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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| I. |
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| II. |
| III. |
[Prologue.] |
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| IV. |
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| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
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| IX. |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
330
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Bachus ferr off to glade my corage;
An ebbe off plente; scarsete atte fulle,
Which of an old man makth the sperit dulle.
Pouert approchid; in stal crokid age:
Mercurie absent and Philologie;
Mi purs ay liht and void off al coignage.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Men seyn off old, who that coueitith all,
At onset hour suchon shal nat chese,
But al his gadryng attonys he shal lese.
Dulleth off braynes the memoriall,
Blunteth the sihte, in hih & low degre,
Which from a-loffte makith hem haue a fall.
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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.
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.
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]
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |