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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[[H]ow Spartenois lay ten yere atte sege and how
their wyves displesid with their longe absence sent hem a message vt infra.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[[H]ow Spartenois lay ten yere atte sege and how their wyves displesid with their longe absence sent hem a message vt infra.]
Afor the toun fulli ten yeer thei lai,
And fro the siege, as thei hadde maad ther oth,
Thei nat departed nouther nyht nor dai,
But stille abood and nat assonder goth.
Theroff ther wyues beyng at hom wer wroth;
To ther husbondis a massager thei sente,
Vnder these woordis declaryng ther entente.
And fro the siege, as thei hadde maad ther oth,
Thei nat departed nouther nyht nor dai,
But stille abood and nat assonder goth.
Theroff ther wyues beyng at hom wer wroth;
To ther husbondis a massager thei sente,
Vnder these woordis declaryng ther entente.
407
Saide it was nat accordyng with resoun,
Thei lik widwes to lyue disconsolat,
Withoute confort or consolacioun,
Ferr from ther husbondis to stonde al desolat,
Myscheuys considred, that fall in ech estat
Be long absence, which ech man sholde dreede,
Thoruh duyers siknesse that fall in womanheede.
Thei lik widwes to lyue disconsolat,
Withoute confort or consolacioun,
Ferr from ther husbondis to stonde al desolat,
Myscheuys considred, that fall in ech estat
Be long absence, which ech man sholde dreede,
Thoruh duyers siknesse that fall in womanheede.
“The tid abit nat for no maner man,
Nor stynt his cours for no creature;
And hard it is, as we reherse can,
Thyng to withstonde that kom[e]th off nature.
Harm doon be kynde is froward to recure;
And ther is founde ful litil sekirnesse,
Wher-as nature afforceth brotilnesse.
Nor stynt his cours for no creature;
And hard it is, as we reherse can,
Thyng to withstonde that kom[e]th off nature.
Harm doon be kynde is froward to recure;
And ther is founde ful litil sekirnesse,
Wher-as nature afforceth brotilnesse.
This litil sonde auhte inouh suffise,
To declare damage that mai fall
Be long absence, folkis that be wise.
Sumtyme departed, ageyn men may nat call;
That seelde is seyn, in loue doth appall;
And nothyng mor maketh wyues erre,
Than disseueraunce off folk that be in werre.”
To declare damage that mai fall
Be long absence, folkis that be wise.
Sumtyme departed, ageyn men may nat call;
That seelde is seyn, in loue doth appall;
And nothyng mor maketh wyues erre,
Than disseueraunce off folk that be in werre.”
This was theffect, pleynli in substaunce,
Sent to ther husbondis, which at the siege lai,
Compleynyng thei hadde had no plesaunce
Space off ten yeer, as in louys plai;
But desolat, in sorwe and gret affrai,
Ther liff thei ladde, affermyng in sentence,
Cause off ther constreynt was ther long absence.
Sent to ther husbondis, which at the siege lai,
Compleynyng thei hadde had no plesaunce
Space off ten yeer, as in louys plai;
But desolat, in sorwe and gret affrai,
Ther liff thei ladde, affermyng in sentence,
Cause off ther constreynt was ther long absence.
And whan the lettres wer at the siege rad
Toforn the cite in al ther mortal stryues,
Thei wer astonyd and gan to wexe sad,
And verrai weri almost off ther lyues,
For to considre the compleynt off ther wyues.
Till ther capteyn a remedie out souht,
Be whos counsail euene thus thei wrouht:
Toforn the cite in al ther mortal stryues,
Thei wer astonyd and gan to wexe sad,
And verrai weri almost off ther lyues,
For to considre the compleynt off ther wyues.
Till ther capteyn a remedie out souht,
Be whos counsail euene thus thei wrouht:
First olde knyhtis that hadde the siege sworn
It for tacomplisshe, and cast hem to be trewe,
His counsail was, as thei hadde hiht beforn,
To holde ther promys & theroff nothyng rewe;
But yonge knyhtis, that wer come off newe,
Mihte as thei list[e], freli at ther will,
Chese wher thei wolde go or bide still.
It for tacomplisshe, and cast hem to be trewe,
His counsail was, as thei hadde hiht beforn,
To holde ther promys & theroff nothyng rewe;
But yonge knyhtis, that wer come off newe,
408
Chese wher thei wolde go or bide still.
And heerupon for ther most auail,
In haste ther capteyn, as maad is remembraunce,
Off hih prudence gaff hem this counsail:
That knyhtis olde, lich ther assuraunce,
Sholde off the siege haue the gouernaunce,
And yonge knyhtis, most fressh & weel beseyn,
Sholde from the siege hom be sent ageyn.
In haste ther capteyn, as maad is remembraunce,
Off hih prudence gaff hem this counsail:
That knyhtis olde, lich ther assuraunce,
Sholde off the siege haue the gouernaunce,
And yonge knyhtis, most fressh & weel beseyn,
Sholde from the siege hom be sent ageyn.
Thei made among hem a ful straunge ordenaunce
At ther hom comyng: withoute difference
To entirchaunge ther wuyes for plesaunce,
And take hir first that cam to ther presence.
This was thaccord among hem in sentence,
Most redi weie, to ther opynyoun,
To engendrure and procreacioun.
At ther hom comyng: withoute difference
To entirchaunge ther wuyes for plesaunce,
And take hir first that cam to ther presence.
This was thaccord among hem in sentence,
Most redi weie, to ther opynyoun,
To engendrure and procreacioun.
Ther was among hem quarel nouther striff
In this mateer, nor no variaunce;
For eueri man mysused othres wiff
To ther desirs as was to hem plesaunce.
And thus childre thoruh this ordenaunce
That wer engendrid, the cas is thus befall,
Parthenois men dede hem afftir call.
In this mateer, nor no variaunce;
For eueri man mysused othres wiff
To ther desirs as was to hem plesaunce.
And thus childre thoruh this ordenaunce
That wer engendrid, the cas is thus befall,
Parthenois men dede hem afftir call.
Which in our tunge, to speke in woordes pleyne,
Afftir the Greek, who list considre and see,
Is no mor[e], platli for to seyne,
Than thilke childre which engendrid be
In auoutrie: wherfor, in that cuntre,
Parthenois off custum thei wer namyd,
Born off wombes which that wer diffamyd.
Afftir the Greek, who list considre and see,
Is no mor[e], platli for to seyne,
Than thilke childre which engendrid be
In auoutrie: wherfor, in that cuntre,
Parthenois off custum thei wer namyd,
Born off wombes which that wer diffamyd.
The fals occasioun off this auoutrie
Caused afftir gret myscheeff & damage,
That no man koude, as for his partie,
Be successioun, whan he cam to age,
Be title off riht cleyme his heritage;
For wher a lyne falsli doth proceede,
Hard is to knowe be riht who shal succeede.
Caused afftir gret myscheeff & damage,
That no man koude, as for his partie,
Be successioun, whan he cam to age,
Be title off riht cleyme his heritage;
For wher a lyne falsli doth proceede,
Hard is to knowe be riht who shal succeede.
409
The disturbaunce off fals successioun
And titles cleymed, afforced with gret myht,
Wher that auoutrie hath domynacioun
And is supportid off will & nat off riht,
And cleym off trouthe hath lost his cleer[e] liht,—
Thouh ther parties myhti been and stronge,
God wil nat suffre thei shal endure longe.
And titles cleymed, afforced with gret myht,
Wher that auoutrie hath domynacioun
And is supportid off will & nat off riht,
And cleym off trouthe hath lost his cleer[e] liht,—
Thouh ther parties myhti been and stronge,
God wil nat suffre thei shal endure longe.
And Spartennois peisyng all these thynges,
How fals assurance was in ther lynage,
The ientil blood troublid first off kynges;
For no man knew, off hih nor low parage,
His owne fader be liknesse off visage,—
Nor fader non, bi his gret errour,
Koude yeue no title to his successour.
How fals assurance was in ther lynage,
The ientil blood troublid first off kynges;
For no man knew, off hih nor low parage,
His owne fader be liknesse off visage,—
Nor fader non, bi his gret errour,
Koude yeue no title to his successour.
Wherupon folwed a gret myschaunce,
Hatful to heere: thoruhout the cuntre
Ech man troubled in his cuntenaunce,
Who sholde cleyme be any liberte
To entre his lond or to stonde fre,
Such doubte thei hadde, ech man for his partie;
So importable was the[r] auoutrie!
Hatful to heere: thoruhout the cuntre
Ech man troubled in his cuntenaunce,
Who sholde cleyme be any liberte
To entre his lond or to stonde fre,
Such doubte thei hadde, ech man for his partie;
So importable was the[r] auoutrie!
This grete myscheeff, who-so taketh heed,
Be long processe made hem to knowe & see
How thei wer able, as be likliheed,
For ther outrages to fall in pouerte.
And off assent thei cast hem for to fle,
Vnder a capteyn, be strong & myhti hond,
Fro that cuntre to wynne sum other lond.
Be long processe made hem to knowe & see
How thei wer able, as be likliheed,
For ther outrages to fall in pouerte.
And off assent thei cast hem for to fle,
Vnder a capteyn, be strong & myhti hond,
Fro that cuntre to wynne sum other lond.
And, as I reede, thei ches duk Palantus,
Off whom I spak, to gouerne ther passage,
Takyng no leue, the stori tellith thus,
At ther departyng, begynnyng ther viage,
Thei wer so confus off cheer & off visage:
For ther was noon off al that grete route,
To chese his fader but that stood in doute.
Off whom I spak, to gouerne ther passage,
Takyng no leue, the stori tellith thus,
At ther departyng, begynnyng ther viage,
Thei wer so confus off cheer & off visage:
For ther was noon off al that grete route,
To chese his fader but that stood in doute.
410
Thei heeld hemsilff[e] verrai[ly] ashamed,
And for shame out off that lond thei wente,
Lik a peeple disclaundred & diffamed
Thoruh thauoutrie, to which thei dede assente.
And to a cite that callid was Tharente,
Which stant in Poile, a myhti strong cuntre,
This duk Palantus cam with his meyne.
And for shame out off that lond thei wente,
Lik a peeple disclaundred & diffamed
Thoruh thauoutrie, to which thei dede assente.
And to a cite that callid was Tharente,
Which stant in Poile, a myhti strong cuntre,
This duk Palantus cam with his meyne.
And ther he putte, thoruh his gret[e] myht,
The citeseyn[e]s out off that cite,
And gat Tharente ful lik a manli knyht,
And ther abood in long prosperite
As gouernour & duk off that cuntre,
Till that his peeple be fals collusioun
Hym to depryue souht out occasioun.
The citeseyn[e]s out off that cite,
And gat Tharente ful lik a manli knyht,
And ther abood in long prosperite
As gouernour & duk off that cuntre,
Till that his peeple be fals collusioun
Hym to depryue souht out occasioun.
Thei hym exilid whan he was fall in age.
Loo, what it is in comouns to assure!
Stormy off herte, onseur off ther corage,
That seelde or neuer ther frenship doth endure.
Men mai to-dai ther fauour weel recure,
And tomorwe lat set it at a preeff:
Thei rathest hyndre whan men stonde at myscheeff.
Loo, what it is in comouns to assure!
Stormy off herte, onseur off ther corage,
That seelde or neuer ther frenship doth endure.
Men mai to-dai ther fauour weel recure,
And tomorwe lat set it at a preeff:
Thei rathest hyndre whan men stonde at myscheeff.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |