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 Melciades duk of Athenys with smal noumbre
venquysshed vjc. Ml. perciens, and aftir bi his
comonte that ay of custum desireth a chaunge
of princes newe he was cheyned in prisoun and so deied.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[How Melciades duk of Athenys with smal noumbre venquysshed vjc. Ml. perciens, and aftir bi his comonte that ay of custum desireth a chaunge of princes newe he was cheyned in prisoun and so deied.]
Among other that put hemsilff in pres
For to bewaile ther greuous heuynesse,
Cam off Athenys duc Meltiades,
Which thoruh his manhod & famous hih prowesse,
And thoruh his knyhtli renommed noblesse,
Lich as auctours his tryumphes list comende,
Fauht many a bataile his cite to diffende.
For to bewaile ther greuous heuynesse,
Cam off Athenys duc Meltiades,
Which thoruh his manhod & famous hih prowesse,
And thoruh his knyhtli renommed noblesse,
Lich as auctours his tryumphes list comende,
Fauht many a bataile his cite to diffende.
And off [his] victories, as it is compiled,
For comoun profit off that noble toun,
Fauht with a tirant that was toforn exiled,
Callid Hippias, which be fals tresoun
Hadde to kyng Darie maad a suggestioun,
Vpon Athenys, in al the haste he myhte,
To reise al Perse ageyn that toun to fihte.
For comoun profit off that noble toun,
Fauht with a tirant that was toforn exiled,
Callid Hippias, which be fals tresoun
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Vpon Athenys, in al the haste he myhte,
To reise al Perse ageyn that toun to fihte.
Sexe hundred thousand acountid was the noumbre
Off Persiens, armed in plate and maile,
Them off Athenys be force to encoumbre,
Echon assemblid them proudli to assaile.
But this duc for nothyng wolde faile,
Meltiades, but knyhtli took his place:
With ten thousand he met hem in the face.
Off Persiens, armed in plate and maile,
Them off Athenys be force to encoumbre,
Echon assemblid them proudli to assaile.
But this duc for nothyng wolde faile,
Meltiades, but knyhtli took his place:
With ten thousand he met hem in the face.
For bothe he was riht manli and riht wis,
And off his handis proued a good knyht.
Set vpon them with so prudent auys,
That thei off Perce, for al ther grete myht,
Wer foure tymes put onto the flyht
Bi thilke duc, yiff I shal nat feyne,
And bi the noblesse off other knyhtis tweyne.
And off his handis proued a good knyht.
Set vpon them with so prudent auys,
That thei off Perce, for al ther grete myht,
Wer foure tymes put onto the flyht
Bi thilke duc, yiff I shal nat feyne,
And bi the noblesse off other knyhtis tweyne.
Themystodes icallid was the ton,
Which off his hand, as auctours list descryue,
Was in a feeld[e] prouyd on his fon
The manli[est] knyht in his tyme alyue.
Which thilke dai so proudli dede stryue
Geyn them off Perse, & such a slauhter make,
That fynali the feeld thei ha[ue] forsake.
Which off his hand, as auctours list descryue,
Was in a feeld[e] prouyd on his fon
The manli[est] knyht in his tyme alyue.
Which thilke dai so proudli dede stryue
Geyn them off Perse, & such a slauhter make,
That fynali the feeld thei ha[ue] forsake.
Cynegirus, a knyht eek off ther toun,
The same dai thoruh his cheualrie,
With bloodi suerd, as he wente vp & doun,
Withoute noumbre in his malencolie,
Slouh Persiens, [as] bookis specefie,
That for the tyme thei no refut cunne,
Sauff to ther shippis for dreed off deth thei runne.
The same dai thoruh his cheualrie,
With bloodi suerd, as he wente vp & doun,
Withoute noumbre in his malencolie,
Slouh Persiens, [as] bookis specefie,
That for the tyme thei no refut cunne,
Sauff to ther shippis for dreed off deth thei runne.
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And ther he wrouhte a straunge gret mervail,
As writ Bochas, affermyng in certeyne,
The grettest shipp that bar [the] largest sail,
With his riht hand he gan it so restreyne,
Lik as it hadde be fastned with a cheyne,
Maugre Perciens, which dede hem sore greue,
That be no crafft thei koud nat make it meue.
As writ Bochas, affermyng in certeyne,
The grettest shipp that bar [the] largest sail,
With his riht hand he gan it so restreyne,
Lik as it hadde be fastned with a cheyne,
Maugre Perciens, which dede hem sore greue,
That be no crafft thei koud nat make it meue.
But whan that thei non other refut wiste,
Freli tescape[n] out off his daungeer,
Till thei his riht hand heuh off bi the wriste.
But with his lefft hand he gan approche neer,
And heeld it stille, an vnkouth thyng to heer,
That he hadde force so gret a shipp to lette.
But than, alas, his lefft hand off thei smette!
Freli tescape[n] out off his daungeer,
Till thei his riht hand heuh off bi the wriste.
But with his lefft hand he gan approche neer,
And heeld it stille, an vnkouth thyng to heer,
That he hadde force so gret a shipp to lette.
But than, alas, his lefft hand off thei smette!
Yit maugre them, whan he ther malice seeth,
Al-were-it so that he hadde lost ech hand,
The shipp he heeld stille with his teeth,
That thei ne myhte departe fro the land,
Lik as ther vessel hadde falle vpon a sand,—
Causere that day, myn auctour doth reherse,
Too hundred thousand wer slayn off them off Perse.
Al-were-it so that he hadde lost ech hand,
The shipp he heeld stille with his teeth,
That thei ne myhte departe fro the land,
Lik as ther vessel hadde falle vpon a sand,—
Causere that day, myn auctour doth reherse,
Too hundred thousand wer slayn off them off Perse.
And whan this synguler myhti champioun,
Cynegirus, most vnkouth off corage,
Had doon this meruail, as maad is mencioun,
Off verrai angwissh he fill into a rage:
Lik a beeste furious and sauage
Ran a-boute, alas, for lak off mynde!—
In Bochas book no mor off hym I fynde.
Cynegirus, most vnkouth off corage,
Had doon this meruail, as maad is mencioun,
Off verrai angwissh he fill into a rage:
Lik a beeste furious and sauage
Ran a-boute, alas, for lak off mynde!—
In Bochas book no mor off hym I fynde.
But in this processe afftir I beheeld
Ay how that Fortune can hir freendis faile:
For Meltiades, ledere off that feeld
And gouernour off al that gret bataile,
Causyng victoire, as maad is rehersaile,—
Yit his peeple off malice and off ire
Ageyn his noblesse falsli gan conspire.
Ay how that Fortune can hir freendis faile:
For Meltiades, ledere off that feeld
And gouernour off al that gret bataile,
Causyng victoire, as maad is rehersaile,—
Yit his peeple off malice and off ire
Ageyn his noblesse falsli gan conspire.
Thei off Athenys set hym in prisoun,
And in cheynys myhtili hym bounde,
Onkynd[e]li thei gaff hym this guerdoun,
For al the knyhthod [that] thei in hym founde.
Yit had he suffred many mortal wounde
In ther diffence and for ther libertees,
To saue ther lyues, ther toun & ther cuntrees.
And in cheynys myhtili hym bounde,
Onkynd[e]li thei gaff hym this guerdoun,
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Yit had he suffred many mortal wounde
In ther diffence and for ther libertees,
To saue ther lyues, ther toun & ther cuntrees.
This was the eende off duc Meltiades,
Thoruh the constreynt off his stronge bondis.
Eek thei exilid the knyht Themystodes
Out off ther toun to lyue in straunge londis,
That was so worthi preued off his hondis:
To shewe the chaung and mutabilite
Founde in Fortune and eueri comounte!
Thoruh the constreynt off his stronge bondis.
Eek thei exilid the knyht Themystodes
Out off ther toun to lyue in straunge londis,
That was so worthi preued off his hondis:
To shewe the chaung and mutabilite
Founde in Fortune and eueri comounte!
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |