dronke myghty wynes To fyll their paūches they were so desyrous That they forgate their marciall doctrines To ascēd y ◠moūtayne feble were their chines Their heades totter their braine gan faile The temple aloft to spoyle or to assayle In their assending by wayes that they chees Vpon the roche they were beat doune Priestes of the temple put thē selues in prees One bare a standard another a penoune Clad in chesibles for hye deuocion And with their other vncouth apparayles Bothe on the roche lowe in their battayles The people of Brennus was incomperable Spred all the felde the story beareth witnes But it is sayd of olde and is no fable That no defence is in dronkennes And wisdome fayleth where is greate excesse And in a felde playnly to conclude Victory alwayes standeth not in multitude For they were set as Bochas dothe deuise Not to knighthode but to false outrage To spoyle and robbe by gredy couetise And stuffe their somters with great pillage Furious rauine hath brought thē in a rage And farewell knighthode marciall noblesse Where couetise is lady and maistresse Two mighty dukes were with Brennus Whiche that were chefe of his counsayle Euridanus that one that other Thessalonus Which as they thought to their great auaile Began a purpose and it was disauayle To robbe the people the countrey ech toun Whiche turned after to their confusion Thus auarice w t stomake vnstaūcheable Hath strāgled y ◠power of many a worthy knight And couetise her sister vntretable Hath of high nobles full oft quaint the lyght Wher Tātalus raigneth a lion hath no might This to meane honger and couetousnes Turneth all nobles into cowardnes For by the counsayle of these dukes twayne Brennus set all his opinion To spoyle and robbe dyd his busy payne To pyll the cities of all that region But in this while as made is mencion Myd their battayles Bochas dothe me lere The God Appollo and Pallas did appere Appollo first shewed his presence Freshe yonge lusty as any sunne shene Armed all with golde with great vyolence Entred the felde as it was well sene And Diana came with her arowes kene And Mynerua in a bright haberion Which in their cōminge made a terible soun The noyse was herd of their bright armure Which made their enemyes almost to raue That they might afore them not endure Fled the felde for drede them selfe to saue And there was herde an hidous erthquaue And from heauen in this mortal batayle Of colde constreyning great stones do hayle Their aduersaries beate downe grounded And afore them durst not abide And Brennus so mortally was wounded Both brest heed hurt through eyther syde Lo here the ende of couetise and pride For Brennus for constraynt of his smert Roue with a dagger him selfe to the herte This was his ende vēgeable merueylous And his dukes slayne both twayne Called Euridanus and Thessalonus The grekish goddes gan at him so disdayne Of sacrilege se here the greuous payne For to goddes who lyst do no obseruaunce Shall vnwarly be punished wyth vēgeaūce It is not holsome with goddes to play Nor their puissaunce presūptously to attame For where as they by vengeaūce lyst werray who lyst assay shall fynde it no game For his presūpcion Brennus founde the same For Appollo Diana and Mynerue For his outrage vnwarly made hym sterue ⧠Lenuoye THis tragedy declareth who lyst here Of duke Brennus many great batayle His extorte conquest and holy the maner Howe by force he rode through al Itayle After how he the Romayns dyd assaile His fall in Grece by vengeable violence For he to goddes would do no reuerence Toke al the treasours iuels most entere Out of their temples and richest apparayle Golde and perle and al that yfere To his encrease whych that myght auayle The rich he robbed oppressed the porayle Of verye pompe and frowarde insolence And lyst to goddes do no reuerence This mighty tiraūt most surquedous of chere With couetyse brent in hys entrayle Whose gredy fret ther might no mesure stere Tyll that fortune at mischefe dyd hym fayle He lacked might her variant whele to nayle Agayne whose fall there was no resistence For he to goddes lyst do no reuerence Noble prynces conceyue and do lere The fall of Brennus for misgouernayle And prudently paysyng thys matere Vertue is strōger than outher plate or maile Afore considred what Brennus doth coūsayle Chefe preseruatyfe of your magnificence Is to god to do due reuerence The .xxiiii. Chapter ⧠Howe Pyrrus kynge of Pyrothe lyst nat lyue in peace but of pryde and presumption in warre came vnto mischaunce IN Bochas boke next folowīg on y ◠rig Came yong Pirrus sonne of Earides Borne by discent to reigne be kyng And to enherite the lande of Pyrothes Yet in his youth and his tender encrees The frowarde people dwellynge in y ◠place Without his gylte gan his dethe purchace But to preserue hym as made is mencion He was committed and take in kepyng Certayne yeres for hys sauacion To one Glaucus of Illirie king Whose wife was cosyn by record of writing To the sayde famous Earides And she in story called Beronices He nye of blode to thys noble queene Bothe twayne borne of one lynage Wonder gracious to all that did him sene And well fauoured of fetures and visage And in the whyle of his tender age One Cassander of Macedone kyng Compassed his deth by subtel false workyng And his purpose for to bryng aboute He sent for hym by false collusion Puttyng Glaucus playnlye out of doute But yf he came lyke hys entencion He wolde worke to hys destruction Gather people bothe nye and farre And on Glaucus gyn a mortall warre But kyng Glaucus toke herof no hede Hauyng to Pyrrus so great affection Of him receyued verely in dede To be his sonne by adoption Purposyng of whole entencion To make Pyrrus plainly if he may To be his heyre and raigne after his day Pyrrus alway vp growyng by encrees Full amiable bothe of there and face And in this while the people of Pyrothes Knowyng that he stode in Glaucus grace Chaunged their hartes cast thē in short space For to restore all of one courage The sayd Pyrrus to his heritage Thus by assent he was crowned kyng Yonge freshe and lusty semely ther withal Wonders well thewed in his vp growyng Like his lynage of courage wext royall The whiche was cause in especiall He was beloued offrendes about And of his enemyes greatly had in doubt The name of him gan to sprede farre Through all Grece about in eche countrey The lande of Tarent gan in his tyme warre Agayne the Romaynes as ye may se Requiryng Pyrrus that he woulde be Fauourable and helpyng of entent To the party of them of Tarent To their request he can condiscende And of purpose cast him not to fayle If that fortune woulde him grace sende With myghty hande marciall apparayle For
tributes in all his region From him departyng by rebellion Wherof astonied to auenge his vnryght Into Jerusalem toke anone his flyght And whan they were parted from Roboam The ten kynredes by diuision Chase them a kyng called Jeroboam And Roboam within his royall toun To be auenged of their rebellion And for to do on them cruell iustice An hundred thousande he made anone to rise With Jeroboam he cast him for to mete And all at ones set in ieopardy But Sameas the prophete bade him lete And fro the warre withdrawe his party And more the quarell for to iustifye Of his peoples frowarde departyng It was gods wyll done for a punishyng Touchyng the surplus of his gouernaunce His royall buyldyng of many a fayre city His great ryche famous suffisaunce Of wyne and oyle hauyng great plenty And how his empyre encreased yeres thre Eke how that time he ryghtfull was in dede In Josephus his story ye may rede Of his children borne in ryght lyne Eyghtene wyues as made is mencion I fynde he had and many a concubyne Sonnes and daughters by procreation And how his riches and great possession That tyme encreased as it is well knowe To god aboue while that he bare him lowe But as mine auctour maketh rehearsaile In his encrease and augmentacion Mekenes in hert in him gan waste and faile And pryde entred with false presumption Vertue despisyng and all religion After whose vyces as sayth the same boke Wicked examples of him the people toke After the maners where they be good or yll Vsed of prynces in diuers regions The people is ready to vse and fulfill Fully the traces of their condicions For lordes may in their subiections So as them list who so can take hede To vyce or vertue their subiectes lede Thus Roboam for his transgressions In Josephus as it is deuised And for his frowarde false opinions Onely for he all vertue hath despised Of God he was rightfully chastised In Jerusalem his chiefe royall towne Of his enemyes besieged enuyroun The kyng of Egypt a siege about him layed With so great people y t socour was ther none All be it so that Roboam abrayed And prayed to god to deliuer hun frō his sone To auoyde of mercy his enemyes euerichoue But god list not graunt his prayere But him chastised like as ye shall here Fyrst his citye and his royall towne Deliuered was he knewe no better succour Vnder a fayned false composicioun For at their entryng voyde of all fauoure Kepyng no couenaunt toke all the treasoure Within the temple hauyng no pitye But ladde it home to Egypt their countrey And to rehearse it is a great dole How Roboam as Josephus dothe declare Was inly proude and therwithal a foule And of all wysdome destitute and bare Vnmerciable hys people for to spare Hatyng good counsayle and so in his regaly Raygnyng a foole and so I let hym dye ¶ Lenuoy PHilosophers conclude and deuise In theyr bokes of good experience That counsaylours sadde expert and wyse True of their worde stable of their sentence Hasty nor retchles for no vyolence Kepe and preserue the trouth I dare attame Noblesse of princes fro mischefe and dyffame Hasty youth and rancour in contrarywyse Whyche haue to wyll all theyr aduertence Except them selues all other men despyse Through their vnbrydeled furious insolence Nothyng aquainted w t wisdome nor prudēce Bryng ayenward wherof they be to blame Puttyng his nobles in mischefe and diffame Kyng Roboam agaynst ryght and iustice To yonge foles yaue fayth and most credence Cruelly his subiectes to chastyce Whiche put his people from his beneuolence Threw ten kynredes from his obedience Which was to him by record full great shame Puttyng his nobles in mischefe and diffame Noble princes do wisely aduertise In perseueryng of your magnificence Of olde expert not blent with couetise Take your counsayle and do them reuerence Eyed as Argus in their high prouidence Whiche conserue by report of good name Noblesse of prynces from mischefe diffame ¶ The .iii. Chapter ☞ The office and retinue of a Kynge What erthly thing is more deceiuable Thē of prīces the pōpe vainglory ▪ Which wene to stand in their estates stable As thei the world had conquered by vyctory And sodaynly be put out of memory Their fame clouded alas and their nobles With a darke shadowe of foryetfulnes Wherof cometh the famous clere shinyng Of emperous in their consistories Or wherof cometh their laude in reportynge Saue that clarks haue writē their histories Or where be now conquestes transitories Or their triūphes where should men thē find Nad writers their prowes put in mynd Reken vp al and first the worthy nyne In high nobles whiche had neuer peers The marciall actes which clearly did shyne Their fame vp borne aboue al the nine sters With loude soundes of famous clarioners Their glorious palmes if thei be well paysed By lowe labours of cōmons was first raised Make a likenes of these great ymages Curiously corue out by entayle Head armes body and their freshe vysages Without fete or legges may not auayle To stand vpryght or nedes they must fayle And semblably subiectes in commontees Rayse vp the nobles of princes in their sees As head and membres in ymages be of stone Other on stocke by compasse vndeuided And by proporcion their fetures euerychone Set in true order as nature hath prouided So y ◠all errours through craft be circūcided The head highest by custome as men knowe The body amidde the fete beneth lowe Myghty princes for their high renoun As most worthy shall occupy the heade With wytte memory and eyen of reason To kepe their membres frō mischefe dread Like their degrees take of them good hede With clere foresyght of a prudent thought Their fete preserue that they erre nought There must be hands and armes of defence Whiche shall the ymage manly kepe and gye From all assautes of forayne vyolence Whiche shal be named noblest of chiualry Their true office iustly to magnify Sustaine the church make thē selfe stronge To se y ◠widowes maydēs haue no wronge Prudent iudges as it is skyll and ryght To punishe wronge surfets to redresse In this ymage shall occupy the syght For loue or hate by dome of rightwisenes For frende or fo his iudgementes dresse So egally the lawes to susteyne In their workes that none errour be seyne Amidde this ymage there is a body set An aggregate of people and degrees By perfite peace and vnity yknet By the estates that gouerne commonties As mayres prouostes and burgeis in cities Marchauntes also whiche seke sundry lādes With other craftes which liue by their hādes And as a body whiche stant in health Feleth no grefe of no froward humours So euery cōmonte continueth in great welth Whiche is demeaned w t prudent gouernours That can appese debates and errours The people kepe from all controuersy Causyng the welfare to encrease multiply This body must haue a
Cynarus hath his daughter founde And cruelly began enhaunce his hande With his sworde to geue her a wounde But the goddes of mercy most habound Hath fro the death made her to go fre And through their power traÌ„formed to a tree Which after her beareth yet the name Called Myrra as she was in her life Out of whiche aucthours say the same Distilleth a gome a great preseruatife And of nature a full good defensife To kepe bodies from putrifaction And them franchise from all corruption By influence of the sunne beames Myrre is engendred by distyllyng of his kind With round dropes ayenst Phebus streames And doun discendeth through the hard rinde And through the riftes also I finde The sayd Myrra hath a childe forth brought In all this worlde if it were sought Was none so faire formed by nature For of his beauty he was pereles And as Poetes recorde by scripture He called was the fayre Adonydes And to his worshyp and his great encrees For he of fairenes bare away the floure Venus him chase to be her paramour The whiche Goddesse gaue to him in charge That he should in his tender age In forestes while he went at large Hunt at no beastes whiche were sauage But he contrary to his disauauntage Through wilfulnesse I can say no more Was slayne vnwarely of a Tuskye boare At the whiche he felly did enchace But of folly in vayne was his laboure For he lay slayne full pale of chere and face Whom Venus turned to a full freshe stoure Whiche was as bloude of purple the coloure A budde of golde w t goodlye leaues glade Set in y â— middes whose beauty may not fade And whan Myrra froÌ„ Bochas was w tdraw And declared her great aduersitie And of her fate tolde the mortall lawe Came Orpheus full vgly vnto se Sonne of Appollo and of Calyope And appeared with a full dolefull face Sumtime brought forthe yborne in Trace Full renoumed in armes and in science Famous in musike and melody And full notable also in eloquence And for his soote sugred armony Beastes and foules as poetes specify Wodes floudes of their course most strong Stynte of course to harken his sote song An harpe he had of Mercurius With the whiche Erudice he wanne And to Bachus as write Ouidius Sacrifices solemnely he began And vnto hell for his wife he ran Her to recure with sote touches sharpe Whiche he made vpon his heauenly harpe But whan that he this labour on him toke I lawe was made which that bouÌ„d him forâ— That if he backeward cast his loke He shold her lese and se her neuermore But it is sayd sythen gone full yore There may no lawe louers well constrayne So importable is their deadly payne If some husbands had stand in the caas To haue lost their wiues for a loke sodayne â—hey would haue suffred and not sayd alas â—ut paciently endured all their payne â—nd thanked god y â— broken was the chayne â—hich hath so long them in pryson bounde â—hat they by grace had such a way founde â—olye in pryson it is a ful great charge â—nd to be stocked vnder key and locke â—t is meryer a man to go at large â—han with yrons to be nailed to a blocke â–ª But there is a bonde that called is wedlocke â—ettryng husbandes so sore that it is wonder â—hich with a file may not be broke asunder But Orpheus father of hermony Thought Erudice y â— was his wife so fayre For her sake he felt that he must dye Because that he whan he made his repayre Of her in trouth nothing embraced but ayre Thus he lost her there is no more to sayne And for the coÌ„straynt of his greuous payne At his hart her partyng sate so sore The grene memory the tender remembrauÌ„ce That he would neuer wine no more So fayre he was escaped his penaunce For wedlocke is a life of muche pleasaunce But who hath ones infarnall paynes sene Will neuer after come in the snare I wene This Orpheus gaue counsaile full notable To husbandes that haue endured payne To such as ben prudent and tretable One hel is dredful but more dredful is twain And who is ones bounde in a chayne And may escape out of daunger blyue If he eft resort God let him neuer thriue Vpon this sentence women were vengeable And to his writyng full contrarious Sayd his counsaile was not commendable At the feast they halowed to Bachus They fill echone vpon this Orpheus And for all his rethoryke swete They slough alas this laureate poete And of his harpe if ye lyst to heare The God Appollo made a translation Among the ymages of the starres cleare Wherof men may haue cleare inspection But fortune to his confusion Denyed him frowarde of her nature Whan he was slayne fredome of sepulture Next Orpheus there did appeare also Of Amasons worthy quenes twayne Merpesia and her sister Lampedo Whiche in conquest did their busy payne And great worshyp in armes did attayne Namyng them selues by writing nere farre Doughters to Mars which is god of warre Merpesia rode out in regions And conquered full many a great citye For couetise of great possessions To encrease her lordshyp if it would be And her sister kept surely their countrye Of all enemies so that there was no doubt While Merpesia rode with her host about But while she was in conquest most famous â–ª And her enemies proudly did assayle Fortune anone wart contrarious And caused that she was slaine in battayle Lo what conquest or victory may auayle Whan that fortune doth at them disdayn Se here ensample by these quenes twayne ☞ Lenuoy THis tragedy remembreth thynges fyue Of Narcissus the excellent beauty And of Biblis dothe also discriue The great luxury and dishonestye Myrra diffamed turned to a tree To exemplify that lechery and pride Ben from all vertue set full farre aside How Orpheus endured in his liue Joye entermedled wyth aduersitye In his youth whan he did wyue He felt in wedlocke full great felicitie His worldly blisse meynt with duplicitie As fortune her chaunges can deuyde Whiche from all vertue be set full farre aside Merpesia for her list to stryue Wyth wylfull warres to encrease her couÌ„tre But her pompe was ouerturned blyue Whan in battayle vnwarely slayne was shet For of all warre death is the fyne pardee So furious Mars can for her folke prouide Whiche from all vertue ben set farre aside Ye mighty princes let witte and reason dryue Your high nobles to consider and se How fortune estates can depryue And plonge theÌ„ downe from their prosperitie Pride and luxury I counsayle that you flye Falce auarice ne let not be your gyde Whiche from all vertue is clene set asyde ¶ The .xvi. Chapter ¶ Of Priamus kyng of Troye and how the monke of Bury translatoure of this boke wrote a boke of the siege of Troy called Troy boke AFter these complayntes and lameÌ„tacions Which that Bochas did in his boke coÌ„pile Medled
treasoure Badde him aske what thyng that he woulde That might him please or do to hym succour But of all that he nothinge ne tolde But prayed him ful lowly that he shoulde Not drawe frō him that thynge ayen al right Which for to giue lay not in his myght What thyng is that quod Alexander agayne I haue by cōquest al erthly tresour wun The philosopher said he spake in vayne Thou hast quod he no lordship of the sun Thy shadow letteth his bemes fro my tun And sith thou hast no power of hys lyght I pray the hertely forbarre me not his sighte Though Alexāder was myghty of puissance And all the world had in his demeyne Yet was hys reason vnder the obeysaunce Of fleshly lustes fettred in a cheine For in hys person wyl was souereyne His reason bridled by sensualite Troublyng the fredome of ryght equite For where that wyll hath dominacion In a prince which should sustayne ryght And parcial fauour oppresseth his reason And trouthes titel is bornedoun with myght And equal doome hath lost his clere light Though for a season they sit in hie cheyres Their fame shal fade within a fewe yeres In this make I comparison Bytwene Alexander and Diogenes That one endured but a short season For that he loued warre more than pees And for that other was not recheles But helde hym content wyth giftes of nature Vnto great age his pouert dyd endure Alexander was slayne wyth poysone In his triumphes whan he dyd excell But in a tunne that lay ful low downe Diogenes dranke water of the well And of their end their difference to tel Alexander wyth couetous was blent The philosopher wyth litel was content Blessed be pouert that may endure longe Maugre the fraude daunger of fortune Where as kynges and emperours strong In their estate no whyle may contune And al vertues rekened in cōmune Twene indigence and great habundaunce Is a good meane content with suffisaunce For with great plentye men be not assured After their lust alway to lyue in ease And though y ◠mē great tresure haue recured With their riches they fele many disease Lords haue not al thyng that may thē please But hertely ioy philosophers expresse Is grettest tresour twene pouert riches For this chapiter sheweth a fygure A maner lykenesse and demonstracion Howe Diogenes lenger dyd endure Than mighty Priam or kyng Laomedon So to exemplifye in conclusion There is more trust in vertuous symplesse Than in presumynge of vicious false riches For the auoutry of Paris and Heleine Brought al Troye to distruccion Pryde and luxury were also meanes tweine Why grekes layd a siege to the towne And finally cause of their confusion To eyther partie losse of many a man The groūd conceiued why fyrst that war gā Lenuoye THis tragedy piteous and lamentable Ful dolorous to write and to expresse That worthy Priam of kinges most notable Was fal in pouert for al his great richesse Fro kyngly honour in to wretchednes From sceptre croune and from his regaly To mischiefe brought through false auoutry ▪ Was not fortune froward and disceuable For to suffer by her doublenesse And by her course whych euer is variable That worthy Hector flour of al prowesse Should vnwarly most famous of noblesse Be slayne alas chefe stocke of chiualry For a quarel of false auoutry Agamemnon accompted incomparable Among grekes for trouth rightwysnesse To gouerne most glorious and able Within his paleis the storye bereth wines His wife Clitimnistra through her cursednes Assented was to murdre hym of enuy For the occasion of false auoutry Ye noble princes cōceiue howe chaungeable Is worldly honour through vnstedfastnes Sith of king Priam the glory was vnstable Fixe in your minde thys mater doth impresse And your corages knightly doth vpdresse Agayne al tytles holdeth champarty Whych appertayneth to false auoutry ¶ The .xix. Chapter Of mighty Sampson whiche tolde hys counsayle to Dalyda whereby he was disceiued WHo was more stronger thā Sampson None more deliuer y ◠byble bereth wytnesse Without weapen he slough a fierse lyon And for his enemyes to hym dyd expresse His vncouth problem anon he gan him dresse Agayne Philistines and slough of thē thirty To paye hys promyse spoyled them by by His problem was the text thus rehersyng After the letter in very sothfastnesse There came out mete of a thynge etynge And fro the strong there went out swetnes But hys wyfe of frowarde doublenes Which euer wrought to his disauayle Of worthy Sampson tolde the counsayle What is more stronge than is a lyon Or more swete than hony in tastyng But women haue thys condicion Of secrete thynges whan they haue knowleging They bolne inwarde their hertes aye freting Outher they must dye or discure So britel of custome is their nature This was the case the lyon that was deed Agayne the sonne gapynge lay vp right Aswarme of been entred in his heed Of whom there came hony anone ryght And whan Sampson therof had a syght He fautasied in hys opinion Full secretly this proposicion As ye haue herde gan it forth purpose That philistines to hym it should expowne Vnder a payne the trouth to hym vnclose But wyth hys wife they priuely gan rown And she on Sāpson gan cōpleyn and frowne And faymngly so long vpon hym wepe That he coud not his coūsayle fro her kepe Which whan she knewe made no taryeng But plaine and hole she gan it to declare Such double trust is in their wepynge To kepe their tonges women can not spare Such wepyng wyues yuell mote they fare And al husbands I pray god gyue thē sorow That tel their counsaile at euyn or morowe She told thē hole she told it thē not halfe And Sampson than gan vpon thē smyle If ye not had herde it in my calfe Ye should not haue found it a great whyle Who may be sure where women lyst begyle Though bokes Sāpson of strēgth so cōmēde Yet durst he not ayenst hys wyfe offende This mighty Sampson did also his payne Thre hundred foxes ones that he founde He toke their tailes knit thē twayn twain And amyd euerich he set a fyre bronde And as they ran in Phylistines lond So furiously vp and downe they went That they their frutes their vynes brent Eke by trayson whan he was ones bound Wyth stronge cordes as he lay a slepe There .iii. M. whych that Sampson founde To haue murdred hym or he toke kepe He brake his bondes and vp anone he lepe Of an asse he caught a chaule bone And a thousande he slough of them anone He gan to faynt and had a sodaine lust For to drinke faded face and chere And god sent hym to staūche with hys thurst From the asses to the water christal clere Which that sprāge out large lyke a ryuere Refreshed his spirite whych afore gan dul Tyl that he had of water dronke his ful After he went to Gasam the citye Amōg hys
tyrant in hys most crueltie To gyn a warre on Samos the citye And whan his glory was most clere of lyght And hys nobles shone hyghest at the full Fortune gan through her changeable myght Of his prosperitie the fethers for to pull And than at erst his courage gan to dull And all his pryde vnwarely for to appall Whan he was spoyled of his ryches all First whan Orontes his countrey gan assaile This Pollicrate of sodaine auenture Outrayed was and taken in battayle By a full perillous mortall disconfiture Thus fortune coulde brynge him to her lure Through her vnware vgly false disdaynes Led into pryson bouÌ„de in stronge chaynes The people dwellyng within his region Reioysed in hart to se him suffer payne His tyranny his false extorcion Caused that they did at him disdayne For of his death no man lyst complayne Men through the world haue great plesauÌ„ce To se a tyrant brought vnto mischaunce Foure thinges his tormentes did augment Sodayne departyng from his riches And that he sawe eche man in his entent Of his mischefe haue so great gladnes Hanged he was mine auctour dothe witnes And honge so long in teÌ„pest rayne thunder Till euery ioynt from other went a sunder To beastes wilde and foules rauenous Naked he henge suche was his auenture To all folkes he was so odyous Had in despite of euery creature At his departyng denyed sepulture Guerdon for tyrantes veÌ„geable retcheles That can not suffer the people to liue in pees Thus many tyrantes excede far their bouÌ„des By false outrage and well resembled be To cruel wolues or to furious houndes Frette with an etyke of gredy cruelte To staunche their honger aueyleth no piente Whiche for their surfets froward to rede w t Policrates in hell shall haue their mede ☞ The .ix. Chapter ☞ Howe the tyraunt Alexander sloughe his Philosopher Calistenes wyth other for saiynge trouth AMonge all stories to tell the pyteous caas Of wofull playntyfes that put theim selues in prees With wepyng eyen myne auctour Bochas Was moued in hart not to be retchles To write the fall of Calystenes Whiche alas as it is remembred Was for his trouth on pieces all dismeÌ„bred For whan Bochas his story gan aduert He dempt anone in his fantasy No man had so harde a stoned hart That might of ryght his eyen kepe drye To se the processe of hys tormentry Yet gan myne auctour his wofull pen prefer To write the wrong done to this philosopher This Calystenes in youth right well thewed His grene age promoted to doctrine By influence of heauenly fate endued Greatly to profite in morall disciplyne Disposed of nature by grace which is deuyne To conquere as bokes do specify The noble surname of philosophy Of his merites famous and notable Philosophy did her busy payne To geue him suâ—ke because that he was able The sote mylke of her breastes twayne most precious licour who might therto attain For baume is none the vertue well declared Of worldly riches may be therto compared This precious pyment is geue to no foles Aboue all lycours it dothe so farre excell Whose originall sprange in the holy scholes Of Athenes as famous bokes tell For of philosophy there sprange first the well Where Calystenes thexperience is couthe With fulsum plenty was fostred in his youth Though he was borne of a good lynage Vertue made him more high for to assende To be enhaunced for nobles of courage More than for bloude who can comprehend For philosophers clarkes more commende The morall vertues entresured by writings Then all the treasures of worldly kynges Of gentle stockes recken out the issues That be discended downe from a royall lyne If they be vycious voyde of all vertues And haue no tarage of vertuous disciplyne With temporall treasure though they shyne As for a tyme sittyng on hye stages Without vertue they are but dead ymages For though prynces haue coÌ„quered by battail This world in roundnes by their chyualry What may their triuÌ„phes or nobles auayle Without that vertue by ryght their titles gye To be compared vnto phylosophy â–ª For philosophers apply all their ententes To knowe heauen and cours of elementes They set no store of thinges transitory Nor of fortunes expert doublenes To heauenly thynges is set all their memory How the .vii. planets in their course theÌ„ dresse Meuing the stars sparking in their brighnes With reuolutions of the spheres nyne Mother of musyke as auctours determyne And in the noble twaye famous houses Flouryng in Grece rychest of euerychone Called by olde date the fayre true spouses Of philosophers many mo then one In Achademie and Athenes shone The bryght lanterns of most reuerences This world tenlumine by lyberall scyences And among other this Calystenes Was in his youth put for to scholey In the two scholes of prudent Socrates And of Plato whiche that bare the key Of lecre misteries and of diuine Idey In whiche two scholes of great abilitee Was noâ—e profited halfe so muche as he These old clarkes these olde philosophers Were in tho dayes for doctrine souerayne Called in this world y e riche precious coffers And treasures that kept the chestes twayne Amyd their brestes wherin god did ordayne Most clere possession put in their depose Of all sciences vnder a key close This Calistenes scholer and auditour Of Aristoteles by cunning conqueryng The noble gemine and most precious floure Of philosophy all floures surmountyng Wherthrough he was chosen in his liuyng As his master lyst for him prouide On Alexander to awayte and abide For Alexander of kynges most entere And most worthy to speake of hye prowes Did Aristoteles humble requere To prouide and do his busines By expert knowyng and auisenes To sende him one whiche of philosophy Might by good couÌ„saile his coÌ„quest magnify To write also his tryuÌ„phes digne of glory And to remember his actes marciall Put his palmes of knighthode in memory And to direct in especiall His royall nobles in vertue morall That no erroure be sene here nor there In hym that should all the worlde conquere But it fell so of knightly aduenture Whan of fortunes high promocion That he by armes proudly gan recure Of Perce Mede the mighty region Brought kyng Dary vnto subiection Gate hole his tresure y â— no man might expres To accompt the nuÌ„ber of his great riches Whiche vnsure tresure slydyng abundasice With wasting shadowes of goods traÌ„sitorye In surquedous pride gan so his hart auauÌ„ce By false ambicion outragious vaynglory That made him lese mynde and eke memory To knowe of nature he was man mortall But lyke to goddes that were celestiall Aboue the palme of olde conquerours Knightly triumphes conquestes marciall He vsurped by title of his labours To heauenly goddes for to be egall And through his merites most imperiall He gan presume by fyne he was aâ—yed With the seuen goddes for to be deified Through all his palaice and his royall hall A lawe ne set vpon
Called Seleuchus which was a wonder Fil frō his courser brake his necke asōder The .iii. Chapter ¶ Howe the noble Queene Laodomya was in the temple slayne and vengeaunce take vpon hym that slewe her SYxe of estates prynces and pryncesses Shewed them to Bochas pitouslye playnyng To hym declarynge theyr mortall heuynesses And first of all there came to hym wepyng The noble queene her sorow rehersyng Called Laodomya which with heuy chere Complayned the mischefe of her suster dere Called Nereis yonge and tender of age That wedded was of Cycile to the kyng And on the daye of that great mariage There fyll a stryfe and a great meuyng Amonge the commons by a maner rysyng And when the quene therof had a syght To Dianes temple anone she toke her flyght The people was party rose againe y ◠kyng For whiche rumore and sodayne stryfe Laodomya full fearfully quakyng Ran to the temple for to saue her lyfe Supposyng in her ymaginatyfe That for the temples chaste reuerence Men woulde spare to do there violence But there was one by whom the strife began And was first grounde of this great motion Called Milo a false Cecylian Voyde of all reuerence and deuocion Ran to the temple feirser than a Lyon And where the queene the auter dyd enbrace With a sharpe sworde slew her in the place This sacrilege was punished by vēgeaunce Gods were wrothe through this gret offēce And Diana by full great displeasaunce Made in the courte a sodayne pestylence And Mylo was by vnware violence Tourned bestiall made wode in that affray And slewe hym selfe suyng the twelft daye The .iiii. Chapter ☞ How Cleomenes king of Macedone was slayne with his wife and children AFter this vengeaūce taken on Mylo Came Cleomenes of Macedoyne king And to Bochas gan shew his deadly wo His great iniuries of enemies assaylyng His hye emprises his kyngdome defendyng And alderlast how he in his citee Was by the sonne slayne of Tholome First in his countrey the story doth deuise Againe his enemyes he had a great battayle Of his people defendyng the fraunchyse Of knightly prowesse as he y t list not fayle For his ryght to fyght in plate and mayle His lieges echone beyng of one assente To lyue and dye with him in their entent Men women and children yonge of age Were in one hart as in that mattere Whiche made them stronge gate auaūtage That vndeuided they stode echone yfere Of one corage of one will of one chere Greatly assured in their opinion Because among them was no diuision Their cōmon profite they did more prefarre Than they did treasure lyfe or good For their fredome aye ready to the warre Not afrayed to spende their owne bloude And fynallye so together they stode That of one thought eche gan him redy make To lyue and dye for his brothers sake He had an enemy borne of that region The name of whom was Antigonus And he had wedded the boke maketh mencion The olde quene of kyng Demetrius And had her sonne the story telleth thus Called Phylyp fro youth in hys kepyng Therby pretendyng a tytle to be kyng Of Lacedemonoys claymed agayne ryght There to raigne and take possession Lyke a tiraunt vsurpyng of great myght For to be crowned in that region But for all his false presumption He was put of and yset a farre Though he with thē helde a mortal warre And Cleomenes that was rightfull kyng Was in the felde armed euery day Hardy as Lyon drede hym nothyng Gayne his enemyes he stode s◠at a bay That fro the felde he made them flye away His dredefull sworde grounde was so kene That to abyde hym they myght nat sustene And on a daye descendyng from his cite Helde in the felde a full stronge battayle With lytle people made his fone to fle Retournyng home ful wery of trauayle Thought in his heart that it should auayle To stynt the werre hangyng in no certayne Tyll y t his people refreshed were agayne Set ordinaunce through all the countre Gayne all enemyes to make resistence And into Egypt he goth to Tholome With wife children w tdrawing hys presēce There receyued with great beneuolence Lyke his estate out of care and drede And there abode tyl Thotome was dede But the sonne of kyng Tholome Whiche raygned after by succession Of false enuy and vengeable cruelte Slew Cleomenes in that region His wife his children voyde of compassion Alas it was to straunge a cruel thyng Within a kyngdome to murder so a kyng The .v. Chapter ☞ Of kynge Nero Cornely and Hanyball AFter whose deathe thus wrought by violence The story remembreth procedyng Forth came Nero and shewed hys presence Of Siracuse the myghty stronge kyng Tofore Bothas full pitously playnyng Besechynge hym with a full pitous chere Of his mischefe to wryte the manere The whiche Nero wylfull and furious Lyst to presume of false rebellion For to debate with Appius Claudius And to maligne agayne Rome toun But he anone for his presumptioun Constrayned was in all his most pride Lyke a cowarde to flye and nat abyde No more of hym myne auctour writeth here But in his boke as he dothe procede There came Cornely of Rome a consulere Hym selfe complaynyng of y ◠great falshede Whiche vnto hym accomplished was in dede By assuraunce broke of Haniball Which of Cartage was chefe admirall To thys Cornely Haniball was sworne With the Affricans by a maner flatery To succour hym as we haue tolde toforne With the Romains to holde vp his party But whan they met the boke doth specify Cornely was take and fettred in prison At mischefe dyed there gayned no raunson Than Haniball entred of entent With his knightes into a great cite Of Cicile called Agrigent Where Julius Silua of olde enmyte Layde a siege with a great meyne That he constrayned the sayde Hanyball For very hungre to leape ouer the wall By a posterne he toke hym to the fliyght Gathered shyppes and toke the large see And Julius Silua lyke a manly knyght Faught with him and made hym for to flee Vpon the water anone after he Was of his knyghtes stoned to the dethe And so constrayned he yelded vp the brethe The .vi. Chapter ⧠Of the duke zantipas cast into the see AFter that Hanyball was stayne thus And putte to flyght as made is mencion Tofore Bochas came worthy zantipus A famous duke full notable of renoun And he was lorde of the stronge region Lacedemoyne and was come a ferre Into Cartage to helpe them in the werre By whose prowesse to his encreace of glory The proude Romayns were put to flyght Cartaginences had of them victory And there was take the wyse manly knyght Marcus Regulus and brought anonryght Into Cartage and led as prysonere By zantipus as Bochas writeth here Thys noble duke for all his hye prowesse Done in Cartage and shewed to their toun And for all hys notable kyndnesse They most vnkyndly quit hym his guerdon For
with wynde afore the son bright Yet in effect it leseth nat his light So Bochas dempte that his dul writing Eclypsed nat of Tullius the shining With rude langage a man may well reporte The laude of triūphs cōquestes maruelus Which thing remembring gretly gā confort The herte of Bochas to him selfe said thus Two colours sene that be contrarious As white and blacke it may be none other Eche in his kinde she weth more for other In Phebus presens starres lese their light Clere at midday appereth nat Lucine The fame of Tulli whilom shone so bright Prince of fayre speche father of y ◠doctrine Whose bright bemes vnto this houre shine Sothly quod Bochas of whō whā I endite My hande I fele quaking while I write But for to giue folke occasion Which in rethorike haue more experience Than haue I and more inspection In the colours and crafte of eloquence Them texite to do their diligence Vnto my writing whan they may attende Of compassion my rudenesse to amende Vnto him selfe hauing this langage Bochas to write gan his pen dresse Vnder supporte afforced his corage To remembee thexcellent noblesse Of this oratour which with the swetnesse Of his ditees abrode as they haue shyned Hath this worlde moste clerely enlumined This Tullius this singuler famous man Fyrste to remembre of his natiuite Borne at Arpinas a cite of Tuscan Of blode royal discended who lyst se Grekyshe bokes of olde antiquite Made of rethorike in their vulgar song He translated in to the latin tong In tendre youth his countre he forsoke And fro Tuscan his passage he gan dresse Towarde Rome the right way he toke Entring the citie the renomed noblesse Hydde in his person she wed the brightnesse Of diuers vertues time while he abode That like the son hys fame sprede abrode For his vertues made a citezaine The good reporte of him shone so clere Like as he had be borne a romaine In their fauour his name was so entere Among them chose for a Consulere Agayne the cite time of his Consulate Whan Cateline was with them at debate By the prudence of this Tullius And his manhode rekened bothe in fere Catelina most cruel and yrous Frowarde of porte frowarde of his chere Busy euer to finde out the manere Howe he might by any token or signe Agayne the citie couertly maligne Sixe hūdred yere fourscore tolde and nine Rekened of Rome fro the foundacion This cruel tyrant this proude Cateline Made with other a coniuracion Againe franchises and fredame of the toun First discured as bokes tell can In the parties and boundes of Tuscan The purpose holy of this Cateline Imagined on false couetyse Was to bryng Rome vnto ruine And therupon in many sondry wise Found out meanes and waies gan deuise To his entent by diligent labour In the cite to gette him great fauour But finally his coniuracion Discured was by one Quincius Which was afore false vnto the toun Told at the case vnto Tullius By whose prudence working marueilus By helpe of Antony that was his felawe The coniuracion was broken and w tdrawe By wytte of Tulli all the coniuratours Espied were and brought vnto mischaunce Their names red tofore the Senatours Of their falshead tolde all the gouernaunce Manly ordained through his purueiaunce With al his people as made is mencion Catelina departed from the toun With Antony the said Cateline Besyde Pistoy had a great bataile Slaine in the felde he myght nat decline For he abode whan the felde gan fayle Power of one littel may aueile Namely whan falshed of malice of pride Againe trouth dare the bront abyde There was another called Lentulus Of his felowes that named was Fabine The third of them eke called Cetegus All assented and sworne to Cateline Strangled in prison at mischefe did fyne Cause Tullius did execucion Tulliane was called the prisone Thus coude he punishe traitors of the toun Outray their enemies of manhod prudence Called of their cite gouernour patron Sent from aboue to be their defence Their champion most digne of reuerence Chose of their goddes their cite for to gye By two prerogatiues knighthode clergy Lyke the sonne he did them enlumyne By hie prowes of knightly excellence And through the world his bemes dyd shyne Of his rethorike and of his eloquence In whiche he had so great experience By circūstaunces that nothyng did lacke He transcended Plocius and Gracke Of oratours it is put in memorye This Tullius through his hie renoun Of all echone the honour and the glorie Was giue to him as made is mencion Surmounted al and in conclusion The golden trumpe of the house of Fame Through the world blew abrode his name He knewe secretes of philosophy Came to Athens to scole for doctrine Where he profited so greatly in clergy In all sciences heuenly and diuyne That he was called as aucthors determyne Amonge Romayns of very due right Of eloquence the lanterne and the light It is remembred among oratours Howe Tullius pleted causes twayne In the romaine courte afore the Senatours The cause defending by langage souerain Of two accused againe them that did playn On their defautes them sauyng fro mischefe The court escapyng fro dangere reprefe These causes twayne he pleted in latin With so excellent flouring fayre langage With such reasons concluded at the fine That he by wysedome caught thauauntage In his maters with all the surplusage That might aueile vnto his partie What he said there coud no man denie Among Grekes at Athens the cite So great he was of reputacion So famous holde of auctorite To be compared by their opinion To the Philosopher that called was Platō To whose cradell bees dyd abrayde And hony sote they on his lyppes layde Apronostike like as bokes tell Plato should by famous excellence Of rethorike be very sours and well For his langage myrrour of eloquence Yet the Grekes recorden in sentence Howe Tullius in party and in all Was vnto Plato in rethorike egall Through his langage this said Tullius Reconciled by his sote orisons To the lordshyp and grace of Julius Princes and kinges of diuers regions That suspecte stode by accusacions Bicause they did Julius disobey Wer enclined with romains to Pompey He coude appease by his prudent langage Folkes that stode in discencion By crafte he had a speciall auauntage Fauour synguler in pronunciacion In his demenyng great prudence and reasō For the pronounsing of matters in substaūce His thanke receiueth by chere countenāce To a gladde mater longeth a gladde chere Men treat of wysdom w t wordes of sadnesse Pleintes requyre after the matere Greuous or morall a chere of heuines Lyke as the cause outher the proces Gyueth occasion to hinder or to spede The doctrine in Tullius men may rede The name of Tulli was couth in many place His eloquence in euery lande was ryfe His langage made him stand in grace And be preferred
thyrein and she is called slouth An euident token of frowarde slogardye Vpon thy bed thy limmes so to dresse Ryse vp for shame for I can well espy Folke that can grone and fele no sycknesse Their chamberlayne is called ydlenes which layth thy pyllow at â—ue and morrowe Voyd her from the and let her go with forow To all vertue froward and contrary Is ydlenesse here in this present life which hath the draw away fro thy lybrarye Wyll the not suffer to be contemplatyfâ— For her condycion is to holde stryfe With euery vertuous occupacion which men shuld voyde of wysdom and resoÌ„ In this mater what shuld I long tary Thyslombre leaue and vp thine eine dresse The boke I made of life solytarye Remembre theron the which in sykernes Teacheth the way of vertuous busynes By and by who list rede euery lyne Of contemplacion moral and diuyne As I sayd erst yet lyft vp thy loke Forsake thy bed ryse vp anone for shame Woldest y â— rest nowe vpon thy seuenth boke And leaue the eight in soth thou art to blame Procede forth and get thy self a name And with one thyng do thy self comforte As thou deseruest men after shal reporte Make a comparison twene derknes lyght Twene ydlenes and occupacion Twene fayre dayes and the cloudy nighte Twene a cowards prowesse and hye renoun Twene vertuous speche false detraction And to conclude all vices to represse Contrary to slouthe is vertuous busynesse Vertuous busines O Bochas take hede Reneweth all thynges of olde antiquite Maketh men to lyue after they be dead Remember the nobles of many a great citye And ne were writers al were gone parde Wherfore Bochas syth y â— art nere the lande Suffre not thy shyp to stomble on the sande I meane as thus the shyp of thy trauayle Which hath passed the se of bokes seuen Cast not ankre tyll thou haue good â—â—â—ayle Let no tempest of thundre nor of â—eum Nor no wyndes of the cloudye heuen Nor no fals â—aÌ„glers of demers the will bliue Depraue thy laboure and let thy ship to ariue Haste on thy way let grace crosse thy sayl Fall on no lande of wilful neglygence Let good wyll be chefe of thy counsayle To gye thy rother set entyre diligence If vitayle â—ayle and wine to thy dispence yet at the last thynke forth y â— socour Some royal prince shal quite the thy labour Thinke by writing auctors did theyr payne To yeue princes theyr commendations To Remuâ— Romulus called fouÌ„ders twain Of Rome towne and of two Scipions The kinghthode Prudence of two Catons Of Iulius Pompey and Hanybal eke also By ensample of whome loke that thou do so Of Prophetes they wrote the prophesies And the noblesse of olde Moyses Of poetes the laure at poesies The force of SaÌ„pson y â— strength of Hercules Of two grekes Pyrrus and Achylles By their wryting bokes say the same Vnto this day yet endureth the name And he that can and ceaseth for to wryte Notable ensamples of our predecessours Of enuye men wyll him atwite That he in gardayns let peryshe the holsome floures In sondry wyse that might do great socours Labour for other and spare not thy trauayle For vertuous labor agayn slouth doth auaile â–ª A thing remembred of antiquite Is whan there is set a fayre ymage Of a prince of hye or lowe degre Or of a person a prynte of his visage Gladdeth his frende quicketh his corage And semblably by example men may fynde Things forgotten by writing come to minde â–ª And for to make our names perdurable And our merites to put in memory Vices to eschewe in vertue to be stable That labour may of slouth haue the victorye To clayme a see in the heuenly consistory Dispyte of ydlenes and forthering of vertue Fyne of our labour be yeue to Christ Iesu. Whan Petrark had reherced this lesson In rebuking of vicious ydelnes Bochas supprised and moued of reason Rose from his couche and gan his pen dresse well ouercame the impotent feblenes Of croked age that Bochas vndertoke For to accomplyshe vp his eight boke I following after for dulled for rudenesse More than thre score yeres set my date Luste of youthe passed his freshnes Colours of rethorike to helpe me translate were faded away I was borne in Lydgate Wher Bacchus lycour doth full scarsly flete My drye foule for to dewe and weâ—e Though passed age hath fordulled me Tremblynge ioyntes let my hande to wryte And fro me take all the subtylte Of curious makyng in englyshe to endyte yet in this labour truelyme to acquite I shal procede as it is to me due In these two bokes Bochas for to sue FINIS ¶ The firste Chapter ¶ Howe the proude tiraunte Domician Emperoure of Rome and manye other Emperoures and Nobles for their outrages and wretchednes mischeuouslye ended BBrother to Titus sonne of Vaspacian Came next iordre as writeth mine autour The proude ambicious called Domician That was in Rome crowned Emperour An extorcioner and a false pillour Proudly coÌ„maunded in his estate vp stalled Of all the worlde he shulde a God be called Thrugh hye presuÌ„pcion of him it is eke tolde Nether of tymber koruin nor of stone Set vp images of syluer and of golde In token there was no God but he alone In to Pathmos he exyled eke saynt Iohn And agayne cristen the seconde next Neron That began first the persecucion This same tyraunt reignyng in his estate To all the citye was passinge odyous Best and most worthy he sâ—ewe of the senate And vnto all that were vertuous Mortall enemy and moste malicious And for slaughter of senatours in the toune Asked the triumph as made is mencyon Made amonge iewes by ful great outrage where as he had greatest suspicion To slee al tho that were of the lynage Of Dauids kinred and of kinge Salomon Least he were put out of dominacion Amonge iewes this was hys meanynge Slewe all tho that was borne to be kyng Amyd the palays as God wolde of right Punysh a tyraunt and quite him hys mede This Domician was slayne vpon a nyght His caraine after vnburyed as Irede And Comodus doth after him succede whiche was all yeue by fleshly appetite To leaue all vertue and folowe his delyte Theatre playes of custome he did vse As was the custome there and the vsage His life in vices he falslye did abuse In lecherous lustes spent al hys yonge age To the romaynes did ful great domage For of the senate that were moste vertuous were falslye slayne by this Comodus In his time by stroke of thunder dente And firye lightning y â— came down fro heuen The common lybrary was of the cyte brente Wyth royall bokes of all the craftes seuen Bokes of poetes mo then I can neuyn And Comodus breuely to termyne was slayn and strangled by hys concubyne Helinus Pertynax came nexte on the ringe Ordained after Emperour of that toun Olde and vnweldy â—lame in his ginning After whom
ware As they departed such part againe they toke As men deserue suche shall be their mede This frowarde storye ende of the eight boke Of Rosamonde Melchis wrought in dede For short conclusion byddeth men take hede They shall agayne receiue such measour As they measure vnto their neighbour ☞ Thus endeth the eyght boke and herafter foloweth the nynthe ¶ Hovve the Emperoure Mauricius hys wyfe and hys children were slayne at Calcidony ¶ The Fyrst Chapter TO Frances Petrark as Bochas vndertoke In eschewyng of slouthful ydelnes As he began taccoÌ„plysh vp his boke AssurauÌ„ce made hym do his busines Which thinge remeÌ„bred gan his pen dresse The nynth boke so god wold gyue him grace It to performe if he had lyfe and space At the beginnyng sothly of his labour In his study there dyd to hym appeare Mauricius the myghty Emperour Which complayned rehersynge the manere Howe he by Phocas cruell of loke chere Distroied was wyfe childreÌ„ and kinrede The slaughter couth who lyst the storie rede The sayd Maurice as write Bochas Jhon Was by Phocas brought to distruccion His wyfe and children were slaine echone At Calcidony as made is mencion After whose deth he toke possession The sayd Phocas as put is in memory Gaue Pantheon to saynt Gregorye Whyche was a temple of olde foundacion Ful of ydols vp set on hye stages There throughe the worlde of euery nacion Were of theyr goddes set vp great ymages To euery kingdom direct were their visages As Poetes and Fuigens by hys liue In bokes olde plainely doth dyscriue Euery ymage had in his hande a bell As apparteyneth to euery nacion Which by craft some token shoulde tel Whan any kingdome fil in rebellion Or gan maligne agayne Rome toun Which to redresse w t strong myghty hande Sent a prince to chastice al that lande The saide temple builded of lime and stone Pope Boniface as bookes specify Wher it was first called Pantheon Set vp crosses vpon eche partye Halowed it to martirs and to Mary Yere by yere gynnyng of Nouembre The feast hold the martiloge doth remembre In Asia this Emperour Maurice was slain In the cite that called is Calcidony Al his housholde and many good Romaine By Phocas percieÌ„s as had is in memorye And Phocas after for his vaynglory Slaine by Heraclius he thaÌ„ was Emperour Four twenty wynter he was gouernour The .ii. Chapter ¶ Of Machomet the false prophet and how he beyng dronke was deuoured amonge swine AFter the deth of Phocas as I tolde WhaÌ„ Heraclius to raine first began Came Mahomet in his time yhold A false prophet and a magician As bokes olde well reherce can Borne in Arabia but of low kynred All his life worshipped ydols in dede And whan that he grewe in to great age Disceyuable in many sondrie wyses with Camels vsed fyrst his cariage False and double and subtle in his diuises He went to Egipt and fette marchandiÌ„ses To Jewes christen he sondrie times sent Learned the olde and the newe testament As bokes olde recorde in that partie Thys Mahomet this cursed false man Out of Egipte fast gan hym hye Towarde a countre called Corosan With a lady that hight Cordian Through his subtill false daliaunce By crafte he fyll in to her acquaintaunce He wrought by his enchauntementes And by false meanes of nygromancy Her enclyning towarde his ententes For both he coude flatter wel and lye Sayd openly that he was Messy Jewes abiding vpon his coÌ„myng As greattest prophet their souerayne kyng Thus the people he brought in great errour By his techyng and his false doctryne He wext among them a great gouernour The saide lady also dyd to him enclyne As to a prophet whych that was diuine Sent from aboue as she dyd vnderstande For whyche she toke him to her husbande His lynage gan at Hismaell Had a syckenesse full ofte sithe fyll doun In his excuse saied that Gabriell Was sent to him fro the heauenly mancion By the holy gost to his instruction And for the Angell shewed him selfe so shene To stande vpright he myght not sustene On his shoulder were oft tymes seyne Whan he to folke shewed his presence Milke white doues which that piked greine Out of his eares affirmyng in sentence They came by grace of gostly influence Him to visite to shewe and specifye He was the prophet that called was Messy Newe lawes also he dyd ordaine Shewed signes by false apparence Lyke Moises him selfe he dyd feyne A prophet of most excellence And thervpon to shewe an euidence Smal portes wyth mylke and hony borne On a great bull were hanged on eche horne He made the people gyue credulite To his doctrine and froward teachyng By mylke and hony figured was plente By the merite of his gostly workyng And thus he was at his beginnyng Take of Sarasis as they gan to him draw Whych by false errour bounde theÌ„ to his law A clerke of his called Sergius Wrote his lawes and these miracles thre First of the doues howe they came to hiÌ„ thus As here tofore rehersed was by me Howe mylke hony were tokens of plente And of the Bull afore by craft made tame By false disceytes to gete hym a name Of Arabiens and Sarasins as I rede And of Turkes made prince gouernour With Hysmaeâ—ytes folke of Perce mede He gadered people gan wexe a warriour Agayne Eraclius the myghty emperour And vsurped to ride in the contrees â–ª Gate Alisandry wyth many mo citees Of tho parties desirous to be kynge Of that purpose whan he was set asyde The people falsly dyssimulynge Tolde he was sent prophetes to prouyde For tho couÌ„trees for to be their gyde And for he was lecherous of corage He made of Venus to set vp an ymage Made Sarazins to worship the friday Semblably hys story dothe expresse So as the Jewes halowed the saturday All his workes concluding in falsnes Whan he dranke wyne fyl in dronkeÌ„nes Taught the people like a false prophet To drinke water and good wyne to lete As I sayd the heretyke Sergius With him of counsaile frowarde contrary Fone to our fayeth he and Nestorius From holy churche greatly they gan vary On whose errours Bochas list not tary More to write of this Machomete Any gromancian and a false prophete Who list to se his lawes euerychon Yeue to Sarazins his boke caÌ„ bere wytnes As they be set in his Alkeron Echone in ordre grounded on falsnesse Lyke a glotton dyed in dronkennesse By excesse of drinkynge moch wyne Fyll in a podell deuoured among swyne Thys was the ende of false Machomete For all his craftes of nigromancy The funerall fine of this saide prophete Dronklewe of kynde called him selfe Messie Whom Sarazins so gretly magnifye Jhon Bochas let be for a quene of Fraunce More of his errour to put in remembraunce The .iii. Chapter ☞ Howe Brounchylde a quene of Fraunce slewe her kin brought the land in diuision and after was hanged hewen
robbers for their great offence Sluggy truauntes for theyr negligence And fayned beggers that greatly disauayle Constrayneth them to labour and trauayle Founders of lawe by antiquitie Caused in landes was suffred none erroute And made of prynces the royall magestie To shyne in worshyp by diligent labour Wrested courages of many conquerour That their tryuÌ„phes no further shuld attaine Than lawe of god and nature dyd ordaine Wyll was that tyme vnder subiection Of ryght wisnes by trouth full wel coÌ„ceiued Sensualitye was seruaunt to reason And froward lust was vnder locke ykeyed Sentence of statutes was not disobeyed The ryche did ryght through euery lande Pore folke lyued by labour of their hande Lordshyp y â— tyme anoyded mayntenaunce Holy churche lyued in perfitnesse Knighthode tho dayes for trouth whette his lauÌ„ce And false extorcion had none entresse MarchauÌ„tes winning came al of rightwisnes Artificers the worke day were not ydell And busines of labour helde the brydell Women that age farced were nor horned Nor theyr tayles were not serpentyne Wise men of foly nor clarkes wer not scorned Whyche in scyence most freshely dyd shyne Lawe disherited none heyres from theyr lyne Lesyngmongers found y â— time no socours And flaterers were made thaÌ„ no coÌ„fessours This golden world flouryng in vertue Borne vp by loue grounded on stablenes Of auoutry sprange out none issue Prices w t doctrine established their nobles Preesthod in praier knighthod in worthines Ech thing by law stode vnder gouernaunce MarchauÌ„ts by mesure iust peis of balauÌ„ce First Phoroneus by dyligent laboure Fonde out lawes y â— kyng was of Argyues The grekes study he giit w t great honoure This politick priÌ„ce auoided theÌ„ from striues His statutes kept duryng all their lyues Found first the maner Bochas doth deuyse Howe to Jupyter was made sacrifyse Eke mighty Minos whilom kinge of Crete Ordayned lawes agayne transgressions To feare by rygour foles that were vnmete And staunche of surfetes all occasyons Made for robbers mightye stronge prisons And Dedalus his chefe artificere Made laborinthes by diligence entere And Mercurie borne by the stode of Nyle As writeth Lactance was of Egipt kynge Vnto marchauntes dyd lawe firste compyle Of weight and mesure to vse in chaffaryng And for his wisdome and excellent connyng Of olde poetes that whilom were so wyse He called was God of marchaundyse Solon also the best lawes made As Valery writeth him self to magnify Athenienses therof were full glad His great wysdome whan they did espy They fonde therin so muche policy And euer he was redy for to debate Agayne tyrauntes so sore he dyd them hate Kyng Lygurgus yet whilom dyd his cure To make lawes to comon auauntage And that they shuld perpetually endure He made his people be sworne of euery age While that he went out on pilgrimage Fro point to point to kepe them in certaine Vnto time that he came home agayne And for his lawes wer of great substaunce And profitable to euery comonte He chase to liue in exile and penaunce Neuer to resort againe to his cite That his statutes by eternite Shuld nat be broke as ye haue herd toforne By the coÌ„uencion to which they were sworn To comon profite had he such tendernesse That he forsoke his kingdome and kinrede To liue in exile his story beareth witnes But or he dyed as he lay bedrede He bad his bones shuld be cast in lede Amid the see fer out from the strande That his statutes might in their streÌ„gth staÌ„d He eschued eueryche occasyon As a thyng hatefull which was not fayre That his forsayd royall mighty toun Shuld breke their oth because of his repair But touching that he put them in dispayre Cast him neuer resort in their dayes Lest they wold breke the seÌ„teÌ„ce of his lawes The .xv. chapter ¶ Here Bochas maketh an exclamacion of the extorcion of the officers of Rome JOhn Bochas here maketh a digressioÌ„ And by rebuking cast him to assayle Thylke officers y e wer in Rome toun Which by extorcion oppressed the porayle And agayne iudges also of Itayle And namely them that for lucre or mede Set trouth asyde and toke of it none hede He maketh agayne them an exclamacion Such as to vertue were contrarious And vnder colour and occasyon Of their offyce lyst to be lecherous Like condicioned vnto Apius And fynally as it was after sene False in their domes of their life vnclene O quod Bochas O trouth o thou iustise Whych in your nobles whilom dyd excel Where in effect is now your exercyse Wher is your wonning alas wher do ye dwel Of your practike ful few men can tel So fer put backe is nowe your disciplyne Your kyn exyled and your noble lyne Aduocates that nowe done occupye Your olde sees and places full royall All to falshede their wyttes they apply Suche couetyse now reigneth ouer all Causes of ciuile and causes crymynall Their domes take wher they be fals or true All after wyll by statutes chaunged newe There ben eke other called accessours Syttyng by iudges to yeue them counsayle Which may full well be called rauenours For they nat labour but for theyr auayle A nombre of robbers folow at theyr tayle To pylle the people as ye haue hard to forne Bare as a shepe that is but newe shorne There is no more in this matter to sayne Saue onely this trouth stant desolate And rightwisnes dare to no wight coÌ„playne With wrong oppressed weping desolate Wherfore ye prynces that syt in high estate Such thing to meÌ„de but ye better hede take God shal w t you a full harde rekenyng make Your office is in your magnificence Twene man man all wronges to redresse And wher a matter is agayne conscience It to refourme onely of ryghtwysenesse To staÌ„de by trueth mayntayne no falsenesse And let wise counsayl such matters examine Or ye of haste theron determine Haue suche thynges in your mynde amonge Thynke god wyll quyte lyke as ye deserue Ye spot your noblesse yf that ye do wrong His sworde of punishyng drede or it kerue Let your reason and conscience conserue Your noble estates thinke like your werkiÌ„g The lord of you wyl aske a rekenyng The .xvi. Chapiter ⧠Of Alcibiades exyled and after brent in hys bedde AFter other that put them selfe in prees Tofore Bochas their coÌ„playntes to discure Came of Athenes Alcibiades That time alyue the fayrest creature And as it is remembred by scripture He was discrete and was at all assayes One the strongest and manly in hys dayes He was first borne of full high linage Aboue all other of most semelynesse Well proporcioned and hardy of corage Loued and fauoured for his great fayrenesse Famouse in knyghthode for hys worthinesse Subtyll witted and coude by cloquenâ—â— Boche comprehende vnder shorte sentence His wyt enclined to manyfolde sciences Had of conyng a passyng retentife Loued clerkes fond them theyr dispences Suche as in practife he saw most inuentife To rede in bokes
reioysed all hys life Kept what he redde in his memoriall And of wyse counsaile was none to hym egal An vncle he had ycalled Perycles Which stode in daunger of excessife spendyng Yet in hys youth thys Alcibiades Seyng hys vncle pensiefe in lokyng Cast of wisdom to remedy that thyng And for to aswage hys heartes heuynesse Gaue hym this counsail by great auisenesse Fyrst to rehearse how the matter stode And of hys vncles wofull hygh distresse Ther was to him delynered a sūme of goode To repayre the temple of a goddesse Called Minerna but for the great excesse Of hys dispences he stode somwhat in drede Touching thacoūpt y ◠he muste yelde in dede Alcibiades here vpon musyng To hys vncle gaue counsayle in sentence Vncle quod he let be your thynkyng And for your selfe shape thys diffence Nat for tacoūpt by meane of your prudence Afore prouided with face chere vnfayned To suche duresse that ye be nat constrayned And whan Pericles his coūsaile aduertiseth Fonde to his worshyp it was resonable And by good layser him selfe ful wel auiseth And by prouision prudent and notable Saued hys estate frō eche thyng reprouable So that he stode touching thys matter As for accomptes out of all daunger Alcibiades of Athens chefe capteyne From day to day waxt vp to great encres Suche another was ther no where seyne Them to gouerne bothe in werre pees And all the citye by assent hym chees Of theyr nauy in especiall Vpon the see to be theyr admyrall For his knighthod they sent hym out aferre To Cathenoys to be theyr gouernour Gayne Cyracusenes for to gin a werre First there receiued w t glory gret honoure But in the end of his great laboure Fortune that is aye varyaunt and vnstable Was to this duke nat founde fauourable He was accused to them of the toun Which in Athenes had gouernaunce That he was gilty in party of treason By thē reuoked for al his great puissaunce Of Capitaynship and by their ordinaunce And fortunes false mutabylitie Vnwarely depriued from all dignitie But for him selfe thus he gan prouide Went into exyle not fer from that countre In to a cytie that called was Elyde There for to haue fredom and lyberte And of hys lyfe to stand in suerte For in Athenes they wolde haue him deed Vnto their goddes to offre vp his heed But whan he was of their entent certayne To Lacedemone he toke the ryght way And by relacion there he herd sayne Howe Cathemenses were put to afraye In a batayle vpon a certayne daye Which that they held to their aduersytee Gayne Cathenoys as they fought on the see But the cause of this discomfyture As was tolde Alcibiades Was by thre captayns through misauenture Which in their leading were found recheles The chefe of them named Demosthenes The tother called the story telleth vs The tone Niceas the tother Eurilocus Alcibiades hauyng herof tiding To auenge his wrong put him selfe in prees Of Lacedemon he gothe fyrst to the kyng Which of trouth was called Agydes Beseching him to graunte to his encres Certayne soudyours out of hys countre For to werrey of Athenoys the cyte Thus he waxte stronge of noble prouydence Had great people vnder his gouernaunce And lyke a duke made strong in hys defence The people gadred to his obeysaunce That other princes that wer of hye puisaūce Gan haue enuy of wylful frowardnesse And to malygne agayne hys hyghe noblesse For selde or neuer in any regyon Prowesse of armes noblesse of chyualry Encrease of ryches report of high renoun Fame of connyng in craft or in clergy May no wher dwell without some enuy From whose malyce as folke expert may se Saue only wretches no man hath lyberte For which this prince as put is in memory Escaped nat for all his hygh parage But that some enuyed at his glory For in this life no man hath auauntage Agayne tonges nor odyous false langage To stop such venym this is the best obstacle That mē with suffraūce tempre their triacle The clere prowesse of Alcibiades Stayned the nobles of other prynces al His eure hym raised vp to so great encres To the highest trone of fortunes hall Such fatal grace is vnto hym fal That in tho dayes playnlye this is no fable There was no knight to him resemblable In his exyle so clere his renome shone And through Grece gaue as gret bryghtnes As doth a ruby aboue eche other stone Yet for to clips and shadow his worthynes Lacedemonois dyd their busynesse Such as nat myght to his nobles attayne By false report his renome to restraine Awayt was layd to take him at mischefe And many traynes wer serched out sought Of entent to put him at reprefe But al y ◠euer agayn him they haue wrought At the end the purpose came to nought For God prouideth of his magnificence Agayne such malice to saue innocence He was lykely to fal in great daungere Lacedemonois gan so at hym dysdayne Because his honour nobles shone so clere That to his fone it was a deedlye payne And thus his lyfe stode in no certayne For all be it he manly was and wyse He knew nothinge their purpose nor malyce Hee had almoste ywarned be to late And lyke to haue stand in great perplexitie And more his grace and fortune to abate By thoccasion of hys great beaute He wyth the quene was woxen full priue For in her grace so well stode there none Whiche gaue to him warnyng of his fone And by the counsayle onely of the queene Fro Lacedemon he wysely toke his flight Towarde Athenes thought he wolde sene His owne countre full lyke a manly knyght And though thei had nat gouerned thē a right Towardes hym beyng in distresse To auenge his wronge he dyd thē no duresse For he thought it was agaynst nature To be vengeable or shewe his cruelte By thoccasion of any auenture Or ginne a werre vpon his countre His natiue bloud meued him to pyte And of very naturall gentlynesse Was debonayre agayne their vnkindnesse The case was this for short conclusion How king Dary with great apparayle Thought to werrey of indignation Them of Athenes their towne tassayle And in purpose proudely to preuayle Thessifernes a prince of great puissaunce Of Daries power had al the gouernaunce Final cause and grounde of all this werre That Darius gan on them so hastelye And that he sent his puissaunce from so ferre For to destroy Athenes vtterly Was to holde vp and sustayne the party Of Lacedomone whiche of olde hatrede Were euer enuyous thē to oppresse in dede But by meane of Alcibiades And his treatie founded on prudence Thessifernes enclined to the pees Therby in party to appease his violence And all was done of noble prouidence And fro the place to which he was exiled He to Athenes shoulde be reconciled Vnto the citie he dyd signify How Darius had made his ordinaunce And by his letters he