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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[How Dary obteynyng the kyngdam of perce be sleiht eended with shame.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[How Dary obteynyng the kyngdam of perce be sleiht eended with shame.]
Afftir the deth of this magiciens
Was lefft no kyng to ha[ue] the gouernaunce,
Nor for to reule the lond off Perciens,
Sauff pryncis fyue, ful famous off puissaunce,
Which made a statut and an ordynaunce
Off oon accord, be record off writyng,
Theron concludyng who sholde be chose kyng.
Was lefft no kyng to ha[ue] the gouernaunce,
Nor for to reule the lond off Perciens,
Sauff pryncis fyue, ful famous off puissaunce,
Which made a statut and an ordynaunce
Off oon accord, be record off writyng,
Theron concludyng who sholde be chose kyng.
Ther sort, ther happe and al ther auenture
Was youe to Fortune off this eleccioun,
As thus: that prynce the crowne shal recure
Among these fyue, be ther convencioun
For to gouerne the myhti regioun
And in that lond to regne & contune,
Lik as the fauour list ordeyne off Fortune.
Was youe to Fortune off this eleccioun,
As thus: that prynce the crowne shal recure
Among these fyue, be ther convencioun
For to gouerne the myhti regioun
And in that lond to regne & contune,
Lik as the fauour list ordeyne off Fortune.
This was the statut: vpon a morwenyng,
Alle attonys erli for to ride
Atwen Aurora and Phebus vprisyng,
Vp to an hill to houe[n] and abide,
Al rancour & discord set a-side,
Whos hors among hem was first herd neieng,
Withoute gruchchyng sholde be crownyd kyng.
Alle attonys erli for to ride
Atwen Aurora and Phebus vprisyng,
Vp to an hill to houe[n] and abide,
Al rancour & discord set a-side,
Whos hors among hem was first herd neieng,
Withoute gruchchyng sholde be crownyd kyng.
Vpon this mateer what sholde I lenger tarie?—
Heeron was maad an oth in sekirnesse.
Among these pryncis ther was on callid Darie,
A prynce off Perse excellyng off noblesse,
Which hadde a seruaunt, the stori berth witnesse,
That kept his hors, & thouhte in verrai deede
He wolde his lord preferre at such a neede.
Heeron was maad an oth in sekirnesse.
Among these pryncis ther was on callid Darie,
A prynce off Perse excellyng off noblesse,
Which hadde a seruaunt, the stori berth witnesse,
That kept his hors, & thouhte in verrai deede
He wolde his lord preferre at such a neede.
380
The said seruant, ful sleihti in werkyng,
His deligence list nothyng to spare.
The dai toforn[e] set off ther meetyng,
At a place smothe, pleyn and bare,
His lordis hors he made lepe a mare.
And on the morwe whan the pryncis mette
On hors[e]bak, there his lord he sette.
His deligence list nothyng to spare.
The dai toforn[e] set off ther meetyng,
At a place smothe, pleyn and bare,
His lordis hors he made lepe a mare.
And on the morwe whan the pryncis mette
On hors[e]bak, there his lord he sette.
And whan the hors thedir cam ageyn,
Nature anon afforced his corage
To neie loude vpon the same pleyn,
Wher-as the mare had vsid hir passage.
Kynde in such caas hadde gret auauntage.
Be which[e] sleihte, pleynli to reherse,
The said[e] Dary was crownyd kyng off Perse.
Nature anon afforced his corage
To neie loude vpon the same pleyn,
Wher-as the mare had vsid hir passage.
Kynde in such caas hadde gret auauntage.
Be which[e] sleihte, pleynli to reherse,
The said[e] Dary was crownyd kyng off Perse.
The pryncis alle, lik ther convencioun,
Or Phebus shewed his firi bemys briht,
Withoute striff or contradiccioun
From ther hors sodenli aliht;
And onto Dari, as lowli as thei myht,
Saide in Greek[e] or thei vp aros,
“Policronitudo Basileos!”
Or Phebus shewed his firi bemys briht,
Withoute striff or contradiccioun
From ther hors sodenli aliht;
And onto Dari, as lowli as thei myht,
Saide in Greek[e] or thei vp aros,
“Policronitudo Basileos!”
Which is in Latyn, to speke in wordes pleyn,
And in Inglissh, bexpownyng off scripture,
Afftir the Greek, as moche for to seyn
As, “long[e] tyme mote the kyng endure,”—
And lyue in helthe with good auenture,
Bi the grace and fauour off Fortune
Vpon al Perse to regnen and contune.
And in Inglissh, bexpownyng off scripture,
Afftir the Greek, as moche for to seyn
As, “long[e] tyme mote the kyng endure,”—
And lyue in helthe with good auenture,
Bi the grace and fauour off Fortune
Vpon al Perse to regnen and contune.
Who list considren eueri circumstaunce,
It is a merueil nat groundid on prudence,
Bi such a sleihte a kyng tagouernaunce,
Thoruh title or cleym as off iust euidence,
So to be reised to kyngli excellence.
But whan Fortune fauoureth such assay,
Till that she chaunge, ther can no man sei nay.
It is a merueil nat groundid on prudence,
Bi such a sleihte a kyng tagouernaunce,
Thoruh title or cleym as off iust euidence,
So to be reised to kyngli excellence.
But whan Fortune fauoureth such assay,
Till that she chaunge, ther can no man sei nay.
381
Thus was kyng Darie, born off louh lynage,
Set up be sleihte in estaat honurable.
Thouhte that he wolde for his auauntage,
To make his kyngdam & his regne stable,
Wedde such a wiff as to hym was most hable,
Demyng off trouthe his cleym wer weel amendid,
Off Cirus lyne yiff she were descendid.
Set up be sleihte in estaat honurable.
Thouhte that he wolde for his auauntage,
To make his kyngdam & his regne stable,
Wedde such a wiff as to hym was most hable,
Demyng off trouthe his cleym wer weel amendid,
Off Cirus lyne yiff she were descendid.
To wedde suchon was al his couetise,
Stable for to regne vpon the Persiens.
And, as I fynde, in ful cruel wise,
Bi the counseil off fals magiciens
A werre he gan vpon the Egipciens.
Eek folili he gan for to werreie
Them off Athenys, which list hym nat obeie.
Stable for to regne vpon the Persiens.
And, as I fynde, in ful cruel wise,
Bi the counseil off fals magiciens
A werre he gan vpon the Egipciens.
Eek folili he gan for to werreie
Them off Athenys, which list hym nat obeie.
And, as myn auctour maketh rehersaile,
He for his pride and fals presumpcioun
Was disconfited twies in bataile,
And neuer afftir, as maad is mencioun,
He was nat had in reputacioun,
Mong Persiens so gan his honour fade.
With sleihte he gan; with shame an eende he made.
He for his pride and fals presumpcioun
Was disconfited twies in bataile,
And neuer afftir, as maad is mencioun,
He was nat had in reputacioun,
Mong Persiens so gan his honour fade.
With sleihte he gan; with shame an eende he made.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |