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?)

BOOK I.

II.

III.

IV.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

A chapitle of Fortune compilid howe she hath hir quytt to al wordly pepill.

[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.]

[The laste lenvoye direct vn to my lord.]

Woordis of the translatur vn to his book atte ende.

[epilogue]

[Greneacres A Lenvoye vpon John Bochas.]

APPENDIX.

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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,

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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,

141

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,

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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.

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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.

198

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,

199

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.