Lydgate's Fall of Princes Edited by Dr. Henry Bergen ... presented to The Early English Text Society by The Carnegie Institution of Washington |
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Lenvoye. |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
Lenvoye.
This tragedie yeueth vs a gret warnyng,
Be cleer exaumples of manyfold resoun,
How many a prince for ther mysleuyng,
And many riche, roial, myhti toun,
Many a cite and many a regioun
Ha[ue] been euersid, ful notable & famous,
For synne off pryncis that wer lecherous.
Be cleer exaumples of manyfold resoun,
How many a prince for ther mysleuyng,
And many riche, roial, myhti toun,
Many a cite and many a regioun
Ha[ue] been euersid, ful notable & famous,
For synne off pryncis that wer lecherous.
The chose off God, Dauid the worthi kyng,
Prophete off prophetis, most souereyn off renoun,
On Bersabe for a sodeyn lokyng
To slen Vrie cauhte occasioun,
For which he suffred gret punycioun,
Chastised off God, he and al his hous,
For cause onli that he was lecherous.
Prophete off prophetis, most souereyn off renoun,
On Bersabe for a sodeyn lokyng
To slen Vrie cauhte occasioun,
For which he suffred gret punycioun,
Chastised off God, he and al his hous,
For cause onli that he was lecherous.
Gret repentaunce he hadde & gret sorwyng,
And made psalmis off gret contricioun,
With woful teris & manyfold wepyng
To make a-seeth for his transgressioun,
Yeuyng to pryncis ful cleer direccioun
For to eschewe the flatri odious
And the fals fraude off wommen lecherous.
And made psalmis off gret contricioun,
With woful teris & manyfold wepyng
To make a-seeth for his transgressioun,
Yeuyng to pryncis ful cleer direccioun
For to eschewe the flatri odious
And the fals fraude off wommen lecherous.
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Wher was ther euere off science or cunnyng
So renommed as was kyng Salamoun?
Yit wommen made hym, thoruh [ther] fals flateryng,
To foreyn goddis doon oblacioun,
Which clipsid his honour & brouht his fame doun,
That was in wisdam whilom most vertuous,
Til he thoruh wommen fill to be lecherous.
So renommed as was kyng Salamoun?
Yit wommen made hym, thoruh [ther] fals flateryng,
To foreyn goddis doon oblacioun,
Which clipsid his honour & brouht his fame doun,
That was in wisdam whilom most vertuous,
Til he thoruh wommen fill to be lecherous.
Is it nat eek remembrid be writyng,
Off Israel how the cheeff[e] champioun,
Which goddis peeple hadde in his ledyng,
I meene the famous, myhti, strong Sampsoun,
That thoruh his force to-rente the lyoun,—
But Dalida with teres plenteuous
His grace berafft hym & made hym lecherous.
Off Israel how the cheeff[e] champioun,
Which goddis peeple hadde in his ledyng,
I meene the famous, myhti, strong Sampsoun,
That thoruh his force to-rente the lyoun,—
But Dalida with teres plenteuous
His grace berafft hym & made hym lecherous.
Sichem was slayn eek for the rauasshyng
Off yong Dyna, as maad is mencioun;
His fader Emor brouh[t] to his eendyng,
Lost his richesse in that discencioun,
And his kyngdam brouht to destruccioun.
Loo, heer the fyn off pryncis vicious,
Which them dispose for to be lecherous!
Off yong Dyna, as maad is mencioun;
His fader Emor brouh[t] to his eendyng,
Lost his richesse in that discencioun,
And his kyngdam brouht to destruccioun.
Loo, heer the fyn off pryncis vicious,
Which them dispose for to be lecherous!
It is in erthe oon the moste pereilous thyng,
A prynce to been off his condicioun
Effemynat, his wittis enclynyng,
Be fals desirs off flesshli mocioun,
To put hymselff vnder subieccioun,
And thralle his resoun, tresour most precious,
To onleeful lustis, hatful & lecherous.
A prynce to been off his condicioun
Effemynat, his wittis enclynyng,
Be fals desirs off flesshli mocioun,
To put hymselff vnder subieccioun,
And thralle his resoun, tresour most precious,
To onleeful lustis, hatful & lecherous.
This is the sentence ful pleynli in menyng:
Wher women haue the dominacioun
To holde the reyne, ther hookis out castyng,
That sensualite ha[ue] iurediccioun
To entre on resoun bi fals intrusioun,
Werre ageyn vertu most contagious,
To be venquysshid off lustis lecherous,—
Wher women haue the dominacioun
To holde the reyne, ther hookis out castyng,
That sensualite ha[ue] iurediccioun
To entre on resoun bi fals intrusioun,
Werre ageyn vertu most contagious,
To be venquysshid off lustis lecherous,—
It taketh fro men ther cleernesse off seyng,
Causeth gret siknessis and corrupcioun,
And to al vertu it is grettest hyndryng,
Maketh men seeme old, as be inspeccioun,
Appallith ther mynde and disposicioun,
Shorteth ther daies, thyng dreedful & pitous,
Whan thei dispose hem for to be lecherous.
Causeth gret siknessis and corrupcioun,
And to al vertu it is grettest hyndryng,
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Appallith ther mynde and disposicioun,
Shorteth ther daies, thyng dreedful & pitous,
Whan thei dispose hem for to be lecherous.
Noble Pryncis, in your ymagynyng
Conceyueth off wommen the fals decepcioun,
Namli off them that loue but for wynnyng,
And laboure ay for your possessioun,
Whos sugred flatrie is fals collusioun,
Lik to Sirenes with vois melodious
Enoynte your eres to make you lecherous.
Conceyueth off wommen the fals decepcioun,
Namli off them that loue but for wynnyng,
And laboure ay for your possessioun,
Whos sugred flatrie is fals collusioun,
Lik to Sirenes with vois melodious
Enoynte your eres to make you lecherous.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |