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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Bochas ageyn thontrowith of Iugis. |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
416
Bochas ageyn thontrowith of Iugis.
Svyng vpon the deth off Appius
And his rebukes for his gret outrage,
Bochas be writyng wex sumwhat irous
Geyn iuges false, & thouht in his corage
Thei shulde be sad & demeur off age,
And that ther liff be vertu sholde drawe,
To keepe the preceptis & statutis off the lawe.
And his rebukes for his gret outrage,
Bochas be writyng wex sumwhat irous
Geyn iuges false, & thouht in his corage
Thei shulde be sad & demeur off age,
And that ther liff be vertu sholde drawe,
To keepe the preceptis & statutis off the lawe.
Thei ouhte off resoun themseluen to habile,
To haue science off philosophie,
And knowe ther textis off canoun & cyuyle,
And therupon her wittis hool applie;
For cunnyng iuges be prudent policie
Cause ordenaunces, in lawe comprehendid,
Thoruh rihtful doom gretli to be comendid.
To haue science off philosophie,
And knowe ther textis off canoun & cyuyle,
And therupon her wittis hool applie;
For cunnyng iuges be prudent policie
Cause ordenaunces, in lawe comprehendid,
Thoruh rihtful doom gretli to be comendid.
Iustise off lawe doth rewmys enlumyne,
Susteneth trouthe, supporteth innocence,
Off raueynour[e]s boweth doun the chyne,
Punsheth robbours for ther gret offence,
Sluggi truantis for ther necligence,
And feyned beggeris, that gretli disauaile,
Constreyneth them to labour & trauaile.
Susteneth trouthe, supporteth innocence,
Off raueynour[e]s boweth doun the chyne,
Punsheth robbours for ther gret offence,
Sluggi truantis for ther necligence,
And feyned beggeris, that gretli disauaile,
Constreyneth them to labour & trauaile.
Foundours off lawe bi antiquite,
Caused in londis was suffred non errour,
And made off pryncis the roial maieste
To shyne in worshepe, be deligent labour,
Wrestid corages off many conquerour,
That ther tryumphes no ferther sholde atteyne
Than lawe off God & nature dede ordeyne.
Caused in londis was suffred non errour,
And made off pryncis the roial maieste
To shyne in worshepe, be deligent labour,
Wrestid corages off many conquerour,
That ther tryumphes no ferther sholde atteyne
Than lawe off God & nature dede ordeyne.
Will was that tyme vnder subieccioun
Off rihtwisnesse, be trouthe ful weel conveied,
Sensualite was seruant to resoun,
And froward lust was vnder lok weel keied;
Sentence off statutis was nat disobeied,
The riche dede riht thoruhout eueri lond,
Poore folk lyued be labour off ther hond.
Off rihtwisnesse, be trouthe ful weel conveied,
Sensualite was seruant to resoun,
And froward lust was vnder lok weel keied;
Sentence off statutis was nat disobeied,
The riche dede riht thoruhout eueri lond,
Poore folk lyued be labour off ther hond.
417
Lordshipe that tyme auoided meyntenaunce,
Hoolichirch lyued in parfitnesse;
Knyhthod tho daies for trouthe whet his launce,
And fals extorsioun hadde non interesse;
Marchantis wynnyng cam al off rihtwisnesse,
Artificers the werkdai wer nat idill,
And bisynesse off labour heeld the bridill.
Hoolichirch lyued in parfitnesse;
Knyhthod tho daies for trouthe whet his launce,
And fals extorsioun hadde non interesse;
Marchantis wynnyng cam al off rihtwisnesse,
Artificers the werkdai wer nat idill,
And bisynesse off labour heeld the bridill.
Women that age farsid wer nor hornyd,
Nor ther tailes wer nat serpentyne;
Wis men off foli, nor clerkis wer nat scornyd,
Which in science most fresshli dede shyne.
Lawe disherited non heires from ther lyne,
Lesyngmongers fond that tyme no socours,
And flaterers thanne wer maad no confessours.
Nor ther tailes wer nat serpentyne;
Wis men off foli, nor clerkis wer nat scornyd,
Which in science most fresshli dede shyne.
Lawe disherited non heires from ther lyne,
Lesyngmongers fond that tyme no socours,
And flaterers thanne wer maad no confessours.
This goldene world[e], flouryng in vertu,
Born vp be loue groundid on stabilnesse,
Off auoutri ther sprang out non issu,
Pryncis be doctryne establisshed ther noblesse,
Preesthod in praier, knyhthod in worthynesse,
Ech thyng be lawe stood vnder gouernaunce,
Marchantis be mesour & iust peis off balaunce.
Born vp be loue groundid on stabilnesse,
Off auoutri ther sprang out non issu,
Pryncis be doctryne establisshed ther noblesse,
Preesthod in praier, knyhthod in worthynesse,
Ech thyng be lawe stood vnder gouernaunce,
Marchantis be mesour & iust peis off balaunce.
First Phoroneus be dilligent labour
Fond out lawes, that kyng was off Argyues;
The Grekis studie he gilte with gret honour.
This poletik prynce, tauoide hem fro stryues,
His statutis kept[e] duryng al ther lyues,
Fond first the maner, Bochas doth deuyse,
How to Iubiter was maad sacrefise.
Fond out lawes, that kyng was off Argyues;
The Grekis studie he gilte with gret honour.
This poletik prynce, tauoide hem fro stryues,
His statutis kept[e] duryng al ther lyues,
Fond first the maner, Bochas doth deuyse,
How to Iubiter was maad sacrefise.
Eek myhti Mynos, whilom kyng off Crete,
Ordeyned lawes ageyn transgressiouns,
To fere bi rigour foolis that were onmeete,
And staunche off surfetis all occasiouns,
Make for robbours myhti strong prisouns;
And Dedalus, his cheeff artificer,
Made Laberintus be deligence entier.
Ordeyned lawes ageyn transgressiouns,
To fere bi rigour foolis that were onmeete,
And staunche off surfetis all occasiouns,
Make for robbours myhti strong prisouns;
And Dedalus, his cheeff artificer,
Made Laberintus be deligence entier.
And eek Mercurie, born be the flood of Nyle,
As writ Lactance, was off Egipt kyng,
Onto marchantis dede lawes first compile
Off weihte and mesour, to vs[e] in chaffaryng.
And for his wisdam & excellent kunnyng,
Off olde poetis, that whilom wer so wise,
He callid was god off marchaundise.
As writ Lactance, was off Egipt kyng,
Onto marchantis dede lawes first compile
Off weihte and mesour, to vs[e] in chaffaryng.
418
Off olde poetis, that whilom wer so wise,
He callid was god off marchaundise.
Solon also the beste lawes made,
As writ Valeri, hymsilff to magnefie:
Athenye[n]ses theroff wer ful glade,
His gret[e] wisdam whan thei dede espie;
Thei fond theryn so moch[e] policie.
And he was redi euer to debate
Ageyn tirantis, so sore he dede hem hate.
As writ Valeri, hymsilff to magnefie:
Athenye[n]ses theroff wer ful glade,
His gret[e] wisdam whan thei dede espie;
Thei fond theryn so moch[e] policie.
And he was redi euer to debate
Ageyn tirantis, so sore he dede hem hate.
Kyng Ligurgus eek whilom dede his cure
To make lawes to comoun auauntage,
And that thei sholde perpetueli endure,
He made his peeple be sworn, off eueri age,
Whil that he wente out on pilgrymage,
Fro poynt to poynt to keepe hem in certeyn,
Onto tyme that he cam hom ageyn.
To make lawes to comoun auauntage,
And that thei sholde perpetueli endure,
He made his peeple be sworn, off eueri age,
Whil that he wente out on pilgrymage,
Fro poynt to poynt to keepe hem in certeyn,
Onto tyme that he cam hom ageyn.
And for his lawes wer off gret substaunce
And profitable to eueri comounte,
He ches to lyue in exil and penaunce,
Neuer to resorte ageyn to his contre,
That his statutis be eternyte
Sholde nat be broke, as ye han herd toforn,
Bi the convencioun to which that thei wer sworn.
And profitable to eueri comounte,
He ches to lyue in exil and penaunce,
Neuer to resorte ageyn to his contre,
That his statutis be eternyte
Sholde nat be broke, as ye han herd toforn,
Bi the convencioun to which that thei wer sworn.
To comoun profit had he such tendirnesse,
That he forsook his kyngdam & kenreede
[To] lyue in exill, his story berth witnesse.
But or he deied, as he lay bedreede,
He bad his bonys sholde be cast in deede
Amyd the se, ferr out fro the stronde,
That his statutis myhte in ther strengthe stonde.
That he forsook his kyngdam & kenreede
[To] lyue in exill, his story berth witnesse.
But or he deied, as he lay bedreede,
He bad his bonys sholde be cast in deede
Amyd the se, ferr out fro the stronde,
That his statutis myhte in ther strengthe stonde.
He eschewed euerich occasioun,
As [a] thyng hatful which was nat fair,
That his forsaid[e] roial myhti toun
Sholde breke ther oth because off his repair.
But touchyng that, he put hem in despair,
Cast hym neuer resorten in ther dawes,
List thei wolde breke the sentence off his lawes.
As [a] thyng hatful which was nat fair,
That his forsaid[e] roial myhti toun
Sholde breke ther oth because off his repair.
But touchyng that, he put hem in despair,
Cast hym neuer resorten in ther dawes,
List thei wolde breke the sentence off his lawes.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |