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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[Here Bochas rehercith the tirannye of Apius and falsnesse of Iuges.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
413
[Here Bochas rehercith the tirannye of Apius and falsnesse of Iuges.]
Natwithstandyng Bochas aforn hath told
Off Appius the falsnesse importable,
And his outrages & surfetis manyfold,
To be remembred hatful and repreuable,
Yit as hym thouhte, it was heer couenable,
To mor rebuk and spottyng off his name,
Newe to reherse his sclaundre & his diffame.
Off Appius the falsnesse importable,
And his outrages & surfetis manyfold,
To be remembred hatful and repreuable,
Yit as hym thouhte, it was heer couenable,
To mor rebuk and spottyng off his name,
Newe to reherse his sclaundre & his diffame.
The grete offencis off this Appius
And oppressiouns that he vpon hym took,
Made hym to growe so inli coueitous,
Thoruh his rauyne that al the peeple quook,
As ye mai seen in the seconde book,
Wher myn auctour doth cleerli specefie
His fraude in doomys, & his fals lecherie.
And oppressiouns that he vpon hym took,
Made hym to growe so inli coueitous,
Thoruh his rauyne that al the peeple quook,
As ye mai seen in the seconde book,
Wher myn auctour doth cleerli specefie
His fraude in doomys, & his fals lecherie.
Eek off this tirant remembred ye mai reede
Cheeff iuge he was, with other officeris,
Callid decemvir; & thoruh his pride in deede,
Ageyn the custum of them that wern his feeris,
He made be born standardis & baneris
In other wise, off hih presumpcioun,
Than vsid was aforn in Rome toun.
Cheeff iuge he was, with other officeris,
Callid decemvir; & thoruh his pride in deede,
Ageyn the custum of them that wern his feeris,
He made be born standardis & baneris
In other wise, off hih presumpcioun,
Than vsid was aforn in Rome toun.
These iuges hadde a custum & maneer,
Lik ther estatis in ther gouernaunce,
Ech afftir other to ha[ue] born a baneer
Wher thei wente, such was thordynaunce,
Be twelue sergauntis noumbred in substaunce.
But Appius off pride and gret outrage
I-chaungid hath that custum and vsage.
Lik ther estatis in ther gouernaunce,
Ech afftir other to ha[ue] born a baneer
Wher thei wente, such was thordynaunce,
Be twelue sergauntis noumbred in substaunce.
But Appius off pride and gret outrage
I-chaungid hath that custum and vsage.
He ferst ordeyned ech sholde in his place
Off decemvir haue a baner born,
In ther walkyng, the peeple to manace,
An hundred men off armys them toforn,
And twenti ouer, bi a statut sworn.
Wherbi the cite bar gret cost in deede,
And al the peeple wer put in feer & dreede.
Off decemvir haue a baner born,
In ther walkyng, the peeple to manace,
An hundred men off armys them toforn,
And twenti ouer, bi a statut sworn.
414
And al the peeple wer put in feer & dreede.
To seen the sergantis walke in plate & maile,
Thei thouhte it was a merueilous werkyng,
Iuges to gon with such[e] apparaile
In ther procedyng, as ech had been a kyng.
And hool thentent off Appius menyng,
Was that he sholde, off power & off myht,
Doon what hym list, wher it wer wrong or ryht,
Thei thouhte it was a merueilous werkyng,
Iuges to gon with such[e] apparaile
In ther procedyng, as ech had been a kyng.
And hool thentent off Appius menyng,
Was that he sholde, off power & off myht,
Doon what hym list, wher it wer wrong or ryht,
The rihtful pun[y]she and the gilti spare,
Fauoure wrong for bribes & for meede.
The peeple oppressid stood in sorwe & care,
Fond no socour to help hem in ther neede;
Lawe was ther non, for resoun lai be dreede,
Will was iuge and plesaunce equite,
And thus be maistri was gouerned the cite.
Fauoure wrong for bribes & for meede.
The peeple oppressid stood in sorwe & care,
Fond no socour to help hem in ther neede;
Lawe was ther non, for resoun lai be dreede,
Will was iuge and plesaunce equite,
And thus be maistri was gouerned the cite.
And as it is remembred be Bochas,
Appius was lecherous off nature,
And cauht a quarel, as ye han herd the caas,
Ageyn Virgynea, a maide cleene & pure.
And for he sholde in hir nothyng recure
Touchyng his lust, hir fader in that striff
With a sharp suerd made hir lose hir liff.
Appius was lecherous off nature,
And cauht a quarel, as ye han herd the caas,
Ageyn Virgynea, a maide cleene & pure.
And for he sholde in hir nothyng recure
Touchyng his lust, hir fader in that striff
With a sharp suerd made hir lose hir liff.
And for this tiraunt be fals ribaudie
Caused hir deth be hasti violence,
And for he sholde hir beute nat maistrie,
Deieng a maide in hir chast innocence,
Therfor he was demed in sentence,
As is toforn maad cleer[e] mencioun,
For to be cheyned and deien in prisoun.
Caused hir deth be hasti violence,
And for he sholde hir beute nat maistrie,
Deieng a maide in hir chast innocence,
Therfor he was demed in sentence,
As is toforn maad cleer[e] mencioun,
For to be cheyned and deien in prisoun.
Eek decemvir losten ther power,
And neuer in Rome afftir bar no name,
Nor off that sect was maad non officer;
And among all Appius bar the blame,
Whos crym reboundeth to his eternal shame,
As ye han herd[e], who that can discerne,—
And thanne tribunys wer chose for to gouerne.
And neuer in Rome afftir bar no name,
Nor off that sect was maad non officer;
And among all Appius bar the blame,
Whos crym reboundeth to his eternal shame,
As ye han herd[e], who that can discerne,—
And thanne tribunys wer chose for to gouerne.
415
And in Bochas lik as it is founde,
The said[e] iuges in myscheeff dede fyne;
Whil Appius lay in prisoun bounde,
Exiled wer[e]n all the tother nyne.
The good, the tresour off them & off ther lyne
Achetid was, for short conclusioun,
To comoun profit & encres off the toun.
The said[e] iuges in myscheeff dede fyne;
Whil Appius lay in prisoun bounde,
Exiled wer[e]n all the tother nyne.
The good, the tresour off them & off ther lyne
Achetid was, for short conclusioun,
To comoun profit & encres off the toun.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |