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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[Ho[w] the proude tirant Aman was honged and the Innocent preserued.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[Ho[w] the proude tirant Aman was honged and the Innocent preserued.]
The horrible fall furious for to reede,
That folweth after of þe gret Aman,
A ful fals tiraunt found in thouht & deede,
And was of berthe an Assyrian,
Which, as the Bible ful weel reherse kan,
Was cheeff maister, as men may ther conserne,
With Assuerus his peeple to gouerne.
That folweth after of þe gret Aman,
A ful fals tiraunt found in thouht & deede,
And was of berthe an Assyrian,
Which, as the Bible ful weel reherse kan,
Was cheeff maister, as men may ther conserne,
With Assuerus his peeple to gouerne.
His herte was exaltid hih in pride,
To goddis peeple most contrarious,
His hatful venym he list nat for to hide,
But lik a tiraunt most malicious,
Of wilful rancour, fell and despitous,
Fulli purposed, and koude hym nat withdrawe,
To destroye the Iewes and ther lawe.
To goddis peeple most contrarious,
His hatful venym he list nat for to hide,
But lik a tiraunt most malicious,
Of wilful rancour, fell and despitous,
Fulli purposed, and koude hym nat withdrawe,
To destroye the Iewes and ther lawe.
To his entent he gat auctorite
Bi his fals[e] sotil compassyng:
Sent out lettres into ech contre
Thoruhout al Perse be biddyng of the kyng,
That hih and low, withynne that lond duellyng,—
No wiht except,—that peeplis al aboute
Sholde vnto Aman obeie, kneele and loute.
Bi his fals[e] sotil compassyng:
Sent out lettres into ech contre
Thoruhout al Perse be biddyng of the kyng,
That hih and low, withynne that lond duellyng,—
No wiht except,—that peeplis al aboute
Sholde vnto Aman obeie, kneele and loute.
463
This was the biddyng of kyng Assuer,
Whan queen Vasti was uoided for hir pride,
And Hester chose, a maide most enteer,
Was brouht to court with the kyng tabide,
Which hadde in youthe for to been hir guyde
A worthi Iew callid Mardoche,
Withynne Susis a large fair cite,
Whan queen Vasti was uoided for hir pride,
And Hester chose, a maide most enteer,
Was brouht to court with the kyng tabide,
Which hadde in youthe for to been hir guyde
A worthi Iew callid Mardoche,
Withynne Susis a large fair cite,
Bi whos counsail eueri thyng she wrouhte,
Passyng fair and of gret meeknesse.
And whan the eunukis to the kyng hir brouhte,
She was accepted for hir gret fairnesse
Vnto his grace, hir story berth witnesse,
And ther cherisshed in especiall
Boue al the maidenes in the court roiall.
Passyng fair and of gret meeknesse.
And whan the eunukis to the kyng hir brouhte,
She was accepted for hir gret fairnesse
Vnto his grace, hir story berth witnesse,
And ther cherisshed in especiall
Boue al the maidenes in the court roiall.
And of al Perse she was Icrownid queen,
A pes comaundid thoruh al tho regiouns
Duryng the feeste, that men myhte seen
The kynges nobley in cites and in touns.
And of this feeste the riche roial souns
Cam to the eris of symple Mardoche,
Which cam with othir the maner for to see.
A pes comaundid thoruh al tho regiouns
Duryng the feeste, that men myhte seen
The kynges nobley in cites and in touns.
And of this feeste the riche roial souns
Cam to the eris of symple Mardoche,
Which cam with othir the maner for to see.
Tofor the paleis as he dide abide
With othir Iewes in his companye,
Of happ as he caste his ere aside,
He of too porteris the counsail dide espie,
How thei hem caste, bi fals conspiracie,
To slen the kyng som day of that yeer,
Lik ther entent whan thei fond best leiseer.
With othir Iewes in his companye,
Of happ as he caste his ere aside,
He of too porteris the counsail dide espie,
How thei hem caste, bi fals conspiracie,
To slen the kyng som day of that yeer,
Lik ther entent whan thei fond best leiseer.
Whan Mardocheus prudentli gan feele
The secre malis of ther compassyng,
Of compassioun he wolde it nat concele,
But made Hester discure it to the kyng.
Wherof convict, thei wer lad to hangyng,
As me semeth, a competent guerdoun
For al that falsli imagyne swich tresoun.
The secre malis of ther compassyng,
Of compassioun he wolde it nat concele,
But made Hester discure it to the kyng.
Wherof convict, thei wer lad to hangyng,
As me semeth, a competent guerdoun
For al that falsli imagyne swich tresoun.
464
Bi which[e] mene the said[e] Mardoche
Was weel accepted to kyng Assuer,
Likli also to stonde at liberte
Out of the malis and the fell daungeer
Of cursid Aman, which list make hym no cheer,
But compassede in ful fel manere
Hym to destroie & Iewes all ifeere.
Was weel accepted to kyng Assuer,
Likli also to stonde at liberte
Out of the malis and the fell daungeer
Of cursid Aman, which list make hym no cheer,
But compassede in ful fel manere
Hym to destroie & Iewes all ifeere.
This Mardocheus, the Bible telle can,
Withdrouh hymsilff for to do reuerence
Vnto this tirant, the froward prince Aman,
Lik as the statut comaundid in sentence.
Which thyng tauenge be hasty violence,
This Aman made of hatrede to be set
Affor the paleis a myhti strong gibet.
Withdrouh hymsilff for to do reuerence
Vnto this tirant, the froward prince Aman,
Lik as the statut comaundid in sentence.
Which thyng tauenge be hasty violence,
This Aman made of hatrede to be set
Affor the paleis a myhti strong gibet.
But who that caste hym for to do vengaunce,
And innocentis for toppresse of myht,
Bi wilful malis tagreggen ther greuaunce,
As God wer blynde and hadde of hem no siht,—
But at the laste he wil of verray riht
Pun[y]she the proude for furious violence,
The poore supportyng for ther long pacience.
And innocentis for toppresse of myht,
Bi wilful malis tagreggen ther greuaunce,
As God wer blynde and hadde of hem no siht,—
But at the laste he wil of verray riht
Pun[y]she the proude for furious violence,
The poore supportyng for ther long pacience.
As Mardocheus bi innocent lyuyng,
Be mene of Hester and hir gret meeknesse
Accepted was to Assuer the kyng,
The lawe of Iewes set in mor seurnesse,
Froward Aman for his cursidnesse,
Vengable of pride, the Bible ye may see,
Was hih enhangid upon a galwe tre.
Be mene of Hester and hir gret meeknesse
Accepted was to Assuer the kyng,
The lawe of Iewes set in mor seurnesse,
Froward Aman for his cursidnesse,
Vengable of pride, the Bible ye may see,
Was hih enhangid upon a galwe tre.
Mardocheus, of prudence & resoun,
The furious daunger of Aman set aside,
Preserued his peeple fro destruccioun,
The tiraunt hangid for his froward pride.
Thus kan the Lord his iugementis deuide,
Whan he seeth tyme, most myhti and puissaunt,
Supporte the symple and punshe the tiraunt.
The furious daunger of Aman set aside,
Preserued his peeple fro destruccioun,
The tiraunt hangid for his froward pride.
Thus kan the Lord his iugementis deuide,
Whan he seeth tyme, most myhti and puissaunt,
Supporte the symple and punshe the tiraunt.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |