Lydgate's Fall of Princes Edited by Dr. Henry Bergen ... presented to The Early English Text Society by The Carnegie Institution of Washington |
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Bochas ageyn þe surquedous pride of hem that trusten in her riches. |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
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
Off kyng Priam and off his gret richesse,
To seen how he and [how] his children all
From ther noblesse so sodenli be fall!
In strengthe, beute or in hih noblesse,
Yff ye considre Fortunys variaunce,
And coude a merour affor your eyen dresse
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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.
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.
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,
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,
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,
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.
Mid off estatis in ther magnyficence,
Ebbe afftir flowe maketh no delay,
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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 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.
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.
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.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |