meede.

A iuge sholde off equite despise
To take gifftes off any maner wiht,
And redi been all wrongis to chastise,
From all gifftes turne awei his siht,
His handis close, his eris stoppe ariht,
And been ai war, for frenshipe, hate or dreede,
That trouthe be nat oppressid with no meede.

The noble doctryn and vertuous emprise
Off philisophres, that hadde so gret insiht,
Was this to iuges, that prudent wer & wise:
For freend or fo ther doomys so be diht,
Off rihtwisnesse that the sunne briht
Eclipsed neuer, list men for ther falsheede
Reporte that riht was put a-bak for meede.

Noble Pryncis, supportours off iustise,
Callid lodesterris to yeue the peeple liht,
On Appius lat iuges nat practise,
That trouthes laumpe be cleer bothe dai & nyht.
Your office peised, that longeth to a knyht,
Hold up the balaunce off doom in your manheede,
That lawe in iuges be nat corupt with meede!

416

Bochas ageyn thontrowith of Iugis.

Svyng vpon the deth off Appius
And his rebukes for his gret outrage,
Bochas be writyng wex sumwhat irous
Geyn iuges false, & thouht in his corage
Thei shulde be sad & demeur off age,
And that ther liff be vertu sholde drawe,
To keepe the preceptis & statutis off the lawe.

Thei ouhte off resoun themseluen to habile,
To haue science off philosophie,
And knowe ther textis off canoun & cyuyle,
And therupon her wittis hool applie;
For cunnyng iuges be prudent policie
Cause ordenaunces, in lawe comprehendid,
Thoruh rihtful doom gretli to be comendid.

Iustise off lawe doth rewmys enlumyne,
Susteneth trouthe, supporteth innocence,
Off raueynour[e]s boweth doun the chyne,
Punsheth robbours for ther gret offence,
Sluggi truantis for ther necligence,
And feyned beggeris, that gretli disauaile,
Constreyneth them to labour & trauaile.

Foundours off lawe bi antiquite,
Caused in londis was suffred non errour,
And made off pryncis the roial maieste
To shyne in worshepe, be deligent labour,
Wrestid corages off many conquerour,
That ther tryumphes no ferther sholde atteyne
Than lawe off God & nature dede ordeyne.

Will was that tyme vnder subieccioun
Off rihtwisnesse, be trouthe ful weel conveied,
Sensualite was seruant to resoun,
And froward lust was vnder lok weel keied;
Sentence off statutis was nat disobeied,
The riche dede riht thoruhout eueri lond,
Poore folk lyued be labour off ther hond.

417

Lordshipe that tyme auoided meyntenaunce,
Hoolichirch lyued in parfitnesse;
Knyhthod tho daies for trouthe whet his launce,
And fals extorsioun hadde non interesse;
Marchantis wynnyng cam al off rihtwisnesse,
Artificers the werkdai wer nat idill,
And bisynesse off labour heeld the bridill.

Women that age farsid wer nor hornyd,
Nor ther tailes wer nat serpentyne;
Wis men off foli, nor clerkis wer nat scornyd,
Which in science most fresshli dede shyne.
Lawe disherited non heires from ther lyne,
Lesyngmongers fond that tyme no socours,
And flaterers thanne wer maad no confessours.

This goldene world[e], flouryng in vertu,
Born vp be loue groundid on stabilnesse,
Off auoutri ther sprang out non issu,
Pryncis be doctryne establisshed ther noblesse,
Preesthod in praier, knyhthod in worthynesse,
Ech thyng be lawe stood vnder gouernaunce,
Marchantis be mesour & iust peis off balaunce.

First Phoroneus be dilligent labour
Fond out lawes, that kyng was off Argyues;
The Grekis studie he gilte with gret honour.
This poletik prynce, tauoide hem fro stryues,
His statutis kept[e] duryng al ther lyues,
Fond first the maner, Bochas doth deuyse,
How to Iubiter was maad sacrefise.

Eek myhti Mynos, whilom kyng off Crete,
Ordeyned lawes ageyn transgressiouns,
To fere bi rigour foolis that were onmeete,
And staunche off surfetis all occasiouns,
Make for robbours myhti strong prisouns;
And Dedalus, his cheeff artificer,
Made Laberintus be deligence entier.

And eek Mercurie, born be the flood of Nyle,
As writ Lactance, was off Egipt kyng,
Onto marchantis dede lawes first compile
Off weihte and mesour, to vs[e] in chaffaryng.

418

And for his wisdam & excellent kunnyng,
Off olde poetis, that whilom wer so wise,
He callid was god off marchaundise.

Solon also the beste lawes made,
As writ Valeri, hymsilff to magnefie:
Athenye[n]ses theroff wer ful glade,
His gret[e] wisdam whan thei dede espie;
Thei fond theryn so moch[e] policie.
And he was redi euer to debate
Ageyn tirantis, so sore he dede hem hate.

Kyng Ligurgus eek whilom dede his cure
To make lawes to comoun auauntage,
And that thei sholde perpetueli endure,
He made his peeple be sworn, off eueri age,
Whil that he wente out on pilgrymage,
Fro poynt to poynt to keepe hem in certeyn,
Onto tyme that he cam hom ageyn.

And for his lawes wer off gret substaunce
And profitable to eueri comounte,
He ches to lyue in exil and penaunce,
Neuer to resorte ageyn to his contre,
That his statutis be eternyte
Sholde nat be broke, as ye han herd toforn,
Bi the convencioun to which that thei wer sworn.

To comoun profit had he such tendirnesse,
That he forsook his kyngdam & kenreede
[To] lyue in exill, his story berth witnesse.
But or he deied, as he lay bedreede,
He bad his bonys sholde be cast in deede
Amyd the se, ferr out fro the stronde,
That his statutis myhte in ther strengthe stonde.

He eschewed euerich occasioun,
As [a] thyng hatful which was nat fair,
That his forsaid[e] roial myhti toun
Sholde breke ther oth because off his repair.
But touchyng that, he put hem in despair,
Cast hym neuer resorten in ther dawes,
List thei wolde breke the sentence off his lawes.

419

An exclamacioun of Bochas ageyn thextorsions & oppressions of þe poraill of Rome.

Iohn Bochas heer makith a digressioun,
And bi rebukyng cast hym for tassaile
Thilke officeres that wer in Rome toun,
Which bextorsioun oppressid the poraile,—
And ageyn iuges also off Itaile,
A[nd] namli them, that for lucre & meede
Sett trouthe aside & took off it noon heede.

He maketh ageyn hem an exclamacioun,
Such as to vertu wer contrarious,
And vnder colour and occasioun
Off ther office list to be lecherous,
Lik condiciowned onto Appius,
And fynali, as it was afftir seene,
Fals in ther domys & off ther liff oncleene.

O, quod Bochas, O trouthe, O thou Iustise,
Which in your noblesse whilom dede excell,
Wher in effect is now your exercise?
Wher is your wonyng? alas, wher do ye duell?
Off your practik ful fewe men can tell,
So ferr put bak is now your disciplyne,
Your kyn exiled and your noble lyne!

Aduocatis that now doon ocupie
Your olde sees & placis ful roiall,
Al to falsheed ther wittis thei applie,—
Such couetise now regneth ouer all!
Causes off cyuyle & causes cremynall
Ther doomys take, wher thei be fals or trewe,
Al afftir will be statutis chaungid newe.

Ther been eek other callid accessours,
Sittyng be iuges to yeuen hem counsail,
Which may ful weel be callid raueynours;
For thei nat laboure but for ther owne auail.
A noumbre off robbours folwe at ther tail,
To pile the peeple, as ye han herd toforn,
Bare as a sheep that is but newe shorn.

420

Ther is no mor in this mateer to seyne,
Sauff onli this: trouthe stant desolat,
[And] rihtwisnesse to no wiht dar compleyne,
With wrong oppressid, wepyng disconsolat.
Wherfor, ye Pryncis, that sit in hih estat,
Such thyng tamende but ye bet heed list take,
God shal with you a ful hard reknyng make.

Your office is in your magnyficence
Twen man and man all wronges to redresse,
And wher a mateer is ageyn conscience,
It to refourme onli off rihtwisnesse;
To stonde be trouthe, meyntene no falsnesse,
And lete wis counseil such materes examyne
Or ye off haste theron determyne.

Hath such thynges in your mynde among;
Thynk God will quite lik as ye disserue.
Ye spotte your noblesse iff that ye do wrong,
His suerd off punshyng dredith or it kerue.
Lat your resoun & conscience conserue
Your noble estatis, & thynk, lik your werkyng,
The Lord off you will axen a reknyng.

[Off Alcibiades exiled and aftir brent in his bedde.]

Afftir other þat put hemsilf in pres,
Tofor Bochas ther compleyntis to discure,
Cam off Athenys Alcibiades,
That tyme a-lyue the fairest creature.
And as it is remembred be scripture,
He was discreet and wis at all assaies,
And oon the strengest & manli in his daies.

He was first born off riht hih lynage,
Aboue all other off most semlynesse,
Weel proporciowned and hardi off corage,
Loued & weel fauoured for his gret fairnesse,
Famous in knyhthod for his worthynesse,
Sotil wittid, and koude bi eloquence
Moche comprehende vnder short sentence.

421

His witt enclyned to manyfold sciences,
Hadde off kunnyng a passyng retentiff,
Loued clerkis, & fond hem ther despencis,
Such as in practik he sauh most inuentiff.
To reede in bokis reioished al his liff,
Kepte what he radde in his memoriall,
And off wis counseil was noon to hym egall.

An vncle he hadde Icallid Pericles,
Which stood in daunger, off excessiff spendyng;
Yit in his youthe this Alcibiades,
Seyng his vncle pensiff in lokyng,
Caste off wisdam to remedie that thyng;
And for tasswage his hertis heuynesse,
Gaff hym this counseil bi gret avisynesse:

First to reherse how the mateer stood,
And off his vncles woful hih distresse.
Ther was to hym delyuered a summe off good,
To repare the temple off a goddesse
Callid Mynerua; but for the gret excesse
Off his dispendyng, he stood sumwhat in dreede
Touchyng thacounte, which he mut yilde in deede.

Alcibiades heerupon musyng,
To his vncle gaff counseil in sentence.
“Vncle,” quod he, “lat be al your thynkyng,
And for yoursilff[e] shapeth this diffence,
Nat for tacounte—be mene off your prudence,
Aforn prouyded, with face & cheer onfeyned,
To such duresse that ye be nat constreyned.”

And whan Pericles his counseil aduertisith,
Fond to his worshep it was resonable;
And bi good leiser hymselff ful weel auysith,
And bi prouysioun, prudent and notable,
Saued his estat from ech thyng repreuable,
So that he stood[e], touchyng this mateer,
As for acomptis out off al daunger.

422

Alcibiades, off Athene cheeff capteyn,
Fro day to day wex up to gret encres,
Such another was ther nowher seyn,
Them to gouerne bothe in werre and pes.
And al the cite bi assent hym ches,
Off ther nauye in especial,
Vpon the se to been ther amyral.

For his knyhthod thei sent hym out a-ferre,
Off Cathenois to be ther gouernour,
Geyn Siracusanes for to gynne a werre.
First ther receyued with glorie & gret honour,
But in the eende off his gret labour,
Fortune that is ay variant & onstable,
Was to this duc nat founde fauourable.

He was accusid to them off the toun,
Which in Athenys hadde gouernaunce,
That he was gilti in parti off tresoun.
Bi them reuoked, for al his gret puissaunce
Off capteynship, and bi ther ordynaunce
And Fortunys fals mutabilite,
Onwarli pryued from al dignyte.

But for hymsilff[e] thus he gan prouide,
Wente into exil nat ferr fro that cuntre
Into a cite that callid was Elide,
Ther for to ha[ue] fredam and liberte,
And off his liff to stonde in surete;
For in Athen thei wolde haue hym ded,
Onto ther goddis to offren vp his hed.

But whan he was off ther entent certeyn,
To Lacedemoyn he took the riht[e] way,
And be relacioun ther he herde seyn,
How Thathenyenses wer put at affray
In a bataile vpon a certyen day,
Which that thei heeld, to ther aduersite,
Geyn Cathenois, as thei fauht on the se.

But the cause off this disconfiture,
As was told to Alcibiades,
Was bi thre capteyns, thoruh ther mysauenture,
Which in ther ledyng wer founde rech[e]les.

423

The cheef off them named Demostenes,
The tother callid, the stori tellith vs,
The ton Niceas, the tother Eurilocus.

Alcibiades, hauyng heeroff tidyng,
Tauenge his wrong put hymselff in pres;
Off Lacedemoyn he goth first to the kyng,
Which off trouthe was callid Agides,
Besechyng hym to graunte to his encres
Certeyn soudiours out off his cuntre,
For to werreie Athenes the cite.

Thus he wex strong, off noble prouidence,
Hadde gret peeple vnder his gouernaunce,
And lik a duk, maad strong in his diffence
Be peeple gadred to his obeisaunce,
That other pryncis, which wer off hih puissaunce,
Gan haue envie, off wilful frowardnesse,
And to maligne ageyn his hih noblesse.

For seelde or neuer in any regioun,
Prowesse off armys, noblesse off cheualrie,
Encres in richesse, report off hih renoun,
Fame off kunnyng in crafft or in clergie
May nowher duelle withoute sum envie,
From whos malice, as folk expert mai see,
Sauf onli wrechis no man hath liberte.

For which this prynce, as put is in memorie,
Escapid nat, for al his hih parage,
But that summe envied at his glorie;
For in this liff no man hath auauntage
Ageyn tunges nor odious fals language.
To stoppe such venym, this the beste obstacle,
That men with suffraunce tempre ther triacle.

The cleer prowesse off Alcibiades
Steyned the noblesse off other pryncis all;
His eure hym reised up to so gret encres,
To the hiest throne off Fortunys hall.
Such fatal grace is onto hym fall,

424

That in tho daies, pleynli this no fable,
Ther was in knyhthod noon to hym resemblable.

In his exil so cleer his renoun shon,
And thoruh Grece gaff as gret brihtnesse
As doth a rubi aboue ech other ston:
Yit for teclipse & shadwe his worthynesse,
Lacedemonois dede ther besynesse,
Such as myhte nat to his noblesse atteyne,
Bi fals report his renoun to restreyne.

Await was leid to take hym at myscheff,
And many treynys wer serchid out & souht,
Off entent taput hym at repreeff.
But al that euer ageyn hym thei ha[ue] wrouht,
At the eende ther purpos cam to nouht;
For God prouydeth off his magnyficence
Ageyn such malice to sauen innocence.

He was likli tafalle in gret daunger,
Lacedemonois gan at hym so disdeyne
Because his honour & noblesse shon so cleer,
That to his fon it was a dedli peyne.
And thus his liff stood in noun certeyne;
For al-be-it he manli was and wis,
He knew nothyng ther purpos nor malice.

He hadde almost iwarned be to late,
And lik tastonde in gret perplexite.
And mor his grace & fortune to abate,
Bi thoccasioun off his gret beute,
He with the queen was wexen ful pryue;
For in hir grace so weel stood ther non,
Which gaff hym warnyng off them that wer his fon.

And bi the counsail onli off the queen,
Fro Lacedemoyn he wisli took his fliht
Toward Athenys, & thouhte he wolde seen
His owne cuntre, ful lik a manli knyht.
And thouh thei hadde nat gouerned hem a-riht

425

Towardis hym, beyng in distresse,
Tauenge his wrong he dede hem no duresse.

For he thouhte it was ageyn nature,
To be vengable or shewe his cruelte
Bi thoccasioun off any auenture,
Or gynne a werre vpon his cuntre;
His natiff blood meued hym to pite,
And off verrai natural ientilesse
Was debonaire geyn ther onkynd[e]nesse.

The cas was this, for short conclusioun,
How kyng Darie with gret apparaile
Thouhte to werreie, off indignacioun,
Them off Athenys and ther toun tassaile.
And in his purpos proudli to preuaile,
Thesiffernes, a prynce off gret puissaunce,
Off Daries power hadde al the gouernaunce.

Fynal cause and ground off al this werre,
That Darius gan on hem so hastili,
And that he sente his puissaunce fro so ferre
For to destroie Athenys vttirli,
Was to hold up and sustene the parti
Off Lacedemoyn, which off old hatreede
Wer euer envious them for toppresse in deede.

But be mene off Alcibiades,
And bi his trete foundid on prudence,
Thesiffernes enclyned to the pes,
Therbi in parti tappese his violence.
And al was doon off noble prouidence,
And fro the place to which he was exilid,
He to Athenys sholde be reconciled.

Onto the cite he dede signefie
How Darius hadde maad his ordenaunce,
And bi his lettris he gan them specifie,
Yiff thei wolde stonde at his gouernaunce,
To condescende, pleynli in substaunce,
He wolde laboure, and no lenger tarie,
To make accord atwen hem & kyng Darie.

426

This was the mene that he mente:
Withynne Athenys that the senatours
Sholde off the cite, afftir ther entente,
Ha[ue] fulli lordshipe, and be ther gouernours.
But as cleer wethir troublid is with shours,
Riht so vnwarli, withynne that roial toun,
Thoruh this trete fill a discencioun.

The comowneris gan sodenli disdeyne
To be so thrallid vnder subieccioun;
And so bassent the comouns dede ordeyne,
Onli tappese al fals discencioun,
For to reuoke ageyn into ther toun
Alcibiades, as thei thouhte it meete,
Thoruh his prudence to sette hem in quyete.

First in his komyng, myn auctour doth reporte,
He was maad duk ageyn off that cite,
And gan the parti off comouns to supporte,
And them restore to ther old liberte.
Wherthuruh the senat, dredyng the comounte,
Fledde into exil ful ferr out off al pres,
Onli for dreed off Alcibiades.

Thei stood that tyme in so gret disioynt,
Ther toun deuided and out of gouernaunce,
That thei wer brouht euene onto the poynt
To yolde the cite vnto thobeissance
Of Lacedemoyn, thoruh ther vnhappi chaunce,
Withynne hemsilff[e] whan thei gan debate,
Vnto ther duk the senat bar such hate.

But the comouns ches in ther diffence
Alcibiades to gouerne that viage.
And to the se, with cost & gret dispence,
Withoute abood he holdeth his passage
In myhti shippis maad for auauntage,
Weel enarmyd, & caste, yif he myhte,
With Lacedemonois proudli for to fihte.

427

Thre myhti capteyns wern on the tother side,
The first[e] Zestro, Bochas tellith thus,
And the second that was ther lord & guide
Callid Midare, the thridde Pharbanasus,
On se and lond in armys ful pompous.
But of his knihthod and magnanymyte
Alcibiades took hem all[e] thre.

Strong was the fiht or that thei wer[e] take,
Of al ther meyne awey ther scaped non;
The duk that day gan swich a slauhtre make
Of hih prowesse vpon his mortal foon,
Cast ouerboord almost euerichon,
And aftir that, whan he cam to londe,
A newe bataille met hym on the stronde,

Swich wait was leid aboute hym enviroun
Of his enmyes be sodeyn auenture.
But of Athenys this myhti champioun,
Which myhte in armys most souereynli endure,
Made on his foon a [newe] disconfiture.
Thus in short tyme this prince in his estaat
On lond and se was twies laureat.

And aftir that, he list nat for to cesse
Nor tabide the space off halff a day:
The comoun proffit of his toun tencresse,
Toward Asie he took the riht[e] way,
And touns, castellis that wer take away,
Which apertened to Athenys of riht,
He gat ageyn, ful lik a manli kniht.

Maugre all that to hym wer contrarye,
Or wrouhte ageyn hym be rebellioun,
Thoruhout [al] Asie in the land of Darie
He knihtli brouht hem to subieccioun,
Ageyn whos swerd halp no proteccioun.
And fynal labour was off his entente,
The comoun proffit off his toun taugmente.

428

And with this glorie and with this hih noblesse
He to Athenys repeired is ageyn;
And al the cite, with ioie & gret gladnesse,
Cam out to meete hym upon a wol fair pleyn.
And that his triumphes sholde openli be seyn,
Bothe old & yong, with ful glad visages,
Of ther goddis brouht out the images.

This was the[r] cry & noise of al the pres:
“Victorious prince, whos triumphes marciall
Shal euer be songe with loude and newe encres
Tofor the goddis, which been inmortall,
Wolkome, wolkome! our protectour, our wall,
Sheeld of our weelfare ageyn al violence,
Phebus of knihthod, & swerd of our diffence!”

Thus with ther goddis thei maden hym egall
Bi vnkouth praisyng of paganysme rihtis,
Lik as he hadde be verray inmortall,
And sang refreites to comende his merites.
Tenhaunce his glorie thei sette al ther delites,
And with the liht[e] of eternal fame,
Sette up torchis tenlumyne with his name.

Thus certeyn daies thei halwed of entent,
Thoruh [al] the cite for his hih prowesse,
Til Fortune hath his eyen blent
With newe fauour of worldli fals suetnesse.
For al hir sugir is meynt with bittirnesse,—
A bait of hony, shad out at pryme face,
With mortall venym hid vndir to manace.

For in his hiest clymbyng up aloffte,
And in thascence of Fortunys wheel,
Aftir hir custum, as she hath ful ofte,
Whan he best wende for tastonde weel,
She drouh hir fauour from hym euerideel,
Made the peeple vndir his obeissaunce
To falle in myscheeff for lak of gouernaunce.

429

Thus fro this duk Fortune gan to varie,
And his noblesse go bak & eek faille,
Whan kyng Cirus, successour to Darie,
Ful vnwarli fill on hym in bataille,
And gan his knihtis proudli to assaille,
Whan he dispurveied, void of prouidence,
Was ouerleid to make resistence.

For fynalli this Alcibiades
At myscheeff take, which he myhte nat recure,
Whan thoruh veynglori he was maad rek[e]les
His noble estat testablisshe & assure.
Lak of forsiht caused his disconfiture;
And to encres of mor aduersite,
Ban[y]shed ageyn out of his cite.

Thus diffacid and clipsed was his glorie,
His cite put in straunge gouernaunce
Be Lacedemonoys aftir ther victorie,
So that he knew no maner cheuisaunce
To refourme his vnhappi chaunce,
Sauf for refut, myn auctour doth reherse,
How that he fledde onto the kyng of Perse.

From Athenys of newe he was exilled;
And thretti personys, furious & vengable,
Chose in that cite, as Bochas hath compiled,
The toun gouerned, al-be thei wer nat able,
Vsyng a maner hatful and repreuable,
Thoruh ther rauyne temporisshe ther cite,
A thyng most odious to eueri comounte.

A werm of dreed was bred up in ther herte,
Which suffred nat them to lyue in pes,
Among themsilff[e] whan thei dide aduerte
The grete prudence of Alcibiades,
How in manhod he was pereles,
List he wold aftir, for al ther multitude,
Knihtli aquite ther ingratitude.

And of assent tabreggen his lyff daies,
Thei ageyn hym of malis han conspired,
Afftir his exil, to maken no dellaies

430

For tacomplisshe that thei long han desired,
With brennyng hate ther hertis falsli fired,
To moordre benvie, causeles ageyn [al] riht,
Alcibiades, the noble worthi kniht.

Thus the tyme approchid and the date,
Term afforn set be constellacioun
Of his parodie and his lyuys fate,
Which was concludid, as maad is mencioun,
Bi cruel moordre to his destruccioun.
Alas, what prince, with gold or soudiours,
May hym prouide geyn fals conspiratours!

Fortune of newe gan at hym enchace;
From hir treynys that he nat scape myhte,
Daili pursuede fro place ay onto place,
Thoruh Perse and Mede, thouh he wer out of siht.
Til that his enmyes fill on hym be nihte,
Slepyng, alas, to soone thei wer sped:
Whan thei hym fond, thei brente hym in his bed.

Thus be moordre ther purpos was acheuyd,—
Alas, it was to horrible a deede,
So good a kniht, so weel in armys preuyd,
So renommede, so famous in manheede,
For to be brent among the coles rede!
First vnwarli in his bed Itake,
And so consumyd among the smokes blake.

This was the eende of Alcibiades,
Which in knihthod was most souereyne;
In werre a leoun, and a lamb in pes,
As Mars victorious, his fate so dide ordeyne.
To famys paleis he fley with wynges tweyne,
Sone to Mynerva, to speke of hih prudence,
And lik Mercurie be notable elloquence.

An exclamacion of þe deth of Alcibiades.

O fatal sustren, which span the lyues threede
So short a terme; whi dide ye determyne
To suffre hym brenne among the coles rede?
Ye wer to hasti to breken and ontwyne

431

His web of knihtehod, that thoruh the world dide shyne,
And caste of noblesse his bemys out most cleer;
Alas, that euere he fill in your daungeer!

O, out on Stix, and out on Attropos,
That han of malis slayn so good a kniht!
Out on you thre, that keepe your-silff so cloos,
Douhtres Icallid of the dirke niht!
And thou, Letum, that queyntest eek the liht
Of Alcibiades, merour & lanterne,
To speke in knihthod how men sholde gouerne,

Ye slen the worthi, & wrechchis ye doon spare!
Torcites lyueth, Ector is slayn in deede,
Your funeral smokis makþ rewmys now so bare,
To race vp cedris, ther braunchis may nat spreede,
Ye palle the laurer, ye make the firses seede.
Ful litil thank in kyngdamys ye disserue,
Kaitiffs to fostre, and do the worthi sterue!

Alcibiades is passed into fate,
Liht of knihthod lith clipsed in the shade;
The Parchas sustren to soone sette his date,
Of hih noblesse to make the laurer fade.
Lacedemonoys of his deth wer glade,
Funeral fyr his bodi hath deffied,
For hih prowesse his soule stellefied.

Lenvoye.

Alas, this tragedie doth myn herte bleede,
Mi penne quake of routhe & of pite,
In my writyng whan that I tak heede,
To seen the straunge feerful dyuersite
Of al worldli vnseur felicite,
How from ther sees, shortli to comprehende,
Froward Fortune doth princis doun descende.

Alcibiades, of corage & of manheede,
As is rehersid in bookis ye may see,
Of gentilesse and of goodliheede,

432

Of semlynesse, of fredam & bounte,
Of hih prudence and magnanymyte
Was most famous, as auctours hym comende,
Yit from his seete Fortune made hym descende.

Al the peeple, bothe of Perse and Mede,
Whil he gouernid Athenys the cite,
Stood in his daunger & gan his suerd to dreede;
And al that wern rebel to his contre,
He chastised hem in ther most cruelte.
But whan his fame gan hiest up tascende,
Doun from hir wheel Fortune made hym descende.

Moordre and tresoun with pretence freendliheed,
Outward fair cheer, couert iniquite,
Plesaunce in speche, & vndir that falsheed,
Hony shad out, sharp tailled lik a bee,
Song of Syrenes to drowne men in the se,
In oon combyned, ther malis can extende
To cause princis doun from ther sees descende.

Noble Pryncis, that seen so moche and reede,
Remembryng stories of antiquite,
Afforn prouidyng that tresoun nat proceede,
Beth ay most dreedful in [hih] prosperite,
Lat othris fallyng a merour to you bee.
The tourn of Fortune al auctours reprehende,
Wher who sit hiest is rediest to descende.

A Chapitle of wordly folk wich desire to be magnified.

Afft[er] this processe, yif ye list to lere,
Lich as Iohn Bochas maketh mencioun,
That worldli folk most souereynli desire
To haue in lordshipe gret exaltacioun,
And up to clymbe in ther entencioun
Of worldli worshepe to the hiest place,
Al erthli tresour attonys to enbrace.

433

The feruent flawme of ther gredi desir[e]s
In mekil gadryng fynt no suffisance;
Ther hungri etik kyndeleth so the fires
Of auarice be long contynuaunce,
That her thrust of worldli habundaunce
On Tantalus ryuer abraideth euer in oon,
Drownid in drynkyng, & deeme ther part is non.

Ther may no tresour ther dropesie weel staunche;
The mor thei drynke the mor thei thruste in deede.
In Thagus floodis the depper that thei launche,
The gretter drynesse doth in ther brestes breede.
The hier water, an ebbe most thei dreede;
Fals indigence ther herte hath so confoundid,
At fullest sees thei seeme ther barge is groundid.

Thus ech man wolde to gret richesse atteyne;
With suffisaunce but fewe hold hem content;
Who most haboundeth, now rathest wil compleyne
For lak of good—alas, how thei be blent!
Wher shal ther gadryng, wher shal ther good be spent?
Sum oon par cas shal hem therof discharge,
Whom thei most hate, & spende it out at large.

Withynne a bodi, but litil of stature,
Corages growe up to gret magnificence,
Which up tascende do ther besi cure,
And in ther clymbyng & transitorie assence,
Hauyng an hope of worldli apparence,
Lich as nothyng ther puissaunce myht trouble,
Nothyng aduertyng how that Fortune is double.

Summe set ther ioie in conquest and in werris,
Tenbrace al erthe vndir ther puissaunce,
Lik as thei myhte reche aboue the sterris,
To brynge doun heuene vnto ther obeissaunce.
But yif ther poweer wer peised in ballaunce,
And countirweied a-riht in ther memorye,
Thei sholde weel fynde that al is but veynglorie.

What may auaille hem ther fethirbeddis softe,
Shetis of Reynys, longe, large & wide,

434

Duyers deuises or clothes chaunged ofte,
Or vicious mene walking be ther side,—
Void of vertu, ambicious in ther pride,
Which causeth princis, be report of swich fame,
For ther mysleuyng to han an heuy name.

And thus for lak of vertuous dilligence,
Thoruh fals luxure and froward idilnesse,
And upon flatereris thoutragous expence,
Support of wrong oppressyng rihtwisnesse,
Wher lesyngmongeres haue an interesse,
Whom to susteene whan princis do þer cure,
God wil nat suffre that thei shal long endure.

Offise of princis is to supporte riht,
His suerd of knihthod fro wrongis to restreyne,
The poore releuyng, toppresse hem nat with myht,
His olde seruauntes weel preved nat disdeyne,
His hasti rigour and his vengaunce sodeyne
Lat merci tempre, to doom or he proceede,
And God shal quite hym whan he hath most neede.

A Chapitle of men doing Such thing as þey be dispo[s]ed to.

Myn auctour Bochas makth a rehersaile,
In eschewyng of froward idilnesse,
That onto vertu may [no thyng] mor auaile
Than dilligent labour and honest bisynesse;
And so concludyng, ful pleynli doth expresse,
Ech man reioyssheth (this sentence is nat glosid)
To doon swich thyng to whiche he [is] disposid.

Summe ha[ue] ioie be heuenli influence
To knowe the cours aboue celestiall;
And summe of knihthod do ther dilligence
To preue themsilff in actis marciall.
And summe reioisshe, in ther entent fynall,
In elloquence, summe in philosophie,
Summe, aboue all, to stodie in poetrie.

435

The hardi kniht is seruaunt to Seynt George,
Meuyng of planetis sercheth thastronomeer,
Martis smyth laboureth in his forge,
Harneis of steel mak[e]th tharmoreer;
But the deuisour, be dilligence entieer,
Be fressh contreuyng, out of the old entaille
Fynt newe deuises of plate & eek of maille.

The laboreer set hooli his plesaunce
To tilthe of lond in tyme to sowe his greyn,
Tencrese his seed be yeerli habundaunce,
And that his plouh laboure nat in veyn,
Castyng his sesouns of drouht & eek of reyn;
And poetis to sitte in ther librarie
Desire of nature, and to be solitarie.

Swich as men loue, such thyng þei vndirtake:
Fissh or foule or hunte with ther houndis;
Summe of wolle sondri clothes make;
Be philisophre[s] was founde out first þe groundis,
And of al studie thei sette out first þe boundis,
Caused poetes, pleynli to conclude,
Out of al pres to lyue in solitude.

Logiciens delite in argumentis,
Philisophres in vertuous lyuyng,
And legistris, folwyng the[r] ententis,
Gretli reioisshe in lucre and wynnyng.
Phececiens trauaile for getyng;
And of poetis, this the sotil fourme,
Be newe invencioun thynges to transfourme.

Poetis sholde esche[w] al idilnesse,
Walke be ryuers and wellis cristallyne,
To hih mounteyns a-morwe ther cours up dresse,
The mist deffied whan Phebus first doth shyne,
Studie in bookis of moral disciplyne,
Nothyng coueite, but sette ther entent,
With moderat foode for to be content.

436

Ther cheeff labour is vicis to repreve
With a maner couert symylitude,
And non estat with ther langage greeve
Bi no rebukyng of termys dul and rude;
What-euer thei write, on vertu ay conclude,
Appeire no man in no maner wise:
This thoffise of poetis that be wise.

A chapitle of þe gouernance of Poetis.

To descryue the disposicioun
Of al poetis be old ordynaunce,—
Thei shold be quieet fro worldli mocioun,
And it sequestre out of ther remembraunce,
Fare compotent vnto ther sustenaunce,
Drynk wyn among to quike ther dilligence,
Support of princis to fynde hem ther dispence.

For thei that lakke lond & pocessioun,
And can of lucre no maner cheuisaunce,
Ther coffres void, ther purs turnid up-so-doun,
And wante vitaille to fynde hem in substaunce,
Ther corage dullith, thei faile contenaunce,—
What mihte beste ther sorwes recompence?
Support of princis to fynde hem ther dispence.

Lordis in erthe ha[ue] domynacioun;
Men of the cherche of gold haue habundaunce;
The kniht get good[e] thoruh his hih renoun;
Marchauntis with wynnyng ha[ue] souereyn aqueyntaunce:
But [poor] poetis (God sheeld hem fro myschaunce!)
May now-adaies for ther impotence,
For lakke of support go begge ther dispence.

Daunt in Itaille, Virgile in Rome toun,
Petrak in Florence hadde al his plesaunce,
And prudent Chaucer in Brutis Albioun
Lik his desir fond vertuous suffisance,
Fredam of lordshepe weied in ther ballaunce,
Because thei flourede in wisdam and science,
Support of princis fond hem ther dispence.

437

O welle of fredam, enclyne thyn eris doun,
And of thi bounte yiue sum attendaunce,
To heere of merci my supplicacioun,
In releuyng of myn hertis greuaunce;
Oppressid with pouert, & kan no purueiaunce,
Sauff to resorte to thi magnificence,
Onli be support to fynde me my dispence!

[How Malleus Duk of Cartage for oppressioun tirannye was hewen in to pecys.]

Whan Bochas hadde rehersid of poetis,
Ther straunge studie & ther soleyn writyngis,
And ther desirs of solitarie seetis,
In plesaunt placis to make ther duellyngis,
Beside ryuers & holsum welle spryngis,
Which acomplisshed, he gan his penne auaunce,
Pryncis off Affrik to putte in remembraunce.

And whil he dede his besi dilligence
Ther pitous fallis to putte in memorie,
First ther cam tweyne vnto his presence,
Ther old noblesse appallid & ther glorie,
Which, as hym sempte, withyne a teritorie
O[f] Affrik boundis, longyng to Cartage,
Dide first appeere, most dedli of visage.

The ton of hem was named Malleus,
Duk of Cartage, of Affrik lord and sire.
His sone also callid Cartalus,
Whilom cheef prince & bisshop eek of Tire.
But Malleus, which heeld the gret empire
Of al Affrik, for his pompous outrage
Exilled was for euere out of Cartage.

Which caused hym in herte he was nat murye,
But ay remembrid upon his fel banshyng,
Gadred his peeple withynne the lond of Surrye,
And in the feeld, whil he lay hosteieng,
Cast hym fulli to make no tarieng,
But in al haste, of knihtli fel corage,
Maugre his enmyes resorte onto Cartage.

438

Tauenge his exil his herte was set affire,
And his entent[e] mor to fortefie,
He sente in haste his lettres doun to Tire,
To Cartalus, that he sholde hym hie,
And brynge with hym al the cheualrie
Of his cite, in steel armyd cleene,
His fadres parti to holde up and susteene.

But whan this bisshop knew hooli the maneer
Of this purpos, which ye han herd deuise,
He considred how that tyme of the yeer
Ordeyned was to do sacrefise,
Aftir the rihtis of ther paynym wise,
To Hercules, which in that cite
Aboue al goddis hadde the souereynte.

Whos feeste was holde space of certeyn daies,
Which for to halwe he needis must entende,
And bi the custum make no dellaies,
But that he muste therto condescende.
And leuer he hadde his fader to offende,
As in swich caas, than thoruh neccligence
Vnto his goddis for to doon offence.

Wherof his fader hadde indignacioun,
The caas arettyng to vnkyndenesse,
And therof kauhte a gret occasioun
Ageyn his sone, of froward wilfulnesse:
For princis ofte, of furious hastynesse,
Wil cachche a qu[a]rel, causeles in sentence,
Ageyn folk absent, thouh ther be non offence.

And summe tunges venymous of nature,
Whan thei parceyue that a prince is mevid,
Tagregge his ire do ther besi cure,
With fals langage to maken hym mor grevid.
But ther is no poisoun so weel expert nor previd
As is of tunges the hatful violence,
Namli whan princis list yiue hem audience.

The feeste acomplisshed of myhti Hercules,
Al innocent of double or fals meenyng,
The said[e] bisshop, of wil nat rek[e]les,

439

Kam to his fader withoute mor tarieng,
Chaungid nouther habit nor clothyng,
With al thensignes, & in the same wise
As he toforn hadde doon his sacrefise.

Anon his fader made no delay,
Withoute excus, it wolde be no bet,
Of hasti rancour, the silue same day
Maad hym been hangid upon an hih gibet.
Lawe an[d] iustise wer bothe aside set,
And tiranye, most furious & wood,
To do vengaunce in trouthis place stood.

Who can or may tirauntes wil descryue,
Whos marcial suerdis be whet ay for vengaunce?
Ther bloodi thrustis doth thoruh ther hertes ryue,
Ther eris ay open to heere of sum myschaunce,
Ther furious merthe, ther mortal wood plesaunce,
Ther pale smylyng, ther lauhtre of fals hatreede,
Concludeth euere upon sum cruel deede.

Thei been mynistris to Parchas sustren thre,
Tuntwyne the threedis of folkis heer mortall,
And verray cosyns, thoruh hasti cruelte,
Vnto the woode Furies infernall,
Children to Pluto, of vengaunce marciall,
Which for ther vices, but thei bere hem weel,
Shal tourne in helle on Ixiones wheel.

Thus Malleus, fader most vnkynde,
Lik swich a tirant shad out his cruelte,
As ye han herd; and aftir, as I fynde,
Of furious herte and of old enmyte,
Be force is entrid Cartage the cite,
And slouh al tho in his hatful ire,
That hym afforn had exiled into Tire.

Wrouhte aftir wil and nothyng aftir riht,
Gan robbe and spoille that noble famous toun,
Which made hym hatid in the peeplis siht
For his outrage and gret extorsioun,
Hauyng no ioie nor consolacioun

440

Withynne his herte, pleynli, nor gladnesse,
Sauf lik a tiraunt the peeple to oppresse.

The peeple of Cartage sore gan to pleyne
Vpon ther mischeeff and desolacioun.
And Bochas writ, rehersyng in certeyne,
Wil is a stepmooder of witt & of resoun;
And wher that princis ha[ue] domynacioun,
And bi fals pillage to richesse clymbe up faste,—
Trusteth riht weel, ther lordshipe may nat laste.

Ther grete poweer of worldli excellence,
Nor ther acrochyng of temporal richesse,
Whan thei be tirauntes, may stonde in no diffence,
And froward wil[le] reuleth ther hihnesse.
For what is lordshipe, pleynli to expresse,
In this world heer, yif it be discernid?—
Loue of the peeple whan thei be weel gouernid.

For tirannye and fals oppressioun
Causeth princis to stonde in gret hatreede.
And what is worth ther domynacioun,
Withoute loue lat preue it at a neede?
Men for a tyme may suffre hem weel & dreede;
But whan that dreed constreyned is & goone,
Than is a prince but a man allone.

Seeth an exaumple how Malleus of Cartage,
For al his castellis & tour[e]s maad of stonis,
For his oppressioun, vengaunce and outrage,
The peeple of Affrik ros on hym al attonys,
And hew assonder his flessh & eek his bonys,
Caste hem pleynli, on hym thei wer so wood,
Vnto ther goddis to offren up his blood.

The peeple dempte, of mortal cruelte,
Ther was non offryng so plesaunt nor couenable
Vnto ther goddis to plese ther deite,
As blood of tirantes, which that be vengable.
Thus cruel princis make the peeple vnstable
Of necessite, which ouhte be compleyned,
To wreke ther wrongis that thei be constreyned.

441

Loo, heer the eende of Malleus the tiraunt,
Which doth to princis ful weel exemplefie,
To God aboue how it is nat plesaunt
Them to delite in no swich robberie,
Nor pile the peeple be no fals tirannye,
Nor for no talis be hasti of vengaunce;
For al swich thyng to God is displesaunce.

Lenvoye.

Rad and considred, this saide tragedie
Sheweth to princis a merour ful notable,
How thei ther rigour shal tempre & modefie
Or thei proceede for to be vengable:
For in a prince it is riht comendable,
Rancour of herte, of cheer & of corage
For to differre til that ther ire aswage.

Ther hasti ire, [ther] sodeyn malencolie,
The[r] colerik fumys, ther furie vnrestreynable,
Ther vnqueynt fires with flawme of tirannye,
Ther fretyng etik of hate incomparable,
Lik bestial tigres, lik leouns vntretable,
Ne wil nat suffre ther infernal rage
Differre ther doomys til ther ire asswage.

The roial leoun, of mortal gent[e]rie,
Among beestis of force incomparable,
Preueth nat his poweer nor his regalie
Geyn beestis prostrat, which be nat defensable.
And myhti princis sholde, in caas semblable,
For innocentes take merci in morgage,
Respityng rigour til ther ire asswage.

Ther sparcle of vengaunce is quiked in partie
Be wyndis foure, fell and abhomynable:
Blast of detraccioun, & blast of flaterie,
Blast of fals rowneris, that forge many a fable,
And blast of bribours, most vicious & coupable,

442

With smoki sclaundris & felenous fals visage,
Causeth ire of pryncis that it may neuer aswage.

For which lat princis, of noble policie
Bewar of tungis double and deceyuable,
Which with ther venym infect ech companye,
Ther poynaunt poisoun is so penetrable;
To folk absent it is myscheuable,
So deepe fretith ther serpentyn langage,
Causyng in princis ther ire may neuer asswage.

Noble Pryncis, lat vertu magnefie
Your hih estatis to make you merciable;
For moral Senec doth clerli specefie,
The throne of princis be clemence is maad stable.
Vengaunce delaied, to God is agreable;
And hasti rigour doth outragous damage,
Whan humble requestis your ire may nat aswage.

[How the substaunce of the host of himilcho duke of Cartage goyng to conquere Cicile died of pestilens & aftir himsilf slayn.]

Afftir these noble myhti princis tweyne,
Next in ordre, with pale & ded visage,
Toforn Iohn Bochas Himilcho gan compleyne
Thunhappi fall of his fatal passage,
Whan he was sent bauctorite of Cartage
To conquere, thoruh his myhti puissaunce,
The lond of Cecile vnto ther obeissance.

Thei of Cartage hadde an oppynyoun,
That it was leeful, aftir ther entente,
Withoute title of riht or of resoun,
Ther teritories & boundis to aumente.
And for that cause Hymylco thei sent,
The mihti duk, ther noblesse to auaunce,
Which off Cartage hadde hool the gouernaunce.

And for he muste passen bi the se
Toward Cecile, this noble worthi kniht,
With hym he lad[d]e a ful gret enarme

443

Chose out of Cartage, in steel armyd briht,
Ther foon to conquere of verray force & myht.
But Fortune gan at hym so disdeyne,
That to his purpos he neuer myht atteyne.

Ground & gynnyng of his destruccioun,
To be remembrid shortli in sentence,—
Ther fil of thair a gret corupcioun,
Which that caused a ful gret pestilence
Among his meyne, be vnwar violence,
And sodeyn myscheef that is upon hym fall,—
He loste almost his worthi knihtis all.

Nih al his peeple was slayn in that moreyn,
That with a fewe beleft of his meyne,
Infortunat he turnede is ageyn
Hom to Cartage; and thei of the cite,
Al causeles, of hasti cruelte,
Hath slayn ther duk, as Bochas doth compile.
Loo, who may truste Fortune any while!

[How heynon duc of Cartage was dismembrid.]

Afftir whos deth anon þer gan succeede
A mihti duk þat callid was Haynoun,
Which purposed for to chaunge in deede
His name of duk, bi fals ambicioun,
And to be callid thoruhout the myhti toun,
Kyng of Cartage; and therupon of pride
To fynde out weies he felli gan prouyde.

He was nat content a duk men sholde hym calle,
But of Cartage for to be namyd kyng,
And lik his purpos that it sholde falle,
Fro day to day the menys compassyng,
How he myht fulfille this vnkout[h] thyng,
For to be crownid an[d] regnen in that lond.
And atte laste this mene weie he fond:

444

He hadde a douhtir yonge & tendir of age,
Which of the peeple stood in gret fauour;
And he hym caste to yiue hir in mariage
To a yong kniht, sone of a senatour,
Which in the cite was a gret gouernour.
And that his purpos myhte been atteyned,
Day of the mariage & tyme was ordeyned.

And in his paleis, cheeff and princepal,
This saide duk leet make his ordenaunce
To holde a feeste ful solempne & roial,
And with gret costis made his purueiaunce
Of sondry deyntes, which that in substaunce
Wer necessarie in alle maner thyng
Vnto the feeste of a worthi kyng.

He gaf in charge vnto his purueiours,
That al wer redi ageyn a certeyn day;
And to his feeste cam al the senatours
Duellyng in Cartage; ther durste no man sey nay.
And of his purpos to make no delay,
Thouh his fraude was nat apparceyued,
He caste that day summe sholde be deceyued.

He conceyued in his inward entent,
He to be kyng and regnen in Cartage;
The senatour[e]s wolde neuer assente
To chaunge ther custum nor ther old vsage.
He durste theroff vttre no langage,
Kepte hym secre withoute noise or soun,
And fulli caste hym to proceede bi tresoun.

The nexte weie, he knew no bettir reed
To his desir, than pleynli to ordeyne
That of Cartage the senatours wer ded;
Than wer he likli his purpos to atteyne
For to be crownid lord and souereyne,
So tacomplysshe his luste in alle thyng,
And in Cartage to regne as lord & kyng.

445

For yif the senat wer uttirli destroied,
He sholde fynde no maner resistence,
Wherbi his purpos sholde been encloied,
Nor dur sei nay to his magnificence;
For in the poraille ther was no diffence.
And at this feeste he caste hym to proceede
Al his entent[e] to conclude in deede.

His officeris he made to be sworn
To helpe destroie falsli be poisoun
The senatours, of whom I spak toforn,
And that ther vitaille & deyntes in foisoun,
And eek ther wynes, for short conclusioun,
Sholde with venym been intoxicat,
Thoruh al the paleis, & spare non estat.

These officeres hadde a conscience
For tacomplisshe so horrible a thyng;
And secreli vnder gret prouidence
To the senat thei gaff therof warnyng.
And whan thei knew this mortal compassyng
Off duk Haynoun, teschewen al affray,
Thei putte the weddyng of prudence in delay.

Wherof this duk gan haue suspecioun,
And of this mateer fill in a maner dreede;
Thouhte he wolde bi sum collusioun
Ageyn Cartage mor mortalli proceede,
And gan calle to helpe hym in his neede
Of Mauritayne a kyng of gret renoun,
With hym bi force to falle upon the toun.

Made hym promys, to his auauntage,
For to make free destribucioun
Of [the] richessis, tresour and pillage,
Which that he myht fynde in the toun.
For vttir fyn of his entencioun
Was to destroie, of wilfu[l] cruelte,
The famous Cartage, the myhti strong cite.

446

Of al the thrallis in the toun duellyng,
And swich as wer[e] born of louh lynage,
To strengthe his parti, this was his werkyng:
He made hem alle, bi mortal fals outrage,
Withynne the myhti castell of Cartage
To keepe hem cloos, of malis & envie
Ageyn the cite hymsilff to fortefie.

But al for nouht: the myhti senatours
Therof wer ware, and of hih prudence
Ageyn his malis and al his fals robbours
Thei made hem strong, and thoruh ther prouidence,
In especial tordeyne a diffence,
First on ther parti to lette the komyng
Of Mauritayne the stronge cruel kyng.

And of assent thei list[e] nat dellaye,
But roos attonys, and bi gret ordenaunce
Ther false duk to venquisshe and outraie,
Hym and his cherlis thei brouhte to vttraunce,
Fill upon hym with a gret puissaunce,
And fynalli, proceedyng off resoun,
This was his doom, bauys of al the toun:

First, of this duk as it is remembrid,
He was dispoilled, his doublet eek vnlacid,
Ioynt fro ioynt hewen and dismembrid,
And from his hed his eyen out arraced.
And riht as he hadde afforn compassid
To haue destroied his owne myhti toun,
As ye han herd, [he] resceyued his guerdoun.

Lenvoye.

This tragedie doth pitousli compleyne,
And maketh a maner lamentacioun
Of thes riche myhti princis tweyne,
Slayn in Cartage, as maad is mencioun.
Causeles the ton, sauf bi thoccasioun,
That pestilence in his froward viage
Slouh al his peeple, that wer born in Cartage.

447

Fortune also gan frowardli disdeyne
Ageyn this riche mihti duk Haynoun,
Whan he of malis gan mortalli ordeyne
The senatours to moordren of his toun,
At his feeste bi crafft of fals poisoun,
As ye han herd rehersid his outrage.
He was ageynward dismembrid in Cartage.

Who doth vengaunce, vengaunce shal atteyne,
In ech estaat, withoute excepcioun,
And who of pite vengaunce doth restreyne,
He shal of merci resceyue the guerdoun:
For riht requereth, of trouthe & of resoun,
Cruel princis shal haue for ther wage
Deth, lik this duk, dismembrid in Cartage.

Noble Princis, doth your besi peyne
For to preserue fro rebellioun
The comoun peeple, which stant in noun certeyne,
With eueri wynd turnyng up-so-doun.
Afftir Fortune thei chaunge affeccioun,
Turnyng ther hertis with trist or glad visage,
Lik as the peeple dide whilom in Cartage.

Thauctour a-geyn couetous Peple.

Nature þat is content with litil thyng,
The wise, war, þe circumspect goddesse,
Which vnder God in heuen aboue regnyng,
This world to gouerne is callid themperesse,
Mooder of richessis, the first founderesse,
Which cerchid out bi hir artificeres
The straunge tresours hid in the myneres.

This noble ladi, this princesse most famous,
Knowyng of man thunkouth condiciouns,
Sauh bexperience richessis wer noious,—
In hym teclipse the disposiciouns,
And conveie his inclynaciouns
Bi a wrong weie vertu to sette aside,
How couetise was a ful pereilous guide.

448

For auarise, to al vertu contraire,
The gredi werm, the serpent vnstaunchable,
Man to be-traisshe with promyses debonaire,
At prime face soote and agreable,
Tauht hym of nature bi craft most deceyuable,
Thoruh sotil serchyng, as it wer for the nonys,
First out of erthe to delue precious stonis.

Of riche myneris thei serche the entrailles,
To fynde out metallis for worldli auauntages,
Contryued shippis with ther brode sailles
Bi dyuers sees to make ther passages.
And couetise ordeyned first viages,
Caused princis ride in londis ferre,
Ech ageyn other for to gynne a werre.

Off auarice gan first thes robberies,
Await of brigauntis and al extort pillages,
Moordre, slauhtre & couert briberies,
Of old contreuid, furious fel damages,
Wrouht and acheuid in al maner ages.
Now in thes daies, lat set it at a preeff,
Fals couetise caused al swich myscheeff.

She was first roote of fals extorsioun,
To spoile the peeple, mooder of rauyne,
And sterere up of oppressioun:
To take bi force, this was hir doctrine.
And as myn auctour doth pleynli determyne
And concludeth in ful pitous wise,
Roote of al euil is fals couetise.

She was eek norice of contek & of striff,
Maistresse of moordre and wilful violence,
Maad men to iuparte boodi, good & lyff,
Caused discencioun and disobedience,
Gruchchyng of comouns, withdrauht of reuerence,
Bi rigerous constreynt sodeyn rebelliouns,
Rumour in rewmys, unwar subuersiouns.

449

This froward dragoun ful of idropesie,
Whos fretyng etik ther may no plente feede,
To staunche his thrust ther is no remedie:
The mor he drynketh, the mor he hath ay neede;
And the mor tresour, the mor he stant in dreede,
With Tantalus thouh he swymme in the floodis,
In Migdas well pleyneth for lak of goodis.

This werm eek causeth that men in ther richesse
Haue dreed of theuys a-nyht in ther wakyng;
And yif thei heere on coffre, bed or presse,
Cat, rat or mous, or any werm meuyng,
He weneth anon, withynne hymsilf deemyng,
That ther wer kome, with gret apparaille,
Sum vnkouth pilour his tresour to assaille.

The woful soule stondeth euere in dreede,
And ay abideth in labour & trauaille,
And of the goodis, which he doth posseede,
Fallith in dispeir list thei wolde hym faille.
Tween hope and dreed ther is swich a bataille,
Thoruh entermynyng ech other to confounde,
To be most gredi whan thei most habounde.

Hope vnassurid with dreed[e] disespeired
Meetyng in hertes make a ful mortal werre.
Whan hope presumeth, with dreed he is appeired,
And lik a coward makith hym stonde aferre,
Dul of his cheer as is a cloudi sterre,
Which dar nat shewe the liht of his tresour,
But euer tencrece set hooli his labour.

He thar nat touche thyng that he loueth most,
His cofres cloos be shet so vndir keye,
Thouh he hath mekil, he makth therof no bost,
Lest for his tresour men wolde hym werreie,—
Pleyneth for neede, lik as he wolde deie,

450

Feyneth fals pouert to sparen his dispence,
Oppressyng plente with froward indigence.

And thouh his chestis happid be with gold,
With iren barris faste shet & closid,
Fals scarsete gouerneth his houshold,
That be non excesse he is nat vndisposid,
His indigent herte so streihtli is enosid
To Herebus heir; and yit weel wers in deede,
In grettest richesse to compleyne vpon neede.

This Herebus hath of iren, nat of ston,
For auarice bilt a foul cite,
Wher-as the wheel tourneth off Ixion
Vndir the boundis of Thesiphone,
Wher Zeziphus may neuer a day go fre,
But with his ston contynuelli trauaileth,
And the mor besi, his labour lest auaileth.

Thus auarice, to ve[r]tu most contrarie,
Founde among vices ful contagious,
Euer bisi the restles ston to karie,
Now up, now doun, with weri Zeziphus,
Whos endles labour braideth on Theseus,
Which heeld the bridel of frutles bisynesse,
Condempned in helle to lyue in idilnesse.

Off couetise the cruel maryner
Is callid C[h]aron, whiche with Flegonte,
Bi many a streiht & many fel daungeer
Sailleth in the floodis of furious Acheronte,
Vnder that dirked and cloudi orizonte,
Wher auarice ches whilom nigardshipe
For tresoureer his cofres for to keepe.

First to declare the labour in gadryng
Of coueitous men, as it is in deede,
And countirpeise how ther streiht keepyng
Is euer meynt with importable dreede,
Sorwe at departyng, for ther mortal meede,
Which may be callid, of trouthe & equite,
Of Cerberus the wakir hedis thre.

451

The firste hed is vnstaunchable desir
Off worldli goodis gret richessis to atteyne,
The mor encres, the hatter is the fyr;
The seconde hed is the dreedful peyne,
Which in keepyng, his herte doth constreyne;
Vnwar departyng, that sodenli doth falle,
Is the thridde hed, that greueth most of all.

This waker werm, that berth these hedis thre,
Is callid the werm of gredi couetise,
Whos bisi constreynt, restles perplexite
Troubleþ the soule in ful furious wise.
Which froward monstre, pleynli to deuise,
Braideth on Idra, of whom poetis seyn,
On hed kit of, ther growe thre ageyn.

Euere at the tail of plente and richesse
Of custum folweth gruchchyng & envie;
For he that hath of tresour gret richesse
Is seelde glad, as for his partie.
Thus bothe tweyne stonde in iupartie:
The riche with plente halt hym nat appaied,
And the nedi with pouert is affraied.

And yit in pouert is ful gret sekirnesse,
Which is a tresour that no man wil assaille.
And as myn auctour Bochas berth witnesse,
Amyclates among[es] the poraille
Leued in pes, seur from al bataille,
Heeld hym content with swich as God hym sente,
Whan riche wer armyd & to the werre wente.

Vertuous pouert stant euer in sekir caas,
To wach his hous [he] hath ful litil neede;
But proude Pompeie assegid in Duras,
For feer of Iulius stood in gret[e] dreede.
But peeplis rude take heerof non heede,—
Swich as reioysshe hem for to sheede blood,
In straunge werris wrongli to gete good.

Stories olde ful weel reherse kunne
Diuers studies of folkis heer mortal,
First how Diogenes was content in his tonne,
In which he made his loggyng pryncepal,

452

And sauh the cours aboue celestial,
Lyued gladdere amonges philisophres,
Than kyng Cresus, with al his stuffed coffres.

And yiff men wolde onto mynde call
The grete myscheuys folwyng on habundance,
And thynk[e] also how Sardanapall,
For al his tresour, kam [un]to myschaunce,
And how Sophodius, porest in substaunce,
Hadde but a gardyn ful of leekis greene,
And riht nouht ellis hymseluen to susteene.

This philisophre was euer glad & liht;
Ther was no wach maad aboute his tour[e]s.
Ful seurli slept he al the longe niht,
Hauyng no dreed of theuys ne robbour[e]s.
In somer walkyng among the fressh[e] flour[e]s,
And in cold wyntir, ful myrili & ofte
On drye strauh he lay and slepte softe.

Cyncynatus, a poore laboreer,
Fowede dikes to gete his sustenaunce,
Withoute gruchchyng, euere glad of cheer
Bothe in his port & in his contenaunce,
Dempte he hadde as moche suffisance
To his plesaunce, as Cresus kyng of Lide;
Content with litil; Nature was his guyde.

This poore man, in his pouert assurid,
With litil foode, & clothes but a fewe,
Hadde hertis ese & gladsum pes recurid;
It liked hym nat ouer his hed to hewe.
Which thyng conceyued cleerli doth us shewe,
That ioious pouert conueied with gladnesse,
Gruchchyng auoided, surmounteth al richesse.

And yif that folk koude considre a-riht
Ther pitous sihhes, ther thouhtful bisynesses,
Ther woful labours, ther litil slep aniht,
Which thei endure for worldli fals richessis,
And of thabidyng, the dreedful sekirnessis,—

453

Which thynges peised and callid to memorie:
Al erthli poweer is double & transitorie.

And bi stories, which that be credible,
To preue ther poweer is nat abidyng,
But, at a poynt, slydyng and fallible:
Whilom Masmyssa of Munydie kyng,
That was so mihti, bi record of writyng,
For feer of Siphax, onli his liff to saue,
Fledde into mounteyns & hidde hym in a caue.

And ther he fond[e] but ful smal vitaille,
Constreyned narwe of indigence & neede,
Whan other deyntes, in myscheeff, gan hym faille,
He gadred rootis and eet hem in his dreede;
Eek proude Xerses kyng of Perse and Mede
Drank blood and water to staunche his gredi thrust,
Dreed and trauaille gaff hym so gret a lust.

Yit summe men wolde seyn, of auenture
Thei wer compellid ageyn ther volunte,
Thes kynges tweyne, swich myscheeff to endure,
Maugre ther wil[le], of necessite;
For casuel chauns rafft hem ther liberte,
So that the rigour off this sodeyn rage
Cam in be constreynt, and of no corage.

But for al that, folk in ther pouerte
On grete metis that hemseluen feede
Ben also strong, as hool and fair to see,
And also lusti preuid at a neede,
Vpriht of lymes ther iournes for to speede,
As long lyued, the cause to expresse,
Is onli this: thei do non excesse.

To poore men the beste medecyne
Is due labour with moderat abstynence,
Good hair in feeldis whan Phebus list to shyne,
Voidyng dirke mystis that cause pestilence;
Of heuy stomak thei feele no violence,

454

Thei nat enriche lechis nor poticaries,
Themsilff to saue with vnkouth letuaries.

But folkis riche werkyn the contrarie,
Which in hem causeth malladies stronge;
For ther diet[e] eueri day thei varie
With dyuers metis, and ther sittyng longe.
And with al this, ther appetitis wronge,
Take out of tyme, which thei may nat endure,
Which bi custum oppressith ther nature.

And thus myn auctour, shortli to deuise,
Seith how glad pouert stant most in sekirnesse.
And of al euel, he seith, how couetise
Is roote & ground, with fals extort richesse,
Riot annexid, engendryng gret siknesse,
Theron concludyng, how moderat diete
Set soule and bodi in temporat quiete.

[How Enagora kyng of Cipre was bi Artaxerses outraied/and put from his kyngdam.]

Folwyng in ordre the processe of Bochas,
As he remembreth next in his writyng,
To hym appeerede, rehersyng þus þe cas,
Enagora, that was of Cipre kyng,
His eyen derkid be manyfold weepyng,
Because he hadde loste that riche lond,
Which he toforn hadde conquered with his hond.

This lond of Cipre, as maad is mencioun,
Of dyuers metallis is passyngli habounde,
Hath of richesse gret plente and foisoun;
And of his siht[e], lik as it is founde,
It stant fer south, with many hilles rounde,
And hath also many commodites
Withynne his boundis off toun[e]s & cites.

455

Touchyng this Cipre I can no mor seie,
Of which[e] lond Enagora was kyng,
Til he gan proudli for to werreie
With Lacedemonoys, ther parti sustenyng,
Geyn Artaxerses; & at ther meetyng
The said Enagora was brouht to outraunce,
Put from his kyngdam & from al gouernaunce.

[How Theo kyng of Egipt bi Artaxerses was dryven from his kyngdam and fledde in to Arabie.]

Next Enagora kam the kyng Theo,
Of al Egipt long tyme pocessour;
And to Iohn Bochas he gan declare his wo,
How Fortune dide hir froward labour,
And from hym drouh hir frenshepe and fauour,
And sodenli thoruh hir iniquite
She cast this kyng doun from his roial see.

She list hir malis from hym nat differre,
Ne wolde nat suffre hym to lyue in pes,
But caused hym to gynne a froward werre
Ageyn the said myhti Artaxerses,
Wenyng therbi taue had a gret encres,—
Gadred shippes and made a gret arme
In his entent tamette hym on the se.

To Lacedemonois he was fauourable,
Sent hem vessellis stuffid with vitaille,
Dempte of pride that hymsilff was able
With Artaxerses to holden a bataille.
But hasti trust doth foolis ofte faille,
For this Theo was aftir anon riht
Dryue out of Egipt and Iput to fliht.

Artaxerses pursuede hym so sore,
Toforn his face he durste nat appeere,—
Fledde in Tarabie, myn auctour seith no more;
Ban[y]shed fro Egipt, dedli of face & cheere.
And of his fate who-so list to lere,
He was depryued fro kyngli dignite
And bi Fortune cast from his roial see.

456

[How Amynta of Macedoyne kyng had by Erudice his wif, Alisaundre, Perdica, & Philip, that were slayn.]

And among other, ther fatis compleynyng,
Thoruh Fortunis dreedful violence,
Ther cam Amynta, of Macedoyne kyng,
And to Iohn Bochas shewed his sentence.
And to declare his magnificence,
To Alisaundre graunfader in his liff,
Hauyng foure childre be Erudice his wiff.

The firste of hem was Alisandre Icallid,
And Perdica namyd the seconde,
The thridde Phelipp, in Macedoyne stallid,
Kynge of Grece, lik as it is founde,
Which in richessis gretli dide habounde,
And was eek fader, this noble werreiour,
To Alisaundre the myhti conquerour.

And or myn auctour ferther doth proceede,
He makth in maner a digressioun
From his mateer, lik as ye may reede,
And gynneth in ordre a descripcioun
Of Macedoyne, the famous regioun,
Among Greekis writ in especiall,
Of seuene provynces it is the princepall.

And so procedyng, he seith how that contre
Strechchith his boundis aboute hym enviroun
Toward the se which callid is Egee,
Foorth be Achaia toward septemptryoun.
And to Messie westward it goth doun;
And who that can bi crafte the coostis caste,
To Dalmacia the name therof doth laste.

In Macedoyne, he doth us also lere,
Of Olympus stant the gret mounteyn;
And in that kyngdam is many gret mynere
Of gold and siluer, lik as bookis seyn.
And on that hill is neuer wynd nor reyn;

457

For thilke mounteyn so hih[e] doth atteyne,
That it may nouther blowe ther nor reyne.

The kyng Amynta, of whom I spak toforn,
Hadde in Grece many gret bataille:
Olympiens in Macedoyne born
And Illiriens, togidre he dide assaille.
Thoruh his wisdam he dide alway preuaill;
But with his enmys whil he stood most in striff,
His deth was shapen bi Erudice his wiff.

Myn auctour Bochas of hir doth diffyne,
She imagynede his destruccioun,
Because she hadde another concubyne
On whom she sette al hir affeccioun.
Day set and tyme to his confusioun,
Fulli ordeyned, at a mariage
He to be slayn bi oon of his lynage.

He hadde a suster callid Vrione,
Which prudentli espied the maneere
Of Erudice, and secreli allone
Goth to the kyng & told hym al ifeere.
And as the story in ordre tellith heere,
Thouh she faillede that day of hir emprise,
She thouhte fulfille it in a-nother wise.

This to meene, of hir iniquite,
Of hir fraude and fals imagynyng,
She was in cause thoruh hir contrariouste
Of the destruccioun of this mihti kyng.
For the conclusioun of hir fals werkyng
Was to ha slayn the kyng & al his lyne,
She to haue regnede with hir concubyne.

But whan she sauh she myht[e] nat acheeve
Hir furious purpos bi non auenture,
Hir venymous malis upon hir lord to preeve,
On other parties she dide hir besi cure
Enmytes & myscheuys to procure
Ageyn the kyng, bi mortal fel assaies,
With sorwe and trouble for to shorte his daies.

458

Niht and day his lyff stood euere in dreed,
Hym to be-tra[i]sshe she cast out hook & lyne.
And who is he that can or may take heed,
Freli tescape, teschewen or declyne
Malis of wommen, whan thei be serpentyne?
Seeth an exaumple in this queen Erudice,
Void of al vertu and ful of eueri vice.

Alas, no prince can be war be other,
To bridle ther noblesse with reynes of resoun,
Swich as commytte, alas, bothe ship & rother
Vnto Syrenes to rowe hem up and doun
Thoruhout Caribdis to ther destruccioun.
Bi craft of Circes, alas, thei wer maad nyce,
Blynd to remembre upon this Erudice!

Which made Amynta to lyue in sorwe & dreede,
To reste in pes suffred hym ha[ue] no space.
In thouht and trouble his liff he gan to leede,
Til be long processe deth hym gan manace;
Yit or he deide Fortune gaff hym grace,
His eldest sone bi wisdam to ordeyne,
Callid Alisandre, his crowne to atteyne.

Thus Alisandre was his successour;
For Thath[e]nienses gan ther rancour lete
Ageyn[e]s hym, for [he] with gret labour
Bi ther suffraunce cam to his roial seete.
And for to sette his rewm in ful quiete,
First with Athenys, the stronge myhti toun,
Prouided a pes, of hih discrecioun.

And for tauoide al ambiguite
Of old debatis and of old outrage,
First he sente into that strong cite
His sone Phelipp, yong and tendir of age,
On pes assurid to lyn ther for hostage.
And in that cite, the story berth witnesse,
He gan to growe vnto ful hih noblesse.

He was commytted to the disciplyne
Of a gret duk callid Epamynedoun,
Which to al vertu his youthe made enclyne.
For of this duk Iustyn maketh mencioun

459

Bi a maner recomendacioun,
Tofor nor aftir, as be his auys,
Was neuer no prince mor excellent nor wis.

First he comendith his vertuous corage,
His hih noblesse, his knihtli excellence,
And be discent he born of hih lynage;
And in too thynges concludeth his sentence,
Seith that he was of most magnifisence,
Egal to Mars be famous cheualrie,
And sone to Phebus thoruh hih philosophie.

And Bochas heer doth his stile auaunce
Ful notabli with excellent langage,
And seith no tresour atteyneth in substaunce
To thilke richesse, auoidyng al outrage,
As whan ther is be bond of mariage
Knette up a knotte atween thexcellence
Of famous knihthod and of Dame Prudence.

This knotte auaileth mor than gold in coffre,
And is mor glorious perpetuelli tabide,
A myhti prince to been a philisophre,
Which can be prudence alle vices set aside,—
For whan to manhod prouydence is guide,
And vertuous force is capteyn in the werre,
Lat men weel truste, that parti may nat erre!

This Epamynoda, of knihthod sustenour,
Charboncle of vertu, as bookis telle konne,
Of gentil maneres callid the famous flour,
And of hih noblesse a verray worldli sonne,
Whos knihtli tryumphes be so hih up ronne
To Martis paleis, with the blissid souns
Of Famis trompetis and goldene clariouns.

For he was callid the briht[e] cleer merour
Of rihtful quarellis the parti [to] susteene,
Of extort wrongis most iust reformatour,
Ay egal iuge, of entent most cleene,
Whiche neuer koude nothyng but trouthe meene,
Wolde of custum for hate nor alliaunce
On nouther parti declyne the ballaunce.

460

And to comende his vertuous prowesse,
His preuyd tryumphes, his magnanymyte,
His marcial actis, his knihtli bisynesse
In the getyng of many a strong cite,—
And al his labour was for the comounte,
Which to augmente he wolde neuer cesse,
Swich ioie he hadde the comoun good tencrece.

This was also his vsaunce ouermor:
What-euer he gat to parte it in largesse;
Of gold nor coign he sette but litil stoor,
For al his herte was sette on gentilesse
Bi manli fredam, and, pleynli to expresse,
He spared no good, it shewed weel in deede,
His trewe seruauntis to helpe hem in her neede.

He kepte nat in coffres his tresour,
Of his nature he was so liberall
For to releue ech manli soudeour,
Swich as wer preued in actis marciall.
And for to holde his feeste funerall,
Aftir his deth, his story maketh mynde,
Thoruh fre departyng ther left no gold behynde.

Alle his offises & famous dignites
And gret emprises in his tyme wrouht,
Encresid fraunchises thoruh Grece in his cities
With libertes bi his prudence out souht
For comoun proffit, and for hymsilff riht nouht,
With gret aumentyng of straunge teritories:
Al this cam in bi mene of his victories.

And among alle his knihtli excellences,
Bi dyuers auctours vnto mynde is brouht,
How al his liff he studied in sciences
And upon konyng set hooli his thouht.
Bi manli prowesse of deth he rouhte nouht:
That was shewed, as it is weel founde,
The day whan he resceyuede his dethis wounde.

461

He was hom born vnto his pauyllioun,
Al his armure with blood steyned red,
And on a couch[e] bi his men leid doun,
And gan abraide as he lay half ded:
“Sires,” quod he, “of o thyng taketh heed,
Hath any enmy this day in the feeld,
Whan I was woundid, taken up my sheeld?”

And whan his knihtis hadde told hym nay,
Bi a maner of knihtli reioysshyng
He hem comaunded, withoute mor delay
To his presence that thei sholde it bryng.
And therupon ful pitousli lookyng,
Ful lik a kniht, & with a mortal cheere
He kissid it, and seide as ye shal heere:

“Thou wer my felawe in armys [and] my brother,
That neuer woldest my felaship forsake,
Seur and abidyng, ther was nat swich a-nother,
In eueri iourne that I did vndirtake.
To me wolcome, an eende I mut now make.
Aftir my deth my soule shal ha[ue] plesaunce,
The to be kept yet for a remembraunce.”

Afforn his deth[e], it is put in mynde,
The same hour, it cam to his memorie
To enquere, he lefft nat behynde,
“Ha[ue] we,” quod he, “this day hadde victorie?
Or in the feeld who hath the palme of glorie?”
He praied his knihtis that day he sholde deie,
The pleyn[e] trouthe that thei wolde hym seie.

And thei hym tolde platli al the cas,
How his parti hadde wonne the feeld of myht;
And with that woord he so reioysshed was,
That he his sperit yolde anon vpriht.
And so he deide lik a worthi kniht,
In whom is shewed what vailleth, in sentence,
Noblesse of knihthod ioyned with prudence.

462

And bi the mene of his wis doctryne,
Phelipp, that lay with hym in hostage,
Gan encrece in knihtli disciplyne,
Wex in vertu riht as he wex in age.
Whos fader was be furious outrage
(Callid Alisandre, as maad is mencioun,)
Slayn bi his mooder be couert fals tresoun.

Afftir whos deth[e], Perdica in deede,
The yonger brother, the story doth deuise,
To the crowne gan lynealli succeede;
Anon slayn aftir in ful cruel wise.
Swich fals[e] moordre ech man sholde agrise,
As ye han rad[de], first of Amynta,
Of Alisaundre and of kyng Perdica.

[Ho[w] the proude tirant Aman was honged and the Innocent preserued.]

The horrible fall furious for to reede,
That folweth after of þe gret Aman,
A ful fals tiraunt found in thouht & deede,
And was of berthe an Assyrian,
Which, as the Bible ful weel reherse kan,
Was cheeff maister, as men may ther conserne,
With Assuerus his peeple to gouerne.

His herte was exaltid hih in pride,
To goddis peeple most contrarious,
His hatful venym he list nat for to hide,
But lik a tiraunt most malicious,
Of wilful rancour, fell and despitous,
Fulli purposed, and koude hym nat withdrawe,
To destroye the Iewes and ther lawe.

To his entent he gat auctorite
Bi his fals[e] sotil compassyng:
Sent out lettres into ech contre
Thoruhout al Perse be biddyng of the kyng,
That hih and low, withynne that lond duellyng,—
No wiht except,—that peeplis al aboute
Sholde vnto Aman obeie, kneele and loute.

463

This was the biddyng of kyng Assuer,
Whan queen Vasti was uoided for hir pride,
And Hester chose, a maide most enteer,
Was brouht to court with the kyng tabide,
Which hadde in youthe for to been hir guyde
A worthi Iew callid Mardoche,
Withynne Susis a large fair cite,

Bi whos counsail eueri thyng she wrouhte,
Passyng fair and of gret meeknesse.
And whan the eunukis to the kyng hir brouhte,
She was accepted for hir gret fairnesse
Vnto his grace, hir story berth witnesse,
And ther cherisshed in especiall
Boue al the maidenes in the court roiall.

And of al Perse she was Icrownid queen,
A pes comaundid thoruh al tho regiouns
Duryng the feeste, that men myhte seen
The kynges nobley in cites and in touns.
And of this feeste the riche roial souns
Cam to the eris of symple Mardoche,
Which cam with othir the maner for to see.

Tofor the paleis as he dide abide
With othir Iewes in his companye,
Of happ as he caste his ere aside,
He of too porteris the counsail dide espie,
How thei hem caste, bi fals conspiracie,
To slen the kyng som day of that yeer,
Lik ther entent whan thei fond best leiseer.

Whan Mardocheus prudentli gan feele
The secre malis of ther compassyng,
Of compassioun he wolde it nat concele,
But made Hester discure it to the kyng.
Wherof convict, thei wer lad to hangyng,
As me semeth, a competent guerdoun
For al that falsli imagyne swich tresoun.

464

Bi which[e] mene the said[e] Mardoche
Was weel accepted to kyng Assuer,
Likli also to stonde at liberte
Out of the malis and the fell daungeer
Of cursid Aman, which list make hym no cheer,
But compassede in ful fel manere
Hym to destroie & Iewes all ifeere.

This Mardocheus, the Bible telle can,
Withdrouh hymsilff for to do reuerence
Vnto this tirant, the froward prince Aman,
Lik as the statut comaundid in sentence.
Which thyng tauenge be hasty violence,
This Aman made of hatrede to be set
Affor the paleis a myhti strong gibet.

But who that caste hym for to do vengaunce,
And innocentis for toppresse of myht,
Bi wilful malis tagreggen ther greuaunce,
As God wer blynde and hadde of hem no siht,—
But at the laste he wil of verray riht
Pun[y]she the proude for furious violence,
The poore supportyng for ther long pacience.

As Mardocheus bi innocent lyuyng,
Be mene of Hester and hir gret meeknesse
Accepted was to Assuer the kyng,
The lawe of Iewes set in mor seurnesse,
Froward Aman for his cursidnesse,
Vengable of pride, the Bible ye may see,
Was hih enhangid upon a galwe tre.

Mardocheus, of prudence & resoun,
The furious daunger of Aman set aside,
Preserued his peeple fro destruccioun,
The tiraunt hangid for his froward pride.
Thus kan the Lord his iugementis deuide,
Whan he seeth tyme, most myhti and puissaunt,
Supporte the symple and punshe the tiraunt.

465

[Off the ii, brethre, Artaxerses and Cirus/and Artaxerses slouh his childre and concubynes/and how thei ended.]

Afftir the fal of Aman, dout[e]les
Whan he beste wende ha regned in his flours,
Tofor Iohn Bochas cam Artaxerses,
Most renommede his tyme of conquerours,
Which gan declare the sodeyn sharpe shours,
With al the parcellis of his mortal peyne
Which that Fortune ageyn hym gan ordeyne.

This Artaxerses, as put is in memorie,
Al othir pryncis excelled in richesse,
Which in his chaier, famous of worldli glorie,
And with his throne of worldli hih noblesse
Sat in his tyme, the story berth witnesse,
Hiest exaltid that was off eny kyng,—
That he sholde fall, was it an vnkouth thyng!

Kynges he hadde vndir his obeissaunce,
An hundred prouynces, twenti & eek seuene,
Sone onto Darie, prynce of most puissaunce,
His fame drad[de] mor than firy leuene.
Non so myhti vndir the sterrid heuene
Acountid was that tyme, in werre & pes,
As was thys kyng callid Artaxerses.

He hadde a brother that namyd was Cirus;
Out of o stok cam ther bothe lynes.
But Artaxerses, the story tellith thus,
Was lord of greynes, of oilles & of vynes,
And hadde also bi dyuers concubynes
An hundred children, lik as it is told,
And fiftene ouer, toforn or he wex old.

Of bothe brethre the poweer laste ferre,
Duryng ther tyme stood in ful hih estat,
Yet atween hem ther was ful mortal werre,
Ageyn nature an vnkyndli debat;
For thilke werris be most infortunat,
Whan blood with blood, lat no man deemen othir,
List [to] werreie, as brother ageyn brother.

466

And fynal cause whi this werre gan
Atween these brethre, as maad is mencioun,
Thoruh which debat ther deied many a man,—
The ground of al and first occasioun
Was onli this: for successioun,—
Aftir kyng Darie, regnyng in Perse & Mede,
Which of them tweyne sholde next succeede.

But Artaxerses bamaner prouydence
Put pryueli his brother in prisoun,
That he ne sholde make no diffence
Nor gadre peeple to his destruccioun.
This yonge Cirus, as maad is mencioun,
Was faste stokkid, and eek as it is told,
That his stokkis and fetris wer of gold.

And thouh it be nat remembred in Bochas,
How that Cirus escaped fro prisoun,
Yit also soone as he delyuered was,
Throuh Perse and Mede ridyng up and doun,
Gadred peeple off entencioun
Thoruh old hatreede his brother to assaile.
The feeld assignede, thei metten in bataile,

Wher Cirus proudli put hymsilff in pres,
To shewe his manhod in especiall,
Souhte his brother, callid Artaxerses,
And gaf to hym a wounde ful mortall,
Withoute frenshepe or fauour fraternall,
That Artaxerses, his wounde gan so ake,
Constreyned was the feeld[e] to forsake.

And Cirus thanne, furious as leoun,
His aduersaries gan mortalli to wake;
But fals Fortune, ful of collusioun,
Vnder feynt smylyng a mowe gan hym make,
Which caused, alas, that day that he was take,
Afforn Iwoundid, it wolde be non othir,
And than presentid to his vnkynde brothir.

And thouh this Cirus hadde affor be founde
Yong, fressh and lusti, & manli of his hond,
Bi the constreynt of his mortal wounde
He died anon; for he no socour fonde.

467

Thanne the two kyngdamys withynne Perse-lond
Fill to the hondis of Artaxerses,
In which aftir he lyued longe in pes.

Thus a gret space, lik a myhti kyng
Al Perse he heeld vnder his obeissaunce,
Be famous noblesse gloriousli shynyng,
Hauyng of richessis most fulsum habundaunce.
And as it is Iput in remembrance,
To mor encres of his prosperite,
In trewe wedlok he hadde sonys thre.

The firste of hem callid Darius;
Arabratus namyd the secounde;
And the thridde namyd was Othus,
Manli pryncis, lik as it is founde.
And of nature as the kyng was bounde,
Vnto Darie, as it is maad mencioun,
Aboue echon he hadde affeccioun.

And for he dempte hym able to the werre,
Be likliheed, of yeeris yonge and greene,
He caste fulli his noblesse to preferre;
Of hih prudence thus he dide meene,
His inpotence to supporte and susteene,
For he was feeble in Perse to regne allone,
He sette up Darie with hym in his throne.

Which was a thyng straunge and contrarious,
Ageyn the custum of Persiens and vsance;
But he supposed his sone Darius
Sholde in such caas encrese & avaunce
His fadres parti, of natural attendaunce,
And shewe onto hym trouthe & kyndenesse,
His impotence to cherisshe of gentilesse.

But in estatis ofte it doth thus fall,
Whan that princis be ronne ferr in age,
Ther childres loue ageyn hem doth appall,
Shewyng no frenshipe sauf for auauntage,
How that thei may reioise ther heritage,
And in swich cas whan thei wexe stronge,
Thynken ther fadris lyuen al to longe.

468

And Artaxerses stood in the same caas,
As in his stori pleynli ye shal fynde
Be rehersaile and writyng of Bochas,
How this Darie was fals & eek vnkynde,
Foryetilful, & hadde nothyng in mynde,
How his fader, the trouthe to reherse,
Hath maad hym egal with hym to regne in Perse.

And to declare the firste occasioun,
To his fader how the said[e] Darie,
Bi a fals maner of rebellioun,
Gan in his werkyng for to be contrarie,
Which to discure I wil no lenger tarie,
But with my penne in al haste proceede
Heer to descryue how it fill in deede.

Artaxerses, among his concubynes,
It is remembrid how that he hadde oon
Which, for to rekne wyues and virgynes,
Was fairest holde of them euerichon,
Callid Artasia, of ful yore agon,
And was that tyme, hir beaute to descryue,
Among Persiens the fairest holde a-lyue.

And thouh she were Ironne ferr in age,
Lik as bookis list of hire expresse,
Bothe of colour and also of visage
She kept hir beaute & hir natiff fresshnesse.
Which was aforn[e] for hir semlynesse,
To said[e] Cirus, breeffli to termyne,
Chose long afforn to been his concubyne.

But whan this Cirus was passid into fate,
Which for his brother myht nat lyue in pes,
Anon upon, withoute lenger date,
She was take up for kyng Artaxerses,
Because she was of beute pereles.
Aftir long tyme, whan he fill in age,
She cleymed was bi title of heritage

Of kyng Darie bi his fader lyue,
Feynyng his cleym[e] bi successioun,
Al-thouh his fadir ageyn it dide stryve.

469

And thus began, as maad is mencioun,
Of ther debat the firste occasioun;
For Darie caste, al-be he bar it still,
Hir to reioysshe ageyn his fadris will.

And tacomplisshe falsli his entent
Of hir to haue ful pocessioun,
Taforce his parti he made this argument:
“Cirus,” quod he, as maad is mencioun,
Regnyng in Perse the myhti regioun,
And this story doth pleynli determyne,
“For hir beute made hir his concvbyne.”

And aftir tyme, whan Cirus was ded,
Artaxerses, his fader, ye may see,
Next hym succeedyng in Perse, it is no dreed,
List hir to cleyme eek for hir gret beaute.
“And so,” quod Darie, “she longeth now to me,
Because she is so plesaunt to my siht,
Bi successioun I wil hir cleyme of riht.”

Thus kyng Darie to his fader saide
He wolde haue Artasia the faire.
And therwithal Artaxerses gan abraide,
And ansuerde with face debonaire,
“My sone,” quod he, “I wil nat be contraire
To thi desir, but of affeccioun
Delyueren hir to thi pocessioun.”

Of his promys he aftir gan repente,
Cast hym to make another cheuisaunce;
And secreli his concubyn he sente,
Callid Artasia, as maad is remembraunce,
And thoruh his sleihti vnkouþ purueiaunce,
Vnto the temple, swich menys he hath souht,
Of gret Appollo that she in haste was brouht.

Wher she was veilled & maad a preesteresse
Aftir the rihtis, pleynli, and the guise
Of old paynemes bamaner hoolynesse,
And ther professid for to doon seruise,
As ther statutis constreynen and deuise.

470

Duryng hir liff, it myhte non other be,
She bounde was to lyue in chastite.

This thyng was wrouhte bi the compassyng
Of Artaxerses, be froward ialousie.
Wherof Darie, the yonge lusti kyng,
Wex almost wood whan he it dide espie,
And gan compassen of malencolie,
Furious rancour & hasti cruelte
Vpon his fader auengid for to be.

And his parti of force to susteene,
With hym he hadde, the story maketh mynde,
His brethre in bast, an hundred & fifteene,
Which to ther fader wer fals & vnkynde.
Of al this noumbre ther lefft non behynde
That fro this purpos onys list dissente,
His deth of o will all did assente.

Yit of this straunge fals conspiracie
Artaxerses hadde a knowlechyng,
Al-thouh the stori doth nat specefie
How, ne be whom, he hadde therof wetyng.
For which in haste, he made no tarieng
To gadre meyne & make hymsilue strong,
Hymsilff tauenge of this disnaturel wrong.

For Artaxerses, lik as the caas tho stood,
Thouhte it sat weel to his hih noblesse,
To be venged upon vnkynde blood;
For lawe, nature decres rihtwisnesse,
And alle statutis dampne vnkyndenesse,
Wherbi this kyng occasioun dide fynde
Ageyn his childre, because thei wer vnkynde.

Somme men deeme how gret[e] multitude
Of many childre maketh a fader strong;
But therupon, pleynli to conclude,
Vertu is cause, yif she duelle hem among.
But yif ther corage enclyneth onto wrong,
And vicious lyff do ther bridil leede,
The gretter noumbre, the wers thei must[e] speede.

A progenie born of a cursid lyne
May thoruh his froward fals infeccioun,

471

Outward be colour of trouthe thouh he shyne,
Vnder apparence and symulacioun
Infecte and corupte al a regeoun;
For, it is seid of ful old langage,
Frut of sour trees take a sour tarage.

This was weel shewed in Artaxerses,
That suffred his brother deien at myscheeff,
Bledyng his wounde, left hym help[e]les,
Which to his name shal euer been repreeff.
Thus blood vnkynde vnkyndli makth his preeff;
For al the childre fro his stok descendid
Wer cursid echon, as heer is comprehendid.

Ther stock was first contagious of nature,
The griffes froward, thouh thei wer gret in noumbre,
Which of assent dide ther besi cure
Bi fals tresoun ther fader to encoumbre.
But ther is no shade nor no couert oumbre
So closli kept, namli of fals[e] guile,
But the venym wil shewen oute sum while.

And thus the deth contagiousli conspired
Of Artaxerses sithe go ful yore,
Wheron tauenge, hys herte was so fired
Of furious ire & Ibrent so sore,
That he nat koude differre it ferthermore,
But with his meyne fill on hem anon
Or thei wer war, and slouh hem euerichon.

He slouh also al his concubynes,
That wer ther moodres, of whom I told toforn,
Suffred non to lyue of [al] ther lynes;
So of that lynage he hath the weed upshorn,
Fond among alle no greyn of good[e] corn:
Convict bi doom, whan thei wer presentid,
How to his deth echon thei wer assentid.

His clothes spreynt with the vnkynde blood
Of his childre, which he dide sheede,
Aftir whos deth in gret myscheeff he stood;
And so in sorwe his lyff he dide leede,—
Deied aftir in myscheef & in dreede.
Deth quit with deth, & rage with rage:
Loo, heer the fyn of his vnweeldi age!

472

[Lenvoye.]

This tragedie afforn declareth heere
The grete outrage of vnkyndenesse,
Atween too brethre regnyng bothe ifeere
In Perse-lond, as ye han herd expresse,
Til dyuisioun, of al myscheef maistresse,
Gan entren in thoruh fraternal hatreede,
Which ageyn kynde destroied ther kynreede.

The werre aroos, contagious for to lere,
Thoruhout al Perse of mortal frowardnesse,
Of Cirus deth rehersyng the maneere,
How help[e]les he deied in distresse,
And how the noumbre of brethre dide hem dresse
To slen ther fader—the story ye may reede,—
Causyng an eende of al ther hool kynreede.

Kyng Artaxerses, with a froward cheere,
His iniuries & wronges to redresse,
Slouh his childre, ther moodres eek ifeere,
Spared nat oon, of cruel hastynesse.
Bi which occasioun took a gret siknesse,
Aftir deied in myscheef & in dreede,
Causyng an eende of al his hool kynreede.

Loo, heer a sorwe nat particuleer;
For thoruh al Perse ran the cursidnesse,
The crokid fame sprad bothe ferr & neer
Of this vengable, hasti, fel woodnesse,
The hair infectyng with sclaundrous foul blaknesse,
To shewe be vengaunce the contrarious meede
Of blood vnkynde boorn of oon kynreede.

Noble Princis, left up your eyen cleere
And considreth, bi gret auisynesse,
The woful stryues, the odious fel daungeere
Sowe in kynreedis of wilful straungenesse.
Of al rancour your corages doth represse,
Peisyng the myscheeuys folwyng on in deede
Of blood vnkynde born of o kynreede.

Explicit liber tercius.

473

BOOK IV

Incipit prohemium libri quarti.

Frut of writyng set in cronicles olde,
Most delectable of fresshnesse in tastyng,
And most goodli & glorious to beholde,
In cold and heete lengest abidyng,
Chaung of cesouns may doon it non hyndryng;
And wher-so be that men dyne or faste,
The mor men taste, the lenger it wil laste.

It doth corages renewe ageyn & glade,
Which may be callid frut of the tre of lyff,
So parmanable that it wil neuer fade.
To the fyue wittis grettest restoratiff,
And to ther plesance most cheef confortatiff;
For of nature whan thei be quik & goode,
Thei of this frut tak ther natural foode.

Auctours heeron conclude and eek assente,
How that writyng of his kyndeli riht
Doth louid personis & liknessis represente
Of freendis absent, seuered fer from siht;
Dirknesse of absence is clerid with the liht,—
Thus frut of writyng hath his auauntages,
Of folk ferr off to presente the images.

Lawe hadde perisshed, nadde be writyng;
Our feith appalled, ner vertu of scripture;
For al religioun and ordre of good lyuyng
Takth ther exaumple be doctryn of lettrure.
For writyng causeth, with helpe of portraiture,
That thynges dirked, of old that wer begonne,
To be remembred with this celestial sonne.

474

God sette writyng & lettres in sentence,
Ageyn the dulnesse of our infirmyte,
This world tenlumyne be crafft of elloquence;
Canoun, cyuile, philosophie—these thre
Confermed fraunchises of many strong cite,
Couenauntis asselid, trouthis of old assured,
Nadde writyng been, myht nat haue endurid.

Dilligence, cheef triumphatrice
Of slogardie, necligence & slouthe,
Eek of memorye upholdere and norice
And registreer to suppowaile trouthe,
Hath of old labour (& ellis wer gret routhe)
Brouhte thynges passid, notable in substaunce,
Onli be writyng to newe remembrance.

Writyng is cause that herto is remembrid
Lyf of prophetis & patriarches olde,
How thapostlis and martirs wer dismembrid
For Cristis feith, his baner up to holde.
And writyng sheweth, toforn as I you tolde,
Of confessours the grete stedfastnesse,
And of virgynes the virgynal clennesse.

Lik to a tre which euery yeer berth frut,
Shewyng his beute with blosmys & with flours,
Riht so the foode of our inward reffut,
Be dilligence of these olde doctours
And daili frut of ther feithful labours
Han our corages fostred & pasturid
Be writyng onli, which hath so longe endurid.

The Epigrames whilom perisshed hadde
Of prudent Prosper, that was so vertuous,
And of Senec the tragedies sadde,
The Stratagemys of Vigecius,
Rebuk in vicis of noble Percivs,—
Yif in olde writyng hadde be founde a lak,
These said[e] thynges hadde fer be put abak.

Writyng caused poetis to recure
A name eternal, the laurer whan thei wan,
In adamaunt graue perpetuelli tendure.
Record I take of Virgile Mantuan,

475

That wrot the armys & prowesse of the man
Callid Eneas, whan he of hih corage
Cam to Itaill from Dido of Cartage.

Thre famous bookis this auctour list compile,
Eneidoys first; which that dide excell
In rethorik be souereynte of stile.
He drank swich plente, this poete, as men tell,
Of the stremys that ran doun fro the well
Wrouhte bi tho sustres that be in noumbre nyne,
Prowesse of knihthod most cleerli to termyne.

For in that book he cast[e] nat to faill,
With vois mellodious for to descryue ariht
The grete conquest of Rome & of Itaill
Wrouht bi Enee, the manli Troian kniht.
Whos vers notable yif so cleer a liht
Thoruh al the world[e], as in rethorik,
That among poetis was non onto hym lik.

He wrot also, this poete with his hond
Bi humble stile othir bookis tweyne,
Oon of pasture, the nexte of tilthe of lond,
The vers conveied with feet of metris pleyne.
Bi which thre labours a palme he dide atteyne,
To make his name throuh dites delitable
Aboue poetis to be most comendable.

Writyng of poetis hath set withynne his cloos
Conquest of knihthod, ther tryumphes & renouns.
Reed of Ouide Methamorphoseos,
The grete wondres, the transmutaciouns,
The moral menyng, [th]vnkouth conclusiouns,
His book de Ponto, & with gret dilligence
Ful many a pistil compleynyng for absence.

Of craft of loue a book he hath compiled,
Wheroff Cesar hadde ful gret disdeyn,
Which was cause that he was exilled
Tabide in Ponto, and neuer come ageyn.
And yit he dide his labour in certeyn,
In hope of grace, his wittis to applie
To write a book of louis remedie.

476

Writyng of old, with lettres aureat,
Labour of poetis doth hihli magnefie,
Record on Petrak, in Rome laureat,
Which of too Fortunys wrot the remedie,
Certeyn Ecloogis and his Cosmographie,
And a gret conflict, which men may reede & see,
Of his querellis withynne hymsilff secre.

He wrot seuene Psalmys of gret repentaunce,
And in his Affrik comendid Scipioun,
And wrot a book of his ignoraunce
Bi a maner of excusacioun,
And sette a notable compilacioun
Vpon the lyff[e] callid solitarye,
To which this world is froward and contrarie.

And thus be writyng he gat hymsilff a name
Perpetuelli to been in remembraunce,
Set and registred in the Hous of Fame,
And made Epistles of ful hih substaunce
Callid Sine Titulo; & mor hymsilff tauaunce,
Of famous women he wrot thexcellence,
Gresilde preferryng for hir gret pacience.

Writyng also remembrid hath how Troye
Destroied was, sith[en] go many a yeer,
The slauhtre of Ector, cheef piler of ther ioie.
And for the parti of Grekis wrot Omer,
Which in his writyng was particuleer;
For Tachille, that wrouhte al be fraude,
Aboue Ector he gaf a synguler laude.

Writyng causeth the chaplet to be greene
Bothe of Esope and of Iuuenal;
Dantis labour it doth also meynteene
Bi a report verray celestial,
Sunge among Lumbardis in especial,
Whos thre bookis the grete wondres tell
Of heuene aboue, of purgatorie & hell.

Men be writyng knowe the meracles
Of blissid seyntes & of ther hoolynesse,
Medecyne[s], salue & eek obstacles
Geyn mortal woundis and eueri gret seeknesse,
Recreacioun and solace in distresse,

477

Quiete in labour, in pouert pacience,
And in richesse riht, trouthe and conscience.

Shortnesse of lyff and foryetilnesse,
The wit of man dul & ay slidyng,
Necligence and froward idilnesse,—
Echon stepmooder to science and konnyng,
That I dar sey[e]n, nadde be writyng
Onli ordeyned for our auauntages,
Ded wer memorie & mynde of passid ages.

And thus in cheef thes causes affor told
Meued the herte of Bochas to writyng,
And to remembre be many story old
Thestat of pryncis, in chaieres hih sittyng,
And for vices ther vnwar fallyng,
Yiuyng exaumple, as I afferme dar,
Of fals Fortune how thei shal be war.

His firste thre bookis be ful cleer merours,
Fulli acomplisshed, as Bochas vndirtook,
The cause of fallyng of many conquerours,
Onli for trouthe and vertu thei forsook.
For which myn auctour toward his fourte book
Gan sharpe his penne, to his eternal fame,
Onli be writyng to geten hym a name.

Myn auctour Bochas, that so moche koude,
Begynneth heer to make a processe
Ageyn thoutrage of pryncis that wer proude,
Which wer brouht lowe for ther frowardnesse,
And notabli remembreth how meeknesse,
Which stondeth hool in oon & doth contune,
Is ay fraunchised fro daunger of Fortune.

But he in maner doth recapitle ageyn
The fal of many that sat on hih[e] stages,
How thei for vicis stood ay in noun certeyn,
Cam to myscheef for ther gret outrages.

478

Remembryng first of Priam the damages,
And how he loste sceptre and regalie
For sustenyng of fals auoutrye.

The fal rehersyng of Astriages,
That gaf his douhtir whilom in mariage
To oon that was Icallid Cambises,
A poore man bor[e]n of louh lynage,
For he shold[e] ha[ue] non auauntage
In no maner, nouther in riht nor wrong,
Bi rebellioun ageyn hym to be strong.

For he tofforn hadde had aveseoun,
How ther shold oon procedyn of his lyne,
Which sholde hym putte out of his regeoun
And cause hym in myscheef for to fyne.
But yit Fortune koude hym vndermyne,
That al his wisdam stood in non auail;
For ageyn God preuaileth no counsail.

It needeth nat his story to reherse,
Nor the maner of his vnhappi chaunce,
Nor the fallyng of Cirus kyng of Perse,
Nor of kyng Tarquyn for his mysgouernaunce,
Thouh Bochas heer put hem in remembraunce.
For as me semeth, it wer a thyng in veyn,
Thyng onys told to telle it newe ageyn.

And he list nat now to be rek[e]les,
Newe ageyn to make rehersaile
Of the kyng callid Artaxerses;
Sithe it is told, what sholde it mor auaile?
But he procedith streiht onto Itaille
To telle ther stories, and begynneth heer
At Marchus Manlius, a Romeyn consuleer.

Finis Prologi.

479

Incipit liber quartus.

[Howe marchus manlius wrought and dyd for Rome toune/And at the laste he was by the comons caste into Tibre and there drowned.]

Whilom in Rome ther was a gret lynage
Callid Manliois, of renommed noblesse,
And of that stok, riht fair in his yong age,
Cam this Marchus, his stori berth witnesse.
Which bi processe for his worthynesse
Was thre tymes be iust eleccioun
Maad consuleer of that worthi toun.

Which to the comoun ful gretli dide auaile,
He dyuers times for the toun[e]s riht
Fauht in his daies many strong bataile,
And ay preuailede thoruh his grete myht,
And in the feeld[e] bi a synguler fiht
Outraied his enmy, lik as it is told,
And took from hym a riche bie of gold.

Torques in Latin, in Inglissh is a bie,
A cercle of gold, which that Marchus wan.
Brouht[e] it hom thoruh his cheualrie;
And of torques, he was callid than
Marchus Torquatus; & thus the name gan,
He to be callid, the stori tellith vs,
Among Romeyns Torquatus Manlius.

And he wolde ofte iuparte good & liff,
For the cite entre the feeld allone,
And ther conquered for a prerogatiff
Sondri crownes, with many riche stone,
Wan tunicles of gold ful many one;
For thilke tyme, for dyuers hih emprises
Wer crownis maad in many sondri wises.

480

For as Agellius maketh mencioun,
Ther wer in Rome deuised straunge crouns
For such as hadden fouhten for the toun,
And for ther labour resceyued ther guerdouns,
Bi a prerogatiff callid champiouns,
Which sondry tymes of manhood & of myht
Iuparted ther lyff for the toun[e]s riht.

Lik ther desertis thes croun[e]s took ther names;
For summe of them wer callid Tryumphal,
Youe onto knihtes for ther noble fames.
Othir also callid Obsidional
In Romeyn tunge; & summe ther wer Mural,—
Eek other tweyne, Naual and Castrence,
And alle thei wern of ful gret excellence.

The Tryumphal maked wer of gold,
Offred in tryumphes to worthi emperours,
Set with saphirs and rubies manyfold
Vpon the hedis of myhti conquerours.
And whan that Rome was shynyng in his flours,
That crowne callid, with braunchis boornid faire,
In ther vulgar Thaureat Coronaire.

Thobsydyonal, of which I spak tofforn,
Deuised wern, the book doth specefie,
Croun[e]s notable wrouht lik greyn or corn,
Youe onto princis which thoruh ther cheualrie
Reskewed seeges and saued the partie
Of hem that wer[e] closed streiht withynne,
Thoruh hih prowesse a crowne for to wynne.

Another crowne, that callid was Mural,
Was youe and grauntid bi the emperour
To hym that firste wan vpon the wal
At any seege, and ther abood the shour
Fihtyng allone, in hope of sum socour.
And he that myht[e] such a brunt susteene,
Sholde of laurer were a crowne greene.

Naual crownes whilom wer ordeyned
For them that fauht[e] manli on the se,
Whan ther shippis wer togidre cheyned,—
He that of manhod & marcial surete
Vpon his enmyes made first entre

481

Resceyue sholde, in al the peeplis siht,
Korue lich a rother, a crowne cleer & briht.

The nexte crowne, which callid is Castrence,
Was youe of custum to that manli kniht
That list auaunce hym thoruh his magnificence,
Hostes assemblede, iuparte wolde of myht
Tofforn al other [t]entren into fiht,
Sholde eek resseyue, his noblesse for to queeme,
A sterrid crowne maad lik a diadeeme.

The crowne also which callid was Oual
Took first name of ioie and gladnesse,
Which kynges, princis in actis marcial
Vsid somtyme in ther ioious noblesse
At sodeyn skarmysshes of casuel hastynesse,
As whan thei venquysshed proudli in bataille
Such as ther hihnesse vnwarli wolde assaille.

And for thei wern of poweer invyncible,
Ther noble crownis coriousli wer wrouht
Of mirtis branchis, which been inputrible,
Enduryng euere and corupte nouht.
For this woord Oual, yif it be weel souht,
Is seid of gladnesse, as put is in memorie,
Ordeyned for pryncis after ther victorie.

Anothir crowne callid Cyuyca,
Of oken bowes was maad[e] round & pleyn,
Ordeyned for them which pro Re Publica
Koude in bataile reskewe a citeseyn
And slen his enmy that was a foreyn.
Of myhti ok he sholde for manheed
Cleyme to were a crowne upon his hed.

And lik as knihtis in marcial delites,
For comoun proffit dede hemsilf auaunce,
So for ther noble victorious merites
The Romeyn peeple hadde a gret plesance,
With sundri crownis marcial in substaunce,

482

For to guerdone ther knihtis most famous,
Myn auctour record callid Agellius.

Among other that dede ther besi peyne
Such[e] crownis manli to recure,
Marcus Manlius, in manhod souereyne,
Put ofte his lyff in mortal auenture;
For in his force so moche he dide assure,
That he deserued ful yore agon
Of these said crownes many mo than oon.

And to [the] encres of his noble fame
He dede a thyng bothe manli & dyuyne,
Wherbi that he gat hym a surname
To be callid Marchus Capitolyne,
Which aboue alle his namis dide shyne,—
Whan he allone, wherbi he is comendid,
The Capitoile from enmyes hath defendid.

Whan thei of Fraunce hadde taken the cite,
Put al Rome at myscheef onto fliht,
And leid await[e] with a gret meyne
The Capitoile for to take at niht,
Bi a passage that lay ferr out of siht
Vnder a roche callid Carmentoun,
Ther taue entred into the cheef dongoun.

Thei wer ther shrowdid vndir a dirk[e] vale,
With ordynaunce and myhti violence
Toward mydniyht the wal[le] for to scale,
Most couertli them keepyng in scilence;
Dempte pleynli, for lak of resistence,
That thei sholde, maugre tho withyne,
Ther hour assigned, the Capitoile wynne.

But the ges that wer wit[h]ynne cloos,
The waker foules be noise of ther komyng
Gan bete ther weenges, & up anon aros,
Wherthoruh this Marcus in his bed liggyng
Gan tabraide, & made no tarieng,
Took his harneis, most furious & wroth,
And to the wallis in al haste he goth.

483

And hym that cam first upon the wall,
Of verray force, withoute mor tarieng,
Doun into Tibre he made hem haue a fall;
And all his felawes bisi in scalyng,
With sheeld or pauys, or ladderes up reisyng,
This manli Mark, shortli to comprehende,
Into the flood he made hem to descende.

Vnto the deth, of hym thei wer abauyd;
For bi his knihthod & his hih renoun,
Maugre them, the Capitoile sauid
And aftirward rescued al the toun.
[And] for the fortune, in conclusioun,
Which that tyme dide vnto hym fall,
Capitolinus men dede hym aftir call.

And for he was so victorious,
Hymsilff allone be this hih victorye,
This name he gat to hym & al his hous,
Perpetueli to been in memorye
And registred in the consistorie,
In ther cronicles his name determyned,
With goldene lettres to been enlumyned.

And the gees, of whom I spak also,
That so weel kepte wach upon the niht,
Itake wern and offired to Iuno
Solempneli with gret[e] torchis liht,
To whom also it grauntid was of riht,
Whan a famyne maad her stoor to faile,
Thei spared wern & take for no vitaile.

And thus was Marcus lik a conquerour
Worsheped in Rome, alle beyng of assent.
But whan summe folk be set in gret honour,
Sumtyme it happeth thei holde hem nat content,
With couetise ther hertis be so blent,
Fro suffisaunce, aboue ther degrees
To surmounte to hier dignites.

This Manlius was fret in his corage
To gretter worshepis sodenli tascende,
Deemyng so to haue had auauntage,

484

And in hymsilff gan frowardli pretende
In that cite al othir to transcende,
Beside tryumphes, which wer to hym reserued,
Hiere to clymbe than he hath disserued.

But ther was oon, as maad is mencioun,
Callid Camyllus, a lord of gret substaunce,
Which in the cite & in that myhti toun
Aboue al othir hadde gouernaunce.
And as it is Iput in remembraunce,
To his gretnesse non othir myht atteyne,
At whos noblesse Marchus gan disdeyne.

In his herte he hadde a gret envie,
Which caused hym bi outrage for to erre
Ageyn Camyllus, which for his cheualrie
The toun gouerned bothe in pes and werre.
And for Marchus wolde hymsilff preferre
Aboue that prynce in worshepe and honour,
First of the peeple he gat hym gret fauour.

And bi a maner of conspiracie
He gadred hertis of the comounte,
And drouh also onto his partie
Gret multitude thoruhout the cite.
And thus roos first the dreedful enmyte
Withynne Rome, the story tellith thus,
Atween these pryncis, Camyll & Manlius.

Thus first the venym atween hem two was sowe
Of hasti hatreede bi fals occasiouns,
Which in the cite atween hih & lowe
Caused of newe dyuers discenciouns,
Aftir the[r] vnkouth straunge oppynyons;
For eueri wiht drouh to his partie,
As thei wer meued in ther fantasie.

But for to stynte this outragous errour
And thes hasti stryues furious,
Ageyn fro Tuscan kam a dictatour,
That tyme callid Cornelius Cassus,
Which of wisdam blamed Manlius;

485

For he caused such rumour in the toun,
And for his gilt comaunded hym to prisoun.

Which was in maner hyndryng to his name,
And appalled in parti his noblesse;
For a tyme gan teclipse his fame,
But aftirward the cloude of that derknesse
Bi comoun fauour was turned to cleernesse:
For as it hadde be riht for the nonys,
In his diffence the comouns roos attonis.

First whan thei hadde among ther gret rumours,
Mid of ther fell [&] hatful contencioun
Shortli rebuked the worthi senatours,
Because Marcus was sette in prisoun,
Which hadde been so helplich to the toun.
Whom to delyuere thei dyuers menys souhte,
And, as I fynde, euene thus thei wrouhte:

First thei cladde hem in moornyng clothes blake,
Pale of ther facis, pitousli weepyng,
Ther berd vnshaue, ther her to-reende & shake,
Lik furious men up and doun rennyng
Tofor the prisoun, al the niht wakyng.
And on his harmes pleynli to be wreke,
Thei gan manace the prisoun for to breke.

And for to stynte ther outraious clamour
The senatour[e]s made anon ordeyne
To delyuere hym out of his soiour,
Losne his feteres and to breke his cheyne.
And whan he was delyuered out of peyne,
His list nat stynte, of hasti cruelte
Of proude corage auengid for to be.

And in his furious fel presumpcioun,
Maugre the senat and tribunys euerichon,
Saide he wolde gouerne Rome toun.
At whos outrage thei gan disdeyne anon;
The peeplis hertis from hym wer agon,
And for his pride thei bauisement
Assigned hym to come to iugement.

Forsake he was thoruhout the cite,
Ther cam nat oon with hym of his kynreede,
He fond non helpe in his aduersite,

486

Sauff a fewe cam with hym in deede
Of the comouns, ful feeble at such a neede.
And thus, alas, he fond no resistence
Was vailable onto his diffence.

But for socour constreyned and in dreede,
Awey he putte his clothyng & vesture,
And naked stood[e], veraili in deede,
Shewyng his woundis, which he dede endure
At many scarmyssh and disconfiture.
And for reskus, to speke in woordes fewe,
The Capitoile to them he dide shewe.

And in supportyng eek of his quarell,
Meeuyng the peeple to rewe on his compleynt,
First to his goddis loude he dide appell
To preserue hym of that he was atteynt.
The peeple aboute hym with teris al bespreynt,
That the iuges astoned wer in deede,
Wher-as thei sat ageyn hym to proceede.

But secreli he was lad out of pres
To a place callid Frowmentyne,
And ther, alas, thei wer [so] merciles
His doom bi rigour fulli to termyne,
Spared nouther noblesse nor lyne:
Fro the Capitoile, out of the cheef donioun,
Lowe into Tibre for to be cast doun.

This was his eende, void of al fauour,
Which no man wolde redressen nor amende,
Bi cruelte cast out of that tour,
Which he whilom most knihtli gan diffende.
But what man can be writyng comprehende
Thunseur socour founde in necessite
To them that laboure for any comounte?

Lat men beholde, that truste on worldli thynges,
And namli them that be proude and hauteyn,
Opne ther eyen, cast up ther lookynges
To considre & see weel in certeyn,

487

Who trusteth Fortune, his truste is but in veyn!
And yif ye list a cleer exaumple fynde,
Among remembreth on Marcus in your mynde.

What myhte auaile his noblesse in bataile?
Bies of gold, crownes of laureer?
His riche platis or his vnkouth maile,
His myhti sheeldis, that shon so briht & cleer?
Or his tryumphes, songe ferr & neer,
Or his victories for the cite wrouht?—
In his gret myscheeff auailed hym riht nouht.

[Here Bochas writeth in part ayenst/suche as cannot be content with suffisaunce/but vsurpe to hihe dignitees.]

Heer Iohn Bochas callith to memorye
The straunge salaire [and] þe famous guerdoun
Of them þat gat bi conquest & victorye
Honour of tryumphe withynne Rome toun;
How it was vsid, he maketh mencioun,
Ceriousli reherseth the manere,
Which I shal write, yif ye list to heere.

Auis was take first of estatis thre:
Of men of armys, which that wer present,
That sauh in deede the magnanymyte
Of hym that shal haue it be iugement;
Of the clergie thei muste haue eek assent,
And of the senat and peeple most notable,
Be preef souht out that he wer founde able.

This prynce also, outher the capteyn,
Which shal the tryumphe resceyue of verray riht,
Withyne a chaar, ful richeli beseyn
He shal be set, of gold bornid briht,
Fret with stonis, which shal yiue a liht

488

As Phebus doth in his midday speere,
That no dirknesse aboute hym shal appeere.

This heuenli chaar shal for mor delit,
To shewe thencres of his knihtli glorie,
Be lad and drawe with foure steedis whiht
Thoruh the cite in tokne of his victorie.
And he shal han, for a synguler memorye,
In his riht hand a palme of gold ful sheene,
And on his hed a crowne of laureer greene.

He shal eek haue aboue al his armure,
Poudrid with palmys a cote of purpil red,
In his left hand, his quarellis for tassure,
A standard round declaryng his manhed,
And al aboue set upon the hed
The pryncis armys, ful riche of apparaille,
In whos quarell he accomplisshed the bataille.

And of custum the said[e] standard shall
Be richeli depeynt with red colour.
And so this kniht, this man most marciall,
Shal be conveied lik a conquerour.
And yit for mor encres of his honour,
Vpon ther feet his prisoneres echon,
Take bi his manhod, aboute his chaar shal gon,

The moste worthi faste bi his side,
Al the remnant aftir on hym lokynge.
Echon the poetes which in the toun abide
Shal on hym waite at his hom komyng,
Dites deuise and of his conquest synge;
And streeng menstrallis, to bern also record,
Ther instrumentis shal touchyn of accord,

Alle of entent to yiue hym mor corage.
To the Capitoile so he shal be brouht,
And list of pride he falle in non outrage,
Nor surquedie withynne his owne thouht,
The moste wrech shal of the toun be souht,
Which of custum shal haue a staf in honde,
And in the chaar behynde his bak up stonde.

489

Gnotos Eolitos in Greek he sholde seyn,
Which in our tunge pleynli doth expresse,
“Knowe thi-silff,” remembryng in certeyn
Vpon Fortunys froward doubilnesse,
On whom to triste may be no sekirnesse.
And who that douteth wher that it be thus,
Lat hym remembre the eende of Manlius.

What auailed his triumphes or his bies?
Crownys of gold & perlid fressh tunycles?
His hih prowesse, or al his cheualries,
Synguler fihtyng or marcial particules,
Newli remembred or rad in old cronicles?
Peise his merites, & see how at the laste,
How into Tibre ther champioun thei caste!

To his excus auailed neueradeel
Fauour of comouns, carectes of his woundis,
Nor to the goddis his lamentable appel,
Nor remembraunce of ther fraunchised boundis,
Teritories, nor wynyng of the groundis,
Which that he wan with spendyng of his blood,—
Al knet in on, to hym no sted thei stood.

Heer may ye see how Fortune sodenli
Cleernesse of fame can chaunge to dirknesse,
Glorie to reproche, worshepe to velany,
And ioie passid to mortal heuynesse,
Swetnesse of sauour into bittirnesse,
And sobirnesse into furious rage,
And old fraunchise to thraldam & seruage.

For ther was nouther request nor praier
That auailede to his delyueraunce.
In cheynys fetrid, dedli of look & cheer,
Abod the sentence of his fynal greuaunce,—
Pale of face, with tremblyng contenaunce,
Whan he, alas, gan mortalli aproche
Of Tarpeia to the hidous roche.

490

Of Tarpeia this roche bar the name
Aftir a ladi, as maad is mencioun,
Callid Tarpeia, which fill in gret diffame
Because she was assentid to tresoun,
Taue brouht enmyes into Rome toun.
Wherof convict, hir stori is weel knowe,
Vnder that roche she was Idolue lowe.

This roche also was callid Carmentoun
Afftir a woman of gret auctorite
Callid Carmentis, which thoruh hir hih renoun
The Capitoile made in that cite.
And she fond lettres first of our A. B. C.,
And kunyng hadde, among hir werkes all,
Declare afforn[e] thyng that sholde befall.

And on this harde sturdi roche of ston,
Fro the Capitoile Marcus was cast doun.
Othir fauour nor frenshepe fond he non,
For alle his batailes fouhten for the toun.
The comouns hertis wer turnid up-so-doun,
Whos loue is lik, preued at assay,
A blase of fyr, now briht & now away.

The comoun peeple may hote and crie faste,
As ther hertis stedfast were & stable;
But at a neede ther promys wil nat laste,
Of ther corages thei be so remevable.
To folwe resoun gerissh and vntretable,
Lihtli declynyng, and that is ful gret routhe,
Aftir oppynyouns, & nothyng aftir trouthe.

This Manlius was of his trust deceyued,
Whos lust vnleeful departed was on tweyne,
First whan of pride he wolde ha be resceyued
To hih estat, which he myht nat atteyne,
Wherthoruh the senat gan at hym disdeyne,
And the comouns, ay fals at such a neede,
Lefft hym in myscheeff, & took of hym non heede.

491

Lenvoye.

In this tragedie men may beholde & see
The pereilous damages of fals ambicioun,
Of them that benat content with þer degre,
But wolde up clymbe, lik ther oppynyoun,
To hih estat be vsurpacioun,—
Which nat considre the sentence of scripture,
In a good mene men lengest may endure.

Who that vsurpeth to hier dignite
Than apperteneth to his condicioun,
In roial chaieres for to make his see,
And hath no title of lyne nor resoun,
Thoruh froward pride ful ofte he is put doun;
For lak he seethnat how eueri creature
In a good mene lengest may endure.

Whan Dedalus tauhte his sone [to] flee,
He bad hym first, of hih discresioun,
Fro Phebus heete keepe his wynges fre,
And fro Neptunvs cold congellacioun,
Menyng herbi, for short conclusioun,
That who that list with ioie his staat assure,
In a good mene he lengest shal endure.

Remembre the manhod & magnanymyte
Of Marcus Manlius, which be presumpcioun
Wolde haue gouerned Rome the cite,
Maugre the senat reulid that myhti toun,
Which turnid aftir to his confusioun,
For he sauh nat, such was his auenture,
In a good mene men lengest may endure.

Sume in ther grettest hih prosperite,
Of froward corage and furious mocioun,
In ther gret wele, bi fals duplicite
Han a maner straunge condicioun,
Nat to be content with plente nor foisoun,
Bi a fals etik, which of ther nature
In a good mene ne cannot long endure.

But in this erthe grettest felicite
Is hertis ese, richest pocessioun,

492

With suffisaunce content for to be,
Of worldli trouble teschewe thoccasioun,
Meuyng no quarellis, causyng no discencioun,
Nor cleyme nothyng which hard is to recure,
Sithe in good mene men lengest may endure.

Pryncis, remembreth in your most mageste,
Envie of clymbyng causith diuisioun.
Beth of accord, trustith no comounte,
Which, at a poynt, is but decepcioun,
And specialli fleeth symulacioun.
Ye may in Marcus seen a pleyn figure,
Which for ambicioun myhte no while endure.

[How Neptanabus kyng of Egipt/was by xerses constreyned to fle his kyngdam.]

Afftir the fall of Marcus Manlius,
Bochas anon gan his stile dresse
Breeffli to telle of Neptanabus,
Kyng of Egipt, and of his gret richesse,
Seyng afforn[e], in al his noblesse
Bi vnkouth crafft, how he ne myhte chese,
That in al haste his crowne he sholde lese.

For he was kunnyng in especial,
And riht expert, as maad is mencioun,
In alle the sciences callid liberal,
And knew afforn bi calculacioun
How God wolde make a transmygracioun
Of his kyngdam, & pleynli to reporte,
The lond of Perse to Grekis ful transporte.

For bi kyng Zerses out of his cuntre,
Maugre his tresor, his cunyng & his miht,
This Neptanabus constreyned was to flee,
Durste nat abide to haue of hym a siht.
And into Grece he drouh hym anon riht,
Nat lik a kyng, but aftir old writyngis,
Lik a magicien he wrouhte wonder thynges.

493

Vpon fortune ferther to proceede,
Bi his kunyng he gretli forthered was,
And bi his sleihti werkyng eek in deede
He was aqueynted with queen Olympias,
And so secre, pleynli this the caas,
That upon hir, men seide be deemyng,
Gat Alisaundre, the grete myhti kyng.

But how he fledde out of his regioun,
Of his images nor his illusiouns
Bochas mak[e]th no maner mencioun,
Nor how he wrouthe be incantaciouns,
Nor of his sotil operaciouns,
Nor how that he, lik a man, be nihte
Whilom appeered in the queenys sihte.

Sauf of his deth[e], Bochas writ riht nouht,
Remembryng nouther the tyme nor the date,
How Alisaundre and he togidre han souht
The cours of sterris toward eue late,
And how his sone, lik as was his fate,
Doun from a bregge bi ful mortal wrak
Cast hym bakward, & so his nekke brak.

[How Pausonoy Duk of Lacedemoyne was exiled by them of Athenys.]

This was his ende, & aftir this Bochas
Gan in al haste his stile [to] auaunce
Of Pausonyos to tell the pitous caas,
And al the maner of his woful chaunce.
Which was a duk, & hadde in goueraunce
Lacedemoyne, ther foundyng a cite
Which of old tyme was callid Bisante.

Thei of Athenys that cite gat with myht
And it conquered bi ther cheualrie;
And aftirward, wher it wer wrong or riht,
Thei exiled the same Pausanye.

494

And thus Fortune thoruh hir fals envie
Caused that duk, withoute mor delaies,
In sorwe and pouert for to eende his daies.

[How Heliarchus the tirant for extorcion and oppression, was slayn, by the knight Leonydes.]

Afftir the fal[le] sothli of thes tweyne,
Iohn Bochas was meued of corage
For to reherse with al his bisi peyne
The grete furie & thodious rage
Of Heliarchus, which bi gret outrage,
Thouh he nat was famous in cheualrie,
He noied al Perse with his tirannye.

Wherfor Bochas gan at hym disdeyne,
Caste he wolde, onli for his sake,
Touche of tirauntes mo than on or tweyne,
And bi writyng geyn hem a werre make.
And in his hande he gan a penne take,
Tolde in ordre the pereilous pestilence
Which thei wrouhte bi mortal violence.

First he declareth how Fortune of riht,
Ageyn tirantis furious & wood,
Hath ful [good] cause for to shewe hir myht,
Tappalle ther dignites in which thei stood,—
Such as reioysshe for to sheede blood,
Do nat ellis but laboure & deuise
To spoille the peeple in many sondri wise.

And Heliarchus thoruh his cruelte,
And his contryued fals extorsiouns
Was mortal enmy to a fair cite
Callid Heraclie, & many othir touns.
And bi [his] extort fals oppressiouns,
As the deede concluded, at a preeff,
Al that contre he brouhte to myscheeff.

495

Turnyng his grace & fauour to hatreede,
Merci & pite onto cruelte,
Fraunchise of peeplis to seruitute & dreede,
Oppressid ther fredam & ther old liberte.
And all ther statutis, bi which thei wer maad fre,
He interupted of force & nat of riht,
Which made hym odious in eueri mannys siht.

But to restreyne his grete extorsiouns
Fortune this while was nat rek[e]les:
For his horrible abhomynaciouns
She gan tauale hym, this goddesse merciles,
Bi a good kniht callid Leonides,
Which with a felawe born of that contre
Cast on this tiraunt auengid for to bee.

Thei dempte it was an almesse deede,
To sette ther lond in quiete & in ese,
Of a tirant the furious blood to sheede,
His inportable malis for tappese,
Which to ther cite dede so gret disese.
And of assent, with ther suerdis keene
Thei slouh the tiraunt in ther mortal teene.

Of whos deth many a man was fayn,
And specialli of Heracle the cite,
Dempte it was meedful that he was so slayn,
To sette in quiete al a comounte.
Loo, heer men may the rihtful guerdoun see
Of tirauntis, which bi ther violence
Toppresse the peeple ha[ue] no conscience!

[How the vicious Denys kyng of Cicile slouh his brethre and kynrede, and aftir exiled deied at mischeff.]

Afftir this tiraunt, with a ful heuy cheere
And contenaunce pitous and lamentable,
Onto Bochas Denys dede appeere,
Which in tirannye was most importable,
Thoruh [al] his land hatful and repreuable.
But, for al that, he gan myn auctour preie
Of his maneres sumwhat to write & seie.

496

Bochas list nat rehersen his lynage
Nor make no processe of his geneallogie,
Because he was, with al his gret outrage,
Ful of alle vices, pride and lecherie,
Of auarice, of ire and of envie.
In Cecile he heeld his roial see
At Siracusis, a myhti strong cite.

This Denys was cursed of nature,
Most malicious bothe of thouht & deede;
For, as it is remembrid in scripture,
He slouh his brethre, his cosyns & kynreede,
That he allone myhte in pes posseede
Withoute trouble or interupcioun
Of al Cecile the myhti regioun.

Among his vices, Bochas doth specefie,
He gan drawen onto idilnesse,
Folwede his lustis of foul lecherie,
And ofte of custum he fill in dronkenesse,
And thouhte it was most souereyn blissidnesse,
Lik as he hadde be maister of Fortune,
To folwe his lustis & ay theryn contune.

He wex riht fat & wonder corcious,
And his eien gan derken of ther siht,
That vnnethe this man most vicious
Ne miht nat weel beholde the daies liht.
And of malis this tiraunt ageyn riht,
With helpe of robbours & of fals foreyns,
Slouh of his cite nih al the citeseyns.

His vicious lyff in ordre to reherse
Wer contagious to the audience;
His extort pillages wrouhte in Grece & Perse,—
For to write or telle hem in sentence
Wolde infecte the heir with pestilence.
But I wil breefli remembryn & descryue
The sacrileges which he dede his lyue.

In Venus temple beside Citheroun
A gret[e] noumbre of wommen he leet call,
Ful weel beseyn; and be oppressioun
He made his meyne vnwarli on hem fall.

497

Dispoiled them, so that on and all
Bi his outrage and froward violence,
Thei naked stood echon in his presence.

And whan he sauh ther shap & ther fetures,
And ches such out as wer to his plesaunce,
Robbyng the remnaunt, took from them þer vestures
And leet hem goon withoutyn ordenaunce.
And for this vnkouth abhomynable chaunce
Ther cite Locrois aros with myhti hond,
For his outrage banshyng hym ther lond.

Another tyme he dide also soiourne
Withyne the temple, lik as it is told,
Of Iubiter, sone onto Saturne.
Ther beholdyng his reliques manyfold,
Sauh among other a mantel large of gold,
Wherupon whan he caste his look,
That riche iewel onto his eus he took.

And thus he saide, hymseluen to excuse,—
“It was to heuy and to comerous
In somer sesoun that mantel for to vse,
Because it was to large & ponderous.”
And ouermor he aleggid for hym thus:
“Sithe the garnement forgid was of gold,
For wynter sesoun how it was to cold.”

And whan he gan awey the mantel pulle,
Than riht anon this tiraunt deceyuable
Gaff hym another sengle maad of wolle,
Affermede, sothli it was mor couenable,—
To other sesoun mor meete and agreable,
Concludyng thus: “for somer it was liht,
And warm for wyntir to were the frosti niht.”

Another tyme, this tiraunt eek also,
Which was of herte most auaricious,
Entrid onys the temple of Appollo
And of his sone Esculapius.
And whan this tiraunt fel & contrarious
Beheld Appollo berdles, that was old,
And Esculapius with a berd of gold,

498

Quod Denys thanne, “as seemeth onto me,
Heer is a straunge froward convenyence,
That the fader berdles sholde be,
The sone berdid stonde in his presence.”
Made anon bi sturdi violence
To take awey the berd, which in his siht
Of most fyn gold shon so cleer & briht.

Thoruh Grece and Perse wher-euer he dede gon,
In al the templis this was his vsaunce:
The statli reliques with many riche ston
And massiff tablis of myhti gret substaunce,
To take them alle that wer to his plesaunce.
He spared non; thus lyuyng lik a theef
Til he be vengaunce was brouht [vn]to myscheeff.

Syracusanys, wher he was crowned kyng,
Alle of assent, ther is no mor to seyne,
For his outragis & vicious lyuyng,
Thei ban[y]shed hym neuer to kome ageyn.
And so this tiraunt, vacaunt, wente in veyn
Aboute the world as a fals fugityff;
And so at myscheeff this Denys loste his lyff.

[Lenvoy.]

This tragedie yiueth a warnyng
To all[e] tho that haue domynacioun
Ouer the peeple, prince, duk or kyng,
Teschewe rauyne and fals extorsioun.
Bit them considre, how bi thoccasioun
Of foul pillage & froward tirannye
This said Denys at myscheef muste die.

First he compassed, falsli imagynyng,
To slen the citeseyns of his roial toun,
His brethre, his cosyns, his kynrede nat sparyng,
Brouht al his blood onto destruccioun,
In slauhtre he hadde such delectacioun,
Reioisshyng euere in moordre & robberie,
Which caused hym at myscheef for to die.

499

To spoille templis was most his reioysshyng,
Took al ther tresours to his pocessioun,
Tablis of gold with stonys fressh shynyng;
Eek fro the goddis the reliques he took doun
Wher-euer he rod in any regioun.
Whos sacrilege & compassed felonie
Caused hym vnwarli in myscheeff for to die.

In Venus temple, be record of writyng,
He dede a foul froward abusioun,
Al gentil-women that cam ther to offryng,
Them he dispoiled, as maad is mencioun,
Leet hem go naked, withoute excepcioun.
For which diffame & gret vngent[e]rie
He banshed was & dede in myscheef die.

Noble Pryncis, remembreth on this thyng:
Compassed malis & fals collusioun
Mut haue euel eende & come to rek[e]nyng,
Fraude ay with fraude resceyueth his guerdoun.
Hath this in mynde, concludyng on resoun,
That all tirauntis, pleynli to specefie,
Hadde heer short lyff or dede at myscheeff die.

Thauctour ageyn presumpcious [peple and] Princis halding þem-self goddis.

Ye folk that been astonid in your auys
To seen tirauntes þat wer incorrigible
Left from ther sees, þat held hemsilf so wis,
Thouhte ther poweer was verray inuyncible,
Thouh tofor God nothyng is inpossible;
Wherfor remembreth, & doth nothyng meruaile,
With vnwar fallis thouh Fortune hem assaile.

For whan tirauntis been sette on hih[e] stages
Off dignites, regnyng lik wood leouns,
Ful harde it is to wresten ther corages
Outher to tempre ther disposiciouns.
Worldli felicite so blyndeth ther resouns,

500

As thei to God wer egal of poweer,
And hadde Fortune vnder ther daungeer.

Record of Denys, that ofte was affraied
Bassaut of Fortune, lik as was his fate,
For vicious lyuyng thre tymes disamaied,
As his stori remembreth of old date.
Next on the ryng now kometh Pollicrate
With oon Victurbius, tirauntis of Itaille,
Regnyng lik wolues toppressen the poraille.

For whan tirauntis in dyuers regiouns
Of surquedie cachche an oppynyoun,
That ther estatis & domynaciouns
Sholde euere endure bi long successioun,
As Godde nor Fortune myhte nat putte hem doun,
But as thei wern in ther estat roiall
This world to reule, to bothe too egall.

[First] toward God thei ha[ue] lost shame & dreed
Touchynng his guerdouns outher of ioie or peyne,
Indifferent atween trouthe or falsheed,—
Ther lust Iserued; no fors who lauhhe or pleyne.
God is forgetyn; at Fortune thei disdeyne,
As bothe wern recleymed to ther lure,
Falsli transcendyng the boundis of mesure.

For which sumtyme, as bookes specefie,
God list suffre, as maad is mencioun,
That Fortune bi a maner moquerie
Fauoureth summe folk, lik ther oppynyoun
Tenhaunce ther poweer bi fals decepcioun,
As she wer set, pleynli for to seie,
To serue ther lust & durst nat disobeie.

[How kyng Pollicrate for extorcion and tirannye was honged til euery ioynt went from othir.]

Record I take on proude Pollicrate,
Tiraunt of Sammois, beside þe se Egge,
Which sore laboured erli & eek late,
Ageyn conscience, of furious cruelte,

501

Tabounde in richesse & for to ha[ue] plente
Of worldli tresours, deemyng that Fortune ay
To his desirs ne durste nat sey nay.

Fortune to hym bi many dyuers signe
Shewed outward gret toknis of plesaunce,
Was to hym eek riht fauourable & benigne
In al hir port bamaner attendaunce,
As she hadde been vnder his obeissaunce
To stuffe his coffres with tresours lokked faste,
Of fals entent to mokke hym atte laste.

Alle worldli richesse his lustis dede obeie;
And whan he fond she was so fauourable,
For a sesoun, as she that list to pleie,
This blynde goddesse, vnseur & euere vnstable,
Set hym so hih[e] up at Famys table,
Of fals entent, in his estat roiall
Whan he sat hiest to make hym haue a fall.

For in hymsilff of pride he gan to deeme
How that he stood most in prosperite
Of them that wered crowne or diadeeme,
Aboue al other in most felicite.
And thus enhaunsed in his roial see,
Thouhte hym egal with goddis in comvne,
Fer from al daunger of Fate or of Fortune.

And for tatempte of goddis the poweer,
And of Fortune the variaunt doubilnesse,
He took a ryng of gold ful briht & cleer,
Theryn a rubi of excellent richesse,
Sekyng occasioun of sum newe heuynesse,
Which neuer afforn hadde knowe of no such thyng,—
Into the se anon he cast his ryng,

Dise[s]peired ageyn [it] to recure,
For he dempte it was an inpossible.
But rihte anon fissheres of auenture,
Lik a meruaile verray incredible,
Among the wawes hidous & horrible
Caste in ther nettis, yiff it wolde auaile,
Takyng a fissh, the ryng in his entraille.

502

Which was presented at a solempnite
To Pollicrate with ful gret reuerence,
Whan he sat crowned in his most dignite
At a feeste of famous excellence.
The fissh vndon anon in his presence,
Mid thentrailles his keruere fond the ryng
Of auenture, & took it to the kyng.

Which dempte of pride and hih presumpcioun,
That Neptunvs, god of the salte se,
Hadde of his ryng maad restitucioun,
And durste nat offende his mageste.
Wherupon a fantasie kauht he,
Nouther heuenli goddis no[r] Fortune blynde of siht
Wer bothe vnhardy tatempte ageyn his myht.

His gret outrage to God was nat vnknowe;
And his presumpcioun Fortune hath weel espied,
For which she maad aduersite been[de] hir bowe,
And of hir wheel the spokes she hath so guyed,
Wheron he sat most richeli magnefied,
That he vnwarli doun from his hih noblesse
Was brouht ful lowe in sorwe & wrechchidnesse.

In worldly glorie nothyng is mor to dreede,
Than whan Fortune is most blandisshyng,
And that hir flatri is fret with worldli meede,
Hih on hir wheel to make foolis synge;
Than of hir nature sorwe she doth [in] brynge,—
Witnesse of princis, of olde or newe date,
And record also of proude Pollicrate.

Sumtyme he sat hih on Fortunys wheel,
Of prosperite with bemys cleer shynyng,
Whos temple is maad of glas & nat off steel;
Hir cristal yys vnwarli dissoluyng,
Thouh it be fressh outward in shewyng,
Vnseur to stonde on, & brotil for tabide,
Who trusteth most, most likli is to slide.

This gerissh queen, of cheer & face double,
Withdrouh hir fauour & began to varie
Fro Pollicrates, sette hym in sorwe & trouble,
Wex ageyn hym maliciousli contrarie,

503

Causyng Orontes, constable with kyng Darie,
Maugre this tiraunt in his most cruelte,
To gynne a werre on Sammoys his cite.

And whan his glorie was most cleer of liht,
And his noblesse shon hiest atte fulle,
Fortune gan thoruh hir chaungable myht
Of his prosperite the fethris for to pull.
And thanne at erst his corage gan to dull,
And alle his pride vnwarli for tappalle,
Whan he was spoilled of his richessis alle.

First whan Orontes his contre gan assaill,
This Pollicrate of sodeyn auenture
Outraied was & taken in bataill
Bi a full pereilous mortal disconfiture.
Thus koude Fortune bryngen him to lure
Thoruh hir vnwar, ougli, fals disdeynes,
Lad into prisoun & bounde in stronge cheynis.

The peeple [that] duelte withynne his regeoun
Reioisshed in herte to seen hym suffre peyne.
His tirannye, his fals extorsioun
Caused that thei dede at hym disdeyne;
For of his deth[e] no man list compleyne.
Men thoruh the wor[l]d be glad & ha[ue] plesaunce
To seen a tiraunt brouht onto myschaunce.

Foure thynges his tormentes dede aumente:
Sodeyn departyng from his old richesse,
And that he sauh ech man in his entente
Of his myscheef ha[ue] so gret gladnesse;
Hanged he was, myn auctour berth witnesse,
And heeng so long in tempest, reyn & thonder,
Til eueri ioynt from other went assonder.

To beestis wilde & foulis rauynous,
Naked he heeng; such was his auenture:
To alle folk he was so odious,
Had in despiht off euery creature,
At his departyng denied sepulture,—

504

Guerdoun for tirauntis vengable & rekles,
That kannat suffre the peeple to lyue in pes.

Thus may tirauntis excedyn[g] ferr þer boundis
Bi fals outrage, ful weel resembled be
To cruel woluys or to furious houndis,
Fret with an etik of gredi cruelte.
To staunche ther hunger auaileth no plente.
Which for ther surfetis, froward for to reede,
With Pollicrates in helle shal ha[ue] ther meede.

[How the tiraunt Alisaundre/slouh his philosophre Calistenes with othir for seyng trouthe.]

Among alle stories to tell þe pitous caas
Of woful pleyntiffs þat put hemsilf in pres
With weepyng eyen, myn auctour Iohn Bochas
Was meued in herte nat to be rek[e]les
To write the falle of Calistenes,
[The] which, alas, as it is remembred,
Was for his trouthe on pecis al dismembred.

For whan Bochas his story gan aduerte,
He dempte anon in his fantasie,
No man hadde so harde a stonen herte,
That mihte of riht his eyen keepen drie,
To seen the processe of his tormentrie.
Yit gan myn auctour his woful penne proffre
To write the wrong don to this philisophre.

This Calistenes, in youthe riht weel thewed,
His greene age promotid to doctryne,
Bi influence of heuenli fate adewed,
Gretli to proffite in moral disciplyne,
Disposid of nature bi grace, which is dyuyne,
To conquere, as bookis specefie,
The noble surname of philosophie.

Of his merites, famous & notable,
Philosophie dede hir besi peyne
To yiue hym souke, because that he was able,
The soote mylk of hir brestis tweyne,
Most precious licour, who myhte therto atteyne:

505

For bawme is non, the vertu weel declared,
Of worldli richesse may be therto compared.

This precious pyment is youe vnto no foolis,
Aboue all licours it doth so ferre excell,
Whos origynal sprang in the hooli scoolis
Of Athenys, as famous bookis tell;
For of philosophie ther sprang out first þe well,
Wher Calistenes, thexperience is kouth,
With fulsum plente was fostred in his youth.

Thouh he was bor[e]n of a good lynage,
Vertu maad hym mor hih up for tascende,
To been enhaunsed for noblesse of corage
Moor than for blood[e], who can comprehende:
For philisophres & clerkis mor commende
The moral vertues entresoured be writyngis,
Than al the tresours of worldli crowned kynges.

Of gentil stokkes rekne out the issues,
That be descendid doun from a roial lyne:
Yif þei be vicious & void of al vertues
And ha[ue] no tarage of vertuous disciplyne,
With temporal tresour thouh thei florshe & shyne,
As for a tyme sittyng on hih[e] stages,
Withoute vertu thei ar but ded images.

For thouh princis ha[ue] conquered be bataille
This world in roundnesse bi ther cheualrie,
What may ther tryumphes or noblesse auaille,
Withoute that vertu be riht ther titles guye,
To be compared vnto philosophie?
For philisophres applie al ther ententis
To knowe heuene & cours of elementis.

Thei sette no stoor of thynges transitorie,
Nor of Fortunys expert doubilnesse;
To heuenli thynges is set al ther memorie,
How the seuene planetes in ther cours hem dresse,
Meuyng of sterris, sparklyng in ther brihtnesse,
With reuoluciouns of the speeris nyne,
Moodres of musik, as auctours determyne.

And in the noble tweyne famous housis
Flouryng in Grece, richest of euerichon,
Cald bi old date the faire trewe spousis

506

Of philisophres, many mo than oon,
In Achademye & in Athenys shon
The briht lanternis of most reuerencis,
This world tenlumyne bi liberall sciences.

And among other this Calistenes
Was in his youthe put for to scoleie
In the too scooles of prudent Socrates
And of Plato, which that bar the keie
Of secre mysteries & of dyvyn Ideie.
In which too scooles of gret habilite
Was non proffited halff so moch as he.

These olde clerkis, these too philisophres
Wer in tho daies for doctrine souereyne
Callid in this world the riche precious coffres
And tresoreris, that kepte the chestis tweyne
Amyd ther brestis, wheryn God ded ordeyne,
Most cleer pocessioun put in ther depos,
Of alle sciences vnder a keye cloos.

This Calistenes, scoleer & auditour
Of Aristotiles, bi kunnyng conqueryng
The noble gemme & the most precious flour
Of philosophie, al flour[e]s surmountyng,
Wherthoruh he was chose in his lyuyng,
As his maister list for hym prouide,
On Alisandre tawaiten & abide.

For Alisaundre, of kynges most enteere
And most worthi, to speke of hih prowesse,
Dede Aristotiles humbeli requere,
To prouide & doon his bisynesse
Bi expert knowyng & auysynesse
To sende hym oon, which of philosophie
Mihte bi good counsail his conquest magnefie.

To write also his tryumphes digne of glorie
And to remembre his actis marciall,
Put his palmys of knihthod in memorie,
And to directen in especiall
His roial noblesse in vertu morall,
That non errour be sey[e]n heer nor there
In hym that sholde al the world conquere.

507

But it fill so of knihtli auenture,
That of Fortunis hih promocioun,
That he bi armys proudli gan recure
Of Perse and Mede the myhti regioun,
Brouhte kyng Darie onto subieccioun,
Gat hool his tresour, that no man myhte expresse
Tacounte the noumbre of his gret richesse.

Which vnseur tresour & slidyng habundaunce,
With wastyng shadwes of godis transitorie,
In surquedous pride gan so his herte auaunce
Bi fals ambicioun & outraious veynglorie,
That made hym lese mynde & eek memorie,
To knowe of nature he was no man mortall,
But lik to goddis that wer celestiall.

Aboue the palme of old[e] conquerours,
Knihtli tryumphes, conquestis marcial,
He vsurped be title of his labours
To heuenli goddis for to been egal.
And thoruh his merites most imperiall,
He gan presume be lyne he was allied
With the seuene goddis for to be deified.

Thoruh al his paleis & his roial halle
A lawe he sette, upon peyne of lyff,
That men of custum sholde hym name & calle
This worldis monarke, nat mortal nor passiff,
Sone to Iubiter for a prerogatyff,
Which hadde the erthe, as god most of puissaunce,
Conquered bi swerd onto his obeissaunce.

Bi ful auys purposed for the nonys,
Of pompous outrage & surquedous entente,
Ful gret tresor of gold & precious stonis
Vnto the temple of Iubiter he sente,
That the bisshoppis & preestis sholde assente
Hym to resceyue at his hom komyng
Lik as a god, & lik no mortal kyng.

Thus bextort dreed & bi vsurpid myht
Was first brouht in foul idolatrie,
Causyng pryncis to resceyue ageyn riht
Godli reuerence of froward maumetrie.
But whan Calistenes this errour dede espie

508

In Alisaundre, he bisili dide entende
This fals oppynyoun to correcte & amende.

Bi fyue causes, notable to reherse,
This Calistenes in especial,
Thouh he was kyng of Egipt, Mede & Perse,
He preued of resoun he was a man mortall,
His berthe eek erthli & nat celestiall,
Fader, mooder as of ther natures
Born for to deie lik other creatures.

His fader Phelipp, of Macedoyne kyng,
His mooder callid Olympiades,
Worldli folk & heuenli [in] no thyng,
With kyngis, queenis upset bi hih encres.
Yit ageyn deth thei koude ha[ue] no reles,
Lawes of nature maugre ther will tobeie,
Nat lik goddis, but onli born to deie.

Kynde made hem subiect to sundri passiouns
And many vnkouth dyuers infirmytes,
Now glad, now heuy of condiciouns,
Folwyng the fourme of ther humanytes.
But of ther false vsurpede dietes,
I can nat seyn, sauff dreed & flat[e]rie
Wrongli in erthe dede hem deifie.

Eek Alisaundre folwyng euere his lust,
For al his lordshepe & his gret[e] myht,
He suffred passiouns of hunger & of thrust,
Now hool, now sik, now heuy and now liht.
Whos entrechaungyng in euery mannys siht
Cleerli shewed, cleerkis reherse kan,
He was no god, but lik a mortal man.

It fill onys, myn auctour doth compile,
In a gret heete, long or he was old,
He bathed hymsilff[e] in the flood of Nile,
Wher of fortune he sodenli took cold:
His pooris opnede on parties manyfold,
Lay long aftir, his story berth witnesse,
Or he was curid of that gret seeknesse.

But at the laste, bi crafft of medecyne
Delyuered he was of that infirmyte,
Nothyng amendid bi his power dyuyne,
Bi myht of Iuno nor Iubiteres pouste,

509

Nor bi his owne vsurpid deite:
For bi the passiouns which he dede endure,
It shewed he was a dedli creature.

Off hym also it is maad mencioun,
He hadde in custum to falle in dronkenesse,
Thoruh vinolence loste ofte his resoun;
Than of ire and furious hastynesse
He wolde smyte & hurte in his woodnesse.
Which toknys wern, pleynli to termyne,
In his persone nat heuenli nor dyuyne.

Whan the philisophre callid Calistenes
Gan first considre al thes condiciouns
In Alisandre, he put hymsilff in pres,
Void of dissymulyng or long dilaciouns,
For to reffourme such fals ambiciouns
Of godly honours, which men dede on hym feyne,
And from all vices his corage to restreyne.

In this purpos as eny centre stable,
He cast hym fulli of trewe entencioun
To correcte al that was repreuable
Vsid in his persone or in his regeoun.
Trouthe gaff hym herte lik a champioun,
To telle the kyng in his estat roial,
He was no god, but as a man mortal.

For which the kyng of indignacioun
Kauhte a quarel ageyn Calistenes,
Put upon hym vniustli fals tresoun,
Onli to slen his maister causeles.
And for tateynte hym, affor[n] al the pres
Saide how he hadde of his iniquite
Conspired ageyn his roial mageste.

And feyned also, the silue same tyme,
How he had maad a conspiracioun
Ageyn his lord, bi an horrible cryme
Interuptyng the relegioun
Of his dyuyne institucioun;
That in such caas, ther was no bettir reed,
But Calistenes bi lawe mut be ded.

510

And to prolonge of his deth the peyne,
Vpon a boord he was leid along,
His feet smet of & his hondes tweyne,
His eyen rent out: wer nat his peynes strong?
Thus kan tirauntes, whan them list do wrong,
Slen philisophres withoutyn any routhe,
Which spared nat for to seyn hem trouthe.

This cruel vengaunce mihte nat suffise;
But Alisaundre, mor tencrece his wo,
Dede kutte his lippis in ful cruel wise,
His nose-thrillis, his eres eek also.
And with the bodi he badde men sholde go
Toforn his host[e], as it is remembrid,
To shewe the trunke, how it was dismembrid.

In a caue, deep & wonder lowe,
Solitarie, dirked al the boundis,
Aftir the[s] peynes he made hym to be throwe,
The place stuffid with wood berkyng houndis,
Of fals entent to reende his bloodi woundis.
Til Lisymachus, of gret compassioun,
To shorte his torment gaf [to] hym poisoun.

Who radde euer of tormentis more terrible!
O Alisaundre, thou ouhtest been ashamed
To slen thi clerk with peynes so horrible,
For thi vicis because he hath the blamyd!
Thi roial name therbi is diffamyd.
But euer tirauntes, whan them list be wood,
Of innocentes reioisshe to sheede [the] blood.

Ageyn this kniht, gentil Lisymachus,
Because he hadde of hym compassioun,
Kyng Alisaundre was malencolious.
Withoute cause, title or offensioun
Leet shet[e] hym up with a fers leoun,
Void of al helpe for to be socourid,
Of entencioun he sholde be deuoured.

But Lysymachus quit hym lik a kniht
Ageyn this leoun in the same place.
Ran fersli on hym, & of his marcial myht
Out of his hed his tunge he dede arace.
Reconciled to the kynges grace,

511

Because that he so knihtli hath hym born,
Bettir cherisshed than euer he was beforn.

Another kniht, that callid was Clitus,
Famous in armys for his cheualrie,
On the grettest of the kyngis hous,
And most comendid of prudent policie,
Most famyler, as bookis specefie,
Aboute the kyng, as it was ofte preued,
To tempre his corage whan he was agreeved,—

The kyng & he walkyng hond be hond
Withynne the paleis, beyng in presence
Princis, dukis of many dyuers lond,
Wher thei began be notable elloquence
Remembre of armys the marciall excellence
Of conquerours & worthi knihtis olde;
And eueri man aboute his tale tolde.

Among[e] which Clitus, that gentil kniht,
Gan to comende & gretli magnefie
Phelipp Macedoyne, as hym ouhte of riht,
Bothe of [his] wisdam & his cheualrie.
Til Alisaundre hadde therat envie,
Gan disdeyne of furious cruelte
That any sholde be comendid mor than he.

Cauhte occasioun of ire & fals hatreede
Ageyn [t]his kniht, that was to hym most trewe,
With a sharp swerd vnwarli made hym bleede,
His herte blood, hoot & red of hewe,
Bi his sides raillyng doun of newe,—
Therbi to preue, this stori telle can,
He was no god nor resonable man.

Thus in pryncis furious & cruell
Men may cleerli an euidence see,
How ther lordshipe is nat perpetuell,
But ful of chaung & mutabilite:
Of cheer now freendli, now sodeyn enmyte;
Record on Clitus, most in the kyngis grace,
Vnwarli slayn, & dede no trespace.

512

Was he worthi to be deified,
This Alisandre, most double of his corage?
Or was he worthi to be stellefied,
This furious prince for his fel outrage,
That slouh his freendis in his mortal rage?
Thus far[e]n tirauntis whan them list be wood,
To seeke occasioun for to sheede blood.

Calisten slayn for moral disciplyne,
And Lysymachus for his compassioun!
Eek this tiraunt of fals gredi rauyne
Slouh gentil Clitus ageyn trouthe & resoun,
As ye han herd, for comendacioun
Of kyng Phelipp, this stori weel conceyued,—
Who trusteth tirauntis shal sonnest be deceyued!

Lenvoye.

This tragedie off Calistenes
Declareth vs be notable remembraunce,
He was with Plato & old Socrates
In his youthe put vnder gouernaunce,
Drank of the mylk bi plenteuous habundaunce
Of ther too scooles, euer deuoid of slouthe,
Last bi Alisaundre dismembrid for his trouthe.

First he was sent bi Aristotiles
For tawaite bi prudent purueyaunce
On Alisandre, list he wer rek[e]les,
Bi presumpcioun in his roial puissaunce
To take upon hym godly attendaunce,
Which he withstood; alas, it was gret routhe,
To be so slayn because he seide trouthe!

Who with tirauntis list put hymsilff in pres,
To haue ther fauour & stormy aqueyntaunce,
He mut kunne flatre & fage dout[e]les,
Be double of herte, with feyned contenaunce,
With cheer contreued doon his obseruaunce:
For feithful menyng slayn, & þat was routhe,
Is Calistenes because he seide trouthe.

513

Noble Pryncis, your subiectis keepe in pes,
Beth nat to hasti for to do vengaunce;
For to tirauntes that be merciles
God sent short lyff & sodenli myschaunce.
Who seith [you] trouthe, hath no displesaunce,
Preente in your herte, how it was gret routhe
That Calistenes was slay[e]n for his trouthe.

[How Alisaundre kyng of Pirothe auenturyng to passe the flood of Acheronte, there at his bak/bi his most trusty was dedly wounded.]

Afftir the compleynt of Calistenes,
Slayn tirauntli & dede no trespas,
Cam Alisaundre kyng of Pirothes,
His woundis bleedyng, onto Iohn Bochas,
To hym declaryng how he drowned was
In Acheronte, a ryuer of gret fame,
Beside a toun, Pandosia was the name.

And as it is remembred & Itold
Of this notable myhti strong cite,
It was in Grece bilt be daies olde,
And aftir Pirrus callid Pirothe,
Wher-as the kyng heeld his roial see.
And as Bochas also doth determyne,
This Alisaundre cam of the same lyne.

Of whos kynreede is maad pleyn mencioun,
Sone to Achilles was this knyht Pirrus;
And next in ordre bi successioun,
Fader to Alisaundre was Neptolonius,
Which hadde also, myn auctour tellith thus,
A ful fair douhtir, the story ye may seen,
Olympiades, of Macedoyne queen.

And she was weddid to Phelipp Macedo,
Whilom mooder, this queen of most renoun,
To Alisaundre, the stori tellith so,

514

Which al the world brouht in subieccioun.
Whos fader Phelipp, of gret affeccioun,
Leet crowne the brother of Olympiades,
Callid Alisaundre, to regne in Pirothes.

To whom [kyng] Phelipp, for his gret beute,
Because he was so fair a creature,
Hadde such affeccioun & specialte,
As it is remembred in scripture,
Of fals foul lust ageyn[e]s [al] nature,
As seith Bochas, I can hym nat excuse,
Vnleeffulli he dede his beute vse.

And bi mene of that horrible deede,
Which to reherse is to foul a thyng,
This said[e] Phelipp, in Bochas thus I reede,
In Epirothes he made hym to be kyng;
And of extorsioun, be record of writyng,
Causeles fro thens he dede enchace
The kyng Arabba, tho regnyng in that place.

And it fill aftir, the stori tellith so,
Of this Alisaundre, be cerious rehersaille,
Vpon the deth of Phelipp Macedo,
With a gret host [he] cam into Itaille,
Supposyng gretli for to auaille
To occupie, aftir his proude entent,
Hooli the boundis of al the occident.

And thouh so be that Fortune be chaungable,
Double also, bi cours of hir nature,
At his gynnyng he fond hir fauourable:
Made hym twies proudli to recure
Geyn them of Luk, to ther disconfiture
To haue the feeld, & maugre al ther myht
Of verray force to putte hem vnto fliht.

Ageyn Itaille whan he gan this werre,
Fulli in purpos the Romeyns to assaille,
Of hih presumpcioun proceede he gan so ferre,
With many prince that was in his bataille,
To knowe afforn bi certeyn dyuynaille,
Of his conquest the boundis for to caste,
And of his lyff how longe it sholde laste.

515

And in the temple of Iubiter the grete,
Bi dyuynours that wer expert & old,
Seruyng this god withynne the lond of Creete,
This was the ansuere which thei haue hym told,
And it affermyd bi toknis manyfold,
How that he nat sholde eschewe þe dreedful date
Ouer the day assigned to his last fate.

And thei also assigned[e] a place,
Therbi to haue knowlechyng mor cleer,
Vnder a cite, longe & large of space,
Callid Pandosia; & for to go mor neer,
Bi Acheronte, a famous gret ryueer;
Told hym pleynli, & koude no ferther seie,
Of necessite ther he muste [nedis] deie.

And thouh it wer an ernest & no iape,
Of God ordeyned nat to be set a-side,
He thouhte of wisdam his destyne tescape
And othirwise for hymsilff prouide.
Cast in Grece no lenger to abide,
Wenyng this ryuer nor that fair cite,
Sauf in Grece sholde nowher ellis be.

And for to sette hymsilff in assuraunce
Of entent teschewe his destyne,
In-to thre batailes departyng his puissaunce,
Cam to Itaille tofor Luk the cite.
Thei with helpe of Sammoys the contre,
With a gret poweer cam out anon riht,
Slouh al his knihtis & put hym vnto fliht.

At the bak thei pursued hym so neer,
That his enmyes almost wer on hym fall,
Vn-tabregge, broke with the ryuer,
And ouerturnid with his plankis all.
And Acheronte men that ryuer call,
As was told hym bi a certeyn kniht
Which rood beforn hym, the ryuer in his siht.

516

For bi a reyn that fill that same niht,
The ryuer wex[e] to a dreedful flood,
And nat fer then[ne]s, in the kyngis siht,
Vpon the water a litil toun ther stood,
Which made the kyng chaunge face & blood;
And specialli his pride gan attame,
Whan he wiste Pandosia was the name.

And thanne he gan most dreedfulli remembre,
Callyng to mynde the preestis dyuynaille,
Which made hym quake in eueri ioynt & membre
For verray feer[e], & his breth to faille.
No man koude hym wisse nor counsaille,
On eueri parti he stood so on the wrak:
The flood toforn hym, his enmyes at his bak.

To take the ryuer he stood in mortal dreed;
And yif that he his enmyes dede abide,
He wiste weel that he was but ded,
Passage was non for to turne aside.
Thus desolat he stood withoute guide,
Thouhte it bett to iuparte the ryuer
Than with enmyes that folwed hym so neer.

Thre mortal dreedis his herte gan constreyne;
Dreed of the flood[e] for to ha[ue] passage,
Behynde his enmyes, that gan at hym disdeyne,
List he wer slay[e]n in that mortal rage:
His fate approchyng, he but yong of age,
The toun Pandosia the toknys ded expresse,
With Acheronte that bar therof witnesse.

And whan that he putte in auenture
To passe the flood or ellis to be ded,
Whom he most truste of any creature,
Took a gret spere, squar & sharp the hed,
And at his bak, he quakyng in his dreed,
Traitourli thoruhout[e] plate & maile
Perced his herte; the blood abrod gan raile.

And as it is also of hym remembred,
The Lucaynois be vengable violence,
Thei han his careyn on pecis al dismembred,—

517

Til an old ladi beyng in presence
Requered them of humble pacience,
That she of grace gadre myhte anon
His membris alle & ioyne hem into oon,

Afftir to sende hem onto his suster deere,
Olympiades, the statli grete queen;
That of affeccioun & loue most enteere,
Whan it befill that she dede hem seen,
Sholde of nature, as it mut needis been,
Weepe, & prouide in his estat roiall
To burie the bodi with feeste funerall.

Seeth heer exaumple of this proude kyng
Which wolde ha scaped his fatal destyne;
Chaung of placis auailed hym nothyng:
Parodie of pryncis may nat chaunged be,
The terme sette, fro which thei may nat flee.
For whan heuene of deth hath set a date,
No mortal man eschewe may his fate.

[How Darye kyng of Perce and Mede was outraied by Alisaundre kyng of Macedoyne.]

On Alisaundre callid Epirothes
Me list as now no lenger for to tarye,—
Slayn at myscheef, for he was rek[e]les,
Double of corage, koude chaunge & varie.
For turne I will my penne to kyng Darie,
Which that whilom, who-so list take heede,
Most myhti regned in Perse & Mede.

And among other notable werreiours,
Lik as I deeme, bi heuenli influence,
Onli be title of his predecessours
And thoruh his prudent roial excellence,
To gret encres of his magnificence
He had al Asie, as maad is mencioun,
Vnder his lordshepe & domynacioun.

And as myn auctour Bochas doth diffyne,
He was descendid fro the imperial blood
Of Artaxerses, & born eek of that lyne.

518

Passed al princis of tresour & of good;
In Perse & Mede his gret empire stood.
An hundred prouynces, tencrece his puissaunce,
And seuene & thretti he hadde in gouernaunce.

Ouer al Asie towar[d] the orient
His lordshipe laste, bookis make mynde,
And [he] hadde toward thoxident,
Ouer Egipt poweer, as I fynde,
The Rede Se was nat left behynde,
Deemyng hymsilff, of al erthli treso[u]r,
Was non but he lord nor gouernour.

Toward Septemptrion, vnder the mydday speere
His poweer rauhte & his regalie,
Ouer Ynde, in cronicles ye may lere,
And to the boundis of gret Armenye;
Lord of the kyngdam that callid is Parthie.
Worldli folk dempte hym with God egall,
Maister to Fortune, & she nat but his thrall.

But in his hiest exaltacioun
Of worldli glorie, he coude nat preuaille;
For al his richesse & veyn ambicioun,
But Fortune durste hym weel assaille.
In his most riche roial apparaille,
Cast in hir chaungis to yiue hym a sharp shour
Bi Alisaundre, of Grece enheritour.

Vnto purpos I will my penne dresse
For to declare & make mencioun,
How proud[e] Darie in his most noblesse
Was bi Fortune from his see cast doun.
For anon aftir the coronacioun
Of Alisaundre in Macedoyne kyng,
This was the processe anon of his werkyng:

He nat delaied nor maad no longe date,
In purpos fulli of ire to proceede
Off Perse & Mede the sceptris to translate,
Al ther richessis to conquere & posseede,
Perpetueli for tabide in deede
Vndir Grekis myhti obeissaunce,
In Macedoyne to haue gouernaunce.

519

And as myn auctour weel reherse kan,
He sette in Grece the myhti strong cite,
Of Corynthe the metropolitan,
Ther testablisshe his imperial see,
In regalibus whan he list crowned bee,
As man whom God list of his myht to marke
The world to conquere, & be therof monarke.

At the gynnyng of his conquest famous,
Throuhout Grece in euery regeoun
First he ches out of his fadres hous
Knihtis that wern most souereyn of renoun,
Notable in armys, & of condicioun
Feithful, trewe, which had of hih prudence
Forsiht in armys of marcial prouidence.

To them he dede ful notabli assigne,
As men expert in knihtli apparailles,
To make his stuff with many riche signe,
And forge of steel his plate & his mailles.
Gaff hem the reule to gouerne his batailles;
For prouidence, of yore it hath be told,
Ful myche auaileth of knihtes wis & old.

Al this acomplisshed, he list no lenger tarie,
This worthi kyng, but with his ordenaunce
Purposed to begynne on kyng Darie.
And, as it is put in remembraunce,
In most proud wise he gan hymsilff auaunce,
First in his weie to brenne & bete doun
Of hasti ire Thebes the myhti toun.

Aftir, he gat too mihti regeouns,
The ton of Frige, the tothir callid Lide,—
Set bi old tyme wer ther fundaciouns
Vpon too ryuers rennyng ther beside,
Whos goldene grauell ther brihtnesse may nat hide.
Paceolus & Eryne men them call,
Richest off stremys, thouh men rekne hem all.

520

And of his conquest ferther to termyne,
He wan Isaurea, a prouynce wonder strong,
In Asia oon cheuest off the nyne.
And Pamphile, a kyngdam large and long,
He gat also, wher it wer riht or wrong.
For wher that conquest haue any title of riht,
It passeth my resoun, my kunnyng & my myht.

I took no parti nor me list nat tarie
In this mateer, but for[th] I wil proceede,
How Alisaundre hastid toward Darie
Tacheue his conquest of Perse & eek of Mede.
But first he cam to Frigia, I reede,
Into a cite, the name to specefie,
Thilke daies it callid was Gordie.

Aftir myn auctour afferme weel I dar,
Ther was a temple in Frigia, thus seith he,
Of Iubiter, in which ther stood a chaar
With ropis bounde, of stonis & perre;
Among[es] which men myhte behold & see
A fatal knotte, be craff[t] maad so sotile,
That no man koude ondon it be no wile.

For who that hadde science or kunnyng
That corious knotte to losne or vntwyne,
Ouer Asie he sholde be crownid kyng.
And Alisaundre, as bookis determyne,
Seyng this char knet with many [a] lyne,
And how it sempte a maner impossible
To seueren it, which was indyuysible,—

The chaar with coordis was so enterlacid,
That richeli stood in Iouys tabernacle,
Which be his wit koude nat be vnbracid,
Nother be crafft nor no soleyn myracle:
Til Alisaundre, bi a dyuyn oracle,
Drouh out his suerd, wherof men hadde wonder,
Carf the knotte & cordis alle assonder,

Wherbi he wiste that he was ordeyned
Ouer al Asie to be lord & kyng.
Which to reioisshe (this stori is nat feyned)

521

He rood lik Mars his batailes conueyeng,
Thoruh Perse & Mede his standardis displaieng,
Toward his conquest, wher I leue hym duelle,
And of this chaar & knottes I wil telle.

Prudent Iustinus, an olde cronicleer,
In his cronicles reherseth this storye:
How [oon] Gordius, a poore laborer,
Beside the cite that callid is Gordie,
Eryng his lond dede his oxis guie,
Al maner foul that hath weengis fliht
Hih in the hair apperede in his siht.

Vnknowe to hym the tokne what it mente,
With dyuynour[e]s cast hym to counsaile,
Callid augures, which hooli ther entente,
Knowyng the processe of such dyuynaille,
Wher it shal proffite or disauaille.
And at the gate of Gordie the cite
He mette a maide excellyng of beute,

Which from aboue, bi heuenli influence,
Hadde of hir birthe a maner know[le]chyng,
In such augurie gret practik and science,—
Which to Gordius expowned eueri thyng,
Saide of Asia he sholde be lord & kyng,
And regne ther duryng al his lyff.
In hope wherof she becam his wyff.

Aftir his weddyng he wex fortunat,
The cronicle can ber me weel record:
Ther fill in Frige a sodeyn gret debat
Among the comouns & a mortal discord,
Knowyng no mene to brynge hem at accord,
Til ther goddis bi notable prouidence
Tauht hem a weie tappese ther violence,

How that debat sholde among hem laste
Vnto the tyme thei hadde chose a kyng.
And thei gan crie & preye ther goddis faste,
Bi sum signe or myracle out shewyng,
To yiue to them a maner knowlechyng,
That thei myhte, to ther notable encres,
Chese such on that sholde hem sette in pes.

522

Thei hadde answere, tawaite & be weel war,
To sette espies bi besi attendaunce,
On whom thei mette ridyng in a chaar
To Iouis temple to doon his obseruaunce,
And hym resceyue, bi goddis ordenaunce,
Vpon his hed, withoute mor tariyng,
To sette a crowne in Frige to regne as kyng.

And Gordius in his chaar ridyng
Toward þe temple, thei on the weye hym mette;
And awaityng ches hym to ther kyng,
And solempneli hom thei dede hym fette;
Vpon his hed a riche crowne thei sette.
And he to them so egal was & meete,
That [he] hem brouhte in reste & in quiete.

Thus to the crowne Gordius dede atteyne,
Be toknis shewed onto his gret auaill.
And ther discordes & stryues to restreyne,
He to his lieges gaff notabli counsaill,
That thei sholde with roial apparaill
[Go] take his char, as he dede hem deuise,
And offre it up in most lowli wise

In the temple, that was consecrat
To Iubiter, a ful solempne place.
And mor to make ther offryng fortunat,
Thei sholde it sette, withoute lenger space,
Tofor the goddesse that was callid Grace,
Which bi myracles ther hertis to appese,
Sett al the peeple in quieet & in ese.

And whan the kyng Alisaundre hadde
Loosnid the knotte, of which I haue you told,
And of the chaar[e] which Gordius ladde,
The secrees seyn & mysteries manyfold,
Worldli presumpcioun gan make his herte bold,
Withoute title of any rihtwisnesse,
The cite Gordie to spoille of his richesse.

And al Frigie he robbed eek also
Vp to the mountayn that callid was Taurus.
The which[e] hill hath famous names too;
For it is also named Caucasus,

523

Wher this prynce most victorious
Ordeyned first proudli with spere & sheeld
Ageyn kyng Darie for to holde a feeld.

Vpon a mounteyn thei togidre mette;
The marcial pleyn [was] named Horestes,
And most proudli ther wardis ther thei sette
Al for the werre & nothyng for the pes.
Wher Alisandre, in knihthod pereles,
Al the Persiens batailed in his siht
On Daries partie put vnto [the] fliht.

Kyng Alisaundre, shortli to conclude,
In his most statli roial magnificence,
Set nat his trust in no gret multitude,
But in his knihtis, which longe in his presence
Hadde had in armis longe experience,
Wer weel preued in marcial disciplyne
Tenhaunce his conquest bi ther prudent doctrine.

Which in that iourne han hem so weel born,
That in ther noblesse founde was no lak:
For sexti thousand of footmen hem beforn
Thei slouh of Perse, & men on hors[e]bak
Other ten thousand, so mortal was the wrak;
And fourti thousand, as maad is mencioun,
Wer prisoneres [take] & put to ther raunsoun.

On Grekis parti, the stori doth weel shewe,
Macedonoys on Alisandris side,
In comparisoun wer slay[e]n but a fewe;
For of footmen & men that dede ride,
Thoruh the feeldis, that wer so large & wide,
Ther wer that day in al ther mortal stryues
Nat ful thre hundred which that lost ther lyues.

Darie koude non other rescus make,
Fledde at myscheeff in ful gret distresse.
His wiff, his douhtre lad awei & take;
His tentis spoilled; his stori berth witnesse.
Grekis made glad with ful gret richesse,
His coffres spoilled, he fond no bet socour,
And he enporisshed of al his hool tresour.

524

Whan Darie sauh his dedli auenture,
Ful pitousli in herte he dede mourne,
And anon aftir this disconfiture
To Babilon in haste he gan retourne,
And whil that he dede ther soiourne,
Knowyng no recure to hym that myhte auayle
With Alisaundre to holde mor bataile.

Than of purpos to sette hymsilf in ese
And for talegge his dedli fel greuaunce,
In his entent kyng Alisaundre to plese,
Cast for to sende hym lettres of plesaunce,
Yiue hym giftes in ful gret habundaunce.
But al the sleihtis which Darius hath wrouht,
Kyng Alisaundre set hem echon at nouht.

This manli kyng kept his conceit cloos,
List nat shewe what he ment in deede,
But caste fulli aftir his purpos
Vpon his conquest ferther to proceede.
Aftir the getyng of Perse & eek of Mede
To wynne Surrie, Egipt & Libie-lond,
Deemyng Fortune reedi to his hond.

And of his conquest ferther to endite,
Whan his glorie gan most fresshli shyne,
The temple of Iubiter cast hym to vesite,
Which stood in Libie, auctours determyne.
Saide how he was descendid fro the lyne
Of thilke god, bor[e]n to been his hair,
As lord of heuene, fir, water, erthe & hair.

And that the preestis fulli sholde assente
With heuenli goddis to maken hym egall,
Gret richesse & tresour he hem sente:
Thus dreed and mede made hym celestiall.
Falsli forgete that he was mortall,
And of ambicioun, be marcial apparaille,
Cast with Darie ageyn to ha[ue] bataille.

525

And, as I fynde, how thei dede mete,
The[s] too pryncis with peeple innumerable
In the confrount of the lond of Crete;
And kyng Darye of folkes deffensable
Brouht into feeld a peeple incomparable,
Foure hundred thousand of fotmen fet fro ferre,
With Alisaundre that day to holde werre.

An hundred thousand ther cam with hym also,
On hors[e]bak in steel[e] armyd briht.
And alle this peeple, whan thei hadde ado,
Al-be that day ful longe laste the fiht,
Wer slayn & take & I put to fliht.
Wher Alisaundre to his encres of glorie
Hadde of kyng Darie that day the victorie.

And Persiens to ther fynal myscheeff,
Withoute merci or payeng of raunsoun,
With kyng Darie wer put to gret repreeff,
Void of al hope & consolacioun,
Fledde, as I fynde, into the regeoun
Callid Partie, wher, as it is told,
He of that peeple was take & put in hold.

And thouh his feteres wern of gold maad riche,
He hadde therof, God wot, no plesaunce.
Fortunys gifftis be nat ay iliche,
In hir fals wheel ther is such variaunce.
Dyuers of cheer, straunge of hir contenaunce,
Made Alisaundre with a litil noumbre
The multitude of Darie to encoumbre.

Withyne a toun [called] Tharsa he was take,
In [a] chariet, with cheynis stronge bounde,
Of al his freendis pitousli forsake,
Lad & thoruh percid with many mortal wounde.
And this moordre contryued was and founde
Bi oon Bessus, a froward rekles knyht,
Which stood afforn most forthred in his siht,

526

And was assured be feith of his legiaunce
To kyng Darie to be trewe in deede.
But this fals traitour (God sende hym a myschaunce!)
Caused his woundis mortalli to bleede.
Yit or he deied he sente in al his dreede
A Percien kniht, sad & off gret age,
To Alisaundre to telle hym his massage:

“Go thanke that prince of his hih noblesse,
Which of his grace & merci most habounde,
Hym list to shewe so gret gentilesse
Vnto my wiff & childre, as it is founde.
For which to hym I am so moche bounde,
That he myn enmy, of his benignite,
In ther distresse list haue of them pite.

And sithe I see that needis I mut deie
Thoruh bloodi woundis, which I may nat recure,
Sei Alisaundre, of grace that I preie,
For to ha[ue] routhe on myn auenture,
Next to ordeyne for my sepulture,
And condescende to graunte myn axyng,
For to be buried as longeth to a kyng.

Praiyng the goddis which been inmortall,
Whan he hath do to quiten hym his meede,
That of his merci most imperiall
Hym list of grace for to taken heede,
To burie me, kyng of Perse & Mede;
For yif this fauour be in his herte founde,
To his noblesse the fame shal ay rebounde.

Requeryng hym of his imperial myht
Of myn foul moordre to seen ech circumstaunce;
For moordre alway calleth to God of riht,
Neuer cesyng, but bi contynuaunce,
Vp to the heuene to crie for vengaunce,—
Namli on moordre compassed & forthouht,
Which bi auisement is execut & wrouht.

And sithe I haue leid on the this bond,
To Alisaundre to do my massage,
And hym coniured heer with my riht hond
Tauenge my deth, wrouht bi gret outrage,

527

My blood out shad, with pale & ded visage,
Heer bounde in stokkis, to goddis most benigne
With riht hool herte my sperit I resigne.”

Thus he lay stark, [for] ther was lefft no blood,
Lik as a-nother mortal creature.
Whan Alisaundre the moordre vndirstood,
As ye han herd remembrid be scripture,
He dede ordeyne for his sepulture
The funeral feeste holde in al[le] thynges
As bi old tyme longed onto kynges.

Lenvoye.

This tragedie pitous for to heere
Sheweth of Fortune þe chaunges lamentable,
Of roial tronis of gold & stonis cleere,
In worldli princis how thei be euer vnstable.
Hir fatal wheel most dyuers & chaungable,
With vnwar turn list nat hir cours to tarie
To throwe hem doun; record upon kyng Darie.

Who can or may be ful assured heere
To make Fortune to be so tretable,
To fynde a weie or serche out the maneere
Bi obligacioun to fynde hir vnmutable?
Hir double face, the world ay deceyuable,
Shewe us ech day how falsli thei can varie
Bi couert fraude; record upon kyng Darie.

Exaumple how Phebus with his bemys cleer
Sheweth sum morwe his liht most agreable,
But longe or eue dirknesse ther doth appeere
Thoruh cloudi reynes & mystes long durable,
To us declaryng be toknes ful notable,
Worldli dignites, now fressh & now contrarie,
Can chaunge ther tides; record [up]on kyng Darie.

Thoruh all Asie, Perse, & Mede ifeere
His lordshipe last, a thyng incomparable.
To Ethiope vnder the mydday speere,
Ful of tresour with gold innumerable,
His boundis rauhte; Fortune eek seruisable

528

Tobeie his lustis, til she gan falsli varie,
Bi expert fraude to preue hir myht in Darie.

Noble Princis, with hool hert & enteer
Lefft up your corages, holdeth this no fable:
Thouh ye sit hih, conceyueth with good cheer
No worldli lordshipe in erthe is perdurable;
And sithe ye been of nature resonable,
Among remembreth, as thyng most necessarie,
Al stant on chaung; record upon kyng Darie.

[Here Bochas remembreth the batailes and losse of Rewmys of antiquyte/with the fallyng of diuers nobles.]

Heer gynneth Bochas remembre in certeyn
The grete sorwes, the mortal disauailes,
The losse of reumys, þe blood eek shad in veyn,
Begunne of werris & marcial apparailles.
Cald to mynde of olde the fell batailles
Gunne of antiquite, as maad is mencioun,
First atween Greekis & them of Troie toun.

A pitous herte it wolde make bleede
To haue in memoire the dreedful gret outrage,
As ye han herd[e], wrouht in Perse and Mede
Atween Darie and Alisaundre in ther age.
Eek atween Romeyns & them of Cartage
The woful troublis of werris first begunne,
Cause al the myscheuys that been vnder sonne.

On outher parti, who can remembre ariht,
Now losse, now lucre komth of dyuisioun,
Now disencres, now heuy & now liht,
Now lyff, now deth, for short conclusioun;
For Bochas seith, such fals discencioun
Hath many kyngdam, that stood in good estat,
Turnid to ruyne & maad them desolat.

Remembre of Troye the wallis broke doun,
In Grece destroied many strong cite,
In Perse & Mede gret desolacioun,
Rome dispurueied of marcial surete,
Castellis, tours of old antiquite

529

Maad ruynous in Affrik & Cartage,
Caused be werris & Martis cruel rage.

Who list considren, wrouht bi daies olde
The cours of conquest of thes werreiours,
In Alisaundre he cleerli may beholde
Bi remembraunce of his progenitours
And of his blood, how al the successours
Hadde fatalli, or thei dede hen[ne]s wende,
A sodeyn deth or a shamful eende.

Ful many reknid that wer of hys lynage
For to succeede in his pocessiovns,
To sexe & thretti partyng his heritage,
To ech assigned ther roial porciouns.
[And] first, as he made his dyuisiouns,
He gaf of Frige the prefecture off riht
To Leonatus, that was so good a kniht.

But litil while last his pocessioun;
For the contres list hym nat obeie.
Thei of Athenys hadde indignacioun
With Antipater, for he dede hem werreye;
Yit in that werre, pleynli for to seie,
Leostenes ther duk, ther gouernour
Was slayn that day; he fond no bet socour.

And Leonatus, that was his aduersarie,
Of Antipater the parti to susteene,
Fond Fortune that day to hym contrarie;
For in the feeld thouh he rod armed cleene,
With a sharp spere his wound was maad[e] greene,
At myscheef slayn, myn auctour doth compile.
Thus his lordship last nat but a while.

Antipater, another successour
Of Alisaundre, as maad is mencioun,
Was be record the same fals traitour
That for his deth[e] tempred the poisoun.
His sone Cassander acomplisshed the tresoun,
Bar the cuppe which that made hym sterue,
With that strong venym whan he dede hym serue.

530

Antipater, of this crym coupable,
Gretli desired in his oppenioun
Vpon al tho [for] to be vengable,
That likli wern tespien his tresoun.
Drad hym sore, hauyng suspecioun
List he wer accusid to the statis
Of crym callid Illese magestatis.

His sone assentid to that horrible deede,
Which to Alisaundre, beyng in Babiloun,
Most traitourli, withoute shame or dreede,
As ye han herd, presentid the poisoun.
And yit the kyng, as maad is mencioun,
Thouh he to hym fals was & contrarie,
He made hym prefect, lord of the lond of Carie.

And among other notable werreiours,
Ther wer thre mo, ful worthi & famous,
Set in the noumbre of his enheritours,
Policarpus & Neptolonius.
And ech of them to other envious,
Withynne a feeld, the stori doth us lere,
Euerich slouh other as thei mette ifeere.

Of Perdicas what sholde I write or seyn?—
Which amonge alle was oon the beste kniht,
That whan Alisaundre lay deieng in certeyn,
And gan to feeble of his force & myht,
Dempte afforn that it sat weel of riht,
How this Perdicas, for wisdam & manheede,
In Macedoyne sholde aftir hym succede.

And onto hym with cheer & look benigne,
Vpon his hed for seeknesse compleynyng,
With ful hool herte for a notable signe,
Of successioun he gaff to hym a ryng,
Afftir his day to be crowned kyng
Of Macedoyne, sithe he myhte most auaile,
Thoruh al his empire to haue the gouernaile.

And yit seith Bochas breeffli in sentence,
Thouh he of knihthod & [of] hih prowesse,
Of manli force & also of prudence
Passed al other, the stori berth witnesse,

531

Bi vicious pride & froward boistousnesse
He was mor hyndred, thoruh his owne outrage,
Than al his enmyes myhte doon to hym damage.

For thoruh his pride & gret extorsiouns,
Fro Macedoyne the peeple of that contre
Fledde into other straunge regeouns.
And of presumpcioun, the stori seith, how he
Began a werre ageyn kyng Tholome,
Wher he was slayn in alle mennys sihtis,
Nat of his enmyes but of his owne knihtis.

Eek Anaxarchus of Capadoce kyng,
Which provynce ioyneth to Surrie,
Touchyng the boundis, be record of writyng,
Toward thorient the lond of Armenye,
Hauyng too contres, Scilice & Ysaurie
Toward Cipre, & a gret ryueer
Rennyng amyddes with stremes fressh & cleer.

This Anaxarchus, wher he was loth or fayn,
In daies fewe hath his kyngdam lorn;
For bi Perdicas proudli he was slayn,
Off whom that I haue you told beforn.
Thus worldli princis, thouh thei hadde it sworn,
For al ther lordshipe & domynacioun,
Bi fraude of Fortune vnwarli be put doun.

Amongis othir princis of that age,
Vpon Alisaundre duely abidyng,
Bochas reherseth, Amulchar of Cartage,
Duk of that cite, bi record of writyng,
Aftir the deth[e] of that worthi kyng,
As ye han herd, Imoordred be poisoun,
This saide Amulchar, reparyng to his toun,

Was slayn in Cartage, shortli to conclude,
Of cruel malis & conspiracioun
Withyne that cite, of fals ingratitude,
Whan he of knihthod fraunchised had the toun,—
And natwithstandyng al his hih renoun,
Whan he stood hiest in his felicite,
He bi the comouns was slayn of that cite.

532

[How Eumenides was twies outraied by Antigonus/and atte last/deied in prisoun.]

Whan Alisaundre in his roial estat
Hadde al conquered, toforn as ye ha[ue] herd,
He lik a god, most pompous & elat,
As souereyn prince of al this myddelerd,
To take upon hym was nothyng afferd
To cleyme in contres, a thyng that was nat fair,
Of Iubiter to be bothe sone & hair.

On of the prynciples, who-so taketh heede,
That first brouht in fals ydolatrie,
Was thilke tyme that preestis for fals drede
His name with goddis gan to magnefie,
And so to calle hym of feyned flaterie.
And myd ther temples in Libie on a stage
Of his liknesse thei sette up an image.

But lite or nouht to hym it mihte auaile
Ageyn his deth[e] for to doon socour,
Whan the fell poisoun dede his herte assaille,
Which made hym fade as doth a somer flour.
Of whos empire was non enheritour,
Sauf in his deiyng, thus stood the woful caas,
Tween sexe & thretti his lond deuided was.

And in his story ful pleynli it is told,
This departis[i]oun, to make it ferme & stable,
He was leid foorth upon a couch of gold,
To reherse be toknis ful notable
Whom he dempte of verray soth most hable
Of al his princis, pleynli to discerne,
Whan he wer ded his kyngdam to gouerne.

First ther was oon amongis al that pres,
Next Alisandre the knihtliest[e] man,
The worthi duc callid Eumenydes,
Whos hih renoun ful weel reherse can
Prudent Iustinus, the grete historian.
Ordeyned afforn to gouerne reumys too,
Al Capadoce & Pafflogonie also.

533

His hih noblesse, as maad is mencioun,
In especial mor to magnefie,
Hym lakked nouht of comendacioun
That appartened onto cheualrie,
To hih prudence or noble policie,
Except thre thyngis, myn auctour seiþ the same,
A crowne, a sceptre & a kynges name.

But for that he al othir dede excell
Bothe of prudence & famous cheualrie,
It is remembrid, as summe bookis tell,
That ther wer summe [that] hadde therat envie;
For whan Fortune list to sette up hie
Any persone alofft upon hir wheel,
Summe ar beside that like it neueradeel.

Who halt hym euer upon hih mounteyns
Fynt gret experience of blastis & of shours,
Offt is troubled with storm & wyndi reyns;
So of Alisaundre the proude successours,
Whan thei sat hiest shynyng in ther flours,
Wynd of envie, Fortune heeld so the rother,
That ech was besi to destroien othir.

On hillis hih it is an inpossible
A man tabide withoute wynd or reyn;
A thyng expert & verra[il]y visible,
Hih clymbyng up is medlid with disdeyn:
Pres hath envie, as it is ofte seyn,
And thoruh preferryng of Fortune in estatis
Is euer caused gret werre & gret debatis.

This same thyng was weel expert & preevid
Among thes saide roial enheritours
Of Alisandre; for ech of hem was greeuid
To seen his felawe regnen in his flours.
And thus atween these myhti successours,
Of fals envie ther gan so gret a striff,
That ech made other for to lese his lyff.

And as it is afforn maad mencioun,
Policarpus & Neptolonius
Bi a maner fals conspiracioun
Ageyn Eumenides wer inli envious.

534

Of whos falsnesse he was suspecious,
Til on a day, ther is no mor to seyne,
Meetyng in bataille he slouh hem bothe tweyne.

For which[e] slauhtre proude Antigonus,
Of Macedoyne prefect & gouernour,
Wex in his herte so fel & despitous—
And was with-al a noble werreiour—
With his knihtis dede hooli his labour
Ageyn Eumenides bi marcial apparaille,
A feeld assigned, to holde a gret bataille.

Made upon hym a proud disconfiture
As thei metten armed briht in steel,
And thus Eumenides, of mortal auenture,
Fledde at myscheeff into a strong castel,
Wherof his knihtis liked nothyng weel;
For as the stori pleynli maketh mynde,
That day he fledde & lefft his men behynde.

In which castel for he stood destitut,
Fro thens he caste in al haste to flee;
In his gret myscheeff to fynde sum refut
That tyme he drouh hym in-tastrong contre
Sum socour gete auengid for to be,
Callid Argire bi Greekis of entent,
The Latyn corupt of this woord Argent.

Of Archiraspedes, a peeple that ther duelle,
Ther name thei took afftir that regeoun.
The which[e] lond, as olde bookes telle,
Hath of siluer plente & foisoun;
For which[e] cause, bi old descripcioun,
It took his name of nature & of riht,
Because the soil lik syluer shyneth briht.

And of this ile, which hath so gret a pris,
As myn auctour maketh rehersaile,
How the peeple be prouident & wis,
Prudent in armys & manli in bataille,
Bothe to diffende & proudli to assaille.
Which bi ther wisdam & circumspect counsail
To kyng Alisaundre stood in gret auail.

535

And Eumenides, oon of his successours,
As ye han herd[e], drouh to that contre,
Ther to fynde refut & socours
In his myscheeff & gret aduersite.
And with his woordes of gret auctorite,
His noble langage & his fair eloquence,
The peeple had hym in ful gret reuerence.

And for thei wern manli & coraious,
Able tassemble bothe in plate & maile,
He made hem rise ageyn Antigonus,
Bi ther prowesse with hym to ha[ue] bataille.
But of fortune his parti gan to faille,
Wher thilke peeple, the stori tellith thus,
Hadde euer afforn[e] been victorious.

Antigonus hath the feeld recurid,
That day his knihtis fauht lik wood leouns,
In furious teene, of corage assurid,
Brak ther tentis & ther pauelouns,
Spoilled ther castellis, robbed ther dongouns,—
Wher that contre, vnwarli thus affraied,
Hadde neuer afforn in bataile been outraied.

And of despiht this peeple rek[e]les,
Cauht in ther herte gret indignacioun
Ageyn ther prince, this said Eumenydes,
Which hadde hem brouht to ther destruccioun.
And al that peeple, of oon oppynioun,
Presentid hym, it was nat aftir longe,
To Antigonus, bounde in cheynys stronge.

In this processe breefli to proceede,
At gret myscheef he deied in prisoun;
He fond no mercy, pleynli, as I reede,
For al his noblesse nor his hih renoun.
Yit of his manhod it is maad mencioun,
Who that his stori list to looke ariht,
With Alisaundre ther was no bettir kniht.

In his conquest eueri hour & space
He most cherisshed for his hih noblesse;
Aboue al othir stood most in his grace,
To helpe & releue folk in ther distresse,

536

Al-be that he deied in wrechidnesse:
To vs declaryng the grete variaunces
That al-day falle in Fortunys chauncis.

[Lenvoye.]

This tragedie of Duk Eumenydes
Sheweth of Fortune þe froward doubilnesse,
How worldli princis þat be rek[e]les,
With vnwar chaungis fallen in distresse;
And ther may been no gretter heuynesse,
Afftir prosperite, nor no gretter peyne,
Than aduersite which that is sodeyne.

Grettest envie, wher is grettest p[r]es;
Grettest await, wher is most richesse;
And grettest ese wher is rest & pes:
Wher most discord, most is heuynesse.
And of al sorwe, sorwefullest excesse
Is thilke sorwe that doth a man constreyne,
Aftir prosperite aduersite sodeyne.

Pryncis in erthe, of power pereles,
Which excelled al other in noblesse,
Hadde in this world bi conquest most encres,
As Alisaundre his stori berth witnesse.
Remembre the fyn of al ther hih prowesse
And the tryumphes to which thei dide atteyne:
Aftir prosperite aduersite sodeyne.

The stronge enheritour[s] which þat he out ches,
Sixe & thretti, the noumbre to expresse,
Which hadde pocessioun of kyngdamys dout[e]les,
Ech thyng obeyeng to ther worthynesse,
Til Fortune thoruh hir doubilnesse
Shewed hir myht, vnwarli to ordeyne
Afftir prosperite aduersite sodeyne.

Noble Princis, tauoide al disencres,
Among your-silff discordes doth represse.
Beth nat envious nor irous causeles;
Werkith no thyng of hasti wilfulnesse;
Lat discrecioun been your gouerneresse:

537

For ther mut folwe, iff ye parte on tweyne,
Aftir prosperite aduersite sodeyne.

[How queene Olimpiades for she delited in vices moordre and vengeaunce deied atte mischeeff.]

Next in ordre to Bochas dede appeere,
Afftir the myscheef of Eumenides,
The grete queen, with a ful pitous cheer,
Moodir of Alisaundre, Olympiades,
Born of the lyne of Eacides;
Among queenys, hir stori berth witnesse,
Excellid al other of beute & richesse.

She was douhtir to Neptolonius,
The myhti kyng of Epirothes,
And hadde suspect how Neptanabus
Bi enchauntement put hymsilff in pres
Of wifli trouthe to make hir rek[e]les.
But Bochas heer, for to saue hir name,
Writ but a litil of hir sclaundrous diffame.

This said[e] queen, riht fair of hir visage,
Was firste brouht foorth in thilke regiouns,
Wher all the worthi of blood & of lynage
Heeld ther sceptris & ther riche crouns,
Thoruhout al Grece with ful pocessiouns;
So that this queen that tyme nih & ferre
Was of beute callid the lode-sterre.

But among al hir gret prosperite,
Hir youthe flouryng in most souereyn noblesse,
Hir ioie was medlid with gret aduersite,
Whan Phelipp Macedo, to hir gret heuynesse,
Was mortalli woundid in distresse,
In Cithia bacerteyn nacioun
Callid Tribalois, as maad is mencioun.

For in that contre upon a certeyn day,
Wher-as he fauht & dede his besi peyne
To gete a cite, & at the siege lay,

538

And for thassaut dede his stuff ordeyne,
He lost vnwarli oon of his eien tweyne,
That whan the queen beheeld his sodeyn wounde,
She fill for sorwe euene plat to grounde.

Another thyng, bookis specefie,
Troubled hir fame bi gret heuynesse:
The suspect sclaundre of auout[e]rie
Wrouht bi Neptanabus enchauntyng hir fairnesse,
The liht eclipsyng of hir hih noblesse
Be swifft[e] report for to hyndre hir name,—
What fleeth mor swift than doth wikked fame?

In womanheede, as auctours alle write,
Most thyng comendid is ther chast honeste;
Thyng most sclaundrous ther noblesse tatwite,
Is whan princessis of hasti freelte
Exceede the boundis of wifli chastite:
For what auaileth lynage or roial blood,
Whan of ther lyuyng the report is nat good?

The hooli bed diffouled of mariage,
Or onis soilled may nat recurid be;
The vois goth forth & the froward langage
Bi many rewm & many gret cite.
Sclaundre hath a custum, & that is gret pite,
Trewe outher fals, bi contagious soun
Onis reised [up] it goth nat lihtli doun.

And to mor hyndryng of Olympiades,
Phelipp from hir dede awey declyne;
And of the kyng of Epirothes
The wif he took[e] to his concubyne,
Callid Cleopatra, pleynli to termyne.
And thus in myscheeff to encrece hir trouble,
Ther fals auoutry gan to wexe double.

539

Off this processe write I will no more,
Cause the mateer is abhomynable;
For kyng Phelipp the bargeyn bouhte sore,
As is remembred be cronicles ful notable,
Slayn on a day sittyng at his table,
Ful sodenli or he took any heede;—
Pausanias dede that cruel deede.

Of which[e] slauhtre folwed a straunge cas,
As ye han herd, bi Pausanias wrouht:
Olympiades ful glad & murie was,
Heuy outward, hir herte void of thouht;
Yit feynyngli she hath out weies souht
For hym to holde solempne & roiall
Lik Greekis rihtis a feeste funerall.

Aftir whos deth, wrouht of gret cruelte,
Kyng Alisaundre maad no lenger let,
Made Pausanias taken for to bee
And to been hangid upon an hih gibet,
Vpon whos hed ther was a crowne set
Of gold & perle & riche stonis Inde
Be Olympiades, in story as I fynde.

For he stood gretli in the queenis grace;
And as folke dempte of suspecioun,
Thei mette togidre in many preve place,
Which gretli turned to hir confusioun;
For noise aroos thoruh al that regeoun,
That be thoccasioun of ther misleuyng,
How Pausanias slouh Phelipp the kyng.

But she anon in hir malis feruent
Fro the gebet made hym be take doun,
Made his bodi solempneli be brent,
Kept his exequies with gret oblacioun
Aftir the rihtis of that regeoun,
Nat left behynde in parti nor in all
That appartened to feestis funerall.

Vpon kyng Phelipp, as it wer for the nonys
To doon hir lord a shame & [a] despiht,
Solempneli she made brenne the bonis

540

Of Pausanias, for a fals appetit,—
Vnto no man she hadde so gret delite;
For which this feste was lik in alle thynges
To thexequies of princis & of kynges.

She made his suerd[e] also to be take,
With which he slouh Phelipp the grete kyng,
Offrid it up onli for his sake
Toforn Appollo, be record of writyng.
Which to hir was sclaundre & gret hyndryng,
Caused folk deeme in ther entent,
To slen kyng Phelipp how she was of assent.

To been cruel was set al hir plesaunce:
For merciles, void of al pite,
On Cleopatre causyng this vengaunce,
That she hirsilff[e] heeng upon a tre;
Moordrid hir douhtir, the stori ye may see.
What malis may, yif it be declared,
Vnto the malis of wommen be compared?

I speke of them that be malicious
And list of custum for to be vengable:
Among a thousand oon may be vertuous,
And in too thousand sum oon is merciable;
But whan thei been of rancour vntretable,
Ther is no tigre mor cruel dout[e]les,
Record I take off Olympiades.

And she of malis was mor set affire
Texecute boldli hir vengaunce,
Bi thoccasioun of the gret empire
Of Perse & Mede, ful famous in substaunce,
Which stood be conquest vnder the gouernaunce
Of Alisaundre, wherbi she thouhte hir strong
Tacheve ech thyng, wher it wer riht or wrong.

Dempte hir poweer sholde ay contune
Bi the mene of his hih mageste.
God is strenger than the queen Fortune,
Which suffred hir sone in his most dignite
In Babiloyne poisouned for to bee,
As is remembred in many old histories,
Aftir his tryumphes & [al] his gret victories.

541

But for to passe breeffli by writyng,
Touchyng this queen, as maad is mencioun,
Whan ded was Phelipp, the famous myhti kyng,
She hadde off Macedoyne ful pocessioun,
And gouerned that myhti regioun,
Wher lik a woluesse, as auctours of hir write,
To shede blood she gan hirsilff delite.

In hir tirannye most feruent & irous,
Reioisshede in slauhtre & to see men bleede;
For serpent non was mor malicious
Than was this queen, in bookis ye may reede.
Yit afftir al this she resceyued hir meede;
For thouh Fortune fauoured hir a while,
Yit with hir treynes she koude hir weel begile.

The eende of tirauntis & eek of tiraunessis,
And of moordreris, be thei neuer so wood,
Of poisounmongeris & enchaunteressis,
Of fals supplantours, contrarie to all good,
And of conspireres & them that thriste blood,—
Alle thes muste han bi Goddis purueyaunce
Heer short liff or sodenli vengaunce.

In Macedoyne this queen was most behatid
For hir vengable mortal oppressioun;
And Cassander ageyn hir hath debatid
And gunne a werre upon hir regeoun,
Which Talisaundre mynystrid the poisoun,
As ye han herd, afforn of hym deuised,
Bi Antipater most mortalli practised.

She fond no reffut, but took hir to the fliht,
This cruel queen, this Olympiades,
Into a mounteyn that stood ferr out of siht;
And of hir kyn ther folwed hir gret pres,
Supposyng talyued ther in pes.
For on that hill stood a gret dongoun,
Strongli walled abouten enviroun,

Which that marchid to a gret cite
Callid Epidna, stondyng in gret doute,
Because Cassander of old enmyte

542

Hadde for hir leide a seege [al] aboute.
And non was hardi for to issen oute,
Til Cassander, of fals compassed tresoun,
Made with them a composicioun.

His feith was leid that tyme for hostage,
Bi oth assurid to Olympiades,
Bi couert fraude vnder fair langage,
To suffren hir with hym to lyue in pes.
But of his promys, he fals & rek[e]les,
For vnder trete, as maad is mencioun,
The queen he took & cast hir in prisoun.

But wil ye seen a roial hih corage,
How boldeli, delyuered fro prisoun,
She descendid, imperial of visage,
With al hir maidnes aboute hir enviroun,
Hir enmyes present, wodere than leoun,
Seyng hir stonde so statli of hir face,
Whan thei wer proudest tareste hir & manace.

She was arraied of purpos for the nonys,
As seith Bochas, in most statli wise;
In riche purpil, gold & precious stonis,
Lik an emperesse in the Grekissh guise.
Hir list nat fleen, the stori doth deuise,
With cry nor noise passed nat hir boundis,
Whan that hir blood doun railled from hir woundis.

She nat affraied in al hir mortal shour[e]s;
Void of al feer[e] list nat bowe hir chyne,
Make no praieer to hir tormentour[e]s,
Nor no tokne of corage femynyne.
Vpriht she stood[e], list nat doun declyne,
Gaff euidence, as it is comprehendid,
Of what lyne & blood she was descendid.

For vnto tyme that she gaf up the breth,
Was neuer sey[e]n prince nor princesse
That mor proudli took ther fatal deth.
For as I deeme, hir marcial hardynesse
Cam from Bellona, of armys cheef goddesse;
Outher she hadde it bynfluence of corage
Youe bi the goddis to hire & hir lynage.

543

Force is a vertu, bookis spesefie,
Ageyn al vices to make resistence;
But froward rancour & wood malencolie
Gaff hir a spirit of feyned pacience,
A fals pretence of hih magnificence,
Ascauns she hadde been in vertu strong,
For trouthe to haue endurid eueri wrong.

Contrarious force made hir despitous,
Strong in hir errour to endure peyne;
Of obstynat herte she was fell & irous,
In dethis constreynt list nat to compleyne.
Countirfet suffraunce made hir for to feyne;
Nothyng of vertu, pleynli to termyne,
Nor of no manerys that be femynyne.

In hir entrailles al malis was enclosed
And al contagious venym serpentyne,
Nat lik a woman, but as a feend disposid,
Able to destroie al vertuous disciplyne:
Thus she began; thus she dede fyne.
In vicious moordre she dede hir ay delite,
Wherfor of hire me list no mor tendite.

Lenvoye.

Alle ye that shal this tragedie see,
Of routhe & merci hath compassioun,
To seen a princesse from hir imperial see
So vnwarli by Fortune throwe doun.
Of whos myscheeff this was thoccasioun,
That in thre thynges was set most hir plesaunce:
In vicious lust, in moordre & in vengaunce.

Alas, that euer the mortal cruelte
Of bloodi suerd bi execucioun
Sholde been approprid to femynyte,
Ageyn the nature of ther condicioun!
Causyng the fynal sclaundrous confusioun

544

Of Olympiades, heer put in remembraunce,
For vicious lust, moordre & fals vengaunce.

Vnder fressh flours, riht soote & fair to see,
The serpent dareth with his couert poisoun.
In cristal watres that calm & smothe bee
Arn pereillous pettis ful of decepcioun.
Men seen alday bi cleer inspeccioun
In feynyng facis angelik suffisaunce;
Hid vndir-nethe rancour & gret vengaunce.

Thouh she excellid of hir natiff beute
Al othir princ[ess]is of that regeoun,
Was neuer sey[e]n feller non than she,
To execute lik hir oppenyoun
The pereilous treynys contreued of tresoun,
And specialli in hir pompous greuaunce,
Wher she hated, for to do vengaunce.

Noble Princessis, set hih in dignite,
Doth aduertise of discrecioun,
In your most poweer & largest liberte
Beth merciable & doth remyssioun,
Sugreþ with pite your indignacioun,
Lat grace & merci tempre your hih puissaunce,
Of Olympiades eschewyng the vengau[n]ce.

Exilith rigour ferr out of contre,
Yiue hym with you no iurediccioun.
To womanheede longeth nat, parde,
Of cancred rancour newe execucioun.
Wher mercy regneth, of grace ther is foisoun,
Hath this in mynde bi long contynvaunce,
Of Olympiades forgetyng the vengaunce.

Lat pacience bi vertuous plente
Withynne your hertis purchase a mansioun;
Lat your compassioun attempren equite,
That riht exceede nat the boundis of resoun,
So that your femynyn humble entencioun
Be alway bridled be prouident suffraunce,
Voidyng al excessis of rigour & vengaunce.

545

For it is said of old auctorite,
To wommen longeth bi disposicioun
Meeknesse in langage, in port humylite,
In al vertu humble subieccioun,
Void of manacis, striff & contencioun,
So that no man in your attendaunce
Espie no tokne of rancour nor vengaunce.

The especial mene, the parcialite
Sholde of al merci be descripsioun
Rebounde to women; for of antiquite
The lamb nat vsed to pleie the leoun,
Nor no meek dowue envied the faucoun.
Nor to your sect, bi natural accordaunce,
Sitt nouther rigour nor hasti fel vengaunce.

This symple Lenvoie, resceyueth it at gre
And hath therof non indignacioun,
Lowli direct to your benignite
Onli of meeknesse & no presumpcioun,
Knowyng of kynde your inclynacioun
Disposed is bi natural purueiaunce
Vnto al merci, & nothyng onto vengaunce.

[How Agathodes of lowe birthe born atteyned to roial dignite/ended in pouerte and wrecchidnesse.]

I haue herd seid of ful yore agon,
A whirle-wynd[e], blowing nothing softe,
Was in old Inglissh callid a rodion,
That reiseth duste & strauh ful hih alofte.
And in thascendyng (it falleth so ful ofte),
Thouh it be bor[e]n almost to the skie,
Wher it becomth ther can no man espie.

546

Out of forgis bi fire þat smethis make,
Bi cleer experience it is ful ofte seyn,
That thes infernal ougli smokes blake
Transcende the coppe of many gret mounteyn;
But ofte sithe bi a ful sodeyn reyn
Al such ascenciouns, bi rage of wynd up blowe,
With vnwar tourn be reuersed & brouht lowe.

And semblably to putte it at a preeff
And execute it bi cleer experience,
On the moste contrarious myscheeff
Founde in this erthe, bi notable euidence,
Is onli this: bi fortunat violence
Whan that a wrech[e], cherlissh of nature,
Thestat of princis vnwarli doth recure.

A crowne of gold is nothyng accordyng
For to be set upon a knauis hed;
A foltissh clerk for to were a ryng
Accordeth nothyng, who that kan take heed.
And in this world ther is no gretter dreed
Than poweer youe, yif it be weel souht,
Vnto such on that first roos up of nouht.

Ther is no maner iust convenience,
A roial charboncle, rubie or garnet,
Nor a chast emeraud of vertuous excellence,
Nor ynde saphirs in coper to be set,—
Ther kyndli poweer in foul metal is let;
And so thestat of politik puissaunce
Is lost wher-euer knaues haue gouernaunce.

For a tyme thei may weel up ascende,
Lik wyndi smokes ther boistous fumys spreede.
A crownid asse, pleynli to comprehende,
Void of discrecioun is mor for to dreede
Than is a leoun: for the ton in deede
Of his nature is myhti & roiall;
Void of discrecioun, the tothir bestiall.

The gentil nature of a strong leoun
To prostrat peepl[e] of kynde is merciable;
For vnto all that falle afforn hym doun
His roiall puissaunce cannat be vengable.

547

But cherlissh wolues, bi rigour vntretable,
And foltissh assis, eek of bestialite,
Failyng resoun, braide euer on cruelte.

Non is so proud as he that can no good,
The leudere hed, the mor presumpcioun,
Most cruelte & vengaunce in louh blood,
Wher malepertnesse, ther indiscrecioun.
Of cherl & gentil make this dyuisioun:
Of outher of them I dar riht weel reporte,
The stok thei cam fro, therto thei wil resorte.

The rose knowe be colour & suetnesse,
And violettis for ther fressh tarage,
The netle rouh[e] for his fel sharpnesse,
Thistlis, breeris prikyng bi gret outrage:
And thus considred the rote of ech lynage,
Froward techchis been euer in cherlis founde,
Wher vnto gentilesse ay vertu doth rebounde.

Lat men bewar in special of o thyng,
How gret decepcioun is in fals coignage:
The plate may be briht in his shewyng,
The metal fals & shewe a fair visage.
Al is nat gold, to speke in pleyn langage,
That shynith briht; concludyng of resoun,
Vnder fair cheer is ofte hid fals poisoun.

For as a skie or an ougli cloude
Which that ascendith lowe out of the se,
And with his blaknesse doth the sunne shroude,
That men may nat his gret[e] brihtnesse see
Nor haue no counfort of his cleer beute,
So vicious techchis, I do you weel assure,
Difface ful ofte the giftes of nature.

God onto summe hath youen bi nature
For to excellen another in fairnesse;
Yit in vicis, be record of scripture,
Thei wer disclaundred, Bochas berth witnesse:
Outward sugre, inward bittirnesse.
Bi which exaumple, to purpos I may call
Agathodes, fulfilled of vices all.

548

In this stori he kometh now on the ryng,
Which of beute hadde passyng excellence;
But to declare his vicious lyuyng
And to descryue his outraious offence,—
Yif I sholde writen in sentence
Lik his demerites hooli the maneer,
It wolde thoruh perse & blotte my paper.

Touchyng his berthe, of louh[e] bed descendid,
Sone of a pottere, the story ye may see,
In no vertu I fynde hym nat comendid,
Except nature gaff hym gret beute.
Fostrid in myscheeff & in gret pouerte,
Hadde eek disdeyn, I can hym nat excuse,
Of hatful pride his fadris craft to vse.

Bi the mene of his gret fairnesse
To hih estat he cam fro louh degre;
Yit in a vice which I wil nat expresse
He disusid cursidli his beute
Ageyn nature, that euel mut he the.
And soiled he was, shortli to specefie,
With al the vicis of pride & lecherie.

Yit natwithstondyng his fals condiciouns,
God suffred hym to come to hih estat,
And to gouerne dyuers naciouns,
I fynde a while how he was fortunat,
In his lecherie ay pompous & elat;
And in a cite callid Ciracuse
The said[e] vices he frowardli gan vse.

And for he hadde beute & gret myht,
To alle vices his youthe he dede enclyne,
And koude also foorthre hymsilf ariht,
Of elloquence expert in the doctryne.
And, as is said, thouh he cam of low lyne,
Yit, as it is put in remembraunce,
An hundred knihtis he hadde in gouernaunce.

Off centurien he purchacid an offis,
And that tyme he took the ordre of kniht;
Aftir chose a tribun of gret pris,
And gat gret fauour in the peeplis siht.

549

And in this while, it fill so anon riht,
Of Siracusis he was maad duk & hed
Bi eleccioun, because ther lord was ded.

Which with Siciliens heeld a mortal striff;
But Agathodes made hem victorious,
Took ther duchesse aftir to his wiff,
Bi mene wheroff he wex ful glorious.
And in his glorie he greuh riht despitous,
Forgat hymsilff, thus growyng in estat,
Wherthoruh his cite & he wer at debat.

His condicioun whan thei gan espie,
And sauh hym werke al of presumpcioun,
The peeple anon, knowyng his tirannye,
Exilid hym out of ther regioun.
In his exil, as maad is mencioun,
He coude fynde no bettir cheuisaunce,
But cam tacite that callid was Murgaunce.

Wher bi his sleihti sotil fals auis,
He so demened hym in the peeplis siht,
That of a pretor thei gaff hym an offis,
He meuyng them in al that euer he miht
Geyn Siracusis to make hem stronge & fiht,
Of entent on them tauenged bee,
Cause for his exil out of that cite.

But in [his] exil, the stori seith non othir,
It was so wrouht bi mediacioun
Of duk Amulchar, that was his sworn brother,
Siracusanis off oon entencioun
Callid [him] hom ageyn into ther toun;
And ther he was restored to his place
And reconsiled to the peeplis grace.

And vnto hym thei gaf be gret auis,
Bassent of lordis & al the comounte,
Of a pretor newli an offis.
For pretores of custom callid be
Officers that duelle in a cite,
And han ful charge bi doom & iugementis
To putte al gilti to peyne & to tormentis.

550

Than of newe this Agathodes,
Because he hadde mor auctorite,
Caste for to trouble the quiete & the pes
Of Siracusis; & out of that cite
Alle the senatours grettest of dignite,
Of mortal vengaunce this tiraunt made anon
Withoute excepcioun be slayn euerichon.

This hasti slauhtre wrouht bi tirannye
Miht nat assuage nor staunche his fel corage,
Til he ther tresours took bi robberie,
And al Sicile he spoiled be pillage.
Cast of pride upon an hier stage
For tascende bi sleihti fals werkyng,
Of al that regeoun he to be crowned kyng.

Made his subgettis, maugre them, hym dreedyng,
To calle hym kyng, and in especiall,
Oon the most worthi prince tho lyuyng
That sat in chaier of mageste roiall,—
Til Fortune shoop he muste haue a fall;
For of Cartage the duk, a worthi kniht,
Fauht with hym twies & put hym to the fliht.

Wherthoruh he stood in myscheef disespeired,
And of al peeple he was had in disdeyn;
To Siracuse in haste he is repeired
And to his cite retourned hom ageyn,
Ther abidyng in dreed & noun certeyn,—
For whan Fortune gan ageyn hym take,
His freendis olde of newe han hym forsake.

In that myscheeff he abood nat long,
As the processe maketh rehersaille,
Gadred peeple & made hymseluen strong,
Onli in purpos al Affrik to assaille,
With them of Cartage hadde a gret bataille,
Them discounfited, as Fortune list ordeyne,
Bi hih prowesse of his sonis tweyne.

Artagathus Icallid was the ton,
Wonder delyuer, a man of gret[e] myht,
The seconde brother, most worthi of echon,

551

Callid Eraclida, which in that mortal fiht
Preued hymsilff that day a manli kniht;
For bi ther manhod, in which ther was no lak,
Thei of Cartage wer felli put abak.

For thouh so were bi fortune of the werre
Agathodes hadde that day victorie,
Fals couetise made hym for to erre
And eclipsed the liht of his glorie.
For as it is remembred in historie,
Lik as his berth, as it toforn termyned,
To al falsnesse his corage was enclyned.

Cruel of custum, of herte merciles,
His will was lawe, wher it were wrong or riht;
Contrarie taccord, frowar[d] vnto pes,
Proud & surquedous in his owne siht
Wher his poweer strechchid & his myht,
Lik a tiraunt natureli disposed
Texecute vengaunce afforn purposed.

He thouhte he hadde poweer for to bynde
Fortunis wheel for to abide stable,
Which is a thyng contrarie to hir kynde,
Whos propirte is to be variable:
His pride, alas, was to abhomynable;
For mortal prynce is non that may restreyne
Hir vnwar tourn nor hir cours sodeyne.

Bi influence of the heuenli sterris,
The vnkouth cours aboue celestiall,
Bi Fortune, & fauour of the werris,
This Agothodes, of berthe but rurall,
Promooted was vnto estat roiall.
Til pride, outrage & froward engendrure
Caused in his lordship he myht nat long endure.

Fortune of kynde is so flaskisable,
A monstruous beeste departed manyfold,
A slidyng serpent, turnyng & vnstable,
Slepir to gripe; on whom ther is non hold,

552

As in this book declared is & told,
Hir poweer preeued on princis rek[e]les:
Record with other on Agathodes.

As ye han herd rehersed in sentence,
Symple & bare was his natyuite,
Brouht up & fostred in gret indigence,
Out of a stok spryngyng of pouerte,
Roos to thestat of roial dignite.
The risyng vnkouth, merueilous tatteyne,
The fal mor greuous because it was sodeyne.

From Siracuse he was exiled twies;
Vengable of herte wher he hadde myht.
Of Affrican[e]s disconfited thries;
Euer in bataile of custum put to fliht.
Hadde an vsaunce to robbe day & niht,
And lik a tiraunt, ageyn conscience,
To spoile his subiectis bi rauynous violence.

Hyndred bi Fortune, wherof he was nat fayn,
Hir strook ageyn hym sodeyn & violent:
His sonis two in Affrik were first slayn,
He of his lymys wex feeble & impotent.
With a consumpcioun his entrailles brent,
And bi an agu, contynuel of feruence,
He was supprised bi strook of pestilence.

Al his tresour [Fortune] hath fro hym take,
His proude port & his worldli glorie;
His kyn, his freendis & wif hath hym forsake,
His conquest dirk & put out of memorie:
His name clipsed of al his old victorie.
And as he gan in pouert & distresse,
So he made an eende in wrechidnesse.

Hasti risyng, & thrifft that is sodeyne,
And surmountyng bi violent rauyne,
And extort poweer, may for a tyme atteyne
In riche chaier of lordshipe for to shyne.
Sodeyn ascendyng doth sodenli declyne;
And bi vntrouthe, wher-euer ther be encres,
Men waite of custum a sodeyn disencres.

553

Of Agathodes men may exaumple take,
What is the eende of eueri fals tiraunt.
Wrong clymbyng up doþ a foul eende make:
For a sesoun thouh tirauntis be puissant,
Fortune to them yeueth no lenger graunt;
But whan thei sitte on hir wheel most roiall,
Bi vnwar chaung to haue a sodeyn fall.

Agothodes was firste a symple man,
Brouht forth in myscheeff and in pouerte,
Sone of a pottere, his stori telle can,
Bi vicious lyuyng cam to gret dignite,
Of alle folk hatid for his cruelte,
Clamb fro pouert up to gret richesse,
Maad poore ageyn, deied in wrechidnesse.

[Lenvoye]

This tragedie sheweth a figure
Bothe bi stori & bi auctorite,
How man and beeste & euery creature
Tarageth the stok of his natyuite:
Herbe of the roote, & ech frut of his tree,
For bothe of vertu & also of outrage
Folweth sum tech or tast of the lynage.

Agathodes, bi record of scripture,
Born of louh bed, brouht foorth in pouerte,
Yit Fortune made hym to recure
Vp to hih estat from ful louh degre.
His resoun blent with sensualite,
Forgat hymselff, to speke in pleyn langage,
Thoruh a fals tech that cam from his lynage.

Ther is a difference of colours in peynture,
On table or wal, as men alday may see;
Tween gold & gold, atween bis & asure:
Al is nat gold that shyneth briht, parde;
Sum noble is fals that hath ful gret beute,—
Lat men bewar of countirfet coignage,
Techchis eschewyng of cherlissh low lynage.

554

Sum man forthred of sodeyn auenture,
Set in a chaier of roial dignite,
Wenyng his empire euer sholde endure,
Neuer to be troubled with non aduersite:
With roial egles a kite may nat flee,
A iay may chatre in a goldene cage,
Yit euer sum tech mut folwe of his lynage.

Gentil blood of his roial nature
Is euer enclyned to merci & pite,
Wher of custum thes vileyns do ther cure,
Bi ther vsurpid & extort fals pouste
To be vengable bi mortal cruelte,
Thoruh hasti fumys of furious corage,
Folwyng the techchis of ther vileyn lynage.

O myhti Princis, your noblesse doth assure,
Your passiouns resteth with tranquillite,
Seeth how ther is no mene nor mesure,
Wher a tiraunt cachcheth the souereynte!
Let Agathodes your worldli merour bee,
Teschewe the tracis of his froward passage,
As roiall blood requereth of your lynage.

[How Cassander slouh the wif of Alisaundre & hercules hir sone/and Antipater slouh his moder & of other moordres.]

The grete myschevys of Fortunys miht,
The woful fallis from hir wheel in deede
Of princis, princessis, who-so looke ariht,
Been lamentable & doolful for to reede.
But for al that, Bochas doth proceede
In his rehersaile, remembryng thus hym-selue,
To hym appeered of men & women twelue.

Aftir the deth of kyng Agathodes,
Ther cam toforn hym worthi queenis tweyne:
The firste of them was callid Bersanes,
And of hir myscheef gan to hym compleyne,
Wiff to Alisaundre, the stori list nat feyne,

555

The myhti kyng, grettest vnder sunne,
Which bi conquest al this world hath wonne.

Wiff unto hym was this Bersanes,
Bi his lyue, as maad is mencioun,
Which with hir sone, named Hercules,
Wer bi Cassander brouht to destruccioun.
And of ther deth this was thoccasioun,
Cassander dradde that Bersanes the queen
Wolde with hir sone on hym auengid been

For his tresouns, which he toforn hath wrouht
On Alisaundre & on his lynage;
And specialli, yiff that she were brouht
To Macedoine for hir auauntage,
With hir sone, that was but yong of age,
Cassander thouhte & dradde, as I haue told,
Thei wolde auenge his tresouns wrouhte of old.

He caste afforn of malis causeles,
This Cassander, most fals in his werkyng,
That yif this kniht, this yonge Hercules,
Sone of Alisaundre, bi record of writyng,
In Macedoyne wer take & crownid kyng,
How that he wolde of equite & riht
His fadris deth auengen lik a kniht.

Which thyng teschewe Cassander gan prouide,
And bi fals fraude was nat rek[e]les;
But on a day (he list nat longe abide)
Slouh first the queen, this said[e] Bersanes,
And thanne hir sone Icallid Hercules.
Thus bi Cassander, of moordre cropp & roote,
Thei moordred wern; ther was non othir boote.

This cruelte myht[e] nat suffise
Vnto Cassander, be record of scripture;
But lik a tiraunt in vengable wise
He dede hem burie, bi froward auenture,
Wher no man sholde knowe ther sepulture.
And thus, alas, which pite is to reede,
He moordred foure out of oon kynreede.

556

To Alisaundre he mynistrid the poisoun,
Slouh the queen callid Olympiades,
And of hatreede bi ful fals tresoun,
As I haue tolde, he slouh queen Bersanes,
Wif to Alisaundre, mooder to Hercules,
Which in youthe, bi Bochas rehersyng,
In Macedoyne was lik to haue been kyng.

Afftir al this he koude nat lyue in pes,
But euer redi sum tresoun for to do,
Slouh eek the queen[e] callid Roxanes
Vpon a day, & hire yonge sone[s] too.
And she was wiff to Alisaundre also,
Cassander dreedyng, in his oppenyoun,
List thei wolde venge [hem] upon his fals tresoun.

Thus euer he lyued in moordre, sorwe & striff;
Bi weie of fraude cam al his encres,
And, as I fynde, how he hadde a wiff,
And she was callid Thesalonices.
And as this stori remembreth dout[e]les,
A sone thei hadde born atween hem tweyne,
To slen his mooder which aftir dede his peyne.

Shortly [to] passe, myn auctour writ non othir,
Antipater was hir sones name;
And because that she loued his brother
Bettir than hym, he, to his gret diffame,
Compassed hir deth, the stori seith the same,
Natwithstondyng tappese his cruelte
She axed merci knelyng on hir kne.

Hir brestes open, white & softe as silk,
Al bedewed with teres hir visage,
Requered meekli at reuerence of the milk
With which he was fostred in yong[e] age,
For taue merci & tappese his rage,
And taccepte goodli hir praieere,
To saue the lyff of his mooder deere.

But al for nouht; he herde hir neueradeel:
He was to hire, surmountyng al mesure,
Lik his fadir vengable & cruel.
I trowe it was youe hym of nature;

557

For bi record of kynde & eek scripture,
Seeld or neuer no braunche that is good
Spryngeth of custum out of cruel blood.

Of hir deth[e] cause ther was non other,
That Antipater slouh his mooder deere,
But for she loued Alisaundre his brother
Bettir than hym, the cronicle doth us lere.
Which Alisaundre, yif ye list to heere,
Hadde in his socour, I fynde be writyng,
Demetrius, that was of Asie kyng.

Thesalonices was in this while ded
Bi Antipater, [s]he most infortunat,
Bathed in hir blood, hir sides wer maad red,
Withoute compassioun of hir hih estat.
And hir too sonis lyuyng at debat,
Til Lysymachus, that prefect was of Trace,
Them reconsiled ech to othirs grace.

Whan Demetrius knew of ther accord,—
God wot the sothe, he nothyng was fayn;
But bi his fraude, the stori berth record,
That Alisaundre maliciousli was slayn,
This while Antipater stondyng in noun certeyn,
Til he be sleihte of Lysymacus
Was moordred aftir, the stori tellith thus.

To write the processe and the maner howh
That Lysimachus bi fraudulent werkyng
His sone in lawe Antipater thus slouh,—
Fals couetise was cause of al this thyng;
And Demetrius took on hym to be kyng
Of Macedoyne, remembrid tyme & date,
Whan bothe brethre wer passed into fate.

Duryng this moordre & al this mortal striff,
In this processe lik as it is founde,
Of Antipater Erudice the wiff,
Douhtir of Seleuchus, was in cheynys bounde,
Cast in prisoun dirk, hidous & profounde;
And for a while I leue hir ther soiourne,
And to Demetrius I will ageyn retourne.

558

Which made hymsilf[e] to be crownid kyng
Of Macedoyne, thoruh his gret puissaunce.
But to destroie his purpos in werkyng,
Ther wer thre princis notable in substaunce,
Confederat & of oon alliaunce,
Echon assentid, for short conclusioun,
To brynge Demetrius to destruccioun.

Oon the firste was worthi Tholome,
Kyng of Egipt, in armis ful famous.
Othir tweyne, the stori ye may see,
Callid Seleuchus, & next Lysymachus,
And of Cipre kam the kyng Pirthus,
Lord of [the] prouynce; & as it is eek founde,
Thei made hem strong Demetry to confounde.

Shortli to telle, with ther apparailles,
Of Macedoyne thei dede hym first depriue;
Cam upon hym with foure strong batailles,
That he was neuer so ouer-set his lyue:
Take of Lisymachus, the stori doth descryue,
Cheyned in prisoun, of his liff in doute,
For I nat fynde that euer he issed oute.

[Off the too prefectys/Penestes and Amantas.]

Next in ordre Penestes dede appeere,
Whilom prefect of grete Babiloun;
And with hym cam Amyntas eek ifeere,
Another prefect, as maad is mencioun,
Which Bactrie hadde in his possessioun,
A gret prouynce youe hym bi iugement,
Mid of Asia toward the occident.

Thes said[e] tweyne, for ther worthynesse
And for ther manhod in actis marcial,
Assigned wern bi dilligent bisynesse
To waite and keepe in especiall

559

Vpon the mageste in his estat roiall
Of Alisaundre, for trust as chaumbirleyns,
Ageyn thassaut & dreed of al foreyns.

Afftir whos deth, for synguler guerdoun
Made prefectis bothe thei wer in deede,
As ye han herd; the ton in Babilon,
The tother of Bactrie, the stori ye may reede.
Yit in quiete thei myhte hem nat posseede,
For Seleuchus gan a werre ageyn [hem] make,
That thei wer fayn ther lordshipis to forsake.

[How Sandrodoctus born of lowe degre cherisshed robbours & theuys.]

Other prefectis ther wern also I fynde,
Which heeld the peeple in ful gret seruage,
In Macedoyne & in outher Ynde,
Til Sandrodoctus, a man of louh lynage,
Caste he wolde redressen ther outrage,
Of entent poore peeple to restore
To ther fraunchises, that pleyned on hem sore.

Sandrodoctus, auctour of this werkyng,
Behihte the peeple thoruhout al contres,
Whan he be sleihte was c[o]rownid kyng,
Them to restore to ther libertes.
But whan he hadde resceyued thes dignites,
Al his behestis, maad with a fair visage,
Turned, as thei fond, to thraldam & seruage.

Thus whan a wrech is set in hih estat,
Or a begger brouht up to dignite,
Ther is non so proud[e], pompous nor elat,
Non so vengable nor ful of cruelte,
Void of discrecioun, mercy & pite;
For cherlissh blood seelde doth recure
To be gentil be weie of his nature.

560

He may dissymule & for a tyme feyne,
Countirfete with a fair visage,
Out of oon hood[e] shewe facis tweyne,
Contrari of herte, double of his langage,
Stille of his port, smothe of his passage,
Vnder flour[e]s lik a serpent dare,
Til he may stynge; & than he wil nat spare.

And euer lik of his condiciouns
Was Sandrodoctus, set up in hih estat;
Vexed peeples, troubled regeouns,
Set cites & touns at gret debat:
Whos gouernaunce was infortunat,
As it was seyn & founde at al[le] preues,
Cherisshed no man but robbours & fals theuys.

And to declare how he cauhte hardynesse
And occasioun peeplis to gouerne,
Bi a pronostik, which I shal expresse,
Riht merueilous & vnkouth to discerne,
Which was this, as I shal telle as yerne,
Riht wonderful & vnkouth for to heere;
And it was this, yif ye list to lere:

Ther was a man callid Procatales,
Born in Ynde, which of his lyuyng
Was wonder poore, cam but seelde in pres,
Because he hadde trespacid in o thyng
Ageyn Venandrus, that was that tyme kyng,
Comaundyng to sleen hym anon riht;
But he escaped, the stori seith be fliht.

God hadde youe hym of [his] feet suyftnesse,
Bi mene wherof he saued hym fro daungeer,
Thoruh long trauaile fill in werynesse,
And [to] refresshe hym, beside a welle cleer
He lay slepyng, that face & al his cheer
Dropped of soot; a leoun cam forbi,
Likked his face, as seith the stori.

With which affray the man anon awook,
And sodenli left up his visage;
The leoun ros, sofftli his weie took
Toward the forest, dede hym no damage,

561

Forgat his felnesse and his cruel rage.
Of which pronostik gan thoccasioun
Wherof Sandrodoctus took an oppynyoun,

Caste and thouhte in his fantasie,
Sithe that the leoun is beeste most roiall,
Which nat disdeyned hymsilff[e] to applie
To likke the face of a man rurall,
In his nature to shewe hym bestiall,—
He dempte as weel that it was sittyng
To take on hym thestat to be a kyng.

His oppynyoun of resoun was riht nouht;
For wher the leoun lefft his cruelte,
He in contrary wex proud in hert & thouht,
Void of merci, bareyn of pite.
For whan that he was set in dignite,
Brouht from a wrech to domynacioun,
Ageyn nature he pleyed the leoun.

Sumwhile a leoun forgeteth his felnesse,
Wher-as the wolff wil natureli deuoure;
So roial blood hath routhe, of gentilesse,
On poore pleyntiffs to helpe hem & socoure,
Wher-as a tiraunt of nature doth laboure,
Whan he hath poweer, cachchyng auauntage
To robbe [his] subiectis & spoille hem be pillage.

Sandrodoctus, thus born of low kynreede,
In hih estat bi Fortune whan he stood,
Gan make hym strong & vengable in deede:
With noumbre of robbours, furious and wood,
Cast hym destroie al the gentil blood
That was in Ynde, & bi his ordynaunce
Slen al ther prefectis that hadde gouernaunce.

And with the comouns whan he was maad strong,
And gan the maner of ther deth deuise,
Lik a fals tiraunt, al-thouh he dede wrong
Ageyn his lordis whan he gan arise,
An olifaunt cam in ful unkouth wise,
Hym obeiede, which was a gret[e] wonder,
Whan ther batailes wer nat ferre assonder.

562

Thouh he was wilde, the stori seith the same,
Sandrodoctus leep upon his side,
And on his bak, as on a beeste tame,
Toward the bataile anon he gan to ride,
Was ther capteyn that day & ther guide,
With his robbours, as it is maad[e] mynde,
Slouh al the prefectis & gentil blood of Ynde.

[How Seleuchus the mighty prince was slayn bi the grete Tholome kyng of Egipt.]

Than cam Seleuchus to Bochas compleinyng,
A mihti prince & a ful manli kniht,
Sone of Antiochus, the grete famous kyng.
Which Seleucus, for wisdam & for myht,
Was most fauoured in Alisaundris siht,
Born of a princesse, the cronicle ye may seen,
Cald Laoudice the grete famous queen.

The berthe of hym straunge & merueillous:
For his mooder upon the same niht
That she conceyued drempte & thouhte thus,
As it semed pleynli in hir siht,
Of gret Appollo, the heuenli god most briht,
How she the tyme of hir conceyuyng
Resceyued that niht of gold a riche ryng.

In which[e] ryng was set a precious stoon,
Youe vnto hir for a gret guerdoun,
Graue with an ankir, hir comaundyng anon,
Afftir the berthe withoute dilacioun,
To yiue the ryng, of hool affeccioun,
To Seleuchus, wherbi in especiall
He sholde excelle in actis marciall.

The same morwe aftir the child was born,
Withynne hir bed was founde a riche ryng,
With al the toknys rehersed heer-toforn,
The anker graue, lik in eueri thyng.
Which that the queen[e] took in hir keepyng,
And of entent[e] for his auauntage,
Kept it secre til he cam to age.

563

Anothir merueile befill also withall:
This [childe] Seleuchus (which was a wonder thyng)
Hadde enpreentid eek in especiall
Vpon his thih an anker & a ryng;
So hadde all, bi record of writyng,
Such carectis, the stori doth termyne,
That aftir hym wer bor[e]n of that lyne.

Whan Seleuchus, as maad is mencioun,
The tendre yeeres hadde of his age ronne,
And cam to yeeris of discrecioun,
He bi this ryng ful many lond hath wonne.
Whos knihtli fame shon sheene as [a] sonne,
He weel auised, hardi [&] of gret myht,
Tyme of Alisandre holde oon the beste kniht.

In werre and armes he his tyme hath spent;
Brouht al Ynde [on]to subieccioun,
Gat al the kyngdames nih of the orient,
Heeld hem longe in his pocessioun.
But heer, alas, Bochas makth mencioun,
Al his victories, that dede in honour shyne,
With sodeyn chaung wer turned to ruyne.

For whan Seleuchus was most victorious,
Hadde al Inde conquered in substaunce,
Atween hym & kyng Lysymachus,
Of whom toforn is maad[e] remembraunce,
Began a werre & a gret distaunce.
And as thei mette with ther apparailles,
In a gret feeld ordeyned ther batailles,

On Lisymachus fill the disconfiture.
Wheroff Seleuchus, glad in especiall,
Dempte his wynnyng cam nat of nature,
But bynfluence verray celestiall,—
Gan wexe proud in his estat roiall,
Nat supposyng in his victorious stall,
Of his myscheeuys that sholde aftir fall.

564

For as the processe declareth onto vs,
How of Egipt the grete Tholome,
Brother-in-lawe to Lysymachus,
Fill on Seleuchus bi ful gret cruelte,
Slouh hym at myscheeff, the stori ye may see.
Loste his liff, as maad is mencioun,
In Macedoyne, the myhti regioun.

And it is knowe of antiquite
Bi rehersaile of these olde auctours,
That this forseid gret[e] Tholome
Was Talisaundre oon of thenheritours,
Kyng of Egipt, ther regnyng in his flours.
Afftir whos name, descendyng doun be grees,
Wer alle the kynges callid Tholomes.

As I fynde, touchyng his lynage,
Bi procreacioun he hadde childre thre:
The firste of hem, to speke in pleyn langage,
Inamed was Ceramyus Tholome,
Next Philadelphus, a douhtir Arcynoe,
That weddid was birfadres consentyng
To Lisymachus of Macedoyne kyng.

[How the too sonys of queen Arcynoe were bi ther moders brother traitoursly slayn and she exiled.]

And thus remembred in bookes [that been] olde,
Deth of Seleuchus wrouht bi Tholome,
Vnwarli slayn, toforn as I haue told,
Next in ordre cam Arsynoe
To Iohn Bochas bi gret aduersite,
Al with teres bedewed hir visage,
And gan compleyne the constreynt of hir rage.

This mihti queen, this said Arsynoe,
Hadde sonis tweyne ful famous of renoun:
The ton Lysymachus, excellyng of beute,
The tothir Phelipp, as maad is mencioun.
And al hir ioie and delectacioun,
Hir worldli blisse—ther is no mor to seyne—
Was hooli set upon thes childre tweyne.

565

For bi thoccasioun of ther gret fairnesse,
Men delited gretli them to see,
Namli women, the stori doth expresse;
And ther mooder, this queen Arsynoe,
Stood in gret hope that thei sholde bee
Mihti kyngis bi iust successioun,
In Macedoyne the myhti regioun,

Onli be title of ther fadres riht.
Which to hir herte gaf ful gret gladnesse,
For she dempte that non other wiht
To succeede sholde ha[ue] non interesse;
But Fortune, the blynde fals goddesse,
Disposed so for thes childre tweyne,
That non of them ther purpos sholde atteyne.

For whan ther fader Lisymachus was slayn,
The saide queen callid Arsynoe,
To saue hir lyff koude non othir gayn,
But with hir sonis feerfulli to flee
Into Cassandre, a myhti strong cite,
Onli for dreed of oon Antigonus
Which them pursued, the stori tellith us.

But the brother of queen Arsynoe,
Callid Ceramius rescued hir partie
Geyn Antigonus, ye may the stori see;
Yit in his herte he hadde gret envie,
Al-be that thei wer nih of his allie,
That hire too sonis sholde kyngis bee
Of Macedoyne, & regne in that contre.

For he was set onli of couetise
To be crowned in Macedoyne kyng;
And of fals tresoun, the stori doth deuise,
Them to deceyue, this was his werkyng:
First to the queen ful humbeli knelyng
He made promys vnder gret surete,
In Macedoyne she sholde crownid be.

And hir childre, so fair of ther visage,
Sholde be keped vndir gouernaunce
Vnto tyme that thei kam to age.

566

And for to put hir in mor assuraunce,
Ceramyus swoor (God yiue hym sori chaunce!)
He purposed, for al his fals werkyngis,
To crowne hir queen & make hir sones kynges.

Took alle the goddis ther onto witnesse
And swoor ageyn[e], with a pleyn visage,
Onto the quen, of fraude & doubilnesse,
His purpos was to haue hir in mariage,
Crowne hir queen to hir gret auauntage.
Thus was he sworn, althouh he was hir brother;
Yit in herte God wot he thouhte another.

Vnder colour of this assuraunce
She leet hym entre Cassandre the cite,
Cam ageyn hym to doon hym mor plesaunce
With al hir lordis of hih & louh degre,
Made the streetis hangid for to bee
With clothes of gold, & in solempne wise
To alle ther godis dede sacrefise.

And thus he was resceyued solempneli;
The day was halwed & holde festyual:
The queen for ioie ordeyned richeli
Hir too sonis, that were so faire in al,
To be crownid with crownes ful roiall,
Goon afforn hire in the maister streete
Gloriousli ther vnkle for to meete.

With felenous herte vnder a freendli face
This Ceramyus, roote of al tresoun,
Gan his cosyns benigneli enbrace,
Hym purposyng bi fals collusioun
To proceede to ther destruccioun.
And fynali, firste he dide his peyne
The queen texile and slen hir childre tweyne.

But or this tresoun was brouht to a preeff,
Whan the queen apparceyued his falsnesse
And sauh hir sonis brouht to such myscheeff,
She coniured hym in hir mortal distresse
To haue pite of natural gentilesse,
Spare his cosyns, afforn hym wher thei stood,
Of roial merci, so nih born of his blood.

567

And with a cri passyng lamentable
She fill afforn hym swownyng onto grounde,
Lik as she hadde be verraili coupable,
Seyng hir sonis bleedyng with many wounde.
But al for nouht; ther was no merci founde.
For with ther blood (this stori is nat feyned)
Hir garnement was doolfulli disteyned.

Hir faire face was soiled with ordure,
Hir goldene her was al to-torn & rent,
And lik a thrall this woful creature
With mortal weepyng hadde hir sihte blent.
And aftir that, I fynde how she was sent
To burie hir childre, for ther was no space,
Into an ile callid Sammotrace.

Is any stori, whiche maketh mencioun
That a princesse of so hih degre
Fond so gret cause of lamentacioun?
She beyng douhtir to gret Tholome,—
Hir childre slayn be vengable cruelte,
And to beholde the deth most dolerous
Of hir husbonde callid Lysymachus.

She aftir banshed in exil made hir eende,
With sorewful compleynt hir lyff thus drawe along,
Til into fate hir sperit dede weende,
It is no dreed hir peynes wer ful strong.
And yif I sholde rehersen al the wrong
That she suffred, it sholde greeue sore,
Therfor of hir now I write no more.

Lenvoye.

This tragedie sheweth an apparence
And a liknesse of feithful assuravnce,
Texite men to yiue fals credence
Vnto Fortunys froward variaunce.
Which cast hir baitis & anglis of plesaunce,
An hook hid vndir of vengable cruelte,
As this chapitle [hath] put in remembraunce
Of Lysymachus & of Arsynoe.

568

Is ther any gretter euidence
Of worldli trouble of worldli constaunce,
Than seen princis from ther magnificence
And from ther myhti roial [hih] puissaunce
Vnwarli brouht bi Fortune to myschaunce,
And ouerwhelmyd from ther tranquillite?
Seeþ heer a merour ful notable in substaunce
Of Lisymachus & queen Arsynoe.

The ryng, the anker of gret excellence
Youe to Seleuchus for marcial suffisaunce,
Whan Appollo be heuenli influence
List with his mooder make his alliaunce,
Sent hym thes reliques of synguler aqueyntaunce,
To sette his manhod in mor surete;
But in al such quaueryng perseueraunce,
Thynk on Lysymachus & on Arsynoe!

The vnkout[h] tresours, the gold nor the dispence
Of hem that han this world in gouernaunce,
Nor al the subiectes, up rekned in sentence,
Nor al the regiouns vnder ther obeissaunce,
Princis, princessis, with al ther attendaunce,
May ageyn Fortune yiue hem no liberte;
Who nat knoweth hir vnseur geri chaunce,
Thynk on Lysymacus & on Arsynoe.

Hir childre and she slayn bi violence
Of Ceramyus (God yiue hym sori chaunce!)
That bi fals colour dide hir reuerence
And pretendid a maner obseruaunce,
The tresoun cloos of venymous purueiaunce,
Purposed afforn toutraie hem all[e] thre:
The childre slayn, which knewe no cheuisaunce,
The mooder exiled, callid Arsynoe.

Noble Princis, beeth war of hih prudence,
Among your-silf that ther be no distaunce,
Hideth no rancour of hatful violence
Vndir a courtyn of double daliaunce;
Lik your herte shewe out your contenaunce,
Void of dissymulyng & duplicite,

569

Wisly weieth this chapitle in balaunce,
Off Lisymachus and queen Arsynoe.

Explicit.

[How Ceramius of Macedony kyng that moordred his cosyns was slayn in bataile bi them [of] Fraunce.]

The noble poete Iohn Bochas, in his book
Procedyng foorth, compleyneth of pite,
With quaky[n]g hand whan he his penne took
And gan to write the woful destyne,
As ye han herd, of queen Arsynoe,
And how Ceramius, the stori maketh mynde,
Was to hir fals, traitour & vnkynde.

Of whos tresoun is maad a gret processe,
And how he aftir was slayn in bataille,
Punshed bi vengaunce for his gret falsnesse,
Lik as his stori maketh rehersaille.
Which to remembre I cast me nat to faille,
Folwyng myn auctour & proceede in writyng,
How Ceramyus was slayn whan he was kyng.

For whil that he bi his fals werkyng,
In Macedoyne hadde gouernaile,
Thre hundred thousand acountid be reknyng
Wente out of Fraunce to conquere in Itaille;
The hoost, departed in many strong bataille,
Gat bi conquest thoruh ther hih renoun
Ful many prouynce & many regioun.

And as thei rood thoruh many gret contre,—
This peeple of Gaule in steel armyd cleen,—
Thei foundid castellis & many strong cite:
Toward Rome thei bilt Milan & Sene,
Vpon T[h]alpies ther armour shon ful sheene;
And sum of them up to Rome wente
Be verray force, and the cite brente.

570

Summe partid up to the Grekissh Se,
Hadde a custum to chese ther duellyng place
Bi augurie, as briddes dede flee;
Folwyng ther fliht[e], thei gan aftir trace,
Holdyng ther way, withynne a litil space,
With myhti hand, the book doth specefie,
Thei cam tacontre callid Pauonye.

This folk of Gaule, which is callid France,
To conquere londis put hemsilff in pres,
As most notable peeple of puissaunce,
Folwyng thexaumple of ther knihtli encres
In ther ridyng, of worthi Hercules,
Which was worsheped in actis marcial
Lik as a god, and callid inmortal.

Thoruh grace of Fortune in ther cheualries
Conquered contres, alway foorth ridyng,
Themsilff departyng in dyuers cumpanyes,—
Who them withstood thei consumed be brennyng.
Cam to Macedoyne wher Cerawm was kyng;
Of presumpcioun weenyng it sholde auaile,
Out of ordynaunce he mette hem in bataile.

This Ceramius of outrage & of pride
Dempte hym able to meete with hem of France;
But for he was thoruh moordre an homycide,
He lakked grace & poweer in substaunce.
Yit thei off Gaule, bi prudent gouernaunce,
Offred onto hym, thouh he was rek[e]les,
With Macedonoys for to trete of pes.

But of presumpcioun & malencolie
Ageyn his enmyes he the feeld hath take,
And disconfited anon was his partie:
His men gan fleen, & ha[ue] ther lord forsake;
His hed smet off and set upon a stake.
But al his myscheeff was to lite in deede
To recompense his fraude & his falsheede.

Ther is no peyne ageyn so gret offense
Mai be deuised in no book that men reede,
Equiualent moordre to recompence,

571

Duli to punshe so outraious a deede,
Of hym that made yonge childre bleede,
As dede Ceraum, which of fals couetise
His cosyns slouh, as ye han herd deuise.

To thynke on moordre, it is to foul a thyng,
To God and man hatful & terrible:
The infernal fraude, the deuelissh compassyng
To ech creature of nature is odible,
Which to redresse is an impossible.
O cursid Ceram, I leue thi stori heere,
Thi name no more shal blotte my papeere!

[How the prynce Belgius was disconfited and brouht vnto nought.]

Afftir this tiraunt, as ye ha[ue] herd þe cas,
Slayn in bataile, this traitour odious,
Anon in ordre cam to Iohn Bochas
A myhti prince callid Belgius,
Dedli pale, with face furious,
Which compleynyd, among this woful pres,
His disconfiture doon be duk Sostenes.

This sodeyn myscheef greued his herte sore;
For al the folk that wer in his bataille
Wer put to fliht[e]. Bochas writ no more
Of his knihthod nor of his apparaille,
Sauf onli this; he maketh rehersaille,
Of the Frensshe host, he tellith in certeyn,
How he was chose for a cheeff capteyn,

And how he cam into the riche lond
Of Macedoyne with his peeple of Fraunce,
Til Sostenes the duk, with myhti hond,
Discounfited hym, brouht hym to myschaunce.
Of whom I fynde non other remembraunce,
Saue whan he wende ta be most glorious,
He was outraied bi force of Brennyus.

572

[How Duk Brennyus delityng to robbe & spoile ended.]

This Brennyus, ful knihtli in werkyng,
Which bi conquest gat many gret cite,
And, as I reede, of Sens he was kyng,
Dispoilled regiouns & many gret contre,
Robbed peeples of hih & low degre,
Spared no goddis, but be violence
Took ther tresours; dede hem no reuerence.

Ther was a temple gret and merueilous
Bilt on a roche and on an hill off ston,
Sacred Tappollo callid Delphicus,—
In al Grece so gret a god was non.
And offte sithe the peeple wolde gon
Vp to a theatre which that stood withoute,
To haue ansuere of that thei stood in doute.

Ther trust, ther hope was to that god applied,
Hauyng to hym synguler affeccioun,
As thouh he myhte haue holpe & magnefied
And doon to hem gret consolacioun;
For bi a sperit of fals decepcioun
He gaff answere of sondri questiouns
To folk that cam fro dyuers regiouns.

Kyng Brennyus hadde no fantasie,
In ther templis aftir ther paynym guise
Nouther to worshepe nor to magnefie
Ther Grekissh goddis, to doon hem sacrefise;
For in his herte he gan hem to despise,
Cauhte a ioie with al his fals robbours
Them to despoile & robbe of ther tresours.

Behihte his men, & seid in pleyn langage,
That his desir and his entencioun
Was to be boti with them of such pillage
As goddis hadde in ther pocessioun,
And parte with hem for synguler guerdoun

573

For ther labour & ther gret trauailles
That thei had hadde with hym in his batailles.

He gaff his peeple a maner hardynesse,
Made hem truste in gret multitude,
Hauyng despiht of thynnocent symplesse
Of his enmyes, because thei wer but rude.
I meene tho folk, shortli to conclude,
Which hadde in keepyng the ieweles precious
Of gret Appollo callid Delphicus.

The peeple also which was with Brennyus
Hadde al the day dronke myhti wynes—
To fille ther paunchis thei wer so desirous,—
That thei forgat ther marcial doctrynes.
Tascende the mounteyn feeble wer ther chynes,
Ther hedis toltir & ther brayn gan faille,
The temple aloffte to spoille it or tassaille.

In ther ascendyng be weies that thei ches,
Vpon the roche thei wer bete doun;
Preestis of the temple put hemsilff in pres—
Oon bar a standard, a-nother a gret penoun—
Clad in chesiples for hih deuocioun,
And with ther other vnkouth apparailles,
Bothe on the roche & lowe in ther batailles.

The peeple of Brennyus was incomparable,
Spradde al the feeldis, the stori berth witnesse;
But it is said of old & is no fable,
That no diffence is [in] dronk[e]nesse.
And wisdam failleth wher is gret excesse;
And in a feeld[e], pleynli to conclude,
Victori alway stant nat in multitude.

For thei wer set, Bochas doth deuise,
Nat to knihthod but to fals outrage,
To spoile and robbe be gredi couetise,
And stuffe ther someres with outraious pillage;
Furious rauyne hath brouht hem in a rage,—
And farweel knihthod & marcial noblesse
Wher couetise is ladi & maistresse!

574

Too myhti dukis wer with Brennyus,
Which that wer[en] cheeff of his counsail.
Manus the ton, the tothir Thesalorus,
Which, as thei thouhte to ther gret auail,
Began a purpos, and it was disauail,
To robbe the temple, the contre & ech toun,
Which turnid aftir to ther confusioun.

Thus auarice with stomak vnstaunchable
Hath stranglid the prowesse of many worthi kniht;
And couetise, hir sustir vntretable,
Hath of hih noblesse ful ofte queynt the liht.
Wher Tantalus regneth, a leoun hath no myht:
This to meene, hunger & couetise
Turneþ al noblesse into cowardise.

For bi the counsail of these dukes tweyne,
Brennyus sette al his oppynyoun;
To spoille & robbe dede his besi peyne,
To pile the cites of al that regeoun.
But in this while, as maad is mencioun,
Mid ther batailles, Bochas doth me lere,
The god Appollo & Pallas dede appeere.

Appollo first shewed his presence,
Fressh, yong and lusti as any sonne sheene,
Armed al in gold, and with gret violence
Entred the feeld[e], as it was weel seene.
And Diana kam with hir arwes keene,
And Mynerua in a briht haberioun,
Which in ther komyng made a terrible soun.

The noise was herd[e] of ther briht armure,
Which made ther enmyes for feer almost to raue,
That thei myht afforn hem nat endure,
Fledde the feeld for dreed, themsilf to saue.
And ther was herd an hidous erthe-quaue;
And fro heuene in this mortal bataille,
Of cold constreynyng gret stonys gan doun haille.

Ther aduersaries bete doun & groundid,
And afforn hem durste nat abide.
And Brennyus so mortalli was woundid,

575

Bothe brest & hed, & hurt thoruh outher side,—
Loo, heer the eende of couetise & pride:
For Brennyus for constreynt of his smerte
Rooff with a dagger hymseluen to the herte.

This was his eende, vengable & merueilous;
And his dukis slay[e]n bothe tweyne,
Callid Emanus & Thesalorus,
The Grekissh goddis gan at hym so disdeyne.
Of sacrilege seeth heer the greuous peyne:
For who to goddis list do non obseruaunce,
Shal vnwarli be punshed with vengaunce.

It is nat holsum with goddis [for] to pleie,
Nor ther puissaunce presumptuousli tattame;
For wher-as thei be vengaunce list werreie,
Who list assay shal fynde it no game.
For his presumpcioun Brennyus fond the same;
For Appollo, Diane and Mynerue
For his outrage vnwarli made hym sterue.

Lenvoye.

This tragedie declareth, who list heere,
Of duk Brennyus many gret bataile,
His extort conquest, & hooli the maneere
How [he] bi force rood thoruh al Itaille.
Afftir how he the Romeyns dede assaille;
His fall in Grece bi vengable violence,
For he to goddis list do no reuerence.

Took al the tresours & ieweles most enteere
Out of ther templis, & richest apparaille,
Gold and perle, & al that stuff ifeere,
To his encres which that myhte auaille.
The riche he robbed, oppressid the poraille,
Of verrai pompe & froward insolence,
And list to goddis do no reuerence.

This myhti tiraunt most surquedous of cheere,
With couetise brent in his entraille,
Whos gredi fret ther myht no mesure steere,
Til that Fortune at myscheeff dede hym faille;
He lakked myht hir variaunt wheel to naille.

576

Ageyns whos fall ther was no resistence,
For he [to] goddis list do no reuerence.

Noble Princis, conceyueth & dooth lere
The fall of Brennyus for mysgouernaille,
And prudentli peisyng this mateere,
Vertu is strenger than outher plate or maille.
Afforn considred what Salamon doth counsaille,
Cheef preseruatiff of your magnificence,
Is first to God to do due reuerence.

[How Pirrus kyng of pirothe listnat lyue in pees but of pride and presumpcioun in werre, cam to myschaunce.]

In Bochas book next folwyng on þe ryng
Cam yong[e] Pirrus, sone of Eacides,
Born be discent to regnen & be kyng
And tenherite the lond of Pirothes.
Yit in his youthe & in his tendre encres,
The froward peeple duellyng in that place,
Withoute his gilt, gan his deth purchace.

But to preserue hym, as maad is mencioun,
He was commyttid & taken in keepyng
Certeyn yeeris for his sauacioun
To oon Glaucus of Illirie kyng,
Whos wiff was cosyn, be record of writyng,
To the seid[e] famous Eacides,
And she in stori callid Beronices.

He nih of blood[e] to this noble queen,
Bothe tweyne born of o lynage,
Wonder gracious to alle that dede hym seen
And weel fauoured of fetures & visage.
And in the while of his tendre age,
Oon Cassander, off Macedoyne kyng,
Compassid his deth bi sotil fals werkyng.

And his purpos for to brynge aboute,
He sente for hym bi fals collusioun,
Puttyng Glauchus pleynli out of doute,
But yiff he cam lich his entencioun,
He wolde werke to his destruccioun,
Gadre peeple bothe nih & ferre
And on Glauchus gynne a mortal werre.

577

But king Glaucus took therof non heede,
Hauyng to Pirrus so gret affeccioun:
Of hym resceyued verraili in deede
To been his sone bi adopcioun,
Purposyng of hool entencioun
To make Pirrus, pleynli yiff he may,
To been his hair & regne aftir his day.

Pirrus alway up growyng bi encres,
Ful amyable bothe of cheer & face;
And in this while the peeple of Pirothes,
Knowyng that he stood in Glaucus grace,
Chaunged ther hertis, cast hem in short space
For to restore, alle of o corage,
The said[e] Pirrus to his heritage.

Thus bi assent he was crowned kyng,
Yong, fressh & lusti, & semli therwithal,
Wonder weel thewed in his upgrowyng,
Lik his lynage of corage wex roiall.
The which was cause in especiall,
He was beloued of freendis al aboute,
And of his enmyes gretli had in doute.

The name of hym gan to spreede ferre
Thoruh al Grece aboute in ech contre.
The lond of Tarente gan in [t]his tyme a werre
Ageyn[es] the Romeyns, as ye may see,
Requeryng Pirrus that he wolde bee
Fauourable & helpyng of entente
To the parti of them of Tharente.

To ther request he gan condescende,
And of purpos cast hym nat to faile,
Yif that Fortune wolde hym grace sende,
With myhti hand & marcial apparaile
For to be lord & conquere al Itaille,
As dide his vncle whilom, dout[e]les,
Callid Alisaundre kyng of Epirothes.

578

First he began his conquest in Itaille
Toward Heraclie, a myhti gret cite,
Wher with Brennyus he hadde a gret bataille,
Consul of Rome & lord of that contre.
And to thencres of his felicite,
As [it] is remembred in historie,
Vpon Romeyns he gat that victorie.

The olifauntis with castelis on ther bak
Caused Pirrus, the yonge manli knyht,
With his wisdam, in which ther was no lak,
To putte his enmyes that day to the fliht.
And in this while it happed foorth riht,
The Secilians, Bochas berth record,
Among hemsilff[e] wer at gret discord.

Ther was atween hem gret dyuisioun,
Ech to other contrarie in werkyng;
But to refourme ther fals discencioun,
Thei preied Pirrus to come & be ther kyng.
To whos request he fulli assentyng,
Bi them maad strong, list nat to differre,
Ageyn the Romeyns to begynne a werre.

Beside a castell callid Esculus,
Withynne Poile, his baneres he gan splaie.
The same day, nat happi nor vrous,
Contrarious Fortune his power gan affraie,
Wounded to the deth gan gretli hym dismaye,
Be which occasioun this Pirrus anon riht
Leep on his courseer & took hym to the fliht.

A sone he hadde callid Helenus,
Born of the douhtir of kyng Agothodes,
Whom he ordeyned, myn auctour tellith thus,
For to be crowned, to his gret encres,
On Sicilians to regne ther in pes,
Weenyng therbi taue had auauntage.
And in this while cam to hym a massage

579

Out of Tharente, which stood in auenture
For his absence out of that regeoun,—
Yif he nat cam, thei myhte nat endure
Ageyn the poweer of them of Rome toun,
Which of assent wer descendid doun
Ageyn[e]s hem, thei stondyng in dispa[i]re,
Sauff in abidyng upon his repair.

Pirrus this while stood in ful hard[e] poynt,
Wex abasshed & dul in his corage,
Atwix[e] too hangyng in disioynt:
Werreied of Romeyns, hatid in Cartage;
Hadde a bataille to his fynal damage
Withynne a feeld callid Arusius,
Ther put to fliht bi oon Fabricius.

Destitut bi fortune & appeired,
Void of socour, bareyn of richesse,
Lik a man of hope disespeired,
Toward Epire in haste he gan hym dresse,
Wher he was first, his stori doth expresse,
As ye han herd rehersed be writyng,
Bi successioun whilom lord & kyng.

But whan he cam to Epire his cite,
He gan of newe ageyn Antigonus,
Kyng of Macedoyne, a ful strong contre,
Hym to werreie he was so desirous.
And bi conquest, the stori tellith thus,
Withynne a while, ther was no gret lettyng,
Bi helpe of Fortune he was crownid kyng.

Nat seuene monethes regnyng in quiete,
Bi Lysymachus, maugre al his myht,
He was put doun & remeued from his seete.
Yit of presumpcioun, thouh ther was no riht,
He took on hym to gynne a newe fiht
Geyn Lacedemoyns, & felli them werreie,
Onli because thei wolde hym nat obeie.

Whos presumpcioun whan that thei beheeld,
Bothe of prudence & of policie
Women wer armed to make a large feeld,
With multitude toppressen his partie,

580

For comoun proffit put hem in iupartie;
And fynalli such was ther ordenaunce,
That seid[e] Pirrus was brouht to myschaunce.

His sone ther slayn, callid Tholome,
And many other loste ther her lyues;
Yit for al that, of pride and cruelte,
He gan a werre ageyn[e]s the Argyues.
And at the eende of al his mortal striues,
For conclusioun, this was his laste fall,
Slayn with a ston as he cam to ther wall.

His hed smet off in the same place,
And therof made an oblacioun
To Antigonus for a gret solace.
Thus list Fortune quite his presumpcioun,
Afftir his werris with many regioun.
Loo, heer the eende of folkis rek[e]les
That folwed werre & list nat lyue in pes!

[How the tiraunt Aristotyn/bi trecherous werkyng sette a-side the right lyne/was crowned kyng of Epirothes & aftir slayn.]

Forth procedyng, folwyng Iohn Bochas
I will reherse in ful pleyn langage
How Aristotyn, a tiraunt, this the cas,
Caste & compassed bi ful gret outrage,
Hauyng no title of riht nor heritage,
Of Epirothes bi trecherous werkyng
Voidyng the lyne, ther to be crowned kyng.

Lyuyng too childre, the stori tellith thus,
Born bi discent to regne in that cite,
Theldest of them callid was Pirrus
And the second named Tholome;
And bothe tweyne bi the cruelte
Of Aristotyn wer falsli set aside,
He maad[e] kyng, this tiraunt, thoruh his pride.

And whil that he thus gan occupie,
Lik a tiraunt cruel & vengable,
Of fals[e] rancour and malencolie

581

Slouh al the citeseyns that wer most notable,
And exilid, this stori is no fable,
Onli of malis withynne his herte cloos,
Al that wer contrary vnto his purpos.

Vnto the women bi fraudulent sentence
He made ordeyne, aftir that anon,
Of feyned pite gaff to them licence
To ther freendis freeli for to gon
With ther richessis; but thei wer euerichon
Bi his biddyng & bi his fals tresoun
Take bi the weie & fetrid in prisoun,—

Or thei wer war was set on them arest.
And aftir that, of vengable cruelte
The[r] childre slay[e]n, sovkyng at ther brest,
Maidnes oppressid of ther virgynyte.
But in this while, at Epire the cite
Ther was a kniht passyng of gret age,
Which caste of purpos tauenge [t]his outrage.

This same kniht, myn auctour tellith thus,
In the stori pleynli as I reede,
Was in Greek tunge callid Bellanicus,
Riht wis & manli bothe in werk & deede.
And thynges tweyne put hym out of dreede
Texecute his purpos in certeyn,
Maugre alle tho that wolde been hym ageyn.

For comoun proffit he drad nat to be ded;
A cause was this: for he was falle in age;
And a-nother, that put hym out of dreed,
For he no childre hadde of his lynage.
His quarell rihtfull gaf hym auauntage,
And heerupon gadred hym of newe
Such as he knew that manli wer & trewe.

This purpos holde with circumspect auis,
And theron maad ful prudent ordenaunce,
This Bellanicus, old, hardi & riht wis,
Afforn prouided bi knihtli purueiaunce,
The said[e] tiraunt brouht onto myschaunce
Bi help of them that wer to hym assentid,
Vnwarli slayn, whos deth was nat repentid.

582

[How quene Arcynoe for the auoutrie don with Demetrius husbond of hir douhtir Beronices/ended in sorow.]

Afftir this stori Bochas gan applie
To turne his penne, lik as ye shal heere,
To write & tell the froward lecherie
Of Arsynoe, plesaunt of look & cheere,
Which of hir port & eek of hir maneere
Was in hir daies, lik as it is founde,
For crafft & beute callid Venus the secounde.

For hir fairnesse youen in mariage
To noble Agas of Cirenes kyng,
And atween hem, whil thei wer yong of age,
Thei hadde a douhtir, bi record of writyng,
Callid Beronices; the kyng at his eendyng
In his testament bad she sholde be
Weddid to the sone of kyng Tholome.

And this was doon of entencioun
To cese the werris, that hadde endured longe
Atween Egipt, as maad is mencioun,
And the Cirenes, bothe rewmys stronge:
Bi this mariage that he myhte vndirfonge
In his deyng to sette a fynal pes
Tween these too rewmys for ther bothe encres.

After whos deth[e], thus the mateer stood:
Queen Arsynoe, most subtil in werkyng,
Ageyn this mateer so cruel was & wood,
Maried hir douhtir, withoute mor lettyng,
Callid Beronices, ageyn[e]s the biddyng
Of hir fadir, that callid was Agas,
As heer-toforn rehersid is the caas.

She maried hire to oon Demetrivs
That brother was, bi Bochas rehersyng,
Onto the myhti grete Antigonvs,
Beyng in Grece of Macedoyne kyng.
But infortunat was afftir hir weddyng,
As in this stori suyng ye shal see,
Bi the fals werkyng of queen Arsynoe.

583

And to conclude shortli this mateere,
Whan this queen, this double Arsynoe,
Sauh of Demetrius the visage & the cheere,
His look, his colour, his langage & beute,
His manli port & his liberalite,
She was enamoured, of flesshli fals plesaunce,
Lik hir desir taue his aqueyntaunce.

Of hir nature she was most lecherous;
And of hir froward inclynacioun
She brouhte aboute that Demetrius
Assentid was bi hir suggestioun
For tacomplisshe, lik hir oppynyoun,
Al hir desirs of flesshli appetit:
Thus of accord thei folwed ther delit.

Lefft his wiff callid Beronices,
The queenys douhtir, & ageyn al riht
In a place secre, out of pres,
Thei lay togidre almost euery nyht,
Takyng non heed of God nor of no wiht,
Til of fortune the cas is so befall,
That he was hatid of his knihtis all,

Despiht thei hadde of Arsynoe,
The deede horrible whan thei dide espie.
His wiff Beronices eek whan she dede see
Hooli the maner of ther ribaudie,
In herte she kauhte a gret malencolie,
Ordeyned knihtis in steel armid briht
In ther auoutry to take hem on a niht.

Liggyng a-bedde, slepte & took no keepe
Afftir fals lustis which thei hadden vsid,
Thei fill upon hem euene whil thei sleepe.
The deede open myht nat been excusid,
To al the world[e] thus thei wern accusid.
With suerdis drawe the knihtis thilke niht
To slen hem bothe wer purposed anon riht.

Out on Beronices! crieth Iohn Bochas,
Because she bad spare Arsynoe,
Ground, roote & gynnyng of this horrible caas,
Seide hir merci was verray cruelte,—

584

To saue suchon it was a fals pite,
As seith myn auctour, a thyng contrarious,
Hir to preserue & slen Demetrius!

O Beronices, smal is thi discrecioun,
To saue the queen that hath thi[s] tresoun founde.
First to Demetrius she gaff occasioun,
For which she sholde haue had the firste wounde
Take for them bothe, and in cheynis bounde;
And aftir that, this fals Arsynoe
Texaumple of other sholde haue punshed bee.

And whil thei wer[e]n thus taken in cloos,
The said Arsynoe made no delay,
But from hir bed anon she up aroos,
Withoute clothes, naked as she lay,
Ran to ther suerdis in al ther gret affray,
Wente atween hem, did hir besi peyne
To bere of strokis with hir armys tweyne.

To saue Demetrius, naked as she stood,
Void of al dreed[e] dede hir besi cure,
Hir white bodi al bespreynt with blood,
Gan to crien out on eueri creature,—
“Alas,” quod she, “lat me allone endure
Deth be my-silff! ye been to despitous,
To save my lyff and slen Demetrius!”

To the erthe anon she fill adoun,
To stonde upriht she myht[e] nat susteene,
Ded, pale & wan, with many pitous soun
Deth of Demetrius gan wofulli bemeene,
Enbracyng hym with al his woundis greene,
And in hir armys, al-be that he lay ded,
She kissid his mouth, cold, blew & nothyng red.

In sorwe & compleynt thus she made an eende.
I write no mor of this Arsynoe,
But to Beronices ageyn I wil now weende;
For Bochas seith, the stori ye may see,
She aftir was weddid to Tholome,
Lik as it was hir fadris first entent,
Whan he deied & made his testament.

Finis libri quarti.

585

BOOK V

Incipit Liber Quintus.

[Here Bochas writeth ayenst hem þat delite in beute & semlynesse, calling to purpos how, A man, born in Tuscan which excellid in beute and fairenesse, and for his beute sholdenot geve othir occasioun to synne he disfigured his visage with many a grete wounde and spotte.]

Heer Iohn Bochas scorneth & hath disdeyn
Of thre maner folk he dide see
Heer in þis world[e], which þat in certeyn
Set al ther ioie and ther felicite
For texelle in fairnesse & beute,
Natwithstandyng, as he weel telle can,
It hath vndoon ful many worthi man.

Record he taketh of Demetrius,
Which in his tyme was fairest in certeyn,
Which caused hym to be contrarious
To al vertu; his stori ye haue seyn.
But of tho folk Bochas hath most disdeyn,
That besi been to conquere & recure
Beute bi crafft, which kometh nat of nature.

The thridde is he that gruchcheth ageyn Kynde
For lak of stature or of semlynesse:
And alle thes thre be ignoraunt & blynde,
And ageyn resoun ther corages thei up dresse.
Yit aboue beute vertu is maistresse;
And litil worth is fairnesse in certeyn
In a persone wher no vertu is seyn.

586

Vnto purpos he tellith of a man
That excelled al other in fairnesse,
Callid Spurnya, & born was in Tuscan.
And folkis hadde ioie and gret gladnesse
To beholde hym for his semlynesse,
Whos beute brouht[e] women in dotage,
Whan thei caste ther look on his visage.

Wyues, maydnes duellyng in that contre
Presed faste on hym to beholde,
Bi thoccasioun of his gret beute,
Nat onli yonge, but summe that wer olde.
With louis accesse now wer thei hoot, now colde:
Thus was his beute to many creature
Founde in effect a [ful] pereilous lure.

Husbondis olde kauhte a fantasie
And hadde in maner a suspecioun,
Stered bi the serpent of fals ielousie,
Toward Spurnya, as maad is mencioun;
But for tauoide al euel occasioun
Of any peeple that such malis thouhte,
Ye shal heere how wisli that he wrouhte.

To put a-wey fals delectacioun
And alle occasiouns of Cupidis rage,
He of prudence and discrecioun
With many wounde diffaced his visage;
For he dempte it was a gret damage,
That bi thenchesoun of excellent beute
Any creature hyndred sholde be.

Philisophres & poetis that wer wise
Gaff vnto hym gret comendacioun,
That he koude so notabli deuise,
To fynde a weie withynne his resoun,
To sette aside al occasioun
Of such vnleefful fless[h]li fantasie,
That myhte stere women to lecherie.

He knew afforn & sauh bexperience,
That al beute shal waste a-wey & fade
Lik somer flours in ther most excellence,
That growe on hillis & lowe doun in the shade:
The rose, the lilie, whan thei be most glade,

587

Vpon their stalkis—ther preef is alday seyn—
Been beten doun with a stormy reyn.

And semblabli in eueri creature
Of louh degre or of hih estat,
Beute abit nat, nor lenger doth endure
Than youthes sesoun; with age is ful chekmaat.
Who thynketh heron, I holde hym fortunat,
And can afforn[e] in his resoun caste,
No worldli beute in erthe may alway laste.

Lenvoye.

Ye worldli folk that reio[i]she in beute,
Seeth with the eien of your aduertence
How with a smal sodeyn infirmyte,
Whan deth & age list shewen ther presence,
Disteyne al fresshnesse with vnwar violence,
Ageyn whos myht ther is non other grace:
Processe of yeeris al beute doth difface.

Thouh Demetrius was fair vpon to see,
As ye han herd rehersid in sentence,
Geyn lawe & riht he loued Arsynoe,
Thoccasioun founde bi hir fals insolence,
Because resoun made no resistence,
Nat aduertyng how eueri hour & space
Processe of yeeris al beute doth difface.

Ful horrible was ther iniquite,
And tofor God hatful ther offence.
For thoruh fals lust of sensualite,
Lost was the bridil of inward prouidence.
Sharp mortal suerd made the recompence,
Drownid in teres, whan she dide hym enbrace,
With bloodi woundis disfigured al his face.

O noble Princis, lat this stori bee
A cleer merour to your magnificence,
Theryn considerid the fals fragilite
Of worldli fairnesse, which is but apparence
And transitorie, but so be that prudence
Gouerne the passage vicious lust tenchace:
Processe of yeeris al beute doth difface!

588

[How the too brethern, Seleuchus and Anthiochus eche desirous to excellen other fel at discord ended in mischeff.]

Ther is no man þat can in stori reede
Of mor myscheef nor of mor debat,
Than of debat þat is atween kynreede,
Tween blood & blood, geyn kynde infortunat;
Namli in personys which been of hih estat,
As it fill onys, the stori berþ record,
Atween to brethre that wer at discord.

The ton Seleuchus, Antiochus the tothir,
As the stori heeraftir shal deuise:
Ech desirous for texcellen othir
In worldli worshep; & wonderli thei wer wise.
And bothe blent bi worldli couetise
For to clymben up to hih estat,
Which caused hem to been at debat.

Bothe mihti kyngis, Bochas makth mencioun,
And of o wombe sothli thei wer born,
Vndir a cursid fell constellacioun:
Of froward seed may growe no good[e] corn.
And thoruh couetise bothe thei wer lorn
And destroied bi the mortal werre
That was atween hem, in Asie nih & ferre.

It is to me verray contagious
To reede the batailles & the discenciouns,
The false promyses of Antiochus,
With his deceitis & conspiraciouns.
Brethre of berthe & off condiciouns,
Contrarious weies euer thei dede weende,
Froward ther gynnyng [&] froward was ther eende.

Ther mooder was callid Laodices,
And in Asia Seleuchus was regnyng,
Euer at werre, koude nat lyue in pes;
And in Surrie Antiochus was kyng.
And among robbours thei made þer eendyng:
Wher-euer thei fauht, outher in wrong or riht,
Thei neuer abod but took hem to the fliht.

589

Thouh Seleuchus was at his gynnyng
Shynyng in glorie & in hih prowesse,
And of Asie he was lord & kyng,
With gret diffame was dirked his noblesse,
Because that he of gret vnkyndenesse
Ful falsli slouh, withoute iugement,
His yonger brother, that was innocent.

And bi the biddyng of Laodices,
Which was his mooder, of hatful cruelte
Falsli to moordre the queen Beronices,
Wiff to the kyng callid Tholome,
Regnyng in Egipt; but it stood that he,
For al his poweer, failed of his pray,
Because that she was war & fledde a-way.

Yit aftirward, of old hate & envie,
This Seleuchus, bi ful fals tresoun,
Moordred Beronices bi conspiracie,
Hir sone also, as maad is mencioun.
The sclaundre aros thoruh many a regioun
And was reportid onto his diffame,
Wherthoruh he loste his worshep & his name.

And on this moordre auengid for to bee,
For thorrible gret abusioun,
The kyng of Egipt, the said[e] Tholome,
Gan make hym strong, & cam with peeple doun.
But for ther was so gret discencioun
Thoruh al his lond, the stori seith certeyn,
He was constreyned to retourne hom ageyn.

Seleuchus thanne maad a strong arme,
Gadred shippis, stuffed hem with vitaile,
Toward Asie he taken hath the se,
But such tempest gan his peeple assaile,
That ther hertis and poweer gan to faile,
With thundryng, lihtnyng vengabli distreyned,
To take the lond of neede he was constreyned.

The peeple of Asie seyng this myscheeff,
Hadde of Seleuchus gret compassioun;
And ther socour to setten at a preeff,
Thei hym resceyued into that regeoun,

590

Thouh it [so] stood, as maad is mencioun,
That affor-tyme for his cruel deede
Thei hadde his persone in ful gret hatreede.

And for he fond Fortune fauourable,
Nat considryng hir mutabilite,
He cast of rancour for to be vengable,
And gynne a werre ageyn[es] Tholome.
His men outraied, he was maad to flee;
Knew no refuge nor socour of non othir,
But for gret myscheeff sente to his brothir,—

I meene his brothir callid Antiochus,
Behestyng hym for to crowne hym kyng
Of al Asie, his stori tellith thus,—
Took treus this while, be sotil fals werkyng,
With Tholome for ten yeer enduryng;
And whan his brother cam with his poweer,
Falsid his promys, double of herte & cheer.

Thus of newe thei fillen at debat;
Euerich gan other myhtili werreie.
Fals couetise tencrecen ther estat
Caused that nouther list other to obeie.
Mette in a feeld, ther is no mor to seie,
Fauht hand of hand ther hostis bothe too;
Seleuchus fledde, as he was wont to doo.

Thus a fals werre of hatreede fraternall
Ageyn nature set hem at discord,
Ech bisi was in especiall,
As ther stori remembreth be record,
Neuer ther lyue to been of oon accord.
But whan Seleuchus was thus put to fliht,
The peeple off Surrie gan deemen anon riht,

That he that day was outher taken or ded;
And Gallocrecs, a peeple of gret pouste,
Of couetise gan haste hem ful gret speed
Tentre Asie, & spoille al that contre.
To Antiochus thei hadde eek enmyte,
That he was fayn for his sauacioun
To paie to them a ful gret raunsoun.

591

Ther herte was youe onli to pillage,
Takyng of hym of gold gret quantite,
And he, seyng of robbyng the outrage,
Drouh to the pillours; & oon of them was he.
And thoruh al Asie thei robbed ech contre;
For Seleuchus thei gan so purchace,
That he nat durste abiden in no place.

Than Antiochus drouh to Tholome,
Void of sauffconduit or any assuraunce,
Thouh that atween hem was gret enmyte
For a sesoun, as maad is remembraunce,
Tafounde socour in his gret greuaunce.
But al for nouht; for in conclusioun
Tholome hym took & cast in derk prisoun.

Ther constreyned of necessite,
Knowyng no mene to make[n] his raunsoun,
Bi a woman that lyued in pouerte
He was holp out of that merk prisoun.
Loo, heer of Fortune a fals condicioun,
That koude make a kyng withoute peere
Of a woman to stonden in daungeere!

To proude folk this may be a merour,
To seen a prince thus sodeynli brouht lowe,
That shon in richesse lik an emperour,
Which of disdeyn[e] list no man to knowe.
Now is he cast; now is he ouerthrowe;
Now hath he cause to pleyne, weepe & mourne,
Knowyng no freend for socour hym to tourne.

He was afferd to holden his passage
Bi hih-weies, or for to kome in siht;
Fill among theues; & thei be gret outrage
Al merciles thei slouh hym anon riht.
And his brother, for al his gret[e] myht,
Callid Seleuchus, which was a gret[e] wonder,
Fill from his courseer & brak his nek assonder.

592

[How the noble quene Leodomia was in the temple slayn, and vengeaunce taken/vpon him that slouh hir.]

Sixe of estatis, princis & princessis,
Shewed hem to Bochas pitousli pleynyng,
To hym declaryng ther mortal heuynessis;
And first of alle ther cam to hym weepyng
The noble queen, hir sorwes rehersyng,
Cald Laodomya, which with ful heuy cheere
Compleyned the myscheef of hir sustir deere,

Callid Nereis, yong & tendre of age,
That weddid was of Cicile to the kyng.
And on the day of that gret mariage,
Ther fill a stryff & a gret meuyng
Among the comouns bamaner of risyng;
That whan the queen[e] therof hadde a siht,
To Dians temple anon she took hir fliht.

The peeple was parti, & roos ageyn the kyng;
For which[e] rumour & the sodeyn striff,
Laodomya, ful feerfulli quakyng,
Ran to the temple for to saue hir lyff,
Supposyng in hyr ymagynatiff,
That for the templis chast[e] reuerence
Men wolde spare to do ther violence.

But ther was oon bi whom the striff began,
And was first ground of this gret mocioun,
Callid Milo, a fals Cicilian,
Void of al reuerence & deuocioun.
Ran to the temple fersere than leoun,
And wher the queen the auter dede enbrace,
With a sharp suerd[e] slouh hir in the place.

This sacrilege was punshed be vengaunce;
Goddis wer wroth with this gret offence.
And Diana bi ful gret displesaunce
Made in the contre a sodeyn pestilence;
And Milo was bi vnwar violence
Turnid bestial, maad wood in that affray,
And slouh hymsy[l]ff suyng the tuelfte day.

593

[How Cleomens ky[ng] of Macedoyne was slayn with his wif and childre.]

Afftir this vengaunce taken on Milo,
Cam Cleomenes of Macedoyne kyng;
And to Bochas gan shewe his dedli wo,
His gret iniuries of enmyes assailyng,
His hih emprises, his kyngdam defendyng,
And aldirlast how he in his cite
Was bi the sone slayn off Tholome.

First in his contre, the stori doth deuise,
Ageyn his enmyes he hadde a gret bataile,
Of his peeple deffendyng the fraunchise
Of knihtli prowesse, as he that list nat faile
For his riht to fiht in plate & maile,
His lieges echon beyng of assent
To lyue and deie with hym in ther entent.

Men and women, & childre yong of age
Wern of oon herte as in this mateere,
Which made hem strong & gaff gret auauntage,
That vndeuided thei stood echon ifeere
Off o corage, off o will & o cheere,
Gretli assurid in ther oppynyoun,
Because among hem was no dyuysioun.

Ther comoun proffit thei dede mor preferre
Than thei dede tresour, lyff or good;
For ther fredam ay redi to the werre,
Nat afferd to spende ther owne blood.
And fynali togidre so thei stood,
That of o thouht ech gan hym redi make,
To lyue and deie for his brothres sake.

Thei hadde an enmy born of that regeoun,
The name of whom was Antigonus;
And he had weddid, the book makth mencioun,
The olde queen of kyng Demetrius,

594

And hadde hir sone, the stori tellith thus,
Callid Phelipp, for youthe in his keepyng,
Therbi pretendyng a title to be kyng.

Off Lacedemonois cleymed ageyn riht
Ther to regne & take pocessioun,
Lik a tiraunt vsurpyng of gret myht,
For to be crowned in that regeoun.
But for al his fals presumpcioun
He was put of and Iset a-ferre,
Thouh he with hem heeld a [ful] mortal werre.

And Cleomenes that was rihtful kyng
Was in the feeld[e] armyd eueri day,
Hardi as leoun, dradde hym [in] nothyng,
Geyn his enmyes he stood so at a-bay,
That from the feeld he maad hem fleen away:
His dreedful suerd grounden was so keene,
That tabide hym [thei] myhte nat susteene.

And on a day diffendyng his cite,
Heeld in the feeld[e] a ful strong bataille;
With litil peeple made his foon to flee,
Retournyng hom ful weri of trauaille,
Thouhte in his herte that it sholde auaille
To stynte the werre hangyng in noun certeyn,
Til that his peeple refresshid wer ageyn.

Set ordenaunce thoruh al the contre
Geyn al enmyes to make resistence;
And into Egipt he goth to Tholome,
With wiff & childre withdrawyng his presence.
Ther resceyued with gret benyuolence
Lich his estat, out of care & dreed,
And ther abood til Tholome was ded.

But the sone of kyng Tholome,
Which regnid aftir bi successioun,
Of fals envie & vengable cruelte
Slouh Cleomenes in that regeoun,
His wiff & childre, void of compassioun.
Alas, it was to straunge a cruel thyng,
Withynne his kyngdam to moordre so a kyng.

595

[Of kyng Yero, Cornelie, and Hanybal.]

Afftir whos deth þus wrouht bi violence,
[As] the stori remembreth proceedyng,
Foorth cam Yero & shewed his presence,
Of Siracuse the myhti stronge kyng,
Tofor Bochas ful pitousli pleynyng,
Besechyng hym with a ful pitous cheere
Of his myscheef to writen the maneere.

The which Yero, wilful & furious,
List to presume of fals rebellioun
For to debate with Appius Claudius,
And to maligne ageyn[es] Rome toun.
But he anon for his presumpcioun
Constreyned was, in al his moste pride,
Lik a coward to fleen & nat abide.

No mor of hym myn auctour writeth heer,
But in his book[e] as he doth proceede,
Ther cam Cornelie, of Rome a consuleer,
Hymsilff compleynyng of the gret falsheede
Which onto hym acomplisshed was in deede,
Bassuraunce broke, of olde Hanybal,
Which of Cartage was cheeff admyral.

To this Cornelie Hanybal was sworn
With the Affricanes bamaner flaterie,
To socoure hym, as I ha[ue] tolde toforn,
With the Romeyns to holde up his partie.
But whan thei mette, the book doth specefie,
Corneli take & fetrid in prisoun,
At myscheeff deied; ther geyned no raunsoun.

Than Hanybal entred of entent
With his knihtis inta gret cite
Of Cicile callid Agrigent,
Wher Iulius Silua, of old enmyte,
Leid a siege with a gret meyne,
That he constreyned the saide Hanybal
For verray hunger to lepe ouer the wal.

Bi a posterne he took hym to the fliht,
Gadred shippis & took the Large Se.
And Iulius Silua, lik a manli kniht,

596

Fauht with hym, & made hym for to flee,
Vpon the watir; [&] anon aftir he
Was of his knihtes stoned to the deth,
And so constreyned he yald up the breth.

[Off the Duk zantipus/cast in to see.]

Afftir that Hanybal was slay[e]n thus
And put to flih[t], as maad is mencioun,
Tofor Bochas cam worthi Zantipus,
A famous duk, ful notable off renoun.
And he was lord of the strong regioun
Lacedemoyn, & was com from a-ferre
Into Cartage to help hem in the werre.

Bi whos prowesse, to his encres of glorie,
The proud[e] Romeyns wer put to the fliht;
Cartagynensis hadde of them victorie.
And ther was take the wise manli kniht
Marchus Regulus, & brouht anon riht
Into Cartage, & lad as prisoneer
Bi Zantipus, as Bochas writeth heer.

This noble duk, for al his hih prowessis
Doon in Cartage & shewed to ther toun,
And for al his notable kyndenessis,
Thei most vnkyndeli quit hym his guerdoun;
For sailyng hom toward his regioun,
In a shipp stuffid of ther contre,
Of fals envie thei cast hym in the se.

To his noblesse and famous cheualrie,
Whan he of knihthod sat hiest in his flours,
Thei of Cartage of hatreede & envie
Maligned ageyn hym, cheeff sonne of ther socours,
Taclipsed his lih[t]: but therageyn auctours
Han be writyng perpetueli set his name
And it registred in the Hous of Fame.

597

[How Marchus Regulus, of his fre wil deied for the comon wele.]

Who can reherse or telle the ground of werris,
The firste cause of such mortal outrage—
Wher it began bynfluence of sterris
Tween man and man, or of wilful rage,
As atween Romeyns & folkis of Cartage,
To gret hyndryng, considered the maneere,
Of bothe parties, as bookis doth us lere.

Italiens therwith wer greued ofte,
Namli whan Fortune was ther aduersarie.
And Affrican[e]s felte ful vnsofte,
Whan she to them list to be contrarie,—
Whos cours of custum stoundemeel doth varie,
Bexperience it hath be preued weel,
In the ouerwhelmyng of hir vntrusti wheel.

The moste worthi & the moste famous,
Afforn remembrid upon ech partie,
Fortune to-day made hem victorious,
And to-morwe she dede ther myht deffie.
Now up, now doun; al stood in iupartie,
Lik as she list them fauoure, nih or ferre,
Ther losse, ther wynnyng callid fortune of werre.

To summe weelwillid, happi & eurous,
To summe also ful straunge of aqueyntaunce;
Rekne among othir Marcus Regulus,
On Romeyn parti a prince of gret substaunce,
To be preferrid & put in remembraunce,
Oon the most worthi & trewe founde in deede
Of knihtli policie that I can of reede.

To comoun proffit was ay his aduertence,
Tween loue & hate stondyng so vpriht,
To nouther side declyned the ballaunce
Of his doomys, for fauour of no wiht,
Til that the eie off his inward siht
Conceyued hadde wher the trouthe stood:
Than gaff he sentence; & theron he abood.

598

In al this world ther was no bettir kniht,
Bettir named & born of good lynage,
A semli persone, delyuer & of gret myht,
Hardi as leoun, riht manli off visage,
Wal of the Romeyns, sharp yerd to Cartage,
Demure, nat hasti, seyng al thyng toforn;
And in Papynia I fynde that he was born.

And for he hadde so gret discrecioun,
This worthi kniht, this Marcus Regulus,
Chosen he was a consul of the toun,
And hadde a felawe callid Manlius,
In armys manli, wis and vertuous.
Which for ther expert notable hih constaunce
Of Romeyn werris hadde the gouernaunce.

Ther shippis stuffed, maad a gret arme,
Ful prudentli with knihtli apparaille
Thes princis tweyne taken han the se;
First with Sicilians hadde a gret bataille,
Discounfited hem, & at ther arryuaille
Outraied Amulchar, the stori is no fable,
That was of Affrik capteyn & constable.

Gat in that contre castellis many on,
Took prisoneres, stuff & gret richesse;
And al that pray to Roome he sente anon
Bi Manlius, the stori berth witnesse.
And the Romeyns for his worthynesse,
Alle of assent, because he was so wis,
Prolongid han the terme off his offis.

Off knihtli noblesse was non onto hym lik,
Nouthir in armys nor politik ordenaunce;
And for the conquest off Cartage & Affrik,
To hym thei gaff of bothe the gouernaunce.
Brouht citees, toun[e]s to the obeissaunce
Of the Romeyns, this noble worthi kniht,
Wher-euer he rood, maugre ther foos myht.

Be his feithful laborious dilligence
Gat al the contres to Cartage toun,

599

Til tidyngis cam vnto his presence,
Beside a ryuer ther was a gret dragoun,
So horrible, as maad is mencioun,
That al the contre of hym stood in such doute,
No man durste neihhe hym ferre aboute.

An hundred feet & tueyne was his lengthe,
Lik as writeth Titus Lyuyus.
Was non so hardi, nor no man of such strengthe
That durste approche; he was so venymous.
But bi the manhod of Marchus Regulus
Islay[e]n was this monstruous serpent,
And for a merueil the skyn to Rome sent.

Thus in conquest whil he dede his peyne
To gete castellis & myhti stronge touns,
Geyn hym wer sent Astruballis tweyne,
Callid of Affrik the hardi champiouns,
With al the poweer of ther regiouns.
But as the stori maketh rehersaile,
Thei wer discounfited bothen in bataile.

Amulchar aftir cam with spere & sheeld
In diffence of Affrik & Cartage;
And he was also distrussed in the feeld
With al his host[e], maugre his visage.
Thus Marchus hadde alway thauauntage,
Makyng the Romeyns, this kniht most vertuous,
Thoruh hih prowesse to be victorious.

And wher that he in his tendre age
List to laboure & tile his owne lond,
For exercise & vertuous auauntage
To holde the plouh & leede it with his hond,
Auoidyng slouthe, as ye shal vndirstond,—
Now thoruh al Affrik with many worthi kniht
He rideth armed in steel & mailles briht.

600

This noble Mark, what-euer he hadde ado,
He was in armys soueryn synguleer;
And in the temple at Rome of Appollo
For hym was kept a crowne of fressh laureer,
Forgid of gold, fret ful of stonis cleer:
And in the temple of Iouis was reserued
A robe of victorie, which he hath disserued.

To these goddis, who can considre weel,
Of old custum ther rihtis to meynteene,
As for a thyng beyng perpetuel,
Which fadeth neuere of nature, thus I meene,
Isacrid is the fressh[e] laureer greene:
For causis tweyne grauntid to conquerours,
In marcial actis bi conquest maad victours.

For the noblesse of this tre dyuyne
Sheweth [bi] his odour in wisdam excellence;
Bi the grennesse, which neuer doth declyne,
Long abidyng of vertuous prudence;
The rounde crowne betokneth prouidence,
In signe onli, al knihtli gouernaunce
Taketh his guerdoun of long contynuaunce.

Ther strengthe onli graunteth hem nat the crowne,
Nor a proud gynnyng stablissheth nat þer glorie,
But perseueraunce, who list muse or rowne,
Graunteth to them & putteth in memorie
The triumphe & palme of ther victorie,
The crowne of laureer, in stori it is told,
And of Iubiter the riche robe of gold.

Who can disserne, of alle thes giftes thre,
Most apparteneth onto cheualrie,
Manli prowesse, wisdam, anon lat see,
Strengthe, hardynesse, conquest, policie?—
For the Romeyns kauhte a fantasie,
For his meritis notable & glorious
To magnefie this Marcus Regulus.

601

For this Marcus duryng his lusti yeeris
Prynce of the werris geyn Affrik & Cartage,
Took alle ther yonge knihtis prisoneeris,
Sent hem to Rome for comoun auauntage.
But O, alas! whan he was falle in age,
The geri goddesse, among hir chaunges alle,
Ageyn this prince hir fauour made appalle.

For to withstonde the prowesse of this kniht,
In helpe of Affrik, as maad is mencioun,
Cam Zantipus, of whom I spak now riht,
A myhti duk, the which[e] was sent doun
Fro Lacedemoyn; which thoruh his hih renoun,
Whan the poweer of Marchus gan to faille,
His mene slay[e]n, took hym in bataille,—

Into Cartage sent hym prisoneer;
And ther he lay in stronge cheynys bounde.
Loo, how Fortune chaunge can hir cheer,
Falsest of trust whan she is most iocounde;
First fauourable, aftir froward founde:
This hir maner with hir double face,
Folk that sit hiest to chaunge hem fro ther place.

For he that whilom hadde in subieccioun
Almost al Affrik, & Cartage the cite,
Now lith he bounde & fetrid in prisoun,
Whilom in glorie, now in aduersite,
Cast in miserie from hih prosperite.
Fortunis fauours be maad, who looke weel,
Of brotel glas rather than of steel.

This manli kniht, al-be that he lay cheyned,
Which had brouht Rome to so hih encres,
That thei of Affrik & Cartage wer constreyned
Vnto the Romeyns to pursue for a pes;
And for tacomplisshe this mateer dout[e]les,
Vndir assuraunce made in Cartage toun,
Thei took[e] Marcus anon out of prisoun.

Bounde bi his oth, ther is no mor to seyn,
He to be chaungid for Affrik prisoneris;
Ther for tabide, & thei to come ageyn,
The yonge knihtis, fressh lusti of ther cheeris.

602

So that Marchus, feeble & old of yeeris,
Bi Affrican[e]s was to Rome sent,
Bi oth assured, tacomplisshe ther entent.

For the Romeyns hadde in such deynte
This noble Mark for manhod & prudence,
And for the foorthryng of ther comounte,
Thei hadde his persone for wisdam in reuerence,
Cald of that toun ther wal & ther diffence,
Hadde in mor cheerte for knyhthod in that age
Than al ther prisoneris of Affrik & Cartage.

Romeyns gretli reioisshed of his comyng,
And specialli for his delyueraunce;
Alle attonis, of herte & trewe menyng,
Saide, “wolcom hom, our ioie, our suffisaunce,
Wolcome, merour of knihtli gouernaunce!”
This was ther vois & this was ther langage
At his repair from Affrik & Cartage.

And thus resceyued lik to his estat
And conveied thoruh al the cite,
Nobli presentid up to the senat,
Began his tale, anon as ye shal see,
As he that hadde mor in cheer[i]te
The comoun proffit than his delyueraunce,
Saide onto them these woordes in substaunce:

“Sires, be thauys of you echon present,
First bi thestatis, next bi the comounte,
As prince & consul to Affrik I was sent;
And, as ye knowe, seuene yeer I haue ther be
To chastise rebellis of that contre,
And bi the fauour & helpe of Goddis myht,
To your cite aquit me lik a kniht.

In this mateer it needeth nat to tarie,
Ye knowe yoursilff I am now wexen old,
And Fortune is to me contrarie,
Wherbi your enmyes in Affrik be maad bold.
And thei desire me for to be sold
In eschaung, bi short conclusioun,
For prisoneres which ye haue in the toun.

603

And bi the fauour of goddis hih in heuene,
And bi my felawes wis mediacioun,
Contrees, provynces, mo than sixe or seuene
I haue in Affrik maad subiect to this toun,
Maugre ther myht & ther rebellioun,
And them constreyned, lik as ye desire,
For tobeie vnto your empire.

To make your lordship mor statli glorious,
And tencrece the boundis of your cite,
Whilom bi grace I was victorious,
Venquisshed your enmyes wher-euer I dede hem see;
Now thoruh Fortunis mutabilite
Maad vnhappi & desolat of cheer,—
Sumtyme a prince & now a prisoneer.

Afforn, my poweer bi Fortune was fraunchised,
Now am I thrall & fetrid in prisoun;
Myn olde triumphes be neweli now disguised,
And [my] victories oppressid & bor doun.
With this considered the transmutacioun
Of youthe passid & myn vnweeldi age,
Litil wonder thouh dul be my corage.

Yit ther is a thyng that draweth along my lyff,
Which in myn herte hath sette gret gladnesse:
To your encres how in this mortal striff
Bi my labour & knihtli bisynesse
The marcial princis, famous in worthynesse,
With al the knihtis most soueryn of renoun
Souht thoruh Affrik, be now in your prisoun.

Bi whos absence feeblid is Cartage;
The contre porisshed, brouht to disencres.
Seyng that I am dul and falle in age
Geyn Affricans to put my-silff in pres,
Causyng your enmyes [to] pursue for the pes
Beschaung of me, that may but smal auaile,
For Affrik knihtis most expert in bataille.

604

Thei stonde in hope of ther delyueraunce
Beschaung of me, now sent out of prisoun,
Of entent tencrecen ther puissaunce,
Of newe to gynne a werre upon your toun.
Now taketh good heed, & of discrecioun
Peiseth of prudence this thyng that I haue told,
Ther youthe considred, & I am feeble & old.

I am consumyd & wered in the werris;
Fortune contrarie, I feeble to bere armure:
Thei lusti fressh, ther name spredde ful ferr is,
And in the feeld thei able to endure.
I vnweldi, & lik a creature
Mor sembl[abl]e to drawe hom to my graue,
Than to be armyd this cite for to saue.

And in effect, I haue mor cheer[i]te,
Of verray feith withoute variaunce,
Vnto the proffit of your comounte
Than to the mateer of my delyueraunce;
Too thynges peised & weied in ballaunce:
Of Affrik knyhtis thexpert worthynesse,
In me the constreynt off agis feebilnesse.

And to conclude upon this mateer,
I myhte neuere, as semeth onto me,
As of knihthod disseruen the laureer
Nor the tryumphe in this famous cite,
Bet than deie tencrece the comounte,
And thus auised, of herte & hool corage
Yeld up the sperit of myn vnweeldi age.”

In this purpos, he, stedfast as a wall,
Of o will and oon perseueraunce,
Hymsilff comendyng to goddis inmortall,
Ches for to deie off politik constaunce,
And to preferre bi notable purueyaunce
The comoun proffit: this was his motiff,—
Set aside good, tresour and his lyff.

Riht weel cheerid, stable of his visage,
Of parfit loue he hadde onto the toun,
He is repaired ageyn onto Cartage,

605

Tharticles kept and the condicioun
At the departyng from Affrik regioun:
This to seyne, texpleite ther lust certeyne,
Or prisoneer he to resorte ageyn.

At his departyng the Romeyn senatours
Gan wexe pale off compassioun,
To seen the pauys of al ther old socours
As prisoneer departe out of the toun.
Princessis, ladies fill a-swowne doun;
Childre wepte & cried for pite,
“Farweel upholdere, cheeff wal of our cite!”

Was euer founde any trewer kniht?
Which of his owne feithful mocioun,
Wher he was free, & poweer hadde & myht,
Taue stonde at large bi his eleccioun,
To keepe his promis repaired to prisoun!
What shal I write of his noblesse or shewe?—
To fynde oon lik hym, I reede but of a fewe!

And whan he cam ageyn with his massage,
Knowyng thentent of this worthi knyht,
Most furiousli the peeple of Cartage,
In the presence of euery maner wiht,
Ordeyned han a torment anon riht.
First the liddis of his eien tweyne,
Thei kutte hem of to encrece his peyne,

That he nat sholde slepen in prisoun,
But euer wachche with peyne intollerable,
And for the constreynt of his passioun
Crie & compleyne with sihhis lamentable.
And aftir this, thei token a pleyn table,
Fret ful of nailles sharp[e] whet & grounde,
And therupon naked thei hym bounde.

Another table thei leide on hym aloffte,
Nailed also; and atween thes tweyne
Thei couchid hym; his bed was ful vnsoffte,
Most importable, so hidous was the peyne;
The blood ran out of eueri senew & veyne.
This was his torment, alas, a cruel deth!—
Of worthi Marchus til he yald up the breth.

606

Who radde in bookes or euer dede see
Of any princis so stedfast & so stable
As whilom wern in Rome the cite,
Or in ther conquest so longe perdurable,
On vertu foundid, of corage vnchaungable!
Rekne up alle that euer wer in that toun,
And to this Marchus mak no comparisoun.

Rekne Kamylles, Papires, Scipiouns,
Notable worthi for many gret victorie;
Rekne up alle ther othir champiouns,
Cursius, Fabricus famous of memorie.
But this Regulus eclipseth al ther glorie
And surmounteth, bi report of renoun,
Al thes forsaide in comparisoun.

Rekne up the foure that whilom wer so riche,
The firste of them callid Lucius,
Other tweyne of condicioun liche,
As was Scavrus & Gayus Delius;
And forget nat the grete Emelius,—
But for al ther gret pocessioun,
Make to Marchus no comparisoun.

Remembre on Crassus, of whom it is told,
The Assiriens to staunche his couetise
Pored in his throte, strangled hym with gold;
So he deide, the stori doth deuise.
And thouh thes foure wendyn ha be wise,
Gretli comendid thoruh fals oppynyoun,
Of them to Marchus mak no comparisoun.

Touchyng this Mark, lat men beholde & see:
He leffte his tresour, his fredam & richesse,
And for the proffit of the comounte
Forsook his freendis, Bochas berth witnesse;
To foorthre his toun deied in distresse,
To keepe his feith resorted to prisoun,—
Mak of non othir to hym comparisoun.

607

Myn auctour heer put in remembraunce
Summe that hadde gold, stonis & perre,
Summe that hadde of richesse habundaunce,
And of othir that stood in dignite,
And summe that hadde worldli prosperite,—
Set al aside, & conclude on resoun,
Tween them & Marchus is no comparisoun.

Princis may lyue aftir ther ententis,
Aftir ther lustis, after ther delices,
Of gold & purpure were riche garnementis,
Aftir ther poweer frowardli in vices,
Graunte ther mynistris in cites gret offices,—
Tween al ther pompe & veyn ambicioun
And atween Mark mak no comparisoun.

Alle these thynges remembred in certeyn,
Weel considred & Iput in mynde,
Ther wer in Rome but fewe such[e] seyn,
To comoun proffit that founde wer so kynde.
And, til I may such another fynde
In al this book[e], turnyng up-so-doun,
I will to hym make no comparisoun.

[Lenvoye.]

This tragedie, who þat can take heede,
Is entermedlid with wo & gladnesse:
Ioie for [the] worshep & synguler manhede
That was in Mark bi excellent noblesse;
To reede his fall it is gret heuynesse,
Which ches to deie, wher-as he stood[e] fre,
Onli for proffit of the comounte.

To keepe his oth, pleynli, as I reede,
Maad in Cartage, ther beyng in distresse,
This noble prince constreyned off no neede,
But of fre will, myn auctour doth expresse,
Fro Rome ageyn[e] thidir gan hym dresse
To suffre torment, off his free volunte,
Onli for proffit of the comounte.

608

This stori sholde crowned been in deede
With golden lettres, for to bern witnesse,
How [the] seid Mark, hauyng of deth no dreede,
To sette Rome fro werre in sekirnesse,—
Whos hih renoun, most souereyn of prowesse,
May neuer eclipse bi non antiquite,
Which ches to deie to foorthre the comounte.

He disserued for to han the meede
Of tryumphe and marcial worthynesse,
And of Iubiter to were the purpil weede,
Fret ful of stonis, most heuenli of brihtnesse,
The laureat crown conseruyng his grennesse,
Graunted to victours, who list considre & see,—
Which ches to deie to foorthre the comounte.

Noble Princis, which that gouerne & leede
Al worldli peeple, taketh heed in your hyhnesse
To this stori, trewe as is the creede,
Takyng exaumple, doth your bisynesse
Ay to supporte & meynteene rihtwisnesse,
And lat Marchus to you a merour be,
Which ches to deie to foorthre the comounte.

[How Tholome kyng of Egipt callid Philopater slouh fader & moder & his wif in lechery spende his lif & mischeuesly ended.]

Next to Bochas in ordre compleynyng,
Vicious of lyff, ther cam Tholome
Cald Philopater, & was of Egipt kyng.
In tendre age borrible cruelte
Slouh fader, mooder & suster, ye may see,
He to be crownid, it is maad mencioun,
To regne allone in that regeoun.

He was disposed onto eueri vice,
Froward to vertu & to al doctryne,
Slouh his wiff callid Erudice,
Lefft his spouse, took a concubyne,
Wasted his lyff, gan hymsilf enclyne
To al riot, surfet & outrage;
And in this wise he spent his yonge age.

609

Thus was disclaundred his roial mageste,
In lecherous lustis wachched al [the] niht,
A-bedde til noon, ageyn al honeste,
Of fals excesse shoop hym anon riht,
Whan he aroos, to drynke ageyn[e]s myht
Gorge upon gorge tafforce his lecherie.
The longe day he spente in glotonye.

I wexe weri the processe for to write
Of this tiraunt, vicious and wood.
It is contagious the processe to endite,
Because thexaumple doth harm & no good.
And of vengaunce thus with hym it stood:
Of sodeyn myscheeff I reede he dide fyne,
Enbracid in armys of his concubyne.

Agothodia pleynli was hir name,
And hadde a sone callid Agathodes,
Vicious bothe & sclaundrid bi diffame,
Noised by report, thei wer so rek[e]les.
Bothe attonis take in a sodeyn pres,
With ther allies alle attonis fett,
And bi iust doom lad to the gibett.

[How Abithomarus & viridomarus dukis of Fraunce, aftir grete batailes bi Romayns were slayn.]

Next Philopater, callid Tholome,
Þer cam in ordre a worthi duk of Fraunce,
Abitomarus; & out of that contre
Rood into Grece with a gret puissaunce.
And first he gan to make his ordenaunce
Ageyn Romeyn[e]s, al-be thei wer ferre,
Proudli with them for to gynne a werre.

But thei of Rome to ther confusioun,
Bi ther bisshoppis & preestis gan deuise
To vse a cursid fals supersticioun:
Vnto ther goddis in ful cruel wise
To offre up men banewe sacrefise,

610

And burie hem quyk, in Bochas thus I reede,
Bi a fals hope thei better for to speede.

Of Fraunse & Grece thei took[e] ten in noumbre,
Halff men & women, togidre tweyne & tweyne;
And bi fals moordre thei dede hem encoumbre,
Buried hem quik—ther deth was ful sodeyne.
At this sacrefise the goddis gan disdeyne,
And to the Romeyns wex contrarious
For ther fals rihtis supersticious.

And bi record of olde cronicleres,
The yeer fyue hundred fro ther fundacioun
And on & twenti, tho beyng consuleris
Thre in noumbre, as maad is mencioun,
Which gouernyd & reuled al the toun.
The firste callid Lucius Emylius,
And the secounde Catulus Gaius,

Attilius Regulus the thridde consuleer.
Bi al the senat ordeyned wer thes thre,
As I haue told, the silue same yeer
For to gouerne & reule ther cite,
And to preserue hem from al aduersite
Ageyn too peeplis, of Gaule & Lumbardie,
Which than werreied of malis & envie.

Of which[e] werre the Romeyns stood in doute,
The senatours & alle the citeseyns,
Because ageyn them ther cam so gret a route
Of Lumbardis bi this halff the mounteyns,
Ioyned togidre with many fell foreyns,
Which stood departid, as maad is remembraunce,
Fro them of Rome & fro ther obeissaunce.

The peeple rud[e], bestial & vnstable,
Togidre assemblid, wood & furious,
Of multitude verray innumerable,
Vengable of herte, of corage despitous,
Void of al resoun, sodenli furious,
As seith Bochas, I can no ferther gon;—
Ther soudiours bar gisarmys euerichon.

611

And Gisarmes of Gisarme thei wer callid,
Toward Rome them hastyng day be day,
Of gret labour the footmen sore appallid;
But al ther trust on multitude lay.
Of whos komyng Roome stood in affray,
And specialli the consuleris thre,
That out wer sent to fihte for the cite.

Foure score thousand, as writ the cronycleer,
Mihti [men] to stonden at diffence,
In his felasheepe hadde ech consuleer.
And of the Gysarmeȝ noumbred in sentence,
Thre hundred thousand, bi sturdi violence
Goyng on foote, I fynde that thei hadde,
Eihte thousand ouer, that al the feeldis spradde.

I rekne nat them that rood on hors[e]bak,
Which sexe & thretti thousand wer in noumbre,
Sixe hundred ouer, purposed for the wrak,
Fynalli the Romeyns to encoumbre.
The shadwe of them gaff so gret an oumbre,
That on the soil, which afforn was greene,
Ther was vnnethe any sonne seene.

Ther capteyn was Abithomarus,
A manli man & a ful worthi kniht.
And with hem wente Virydomarus,
A-nother capteyn, in steel armyd briht.
Tween them and Romeyns longe laste the fiht;
But on the parti of Rome the cite
Was slayn a consul that was oon of the thre.

Aftir whos deth, of fortune anon riht,
On the parti of them of Rome toun
Eihte hundred thousand took hem to the fliht.
And thus began the fame & the renoun
Of Abithomarus, as maad is mencioun,
Of which victorie his herte was maad fayn.
And on his parti wer thre thousand slayn.

612

But the Romeyns resorted been ageyn;
And aftir that hadde a strong bataille.
And in the feeld so manli thei wer seyn,
And so proudli ther enmyes dide assaille,
That, as myn auctour mak[e]th rehersaille,
Of the Gisarmes, longe or it was niht,
Fourti thousand wer slayn in that fiht.

The thridde tyme, with helpe of them of France
Ioyned to Lombardes & folk of Gaule also,
Thei fauht ageyn, al out off ordenaunce,
Beside the ryuer that callid is the Poo,
Wher bothe batailles togidre hadde adoo.
And, as I fynde, consuleris tweyne
The Romeyn sheltrouns knihtli did ordeyne.

Manlius Torquat callid was the ton;
Flamynus Flakkus was with hym ifeere:
And with the Romeyns togidre forth thei gon
Toward that ryuer with a ful manli cheere;
In which bataille, the stori doth vs lere,
Nyne and fourti thousand slayn on that day
Of ther enmyes, that non ne wente away.

Abithomarus was take prisoneer,
In tokne of tryumphe brouht to Rome toun,
To the Capitoile, with a ful pale cheer,
Lad bounde in cheynis, ther geyned no raunsoun:
Thus hath Fortune appallid his hih renoun.
And in tokne of his disconfiture,
Offrid to goddis was his cote armure.

Thus Lachesis his lyues threed gan drawe
Til Antropos it brak with ful gret peyne.
Viridomarus, that was his fellawe,
Slayn in the feeld bi Romeyns in certeyne.
And of thes [noble] worthi princis tweyne,
This was the eende & the mortal fall,
The feeste accomplisshed callid funerall.

613

And in the tyme of thes mortal werris
Atween thes dukes & them of Rome toun,
Many toknis wer shewed in the sterris,
Merueilous lihtnyngis fro the heuene doun,
And many an vnkouth constellacioun;
Sondri cometes dide in the walkyn appeere,—
Who seeth ther stories may the trouthe lere.

The water of Pitene, that renneth in Itaille,
Which in that contre is a famous flood,
The same hour & tyme of ther bataille,
As seith the stori, was turnid into blood.
Fires in the hair, most furious & wood,
That mihti tours wer with the flawmes brent;
Thre moonys appeeryng in the orient.

The peeple for feer fledde into lowe kauis,
For dreed wex pale & dedli of ther cheer;
And in thre daies wer thre erthe-quauis.
Duryng thes werris and in the same yeer,
Of gret Appollo fill doun the pilleer
Of marbil whit, large and of gret strengthe,
That sexti cubitis acountid was the lengthe.

And in that tyme, the stori seith nat nay,
Of Rome a consul with a gret puissaunce,
Callid Claudius, slouh upon a day
Thretti thousand, & brouht hem to myschaunce,
Of the soudiours that cam out of Fraunce.
And ther was slayn, with many a capteyn lorn,
Viridomarus, of whom I spak toforn.

To his gret shame and confusioun,
As it is remembred be scripture,
The Romeyns made a gret oblacioun
Vp to Iubiter of his cote armure.
And in tokne of his disconfiture,
Withynne that temple, of gold betyn cleer,
To his despiht thei heng up his baneer.

614

[How Siphax of Munedie kyng was take & deied in prisoun.]

Heer Bochas breeffli for a remembrance
Writeth of werris, debatis & batailes
That wer þat tyme in Itaille & France,
In Spaigne, Chaumpayne, with marcial apparailles.
And among othir in his rehersailles,
He tellith in Affrik the gret[e] discencioun
Atween Hanybal & worthi Scipioun.

He touchith ther namys & abit nat longe;
Vpon ther stories he bit nat but a while,
Heer nat rehersyng ther myhti werris stronge,
Nor of ther stryues he doth heer nat compile,
But doun descendyng, directeth foorth his stile
For to reherse & telle be writyng
The fall of Siphax in Munedie kyng.

This said[e] Siphax batailles hadde tweyne,
Oon with kyng Gabba, [&] he of verray myht
Hadde eek another, in which he dede his peyne
To meete Masmyssa afftir anon riht.
And bothe kynges he putte to the fliht.
And of Messulie, I fynde be writyng,
How Masmyssa was gouernour & kyng.

This said[e] Siphax thoruh his cheualrie
Maad Masmyssa to fleen his regioun,
Constreynyng hym to lyue be robberie,
To walke in forestis with beestis up & doun.
And for diffaute, as maad is mencioun,
To saue his liff he fond no bet reffut,
But fedde hymsilff on rootes & on frut.

Out of his reum Masmyssa was enchaced,
And constreyned to fleen from his contre;
Fro mynde of folk his name was out raced,
For no man wiste wher he sholde be.
His liegemen & folk of his cite,
Thoruh al Affrik knew no bettir reed
Off his persone, but dempte that he was ded.

615

Thus of kyng Siphax encrece gan the glorie,
Which bi force too kynges hath outraied,
And upon them wonnen the victorie,
Put hem to fliht & the peeple affraied;
That Rome & Cartage wer of hym dismaied.
And ech of them dede ther labour
Of ther werris to make hym gouernour.

Vnto [this] Siphax, out of Rome toun,
As it is write for a memoriall,
To Numedie was sent Scipioun
For this mateer in especiall.
Out of Cartage was sent Hastruball;
And at the castell wher Siphax lay,
Bothe tweyne arryued at o day.

And be pleyn writyng as I haue conceyued,
And as the stori remembreth in sentence,
At ther comyng bothe wer resceyued
Of kyng Siphax with gret[e] reuerence.
And thoruh his notable manli dilligence,
As it is Iwrityn be record,
He made thes capteyns hertili of accord,

That thei togidre lay the same niht,
Thei hadde of Siphax so gret surete,
Be promys maad, as he was trewe kniht,
That nouther of them sholde deceyued be.
But ther was founde ful gret duplicite
Folwyng afftir, who-so can take heede,
Lik as this storie shal deuise in deede.

For bi the fraude & falsnesse most mortall
Compassed befor[e]n, it is thus befalle,
That bi the sleihte of this Hastruball,—
As Affrican[e]s be nih double alle,
Vnder sugre can hide weel ther galle,—
So Hastruball bi fals decepcioun
Vnder fair cheer deceyued Scipioun.

He brouht in Siphax bi fals sotilte,
And bi his sleihti peynted fair langage,
That he sholde with hym allied bee,
Be ful assent to hauen in mariage

616

Sophonisba, a maiden of Cartage,
Which was douhtir, yong & fa[i]r withal,
As seith Bochas, to this Hastrubal.

The which[e] thyng be crafft was brouht aboute
And acomplisshe[d] verraily in deede.
And bi this mene, pleynli out of doute,
Ther first began rancour & hatreede,
Symulacioun, feynyng & falsheede,
That atween Siphax & Hastrubal, alas,
Scipioun was deceyued in this caas.

And aftir that doon was this mariage,
Siphax ful enmy vnto Sipioun,
With Hastrubal rood into Cartage
And gan werreie ageyn[e]s Roome toun.
And in this while, as maad is mencioun,
Kyng Masmyssa out of wildirnesse
Toward Scipioun in al haste gan hym dresse.

With his peeple gan to make hym strong
Thoruh help of Scipioun & of Bellius,
Wente ageyn Siphax, & abood nat long,
His herte ageyn hym was so envious.
And on a day, the stori tellith thus,
With Affricanys & folkis of Cartage,
Siphax the Romeyns mette in the visage.

Of Masmyssa the peeple wer so wood
Vpon Siphax auengid for to bee,
Thoruh ther batailles cam to hym ther he stood,
And maugre hym and [al] his cruelte,
Of verray manhod—space was non to flee—
Thei brouhte hym hom thoruh ther hih renoun
Into the handis of worthi Scipioun.

Siphax was take thus or he was war,
Vndir his baneer, maugre al his myht,
And into Rome lad afforn the chaar
Off Scipioun, the noble worthi kniht,
That wan the tryumphe, grauntid hym of riht.
And Sophonisba, afforn to Siphax wiff,
Weddid to Masmysse at theende of al this striff.

617

Loo, how Fortune chaunge can hir tides!
To oon this day she can be fauourable,
Make capteyns & thes grete guides,
Which wende ha founde hir wheel ferme & stable.
But that she is ay froward & chaungable,
Freendli to-day, to-morwe at discord,—
Yiff this be trewe, Siphax can ber record.

This Siphax was sent out of the toun
In cheynys bounde withoute mor tarieng,
And at Tiburny lay fetrid in prisoun,
Deied at myscheeff, made ther his eendyng.
And for because that he was a kyng,
The Romeyns made, of marcial pite,
Hym to be buried withynne ther cite.

[How Nabyn hauyng no title but bi tirannye took on him to be kyng of Macedoyne was slayne.]

Next cam Nabyn, ful pitousli weepyng,
Tofor Iohn Bochas, which be tirannye
Off Macedoyne took on hym to be kyng,
Hauyng no title sauff title of robberie,
Onli bi force hymsilf to magnefie;
Which with strong hand took fals pocessioun
For to be crownyd in thilke regioun.

This Macedoyne, as be old writyngis,
Whilom was had in ful gret reuerence,
Because onli it floured in too thynges,
Bothe in knihthod & souereyn sapience;
Mars ther bi manhod, Pallas be prudence:
And whil thes tweyne hadde gouernaunce,
Of al weelfare thei hadde suffisaunce.

And whil the noblesse of thes thynges tweyne,
That is to seyne, the flour of hih clergie,
The hih renoun most famous & souereyne
Of marcial prowesse & of cheualrie,
Gouerned that lond bi prudent policie,
Than stood that kyngdam, auctours reherse konne,
Among the Greekis lik an heuenli sonne.

618

But at the laste eclipsed was the liht
Bothe of knihthod and philosophie,
Whan couetise gan entren ageyn riht
For to vsurpe upon the regalie,
By intrusioun of fals[e] tirannye,
And bextort force made ther entrynges,
Hauyng no title ther to regne as kynges.

This was cheef cause, for short conclusioun,
That the noblesse of Grece was brouht[e] bas,
And Macedoyne brouht to confusioun
Be couetise, that set hem in such caas,
Wherby ther knihthod fulli translatid was
And ther policie, in cronicle ye may see,
Out of Grece to Rome the cite.

And among other, bi cleer remembra[u]nce,
Of such tirauntis bi ordre rehersyng,
Nabyn was oon, that hadde gouernaunce
In Macedoyne, & was ther crownyd kyng,
Withoute title falsli ther regnyng.
And for his froward contagious cruelte
He was behatid of Rome the cite.

The Romeyns sente a myhti consuleer,
Titus Flaminius, of ther werris guide;
To Macedoyne he gan approche neer,
Toward Argos wher Nabyn dede abide,
Of entent[e] for tabate his pride.
But whil Nabyn stood hiest in estat,
Of Grece his lieges wer with hym at debat.

A duk Icallid P[h]ilopomones,
With the peeple that duellid in Grece-lond,
To stryue with Nabyn put hymsilf in pres,
Disconfited hym, fihtyng hond of hond;
And at gret myscheeff, ye shal vndirstond,
Alexamenes, a kniht of that contre,
Slouh this Nabyn, the cronicle ye may see.

619

[Here Bochas reherceth the mortal werrys betwix Romayns & Affricanys.]

Afftir this Nabyn, Bochas doth proceede
To telle the werris & the mortal stryues
Tween Romeyns & Affricanys in deede,
Wherbi ful many loste ther her lyues.
Caused wydwes, maydnes & eek wyues
To weepe and waile, in such disioynt thei stood,
On outher parti to seen the losse of blood.

For the parti of them off Roome toun
Wer maad capteyns & dyuers officeres,
Which into Affrik with peeple wer sent doun.
And specialli ther wer too consuleeris,
Notable in armys and famous in tho yeeris:
Marcus Manlius, born of the Romeyn lyne;
The tothir callid Lucyus Consoryne.

With them was sent a tribun ful notable,
Of whom tofforn I made mencioun,
For the werris most worthi & most hable,
I meene of Rome prudent Scipioun,
Which of ther cite was cheuest champioun,
Of hool entent thaffricanys tanoye,
And specialli Cartage to destroye.

And nih be Cartage ther was a cite strong,
Mihtili bilt, & stood upon the se,
The wallis thikke, round[e], squar & long,
Cheeff diffense callid of that contre,
To saue & keepe hem from al aduersite.
And fourti cubitis, with crestis marcial,
Lik as I fynde, of heihte was the wal.

And in the frount, reised for the werre,
Of stonis squar[e] was an hih dongoun
Callid Birsa; fro which wonder ferre
Men myhte beholde the contres enviroun.
And, as I reede, for ther sauacioun
Thaffricanys of purpos did ordeyne
For ther capteyns Hastrubalis tweyne.

620

The said[e] dongoun, myhtili batailed,
Ageyn al sautis to stonden & endure:
But worthi Scipioun, for al that, hath nat failed
For taproche & doon bi besi cure,
With his engynes myhti, strong & seure;
So that be force, this kniht most marciall,
A gret quantite brak doun of the wall.

And Lucyus, callid Sensoryne,
Departid is with Marcus Manlius,
And bi the counsail of Scipioun & doctryne,
Bothe of assent, in armis vertuous,
Thei took ther way, myn auctour tellith thus,
With Hastrubal, sothli & thei myhte,
Wher as he lay that same day to fihte.

Thes consuleris assailled the cite
Callid Cirie, & beet adoun the wall,
Slouh fourti thousand, the cronicle ye may see,
Of Affricannys be vengaunce ful mortall.
And ther constable callid Hastruball
Was slayn that day bi them, it is no doute,
That he most trustid & next wer hym aboute.

And in this while, most manli of corage,
The worthi tribun, Publius Scipioun,
Bi verray force is entrid in Cartage;
And sixe daies, as maad is mencioun,
He and his knihtis constreyned so the toun,
That disespeired, with ther dedli cheeris,
Thei of the toun yald[e] hem prisoneeris,

Meekli requeryng vnto Scipioun,
To resceyue hem in this mortal rage;
That men & wommen duellyng in that toun
With the citeseyns, yong & old of age,
Mihte abide & lyuen in seruage
Vnder the Romeyns, ther was no bet reffut,
And yeer bi yeer paie hem a tribut.

621

And of Affrik the tothir Hastruball,
Which among hem afforn was crownid kyng,
Lefft his estat and his poweer roiall,
Yald hym prisoneer, humbeli knelyng.
And his wiff most pitousli weepyng,
Whan that she sauh hir lord was take so,
Ran inta fire & brent hirsilff for wo.

Sixe and twenti thousand, as I fynde,
Wer lad of wommen into captyuyte;
Thretti thousand of men cam behynde,
Take prisoneres in gret aduersite.
And seuenteene daies brente that cite,
That in ther wallis was non so harde ston,
But into pouder it was brent anon.

And this was doon, breeffli to conclude,
Bi the prowesse of Publius Scipioun.
Sold in seruage was a gret multitude;
Ther old[e] lordis lad fetrid to prisoun.
This was of Cartage fynal destruccioun,—
To write ther compleyntis Bochas abit no while,
But into Grece turneth ageyn his stile,

[How kyng Perseus bi Romayns was outraied & after taken.]

In Lacedemoyne remembryng o[f] a kyng
Callid Perseus, a ful proud werreiour,
Cleymyng a title, upon hym vsurpyng
For to succeede as trewe enheritour
To grete Alisandre, most myhti conquerour,
Fulli affermyng, ageyn a certeyn day
He wil be crowned maugre who seith nay.

And his name to putte in memorie,
Caste in his persone renewe the prowesse
Of kyng Alisaundre, & tencrece his glorie,
To folwe his tracis in knihthod & noblesse.
And first of alle, of hasti wilfulnesse,
That his conquest myhte spreede ferre,
Gan of purpos with Romeyns to haue werre.

622

But aftir this he was bet auised,
Whan he parceyued the marcial apparaille
Of the Romeyns, wheroff he was agrised,
Wex afferd ther noblesse to assaille,
Which ay wer founde victorious in bataille.
And wher he had afforn be rek[e]les,
Sent enbassatours with them to trete of pes.

Thei hadde apparceyued his presumpcioun,
And how he was proud and surquedous.
Sent a consul with a gret poweer doun,
The name of whom was Sulpicius,
Which dedli hatid the said[e] Perseus,
Thoruh hertli rancour ageyn hym wex soleyn,
Of his ambassiat hauyng but disdeyn.

And ther parti for to fortefie
With the said consul Sulpicius,
Thei sent another, expert in cheualrie,
A consul also, Paulus Emylius,
Among Romeyns notable & famous.
And folwyng aftir, the silue same niht,
The moone eclipsed fulli of his liht.

A cleer tokne, as maad is mencioun,
That kyng Perseus should haue a sharp[e] shour,
And that his lordshepe & his regeoun
Sholde been oppressid, void of al socour,
And that Macedonoys shold haue no fauour
Ageyn the Romeyns togidre whan thei mette
With round[e] speris & suerdis sharpe whette.

The day of bataille, to his encres of glorie,
For the parti of them off Rome toun,
Ther was a kniht that caused the victorie,
Yong, fressh and lusti, & callid was Catoun,
Which brouht ther enmyes to confusioun;
For Macedonoys thoruh his gret[e] myht
Outraied wern, & Perseus put to fliht.

But Emylius, the noble consuleer,
Sente a capteyn callid Octauyus
To pursue afftir in coostis ferr & neer
The proude kyng, this said[e] Perseus.

623

And he was take, for ther was no rescus,
With his sonis, that wer in noumbre tweyne,
Phelipp, Alisaundre, the stori is certeyne.

Myn auctour heer tellith of kynges manye,
Thretti in noumbre: the firste Geramus,
Which haue regned withyne Macedonye;
And laste of alle was this Perseus.
The noumbre of yeeris, Bochas writeth thus,
Was nyne hundrid, as is remembred heer,
Space of ther regnyng, with foure & tuenti yeer.

Aftir translatid was the regeoun,
With al ther iles, vnto thobeissaunce
Of them of Rome, withoute excepcioun;
The grete lordis that wer of most puissaunce
Abood[e] ther long vndir gouernaunce,
And Perseus, disconsolat of cheer,
Duryng his lyff abood ther prisoneer.

[How the peple of Achaia, with ther cheef Cite Corynthe by Romayns was destroied.]

Thus the lordshepe wered out & spent
Of Macedoyne, as maad is mencioun.
Ther wer too contres therto adiacent,
The ton Achaia, a litil regeoun,
And Spartanoys goyng enviroun,
Mihti of peeple and of gret substaunce,
In oon confederat & of oon alliaunce.

Thei wer conioyned & bothe maad al oon
Bi a maner feithful convencioun.
And when the Romeyns knew hem for ther foon,
Hauyng ther frenshipe in suspecioun,
Thei caste to make a disiunccioun
Atween thes londis, in breede & eek in lengthe;
For thyng disseuered is menusid of his strengthe.

Ordeyned cites and toun[e]s heer & yonder,
Wheron the Romeyns gan make a decre,
That ther lordshepes sholde be sette assonder,

624

Which made the peeple in eueri gret cite,
Whan thei knew ther fals subtilite,
To rise attonys, most cruel of ther cheeris,
And wolde ha slayn the Romeyn massageris.

And fynalli bi this occasioun
Romeyns ageyn hem gan wexen furious,
Took hardynesse off ther dyuisioun;
And a consul callid Munius,
A manli kniht, in armis ful famous,
Into Achaia was fro Roome sent
It to destroye bi gret auisement.

Thei of Achaia bi ther necligence,
And bi ther froward wilful reklesnesse,
Of verray pride list make no diffence;
Thouhte themsilff, withoute auisynesse,
Off poweer able, & strenger in sothnesse
Than wer[e] Romeyns, veraili in deede:
Thus wer thei stroied afforn or thei took heede.

Thei stood in hope in ther sturdynesse
Bi that bataille to haue had gret pillage,
Of the Romeyns to ha[ue] won[n]e gret richesse.
And for a pompe, of wilful fals dotage
Thei took ther wyues and wommen yong off age,
And set hem up on an hih mounteyn,
That ther manhod myhte in the feeld be seyn.

Whan the Romeyns mette hem in bataille,
Thei dispurueied and out off ordenaunce,
Slayn lik beestis, ther poweer gan to faille,
Of froward pride & rekles gouernaunce,
That Achaia was brouht to myschaunce;
Wommen and childre, for sorwe almost mad,
To lyue in seruage wer to Rome lad.

Corynthe that tyme was ther cheef cite,
Destroied be Romeyns & brouht vnto ruyne,
Which among citees, in Bochas ye may see,
Aboue alle othir dide in honour shyne;
Of alle sciences ther floured the doctrine,
And of crafftis artificeres most wise,
Rekne al the world, ther was cheef marchaundise.

625

Thus vnwarli in ther most noblesse,
Sittyng of Fortune on the [hihest] stage,
Thei wer destroied of tresor & richesse,
Brouhte to nouht bi slauhtre & pillage,
Ther wallis broke in that cruel rage.
And in that brennyng, Bochas seith, the leuene
Rauht a gret part upward to the heuene.

Pleyn with the erthe the wallis broke doun,
The peeple slayn merciles, yong & old;
And ther was maad a gret dyuisioun:
Summe lad in seruage, & somme of them wer sold.
Images of coper, of syluer & of gold
Wer sodenli, in al that violence,
Togidre molte, so hoot was the feruence.

Of which metal thus afftir it is fall,
Gold, siluer, coper, medlid into oon,
Coper of Corynthe men sothli dede it call,
Thoruh al the world of custum euerichon.
Fame of which metal is so ferr Igon,
That the vessellis forgid of the same
Corynthoise Icallid is by name.

Afftir Corynthe was thus brent to nouht,
A prynce callid Philipp Philermene
To Iohn Bochas hath his compleynt brouht,
In whos face and cheer it was weel seene,
The woful constreynt of his mortal teene.
And he was whilom, Bochas doth specefie,
Lord of a cite callid Vallaquye.

Marcus Actilius took hym prisoneer,
Brouht hym to Roome, list hym nat respite.
Next to [Iohn] Bochas, with an heuy cheer,
Appeerid a duc callid Democrite.
Of Etholis, myn auctour doth so write,
He was cheeff lord; but he & his contre
Translatid wern to Roome the cite.

626

This duk was cast and cheyned in prisoun,
Escapid onys, in stori as I fynde,
Take ageyn, throwe in a derk dongoun,
Ther for sorwe wente out of his mynde,
Slouh hymsilff at myscheeff ageyns kynde—
Loo, hou thes princis proud & rek[e]les
Haue shamful eende, which cannat lyue in pes!

[How grete Anthiocus vsyng riot and viciuos lyuyng/ bi marchus Actilius was outraied & deied sodenly.]

Touchyng þe stori in ordre heer folwyng
Of Seleuchus & gret Anthiochus,
Off his mooder Laodices & þe ryng,
With other toknes & signes merueillous,
And how also the famous Seleuchus
Hadde in his theih, as writen is heer-toforn,
Preent of an anker the day whan he was born,

And al the childre bi successioun
Hadde be discent, bor[e]n of his lynage,
Preent of an anker, as maad is mencioun,
The fourte book, with al the surplusage
Of othir toknis ther told in pleyn langage.
And of the seide same Seleuchus
Cam be discent the saide Antiochus.

Whos herte was set of hih[e] couetise
To folwe his lustis and delectacioun[s];
And specialli he caste gan & deuise
To wynne in Grece dyuers regiouns.
And of the peeple he cauhte occasiouns,
Bi ther fauour to conquere that contre
And to rebelle ageyn Rome the cite.

With multitude & gret apparaille
He gat in Grece castellis & eek touns
Longyng to Roome, conquered be bataille;
Took upon hym in his presumpciouns
Falsli to folwe the inclynaciouns
Of his berthe, whil he dede abide
In a cite that callid was Calcide.

627

For cause of slouthe he leffte his cheualrie,
Forsook[e] Mars & took hym to Cupide,
Restyng the wyntir, he spente in lecherie,
In wach and riot, ches Venus to his guide:
Sensualite maad resoun stonde aside;
And bi thes menys, for short conclusioun,
He was conveied to his destruccioun.

And whan that wyntir with his frostis colde
Ipassid was and al his stormys keene,
In riot spent and wastid, as I tolde,
And ver cam in with his newe greene,
And fressh[e] Flora, which is of flouris queene,
Off custum gynneth hir motles out to dresse,—
In which[e] sesoun, as auctours alle expresse,

Kynges, princis, with marcial apparaille,
Tyme whan Phebus in the Ram doth shyne,
Thei hem dispose to gon out to bataille,
For exersise of marcial disciplyne.
And doun fro Roome, expert in that doctryne,
Descendid is Marchus Actilius
Ageyn this vicious proude Anthiochus.

This noble Mark, preued in armis weel,
Which in his tyme was soo good a kniht,
With al his hoost[e], armyd in briht steel,
Ageyn Antiochus cam to the feeld doun riht,
Vpon a morwe whan Phebus shon ful briht.
Set his wardeyns be capteyns that he ches
Vpon an hill callid Termophiles.

Antiochus upon the tothir side,
Whom glotonye & riot dede oppresse,
And dronke Bachus, which with hym dide abide,
With Morpheus wiff, of slombre cheeff goddesse,—
Which caused hym thoruh slouthe & idilnesse
That prouidence out of his court was gon,
Causyng that day the slauhtre of many on.

Whan the consul, Marchus, the worthi knyht,
His aduersaries proudli gan assaille,
Thei vnpurueied, took hem to the fliht;
Disaraied thei myhte nat auaile.
Thus Anthiochus fledde out of bataille;

628

For ageyn Romeyns he myht nat endure:
Therfore on hym fill the disconfiture.

Thus rebukid fledde to Ephesie,
Ferr in Grece, and ther to duelle he ches,
Sente Romeyns a gret embassatrie
With said[e] Marchus for to trete of pes.
But his embassiat, this verray dout[e]les,
Whan thei atteyned of Marchus the presence,
Wer refusid & hadde non audience.

Of which Antiochus gretli was a-shamed,
Caste ageyn Roome of hate & enmyte
To reise a poweer, & hath of newe attamyd
To gadre shippis & make a gret arme,
Gynne a werre ageyn hem on the se,
Hauyng an hope, vndir a coward dreede,
Bet on the watir than on the lond to speede.

Made his shippis be stuffed with vitaille,
And his capteyns han the lond forsake;
But whan the Romeyns gan hym of newe assaille,
His shippis brent & al his stuff was take.
And lik myn auctour compendiousli doth make,
Thries on the se the Romeyns werreyng,
He was outraied, the stori witnessyng.

Yit efft ageyn to his confusioun
Vpon the lond[e] he gan make hym strong,
Mette with Cornelie callid Scipioun,
With waynes, cartes maad for the werre long,
Shod with hard iren, sharp sithes set among
In trauers wise bi gret ordenaunce;
But for al that, he was brouht to myschaunce.

With olyfauntis & castellis on the[r] bak
That day was slayn many a worthi kniht,
Vpon his host so cruel was the wrak,
That he constreyned took hym to the fliht,
Forsook the contre, fledde out of mennys siht.
To the Romeyns, he coude it nat delaie,
Ech yeer constreyned a tribut for to paie.

629

But he of fraude, because of his tribut
For couetise feyned sore pouerte,
Gadred robbours, & be fals pursut
Oppressid marchauntis, spoilled the contre,
Robbed templis, of hatful cruelte,
And fro Iubiter callid Dodonyan
Took alle the reliques, the story telle can.

Dide sacrilege & entrid in that cloos
Withoute reuerence or any obseruaunce,
For which the temple ageyn[es] hym aroos,
And, as it is put in remembraunce,
Bi the goddis ther fill a gret vengaunce
Vpon this tiraunt, quakyng in his dreed,—
Al sodenli he fill to grounde ded.

Lenvoye.

This tragedie of Anthiochus,
Who list in ordre his froward stori see,
First to al vertu he was contrarious,
And rebel euer to Roome the cite,
Iustli accusid of vicious thynges thre:
Of pride, slouthe and of glotonye,
And of disordynat superfluite,
Of niht excesse, riot and lecherie.

On hym the Romeyns wer victorious
Twies on the lond [and] onis on the se,
He was nat hardi, but malicious;
In eueri bataile his custum was to flee.
Wher vices regne ther may no grace bee;
To al surfetis his lust he dede applie,
Noised and disclaundred thoruhout his contre
Of niht excesse, riot and lecherie.

Among his lieges wood & despitous,
And for a coward knowe in the feeld was he;
The poore toppresse a wolff most furious,
And be deceit a fox for subtilite:
No man mor froward, of hih nor louh degre,
Nor mor delityng in falsheed nor flatrie.

630

What was his eende? a sodeyn deth, parde,
For his outrages of pride & lecherie.

Noble Princis, of prudence ful famous,
In al your grettest roial mageste,
Remembreth pleynli, yif ye be vertuous,
Ye shal perseuere in long prosperite,
Wher the contrarie causeth aduersite,
As this stori afforn doth specefie
Of Anthiochus, cast from his dignite
For his gret pride, riot & lecherie.

Explicit.

[How Ieronimus of Ciracuse kyng was slayn, and how Scipio Affrican that labored for common wele of Romayns was exilid bi them and so deied.]

Afftir the deth of this Antiochus,
Ther cam a prince to Bochas compleynyng,
Which that callid was Ieronimus,
Of Siracuse whilom lord & kyng.
Which of his lieges, he nothyng trespacyng,
Islay[e]n was with his thre sustren deere
Of hatrede, myn auctour writ so heere.

Siracusanys hadde a condicioun,
Thoruh chaunges newe ay to been vnstable,
Of wilful malis void of al resoun
On ther kynges for to be vengable;
Thei loued nat to han hem perdurable,
But eueri yeer of custum, this is trewe,
Them to gouerne to han a prince newe.

And for ther chaunges & ther vnkouth stryues,
With variaunce of ther condiciouns,
Because no frut is founde in ther lyues,
Nor in ther stories nor ther successiouns,
I will passe ouer & speke of Scipiouns,
And first to write of the worthi man
Callid in his tyme Scipio Affrican.

631

A famous kniht in al[le] naciouns
For his conquest, shortli to conclude,
Which hadde brouht ful many regiouns,
Mor be wisdam than be multitude,
Tobeie the Romeyns; but for ingratitude,
Which that he fond in hem, as I reede,
How he wrouhte to telle I wil proceede.

It is remembrid of his worthynesse,
Whil that he was flouryng in yong age,
How Roome was maad[e] ladi and maistresse
Of many a lond[e], to ther auauntage.
And specialli al Affrik & Cartage
Bi his prowesse, as maad is mencioun,
Wer brouht of Romeyns vndir subieccioun.

But thei ageynward wer to hym vnkynde,
Bi accusacioun[s] founde out bi ther falsnessis,
Saide ageyn hym, as it is put in mynde,
Be record of many fals witnessis,
That he shold haue besiled the richessis
Of Cartage & Affrik the contre,
Which appartened to Roome the cite.

But ageynward this noble Affrican
Proudli gaff ansuere to his accusours:
He neuer withheeld fro tyme that he began
Toward hymsilf no part of ther tresours,
Sauf as the maner is of conquerours,
For to conserue his worshep & his name,
As most was proffit to the toun[e]s fame.

This is to meene, pleynli & nat tarie,
He neuer acrochid tresour nih nor ferre
Toward hymsilf, but that was necessarie
For ther worshep to meynteene with the werre.
And yit that tyme he was ther lodesterre,
Tencrece ther boundis, & fulli his delit
Was al hool set to the comoun proffit.

632

He took non heed of al the surplusage
Of ther tresours nor ther gret richesse,
The name reserued of Affrik & Cartage
To his knyhthod and his hih noblesse.
But ther malicious expert vnkyndenesse
Was in cause, breeffli to compile,
His bodi fro them perpetueli texile.

Cast hym neuer withynne Roome toun
Aftir that day among hem to be seyn,
Vnkyndenesse gaff hym occasioun
Tabsente his persone, & of hih disdeyn
Texile hymsilff & neuer come ageyn,
But for tabide in a smal village
Callid Lynterne, whan he was falle in age.

And for men sholde mynde vpon hym haue
Bi a maner of indignacioun,
An epitaphie he sette upon his graue,—
Which seide thus to them of Roome toun:
“O peeple vnkynde, vnkynde ageyn resoun,
My funerall asshes nor my bonis dede
In thi wallis thou neuer shalt posseede.

In thyn vnkynde froward teritorie
My bonys shal nat resten nor abide;
But thyn vnkyndenesse to putten in memorie,
The remembraunce shal be rad ful wide
Of thes lettres graue, on eueri side,
Be report onli of this smal scripture,
Which heer is set upon my sepulture.

Loo, heer the cause, be breef descripcioun
Set on my graue for a memoriall,
Whi that my bonys out of Roome toun
Been buried heer lowe vndir this wall,
In exil holde my feeste funerall,—
Vnkyndenesse me droff from that cite,
That wrouhte so moche for the comounte.”

633

[How Scipio Asian lord of Asie þat labored euer for the comon wele was mordred.]

Aftir the eende of this Affrican,
Callid in his tyme worthi Scipioun,
Cam next his brothir, Scipio Asian,
Which in Asie hadde domynacioun.
Geyn whom was made an accusacioun
To al the senat, that he vntreuli sholde
Certeyn tresours toward hymsilff withholde,

Which that he in Asia hadde wonne
In his conquest be many strong bataille.
Which accusacioun falsli was begonne
Of old envie, causeles, this no faile;
Whos worthynesse ful mekil dede auaille
To comoun proffit, be thes too conquerours,
Bi gret richesse encresyng ther tresours.

The ton in Affrik, as ye haue herd me tell,
Bi his wisdam & his cheualrie,
The tothir in Asia, which dede excell
In hih prowesse, as bookes specefie.
Falsli hyndred of hatreede & envie,
Bi compassyng of oon Anthiochus,
Hym to destroie he was so desirous.

Natwithstondyng thes tweyne Scipiouns
Hadde in ther tyme, be manyfold batailles,
Brouht into Roome so many regiouns
Tobeie ther cite, with marcial apparailles,
And euermor[e] to ther gret auailles
Brouht in tresours tencrece with ther toun,
Yit han thei wrouhte to ther destruccioun.

The ton in exil, as maad is mencioun,
Deied, alas, whan that he was old;
The second was moordred in prisoun:
Ther bothe stories remembrid heer & told
To yiue exaumple to princis manyfold,
That who that laboureth for a comounte
Leseth ofte his thank, be Scipiouns ye may see.

634

[How the Duk philopomones was take, put in prisoun, aftir drank poison and so deied.]

Afftir the processe of thes too Scipiouns,
Atween too peeplis wilful & rekles
Began in Grece newe discenciouns,
Tween Acheois & Etholois dout[e]les.
And a gret duk Philopomones,
A prince that tyme of ful gret puissaunce,
Hadde of Messoneys hooli the gouernaunce.

This said[e] prince Philopomones,
Leedyng his host upon a ful fair pleyn,
As he rood armed, & put hymsilff in pres
Mid his peeple as gouernour & wardeyn,
Folk out of reule for to calle ageyn,
Vpon his steede, as he gan hem fette,
In deu ordre his wardes for to sette.

And this prince, of port most marcial,
In the pursut which that he gan make,
Among his enmyes he hadde a sodeyn fall,
Void of al rescus vnwarli he was take,
Of al his freendis lik a man forsake,
Among his enmyes brouht into prisoun,
Ther maad an eende be drynkyng of poisoun.

Of Philopomones this was the fatal cas,
Out of gouernaunce, his peeple desolat,
Except a capteyn callid Ligorias,
Which in the werris was wonder fortunat,
Of Acheois took on hym the estat,
Them to gouerne & the peeple leede,
Of hym no mor in Bochas I do reede.

[Off the thirde Scipion Nasica that euer wrouht moche for the comonte.]

Myn auctour heer maketh a digressioun,
And reherseth for a memorial
Of the thridde worthi Scipioun,
Callid Nasica, which in especiall

635

Be disposicioun verray naturall
Hold among Romeyns, bi report of langage,
Passyng al othir in wisdam & corage,

Old of discrecioun & but yong of yeeris.
For a myracle, myn auctour doth expresse,
Whan senatours sente massageris
Into Frigia bi gret auisynesse
For Berosynthia, most famous goddesse,
Whan she was brouht bi them that ded hir guide,
In hous nor temple she wolde nat abide,

Sauf in the paleis of this Scipioun,
To putte his name mor in remembraunce.
The which also, thoruh his hih renoun,
Gallobois he brouhte to vttraunce,
A peeple off Grece, ferr out of gouernaunce;
But Scipioun gan hem so werreie,
Maugre ther malis the Romeyns for to obeye.

Wherbi his name was put in memorie,
And ful gret thank in Roome he hath disserued,
Because onli of this gret victorie,
For which the tryumphe was to hym reserued.
But at the laste ful falsli he was serued
Of the Romeyns aftir ther old maneer,
In this tragedie anon as ye shal heer.

Aftir he hadde aumentid ther tresours,
Conquered in Asie many regiouns,
Caused of ther foon that thei wer victours,
Appesid of Graccus the fals occasiouns,
Compassed of malis be newe discenciouns
Atween the peeple & also the senat,—
He of hih wisdam hath stynt al that debat.

Trustyng the Romeyns, Scipioun was begiled,
Loste ther fauour, & offendid nouht;
Be them vnwarli banshed & exiled,
Cleene forgetyn; put out of ther thouht
For comoun proffit al that he hath wrouht.
The guerdoun lost, thouh princis canat see,
Of al that doon for any comounte.

636

Lik a blase for a w[h]ile liht,
Which sheweth [ful] cleer & is neuir aftir seyn,
Or lik a sonne for a moment briht,
Vnwarli shroudid with a cloude of reyn,
Riht so the wyndi fauour bloweth in veyn,
May resemble for a mutabilite,
Of them that doon for any comounte.

The peeple folweth ther owne oppynyouns,
In ther conceitis thei be so wonderful;
Will halt the bridil of ther discreciouns:
Ther hasti deemyng so bestial is & dull,
On blynde Baiard thei braiden at a pull,
To quite the guerdouns of marcial bounte
Of them that doon for any comounte.

This day a prince stant in the peeplis grace,
Lik as thei wolde his name deifie
Aboue the sterris in Iubiteris place,
With Mars & Phebus his name to stellefie;
But be to-morwe ther komth a sodeyn skie,
Shewyng ther is a ful feynt surete
Of them that doon for any comounte.

And for tafferme that it is treuli so,
Calle thre Scipiouns [un]to remembraunce:
First of Affrik & Asie, bothe too;
Note in cronicles ther knihtli gouernaunce,
Ther restles labour Romeyns for tauaunce,
Rekne ageynward how thes princis thre
Wer ful vngoodli quit bi the comounte.

Lenvoy.

This tragedie of thre Scipiouns,
[That wer] so worthi in knyhthod & notable,
Made so many famous regiouns
Subiect to Roome (this stori is no fable),
Wher the Romeyns, double & deceyuable,
Shewed ageynward to thes princis thre,

637

The thank[e] lost & guerdoun couenable
Of hym that doth for any comounte.

Rekne up in Affrik the cites & the touns,
Grete Cartage with castellis deffensable;
Rekne in Asie the gret pocessiouns
With reuenus verray innumerable;
Rekne ther tryumphes of pris incomparable,
Which considred, ye may a merour see,
How the guerdouns be fals & flaskisable
Of them that doon for any comounte.

Thei wer whilom the Romeyn champiouns,
Off senatours to sette the honour stable,
Tauoid discord & al discenciouns
Atween the comouns & statis honourable;
But she that is of custum ay chaungable,
Fortune, in whom may be no surete,
Sheweth in hir wheel the guerdouns most mutable
Of them that doon for any comounte.

Noble Princis, peiseth in your resouns,
Al worldli thyng in erthe is transmutable,
Feynt & vnseur your domynaciouns,
Chartre is ther non to make hem perdurable.
Sorwe at departyng your bodies corumpable,
A thyng rassemblyng that neuer hadde be,
Record on Scipiouns be guerdouns rassemblable
Off them that doon for any comounte.

Trusteth neuer in your oppynyouns,
But that your poweer is ech day remeuable.
Beeth nat maad blynd in your discreciouns,
But considreth bexaumples resonable
The pley of Fortune lik hasard retournable
With sodeyn chaung of fals felicite,
Vnto the guerdouns daili comparable
Of them that doon for any comounte.

Explicit lenvoye.

638

[How Duk Hanyball aftir many victorious dedes moordred himsilf with poison.]

Next [in ordre] to Bochas, as I reede,
Out of Affrik & Cartage, þerwithal
Ther cam a duk þat hadde most hatrede
Ageyn the Romeyns in especiall,
This famous prince callid Hanyball,
Bi whos prowesse, as it is weel knowe,
The seid Romeyns wer dauntid & brouht lowe.

And among othir worthi dukes alle,
As olde cronicles make mencioun,
Of Hanybal the fate is so befalle,
At his berthe bi disposicioun,
That of his natural constellacioun
Set in the heuene, that he sholde bee
Perpetueli enmy to Roome the cite.

As the stori of hym doth deuise,
Whil his fader, duk whilom of Cartage,
Callid Amulchar dede onys sacrifise
To his goddis, & he nyne yeer of age,
Swor & avowed, of herte & of corage,
Duryng his lyff withoute excepcioun
Euer to been enmy vnto Roome toun.

This Martis child, this lusti yonge kniht
Was to Cartage the strong[e] myhti wall,
Which succeedid in his fadris riht
Afftir the deth of worthi Hastruball.
First he made a werre ful mortall
Geyn Saguntynoys, as it is specefied,
Cause with Romeyns that thei wer allied.

A drem he hadde; & was thus in sentence:
That he sholde conquere in bataille,
Maugre al tho that stoden at diffence,
Too myhti contrees, first Spaigne & than Itaille,
Doun descendyng with gret apparaille,
Passyng the famous ryueer Iberius,
And wher he rood alway victorious.

639

With hym of Affrik many cheuenteyns
Rood thoruh Gaule, fond no resistence,
Of Pirenes bi the hih mounteyns
To shewe the rigour of his magnificence,
Ouer the Alpies be sturdi violence,
Natwithstondyng the passage was ful wikke,
Of slidyng frostis & of snowis thikke.

A gret[e] parti of his men he loste
Bi the constreynt of that fell passage,
Hors, olefauntis, that many besaunt coste,
Fond gret daunger off them in his cariage.
Assaut of brigauntis, whan thei fond auauntage;
And as Bochas put in remembraunce,
Felte gret losse of al his ordenaunce.

The Alpies passid with trauaile & gret wo,
This Hanybal with al his cheualrie
Approched is the ryueer off the Poo,
Cam to a toun that callid is Cursie,
Which stant upon the cite of Pauye,
Wher a consul named Scipioun
Gaff hym bataille euene affor the toun.

The same consul, Gneus Scipioun,
Which bi prowesse of manli Hanyball
Was disconfited, as maad is mencioun,
Tofor Pauye hadde a riht foul[e] fall:
The first victorie in especiall
That he hadde beyounde the mounteyns,
Whan he purposed tassaile the Romeyns.

Sempronyus, a-nother consuleer,
That was felawe to said[e] Scipioun,
Sent eek fro Roome with a ful proud cheer
Geyn Hanyball; but in his comyng doun
Tofor Tresbie, a large myhti toun,
Outraied was bi fatal auenture
And aftir neuer myhte his fall recure.

640

Off too consuleris this was the wooful fyn,
Sempronyus & Gneus Scipioun.
Ouer the mounteyn callid Appenyn
Wente Hanybal, thoruh his hih renoun,
To gret damage & gret confusioun
Of his peeple that passid the mounteyns,
Destroied with cold, gret snowh & hidous reyns.

Loste his knihtis, his tresours & his goodis,
Ther myht as tho be maad[e] no diffence;
His grete steedes drowned in the floodes
Bi the watris myhti violence,
Fond for the tyme no bettir resistence,
Sauf he eskaped fro that sodeyn wrak,
Of an olyfaunt, he ridyng on the bak.

So importable was his greuous peyne,
Onli born up of marcial corage,
Yit ther he lost oon of his eyen tweyne,
Kept of knihthod o cheer & o visage.
Thoruh Itaille heeld alwey his passage,
Slouh a consul callid Flamynyus;
Thus in thre batailles he was victorious.

But in this while, as seith myn auctour,
Quyntus Fabius, subtil & deceyuable,
Which was in Roome a famous dictatour,
And he apparceyued be toknes ful notable,
No Romeyn capteyn was in tho daies able,
As it was shewed be experience,
Geyn Hanybal to make resistence.

Yit in his conceit he subtili gan serche;
To fynde a weie he dede his besi peyne,
Day be day gan felli theron werche,
Outher be fraude or sum compassid treyne
To ligge await & secreli ordeyne
Enbusshmentis to his auauntages,
Of Hanybal to stoppe the passages.

641

But al his treynys seruid hym of nouht;
For Hanybal, this worthi Affrican,
In his conquest so prudentli hath wrouht,
So lik a prince & a knihtli man,
Fro thilke tyme that he werris gan
Ageyn the Romeyns, bothe on se & lond,
That thei wer feeble his poweer to withstond.

This Quintus Fabius kept hym alway cloos,
Liggyng await to falle on Hanyball;
And of assent eek to his purpos
Ther was oon Varo, manli & wis withal.
And so thes tweyne in especial,
Withynne Poile, a large gret contre,
Fauht with Hanybal at Kannes the cite.

As the stori maketh rehersaile,
The Romeyn parti, of worthi werreiours
Wer fourti thousand slay[e]n in bataille:
Emylius Paulus, thretti senatours,
Twenti in noumbre that hadde be pretours,
And thre hundred capteyns of estat,
Slayn be Hanybal in that mortal debat.

And bi the slauhtre of Emilius,
The noble consul, Romeyns disespeired.
And Hanybal, that day victorious,
To his loggyng is ageyn repeired,
His foon outraied & mortalli appeired,
Knew no refut ageyn this manli kniht,
But at myscheeff took hem to the fliht.

The which[e] day, yiff that Hanybal
Hadde hem folwed proudli to the toun,
Bi the counseil of oon Marthabal,
A manli kniht, a prince of hih renoun,
He sholde haue had ful pocessioun
That day of Roome, lik to his entente,—
But I suppose Fortune list nat assente.

In this processe, pleynli, as I reede,
This Hanybal wex proud & riht pompous,
Of foure victories dempte hymsilf in deede

642

Aboue al othir to be most glorious,
Of his corage most inli surquedous.
But, o alas, a litil slouthe & pride,
For lak of pursut, his conquest set aside.

Yit in his conquest, of knihtis that lay ded,
Of consuleris old & yong of age,
With senatours, the processe who list reed,
Slayn in the feeld[e] in that mortal rage,
Duk Hanybal sente to Cartage,
Of cleene gold, be record of writyngis,
Out of the feeld thre busshel ful of ryngis.

Aftir foure victories heer remembrid,
Bi and bi, the processe who list see,
In which[e] many worthi was dismembrid,
Bothe of Affrik & Roome the cite,
Abate gan the gret prosperite
Of Hanybal be froward auenture:
Set onys bak, hard fortune to recure.

Aftir the flouris of his felicite,
His noblesse drouh to declynacioun.
To Capue he wente, a myhti strong cite,
Ther to soiourne, as maad is mencioun,
Al the tyme of wyntres cold sesoun,
Wher to his lust & bodili plesaunce,
Off al vitaille fond gret habundaunce.

Which made his knihtis slouh vnto the werre;
For wyn, wommen and plente of vitaile
Ful offte sithe cause men to erre,
Make hem feeble ther enmyes to assaille:
Gorges agroteied, enboced ther entraille,
Disposeth men rather to reste & slepe,
Than of ther enmyes for to taken keepe.

But whan wyntir with his frostis colde
Was ouergon in thilke regioun,
Hanybal gan his purpos holde,
To leyn a siege vnto Roome toun.
But so gret reynys fill from heuen doun,
So gret[e] tempest vpon eueri side,
For the constreynt he myht[e] nat abide.

643

To fortefie, the said[e] Hanybal,
Ageyn his enmyes wher he hadde a-doo,
Sente lettres vnto Hastrubal,
In riht gret haste for to come hym too.
But Fortune hir wheel hath turnid so,
That Hastrubal, wher he was loth or fayn,
Be Salynator venquisshed was & slayn.

Of which[e] myscheeff & disconfiture
Hanybal gan dulle in his corage,
Compleyned sore of this mysauenture,
Knew no refut ageyn this mortal rage,
Herd eek seyn that Affrik & Cartage
Were of newe, to his confusioun,
Strongli werreyed be worthi Scipioun.

Siphax also of Numedie kyng,
Which ageyn Romeyns gan a werre make,
Maugre his myht & al his fel werkyng
Was bi force of Scipioun Itake,
Wherthoruh his corage gretli gan a-slake.
And how Cartage, cheeff of that regeoun,
Beseged was also be Scipioun.

Thus Hanybal constreyned was of neede
Hom to repeire for rescus off Cartage,
And was also, in bookis as I reede,
The same tyme falle ferre in age,
And at myscheeff & gret disauauntage
Ageyn Scipioun ful lite[l] myht auaille,
Bi whom he was sconfited in bataille.

Cartage constreynid of necessite,
Them to submitte vnto Roome toun;
And for ther mor hard aduersite,
Gneus Seruilius was fro Rome sent doun,
Onli of purpos for this conclusioun:
For to procure in especiall
Fynal destruccioun & deth off Hanyball.

Afftir al his marcial labours,
His old felicite wex froward & vnmeete,
In holuh images put al his tresours,

644

Took his passage into the lond of Creete,
Found Fortune contrarie & vnsueete,
Made officeeris keepyn his richesse
In the temple of Diane the goddesse.

Sumwhat for trust & parcel eek for dreede,
To fynde socour he wente [un]to the kyng
Of Bithynye to helpe hym in his neede,
Callid Prusias; but of his komyng
The sleihti Romeyns hadde knowlechyng:
To Bithynye doun ther lettres sente,
“Yif Hanybal scape, echon ye shal repente.”

The lettres radde, the kyng the same day
Made his peeple besege the dongoun
Wher duk Hanybal of truste allone lay.
Al destitut whan he knew this tresoun,
Tescape his enmyes drank wilfulli poisoun,
Ches rather so, sith othir escap was noon,
Than in the handis to fallyn of his foon.

Toforn his deth[e] saide this orisoun,
To alle the goddis deuoutli doun knelyng,
That thei wolde of this fals tresoun
Take vengaunce on Prusias the kyng,
Which was cause, bi his fals werkyng,
Of [the] destruccioun and the deth fynall
Of this riht famous worthi Hanyball.

[Lenvoy.]

This tragedie froward to write or reede
Of this forseid manli Hanyball,
My penne quook, myn herte I felte bleede,
For to beholde the woful pitous fall
Of hym that was the diffensable wall
Of Cartage, the stronge myhti toun,
Which slouh hymsilff be drynkyng of poisoun.

645

It was to hym, he thouhte, mor manheede
To slen hymsilff be vengaunce most mortall,
Than his enmyes be constreynt sholde hym leede
In cheynys bounde, he to be [ther] thrall.
So gret despiht he hadde of hem at all,
That leuer he hadde, than bide in ther prisoun,
To moordre hymsilf be drynkyng off poisoun.

As me seemeth, in this horrible deede
He rassembled the furies infernal;
Of cruel Pluto I trowe he took his meede,
Voide off resoun, [he] becam bestiall.
At whos terrible feste funerall,
Goddesse Proserpyna cam with manes doun,
The same tyme whan he drank poisoun.

Noble Princis, considreth & take heede,
Leuyng the surplus his deedis marciall,
Knihtli remembreth, & hath in herte hatreede
Of his empoisownyng in especiall,
Abhomynable to God & man withal,
That a prince so famous of renoun
Sholde moordre hymsilff be drynkyng of poisoun.

[How Prusias kyng of Bethenye betraied Hanybal and wolde haue disherite his sone & heir went a beggyng in straunge landys.]

Folwyng in ordre ther cam to Bochas
Of Bithynye the grete myht[y] kyng,
Which in his tyme was cal[li]d Prusias,
Gretli slaundred & noised of o thyng,
That he was fals & double in werkyng,
Ageyn the noblesse of his estat roiall,
Because that he betraisshed Hanyball.

This defaute dirked the brihtnesse
Of his fame & his knihtli renoun,
And eclipsed his passid old prowesse
Bi report in many a regeoun.
Alas, that euer the condicioun
Of doubilnesse bi falsnesse or feynyng,
Sholde be founde, a[nd] namli in a kyng!

646

Off this Prusias ferther to proceede,
Which geyn Hanybal wrouhte this tresoun,
A sone he hadde callid Nichomeede,
Born to been heir be iust successioun.
But his fader bi fals collusioun
Purposed hym, for he was yong of age,
To putte hym out of his heritage.

In this mateer ther greuh up a gret striff
Bi Prusias [a]geyn this Nichomeede,
Cause that he bi his seconde wiff
Hadde a yong sone, in bookis thus I reede,
Whom he purposeth to preferre in deede,
For which he caste, bi short conclusioun,
Off Nichomeede the destruccioun.

And for tacomplisshe this froward fals mateer,
Bi ful gret deliberacioun
Kyng Prusias gan shewen heuy cheer
Geyn Nichomeede, seekyng occasioun
To depryue hym off pocessioun,
Afftir his day, bi sotil fals werkyng,
In Bithynye he shal nat regne as kyng.

The peeple seyng this gret iniquite
Wrouht bi the kyng geyn good[e] conscience,
Thoruh al the lond, of hih & louh degre,
To Nichomeede, alle of o sentence,
Gaff ther good will and ther benivolence,
For eueri lord and eueri gret baroun
Stood hool with hym thoruh al the regioun.

Thus bi iust title he was crowned kyng.
Prusias for shame & heuynesse
In straunge contrees lyued be beggyng,
Al desolat cried for almesse.
Loo, heer the eende of tresoun & falsnesse!—
Laft at myscheeff, myn auctour seith the same,
Of pouerte forsook his owne name.

Seeth heer too thynges, & taketh riht good heede,
Of Prusias thunwar sodeyn myschaunce,
The disherityng doon to Nychomeede,

647

Aftir folwyng on hym the grete vengaunce,
As the stori put in remembrance,
For tresoun doon odible & mortal
Ageyn the forseid famous Hanybal.

[Ho[w] Persa of Macedoyne kyng that enpoisoned his brothir/was bi Emylyus outraied & deied in prisoun.]

Bespreynt with teris, pitousli weping,
As Bochas sat in his studie allone,
Next cam Persa, of Macedoyne kyng,
And mortalli he gan sihhe & grone
And furiousli for to make his mone,
That he whilom was of so hih renoun,
Constreyned afftir to deien in prisoun.

This said[e] Persa of nature was froward,
Euel disposed eek of condicioun.
Thouh he of berthe was but a bastard,
He compassid bi fals collusioun
Afftir his fader to haue pocessioun,
As myn auctour remembreth be writyng,
Of Macedoyne to be crowned kyng.

His fader Phelipp, the stori tellith thus,
Hadde a sone which was yong of age,
Wis & redi, callid Demetrius,
Born & begete treuli in mariage.
But Persa caste bi furious outrage
Hym to destroie & moordre be poisoun,
He of that kyngdam to haue pocessioun,—

Falsli compassed to his auauntage,
In his entent Demetrius to depriue
Of Macedoyne, which was his heritage.
And therupon he lettres gan contryue
To preeue hym tre[i]tour whil he was alyue.
Wherof kyng Phelipp gretli was annoyed,
That he & Persa sholde be destroied

648

Be Demetrius, that thouhte no damage,
Mente non harm in his oppynyoun;
Yit his fader, suspecious of corage,
As Persa gaff hym fals enformacioun,
Made hym be slayn be drynkyng of poisoun
Vpon a day, a thyng abhomynable,
Sittyng at mete at his fadris table.

Kyng Phelipp aftir, whan he knew the trouthe,
Hadde of his deth[e] gret compassioun,
But al to late; & that was ful gret routhe.
Which caused aftir his owne destruccioun,—
For sorwe deide; and of presumpcioun,
Persa afftir, falsli vsurpyng,
In Macedoyne was c[o]rownid kyng.

With dyuers contrees made his alliaunce,
In Grece, & Trace gat freendes nih & ferre,
And of pride & wilful gouernaunce
Caste with Romeyns for to holde werre.
Vngrace & youthe made hym for to erre,
Til a consul sente fro Roome toun
Brouhte this Persa to destruccioun.

Callid Emilius was this consuleer,
Sent ageyn Persa to haue a gret bataille.
Seyng his douhtir heuy of hir cheer,
Whan he wente oute his enmyes to assaille,
Made vnto hire this vnkouth apposaille:
“Whi weepe ye so? What thyng doth you greeue,
At my departyng takyng of me leue?”

“Fader,” quod she, “& ye taken heed,
A whelpe I hadde that dede me gret plesaunce,
Callid Persa, the which riht now is ded,
And this cheef cause onli of my greuaunce.”
Hir fader thanne gan chaungen contenaunce:
“This a tokne, to myn encres of glorie,
That I of Persa shal hauen the victorie.”

649

In Macedoyne he & Persa mette,
And quit hym ther lik a manli kniht,
Conquereth the lond, non myht[e] hym withsette,
And manli putte Persa to the fliht;
Afftir to Trace he took the weie riht.
Of which[e] conquest short processe to make,
With his too sonys Persa was ther take.

Emelius aftir this victorie
Axeth the tryumphe vnto his guerdoun;
And as it is remembred in historie,
Persa folweth his char thoruh Rome toun,
Condempned aftir to deien in prisoun.
The which[e] deth he dede weel disserue,
For he be poisoun made his brother sterue.

Thus can Fortune, erli & eek late,
Doun from hir wheel & hir hih[e] stage
Of proude princis the surquedie abate.
Whan to hir lust she seeth most auauntage,
She frowardli can turnen hir visage,
And sodenli thestat of hem consume,
Aboue ther offis that wrongli list presume.

Amongis which, a kyng of Israel,
Ageyn the presept and lawe of Moises,
Callid Ozias, the Bible kan weel tel,
Of presumpcioun wilful & rek[e]les,
To sacrefise put hymsilff in pres,
Lik a bisshop in the temple arraied;
But or he passid he gretli was affraied,

Lost his speche, [and] smet with meselrie
Duryng his lyff: loo, heer a gret vengaunce!—
Off his crowne & his regalie
Inpotent to vse the gouernaunce,
Parcel for pride & disobeissaunce;
For he list nat meekli the lawe obeie,
For which at myscheef he dede a lepre deie.

650

[How Amonyus a prince of Antioche delityng in pillage and robbery, with other vicious lyuyng, fledde in womannes wede aftir taken and slayn.]

Next in ordre, compleynyng his distresse,
Cam Amonyus, a notable werreiour,
To Iohn Bochas to shewe his heuynesse,
In Antioche prince & gouernour.
Of which contre whil he was pocessour,
Hadde in custum, & this was his trauaile,
To robbe the riche & spoille the poraile.

Spared nouther old nor yong off age,
Took fro marchauntes tresour & richesse,
And in delites of lecherous outrage
Was al his lust, with wach & dronkenesse.
Will in his court of resoun was maistresse,
Causyng the peeple thoruh al the regioun
To rise ageyn hym bi rebellioun.

Contrarie he was to al good disciplyne;
The peeple aros ageyn hym on a day,
And he for feer, in habite femynyne,
Lik a wrechch fledde cowardli away.
Take at myscheeff, was made no delay,
Falsli confessed, heeryng many a man,
Ageyn nature that he was a woman.

The trouthe knowe and the sclaundre riff,
Alle of assent the peeple Antiocheene
Ros attonys; and so he loste his lyff,
Thei wer so woode ageyn hym in ther teene.
Thus of Fortune the chaunge is alwey seene,
Fro bet to wers she can so weel transmue
Thestat of them that wil no vertu sue.

[How Andriscus of lowe birth born hauyng no title of Macedoyne kyng was taken and deied in prisoun.]

Bvt of o thyng Fortune is to blame,
That she is so chaungable of corage,
To sette a boy, vnknowe of birthe & fame,
Bi fals errour upon a roial stage:

651

For oon Andriscus bi surquedous outrage,
Withoute title, be subtil compassyng,
Of Macedoyne took on hym to be kyng.

Colour was non his cleym to make stable,
Except that he of cheer & off visage
Was to kyng Phelipp of fetures most semblable,
Wherbi the peeple in ther furious rage
Cauhte oppynyoun, of wilful fals dotage,
Ageyn resoun, [as] Bochas doth descryue,
That kyng Phelipp was rise fro deth to lyue,

Whilom fadir to Persa, as I tolde.
And for Andriscus, brouht up in wrechchidnesse,
In presence both of yong & old
Was bold to cleyme be title of rihtwisnesse,
Shewyng no ground but personel liknesse,
Mokkyng the peeple, which bi ther fauour
Of roial dignite resceyueth the honour.

Thus he that was fostred as a wrech
In miserie and eek in pouerte,
Fro poore bed his hornis dede up strechche
To holde a sceptre of kyngli dignite.
And bi the support of the comounte
He gan wexe pompous and elat,—
Brouht up of nouht, whan he stood in estat.

Nothyng mor cruel, nor nothyng more vengable,
Nor mor hasti to execucioun,
Nor mor deynous, nor mor vntretable,
Than whan a beggere hath domynacioun:
A curre mor froward than a strong leoun.
And semblabli, non so gret cruelte
As whan a wrech is set in dignite.

This Andriscus in his roial chaieer,
Texecute his hatful cruelte
Gadred peeple in contres ferr & neer
In Macedoyne; & of old enmyte
Began maligne geyn Roome the cite.
But to withsette his froward fals entent,
Oon Iuuencius, a pretour, was doun sent.

652

But because that he was necligent,
And of despiht[e] took of hym non heede,
He was outraied, & bi Andriscus shent,
With al the peeple that he dede leede.
But the Romeyns, of hope bet to speede,
Han sent Metellus, a ful manli kniht,
To Macedoyne to meete [hym] anon riht.

This worthi man list nat longe tarie,
Set proudli on in hope it sholde auaille,
Made Macedoyne to Roome tributarie,
Took Andriscus manli in bataille,
Brouht hym to Roome with myhti apparaille,
And made hym lyn fetrid in prisoun
For his outraious fals presumpcioun.

Thus for his froward vsurpacioun,
That he was hawteyn in his prosperite,
Knew nat hymsilff thoruh fals abusioun,
Blent with a myst of blynd felicite,
List nat remembre of his first pouerte,
Whom to chastise Fortune brouht[e] lowe,
Because he list nat hymselven for to knowe.

[How Alisaundre ballas kyng of Surre for extorcioun pride and vnkyndenesse deied atte mischeef.]

Thus kan this ladi pleyen hir paient
Bi a maner of deynous mokerie,
Hir entermes forth serue hem of entent,
To folk that truste hir onli of folie.
And to purpos,—whilom of Surrie
Ther was a kyng, lik as writ Bochas,
Callid Alisaundre, whos surname was Ballas.

Of which Ballas to telle the processe,
First of his risyng & aftir of his fall:
Anthiochus, the stori berth witnesse,

653

Callid Eupater, which in especiall
Cleymed title to thestat roiall,
Afftir his fader named Anthiochus
Epiphanes, the stori tellith thus.

Afftir whos deth the kyngdam of Surrye
Sholde longe be successioun
To Eupater; & eek for his partie
Demetrius, hostage in Roome toun,
Cleymed a title to that regeoun
Of Surrye, because Epiphanes
Was brothir to hym, this stori is no les.

Demetrius fro Roome is come doun
Into Surrye to cleyme his heritage,
Resceyueth the crowne [&] took pocessioun,
Gan wexe proud, presumptuous of corage.
Thus Eupater, that was but yong of age,
Excludid was in Surrie to succeede.
Of Demetrius ferther thus I reede:

Outraious he was aboue mesure,
Riht vengable & ful of cruelte,
Hatful also to eueri creature,
And heuy born of worthi kynges thre;
First in Egipt of worthi Tholome,
And off Attilius in Asie tho regnyng,
And Arirarches in Capadoce kyng,—

Alle of assent ageyn hym han conspired,
Fond a weie Demetrius to depryue,
His vndoyng so sore thei ha[ue] desired.
And ther entent texecute blyue,
Thei gan a fable of purpos to contryue,
As ye shal heere, togidre as thei wente,
To which al Surrye attonys dede assente.

Thei took a galaunt born of louh lynage,
Callid Ballas, of ther aqueyntaunce,
And affermede, al of o corage,
How he was sone & iust heir in substaunce
To Epiphanes, & next heir in alliaunce,
To succeede, bi toknis affermyng,
Next in Surrye to be crownid kyng.

654

Alisaundre of purpos thei hym calle,
Because thei thouhte of persone he was able;
Set hym up in his roiall stall,
Maugre Demetrius, cruel & vengable.
And Fortune was to them fauourable,
Made ther purpos fynalli tauaille,
With whom Demetrius hadde a gret bataille.

This Alisaundre, which namyd was Ballas,
Be Demetrius, as put is in memorie,
First ouercome; but aftir fill this caas,
He of Demetrie hadde the victorie,
An[d] to encres of his roial glorie,
Of fortune be sodeyn auenture
Ballas the feeld dede on hym recure.

Thus be promocioun of thes kynges thre,
Whan he was crownid kyng of al Surrye,
To fals extorsioun & hatful cruelte
This Alisaundre his wittis dede applie,
To robbyng, pillage and eek tirannye,
And despised, shortli to conclude,
The said[e] kynges of ingratitude.

He hadde forget his staat of pouerte,
Knew nat hymsilff, of fals ambicioun
Weddid the douhtir of myhti Tholome,
Callid Cleopatra, as maad is mencioun.
And al his labour in conclsioun
Was onli this, in Bochas as I reede,
Al the kyngdam[ys] aboute hym to posseede.

Who al coueiteth, sumtyme al doth leese;
Oon ageyn alle hath seelde souereynte.
And for Ballas frowardli gan cheese
To holde werre with kyng Tholome,
And with the forseid worthi kynges thre,
Alle off assent[e] haue such weies souht,
That be ther werkyng he was brouht to nouht.

First Tholome from hym took his wiff,
Cleopatra, & gaf hir in mariage
To oon Demetrie, causyng ful gret striff,

655

For he that tyme was but yong of age;
But Ballas aftir, be ful gret outrage,
With al his poweer, gadred nih & ferre,
Geyn Demetrie gan to holde werre.

Togidre mette proudli in bataille,
Ballas constreyned cowardli to flee;
And whan he sauh his poweer dide faile,
In Arabie, a myhti strong contre,
Zabidus, a prince of gret pouste,
Took hym be force, he quakyng in his dreed,
To kyng Tholome sent anon his hed.

Men may too thynges considren in this caas:
Pride pun[y]shed and vnkyndenesse,
And presumpcioun, in this man Ballas,
Withoute title or cleym of rihtwisnesse
Maad kyng of Surrie, set in gret worthynesse.
What was his eende? ye get no mor of me,—
His hed smet of & sente to Tholome.

Lenvoye.

This tragedie doth naturalli compleyne
Vpon this vice callid vnkyndenesse,
Which to pun[y]she is torment non nor peine,
Rigour condigne, flagelle nor duresse,
Enprisownyng nor non erthli distresse,
That may suffise, breeffli to conclude,
Ageyn the vice of ingratitude.

Alle creaturis on this vice compleyne,
Lawe, nature decrees rihtwisnesse;
This monstre in kynde doth the liht desteyne,
Of eueri vertu dirketh the brihtnesse.
Alisaundre can bern herof witnesse,
Which to his foorthris, he of techchis rude
Shewe[d] ageynward gret ingratitude.

656

Of Herberus thynfernal treble cheyne,
Nor of Tantalus hunger nor thrustnesse,
Of Ixion or Ticius, bothe tweyne,
Rekne the[r] turment, remembre ther sharpnesse;
Al wer to litil to chastise or redresse
The hatful vice of them that can delude
Ther freendis olde bi fals ingratitude.

Noble Princis, which in your demeyne
Han gouernaunce of al worldli richesse,
Geyn folk vnkynde looke that ye disdeyne,
Suffre hem nat haue non interesse
For taproche to your hih noblesse;
For ther is no vice mor hatful to conclude,
Than is the vice of ingratitude.

[Here Bochas writeth of the rebellions and sedicions in Rome, betwixt Tribunys and comouns.]

Folwyng myn auctour in stories merveilous,
I mut now write the strong rebelliouns
Of Gaivs first & of Tiberius,
And of ther grete hatful sediciouns
Meued in Roome tween tribuns & comouns;
And bi ther stryues how thei gan conspire
For tatteyne falsli to thempire.

The yeer sixe hundred be computacioun,
Gayus Graccus maad tribun in that age,
Aftir the cites first fundacioun,
Which turnyd aftir to ful gret damage
Of comoun proffit; for bi the mortal rage,
Tumulte & noise of comouns in the toun,
Caused a gret part of ther destruccioun.

For in departyng of chaumpayne heritages
Atwen the worthi & poore of the cite
Bi egal porciouns, Graccus with fair langages
Hadde gretli meued al the comounte.
Bi which occasioun, in stori men may see,
Anothir Graccus, callid the secounde,
Was slayn in Roome & lowe leid on grounde.

657

Aftir this deth of Graccus, as I reede,
Was chose a tribun callid Munycius,
Which fordede the lawes alle in deede
Of olde Graccus callid[e] Gayus.
But he that was named Tiberius,
With help of Flaccus, tribuns of estat,
In the Capitoile began a gret debat.

Thei wer supported bi the comounte,
Bi vois of peeple, the woord of no man knowe;
For Graccus parti hih upon a tre
A trompet stood & proudli gan to blowe,
Which slay[e]n was, & fro the tre doun throwe,
Bi which[e] slauhtre, the book makth rehersaile,
Graccus wex feeble; his parti gan to faille:

For dreed he fledde into the teritorie
Of Ianus temple, ran up to a tour.
Whan Tiberius, as put is in memorie,
Sauh in the cite he hadde no fauour,
Disespeired knew no bet socour,
Swerd set at brest [in] presence of Mynerue,
Fulli purposed afforn hir for to sterue.

Ther stood on bi & drouh his hand abak;
Fro that purpos made hym to declyne.
Thus Graccus parti goth day be day to wrak,
And Flakkus took the temple of Lucyne,—
His sone, his freendis [&] almost al his lyne,—
Thei kept them strong; but maugre þer diffence
Thei wer ther slayn be sturdi violence.

Whil Graccus freendis fauht for his partie,
And he hymsilff constreyned was for dreed
To preye a boy of his cumpanye,
To take a suerd & smyte[n] of his hed.
Set on a spere with the blood maad red,
Sent it his mooder, compleynyng in hir teene,
Into hir castel that callid was Misseene.

658

Namyd Cornelia his moder was in deede,
Whilom douhtir to grete Scipioun.
Hir children alle slay[e]n, as I reede,
And Graccus goodis achetid to the toun.
Therof afftir maad a dyuysioun
Bi iugement thoruhout[e] the cite,
Wher most was neede among the comounte.

Of Graccus side fyue hundred slayn & twain
Vpon an hill[e] callid Auentyne.
And Oppynyus, a consul, dede his peyne
Of ther conspiryng the ground to serche & myne.
And Flaccus parti to brynge to ruyne,
He slouh too thousand bi hasti iuggement,
Amongis which was many an innocent.

[How the wif of Hastrubal brent hirsilf & hir childre.]

Heer Iohn Bochas in especiall
List to remembre how Cartage newe ageyn
Destroied was, & how [duc] Hasdruball
Cam to myscheeff; the trouthe was weel seyn.
Which to reherse of newe it wer but veyn,
Sith heer-toforn is maad cleer mencioun
Bothe of ther brennyng & ther destruccioun.

Sauff heer he tellith how Hastruballis wiff,
Onli teschewen to lyuen in seruage,
Ches with hir childre for to lese hir lyff,
And wilfulli, of furious corage,
She and hir sonys, tendre & yong of age,
Among the flawmys & the colis rede
Consumyd were into asshes dede.

Dido the firste that bilte that cite
And made touris & the stronge wall,
Which was betrasshed falsly of Enee,
Afforn remembred the fires funerall,—
And aftir longe the wif of Hasdruball
Ches rather deie with hir childre tweyne,
Than among Romeyns for to lyue in peyne.

659

[Off Machabeus Ioathas taken bi the kyng of Surre.]

In order suyng, vnto Iohn Bochas
Ther appeered an heuy man of siht,
Machabeus the worthi Ioathas,
Whiche ocupied for wisdam & for myht
Offis of prynce, [of] preesthod & of kniht;
Be title of Iuda of werris took themprise,
Be cleym of Leuy, as preest dede sacrefise.

The lawe of Iewes manli to diffende
With al the Lond[e] of Promyssioun,
This Ioathas ful knihtli dede entende
Ageyn al enmyes aboute hem enviroun.
Til of Surrye the fals[e] kyng Tryphoun
Be treynys compassed & promys falsli holde
Took Ioathas, of whom riht now I tolde.

Machabeorum is rehersid all,
Of his knihthod & his worthynesse,
With al the tresouns in especiall
Wrouht be Tryphon be many gret falsnesse:
His subtil sleyhtis and his doubilnesse,—
Them to reherse, ye gete no mor of me;
For in the Bible the stori ye may see.

[How Demetrius the secounde lost at last his hede.]

Bvt I will turne to Demetrius
That callid was Demetrius þe secounde,
Which bi descent cam from Anthiochus,
And bi his manhod, as it was weel founde,
Dede the pride of kyng Ballas confounde,
Callid Alisaundre, which bi gret outrage
Hadde putte his fader from his heritage.

This Demetrius, famous & notable,
Vpon Parthois hadde many gret victorie,
Til kyng Arsacides, double and deceyuable,
Hymsilff delityng gretli in veynglorie,

660

Bi his sleihti fraudis deceptorie,
Vndir a shadwe of feynyng & fals cheer
Took Demetrius vnwarli prisoneer.

And to gret sclaundre & hyndryng of his name,
Arsacides bamaner moquerye
Made Demetrius, for despiht & shame,
Poorli arraied, of hate & gret envie
For to be lad thoruhout al Surrye;
Made hym aftir, bi gret auisement,
To wedde his douhtir ageyn his owne entent.

This Demetrius was kept out of pres,
That but fewe hadde of hym [a] siht,
Vnto tyme that Arsacides
Was ded & passed, for al his gret[e] myht.
Than he caste tescape awey be fliht;
And secreli tacomplisshe his entent,
He gat hym counsail that was of his assent.

Gallymandrus, a lord of that contre,
Which that was of his assent in deede,
In ther fliht to keepe hem mor secre
Made Demetrius for to chaunge his weede,
And preuy weies foorth he dede hym leede.
But al for nouht; his fliht was but in veyn,
For bi strong pursut he was take ageyn.

Afftir bi constreynt presentid to the kyng,
That he gan wexe weri of his lyff,
Kept mor streihtli, folk on hym waityng,
And maugre hym presentid to his wiff,
With hir tabide ful heuy and pensyff.
But whan thei hadde childre atween hem tweyne,
To go mor large loosnyd was his cheyne.

And thus he hadde space & fre licence
To gon and comen at his auauntage;
For whil his wiff heeld with hym residence,
Thei dempte his childre wer suffisaunt hostage.
But he was euere vnstable of his corage,
With Gallymandrus the forseid[e] kniht
Thre tyme take & brouht ageyn be fliht.

661

And for he was so dyuers manyfold,
Kyng Fraactes, in tokne he was vnstable,
Sent hym thre dees forgid squar of gold,
To pleye raket as a child chaungable,—
His disposicioun was so variable.
But for to restreyne his condicioun,
He was efft take & fetrid in prisoun.

But whan Fortune hadde youen hym a pull,
Bi many dyuers stra[u]nge aduersite,
To punshe hym mor Pharactes wexeth dull.
And Demetrius of prisoun was maad free,
Ful restored ageyn to his contre,
Wex proud ageyn, of newe it is so fall,
That he was hated of his lieges all.

Cleopatra, his mooder, that was queen
Of al Egipt & wiff to Tholome,
Was with hir lord at striff, who list to seen,
Which turnid aftir to gret aduersite.
But to strengthe hir parti thus wrouht she,
Made hir sone for to take on honde
For hir to fihte ageyn[es] hir husbonde.

But Tholomeus callid Euergetes,
Geyn Demetrius diffendyng his contre,
Made Zebenna to putte hymsilf in pres,
Sone of a marchaunt, born of low degre,
To make a cleym bi fals subtilite,
Of al Surrye to haue pocessioun,
For hym aleggyng title of adopcioun.

He to be sone to [old] Anthiochus,
Cleymyng therbi the kyngdam of Surrye,
Onli texclude the said Demetrius.
And Tholomeus, to susteene the partie
Of Zebenna, with al his cheualrie
Gadrid in Egipt & contrees enviroun,
Ageyn Demetrius proudli is come doun.

And Fortune with hir double face
Caused the cuntre bi rebellioun,
That Demetrius stood cleene out of grace;
Wherbi the peeple of al that regeoun

662

Wer hool ageyn hym in ther oppynyoun:
That be Tholomes wonderful werkyng
Zebenna ther resceyued was as kyng.

Thus Zebenna, bi fals intrusioun,
Of al Surrie was maad[e] lord & kyng;
Title was ther non, but collusioun,
Texclude Demetrius bi subtil compassyng.
Yit as I fynde, his parti defendyng,
How Demetrius Zebenna gan assaille,
Ther quarel dareyned with a gret bataille.

Gret peeple slay[e]n vpon outher side,
Demetrius put from his regeoun
And ouercomen, for [al] his gret[e] pride,
At gret myscheeff to his confusioun,
Hauyng no socour nor consolacioun;
But with a fewe chose of his meyne
Fledde be watir to Tire the cite,

Lik as he wolde haue luyed ther in pes,
Bi a feynt maner of perfeccioun,
Withynne the temple of myhti Hercules
Vnder a shadwe of religioun.
But sodeynli at his comyng doun
Into Tire & at his arryuaille,
His hed smet of; what myht his pride [a]vaille!

[How zebenna kyng of Surre bi intrusioun entryng had mischeuys endyng.]

Touchyng Zebenna, of whom I spak toforn,
Poorli brouht up & of louh lynage,
And of kynreede but a begger born,
Cam tofor Bochas trist off his visage,
Sore weepyng, muet of langage,
Gan compleyne his woful auenture,
Vnwar & sodeyn, impossible to recure.

663

His condiciouns sumwhat dul & rude,
First in pouert, proud & presumptuous,
Appechid afftir of gret ingratitude
Shewed in his lyff to kyng Anthiochus,
His firste forthere[r], the stori tellith thus:
For which Anthiochus gretli was anoyed,
Caste a mene bi whiche he was destroied.

Ther was a cosyn that callid was Grispus
To Anthiochus, & of the same lyne,
Which be title off Demetrius
Cleymeth as heyr, be many vnkouth signe,
To regne in Surrye, & proudli gan maligne
Ageyn Zebenna, whos parti to supporte,
Stood Anthiochus cheeff, as I can reporte.

This said[e] Grispus, yong & tendre of age,
Bi the foorthryng & supportacioun
Off Anthiochus, hadde in mariage
His owne douhtir, with gret pocessioun,
That Zebenna, for short conclusioun,
Compellid was, for al his grete myht,
To Anthioche for to take his fliht.

And ther he fill in so gret pouerte,
Failed moneye for to paie wages
The soudiour[e]s, which in that contre
Abide vpon hym of al maner ages,
Straunge folk & sondry of langages,
Theuys, moordrers, mansle[e]rs & pillours,—
First off Iubiter assailyng the tresours

To his disclaundre, perpetuel of memorye,
The diffame aroos so manyfold.
In Iouis temple the baneer of victorie
He took a-way, that was of massiff gold,
With a gret ymage which stood ther of old,
Of gold also, with othir mo tresours,
With which pillage he paied his soudiours.

Of sacrilege hauyng no conscience,
Tescape awey he entrid is the se;
But Eolus bi gret[e] violence
With wynd & tempest as he dede flee

664

Dede vnto hym ful gret aduersite.
And al his meyne forsook hym of entent;
And he was take & to Grispus sent,

Kyng of Surrye, to whom whan he was brouht,
Gaff on hym be iuggement this sentence:
For sacrilege that he hadde wrouht,
Spoillyng templis be gret violence,
Doyng to goddis no maner reuerence,—
For which Grispus comaundid hath as iuge
That he be slayn; ther was no bet refuge.

Of berthe a boy, clamb up to roial stage,
Brouht up of nouht, & set in dignite,
Knew nat hymsilff, wex cruel of corage,
Aroos fro pouert to gret prosperite.
But thoruh Fortunys mutabilite,
That blynde ladi so made hir poweer strechche,—
As he began, so ended as a wrechche.

Reknid thestatis of worldli regalie,
Noumbre of men, gold, tresour & richesse,
Statli castelis, paleis on ech partie,
Conquest bi Fortune clymbyng to hih noblesse,
Cruel suerd conveied be wilfulnesse,
Poweer extort wiþ couetise oppressyng,
Cause destruccioun of many erthli kyng.

But in contrarie, who list hymsilf to knowe,
And is be grace enclyned to meeknesse,
Thouh he fro pouert in streihtnesse brouht up lowe
And is be vertu reised to worthynesse,
With sceptre of pes & suerd of rihtwisnesse
Indifferentli his doomys demenyng,—
Such oon is able to be cleped a kyng.

What is cheef cause, grounde & occasioun
That princis offte stonde in iupartie
Of worldli chaungis in soch dyuysioun,
Regnyng among hem the serpent of envie,
Symulacioun, feynyng, flaterie,
The sooth out serched, who-so list to look,
Be many tragedie expert in this book.

665

[How Bitynctus kyng of Auergnatis bi the Romayns was taken and deied in prisoun.]

Bytinctus next, of Auergnatis kyng,
Cam tofor Bochas gynnyng his compleynt,
Of his distresse the ordre rehersyng,
And how that he was maad feeble & feynt,
Ageyn the Romeyns myscheuousli atteynt,
Natwithstandyng, to meynteene his quarell
He cast of pride ageyn hem to rebell.

But it is first put in remembraunce,
How Auergnatis is a nacioun
Hangyng on Gaule, longyng vnto Fraunce,
Of which Bytynct stood in pocessioun,
Hauyng despiht in his oppynyoun
To the Romeyns any wise tobeie,
But proudli caste ageyn hem to werreie.

His labour was to stonden in fraunchise
And been at large from ther subieccioun.
Gan of pride ther lordshipe to despise,
Gadred peeple of presumpcioun,
Whom for to meete Fabius was sente doun,
A myhti consul, which knihtli took on honde
For that parti Bituitus to withstonde.

Of whos comyng Bituitus took disdeyn,
Because the folk which Fabius dide leede
Wer but fewe; & whan he hath hem seyn,
He seide of scorn: “this peeple, who taketh heede,
May nat suffise myn houndis for to feede
Whan thei be slayn; to fewe thei been in noumbre,
With multitude that I shal hem encoumbre.”

An hundred thousand in his vaunwarde he hadde,
That passe sholde of Auuerne the ryueer;
And foure score thousand beside that he ladde.
The consul Fabius mette hym with good cheer
Whan he was passid of Rodamus the daunger,
Fauht al the day til it drouh to niht;
The Romeyns wan; ther foon wer put to fliht.

666

At the ryuer, lik as seith the book,
Ther wer drownid & brouht to myschaunce
Fiffti thousand, as thei the watir took,
Thoruh Fortunys froward variaunce.
And bi a treyne, tencres of his greuaunce,
Bituitus take was of the Romeyns,
Dampnid to prysoun ther to deye in cheyns.

[How the tiraunt Euergetes weddid queen Cleopatras slouh hir eldist son, exilid his wif, weddid hir douhter.]

Afftir whos fall, pitous to reede & seen,
Off Epiphanes the grete Tholome
Cam the douhtir, Cleopatras þe queen,
Gan compleyne hir gret aduersite.
Hir furious sorwe diffacid hir beute,
Hir cheekis white, of blood & teris meynt,
Rent with hir handis, wer pitousli bespreynt.

To Philometer she weddid was afforn,
Whilom sone to Tholome the kyng;
And bi hir lord, in trewe wedlok born,
Too sonys she hadde, as be olde writyng.
Afftir whos deth anon vp[on] suyng,
To Euergetes, a prince yong of age,
She was ageyn ioyned in mariage.

Be title of hir in Egipt lord & sire,
Kyng of that lond, cruel & despitous,
Whos stori sheweth no kyngdam nor empire
May of themsilff make no man vertuous;
For lik a tigre this tiraunt furious,
Hir eldest sone, day of ther mariage,
Born to been heir, he slouh of mortal rage.

Nat aftir longe this extort cruelte,
Al-be thei hadde childre atween hem tweyne,
Out of Egipt he made hir for to flee,
And of malis gan at hir disdeyne.

667

I trowe she hadde mateer for to pleyne!
He took hir douhtir whan that she was gon,
Ageyn nature, & weddid hire anon.

She callid was Cleopatras also;
But Euergetes, to shewe hym mor vengable
Ageyn hir mooder, that was fro Egipt go,
The cite which was to hir fauourable
The peeple exiled, he, wood & vntretable,
In hir despiht[e] gaff that noble toun
Of hatful malis to straunge nacioun.

But whan he knew[e] thoruh his cruel deedis
And gan conceyue how he was coupable,
Sauh ageyn hym the manyfold hatreedis
And conspiraciouns of statis honourable,
He at large to be mor vengable,
Geyn Cleopatras to gynne an vnkouth striff,
Wente into exil with his newe wiff.

Gadred peeple his olde wiff tassaille,
On hir childre to shewe mor vengaunce,
A day assigned, heeld with hir bataille:
But which of hem was dryuen to vttraunce,
Myn auctour pleynli put nat in remembraunce.
But suyng after, thus of hym I reede,
How of malis he wrouhte a cruel deede,

Which to reherse is nouther good nor fair
But terrible & abhomynable:
He dismembred hir sone & his heir
On pecis smale, this tiraunt most vengable.
And whan the moodir sat at hir roial table,
With bodi & hed, at a solempnite,
Leet hir be serued of froward cruelte.

Wheroff al Egipt hadde indignacioun;
And for tauenge this cruel gret outrage
Thei took his platis, basnet, haberioun,
And his cotearmour wrouht of gret costage,
Fro ther templis rent out his image,
In tokne he was a tiraunt most atteynt,
Ech thyng diffacid that was of hym depeynt.

668

Whos hatful story, repleet of wrechchydnesse,
Ful of vengaunce & froward myscheeuys,—
Therfore I deeme Bochas list nat expresse
Mor of his lyff, fulfilled of al repreuys;
Off Cleopatra writ nat the fynal greeuys
In this chapitle, what fatal weie she took,
List the mateer sholde difface his book.

[How Iugurta by intrusioun of Munedy Kyng slouh rightful heires and aftir himsilf was drowned.]

Afftir this woful dedli auenture
Off Cleopatras, whos stori is ful old,
Cam Iugurta, þe manli man, to lure,
And to Iohn Bochas hath his tale told
Of his conquestis & deedis manyfold;
Subtil off wit, & as myn auctour seith,
Gaff litil force for to breke his feith.

But in ordre the stori to conveie
Of Iugurta & of his kynreede,—
Masmyssa kyng of Munedie, soth to seie,
His vnkle was; & also, as I reede,
The seid[e] kyng hadde a sone in deede,
Callid Misipsa, eldest be writyng,
Afftir his day born to regne as kyng.

This Masmyssa ordeyned aftirward,
Toforn his deth, off hool entencioun,
Because Iugurta was born a bastard,
To depruye [hym] off al successioun,
In his testament; but in conclusioun,
His sone Misipsa, aftirward maad kyng,
Was to Iugurta freendli & louyng.

Misipsa hadde too sonys, as I fynde;
The ton of hem callid Herbales,
The seconde, the stori maketh mynde,
Was that tyme namyd Hiemsales.

669

With whom Iugurta put hymselff in pres,
For tabide & duelle in speciall,
Lik as ther cosyn in ther court roiall.

Cherisshed ful weel because that he was wis
And riht likli of disposicioun,
Chose afftirward for a synguler pris
To gon to Spaigne to helpe Scipioun
Geyn Numentaynes, a famous myhti toun.
And ther Iugurta so knihtli hath begonne,
That bi his noblesse the toun anon was wonne.

And to remembre his knihthod of entent,
His worthynesse & his hih renoun,
To Micipsa lettres wer doun sent
Bi the forseid worthi Scipioun;
Which gaff so gret a comendacioun
To Iugurta, hym callyng in that werre
Of manli prowesse the yong[e] lodesterre.

Off kyng Micipsa receyued notabli,
Callid hym sone bi adopcioun;
The kynge ded soone, Iugurta traitourli
Slouh Hiemsales, heir be successioun,
He of that rewm to haue pocesseoun.
This was his custum, how-euer his title stood,
Bi slauhtre & moordre for to gete good.

He list to goddis do no reuerence,
Of his nature wilful & rekles,
Hauyng nouther remors nor conscience
Touchyng the slauhtre of Hiemsales,
Falsli practised for his owne encres.
For which[e] moordre Romeyns han sent doun
A consuleer to doon correccioun,

Calipurnyus callid, that was sent
Onli to pun[y]she that horrible deede;
But with tresour his eien wer so blent,
Of execusioun that he took non heede.
The Romeyn[e]s ouercome with meede

670

Gaff to Iugurta, bi collusioun,
Off this moordre a coloured fals pardoun.

Bi which he took a maner hardynesse
Of tirannye in hym weel exercised,
Gadred peeple, of hatful cursidnesse,
And in hymsilff gan crueli deuise
Texecute the silue same guise
Of fals[e] moordre,—I meene now non othir,—
To slen Herbales, the seconde brothir,

That he allone bi fals intrusioun
Of Numedie myhte be lord & kyng.
Thus of his cruelte, moordre & fals tresoun
The noise was born by langage & writyng,
Of which the griffis, falsli abrod spreedyng,
Brouht[e] foorth in hyndryng of his name
Frut of disclaundre & report of diffame.

Mortal tresoun was curid vndir flours,
To saue hymsilff bi sum subtilite,
And specialli with his gret tresours
Tappese the senat, yiff it wolde ha bee;
But ther ageyn[e]s al the comounte
Made ageyn hym a coniuracioun,
On his fals moordre to do correccioun.

Foure thousand men of armys wer doun sent
With a pretour Icallid Actilius;
The which[e] pretour sette al his entent
To gadre tresour; for he was coueitous:
And couetise is contrarious
Vnto knihthod, as auctours alle expresse,
And stepmooder vnto worthynesse.

A siege he leide aboute a myhti tour,
Wheryn Iugurta put al his richesse.
The siege was leid for loue of that tresour
Mor than for worshepe or for worthynesse;
Wherbi he loste his name & his noblesse.
Ther discounfited, brouht vnto myschaunce,
Afftir for meede made his alliaunce

671

With Iugurta, to his encres of shame,
Caused Affrik thoruh fals[e] cheuisaunce,
Thei togidre disclaundrid be diffame,
Them to withdrawe fro thobeissaunce
Of the Romeyns; & mor themsilff tauaunce,
To ther purpos, coruptid with tresour
Many tribun & many senatour.

Of newe ageyn, al the comounte
Fro Roome sente Gayus Marrius,
For the moordres & horrible cruelte
Wrouht bi Iugurta, the tiraunt furious.
Which to refourme the said Gayus,
A consuler, of purpos was sent doun,
A manli knyht & famous of renoun.

Ful notabli the werris he began,
Wrouht euery thyng of hih[e] prouidence;
And Fortune, which helpeth hardi man,
Gaff hym gret fauour bi hir influence.
And aldirfirst he dede his dilligence
From hym tauoide al that wer vicious,
Delicat peeple & folkis lecherous.

A day was set & taken of bataille;
But Iugurta bi fals subtilite
Proffreth gret good, which myht[e] nat auaille,
To haue corupt, yif it wolde haue be,
The said Marius; but euer in o degre
He stood ay stable, vpriht as a wall,
And took non heed to his proffre attall.

Than Iugurta, in parti disespeired,
Gretly astonid withynne hymsilff musyng,
Ful lik a man hyndred & appeired,
He gan purpose anon a newe thyng:
Of Mauritayne he wente to the kyng
To gete helpe, which callid was Boccus,
Hym to socoure ageyn[es] this Gayus.

672

Tween hem was maad of newe an alliaunce,
The whiche laste but a litil space;
For kyng Boccus gan falle in repentaunce,
Caste he wolde resorte to the grace
Off the Romeyns & no mor trespace.
And to parfourme this entencioun,
He made to Gayus this mediacioun:

Ther was oon Scilla, callid a questour,
Of Gayus hoost[e] hadde gouernaunce;
For kyng Boccus he was mediatour,
That ther was new[e]li accordaunce
Tween hym & Gayus; & bi the purueiaunce
Off this Boccus Iugurta anon was hent,
Maugre his myht, & to Gayus sent.

And al his kyngdam withoute resistence
Geyn to Romeyns cam vnder obeissaunce.
And Marius forgaff them ther offence,
Resceyueth hem vndir assuraunce,
That he shal nat be doom do no vengaunce,
To punshe the trespacis which thei dede afforn,
The space acountid fro tyme thei wer born.

Iugurta taken, almost for anger mad,
Brouhte to Roome & fetrid in prisoun,
To Tarpeia an hih hill he was lad,
Iugement youe for his fals tresoun,
Bounde to a ston & aftir throwe doun
Fro the place, ful hih[e] ther he stood,
Withoute merci into Tibre flood.

[Lenuoye.]

This may be weel callid a tragedie,
Be discripcioun takyng auctorite;
For tragedie, as poetes spesephie,
Gynneth with ioie, eendith with aduersite:
From hih estat [men] cast in low degre,
Exaumple taken, this story seyn ariht,
Of Iugurta, that was first a good kniht.

At his gynnyng famous in cheualrie,
Gat Numentaigne, of Spaigne a gret cite;
But in repeiryng hom to that partie,—

673

I meene whan he cam hom to his contre,—
He chaunged knihthod into cruelte,
With couetise so bleendid was the siht
Of Iugurta, that was first a good kniht.

His witte, his poweer he hooli dede applie
To hatful moordre, fraude & subtilite,
Bextort title hymsilff to magnefie
Slouh rihtful heires, refft hem ther liberte,
Bi fals intrusioun clamb up to ther see,
And gaff no fors, wher it wer wrong or riht,
A thyng contrary to eueri worthi kniht.

Noble Princis, lefft up your hertis eye,
Withyne your-silff remembreth & doth see
Off this moordre[r] the hatful tirannye,
With oppressiouns doon to the comounte:
His gynnyng good; a cursid eende had he.
Moordre crieth vengaunce day & niht,—
A thyng contrary to eueri worthi kniht.

Explicit liber quintus. Incipit liber vjtus.

675

PART III

BOOK VI

[Here Bochas sittyng in his studie allone writeth a grete processe, how Fortune like a monstruous ymage hauyng an hundred handys appered vn to him and spak / and Bochas vn to hir makyng betwixt hem bothe many grete argumentys & resouns of Fortunys chaunces.]

In his studie allone as Bochas stood,
His penne on honde, of sodeyn auenture
To remembre he thouhte it ded hym good,
How þat no man may hymsilff assure
In worldli thynges fulli to recure
Grace of Fortune, to make hir to be stable,
Hir dayli chaungis been so variable.

She braideth euer on the chaunteplure:
Now song, now wepyng, now wo, now gladnesse,
Now in merthe, now peynis to eendure,
Now liht, now heuy, now bittir, now suetnesse,
Now in trouble, now free, now in distresse,
Shewyng to vs a maner resemblaunce,
How worldli welthe hath heer non assuraunce.

Whil Bochas pensiff stood sool in his librarie
With cheer oppressid, pale in his visage,
Sumdeel abasshed, alone & solitarie,
To hym appered a monstruous ymage,
Partid on tweyne of colour & corage,
Hir riht[e] side ful of somer flours,
The tothir oppressid with wyntris stormy shours.

Bochas astonid, feerful for to abraide
Whan he beheeld the wonderful figure
Of Fortune, thus to hymsilff he saide:
“What may this meene? is this a creature
Or a monstre transffoormyd ageyns nature,
Whos brennyng eyen sparklyng of ther liht
As doon sterris the frosti wyntres niht?”

676

And of hir cheer[e] ful good heed he took,
Hir face seemyng cruel & terrible,
And bi disdeyn[e] manacyng of look,
Hir her vntressid, hard, sharp & horrible,
Froward of shappe, lothsum & odible.
An hundred handis she hadde on ech part
In sondri wise hir giftes to depart.

Summe off hir handis lefft up men aloffte
To hih estat of worldli dignite,
Anothir hand griped ful vnsoffte,
Which cast another in gret aduersite:
Gaff oon richesse, anothir pouerte,
Gaff summe also bi report a good name,
Noised anothir of sclaundre & diffame.

Hir habit was of manyfold colours:
Wachet bleuh of feyned stedfastnesse,
Hir gold allaied like sonne in wattri shours,
Meynt with liht greene for chaung & doubilnesse.
A pretens red: dreed meynt with hardynesse;
Whiht for clennesse, lik soone for to faille;
Feynt blak for moornyng, russet for trauaille.

Hir colours meynt of wollis mo than oon;
Sumwhile eclipsed, sumwhile she shon briht.
Dulle as an asse whan men hadde haste to gon,
And as a swalwe gerissh of hir fliht,
Tween slouh & swifft; now crokid & now vpriht,
Now as a crepil lowe coorbid doun,
Now a duery and now a champioun.

Now a coward, durst nat come in pres,
And sumwhile hardi as leoun;
Now lik Ector, now dreedful Thersites,
Now was she Cresus, now Agamenoun,
Sardanapallus off condicioun;
Now was she mannyssh, now was she femynyne,
Now coude she reyne, now koude she falsli shyne.

677

Now a mermaide angelik off face,
A tail behynde verray serpentyne,
Now debonaire, now froward to do grace,
Now as a lamb tretable & benigne,
Now lik a wolff of nature to maligne,
Now Sirenes to synge folk a-slepe
Til Karibdis drowne hem in the deepe.

Thus Iohn Bochas consideryng hir figure,
Al hir fetures in ordre he gan beholde,
Hir breede, hir heihte, hir shap & hir stature,
An hundrid handis & armys ther he tolde:
Wheroff astonid, his herte gan to colde;
And among alle hir membris euerichon,
He sempte she hadde no feet upon to gon.

And whil that he considered al this thyng,
Atween[e] tweyne, as it wer in a traunce,
She sodenli toward hym lookyng,
He conceyued be hir contenaunce,—
Wer it for ire, wer it for plesaunce,
Outher for fauour, outher for disdeyn,—
Bi the maner she wolde sumwhat seyn.

Lookyng a-scoign as she had had disdeyn,
“Bochas,” quod she, “I knowe al thyn entent,
How thou trauailest, besiest the in veyn,
In thi studie euer dilligent,
Now in the west, now in the orient
To serche stories, north & meredien,
Of worthi princis that heer-toforn ha been.

Summe duellid vndir the pool Artyk,
Be my fauour vpreised to the sterris;
Othir vndir the pool Antartik,
Which in contrarye from vs so ferr is.
Summe encresid & set up bi the werris,
Lik as me list ther tryumphes to auaunce;
Frownyng on othir, I brouht hem to myschaunce.

I see the besi remembryng be scriptures
Stories of pryncis in eueri maner age,
As my fauour folwed ther auentures,

678

Be humble stile set in pleyn langage,—
Nat maad corious be non auauntage
Of rethoriques, with musis for to stryue,
But in pleyn foorme ther deedis to descryue.

In which processe thou dost gret dilligence,
As thei disserue to yiue hem thank or blame:
Settest up oon in roiall excellence
Withynne myn hous callid the Hous of Fame,—
The goldene trumpet with blastis off good name
Enhaunceth oon to ful hih[e] parties,
Wher Iubiter sit among the heuenli skies.

Anothir trumpet, of sownis ful vengable,
Which bloweth up at feestis funerall,
Nothyng briht[e], but of colour sable,
Fer fro my fauour, dedli & mortall,
To plonge pryncis from ther estat roiall,
Whan I am wroth, to make hem loute lowe,
Than of malis I do that trumpet blowe.

Thou hast writyn & set togidre in gros,
Lik ther desert worldli mennys deedis,
Nothyng conceled nor vndr[e] couert cloos,
Spared [not] ther crownys nor ther purpil weedis,
Ther goldene sceptris; but youe to them ther meedis:
Crownid oon with laureer hih on his hed vpset,
Other with peruynke maad for the gibet.

Thus dyuersli my gifftes I departe,
Oon acceptid, a-nothir is refusid;
Lik hasardours my dees I [do] iuparte,
Oon weel foorthrid, anothir is accusid.
My play is double, my trust is euer abusid,
Thouh oon to-day hath my fauour wonne,
To-morwe ageyn I can eclipse his sonne.

Cause of my comyng, pleynli to declare
Bi good auis, vnto thi presence,
Is to shewe my maneres & nat spare,
And my condiciouns, breeffli in sentence,
Preued of old & newe experience,
Pleynli to shewe, me list nat for to rowne,
To-day I flatre, to-morwe I can weel frowne.

679

This hour I can shewe me merciable,
And sodenli I can be despitous:
Now weelwillid, hastili vengable,
Now sobre of cheer, now wood & furious.
My play vnkouth, my maners merueilous
Braid on the wynd; now glad & now I mourne;
Lik a wedircok my face ech day I tourne.

Wheryn Bochas, I telle the yit ageyn,
Thou dost folie thi wittis for to plie;
All thi labour thou spillest in veyn,
Geyn my maneres so felli to replie,—
Bi thi writyng to fynde a remedie,
To interupte in thi laste dawes
My statutis [and] my custumable lawes.

Al the labour off philisophres olde,
Trauaile off poetis my maner to depraue,
Hath been of yore to seyn lik as thei wolde
Ouer my fredam the souereynte to haue.
But of my lawes the libertes to saue,
Vpon my wheel thei shal hem nat diffende,
But whan me list[e] that thei shal dessende.

Whi sholde men putte me in blame,
To folwe the nature of my double play?
With newe buddis doth nat ver the same,
Whan premeroles appeere fressh & gay?—
To-day thei shewe, to-morwe thei gon away;
Somer afftir of flouris hath foisoun,
Til Iun with ȝithes aftir mowe hem doun.

Now is the se calm and blandisshyng;
Now ar the wyndis confortable & still;
Now is Boreas sturdi in blowyng,
Which yong[e] sheep & blosmys greueth ille.
Whi also shold I nat haue my wille,
To shewe my-silf now smothe and aftir trouble,
Sith to my kynde it longeth to be double?

680

No man so ferre is falle in wrechidnesse
But that he stant in trust to rise ageyn;
Nor non so deepe plungid in distresse,
Nor with dispeir nor wanhope ouerleyn,
But that ther is sum hope lefft certeyn
To yiue hym counforte, seruyng his entente,
To be releued whan me list assente.

The erthe is clad in motles whiht & rede;
Whan Estas entrith with violettis soote,
The greuis greene, & in euery meede
The bawme fleteth, which doth to hertis boote.
August passid, ageyn into the roote
Be cours of nature the vertu doth resorte
Be reuolucioun to Kynde, I me reporte.

Who sholde thanne debarre me to be double,
Sith doubilnesse longeth to me of riht?
Now fressh with somer, now with wyntir trouble,
Now blynd of look, dirk as the cloudi niht;
Now glad of cheer, of herte murie & liht:
Thei ar but foolis ageyn my myht that muse
Or me atwite, thouh I my poweer vse.

Seelde or neuer I bide nat in o poynt:
Men must at lepis take me as thei fynde;
And whan I stonde ferthest out of ioynt
To sette folk[es] bakward ferre behynde,
Than worldli men with ther eyen blynde
Sore compleyne upon my doubilnesse,
Calle me thanne the froward fals goddesse.

Thus bi your writyng & merueilous langage
I am disclaundrid of mutabilite,
Wheroff be riht I cach gret auauntage,
Sith dubilnesse no sclaundre is to me,
Which is a parcel of my liberte,
To be callid, be title off rihtwisnesse,
Off chaungis newe ladi & pryncesse.”

Thus whan Fortune hadde said hir will,
Parcel declared of hir gouernaunce,
Made a stynt & sobirli stood still.
Iohn Bochas sat & herd al hir daliaunce,

681

Feerful of cheer[e], pale of contenaunce,
In ordre enpreentid ech thyng that she saide,
Ful demurli thus he dede abraide.

He took onto hym vertu & corage
Vpon a poynt for to abide stable:
“Certis,” quod he, “lik to thi visage,
Al worldli thyngis be double & chaungable;
Yit for my part bi remembraunce notable
I shal parfourme, sothli yif I conne,
This litil book that I ha[ue] begonne.

And lest my labour deie nat nor [a]palle,
Of this book the title for to saue,
Among myn othir litil werkis alle,
With lettres large aboue vpon my graue
This bookis name shal in ston be graue,
How I, Iohn Bochas, in especiall
Of worldli princis writyn haue the fall.

Off which emprise the cause to descryue,—
This was first ground, I wil it nat denye,
Teschewe slouhthe & vices al my lyue,
And specialli the vice of glotenye,
Which is norice vnto lecherie:
This was cheeff cause whi I vndirtook
The compilacioun off this litil book.

Yit bi thi talkyng, as I vndirstonde,
Ech thyng heer of nature is chaungable,
Afftir thi sentence, bothe on se & londe;
Yit koude I rekne thynges that be stable:
As vertuous [lyf] abidyng vnmutable,
Set hool to Godward of herte, will & thouht,
Maugre thi poweer, & ne chaungith nouht.

Thou maist eek callyn [vn]to remembraunce
Thynges maad stable bi grace which is dyuyne,—
Hastow nat herd[e] the perseueraunce
Of hooli martirs, which list nat to declyne
Fro Cristis feith til thei dide fyne?
Thi wheel in hem hadde non interesse,
To make hem varie fro ther stabilnesse.

682

A man that is enarmed in vertu
Ageyn thi myht to make resistence,
And set his trust be grace in Crist Iesu,
And hath al hool his hertli aduertence
On rihtwisnesse, force & on prudence,
With ther suster callid attemperaunce,
Hath a saufconduit ageyn thi variaunce!

The[i] sette no stoor be thi double wheele,
With supportacioun of other ladies thre;
Ther trust stant nat in mail[e], plate or stel,
But in thes vertues: feith, hope & charite,
Callid vertues theologice,
Which with foure afforn heer specefied,
Thi wheel & the han vttirli defied.

Yiff I with wyngis myhte fleen to heuene,
Ther sholde I see thou hast nothyng to doone
With Iubiter nor the planetis seuene,
With Phebus, Mars, Mercurie nor the moone.
But woorldli foolis, erly, late and soone,
Such as be blent & dirkid with leudnesse,
Bi fals oppynyoun calle the a goddesse.

Giftes of grace nor gifftes of nature,
Almessede[de] doon with humylite,
Loue and compassioun, been ferr out of thi cure,—
Semlynesse, strengthe, bounte nor beute
Vertuousli vsid in ther degre,—
Geyn non of these thi poweer may nat strechche;
For who is vertuous lite of the doth rechche.

Off thi condiciouns to sette a-nother preeff,
Which foolis vsen in ther aduersite
For excusacioun, as sumtyme seith a theeff,
Whan he is hangid: ‘it was his destyne’—
Atwitith Fortune his iniquite,
As thouh she hadde domynacioun
To reule man bi will ageyn resoun.

For which I, Bochas, in parti desolat
To determyne such heuenli hid secrees,
To them that been dyuynes of estat
I remitte such vnkouth pryuites;
And with poetis that been off low degrees

683

I eschewe to clymbe to hih aloffte,
List for presumpcioun I shold nat fall[e] softe.

But yif I had hid in my corage
Such mysteries of dyuyn prouidence,
Withoute envie I wolde in pleyn langage
Vttre hem be writyng with humble reuerence,—
Predestynacioun nouther prescience
Nat apperteene, Fortune, vnto the;
And for my part I wil excuse me,

And proceede lik as I vndirtook,
Aftir that I haue told my mateer,
Of Fall of Princis for to write a book.
But yit afforn[e], yif thou woldest heere,
I desire of hool hert & enteer
To haue a copee of princis namys all,
Which fro thi wheel[e] thou hast maad to fall.

Thi secre bosum is ful of stories
Of sondry princis, how thei ther liff haue lad,
Of ther triumphes & ther victories,
Which olde poetis & philisophres sad
In meetre & prose compiled han & rad,
Sunge ther laudis, ther fatis eek reserued
Bi remembrance, as thei haue disserued.

Of which I haue put summe in memorie,
Theron sette my studie & my labour,
So as I coude, to ther encres of glorie,
Thouh of langage I hadde but smal fauour,
Cause Caliope dede me no socour.
For which thou hast duryng al this while
Rebuked me of my rud[e] stile.

Men wolde acounte it wer a gret dulnesse,
But yiff langage conveied be bi prudence,
Out declared bi sobre auysynesse,
Vndir support fauoured be diffence
Of Tullius, cheef prince of elloquence,—
Sholde mor proffite, shortli to conclude,
Than my stile, spoke in termys rude.

684

Yit ofte tyme it hath be felt & seyn,
Vnder huskes growyng on lond arable,
Hath be founde & tried out good greyn;
Vndir rude leuys, shakyng & vnstable,
Pullid fair frut, holsum & delectable.
And semblably, wher rethorik hath failed,
In blunt termys good counseil hath auailed.

Philisophres of the goldene ages
And poetes that fond out fressh ditees,
As kyng Amphioun with his fair langages
And with his harpyng made folk of louh degrees,
As laborers, tenhabite first cites;—
And so bi musik and philosophie
Gan first of comouns noble policie.

The cheeff of musik is mellodie & accord;
Welle of philosophie sprang out of prudence,
Bi which too menys gan vnite & concord
With politik vertu to haue ther assistence:
Wise men to regne, subiectis do reuerence.
And bi this ground, in stories men may see,
Wer bilt the wallis of Thebes the cite.

Accord in musik causith the mellodie;
Wher is discord, ther is dyuersite,
And wher is pes is prudent policie
In ech kyngdam and euery gret contre.
Striff first inducid bi thi duplicite;
For which thou maist, as clerkis the descryues,
Be callid ladi of contekis & of stryues.

First wer founde out hatful dyuysiouns
Be thi contreued fals mutabilites,—
Slauhtre, debat, froward discenciouns
In regiouns, prouynces and cites,
Desolacioun off townis & contrees,
Wheroff men hadde first experience
Bi thi chaungable geri violence.

Thus bi thoppynyoun of thi wheel most double,
As ferr be nature as it was possible,
Ouerthwertli thou brouhtest men in trouble,
Madest ech to other froward & odible
Bi thi treynys vnkouth & terrible,

685

Lik a corsour makth coltis that be wilde
With spore & whippe to be tame & mylde,

Thus bi the tempest off thyn aduersites,
To make men mor tame of ther corage.
In [ther] discordes tween kyngdames & cites,
Afftir the sharpe[nesse] of thi cruel rage
Onli bi mene of speche & fair langage,
Folk be thi fraude fro grace ferr exilid,
Wer be fair speche to vnite reconcilid.

Peeplis of Grece, of Roome & off Cartage,
Next in Itaille, with many a regeoun,
Wer inducid bi swetnesse of langage
To haue togidre ther conuersacioun,
To beelde castellis & many roial toun.
What caused this?—to telle in breeff the foorme,
But eloquence rud peeplis to reffoorme.

Affor tyme thei wer but bestiall,
Till thei to resoun be lawes wer constreyned,
Vndir discrecioun bi statutis naturall
Fro wilful lustis be prudence wer restreyned.
Bassent maad oon, & togidre [en]cheynyd
In goldene cheynys of pes and vnite;
Thus gan the beeldyng of eueri gret cite.

But whan thou medlist to haue an interesse,
Thei that wer oon to brynge hem at discord,
To interupte with thi doubilnesse
Cites, regiouns, that wer of oon accord,—
Lik as this book can ber [me] weel record,
Fro the tyme that thou first began
Thi mutabilite hath stroied many a man.

Thou causest men to been obstynat
In ther corages & incorrigible,
Wilful, froward, causeles at debat,
Ech to other contrarious & odible,
Them to refourme almost impossible,—
Til fair[e] speche, voidyng dyuisioun,
Pes reconcilid tween many a regeoun.

686

For ther is non so furious outrage,
Nor no mateer so ferr out of the weie,
But that be mene of gracious language
And faire speche may a man conveie
To al resoun meekli for to obeie,—
Bi an exaumple which I reherse shall
Weel to purpos and is historiall.

The hardi kniht, [the] cruel Achilles,
Whan hatful ire assailed his corage,
Ther was no mene with hym to trete of pes,
To stille the tempest of his doolful rage,
Sauff onli this, which dede his ire asswage
Bi attempraunce tobeien to resoun,
When of an harpe he herde the sueete soun.

Which instrument bi his gret suet[e]nesse
Put al rancour out of his remembraunce,
Wrestid hym ageyn to al gladnesse,
From hym auoidyng al rancour & greuaunce.
Semblabli, faire speche and daliaunce
Set men in reste in rewmys heer & yonder
Bi good langage that wer ferr assonder.”

With these woordes Bochas wex debonaire,
Toward Fortune as he cast his look,
Withdrouh his rancour & gan speke faire
Touchyng his labour which he upon hym took,
Besechyng hir for to forthre his book,
That his name, which was litil knowe,
Be good report myhte be ferther blowe,

That his fame myhte ferther spreede,
Which stood as yit shroudid in dirknesse,
Bi hir fauour his name forth to leede,
His book to foorthre doon hir bysynesse
Bi good report to yiue it a brihtnesse,
With laureat stremys shad foorth to peeplis all,
Bi foryetilnesse that it neuer appall.

This was the bille which that Iohn Bochas
Made vnto Fortune with ful humble stile.
Whan Fortune hadde conceyuyd al his caas,
Sobirli stood and gan [to] stynte a while,

687

And glad of cheer[e] aftir she gan smyle
On myn auctour, & with a fressh visage
In sentence spak to hym this language:

[Hic loquitur Fortuna.]

“Soothli,” quod she, “I see thi besynesse,
Of mortal men, how corious that thei bee,
How thei studie bi gret auisynesse
Off my secretes for to been preue,
To knowe the conceitis hid withynne me
And my counsailles, ye men doon al your peyne,
Al-be nat lihtly ye may therto atteyne.

In this mateer your witt doth neuer feynte,
Ymagynyng liknessis in your mynde,
Lik your conceitis ye forge me & peynte,
Sumtyme a woman with wenges set behynde,
And portreye me with eien that be blynde.
Cause off al this, breeffli to expresse,
Is your owne coueitous blyndnesse!

Your appetitis most straunge & most dyuers,
And euir ful of chaung & doubilnesse,
Froward also, malicious & peruers,
Be hasti clymbyng to worshepis & richesse,
Alway void of trouthe & stabilnesse,
Most presumptuous, serche out in al degrees,
Falsli tatteyne to worldli dignites.

Bochas, Bochas, I parceyue eueri thyng
And knowe ful weel the grete difference
Hid in thi-silff of woordes & thynkyng,
Atween hem bothe the disconvenience.
Hastow nat write many gret sentence
In thi book to sclaundre with my name,
Off hool entent my maneres to diffame?

Thou callest me stepmooder most vnkynde,
And sumtyme a fals enchaunteresse,
A mermaide with a tail behynde,
Off scorn sumwhile me namyng a goddesse,
Sumtyme a wich, sumtyme a sorceresse,
Fyndere off moordre & of deceitis alle;
Thus of malis mortel men me calle!

688

Al this is doon in despiht of mee;
Bi accusacioun in many sondri wise
Ye offte appeche my mutabilite,
Namli whan I your requestis do despise,
For tacomplisshe your gredi couetise:
Whan ye faille ye leyn on me the wite,
Off your aduersites me falsli tatwite.

And thou of purpos for tesclaundre me
Hast writt vngoodli a contrarious fable,
How I wrastled with Glad Pouerte,
To whos parti thou wer fauourable,
Settest me abak, geyn me thou wer vengable,—
Now of newe requerist my fauour
The for to helpe & foorthre thi labour!

As-scauns I am off maneres most chaungable,
Off condiciouns verray femynyne;
Now heer, now ther, as the wynd vnstable,
Be thi descripcioun and be thi doctryne,
To eueri chaung[e] reedi to enclyne,
As women be & maidnes tendre of age,
Which of nature be dyuers of corage.

But for to forthre in parti thyn entent,
That of thi book the processe may proceede,
Be my fauour to the accomplishment
I am weelwillid to helpe the in thi neede.
Lik thi desir the bettir thou shalt speede,
Whan I am toward with a benigne face
To speede thy iourne bi support of my grace,

That thi name and also thi surname,
With poetis & notable old auctours,
May be registrid in the Hous off Fame
Bi supportacioun of my sodeyn fauours,
Bi assistence also of my socours
Thi werk texpleite the laurer for to wynne,
At Saturninus I will that thou begynne.

689

[Here reherceth Fortune hir condiciouns vnto Bochas shewyng how many oon she enhaunced for a tyme/ and anoon after hem sodenly ouerthroweth.]

Among Romeyns this said[e] Saturnyne
Was outraious off condiciouns,
Caused in Roome whan he gan maligne
Gret debatis and gret sediciouns.
And bi his froward conspiraciouns
He was sharp enmy ageyn the prudent iuge
Callid Metellus, deuoid of al refuge.

Fro the Capitoille fette with myhti hond,
Fond no socour Metellus in the toun,—
The same tyme, thou shalt vndirstond,
How be myn helpe and supportacioun
Oon that was smal of reputacioun
Callid Glaueya, in pouert brouht up lowe,
Maad consuleer, the stori is weel knowe.

A seruaunt first & almost set at nouht;
And afftirward I made hym fortunat,
Lefte neuere til I hadde hym brouht
Bi a prerogatiff chose of the senat
To been a pretour, an offise of estat.
Which also wrouhte be conspiracioun
To brynge Metellus to destruccioun.

Off whos assent ther was also another
Callid Marius, beyng the same yeer,
Texpleite this tresoun beyng ther [own]sworn brother,
Which was also that tyme a consuleer.
I, Fortune, made hem ful good cheer,
Lik ther desirs gaff hem liberte
To banshe Metellus out of ther cite.

Of the[s] [thre] Romeyns, the first[e] Saturnyne,
And Glaueya was callid the secounde,
And Marius, leid out hook & lyne,
As I haue told, Metellus to confounde.

690

To ther purpos I was also founde
Fauourable to brynge hem to myscheeff,
As ther stori sheweth an open preeff.

Thei ban[y]shid hym out of Roome toun;
And Saturnynus bi his subtil werkyng
Clamb up faste, of hih presumpcioun,
To be callid of Roome lord & kyng.
I gaff hym fauour bamaner fals smylyng,
Til at the laste, pleynli to declare,
Off his destruccioun I brouht hym in the snare.

The senatours knowyng the malis
Of Saturnyn, which made a gret gadryng
Of sondry folk, castyng in his auys
Bi ther fauour he myhte be callid kyng.
Al this while off his vpclymbyng
I shewed hym duryng a long[e] space
Hym to deceyue a benigne face.

Til Marius, a myhti consuleer,
To withstonde his presumpcioun
Ros with strong hand, & with a knihtli cheer
Besette his paleis abouten enviroun,
Brak his gatis amyddis of the toun;
And Saturnynus, void of al fauour,
To the Capitoille fledde for socour.

He was forbarrid be Marrius of vitaille,
The Capitoille beseged round aboute;
At the entryng was a strong bataille,
On outher parti slay[e]n a gret route.
Thus of my fauour he gan stonde in doute,
This Saturnynus brouht in gret distresse,
His good achetid, lost al his richesse.

Experience ful openli men lereth,
Such as hiest therupon ascende,
Lik as the tourn of my wheel requereth,
Whan thei lest weene doun thei shal descende.
Thei haue no poweer themsiluen to diffende
Ageyn my myht, whan thei been ouerthrowe:
What do I than, but lauhe & make a mowe!

691

Drusus also born of gret lynage
And descendid of ful hih noblesse,
Vnto vertu contraire of his corage,
Froward founde to al gentilesse;
Yit chose he was, the stori doth expresse,
Questour of Asia, an offis of degree,
For his berthe to gouerne that contre.

But ofte tyme vertu nor gentilesse
Come nat to heires bi successioun,—
Exaumple in Drusus, the stori berth witnesse,
Which bothe of corage and disposicioun
Was euere froward off condicioun.
For which lat men deeme as thei mut needis,
Nat afftir berthe but afftir the deedis.

Vertues alle in hym wer set aside:
Slouh to been armyd, hatid cheualrie,
Most coueitous, deynous, ful of pride,
His deedis froward, ful of trecherie.
To hih estat I dede hym magnefie,
Yit al my gifftes in hym ne myhte strechche,
For heer tofor the, he kometh lik a wrechche.

He dar for shame nat shewen his visage,
So ferr disclaundrid is his wrechidnesse,
Whos couetise and vicious outrage
Falsli causid bi his doubilnesse,
Maguldusa, a prince of gret noblesse,
Betrasshed was for meede to the kyng
Callid Boccus bi Drusus fals werkyng.

What maner torment or what greuous peyne
Wer compotent, couenable or condigne
To hym that can outward flatre & feyne,
And in his herte couertli maligne,
As Drusus dede, which shewed many a signe
To Maguldusa of loue and freendliheede;
Vndirnethe fals tresoun hid in deede.

But Maguldusa, lik a manli kniht,
Geyn kyng Boccus hath hymsilff socourid,
Whan he bi doom was iugid ageyn riht
Of an olifaunt for to be deuourid.
Scapid freeli, & aftir that labourid

692

Taquite hymsilff[e] throuh his hih renoun,
Slouh fals Drusus myd of Roome toun.

Bochas, also, men put the lak in mee,
That I was cause of the destruccioun
Be my contrarious mutabilite
Off the notable famous Scipioun,
Which in the tyme of Sensoryn Catoun
Gat the tryumphe for many gret victorie
To putte his name perpetuel[ly] in memorie.

For his meritis chose a consuleer
And cheeff bisshop to gouerne ther cite,
To al the senat patroun most enteer,
Most famous off name and dignite,
Saued Romeyns from al aduersite,
Tyme whan the werre dreedful & despitous
Gan atween Pompeie & Cesar Iulius.

Thus whan the said[e] famous Scipioun
Was thoruh my fauour acountid most notable,
He fro my wheel was sodenli cast doun,
Which neuer in woord nor deede was coupable.
But the Romeyns malicious & vnstable,—
Bi ther hangman first cheynid in prisoun,
Afftir rakked, ther geyned no raunsoun.

Thus he that hadde auailed hem so ofte,
To saue hymsilff fond socour on no side;
His dede bodi thei heeng it hih aloffte
For a spectacle longe ther tabide.
Thus gerisshli my giftes I deuide,
Stound[e]meel, now freend, now aduersarie,
Rewarde goode with guerdouns ful contrarie.

This was expert ful weel in Scipioun:
Gan with ioie, endid in wrechidnesse.
Bochas, remembre, mak heeroff mencioun,
And off Fanaticus, how I off gentilesse
Made hym ascende to notable hih prowesse;
Yit bookis sey[e]n touchyng his kynreede,
Manli of persone, born a cherl in deede.

For my disport[e] with a glad visage
I sette hym up ful hih upon my wheel,
Gaff hym lordship, out of louh seruage;

693

To doon hym fauour it liked me ful weel.
Wherfor Bochas, his stori euerideel,
Note it weel, & in especiall
How he be sleihte cam to estat roiall.

Be sleihti feynyng to dyuers folk he tolde,
How that he spak with Cirra the goddesse
At eueri hour pleynli whan he wolde,
Of presumpcioun descryued hir liknesse,
Seide also how that she of hir goodnesse
Hadde grauntid hym, his staat to magnefie,
Duryng his lyff a sperit off prophecie.

And ferthermore the peeple for to blynde
He fantasied bi a crafft vnkouth,
Withynne a scale, the stori maketh mynde,
Of a note to haue fyr in his mouth.
Blewe it out sparklyng north & south,
Affermede, wherwith folk wer blent,
It was a sperit to hym fro heuene sent.

Bi which he wrouhte many gret vertu,
Gadred peeple til he hadde in deede
Two thousand cherlis at his retenu,
Which aftirward, his purpos for to speede,
To sixti thousand encreced, as I reede.
I suffrid al; seruid hym at the tide
Til al the contre gruchchede at his pride.

Thouh of berthe he was but a vileyn,
Roos up of nouht bi sodeyn auenture,
My geri fauour made hym to be seyn
Roial of port, dede his besi cure
To reise his baner, wered a cote-armure,
And be my gracious supportacioun
Brouht gret peeple to his subieccioun.

At the laste my lust gan to appall,
Towardis hym nat beyng fauourable;
Doun fro my wheel anon I made hym fall,
For bi Romeyns was sent a gret constable
Callid Porpenna, a prynce ful notable,
Which fill on hym, venquisshid hym anon,
Slouh and outraied his cherlis euerichon.

694

Hymsilff was hangid on an hih gibet;
Summe of his meyne wer cast in prisoun.
Thus to his pride I gaff a gret tripet
And fro my wheel I caste hym lowe doun
In his most hiest domynacioun,—
Took non heed wher he dede lauhe or mourne,
For with no man I do alway soiourne.

Bochas,” quod Fortune, “tak good heed also
How I can bothe foorthre & disauaile:
For exaumple see houh Athenyo,
That whilom was a shepperde in Ytaille,
A brigaunt aftir, marchauntis to assaille,
Lay in a-wait beside a gret mounteyn,
Off fugityues he was made a capteyn.

Slouh first his lord, a riche senatour,
Bi violence brak many strong prisoun;
And for a tyme I gaff hym gret fauour
To gadre robbours aboute hym enviroun,—
Alle the cherlis of that regeoun
He assemblede thoruh his iniquite,
To holde a werre with Roome the cite.

Beseged castellis, brak doun myhti tours,
Slouh & robbede aboute in ech contre,
Spoiled paleis of worthi senatours,—
Title hadde he non sauff title of volunte,—
Took upon hym of pride & cruelte
For to be clad in purpre lik a kyng,
Bar a sceptre among his men ridyng.

Vpon his hed ordeyned for the nonys
His gold her tressid lik an emperour,
A coiffe enbroudid al of riche stonis—
Me list to lauhhe, that a fals robbour
Be supportacioun of my geri fauour,
Which last nat longe,—for aftir in short while
As is my custum I dede hym begile.

I suffred hym, made hym feyned cheer,
As I haue do to othir mo ful ofte,
Till doun fro Roome was sent a consuleer,
Which took hym proudli & heeng hym hih alofte,

695

His cherlis slayn; & summe of hem nat softe
In cheynys bounde, for short conclusioun,
Wer dempt be lawe to deien in prisoun.

Bi which[e] stori[es], Bochas, thou maist lere
A gret parti of my condicioun.
But now in haste a stori thou shalt heere,
How in the yeer fro the fundacioun
Mor than sixe hundred—I meene of Roome toun—
Was a gadryng & a gret cumpanye
Togidre sworn bi fals conspiracye,

Them to withdrawe fro the obeisaunce
Of a tribun callid Lodonee,
Which for knihthod hadde gouernaunce,
And was sent doun fro Roome [the] cite
With myhti hand to reule a gret contre
Callid Chaumpayne; & pleynli for to seie,
The peeple ther list hym nat obeie.

Thre score & foure wer of hem in noumbre
That named wer[e] cheeff conspiratours,
Which that caste hem ther capteyn to encoumbre
With multitude of theuis & robbours,
Which ches among hem to been ther supportours
Thre myhti capteyns, off which ther was oon
Callid Spartharchus, cheuest of echon.

Gadred cherlis, made hemsiluen strong,
On an hih hill took ther duellyng place,
Hauyng no reward, wer it riht or wrong,
To spoille the contre, bestis to enchace.
I cherisshed hem with a benigne face
For a sesoun, & gaff hem liberte
Bi fals rauyne to robbe the contre.

What thyng mor cruel in comparisoun
Or mor vengable of will & nat off riht,
Than whan a cherl hath domynacioun!
Lak of discrecioun bleendith so the siht
Of comouneres, for diffaute of liht,

696

Whan thei haue poweer contrees to gouerne
Fare lik a beeste [that] can nothyng disserne.

Gladiatores folkes dede hem calle;
For ther suerdis wer with steel maad fyn
For to fihte geyn wylde beestis alle,
As leouns, beres, bores, wilde swyn.
And the mounteyn wher thei dede lyn
Callid Venuse, and thoruh ther cruelte
Slouh & robbede aboute in ech contre.

Spartharchus was ther cheeff capteyn,
Brouht up of nouht & born of louh degre;
But Claudius, a myhti, strong Romayn,
Was sent with poweer fro Roome the cite
For to diffende & saue that contre,
The hill besegyng afforn hem as he lay:
He was rebukid, bete & dryue away.

Many of them that kepte the mounteyn
Wer hurt that day, the stori tellith thus,
Amongis which was slayn a gret capteyn
That was felawe vnto Spartharchus.
As I fynde, he hihte Ynomaus;
For whos deth was take so gret vengaunce,
That al the contre felte therof greuaunce.

Thei of the mounteyn, alle off oon assent,
Withoute merci or remyssioun,
Most vengable, haue robbed & Ibrent
Al the contre aboute hem enviroun,
Til too consuleris cam fro Roome doun:
The firste off hem callid Lentulus,
Bothe put to fliht be said[e] Spartarchus.

Wherof the Romeyns gretli wer dismaied.
The senatours off indignacioun,
Bothe ashamed and in hemsilff affraied,
Sente oon Crassus, a gret lord of the toun,
With the noumbre off a legioun.
And whan that he on Spartarchus first sette,
Slouh of his men six thousand whan thei mette.

697

And aftirward beside a gret ryueer
Callid Salaire thei hadde a gret bataile,
Wher Spartarchus stood in gret daungeer;
For his cheer and contenaunce gan faille.
Thretti thousand clad in plate & maille
Wer slayn that day, ther geyned no raunsoun,
Al ther capteyns assigned to prisoun.

Withoute al this, as maad is mencioun,
Sixti thousand in the feeld lay ded,
And six thousand wer sent to prisoun,
The feeld with blood[e] steyned & maad red.
And foure thousand, quakyng in ther dreed,
Wer thilke day, aftir the Romeyn gise,
Take to merci, resceyued to franchise,

And Spartarchus at mischeeff put to fliht.
Whan I from hym turnyd my visage,
He loste his cheer; he loste also his myht
Whan I appalled the fyn of his passage.
And for he was a cherl off his lynage,
Off his encres I likid nothyng weel,
Therfor vnwarli I cast hym fro my wheel.

Off [my] maneres to make a gretter preeff,
Ther was another famous gret robbour,
Which thoruh Spaigne was a disclaundrid theeff.
And for he dradde of iustise the rigour,
Trustyng he sholde fynde in me socour,
Callid Viriatus, he Spaigne anon forsook
And to Roome the riht[e] weie he took.

Gadred meyne of his condicioun
Of eueri sect to make hymseluen strong,
Theuys, robbours of eueri regioun,
Many a cherl was medlid hem among.
His name tencrece, wer it riht or wrong,
What-euer he gat in cite or village,
With his soudiours he partede the pillage.

Thus be myn helpe he cam to gret richesse,
Which brouhte in pride & presumpcioun;
He nat prouided, of my doubilnesse,
Gan to maligne ageyn[e]s Rome toun;

698

But bi the prudence of laste Scipioun,
Sone of Lepidus, makyng therof no bost,
He slay[e]n was bi them he trustede most.

Bi which exaumple[s] notable of remembraunce
Shewed heer-toforn, Iohn Bochas, vnto the,
Thow maist knowe in parti my puissaunce,
Mi sodeyn chaungis, my mutabilite.
And for tauoide al ambiguite,
To declare the somme of myn entent,
Grete Marrius to the I do presente.

Blak his weede & his habite also,
His hed vnkempt, his lokkis hor & gray,
His look doun cast in tokne of sorwe & wo,
On his cheekis the salt[e] teris lay,
Which bar record off his dedli affray,—
Wherfor, Bochas, do thi penne dresse
To descryue his mortal heuynesse.

His robe steyned was with Romeyn blood,
His suerd ay redi whet to do vengaunce,
Lik a tiraunt most furious & wood,
In slauhtre & moordre set al his plesaunce.
Yit nat for thi I gaff hym gouernaunce
Ouer the peeple, ros on my wheel up faste,
But as vnwarli doun I dede hym caste.

Tween hym & Scilla the woful dedli stryues
At large heerafftir, Bochas, thou shalt write,—
How many Romeyns lost bi them ther lyues,
I will also in ordre that thou endite.
And yiff I shall rebuke hem & atwite,
As I fro nouht made hem in honour shyne,
So I ageynward made hem in myscheef fyne.

Forget nat also the dedli pitous fate
Off hym that was so notable in his lyff,—
I meene the grete famous Mitridate,
Whos name yit is ful kouth and ryff,
To whom I gaff a gret prerogatiff,
Fourti wyntir, the deede was weel seene,
Ageyn Romeyns the werre to susteene.

699

For which heer-aftir I gyue it the in charge
Of Mitridate the stori set along;
Whan thou hast leiseer & a space large,
Remembre his conquest & his deedis strong,
And how that I medlid me among,
For al his noblesse and felicite,
To yiue hym part of gret aduersite.”

Next in ordre, aftir hir owne chois,
Fortune, vntrusti vpon ech partie,
To Iohn Bochas hath conveied fro Parthois
Strong Herodes regnyng in Parthie.
“Loo, Iohn,” quod she, “tak heed of this storie,—
Al his kynreede, yiff it be weel out souht,
Wer be Sithiens chacid & brouht to nouht.

And yit, for al my mutabilite,
Somme of hem which stood[e] disespeired
I restored to ther dignite,
Vnto which whan thei wer repeired,
This Herodes was hyndred & appeired
Bi my chaunges for his hatful pride,
Whan he lest wende, vnwarli set aside.”

Suyng aftir withynne a litil while,
This gerissh ladi of condicioun
Gan an illouh falsli for to smyle,
Lookyng on Bochas, brouhte with hir doun
A myhti prince, which in Rome toun
Hadde in his daies notable pris & fame,
Al-be that she expressed nat his name.

Bochas thanne his hed gan doun declyne,
Seyng that prince, of face disfigured,
Of suspecioun gan to ymagyne,
Whan he his mynde fulli hath recurid,
Be certeyn toknis & signes weel assured
It was Pompeie, surquedous of estat,
Which with Cesar so longe was at debat.

Disconsolat thoruh his vnhappi caas,
His face soiled with water of the se,
Tyme whan Fotynus & cruel Achillas
Drowned his bodi of furious enmyte.
His face disfigured at the solempnite

700

With smokes blake, dedli & mortall,
Callid of clerkis the feeste funerall.

Codrus caused that the corps was brent
And consumed into asshes dede;
To Cesar aftir his hed was born & sent
Vpon a pole, his stori who list reede.
Afftir al this, Bochas took good heede,
How Fortune bamaner mokerie,
In scorn of hym gan thus to specefie:

“Vp to the heuene aftir his deuys
I gan enhaunce & encrece his glorie.
Bi my fauour I gaff hym many a pris,
Conquest of kynges with many gret victorie;
And mor to putte his noblesse in memorie,
Bi my support thoruh his cheualrie,
With Cesar Iulius to holde chaumpartie.

And whil that I my fauour did applie
Toward hym his victories to assure,
His fame aros, til that in Thesalie
I gan withdrawe his parti to socoure,
Suffryng his enmyes make disconfiture
Vpon this Pompeie, hyndred in my siht,
Whan he to Lesbos at myscheeff took his fliht.

Bi the seruauntis of yonge Tholome,
Regnyng in Egipt, Pompeie in his dreed
Was take & slayn; he fond no help in mee:
I gaf hym vp; & so he lost his hed.
Yit of my chaunges no man taketh heed,
Nor how vnseurli I cast my dreedful look,
Sauf thou art besi to sette hem in thi book.”

Bochas astoned, parcel of hir presence,
Bothe of cheer[e], face and contenaunce,
And in this while hauyng his aduertence,
Thouhte he sauh a maneer resemblaunce
Of a persone, which stood in gret greuaunce;
Til at the laste Fortune caste hir sihte
Toward Bochas, & told[e] what he hihte:

701

“This is,” quod she, “pleynli to termyne,
The famous man, [the] prynce of elloquence
That gaf to Latynes the scole & the doctrine
Of rethorik, as welle of that science.
For which I will thou do thi dilligence
To write with othir of this Tullius
Al hool the caas, & gynne at Marrius.”

These woordes saide, Fortune made an eende;
She beet hir wynges & took hir to the fliht:
I cannat seie what weie she dede weende,
Sauf Bochas tellith, lich an aungel briht
At hir partyng she shewed a gret liht.
But as soone as she gan disapeere,
He took his penne [&] wrot as ye shal heere.

[How Gayus Marrius, of low birthe born/ cam to high estat whiche blent with couetise after many grete batailes deied att mischeef.]

Heer Bochas gynneth to tellen of þe man
Callid in his tyme Gayus Marius,
Born at Aprina[s], a castel of Tuscan,
Sone of a carpenteer, the stori tellith thus,
Pursued armys, manli & vertuous;
Thoruh al Rome nor in that contre
Was ther no man hold so strong as he.

Disciplyne and gret subtilite
He hadde also, as bookis specefie,
Prudence, manhod and habilite
Bothe in armys and in cheualrie,
Most famous holde toward that partie,
Withynne a while, myn auctour seith certeyn,
Chose a tribun & a gret capteyn.

But fro the gynyng of his tendre age,
As histories put in remembraunce,
He was priked so sore in his corage
Bagredi fret of long contynuaunce,
Neuer to staunch[e] with non habundaunce;—

702

The world nor Fortune, with al ther gret richesse,
Suffised nat tappese his gredynesse.

Entryng a temple he fond a dyuynour,
Counsailed [him] ther bi his dyuynaille
Tentre Rome & holde ther soiour,
Bi good auys and knihtli apparaille;
Made hym promys that he shal nat faille
Tatteyne be fauour of the comounte
To gret offis & staat in the cite.

Fauour of comouns brouht hym to hih estat,
Bi them resceyued vnto the dignite
Of consuleer, al-be that the senat
Hadde disdeyn off his felicite,
Because he was born of louh degre.
Grauntid to hym after be the toun
To conquere rewmys a commyssioun.

He gat the prouynce thoruh his hih renoun
Of Numedie, as he dede hem assaile,
And took the kyng of that regioun
Callid Iugurta proudli in bataile.
For which emprise bi marcial apparaille
He gat the tryumphe, thoruh the toun ridyng,
Because onli for takyng of that kyng.

And for he was a persone so notable
For many famous sodeyn gret victorie,
Namli in conquest preued proffitable,
To al the comoun, as put is in memorie;
And for thencres of his renoun & glorie,
Bi thoppynyoun hool of the cite,
In his hand lay al ther prosperite.

Ageyn a peeple that callid was Tymbrois,
Them to conquere fro Rome he was sent doun,
Also ageyn the boistous Tigurnois,
Gadred togidre of many nacioun.
Alle them he brouhte to subieccioun,
Lik as Romeyns hadde afforn desired,
Because thei hadde ageyn ther toun conspired.

703

Thei took upon hem of fals presumpcioun
To passen alle the mounteyns of Itaille,
First discounfited, as maad is mencioun,
Thre Romeyn dukis felli in bataille,
Four scorre thousand clad in plate & maile
Slayn of Romeyns, the stori is weel knowe,
Vnder Thalpies at myscheef ouerthrowe.

This Marrius of marcial auenture
In Germanye hadde a gret bataille
With Tewtobochus, a geaunt of stature,
Put first to fliht with al his apparaille;
For Marrius dide hym so sore assaille,
At the chas[e] proudli born to grounde,
Maugre his miht, tak & in cheynis bounde.

Marrius aftir with his host hym drouh
Toward the peeple off Cymbrois for to fiht:
Too hundred thousand, I fynde, of hem he slouh,
Eihte thousand take, thre thousand put to fliht;
Kyng Bolerus, a ful famous kniht,
Slayn in the feelde, for al his gret[e] pride,
Ageyn Marrius as he dide ride.

That day of Cymbrois was al the peeple slayn,
The women afftir he list nat to reserue;
Yit thei proffered & wolde haue be ful fayn
Ther chastite deuoutli to obserue,
In the temple of Vesta for to serue.
But ther request[e] for he list nat heere,
With hym thei fauht; echon slayn ifeere.

Except that summe, whan thei sauh non othir
Remedi, of purpos thei wer set,
Euerich of them to slen & moordren othir;
And somme thouhte also that it was bet
To hang hemsilff vpon an hih gibet,
Than tabide of Marius the outrage,
Perpetueli to lyuen in seruage.

Thus Marius of thre naciouns
Thoruh his conquest complisshed the victorie.
With prisoneres of sondri regiouns

704

Entred Roome to his encres of glorie,
With special laudes notable of memorie:
First the tryumphe, a guerdoun synguleer,
He tymes sexe chose a consuleer.

Thus Fortune was to hym fauourable,
To sette hym up in worldli dignites
For a sesoun; but for she was chaungable,
Among hir gifftes & gret prosperites
She gaf hym part of gret aduersites:
And specialli the tyme acountid than,
Tween hym & Scilla whan the werris gan.

Lucyus Scilla abidyng in Chaumpayne,
Marrius at Roome tho present,
Whan the diuysioun gan atween hem tweyne,
Ech to other contrarie of entent,
Malencolius and inpacient,
Which of bothe, the stori weel conceyued,
To gouerne sholde sonnest be receyued.

Al sodenli, wher it wer riht or wrong,
Toward Roome takyng his passage,
Ageyn Marrius to make hymseluen strong,
Gan slen & brenne, & of gret outrage,
Wilful, hasti, furious of corage,
For sodeyn komyng & vnwar violence
Ageyn[e]s hym fond[e] no resistence.

Too myhti batailles he dede with hym leede,
Entryng the cite, gan thoruh the wal[le] myne;
With o bataille faste gan hym speede
To passe the gate callid Aquilyne
(The tothir gat[e] namyd was Colyne),
At whos entryng, bi record of the book,
Scilla be strengthe the Capitoile took.

But whan Marrius hadde knowlechyng
That Scilla hadde so gret poweer & myht,
Withoute arest or lenger abidyng,
Into a maris Gayus anon riht
With al his peeple took sodenli his fliht.
Fet out be strengthe, koude hym nat diffende,
Scilla aftir to prisoun dede hym sende.

705

Thus the prowesse for a while slepte
Of Marrius liggyng in prisoun.
Scilla that tyme the Capitoille kepte,
Wherbi al Roome stood in subieccioun.
And of hatrede in haste he sente doun
A sturdi cherl to Marius in his dreed,
Whil he lay bounde to smyten of his hed.

This cherl weel compact of braun & of bonys,
Sent of purpos Marrius for toppresse,
For his strengthe ordeyned for the nonys,—
To the prisoun the cherl gan faste hym dresse,
Wher Marrius was fetrid in distresse,
Fulli in purpos, withoute mor delay,
To heuedyn hym in prisoun ther he lay.

Losed hym first, liggyng on his couche;
And Marius [a]roos up lik a man,
The cherl feerful to smyte or to touche.
And Marius ful proudli tho began
To entre a place beside of a woman,
Fond an asse ther of auenture,
Vpon whos bak the se he gan recure.

Toward Affrik ther he fond passage,
Bi enprisownyng thouh he wer wex[e] feynt;
Yit ther abood, stille in his corage,
Hih worthynesse with prudence meynt,
Which in his persone wer nat [fully] queynt,
Ageyn the malis to make a countirtaille,
Off proude Scilla the malis eft tassaile.

Of Itaille rood thoruh the contre,
Took his viage towarde Roome toun,
With foure batailes entreth the cite,
Sixe hundrid knihtis be computacioun
Slayn in the feeld, as maad is mencioun.
Wher men may seen, who list looke a-ferre,
What damage diuysioun doth in werre.

706

First bi the manhod off this Marius,
In this dyuisioun, the stori who list reede,
The grete consul callid Octauyus
Lost his hed[e] & his lyff in deede;—
Vpon a pole whil it dede bleede
Was cruelli presentid of entent
Tofor the iuges sittyng in iugement.

Of whos deth[e] summe of hem wer fayn,
Summe sori, of loue as thei wer bounde.
And in this werre Merula was slayn,
Preest in the temple, lik as it is founde,
Of Iubiter, with many mortal wounde.
The Romeyn slayn that callid was Crassus;
With fyr consumyd was proude Catulus.

Alle his enmyes Marius dede encoumbre,
Which ageyn hym be conspiracioun
Wer assentid with a ful gret noumbre
In ther auys for to haue put hym doun,
Take from hym his domynacioun.
But he abood the torment & the shours,
Strong to condempne alle his conspiratours.

Sixe tymes, afforn rehersed heer,
Of condicioun thouh he wer despitous,
He was chose so ofte consuleer;
Til Fortune gan wexen envious
Ageyn this saide cruel Marius,
Which made the senat with al the cheualrie
To gruchche ageyn his hatful tirannye.

In this tyme, the stori maketh mynde,
Damasippus, a pretour of the toun,
Freendli to Marius & helpyng, as I fynde,
Vnder a shadwe of decepcioun
Vnto ther cite for to do tresoun,
Causyng foure Romeyns come I-feere
Toffor Marrius a certeyn day tappeere.

And ther namys to putte in memorie,
Sceuola, Carbo and Domycius,
The fourthe off them, as seith the stori,
Callid in Roome the wise Antistius.

707

Togidre assemblid tofor Marrius,
He of rancour, geyn iugement or lawe,
Made hem be slayn & thoruh the cite drawe.

Ther bodies aftir wern in Tibre cast
Bi cruelte of saide Marius.
Alle this while the cruel werre last
Tween hym & Scilla, til duk Campanyus
Cam on the parti, hard[y] & despitous,
To helpe Scilla ther baneres first displaied,
Wherof al Roome was sodenli affraied.

At the gate that callid was Colyne
Marrie & Scille hadde a gret bataille,—
Foure score thousand, the noumbre to termyne
On Marrius side slayn, it is no faille;
Scilla victorious, with marcial apparaille
Entryng the toun, ageyn his oth, parde,
Thre thousand citeseyns slouh of the cite.

Of folk disarmyd & naked in the toun,
Thei nouther spared old nor yong of age,
The cruel moordrers walkyng up nor doun
Be Scilla sent in that mortal rage,
Till Catullus, a prince fall in age,
Saide vnto Scilla, “we can no difference
Atween rebellioun nor atween innocence;

We moordre & slen withoute excepcioun
Both hih & louh, holdyng no maneere;
Ageyn al knihthod, to myn oppynyoun,
We do proceede in our conquest heere,—
Our title is lost the tryumphe to requere
Of hih prowesse, whan we canat obserue
No difference to slen nor [to] reserue.”

And in this while, of hatful cruelte
Scilla contreued lettres diffamable,
Wherbi fyue hundred out of that cite
Wer falsli banshed, citeseyns notable,—
Ageyn[e]s hem he was so vntretable,—
Alle ther goodes achetid in that rage
Of auarice and of fals pillage.

708

Another Romeyn namyd Marrius,
Brother to Marrius, of whom tofor I tolde,
For dreed of Scilla fledde & took an hous
Which vnto goot was set up for a foolde;
Found & rent out in his daies olde,
With cordes drawe (no rescus myhte hym saue)
Of cruel vengaunce to Catullus graue,

Wher Scilla made bi cruel iugement,
With a sharp suerd[e], forgid for to bite,
Aftir tyme his eien wer out rent,
Bothe attonys his handis of to smyte.
His hed smet of, no raunsoun myhte hym quite,
Set on a pole, it wolde be non othir,
And off despiht[e] sent vnto his brothir,

To grete Marius, of whom I spak now riht,—
The grete duk, so mihti & so huge,
Which hadde afforn[e] tak hym to the fliht
For feer of Scilla in that mortal deluge,
Into a cite to fynde ther refuge,
Callid Preueste, ther stondyng in gret dreed,
Namli whan he beheeld his brothris hed.

For-asmoche as he no socour fond,
Disespeired, this was his purpos:
To slen hymsilff[e] with his owne hond
In thilke place wher he was kept[e] cloos.
Drouh out a suerd, up anon he roos,
Constreyned his seruaunt in that sodeyn affray
Smyte off his hed, the silue same day.

Men seen how deth is fyn of al myscheeff,
Eende off aduersite that doth wrechchis tarie.
Fortune heer maketh another preeff
In Marrius, how she hir cours can varie,
Bi an euidence hatful and contrarie
To shewe hir malis and vngoodliheed
Ageyn this duk, alas, whan he was ded.

This frowarde ladi, of malis most vengable,
Whan hir list furiousli to raue
And shewe hirsilff[e] cruel & vnstable,

709

To non estat she list no reward haue.
Causede Marius be take out of his graue
Bi cruel Scilla, in stori it is founde,
His ougli careyn smet on pecis rounde.

And aftir, mor to shewe his cruelte,—
Marrius sholde haue no burying place,—
Caste his careyn, of kankrid enmyte,
Into Tibre, ther was non othir grace.
Loo, thus can Fortune for hir folk purchace!
Bi which exaumple touchyng Marrius,
Off worldli chaunges Bochas writeth thus,

Maketh in this chapitle a descripsioun,
First what thyng is verray gentilesse,
To sette a preeff & a probacioun,
No thyng atteyneth vnto hih noblesse
But the cleer shynyng of vertuous clennesse,
Which may nat shewe, in louh nor hih parage,
But wher it groweth out of a peur corage.

Worldli poweer, oppressioun, tirannye,
Erthli tresour, gold, stonis nor richesse
Be no menys vnto gent[e]rie,
But-yif vertu reule ther hih prowesse:
For wher vices haue any interesse
In hih[e] berthe, mene, or louh kynreede,
Deeme no man gentil, but onli bi his deede.

In roial paleisis of ston & metal wrouht,
With galleries or statli cloistres rounde,
Gentilesse or noblesse is nat souht,
Nor in cileris nor in voutis rounde;
But onli ther wher vertu doth habounde:
Corious clothes nor gret pocessiouns
Maketh nat men gentil but condic[i]ouns.

Philisophres conclude in ther entent
And alle thes worthi famous old auctours,
No man may quethe in his testament
Gentilesse vnto his successours;
Of wikked weed[e] come non holsum flours.
Concludyng thus: of good[e] men & shrewes,
Calle ech man gentil aftir his good[e] thewes.

710

Duk Marrius, of whom I spak toforn,
Of nature, the stori berth witnesse,
As be discent [both] poore and nedi born,
Bi disposicioun of coraious noblesse,
Hadde in his persoone wit, strengthe [&] hardynesse;
Vndir al this, ther dide his herte myne
A werm of auarice his worshep to declyne.

What uaileth plente, that neuer may suffise?
Or what the flood, that staunche may no thrust?
Or what an appetit, that euer doth arise,
Alwey to ete, and euer to ete hath lust?
Of kankrid hunger so fretyng is the rust,
That the ryueer of Tantalus in his rage
Of gredi etikes the fret may nat asswage.

Of Marrius ye han herd the eende,
His woful fall & his vnhappi caas,
Into fate how he dede weende.
Now wil I folwe myn auctour Iohn Bochas,
How onto hym thre Cleopatras,
With look[e] doun cast, woful face & cheere,
Alle attonys to hym dide appeere.

The firste of hem, bi processe of writyng,
Hadde thre husbondis, Bochas doth expresse:
Weddid in youthe to Alisaundre the kyng
Callid Zebenna, a prince of gret noblesse;
Aftir that for hir gret fairnesse
She weddid was vnto Demetrius,
And laste of all to kyng Anthiochus.

Of hir thre husbondis woful auenture
And of hir sonis gret vnkyndenesse,
Bochas afforn hath doon his besi cure
Ceriousli the maner to expresse,
Which to reherse ageyn wer idilnesse,
Sith al the processe heer-toforn is founde
Of the firste & eek of the secounde,

Which weddid was to kyng Tholome,
Lik as toforn is maad eek mencioun
Bothe of ther ioie & ther aduersite.
The firste slayn be drynkyng of poisoun,

711

And the secounde, to hir confusioun,
Bi Euergetes, wher she wer wo or fayn,
Was with hir child[e] seruid, that was slayn.

The thridde weddid was to kyng Grispus,
Slayn in a temple bi ful gret outrage,
For dreed & shame gan wexe furious,
To saue hirsilff[e] knew non auauntage,
Saue she enbracid of Iubiter an image,
In the stori as heer-tofforn is founde,
Or she was ded suffred many a wounde.

[How kyng Mitridate bood vij. yere in wildernesse had grete tormentys bothe in see & londe, by his blood brouht to vttraunce slouh himsilf with a swerde.]

I wil passe ouer thes Cleopatras thre,
Foorth proceede to the hasti fate
Soone execut bi Parchas cruelte
Vpon the duk callid Mitridate.
First reherse the grete vnkyndli hate
Of them that wern his tutours, as I reede,
Hym to destroie bassent of his kynreede.

Which of purpos dide his deth prouide
Bi many vnkouth straunge occasioun:
In tendre youth[e] first thei made hym ride
Vpon an hors wildere than [a] leoun,
Off purpos onli for his destruccioun.
But al-be-so that he was yong of age,
The hors he reuled in al his moste rage.

Nat of doctryne, but onli of nature
He was disposid kon[n]yngli to ride,
Ouer hym the maistri to recure,
Maugre the hors, of wit he was his guide.
What weye he took[e], froward or a-side,
He dauntede hym, that wher-so-euer he rood
Bridled hym & on his bak abood.

His owne kyn & his next allies
Most laboured to brynge hym to myscheeff,
With venymous drynk set on hym espies

712

At good leiseer, as dooth a couert theeff,
Of ther fell poisoun for to make a preeff,
In ther entent, the stori is weel kouth,
Hym to moordre in his tendre youth.

But whan that he apparceyued ther tresoun,
To saue hymsilff[e] made gret ordenaunce;
Anon as he gan haue suspecioun
Of the[r] vnkyndli hatful purueyaunce,
For remedies made cheuisaunce:
Was prouided ther malis to declyne,
Be many notable preeued medecyne.

And ther malis prudentli teschewe,
Is remembred, whil he was yong of age,
With certeyn freendes, which that dede hym sue,
He disposed of custum his corage
To hunte & chase beestis most sauage;
Vndir that colour he dede it for a wile,
Ferr from his contre absente hym for a while.

Of o corage, of oon hert & o cheer
Suffred manli, took non heuynesse,
In desertis space of seuene yeer,
Among hih hilles abood in wildirnesse.
Set in Asia, the stori berth witnesse,
Fond no loggyng, tracyng the contres,
Saue in kauernys & in holwe trees.

The book remembreth how that his diete
Wer beestis wilde enchacid with gret miht,
Fledde idilnesse, eschewed al quiete,
And litil sleep suffised hym at niht;
Bexercise his bodi was maad liht:
Ther was nouther, whan hym list pursue,
Hert nor hynde that miht his hand eschewe.

He nouther dradde tigres nor leouns;
He was so swifft, thouh thei dede hym assaile,
Lik of strengthe to olde champiouns,
No wilde beeste of gret nor smal entaille
Tescape his hand[e] myht nat countiruaille
Yif he wer war[e], erli outher late,
So gret[e] swifftnesse hadde Mitridate.

713

Among he hadde in armys excersise,
Among to tourneye & renne on hors[e]bak;
Al delicat fare he dede also despise,
Of gredi excesse, in hym ther was no lak:
A-nihter-tyme his slep ful ofte he brak,
Stoundemeel the hour[e]s for to marke;
In the dawenyng roos up or the larke.

The space accomplisshid fulli of seuene yeer,
He is repeired hom to his contre;
Shewed hymsilf of manhod and of cheer
Ful lik a kniht, his stori who list see.
Wherof his enmyes sore astoned bee;
Kauhte of his comyng in herte a maner dreed,
Supposyng afforn that he was ded.

In whos absence his wiff Leodices
Conceyued a childe, as maad is mencioun.
For the diffame sholde nat kome in pres,
Hym for to moordre she souhte occasioun,
Fulli in purpos to slen hym be poisoun.
Of which diffautis hir lord was nothyng fayn,
Knowyng the trouthe, made hir to be slayn.

Took on hym aftir many knihtli deede:
First to conquere al Pafflagonye
Bi the helpe of worthi Nychomeede,
That tyme callid kyng of Bithynye,
Togidre assurid to been of allie
In losse or lucre, Fortune to be ther guide,
And therto swor[e]n neuer to deuyde.

To Mitridate legates wer doun sent
From the Romeyns, hym lowli requeryng,
That he wolde, lik to ther entent,
Pafflagonie restore vnto ther kyng,
Which he hadde wonne, the cite assailyng.
But he list nat aduertise ther praieere,
Nor on no parti ther requestis heere.

He dradde nat ther thretis nor manacis,
Gat proudli after the lond of Galathie,
In his conquestes wan many othir placis,
Capadoce took to his partie,

714

Slouh ther kyng, of hatrede & envie,
Ariaractes, a ful manli man;
And in this wise his conquest he began.

Ageyn thassuraunce tween hym & Nichomeede,
Alle sodenli he gan falle at debat;
Thouhte he wolde werreie hym in deede,
Because that he, pompous & elat,
In Capadoce took on hym the estat
To regne as kyng, ageyn[e]s his entent,
He nouther beyng of counsail nor assent.

Yit Nichomeede, or thei gan debate,
Hadde long afforn[e] to his owne encres
The sustir weddid of this Mitridate,
Whan thei as brethre lived in rest and pes.
And she was also callid Leodices,
Hauyng too sonys born for to succeede
Afftir disses of seid[e] Nichomeede.

But bi processe thes said[e] childre tweyne
In Capadoce, bi help of Mitridate,
Cleymed a title, iustli for tatteyne
Vnto the crowne, ther fadir ded but late.
For which thei gan felli to debate,
Til Mitridate falsli gan contryue
His too neuews vngoodli to depryue.

Al Capadoce he took into his hand,
His owne sone he hath ther crowned kyng.
Capadociens, bassent of al the lond,
Gan disobeie of purpos his werkyng.
Whan the Romeyns considred al thys thing,
Ariobarzanes in haste thei sente doun
Geyn Mitridate to keep that regioun.

The sone of whom fro them thei ha[n] refusid,
Out of ther kyngdam gan hym to enchase;
For thei sempte ther franchise was abusid,
To seen a foreyn occupie that place.
Mitridate gan newli hem manace,
And took with hym to susteene his partie
Tigranes the kyng of Armenye.

715

Ariobarzanes, that was fro Roome sent
To Capadoce to helpe hem & counsaille,
Of Mitridate knowyng the entent,
How he cam doun proudli hym tassaille
With Tigranes set in the ferst bataille,
Of Capadoce that al the regioun
Was brouht that day to ther subieccioun.

Thus Mitridate hauyng his entent,
In short tyme contrees conqueryng,
Was myhtiest prince of al the orient,
And in tho daies oon the grettest kyng.
And as it is remembred be writyng,
He delitid most in astronomye,
In sortilege & in sorcerye.

And with al these, he dede his besi cure
For to lerne vnkouth conclusiouns
And secretes souht out bi nature,
Knew the langage of dyuers regiouns,
Of too and tuenty sondri naciouns,
And heeld[e] women many mo than oon,
Loued Hipsicrata aboue hem euerichon.

To the Romeyns this manli Mitridate,
As bookis olde recorde of hym & seyn,
Vpon a day, of verray cruel hate
Thoruh al Asie he bad that ech Romeyn
Sholde of his men merciles be slayn:
Twenti thousand he slouh eek on o day
Of Romeyn marchauntes, ther durst no man sei nay.

To hym he drouh dyuers naciouns
To encrece his parti bi puissaunce,
Kymbrois, Gallois, with othir regiouns,
Bastornois took to his alliaunce;
With straunge peeple made his aqueyntaunce
Wher that euer he rood nyh or ferre,
With them of Roome for to holde werre.

In Grece also he gat many an ile,
Al Ciclades to his subieccioun;
Conquered so, that withynne a while
Of Athenes he gat the famous toun.
But whan Romeyns knew his entencioun,
Thei sente Scilla in a furious heete
With Mitridate in Grece for to meete.

716

Archelaus, which that was constable,
Leedyng the host of kyng Mitridate,
Gan ageyn Scilla, trustyng he was able,
Maugre Romeynes with hym to debate.
As thei mette in ther furious hate,
Beside Ortonia of Grece a gret[e] toun,
Of Archelaus the parti was born doun.

Ther gan Scilla to been victorious
Geyn Mitridate, & be gret violence
Gat al Ephese, a kyngdam ful famous,
Rood thoruh Asie, fond no resistence;
Bi his knihthod & manli prouidence
Capadoce, Bithynye eek also
To Romeyn handis he gat hem bothe too.

Whan Mitridate parceyued hath this thyng,
How the conquest of Scilla took encrees,
Anon he caste withoute long tarieng,
For a tyme with hym to haue a pes.
Of hih[e] wisdam he was nat rek[e]les
To dissymule til he fond tyme & space
In Fortune to fynde bettre grace.

Abood his tyme, kept hymsilue cloos
Til he fond leiseer lik his oppynyoun.
In this while of auenture aroos
Withynne Roome a gret discencioun
Tween too consuleris beyng in that toun,
Which tappese bi his auctorite
Scilla cam up ageyn to the cite.

Whan Mitridate his absence dede espie,
To his purpos fond oportunyte,
Gadred peeple, & with his cheualrie
A siege leid to Cizite the cite,
Of al Asie most off auctorite.
Til Lucullus, a myhti consuleer,
To breke the seege aproche gan ful neer.

Mitridate hadde on fyue capteyns
Tofor the toun made a disconfiture,
Of hih despiht he hadde to Romeyns.
But Lucullus the damage to recure,

717

Tenclose ther enmyes dide his besi cure:
To his mynours gaf anon in charge
Aboute the siege to make a dich ful large.

Thei withynne hadde knowlechyng
Be certeyn toknys of al þer gouernaunce;
Wherupon thei made no taryeng
To caste a weie for ther deliueraunce.
Mitridates seyng ther ordenaunce,
Of hih prudence scaped awey beside,
And at the seege no lenger list abide.

Lucullus than, the myhti consuleer,
Pursued aftir, slouh of his meyne
Swich multitude, that Asapus the ryueer
Was maad with blood[e] lik the Rede Se.
With wynd & tempest fordryue also was he,
And whan he sauh no socour on the lond,
To shipp he wente with strong & myhti hond.

He fond Fortune cruel aduersarie
On lond & se, this worthi Mitridate;
And Neptunus made the se contrarie
Ageyn[e]s hym, his puissaunce to abate.
What shal men calle it?—influence or fate?—
So sodenli a prince of hih renoun
From hih noblesse to be plongid doun.

For any myscheeff he kept ay o visage,
This Mitridate, & loth was for to plie
Or for to bowe, so strong was his corage,
But efft ageyn goth with his cheualrie
Toward Adrastus, an hill of Armenye,
Where-as Pompeie besette hym enviroun,
Sent fro Roome to his destruccioun.

Mitridate makyng his loggyng place
Vndir that hill, whan it drouh to niht,
The troubli heuene with thundryng gan manace;
The firy leuene dirkid hath his siht;
The cloudi moone clipsed of hir liht,
Astoned hym bi vnwar violence,
That he stood confus of al prouidence.

718

He was be tempest & vnwar dirknesse
Almost maad wery of his woful liff;
Yit I fynde, of verray kyndenesse,
Hipsicrata, which that was his wiff,
Nouther for werre nor no mortal stryff
Left hym neuere: disgised of visage
Folwed hym arraied as a page.

Yit in his moste mortal heuynesse,
Whan cloudi Fortune gan hym most manace,
Of his corage the naturel quiknesse
Appalled nat nor remeued from his place,
So hih prowesse dide his hert enbrace.
Nat disespeired for no sodeyn fall,
Of condiciouns he was so marciall.

In tokne wherof, he stondyng at myscheeff,
Chaunged nouther cheer nor contenaunce:
An euidence & a ful gret preeff
Of manli force and hertli assuraunce.
Deffying Fortune, with al hir variaunce,
Whan that he fond to his destruccioun
Of disespeir grettest occasioun.

With hym he hadde a bailiff, as I fynde,
Callid Castor, which of condicioun
Was to his lord[e] fals & eek vnkynde,
And conspired ageyn hym fals tresoun.
In tokne wherof, up to Roome toun
His lordis childre, yong & tendre of age,
Lik a fals theeff he sent hem in hostage.

Oon of his sones he moordred be tresoun,
Which Mitridate took ful sore at herte.
Another sone, as maad is mencioun,
Fals to his fader, which whan he dide aduerte,
The vnkyndnesse made hym sore smerte;
For of al vicis, shortli to conclude,
Werst of alle is ingratitude.

This same child, of whom I make mynde,
Callid Pharnax, which ageyn nature
To his fadir tretour & vnkynde,—
And his purpos ageyn hym to recure
In al hast[e] dede his besi cure;
For tacomplisshe his purpos in partie,
Took to hym hool his fadris cheualrie.

719

Be sleihte & meede whan he was maad[e] strong,
He beseged his fadir round aboute,—
Vnto nature, me seemeth, he dide wrong
To putte his fadir in so gret a doute.
Kyndenesse was ferr shet withoute,
Whan the sone, with hate set affire,
Ageyns his fadir list falsli to conspire.

With multitude his fadir was constreyned,
Maugre his myht, into a tour to flee,
His sone vnkynde hath at hym disdeyned;
And yit for al his straunge aduersite,
Of his corage the magnanymyte
In his persone stood hool, list nat varie,
Thouh Fortune was to hym contrarie.

Yit myn auctour Bochas berth record,
That Mitridate, yif it wolde haue bee,
Requered his sone to been at accord
And set aside al old contrariouste.
But he vnkynde, was indurat parde,
Euere froward, malicious of corage,
So disposed from his tendre age.

So that the kyng Mitridate, alas,
Was ouercome be vnkyndenesse,
That neuer afforn[e] in no maner caas
Stood disamaied, but of hih prowesse
Kept ay o face al passiouns to represse.
This vertu force, bi marcial doctryne,
For non aduersite suffrid hym declyne.

Eende of his werris & his mortal stryues,
Of his debatis and discenciouns,
His concubynes, his douhtres & his wyues,
Be mene onli of certeyn pociouns,
Slouh hem alle be drynkyng of poisouns;
For he nat wolde, the cause to descryue,
Aftir his deth thei sholde abide alyue.

His owne deth, of mortal fel rigour
Compassed afforn[e], thus he gan deuise:
Made a Frensh kniht that was a soudiour,
With a sharp suerd in ful cruel wise
To renne hym thoruh; wherbi the fraunchise
Conserued was his purpos to fulfill,
He shold nat deie but bi his owne will.

720

Loo, heer the eende of kyng Mitridate!
Lat princis alle of his deth take heede,
How reklesli he passed into fate
And bi assent made his herte bleede.
And Bochas heer, who list his book to reede,
Pleynli rehersyng but in woordes fewe,
To worldli princis doth his conceit shewe.

Lenvoye.

Myhti Princis, lefft up your corages,
Toward heuene doth your hertes dresse,
Of your memorie tourne up þe visages,
Wher ioie is euere, concord and gladnesse,
Trewe armonye, celestial suetnesse,—
Countirpeiseth in your remembraunce
Worldli chaungis, Fortunys variaunce.

Aduertiseth the mortal fel outrages
Of blodi werris impossible to represse,
Whil fals envie with his furious rages
In sondry rewmys hath so gret interesse,—
Slauhtre, moordre, deuisioun, falsnesse,
Which conscience haue brouht[e] to vttraunce
Thoruh sodeyn chaung of worldli variaunce.

Rekne up princis that sat on hih[e] stages:
What was the fyn of ther roial noblesse?
Or of tirauntis rekne up the bloodi wages:
Sodeyn slauhtre guerdouned ther woodnesse.
Mitridate can bern herof witnesse,
Bi blood vnkynde brouht vnto vttraunce,
Thoruh sodeyn chaung of worldli variaunce.

Princis remembreth vpon the goldene ages,
Whan Satourn reuled the world in rihtwisnesse;
Next Iubiter, for peeplis auauntages,
In silueren world conserued in clennesse,
Which Mars hath now tournid to felnesse,
Made it stelene, with suerd, dagger & launce,
Thoruh sodeyn chaung of worldli variaunce.

721

Of Mitridate registreth the viages,
Conspired poisouns taffraie his hih prowesse,
On lond and se tempestuous passages,
Bi constreynt bood seuene yeer in wildirnesse.
Of his wandryng peiseth thunsekirnesse,
His eende in myscheef, knew non auoidaunce
Geyn worldli chaung nor Fortunys variaunce.

Yif neccligence haue brouht you in rerages
Towardis God, or he rekne in streihtnesse,
Lat resoun medle for you to leyn hostages,—
Compassioun, merci, partyng of almesse,
Toward heuene to supporte your feeblesse,
Whan your meritis shal peisen in ballaunce
Of worldli chaungis & Fortunys variaunce.

Deth spareth nouther hih blood nor hih lynages,
Hath mynde heeron for any reklesnesse;
Transitoire been heer your pilgrymages,
Set with brigauntis vnwarli you toppresse,
But-yif prudence bi gret auysenesse
With prouidence preserue your puissaunce
Geyn worldli chaung & Fortunys variaunce.

[How Eucratides kyng of Sithie was slayn bi Demetrius, and after his careyn cast to houndys.]

Next in ordre to Bochas dide appeere
A woful prince, which put himsilf in pres,
Regnyng in Sithia, his stori doþ us lere,
The name of whom was Eucratides.
But to disturbe his quiete & his pes,
Ageyn[e]s hym, pleynli, as I fynde,
Cam Demetrius the myhti kyng of Ynde.

Of whom the poweer & the violence
To Eucratides was verray importable:
Beseegid first, and for lak of diffence
Take at myscheef, his foon nat merciable;
For Demetrius was on hym so vengable,
Whan he was slayn withynne his owne boundis,
Made the careyn [to] be caste out to houndis.

722

Natwithstondyng he was a worthi kyng,
Born of hih blood, swich was his auenture.
Demetrius sone aboue al erthli thyng
Hatede hym, bi record of scripture,
Of rancour denied his sepulture.
And for the mateer is hatful & contrarie,
On his stori I wil no lenger tarie.

[How herodes kyng of Parthos, werred with Romayns whiche aftir his sone & heir was slayn / made his bastard son kyng þat anon aftir slouh his fadir.]

To Arthabanus whilom of Parthos king
I purpose my stile to transporte,
A ful olde prince, had in his lyuyng
Sonys tweyne, bookis so reporte,
Which in his age dide hym most counfort:
Mitridate was the elder brothir,
And Herodes callid was the tothir.

Mitridate, be resoun of his age,
His fadir ded, dide aftir hym succeede,
Which banshed was for tirannye & outrage.
Aftirward for myscheeff & for neede
Into Babiloun he took his fliht for dreede.
The peeple anon, after his partyng,
Of indignacioun made his brothir kyng.

Thus kam Herodes to estat roiall,
Pursuede his brothir into Babiloun,
Leide a seege round aboute the wall;
Thei to hym yold[e] up the toun.
Thus was his brothir brouht to confusioun,—
Afforn the castel, withoute lenger date,
Made smyte of the hed of Mitridate.

In Parthos aftir he took pocessioun,
This yonge Herodes, of volunte & pride
Gan a werre geyn hem of Roome toun,
Whom to withstonde thei list nat longe abide.

723

The consul Crassus kam doun on ther side,
Comaundid was short processe to make,
Toward Parthos his viage for to take.

Crassus list nat tentren in that rewm,
Lefte Parthos, the stori doth deuise,—
Took his weie toward Iherusalem
To take ther a solempne enprise,
In the temple, onli of couetise,
Took ther, ageyn the title of rihtwisnesse,
Vp al ther tresour & ther gret richesse.

Bi which he gat in dyuers regiouns
Gret multitude to holde up his partie,
Ladde with hym elleuene legiouns,
Toward Parthos faste gan hym hie,
Bi his lettres proudli gan defie
The said Herodes, and with gret apparaille
Mid his contre proffred hym bataille.

The nexte morwe whan Crassus took þe feeld,
To hym was brouht of blak a cotearmure,
Which whan his knihtes auysili beheeld,
Dempte it a tokne of disconfiture;
For in contrarie Romeyns do ther cure,
Whan ther capteyn shal fihten, or ther hed,
His cotearmure is owther whit or red.

A-nother tokne froward to beholde,
The firste egle bete in his baneer,
Also soone as men it dide vnfolde
Contrariousli he tournid look & cheer,
The bak to Crassus, folk sauh that stood[e] neer:
A pronostik to Romeyns ful certeyn,
How Fortune that day was hem ageyn.

Bi the flood passyng of Eufrates,
With vnwar tempest his standardis euerichon
Into the ryuer wer cast among the pres,
To rekne hem all, vpriht stood nat oon.
Wherof astoned, thei wolde no ferther gon,
Thes pronostiques made hem so affraied,
Lik men in herte dispeired & dismaied.

724

Of thes toknys Crassus was rek[e]les,
The pronostikes he dede also despise,
Took upon [hym] to passen Eufrates,
Tentre Parthos onli for couetise.
To whom Herodes sendith in this wise,
That his comyng was mor for pillage
Than for knihthod, manhod or corage.

Al the poweer of Parthos tho kam doun
With many prefect in that mortal rage
Ageyn Crassus and them of Roome toun,
Which, as I tolde, abood on ther pillage,
That turnid aftir to ther gret damage:
The sone of Crassus slayn in that affray,
His fadir take, & al upon o day.

His hed smet of, in whom was no diffence,
And discounfited with many legioun,
The hed of Crassus brouht to the presence
Of Herodes withynne his roial toun,
Which hath comaundid gold to be brouht doun,
To be molte ther as he lay ded,
And to poure therof ful his hed.

This thyng was doon for a moquerye,
In signe onli, the stori doth deuise,
That gold nor tresour, upon no partie,
Staunche myht his thrust of couetise.
Such gredynesse ech man owith despise;
For auarice of custum in ech place
Of hih prowesse doth the pris difface.

Herodes aftir did serche al the wardis
Thoruh al the feeld[e] upon Crassus side,
Took the penouns, baneres & standardis,
And in his templis, large, longe & wide
Leet hang hem up of surquedie & pride,
In signe onli, and eek for a memorie,
He of Romeyns hath get[e] the victorie.

725

With whiche he list nat onli be content,
Weenyng his fortune sholde abide stable,
Into Surrye he hath his sone sent,
Callid Pachorus, made hym a constable,
Of that regioun with hym to be partable
Of al tresours & meobles that he fond,
Wher-euer he rood thoruhout al the lond.

Thus Pachorus bi his cheualrie
Encrese gan in his tendre age,
Wherof Herodes, his fader, had envye,
Feerful it sholde turne to his damage,
List he wolde be title of heritage,
Maugre hym, at his ageyn komyng
Take upon hym in Parthos to be kyng.

Than Pachorus was callid hom ageyn,
And of Surrie, wher in conclusioun,
Al that he had wrouht[e] was in veyn,
Because oon Cassius fro Roome was come doun,—
Slouh al the peeple in that regeoun
Which apartened to Pachorus, as I fynde,
Withoute capteyn for thei wer lefft behynde.

To withstonde this Romeyn Cassius
Herodes hath his sone sent ageyn,
Which anon aftir, the stori tellith thus,
Amyd the feeld vnhappili was slayn.
To truste Fortune it is a thyng but vayn,
Which of custum to-day is fauourable,
And to-morwe gerisshli chaungable.

Of Pachorus deth whan the noise aroos
And the distrussyng of his cheualrie,
And to Herodes abidyng in Parthos
Tidyng was brouht, ferde as he wolde die,
Of hertli sorwe fill into frenesie:
Heir was non left of the roial lynes,
Sauf thretti bastardis born of concubynes.

Thus Herodes was cast in gret seeknesse,
His sonis deth was to hym importable,
His worldli ioie was gon and his gladnesse,
Fortune contrarie, which neuer can be stable;

726

Age fill on; his liff was nat durable:
And of o thyng most he dede hym dreede,
Cause he hadde non heir to succeede,

Which wold[e] nat suffre hym lyue in pes.
Til at the laste he cauhte a fantasie,
Ches a bastard callid Pharactes,
Because he was famous in cheualrie,
Gaf hym the crowne & the regalie,
Which anon aftir, breeffli to conclude,
Slouh Herodes of ingratitude.

[How Fymbria a consul of Rome slouh himsilf.]

Afftir to Bochas, bi processe of the book,
Foure mihti princis notable of estat,
Towardis hym thei caste cheer & look,
Lik vnto folk that wer infortunat,
With whom Fortune had been at debat;
For be ther maner, as it sempte weel,
Thei wer at mischeeff fallyn from hir wheel.

First Fymbria, a Romeyn consuleer,
Sent bi the Romeyns to a gret cite
Callid Nichomeed[y]e, cam as a massageer
To helpe Flaccus, & entryng that contre,
Fond Flaccus slayn bi gret aduersite.
Aftir whos deth, his parti to auaunce,
Of Flaccus meyne took the gouernaunce.

Of presumpcioun, withoute auctori[t]e,
This Fymbria bi dilligent labour,
Ful ferr abouen his staat & his degre,
Took upon hym bi Fortunys fals fauour
To be callid capteyn and emperour
Thoruh al that cuntre, bokis specefie;
Of whos presumpcioun Scilla had envie.

Pursued hym thoruh many gret cite,
To a castel made hym take his fliht,
Wher Fymbria of gret necessite
Constreyned was, maugre al his myht,
Disespeired, forsake of eueri wiht,
To slen hymsilf, the stori tellith thus,
Withynne the temple of Esculapius.

727

[Of Albynius that was slayn with stonys.]

Anoþer consul stood in cas semblable,
In his tyme callid Albynyus,
Whos hatful pride was abhominable,
To alle folkis lothsum and odious;
Which lik a rebel, wood & furious
Ageyn Romeyn[e]s oft[e]nere than onys,—
Whan he lest wende slay[e]n was with stonys.

[How Adriane of low degre falsly vsurped to be kyng of Rome whiche with his cherlys was aftir brent.]

Next Adrian, which ros to hih estat:
First in Roome born of louh degre,
Chose a pretour, sent bi þe senat
To gouerne of Affrik the contre,
Wher of his owne pompous auctorite
Took upon hym bi sotil fals werkyng,
Maugre Romeyns, ther to be crowned kyng.

Whom to supporte, shortli to conclude,
Was a gret noumbre of the comounte,
Of cherlis gadred a confus multitude,
Title was non nor ground but volunte.
Gentil-men than beyng in that contre,
Alle off assent and oon oppynyoun,
Assemble[d] hem to his destruccioun.

At Vtices, a large gret cite,
Hym and his cherlis besette round aboute,
Of wode & faget with large quantite
In compas-wise closed hym withoute,
Gadred with hym of vileyns a gret route,
Leide on fyr, that with flawmes rede
Echon consumyd into asshes dede.

728

[How Synthonyus kyng of Trace þat moche coueted affor went and deied in pouerte.]

Next Adrian cam Syntonyvs
Tofor Bochas, with teris spreynt his face;
As the stori rehersith vnto us,
In his tyme he was kyng of Trace,
Falle sodenli fro Fortunis grace,
Cast doun lowe from his estat roiall,
Which kam to Bochas to compleyne his fall.

Whos purpos was, yiff it wolde haue be,
Seuene rewmys taue conquered with his hond,
That were soget to Roome the cite;
And alle seuene wer of Grekis lond.
Who al coueiteth, ye shal vndirstond,
He al forgoth, ful weel afferme I dar,
At vnset hour, wheroff ech man be war.

Longe or his conquest was brouht to a preeff,
From hir wheel Fortune cast hym doun.
The pretour Sencyus brouht hym to myscheef,
Deide in pouert, as maad is mencioun.
And Bochas heer maketh a digressioun,
Compendiousli withynne a litil space
To descryue the regioun of Trace.

[Here Bochas in party makith a descripcioun of the kyngdam of Trace and passith over lightly to the accomplisshment of his book.]

The discripsion of þe same.

Trace, whilom a contre of gret fame,
And conteneth a ful large space;
And of Tiras it took[e] first þe name,
Sone of Iaphet, & so was callid Trace.
Which many a day duelled in that place,
Toward Septemptrion, plenteuous of good,
Beside Dynoe, the large famous flood.

729

Southward Trace renneth the flood Egee,
Macedoyne stant in the occident,
And the kyngdam callid Perpontide
Stant in Trace toward the orient,
Wher gret plente of blood was shad & spent,
Whan Sencyus thoruh his hih prowesse
Kyng Adrian ther manli dede oppresse.

Ebrus in Trace is the cheeff ryueer,
As myn auctour maketh mencioun;—
I caste nat to tarie in this mateer,
To make of Trace a descripcioun,
But to proceede in my translacioun,
Folwe myn auctour, which writ a long processe
Of gret Pompeye & of his worthynesse.

[How aftir many grete conquestes of Duk Pompeye / began grete werre betwixt him and Iulyus iijc. M. were slayn / and at last the heed of Pompeye smyten of.]

This Pompeius, of whom þe name is kouþ,
Wis & worþi & famous of prowesse,
Took upon hym in his tendre youth,—
Afftir his fadir bi fortunat duresse,
Callid Pompeye, the stori berth witnesse,
Distrussid was bi sodeyn deth komyng,
The stori seith, thoruh thundryng & lihtnyng,

His host destroied be the violence
Of vnwar tempest, lik as seith the book,
Fourti thousand slayn in that pestilence;
For feer the remnant anon þe feeld forsook,—
Til yonge Pompeie of corage on hym took
In his begynnyng proudli to proceede
Ful lik a kniht his fadris host to leede.

Roome that tyme bi ther discenciouns
Among hemsilf nih brouht[e] to ruyne,
Bi the froward fals dyuysiouns
Tween Marie & Scilla, breefli to termyne,
Till that a newe sonne gan to shyne
Of worthynesse, which that shadde his liht,
In manli Pompeie the noble famous kniht.

730

This said Pompeie, this noble knihtli man,
At his begynnyng, thoruh his cheualrie,
The proude capteyn slouh whan he began,
Which of Marrius heeld up the partie,
Callid Brutus, which in Lombardie
Was be Pompeye thoruh kniyhtli gouernaunce
With al his host[e] brouht vnto myschaunce.

In his begynnyng Pompeie eek also,
To sette Romeyns in reste & in quiete,
Oon that was callid Gnevs Carbo,
He slouh hym knihtli whan he dede hym meete,
Which in Sicile proudli heeld his seete.
And alle the contres aboute hym enviroun
Pompeie made hem soget to Roome toun.

Aftir al this Pompeius on the se
With many a shippe stuffid with vitaille
Toward Affrik made a gret arme,
And ther in haste aftir his aryuaille
With Domicius hadde a gret bataille,
Brouhte the contre thoruh his hih renoun
To be to Roome vndir subieccioun.

He pursued the grete myhti kyng
Callid Iertha, to Marrius fauourable,
And hadde also his roial abidyng
In Numedie, a contre ful notable.
Ageyn Pompeie his poweer was nat hable;
For at a castell as thei mette in fiht,
He slouh kyng Iertha, ful lik a manli kniht.

Thus in breef tyme, holdyng his passage
For comoun proffit, as maad is mencioun,
Bi his wisdam & knihtli hih corage
Brouht al Affrik to subieccioun,
Which stood affor[e]n in rebellioun
To the Romeyns; but al ther sturdynesse
The said[e] Pompeie dede in haste redresse.

The grettest enmy ageyns Roome toun
Thilke daies was oon Sertorius;
And of fortune, which is now up now doun,
On Pompeie onys was victorious.

731

But aftir soone of hym it happid thus:
Among his meyne fallyng at debat,
He slay[e]n was in his most hih estat.

Aftir the deth of this Sertorivs
Cam Porpenna Pompeie for tassaile;
And as thei mette anon[e] Pompeius
Ful lik a kniht slouh hym in bataile,
Which victorie gretli dide auaile
To the Romeyns. Aftir bi gouernaunce
He brouht al Spayne to ther obeissaunce.

Bi auctorite youe bi the Senat,
This noble Pompeie, for vail of the cite,
Vpon the se wolde suffre no pirat;
Wher-euer he cam from hym thei dede flee:
For with his shippis he scoured so the se
And bar hym ther so manli with his hond,
That maugre them he brouht hem to the lond.

Al the piratis and thes fals robbours
Igadred wern out of the regioun
Callid Silice, which lik to rauynours
Made ageyn Roome a conspiracioun,
Robbede, spoillede, seillyng up & doun,
Romeyn marchauntis & peeple of ech contre,
That non was hardi to passe bi the se.

Afftir Pompeie hath maad the se tobeie,
That pirat non durst[e] theron abide,
He bi the Senat was sent out to werreye
Toward thorient, his knihtis be his side.
And wher-so-euer that he dide ride,
Myn auctour writ, bynfluence of heuene
His conquest was swifft as wynd or leuene.

And to encres of his eternal glorie,
Perpetueli to geten hym a name,
His laude & renoun to putte in memorie
He bilt a cite in Asia of gret fame,
Callid Nichopoli, Bochas seith the same,
Tween too floodis, the ton Araxzases,
And the tothir was callid Eufrates.

732

He bilte this cite onli of entent
That Romeyn knihtis, which wer falle in age,
And such as wer[e]n in the werris spent,
Sike, woundid, in pouert or in rage,
Sholde of custum haue ther herbergage
In that cite alway, & nat faille
Beddyng, clothes, spendyng & vitaille.

Pompeye aftir rood into Armenye,
Rebel to Roome, wher Tigranes was kyng.
Fauht with hym ther, & thoruh his cheualrie
Discounfited hym, ther was non abidyng.
Wher Tigranes hymsilue submyttyng
Vnto Pompeie with eueri circumstaunce,
Euer tabide vndir his obeissaunce.

Than in al haste Pompeie gan hym hie
To ride in Asia, wher lik a manli kniht
He gat the kyngdam callid Albanye,
Which took his name, who-so looke ariht,
Of whiht[e]nesse; for eueri maner wiht
That ther is born, be record of writyng,
Whiht as snouh[e] hath his her shynyng.

Ther been houndis merueilous of nature,
For tassaile bolis and leouns;
No wilde beeste ageyn hem may endure.
So Pompeye, bi many regiouns
Rood thoruh Armenye with his champiouns,
Wher growen herbes that may neuer feynte,
What-euer colour men list with hem peynte.

Conquered rewmys aboute in eueri cost:
Of Hiberie he gat the regeoun,
And Artaces the kyng with al his host
Discounfited, as maad is mencioun.
With his poweer to Surrie he cam doun,
Than to Fenise, a cite of gret fame,
Which of Fenix whilom took his name.

Brouhte al thes contres to subieccioun:
Of Sydonye, the myhti strong cite
Of Iturye, he took pocessioun;
Thoruh Arabie he cam doun to Iudee,

733

Which of Iewes was sumtyme the contre.
Of Libanus he passed the mounteyn,
Wher cedris growe[n], as auctour[e]s seyn.

Sent [to]forn hym, entryng in that reum,
Oon Gabynus, a myhti strong constable;
Regnyng that tyme in Iherusalem
Aristobolus, a prince ful notable.
And for the temple was strong & nat permiable,
Leide a siege aboute in breede & lengthe
Space of thre monethes, & gat it so bi strengthe.

Thre thousand Iewes vndir the wal wer founde,
Ded at thassaut, which made resistence;
The wal aftir doun beten to the grounde.
Pompeye afftir bi sturdi violence
Is entrid in withoute reuerence,
Sancta sanctorum men that place call,
Made Hircanius hiest preest of all,

The grete bisshop Aristobolus,
Sent to Roome in myhti cheynis bounde.
Toward Septemptrion, I fynde write thus,
Gat seuene kyngdames with citees wallid rounde,
Rebel to Roome, he dide hem confounde;
With mihti suerd[e] gat al the contre
Fro Caucasus doun to the Red[e] Se.

In his conquest, it sempte verraily
As the goddis hadde doon ther cure,
And that Fortune was with hem eek besi,
This myhti Pompeye prince to assure,
What-euer hym list be conquest to recure:
In Spaigne he gat, whan thei wer rebell,
Thre hundred citees & sixty strong castell.

Hard to remembre his conquestis euerichon,
Alle the prowessis of this knihtli man:
Toward the parti of Septemptrioun
A thousand castell I fynde that he wan,
Sixe hundred mo, fro tyme that he gan,
Eihte & thretti cites, out of doute,
With myhti wallis closed round aboute.

734

Peise his deedis, his conquestis marciall:
Thries consul chose for his encres;
Reed, ye shal fynde how he was egall
To Alisandre or to Hercules.
Wher that euere he put hymsilff in pres,
Al cam to hand, concludyng, ye may see,
To comoun proffit of Roome the cite.

His marciall deedis to putte in remembraunce,
Oon was chose to do his dilligence
To enacte his conquest in substaunce
And his knihthod of synguler excellence;
And Triffanes, famous of elloquence,
Assigned was onto that labour,
Took his guerdoun of ther comoun tresour.

Pompeye of Roome was cheef gouernour,
Cesar absent in Gaule, a ferre contre,
Which tyme Pompeie stood in gret fauour
Bothe of Fortune and Roome the cite,
Sumwhat maad blynd of his prosperite,
Purposyng, in his clymbyng nat stable,
He wolde haue non that wer to hym semblable.

Vnto purpos was saide ful yore agon,
How that loue nouther hih lordshippe,—
Preeff hath be maad in many mo than oon,—
Nouther of hem wolde haue no felashipe;
Ech bi his oon wolde his parti keepe:
In thes too caas, brothir onto brothir
Failleth at a poynt; ech wil put out othir.

To Pompeye resortyng now ageyn,—
He took on hym al the gouernaille
Of the Romeyns, as ye haue herd me seyn,
Bothe of estatis, comouns & poraille,
And for his part al that myhte [a]vaille
In makyng lawes, statut or decre,
Al up engrosed bi his auctorite.

Folk this while which that had envie
Toward Cesar in his longe absence,
Leet make a lawe bi conspiracye
And a statut, concludyng in sentence,
Withoute excepcioun, fauour or reuerence,

735

No man sholde, be wil of the Senat,
In his absence be chose to non estat,

Nor been admittid be no procutour
Taue auctorite of dignite [n]or offis,
In court of tribun nor off senatour
To be promotid; this was ther auys,
Wer he neuer so manli nor so wis.
This lawe ordeyned be folk envious,
For hyndryng onli of Cesar Iulius.

Whan Iulius knew al ther fals werking,
Fro Gaule sente up to the cite,
Al the Senat requeryng be writyng
To graunte hym bi ther auctorite
Of tryumphe the notable dignite,
To haue also thoffis and thestat
Callid in Roome the seconde consulat,

For hym aleggyng many gret victorie
In dyuers contres doon for the cite,
Many conquest notable of memorie
Wrouht bi his knihthod; for which of equite
Requeryng them guerdoned for to bee.
But contrarie vnto his entent
Denied hym al bi oon assent,

Which was cheeff ground, roote & occasioun
That brouht in first the contrauersie,
Cyuile discordes, froward dyuysioun,
Whan eueri man drouh to his partie
Of old hatreede to kyndle newe envie,
Causyng princis Iulius & Pompeie
To ther confusioun ech othir to werreye.

The tryumphe denyed to Cesar,—
Fraude of Pompeie made hym therof faile,
Of whos deceit Iulius was war,—
Made hym redi with many strong bataille,
Passed ouer the Alpies of Itaille,
Fulli in purpos, pleynli, yiff he myhte,
With the Romeyns and Pompeie for to fihte.

Thus gan the werre atween thes princis tweyne.
Pompeye chose for parti of the toun
To been ther duk & capteyn souereyne
Ageyn Cesar, as maad is mencioun.

736

And thus alas the desolacioun
Suede of the cite, be many straunge signe,
With vnkouth toknis, whan thei gan maligne.

At the gynnyng of thes woful werris,
In the heuene wer seyn dreedful sihtes—
Sparklyng brondis, cometis, vnkouth sterris,
With flawme of fyr many feerful lihtes
Lik laumpis brennyng al the longe nihtes,
Castyng of speres, dartis in the hair,
Wherbi Romeyns fill in gret dispair.

From the parti of Septemptrion
Toward Roome cam ful gret lihtnyng;
At non seyn sterris; lik blood the sunne shon;
The moone eclipsed, terrible in shewyng;
The mount[e] Ethna, feerfulli brennyng,
From his cauernis cast up flawmys rede
Toward Itaille, which set hem in gret dreede.

Out of Karibdis, a daunger of the se,
Wawes terrible boiled up lik blood;
From the rokkes that in Cecile bee
Was herd howlyng of houndis that wer wood.
Vesta the goddesse, in Roome ther she stood,
Mid hir temple was al with teres spreynt,
Whan the heuenli fyris wern afforn hir queynt.

Afforn this goddesse, at the aulter princepall
Was fyr perpetuel brennyng day & niht,
Til werris cyuyle, hatful & mortal,
Gan among Romeyns, & the contagious fiht.
Than of vengaunce anon was queynt the liht
Tofor Vesta, the fire partyng on tweyne,
Of dyuisioun a tokne ful certeyne.

Erthe-quaues sodeyn & terrible
Ouertournede castellis vp-so-doun;
With rage floodis hidous & horrible
Neptunvs dide gret destruccioun,
Drowned villages & many a mansioun,
Reuersed in templis of gold al ther vessellis,
Threw doun baners, standardis & penselis.

737

Geyn these signes was founde non arest,
The vnwar myscheeff koude no man declyne.
Leouns, wolues kam doun fro the forest
With many othir beestis sauagyne;
Wilde beris & serpentis of rauyne
Kam to the cite; & summe ageyn[e]s kynde
Spak as do men, in Bochas thus I fynde.

Dyuers foulis, which of ther nature
Haue in custum to fleen but a-niht,
Affor thes werris dede hemsilf assure
Euene at mydday, whan Phebus is most briht,
Thoruh the cite for to take her fliht.
Wommen with childre—the stori list nat feyne—
Brouht foorth summe that hadde hedis tweyne.

Tofor thes werris, that callid wer cyuile,
Senatours beyng in Roome toun
Cam to the woman that callid was Cybile,
Vnto hire made this questioun:
To declare bi short conclusioun,
Among ther other questioun[e]s all,
Of ther cite what fortune sholde fall?

To whom she gaff an ansuere ful obscure,
Wherupon she made hem sore muse:
Took hem sixe lettres set in pleyn scripture,
Which in no wise thei myhte nat refuse,
For false rihtis that thei dede vse;
Lik the thre lettres twies set in noumbre,
Who vndirstondeth, thei shal the toun encoumbre.

Thre R. R. R. first[e] she set on a rowe
And thre F. F. F. in ordre faste bi,—
Long tyme aftir or thei koude knowe
Thexposicioun therof openly,
Til ther dyuynours gan serche sotilly
To fynde[n] out, lik to ther entente,
Be the sexe lettres what Cibile mente.

Off this woord Regnum the first lettre is R,
So is the capital off Roome the cite;
Who looke ariht, the thridde is nat ferre,—

738

This woord Ruet gynneth with R, parde.
Of which[e] woordes whan thei ioyned be,
The sentence concludeth in meenyng,
Off ther cite the ruynous fallyng.

Touchyng thre F. F. F., who can aduertise,
Of this woord Ferro, F go[e]th toforn;
And the cheeff lettre off Fames to deuyse
Is F also, the processe weel forth born.
The same of Flamma, bi which þe toun was lorn,
Off which resouns make a coniunccioun,
Causyng of Roome fynal destruccioun.

Fyr, swerd & hunger caused be the werris,
Desyr of clymbyng, froward ambicioun,
Shewyng of cometis & of vnkouth sterris,
With pronostikes off [ther] desercioun,
Werst of alle, wilful dyuysioun
Among hemsilff bi vnwar violence,
Off lettres sexe accomplisshid the sentence.

The suerd of Cesar, werris of Pompeye,
Tween thes tweyne lastyng a long[e] while,
Made many Romeyn & Italien to deie,
Bi the batailes that callid wer cyuile,
With prophecies remembred of Cebile,
As the writyng ful weel reherse can,
Of the old poete that callid was Lucan.

In Martes temple on heihte wher he stood,
And Bellona, the goddesse despitous,
The preestes cried & offred up ther blood
With lamentaciouns, lik folkis furious,
Cause off toknys fell and contrarious
Which that wer shewed in that seyntuarie,
How ther goddis to Romeyns wer contrarie.

Mong dede bonys that leyen in ther grauis
Wer voises herd lik wood men in ther rages,
Cry of goostis in cauernys & cauys,
Herd in feeldis, paththis & passages;
Laboureres fledde hom to ther villages.
Serpentis, adderes, scaled siluer briht,
Wer ouer Roome seyn fleeyng al the niht.

739

Another tokne, pitous for to heere,
Which astoned many proud Romeyn,
Dede bodies dide in the feeld appeere,
Which in bataille hadde afforn be slayn,
From ther tombis arisyng wher thei layn,
Which in the werris, woful & despitous,
Wer slayn be Scilla & proude Marrius.

It was eek tolde bi ther dyuynours,
How Pompeyus was lik to haue a fall,
And how thestat of Romeyn emperours
With ther tryumphes that been imperial
At Iulius first ther begynne shal;
And afftir hym thestat shal foort[h] proceede
Be eleccioun or lyneal kynreede.

To withstonde the poweer of Cesar,
Which toward Roome took his weie riht,
Pompeye was sent, wis, manli & riht war;
But whan he herd[e] tellyn of the myht
Of Iulius, he took hym to the fliht;
Eek alle the senatours with hym dede flee
Toward Epire, in Grece a strong cite.

Pompeye was old, famous in cheualrie,
Cesar but yong [&] hardi for tassaille.
Vppon the pleyns of Grece & Thesalie
Pompeye & he hadde a gret bataille:
Geyn Iulius suerd no Romeyn mihte auaile;
Constreyned of force the feeld[e] to forsake,
Toward Egipt thei haue the weie take.

Pompeye thoruh Cipre cam to Tholome,
Bi a gret watir at Paphus dede aryue;
On the stronde ther he dide see
A statli place, & up he wente blyue,
The name of which, pleynli to descryue,
Cacabosile the contre dede it call,
Of which[e] name the fortune is thus fall:

740

The name tokne of froward arryuaill,
Sownyng in Greek vnhappi auenture.
Be which the trust of Pompeie did[e] faille,—
Fill in dispeir, myht it nat recure,—
Forsook that ile, dede his besi cure
To take a shipp, so bi the se saillyng
Toward Egipt, wher Tholome was kyng.

Of trust he fledde to this Tholome,
In hope he sholde fynde in hym socour:
Fair cheer shewed vndir duplicite,
Failled at the poynt, gaf hym feynt fauour,
Al-be Pompeye bi his freendli labour
Crownid hym kyng in Egipt, as I fynde,
To whom ageyn he was fals & vnkynde.

To meete Pompeye he leet stuffe a barge
Be a maner pretence of freendliheede,
Gaff his meyne that wer ther in charge
To moordre Pompeie, behiht hem a gret meede.
Tweyne ther wern, which to hym bar hatreede;
And in the vessel, with sharp suerdis whette,
Or he was war[e], of his hed thei smette.

The ton of hem was callid Achillas,
And his felawe namyd was Fotyne.
Took up the hed[e] of that prince, alas,
Famous in knihthod, born of gentil lyne,
Among Romeyns, as auctours determyne,
Holde in his tyme, yiff men doon hym riht,
Thoruh al the world[e] oon the beste kniht.

Thus erthli princis, with al ther pompous fame,
Which thoruh the world yiueþ so gret a soun,
Of slauhtre & moordre thei took[e] first þer name,
Bi fals rauyne and extorsioun
Clamb up so first to domynacioun.
Brennyng of contres, conquest bi violence
Sette hem in chaieres of worldli excellence.

In this bataile, which callid was cyuyle,
Hold atween Pompeye & Cesar Iulius,
Thre hundred thousand slay[e]n in a while,
Thre thousand take, the stori tellith thus,

741

Withoute princis notable & glorious,
As kyngis, pretours, reknid all attonys,
Tribunys, consulis & centuryonys.

Phebus on the soil myht nat his bemys spreede,
Nor on the ground shewe out his cleer[e] liht;
Men that wer slay[e]n lay so thikke on breede,
That of the erthe no man hadde a siht.
Wolues, beres, rauynous foul off fliht,
Kam gret plente to feede hem ther ech day
Beside the ryueer of Nile wher thei lay.

Gobetis of flessh, which foulis dede arace
Fro dede bodies, born up in the hair,
Fill from ther clees vpon Iulius face,
Amyd the feeld wher he had his repair.
Made his visage bloodi & nat fair,
Al-be that he to his encres of glorie
Hadde thilke day of Romeyns the victorie.

The hed of Pompeye, brouht with his statli ring,
Offrid up to Iulius hih presence,
He be compassioun, the moordre aduertisyng,
Of his innat imperial excellence
Brast out to weepe, & in his aduertense
Thouhte gret pite, a prince of so gret myht
Sholde so be slayn, that was so good a knyht.

The corps abood withoute sepulture,
Til oon Coodrus of compassioun
Aftir the bataille & disconfiture
Besouht[e] hym, of gret affeccioun,
To hide the trunke lowe in the sondis doun.
Souhte tymbir, and ther he fond but smal,
To doon exequies with fires funeral.

Now, sithe this prince kam to such myscheeff,
Moordred and slayn bi Tholome the kyng:
Heer of hir poweer Fortune hath maad a preeff,
What trust ther is in any worldli thyng.
Aftir his deth wantid he nat buriyng?—
This proude Pompeie, so famous of his hond,
Of fissh deuoured, as he lay on quik sond!

742

What shal men sette bi poweer or noblesse
Of slidyng goodis or any worldli glorie,
Which to restreyne may be no sekirnesse?
Fortune and the world is transitorye;
Thouh Mars to-day yiue a man victorie,
Parcas to-morwe vnwarli he shal deie,—
I take record of Cesar and Pompeie.

Sith al stant vndir daunger of Fortune,
Ye worldli men doth your look up-dresse
To thilke place wher ioie doth ay contune;
The Blynde Ladi hath ther non interesse.
Set pride aside, tak you to meeknesse,
To sue vertu doth treuli your labour,
Geyn worldli pompe mak Pompeie your merour!

Lenvoye.

This tragedie of the duk Pompeie
Declareth in gros þe cheef occasioun
Whi he and Cesar gan first to werreie,
Ech ageyn othir, thoruh veyn ambicioun
To haue lordshipe and domynacioun
Ouer the Romeyns, bi fauour, fraude or myht,—
Pocessioun take no fors of wrong or riht.

To trouthis parti pride is loth tobeie;
Extort poweer doth gret destruccioun;
Wis policie al out of the weie,
Prudent counsail, age with discrecioun
Loste ther liberte of free eleccioun.
Who was most strong, with hym heeld euery wiht,—
Pocessioun take no fors of wrong nor riht.

Swich dyuysioun made many man to deie,
Brouhte the cite to desolacioun.
With these too princis Fortune list to pleie,
Til from hir wheel she cast hem bothe doun.
Sotil deceit, fraude & collusioun
Bambicious clymbyng blente ther bothe liht,—
Pocessioun take no fors of wrong nor riht.

743

Noble princis, remembreth what I seie,
Peiseth this stori withyne in your resoun,
Of fals surmountyng auarice berth þe keie,
Record of Cesar, Pompeye of Roome toun,
Whos wilful werris, hatful discencioun
Yiueth cleer warnyng to you & eueri wiht,
No cleym is worth withoute title of riht.

[How victorious Iulius Cesar brent the vessels of Tholome slouh Achillas that wolde ha moordred him & after grete victories himsilf was mordred with boidekens bi brutus Cassius.]

Afftir the woful compleint lamentable
Of Pompeis dethe, pitous for to heere,
Werris remembrid, with tresouns importable,
Compassid fraudis farcid with fair cheere,
Conspired moordre, rehersid the maneere
How kyng Tholome, fraudulent of corage,
The deth conspired of Pompeie fall in age.

The processe tolde, I holde it wer but veyn
Therof to write a newe tragedie;
Thyng onys said, it to reherse ageyn,
It wer but idil, as for that partie.
But how Cesar went out of Thessalie,
Kam Talisaundre to logge hym in that place,
I wil remembre with support of your grace.

He logged was in his paleis roiall,
Wher he was besi, be diligent labour
Thoruh that regioun in templis ouerall
To spoile goddis and haue al ther tresour,
Wher he was mokkid, fond ther no fauour;
For Achillas, which that slouh Pompeie,
Cast hym with Cesar proudli to werreie.

His purpos was to falle upon Cesar,
As of nature was his condicioun
Falsli to moordre men or thei wer war,—
Bi sum sleihte to fynde occasioun
To destroye Iulius be tresoun,
And tacomplisshe his purpos in partie
Hadde twenti thousand in his cumpanye.

744

This Achillas, fals, cruel, deceyuable,
Cast hym deceyue Cesar yif he myhte,
Of Thegipciens leder and constable
With the Romeyns purposeth for to fihte.
But whan Cesar therof hadde a sihte,
He is descendid, & faste bi the se
Brent al the naue of kyng Tholome.

Alle the vesselis wer dryue up with a flood
To gret damage of seide Tholome;
Iulius brente hem euene ther thei stood,
And a gret part beside of the cite.
And ther was brent, which was ful gret pite,
The famous librarie in Egipt of the kyng,
Ful fourti thousande volumys ther liggyng.

In which thyng Bochas reherseth in sentence,
How Tholome was gretli comendable,
That thoruh his besi roial prouydence
Made hymsilff a librarie so notable;
For to al clerkis in studie that wer hable,
Of seuene sciences, the stori maketh mynde,
Lik ther desire myhte bookis fynde.

Afftir this fyr, in Farus the contre,
The Egipciens hadde a gret bataille,
Wher Cesar was of gret necessite
That day constreyned, whan the feeld gan faille,
Take a barge from Egipt for to saille,
But so gret pres[e] folwed at his bak,
Almost the vessel was lik to go to wrak.

Cesar armyd, with lettres in his hond,
Put his persone that day in auenture;
Two hundred pas manly swam to lond,
And kunnyngli to lond he doth recure,
Natwithstondyng his heuy strong armure.
But yit toforn or Cesar took the se,
He in the feeld hadde take Tholome.

And Achillas, the moordrere of Pompeie,
With alle his felawes that wer of assent
Wer slayn that day; ther went[e] non aweye:
Many Egipcien the same tyme brent.
Cesar of mercy for Tholome hath sent,

745

To Alisaundre sent hym hom of newe,
Chargyng he sholde to Romeyns forth be trewe.

But whan he was delyuered fro prisoun,
Of Egipciens in Alisaundre the cite,
From eueri coost he gadred gret foisoun,
Ageyn Iulius kam doun with his meyne;
But yit for al his hasti cruelte,
Swich resistence Cesar gan to make,
That twenti thousand that day wer slayn & take.

Sixti galeis nat ferr fro the lond,
Tuelue thousand men komyng to Tholome,—
Echon wer yolde and brouht onto the hond
Of Iulius his prisoneres to bee.
Than Tholomeus besied hym to flee
Toward the watir, wher maugre al his myht,
He drowned was in his gret hasti fliht.

He knowen was bi his riche haberioun,
Of gold and steel[e] it was entermaylid,
Bi Cesar sent onto the roial toun,
Which for diffence was strongli enbatailed,—
Bokelis of gold richeli enamailed,
Which[e] toknis anon as thei haue seyn,
Disespeired to Cesar sente ageyn.

Of them to Cesar was maad feith & homage;
The rewm of Egipt brouht to subieccioun,
Til he of grace and merciful corage
To Cleopatra gaff al that regioun,
Longyng to hire be successioun,
Be title of riht that tyme & non othir,
Because only Tholome was hir brothir.

Kyng Lagus whilom in his testament,
Fadir to Cleopatra & to Tholome,
Toforn his deth bi gret auisement
Cleerli enacted his laste volunte,
That his kyngdam departid sholde be,
Half to Tholome, as his bequethe was,
The tothir halff to queen Cleopatras.

746

She bi hir brothir was holde in prisoun
To keepe hir wrongli from hir heritage,
Wheroff Cesar hadde compassioun,
Purposed hym to refourme hir damage.
And whil that he heeld ther his hostage,
Of equite, of lawe and of resoun,
Of al Egipt gaff hir pocessioun.

Than kam Iuba, of Libie lord & kyng,
Sowere of stryues and discencioun,
Proud, hih of port, cruel in werkyng,
Which in especial hadde indignacioun
Vnto the worthi laste Scipioun,
Cause he was chose, lik as bookis seie,
To succeede next consul to Pompeie.

This Iuba eek bar to hym gret hatreede,
Souht a quarel ageyn hym for o thyng,
Cause that he was clad in purpil weede,
For hym aleggyng, how onli that clothyng
No maner estat sholde vse but a kyng:
Mente for hymsilff, sittyng in roial throne,
He wold as kyng that colour were allone.

Heer myn auctour maketh a digressioun,
Puttyng exaumple of Almayne the contre;
Seith that ther is non othir nacioun
Touchyng array that is so disgise
In wast of cloth and superfluite,
Rehersyng her in ful pleyn langage,
In many wise such was doth gret damage.

It causeth pride and ambicioun,
Ageyn the vertu of humylite;
To lecherie it yiveth occasioun,
Which is contrarie vnto chastite.
Wast of array sett folk in pouerte,
Causeth also such costage spent in veyn
Off othir porere to haue ful gret disdeyn.

747

Wher superfluite is vsid of aray,
Riot folweth, proud port & idilnesse;
With wast of tyme dryue forth the day,
Late drynkyng, wach, surfet, dronkenesse,
Engendreth feueres & many gret axcesse.
Thus eueri surfet englued is to othir,
And o mysreule bryngeth in anothir.

God suffreth weel ther be a difference
Touchyng array, as men been of degre:
Hih estatis, that stonde in excellence,
Mut be preferrid, of resoun men may see;
As cloth of gold, stonis & perre
Was for princis, with othir fressh clothynges,
But specialli purpil was for kyngis.

Thus was ther set, of hih discrecioun,
Array accordyng to princis hih noblesse;
And for othir estatis lower doun,
Lik ther degrees tween pouert & richesse,
An ordre kept from scarsete & excesse,
A mene prouided atween hih & lowe,
Lich to hymsilff[e] ech man may be knowe.

But kyng Iuba, insolent & mad,
Of surquedie kauht [an] oppynyoun
That non but he in purpil shal be clad,
Causyng debat tween hym & Scipioun.
Yit wer thei parti bothe with Roome toun
Ageyn Cesar, and drouh toward Pompeie,
For which at myscheef bothe thei dide deie.

Whan Iuba felte hymsilf of noun poweer
Ageyn Cesar to holde chaumpartie,
For sorwe he loste contenaunce & cheer;
Of hih disdeyn[e] and malencolie
Callid on Pectryn, a kniht off his allie,
Made hym bassent that thei wer bothe fayn
Felli to fihte til oon off hem was slayn.

Ageyn nature was this straunge fiht,
Ech to slen othir, & knew no cause whi,—
But for kyng Iuba was an hardi kniht,
He slouh his felawe and abood proudli,

748

And rather ches to deien wilfulli,
Of hih despiht[e] & of proud corage,
Than vndir Cesar to lyuen in seruage.

Maad calle a man whom he loued weel,
Gaff vnto hym gret gold & gret guerdoun
To take a suerd[e] forgid of fyn steel,
And make theroff no long dilacioun,
But bad he sholde, for short conclusioun,
Take upon hym, & haue no feer nor dreed,
Withoute tarieng to smyten of his hed.

Thus kyng Iuba rather ches to deie
Than lenger lyue in subieccioun
Vndir Cesar; he loued so weel Pompeye.
Than next to Bochas, as maad is mencioun,
Cam Aristobolus, with face & look cast doun,
Which was to Roome, afforn as I haue told,
Sent bi Pompeye to be kept in hold.

[Aristobolus.]

Which aftir was delyuered fro prisoun
Bi help of Cesar in ful hasti wise,
Stondyng in hope of his regioun
To be restored vnto the fraunchise,
Wher Hircanus, as ye haue herd the guise,
Preferred was, to his gret foorth[er]yng,
Bi Pompeie of Iewes crowned kyng.

Which Aristobolus hopeth to recure,
Caste menys ther to regne ageyn,
Wrouhte theron, dide his besi cure,
Whos hasti labour was but spent in veyn.
Fill in the handis of a proud capteyn
Which that whilom was longyng to Pompeie;
And he with poisoun vnwarli made hym deye.

[How the last Scipioun Consulere of Rome for he not list to lyue in seruage of Iulyus roff himsilf to þe hert.]

Next cam the laste worthi Scipioun,
Which aftir Pompeie was maad consuleer,
With whom Iuba was at discencioun
For weryng purpre, as it was told wol er,

749

And aftirward fill in ful gret[e] feer,
Whan Cesar hadde withynne Libie-lond
Outraied [hem] bothe with strong & myhti hond.

Wherbi Sipioun gan fallen in despair,
Loste his cheer, as man disconsolat,
With thre Romeyns gan make his repair,—
Damasippus, Plectorie and Torquat,—
Goyng to shipe, the tyme infortunat,
Toward Spayne; but tempest gan hem dryue,
That thei in Affrik vnwarli dede aryue.

Scipioun seeyng this woful caas sodeyne,
How he was brouht vnwarli to myscheeff;
For Scicius, a myhti strong capteyn,
Beyng a pirat and off the se a theeff,
Which is a name of ful gret repreeff,—
The same pirat, longyng to Cesar,
Fill on Scipioun or that he was war,

Beyng in purpos take hym prisoneer
Withynne his shipp toforn his arryuaill;
For which, alas, dulle gan his cheer,
His contenaunce appallen & eek faille.
To fynde counfort no man coude hym counsaille,
Pullid out a suerd, whan he myht nat a-sterte,
And roof hymsilff[e] euene to the herte.

This was the eende of laste Scipioun:
Leuere he hadde at myscheef for to deie
Than vndir Cesar lyn fetrid in prisoun
Or to his lordshipe in any wise obeye.
To Bochas next hym cam Pompeye,
Sone and heir to gret[e] Pompeius,
Contraire also to Cesar Iulius,

Hadde brethren & sistren mo than oon,
And many another of ther alliaunce.
And of assent thei cast hem euerichon,
Ther fadris deth hauyng in remembraunce,
Vpon Cesar to take therof vengaunce,
Eek upon Tholomee, which bi collusioun
Slouh ther fadir bi ful fals tresoun.

750

The eldest brothir callid eek Pompeye,
Beyng in Spaigne with ful gret apparaill,
Cast hym of newe Cesar to werreye
And his peeple proudli to assaille.
And, as I fynde, ther was a gret bataille,
In which Pompeie, the eldest sone of thre,
Bi Iulius men constreyned was to flee.

He fond no socour nor receit hym to saue,
Off his lyff, he, stondyng in gret dreed,
Knowyng no reffut, fledde into a caue,
Tescape awey knew no bettir reed,
Wher he was slayn; to Cesar brouht his hed,
Sent foorth in scorn anon to Hispalee,
Which in Spaigne is a ful gret cite.

Thus bi processe al hooli the kynreede
Of Pompeius, for short conclusioun,
Bi Cesar wern & bi his men in deede
Withoute mercy brouht to destruccioun.
Thus gan encrece the fame & the renoun
Of Iulius conquest on se & eek on londe,
Whos mortal suerd ther myht[e] non withstonde.

First in Libie, Spaigne and eek Itaille
Thexperience of his roial puissaunce,
In Germanye bi many strong bataille,
His poweer preved, in Lumbardie & in Fraunce.
Brouhte alle thes kyngdames vndir thobeissaunce
Of [the] Romeyns: peised al this thyng & seyn
Touchyng his guerdoun, his labour was in veyn.

Toward Roome makyng his repair,
Of hym appesed cyuyl discenciouns,
Of throne imperial clymbyng on the stair;
For the conquest of threttene regiouns,
Of the tryumphe requered the guerdouns,
Which to recure his force [he] hath applied,
Al-be the Senat his request hath denied.

751

And his name mor to magnefie,
To shewe the glorie of his hih noblesse,
To the Capitoile faste he gan hym hie,
As emperour his doomys ther to dresse.
That day began with ioie & gret gladnesse;
The eue nothyng accordyng with the morwe:
The entre glad; the eende trouble & sorwe.

Calipurnia, which that was his wiff,
Hadde a drem the same niht afforn,
Toknis shewed of the funeral striff,
How that hir lord was likli to be lorn
Be conspiracy compassed & Isworn,
Yiff he that day, withoute auisement,
In the Capitoile sat in iugement.

She drempte, alas, as she lay & sleep[te],
That hir lord, thoruh girt with many a wounde,
Lay in hir lappe, & she the bodi kepte
Of womanheed, lik as she was bounde.
But, o alas, to soth hir drem was founde!
The nexte morwe, no lenger maad delay,
Of his parodie was the fatal day.

A poore man callid Tongilius,
Which secreli the tresoun dede espie,
Leet write a lettre, took it Iulius,
The caas declaryng of the conspiracie,
Which to reede Cesar list nat applie.
But, o alas! ambicious necligence
Caused his mordre bi vnwar violence.

Cesar sittyng myd the consistorie,
In his estat[e] most imperiall,
Aftir many conquest & victorie,
Fortune awaityng to yiuen hym a fall,
With boidekenys, percyng as an all,
He moordred was, with many mortal wounde.
Loo, how fals trust in worldli pompe is founde!

752

Lenvoye.

Thoruh al this book[e] rad ech tragedie,
Afforn rehersid & put in remembrance,
Is non mor woful to my fantasie,
Than is the fall of Cesar in substaunce,
Which in his hiest imperial puissaunce
Was, whil he wende haue be most glorious,
Moordred at Roome of Brutus Cassius.

This marcial prince ridyng thoruh Lumbardie,
Ech contre yolde & brouht to obeissaunce;
Passyng the Alpies rood thoruh Germanye,
To subieccioun brouht the rewm of Fraunce,
Gat Brutis Albioun bi long contynuaunce:
To lustris passed, this manli Iulius
Moordred at Roome bi Brutus Cassius.

Among the Senat was the conspiracye
Alle of assent & of oon accordaunce,—
Whos tryumphe thei proudli gan denye;
But maugre them was kept thobseruaunce,
His chaar of gold with steedis of plesaunce
Conveied thoruh Roome, this prince [most] pompous,
The moordre folwyng bi Brutus Cassius.

Rekne his conquest, rekne up his cheualrie
With a countirpeis of worldli variaunce:
Fortunys chaungis for his purpartie;—
Weie al to-gidre, cast hem in ballaunce,
Set to of Cesar the myscheeuable chaunce,
With his parodie sodeyn & envious,—
Moordred at Roome bi Brutus Cassius.

Bookis alle and cronicles specefie,
Bi influence of heuenli purueiaunce,
Mars and Iubiter ther fauour did applie
With glade aspectis his noblesse to enhaunce:
Mars gaf hym knihthod, Iubiter gouernaunce,
Among princis hold oon the moste famous,—
Moordred at Roome bi Brutus Cassius.

753

Behold of Alisaundre the grete monarchie,
Which al the world had vndir obeissaunce,
Prowesse of Ector medlid with gentrie,
Of Achilles malencolik vengaunce,—
Rekne of echon the quaueryng assuraunce,
Among remembring the fyn of Iulius,
Moordred at Roome bi Brutus Cassius.

Princis considreth, in marcial policie
Is nouther trust[e], feith nor assuraunce:
Al stant in chaung with twynclyng of an eye.
Vp toward heuene set your attendaunce,
The world vnseur & al worldli plesaunce;
Lordship abit nat, record on Iulius
Moordred at Roome bi Brutus Cassius.

[How Octavian / succeded next and how the mordres of Iulius / deied at mischeff.]

Afftir the moordre of þis manli man,
This noble prince, this famous emperour,
His worthi nevew callid Octouyan
To regne in Roome was next his successour.
Which dide his deueer bi dilligent labour
To punshe all tho, of nature as he ouhte,
Bi rihtful doom, that the moordre wrouhte.

Cheeff conspiratour was Brutus Cassius,
Which of this moordre made [al] the ordynaunce.
Anothir Brut, surnamyd Decius,
Was oon also conspiryng the vengaunce
Wrouht on Cesar; he aftir slayn in Fraunce.
Heer men may seen, what coostis that men weende,
How moordre alwey requereth an euel eende.

Withyne the space almost of thre yeer
Destroied wern al the conspiratours
Be sodeyn deth; & summe stood in daungeer
To be banshed or exiled as tretours.
And as it is cronicled bi auctours,
Space of thre yeer, reknid oon bi oon,
Deide at myscheeff the moorderis euerichon.

754

To moordre a prince, it is a pitous thyng.
God of his riht wil take therof vengaunce;
Namli an emperour, so famous in ech thing,
Which al the world[e] hadde in gouernaunce.
Rekne his conquest digne off remembraunce,
Al peised in oon, Bochas ber[e]th witnesse,
In hih estat is litil sekirnesse.

[How Tullius was too tymes exiled and atte last / slayn by Pompylyus.]

Myn auctour heer writ no long processe,
Of Iulius deth compleynyng but a while;
To write of Tullie in hast he gan hym dresse,
Compendiousli his liff for to compile,
Compleynyng first, seith his bareyn stile
Is insufficient to write, as men may seen,
Of so notable a rethoricien.

Laumpe and lanterne of Romeyn oratours,
Among hem callid prince of elloquence,
On Pernaso he gadred up the flours,
This rethoricien most of excellence.
Whos meritis treuli to recompence,
The Muses nyne, me thouhte, as I took heed,
A crowne of laureer set upon his hed.

Bochas astoned, gan of hymsilff conclude,
His look abasshed, dul of his corage,
Thouhte his termys & resouns wer to rude,
That he lakked kunnyng & langage,
Wherebi he sholde to his auauntage,
Thouh he laboured writyng al his lyue,
Of Tullius the meritis to descryue.

Wherof supprised, he kauhte a fantasie,
Withynne hymsilf remembryng anon riht,
Thouh it so falle sumtyme a cloudi skie
Be chacid with wynd affor the sunne briht,
Yit in effect it lasseth nat his liht;
So Bochas dempte that his dul writyng
Eclipsed nat of Tullius the shynyng.

755

With rud language a man may weel reporte
The laude off tryumphes & conquestis merueilous,
Which thyng remembryng gretli gan comforte
The herte of Bochas; & to hymsilf spak thus:
“Too colours seyn that be contrarious,
As whiht and blak; it may bee non othir,
Ech in his kynde sheweth mor for othir.

In Phebus presence sterris lese her liht;
Cleer at mydday appeereth nat Lucyne;
The fame of Tullye whilom shon so briht,
Prince of fair speche, fadir of that doctrine,
Whos brihte bemys into this hour doth shyne:
Sothli,” quod Bochas, “of whom whan I endite
Myn hand I feele quakyng whan I write.

But for to yiue folk occasioun,
Which in rethorik haue mor experience
Than haue I, & mor inspeccioun
In the colours and craff[t] of elloquence,—
Them texcite to do ther dilligence,
Onto my writyng whan thei may attende,
Of compassioun my rudnesse to amende.”

Vnto hymsilff[e] hauyng this langage,
Bochas to write gan his penne dresse,
Vndir support afforced his corage
To remembre thexcellent noblesse
Of this oratour, which with the suetnesse
Of his ditees, abrod as thei haue shyned,
Hath al this world most cleerli enlumyned.

This Tullius, this singuler famous man,
First to remembre of his natyuyte,
Born at Aprinas, a cite of Tuscan,
Of blood roial descendid, who list see.
Grekissh bookis of old antiquite,
Maad of rethorik and in ther vulgar songe,
He translatid into Latyn tunge.

In tendre youthe his contre he forsook
And fro Tuscan his passage he gan dresse;
Toward Roome the riht[e] weie he took,
Entryng þe cite, the renommed noblesse

756

Hid in his persone shewed the brihtnesse
Of dyuers vertues, tyme whil he abood,
That lik a sonne his fame spradde abrod.

For his vertues made a citeseyn,
The goode report of hym shon so cleer,
Lik as he hadde be born a Romeyn,
In ther fauour his name was so entieer.
Among hem chose for a consuleer,—
Ageyn the cite, tyme of his consulat,
Whan Catalyne was with hem at debat.

Bi the prudence of this Tullius
And his manhod, reknid bothe Ifeere,—
Catelyna, most cruel and irous,
Froward of port & froward of his cheere,
Besi euere to fynde out the maneere,
How he myhte be any tokne or signe
Ageyn the cite couertli maligne.

Sixe hundrid yeer, fourscore told & nyne,
Reknid of Roome fro the fundacioun,
This cruel tiraunt, this proude Catalyne,
Made with othir a coniuracioun
Ageyn fraunchises & fredam of the toun.
First discurid, as bookis telle can,
In the parties & boundes of Tuscan.

The purpos hooly of this Catalyne,
Imagyned on fals[e] couetise,
Was to brynge Roome vnto ruyne.
And therupon in many sondri wise
Fond out weies, menys gan deuise,
To his entent bi dilligent labour
In the cite gan gete hym gret fauour.

But fynali his coniuracioun
Discured was bi oon Quintius,
Which was afforn[e] fals vnto the toun.
Tolde al the caas vnto Tullius,
Bi whos prudence & werkyng merveilous,
Bi help of Antoyne, that was his felawe,
The coniuracioun was broken & withdrawe.

757

Bi witt of Tullie al the coniuratours
Espied wern and brouht onto myschaunce,
Ther namys rad tofor the senatours,
Of ther falsheed told al the gouernaunce,
Manli ordeyned thoruh his purueiaunce.
With al his peeple, as maad is mencioun,
Catilyna departid fro the toun.

With Antonye the said[e] Catalyne
Beside Pistoie hadde a gret bataile.
Slayn in the feeld; he myht[e] nat declyne,
For he abood whan the feeld gan faille.
Poweer of oon litil may auaile,
Namli whan falsheed, of malis & of pride
Ageyn[es] trouthe dar the bront abide.

Ther was another callid Lentulus
Of his felawes, that namyd was Fabyne;
The thridde of hem eek callid Cetegus,—
Alle assentid & sworn to Catallyne,
Stranglid in prisoun, at myscheef dide fyne.
Cause Tullius dide execucioun,
Tullyane was callid the prisoun.

Thus koude he punshe tretours of the toun,
Outraie ther enmyes, of manhod & prudence;
Callid of ther cite gouernour & patroun,
Sent from aboue to been ther diffence,
Ther champioun, most digne of reuerence,
Chose of ther goddis ther cite for to guie
Bi too prerogatyues: knihthod & polycie.

Lik a sunne he dide hem enlumyne
Bi hih prowesse of knihtli excellence;
And thoruh the world his bemys dede shyne
Of his rethorik & his elloquence,
In which he hadde so gret experience.
Bi circumstaunces that nothyng dede lakke,
He transcendid Polityus & Grakke.

Of oratours it is put in memorie,
This Tullius, thoruh his hih renoun,
Of all echon the honour & the glorie
Was youe to hym, as maad is mencioun:

758

Surmountid all; & in conclusioun,
The goldene trumphe of the Hous of Fame
Thoruh al the world[e] bleuh abrod his name.

He knew secretis of philosophie,
Cam to Athenys to scoole for doctryne,
Wher he profited so gretli in clergie
In al sciences heuenli and dyuyne,
That he was callid, as auctours determyne,
Among Romeyns, of verray dieu[e] riht,
Of elloquence the lanterne & the liht.

It is remembred among oratours,
How Tullius pleted causes tweyne
In the Romeyn court affor the senatours,
The cause defendyng be langage souereyne
Of too accusid geyn hem that dede pleyne
On ther defautis, them sauyng fro myscheef,
The court escapyng fro daunger & repreeff.

Thes causes tweyne he pleted in Latyn,
With so excellent flouryng fair langage,
With suich resouns concluded at the fyn,
That he be wisdam kauhte the auauntage
In his mateeres with al the surplusage
That myhte auaile onto his partie:
What he saide ther koude no man denie.

Among Grekis [at] Athenys the cite
He was so gret of reputacioun,
So famous holde of auctori[t]e,
To be comparid bi ther oppynyoun
To the philisophre that callid was Platoun,
To whos cradel bees dede abraide
And hony soote thei on his lippes laide.

A pronostik[e], lik as bookis tell,
Plato sholde bi famous excellence,
Of rethorik be verray sours & well,
For his langage, merour off elloquence.
Yit the Grekis recorden in sentence,
How Tullius in parti and in all
Was onto Plato in rethorik egall.

759

Thoruh his langage this saide Tullius
Reconsilede bi his soote orisouns
To the lordshipe & grace of Iulius,
Princes, kynges of dyuers regiouns,
That suspect stood bi accusaciouns,
Because thei dide Iulius disobeie,
Wer enclyned with Romeyns to Pompeie.

He coude appese bi his prudent langage
Folkis that stoode at discencioun;
Bi crafft he hadde a special auauntage,
Fauour synguleer in pronunciacioun,
In his demenyng gret prudence & resoun:
For the pronouncyng of maters in substaunce,
His thank resceyueth bi cheer & contenaunce.

To a glad mateer longeth a glad cheer,
Men trete of wisdam with woordes of sadnesse,
Pleyntes requeere, aftir the mateer,
Greuous or mortal, a cheer of heuynesse,
Lik as the cause outher the processe
Yiueth occasioun to hyndren or to speede,—
The doctryne in Tullius men may reede.

The name of Tulie was kouth in many place;
His elloquence in eueri lond was ryff;
His langage made hym stonde in grace
And be preferrid duryng al his lyff.
Maried he was, and hadde a riht fair wiff,
Childre manye, seruauntis yonge & old;
And, as I fynde, he heeld a good houshold.

De Officijs he wrot bookis thre,
De Amicitia, I fynde how he wrot oon,
Of Age another, notable for to see;
Of moral vertu thei tretede euerichon.
[And] as Vincent wrot ful yore agon
In his Merour callid Historiall,
Noumbre of his bookis be ther remembrid all.

760

He wrot also the Drem of Scipioun,
Of Rethoriques compiled bookis tweyne,
And tweyne he wrot of dyuynacioun;
Of tilthe of lond to write he dede his peyne,
A large book of glorie that is veyne,
De Re publica; & as he seith hymselue,
Of his Orisouns he wrot bookis tuelue.

And of his dictes that callid be morall
Is remembred notabli in deede
In the said Merour Historiall.
And yit this saide Tullius, as I reede,
Mid his worshepes stood alwey in dreede
Of Fortune; for in conclusioun,
He be envie was ban[y]shed Roome toun.

Beyng in exil, this famous Tullius,
In Campanya at Atyne the cite
Resceyued he was of oon Plancius,
A man that tyme of gret auctorite.
And whil that he abood in that contre,
Slepyng aniht, the book makþ mencioun,
How that he hadde a wonder visioun.

He thouhte thus, as he lay slepyng:
In a desert and a gret wildirnesse
Fyndyng no path, but to & fro erryng,
How he mette, clad in gret richesse,
Gaius Marrius, a prince of hih noblesse,
Axyng Tulli with sad contenaunce,
What was cheef ground & cause of his greuaunce.

Whan Tullius hadde hym the cause told
Of his disese & his mortal wo,
Marrius with his hand set on hym hold,
To a sergaunt assigned hym riht tho,
And in al haste bad he sholde go,
To conveie hym doon his besi cure
In al haste possible to his sepulture,

761

Wher he sholde haue tidyngis of plesaunce
Of his repeir into Roome toun,
Been aleggid off his old greuaunce.
This was the eende of his auiseoun.
The nexte morwe, as maad is mencioun,
Ther was holde, to Tullius gret auail,
Tofor Iubiter in Roome a gret counsail

Withyne the temple bilt bi Marrius:
The senatours accorded wer certeyn
To reconcile this prudent Tullius,
Out of his exil to calle hym hom ageyn.
Aftir resceyued as lord & souereyn
Of elloquence, bassent of the Senat,
Fulli restored vnto his first estat.

This thing was doon whan that in Roome toun
The striff was grettest tween Cesar & Pompeie;
And for Tullius drouh hym to Catoun,
With Pompeius Cesar to werreie
And of Iulius the parti disobeie,
Out of Roome Tullius dide hym hie,
Fledde with Pompeie into Thesalie.

Cesar aftir of his fre mocioun,
Whan that he stood hiest in his glorie,
Hym reconciled ageyn to Roome toun,
Vpon Pompeie accomplisshed the victorie.
But Iulius slayn in the consistorie
Bi sexti senatours beyng of assent,
Tullius ageyn was into exil sent.

And in a cite callid Faryman
Tullius his exil dide endure;
For Antonyus was to hym enmy than,
Because that he, parcas of auenture,
Compiled hadde an invectiff scripture
Ageyn Antoyne, rehersyng al the cas
Of his defautis & of Cleopatras.

Thus of envie and [of] mortal hatreede,
His deth compassed bi Antonyus,
And aftirward execut in deede
Bi procuryng of oon Pompillius;—

762

Gat a commyssioun, the stori tellith thus,
Of fals malice, & foorth anon wente he
Into Gayete of Campaigne a cite.

And bi the vertu of his commyssioun,
Takyng of Antoyne licence & liberte,
Cheeff rethoricien that euer was in the toun,
Among Romeyns to worshep the cite,
Was slayn, alas, of hate and enmyte
Bi Pompilius, roote of al falsheed,—
Proffryng hymsilff to smyten of his hed.

Tullius afforn[e] hadde been his diffence
Fro the galwes, & his deth eek let,
Which hadde disserued for his gret offence
To haue been hangid upon an hih gibet.
Who saueth a theef whan the rop is knet
Aboute his nekke, as olde clerkis write,
With sum fals tourn the bribour wil hym quite.

Loo, heer the vice of ingratitude,
Bexperience brouht fulli to a preeff,
Who in his herte tresoun doth include,
Cast for good wil to do a man repreeff.
What is the guerdoun for to saue a theeff?
Whan he is scapid, looke, ye shal fynde
Of his nature euere to be vnkynde.

This Popilius, tretour most odible,
To shewe hymsilff fals, cruel and vengable,
Toward Tullie dide a thyng horrible:
Whan he was ded, this bribour most coupable,
Smet of his riht hand, to heere abhomynable,
With which[e] hond, he lyuyng, on hym took
To write of vertues many [a] famous book.

The hand, the hed of noble Tullius,—
Which eueri man ouht of riht compleyne,—
Wer take and brouht[e] bi Popilius,
Vpon a stake set up bothe tweyne,
Ther tabide, wher it dide shyne or reyne,
With wynd & wedir, til thei wer deffied,
In tokne al fauour was to hym denied.

763

A chapitle ageyn [Iangelers and] diffamers of Rethorique.

Bochas compleynyng in his studie allone
The deth of Tullie and the woful fall,
Gruchching in herte made a pitous mone,
The folk rebukyng in especial,
Which of nature be boistous & rurall,
And hardi been (for thei no kunnyng haue)
Craft of rethorik to hyndren and depraue.

Clerkis olde dide gretli magnefie
This noble science, that wer expert & wis,
Callid it part of philosophie,
And saide also in ther prudent auys,
Ther be thre partes, as tresours of gret pris,
Compiled in bookis & of old prouided,
Into which philosophie is deuyded.

The firste of hem callid is morall,
Which directeth a man to goode thewes;
And the secounde, callid naturall,
Tellith the kynde of goode men & shrewes;
And the thridde, rac[i]ounal, weel shewes
What men shal uoide & what thing vndirfonge,
And to that parti rethorik doth longe.

Bi Tullius, as auctours determyne,
Of his persone rehersyng in substaunce,
Translatid was fro Greek into Latyne
Crafft of rethorik; and for the habundaunce
Of elloquence stuffed with plesaunce,
All oratours remembrid, hym to-fore
Was ther non lik, nor aftir hym yit bore.

Bochas also seith in his writingis
And preueth weel be resoun in sentence,
To an oratour longeth foure thingis:
First naturel wit, practik with science,
Vertuous lyff, cheef ground of elloquence,
Of port and maner that he be tretable;
Thes menys had, myn auctour halt hym able.

764

In his writyng and in his scriptures
Bochas weel preueth, if mut needis been,
How that of riht ther longe fyue armures
To eueri notable rethoricien,
Set heer in ordre, who that list hem seen,
Which he callith, rehersyng in sentence,
The fyue baneeres longyng to elloquence.

The firste off hem callid Inuencioun,
Bi which a man doth in his herte fynde
A sikir grounde foundid on resoun,
With circumstaunces, that nouht be left behynde,
Fro poynt to poynt enprentid in his mynde
Touchyng the mateer, the substaunce & þe grete,
Of which he caste notabli tentrete.

Another armure, in ordre the secounde,
Of riht is callid Disposioun,
As of a mateer whan the ground is founde,
That eueri thyng bi iust dyuysioun
Be void of al foreyn digressioun,
So disposid touchyng tyme & space,
Fro superfluite keepe his dewe place.

The thridde armure namyd in sentence
Is Ellocucioun, with woordes many or fewe,
Materes conceyued bi iust conuenyence,
Disposid in ordre couenably to shewe,—
Lik a keruer that first doth tymbir hewe,
Squier & compas cast fetures & visage,
With keruyng tool makth [up] a fair image.

Pronunciacioun is the fourth armure,
Necessarie to eueri oratour,
In such caas whan craft onto nature
Iioyned is bi dilligent labour
With execucioun, and that ther be fauour
In declaryng, with eueri circumstaunce,
Folwyng the mateer in cheer & contenaunce.

An heuy mateer requereth an heuy cheer;
To a glad mateer longeth weel gladnesse;
Men in pronouncyng mut folwe the mateer,—
Old oratours kan bern herof witnesse,—

765

A furious compleynt vttrid in distresse:
This was the maner, as poetis do descryue,
In his tragedies whan Senec was alyue.

The fiffte armure callid Remembraunce,
With quik memorie be prouidence to see,
So auisili to grose up in substaunce
Hooli his mateeris, that nouht forgetyn be,
Liste foryetilnesse dirke nat the liberte
Of cleer report, ech thing hadde in mynde,
That in pronouncyng nothing be left behynde.

Afforn prouided, so that foryetilnesse
Be non hyndrere to inuencioun,
And in proceedyng no foreyn reklesnesse
Trouble nat the ordre of disposicioun.
And for tacomplisshe al up with resoun,
That pronouncyng be cleer[e] remembraunce
Be weel fauoured with cheer & contenaunce.

Thes said[e] thynges be inli necessarie
To euery prudent notable oratour,
Nat to hasti nor ouer long to tarie,
But to conveie his processe be mesour;
In cheer accordyng stant al the fauour:
For in pronouncyng, who lakketh cheer or face,
Of Tullius scoole stant ferr out of grace.

Al erthli beestis be muet of nature,
Sauf onli man, which haueth auauntage
Bi a prerogatiff aboue ech creature
To vttre his conceit onli be langage.
The soule be grace repressith al outrage,
Namli whan resoun hath the souereynte
To bridle passiouns of sensualite.

Kynde onto man hath youen elloquence,
A thyng couenable in especiall
Whan that it is conveied bi prudence,
To talke of mateeris that be natural
And secrees hid aboue celestial,—
Doth entrete of sunne, moone & sterris
Thynfluent poweer doun sent of pes & werris.

766

God of al this hath graunted knowleching
Onli to man bi wisdam and resoun,
And thoruh langage youe to hym shewyng,
Outward to make declaracioun
Of the heuenli cours & sondri mocioun,
Diuers chaunges, &, pleynli to diffyne,
The reuolucioun of the speeris nyne.

Men bi langage shewe out ther ententis,
The naturall meeuyng & mutaciouns,
Accord & discord of the foure elementis,
Kyndli variaunce of foure complecciouns,
The generacioun & the corupciouns
Of erthli thynges, contrarie ech to other,
Corrupcioun of oon engendryng to another.

This the poweer & the precellence
Youe vnto man, which is resonable,
That bi langage and bi elloquence
A man is tauht in vertu to be stable,—
Of soule eternal, of bodi corumpable,
Tauht with his tunge whil he is alyue
Of his defautis how he shal hym shryue.

Bochas eek tellith, touchyng rethorik,
Ther been too maneres: oon is of nature,
Lernyd in youthe, which doth oon spek[e] lik
As he heereth & lerneth bi scripture;—
Crafft of rethorik youe to no creature
Sauff to man, which bi gret dilligence
Be studie kometh to crafft of elloquence.

Crafft of langage and of prudent speche
Causeth prechours bi spiritual doctryne
Vertuousli the peeple for to teche,
How thei shal lyue bi moral disciplyne.
Langage techeth men to plaunte vyne,
Enfourmeth folk to worshepe hooli cherche,
The artificeer treuli for to werche.

Yit ther be summe that pleynli preche and teche,
Haue of langage this oppynyoun:
God ha[th] nat most reward onto speche,
But to the herte & to thaffeccioun;

767

Best can guerdone the inward entencioun
Of eueri man, nat after the visage,
But lik the menyng of ther inward corage.

To vttre langage is gret dyuersite
Whan that men shewe theffect of ther menyng,
Be it of ioie or off aduersite,
Cheer for taccord therwith in vtt[e]ryng,
Now debonaire, sumwhile rebukyng,
And in rehersyng, lik cheer alwei tapplie,
Be it of rudnesse, be it of curteisie.

Of discrecioun sette a difference
In his pronouncyng to perce or vndirmyne,
To drawe the iuge vnto his sentence
Or to his purpos to make hym to enclyne,
Seen wher he be malencolik or benigne,—
Or his mateer be vttrid or vnclosid,
Considre afforn how that he is disposid.

Peised al this thyng, the rethoricien,
With other thynges which appertene of riht
To crafft of speche, he mut conueye & seen
Mateeris of substaunce & mateeris that be liht,
Dispose hymsilf tentretyn euery wiht
Lik to purpos & fyn of his mateere,
As for the tyme rethorik doth requeere.

As bexaumple, myn auctour doth record,
Men sette at werre, in herte ferr assonder,
The rethoricien to make hem for taccord
Mut seeke weies & menys heer & yonder,
Of old rancour tappese the boistous thonder,
Be wise exaumplis & prouerbis pertynent
Tenduce the parties to been of oon assent.

A man also that stant in heuynesse,
Disespeired and disconsolat,
The rethoricien mut doon his besynesse,
The ground considred & felt of his estat,
The cause serchid whi he stant desolat,
Which to reffourme be dilligent labour
Is the trewe offis of eueri oratour.

768

Of rethoriciens whilom that wer old
The sugrid langage & vertuous daliaunce
Be goode exaumples & prouerbes that thei tolde,
Woordes pesible enbelisshed with plesaunce,
Appesid of tirauntes the rigerous vengaunce,
Sette aside ther furious sentence
Bi vertu onli of prudent elloquence.

And in contrarie, pleynli to conclude,
Men seen alday bi cleer experience
Folk vnauised, & hasti foolis rude,
And braynles peeple, of wilful necligence,
Because thei wern bareyn of elloquence,
Vttringe ther speche as nakid folk & bare,
For lak of rethorik ther mateer to declare.

Bi cleer exaumple, as purpil, who takþ heede,
Longeth to kynges, in stori men may fynde,
With clothes of gold & riche velwet weede
Fret with rubies and othir stonis Ynde,
Saphirs, emeraudis, perlis of ther kynde,—
As alle thes thynges aproprid been of riht,
Plesaunt obiectis to a mannys siht,

So the langage of rethoriciens
Is a glad obiect to mannys audience,
With song mellodious of musiciens,
Which doth gret counfort to euery hih presence.
Bexaumple as Amphioun, with song & elloquence
Bilte the wallis of Thebes the cite,
He hadde of rethorik so gret subtilite.

In his langage ther was so gret plesaunce,
Fyndyng therbi so inli gret proffit,
That al the contre kam to his obeissaunce,
To heere hym speke thei hadde so gret delit;
The peeple enviroun hadde such an appetit
In his persone, in pes & in bataille:
Heer men may seen what rethorik doth auaille!

769

[How Sextus werreide Tryumvir, and of the deth of grete Antonye and Cleopatras.]

Folwyng the ordre Bochas of his book,
With penne in hond[e], castyng up his eye,
Tofor hym cam pale of cheer & look
A myhti prince, sone onto Pompeye,
Callid Sextus, which as bookis seye,
Delited hym, with a gret naue
Lik a pirat to robben on the se.

To his fadir contrarie in such caas,—
For eueri pirat of custum he dede hate,
Vpon the se whos vsage alwey was
Ageyn[es] hem proudli to debate,
Pursued hem erli and eek late,—
Wher this Sextus, to his gret repreeff,
Was of the se a robbour and a theeff.

The sclaundre of hym gan to spreede ferre,
Reportid was to many ferr contre;
With Tryumvir this Sextus gan a werre,—
Which is an offis and a dignite
Bi the Romeyns commyttid onto thre
Notable estatis, chose for cheualrie,
Thempire al hool to gouerne & to guie.

The firste of hem namyd Lepidus,
And the secounde callid Octouyan,
The thridde in noumbre was Antonyus,
Ageyn[s] which thre Sextus, this proude man,
Of surquedie a newe werre gan,
Afforn bi Iulius for his rebellioun
Banisshed for euere out of Roome toun.

Triumvir of politik gouernaunce,
Weel auised afforn in ther resouns,
Tretyng for pes bi notable purueyaunce
With proude Sextus vndir condiciouns
Write & enact in ther conuenciouns,—
But anon afftir, list no while tarie,
He to his promys was froward & contrarie.

770

For his convict outraious falsnesse,
And on the se for his robberye,
Bochas of hym writ no long processe,
Hauyng disdeyn his name to magnefie;
For he to vertu list nothing applie,—
The difference cause which [is] in thestat
Atwixe knihthod & liff of a pirat.

With fugityues, theuys and robbours
And men exiled out of Roome toun,
Banisshed peeple, fals conspiratours,
With othir convict of moordre & tresoun,—
He took al such vndir proteccioun;
And oon Moena, a cherl of his certeyn,
Of fourti shippes he made hym a capteyn.

The said[e] cherl vnwarli tho began
Folwe the nature of his condicioun,
Allied hymsilff[e] with Octauyan
Ageyn his lord[e], bi ful fals tresoun;
With al his naue and shippes he cam doun,
Spared nat to meete of verray pride
With Menecrates, that was on Sextus side.

But also soone as the bataile gan
And the parties togidre sholde gon,
Alle the vessellis of Octauyan
With sodeyn tempest wer drownid euerichon
Beside a castell bilt of lym & ston
Callid Nauletum, wher yit to gret repreeff
Sextus fledde & was brouht to myscheeff.

Wente into Grece to make hym stronge ageyn
To holde a bataile with Antonyus,
Take in his komyng bi strengthe of a capteyn
Longyng to Antoyne, callid Furnyus,
Whilom neuew to Cesar Iulius:
And or duk Sextus myhte ferþer weende,
He slay[e]n was & made ther an eende.

Of Tryumvir in thempire, as I tolde,
Ther was a capteyn callid Lepidus,
Which bi his offis lik as he was holde,
Riht besi was, the book rehersith thus,

771

To reconcile the proude Antonyus
To the grace of gret Octouyan,
Ech thyng forgete wherof the werre gan.

And to conclude shortli, who list see,
Fortune a while was to hym gracious,
Thempire al hool gouernid bi thes thre:
Lordship of Affrik hadde Lepidus,
Bi which he wex proud & contrarious,
To hym assigned vndir commissiouns
Fulli the noumbre of tuenti legiouns.

Wherof in herte he kauhte such a pride,
Causyng be processe his destruccioun.
Surquedie a while was his guide,
From his estat til he was falle doun;
Namli whan he, of fals presumpcioun,
Took upon hym of malis to werreye
The said Octouyan, & gan hym disobeie.

Whan Octouyan his malis dide see,
That he gan wexe sodenli contrarie,
He threw hym doun from his dignite,
Cast hym in exil, list no lenger tarie.
Loo, how Fortune sodeynli can varie,
To maken hym that hadde gouernaunce
Off al Affrik to comen to myschaunce!

Another prince, Cesar Lucyus,
Exiled was fro Roome the cite
Bi his vncle, the saide Antonyus,
Of wilfulnesse & hasti cruelte;
For in that tyme, as men may reede & see,
Contreued causes wer founde up of malis
Texile princis notable holde & wis.

Summe because thei heeld[e] with Cesar,
Other for Pompeie that heeld on that partie,
Summe for ther good, afforn or thei wer war,
Summe for suspecioun, summe for envie,
Summe for thei koude nat flatre nouther lie,
Summe for vertues, which was gret[e] routhe,
Because thei wern so stable in ther trouthe.

772

In this trouble dreedful & odious,
As is rehersid in ordre ye may reede,
The noble kniht, Paulus Lucyus,
Exilid was of malis & hatreede,
Folwyng upon the grete horrible deede,
The pitous deth & the hatful caas
Of gret Antonye and Cleopatras.

The tragedie of these ilke tweyne
For me as now shal be set aside,
Cause Chauceer, cheef poete of Breteyne,
Seyng ther hertis koude nat deuyde,
In his book, the Legende of Cupide,
Remembryng ther, as oon thei dide endure,
So wer thei buryed in oon sepulture.

Thyng onys said be labour of Chauceer
Wer presumpcioun me to make ageyn,
Whos makyng was so notable & enteer,
Riht compendious and notable in certeyn.
Which to reherse the labour wer but veyn,
Bochas remembryng how Cleopatras
Caused Antonye that he destroied was.

Hir auarice was so importable,
He supprised with hir gret fairnesse,
Folwyng ther lustis foul & abhominable,
She desiryng to haue be emperesse;
And he, alas, of froward wilfulnesse,
To plesen hire, vnhappily began
To werreye the grete Octouyan.

Froward ambicioun sette his herte affire
To clymben up to the imperial see,
To haue pocessioun of the hool empire,
Took upon hym, yiff it wolde haue be,
To regne allone in Roome the cite,
Cleopatras to fostren in hir pride,
Title of Octauyan for to sette aside.

With multitude of many legiouns,
As I haue told, ageyn Octauyan,
To hym acrochid of dyuers regiouns
Gret multitude of many manli man;

773

First on the se to werreye he began,
Wher he was first, maugre al his miht,
To his confusioun vnwarli put to fliht.

Disespeired, fledde hom to his contre,
Knowyng no helpe nor mene to recure,
But to encres of his aduersite,
Whan that he sauh this woful auenture,
Geyn Octouyan he myhte nat endure,
With a sharp suerd his daungeer to dyuerte
Hymsilff he rooff vnwarli to the herte.

Of whos deth the queen Cleopatras
Took a sorwe verray importable;
Because ther was no recure in the caas,
Thouhte of his wo she wolde be partable,
Whos fatal eende pitous & lamentable:
Slouh eek hirsilf[e], loue so did hir raue;
Afftir thei bothe buryed in o graue.

Finis libri Sexti. Incipit liber septimus.

775

BOOK VII

[Off Antonye son and heire to grete Antonye, and of Cesarius, Iulia, Agrippa, Cassius, and Galbus.]

This stori eendid, last of þe sixte book,
Bochas weri, thouhte for the beste,
Of gret trauaile oppressid in his look,
Fill in a slombre lenyng on a cheste,
Fulli in purpos to haue take his reste.
But euene as he sholde his reste haue take,
Cam a gret pres & made hym to a-wake.

First of that felashipe cam the sone & heir
Of Antonye, with blood spreynt al his weede,
Callid eek Antonye, falle in gret dispeir
Cause Octoyuan bar to hym hatreede,
Whos suerde he fledde, quakyng in his dreede,
To an old temple socour for to haue,
Trustyng fro deth the place sholde hym saue.

In that temple Cesar was deified,
Of whom be Romeyns set up a gret image;
But whan he sauh [that] he was espied,
He ran to Iulius hih upon the stage,
Gan hym tenbrace in his pitous rage,—
He, rent awey be sodeyn violence,
Vnwarli slayn; ther geyned no diffence.

Next in ordre cam Cesarius,
Of whom ther fill a wonder pitous caas,
Whilom begete of Cesar Iulius
Vpon the yonge faire Cleopatras,
Slayn in his youthe, thus writeth Bochas,
As Octouyan dide hymsilff assigne,
For he geyn Romeyns sholde nat maligne.

776

Folwyng in ordre, Iulia began
Hir greuous compleynt to Bochas specefie,
Whilom douhtir to grete Octouyan,
With weepyng eyen gan to houle & crie,
Which bi hir fadir to punshe hir lecherie
Exilid was out of hir contre,
For lak of socour deide in pouerte.

Hir sone Agrippa, yong & tendre of age,
Born off hih blood[e], Bochas doth expresse,
Cam next in ordre, pale of his visage,
Which spent his tyme in slombre & idilnesse,
Froward to vertu; & for his wrechidnesse
Octovyan, which was gret[e] routhe,
Suffrid hym deie at myscheeff for his slouthe.

Afftir Agrippa cam forth anon riht
Cassius of Parme, a famous gret contre,
Which in Itaille was holde a manli knyht,
With Marc Antonye weel cherisshed & secre,
Bood in his court, & therwithal parde
Gretli allowed, first for his cheualrie,
And for his notable famous poisye.

And therwithal he hadde in existence
A riht gret name & stood in gret fauour
For his knihthod & for his hih prudence.
Afftir accusid vnto the emperour
Octouyan for a coniuratour,
He sholde haue bee of froward fals entent
To Iulius deth fulli of assent.

For which be biddyng of Octouyan
Take he was, beyng but yong of age;
And as myn auctour weel remembre can,
Brouht tofor Iulius hih upon a stage,
Ther offrid up onto his ymage
Be cruel deth, the stori tellith thus,
For the fals moordre of Cesar Iulius.

777

Aftir the deth of saide Cassius,
Another cam of Roome the cite,
Which, as I reede, callid was Galbus,
Of a pretour hauyng the dignite;
And for suspecioun slay[e]n eek was he,
His eyen first out of his hed wer rent,
For Iulius deth than into exil sent.

Toward his exil bi brigauntes he was slayn.
And aftir that, withyne a litil while,
Of his labour nouther glad nor fayn,
Bochas began to direct his stile
To gret Herodes, breeffli to compile
His greuous fall & hooli the maneere
To sette in ordre heer next, as ye shal heere.

[How the tiraunt herodes slouh wiff and children and deied atte mischeff.]

Remembryng first in Iurie he was kyng,
Antipater his fadir, who list see,
In Arabia myhtili regnyng
Ouir the prouynce callid Ydumee.
This same Herodes, gard[e]yn of Gallile,
Ordeyned was, [first] for his hih prudence,
And for his notable knihtli excellence.

Famous in manhod, famous of his lyne,
Famous also bi procreacioun,
I reede also he hadde wyues nyne;
And among alle, as maad is mencioun,
To his plesaunce and his oppynyoun,
Maister of stories reherseth ther was oon
Mariannes, fairest of euerichon.

Bi whom she hadde worthi sones tweyne,
Alisaundre and Aristobolus.
But for his sustir dide at hir disdeyne,
Callid Saloma, the stori tellith thus,
He vnto hir wex suspecious,
Because she was accusid of envie
Bi Saloma touchyng auoutrie.

778

Ageyn[e]s hire of rancour sodenli
He gan of herte greuousli disdeyne;
With rigerous suerd he slouh hir furiousli.
But as the stori doth vs acerteyne,
He for hir deth felt aftirward gret peyne,
Euere whan it cam to his remembraunce,
Hir port, hir cheer, hir womanli plesaunce.

Loo, what it is a prince to be hasti,
To eueri tale of rancour to assente,
And, counsailles, proceede wilfulli
To execucioun, of froward fals entente;
For Herodes so sore dede hym repente
That he for thouht[e] fill into anoye
Of hertli sorwe & malencolie.

Reste hadde he non novther day nor niht,
Troublid with furye that he wex frentik,
With dremys vexid & many an vnkouth siht;
Of cheer nor colour to no man he was lik,
And eueri moneth onys lunatik.
A gret[e] while he hadde this woful lyff
For sorwe onli he hadde slayn his wiff.

And as the stori weel reherse can,
In the Capitoile mid Roome the cite,
Bi Antonye and bi Octouyan
He crownid was & maad kyng of Iude,
Bi the Senat maad theron a decre,
And registred that he and his kynreede
Sholde in that lond lynealli proceede.

In Roome was maad the confirmacioun
To this Herodes, bookis specefie,
Beyng a foreyn the translacioun
Was maad of Iuda & of Iuerye,
Sceptre, crowne, with al the regalie
Bi hym vsurpid, as ye haue herd toforn,
Vpon the tyme whan Crist Iesus was born.

779

This same Herodes bi procuracioun
Of Antonye did also occupie,
Bi Augustus plener commyssioun
The grete estat[e] callid Tetrarchie
In too kyngdames, with al the regalie:
Of Traconytides, Iturye eek also,
Bi the Romeyns maad lord of bothe too.

Maister of stories reherseth of hym thus:
For comendacioun in especiall
In Ascalon he bilt a statli hous
Of riht gret cost, a paleis ful roiall,
Was non so riche, for to reknyn all.
Aftir which, myn auctour doth so write,
He callid was Herode Ascolonyte.

This same Herodes, cruel of nature,
Of cheer & port passyng ambicious,
Ay to be uengid dide his besi cure
On al that wern to hym contrarious.
His wyues brothir Aristobolus,
In Iherusalem cheeff bisshop, as I reede,
Falsli he slouh of malis & hatreede.

Vniustli regnid, born heuy thoruh his reum,
His herte fret & kankrid with envie.
Another bisshop in Iherusalem,
Callid Hircanvs, myn auctour list nat lie,
This same Herodes in his malencolie
Slouh hym vnwarli be rancour ful vengable,
Sittyng at dyneer at his owne table.

Ther was no man of corage mor cruell
Nor mor desirous to be magnefied;
To make his name also perpetuell
Foure statli cites he hath edefied,
Of which the names been heer specefied:
Cesaria, Sebasten, cites souereyne,
Antipadra, Cipre, the othir tweyne.

He hadde also a fals condicioun:
He truste[d] non that was of his kynreede,
His sonis tweyne hadde in suspecioun,
Ther purpos was to slen hym of hatreede,
Whan he wer ded[e] hopyng to succeede.

780

And causeles, as fadir most vnkynde,
Made hem be slayn, in stori thus I fynde.

In al his werkyng he was founde double,
A gret[e] tiraunt holde thoruh his rewm,
Neuer thyng so gretli dede him trouble,
As whan thre kynges kam to Iherusalem,
Iesus to seeke, that was [born] in Bethlem,
Boldli affermyng, cause of ther komyng
Was to worshepe that blissid yonge king.

The which[e] thyng whan he did aduertise,
Prophecies remembryng & writyngis,
Withynne hymsilff a mene he gan deuise
First to destroye thes hooli famous kynges;
Namli, whan he knew of ther offrynges,
Imagynyng, gan suppose blyue
The child was born that sholde hym depryue,

Newli descendid from Dauid doun be lyne,—
Cast almost Herodes in a rage;
Of cursid herte gan frowardli maligne,
Lik a tiraunt of venymous outrage
Slouh al the childre withynne too yeer age
Aboute Bethlem a ful large space;
He spared non for fauour nor for grace.

On of his childre beyng at norcerye,
As the stori put in remembraunce,
Of auenture or thei koude it espie
His knihtes slouh; I trowe it was vengaunce.
Ech tiraunt gladli eendith with myschaunce,
And so must he that wex ageyn Crist wood,
Which for his sake shadde innocentes blood.

The noumbre of childre that wer slayn in deede
Aboute Bethlem & in tho parties,
An hundrid fourti four thousand, as I reede,
Too yeer of age souht out be espies
Of Herodes; & for the prophecies
Of Cristes berthe mencioun did[e] make,
Thei wer echon slay[e]n for his sake.

781

Fro that day forth, as maad is mencioun,
He fill in many vnkouth malladie;
His flessh gan turne to corrupcioun,
Fret with wermys upon ech partie,
Which hym assailed bi gret tormentrie:
His leggis suell[e], corbid blak gan shyne;
Wher vengaunce werkith, a-dieu al medecyne.

Of his seeknesse the stench was so horrible,
Tawaite on hym no man myhte abide;
Vnto hymsilff his careyn wex odible,
So sore he was troublid on ech side.
Lechis for hym did a bath prouyde,
But al for nouht; in such myscheeff he stood,
Of greuous constreynt he sodenli wex wood.

In tokne he was weri of his liff,
So importable was his mortal peyne,
To pare an appil he axed a sharp knyff,—
His malladie did hym so constreyne,—
Fulli in purpos to kutte his herte in tweyne.
The knyff he rauhte, leiser whan he fond;—
Oon stood beside, bakward drouh his hond.

For peyne vnnethe his wynd he myhte drawe,
Gaff al his freendis in comaundement
Bi a decre & a furious lawe,
That al the worthi of parties adiacent,
Which that wer fayn or glad in ther entent
Of his deth, he, void of al pite,
The same day thei sholde slay[e]n bee.

This cursid wrech, this odious caitiff,
I reede of non stood ferther out of grace,
In sorwe & myscheeff eendid hath his liff.
Ech man was glad[e] whan he shold[e] pace.
And for his stori doth this book difface
With woful clauses of hym whan I write,
Therfor I caste no mor of hym tendite.

Explicit.

782

[Lenvoye.]

Off Herodes the vnwar cursid fall,
The lyff vngracious of hym & his kinreede,
Euere vengable in his estat roiall,
His wiff, his childre slouh of old hatreede;
Innocentis he made in Bethlem bleede,
Regnyng in Iuda, born of a foreyn lyne,
The firste tiraunt (ye may the Bible reede)
Which ageyn Crist gan frowardli maligne.

His suerd of rigour, cruell & mortall,
Ay reedi whet to do vengaunce in deede,
Hasti, fumous with furies infernall
Of wilful malis innocent blood to sheede.
Dide execucioun also in womanheede,
Slouh his allies, which was a cursid signe,—
Was the firste cause he stode in dreede,—
Which ageyn Crist gan frowardli maligne.

He wolde that non wer to hym egall
That day alyue in Israel to succeede;
The berthe of Crist dradde in especiall,
Cause fro Iesse his lyne gan floure & seede.
He but a foreyn, cam in be fraude & meede,
Withoute title, to that estat vndigne,
The firste also, who list take heede,
Which ageyn Crist gan frowardli maligne.

Noble Pryncis, that gouerne all
This large world[e] bothe in lengthe & breede,
Whan ye sit hiest in your roial stall,
Doth nat the peeple oppresse nor ouerleede.
Vpon Herodes remembreth, as ye reede,
In what myscheeff that tiraunt dide fyne,
To shewe that non shal in his purpos speede,
Which ageyn Crist doth frowardli maligne.

[Off Antipas exilid bi Octavian and of Achelaus son of herodes the secounde.]

Compendiousli as ye haue herd þe fall
Of Herodes remembrid be Bochas,
How bi his testament set in especiall
To succeede was Herode Antipas;

783

In hast exilid, of hym this was the caas,
Bi Octovian to Vyenne, as I reede,
Archelaus ordeyned to succeede,

Sone of Herodes callid the secounde,
Which in effect took pocessioun,
In Iherusalem regned, as it is founde,
Of whom myn auctour, for short conclusioun,
Maketh in his book but smal mencioun:
Hym and his brothir set sodenli aside;—
Of them to write no lenger list abide.

Sauff that he writ how forseid Antipas
At Vyenne, a myhti gret cite,
In [his] exil soone aftir slay[e]n was.
Archelaus, succeedyng in Iudee,
With Herodias, the stori who list see,
Bi Agrippa to Tiberie accusid,
Of certeyn crymes koude nat been excusid.

A certeyn tyme comaundid to prisoun,
Of themperour koude neuer gete grace;
Ban[y]shed hym [ferr] from his regeoun
Into Spayne for a certeyn space.
And his worshepe breeffli to difface,
Fortune causid to his fynal repreff,
He deide ther in pouert & myscheeff.

The fatal eende rehersid of thes tweyne,
In what distresse that thei dide fyne,
Myn auctour aftir gan his penne ordeyne
To write the caas be many a woful lyne,
Vpon the striff atween[e] Messalyne
And othir tweyne stondyng bi hir side,
Tofor Iohn Bochas how thei dide chide.

Tofor Bochas thei cam al thre to pleyne,
Messalyne, wiff onto Claudius,
Ageyn[e]s whom ther wer othir tweyne,
Calligula and Tiberius,
In whos tyme was slay[e]n Crist Ihesus.
Touchyng debat that was among thes thre,
Suende the processe, heer folwyng ye shal see.

784

[Off the striff / betwene, Calligula, Tiberius & messalyne.]

This emperesse namyd Messalyne,
As I haue told, was wif to Claudius,
Successour, as bookis determyne,
To Calligula callid Gayus.
And, as I fynde, that Tiberius
With Calligula, bothe wood for teene,
Stood affor Bochas, & Messalyne atweene,

Meetyng al thre with furious look & cheere.
Gayus Calligula, callid be his name,
Gan first reherse, anon as ye shal heere,
Withoute reuerence or any maner shame,
With an exordie to diffame,
Bochas present, felli gan abraide
To Messalyna, & euene thus he saide:

“Thou sclaundrid woman, noised in lecherie
Thoruh al the world, as folk thi name atwite,
And reportid for thyn auoutrie,
What dost thou heer in thi murnyng habite?
I trowe thou komest of purpos to visite
In this place thunhappi women fyve,
Touchyng disclaundre that euer wern alyue.

The firste of hem callid Amylia,
And Lepida was named the secounde,
Lyuia, Plaucia, & the fifte Elia,
Diffamed echon in deede, as it was founde.
In tokne wheroff the lecherye to confounde
Off Emylia, in auoutry take,
Was bi the lawe of hir lord forsake.

Bi the whilom was knowe that Drusus
Istranglid was and moordred be poisoun;
Lik to Claudia, douhtir of Claudius,
Which bi hir lord, the book makth mencioun,
Was throwen out, to hir confusioun,
For hir defautis founde in auoutrie
Sclaundrid for euere; ther was no remedie.

785

Thou koudest whilom mak thi lord to slepe,
With certeyn drynkis to cast hym in a rerage,
Bi which he was maad his bed to keepe,
To gete leiseer in thi flouryng age,
For to mysuse of fals lust thyn outrage,
Anihter tyme took upon a weede,
At the bordel dist amys for meede.

Thyn appetit was verray vnstaunchable;
It is a shame to write it or expresse.
Thyn hatful lyff was so abhominable,—
Tiberi and I can bern heerof witnesse.”
And with that woord anon she gan hir dresse,
Whan she had herd[e] al ther fel langage,
Gaff hem this ansuere with a sad visage:

“Certis,” quod she, “I koude neuer keepe
To saue my-silff, a woful creature,—
I haue gret cause to compleyne & weepe
My sclaundrous lyff, which I may nat recure.
But I suppose I hadde it of nature
To be such oon; for be daies olde
An astronomyen so my fadir tolde,

At my berthe takyng the ascendent,
Tolde longe afforn of my mysgouernaunce:
The sunne, the moone toward thorient
Wer in the signe that bereth the ballaunce;—
And saide also, mor for assuraunce,
The same signe hadde be descripcioun
His foot in Virgyne, armys in the Scorpioun.

Amyd the heuene was Venus exaltat,
With Mars conioyned, þe book makth mencioun;
And Iubiter was also infortunat
To my saide disposicioun,
Withynne the Fissh heeld tho his mansioun:
Thus be the lordship pleynli of Venvs
I was disposed for to be lecherous.”

In hir excus the saide Messalyne
Gan alegge hir constellacioun;
But prudent clerkis pleynli determyne,
Of the heuenly cours the disposicioun

786

Is obeissaunt & soget to resoun,
That eueri man which weel gouernid is,
Is nat constreyned of force to doon amys,—

Nor bynt no man of necessite
Vicious lustis frowardli to sue.
A vertuous man stant at liberte
Fals inclynaciouns be prudence to remewe;
Euery man be grace may eschewe
All thyng to vertu that founde is contrarie:
For ther is no synne but it be voluntarie.

Yit for al this, the saide Messalyne
In hire excus[e] wolde nat been in pes:
“The heuene,” quod she, “as poetis determyne,
Was born up whilom be myhti Hercules,
Yit coude he neuere of nature ha[ue] reles,
For al his knihthod & his cheualrie,
To ouercome the vice of lecherie.

But thou Calligula and thou Tiberius,
What-euer ye seyn I take therof non heede;
For thou Calligula, callid eek Gayus,
Thi-silff diffoulid with lecherie in deede,
To rebuke othir thou sholdest stonde in dreede,
But thi rebukis in parti for to quyte;
Who is diffoulid non othir sholde atwite.

Bi Fames trumpet this sclaundre is out blowe,
Thoruh al the world reportid shamfullie,
Thi thre sustren fleshli thou dest hem knowe,—
Wex red for shame; and for thi partie,
For the vice of hatful lecherie
Duryng thi liff put me no mor in blame,
Which art thi-silff diffoulid in the same.

It sittith nat in no maner wise
A theef for theffte to sitte in iugement;
A lecherous man a lechour to chastise,
Nor he that hath al his lyff Ispent
In wast & riot, forfetid & myswent,
To been a iuge othre to redresse,
Nor leprous lechis to cure men of seeknesse.

787

I wolde ha suffrid and take [in] pacience
Yiff of Affrik the chast[e] Scipioun
Hadde me rebukid for my gret offence:
I wolde haue suffrid his yerde of iust resoun.
Or yif the famous prudent old Catoun
Hadde ageyn me in swich cas maad abraid,
I wolde haue suffrid what-euere he hadde said.

Or yif Lucrese for my correccioun
Hadde seid to me, for vertuous doctrine,
Alle my surfetis myd of Roome toun,
I wolde haue bowed [bothe] bak & chyne,
To have obeied onto hir disciplyne.
Shame for a crepil, to stonde that hath no miht,
To rebuke othir for thei go nat vpriht!

Ageyn[e]s the also I may replie,
Many another fals conspiracioun
Touchyng mateeres of nigromancie,
And many another contreued fals poisoun
Founde in too bookis, Bochas makth mencioun,
Oon callid Pugio, most supersticious,
And the secounde Inamyd Gladius,

Hable al this world tenvenyme & encloie;
Ageyn thre statis duellyng in Roome toun,
Ther namys write of them thou cast destroie,
Which to remembre is gret abusioun.
A chest also fulfilled of poisoun,
Aftir thi deth cast in the se, I reede,
Bi which an hundred thousand fisshes wer dede” . . .

(On this mateer is tedious for tabide,
Namli to princis born of hih estat;
It sittith nat gentil blood to chide,
Bi furious rancour to stonde at debat.
And for thes mateeres been infortunat,
I wil passe ouer & no mor of hem write,
Sauff of ther eende compendiousli tendite.)

788

“To the Tiberye I haue sumwhat to seyn:
Knowe and reportid be many a creature,
How in Chaumpayne folk hadde of the disdeyn
For thi most hatful lecherous ordure,
In thilke vice which is ageyn nature,
Which tacomplissh, void of al hap & grace,
Thyn abidyng was in suspecious place.

To swich fals lustis duryng al thi lyff,
List nat forber[e]n in thi latter age,
Thou vsist many riche restoratiff
In suiche vnthrifft tencrece thi corage,
Of ribaudi thou fill in such dotage,—
How maist thou thanne rebuke me? For shame!
Which in such caas art blottid with diffame.

I dide amys, but it was in my youthe,
Horrible thynges, which Gayus heer hath told,
But thyn outrage, the report is yit kouthe,
Thou dist hem vse bothe yong & old.
And for tafforce your vices manyfold,
Thou & Calligula, in al swich ribaudie,
Dide grettest surfet in froward glotonie.

Also Tiberye, thou beyng emperour,
Cruel causeles, & most malicious,
Dist moordre in Roome the famous oratour
Callid in his tyme prudent Asynyus,
Which thoruh thempire, Romeyns tolde thus,
Was liht & lanterne founde at al assaies,
Of rethorik[e] callid in his daies.

Thou wer eek cause that worthy Nonomus,
Kyng of Parthois, thoruh thi cruelte
Exilid was, thou wer so coueitous
To haue pocessioun of his tresour, parde,—
Deide in myscheeff and in pouerte.
Be sham[e]fast any wiht taccuse,
Which in such caas thi-silf canst nat excuse!

To Agripyne thou dist ful gret outrage,
As Romeyn stories weel reherse can,
Whan she for socour to the gret image
Ran to be sauyd of Octouyan,
Mid the temple a place callid than,

789

Which halp hir nat þat she list thidir weende:
Put out be force; for hunger made an eende.

Thyn owyn brothir callid Germanicus,
Which in his tyme was so good a kniht,—
Thi brothir also named eek Drusus,—
Bothe wer poisowned & slayn ageyn[es] riht
Bi fals conspiryng of thyn imperial myht.
Texcuse the moordre, thi-siluen at the leste
Wer clad in blak, at ther funeral feeste.

I haue no kunnyng, speche nor langage
To reherse nor make mencioun
Specialli of the gret outrage
And sacrilege thou dist in Roome toun,
Be violence whan thou drouh[e] doun
The image of Ianus, & aftir in al hast
Into Tibre madest hym to be cast.

And thou Calligula, among thi vices all,
Of surquedie and fals presumpcioun
Woldest that men a god the sholde call,
Tueen Pollux Castor to haue thi mansioun.
Fro whiche place thou art now throwe doun,
Which heeld thi-silff among the goddis seuene
Egal with Iubiter for to sitte in heuene.

Ansuere to me, heer beyng in presence,
Which of thes foure, Mars, Ianus, Mynerue,
Or Mercurie, god of elloquence,
Hath rent the doun, as thou dist disserue,
Fro Iubiter in myscheef for to sterue?
That thou heer-aftir, wher-so thou lauh or frowne,
Shalt haue no fauour mor with hym to rowne.

With these defautis & many another
Affor[n] rehersid in hyndryng of thi name—
How thou ordeynest first to slen thi brothir
With men of armes, which was to the gret shame;
To Tholome thou dist also the same,
Sone & heir to kyng Iubatoun;
And many a senatour thou slouh in Roome toun.

790

Shettist up myd Roome the cite
Ther gerneris, which neuer afforn was seyn;
Wherbi enfamyned was the comounte,—
Pite to heere; this [is] plat & pleyn,—
Of necessite constreyned in certeyn
(Shame to reherse or put [it] in scripture)
Eet ther membris, a thyng ageyn nature.

Iubiter nor Iuno the goddesse
Gaff no such counsail, I suppose, onto the;
But it was Venus, to flatre thyn hihnesse,
And furious Mars, bi froward cruelte
To slen senatours grettest of that cite;
Thi-silff soone aftir, wherof the toun was fayn,
Bi thi seruauntes moordrid were & slayn.

And for tabate thyn outrage & [thi] pride,
Which[e] thou hast vsid al thi liff,
Lefft up thyn hed, looke on thi lefft[e] side,
Thou fyndere up of moordre & of striff!
Slouh thou nat Cesonia thi wiff?—
Thi douhtir aftir, that callid was Drusill,
Of cursid entent thi malis to fulfill?

I haue merueile how any of you tweyne,
Thou Calligula or thou Tiberius,
Be nat ashamed any thyng to seyne
Ageyn[e]s me, with visage despitous
Me for tatwite that I was lecherous!
Of a smal mote ye can abraide me,
But in your eye a beem ye cannat see.

Wher haue your soules take þer herbergage,
That been contrarie with me for to stryue?
I trowe that Caron hath maad your passage
Vp at the stronde in helle for taryue,
Ther ye abide, thus I [can] descryue,
Wher dredful Stix, callid þe infernal flood,
Of custum renneth with furious wawes wood.

791

Radamantus, oon of the iuges tweyne,
With kyng Mynos hath youe a iugement,
Perpetueli ye shal abide in peyne;
And Eacus hath ordeyned your torment:
In Flegeton, the flood most violent,
Ye shal be drowned & an eende make,
Euere for tabide among the stremys blake.

I may you calle of emperours the refus,
Ye sholde be shamfast to shewe out your visages,
Verray astoned, dreedful and confus
To haue to me so vncurteis langage!”
Thus Messalyne daunted ther corage
With hir femynyn crabbid elloquence.
Thei durste no lenger abide in hir presence.

[Off the most vicious tiraunt Nero that slouh Petir and Paule and atte laste himself.]

This hatful stori with many a woful lyne
Of Calligula and Tiberius,
Touching þe strif tueen hem & Messalyne,
Shamful rebukis, froward & odious,
Bi them rehersed with cheer most furious,
As ye haue herd, heer eendeth ther chidyng;
Nero the tirant kometh next onto þe ryng.

Oon most cursid in comparisoun
That euer was, of hih or louh degre,
Most disnaturel of condicioun
Bi gret outrages of cursid cruelte,
That euere regned in Roome the cite.
His fadir callid, bookis determyne,
Domycius, his moodir Agripyne.

This Agripyna bi hir subtilite,—
And blynde Fortune beyng fauourable,
That set up tirauntes of froward volunte
(Be ther demeritis thouh thei be nat hable)

792

To estat imperial, famous & notable.
What thing mor dredful, who can vnderstonde,
Than cruel tirauntes with bloodi suerd on honde!

Whan this Nero of age was twelue yeer
He was ordeyned in especiall,
Afftir he hadde lernid his grameer
And the seuene artis callid liberall,
Vnto a maister in al vertu morall,
Callid moral Senec, which did al his peyne
From all vices his youthe to restreyne.

He kepte hym euere, this Senec, as I reede,
Maugre his fatal disposicioun,
Bi a constreynt & a maner dreede
From al outrage and dissolucioun.
Conseyued weel his inclynacioun
To be vicious as of his nature,
Which to restreyne he dede his besi cure.

At oon & tuenti wyntir of his age,
Cronicleers rehersen of hym thus:
How he that tyme took in mariage
Octovia, douhtir off Claudius,—
Al this while beyng vertuous,
Whil Senec hadde hym vndir disciplyne,—
His moodir-in-lawe callid Messalyne.

The saide Senec made hym to desire
To pursue kunnyng bi dilligent labour;
At entryng in first of his empire,—
I meene whan he was crownid emperour,—
Of alle the Senat hadde gret fauour;
And be report, as clerkis of hym write,
In prose and metre he koude riht weel endite.

In Iohn Bochas as it is maad[e] mynde,
He dide excelle gretli in poetrye,
Made in tho daies also, as I fynde,
A book notable of straunge poisie,
Lik as myn auctour of hym doth specefie,
The title therof callid[e] Lusce,
Ageyn a pretour Clodius Polle.

793

Excelled in musik & in armonye,
Crownid with laureer for the beste harpour
That was that tyme; & he did edefie
In Roome a paleis, with many a riche tour,
Which in beeldyng coste gret tresour,
The circuit beyng thre thousand pas;
And Transitorie that paleis callid was.

For this cause, as put is in memorie,
The said[e] paleis aftirward was brent,
Therfor it was callid Transitorie;—
But aftir that, Nero in his entent
Leet beelde an hous, bi gret auisement,
To recompence the tothir that was old,
And callid it the riche hous of gold.

In al this world[e] was non to it liche,
Wher that euer men did ride or gon,
Tables of iuor fret with perre riche,
Pileres of cristal garnished with many a ston,
Saphirs, rubies & topazion,
Crisolitis & emeraudis greene,
With plate of gold tiled that shon ful sheene.

To bodili lust and delectacioun
This said[e] Nero set al his desires;
Gardyns, conduitis for recreacioun
He dide ordeyne tendure many yeeris.
With nettis of gold fisshed in his ryueeris,
His garnementis of golde & Ynde stonis,
And neuer he wolde haue hem on but onys.

In his begynnyng, the stori doth deuise,
Lord & emperour in Roome the cite,
To senatours he gaf ful gret fraunchise,
Graunted comouns many gret liberte;
But in his most imperial dignite,
Of froward wil lefft al good policie,
And al attonis gaf hym to ribaudie.

794

Of Grece and Egipt with dyuers io[n]glours,
And among vileyns hymsilf[e] disporting,
Lefte the presence of olde senatours
And among ribaudis he wold harp & synge,
Made comedies dishonestli sownyng,
At the bordel dide hymsilf auaunce
With comoun women openli to daunce.

Thus be processe, to al vertu contrarie,
Be gret excesse he fill in glotonye,
And aftir that list no lenger tarye,—
As euery vice to othir doth applie,—
Surfet & riot brouht in lecherie;
And ground of al, as cheef[e] porteresse,
Texile vertu was froward idilnesse.

Aboute the cite callid Hostience,
Beside Tibre & othir fressh ryuers
Dide ordeyne bexcessiff expence
Tentis for riot, kookis, tauerneeris,
And al the niht reuel aboute the feeris.
Ladies komen, that wer afforn weel namyd,
Bi suich fals riot wer aftirward diffamed.

The same Nero be fals abusioun,
It is reportid, his stori who list see,
Bi violence from ther religioun,
Suich as hadde auowed chastite
And wer professid to virgynyte
In the temple of Vesta the goddesse,—
Of froward lust he dide hem oppresse.

Amongis which Rubria was oon:
Maugre hir wil, she durste [it] nat denye,
From the temple bilt of lym & ston
Sacrid to Vesta, myn auctour list nat lie,
He rente hir out to vse his lecherie;
Natwithstandyng she was religious,
Made hir tabide at the bordel-hous.

Be my writyng men shal neuer reede,
The mateer is so foul & outragous
To be rehersed, & the horrible deede
Which Nero vsid whilom on Sporus
And on another callid Ompharus:

795

Bothe male childre, as bookis telle can,
Them to transffoorme to liknesse of [wo]man.

Somme bookis of hym determyne,
Lik a ribaude horrible & detestable,
He mysusid his moodir Agripyne,
And lik a tiraunt cruel & vengable,—
Which to remembre it is abhominable,—
He made hir wombe be korue upon a day
To seen the place nyne monethes wher he lay.

Of disnaturel hatful cruelte,
To God nor vertu hauyng no reward,
And of the vice of prodigalite
He was accusid, in knihthod a coward,
And to al vertu contrarie & froward,—
Of whos woodnesse good heed whan I took,
I was ashamed to sette hym in this book.

He hated alle that wer vertuous
And to hem hadde specialli envie;
His brethre, his wiff, this tiraunt despitous,
He falsli slouh in his malencolie;
His maister Senec, auctours specefie,
Ay whan he sauh hym, hauyng a maner dreede,
In an hot bath to deth he made hym bleede.

Cristis feith[e] first he gan werreye,
Of emperours, in his froward entent;
Petir & Poule in Roome he made deie
Vpon a day; ther legende doth assente.
Half the cite of Roome, I fynde, he brente;
And senatour[e]s wol nih euerichon
This Nero slouh; spared almost neueroon.

To Pollifagus, a wood man most sauage,
Which that fedde hym most with flessh of man,
Nero took men, olde & yong of age,
To fynde hym vitaille in streetis wher he cam.
Cursid at his eende, cursid whan he gan,
Whan he did offre innocentes blood
To be deuoured of hym that ran so wood.

796

Made his mules be shod with siluer shoone
Of surquedie, whan he shold[e] ride;
The cite brent. Romeyns aftir soone
Pursued hym upon eueri side;
And from a subarbe wher he dide abide,
Tween Salaria & Numentana riht,
Ther stant a path whidir he took his fliht.

Bi a deep maris as Nero took his fliht,
Whan he sauh he myht[e] nat asterte,—
He was [so] pursued bi a Romeyn kniht
To fynde socour he myht[e] nat dyuerte,—
Rooff hymsilff anon [un]to the herte
With a sharp dagger, a cursid eende, loo!
Of the fals tiraunt that callid was Nero.

Lenvoye.

Off this Nero to write[n] a Lenvoye,
Nor of his deedis to make mencioun,
To reede þe processe no prince shold haue ioye,
For al concludeth on moordre and on tresoun,
On auoutrye, excesse & poisoun,
Riot, glotonye, lecherie, vengaunce,
Slauhtre of hymsilff[e]; eendid with myschaunce.

Yif that I myhte, I wolde race his name
Out of this book, that no man sholde reede
His vicious lyf, cheef merour of diffame.
Set hym aside; let no wiht take[n] heede
For to remembre so many a cruel deede,
Sauf onli this, to thynken in substaunce,
How eueri tiraunt eendith with mischaunce.

Of hym I caste to write now no more,
And what I seie is seid but in repreeff
Of the vices that he wrouht of yore
Duryng his empire, concludyng for a theeff.
Al tirannye shal eende with myscheeff,
Record on Nero, which for mysgouernaunce,
As ye haue herd[e], eendid with myschaunce.

797

[How Eleazerus a Iewe born / for extorcioun and robbery / was brouht in prisoun and there ended.]

Afftir Nero cam Eleazarus,
A Iew of berthe, a prince of robberie,
An extursioneer cruel & despitous;
For his outrages doon in that partie,
To redresse his hatful tirannye,
A myhti pretour sent fro Roome doun,
Callid Phelix, into that regeoun.

Be force of Phelix take he was & bounde,
Maugre his myht[e], onto Roome sent,
Strongli fetrid with massif cheynis rounde,
Suffred in prisoun many gret torment.
At the laste, this was his iugement,
Ther tabide because he was a theeff;
For euermore eendid in myscheeff.

[How the hede of Galba was smyten of filled full of gold / and offred atte the Sepulcre of Nero.]

Tofor Bochas next cam Galba doun,
Which in Spayne did many knihtli deede.
Afftir the deth rehersed of Neroun
He stode in hope, this Galba, as I reede,
In thempire iustli to succeede,
Parcel for knihthod, he hath hym so weel born,
And for gret mariage which he had had beforn.

I fynde in Bochas rehersed in sentence,
He was disclaundrid of hatful vices thre;
He was cruel, contrarye to clemence,
Streiht in keepyng, geyn liberalite,
Vengable of herte, geyn mercy & pite,—
A thyng nat sittyng onto cheualrie,—
Of custom youe to slouthe & slogardie.

798

To occupie thempire he began,
Among[es] Romeyns took pocessioun,
Cleymyng a title bi oon Licynyan
That was his sone bi adopcioun.
But [anone] aftir for his presumpcioun,
Oon callid Oththo, a ful manli kniht,
Smet of his hed, wher it wer wrong or riht.

This said[e] Galba, myn auctour writeth thus,
From his empire vnwarli pullid doun,
Hadde an emny callid Patrabolus,
The hed of Galba took in pocessioun,
Filde it with golde, made an oblacioun
At the sepulchre of Nero therwithal
To alle the goddis & goddessis infernal.

[How Ottho and Vitellius / for glotony lechery ribaudrie and cruelte / ended in mischeef.]

And after that this offryng was ful do,
As ye haue herd[e], to Iohn Bochas than
To make his compleynt in ordre cam Piso,
Affor surnamyd iustli Licynyan,
Sone adoptiff, to telle as I began,
Of saide Galba, cleymyng to succeede,
Slayn anon aftir bi Ottho, as I reede.

Than was themp[i]re partid into thre:
Ottho took Roome vnto his partye;
And Vitellius to regne in the contre,
Ouer the boundis of al Germanye;
And Vespasian regned in Surrye.
But first this Ottho, surnamyd Siluyus,
Cam to compleyne, cruel and despitous.

Of al thempire this same Siluyus
Be slauhtre, rauyne & extorsioun,
Bi moordre, deth & deedis outraious
With myhti hond took ther pocessioun.
And ther began a gret deuysioun,

799

Which was occasioun of gret sorwe & wo,
Atween Vitellius and this seid Ottho.

It is rehersed, that in Germanye
In sondri placis thei hadde batailes thre,
In the which Ottho with his partie
Venquisshed the feeld & maad his foon to flee.
But thoruh Fortunys mutabilite,
The fourte tyme, pleynli this the caas,
Maugre his myht discounfited þer he was.

Tofor Bedrye, a myhti strong cite
Of Germanye was this disconfiture.
Aftir which of froward cruelte
The said[e] Ottho, seeyng his auenture,
With wo supprised miht[e] nat endure
Of his constreynt thymportable peyne;
Took a sharp suerd & roof his herte on tweyne.

Vitellius hauyng the victorye,
With his poweer, as maad is mencioun,
Of surquedie & fals[e] veynglorie,
Cam with his host[e] into Roome toun.
But Bochas heer maketh a descripcioun,
Rehersyng shortli his berthe & eek his lyne,
And how that he of blood was Saturnyne.

This to seyne, Saturnyus, kyng of Crete,
Chacid bi Iubiter out of his regioun,—
And Ianus hadde in Itaille take his seete
Vpon a mount callid Ianiculun,
Wher now of Roome is bilt the large toun,—
Ianus resceyuyng of liberalite
Whan Saturn fledde, into his cite.

Toforn the komyng of Satvrn, this no faille,
Rud & boistous, & bestial of resoun
Was al the peeple abidyng in Itaille;
Lond was non sowe nor turnid up-so-doun,
Nor marchaundise vsid in no toun
Til Saturn tauhte the maner of lyuyng,
Of tilthe & labour to Ianus that was kyng.

800

Afforn whos comyng, tofor as I you told,
Craft was non vsid be no creature,
Nor no beeldyng of housis newe [n]or old,
But lyued as beestis the[r] lyflode to recure,
Lik as thei wern Ilernid of Nature.
Thei koude tho daies make no cloth nor shape,
Off frosti wedris the greuous cold tescape.

Thei wer nat besi be costful apparaille
Of sondry metis and confecciouns,
Off dyuers drynkes & manyfold vitaille
To be corious to ther refecciouns.
Marketis wer none in cites nor in touns;
No man with othir bouhte nouther solde
Til Saturn cam & them the maner tolde.

And whan he hadde tauhte them þe maneere
And set an ordre of ther gouernaunce,
The symple peeple, as bookis doth vs lere,
Lich as to God dide ther attendaunce,
With certeyn rihtes to doon þer obseruaunce,
Worsheped hym, & aftir dide hym calle
Saturn, most myhti of ther goddis all.

[Aftyr this Saturne was made a pe-degre,
To sett an ordre conveied from his lyne
Descendyng doun, the maneer who list see,
To oon Latynus and so foorth to Lavyne,
Which was his douhtir, as poetis determyne.
Thus bi discent from Saturne and Funus,
Born off ther bloode cam Vitellius,]

The firste kniht bor[e]n of that lynage.
Because he was manli & riht famous,
Hadde in armys prowesse & gret corage,
He callid was Vitill[i]us Publius;
And of hym cam Vitell[i]us Lucius,
Fadir to hym, myn auctour doth expresse,
Of whom that I haue gunne this processe.

801

Dyuers stories remembre & pleynli tell,
Dvryng his youthe & stood at liberte,
How þis forseid, that callid was Vitell,
Was the most vicious that owher myhte be,
Youe to ribaudie & al dishoneste,
Because of which chaungid was his name,
Callid Spyntoire, a name of gret diffame.

I fynde that he was an hazardour,
In al his werkis passyng riotous,
For his surfetis gret with the emperour
That whilom was callid Claudius.
And for his deedis & maneeres outraious,
For his gret wast and prodigalite
Of gret dispence he fill in pouerte.

Among his riotis [&] surfetis mo than oon
Which he dide in contres heer & ther,
I fynde that he for neede solde a ston
Which his mooder bar whilom at hir ere.
For be old tyme was vsid, who list lere,
Women that wern that tyme of hih degre
Bar at ther eris stonis & perre.

And bi the sellyng of that riche ston,
For which that he resceyued gret tresour,
Be sotil werkyng & sleihtis mo than oon
He gat hym freendis & was maad emperour.
And therwithal he dide eek his labour
To resceyue another dignite,
To be cheef bisshop in Roome the cite.

And in short tyme this Vitellius
Of thempire took on hym al thestat,
The suerd resseyued of Cesar Iulius,
Vsed a garnement that was purpurat,
Dempte of hymsilff he was most fortunat,
Natwithstonding mor boldli þat tyme atte leste
Of Aliensois holden was the feeste.

802

Aliensois was a solempnite
Among[es] Romeyns kept be daies olde,
In Frenssh myn auctour recordeth thus, parde,—
And in that tyme of custum no man sholde,
Nor be statut bounde was nor holde
To do no maner occupacioun
That touched vertu or religioun.

Duryng this feeste he sholde haue his axyng,
Bi a custum vsid in that cite.
And Vitellius, as emperour & kyng,
Axed that tyme another dignite,
To be cheef bisshop & haue auctorite
Of that estat, with poweer hool & pleyn;
No man so hardi to replie ther ageyn.

From al vertu Vitelli dide varye,
Set at nouht al wisdam & science,
Thouhte onto hym was nat necessarye
Kunnyng, knihthod, manhod nor prouidence;
Gaf hym onli to slouhthe & necligence,
To glotonye, folwyng his desir[e]s,
Wach al niht with drynk & reresoper[e]s.

Beyng a bisshop of ther paynym lawe,
Lik Romeyn rihtis doyng þer seruise
Tofor the goddes; he wolde hymsilf withdrawe
And cast aside censer and sacrefise
And calle a boy in ful vngoodli wise,
A kichen boy, tofor the hih aulteer,
And hym comaundid to brynge hym his dyneer!

Beyng arrayed in his pontificall,
For the maner void of deuocioun,
Lik a ribaude, or lik a wood menstrall
Euer dronclew, & out of al sesoun,
Gorge upon gorge, this excessif glotoun,
Moste idropik, drank ofte ageyn[es] lust:
The mor he drank the mor he was a-thrust.

803

This was a bisshop sacrid for Sathan,
And an emperour crownid with myschaunce:
Mor lik in poorte a beeste than a man.
Vsed al his poweer in slauhtre & in vengaunce;
To sheede blood was set al his plesaunce,
Takyng non heed nouther of wrong nor riht;
And thus he wex hatful to eueri wiht.

His soudiours forsook hym nih echon,
In al parties bi hym wher thei wer sent;
Thoruh al the contres of Septemptrion
And in al Surrye toward thorient,
Of oon accord & alle of oon assent
Echon forsook hym; with hym bood nat a man,
And becam seruauntes to Vespasian.

Vitellius sauh it wolde be non othir,
And he for-feeble [of] dronknesse & outrage,—
And sauh the poweer gan faillen of his brothir,
Whan he had sett and signed the viage
Ageyn Vespasian to holden his passage:
But al for nouht, bakward wente his partie,
Stood disespeired of euery remedie.

Thus Vitellius vnhappi to the werris,
Lik a fordronke vnhappi gret glotoun,
Whos booste afforn[e] rauht up to the sterris,
Now al his pride in myscheef is come doun,
Fayn for taccorde to this conuencioun:
For litil tresour, which men sholde hym assigne,
To Vespasian thempire to resigne.

This was his promys, but he heeld it nouht:
What he saide, his woord was neuer stable;
Certeyn flatereres chaungid hadde his thouht,
And certeyn comouns, that euer be chaungable,
Gaff hym counsail, saide hymsilf was hable
To gouerne thestat imperial,
And non so hable for to reknen al.

804

First of Almayne he sent out soudiours,
And of presumpcioun a newe werre he gan.
Thouhte that he was among othir werreyours
Hable to fihte ageyn Vaspasian.
And of auenture it befill so than,
In thes werris Vespasyanis brothir
I-slay[e]n was; it wolde be non othir.

This froward man callid Vitellius,
Vngracious euere founde in his entente,
Smet of the hed of seide Fabius,
Brothir of Vespasian, & it to Roome sente,
And aftir that the Capitoile [he] brente.
But suyng on, withynne a litil space
Among Romeyns he loste bothe hap & grace.

Of his riot what sholde I mor entrete?—
For except riot of hym nothyng I reede.
His cook, his pastleer, folk that wer most meete
To serue his lust & appetites to feede,
Forsook hym nat, but went with hym in deede
Toward Champayne riht as any lyne
Vp to an hill[e] callid Auentyne.

Stondyng in hope, but that was but in veyn,
Of Vespasian the fauour to recure,
Euene to Roome retournid is ageyn,
The paleis entrid; & ther hymsilff tassure,
Hauyng with hym non othir creature,
The gatis shet, which was to hym gret shame;
Take at the laste, forsook his owne name.

Halff naked he was & haluendel Iclad,
Al allone lik as he was founde.
So in the cite affor the peeple lad;
Bothe his hondis behynde his bak wer bounde
With myhti cheynys & with ropis rounde.
Lik a wood man of look & of visage,
The peeple to hym hauyng this langage:

805

“O thou olde lecherous foul glotoun,
A verray coward, to al vertu contrarie,
Cruel, vengable of thi condicioun,
To euery goodman cruel aduersarye,
To all cursid benigne & debonaire,
Roote of al surfetis, hauyng ay delit
To sewe & folwe thi lecherous appetit!”

With such rebukis & castyng of ordure,
With donge & clay was blottid his visage.
In the presence of many a creature,
With cordes drawen he was be gret outrage
Vnto a place callid in ther langage,
Ther most cheeff rakkes or galwes of þe toun,
Wher is of custum doon execucioun.

Summe remembre he slay[e]n was in haste,
With sharp[e] suerdis dismembred on þe ground,
His careyn aftir into Tibre cast
With a large hook of iren, sharp & round,—
No mor reuerencid than was a stynkyng hound.
Remembryng heer myn auctour seith also
Of this Vitellius, Galba & Ottho,

Affermyng thus, as for ther partie,
Thei be namyd among the emperours,
For a tyme thestat did occupie;
And first this Galba, be record of auctours,
Deide at myscheeff, void of al socours,
Eihte monethes regned as lord & sire,
And aftir that cast out of his empire.

The thridde moneth, as maad is mencioun,
Ottho deide, proude & ambicious.
And, as I fynde, the domynacioun
Laste eihte monethes of Vitellius.
And for thei wern proud ribaudes lecherous,
Cruel, vengable, born of cursid lyne,
In wrechchidnesse echon thei dide fyne.

806

Bochas dampnyth þe Vice of Glotonye.

Heer Iohn Bochas seyng the gret offense
Of this forseid froward companye,
Took his penne of enteer dilligence,
And in his studie gan hymsilff applie
To dampne the vice of hatful glotonye,
Fro which[e] synne, record[e] of Adam,
Al our myscheeuys & sorowis cam.

Be the outrage of disobeissaunce,
Our said[e] fadir beyng in paradis,
Tween hym and vertu ther roos a gret distaunce,
Cleerli conceyued, he that was so wis,
Aboue creatures be resoun bar the pris,
Til [he] of foli wrongli gaff assent
To be gouernid bi a fals serpent.

His innat vertues did hym anon forsake
For his assentyng, & did in hast retourne
Ageyn to heuene, whan the infernal snake
In stede of vertu did with man soiourne.
For which we han gret mateer for to mourne,
Sith that we been difffourmyd in certeyn,
Be vicious lyuyng of vertu maad bareyn.

And thus cam in the domynacioun
Of vices alle, & heeld a gret bataille,
The retenv sent from thynfernal dongoun,
Vs woful wrechchis in erthe for tassaille,
Strechchyng ther poweer, & proudli gan preuaille
Thoruh al the world[e] & pocessioun took,
For our demerites whan vertues vs forsook.

Thes said[e] vertues comprised in the noumbre
Of foure reknid: Prudence, Attemperaunce,
Of vicious lyff tadawed vs fro the slombre,
Rihtwisnesse taue holde the ballaunce,
And Fortitudo of ther alliaunce;
Whan thei forsake mankynde to gouerne,
Than of al vertu was clipsed the lanterne.

807

Thus thoruh dirknesse vices wer made bold,
The multitude almost innumerable.
Amonges all reknid of newe or old,
Ther be foure pereilous & reprouvable:
Slouthe, Lecherye, & most abhominable,
Fals Auarice bi a gredi desir,
With Glotonye, cheef kyndeler of ther fyr.

Nature in soth with litil is content;
And as myn auctour abidith heer a while,
And to remembre was sumwhat dilligent
To write, whan Saturn regned in þe ile
Callid Crete, the prophetesse Cibile,
In hir tyme, bi gret auctorite,
The world deuyded prudentli in thre.

[A Chapitle descryuyng the golden worlde, that is to say whan attemperaunce had hooly the gouernaunce.]

The olde world, whan Saturn was first kyng,
Regnyng in Crete in his roial estat,
Noe, Abraham be vertuous lyuyng
Caused erthli folk to be most fortunat,
The world tho daies callid Aureat;
For sobirnesse and attemperaunce
Hadde in that world hooli the gouernaunce.

Ther was that tyme no wrong nor violence,
Envie exiled from eueri creature,
Dissolucioun & dronken insolence,
Ribaudie & al swich foul ordure,
Froward surfetis, contrarye to nature,
Ibanshed wern, because attemperaunce
Hadde in that world hooli the gouernaunce.

Youthe was bridled vndir disciplyne,
Vertuous studie floured in myddil age,
Dreed heeld the yerde of norture & doctrine,
Riot restreyned from surquedous outrage,
Hatful detraccioun repressid his langage,

808

Kouth was charite, because attemperaunce
Hadde in that world hooli the gouernaunce.

Fortitudo stood tho in his myht,
Diffendid widwes & cherisshed chastite,
[Knyhthod in prowesse gaff out so cleer a liht,]
Girt with his suerd of trouthe & equyte,
Heeld up the cherch in spiritual dignite,
Punshed heretikes, because attemperaunce
Had in that world hooli the gouernaunce.

Rihtwisnesse chastised al robbours
Be egal ballaunce of execusioun,
Fraude, fals meede put bakward fro iorours,
Trewe promys holde made no dilacioun,
Forsueryng shamyd, durste entre in no toun,
Nor lesyngmongers, because attemperaunce
Hadde in that world hooly the gouernaunce.

That golden world coude loue God & dreede,
Alle the seuene deedis of mercy for to vse;
The riche was redi to do almessedeede:
Who asked herborwe, men dide hym nat refuse.
No man of malis wolde othir tho accuse,
Diffame his neihbour, because attemperaunce
Hadde in that world hooli the gouernaunce.

The trewe marchaunt be mesour bouhte & solde,
Deceit was non in the artificeer,
Makyng no balkis, the plouh was treuli holde,
Abak stood idilnesse ferr from laboreer,
Discrecioun marchall at dyneer & sopeer,
Content with mesour, because attemperaunce
Hadde in that world hooli the gouernaunce.

Of wast in clothyng was that tyme non excesse,
Men myhte the lord from his soget knowe,
A difference maad tween pouert & richesse,
Tween a princesse & othir statis lowe,
Of hornyd beestis no boost was than Iblowe,
Nor countirfet feynyng, because attemperaunce
Hadde in that world hooli the gouernaunce.

809

This goldene world long while did endure,
Was non allay in that metal seene,
Til Saturn cesid, be record of scripture;
Iubiter regned, put out his fadir cleene,
Chaunged Obrison into siluer sheene,
Al up-so-doun, because attemperaunce
Was set aside and lost hir gouernaunce.

Of Martis myneral the metal is so strong,
Inflexible and nat malliable,
Be sturdynesse to do the peeple wrong
With rigerous suerd, fureous & vengable,
The merciful gold [of] Phebus nat plicable
To haue compassioun, because attemp[e]raunce
Was set aside & lost hir gouernaunce.

Leed, of philisophres, is callid gold leprous,
Tyn of Iubiter, crasshyng & dul of soun,
Fals and fugitiff is mercurivs,—
The moone is mutable of hir condicioun.
The goldene world is turnid up-so-doun
In ech estat, sith[en] attemperaunce
Was set aside and lost hir gouernaunce.

Be Cibilis exposicioun,
Tak of this metal the moralite:
The goldene world was gouerned be resoun,
The world of iren was furious cruelte;
The moone is mutable, ful of duplicite,
Lik to this world, because attemp[e]raunce
Is set aside and hath no gouernaunce.

Venus, of loueres emperesse & queene,
Of vicious lustis lady and maystresse,
Hir metal coper, that wil ternyssh grene,
A chaungable colour, contrarye to sadnesse,
A notabil figur of worldli brotilnesse,
Lik gery Venus, because attemp[e]raunce
Was set aside & lost hir gouernaunce.

810

Myn auctour Bochas gan pitousli compleyne
On the disordynat comerous glotonye
Of Vitellius & his felawes tweyne,
Alle thre diffoulid with horrible lecherye,
Diffamed be sclaundre, noised for ther ribaudie,
Contrarious enmyes echon tattemperaunce,
Banshed fro ther court[es], myhte haue no gouernaunce.

Of glotonie & riotous excesse,
Wach & reuel & drynkyng al the niht
Kometh vnkouþ feueres & many gret accesse,
Membres potagre mak[th] men thei go nat riht,
Goutes, mormalles horrible to the siht,
Many infirmytes, because attemperaunce
Was nat of counsail toward ther gouernaunce.

Out of ther court ban[y]shed was prudence,
Fortitudo had non interesse
Geyn vicious lyuyng to make resistence,
Cried woluis hed was vertuous sobirnesse;
Trouthe durst nat medle, abak stood rihtwisnesse,
Put out of houshold was attemperaunce,
With these thre emperours koude haue no gouernaunce.

Sone of the prophete callid Zacharie,
The patriark, the holi man Seynt Iohn,
Victorious champioun of gredi glotonye,
Lyued in desert, deyntes hadde he non,
Et mel siluestre, lay on the colde ston,
Locustas gadred; his cook was temp[e]raunce
And of his houshold had al the gouernaunce.

Of kamel heris was wouen his clothyng,
Record the Gospell that kan the trouthe tell,
Honysokeles his moderat feedyng,
Mong wilde beestis whan he dide duell;
To staunche his thrust drank watir of þe well,
This blissid Baptist, roote of attempraunce,
Set for cheeff merour of al good gouernaunce.

811

Of his diete catour was scarsete,
His costful foode was vertuous abstinence,
Rootis of desert his delicat plente,
His riche pymentis, [his] ipocras of dispense
Heeng nat in costretis nor botelis in þe spence,—
Nat excessiff, because attemperaunce
Hadde of his houshold hooli þe gouernaunce.

Thus Baptist Iohn bi his moderat foode
The cheef tryumphe of abstynence hath begunne,
This patriark[e] rekned oon the goode,
Content with litil, al suffisaunce hath wonne,
As Diogenes in his litil tonne
Heeld hym appaied, because attemperaunce
Hadde of his houshold al the gouernaunce.

His tonne to hym was receit & houshold;
And yif I sholde booste of his celeer,
Ther wer no cuppis of siluer nor of gold;
His costful vyntage cam fro the ryueer:
Weel tymed mesour was for his mouth botleer,
And his tastour was attemperaunce,
Which of his houshold had al þe gouernaunce.

His conquest was mor souerayn of degre
Than Alisaundris, for al his hih renoun;
For he conquered his sensualite,
Made hym soget & seruaunt to resoun,
Daunted of prudence ech foreyn passioun,
His clerk of kechene callid attempraunce,
Which of his diete had al þe gouernaunce.

Of superfluite, of slouthe & of sleepe
This Diogenes stood euer among in dreede;
Of worldli fauour he took no maner keepe;
Strauh was his liteer, a symple russet weede:
Turnid his tonne ageyn the wynd in deede,
Tween hot and cold[e], that attemperaunce
In somer & wyntir had hool the gouernaunce.

812

Lenvoye.

Noble Princis, of prudence takith heed
This litil chapitle breefli to comprehende:
The goldene world is turnid into led;
Praieth to God his grace doun to sende
Of his hih mercy, that it may soone amende,
And that this princesse callid attemperaunce
May of your housholdis han the gouernaunce.

Cheefli for loue, parcel eek for dreed,
In your estat whan ye be most shynende,
For your encres & your most gracious speed,
To his preseptis doth dilligentli attende,
Of olde emperour[e]s reedeth the legende:
Whil thei wer reuled be attemperaunce
In long prosperite stood ther gouernaunce.

Of worldli kyngdames Roome is callid hed,
Whos roial boundis ferthest out extende
In marcial actis, bothe in lengthe & breed,
Rem Publicam bi prowesse to diffende,
No foreyn enmy hardi to offende
Ther hih noblesse, whil attemp[e]raunce
With hir thre sustren hadde ther gouernaunce.

[How the kynrede of Iacob was destroied / Crist born and deied / Ierusalem destroied, & xjc. Ml. slayn bi suerde, hunger, fire & pestilence.]

The stoori eendid of Vitellyus,
Of his too feeris Galba & Ottho,
How his careyn horrible & hidous,
Drownid in Tibre, was possid to & fro.
Afftir the[r] stori [a]complisshed was & do,
Cam gret noumbre to Bochas, as I reede,
Echon descendid of Iacobis hih kynreede.

In tokne of compleynt & of heuynesse,
Lik folk dismaied, clad in moornyng weede,
For the constreynt of ther wrechidnesse,

813

Bespreynt with teres, quakyng in þer dreede,
Cunnyng no recour in so streit a neede,
Resemblyng folk be toknis ful mortall
That wer toward sum feeste funerall.

Ther ougli cheeris pitous to beholde,
As thei gan aprochen the presence
Of Iohn Bochas to telle ther sorwes olde,
Ther woundis bleedyng, be marcial violence,
Oppressid with hunger, thrust, sodeyn pestilence,
Be foreyn suerd ther lyuys manacyng,
Vpon the deth as beestis abidyng,

That wer enclosed narwe in a folde,
Disespeired socour to recure,
To passe ther boundis for dreed thei wer nat bold,
Withynne enfamyne[d], bareyn of al pasture;—
This woful stori remembrid in scripture,
How that of Iacob the generacioun
Was vengabli brouht to dest[r]uccioun.

This patriark callid whilom Israel,
Most rennommed among al naciouns
And most famous, the Bible can weel tell,
Ther lyne out reknid thoruhout al regiouns,
Be goddis beheste took ther pocessiouns,
Maugre Egipciens & Pharaoes pride,
Whan duk Moises be God was maad þer guide.

With dreye feet thei passed the Rede Se,
Conueyed be Moises & also be Aaron.
Ther lawe was write, the Bible who list see,
Vpon Syna in tables of hard ston.
And thoruh desert as thei dide gon,
With aungelis mete callid manna, as I reede,
Fourti wyntir ther he did hem feede.

Afftir Moises, lad be Iosue
Into the lond[e] of promyssioun,
The tuelue lynages of Iacob ther, parde,
He leet make a distribucioun,
And to ech lyne he gaff his porcioun,
Bi promys maad afforn to Habraham,
To Isaak, Iacob, whan thei thidir cam.

814

Bi patriarkes [&] prophetis that wer sad,
Maugre ther enmyes & ther mortal foon,
Be mihti dukes & iuges thei wer lad,
Gat al the regiouns wher thei dide gon,
Til at the laste, of pride thei echon
Lik othir naciouns wolden haue a kyng.
Saul was chose; God grauntid þer askyng.

Thus be patriarkes & be ther allies,
From Abraham the gen[e]alogie,
Tolde be prophetis & be ther prophesies,
Conueied to Dauid, which in his regalie
Heeld of Iewes al hool the monarchie,
Of whos kynreede bi processe, thus it stood,
Was Crist Iesu born of that roial blood.

Sent from his fader, as prophetis determyne,
Took flessh & blood for our sauacioun,
Be the Hooli Goost born of a peur virgyne,
Hadde among Iewes gret tribulacioun,
Vndir Herodes suffrid passioun,
And as the Gospell treuli doth descryue,
The thridde day [he] roos fro deth to lyue.

This blissid Lord, this Lord of most vertu,
Eende of Decembre born [sothly] in Bethlem,
And be the aungel namyd was Iesu,
Shewed to thre kynges bi a sterre bem,—
This same Ihesus in Iherusalem
Bi conspiracioun of Iewes thoruh envie,
Be Pilat dempt to deie on Caluarie.

Thus onto Ihesu Iewes wer vnkynde,
For which thei wern destroied nih echon.
Crist prophecied, the Gospel maketh mynde,
How of ther cite ther shold nat leue a ston
Vpon another; for ther mortal foon
Shold hem besege, he told hem so certeyn,
And make Iherusalem with the soil al pleyn.

With weepyng eyen Crist told hem so beforn
Of ther ruyne and destruccioun;
Synne was cause sothli that thei wer lorn:
For thei nat knew, to ther confusioun,

815

Tyme of ther notable visitacioun,
Whan Crist cam doun, born heer in erthe lowe
For ther sauacioun,—thei list hym nat to knowe.

Thretti yeer ful cronicleeres write
And sumwhat mor, aftir his passioun,
Among the Iewes, pleynli to endite,
Withynne hem-silff fill a dyuysioun.
Moordrers ros up withynne ther owne toun,
So gret a noumbre, with many an homycide,
That in ther cite no man durst weel abide.

Ther presidentis regnyng in Iude
Seyng this horrible foul rebellioun
And of moordreris the mortal cruelte
That long endured in that regeoun,—
Which for tappese Romeyns sente doun
Vespasian with many a manli kniht,
Which into Gallile took his weie riht.

And to chastise tho moordreris & robbours,
Brente ther contre as he rood up & doun,
So contynued with his soudiours
Til onto tyme the contres enviroun
Of Iherusalem entred be the toun
With ther oblaciouns in many sondri wise,
As Pask requered, to do ther sacrefise.

Tofor tho daies was Iherusalem
Hadde in gret worshep of al naciouns,
Callid princesse of eueri othir rewm,
Whos fame strechid thoruhout al regiouns,
Ther tresor gret and ther pocessiouns,
Double wallid, of beeldyng most notable,
Dreedyng non enmy, for it was imprenable.

Among Romeyns was many a manli man
Willyng echon of oon affeccioun,
Thoruh the knihthod of Vespasian,
Echon to laboure to the destruccioun
Of Iherusalem; for gret dyuysioun
Among hem-silf was gunne in the cite
Bi certeyn capteyns wer in noumbre thre.

816

Symon, Iohn and Eleazarus,
Horrible tirauntes oppressyng þe poraille,
Of gouernaunce froward and outraious,
Falsli deuided ech othir dide assaille,
Among hem-silf had many gret bataille:
Werre withoute & werre was withynne;
Thus of vengaunce myscheef dide gynne.

Vespasian nat beyng rek[e]les,
For his partie lik a prudent kniht
Be notable menys excited hem to pes;
But al for nouht; blente ther owne siht;
To cheese the beste thei koude nat seen ariht.
And in this while, this noble werreyour
Vespasian was chosen emperour.

Bi Alisandre to Roome he went ageyn,
Resceyued ther thymperial dignite.
His sone Titus he made his cheef capteyn,
His procuratour, to gouerne in Iude,
Besette enviroun Iherusalem the cite,
With men of armys seged it so aboute
That non myhte entre nor non myhte issen oute.

Stopped ther conduites & ther watris cleer,
Enfamyned hem for lakkyng of vitaille.
A certeyn woman, thus seith the cronicleer,
Rosted hir child whan vitaile did[e] faille,—
She hadde of stoor non othir apparaille,—
Theron be leiseer hirsilf she dide feede,
Which in a woman was to horrible a deede!

Ther myhti wallis with gunnes wer cast doun,
Too stronge tour[e]s take of ther cite,
Resistence gan faillen in the toun,
Thei stood of hunger in swich perplexite.
Titus of knihthod and magnanymyte,
Thoruhout the tour callid Antonyan
Is entrid in lik a knihtli man.

817

The peeple in streetis lay for hunger ded,
To beye nor selle no lyfflode in the toun;
Ther was no socour nouther of drynk nor bred
In peyne of deth born nouther up nor doun.
Vomyt of oon was the refeccioun
Vnto another; ther was such scarsete,
Who redeth Iosephus, the trouthe he may þer see.

Brent was the temple maad first be Salamon,
Which had endured, thus writ the cronicleer,
That was so roial bilt of riche ston,
Fulli a thousand & too hundred yeer.
Romeyns entred maugre ther porteer
With spere, pollex & suerdis sharp[e] whette,
Lik wode leouns slouh whom that thei mette.

Ther riche gatis curid with plate of gold
Wer brente and molte withoute excepcioun;
The siluer images that forgid wer of old,
The violent feer made hem renne doun.
Noble Titus hadde compassioun,
His marcial dukis spared nothyng certeyn,
List of presumpcioun thei wolde rebelle ageyn.

Eleuene hundrid thousand wer ther slayn
Bi suerd, bi hunger, fyr and pestilence;
Stynk of kareyns that in streetis layn
Caused of deth most sodeyn violence;
And Titus gaff among hem this sentence
—I meene of them that dide alyue duell—
For a peny men sholde thretti sell.

So as Iudas sold Crist for thretti pens,
Titus ageyn thouhte of equite,
Of marchaundise to make recompense,
Thretti Iewes founde in the cite
For a peny, & for no mor, parde,
Thei to be sold for ther gret outrage,
Euer among Sarsyns to lyuen in seruage.

Of the temple a preest that was ful olde,
Too statli lanternis, that wer ful briht & sheene,
Tables, basynes, violes of briht golde
He presented; & thus he dede meene:

818

That ther tresour sholde weel be seene
Of the temple & shewed to Titus
In tokne it was whilom so glorious.

To shewe eek ther he dede his besi cure,
Silk, synamome, franc-ensens withal,
For sacrefise the purpurat vesture,
With Thymyame, the riche pectoral,
Which ordeyned wern in especial
For the solempne place of placis all,
Sancta sanctorum, & so men dide it call.

Of the cite a prince callid Iohn
To Titus cam & shewed his presence,
Pale for hunger; ther cam also Symon,
Brouht be a duk that namyd was Terence,
Clad in purpil, brouht be violence,
Resceyued of Titus whan this noble toun,
Castellis, tours & wallis wer smet doun.

Into a castell callid Mazadan
Eleazarus hadde take his fliht.
Besegid of Scilla or he the castel wan,
This Eleazar lik a furious kniht
Withynne the castell the silue same niht
Sterid eueri man, fadir, child & brothir,
With sharp[e] suerdis ech man to slen othir.

Thus was this cite, most statli of beeldyng,
That whilom was of this world cheef toun,
Wher Melchisedek regned, preest & kyng,
Be daies olde, as maad is mencioun,
Restorid be Dauyd, bilt newe of Salamoun,
Princesse of prouynces, was nowher such anoþer;
Now is it abiect and refus of al othir.

Vnto the Iewes Crist Iesus gaf respiht,
Full thretti yeer[e] or he took vengaunce,
In tokne the Lord hath ioie & gret delite,
Whan that synneres dispose hem to penaunce
Be contricioun and hertli repentaunce.
This blissid Lord, this Lord most merciable
Lengest abideth or he list be vengable.

819

He was to them so gracious & benigne,
Bood that thei sholde to hym conuerte soone,
Shewed onto hem many an vnkouth signe:
Duryng tuelue daies eclipsed was the moone;
The peeple astoned, knew nat what was to doone,
But indurat in ther froward entent,
Lik folk abasshed wist nat what it mente.

Affor the siege, or Titus gan the werre,
Ouer the cite, wherof thei wex afferd,
Ther appeered a comeete & a sterre.
The sterre was shape lich a large suerd;
Touchyng the comeete, ther was neuer herd
Of swich another, so fyri, briht and cleer,
Which endured the space of al a yeer.

Ther festyual day halwid in Aprill,
Ther preestis besi to make oblacioun,
So gret a liht the temple dide fill,
That al the peeple stondyng enviroun
Thouhte it so briht in ther inspeccioun,
Passyng the sunne, as it dide seeme;
But what it mente no man koude deeme.

As the preestis dide ther besi cure
To offre a calff, anon or thei took heede,
The same calff—a thyng ageyn nature—
Brouht foorth a lamb, the same tyme I reede;
An ougli tokne, which put hem in gret dreede,
A contrarie pronosticacioun,
Shewed onto them of ther subuersioun,

With othir toknis froward & contrarye
The same tyme wer shewed euer among;
The brasen dores of the inward seyntuarye,
With iren barres shet, that wer most strong,
Brood of entaille, round and wonder long,
That myht nat meue with thretti mennys miht,
Opned by hymsilff twies on o niht.

820

Ther wer seyn also charis in the hair,
Men of armes with briht suerdes cleere,
Of plate and maile [ther] armure was so fair,
Briht as Phebus wher thei dide appeere.
And as the stori also doth vs lere,
With ther sheltrouns & ther apparaill,
A proffre maad Iherusalem for tassaill.

To the Iewes it dide signefie
A pronostik of ther destruccioun.
Preestis to the temple as thei dide hem hie
Vpon a niht to doon oblacioun,
Amyd the temple was herd a dreedful soun;
Of which[e] noise this was the feerful eende:
“Rys up echon, & let vs hen[ne]s weende.”

And ful foure yeer tofor the siege gan
Oon Ananyas, yong & tendre of age,
Of his berthe sone of a rud[e] man,
Be disposicioun dul of his corage,
Lich as he hadde fallen in a rage
Ran in the cite bamaner frenesie,
Spared nat with open mouth to crie.

Vnto this noise was maad[e] non obstakle,
But obstynat euere in his entent,
Day of the feeste holde in the Thabernacle,
“A vois,” quod he, “out of the orient,
Vois fro the south, fro north & occident,
Vois fro foure wyndis that blowe so brod & wide,
Vois geyn Iherusalem crieth out on euery side!

Vois geyn the temple, ageyn the peeple also,
Vois ageyn husbondis, vois ageyn þer wyues:
Wo to Iherusalem with a treble wo
Of hunger, thrust & leesyng of þer lyues,—
Of suerd & fyr, and many sodeyn stryues!”
This was the wrecchid lamentacioun
Which Anany cried thoruhout the toun.

821

Bete he was for his affray ful ofte,
Whippid, scoorgid eendlong & upriht,
Al-wer-it so he felte [it] ful vnsofte,
Was bi betyng maad feynt & feeble of myht,
He stynte nat to crie so day & niht,
A pronostik shewyng to the cite,
How that riht soone it sholde destroied be.

Be rehersaile also of Carnotence,
With that cite for synne it stood so tho,
That yif Romeyns be marcial violence
Hadde nat komen & doon hem al this wo,
The erthe sholde han opnid & ondo,
Deuoured the peeple, void of al refuge,
Or drowned the toun be sum sodeyn deluge.

Breefli to passe, this vengaunce most terrible
Doon upon Iewes for ther transgressioun,
For ther demerites the punshyng most horrible,
Of Iherusalem fynal subuersioun,
Of the temple, tabernacle & toun,
In Iosephus, who list seen al the deede,—
De bello Iudaico, the surplus he may reede.

Explicit liber Septimus.

823

BOOK VIII

Incipit Prologus libri octaui.

Bochas makth heer an exclamacioun:
Ageyn the Iewes gret vnkyndenesse
Rouht be the Romeyns, þer cite & þer toun,
Lich as the stori did heer-toforn expresse,—
Thei disparpiled to lyue in wrechchidnesse,
Bi Goddes hand punshed for ther outrage,
For euere [to] lyue in tribut & seruage.

Folwyng myn auctour, I caste for to touche
So as I can, rehersyng the maneere
How Iohn Bochas liggyng on his couche
Spak to hymsilff & saide as ye shal heere,
“Whi artow now so dul of look & cheere,
Lik a man, thi face berth witnesse,
That hym disposeth to lyue in idilnesse?”

“Certis,” quod Iohn, “I tak[e] riht good keep,
Of myche trauaile that the outrage
Hath be long slombre cast me in a sleep,
My lymys feeble, crokid & feynt for age,
Cast in a dreed, for dulnesse of corage,
For to presume vpon me to take
Of the eihte book an eende for to make.”

“Thow wenist parauntir in thyn oppynyoun
Bi this labour to gete the a name,
For to reherse the sodeyn fallyng doun,
And be sum newe processe for to attame,
Of princes sittyng hih in the Hous of Fame,
In dyuers bookis, wher thou maist hem fynde,
Perpetuelly to putte thi name in mynde.

824

Thi daies shorte putte the in gret[e] dreed
Of swich a labour to take the passage,
The mor feeble the slowere is thi speed,
Thi sihte dirkid; & thou art falle in age;
Among remembryng, thynk on this langage:
Whan men be buried lowe in the erthe doun,
Sauf of good lyuyng, farweel al guerdoun.

Worldli goodis shal passe, & that riht soone,
Tresour, kun[n]yng and al shal out of mynde;
Frenshep chaungeth as doth the cloudi moone;
At a streiht neede fewe freendis men do fynde.
But a good name whan it is lefft behynde
Passeth al richesse, yif it be weel disserued,
And al gold in coffre lokkid & conseruyd.

Of thi labour, the same shal wexe derk;
Bewar Bochas, & heerof tak good heed.”
“Slouthe spak to me, and bad me leue werk:
For a smal reward thou shalt haue for þi meede,
As be exaumple thou maist othir reede.”
This was the langage, I hadde therof routhe,
Atween Iohn Bochas and this ladi Slouthe.

Bochas astoned, gan doun his hed enclyne,
Vpon his pilwe lay hangyng in a traunce,
Stoode in gret doute, koude nat determyne,
Lik a man hangyng in ballaunce,
To what parti he sholde his penne auaunce
To proceede as he vndirtook,
Or leue the labour of his eihte book.

Atwix[e] tweyne abidyng thus a while,
What was to doone in doute he gan fleete,
Halff withynne & half ouer the stile,
Koude nat discerne to hym what was most meete,
Til Fraunceis Petrak, the laureat poete,
Crownid with laurer, grace was his gide,
Cam and set hym doun bi his beddis side.

825

And as Bochas out of his slombre abraide
And gan adawen sumwhat of his cheere,
And sauh Petrak, lowli to hym he saide:
“Wolkome maister, crownid with laureer,
Which han Itaille lik a sunne cleer
With poetrie, pleynli to descryue,
Most soueraynli enlumyned bi your lyue,—

I haue desired, as it is weel kouth,
Of riht hool herte be humble attendaunce,
To doon you worshep fro my tendre youth,
And so shal euere, void of al variaunce,
Duryng my lyff; for treuli in substaunce
Ye haue been lanterne, liht and direccioun
Ay to supporte myn ocupacioun,

As in writyng bookis to compile,
Cheeff exaumplaire to my gret auauntage,
To refourme the rudnesse of my stile
With aureat colours of your fressh langage.
But now fordullid be impotence of age,
Of decrepitus markid with many a signe,
My labour up of writyng I resigne.

I cast[e] me nat ferther to proceede,
Stonde at abay fordryue with werynesse.”
Quod Franseis Petrak, “leese nat thus thi meede:
Yif men no cause to reporte nor expresse,
In thi laste age thou hast founde a maistresse
Which hath the bridled in sooth (& þat is routhe)
And halt thi rene, and she is callid Slouthe.

An euident tokne of froward slogardie,
Vpon thi bed thi lymes so to dresse.
Ris up! for shame! for I can weel espie,
Folk that can grone & feele no seeknesse,
Ther chaumbirleyn is callid Idilnesse,
Which leith thi pilwe at euen & at morwe,—
Void hir fro the, and let hir go with sorwe!

826

To al vertu most froward & contrarye
Is Idilnesse heer in this present lyff,
Which hath the drawe awey fro thi librarie,
Wil the nat suffre to be contemplatiff;
For hir condicioun is to holde striff
With euery vertuous occupacioun,
Which men sholde voide of wisdam & resoun.

In this mateer what sholde I longe tarye?—
Leff thi slombre and up thyn eyen dresse!
The book I-maad of lyff[e] solitarye,
Remembre theron, the which in sekirnesse
Techeth the weie of vertuous besynesse,
Bi and bi, who list reede eueri lyne,
Of contemplacioun moral and dyuyne.

As I seide erst, yit lefft[e] up thi look,
Forsak thi bed, rys up anon, for shame!
Woldestow reste now on thyn seuent book,
And leue the eihte? in sooth thou art to blame!
Proceede forth and gete thi-silf a name.
And with o thyng do thi-silf conforte:
As thou disseruest, men aftir shal reporte.

Maak a comparisou[n] tween dirknesse & liht,
Tween Idilnesse and Occupacioun,
Tween faire daies and the cloudi niht,
Tween a coward prowesse and hih renoun,
Tween vertuous spech and fals detraccioun;
And to conclude, all vices to represse,
Contrarye to slouthe is vertuous besynesse.

Vertuous besynesse, O Bochas, tak good heed,
Renveth alle thynges off old antiquite,
Maketh men to lyuen aftir thei be ded,
Remembreth the noblesse of many gret cite;
And ne wer writers, al wer goon, parde.
Wherfor, Bochas, sith thou art nih the lond,
Suffre nat thi ship to stumble on no sond.

827

I meene as thus: the shipp of thi trauaille,
Which hath passid the se of bookis seuene.
Cast nat anker til thou ha good ryuaille!
Lat no tempest of thundir, reyn nor leuene,
Nor no wyndis of the cloudi heuene,
Nor no fals ianglyng of demeres that wil blyue
Depraue thi labour, let thi shipp taryue.

Haste on thi way, lat Grace crosse þi saille,
Fall on no sond of wilful necligence,
Lat good[e] will be cheef of thi counsaille,
To guye thi rother set enteer dilligence;
Yif vitaille faille & wyn to thi dispense,
Yit at the laste, thynk, for thi socour
Sum roial prince shal quyte thi labour.

Thynk, be writyng auctours did þer peyne
To yiue princis ther komendaciouns,
To Remus, Romulus callid foundours tweyne
Of Rome toun; & of too Scipiouns
Thei wrot the knihthod, prudence of too Catouns,
Of Iulius, Pompeye & Hanybal eek also,
Bexaumple of whom looke that thou so do.

Of prophetis thei wrot the prophecies
And the noblesse of olde Moises,
Of poetis the laureat poesies,
The force of Samson, the strengthe of Hercules;
Of two Grekis, Pirrus and Achilles,
Bi ther writyng—bookis sey the same—
Into this day endureth yit the name.

And he that can and ceseth for to write
Notable exaumples of our predecessours,
Of envie men wil hym atwite,
That he in gardyns leet pershe þe holsum flours
In sondry caas that myhte do gret socours.
Laboure for othir, & spare nat thi trauaille;
For vertuous labour geyn slouthe mai most auaille.

828

A thyng remembrid of antiquite,
Is whan ther is set a fair image
Of a prince of hih or louh degre;
Or of a persone a preent of his visage
Gladeth his freend, quyketh his corage;
And semblabli bexaumple men may fynde
Thynges forgetyn be writyng come to mynde.

And for to make our names perdurable,
And our merites to putten in memorie,
Vices teschewe, in vertu to be stable,
That laboure may of slouthe haue the victorie,
To cleyme a see in the heuenli consistorie—
Despiht of idilnesse & foorthryng of vertu—
Fyn of our labour be youe to Crist Iesu.”

Whan Petrak hadde rehersid this lessoun
In rebukyng of vicious idilnesse,
Bochas supprised and meued of resoun,
Roos from his couche, gan his penne dresse.
Will ouercam thympotent feeblesse
Of crokid age, that Bochas vndirtook
For tacomplisshe up his eihte book.

I folwyng aftir, fordullid with rudnesse,
Mor than thre score yeeris set my date,
Lust of youthe passid [with] his fresshnesse;
Colours of rethorik to helpe me translate
Wer fadid awey: I was born in Lidgate,
Wher Bachus licour doth ful scarsli fleete,
My drie soule for to dewe & weete.

Thouh pallid age hath fordullid me,
Tremblyng ioyntes let myn hand to write,
And fro me take al the subtilite
Of corious makyng in Inglissh to endite,—
Yit in this labour treuli me taquite
I shal proceede, as it is to me dewe,
In thes too bookis Bochas for to sewe.

Explicit prologus libri Octaui.

829

Incipit liber octauus.

[How the proude tiraunt Domytyan Emperour of Rome, and many other Emperours & nobles for ther outrages & wrecchidnesse mischeuesly ended.]

Brother to Titus, sone of Vespasian,
Cam next in ordre, as writ myn auctour,
The proude ambicious callid Domycian,
And was in Roome crownid emperour;—
An extorsioneer and a fals pillour,
Proudli comaundid, in his estat up stallid,
Of al the world he sholde a god be callid.

Thoruh hih presumpcioun, of hym it is eek told,
Nouther of tymber koruen nor of ston,
Set up images of siluer and of gold,
In tokne ther was no god but he allon.
Into Pathmos he exiled eek Seynt Ihon,
And ageyn Cristene the seconde next Neroun,
That began first the persecucioun.

This same tiraunt, regnyng in his estat,
To alle the cite was passyng odious;
Best & most worthi he slouh of the Senat,
And onto all that wer[e] vertuous
Mortal enmy, and most malicious.
And for slauhtre of senatours in the toun
Axed the tryumphe, as maad is mencioun.

Made among Iewes be ful gret outrage,
Wher-as he hadde grettest suspecioun,
To slen all tho that wer of the lynage
Off Dauid kynreede or kyng Salamoun,
List he wer put out off domynacioun
Among[es] Iewes; this was his meenyng,—
Slouh all tho that wer born to be kyng.

830

Amyd his paleis, as God wolde of riht
Punshe a tiraunt & quiten hym his meede,
This Domycian was slayn vpon a niht,
His kareyn aftir vnburied, as I reed.
And Comodus doth aftir hym succeede,
Which was al youe be flesshli appetit
To leue al vertu & folwe his fals delit.

Theatre pleyes of custum he did vse,
As was the custum ther & the vsage;
His liff in vices he falsli did abuse,
In lecherous lustis dispente al his young age,
To the Romeyns did ful gret damage:
For of the Senat that wer most vertuous,
Wer falsli slay[e]n bi this Comodus.

In his tyme be strook of thundirdent
And firy lihtnyng that cam doun from heuene,
The comoun librarye was of the cite brent,
With roial bookis of al the craftis seuene,
Bookis of poetis mo than I can neuene.
And Comodus, breefli to termyne,
Was slayn and stranglid bi his concubyne.

Helmus Pertynax cam next on the ryng,
Ordeyned aftir emperour of that toun,
Old & vnweeldi, slayn in his gynnyng.
Afftir whom, the book makth mencioun,
Be no title of successioun,
But an intrusour, oon callid Iulian,
Thestat vsurpyng to regne ther began.

But of the noble lynage Affrican,
Born in Tripolis, a myhti gret cite,
Oon Seuerus, that was a knihtli man,
Gadred of Romeyns a wonder gret meyne.
Bothe maad strong, Iulian mette & he
At Pount Melyn, a cite of Itaille,
And ther was Iulyan slay[e]n in bataille.

Seuerus aftir entrid the empire
And took upon hym the domynacioun,
Vpon Cristene, of malis sette affire,
Began ageyn hem a persecucioun

831

Of tirannye and fals ambicioun;
But oon of Egipt callid Poscennyus
Ageyn Seuerus began to werke thus:

Gadred meyne Seuerus for tassaile,
In purpos fulli, & theron dide his peyne,
First with hym to haue a gret bataille,
Next of thempire the crowne for tatteyne.
But ye shal heere what fill of thes tweyne:
On Poscennyus fill the disconfiture,
And Seuerus thempire doth recure.

In his purpos or he myht auaille,
With oon Albynus, that was a manli kniht,
He hadde [in] Gaule a ful gret bataille;
Ful gret[e] blood shad in that mortal fiht,
Albynus slayn of verray force & myht.
Seuervs aftir entrid in Breteyne,
Kauht[e] seeknesse & deide of the peyne.

Aftir Seuerus next cam Antonyne,
Of whom the froward disposicioun,
As alle auctours of hym determyne,—
His besynesse and occupacioun
Set hool in flesshli delectacioun,
So fals a lust his corage did assaille,—
Among[es] Parthois slay[e]n in bataille.

Macrinvs aftir tofor Bochas cam doun,
Whilom a prefect in Roome the cite,
Of the Pretoire, and be invacioun
Cam to the imperial famous dignite,
Ocupied a yeer, sat in his roial see,
Til Fortune list hym to disgrade,
Among his knihtis slayn at Archelade.

Next cam Aurelius surnamyd Antonyne,
A gret ribaud & passyng lecherous,
Yit was he bisshop, as auctours determyne,
In the temple of Aliogobolus.
And in his tyme was oon Sabellius,
A fals heretik, of whom gan the names
Of a sect callid Sebellianes.

832

This said Aurelius, ageyn[e]s al norture,
Of fals presumpcioun, in bookis it is told,
Wolde nat pourge his womb bi nature,
But in vessellis that wer maad of gold;
And in despiht[e], whan that he wex old,
Slayn off his knihtis, & nat aftir longe
His careyn was throwen in a gonge.

Aftir this proude forseid Antonyne,
Into thempire be iust eleccioun
Of senatours, as bookis determyne,
Cam Aurelivs, & for his hih renoun
Surnamyd Alisaundre, as maad is mencioun.
Fauht with Persiens lik a manli kniht,
And ther kyng Xerses he put vnto þe fliht.

This Aurelius, this prudent knihtli man,
Whan he sat iuge in the consistorie,
Ther sat oon with hym callid Vlpian,
A gret cyuylien notable of memorie,
Of whom it is to his encres of glorie
Reported thus, be gret auctorite
He of Digestis made bookis thre.

Ful pitousli this emperour lost his lyff,
Casueli, as maad is mencioun,
Among his knihtes bi a sodeyn stryff,
Wher he was slayn in that discencioun.
Aftir whos eende, for short conclusioun,
Tofor Bochas, the book weel telle can,
Cam Maxymynus & with hym Gordian.

Maxymynus, the cronicle doth expresse,
Chose of his knihtis & his soudiours
For his victorious marcial hih prowesse
Doon in Almaigne, & among emperours
Set up in Roome, maugre the senatours.
Afftir strong enmy, as myn auctour seith,
With al his poweer onto Cristes feith.

833

He was [eek] enmy, his lyff who list to seen,
To cristen clerkis of gret auctorite,
And specialli to olde Origen.
But in his moste furious cruelte,
In Aquileia, a myhti strong contre,
Of a prefect callid Puppien he was slayn;
Of whos deth [al] Cristen men wer fayn.

Next bi the Senat chose was Gordian.
First ageyn Parthois he cast hym to werreie;
Of Ianvs temple whan the werre gan
He made the gatis been opnid with the keye,
Which was a tokne, as olde bookis seye,—
Tho gatis opnyd, to folkis nih & ferre,
That with ther foon the Romeyns wolde haue werre.

With Parthois first this saide Gordian
To holde werre faste he gan hym speede;
And upon hem alwey the feeld he wan.
Afftir he spedde hym into Perse & Meede,
Alwey victorious in bataille, as I reede;
Vpon Eufrates slay[e]n, as I fynde,
Be fals tresoun, the cronicle maketh mynde.

Next in ordre cam Phelipp be his name,
His sone eek Phelipp cam with hym also,
Myn auctour Bochas reherseth eek the same,
The fadir, the sone baptised bothe too,
Riht sad & wis in what thei hadde to doo,
And wer the firste Cristene of echon
Emperours reknid; for ther toforn was non.

Be Poncivs the martir, as I reede,
In Nicea, a famous gret cite,
Thei wer baptised, and aftir that in deede
Slayn in bataille, for thei list nat flee.
Tofor ther deth, both of assent, parde,
Ther tresours hool, that wer imperiall,
To Cristis cherch, I fynde, thei gaff it all.

834

The bisshop Sixtus took pocessioun,
Vertuousli assigned it to Laurence
Therof to make distribucioun
To poore folk in ther indigence;
For which[e] deede be cruel violence
The tiraunt Decius ageyn hym took a striff,
Made hooli Laurence be bren[n]yng lese his lyf.

This same Decius, cursid & cruell,
Caused the slauhtre of thes Philippis tweyne;
And for he was sotil, fals & fell,
Be sleihte and falsheed he dide his besi peyne
To thempire be force for to atteyne,
The seuente tiraunt be persecucioun
Which ageyn Cristene took first occasioun.

Myn auctour writ, tyme of this Decivs,
The hooli hermyte, exaumple of parfitnesse,
Be daies olde callid Antonivs,
Lyued in desert ferr out in wildirnesse,
As an hermyte despisyng al richesse,—
Lyued be frut & rootis, as men tell,
And of perfeccioun drank watir of þe well.

Vpon Decius for his cursidnesse,
Ageyn Cristene which gaf so hard sentence,
Thoruh Roome and Itaille, myn auctour berþ witnesse,
In eueri cite was so gret pestilence,
That be the sodeyn dedli violence,
The hertis of men, dependyng in a traunce,
To saue ther lyues coude no cheuisaunce.

Of this mateer write no mor I can;
To this emperour I nil resorte ageyn.
Speke of Gallus and Volusian,
That besi wern, ther labour was in veyn,
Ther tyme but short, as summe bookis seyn;
For Martyn writ, an old[e] cronicleer,
In thempire thei regned but too yeer.

835

Bothe wer slay[e]n bi the procuryng
And bi the purchace of oon Emylian,
A Romeyn kniht, [the] which be slih werkyng
To occupie thempire tho began.
Be tirannye the lordshipe ther he wan,
Whos lordship, for lak of happ & grace,
No lenger laste than too monethes space.

This litil chapitle, as toforn is seene,
Rehersid hath & toold in woordis pleyn
Of emperour[e]s almost ful fourteene;
And of alle wer good[e] non but tweyne.
Which to reherse I haue do my peyne,
And to proceede ferther, as I gan,
I mvt now write of oon Valerian.

His sone and he, callid Gallien,
To al Cristene bar gret enmyte,
Slouh all tho, ther legende men may seen,
That seruede Crist in trouthe & equite.
Whos persecucioun & hatful cruelte
Abatid was, as I can weel reherse,
Bi oon Sapor that was kyng of Perse.

Bi force of armys Sapor, this myhti kyng,
Gan in Asia, & with his host cam doun
Be Tigre, Eufrates, &, knihtli so ridyng
Toward the parties of Septemptrioun,
To Kaukasus nat ferr, fro Babiloun;
And al Surrye he proudli did assaille,
And Capadoce he wan eek be bataille.

Whom for to meete cam doun Valerian
To Mesopotayn with many legiouns.
The werre was strong; but this knihtli man,
This hardi Sapor, with his champiouns
The feeld hath wonne with al the regiouns
Affor rehersid; & thoruh Perse he ladde
Valerian bounde with che[y]nys round & sadde.

He was be Sapor, maugre his visage,
This Valerian, so streihtli brouht to wrak,
Lik a prisoneer bounde to this seruage
Be obeissaunce, that founde wer no lak,

836

To knele on foure & to profre his bak
Vnto Sapor whan hym list to ride,
Therbi to mounte, for al his gret[e] pride.

This was thoffise of Valerian,
Be seruytute duryng many [a] yeer;
Wherfor he was callid of many man
Thassendyng stok into the sadil neer,
Which is in Frensh callid a mountweer.
This was his offis, to bowe doun his corps
Whan that kyng Sapor sholde worþe upon his hors.

This is the guerdoun & fauour of Fortune,
Hir olde maneer to princis & to kyngis,
Hir double custum vsid in comune
Be sodeyn chaung[e] of al worldli thynges.
Aftir tryumphes and ther uprisinges,
What folwith aftir, hir wheel [weel] telle can,
I take record of Valeryan:

This ladi Fortune, þe blynde fell goddesse,
To Valerian shewed hirsilf vnstable,
Tauhte hym a lessoun of hir doubilnesse;
To kyng Sapor she was fauourable.
But yit he was to cruelli vengable,
With his feet, deuoid of al fauour,
To soille the bak of an emperour.

Of olde it hath be songe & cried loude,—
Record on Cirus & many othir mo,—
Kynges of Perse of custum ha[ue] be proude,
Aftir punshid an[d] chastised eek also.
Princis of merci sholde tak heed herto,
Aftir victorie in ther estat notable
To ther prisoneres for to be merciable.

Myn auctour Bochas in this mateer weel can
Rebuke tirauntes, that wer be daies olde;
Turneth his stile, speketh to Valerian:
“Wher be the rubies & saphirs set in golde,
The riche perle & rynges manyfolde

837

That thou were wont [to] were upon thyn hondis?
Now as a wrech art bounde in foreyn bondis.

Wher thou wer wont of furious cruelte,
Clad in purple withynne Roome toun,
To Crist contrayre in thyn imperial see,
Yaff doom on martirs to suffre passioun,—
Now listow bounde [&] fetrid in prisoun,
To kyng Sapor constreyned to enclyne,
Whan he list ride, bowe nek & chyne.

Thus artow falle from thyn imperial stage!
Think on Fortune and haue hir in memorie:
She hath the cast in thraldam & seruage
And eclipsed al thyn olde glorie.
Wher thou sat whilom in the consistorie
As an emperour & a myhti iuge,
List bounde in cheynys and knowest no refuge.

It is ful ferr fall out of thi mynde
The knihtli deede of worthi Publius,
Of Roome a capteyn, ordeyned, as I fynde,
To fihte ageyn[es] Aristomochus,
Kyng of Asie; of fortune it fill thus:
Whan the Romeyns dide the feeld forsake,
This Publius among his foon was take.

This noble prince stondyng in dreedful caas,
His lyf, his worshep dependyng atwen tweyne,
In his hond holdyng a sturdi maas,
Smet out oon of his eyen tweyne
Of hym that ladde hym; the tothir for þe peyne
That he felte and the gret[e] smerte
Took a dagger, rooff Publius to the herte.

Which loued more his worshep than his lyff,
Ches rather deie than lyuen in seruage;
This conceit hadde in his imagynatyff,
And considred, sith he was in age,
To saue his honour it was moor auauntage
So to be slayn, his worshep to conserue,
Than lich a beeste in prisoun for to sterue.

838

Fortunis chapitle of hym ne was nat rad;
Of which Valerius maketh mencioun,
Aftir whos conceit, no man in vertu sad
Sholde nat longe langwissh in prisoun,
But rather cheese, lik his oppynyoun,
Of manli force & knihtli excellence
The deth endure of long abstynence,

As whilom dide the princesse Aggripyne,
Whan she in prisoun lay fetrid and Ibounde;
Of hir fre chois she felte so gret pyne
Of hungir, thrust, in stori it is founde,
That she lay pale & gruff upon the grounde,
Maugre Tiberye, & leet hir gost so weende
Out of hir bodi; this was hir fatal eende.

Thou stood ferr of of al such fantasie,
I speke to the, o thou Valeryan!
Thi cruel herte of fals malencolie
Made whilom deie many Cristen man;
And [many] martir, sith Cristis feith began,
Which for mankynde starff upon the rood,—
Thei for taquite hym list to sheede her blood.

Ageyn his lawe thou wer impacient
And importune be persecucioun;
Thou dist fauoure & suffre in thyn entent
That Egipciens dide ther oblacioun,
Ther sacrefises & rihtes up-so-doun
Vnto Isis, of froward wilfulnesse,
That was of Egipt callid cheef goddesse.

Fauourable thou wer in thi desir
To suffre Iewes ther Sabat to obserue,
And Caldeis to worshepe[n] the fyr,
And folk of Crete Saturn for to serue.
And Cristene men thou madist falsli sterue,
Of whos lawe for thou dist nat rechche,
Thou dei[d]est in prisoun at myscheef lik a wrechche.”

839

[How Gallien sone of valerian was slayn]

Next in ordre to Bochas tho cam doun
Sone of Valerian, oon callid Gallien.
But for the grete horrible effusioun
Of Cristen blood[e], that men myhte seen
Shadde be Valerian, God wolde it sholde been
Shewed openli to Romeyns be vengaunce
Of many a contre sodeyn disobeissaunce.

Thei of Almeyne the Alpies dide passe
Vnto Rauenne, a cite of Itaille;
Gothis also, proud of cheer & face,
Hadde ageyn Grekis many gret bataille;
And thei of Hungry, armyd in plate & maille,
With them of Denmark, furious & cruell,
Ageyn Romeyns wex of assent rebell.

To whos damage in this mene while
Among Romeyns it is befalle thus:
Woful werris which called been civile
Gan in the cite, cruel and despitous.
First whan thei mette was slay[e]n Gemyvs,
Which first took on hym, in bookis as I reede,
Of hih corage to were purpil weede.

Oon Postumyvs, a myhti strong Romeyn,
Kept al Gaule vndir subieccioun;
To ther auail vnwarli aftir slayn
Among his knihtes, for al his hih renoun,
Be a sodeyn vnkouth discencioun.
Next Victoryn, hauyng the gouernaunce
Of al Gaule, was aftir slayn in Fraunce.

But Gallien, of whom I spak toforn,
Sone and heir to Valerian,
His domynacioun off purpos he hath lorn,
In Republica [anoon] whan he began,
Lich a contrarious & a froward man
Wex lecherous and vicious of lyuyng,
At myscheeff slay[e]n; this was his eendyng.

840

[How Quyntylyus was moordred by women.]

Next Gallien cam oon Quyntilius,
A man remembred of gret attemp[e]raunce,
Brother of berthe to gret[e] Claudius,
Wis & discreet in all his gouernaunce.
Who may of Fortune eschewe the [sodeyn] chaunce?—
To write his eende shortly in a clause,
Of women moordred; I cannat seyn the cause.

[Off Aurelian in Denmark born.]

Of Denmark born next cam Aurelian,
A worthi kniht his enmyes for tassaille.
Ageyn Gothes a gret werre he began,
Gat victorie in many strong bataile,
Whos noble conquest gretli did auaille
To comoun proffit; for al his werk, parde,
Was to thencres of Roome the cite.

He recurid al Septemptrion,
And westward had many gret victorie.
Among othir, I fynde [that] he was oon
Axed the tryumphe to be put in memorie.
But ther was o thing eclipsed al his glorie,
Which hath the liht of his knihthod withdrawe,
For he was enmy to Crist & to his lawe.

Of whom Bochas list no mor now write,
But in his book goth foorth as he began,
Of oon remembryng þat callid was Tacite,
Which was successour to Aurelyan;
And aftir hym succeded Floryan,
Of which[e] tweyne no remembraunce I fynde
That is notable to be put in mynde.

[How Probus disconfited Romayns and aftir was slayn.]

Probus aftir regned ful seuene yeer
And foure moneth, which thoruh his hih renoun
Geyn Saturnynvs, with a [ful] knihtli cheer,

841

And brouht hym proudli to subieccioun;
Natwithstondyng that he in Roome toun
Took upon hym of wilful tirannye
Hooli thempire he for to reule & guie.

Beside the cite callid Agripyne
This seid[e] Probus geyn many proud Romeyn
A bataille hadde, list[e] nat declyne,
Mette Proculus, a myhti strong capteyn,
With oon Bonosus; & bothe ther wer slayn,
And al ther meyne of verray force & myht
Slayn in the feeld; the remnaunt put to fliht.

Aftir this bataille & this disconfiture
Probus was loggid in Smyrme, a gret cite,
And ther vnwarli of sodeyn auenture
Slayn in a tour that callid was Ferre.
But a smal sesoun last his prosperite:
Swich is Fortune; lat no man in hir truste;
Al wordli thynges she chaungeth as she liste!

[How Clarus and his ij. sones were myscheuyd.]

Tofor Bochas Clarus next cam doun
With his too sonys, Numerian & Caryne.
And, as I fynde, he was born in Narbon
And descendid of a noble lyne.
But whan that he most cleerli dide shyne
In his empire, he gat cites tweyne,
Chose & Thelifount, in Partois with gret peyne.

Beside Tigre, a famous swift ryueer,
He pihte his tentis, & cast hym þer tabide.
A sodeyn lihtnyng his face cam so neer,
Smet al to pouder, for al his gret[e] pride;
And Numerian that stood be his side
Hadde a mark[e] that was sent from heuene:
Loste bothe his eyen with the fyry leu[en]e.

842

His othir sone Carynus, a good kniht,
In Dalmacia hadde al the gouernaunce;
But for that he gouerned nat ariht,
He was cast doun & lost al his puissaunce:
Vicious lyff kometh alwey to myschaunce.
Sepcivs chose Dalmacia for to guye,
Among his knihtis moordrid of envie.

[How the hardy quene Zenobia fauȝt with Aurelian and was take.]

Myn auctour heer no lenger list s[o]iourne
Of these emperours the fallis for to write,
But in al haste he doth his stile tourne
To Zenobia hir stori for to endite.
But for Chauceer dide hym so weel aquite
In his tragedies hir pitous fall tentrete,
I will passe ouer, rehersyng but the grete.

In his book of Cauntirbury Talis
This souereyn poete of Brutis Albioun,
Thoruh pilgrymys told be hillis & be valis,
Wher of Zenobia is maad mencioun,
Of hir noblesse and of hir hih renoun,
In a tragedie compendiousli told all,
Hir marcial prowesse & hir pitous fall.

Myn auctour first affermeth how that she
Descendid was, to telle of hir lynage,
Born of the stok of worthi Tholome
Kyng of Egipt, ful notable in that age.
And this Zenobia, expert in al langage,
Wis of counsail & of gret prouidence,
Passed al othir in fame of elloquence.

Among she was armyd in plate & maille,
Of Palmerencys weddid to the kyng
Callid Odenatus, prudent in bataille
She was also, be record of writyng,
Hardi, strong, hir lordship defendyng,

843

Maugre all tho, with hir cheualrie,
Ageyn[e]s hire that wrongli took partie.

Be Odenatus she hadde sonis tweyne,
Heremanvs callid was the ton,
And Thymolaus, of beute souereyne.
Aftir whos berthe ther fadir gan anon
To occupie the prouynces euerichon
Of Perse and Mede; bi processe made hem fleen,
Of Zenobia, the hardi wise queen.

Whil Odenatus wex most glorious
In his conquest thoruhout Perse & Meede,
Slayn he was be oon Meonyus,
Which to the kyng was cosyn, as I reede;
But for because of this horrible deede
And for the moordre of kyng Odenate,
Deide at myscheeff & passed into fate.

Be processe aftir, Zenobia the queen
Took hir too sonis and proudli did hem leede
Tofor hir chaar[e], that men myhte hem seen,
How thei wer born as princis to succeede.
Made hem lik kynges be clad in purpil weede;
Them to diffende this myhti creature,
Hardi as leoun, took on hir hir armure.

For al hir lordis & knihtis she hath sent,
Maugre the Romeyns proudli gan hir speede,
Al the parties of the orient
To occupie & hir host to leede.
Of themperour she stood nothing in dreede,
Callid Aurelian, mette hym in bataille,
With hir meyne hym proudli did assaille.

On outher side that day gret blood was shad;
The strook of Fortune withstant no creature:
The queen Zenobia was taken & forth lad;
Fauht first as longe as she myht endure;
With riche stonis frett was hir armvre,
With whom themperour, so entryng Roome toun,
Of tryumphe requeryng the guerdoun.

He dempte it was couenable & sittyng,
This emperour, this proude Aurelian,

844

Taxe the tryumphe; it was so gret a thyng
To take Zenobia [that] such a werre gan
Ageyn Romeyns, this marcial woman.
For I suppose of no woman born
Was neuer queen so hardi seyn afforn.

This hardi princesse, for al hir roialte,
Whos hih renoun thoruh al the world was knowe,
With stokkis of gold was brouht to the cite,
From hih estat in pouert plongid lowe.
A wynde contrarye of Fortune hath so blowe,
That she, alas, hath pitousli made fall
Hir that in prowesse passed women all.

The triumphe youe [un]to Aurelian
For þe conquest he hadde upon þis queen
Callid Zenobia, cam Dioclesian,
Born in Dalmacia, his stori who list seen.
Out of his contre first he dide fleen,
Of garlec lekis, as seith the cronycleer,
Because that he was but a gardener.

Other mencioun is non of his lynage.
Of his berthe forsook the regioun,
Lefft his craff[t] of deluyng and cortilage,
Gaff hym to armys, & be eleccioun
Chose to been emperour & regne in Roome toun.
First into Gaule he sente a gret poweer,
And Maxymyan he made ther his vikeer.

His viker ther hadde many gret bataille
Vpon swich peeple that be rebellioun
Gan frowardli contrarye & assaille
Tobeye his lordship withynne that regioun,
Til Caransynus be commyssioun,
An hardi kniht vndir Maxymyan,
Them to chastise took on hym lik a man.

But be processe, the stori doth deuise,
His lordship ther dide gret damage
To comoun proffit; for he be couetise

845

The contre robbed be ful gret outrage,
And to hymsilff he took al the pillage,
And of presumpcioun wered the colour
Of riche purpil lik an emperour.

This Karansynvs of Breteynys tweyne,
Proudli vsurped to be ther gouernour,
Lik a rebel geyn Roome dide his peyne
And besied hym be marcial labour,
With many a straunge foreyn soudiour;
Hauyng no title nor commyssioun,
Contynued longe in his rebellioun.

Wherof astonyd was Dioclesian;
Seyng this myscheef dreedful & pereilous,
Ordeyned in haste that Maxymyan
Was surnamyd & callid Herculius;
Made hym emperour, namyd [hym] Augustus,
Which hadde afforn[e] no mor gouernaunce
But of Gaule, which now is callid France.

Also mor-ouer this Dioclesian
Made in this while gouernour[e]s tweyne,
Constancius & oon Maxymyan
Surnamyd Galerius. Constancius in certeyne,
In this while to wedde dide his peyne
Douhtir of Maxymyan callid Herculius,
Named Theodora, myn auctour writeth thus.

Be Theodora this Constancius
Hadde sexe childre in trewe mariage,
Brethre to Constantyn, the story tellith þus,
Which aftirward, whan he cam to age,
For his manhod and marcial corage,
Was chose & maad[e] lord & gouernour
Of al the world, and crownid emperour.

Caransynvs, which hadde ful seuene yeer,
Lich as I tolde, rebellid in Breteyne
Ageyn the Romeyns, a gret extorsioneer,—

846

A kniht Alletus that dede at hym disdeyne
Moordrid hym, & aftir ded his peyne
Be force onli and extort tirannye
Fulli thre yeer his place to occupie.

Til Asclepio was sent fro Roome doun,
Slouh this Alletus, maugre al his myht,
Brouht al Breteyne to subieccioun
Of the Romeyns, lik as it was riht.
And in this while, lik a manli kniht—
For Italliens gan Romeyns disobeye—
Constancius gan proudli hem werreie.

He firste with hem had a strong bataille,
His meyne slayn & he put to the fliht.
Trustyng on Fortune, he gan hem eft assaille,
And sexti thousand wer slay[e]n in þat fiht;
The feeld was his thoruh Fortunis myht,
As she that koude dissymule for a while,
And aftirward falsli hym begile.

I will passe ouer as breeffli as I can,
Set aside al foreyn incidentis,
Resorte ageyn to Dioclesian,
Which at Alisaundre proudli pihte his tentes,
The capteyn slouh, gaff in comaundementes
To his knihtis to do ther auauntage
Withynne the cite be robbyng & pillage.

Gan ageyn Cristene gret persecucioun,
Vsed his tirannye in the orient;
Bi his biddyng Maxymyan cam doun
Toward the parties of the occident.
Bothe these tirauntis wrouhte be assent,
Vndir whos swerd many [a] martire deies,
Slayn in Octodorun the legeoun of Thebeies.

At Verolamye, a famous old cite,
Seynt Albon slayn; his legende doth so telle.
And in Roome be furious cruelte
The pope slayn, which callid was Marcelle.
Be ther statutis & be ther doomys felle

847

Cherches wer brent, & tounes & citees
Loste ther franchise & al ther libertees.

Froward enmy he was to Cristis lawe,
Made many a martir deie for his sake,
Wex feeble & old & gan hym [to] withdrawe
From occupacioun, his reste for to take;
His atturne Maxymyan he doth make.
In his laste age, it is rehersid thus,
Stood in gret dreed[e] of Constancivs,—

The dreed[e] of hym sat so nih his herte,—
And therupon took swich a fantasie,
Imagynyng he myht[e] nat asterte,
Be fraude of hym but that he sholde deie.
Almost for feer fill in a frenesie,
And of swich dreed, the book makth mencioun,
He slouh hymsilff be drynkyng of poisoun.

As I told erst, in the occident
Maxymyan, callid Herculius,
Regned as emperour; & euere in his entent
To pursue martirs he did ay his labours.
Of whos berthe Bochas fond non auctours;
This to seyne, he coude neuer reede
Wher he was bor[e]n, nor of what kynreede.

He fynt no mor of this Maxymyan,
Of his uprisyng in especiall,
But that he was bi Dioclesian
Set in dignite callid imperial,
Famous in armys, prudent & marciall,
Daunted all tho that dide ageyn hym stryue,
Slouh Geneyans callid, in noumbre fyue.

Rood in Affrik lik a conquerour,
Brouht to subieccioun thre sturdi naciouns—
Fortune that tyme did hym such fauour—
Gat Sarmatois with othir regiouns,
Many cites & many riche touns
Bi his conquest of newe that he hath wonne;
Thoruh the world his name shon lik a sunne.

848

He was cherisshed in armys from his youthe,
Dide gret emprises for Roome the cite;
Yit Dioclesian, as it is weel kouthe,
Counsailled hym resigne his dignite.
But he was loth to forsake his see,
Sith he was lord & gouerned all,
For to renounce his stat imperiall.

But be assent of Dioclesian,
As he hymsilff had left al gouernaunce,
So eeuene lik this Maxymyan
Dischargid hymsilf of his roial puissaunce.
But aftirward he fill in repentaunce
And besi was, as dyuers bookis seyn,
Thestat of emperour to recure ageyn,

Which for to acheue he dede his dilligence.
He was distourbid be Galerius,
For his sone, that callid was Maxence,
Put in pocessioun, myn auctour writeth þus;
To which[e] thyng he gan wex envious
And gan ordeyne menys in his thouht
To trouble hym; but it auailled nouht.

Whan his purpos myhte take non auail
Ageyn Maxence, as Bochas doth descryue,
His douhtir Fausta, þat knew al his counsail,
Discurid his purpos; for which he fled[de] blyue
Into Gaule & durste no lenger stryue;
And bi Co[n]stancius in Marcile the cite
Slayn sodeynli, lost al his dignite.

[How Galeryus oppressid martirs & cristys feith and mischeuesly ended.]

Next tofor Bochas cam Galerivs,
A man disposid to riot & outrage,
Euele entechchid, froward, vicious.
Ther is no stori speketh of his lynage,
Yit was he set ful hih upon the stage
Of worldli dignite, roos up to hih estat;
Yit in his gyn[n]yng he was nat fortunat.

849

He was sent out bi Dioclisian,
And maad emperour bi his auctorite,
Ageyn Narseus, the proude knihtli man,
Regnyng in Perse & lord of that contre,
Which heeld[e] werre with Roome the cite,—
For which Galerius took on hym this emprise,
With mihti hand his pride to chastise.

Galerius entred into Perse-lond;
Kyng Narseus mette hym of auenture;
Hadde a strong bataille, fauht þer hond of hond;
On Galerius fill the discomfiture,
His fortune suich he myht[e] nat endure.
Clad in purpre, as maad is mencioun,
Of Dioclisian resceyued this guerdoun:

At ther meetyng, anon or he was war,
Dioclisian made hym for tabide,
To his confusioun, sittyng in his chaar,
To walke on foote be the charis side.
With many rebuk abatid was his pride,
That Galerius for the gret[e] shame
Gan seeke a mene ageyn to gete his name.

Gan for tassemble his olde soudiours,
Made his ordenaunce be dilligent werking,
Ches out the beste preeuid werreyours;
With a gret host to Perse he cam ridyng
And efft ageyn fauht ther with the kyng,
That the Persiens, maugre al ther myht,
Wer be Galerius that day put to fliht.

The feeld was his, gat ther gret richesse,
Robbed ther tentis, wan ther gret pillage.
In his resort resceyued in sothnesse
With gret noblesse, because of that viage—
Thus can Fortune chaungen hir visage!—
Of Dioclisian, wher he stood in disdeyn,
With newe triumphe resortid is ageyn.

This cloudi queen stant euer in noun certeyn,
Whos double wheel quauereth euer in doute,
Of whos fauour no man hath be certeyn:

850

Ther oon hath grace, anoþer is put oute.
Lat eueryman as it cometh aboute
Take his tourn & neuere in hir assure;
Faillyng in armys is but an auenture!

Thus Galerius aftir his bataill
On Persiens gan wexen glorious,
Gouernid Affrik & lordshipp of Itaille,
Thoruh al thorient wex victorious,
Til he for age gan wexen tedious,
His laste daies maligned, as men seith,
Of fals hatreede ageyn[es] Cristis feith.

And hym to helpen in thes fals mateeris,
It is remembrid to his confusioun,
In his empire he sette too vikeris,
The lawe of Crist toppresse & put doun.
Gaff hem poweer in euery regioun
To punshe martirs & putte hem to þe deþ;
And in this while ful many on he sleth.

Bi this saide cruel Galerivs,
Which of thempire had al the gouernaunce,
Of cursid herte & corage despitous,
Be his vsurpid imperial puissaunce
Gaf auctorite for to do vengaunce
Vnto tweyne, Seuerus & Maxence,
On al Cristen bi mortal violence.

A certeyn space, bothe of oon accord,
Thestat of emperour chose was Maxence,
Til Seuerus & he fill at discord.
Anon aftir bi vengable pestilence,
Withynne a cite of notable premynence
Callid Rauenne, Seuerus ther was slayn,
Of which Galerius, God wot, was nothyng fayn.

For which in haste this Galerivs,
Hym to supporte & stonde in his defense,
Ches out of Denmark a kniht Licinius
To been emperour, thoruh knihtli excellence
For to withstonde & fihte ageyn Maxence.

851

But Maxence, of Romeyn knihtis all,
Was chose emperour & set up in his stall.

With which eleccioun Gallerius wex wood,
Fill in a maner froward frenesie,
His entrailles brent[e], corupt wex his blood,
And of his froward vengable malladie
In euery membre gan rote & putrefie,
That al the hair aboute hym enviroun
To all that felte it was venym & poisoun.

Lik a lazeer, coorbid bak & chyne,
In this while on Cristen most vengable,
To hym auailed no maner medecyne.
But ther was oon in Cristes feith ful stable
That spak to hym with langage ful notable,
In woordes fewe concludyng in substaunce,
“The grete Iub[i]ter hath take on the vengaunce.”

And ouermor, for short conclusioun,
With a bolde spirit to hym began abraide:
“It is nat Iubiter worsheped in this toun,
In the Capitoile set,” sothli as he saide,—
“But Iubiter that was born of a maide,
Which wil nat suffre, of that thou dost endure,
That ony medicyne sholde the recure.

Lik a tiraunt be vengaunce furious,
At myscheef deieth, as olde bookis telle,
Perpetueli with cruel Cerberus
Vpon the wheel of Ixion to duell.”—
For his demerites with Tantalus in hell,
Ther to resceyue his fynal last guerdoun
Which coude on martirs haue no compassioun.

It was his ioye for to sheede her blood,
Sent out [his] lettres to dyuers regiouns,
Lik a slih wolff, rauynous & wood,
To slen martirs be dyuers passiouns.
Lik his desert resceyued his guerdouns;
Horrible deth first dide hym heer confounde,
With Furies infernal lith now in hell[e] bounde.

852

[How maxence the Emperour enmy to cristys feith myscheuesly ended.]

Afftir Galerius cruel violence
Geyn Cristene blood, as Bochas heer haþ told,
With pitous cheer themperour Maxence
Cam tofor Bochas, of age nat ful old,
Famous in armys, sturdi, fressh & bold,
Al-be he entrid nat as enheritour,
Took upon hym to regne as emperour.

To Cristes feith he was also enmy;
Aftir soone he loste his gouernaunce,
Of infortunye slay[e]n sodenly,—
God on tirauntes vn-warly takith vengaunce.
Of whos buryyng was maad non ordenaunce,
For he was nat resceyued of the ground,
But caste in Tibre lik a roten hounde.

[How Lucynyus enmy to cristes feith was slayn.]

Next tofor Bochas cam Lycynyvs,
A kniht of Denmark, born of riht good lyne,
Which had an enmy, the book reherseth þus,
An hardi kniht callyd Maxymyne,
Chose a capteyn with themperour Constantyne;
To Cristes feith he bar gret enmyte,
Slayn anon aftir in Tarce the cite.

Of whos deth Lycynyvs was glad,
Gan ageyn Cristene gret persecucioun,
In his proceedyng sodenli wex mad.
Which comaundid of fals presumpcioun
Whan he began doon execucioun,
That no Cristene nowher hym beside
Bi no condicioun sholde in his hous abide.

This Licynyvs, which falsli dide erre
Ageyn our feith Cristen men tassaille,
Geyn Constantyn of newe he gan a werre;

853

But of his purpos in sooth he dede faille:
For he was twies discounfited in bataille
Be Constantyn; onys in Hungrye,
Next in Grece, beside Ebalie.

Thus Constantyn thoruh his hih renoun
Gat nih al Grece & eueri gret cite,
Al-be Lycynyvs stood in rebellioun
Geyn Constantyn, both on lond & se.
But whan he sauh it wolde non oþer be,
He myht[e] nat escapen in no place,
Put hool hymsilff in Constantynes grace.

But Constantyn, for his rebellioun,
Gaff iugement in haste that he be ded,
Lest in the cite wer maad dyuisioun
Be Lycinyvs, wherof he stood in dreed.
This same while, as Bochas took [good] heed,
Ther cam toforn hym, with cheeris ful pitous,
Brethre tweyne, Constantyn & Crispus.

[Off Constantyne and Crispus & how Dalmacyus was slayn.]

To Constantyn, of whom I spak toforn,
Thei wer sonys, Constantyn & Crispus.
The same tweyne, of o mooder born,
Cam tofor Bochas; his book reherseth thus.
With hem cam eek oon Lycynyvs,
Sone to Licynyus which in Roome toun
Afforn was slayn for his rebellioun.

Constantyn his werris to gouerne
Made hem vikeres, the silue same thre.
Echon riht wis, & koude weel discerne
What myhte auaille most to ther cite,
Tencrece the proffit of the comounte.
Ther namys tolde, Constantyn & Crispus,
Tofor remembrid, with hem Licynyvs.

Whil these thre vikeris vndir themperour
Gouernid Roome, as knihtis riht famous,
In Alisaundre roos up a gret errour

854

Bi a fals preest Icallid Arryus,
To our beleue a thyng contraryous.
And for he dide ageyn our feith so werche,
Bi a decre he was put out of cherche.

Bi a scen at Bithynye ful notable,
In Nicea, a famous gret cite,
This errour was preuid ful dampnable:
Thre hundred bisshopis wer present ther, parde,
And eihtene, the cronicle who list see.
And alle thes clerkis of o sentence ilik
Preeuyd Arryvs a fals[e] heretik.

This same tyme, bookis specefie
How Constantyn of hasti cruelte,
The saide vikeres, nih of his allie,
Feyned a cause to slen hem all[e] thre.
No cause rehersid nor told of equite,
Saf onli this, in which he gan proceede,
To make his cosyn Dalmacivs to succeede.

But his fauour was nat fortunat
Toward Dalmacius, nor gracious in sentence,
Among whos knihtes fill a sodeyn debat,
Constantyn ther beyng in presence.
Dalmacius, withoute reuerence,
With sharpe suerdis, to speke in woordes fewe,
Vnto the deth was woundid & Ihewe.

[Off the brethre Constaunce & Constancyus & how Magnencyus & decyus moordred hem self.]

Than cam Constans and Constancius,
Yonge brethre, thus writ myn auctour,
To Constantyn in tyme of Arryvs.
And ech of hem be ful gret labour
Dide his peyne to regne as emperour,
Til at the laste, breefli for to seie,
Euerich of hem gan othir to werreye.

This saide Constans is entrid Perse-lond;
Nyne tymes he fauht ageyn Sapore,
The same kyng, as ye shal vndirstond,

855

That with Romeyns hadde fouht affore.
But fynalli Constans hath hym so bore,
To holde the feelde he myhte nat endure;
For upon hym fill the disconfiture.

His fortune gan to chaungen anon riht,
Whan that he lefte to be vertuous;
He was in Spaigne slay[e]n be a kniht,
In Castel Tunge, callid Magnencius.
Than was non lefft but Constancivs;
The Romeyn kni[h]tis, destitut echon,
Ches hem an emperour callid Vetramon.

This Vetramon was ferr [i]ronne in age,
Bareyn of witt, koude non lettrure,
Nor in knihthod had no gret corage,
Nor was nat hable to studien in scripture,
Nor lik an emperour no while to endure;
For Constancius, of whom I spak now late,
With this Vetremon cast hym to debate.

This Vetremon hath lefft his estat,
List nat werreye ageyn Constancius,
Forsook the feeld[e], loued no debat.
But of Spaigne, myn auctour writeth þus,
As I wrot late, how that Magnencius
Geyn Constancivs with suerd[e], spere & sheeld
Presumed proudli for to holde a feeld.

To gret damage & hyndryng of the toun,
For many Romeyn thilke day was ded,
Beside a cite which callid was Leoun;
Til at the laste, of verray coward dreed,
Magnencivs, which capteyn was & hed
Ageyn Constancius, hath the feeld forsake.
Loo, how Fortune can hir chaunges make!

Magnencivs for verray sorwe & shame
Bood no lenger, but gat hym a sharp kniff,
Sool be hymsilff, wher[of] he was to blame,
Roof thoruh his herte & loste [so] his lyff.
His brothir Dencivs, partable of the stryff,

856

Aboute his necke cast a myhti corde
And heeng hymsilf[e], bookis so recorde.

Constancius ches aftir hym Gallus,
His vncles brothir, to gouerne Fraunce;
Was a fals tiraunt, cruel [and] outraious,
Soone aftir slayn for his mysgouernaunce.
Another viker for his disobeissaunce,
Callid Siluanvs, be iugement was slayn;
For which in France ful many a man was fayn.

[How Constantyne baptized bi Siluester was cured of his lepre.]

Off this mateer stynte I wil awhile
And folwe myn owne strange oppynyoun,
Fro Constancius turne awey my stile,
To his fadir make a digressioun,
Cause Bochas maketh but short mencioun
Of Constantyn, which be record of clerkis,
Was so notable founde in al his werkis.

This myhti prince was born in Breteyne,
So as the Brut pleynli doth vs lere;
His hooli moodir callid was Heleyne,
He in his daies most knihtli & enteere.
Of marcial actis he knew al the maneere,
Chosen emperour for his hih noblesse,
Fill to [be] lepre, cronicles expresse.

His soor so greuous that no medecyne
Mihte auaile his seeknesse to recure;
He [was] counsailled to make a gret piscyne,
With innocent blood of childre that wer pure
Make hym cleene of that he did endure.
Thoruh al Itaille childre anon wer souht,
And to his paleis be ther moodris brouht.

It was gret routhe to beholde & see,
Of tendre moodres to heere the sobbyng,
Be furious constreynt of ther aduersite,

857

Hir clothes to-rent, bedewed with weepyng.
The straunge noise of ther hidous criyng
Ascendid up, that ther pitous clamour
Kam to the eris of themperour,

Of which[e] noise themperour was agrised.
Whan that he knew ground & occasioun
Of this mateer, afforn told & deuysed,
This noble prince gan haue compassioun;
And for to stynte the lamentacioun
Of all the women ther beyng in presence,
Of merciful pite hath chaungid his sentence.

This glorious, this gracious emperour
Is clomb of merci so hih vpon the staire,
Spared nouther vitaille nor his tresour,
Nor his langour that dide hym so appaire.
With ful glad cheer[e] maad hem to repaire;
Where thei cam sori to Roome the cite,
Thei hom returned glad to ther contre.

Roial compassioun dide in his herte myne;
Ches to be sik rather than blood to sheede,
His brest enlumyned with grace which is dyuyne,
Which fro the heuene dide vpon hym spreede.
He wolde nat suffre innocentis bleede,
Preferryng pite & merci mor than riht;
He was visitid vpon the next[e] niht.

Petir and Poule to hym dede appere,
Sent fro the Lord as heuenli massagers,
Bad Constantyn been of riht good cheere,
“For he that sit aboue the nyne speeris,
The Lord of Lordis, Lord of lengest yeeris,
Wil that thou wete,—haue it weel in mynde,—
In mount Serapti thou shalt thi leche fynde.

God of his grace list the to visite,
To sheede blood because that thou dost spare;
He hath vs sent thi labour for to quyte;
Tidyngis brouht of helthe & thi weelfare
Pope Siluester to the shal declare,

858

As we haue told[e], be riht weel assured,
Of thi seeknesse how thou shalt be recurid,

To mount Serapti in al hast that thou seende,
Suffre Siluester come to thi presence.”
Souht & founde, breefli to make an eende,
Resceyued aftir with deu reuerence,
Dide his deueer of enteer dilligence,
Lik as the lyff of Siluester hath deuised,
Be grace maad hool, whan he was baptised.

His flessh renewed and sodenly maad whiht
Be thries wasshyng in the fressh piscyne
Of holi baptem, welle of most deliht,
Wher the Hooli Gost did[e] hym enlumyne.
Enfourmyd aftir be teching & doctryne
Of Siluester, lik as myn auctour seith,
Of alle articles that longe onto our feith.

The font was maad[e] of porfirie stoon,
Which was aftir be cost of Constantyn
With a round bie, that dide aboute gon,
Of gold & perle & stonis that wer fyn;
Myd of the font, riht up as a lyn,
Vpon a piler of gold a laumpe briht,
Ful of fyn bawme, that brente day & niht.

A lamb of gold he did also prouyde,
Set on this font vpon a smal pileer,
Which lik a conduit vpon eueri side
Shad out water as eny cristal cleer,
On whos riht side an ymage most enteer
Was richeli forgid of our Saueour,
Al of pure gold, that coste gret tresour.

And of this lamb vpon the tothir side,
An image set longe to endure
Of Baptist Iohn, with lettres for tabide
Graue coriousli, & this was the scripture:
“Ecce Agnus Dei, that did for man endure,
On goode Friday offrid up his blood,
To saue mankynde starf upon the rood.”

859

He leet also make a gret censeer
Al of gold, fret with perles fyne,
Which be nyhte as Phebus in his speer
Thoruh al the cherch most fresshli did[e] shyne;
Ther wer fourti stonis iacynctyne.
Appollos temple, myn auctour writ the same,
Was halwid newe in Seynt Petris name.

The Romeyn templis, that wer bilt of old,
He hath fordoon with al ther maumetrie;
Ther false goddis of siluer & of gold
He hath tobroke vpon ech partie.
This goodli prince, of goostli policie,
Set of newe statutis of gret vertu
To been obseruid in name of Crist Iesu.

The firste lawe, as I reherse can,
In ordre set with ful gret reuerence,
That Crist Iesu was sothfast god & man,
Lord of Lordis, Lord of most excellence,
“Which hath this day, of his benyuolence,
Cured my lepre, as ye haue herd deuysed,
Be blissid Siluester whan I was baptised.

This gracious Lord, my souereyn Lord Ihesu,
From hen[ne]s-foorth, for short conclusioun,
I wil that he, as Lord of most vertu,
Of feithful herte & hool affeccioun
Be worsheped in euery regioun;—
No man so hardi my biddeng to disdeyne,
List he incurre of deth the greuous peyne.”

Folwyng the day callid the secounde,
This Constantyn ordeyned a decre,
That who that euere in [the] toun wer founde
Or ellis-wher aboute in the contre,—
What-euer he were, of hih or louh degre,
That blasffemed the name of Crist Iesu,
Be doom sholde haue of deth a pleyn issu.

The thridde day, in euery mannys siht,
Bi a decre confermed & maad strong,
To any Cristene who that dide vnriht

860

Be oppressioun or [be] collateral wrong,
It should[e] nat be taried ouer long,
Who wer convict or gilti shal nat chese
Be lawe ordeyned halff his good to lese.

The fourthe day, among[es] Romeyns all
This pryuylege pronouncid in the toun,
Youe to the pope sittyng in Petris stall,
As souereyn hed in euery regioun
To haue the reule and iurediccioun
Of preestis alle, allone in alle thyng,
Of temporal lordis lich as hath the kyng.

To the cherche he granted gret franchise
The fifte day & special liberte:
Yif a feloun in any maner wise
To fynde socour thidir dide flee,
Withynne the boundis fro daunger to go fre,
To been assurid & haue ther ful refuge
From execucioun of any temporal iuge.

No man presume withynne no cite,—
The sixte day, he gaff this sentence,—
No man so hardi, of hih nor louh degre,
To beelde no cherche, but he haue licence,
Of the bisshop beyng in presence;
This to seyne, that he in his estat
Bi the pope afforn be approbat.

The seuenthe day, this lawe he did eek make:
Of all pocessiouns which that be roiall,
The tenthe part [y]eerli shal be take
Be iugis handis, in parti & in all,
Which[e] tresour thei delyuere shall,
As the statut doth pleynli specefie,
Hool & enteer cherchis to edefie.

The eihte day meekli he ded hym quite,
With gret reuerence & humble affeccioun,
Whan he did of al his clothes white
And cam hymsilf on pilgrymage doun
Tofor Seynt Petir of gret deuocioun;
Natwithstondyng his roial excellence,
Made his confessioun in open audience.

861

His crowne take of, knelyng thus he saide
With weepyng eyen & vois most lamentable,
And for sobbyng as he myht abraide:
“O blissid Iesu, o Lord most merciable,
Lat my teres to the be acceptable;
Resseyue my prayer; my request nat refuse,
As man most synful, I may me nat excuse.

I occupied thestat of the emperour;
Of thi martirs I shadde the hooli blood,
Spared no seyntes in my cruel errour,
The to pursue fell, furious & wood.
Now blissid Iesu, most gracious & most good,
Peised & considered myn importable offense,
I am nat worthi to come in thi presence,

Nor for to entre into this hooli place,
Vpon this ground vnhable for to duell,
To opnen myn eyen or to left up my face;
But of thi merci so thou me nat repell,
As man most synful, I come vnto thi well,
Thi welle of grace and merciful pite
For to be wasshe of myn iniquite.”

This exaumple in open he hath shewed,
His staat imperial of meeknesse leid aside,
His purpil garnement with teres al bedewed;
Suerd nor sceptre nor hors upon to ride
Ther was non seyn, nor baners splaied wide;
Of marcial tryumphes ther was no tokne founde,
But criyng merci, themperour lay plat to grounde.

The peeplis gladnesse was medlid with wepyng,
And ther weepyng was medlid with gladnesse,
To seen an emperour and so notable a kyng
Of his free chois shewe so gret meeknesse.
Thus entirmedlid was ioie & heuynesse:
Heuynesse for passid old vengaunce,
With newe reioisshyng of gostli repentaunce.

This ioye was lik a feeste funerall,
In folk of custum that doon ther besi cure
To brynge a corps, which of custum shall

862

Haue al the rihtis of his sepulture,
And in this tyme, of sodeyn auenture
To lyf ageyn restored be his bonys,
Causyng his freendis to lauhe & weepe attonis.

Semblabli dependyng atween tweyne,
The peeple wepte, & therwith reioisshyng
To seen ther emperour so pitousli compleyne,
For his trespacis merci requeryng:
Of ioie and sorwe a gracious medlyng.
That day was sey[e]n gladnesse meynt with moone,
With weepyng lauhtre, & al in o persone.

Aftir al this he digged up hymselue
Stones twelue, wher he lay knelyng,
[And] putte hem in cofynes tuelue,
On the tuelue postlis deuoutli remembryng,
Compassed a ground large for beeldyng,
Beside his paleys caste theron to werche
In Cristes name to sette up ther a cherche.

The place of olde callid Lateranence,
Bilt and edefied in thapostlis name.
Constantynvs bar al the dispense,
Ordeyned a lawe, myn auctour seith the same,
Yif any poore, nakid, halt or lame
Resceyue wolde the feith of Crist Iesu,
He sholde be statut be take to this issu:

In his promys yif he wer founde trewe,
That he wer nat be feynyng no faitour,
He sholde first be spoiled & clad newe
Be the costage off the emperour,
Tuenti shillyng resceyue to his socour,
Of which resseit nothyng was withdrawe,
Be statut kept & holde as for a lawe.

It wer to longe to putte [al] in memorie,
His hih prowesse & his notable deedis,
And to reherse[n] euery gret victorie
Which that he hadde with hostis that he ledis;
And to remembre al his gracious speedis,

863

The surplusage, who list [to] comprehende,
Lat hym of Siluestre reede the legende.

And among othir, touchyng his visioun,
Which that he hadde, in cronicles men may lere,
Whan that he slepte in his roial dongoun,
How Crist to hym did graciousli appeere,
Shewed hym a cros, & seide as ye shal heere:
“Be nat afferd upon thi foon to falle,
For in this signe thou shalt ouercome hem alle.”

Be which auyseoun he was maad glad & liht
Thoruh Goddis grace & heuenli influence.
First in his baneer, that shon so cleer & briht,
The cros was bete, cheef tokne of his diffence.
Slouh the tiraunt that callid was Maxence,
Aftir whos deth[e], thoruh his hih renoun
Of al thempire he took pocessioun.

In which estat he meyntened trouthe & riht,
Vpon al poore hauyng compassioun,
Duryng his tyme holde the beste kniht
That owher was in any regioun,
Of Cristes feith thymperial champioun,
Thoruh his noble knihtli magnificence
To alle Cristene protectour & diffence.

Aftir his name, which neuer shal appall,
Chaunged in Grece the name of Bizante;
Constantynople he did it aftir call,
And on a steede of bras, as men may see,
Manacyng of Turkis the contre,
He sit armyd, a gret suerd in his hond
Them to chastise that rebelle in that lond.

Reioisshe ye folkis that born been in Breteyne,
Callid othirwise Brutis Albioun,
That hadde a prince so notabli souereyne
Brouht forth & fostrid in your regioun,
That whilom hadde the domynacioun,
As cheef monarche, prince & president,
Ouer al the world, from est til occident.

864

Tyme of his deth, that moneth of þe yeer
Phebus nat seyn, withdrouh his feruent heete;
And longe afforn[e] large, brod & cleer,
Toward Affrik shewed a gret comete,
Alway encresyng, drouh toward the sete
Of Nichomedie, shon erli & eek late,
Wher in his paleis he passed into fate.

[How Iulian Apostata enmy to cristys bi fals Illusions was chose Emperour and aftir slayn.]

Afftir the deth of this marcial man,—
I meene this noble worthi Constantyn,—
Kometh Thapostata, cursid Iulian,
Which be discent to Constantyn was cosyn.
His gynyng cursid, hadde a cursid fyn,
Entred religioun, as bookis specefie,
Vnder a colour of fals ipocrisie.

It hath be seid[e] of antiquite,
Wher that ther is dissymuled hoolynesse,
It is icallid double iniquite,—
Fih on al suich feyned parfitnesse!
For symulacioun curid with doubilnesse
And fals[e] semblaunt with a sobre face,
Of alle [fals] sectes stonde ferthest out of grace.

A certeyn space, as maad is mencioun,
To al perfeccioun he did hymsilf applie,
Til he wex weri of his professioun,
Forsook his ordre bi apostacie.
And first he gaff hym to nigromancye,
Double Apostata, as myn auctour seith,
First to his ordre & aftir to our feith.

Bi ordynaunce of Constancivs,
This said Iulian, roote of ipocresie,
Of gouernaunce froward & vicious,
Was sent to Gaule with gret cheualrie
As viker chose the contre for to guye.

865

Gat hym fauour & falsli gan conspire
To haue pocessioun of al the hool empire.

And for he was nat likli to atteyne
To that estat, he did his hert applie
Another mene pleynli to ordeyne,
Wikked spiritis to make of his allie,
Becam a prentys to lerne sorcerye,
To haue experience be invocaciouns
To calle spirites with his coniurisouns.

Be fals illusioun in the peeplis sihte,
Of wikked spiritis had so gret fauour,—
A crowne of laurer upon his hed aliht,—
Made folk to deeme, bi ful fals errour,
It cam be myracle, to chese hym emperour.
Which of trouthe as in existence
Was but collusioun & feyned apparence.

With hem he hadde his conuersacioun,
Spared nat to doon hem sacrefise
With cerymonyes & fals oblacioun,
And to thempire he roos up in this wise.
Thestat resceyuyd, first he gan deuyse
Ageyn Grekis, out of his contre ferre,
To make hym strong with hem to haue a werre.

The Feend a while was to hym fauourable,
Gaf hym entre and pocessioun,
And made hym promys for tabide stable
In his lordship and domynacioun,
To haue this world vndir subieccioun;
Of which beheste he stood in pereilous cas,
Folwyng thoppynyoun of Pigtagoras.

Pigtagoras hadde this oppinyoun:
Whan men deide, anon aftir than
Ther was maad[e] a translacioun
Of his speryt in-tanothir man,
A maner liknesse; the Bible telle can,
The double speryt of grace & prophecie
To Heliseus was grantid be Helye.

866

Heeron concludyng, lik his oppynyoun,
As Pictagoras affermed in sentence,
He that hadde ful pocessioun
Of suich a speryt, in verray existence
Sholde haue the same wisdam & science,
The disposicioun aftir hym as blyue,
Which hadde that speryt whil he was heer alyue,—

Of gouernaunce and also of nature
Resemblyn hym, of maneres & lyuyng.
And thus be fraude Pluto did his cure
To make Iulian to truste in eueri thyng,
He hadde be berth the sperit of the kyng
Callid Alisaundre, be which he sholde wynne
This world be conquest, whan-euer hym list begynne.

Thus gan he fonne & falle in fantasie
To truste on Pluto & goddis infernal,
Thei sholde enhaunce hym bi his cheualrie
For to posseede and reioysshe al,—
Suerd, sceptre, crowne and staat imperial,
Passe Alisaundre in honour & in glorie
And hym excelle in tryumphal victorie.

He trusted Sathan, be whom he was desceyuid,
To Cristes lawe becam mortal enmy;
Wher that euere that he hath parceyued
Cros or crucifix, he brak hem vengabli.
Be fals language he callid traitourly,
Crist Iesu he callid Gallile,
And of despiht sumtyme Nazare.

Ageyn our feith this tirant wex so wood,
[And] ageyn Crist hadde so gret hatreede;
Slouh many martir & falsli shadde hir blood,
An idolatre & renegat in deede.
Heeld mortal werre with hem of Perse & Meede;
Comyng to Perse, first he gan debate
Geyn Sapor kyng, of whom I spak but late.

Of Parthois also he entrid thoruh the rewm,
Wher he fond no maneer resistence.
And as he cam forbi Iherusalem,

867

To the Iewes of newe he gaf licence
To beelde the temple with gret dilligence,
In despiht, of purpos to do shame
To Cristene cherchis, bilt newe in Cristes name.

In this while he kauht a gret corage,
In a theatre maad brood in that toun,
Too wilde beestis cruel and sauage
Of seyntis blood to make oblacioun,
Thei to deuoure men of religioun.
And alle Cristene of purpos to destroye,
His lust was set & al his worldly ioie.

Bi an heraud that dide his host conveye,
Of verray purpos to brynge hym in treyne,
Bi straunge desertis fond out a froward weye.
The heete importable did hym so constreyne,
Brente thoruh the harneys, felte so gret peyne;—
The drye sondis, the heir infect with heete
Made many a man ther lyff in hast to lete.

This froward tiraunt, knowyng no remedie,
Of cursid herte gan Crist Iesu blasffeme,
And of malicious hatreed & envie,
Wood & furious, as it dide seeme,
Gan curse the Lord, that al this world shal deeme,
Crist Iesus, which of long pacience
List nat be vengaunce his malis recompence.

A mor cruel was ther neuer non,
Nor mor vengable: nat Cerbervs in hell,
Mortal enmy to goode men euerichon,
Whos blasfemys and rebukis fell,
Be rehersaile yif I sholde hem tell,—
I am afferd the venymous violence
Sholde infecte the heir with pestilence.

He cast out dartis mor bittir than is gall
Of blasfemye & infernal langage;
And in this while among his princis all
A kniht vnknowe, angelik of visage,
Fresshly armyd, to punshen his outrage,

868

With a sharp spere, thoruh euery synwe & veyne,
Of this tiraunt roof the herte on tweyne.

Bathid in his blood, this tiraunt fill doun lowe,
To God & man froward & odious.
Thouh for that tyme the kniht ne was nat knowe,
Yit summe men seyn it was Mercurivs,
Which bi the praieer of Basilius
This tiraunt slouh, as cronicles don us lere,
Bi a myracle of Cristes mooder deere.

This Mercurius, as bookes determyne,
In Cesaria, a myhti strong cite,
Withynne the contre callid Palestyne,
Buried afforn, roos up at this iourne
Out of his graue, a straunge thyng to see;
An hors brouht to hym, arraied in his armure,
Which heeng toforn beside his sepulture.

The same armvre was nat seyn that niht
Nor on the morwe at his graue founde
Til mydday hour, that Phebus shon ful briht,
Whan Mercury gaf hym his fatal wounde,
His blasfemye for euer to confounde.
Which thyng accomplisshed, this myracle for to preue,
He and his armure wer ther ageyn at eue.

Of his blasfemye this was the sodeyn wrak
Which the tiraunt resceyuid for his mede.
The laste woord I fynde that he spak:
“Thou Gallile hast ouercome in deede!”
Took the blood[e] that he did[e] bleede,
This deuelissh man, deying in despeir,
Despiht of Iesu cast up in the heir.

His bodi flay[e]n & his skyn was take,
Tawed aftir be presept and biddyng
Souple and tendre as thei coude it make,—
Sapor bad so, that was of Perse kyng,
That men myht haue therof knowlechyng
Erli on morwe & at eue late,
He did it naille upon his paleis gate.

869

And to a cite that was callid Kaire,
As cronicles make rehersaille,
This Apostata wolde ofte a-day repaire
To a woman, which hadde in hir entraille
Spiritis closid, to make his dyuynaille.
In whos wombe, bareyn & out of grace,
Of wikkid feendis was the restyng place.

This said[e] woman was a creature,
The which afforn be cursid Iulian,
Be his lyue his purpos to recure,
In sacrifise was offrid to Sathan.
And so as he with cursidnesse began,
Swich was his eende, as all bookis tell,
Whos soule with Pluto is buried deepe in hell.

With this tiraunt Bochas gan wex[e] wroth
For his most odious [hatful] fel outrage,
And to reherse in parti he was loth
The blasfemyes of his fell langage;
For nouther furye nor infernal rage
May be comparid, with poisoun fret withynne,
To the fals venym of this horrible synne.

It is contrarie to alle goode thewes,
And tofor God most abhomynable;
Hatful to alle sauff to cursid shrewes:
For of alle vices verray incomparable,
Most contagious & most detestable,
The mouth infect of suich infernal houndis
Which eueri day sle Crist with newe woundis.

Folk obstynat of purpos for the nonys,
Of disposicioun furious & wood,
Nat afferd to suere [by] Goddis bonys,
With horrible othes of bodi, flessh & blood,
The Lord dismembryng, most gracious, most good,
His feet, his handis, armys, face & hed,
Reende hym of newe, as thei wolde haue hym ded.

The blissid Lord, which is inmortall,
Thouh thei be dedli, thei wolde hym sle ageyn.
Thei be erthli; he is celestiall;

870

In froward wise thei be ouerseyn;
Discrecioun faileth; ther resoun is in veyn:
Al suich bla[s]ffemye, for short conclusioun,
Proceedith of pride & fals ambicioun.

It seemeth to me, thei haue foule failed
Of kynd[e]nesse to doon hym reuerence,
Which for ther loue upon a cros was nailed
To paie the raunsoun for mannys gret offence,
Suffred deth with humble pacience,
Fals rebukyng, spittyng in his visage,
To brynge mankynde onto his heritage.

Fals surquedie that doth the hertis reise
Of suich blasfemours, as was this Iulian,
Whos gret empire myht nat countirpeise
Ageyn that Lord which is bothe God & man.
Thorigynal ground of pride was Sathan;
Prince vndir hym most infortunat
Was this Apostata, regnyng in his estat.

What was the eende of this tiraunt horrible,
This cruel feloun, hatful to eueri wiht?
Be sodeyn myracle to al his host visible,
Ther did appeere a verray heuenli kniht,
Most fresshli armyd & angelik of siht.
With a sharp spere, sittyng on his steede,
Made the tiraunt his herte blood to bleede.

His false goddis myhte hym nat auaile,
His froward offryng doon to maumetrie,
Nor al his proude imperial apparaille,
His inuocaciouns nor hatful sorcerye:
For this Apostata, that did his feith denye,
Among his knihtis slayn be deth sodeyne;
His soule dampned with Sathan depe in peyne.

[How the Emperour Valence / slouh heremytes shad cristen blood destroied chirches & after was brent.]

Bochas in hast[e] doth his stile dresse
Next to themperour þat callid was Valence,
Rehersing first the parfit hoolynesse

871

Of hermytis, that dide ther dilligence
To lyue in penaunce & in abstynence;
Forsook the world[e], & for Cristes sake
Into desert thei haue the weye take.

In this world heer thei list no lenger tarye,
Dyuers & double, of trust noun certeyn;
Ferr in Egipt to lyue solitarye,
Deepe in desertis, of folk nat to be seyn.
The soil was drye; of vitaille ful bareyn;
The frutles treen up sered to the roote:
For Cristes loue thei thouhte that lyff most soote.

This said Valence, of malis frowardli
To thes hermytes, that lyued in gret penaunce,
Causeles [to hem] was gret enmy,
Troubled hem & did hem gret greuaunce.
Lik a tiraunt set al on vengaunce,
Destroied cherchis with peeple that he ladde;
And wher he rood Cristen blood he shadde.

This mene while be robbyng & rauyne
In Mauritayne, which is a gret contre,
Ther was a prince that callid was Fyryne;
And in Cesarea, a famous gret cite,
For his extorsioun & his cruelte
He took upon hym, proudli ther regnyng,
Maugre [the] Romeyns to be crownid kyng.

Theodose the Firste, a manli man,
Was sent out his malys to withstonde
Be the biddyng of Valentynyan,
Which that tyme thempire hadde on honde,
Bothe attonys; but ye shal vndirstonde,
Theodose was sent out to assaile
The saide Feryn, and slouh hym in bataille.

Of which Feryn, be ful cruel hate,
In that contre presumptuousli regnyng,
Smet of his hed & set [it] on the gate
Of Cesaria; this was his eendyng,
Which be intrusioun afforn was crownid king

872

In Mauritayne, oppressing them be dreed,
As ye haue herd, for which he loste his hed.

In this mateer Bochas doth nat soiourne
Be non attendaunce nor no long dilligence,
But of purpos doth ageyn retourne
To themperour that callid was Valence,
Which, as I tolde, dide so gret offence
To hooli cherch of froward cursidnesse,
Slouh al hermytes that bood in wildirnesse.

God wold nat suffre he sholde long endure,
Graunteth no tiraunt to haue heer no long lyff;
For be sum myscheef or sodeyn auenture
Thei deien be moordre, with dagger, suerd or kniff.
The Gothois whilom ageyn hym gan a stryff,—
For his outrage & gret oppressioun
Thei ageyn Romeyns fill in rebellioun.

A prince off his callid Maxymvs
Distressed hem bi so gret tiranye,
Was vpon hem so contrarious,
That thei gadred al ther cheualrie
And wex so strong vpon ther partie,
That bi ther manhod, it fill of auenture,
Thei on Valence made a disconfiture.

Spared nat bi robbyng and pillage,
Slouh & brente many statli place,
Cites, touns & many smal village,
That wer famous withynne the lond of Trace.
But al this while Valence gan enchace,
And causeles, of malis voluntarie,
Pursued hermytes that lyued solitarye.

And of newe this Valence gan ageyn
Gret multitude of Romeyns to purchace,
And with his host[e] proudli be disdeyn
Ageyn[es] Gothes cam doun in-to Trace.
But furiousli thei mette hym in the face,
Wher lik a coward he turned his visage,
To saue his lyff lay hid in a cotage.

873

Thus fynalli this emperour Valence,
As ye haue herd, failled of his entent.
The Gothes folwed be cruel violence,
As wilde woluys, alle of oon assent,
The hous & hym to asshis thei haue brent.
Loo, heer the fyn, ye pryncis taketh heede,
Of tirauntis that seyntes blood do sheede!

[Off kyng Amarycyus / and how Gracyan and Theodosie destroied temples of fals goddis / & how gracyan was put to flight.]

Aftir Valence, to God contrarious,
In al his werkis most froward of lyuyng,
Tofor Bochas cam Amaricus,
Which of Gothes was whilom lord & kyng,
Of his gret age pitousli pleynyng,
Inflat and bolle, list make no delaies,
Slouh hymsilf to shorte his greuous daies.

Than cam to Bochas the brother of Valence,
The myhti emperour callid Gracian,
Which hadde afforn[e] had experience
First with his vncle Valentynyan
In thempire, as bookis telle can;
And aftirward Theodosie & he
Hadde gouernaunce of Roome the cite.

Theodosie and Gracian of assent
Destroied templis as in that partie
Of false goddis; thei haue also doun rent
The grete idoles & al suich maumetrye,
And ful deuoutli gan chirchis edefye.
And in this while, as Fortune list ordeyne,
On Maxymvs was vikeer in Breteyne.

An hardi kniht, al-be he did[e] varie
From his promys maad be sacrement;
In Breteyne list no lenger tarie,

874

But into Gaule of hert & hool entent
Geyn Gracian he sodenli is went.
And as it fill, set be ther bothe auys,
Thei hadde a bataille nat ferr out of Parys.

This Gracian was ther put to fliht
Bi the prowesse of a proud capteyn
Callid Merobandus, was an hardi kniht,
Which with his poweer hath so ouerleyn,
That Gracian was constreyned in certeyn,
Whan his poweer myhte nat availe
Geyn Maxymvs, to fleen out of Itaille.

This Maxymvs of pride gan desire
In his herte be fals ambicioun
To regne allone, & of the hool empire
In his handis to haue pocessioun.
But in what wise Fortune threw hym doun
With suich othir, that be in nou[m]bre fyue,
In this chapitle Bochas doth descryue.

Ageyn this same tiraunt Maxymvs,
Whan that he hadde slay[e]n Gracian,
The noble emperour Theodosius
To venge his deth a werre in hast began,
Because also that Valentynyan
Was wrongli banshed thoruh the cruelte
Of Gracian ful ferr from his contre.

With Maxymvs to holde up his partie
Was Andragracian, a ful notable kniht,
Which was maad prince of his cheualrie,
That took upon hym of verray force & myht
To keepe the mounteyns, that no maner wiht
With Theodose, armyd in plate & maile,—
No man sholde ouer the Alpies of Itaile.

Theodose maad a gret arme,
Be grace of God and marcial corage
Leide a seege to Aigle, a gret cite,
And wan the toun, maugre his visage;
Took the tiraunt, and for his gret outrage

875

Berafft hym first his roial garnement
And slouh hym aftir be rihtful iugement.

Whan Andragracian knew that Maximus,
That was his lord, was slay[e]n in swich wise,
Anon for sorwe, the stori tellith thus,
He drowned hymsilf, as Bochas doth deuise.
Thus can Fortune make folk arise
To thestat of emperours atteyne,
With vnwar strok yiue hym a fal sodeyne.

This Maximvs, of whom I spak tofor,
Tofore his deth[e] made an ordynaunce,
That his sone, which callid was Victor,
Sholde aftir hym gouerne Gaule & Fraunce,
Whom Arbogastes hadde in gouernaunce—
A gret constable with Valentynyan—
Slouh this Victor to regne whan he began.

[A good processe how Theodosie with praiere and smal noumbre gat the victory.]

Than Valentynyan with gret apparaile
Bi Arbogastes took pocessioun
Of Lumbardie & of al Itaile,
Brouht al that lond to subieccioun.
Than with his poweer he cam to Gaule doun,
Ther resceyuyd with gret solempnite
At Vyenne, a famous old cite.

Arbogastes, of whom I spak now late,
His cheef constable, as ye haue herd deuise,
Of his lord[e] be ful cruel hate
The deth conspired of fals couetise,
Therbi supposyng that he shold arise
Vnto thestat to be chose emperour,
Whan he wer ded[e], lik a fals tretour.

Vp in a tour he heeng hym traitourli,
[And] to mor sclaundre & hyndryng of his name,
Reportid outward and seide cursidli,
This Arbogaste, to hide his owne shame,—
His souereyn lord to putte in mor diffame,—

876

Stefli affermed, a thyng that was ful fals,
How he hymsilf[e] heng up bi the hals.

Thus lik a moordrer and a fals tretour,
And of condicioun hatful and odious,
Laboured sore to be maad emperour,
That he allone with Eugenivs
Mihte exclude Theodosyus,
First to lette hym, he sholde on no partie
Passe thoruh Itaille nor thoruh Lumbardie.

Sette espies to brynge hym in a treyne,
Which that tyme, as thei vndirstood,
Lik a iust prynce did his besy peyne,
As he that thouhte nothyng but on good,
In the hilles of Lumbardie abood,
Whom Arbogast, of furious corage,
Cast hym to trouble & stoppen his passage,

He and Eugenius beyng of assent
Theodosie mortalli tassaile.
Which whan he knew ther meenyng fraudulent,
Al-be that he had but scars vitaille,
On eueri cost besette with a bataille,
And of his knihtis forsaken in maneere,
He lefte all thyng & took hym to praiere.

With hym was left[e] but a smal meyne,
Trewe & feithful in ther affeccioun.
And first of alle he fill doun on his kne
And to Iesus gan make his orisoun:
“O Lord,” quod he, “thyn eres enclyne doun,
And of thi merciful gracious [hih] goodnesse
Delyuere me out of my mortal distresse.

Considre & see how that I am thi kniht,
Which ofte sithe thoruh my fragilite,
With flesshli lustis bleendid in my siht,
A thousand tymes haue trespasid onto the;
But, gracious Iesu, of merci & pite
To my requestis benigneli tak heed
Me to socoure in this gret[e] need.

877

My trust is hool, pleynli to conclude,
Thou shalt foorthre & fortune my viage,
With litil folk ageyn gret multitude
To make me haue gracious passage,
Aftir the prouerbe of newe & old langage,
How that thou maist & kanst thi poweer shewe
Geyn multitude victorie with a fewe.

And as thou sauedest whilom Israel
Geyn Phar[a]os myhti strong puissaunce,
And fro the leouns delyueredest Danyel,
And saueddest Susanne in hir mortal greuaunce,
Saue me this day fro sorwe & myschaunce,
In this myscheef to grante me this issu,
Tescape fro daunger be grace of the, Iesu!

Thi blissid name be interpretacioun
Is to seyne most myhti Saueour;
Ther is no dreed nor dubitacioun
That Iesus is in al worldli labour
To al that trust hym victorious protectour.
Now, blissid Iesu, pauys of my diffence,
Make me escape myn enmyes violence!

Lat myn enmyes, that so gret bost do blowe,
Thouh ther poweer be dreedful & terrible,
That thei may bexperience knowe
Ther is to the nothyng impossible,—
Thou too and thre & oon indiuysible,
Thouh I with me haue but fewe men,
Saue me, Iesu, this day fro deth; Amen.”

The day gan cleere, the sunne gan shewe briht,
Whan Theodosie deuoutli lay knelyng,
And be grace adawen gan his siht
Fro cloudi wawes of long pitous weeping,
His souereyn hope set in the heuenli kyng,
Iesus his capteyn, in whos hooli name
That day escapid fro myscheef & shame.

The hooli crosse bete in his armure,
Born as cheef standard toforn in his bataile;
God made hym strong[e] in the feeld tendure,

878

Hardi as leoun his enmyes to assaile;
Iesus his champioun, his plate & eek his maile,—
Iesus allone, set fix in his memorie,
Be whom that day he hadde the victorie.

Ther was a kniht, prince of the cheualrie
Of Arbogast and [of] Eugenivs,
Which gouerned al hool[i] ther partie,
Arbicio callid, manli and vertuous,
Which goodli cam to Theodosius,
Did hym reuerence, & with riht glad cheer
Saued hym that day fro myscheef & daungeer.

Whan Theodosie upon his foon gan sette,
Lik a kniht nat turnyng his visage,
And bothe batailes togidre whan thei mette,
Of Theodosie texpleite the passage
Fill a myracle to his auauntage:
Be sodeyn tempest of wyndis, hail & reyn
Troubled all tho that seeged the mounteyn.

Vlcanvs, which is cheef smyth of heuene,
Geyn Arbogastes gan hym reedi make
To beende his gunnys with thonder & with leuene,
And Eolus his wyndis gan awake
Out of the[r] kauernys, hidous, broun & blake;
Alle of assent be sturdi violence
With Theodosius stooden at diffence

Ageyn Eugenivs & Arbogast his brothir,
Ther peeple and thei departed heer & yonder
With wynd and myst, that non of hem sauh oþer,
Be vnwar vengaunce of tempest & of thundir,
Ther speres tobrak, ther sheeldes roff assonder.
Eugenivs take, aftir lost his hed,
[And] Arbogastes slouh hymsilf for dreed.

879

Thus can the Lord of his eternal myht
Chastise tirauntis & ther malis represse;
Saued Theodose, his owne chose kniht:
Who trustith hym of parfit stabilnesse,
Goth free fro daungeer, escapeth fro distresse.
Bookis recorde how Theodosius
Was in his tyme callid Catholicus.

This myracle God list for hym werche,
Made hym victor for his gret meeknesse.
[Afforn and] afftir founde onto the cherche
As Cristis kniht; I take onto witnesse
His submyssioun & his deuout humblesse;
Of hastynesse whan he was vengable,
He to the cherch[e] yald hymsilf coupable.

The caas was this, as I reherse can:
In Thesalonica, a famous old cite,
Beyng bisshop Seynt Ambrose in Melan,
Certeyn iuges for to doon equite
And sitte in doom hauyng auctorite,
Natwithstondyng ther commyssioun
Wer slayn be comouns entryng in the toun.

Wherof themperour was nothyng glad nor fayn,
But comaunded of hasti wilfulnesse,
Whan he knew his iuges wer so slayn,
That his knihtis sholde hem thidir dresse,
Entre the cite be cruel sturdynesse,
With suerd & pollex & daggeres sharpe whette,
Indifferentli slen al tho þat thei mette.

Bi whos biddyng the cite to encoumbre,
That day was slayn many an innocent:
Fyue thousand ded remembrid in that noumbre,
Moordrid in hast withoute iugement
Bi them that wern vnto the cite sent.
But whan Ambrose herde of this cruel deede,
Lik a iust prelat thus he gan proceede:

As ye haue herd[e] how this vengaunce gan,
Be Theodosie to chastise the cite,
The same emperour cam aftir to Melan,

880

Wolde haue entrid at a solempnite
The cathedral cherch in his most rialte;
Bisshop Ambrose at the porche hym mette,
And of purpos manli hym withsette.

Quod the bisshop, “I counseil the withdrawe,
Into this cherch thou shalt haue non entre.
Thou hast offendid God and eek his lawe.
Be nat so hardi nor bold, I charge the,
To sette thi foot nor entre in no degre;
Because thou art a cruel homycide,
Maugre thi myht thou shalt a while abide.

Vnto thi paleis hom ageyn retourne,
This eihte monethes looke thou be nat seyn;
Passe nat thi boundis, doo meekli ther soiourne:
For, trust me weel and be riht weel certeyne,
Al suich moordrers God hath hem in disdeyne.
Blood falsli shad, haue this in remembrance,
Callith day and niht to hym to do vengaunce.

Ageyn[e]s the, for this gret offence
Of innocent blood shad ageyn[e]s riht,
Be iust auctorite I yiue this sentence:
This eihte monethes acountid day & niht
To entre the cherch thou shalt nat come in siht,
Resoun shal holde so iustli the ballaunce
Til thou haue fulli acomplisshid thi penaunce.

What I haue seid[e] tak [t]heerof good heede,
For this tyme thou gest no mor of me.
Withdrawe thyn hand innocent blood to sheede
For any rancour or hasti cruelte.”
That to behold the gret humylite
Of themperour, considred euerideel,
It wolde haue perced an herte maad of steel.

With hed enclyned he spak no woord ageyn,
Brast on weepyng with sobbyng vnstaunchable,
His purpil weede bedewed as with reyn,
Returnyng hom with cheer most lamentable,
So contynued in his purpos stable,
With al the toknys of feithful repentaunce
In lowli wise acomplisshed his penaunce.

881

Gaf exaumple to princis euerichon
In caas semblable, that werke of wilfulnesse
To execucioun for to proceede anon,
Meynteene ther errour & froward cursidnesse,
Diffende ther trespas, meynteene ther woodnesse,
Ferr out of ioynt, yif it shal be declarid,
To Theodosie for to be comparid.

To the cherche he meekli did obeye,
[Lik] Goddis kniht did lowli his penaunce,
Wher ther be summe that wrongli it werreye,
Holde therageyn be froward meyntenaunce.
Touchyng this mateer set heer in remembrance,
As men disserue,—lat euery wiht tak heede—
He that seeth al quiteth hem ther meede.

Theodosivs list nothyng abregge
To shorte the yerde of his correccioun;
Forsook the platte, of rigour took the egge,
Meekli to suffre his castigacioun;
To bowe his chyne was no rebellioun,
Bi meek confessioun knowyng his trespace,
Be Seynt Ambrose restored ageyn to grace.

Vertuous princis may exaumple take
Of Theodose, how thei the Lord shal queeme,
He nat froward amendis for to make,
His sceptre, his suerd, his purpre, his diadeeme
Soget to Ambrose, what hym list to deeme,
Obeied al thyng; & for his gret offence
To hooli cherch to make recompence.

He knew[e] that God was his souereyn Lord,
To hooli cherch how gretli he was bounde,
Gruchched neuer in thouht, will nor woord,
Hooli on Crist his empire for to founde.
Wher vertu regneth, vertu wil ay rebounde;
And for this prince obeied tal vertu,
Hath now his guerdoun aboue with Crist Iesu.

882

[How knightys and gentylmen chese Aleryk kyng / and comouns chese Radagasus whiche ended in myschef.]

It is remembrid of antiquite,
In the Bible, aftir Noes flood,
How bi dissent[e] of his sonis thre,
Of ther lynage pleynli and ther blood
Al kynreedis dilatid been abrod;
And [in] myn auctour, as it is maad[e] mynde,
Of Iaphet cam seuene naciouns, as I fynde.

The peeple first of Gaule & Galathe,
Of Magoth Gothes & folkis of Itaile,
Tire, Sithia, with many gret contre
Stondyng in Asia, as be rehersaile;
But in Europe stant Trace, it is no faile.
Gothes, Sithiens of purpos did ordeyne
Among hemsilff[e] gouernour[e]s tweyne:

Knihtis, gentilmen chose Alericus
To be ther prince and haue the souereynte,
Wher the comouns chose Radagasus.
The Gothes first, for grettest surete,
With kyng Alerik been entred þe cite,
Into Roome to fynde ther socour,
That tyme Honorius beyng emperour.

Be graunt of whom, al the hool contre
Youe to Alerik, of Gaule, Spaigne & France,
Ther for tabide & holde ther his see,
Gothes, Spay[g]nolffs vndir his obeissaunce,
Takyng on hym al the gouernaunce,
Til Stillicon out of the occident
To meete with them was doun fro Roome sent,

That tyme Honorie beyng emperour.
Stillicon gan Allerik enchace
With many a proud[e] sturdi soudeour,
For to fihte thei chose haue ther place;

883

But Allerik stood so in the grace
Of Fortune, that be verray myht
Stillicon he putte vnto the fliht.

Radagasus and Alerik of assent
Haue concludid and ful accordid be
Thoruh Itaille for to make her went
Toward Roome, and entre that cite,
Maugre Romeyns to haue the souereynte.
Tofor ther entring gan the toun manace,
The name of Rome to chaungen & difface.

For euermor the toun to doon a shame
Ther purpos was, as ye haue herd deuise;
First of alle to chaungen the touns name,
Dempt themsilff hable to that emprise.
But Fortune thouhte al othirwise,
Lik hir maneeres to do most damage,
Whan she to men sheweth fresshest hir visage.

Hir condiciouns be nat alwey oon;
Stoundemeel of custum she can varie;
For she was first froward to Stillicon,
And to Radagasus eft ageyn contrarie:
In o poynt, she list[e] neuer tarie,
To Radagasus hir fauour did faille,
Be Stillicon he venquisshid in bataille.

Al his pride myht nat make hym speede;
Fortune list[e] so for hym ordeyne,
That he was fayn, at so streiht a neede,
To flee for socour to an hih mounteyne,
Of al vitaille nakid & bareyne,
Wher for hunger he felte so gret greef,
Nih al his peeple deide at myscheeff.

Of al socour destitut and bareyn,
Sauh no remedie, took hym to þe fliht;
Be the Romeyns he was so ouerleyn,
Take at myscheef, & maugre al his myht
In cheynis bounde & dampned anon riht
For to be ded; his peeple, as it is told,
Many on slayn, summe take & summe wer sold.

884

Ther was no[n] proudere nor mor surquedous
In thilke dayes, pleynli to descryue,
Than was this said[e] kyng Radagasus,
Which took on hym with Romeyns for to stryue.
His poweer short, was ouertourned blyue;
For Fortune of malys hadde a lust
To slen this tiraunt with hunger & with thrust.

Among[es] othir proud[e] princis alle
Reioysshed hymsilf bamaner [of] veynglorie,
Because that men in contres ded hym calle
Kyng of Gothes; short is the memorie
Of hym rehersid or writyn in historie,—
To yiue exaumple, in deede men may fynde
The name of tirauntes is soone put out of mynde.

[How Ruffyne chamberleyn with Theodosie vsurped to be Emperour and therfore by honoryus dampned & his heed smet of.]

Hih clymbyng vp haþ ofte an vnwar fall
And specialli whan it is sodeyne,
Fro lowh degre testat imperiall,
Whan fals ambicioun the ladder doth ordeyne,
Be vsurpacioun presumptuousli tatteyne
Aboue the skies with his hed to perse;
Fro whens he cam wer shame to reherse.

I meene as thus; al suich hasti clymbyng
Of them that list nat hemsilf for to knowe
And haue forgete the ground of þer gynnyng,
Be froward fame with worldli wyndis blowe,
To reise ther name boue Sagittaries bowe,—
Record on Ruffyn, which proudli gan desire
Be fals intrusioun to occupie thempire.

The which Ruffyn was whilom chaumbirleyn
With Theodosie, and holde a manli kniht;
Yit in o thyng he was foul ouerseyn,

885

Be couetise bleendid in his siht
To spende his labour, & hadde no ground of riht.
Be themperour Honorius he was sent
For to gouerne al the orient.

Bi processe Ruffyn was maad vikeer,
Callid aftir vikeer Imperial,
Took upon hym hooli and enteer
Be auctorite, [as] cheef and princepal,
Hymsilf allone to gouernen al,
As most hable; thus he dede deeme,
Beforn all othir to were a diadeeme;

Of hymsilff so moche he ded[e] make,
In port and cheere [the] most ambicious.
At Constantynople vnwarli he was take,
First bounde in cheynys and aftir seruid thus:
Be trewe iugement of Honorivs,
His hed smet of and his riht hand in deede;
This was his eende; of hym no mor I reede.

[How Stillicon and othir of lik condicion ended in myscheff.]

Afftir whos deth to Bochas ther cam oon,
Swich another lik of condicioun,
Afforn remembrid, callid Stellicon,
Whos sone Euterius, as maad is mencioun,
Purposed hym to haue pocessioun
Of thempire hool; pleynli thus he thouhte,
And bi what mene the weie his fadir souhte.

Compendiousli to tellyn of thes tueyne,
Fro dyuers contres toward Septemptrioun
To gadre peeple, thei dide her besi peyne,
Of many dyuers straunge nacioun.
Ageyn Honorivs thei cam togidre doun,
[And] as thei mette, Fortune made hem faille,
Bothe attonys slay[e]n in bataille.

886

Ther gynnyng cursid hadde a wengable fyn;
Aftir whos deth I reede of othir tweyne:
Of oon Constans, his fadir Constantyn,
Which Constantyn took on hym in certeyne
To regne in Gaule, and aftir that ordeyne,
In that contre to be gouernour,
Ther to contynve as lord and emperour.

His sone Constans kaute a deuocioun
Of conscience, and forthwith anon riht
Was shaue a monk, & made his professioun.
His fadir aftir of verray force & myht
Leet take hym out, gaf hym the ordre of kniht;
Both of assent gan make hemsiluen strong
Toppresse the contre & do the peeple wrong.

This said[e] Constans, as myn auctour seith,
Was confederat, of hatful cruelte,
With oon Herencivs, assuraunce maad & feith,
As brethre suorn for mor auctorite.
And for to make the noumbre up of thre,
Constantyn was sworrn with hem also
To been al oon in what thei hadde ado.

Thes said[e] thre sworn and Iioyned thus,
Conquered in Spaigne many gret cite;
But in this while this seid Herencivs,
Traitour and fals, ful of duplicite,
His fellawe slouh ageyn his oth, parde.
Thus was Constans thoruh fals collusioun
Of Herencivs moordred be tresoun.

Herencivs aftir lyued but a while;
Be his owne knihtis he slay[e]n was also.
Fraude for fraude; deceit is quit with gile;
It folweth euer & gladli cometh therto:
Men resceyue ther guerdouns as thei doo.
Lat men alwey haue this in remembraunce,
Moordre of custum wil eende with myschaunce.

Among suich othir, thus eending in myscheef,
Cam Attalus and oon Eraclyan;
For no prowesse, but to ther gret repreeff

887

Remembrid heer; ther stori telle can,
Ageyn Romeyns whan thei rebell[e] gan,
Be Honorivs afforn maad officeeres
And of thempire callid cheef vikeres.

First Attalus for his tirannye,
Whan he in Gaule was maad [a] gouernour,
Went into Spaigne with a gret companye,
Did his peyne and fraudulent labour
Be fals sleihte to be maad emperour.
Take and bounde, exilid for falsnesse,
His hand smet of, eendid in wrechidnesse.

Off Eraclyan the ende was almost lik,
Yit was he promoot to gret prosperite,
Maad gouernour & lord of [al] Affrik,
Of consuleer roos to the dignite,
Rood thoruh Libie and many gret contre,
With thre thousand shippes gan to saille
And with seuene hundrid taryue [vp] in Itaille.

Swich noumbre of shippis neuer afforn was seyn,
Lik as it is acountid be writyng;
His naue passed the naue in certeyne
Of myhti Xerses, that was of Perse kyng,
Or Alisaundre; but yit in his comyng,
Toward Itaille whan he sholde aryve,
The se and Fortune gan ageyn hym stryve.

At his arryuaile he hadde a sodeyn dreed,
Cause Honorius had sent doun a capteyn,
Constancivs callid, gouernour and hed
Of al the Romeyns, to meete hym on the pleyn;
For which Eraclyan tournid is ageyn,
As I fynde, gan take his passage
Toward the cite that callid is Cartage.

Thus Fortune list hir poweer shewe:
Or he cam fulli to that noble toun,
With sharp[e] suerdis he was al to-hewe
Among his knihtis thoruh fals occasioun
As thei fill at a discencioun.

888

Of intrusioun began first this quarell,
Ageyn Romeyns whan that he gan rebell.

Bochas rehersith here be vhom Rome cam to nouȝte.

Off many myscheuys heer afforn rehersid,
Summe drawe along & summe shortli told,
And hou Fortune hath hir wheel reuersid,
Be tragedies remembrid manyfold
Toforn be Bochas, of princis yong & old,
In the eihte book rehersid the processe,
Echon almost eendid in wrechidnesse.

Namli all tho that dide most desire
Be wrong title themsilff to magnefie,
To haue lordshipe & gouerne the empire,
Thestat imperial proudli to occupie.
Which estat, pleynli to specefie,
As ferr as Pheebus doth in his speere shyne
Among al lordshipe is drawe onto ruyne.

Fro myn auctour me list[e] nat discorde
To telle the ground whi Roome is com to nouht;
Be an exaumple I cast me to recorde
What was cheef cause, yiff it be weel souht,
Be a stori that cam onto the thouht
Of Iohn Bochas, which, as ye shal lere,
Ful notabli is rehersed heer.

Which exaumple and stori rehersyng,
Ceriousli folwyng myn auctour,
Odoacer, whilom a famous kyng,—
A kyng be name & a gret gouernour,
But of his lyuyng a rauynous robbour,
Out of whos court wer merci & pite
Banshed for euere with trouthe & equite.

889

In that regioun wher merci is nat vsid,
And trouthe oppressid is with tirannye,
And rihtwisnesse be poweer is refusid,
Fals extorsioun supporteth robberie,
And sensualite can haue the maistrie
Aboff resoun, be toknes at a preeff,
Which many a lond haue brouht onto myscheeff.

Ther is no rewm may stond in surete,
Ferme nor stable in verray existence,
Nor contune in long prosperite,
But yif the throne of kyngli excellence
Be supportid with iustise and clemence
In hym that shal as egal iuge stonde
Tween riche & poore, with sceptre & suerd in honde.

A cleer exaumple, this mateer for to grounde,—
So as a fadir that is naturall,
Or lik a moodir which kynd[e]li is bounde
To fostre ther childre in especial,
Riht so a kyng in his estat roiall
Sholde of his offis dilligentli entende
His trewe leeges to cherisshe [hem] & diffende.

Be good exaumple his sogettis tenlumyne;
For temporal rewmys sholde, as in figure,
Resemble the kyngdam which [that] is dyuyne,
Be lawe of God & lawe eek of nature,
That res publica long tyme may endure,
Void of discord and fals duplicite,
As o bodi in long prosperite.

Nouther ther regne nor domynacioun
Haue of themsilff non other assuraunce;
Thestat of kynges gan be permyssioun
Of Goddis grace & of his purueyaunce,
Be vertuous lyff and moral gouernaunce,
Long to contune bothe in pes and werre
Lik her desertis, & punshe hem whan thei erre.

Thei sholde be the merour and the liht,
Transcende al othir be vertuous excellence,
As exaumplaires of equite and riht,

890

So be discrecioun of natural prouidence
To tempre ther rigour with merci & clemence;
What shal falle afforn[e] caste al thynges,
As apparteneth to princis & to kynges.

Thynges passed to haue in remembrance,
Conserue wisli thynges in presence,
For thynges to come afforn mak ordenaunce,
Folwe the tracis of vertuous contynence,
Ageyn all vices to make resistence
Be the vertu of magnanymyte,
Which is approprid to imperial mageste,

Brothir to force, auctours seyn echon,
Which conserueth the roial dignite
In suich a mene stable as eny ston,—
Nat ouer glad for no prosperite,
Nor ouer sad for non aduersite;
For lyff nor deth his corage nat remewe
To God and man to yeld hem that is dewe.

Geyn flesshli lustis arme hym in sobirnesse,
Voide al surfetis of froward glotonye,
Gredi appetites be mesure to represse,
Out of his hous auoide al ribaudie,
Rowners, flaterers and such folk as kan lie,
War in his doomys he be nat parciall,
To poore doon almesse, to vertuous liberall.

In his array shewe hym lik a kyng
From other princis bamaner difference,
So that men preise his vertuous lyuyng
Mor than his clothing, ferr from his presence;
And let hym thynken in his aduertence,
Truste theron, verraily certeyn,
As he governeth men wil reporte & seyn.

Lat hym also for his gret avail
Haue such aboute hym to be in presence,
Notable princis to be of counsail,
Swich as toforn haue had experience
Tueen good and euel to knowe the difference.

891

And sixe thynges, hatful of newe & old,
To banshe hem out in hast from his houshold.

First them that loue to lyue in idilnesse,
As such as nouther loue God nor dreede,
Coueitous peeple that poore folk oppresse,
And them also that doon al thyng for meede,
And symulacioun, clad in a double weede,
And suich as can for ther auauntages
Out of oon hood[e] shewe too visages.

Lat hym also uoid out at his gate
Riotous peeple that loue to wachche al niht,
And them also that vse to drynke late,
Ly longe abedde til ther dyner be diht,
And such as list nat of God to haue a siht,
And rekles folk that list nat heere masse,
Tauoide his court, & let hem lihtli passe.

For suich defautis, rehersed heer toforn,
Nat onli Roome, but many gret contre
Hath be destroied & many kyndam lorn,
In olde cronicles as ye may reed & see.
Fals ambicioun, froward duplicite
Hath many a rewm & many a lond encloied,
And been in cause whi thei haue be destroied.

Iherusalem was whilom transmygrat,
Ther trewe prophetis for thei hadde in despiht;
And Baltazar was eek infortunat,
For he in Babiloun folwed al his deliht.
Darye in Perse had but smal respiht,
Sodenly slayn and moordred be tresoun,
The same of Alisaundre whan he drank poisoun.

Discord in Troye groundid on couetise,
Whan be fals tresoun sold was Palladioun;
Roome and Cartage in the same wise
Destroied wern, for short conclusioun,
Among hemsilff for ther dyuisioun.
Rekne othir rewmys that been of latter date,
As of dyuisiouns in France that fill but late.

892

Al thes defautis rehersid heer breeffli,
Outsouht the roote & weied in balaunce,
Cheeff occasioun, to telle bi and bi,
Hath been in princis that haue had gouernaunce.
And specialli to putte in remembraunce,
For an exaumple telle as kometh to mynde
Of Odoacer the stori, as I fynde.

Born in Prevs and hardi of corage,
At his begynyng hymsilf to magnefie,
Thouh no mencioun be maad of [his] lynage,
Hauyng no title of blood nor auncetrie,
His conquest gan of theffte and robberye,
Gadred peeple of sondri regiouns,
Entred Itaille with many naciouns.

With his soudiours first he gan assaille,
With multitude entryng anon riht,
Kyndames of Hungry & contres of Itaille;
Mette in his passage with a Romeyn kniht
Callid Horestes, in steel armyd briht:
The feeld was take and put in iupartie;
Horestes fledde for socour to Pauye.

Streihtli beseged and the toun Iwonne,
Fond for the tyme non othir cheuisaunce,
The nexte morwe at risyng of the sunne,
Bounde in cheynis tencres of his greuaunce,
Sent to a cite that callid was Plesaunce,
Ageyn[e]s whom Odoacer was so fell,
Leet hym be slayn be iugement ful cruel.

Aftir whos deth, be sodeyn violence
Odoacer is passid thoruh Itaille,
Entred Roome, fond no resistence;
For ther was non to yiue hym bataille.
Zeno themperour durste hym nat assaille,
So that be force and rauynous werkyng
Of al Itaille he was crownid kyng.

893

Hadde al Roome vndir subieccioun,
Fortune a while list [hym] nat [to] faille,
Zeno therof hadde indignacioun,
Gan werke ageyn hym, in hope it sholde [a]uaile.
And therupon the lordship of Itaille
He gaf of purpos, his poweer committyng,
To Theodorik, that was of Gothes kyng.

So that Theodorik in hope to haue victorie,
Ageyn Odoacer gan make resistence;
And his name to putte[n] in memorie,
Took vpon hym be knihtli excellence
For the Romeyns to stonde[n] in diffence.
Mette hym proudli with his cheualrie
Beside a ryueer that callid was Sowcye.

With ther batailles togidre whan thei mette,
Beside Leglere that stant in Lumbardie,
With round[e] speres & sharp swerdis whette,
Odoacer, for al his tirannye,
Was put to fliht, discounfited his partie.
And Fortune than, [which] can best chaunge & varie,
At vnset hour was to hym contrarie.

Hym & his poweer the Romeyns haue defied;
He brente her vynes and tour[e]s enviroun,
Because the entre was to hym denyed,
And to Rauenne he is descendid doun.
But maugre hym he was take in that toun
Be Theodorik; lat ech tiraunt tak heed,
Odoacer comaundid to be ded.

Myn auctour Bochas of entencioun,
For the tyme, as kam to remembraunce,
Toward Romeyns maketh a digressioun,
To them recordyng the gret[e] variaunce,
The vnwar chaunges, the gery contenaunce
Of Fortunis fals transmutacioun,
Thes same woordis rehersyng to the toun.

894

The wordes of Bochas a-geyne Rome.

Remembre o Roome & calle ageyn to mynde
The daies passid of thi felicite,
Þi marcial conquest, þi triumphes left behynde,
Thi grete victories most of auctorite,
Thi famous laudes songe in ech contre,
Which like a sonne thoruh al þe world did shyne,
Now al attonis is turnid to ruyne!

From est to west thi lordship did atteyne,
Aboue al poweers most excellent & roiall;
But now fro Roome doun into Almayne
Thestat translatid which is imperial;
Name of thi senatours, name in especial,
The golden lettres dirkid & diffacid,
And from remembrance almost out araced.

Cite of cites, whilom most glorious,
And most fresshli flouryng in cheualrie,
To which the Alpies & mounteyns most famous
Wer lowli soget of al Lumbardie,
Til that discord, dyuisioun and envie
Among yoursilf hath clipsed the brihtnesse,
Bi a fals serpent brouht in bi doubilnesse.

Kynges, princis wer to the tributarye,
Of al prosperite so fulsum was the flood,
Among yoursilf til ye began to varie,
The world[e] thoruhout soget to you stood,
Til ye gan shewe too facis in o hood:
What folwed aftir, Fortune hath so prouided,
Ye cam to nouht whan ye gan be deuyded.

Vnpurueied of prudent senatours,
Thi marchaundise turnid to pouerte,
Of knihthod bareyn, nakid of soudiours,
Disconsolat stant al thi comounte,
Tour[e]s, wallis broke of thi cite,

895

That whilom wer a paradis of deliht,—
Now al the world hath the but in despiht.

Cause, to conclude, of al thi wrechidnesse,—
Fals ambicioun, pride and lecherie,
Dyuysioun, malicious doubilnesse,
Rancour, hatreed, couetise [&] envie,
Which set aside al good[e] policie;
In breef rehersed, for short conclusioun,
Haue be cheeff ground of thi destruccioun.

[How the kynges Trabstila and Busarus were brouht to subieccioun and made tributaryes to Theoderyk.]

Afftir thes myscheuys told of Rome toun,
Cam Trabstila kyng of Gepidois
With other tweyne, as maad is mencioun:
Busar that was kyng of Bulgarois,
With Pheletevs, regnyng in Ragois.
Alle thes thre, breeffli for to seyne,
Cam attonys to Bochas to compleyne,

Ther rewmys stondyng toward Septemtrioun.
And to remembre of the firste tweyne,
Wer brouht attonis to subieccioun
Bi Theodorik, that did his besi peyne
Them to conquere, & proudli did ordeyne
That thei wer neuer hardi to rebell
Ageyn Romeyns nor take no quarell.

To Theodorik thei wer maad tributarye,
Most wrechchidli bounde[n] in seruage,
Neuer so hardi aftir for to varie
In peyne of deth duryng al ther age.
Of seruitute, loo, heer the surplusage,—
Of all wrechchis most wrechchid thei be founde,
Thei that to thraldam constreyned been & bounde.

896

Tresour of tresours, yif it be weel souht,
Is vertuous fredam with large liberte;
With worldli goodis it may nat be bouht,
With roial rubies, gold, stonis nor perre;
For it transcendith and hath the souereynte
Aboue al richessis that been in erthe founde,
A man at large freeli to stonde vnbounde.

[How Philitee lost his kyngdom.]

Next thes too kynges, in ordre as ye may see,
To Iohn Bochas gan shewe his presence
The thridde kyng, callid Phelete,
Which bi Fortunys sodeyn violence
Loste his kyngdam, and be cruel sentence
Of Odoacer, the tiraunt merciles,
Loste his liff and cam no mor in pres.

Thes sodeyn chaunges to reede whan I gan,
Sauh so ofte the wheel turne up & doun
Of Fortune; ther cam oon Marcian,
Of whom is maad non othir mencioun,
Sauff be a sodeyn coniuraceoun
He moordred was, [he] beyng innocent,
Among his knihtis, which slouh hym of assent.

Than tofor Bochas to shewe[n] his presence
Ther cam oon that callid was Leoun,
Which kauht a title be no violence,
But made his cleym be iust successioun
Afftir his fadir, and took pocessioun,
Which of a Leoun, myn auctour seith the same,
Beyng emperour, bar the same name.

This yonger Leoun, ageyn al trouthe & riht,
Be tirannye, as maad is mencioun,
Thoruh cruel Zeno, that was an hardi kniht,
Was put out of his pocessioun,
Constreyned to lyue in religioun;
But to what ordre that he did[e] weende,
I fynde nat; but ther he made an eende.

897

[How Symak and Boys his son in lawe were banysshed and aftir Iuged to die.]

Afftir thes myscheuys Symak gan hym drawe
Toward Bochas with a ful pitous face;
Bois cam with hym, that was his sone in lawe,
Which among Romeyns gretli stood in grace.
But in this mateer breefli for[th] to pace,
The said[e] Bois, only for his trouthe
Exilid was; alas, it was gret routhe!

For comoun proffit he was onto the toun
In mateeres that groundid wer on riht
Verray protectour and stedfast champioun
Ageyn too tirauntis, which of force & myht
Hadde in the poraille oppressid many a wiht
Be exacciouns and pillages gunne of newe
Vpon the comouns, ful fals & riht vntrewe.

Whan Theodorik, of Gothes lord & kyng,
Took upon hym be fals intrusioun
To regne in Roome, the peeple oppressyng
Bi his too prouostis, as maad is mencioun,—
Did in the cite gret oppressioun,
Confederat as brothir onto brothir:
Coniugast, and Trigwill was the tothir.

Compendiousli this mateer to declare,
To saue the comoun Bois stood in diffence;
For lyff nor deth he list nat for to spare
To withstonde of tirauntes the sentence.
Kyng Theodorik of cruel violence
Banshed hym bi hatful tirannye,
He and his fadir tabide in Pauye.

Aftirward Theodorik of hatreede,
Lik a fals tiraunt, of malis & envie
Yaf iugement that bothe too wer dede.
Bot touchyng Boys, as bookis specefie,
Wrot dyuers bookis of philosophie,
Of the Trynite mateeres þat wer dyuyne,
Martird for Crist & callid Seueryne.

898

[Off kyng Arthure and his conquestes / of the commoditees of Englond / and he was destroied by his Cosyn Mordrede.]

Was euer prince [that] mihte hymsilf assure
Of Fortune the fauour to restreyne?—
Lik his desir hir grace to recure
Tabide stable & stonde[n] at certeyne?
Among alle rekne Arthour of Breteyne,
Which in his tyme was holde of euery wiht
The wisest prince and the beste kniht.

To whom Bochas gan his stile dresse,
In this chapitle to remembre blyue
His grete conquest & his hih noblesse,
With synguler deedis that he wrouhte his lyue.
And first he gynneth breefli to descryue
The siht of Breteyne & of that contre,
Which is enclosed with a large se,

Set ferr westward, as ye shal vndirstond,
Hauyng Spaigne set in the opposit,
Of a smal angle callid Ing[e]lond,
Fraunce aboute hym, descryuyng thus his siht,—
With many a ryueer plesaunt of deliht,
Hote bathes [&] wellis ther be founde,
Dyuers myneres, of metallis ful habounde.

Aboute which renneth the occian,
Riht plenteuous of al maner vitaille,
The name of which at Brutis first began.
Londene hath shippis be the se to saille,
Bachus at Wynchestre gretli doth auaille,
Worcetre with frutis haboundeth at the fulle,
Herford with beestis, Cotiswold with wolle,

Bathe hote bathes, holsum for medecyne,
York mihti tymber for gret auauntage,
Cornewaile myneres in to myne,

899

Salisburie beestis ful sauage,
Whete, melk & honi, plente for eueri age,
Kent and Cauntirburi hath gret commodite
Of sondri fishes ther taken in the se.

Bochas reherseth, ther is eek in Breteyne
Found of geet a ful precious stoon,
Blak of colour & vertuous in certeyne
For siknessis many mo than oon,
Poudir of which wil discure anon,
Yif it be dronke (thouh it be secre),
Of maydenhod the broke chastite.

Ther been eke perlis founde in muskel shelles;
And thei [be] beste that haue most whitnesse.
And, as the book of Brutus also telles,
How kyng Arthour, to speke of worthynesse,
Passed al kynges in marcial prowesse;
Touchyng his lyne & his roial kynreede,
Who that list see, in Brutus he may reede.

His fadir callid Vter Pendragoun,
A manli kniht and famous of corage,
Of fals envie moordrid be poisoun;
His sone Arthour, but yong & tendre of age,
Be ful assent of al his baronage
Be successioun crownid anon riht,
Callid of Europe the moste famous kniht.

Curteis, large and manly of dispence,
Merour callid off liberalite,
Hardi, strong and of gret prouidence.
And of his knihtli magnanymyte
He droof Saxones out of his contre,
Conquered bi prowesse of his myhti hond
Orcadois, Denmark and Houlond,

Hirelond, Norway, Gaule, Scotlond & France.
As Martis sone to the werris meete,
Wrouht bi counsail, and bi the ordynaunce
Of prudent Merlyn, callid his prophete.
And, as I fynde, he leet make a seete,

900

Amon[g] his Bretouns most famous & notable,
Thoruh al the world callid the Round[e] Table.

Most worthi knihtis, preeued of ther hond,
Chose out be Arthour this ordre haue begunne;
Ther famous noblesse thoruh euery Cristen lond
Shon be report as doth the mydday sonne;
To Famys paleis the renoun is vp ronne,
Statutis set be vertuous ordenaunce,
Vndir proffessioun of marcial gouernaunce.

The firste statut in the[r] registre founde,
Fro which thei sholde nat declyne of riht,
Be ful assuraunce of oth and custum bounde,
Ay to be armyd in platis forgid briht,
Except a space to reste hem on the niht,
Seeke auentures, & ther tyme spende
Rihtful quarellis to susteene & diffende.

The feebler parti, yif he hadde riht,
To ther poweer manli to supporte,
Yif that thei wern requered of any wiht
Folk disconsolat to bern vp & conforte,
At alle tymes men may of hem reporte,
No maner wise thei do no violence
And ageyn tirauntes make knihtli resistence,

That widwes, maidnes suffre no damage
Be fals oppressioun of hatful cruelte,
Restoren childre to ther trewe heritage,
Wrongli exiled folk to ther contre,
And for hooli chirchis liberte
Reedi euere to make hemsilue strong,
Rather to deie than suffre hem [to] haue wrong.

For comoun proffit, as chose champiouns,
Pro republica defendyng ther contre,
Shewe ay themsilff[e] hardi as leouns,
Honoure tencrece, chastise dishoneste,
Releue al them that suffre aduersite,
Religious folk, haue hem in reuerence,
Pilgrymes resceyue that faille of þer dispence.

Callid in armys seuene deedis of mercy,
Burie soudiours that faile sepulture,

901

Folk in prisoun delyuere hem graciousli,
Swich as be poore, ther raunsoun to recure.
Woundid peeple that languisshe & endure,
Which pro republica manli spent her blood,—
The statut bond to do suich folkis good.

To putte hemsilff neuer in auenture
But for mateeres that wer iust & trewe,
Afforn prouided that thei stood[e] sure,
The ground weel knowe, wer it of old or newe.
And aftir that the mateer whan thei knewe,
To proceede knihtli & nat feyne,
As riht requereth, ther quarelis to darreyne.

A clerk ther was to cronicle al ther deedis,
Bi pursyuauntis maad to hym report
Of ther expleit and ther goode speedis,
Rad & songe, to folk gaff gret confort.
Thes famous knihtis makyng ther resort
At hih[e] feestis, euerich took his seete
Lik ther estat, as was to them meete.

Oon was voide callid the se pereilous,
As Sang Real doth pleynli determyne,
Noon to entre but the most vertuous,
Of God prouided to been a pure virgyne,
Born bi discent tacomplisshe & to fyne,
He allone, as cheeff and souereyne,
Al auentures of Walis & Breteyne.

Among al kynges renommed & famous,
As a briht sonne set amyd the sterris,
So stood Arthour notable & glorious,
Lik fresh[e] Phebus castyng his liht aferris.
In pes lik Argus; most marcial in þe werris;
As Ector hardi, lik Vlixes tretable,
Callid among Cristene, kyng most honourable.

His roial court he did[e] so ordeyne,
Thoruh ech contre so ferr sprad out þe liht,
Who that euer thidir cam to pleyne,

902

Be wrong oppressid, & requered of riht,
In his diffence he sholde fynde a kniht
To hym assigned, fynalli tatende
Be marcial doom his quarel to diffende.

Yif it fill soo that any straunge kniht
Souht auentures, and thidir cam fro ferre
To doon armys, his request maad of riht,
His chalenge seyn, wer it of pes or werre,
Was accepted, to the court cam nerre,
Lik as he cam with many or allone,
Thei wer delyuered; forsake was neuer one.

Ther was the scoole of marcial doctrine
For yonge knihtes to lernen al the guise,
In tendre age to haue ful disciplyne
On hors or foote be notable excersise;
Thyng take in youthe doth help in many wise,
And Idilnesse in greene yeeris gonne
Of al vertu clipseth the sheene sonne.

Widwes, maidnes, oppressid folk also,
Of extort wronges wrouht be tirannye,
In that court, what nacioun cam therto,
Resceyuid wer; ther list no man denie.
Of ther compleyntis fond reedy remedie,
Maad no delay, but foorth anon[e] riht
Them to diffende asigned was a kniht.

Eek bi ther ordre thei bounde wer of trouthe,
Be assuraunce & be oth Isworn,
In ther emprises, and lette for no slouthe,
Pleynli to telle how thei haue hem born,
Ther auentures of thynges do beforn,
Riht as it fill, spare in no maneere
To telle ech thyng onto ther registreer.

Thyng openli doon or thyng that was secre,
Of auentures as betwixe tweyne,
Or any quarel take of volunte
Treuly reporte, and platli nat to feyne,
Them to be sworn, the statut did ordeyne,
No[uh]t conselid of worshep nor of shame,
To be registred reporte the silue same.

903

And to conclude, the statutis han vs lered,
Eueri quarel groundid on honeste,
In that court what kniht was requerid,
In the diffence of trouthe and equite,
Falshod excludid and duplicite,
Shal ay be reedi to susteene that partie,
His lyff, his bodi to putte in iupartie.

Thus in Breteyne shon the cleer[e] liht
Of cheualrye and of hih prowesse,
Which thoruh the world[e] shadde his bemys briht,
Welle of worshep, conduit of al noblesse,
Imperial court al wrongis to redresse,
Hedspryng of honour, of largesse cheef cisterne,
Merour of manhod, of noblesse the lanterne.

Yit was ther neuer seyn so briht a sonne,
The someres day in the mydday speere
So fress[h]li shyne, but sum skies donne
Mihte percas courtyne his bemys cleere;
Oft it fallith, whan Fortune makth best cheere
And falsli smylith in hir double weede,
Folk seyn expert, than is she most to dreede.

Thus whan the name of this worthi kyng
Was ferthest sprad be report & memorye,
In eueri rewm his noblesse most shynyng,
Al his emprises concludyng with victorie,
This double goddesse envied at his glorie
And caste menys be sum maner treyne
To clipse the liht of knihthod in Breteyne.

Thus whil Arthour stood most honourable
In his estat, flouryng in lusti age,
Among his knihtis of the round[e] table,
Hiest of princis on Fortunis stage,
The Romeyns sente to hym for truage,
Gan make a cleym froward & outraious,
Takyng ther title of Cesar Iulivs.

The same tyme, this myhti kyng Arthour
Conquered hadde Gaule & also Fraunce,

904

Outraied Frolle, and lik a conquerour
Brouhte Parys vndir obeissaunce,
Took hem to grace, & with his ordenaunce
Gat al Aungoie, Aungerys & Gascoyne,
Peitow, Nauerne, Berry & Burgoyne.

Cessed nat, but ded his besi peyne,
Most lik a kniht heeld forth his passage,
Gat al the lond of Peiteres & Towreyne,
Ther cites yolde, to hym thei did homage;
To be rebell thei fond non auauntage,
Soiourned in France, as seith the cronicleer,
Heeld pocessioun the space of nyne yeer.

Heeld a feeste ful solempne at Parys,—
Al the contres which he gat in Fraunce,
Lik a prince ful prouident & wis,
Which hadde of fredam most roial suffisaunce,
Of al his conquest the contres in substaunce,
For his princis and barouns so prouided,
Lik ther desertis he hath hem deuided.

To his senescall that was callid Kay
Aungoye & Meyn he gaff al that partie;
To his botleer, was maad[e] no delay,
Callid Bedewar, he gaf Normandie;
To a baroun, nih cosyn of allie,
A manli kniht which namyd was Berell,
Gaff the duchie of Burgoyne euerydeell.

Thus he departid lordships of that lond,
Wher he thouhte was most expedient;
Summe he reserued in his owne hond,
Ageyn to Breteyne retournid of entent,
Sent out writtes, heeld a gret parlement,
Afftir which he made a feeste anon
In the contre Icallid Gloumorgon,

At a gret cite namyd Carlioun,
As [it] is remembrid be writyngis,
Cam many prince and many fressh baroun,
In noumbre, I fynde, that ther wer ten kynges,
Reedi tobeie Arthour in alle thynges;

905

Present also, as it was weel seene,
Ther wer of erlis reknid ful thretteene.

Al the knihtes of the rounde table,
Feste of Pentecost, a feeste princepal,
Many estatis famous & honourable
Of princis, barouns born of the blood roial
Wer ther present, and in especial
Al tho that wern be oth & promys bounde
To brothirhede of the table rounde.

And it fill so, whil that kyng Arthour
As appartened sat in his estat,
Ther cam tuelue sent doun be gret labour
Of olde mene chose [out] of the Senat,
Sad of ther port, demvre & temporat,
Richeli clad, of look and off visage,
Greihored [echon], sempte of riht gret age.

First cunnyngli, as thei thouht it due,
Cause of ther comyng & pleynli what thei mente,—
First of assent the kyng thei gan salue,
Next aftir that thei tolde who them sente,
And ther lettres meekli thei presente,
Concludyng thus, to speke in breef langage,
How the Romeyns axe of hym truage.

Custumyd of old sith go many [a] day,
Whan that Cesar conquered first Breteyne,
The kyng requeryng to make hem no delay.
Arthour abood, list nothyng to seyne;
But al the court gan at hem disdeyne;
The proude Bretouns of cruel hasti blood
Wolde hem haue slay[e]n euene ther thei stood.

“Nay,” quod Arthour to al his officeeres,
“Withynne our court thei shal haue no damage;
Thei entred been and kome as massageris,
And men also gretli falle in age.
Let make hem cheer[e] with a glad visage.”
Took his counsail of suich as wer most wise,
With this ansuere seid in curteis wise:

906

“Your lettres rad and pleynli vndirstonde,
The teneur hool rehersid in this place,
Touching the charge which ye haue tak on honde,
To yiue ansuere rehersid in short space,
Be woord & writyng ye gretli me manace,
How ye purpose with many strong bataille
Passe the mounteyns me felli for tassaille.

It nedeth nat suich conquest to a-legge
Ageyn[es] Bretouns of non old truage,
Of comyng doun your weie I shal abregge,
With Goddis grace shorte your passage.
Mak no delay, but with my barounage
Passe the se withoute long tarieng
To meete Romeyns at ther doun komyng.”

This was the ansuere youe to the massagers.
At ther departy[n]g bar with hem gret richesse,
The kyng bad so vnto his officeeres.
Ageyn to Roome in haste thei gan hem dresse,
Pleynli reportyng the bounteuous largesse
Of worthi Arthour, considred all[e] thynges,
Of Cristendom he passed all othir kynges.

Arthuris court was the sours and well
Of marcial power, to Lucyvs thei tolde,
And how that he all othir did excell
In chuialrie, with whom ther wer withholde
The chose knihtis, bothe yong & olde,
In al Europe, who can considre ariht,
Of al noblesse the torchis be ther liht.

He cast hym nat to paien no truage,
Seide of the Romeyns [how] he heeld no lond,
Which to diffende he wil make his passage,
“Of your cleymys to breke atoo the bond;”
And knihtli preeue [it] with his [owne] hond,
“Ye haue no title, ye nor your cite,
Ageyn the Bretouns, which euer haue stonde free.”

907

With al the kyngdames soget to Rome toun,
Kynges, princis aboff the hih mounteyns,
With Lucyus thei be descendid doun
To meete Bretouns upon the large pleyns.
Arthour[i]s comyng gretli he disdeyns,
Because he hadde, pleynli to descryue,
In multitude of peeple swich[e] fyue.

At Southhamptoun Arthour took the se
With al his knihtis of the Rounde Table,
Behynde he leffte to gouerne the contre
His cosyn Modred, vntrusti & vnstable,
And, at a preef, fals & deceyuable,
To whom Arthour of trust took al the lond,
The crowne except, which he kept in his hond.

Fro Southhamptoun Arthour gan to saile
With al the worthi lordis of Breteyne,
At Barbeflu fond good arryuaile;
He and his princis ther passage did ordeyne
Thoruh Normandie, France & eek Burgeyne
Vp to a cite callid Augustence,
Wher he first fond of Lucyus the presence.

So large a feeld nor suich a multitude
Of men of armys assemblid on a pleyn
Vpon a day, shortli to conclude,
Togidre assemblid afforn wer neuer seyn.
Lucivs hadde on his partie certeyn
Estward the world[e] al the cheualrie
Brouht be the mounteyns doun toward Germanye.

Ther wardis sett, in ech a gret bataile,
With ther capteyns to gouerne hem & guye,
Arture with Bretouns the Romeins gan assaile,
Fond many Sarsyns vpon that partie.
The Bretoun Gaufride doth pleynli specefie,
As he of Arthure þe prowesse doth descryue,
He slouh that day of Sarsyns kynges fyue.

908

The grete slauhtre, theffusioun of blood
That was that day vpon outher side,
Ech ageyn othir so furious was & wood,
Lik for the feeld as Fortune list prouide,
That yiff I sholde theron longe abide
To write the deth, the slauhtre & the maneere,
Touchyng the feeld wer tedious for to heere.

To conclude & leue the surplusage,
In that bataile ded was many a kniht,
The consul Lucyus slay[e]n in that rage,
The proude Romeyns be force put to fliht.
Of gentilesse Arthour anon riht
Leet the bodi of Lucyus be caried
Ageyn to Roome; it was no lenger taried.

The worthi princis and lordes that wer dede,
And manli knihtis abidyng with Arthour,
Lik a kyng solempneli took heed
That thei wer buried be dilligent labour.
And in this while, lik a fals tretour,
His cosyn Modred did his besi peyne
To take fro hym the kyngdam of Breteyne.

So as the stori pleynli maketh mynde,
Modred falsli, to his auauntage,
Entreted hem that wer lefft behynde,
Vnder colour of fraudulent langage,
Gaff hem gret fredam; & þei did hym homage,
That be his fals[e] conspiracioun
Brouht al Breteyne into rebellioun.

Be faire behestis & many freendli signe
Drouh the peeple to hym in sondri wise,
Shewed hym outward goodli & benigne,
Gaf libertes & graunted gret fraunchise
To make Bretouns ther souereyn lord despise.
And purueyaunce he gan ordeyne blyue
To keepe the portes, he shold[e] nat aryue.

Whan kyng Arthour hadde knouleching
Of this fals tresoun and al the purueiaunce
That Modred made, he, lik a manli kyng,

909

Lefte Burgoyne & al the lond of France,
Cast on Modred for to do vengaunce;
Took the se, [&] with gret apparaile
Cast at Sandwich to make his arrivaile.

Modred was reedi with knihtis a gret noumbre,
Made a strong feeld to meete hym on the pleyn,
In purpos fulli Arthour to encoumbre,
At which aryuaile slay[e]n was Gawayn,
Cosyn to Arthour, a noble kniht certayn;
Eek Aunguisel was slay[e]n on the stronde,
Kyng of Scottes, or he myhte londe.

Maugre Modred Arthour did aryue,
The ground recurid lik a manli kniht
(For feer of whom, anon aftir blyue
The seid[e] Modred took hym to the fliht),
Toward Londene took his weie riht,
The gatis shet, & kept was the cite
Ageyn Modred; he myhte haue non entre.

In al haste to Cornewaile he fledde,
The suerd of Arthure he durste nat abide,
List he shold[e] leyn his lyff to wedde;
Yit for hymsilff[e] thus he gan prouide,
With multitude gadrid on his side
Put lyf and deth that day in auenture,
That day to deie or the feeld recure.

In Fortune ther may be no certayn,
Vpon whos wheel al brotilnesse is foundid:
Moodred that day in the feeld was slayn
And noble Arthour to the deth was woundid.
Be which the feeld of Bretouns was confoundid,
Of so gret slauhtre & goode knihtis lorn
Vpon oo day, men haue nat herde toforn.

Afftir the bataile Arthour for a while
To staunche his woundis & hurtis to recure,
Bor[n] in a liteer cam into an Ile
Callid Aualoun; and ther of auenture,
As seid Gaufrid recordeth be scripture,
How kyng Arthour, flour of cheualrie,
Rit with his knihtis & lyueth in Fairye.

910

Thus of Breteyne translatid was þe sunne
Vp to the riche sterri briht dongoun,—
Astronomeeres weel reherse kunne,—
Callid Arthuris constellacioun,
Wher he sit crownid in the heuenl[y] mansioun
Amyd the paleis of stonis cristallyne,
Told among Cristen first of þe worthi nyne.

This errour yit abit among Bretouns,
Which foundid is vpon the prophecie
Of olde Merlyn, lik ther oppynyouns:
He as a kyng is crownid in Fairie,
With sceptre and suerd, & with his regalie
Shal resorte as lord and souereyne
Out of Fairye & regne in Breteyne,

And repaire ageyn the Rounde Table;
Be prophecie Merlyn set the date,
Among[es] princis kyng incomparable,
His seete ageyn to Carlioun translate.
The Parchas sustren sponne so his fate;
His epitaphie recordeth so certeyn:
Heer lith kyng Arthour, which shal regne ageyn.

Vnto Bochas I wil ageyn retourne,
Afforn rehersid parcel of his prowesse,
Theron tabide me list no mor soiourne,
But to remembre the gret vnkynd[e]nesse,
The conspiracioun, þe tresoun, the falsnesse
Doon to kyng Arthour be his cosyn Modrede,
Make a Lenvoye, that al men may it reede.

[Lenvoy.]

This tragedie of Arthour heer folwyng
Bit princis all bewar of fals tresoun;
For in al erthe is non mor pereilous thing
Than trust of feith, wher is decepcioun
Hid vndir courtyn of fals collusioun.
For which men sholde—I holde þe counsail good—
Bewar afforn euere of vnkynde blood.

911

The world [is] dyuers, Fortune ay chaungyng,
In euery contre & eueri regioun;
At a streiht neede fewe freendis abidyng;
Long abscence causeth deuisioun:
And yif princis be fals ambicioun,
Nih of allie, shewe too facis in oon hood,
Lat men bewar euere of vnkynde blood.

Who was mor hardi of princis heer regnyng
Or mor famous of marcial renoun
Than whilom was, him enmyes outraieng,
Arthur, cheef sonne of Brutis Albioun?
But, for al that, the disposicioun
Of Fate and Fortune, most furious & wood,
Caused his destruccioun be vnkynde blood.

What mor contrarious to nature in shewing
Than fair pretence, double of entencioun,
Gret alliaunces frowardli werkyng?
Hid vndir flours, a serpent cast poisoun,
Briht siluir scaled, damageth the dragoun;
Ech werm sum parti tarageth of his brood.
And what mor pereilous than vnkynde blood?

Noble Princis, on Arthour remembryng,
Deemeth the day of Phebus goyng doun:
Al is nat gold that is cleer shynyng,
Afforn prouided in your inward resoun,
Fals vndirmynyng & supplantacioun,
Remembryng ay with Arthour how it stood,
Be conspiracioun of vnkynde blood.

An exclamacion a-geyn men þat been vnkynde to þeir kynrede.

Ageyn kynreedis & vnkynde alliaunces,
Bochas makth heer an exclamacioun
Vpon Modred, which with his ordenaunces
Caused of Arthour fynal destruccioun,
The sunne eclipsyng of Brutis Albioun,

912

Natwithstondyng, pleynli to descryue,
He trusted hym abof al men on lyue.

It is a merueile & vnkouth to deuise,
Be what occasioun or be what corage,
That a man sholde in any maner wise
Be founde vnkynde vnto his lynage.
Hatful to God, that in any age
Blood ageyn blood born of o kynreede
Conspire sholde of malis or hatreede.

In this mateer it wer but veyn to tarie,
The stori knowe of Arthour & Modrede,
Be blood allied, in werkyng most contrarie,
Which made many Bretoun kniht to bleede;
For be vsurping, conspiryng and falsheede
Of seide Modred, most infortunat,
Caused al Breteyne to stond[e] desolat.

First desolat be absence of ther kyng,
Callid in his tyme of kynges most notable,
The desolacioun of knihtis abidyng,
Whilom in Breteyne famous & honourable,
Brethre echon of the Rounde Table,
The which be Moodred, the false forswor kniht,
Stod longe eclipsed & dirked of his lyht.

The liht of noblesse þat shon thoruh al Breteyne
Be fals Modred was dirkid off his bemys;
The monarchie departid was on tweyne,
That stood first oon with his marcial stremys.
But aftirward the brihtnesse of his lemys
Drouh to declyn be fals deuisioun,
Which hath destroied ful many a regioun.

Al this processe vpon duplicite
Pleynli concludeth, & blood that is vnkynde.
A-dieu weelfare and al prosperite,
Wher pes & concord been Ilefft behynde:
Trees may nat thryue departid fro þe rynde,—

913

A pleyn exaumple in Arthure & Modrede,
Who can conceyue, & list ther stori reede.

[Off Gesevye kyng of venandre and of iij. othre kynges / and how they were destroyed.]

Afftir al these vnkouth straunge thingis,
Tofor Iohn Bochas, as made is mencioun,
Ther cam toforn hym fyue myhti kinges
For to compleyne ther desolacioun.
First Giseli[n]e, kyng off the regioun
Callid Venandre, in werris ful contraire
Vnto a prince callid Balisaire.

And to this saide noble Balisaire,
Ful rennomed that tyme in cheualrie,
The kyng of Gothes was also aduersaire;
And bothe attonis of hatrede & envie
Assentid fulli to hoolde chaumpartie
Geyn Balisair, which thoruh his hih renoun
Took hem bothe and cast hem in prisoun.

Ther is no mor of them in Bochas founde.
But aftir them, in ordre be writyng,
Cam Amarales, with many bloodi wounde,
Which in his tyme was of Maures kyng.
Withoute cause or title of any thyng
Vpon Ian Sangwyn gan werreye ageyn riht,
Which thoruh al Affrik was oon the best[e] kniht.

The saide Ian, armyd in plate and maile,
Mette Amarales in Affrik on a sond,
And heeld with hym a myhti strong bataile,
And lik a kniht slouh hym with his hond,
Droof al his peeple proudli fro þat lond.
And in my book ther is non othir mynde
To be remembrid of hym that I can fynde.

Than Syndual, of Brentois lord & kyng,
Tofor Bochas put hymsilf in pres,
Gan shewe his myscheef, pitousli pleynyng,

914

Whan he heeld werre, wilful & rek[e]les,
Ageyn a prince callid Narsates,
A Romeyn kniht, fers, hardi & riht strong
In his diffence whan men wold doon hym wrong.

This Narsates, of cas or auenture,
Thouh he in deede was a manli kniht,
He failled membres in soth of engendrure.
His aduersaires he put echon to fliht,
Took ther kyng, & foortwith anon riht,
As the cronicle pleynli doth recorde,
On hih[e] galwes he heng hym with a corde.

Of Narsetis aftir this victorie,
Kyng Totila hadde ful gret disdeyn;
With a gret host, most pompous in his glorie,
Kam upon hym & mette hym on a pleyn.
With multitude thow he wer ouerleyn,
Kyng Totila, which many man beheeld,
Of Narsates was slay[e]n in the feeld.

[Trusimond kyng of Gepedois.]

In ordre nexte Bochas doth [so] write,
Of Gepidois how king Trusimounde
Requered hym that he wolde endite
The grete aduersites in which he did habounde,
And of his douhtir callid Rosymounde
The vnhappi chaunce to marken & descryue,
To whom Fortune was contrarye al hir lyue.

Alboinvs kyng of Lumbardie,
Which many lond heeld in subieccioun,
Conquered Beeme, Pragve & Hungrie,
The lond of Gepidois, with many regioun,
Fauht with ther kyng, as maad is mencioun,
Slouh in bataille the said[e] Trusimounde,
Weddid aftir his douhtir Rosamounde.

915

Myn auctour gretli comendeth hir beute
And writ also she was but yong of age,
Whos stori first, whan I dide see
How vngracious was also hir mariage,
I gan wexe pale in my visage,
Gretli astoned, confus of verray shame
To write this stori in hyndryng of hir name.

I wil forbern and breefli passen heere,
The surplusage lihtli ouerpasse;
For bi and bi to telle al the maneere
Of fellonies that did hir herte enbrace,
It sholde blotte this book & eek difface.
For which I caste treuli & nat faille
Touching hir stori to make rehersaille.

[How Albonyus was moordred by his wif / and how she aftir most vicious was moordred also.]

Kyng Alboinus, as ye shal vndirstonde,
Afftir many conquest & victorie,
Which he hadde [had] both on se & londe,
To putte his name & triumphes in memorie,
Leet crie a feeste to his encres of glorie;
At which[e] feeste, solempne & princepall,
So as he sat in his estat roiall,

Parcel for pride, parcel for gladnesse,
The queen present, the said[e] Rosamounde,
Take and supprised he was with dronk[e]nesse,
Of myhti wynes which þat day did habounde,
Sent a goblet of gold, as it is founde,
Vnto the queen, with licour ful plesaunt,
Bad to hir fadir [she] sholde drynke a taunt.

She dempte it was a maner moquerie,
First hir name and worshep to confounde,
To bidde hir drynke a taunt for hir partie
To hir fadir, the said[e] Trusymounde,
Slay[e]n afforn with many bloodi wounde

916

Be Albonius, thoruh his vnhappi chaunce,—
Of which rebuk she cast to do vengaunce.

She bar the rancour ful long in hir entent,
Which day be day gan renewe & encrece.
A certeyn squieer she made of hir assent,
Which tacomplisshe she wolde neuer cese.
And on another squieer she gan prese,
Callid Peredeus, accorded al in oon,
This false moordre texecute anon.

The day was set; whil he lay & sleepe
Fill upon hym with sharp suerdis grounde:
Hir lord was slayn, alas, he took no keepe!
Or he deide of Fortune he hath founde
A speris hed[e] to a tronchoun bounde,
Hymsilf defendyng in that mortal striff;
But slayn he was be tresoun of his wiff.

Aftir this moordre tescape fro daungeer,
This Rosamounde fledde awei be niht.
With hir went[e] Melchis hir squieer;
Took a ship, sailed be sterre-liht,
To Rauenne thei took the weie riht,
Lad with hem for refut & socour
Of kyng Alboyne al the hool tresour.

Aftir she was [I]weddid to Melchis,
Man of this world[e] stood most in hir grace.
Hir loue appallid, set of him no pris;
For she nat koude be content in o place.
Hir ioie was euere newe thing to purchace,
Tassaie manye, plesid neuer with oon,
Til bexperience she preuid hadde echon.

Prouost of Rauenne & cheef gouernour,
For thexcellence of hir gret beute
Aboue al women loued hir paramour,
Whan she entred first in that cite.
And thoruh hir fraude and duplicite

917

She caste moordre in hir froward auys
Hir newe husbonde that callid was Melchis.

The hote somer in lusti fressh[e] May,
The same Melchis for heete & weerynesse
Hymsilff to bathe wente a certeyn day,
Kauht a gret thrust of feyntise in sothnesse.
And Rosamounde, of infernal falsnesse,
Took a goblet, with licour gret foisoun,
Gaf hym drynke wyn medlid with poisoun.

He drank up half, & therwithal he gan
Brest and beli to suelle & arise,
Intoxicat, wex dedli pale & wan;
And whan he dide hir tresoun aduertise,
He made hir drynke in the same wise,
Maugre hir wil, she myht it nat restreyne,—
Guerdoun for moordre,—thei deide bothe tweyne.

In this chapitle but litil frut I fynde,
Sauf onli this, to putte in remembraunce,
That men sholde calle ageyn to mynde,
Moordre affor God requereth ay vengaunce.
This funeral stori weied in ballaunce,
Wrouht be Melchis, compassid first & founde
Be fals tresoun of cursid Rosamounde.

Slouh first hir lord Albonivs, as I seide,
Tueyne of hir squieres did execusioun,
Out of his slepe whan he did abraide.
Lat countirpeise what was ther guerdoun:
Ech moordrid othir be drynkyng of poisoun;
Melchis drank first, & next drank Rosamounde;
At them it gan; to them it did rebounde.

Countirpeised o moordre for another:
Albonivs slayn be Rosamounde his wiff
Bassent of Melchis, & aftir ech to other
The poisoun partid; ther gan a fatal striff.
Moordre quit for moordre, thei bothe lost her lyff.
Who vseth falsnesse, ful weel afferme I dar,
Shal with falsnesse be quit or he be war.

918

As thei departed, suich part ageyn þei took;
As men disserue, suich shal be ther meede.
This froward story, eende of the Eihte Book,
Of Rosamounde & Melchis wrought in deede,
For short conclusioun biddith men take heede,
Thei shal resceyue ageynward suich mesour
As thei mesure vnto ther neih[e]bour.

Finis libri octaui. Incipit IXus liber Bochasii.

919

BOOK IX.

[How the Emperoure Maurycyus his wif and his childre wer slayne atte Calcedonye.]

To Franceis Petrak as Bochas vndertook,
In eschewing of slouthe & idilnesse,
As he began taccomplissh up his book,
Assuraunce maad to doon his besynesse;
Which thing remembrid gan his penne dresse,
The Nyhnte Book, so God wold send hym grace,
It to parfourme yif he had lyff & space.

At the gynnyng sothli of his labour,
In his studie to hym ther did appeere
Mauricivs, the mihti emperour,
Which gan compleyne, rehersing the maneere
How he bi Phocas, cruel of look & cheere,
Destroied was—wiff, childre & kynreede—
The slauhtre kouth, who list ther stori reede.

The said[e] Maurice, as writ Bochas Iohn,
Was be Phocas brouht to destruccioun,
His wiff, his childre slay[e]n euerichon
At Calcedoyne, as maad is mencioun,
Aftir whos deth he took pocessioun.
The said[e] Phocas, as put is in memorie,—
Gaf Panteoun onto Seynt Gregorie,

Which was a temple of old fundacioun,
Ful of idoles upset on hih[e] stages.
Ther thoruh the world of eueri nacioun
Wer of ther goddis set up gret images,
To eueri kyngdam direct wer ther visages,
As poetis & Fulgence be his lyue
In bookis olde pleynli doth descryue.

Eueri image hadde in his hand a belle,
As appartened to euery nacioun,
Which be crafft sum tokne sholde telle

920

Whan any kyngdam fill in rebellioun
Or gan maligne ageyn[es] Roome toun;
Swich to redresse with strong & mihti hond
Sent a prince to chastise al that lond.

The saide temple bilt of lym & ston,
Pope Boniface, bookis specefie,
Wher it was first callid Pantheon,
Set up crossis upon ech partie,
Halwid it to martirs & Marie,—
Yeer be yeer[e] gynnyng off Nouembre
The feeste holde, the martiloge doth remembre.

In Asie this emperour Maurice was slayn,
In the cite that callid is Calcidonye,
Al his houshold and many good Romayn
Bi Phocas and Perciens, as had is in memorie.
And Phocas afftir, for al his veynglorie,
Slayn be Eraclivs, thouh he was emperour
Foure and twenti wyntir and cheef gouernour.

[Off Machomet the fals prophete and how he beyng dronke was deuoured among swyn.]

Afftir the deth of Phocas, as I tolde,
That Eraclius to regne first began,
Cam Machomeet, in his tyme Iholde
A fals prophete and a magicien,
As bookis olde weel reherse can.
Born in Arabia but of low kynreede,
Al his lyue an idolastre in deede.

And whan that he greuh to gretter age,
Deceyuable in many sondri wises,
With chamelis vsid first cariage:
Wente to Egipt [to] fette marchaundises,
Fals and double, sotil in his deuises;
To Iewes & Cristene sondry tymes sent,
Lerned the Olde a[nd] Newe Testament.

921

As bookis olde recorde in that partie,
This Machomeet, this cursid fals[e] man,
Out of Egipt faste gan hym hie
Toward a contre callid Corozan,
With a ladi that hihte Cardigan,—
Thoruh his sotil fals[e] daliaunce
Be crafft he fill into hir aqueyntaunce.

He wrouhte [so] be his enchauntementis
And be fals menis off nigromauncie,
Hir enclynyng toward his ententis;
For bothe he koude riht weel flatre & lie.
Saide openli that he was Messie,
Iewes abidyng vpon his comyng,
As grettest prophete and ther souereyn kyng.

Thus the peeple he brouht in gret errour
Bi his teching & his fals doctryne;
He wex among hem a gret gouernour.
The saide ladi he dede also enclyne,
As to a prophete which that was deuyne
Sent from aboue, as she did vndirstonde;
For which she took hym vnto hir husbonde.

His lynage [be]gan at Hismael;
Hadde a siknesse, fil ofte sithes doun,
In his excus[e] seide that Gabriel
Was sent to hym from the heuenli mansioun
Be the Hooli Goost to his instruccioun:
For the aungel shewed hym so sheene,
To stonde upriht he myhte nat susteene.

On his shuldre[s] wer ofte tymes seyn,
Whan he to folk[is] shewed his presence,
Milk whit dowes, which that piked greyn
Out of his eris; affermyng in sentence
Thei cam be grace of goostli influence
Hym to visite, to shewe & specefie
He was the prophete that callid was Messie.

Newe lawes he did also ordeyne,
Shewed signes be fals apparence;
Lik Moises, hymsilf he did[e] feyne

922

A prophete of most excellence.
And therupon to shewe an euidence,
Smale pottis with milk & hony born,
Of a gret bole wer hangid on ech horn.

Made the peeple yiue credulite
To his doctryne and [his] froward teching:
Be mylk & hony figurid was plente,
Be the merit of his gostli werking.
And thus he was at his begynnyng
Take of Sarsyns, as thei gan to [hym] drawe,
Which bi fals errour bond hem to his lawe.

A clerk of his, callid Sergius,
Wrot his lawes & thes myracles thre:
First of the dowes, how thei cam to hym thus,
As heer-toforn rehersid was by me,
How milk & hony wer tokne[s] of gret plente,
And of the bole, afforn be crafft maad tame,
Bi fals deceitis to getyn hym a name.

Of Arabiens & Sarsyns, as I reede,
And of Turkis maad prince & gouernour,
With Hismaelites & folk of Perse & Mede
He gadred peeple, gan wexe a werreiour,
Ageyn Heraclius, the mihti emperour,
And vsurped to ride in tho cuntres,
Gat Alisaundre with many mo cites.

Of tho parties desirous to be kyng,
Of that purpos whan he was set aside,
To the peeple falsli dissymulyng,
Told he was sent prophetis to prouide
For tho contrees, for to been ther guide.
And for he was lecherous of corage,
He made of Venvs sette up an image.

Made Sarsyns to worshep the Friday,
Semblabli his stori doth expresse,
So as Iewes halwe the Satirday,—
Al his werkis concludyng on falsnesse.
Whan he drank wyn [he] fill in dronk[e]nesse;
Bad the peple, lik a fals propheete,
Drynk[e] watir, & good wyn to lete.

923

As I seide, the heretik Sergivs,
With hym of counsail froward & contrarie,
Foon to our feith, he and Nostorivs,
From hooli chirch[e] gretli thei gan varie.
On whos errours Bochas list nat tarie
Mor to write[n] of this Machomeete,
A nigromancien & a fals prophete.

Who list to seen his lawes euerichon
Youe to Sarsyns, his book can ber witnesse,
As thei be set in his Alkeroun,
Echon in ordre groundid on falsnesse.
Lik a glotoun deied in dronk[e]nesse,
Bi excesse of mykil drynkyng wyn,
Fill in a podel, deuoured among swyn.

This was the eende of fals[e] Machomeete,
For al his crafftis of nigromancie,
The funeral fyn of this seudo prophete,
Dronklew of kynde, callid hymsilf Messie,
Whom Sarsyns so gretli magnefie.
Iohn Bochas let be for a queen of Fraunce,
Mor of his errours to putte in remembraunce.

[How Brounchild / queene of Fraunce slouh hir kyn / brought the londe in diuisioun, and aftir was honged / and hewen in pecys smale.]

She cam arraied nothing lik a queen,
Hir her vntressid; Bochas took good heed,
In al his book he had afforn nat seen
A mor woful creature in deede.
With weeping eyen, totorn[e] was hir weede,
Rebuking Bochas, he had lefft behynde
Hir wrechidnesse for to putte in mynde.

Vnto myn auctour she sodenli abraide,
Lik a woman that wer with wo chekmaat.
First of alle thus to hym she saide:
“Sumtyme I was a queen of gret estat
Crownid in Fraunce; but now al desolat

924

I stonde in soth. Brunnechild[e] was my name,
Which to reherse I haue a maner shame.

Thou wer besi to write the woful caas
Withynne thi book off Arsynoe,
Dist seruise to queen Cleopatras,
Of Rosymounde thou writ also parde;
And among alle thou hast forgete me,
Wherbi it seemeth thou dost at me disdeyne,—
List no parcel to writen of my peyne.”

Whan Bochas herd, of cheer he wex riht sad,
Knowyng nothing of that she ded endure.
“I-wis,” quod he, “afforn I haue nat rad
In no cronicle nor in no scripture
Of your woful froward auenture.”
“No?” quod she, “I pray you tak good heede,
So as thei fille I wil reherse in deede.”

Bochas with Brunnechilde gan debate anon:
“Sothli,” quod he, “this the condicioun
Of you wommen almost euerichon;
Ye haue this maner, withoute excepcioun,
Of your natural inclynacioun,
Of your declaryng this obseruaunce to keepe:
Nothyng to seyn contrarye to your worshepe.

Nature hath tauht you al that is wrong texcuse,
Vndir a courtyn al thyng for to hide;
With litil greyn your chaff ye can abuse;
On your diffautis ye list nat for to bide:
The galle touchid, al that ye set aside;
Shewe rosis fresshe; weedis ye leet passe,
And fairest cheer[e] wher ye most trespace.

And yiff ye shal telle your owne tale,
How ye be fall[e] fro Fortunis wheel,
Ye will vnclose but a litil male,
Shewe of your vices but a smal parcel:
Brotil glas sheweth brihter than doth steel;
And thouh of vertu ye shewe a fair pretence,
He is a fool that yiueth to you credence.”

925

Quo[d] Brunnechild, “I do riht weel espie
Thou hast of wommen a fals oppynyoun,
How that thei can flatre weel & lie
And been dyuers of disposicioun;—
Thou myhtest haue maad an excepcioun
Of hih estatis & them that gentil been,
Namli of me, that was so gret a queen.”

“Your hih estat boff Kynde hath no poweer
To chaunge in nature nouther cold nor heete:
But let vs passe and leue this mateer,
Theron tabide or any mor to plete;
Of your compleynt seith to me the grete.
Be weie of seruise to you I shal me quite,
As ye declare take my penne & write.”

“Tak heed,” quod she, “& with riht good auis
Fro the trouthe bewar that thou nat varie!
Whilom in France regnid kyng Clowis,
Hadde a sone that namyd was Clotarye,
Clothair an heir which callid was Lotarie;
And this Lotarie, namyd the secounde,
Hadde sonis foure, in stori it is founde.

To the cronicle who can taken heed,
As it is I put in remembraunce,
Whan ther fadir, the myhti kyng, was ded,
Atween thes foure partid was al France,
Ech be hymsilff[e] to haue gouernaunce,
Be oon assent, as brothir onto brothir,
Weryng her crownis, ech quit hem onto othir.

The same tyme, I, callid Brunnechild,—
Me list nat varie fro the old writyng,—
Hadde a fadir namyd Leuychild,
Of al Spayne souereyn lord and kyng.
My saide fathir, to ful gret hyndryng
Of bothe rewmys (the fame ronne ful ferre),
Tween Spaigne & Fraunce gan a mortal werre.

The brethre foure, in Fraunce crownid kynges,
Ageyn my fadir made strong diffence,
Of marcial pride & fortunat chaungyngis,

926

Whan thei mette be mortal violence,
Of sodeyn slauhtre fill suich pestilence
On outher parti, the feeld lik a gret flood
With the terrible effusioun of blood.

To bothe reumys the werris wer importable,
Causid of deth[e] passyng gret damage;
Souhte menys, wex be assent tretable,
Of blood sheedyng tappese the woful rage.
Bi oon accord I was youe in mariage
To Sigibert, regnyng tho in Fraunce,
Tueen bothe rewmys to maken alliaunce.”

“Nay, nay,” quod Bochas, “I deeme it is nat so;
Tween you & me ther mut begynne a striff.
Beth auised; taketh good heed herto:
The first assuraunce of mariage in your lyff,
Of Chilperik ye wer the weddid wiff,
Cronicles seyn, what-euer ye expresse,
In this mateer wil bere with me witnesse.”

“Thouh summe bookis reherse so & seyn,
Lik as ye haue maad heer mencioun,
Ther rehersaile stant in noun certeyn;
For be thassent of outher regioun,
Spayne and Fraunce in ther conuencioun
Ordeyned so in my tendre age,
To Sigibert I was youe in mariage.

Ymenivs was nat ther present,
Whan we took our chaumbre toward niht;
For Thesiphone, hir sustren of assent,
Infernal goddessis bar the torchis liht.
And as the torchis shewid dirk or briht,
Therbi the peeple present, oon & alle,
Dempte of the mariage what sholde befalle.

This custum vsid of antiquite:
Fro ther templis of goddis & goddessis,
At mariages of folk of hih degre
Torchis wer born, of whom men took witnessis,
As thei wer dirk or shewed ther brihtnessis,
The difference seyn in ech estat,
Yif it wer toward or infortunat.

927

Of this mariage short processe for to make,
The torchis brente, & yit thei wer nat briht,—
Shewed out komerous smokes blake;
Of consolacioun lost was al the liht.
Thus in dirknesse wastid the firste niht:
Ther vers, ther songis of goddis & goddessis
Wer al togidre of sorwe and heuynessis.

Thes wer the toknis the niht of mariage,
Pronostiques of gret aduersite;
Yit of nature I hadde this auauntage
Of womanheed and excellent beute;
And lik a queen in stonis & perre
I was arraied, clad in purpil red,
With a crowne of gold upon myn hed.

Solempneli crownid queen of Fraunce,
Which for to seen folk faste gan repaire.
Of al weelfare I hadde suffisaunce,
Clomb of Fortune ful hih vpon the staire.
A sone I hadde, which callid was Clotaire,
Be Sigibert, be record of writyng,
Thridde of þat name in Fraunce crownid kyng.

So wolde God the day whan he was born
He hadde be put in his sepulture,
In sauacioun of blood shad heer-toforn:
Caused the deth of many creature,
As dyuers bookis recorden in scripture,
Ground and gynnyng, as maad is mencioun,
Withynne this lond of gret deuysioun.

He with his brethre, of whom I tolde late,
At hym begonne the first occasioun”—
“Nat so,” quod Bochas, “ye faillen of your date.
Who was cheef cause of [this] discencioun?”
“Sothli,” quod she, “to myn oppynyoun,
Amon[g] hem-silff, I dar weel specefie,
The cheef gynnyng was fraternal envie.”

“Keep you mor cloos; in this mateer ye faille.
Folwyng the tracis of your condicioun,
Ye halte foule in your rehersaille:
For of your owne imagynacioun
Ye sewe the seed of this discencioun

928

Among thes kynges, yif ye taken heed,
Bi which in France many man was ded.”

Than Brunnechild[e] gan to chaunge cheere;
To Bochas seide with face ful cruel,
“Nat longe agon thou knew nat the maneer
Of my lyuyng but a smal parcel;
Me seemeth now thou knowest euerideel,
So that ye may withoute lenger striff
Sitte as a iuge, that knowe so weel my lyff.

Whan thes brethre stoden at discord,
Ech ageyn other bi mortal violence,
Vndir colour to tretyn of accord
With a maner feyned dilligence,
Chilperik ther beyng in presence,
Whilom brothir to Sigibert the kyng,
Was slayn among hem be fals conspiryng.

On whos deth auengid for to be,
As Sigibert did[e] hymsilff auaunce,
Among the pres he slay[e]n was parde . . .”
“Nat so,” quod Bochas, “but of fals gouernaunce,
Of your mysleuyng fill this vnhappi chaunce,
That Sigibert was moordred in sothnesse
Oonli be occasioun of your doubilnesse.

Folwyng the traces of newefangilnesse,
Geyn Sigibert ye wrouht[e] ful falsli,
Whan ye loued of froward doubilnesse
Landrik the erl of Chaumpayne & of Bry;
For bi your outrage & your gret foly
The kyng was slay[e]n, and ye did assente,
In a forest on huntyng whan he wente,

Which callid was the forest of Compyne.”
“Alas!” quod she, brak out in compleynyng,
“Bochas, Bochas, thou dost sore vndermyne
Alle the surfetis doon in my lyuyng!
Thou knowest the slauhtre of Sigibert the king,
Which that was wrouht, alas, be myn assent,—
How knowist thou it, that wer nat ther present?

929

Of thes debatis and of al this werre,
With rebukis rehersed heer in veyn,
In rehersaille gretli thou dost erre;
For which I caste—be riht weel certeyn—
In my diffence to replie ageyn.
It was nat I; for she that thou dost meene
Was Fredegundus, the lusti yonge queene.

This Fredegunde, thou shalt [weel] vndirstonde,
Riht womanli and fair of hir visage,—
Chilperik was whilom hir husbonde;
For hir beute took hir in mariage.
Bi hir treynys & hir gret outrage
He was aftir, the stori who list reede,
At myscheef slayn; thou shalt so fynde in deede.”

“Thouh ye be langage make strong diffence
In thes mateeres, which cause me to muse,
I haue ageyn you lost my pacience,
That so sotilli wolde yoursilf excuse.
Contrariousli your termys ye abuse;
For Clotaire, I haue so rad, parde,
Was nat engendred of Sigibert nor of the.

I remembre ful weel that I haue rad
That Childepert, thouh ye therat disdeyne,—
Record of auctours that prudent been & sad,—
How he in trouthe was gendrid of you tweyne,
Which in his deyng (me list nat for to feyne)
Lefft sonis two, the story ye may reede,—
Theobart & Thederik to succeede.”

“Bochas,” quod she, “thouh thou turne vp-so-doun
Thes said[e] stories, rehersid heer in deede,
Folwyng of malis thyn own oppynyoun,
Maugre thi wil[le], foorth I wil proceede
As I began; tak therto good heede:
First Theodorik, thou shalt vndirstonde,
Cosyn germyn was to myn husbonde,

930

Kyng of Burgoyne that tyme, and non other.
He of hatreede and indignacioun
Slouh Theobart, which that was his brother,
His wiff, his childre, for short conclusioun,
Which in the myhti famous regioun
Of Autrasie regnid as lord & kyng.
What-euer thou seist, this soth & no lesyng.”

“Nay,” quod Bochas, “it was al otherwise;
I may nat suffre how ye go ther among.
Al this langage of newe that ye deuise,
Brouht to a preef, concludeth vpon wrong.
What sholde we lenger this mateer drawe along?
Yoursilf wer cause, wher ye be lothe or fayn,
Be Theodorik that Theobart was slayn.

The ground heerof gan parcel of envie,
Bi your froward brennyng couetise,
Which that ye hadde onli to occupie,
To reule the lond aftir your owne guise.
And yif I shal pleynli heer deuise
Of thes myscheeuys rehersed, God do boote,
Ye wer your-silff[e] ground, cheef cropp & roote.”

Quod Brunnechild, “I conceyue wel & se,
Ye for your part haue lost al reuerence,
Your-silf enarmed to shewe your cruelte
Ageyn[e]s me, touchyng the violence
Of too slauhtris rehersed in sentence:
First how Theodorik his brothir slouh in deede,
Callid Theobart, a pitous thyng to reede;

Hymsilff[e] aftir stranglid with poisoun,
His wiff, his childre hewe on pecis smale . . .”
“As ye,” quod Bochas, “mak heer mencioun,
Sum part is trewe, but nat al your tale;
For I suppose ye sholde wexe pale
For shame of thyng which ye canat excuse,
Whan Theodorik begynneth you taccuse.

He put on you the crym of fals tresoun;
Ye slouh his wiff and his childryn also;
Hymsilf also ye moordred with poisoun:

931

I wolde wete what ye can seyn herto?”
“Alas,” quod she, “alas, what shal I do!
Was neuer woman, in hih nor louh estat,
Al thyng considred, mor infortunat!

Fortune of me set now but litil prys,
Bi hir froward furious violence
Turnyng hir wheel & visage of malys,
Causeth to me that no man yeueth credence,
Had in despiht, void of al reuerence,
And thoruh Fortunys mutabilite
Sool [and] abiect and falle in pouerte.

O Bochas Iohn, for short conclusioun,
Thou must ageyns me þi stile now auaunce.
I haue disserued to haue punicioun,
And alle the princis & barouns now in France
Crie out on me & axe on me vengaunce;
Refuge is non nor recure in this thing,
Thouh that Clotaire my sone be crownid kyng.

For my defautis foul & abhomynable,
Tofor the iuges of al the parlement
I was foriugid & founde also coupable,
Of euery crym convict be iugement,
Myn accusours ther beyng present,
Of oon & othir stondyng a gret route,
Markid with fyngris of folk þat stood aboute.

For verray shame I did myn eyen close,
For them that gaured & cast on me þer siht;
But as folk may be toknys weel suppose,
Myn eris wer nat stoppid half ariht.
Taken be force & lad forth with myht,
Be the hangman drawe ouer hill & vale,
Dismembrid aftir & hewe on pecis smale.

With my blood the pament al bespreynt,
Thanked be Fortune, such was myn auenture,
The soule partid, my bodi was so feynt.
Who radde euer of any creature
That mor wo or torment did endure!”—

932

Praied Bochas to haue al thyng in mynde,
Write hir lyff & leue nothyng behynde.

Lenvoye.

This tragedie of Brunnechild the queen,
To hir stori who list yiue attendaunce,
Froward to reede, contagious to seen,
And contrarie to al good gouernaunce,
Born in Spayne, crownid queen of Fraunce,
Double of hir tunge, vpfyndere of tresoun,
Caused al that lond stonde at dyuisioun.

From hir treynys ther koude no man fleene,
Sours & hedspryng of sorwe & myschaunce;
Shad hony first, stang aftir as doon beene,
Hir myrre medlid with sugrid fals plesaunce.
What she saide includid variaunce,
Maistresse of moordre & of discencioun,
Caused al that lond stonde at dyuysioun.

Princis of Gaule myhte nat susteene
Gret outrages nor the gret gouernaunce
Nor the surfetis doon in hir yeeris greene,
Brouht that kyngdam almost to vttraunce;
Alle of assent cried on hir vengaunce.
The fame aroos, how al that regioun
Bi hir falsnesse stood at dyuisioun.

The knyff of moordre grounde was so keene
Bi hir malys of long contynuaunce,
Hir corage fret with infernal teene,
Spared nouther kyn nor alliaunce.
Peised hir surfetis & weied in ballaunce,
As Bochas writ, she was thoccasioun
Which made al Fraunce stonde at dyuisioun.

Here Bochas in maner excusith the vorrching of Brunnechild.

Bochas astonid, gan inwardli meruaile,
Fill in a maner of ambiguite
Of Brunnechildis merueilous rehersaile,—

933

How any woman of resoun sholde be
So ful of malis & froward cruelte,
To slen hir kyn & setten at distaunce
Be dyuysioun al the rewm of France.

Bochas dempte it was nat credible
That a woman sholde be so vengable,
In hir malis so venymous or terrible
Of slauhtre or moordre [for] to be coupable.
The stori suspect, heeld it but a fable,
Onli except that she did hym excite
With gret instaunce hir story for to write.

Hir cry on Bochas was verray importune,
To sette in ordre hir felicites
With hir vnhappi chaunges of fortune,
Hir disclaundres and gret aduersites,
With hir diffame reportid in contres;
No verray grounde founde in bookes olde,
But of confessioun that she hirsiluen tolde,

That myn auctour with solempne stile
Reherse sholde hir deedis disclaundrous,
Hir flouryng yeeris also to compile,
Medlid with hir daies that wer contrarious,
Hir fatal eende froward & furious,—
Wherof encoumbred of verray weerynesse,
Toward Eraclyus he gan his penne dresse.

[How Eraclyus the Emperour sustened heresye fill in to dropesy and sikenesse incurabl and so died.]

Afftir Phocas, with gret honour & glorie
Crownid emperour of Roome þe cite,
In whos tyme, lik as seith þe storie,
The Romeyns stood in gret perplexite
Bi them of Perse that roos with Cosdroe,
Which took upon hym to be lord and sire,
As a tiraunt to trouble the empire.

934

Gat many prouynce & many famous rewm
Thoruh al Asie, as the cronicle seith,
Gan approche toward Iherusalem;
Afforn the toun proudli a siege he leith,
As a tiraunt froward to Cristes feyth.
But Eraclius, maugre al his miht,
Smet of his hed & slouh hym lik a knyht.

And bi grace, which that is dyuyne,
This famous prince, this Eraclius
In his begynning slouh many proud Sarseyn,
Holde in tho daies notable & glorious,
And in his conquest passyng[ly] famous.
Dyuers reliques & the cros he souhte,
And fro tho cuntres many of hem he brouht.

Was non so famous holde in his daies
As Eraclius thempire for to guye,
Nor mor manli founde at al assaies
Of hih prowesse nor in cheualrye.
But whan he gan susteene heresie,
God took from hym, withynne a litil space,
His hap, his weelfare, his fortune & his grace.

He gan susteene & folwe certeyn rihtis,
Of wilfulnesse and froward fantasie,
Of a sect callid Monachelites,
Which is a sect of froward heresie;
And sith that he drouh to that partie,
The stori tellith, for al his hih estat,
This Eraclius was neuere fortunat.

Wher he was first drad on se & lond,
Namli off Sarsyns, for his cheualrie,
Grace & Fortune from hym withdrouh ther hond;
For whan that he fill into heresie,
He was trauailed with suich a dropesie,
And therwithal he hadde a froward lust
Euere to drynk, & euere he was a-thrust.

In tho daies founde was no leche,
Al-be that thei wer souht on ech partie,
The saide prince that koude wissh or teche,

935

Hym to releue of his idropesie,
Maad feynt & feeble with a gret palisie:
Thus in siknesse he hath his daies spent,
Be vengaunce slayn with infernal torment.

Of Heraclius this was the woful eende,
As is rehersed, slay[e]n with seeknesse,
Out of this world[e] whan he sholde weende,
Al hool thempire stood in gret distresse,
Force of Sarsyns dide hem so oppresse;
And day be day drouh [vn]to declyn
Be his successour callid Constantyn,

[How Constantyne the sone of Eraclyus supportyng errour and heresye was moordred in a stewe.]

Which was his sone, as maad is mencioun.
In whos tyme thoruh his gret folie
Sarsyns dide gret oppressioun,
Spoillyng the contres of al Lumbardie.
And Constantyn, of wilful slogardie,
Wasted his daies til that he hath brouht
Al thempire almost onto nouht.

Geyn Cristes feith in especial
He gan of malys his wittis to applie,
And was therto enmy ful mortal,
As cheeff supportour of fals heresie.
And toward Roome faste he gan hym hie,
Spoilled templis of many riche image,
And be water took aftir his passage.

To Constantynople he hasted hym ful blyue,
Be Cecile the weie was most meete;
At Siracuse I fynde he did aryue,
And for the sesoun was excessiff of heete,
Which in his labour made hym for to sueete,
And secreli he gan hymsilf remewe
To be bathed in a preue stewe.

936

Of enmyte ther he was espied;
His owne knihtes, lik as it is founde,
Be conspiracioun, certeyn of them allied,
Fill upon hym with sha[r]pe swerdis grounde.
And merciles, with many mortal wounde,
Thei slouh hym ther, on hym thei wer so wood,
Amyd the stewe, nakid as he stood.

Aftir whos deth thei did hemsilf auaunce
To chese a kniht bor[e]n in Armenye,
Of thempire to take the gouernaunce
And to supporte falsli ther partie.
But Constantyn, succeedyng of allie,
Beyng next heir, the trouthe for to sue,
To hym that was moordred in the stue,

Callid Constantyn, as his fadir was,
Riht notable in actis marciall,
Mor wisli gouerned, stood in othir caas:
Lik a prince, be iugement roial,
Of manli herte and corage natural
The conspiratours first of alle he sleth,
That wer assentid to his fadris deth.

To gret encres of his famous renoun,
Grace of God dide hym enlumyne,
Constantynople, in that roial toun
Olde heresie[s] to cessen and to fyne.
Too hundrid bisshoppis [eihty] & eek nyne
He made assemble, thoruh manli prouidence,
Of Cristes feith to stonde at diffence.

He was eek besi cherchis to restore,
Al heretikes manli to withstonde,
Ther oppynyouns examyned weel before,
And whan the trouthe was weel vndirstonde,
Lik Cristis kniht list for no man wonde
To pun[ys]shen hem ius[t]li be rigour,
Withoute excepcioun of persone or fauour.

Of hym in Bochas litil mor I reede,
Nor of his empire I fynde non oþer date,—
Spared non heretik, nouther for gold nor meede,

937

Constantynople he passid into fate;
Whan Bulgarience gan with hym debate,
A froward peeple, wilful & rekles,
Gaff hem a tribut, he for to lyue in pes.

[How Gisulphus was slayn, and his wif ended mischeuesly in lecherye.]

Next cam Gisulphus to Bochas on þe ryng,
A famous duk & notable in his lyff,
With weeping eyen pitousli pleynyng,
With whom also cam Rymulde his wiff,
Which þat lyueden euere in sorwe & striff.
Yit was she bothe of berthe & of lynage
Riht excellent, & fair of hir visage.

Sixe childre hadde this famous queen
Bi Gisulphus begetyn in mariage,
Wonder semli and goodli on to seen,
And fortunat be processe of ther age,
Al-be ther fadir felte gret damage
Be the werris he hadde in his lyuyng
With Cathanus that was of Narroys kyng.

This Cathanvs with many strong bataille
Is descendid, and took the weie riht
Of duk Gisulphus the londis to assaile;
Togidre mette in steel armyd briht;
Gisulphe slayn; his peeple put to fliht.
And Cathanus with strong & myhti hond
Took pocessioun, conquered al his lond.

Aftir whos deth Romulde the duchesse,
Gretli astoned, pale of hir visage,
To the castel off Forgoil gan hir dresse
With hir knihtis of strong & fel corage.
Cathanus made aftir his passage,
Leide a siege, caste hym to iuparte
His lyff, his bodi rather than departe.

938

Aboute the castel armyd as he rood,
Lik a prince sat knihtli on his steede,
Vpon the wallis as Romuldus stood,
Fresshli beseyn[e] in hir purpil weede,
And of the seege gan to taken heede,
Hir look, vnwarli, as she cast a-side,
And sauh the kyng tofor the castel ride,

So lik a prince and a manli kniht;
She gan on hym looke wondir narwe:
The god of loue persed thoruh hir siht,
Vnto hir herte markid hir with his arwe;
The firy tyndis of his brennyng harwe
Made the soil so pliaunt of hir thouht,
That of hir castel she set almost riht nouht.

And for tacomplisshe the hool entencioun
Of hir fals lust in al maner thyng,
She is agreed be composicioun
To yeeld the castel in haste onto the kyng,
She for to come withoute mor tarieng,
Lik a duchesse hirsiluen to presente,
Wher-as the kyng sat armyd in his tente.

The peeple withynne prisoneeres take,
Hir foure sonis took hem to the fliht;
Loue caused that she hath forsake
Hir blood, hir kyn, wher it wer wrong or riht.
And Romulde the space but of a niht
With Cathanus hadde al hir deliht,
And euere aftir he hadde hir in despiht.

And bi the kyng whan she was refusid,
Tuelue in noumbre that duelled in his hous
Most frowardli hir beute haue abusid,
Of hir nature she was so lecherous.
Al to reherse it is contagious,
How she wex afftir so abhomynable
To been aqueynted with gromys of þe stable.

It wer but veyn to tarie on this mateere
Or any long processe for to make,
Hir stori is contagious [for] to heere.

939

But fynalli at myscheef she was take,
For a spectacle fichched on a stake,
Set up alofte, myn auctour tellith so,
Deide in distresse for constreynt of hir wo.

[Off Iustynyan the fals extorcioner exiled by Patrycyan / after bothe nose & eien kut from his hede.]

By exaumple, so as fressh armure
Thoruh long[e] resting leseth his brihtnesse,
Fret with old rust, gadreth gret ordure,
Is diffacid of his fressh cleernesse,
Semblabli the Romeyns hih prowesse
Gan for tappalle, alas, & that was routhe!—
Whan thei hem gaff to necligence & slouthe.

Who in knihthod list haue experience
Must eschewe riotous idilnesse,
Be prouident with enteer dilligence,
Large with discrecioun, manli with gentilesse,
To hih emprises his corage dresse,
And be weel war, upon ech partie,
Hym to preserue fro rust of slogardie.

The which[e] vice gretli hath appeired,
As is remembrid of old antiquite,
Caused ofte Romeyns be dispeired,
Be froward lustis hyndred ther cite
And appallid ther old prosperite;
For which defautis cam to pleyne blyue
To Iohn Bochas emperour[e]s fyue.

As many kynges of the same noumbre,
Which be slouthe wern afforn oppressid,
Whom that slouthe whilom did encoumbre,
Ther names heer bi and bi expressid,
To myn auctour thei han her cours Idressid
Lik ther degrees to speke in wordes fewe:
Iustynyan first did his face shewe,

Nat Iustynyan whilom so vertuous,
And of prudent gouernaunce so notable,
But Iustynyan Temerarivs,

940

Double of his deedis, fals & deceyuable,
Of his promys dyuers & vnstable,
Whilom exilid be Patrician
For extorsiouns that he in Roome gan.

His nase, his eyen Patrician gaf in charge
To be kut of, be furious cruelte.
And of thempire þat was so wide & large,
Leoncius next gouernid the cite;
And thoruh Fortunis mutabilite
The same Leonce be Tiberie was cast doun,
His eien put out, deied afftir in prisoun.

Tiberius afftir seruid on the same,
His nose kut of, from his see put doun;
For a rebuk and a perpetuel shame,
To a cite that callid was Cersoun,
Withoute merci, fauour or raunsoun
Exilid he was, prisowned as a theeff,
Bi long[e] turment deide at myscheef.

[How Philip the Emperour died at myschef.]

Next to Bochas cam Phelipp on the ring,
Whos empire no while did endure.
Lik an heretik cursid of lyuyng
And odious to eueri creature,
Beet doun images & many fressh picture
Of hooli seyntes, which in ther templis stood,
Wherbi Romeyns dempte that he was wood.

Pursuid he was bi a manli kniht
Callid Anastaise, and put out of his place;
And in Cicile, of verray force & myht
He did his eyen out of his hed arace,
Be iugement his visage to difface,
Semblabli as he be gret outrages
Of Cristes cherch diffaced the images;

Deide at myscheeff dirkid with blyndnesse.
Than Anastaise took posessioun,
In whos tyme, bookis ber witnesse

941

And cronicles make mencioun,
Of thempire was maad dyuisioun:
That first was oon, partid [was] on tueyne
Wherof myn auctour in maner doth compleyne.

Bochas in maner compleynyth of þingis deuidid in too.

As he reherseth in his oppynyoun
And therupon doth a ground deuise,
Cause & rote of ther deuisioun
Took origynal of fals couetise;
And ceriousli he tellith heer the guise,
Into the cherch whan richesse brouht in pride,
Al perfeccioun anon was set aside.

The poore staf and potent of doctryne,
Whan it wer chaungid & list nat for tabide
In wilful pouert, but gan anon declyne,
On statli palfreyis & hih hors to ride,
Sharp heires wer[e]n also leid aside,
Tournid to copis of purpil & sangwyn,
Gownis of scarlet furrid with hermyn.

Slendre fare of wyn & water cleer,
With abstinence of bred maad of whete
Chaungid tho daies to many fat dyneer,
With confect drynk of ipocratis sueete;
And sobirnesse dide his boundis lete,
Scarsnesse of foode leffte his olde estat,
With newe excesse gan wexe delicat.

Gostly lyuyng in the cherche appallid,
Caused Greekis withdrawe hem in sentence
From the pope, in Petris place stallid,
And list to hym do non obedience.
Fals auarice caused this offence,
That the Grekis dide hemsilf deuide
Fro the Romeyns for ther gret[e] pride.

942

Thus coueitise and [fals] ambicioun
Did first gret harm among the spiritual,
Brouht in discord and dyuysioun
Among princis in ther estat royal.
Who clymbeth hiest, most pereilous is his fall,
Record I take of forseid Anastase,
Be Theodosie put out of his place.

This Theodosie dide his besi peyne
On Anastace suich werre for to make,
That maugre hym he did hym so constreyne,
That he was fayn thempire to forsake.
For feer and dreed he did upon hym take
The oordre of preest from the imperial see,
Content with litil, lyued in pouertee.

[How the hede of Lupus kyng of Lumbardie was smet of by Grymaldus.]

Afftir thes chaunges remembrid be writingis,
Lik as I haue told heer in partie,
Cam to Bochas foure myhti kingis
Regnyng echon of old in Lumbardie.
Afftir the maner and guise of barbarie
Thei wern arraied, & in ther passage
With her forgrowen bodi and visage.

Ther berdis rauhte ouer ther nouele doun;
Ther garnementes of colours manyfold,
With brode baudrikis enbracid enviroun,
Large bokelis & pendauntis of fyn gold.
Ther brech enbrowdid aftir the guise of old,
Fret with perle, leg stukkid to the kne,
Pleynyng to Bochas of ther aduersite.

Ther shon wer racid fresshli to the ton,
Richeli transuersed with gold weer,
And theron sette many a straunge ston,
Geyn Phebus liht that shon ful briht & cleer.
Thes Lombard kynges gan tapproche neer,

943

And first of alle the proude kyng Lupus
Vnto Bochas gan his compleynt[e] thus:

“Bochas,” quod he, “as for my partie,
For to reherse be short conclusioun,
On Grymaldus, a prince of Lumbardie,
Hath me enchacid out of my regioun
And cruelli me cheynid in prisoun.
And aftir that he did a sergaunt sende,
Smet of myn hed, and ther I maad an eende.”

[How the hede of Alexyus was smet of by Compertoun.]

Aftir this eende rehersed of Lupus,
For to declare his mortal heuynesse,
Next in ordre ther cam Alexius,
A Lombard kyng famous of richesse,
Which took on hym of surquedous prowesse
For to compasse the destruccioun
Of a prince Icallid Compertoun,

Which wered also a crowne in Lumbardie.
Atwixe bothe was werre & gret distaunce,
But al the peeple and lordis of Pauye
With myhti hond and marcial gouernaunce
The saide Alex brouhte to myschaunce;
And Compertoun, escapid from al dreed,
Of mortal vengaunce leet smyten of his hed.

[How Arypertoun was drowned with his rychesse.]

Aftir whos deth pitousli pleynyng,
Tofor Iohn Bochas cam Aripertoun,
Of Lumbardie whilom lord & kyng,
Which, lik a fool, of hih presumpcioun
Al causeles took occasioun
Of volunte, ther is no mor to seye,
Ageyn the duk off Bagorois to werreye.

944

Thes princis tweyne taken haue the feeld,
Of Ariperton the parti gan appeire;
His aduersaire anon as he beheeld,
His coward herte gan to disespeire.
Into Pauye for feer he gan repeire,
Took his tresour in purpos anon riht,
For verray dreed to take hym to the fliht.

Took a vessel and entrid is the se,
With sodeyn tempest assailed & dirknesse,
His barge pershid bi gret aduersite
And he was drownid with al his gret richesse.
Loo, heer the fyn of worldli wrechidnesse,
Namli of them, to gete gret tresours
That gyne werre ageyn ther neih[e]bours.

[How Dediere by pope Adryan and Charles of Fraunce was put to flight & died at mischef.]

Next to Bochas, with heuy look & cheere,
Kyng of Lumbars shewed his presence,
Callid in his tyme noble Dedieer,
Notable in armys & of gret excellence.
And wher his faddir hadde don offence
To the pope and ful gret duresse,
This kyng caste the damages to redresse.

Agistulphe was his fadris name,
Which to the pope did gret aduersite;
For which his sone to encrece his fame,
Of roial fredam and magnanymyte
And off benigne liberalite,
Gaff to the pope with humble reuerence
A statli cite that callid is Fayence.

Therwith he gaff gret tresour & gret good,
As he that list of freedam nat to spare,
A mihti castel which on Tibre stood
Withynne the boundis & lordship of Ferare,
Which is a cite, pleynli to declare,

945

Of antiquite, myn auctour tellith so,
And stant upon the ryuer of the Po.

This Dedieer regnyng in Lumbardie
Gan wexe famous at his [be]gynnyng,
Hadde gret name vpon ech partie;
But in this eerthe is nothing abidyng:
Al stant on chaung; & Fortune in werkyng
Is founde vnstable & double of hir visage,
Which of this kyng chaunged the corage.

Ther he was first large on eueri side,
Liberal founde in many dyuers wise,
His goodliheed was chaungid onto pride
And his largesse onto couetise.
Of doublenesse he gan anon deuise
To cleyme ageyn, as ye shal vndirstonde,
His seide giftis out of the popis honde.

Which Dedieer hadde made alliaunce,
As the cronicle maketh mencioun,
With kyng Pepyn regnyng tho in France.
Afftir whos deth, to haue pocessioun
And ful lordship of al that regioun,
He gan of newe fallyn at distaunce
Bothe with the pope & with the king of France.

Of presumpcioun thes werris he began
Ageyn his promys, of double variaunce;
Pope in tho daies was hooli Adrian,
Which to stynte this trouble & gret myschaunce,
Requered helpe of the king of Fraunce.
And grete Charlis, in Bochas as I reede,
Cam to the pope to helpyn in this neede.

Charlis that tyme was trewe protectour
To hooli cherche, ther pauys and diffence;
Which of hool herte and dilligent labour
With Dedieer be manli violence
He mette in Tuscan, of kingli excellence;
Hadde a bataile to preeve ther bothe myht:
Charlis victor; Dedier put to fliht.

946

As I fynde, he fledde into Pavie;
Worthi Charlis leide his siege afforn,
Constreyned hem upon ech partye,
For lak of vitaile thei wer almost lorn;
Thei wanted[e] licour, greyn and corn.
Be sodeyn constreynt & gret aduersite
To kyng Charlis thei yald up the cite.

Kyng Dedieer was sent into Fraunce,
With myhti cheynis fetrid in prisoun;
Lik a wrech, in sorwe & in penaunce,
Deide at myscheef; ther geyned no raunsoun,
Which hadde afforn so gret pocessioun.
Aftir whos day, as be old writyng,
Among Lumbardis was neuer crownid kyng.

[Off pope Iohn a woman with child and put doun.]

Afftir thes princis rehersed heer-toforn,
Drownid in teres cam a creature,
Lik a bisshop roundid & Ishorn;
And as a prest she had a brod tonsure,
Hir apparaille outward & vesture,
Beyng a woman, wherof Bochas took heed,
Lik a prelat shapyn was hir weede.

She was the same that of yore agon
Vnworthily sat in Petris place;
Was afftirward callid Pope Iohn,
A berdles prelat, non her seyn on hir face.
Of hir berthe namyd was the place,
Mayence, a cite stondyng in Itaille,
Vpon the Reen, ful famous of vitaille.

In hir youthe and in hir tendre age
Forsook hir kyn, and in especiall
Caste she wolde for hir auauntage

947

Yiue hir to konyng, bodi, herte & all.
And [in] the science[s] callid liberall,
In alle seuene, bi famous excellence,
Bi gret studie she hadde experience,

Hir name kouth in many dyuers lond.
To shewe hir cunnyng first whan she began,
Serchyng prouynces cam to Ing[e]lond,
No wiht supposyng but that she was a man;
Cam to Roome, hir stori telle can,
Tauhte gramer, sophistre [and] logik,
Redde in scoolis openli rethorik.

In the tyme of emperour Lotarie,
Afftir the deth, as maad is mencioun,—
Fro myn auctour yif I shal nat varie,—
That the pope which callid was Leoun,
The saide woman be eleccioun
Istallid was, supposyng no wiht than
Be no tokne but that she was a man.

The book of sortis aftir that anon,
Of auenture tournid up-so-doun;
She was callid & namyd Pope Iohn,
Of whos natural disposicioun
Fill bi processe into temptacioun:
Quik with childe, the hour cam on hir than;
Was delyuered at Seynt Ihon Lateran.

Afftir put doun for hir gret outrage,
I wil on hire spende no more labour,
But passe ouer al the surplusage
Of hir lyuyng and of hir gret errour;
Tourne my stile to themperour
Callid Arnold, & write his pitous chaunce,
Sone to Charlis, the grete kyng of Fraunce.

[How arnold son to Charles of Fraunce was eten with lys and so died.]

To this Charlis, as bookis determyne,
He was sone nat born in mariage,
But begetyn of a concubyne;

948

Took upon hym of surquedous outrage,
Withoute title of berthe or lynage,
To succeede be fraude and fals labour
Among Romeyns to regne as emperour.

He was vngracious sittyng in that estat,
In myscheeff spente his daies euerichon,
With lees and wermys maad infortunat,
Thoruh skyn and flessh fret onto þe bon.
Crafft of medecyne nor socour was ther non,
So deepe [he] was fret in his entraille;
Deide in distresse; no leche myhte auaille.

Thauctour geyn the pride of Princis.

Myn auctour Bochas stynt heer for a while,
Sharped his penne of entencioun,
Gan of angre to transport his stile
To write off tirauntis for ther transgressioun,
Moor wood & fell than any scorpioun,
Them counseillyng, whan thei be most bold,
For to remembre on this proude Arnold.

He ne was nat in his pride assailed,
Nat with wolues, tigres nor leouns,
With rauynous beres nor wilde boor trauailed,
Nowthir with othir myhti champiouns,
Which haue conquered many regiouns;
But with wermys engendrid of his kynde
The saide Arnold was moordrid, as I fynde.

In suich disioynt the sayd[e] Arnold stood,
With lees and wermys fret ageyn nature,
That was so nih[e] born of Charlis blood,
Impotent the peyne to endure.
Which was in sooth an vnkouth auenture,
That a prince myht nat be socourid
Of smale wermys for to be deuourid.

A gret exaumple, who list considre & see,
To princis alle for tabate ther pride.
Lat hem considre ther fragilite,

949

To seen an emperour [for] to abide
Thassaut of wermys—& ley ther bost aside,
In this Arnold wisli aduertise
How God hath poweer ther pompe to chastise.

Deth of Arnold dide my penne encoumbre
For the gret abhomynacioun.
Than onto Bochas cam the tuelue in noumbre,
Callid Pope Iohn, as maad is mencioun,
Entryng be fraude and fals eleccioun,
To Goddis lawe froward & contrarie,
Nat lik a pastor but a mercenarie.

[Howe pope Iohn the xijthe for lechery & vicious lif was put doun.]

Callid afforn he was Octauyan,
Nothing resemblyng Petris gouernaunce.
Fro the tyme in Roome that he began
To sitte as pope, he gaf his attendaunce
To folwe his lust & his flesshli plesaunce,—
In haukyng, huntyng stood his felicite,
And among women conuersaunt to bee.

Vnto surfet, riot, glotonye
He gaff hym hooli; took of God non heede;
Gretli disclaundrid he was of lecherie;
Kepte in his court, withoute shame or dreed,
A noumbre of wommen, in cronicle as I reed.
Too cardinales of purpos did entende
His vicious lyff to correcte & amende.

And of entent thes cardynalis too
The cherch esclaundrid cast hem to redresse;
Made lettres, sent hem to Otto,
Duk of Saxonye, that he sholde him dresse
Toward Roome, and of [his] hih noblesse

950

On hooli cherche to haue compassioun,
Make of this myscheef iust reformacioun.

This Pope Iohn, whan he hath parceyued
Of his cardynales the maner of writyng,
And how the duk the lettres hath resceyued,
He to do vengaunce made no tarieng;
Bood no lenger, this iugement yiuyng:
Kitt of the nose felli of the ton,
Hond of the tothir; and ech was callid Iohn.

The emperour did[e] his lettres sende
To this pope of hool affeccioun,
Of his defautis he sholde hym amende.
But ther was fou[n]de no correccioun;
For which he was deposid & put doun
Bi cardynalis for his cursidnesse;
Me list no mor write of his wrechidnesse.

For his defautis & his gret outrage
This Iohn put doun, as ye haue herd deuise,
Myn auctour aftir kauht a gret corage,
Seyng this myscheef in many sondri wise,
In hooli cherch[e] which that did arise
Among prelatis, cast hymseluen blyue
Ther diffautis openli descryue,

Of ther pride and ther presumpcioun.
And whil he gan studie in this mateer,
He gan remembre anon in his resoun
Vpon a vers write[n] in the Sauteer:
“Touche nat my prophetis, ne neih hem nat to ner,
Nor ageyn hem, be[th] war in deed & thouht,
In no wise that ye maligne nouht.”

For this cause, as ye shal vndirstonde,
Touchyng this mateer, pleynli as I reede,
Myn auctour [Bochas] gan withdrawe his honde,
Lefft his purpos, and foorth he gan proceede,—
To whos presence, or that he took heede,
Cam a prince, Duk Charlis of Loreyne;
Hym besouhte to write his greuous peyne.

951

[Off Charles of Loreyn confounded with hunger.]

This duk of Loreyne, as ye shal conceyue,
Hadde werre with the kyng of Fraunce
Callid Hewe Capet; and, as I apparceyue,
An archebishop, the kyng to do plesaunce,
Of hatreede made his ordenaunce
[A]geyn this duk, await upon hym kepte,
That he hym took abedde whil he slepte.

The said bisshop gan falsli vndermyne
This worthi duk, bi ful fals tresoun,
Which, as I fynde, was callid Ancelyne;
And he was bisshop that tyme of Leoun.
Which be fraude & fals collusioun
Took this prince that was duk of Loreyne,
And to the kyng he brouht hym bi a treyne.

Bi whom he was delyuered to prisoun,
To Orlyanes, and with cheynis bounde.
What was his eende is maad no mencioun;
But in a pet horrible & profounde,
Mischeeff with hunger did hym so confounde,
That, I suppose, this duk of Loreyne
Consumyd was for constreynt of his peyne.

[How kyng Salamon whilom kynge of Hungery was put to flight.]

Afftir to Bochas in noumbre þer cam doun
Princis foure; and ech for his partie
Ther greuys tolde; and first king Salamon,
Which that whilom regned in Hungrie,
Bothe fool & coward, bookis specefie,
Void of resoun, noised of ignoraunce,
And, at a poynt, koude no purueiaunce.

Fortune also did at hym disdeyne;
For he was nouther manli nor coraious.
Ageyn[es] whom wer worthi princis tweyne;

952

Zerta was oon, with Laudisalus,
Famous in armys, notable and vertuous;—
Bothe attonis geyn Salamon cam doun
And made hym fleen out of his regioun.

Thoruh his vnhappi froward cowardise,
Ther was in hym founde no diffence;
Fliht was his sheelde, list nat in no wise
Geyn his enmyes make resistence;
Failled herte to come to presence
To saue his lond, he dradde hymselue so sore,
Of whom Bochas writ in his book no more.

[How Petro kyng of Hungery was slayn.]

Anothir kyng heer put in remembrance
Callid Petro, regnyng in Hungrye,
For his defautis ageyn the kyng of France
Icallid Charlis, of malis & folie,
Be indignacioun, this was his tormentrie:
His eyen put out,—ther was no bet socour—
And aftir slayn be doom of themperour.

[How Diogenes the emperour was take and eiene put out.]

Afftir to Bochas ther cam tweyne on þe ryng,
Duk of Sweue, Hermest, as I reede,
Geyn themperour first maliciousli werki[n]g,
Herry themperour regnyng tho in deede.
But for his malis, this was his fatal meede:
Banshed to duelle among beestis most sauage,
Slayn in a forest for his gret outrage.

Whan Constantyn departed from this lyff,
Which of al Grece was lord and gouernour,
Be mariage of hire that was his wiff,
A kniht Diogenes was maad emperour;
Fortune to hym dide so gret fauour,

953

Constantynople holdyng in his hond,
As souereyn prince of al Grekis lond.

Yet ther wer summe that gruchched þerageyn
And hadde of hym gret indignacioun.
The kyng of Perse, Belset Tarquemayn,
From hym be force took many a regioun;
Mesopotanye to his pocessioun
Took be strong hand, thoruh his cheualrie,
Maugre Diogenes, & al-most al Surrie.

Belset Tarquemayn made hymself so strong,
Bi manli force Diogenes tassaile;
And for Diogenes thouhte he did hym wrong,
He gan ordeyne gret stuff & apparaile;
A day assigned, thei mette in bataile,—
Diogenes of froward auenture
He and his knihtis brouht to disconfiture.

Take he was and brouht be gret disdeyn,
In whom as tho ther was no resistence,
To kyng Belset callid Tarquemayn.
And whan he cam onto his presence,
Ageyn[e]s hym was youe this sentence:
To lyn doun plat, and the kyng Belsette
Sholde take his foot and on his throte it sette.

This was doon for an hih[e] despiht,
Diogenes brouht foorth on a cheyne,
Withoute reuerence, fauour or respiht,
At gret[e] feestis assigned was his peyne;
And aldirlast put out his eye[n] tweyne.
The wheel of Fortune tourneth as a ball;
Sodeyn clymbyng axeth a sodeyn fall.

[How Robert duk of Normandie fauht with turkes was named to the crowne of Ierusalem & died at mischef.]

A worthi prince spoke of in many rewm,
Noble Robert, duk of Normandie,
Chose to the crowne of Iherusalem;

954

But for cause he dide it denye,
Fortune ay hadde onto hym enuye.
The same Robert next in order was
That cam to pleyne his fall onto Bochas.

For Cristis feith this myhti champioun,
This Duk Robert, armyd in plate & maile,
With manli Godfrey, Godfrey Bollioun,
Ageyn[es] Turkis fauht a gret bataille,
For Cristes feith that it sholde auaille
To susteene his lawe in ther entent
To alle the kyngis of the occident.

Of Turkis, Sarsyns was so gret a noumbre,
Geyn Cristis lawe gadred a puissaunce,
The feith of Crist falsli to encoumbre:
But ther wer maad[e] hasti ordenaunce
Be kynges of Inglond, Normandie & Fraunce;
First to socoure did his besi peyne
Godfrey Bollioun, that was duk of Loreyne,

Which on Sarsyns made a disconfiture,
Maugre Turkis, for al ther cruel myht.
In which bataille Crist made hym to recure
The feeld that day for to supporte his riht,
Wher said Robert was founde so good a kniht,
That for his noblesse, be report of writyng,
Of Iherusalem was namyd to be kyng.

Assentid nat onto the eleccioun,
Because of newe that he did vndirstonde
His elder brothir, for short conclusioun,
Icallid William was ded in Inglond;
Knowyng hymsilf[e] next heir to that lond,
Forsook Iherusalem, and lik a manli kniht
Cam to Inglond for to cleyme his riht.

And yit or he cam he hadde knouleching,
His yonger brothir, [that] callid [was] Herry,
Had take upon hym to be crownid kyng;
Told his lordis and princis fynalli
He was next heir; entrid rihtfulli
As enheritour to succeede in that rewm,
His brother beyng kyng of Iherusalem.

955

God wot the cas stood al in oþer wise:
The said[e] Duk Robert of Normandie
Purposed hym be marcial emprise
From his brother to take the regalie.
Took his princis and his cheualrie;
Thouhte he wolde, lik a manli kniht,
Arryue in Inglond and reioysshe his riht.

Bothe in o feeld assemblid on o day,
The brethre tweyne, ech with strong partie
To darreyne, and make no delay,
Euerich with othir to holde chaumpartie.
But whan the lordes this mischeef did espie,
Thei besied hem and wer nat rek[e]les
Atween the brethre to refourme pes.

The said[e] brethre wer fulli condescendid
Vpon this poynt, for short conclusioun,
As in thaccord was iustli comprehendid:
Herry to holde and haue pocessioun
Duryng his lyff of al this regioun,
And Robert sholde haue for his partie
A summe of gold with al Normandie.

Thre thousand pound, put in remembrance,
Ech yeer to Robert sent fro this regioun,
Of which[e] pay to make ful assuraunce
Was leid hostages, as maad is mencioun.
But yit of newe fill a discencioun
Atwixe the brethre, of hatreede & envie,
For certeyn castellis that stood in Normandie,

Which castel[lis] longed of heritage
Vnto the kyngis iurediccioun,
Of which the duk took his auauntage,
Maugre the kyng, & heeld pocessioun—
Torned aftir to his confusioun.
And whan the kyng did this thing espie,
With strong[e] hond cam into Normandie,

Wher the duk was leid a siege aboute.
Made ordenaunce to recure his riht;
Gat the castel; took his brother oute;

956

Emprisowned hym of verray force & myht;
Lefft hym allone out of mennys siht
Fourteene yeer, the cronicle writ so;
Ther he deide in myscheeff and in wo.

Whil Bochas was besi in his labour
His book tacomplissh with gret dilligence,
To hym appeered the grete emperour
Callid Herry, shewyng his presence;
Gan compleyne of the grete offence
Doon to hym, the myscheeff and distresse,
Bi his sonys gret vnkyndenesse.

The which[e] sone was callid eek Herry,
Gretli accusid of ingratitude,
Cause he wrouhte so disnaturalli:
Took his fadir with force & multitude,
Bounde and cheynid, shortli to conclude;
And aftirward, ther geyned no raunsoun,
At gret myscheef deied in prisoun.

[How Iocelyne prince of Rage for pride slouthe & lecherie died in pouert.]

Next in ordre, with trist & ded visage,
Vnto Bochas to shewe his heuynesse
Cam Iocelyn, lord & prince of Rage,
Which is a cite famous of richesse.
And this prince, myn auctour berth witnesse,
Was gretly youe to slouthe & slogardie,
And al his lust he sette in lecherie.

Lefft his lordship out of gouernaunce,
For lak of wisdam & discrecioun;
In flesshli lust[es] set al his plesaunce;
And to the contres aboute hym enviroun
He was nat had in reputacioun:
Certeyn princis, myn auctour doth descryue,
Of his lordship cast hym to depryve.

Amongis which the prince of Alapie,
Callid Sangwyn, the stori who list see,
To Iosalyn hauyng gret envie,

957

Leide a siege to Rages his cite,
He beyng absent ferr fro that contre.
And thus for slouthe & wilful necligence,
Rages was take be myhti violence.

And Iosalyn comaundid to prisoun;
To hym Fortune was so contrarious:
Lost his lordship and domynacioun.
Loo, heer the fyn of folkis vicious;
Slouh, delicat, proud and lecherous,
Deide in pouert, in myscheef & in neede;
Of vicious princis, loo, heer the fynal meede!

[How the Emperour Andronycus slouh all that were of the blood Roial cherysshed vicious peple and aftir was honget.]

As verray heir and trewe successour
Bi eleccioun and also bi lynage,
Cam Andronicus, as lord & emperour,
Constantynople, crownid yong of age,
Next to Bochas, with trist & pale visage,
Besechyng hym to doon his besi cure
To remembre his woful auenture.

Among Grekis, be stori and scripture,
This Andronicus gouernid nat ariht;
Ageyn[es] lawe & eek ageyn nature,
Founde with his sustir flesshli on a niht;
Bothe of assent[e] took hem to the fliht,
Ageyn[es] hym his cosyn was so fell,
Lord of that contre callid Emanvell.

For a tyme stood as a man exilid
For his discenciouns and many vnkouth stryff;
Bi his princis afftir reconciled,
Stondyng in hope he sholde amende his lyff.
But in the tyme that he was fugitiff,
He was maad lord, & stood so for a while
Regnyng in Pontus, of Asie a gret ile.

In this while Emanuel was ded,
Fall in gret age, the stori tellith thus,

958

Hauyng a child, & he, who list take heed,
Whil he duelled in his fadris hous
Among Grekis callid Alexivs;
And the tutour he was assigned too
Icallid was Alexivs also.

The same that was assigned his tutour,
Took upon hym al the gouernaunce
And ful poweer as lord & emperour,
Hadde al thempire vndir his obeissaunce;
Princis, lordis gaff to hym attendaunce;
Wher that he was present or absent,
Ech thyng was doon at his comaundement.

I meene as thus: he had al in his hond
Constantynople, cite of gret substaunce;
But for extorsiouns which he did in the lond
On his sogettis, and for mysgouernaunce,
Among the lordis it fill in remembraunce,
Alle of assent in hert[e] gan desire
Calle Andronicus ageyn to his empire.

Bassent restorid and crownid emperour,
Constantynople entryng the cite,
Besied hym be fraudulent labour
Al the blood born of the imperial see
For to be slayn, of vengable cruelte,
Be iugement of this Andronicus,
Except a prince callid Isacivs.

Thus in effect the trouthe was weel seene,
He was vengable last in his old age,
Riht as he was in his yeeris greene,
Felli gouerned, ful off fals outrage,
Last of alle, malicious of corage.
Took to counsail, in Grece he was thus namyd,
Al suich as wern disclaundrid or diffamyd.

Homycides he hadde in his housholde,
Tirauntis that wrouhte ageyn[es] rihtwisnesse;
Cherisshed all that hardi wern and bolde
Widwes, wyues & maidenes to oppresse;
Ribaudie was callid gentilesse;
Spared nouther, he was so lecherous,
Women sworn chast nor folk religious.

959

Hadde also no maner conscience
To pile his sogettis falsli be rauyne;
Took what hym list be iniust violence;
To alle vices his youthe he did enclyne.
And alle that wer[e]n of the roial lyne
Wer slayn echon, except Isacivs,
As I told erst[e], bi Andronicvs.

As I fynde, for hym in haste he sente,
For this purpos to come to his presence,
To moord[e]ren hym, this was his entente;
Be dyuers toknes and many euidence,
And fully knew the fyn of his sentence,
He lik a prince list [to] come no neer;
Smet of the hed[e] of the massageer.

And afftir that, of manli prouidence,
Mid the cite shewed hym lik a kniht;
Praied lordis to yiue hym audience,
Princis, iuges for to doon hym riht,
That he myht declaren in ther siht
Gret iniuries, damages outragious
Wrouht bi themperour callid Andronicus.

“O citeseyns, that knowen al the guise
Of your emperour callid Andronicus;
Nat emperour, so ye list aduertise,
But a tiraunt cruel & furious,
A fals moordrer, vengable, despitous,
Hath of newe, of frowar[d] fals corage
Slayn of thempire hooli the lynage.

Ther is alyue left non of the blood
Sauf I allone of the roial lyne;
For Andronicus lik a tiraunt wood
Hath slay[e]n echon, breeffli to termyne;
His suerd of vengaunce thei myhte nat declyne.
Now purposeth of mortal tirannye,
Slen me also that am of ther allie.

Requeryng you in this consistorie,
O citeseyn[e]s that heer present bee,
To remembre and calle to memorie
How this famous imperial cite
Hath ay be redi to doon equite,

960

Besi also of ther hih noblesse
Wrong of tirauntes manli to represse.

Philisophres and poetis eek deuise,
In ther sawes prudent and notable,
Blood of tirauntis is noble sacrefise
To God aboue, whan thei be vengable.
And sith ye bee rihtful, iust & stable,
In your werkis void of variaunce,
Weieth this mateer iustli in ballaunce.”

The peeple echon, alle of oon assent,
For outrages of this Andronicus
Put hym doun be rihtful iugement,
In whos place set up Isacius.
The said tiraunt, froward & furious,
Gan maligne and hymsiluen dresse
In his diffence to take a forteresse.

It halpe hym nat to make resistence,
So as he stood[e] void of al fauour;
Segid he was, and be violence,
Maugre his myht[e], rent out of that tour;
Spoilled cruelli; fond no bet socour,
Stood al nakid, quakyng in his peyne;
And first rent out oon of his eien tweyne.

And ouermor he hadde this reward,
Withoutyn help[e], socour or respiht,
Rood on an asse, his face set bakward,
The assis tail holdyng for despiht.
Whom to beholde the peeple hath deliht;
To poore and riche thoruhout the cite
Hym to rebuke was grantid liberte.

Afftir al this, in a carte sette
And vengabli lad out off the toun,
Be doom Ihangid on an hih gibet.
The peeple on hym, to his confusioun,
Made [a] clamour and terrible soun,
Wolde neuer fro the galwes weende
Til in myscheeff bi deth he made an eende.

961

Lenvoye.

In this tragedie, ageyn Andronicus
Bochas maketh an exclamacioun,
And ageyn alle princis vicious,
Whil thei haue poweer and domynacioun
Be tirannye vse extorsioun,
Concludyng thus: that ther fals lyuyng
Of riht requereth to haue an euel eendyng.

Indifferentli this tiraunt lecherous
Of wyues, maidenes maad non excepcioun,
Folwyng his lust, froward & disclaunderous,
Spared no womman of religioun.
Made widwes breke ther professioun
Be violence; peise weel al this thyng,
Of riht requereth to haue an euel eending.

Most in [m]ordre he was contagious,
Of innocent blood to make effusioun;
Vengable also ageyn al vertuous;
Ageyn his kynreede souhte occasioun
To slen the lyne fro which that he cam doun.
Which considered, al suich fals werkyng
Of riht requereth to haue an euel eending.

Bochas manaceth princis outraious,
Which be ther proud hatful ambicioun,
To God & man of wil contrarious,
Hauyng in herte a fals oppynyoun,
Al tho that been in ther subieccioun
Thei may deuoure, ther poweer so strechching,
Which shal nat faille to haue an euel endyng.

Noble princis, ye that be desirous
To perseuere in your domynacioun,
And in al vertu to been victorious,
Cherissheth trouthe, put falsnesse doun,
Beth merciable, mesurid be resoun,
Of Andronicus the surfetes eschewyng,
That ye bi grace may haue a good eending.

962

[Off Isacyus made blynde & taken at mischeff.]

As is rehersed, whan Isacivs
Had al thempire in pocessioun,
Tauenge the deth[e] of Andronicus,
Constantynople, in that roial toun,
A brother of his be force ther cam doun
With a bacyn, brennyng briht as gleede,
Made hym blynde; of hym no mor I reede,—

Except Isacivs was taken at myscheeff
Of hym that wrouhte to his destruccioun;
Liggyng await as doth a preue theeff,
Took themperour, put hym in prisoun,
Vengabli dide execusioun,
As is remembrid, with a bacyn briht,
Brennyng red hot; and so he loste his siht.

A sone he hadde callid Alexivs,
Tendre of age, cast hym to succeede.
Bi his tutour, fals and contrarious,
Moordred he was at myscheef, as I reede;
The same tutour purposyng in deede
Of thempire, be fals collusioun,
Be fraude & meede to haue pocessioun.

In this chapitle of hym no mor I fynde
Rehersed heer in ordre be writyng;
But to myn auctour, þe processe maketh mynde,
Ther cam in hast Sangot of Egipt kyng,
And with hym cam pitousli weepyng
Mihti princis, soudanys [bothe] tweyne,
Regnyng in Damas, ther fallis to compleyne.

Of Allapie Salech was the ton,
Regnyng in Damas of his deu[e] riht;
Cathabadyn ther beyng eek soudon,
Which in tho daies was holde a manli kniht
And riht notable in eueri mannys siht.
And for the soudon of Babilon a-ferre
Callid Saladyn oppressid was with werre,

963

For socour sente to thes princis tweyne,
To come in haste with al ther cheualrie
Hym to supporte, and doon ther besi peyne
Enforce ther miht to susteene his partie.
Whos request thei list nat [to] denye;
Abood no lenger, but made hemsiluen strong
To stonde with hym, wher it wer riht or wrong.

Of this mateer the substaunce to conclude,
Thes princis cam, Salech & Cadabadyn;
For ther gverdoun thei fond ingratitude
In this forseid soudon Saladyn;
Founde hym vnkynde; pleynli this þe fyn,
From ther estat, as it was aftir knowe,
Disgraded hem, brouht hem doun ful lowe.

Of hym in soth thei hadde non oþer meede
For ther labour nor for ther kyndenesse.
What fill aftir, in Bochas I nat reede;
For he foorþwith leueth this processe,
And vnto Robert doth his stile dresse,
Callid Ferentyn regnyng in Tarence,
Loste his lordshep be sodeyn violence:

This to seyne, he regned but a while;
This saide Robert loste his gouernaunce.
Next to Bochas cam Guilliam of Cicile,
Kyng of that contre, a lord of gret puissaunce;
Loste his kyngdam thoruh Fortunis variaunce,
His eyen tweyne rent out of his hed;
Afftir deide in myscheef & in dreed.

Which Guylliam regnyng in Cecile
Was be discent[e] born nih of allie
To Robert Guiscart, as bookis do compile,
That whilom was duk of Normandie,
Which of his manhoode & gret policye,
With his brothir, ful notable of renoun,
Brouhte al Naples to ther subieccioun.

His brother name callid was Roggeer,
Which hadde a sone to been enheritour,
Callid Tancret, as seith the cronicleer;

964

Which took on hym to regne as successour.
Thus in Cecile Tancret was gouernour,
Ageyn[e]s whom, be title souht a-ferre
Of alliance began a mortal werre

For a maide that callid was Constaunce,
That douhtir was to this duk Rogeer,
Which was set of spiritual plesaunce
To be religious, of hool hert & enteer.
And be record off the cronicleer,
This Constaunce hath the world forsake
And to religioun hath hir bodi take.

Of this Constaunce, the silue same yeer
That she was born, as maad is mencioun,
Ther was a clerk, a gret astronomeer,
Tolde of hir birthe be calculacioun,
She sholde cause the desolacioun
Of that kyngdam bi processe of hir age,
Bi the occasioun oonli of mariage.

Summe that wern to Tancret gret enmy,
Be ther vngoodli excitacioun
Meued themperour that callid was Herry
To take Constaunce from hir religioun.
And bi the popis dispensacioun
She weddid was; themperour bi his myht
Bi title of hire put Tancret from his riht.

With a gret noumbre of Italiens
Themperour entrid into that regioun;
But be fauour off Siciliens,
Tancret long tyme stood in pocessioun:
But thoruh Fortunys transmutacioun,
The same tyme, to conclude in sentence,
The saide Tancret deide of pestilence.

His sone Guilliam, that was but yong in deede,
With Siciliens cast hym nat to faille
To keepe his lond and his riht posseede;
Meete themperour with statli apparaille,
Made hym reedi with hym to haue bataile.
But themperour to gretter auauntage
Caste otherwise of fraude in his corage.

965

Feynyngli duryng this discord,
Themperour caste another wile,
Bi a fals colour to fallen at accord,
And yonge Guilliam vngoodly to beguyle;
Vnder trete taken in Cecile,
Falsli depryued off his regioun,
Sent to Itaille and throwe in prisoun,

Be weie of trete, the stori who list see;
Al concluded vndir fals tresoun.
With Guilliam take wer his sustres thre,
He perpetueli dampned to prisoun,
His eien put out for mor confusioun,
Deied in pouert, lost his enheritaunce:
Loo, heer the fyn of worldly varyaunce!

Ferther to write as Ihon Bochas began,
Aftir that Guilliam was put from his rewm,
To hym appeered Guyot Lycynyan,
Chose afforn kyng of Iherusalem,—
Whos knihtli fame shon like the sonne-bem,—
Which bi his noblesse he whilom did atteyne,
Godfrey present, that was duk of Loreyne.

But bi the soudon namyd Saladyn
He was enchacid out of that dignite—
Al worldli pompe draweth to declyn!—
So for the constreynt of his aduersite,
The yeeris passid of his prosperite,
Wente into Cipre as a fugityff;
What fill afftir, I reede nat in his lyff.

To make his compleynt afftir hym cam oon
Which hadde stonde in gret perplexite,
Erl of Bryenne, & was callid Ihon,
Which aftirward was kyng of the cite
Callid Iherusalem, and [had] also parde
A fair[e] douhtir, yong & tendre of age,
Ioyned aftir to Frederik in mariage.

Beyng that tyme lord and emperour,
Was desirous aboff al othir thyng
Of Iherusalem to be gouernour

966

And of Cecile to be crownid kyng;
Which aldirlast, for his sotil werkyng
Constreyned was, doun fro that partie,
To be a capteyn for soud in Lumbardie.

[Off Herry the eldest sone of Frederyk the secounde myscheued by his Fadir.]

Next to Bochas, crokid, halt & sik,
Oon callid Herry cam for to compleyne,
The eldest sone onto Frederik,
Which bi seeknesse hadde felt gret peyne,
Megre and pale, contract in eueri veyne,
Of whos langour the cheef occasioun
Was that he lay so long tyme in prisoun.

Al his disese and gret aduersite
Icausid was, for short conclusioun,
Bi his fadris froward cruelte,
As Bochas aftir maketh mencioun.
And this Herry bi generacioun
Sone to Frederik, lik as it is founde,—
I meene Frederik callid the secounde.

This saide Herry be discent of lyne
Of Cicile first was crownid kyng,
And of Iherusalem, whos renoun dide shyne
Thoruh many a lond[e] at his begynnyng;
And Fortune also in hir werkyng
Was to this Herry, passyngli notable
In al his werkis, inly fauourable.

Off his persone had this auauntage:
To al the peeple he was riht acceptable,
Weel comendid in his flouryng age,
Of cheer and face and look riht amiable,
And of his port verray demuer & stable,
Callid in his gynnyng, such fauour he hath wonne,
Of princis alle verray liht & sonne.

But ofte it fallith, that a glad morwenyng,
Whan Phebus sheweth his bemys cleer & briht,
The day sumtyme, therupon folwyng,

967

With sum dirk skie is clipsid of his liht;
And semblabli, thoruh Fortunys myht
This saide prince, bi hir fals variaunce
Fond in hir wheel ful noious fell greuaunce.

Who may the furies of Fortune appese,
Hir troubli wawes to make hem calm & pleyn;
Wher men most truste thei fynde most disese,
Wher double corages stonde in noun certeyn,
A shynyng day is ofte meynt with reyn:
Thus of Frederik the grete vnstabilnesse
Hath brouht his sone in myscheef & distresse.

This Frederik set up in gret fauour
Be the popis dilligent bisynesse,
Vnto thestat lefft up of emperour;
But thoruh his hatful froward vnkyndenesse,
Of couetise fill into suich excesse,
Took upon hym patrymonye to guie,
Of Cristes cherch that part to occupie.

Fill in the popis indignacioun,
Counsail nor trete myhte not auaile,
But of malis and [fals] presumpcioun
Caste with the pope to haue a gret bataile.
The saide Herry his fadir gan counsaille,
Ageyn the cherch to do no violence
But hym submytte with humble obedience.

This striff enduryng atween thes gret estatis,
Frederik made his sone be accusid
To hym of crym, Illese Magestatis,
Wolde nat suffre he sholde been excusid;
But lik a man maliciousli refusid,
Be his fadris cursid fals tresoun
He was comaundid to deien in prisoun.

Summe bookis sey[e]n he was take & brouht
To his fadir of doom to ha[ue] sentence,
But lik a man passid sorwe & thouht,
Which to his lyff hadde non aduertence,
Furiousli and with gret violence,

968

As he was lad, alas, on hors[e]bak,
His hors fill doun & so his nekke he brak.

Summe bookis reherse of hym & seyn,
His fadir took geyn hym occasioun;
And whan he hadde longe in cheynis leyn,
At gret myscheeff he deied in prisoun.
And summe sey[e]n [how] that he fill doun
Of a bregge, Bochas reherseth heer,
And drownid was in a deep ryueer.

Bochas makith a comendacion of trewe love a-tween kynrede.

Next in ordre myn auctour did his cure
To make a special comendacio[u]n
Of swich as been disposid be nature
An[d] bi ther kyndli inclynacioun,
As blood requereth and generacioun,
Taquite hymsilff in thouht, in will, in deede,
Withoute feynyng onto ther kynreede.

Specialli that non vnkynd[e]nesse
Be founde in them for non aduersite;
To considre, of naturel gentilesse
To them approprid is merci & pite;
And tauoide the fals duplicite
That was in Frederik, which so vnkynd[e]li
Leet slen his sone that callid was Herry.

Pite is approprid to kynreede,
Fader and mooder be disposicioun
To cherisshe ther childre & [eke] feede
Til seuene yeer passe, lawe maketh mencioun,
As thei are bounde of nature and resoun.
That tyme passid, ther tendirnesse tenclyne
Vnto fourtene to vertuous disciplyne.

969

Than afftirward in ther adolescence,
Vertuousli to teche hem & chastise,
Norissh hem in doctryne & science,
Fostre in vertu vices to despise,
To be curteis, sad, prudent & wise;
For whan thei gynne with vertu in that age,
Gladli aftir, thei do non outrage.

As it longeth to euery gentil lyne,
And blood roial, be kyndli influence,
To fader, mooder shewe hymsilf benigne,
Of humble herte don hem reuerence,
Ay to remembre in ther aduertence
On sexe princis wrouhte the contrarie,
For which Fortune was ther aduersarie.

Euerich to other founde was vnkynde;
In cursid blood may be no kyndenesse;
Of oon tarage sauoureth tre & rynde,
The frut also bert[h] of the tre witnesse;
And semblabli the fadris cursidnesse,
With mortal suerd, in nature repreuable,
Ageyn the child is ofte seyn vengable.

Among[es] which Brutus is reknid oon,
Next in ordre folweth Manlius,
Slouh ther childre be record euerichon;
Phelipp Manlius & also Cassius,
And cruel Heroude, fell and malicious;
Frederik also most vengabli
Slouh his sone that callid was Herry.

This Frederik beyng ay contrarye
Toward his sone, nat gracious nor benigne,
From hooli cherche vngoodli he gan varie
And therageyn[es] frowardli maligne;
And lik a man obstynat & vndigne
Deied a-cursid thoruh mysgouernaunce,
Withoute confessioun outher repentaunce.

970

[How Manfroy kyng of Poyle was slayn.]

Nexte to Bochas of Poille cam þe kyng,
Began his fall and compleynt specefie,
Callid Manfroy; and for his fals werking
Put doun & slayn, cause of his tirannye.
Loo, what auailleth sceptre or regalie
To a tiraunt, which of violence
List to Godward haue non aduertence!

[How Encys kyng of Sardany died in prisoun.]

With look[e] doun-cast, dedli pale of cheere,
Of Sardania Encis next cam doun;
Kyng of that lond, to telle the maneere
How he werreied ageyn the mihti toun
Callid Bononia, to his confusioun;
Be them venquisshed, & with cheynys rounde,
Deied in prisoun, so long he lay ther bounde.

[a water makith theves blynde & trewe men to see.]

Folwyng myn auctour callid Bochas Iohn,
In Sardynia, as he maketh mynde,
Serpent nor wolff in al that lond is non,
Hauyng a welle, which of veray kynde
Theuys eyen the watir maketh blynde;
To trewe folk, as he doth diffyne,
Water therof is helthe and medecyne.

[An erbe who tastith it shal die lauhyng.]

Ther groweth also an herbe, as bookis seie,
Which that is so dyuers of nature,
Who tasteth therof lauhhyng he shal deie,
No medecyne may helpe hym nor recure;
The touch therof stant eek in auenture,—

971

Yiff it entre his mouth in any side,
He shal alyue for lauhtre nat abide.

[Another Frederyk was slayn bi Iugement of his brothir.]

Ther was anothir froward Frederik,
Sone to Alfonce, that was kyng of Castile,
Of corage wood and [also] fren[e]tik;
His owne brothir falsli to begile,
Began a werre lastyng but a while,
Whos purpos was his brother to deceyue
And the crowne of Castile to resceyue.

This Frederik cam with a gret bataile
Ageyn his brother for the same entent;
Off his purpos yit he dide faille:
God nor Fortune wer nat of assent.
Take in the feeld[e] and be iugement
Of his brothir, for his gret trespace
Slay[e]n openli; gat no bettir grace.

[How Manymettus and Argones died at mischef.]

Manymettus, of Perce lord and kyng,
Cam next in pres, distressid with gret peyne,
Vpon Fortune pitousli pleynyng,
His aduersite did hym so constreyne;
For ther was oon which did at hym disdeyne
Callid Argoones, void of title or lyne,
Geyn Manymet[tus] proudli gan maligne.

Which Argones for his presumpcioun
Take at mischeef be sodeyn violence,
His doom was youe to deien in prisoun,
Of noun poweer to make resistence;
But Fortune, that can no difference
In hir chaunges atwixen freend & foo,
Caused hem to deie at myscheef bothe two.

972

[How Charles kyng of Jerusalem and of Cecile for Auaryce and avoutrie died at mischef.]

Afftir thes forseid, rehersed in sentence,
As Bochas procedeth in his stile,
Kam noble Charlis unto his presence,
Kyng of Iherusalem and also of Cicile;
Of whos comyng myn auctour a gret while
Astonid was, to seen his knihtli face
With so good cheere com into the place.

For bi his port, who that beheeld hym weel,
Considred first his look & his visage,
It sempte he trad upon Fortunys wheel,
And of his noble marcial corage
Hadde of hir poweer getyn auauntage,
Shewyng hym-silf so fressh on ech partie,
Hir and hir myht did vttirly diffye.

First to comende his roial hih lynage,
And of his vertuous famous allyaunce,
As be writyng and preisyng with langage
The name of hym specialli tauaunce,
Seith he was bor[e]n of the blood of Fraunce;
And to encrece mor souereynli his prys,
Writ he was brother onto Seynt Lowis.

Gaff to France this comendacioun:
So as Phebus passeth ech othir sterre,
Riht so that kyngdam in comparisoun
Passeth eueri lond, bothe nih & ferre,
In policie, be it of pes or werre;
For it transcendith, in pes be prouidence,
And in werre be knihtli excellence.

Thes woordis be nat take out of myn auctour,—
Entitled heer for a remembraunce
Bi oon Laurence, which was a translatour
Of this processe, to comende Fraunce;
To preise that lond set al his plesaunce,

973

Seith influence of that roial lond
Made Charlis so worthi of his hond.

Of whos noblesse Pope Vrban hadde ioie,
Hym to encrece for vertuous lyuyng,
Which that tyme was duk of Aungoie,
Aftir chose of Cicile to be kyng.
Of Pope Vrban requered be writyng,
Toward Rome that he shold hym dresse
Of kyng Manfroy the tirannye toppresse.

Ageyn the pope and hooli cherchis riht
This same Manfroy dide gret extorsioun.
Noble Charlis, as Goddis owne kniht,
Cam with strong hond up to Roome toun;
Which in his komyng gaf pocessioun
To Guyot Maunfort for to haue the garde
In his passage and gouerne the vaunwarde.

Toward Roome with gret ordenaunce
Thei passed ouer the boundis of Itaille;
This manly kniht, this Charlis born in France,
Ladde with hym many strong bataille
The popis enmy manli for tassaille.
But al this while, to stonden at diffence
The said[e] Charlis fond no resistence.

Entryng Roome to be ther protectour,
Ful weel resceyuyd at his first entryng,
Chose and preferrid for cheef senatour
Bi the pope, most glad of his komyng;
Of Cicile was aftir crownid kyng,
And of Iherusalem, as maad is mencio[u]n,
Graunted to hym fulli pocessioun.

Which in his gynnyng bar hym tho so weel,
Entryng that lond with knihtly apparaille,
Of Cassyne gat first the strong castel,
At Bonnevente hadde a gret bataille
With kyng Manfroy, whos parti did[e] faille.
To reherse shortli his auenture,
Charlis on hym made a disconfiture.

974

In which[e] bataile kyng Manfroy was slayn;
And noble Charlis took pocessioun,
Wherof Romeyns wer ful glad & fayn.
Yit in Cicile ther was rebellioun,
But their wer brouht onto subieccioun.
Than Coradyn, record of old writing,
Sone of Conrade cleymed to be kyng.

Gan make hym strong, proudli took his place
At Aligate, a famous old cite.
Noble Charlis with knihtli cheer & face
Fill upon hym, made hym for to flee.
And to sette reste in the contre,
Tauoide trouble & make al thing certayn,
Gaff iugement Coradyn to be slayn.

Among kinges notable and glorious,
Charlis was put, as maad is mencioun,
Lik a prince strong and victorious
In ful pesible and hool pocessioun
Of Cicile and al that regioun,
Ageyn[e]s whom was non dissobeissaunce,
Yolde of hool herte to his gouernaunce.

Be title also off his alliaunce,
Fortune gretli did hym magnefie;
For as it is Iput in remembraunce,
The noble princesse that callid was Marye,
Douhtir to Steuene regnyng in Hungrye,
Iioyned was and knet in mariage
To Charlis sone, tencres of his lynage.

The same Charlis be auctorite
Of the pope, so as hym list ordeyne,
Was eek maad kyng of the gret cite
Callid Iherusalem, of touns most souereyne;
Be which[e] title he bar crownis tweyne.
His brothir Lowis, olde bookis seye,
The same tyme in Egipt gan werreye.

Gat al the contrees abouten enviroun,
Which that Sarsyns did falsli occupie;

975

Brouht hem ageyn[e] to subieccioun
Of Iherusalem, that lond to magnefie:
Cartage in Affrik, with al ther regalie,
And alle the contrees beyng afforn contrarye,
To kyng Charlis becam tributarye.

Thus while he sat hiest in his glorie,
Lik Phebus shynyng in his mydday speere,
With many conquest and many gret victorie,
Whan his noblesse shon most briht & cleere,
The same tyme, with a frownyng cheere,
Fortune gan from Charlis turne hir face
And hym berafte his fauour and his grace.

This lady Fortune doth seelde in oon contune,
She is so gerissh of condicioun,
A sorceresse, a traitour in comune,
Caste a fals mene to his destruccioun,
Oon of his sonys slay[e]n with poisoun,
Which did eclipse, myn auctour doth expresse,
A ful gret part of [al] his old gladnesse.

He was disclaundrid of the grete vice
Which apparteneth onto tirannye,
I meene the vice of froward auarice,
Which is contrarie gretli to cheualrie;
Diffamed also of fals auoutrie,
Which was susteened thoruh his meyntenaunce
Withynne that lond[e] be a kniht of Fraunce.

The same kniht abidyng in his hous,
Al Cicile troublid with that deede:
The grete offence was so disclaundrous,
Thoruh al the regioun that it began to spreede;
For thilke woman, pleynli as I reede,
Was wyff to oon which suffred this offence
And to be vengid dide his dilligence.

Iohn Prosithe pleynli was his name,
Which cast hym fulli auengid for to be,
That kyng Charlis sholde ber the blame,
Slen al Frensh-men that bood in that contre,
Withoute grace, merci or pite.

976

And for to doon ful execucioun
Requered was the kyng of Arragoun.

Loste of Cicile al hool the regioun
With the obeissaunce of many gret cite,
And of Iherusalem the pocessioun;
Fill be processe in gret aduersite,
And last, constreyned with greuous pouerte,
To God most meekli, with ful heuy cheere,
Soone to be ded[e]; this was his praieere.

Supprised he was with sorwe in his corage;
Loste his force; fill into malladie;
Languisshed foorth til he gan falle in age,
Ageyn Fortune fond no remedie.
And be thoccasioun of fals auoutrie
Fill to myscheeff; and for sorwe & dreed
This Charlis deide; no mor of hym I reede.

Lenvoye.

Lyk as Phebus in sum fressh morwenyng
Aftir Aurora þe day doth clarefie,
Fallith ofte that his briht shynyng
Idirkid is with sum cloudi skie:
A liknesse shewed in this tragedie,
Expert in Charlis, the stori doth weel preeue,
Youthe & age reknid ech partie,
The faire day men do preise at eue.

The noble fame of his fressh gynnyng,—
To Seyn[t] Lowis he was nih of allie,—
Riht wis, riht manli, riht vertuous of lyuyng,
Callid of knihthod flour of cheualrie,
Til meyntenaunce of auout[e]rie
Cam into his court to hurte his name & greue,
His lyff, his deth[e] put in iupartie:
The faire day men do preise at eue.

Lik desertis men haue ther guerdonyng:
Vertuous lyff doth princis magnefie;
The contrarie to them is gret hyndryng,—

977

Folk expert the trouthe may nat denye.
Cerche out the reward of cursid lecherye:
Where it is vsed, the houshold may nat preue;
In this mateer to Charlis hath an iye,
The faire day to preise toward eue.

Noble Princis, all vices eschewyng,
Your hih corages lat resoun modefie;
Withdrawe your hand fro riotous wachching;
Fleeth flesshli lustis and vicious companye;
Oppressith no man; doth no tirannye;
Socoure the needi; poore folk doth releeue;
Lat men reporte the prudent policie
Of your last age whan it draweth to eue.

[Off Hugolyne erle of Pyse slayn in prisoun.]

Off Charlis story rad þe woful fyn,
As ye haue herd þe maner & the guise,
To Ihon Bochas appeered Hugolyn,
Callid whilom the noble Erl of Pise,
Til the Pisanys gan ageyn hym rise;
Most vengably, cruel & vnkynde,
Slouh hym in prisoun; no mor of hym I fynde,—

[Athon kyng of Ar[me]nye / put from his ri[ght] by his brothire.]

Sauff his childre, of hatreede and envie,
Wer moord[e]rid eek in a deep prisoun.
Next with his compleynt the kyng of Armenye
Cam tofor Bochas, that callid was Achoun,
A Cristene prince ful famous of renoun;
For our feith, from which he list nat erre,
Geyn Tartarynes long tyme he heeld gret werre.

978

This manli kyng, in knihthod ful famous,
It was shewed, his stori who list reede,
Hadde a brother fell and despitous
Callid Sabath, desirous to succeede,
Stede of his brother the kyngdam to posseede;
Be fals[e] tresoun reued hym of his riht,
Kept hym in hold[e] and put out his siht.

This Sabath loste bothe happ & grace,
His other brother, as maad is mencioun,
Be strong hond[e] put hym from his place,
Chacid hym out of that regioun.
Take be force and fetrid in prisoun,
Deide ther; no man list hym visite:
Loo, how God can tresoun and moordre quite!

[How pope Boneface the viijthe. was take by the Lynage de Columpnys / ete his hondes & died in prisoun.]

Among thes woful froward princis thre
Which shewed hem so ougli of þer chere,
Pope Boneface be gret aduersite,
Eihte of that name, gan taproche neer.
A thousand thre hundred acountid was þe yeer
Fro Cristes berthe be computacioun,
Whan that he made his lamentacioun.

This same pope kauhte occasioun,
Which vndir Petir kepte gouernaunce,
To interdicte al the regioun,
Tyme of kyng Phelipp regnyng þer in France;
Directe bollis doun into Constaunce
To Nicholas, maad[e] be Boneface,
Archidekne of the same place.

Off hooli cherche the prelatis nih echon,
Bisshoppis of Fraunce felli haue declarid,
Preuyng be poyntis many mo than oon
In a gret seen[e] pleynli & nat spared,

979

Be hym the cherche was hurt & nat reparid;
Put on hym crymes of gret misgouernaunce,
Denouncid hym enmy to al the lond of France.

Put [up]on hym many gret outrage,
Wrongli how he hadde doon offence
To a cardynal born of the lynage
De Columpnis, a kynreede of reuerence;
For which[e] cause he kept hym in absence
Out of the court, drouh wher he was born;
Be which occasioun the pope his lif hath lorn.

De Columpnis the lynage hath so wrouht:
Took Boniface for his old cruelte;
With gret poweer & force thei haue hym brouht
Into a castel which stood in the cite,
Callid Sancti Angeli; gaf auctorite
To a cardynal, & be commyssioun
Poweer to doon ful execusioun.

Of thes mateeris hangyng in ballaunce
Atween parties, wer it riht or wrong,
Bothe of Romeyns, prelatis eek of France,
The pope ay kept withynne the castel strong,
Of auenture, nat bidyng ther riht long,
Fill in a flux, and aftirward for neede,
For hunger eet his hondis, as I reede.

Hour of his deyng, it is maad mencioun,
Aboute the castel was merueillous lihtnyng,
Wher the pope lay fetrid in prisoun,—
Non such afforn was seyn in ther lyuyng.
And whil Bochas was besi in writyng,
To write the fall[e] of this Boniface,
The Ordre of Templeris cam toforn his face.

[How the ordre of Templers was founded and [Iaques] with other of the ordre brent.]

Croniclers the trouthe can recorde,
Callyng to mynde the first fundacioun,
And olde auctours therwithal accorde,

980

Of thes Templeeris how the religioun
Gan thilke tyme whan Godfrey Bollioun
Hadde wonne, that noble knihtli man,
Iherusalem, that ordre first began.

Bi certeyn knihtis which did her besi peyne,
Whan the said[e] cite was first wonne
Be noble Godfrey, duk whilom of Loreyne,
Ther crownid kyng, this ordre thei begonne,—
Olde bookis weel reherse konne,—
Takyng a ground of pouert & meeknesse,
To founde this ordre did her besynesse.

Ther begynnyng cam of deuocioun,
The ground Itake of wilful pouerte;
And made first ther habitacioun
Be the temple, nat ferr fro the cite,
In tokne of clennesse sworn to chastite,
Of the temple lik to ther desirs
Took that name & callid wer Templeeris.

Pope Honorie gaff hem auctorite,
Of hooli cherche beyng that tyme hed;
A whiht habit thei bar for chastite;
Eugenivs afftir gaf hem a cros of red.
And to diffende pilgrymes, out of dreed,
Geyn Saresyn[e]s thoruh ther hih renoun,
This was cheef poynt of ther professioun.

Whil thei lyuede in wilful pouerte,
Thes crossid knihtis in mantlis clad of whiht,
Ther name spradde in many ferr contre;
For in perfeccioun was set al ther deliht.
Folk of deuocioun kauht an appetiht
Them for tencrece, gaf hem gret almesse,
Bi which thei gan encrece in gret richesse.

Bi processe withynne a fewe yeeris,
The noumbre gret of ther religioun;
And the fame of thes seid Templeeris
Gan spreede wide in many regioun.
Ther sodeyn risyng, of ther pocessioun,
With touns, castellis, thei gaf hem to delices,
Appalled in vertu, which brouht in many vices.

981

It wer to longe for to rekne hem alle;
But among other I fynde ther was oon,
A manli kniht, folk Iaques did hym calle,
Gret of auctorite among hem euerichon,
As cronicles remembre of yore agon.
The which[e] Iaques in the rewm of France
Was born of blood to gret enheritaunce.

The same Iaques, holde a manli kniht
In his gynnyng, fressh, lusti of corage,
Hadde a brother, be elder title of riht
Occupied al hool the heritage,
Because Iaques yonger was of age,
Which myht[e] nat be no condicioun
Nothyng cleyme of that pocessioun.

His elder brother occupied al,
Whil this Iaques was but of low degree,
Wonder desirous with hym to been egal,
Alway put bak be froward pouerte.
And to surmounte, yif it wolde bee,
Fond out a mene lik to his desirs,
Was chose maister of thes Templeeris.

Was promootid be free eleccioun
Bi them that sholde chesyn hym of riht;
Wherbi he hadde gret domynacioun,
Richesse, tresour, gret poweer & myht.
Of his persone was eek a manli kniht,—
The same tyme, put in remembraunce,
Phelipp Labele crownid kyng in France.

Which hadde of Iaques gret indignacioun,
To alle the Templeris and al ther cheualrie,
Caste weies to ther destruccioun,
Gaf auctorite his lust to fortefie,
Doun fro the pope, bookis specefie,
Clement the Sexte, concludyng yif he may,
Alle the Templeeris destroie hem on a day.

982

For certeyn crymes horrible to heere,
Alle attonis wer set in prisoun,
Bi ther freendis touching this mateere
Counseilled to axe merci & pardoun,
That thei sholde be pleyn confessioun
Requere mercy, knelyng on a rowe,
And as it was ther trespas been aknowe.

Iaques was take, and with hym othir thre,
Kept in holde and [in]to prisoun sent.
And the remnaunt for ther iniquite
Ordeyned wern be open iugement
To myhti stakes to be teied and brent.
The kyng in maner lik to doon hem grace,
So thei wolde confesse ther trespace.

But al for nouht; thei wer so indurat,
Alle of accord[e] and of o corage
To axe mercy verray obstynat.
The fire reedi, al with o langage,
Whan the flawme approched ther visage,
Ful pleynli spak [&] cried pitousli,
Of ther accus how thei wer nat gilti.

Fro ther purpos list nat to declyne;
But with o vois echon[e] an[d] o sown
Fulli affermed til thei did[e] fyne,
How ther ordre and ther religioun
Igroundid was upon perfeccioun,
And how ther deth, verraili in deede,
Compassid was of malis & hatreede.

The saide Iaques, of whom I spak toforn,
Brouht to a place which callid was Leoun,
Tofor too legatis, or that his lyff was lorn,
Al openli made his confessioun:
He was worthi, for short conclusioun,
For to be ded be rihtful iugement.
This was his eende; to asshes he was brent.

983

Here Bochas makith a comendacion of thre Philisophris for their pacience.

Yiuyng a pris to philisophres thre,
Bochas comendith with gret dilligence
How ech of hem was in his contre
Souereynli be vertuous excellence
Off old comendid for ther pacience,
Which may be set and crownid in his stall
As emperesse among vertues all.

Mong Siciliens first Theodorus,
For pacience hadde in gret reuerence;
Among Grekis, the stori tellith vs,
Anaxerses for his magnificence,
Bi force of vertu groundid on pacience,
Because he was [both] vertuous & wis,
For suffraunce gat hym a souereyn pris.

Among[es] Romey[n]s put in remembrance,
S[c]euola, bothe philisophre & kniht,
For his marcial hardi strong constaunce,
Whan that he heeld amyd the flawmys liht
Hand and fyngres aboue the coles briht,
Til the ioyntes, fallyng heer & yonder,
From the wirste departid wer assonder.

First Theodorus, born in the famous ile,
Be pacience gret peynes enduryng,
Cheeff philisophre callid of Cicile,
With cheynys bounde upon the ground liggyng,
On his bodi leid gaddis red brennyng,
Suffryng this peyne, list it nat refuse,
Bi kyng Iherom, the tiraunt Siracuse.

For comoun proffit suffrid al [t]his peyne,
Long tyme afforn[e] liggyng in prisoun;
Which bassent of mo than on or tueyne

984

Was the most cheef be conspiracioun
To brynge the tiraunt to his destruccioun;
For no peyne that he myhte endure,
The coniuracioun he wold nat discure.

Rather he ches in myscheeff for to deie,
Than the name openli declare
Of hym that slouh the tiraunt, soth to seie.
Thouhte of riht no man sholde spare,
For comoun proffit, helthe and weelfare
To slen a tiraunt, deemyng for the beste,
Alle a regioun for to sette at reste.

For which[e] title, he list to suffre deth,
Al [t]his torment took most pacientli
Theodorus, til he yald up the breth,
Gruchched nat with noise nor loude cry;
Amyd whos herte rootid [so] feithfulli
Was comoun proffit, Bochas writ the same,
Among Siciliens to getyn hym a name.

Grekis also comende aboff the sterris
Anaxerses and gretli magnefie,
Cause that he to stynte mortal werris
List nat spare taquiten his partie
In rebukyng manli the tirannye
Of Nicocreoun, tiraunt ful mortall,
Regnyng in Cipre in his estat roiall.

Spared nat nouther for deth nor dreed
Hym to rebuke bi vertuous langage.
The tiraunt badde kutte [out] of his hed
His tunge in haste; but he with strong corage
Saide he sholde haue non auauntage
Of that membre, which, maugre al his miht,
Hadde tolde hym trouthe in [the] peeplis siht.

Off his manace sette litil tale,
Boot of his tunge, of hardi strong corage,
Chewed it al on pecis smale;
Of manli herte thouhte it no damage;
Spit it out into the visage

985

Of the tiraunt; gat so the victorie,
To putte his name euermor in memorie.

And S[c]euola, egal to thes tweyne,
For comoun proffit, be iust comparisoun,
Put hym in pres[e]; did his besi peyne
To slen Porsenna, enmy to Roome toun.
For tacomplisshe his entencioun
Took a strong dart, riht passyngli trenchaunt,
With al his myht[e] cast at the tiraunt.

Of his marke cause he dide faille
To slen his enmy aftir his entente,
Which in Tuscan with many strong bataille
[A]geyn[es] Romeyns with his knihtis wente,
This S[c]euola his owne hande brente,
Cause that he failled of his art,
To slen Porsenna be casting of his dart.

To declare the force of his manheede
Vpon hymsilff auengid for to bee,
As I haue told, in briht[e] coles rede
His hand he brente for loue of his cite,
Onli taquite his magnanymyte,
Of feruent loue his cite for tauaille,
To slen the tiraunt cause he did[e] faille.

Thus for to putte the marcial suffrance
Of thes notable philisophres thre
In perpetuel mynde and remembraunce,
How thei hem quite ech lik his degre
For ther purparti vnto the comounte,
Cause al ther ioie and ther inward deliht
Was for avail of the comoun proffit.

First Theodorus put hymsilf in pres
For Ciciliens to deien in prisoun;
And for Grekis noble Anexerses,
His tunge torn, felt gret[e] passioun;
And S[c]euola for Romeyns & ther toun
Suffred his hand, be short auisement,
Tokne of trouthe, in colis to be brent.

A martirdam it was, in ther maneer
Of ther corage to haue so gret constaunce;

986

Wer so stable of bodi, hert and cheer,
For comoun proffit, of face & contenaunce,
Vnto the deth withoute variaunce;
Gat the tryumphe be souereyn excellence,
With laureer crownid for ther pacience.

Lik as Phebus passeth a litil sterre,
Hiest vpreised in his mydday speere,
So this vertu, in trouble, pes & werre,
Cald pacience most fresshli doth appeere
Among vertues to shewe his bemys cleere;
For pacience knet with humylite,
Wher thei abide ther may non erour bee.

Tirauntis hertis this vertu doth appese,
Modefieth ther cruel fell woodnesse.
Rage of leouns, who list lyue in ese,
Of folk prostrat his malis doth represse.
Al our ioie began first with meeknesse;
For of Iuda the hardi strong leoun
A maidnes meeknesse from heuene brouht doun.

In bataille & myhti strong sheltrouns,
Avys with suffraunce wynneth the victorie;
Pacience venquissheth champiouns;
Lownesse in vertu be many old historie,
And meeknesse, perpetuel of memorie,—
Al to conclude, groundid on resoun,—
A maidnes meeknesse wrouhte our redempcioun.

A Comendacion of pacience in stede of a Lenvoy.

Vertu of vertues, o noble Pacience,
With laureer crownid for vertuous constaunce,
Laude, honour, prys and reuerence
Be youe to the, pryncesse of most plesaunce,
Most rennommed be anxien remembraunce;
Of whom the myhti marcial armure
Geyn al vices lengest may endure.

Ground and gynnyng to stonden at diffence
Ageyn Sathanis infernal puissaunce;

987

Laureat queen, wher thou art in presence,
Foreyn outrages haue no gouernaunce;
Conduit, hedspring of plentevous habundaunce,
Cristal welle, celestial of figure,
Geyn alle vices whiche lengest may endure.

Cheef founderesse be souereyn excellence
Of goostli beeldyng and spiritual substaunce,
Emperesse of most magnificence,
With heuenli spiritis next of alliaunce,
With lyff euerlastyng thi tryumphes to auaunce,
And ioie eternal thi noblesse to assure
In the aureat Throne perpetueli tendure,

Thre iherarchies ther beyng in presence,
With whom humylite hath souereyn aqueyntaunce,
Wher osanna with deuout dilligence
Is sung of aungelis be long contynuaunce,
Tofor the Throne keepyng ther obseruaunce
Syng Sanctus Sanctus, record of scripture,
With vois memorial perpetueli tendure,

The brennyng loue of Cherubyn be feruence,
Parfit in charite, dilligent obeissaunce;
And Seraphyn with humble obedience,
And Ordres Nyne be heuenli concordaunce,
Domynaciones with vertuous attendaunce,
Affor the Trynyte syng fresshli be mesure,
With vois memorial perpetueli tendure.

Suffraunce of paynemys hath but an apparence,
Doon for veynglorie, hangyng in ballaunce;
But Cristis martirs, in verray existence
List ageyn tirauntes make repugnaunce;
Rather deie than doon God displesaunce,
Shewed in no merour liknesse nor picture,
Take full pocessioun for euere with Crist tendure.

Suffraunce for vertu hath the premynence
Of them that sette in God ther affiaunce;
Record on Steuene, Vincent and Laurence;
Blissid Edmond bi long perseueraunce
Suffred for our feith victorious greuaunce,

988

Kyng, maide and martir, a palme to recure,
In the heuenli court perpetuelli tendure.

And for to sette a maner difference,
In Bochas book told eueri circumstaunce,
How for our feith be ful gret violence
Dyuers seyntis haue suffrid gret penaunce,
Stable of ther cheer, visage and contenaunce,
Neuer to varye for non auenture;
Lik Cristis champiouns perpetueli tendure.

Whos fundacioun bi notable prouidence,
Groundid on Crist ther soulis for tauaunce,
Graue in ther hertis & in ther conscience,
Voidyng al trouble of worldli perturbaunce,
Chaungis of Fortune with hir double chaunce;
Loued God & dradde, aboff ech creature,
In hope with hir perpetueli tendure.

[How Philip la Bele kyng of Fraunce was slayn with a wilde boor and of his thre sones and theire weddyng.]

Whan Bochas hadde write of pacience
And comendid the vertu of suffraunce,
Phelipp la Bele cam to his presence,
Fiffte of that name crownid kyng of France,
Gan compleyne his vnhappi chaunce
And on Fortune, of custum þat kan varie,
Which was to hym cruel aduersarie.

Woundid he was, [&] with a greuous soor
Gan his compleynt to Bochas determyne,
How he was slay[e]n of a wilde boor
In a forest which callid is Compigne;
Tolde how he was disclaundrid [&] al his lyne;
Onis in Flaundris, with many a worþi kniht,
Venquisshed of Flemmynges & felli put to fliht.

Proceedyng ferther gan touche of his lynage,
How in his tyme he hadde sonys thre:
Lowis, Phelipp & Charlis yong of age,
The fourte Robert; a douhtir also had he

989

Callid Isabell, riht excellent of beute.
Seide Robert, the stori is weel kouth,
Which that deide in his tendre youth.

To this stori who list haue good reward,
The circumstaunce wisli to discerne,
His douhtir Isabell was weddid to Edward
Carnervan, the book so doth vs lerene.
This yonger Phelipp weddid in Nauerne
The kynges douhtir, a statli mariage,
Callid Iane, whil she was tendre of age.

The same Phelipp aftir crownyd kyng
Of Nauerne, his fadir of assent,
Fyue sonis he hadde in his lyuyng;
Of which[e] fyue, as in sentement,
Thre in noumbre be riht pertynent
To the mateer, who-so list to look,
And the processe of this same book.

The eldest sone callid was Lowis,
To whom his fadir gaf pocessioun
Of Nauerne, because that he was wis
For to gouerne that noble regioun.
Phelipp his brothir for his hih renoun
Was aftirward be iust enheritaunce
And rihtful title crownid kyng of France.

The thridde brothir was be title of riht
Maad Erl of March, and namyd was Charlis.
Euerich of hem in the peeplis siht
Wer famous holde & passyng of gret prys.
And for thei wern riht manli and riht wis
Phelipp and Charlis took in tendre age
The erlis douhtren of Burgoyne in mariage.

But as the stori remembreth in certeyne,
To ther noblesse Fortune had envie;
And bi a maner of malis and disdeyne
Brouht in be processe vpon the partie
Of ther too wyues froward auoutrie,
Causyng the deth of alle thes princis thre,
Whan thei most floured in ther felicite.

990

Aftir thes thre princis glorious,
Tofor Bochas to shewen his entent,
A mihti duk, notable and riht famous,
Cam to compleyne, Charlis of Tharente,
Which in his tyme to Florence wente
To make pes in his roial estat
Tween Guerff and Gemelius stonding at debat.

The saide Charlis, born of the blood of France,
A manli kniht, the stori doth deuise,
Bi whos vnhappi froward fatal chaunce
In the werris atween Florence & Pise,
On hors[e]bak sittyng in knihtli wise,
Hurt with an arwe, fill lowe doun to grounde,
Wherbi he kauhte his laste fatal wounde.

A man of armys beyng a soudiour
With the Pisauns, wer it wrong or riht,
Of fals disdeyn that day did his labour
To trede on Charlis in the peeplis siht,
Whan he lay gruff; wherfor he was maad kniht
Be ther capteyn for a maner pride,
Which gouerned the Gibelynes side.

And in his studie with ful heuy cheer
Whil Iohn Bochas abood still in his seete,
To hym appeered & gan approche neer
Daunte of Florence, the laureat poete,
With his ditees and rethoriques sueete,
Demure of look, fulfilled with pacience,
With a visage notable of reuerence.

Whan Bochas sauh hym, vpon his feet he stood,
And to meete hym he took his pas ful riht,
With gret reuerence aualed capp and hood,
And to hym seide with humble cheer & siht:
“O cleerest sonne, daysterre and souereyn liht
Of our cite, which callid is Florence,
Laude onto the, honour and reuerence!

Thou hast enlumyned Itaile & Lumbardie
With laureat dites in thi flouryng daies,

991

Ground and gynner of prudent policie,
Mong Florentynes suffredist gret affraies;
As gold purid, preeued at al assaies,
In trouthe madest meekli thi-silue strong
For comoun proffit to suffre peyne & wrong.

O noble poete, touching this mateer,
How Florentynes wer to the vnkynde,
I wil remembre and write with good cheer
Thi pitous exil and put heer in mynde.”
“Nay,” quod Daunte, “but heer stant oon behynde,
Duk of Athenis; turne toward hym þi stile,
His vnkouth stori breefli to compile.

And yif thou list to do me this plesaunce,
To descryue his knihtli excellence,
I wil thou putte his lyff in remembrance,
How he oppressid be myhti violence
This famous cite [which] callid [is] Florence;
Be which[e] stori ful pleynli thou shalt see,
Which wer freendis & foon to that cite,

And which wer hable for to been excusid,
Yif the trouthe be cleerli apparceyued;
And which wer worthi for to be refusid,
Be whom the cite ful falsli was deceyued,
The circumstaunces notabli conceyued,
To rekne in ordre upon eueri side,
Which sholde be chacid & which shold abide.”

[How Duk Gaultere of Florence for his tyrannye Lecherye and couetise ended in mischef.]

And whan Bochas knew al thentencioun
Of seide Daunte, he cast hym anon riht
Tobeie his maister, as it was resoun;
Took his penne; and as he cast his siht
A lite a-side, he sauh no maner wiht
Sauf Duk Gaulteer, of al that longe day;
For Daunt vnwarli vanshed was a-way.

992

This saide Gaulteer, breeffli to proceede,
Lik as it is Iput in remembraunce,
Touchyng his lyne an[d] his roial kynreede,
He was discendid of the blood of France.
Bi long processe and knihtli purueyaunce
His fadir first, be dilligent labour,
Of Athenys was lord and gouernour.

Stood but a while in cleer pocessioun,
Grekis to hym hadde ful gret envie,
Caste of assent[e] for to putte hym doun
And depryve hym of his famous duchie;
To ther entent a leiseer did espie,
Took hym at myscheef, &, quaking in his dreed,
Of hih despiht in hast smet of his hed.

Vpon whos deth auengid for to bee
The saide Gaulteer with myhti apparaille
Caste he wolde asege that cite;
But of his purpos longe he dide faille.
And in this while, with many gret bataile,
Too myhti princis wer come doun of Pise,
Leid a siege to Luk in knihtli wise.

Florentynes to Luk wer fauourable;
And to delyuere the siege fro the toun,
With multitude almost innumerable
Made ordynaunce; & knihtli thei cam doun,
Which turned aftir to ther destruccioun:
For it fill so of mortal auenture,
On Florentynes fill the disconfiture.

The noise and fame of this gret bataile
Gan spreede ferr bi report of langage
In Lombardie and thoruh[out] al Itaile
Mong soudiour[e]s lusti of corage;
And among othir, feynyng a pilgrimage,
The saide Gaulteer be vnwar violence
Cam fro Naplis doun into Florence.

The Florentynes heeld first a parlement
For the sauacioun and garde of her cite,
Be gret prudence and gret auisement

993

Of suich as wer[e]n hiest of degre;
Bi oon assent thei gaff the souereynte
Them to gouerne, hoping to ther encres,
With statutis made bothe for werre & pes.

The gret estatis, reulers of the toun,
Callid magnates tho daies in sothnesse,
To Gaulteer gaff this domynacioun,
Of entent the comouns to oppresse
And marchauntes to spoille of ther richesse,
Streyne men of crafft be froward violence
Ageyn the libertes vsid in Florence.

The peeple alway in a-wait liggyng
To be restorid onto ther liberte,
Gan gruchche sore, among hemsilf pleynyng
For gret extorsiouns doon to ther cite;
The grete also, of most auctorite,
Hadde leuere to suffre Gaulteer regne,
Than ther exacciouns to modefie or restreyne.

The saide Gaulteer in ful sotil wise,
Be a fals maner of symulacioun,—
Enmy in herte vnto ther fraunchise;
Al that he wrouhte, for short conclusioun,
Was doon oonli to ther destruccioun,
With a pretence feyned of freendliheed,
To his promys ay contrarie was the deed,—

Clamb up be processe to ful hih estat
Be feyned speche and sotil flaterie;
In his herte wex pompous & elat,
His werking outward no man koude espie;
Lite and litil drouh to his partie,
That to conclude, shortli for to seie,
Al Florence his lustis did obeie.

Gan sotilli plese the comounte,
For to acomplissh falsli his desirs,
Made promys tencrece ther liberte
To suich as wer[e]n froward of maneeres;
Made an oth to stroie ther officeeres,
But thei wolde of ther fre volunte
Graunte onto hym larger liberte,

994

Gretter poweer and domynacioun
Tencrece his miht upon eueri side.
Gan manace the grettest of the toun
And day be day encresen in his pride;
Felli began, felli [he] did abide;
Wherupon, kept cloos in ther entraille,
The Florentynes gretli gan meruaille.

In this while was ther oon Reyneer,
Of gret auctorite and of gret reuerence,
A mihti seruaunt and a gret officeer,
To whos biddyng obeied al Florence,
Which with Gaulteer acorded in sentence,
With soudiours hadde stuffid ech hostrye
For to susteene of Gaulteer the partie.

And traitourli for to fortefie
Thentent of Gaulteer, fel & ambicious,
To haue thestat onli be tirannye,
As ther cheeff lord, froward & surquedous,
To regne in Florence; the cas was pereilous,
Whan too tirauntis be bothe of oon assent
With multitude tacomplisshe ther entent.

Which thyng considred bi ther gouernours
And magnates callid in the cite,
Whan that thei fond among hem no socours
To remedien ther gret aduersite;
Fill to accord[e] of necessite,
Gaff ther assent withoute variaunce,
That Gaulter sholde haue al the gouernaunce.

And condescendid thei wer to this issu,
That Gaulteer sholde in al his beste wise
Vpon the bodi be sworn of Crist Iesu,
Them to restore onto ther fraunchise
Vsid of old, and for no couetise
From ther promys, for lyff nor deth declyne,
As be conuencioun [the court] list determyne.

Heerupon was blowen a trompet
For tassemble thestatis of the toun;
A parlement holde, Gaulter first was set;

995

And to pronounce the convencioun,
With euery parcel entitle[d] be resoun,
Lik ther accord declaryng anon riht,
Stood up a vocat in the peeplis siht.

With men of armys in steel armid briht
Vnto ther paleis cheef and princepall
The saide Gaulteer conveied anon riht,
Set in a seete most statli and roiall.
And the peeple with vois memoriall
Gan crye loude, concluding this sentence:
Gaulteer for euere, cheef lord of Florence—

So to perseuere duryng al his lyff.
Took in the paleis ful pocessioun;
Ther durste non ageyn it make striff;
Graunted to hym the domynacioun
Of alle the castellis aboute enviroun,—
Tuscan, Areche and castel Florentyn,
With alle lordshipis to Mount Appenyn.

As ye haue herd[e], Gaulteer thus began.
Bi his owne furious dyuynaille,
Saide he was born to be lord of Tuscan,
With a gret parti also of Itaille;
Tolde he was lad, conueied be a quaile,
Saide ouermor[e], wer it riht or wronge,
That was the sentence of the birdis songe.

The same brid first brouht hym to Florence,
Al the weie afforn hym took his fliht;
With soote syngyng did hym reuerence,
Hih in the hair of corage glad and liht;
Wolde neuer parte out of his siht;
Gaff hym tokenes to sette his herte affire,
That of Florence he shold be lord & sire.

The same bird he bar in his deuises
Ful richeli enbroudid with perre;
Took upon hym many gret emprises
As cheef lord of Florence the cite;
Sat in iugement; gouernid the contre;

996

Drouh to hym flaterers & folk þat koude lie,
Baudis, ribaudis wher he myht hem espie.

Of that cite took merueillous truages;
Crocheth to hym richessis of the toun;
Of lecherye vsid gret outrages,
Of maidnes, wyues maad non excepcioun.
Voide of mercy, grace and remyssioun,
Fond quarelis for to be vengable,
That to reherse it is abhomynable.

Wher he hateth merciles he sleth;
Brak fraunchises and old libertes.
The peeple pleynid, desiryng sore his deth,
Cried vengaunce aboute in ther citees
For tiranye doon in the contrees,
Which was cause of gret discencioun
And of ther cite almost subuersioun.

Thus thei wern among hemsilff deuided
For ther sodeyn greuous oppressioun;
Lak of forsiht, that thei wer nat prouided
To seen myscheeuys that sholde falle in þe toun.
This verray soth: wher is dyuysioun,
Be witnesse and record of scripture,
May no kyngdam nor cite long endure.

For which thei gan compleyne oon & all,
Bothe the grete and al the comounte;
And of accord among themsilff thei fall
To refourme the hurt of ther cite.
And fynalli the[i] condescendid bee
Bi a maner fell coniuracioun
To proceede to his destruccioun.

Vpon a day, thei armed in steel briht,
Magnates first, with comouns of the toun,
Alle of assent thei roos up anon riht,
Gan to crie & make an hidous soun:
“Lat sle this tiraunt! lat vs pulle hym doun!”
Leide a siege be myhti violence
Afforn his paleis, wher he was in Florence.

997

Swich as wern enclyned to Gaulteer,
Amyd the paleis, the stori doth vs lerne,
Teschewe the seege, with ful heuy cheere
Ordeyned hemsilf to fleen awey ful yerne
Out of the strengthe bi a smal posterne,
Whan Florentynes dide ther labour
To vndermyne round aboute the tour.

Of which[e] thing whan Gaulteer gan take heed,
This massage he sente onto the toun,
Nat of trouthe, but feynyngli for dreed,
Made promys be fals collusioun
For to make ful restitucioun
Of ther fredamys, as thei list deuise;
Sent hem out [oon] Guyllamyn Dassise,

Which to the cite was preeuid vttir foo;
Hadde afforn[e] doon hem gret damage.
With Guillamyn to them he sent also
His sone and heir to stynte al ther rage,—
Wers than his fadir of wil and of corage.
Bothe attonis wer hangid anon riht
Tofor the paleis in Gaulteres siht.

Another also, that callid was Herry,
Which hadde afforn[e] youe instruccioun
Vnto Gaulteer and was eek gret enmy
To steren hym ageyn that noble toun,
Gynner and ground of ther dyuisioun,—
Which tofor Gaulteer, his iugement to shewe,
With sharp[e] suerdis he was al to-hewe.

Thexecucioun doon upon thes thre
In Tuscan born, the rancour did appese
Of Florentynes, to staunche the[r] cruelte
Ageyn Gaulteer, and to his lyff gret ese.
He glad tescape out of his disese,
Fledde away in ful secre wise,
The toun restorid ageyn to þer franchise.

Thus he loste be his insolence
Al his poweer and domynacioun
Bothe of Tuscan and also of Florence;

998

And as myn auctour maketh mencioun,
Fro Lumbardie he is descendid doun,
Drouh to kyng Iohn regnyng tho in France,
And of berthe ful nih of alliaunce.

As I fynde he was on that partie
With kyng Iohn, this Gaulteer, lik a kniht;
Whan that the kyng with al his cheualrie
Was take hymsilf, his lordis put to fliht,
Into Inglond lad aftir anon riht,—
The saide Gaulteer, hauyng no reward
To his disworshep, fledde lik a coward.

Mette in his fliht with dyuers soudiours
Of Lumbardie abidyng with kyng Iohn,
Which that tyme as brigavntis & pillours
Took this Gaulteer, ledde hym foorth anon,—
His force, his corage, his herte was agon:
Of auenture a certeyn Florentyn
Smet of his hed; this was his fatal fyn.

[Off Philip Cathenoise born of lowe birthe cam to grete estat / & aftir she hir son & doughtir were brent.]

Bespreynt with teres, & [with] a woful noise,
Tofor Bochas quakyng in sorwe & dred,
Next in ordre cam Phelipp Cathenoise,
Poore of degre, born of louh kynreede,
Which roos aftir to gret estat in deede.
Gan with gret sorwe a compleynt ful mortall,
Ceriousli to telle hir woful fall.

Touchyng hir berthe, dirk was hir lynage,
Of poore bed[de] born on outher side;
Bochas was loth to spende gret langage
On hir historie, long theron tabide,
Purposed hym nothyng for to hide
Of the substaunce, but telle al the grete,
And superfluite of the remnant lete.

999

Which was rehersed to hym in his youthe
Whan he was toward Robert of Cicile,
Kyng of Iherusalem, the stori is nat kouth;
Yit in his book he list it to compile
And it reherse be ful souereyn stile,
Lik in that court as it was [to] hym told
Bi oon Bulgar clad in a slaueyn old.

The saide Bulgar was a maryneer,
With whom also was a Calabrien
Callid Constantyn, which ful many a yeer
Trauailled hadde & sondry thynges seen
In dyuers contres ther he hadde been.
Mong other thinges seyn in ther daies olde,
This was a stori which[e] Bulgar tolde.

Duk of Calabre, Robert be his name,
Bi his fadir Charlis, the myhti kyng,
Hadde in comaundement, his stori seith þe same,
Geyn Frederik to make a strong ridyng;
Which be force proudli vsurping,
Took upon hym to be lord of that ile,
Which callid was the kyngdam of Cicile.

Drepanne in soth[e] callid was the toun
Wher Duk Robert his pauylouns pihte,
Redi armyd, thoruh his hih renoun
Geyn Frederik for that lond to fihte
And withstonde hym pleynli yif he myhte.
And so befill, the morwe tofor prime
The dukis wiff of childyng bood hir tyme.

Violaunt men dide that ladi call,
In hir tyme a famous gret duchesse;
Destitut of other women all,
Whan hir child was born in that distresse,
To yiue it souke, the stori doth expresse,
Saue fro myscheeff Philipot was brouht neer,
Of Cathenoise, the dukis cheef lauendeer.

Bi a fisshere, which was hir husbonde,
A child she hadde, lyuyng be ther trauaile,

1000

Which fro the se onto the court be londe
Day be day caried vitaile.
And in this caas, because it myhte auaile,
Philipot was brouht, in this gret streihtnesse,
To be norice onto the duchesse.

Wher she was cherisshed aftir hir desirs,
Ech thyng reedi whan that euer she sente.
With the duchesse mong other chaumberers
Into Naples I fynde that she wente,
Til Antropos, froward of entente,
Made of this child, ther is no mor to seyne,
The lyues threed[e] for to breke in tweyne.

With kyng Charlis, of whom I spak toforn,
As myn auctour remembrith in his book,
Was oon Raymond of Chaumpayne born,
Which with the kyng was callid maister cook.
And on a day his iourne he took
Toward the se; a pirat, as I fynde,
Sold hym a child which was born in Ynde.

Lik Ethiopiens was his colour;
For whom this cook Raymond hath deuysed,
Be his notable [&] dilligent labour,
Made hym cristene; & so he was baptised;
Gaff hym his name, & hath also practised
Hym to promoote, that he vpon hym took
Bi his doctryne to be maister cook;

For he soone afftir took the ordre of kniht.
The Ethiopien wex a good officeer,
Gat suich grace in the kyngis siht,
To be aboute hym [was brouht up] mor neer;
Be processe he was maad wardropeer;
And thouh he was blak of his visage,
To Cathenoise was ioyned in mariage.

Wex malapert, and of presumpcioun
To be maad kniht the kyng he gan requeere,
Which of fredam and gret affeccioun
Is condescendid to graunten his praieere.
But to declare pleynli the maneere,

1001

In this tyme Violaunt the duchesse,
Affor remembred, deide of seeknesse.

Aftir whos deth, the book doth certefie,
How Duk Robert of Naples the cite
Weddid a ladi that callid was Sansie,
To whom Philipot, as fill to hir degre,
With dilligence and gret humylite
To plesen hire did so hir deueer,
That of hir counsail ther was non so neer.

Euere redi at hir comaundement,
Wrouhte atires plesaunt of deliht,
With holsum watres that wer redolent
To make hir skyn bi wasshyng soote & whiht,
Made confecciouns to serue hir appetiht.
Bi hir husbonde, the stori who list see,
The same Philipot hadde childre thre.

She was kunnyng & of hir port prudent;
Chose be fauour for to be maistresse
To faire Iane, yong and innocent,
Which douhtir was to the gret duchesse
Of Calabre; and ferthermor texpresse,
Hir husbonde Thethiopien with-al
Of Charlis houshold was maad senescall.

“O Lord!” quod Bochas, spak of hih disdeyn,
“What meueth this Fortune for to make cheere,
With hir fauour to reise up a foreyn
Vpon hir wheel, with brihte fethres cleere;
But of custum it is ay hir maneere
Fairest tappeere with cheer and contenaunce,
Whan she wil brynge a man vnto myschaunce.

For he that was a boy the laste day,
An Ethiopien broun and horrible of siht,
And afor-tyme in the kechyn lay
Among the pottis with baudi cote aniht,
Now [he] of neue hath take the ordre of kniht,
With kyng Charlis now is he senescall:
Swich sodeyn clymbyng axeth a sodeyn fall.”

1002

He and Philipot, his wiff, fro pouerte
Been enhaunsid and rise to gret richesse;
Tweyne of ther sonis statli maried bee;
And for fauour mor than worthynesse
Took ordre of kniht; & in his most hihnesse
Ther fader deide, whos feeste funerall
Was solempnised and holde ful roiall.

Thus can Fortune chaungen as the moone,
Hir brihte face dirked with a skie:
His eldest sone deide aftir soone;
The secounde lefft up his clergie,
To be maad kniht gan hymsilf applie,
Stede of his fader, pleynli as I reede,
In his offis be fauour to succeede.

Thus be processe fro Philipot anon riht,
Deth of hir husbonde & [of] hir sonis tweyne,
Fortune in parti eclipsed hath the liht
Of hir weelfare & gan at hir disdeyne.
Yit euene lik, as whan that it doth reyne,
Phebus aftir sheweth mor cleernesse,
So she fro trouble roos to mor noblesse.

I meene as thus, rehersing no vertu
In hir persone that men koude espie,
But onli this, be title of this issu:
Whan Charlis douhtir Iane on that partie
Was to the kyng weddid of Hungrie,
Callid Andree, a man of gret corage,
His saide wiff but riht tendre of age,

The same Iane, nat al withoute vice,
As is rehersed sumwhat be myn auctour,
To whom Philipot whilom was norice,
As ye haue herd, and be ful gret labour
Of saide Iane, Robert made gouernour,
Sone of Philipot, for a gret reward,
Made of Scicile & of that lond stiward.

This fauour doon to Philipot Cathenoise
Caused in that lond gret indignacioun,
Whos douhtres weddyng caused eek gret noise,

1003

Maried to Charlis the gret erl of Marchoun,
Which gaff to folk gret occasioun
To deeme amys aboute in ech contre,
That al that lond was gouerned be tho thre,

Be queen Iane and Philipot Cathenoise
And saide Robert, stiward of Cicile,
Sone to Philipot; this was the comoun voise:—
The queen and Robert be ther sotil wile
Hadde of assent vsed a long[e] while
The hatful synne of auout[e]rie,—
Roos in Cicile & went up to Hungrie.

For queen Iane began no maner thing
But Cathenoise assentid wer therto;
Thexecucioun and fulli the werking
Brouht to conclusioun, be Robert al was do.
And in this title roos a stryf also,
A disclaundrous and a froward discord
Atween the queen & hym that was hir lord.

Hard to proceede upon suspecioun,
Sclaundre is swifft, lihtli taketh his fliht;
For which men sholde eschewe thoccasioun
Of fame and noise, & euery maner wiht
Bi prouidence remembre in his forsiht,
Whan the report is thoruh a lond Ironne,
Hard is to stynte it whan it is begonne.

Withstonde principles, occasiouns to declyne,
List vnwarli ther folwe gret damage;
To late kometh the salue and medecyne
To festrid soris whan thei be incurable.
And in caas verray resemblable,
Teschewe slaundre list nat for to spare,
May nat faillen to fallen in the snare.

Thus for a tyme the sclaundre was kept cloos,
Al-be-it so it did a while abide,
Another mischeef than pitousli aroos,
Which afftirward spradde abrood ful wide:
Auoutrye to moordre is a guide,—
Set at a preeff, myn auctour doth recorde,
The kyng Andree was stranglid with a corde.

1004

Out of his chaumbre reised a gret heihte
Bi a coniected fals conspiracioun,
He was entreted, brouht doun be a sleihte,
Afftir stranglid, as maad is mencioun.
Whos deth to pun[i]she be commyssioun,
Huhe Erl of Auelyn be a patent large
To be iuge took on hym the charge.

Of this moordre roos up a gret noise,
Be euidencis ful abhomynable,
Philipot [I]callid Cathenoise,
Hir sone, hir douhtir, that thei wer coupable;
Doom was youe be iuges ful notable;
And to conclude shortli ther iugement,
With cheynis bounde to stakis thei wer brent.

[Lenvoye.]

This tragedie afforn rehersed heer
Tellith the damages of presumpcioun,
Bexperience declaryng þe maneer,
Whan beggers rise to domynacioun,
Is non so dreedful execucioun
Of cruelte, yif it be weel souht,
Than of such oon that cam up of nouht.

Record on Philipot, that with humble cheer
Bi sodeyn fauour and supportacioun,
Which was tofor a symple smal lauendeer
Of no valu nor reputacioun,
Be Fortunys gery mutacioun,
Shad out hir malis, testat whan she was brouht,
List nat considre how she cam up of nouht.

Wher mor disdeyn or wher is mor daungeer,
Or mor froward comunycacioun,
Mor vengable venym doth appeere,
Nor mor sleihti fals supplantacioun,
Nor mor conspired vnwar collusioun,
Nor vndermynyng doon couertli & wrouht,
Than of such folk that komen up of nouht?

1005

Fortunys chaunges & meeuynges circuleer,
With hir most stormy transmutacioun,
Now oon set up ful hih in hir chaieer,
Enhaunceth vicious, vertuous she put doun;
Record on Philipot, whos venymous tresoun
Compassid afforn[e] in hir secre thouht,
The deede brak out, whan she cam up of nouht.

Noble Princis, with your briht eien cleer
Aduertiseth in your discrecioun,
That no flaterer com in your court to neer
Be no fraude of fals decepcioun,
Alwey remembryng afforn in your resoun
On this tragedie, and on the tresoun wrouht
Bi fals flaterers that cam up of nouht.

[How kyng Sausys was slayn by his Cosyn whiche was brothir to the kyng of Arrogon.]

The tyme kam that of his [gret] trauaile
Bochas dempte, holdyng for þe beste,
This noble poete of Florence & Itaile,
To make his penne a while for to reste,
Closed his book & shette it in his cheste;
But or he mihte spere it with the keie,
Kam thre princis and meekli gan hym preye,

Amongis othre remembrid in his book
Ther greuaunces breeffli to declare.
Wherwith Bochas gan cast up his look,
And of compassioun beheeld her pitous fare,
Thouhte he wolde for no slouthe spare
To ther requestis goodli condescende,
And of his book so to make an eende.

And he gan first reherse be writyng,
And his compleynt ful pitousli he made,
Touchyng the fall[e] of the grete kyng
Icallid Sause, which his soiour hade,
The place namyd was Astrosiade;

1006

And, as he writ, a litil ther beside
Was a smal isle callid Gemaside.

Bothe thes isles togidre knet in oon,
Wher Sausis hadde his domynacioun,
Lyuyng in pes; enmy hadde he non;
In long quiete heeld pocessioun.
Whos kyngdam hool, as maad is mencioun,
In that vulgar, myn auctour writ þe same,
Of Malliogres pleynli bar þe name.

Ther is also another smaller isle
Callid Maillorge; & of bothe tweyne
The seid[e] kyng was lord a gret[e] while,
Keeping his stat notable and souereyne.
Hauyng a cosyn, gan at hym disdeyne,
Which brother was, as maad is mencioun,
Vnto the kyng that tyme of Arragoun.

In thes isles, remembrid be writyngis,
Whan the peeple went into bataile,
Was the vsage founde up first of slyngis,
With cast of stoon ther enmyes to assaile;
Thei hadde of shot non othir apparaile
In that tyme; arblast nouther bowe
Parauenture was tho but litil knowe.

Alle thes contres wer callid but o lond,
Wher that Sausis heeld pocessioun,
Til his cosyn with strong & myhti hond
[And] with gret poweer sodenli cam doun;
Brouhte peeple out of Arragoun,
Fill on kyng Sausis, feeble in his diffence,
Gat that kyndam be knihtli violence.

The ballaunce was nat of euene peis
Atween thes cosyns, who that list take heed;
For in his conquest this Arogoneis
Of cruelte bad smyten of the hed
Of kyng Sausis, quakyng in his dreed.
Thouh it stood so thei wer nih of allie,
Ther was that day shewed no curteisie.

1007

[How Lowes kyng of Jerusalem & Cecile was put doun.]

Afftir this storie told in woordes fewe,
And of kyng Sausis slayn be tirannye,
Þer cam a prince, & gan his face shewe,
Callid Lowis lord of Trynacrye,
The same isle [w]as in that partie
Callid Cicane, the stori tellith thus,
Aftir the name of kyng Siculus.

Trynacrye, a contre merueillous,
Took first his name of famous hilles thre:
The cheeff of hem is callid Pellorus,
The next Pachinvs, the thridde Lillibe,
Nat fer from Ethna the saide hille[s] be,
Beside a se ful pereilous and ille,
With too daungeeris Karibdis and eek Scille.

This saide Lowys, kyng of Iherusalem
And of Sicile, the book maketh mencioun,
Which was enchasid & put out of his rewm
Bi another Lowis and put doun,
Eendid in pouert, for short conclusioun.
This laste Lowis of pite did hym grace,
Til he deide to haue a duellyng place.

[How kyng John of fraunce at Peyters was take prisonere by Prynce Edward & brouȝt in to Englond.]

Next of alle and laste of euerichon,
Cursyng Fortune with al hir variaunce,
Makyng his compleynt to Bochas, cam Kyng Iohn:
Tolde his mischeeff, how he was take in France
Bi Prince Edward, for al his gret puissaunce;
And aftir that, with strong & myhti hond,
He was fro Peiteres brouht into Inglond.

Afforn destroied his castellis & his touns,
And ouerthrowen manli in bataile,

1008

His princis slayn, ther baneres nor penouns
Nor brode standardis mihte hem nat auaile;
The tras out souht, spoilled of plate & maile.
Maugre his miht kyng Iohn was prisoneer,
In Inglond aftir abood ful many a yeer,

Set aftirward onto ful gret raunsoun;
The worthi slay[e]n on the Frenssh partie.
The same tyme in Brutis Albioun
Ther floured in soth noblesse of cheualrie,
Hihe prowesse and prudent pollicie;
Mars and Mercurie aboue ech nacioun
Gouerned that tyme Brutis Albioun.

Mars for knihthod, ther patroun in bataille,
And Mynerua gaff hem influence,
Meynt with the brihtnesse of shyning plate & maile,
To floure in clergie and in hih prudence,
That Prince Edward be marcial violence,
That day on lyue oon the beste kniht,
Brouht hom King Iohn, maugre al his miht.

Thouh Bochas yaff hym fauour bi langage,
His herte enclyned onto that partie,
Which onto hym was but smal auauntage:
Woord is but wynd brouht in be envie.
For to hyndre the famous cheualrie
Of Inglissh-men, ful narwe he gan hym thinke,
Lefft spere and sheeld[e], fauht with penne & inke.

Thouh seide Bochas floured in poetrie,
His parcial writyng gaf no mortal wounde;
Kauht a quarel in his malencolie,
Which to his shame did aftirward rebounde,
In conclusioun, lik as it was founde,
Ageyn King Iohn a quarell gan to make,
Cause that he wolde of Inglissh-men be take.

Heeld hem but smal of reputacioun
In his report, men may his writing see;

1009

His fantasie nor his oppynioun
Stood in that caas of non auctorite:
Ther kyng was take; ther knihtis dide flee;
Wher was Bochas to helpe at such a neede?
Sauff with his penne he made no man to bleede.

Of rihtwisnesse euery cronicleer
Sholde in his writyng make non excepcioun;
Indifferentli conueie his mateere;
Nat be parcial of non affeccioun,
But yiue the thank of marcial guerdoun,
His stile in ordre so egali obserued,
To euery parti as thei haue disserued.

Laude of Kyng Iohn was that he abood,
In that he quit hym lik a manli kniht;
His lordes slay[e]n; somme awey thei rood;
Most of his meyne took hem to the fliht.
This iourne take for Kyng Edwardis riht;
The feeld I-wonne; hath this in memorie:
Treuthis title hath gladli the victorie.

Of Kyng Iohn what sholde I write more?
Brouht to this lond with othir prisoneeris,
Vpon which the rewm compleyned sore.
Bi rehersaile of old cronicleeris,
Deied in Inglond; withynne a fewe yeeris
Lad hom ageyn; afftir ther writyngis,
Lyþ at Seyn[t] Denys with othir worthi kingis.

Lenvoye.

Off Bochas book the laste tragedie
Compendiousli put in remembrance,
How Prince Edward with his cheualrie
Fauht at Peiteres with King Iohn of France;
And thoruh his mihti marcial puissaunce
Grounded his quarel upon his fadres riht,
Took hym prisoneer ful lik a manli kniht.

Bi collusioun King Iohn did occupie,
Set out of ordre the roial alliaunce;
Sceptre, crowne, with al the regalie

1010

Was doun descendid to Edward in substaunce,
Conueied the branchis be lyneal concordaunce,
For which[e] title groundid upon riht,
Prince Edward fauht ful lik a manli kniht.

His cleym, his quarel mor to fortefie,
In tokne that God his quarel wolde auaunce,
Disconfiture was maad on that partie,
Vpon King Iohn be violent vttraunce,
An heuenli signe be influent purueiaunce
Sent from aboue to shewe Edwardis riht,
For which the Prince fauht lik a manli kniht.

Noble Princis, your hertis doth applie
Iustli to weie this mateer in ballaunce.
Alle thynges peised, ye may it nat denye,
Yiff ye considre euery circumstaunce,
In rihtful iuges may be no variaunce:
The feeld darreyned, deemeth who hath riht,
For which Prince Edward fauht lik a manli kniht.

A thyng bassent[e] put in iupartie
And commytted to Goddis ordenaunce,
Ther may been afftir no contrauersie
Atween parties, quarelis nor distaunce,
Who shal reioisshe; and in this caas stood France:
Fyn take at Peiteres, declaryng who hath riht;
For which Prince Edward fauht lik a manli kniht.

Finis libri Bochasij.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

1013

[A lenvoye compyled vpon the book wryten by the translatour specially direct to hym that causyd the translacioun & secundely to alle othir it shal seen.]

Ryght reuerent Prynce, with support of your grace,
By your comaundement as I vndirtook
With dredful herte, pale of cheer and face,
I haue a-complysshed translacioun of your book;
In which labour myn hand ful offte quook,
My penne also troublyd with ygnoraunce
Lyst myn empryse wer nat to your plesaunce.

Off ryght considred, of trouthe and equite,
I nat expert nor stuffyd with language,
Seyn howh that Ynglyssh in ryme hath skarsete,
How I also was ronne ferre in age,
Nat quyk, but rude and dul of my corage,
Off no presumpcioun, but atwix hope and drede
To obeye your byddyng took on me to procede.

Hope with glad chere gaff me greet counfort,
Off trust I shulde agreen your noblesse;
But tho cam dreed, contraryous of repoort,
Gan manace and frowardly expresse,
Geyn me alleggyng vnkonnyng and dulnesse,—
Seyde for his part, by argumentys stronge,
I was not able for to vndirfonge

This seid empryse to performe & contvne;
The profunde processe was so poetical,
Entirmedlyd with chaunges of fortune
And straunge materys that were hystoryal,
Towchyng estatys that hadde a sodeyn fal;
The Frenssh vnkouth compendyously compyled,
To which language my tounge was nat affyled.

Dreed and vnkonnyng beeyng of assent
Made ageyn me a daungerous obstacle,
For tacomplysshe your comaundement,
Stondyng fer of fro Tullyvs habitacle:

1014

Myn eyen mystyd, and dirked my spectacle,
Tyl hope ageyn gan make[n] his repeyr;
Me to supporte he putte away dyspeyr.

Yit of Bachus seryd wer the vynes,
Off Mygdas touch the aureat lycour,
And of Iuno wellys crystallynes
Wer dryed vp; ther fond I no favour:
A thrustlewh accesse cause of my langour,
Noon egal peys, herte hevy and purs lyght,
Which causith poetys syhen at mydnyght.

Trustyng ageynward your liberal largesse,
Off this cotidien shal relevyn me,
Hope hath brought tydyng to recure myn accesse;
Afftir this ebbe of froward skarsete
Shal folwe a spryng flood of gracious plente,
To wasshe a-way be plentevous inffluence
Al ground ebbys of constreyned indigence.

With hope also cam humble affeccioun,
Made a promys vn-to my dul corage,
Seyde, ye, my lord, shulde haue compassyoun,
Off royal pite supporte me in myn age;
Wherof I caught a maner avauntage,
Thoughte I wolde rather condyscende
To your desir than your byddyng offende.

Tobeye your precept I plukkyd vp myn herte,
Caste in my conceyt though konnyng did[e] faylle;
By good avys I did also adverte,
How in suych caas good wyl myghte moost prevaylle:
Wyl hath more myght than force hath in bataylle;
And with that thought inwardly supprysed,
For to procede I was fully avysed.

But for exskus first of my rudnesse,
To suych as lyst haue of this book dissdeyn,
That ye, my lord, of mercyful goodnesse,
Whan this translacioun ye haue rad and seyn,
Though it be spoke in wordys bare and pleyn,
I axe mercy for my poore hertys ese,
To me best guerdoun, so that it may yow plese.

1015

Yiff ought be wryte or seid to your plesaunce,
The thank be yove to your royal noblesse;
And wher I faylle, atwyteth ygnoraunce,
Al the diffautys aret to my rudnesse,
With this annexyd, requeryng of humblesse,
That alle thoo which shal this makyng rede,
For to correcte wher-as they se nede.

So it be doon with supportacioun
Off ther goodnesse to be favourable,
Nat to pynche of indignacioun,
Which wer to me verray importable.
And ye, my lord, for to be mercyable,
Off your hyh grace my good wyl to considre,
An hors with foure feet may stoumble among and slydre.

And semblably though I goo nat vp-ryght,
But stowpe and halte for lak of elloquence,
Though Omerus hold nat the torche lyght
To forthre my penne with colours of cadence,
Nor moral Senek, moost sad of his sentence,
Gaff me no part of his moralytees,
Therfore I seye, thus knelyng on my knees:

To alle thoo that shal this book be-holde,
I them be-seke to haue compassyoun,
And ther-with-al I prey hem that they wolde
Favoure the metre and do correccyoun;
Off gold nor asewr I hadde no foysoun,
Nor othir colours this processe tenlvmyne,
Sauff whyte and blak; and they but dully shyne.

I nevir was aqueynted with Virgyle,
Nor with [the] sugryd dytees of Omer,
Nor Dares Frygius with his goldene style,
Nor with Ovyde, in poetrye moost entieer,
Nor with the souereyn balladys of Chauceer,
Which among alle that euere wer rad or songe,
Excellyd al othir in our Englyssh tounge.

I can nat been a iuge in this mateer,
As I conceyve folwyng my fantasye,
In moral mateer ful notable was Goweer,

1016

And so was Stroode in his philosophye,
In parfyt lyvyng, which passith poysye,
Richard Hermyte, contemplatyff of sentence,
Drowh in Ynglyssh the Prykke of Conscience.

As the gold-tressyd bryght[e] somyr sonne
Passith othir sterrys with his beemys clere,
And as Lvcyna chaseth skyes donne,
The frosty nyghtes whan Esperus doth appere,
Ryght so my mayster had[de] nevir pere,—
I mene Chauceer—in stooryes that he tolde;
And he also wrot tragedyes olde.

The Fal of Prynces gan pitously compleyne,
As Petrark did, and also Iohn Bochas;
Laureat Fraunceys, poetys bothe tweyne,
Toold how prynces for ther greet trespace
Wer ovirthrowe, rehersyng al the caas,
As Chauceer did[e] in the Monkys Tale.
But I that stonde lowe doun in the vale,

So greet a book in Ynglyssh to translate,
Did it be constreynt and no presumpcioun.
Born in a vyllage which callyd is Lydgate,
Be old[e] tyme a famous castel toun;
In Danys tyme it was bete doun,
Tyme whan Seynt Edmond, martir, mayde and kyng,
Was slayn at Oxne, be recoord of wrytyng.

I me excuse, now this book is I-doo,
How I was nevir yit at Cytheroun,
Nor on the mounteyn callyd Pernaso,
Wheer nyne musys haue ther mansyoun.
But to conclude myn entencioun,
I wyl procede forth with whyte and blak;
And where I faylle let Lydgate ber the lak.

Off this translacyoun considred the matere,
The processe is in party lamentable;
Wooful clausys of custom they requere,
No rethoryques nor florysshynges delyctable:
Lettrys of compleynt requere colour sable,

1017

And tragedyes in especial
Be rad and songe at feestys funeral.

This book remembryng of the sodeyn fallys
Off famous prynces and surquedous pryncessys,
That wer vnwarly cast from ther royal stallys,
Which wer in erthe worshepyd as goddessys,
Ynde stonys vpon ther goldene tressys,—
What was ther ende? Rede Bochas, ye shal se,
By fatal spynnyng of Parchas sustryn thre.

Off this matere ther be bookys nyne,
Alle of Fortunys transmutaciouns;
This blynde lady, how she made hem declyne
From ther moost famous exaltaciouns:
Somme ploungyd doun to the infernal dongouns,
With cruel Pluto depe doun in helle,
With Proserpyna perpetuelly to dwelle.

For ther demerytes and lakkyng of vertu,
That they lyst nat ther Souereyn Lord to knowe:
For whoo is rekkelees to serve our Lord Iesu,
Fortvnys wheel shal soone hym ovir-throwe,
Though Famys trompet of gold [a]lowde blowe
His victoryes, his marcial renouns,
Rad and remembryd in dyvers regiouns.

Whoo knoweth nat God is falle fer in slouthe;
Be-war ye Prynces euere of thynges tweyne:
In euery quarel that your ground be trouthe;
Next in ordre, doth your besy peyne
To love Iesu, your Lord moost sovereyne,
Truste hym of herte, and he shal nat faylle
To be your socour in pees and in bataylle.

For lak of trust twyes I sey, allas,
And make her-oon an exclamacioun:
Alle the myschevys remembryd in Bochas,
Fro tyme of Crystes in-carnacioun,
Haue been for lakkyng of devocioun,
That ye Prynces, of wylful necligence,
Lyst nat to God do dewe reuerence.

1018

Dysdeyneth nat to haue in remembraunce,
Ye be no goddys, ye be but men mortal;
Stonde vndir daungeer of Fortunys chaunce,
More lyk to towmble and more neer to fal,
Than doth a beggere in this lyff mortal:
Off vertuous poore the fal is nat vnsoffte;
Moost grevous fal, of them that sitte aloffte.

Ye Prynces quake, stond not in suych[e] caas;
Yit whan deth comyth, ye can no bet socour
Than can the pore, record of Iohn Bochas;
Hath mynde heron and make yow a merour
Off suych as regnyd in glorye and [gret] honour,
As ryche Cyrus and Sardanapalle,
How fro the wheel of Fortune they wer falle.

Set nat your trust, beth war of fals Fortune;
For al this book tretith of suych matere,
Gynneth his processe, and so forth doth contvne
Lamentable and doolful for to here,
How Adam first, with a ful hevy chere,
From a place moost souereyn of delys
Whylom departyd, out of Paradys,

Cherubyn kepyng the gate of Paradys
With brennyng swerd that ther shulde entre noon.
This book conveyed by ful greet avys,
Ceryously from Adam to Kyng Iohn,
Regnyng in Fraunce; of whoom nat yoore agoon
I sawh remembryd the date of thylk[e] yeerys,
Whan he was take prysowneer at Peyterys,

A thousand toold by computacioun,
Thre hundryd ovir, fyffty and sex yeer,
Trewly reknyd fro the Incarnacioun,
Whan seid[e] Iohn was take prysowneer,
Toold and remembryd by the cronycleer.
As Adam was first that did[e] falle,
So in this book Kyng Iohn was last of alle.

We hadde nevir stondyn in daungeer
Off worldly stryff nor perellys ful mortal,

1019

Nor dreed of deth, nat in a thousand yeer,
Nor of Fortune that tournyth as a bal,
Yiff Adam hadde in Paradys had no fal;
Touch of an appyl and inobedyence,—
Cause that Fortune is had in suych reuerence.

But for to telle and speke in wordys pleyn,
How Fortune kaught first an interesse
To be callyd, nat trewly but in veyn,
Off worldly peple a fals froward goddesse,—
This errour gan of bestial rudnesse,
Demyng them-sylff they wern assuryd wel,
Whan they sat hyh on hire vntrusty wheel.

Rekne vp alle thoo that haue doon hire seruice
And folwyd on in ther oppynyoun,
Lyk as this book in ordre doth devyse;
Peyse in ballaunce: what was ther guerdoun?
A sodeyn reys, an vnwar toumblyng doun;
Yit, for al this, thorugh hire flaterye,
Al worldly peple doth hire magneffye!

[The laste lenvoye direct vn to my lord.]

Noble Prynce, remembreth al this thynges,
Peyseth of resoun, lefft vp your eye and se,
As your lyne conveyed is fro kynges,
How vertu longeth vn-to dignyte.
[What folwith afftyr? grace & prosperite.]
Hath this in mynde and theron doth attende,
Mawgre Fortvnys mutabilite,
Ye shal to-Godward encresyn and ascende.

Off humble entent, with herte & hand quakyng,
Directe this book vn-to your mageste;
In which ye may, at good leyseer redyng,
Seen dyvers chaunges of worldly vanyte,—
Prynces cast doun from ther imperyal se,

1020

For they wer froward, lyst nat condiscende
Vertu to sewe and vices [for] to fle,
So to-Godward tencresen and ascende.

Fal of othir thorugh vicious lyvyng,
Somme dysgradyd vn-to ful lowh degre,
Off providence lat ther chastysyng
For lak of grace, to yow a merour be.
Wher vertu regnyth, ther is felycite
In suych as lyst ther froward lyff tamende;
Whoo lovith that Lord which hath the souereynte
Shal ay be grace encresyn and ascende.

Though your estat lyk Phebus wer shynyng,
Yit, for al that, ye haue no sewerte,
How long[e] tyme is here your abydyng;
Age, with hire cosyn callyd Infirmyte,
Wyl cleyme hire ryght of verry dewete;
Deth takith no mede; afforn he wyl not sende.
Provide your-sylff whyl ye haue liberte,
Dayly in vertu tencresyn and ascende.

As men dysserve, be record of wrytyng,
An expert thyng by old auctoryte,
Ye shal receyve your mede or your punysshyng,
By egal peys of trouthe and equite.
Beth war afforn, folk haue ther tounges fre,
Lyk your dyscert shal rede your legende;
This verray soth, voyde of duplycite,
Yevith hem cause to preye ye may ascende.

Off hyh prudence aforn ymagynyng,
Yiff vertu guye your magnanymyte,
Than good[e] repoort afftir your partyng
Shal floure and shyne in euery comounte.
Almesse partyd to folk in poverte,
And compassyoun the poraylle to amende,
Is beest[e] mene toward the hevenly se
By vertuous lyff tencresyn and ascende.

1021

Woordis of the translatur vn to his book atte ende.

With lettre & leuys go litil book trembling,
Pray to þe Prince to haue on the pite,
Voide of picture & enlumyny[n]g,
Which hast of Cithero no corious dite,
Nor of his gardyn no flour[e]s of beute;
God graunt[e] grace thi reudnesse nat offende
The hih noblesse, the magnanymyte
Of his presence, whan thou shalt up ascende.

And, for my part, of oon hert abidyng,
Void of chaung and mutabilite,
I do presente this book with hand shaking,
Of hool affeccioun knelyng on my kne,
Praying the Lord, the Lord oon, too & thre,
Whos magnificence no clerk can comprehende,
To sende you miht, grace and prosperite
Euer in vertu tencresen & ascende.

Finis libri Amen.

Go kis the steppis of them that wer forthring,
Laureat poetes, which hadde souereynte
Of elloquence to supporte thy makyng,
And pray all tho that shal this processe see,
In thyn excus[e], that thei list to bee
Fauourable to lakke or to comende;
Set thi ground upon humylite,
Vnto ther grace that thou maist up ascende.

In a short clause thi content rehersing,
As oon up clymbeth to gret prosperite,
So another, bi expert knowleching,
Fro gret richesse is brouht to pouerte.
Alas, O book, what shal I seyn of the?
Thi tragedies thoruh al the world to sende,

1022

Go foorth, I pray; excuse thi-silf & me;
Who loueth most vertu hiest shal ascende.

Blak be thi weede of compleynt & moornyng,
Callid Fall of Princis from ther felicite,
Lik chaunteplure, now singyng now weeping,
Wo afftir merthe, next ioie aduersite,
So entermedlid ther is no seurete,
Lik as this book doth preise and reprehende,—
Now on the wheel, now set in louh degre;
Who wil encrece bi vertu must ascende.

Finis totius libri. [Explicit John Bochas.]

1023

[Greneacres A Lenvoye vpon John Bochas.]

Blake be thy bondes and thy wede alsoo,
Thou sorowfull book of matier disespeired,
In tokne of thyn inward mortal woo,
Which is so badde it may not be enpeired.
Thou owest nat outward to be feired,
That inward hast so many a rufull clause;
Such be thyn habite of colour as thi cause.

No cloth of tyssewe ne veluet crymesyne,
But lik thi monke, moornyng vnder his hood,
Go weile and wepe with wofull Proserpyne,
And lat thi teeres multeplie the flood
Of blak Lythey vnder the bareyn wood,
Where-as goddesse hath hir hermytage,—
Helpe hir to wepe, and she wyll geve the wage.

Noblesse of Ioye sith thou maist nat approche,
This blak goddesse I councell the tobeie.
Compleyne with hir vnder the craggy roche,
With wepyng soules vpon the said Lythey,
Sith thou of sorowe art instrument and keye,—
So harpe and synge there, as thou may be herde;
For euery Ioie is of thi name afferd.

Pryncesse of woo and wepyng, Proserpyne,
Whiche herborowest sorow euen at thyn hert[e] roote,
Admytte this Bochas for a man of thyne;
And though his habite blakker be than soote,
Yitt was it maked of thi monkes boote,
That him translated in Englissh of Latyne:
Therfore now take him for a man of thyne.

1025

APPENDIX.

The Daunce of Machabree wherin is liuely expressed and shewed the state of manne, and howe he is called at vncertaine tymes by death, and when he thinketh least thereon

made by thaforesayde Dan John Lydgate Monke of Burye.

The Prologe

O ye folkes hard hearted as a stone,
Whiche to this worlde geue al your aduertence,
Lyke as it should euer lasten in one,—
Where is your wit, where is your prouidence
To seen aforne the sodayn violence
Of cruel death, that be so wyse and sage,
Which slayeth, alas, by stroke or pestilence
Both yong & olde of lowe and high parage?

Death spareth nought low ne high degre,
Popes, kynges, ne worthye Emperours;
Whan they shine most in felicite,
He can abate the freshnes of her flours,
Her bright[e] sunne clipsen with his shours,
Make them plunge fro her sees lowe;—
Mauger the might of al these conquerours,
Fortune hath them from her whele ythrow.

1026

Considereth this, ye folkes that been wyse,
And it emprinteth in your memoriall,
Like thensample which that at Parise
I fonde depict ones vppon a wal
Full notably, as I rehearse shall.
Of a Frenche clarke takyng acquaintaunce,
I toke on me to translaten all
Out of the Frenche Machabrees daunce.

By whose aduise and counsayle at the lest,
Through her stieryng and her mocion,
I obeyed vnto her request,
Therof to make a playn translacion
In English tonge, of entencion
That proud[e] folkes that bene stout and bolde,
As in a mirrour toforne in her reason
Her vgly fine there clearely may beholde.

By [this] ensample, that thei in her ententes
Amend her life in euery maner age.
The which[e] daunce at Sainct Innocentes
Portrayed is, with all the surplusage,
Youen vnto vs our liues to correct
And to declare the fine of our passage,—
Right anone my stile I wil direct
To shewe this worlde is but a pilgrimage.

The ende of the Prologe.

The Wordes of the Translatour.

O creatures ye that bene reasonable,
The life desiring which is eternall,
Ye may sen here doctrine ful notable
Your life to lead[e], which that is mortall,
Thereby to learne in especiall,
How ye shal trace the daunce of Machabree,
To man and woman ylike naturall;
For death ne spareth high ne lowe degree.

In this myrour euery wight may fynde,
That him behoueth to gone vpon this daunce.
Who goeth toforne or who shall go behynde,
All dependeth in Goddes ordinaunce.
Wherfore eche man lowly take his chaunce;
Death spareth nouther poore ne bloud royall:
Eche man therfore haue this in remembraunce,
Of oo matter God hath yforged all.

The Daunce of Machabree.

1027

Death fyrst speaketh vnto the Pope, and after to euery degree as foloweth.

Ye that been set most high in dignitie
Of al estates in earth spirituall,
And like to Peter hath the soueraintee
Ouer the church and states temporall,
Vpon this daunce ye first begin[ne] shall,
As most worthy lord and gouernour;
For al the worship of your estate papall,
And of [al] lordship to God is the honour.

The Pope maketh aunswere.

Fyrst me behoueth this daunce for to lede,
Which sat in earth[e] highest in my see,
The state ful perilous, whoso taketh hede,
To occupie Seynt Petris dignitee;
But for al that [fro] Death I may not flee,
Vpon this daunce with other for to trace;
For which al honor, who prudently can see,
Is litle worth that doth so soone passe.

1028

Death speaketh to the Emperour.

Syr Emperour, lord of al the grounde,
[Most] souereine prince, surmountyng of noblesse,
Ye mot forsake of gold your apple round,
Scepter and swerde, & al your high prowesse;
Behind you leue your treasour and riches,
And with other to my daunce obey:
Against my might is worth none hardines,
Adams children al they must[e] deye.

The Emperour maketh aunswer.

I note to whom that I may [me] appeale
Touching death, which doth me so constrein;
There is no gin to helpen my querel,
But spade and pickoys my graue to atteyne,—
A simple shete, there is nomore to seyn,
To wrappen in my body and visage:
And therupon I may me sore compleyne,
That lordes great haue litle auauntage.

Death speaketh to the Cardinal.

Ye been abashed, it semeth, and in drede,
Syr Cardinal, it sheweth by your chere;
But yet for-thy ye folowe shall in dede,
With other folke my daunce for to lere.
Your great aray, al shal [ye] leauen here,—
Your hat of red, your vesture of great coste;
All these thynges reckoned well in fere,
In great[e] honour good auyse is loste.

The Cardinall maketh aunswere.

I haue great cause, certes this is no faile
To be abashed and greatly dread[e] me,
Sith Death is come me sodainly tassaile,
That I shall neuer hereafter clothed be
In grise nor ermine like vnto my degree,
Mine hat of red leuen eke in distresse,—
By which I haue conceyued wel and see
That worldly ioye endeth in heauines.

Death speaketh to the Kyng.

O noble Kyng, most worthy of renoun,
Come foorth anone, for al your worthines
That whylom had about you enuiron
Great royaltie and passing hye noblesse.

1029

But right anon [for] al your great highnes,
Sole from your men in hast ye shall it lete,
Who most aboundeth here in great riches,
Shall beare with hym but a [single] shete.

The Kyng maketh aunswere.

I haue nought learned here-toforn to daunce
No daunce in sooth of footyng so sauage,
Where-through I se by clere demonstraunce,
What pride is worth or force of high linage!
Death all fordo[e]th, this is his vsage,
Great and smal that in this world soiourne:
Who is most meke, I hold[e] hym most sage;
For we shall all to dede ashes tourne.

Death speaketh to the Patriarche.

Syr Patriarche, al your humble chere
Ne quiteth you nought nor your humilitie;
Your double crosse of gold and stones clere,
Your power whole and al your dignitie
Some other shall of very equitie
Possede anon, as I rehearse can:
Trusteth neuer that ye shall Pope be;
For foly hope deceiueth many a man!

The Patriarche maketh aunswere.

Worldly honour, gret treasour & riches
Haue me deceiued soothfastly in dede;
Mine old[e] ioyes been turned to tristesse!
What auayleth such treasours to possede?
Hie clymbyng vp a fall hath for his mede.
Great estates folke wasten out of number;
Who mounteth high, it is sure and no drede,
Great[e] burden doth hym oft encomber.

Death speaketh to the Cunstable.

It is my ryght to arest you and constreyne
With vs to daunce, my mayster Sir Cunstable!
For more stronger than euer was Charlemain,
Death hath afforced, and more worshipable;
For hardines ne knighthode, this no fable,
Nor strong armure of plates ne of maile,—
What gayneth armes of folkes most notable,
Whan cruell death list hem to assayle?

The Cunstable maketh aunswere.

My purpose was and whole entencion
To assail castel[le]s & mighty fortresses,
And bryng[e] folke vnto subieccion,
To seke honour, fame, and great richesses;

1030

But I see that al worldly prowesse
Death can abate, which is a great despite;
To him alone, sorow and eke swetenes:
For agaynst death is found[e] no respite.

Death speaketh to the Archebishop.

Syr Archebishop, why do ye you withdrawe
So frowardly, as it wer by disdayne?
Ye must approche [vn] to my mortall lawe;
It to contrary it wer but in vayne:
For day by day there is none other gayne,
Death at the hand pursueth euery coast;
Prest and debte mot bee yelde againe,
And at a daye men counten with her host.

The Archebishop maketh aunswere.

Alas, I wote not what partie for to flee,
For drede of death I haue so gret distres!
Tescape his might I can no refute see;
That who-so knew his constreint and duresse,
He would[e] take reason to maistresse.
Adue my treasour, my pompe & pride also,
My painted chambers, my port & my freshnes,—
Thyng that behoueth nedes mot be do.

Death speaketh to the Barone.

Ye that among[es] Lordes and Barons
Haue had so long[e] worship and renoun,
Foryet your trumpetes and your clarions;
This is no dreame nor simulacion.
Whylom your custom and entencion
Was with ladies to daunsen in the shade;
But oft it happeth, in conclusion,
One man breaketh that another made.

The Baron maketh aunswere.

Full oft[e] sith I haue been auctorised
To high emprises & thinges of gret fame.
Of high & low my thanke also deuised,
Cherished with ladies & women high of name;
Ne neuer on me was put no defame,
In lordes courte, which that was notable;
But deathes stroke hath made me [so] lame:
Under heauen in earth is nothyng stable.

Death speaketh to the Princesse.

Come forth anon, my Lady good Princesse,
Ye must also gon vpon this daunce.
Nought may auayle your great straungenesse,
Nether your beauty nor your gret pleasaunce,

1031

Your riche aray, nother your daliaunce,
That whylom couth so many holde in hond
In loue, for al your double variaunce.
Ye mot as nowe this footyng vnderstonde.

The Princesse maketh aunswere.

Alas, I see there is none other boote,
Deth hath in earth no lady nor maistres,
And on this daunce yet mot I nedes fote:
For there nis quene, countesse ne dutchesse,
Flouring in bountie nor in her fayrenes,
That shode of Death mot passe the passage,
When our beautie and counterfeit fairnes
Dieth, adue then our rimpled age!

Death speaketh to the Bishop.

My Lord Sir Bishop, with miter & crosse,
For al your riches, soothlye I ensure,
For all your treasour [so longe] kept in closse,
Your worldly goodes and goodes of nature,
[And] of your shepe the ghostly dredeful cure,
With charge committed to your prelacie,
For to accoumpt ye shal be brought to lure,—
No wight is sure that climbeth ouer hye.

The Bishop maketh aunswere.

Mine heart truely is nother glad ne mery,
Of sodein tidinges which that ye [me] bring;
My feast is turned vnto a simple ferye,
That for discomfort me list nothyng [to] syng.
The world contrarie now to my werking,
Which al estates can so disherite;
He al with-halt, alas, at our partyng,
And al shall passe saue onely our merite.

Death speaketh to the Squyer.

Commeth forth Syr Squyer, right fresh of your araye,
That conne of daunces al the new[e] guise,
Thoghe ye bare armes, fresshe horsed yesterday,
With spere & shielde at your vncouth deuise,

1032

And toke on you so many high emprise,
Daunseth with vs; it wyl no better be;
There is no succour in no maner wyse:
For no man may fro Deathes stroke flee.

The Squyer maketh aunswere.

Sithens that Death me holdeth in his lase,
Yet shal I speake oo worde or that I passe:
Adue al myrth, adue now al solace,
Adue my ladies whilom so freshe of face,
Adue beautie, pleasaunce, and al solace!
Of Deathes chaunge euery day is prime,
Thinke on your soules or that Death manace;
For all shal rot, and no man wot what time.

Death speaketh to the Abbot.

Commeth forth Syr Abbot, with your brode hatte,
Beeth nought abashed thogh ye hauen ryght;
Great is your head, your belly rounde and fat,
Ye mot come daunce, thogh ye be nothyng light.
Leaueth your abbey to some other wight,
Your heyre is of age your state to occupie;
Who that is fattest, I haue hym behyght,
[Shall] in his graue soonest putrifie.

The Abbot maketh aunswere.

Of thy manace I hauen o gret enuy,
That I shall now leaue al gouernaunce,
But that I shal as a cloystrer dye;
This Death is to me passing great greuaunce.
My libertie nor my great habundaunce,
What may they vayle in any maner wyse?
Yet aske I mercy with devoute repentaunce,
Thogh in dying to late men them auise.

Death speaketh to the Abbesse.

And ye my lady, gentle dame Abbesse,
With your mantel[le]s furred large and wyde,
Your veile, your wimple, your ryng of gret riches,
And bedes, sister, ye mot now leyn a-syde;
For to this daunce I must be your guide,
Thogh ye be tender borne of gentle bloode,
While that ye liue for your selfe prouide;
For after death[e] no man hath no good.

1033

The Abbesse maketh aunswere.

Alas that Death hath thus for me ordeined,
That in no wise I maye it nought declyne,
If it so be ful oft I am constreined,
Brest and throte my notes out to twyne,
My chekes round vernyshed for to shine,
Ungird ful oft to walken at the large,—
Thus cruel Death with al estates fine,
Who hath no shippe must rowe in bote or barge.

Death speaketh to the Bayly.

Come forth, Sir Bayly, that knowen all the guise,
By your office of trouth & rightwisnes,
Ye must come to a newe assyse,
Extorcions and wronges to redresse;
Ye be somned, as lawe biddeth expresse,
To yeue accomptes the Iudge wil you charge,
Which hath ordeined to excluden al falsnes,
That euery man shal beare his own[e] charge.

The Bayly maketh aunswere.

O thou Lord God this is a hard iourney,
To which aforne I toke but litle hede;
My chaunce is turned, & that forthinketh me,
Whilom with iudges what me list to spede
Lay in my might, by labour oft for mede.
But sith there is no rescus by battayle,
I hold him wise that couth wel seen in dede,
Again[es] Death that none apel may vayle.

Death speaketh to the Astronomer.

Come foorth, Maister, that lookest vp so farre,
With instrumentes of Astronomie
To take the grees and hyght of euery starre;
What may auaile all your astrologie?—
Sith of Adam all the genealogie,
Made first of God to walke vpon the ground,
Death aresteth; thus sayth theologie:
And all shall dye for an apple rounde.

The Astronomer maketh aunswere.

For all my craft, cunnyng and science,
I can nought find[e] no prouision,
Ne in the starres seke no difference
By domifying nor calculacion,

1034

Saue finally, in conclusion,
For to descriue our cunnyng euery dele:
There is no more by sentence of reason,
Who liueth aryght mot nedes dye well.

Death speaketh to the Burgis.

Syr Burgis, what doe ye lenger tarye?
For all your auoyre and youre great riches,
Thoghe ye be strong, deinous and contrary,
Toward this daunce ye mot you nedes dresse;
For your treasour, plentie and largesse,
From other it came and shall vnto strangers.
He is a foole that in such busines,
Wot nought for whom he stuffeth his garners!

The Burgis maketh aunswere.

Certes to me it is great displeasaunce,
To leaue al this & mai it nought assure:
Howses, rentes, treasor & substaunce,—
Death al fordoth, suche is his nature.
Therfore wise is no creature,
That set his heart on good that moste disseuer;
The world it lent, the worlde wil it recure;
And who most hath, lothest dyeth euer.

Death speaketh to the Chanon Seculer.

And ye, Syr Chanon, with many great prebende,
Ye may no lenger haue distribucion
Of golde [and] siluer, largelye to dispende;
For there is nowe no consolacion
But daunce with vs, for al your high renoun.
For ye of death[e] stonde vpon the brinke,
Ye may therof haue no delacion;
Death commeth ay when men least on him thinke.

The Chanon maketh aunswere.

My benefice with mony personage,
God wot ful lite may me now comfort.
Death hath of me so great auauntage,
That al my riches may me nought disport,—
Amisse of gris, they wyl ayein resorte,
Vnto the world a surples and prebende.
Al is vainglory, truely to reporte,
To dyen well eche man should entende.

1035

Death speaketh to the Marchaunte.

Ye rich Marchant, ye mot looke hitherwarde,
That passed haue ful many diuers lond
On horse, on foote, hauing most regard
To lucre & winnyng, as I vnderstond.
But now to daunce ye mot geue me your hond;
For al your labour ful litle auayleth nowe.
Adue vaynglory, both of free and bonde,
None more coueit then thei that haue ynow.

The Marchaunt maketh aunswere.

By many an hyll and many a strong[e] vale
I haue trauailed with many marchandise;
Ouer the sea downe cary many a bale
To sondrye Iles, more than I can deuyse,
Mine heart inward ay fret with couetise,
But al for nought, now Deth me doth constrein:
For which I se, by record of the wyse,
Who al embraceth litle shall restrayne.

Death speaketh to the Chartreux.

Yeue me your honde, with chekes dead and pale,
Caused of watche & long abstinence,
Sir Chart[e]reux, and your self auale
Vnto this daunce with humble pacience.
To striue ayein may be no resistence,
Lenger to liue set nought your memorye;
Thogh I be lothsome as in apparence,
Aboue[n] al men Death [hath] the victorie.

The Chartreux maketh aunswere.

Vnto this world I was dead long agon
By mine order and my profession;
And eueryman, be he neuer so strong,
Dreadeth to dye by kindly mocion
After his fleshly inclinacion.
But please to God my soule [for] to borowe
Fro Fiendes myght and fro damnacion:
Some arne to-day that shal nought be to-morow.

Death speaketh to the Sargeaunte.

Come foorth Sir Sargeaunt, with your stately mase,
Make no defence nor rebellion,
Nought may auaile to grutchen in this case,
Thogh ye be deyners of condicion:

1036

For neyther [ap]pele nor proteccion
May you fraunchise to doe nature wrong;
For there is none so sturdy chaumpion,
Thogh he be mightie, another is also strong.

The Sargeaunt maketh aunswere.

Howe durste thou Death set on me arest,
That am the kynges chosen officer,
Which yesterday, both[en] east and west,
Mine office dyd, ful surquedous of chere;
But now this day I am arested here,
And can nought flee, thoh I had it sworne.
Eche man is loth to die, both farre & nere,
That hath nought learned for to dye aforne.

Death speaketh to the Monke.

Syr Monke, also with your blacke habite,
Ye may no lenger hold[e] here soioure;
There is nothyng that may you here respite
Agein my might you for to doe succour;
Ye mot accompt[e] touchyng your labour,
How ye haue spend it, in dede, word & thought.
To earth and ashes turneth euery floure;
The life of man is but a thyng of nought.

The Monke maketh aunswere.

I had leauer in the cloyster be,
At my booke and study my seruice,
Which is a place contemplatife to see;
But I haue spent my life in mony wyse,
Like as a foole dissolute and nice.
God of his mercy graunt me repentaunce.
By chere outward hard is to deuise,
Al be not merye which that men seen daunce.

Death speaketh to the Usurer.

Thou Vsurer, looke vp and beholde,
Unto wynnyng that settest al thy payne,
Whose couetise waxeth neuer colde,
Thy gredy thrust so sore the doth constraine.
But thou shalt neuer to thy desyre attayne,
Suche an etike thyne heart[e] freten shall,
But that of pitie God his honde refraine,
One perilous stroke shal make thee losen al.

1037

The Usurer maketh aunswere.

Now [me] behoueth sodeinly to dye,
Which is to me great paine & eke greuance.
Succour to fynde I see no maner way
Of golde nor siluer by none cheuisance;
Death through his hast abideth no purueiance
Of folkes blynde that can nought loke wel:
Full oft happeth by kynde of fatall chaunce,
Some haue fayre eyen that seen neuer adel.

The Poore Man boroweth of the Usurer.

Vsurer to God is full great offence,
And in his syght a great abusion;
The poore boroweth percase for indigence,
The riche lent by false collusion,
Onely for lucre in his entencion.
Death shal both[e] to accoumptes fette,
To make reconing by computacion:
No man is quit that is behynd of dette.

Death speaketh to the Phisicien.

Maister of Phisike, which on your vryne
So looke and gase and stare agaynst the sunne,
For al your craft and study of medicine,
[And] all the practike and science that ye cunne,
Your lyues course so farre forth is yrunne,
Ayein my might your craft may not endure,
For al the gold that ye thereby haue wunne:
Good leche is he that can himself recure.

The Phisicien maketh aunswer.

Full long agon that I vnto Phisike
Set my wit and eke my diligence,
In speculatife and also in practike,
To geat a name through mine excellence,
To fynd out agaynes pestilence
Preseruatifes to staunche it and to fine:
But I dare [say] shortly in sentence,
Againes Death is worth no medicine.

Death speaketh to the Amerous Squyre.

Ye that be gentle, so fresh & amerous,
Of yeres yong flouring in your grene age,
Lusty [and] fre, of hert eke desirous,
Ful of deuises & chaunge in your courage,

1038

Pleasaunt of port, of loke and of visage:
But al shal turne into ashes dead;
For al beautie is but a faynt ymage,
Which stealeth away or folkes can take hede.

The Squyer maketh aunswer.

Alas, alas, I can nowe no succour
Agaynes Death[e] for myselfe prouide!
A-due of youth the lusty fresh[e] flower,
Adue vainglory of beautie and of pride,
Adue all seruice of the god Cupide,
Adue my Ladies, so fresh so wel beseyn:
For agayn[s] Death nothyng may abyde,
And windes great gon doun with litle rein.

Death speaketh to the Gentlewoman.

Come forth Maistresse, of yeres yonge and grene,
Which hold your selfe of beautie souereyn,
As fayre as ye was whilom Pollixene,
Penelope and the quene Helein.
Yet on this daunce thei went[e] both[e] tweyne,
And so shall ye, for al your straungenesse;
Thogh daunger long in loue hath lad your rein,
Arested is your chaunge of doublenes.

The Gentlewoman maketh aunswer.

O cruel Death, that spareth none estate,
To old and yong thou art indifferent;
To my beautie thou hast said checkmate,
So hasty is thy mortail iudgement.
For in my youth[e] this was mine entent,
To my seruice many man to haue lured;
But she is a foole, shortly in sent[e]ment,
That in her beautie is to muche assured.

Death speaketh to the Man of Law.

Syr Aduocate, short proces for to make,
Ye mot come plete afore the high[e] iudge.
Many a quarel ye haue vndertake
And for lucre done to folke refuge;
But my fraunchise is so large and huge
That counsayle none auaile may but trouth:
He scapeth wisely of death the great deluge,
Tofore the dome who is nought teint with slouth.

The Man of Law maketh aunswer.

Of right & reason by Natures law,
I can nought putte against Deth no defence,
Ne by my sleight me kepen or withdraw,
For al my wit and al my gret prudence,

1039

To [make] appeale from his dredful sentence;
Nor nothyng in earth may a man preserue,
Agayn his might to make resistence:
God quiteth all men like as they deserue.

Death speaketh to Maister John Rikil Tregetour.

Master John Rikil, whilom Tregetour
Of noble Henry king of Eng[e]lond,
And of Fraunce the mightie conquerour,—
For al the sleightes and turning of thine hond,
Thou must come nere my daunce to vnderstond.
Nought may auayle al thy conclusions;
For Death, shortly, nother on sea ne lond,
Is not deceiued by none illusions.

The Tregetour maketh aunswer.

What may auayle magike naturall
Or any craft shewed by apparence,
Or course of starres aboue celestiall,
Or of the heauens al the influence
Ageynes Death to stonde at defence?
Legerdmain now helpeth me right nought.
Fare wel my craft and [al] such sapience;
For Death hath mo maistries than I haue wrought.

Death speaketh to the Person.

O sir Curate, that been now here present,
That had your worldly inclinacion,
Your heart entere, your study & entent,
Most of your tithes and oblacion,
Which should haue be of conuersacion
Mirrour to other, light and examplarie,—
Like your desert[e] shalbe your guerdon,
And to eche labour due is the salarye.

The Person maketh aunswere.

Mauger my wil I must[e] condescende;
For death assaileth euery liuely thing
Here in this world[e], who can comprehend
His sodein stroke and his vnware commyng.
Fare wel [my] tithes, and fare wel mine offring,—
I mot go coumpten in order by and by,
And for my shepe make a iust reckonyng:
Whom he acquiteth I hold he is happye.

1040

Death speaketh to the Iurrour.

Maister Iurrour, which that at assises
And at sheres questes dydst embrace,
Departist lond like to thy deuises,
And who most gaue most stode in thy grace:
The poore man lost both[e] land and place;
For golde thou couldest folke disherite.
But now let se, with thy teynt[e] face
Tofore the Iudge how [thou] canst thee quite!

The Iurrour maketh aunswere.

Whilom I was cleped in my countrey
The belweather, and that was not alite.
Nought loued but drad of high & low degree;
For whom me list by craft I could endite,—
Hongen the true and the thefe respite:
Al the countrey by my worde was lad.
But I dare sein, shortly for to write,
Of my death many a man is glad.

Death speaketh to the Minstral.

O thou Minstrall, that can so note and pipe
Unto folke[s] for to done pleasaunce,
By thi ryght honde anone I shall the gripe,
With these other to gone vpon my daunce;
There is no scape nother auoydaunce,
On no syde to contraire my sentence:
For in musike by craft and accordaunce
Who maister is [shal] shewen his science.

The Minstrall maketh aunswere.

This new[e] daunce is to me so straunge,
Wonder diuers and passingly contrarye;
The dredefull footyng doth so oft[e] chaunge
And the measures so oft[e] tymes varye,
Which now to me is nothyng necessarye.
If it wer so that I might asterte!
But many a man, if I shal nought tary,
Oft [tyme] daunseth, but nothyng of hert.

Death speaketh to the Labourer.

Thou Labourer, which in sorowe and peyn
Hast lad thy life in [ful] great trauayle,
Ye must eke daunce and therfore nought disdein;
For if thou do, it may the nought auayle.
And cause why that I thee assayle
Is onely this: from thee to disceuer
The false world that can so folkes fayle;
He is a foole that weneth to liuen euer.

1041

The Labourer maketh aunswere.

I haue wished after Death ful oft,
Albe that I would haue fled him nowe.
I had leauer to haue lyen vnsoft,
In wind & rain to haue gon at the plowe,
With spade & pikoys labored for my prowe,
Doluen and ditched and at the cart[e] gone:
For I may say and tell[e] platlye howe,
In this worlde there is rest[e] none.

Death speaketh to the Frere Menour.

Syr Cordelere, to you mine hande is raught,
To this daunce [you] to conuay & leade,
Which in your preaching han ful oft ytaught
How that I am most gastful for to drede,
Albe that folke take thereto none hede.
Yet is there none so strong ne so hardye,
But Death dare hym rest and let for no mede;
For Death yche houre is present and ready.

The Frere maketh aunswere.

What may this be, that in this world no man
Here to abide may haue no suretie?
Strength, riches, nor what so that he can
Of worldly wisedom; all is but vanitie!
In great estate nor in pouertie
Is nothing founde that may from death defend;
For which I saye to high and low degree,
Wise is the sinner that doth his lyfe amend.

Death speaketh to the Chylde.

Litle Faunte, that were but late borne,
Shape in this worlde to haue no pleasaunce,
Ye must with other, that gone here beforne,
Be lad in hast by fatall ordinaunce.
Learne ouer new to gone [up]on my daunce:
There may none age escape in soth therefro.
Let euery wight haue this in remembraunce,
Who lengest liueth most shal suffer woe.

The Yong Childe maketh aunswer.

A a a, a woorde I cannot speake;
I am so yonge; I was borne yesterday.
Death is so hasty on me to be wreake,
And list no lenger to make no delaie.
I come but now, and now I go my way;
Of me no more tale shall [ye] be told.
The wyll of God no man withstonde maye;
As soone dyeth a yong [man] as an olde.

1042

Death speaketh to the Yong Clerke.

O ye, Syr Clerke, suppose ye to be free
Fro my daunce or your selfe defende,
That wend haue risen vnto high degree
Of benefice or some great prebende?
Who climbeth highest sometime shal descend.
Let no man grutche ayeines his fortune,
But take at gree what-euer God him sende,
Which punisheth al when time is oportune.

The Clerke maketh aunswere.

Shall [I] that am so yong a clerke now die,
Fro my seruice & haue no bet guerdon?
Is there no gayn[e] ne no better way,
No seurer fraunchise nor proteccion?
Death maketh alway a short conclusion;
To late ware, when men been on the brynke:
The world shall fayle and all possession;
For much faileth of thing that foles thinke.

Death speaketh to the Hermite.

Ye that haue liued long in wildernes
And there continued long in abstinence,
At the last[e] yet ye mot you dresse,
Of my daunce to haue experience;
For there against may be no resistence.
Take now leaue of thyne hermitage:
W[h]erfore yche man aduert to this sentence,
That [in] this life is no sure heritage.

The Hermite maketh aunswere.

To liue in desert called solitarie
May again Death haue respite none nor space;
At vnset houre his commyng doth not tary,
And for my part welcom by Goddes grace,
Thankyng hym with humble chere & face
Of al his giftes and great haboundaunce,
Finally affirmyng in this place,
No man is riche that lacketh suffraunce.

Death speaketh agayn to the Hermite.

That is wel sayd, and thus should euery wight
Thanken his God & al his wittes dresse
To loue & dread him with all his heart & might,
Sith Death to escape maye be no sikernes.
As men deserue, God quiteth of rightwisnes
To riche and poore vpon euery syde:
A better lesson there can no clerke expresse,
Than til to-morow is no man sure to abide.

1043

The King ligging eaten of Wormes.

Ye folke that loke vpon this portrature,
Beholding here all estates daunce,
Seeth what ye been & what is your nature:
Meat vnto wormes; nought els in substaunce.
And haueth this mirrour aye in remembraunce,
Howe I lye here whylom crouned [a] kyng,
To al estates a true resemblaunce,
That wormes foode is fine of our liuyng.

Machabree the Doctoure.

Mans lyfe is nought els, platly for to thinke,
But as [a] wind[e] which is transitory,
Passing ay forth, whether he wake or winke,
Toward this daunce, haueth this in memorye,
Remembryng aye there is no better victory
In this life here than fle syn at the least;
Than shal ye reygne in paradise with glorye.
Happy is he that maketh in heauen his feast!

Yet been there folke mo than sixe or seuen,
Recheles of life in many maner wyse,
Like as there were hell[e] none nor heauen.
Such false errour let euery man despise;

1044

For holy saynctes and olde clerkes wyse
Written contrary, her falsenes to deface:
To liuen wel, take for the best emprise,
Is much[e] worth when men shall hence passe.

Lenuoye of the Translatoure.

O ye my lordes & maisters all in fere,
Of auenture that shal this daunce reade,
Lowely I pray with all myne heart entere
To correct[e] where-as ye se nede;
For nought elles I aske for my mede
But goodly support of this translacion,
And with fauour to suppowaile drede,
Bening[e]lye in your correccioun.

Out of the French I drough it of entent,
Not word by word but folowing in substaunce,
And from Paris to Eng[e]land it sent,
Only of purpose you to do plesaunce.
Rude of langage, I was not borne in France,—
Haue me excused, my name is Iohn Lidgate;
Of ther tong I haue no suffisance,
Her curious miters in Englishe to translate.

Here endeth the Daunce of Machabree.