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 litil tragedie doth shortli heer deuise,
What myschef folweth for the grete onriht
Vsid be iuges in many sundri wise:
For whan that fauour bleendid hath ther siht,
And innocence is bor doun with myht,
And in his quarel pouert may nat proceede,
Because that trouthe oppressid is with meede.
What myschef folweth for the grete onriht
Vsid be iuges in many sundri wise:
For whan that fauour bleendid hath ther siht,
And innocence is bor doun with myht,
And in his quarel pouert may nat proceede,
Because that trouthe oppressid is with meede.
A iuge sholde off equite despise
To take gifftes off any maner wiht,
And redi been all wrongis to chastise,
From all gifftes turne awei his siht,
His handis close, his eris stoppe ariht,
And been ai war, for frenshipe, hate or dreede,
That trouthe be nat oppressid with no meede.
To take gifftes off any maner wiht,
And redi been all wrongis to chastise,
From all gifftes turne awei his siht,
His handis close, his eris stoppe ariht,
And been ai war, for frenshipe, hate or dreede,
That trouthe be nat oppressid with no meede.
The noble doctryn and vertuous emprise
Off philisophres, that hadde so gret insiht,
Was this to iuges, that prudent wer & wise:
For freend or fo ther doomys so be diht,
Off rihtwisnesse that the sunne briht
Eclipsed neuer, list men for ther falsheede
Reporte that riht was put a-bak for meede.
Off philisophres, that hadde so gret insiht,
Was this to iuges, that prudent wer & wise:
For freend or fo ther doomys so be diht,
Off rihtwisnesse that the sunne briht
Eclipsed neuer, list men for ther falsheede
Reporte that riht was put a-bak for meede.
Noble Pryncis, supportours off iustise,
Callid lodesterris to yeue the peeple liht,
On Appius lat iuges nat practise,
That trouthes laumpe be cleer bothe dai & nyht.
Your office peised, that longeth to a knyht,
Hold up the balaunce off doom in your manheede,
That lawe in iuges be nat corupt with meede!
Callid lodesterris to yeue the peeple liht,
On Appius lat iuges nat practise,
That trouthes laumpe be cleer bothe dai & nyht.
Your office peised, that longeth to a knyht,
Hold up the balaunce off doom in your manheede,
That lawe in iuges be nat corupt with meede!
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |